Demontim275
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- Sep 13, 2019
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I really wouldn’t recommend him going from a 4km run, to an 8km with a hard last km as a start point to improve his 2km
Running/Fitness The Running Thread
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- Mar 24, 2012
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Fair - maybe 4-8 is too big a jump. From my experience having a good base level of cardio helps with any distance north of 800m.
Demontim275
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I find it tapers at a point
Me improving my 5km helps my shorter
Me improving my 10km helps a lot less
- Mar 24, 2012
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I agree. I reckon how to get better at 5km would be pretty similar 2km (to some extent).
Training to hit a sub 20 minute 5k has shaved heaps off my 2k time just as an anecdotal example.
Demontim275
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I think it’s different
Get better at 2km by running SOME 5km
Get better at 5km by running SOME 10km
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Update: Ran for a 2km yesterday and got 9:18 which I was happy about. I've been trying to mix up the runs on hills and grass. Happy with the progress so far. I feel like the 4 x 1kms have helped him heaps and I feel stronger in my strides. I'm thinking in investing in a garmin so I don't have to carry my phone, any suggestions?
Update: Ran for a 2km yesterday and got 9:18 which I was happy about. I've been trying to mix up the runs on hills and grass. Happy with the progress so far. I feel like the 4 x 1kms have helped him heaps and I feel stronger in my strides. I'm thinking in investing in a garmin so I don't have to carry my phone, any suggestions?
Demontim275
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I find my phone much more accurate than my watch
In lockdown I’ve been running laps of a footy oval. It’s 480m around the car park
my phone tracks 460-490m per lap
my watch ranges from 350-500 some days. Pisses me off when trying to run 400m sections
That's interesting. Do you carry your phone when your running laps? I don't mind carrying it when running laps around my local oval but when I'm running hills and streets it is becoming annoying.
I'm doing 80/20 running at the moment, extremely hard to maintain a deliberately slower pace. It is designed to build a big stamina base, which will ultimately lead to better times overall distances. I completed a 10k last week at 140bpm and felt exhausted upon completion. Yesterday I ran the same 10k, on a track, and continued at approx 140bpm and was 6 minutes faster. I wasn't exhausted and could've gone another 10k. No extra exertion, only thing different was I didn't get as tired early in the run, maintained my form and had regular splits of the same times.
Long, slow easy runs 3-4 times a week and 1 short, sharp faster run will see you improve quickly.
Quick update. Ran another 2km today and got 8:49. Slowly getting back and would love to crack 8 before pre-season starts (fingers crossed). Need to invest in a sports watch as I did 100s after my 2ker and carrying my phone was super annoying.
whisper_metal
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Best advice I can give you if you are running three times a week and want to do sessions is:
1 Long Run - Length/Time is dependant on your fitness. I was always told that to get any aerobic benefit requires a minimum 20 mins of running at a comfortable pace.
1 Effort Session - 4 x 1km, 8 x 400m. Recovery between each is important.
An alternative is a Fartlek. Mona Fartlek is the best (2 x 90 sec on, 90 sec float, 4 x 60 sec on, 60 float, 4 x 30 sec on, 30 sec float, 6 x 15 sec on, 15 float). You may find you need to walk the float initially.
1 "Sprint" session: 8 x 200m Sprint (Jog/Walk 200m recovery). 6 x 300m
Back in the day when I was running competitively, the Mona Fartlek was a staple of winter training for my training partner (he was a multiple Open Victorian 1500m champion) and I, along with the top distance runners in Australia. The speed of the "On" is 3km pace and the "Float/Off" is 5km pace. The float is the hardest part mentally but it will ultimately get you fit very quickly!
- Nov 6, 2011
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Anyone in here had any issues with hip flexor injuries/soreness? If so how have you managed it? Reason I'm asking is because a couple of months ago my hip flexor was giving me a decent amount of pain and discomfort, but I made the (crappy) decision of trying to keep running on it and hoping it would run its course. A few weeks ago I made the decision to stop running entirely until it felt 100%. That time came a couple of days ago when it hadn't caused me any discomfort whatsoever for several days so I decided to get out for a light run and lo and behold, that night and the next day it flared up again. Any experience managing anything similar?
Aeglos
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Where exactly is the pain located and how deep is it? Any pain twisting or squatting normally? Squatting with exaggerated internally rotated or externally rotated hips? Feels better or worse with warm up?
I'd be trying to rule out a labral/FAI issue before moving onto any hip flexor directed intervention.
Ideally this would be done by a physio/sports Dr but you can do a shitty version of a test on yourself to give yourself some idea
Aeglos
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If you're doing "steady state" then 15-20 minutes minimum at an intensity you probably couldn't do for much longer than that is required.
If you're doing HIIT etc iirc the research suggests the benefits on VO2 max/aerobic capacity of 5-10 minutes is equivalent to the 15-20 minutes of steady state.
The problem with only doing short duration running is that your running muscles don't get a lot of stimulus they need to improve things like O2 utilization etc
- Jun 14, 2012
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i was having trouble with my left hip flexor around the beginning of the year for a few months, came to the conclusion that my gait while running was out of whack. pretty sure one leg is slightly longer than the other which was the cause.
ended up just altering how i run slightly & it fixed my soreness quite quickly
Were the readings from wrist pulse or chest strap? Wrist readings I find can get funky data in them when doing sprints and cadence is very high.
That said, the reading of 191 av HR on your run could be legitimate and nothing to worry about.
For an example my own max rate when running still remains about 205 at the age of 38 but shows no abnormalities upon ECG.
As long as your resting rate is in good place (i.e 40s to low 50s) and you feel nothing unusual after that kind of exertion, then I would not be too concerned by it.
The way I see it, genetics has effectively allowed you an additional gear under stress that most people do not have.
Also noting this thread is likely populated by many who are trying to increase their distance/endurance I will add the following points:
If you want to add top speed/acceleration then you will need to hit the gym as well and become best friends with the squat rack and leg press.
The best "shortcut/secret" I can recommend is stair running, particularly if you have any lower leg/foot issues that tend to flare up post-run.
Stair runs will tighten up your form and increase the length of your running gait making you a more efficient (faster) runner overall in addition to improving the flexibility of the soft tissues down the back of leg that are often implicated in impact-related injuries when running loads are increased.
I have found through experience that for most people adding x3 30min stair runs per week has a profound impact upon improving overall running ability across the board, regardless of pre-existing capability.
- don't rush it by trying to overload - all that you are likely to end up with is injury, particularly if you are above 30
- running slower for longer will have a greater impact on improving tank than just trying to run as fast as you can
- only do a single long run per week
- always wear a heart rate monitor and get familiar with your zones to find the sweet spot in your rhythm
- find a song that you enjoy that has the same bpm as your pace run cadence and find another with a bpm 20% higher for your fast runs
If you want to add top speed/acceleration then you will need to hit the gym as well and become best friends with the squat rack and leg press.
The best "shortcut/secret" I can recommend is stair running, particularly if you have any lower leg/foot issues that tend to flare up post-run.
Stair runs will tighten up your form and increase the length of your running gait making you a more efficient (faster) runner overall in addition to improving the flexibility of the soft tissues down the back of leg that are often implicated in impact-related injuries when running loads are increased.
I have found through experience that for most people adding x3 30min stair runs per week has a profound impact upon improving overall running ability across the board, regardless of pre-existing capability.
- Jun 14, 2012
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park run is back on.. thinking i might duck down by myself in the morning and see how i go. have really dropped off with both gym & running the past few months which is v depressing so will defs struggle but i need to get back on the horse at some point
- Oct 17, 2022
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Hi all, been running a lot lately and finished the couch to 5k a week or so ago but I’m in a quandary about whether I should now be aiming for longer time or increased pace now. Tonight I did a 45 minute 6km run as easy as I could and finished feeling good. My aim now is to run 10km non stop. But at 7.5min/km+ that’s a long time to run lol…
owen87
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- Apr 23, 2016
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Depends on your goals really, as a general rule I'd say build volume over intensity if you're trying to run 'longer' events as time on your feet is the most useful thing, but you can mix in faster sessions.
How often do you run currently, and how often do you want to be running eventually? That'll inform how you go about it a bit.
- Oct 17, 2022
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Thanks for that. I’ve got the bug so at the moment I’m running most days. I don’t really have an interest in competing or racing. Just breaking distance milestones. Nearly 41 now and have never been able to run for as long or far as I can now which is pretty sad. Makes me think how much it would have helped me back in my footy days.
owen87
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This is quite comprehensive, but also straightforward (I found it that way at least).
Build up the frequency of runs, then add distance, then add intensity.
- Oct 17, 2022
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Been finding that my overall pace doing run/walk intervals is faster than just running non stop for distances 5k+. Tonight I did 9km worth of 10 minute running intervals with 1, 2, 3 and 4 minute walking recoveries in between. My pace was 30 secs/km faster than my pace running 6km nonstop a few days before.
- Oct 17, 2022
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Been using the Nike Running Club app over the last month or so preparing for a 10k race. Compared to the Couch to 10k runner app, not every run is as intense and there's more variety - recovery runs, speed runs including fartlek, hill runs and intervals and a long run every week.
Any Perth people here? What's your favourite routes?
Any Perth people here? What's your favourite routes?
owen87
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Start at Mardalup Park, run down over the Causeway Bridge and back up along the river behind Optus over the Windan Bridge for a ~ 7km loop that's pretty flat. If you start at the same spot but go over the Matagarup Bridge instead I think you go around the East side of Optus and get a bit under a 5km loop that's again pretty flat.
Bold Park main loop (Zamia I think it's called) is a hilly 5km, do that once or twice.
Herdsman Lake loop is ~ 7.5km as well that's pretty flat.
Can always run out and back along the coast as well.
There's also a few social groups if you want company, WA Marathon Club website lists a couple and they run their own sessions a few days a week - I believe Wednesday is the one to start at for a more social experience.
