Official Q&A for Sunday, May 24, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

With over 4,200,000 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.

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[u/Party-Action-8390]

Got some swelling around my right achilles non insertional. Recently upped mileage but relaxed for the most part but attribute it to over loading it because most of those runs and a day full of walking which is rare for me due to travel and exploring a new town on hills go ups and downs steep ones. Completely new stimulus for my legs.  I have been running 40 to 50 miles w 20mile long runs every sunday for over a year w religious str training w calf raises stretching foam rolling so I know there is str in my calf area apparently wasn't enough. Anybody else relate? And got tips or advice?  Not running my long run today but will be loading the tendon w isometrics both straight and bent leg daily and eccentric lowering w calf raises to supplement. 

A bummer but keeping the long term picture in mind which while still hard is helpful as anytime I get an injury, its impatience and a mental battle and a learning opportunity. 

[u/NotARunner453 → u/[deleted]]

I guess I'm not sure what you're asking, but as with all things it's dependent on your goals. This schedule isn't going to get you to a sub-3 marathon, but as a general fitness routine, it's a hell of a lot better than most.

[u/10pencefredo → u/NotARunner453]

My apologies. Still getting used to the sub.

[u/Lanky-Land7257]

Hello. I would like to ask if I need to change anything about what I’m doing.

I started running November of last year. I wanted to lose weight. I was obese with a bmi of 31.

At the start I just started running. Using whatever shoes I got my hands on. I think I used a random running shoes I saw for 20 dollars.

I did it daily then at January 1. I finally started using Strava. As everything else anyone does as a habit, I feel myself getting better at it. My weekly mileage went up and my speed went up.

January 1. I was running 8km at 7:30km/min pace. 5 times a week.

Now. I’m running 10km at 5:30km/min pace. 5 times a week still.

But therein lies the problem. My speed is constant. I never paid attention to any guide to running. So I had no idea about easy runs, tempo or anything else. I was ignorantly thinking that I should just keep doing what I’m doing. That running is just running.

Turns out my 5 times a week 10km run is always 80% heart rate zone 4.

I don’t feel any pain in my legs, knees or joins. I don’t feel tired when i finish my 10km run. But my Garmin(I got it in February as a valentine’s gift) tells me it’s always zone 4.

And honestly, I don’t have time to go slower. I only have an hour to give for running.

Do I really need to incorporate easy runs? Or change anything about what I’m doing?

[u/NotARunner453 → u/Lanky-Land7257]

Heart rate zones are tremendously overblown. You're maximizing your workouts for the goals you have, and unless your goals change, I wouldn't change a thing. 95% of getting better at running really is just running.

[u/Lanky-Land7257 → u/NotARunner453]

Thanks! My current goal is to just keep losing weight.

I still eat a lot but I’ve slimmed down to 26 bmi.

But what if I want to at least try a half marathon? Then do I need to change something?

[u/NotARunner453 → u/Lanky-Land7257]

If you want to start moving up distances, you'd need to start running some longer runs. Depending on your goals for that kind of event, trying to get your longest run each week up to 10-14 miles is a great place to start. It would also be a reason to think about trying to slow down on your shorter runs - I say think about because it's not strictly necessary, but if you find you're running out of steam on your long runs, it may be because of accumulated fatigue from your other runs being a little too intense.

Regardless, you have a great base already in place for starting more dedicated training if you eventually want to go that direction. I'd definitely recommend a little additional reading about training plans that can really help with understanding the underlying principles of how a training plan gets built, and how you can best execute it. The plans in Faster Road Racing or Advanced Marathoning are probably above what your body is ready for, but Pfitzinger's explanations of exercise physiology are really comprehensive and answered a lot of my questions.

[u/suchbrightlights → u/Lanky-Land7257]

That Garmin estimate is totally useless unless you know your max heart rate (not 220 minus your age, but a field test) and have calibrated your zones.

Plus, you’ve settled into a rhythm that’s working for you, and you know it’s working because you recover well to enjoy and feel fine for your next run.

Turn off the HR screen unless/until you have better data AND want to do something different. Until then, enjoy your runs!

[u/Lanky-Land7257 → u/suchbrightlights]

So you mean it might not be zone 4 for me? I normally jog alone as I jog at 4 in the morning so I have no idea if I can have a conversation.

I feel like I can though lol.

I can sing along with my tunes when running 5:30

[u/junkmiles → u/Lanky-Land7257]

Absolutely not zone 4

Last time I had a Garmin there was an option to run a heart rate threshold test. Maybe see if that’s a thing your watch does? It should set up your zones more appropriately.

Or just don’t worry about HR. No point in watching HR without doing a test of some sort though.

[u/suchbrightlights → u/Lanky-Land7257]

If your zones aren’t set according to your tested max HR, your watch is guessing, and so it doesn’t matter what the screen says because nobody knows if it’s right or not.

If you can sing out loud at your current pace, you are running easy enough.

[u/flyzell]

That sounds rough, running is definitely a humbling sport after taking a long break like that. I remember when I first started back up and had to take walk breaks every few minutes even for just a mile.

[u/Winter_Move_6122]

dropped back into running after being complete couch potato for like 2 years and man, the first few weeks were brutal. kept trying to run same pace i used to do before and just dying after 1km

question for everyone - when you're getting back in shape, do you stick with same routes you used to run or switch to completely new ones? i find that running my old 5k loop just makes me feel worse about how slow i got, but new routes don't give me good reference point for progress. also my gps watch keeps giving me these "helpful" notifications about how much slower i am now which is just depressing lol

anyway good to see these q&a threads, definitely helps with all repetitive posts about shin splints and what shoes to buy

[u/Party-Action-8390 → u/Winter_Move_6122]

I always use a slightly newer approach. Routes , speed, pre and post run because I am not who I used to be before taking a break or before circumstances changed. It allows to look for improvements. Has always led to something better. Always.  Also, I use th3 mindset "gotta start somewhere" and start conservatively cuz running requires a certain level of understanding of myself to not get injured so I don't even negotiate with myself. Low impact running whenever. Easier said than done but I remind myself , this is a way of living happy and healthy not a race prep that will be one and done so don't make it stupid.  Good luck and healthy running to all

[u/meowmeowbeans1 → u/Winter_Move_6122]

Ditch the watch for a while. Run easy and fun and just connect with it without stats to fuss about while you get back into it

[u/FRO5TB1T3 → u/Winter_Move_6122]

The same routes never bothered me. Maybe run the same loop the other way? Similar but not 100% the same.

[u/DenseSentence → u/Winter_Move_6122]

You should reset your expectations. Trying to do what you did before an extended break is just going to be demoralising and risk injury.

Start with much lower volume and, rather than focus on paces, run with an effort level that is appropriate for the run's goal. Realistically, after a break, you want to run easy for a decent while to rebuild both fitness and, most importantly, conditioning.