r/running • u/AutoModerator • 3d ago
Daily Thread Official Q&A for Wednesday, December 25, 2024
With over 3,775,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.
With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.
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u/GetScaredd 2d ago
Why do I keep running out of breath? I just started running, and while some days are tough, others are easier. But the hardest thing is just running out of breath and getting the urge to stop early each interval. Slowing down my pace helps, but running slow is so unsatisfying and boring to me. I like the rush of speed.
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u/nonamenolastname 2d ago
Slowing down my pace helps
Well...
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u/GetScaredd 2d ago
It’s still bad even then tho
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u/nonamenolastname 2d ago
If you just started running, you should focus on distance, not pace. Run slowly enough that you could keep a conversation going, and alternate running/walking if needed. Start with a pace and distance that feels comfortable, and then **gradually** increase the distance and the number of days you run every week.
There is no magic bullet - your body needs time to build up endurance, lung capacity, etc. It will take a while, you need patience and consistency, the results will come.
When you are comfortable running 5K, sign up for a race. Then another. They aim for a 10K, and keep going. That's how I started - at age 48, after changing my diet and losing a lot of weight. I'm over 60 now, ran several marathons, and a couple of 50Ks. It took me a long time to get where I am now, but the health and mental benefits are definitely worth it.
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u/NotMyRealNameObv 2d ago
Well, you run out of breath because you run too fast. Sure, running fast is more fun but depending on your goals it might be the wrong way. Want to run fast? Accept that you won't be running far. Want to run far? Slow down.
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u/GetScaredd 2d ago
Even when I slow down tho I still be out of breath yes less but it’s still uncomfortable
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u/NotMyRealNameObv 2d ago
Then you just need to run more to get your aerobic fitness up.
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u/GetScaredd 2d ago
That’s why I started running in the first place tbh I wanna play sports but cant cause my stamina is awful tbh. It is getting better with c25k but its so day dependent some days are so easy others are alot tougher idk what i am doing wrong
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u/NotMyRealNameObv 2d ago
1) Run slow 2) Make sure you keep running when you're supposed yo be running... 3) ... but be mindful of injuries
It's a slow process for sure, but it will get better. Just this week I ran a "slow" workout, the longest I've run since I picked up running again, and when I finished this "slow" run I realized that the pace was even faster than a workout just last week that was only 2/3 distance where I tries to push the speed.
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u/GetScaredd 2d ago
Yeah that happens to me too I don’t know how to control my speed like today I thought I was running really fast when I wasn’t and vice versa. Just dk how to control it consciously
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u/tomstrong83 1d ago
Don't be discouraged, it's just something that can be boring and difficult at first. It's like learning to play guitar: At first, you're probably not going to be able to play awesome songs that you love, and when you try, they don't sound so great. You have to build a little bit of a base first, some basic skills, before you can play Master of Puppets and before you can run the way you'd like.
To be good at something, you have to be willing to be bad at it for awhile.
My advice is to take it slow, but feel free to add some fast sprints into your workouts. If you're running intervals, take it easy, but let yourself run the last 2 as fast as you want (not the first 2, not 2 in the middle, but just the last 2). If you'd like, you can divide the last 1-minute interval into 2, 30-second intervals so you can do some sprinting.
You can also always end a workout, after your intervals, with 4, 100-meter pickups (this is where you pick up speed slowly for 25 yards, sprint fast for 50, then decelerate for 25). That will still let you get the sense of speed. Don't worry about doing an exact distance on these, just get up to speed, hold that speed for a bit, and then slow down nice and easy.
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u/vanguardx6 2d ago edited 2d ago
Went from running a 5:40min/km with average HR of 145bpm to now the same pace with a average HR of 162bpm. Also feeling my shins much more this last week. HRV dropped from 30ms to 21ms. I did gain 3kg over the last 2 weeks and had a slight adductor pull while doing an obstacle course. Can those 2 things be the reason for my runs to feel much harder?
Btw i gained the weight because i was 5% bodyfat at 91kg (dexa scan) , 184cm tall. So quite alot of muscle but going to a SOF selection in february so want a bit more bodyfat. Week with alot cold and not alot of sleep/food.
I average around 30-35km / week. Do i drop my volume again or lose the weight again? Really demotivating seeing my running go downhill again
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u/W773-1 2d ago
If heart rate rises at same pace you’re training too much. Reduce your mileage a bit.
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u/vanguardx6 2d ago
I do 3 runs a week and 4 gym sessions. Is it possible that i'm just doing too much work in the gym? I can afford to lose some strength gains but not to lose cardio gains. Selection is much more endurance based.
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u/Duncemonkie 2d ago
When was the last time you dropped training volume/intensity? It’s a good idea to take down weeks regularly to give your body a chance to recover and fully integrate the gains from training.
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u/vanguardx6 2d ago
Been going pretty hard since july. Probably led to me being overtrained now
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u/Duncemonkie 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yeah, I’d dial things way back, maybe even shift to just yoga/pilates/other gentle movement for a week or so and see how you feel.
Once you get back at it, schedule in regular deload weeks (do it for running and weights the same week to give your body the best opportunity to recover). A lot of people reduce volume/intensity every third or fourth week. And for sure make sure you taper/deload before your thing in February so you’re fresh going in.
Ryan Hall’s pretty much the poster boy at this point for the hazards of overtraining, if you want to read about how rough it can get if you keep pushing when your body has had it.
Edit: Forgot to mention, it’s possible you could feel gross mentally and physically when you reduce down. Super common for people in a taper and it doesn’t mean you’re doing any wrong or that reducing load was a bad choice.
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u/vanguardx6 2d ago
Given how i feel atm I think doing a week of gentle movements is the only way. Thanks for the reply!
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u/tomstrong83 1d ago
I'd honestly be inclined to think that training on such low bodyfat for any extended period is the most likely source of problems. Now, that's without knowing your genetics and history, but for 99% of people, that's not a sustainable, walking-around bodyfat percentage. I'm guessing you know that and this is why you're putting on weight, but oftentimes athletes underrate the cumulative effect of training periods where they are really going right up to the edge. You can often feel fine for long periods...until you don't.
I just want to back off from attributing what you're feeling to the weight gain just yet, that sounds like it's probably a positive thing, IMO.
But if you've been like this your whole life, if that's just your natural makeup, the main culprits I see in your post: bad sleep and bad diet for the week. If you aren't sleeping and aren't eating and are still working out hard, you're not recovering from your workouts, and they are going to get harder and harder until you are able to recover.
Prioritize eating, prioritize 8 hours of sleep per night, every night, for the same 8-hour period, and I'm willing to bet you'll see vast improvements in a couple weeks. Those are definitely the first things to tweak, and that's something I would recommend to anyone under any circumstances.
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u/vanguardx6 1d ago
Sleep is definitely a weak point. Lots of waking up at night. Stressing about selection and worrying i'm not doing enough. I also work 3 shifts so getting a normal sleepschedule is next to impossible.
Will take the rest of the week off. Starting next week i'm only doing 2 gym sessions instead of 4 and just 1 or 2 easy runs
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u/TiloBoB2 2d ago
Hey, i got a Garmin Watch and Polar H9 on Christmas and went for my normal run today. While running with my brother today, I felt great—like I was in Zone 2. I could talk to him comfortably, hold a full conversation, and my breathing wasn’t heavy. However, when I checked my heart rate, it was much higher than I’d expect for Zone 2 Heart rate. Does someone know why that could be and what would be the strategy in my future training? I am a 20 year old Male. At Home I regularly run a 6min/km pace for 15 km. Or a 5.30 pace for 8 km
Thanks! Tilo
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u/bertzie 2d ago
Your ones almost certainly aren't set right if you just got the thing.
You're young and can have a higher heart rate and still be in zone 2.
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u/TiloBoB2 2d ago
The zones are probaly not Set right, because i didn't Set a HR max. But I think a 175 average is too high no Matter my Max Heart rate. I think the Monitor works fine, I checked with another one.
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u/sharkinwolvesclothin 2d ago
But I think a 175 average is too high no Matter my Max Heart rate.
I don't think so. The age group average of 220-age has a standard deviation of 13 or so, which means that 10% of 20-year olds would have hr max of 216+. That would put 175 at 81%. For someone who regularly does 15km easy runs, top of zone 3 at 81% is not unusual at all.
But if we don't know even your HR max, it's all speculation. I'd encourage you to figure the max out first, and then maybe look at zones a little bit more in detail. The talk test is not that reliable, we can be pretty comfortable you are not far above it. If I'd do my easy runs at the pace I can still have a full conversation, I'd get exhausted. And I've taken a lactate test so I know I'm talking quite deep into zone 3 or even 4.
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u/tomstrong83 1d ago
There are lots of things that can affect your HR: temperature, sleep quality, and if you don't usually run with your brother, if you're normally solo, you might be feeling better than you normally would at the pace you were running.
The other thing you'll learn about these watches is that your workouts will vary, you won't always be in the same zone, and that's okay. It's really more about a longer-term average than it is about every single workout being at a certain number.
Honestly, I don't think it's something to worry about. Run more with your watch, see what your numbers are, but don't look at the numbers from a "too high/too low" standpoint. Give yourself at least a few months of data before you start thinking about what you might change based on them.
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u/tytrim89 2d ago
Bought a garmin that'll be here Saturday. I'm looking at the training plans. I have a 5 mile trail race at the end of January.
Should I use a 5k plan or 10k plan?
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u/Minkelz 2d ago
A 10k for sure. Also keep in mind trail runs can have very significant elevation, meaning a 8km trail run might be more like a 12 or 15km flat run in terms of duration and effort.
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u/tytrim89 2d ago
Thankfully this race is pretty flat I think. But using a 10k plan makes total sense.
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u/MoonBasic 2d ago
First time going for a half. I’m aiming to run the 2025 Paris Half Marathon and I’m trying to get my mile pace down from 14 to 12. I know! I’m slow.
The stated cutoff time from the website is 2hrs 50mins. This is 13:00 mile with 0 margin for error.
Has anyone who has run the Paris half before enlighten me on what happens at 2:50? Does the race get torn down and you officially get marked as DNF? If I don’t make it in 2:50, do I not get a medal?
I’m just worried about the trajectory of my training and the amount of time left.
If it’s a hard and fast “if you can’t do it in 2:50, pull out of the race”, I’d love to hear any advice.
Thanks!
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u/Carausius286 1d ago
Trying to think of an app I had installed last year: it's on the tip of my tongue.
it had a race time prediction that showed as a graph 📈📉 moving up and down as you trained It linked to Strava It was paid for (hence me stopping!) I don't think it's Runna (unless it has changed recently it looks quite different)
Anyone know what I'm talking about?
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u/M44PolishMosin 1d ago
How long does it take to recover from a race?
I did my first 10k on the 21st and every run since then has felt bad. No pain or anything like that, but my legs just get tired much easier.
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u/Rarg 2d ago
Got signed up for a half marathon as a Christmas gift! Honestly pretty excited. It will have been two years since I ruptured my Achilles by the time I do the run, and I’ve been running 5k fairly consistently for the past 6 months (my fastest being 21:30). Thing is, I still get some tendinitis now in my “good leg”, and as such I like to supplement any running or training with shockwave therapy and IMS physio sessions.
Where, in the training routine for a half marathon, is it best to put in treatment sessions? I assume just slide them into “rest” days, but does anyone know if there’s specific times to incorporate treatment into the schedule as well as running and rest?
Thanks! Merry Christmas!