Marathon Champion Answers Running Questions From Twitter

Hi, this is Des Linden.

I'll be answering your questions from Twitter.

This is Marathon Support.

[upbeat music]

@jeremyashley asks, Looks like I accidentally goofed up

my marathon training schedule.

I'm off by a week.

When is a good time to skip ahead?

My advice would be to stay the course.

Don't jump ahead.

Don't try to make up any fitness.

When you get to the end,

you'll just be a little bit fresher instead of overcooked.

Doctor David Warriner asks,

Question marathon runners.

How do you stay hydrated during a long training run?

Take a bottle with you?

Visit a shop?

Short loops via home?

Don't drink or question question?

I usually hire a friend to follow my route

and hand me bottles along the way.

I like to practice at pace

and just train my gut

to take that fluid in while I'm running.

I know that's kind of improbable for a lot of people

so if you get up early and map your loop out

and drop off some bottles along the way,

tuck them in the weeds

or hide them off on the side of the road

so that you can grab them as you go, that's a good tip

but whatever you do, there's a lot of options.

Definitely drink and practice that in your training.

Don't go to the last option of don't drink.

Mel eats and runs asks,

Any tips for half marathon specific speedwork?

Shooting for a pb.

Yeah, I think if you're already doing

a schedule and you have tempos and speedwork built in,

stay the course and just keep

slowly dialing down your paces.

If you're just doing regular casual runs,

a really great thing to add in

is some strides at the end of the run as you finish up.

Do a few of those bouts

and that'll add some speed to the legs

and just leaves you finishing feeling fresh and quick.

@K2Runs asks, Professional runners, I'm curious.

How many pair of shoes do you go through

in training for a marathon?

Thanks.

I have cushion trainers that I use on regular runs.

In marathon training, I like a lighter shoe.

Speed workouts or any kind of race pace effort,

I use a racing flat and then on race day,

I like a fresh pair of racing flats.

So I would say between four to six

with some good variety in there.

@GoldMedalDad says,

Hey Runners, what is better for after a long run,

a protein shake for muscle recovery

or a sports drink for rehydration

electrolyte balance or both?

Leave reason why in the comments.

Cheers.

Cheers, man.

I would go with the protein shake

within the first 30 to 40 minutes.

You need to get than in the body right away

to just help repair the muscles that you've broken down

throughout a big long effort.

Hopefully, you've hydrated on the run

and so that's pretty well taken care of as you went

but also, hydrate throughout the day too.

But for recovery and really repairing the muscles,

go with protein first.

All right.

Elly asks, On a scale of one to 10,

how stupid is it to run a half marathon

that you signed up for

when on a runner's high two months ago

and have not practiced for since?

Asking for a friend, she says.

It's not a bad idea at all to go out and do it.

Actually, you can go out and cover 13.1.

You just need to adjust your expectations,

maybe temper your goals a little bit.

Don't go out and try to set a pr.

That would be a 10 stupid.

It's not gonna show up if you haven't put the work in

so if you wanna go and have a fun experience,

it's a great time to do it but temper back the expectations.

@farrahmone asks,

What do you recommend to eat before the race?

I'm confused of what to wear too.

My first marathon ever.

For me it's super simple.

Bland food is always kind of the best.

You want food for function not for fun

and as far as what to wear,

I highly recommend checking the weather

'cause that will make a huge difference.

If you're getting ready for this fall's

New York City marathon,

plan if there's gonna be rain,

you want a shell for when you're out

waiting to start the race

and then obviously, you know, comfortable running shorts

and a nice light singlet are kind of a go to

if temperatures are nice.

Spartacus11Run asks,

Are running energy gels necessary

for half and full marathons?

I'm caffeine intolerant due to migraines

so I avoid all caffeine.

What would my alternative be for long races?

Good question.

I think you can take gels without caffeine.

There's a lot of options out there with and without

but I do think having some type of fuel

on the run's necessary for the longer races.

You definitely wanna be fueling the body

so you don't run out of glycogen late in the race.

It's commonly referred to as the bonk

and I can attest to that being no fun at all.

And another option is always the hydration fluids.

Find out what's on the course where you're racing

and maybe practice with that so you can get your gut

adjusted to how that flavor and taste is gonna work for you.

@kaywebs asks, Distance runners,

any thoughts on barefoot minimalist running?

For me, with the amount of work I put in,

you traditionally wanna have some cushion under your feet.

You can rotate in some barefoot minimalist stuff

like strides after a run barefoot, super nice.

Maybe a couple hundred meter bouts,

but really I think we have all these

really great running shoes out there for a reason,

and so I'm a big fan of just going with great shoes.

All right, Megs asks,

Bit slower, who knows.

Is stamina long distance running an ability you inherit

or can I train my body to be better?

We can all train our bodies to be better

at long distance running.

Most people don't walk out the door

and cover long distances.

It's something you build up to.

It's one of the great sports that

we all find it very difficult at the beginning.

Just have to put in a little bit of work.

@mikala_whitaker asks,

How many hours of sleep

do you need to recover from a marathon?

10 to 11 a night just ain't cutting it.

Wow, I am impressed that you're getting that much in.

It takes a while to recover from a marathon

and it's not just sleep.

I'll take two weeks no running and just kind of

forget that I did the marathon

and, you know, it's resting,

but also going out and having some fun.

Oftentimes runners can come back with low ferritin or iron.

If those stores are low in your body,

you can feel really fatigued.

You would just look into some supplements

or eating a little bit more red meat or iron in your diet.

Spinach is a great source as well.

So just adding that in might make a little

improvement in your energy levels.

Kortney Bratton asks, What do people actually do

to pass the time when they run long distance.

I feel like music can only go so far

and I'd be sick of my own thoughts

after about a half mile.

Man, you need to mix it up with some friends,

some training partners would be fantastic.

Books on tape, maybe a podcast.

But really enjoy being outside.

I think that's one of the really great things about running.

I love working through my own problems,

thinking about nothing, thinking about everything.

Start with a podcast maybe.

Emily Riter, Can someone teach me how to get

this so-called runner's high?

I'm pretty stuck in the runner's I want to die territory.

That's relatable.

I think we all hear the myth of the runner's high

but it's a really hard place to get to.

It takes probably 25, 30 days

to get in a really great routine.

The hardest thing for runners is patience

but the number one tip for runners is be patient.

All right.

I Am CatK asks, Recommendations for running music?

Half marathon training is going strong

but getting bored of my playlists.

I think the obvious answer here is Jock Jams.

What else would you listen to that will hype you up

for an entire run.

Avi Das asks, @des_linden, what are your favorite exercises

for injury prevention?

In terms of just general strength,

I think pushups are great, sit-ups, planks,

squats are fantastic to throw in.

Just basic, general body strength things that you can do

so I would recommend all of those.

Running friends, do you use no-tie running laces?

I'm fine with tying my shoes.

I do the double loop and swoop

and then you tuck the laces away, so.

TW asks, So then runners, how often do you foam roll?

That's a good question.

I think that that's a really great thing to use

before and after a run.

You can do it twice a day

and if you feel any niggling injuries coming on,

foam rollers are a fantastic place to start.

Also love the Theragun does a little bit

of the same type of thing.

It's just a little easier to work.

Tim G asks, Got hamstring cramp at 16.5 miles today,

same leg as MK marathon.

How can I reduce the chance of that in New York?

Yeah, cramping is the worst.

I think staying on top of, you know, stretching out

and loosening up beforehand.

Consider a massage just to make sure the muscles

are nice and loose but mostly it comes down

to hydration and electrolytes.

Hydration's key there.

@martygarcia13 asks,

If you didn't put Vaseline on your nipples,

did you really go running?

Yes.

I can attest.

H asks, I have a question for runners.

When you're racing for hours doing a marathon or something,

do you ever need to pee?

Do they put toilets out along the route or...?

We do have a lot of time out there

and I think we might run into that problem

but there are toilets along the route

so that's always helpful to know.

@Plumbnanny asks, Terrible run this morning.

How do people deal with a negative mindset when running?

I think it might be my route possibly boring me?

Mix things up!

Try getting a training partner,

do your loop backwards,

drive somewhere and try some new routes, that's always fun.

I think obvious answer here is it a great time

to go buy a puppy 'cause dogs love to run too

and then you'll have a dog to take with you.

If you take up long distance running,

surely you can eat like a pig?

Asking for a friend.

[laughs] That's a myth.

I wish it were true and sometimes we pretend it's true

but really, eh,

if you're putting the right things in, go for it.

All right, Toria asks,

If I can't manage a mile on the running machine

then how am I gonna do a half marathon on a road?

You have to start somewhere.

I think, no one is born ready to run a half marathon.

We all learn and train and so start with one mile

on the running machine

and then eventually do two and keep adding.

It's gonna take a while to get there

but that's why it's so rewarding.

There's so much to learn about running

and I really appreciate all the great questions

that you guys sent in.

Thank you for asking.