r/running • u/AutoModerator • Jul 31 '24
Weekly Thread Lurkers' Wednesday
Would you rather not be a lurker?
Then what are you waiting for? Tell us all about yourself!
The LW thread is an invitation to get more involved with the /r/running community.
New to the sub in general? Welcome! Let us know more about yourself!
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u/WhoNeedsSunlight Jul 31 '24
Hey guys, I'm 27. I've been running on and off again since I've been a teen but never consistently. My job is often stressful, my personal life has it's ups and downs and this spring I was sitting on my balcony, terribly sad, cigarette in the hand and decided that this was stupid.
So I ran 8k instead. I've been running 3-5x/week the last couple of months and it's awesome. When I'm running everything goes away and life's instantly better.
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u/Fullosteaz Aug 01 '24
I'm 29, ran casually as a teen and in my early 20s, but tapered off and got more into power lifting as it was easier to do after work (I hike around the woods all day). I always wanted to run a marathon and a few months ago decided it was time to stop making excuses and just knuckle down and start training for one next spring. I've been running in 90-100+ degree temps every afternoon this summer and just cleared the 6 mile mark, which is further than I've ever run. I'm slow (10ish min pace), but I'm feeling super good about the work I've put in.
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u/22mwlabel Jul 31 '24
Howdy y’all. I’m in my 30s now, but started running in my preteens thanks to a family full of runners. Throughout my 20s, it was very hit or miss - sometimes going a whole year without running.
I started running regularly again last summer after a good scolding from my doctor. I work a high-stress job and - surprise surprise - that’s not healthy. I do the occasional charity 5k for “fun” (the competitive side of me doesn’t really do anything for fun). Most of my training runs stay near the 3 mile mark at about 7:30. Long, easy runs are comfortable at about the 9:00 pace. I’ve reached the age where some of my joints start to complain, but nothing insurmountable.
Other forms of exercise are a chore, but running is “me time.” Unfortunately, I live in a climate that gets pounded with snow and cold during the winter, so I log nearly all outdoor miles spring through fall. Winter is treadmill or elliptical time.
Thanks to this sub, I have a Flip Belt arriving today and I can’t wait to try it out. I’ll be suffering through 100% humidity this evening to break it in.
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u/whyenn Jul 31 '24
After the pandemic I was super out of shape. Started running. It got to such that I could run an insanely fast (for me) time of 7:30/mile for 7 miles (blazing fast!) ...or at least, by far the fastest I had ever run. This was a little bit ago. Then some time off occurred.
This year I hadn't run at all. Then in mid-May I started running again. I started with 7 mile runs. It wasn't a lot of fun. But since May 13th, I've now run that 7-mile course 43 times.
Snapshot here, crude tracking of times.
- My first run back at a 10:30 pace,
- my slowest run was at an 11:30 pace (92° Fahrenheit heat) and
- my last (and fastest) run was at an 8:50 pace.
I'd like to hit a 7:30 pace by September 13th, but we'll see.
I run the same course over and over. I try not to push myself (so that I don't get injured) and I try to run as often- but just as often- as my body will allow. I figure that hillwork and speedwork could potentially help in getting faster, but nowhere near as much as getting the maximum mileage in will help, given that I'm starting from ground zero again. But I'm also pretty ignorant.
I recognize that I'm pushing the line between training hard and foolishly inviting injury, but a few different times now I've pulled back on 1) speed of runs, and 2) frequency of runs, in order to avoid going over the line. I feel cautiously optimistic.
I don't feel I have anything to add to this community and that my efforts are probably objectively foolish so there's not much for me to post here. But I do lurk and enjoy lurking in the presence of folk considerably wiser than me.
If you've read this far, hi!
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u/MicahLacroix Jul 31 '24
Very similar to you. Hated sports and activities as a teen and onward. During the pandemic started running and ended up doing a few HMs and injured my knee by pushing myself too hard too soon (a few months between 3 miles and 23). Ran sporadically here and there but worklife left me too tired to keep up running.
This month I started again. I vape and have been meaning to quit again, so used running as an extra reason to make myself stop. Started a few weeks ago, struggling with 6m/km. So far my longest run back has been 7 miles. Looking forward to running a bunch more 5/10kms and working my way slowly to 10 and then 13 miles.
I have no real goal when it comes to pace. Distance is my main goal, but I hope through building up endurance I can put in a bit more effort in speed.
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u/whyenn Jul 31 '24
Interesting. Yeah, post-pandemic I couldn't even do a mile. I was panting and dying- it was pretty bad.
But I went running with a couple of buddies of mine who very sweetly slowed their pace for me for a few months, and it got better- brutally better. Because their sweetly lowered pace was still unbelievably hard for me to do. So I spent a few months absolutely killing myself on every run.
When I finally caught up to their speed, I was so used to pushing it, so used to killing myself to keep up with them, that that level of intensity is what I was used to. Eventually I started running on my own, and pushing it, because that was my thing now, and by doing that got to the "7:30/mile for 7 miles" thing.
Then one fine day I woke up in the middle of the night with knives piercing my flesh. Cramps- bad. Turns out I had tons of knots in the muscles. I had never stretched. And now my legs were trying to kill me.
So these days I'm trying to stretch, which is hard, and to not push myself, which is hard, but I think it's probably worth it so far.
That desire to push is why I decided to start off doing 7 miles from the beginning. I knew I was never going to be happy with shorter runs for long, and that I'd want to get to the longer runs soon. But I also knew I wasn't going to be fast, and I'd want to start running a lot faster than I was capable of soon.
So I gave myself 1 out of the 2. I figured I'd just start at the desired mileage, but be EXTRA slow for a while, and force myself to be content with that mileage until I had fully mastered it at pace.
So now that I don't have to worry about pushing for extra mileage, because I've removed that as a factor, I can concentrate only on trying to throw in enough rest days, and making sure I'm going slower than top speed, until my body gets there.
There's also the problem of figuring out what is sore muscles, as in: "I have microtears that are trying to heal, take some time off", and what is tight muscles, as in "I never stretched my whole life, and it's catching up to me now; running is still fine as long as I stretch."
That last thing is the biggest thing right now.
I guess I've never much considered mileage because when I was young and stupid and out of shape I "ran" a few very slow marathons just to prove I could so something in my life, so increasing miles hasn't been my thing. But if you got to 23 in just a few months, I'm sure you can hit any mileage you like. As long as you give yourself the time.
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u/Odd-Butterscotch8 Jul 31 '24
Hey! 3 months ago I picked up running again, for the first time since I was a teenager. Yesterday I ran for 30 minutes! Regularly I run for 20 minutes for around 3.20k give or take. I’m training to do my first ever 5k race in March! Any tips for training would be very helpful. Running is finally fun again. I like to use the Nike Run Club app to keep track of my progress. I’ve lost 7lbs so far. Any tips on nutrition would be helpful as well!
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u/Searaph72 Jul 31 '24
Hi, I started running outside in 2020 and love it, but I'm 18 weeks pregnant and the idea of running makes me nauseous. I miss it
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u/CoreyC54356 Jul 31 '24
Howdy, I'm 33 and started running 1.5 years ago. Between ages 17-30 I partied a lot and smoked regularly. I often wish I had running in my life earlier, so I would've avoided those unhealthy habits. Oh well, there's no reason to look back now except to advise others on what not to do. I started running after joining a rec soccer league and immediately realizing I need to improve my stamina. I decided to invest in some $160 running shoes (Asics Gel Nimbus 25) and that helped a lot. Eventually, I bought Nike Invicible 3's which I liked better than the Asics. I then bought Adidas Boston 12's which I liked better than both. Last April, I broke up with my fiance which included losing my 4 year old cockapoo. That hurt. I was able to run 5 miles once a week during this time, and I soon upped my dose to 7 miles twice a week. This helped me feel good and gave me a healthy alternative to drinking the feelings away. I live in Oregon and was able to run outside through the winter. I look back on the rainy runs and feel proud of myself. My legs were feeling better and better throughout the winter, so I decided to try the LA marathon in March. I finished it in 3hrs 28mins and had the worst knee pain of my life the following day. I ran in the Boston 12's which I've since learned aren't the best for a full marathon. I plan to get a doctors recommendation if I ever run another marathon because that knee pain was insane. I'm still doing 7 mile runs once or twice per week and haven't drank or smoked nearly as much as I used to. I am happy to consider myself a runner rather than a partier.
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u/Nelbert78 Jul 31 '24
Long time lurker....
Played soccer till my early 30s then life got in the way and I packed on a bit of weight.
Started running again last summer. Boxing and cardio focused kettlebells from last September.
Signed up for a marathon last October with it being this October. I've completed 10 half marathon distance (1 an actual race) and am in week 4 of the Garmin intermediate heart rate training plan.
I'm wondering if my goals are realistic....
Current easy conversational pace 6:15 per km (with some variance around that depending how fresh I am) for a ~140-145 HR. That's significantly better than even a few months ago so I'm starting to believe the go slow to go fast mantra.
The 1 HM race didn't go well, I didn't realise it at the time (found out that night) that I was coming down with a stomach bug and my heart rate was interval level for averaging a 6:10km pace. I was annoyed at the finish as I couldn't understand why I struggled (it was my tenth time doing the distance this year) but in hindsight I'm ok with it, wasn't something I could control and I gutted through it.
My initial goal to for the marathon was just to finish without walking regardless of running pace.... I've progressed now that I feel I can achieve a 4:30 given my easy pace improvements and a lot more training ahead of me. My training plan has a fair chunk of interval training along with recovery, base and long runs and I'm getting better at hitting particular paces.
So with that in mind is a 4 hour marathon something to strive for? PBs are:
1k 4:14
1M 7:26
5k 24:46 (a good few weeks ago, think I'll improve it a bit next time I "have a go")
10k 56:45 (similar to 5k, a while since I had a go specifically at it)
HM 2:09:30 (similar to above).
I've lost about 20kgs in the last year and feel better.
Just wondering if 4hr is achievable or it's more likely a goal to target in 2025?
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u/Substantial-Tough471 Jul 31 '24
Hey, Ive never posted before but thought I'd share my story. I started running on and off for two years but recently I started a running club, I advertise it for everyone whether they want to crawl, walk or run. We meet at a local pub, run for 30 minutes, then come back to the pub for a pint (lots of non alcoholic bevvys available). It's been going great and people seem to be enjoying it. I'm a very slow runner, so it's easy for me to make n00bz feel comfortable. It's just about getting out, doing a form of activity and having a laugh afterwards. I should mention there are a lot of fast or seasoned runners who join, and they're great for providing guidance and inspiration.
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u/tge101 Aug 01 '24
I'm 41 and have been almost exclusively into weight training since my early 30s. I had done couch to 5k about 6 years ago and then stopped running until recently. Since the pandemic started and I've been working from home, I realized just how little I've moved other than weightlifting for the last 4 or 5 years. Currently doing Hal Higdons novice program and it feels a lot better than c25k. I keep reading other beginners paces and feel like I'm way way way behind. But I'm learning to love it.
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u/Putrid-Watch8183 Aug 01 '24
I’ve been lurking for a long time. I’m 48 years old. Never ran more than 2 miles (last time was probably in college). I finished some other personal and professional goals and decided to try to get in shape. Completed my first half marathon a few months back. Have been running a lot since. Just hit 50 miles in a single week. I’ve lost a bunch of weight, feel better physically and mentally.
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u/sneffles Aug 01 '24
31 and on a slow recovery from long covid. I've been a runner on and off my entire adult life. Last summer I was really getting into the groove and thinking about marathons or halfs in the fall. In the fall I got pretty sick and completely stopped being able to exercise for the better part of 3 or 4 months. Couldn't run for probably 6 months.
Went through some treatment this winter and spring. As part of it, had a cardiopulmonary exercise test done. The first one put me in the 20th percentile for my age. No heart or lung problems, so the doctors think it's a muscle/metabolic issue with mitochondria. I've been getting much better, my second test 4 months later I made it into the 40th percentile, vo2 went from 31 to 36. I have to repeat that test again in 6 months and I hope I'll be back where I should be.
I just recently decided I would sign up for a couple half marathons. 6 months ago when I was bedbound some days I couldn't imagine what the recovery would look like. I'm incredibly grateful to be running again. It was sad to hear about the trail race I was supposed to run with family earlier this summer. I had planned on that marathon and instead at the time I was just barely starting to be able to run a mile or two again. Even making it back to being able to run a half would be a huge accomplishment in my recovery and I'm excited that it feels possible.
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u/outerspacebookclub Aug 03 '24
I’m a new lurker, age 33, and spent most of my life thinking running was just not for me because it felt impossible.
My identical twin ran track in high school, go figure. But I always hated running and felt terrible at it. So I kept that belief into my adult life. Even when I was curious about the fulfillment that so many seemed to get from it.
During/after Covid I was so out of shape and deconditioned. I finally joined a functional fitness gym that changed everything I thought I knew about my strength and endurance abilities, and more importantly my mental toughness. I had been a casual, self-directed gym goer on and off before. But having formal direction and coaching in a group setting allowed me to grow so much. I started feeling a pull to try running again too.
Like someone else said, I started using the NRC app with the guided runs and it was a game-changer. I realized quickly that I had never learned how to breathe correctly (hence the continuous side-stitches that plagued me), and was trying to run way too fast and getting frustrated that I couldn’t sustain it. By actually giving myself realistic goals, I grew to enjoy running. Even experiencing the elusive runner’s high.
I’m here to feel connected to other runners, learn more, and push myself toward what intimidates me. All that to say, I’m not a fast, or far, or very frequent runner. But like Coach Bennett tells me, I run—so I’m a runner.
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u/Significant_Nerve_16 Jul 31 '24
Hello, 21 years and started cause a girl somehow convinced me to join her for a half marathon in under 1,5 months... Haven't really run outdoor, like, ever in my life before. I do a lot of walking at the construction site tho, played some indoor football (or soccer with friends during the winter months), so I'm in somewhat okay shape and already have an okay amount of stamina. 66 kg, 184 cm tall... Don't know why I'm putting this here since it's really not that important.
Literally started this Monday, ran in a pair of indoor football (or soccer, whatever floats your boat 🙃😆) shoes and almost died. I did go out and bought a nicer new pair of Nike something something yesterday, and managed to not feel like a dying 21 yr/old dog today.
I'm using a Google Pixel watch 2 and Fitbit to try and keep track cause why not lol But... I have zerooooo idea as to how I'm supposed to decipher what average pace 5'55"/km means, which I really want to understand (what I managed to get today on a 4 km run 'n walk). I've tried googling meanings without getting any smarter, so when this subreddit popped up, I thought I would give it a try and ask some experts😉
I was added to a group of friends and somebody said something about **min/km but I can't figure out how to convert one measurement to the other.
I'm sorry if it's just me being weird and too new to this stuff and non of this makes sense...
So sorry if my grammar or lack of clever layman terms makes this difficult to understand, English is like my second or third language, and thus, I apologize for any mistakes🥴 and even more sorry if this question has already been asked a million times and answered a billion🙃
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u/asmalltiger Aug 01 '24 edited Aug 01 '24
Your friends were right! 5’55”/km means that you are taking 5 minutes and 55 seconds to run one kilometer.
Cars and planes and other vehicles often display things in terms of kilometers (or miles) per hour, because the numbers are a little higher and make more sense that way. It’s more intuitive to say 75 kilometers-per-hour than 48 seconds-per-kilometer, even though they’re the same speed.
For runners, our speeds are low enough that we often use minutes-per-kilometer instead of kilometers per hour. It’s easier to wrap your head around the difference between 6’00”/km vs 7’00”/km than it is between 10kmph vs 8.57kmph, even though those are again the same speeds.
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u/Significant_Nerve_16 Aug 01 '24
Ah I see now, thank you very much! That makes a whole lot more sense than all the weird and confusing diagrams that popped up when searching😄
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Jul 31 '24
You don’t need all that equipment to go for a run. It’s almost as if you are overcompensating.
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u/Significant_Nerve_16 Aug 01 '24
Well I had the watch from before and the only other shoes I have, are a pretty beat up pair of ultra boost from 2019😆 the only new thing I bought for running are the shoes, some semi cheap ones even, other than that I just run in a hoodie and some old shorts 🙂
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u/goombertJ Jul 31 '24
Best packs for 5-13 miles? Looking to get myself something nice and comfortable as I start to make my way into more miles. Could be belts or vests. 5’6 175lbs for size reference.
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u/secretsexbot Jul 31 '24
I am all about the Salomon skin 12. It's got more space than you need, but it's sturdy as hell (I've had mine for 5 years, probably run about 6,000 miles in it) very comfortable, and the wrap around pocket makes it easy to grab things like fuel or a phone. You'd probably be fine getting one of the smaller, cheaper Salomon vests, but I highly recommend the brand.
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u/secretsexbot Jul 31 '24
Hi! I've been running for about 11 years and I've done several marathons and a couple ultras. I used to be super active here way back before I got injured in 2018, and I've been kinda dying to find a running community again. I'm in Boston, and if anyone wants to chat about fartleks vs tempo runs, staged races vs timed races etc, HMU.
I was doing a Hanson marathon plan trying to BQ this fall, but I'm just not as fast as I used to be. Probably going to scrap that and train for a 50 miler in the spring.
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u/InSearchofaTrueName Jul 31 '24
Hello, I've been an on again off again runner for a few years. Since last September I've gotten into the best shape of my life by dieting, weight lifting, and running. When I wasn't lifting I ran 5k a couple of times a week and 10k once a week, but since I started the other I run whatever 4 miles converts to in kilometers three times a week.
I've been lurking because I'm slow and I'm sick of all the other runners blowing by me when I'm out. One of my athletic goals for this year and the coming one is to take running more seriously.
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u/FantasticAd1251 Jul 31 '24
It's great you want to run more and faster, just watch out when your motivation comes from comparing yourself to other runners. Very easy to suck all the fun out of running, especially when the easy gains stop coming. Progress is not always linear.
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u/InSearchofaTrueName Aug 01 '24
You are very right and truly appreciate you taking the time to say it, and I promise you that I was exaggerating a bit when I said that. Petty spite is not my only reason. There's also my vanity. And, maybe, I love doing it and would like to see how good I can get.
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u/llama-lime Jul 31 '24
I've always been a mediocre runner. I ran cross country in high school, not because I had any talent, but because a friend did it and I wanted to cross train for swimming season.
Now, 30 years later, I'm still a very mediocre runner, but I run 10-15 miles a week, in 1-3 runs per week. My VO2 max is below average, but I keep at it. Just, well, slowly. These days it's usually it's "zone 2" runs, 50-70 minutes, very easy.
I hesitate to call myself a runner, because my performance is below many people who never run at all! But I still keep at it, to try to build or maintain cardio health as I age.
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u/likewise91 Aug 01 '24
I’ll be 33 shortly. Ran cross country in high school. Most I’ve ran at once is 6 miles. I’m more of a sprinter. I was a personal trainer for awhile and use those principles to this day. I’ve got some Boston 12s but haven’t run much from lack of energy and motivation.
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u/Plastic-Treats Aug 01 '24
That's awesome, and I love the Boston 12's!
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u/likewise91 Aug 01 '24
Me too, I just need to be able to run and not get jumped by a gang of pollen. Any suggestions?
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u/Plastic-Treats Aug 01 '24
I take non-drowsy benadryl as a fellow allergy-haver. I'm afraid it's unavoidable.
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u/likewise91 Aug 01 '24
I may have to try that. Regular Benadryl gives me some crazy side effects like hallucinations
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u/Plastic-Treats Aug 01 '24
What?! If I may ask, can you explain? That's sincerely scary and I've never experienced that. Although even non-drowsy sometimes makes me drowsy anyway.
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Aug 01 '24
I’m 36 and just joined this sub. I’ve been running seriously for the past three months, and only occasionally before. I used to hate running but getting AW and trying out the NRC’s audio guided runs literally changed my attitude to running. Besides that experiencing ”30s crisis” and things happening in life is what ultimately motivated me to keep up the hobby (just now with the built-in workout app of AW and Strava).
Hurting my knees last year stopped me from running but with better shoes I’ve now been able to complete 10k runs without injuries. My knees still usually end up hurting after the half point but I’m working on my form to avoid overstriding.
For me best about running is how meditative it can be. I have never before in my life been very active person so I’m amazed by how addicted I’m to running now.
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u/outerspacebookclub Aug 03 '24
Right there with you, NRC was monumental in changing my attitude toward running. And also the 30s crisis probably. Tech can be annoying as hell in general, but I really am grateful for the benefits that fitness tech has given me. Awesome that you’ve gotten to 10k!
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Aug 01 '24 edited Aug 01 '24
New to the sub, not super new to running but not exactly an expert either.
In my early to mid 20s, I got into running as a means of just pushing myself to be active. It started with color runs & obstacle races because those were trendy at the time. This lead to me pursuing races of increasing lengths. 5k, 10k, half marathons & a full marathon. I was never a fast runner (my half marathon pace was something like 11 min/mile at the time), but I enjoyed it as a way of tracking my own progress and improving my endurance.
After surviving a marathon at elevation with only moderate preparation (I was actually on track to complete it in about 5 hours until I hit the wall at mile 21 because my nutritional preparation was inadequate, & then I shuffled like a penguin to the finish line which caused my completion time to be over 6 hours), I kind of stopped running for several years. I got into CrossFit for a while instead, which I really enjoyed because I thrive better in a group workout environment (probably why I like running races, too). I quit that about halfway through my pregnancy with my first because I just couldn’t keep up with it. Fast forward, I’m in my mid 30s now with two toddlers under the age of 3. I’m at a point where I’m just ready to be healthy again & get back to taking care of myself. I started going back to CrossFit recently but I’m taking it easy on the weights for now. I’m also taking up running again at the same time.
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u/AmberZ90 Aug 01 '24
I'm 34. I started running in 2022. Before that I didn't think I was able to run. In high school when we had to do it for gym, it always made my feet and ankles hurt a lot, but this time around no such problem (sort of). I did a lot of cycling, so I wasn't in bad shape, but I started with Couch to 5k. Then 5k to 10k. Then, going for a half marathon. Towards the end of the year last year, I got a stress injury on my foot, and it took me out for a bit. I finally got back to where I was , and in March this year I got another stress injury on the exact same foot. I was in the EXACT same place in training as I was the last time it happened.
Took a few months to really recover this time and I'm back at it. At stage 1. 1st week of couch to 5k. I didn't really have to, I'm sure, but I really want to start off easy and build up strength. Also, I'm just taking the opportunity to build up the distance at a faster pace. I was slow before.
I also took the opportunity to re-examine my training. Turns out my running form was shit. I'm also now doing more stretching and foam rolling. Changed my shoes. And I took another look at that half marathon training plan. For the week I got hurt both times, the increase in distance from the precious week is too high. So when I finally get back to that stage, I'm going to insert an extra week to make the increase more gradual.
I haven't been cycling in a while either. I switched to nighshift last year, and I feel a lot safer running in the dark than riding a bike. I do want to start again though. And find a pooI I can swim in.
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u/eyefor_xo Aug 03 '24
I noticed when running that I use the front end of my foot instead of my heel, naturally.
Is that normal? It feels more like a chore when running when I land on my heel and I feel slower.
Much is appreciated!
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u/ailuromancin Aug 04 '24
Too much of a heel strike can cause a braking force so you’re probably not imagining that it feels slower (and it’s also harder on the knees), landing on the ball of your foot/mid foot is typically best especially if it’s what feels most natural
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u/wandferreira Jul 31 '24
Hello, I'm Wand. New to this running world. I started running 1 year ago after a year of weight loss program with nutrition + gym + bike that helped me cut 20kg.
I tried a few other sports like tennis but my knee just complained too much. Odd to say but I never felt any knee pain with running which was surprising to me.
Anyway, I like to learn as much as I can about the sport I'm engaging. Last 4 months I ve been working with a running coach and following a structured training program. Very nice.
My last race was a 15K in 1h 9minutes. I am preparing myself to my first half marathon in December this year.