The Running Thread -- 2022

[Kerry1957]

QOTD:
Are there any tips or tricks to keep bits of gravel and dirt out of one’s shoes when running off-road/on trails?

I had good luck moving from no-show and ankle socks to Balega quarter socks. I still get a bit of gravel/grit between my sock and shoe occasionally, but maybe only once every 100 miles or so. It does help that most of the miles I run are on hardpack dirt or crushed limestone and not on single track. I've never tried gaiters and they seem more of a hassle than having to stop for 20 seconds once a month to remove a rock.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

QOTD:
Are there any tips or tricks to keep bits of gravel and dirt out of one’s shoes when running off-road/on trails?

Some trail running shoes have gaiter attachment points. My Altra Lone Peaks do.

 

[GreatLakes]

QOTD:
Are there any tips or tricks to keep bits of gravel and dirt out of one’s shoes when running off-road/on trails?

I wear quarter socks on trails. I'm more concerned with tick bites and Lyme than gravel but they serve that purpose as well. So far I haven't gotten anything big enough in there to have to stop mid-run.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

I'm more concerned with tick bites and Lyme

This is one of my biggest fears. Did you see they are trialing a Lyme vaccine?

 

[GreatLakes]

This is one of my biggest fears. Did you see they are trialing a Lyme vaccine?

Running wise it is mine too. I fear it more than being hit by a car.

I'd be interested if it had a big enough trial but in listening to some podcasts on the subject I guess there are some much better treatments for it than in the past. After a trail run I check everywhere and I use a combination of Permethrin (on those quarter socks I mentioned) and Off. I don't love the idea of spraying myself down with Deet but in this case it is the lesser of evils.

 

[HangWithMerida]

QOTD:
Are there any tips or tricks to keep bits of gravel and dirt out of one’s shoes when running off-road/on trails?

Add me to the longer socks group. I like ones long enough to go up to my lower calf. Yes, I have to stop occasionally and brush something out of the back of my shoe but it doesn’t happen often enough for me to deal with gaiters on trail days.

 

[The Expert]

Not sure if this would be comfy for running, but a tick trick I used to use as a kid growing up in Missouri was to wrap duct tape sticky side out around my ankles (or bottom of my pants). The ticks just stick to the tape and you peel them right off!

 

[lookingforsunshine]

but a tick trick I used to use as a kid growing up in Missouri was to wrap duct tape sticky side out around my ankles (or bottom of my pants).

Sadly the last time I found one on me it was IN MY HAIR. The trauma. Usually though I am more likely to find them on my dogs.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

QOTD: I have been supplementing my water before/during workouts to play around with what works best for me. I’ve been trying Precision Hydration, Liquid IV, and LMNT (I have also done Nuun but it’s not my fav and now Nestle bought them so no thanks). I’m finding that I am actually more thirsty than usual and have just been craving pure water, especially after a workout. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Herding_Cats]

QOTD: I have been supplementing my water before/during workouts to play around with what works best for me. I’ve been trying Precision Hydration, Liquid IV, and LMNT (I have also done Nuun but it’s not my fav and now Nestle bought them so no thanks). I’m finding that I am actually more thirsty than usual and have just been craving pure water, especially after a workout. Any thoughts on this?

Well that's disappointing to hear about Nuun/Nestle.

So one of the podcasts my PT recommended is "The Real Science of Sport" and it's hosted by some South African guys, one of which has a PhD in something something to do with sports. ANYWAY. They're really great, nerdy listens, usually over an hour long, AND they did a few episodes specifically on hydrating and fueling for endurance events.

On one of the episodes they were talking about your body and it's desire to keep your water/sodium levels balanced, and how sports drinks and things like salt caps work with that (and about "drink to thirst" and what science says about that.) If I'm remembering correctly, the gist was that if you've taking in MORE sodium than your body needs to keep balanced levels, you will want to drink more water....like your body will just crave it. And if you HAVEN'T taken on enough sodium (and have sweat a lot of it out) you will crave salty things, OR your body will try to get rid of water (to balance with the reduced sodium level) by making you pee. There's obviously more to it than that, but if I'm remembering correctly, that was the basics.

 

[SheHulk]

If I'm remembering correctly, the gist was that if you've taking in MORE sodium than your body needs to keep balanced levels, you will want to drink more water....like your body will just crave it. And if you HAVEN'T taken on enough sodium (and have sweat a lot of it out) you will crave salty things, OR your body will try to get rid of water (to balance with the reduced sodium level) by making you pee. There's obviously more to it than that, but if I'm remembering correctly, that was the basics.

Haha well my body craves Diet Coke all the time so I'd like to know what that means!

 

[HangWithMerida]

QOTD: I have been supplementing my water before/during workouts to play around with what works best for me. I’ve been trying Precision Hydration, Liquid IV, and LMNT (I have also done Nuun but it’s not my fav and now Nestle bought them so no thanks). I’m finding that I am actually more thirsty than usual and have just been craving pure water, especially after a workout. Any thoughts on this?

Maybe you’re not a particularly salty sweater, so maybe you are over-replacing? I have heard people talk about having salt crystals on their skin and clothes after hard or long runs, which I don’t, so I don’t think I am very salty. So while I have started supplementing a little this summer, I mostly use it to top myself off the day before and make sure I’m not dehydrated headed into harder efforts. I did a HM yesterday and after my recovery drink (Skratch) which replaced some electrolytes, I mostly drank water. I will sometimes crave salty snacks like chips after a long run but not always. A little hydration bump the day before has been the trick for me.
If you are craving plain water, @Herding_Cats is probably right on the money. Your body is wanting the water not the salt.

 

[The Expert]

Well that's disappointing to hear about Nuun/Nestle.

So one of the podcasts my PT recommended is "The Real Science of Sport" and it's hosted by some South African guys, one of which has a PhD in something something to do with sports. ANYWAY. They're really great, nerdy listens, usually over an hour long, AND they did a few episodes specifically on hydrating and fueling for endurance events.

On one of the episodes they were talking about your body and it's desire to keep your water/sodium levels balanced, and how sports drinks and things like salt caps work with that (and about "drink to thirst" and what science says about that.) If I'm remembering correctly, the gist was that if you've taking in MORE sodium than your body needs to keep balanced levels, you will want to drink more water....like your body will just crave it. And if you HAVEN'T taken on enough sodium (and have sweat a lot of it out) you will crave salty things, OR your body will try to get rid of water (to balance with the reduced sodium level) by making you pee. There's obviously more to it than that, but if I'm remembering correctly, that was the basics.

That makes a TON of sense. And explains why I sometimes get to a point where I feel pretty balanced but have to stop and pee constantly during a race (ie this year's marathon).

 

[jmasgat]

Garmin hive mind question....I knew my short run today was "off" when it gave me a first mile pace about a minute faster than what I have been running--and subsequent miles and total distance were off. And when I look at the GPS trace it is wonky beyond belief. This hasn't happened to me before (with any Garmin). Before I go down the Internet rabbit hole, does anyone have any pearls of wisdom as to cause or correction?

 

[FFigawi]

Garmin hive mind question....I knew my short run today was "off" when it gave me a first mile pace about a minute faster than what I have been running--and subsequent miles and total distance were off. And when I look at the GPS trace it is wonky beyond belief. This hasn't happened to me before (with any Garmin). Before I go down the Internet rabbit hole, does anyone have any pearls of wisdom as to cause or correction?

Garmin had an issue with satellite lock a few weeks ago. Maybe the same problem has reappeared?

 

[Herding_Cats]

Garmin hive mind question....I knew my short run today was "off" when it gave me a first mile pace about a minute faster than what I have been running--and subsequent miles and total distance were off. And when I look at the GPS trace it is wonky beyond belief. This hasn't happened to me before (with any Garmin). Before I go down the Internet rabbit hole, does anyone have any pearls of wisdom as to cause or correction?

I had this happen on a couple of runs earlier this summer (I want to say June??) and I think all I did was turn my watch off and back on when it happened on back-to-back days. It was fine after that and I have no way of knowing if it was due to restarting my watch or if they just got their stuff fixed.

 

[HangWithMerida]

Can’t speak to today but it was working just fine yesterday. I have had this happen before though and I remember it being pretty bad earlier this summer. Do any updates and restart. Hopefully it’s just your watch needing a reboot.

 

[striker1064]

Garmin hive mind question....I knew my short run today was "off" when it gave me a first mile pace about a minute faster than what I have been running--and subsequent miles and total distance were off. And when I look at the GPS trace it is wonky beyond belief. This hasn't happened to me before (with any Garmin). Before I go down the Internet rabbit hole, does anyone have any pearls of wisdom as to cause or correction?

Absolutely had a similar problem today. I mapped out my long run, and the first half mile was all over the place - it thought I was running over buildings and criss-crossing streets. It did eventually sort itself out, though.

 

[Naomeri]

Garmin hive mind question....I knew my short run today was "off" when it gave me a first mile pace about a minute faster than what I have been running--and subsequent miles and total distance were off. And when I look at the GPS trace it is wonky beyond belief. This hasn't happened to me before (with any Garmin). Before I go down the Internet rabbit hole, does anyone have any pearls of wisdom as to cause or correction?

I use an Apple Watch, not a Garmin, but a couple times lately my neighborhood runs have been adding about a tenth of a mile to my first mile and making it look like I went off-roading into a random field.

 

[kps7795]

Has anyone had any problems with a chest strap giving incorrect readings? I have a Polar chest strap that I use with my Apple Watch Series 5. It's not even a year old, but it keeps dropping my heart rate after I've been running for around 30 minutes. It will start with a presumably accurate reading of 137 and then will go down to around 100 or less. I assumed that it was the battery, but the same thing happened after I replaced the battery before my Saturday morning run.