The Running Thread Vol 2

[smn159]

Decided that it was time for a new running watch recently and invested in a new Garmin 955. Went for the non-solar version after reading the DC Rainmaker review and have had it about a week and it's a cracking bit of kit.

Best bits are the training readiness feature, which assesses your ability to train based on a number of metrics, including sleep history, recovery time, HRV and some other stuff, plus I also really like the adaptive training plan. You put a race in the calendar, along with a target time (which could either be a goal time or 'just get round') and it gives you a complete, periodised, training plan to get you there. If you miss a workout or you miss your targets on one, it recalculates the next ones. As an example, I had a speed interval workout planned, but I ran too hard on the base paced run the day before, so it told me to do a base paced run properly instead of my planned speed intervals!

Maybe overkill for some, but I like the data and the presentation of some pretty complex stuff into some key messages for you has moved the game on IMO.

Recommended.

[McAndy]

Does the new 255 have the adaptive training plan feature, and will the Fēnix 6 (S Pro in particular) get this and the "readiness" metric (replacing the "body battery")?

[smn159]

McAndy said:

Does the new 255 have the adaptive training plan feature, and will the F?nix 6 (S Pro in particular) get this and the "readiness" metric (replacing the "body battery")?

The 255 does, not sure whether the Fenix 6 gets it

[McAndy]

smn159 said:

The 255 does, not sure whether the Fenix 6 gets it

Cool, thank you. The 255 looks like cracking value, and I do wonder for the future of the 7#5 series. (Let's face it, the 6#5 is a sitting duck for catalogue removal as well.)

[JimmyD78]

Hi All - Did the first day of Race to the King last weekend. Lovely event, great weather...lots of hills in the last 20k!

My main event of the summer is Race to the Stones on 9/10th of July, has anyone done it previously? I've done plenty of long distance events but they've all been one day, any tips?

Cheers in advance.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

Hoping I'm FINALLY being a bit more consistent now. Only 1 minor niggle in 3 months now (out for 5 days only).

Just did a good session - 3x1 mile reps (averaged 5:47) off 90secs rest, 3mins off, 2x1km (averaged 3:23 or 5:27mile) off 75secs rest, 3mins off, 4x30secs (averaged 4:40/mile) off 45secs rest.

I may look to do a Parkrun in 3-4 weeks if I get another solid few weeks of training done. Probably only in shape for maybe 18:15 if the conditions and course are right but if I can keep training then I'm sure sub 18mins won't be too far off.

It is a depressing thought knowing I was in peak shape a decade ago when I ran 16:38. Long term illness then 7 years off running....only been back 2 years and been injured almost half of that

[Smitters]

After my April ankle break, I'm excited to have run a whole 2km as my first run back, So glad I gave it an extra two weeks as although it was sore at first, movement actually helped and I was able to run pretty normally, albeit with a slightly stiff foot. No aches today either, so I'd say I'm on the comeback road. Next step, autumn half marathons!

[The jiffle king]

Question for runners who have had Covid. I'm 2 weeks post a mild case of covid and have done some running but wondered on other people's experience of how long people took to get back to full training/running?

I know it's different for everyone but looking for some real life experiences

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

The jiffle king said:

Question for runners who have had Covid. I'm 2 weeks post a mild case of covid and have done some running but wondered on other people's experience of how long people took to get back to full training/running?

I know it's different for everyone but looking for some real life experiences

Very easy run on day 5 of infection and kept building up from there. Bit more breathless and elevated HR for about 11-12 days, after that.... Was fine. Although I didn't do anything too hard for a while.

[MesoForm]

The jiffle king said:

Question for runners who have had Covid. I'm 2 weeks post a mild case of covid and have done some running but wondered on other people's experience of how long people took to get back to full training/running?

I know it's different for everyone but looking for some real life experiences

In my club it's all over the place, from up to full fitness within a week to struggling with intervals a couple of months down the line. Prior fitness levels, age, sex, etc. don't seem to make a difference!

[egor110]

I really took my time getting back into it with no side effects.

Most the blokes at my club who rushed back to the same spoeds/distances they did pre covid are either struggling months later or not running.

[The jiffle king]

Thankyou, I did not know I had covid at first so I ran on it and then stopped for a couple of days and then have run fairly easy runs since.

I'll leave it another week I think although I have run a couple of faster miles in the last week

[egor110]

The jiffle king said:

Thankyou, I did not know I had covid at first so I ran on it and then stopped for a couple of days and then have run fairly easy runs since.

I'll leave it another week I think although I have run a couple of faster miles in the last week

I'd forget the faster miles for a while , just do less miles and make them easy for a month .

[keo]

Does anyone else go through peaks and troughs? I ran a 40 mile week a few weeks ago, the most I have ever done and enjoyed it. Wanting to try and do it every week. Last week I wasn’t as interested and donny did 30. This week I have done 3.5... I have lost interest a bit and that’s what happens with me. Although I make sure I always do atleast 50 miles a month.

To be fair I did want to run today but I trud on a piece of glass (only a shard) I hope I can run tomorrow!

[webstercivet]

keo said:

Does anyone else go through peaks and troughs? I ran a 40 mile week a few weeks ago, the most I have ever done and enjoyed it. Wanting to try and do it every week. Last week I wasn’t as interested and donny did 30. This week I have done 3.5... I have lost interest a bit and that’s what happens with me. Although I make sure I always do atleast 50 miles a month.

To be fair I did want to run today but I trud on a piece of glass (only a shard) I hope I can run tomorrow!

Yes left to my own devices there would be peaks and (long!) troughs. I need a goal (race entered) and a spreadsheet telling me what run to do today. Don't really want to consciously wonder "should I run today, how far or fast should I go" it should just happen automatically.

[Smitters]

keo said:

Does anyone else go through peaks and troughs? I ran a 40 mile week a few weeks ago, the most I have ever done and enjoyed it. Wanting to try and do it every week. Last week I wasn’t as interested and donny did 30. This week I have done 3.5... I have lost interest a bit and that’s what happens with me. Although I make sure I always do atleast 50 miles a month.

To be fair I did want to run today but I trud on a piece of glass (only a shard) I hope I can run tomorrow!

Absolutely. Even (sometimes especially) when training for a specific race. I find one of two things helps - either give myself a few days, because maybe I'm about to be ill, or stressed from work, or not sleeping well, and see if the drive returns. The other thing I do is "just run" - that's to say throw the plan out of the window and just get out - maybe run somewhere new, or an old favourite I've not done for a while, or incorporate the run into an outing - like I go swimming with the kids, wife drives back, I run back.

At the end of the day, it's supposed to be fun. If trying to hit repeated 40 mile weeks isn't fun, don't do it. Try a consistency goal instead, like how many weeks in a row can you hit 3 runs of say, minimum 25 mins?

[Braveheart300]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

Hoping I'm FINALLY being a bit more consistent now. Only 1 minor niggle in 3 months now (out for 5 days only).

Just did a good session - 3x1 mile reps (averaged 5:47) off 90secs rest, 3mins off, 2x1km (averaged 3:23 or 5:27mile) off 75secs rest, 3mins off, 4x30secs (averaged 4:40/mile) off 45secs rest.

I may look to do a Parkrun in 3-4 weeks if I get another solid few weeks of training done. Probably only in shape for maybe 18:15 if the conditions and course are right but if I can keep training then I'm sure sub 18mins won't be too far off.

It is a depressing thought knowing I was in peak shape a decade ago when I ran 16:38. Long term illness then 7 years off running....only been back 2 years and been injured almost half of that

I'm low 16min 5k and even my 1k reps are about 3.20min/km pace (obv not @ 100%) but if your doing 1mile and 1k reps at that pace you should be well under 18mins!!

[keo]

Thanks for the reply’s (I don’t know how to multi quote sorry!)

I did a steady 10 miler in the sun this morning and enjoyed it. I’m thinking 40 mile weeks might be a bit much for me. But a 30 mile week could be consistently doable albeit with a bit of effort so it’s not to easy/ lazy.

I have been running very easy lately and trying to do a bit more distance. Going to carry on slow for this month and then do a little bit of speed work as well. Might even buy another pair of trainers just for speed work! Something I have never done. I just plod around in Nike Pegasus but I can’t fault the shoe at all.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

Braveheart300 said:

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

Hoping I'm FINALLY being a bit more consistent now. Only 1 minor niggle in 3 months now (out for 5 days only).

Just did a good session - 3x1 mile reps (averaged 5:47) off 90secs rest, 3mins off, 2x1km (averaged 3:23 or 5:27mile) off 75secs rest, 3mins off, 4x30secs (averaged 4:40/mile) off 45secs rest.

I may look to do a Parkrun in 3-4 weeks if I get another solid few weeks of training done. Probably only in shape for maybe 18:15 if the conditions and course are right but if I can keep training then I'm sure sub 18mins won't be too far off.

It is a depressing thought knowing I was in peak shape a decade ago when I ran 16:38. Long term illness then 7 years off running....only been back 2 years and been injured almost half of that

I'm low 16min 5k and even my 1k reps are about 3.20min/km pace (obv not @ 100%) but if your doing 1mile and 1k reps at that pace you should be well under 18mins!!

I believe 18mins is 5:52/mile. Not sure if I could string 3 of those together. Going to try a 5k in a few weeks and see what happens. Having said that, I do want to train more towards 10k and HM, but no harm doing some 5k training. I'll do a 5k based session next week as a primer, probably something like 8-10x400m off 40secs rest at 3k pace or something.

[smn159]

webstercivet said:

keo said:

Does anyone else go through peaks and troughs? I ran a 40 mile week a few weeks ago, the most I have ever done and enjoyed it. Wanting to try and do it every week. Last week I wasn’t as interested and donny did 30. This week I have done 3.5... I have lost interest a bit and that’s what happens with me. Although I make sure I always do atleast 50 miles a month.

To be fair I did want to run today but I trud on a piece of glass (only a shard) I hope I can run tomorrow!

Yes left to my own devices there would be peaks and (long!) troughs. I need a goal (race entered) and a spreadsheet telling me what run to do today. Don't really want to consciously wonder "should I run today, how far or fast should I go" it should just happen automatically.

I'm exactly the same. I'm consistent when I've got a spreadsheet in front of me and any missed runs look accusingly at me whenever I open it and there is a goal race at the end.

Having said that, I bought a Garmin 955 recently and I love the new training plan features on it. You can put in a goal race and time and it works out a fully periodised plan to get you there. Better than that it looks at a load of metrics each day including training load sleep quality, stress, recovery from previous workout and HRV and tells you on the day what you should be doing,. If you ignore it it recalculates the subsequent days accordingly.

Being a lover a gadgets and stats, it seems to be working really well for me so far.