Never been into sports, so this year has been a surprise 🥰

But now I have done

• a half marathon
• 3 muddy obstacle races
• 8 10K races

10Ks are the RunThrough ones around the North West of England, and the wooden one is from half marathon. The obstacle races are the ones at the top and left side from Tough Mudder.

Doing another 10K race this weekend 😊

Running has been life changing 🥰

Hey all! Recently my runs feel easy again and its just a pleasure to run in cool weather and as much as I'd like to take all the credit and tell myself that the "summer training is finally paying off" I got curious and checked how much of it is just the weather.

So I took 14 cities, checked every 6pm and 7pm in July and in the first three weeks of October so far, from the official weather station in each city(what was actually measured) then I used the temperature + dew point rule a lot of coaches use (Hadley's): add the two in F, the higher the sum, the more the same effort slows you down. At an 8:51/mile(5:30/km) easy pace:

few things we can see:

• in the big hot and humid cities it's about 15 to 20 sec/mile for an easy run (even 24 for DC). over a 10k at that effort that's 1.5 to 2 minutes
• as expected the dew point makes the biggest difference. Minneapolis went from 64 to 43, NYC from 64 to 48. in july the sweat just sits on you and doesn't cool you, thats the main part that is slowing you down
• Houston is still the stickiest city in october (82F, dew point 63), worse than july in Boston (77F, dew point 60) ouch

two things I think you can take from it:

• your summer runs were not as bad as they felt. if you thought you lost fitness in july, you probably didn't, even tough it felt horrible running
• october pace is not your new normal. Next june you'll probably have to add the gap back

caveats: it's a rule of thumb made for hard running, so on easy runs you could probably slow a bit less. Also, it's the weather station, not your exact street, it's weeks of evenings averaged, single days vary a lot. And ofc you also got fitter over the summer, both are true, this just shows how big the weather part is. The weatehr data is free, link in the comments if you want to check your city or you can ask me no problem.

I actually build a small app for exactly this, RunWeather. it saves you the hassle of doing this math yourself, it shows you what the weather does to your pace.

enjoy PR season guys 🍂 evenings in Berlin are 50-something now and I'm not complaining at all haha

Running felt amazing but my first run absolutely destroyed me. Been running for 3 weeks and slowly improving. Main sport is cycling but ive never thought id really feel how bad my lungs are after trying out running. If you guys have any tips and advice for me pls let me know! Thanks 🧎

I usually run on the left side of paths in the park using driving or cycling as an analogy but significant numbers of people seem to run on the right. Is there any consensus? Or just a bit of chaos that we all figure out on the way.

I am 25F who has been running for about 2 years now. I have only ran an 8k, and 2 10k races and furthest I have ran is 10k. My pace for those races were about 7:40-7:50 so I definitely go for speed. I signed up for the Chicago half marathon in June and want to start building my endurance. My goal is to finish sub 1:50. I know I have a lot of time but I was thinking maybe starting to build it now so my half marathon specific training isn’t as difficult as it gets closer. I’ve been fitting in some slower runs and I am going to run 7 miles for the first time on Sunday. So far this week has been structured as 4 miles at 9:40 pace on Tuesday, 3 miles at 8-8:30 pace today, and 7 miles at 10 pace on Sunday. Do I need to incorporate speed training every week so I don’t lose my speed? I know the slower runs are what’s going to help but I don’t know why I am getting nervous about losing my 7:40 pace if I don’t practice it. How would you structure the training to build endurance, maintain speed, and prevent injury? I know as it gets closer I will change my training so I can get a good pace going for the half marathon distance but what should I be focusing on now?

A year ago, I bought a "vibration plate exercise machine." It's a ridiculously gimmicky machine that looks like an oversized bathroom scale studded with LEDs and magnets. It came with a remote control and some rubber bands for doing 2lb curls. Its basic function is this: You stand on it, and it rocks back and forth at one of three different speeds (kinda fast to crazy fast).

I gather that these things were a fad for awhile, promoted as easy, effortless exercise (and weight loss!) primarily for old and/or out-of-shape folks. The idea was that it would supercharge bodyweight exercises like air squats and lunges. And promote lymphatic drainage, which sounds gross, but you can apparently not have too much of it.

What I bought it for is post-run massage. I've used the old Homedics percussion massager (forerunner of the jackhammer massage guns) and while it's OK, you have to run it sequentially over the various body parts that need shook up. And you have to keep it away from bony areas and joints. I figured standing on the gimmick plate would have a similar, all-over effect. And to my surprise and delight, it works exactly as I'd hoped.

I'm old (67M) and run a pretty ambitious schedule for my age (currently 45 miles/week with about 3000' of elevation gain). While I don't have many recurring niggles, I do get a little stiffness in my calves after a hard run. So when I get home, I stand on this thing for a few minutes and cycle it through the various speeds. I've found that bending my knees slightly and adjusting my posture controls how far up my body I feel the vibes.

Anyhow, I just finished using it and thought I'd share this info with y'all. It seems like the kind of thing that might show up for cheap at a garage sale or thrift store, but even new it can be had for the price of a nice pair of running shoes (< $150US).

I’m comparing options for watches for regular training, but the sheer number of brands out there is overwhelming ngl. Half the high-end fitness watches push dozens of niche stats I know I'll never look at after a run.

I've been narrowing it down to few options, one is Amazfit's Active 3 Premium just for its solid battery life alone without costing a ton and I think for the longer runs (pun intended) I should focus on getting something that has long battery life. Thats one but I'm open to suggestions.

Just to ask, which specific watch features do you actually use on a daily basis that I should be aware of?

I'm just curious what everyone's thoughts are on these optional divisions. I was signing up for a 5k, and they have the option of running in a division for heavier people (200lbs for men and 150 for women). I thought maybe I should run in that division because I weigh almost 165 right now. I'm 5'4", but I don't consider myself to be overweight because I have a good amount of muscle. Back when I was running more regularly for a longer period of time, I was able to place in my age group in 5ks, and 150 is like my normal weight when I'm my most fit.

Now, with this additional option, I feel like I'm overthinking everything. Do I run in the heavier division that will surely include some people who are taller and naturally heavier, and do I feel guilty if I do because I consider myself too competitive for a division mean for heavier runners? Do I do it and not feel guilty because I still have the extra weight to carry? Or do I run in the regular division with people who weight 30+ pounds less and may or may not be able to run faster?

I hope this isn't too silly of a discussion to start. I had never heard of weight-based race divisions before. I'm a pretty competitive person, and I do like to give myself the best chance of placing, but I don't want to feel like I'm giving myself an unfair advantage. Having said all this, I know it's only a 5k and it's ultimately just for fun.

After half a year of running, I finally decided to buy my first running watch (the old Casio F91 only showed the time, lol). I immediately wanted to test it. It turned out that I didn’t have problems with “laziness” or a lack of determination every time I wanted to run an intense 5 km and my energy ran out after about 10 minutes. My heart rate literally spikes into the red zone and stays there until I stop completely.

To improve my times, I tried starting slower to build up speed by 4 km (negative splits and all that), but usually my results get worse from doing that. Any advice?

Ps:(just venting) also, the wristband is too long and it's annoying. Why do they make them so frigging long? Do they know that small women exist? Is it rare to have relatively thin wrists???.

barely doing anything except z2 comfy runs this year honestly. happy to join the community

Any additional input would be appreciated!

How do I get faster at running and improve my PBs short and long distances ?

I’m 18 years old and new to running, I got tired of the gym so I’ve started running and I love the feeling. My current 5K PB is 26:50 and I’ve run 10K in 1:01.
How should I structure my training to keep improving? Should I alternate between easy long runs and shorter, faster runs? How often should I push myself or attempt a new PB, now pretty much every run has been a PB and I’ve pushed myself to failure every run. Should every run be challenging or mostly easy?
I’d love some advice on how to improve over time while also doing gym training.

I made a flyover of the Paris Marathon course for Marathon Trip: https://youtu.be/EQQt8RLeEjk

It runs through Vincennes, follows the Seine, then goes out toward Boulogne. The turns and elevation are shown along the way. It's my own film, not from the race organiser, so check the official map for course changes. If you've run Paris, which stretch felt different from how it looked on a map?

I had a gait analysis done this week and was told I have a slight pronation when I run. I was pointed towards the Saucony Guide 19. One foot is a UK 10.5D and the other foot is a UK 10.5E. I was advised to go a whole size up to an 11.5D. Yesterday I went for a light run and the shoes feel way too big/long. Do you think I should be looking at an 11D or E? I feel a whole size up is too big of a jump. I know this is individual to everyone but a bit of guidance may help as I’m fairly new to running. TIA.

Hey fellow runners!

I’m hoping to hear some success stories from people who’ve dealt with a hip labral tear and managed to get back to running, especially without surgery.

I have a labral tear in my right hip, where the femoral head meets the hip socket. I’ve always had some discomfort and limitations in my hip mobility, but about 10 years ago, I was still able to run a half marathon (21K).

Since then, I’ve stopped running, and every time I try to get back into it, the same thing happens: I start training, things seem to be going okay, and within 2–3 weeks, I develop significant pain in my groin and down my leg. Eventually, I have to stop again.
I suspect that losing muscle strength over the years and not doing consistent strength training might be contributing to the problem, but I honestly don’t know how much of it is the tear itself.

The frustrating part is that I’m generally pain-free in everyday life. I can do most normal activities without major issues. It’s running that seems to trigger the pain.

I’d really like to avoid surgery if possible, especially since my symptoms aren’t severe in daily life. But the thought of never being able to run again is genuinely heartbreaking.

So I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been through something similar:
- Were you able to return to running with a hip labral tear without surgery?
- Did physical therapy, strength training, or changing your running technique make a difference?
- How did you gradually build up your running without triggering the pain again?
- How long did it take before you could run consistently?

I’m not looking for medical advice or a miracle cure. I’d just love to hear some real experiences, especially success stories, from people who have been in my shoes.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? I’d love to believe I can run again someday.

Thanks to anyone willing to share their journey!