So how many miles a week are you running now?

[RunningBum]

Do you guys eat anything special after a run? I usually eat a piece of grilled chicken breast and some fruit. I just curious since alot of times Im pretty hungry after a run.

I've heard from a couple different sources recently that chocolate milk right after a run helps with sore muscles. I've tried it and it seems to work pretty well but I can't quantify it. It's not like all soreness is gone.

Carbs and proteins after running is supposed to be good. The sooner the better. So basically chocolate milk and a roast beef or turkey sandwich is something I'll have often after a run.

I've seen people make these high protein mixes and down them right after running. I haven't gotten that scientific. I even use honey instead of gu for a boost during a race or long run. I've read that it's much the same, and I like that it's natural, I love the taste and know my body handles it well, and it's cheaper!

 

[Dawg52]

Do you guys eat anything special after a run?

I usually take 2 tablespoons of Pepto-Bismol. Usually does the job.

 

[dumpster56]

Food after a run? Nothing special. Sometimes I might run 10 miles and not eat after. Lose appetite after longer runs. Later in the day might make sure I had a good piece of seafood. Good whole grain bread or better yet some real good whole grain whiskey.

 

[martyb]

Heh.....I'm kinda fond of fajitas! Course, I don't have to wait for a run to eat that, pretty much any old time will do. This week, I ran a whopping total of 6 miles! I know it ain't much, but for a 50 year old, 250 lb. guy who's been relatively sedentary over the last 15 years, it's a start. I do about 55 crunches, 40 push ups and run 1.5 miles. That pretty much does me in for a little while. I have noticed that when I'm running, I don't catch that "second wind" thing like I did when I was younger. Used to be, when I was in my mid-late 20's I could run till I was getting tired, then all of a sudden, from out of nowhere, I seemed to kick into a higher gear and was breathing normally and my legs got new life. That phenomenon doesn't happen to me anymore. I sure wish it would!

 

[xyz]

Martyb, I can feel for you... I am about 1.5 years older than you and was in the same place as you last year.. I started running just a half mile per day and now I am up to 6 mile runs... Just keep at it and it will come back.

As far as eating after a run, I lose my appetite when I work out and usally drink a lot of water to replenish what I lost after.

 

[FinanceDude]

I need to and will get back into it. This thread has made me miss running........

Well, after I get the plantar facitis handled.........

 

[Ronstar]

I quit running 13 years ago after 15 years of regular running. I fell into the mindset that I was getting too old to run. This forum convinced me that a person can do what they want to do regardless of age. So I started running again Jan 1, and I'm up to 16 miles per week.

 

[Lsbcal]

I quit running 13 years ago after 15 years of regular running. I fell into the mindset that I was getting too old to run. This forum convinced me that a person can do what they want to do regardless of age. So I started running again Jan 1, and I'm up to 16 miles per week.

Ronstar, congratulations! The general rule I've read is to increase your mileage at no more then 10% per week. That's assuming you intend this as a long term activity . You might consider staying at your current mileage or even dropping back a little for several weeks before ramping up further.

When I stop running, because of say a vacation, I'll give myself at least that same amount of time to get back up to my goal area of around 20 mi/week. This depends a lot on your age too. Just pay attention to any symptoms. Occasionaly I'll go well above the 10% rule but never for several weeks in a row.

 

[dmpi]

I quit running 13 years ago after 15 years of regular running. I fell into the mindset that I was getting too old to run. This forum convinced me that a person can do what they want to do regardless of age. So I started running again Jan 1, and I'm up to 16 miles per week.

Congratulations! As other's have mentioned don't try to do too much too fast. A few years ago my brother also restarted running after a 25 year break. He's almost back to where he was. It helps a lot if you didn't put on too many pounds during your break.

 

[mb]

I have been running about 24 miles a week for the past several months going to start training for a short triathlon over the next 6 months. I'm pretty slow (actually very slow) my goal is to come up somewhere in the middle of the pack. Based on the splits I have seen I feel pretty good I will be able to do that. Any tips for a first time tri?

(1) Don't panic on the swim. It is very different than in the pool. You will have people swimming around you and I can pretty much guarantee that you will get hit and kicked a couple of time unless you start in the back or off to the side. I have had my googles kicked off. DW once had someone swim over the top of her. A water polo player told me that the proper counter move when this happens is to reach up grab their speedos and twist really hard.

(2) If you are going to wear a wet suit practice swimmming in it and also taking it off quickly. You don't need to train in it just get comfortable in it.

(3) Practice swim navigation. It is much harder to swim in the right direction in the open water than one would think and you don't want to be popping your head up all the time to determine if you are going in the right direction because it slows you down a lot. I tend to pull to the right and I didn't know this until I starting doing open water swims so I try to position myself on the left side of the pack so that when I breath I can use the pack as a navigation guide. It helps to breath on both sides.

(4) It is a lot easier to drink and eat on the bike and keep it down than on the run. For a sprint distance race I typically just have a water bottle on my bike with gator-aid or something. I'll grab water at the aid stations on the run if I feel like it but I'm not sure it is really doing any good at that point because it takes about 20 minutes for your body to absorb water and I run a 5k (the typical sprint distance run) faster than that. Going out to international distance I'll add a Gu or two on the bike and more water/sports drinks. For full ironman races (I don't do them) you need to carefully plan your hydration and calorie intake or you will not finish.

(5) Do "Bricks." A brick is a bike/run workout. Physically I think the toughest thing in a tri is to get off the bike and start the run. Your legs feel like wet noodles for the first mile or so. Bricks train your legs for the bike run transition.

MB

 

[mb]

Ronstar, congratulations! The general rule I've read is to increase your mileage at no more then 10% per week. That's assuming you intend this as a long term activity . You might consider staying at your current mileage or even dropping back a little for several weeks before ramping up further.

When I stop running, because of say a vacation, I'll give myself at least that same amount of time to get back up to my goal area of around 20 mi/week. This depends a lot on your age too. Just pay attention to any symptoms. Occasionaly I'll go well above the 10% rule but never for several weeks in a row.

Yes, the 10% rule is a good rule. But increasing your mileage 10% a week for many weeks in a row is scaling up much to fast.

If you are increasing your mileage some (including Alberto Salazar IRRC) recommend not increasing it by more than 10% a month.

MB

 

[dumpster56]

Yes, the 10% rule is a good rule. But increasing your mileage 10% a week for many weeks in a row is scaling up much to fast.

If you are increasing your mileage some (including Alberto Salazar IRRC) recommend not increasing it by more than 10% a month.

MB

That 10% rule, hummmm....

Lets see 18 the week I got sick, 27 the next week starting to get better, 49 the next week felt well pretty good last week 53 feeling even better. this week near 60 miles. I was running 60 to 63 miles a week for the past bunch of years though. I have gone from 60 to 80 in a week with little trouble, however weeks on end of 75+ and there is hell to pay, I usually get injured at that mileage. Your body will tell you its limits. Listen to it.

 

[mb]

I have just started to run consistently again after have planatar fasciitis.

I'm running 5 day/week and getting in about 25 miles. Most of it at a pretty slow pace pace because speed still bothers my foot.

The plan is to keep it at that level for a month or two to make sure that nothing "breaks" and then add a track/interval workout once a week and a long run on the weekend.

MB

 

[mb]

That 10% rule, hummmm....

Lets see 18 the week I got sick, 27 the next week starting to get better, 49 the next week felt well pretty good last week 53 feeling even better. this week near 60 miles. I was running 60 to 63 miles a week for the past bunch of years though. I have gone from 60 to 80 in a week with little trouble, however weeks on end of 75+ and there is hell to pay, I usually get injured at that mileage. Your body will tell you its limits. Listen to it.

True, my mileage jumps around a lot too. The 10% rule is probably most appropiate if you are trying to up your mileage from a base level to a higher average mileage if for example you are preparing for a marathon and a moving average is probably better than week to week values.

Veteran runners are usually pretty good at knowing what they should and shouldn't do. I'm generally pretty good at knowing what I should and shouldn't do but not always at doing it which is how I got planatar fasciitis

MB

 

[dumpster56]

True, my mileage jumps around a lot too. The 10% rule is probably most appropiate if you are trying to up your mileage from a base level to a higher average mileage if for example you are preparing for a marathon and a moving average is probably better than week to week values.

Veteran runners are usually pretty good at knowing what they should and shouldn't do. I'm generally pretty good at knowing what I should and shouldn't do but not always at doing it which is how I got planatar fasciitis

MB

Roll that bottle under your foot and take some of those Blue liqua gel advils. good luck with the PF. It is stinko!

 

[Lsbcal]

We're all very different physically and also age wise so that 10% per week is just a rough idea. For recent weeks my mileage has been 18, 21, 16, 22, 22, 26. That last one was probably because of this thread . All my runs are in the hills. A decent pace as not many runners pass me but if they do that's OK. I generally am on the lookout for wildlife or admiring the views or watching for mud holes as the runs are in a state park. Most of my runs are 4mi or 5mi.

 

[Ronstar]

Ronstar, congratulations! The general rule I've read is to increase your mileage at no more then 10% per week. That's assuming you intend this as a long term activity . You might consider staying at your current mileage or even dropping back a little for several weeks before ramping up further.

When I stop running, because of say a vacation, I'll give myself at least that same amount of time to get back up to my goal area of around 20 mi/week. This depends a lot on your age too. Just pay attention to any symptoms. Occasionaly I'll go well above the 10% rule but never for several weeks in a row.

Thanks - I was thinking of increasing from 40 to 45 minutes - thats about 10%

Congratulations! As other's have mentioned don't try to do too much too fast. A few years ago my brother also restarted running after a 25 year break. He's almost back to where he was. It helps a lot if you didn't put on too many pounds during your break.

Thanks - I added about 25 pounds during the break, but lost 20 back in the last year. I'm staying on the treadmill for a few months to build up resistance to the impact.

 

[xyz]

mb,

Thanks for the tips on the triathlon ! I just received the training program from our health club.. I am very excited !!! Even though this is just a sprint tri I have never been in a race like this... I was a competitive swimmer so I did compete a bit but actually was never in an "official" long distance running race or bike race ... It's really fun going from "working out" each day to having a purpose and actually looking at this as a training exercise... I am not as strong as I was when I was in HS and college but I feel really good.

 

[dumpster56]

Just finished a 12 mile run, the first long run since that lung virus Cold, who knows what it was since the Holidays. Yea.

 

[FinanceDude]

We're all very different physically and also age wise so that 10% per week is just a rough idea. For recent weeks my mileage has been 18, 21, 16, 22, 22, 26. That last one was probably because of this thread . All my runs are in the hills. A decent pace as not many runners pass me but if they do that's OK. I generally am on the lookout for wildlife or admiring the views or watching for mud holes as the runs are in a state park. Most of my runs are 4mi or 5mi.

All hills will get you fit quick! Are they trails or only asphalt and concrete? At least when I ran a lot, I couldn't handle more than 2-3 hilly runs a week, too much strain on my quads........

 

[Lsbcal]

Ten years ago we moved from a flat valley environment where I ran to a hilly area. There is a wonderful state park right behind our house and many miles of dirt trails to run on. Lots of trees and birds and deer and wild turkey and little creatures to watch for. So far no physical problems due to hills but I've always ramped up slowly. As I age I find it takes longer to ramp up and my legs let me know if I should stop for awhile.

 

[FinanceDude]

Ten years ago we moved from a flat valley environment where I ran to a hilly area. There is a wonderful state park right behind our house and many miles of dirt trails to run on. Lots of trees and birds and deer and wild turkey and little creatures to watch for. So far no physical problems due to hills but I've always ramped up slowly. As I age I find it takes longer to ramp up and my legs let me know if I should stop for awhile.

Running on dirt hasn't hurt the Kenyans yet!!

You are a lucky man, I moved to an urban area from a hilly area, and regret the lack of scenery..........

 

[dumpster56]

Ah 21 miles in the last two days, feelin real good.

 

[Lsbcal]

Today there was a story in our local paper about a runner and a cyclist who both had cardiac events just two weeks ago in the same park that I run in. I might have even crossed the cyclist's trail. The runner survived but the cyclist did not. The runner was a 38 year old high school cross country coach and the cyclist was 58. The runner had just run a 4mi relatively flat course. The cyclist went up a challenging long steep grade. Here is the story: A Heartbeat Away | Santa Rosa Press Democrat // News for California's North Bay and Redwood Empire

This is another good reason to take it easy as you build up your endurance.

 

[dumpster56]

Today there was a story in our local paper about a runner and a cyclist who both had cardiac events just two weeks ago in the same park that I run in. I might have even crossed the cyclist's trail. The runner survived but the cyclist did not. The runner was a 38 year old high school cross country coach and the cyclist was 58. The runner had just run a 4mi relatively flat course. The cyclist went up a challenging long steep grade. Here is the story: A Heartbeat Away | Santa Rosa Press Democrat // News for California's North Bay and Redwood Empire

This is another good reason to take it easy as you build up your endurance.

Well a nuclear stress test is what they article says, especially for the 58 YO bike rider who was having symptoms of shortness of breath just bringing in firewood a week earlier. You must know your body and really it is about men who do not go and see a doctor when there are symptoms. Had the cardiac cath 6 years ago have had 3 nuke stress tests and an echo stress test this past year. Watch the diet now and stay on the blood pressure meds. Keep running and at 51 feelin great 31 miles run in the past 3 days.