Running questions!

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MaintainCats
MaintainCats Posts: 222 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all!

I am still a pretty newbie runner so I have some questions.

1. I am finally starting to run slightly longer runs (next weekend is a 10K)...at what point do you add "fuel"? What fuel do you prefer?

2. Once you finish a goal, how do you decide what to do "next"? I am about to hit the 10K. I never in my life would have dreamed that I could do 10K but next week finishes out week 8 of the plan.

3. I am still an interval runner and working on getting faster (a turtle slow 12:30 pace is my best at the moment). Are there any concrete, clear plans out there to help me get faster? I know a mile is a mile and that running makes me a runner but it sure would be nice to be able to do a 10:00 pace eventually.

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  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    I don't typically add fuel unless I'm running more than an hour - you may need something if you 10k may exceed that but not lots - I think having a solid breakfast and maybe quick carbs right before (I've been known to snack on gummy bears)

    As for what's next - you could focus on speed/distance - it's up to you
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,680 Member
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    1. You don't really need fuel for any run under 2 hours or so. When I was training for a HM, I started doing fuel at about 10 miles because I expected to use it during my race and wanted to find out which I liked and which I didn't. Go to your running store and see what they carry. I like Shot Bloks and some Gus, but not all. If you don't want to spend the money, jelly beans and dates or figs also work well.
    2. I started out with C25k, but soon decided I wanted to do a half marathon, so that became my next goal. I did some shorter local races, but really wanted that 13.1. Thanks to a couple of serious injures, it took about 3 years before I finally ran the race. A year later, I did my first marathon. That's probably my longest distance, but it's one I enjoy, so I'm currently training for my 3rd.
    3. When you have more miles under your feet, you will get faster. Build up your base, gradually adding miles. When you go from 20 to 30 to 40 miles, usually your speed will get better. If not, look at some race specific training. Hal Higdon includes some speedwork at the intermediate level in his 5k, 10k and HM plans. Or read some of the books about training from Higdon, Pfitzinger, Daniels, Hudson, etc. They will teach you about interval runs, tempo runs and race pace runs.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    +1 on everything here. I would also echo the notion the idea of focusing more on mileage and speed will come with that.
  • MaintainCats
    MaintainCats Posts: 222 Member
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    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    1. You don't really need fuel for any run under 2 hours or so. When I was training for a HM, I started doing fuel at about 10 miles because I expected to use it during my race and wanted to find out which I liked and which I didn't. Go to your running store and see what they carry. I like Shot Bloks and some Gus, but not all. If you don't want to spend the money, jelly beans and dates or figs also work well.
    2. I started out with C25k, but soon decided I wanted to do a half marathon, so that became my next goal. I did some shorter local races, but really wanted that 13.1. Thanks to a couple of serious injures, it took about 3 years before I finally ran the race. A year later, I did my first marathon. That's probably my longest distance, but it's one I enjoy, so I'm currently training for my 3rd.
    3. When you have more miles under your feet, you will get faster. Build up your base, gradually adding miles. When you go from 20 to 30 to 40 miles, usually your speed will get better. If not, look at some race specific training. Hal Higdon includes some speedwork at the intermediate level in his 5k, 10k and HM plans. Or read some of the books about training from Higdon, Pfitzinger, Daniels, Hudson, etc. They will teach you about interval runs, tempo runs and race pace runs.

    Why did I not think of books. I spend my life in books.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    MaintainCats wrote: »
    1. I am finally starting to run slightly longer runs (next weekend is a 10K)...at what point do you add "fuel"? What fuel do you prefer?

    Personally I don't bother for less than about 16 miles now. I didn't really start using anything until about 10 miles. As long as you eat adequately to your calorie goal, then you should be fine.
    2. Once you finish a goal, how do you decide what to do "next"? I am about to hit the 10K. I never in my life would have dreamed that I could do 10K but next week finishes out week 8 of the plan.

    What do you want to do? You could move on to Half Marathon, or you could stay at 10K racing and structure your training around improving that. It depends on you, your available time and what inspires you.

    Personally I enjoy marathons and ultras, three of each this season and a couple of 10Ks, and HMs. That consumes a lot of training time.

    If you want to improve your 10K time then I'd be designing a plan around three 10K sessions and one longer session per week, with the long building up to 10miles.
    Are there any concrete, clear plans out there to help me get faster? I know a mile is a mile and that running makes me a runner but it sure would be nice to be able to do a 10:00 pace eventually.

    Once you're doing four 10K sessions per week, and you can do that consistently, you've got the aerobic capacity to gain value from speed sessions. Until then, just fous on adding easy paced miles.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
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    I haven't needed any fuel so far, and i'm running for almost 2h.A couple of times i ate a small piece of candy before i left the house to see if it makes a difference.It didn't seem to make one.

    Once i reached my first goal, which was the 5k, i decided i would carry on to 10k and then stop.Once i reached that, i figured i could go up to 15k and then stop there. Next week i will be reaching that goal and i think i will stop there. Not because i don't enjoy it, but for a few reasons. 1)I'm running out of route options, 2)I would need to fuel and water for longer runs. 3)It will get uncomfortable in the heat in the summer. 4)I'm getting a bit too sweaty near the end. So 15 is going to be my limit i think.

    I didn't need to do anything extra to get faster. As i increased the distance, i got faster without realizing it. I do have a short, faster run once a week and try to beat my record.
  • BeeerRunner
    BeeerRunner Posts: 728 Member
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    I would just say to do what works for you. You do not need to fuel if you are running less that an hour. You can fuel for runs over an hour. That's where personal preferences lie. Some find the need to fuel sooner after that hour, and others can go much longer without fueling. You'll know when you hit that wall. ;)

    On training runs, I typically fuel on runs 12 miles or longer. I do fuel in half marathon races and do so more frequently in a race than I would on a training run.

    When you do eventually start fueling, try a variety of options and practice on your training runs so you know how it agrees with you.
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
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    1. I rarely use fuel for anything under 15 miles. I usually eat right before I run. Sometimes if it's really hot, I'll drink Nuunn or water mixed with freshly squeezed orange juice or grapefruit juice with a pinch of salt. A lot of the more popular fuels bother my stomach - GU, Cliff, Glukos, etc. Although, I do like Honey Stinger waffles and chews. A lot of times, I'll just have dates, raisins, pretzels, homemade date bars (basically Lara Bars).

    Be sure to test out anything new during a shorter run. You don't want to be 10 miles into a run or in the middle of a race and have sudden stomach distress.

    4. I set time goals, distance goals, and race goals. Ex) Run 10 miles, run a 10 mile race, run 4 half marathons per year, run a certain race, run a 10k in Y instead of X, etc.

    3. How long have you been running? You'll get much faster as a new runner just by running consistently and longer. You can add in speed work, but I wouldn't do that as a newer runner. Also, regularly cross training and strength training really improved my running.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    1. Entirely depends on you. You have to learn over time to add fuel when your body needs it. With that said, I've heard a lot of people say that after an hour, it's good to add fuel to your body. I typically last about 90 mins without it, and fuel anything longer. Your body will start to tell you and you will learn with experience. It's usually longer than an hour, as a standard.

    2. Every time I've completed a race, I've wanted to go further. With that said,again, it's important to listen to your body. Sometimes you have to train at one distance for quite a while to safely move on to another. If a 10k challenges you, try getting a few under your belt until they're "comfortable" and get more confident before moving on. It will only help.

    3. Speed will come with time. Speed training is not advised as a new runner because it's easy to over do it and it will come with mileage over time. Keep at it and you'll see improvements!

    Good luck!
  • rubydrm
    rubydrm Posts: 112 Member
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    1. I don't use anything while just running. I am training for a half marathon so I'm sure once I hit the 90 min mark, I'll probably need something. But I would just listen to your body and use fuel when you feel like you need it. I do use Bloks during Spartan Races...about 2 hrs in but that's a lot different activity than road running.

    2. I was always afraid of running in public so when I started it was trail running (because I do Spartan Races) then moved to road running. When I moved to road running I could already run a 10k on the trail but the transition to road running was weird. It took me about a month to be able to do 10k on the road...anyways to answer your question, I did two 10ks and figured once I had a few under my belt, I would try for a half marathon which is what I am training for now on top of Spartan Races.

    3. I don't know if it helps, but I feel like working out helps not only my stamina but also speed. When training, I work out 5 days a week--three weight days and 2 cardio days-- on top of weekend runs. I usually run at an 11 min pace in general but when I did my first 10k, I ran my best at 9mins. I would just run your regular pace while training and then just kick it up a notch when racing-- that's what I did and it worked.

    Good luck with your goals!!! keep us posted!
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    I've definitely noticed a difference between how I feel afterwards if I do gummie bears or some other source before a hard run/race.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
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    All good responses. I'll echo the sentiment about not needing to specifically fuel a run until you start hitting regular runs of 90-120 minutes or so.

    Re: goals - it's totally up to you but it sounds like speed is the obvious answer based on your point #3. Personally, I have no current goals other than to run for the joy of running (and fitness, of course). I do monitor my average paces because it's fun to watch myself get naturally better over time without really trying but I don't really have any set timing in mind.

    For speed...see above. Keep running easy miles and the speed will come. If you're not already doing it, try to add one mid-distance tempo run per week (about 3-4 miles). This is when you run at a 'comfortably hard' pace...a pace where you're not running so hard that you're not sure if you can complete your distance but something that has you barely conversational and definitely working.
  • teenacollie
    teenacollie Posts: 4 Member
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    I think regardless of your pace, eating balanced and making sure you get your protein and bcaas for recovery is important.
    I'm a 5-10km trail runner and if I skip my recovery even after only 5km I feel stiff the next day.
    I only ever "fuel" or carb up of I'm racing.
  • cyndit1
    cyndit1 Posts: 170 Member
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    I don't fuel either for halfs...usually nothing under 15 miles or so. Overall nutrition for sure is key and having something before the run (i usually do a slice of wheat toast and a smear of peanut butter) should be enough. When I do use gels I prefer Accel Gel.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I started using fuel on runs 8 miles or longer so I could find the thing I liked for the HM I signed up for. I like Jelly Belly sport beans. I eat a good breakfast before long runs, too and have a Monster drink.

    I'm relative new to running, too, and did my first 10k back in Sept. Once I finished the 10k, I felt like I wanted to progress to the HM, so I followed the Hal Higdon Novice 1 HM plan (I used his 10k program, also). My last long run before the race (12 miles!) is tomorrow.

    I've gotten faster as I've ran more. Just keep running, and you will get faster. Find the racing distance you like and there are a variety of plans out there that provide guidance on speed work, etc. All in all, it's about avoiding injury and putting in the miles.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Looking at the previous replies it looks like your questions are pretty much covered....I just wanted to say congrats on getting to the 10K milestone.

    I have yet to see any compelling evidence supporting the use of BCAAs for recovery

    https://runnersworld.com/newswire/study-branched-chain-amino-acid-supplements-dont-help-marathoners

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