Listener Q&A: August 2021

Diz Runs Radio · 973 Listener Q&A August 2021

And just like that, August is wrapping up.

Great question.

While we try to figure out where August has gone, let’s do a little Q&A.

You Ask, I Answer!

In case you’re new to these parts, here’s what’s going on.

At the end of every month, I do an episode dedicated to you and your questions.

Want to get a question answered in a future Q&A episode? Come join our FB group, watch for the post asking for Qs, and put your query in the comments.

Basically, whatever you ask I try to answer!

Sometimes, the answers aren’t worth a whole lot. But every once in a while I like to think (or at least hope!) that I hit the nail on the head!

When it comes to free advice, there are no guarantees that you won’t get any more than what you paid for it.

That said, I promise to do my best!

And if nothing else, there are usually at least a few decent memes/GIFs to make it worth your while.

Let’s get into this month’s questions, shall we?

This Month’s Questions

How well does training for a long, flat race translate to a shorter trail race?

More than you might think, honestly.

Obviously, there are some major differences between the two.

But if you’re well trained for a long race then your base is solid AF.

And having a solid base of fitness gives you a chance.

You might struggle a little bit with climbing some of the hills, seeing as you haven’t done as much climbing of late.

But any runnable sections later in the race?

My bet is you’ll be cruising right along, passing people right and left, due to the base you’ve built while training for your long, flat race.

Burrito or chimichangas?

What are your thoughts on running a race at a faster pace than almost all of your training?

As a heart rate guy, I literally do this every race I run these days.

It works pretty well, honestly.

What are some little-known destination races that you would recommend?

I’m always on the lookout for little-known, small field, destination sort of races.

Here are a few I’ve run that I would recommend, though hopefully I’ll be adding many more of these types of races to my calendar in the coming years so I’ll have even more low-key races to recommend.

Big Beach
Celebration
Kiawah Island
Blue Ridge
Pocatello

Is training at elevation a must for completing a mountain trail run?

Not a must, but it certainly helps.

Best 90s/00s rap albums?

I’m probably more of a singles guy than full albums, that said, there are at least a couple that come to mind.

Country Grammer
Chronic
The Eminem Show
Encore

Mantras: What are some good things to help you get through a rough spot?

My belief on mantras is that they need to resonate with you.

What works for me may help you, but it may not.

Take the time to think of some things that may help you, and don’t overlook something stupid/silly either.

Giving yourself a little laugh/chuckle can be a game-changer when you’re really struggling.

Have you updated your goals/plans for the year?

Are you planning to get Dean Karnazes on the podcast to talk about his new book?

What do you enjoy most when it comes to podcasting: having a guest, being a guest, or flying solo?

Being a guest, for sure.

All I have to do is show up and talk, none of the pre/post-recording stuff that has to be done for my show!

Anything mind-blowing come across your radar lately?

I don’t know about mind-blowing, but there have been some good things of late.

Pacing Ana
Book club readings
Sirius XM

What is the difference between strides and intervals?

To, the big distinguishing difference is that strides are a type of interval.

Though there is so much confusion/differentiation about what strides actually are, not all coaches/runners may see things quite the same way.

Any questions you haven’t been asked that you’d like to answer?

Do you think doing a 1-mile trial run during marathon training is beneficial?

Does one train to race short or long only, or both?

What is your favorite jerky?

I’m fairly open to whatever, but if it’s up to me I’ll go with something fairly standard/boring.

Beef. Nothing too spicy.

But if you offer me jerky, there’s a pretty good chance I’ll take it in any form.

Who would be your dream person to go on a run with?

I’m pretty equal opportunity, but I suppose if we are talking dream it would have to be Adison somewhere down the road.

Where did August go?

What if Nike made carbon-plated shoes for kids?

I suppose they’d run faster?

If you’re going to run a local race, should you try to get some training in on the course?

It’s certainly not a bad idea, though it’s far from mandatory.

I’d try to prioritize the latter half of the course, since the beginning of the race is typically more of a blur, but that may just be me.

It’s also not a bad idea to train on any tricky areas of the course to give yourself a bit of confidence that you can do it on race day without any issues.

With really long long runs, would it be better to go 20+ all in one shot or break them up a little bit?

This is one of those questions where there is no firm answer.

You can make a good argument for both options, so maybe the best answer is to aim for a little bit of both over the course of your training cycle.

Are you going to have your athlete that recently ran the hundo on the podcast?

Any advice for someone sick of marathon training?

The simple answer is to stop marathon training.

Assuming there is a race on the horizon, however, and that you want to be ready to go, maybe a cut back week is in order?

Knock your long run down a few pegs, maybe take an extra day or two off during the week, and you might just feel refreshed and ready to get back to work next week.

How do you determine your race pace after doing heart rate training and mostly running at an easy pace?

Sort of.

I try to just listen to my body and see what I’m capable of on race day without worrying about specific pace targets.

Admittedly, it’s a little scary to do so.

You give yourself a chance to surprise yourself, in a good way, when you don’t burden yourself with specific paces.

Of course, it can also lead to glorious implosions, so there’s that.

What are some motivational techniques to help get back into a regular running routine?

There are no shortage of options, the key is finding the ones that are actually going to motivate you.

But maybe take a look below the surface and ask yourself if you actually want to get back into a regular running routine.

If you do, I feel like the motivational piece more or less takes care of itself.

If you don’t, it doesn’t matter what techniques you employ, they aren’t going to work.

Some ideas that may help you get started:

Sign up for a race.
Find a training partner.
Volunteer for a local race.

How well can you maintain fitness by biking at MAF vs running at MAF?

What do you mean by fitness?

If you mean overall fitness, then you can absolutely maintain, and even improve, by biking exclusively.

But if you mean your running fitness, then there will be a bit of a drop.

Not a massive drop though. And by maintaining your overall fitness your running fitness will come back much more quickly once you get back to running.

Best laundry detergent to remove the funk from your running clothes?

Have you ever used any of the blood testing services? Thoughts?

I’m intrigued by the idea, but I think they are still very much price-prohibitive.

As I understand them, you really have to be testing regularly to help dial in your levels, and I just don’t have the kind of money it would take to get any real value from them.

What’s the highest elevation you’ve raced or run?

I’m pretty sure the start of the Pocatello Marathon was at least a mile up in the air, so that would have to be the answer.

I also ran a few times in Estes Park, CO, back in the day, which is much higher than a mile up, but not much more than a mile or two at a time.

Best protocol for how to handle the two weeks between an upcoming 25k and half marathon?

It really depends on how the 25k goes.

If you come out of that race unscathed, then I’d look at those two weeks as another taper.

But if there are any niggles or concerns, then it’s all about resting and recovering with a few short runs mixed in here and there.

What do you think about blending marathon training and 5k racing?

Setting aside my obvious disdain for the 5k, I think the two can actually coexist quite well.

I’d use the 5ks as strategic components of my long run, specifically as fast finish efforts.

Knock out most of your weekend’s miles before the race, then run the 5k hard as a “fast finish” of your workout.

I’ve found fast finish workouts incredibly valuable for me, and it’s a lot easier to push the finish when you’re in a race than when you just have a handful of miles to do solo at the end of your run.

To be clear, this isn’t a good recipe for a new 5k PR. But it may just lead to ringing that bell at the end of your 26.2.

What is the wackiest food/drink you’ve gotten at the end of a race?

Spaghetti and sticky buns.

How do you think the Lions will do this year?

If you don’t finish a race, would you still accept the medal?

Probably not, but that’s just me.

Does the order/scheduling of runs in marathon training really matter?

Nothing wrong, at all, with setting yourself up for success in your training.

If that means planning a rest day before your long run, or at least a lower mileage day, go for it.

As long as you’re getting ample time on your feet, you’re going to be fine.

And that, as they say, is that.

As always, the answers in this post are the abridged versions. For a bit more, make sure you press play at the top of this post.

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