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Official Q&A for Thursday, May 30, 2024

New to running or the sub? Click here first! Looking for links to the most recent weekly threads or other mega-threads, this is the spot!
MOD

For you new runners, please check out the info that is in the Wiki.

For the beginners finding the sub, please check out the section in the FAQ for beginners (which can also apply to returning runners) as well as the Common Questions section.

There is a lot of info in the Wiki. Yes, some of it is from old posts. Yes, the layout is not the greatest. It is always a work in progress. If you come across info that needs to be updated (or broken links), let us know. If you see a post that should be in there, let us know. If you see a lack of a helpful topic, let us know.

This also has some good tips. This resource is linked in the sidebar/top menu and may have some info you can use as you get started (or back into) running. Finally, if you are looking for shoes and don't know where to start, check out this section of the wiki.

Take some time to the search the sub and browse the daily Official Q&A thread and you will find plenty of tips for getting started/back.

Please note that some of the direct links above will not work on mobile and link only to the main Wiki, requiring a bit of scrolling to find the relevant section.


Helpful / Popular / Informative Posts to Take Note Of


Collections

We're trying to take advantage of one of New Reddit's features, collections. It lets the mods group posts into Collections. We're giving it a try on posts that get good feedback that would be useful for future users. We've setup some common topic Collections and will add new posts to these as they arise as well as start new Collections as needed. Here's the link to the wiki with a list of the current Collections.

https://www.reddit.com/r/running/wiki/faq/collections/

Please note, Collections only works for New Reddit and the Reddit mobile app for iOS.


Using r/running

The mods do their best to actively moderate this community. When posting, we expect users to make an effort to familiarize themselves with our rules and practices before submitting posts or comments. We suggest taking note of Rule 2 and Rule 7, since these are the most commonly broken which will result in a thread being removed.

The mod team has tried to lay out the rules with some expected guidelines of what is or is not allowed, but there is always some gray area and posts are up to interpretation by the mod team. We do our best to be consistent, but that isn’t always the case with multiple mods or even the same mod between similar posts. The mod team wants to make r/running a resource for new and experienced runners and to build a community between all types of runners.

Regardless of that fact, Moderators have the final say. We are open to hearing differing opinions, but the mod team will make the final decision. Visitors and posters in r/running are expected to understand that the mod team are people too and doing the best they can to manage a very large sub with frequent posts every day. If you do not agree with how this sub is moderated, we expect you to do so in a civil manner….and also know when it is time to drop it.

We are very upfront in stating that the sub is heavily moderated, but we do recognize that not every user wants that. The wonderful thing about reddit is that there are plenty of subs to check out and hopefully find one more to your liking. If you find the moderation here too strict, some other related subs with less moderation are r/runninglifestyle/, r/BeginnersRunning/, r/runningquestions/, and r/Runners/.


Recurring Threads

In order to reduce clutter and nudge you lurkers into posting, we have created a number of daily and weekly threads for you to read, make a comment, or ask a question. Unless you truly believe your new thread will make a new and interesting contribution to Runnit, please wait until the related weekly thread rolls around and post in there instead. A more complete description of the threads can be found in the wiki.

Here are the current recurring threads with links to the most recent (hopefully) weekly thread:

Please note that the search links for the daily threads (Q&A and Achievement) will not work on mobile. If you are using mobile, sort the sub by "Hot" and the current Q&A thread will be stickied at the top. For the Achievement thread, sort by "New" and scroll down a bit to find the current Achievement thread.


Rules

We have further explanations of the rules in the wiki, but as noted in the side bar, please take note of Rule 2 and Rule 7 as they are the ones most cited for post removals.

(2) - Posts need to generate discussion and/or useful information that other searchers can then benefit from. Low-quality posts, recent reposts, chronically repetitive posts, posts not directly related to running, and questions that are easily answered by FAQ, searching r/running, or Google are subject to removal at the moderation team's discretion.

This sub attracts a lot of beginners as well as “drive-by” posting. A major goal of the sub is to promote quality discussion and develop a community where information and experiences can be shared. Many of the common questions have been answered, either in previous threads/FAQ, or could easily be answered in the daily Q&A thread. Yes, circumstances can vary person to person, but it is expected that posters make an attempt to find these answers for themselves before making a stand-alone post. Visitors should put forth some effort in finding the answer themselves and not expect the Runnit community to do all the work for them. If the post/question is very specific to your situation (such that other general user won't get much benefit from the information), then it belongs in the daily Q&A thread.

If you do make a stand-alone post, please include info relevant for the community to help. It is nearly impossible to offer any advice without sufficient background information. Items that could be relevant:

  • Age

  • Sex

  • Current MPW + pace

  • Previous peak MPW

  • Workouts you traditionally or recently have completed

  • Goals (including specific races)

  • Previous PRs

  • Other things you think might be helpful to include

Below are some of the reason a post would be considered low-quality, thus being removed and directed to the Daily Q&A thread:

  • "Does anyone else..." type posts?

  • "Is X a good time for...?" posts

  • If your post is a question in the title (including “See title” or “Title says it all” in the body).

  • If your question can be asked in one sentence.

  • If your question is very specific to you or your situation.

  • If your question can be answered either with a yes/no.

  • In general, it is helpful to include something that shows you made an effort to find an answer within the community and thus separate it from the numerous low-effort posts that are submitted every day.

  • Additionally, as rule 5 states, make your title descriptive. If it is not clear what the post is about or asking, then it will not be useful in later searches.

Finally, while mutual encouragement and sharing of information is a very high priority of r/running, numerous motivational-type and PSA posts are not necessary. A larger goal of the sub is to provide information to runners, beginners and experienced, which can get drowned out by these types of posts.

(7) - Do not solicit medical advice. This includes 'Has anyone else experienced this injury?' type posts.

While there is some leeway on advice for rehabbing some minor, common running injuries, this sub is not the place for a diagnosis, and especially not for advice on major injuries. If you are hurt or injured, find a medical professional with the proper credentials to help you. Not the internet.

There is a big difference between "Hey, my IT band is tight. Got any good stretches for it?" and "My shins hurt every time I run. If I run through the pain, will it turn into a stress fracture?" If your question involves sharp pains, unknown/vague pains, or injuries/problems that have stretched on for long periods of time, then it is a question for medical professional.

Also, your doctor not being familiar with running injuries is no excuse. Find a Sports Medicine doctor, Physical Therapist, or find another doctor.


Finally, feel free to use this post to offer any ideas or suggestions of things you'd like to see (or not see) here. We are open to feedback, but please be civil, constructive, and willing to have a discussion. This is not the place to rant.

Thank you all for being a part of this community!


Calgary Half Marathon: My first ever race, a negative split, and some PR's!
Calgary Half Marathon: My first ever race, a negative split, and some PR's!
Race Report
  • Name: Calgary Marathon - Half Marathon

  • Date: May 26, 2024

  • Distance: 21.1 km

  • Location: Calgary, AB

  • Website: https://calgarymarathon.com/

  • Time: 1:51:14

Goals

Goal Description Completed?
A Sub 2:00:00 Yes
B Sub 1:55:00 Yes
C Sub 1:50:00 No

Splits

Kilometer Time
1 5:44
2 5:22
3 5:29
4 5:31
5 5:19
6 5:36
7 5:18
8 5:23
9 5:22
10 5:17
11 5:13
12 5:07
13 5:05
14 5:16
15 5:18
16 4:59
17 4:58
18 4:56
19 4:59
20 4:55
21 4:42
22 1:12

Background

I (M32) started running last summer. Due to being busy at work, lack of motivation and using my evenings to learn coding I had been slacking off on any form of exercise. I was looking to fit in a quick workout 3 times a week. I have always hated running as a taller person (6'4" and 215 lbs) but I was looking for something to do and felt like I wasn't making much progress riding our Peloton bike so I started the Peloton learn to run program. I went finished that and successfully could run for 30 minutes (yay!!!).

After starting to enjoy this a friend and I discussed the idea of doing the 10km race. Then I chatted with some co-workers who said they were going to try and do the half and said I should try as well (unfortunately work commitments would prevent them from doing it). After doing my first 10km run in the fall it didn't seem like much of a challenge, so the half was decided on.

Training

I started reading this sub and struggled with finding a plan and ultimately settled on the Half Marathon plan from u/Free_Running_Plans. I was far enough out I was hoping to run this training block twice through the winter, but weather and an aversion to running in the snow derailed this a bit. Overall I stuck to it ok for the first block, but I really committed for the second block. I found running four times a week worked well for my schedule.

First setback came 3 weeks out from the race after doing a 19km long run where I started to develop pain in my left calf. I took a couple days off and tried to come back and couldn't get through an 8km run. I took 5 days off and it seemed ok until my next long run I started feeling the same pain in my right calf! I suspect this was from a pretty drastic increase in mileage starting in April. At this point I started getting fairly anxious about maintaining training and being healthy for the race. I did one more 16 km long run that felt ok and started to taper 2 weeks out.

Race

The day before the race I did a mild carb load, eating a big pasta dinner. The morning of I had a coffee, bagel with peanut butter and a Maurten 160. Fueling for the race was going to be 3 Maurten 100's and then drinking Nuun at the aid stations.

From reading this sub I knew it was important to go out slow and build throughout the race. I was targeting 5:30/km for the first 10 km and then speed up from there aiming for around 5:10/km. This pace I found to be quite fast in training but I was hoping adrenaline would help out a bit.

The race started and it was much more crowded than I expected and I didn't navigate it all too well, going a bit slower than I wanted but I figured it was better than jumping through gaps and burning out.

The out and back hill a few km's in caught me off guard. I knew there was two hills at the start but did not realize they were going to be this big and long. I tried to just stay steady and control my breathing and got through them ok. I took my first gel after the first hill, before heading up the second.

Up until the 10 km marker I was just focused on staying steady. I had a minor side cramp at 8km and just tried to control my breathing and it went away.

Saw my fiancée, my friends fiancée and his mom at kilometer 10. This ended up being a great boost and it was awesome to see them cheering us on. After passing them I had my second gel and tried to pick up the pace a bit. Was doing ok until kilometer 14 where my right calf started to act up again. I knew from my training runs I could run through it and it wouldn't get worse so I tried to not focus on it on keep on grinding. Pounded back the last gel after this and kept on.

At this point I was hitting below 5:00/km and it was feeling good. Challenging but I felt I could keep this pace, despite not doing it once during a long run in my training. Not much was going on until kilometer 18 when going through a cheer station I passed a woman who had apparently had a bowel issue was still chugging along. To be honest the shock that hit me kinda distracted me for the next kilometer. She was still jogging so I assume she was ok. Do what you gotta do I guess.

Shortly after 21 km marker I knew we were getting close so I tried to put the hammer down while keeping a little bit in the tank for the last sprint. I felt strong hitting the last hill and could start to hear the noise from the finish line. 500m out I started to go as fast as I could, building speed into the last 200m sprint.

Post-race

Met up with my fiancée and had a NA beer and protein drink. We stood in-line for the bag check as it started raining. The line was huge and it was windy and cold making for a miserable time. In hindsight I really wish I didn't bring a bag as I didn't really need it.

Assessment

I am quite proud of my result. Going from a complete non-runner to running a half marathon is a pretty cool accomplishment. I am especially proud of how I finished the race. I set new 1km, 5km and 10km PR's all in the second half of the race.

What's Next

I am heading on my elopement/honeymoon soon so I am looking forward to a few weeks of rest to hopefully help rest the calf issue I am having. I may go see a PT when I get back depending on how its feeling.

I plan on doing a mix of strength training and running through the summer. My work schedule in the fall doesn't allow for fitting in a fall race, so it will likely be Spring 2025 for the next one. I am tempted to do a coaching program for the winter so I don't need to think about a training plan - I tend to overthink finding one and knowing if I am doing enough/too little. I am hoping this would be enough time to train for attempting sub 1:40, but maybe that's too ambitious haha. Maybe a full marathon will be in my future as well!

Made with a new race report generator created by u/herumph