Running thread

The 2026 London Marathon will live with me forever. Watching it live you could feel the anticipation building as Sawe and Kejelcha edged closer to immortality. That last 600m was up there with the Agüero moment for me. I’d go as far to say running sub 2 hours in a Marathon is the most impressive sporting achievement I’ve ever seen.
Watching people try and replicate that speed on a treadmill and managing 46 seconds kind of puts it into perspective how insane that pace is. Just a phenomenal achievement!
 
Since Sunday when I did the marathon been feeling really down. In fact I was crying my eyes out last night. Very strange the aftermath of doing a marathon.
I think it's the big come down after the weeks of training and the race itself.
I put something in the mental health thread but will try here, I spotted your name has gone white, I do hope that doesn't mean you have deleted your account.
Marathons are emotional and the days after are a big comedown and can be a struggle to pick up and look ahead, hope your ok mate, we might be a set of cunts on here but we all do look out for each other
 
5:31 for me today.

Had nothing left after halfway, decided to get to the finish as it was my 1st one.

Tremendous support all the way round, it really does help.

Well done to everyone else on here who ran today

Obviously wasn't totally happy with how it went, so signed up again for next year!

Hopefully the experience of the first one and a greater effort to avoid injury will help me get round more comfortably next time.
 
Obviously wasn't totally happy with how it went, so signed up again for next year!

Hopefully the experience of the first one and a greater effort to avoid injury will help me get round more comfortably next time.

But taking a step back, you are in the 0.02% of people on the planet who can say they have run a marathon and that is a tremendous achievement! So well done! Have you followed a specifc plan? I used runna for some races and although it sounds gimicky i just used the membership whilst I needed it and the plan was very good tbf.
 
But taking a step back, you are in the 0.02% of people on the planet who can say they have run a marathon and that is a tremendous achievement! So well done! Have you followed a specifc plan? I used runna for some races and although it sounds gimicky i just used the membership whilst I needed it and the plan was very good tbf.

I had a plan I was following, but got a shin injury about 5 weeks out from the marathon, and basically did no running from that point onwards.

I was certainly at the point where I thought I could run a marathon, and was throwing in a recovery week every 3 weeks, but I didn't do any strength and stretching of any note which probably played a big part in getting injured.

Like you say, I am very happy I got it done, but its pretty addictive running, and would very much like to have another crack at it in better condition!
 
I had a plan I was following, but got a shin injury about 5 weeks out from the marathon, and basically did no running from that point onwards.

I was certainly at the point where I thought I could run a marathon, and was throwing in a recovery week every 3 weeks, but I didn't do any strength and stretching of any note which probably played a big part in getting injured.

Like you say, I am very happy I got it done, but its pretty addictive running, and would very much like to have another crack at it in better condition!

You are right, it is hugely addictive.

Tibial raises will be your best friend and should get the shins in better condition. Even a day a week of lower strength days and stretching for 10-15 mins before and after a run will be noticeably helpful for you - you'll certainly see the difference in terms of injury prevention.

Again though, congrats and top work for completing it!
 
Any advice would be welcome folks. I’ve been running for a year now, can see some improvement, and did a slightly hilly run on Friday morning, ran really well with an average HR of about 160. Last night I ran the same run, felt crap from the start but finished it, but with a really slow time and average HR of 140. Any particular reason(s) why my second run was so crap, or just one of those things?
 
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Any advice would be welcome folks. I’ve been running for a year now, can see some improvement, and did a slightly hilly run on Friday morning, ran really well with an average HR of about 160. Last night I ran the same run, felt crap from the start but finished it, but with a really slow time and average HR of 140. Any particular reason(s) why my second run was so crap, or just one of those things?
Could be anything. Could be coming down with a cold or something, not eaten properly the night before or sometimes you're just not feeling it. The body can be a weird and wonderful thing at times.
 
Any advice would be welcome folks. I’ve been running for a year now, can see some improvement, and did a slightly hilly run on Friday morning, ran really well with an average HR of about 160. Last night I ran the same run, felt crap from the start but finished it, but with a really slow time and average HR of 140. Any particular reason(s) why my second run was so crap, or just one of those things?
Could be anything. Could be coming down with a cold or something, not eaten properly the night before or sometimes you're just not feeling it. The body can be a weird and wonderful thing at times.

Agree with what Gremlin has said. Body can sometimes feel off, especially if you've not fuelled properly or are just tired. I always try and look at a bad run as one of "could've easily skipped that one but those are the runs that contribute the most".

Simply put, likely just one of those things and hey, slower runs are an important part of training!
 
Watching people try and replicate that speed on a treadmill and managing 46 seconds kind of puts it into perspective how insane that pace is. Just a phenomenal achievement!
His average pace over the entire Marathon was 4:33 per Mile (2:50 per KM), which is phenomenal. However his 5K splits are even more impressive, between 35K – 40K he ran 5K in 13:42, for context the fastest ever Parkrun was 13:44
 
You are right, it is hugely addictive.

Tibial raises will be your best friend and should get the shins in better condition. Even a day a week of lower strength days and stretching for 10-15 mins before and after a run will be noticeably helpful for you - you'll certainly see the difference in terms of injury prevention.

Again though, congrats and top work for completing it!
100% agree regarding strength training mate. It will increase efficiency and significantly guard against injury.

I would just be cautious about stretching. Static stretching can be useful (at least 4 hours before or after runs, or on non-running days) for a very small proportion of runners who experience particular tightness. However, on the whole, static stretching before a run a) makes you slower and b) increases your chance of injury.

Dynamic stretches ahead of a run are a better option as they don't have the ill effects that their static cousins do. However, contrary to popular opinion, they also don't make you faster, they don't make you more efficient and they don't reduce injury risk.
 
His average pace over the entire Marathon was 4:33 per Mile (2:50 per KM), which is phenomenal. However his 5K splits are even more impressive, between 35K – 40K he ran 5K in 13:42, for context the fastest ever Parkrun was 13:44
It's just jaw-dropping! And this was the final full 5k of the race as well.
 
Any advice would be welcome folks. I’ve been running for a year now, can see some improvement, and did a slightly hilly run on Friday morning, ran really well with an average HR of about 160. Last night I ran the same run, felt crap from the start but finished it, but with a really slow time and average HR of 140. Any particular reason(s) why my second run was so crap, or just one of those things?
Cant really add much on the HR situation, although that could be based on numerous things (fuelling, heat etc)

I find that my runs are much better in the morning, where as anything I do after work just feels lethargic

Everyone is different though, but could just be simply down to spending the day working/eating
 
Any advice would be welcome folks. I’ve been running for a year now, can see some improvement, and did a slightly hilly run on Friday morning, ran really well with an average HR of about 160. Last night I ran the same run, felt crap from the start but finished it, but with a really slow time and average HR of 140. Any particular reason(s) why my second run was so crap, or just one of those things?
Well done on the consistent running mate. Sounds like you're doing really well.

Can I ask what your HRmax is (if you know it)? If you've got a Garmin or similar, it gives an estimated value in the User Profile. For context: I'm an accredited British Athletics running coach. HR data can be somewhat useful if we have the context around it.

However, it's much more likely that you are just tired. I always have a 'cutback week' after about every three weeks of hard training. This is to facilitate recovery and adaptation. Changes in heart rate tend to be an indicator of fatigue and a need for recovery.

Have you had any other symptoms such as brain fog or lack of motivation?

Another consideration is fuel and electrolytes - especially in the warmer weather. Are you drinking enough, taking on enough salts and eating plenty of carbs? Are you a salty sweater and, if so, is this more noticeable at the moment?

Did the two hilly runs have a similar context, i.e. did you have a day off the day before each one or maybe you ran the day before one of those sessions but not the other?
 
Cant really add much on the HR situation, although that could be based on numerous things (fuelling, heat etc)

I find that my runs are much better in the morning, where as anything I do after work just feels lethargic

Everyone is different though, but could just be simply down to spending the day working/eating
Cheers Chris, the first run was in the morning, the crap run was in the evening, so might be something in that.
 
Well done on the consistent running mate. Sounds like you're doing really well.

Can I ask what your HRmax is (if you know it)? If you've got a Garmin or similar, it gives an estimated value in the User Profile. For context: I'm an accredited British Athletics running coach. HR data can be somewhat useful if we have the context around it.

However, it's much more likely that you are just tired. I always have a 'cutback week' after about every three weeks of hard training. This is to facilitate recovery and adaptation. Changes in heart rate tend to be an indicator of fatigue and a need for recovery.

Have you had any other symptoms such as brain fog or lack of motivation?

Another consideration is fuel and electrolytes - especially in the warmer weather. Are you drinking enough, taking on enough salts and eating plenty of carbs? Are you a salty sweater and, if so, is this more noticeable at the moment?

Did the two hilly runs have a similar context, i.e. did you have a day off the day before each one or maybe you ran the day before one of those sessions but not the other?
Thanks Stu, much appreciated. My max HR is about 172, according to my smart watch. I usually run three times a week, including Saturday morning Park Run.

The two runs I’m taking about have an elevation of about 200 feet, and are about 3 1/2 miles. Before I run I usually have a banana and a gel.

I had a couple of days off before each run, the first run was in the morning, the second crap one was in the evening.

I don’t have salt and my diet isn’t very good to be honest, tends to be baked potato, beans and cheese most nights.

Once again thanks for your input.
 

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