The racing season is over for me and now I’ll spend the rest of the year building up miles as I try to hit my goal distance for the 2023. I’m trying not to lose any of the gains from this year by maintaining two speed workouts per week while also increasing mileage. The objective is to avoid injury by doing shorter speed working and slowing way down on the easy miles.

What did you get?

This is why I avoid other sports. Or hobbies. Or relationships. Or proper meals. Can’t get distracted!

Yesterday I ran a local 10 mile race that I have been participating in every fall since 2018 (except 2020). 5 years ago I was running at about 90 minutes, but I’ve been getting quicker every year. This time I managed to beat 70 minutes with a 6:58/mile pace. I had hoped to keep every mile under 7:00, but I couldn’t do it. No complaints, though. At my age (upper forties), I’m thrilled to be able to get out and continue to improve at all. Having now finished my last considerable race of the season, now is the time of year where I try to review, slow down, add some easy miles, and let my body heal from a ton of spring and summer training.

I’ll finish the week at 48km tomorrow. And I’m tapering!

One of the top 100 reasons I left.

It depends on how bad it is. If it’s like an ice rink I don’t go out. I hate treadmills, but i hate falling more. If it’s isolated patches of ice then I have a pair of Yaktrax There are other strap-on cleats out there that might be better. I might try out the Uline Gription this year. They look pretty tough. For slush I have a pair of trail shoes with rubber cleats that do the trick.

This routine was tough when I started it a few years ago. But eventually you get acclimated and it’s easy peasy. But you build up to it I imagine that things will become daunting again when I ramp up to new distances, but for now I’ve been doing this for so long it’s just part of my life. I even look forward to long runs. And on days when I don’t feel like running, which is rare, it’s never a struggle to just go out anyway.

It’s a good sign if you’re enjoying it already. I love how I can take it everywhere I go. I used to only do gym work, but being outside and discovering new terrain is just so much better.

Race pace prediction feels like magic. Be sure to let us know how it goes!

It took me like four years before I finally ran through the winter without a significant break. So don't beat yourself up if it happens. You just get back on the horse as soon as you can. The thing that always forced me back outside was the impending half marathon that I never miss in early May, and I'll be damned if I'm going to try to run that without training!

My daily mileage changes a lot throughout the week and the seasons. This week was pretty normal for this time of year. I had 5 miles easy yesterday, 8 with speed work today, 7 with hills on Thursday, 4 easy on Friday and 12 on Sunday. (That Sunday run is usually easy, but sometimes there's a progression run or fast finish depending on what I'm training for.)

I started running because I felt like shit after walking a mile. Then found out I had high cholesterol. After a few months of diet and exercise my numbers improved dramatically, which meant I wouldn't need medication, but I knew that it wouldn't last if I didn't keep working. But honestly I wasn't actually pleased with running or with my physical health until about 6 years in. I don't think it should have to take that long, though. The trick for me was getting a dietician. I worked with her for about a year and I really got my food dialed in and my weight under control. (Insurance even covered it!)

Whatever your journey is like, it sounds like you're doing everything right. If you want to chat more I'm happy to keep the conversation going. Feel free to send me a message if you want.

Slowing down is key. There are a lot of videos and articles about Zone 2 running that explain the mechanics of it. And as a new runner it's critical to just go easy on yourself, increase mileage slowly, and don't worry about breaking any land speed records yet.

As your skill and fitness increase over time you'll find that you might be able to run easy on days that you used to have to recover at home. Or you might get 3 hard runs in a week where you used to only get 1 or 2. But these changes might take years to emerge, and there's no point in rushing it if you really want to go long term and stay injury free.

At this point I'm a moderately fast runner for my age group. I'm in my late forties and can usually place in the top 3 for other guys my age in the races I run. I was 108th overall out of ~10,000 runners in a recent 10k. I train an average of about 30 miles per week with 2 days off, 2 fast days, 2 short and easy, and 1 long and easy. I've built up to this over 7 years, and have been getting steadily faster and stronger the whole time.

One key is that bit about running through the winter. I know about Midwestern winters and I don't envy you. But there is great gear out there for keeping you warm and dry. With the right clothes I can comfortably run down to about 0-5°F. That includes good socks, warm leggings, layers on top, gloves, neck gaiters, and hats. It's too much to explain in one comment, but if you live near even a mid size city you should be able to find a local running store where they can help you figure out what you need.

I had my first "emergency" in 7 years of running just last week. I made it home, but it was close and super uncomfortable. I monitor my food and liquid really closely for the hours leading up to a run, but shit happens. I wouldn't worry about it until it becomes a lot more regular.

There must be a hundred valid ways to get better. For me I really took my time and stayed pretty low milage for my first year. I made it through four seasons, learned how to stick with it in every kind of weather, and found myself committed to continuing long before challenging myself to do more.

Once I did feel ready to up the mileage just a little bit I signed up for a 10k and used that as my motivation to go harder. A few months later I signed up for a 10 Miler race. The next big goal was a half marathon about six months after that. I've been signing up for races ever since, and still get a thrill from every one of them.

Beyond signing up for races, other tips include: find people to run with, look online for beginner level training plans for each race, and always go easy on yourself. Make it a long term hobby by avoiding injury as much as possible. That means remembering to run slow more often than not, listen to your body when it starts to hurt, eat well, and get lots of rest.

Oh and smile! Apparently research shows you'll enjoy your run more if you smile. Haha. (I've no idea if that's legit. But do whatever you have to do to keep it fun.)

Keep getting stronger, little by little!

Thanks. I completely understand. I've only been running for 7 years and I clearly remember feeling like 3 miles was all I'd ever do!

I ran my longest distance ever today at 16 miles. I ran mostly zone 2 and it went pretty well. My upper back got a little sore around 15 miles, but I'm sure I'd be better if I did it again next week. However this is peak distance as I train for the 10-Miler race I run every first weekend in November.

Good work. 9 miles is no joke, at any pace. You're on track.

There are usually lists online, yeah. You could search “running group [your city]” and probably find a couple. You should also check with your local running stores and ask if they know about any. And if you find more then one don’t be shy about trying more than one. You might find that different groups have different personalities, goals, etc.

I’d be interested in hearing an update later if you’re interested in sharing. Good luck!

Out of curiosity, why are you focusing more on running?