Distance running advice?

Ok not really distance, but a friend recently challenged me to run a 5K race with her 3 months from now. A little backdrop - she is in her mid-20s, was a top Division I distance runner in college, and recently ran the NYC Marathon at a 6 minute mile pace. I have 3 kids and the only running I’ve done in the last few years is chasing my kids around the living room. I’m generally in good shape - still have a 6-pack from years of working out 2 hours a day - but running is one of the few things I’m not good at. I just want to train well enough over the next 3 months as to not totally embarrass myself for 3.1 miles. Any runners here have basic advice as to how to get in good running condition in an efficient manner?

Best way to get good at running? Start running.

It ain’t exactly rocket science. You put one foot in front of the other as fast as you can, as long as your lungs and heart can hold up.

Best advice I can give: buy really good shoes (I prefer New Balance for absolutely no reason at all), add extra insoles, and invest in some Thorlo socks.

I have been a competitive distance runner for 27 years… but I was not naturally good at it. Here is how you get good.

Step 1: enjoy running. Run slow and in an envirnoment you enjoy. I don’t care if you are running at a pace so slow that a walker could keep pace. The goal here is to get your mind and body ok with the notion of running for up to an hour.

Step 2: practice running outside your comfort zone. Once a week run, in structured format, at pace significantly uncomfortable for you in intervals of 30sec to 5min. Naturally, your easy pace will start to get faster after a few of these sessions.

Step 3: gradually increase the difficulty in those two areas. Learn to run longer than the race distance at a comfortable pace. Learn to run fast in intervals shorter than the race distance. On race day you should push so you are somewhere in between your easy pace and interval pace.

The only advice I can give is put bandaids or tape over your nipples before you run.

I’ve always found that running’s easier when I have a companion: either a dog or a horse.

The advantage of having the horse is that when you hurt your knee (e.g., tear an ACL), you can ride it back home. Dogs are less helpful in that respect.

@ TS . I just designed this 3 step program for you (assuming you are serious about it). You’re welcome.

  1. Get one of these GPS watches : it’s the best way to assess your progress, unless you run the exact same track every time and time yourself, which is shit.

Alternate between :

2) Making a fixed distance, say 5 K, in the shortest time possible. Try to beat your PR every time.

3) Making the longest distance given a particular time, say, 1 hour. Try to beat your PR every time.

Practicing for 2) will directly prepare you for your challenge, while practicing for 3) will help you build your aerobic base, thereby boosting your performance for 2).

Plot your progress on a chart. Session to session variance is meaningless and is a function of many things. However, progress should be noticeable on a rolling 2 weeks period.

Lastly : ramp up your volume progressively ! Depending on your level of fitness it is likely that you will strain something if you run 5 x / week as of tomorrow. Since you don’t run currently, I would say don’t do more than 2 x / week for the first month or so. Then add 1 x / week. Then 1x / week for the third and final month of your preparation. That’s how I would do it. It’s neither safe nor realistic to assume that you will jump from zero to more than 4 x / week within 2 months.

Oh and BTW, you are going to get absolutely murdered by your friend. Unless I messed up the conversion, her marathon pace translates into a sub 19’ 5K. That translates to what, a 15’ 5K ?? That’s insane.

Good luck.

If she can run a marathon at 6min pace… she can probably run a 5k sub 17min. However, my 5k PR is 18:22 so THANKS!

Yes, that is correct, I was editing my post as you were typing this.

That’s her marathon pace, FFS and she’s definitely sub 17’ on her 5K.

Are you serious ? You run a 18’22 5K ??

If all you claim is true, you are like some kind of superwoman overlord : strips, trades and runs a sub 19’ 5K.

I can’t do any of these :’-(

wink

well, I’m out of shape… I can probably only run a 19:30 5k right now. But yea, those other two things… I did both today.

But how come you are always up so early/late? It’s like 4-5 am-ish for you.

You live @ night and sleep during the day I guess?

Because I work till 2am, I can’t trade regular hours. That is why I trade Bund from 2:30am to 5:30am. That is the only session I can devote to every day without interruption. If I am up at 2am, might as well trade Eurex. FGBL is a good contract. DAX is for crazy people.

^^^^ok

I’d look up interval training. I seem to recall the research suggesting it helps in long distance running prep, but not positive since I never used it that way

Since when was a 5k considered a distance that you need 3 months of training unless you are 300 lbs

Does she know how much muni bond interest you made last year? You are out of your league unfortunately and will get smoked. Sorry to say

I get debilitating shin splints about 3k in. I bought some nice Asics hoping it might be the fit, but it only helped slightly. Have no problems playing soccer or squash though, the splints only come when I do non-stop running. Any remedies?

Insoles and stuff for that distance are generally bad advice, won’t need band aids either although if you do chafe under armor can solve that.

I would focus on fast 1 mile and 1/4 mile reps. Like three fast 1 miles or 8 fast quarter miles a few times a week and then maybe once a week run a 5k distance just to work on pacing. A lot of those shorter distances come down strategic pacing andhaving a strong kick at the end and knowing how to time it.

Is it steph96?

I used to get those, I started taking Curcumin at high doses on a daily basis. It is a miracle spice as my shins were cured , also the doctors were sure I was very rare in terms of my recovery and how fast the tumor had reduced in size and the fact it didn’t spread elsewhere. There is a TON of research backing up Curcumin and it’s anti Cancer/ Inflammation properties.

don’t do it