wolfgate Member

That sounds like a "win" to me. Good job. Life still needs to be enjoyed - just wisely and with knowledge! You're getting wiser.

We're all an experiment of one. I'm glad the shoes work well for you and they will work well for many people. "Most", that's an arguable statement. The absolute "a heel strike causes horrible...problems" is, well, too absolute and not universal. Many people run injury free year after year in traditional shoes with a heel…

:laugh: - and if you do this you'll have run 3.1 extra miles!!!! :laugh: (Philosophy is cool. Just picking on his 10k instead of 5k). Also, key thing is here is don't do anything different. No new shoes, clothing, food, drinks, warm-ups. Keep it as familiar as possible. Think about your pace early. It should feel easy, but…

Hang in there. Yeah, it stinks and it hurts and you can't always avoid it. All you can do is decide you're not going to let them "win", not going to let them derail your dreams and goals.

If you are going to run/walk at the same pace you usually do, then with regards to warm-up do what you usually do before a workout. You'll see lots of people warming up; you can save that for when you're trying to run faster (unless you usually do a warm-up in training, then do that). As others said, line up with people…

Yep. I'm also racing a 5k tomorrow. Hydration for that race is being determined by what I did yesterday and today.

LOL!! Good for you doing the workout anyway and moving past the silliness. I don't know why, but I've seen the same amnesia to having once been a beginner in most activities. One that really cracked me up was when I started investigating a strength training system advocated by many on here. Nice thing about it was that it…

http://halhigdon.com/training/50934/5K-Intermediate-Training-Program You said you don't want to race more than 5ks. There are lots of programs for varying distances and levels. Personally, I think Hal Higdon has a good variety. Link above takes you to his intermediate 5k training program- will get you running that distance…

Sure, if you keep running and follow good plans (and are fortunate with injuries) you could do the half marathon. And if you personal goal is to see if you can run the distance, it's OK and you should do so. But there seems to be this idea, kind of a peer pressure especially among newer athletes, in running that the…

On the time only, don't ignore the factor that unless the course is certified and they actually ran the certified course, then the distance of each race was likely not 5k. They vary widely - I've raced 5ks that were anywhere between 2.8 and 3.5 miles. Most 5ks are not certified and if they are they tend to advertise in…

Wipe out any thoughts of shoe brands. Why limit yourself right now with something artificial? Best advice given several times is go to a local running store which can fit you in the best pair for you. Not a big box store. Not a regular shoe store. A running store. They are also up on minimalist stuff and can help guide you…

Scary to me. But I'll try. Doing the math in this thread says i should be consuming 1975 calories a day to lose a pound a week. I've been trying more like 1600 calories a day. I'm thinking that doesn't mean eat what I've been eating and add 2 beers, though... Interesting post though. Hard for me to figure out some of the…

That, my friend, is a great plan. Keeps you doing something positive so you don't feel like you're giving in. As long as the legs feel fine with it, that is excellent!

Chris - if you need 2 or 3 days off to recover, take it. If something is getting injured and you need a few days longer, take it. Think of it as an investment at that point. If recovering longer allows you to progress, it's worth it. If not recovering causes you to quit, then which was better? i understand the temptation…

We are all an experiment on one, but... In general, I drink depending on time and conditions. In the summer, if I'm running 50 minutes or less I just go. More than that, I'll drink. I typically use a fuel belt at that point and will drink one of the small bottles every 2-3 miles or so. In cooler weather, I'll go up to…

Having not read this long thread, my response is pretty simple. In 1995, my wife was hit by a car while riding her bike. She was crossing an intersection when a lady at the stop sign to her right pulled out directly into her side. Broken elbow, torn up leg, broken cheekbone, crushed helmet. Time in the hospital, two…

Outside unless it's really bad weather. OK, I won't run in 35 and rain - though I will in 30 and snow. Won't run on icy, uncleared roads. Otherwise it's outside.

This is a really good point. Many people avoid use of the word "jog" now, as they somehow see it as an insult, and even debate what it means. But it is a good description of what you should do. Very natural for OP to think "run" meant fast, but that isn't the right pace. The conversation test is a good one to use. Could…

Sweet! Let us know. And doing things with our kids can be great motivation.

If pushing yourself doesn't work, start at 15 minutes and work up to the plan. A plan is only a guideline, after all. You are free to modify to fit where you are and what you need. Be encouraged - you'll get there!

Make sure you have shoes that are right for you - which is best found by going to a running specialty shop. They (unlike a general shoe store or big box sports store) can look at your gait in different shoes and help you find what will reduce stress on your particular body. After that, have fun running. No reason you…

If you normally sleep well, a single night won't impact you physically and you're fine to work out. Many people experience poor sleep - this same thing - the night before a big goal exercise event - their first 5k, half marathon, whatever - and are quite successful the next day. Like others have said, it could be good…

What does your training schedule look like? How does your pace compare on the LR to other runs? There are several things that could be causing that - some physical, some adaptation, some mental.

OK. While it's hard to know anything for certain on a message board, I think it's likely - given the level you are training - that it's simply the weather. Your race distance and pace are close to normal training distances and not far off from pace. So the biggest variables are weather and decrease of long run. And you've…

That is a huge change. We're talking 3 minutes per mile. Times during the heat and humidity are significantly slower, but not that much typically. Though I guess it's possible your body is responding to the weather by shutting down any speed. Has your training been consistent or did you take time off or have you increased?…

Second the go to a local running store to get fitted. not a big box. Not a regular shoe store. The small running specialty store is best. Are you following a plan? If not, consider couch to 5k. Excellent. Your story of how much running and walking you did is common. And many people who were where you are now run distances…

Congratulations Runner! Congratulations Racer! You are both of those things. One of the wonderful things about the sport of road racing is almost all of us are competing against ourselves. You have set a benchmark to go after in the future. You shouldn't feel discouraged. If you decide to keep racing, you're just at the…

180 is roughly what I run racing 5ks. It's roughly what I run on a much (more than 3 min/mile) slower recovery run. It's the stride length that changes. There is some drop going slower, but not much - maybe 10 steps each way. So I'd be closer to 190 racing and 170 jogging. It's about dead on for a standard training run.…

Try to work up to about 180 steps per minute or so. That will in general result in a shorter step. Land close to under your center of gravity. As you pick up speed, stride lenght will increase - behind you, not in front. You do not stride farther forward when you go faster. Arms - relaxed, loose wrists. Roughly 90 degrees…

A topic where everyone seems to have an opinion. Back to the mantra - we're all an experiment of one. First, nobody advocates landing on the toes. They do advocate a forefoot (ball of the foot) landing. Even that appears very close to a flat foot landing. If you follow their foot through it's cycle on the ground, it makes…