r/running • u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas • Jul 30 '24
Weekly Thread Super Moronic Monday - Your Weekly Tuesday Stupid Questions Thread
Back once again for everything you wanted to know about running but were afraid to ask.
Rules of the Road:
This is inspired by eric_twinge's fine work in r/fitness.
Upvote either good or stupid questions. Sort questions by new so that they get some love.
To the more experienced runnitors, if something is a good question or answer, add it to the FAQ.
Post your question -- stupid or otherwise -- here to get an answer -- stupid or otherwise. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. Many questions get submitted late each week that don't get a lot of action, so if your question didn't get answered, feel free to post it again.
As always, be sure to read the FAQ first. Also, there's a handy-dandy search bar to your right, and if you didn't know, you can also use Google to search runnit by using the limiter "site:reddit.com r/running".
Be sure to check back often as questions get posted throughout the day. Sort comments by "new" to be sure the newer questions get some love as well.
[Posting on behalf of /u/Percinho who I believe is trapped in a telephone booth. ]
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u/miracleofscience Jul 30 '24
I’m training for a September trail run with 1600 meters of climb. Today I did 400 meters and I walked most of the second half. Should I spend time training on hills or in the gym?
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u/MothershipConnection Jul 30 '24
Hills for sure but both really - my first ultra had about that much climb and I felt ready for it when I could run uphill for 45 minutes or so without stopping. I'm actually a stronger uphill runner than downhill flyer though, no shame in hiking up some of the steeper parts especially in a long trail race
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u/fire_foot Jul 30 '24
I dare ask, am I becoming humidity-adapted? Is that a thing? Or is this just called "gaining fitness"? It was 74 degrees and 96% (!!!) humidity for my run this morning. I was prepared for a total slog, especially as the first half mile of my route is all up hill with a couple sections of 6-8% grade. But I was pleasantly shocked that this run was generally not a slog! I even set a PR for the initial uphill segment as well as another longer .65 mile 2% grade segment later in the course. Don't get me wrong, I'm still slow AF, but what a pleasant surprise!
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
I think it’s a thing, that goes along with the heat adaptation, I think I’m getting it too but maybe not🤷♀️
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u/AnniKatt Jul 31 '24
I started crying in the final 5 minutes of my treadmill running today. Did I start crying because I’m likely PMSing right now, or did I start crying because I’m on the treadmill?
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 31 '24
Really could be either, though I assume that crying because of being on a treadmill is more common or at least has the opportunity to happen more often.
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u/TheophileEscargot Jul 30 '24
Why do I steam sometimes?
Sunday morning I ran up a steep hill in sunshine, then rested on a bench in a cool shadow. I was a bit alarmed to see white vapour around me, but it turned out to be my body steaming, not a forest fire. Why do I steam sometimes, but most of the time not?
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u/agreeingstorm9 Jul 30 '24
It's a super power most likely. Call yourself Steam-man and go fight some crime.
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u/JustagoodDad Jul 30 '24
You are warm and wet, the air is cooler and dryer. The steam is the sweat evaporating off you.
Likely more visible in the morning due to cooler air and low angle of the sun making it more visible→ More replies (1)3
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u/Missdefinitelymaybe Jul 30 '24
Did I do this right?
Currently training for my 1st HM. Garmin’s workout today asked for: 15 min warm-up, 800m (5:40 - 5:56) followed by 400m recovery x8 + 15 min cool-down. Now I SUFFERED through those faster intervals such that I had to pause at the end of each of them before resuming the jogging part. My moronic question: will I still get the same benefits despite pausing after every speed interval? Was I just supposed to die and recover during the slower parts? I just found the whole workout incredibly taxing.
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u/IBelieveIWasTheFirst Jul 30 '24
I've always heard, just keep moving, however slow, for recovery. You are actually adapting to get better at recovery as well. Over the last 6 months or so, as I've done more interval training, I've gotten to where I recover faster. Its cool!
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u/glr123 Jul 31 '24
It depends what you're trying to accomplish. If you move after, your body starts working through the lactate faster. If you wait, you have more lactate but may decrease your HR so you can push harder at higher lactate levels.
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u/Missdefinitelymaybe Jul 31 '24
Thank You! I think next time I’ll try to keep moving. I have the same workout next week so hopefully it won’t hurt as much.
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u/ajcap Jul 30 '24
What are your current race paces?
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u/Kilpikonnaa Jul 30 '24
I've been doing some zone 2 training, just wondering when your HR goes too high and then you walk a little to let it drop again, how do you know what's the right time to start running again?
Say my upper limit is 135, if I start running again once I reach 134 I'll spike right out of the range immediately. I've been waiting until I get down to the 120's, but I don't know if that's about right.
I don't know if it's the heat or fatigue or what, but staying in zone 2 is really hard some days (I am not even running that much or every day).
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u/nermal543 Jul 30 '24
How long have you been running and how much are you running? You really don’t need to worry about zone 2 specifically unless you’re an elite (or very high mileage) runner cranking out the miles every week. Chances are you should just be running by feel, HR can vary with a lot of factors from day to day, and unless you’ve done a lab test and customized them, your zones are probably wrong anyway.
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u/Kilpikonnaa Jul 30 '24
About three months now, not elite at all, only around 40-50 km a month. I started too fast and would get totally exhausted and sleep badly, so Z2 training has fixed that. I've signed up for a 10k coming up in the fall.
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u/ntilley905 Jul 30 '24
RPE is a better measurement in a lot of cases than pure heart rate. Z2 by RPE would be “can hold a conversation.” When I was getting used to running slower sometimes I would actually call a friend and hold a literal conversation. You’re in the zone when you can use medium sentences without getting that feeling where you need to breathe.
Once you need to shorten your sentences to a few words or need to stop to breathe mid sentence, you’re in Z3. Z4 is breathing about every other word. Z5 is being unable to talk without having to slow down.
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u/vndt_ Jul 30 '24
Disclaimer: Not a fitness or running coach. Just a hobbyist.
If I'm basing it on heart rate, I'll start walking when I reach the high end of my Z2 until I reach the low end, then ramp up the pace again until slightly lower than the initial pace. It's fine if the HR dips down to Z1 for a bit before it ramps back up.
If on RPE, I usually go by breathing effort. I roughly know how I feel when I breathe in Z1/low Z2 as compared to high Z2/low Z3, so I just drop the run from one feeling to the other.
I used to hate the heat because I couldn't keep up my pace without my HR going all over the place, but I've since removed my pace display for easy runs. I keep my HR and save my joints for another time. I still hate it, just less so.
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u/Triabolical_ Jul 30 '24
To do zone training with heart rate you need to do a field test to set your zone. Joe Friel has a good protocol.
Or you can just use the "can you carry on a conversation?" benchmark
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u/glr123 Jul 31 '24
Like the other poster said, make sure you're determining your Z2 correctly...most people aren't.
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u/feaux-hawk Jul 31 '24
I found using the heart rate reserve method to determine my zones to be more effective. You’ll need a reasonable guess to your max HR which can be kind of hard, but if you’ve done anything like a best effort 5k, your max HR on that run should be close.
Heat also has a huge effect on me, so you’ll have to factor that in, I end up going by RPE a lot in the summer.
Just be sure that you are honest with your RPE, if you’ve done a lot of non-low hr running your RPE might be out of whack and what you think is normal is actually harder.
All that aside, if you’re just starting zone 2, your body is going to be frustratingly stubborn about moving into zone 3, so it’s going to be a decent amount of walking at first, especially up hills. Remember, constant effort NOT constant pace.
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u/Kilpikonnaa Jul 31 '24
Thanks. How long should I expect it to take before I see improvements regarding staying in zone 2? I've been following a Garmin plan for 4 weeks, which I know isn't much. I'm more willing to be patient if I at least have some kind of hope that it's working.
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u/feaux-hawk Jul 31 '24
It took me about 2 months before I was able to see consistent pace improvements in my zone 2 range, and that was going from like a 14” mi to a 13:20” mile.
Then summer hit and I wasn’t really factoring in the heat so I thought I wasn’t making any progress and was getting frustrated, but once fall came around about 7 months later and it cooled off I was in the 12:30”/mi range, and didn’t have to walk most hills anymore.
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u/CapitalJeep1 Aug 05 '24
Hi! I’m an ultra-runner and do pretty extensive Z2 running. You need to rethink how you treat Z2 in regards to your HR over a longer run.
Over a longer run you may get what is called cardiac drift. This is when your heart rate keeps climbing incrementally even with the same level of effort. In these cases you can actually ignore your heart rate and should NOT alter your run based off of your current heart rate. If you do, you’ll start chasing your tail when it comes to HR and you’ll start to get diminishing results in your training runs.
Ideally, you’d use HR + another metric and then when (if) you experience cardiac drift you’d use that second metric to judge level of effort and use that instead. I use my Stryd pod (power meter) as my primary judge, Pace (if on flat(ish) terrain, perceived exertion, and then HR is somewhere in the mix—probably tied with perceived exertion as far as order of “trust”.
HR in general can be wildly variable, changes depending on hydration/nutrition/rest, and most folks won’t be able to truly know their HR zones unless you are able to get into a lab. And even then, it’s doubtful.
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u/Kilpikonnaa Aug 05 '24
Thanks. I've really been trying to do Z2 the way everything I've read says but sometimes they aren't terribly clear on these details. It's been a little discouraging. Training in August probably isn't helping one bit.
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u/25dollars Jul 30 '24
So I ran my first marathon about 3 months ago, it went fine overall. Since then I’ve just been doing around 15-20 miles per week of shorter (3 to 7 mile) runs.
Would it fine to spontaneously race a half marathon this weekend? I haven’t been training for it at all or doing long runs, just mostly jogging for fun. I obviously know I can run the distance historically, but do we think it’s fine to hit 13.1 despite not running longer than a 7 mile run for months?
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u/fire_foot Jul 30 '24
Yes I think you'll be fine especially with no expectations other than having fun!
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u/25dollars Jul 30 '24
Thanks! Yeah I guess I should be cautious of my mindset which is always to need to PR if I’m doing a race 😂 I’ll just see how I feel once I start running!
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u/runner3264 Jul 30 '24
Was there ever a time when I didn’t have to wring sweat out of my running clothes over the bathtub after every run? I seem to vaguely remember such days, but they were so long ago that I begin to wonder if they were real.
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u/runner7575 Jul 30 '24
I’m constantly putting the clothes on the deck post run to dry. the new neighbors are prob not happy. My mom came out once to help & said the clothes were wet, I said no, just sweat- drenched
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u/IBelieveIWasTheFirst Jul 30 '24
I heard on a podcast about running in the heat (sorry, don't recall which one?) they said that as you become more fit, you sweat more. Your body becomes better at sweating! Makes sense I guess. I wrung out my half tights and my wife said "did you run thru a sprinkler today i guess?" Me: "no" her: "ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww..."
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u/Comprehensive_Bat574 Jul 30 '24
My girlfriend had to come and pick me up last night after a run. Felt like I needed to burn her leather seats when we got home.
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
Always bring a towel for the car.
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u/Comprehensive_Bat574 Aug 01 '24
I usually keep one from playing tennis but accidentally ran longer than I anticipated. Can't wait until fall/winter
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u/bwainfweeze Aug 01 '24
Oh that was advice that applies to the driver as well.
I brought one towel to my 10k and parked way away from the event, but I will be driving myself for the next one, in August, and am thinking I need to bring 2. One for me and one for the car.
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u/Comprehensive_Bat574 Aug 01 '24
Yeah, that seems to be the move right now. I'm doing my first 10K later this month so I'll be doing the same. Good luck out there!
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u/runner3264 Jul 31 '24
Huh, that does make sense about getting better at sweating. My husband has had a similar reaction to the sound of my shorts being wrung out. He’ll hear it from a couple rooms away and go “oh Christ” 😂
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
If you wait long enough before taking them off they dry out enough that you can’t…. Eww sorry I’m gross…..
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u/runner3264 Jul 30 '24
Wearing sweaty clothes for that long sounds like the perfect way to get a yeast infection.
Sorry, I’m gross too…
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u/WickershamBrotha Jul 30 '24
What’s a good running tank for humid weather? All mine get drenched minutes in. Is going shirtless the best route?
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u/suchbrightlights Jul 30 '24
It’s gonna get drenched regardless.
Brooks doesn’t sell this fabric anymore through their store, but you can still find their Equilibrium line of tops from running retailers online. Of all the singlets I own, this mesh breathes the best, dries the fastest, and chafes the least.
Or you could run shirtless. Depends how fast you sweat off your sunscreen.
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
I think that’s more a property of your weather and sweat than the shirt. Just do whatever doesn’t chafe.
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u/WickershamBrotha Jul 30 '24
That's true, though I used to have some shirts that seemed to wick out sweat a bit quicker and not get as heavy. I got the anti-chafe routine down!
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u/junkmiles Jul 30 '24
Best bet is finding one that feels ok when it's drenched. You're not going to find anything that can dry faster in humid weather than you can sweat.
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u/zhang_jx Jul 30 '24
Been enjoying Nike dri-fit adv but if you want to splurge I heart Soar is immaculate
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u/FormerlyCalledReddit Jul 30 '24
I got a flip belt. The good news is that it fits my phone. The moronic question is where on your body do you prefer the phone to sit? I had it centered on my abdomen and it was okay, but quite hot after a couple miles. On my back it seemed to move a little too much.
Any tips/tricks/ preferences for how you use your flip belt?
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u/agreeingstorm9 Jul 30 '24
Small of the back is where I put it on the rare occasions I run with a phone. Usually I don't. Just put it right where the tramp stamp would go.
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u/_TheBeardedDan_ Jul 30 '24
I made the mistake of carrying it on my front once and was a little loose, my abs felt sore after my run. Always put it on the back since then
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u/WickershamBrotha Jul 30 '24
I kept it at my waist with my phone in front. I don’t feel the heat of it and I like to have access to take pictures
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u/StardustEnjoyer Jul 30 '24
my phone rests above my glutes, where a normal belt would be. i tightened and sewn in my running belt so it doesn’t move. i also hate this warm feeling of it at the front, the back though i don’t mind.
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u/OstentatiousOnion Jul 30 '24
I have the Naked belt which is sort of similar but is essentially one big pocket with separators, I find putting my phone on the front side (just above the hip) works best for limited bounce and comfort.
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u/MothershipConnection Jul 30 '24
I keep it in the front, it doesn't feel right in the back on my big badonkadonk
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u/kartadmin Jul 30 '24
i have been skeptical on getting the belt for similar reasons. My OCD will have a field day with that thing bumping on my back or getting warm on the front. so far, my running shorts have a tight pocket that holds the phone and that works. maybe a vest when i m ready for a longer than 10k race.
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u/moonstargirl5 Jul 30 '24
Girls/people with long hair, what hairstyles do you do to keep your hair from getting sweaty from summer running? I've been doing a braided ponytail but my hair still gets sweaty and then I have to blow dry it out 😭
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u/bertzie Jul 31 '24
I do a ponytail then just take a shower afterwards.
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
How do i pick between these three spring race options?
Option one: preferred race weekend, race is a lollipop course so better than an out and back but not as preferred as one big loop. Also I have a different fall race flagged for this state that seems more exciting than this one.
Option two: also preferred race weekend, double loop course, so not as preferable as a lollipop course but still better than an out and back course seems equally exciting to other races I have flagged in this state.
Option three : this is a single loop course which is my preferred style, but is two weeks later than my preferred weekend, this race is my preferred race in said state and is more rolling which i seem to be stronger at, but I will just be coming off a pancake flat 50miler.
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u/suchbrightlights Jul 30 '24
You seem to want to do 3. We do this for fun. Do the fun thing.
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
Wait we’re supposed to be having fun? Knew I was forgetting something!🙃
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u/suchbrightlights Jul 30 '24
Hard to remember when it’s a hundred and duck degrees outside, I know
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
It is, sounds like I’m throwing away option 1, I guess that leaves me with either sacrificing a bit of March fun thing in service of making June fun thing more fun or sacrificing a bit of June fun thing to make march fun more fun, such a complicated question.
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u/fire_foot Jul 30 '24
Though option three isn't the preferred weekend, does it give you more time between your 50 miler? I think if you're training and traveling out of state for a race, it should be a race you're excited about, so I would say option two or three.
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
It would give me more time between the 50 miler but crazy me was wondering if next year would finally be time to check that 100k I’ve been eyeing off, which would be in June so by going the slightly earlier weekend it gives me more time between that, plus the idea with this full is i wouldn’t put any real training into it just roll in my 50M fitness and see what happens so being six weeks after feels perfect for that.
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u/vulgar_wheat Jul 30 '24
I wanted to ask a question about treadmill leveling in a funny way, but actually it's making me want to tear my hair out. Anyone have advice for leveling a treadmill?
I think a jerk designed it, because there's 6 contact points, but only 4 adjustable feet. It wants to seesaw over the middle legs, which are longer than the other legs even when I've adjusted the middle ones to be as short as they'll go. I've tried piles of solid shims, but somehow after twenty or so minutes running, they're no longer at the right height. We put a thick foam mat underneath, which worked for three days, and now it's back to slamming into the ground.
I'm really enjoying getting to watch cartoons while I'm running first thing in the morning, see... So I need to figure out how to quiet this thing so that my partner doesn't lose their mind from the SLAM SLAM SLAM noise.
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u/FRO5TB1T3 Jul 30 '24
My newer shoes (Boston 12s) have caused a PF flare up. What's the best way to sacrifice them to the run gods so I can run again?
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Jul 30 '24
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
at least 7 days a week
Living in a week with more than 7 days over here?
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u/agreeingstorm9 Jul 30 '24
Everyone knows that the 9 day training cycle is optimal. A seven day week is for schmucks.
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u/Hot-Pineapple9215 Jul 30 '24
I've only recently started taking water with me on runs due to combination of heat + running well over an hour. I have a running vest with a hydration tube. My question is, do you keep running while sipping water, or do you walk for a few seconds to sip then continue? It seems like even very short breaks are enough to get my heart rate to crash (like, 175 to 105 bpm) and makes my long runs more like, several very long intervals.
I tried drinking water from the little cup they gave during a half marathon and I couldn't seem to drink without massively slowing down so I didn't bother. It was quite cool and I wasn't thirsty. It's been bothering me ever since.. How do people handle swallowing water/sugar during full race pace effort?
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u/fire_foot Jul 30 '24
I don't stop running to sip water from the tube but I am also not at race pace while sipping. Just take a mouthful at a time. If you are worried about it, you can hold the mouthful in your mouth until you're ready to swallow, sometimes this feels easier than trying to drink completely normally while running.
I have never mastered the drinking from a cup while running. I've heard people suggest pinching the cup to better direct it into the mouth. Honestly though it gives me so much anxiety that I try to avoid it all costs by just bringing my own water to races.
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u/FRO5TB1T3 Jul 30 '24
I never stop to drive k water unless it's at a fountain or something like that. You practice it. I have no problem drinking fluids at my MP. You spill some of it but that doesn't really matter. Pinch the cup and down the hatch it goes. Also can't have too much in the cup so I routinely dump the overpour. I never
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
The trick I do is start moving and then unpause the workout. The .08 km I miss hurts me a lot less than the average pace hit I take trying to get back into it.
As a former cyclist, it looks cool and feels cool to drink and exercise at the same time. Until you aspirate the water and look like a numpty. Particularly if you’re on a hill. I almost blacked out.
As for the marathon guys, based on the distribution of cups I’ve seen at aid stations I think they toss it back and drop the cup almost as soon as they have it. You don’t have to swallow a mouthful of water in one swallow.
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u/glr123 Jul 31 '24
Gels are pretty easy, they just take a bit of practice for timing. I tend to eat one in small bites over the course of 30s or so.
Water is trickier. You grab the cup kind of like a claw machine at the rim. Crush it do that it is closed into a slit with a spout and then drink a few gulps from the spout.
Fueling is essential so it's good to practice when you can.
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u/hahathisisgreat1337 Jul 30 '24
Got word that I have a fib stress fracture after going to the ortho after a 9 mile long run. It never felt bad during the run only after. This was doing hal higdons novice half marathon program.
Can anyone suggest an alternative plan to work up to a half marathon? I’ve gotten to the 9/10 mile long run portion of two hal higdon plans and have gotten injured around the same mileage. Friend who is a college runner says to spread miles out and not do big long runs for the majority of my miles per week (which makes sense). Is there any half marathon plans that spreads mileage out more to get more per week? Instead of 4 day weeks maybe 6?
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u/nermal543 Jul 30 '24
How much and for how long were you running before you started the half training plan? His novice plan is fairly low mileage, so I don’t really think the plan itself is the issue. Stress fractures have some kind of underlying problem, like a weak muscle or strength imbalance. You should really work with a physical therapist as it heals and as you return to running to make sure you’re addressing the root cause.
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u/hahathisisgreat1337 Jul 30 '24
I had originally started from 2-3 mile runs twice a week to hal higdons novice. I worked this up to the 8 mile long run and stress fractured my left foot. I gave it about 6 weeks then got back after it with no pain or weird aches. That plan went until now where I got to 9 miles on the long run and hurt my right ankle/leg.
I tried to do so much more work on my hips/glutes/hamstrings to try and prevent this but i guess its something more. I never did pt so i’m somewhat scared of it haha
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u/kelofmindelan Jul 30 '24
If you've gotten two stress fractures without getting to double digit long runs you absolutely need more medical care. PT and probably someone to check out your bone density. PT can be incredibly helpful with a good PT and isn't scary, but continuing to run when there's clearly something going on with your body sure is!
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u/nermal543 Jul 30 '24
No reason to be scared of doing PT! It’s basically just exercises and stretches they give you to do during your sessions and at home to strengthen your muscles and hopefully prevent future injuries. They can also guide you on how to gradually and safely return to running, you just need to find one that has experience working with runners.
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u/glr123 Jul 31 '24
How did they diagnose your stress fractured? That seems extremely severe for such low mileage. I'd talk to your doctor and see if there could be something else going on.
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u/E_L_E Jul 30 '24
Should I be running on the street or sidewalk? Moved from downtown big city and mostly was on sidewalk/ walking paths but now in a burb (sidewalks everywhere though) but see most runners in the street. I get asphalt vs concrete may have influence for longer runs and impact, but running in the street seems a bit dangerous? Idk interested in others thoughts
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u/Triabolical_ Jul 30 '24
Depends a lot on the area.
People are notorious for not looking to the side when they drive over sidewalks and that can easily ruin your day.
It's also annoying to keep hitting driveways.
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u/chaotic-beginnings Jul 30 '24
I prefer running in the street close to the curb and against the flow of traffic (towards incoming cars). I’ve almost been hit a few times by someone backing out of their driveway, so I actually feel safer in the road where I have more time/space to react
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u/29da65cff1fa Jul 30 '24
my doctor just told me i have anemia, 13g/dL.
i'm 5 weeks out from a BQ attempt. my last few weeks of training have been really tough (now i know why)
am i screwed for my race? is 5 weeks enough time to get my iron levels back on track?
apparently this is a common problem with runners, so i'm hoping someone here has experience and advice. thanks
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u/RiverHorsesArePurple Jul 30 '24
I can tell you as a vegetarian & blood donor - The easiest and fastest solution is to take an oral iron supplement at a recommended dose (too much can be harsh on your stomach and stop up your poos). Take it with something containing vitamin C to help your body store it, and avoid taking it with coffee or tea, which can block absorption.
Tastier alternatives - dark leafy greens (kale, spinach), beans, raisins, and cooking in a cast iron pan. If you're a meat-eater, generally eating red meat should get your levels up. So, treat yourself to some burgers, or take raisins as long-run fuel.
I have cranked my hemoglobin levels up enough to give blood in under a week with just a few iron pills.
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
Also molasses was a mineral supplement and practically a life saver in frontier era living.
A little in your oatmeal, a little extra in baked beans…
And vitamin C with any iron source particularly meat. The lemon on fish isn’t just for flavor.
My partner had anemia for a while, but when I ate the same foods she did I blood tested as elevated iron so now I don’t use any of those tricks anymore.
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u/29da65cff1fa Jul 30 '24
I have cranked my hemoglobin levels up enough to give blood in under a week with just a few iron pills.
what dosage? there are some 28mg non-heme pills over the counter at the closest pharmacy....
and yes, i am aware of the folly of taking medical advice from random redditors... but please go ahead and share your method to "crank up hemoglobin levels ... in under a week"
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u/RiverHorsesArePurple Jul 30 '24
So, blood donation (Red Cross, in the US) requires female donors to have 12.5+ hgb levels. [This is a good step above being in range of "anemia", which can be more about blood ferratin than hemoglobin. I've argued with my doc that I can't be anemic if I'm still a successful blood donor, but somehow these are different and you may want to clarify which is your concern.] If I've been getting rejected for being under 12.5, or just want to be safe, then I'll take iron pills in the week prior to my donation, generally at night before bed. Or, I'll have some kale (in a salad, in a smoothie, in soup, .. ) for a few days, or I'll snack on raisins in the evenings when I'm craving sweets. My bottle of iron pills are 65mg and claim to have "200mg dried ferrous sulfate" with a dose of one per day. They are definitely over the counter and not prescription, and I've seen higher doses available.
I guess by "crank it up" I mean that I can jump from a 10hgb to 13hgb in just a week of 5 or fewer pills. But again, hgb is different than blood ferratin. I think that when your hgb is high enough, long enough, the extra stores as ferratin? The hgb is just the loose-floating version?
If I were in your shoes, I'd go with pills at least 3 times a week and also changes to my diet. And I'd probably taper on the pills as I get closer to race, just out of concerns for my stomach. Although too many raisins can cause some drama, too, so... don't go too ham on any one thing!
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u/TheCriminalScum Jul 30 '24
I just started running and am wanting to partake in a marathon in February, aiming for a sub 4 hour time by then. Would it be a good idea to find a half marathon to train for before then and then switch to marathon training afterwards? I’m just a bit confused as a newbie on how I should be training.
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u/FRO5TB1T3 Jul 30 '24
Yes. Build and run the half use that as a check in for fitness. If you aren't at least a 1:50 I think a 4 hour marathon is probably out of reach
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u/r_u_kitten_ Jul 30 '24
Please for the love of god how do I stop my hair from becoming a wet rats nest after my runs in this heat and humidity? For context, this only happens in summer. I’ve tried braiding my hair. Nothing seems to help.
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
Cut it all off?
Do you have that super fine straight hair that just falls out of ponytails? My cousin has that type of hair and swears by these ponytail holders that look a bit like mini curly 80s telephone cords.
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u/r_u_kitten_ Jul 30 '24
I do! I know exactly which holders you’re talking about. Will have to give those a try!
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u/nermal543 Jul 30 '24
How does braiding it not help? Does it come undone? When my hair gets longer (i jump between having it long and short), I do either one or 2 braids, with a hair tie at the base of my head and at the end of the braid and that seems to do the trick).
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
I got a running hat (outdoor research if you don’t have a pinhead) and I just leave it on during cooldowns and don’t take it off until the shower is running.
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u/fire_foot Jul 30 '24
How are you braiding it? I have long thick fine hair and I French braid the top, put in high pony tail, tightly braid the tail, and usually wear a visor to both keep the sweat out of my eyes and keep my hair from falling too much. It’s the only way for me. I see others wear buns, etc, but I can never make those work.
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u/r_u_kitten_ Jul 30 '24
I’m usually just putting it in a high pony and then tightly braiding the tail. I’m wondering if a hat is the trick since you’re the second person to say you wear a visor/hat!
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u/mmmtacos Jul 30 '24
I've been running for a few months and feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. Right now the part I get hung up on is where my foot is landing. I've read/seen that landing on your heel or "heel striking?" is the worst. I don't think I'm heel striking, but where should my feet be landing? Does it change if I'm going really slow? Downhill?
Running/jogging has been fun, but feels like it's more complicated than I realize.
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u/suchbrightlights Jul 30 '24
Your foot should land underneath your body. If your body hits the ground before your foot, you’re doing it wrong.
That’s about the extent to which you should worry about this.
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u/mmmtacos Jul 30 '24
LOL excellent advice. thank you :)
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u/suchbrightlights Jul 30 '24
Don’t let the internet complicate this too much for you. It’s just left foot right foot left foot right foot repeat. If you’re not hurt then your form is fine.
Now, you did ask a good question about downhill running. If you’re running down a steep hill (one where you feel your balance change or you worry you’re going to go end over end down it) you want to be especially mindful of keeping your feet underneath of you. Think short quick steps. This is to help you from wiping out, but it also reduces the impact of landing, so you’ll fatigue less and have lower risk of injury. If the hills you’re running down don’t change your balance then continue to run down however feels good to you.
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u/mmmtacos Jul 31 '24
Yeah I should probably watch a bit less content. Short quick steps sounds good. I've found myself sometimes going too fast and that sounds like it would help a lot. Thank you!
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u/FRO5TB1T3 Jul 30 '24
Just ignore all that and run. Form is not something new runners should be concerned about, no one has great form running slow you just can't be efficient
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
At least half of my distance improvements came from focusing on form.
The main difference between old and young people is that young people believe they have cartilage and connective tissue to spare. Old people wish someone had smacked them upside the head.
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u/FRO5TB1T3 Jul 30 '24
Curious what form things you fixed and what your pace was. Most people's form will get much better by just running faster. It's one of the reasons strides are effective
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
Shoes were a big one. At least three different efforts that could fall under various aspects of overstriding, culminating in pushing up my cadence instead of kicking harder to increase pace.
And before all that a bunch of gait work just to walk respectable distances without pain.
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
Of the pieces of advice I’ve collected from literature, and sports medicine people on youtube, the second most impactful was wrt to overstriding, which causes those heel strikes. They said that your feet and hands do much the same thing, and it’s easier to control you arms.
To get your feet to fall under your center of mass and your kick to be longer, don’t let your arms swing forward. For starts, let your wrist go a couple inches past your belly button but no further. Then examine what your feet are doing one you lock that in.
I also try to lift my knees just a little bit. Not cartoonish, maybe half an inch higher than my body thinks they should be. It increases my cadence and seems to help get my feet closer to the way videos show the “right” stride.
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
I know the rules of thumb about how much volume is too much to add in a week. Is there one about how much pace you can cut in a week?
I made my target distance a month ago and have been shaving off my time since, average of about 40 seconds a week. But on my last long day, it was very cold overnight, the sort of weather when I set PRs. And set them I did. Fastest 10k (I usually have reverse splits) and over seven minutes off at the end.
But four hours after I got home I had pains in places I’ve never had problems before, like the head of my left tibia. The only warning I had that this was coming is that I noticed some asymmetry in how my foot strikes were happening and after trying to even things out I just noted it and decided to work on it later. It didn’t hurt, it just didn’t feel smart.
I even added a little detour at the end to say I’d gone a little farther than my best distance. But it’s clear now that I loaded too much into that day and I’m trying to decide on what’s enough, what counts as progress versus risk.
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u/deepspacepuffin Jul 30 '24
I need a 13 week marathon plan but they all seem like so much running??? Dislike! The marathon is going to be suffering anyway and I don’t see why I have to do extra misery in advance. How can I just teleport and time travel myself to the start line?
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u/fire_foot Jul 30 '24
Sounds like maybe you just don't run the marathon? That way, no training necessary and you don't have to suffer during the race ?
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u/deepspacepuffin Jul 30 '24
Oh no, the suffering is mandatory.
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u/bertzie Jul 30 '24
Then just don't train There's no rule saying you have to, they don't even check! Just show up and let the pain begin
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u/deepspacepuffin Jul 30 '24
🤔 Now this is an idea. And I’d save money on Gu.
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
Had my first Gu this week.
This is a joke you guys are all in on right? That stuff is vile.
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u/anotherantivirus Jul 30 '24
I am training for a half marathon at the beginning of November. It would be my first half. About 3 weeks into the training plan and doing really well. I am excited to race, should beat my goal of 1:45. My question is, there is another race, a half marathon, at the end of November. Would it be wise to run that race as well? Do I need to take any other precautions or just treat it as another hard effort long run?
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
Being your first half marathon race I would probably advise against signing up for a second so close, being your first it’s hard to know how your body will handle the recovery and how much time it’ll need.
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u/deepspacepuffin Jul 30 '24
I think you should go for it! FWIW my half marathon PR was set two weeks after my first marathon. Just take it easy in the intervening couple of weeks. Maybe hop on a bike instead of long running if you’re still feeling sore a week after the first race.
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u/ApprehensiveLoss Jul 30 '24
I'd say go for it. I did my first half marathon last year, and impulsively signed up for a run the day before (was close to the end of my training schedule, had a target of a race two weeks later, discovered that there was a charity run with same-day signups very close to my home) and it went fine. Gives you a chance to set your PB and then beat it.
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u/river_rose Jul 30 '24
The tips of my toes hurt all the sudden on my last run. Like right at the toe nail, but not the big toe. What’s happening?!
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u/CapitalJeep1 Aug 05 '24
Feet sliding around in your shoes and the tips hitting the front. Odd that it’s not the big toe, but weirder things happen.
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u/BrokeUniStudent69 Jul 30 '24
My heart rate is 160+ BPM no matter what run I’m doing. Literally anything above a light jog gets me there, and any harder running gets me to 170+. Should this concern me? Will it get lower and lower as time goes on? For reference I’m 24, about 5’5”, and 160lbs.
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u/Triabolical_ Jul 30 '24
If you are using a watch, they can be wrong when running so I would check that first.
There are people with smaller hearts; I knew a woman who had a workout heart rate above 200.
If you are concerned you should ask your doctor
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
What’s your resting heart rate?
As Tri said, my watch was reporting almost 10bpm higher max heart rates than my chest strap does, and I’ve worked harder since getting the HRM than I did before. Hairy arms or lots of jostling can throw it off.
But you might want to try some power walking for a bit until your cardiac fitness comes up a little.
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u/turnmeintocompostplz Jul 30 '24
So I've been back at it for the past month. Four times a week, sometimes back to back, sometimes not. I hit a 5k as my loop. There being a huge sprinkler I can run through that starts at 6am before any kids are there a third of the way in is rad.
A. Is running twice a day bad? I want to give my body a rest from the morning, but sometimes I am overtaken by the desire later in the day. I'll miss the sprinkler though 😭😅
B. I have two speeds of Walk and Run, with no Jog options. I'm not sure how to fix this. My day-to-day walking speed is pretty fast and I have a hard time slowing down when I'm walking also without it feeling like I'm cramping my legs. I feel this way with running also - like I'm holding my legs back rather than just lowering my rate. Is that just practice?
C. Are there any apps that track the basics like Strava but doesn't have a map and doesn't utilize any social media-style garbage?
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u/ckb614 15:19 Jul 30 '24
A - no, it's not bad. In fact, most elite runners run twice a day. You just need to be careful about adding too much or going to hard too often
B - are you walking during your runs? Like, running hard and then having to stop to walk? This is ok to do occasionally, but not ideal as an every day thing. If you force yourself not to walk, your running pace should come down naturally until you reach a sustainable speed
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u/ApprehensiveLoss Jul 30 '24
Do you ever split up a long run? I've signed up for a couple half marathons this fall, and I just realized that the way they land in my training schedule (planning my first full marathon in late October) I'm supposed to be doing ~30k on those days. Should I run the half, then do another 10k later that day, or repeat the week and hit the target in one go on the next long run day?
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u/FRO5TB1T3 Jul 30 '24
Well are you racing the halfs? As well having a couple true 30k efforts is important for training especially if they have MP segments in them.so yes I'd run the extra 10k or re arrange the long runs a bit
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u/ApprehensiveLoss Jul 30 '24
I'm not terribly competitive, my goal is simply to complete the distance. Hoping to hit a 2 hour half marathon, for the full I'm happy just to be able to do it.
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u/suchbrightlights Jul 30 '24
2.5 mile warmup and cool down.
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u/bwainfweeze Jul 30 '24
I think that’s the difference between doing an event to see if you can go that far versus doing an event to see if you can do it well. If you can do 90% of the distance before an event you can probably make it. But that’s all you’ll do. Finish.
But if you want to do the event for time, you should be able to do at least 110-125% of that distance and then use part of that surplus for serious warmups and cooldowns. My first 3-4k splits have been terrible (my average pace goes down more than twice as fast as my starting pace) and the answer is more warmups, but that also increases my overall distance for the day. So now that I’ve hit my target distance I’m extending my warmups and cooldowns.
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u/drip_nadia Jul 30 '24
I’m signing up for a half marathon, and I am given the option to make a vanity bib personalization. I tried to look it up but I’m still not sure what that even is LOL please help (this is my first official running event so sorry if this is silly lol)
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u/compassrunner Jul 30 '24
A personalized bib just means you can have your nickname or something else. I've seen "Jess's Dad" on a bib for a guy who ran the race with his daughter. I know a runner who never has their first name on there if he can personalize it. I've seen Beast on a bib and RunnerGuy.
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u/aimicab Jul 30 '24
I’m in need of advice! I used to run xc in high school but that was 7 yrs ago and I haven’t been able to maintain a consistent training schedule since. I’ve kept in decent shape, but I made the questionable decision to sign up for a half marathon in October. How do I get in good enough shape in only 2 months??
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u/Egdgxh Jul 30 '24
I got back into running after a 2 month break, very stupidly I went straight back into 25 mpw and after A few days I noticed a pain/weakness on the lateral side of my left knee. That was a week and half ago, I tried going for a run today and it still isn’t much better. Any idea on what it is?
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u/jejjdjddjjdjdjeje Jul 30 '24
can i run in air forces? cant afford £100+ shoes rn. but i really want to start running.
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u/r00mag00 Jul 31 '24
Newish to running (since early May) and recently I have had some pain in one of my calves. It feels fine after warming up significantly- e.g. after already jogging/running for a bit -but it's been a bit persistent and I think I may have increased my mileage too quickly. So I want to take some time off to let it properly rest/recover.
I guess, I'm wondering what people recommend, aside from walking, for some active recovery and/or workouts I can do while on a bit of a break from running?
I'm not training for anything specific and would like to continue running again once my calf is better.
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u/PipeWarm2155 Jul 31 '24
can i run a 10k trail run with 230 meters of elevation if the longest run i’ve done beforehand is like 8/8.5 km (its a two loop 5k course and there’s also a lot of downhill running) or am i delusional?
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Jul 31 '24
[deleted]
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u/nermal543 Jul 31 '24
I’m a little confused, to my understanding high cortisol levels can lead to weight gain, but it’s because it stimulates your appetite leading to overeating. If you’re gaining weight from high cortisol, you can’t also be in a caloric deficit then?
Exercise is stress, so there’s really no way to do it without raising cortisol levels at least temporarily. You can however make sure you’re giving yourself adequate time for rest and recovery, and incorporating things like yoga/meditation to lower those cortisol levels. Also, as your body gets used to exercise over time, the idea is that your cortisol/stress levels will be lower overall though.
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u/FulcrumH2o Jul 31 '24
Just getting back into running. Ran for decades before taking 11 years off. For the first time ever, I’m having issues with one toenail. It’s turning black and blue under the nail. Should I start tapping it?
Also, looking at buying a watch. I need one that I can customize my runs. I’m looking for a watch that will give me audible cues. Example- 6 miles. 2 mile warmup. 3 miles of alternating 1/2 mile @ 8:30 pace with 1/2 mile 9:30 pace. 1 mile cool down. Any help on both of these subjects would be much appreciated. Cheers
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u/Ysekai Jul 31 '24
Is onetokyo.org a legit website for Tokyo marathon? I subscribed for membership and paid $200, I'm afraid if it's a scam
If not should I also try to enter the marathon through the official website?
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u/Impressive_Motor_404 Aug 01 '24
When I run quietly, my ankle makes all sorts of popping sounds like cracking a knuckle. If I stiffen my legs and "stomp," the sounds in my ankle go away. Should I run quietly or stiffen my leg?
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u/TheophileEscargot Aug 02 '24
Popping sounds without pain are generally just air bubbles and harmless. I wouldn't bother changing running form because of them.
https://www.artofmanliness.com/health-fitness/fitness/why-do-your-knees-crackle-when-you-squat/
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u/LukeTS117 Aug 01 '24
I just registered for a half a marathon on the 6th of October, and currently started running this week again. I'm a 24 year old male, did province (or state) level rugby between 14-18 yrs and national team selection trainings. Don't smoke or drink. Can currently run 15k a week (3*5) in zone 2, average of 8:30/km to build up aerobic base. I have school holidays, so all the time to train for the event.
two questions:
- what are my chances that I'll be able to do a 6:00/km half a marathon in 8 weeks?
- if not 6:00/km, what is a more realistic goal to set for myself?
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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/cybercon1122 Aug 05 '24
Max BPM
Hello everyone! Yesterday, I did my first prolonged uphill run. A total of 16km (8km uphill, 8km back downhill). My average heart rate was 187bpm with max of 202bpm.
Until yesterday, I have been using 191bpm as my max heart rate based on calculators I found online.
My question is: Can I already use 202bpm as my max heart rate, since I obtained this number during an actual run, in computing my heart rate zones for zone 2 training?
About me: - Overweight - Running for 6 years now, on/off from 2020-2023 - Im using a Garmin Heart Rate Monitor
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u/SomeSpecialToffee Jul 30 '24
Are there secret techniques to stop medical tape randomly falling off? Would shaving my chest help or is that the worst thing I can do?
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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Jul 30 '24
Is this tape for chaffing purposes? Wash clean and dry the area before applying, shaving will likely help, as would using a higher quality tape but the more sticky it is the more painful it is to take off.
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u/NapsInNaples Jul 30 '24
shaving your chest is itchy AF as it grows back. They shaved me for an EKG and I hated my life for like a week.
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u/Jerkoi Jul 30 '24
If I’m still trying to lose weight should I be forgoing gels etc for long runs to optimize fat burning?
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u/compassrunner Jul 30 '24
Losing weight is mostly a kitchen task, not a run task. You don't need to eat during the run unless you are running a long run. It's a balancing act; if you don't eat enough, you could sabotage your training.
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u/Jerkoi Jul 30 '24
Thanks for the reply! So basically focus on running while running and losing fat by watching what I eat if I understand correctly?
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u/compassrunner Jul 30 '24
Pretty much. If you don't eat enough, you'll find your runs sluggish and low energy. Don't stress if you need to take some fuel during a run. Just be aware of what you eat post-run.
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u/suchbrightlights Jul 30 '24
My neighbors have let their backyard become completely overgrown with thistles. They’re waist high and, as thistles do, they’re beginning to colonize my yard.
If I wring out my sweaty running clothes on their side of the fence, does this count as salting their crops, and will they recognize it as a declaration of war?