Runners' Hangout

(Edith) #1

Hello all you runners out there. I’ve been a member of the forum for four years. When I first joined there were a number of us who had lively discussions about running. I think the last time a post was made about running was in December '20 but for most of the running topics it as been way longer.

I thought I would try to get another thread going. We can use this thread to discuss getting started, runs, upcoming races, heart rate training, workouts, goals, whatever.

I’ll start…

After having to take a break from running due to pulling a hamstring during a Tough Mudder and then being in a car accident, I am finally back to running. I ran my one and only half marathon three years ago. I am going to try for another one this fall.

I’ve been using the 80/20 training method and my long run is up to seven miles. I was running three days a week, but I just added a fourth day this week. I’m pretty darn slow, but I mostly care about distance for now and maybe for always.

I like running in my Vibram five finger shoes, but I’ve decided to switch things up once in a while and use a more conventional type of running shoe once a week. I was recently listening to a Human Performance Outliers podcast about how to avoid getting injured and a suggestion was to use different types of shoes. Different shoes put stress on different parts of the body. This way one is not putting stress on the same part of the body all the time.

I guess that’s it for my introduction. Anyone want to join me?

(Butter Withaspoon) #2

yes I do want to join! Great idea and I’ve been wondering the same thing.

Me- my running is often theoretical or absent due to an ancient work/dance injury of the lumbar spine. If I work hard at doing the right thing I can run and enjoy it, but this year has not been great. Patches of happy running only. But I’m ready to implement a graded return to running and find this thread useful to keep me motivated. Yay!
Except right now I have a cold so the plan starts when I’m better (sigh)

I like to run on trails, to mix run and fast walk, to go up and down steep hills (more walking!) and to feel good in my body. I do parkrun when I’m good for a few k’s. I dream of looong events but mostly, tying myself to a big event leads to back issues.

I began incorporating a bit of strength training late last year. Just at home using body weight. I hope to get more specific with that.
🤸:woman_in_lotus_position: :running_woman:

(Bob M) #3

That’s an interesting idea.

For those who don’t know about the Human Performance Outliers podcast, it’s (currently) being run by Zach Bitter. I listened to one of his podcasts, where he described some of his training schedule at the time. I calculated the daily mileage, and it was about a marathon per DAY.

#4

There is a Hungarian extreme long distance runner who runs a marathon before breakfast almost every day… I never could wrap my head around that… She has a carrier and kids and everything… Wakes up early, runs a marathon, give breakfast to the kids, goes to work…
While for me even waking up in the morning is borderline impossible. And running 1 km is a dream…

So I am no runner BUT I want to be a tiny runner one day… I don’t hate running anymore but I still can’t like it. And I get bored. What should I do when running? I like to think about things, it works wonderfully while walking and hiking (I LOVE doing those ;)), even during cycling… But running is different, it’s harder but not hard enough not to be boring somewhere… Maybe I should find the perfect music or podcast?

My SO runs (never more than half a marathon but usually way less) but he can’t help me with this.

I need all the help I can get so I try to get some extra determination from this thread… I got reminded I forgot about my new plan: I want to run to the hilltop and back (with some walking uphill) every day! I live almost on the hilltop so it’s a tiny distance, 900m. I stop 7-8 times (totally rusty state without a decent stamina, not trying really hard etc. I am there now). It should be easy to get better than this… I am utterly horrible at running. I was worse in the past, though, getting aching side and throat in a minute and hating every second except when I just desired to run a little on a nice sunny day in Nature, I had those moments every few years… And then I run, like, 100 meters…
I surely can restore my stamina very quickly, I am not so great at walking now either (I love it and can do it for a while with zero problems, sure but I never go long distances as I did in the past) and steeper slopes aren’t nice for me, I get winded in no time. And I must be better than in the past when I moved and suddenly had to climb hills. I was born and lived in the Great Hungarian Plain where you don’t really find even a small hill, it’s truly flat almost everywhere… I can’t take more than a few steps without going uphill here :smiley: Even my own garden has a great elevation despite being small, one end is in the valley, the other on the hill… If I take out the garbage, that’s a few hundreds of meters of going uphill, there are waves too I don’t just go down and come up.
My SO totally RUNS uphill even when it’s too steep for me to walk without stopping… I must change that.

I try to talk about only running in the future as much as possible. But things are correlated and I tend to carried away anyway.

So I have problems to conquer if I ever want to run at least half-marathons. It would be nice. I must be able to run a little, I am a healthy human! I just face big difficulties.

(Karen) #5

Thats really interesting about wearing a selection of shoes as I always tend to wear the same pair. They get comfy and I don’t want to wear any others but I have noticed sometimes when I start my run I get a bit of a ‘shock’ pain when I first set off so maybe thats why that happens. I do have other running shoes so perhaps I will try a different pair next time. Did the podcast mention a different brand should be used as I tend to go for the same brand/model as they fit my strange feet better!!!?

(Edith) #6

No, it did not.

I have strange feet, too. I used to have very low arches, but I’ve been using Five Finger Shoes for many years and I now have a medium arch. As a result, my shoe size went down a half size.

The “conventional” pair I bought still has a very flexible bottom and just a small drop.

It’s best to start of slow, alternating running with walking. For example 30 seconds running with two minutes walking. You’d be surprised how much you can improve over time with that method. There is no shame in mixing walking in with the running.

(Edith) #7

Yeah, I can’t even imagine. Right now I’m at a whopping 12-14 miles per WEEK. My body thinks that’s enough at the moment.

(Edith) #8

I have back issues, too, so I proceed very slowly. I’ve been doing body weight strength training and I do think it’s helped my lower back.

(Bob M) #9

The best book I’ve found about the back:

He has his so-called “big three” exercises, which I think do work really well. I perform them now every exercise session, so 3 days a week. He recommends them daily, but they can be a bit time-consuming if you start doing multiple “reps”.

He also has different stretches and the like, depending on what your issues are.

If you’re in Canada, it’s likely cheaper to order directly from his site.

(David Cooke) #10

Since I bought slightly more expensive shoes, I only use them for runs of 6K + (or shorter runs with intervals). My second best shoes get used on dirt tracks as I don’t think shoes will have much effect on or be of much help to, my gait.
I do occasionally do a few hundred metres barefoot when the road has been cleared of grit and gravel!

(David Cooke) #11

I have occasionally ventured to suggest that this forum is 1: about losing weight, 2: about reducing blood pressure etc, and 3: a long way down the list: staying healthy, which for me means some kind of regular exercise. I have been almost, but not quite, been shot down for suggesting this, and told to go to a runners forum.
One thing that I have noticed is that after 30 months of running, my resting heart rate is down to 55, which is apparently OK even though I am 73. Blood pressure 70/120, sugar still a little high but I’m not going to start taking meds.
I was on the school running team, ran into a trainer that didn’t like me and didn’t run again for 50 years. 200 meters, puff, pant, clutching at my heart, lungs, cramps and stitch and wondering how I was going to get back home. I am training for 5K distance at the moment as it gets really hot and humid even early mornings here, but will be back into half marathon mode via a 10K training spell soon. In fact I may dispense with any races less than a half altogether next year.

(Butter Withaspoon) #12

Thanks Bob, I have my therapies and exercises that work really well. My improvements in what I can now do compared to 20 years ago are miraculous. After many limited years with chronic pain I was lucky to be directed to the right people with great back stability and pilates from a dance gymnastic background of hypermobilty - which is the aspect that other recommendations and interventions missed.

My recent woes came from a bad day of travel including carrying some stupidly heavy weight. I’ve been too slack with my exercises (which is so easy to do after lots of years), but now I’m on it! This episode was just rather worse and longer than I’ve had for years. I’ll continue for now…

Of course I’m curious what the big 3 exercises are? Wondering if they are similar to mine…
And soon I’ll run!

#13

I’ve read about that. People reach 5 km running in a month. I barely can run 1 minute after 2 years (not like I tried hard or often)… Except downhill, I last longer then and it’s very easy to bring myself to it… I need to use everything I can…
I gave up on alternate running and walking as I forget to start running again, I just start to walk and walk and walk :smiley: I like walking. Or I run downhill only, I have a route where I can’t resist the downhills and I am usually in a bit of a hurry… I walk around 4.5 km and run a few hundreds meters, it’s something.
Hard to get better like that… I am really horrible at this.

So I need my new running and stopping method. I don’t forget running then and standing is a bit boring… I just need to bring myself to do it. we have rain since days. I could run in my room but that’s even less fun. Sometimes I put some running into my powerwalking (my rainy day exercise, theoretically as I rarely do it but sometimes I really miss some activity) as some videos have those parts…

I don’t worry about shoes at this point though even I noticed that heavy boots may be not so great for running :smiley: But I need boots around here. I use my old light lil shoes for my tiny running/stopping to the hilltop though. If it gets more serious, I can buy running shoes, of course. My SO has running shoes for his decently long distances. 3-6 miles, maybe? It changes all the time, he starts running when the weather is warm enough (while I rather should run when the weather is cold enough…) and he starts with shorter runs. Now he can run for hours again… It would be nice to go together but our skills are vastly different and he isn’t a coach type. So I start with him and stop soon, it’s more than nothing. But I need my own runs with stops, I can’t imagine I won’t improve if I do it every day!

I hope I can start today! Probably. It seems the rain finally stopped.
I dislike being a pathetic whiny one who can’t even run a little despite their wishes.

(Karen) #14

This thread reminds me of what my daughter said as we were on our walk and talk, which I might add is usually an 8 miler power walk. She was talking about her conversation with her husband and about clearing stuff out and sticking it on ebay. She said to him “how many pairs of trainers do you need”? As he was
guarding his 14 pairs lol I laughed but in my head I am thinking blimey I must have just as many!:laughing::laughing:

(Edith) #15

My company is participating in a virtual track meet. Participants just have to time themselves running the distance and send a picture of the stop watch for track distances and send the GPS for longer distances. We have until July 31 to get times submitted. It’s all on the honor system. Hum.

My husband and I are going to a track this evening and try some “sprints” to see if we could get some competitive times for our age groups. It may be fun and something we can do together. He’s not a big one for the longer distances.

(Edith) #16

I’m like that with my five finger shoes.

(Doug) #17

Would love to join, but I can’t even make myself do the darn elliptical machine often enough…

I do remember that I was always fine with running, as long as I could put on my running shoes and just get through the door…

#18

I’m sorry you experienced this. I very rarely participate on this forum because of how some people are and how they talk to people. I almost got myself banned the other night calling two people out for how they talk to everyone. I deleted the comment right away because I knew it wouldn’t change anything.

I hike, bike, run, walk and do yoga. I try to be active for at least an hour each day but usually do two hours of something. To me being active it as important as what you eat. Exercise alone won’t make anyone skinny but it’s important for your cardiovascular system if nothing else. I like that someone started this thread. This will be my only comment on it but I plan on following along. I love to run and love reading about other people’s experiences with it. :grinning:

(Doug) #19

David, while it’s true that one often cannot “exercise themself out of a bad diet,” no argument from me that exercise can and usually does make a profound difference.

(Todd Allen) #20

I love the idea of sprinting. The best I can do is a brisk walk. But each day I go out and do at least one short burst of 10 seconds or so giving everything I’ve got to go as fast as I can. Yesterday I earned a skinned knee for my efforts and bent my cane. But today I expect to do a bit better. I hope your evening will be as thrilling and satisfying as mine is going to be!