Running
I run quite a bit. This page compiles some of my general, 5k-specific and marathon-specific running tips and workouts (aimed at intermediate runners). I hope you find them useful!
My current PBs are:
- 5k: 17:47 (2024 target: sub-17:30)
- Marathon: 3:06:08 (2024 target: sub-3hrs)
General Running Tips
- Use Runalyze:
- Runalyze is what you’d get if your spreadsheet-loving accountant buddy made a Strava alternative. It’s so jam-packed with data and analyses that it can be overwhelming, but once you’ve got the hang of it I’ve found it to be really useful.
- I use it to track my overall fitness metrics + which workouts are improving my V02Max. Oh, and it’s (mostly) free 🤯
Screenshot of my Runalyze dashboard.
- Calibrate your Z2 heart-rate:
- For ages I was just following the Z2 heart-rate suggestion provided by my Garmin, which was maxing out at
~145bpm
. Then I chanced upon a Reddit post about someone recalibrating their Z2 heart-rates and I decided to do the same.
- With my max HR of
211
, I’ve re-calibrated my Z2 to 155-160bpm
(+10-15bpm
!). This was pretty close to my Strava-suggested zones (so I edited my Garmin heart-rate zones to match).
- I still satisfy the “talk test”, feel fine (ie: not exhausting myself) and my fitness, VDot and race times have all noticeably improved.
- This is more relevant for experienced runners who might be plateauing — typically beginner runnings run too fast to hit their Z2, but I think this inverts once you become more trained and experienced.
- Avoid injury
- Everyone says it, most ignore it, but swapping a workout for a rest day and only doing 95% of your target weekly distance is better than getting injured and doing 0%.
5k workout sessions & tips
- A fun speed/endurance sessions I’ve been doing lately is: 3x(3km @ Z2, 1.6km @ 101-103% target 5k pace):
- ie: 3x(3km@4:55/km + 1.6km@3:25-3:30/km) for a target 5k pace of 3:30-3:32/km.
- That’s
~14km
of work, including a cumulative 4.8km
just under your target 5k
pace.
- I’ve enjoyed doing this workout as a speed-endurance alternative to a typical 6-8x 1km reps. It’s more of an endurance / lactic session though compared to a V02 session (although you could shorten the Z2 component for a more V02 style session).
- Hill repeats are great to sprinkle in:
- Nothing new here, but even just 4x2min hill sprints every other week has had a noticeable effect on my running (feel a bit stronger). Ideally you’d be doing 6-8 reps instead of 4… but sometimes you just have to take what you can get.
- A few weeks of high-incline running (1500m+ elevation gain) really strengthen the legs:
- Like hill repeats on steroids. I spent a few weeks in 2024 staying around a hilly part of Adelaide, getting
1500m+
of elevation gain each week. The results were pretty huge! I just felt a lot stronger in my legs for the next ~8 weeks afterwards, although to be fair, I imagine that doing 1-2 strength workouts each week would have similar results.
Marathon workout sessions & tips
- Fueling:
- Eat more than you think you need in the race. My first marathon I think I had
~3-4
gels, my most recent one I think I ate ~6.5
gels.
- It was pretty crazy reflecting on that and realizing that some of my earlier marathon “bonks” could probably be partially-attributed to poor fuelling instead of under-training.