I know about the toxic ten, but I seem to feel bad for around the first 30 minutes, between 3-4 KM...I've been doing a lot of run/walk while I trained for my HM, maybe that has something to do with it? I'd like to go back to some longer runs with no walking, anyone got any advice?
Toxic......30?: I know about the toxic ten... - Bridge to 10K
Toxic......30?
Curlygurly2Graduate10
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Curlygurly2
Graduate10
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I seem to have a toxic hour 😂. It does usually take me longer than 10 to get in to it and start enjoying my run it has to be said. I guess it’s different from person to person.
Neil2702 in reply to
I get to the point of dreading going, due the first 20 mins..... I doubt myself & feel aching, leg tired ... etc
It’s good to know others suffer
in reply to Neil2702
Feel exactly the same Neil! It’s good to know I’m not alone. Once I’ve got going there’s no stopping me. It just takes a while. I’m like a wind up radio! 😂
Yes, it's the doubt that gets to me...
snap
An hour? Gosh that makes mine seem like nothing...
in reply to Curlygurly2
Yeah. I don’t know why. When people say the toxic 10 I think wow that would be nice. 😂
When it stops it's like someone threw a switch and I feel I could run for ever....have you tried more warm up at home? I wondered about that...today I ran/walked the first 3 K then I was ok, but I really want to get back to all running...
in reply to Curlygurly2
Well you’ve just got to do what your body tells you. After my physio he did say runners should really run a short distance and then stop and do all stretches. Then carry on again. Obviously that’s not realistic. The only warm up I do it 5 min walk. Which in reality for me isn’t probably enough. I’m getting old. 😂
You know, that might be the answer, I find if I stop to cross the road, or change my music or something, I feel better when I get going...
in reply to Curlygurly2
A fair point you make! Looking at your profile, it looks like you’re already a pro runner. I’ve don’t up to 9km. I feel I could do more in a run if I keep pushing and pushing. I’ve probably neglected the stretches a little 😳. We live and learn don’t we
Aww bless you! I don't know about a pro runner... I've been at it for ages, graduated from C25K about 5 years ago, but had my progress scuppered by illness...Trying to get back to my old abilities is hard...
in reply to Curlygurly2
Well you’re on the right track! Inspirational or what! I graduated last year but stopped and started again due to injury. I can’t wait to finally get back out and try a park run!
CatMo13 in reply to
That’s interesting thanks for sharing the physios advice . May try that !
in reply to CatMo13
See how it goes! When I get back to running again... in 6 weeks 😢. I’m going to take it easy.
Yesterday I did a box fit class and then ran half an hour later. it was the best I’ve ever ran... so I guess that shows that more warm up can help
in reply to Juliejoe
Agreed! Box fit sounds like hard work 😂. But yeah the idea was run a little bit to get you sort of half warmed up. Then do all your stretches. I do the stretches after runs but I don’t think it’s usually enough for me at least
Gosh. This topic start and all the threads has been a revelation!! I thought it was only me with the massive problems. I’m now feeling so much happier and motivated!!
in reply to CandyCool
It’s good to have things in common. Some people worry that it’s different or shouldn’t be like that. But I think everyone runs differently and we’re not robots. Everyone takes longer to warm up or less time. 👍🤷🏻♂️
Same!! On most runs for the first 5k I feel like I have never run before (I've completed 2 half marathons in the last 6 months) and no one talks about it!!
Yes, like my legs don't belong to me...
RunBrianRunGraduate10
Oh my I can sympathise. Have no problem with the first 10 minutes. It’s the 20+ minutes or usually km 3 or 4. It’s becoming a bit of an issue for me now. Even slowing down doesn’t really help either. I dread it. Glad it’s not just me though. 😃😊😜
I’m exactly the same! The first 2-3 km are fine, then I get a real dip in km 4. I keep telling myself I should try to get negative splits for the whole run, but just seem to go too fast at the start every time 😫
The same here! But only in my 30-minutes runs. It's like ... omg, another 10 minutes, the feet feeling heavy and my heart rate is going up. But on the last "long" runs with 40 to 45 minutes I didn't expect those bad 20+ minutes ... Can't explain that to me! Maybe it's because I know that I have to "stay calm" and "build pace with time" for the not so used to me runs!??
OldflossAdministrator60minGraduate
I have toxicity sometime longer than the actual run...( well it feels like it)... I have lengthened my warm up sometimes...and find this helps.. a brisk walk until I feel the run take over...
in reply to Oldfloss
Perfect answer 😎☺️
I think that's a good point Floss, here there are too many roads to cross to get anything like a brisk walk going until I've covered my five minutes, I might have to extend that once I get somewhere I can get a bit of a move on.
Yes sometimes I realise after about 30 minutes that I have actually just started enjoying it! I then feel like I could go in forever! But then realise I can’t 😊😊
Irish-JohnGraduate10
I thought I was the only one!
For quite a while now it's been a case fore that the longer my runs get, the longer the toxicity seems. Used to be ten to twelve minutes but now can last thirty or more.
There's a few things I can add here, but the most important is that you need to stop doubting yourself! You've come this far, which means you've got this. Easier said than done though.
I've been running since last April (nearly my runniversary) and still don't really warm up until 3 or 4K. See the difference here, you're thinking you're going through the 'Toxic 10/30', but the way I look at it is, my legs don't warm up until 3 or 4K, so I don't worry nor care that I'm slower until then and work around any segments/intervals so that I won't get to them until I am throughly warmed up. Over the winter I had stiff quads for the entire 10K that I was doing, and I just had to run slower and accept that it was the cold weather getting into them.
Another thing I learned during this process is that I am more of a long-distance runner than a sprinter, so not warming up for a while suits my style. If your focus is on speed then this is something you will have to address, but if not, then not!
Particularly during the winter months I've gotten really lazy at warming up before running as it's too cold to walk, so I try to warm-up a little indoors before heading out - you might find that doing an intensive warm-up inside before you go out helps.
What you can do just to make sure it's just cold muscles and not anything else, is make sure you are drinking enough, particularly the day before and before your run - during your run is pretty much too late for heavy legs.
Also, make sure you get good rest in-between runs. There's no use in only running every second day if you then do a heavy leg day at the gym in-between. Pick recommended cross-training. Swimming, walking and static cycling are all good as they are non-loadbearing.
The biggest thing you can do, is give yourself a break - you are doing brilliantly!!!!
Best of luck in your running journey and keep up the good work 😊
Thank you. I think the doubt comes from this being a relatively new problem for me, I think it's come from doing so much run/walk. My legs just don't want to do the straight running. Sometimes we have quite an argument - legs...."I wanna stop and walk" me... "Shut up and keep running"
Speed is not my schtik, never has been, I've always been slow, and now I'm even slower after my illness. I just want to put back the non stop runs, nice to have something for when I don't fancy run/walk.
in reply to Curlygurly2
I didn't appreciate that you were getting over an illness too! Even more important to give yourself a break. In light that your body has been recovering, it might be a case of listening to your body, it's maybe still getting over the shock? I don't know the details, how much trauma your body has been through or how long it has been. Not that that matters anyway as everyone recovers at a different pace.
Just be kind to yourself, push slowly, you'll get there all the same.
Lots of love and healing thoughts being sent through the airwaves (mwah) x
Curlygurly2Graduate10
I'm so glad I asked now, thank you everyone, I wondered if I was just being a wimp, or if I needed to re-do C25K or something...
davelinksGraduate10
Hello Curly!
Yes, same here.. I was out yesterday run/walking and was going over this very same subject, and also find it can take me 3-4k before I start to get into it and even a little bit of knee pain I have starts to subside. I tend to brisk walk longer now, and do some dynamic excercise indoors beforehand..as you know, if you're not feeling it, then always slow it down more, I've not been feeling it a lot lately, so the the slow it down thought has helped me..😉
Hi Dave
I think my problem probably stems from doing so much run/walk, and not enough straight running. I'm going to try a bigger warm up, brisker walking, more dynamic exercises at home... then I think there's nothing to do but just keep going. I'm already going as slow as I can lol!
davelinksGraduate10
Don't talk too much about slow, or we will have the genuine original snail coming on! she's probably seeing this anyway!😁
I have her on Strava, she's fibbing! She's not slow....
If you mean floss, I know, she kids us, her recent Parkrun was showing a good time!😊 Mfam isn't slow either, kidology from both of them!😁
I think I have Variable Toxicity Syndrome! (If this ends up as a real thing I bagsie SeaSpaniel's Syndrome.
Toxicity - for me it's sometimes for 30 minutes sometimes nothing at all. Most prevalent is an initial 10-15 minutes. I've tried walking/running to the start of a parkrun (1.5km extra), I've tried negative splits which went well but no significant difference to overall time. I've tried Caffeine and a banana ahead of a parkrun as well as carbo loading the night before. Also tried running with music/without music/listening to podcasts. Note I am a sprinter rather than long distance (I usually do well on the last 100m Strava section of parkrun)
Taking everything together I don't know whether the issue is genetic/diet/psychological/weather conditions or process. Suspect all of these but need more data
Ha ha your answer made me laugh, and cheered me up when I needed it! Thank you!
You seem to have covered all bases.. XXX
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