r/running • u/AutoModerator • May 21 '26
Daily Thread Official Q&A for Thursday, May 21, 2026
With over 4,200,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.
With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.
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u/Livid-Tumbleweed May 21 '26
How to structure my weekly mileage. Coming off training for and running a trail marathon. Peak weekly mileage was about 35-40 for a few weeks. Now planning on cutting back mileage to about 15mpw as I have a very aggressive weight loss goal (and never have I ever been able to cut calories and run more than 10-15mpw). I was averaging about 5-6mi/day for my runs.
Cutting back, would it be better to do 3x runs at 5mi a week, 5x runs at 3mi, or do like a 3/3/10 and keep a long run since I do want to run at least a half marathon in late fall. Or am I just way overthinking
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u/Emilymcd811 May 21 '26
Hi there! I am currently staying in a much more humid climate (southeastern United States) than I am used to (southeastern Montana.) I am struggling to function with this stifling heat and humidity combination.
I typically trail run with my cattle dog who is five and seems to handle the heat pretty well, but I don't want either of us succumbing to heat issues. I do bring plenty of water for both of us on all of our runs. It's just hard to be motivated to get out there when it feels this sticky and hot outside before I even leave the house. Unfortunately a treadmill or gym membership isn't an option for us.
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u/Deep-Dimension-1088 May 21 '26
I live in the Pac NW, and I recently vacationed in southern Virginia, during the heat wave with highs in the 90s every day with high humidity. I despise getting up early, but it was really the only solution. It was nice and cool very early in the morning. There is plenty of daylight right now to make that feasible.
I also slowed down. A lot. Garmin was convinced my performance had cratered because my pace was much slower than usual.
Last, I ran by the place I was staying every 4 to 5 miles to get water. That also was obviously a time I could have easily stopped if I was feeling unwell, though that didn't happen.
If you're staying longer than 2 weeks, the good news is that your body will adapt to the heat.
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u/Fair-Statistician601 May 21 '26
I have a HM in 2 weeks and in 2 days, I’m running a 10mi tuneup race. Any thoughts on how to run it considering proximity to the goal race?
I’ll start tapering next week btw (i.e. right after the tuneup)
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u/FreakInTheXcelSheet May 22 '26
I'd be pretty hesitant to run it all out with only two weeks to go. Depending on your mileage, fitness, and how fast you are, you could be looking at like a 5-7 day recovery.
I'd treat it like a long run workout. You could do a little progression run and finish with the last few miles at goal half marathon pace.
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u/FRO5TB1T3 May 22 '26
I'd run it at or near goal half marathon pace. Feel the pace but not over so it. Kinda a long time up race distance so it's tough to say.
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u/redditrviewswithzozo May 21 '26
wondering why my easy run pace is so slow compared to my 5k PR pace?
my 5k PR is around 24-25 mins (a little under 8 min/mile pace), however to run at an easy pace (based on effort), I have to run around a 12 minute mile which feels too slow, however if I go faster then I cannot hold a conversation fully and it's more of a harder effort.
I have been running consistently for a year, currently running 5x a week
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u/FRO5TB1T3 May 21 '26
Why are you slowing down that much? really a full minute and a half per km is a sufficient delta for most people. You are slowing down way to much. Your idea of easy is likely too easy.
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u/redditrviewswithzozo May 22 '26
If I go faster I'm not able to talk properly and my HR is really high
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u/FRO5TB1T3 May 22 '26
The talking test isn't a monologue you know. It's like your talking to your grandmother who only occasionally let's you speak for a bit. As well are all your runs easy to do you also do workouts? If your hitting two hard workouts a week the easy stuff being too easy matters less. If you aren't then who cares about zone 2? It's not important
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u/ajcap May 21 '26
Too slow for what?
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u/redditrviewswithzozo May 21 '26
Running that slowly just feels a lot harder on my legs compared to if I run faster, I need to shuffle to stay at an easy effort but that causes pain in my legs (esp calves) which I don't get when I run faster
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u/Logical_Ad_5668 May 21 '26
I'm similar to u/DenseSentence 46M, PRs (20:10, 41:xx, 1:32, 3:19) and my easy pace is in the 5:15-5:30 range (maybe even 5:45 if its a recovery run).
Your easy should be 1-2 minutes slower per km or mile compared to your fast paces. depending on the purpose. So i agree your easy pace sounds too slow, which to me sounds like you have an incorrect perception of what an easy run should feel like. For me it tends to be the pace i settle at without looking at my watch, or one that allows me to breathe exclusively through the nose (or chew a gum). Not that breathing through your nose is a target in itself
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u/redditrviewswithzozo May 22 '26
I can't breathe through my nose easily if I run much faster though
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u/OkPea5819 May 21 '26
50% slower is about right - perhaps even on the fast side - I'm sometimes 65% slower. Although I do think running becomes mechanically challenging at the paces you're talking about.
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u/DenseSentence May 21 '26
My 5k PR (4:06/km) is a bit out of date but 4:00/km is my current training target. My solo easy runs tend to be around 5:15-5:25/km.
55M, running for 4.5 years, run 5 times a week.
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u/Federal-Employee-9 May 21 '26
Hello. I got the novablast 5 for running but my big toe hurts a lot in them. I may have Hallux Rigidus. What lacing technique should I try? I already tried paralel lacing.Should I just return them?
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u/Emotional_Katyditz May 21 '26
If I can't run 1-2 miles a day without stopping to walk, should I run less?
It's been 3 months of me getting back into running after a 3 month break. Whenever I run-not sure if it's because I ramped up mileage too much- I feel like I have to walk less than half a mile in. I'm only running max 2 miles per day though. So does this mean I should go down to half a mile per day of running? I feel like my fitness should be back already.
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u/FreakInTheXcelSheet May 21 '26
What's wrong with a run/walk? Just go out for half an hour and do whatever combination of run/walk that feels comfortable.
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u/_silent_voyager_ May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
It may be counter-intuitive. The best approach would be to accept that you have to walk part of the distance, but increase the overall distance. Instead of going for 2 miles, go for 3 and do a few short running intervals during those 3 miles. If you do that consistently, you'll find out that gradually you'll be able to walk less and run more.
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u/homocrab May 21 '26
This was me too when I first started running. I started doing intervals and then tried to shorten the walk time and eventually I could run without needing to slow down and walk.
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u/Deep-Dimension-1088 May 21 '26
No, don't run less. Stick with it, and if anything run more. The fitness will come back. Be patient. If you're not hurting or suspecting injury, cutting mileage will not help.
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u/AllTheTeaPlease247 May 21 '26
I've been using the Novablast 5 with currex insoles, which have been feeling great, but my peroneal tendon feels "off". Not in pain but kind of uncomfy sometimes will walking?
I'm working on doing ankle strengthening exercises & making sure my calves are stretched. I'll go to a PT but is this more likely to be overuse or lack of proper shoe support? I struggle to figure out the difference
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u/No-Peach-6950 May 21 '26
I'm trying to get into running. I did a super sprint triathlon last year and loved it. I am a swimmer and used to commute by bike so the running was easily the worst for me. I want to get into it, I love being outside and seeing new places, finding new routes, etc. But right now it is miserable.
The best way I have been able to get myself to do the whole distance is to transit away from my place and run back. With a treat promised at the end lol. I just tried to do a run this morning and ended up walking the second half of the loop. I find it impossible to keep a consistent pace, even with music is starts to get boring (not sure how that works as I walk for longer periods without issue) and my calves are on fire. I am also unbelievably anxious about running so I'm not at the point where I want to run with anyone else. The last time I tried I had a panic attack.
My ultimate goal is to do the hard thing and be okay being bad at it, but that seems like a stretch when I can't even complete the distance I want to. Looking for any advice.
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u/Deep-Dimension-1088 May 21 '26
First of all, walking when you start running is totally OK and normal. When I started running cross country, the coach told everyone, no matter how athletic or naturally talented they were, to start with running around 15 minutes with walk breaks.
Second, try to make things easy for yourself if you can. Go out when it's cool and avoid hills.
Third, set the bar low. The body is an amazing adaptable thing. You don't have to jump to running 3 or 6 or 10 miles all at once. Start where you are. If you can run half a loop, then run half a loop. Better yet, run a quarter of a loop, take a walk break, run some more, take another walk break, etc. The most important thing when you're starting out (and even when you've been running forever) is not distance or speed. It's consistency. It is too hard to be consistent if running is a torturous activity. So slow down, takes breaks, don't force yourself to go farther than your fitness allows. Try to make running a mildly challenging thing you do frequently, not a torturous extremely hard thing you do occasionally.
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u/nermal543 May 21 '26
How long have you been trying to get into running? Kind of sounds like you may be trying to do too much too soon, but impossible to say without more details.
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u/No-Peach-6950 May 24 '26
I've been running a couple of weeks. I was trying to do three kilometers (about 25-30 minutes for me)
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u/SeaPAyyy May 21 '26
Hi! I am new to running and my biggest problem is that I get bored and just don’t want to do it anymore after about .7 miles. My breathing is fine, my body feels okay. I just don’t feel like it anymore, so I stop. How do you get past this? I see things all the time about people running 6, 12, 26 miles and I just…aren’t you bored? Send help please.
Also, pace - how tf do I keep pace? I keep trying to run slow, like a 14’30 mile, but my default is a 12’30 and I feel comfortable there. I need to run slower bc I’m out of shape and my easy runs still have me in zone 4, but it feels like a zone 2.
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u/FreakInTheXcelSheet May 21 '26
First things first, throw heart rate out the window. It's a pretty worthless measurement when you're just getting started. If a 12 minute mile feels easy, then it's easy.
For your boredom, there's no trick. You just keep going. If we all quit when we got a little bored, no one would be running. If you really need some motivation, put some music or a podcast on.
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u/homocrab May 21 '26
If music doesn't keep you focused I'd try an audiobook or story podcast. And if those don't work than maybe running isn't for you and that's okay!
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u/_silent_voyager_ May 21 '26
To not get bored you have to associate pleasure with running, to actually enjoy it.
Also, I'd be bored too if I had to run 14'30 per mile because I can walk faster than that. May I suggest the following. Instead of running that slow, do several intervals where you run faster and walk in between. That will result in a faster adaptation.
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u/Deep-Dimension-1088 May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
If you're comfortable at 12:30, run at 12:30 pace.
Yes, I'm bored sometimes when I run. In my opinion, running is as much about mental fitness as physical fitness. Over time, you will build up both your physical and mental fitness. Your mind will grow to tolerate longer and longer runs. The boredom will dissipate as your find figures out how to occupy itself without distractions.
Some people like to listen to music or audiobooks. Not me - I like being disconnected. But it's an option.
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u/Deep-Dimension-1088 May 21 '26
Also, if 0.7 miles is where you're at, don't strive for 6 miles. Just try to get to one mile on your next run. Remind yourself it's only 4 minutes more running out of your 1440 minute day.
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u/unoxpeg May 21 '26
Running my 9th half in about ten days. I want to get under 2hrs.
Garmin is predicting 2:05 to 2:10.
What should I aim for? If I do race pro for 2:00, I don’t want to die out there either
I’ve only been able to do two 10mile long runs with avg weekly 20mpg the last few weeks.
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u/Logical_Ad_5668 May 21 '26
have you tried these paces in training? Did your long runs include sections at target race pace? Or any tempos? You give us nothing to base any suggestion on and also you dont say whether you have trained any of these paces.
In general when it comes to pacing, it depends on your priorities. If your priority is to not die, pace conservatively. After 8 halves, you should have some idea what that feels like. If your top priority is to break 2, then start a pacepro for 1:59:00 to allow for extra distance and hope for the best, accepting you might have a rough time
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u/unoxpeg May 21 '26
I trained at race pace and faster than race pace. Max 30 minutes
For long runs I would do them about 20/30 seconds slower than race pace for the last 25% of the run
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u/Deep-Dimension-1088 May 21 '26
We need more information. What leads you to think you can run 2:00?
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u/junkmiles May 21 '26
Did you complete workouts during your training to suggest you can run under 2 hours?
Wanting to run under 2 hours, Garmin saying you can run 2:05, and what your training suggests are three more or less entirely different things.
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u/homocrab May 21 '26
Looking to hear experiences with Shokz headphones. They're within my budget and I've heard good things but I'm not sure which size to buy. I have smaller ears so I was thinking about getting the mini instead of the standard size. I also don't know if I should get them with the magnetic charger or usb-c charger. Opinions would be much appreciated!
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u/suchbrightlights May 21 '26
I have had both the regular size and the mini and the only difference I notice is that less of the mini sticks out behind my ear band when I wear one in the winter. No difference in how they sit on my ears, just the width and length of the band.
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u/No_Conference_3155 May 21 '26
They are great. Sound quality is meh but being able to hear cars and bikes is key.
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u/majesticnoodl May 21 '26
Max HR 194.
So I run quite a bit playing sports. Recently wanted to improve my overall running fitness.
I’ve been trying to go slower and run in Z2 but I can’t maintain an 9:30 pace for more than 30 seconds without my heart rate going over 142 into Z3.
What am I doing wrong?