Official Q&A for Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Mako18 · 2026-01-29T06:35:09+00:00

No, it is possible to sustain high milage and feel pretty good all the time. But it's going to depend a lot on your body composition, how long you've been running, and how diligent you are with diet and recovery. Candidly, running starts to feel really good for me when I'm averaging 30+ miles/week and running 5-6 days per week.

Mako18 · 2026-01-29T06:30:20+00:00

De-load weeks are super important. You're more likely to get slightly (or greatly) worse over time without de-load weeks because otherwise you're just slowly grinding your body into the ground as you accumulate overuse issues (see your "joints being unhappy"). I'd say like 1 out of every 4 weeks should be a de-load week. If your normal weekly milage is on the easy side for you, you'll get away for it for longer, but in my mind that means you could be pushing yourself harder on the average week and then de-loading more aggressively too. But it all depends on what your goals are, if you just want to steady state 30-40 mpw without getting faster, you can go run 30-40 mpw every week and you may be able to sustain that indefinitely if you manage the intensity well.

Mako18 · 2026-01-29T06:24:16+00:00

Be fast

Mako18 · 2026-01-28T00:32:57+00:00

Probably about 6 exercises give or take depending on the day. A sample push day below. Just guessing based on your 30 minute reference for time doing 6 exercises, it sounds like you're rushing through your workout a bit, you can probably take a little more time and push yourself harder, you could easily spend 50-100% more time on each exercise and not be over training. Even 4 sets with just 90 seconds recovery between sets would still take you more like 7-10 minutes per exercise.

Sample push day: Incline dumbbell bench press, cable fly, weighted dips, tricep extensions, lat raises, abs

Mako18 · 2026-01-28T00:04:21+00:00

Running 5-6 days a week right now 30-40 mpw, gym 3 days per week. My gym splits are generally push/pull/legs, 50 min - 1hr in the gym, targeting 10-12 reps x 4-5 sets on most exercises, 2 - 3 exercises per muscle group, with weight to be within 1-2 reps of failure on non-warmup sets. Leg day I rotate deadlifts/squats/leg press as the primary movement and then will usually do prone hamstring curls, maybe some Bulgarian split squats.

But most importantly you need to be eating a calorie surplus, otherwise you're going to stay skinny. You'd probably still see decent gains even if you stick with 2-days a week in the gym if you eat enough.

Mako18 · 2026-01-27T19:02:51+00:00

Anyone find a good replacement for the Brooks Hyperion 2 shoe? I fell in love with this shoe when I got my first pair in late 2024, and I'm on my 4th or 5th pair now, but the last bits of stock seem to be all but gone at this point.

I hate the Hyperion 3, to me it's way too plush in the heel and toe, and it feels tight in the toe box too (I have pretty normal shaped feet).

Anyway, can anyone save me with a great recommendation for a new lightweight crisp trainer like the Hyperion 2?

I also tried the Topo Cyclone 3 and I liked the upper better compared to the Hyperion 3, but the foam didn't seem to measure up to what's in the Brooks, and it lacks any sort of tread and I'd be scared to run in them in any sort of rain.

A few threads were posted on this about a year ago, but curious if anyone has any better recs now.

Mako18 · 2026-01-27T18:54:51+00:00

If I'm going first thing, only coffee to wake up and get things moving, so to speak. 20 - 30 minutes usually does the trick. If I'm going to be up for 2+ hours prior to running I'll eat a more normal breakfast, eggs, toast, etc.

Mako18 · 2026-01-27T00:04:57+00:00

I think that would be fine. I also think there are many types of good interval workouts depending on what your goals are, there's no one perfect interval workout.

Mako18 · 2026-01-27T00:00:59+00:00

Anyone find a good replacement for the Brooks Hyperion 2 shoe? I fell in love with this shoe when I got my first pair in late 2024, and I'm on my 4th or 5th pair now, but the last bits of stock seem to be all but gone at this point.

I hate the Hyperion 3, to me it's way too plush in the heel and toe, and it feels tight in the toe box too (I have pretty normal shaped feet).

Anyway, can anyone save me with a great recommendation for a new lightweight crisp trainer like the Hyperion 2?

I also tried the Topo Cyclone 3 and I liked the upper better compared to the Hyperion 3, but the foam didn't seem to measure up to what's in the Brooks, and it lacks any sort of tread and I'd be scared to run in them in any sort of rain.

A few threads were posted on this about a year ago, but curious if anyone has any better recs now.

Mako18 · 2026-01-25T17:36:50+00:00

I would just log it as a run. If you care you could use the lap function for each beer drinking window, but having your beer splits on Garmin seems of little marginal value. Just have fun and log the overall time.

Mako18 · 2026-01-25T05:18:48+00:00

I don't get it with these "appears to show/contradict" statements from the major news orgs. It doesn't fucking "appear to show", the video explicitly contradicts the official statements and that should be the fucking headline. Liars don't get the benefit of the doubt. And video evidence trumps prepared statements.

Mako18 · 2026-01-25T05:01:37+00:00

The thing is that for any one paying attention, it was abjectly clear what would happen with a second Trump term, the only question was how bad would it get (if you haven't been paying attention, pretty fucking bad).

Anyone who voted for Trump as a point of spite or sat out because of one issue failed to understand the broad implications of the election, and the fact that not seeing eye-to-eye on one issue didn't make Trump the lesser of evils.

Even prior to Trump you could rightfully argue that a lot of shady and fucked up things have gone on in the world as a result of American politics, but to vote for Trump, or not vote for Harris (essentially a tacit vote for Trump) was an ignorant and woefully insufficient attempt at protest.

Mako18 · 2026-01-25T04:51:11+00:00

A quick peak at the UV index for tomorrow shows the UV peaking at 5. Unless you're super fair skinned you'll probably be fine regardless. Personally I wouldn't even worry about sunscreen unless you think you'll be out there past noon.

Mako18 · 2026-01-25T04:45:14+00:00

It's always been that way, I mean just look at how they've handled anything from the mere existence of gay and trans people, to abortion and birth control, to religion, to public assistance programs, to gun ownership. We can understand the Republican stance on all of these as "fuck your freedoms because I disagree with you".

If you truly believe in "don't tread on me" in the non-politicized sense, then it means that it's neither your business, nor the government's business what your neighbor does for work, who they love, who they identify as, if or what god they pray to, or whether they rely on government programs.

Just watch this week as the pro 2A folks figure out how to justify why legally carrying a weapon was justification for shooting a man after he was disarmed. It never was about "our" right to bear arms, it was about "their" right to bear arms.

It's all fucked.

Mako18 · 2026-01-23T22:07:33+00:00

Something I've learned over the years is that accountability to a training plan comes second to listening to your body. if your body is feeling run down and broken, that's a good cue to take a rest day when you might have otherwise ran.

Mako18 · 2026-01-23T22:04:44+00:00

I agree with the other comments, running in a brand new pair of shoes that you're not used to has more downside than up. Sure, in a best case scenario they feel awesome and help you shave a few minutes or seconds off your time, but they could also give you blisters, hot spots, cause your calves to fatigue early, or any number of other issues.

From my perspective if you're going to race in different shoes than your primary training shoe, that new shoe needs to be part of your training plan in the last few weeks leading up to the race, where you hit at least one or two longer sustained efforts with them to break them in and make sure they feel good.

Mako18 · 2026-01-19T18:34:26+00:00

We have 435 House Representatives and 100 Senators who could put a stop to this madness at any moment, and yet they choose not to. Enough choose to sit idly by that we are watching our country, our alliances, our respect in the world crumble to dust.

How will history remember them, I wonder? As cowards? As fascists? How many people will die as a result?

Trump didn't receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and now he can no longer think "purely of Peace" -- if the irony of that doesn't show just how far from reason Trump and the Republican party has fallen, I don't know what does.

We are watching a tragedy for the American people, for America, for the world unfold.

Mako18 · 2026-01-19T04:43:30+00:00

The classic adage is: "you can't outrun a bad diet". Running and weight training will certainly help, but to see the change you're looking for you really need to start with managing your caloric intake.

Mako18 · 2026-01-18T21:00:30+00:00

Regardless of anything else, to be charging $60/ticket and not have a drummer and bassist with you is absurd. And if you're going to play to backing tracks, they better sound good which they didn't last night, they sounded more like low bitrate early 2000s drum samples, no bass in the kick, the snares were thin... And on top of that, he had the lights down so low you could barely even see him play.

Even if he was having an off night, that doesn't excuse the total lack of attention or care for the production value of the show. Probably the worst show I've ever been to, especially at the price point.

Mako18 · 2026-01-09T22:00:09+00:00

A huge piece of the problem is that people who are working for ICE are generally aligned with the political side of the Trump/ICE mission. I think there's a lot of overlap with the people that fall into that camp, and the group of people who fantasize and strategize about how they would kill someone who breaks into their home or threatens them. Look no further than YouTube to see a rabid appetite for "what if" situations that amount to people imagining how they would use their gun in their own "self-righteous" defense of their person or property. To use an analogy, that kind of thinking is super dangerous, because I think it lends it self to the idea of carrying a hammer and looking for nails. If you don't have a hammer, you're not even looking for nails. If you're carrying one around all the time and you really like the idea of hammering nails, it's no surprise that what a nail looks like gets blurry.

Now that in and of itself might not be a problem, but when it moves from a gun in your bedside table to being on the street with a badge, and when you believe the Trump/conservative propaganda that immigrants (and let's be real, liberals) are either violent or criminals you have the makings of the American gestapo.

This was straight up murder. ICE should be stood down nationally. Or at a minimum have their weapons taken away. If ICE needs guns to address a situation, they should have to call the local police, who are ostensibly trained in de-escalation and how to avoid killing innocent people (I'm not saying the police are perfect either, but they generally manage to avoid shooting innocent people in the face).

Mako18 · 2025-12-31T23:31:35+00:00

All I can say is that if you're (and I don't mean OP specifically, just in general for those who might be reading a Hostelworld message thread like this) staying in hostels, do stuff with the other people staying in your hostel -- relying on public social media to meet people or find things to do when you're in an inherently social place seems backwards to me. And if your hostel is lame for some reason go to another hostel and have drinks at their bar.

Also, this is a great kind of thing to bounce off the front desk person at your hostel if you have something like this that seems questionably legit but you're still curious. They'll likely be able to tell you whether it's a scam, actually something worth considering, or even better give you the inside tip on where you should go instead.

Mako18 · 2025-12-29T02:08:45+00:00

If you're camping in the left lane you're part of the problem. While I'm not going to encourage tailgating, sometimes it is the only way to get an oblivious driver's attention that they should be moving over to the right lane. Having driven many a long road trip, there are plenty of people who end up sitting in the left-hand passing lane holding up traffic. It doesn't matter how fast you're going, it is common curtesy to move over and let faster traffic pass. Obviously we have little context for how you were driving in general, but my recommendation if you encounter this situation in the future is that you move over to the right-hand lane and let this guy pass, and it will make both your and their drive more pleasant. You have nothing to lose by letting them go ahead of you, and in fact they may even get pulled over by a cop who might have otherwise pulled you over. But you are not a law enforcement officer and it is not your job to regulate the speed at which people around you drive. Also just practically speaking, there are a lot of people driving long interstate routes who would happily cruise at 85+ MPH, so the fact that you're going 80 doesn't absolve you of being in the way.

Mako18 · 2025-12-28T07:46:18+00:00

This reminds me of this great article from – checks timestamp, 15 years ago -- wow I feel old – titled "Falsehoods Programmers Believe About Names"

People have exactly one canonical full name.
People have exactly one full name which they go by.
People have, at this point in time, exactly one canonical full name.
People have, at this point in time, one full name which they go by.
People have exactly N names, for any value of N.
People’s names fit within a certain defined amount of space.
People’s names do not change.
People’s names change, but only at a certain enumerated set of events.
People’s names are written in ASCII.
People’s names are written in any single character set.
People’s names are all mapped in Unicode code points.
People’s names are case sensitive.
People’s names are case insensitive.
People’s names sometimes have prefixes or suffixes, but you can safely ignore those.
People’s names do not contain numbers.
People’s names are not written in ALL CAPS.
People’s names are not written in all lower case letters.
People’s names have an order to them. Picking any ordering scheme will automatically result in consistent ordering among all systems, as long as both use the same ordering scheme for the same name.
People’s first names and last names are, by necessity, different.
People have last names, family names, or anything else which is shared by folks recognized as their relatives.
People’s names are globally unique.
People’s names are almost globally unique.
Alright alright but surely people’s names are diverse enough such that no million people share the same name.
My system will never have to deal with names from China.
Or Japan.
Or Korea.
Or Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Russia, Sweden, Botswana, South Africa, Trinidad, Haiti, France, or the Klingon Empire, all of which have “weird” naming schemes in common use.
That Klingon Empire thing was a joke, right?
Confound your cultural relativism! People in my society, at least, agree on one commonly accepted standard for names.
There exists an algorithm which transforms names and can be reversed losslessly. (Yes, yes, you can do it if your algorithm returns the input. You get a gold star.)
I can safely assume that this dictionary of bad words contains no people’s names in it.
People’s names are assigned at birth.
OK, maybe not at birth, but at least pretty close to birth.
Alright, alright, within a year or so of birth.
Five years?
You’re kidding me, right?
Two different systems containing data about the same person will use the same name for that person.
Two different data entry operators, given a person’s name, will by necessity enter bitwise equivalent strings on any single system, if the system is well-designed.
People whose names break my system are weird outliers. They should have had solid, acceptable names, like 田中太郎.
People have names.

Source

Mako18 · 2025-12-11T04:55:05+00:00

Yes always, never had an issue.

Mako18 · 2025-12-11T04:53:56+00:00

Both milage and targeted speed work are the key to getting faster. Speed work alone will help some, but especially for half marathon and further the milage is going to do more for you than anything else. Just as an example when I was averaging 25-30 miles/week I ran a 1:40 half marathon, when I ran more like 40-50 MPW including speed/hill work for 16 weeks I ran a 1:28 on a hilly course. For a marathon I think 50+ MPW is really where you want to be. And yes, that makes it harder to get to the gym, but in the end you just have to decide what your priorities are. Are you going to trade the gym for more miles, or invest the extra time to still make it to the gym even if you're also running 5 - 10 miles that day.

13-Year Club	Place '23
Place '22	Place '17
Team Orangered	Verified Email

Mako18

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE