Running Questions

HungryMom

I have been running for a few months and can comfortably run 3 miles 2 or 3 times a week and am working towards running a mini-marathon in May. After working through the newbie concerns I now have other questions. Help!

1. I want to increase my speed and distance. Would it be better to do one at a time? And if so which should I concentrate on first?

2. Finding time to run is difficult, and I had been going at night after the kids are in bed and my husband is home. But it is now dark at that time. Night runners, do you use reflectors, headlamps, mace, etc?

3. At what distance/time do I begin to need to hydrate while running? And how do you do this? I have thought about planning my route to go past my house. Are there convenient and economical ways to take water with me?

4. I have always run alone but as I increase my distance I think it would be nice to have a running buddy. Finding someone close with a similar schedule may be difficult, and I am sure they will run at a different pace. This may sound stupid but how do you run in pairs, especially if you are not at the same level?

Thanks for you help! Any other tips would be appreciated.

sarah44254

I am interested in these answers

I am slowly increasing distance, having one longer run a week and building up. I end up having to run right at sundown (it is too hot outside during the midday, and I go to work before the sun comes up so I can't run in the morning)

I never bring water when I run and continue to wonder if I should. I also would love night running (as it is much cooler) but I do not feel 'safe'.

♥xenawarriorprincess♥

Here is a great website for runners

http://www.runnersworld.com/

Hope u can find your answers sweetie, I am running my first 5k (official) in October, soooo excited !!!
Blessings and Joy !!!

Liquid741

i started running around 1 to 1.5 miles 5days per week....took me a few months but built up to 3miles around 5 to 6 per week....i wanted to go farther and faster, so i did a lot of research on youtube.com (fyi, there is a lot of bad advice there as well). i would run a min of 2miles, then walk for about 2min, then i would sprint for about 4min, then back to walk....i did this for the next 20min....

it did wonders! took me about 2 weeks of doing this now i am running 4 miles 6days a week and reduced my time greatly!

worked for me, might be worth a try.

fridayjustleft04

I run at night at the high school's track. It's not lit very well, but I don't wear reflectors or anything. I carry a bottle of partially frozen water with me and drink when I feel like it. Also, I'd work on building up distance first, but that might just be me.

kac7700

If you have a good base, it would be good to start on speed work once a week. You can incorporate hill workouts or tempo runs. Check out some running resources, such as runners world that can give you an idea. Once a week I do speed work, easy run, long run and race pace runs.

I run a lot at night/early morning. We use headlamps and have reflective gear. I also like to run with my dog. I usually go at 5 a.m. because I find it gets me through the day and I have more energy. Evening runs make it hard for me to fall asleep.

As for hydration. Any run over an hour requires refueling. You can get a fuel belt, or go by your house, or hide something along your route depending on how long you're out.

Check out meetup.com in your area to see if there is a running group. I have a wonderful group that I run with twice a week through there and we use Facebook to schedule less formal runs.

Hope that helps!

SpartanTrainer

Start with building up endurance by building up distance. Do the speed later.

Anything less than an Hour hydration is really not an issue.

Nite wear some kind of reflective material, definately mace (make sure you know how to use it or you will be on the receiving end of it!!) Should run with a partner at nite.

Whoever your running buddy is ya'll can keep the same pace even if they are more experience. This could be a easier work out for them or they are doing it for the camaradie. It is not always about who is faster!!

htomer

Running stores will have advice on reflective tape, clothes etc. There's a great app and website called Active.com that includes the Couch to 5k forum. It's not just about 5k's, they have advice on how to extend beyond that towards 10k, half marathon, etc. I have run with a partner on occasion, and we just adjust for the first mile until we're both comfortable, but you've got to be pretty close to the same pace for it to be beneficial. Look up your running stores for running clubs and they will have great resources. About the water, I found a belt that has clips for two fist sized squeeze bottles that I have yet to use, but looking forward to trying it out (too hot in OK still). Also, I've used plastic water bottles, one in ea. hand to feel balanced but they do get awkward when empty. Hope this helps! Good luck!

horseryder77

1. Distance first, speed later. It'll help you in the long run, trust me. You want to be able to breathe/be comfortable with running long distances if you're going to do a long race.

2. I run with Mace and reflectors if I have to go at night. I try to avoid it though because I'm 22 and around a college campus.

3. I'd say after about 5-6 miles is when you want to start hydrating. Everyone's different.. but this seems to be the average.

4. I have the same problem. I have run with someone who runs slightly faster than me and it worked out well cause I just do short distances with her.. and it's about the same amount of effort. I also have a friend that runs WAY faster than me. When we ran together, she'd just lap me, come back and then go forward again haha. Not the most fun. I'm sure there's other people that go your pace somewhere.. finding them is the hard part

Good luck

momof3and3

I am not an expert, but a fellow runner:

1. I would increase my distance first. Speed can come at a later date, but to get ready for your mini marathon, you need to get your body used to running distances. Build it slowly. Add about 10% increase every other week. Plan on running 3-4 times a week. One day should be intervals of fast/slow pace or hills ( do it for time not distance, so aim for 40 mins or so), 2 days easy runs (2-3 miles to start), 1 day long run (3.5 miles to start).

2. Try running in the am, but if you go out at night refelctors and a flashlight are best. Try and run at a well lit area...track or even a parking lot.

3. I hydrate when needed. I carry a water bottle with me for my shorter runs and drink at it every 1 mile or so. For longer runs I will drop water off at key points before I start and pick it up as I go. I use a large re-usable bottle that I bought a "handle" for...i found the handle in walmart. There is also hydration belts that you can buy that you wear around your waist that holds a water bottle.

4.I have 2 running buddies. One runs at a faster pace, so I lag behind her but she has helped me to increase my speed. My other partner runs at a slower pace than me so I can hold a converssationn with her as we go. I usually run with her on long runs, it makes the time fly! If she needs to slow down I will run ahead of her and then circle back to be with her again.

You can always have your kids ride a bike or scooter so you can get out before dark also...

Happy running!

Runningmama1

I would highly recommend checking out runners world.com. They have TONS of tips and advice on how to increase distance/speed/what clothes to wear in what temps/etc. It's a great resource, plus they have a forum on there where you can chat with other runners. It was invaluable to me when I was first starting out running.

1. If it were me, I would worry about increasing distance first. To increase distance only do 10% more per week to avoid injury. Speed is something you can work on once you settle into a training program for the mini marathon. Most of the marathon websites have training programs that create to go along with the race and they will typically include some sort of speed work in the training.

2. Hmm, that's a toughy. If you could squeeze a run in on your lunch hour that would be ideal but realistically once you get into the swing of training you won't have enough time to get all of your runs in in that amount of time. Do you have access to a treadmill? That could be a good option (although tm running is different and WILL feel different on a race course). If you do opt to run on a tm make sure you're putting the tm at a 2% incline to mimic outdoor running (leaving it with no incline is the equivalent of running downhill outside). When I used to run in the dark I wore reflective clothing, a light that blinked (on my back), white hat and gloves and put a reflector and blinking light on my dog. And yes, I ALWAYS took pepper spray with me (not that it could really do much, but it made me feel safer). I also ALWAYS made sure that my husband knew the exact route I was taking and left him a note with the time I left and an approximate time of when I should be arriving home. If I wasn't home by the set time he had the ability to look for me and if necessary call the police.

3. I'm not really sure there is a specific distance at which you need to start hydrating. When I'm thirsty I drink. My thirst typically depends on the weather too. I find in the winter I'm not thirsty and typically don't take water with me (probably not a good idea, but it's what I do). I bought an Amphipod (check out their website) to use during my training runs. Mine fits snuggly in the small of my back to keep it from bouncing around, but they also offer some handheld water bottle versions that might interest you. You could always just take a water bottle with you and carry it with you. I find it extremely annoying to carry anything on long runs, but again, that's just me.

4. Definitely check out Runners World.com and you may be surprised to find some other runners that live close by. I would also really recommend looking into a local running club or at your local running store to find other runners. I've found if I am running with someone that doesn't run my pace one of us slows down to accommodate the other. You'd be surprised though at how many people do run a pace similar to what you've been doing.

Another tip I would recommend is to be sure to get running shoes specific to you. If you go to a running store they will analyze your gait and find shoes to help your feet and not hinder you during your run. The more miles you rack up the more and more you will appreciate a good pair of running shoes. They're expensive, but well worth the investment! You'll need to replace your shoes about every 450-500 miles so you might want to start keeping track of your miles too to keep worn out shoes from hurting your legs. Happy running!

Atsirklove

Hello! In answer to your questions:

1. I want to increase my speed and distance. Would it be better to do one at a time? And if so which should I concentrate on first?
You can do both! Increase your speed by doing speed drills. You can do suicide drills with 30 second rest periods, sprint uphill walk downhill, or sprint up stairs and walk down. Try and do these speed drills 2 times a week. If you can do them for 10 minutes prior to an endurance run, even better. You can gradually increase your distance. To help with that, you should think about joining a running club.

2. Finding time to run is difficult, and I had been going at night after the kids are in bed and my husband is home. But it is now dark at that time. Night runners, do you use reflectors, headlamps, mace, etc?
I don't run at night because I live in San Francisco and the city can be dangerous at night. Try and run in the early morning. If you must run at night, try a treadmill at a 24 hour fitness club.

3. At what distance/time do I begin to need to hydrate while running? And how do you do this? I have thought about planning my route to go past my house. Are there convenient and economical ways to take water with me?
You should be hydrating all the time. If you plan on running a marathon, you will need a source of water. I currently have a Camelbak called the Racebak. It is a base layer that has a Camelbak built into it. I use it whenever I run more than 10 miles. When you get into longer distances you will need electrolyte replacements to avoid bonking and cramping. Try to hydrate every mile. You should go through about 6 ounces for every 20 minutes of running you are doing. This increases if you sweat a lot. Your body weight is 75% water, you must replenish what you lose during your run.

4. I have always run alone but as I increase my distance I think it would be nice to have a running buddy. Finding someone close with a similar schedule may be difficult, and I am sure they will run at a different pace. This may sound stupid but how do you run in pairs, especially if you are not at the same level?
This is where a running group would be ideal. You will get proper coaching, meet people that run at your pace, and hopefully find someone with a similar schedule.

You really should join a running club, especially for marathon training, it makes a big difference. I hope this helps!

jessicarn76

I did the mini for the first time this year. I joined the Blue Mile's training program and ran some training runs with them and then followed the training schedule they gave me. They also gave great tips on form, hydration, refueling, etc. I ended up walking and running the mini. I would check out Hal Higdon's website or Jeff Galloway's. They also have good training programs for all levels, to give you an idea how to advance your distance, which, I agree with others, I'd focus on distance first.

I also joined www.dailymile.com and logged all my runs there. You can also map your routes too. They have a lot of great support there for runners. I got my hydration belt from ****s. It has, if I remember correctly, reflectors on it, one smaller bottle which I put gatorade in, and some small side pockets that I put my sport beans in like this one: http://www.runjunk.com/nathan-swift-hydration-belt.aspx. I used this for training and on some of my longer runs, I ended up bringing a bottle of gatorade with me then eventually throwing it away and then going to the one with the pack. For the race though, they had hydration stations at nearly every mile I think with water or gatorade to choose from so I didn't use that pack. I bought one that had a stretchy pouch to put all possible race necessities in it. I can't remember the brand of it, but it was stretchy- it fit my iphone, 3 packs of sport beans, inhaler, a little wad of toilet paper , ID, credit card and some cash.

Whew, I just probably gave more info than you asked for! Sorry

If you are on facebook, there is an Indy Mother Runners group you can search and ask to be a member of. They schedule group runs. I was in a FB group with them when I was training for the mini and it was great.