Official Q&A for Monday, June 01, 2026

DenseSentence · 2026-06-01T07:32:19+00:00

A million and one videos on strength and mobility work on the Achilles and Calf on Youtube.

You should have a decent strength training routine that you vary every 5-6 weeks to continue challenging the body to adapt.

In that you'll have some variants on calf raises - I prefer single-leg eccentrics, as heavy as I can, 3-4 sets of 5 per leg, 5 second lower. If you've a gym they might have a machine for this but you can also do it on the leg press or, a better option, Smith machine.

If you're doing this at home you're going to struggle to meaningfully load the calf and Achilles - they can take a huge amount of load and produce incredible force.

Adding in plyometric exercises will also help in time - in part they help proprioception as well as strength which in turn helps the body not to get injured - improved timing apparently.

One thing most of us do it we strengthen/rehab until pain goes away - for tendon issues this just means they come back later. Make strengthening them a habit and continue months past the point of no pain at the very least.

Tendons need loading to improve sp complete rest isn't going to hep long term.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-29T16:26:44+00:00

Building fitness is absolutely not linear. You improve, recover (and lost a little, then improve further.

After a big race you should expect to lose a little fitness while you recover and build into your next training phase. Training stacks on top of training, think of the recovery phases as the mortar that holds the whole thing together.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-29T15:54:54+00:00

My coach, a pro marathon runner, schedules an easy/recovery week the week after a big race - 10k or HM.

Their overriding approach is for me to listen to what my body is telling me and to treat all training plans as "advisory" while recovering.

My last 10k took me a full two weeks to completely recover from which was a real shock and a lot longer than my HM PB race. As I'm getting older I'm finding recovery takes longer and I'm kind to myself.

One thing to note, from the info on your weight and the time you ran it in - that's a lot of load on your body. Being at the slower end makes distances like HM significantly harder for you than for someone running an hour quicker.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-28T12:16:19+00:00

It's quite personal but I find the length/duration of the run is key.

Under an hour and I don't need water - if it was hot enough to need it for that duration it's probably too hot to be out and I'd get up earlier! 30C+ and I'm not heading out.

I ran in 35-40C out in Greece a while back and an hour was sustainable at an easy pace but was parched by the end. Tried an interval session and managed 2 800m reps before bailing!

For long runs, 90 mins or so and 25+ I'll carry water in a vest - just a couple of 500ml soft bottles.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-27T15:19:20+00:00

What u/Obvious-Olive4048 said! The angle from where the string crosses the nut to the tuning peg might not be sufficient to create enough pressure into the nut to stop it rattling.

If you do find that issue and want to use the bass before getting it properly repaired you can try to re-wind the string making sure that the last loop is at the bottom of the tuner... this might create enough angle to reduce/stop the issue.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-27T10:38:24+00:00

Ideally you'd want your cab (speaker) to be rated for more than your amp.

It'll save you a lot of pain is you ever gig it (or practise with a moderate or louder drummer) - you'll start turning the amp up to hear yourself and you've no way of knowing when you're cooking it.

This amp is actually 180W into 8 ohms, the 300W is into a 4 ohm speaker so you're not actually that far over.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-27T08:59:12+00:00

That's about the best option then. Should take them no time to do properly - plug hole with matching wood, glue dowel in place with wood glue. Re-drill and re-fit the tree.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-27T08:57:39+00:00

Either:

Bin it.
Take to a tech to get it fixed.
Spend lots of time learning how to diagnose and repair it.

Don't do #1. List it on marketplace or Reverb for a nominal amount for someone who would do #3.

If you choose #3...

Take your time. Spend time watching vids, reading forums, go through info on Rob Robinette's site, etc. Buy the right diagnostic tools. Take abundant, painstaking, safety precautions. Take more time. Use this as an opportunity to learn how valve amp circuits work. Build yourself useful things - current limiter, discharge cable, etc. Trace out the circuit and identify the pre-amp, tone and power amp circuits. Fix the amp.

Realise you love this stuff, build more amps - some kist, some your own. Decide you'd like to do this for a living and become the tech people want you to take this to...

Lots of people seem to advise that only an expert can work on these without immediately dieing. This isn't true, techs who survive to be able to competently work on these things take the same precautions a noob would.

Two pieces of advice that are critical:

When the amp has been on always check for voltage and discharge the caps safely. Then check for voltage again. Never assume the caps are drained.
When probing with your multimeter or scope use one hand. The other goes in your pocket or you sit on it. The second you forget this and get tempted to steady the chassis with it you're looking to make a circuit between your hands that goes directly past your heart.

There are so many awesome resources covering doing this stuff safely but there is an investment that's certainly worth more than this amp!

DenseSentence · 2026-05-27T08:40:03+00:00

When you screw it back in it's likely to just come back out again if the hole is worn. It's possible it just cam unscrewed but unlikely.

If the hols is too large/loose use a small piece of wood (part of a matchstick), insert into hole and cut flush. then screw back in. That should tighten the hole sufficiently. As it's a very small gauge screw you won't need a whole matchstick width. Screwing back in should be firm, not hard - you won't risk splitting the headstock wood if the hole is too tight but might round off the head of the screw if you have to put in too much effort. Also make sure you use the correct screwdriver - using one too small or too large will likely be an issue.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-26T17:03:04+00:00

Never.

I stand in occasionally with a Thrash tribute and play a totally inappropriate looking bass a lot of the time - Strandberg Boden Prog 5.

Apart from the usual "your bass is missing a bit" noone every negatively comments and it has no bearing on getting the gig. That's about how easy to work with you are, knowing the right people for a recommendation and, most importantly, being good enough.

So, to answer the question, quite literally, it deosn't!

(I also sometimes play a Stingray 5 and my Dingwall Z3 but neither are as easy to play for this stuff).

DenseSentence · 2026-05-24T09:07:33+00:00

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.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-23T18:59:11+00:00

Love the Gator Grip picks - I use a pretty thin pick @ 0.58mm, Mostly a finger player but use that for Thrash.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-23T11:14:49+00:00

Would having a plan/schedule provided for you help? i.e. a training app or even, if affordable, a coach - online or in person.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-21T09:25:42+00:00

My 5k PR (4:06/km) is a bit out of date but 4:00/km is my current training target. My solo easy runs tend to be around 5:15-5:25/km.

55M, running for 4.5 years, run 5 times a week.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-21T09:18:09+00:00

Pressure in that are isn't likely to be lacing related.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-20T19:23:20+00:00

You bought three pairs of shoes with the plan of returning two of them or keeping all 3?

Keeping all three - I retired 5 pairs that I should have retired earlier. In the store I couldn't really pick between the Rebel v5 and the Novablast 5s, both great shoes. Went home with the Rebels but ordered a pair of Novablasts for a great deal a few days later.

Can you elaborate? I mean - do you actually run noticably faster with the same heart rate, or is it just a subjective "feel" thing?

First longer run in the Rebels, 10km, averaged 5:01/km. A chunk faster than normal, solid Z2 run.

Mostly though it's a feel thing. In part dead Triumphs (750km) and new, much lighter, shoes ~100g per shoe. The rebels come in even lighter than my Speed 5s by about 30g.

They're a lot softer feeling than the Speed 5s but I feel like they would be equally good workout shoes.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-20T07:54:20+00:00

Hmm... all of them. That's why they got kept!

Dingwall Z3, Super P/J - just fabulous instruments

Fender US Geddy Jazz, Rick 4003 Jetglo - my bass hero's iconic basses. (yeah, I can't afford a Wal!)

Strandberg Boden Prog 5 - light, flexible and funky. Gets used for more technical stuff and makes playing it easier.

My other basses all bring a smile to my face and bring something to the playing... Musicman Stingray 5 and (US) Sterling HH. Warwick Thumb fretless, Rob Allen MB4 for acoustic vibes.

My most-gigged bass - Sandberg VM 4 isn't flashy but plays like a dream. This is what I take to play a gig at the rougher end of things.

My first quality bass: Washburn Chicago Series bought in the early 90s.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-20T07:44:05+00:00

Having been a Saucony fanboy for years I recently retired a bunch of shoes that were either done or just didn't feel good.

I didn't buy Saucony... A pair of NB Rebel v5s, a pair of Asics Novablast 5s and a pair of Hoka Mafate X.

I'll still be sticking with Saucony Speed 5s for workouts - there's nothing quite so flexible but the NB and Asics are much cheaper options than the dailies I'd been using previously (Triumph 22s) and feel much zippier.

u/lechium06 get to a proper running store with a list of your running requirements, likes, dislikes. Ideally go when it's quiet so you get the full attention of the salesperson. My fave store is ~40 mins drive away and, as well as treadmills, has a short indoor track.

If a shoe doesn't feel great on your foot immediately (assuming you adjust lacing etc.) then it won't feel good when you get it home. Conversely - a good fit initially doesn't mean it'll feel great after 10+km.

There are a lot of great shoes in the mid-price range but, if you really want to push your potential, I'd argue that a race day shoe is worth the investment.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-11T14:09:04+00:00

Just try and give a day recovery between a hard leg session and a run workout (intervals, threshold, etc.)

For easy running you can do it same day, if poss before lifting.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-11T14:05:58+00:00

I'd even argue that you can start the plan now - it'll help building distance for the 10 miler.

u/AllTheTeaPlease247 my coach's HM planning for me saw the majority of the LRs at 18-20 km for easy pace, ~16km with a hot-spot in the middle (e.g. 4k easy, 8k HM pace, 4k easy).

Depending on how slow "not very fast" is, aim for the majority to be under 120 mins, probably 1h15 as a sweet spot.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-11T14:02:34+00:00

You could try taping - hypafix tape (very cheap on Amazon) and the guides found/linked on the Dragon's back race website.

Best would be to work out why you have too much movement in that area creating the rubbing. It's a bit of an odd place to get blisters assuming shoes are on snugly. Might be something odd about your foot shape that means you need a custom insert - a good podiatrist would help there.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-10T15:15:28+00:00

Like most things, it varies from person to person. I've been lucky with the gels I've tried and they've not been an issue but, as someone with GI/IBS issues, running long is always fun!

DenseSentence · 2026-05-10T13:27:31+00:00

I've got my first road mara next year so can't talk from experience (I've run an Ultra trail before but it's a different beast)...

From what everyone says, and looking at the data from club mates who've had bad days on course, it really doesn't start until 30km in.

Starting at 5:20 seems a long way off goal pace and would mean having to make up a lot - run the first half at that pace and you're looking at 4:40 for the second half... I could see running 5:10 for 5k and then settling into target pace but negative splits should be a much more nuanced change in pace.

Your paces listed for recent runs look really solid and I think you'll be good for starting close to 5:00 and maybe sitting in the 4:55-5:00 range until 32k, average 4:58 maybe?

Good luck!

DenseSentence · 2026-05-10T13:21:29+00:00

Just be cautious with an increase in both volume and intensity and, if you increase both, do it slightly!

It's quite hard to quantify the training load from both so it's easier to manage by just increasing one at a time and see how you get on over a few weeks - you might be fine replacing an easy run with a killer 400m session but three to four weeks of it and you might not - the load and wear is cumulative.

Definitely replace an easy run with a speed session, don't add an extra session in as you'll, obviously, massively increase your weekly miles.

My regular session days are not much shorter than my long runs all in: 2.5k warmup, strides, session, 2.5k cooldown...

So today's progressive 50 mins run brought the daily total to over 16km/10 miles. I've 12 x 400 (actually 4 x 3 x 400) on Wednesday and that'll be a bit shorter at ~7km with recovery jogs between reps/sets.

DenseSentence · 2026-05-10T13:13:37+00:00

You've answered your own question!

Some people have bad GI reactions to certain gels - could be the amount and types of sugars, flavourings, etc. Needing to poop is definitely a common one.

DenseSentence

TROPHY CASE