(with apologies to RunBrianRun for the somewhat incomplete graphic)
Hey there, fellow VRBs. How's it going?
Take a break, make a cuppa, have a read and join the chat! How's your week been? Good? Bad? Ugly? Do tell us all about it!
Yesterday, while I was running the Hampton Court 10k - a great event which I highly recommended (no loo queues) - it occurred to me that I haven't run a half marathon since May. The half marathon had become my 'go to distance' for events, but injury forced a change of plan this autumn.
I've been thinking about the different distances and what I like/dislike about each of them, particularly given that, so far at least, my personal motivation has always been to achieve PBs.
Sprints are out for me! I found 5ks soon became uncomfortably quick and hard for me to continue making improvements in (without ending up feeling uncomfortably sick by the finish line π€’). I ran several 10k events and steadily improved those times, but found that half marathons gave me a greater margin for improvement, and so, for quite some time, that's where I settled. However, forced to run 10ks again this autumn, I realise how much less of a battering my body takes from a 10k compared to a half; improvements in my 10k time are now hard to come by - I am way off my 10k PB and am not sure I'll ever get back to that.
So what next? Well ... I feel the marathon distance is relentlessly tapping me on the shoulder at the moment. I've only completed one marathon and it was very much an unprepared, undertrained, run/walk effort; surely I can improve on that time? It's so tempting, but then didn't I just note that a 10k takes so much less out of me that a half? So why would I consider a marathon? Especially with my injury history π
Who knows what 2024 holds. Maybe I should chill and remember 'a PB is not a number, it's a feeling' (see last week's chat healthunlocked.com/marathon... ...) or maybe I should enter a marathon ... or maybe (insert anything and everything in between) ... π€·ββοΈI am sitting firmly on the fence at the moment! π
What's your favourite distance? Whether running just for pleasure or running a race - what's your choice and why? Tell us here and maybe you can help me decide what to do next (or maybe inspire one of your VRBs to try something different)π
Whatever youβve got planned for this week, make it a good one; hopefully you will be out running and having fun, but if you can't, for any reason, then remember the runs are waiting for you π₯°
The Team xxx
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Thatβs such a good question & yet so hard to answer.
I certainly havenβt found my race distance yet as Iβve only ever run one race.
Hereβs my thoughts on the distanceβs in your chart.
5K - Will always have a soft spot for it due to C25K & Park run. I donβt love really fast 5ks as I donβt like being uncomfortable but Iβm super thankful that I can now run sub 30 weekly at Park run.
10K - I very rarely run 10k as I tend to run 90+ minβs on longer runs.
HM - This should be my distance based on the cumulative weekly miles I run but yet I still find it a beast to run regularly due to the time it takes me. Iβve managed the distance twice this year & Iβm hoping to do it again once more this year on my way to metric.
Marathon - Iβve chosen my 2024 marathon but not sure yet whether I will get in. I know this is a distance that I want to do at least once.
Ultra - No wayβ¦β¦..Marathon will be my limit.
Itβs super hot here this week so no long runs planned but Iβm hoping to complete my 2023kmβs for the year. 28km to go!
It was 28+ this morning. 12k at my easy pace was a tempo run due to heart rate. I need to start running at 5am but Iβm not quite ready for that yet. Boys finish school in 2 weeks so thatβs when I will start my Summer running βοΈ
Oooh, summer holidays. They were ny favourite time of year when the kids were young ... but at that time of my life I didn't have to find time to squeeze runs in π
I have to agree with 'I don't like being uncomfortable' - and that's exactly what a fast 5k is for me π. Good luck getting in to your chosen marathon next year; for that sort of distance I think it really needs to be an event of choice rather than something that just fits the date. Maybe never say never to the ultra? The commitment and effort involved would be something else though, I'm sure!
Just 28k remaining? wow - you'll have over a month to spare. Just amazing!!!
Iβm always encouraged when I watch the fast 5k runners come in at park run. No one finds 5k comfortable if youβre running at 5k pace. I love my easy runs too much to ever be good at that distance. Just 15.1km to go now to reach 2023km. Itβs good to finish in good time this year. Last year was a battle until the end.
Interesting question. I have been running since 2014, but have never run a race (except Park Run, if that counts, I love Park Run). So this is based on my daily running. When returning from injury my aim is always 5km, probably because I'm thinking back to C25K, and often actually re doing C25k. But once I arrive at being able to comfortably complete 5km, then I always want to increase distance. I normally run 3 times a week. tuesday, thursday and sunday. Sunday is my "long run", tuesday is my "speed run", and thursday is my gentle "recovery run". I'm currently using the NRC second speed run on tuesday, and when it's finished I continue with a recovery run to a total distance of 10km. Thursday I do a 10km recovery run. Sunday, my long run is 18km, which I hope to gradually extend to 21km. Those distances feel about right to me at the moment, they feel comfortable. I don't take much notice of PBs, as, at 60 years old, I expect a gradual managed decline. But as long as I can still get out and run, then I'm happy with that. One of the things I've discovered this year, is that I really like to include a hill in my run, and get a lot of satisfaction from feeling the hills become easier as I do them each week. I'd say, at the moment 18km feels good to me. But having said that, last year my long run was only 10km. I think that my favourite long run distance is always the maximum that I can do in comfort.
He ran Great South Run a few minutes faster than when he did it in 1997! He has also got a free entry to the New Forest Marathon 24 as a result of being first in his age group this year. So he is certainly not declining in his 70s.
Ah yes. I wss trying to think of something crazy that he'd done that demonstrated his youthfulness; that was certainly crazy .... just not in the daft way I was thinking ππ
At 62 I can vouch for the fact that you probably don't have to enter a 'managed decline' just yet π I was still setting PBs earlier this year, though I do feel I may have reached my limit! That sounds like a great way to build up your distance to half marathon (you're so nearly there now), and a great mix of runs. A lot of plans advise you to cutback slightly every fourth or fifth week so that your body gets chance to recover in readiness for the next increase. The NRC plan has that built in, so long as you follow their distances/times.
As you're running 18k, I will give you a shiny new 10 mile badge to wear - well done. When you're ready, we can swap that out for a half marathon badge π
Hey Linda, I'm joining you on the fence, I'll sit here and ponder while remembering my one and only race this year, I am all warm and smiley about New Forest, even though I staggered round and felt lousy after. It was a huge learning experience.I want to run a HM but not a race, at the moment I'm quite comfortable between 5 and 8k so will build on that and see what happens.
The biggest thing to remember is to enjoy what distance we do. π
Keeping it really really slow on your weekly long run, and extending that run steadily week on week is my answer to the HM challenge SAR. One day I set out to run 16k and my legs decided to do a HMβ¦I just let them get on with it!!
That's my plan, I thought I'd add a kilometre a week on the long slow run and keep it slow enough that I don't have to take walk breaks, then my other week day run can be Jeff 5k
Definitely. I found that distance first then think about speeding up later worked. Just like C25k really, only now you are building on top of a good base.π
There's nothing wrong with a walk break during a HM run (or at least I hope there isn't because I walk and drink on most runs over 10k, events or otherwiseπ ).
I did that for my first HM and it worked for me. I was only 2 minutes slower than my target time. 2nd time I tried the Garmin plan, found it really tough and missed my target by 13 minutes. Simple is best π
Iβm not planning to do another one, although Iβm sure somebody, at some point, will βencourageβ me by dangling an unmissable one in front of me π
You're absolutely right - enjoyment is key. Knowing your comfortable distance makes it all the easier to find enjoyable runs.
Sometimes, after a tough run, it can take a while for the enjoyment to shine run through; but I find there is almost always some enjoyment there - even, or maybe especially, after a tough race.
I am definitely on the side of the 10k race. 5k is great for parkrun and half marathon is an effort worth making on an occasional basis, but 10k is a challenge that you can complete in around an hour without having an onerous training plan. Perfect!
You could do it Sandie; it would take a bit of time. Just a question of really wanting to. Thatβs the thing really. It seemed like something really significant at the time, but things change.
I always assumed 10k was a really popular race distance. We seem to have lots of 10k events to choose from in the UK. As you say, you feel you've achieved something without a major commitment which you would think would make it much more accessible and popular than say half's or marathons or ultras.
I couldn't find a corresponding figure for the UK, but it seems 10k was a pretty unpopular race distance in the States back in 2019, according to this infographic.
Just to be awkward (nothing new there!) I have got to go for unlisted 10 miles as my favourite distance. I did five of them in 2023 and four in 2022. I get a sense of achievement from that distance, but it is still short enough to allow me to pick up the pace a bit. My best 10 miles last year(a PB) was 1:52:40 or 7mins/k.
My three HMs have been much slower, although there is a story around the pace in each caseβ¦so there might be a HM PB out there somewhere. I think that I have taken 5k pace and 10k pace to my limit. I enjoy intervals; a bit of pace buzz over a short period, but for sense of achievement/ challenge it has to be 10 miles.
I ran the second half along the beach, bending to splash water from rock pools over my neck, maybe that's why it took so long, but I felt fine after, I remember my daughter texting are you back from your run? Me saying I am now, and her saying she'd give me half hour to shower and change then pick me up for shopping, and I was ok to shop, strange, after the New Forest 10k I barely made it to the car and Hays drove home
That 10 mile run sounds idyllic when you put it like that!Don't forget the NF was your first big event - and it was big! That creates a whole dynamic above and beyond the 10k itself. You had also recently recovered from an illness that may well have been covid. You were meeting lots of new people for the first time. You were staying away from home too. And as I remember it was hot, humid and horrible weather!!!
There were so many things drawing on your energy. The run itself was only a very small part of it π
Actually, thank you for the reminder Linda, you are very kind. lots of walking and standing around beforehand, so lovely to meet you all though, then a long walk to the start, and by then realising running on empty was probably the stupidest thing I'd done for a while, trying to go faster than was comfortable and being disappointed that I had to walk, the most prominent memory has been getting to the car, sitting there and realising I wasn't safe to drive, I was fine once I started to eat too. Next year I'll drive down on the day too, the hotel was great but not needed and I didn't sleep well. Oh and I forgot the inner ear infection, It really was lovely meeting people from here but I couldn't hear what any of you were saying, so probably looked a bit gormless as I smiled and nodded in hopefully the right places.
There was even more going on than I realised then!
For what its worth, my first major event left me feeling bad (for all sorts of reasons to do with being away, previous illness, silly expectations ... you name it!). I can honestly say I have never felt that way since and am now borderline 'addicted' to events as you probably realise ππ₯°
I've a 5 mile booked for January and so looking forward to it. I shall run longer and slower as time goes on, I'm inspired by all the people here, makes anything feel possible. π
Oh yes! 10 miles was my absolute nemesis after my first GSR. It took a very conscious effort for me to slay that dragon, but once done I find I enjoy that distance too; a good compromise between the 10k and the 21.1k.
Just like you, I think I have taken my 5k and 10k pace to my limit - HM pace too, come to that. Hence my current restlessness π
Intervals are definitely fun aren't they - or at least NRC guided runs make them fun! They almost always seem impossible to me by the end of interval 1 ... and then (almost) before you know it's time to rein it in and head for home π. Prior to discovering those guided runs though, I was definitely NOT a fan!!!
NRC has made a big difference. Having someone to tell me when to run and when to stop, and then having the interval data all set out for me, appeals to my inner laziness!
I agree with the ease. But it's even more isn't it - the cheesy motivation, the coice drowning out the gremlins and the fact that they are (like C25K) doable.
I think with all food, you need to drink too - not just to wash it down, but also to speed those carbs into your system for converting ro glucose and running energy
I would keep trying Sandie1961 Fuelling has made a massive difference to recovery & being able to run 2hrs+. Everything made me feel sick even Tailwind. Iβve now found a NZ brand that I can take without feeling sick, gels, chews & the hydration. I donβt know whether I just trained my gut or the products just work for me.
Ok, Iβm going to say 10k is definitely my favourite race distance as it requires no formal training, but I still like the challenge of a HM, I love my annual GSR 10 miler and I would put the huge effort in just once if I ever got a ballot place in the London Marathon. I donβt chase PBs because I know me too well and Iβd get demotivated if I didnβt get one having tried hard!
I enjoy PR and general 5ks of course, I donβt enjoy feeling uncomfortable at all and if I ever end up getting a better time than I expect, itβs purely luck!
Garmin is a tough task master/mistress cheeky!! I set out to do a 1 hour recovery run with CB this morning. I also wanted to do 8k, so I did my best to bring the two together. I was quite pleased when I reached an hour; only 43 seconds to go to hit 8k. So I pressed on of course. All done, despite the mud and drizzle and steamed up glasses. I ran my uphill for the first 3k runβ¦final 1k was the least slow. AHR was 142β¦a bit up because I have a slight coldβ¦what is not to like? VO2max, thatβs what!! That miserable piece of guano decided to deduct a point, just in case I was feeling good! π€¬
Ahh Beachcomber66 , that was cruel! Iβd call that run a win, end of. π
Iβm relieved that my Vivoactive 3 doesnβt shout at my like my FR 255, so itβs up to me if I want to see my VO2Max score (I barely ever look!). Fitness age of 20 it tells me too. Really Garmin? π
No, my Vivo is basic, easy to use and doesnβt make me want to throw it out the window like the snazzier FR. It definitely helps to end a run feeling proud, so having a piece of know-it-all tech telling you otherwise isnβt on!
I love your attitude! You like everything, make it comfortable, know yourself and take wins as a bonus. Tell me ... how do I change my approach? My head just won't listen π€¬
I do hope you get that ballot place CC - it certainly won't be for the want of trying. I think if I do ever tackle an official marathon event, it will have to be a much quieter one. So many people love London and the atmosphere, but I'm not sure it's for me. I do like a good crowd for the last half kilometre of a race though - it's amazing the boost you get as you approach the finish line isn't it.
I wrote a reply to this a couple of days ago Β linda9389 , then got sidetracked and of course it was lost in the ether! How rude of it!
I do like to be comfortable, and unless Coach B or one of his pals is prompting me on an intervals run, or I can see the finish line at PR or a race where I sneak in a sprint, Iβm a happy one paced pony! Perfect! I donβt see it suiting your speedy aspirations however! π
Iβll keep trying for London for sure. Iβd be beside myself with excitement for months ahead, and Iβd hope that excitement would fuel my training. I havenβt run a step since being on hols this time. The Antrim coast is remarkably hilly and thereβs no easy route of any kind from our Airbnb. Thatβs ok, I have Crichton PR to look forward to on Saturday back over in π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ. 1 degree forecast though! π₯Άπ³
Time constraints are a real pain. I'm lucky in not having work commitments, but other things still get in the way. Generally I ignore the weather but even so it will often affect where I can go.
10ks are definitely easier to fit in than half marathons!
I was seriously impressed with your successive monthly HMs - that must take mental determination, physical ability and a great deal of creativity/ingenuity to plan into daily life!!!
Hi Linda and all VRBs! Ooh that's a tough decision. I think for me I would choose 10 miles, I like the way that my mind thinks that once I get past 10k that's the back broken of it and soon enough there's only a "parkrun to go" which seems manageable when you're flagging!!! Just about!! π«π€£
I've done 10 miler races of the St George's (our club's run) Ryde 10 (local too! ) Salisbury 10 and GSR . Have Ryde booked up for February as something to aim for as haven't got past 10k yet since the dodgy leg incident! π
Ooh, that's a good selection of 10 milers. I looked local to me and only found one, which clashed with the one in my home town (unmissable on account of the loo convenience π). It's on my radar though!As you say, if you're already running at 10k, then you've broken the back of your training and Feb is while off yet. You can do it - and in style too π
What a great question Linda. Iβve been thinking about it and it varies.
I love my benchmark distances. So, a 5K when returning from injury, 10K when Iβm back in a good, injury-free routine, but Iβm with Beachcomber66 and aliboo70 , my all time favourite distance is 10 miles. Itβs a very satisfying distance, it doesnβt take too much faffing beforehand (oh who am I kiddingβ¦.?!!!) and it doesn't impact a day too much. Before my recent spates of injury I was running one every month and I hope to get back to that π€
Race-wise I prefer HMβs to 10Kβs as I find the shorter distances much harder for obvious reasons. The only 5K Iβve done was a colour-run and that was brilliant fun.
I have no idea if I have more PBs in me but Iβll give it a good old try πββοΈπͺ I mean, what else would I be doing? π
Yes, the 10 mile is a good compromise isn't it. One a month sounds like an awesome goal/achievement. At the rate you are currently progressing, a 10 miler shouldn't be too far off now IP. I love that you will still be trying for PBs - maybe I have given in too easily π
I had a little βwhoop whoopβ moment yesterday. The first K felt really good, I wasnβt making an effort to run fast, for obvious reasons, and then the second and third K numbers came up and I thought, blimey each K is faster than the one before. Letβs do this. So with a little effort I managed to run every K faster than the one before.
I don't know if itβs because of my new orthotics or the exercises Iβm doing or maybe because my body has had a good old rest but Iβll take it π€
Well I always think of 5k as my happy distance. I can run it at easy pace during the week , and I can run it faster at parkrun at weekends. Not as fast as I did pre pandemic when I was still trying for the illusive 30 min 5k, but I can live with that.
But for races, I like to do the 10k as it is achievable without excessive training but still feels like Iβve made extra effort. I do love the running with others and the atmosphere of races with entertainment and crowd support along the way. Not to mention T-shirts and bling.
The 10 mile Great South Run is my once a year, itβs on my doorstep, and everyone I know at parkrun does it race. I do love meeting up with my travelling friends too. But this is a long race for me, and I certainly donβt want to extend it to do a HM. My body doesnβt like it and I donβt want to invest the time in training to get there.
It is nice fro races to feel 'special' isn't it; something different from the norm (especially with all the park running you do). With GSR on your doorstep I can understand why that fits the bill for the occasional long distance challenge π
I like all race distances but half marathon would be my fave if forced to choose.
I raced a 1k in summer with the 10 year old which nearly killed meπ₯΅ Too fast and furious for me. I prefer a slow build up π
I do an annual marathon because theyβre so hard, and time-consuming in training. One a year does me fine π. Iβll keep doing so as long as I can πββοΈ
I remember that 1k challenge too linda9389 . So much fun, especially as I picked a 99% downhill section at Ashton Court (cheating some might say!) and I achieved a 4:55 km on the 2nd to last week which for me is supersonic! Sadly there was a headwind on the final week and I wasnβt able to beat that, but it was great fun. π
I think that I was the only βcasualtyβ and that was because I opened up my stride to 1m 14 β¦I just over did it! Entirely my fault. I had a fall in there too at around the same time. Maybe we could have a build up to βrace dayβ encouraging intervals etc? β¦but really, I think that most people know what they are doing anyway. Intervals with Mo for me today; point on VO2 max recovered π
This is brilliant Linda and such a great read too. My favourite distance is 10 miles and ever since I first ran it, it's been my absolute favourite. I really want to do an ultra one day so I can take it as steady as I need. It's the distance I know is in me and I don't think it'll be as draining as a road Marathon. Hopefully next year will be the time for it and I'll find out.
I rarely used to run 5k after I graduated and went around a year without running one. I found the longer I was out the more I enjoyed it π I 'd never completed a Parkrun or race until I met Tasha and now I really love both. Going on Parkrun tourism together is really special. Take care all.
10 miles is popular! I like the parkrun tourism concept but I'm definitely not a parkun regular. I too am tempted by an ultra, a very slow one! I like the thought of the journey, of getting somewhere, of travelling somewhere and seeing things on the way. - some of the routes look fabulous. I realise that's possibly a somewhat romanticised notion though ππ
I like longer runs and feel an ultra comin on. Just to see if I can do it π
Thereβs on in Feb which Iβve got my eye on π. If I feel ok after my marathon this weekend I might start training for it I fancy a rest for a week or so first π
Another vote for 10 miles! It's becoming my regular Monday morning distance. It's also not too big a step to HM distance if I spy a suitable race. I also enjoy 10k. I prefer to volunteer at parkrun as I don't like running at full speed. It's also a good memory test, trying to remember everyone's names to shout encouragement as they run past. Talking of crazy things, I also love "running" up and down sandhills, and doing planks at the top - it's great fun!
I did consider a marathon when Cowladyrunning signed up for and wonderfully completed the Inverness marathon - the scenery looked amazing, but I'm not sure I'd want to do all the necessary training and risk injury. On the other hand, I am starting to think in longer distances, after running for hour on Monday I thought 1 hour down, 5 to go, so maybe I am open to persuasion π€
A weekly 10 miler is amazing and yes, that keeps you in sight of any HM you fancy! I love the one hour down, five to go outlook π, though I suspect you may be overestimating your time there.
Sandhills and planks? π± I have nothing to say without breaking HU guidelines πππ
Oh, that's so good to hear π₯°As they say, just do it !!!I have a plan. A very gentle, spread out one. So far I am following it. I'm not ready to commit to an entry yet tho ... π
Never say never! You have such a great base for marathon training - it seems the regular running like you do makes it much easier - not like me who trains then 'rests' for a long time after!!
A bit like you, before covid, HM was my go to event distance. There were a couple of 10k event in the neighbouring villages that I liked and would do, but largely I didn't see the point in parting with money to run a distance that was less than what I typically ran on any given evening after work.
Since completing my first HM in November 2019, I'd made it up to 25 before Covid hit me in November last year. I managed one more since then in early March this year, but with hindsight, that may well have been a mistake.
For now it's all about getting back up to 5k and doing Parkruns again. Just finished Week 6 and all is going OK so far. I hope that I will get back to HM at some point, but I'm really just taking each run as it comes and treating each one as a personal victory in this struggle.
That's such a tough hit you've taken from Covid, but it's good to see you are still fighting back. Every run is jndeed a victory and you should be proud of them all. I'm sure the headspace they give you is every but as fewarding as the physical achievement. Stay with it and eventually you'll be sharing an HM report again I'm sure π
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