Looking for long distance runners!

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mazziraine
mazziraine Posts: 15
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I really enjoy running but I am in need of help to stay on track and increase the amount of miles I can run!

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  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    nice running community on MFP - welcome! :smile:
    What are your goals? Feel free to friend me. I'm a runner in Virginia.
  • mazziraine
    mazziraine Posts: 15
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    I don't exactly have a goal at the moment, but as of right now I would like to train like I would be if I was in cross country!
  • cooneysh09
    cooneysh09 Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm currently training for a 10k! Having a goal has really motivated me :)
  • cooneysh09
    cooneysh09 Posts: 4 Member
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    You might want to download the app run keeper to track your mileage
  • mazziraine
    mazziraine Posts: 15
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    Thank you!!
  • gabbo34
    gabbo34 Posts: 289 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Join the monthly running challenge thread on here. Lots of great people, encouragement, etc. It's like being in a virtual running club. There are people of all levels, from those just graduating from a c2k5 and doing 15-20 miles a month to running machines knocking out 120+ miles per month.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    mazziraine wrote: »
    I don't exactly have a goal at the moment, but as of right now I would like to train like I would be if I was in cross country!

    Sounds great! Don't ramp up your mileage too quickly ... you don't want to be out with shin splints! Will you be running outside or TM or combo? Finally the weather is getting nice here ...
  • mazziraine
    mazziraine Posts: 15
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    4leighbee wrote: »
    mazziraine wrote: »
    I don't exactly have a goal at the moment, but as of right now I would like to train like I would be if I was in cross country!

    Sounds great! Don't ramp up your mileage too quickly ... you don't want to be out with shin splints! Will you be running outside or TM or combo? Finally the weather is getting nice here ...

    Very true! Don't want to push myself to hard just yet! I'll be running outside because the weather is also getting really nice!
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
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    There is a running challenge every month in the community. You state how many miles or km that you are going to run for the month and work hard to achieve your goal. I haven't done it for a few months but busted my buns to achieve my goals, probably ran 5 more miles than I would have ordinarily. Great support in that community.
  • dmkoenig
    dmkoenig Posts: 299 Member
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    I'd recommend the following for someone getting more serious into running:

    - Go to a specialty running store and get fitted with a good pair of shoes
    - Get plugged into your local running community. There are typically all sorts of group training runs available, often sponsored by running stores. You'll also find out about local events.
    - Get educated. A lot of great resources on the Internet. My favorite is http://runnersconnect.net. While it sells coaching services there are a lot of free resources and all the information provided is research-based not opinion. Running comes with a risk of injury if you are not smart about how you go about training (distance and intensity).
    - Set a goal and sign up for a race. Nothing like a race commitment to keep you motivated! I was a spectator at the Dallas Rock 'n Roll 1/2 marathon today (I ran another 1/2 a few weeks ago) and it was remarkable to see thousands of people out there, different sizes, shapes ages and abilities, each with their own reason and personal challenge. It was very inspirational...

    Best of luck and enjoy the journey!
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
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    I'm training for three half marathons; 4/11, 4/18 and 5/9. I started running last summer.

    I echo the recommendations above about the monthly running challenge threads here, getting fitted for shoes at a running store, checking out the local scene and signing up for races. All will help keep you focused and healthy!

    As for advice on increasing mileage, the 10 percent rule is pretty good...meaning do not increase your weekly miles or long runs by more than 10% week over week. I also recommend some recovery periods every few weeks. Like 3 weeks building up, and cutting back on the 4th week by 25% to 50%.

    I also find that after many runs (particularly long runs) that I do seem to recover faster by taking in some high sugar carbs and protein immediately after the run at a 3:1 carb to protein ratio. It does seem to help.
  • mazziraine
    mazziraine Posts: 15
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    Thank you!

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