Running

I absolutely agree with this @gillies - if you're committed to doing this particular HM then getting a medical professional to look at it as soon as possible is almost certainly the best thing to do.

I agree with the above, don't do what a lot of us do and start up again too soon. Just take a week off and focus on S&C and/or Yoga and assess. I find even walking is too stressful on an injured Achilles tendon. The only activity I recommend is cycling, due to less ankle flexion when pedalling compared to running/walking.

Vaporflys arrived this afternoon, no chance in hell my custom orthotics were fitting into them, and they don’t have the arch support I’d need for 42km of pavement pounding. My god they were nice shoes though!

Hoping to get to the local sports shop tomorrow but I don’t expect them to have anything that niche in stock in my size.

Any recommendations for a super trainer that might have space for custom orthotics? I’m in ASICS kayanos atm so might try metaspeed, but that said I’ve not had issues with orthotics fitting into nike Pegasus either and they weren’t going near the vaporflys

Week 10 of a 16 week mararthon training and managed to pick up a cold yesterday. Took yesterday and today off. Am I mad thinking if I feel better ill still be able to do my long run session Sunday?

I’d play it safe, maybe swap in a short run if you’re feeling good on Sunday and if that goes well then push the longer one to, say, Tuesday

Could try the ASICS Metaspeed

If it’s swollen then I would be resting it - that sounds like an injury rather than say stiffness/soreness. I have recommended Manni_O on here before but would do so again as someone to work with through injury

I’d assume you probably aren’t doing the half, I’m about 10 weeks into trying to rehab a calf/ Achilles injury and only just getting back to running properly. It’s been a bumpy road and had to pull back and rest a few times.

As above see a physio who may say that a few weeks rest and it might be ok but it sounds like it’s past that point and rehab is needed.

I've just started running 15k & 1/2 Marathon to stretch myself a bit. Seems like I might need to have a little bit of fuel for the longer efforts (1hour+) and possibly some salt tablets as I'm getting some mild dehydration symptoms following longer runs.

Any recommendations on brands/suppliers to look at?

Veloforte chews are excellent, if a bit pricey. I’m partial to the amaro and the citra, and find they don’t have bad effects on the stomach.
The cherry gel is also pretty good.

Thanks for that, I'm not eating so many that the price is an issue so I might give those a go.

Just buy some maltodexterin powder from my protein. Can buy electrolyte pills too.

Cheap and works.

I like the Maurten solid bar for a pre-run as it’s super convenient. A bagel with banana is also pretty good I find. Maurten 320 is also a good option for a pre-run to have enough fuel but deffo an acquired taste

I've been eating a banana before running but it took me well over an hour to complete 15k and 1/2 marathon a lot longer so I thought anything I'm eating beforehand is pretty much gone after an hour. In fairness, if my 15k times improve I might not need to fuel while running but 1/2 marathon and potentially further is things go well I figure I will need something.

I guess that could work if I'm carrying liquids, which I might need to if I progress to marathons.

Electrolyte pills are all pretty much the same regardless of the source?

You need to eat something substantial about three hours before your run, if you want to be properly fuelled. Which can be a lot easier said than done.

It’s taken me 5 years to realise this. If I eat within about 2 hours it spikes my insulin and I bonk during the run.

I eat substantial meal 3hrs before and then sip energy drink as warming up if doing a hard session or fine without anything if easy or steady.

Never bothered fuelling before/during runs up to and including a HM. The body should contain enough energy from glycogen in the muscles/liver to cover at least that distance*.

I've only started to run (pun intended) into problems when I was pushing further than HM. The 25k or 28k training runs for example, I just took a couple of gels and had them at 8k and 16k.

This is part of the reason why a marathon is such a different thing to a half marathon. The vast majority of people could cover the HM distance without eating. Very few could run a marathon without eating and not suffer some loss of performance.

It does depend on how well trained your fat metabolism is though. When I started doing long distance cycling I would barely scrape into the first control at 50km feeling absolutely starving, after a while doing them I could go much further before needing to eat. On PBP I had my first food at the 180km mark and I've done a few 200km rides on a couple of bidons of squash alone.

* As a generalisation the number of calories used to cover a certain distance is roughly the same regardless of whether you walk, jog or run.

I get through so much food i refuse to buy anything not cheap. Sometimes I make stuff but if it's nice I eat it before I left the house.

Cereal bars are always good for me, oat and honey ones. Bananas. You don't need 'sports food'. Blend and apple and banana and put it in something you can carry and drink (reuse baby food pouch) and you've sports food.

Thanks all. I've managed a few 15/21k without water/fuel and I don't normally eat before running because I generally run in the morning and I've not eaten since the night before. I will probably be interested in going further than HM in the future so that's why I'm having to think about what that will require.

I'll have another read of the Lore Of Running chapter on energy systems.

I read Citra and thought hops, silly me...

But now I think about it, maybe that's an untapped market? West coast gels and double dry hopped energy drinks 😆

I find Voom products decent and affordable -
https://www.voomnutrition.co.uk/products/hydrate-electrolyte-drink

https://www.voomnutrition.co.uk/products/pocket-rocket-electro-energy-bar

I also generally run in the mornings with no food. I found Nak'd bars to be a good snack for mid run. Easy to digest and not too sweet. Fit well in a pocket as well.

Need to see what you can tolerate food wise just before running.

Maybe banana on toast. Banana itself. Banana and oat smoothie. Maltodexterin drink but made strong. Then take another banana or bar to eat if you feel the need. Or just take a drink and sip on some maltodexterin.

I've found Pop Tarts to be my go to pre long run /race breakfast. 36g of carbs, virtually no fiber, easily digestible. I can stomach 2 an hour before with a coffee and pint of water with 2 electrolyte tablets. Then I'll take a gel every 30 mins and sup water throughout. You don't need the gel every 30 mins on the slow long run but you do in a marathon so I'm training my gut as much as I'm training the rest of me!

During the week I'll have half a banana before the run and take a sup of water from a fountain along the route. If I have a session that runs over an hour I'll take a gel half way.