Random Running Questions

oseia

walshb wrote: »

You already have what many want, a low weight. This is ideal for running, assuming it's healthy enough. You aren't carrying around weight that will affect your movement and pace and effort.

Indoors I would suggest weights and skipping. Focus on leg weights, and skipping with ankle weights will give you more bounce and spring. Not all that noticeable, but beneficial. High knee lifts during skipping and try as fast a tempo as you can. Get the legs moving.

Thanks for that!

menoscemo wrote: »

If you want to improve your running as the guys have stated; you need to run more.
If you are put off running by the Irish weather, then you really aren't going to improve much.
While the exercises walshie suggests would likely be beneficial to your running, I'd say they'd be more beneficial as a supplement to your running, not a replacement for it.

Sorry I meant it more as a supplement really, aim to run 3-4 times a week so it was more for the other days or the rare times when I'm sick and may need to stay in for a few days to get better. Started running regularly in January so the weather generally isn't a problem, just laziness sometimes. Thanks for the advice.

frash

Any tips for getting better at running uphill (apart from practice)?
Thanks

Ceepo

frash wrote: »

Any tips for getting better at running uphill (apart from practice)?
Thanks

Stay relaxed

walshb

Ceepo wrote: »

Stay relaxed

I knew I was doing something wrong!

davedanon

Stay upright, and don't 'lean into' the hill is the one piece of advice that I've heard. That and concentrating on running form, I suppose.

Firedance

frash wrote: »

Any tips for getting better at running uphill (apart from practice)?
Thanks

pump your arms upwards, as if your boxing your chin and take short quick steps as if your going up stairs, if you look at chi running techniques it'll explain it better, the pumping arms thing definitely helps!

annapr

Firedance wrote: »

pump your arms upwards, as if your boxing your chin and take short quick steps as if your going up stairs, if you look at chi running techniques it'll explain it better, the pumping arms thing definitely helps!

Yep it does. I always picture myself climbing and pulling myself up with my arms. Another tip is to keep your head up. And a distraction is to count... E.g count lamp posts/fence posts/anything to distract from the hill!

davedanon

I always concentrate on keeping the breathing smooth and even as though I was on the flat. You don't want to reach the top of a hill gasping for breath.

Ceepo

Firedance wrote: »

pump your arms upwards, as if your boxing your chin and take short quick steps as if your going up stairs, if you look at chi running techniques it'll explain it better, the pumping arms thing definitely helps!

While everyone is different. This might work for a very short steep hill 20/ 30m. Pumping the arms comes at a high energy cost. I think if you were doing this over a longer climb you would find yourself fairly fooked pretty soon.
Don't attack the hills l. Relax and try keep effort level.

frash

Thanks for all the replies so far - maybe I should have started a new thread!

Firedance

Ceepo wrote: »

While everyone is different. This might work for a very short steep hill 20/ 30m. Pumping the arms comes at a high energy cost. I think if you were doing this over a longer climb you would find yourself fairly fooked pretty soon.
Don't attack the hills l. Relax and try keep effort level.

yes that's a good point ceepo and you're right, I would adjust the intensity of the arm pump depending on the hill, for steeper hills you I 'need' more of a boost, a longer less steep incline doesn't need much more effort than the flat, I'd probably just consciously 'move' my arms more on this V a deliberate pump on a steeper hill.

and maybe a separate forum on this would be a good idea, people can share what works for them.

davedanon

Ceepo wrote: »

While everyone is different. This might work for a very short steep hill 20/ 30m. Pumping the arms comes at a high energy cost. I think if you were doing this over a longer climb you would find yourself fairly fooked pretty soon.
Don't attack the hills l. Relax and try keep effort level.

Ha! Good advice, although, as any fule kno, a hill is THE best place to attack someone in a race. there's nothing more dispiriting than being wasted on a steep hill by a competitor who 'looks' full of running. Once you hit the top you can relax a bit and hope the other person doesn't realise you've slowed up.

Sacksian

davedanon wrote: »

Ha! Good advice, although, as any fule kno, a hill is THE best place to attack someone in a race. there's nothing more dispiriting than being wasted on a steep hill by a competitor who 'looks' full of running. Once you hit the top you can relax a bit and hope the other person doesn't realise you've slowed up.

I've actually been told to attack once you crest the hill! And it's something we practise in xc training. People tend to work too hard going up hills and relax too much once they've reached the top so there's lots of opportunities to put time and distance into people doing it the other way round.

robinph

Hills all depends on why you are running up them. If it's in training then I'd be questioning why I decided to run that route*, if it's in a race then I'd be questioning the sanity of the course designer and that is directly related to the incline of the hill multiplied by the number and length of the hills.

In a race and actually fighting for position, gaining on someone going up will give you a massive advantage.Just getting to the top a meter ahead of them and keeping the effort going and you will then be two meters ahead of them before they have got to the top themselves. That tiny extra lead you take could make all the difference as then once they crest the hill you are already getting faster and pulling away at even greater speed. They would need to be very focused to be able to immediately pick it up and chase you back down... assuming that you know how to run down hills as well.




* The only excuse for running up a big hill is if there is fantastic view at the top, or a pub and someone to drive you back home.

walshb

I think hill running is more to do with natural physiology than training for it. Sure, training for it can help, but leg make up and muscles and natural raw strength is more important!

wrstan

Ok, here's one:

Most training plans are structured, layered and include different paces, distances, reps etc. but if I was a newbie runner with no previous experience and decided that I wanted to run a marathon in say 3.5 hours, would it be a valid training plan to start out running at c.8 minute miles (c. 3.5 hr marathon pace) for as long as I could sustain it, then continuously increase my distance while maintaining the 8 minute pace until I could run 26.2 miles?

RedRunner

wrstan wrote: »

Ok, here's one:

Most training plans are structured, layered and include different paces, distances, reps etc. but if I was a newbie runner with no previous experience and decided that I wanted to run a marathon in say 3.5 hours, would it be a valid training plan to start out running at c.8 minute miles (c. 3.5 hr marathon pace) for as long as I could sustain it, then continuously increase my distance while maintaining the 8 minute pace until I could run 26.2 miles?

That would go against everything I've learned from being on here. It's just not that simple. You've got to build aerobic capacity,strength and endurance over a period of time. I think the answer to the question is not straightforward as each individual is different in terms of capability etc, but I wouldn't think the above is not a valid training plan. In fact that is what I would have thought when I was a newbie ( still am a relative newbie) but this place has helped me understand there's a lot more to it than that.

menoscemo

wrstan wrote: »

Ok, here's one:

Most training plans are structured, layered and include different paces, distances, reps etc. but if I was a newbie runner with no previous experience and decided that I wanted to run a marathon in say 3.5 hours, would it be a valid training plan to start out running at c.8 minute miles (c. 3.5 hr marathon pace) for as long as I could sustain it, then continuously increase my distance while maintaining the 8 minute pace until I could run 26.2 miles?

I tried that approach for my first marathon. Did all my long runs at goal pace (9 min/mile to break 4 hours) and midweek runs a bit faster. I Managed to do 18 and 20 miles at goal pace albeit a struggle. I figured the adrenaline and race atmosphere would get me through the last 10k.

It didn't and I missed my goal by over 15 minutes.

I would not advise anyone to train that way.

RayCun

wrstan wrote: »

Ok, here's one:

Most training plans are structured, layered and include different paces, distances, reps etc. but if I was a newbie runner with no previous experience and decided that I wanted to run a marathon in say 3.5 hours, would it be a valid training plan to start out running at c.8 minute miles (c. 3.5 hr marathon pace) for as long as I could sustain it, then continuously increase my distance while maintaining the 8 minute pace until I could run 26.2 miles?

No, it would be a terrible training plan.

You want your training plan to put you under stress, that you recover from in time for more stress, that you recover from in time for more stress, and so on.

If you're a newbie runner with no previous experience, then the marathon time you plucked out of the air is unlikely to reflect your ability. And running 8 minute miles for as long as you can will put you under a lot of stress, which will take a long time to recover from. So either you don't run very often because you are still recovering, or you get injured because you ran hard while still recovering.

Better to have less training stress on each run, because you are running slower. You recover faster, which allows you to run again sooner. Over the course of the marathon training cycle you will get more training benefit from a lot of easier runs than from a small number of harder runs.

yaboya1

wrstan wrote: »

Ok, here's one:

Most training plans are structured, layered and include different paces, distances, reps etc. but if I was a newbie runner with no previous experience and decided that I wanted to run a marathon in say 3.5 hours, would it be a valid training plan to start out running at c.8 minute miles (c. 3.5 hr marathon pace) for as long as I could sustain it, then continuously increase my distance while maintaining the 8 minute pace until I could run 26.2 miles?

I did exactly that for my first marathon. Did plenty of miles (all at predicted marathon pace), including a 20m, 22m and Athlone 3/4 marathon. On the day I was dead after 17 miles. I still think I left my race in Athlone.

*It doesn't work*

wrstan

RayCun wrote: »

No, it would be a terrible training plan.

You want your training plan to put you under stress, that you recover from in time for more stress, that you recover from in time for more stress, and so on.

If you're a newbie runner with no previous experience, then the marathon time you plucked out of the air is unlikely to reflect your ability. And running 8 minute miles for as long as you can will put you under a lot of stress, which will take a long time to recover from. So either you don't run very often because you are still recovering, or you get injured because you ran hard while still recovering.

Better to have less training stress on each run, because you are running slower. You recover faster, which allows you to run again sooner. Over the course of the marathon training cycle you will get more training benefit from a lot of easier runs than from a small number of harder runs.

Thanks Ray, and others, great reply.

Just soasyaknow:rolleyes:, I'm not a newbie runner and I have no intention of ever trying a plan like that, I just wasn't sure why! :cool:

MarkY91

cant seem to progress n my 5k runs. i always get bewteen 24 - 24.30. started doing 5 mile runs too so maybe some extra endurance will help?

eviltwin

Any advice for running in hot weather? I've always ran late at night or early morning and struggling to cope with running in heat.

RayCun

MarkY91 wrote: »

cant seem to progress n my 5k runs. i always get bewteen 24 - 24.30. started doing 5 mile runs too so maybe some extra endurance will help?

slow down
run more
run further
do specific intervals of faster running

gerard_65

MarkY91 wrote: »

cant seem to progress n my 5k runs. i always get bewteen 24 - 24.30. started doing 5 mile runs too so maybe some extra endurance will help?

Maybe think about a structured program. Here's some which will give you an idea:
http://halhigdon.com/training/50932/5K-Training-The-Most-Popular-Racing-Distance

gerard_65

eviltwin wrote: »

Any advice for running in hot weather? I've always ran late at night or early morning and struggling to cope with running in heat.

Some people struggle more than others in the heat. Slow down and maybe cut your distance until you get accustomed to it. Make sure you're well hydrated before going out. Drink water a little and often during the day.

MarkY91

Thanks guys. I'll look into it. Hopefully I can break 22 minutes someday m

Laois_Man

Stupid question on Hydration :

Is there any difference between drinking sparking water and drinking still water?

gerard_65

Laois_Man wrote: »

Stupid question on Hydration :

Is there any difference between drinking sparking water and drinking still water?

Don't think so. But I wouldn't drink carbonated water while running.

_Tombstone_

gerard_65 wrote: »

Don't think so. But I wouldn't drink carbonated water while running.

Give ya wind, bad for your teeth, tastes sh1t.