The Running Thread

Hans_Olo · 2023-02-17T19:26:46.164Z

Running is quite simple: it‘s starting without stopping. It does take a while to develop a routine, but once you‘ve established that, it gets easier. It can be a bit like meditation: let your mind wander or think of nothing at all. Pay attention to your breathing, the rhythm of your feet or sometimes your surroundings. It can be tedious as long as you‘re too conscious of what you‘re doing, but at some point you‘ll realise that your body moves on autopilot. Hard to describe really, but it does take a few weeks of regular running until you stop questioning whether it‘s a good idea to go out on a Sunday morning in the rain.

snake-soap · 2023-02-17T19:41:57.215Z

Exactly this. I ran to work this morning; Crystal Palace to Battersea and it was such a nice way to start the day. Great to kill to birds with one stone and avoid the drab train commute while working on my training.

I’ve started practicing “rhythmic breathing” which really tunes into the idea of running as meditation. I breath in for three steps and breath out for two which means my strides and breathing pattern are consistent but constantly alternating. It’s like listening to The Grudge by Tool because my breathing circulates in five but my feet are in 4/4.

konputa · 2023-02-17T20:24:54.609Z

The longer runs become meditative for me. It’s one of the few times when I can head out, run 7 miles and get an hour to myself without having to think about work, or any distractions, really.

It’s easy to add distance, just get to the point where you can easily run a 5k without constantly cursing to yourself and being sore the following day. Once you get there, it’s a matter of repetition and slowly adding distance week after week.

@snake-soap mentioned breathing, I breathe in and out through my nose and focus on managing that to the point I don’t have to periodically gasp for air.

303abuser · 2023-02-17T20:36:31.843Z

If you haven’t tried it, zone 2 or maf training is the way to go. It’ll help you build an aerobic base without overtraining stress. Here’s a starting point that might help …

tapesky · 2023-02-17T20:36:33.561Z

What worked for my spouse is “run slow and long to run fast”, but that doesn’t work for me 'cause I get bored and my mind starts to drift to unpleasant zones, so now I run intensely over a shorter distance. There is an older woman who goes out for walks in the morning when I’m out and she’s always encouraging me, which is pretty awesome! There is also the “couch to 5k” style of run/walk intervals.

Proper attire can really make a difference, especially if you get hot easily when you exercise.

Treats (experiences, food, or fun purchases) can also be a good motivator if that’s something that works for you. On run days I’ll settle back with a nice IPA once it’s quittin’ time. Or you can keep track of your distance and set goals and have a bigger reward when you reach them. I try to avoid quantifying stuff too much now because I’ll push too hard if I do that but it can work well for some people.

dr_laemmerbein · 2023-02-26T16:17:43.625Z

Don’t do too much in the beginning. If you’re able to run two miles, then do that for a while. Your stamina will build up slowly over time. Don’t think about achieving some fuzzy goal, take the time for yourself and clear your head. That’s how I use running After a stressful day, there’s nothing better. When I get out of the shower after a run, I am reborn.

matteblacksmoke · 2023-02-26T16:30:07.363Z

thanks. yeah, I started Couch to 5k last week. It’s nice to have clear instructions, and it starts small.

lowph · 2023-02-26T17:11:20.384Z

Hans_Olo:

10k yesterday at 5:00min/km, 12k today at 5:40min/km.

Those sound like my runs! Maybe a bit slower, closer to 6 minutes per km. But I do run at 5 minutes and faster on race days. I don’t know how much longer I will be able to keep that up… I’m 40 years old now. Lol

Hans_Olo:

What I find absolutely fascinating is the stuff that goes on in my head during runs.

I love the head trips I go on. I think about all sorts of things. Sometimes I think about great musical ideas, or come up with solutions to technical problems. I work in a very technical field, and sometimes I get stuck on something when I’m looking at the problem too closely for too long… Going on a run often sets my head straight. I’ll be several km into my run and then out of nowhere a big lightbulb starts flashing and I know the answer.

lowph · 2023-02-26T17:13:14.043Z

dcsux:

Have done the Marathon du Medoc a couple of times.

https://www.marathondumedoc.com/en/

It’s absolutely nuts. You run though 30+ of the most famous vineyards in the world, and they dish out wine for the runners at most of them. There’s like a wine station at every mile or so. Then for the last 7km or so they start wheeling out the food. A massive pile of shucked oysters and a cool Chablis. Dudes carving slices off legs of jambon. Rare steak. Ice cream. Proper mental. And the whole thing has a fancy dress theme. So you have Fred Flinstone barfing on the steps of Chateau Lafite. Darth Vader taking a slash in amongst the vines of Mouton-Rothschild. Carnage, a lot of fun though. Definitely not a PB marathon.

I need to do this – I love wine and love running. Thanks for sharing that. I had no idea. This might be the best motivation to train for a marathon

dr_laemmerbein · 2023-02-26T17:37:29.895Z

And once again on the topic of running shoes: As I said before, I really like my Escalante Racer but I needed a new pair and couldn’t find any in my size (44 EU/US 10) but I found the women’s version of the Racer which looks nice as well in 44,5 EU and ordered them.

What can I say, they do fit even better A bit tighter around the ankle and upper foot but even more spacious in the front wich is ideal for me. I also have very slim hands, so I guess that makes sense.

So, if you’re struggling to find the perfect size, it’s always an option to check the other gender!

johnl · 2023-02-26T17:42:05.047Z

Related to shoes…
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dcsux · 2023-03-02T08:07:00.030Z

Spring has sprung on my twice weekly commuting trot to one of my workplaces.

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snake-soap · 2023-03-02T08:22:34.309Z

I was in an accident last Friday, crazy golf if you can believe it! 40 stitches in my mouth, two broken ribs and whiplash. Really missing running right now and not sure when I’ll get to go again soon.

On the upside my new desk came so I can at least focus on music.

Francis · 2023-03-03T18:12:30.614Z

Those par 5s are a death trap.

Hans_Olo · 2023-03-29T07:13:40.192Z

So, how is everybody doing running wise? I’m glad to report back that I made it through winter with plenty of running and now that spring is approaching I’ve started working on my speed, which seems quite promising considering my baseline is somewhere between a heavily sedated sloth and a couple of fornicating garden snails.

snake-soap · 2023-03-29T07:55:07.658Z

Sadly I was in an accident about a month ago. Ripped my top lip open, broke two ribs and have to have 6 new teeth. Crazy golf is a dangerous game!

I was training for a half marathon in May and a full one in September but doc says I need to heal if I want to run long term. I’m taking advantage of the situation by exploring my Eurorack and jamming as much as possible.

Some interesting observations after a month of no running:

My sleep is terrible.

My body aches when I wake up in the morning (not just from the injuries, I feel sluggish and stiff).

When I walk anywhere at a brisk pace I sweat like a motherfucker. I also feel a bit more dehydrated so I guess my water retention has decreased because I found that I didn’t sweat much when running.

Really itching to get back out there but want to make sure I don’t cause a setback in recovery

Hans_Olo · 2023-03-29T10:07:53.166Z

snake-soap:

Really itching to get back out there but want to make sure I don’t cause a setback in recovery

Ouch, that sucks! All the best for your recovery. The good thing is, you know what you’ll return to, even if it takes a while to get back in shape.

dcsux · 2023-04-09T10:27:56.040Z

Bolstered by having identified an autumn half to focus on (and also to make space for more chocolate), got out for a lovely 16km this morning. London looking glorious.
Happy Easter!

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dhunterrr · 2023-04-09T20:59:57.158Z

I’m prepping for a marathon which is in 30 days so did a 32km training run today. Had a minor low sugar meltdown at 20km but pulled through thanks to eating lots of Honey Stinger chews.

What race snacks/nutrition are people using?

We discovered a new trail and the views were fantastic. A good reminder to us why we moved to Colorado from London, and how great running can be for the mind and body wherever you are in the world.

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35km next weekend

Hans_Olo · 2023-06-23T08:09:13.361Z

So, how’s everybody doing with their running? I’ve been pretty consistent with an average 50km/week over the first half of the year, but I’ve shied away from structured training, so not much surprisingly, no huge progress in terms of speed. Stamina is at an all time high, though, so I won’t complain. Currently in Ololand it’s so hot during the day that most days I drop into my running shoes straight from bed and try to be back by 8. Any later and I will suffer.