Random Running Questions

Clearlier

Cartman78 wrote: »

Is there a standard max speed on all threadmills? Or does it vary from model to model?

Was slightly disappointed to find out that the one's in my work gym only go up to 18kmph - was in full on sprinting for a PB mode when I found this out

It varies considerably. I've used one which had a max speed of 24kmh and I've seen ones that won't go above 16kmh. Yesterday I was on one that maxed out at 19.3 which I guess must be because it's the equivalent of 12mph.

davedanon

Clearlier wrote: »

It varies considerably. I've used one which had a max speed of 24kmh and I've seen ones that won't go above 16kmh. Yesterday I was on one that maxed out at 19.3 which I guess must be because it's the equivalent of 12mph.

Out on the actual road, there are no maximum speeds!


Well, there are, but runners are unlikely to hit them.

greenspurs

Underwear under long leggings ?
Yes or No ???

davedanon

greenspurs wrote: »

Underwear under long leggings ?
Yes or No ???

Yes for me. i would imagine most do. Never had it come up as a topic before, actually.

Shorts over tights, however, are a definite no-no!

conavitzky

greenspurs wrote: »

Underwear under long leggings ?
Yes or No ???

Only G strings

greenspurs

conavitzky wrote: »

Only G strings

but not if your male ....... as I am...

greenspurs

davedanon wrote: »

Yes for me. i would imagine most do. Never had it come up as a topic before, actually.

I have tried with and without.... and found wearing anything underneath the leggings to be both annoying , while running, and sore , after running.!
Each to their own I suppose.....
Lycra wasn't made for men tho !! :rolleyes:

conavitzky

greenspurs wrote: »

but not if your male ....... as I am...

Never say never. Similar to a jock strap I hear.

greenspurs

conavitzky wrote: »

Never say never. Similar to a jock strap I hear.

Never worn one of them yokes either !!

greenspurs

davedanon wrote: »

Shorts over tights, however, are a definite no-no!

... unless youre wearing the club socks as well .......

hot buttered scones

greenspurs wrote: »

I have tried with and without.... and found wearing anything underneath the leggings to be both annoying , while running, and sore , after running.!
Each to their own I suppose.....
Lycra wasn't made for men tho !! :rolleyes:

Tight jocks made of synthethic material. They don't have to be expensive - Penney's technolayer trunks are good. The don't move around or cause any chafing like a cotton one would. Keeps everything in place . I even wear them under shorts if the shorts have no built in brief. Another option is to wear something like this instead of tights:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ronhill-classic-tracksters-2/

They're a bit looser than tights - quite comfortable. The material is a bit heavier but they're not bate on so you wont overheat.

Spirogyra

RayCun wrote: »

It depends on where you're starting from.
If you were a short distance focused runner, well trained for 5k, doing a lot of speed sessions etc, and then start training for a marathon, you will blunt your edge.
If you are only running a couple of years, you probably have a lot of endurance to gain, and that will make you stronger over 5k

I only started posting pretty good times for 5K's last year, don't think I'd like to go backwards too much. Think I'll aim for a strong 'half' instead.

corcaigh07

greenspurs wrote: »

Underwear under long leggings ?
Yes or No ???

Without. Just don't get a chub!

runnerholic

I'm following the Hal Higdon intermediate 2 training plan for the upcoming Paris marathon in April. The plan calls for a half marathon next Sunday. It does not specify what pace to run this distance at. Should I run it at lsr pace, Target mp or I/2 marathon pace? I'm guessing tmp but I'm not sure.

RayCun

runnerholic wrote: »

I'm following the Hal Higdon intermediate 2 training plan for the upcoming Paris marathon in April. The plan calls for a half marathon next Sunday. It does not specify what pace to run this distance at. Should I run it at lsr pace, Target mp or I/2 marathon pace? I'm guessing tmp but I'm not sure.

Race it.
If it was 13 miles at LSR pace or PMP , that's what the plan would say.
It says half marathon, so you race it.

HelenAnne

I've just been reading Matt Fitzgerald's 'Racing Weight'. He says women in their 40s should ideally be 13-20% fat. Before all the men leap in and say that sounds really fat, and they are all only 1% fat or whatever, I KNOW men can go a lot lower in body fat than middle-aged oul wans like me can.

But anyway, he also says that you'll run better at the lower end of that. I have to say, anywhere near 13% sounds impossible for me! I could stay away from the biscuit tin and do a few push ups and could probably easily hover around the upper end of that range, but it would take serious work to get near 13%! My question (more for the women, I suppose, but for the men too if you know your optimum fat level) - have you ever got anywhere near his (Matt F's) recommended levels and did you run a lot better? Or were you starving & miserable?*

*(Disclaimer, I know elites are all probably much lower in bf than that, but as a recreational runner with a desk job, I'd be lowering my body fat much more through dieting than through hard exercise so I probably would be hungry and miserable!)

El Caballo

HelenAnne wrote: »

I've just been reading Matt Fitzgerald's 'Racing Weight'. He says women in their 40s should ideally be 13-20% fat. Before all the men leap in and say that sounds really fat, and they are all only 1% fat or whatever, I KNOW men can go a lot lower in body fat than middle-aged oul wans like me can.

But anyway, he also says that you'll run better at the lower end of that. I have to say, anywhere near 13% sounds impossible for me! I could stay away from the biscuit tin and do a few push ups and could probably easily hover around the upper end of that range, but it would take serious work to get near 13%! My question (more for the women, I suppose, but for the men too if you know your optimum fat level) - have you ever got anywhere near his (Matt F's) recommended levels and did you run a lot better? Or were you starving & miserable?*

*(Disclaimer, I know elites are all probably much lower in bf than that, but as a recreational runner with a desk job, I'd be lowering my body fat much more through dieting than through hard exercise so I probably would be hungry and miserable!)

Optimum bf% for my age and gender is 3-10%. I've being at the top-end of that range a few times. I can't imagine being 3% tbh, I don't think anyone elite or not could function at that level for very long plus I don't think I could face myself in the mirror.

When I was at that level, I was running better than ever but can't conclusively answer how much of an effect that had on my performance because the cause of me being there was the amount of training I was doing. It was during marathon training and I was doing a lot of cycling as well at the time so I was the fittest I've ever been. I also was never far from that bf level naturally, built like a rake.

Bodyfat percentage will definitely have an effect on performance though especially if you are a long way over optimal. What optimal is though is probably more of an individual matter than anything you can lay down in fact. Some people might run unbelievably at 13% while others might feel like crap. That's generally why you see a range given for these things because individuals will differ from one person to the other. For recreational runners, there has to be balance between feeling good and running well with the major focus on feeling good. Dropping 30 seconds off your 5k pb isn't really worth it if you feel like sh*te in the rest of your life. Finding your own personal sweetspot through experimentation is probably the only way you will find out rather than aiming for some mythical level laid out in a book.

El Caballo

What is good hip extension supposed to feel like?

I can picture the movement but trying to actually do it is another thing in engaging the proper muscles. Is it more like lifting the pelvis than driving back and into the ground?

HelenAnne

El Caballo wrote: »

Optimum bf% for my age and gender is 3-10%. I've being at the top-end of that range a few times. I can't imagine being 3% tbh, I don't think anyone elite or not could function at that level for very long plus I don't think I could face myself in the mirror.

When I was at that level, I was running better than ever but can't conclusively answer how much of an effect that had on my performance because the cause of me being there was the amount of training I was doing. It was during marathon training and I was doing a lot of cycling as well at the time so I was the fittest I've ever been. I also was never far from that bf level naturally, built like a rake.

Bodyfat percentage will definitely have an effect on performance though especially if you are a long way over optimal. What optimal is though is probably more of an individual matter than anything you can lay down in fact. Some people might run unbelievably at 13% while others might feel like crap. That's generally why you see a range given for these things because individuals will differ from one person to the other. For recreational runners, there has to be balance between feeling good and running well with the major focus on feeling good. Dropping 30 seconds off your 5k pb isn't really worth it if you feel like sh*te in the rest of your life. Finding your own personal sweetspot through experimentation is probably the only way you will find out rather than aiming for some mythical level laid out in a book.

Aaagh! I'd written a nice long answer but (for the second time this week) that Captcha thing deleted it! In short, thank you for your answer!

El Caballo

HelenAnne wrote: »

Aaagh! I'd written a nice long answer but (for the second time this week) that Captcha thing deleted it! In short, thank you for your answer!

Haha, looking back. I'm not sure I gave a proper answer but just kind but just mumbled on a bit:). Losing a few pounds will definitely help for most, you won't feel terrible or starving as long as you don't go mad with dieting. Small loses will add up over time.

DubOnHoliday

El Caballo wrote: »

What is good hip extension supposed to feel like?

I can picture the movement but trying to actually do it is another thing in engaging the proper muscles. Is it more like lifting the pelvis than driving back and into the ground?

For hip stretching ... check out the thread the needle yoga pose. ... http://en.backmitra.com/2016/12/5-best-yoga-poses-runners/

Then you can move onto advanced stuff like pigeon pose.

Plain auld hip hikes are great too.

Annie get your Run

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

For hip stretching ... check out the thread the needle yoga pose. ... http://en.backmitra.com/2016/12/5-best-yoga-poses-runners/

Then you can move onto advanced stuff like pigeon pose.

Plain auld hip hikes are great too.

I find the hip flexor stretch on the James Dunne website very good at explaining how to stretch it properly and what it should feel like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykbu5RZhPbM

+1 for the hip hikes.

HelenAnne

El Caballo wrote: »

Haha, looking back. I'm not sure I gave a proper answer but just kind but just mumbled on a bit:). Losing a few pounds will definitely help for most, you won't feel terrible or starving as long as you don't go mad with dieting. Small loses will add up over time.

I actually found this at lunchtime. You put in a bit more info about yourself and it gives you an estimate. It gave me 17.5% as a goal, which sounds much more manageable and likely than 13%.

http://www.racingweight.com/rwe/index.html#/

I thought this article was interesting too. It echoes what you say about racing weight often being the result of good training, rather than an end in itself, and it also compares Galen Rupp and Chris Solinsky, showing that everyone does indeed have their own optimum weight and fat levels.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2030116/does-distance-running-have-weight-problem

I'm watching Last Chance U at the moment, about American Football. Some of those linebackers are HUGE and still pretty nippy -- they must have high power to weight ratios, so even though they are actually quite fat they can still move fast!

HelenAnne

Annie get your Run wrote: »

I find the hip flexor stretch on the James Dunne website very good at explaining how to stretch it properly and what it should feel like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykbu5RZhPbM

+1 for the hip hikes.

How do you transfer it into your running? I do a good bit of hip flexor stretching and the exercises (that Myles Splitz gave me ) where I bound up a step repeatedly, but I still have pretty bad knee lift when I'm running, which prob comes from lack of hip extension.

Sunny Dayz

HelenAnne wrote: »

I actually found this at lunchtime. You put in a bit more info about yourself and it gives you an estimate. It gave me 17.5% as a goal, which sounds much more manageable and likely than 13%.

http://www.racingweight.com/rwe/index.html#/

Is the calculator right though? I put in my details and it says my ideal racing weight as 100 pounds which is just over 7 stone! I'm just over 9 stone and can be probably described as "skinny fat". Perhaps the loss of half a stone wouldn't do me any harm but certainly anywhere near 8 stone or below it would be too thin for me now.

Neady83

How do you guys and gals measure body fat?

HelenAnne

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Is the calculator right though? I put in my details and it says my ideal racing weight as 100 pounds which is just over 7 stone! I'm just over 9 stone and can be probably described as "skinny fat". Perhaps the loss of half a stone wouldn't do me any harm but certainly anywhere near 8 stone or below it would be too thin for me now.

As El Caballo was saying above, it's all just a range, so it may not be right for you at all. I was just reading the book, originally, which is pretty good and has racing and training tips as well, and then I was thrown by the chart in the book, which I thought suggested an unattainable level of body fat for me; that's what I was asking my original question about.

For me, the calculator seemed more or less right -- it suggested I lose about 2.5 percent fat and about 4lb, which would still be a perfectly normal weight for someone my height. It didn't say anything like 7 stone!! 7 stone sounds very, very light, doesn't it, unless you're an East African elite runner ?

If it was telling me to lose two stone I'd ignore it, so you should too! (Or maybe check you've ticked the right gender / age etc first?)

HelenAnne

Neady83 wrote: »

How do you guys and gals measure body fat?

I haven't had mine measured properly ever, I just once got bits of me measured with a tape at the marathon expo, and once went on a Tanita scales at the mini marathon one, and then my parents got one of those body fat scales recently. My three measurements were different, but close enough to each other. Anyway, since my parents now have that scales, even if it's not giving me the right measurement, at least I can see if it goes up or down?

ariana`

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Is the calculator right though? I put in my details and it says my ideal racing weight as 100 pounds which is just over 7 stone! I'm just over 9 stone and can be probably described as "skinny fat". Perhaps the loss of half a stone wouldn't do me any harm but certainly anywhere near 8 stone or below it would be too thin for me now.

I just did it and got told a fairly realistic weight which involves losing 14 lbs. I would have said i need to lose 7 lbs, i think another 7 lbs beyond that would be a challenge and would leave me quite gaunt in the face but at the same time it's not beyond the realms of possibility if i could be bothered :rolleyes:

I'd love to have body fat measured accurately, i have no idea of what it'd be :eek:

ariana`

Hmmm not sure if this is a weird/stupid question but i have a feeling i don't activate my glutes when i run Something to do with the last time i had a deep tissue massage being told that i have 0 muscle there So i've been religiously doing squats, bridges and other strength exercises since but how i know if they're firing when i run or how do i make them fire?