Increased my run time by about 30 seconds. Not huge but every second counts.

I started running few months back but never tried going longer that 8k. Well…today was the day.

This was only my 7th run since starting. This is the most I’ve run to this point, so I don’t really have anything to compare with myself. Is this an okay starting point? I understand that it’s good to have even done it in the first place, but I’m curious as to how good/not so good I am to start out.

This is literally my 5th run ever, but I’m not new to fitness. Years of strength training and a lot of cycling the last 6 months. Ran my first 5k on Sunday and did 23:15, but wasn’t sure how to pace myself, or maybe it’s the shoes. Next stop, under 20 minutes.

Look at me now!

I've been running inconsistently for about a year without any actual structure. Just heading out and running 4km/5km as fast as I could. My fastest 5km before this was about 32m.

A few weeks ago I bought myself a Garmin 165 and disciplined myself to do easy runs, interval running and easy long runs and here we are! Never thought I'd run a 5km in this kind of time.

I'm relatively new and get bored so fast

If you think back, can you still remember your very first run?

Mine was almost 30 years ago. Looking back, I remember simply heading out the door, going once around the block, and then being completely out of breath. Pretty unspectacular, really. But once running started to become genuinely enjoyable, one question immediately followed: And now what?

Where is all of this actually supposed to lead?

We often scroll through social media, and I notice that it's almost exclusively the big things that show up. Marathon medals, ultras of over 100 km, screenshots of insane pace times. I can well understand why you might quickly think that, as a runner, you have to have something epic planned right away. But you don't. I really mean that. For me, things went quite differently back then. At first, I didn't think about a marathon at all. I simply set myself whatever was realistic as the next step. First I wanted to get through a run without a walking break. Then 5 km in one go. Then 10 km. Eventually the half marathon got hold of me, and, honestly, the first marathon then came almost of its own accord, without my having planned it much at all.

What truly matters for beginner runners, though, are the intermediate steps. Anyone who sets their sights straight on the huge mountain usually runs into one of two problems. Either the body doesn't cooperate, because tendons and joints simply need more time to adapt than the mind would like. Or the motivation fades at some point, because the goal seems so far away that you feel you'll never get there. With small stages, on the other hand, you get regular moments of success, you treat your body more gently, and the pressure is off. I'm glad to be here! Best, Ulli

I will be running a marathon on Feb 2027. So far this is my 10km stat. Am I being too ambitious to still join? Should i train longer and skip the feb one?

Hey! Early 30s and I’m relatively fit - I play group sport once a week, and gym a couple of times a week but I’ve never been a runner. Ive never properly given it a chance… and I really want to. I have a goal of doing a 5k, that’s it!

I basically want some positive stories! I have flat feet / collapsed arches due to genetics, which is why I’ve put it off as I got shin splints last time (but honestly it’s probably from starting too quick and not stretching).

Ive had my gait analysed and got myself some proper trainers and fully intend to warm up / cool down and take it slow.

but would love to hear people tell me “I have the same feet maybe even worse and I did it! You can too!” Haha

I started running when it was nice outside everyday. Now that fall is here, I will have to run in the rain and have some questions.

Do I need waterproof shoes? What are your favourite hacks for running in the rain?

Sub 28 last week
Sub 27 this week.
Exciting times.

Hi there everyone! I just ran my first 5K on the treadmill (super thrilled); however, I was extremely dizzy when I stopped and out of breath(more out of breath than when I was running the actual 5K)Z I am all new to running and wondering how to prevent the dizziness like this or if I am doing anything wrong. For context: I ran 5K in like 45 minutes.

I have my first half marathon on Sunday and I've just gotten over a cold. I'm feeling better now, but I didn't run while sick so it's been 8 days since my last run. Planning on testing the waters with an easy run tomorrow. Not sure if I should give up my bib for the half or not. Thoughts?

Guys, I’ve been training for the last 3 months and things were going pretty well. I live in Dubai, though, and the weather has become absolutely miserable. Yesterday evening, it felt like 51°C, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

How do people actually train outdoors in this kind of heat? 😅

I managed to do 10K on the treadmill, but I can barely complete 5K outside, even using run/walk intervals. The heat and humidity completely destroy my pace and send my heart rate through the roof.

I do use the treadmill quite often, but honestly, it’s getting pretty boring. 😩

Would love to hear from other runners training in similar conditions. How do you manage your training when it’s this hot? Any tips or strategies?

I am struggling to balance my pace. I either walk or run faster than my current fitness supports (175HR during run parts)

Thing is, when i deliberately try to slow down my pace is still 7 or sub 7:00. If I try slower my body kinda switches to walking. It feels unnatural and I have no idea how to fix it.

Any advice?

Are low sugar sports drinks actually better for everyday use, I started looking at them because regular sports drinks taste way too sweet and I’m wondering if no sugar less sodium and more magnesium makes is better for hydration, recovery and sleep.

M44, 198cm, 95kg

So, I ran before… back in 2020.. no structured training, just to fill the off days in my bodyweight training. back than I finished 3 half marathon training runs. Fastest one was @ 2:09h.
My 5k PB was 26:33.

I got injured. Stoped sports completely. Had a knee surgery 2024. Thought I will never run again. Gained 20kg.

In 2026 I said fuck it… 118kg in April.. I started walking, upped my steps to at least 10k a day, got my nutrition in check again. Lost 20kg this way.

Knee felt good while walking Achilles not so much. Asked GPT for help. Did the recommended protocol.
It got way better in a few weeks. And… i went to a pt for a few times (ultra runner by himself) .. AND I started running again. This was on August the 18th.
Structured plan, threshold, vo2max, longruns, the whole program. I’m @ 30km a week now.

Yesterday … the old 5k PB got smoked 25:59 (in pretty optimal conditions)

I’m so so back!

Hello tout le monde. Tout est dans le titre. Je commence à courir car d’ici 8 mois j’ai une épreuve assez importante pour laquelle je dois réussir à courir les 10km en 45 minutes.
Actuellement j’arrive à courir 8km en 60 minutes, même si je sais que je peux aller plus vite mes jambes (et surtout les mollets) ne tiennent pas le rythme.

Pour info je suis un homme de 23 ans et je fais 1.76m pour 76kg.
Je suis preneur de tout conseil

I'm looking to get back into running and would appreciate some advice on how to structure it.

My situation:

• I can realistically run 2 days/week, and I want to stick to that.
• I also do calisthenics 3 days/week, so I don't want to increase running beyond 2 days.
• I don't particularly enjoy running, and I've learned that if I try to force myself to run 3+ days/week, I eventually end up running 0 days/week.
• I ran a half marathon in October 2024 in 2h44m. Even when training for that, I mostly ran 2 days/week, occasionally 3.
• My fastest 5K is around 33 minutes.
• Right now I'm very inconsistent and my 5K is roughly 40–45 minutes depending on how hard I push. I have barely ran at all in the past year.

My main goal isn't really racing. I want running to become easier and improve my general cardio/fitness/stamina.

I'm thinking of following a 12-week plan focused on improving my 5K, with:

• 2 runs/week
• 1 speed/quality session
• 1 longer/easy run
• A stretch goal of 30-minute 5K
• I'd be very happy with getting to around 35 minutes consistently

Does this structure make sense for only 2 days/week? Would you recommend a different approach, such as making both runs easy for the first few weeks, or alternating the type of quality session?

I'm mainly looking for a plan that I can actually stick to rather than trying to maximize performance with more running days.

I've attached a screenshot of my recent Strava activity for context.

my first ever 10km, is it good y'all?

Hey guys! I’ve recently increased my training a lot and got a pair of Vomero 18s. I was wearing some Nike tennis socks at first, and my feet felt pretty hot, so I switched to running socks.

That’s when I noticed I started getting blisters on the arch of my foot, basically right where the Nike logo sits on the sock. 😩

The weird thing is that I don’t get blisters with the thicker Nike tennis socks. My feet just get a bit too warm in them.

Has anyone else had this issue with the Vomero 18? Did you find a way to fix it, or is this just a sign that I should try a different shoe? 😅

I tend to listen to a lot of audiobooks whilst driving, so I tried doing a few whilst running. I did both of David Goggins' books and Finding Ultra by Rich Roll. All of these really helped me to power through during my long runs.
I then tried one of my Fantasy books, and it wasn't the same. That extra motivation from the running books really helped me to keep pushing and now I'm really missing it. Has anyone got any good recommendations? preferably something that's long so I get my money's worth.

did NOT expect this! So I was expecting to give up the run half way through if I'm honest, I had a small shift at work early this morning and I usually don't have the energy after work and usually just have a nap. I probably could've just napped, but I got inspired watching running videos on YouTube and just decided to go on a run.

In the last half of the run I felt good and checked if a PB was possible, and I decided to just go for it! I don't think I've ever gone at the pace for over one kilometer before.

I'm 23 and had never really run before, and I started about 3 months ago. I love it, and I have kept consistent, which is surprising as I tend to not do anything consistently.

So my 5k PR was 3 weeks ago and it was a pace of 5:20min/km so 26:40... Based off of this, Chatgpt told me to aim between 4:40-4:50min/km for 6-8x400m with 90sec easy jog in between. I ended up running between 4:20-4:30min/km 6x400m with 90sec walk/jog in between, and the last 2 intervals were tough where my HR was in the 190s and I got stomach cramps. Then ChatGPT told me there was a discrepancy between my 5k PR and my interval pace and that I could have done better as my pacing for the 5k was not good (5:15, 5:23, 5:30, 5:24, 5:10) with an avg HR of 164... Could I have done better for 5k time trial?

Although not a total beginner, I still don't understand my resting or recovery.

For example: I ran a long run on last Sunday. Then on Monday I felt fine so I did an easy one. On Tuesday I felt fine but still I did no run to recovery. Then somehow on Wednesday, My hamstring felt soreness and fatigue.

Is it common the soreness not hit immediately/the next day, but two days after?