***Running Thread***

Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag

9:40a, 7/17/23

I'm sure someone has made a similar thread in the past, I just couldn't find it. I wanted to start a similar thread to the weightlifting one to discuss all things running from shoes, to program suggestions, general tips, progress, to general questions, or just a place to humble or not-so-humble brag.

I've been running fairly consistently with a few short breaks for injuries over the last year and a half, and really got serious about it about 3 months ago. Prior to 6 months ago, I had never ran further than 3 miles in my life.

Did my first 5k back in April and ran it at exactly 25 minutes, although I spent the first half running with my GF before I decided to increase my pace. Just did a 10k trail run a couple weeks ago coming in at 1:01, although my GF made me promise not to ditch her this time given it was pretty easy to get lost on the route. I ran a 10k for a PR attempt for fun on my own a few weeks back and ran it in 54:34.

I signed up for the San Antonio RnR half a few days ago with a goal of <1:50. I'm currently running 20-30 miles/wk. I'm not sure if this pace goal is reasonable but figured I have plenty of time and room for improvement given the half is in 4.5 months. I would also likely need to cut some weight, 10-15lbs, to get to that time, as well as to prevent injuries.

Looking through most programs I've been suggested by friends and family, they all seem to be for those just looking to complete a half rather than looking to be "competitive" (I know my goal time isn't competitive). I already know I can run a half, but I am very competitive and don't see a point in doing things unless there is something or someone I am competing with (in this case, just competing with myself).

Do any of y'all have programs you'd suggest for someone like myself? What percentage of my training should be low intensity/low heart rate training and what percentage should be speed or goal pace training?

No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.

coastalAg

10:35a, 7/17/23

I am running my first full in December and am using one of Hal Higdon's programs. He has several different plans based on experience level. You may be able to try one of his intermediate Half Marathon plans.

https://www.halhigdon.com/training/half-marathon-training/

1:50 for your first half seems pretty reasonable depending on your age and athletic ability. I ran 1:55 for my first half after not really training like I should have, but I was in my 20's. I would hurt myself trying to do the same now.

Be careful about over training or ramping up too quickly trying to achieve an arbitrary time goal. Listen to your body and let your first half set the benchmark for your next race.

The Pilot

10:52a, 7/17/23

Hal Higdon's programs would be good. They are geared more towards beginners but your times even the goal time is still in line with those and won't limit you to hit a 1:50.

I'm not sure if 1:50 is realistic, hard to know given your newness to the distance but consider that your 10K was at a slower pace and less than half the total distance of a half marathon.

I was able to get down to a ~1:35, and ~3:15 marathon using Higdon's plans.

K Bo

11:15a, 7/17/23

I started taking running more seriously in 2016 and used a Hal Higdon plan to run my first half (2017 Houston Half) in 1:44 at 33yo. I have since moved over to more Zone 2 (80/20) training and have since run 1:36 and 1:31 half marathons and 3:23 full (too much gas left in the tank here). I was dead set on trying to qualify for Boston this coming Jan but a nagging groin injury has cut my running back tremendously and I am still working on getting back lost aerobic capacity after Covid in May (!). Right now I am running 3-4x a week and taking it slow as I work with my PT for my groin/lower abdominal issues. What's next depends on when I am 100%.

On another note I wanted to mention shoes. For daily training I really liked the New Balance SuperComp Trainer V1 and I think V2 is even better. Well cushioned for longer runs but the carbon plates give them a little pop if I want to pick up the pace.

aggiederelict

12:49p, 7/17/23

If any of you runners need a run analysis to look at improving your form or dealing with an injury I am available in the Austin area.

htxag09

1:54p, 7/17/23

In reply to K Bo

I just started zone 2 training a month or so ago.....

After my first run I thought it was impossible, I was reaching zone 3 1/4 mile in.

But have been sticking with it, walking, being ok getting to zone 3 but still being conscious about limiting myself, etc. This morning I did a 40+ minute run and spent about 35 minutes in zone 2. Still painfully slow, but already starting to feel improvements....

K Bo

2:16p, 7/17/23

In reply to htxag09

I was the same when I first started and am having some of the same experience now getting back in to it. It's frustrating for sure but, for me, the results have been fantastic. It also doesn't help to be getting in to it in this weather.

Ragoo

7:38p, 7/17/23

In reply to Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag

Are you in the SA area? I signed up for the Two Rivers half in NB mid November. The race starts until river road and ends at rockin' R.

Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag

9:14a, 7/18/23

In reply to Ragoo

I am. Might need to check that one out for next year. It's a little too close to the RnR on December 3 for me to do both. Would probably injure myself trying to do two half's in two weeks.

I was planning to do another 10k trail run at the end of October, as my last race before the half.

No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.

aggiespartan

8:00a, 8/9/23

Anybody going to be at St. George in October?

I also got roped into signing up for the OC Marathon in May. It's going to be a friend's first marathon. The weather should at least be good for that one.

gcracker13

12:57p, 8/20/23

How do y'all handle the heat/humidity? Other than slowing down and just sucking it up. I live in Houston and running at 5am is all I can do but it's still so miserable

aggiespartan

1:14p, 8/20/23

In reply to gcracker13

I've been doing a mix of treadmill and waking up obscenely early.

ptothemo

1:19p, 8/20/23

In reply to gcracker13

This summer has been particularly rough. I believe that we are well past the record for the number of days where the low doesn't get below 80, so 5:00am (when I run, too) is rough most days. I have always enjoyed summer running, but this year has been a different story.

The one thing that I've found that seems to help is to drink up to a liter of water with LMNT or Nuun as soon as I wake up, about 90 minutes before I start my run. The hydration plus electrolytes seem to help me be more ready for the daily sauna.

Other than that, I'm running solely based on heart rate and total time rather than pace or total distance and just waiting on October.

johnson2012

1:53p, 8/20/23

Slow down, Ice bandana & ice in bottles. I also change up frequency to more shorter runs instead of fewer longer distance to maintain target weekly time/mileage. Long runs also get limited to 2 hours. Beyond that is just a pain to recover from and to try to stay cool & hydrated during.

And just extra vigilant about hydrating and recovery.

gcracker13

2:04p, 8/20/23

In reply to ptothemo

I've been doing a ton of heart rate training just to make sure I'm not pushing too hard. It's been humbling this summer to say the least.

Waking up 90 minutes early would be delightful but I have to be done by 6 so most mornings my only warm up is leg swings before I go out the door

agdoc-ultrarunner

3:05p, 8/20/23

Love this thread. Would be nice to use it to chronicle your training as well as race results and experience. I am a long distance road/trail runner running right now in road asics nimbus 25 and puma foreverRun nitro and saucony xodus ultra trail shoes. Plan on maybe a 1/2 road or two this fall and maybe ultra in feb at Rocky Raccoon in Huntsville. It has been hot up here in northwest arkansas lately but nothing like you guys have experienced in TX.

No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.

Swarely

3:37p, 8/20/23

Good idea for a thread!

TDL;DR: didn't see real progress until I started taking running seriously.

Little history on me- I ran hurdles and the quarter mile in high school. Ran in the Corps at A&M. Started long distance running in 2015. Had no plan except to run until I didn't jiggle anymore. Literally started by just run/walking 30 min each day.

Ran the BCS marathon that year with no real training plan. In fact, I had only run twice in the 2 months before. Finished in 4:35:04. Worst thing I could have done because I thought that I could run marathons just fine without really training. This led to:

2019 Austin: 5:14:20
2019 NYC: 4:58:13
2021 Chicago: 5:08:09 (although I had 2 shots and 4 beers over the last 6 miles during this one. Do NOT recommend)

I was diagnosed with Low T in September 2021 and started shots. I have had to cycle off and back on them twice due to surgeries. https://texags.com/forums/48/topics/3224830

After neck surgery last year I walked my butt off for 2 months before I was allowed to run again. I was cleared to run again at the start of April and built a base using Hal Higdon's "Run with Hal" app. Around about that time Ragoo gave me his old Garmin Fnix 3. Revolutionized how I ran.

At the end of May I started his Intermediate marathon plan, topping out somewhere above 40mpw. Ran a 3:58:00 in Berlin at the end of September. This was a 37 min marathon PR, along with 2 half marathon PRs under 2 hours each.

As I was leaving Berlin I got the notice that I was running Berlin in March, so I rolled right into Hal's advanced program once again using the app. Maxed out right at 60 mpw. I also found a screaming deal on a Fnix 6, so I upgraded. I read "Racing Weight" by Matt Fitzgerald and started paying attention to what I ate and how much. Read "80/20 Running" by him as well and started training with Hal's schedule, but Fitzgerald's rules. Got a chest heart rate strap to be as accurate as possible. Started listening to running podcasts to help keep me motivated and focused.

All this led to me running a 1:37:50 half in January and a 3:27:50 full in March. A PR of 30 min! (Both those were my first times wearing valorflys)

When I got back from Japan I was in a car crash that led to me not running for a month, then injured myself trying to ramp back up too fast. Then had liver surgery in June.

I just finished my second week back running. I hit 23 miles this week at an average pace of about 11:30 a mile. It's frustrating how slow I have gotten. I am incorporating a strength routine and lots of core work as I ease back into things. Hopefully all goes well and I start Pete Pfitzinger's Half Marathon schedule 1 (from his book "Faster Road Racing") September 11th.

Want to finish out the year running 40mpw regularly. Hoping to hear in October if I have a charity spot for London in April.

howapi

4:09p, 8/20/23

I post often on the daily so I figure I should post here. Back in 2013 I decided to pick up running as an easy to start form of exercise and I wanted to set an example for my kids. That year I ran a 5k race and was happy with how it went so I started increasing mileage and intensity without a plan. Ended up hurting myself in the process. I didnt lace up for a long time.

2022 came around, and this time with my kids older and observing my sedentary lifestyle, I decided to pick up running again. I was mindful about picking it up this time and put a plan together. Spent 1 month walking, 3 months walking/running intervals, and ran 5k in July. I slowly ran more and more miles each week I was until up to 5k daily. That culminated with running Buffalo Stampede in October. I decided to prep for and run the half portion of BCS marathon in December. That also went well, aside from some calf pain and walking breaks I still hit my goal of under 2 hours.

Since then I have built up my base mileage to 40 MPW and ramped up pace with an eye on the full marathon this December. In a few weeks I will transition to (loosely) following Higdon's intermediate 2 plan. Currently aiming for 8:30 pace.

Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag

10:38a, 8/22/23

Half training is going pretty well. I'm up to running about 30-40 mpw. In just the last month it is impressive how much my cardiovascular fitness has improved. Just a month ago, I was having to keep my pace around an 11:00/mile to keep my HR below 150, now I'm up to 9:20/mile pace for my low HR runs.

I have had to start working on fixing my gait. I realized I was overstriding which likely led to me developing IT band syndrome, so I did take a week off and switched to low impact cardio. Should have been obvious with my heavy heel-striking and low cadence (low 150s). Now focusing more on keeping my weight under me, and focusing on mid-foot striking and higher cadence (around 175-180).

I also need to be more careful regarding overtraining.

No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.

Swarely

9:44p, 8/22/23

In reply to Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag

What shoes are you using? Have a rotation of them?

Sweep4-2

10:01p, 8/22/23

Sweep4-2

10:16p, 8/22/23

Great thread/topic! I've started running in late 2020 and have really gotten to enjoy the sport (but am a casual runner). On the road, I enjoy the 10K distance the most, but have done a number of 10-Milers and half marathons in the past couple years.

But I've started enjoying trail racing a great deal, and even though my distances are short (typically half-marathon to 25K), I've done a full marathon on the trails as well as an ultra (but as a pacer, not a racer).

As far as shoes, my road rotation is all Saucony: Daily trainers are Ride 15 and Endorphin Speed 2. Faster training are the Endorphin Speed 3's. Race day is the Endorphin Pro 2's.

Offroad, technical/short trail running is a pair of worn out Saucony Peregrine 12's. Slow/long days are a pair of Hoka Speedgoat 5's. I'll probably retire the Peregrines and either add a pair of Peregrine 13's or possible the Endorphin Rift (basically an offroad Speed without a plate).

My goal for the fall is to get my 10K time down for two events in October (BCS Oktoberfest) and November. (Harbor Half in CCTX) Then a 50K trail race in the early spring (either a Tejas Trails or TROT event).

Consistency: It's only a virtue if you're not a screw-up.

'03ag

11:44a, 8/23/23

Around '07 some friends decided to try a marathon as a group. I had not ran more than 3 or 4 miles, and only occasionally. We targeted Chicago 08, trained properly, finished.

From there I ran steadily for a decade. Did the Houston full in 2016. A few halfs in between. I was a good enough to hit the occasional AG award at podunk races.

Kid #1 slowed me down but what really killed me was buying a new house and gutting it. Then kid #2 put the nail in the coffin. Basically haven't ran or exercised seriously since 2018. Was doing weekly indoor soccer for a while but hernia surgery killed that a couple years ago.

Did most of my running at around 185lbs and even then I had weight to lose . . . Now I'm pushing 240.

Recent vacation in the mountains with two kids under 7 and I was huffing and puffing too damn much. A few weeks I signed up for the Cowtown half. Gonna fix this bullsh somehow.

With this heat I can barely manage to do more than a mile without walking. And with this weight I doubt my joints will hold up to more than 2 runs/week. Planning a lot of cross training. Have a peloton. Just did a new FTP test this week and gonna hit the power zone endurance rides as much as I can.

aggiespartan

11:47a, 8/23/23

In reply to '03ag

Don't discount the value of starting over with a couch to 5k program. Having some structure to the plan always helped me start over.

'03ag

11:57a, 8/23/23

In reply to aggiespartan

yeah will do. As I see it I have until 12/4 to get in good enough shape to start a real training plan. But even then I think I'll be limited to 3 runs/week. That feels pretty doable at this point.

I'm a little ahead of where a C25K plan would start but that's ok. The principle is the same. Right now I'm trying to do 2 runs, 2 bikes, and 2 weight days/week. I think that would layer in just fine with a basic C25K plan.

aggiespartan

12:28p, 8/23/23

In reply to '03ag

Yea, I'd take a look at the program and see where it makes sense to start. You might just start towards the middle.

You can do a lot of the Hal Higdon training plans on 3 days a week, but I suppose that depends on what your ultimate goal is. You've done all this before, so you probably just need to get back in the swing of things.

'03ag

6:42a, 8/24/23

In reply to aggiespartan

Right now the goal is to just stay consistent and finish. Hopefully under 2:20ish. Drop some lbs.

Swarely

8:13a, 8/24/23

In reply to '03ag

You got this man!

Pay attention to HR zones and try to follow the 80/20 rule so you don't end up hurting yourself. If you haven't already, check out a running store like fleet feet to get your hair checked so they can recommend the best shoes for you. And, most importantly, don't forget to have fun!

'03ag

8:53a, 8/24/23

In reply to Swarely

This is a good point. I've always thought about trying HR zone training and now seems like as good as any to try it. Was looking at my post run stats and according to this I was in zone 3 or 4 most of the time. This is 2 intervals of 1.5 miles after a walking warmup.

Part of that is the heat, even at 0530, but probably not good to be in that zone so long carrying all this extra weight. Although I have to say the effort didn't feel that intense based on past experience. Going back through my logs, when I had some of my best fitness . . . my long slow runs I was still 135-140bpm most of the time. The calcs say I should top out in the high 120s for zone 2. Maybe that just proves the benefits of zone training, and I've been training inefficiently in the past.

Swarely

9:02a, 8/24/23

In reply to '03ag

High twenties for zone 2 seems really low. Mine tops at 152. You're only 5 years older than me, so I can't imagine yours would be all that different.

What's your max HR?

'03ag

9:10a, 8/24/23

In reply to Swarely

I'm just using a formula I found that says 184. several years ago I did an actual max HR test on my own, and I think it was in that ballpark. 187? With my age 184-185 sounds about right. I found some other calculators that suggest a "easy" HR zone more like145. I need to sleep in my Fenix and find my resting HR. Calculators that account for that make more sense to me. As my fitness improves the zones should drop a little.

aggiespartan

9:16a, 8/24/23

In reply to '03ag

I agree with swarely that that sounds pretty low. If you did a heart rate test, your max would probably be higher.

ptothemo

10:26a, 8/24/23

In reply to Swarely

Swarely said:
If you haven't already, check out a running store like fleet feet to get your hair checked so they can recommend the best shoes for you.

Fleet Feet does a lot of things for runners, but I have never seen them be all that concerned about one's hair.

Type gait a couple hundred times over the next couple of weeks, and the autocorrect machine learning might catch on.

Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag

11:03a, 8/24/23

In reply to Swarely

Swarely said:
What shoes are you using? Have a rotation of them?

I got Saucony Peregrine 13 for trail running, and Brooks Launch GTS 9 for the road. I've put around 350 miles on my Brooks which i got back in March. Will probably look at getting two separate road shoes to rotate once I feel that these Brooks are spent.

No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.

Swarely

12:47p, 8/24/23

In reply to ptothemo

Obviously the girl at my store is just flirting with me.