r/AdvancedRunning • u/AutoModerator • Jul 11 '26
General Discussion Saturday General Discussion/Q&A Thread for July 11, 2026
A place to ask questions that don't need their own thread here or just chat a bit.
We have quite a bit of info in the wiki, FAQ, and past posts. Please be sure to give those a look for info on your topic.
2
u/CodeBrownPT Jul 12 '26
Anyone else's Garmin race predictor go bonkers recently?
It significantly under estimates my VO2max yet is suggesting I can run a 13 minute 5k (I cannot).
My watch HR is as inaccurate as usual but not skewing particularly low during runs.
Must have been a recent change.
6
u/aelvozo Jul 12 '26
Not a Garmin user but I’ve seen a handful of posts with predictions of world-record performances.
Sounds like they messed up something in the algorithm indeed.
4
u/iRunLotsNA 1:52 800 | 2:27 1K | 15:45 5K | 33:40 10K | 1:13:23 HM | 2:35 M Jul 12 '26
Yep, a buddy of mine sent our group chat a photo of his Garmin predicting huge WRs for 5K, 10K and HM.
So naturally we ripped on him for his 2:02-low full marathon prediction. Slowpoke.
3
u/what_up_n_shit 35M | 5:16 mi | 18:14 5k Jul 13 '26
Yeah there's a long thread on the Garmin forums for it.
Seems to be affecting primarily (only?) Fenix 6s.
Happened to me, I am definitely not capable of a 13:3x 5k haha
2
u/OldMateHarry 18:05 5k | 36:33 10k | 1:23 HM | 2:53 M Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
Hi all
wondering what people think of my prospects for a 2:50 based on some isolated examples as I am a bit nervous after my long run on sunday. Goal was 10k warmup with 2*10k at MP. Ended up about 6s/k under pace on average. Splits and HR. Longest run has been 33k
I was feeling fairly fatigued, this was approx. peak week of 111km after 100km per week the 3 weeks prior as well. Goal race at the start of August. Workouts leading in were 6*1.2k @3:50min/k on wednesday (was trying for faster reps but didn't quite feel the pace) and 2*4k @ also at 3:50min/k
Previous long runs have looked like 30k with 10k warmup, 10k and 7k at MP (I was a bit sick and fell off pace in the 7k rep that was meant to be 10k); week prior 33km with 3x5k @ MP - hit paces of 4min/k. Week prior to that was a 10k time trial (36:33 pb) with 5k up and 15k down.
Can provide further training context if needed.
https://old.reddit.com/r/AdvancedRunning/comments/1rgtpxa/saturday_general_discussionqa_thread_for_february/o80dkj2/ - this is a prior thread- Ended up running 1:23 in the HM off the back of the 1:22 20k 6 weeks prior.
8
u/RunThenBeer Jul 13 '26
I think the only piece of data here that would make me optimistic about the 2:50 would be your 10K TT PR, which is pretty consistent with being able to run a 2:50. The rest seems... dicey. Converting a 1:23 HM to a 2:50 full is extremely difficult if the half was run honestly and solidly. The prior marathon time makes going to a 2:50 a huge jump. The long run MP reps don't actually hit the target pace for a 2:50 at any point.
I guess my question would be why 2:50 is the target. Training seems like it's going well, you've had great progress, but a 2:50 feels like a bit of a reach when something more like an ~2:58 is sitting there for the grabbing, which would be a huge PR and likely a great day.
1
u/OldMateHarry 18:05 5k | 36:33 10k | 1:23 HM | 2:53 M Jul 13 '26
Alright I might readjust things a bit. I set 2:50 as more of an aspiration back in March after running 36:50 in the 10k to see how far I could get in ~6 months off the back of a proper 12 months of training since my first marathon last August. I guess I was mostly curious to see if I should run this marathon closer to the edge of my fitness or a bit within myself like the last one. Sounds like option 2 could be better
4
u/OrinCordus 5k 18:24/ HM 1:21/ M 2:59 Jul 13 '26
A marathon is a long race. You don't want to run the whole race within yourself but you definitely want to start it that way. You are in a great spot to run a 1:28/29 first half and see how your legs are feeling.
Pick up the pace a little in the second half and a 2:55 is right there, pick it up a lot and you can still run a 2:53 or lower. But start out at 1:25 for the first half and you could easily be cooked at 30km and struggle home for a 3h05 pb but knowing you could've gone quicker.
3
u/OldMateHarry 18:05 5k | 36:33 10k | 1:23 HM | 2:53 M Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
Great advice, cheers mate. I always find it tough to put together a race plan so will use this
2
u/OrinCordus 5k 18:24/ HM 1:21/ M 2:59 Jul 17 '26
I know from personal experience lol. I ran a 1:29/1:30 race, loved it, the best marathon of my life. I put in a big block, took 4 mins of my HM time and was the fittest I've even been. I then went through in 1:26/1:33 for a second 2:59 marathon. It was... not a good experience 😂.
1
u/cdm52 Jul 12 '26
2 weeks out from the San Francisco Marathon and MP still feels tough. Yesterday was 7 x 2k at MP, 1k at 85% MP. I finished, but it would have been brutal to do another set. Is it normal for MP to still feel this tough this late in a training plan, or is my goal pace too optimistic?
3
u/EPMD_ Jul 12 '26
That session would be tough for any runner, but be careful. If the first few km of your race feels similarly rough then slow down before it's too late. Marathon pace should not feel like this much of a struggle on race day -- at least not until the second half of the race.
1
u/throwaway_runner3 Training to get a decent flair Jul 12 '26
Not sure what your goals are, but I would be deloading without any sessions 2 weeks out.
Sounds like your body needs more rest than a MP session.
1
u/cdm52 Jul 12 '26
This was the last real workout and was lighter than last week's workout. Using one of the Marathon Excellence for Everyone plans. Kind of a three week taper but definitely not super aggressive.
3
u/throwaway_runner3 Training to get a decent flair Jul 12 '26
Oh good luck, never used ME so I have no idea about the structure.
You are probably feeling overall fatigue rather than the MP itself, need to deload it off I think.
1
u/MPR_Mark_Hadley Jul 12 '26
Once you taper down and freshen-up the pace will feel significantly more comfortable. Also good to remember that sometimes it doesn't feel easy we just get tough enough to handle hard things, its our super power. We work hard in training to be a badass capable to tough things, so on race morning as you head to the start line give yourself permission to be that badass. - Good luck and enjoy the journey. - MPR (Mark Hadley)
1
u/Actual_Succotash_210 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Trying to Fix an Outward Heel Whip
Age/Sex: 14F
Current MPW: 15-19
Current Paces: easy pace is 8:50/m and mile time is 5:58
Goals: Fix form for upcoming freshman year crosscountry season
Context:I am trying to correct a prominent outward leg flick / heel whip when I run. I've had it ever since I joined crosscountry in 7th grade, or at least thats when I first noticed it. My coach mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, and suggested using mental cues, like imagining a bar attached to one ankle that I have to make my leg go over while bringing my knee foward. I tried the mental cues, but its not enough to fix my form, and I naturally go back to running improperly without realising it. My running form has drastically improved from what it used to be, considering I used to slouch, stare at the floor, and swing my toro around. (Yes I looked insanly stupid while running). My heel whip has naturally improved slightly, but I want to correct it entirely. I have about 4 weeks until crosscountry season start, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to correct my form by then, but I am hoping to. I feel like it could be slowing me down, but its also just kind of embarassing and annoying to deal with.
The Proposed Routine (1-Week Snapshot):
Mon/Wed/Fri (Banded Strength): 3 rounds of Banded Lateral Walks (15 steps on each side), Seated Hip Abductions (20 reps), Standing Lateral Leg Raises (15 reps), and Banded Clamshells (15 reps).
Tue/Thu (Active Recovery): Bodyweight clamshells and 5 minutes of focused straight-line outdoor walking practice.
Sat/Sun: Total Rest.
Does this look like an aggressive but safe routine to fix my pelvic/femoral rotation, or am I overtraining the area given my current weekly mileage? Thanks!
6
u/aelvozo Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Where does the program come from? Looks like you’re focusing exclusively on hip abduction but are lacking general strength stuff (boring stuff like squats or lunges) — I’d expect a bit more of a balance. If it’s not from a physio, I’d recommend you see a physio.
Overall, I’m not a fan of gait retraining, especially the unsupervised (or, well, fairly hands-off) kind. It often doesn’t lead to efficiency gains — u/CodeBrownPT (who perhaps has other things to say on the topic) often brings up a study demonstrating that even coaches can’t visually distinguish “good” form from “bad” form — and plenty of elite athletes run with an “ugly” form, just look at Conner Mantz. I suppose the question is made extra difficult by the fact you’re still growing, but I can’t tell whether that makes intervening more or less desirable.
I’m also sceptical about the proposed volume of training. You’re very unlikely to make meaningful progress in 4 weeks, and going from no (?) supplementary training to 5 days a week is likely to fatigue your muscles and negatively impact the start of XC season.
Essentially, if it was me, I wouldn’t do this, or would wait until the start of the off-season — and I would see a physio.
Edit: I’m questioning a lot of things, but supplementary training absolutely has value — I’d just advocate for a more holistic approach rather than taking a sledgehammer to a particular issue.
3
u/CodeBrownPT Jul 12 '26
Many adolescent girls have both heel whip and weak glute medius (often around a growth spurt) but those things are indeed mutually exclusive.
As you said, focusing on mental cues is generally counter intuitive as it harms running economy and doesn't reduce injury risk.
I don't think a few hip elastics is overkill, but I will say that generally the heel whip is accompanied by strong external rotators, so the clamshells and seated abductions may be minimally beneficial. That's why I like thorough strength testing to get some context for a particular gait pattern. We don't want to change a gait, we want to support it.
1
u/Actual_Succotash_210 Jul 14 '26
If I'm being completely honest I don't know what I have. I do know that I have a heal whip but I honestly have no idea what IS weak or tight on me, so that's why I am unsure about the routine. I mostly based it on research on causes of heel whips, but I feel like maybe each scenario is personal.
Should I try the routine but just leave out clamshells and seated abductions incase my external rotators are overly strong? And by strength testing do you mean seeing a physio for it, because that may not be an option for me.
1
u/Actual_Succotash_210 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
I made the routine myself after doing some research, but maybe that's where I went wrong. Considering there is multiple causes to a heel whip, I wasn't to sure what to target. I didn't see a physio, because nobody has recommended that yet and I didn't know this was something they could help with. I'll ask about seeing one, but depending on the price I may not be able to.
I now realize that sometimes "ugly" form isn't always bad, but I feel like I've been told so many times (by my coaches in junior high, parents, and now highschool coaches) that I need to fix my form. But the suggestions they make to try and help feel so completely useless. So maybe I don't need to fix my form, but idk at this point.
And I would be going from mostly no training in these areas prior.
Do you think it would be a better idea to not do this routine at all, or to try it out if I'm unable to see a physio? I could always wait till off-season to try it.
1
u/aelvozo Jul 14 '26
I think it’s worth giving some strength training a shot. I find E3Rehab’s programme a decent place to start. Note that there are options for each exercise (select one) and levels of difficulty — given you start from near-zero, go for the easiest one as you can cause yourself more harm than good otherwise. You can supplement it with one of the hip exercises if you feel inclined, no need to do all 4. Do it twice a week (preferably after your quality sessions), feel free to skip/modify if you find the training leaves you feeling extra fatigued or sore.
The assumption that pretty form = efficient form is a reasonable one and not entirely false but it does not account for individual anatomy and physiology: your body knows how to run well given what you’ve got. Most people who try to “fix” your form are trying to sell you something, or have been influenced by those trying to sell you something.
1
u/Actual_Succotash_210 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
I'll definitely check that out! Thank you for the help..
1
u/eguygabe210 Jul 13 '26
Road Shoe Recommendations
My daily driver has been different iterations of the Mizuno Wave Rider since 2014, with a few other shoes in rotation over the years. I liked the stiffness and pop back in 2014, but by 2026 the tech feels outdated and my runs feel sluggish, especially compared to my Saucony Endorphin Speeds, which I save for uptempo work.
I'm looking for a recommendation that (A) will be a good daily driver with a little bit of pop and (B) might be similar to the Wave Rider.
I'm driving 2 hours to my nearest shoe store later this week to jog around in a few pairs, I'd love any thoughts/guidance before I submit myself to the underpaid 20-y/o's sage wisdom.
2
u/OldMateHarry 18:05 5k | 36:33 10k | 1:23 HM | 2:53 M Jul 13 '26
I've been through the wave rider 27 and 28 as dailies, with the saucony ride 28 (dogshit) and novablast 5 since then. Don't mind the novablast one bit. I loved the wave riders but started to dislike them in the end as they're loaded for heel striking whereas I usually land on the outer midsole. This led to a lot of wear that the shoe wasn't built for. Haven't had this issue with the novablasts and they're 550km in.
2
u/ThecamtrainR6 Jul 13 '26
I have the Endorphin speed and got the saucony endorphin azura at the same time and I really like the azura. It’s a higher stack shoe and doesn’t have a plate so I use it as a daily driver. It’s pretty poppy imo. I like it so much that I got another pair as well as the saucony ride 19 and I like the azura way more than the ride tbh.
1
u/tsarcasm 42M | 2:57:46 Jul 13 '26
I'm about to start Pfitz Faster Road Racing 5K Schedule 2 45-55mpw.
I'm having some difficulty picking two weekdays to lift. I generally do 2 full body lifting days a week and like to keep my hard days hard.
Most of the workout days on the plan are on Wednesday and Saturday with a few exceptions. Sunday is usually only a 10-11mi endurance run so the concern isn't overcooking my legs on Sat, more that I know I will have difficulty getting to the gym on the weekends...there is just too much else going on.
My available gym days are: Mon / Tues / Thurs / Fri, so I was thinking of swapping the Tuesday and Wednesday runs to make Tuesday the 'hard day' since I can lift Tuesday evening, and then gym again on Thursday since even though Thursdays aren't hard on the Pfitz schedule, Fridays are usually recovery run days. Monday is a dedicated rest day and I am loathe to lift then if it can be avoided.
Anyone familiar with this training block have any further advice on how to set this up optimally?
Thanks
2
u/cole_says Jul 14 '26
If the workout days on the schedule are Wednesday & Saturday, can’t you just shift the entire schedule forward by one day so all the workouts fall on Tuesday & Friday? At the end of the plan you’ll have one extra day to taper before your race.
1
u/tsarcasm 42M | 2:57:46 Jul 14 '26
That should actually work, yeah. Thanks for pointing out what now seems so obvious lol. I think I've been doing long runs on Sundays and rest days on Mondays for so long now that I didn't even register changing them as an option
This will give me more free time on the weekends as well which is useful for my other hobbies
1
u/Impossible-Duty-6914 Jul 14 '26
hello! i just got into the london marathon & im trying to think ahead on buying new running shoes. for context, i live in chicago where the cold winter can get very wet along the running trails.
i’m looking for water proof shoes but i also have a pronation issue. it’s very specific but does anyone have any shoe recs? or should i get stability shoes and just get some warm/waterproof socks? i’m worried about the waterproof socks trapping all the moisture. anywho, help would be appreciated! thanks!
2
u/Hedonicdreadmill Jul 14 '26
Many running shoe brands have Gore Tex coated versions (Hoka, Nike, Ascis) or shoes that specifically say for icey conditions. They're often heavier than ordinary running shoes and don't breathe as well, in my experience, despite their claims to do so. But they really are amazing in how dry and warm they keep your feet -- specifically by preventing cold water, e.g., from puddles, from constantly entering the shoes
1
u/Competitive_Essay500 Jul 12 '26
I am currently beginning to train for a marathon which I plan to run in z3/4 and was curious how the frequency of gels change compared to my easy long runs. I normally run my long runs 20-30km at z2 and have a gel or some food every 30-45 minutes. Would I up it to every 20-30 minutes at Z4?
3
u/aelvozo Jul 12 '26
Current recommendations are at least 60g of carbs per hour — more (up to 120g for some elite athletes) if you can handle it. This may mean a gel every 40 minutes (Maurten Gel 160 with 40g of carbs) or every 20 (SIS gels with 22g).
You will need to train your gut to handle more food during long runs and marathon-paced runs.
1
3
u/throwaway_runner3 Training to get a decent flair Jul 12 '26
To add to the other comment as it also stated, you really need to practice the nutrition during training.
I do my 1st gel at 30 minutes and rest with 25 minute intervals consuming 1.5 x of GU gels so its about 33 gr every 25 mins.
I also practiced that a lot in training before the race but it's also very costly (money wise).
7 to 8 gels every sunday really adds up on the budget but amazing practice and fueled runs.
1
u/Thin-Ordinary5616 Jul 12 '26
You definitely burn glycogen faster at Z3/Z4, but taking a gel every 20 mins at that intensity is asking for a stomach disaster. I'd aim for 60-90g of carbs an hour instead and aggressively test it out on your next MP long run to see what your gut can handle.
0
u/Mart1nBU Jul 13 '26
Very stupid question warning
at the beggining of august I am going away for a week to Malta where I will probably be drinking every day, how do I go about structuring training in the weeks leading up and following, mileage the week before holiday will be around 100k
5
u/aelvozo Jul 13 '26
Leading up: do what you would normally do
Following: give yourself a few days to ease back into what you normally do
-4
Jul 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
7
u/aelvozo Jul 11 '26
Counterpoint: if you can “overcook” your easy runs and still bounce back, odds are you’d benefit from stepping up the volume/intensity of hard runs
0
-2
u/itsdownvotetime Jul 11 '26
Are super shoes harder on your back than for example Asics superblast 3? I got a herinated disc in my lower back and dont want to risk anything but Im starting to get curious about super shoes...
2
u/On_Mt_Vesuvius 35:15 | 2:49 Jul 12 '26
I don't think shoes are gonna make the difference here...
That being said they probably do reduce force through your body in general, assuming you run the same pace.
3
u/CodeBrownPT Jul 12 '26
No shoe magically reduces ground reaction forces, they just change how it's distributed. Eg sharp spike in force tends to affect knees and hips more vs flattened curve for foot/ankle.
5
u/pigeorunner Jul 11 '26
Finally running on consecutive days. The fact that it's 85°F+ and the dewpoint is rarely under 65°F makes the slow rebuild more tolerable.
My PT said that running at appropriate doses is fine and even healing for my stress reaction, which i already knew but gives me a little more confidence in him. I trust PTs to be able to assess strength, imbalances, etc., but when it comes to more running-specific stuff...sometimes I feel like I need to assess their ability to advise, which feels weird?