Metric Vs Imperial

[Bike_and_Run]

If you're running marathons and halfs, do you train in Km or Miles?

C25K and B210K made sense to run metric, but now I'm focussing on 13.1 and 26.2 miles I'm wondering if my training should reflect this, or do I just continue to convert to metric and aim to run 22/44km?

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

I train in Km’s but once I reach 14K I talk in miles for some reason. I’m very injury-prone so my increases are always K’s and not miles..

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

I prefer metric, and when running in a race with mile markers I used to like to calculate where I was up to in kilometres to help keep me focused. Of course now I have a running watch that tells me where I am in kilometres all the time I suppose my brain is probably going to atrophy 😄

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Be mindful of dodgy GPS! I've only done three officially measured HM's and one of them was significantly out according to my Garmin! In fact according to lots of people's Garmins over the last two years! Surely the organisers can't have measured the course wrong two years on the run? It must be dodgy GPS? That gives your head plenty to work with along the way as your buzzes don't match the markers🤪. It can also make for a disappointingly long final sprint 😎

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

Now I come to think of it I often fail to spot the markers at all 😄

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to roseabi]

there is that 😍

[misswobble Marathon]

Kilometres for me 🙂

[2718281 Half Marathon]

I'm Spanish, miles used to be too complicated, but for anything above 10 miles, I plan in miles, as the numbers seem more achievable, but then during the run I count how much I've run in km (so my mind thinks I've done more), but much is left in miles (until the last 5k, that I go back to km). ALso, all these changes keep my mind busy during the run

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

I always use metric too. However, as my distance increases I like to convert to miles after a long run - for some reason it always impressives me more! 🤷‍♀️ You also get to play that game when you're driving a car and read a distance road sign... "10 miles to Reading? Oh, I could run that!" Very satisfying! 😀😂

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Sandraj39]

I do the car thing too Sandraj39 ! It’s 13 miles from Bristol to Bath, and theoretically I could run there! 😅🏃‍♀️

[SlowLoris]

I changed to miles when I joined a running club. They always use miles when talking about pace. I didn’t want to end up in the wrong group.

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to SlowLoris]

😂😂

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

I stick with kms as well. One exception: if there are only mile markers, I calculate my target times for my pace band to correspond with those markers. GPS can be out and there's nothing worse than finding you're close to a PB only to realise your watch is 250m ahead of the mile markers 😀

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

I always train in km, but I like to convert to miles afterwards, especially beyond 10 miles, as it simply sounds impressive! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[Decker Ultramarathon]

I train in km and the races are mostly all km measures here in Canada too. I’ve had to convert US training plans from miles to km once or twice

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Decker]

Argh me too!! This is why I have had 29 km runs these past couple of weeks - it seems like a silly number, but it's actually 28.96 km which is 18 miles 😊😊😊

[ArthurJG Half Marathon]

It’s a matter of preference really. I prefer km but whether you call it 13.1 miles or 21.1km it ends up being the same distance.

[Kiwipie Half Marathon]

I fall into a certain age bracket where we learnt basic imperial measurements alongside metric. Remember being asked how many inches in a foot and replied 10 🙄.

All my training so far in K and I can now visualise that distance, have no idea how far a mile is when I'm running. Didn't even cross my mind that there wouldn't be K markers on HM/M runs, I see confusion on the horizon. 😂

[Redcello41 Half Marathon]

I always use km's even if it is a half-marathon or marathon. It's just more manageable in my head for some reason. For example a HM is two 10Ks and a little bit left over. I broke down my very first half marathon into four 5K chunks to get me through most of it! I can't be dealing with miles, but whenever I hear/see a mile measurement, I automatically try and work out what the KM equivalent is in my head and vice versa! I've even drawn out my own conversion charts hahaha!

[Run46 Half Marathon]

I stuck with kms for my 1st Half Marathon but as the plan I'm working off this time is in miles I've changed my Garmin to miles...that said, once I get up to double digits on the weekly long runs if I struggle I may have to increase by half miles 🤷‍♀️