138 Comments

STAND TALL, CHEST OUT, AND INCREASE CADENCE OR another step, another step,etc

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As an older runner (60+), it was to run on "turf, trail, track or treadmill" to avoid wear and tear on my joints.

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If you're not sure if you should run or not, at least go one mile and if you still are feeling quite right, stop.

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I like that! 👍

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Keep your hands loose - should be able to carry a potato chip in your hand without crushing it. (When my hands are loose, so are my arms, shoulders...you get the point)

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That’s a great tip! I’d never heard it out that way, but it makes perfect sense.

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When going up hills, shorten your stride and use your arms more. (Bob Glover)

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Good idea! I have this little waist/hip carrier that holds 2 small water bottles..it comes in handy!

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I was that if I’m running a race as a novice runner, my goal should only be about finishing. If I set a goal to run a marathon in a certain number of minutes and then don’t achieve that - I will feel like a failure EVEN THOUGH I FINISHED THE THING. That has stuck with me.

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I was at work talking about my bucket wish list “ someday I’d like to run a marathon “ and someone said go do it we don’t know what tomorrow holds I entered NY lottery and got in When I crossed the finish I knew it wasn’t the finish but the start of something great Know each step forward leads to something great

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There will be days when you want to run but can’t, don’t waste the days where you can run but won’t.

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that i don't need to always "run hard, train hard". Enjoy more easy runs

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If one is properly hydrated, running for 2 hours without wasting valuable time thinking about or taking on water is not necessary.

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Just do it!🏃‍♀️and bring your water if you're going more than 5 miles!!!!🥤

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I plan my longs runs where I know there will be a water fountain or a water hose.

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December 5, 2020
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They're few and far between but finding one keeps me from having to carry a water bottle...

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I've run since high school which was a very long time ago. The two things I'll never forget are, set a goal and don't go crazy and over-train for it. And secondly, enjoy it! My days of breaking my PR's are long gone. I run because I love the way it makes me feel when I cross the finish line or do a long run on a Sunday morning. If you don't truly enjoy it, what's the sense of doing it.

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Using a realistic pace group (when available) - by staying with a lower pace group, I easily know if I'm feeling up to the challenge of moving ahead of the group. More often than not, this pushes me to improve goals and as a result my PR as well.

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I've come up on a group and even asked if they wanted some company... I find I run faster on longer runs in a group and on 5 & 10 K's... I look at the runner ahead and try to reel them in...

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"when you feel it, go for it!" a girl told me this a long time ago. sometimes controlling your pace and monitoring your breathing just doesn't matter. i'll kick it into high gear if i'm feeling strong while going up a hill, or if i just get some strong internal energy.

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Biggest impression on me was doing the virtual racing and doing my own time and doing my own program with the group through I love to run and doing challenges for a month and this is really improved my time and taking time for myself because I wasn't working and communicating with people and helping them with their goals as well I've gotten a lot faster I think this time of crisis you need to find something to focus you yourself on and prepare for your future racing with other people and it makes you appreciate racing more with other people's

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"Rest days"

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Yes, yes. Some call them "recovery days" so we Type A's won't feel like we're wasting time!

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Amen!

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One of the most difficult things in a marathon is getting to the starting line healthy, and when you cross the finish line you will be changed forever

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Have a strategy for the entire half marathon. Begin planning with a thorough study of the conditions expected for the day. Check out the route map and especially the elevation chart. Know the weather forecast. If you can, travel the route a day or two before the race. The course isn’t always what it appears to be in pictures or charts. Then divide the race into segments that are developed around stretches that will require a pace or technique change. Plan an appropriate pace for each segment. Depending on the conditions, I usually use about three-mile segments, resting a bit in miles 10-13 to prep for a big push in mile 13 and a “Hollywood finish” in the last 0.1

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I love this idea! I’m going to start breaking up my races like this. Thanks for the idea!

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"You will start and you will finish" when I was having a fit of nerves before my first marathon. Now its our mantra when we are starting a race.

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‘Heart on fire- brain on ice’ and ‘I am an Athlete’ - words of wisdom from Ellie, my Women Walk the Marathon coach for my first marathon in 2001. 4 marathons and 80+ half marathons and lots of 10k races, I am still out there walking at age 73. Her words still motivate and inspire me daily!

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At seventy-one and also out there, you're my hero!!!!!!

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Love this Susie! You are my inspiration. I'm 51 and have run several half marathons, for the first time I'm contemplating a full marathon (in 2022 when I become an empty nester).

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Love that! 🙌

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From Laz Lake- always take care of your feet. Blisters are not normal- if you get one, take care of the cause. I changed shoes twice during the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee to find a pair that fit right!

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That man is a legend! Have you seen the documentary about the Barkley Marathons? It's absolutely fascinating.

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I have watched one of them- I believe there are several. It has been fun getting to 'know' him through the GVRAT and now the CRAW! I will never be an ultra-runner, but apparently I enjoy virtually hanging around with those who are.

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Liking all the comments ahead of me , the getting older I hear ya ....I switched / changed to the 80/20 Running ( book by the same name ) it works for me , each person just needs to find what works best for them , I walk some on every run and take days off , that alone has reduced knee and leg recovery 99% . not worry about my time , just enjoy the road and trail runs even more . 1 quote I saw on here that really says alot " I'm a recreational runner and nothing depends on my running performance....But I'm adding unless I'm racing with family members LOL..and when I'm running trails ...To finish standing upright is my goal HA....Happy Holidays an Blessings to everyone ,

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Right back at you, Mike! I love that philosophy.

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Rested legs are key and I may have read this here, or maybe a recent article somewhere, but that the best runners in the world train at about 80% of their actual potential which makes me feel less guilty about only doing 2 short runs &then maybe a long run, or mountain climb depending on my mood &what I'm training for per week. I always feel guilty when my friends ask how much I have to run per day to train for a marathon and I tell them how much I really run, but it works great for me to rest and then maybe go for a long run on the weekends.

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That's actually a really interesting (and good!) approach, it sounds like. Especially when you have a limited amount of time to devote to training -- which is what most of us have. Definitely food for thought 👍

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Relax.

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show up for the race uninjured!!

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Really good advice!

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Consistency, long runs & variety of pace

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Vary the workouts and don’t feel like you have to run every day. I kept getting injured with daily running as I got older. I cut back to every other day running and daily walks. It works much better for me now. And not every run is a race as has been said by many.

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That's really great advice, Anne -- rest and less-strenuous exercise is something we should all be thinking about. And, walking is fantastic exercise!

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I mentioned this article before, but an quote by Christina Chung stated: “At the end of the day, I’m a recreational runner and nothing depends on my running performance. There’s no point in focusing on the fact that I’m slowing and feeling down about it.”

I can't run as fast as before, but I'm still moving forward.

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You said it, Belle!

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Amen to that!! Even though I've slowed down, I'm more consistent than I was. And now I'm never hungover anymore when I run , either!!!🤪🤪🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

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Yep!!!

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Just put one foot in front of the other.

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Amen 🙌

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"Respect Rest Days", they are an important part of the training process.

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That's a great way of putting it!

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Reduce the length of your stride when going up a hill.

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Yes! This advice was crucial when training for the SF Half Marathon!!!

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To vary my training with easy runs, hard runs, short runs, and long runs.

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Don't let ego overrule good judgment.

(My first running coach used to say that whenever I was trying to push through potential injury or not feeling well.)

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Good one!

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That is great advice for more than just running! 😃

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Not every run is a race. If I didn't match or beat my time regularly I would feel like I wasn't progressing. There will be natural dips and accelerations in performance progress. Also, RELAX. Drop the shoulders and breathe how you need to rather than worrying about a specific breathing technique. That did alot for recovery and stamina. And good shoes...

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Amen to all of that! 👏

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An 80 year old friend of mine (Bill Welsh) told me that when you're injured, don't take a few weeks off to recover. He had seen too many people take a few weeks off, and then he never saw them again.

I also knew Ted Corbitt when he was in his 80's. When Ted was younger, he was a better runner than almost everybody. AS Ted got older, he had to walk his races and he was often the slowest one there. I learned from Ted to just keep moving, no matter how slowly, and to not let it bother you when you're not as good as you once were.

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Great advice!

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Amen!

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That's great advice -- we have a way of giving in to inertia, don't we? A body in motion tends to stay in motion, and a body at rest tends to stay at rest, applies to us too.

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I think probably the piece of advice that most impacted my running was to go to a running specialty store to get fitted for shoes. When I started running I just picked up a pair of inexpensive Nike running shoes at Dicks Sporting Goods. I had a lot of shin and knee pain and figured that it just kind of came with the territory. In my research I came across an article on getting fitted for running shoes and it changed everything. Armed with my new shoes I was able to run with reduced pain and once the inflammation subsided, pretty much pain free! I don't know if I would have kept at it if I hadn't gotten the right shoes.

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Absolutely!

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It took two bouts of Planters before I realized, you don't skimp on shoes and socks!!! My wife always asks why I need so may pairs of shoes and after so many miles why I give them away.. I just bought an early XMAS present for myself... The new Nike speciality marathon shoe... It is a hundred more than any shoe I've ever even thought about purchasing.. but if it keeps me running w/o getting hurt, It'll be worth every penny...

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Curious, what kind of shoe do you run in now?

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Asics and Brooks but trying the new Nike marathon shoe...

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After running in Saucony Guides for a few years I ended up in a Hoka Clifton with orthotics. The Sauconys were great for me when my longest distance was a half. When I was training for a marathon it became apparent that my feet and ankles needed something else. I ran my first marathon in horrible pain during the later miles of the race. The next marathon I trained and ran the race in the Hokas and did not have the pain. I also really like the Hoka Rincon. Both models have nice cushioning that feels springy and the shoes are really light.

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Thanks! I've heard alot about Hoka's, I run in Saucony primarily right now. But it's good to know if I need to change it up in the future, I have a good option.

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Excellent, excellent advice, Stacy! It's so great to have a store with staff that can help you that way.

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Early on: Enjoy.

When I had the appetite to race, with a purpose (my “why”)

1. Regarding training: Trust the process. Listen to you body.

2. Regarding a race: Take the race in 3 sections: Section #1: run with your brain (steady, not too fast); Section #2: run with your body (for the bulk of the race mileage run with body feel for sustainable pace), Section #3: run with heart. (Use your “why” and go!)

Ongoing: Enjoy!

Learned so much in my 3 years running but these basics I foremost hold.

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I am still working on the brain part. Races are usually in the morning when my legs can still sneak around my foggy brain. 🤣

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That's so great, Debra! I've never heard it laid out that way before, but that's a really interesting approach.

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“Make your hard days HARD and your easy days EASY.” I used to* run too hard on ‘easy’ days, which left me too whupped to fully achieve my goals on the hard days.

[*full confession: the weather was so amazing yesterday that I “overdid” an easy run that may affect the comfort of my long run tomorrow. 🙄 This is clearly a work in progress 😎]

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I do the same thing on days like that!

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Same here, Steph! How far did you go yesterday?

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Just under 7. The mileage was right on plan (6 easy miles + 6 hill sprints) but the ‘easy’ miles were waaaaay too fast. Hill sprints were still right on—more a testament to my strength training than my brain tho.

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I struggle with that, too!

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Its not reasonable to expect every run to be awesome. Not every day of your life is awesome, so don't get down if you have a couple bad runs in a row. Keep pushing, find the joy in what you do, and eventually you'll hit that runner high again - probably sooner than later.

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Alright!

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I agree, I always tell myself the hard runs make the easy runs easier. And nothing makes a bad day better like accomplishing a difficult run!

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Very wise words 👍

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"If you want to run fast, run fast." Just seemed to sum up every last thing about running for me. Deceptively simple and maddningly elusive!!! But. I shaved TWO MINUTES off my mile after that!!!

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This is so true! When i don't do sprints or intervals, my time really suffers.

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Yes! For a while, all I was doing to try to get faster long runs was trying to do long runs faster. Once I incorporated speed work into my training (intervals mostly), I really noticed a difference in my long runs. Now I'm working on incorporating strides.

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I haven't done strides but love (hate, love/hate) intervals!!! I'm a turtle at heart. Everything about me and the way I am built just wants to run slow and long... but there is something really amazing about pushing out of my comfort zone to run "fast" (relative of course, again, I'm a turtle!!) It's such a powerful feeling.

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Yup! “Long slow distance teaches your body to run long slow distance.” Long runs are important but so are quick intervals, tempos, strides, and—my favorite—hill sprints.

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exactly!! I've always loved running hills (up, not down)... I can't say I do hill sprints because I'm pretty sure no one looking at me would ever call what I do sprinting!! 😂 so I call them repeats 😊

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Sprints are just 8-10 seconds. Sometimes I go all they way to 15 because I EAT HILLS FOR BREAKFAST 🤣

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I love that!! chomp! chomp!! CHOMP!!!

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Wow! That's amazing!

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Best advice I received from a running coach in Cbus OH - Have Fun Running Out There! Trying to hit a PR can be stressful and people handle stress differently. I run for fun now and haven’t had runner’s fatigue or injuries in almost 2 years. I cross the finish line just like everyone else 😊.

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That's great feedback, Donna! Especially about how you haven't experienced fatigue or injuries after approaching it that way; injuries affect *so* many runners. I had a bad Achilles injury years ago that made it impossible for me to run for about a year -- I just couldn't do it. I don't want to go through that again! Thank you for these thoughts 😃

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“I’m not running to get faster, I’m running to get to know myself” - probably poorly paraphrased but credit to Edith’s Drawing Links newsletter. When I first read that it really struck a chord and has changed my perspective on the purpose of my runs. It’s a time that I get to spend just enjoying myself and appreciating the process.

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I love that! Running is very much a journey for me as well. I love what Edith has had to say about running too -- so much of it strikes a chord with me as well. 😃

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Rest days are as important as work outs

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Amen!

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Very, very true, and that's probably something I should emphasize more in our newsletter -- do you have a set number of rest days per week/month?

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Depends on distance of runs for me LOL and how many fire calls I get out of bed for I volunteer for my local fire department and some weeks are worse then others kind of hurts the bottom line for miles a week

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Don’t worry about how fast you run! If you’re out there, you’re already far ahead of the couch potatoes😉

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So true!

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Very recently..."The first 10 is the pace, last 3, the race". I had never heard that and it literally is a game changer for racing a half for me. My training plan (aggressive) had 2 long runs with that exact approach. Since I am newer to running, never knew that! Let's see if it pays off this Sunday in my half.

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I'm going to remember this for my next race. Good luck on Sunday.

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I love this!

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I like that, MIchelle! Good luck on Sunday -- is it a virtual race, or in-person?

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Believe it or not in person! Rehoboth was canceled which was a bummer, so I looked hard for another in person. It is at Far Rockaway in Queens, NY for World Aids Day. Doubt there will be a lot of us, but in person definitely motivates me....flat course, 2 loops, temps look awesome (high 30s.low 40s). We shall see!!

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As an amateur (non pro) runner I have red one advice that changed my attitude to ruining and to my results: always compete and compare your results NOT to others but to earlier results of yours. This made the biggest impact to my scope. There are always faster runners unless you are champion, there are always someone who runs further, attends more challenges, participate more events. Measure yourself against yourself.

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Right!

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That's *really* good advice, Dainius. It's so easy -- so, so easy -- to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others. (I do it all the time!) But that's something to remember.

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Actually, sometimes I compare myself to others, but now this is not main "evaluation". One more thing I gained after this approach: more respect to other, especially slower, runners. Everyone run at their own pace and reaches their own distances. Everyone fights their own wars.

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