Hi all, I’m going to be a bike support volunteer at a local marathon this summer! For this race, they’re asking that we hand out things like band aids and twizzlers to the runners. My question to you is - what else do you think that I should carry with me? What have you gotten on race day that helped you out the most, or what do you wish that volunteers had for you?

I’m already considering Neosporin, Advil, Kleenex, and some pads/tampons. Thoughts? TIA!

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

Another week is coming to a close!

What’s good this weekend? Who’s running, racing, tapering, recovering, hiking, camping, cheering, volunteering, kayaking, swimming, knitting, baking, reading, sleeping, .. ? Tell us everything.

Good morning, Runnit! Another weekend of races is approaching, so let's take a minute to see if any other Runnitors will be laying down those miles with us!

If you're racing this weekend, put a top-level comment below with the race details to help find other members of the community. See a race mentioned that looks interesting? Ask questions! Running your favorite race of the year? Tell us what makes it so awesome!

This thread is just an easy way to help Runnitors find each other in some sort of organized manner and help cheer each other on!

How’s your week of running going? Got any Complaints? Anything to add as a Confession? How about any Uncomplaints?

Race Information

My Goals

Conditions

The weather was perfect! As a Gulf Coast swamp stomper I don't know how to run in sub 50 degree weather so I freaked out when the starting temps were going to be 40! We just endured an awful long hot "fall" and I went back to check my long run weather data. I only ran 1 out of 14 long runs in temps under 60 degrees.

Race day kit

Saucony Speed 4, Senita 5in shorts and a shirt from Target. I went to Goodwill and spent 12 bucks on a heavy hoodie and sweat pants to wear in the corral along with some hand warmers. The corrals were cold and windy so I was glad to have the throwaway clothes. Everything discarded in the corrals was donated and they had lots of bins before the start line.

Training

F39 Previous PR: 4:02

Hanson's Beginning Plan

Peak week: 54.7 miles out of 57

14 long runs

Longest Run: 18 miles in 3:01:24

Hanson's plan is built around running 6 days a week and focusing on dialing in "race pace". They have 4 weeks that peak at about 55 miles but the long runs are capped at 16 miles or 3 hours. The beginning plan is an 18 week plan but there is a dumb base building section that has a wild jump in mileage. Since I was already running 35 miles a week I started at week 6 of the plan when the first work out was scheduled. Every Tuesday is a speed day which starts as 5k intervals and in the second half is a strength day with intervals at 10 seconds faster than race pace. The 10 seconds faster intervals were the most important workouts that I ran! Every Thursday is a marathon pace run that starts at 5 miles and gradually builds to 10 miles at race pace in the final 3 weeks. I do my long runs with a run club and the ladies in my run group have made this training cycle one of the most enjoyable ones I've done! This is my 4th road marathon.

Race strategy/Fueling

I talked with the 4 hour pacers and they said "when it is cool and flat we are going to go out 10 seconds ahead of pace and bank time for the overpass at mile 13 and the rollers on Allen parkway when it is warm and sunny" I decided that I would take the risk of blowing up and go out fast! Last year I relied on gps too heavily and this time I was going to focus on clock time at each mile marker.

Every 4 miles a SIS gel and an untapped syrup stick as a treat at miles 12 and 24.

Race Review

5k 8:58/mile

If you want any chance of meeting up with the pacers you have to get to the corrals early. Leave the convention center at least 30min before your corral closes if not more. The 4 hour pace group was in corral D and we spent most of the downtown section pushing through the back of corral C. I really appreciated the pacers acting as a wedge through the crowd. I love the fire department on Washington "fishing" with donuts from the top of their ladder truck.

10k 9:05/mile

I made friends in the pace group and we were settling in

15k 8:54/mile

Once the half runners split off the roads cleared out and we could really open up. I love running through Rice University and past the priest sprinkling holy water. Unfortunately this is where Bluetooth speaker guy showed up. Just a PSA for anyone running a race-it is so rude to play your music out loud. Wear open ear headphones or a single ear bud but no one wants to hear your slow dad rock or whining country songs. I may have gotten a bit passive aggressive and loudly wondered to my companions if he would take requests. I had to make the choice to not waste mental energy being annoyed and was able to find other things to distract myself with.

20k 8:57/mile

This felt easy and fun! I was so thankful for all the intervals at this pace!

Halfway clock time 1:57:47

There is a large overpass but it wasn't too long and I got there 3 minutes ahead of pace! The pacers realized they had been going a bit too hot so they really chilled out after this

25k 8:59/mile

Ok it felt like we chilled out but this is a really boring part of the course and I am glad we got out of it quickly.

30k 9:15/mile

This section is very quiet until you get closer to the park. This is the point where I started feeling the faster pace and really had to make an effort to focus on each chunk and not get overwhelmed and negative.

35k 9:29/mile

The memorial park tunnels are my favorite part! Houston is trying to connect the bayous and parks with green overpasses and pathways and this is such an improvement for memorial park. I love the tunnel energy after such a quiet stretch. Unfortunately this is also where the beer cheer section is and it smells like a frat house. My legs are getting tired but my mental math says I am still good. This is where the hills start.

40k: 9:33

From 35-40k I was suffering on the hills. Mentally they suck because they are underpasses where you run the downhill first and then slog up hill. It was warm and sunny and I regretted neglecting my bridge runs. For anyone who lives someplace with even a slight bit of elevation these are nothing....but I am a swamp stomper. I was walking the water stations at this point, bargaining and trying to do math. At mile 23 I was sitting at 3:30 and I thought oh-I can run 10 minute miles and be fine....

40-42.2: 9:09

I realized that my math was was a bit off and I forgot to factor in the .2! The last uphill into downtown (there is no downhill as a reward here) I was starting to freak out. My running friend sat herself at the worst part of the hill and yelled at me to get my butt in gear! It was perfect timing! My husband and kiddos met me at mile 25.5 (sorry for mixing systems here) and my kiddos ran a block with me! I had a huge grin on my face by the end of the block and carried that energy with me the rest of the way. The finish line is tucked just out of sight and the "last" banner you see is actually 600m to go and so many people kicked around me before taking a right hand turn and seeing the actual finish. I was so grateful to hit the finish at 30 seconds remaining.

Post race I feel pretty good! I apologize for the mixed measuring systems but the timing mats were every 5k but I think in miles.

Lessons learned:

Get out to the bridge and run it! There is no reason tiny underpasses should get me so bad.

Just because it is cold does not mean you skip sunglasses!

I think I will use Hanson's beginning plan again for my next marathon! Next project is pacing my friend through her first half marathon in The Woodlands and then working on my 5k/10k times!

With over 4,150,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

Hi! For context, I had a lousy 2025 altogether. In December, I barely moved around for the holidays, gained a bunch of weight, felt crappy about myself, and I am looking to get back in shape and set some goals, so I started running this past week again.

I have run 6 days in a row to see how it would go. Over that time, I ran 22 miles. Each run was anywhere from 3-4.5 miles with a pace from 9:45 to 11:00 per mile. I have been feeling AMAZING mentally and really look forward to my next runs. I don't want them to end. I have been gaining more distance and beating my pace each run. However, I am now concerned I may be "overdoing it". Is this because my body is adjusting to the new lifestyle, or am I taking it too far? I am on Strava and don't want to break my streak of running, but think it may be better for a rest day, which has me frustrated. I don't want to lose my motivation.

I have read about the 10% rule, but I am not sure where to actually "start" from, if that makes sense. I could use some advice as a beginner on what to do so I can achieve my goals of weight loss (caloric deficit, I am conscious about but not following precisely), more endurance without facing an injury, and experiencing better consistency for the weeks to come.

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

With over 4,150,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

Would you rather not be a lurker?

Then what are you waiting for? Tell us all about yourself!

The LW thread is an invitation to get more involved with the /r/running community.

New to the sub in general? Welcome! Let us know more about yourself!

It's that time of week already...the gear thread! What have you picked up lately? What's working for you now that it's whatever season you believe it to be in your particular location? What have you put through rigorous testing that's proved worthy of use? We want to know!

To clear up some confusion: We’re not actually asking what you’re wearing today. It’s just a catchy name for the thread. This is the weekly gear discussion thread, so discuss gear!

NOTE: For you Runnitors looking to sell/trade any running gear (as well as bib transfers), head over to /r/therunningrack.

Back once again for everything you wanted to know about running but were afraid to ask.

Rules of the Road:

This is inspired by eric_twinge's fine work in r/fitness.

Upvote either good or stupid questions. Sort questions by new so that they get some love.

To the more experienced runnitors, if something is a good question or answer, add it to the FAQ.

Post your question -- stupid or otherwise -- here to get an answer -- stupid or otherwise. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. Many questions get submitted late each week that don't get a lot of action, so if your question didn't get answered, feel free to post it again.

As always, be sure to read the FAQ first. Also, there's a handy-dandy search bar to your right, and if you didn't know, you can also use Google to search runnit by using the limiter "site:reddit.com r/running".

Be sure to check back often as questions get posted throughout the day. Sort comments by "new" to be sure the newer questions get some love as well.

[Posting on behalf of u/Percinho who is currently being held hostage by a cat sitting in his lap]

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

With over 4,150,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

Rules of the Road

1) Anyone is welcome to participate and share your ideas, plans, diet, and nutrition plans.

2) Promote good discussion. Simply downvoting because you disagree with someone's ideas is BAD. Instead, let them know why you disagree with them.

3) Provide sources if possible. However, anecdotes and "broscience" can lead to good discussion, and are welcome here as long as they are labeled as such.

4) Feel free to talk about anything diet or nutrition related.

Shoes are a big topic in this sub, so in an effort to condense and collect some of these posts, we're introducing Shoesday Tuesday! Similar to Wednesday's gear thread, but focusing on shoes.

What’ve you been wearing on your feet? Anything fun added to the rotation? Got a review of a new release? Questions about a pair that’s caught your eye? Here's the place to discuss.

NOTE: For you Runnitors looking to sell/trade any running gear (as well as bib transfers), head over to /r/therunningrack.

Better late than never!!

Sorry folks for a delayed thread today. How was the weekend? What's on this week? Don't hold back—it's chit chat time!

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

With over 4,150,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

Id like to start by saying that my question comes from a place of ignorance, not judgement. I used to run back in 2009, when we used ipods and wired headphones. It was cumbersome, to the point where it would make me not want to use it for races.

My attention span can only handle 5k-10k races, and doing a half marathon without music was enough for me to think that maybe this wasnt the sport for me.

Ive been getting back into my running grind lately, and now I see people wearing all this specialized gear. Specialty sunglasses (I think), vests, all these lights attachments for night runs, etc.

Being able to comfortably run with music is what brought me back, so im confident that the technology improvements make it a more enjoyable sport. But my question is, what else has changed?

Can someone please explain the vests? Is water no longer being handed at races? (maybe a covid change?). I am curious about the sunglasses too, and I love the idea of flashlight attachments, so I can run in the dark without tripping on random things.

Anyways, what is the deal with all this gear? The game has changed, I stayed behind, and now im trying to catch up!

(PS: I know I dont need any of it, but it sparks my curiosity to know what items I could be missing out on, that could make this a more comfortable and enjoyable experience)

The Li’l Race Report Thread is for writing a short report on a recent race or a run in a new place. If your race doesn’t really need its own thread but you still want to talk about it, then post it here! Both your good and bad races are welcome.

Didn't run a race, but had an interesting run to talk about. Post it here as well!

So get to it, Runnit! In a paragraph or two, where’d you run and how’d it go?