Longevity in running || Road to Gold Coast Marathon 2024 (Week 14)

[@RobOnTheRun]

What motivates you to keep running? Has that changed over time?

[@ax88-e7t]

For years thought I had shin splints, but it was just bad shoes.. so now I run when I can

[@RobOnTheRun]

@@ax88-e7t Yea fair enough, personally I think a good part of enjoying running is getting better at it over time, which likely involves eliminating pain points and ticking boxes as you go. It's certainly not great to feel like something's holding you back or making running an irritating journey, especially with something like shin splints (or some other injury or chronic-feeling setback), but it's good that you were able to find out it was the shoes - did you have to get it checked up to find out? (I honestly really should be getting checked up more often, even if I mostly feel ok...) Also what kind of shoes do you run with these days?

[@ax88-e7t]

@@RobOnTheRun I agree the getting better over time certainly helps with the enjoyment, and being at your optimum is going to keep you on that improvement climb. But I'm also really bad at even starting a training program to get better.. 😅Thinking about the first non-parkrun event I've signed up for next month, running opens the door to go new places, meet new people, face new challenges - all things I wasn't really doing prior. I had been wearing under armour shoes which to me looked like shoes that could handle walking/jogging.. but it got so bad I was visibly walking injured for weeks and having to get massages/dry needling. A mate convinced me it's the shoes and wasn't just me. So I got my feet scanned, found I was not wearing the correct size and should be getting the wider width. Have been wearing Ghost 16, so Brooks has my complete bias because they let me walk after I ran.

[@RobOnTheRun]

@@ax88-e7t Wow your experiences are certainly relatable... I started running during practically peak Covid with lockdowns and all, so the social aspect wasn't all there, and even when it slowly came back, it still took me almost 2.5 years from starting before I signed up for my first race! Then parkrun was the next biggest door I accidentally stumbled upon and looking back, I wish I found out about it earlier but we're here now so it's all good hey. And hope the event next month goes well for you, should be a great experience! And yea in terms of the shoes, similar case for me as well - I was wearing the Adidas Ultraboost 4.0 which was fashionable but also seemed sporty enough so I wore it for absolutely everything from casual, hikes, walks, gym and running. Took me about 1700km or about a year (of ignoring some slight fit and width discomfort) before I mustered the courage to go to Athlete's Foot, get my feet scanned and also found out that I had slightly wide feet just like in your case, then finally get a decent replacement (being the New Balance 1080v10). Have also owned a few Brooks since then and can agree it's super solid. Sometimes I do wonder what it'd be like to run in those Ultraboosts again, or even Dunlop Volleys like I used to in high school haha

[@marlonbain9894]

It feels good, and it makes for a unique way to see new places when I travel.

[@white_deer1]

Initially I wanted to beat my PBs and maintain good health. As I get older the motivation is more focused on health and general fitness. Btw, your channel is excellent. Very informative.

[@RobOnTheRun]

Thanks for stopping by and sharing that! How long have you been running for btw? And yea I feel pretty much the same way, and though I'm still keen on chasing performance for as long as I reasonably can, trying to maintaining good health and general fitness at the same time isn't particularly easy or that conducive of each other... but personally I still reckon it makes the whole fitness journey inside and outside of running more interesting and worthwhile!

[@white_deer1]

@@RobOnTheRun I took up running very late in age but from memory it was around late 2018 that I began. I suffered different calf and achilles related injuries on the way even though I tried to be aware not to overtrain. Thankfully, this year I've been injury free.I put it down to age and poor form at the time (not that it has improved much). Yes, it is nice to aim for a PB and achieve it.

[@RobOnTheRun]

@@white_deer1 Ahh I see and fair enough, honestly the possiblity of injuries in this sport of running has always been a concern for me, because as cautious, careful, strong, experienced or even fit as we may be, sometimes it can still happen anyway or even be caused by something out of our control... I guess it's important to not let it set us back or drag us down too much but to also learn from it and overcome it as part of experience, and definitely be smarter with it as we go... but hey it's awesome to hear that you're still out there getting it done - I reckon being injury-free for a good while is a massive win for anyone, and it's also likely setting you up for good things to come so here's to more injury-free running!

[@bon277]

Great reflection at the end Rob! I too would like to keep running as long as I can whilst also getting PBs along the way 😊

[@RobOnTheRun]

Absolutely man, that's the aim of the game haha... again well done at Perth, it might've not gone entirely to plan but we both know there's so much to go from there (as is often the case with marathon training) so definitely keen to see how you go for the next!

[@bon277]

@RobOnTheRun Thanks man! Yeah definitely! Keep up the good work with these videos!

[@ax88-e7t]

Still trying to crack the 50% age-grade performance at Parkrun, maybe next week..

[@RobOnTheRun]

Thanks for stopping by and keep up the good work! How many parkruns have you done so far? And also do you mind if I ask which parkrun it is, or at least what it's like, e.g. is it a hilly one, or even done on grass or gravel vs. pavement? I do feel like course terrain and profile is a fairly important factor for performance too - there's parkruns where my performance will definitely vary wildly due to how hilly or flat one is over the other! I also tend to run much better in the cooler months of autumn and winter, so you probably won't find me going too quick in the upcoming warm and humid summer months haha

[@ax88-e7t]

@@RobOnTheRun I do the Taree Parkrun, hit my 28th run today. It's mostly concrete and is rather flat along the bank of the river, the U-turns are a bit of a pace killer for me. Was fairly humid today but because of the river we are often saved by a good breeze. I loved that video you did at Wildflower with the hills, and you were still plenty fast haha, it's on the bucket list for next time I head to Sydney.

[@RobOnTheRun]

@@ax88-e7t Ahh nice, I had a quick look at some photos of Taree parkrun and it certainly looks like a nice scenic one, also makes me want to try more parkruns as I've really been meaning to but keep forgetting! And yep certainly not a fan of u-turns either... there's actually a parkrun in Sydney called Cooks River parkrun with a very similar setup of 1.25km out and back for 2 laps along a river, perhaps not as grand as Manning River but a river is still a river haha, and it's also quite shaded underneath large trees. Been meaning to but haven't done it yet, have run along it many times during long runs. And oh man Wildflower is definitely a hilly one, the video didn't do it justice but it was really a massive shock over my usual Rhodes parkrun (10m elevation gain vs. 130m geez)... do feel free to let me know if you're ever down here and I'll try to join you at whatever parkrun it may be, but if it's Wildflower it'd be best to go chill there haha

[@MegaShonix]

Do you have any experience with marathon training apps like runna? Are they good?

[@RobOnTheRun]

Hey thanks for stopping by! I haven't personally used Runna, but I know of some runners who have and they've gotten some solid outcomes from it. From what I've seen online and was also shown in person, it's quite feature-packed - there's personalised training plans (from beginner to advanced) for various distances (such as 5K to marathon and further), warmup, strength and mobility routines to follow, individual accredited coaches, user support and knowledgebase, and so on - all within an app that has solid user interface and design. However, there is a fee for the whole app and service and it's about $12 a month (or $120 a year). It could be an excellent resource for beginners getting into running (and even for more experienced runners, actually), as it seems to cover the bases quite well, has a strong backing of accomplished athletes and coaches, and has many of the things I wish I knew about back then (especially knowing what I know now, such as warming up and strength training). It might even be cheaper and more accessible than some coaching services out there, and although it could be a viable alternative, it might not be the best substitute for an actual coach - it still really depends on the individual and their circumstances and preferences. And as feature-packed as Runna is, it might not be entirely comprehensive and might have its own limitations to deal with, which might require the user to have a bit of initiative and awareness to fill in some of the gaps on their own and to adjust and adapt as they go. Again I haven't used Runna nor have I ever been coached so I don't really know what it's like for now... but with that said, I believe it could be worth a try sometime, especially given that there's a 2 week free trial for new users (with certain sign-up codes floating around online). So yea unfortunately I don't have much info nor experience with Runna but hope this helps!