Link to the survey (anonymous, google form, not collecting emails unless specifically opting in at the very end)

Not sure if this is a common experience, but I've started a number of training plans over the last few years, with varying degrees of success. Sometimes I make heavy adjustments midway through a plan, other times I scrap it altogether. And, I've seen different race results, from PRs to flat out flops, no matter whether I follow the training plan perfectly or not.

This survey is meant to gauge how common my experience with online training plans is, and how satisfied the running community is with what seems to be the most popular method of getting race-ready: finding and modifying a plan online.

• Who I am:
  • A product marketer doing research for a portfolio project, unrelated to the industry I work in. Trying to strengthen my overall portfolio, and research something I am genuinely interested in.
• How and where the results will be used:
  • As part of a larger portfolio project, I am evaluating the experience and overall satisfaction of runners with the most popular options for training: self-service training plans and private running coaches.
  • The results would be used to validate or invalidate a number of different product and feature ideas. There is no intent to use these results in any sort of public-facing way, other than high-level insights derived from submissions as part of a portfolio project.

(mods, I think I'm following the rules but please keep me honest)

Hey there runner, we are a small app development team of 2 working on a really exciting virtual running racing app for personal interest. We are passionate about the sport and want to do this for fellow runners.

Could you please complete this very short, 2min survey? We're very curious about your running habits, whether you're a marathon master or a casual 5k jogger.

https://forms.gle/dDjbw5MdtTqPagac7

Thank you for the community’s help!

Chloe

—-

Statement of privacy and security measures for your data and responses

Over a year struggling with this injury. Steroid injection being suggested.

Would be grateful for anyones thoughts who have had an injection for this injury.

Grateful thanks in advance.

I recently ran a 19:59 after running two previous 5ks in 20 minutes plus. I want to eventually get my 5k time down below 19 minutes. Right now I am running about 35-40 a week with 1 speed interval session a week, hill sprints and 7 mile long runs at slow paces. My goal is to lower my mile time to 5:30-5:45 so I can run below 19 minutes for a 5k. I ran a 6:02 time trial by myself on local high school track on a hot 85 degree day followed by a 6:22 mile and a 6:25 mile. Should I used 4-6 400m intervals at 1:27 a lap to get faster in the mile. I am also weight lifting 3x a week and I am 5'9 134 pounds small boned running frame. Please advise.

Hi all, I (M42) have been running for years for triathlon but switched to just running about a year ago. Recently added an extra day to my week (2 weeks ago), in the form of an extra easy run, which brings me up to about 5hrs/wk. I’ve been kinda surprised at how tired I am, I eat well and get my sleep but I wasn’t anticipating just how pooched I am by the end of the week. I have a coach, I’m in reasonably good shape, recently got a PB in the half at 1:47:47, around 5:06 min/km and things have been going pretty well overall. How long did it take any of you to adapt to another day of training? Thanks!

I suffer from an enlarged prostate and find that my bladder holds very little. Things have improved lately as I lost some weight, but it is still not ideal. One solution that I found is running with an adult diaper but, as I slowly increase my running time (up to 90 minutes now, hoping to eventually run a marathon), I fear that it might not be enough.

If you have suffered from something similar, do you have any tips that you found to be helpful and would be willing to share? If you want to share them by message for privacy, I could summarize the answers I receive in this way.

Running technique is key for efficient and injury-free training. Here’s what to keep in mind to improve it (and please add yours in the comments section):

• Good posture. Head up, shoulders level, back straight, and core engaged. Avoid leaning forward or back.
• Run tall. This helps keep your glutes from working too hard. Imagine a string pulling you so slightly right above your head.
• Look Ahead. Instead of starting at your feet, focus on the ground roughly 10 to 20 feet ahead of you.
• Controlled arm movement. Avoid crossing your arms over one another so you can prevent wasting energy.
• Relaxed shoulders. They should be square and facing forward, not rounded or hunched over.
• Hands relaxed. Clenching the hands forces tension to move up your shoulders and neck. This is bad.
• Look into your footstrike. A forefoot strike works for me, but it might be a different story for you.
• Improve your cadence. Shoot for around 170-180 spm (depending on speed, size, terrain, etc).
• Avoid bouncing. Bouncing too much while running wastes a lot of energy.
• Perform drills. Such as butt kicks, shuffles, running backward, and basic agility ladder exercises.
• Run more. Running is a skill. The more you do it, the better you get it.

There is a new sub, r/TurtleRunners. It probably doesn't apply for most of you who are just killing it out there, but for some of us who merely injure it out there, this sub might be good.

I haven't posed in a bit and thought I'd let you know I completed the Garmin 15k challenge this morning with a 10.25 mile run. I have the 50 miles done for the month with 65 so far. It's been a bit challenging with the weather--I am tired of 10(f) mornings and ice. But I think were getting close to the end of this winter nonsense, I hope.

I just heard of this. I'm always looking for a running challenge for motivation (although rarely completing any). I know it's too much mileage for me, but heck, looks interesting for those of you who can run this much. Basically you 'run the date'. Miles or km.

Hey, what do y'all think works better for older, injury prone runners? Running a lot of slower miles and barely any intense workouts, or just focusing on the workouts and skipping the miles. By "better" I mean it will keep me healthy while keeping me competitive.

In the last few years I've tried various training methods with similar outcomes but they are mostly some variation of 80/20. I always end up injured. However, I recently ran across this and judging by the comments it seems to work for a lot of people: https://bridgerridgerun.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/how-to-run-a-3-hour-marathon-a-just-enough-training-approach/

One caveat is that I like to run, so only running 3 days per week makes me sad, but if it will keep me healthy, maybe its worth it.

For context I'm a 51 year old male and I just ran the Houston half in 1:32 where I strained my hamstring around mile 10. That was after a fall of calf strains, hamstring tweaks, knee pain, etc on about 25 mpw plus a fair bit of cross-training.

So now I'm debating whether to try the approach mentioned in that blog, or to go the opposite direction and just run a lot of easy miles. What do y'all think?

I’m trying to get back to a 4:20 mile (not a PR, but last ran in HS). I’ve stayed fit by cycling, but haven’t done any running since HS. I created a YouTube channel documenting my journey if anyone is interested in following! Thanks

https://youtu.be/nXtloRcKoPc

Curious about why you have one and the benefits.

Anyone know when the USATF grant info is being released?

I've been waiting on starting serious training for World's until I heard back from the grant committee because I don't want to overtrain and get injured. But now it's January and I really need to get moving if I want to be ready for the big meet in March.

(Executive summary, or as the kids say: TL,DR): I have a goal and some thoughts for next year, what are yours?)

It's that time when folks start thinking about their goals for the next year. I'll start. I bought a small calendar that I intend to use as a "running journal." I hear it is good to make a note of one's runs and a small note about how things went and perhaps something interesting seen on the run. This seems like a good idea, so I'm going to try it and that's my goal.

I would like to set a mileage goal, but I really have no idea what is reasonable since I've only been running since September. I had 26 miles last week, thanks in part to u/ImplausiblyObvious, who turned me on to the Garmin challenges and said he was going to try for 10ks on Saturday and Sunday. I don't have much for this week because it's been very cold this week; it was -31F this morning and only warmed up to -19F. As I've said before, I'm just working on building a base right now with no real races in mind. Sort of. I am thinking of a 10k in June. I also have a slight idea that I might try for the half marathon in Philadelphia in November. I know I can run the 10k distance now, albeit slowly, very slowly. I wonder about the half, if that is shooting too high for someone who has only been running for a few months at my age (46M).

I think it's still a little early to follow a specific plan for the 10k and want to have a solid base when I start, but I do intend to follow a plan.

(Thoughts on my comments are welcome and encouraged.)

Now, it's your turn to share your goals or aspirations, maybe they will be helpful for someone else. (There's also something to saying (typing) it out loud, as it were. I haven't mentioned my vague thought about Philly to anyone and it seems a bit bold to type it. The reason for Philly is I lived about an hour from there, many years ago and still have a dear friend in the area whom I haven't seen in about 5 years.)

Okay, now it's really your turn, and sorry for all the words and my thinking out loud. Go for it.

Curious to see how master runners run during the wintertime. It's going to get really cold with lots of snow/ice here soon. I usually resort to the treadmill but I'm looking to run my first marathon in Sept with a few shorter races leading up to it. So currently I'm doing some Base Building but the long runs are almost 2 hours. I'm not sure if this is possible with the upcoming January and February winter months. Overall, I'm most afraid of injury and not being able to run.

Also, I do have a Concept 2 rower (with lots of dust on it) that I purchased during Covid. But I'm not really sure how to incorporate that into a training plan. (If it helps, I'm currently following: https://site.finalsurge.com/TrainingPlans/McMillanPlanDetails?product=11339&distance=&timesec=&goaldistance=&goaltimesec= )

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I'm going to attempt a long run tonight on my treadmill. Hopefully, I don't lose my mind.

46(M). I've been running since the beginning of September 2022. I started with a couch to 5k program on my Garmin (Jeff Galloway's run/walk/run). After about a month I was running (mostly without walking) about 12-15 miles a week over three to four days a week. I ran my first 5k on Thanksgiving (34:28). I have enjoyed running and would like to improve. I've read all sorts of things about how to proceed from here and it sounds like I should work on slowly building my base.

I'm confused about the specifics of doing this. I have seen plenty of things about the 10% rule but have also seen that this isn't a good rule and that it specifically doesn't apply well to low and high mileage runners. However, the folks who say this explain why it doesn't make sense for high mileage runners, but I haven't found guidance on how a low mileage runner, such as myself, should proceed.

Edit: Does the advice that the general advice about a 10% increase doesn't apply to a low mileage runner mean a low mileage runner shouldn't increase the mileage that quickly or can increase it faster?

The last two weeks I have done about 20-22 miles over five days, including a longer run of 6ish miles. As I've read I should do, I'm keeping my pace slow. On my longer runs, I run with another person, and we talk without much difficulty.

I want to run more, but I also am mindful that I am no longer a person who can beat up my body and expect a quick recovery. (I learned this the hard way back in May when I started running without any guidance and quickly developed a problem with my pes anserine, something I didn't even know I had.)

So, what suggestions do you have for how much I can safely increase my mileage? I generally get out early in the morning and, as such, may be time limited because I am so slow and have to get to work at some point. With that said, while "listening to my body," how quickly can I increase my mileage?

TL;DR: How quickly can a low milage runner in his mid-40s safely increase mileage?

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but if nothing else, perhaps it will serve as a reminder that this sub exists.

I'm writing to join with u/ImplausiblyObvious in trying to get a little more going in this sub.

I (M46) posted last week about my first 5k. Now I'm here to report that last month I ran more miles than I ever have before, with 50.5. My plan is to increase that milage in December.

If others don't have anything interesting to add, maybe I'll be back here in a month merely giving you an update on my progress. Sounds pretty boring to me, my guess is someone out there has something wise to add to this sub.

Hey runners! I am part of a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota conducting research on the behaviors that people experience while running, and I need your help!

You can complete a 10-minute online survey to contribute to this important and understudied area of research by going to: z.umn.edu/runningstudy. You are eligible to participate if you are 18 or older, live in the United States, and have run at least once a week for at least 1 year. For every survey completed, a $1 donation (up to $500) will be made to your choice of the following running charities:

Athlete Ally

Black Girls RUN!

Girls on the Run

Team Red, White, and Blue

Thank you so much! Please consider sharing the link with your running circles.

https://preview.redd.it/y9lvs9xxzsj81.png?width=940&format=png&auto=webp&s=b5de834a8a534b9e7fb1a625e7a81abc4a36031a

Started a challenge yesterday of running everyday (at least 1 mile) for 365 days. Wanted to post here and daily on YouTube so that I can try to get some accountability. Feel free to follow my challenge or if you wanna join along that'd be even better!

https://youtu.be/jv-K5QWd-gk

Hi y'all, I just blundered across this "Masters' running sub. I have been posting rather extensively in the regular Running sub. Not sure I'm a Master of anything other than (so far) breathing in and out. And I really, really dislike calling myself an Older Runner. Older than what? My Mom died at 100, she learned to drive at 65 when Dad died, mowed her own yard in Texas until she was 80, and kept house until she was 90. She was a walker. I celebrated her 100th birthday in Dallas by running the whole length of the Katy Trail (7 miles) back in 2018. Have run more than 350 miles so far this year, most of it from May till now (late October). Just sayin' hi, see you on the regular Running sub and You All Keep Up the Good Work! Kind regards, Hannah

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all your support in our project, with your help we have made it to the finals! To finish off the season, we would appreciate it if you could go vote for our team, The Zebracorns, in our competition! Once again thank you for all of your feedback and help! A link to our previous post is here:https://www.reddit.com/r/mastersrunning/comments/lvswpe/running_gear_school_project/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Hey guys! I’m working on a school project focused on innovative running gear. I’m trying to gather data from the running community about what gear different groups of runners are using, and how that gear can be innovated. If you have the time, I’d seriously appreciate it if you could take the short survey below to help me out. Comments and discussion below are also great, and I will respond to any questions as soon as I can. Super appreciate the attention and please let me know if there are any other places I may want to post since I'm a running novice at best. Thanks!

Survey link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-XS6glB2ELKJzFfHhioMn0MncinBlpS9Eb1zB2neJOYKQGg/viewform

Just discovered this subreddit and then realised its nearly dead...does that reflect a lack of older runners or that we are just too busy to post. Anyway...I ran while I was younger...stopped due to kids and work...got fat and old...retired and started running again and love it !

I have been running two years without a watch. Now I am training for marathon #57 at age 70. I run a half every sunday and have taken 33 minutes of my effort . (10:37) . Having a blast. How is everybody out there doing? Dale

62yo male running 15 mpw. A few months ago I did some strenuous hiking for about 6 hours. Afterward my heart rate stayed elevated for hours. Since I have been running I have noticed my resting pulse is around 54 or 52 most mornings. Yesterday I did a hard workout run with 6 200 meter repeats into zone 5. I tried not to run till exhaustion though and had plenty left at the end. After a quick breakfast I went out and played 90 minutes of easy singles tennis. I wore my hr strap the last half hour and noticed I never got higher than zone 3 which for me tops out at 144 bpm. After finishing and chatting with my partner for ar least 10 minutes my hr was still up at 90. Normally it comes back to 60s or low 70s pretty quick after exercise. This morning my resting pulse is 56 which is just a little higher than normal. I'm thinking this is fine. But if it was 62 or 64 would that be a sign of overtraining when it is normally 52 to 54 at this time of day? Also does anyone else notice hr getting stuck in zone 1 and not coming down for a long time. after multi hour exertions? I was super happy with the responses I got here last time and I am hoping mastersrunning can become a resource of thoughtful discussion

62yo 15mpw returning runner after 20 year lay off. Personal best was a 58:19 10k . A recent 5k I ran in 40:24. I remember running a 5k in about 24 minutes back in the day. How long should I expect it to take my body to get back to that level, if ever.
I'm using a Freerunningplans.com plan to get from 15 mpw to 20 over the next 8 weeks. I'm happy to be able to run again and diappointed to not be faster. I'm also happy to find a spot for older runners but afraid no one will see this post. Please answer if you do, even if just to say hello.

So where is everyone? or are there no runners over 40? how about intro/age/miles run per week/number of marathons participated in?

​