Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[dave303e]

8 hours ago, tjommies3 said:

My marathon didn't go well yesterday. I am now convinced that I'm not ready to try my luck at Comrades. It's not easy doing a flyer in the first half and then crawling the rest of the way. I was so relaxed, so full of energy, so motivated. I even had a warmup session with Gerda Steyn, I guess that a number of things contributed to my body saying enough is enough and with that, I'm waiting for the substitution window to open. I'm gonna continue trying to strengthen my body and stick to half marathons for now. Amazingly, all the pain I felt yesterday had nothing to with my ITB injury. Anyway, that's my story.

Honestly, drop your silver goal and go learn the race, get a comfortable(slower) finish under your belt, then another good year of training on the legs and you will send that silver finish comfortably. Look at guys like Jim walmsley, it took him a few attempts at Western states to win, but when he did the record dropped. Then he moved to France and after a few attempts at UTMB he learned a lot and when he eventually won it the record dropped again.

I also had the one and done mindset but I have realised it is too big event to have a perfect race in 1 attempt. Get a finish, learn the race, learn yourself and you will smash it the following year...

[Vetplant]

Friend of mine ran a 3h06 at N4 Trac Elands marathon. 

 

How do I break it to him that his efforts are in vain as it isn't recognised as a Comrades qualifying race

[Frosty]

On 2/23/2024 at 7:19 AM, Underachiever said:

I also had to start this running thing earlier in the week.  Will be working very long hours the next 2 months, so perhaps a run or 2 will help maintain the fitness somewhat.

Running is HARD on the (my) body!!!

I'm fine from a HR perspective, but the rest of me is shot, and I'm only running a 2.5 (16min).  I'm sure it will get better.

It gets easier the more you do it. Key, for me, was to trust the plan over time… there’s no shortcut when doing it as a newbie.

I have a few factors forcing me to run a bit more and cycle less. 

[tjommies3]

16 hours ago, Shebeen said:

Maybe warming up with SA record holder might be the problem?

not sure what stage you pulled out/developed pains, but maybe chat to some of the old salts at your club, you might find you're just at a bit of a speedbump.

The warm up was my pace, not hers. It was comfy, and we chatted for the duration. I finished the race but I did a run/walk (mostly walk) to the line.

[tjommies3]

15 hours ago, dave303e said:

Honestly, drop your silver goal and go learn the race, get a comfortable(slower) finish under your belt, then another good year of training on the legs and you will send that silver finish comfortably. Look at guys like Jim walmsley, it took him a few attempts at Western states to win, but when he did the record dropped. Then he moved to France and after a few attempts at UTMB he learned a lot and when he eventually won it the record dropped again.

I also had the one and done mindset but I have realised it is too big event to have a perfect race in 1 attempt. Get a finish, learn the race, learn yourself and you will smash it the following year...

Thank you for this

For now, I can't even think about silver. I need to finish 30km+ without feeling like I'm gonna walk soon. I will train, and I will get to the point that I need to be at, i.e. pain free. I will then check my schedule in terms of when I could possibly do Comrades, but one and done is all that I am interested in. I have done it before with Oceans in 2018, so I know that it's possible. It will just take a lot more work. The work won't include the test run at Comrades though. I know that I can finish it, so I don't really need that proof.

Thanks once more

[shaper]

1 hour ago, tjommies3 said:

Thank you for this

For now, I can't even think about silver. I need to finish 30km+ without feeling like I'm gonna walk soon. I will train, and I will get to the point that I need to be at, i.e. pain free. I will then check my schedule in terms of when I could possibly do Comrades, but one and done is all that I am interested in. I have done it before with Oceans in 2018, so I know that it's possible. It will just take a lot more work. The work won't include the test run at Comrades though. I know that I can finish it, so I don't really need that proof.

Thanks once more

If you are hitting the wall at 30+km then your pacing strategy is wrong and you are going too hard, probably in the first 10kms, which impacts not only your aerobic engine to run long, but your body with cramps, pains or muscle pulls.  Slow down more on your longer runs in training and build the aerobic capacity

[NotSoBigBen]

Back in my running days .... yes yes when running shoe soles were made of some EVA stuff and not soft rubber 🤪

 

Our club captain Andries told us to always remember that the half way mark in a marathon was 32k's and to judge our effort by that. 

[ScottCM]

On 3/4/2024 at 5:05 AM, tjommies3 said:

My marathon didn't go well yesterday. I am now convinced that I'm not ready to try my luck at Comrades. It's not easy doing a flyer in the first half and then crawling the rest of the way. I was so relaxed, so full of energy, so motivated. I even had a warmup session with Gerda Steyn, I guess that a number of things contributed to my body saying enough is enough and with that, I'm waiting for the substitution window to open. I'm gonna continue trying to strengthen my body and stick to half marathons for now. Amazingly, all the pain I felt yesterday had nothing to with my ITB injury. Anyway, that's my story.

Sorry to hear that bud.

Back in 2018, the weekend after completing my first full IM (which was in April) I ran a club training run of 21km and I was so far back that I though to myself that there was no way I was going to achieve a Bill Rowan. I subsequently sold my entry for substitution. I still clearly remember sitting on the couch Comrades morning watching everyone on the tellie and thinking to myself that my legs were in great shape and I wish i didn't sell my entry as at worst I would at least still have finished. Nevertheless, roll on 6 years and life has happened and I haven't been able to enter the big C since. Just some food for thought from personal experience. Don't be to hard on yourself and know that there is still plenty of time. 

[ScottCM]

Shot in the dark here, does anyone know where in SA I can get a pair of Alphafly 1 not the 2 in woman UK size 8 or 8.5 or 9? 

 

Edit: It doesn't have to be in SA, my sister whom they are for is in SA but I can ship it to her from anywhere. 

Edited March 5 by ScottCM

[tjommies3]

2 hours ago, shaper said:

If you are hitting the wall at 30+km then your pacing strategy is wrong and you are going too hard, probably in the first 10kms, which impacts not only your aerobic engine to run long, but your body with cramps, pains or muscle pulls.  Slow down more on your longer runs in training and build the aerobic capacity

Thanks

I understand what you are referring to but I'm not hitting the wall. I had no cramps or muscle pulls, and I'm filled energy. I do have pain though. Generally, it's my ITB. Recently, I have experienced pain in my hip flexors and my feet. I know that it takes lots of patience and mainly strength work, so that's what I'll be working on.

[tjommies3]

2 hours ago, NotSoBigBen said:

Back in my running days .... yes yes when running shoe soles were made of some EVA stuff and not soft rubber 🤪

 

Our club captain Andries told us to always remember that the half way mark in a marathon was 32k's and to judge our effort by that. 

My aim in a marathon has always been to get to 36k and then wing it, if necessary.

[tjommies3]

2 hours ago, ScottCM said:

Sorry to hear that bud.

Back in 2018, the weekend after completing my first full IM (which was in April) I ran a club training run of 21km and I was so far back that I though to myself that there was no way I was going to achieve a Bill Rowan. I subsequently sold my entry for substitution. I still clearly remember sitting on the couch Comrades morning watching everyone on the tellie and thinking to myself that my legs were in great shape and I wish i didn't sell my entry as at worst I would at least still have finished. Nevertheless, roll on 6 years and life has happened and I haven't been able to enter the big C since. Just some food for thought from personal experience. Don't be to hard on yourself and know that there is still plenty of time. 

Thanks for this Scott

I know the feeling, and it's also playing on my mind to reconsider. and there is the rest of this month to decide. I want to say that I should relax and see how it goes but the thought of getting through almost 90k is a tough one. Baking in the sun for most of the day, and then running the risk of whatever niggles flare up on the day. Heart - do it. Head - wait 1 more year.

[dave303e]

2 hours ago, ScottCM said:

Shot in the dark here, does anyone know where in SA I can get a pair of Alphafly 1 not the 2 in woman UK size 8 or 8.5 or 9? 

 

Edit: It doesn't have to be in SA, my sister whom they are for is in SA but I can ship it to her from anywhere. 

Tough one, was in the Nike store in Menlyn the other day and took they only had like 4 pairs of Vaporfly's left. I ordered pegasus trail shoes online in Jan and they were shipped from the Netherlands somehow.

[Jewbacca]

22 minutes ago, tjommies3 said:

My aim in a marathon has always been to get to 36k and then wing it, if necessary.

I always assumed you had run tons and tons of marathons.

Here is my very unscientific strategy to marathon running, bearing in mind I don't regard a marathon as a long way.

When you think 'ah, road marathon, lets do it!' I don't think one should have any sort of time goals until you've run a few.

The body reacts differently on different days, so having experience at a comfortable pace is pretty essential. It allows you to have a base line moving pace 'bail out' for when you catch a carrot. 

One thing I can tell you is that you WILL catch a carrot some days, and all the training, prep and diet won't stop you from having a bad day.

What makes the bad days bearable is the 'ag, lets run through this at a pace I know I can go forever'.. I default 

One only develops this after time. One only becomes confident in this after more time.

Too many people rush into marathons with time goals without really going through the process of experience. This generally leads to injuries, niggles and failed attempts at fast times and then quitting.

I'm not saying this is you, just sharing my experience. 

I'm slow these days, but I've been well under 3h for a marathon and 30 mins for 10k at various stages of my life. 

The current aim is to get back to 'around 3:10-3:15' over the next 18 months

[tjommies3]

31 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I always assumed you had run tons and tons of marathons.

Here is my very unscientific strategy to marathon running, bearing in mind I don't regard a marathon as a long way.

When you think 'ah, road marathon, lets do it!' I don't think one should have any sort of time goals until you've run a few.

The body reacts differently on different days, so having experience at a comfortable pace is pretty essential. It allows you to have a base line moving pace 'bail out' for when you catch a carrot. 

One thing I can tell you is that you WILL catch a carrot some days, and all the training, prep and diet won't stop you from having a bad day.

What makes the bad days bearable is the 'ag, lets run through this at a pace I know I can go forever'.. I default 

One only develops this after time. One only becomes confident in this after more time.

Too many people rush into marathons with time goals without really going through the process of experience. This generally leads to injuries, niggles and failed attempts at fast times and then quitting.

I'm not saying this is you, just sharing my experience. 

I'm slow these days, but I've been well under 3h for a marathon and 30 mins for 10k at various stages of my life. 

The current aim is to get back to 'around 3:10-3:15' over the next 18 months

I appreciate your take on things, quite valuable. I have a few marathons under the belt, definitely not tons. 12 is a more accurate number, and 1 ultra at Oceans 18 (started running in 2016). I do have lots (for me) of mileage though but my happy place is between 21 and 34. I agree totally on how the body reacts on certain days. I have even been told that I train well but suck at racing. I have tried the approach (including last Sunday) of it's just another Sunday run, so enjoy it. I was enjoying it, and my first half was easy and chilled, and I chased nothing and nobody and finished it in 1h40m. This is where I think I spoilt things. I decided to walk voluntarily in order to refuel with comfort and then build into the second half. The rhythm was spoilt, I used a few single runners and slipped them for a bit but it totally messed me up because I was no longer consistent. Yes, I have a lot to learn but I do think that I have enough experience to achieve my goals at my current level. First one being a sub 3:20 marathon. (PB is 3:33)

[peepeekaitjie]

19 hours ago, dave303e said:

I ordered pegasus trail shoes online

What is the fit like on these? I have been a UK 10 my whole life in every brand I have tried but unfortunately, the last pair of shoes I ordered online, from a brand I have had a few fairs from, feel a little snug.