ILX running running thread

having broken down several times in the past, these are the things that seem to have worked for me this time (so far):

a) aggressive resting strategy - i take off days if i feel twinges in my known problem areas (knees, feet). also, scheduled periodic rest weeks- find a low impact subsititute.
b) consistent preventive anti inflammatory treatments - i ice potential problem areas after 5+ mile workouts. i keep an ice pack at the ready at home and at the office. i take ibuprofin after long workouts, too.
c)run on softer surfaces - i do the majority of my runs on cinder trails, jeep roads, or even singletrack dirt trails, and i do my speed workouts on a composite oval.

i also have been really selective about my footwear. i shelved a brand new pair of shoes that felt not quite right.

going to do a 6 mile trail run in november with some Hash House Harriers club. should be a trip.

Hashers often describe their group as "a drinking club with a running problem,"

I ice after walking home from the train station sometimes. Or just for the fun of it.

i did a 20.6 mile run yesterday. a personal victory, but everytime i think i can get to enjoy running, i run farther and that feeling goes away. :)

Stepping up to >20 really is a case where the first times are the worst experiences ever (e.g. it's cold and dark, I'm miles from home, I'm hypoglycaemic and I can barely walk) but your body gets used to it surprisingly quickly. That said, I completely blew up on a 21-miler yesterday after the first 10 miles were straight into a huge freezing Cambridgeshire headwind, just about staggered home in the end.

It was supposed to be a 24-miler as well.

i haven't run since saturday. i played a rec-league soccer game on sunday—first time i've played in almost 20 years—and i'm pretty sure i cracked a rib. ouch.

also out of action, not run since last monday cos my ankle is still sore. was just at the doc and he said to take ibuprofen twice a day for a week, but when i got home after buying it says "do not take if you have stomach conditions" so might just avoid that.

it's torn muscles around my ribs, but it hurts about the same as a cracked rib, and treatment options are about the same, i.e., not much besides ibuprofen. i may try to take a long walk this weekend and run next week.

i've been doing "yasso 800" workouts for the last 5 weeks. they're sorta like "track/speed workout for marathon dummies," but man, plenty tough enough for me. i basically dread this run each week. the rough idea is that the time in which you run your 800 repeats in minutes:seconds approximates your marathon time in hours:mins. you add one more repetition to each workout until you reach 10 reps. last night, i did 9.

one more week, just one more week!

Running is awesome.

So how do people dress when it gets cold? I've had problems in the past with falling ill within days of running in the cold.

I'm supremely unqualified to discuss cold weather but I've run in just-about-subzero conditions (Celsius) without taking any special measures - two or three layers on top, shorts + leggings below.

can dudes wear leggings?

I run until I warm up.

i realized this morning how MOTIVATING cold weather can be. i felt zingy and fast like a wind-up toy because i was out there in 45 degrees (f) with a tshirt and shorts. need to buy some better winter gear this year, but i deserve it because i've been at this for > 1 year now and i can justify the expense of fancy athletic shirts/pants and whatnot.

How much cold are you talking about? I agree that down to about 40 degrees F, I don't wear anything extra beyond a buff on my head, and that's just to keep my ears covered. Once you run a couple of miles, you warm right up. I love the cold, though, and get really annoyed when I have to take my sweatshirt mid-run and don't have anywhere to put it and end up carrying it like a dork. So I don't even take it with me in the first place.

is it essential to get my foot measured etc if i want to buy decent running shoes? keeping in mind my ankle has been fucked for about two weeks, it's almost healed tho i feel, without rushing it.

i fear the cost being higher...with that in mind if i am buying a pair without foot/gait measuring etc, is there any generic advice? or is there a way to measure what type of foot i have myself, i've heard tell of examining your footprint after wetting your foot etc?

yeah, the wet test—stand with wet feet on some plain paper and check out the imprint. generally you have either high/normal or low arches—check runnersworld.com or a similar site for images. at minimum you at least should have a good idea of what kind of feet you have and how you run. read reviews, familiarize yourself with the lingo, and try a few on at a specialty store where they'll let you take them out for a couple of blocks. between particular brands and models it can just be a matter of fit and comfort, but you really, really, really should have shoes for your foot/gait type.

As well as arch support, you might also consider whether you under/overpronate. If you go into a running shop (Runners' Need and Run and Become are good ones in London) you will get good advice and possibly a quick gait analysis for free (Runners' Need in Holborn did gait analysis last time I was there).

But if you've been wearing dodgy (e.g. old, ill-fitting or just crap) shoes before then simply buying a decent pair of trainers will make a world of difference. I'd expect to pay around £60-70.

http://cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/8742861/Marathon88-2.jpg

these are the ones i've been wearing, they're sort of vintage so don't know if the shoe design was woeful back in the day.

yeah, i should have been more clear about that—foot type and pronation are pretty closely related (if you have a low arch you almost assuredly pronate) but not the same thing.

I'm always suspicious of "vintage" trainers. I have a few pairs of Onitsuka Tiger reissues for casual wear but I'd never consider running in them; I'm not sure whether that's because I'm used to modern shoes or whether the reissued versions are actually constructed differently to the original shoes (e.g. with a more durable/heavier sole).

If you want to play it safe regarding injury (and it sounds like you should) I'd strongly recommend a good pair of shoes from a reputable shop.

(there is of course the school of thought that modern shoes are overcushioned and actually increase the risk of injury and I do think it's good to buy the least cushioned shoe you can get away with, but these differences are much less important than the difference between a real running shoe and some hipster pair)

I have a few pairs of Onitsuka Tiger reissues for casual wear but I'd never consider running in them
yeah, no way would i run in them. they're my fashionable/comfortable shoes. likewise, i would never wear my running shoes with jeans to a show.

yeah i was basically using the above as they are the closest thing i have to a decent pair of running shoes...

that would explain why you injured yourself! i ran in some crappy shoes very briefly and then forked over the cash for real running shoes when i knew that i would actually use them. it's worth it, i think! now my running shoes have been through rain, snow, and many puddles -- i feel i got my money's worth.

my shoes for upcoming marathon in two weeks are ripping above my second toe. think im just gonna use some light fabric tape and contact cement and carry on with em.

Marathon in 6 days. Really not excited about it. Terrified because I'm still injured and I'm probably going to fuck this up.

I buy a new pair of racers a few weeks before each marathon, it's kind of a ritual and it stops me wondering about whether my shoes are worn out. I have no idea whether it makes that much difference though.

Take it eaaaaasy in that marathon, Jeff.

Oh I'll take it easy. Problem is the when the sharp pain hits I can barely walk and wouldn't be able to finish. I just need to delay that onset.

all the best, jeff, i hope it goes great for you.

I buy a new pair of racers a few weeks before each marathon, it's kind of a ritual and it stops me wondering about whether my shoes are worn out.

yeah, i actually tried to avoid this outcome by buying the most recent edition of my current shoe in mid august. that way i'd have a spare pair of shoes broken in and ready to go. however, asics fucked me over by totally redoing the midsole on them so that the latest version is softer than a wet sponge. so the new ones get used for staining the deck and cutting the lawn.

Do you mean the DS Racer? I've worn that shoe in every marathon I've run and now I'm having to find a new racer because of the way they've changed it. I've just bought a pair of Adidas Adizero Adios and if all goes well I'll wear them in my next marathon (three weeks' time); I haven't finished testing them though.

Asics should know that marathon runners hate change!

no its actually the fairly downscale kahana series- i was training for a long offroad event and kahana 2s and 3s were good, light trail shoes with some stability, not too much heel height, and not too much cushion. but kahana 4s new midsole sucks. really soft, negligible stability, more heel height, and thicker tongue. the tongue and heel height i can deal with on the road, but its just way too cushioned for me.

Ha, maybe Asics simultaneously sabotaged all their shoes in a fiendish attempt to drive away their customers.

Just had a coworker say that if I saw her church group on the sidelines on Sunday, I should stop and pray with them and that will cure anything that is bothering me. Hard to not bust out laughing at her.

lol

You won't be busting out laughing at mile 25, buddy -- you'll stop and pray your a$$ off. ;)

If I even make it to mile 25 it will be a goddamned miracle.

Ran 2 miles pain free last night. I think a steady diet of rest and ibuprofen has gotten my inflammation down to a manageable level. Looking for a mind numbingly boring 11 minute pace on Sunday and walking through water stops.

Good luck dude! Not sure I have any Magic Advice to give...beyond the basics (don't go out too hard, don't overhydrate during the race, don't stop moving) I think the only way to learn how to run marathons is to run a marathon.

Actually, one thing that people don't often mention: work out your pre-race toilet plan.

AKA, drink a shitload of water the night before, pee all night, then don't drink the morning of the race so you don't have to pee until miles 15-20 and can avoid the long bathroom lines in the first half of the race.

Oh yeah, and try to, uh, poop the morning of the race...

^^^ As they say, this is U&K.

RESPECT, MARKETEERS, RESPECT, u know what rly matters:

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http://listserver2.competitorevents.com/read/archive?id=5831&e=thhiii%40hotmail%2ecom&x=4823df88

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DONE WITH TRACK RUNS! HA! IN YOUR _FACE_ "YASSO 800S!" :) :) :)
jubilation 4 real, ready to hit 2nd glass of vino

I finished. Heat made it a little difficult and I was definitely undertrained (by design) but I'm pretty happy with the result. Will be doing another.

woohoo! wtg jeff!!!

impressive jeff.