Unintended Quarantine Side Effect

[Stitch'sGlitch]

After lurking for over a month in this thread and scouring @DopeyBadger 's journal for great information I decided it was time to introduce myself. Like most of us this quarantine has changed the way I live, but for me there has been one drastic change. Prior to the quarantine I was the first to joke that I run the "Air Force Marathon" twice a year. This consists of the 1.5 mile PT test that is required. Anything beyond that and I was just not interested. I hated running and only did it when forced to. Then the quarantine hit...

My apartment felt smaller than it already was, I started going a little bit crazy being cooped up. Then a co-worker suggested that we do a competition to see who could hit 50 miles in a month first. While I hate running I am highly competitive. So it started. My goal was to do at least 5 miles a day whether it was running or walking. I ended up in the trails around my place, since they were the easiest place to social distance. This started on April 2nd and 8 days 17hours and 31 minutes later I had done something I didn't ever believe was possible. Since then I have run/walked 137.4 miles. It has become a bit of an obsession.



When that challenge was over I needed something else to focus on. That is when I happened upon the Run Disney world. I am supposed to be going to Disney World in a few months for a Star Wars Birthday Extravaganza, while I am still holding out hope I know that there is a good chance that trip is going to be cancelled. When you have nothing else to do you watch a lot of youtube and read a lot about the upcoming trips for tips and tricks...that's when it happened. I stumbled upon the Star Wars Rival run and this Padawan decided it was time to take training seriously. The last time I ran a 5K was in 2010 and I was much younger and in much better shape.



When I become intrigued by something it often becomes a bit obsessive, I will read and read and read to ensure that I am coming at it from the best path. Which is when I found this thread. I have read everything from what the best shoes are to whether or not the Galloway method is the way to go. I just finished a book about the Hansen method for a half marathon and decided that was the path I wanted to go. Running everyday has become part of my routine and, after only a month, I feel strange if I don't get up, put my shoes on, and hit the trail. Most days I was averaging between a 5 and 10K. I wanted a plan where I could not feel guilty or like I was missing rest days because I needed to get up and run. So this is a good fit. The thing I am struggling with is I am so new I don't know what my pace is... with his plan it involves adding time to your race pace...I have no idea what my race pace is. I have only really completed a half marathon once and that was 4 days ago...and there was a lot of walking.

I am currently rocking On Clouds, but have been getting really bad shin splints in one leg so I am thinking of switching to the Brooks Ghost. I am an over pronator, this was easy to figure out because the outside heel of my boot essentially doesn't exist anymore and is the same for almost every shoe I own. If anyone has any other suggestions I would love to hear them. I am planning on getting fitted properly once things open up, but need to start looking at another pair of shoes in the next month as the ones I currently own are getting pretty beat up. I also took many of your advice and got the aftershokz headphones, since the first 2 miles of my run are often on busy streets and I'd like to have an idea of what is going on around me.

Thank you all for your post and advice I will continue to read and feed my need for information. Hope to see many of you at the 2021 Star Wars Weekend...sign up date is nearing! Till then I am prepping for the Air Force Half Marathon and no I don't mean 3/4 mile, this time I mean 13.1.

Current PRs:
5K: 32:37
10K: 1:14:41
Half-Marathon: 2:47:49

 

[DopeyBadger]

Congrats on starting a journal! I feel like it's a time consuming but worthwhile experience to put your thoughts out there in the world. Excited to see how everything plays out for you on your journey.

The thing I am struggling with is I am so new I don't know what my pace is... with his plan it involves adding time to your race pace...I have no idea what my race pace is. I have only really completed a half marathon once and that was 4 days ago...and there was a lot of walking.

I'd take a page out of Galloway's book here. Try running very easily for about 10-20 minutes with what feels like practically no effort. Do a couple of very short "strides" which are gradual increases and decreases in speed totaling about 10-15 seconds. Then, when you feel recovered from the strides, run a mile at about 95% effort. The goal is to be relatively consistent amongst the four 0.25 mile splits (granted that's easier said than done). Then run a cooldown of about 5-10 minutes.

You can then use that near full max effort mile time to get a pretty good idea for training paces. The key to most training plans is to err on the side of being too slow than too fast. So even if the mile test goes poorly and you think you could have done better, don't sweat it. It'll just having you train slightly slower than you should which I'm confident will not hold back your progression over a long period of time (years). Training too fast though is way more likely to sideline you.

but have been getting really bad shin splints in one leg

It could be old shoes, but it also could be an effect of too much too soon. I'd be cautious here if the feelings linger because shin splints can become stress fractures. Bones go through a remodeling procedure about every 3-4 weeks. So increasing the training load too soon might mean your bones aren't ready for the repeated force effects yet. As for one thing that might help in the mean time relieve the current pain is a pair of Zensah calf sleeves. They definitely feel like they work to me (mostly for recovery purposes after hard workouts). But I'd caution against using them all the time because I believe they may dampen the effect of the training adaptations you're aiming for. If the shin splints linger for longer than a week or so, then you might want to consider seeking a professional opinion before it develops further.

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

I'd take a page out of Galloway's book here. Try running very easily for about 10-20 minutes with what feels like practically no effort. Do a couple of very short "strides" which are gradual increases and decreases in speed totaling about 10-15 seconds. Then, when you feel recovered from the strides, run a mile at about 95% effort. The goal is to be relatively consistent amongst the four 0.25 mile splits (granted that's easier said than done). Then run a cooldown of about 5-10 minutes.

You can then use that near full max effort mile time to get a pretty good idea for training paces. The key to most training plans is to err on the side of being too slow than too fast. So even if the mile test goes poorly and you think you could have done better, don't sweat it. It'll just having you train slightly slower than you should which I'm confident will not hold back your progression over a long period of time (years). Training too fast though is way more likely to sideline you.

Perfect! I will give that a try today and maybe a couple more times over the next few days to get a really good average. I see a lot of people use Galloway and I probably should look a bit more into it as well. I read a lot so I just grabbed his book on Kindle, nothing like more information.

It could be old shoes, but it also could be an effect of too much too soon. I'd be cautious here if the feelings linger because shin splints can become stress fractures. Bones go through a remodeling procedure about every 3-4 weeks. So increasing the training load too soon might mean your bones aren't ready for the repeated force effects yet. As for one thing that might help in the mean time relieve the current pain is a pair of Zensah calf sleeves. They definitely feel like they work to me (mostly for recovery purposes after hard workouts). But I'd caution against using them all the time because I believe they may dampen the effect of the training adaptations you're aiming for. If the shin splints linger for longer than a week or so, then you might want to consider seeking a professional opinion before it develops further.

I have about 160 miles on my shoes, but am waiting for another pair to come in so I can rotate them. It is likely intensity, so I have been trying to take it a bit easier the last few days with a short run and then a casual walk home. I currently have the Blitzu brand calf sleeves that I wear after running and as a barrier for the ice packs. I didn't realize how easily it could turn into shin splints though and the idea of being sidelined for a while is a bit concerning so maybe i'll kit it down another gear as well.

Just signed up for the DC Rock n' Roll half in November, hopefully this will get me a better corral spot so I can not worry and get those character pictures!

Thanks for all of your advice!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Perfect! I will give that a try today and maybe a couple more times over the next few days to get a really good average. I see a lot of people use Galloway and I probably should look a bit more into it as well. I read a lot so I just grabbed his book on Kindle, nothing like more information.

Realistically, you should probably only do the mile test once per week at most. But in practice, more often than not, it's better to do it no more than once every 4-6 weeks. If you want to do it for the purpose of just getting a routine down, then maybe on the first attempt rather than aiming for a 95% max effort mile, aim for a mile at 5k or 10k pace. Something far less stressful on the body. And then the next time around do the mile test at mile pace.

I'm a big advocate for reading. There's a lot of great information out there. I'd also recommend Jack Daniels book, "The Running Formula". It's very well written and I feel since it's mathematical in nature (time x effort rather than just simply miles) can be quite translatable to most everyone despite how fast or slow they are. While I haven't personally read Matt Fitzgerald's book "80/20" or "How Bad do you want it?", they're both based off of scientific authors whose research I've read, Samuele Marcora (Psychobioloigcal Model of Endurance) and Stephen Selier (Train Slow predominately). So I'd venture to guess they're good digested reads as well (or you can just go straight to the source by reading Marcora and Selier).

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

Realistically, you should probably only do the mile test once per week at most. But in practice, more often than not, it's better to do it no more than once every 4-6 weeks. If you want to do it for the purpose of just getting a routine down, then maybe on the first attempt rather than aiming for a 95% max effort mile, aim for a mile at 5k or 10k pace. Something far less stressful on the body. And then the next time around do the mile test at mile pace.

This makes a ton of sense. I will add this to my running schedule. Thanks for the book recommendations, I jump between running books and Star Wars books right now, but am almost always on the hunt for something to read.

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

Another week down and I hit some big milestones and really enjoyed time outside! Oh and hit 155 miles for the month of April...

Rock Creek Trail​

I decided to test my mile and while NRC said it was 7:45, I don't know if I necessarily believe that. The mile marker alert when off about a block earlier than usual. So i am going with what it was when I hit the standard mark of about 9:15. Now that I have a good baseline it has been easier to calculate what my easy A, Easy B, and tempo days should be clocking in at. None of these things are anything I would have even been thinking about before the 2nd of April, it's almost like there is pre-quarantine me and this whole new person. I joked with some friends this is a chance to reset, you are out of your routine, your cycles. For example last night I would have probably gone to happy hour with friends, then we would have ended up at someones house for post happy hour drinks. There is no way I would be up this early drinking a delicious cinnamon dolce coffee, but would likely have slept in till10 when I struggled to get out of bed so we could get brunch with bottomless mimosas. I have burned a lot of food, but I am learning how to cook. This is like the home economics class that was taken out of school for us millenials (I am what I call a DOS millenial). I know none of this really has to do with running, but I feel like for me that was the catalyst to cut WAY back on drinking and learning how to eat right. This was post the 10K so I enjoyed a Bell's Oberon, since I couldn't make it home to get it fresh.

​

I had signed up for my first in person half marathon through the Run, Rock n' Roll event and they opened a free 10K and half challenge. I decided for this one I would just do the 10K and hit a PR. *Warning Not a Fast Runner* 1:08:58, this dropped about 5 minutes off my time over the last month. Progress is progress! For the first time running six miles didn't feel like I wanted to die the whole time. Which makes me think I could have kicked it up a bit more, but I am still really finding my groove.

​

In other exciting news got some new shoes in. I really like ON shoes and before I jump into some Brooks I want to get fitted so I stuck with what I know. I got some trail shoes after busting it on the muddy trails around here and a set of the cloudflyers. I think I am starting to have a problem lol I also grabbed the Aftershokz headphones after almost getting smoked by a biker on the trail. With my airpods in I never heard him coming. On top of that my Star Wars Virtual medal arrived!

I'm not sure these will ever be clean again
​

Hope everyone's week went well and the weather holds for some good weekend runs!

 

[jmasgat]

Oberon is always a good choice (and the mug is a nice touch), but being a current Michigander, I may be biased.

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

Oberon is always a good choice (and the mug is a nice touch), but being a current Michigander, I may be biased.

I am a current/former Michigander. My legal residence is the Grand Rapids area, but I currently reside in Maryland (DMV area). I miss the mitten, but alas I go where the Air Force tells me. Oberon is by far one of my favorite beers and growing up and going to college in the GR area I was essentially raised on good mircro-brews. Thankfully, where I am now has some great micro-breweries as well. My mom got me the cup for Christmas this past year. Are you a yooper or a fellow troll?

 

[jmasgat]

Are you a yooper or a fellow troll

Not a yooper and refuse to consider myself a troll. SE Michigan (but a Mass-hole by birth and by nature!)

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

Not a yooper and refuse to consider myself a troll. SE Michigan (but a Mass-hole by birth and by nature!)

I’ve never heard the term mass-hole before but after driving from the airport at rush hour in Boston, it makes perfect sense.

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

Things I learned this week. 1. I am really really bad at "recovery days" and 2. Even knowing your pace doesn't mean you can actually keep it.

In the first week of Hanson's Method there are a ton of rest days, but I haven't really taken sit on the couch rest day in the last 3 weeks. Most of that was that I am trying to build a habit of getting up and moving. I used to go for walks and listen to a book or an easy hike, but recently it doesn't feel normal unless I at least do an easy couple of miles. I know how important rest days are and today is supposed to be an active recovery day, so the plan is to actually just walk today.

2. Pacing....from everything I have read this is the most common issue for new runners. I spent years running a mile and a half as fast as I could that trying to tell myself to slow down in that first mile and a half has been a struggle to say the least. My first mile split is always at least a minute faster than my second or third mile. Last weeks times broke down like this (Note- I am not fast LOL):

Day	1st Mile	2nd Mile
Monday	9:27	11:53
Tuesday	10:33	11:29
Wednesday	9:17	11:40
Thursday	9:05	10:03
Friday	9:52	10:47
Saturday	9:24	10:01
Sunday	9:47	10:15

Based on the pacing chart and my goal I should be running 11:42, Easy A 11:00, Easy B 10:15, long run 9:53, and Tempo at 9:09. So that is the goal this week to really focus on keeping my times as close to the recommended pacing as I can. I am switching all of this to kms since it will give me feedback more often. I would love to use the Nike Run Club pacing on my watch, but half the time the app doesn't actually start on the watch.

Otherwise it was a great week. The way that early sign up for the marathon went has me worried about the star wars sign up in August, but hopefully I can still get the races I am looking for. Till then I have 130 days till my first virtual half and 180 days till my first in person half marathon. Till then I have 5 days of running scheduled ahead of me!

 

[garneska]

Don't get discouraged with the pacing. It is HARD to slow down most of the time especially when you have told yourself to always run hard. I was the same way every time i went out for a run, i ran hard. I would take an easy day but even that was not easy enough. When i first started with @DopeyBadger plan I struggled mightily to slow down. In fact the first cycle i did not and i was injured. The second cycle I was better, definitely not where i needed to be but better. I might be on my 4th or 5th plan or reuse of a plan and man i still battle on some of my slower runs.

Really I just want to let you know it is hard and you have to work at it to stay slow, but keep trying. I will startup a reuse of my plan in 2 weeks.

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

Don't get discouraged with the pacing. It is HARD to slow down most of the time especially when you have told yourself to always run hard. I was the same way every time i went out for a run, i ran hard. I would take an easy day but even that was not easy enough. When i first started with @DopeyBadger plan I struggled mightily to slow down. In fact the first cycle i did not and i was injured. The second cycle I was better, definitely not where i needed to be but better. I might be on my 4th or 5th plan or reuse of a plan and man i still battle on some of my slower runs.

Really I just want to let you know it is hard and you have to work at it to stay slow, but keep trying. I will startup a reuse of my plan in 2 weeks.

Thanks! Yeah it seems like this may be one of the toughest parts of running longer distances. Who would have thought the miles would come easier than the pacing, especially when the goal is to slow down LOL

 

[DopeyBadger]

2. Pacing....from everything I have read this is the most common issue for new runners. I spent years running a mile and a half as fast as I could that trying to tell myself to slow down in that first mile and a half has been a struggle to say the least. My first mile split is always at least a minute faster than my second or third mile. Last weeks times broke down like this (Note- I am not fast LOL):

In my experience, it usually takes 2-3 weeks on average for people to adjust to intentionally running slower. But I've had some people take as long as a year before things really started to click for them. So just be patient with the process and continue to give it a best effort at trying to slow down.

With that being said, what kind of hills are you dealing with? Is the first mile a big downhill and the second a big uphill? Because that could definitely influence the pacing, and where something like grade adjusted pacing (GAP) on Strava is a useful post-run analysis tool.

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

In my experience, it usually takes 2-3 weeks on average for people to adjust to intentionally running slower. But I've had some people take as long as a year before things really started to click for them. So just be patient with the process and continue to give it a best effort at trying to slow down.

With that being said, what kind of hills are you dealing with? Is the first mile a big downhill and the second a big uphill? Because that could definitely influence the pacing, and where something like grade adjusted pacing (GAP) on Strava is a useful post-run analysis tool.

These times are based off a couple different routes I take around my place. One has a significant portion of the first mile downhill, then a pretty flat slight uphill second mile, the other though is a slow gentle up hill for most of the first mile and then flat for the second. The times don't vary greatly between the two routes. Next time I run though I will see if i can keep an eye on the pacing throughout that first mile and see what my pacing is on the downhill. Maybe I'll switch to Strava or add it into my array of tracking apps I have running, currently using NRC, Map My Run, and Charity Miles since friends all chose different apps.

 

[DopeyBadger]

These times are based off a couple different routes I take around my place. One has a significant portion of the first mile downhill, then a pretty flat slight uphill second mile, the other though is a slow gentle up hill for most of the first mile and then flat for the second. The times don't vary greatly between the two routes. Next time I run though I will see if i can keep an eye on the pacing throughout that first mile and see what my pacing is on the downhill. Maybe I'll switch to Strava or add it into my array of tracking apps I have running, currently using NRC, Map My Run, and Charity Miles since friends all chose different apps.

Fair enough, it might be worth a cursory view, but it sounds like it may be more of an effort adjustment thing which isn't uncommon. If you do use Strava to look for GAP, be sure to look at the website desktop version because the mobile version doesn't show GAP.

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

Fair enough, it might be worth a cursory view, but it sounds like it may be more of an effort adjustment thing which isn't uncommon. If you do use Strava to look for GAP, be sure to look at the website desktop version because the mobile version doesn't show GAP.

For sure, I’ll definitely keep it in mind on my next couple runs. Thanks for the advice and different perspective. I’ve never used the web version of Strava I’ll have to take a look at it.

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

Exciting News! Booked the room for the 2021 Star Wars Rival Run. After watching the way the Marathon went I am nervous about even getting a spot. I can't book with a Travel Agent because we booked rooms through DVC. Now I guess we just wait and see. Is anyone else this nervous?!

If you do use Strava to look for GAP, be sure to look at the website desktop version because the mobile version doesn't show GAP.

So this week I was able to maintain a much more consistent pace, but the GAP pace is something that I have been looking at as well. I did a few things to help out with controlling pace. First I switched to km so that I would get a read out a bit more often, plus it's easier to enter in when doing those Virtual runs. Otherwise it's been a good week. I also added in some HIIT style workouts to my day. I decided to go with the "begginner/returning from injury" workouts so I am not over doing it for now.

Paces This Week

First km	First km Gap	Second km	Second km Gap
5:30	5:28	5:46	6:08
5:38	5:50	5:53	6

 

[avondale]

Hey, so quarantine idleness got me to start looking through training journals for folks I don't know. Turns out that I am also located in Silver Spring. I usually split my running between Rock Creek Trail and Sligo Creek Trail, but I will occasionally head to other routes. We are really lucky to have a lot of good running trails in the area.

 

[Stitch'sGlitch]

Hey, so quarantine idleness got me to start looking through training journals for folks I don't know. Turns out that I am also located in Silver Spring. I usually split my running between Rock Creek Trail and Sligo Creek Trail, but I will occasionally head to other routes. We are really lucky to have a lot of good running trails in the area.

Oh nice yeah I live in downtown! So I do the same. Really it depends on if I’m stopping for groceries on the way home. I really like that beach drive is closed right now so I mainly hit Rock Creek, but if I’m doing a Whole Foods run I’ll head over to Sligo. I am ashamed to admit I’ve been here 3 years and my first time on either of the trails was after the quarantine started. Are you part of the silver springs run club?