Any Other Runners?

Just wondering...

I try to keep in shape, pound weights, do cardio, all that, but I've never been a big runner. I jog around once a week typically...if that. I like it, just never been a "real" runner. But I'm doing a 10k on/off-road race on the 20th, so I'm trying to get my endurance up a little bit. I did this route during lunch today in 43 minutes. Just over 8 minute miles over mostly rough terrain. I'd like to be under 8 before the race, which is 10k, or 6.2 miles.

Anyone here a runner? Any tips for the race?

I have done 10K races each of the past two years, did a half marathon last year and just did my first marathon on sunday...it hurt a lot but I finished in 3:39. I never really followed any specific plan for any of my training, I just tried to run 5-6 days a week, and would run however far I felt like running. Mostly did a lot of 8-10 mile runs during the week mixed in with some 4-6 milers, and would do a long run on the weekend (12-20miles) followed by a 2 mile run the next day to recover.

I would say to keep the running up, make sure you do plenty of 5 and 6 mile runs, at least two a week, and on the days between mix in some 2, and 4 mile runs to recover. You should really be running about 5 or 6 days a week, and always follow the long runs with a short run the next day, try to push the speed on the short runs and set a solid pace on the longer ones. Its only a 10K though, so don't stress about it, and I guarantee you will finish faster than you think, the crowds and adrenaline help a lot.

Best advice I can give you is go to a reputable running shop that does gait analysis and spend at least $80-100 on a pair of good running shoes that corrects for your pronation and feels comfortable...not just a random pair of Nikes from Sports Authority.

Thanks for the advice. I'm in good shape, so I'm not worried, just looking for hints, so thanks!

Yeah, I need new shoes, and my New Balances (good shoes, but...) are giving me blisters. Eff that. We have a specialty running shop here in town who'll do the analysis, so I'm gonna hit them up before the race.

Im a Road biker, but trying to do some triathlons next year. Started training for a marathon in Dec a month or so ago. Best advice I can give you is go to a running store and get a good fitted shoe, made a world of difference for me. They will put you on a treadmill and watch you run and take a bunch of measurements.

Evan! said:

Thanks for the advice. I'm in good shape, so I'm not worried, just looking for hints, so thanks!

Yeah, I need new shoes, and my New Balances (good shoes, but...) are giving me blisters. Eff that. We have a specialty running shop here in town who'll do the analysis, so I'm gonna hit them up before the race.

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socks make a pretty big difference too as far as blisters, I actually started buying the relatively thin champion socks (ok, i'll admit it, I buy the women's socks) at costco, they don't bunch up and are super comfy, and the pink on them makes me feel special

smartwool & defeet are your friends!
You won't regret it, even if you have to shell out some clams for good sox

Damn, defeet levitators look sweet. I use smartwool all the time, but those look nice! I'd bet my running shop has some. Thanks guys.

The road / trail combination thing makes shoes a bit more difficult. What will make the difference is how technical the trails are. On rocky downhills you’ll benefit from a good trail shoe. Also if muddy the right trail shoe is a must. I run mostly trails and have been wearing Montrail and Inov-8 shoes. The problem with the running shoe store analysis is that they will try to sell you something that they stock. It will be the best that they have for you, but may not be the best for you.

As mentioned, socks make a big difference when it comes to comfort and blisters. Try the thin Smart Wool.

As for incorporating speed into your short runs, I would avoid this. Easy days should be just that, easy. Muscles need time to mend. This is the time that you make gains from the work that you’ve done earlier. At your level an easy 2-3 miles will give your legs a chance to recover without additional stress. Include speed into a 5-6 mile run by doing pick-ups. After a one mile warm-up try something like 5 sets of three minutes hard followed by two minutes easy. Another option is to run a rolling route and push the uphills and relax on the downs. End it with one mile easy. One of these speed oriented workouts per week and one over distance run per week (up to 10 miles) is about all you have time for before the 20th. Fill the days in-between with easy stuff and no running the day after your long run.

But what you asked for was tips for the race (not training.) The best advice is to go out easy and build into a strong pace. Trails can take a lot out of you and you don’t want to crash before the end. It is always better to be passing people late in the race. The excitement that you feel early in the race will fade, but the strength you get from doing well in the second half will carry you through the finish.

There are a lot of good runs in VA. Which one are you doing?

(Wish I had the brewing experience that I have running.)

That's all awesome info, anoldur. I've been training for the past month. Not 5 times/week, but enough that I've improved. It's funny, you hit the gym 4 or 5 days a week regularly and you think you're in good shape...then you switch things up and it's like starting over.

Anyway...what about food? The race starts at 9am. I've been getting cramps (getting less and less frequent with training of course) when I run. So what should I eat, how much, how soon before the race, etc., etc.? And would you recommend carrying any of those simple-carb goopacks with me? It's only 10k, so...I'll probably be fine.

It's the Blue Ridge Burn. I just checked the map, the vast, vast majority of it is trail.

Keep breakfast simple, eat what you normally eat, My fav. before a long bike ride is oat's and a small chicken breast usually try to eat 2 hours before the event. For a 10K you should be fine, but a Gel half way would not hurt at all. If you start doing longer runs I would look into some sort of sports drink to replace lost fluids, Nuun, is great IMO. Comes in a tube and no mixing is required. If you a getting cramps and are in good shape, it is more than likely because of dehydration. Drink a **** ton of water the night before.

Definitely hydrate well for a few days before the race. 10K really isn't that far and I am usually fine with a clif bar and some gatorate about an hour before the race. I will eat a Gu packet with water about 15 min before race time...with the 10K, I don't bother taking in water or food during the race, I can go 40-50 minutes with no water easily and stopping would just slow my pace.

Just took a look at the Blue Ridge Burn website. Looks like you're in for a lot of fun! A trail shoe there would be nice, but with three weeks to go I wouldn’t worry too much about it. However you do have time to work on the fuel and fluid plan that you’ll use.

It sounds like you are like me. I have trouble running hard with anything solid in my stomach. The most I’ll do is a gel about an hour before a race. One with caffeine is a good substitute for my morning coffee. Cliff Double Expresso is my favorite. As for your meal the night before, just be sure not to over eat and stay away from high fiber foods. Don’t bother with trying to over hydrate the night before or morning of the race. Just drink as you normally do. Your body can only absorb so much. The rest will just bloat you. What you have to do is get use to drinking on the run. Get a decent hand held water bottle. I like the Ultimate Direction Fast Draw. Use it during training. Get use to taking small but frequent sips. What you want to do is maintain your fluid level without getting sloshing in your gut that may lead to cramping. For 10K you don’t have to worry about electrolytes or calories, so straight water will do. If you are having trouble with cramping you may want to try a electrolyte capsule about 15 minutes before you run. For these you can’t get anything better then Succeed S! Caps (http://www.succeedscaps.com/index.html). They have a buffering effect to help settle your stomach.

I have had real good luck with all the Succeed products. On your long training runs try the Ultra. You should be doing these runs at a minute or more slower pace then your race pace, so you’ll be out there for a while. The electrolytes and calories will help.

The trails are a lot of fun. It’s a whole different world from road racing. The longer the distance gets, the more you’ll find a different breed of runners. I hope this becomes as much of an addiction for you as brewing. The combination is great. You can’t beat relaxing with a beer after a long run.

I run a bit myself...but how do you guys balance drinking with running? I'm thinking about starting a 1 beer per mile deal with myself. That is, I allow myself 1 beer for every mile I've run in a week. Might be kinda hard to do though

I have a hard time with Gu and Gels. I prefer the sport beans. 200 quick calories.

I've always utilized the trainer on Runnersworld.com.

http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/ has a database that allow you to serach other people's routes. Search is crude, but it gives you ideas if you get bored of the same ol courses. Especially handy if you need a route in another city when traveling.

Back when I was racing Mtn bikes I had a really tough time with Gu & any sports drinks. The only drink I could handle other then water was a Smartfuel product which worked really well. I don't think they are in business anymore.
I have found that Hammer Gel works really well, and is easily absorbed into my system.

But alas our Home Breweries are all unique as are our bodies. With that said, You should consider incorporating & trying different sports nutrition products now while you are training. Trust me the last thing you want to do is to sample a new product while you are racing.

Not to beat a dead horse or anything about the H2O, but you should be adequately hydrated for your race. Ramp up your consumption at least 24 hours before the race, and take it easy on the alcohol and other diuretics like pop, and coffee. Really, there will be plenty of time for post race beers. I'd say 8-10 8oz servings of water over the course of the day. Use discretion, casue you can overdo it with the water.
A good rule of thumb is to keep drinking until your pee is clear. Fool around with this formula while training as well. I guarantee you will notice the difference.

A good race day breakfast could consist of: some protein, (fish or chicken), Oatmeal, Bagel, and a banana. While I said avoid coffee....if you need it, you need it.

TMI section. Try to back one out at least 30 minutes before the race starts.

I usually run around 20-25 miles a week, trying to work my way back up for a marathon in April.

I usually stay away from gatorade and gels and anything like that, and just stick to water and regular food for energy. I've found that drinking a little water at a time all the time (like 12 glasses spread out over the course of a day, etc) works better than guzzling 3 glasses in 15 minutes before a run in the 'ole cramp dept.

I don't jog, but I do try and walk 18 holes at the golf course every weekend.

Glibbity makes the most important remark when saying that we are all different. What works for me may be a disaster for you. Even so, the pre race hydration thing is a dead horse that needs a woopin. If you are training you should be hydrating well on a daily basis. To change that routine is the same as trying a new nutritional product the day of your race. Your body is pretty good at balancing electrolytes to match your normal intake of fluids. Bumping up the water too much will upset that balance. Like Glibbity says, experiment before race day.

I’m a fan of having a beer with my meal the night before a race. Takes the edge off and makes it easier to get to sleep. Just don’t use it to substitute for water. Drink both, and staying away from the other diuretics is a good idea.

Steve’s idea of one beer per mile run sounds great. Up around the marathon distance things could start getting interesting. Bring along your SWMBO. You’ll need a ride home!

BTW Evan!, you're clearly racing.

I'm just a runner!












*That means I'm slow*

So Evan, is this you?

16 Evan XXXXXXX Charlottesville VA M 2X 50:20 8:07 Y

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If so, 16th out of 117 finishers. That's pretty damn good. No more claims of not being a "real" runner. Congratulations!


Mod Edit: Lets not disclose people's names/info without consent.

anoldur said:

So Evan, is this you?



If so, 16th out of 117 finishers. That's pretty damn good. No more claims of not being a "real" runner. Congratulations!

Click to expand...

Yep, that's me. I was really happy with that time, especially for my first official race. I was shooting for under an hour, so 50:20 was a big surprise.

This is also me...

...that dude took us on the last 1/4 mile...we had it the rest of the race. Poor Xander wanted to win so bad, but I couldn't pull it off. 10 seconds behind...damn. But 6:18 mile time is pretty good in my book anyway.

I ran one of those canine races once. It was a great time! Ran with my son's dog, but I was definitely the anchor on that boat. The last quarter mile she was prancing from side to side, soaking up the cheers from the crowd. I was the dog, sucking wind, with my tongue dragging on the ground.

19:35 for 5K is incredible. Well done. So, what’s next?

The Charlottesville Running Company puts on some good races. I've done the Great Eastern Endurance Run in 2005 and 2004.

Yeah, Xander was definitely pulling me that whole time. He's incredible.

I ran a 4-miler road race this past weekend put on by Ragged Mountain and UVa's Urology Dept. Not bad...27:48. Not my best, but I paced myself too much at the beginning, and the halfway mark was there before I expected it to be. All in all, I MUCH prefer trail runs, and I think I'm going to join the Cville Trail Running Club.

I'm gonna do another canine 5k in January, and then my friend and I are gonna start training for the 10-miler, which is in march or april I believe.

I'm working up to an endurance run. Maybe in '09. I mean, up until I started training for that 10k, I was just a gym rat slinging weights...I still have a ways to go before I can go 50k.