Welcome again to everybody. Make yourself at home. In the time-honoured tradition of our group, here is the weekly discussion thread.
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Happy 120th birthday on 22/8 to certified cool dude Deng Xiaoping
Currently reaching the part of my marathon training in which I have to do long distances. This week I will have to do a half marathon.
When you start you’d think the physical part will be hard but you never realize that you also have to do a lot of planning. If you have to run for 2-3 hours for a single training (combined with warming up, cooling down) then you can’t do that on some random evening after work. You’ll probably do it in the weekends, but you have to keep your schedule clear for weeks otherwise you will find yourself running until 10pm on a Tuesday.
Anyway, it is still fun and I never thought I’d enjoy running this much. I can recommend it to everyone.
Any tips for keeping legs healthy for walking/running long distances? I have knee and hip problems
As someone who hates running and is currently giving unhelpful advice, swim or bike.
If you don’t know already it might be useful to look for the source of these problems, if possible. Think about going to a physio, for example.
I’d also recommend doing core strength exercises. Increasing your core strength will have positive results for your running. It can help you to maintain a good posture while running and it also helps to stabilize your hips and pelvic muscles. Pick a day on which you don’t run and do some of them.
Stretching is also important. And not only before, but do post run stretches too. I watch vids of a channel called Run Better With Ash which has a lot of different stretching routine videos which I find useful.
For me personally it was important to find the right pace. I used to play football all throughout my childhood so when I run I instonctively try to run fast even though (marathon) running is more about endurance than pace. Don’t be afraid to go slower if that’s what gets you to the finish line eventually. If you want to increase your pace, do stuff like interval training in which you switch from fast running to slow running on and off.
If you want to have a goal like a marathon or a certain type of race, see if you can get a plan. There are paid apps like Runna, which I use, that can make a custom plan for you. There are also lots of free plans online. It really helps to have a schedule and a plan you can follow to keep progressing.
Last I’d say don’t overdo it if you just start running. Give yourself the time to recover, even if it means postponing or skipping a run that day. Build a base level of fitness and strength first before you start doing stuff like 10+k. When I started I just ran between 5-8k a week, two times a week just to build a base level. And don’t be afraid to eat extra stuff. Running burns calories like crazy and you need more food and protein to recover decently.
Also, don’t forget to have fun. It should be a fun activity, though a challenging kind of fun of course.
I spent two years with a lot of back pain (I used to run, do some BS martial arts and gym). I could barely stand for more than 30 minutes, before feeling a burning pain from the back to the leg (sciatica). I went to a neuro surgeon and he said I should undergo surgery (it was in Brazil, so every private health surgeon opinion should be taken with a grain of salt). I went to traditional physiotherapy, which was horrible, until I went to a physio clinic specialized in spine treatment. Their treatment worked wonders and after three months, I stopped feeling that acute back pain, but couldn’t run or do any more intensive activity. After this treatment, I looked for another physio specialized in Pilates and I was able to improve my muscles until I was finally able to fully recover. Today I don’t feel anything, but every now and then I still do some exercises for back muscles.
Moral of the story, physiotherapy works wonders. Too bad that not everyone has access to it.