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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ned
- Start date
-OZ-
Footballguy
How tall are you? I'm 178 / 6' and just can't imagine even in the depths of Ironman or marathon training dropping into the 160s.
Eta: although that's probably a reason I'm slower than some of you crazy light weight mofos.
Last edited by a moderator:
JShare87
Footballguy
I am 6’0, and I like to think I have a fairly athletic build. The morning of my marathon I was 155. I have since gotten up to 165-170 and like to think it is a perfect weight. However, my family thinks I look sick.
bushdocda
Footballguy
MAC_32
Footballguy
6'1. I started marathon training around 185 last year and despite my best efforts to not lose so much damn weight I crept into the 160's by taper time. If I raced over 170 it wasn't by much. This is why I want to put on a few pounds before actual training because I can't imagine it'd be a good thing to dip into the 160's again. I'm too skinny as is!
gianmarco
Footballguy
I'm 6'2" and I like to think I have a fairly fat build.
In my out of shape state, I've been around 220 for a while. Over the last several months, I got it down to about 210. Since starting to run, I'm now at 198-200 and if I can get it down to 190, I'll be thrilled.
I couldn't imagine 160-170.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
I'm 6'3" and about 180-185, so marathon training can make me look like a sickly beanpole. One of the things I enjoy about triathloning is getting more of that swimmer's upper body build. :flex:
gruecd
Footballguy
6'4" and 220-222 right now. With my build, it's reaaaaaally hard for me to get (and stay) much under 210.
22-mile trail run today in preparation for my 8-hour race in three weeks. Last hour or so in the pouring rain. Hoping to go for another couple of hours tomorrow. Feeling pretty good for two weeks post-marathon.
22-mile trail run today in preparation for my 8-hour race in three weeks. Last hour or so in the pouring rain. Hoping to go for another couple of hours tomorrow. Feeling pretty good for two weeks post-marathon.
mr. furley
Footballguy
post-race Satin Solitude never tasted so good as it did today
ran my effing #### off through a fun course in Amherst. i don't think i can physically move any faster. something something physics. something something excuses.
my goal next year is to shave 2 effing minutes off my effing time
ran my effing #### off through a fun course in Amherst. i don't think i can physically move any faster. something something physics. something something excuses.
my goal next year is to shave 2 effing minutes off my effing time
JShare87
Footballguy
2nd place again. Story. Of. My. Life! Lost to a 15 year old on the local high school cross country team by 3 seconds. We battled it out for the last 200 meters. I just couldn’t hang. Pretty slow time because of 2 bridges and sugar sand. Oh well, happy for the kid. All this weight talk, I’m going to balloon back up to 235 after tonight. Alcholol and cheeseburgers. No rice will be consumed tonight. Enjoy the weekend, fellas!
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Juxt and Brony - how about the inaugural Arlington Heights 5K on November 4? The 10/28 suburban race is a Halloween fun run; the other 11/4 suburban race is mainly kids from the local school. Might as well kick some butt in your hometown, Brony!
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Juxt and Brony - how about the inaugural Arlington Heights 5K on November 4? The 10/28 suburban race is a Halloween fun run; the other 11/4 suburban race is mainly kids from the local school. Might as well kick some butt in your hometown, Brony!
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Brony
Footballguy
You guys are easy. Yep. Count me in for that. Thanks for picking a local one!
Should we draw straws to see who is (not) on the two person team?
ChiefD
Footballguy
bushdocda
Footballguy
Made it to rice (race) week and will run short tomorrow night to try out flipbelt bottle combo setup to carry some fuelz on Sunday. Couple things I’ve tried so far have been eh but would work.
Heading down and back to DC for bib pickup/expo melee on Friday to avoid the Saturday worser melee then down Saturday for overnight. Nervous excited to the max.
Heading down and back to DC for bib pickup/expo melee on Friday to avoid the Saturday worser melee then down Saturday for overnight. Nervous excited to the max.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
I’ve been out of commission for a little while and now have a calf injury - doc said stay off it a month. Seems like every time I get in a groove with running something sets me back. 
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Yuck!I’ve been out of commission for a little while and now have a calf injury - doc said stay off it a month. Seems like every time I get in a groove with running something sets me back.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
This is why I never go to the doctor.I’ve been out of commission for a little while and now have a calf injury - doc said stay off it a month. Seems like every time I get in a groove with running something sets me back.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
2017 Chicago Marathon Race Report! (Sorry for the delay.)
2017 Chicago Marathon complete! Every race teaches me something about myself and running but also often about life. This one was no different.
Training for Chicago was something I took seriously….I followed the Hanson’s advanced training plan which requires 6 days per week of running for 18 weeks. I’m proud to say, I didn’t miss any runs or miles in the entire 18 week training plan. Sure, I moved runs around to avoid weather and due to family/work responsibilities. However, whether I was in the altitude of Denver in June, the sticky heat of Florida in July, or the humidity of North Carolina in August, I got every single run done!
Goal was to run a marathon faster than my fastest (3:21:04 at 2016 New York City Marathon).
The week prior was filled with little sleep for unknown reasons and a race day where I didn’t feel good at all. Legs had no “pep” and I considered in mile 4 making this a fun run. However, I grinded and pushed and although the temps were around 70 near the end, I accomplished a PR of 3:18:55 and qualified for 2019 Boston Marathon by over 6 minutes. As in life, if you work hard and push yourself, even if you don’t have your ‘A’ game, you usually turn out okay. And that happened in 2017 Chicago Marathon for me.
Final Stats
3:18:55 – 7:35/mile pace
Overall – 2,590/44,262 (top 5.8%)
Gender – 2,247/22,784
M45-49 Age Group – 269/3,449
Lost 19 pounds – lightest I have been in 20+ years!
=====================
I arrived Friday in Chicago and met up with @Brony and @tri-man 47. Both are great guys. I had seltzer, they had beer…I was jealous of them! Then @tri-man 47 drove me into the city for dinner. The Chicago traffic was horrific as usual so he drove me some back roads near his house so I was able to see where he did some of his training runs. We grabbed a quick casual Italian dinner and then he drove the last few miles of the course so I could picture it. He dropped me off at my hotel downtown…maybe ½ mile from the start/finish area. The evening was great with easy conversation and chatting about running. The only thing missing was a foot rub!
Saturday, I woke and did a 3 mile shakeout run and had a see the start line. Later I checked out the expo and picked up my bib. The expo was crowded with people and the loud with music. Not my scene. I got out of there pretty quickly and dropped my stuff at my hotel and went to grab some lunch. After that, I headed back to my room to rest for the afternoon. Saturday dinner was pasta made in my room (which was timely as it was pouring rain in Chicago during dinner time.)
Saturday night was more like Friday night in terms of sleep. I could not get comfortable and found myself tossing and turning most of the night. I might have gotten 8 hours combined between the two nights.
Woke on Sunday and did my standard prep of food, taking care of business in the bathroom and getting ready. Chicago is great because the logistics are easy. I left my hotel at 6:15 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m. start (versus NYC which you need to leave your hotel at 5 a.m. for an 11 a.m. start). Easily got myself into my corral. Still felt lethargic and not great. Temperatures were ideal mid 50’s, however, there wasn’t a cloud in sky and the temps were expected to raise into the upper 70’s by the afternoon.
I was placed in Corral B which was generally people who were hoping to run sub 3:15. Since I was thinking 3:16-3:18, I wasn’t worried about being slowed down in the first few miles. I had trained at 7:27/mile pace, but I would shoot for around 7:30/mile pace.
START! (7:30 a.m. CDT)
The first several miles snake through downtown which have several turns but also the skyscrapers cause havoc with the GPS systems in the watch, so we all just run by feel and hope our times cooperate. Mile one, I completed at 7:27 EXACTLY! Through my dumb luck, I was pleased and tried to settle into a rhythm. I immediately recognized I was sweating profusely for the beginning of a marathon and cool temps. I looked at my heart rate and it was in zone 5 (of 5)….not good.
Ran past my hotel in mile 2. I tried to settle into a smooth cadence and try to find that happy place with the running, however, after doing 8 marathons, I knew I was sweating and working way too hard.
5K (3.1 miles) – 23:03 (7:25 pace)
As I worked on Mile 4 and knowing how I felt and knowing what was going to happen with the heat later in the race, I contemplated pulling back my pace and making this a fun run. I probably debated in my head back and forth for 10 minutes. I eventually decided I had put in the work and flew all the way to Chicago. If I went for it and blew up and bonked near the end of the race, I would accept it just wasn’t my day. (I can't lie and think about all of you guys watching and how you would be disappointed if I decided to make it a fun run...so thank you for helping me to push through.)
10K (6.2 miles) – 46:29 – 7:29 overall pace (7:33 pace for last 5K)
As we approached mile 7, we were at the northern most part of the course (just a few blocks from Wrigley Field). Thus far, the wind has been at our back, the sun has been behind us and often hidden by buildings. After two quick left turns, we were heading back into the wind and the sun continued to get higher in the sky. I noticed at mile 8, I felt about the same as mile 4, so I was pleased it wasn’t getting worse. I remember thinking, the way I feel at mile 8 right now is how I should feel at mile 8 of a half marathon. So, I still felt I was burning through my energy reserves too fast.
15K (9.3 miles) – 1:09:44 – 7:29 overall pace (7:30 pace for the last 5K)
We continue to meander our way south back towards the city. I was wearing a shirt for my job…..it turns out some guy did business with us and next thing I knew, he knew me as I had worked with him. (Admittedly, I didn’t remember as I work with tons of people.) He was shooting for a sub 3:15 finish and ended up running 3:18. Small world though. I ran with him for a mile or so but realized he was going to a bit faster than I wanted to run at this stage so I let him go.
In addition, there was some great scenery, one in particular that I ran behind for a couple miles, but I couldn’t keep up so I had to sadly watch it drift away slowly.
20K (12.4 miles) – 1:32.53 – 7:29 overall pace (7:28 pace for the last 5K)
Not much to report here other than we are back in the city so the GPS on the watch is funky. Crowds are large and I continue to feel a bit better about not blowing up in the last 8 miles of this race. As I cross the halfway point, I’m EXACTLY where I wanted to be timewise. I had decided I would push it a bit early due to the heat as I was afraid it would impact me later in the race, so I was within one second of a 3:16 pace which is aggressive but how I hoped to run the race.
HALF (13.1 miles) – 1:37:59 – 7:29 overall pace ( 7:29 pace for the last 0.7 miles)
This part of the course continues to be flat and we are now heading west. I’m definitely feeling fatigued but can tell my training is carrying me. I look behind me and see the 3:15 pacing group perhaps 200 feet behind me. (Admittedly, they started about a minute behind me at the start I’m guessing so I had no expectations of running 3:15.) But there is an emotional letdown when the pacing group passes you…..I remember it happening with the 3:20 group in NYC at mile 20.
25K (15.5 miles) – 1:56:17 – 7:30 overall pace (7:33 pace for the last 2.4 miles)
Welp. Here they are. The 3:15 group is now caught up to me. It probably numbers 50 runners. I ran a mile with them and was holding it together okay, but also knew 9 more miles of that pace probably wasn’t sustainable. As much as it was interesting watching the three paces motivate, humor, and entertain their group, I decided to let them slowly pull away. However, my pace picked up for this section and in fact, I ran a 7:23 mile when I was with the 3:15ers.
30K (18.6 miles) – 2:19:33 – 7:30 overall pace (7:30 pace for the last 5K)
This is when the drain really began. I was running the same level of exertion, passing most people around me, sweating profusely as the sun was out and temps were near 70. Every water stop resulting in pouring a cup of water on my head and taking one to drink. The humbling part of this was as the exertion level was higher than earlier in the race, I look at my watch and I see the pace drifting higher and higher. I was trying to manage keeping my pace while also realizing I still had 10K to go.
35K (21.7 miles) – 2:43:35 – 7:31 overall pace (7:45 pace for the last 5K)
At mile 23 things became real as I came to a water stop and there amongst a block full of volunteers giving water out was a runner laying on the ground being tended to by medical staff. Fortunately, I knew I wasn’t in that condition but made me thank myself for doing all those incredible hard runs throughout the summer heat/humidity. Although the pace slowed further, I was making steady progress while running the sub 3:20 math in my head to make sure it was still going to work.
In NYC, mile 24 is where I stumbled and had to walk for 40 seconds. Interestingly enough, at mile 24, I stumbled again….not sure if it was an irregular part of the road or just me delirious. But I. Just. Kept. Running.
40K (24.8 miles) – 3:08:42 – 7:35 overall pace (8:06 pace for the last 5K)
At mile 25, I knew short of cramping muscle, sub 3:20 would happen. I was still passing 95% of the people near me. I pushed hard but not to the point of redline. At mile 26, there is the largest hill on the course. It was hard (and somewhat cruel to be in this location), but got it done for a strong finish.
I caught up and passed the wonderful scenery from earlier in the race. Was able to catch the bib, so #9177 for your race stalkers.
Finish – 26.2 – 3:18:55 – 7:35 overall pace (7:30 pace for the last 1.4 miles)
After the race, I reflected on the challenges of not feeling good at all. Contemplating making it a fun run and pleased I was able to PR by over 2 minutes and qualify for Boston by over 6 minutes. Am I faster than this time? Yes. I am confident on a cool day where I feel good, 3:15:XX could be possible. But marathons, like life, have challenges, roadblocks, adversity. So I’m pleased to put Marathon #9 in the books. I am so excited Marathon #10 will be 2018 Boston in April.
Sunday evening, I went out with some friends from high school and relived the day (and they both rocked their races).
I couldn’t do this without all of you for the motivation, training tips, and accountability to help make me run faster and longer.
Next up? April 16, 2018…..122nd running of the Boston Marathon.
2017 Chicago Marathon complete! Every race teaches me something about myself and running but also often about life. This one was no different.
Training for Chicago was something I took seriously….I followed the Hanson’s advanced training plan which requires 6 days per week of running for 18 weeks. I’m proud to say, I didn’t miss any runs or miles in the entire 18 week training plan. Sure, I moved runs around to avoid weather and due to family/work responsibilities. However, whether I was in the altitude of Denver in June, the sticky heat of Florida in July, or the humidity of North Carolina in August, I got every single run done!
Goal was to run a marathon faster than my fastest (3:21:04 at 2016 New York City Marathon).
The week prior was filled with little sleep for unknown reasons and a race day where I didn’t feel good at all. Legs had no “pep” and I considered in mile 4 making this a fun run. However, I grinded and pushed and although the temps were around 70 near the end, I accomplished a PR of 3:18:55 and qualified for 2019 Boston Marathon by over 6 minutes. As in life, if you work hard and push yourself, even if you don’t have your ‘A’ game, you usually turn out okay. And that happened in 2017 Chicago Marathon for me.
Final Stats
3:18:55 – 7:35/mile pace
Overall – 2,590/44,262 (top 5.8%)
Gender – 2,247/22,784
M45-49 Age Group – 269/3,449
Lost 19 pounds – lightest I have been in 20+ years!
=====================
I arrived Friday in Chicago and met up with @Brony and @tri-man 47. Both are great guys. I had seltzer, they had beer…I was jealous of them! Then @tri-man 47 drove me into the city for dinner. The Chicago traffic was horrific as usual so he drove me some back roads near his house so I was able to see where he did some of his training runs. We grabbed a quick casual Italian dinner and then he drove the last few miles of the course so I could picture it. He dropped me off at my hotel downtown…maybe ½ mile from the start/finish area. The evening was great with easy conversation and chatting about running. The only thing missing was a foot rub!
Saturday, I woke and did a 3 mile shakeout run and had a see the start line. Later I checked out the expo and picked up my bib. The expo was crowded with people and the loud with music. Not my scene. I got out of there pretty quickly and dropped my stuff at my hotel and went to grab some lunch. After that, I headed back to my room to rest for the afternoon. Saturday dinner was pasta made in my room (which was timely as it was pouring rain in Chicago during dinner time.)
Saturday night was more like Friday night in terms of sleep. I could not get comfortable and found myself tossing and turning most of the night. I might have gotten 8 hours combined between the two nights.
Woke on Sunday and did my standard prep of food, taking care of business in the bathroom and getting ready. Chicago is great because the logistics are easy. I left my hotel at 6:15 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m. start (versus NYC which you need to leave your hotel at 5 a.m. for an 11 a.m. start). Easily got myself into my corral. Still felt lethargic and not great. Temperatures were ideal mid 50’s, however, there wasn’t a cloud in sky and the temps were expected to raise into the upper 70’s by the afternoon.
I was placed in Corral B which was generally people who were hoping to run sub 3:15. Since I was thinking 3:16-3:18, I wasn’t worried about being slowed down in the first few miles. I had trained at 7:27/mile pace, but I would shoot for around 7:30/mile pace.
START! (7:30 a.m. CDT)
The first several miles snake through downtown which have several turns but also the skyscrapers cause havoc with the GPS systems in the watch, so we all just run by feel and hope our times cooperate. Mile one, I completed at 7:27 EXACTLY! Through my dumb luck, I was pleased and tried to settle into a rhythm. I immediately recognized I was sweating profusely for the beginning of a marathon and cool temps. I looked at my heart rate and it was in zone 5 (of 5)….not good.
Ran past my hotel in mile 2. I tried to settle into a smooth cadence and try to find that happy place with the running, however, after doing 8 marathons, I knew I was sweating and working way too hard.
5K (3.1 miles) – 23:03 (7:25 pace)
As I worked on Mile 4 and knowing how I felt and knowing what was going to happen with the heat later in the race, I contemplated pulling back my pace and making this a fun run. I probably debated in my head back and forth for 10 minutes. I eventually decided I had put in the work and flew all the way to Chicago. If I went for it and blew up and bonked near the end of the race, I would accept it just wasn’t my day. (I can't lie and think about all of you guys watching and how you would be disappointed if I decided to make it a fun run...so thank you for helping me to push through.)
10K (6.2 miles) – 46:29 – 7:29 overall pace (7:33 pace for last 5K)
As we approached mile 7, we were at the northern most part of the course (just a few blocks from Wrigley Field). Thus far, the wind has been at our back, the sun has been behind us and often hidden by buildings. After two quick left turns, we were heading back into the wind and the sun continued to get higher in the sky. I noticed at mile 8, I felt about the same as mile 4, so I was pleased it wasn’t getting worse. I remember thinking, the way I feel at mile 8 right now is how I should feel at mile 8 of a half marathon. So, I still felt I was burning through my energy reserves too fast.
15K (9.3 miles) – 1:09:44 – 7:29 overall pace (7:30 pace for the last 5K)
We continue to meander our way south back towards the city. I was wearing a shirt for my job…..it turns out some guy did business with us and next thing I knew, he knew me as I had worked with him. (Admittedly, I didn’t remember as I work with tons of people.) He was shooting for a sub 3:15 finish and ended up running 3:18. Small world though. I ran with him for a mile or so but realized he was going to a bit faster than I wanted to run at this stage so I let him go.
In addition, there was some great scenery, one in particular that I ran behind for a couple miles, but I couldn’t keep up so I had to sadly watch it drift away slowly.
20K (12.4 miles) – 1:32.53 – 7:29 overall pace (7:28 pace for the last 5K)
Not much to report here other than we are back in the city so the GPS on the watch is funky. Crowds are large and I continue to feel a bit better about not blowing up in the last 8 miles of this race. As I cross the halfway point, I’m EXACTLY where I wanted to be timewise. I had decided I would push it a bit early due to the heat as I was afraid it would impact me later in the race, so I was within one second of a 3:16 pace which is aggressive but how I hoped to run the race.
HALF (13.1 miles) – 1:37:59 – 7:29 overall pace ( 7:29 pace for the last 0.7 miles)
This part of the course continues to be flat and we are now heading west. I’m definitely feeling fatigued but can tell my training is carrying me. I look behind me and see the 3:15 pacing group perhaps 200 feet behind me. (Admittedly, they started about a minute behind me at the start I’m guessing so I had no expectations of running 3:15.) But there is an emotional letdown when the pacing group passes you…..I remember it happening with the 3:20 group in NYC at mile 20.
25K (15.5 miles) – 1:56:17 – 7:30 overall pace (7:33 pace for the last 2.4 miles)
Welp. Here they are. The 3:15 group is now caught up to me. It probably numbers 50 runners. I ran a mile with them and was holding it together okay, but also knew 9 more miles of that pace probably wasn’t sustainable. As much as it was interesting watching the three paces motivate, humor, and entertain their group, I decided to let them slowly pull away. However, my pace picked up for this section and in fact, I ran a 7:23 mile when I was with the 3:15ers.
30K (18.6 miles) – 2:19:33 – 7:30 overall pace (7:30 pace for the last 5K)
This is when the drain really began. I was running the same level of exertion, passing most people around me, sweating profusely as the sun was out and temps were near 70. Every water stop resulting in pouring a cup of water on my head and taking one to drink. The humbling part of this was as the exertion level was higher than earlier in the race, I look at my watch and I see the pace drifting higher and higher. I was trying to manage keeping my pace while also realizing I still had 10K to go.
35K (21.7 miles) – 2:43:35 – 7:31 overall pace (7:45 pace for the last 5K)
At mile 23 things became real as I came to a water stop and there amongst a block full of volunteers giving water out was a runner laying on the ground being tended to by medical staff. Fortunately, I knew I wasn’t in that condition but made me thank myself for doing all those incredible hard runs throughout the summer heat/humidity. Although the pace slowed further, I was making steady progress while running the sub 3:20 math in my head to make sure it was still going to work.
In NYC, mile 24 is where I stumbled and had to walk for 40 seconds. Interestingly enough, at mile 24, I stumbled again….not sure if it was an irregular part of the road or just me delirious. But I. Just. Kept. Running.
40K (24.8 miles) – 3:08:42 – 7:35 overall pace (8:06 pace for the last 5K)
At mile 25, I knew short of cramping muscle, sub 3:20 would happen. I was still passing 95% of the people near me. I pushed hard but not to the point of redline. At mile 26, there is the largest hill on the course. It was hard (and somewhat cruel to be in this location), but got it done for a strong finish.
I caught up and passed the wonderful scenery from earlier in the race. Was able to catch the bib, so #9177 for your race stalkers.
Finish – 26.2 – 3:18:55 – 7:35 overall pace (7:30 pace for the last 1.4 miles)
After the race, I reflected on the challenges of not feeling good at all. Contemplating making it a fun run and pleased I was able to PR by over 2 minutes and qualify for Boston by over 6 minutes. Am I faster than this time? Yes. I am confident on a cool day where I feel good, 3:15:XX could be possible. But marathons, like life, have challenges, roadblocks, adversity. So I’m pleased to put Marathon #9 in the books. I am so excited Marathon #10 will be 2018 Boston in April.
Sunday evening, I went out with some friends from high school and relived the day (and they both rocked their races).
I couldn’t do this without all of you for the motivation, training tips, and accountability to help make me run faster and longer.
Next up? April 16, 2018…..122nd running of the Boston Marathon.
Last edited by a moderator:
ChiefD
Footballguy
Awesome report @SteelCurtain!
So great to read because I can remember all those points you post about the course and running through the city. That little hill at the end.....bassturds.
Just a great run and race. Congrats!!
And the way Chicago supports this race - wow.
So great to read because I can remember all those points you post about the course and running through the city. That little hill at the end.....bassturds.
Just a great run and race. Congrats!!
And the way Chicago supports this race - wow.
Last edited by a moderator:
Hang 10
Footballguy
Nice report and great race, @SteelCurtain!
Love that you didn't give in and pushed to get that PR. You worked way too hard this summer to "run for fun".
But your report is a good lesson to those that put in the training to not freak out and bail on a goal because you don't feel perfect on race day. I have to remind myself often that you can run well even if you feel like ####. I'm sure I'll have to remind myself again next month!
Love that you didn't give in and pushed to get that PR. You worked way too hard this summer to "run for fun".
But your report is a good lesson to those that put in the training to not freak out and bail on a goal because you don't feel perfect on race day. I have to remind myself often that you can run well even if you feel like ####. I'm sure I'll have to remind myself again next month!
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Brony
Footballguy
Great summary @Steel Curtain! A little humor, life lessons, self-depreciation, running stats and some bib # to stalk thrown in there too? there's the template to follow gents!
Glad that you were able to overcome doubts several times and persevere. Those mental gymnastics will never show on your Strava page or on your AG ranking, but those are the things that keep us coming back to this stupid activity that we simultaneously love and hate.
Glad that you were able to overcome doubts several times and persevere. Those mental gymnastics will never show on your Strava page or on your AG ranking, but those are the things that keep us coming back to this stupid activity that we simultaneously love and hate.
mr. furley
Footballguy
how much do you guys think overuse/overtraining is to blame for some of these injuries.. nagging long-term aches? and how much is just genetic dumb luck?
Hang 10
Footballguy
Difficult questions to answer...
I'm sure genetics/bio mechanics plays a significant role in whether you stay healthy. If your running form is crap then you're probably get banged up eventually. You can work on proper form tho...
I look back at most my overuse injuries and see how preventable they all were. Proper recovery. Foam rolling. Stretching. Massages. Hip/Glute strengthening. It's the little things that keep you healthy.
MAC_32
Footballguy
Like @Hang 10 said, difficult to answer in a vacuum.
For me it has been
Focusing on technique - especially when tired, the body wants to start the foot shuffle, so it's on my mind to not let it. When I lose focus that's when I've noticed my back being sore in the days that followed.
Strength training - but only in moderation, I've been trying to find the right balance for a while now and I think I may have finally found it. I should be able to determine for sure during the build-up over the next 8 weeks. My purpose for strength training is to maintain health - not gain muscle.
And identifying what caused my overuse issues before. During my week off running last week I spent some time looking over my training over the last 18 months to try to better identify what led to my rough patches, so I could better build my marathon plan. I knew more hard runs was part of it, but I was curious if it was something more too. Then it hit me. Anytime I went over 13-14 days without a no run day I ran into a rough 5-10 day period before I reset things. That rest day doesn't necessarily need to be total rest, but just take a day off running. So I built that into my winter training schedule - ensuring a day off every 2 weeks. If I feel good and want to lift, by all means. But if I don't, let the body rest.
Ultimately, all of us sharing our stories may be helpful, but it really just comes down to strong self assessment.
MAC_32
Footballguy
I should have read this after my run today. It's supposed to be in the GA'ish zone. But after this race report I want to run through a brick wall.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
AAABatteries
Footballguy
AAABatteries
Footballguy
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
I think overuse and overtraining is actually the cause of all injuries. However, that being said, part of running and marathon training is to train your muscles to run faster and harder. Its just those of us that get injured are ones who went a bit too far in the overuse/overtraining department.
Certainly, one person's body's ability to withstand a series of workouts will be dependent on the body's history with training, intensity of workouts, opportunity for body to rest and regenerate, injury history, as well as genetics (bone strength, BMI, flexibility, etc).
I can't reinforce the importance of rest days and easy days into a training regimen. My body actually feels better after doing a slow easy run than if I just took the day off completely. The slow easy runs help keep the muscles relaxed and stretched out.
Interesting topic and thanks for raising it.
ChiefD
Footballguy
gianmarco
Footballguy
So far, I feel really fortunate in that I haven't had any pain or injuries since I started. I know it's early on, but I've tried to make it a point to learn to do it right from the beginning. I'm realizing how important the "easy" runs are and not overdoing it.
Funny this came up now because I just went on an easy recovery run from my harder run last night and my wife wanted to see if I'd push the stroller. Since we were going slow, I gave it a shot. After about a mile, my left hip started feeling funny and almost hurting. I gave it back to her and the pain went away. Just a matter of holding my left arm up just a little and probably turning a bit more. After the 3 miles, my left knee was sore as well and needed some stretching. Something as stupid as just holding it with my left hand started causing a chain reaction when I haven't had anything like it after any previous run. Needless to say, I won't be pushing that stroller any more. Great lesson that poor form can cause problems even though I was trying to keep everything the same while holding onto it.
I'm also trying to make her realize that she should be doing her easy runs slower than she's doing them. When I pulled up some training calcs last night to show her, she didn't realize we should be in the 9:45-11:00 min range on long and/or easy runs. I wonder if that's what's been keeping her from improving her time even more. Since we plan on training together, for the most part, for the 15k coming up in December, I'm going to see if I can convince her to follow along with what I'm doing and see what it does. Of course, she's been running for years and I've been doing it for less than 3 months so the chances of her taking MY advice is slim, but I'm trying.
Finally, while I hate all the hills around me, I think the hills are actually doing me good. My legs feel stronger and I'm getting better at them. And the flat runs are that much easier as a result.
I haven't gotten into the foam rolling or other stuff, but I make it a point to stretch for a few minutes before starting as well as afterward and so far I've been really lucky, I think.
Funny this came up now because I just went on an easy recovery run from my harder run last night and my wife wanted to see if I'd push the stroller. Since we were going slow, I gave it a shot. After about a mile, my left hip started feeling funny and almost hurting. I gave it back to her and the pain went away. Just a matter of holding my left arm up just a little and probably turning a bit more. After the 3 miles, my left knee was sore as well and needed some stretching. Something as stupid as just holding it with my left hand started causing a chain reaction when I haven't had anything like it after any previous run. Needless to say, I won't be pushing that stroller any more. Great lesson that poor form can cause problems even though I was trying to keep everything the same while holding onto it.
I'm also trying to make her realize that she should be doing her easy runs slower than she's doing them. When I pulled up some training calcs last night to show her, she didn't realize we should be in the 9:45-11:00 min range on long and/or easy runs. I wonder if that's what's been keeping her from improving her time even more. Since we plan on training together, for the most part, for the 15k coming up in December, I'm going to see if I can convince her to follow along with what I'm doing and see what it does. Of course, she's been running for years and I've been doing it for less than 3 months so the chances of her taking MY advice is slim, but I'm trying.
Finally, while I hate all the hills around me, I think the hills are actually doing me good. My legs feel stronger and I'm getting better at them. And the flat runs are that much easier as a result.
I haven't gotten into the foam rolling or other stuff, but I make it a point to stretch for a few minutes before starting as well as afterward and so far I've been really lucky, I think.
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tri-man 47
Footballguy
Well done, @Steel Curtain! It's been a long time since we've had a true race stalking moment. Oh, and nice marathon, too. Speaking of which, she has a nice stride through much of the race, but by the end, she's seriously heel striking. That highlights the importance of building leg strength ...lots of miles, long runs, hill work, squats and lunges. Clearly, she and I need to do some lunges together to prepare her for her next endurance event.
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
I think imbalances and weaknesses play a huge role, and it's what I've been dealing with recently. The body can totally compensate for those things for quite a while, and as my chiro said yesterday, "over 1000s of miles you got really, really good at compensating." But eventually with overuse and/or overtraining, an injury will result.
In this case my SI joint is a little loose, and it prevents proper activation/usage of some of the muscles around it. He threw on a couple pieces of rock (kinesio) tape to stabilize the joint, and instantly my strength was improved. After walking around with the tape the last week, my hamstring on that side has been sore - it just hasn't been able to activate as it should, and just walking around with the joint stabilized is tiring it out. Really kind of trippy, actually.
And of course the resulting imbalances and weakness cascade through the kinetic chain. I'm pronating more on that side than the other. That tightens the muscles on the outside of the lower leg, which has likely contributed to the calf strain I'm dealing with. Scar tissue builds up in many places as a protective mechanism against the muscles and joints not operating optimally, and fascia gets restricted and doesn't "glide" like it should. It's impacted my knee function due to scar tissue build up, which probably has played into IT band issues I've had off and on. And then of course the other leg has to compensate in other ways.
I feel like I'm trying to be rebuilt from the ground up right now. We're largely just trying to "repair" a lot of the damage that all this overcompensation has caused. Graston and shock wave therapy to break up that scar tissue and fascial adhesions and to stimulate healing is super painful. Next step will be a slow return to running along with strengthening. The plan is that it'll get me to where I can move the way we're designed to move and not the way I've adapted to, and I'll come out the other side a better, and healthier, runner.
ChiefD
Footballguy
No wonder you are such a badass. You run 100 miles, and then decide to break everything down to try and become BETTER.
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Thanks, but I don't know about all that.No wonder you are such a badass. You run 100 miles, and then decide to break everything down to try and become BETTER.
And I'd give anything to spend 4 hours on trails this weekend. If I'm lucky, I'll get an hour or so.....patience sucks.
Dang, SC. The props you're receiving for the race you ran are well deserved. Not feeling great leading up to the race, starting out a bit rough, having a go/no-go decision to make at mile 4, and yet grinding through all of that for a PR and BQ...simply incredible.
But to be honest, that's not what I'm most impressed by. I'm most impressed by the quoted. You ran 6 days a week for 18 weeks and essentially followed your training plan to the nuts? As someone that understands the rigors of work, family, and life, I couldn't be more impressed. I wish I had that type of dedication and resolve. It's no wonder you ran the race you did. Huge congrats!
JShare87
Footballguy
This. As disappointing as some races can be, the work we put in to get there usually goes overlooked and undervalued. Marathon training was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life and I am just now starting to understand what an accomplishment it was 3 months later. Congrats to you on all of your training and accomplishments. You are the man!
tri-man 47
Footballguy
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
I was chugging right along with the training and on a couple of my work trips, my wife would say things like "I'm guessing you'll be out drinking and missing your runs when you are traveling". I know she sometimes dislikes when running gets in the way, so reconciled if I missed a run while traveling, then it will be harder for me to reinforce how important the runs were when I was home. (does that make sense?)SayWhat? said:
There were a couple days that were crazy. I remember being up and running at 3 a.m. because I had to get 20 done before work. But 90% of the runs were just part of my regular schedule.
Next thing I knew it was week 12 or 13 and I hadn't missed a run. At that point, short of injury or serious illness, I just wanted to do ALL the runs. Eventually, weeks 16-18, I actually was trying to get a little ahead and push my rest days back a little just so I had a buffer and a more reasonable taper!
At the end of the day, it became part of my day. It was habit. I was waking up on my own around 4:15 every morning without an alarm.
Finally, the effectiveness of Hanson's training plan which I am a complete convert is to run on tired legs. So if you start to skip days here and there, the legs recover and the effectiveness is lessened. Hanson's is amazing because when my legs were shot, there was my easy day. When my legs were sort of tired, there was a harder day to push me. When my whole body started just feeling spent all around, it was a stepback week. I think the training plan and the simplicity of it along with its nuances really work for me.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
I spent 5 days in West Palm Beach in July trying to train. I give you incredible props trying to train in that for months on end. It was brutal. I actually chose the DREADmill over running outside because it was so hot and humid at 5 a.m.JShare87 said:
You need to pick a spring marathon and enjoy a reasonable winter training plan. It will be like heaven for you.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Thanks again for the hospitality and the tour of the race course. I had a great time.tri-man 47 said:
