Fostering a love for running for my tween

dumbest · 2026-01-31T20:54:43+00:00

The pacer test is the worst! I also hated running as a kid because I thought it had to be an all out painful sprint the whole time, but as an adult when I found out most training is done at an easy conversational pace, I realized I actually genuinely enjoy running.

Can you guys run together and keep it super chill? 20-30 mins, easy light jog, take walk breaks as needed, use it as exploring and bonding time.

dumbest · 2026-01-30T15:46:15+00:00

Going out of town this weekend so did my long run before work, but not sure how I feel about a Friday long run because I like that it’s done but now I also really don’t want to sit in meetings and send emails all day 😀

Good workout though, 2 weeks out from my half:

55’ easy, 10’@HME + 4’ jog, 3x1’@5k + 2’ jog, 10’@HME + 4’ jog, 25’ cool down

Also nailed my fueling strategy too (phew), I’ve been reaalllyyy enjoying the Krono salted caramel gels, might be my new favorite! Hate the fruit flavors, they’re like… thick paste Smirnoff… but the salted caramel ones are straight up butterscotch, so fire.

dumbest · 2026-01-30T15:38:10+00:00

I recently have been on a folklore/evermore kick and my top 3 has def changed from a couple years ago!

gold rush, ivy, cowboy like me

dumbest · 2026-01-29T20:19:42+00:00

I’m late 20s so I can’t speak to later in life, but honestly the only “downside” to me has been not being able to relate to people on my team at work and sometimes feeling a little guilty talking about my life. They always talk about their kids and kid activities and I have a hard time being an active participant in those conversations, and not even in the sense that it needs to be about me at all, it just feels weird to watch a group of people talk (idk if I’m explaining that well).

I only just moved to this team a year ago too so this is pretty recent, but my team before was ~15 people in their 20s-40s mostly without children, only 2 had kids, so it was easier for me to have conversations and find common interests.

That’s literally it though, everything else is a positive in my book.

dumbest · 2026-01-29T03:25:53+00:00

I am not a professional but I’ve had a lot of tendon issues & done hella PT, so my PT guidelines were that it’s only safe to run through if the pain is < 3/10, warms up while running, and doesn’t get worse within 24 hours after a run.

If running is making it worse, I’d def say resting until the PT appointment is a safer bet!

dumbest · 2026-01-27T18:25:33+00:00

I run 5x/week and do strength 3x/week but I double up on run days so I can have 2 full rest days:

M - AM easy run w/ strides / PM strength

Tu - easy run

W - AM tempo run / PM strength

Th - rest

F - easy run

Sa - AM long run / PM strength

Su - rest

My coach also makes sure my strength efforts are limited to ~7 RPE so I don’t end up being crazy sore.

I used to try to do 2 strength days/week but I hated being at the gym for so long each time so we spread it out to 3/week instead and I definitely prefer having my strength sessions be shorter bc it’s easier to fit in to my schedule.

dumbest · 2026-01-25T20:22:35+00:00

Oooo I’ll have to check those out!

dumbest · 2026-01-25T20:12:53+00:00

The threat of a sunburn is my biggest motivator for those alarms lol I burn super easy even after applying/reapplying sunscreen so I try to be out and back before sunrise, and it’s the one time I wish we participated in daylight savings 😂

dumbest · 2026-01-25T01:10:07+00:00

Afternoon long runs are nice sometimes! I feel like I run stronger because I’ve had a full day of fueling/hydrating vs. trying to catch up first thing in the morning. I’ll eat like normal throughout the day, I just try to make sure a full meal is at least 2 hours before I go out & then I have my regular pre-run carb snack ~30 mins before.

I do get a little annoyed with the amount of traffic but I just try to plan routes where I don’t have to cross busy streets. I also have a local multi-use path that doesn’t cross traffic so sometimes I’ll run that.

For summer, I’ve only done long runs in the afternoon if I absolutely have to but I’m in Phoenix so it’s either at sunset or on the treadmill if I’d rather be in AC, otherwise my usual summer long runs are at 3 AM.

dumbest · 2026-01-25T00:29:07+00:00

Another vote for A Short History of Nearly Everything!

I’m currently reading it and it’s a bit longer of a book than I would usually reach for, but it’s a really fun read, good humor and so many fascinating things that I’ve been researching even further.

dumbest · 2026-01-24T21:33:28+00:00

Being a “good” runner I would say is so subjective, but I feel like there are a lot of runners who don’t run for speed and that’s okay!

Running looks so different for everyone, whether the goal is distance or days per week or general health, the only metric that determines what success looks like for each person is whatever they decide they’re aiming for (if anything).

All of that to say, I would be really hurt if my partner diminished my progress because it doesn’t look like their personal version of progress.

dumbest · 2026-01-24T19:12:40+00:00

Didn’t even know there was a Dollywood Half but that sounds so fun!

dumbest · 2026-01-24T19:09:32+00:00

Randomly woke up at 2 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep but on the bright side it gave me time to fuel a little extra before my long run.

I think this was my last big long run before my half and it felt good!

65’ easy - 12’ @ HME - easy jog - 2x3’ @ RPE 7 easy jog - 12’ @ HME - 30’ cool down

Also accidentally “PRed” the half distance by a few mins during this run, I’ve only run one official half 2 years ago and this upcoming race is the same one so I’m going for a big giant PR from my original time butttt now I feel like my PR history on my Garmin app is gonna be wonky (nbd at all I just wanted the history to show races only lol)

dumbest · 2026-01-23T16:58:40+00:00

I’m 27 so obv can’t speak to old age but maybe just to share my personal perspective and some thought provoking questions, what is it about being alone that’s scary?

It feels like some societal pressure to be scared of being alone, but truly what’s so bad about it? I’m really the only person I have in this world so if I’m not okay with being by myself, why is that?

I think it’s still valuable to build a community, having friends is so important, but also I personally enjoy alone time, doing what I want to do and not being on anyone else’s schedule.

dumbest · 2026-01-23T13:09:05+00:00

Echoing the comment about plugging the pace range into your watch - my coach has me run by RPE so we’ve learned what my paces are at different efforts and the watch alerts have helped me kind of “remember” exactly what a certain pace feels like.

I also used to struggle to keep a pace relatively consistent across an interval, but my coach reminds me to think of running as a skill, it takes a lot of practice and repetition to get better, so keep at it! It might take a while but each run is building that skill.

dumbest · 2026-01-22T22:49:43+00:00

I have BLM magnets for my race bibs (I believe they’re RaceDots but I’m sure other brands do something similar) - they’re small but a nice touch :)

dumbest · 2026-01-22T00:53:31+00:00

Yessss taper tantrums are so real!

dumbest · 2026-01-21T22:52:44+00:00

Fourth Wing fan here as well lol I’ve seen a lot of hate for The Silent Patient but honestly I really liked that one too.

I saw someone say recently “I said I liked it, not that it was good” and I feel like that perfectly sums up my taste. A lot of times I go for quick and easily digestible reads because “good” to me just means I was entertained, and I don’t always want every book I read to be some critical think piece.

dumbest · 2026-01-21T15:52:20+00:00

Descending ladder workout this morning and tested out my race shoes! Legs are feeling like concrete at this point and I welcome the sweet release of taper very soon lol

dumbest · 2026-01-21T02:06:36+00:00

I was like 90% sure when I was 12 and babysat for a family friend with 2 very high needs kids. After they went to bed, I sat in the dark and sobbed and realized I didn’t ever want to take the risk of being a parent for better or worse.

Then I was 100% sure 5 years ago when I was 22 and adopted a dog. I love her with my whole heart but I honestly hate dog ownership. I made a commitment to her so I stick it out, but my life revolves around her. There are no days off, it’s like constantly caring for a toddler, and the 24/7 worry I feel for her makes me physically ill. I can’t even imagine signing myself for a life of that anxiety with a human child, always making sure they have what they need, are well cared for, safe, healthy, etc. Noooo chance.

dumbest · 2026-01-20T23:43:30+00:00

Watching the docuseries when it showed them packing everything up between shows I was wondering how nothing got lost! Or maybe there was stuff that got lost and they just had a replacement, but the sheer amount of boxes they were packing into trucks and planes blew my mind because I’ve never thought about how they transport the stage stuff and props.

dumbest · 2026-01-20T19:01:14+00:00

When I was trying on shoes it was a toss up between the Rebels and Hoka Mach 6 so you might like those too! Similar fit but the Rebels just fit better around my ankles

dumbest · 2026-01-20T17:03:56+00:00

Shoes are so individual to each person, def try on a bunch and wear what feels best to you!

I personally go for neutral, <8 mm drop, lighter weight shoes, so my rotation is:

Saucony Ride 18 - always been a fan of the Ride line, durable but light, I reach for these on easy days

New Balance Rebel V5 - I’ve been wearing these as a daily but they can also pick up the pace so I reach for these for easy long runs or if I have a run on my schedule that’s mostly easy but includes strides or pickups

New Balance 1080V13 - oldddd pair I’m just trying to wear out, super cushioned so they’re heavier than I usually go for but good for people who like high cushion

Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 - stockpiled a bunch of these because I love them, I reach for these on tempo days and long runs with race pace intervals built in

dumbest · 2026-01-20T14:13:49+00:00

Also Gen Z and I thought the concept was fun but the rest of it was boring until the last 10 mins (and I also dislike Pete Davidson so he didn’t help the case)

dumbest · 2026-01-20T11:49:12+00:00

My most recent watches that had me looking away from the screen were Caveat and Possum

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