r/running

I just did my first ever half marathon last month. I felt good after but was SO SORE (as to be expected). I now have motivation to do a full marathon, but ideally want it to be in the fall (IYKYK...winter running sucks, even in the southeast). I am not sure if it would be smart for me to aim for a marathon this fall. But I feel like next fall is so far away!

So ideally, how many half marathons should I have under my belt before taking on the feat of a full marathon? How do you know you are ready to start ramping up training?

I often see people talk about how their race predictor time (calculated by Garmin, COROS, Strava, etc.) is too slow and doesn’t accurately reflect their abilities, even failing to update when they beat the predicted time in a race. I think I’m having the opposite problem.

After a couple nice years of beginner gains, I feel like I’m plateauing if not getting slower. My COROS and Strava both give me a predicted half marathon time of 1:40:XX-1:43:XX. Last weekend I went in with a goal of beating my PR from a year prior (1:46:XX) and if it was a good day, reaching for the low 1:40’s. I just couldn’t get my legs to come alive at all. I started slow but got even slower, and jogged it in at 1:50:XX. It felt pretty bad, zero energy.

This has been a trend since last fall or so. I’m consistently falling short of time goals that don’t seem like they should be that far out of reach.

What’s your experience with the COROS or Strava predictors, are they generally true to what you can achieve on a decent-to-good race day? I’d appreciate your perspective as I’m working through whether this is an issue with my training, data, or racing (or all three lol).

I (29F) am looking to do my first full marathon! I've run three half marathons and want to sign up for one either Fall 2026 or Spring of 2027 and am open to anywhere on the east coast. I want to do one that typically has good crowd energy throughout to keep the spirits high (as high as they can be when running 26 miles anyways!)

I always feel great after a run, but some weeks I’m super motivated and other weeks I can barely get myself out the door. I’m curious how other people stay consistent long term without burning out or getting bored.

what’s something small that helped you enjoy running more?

With over 4,200,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

##As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

####And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

After my last marathon I took four weeks off. Aggressive training block, body needed the rest.

About two weeks in I started getting this feeling I was missing something. What dawned on me was that running meant more to me than the time. It was where I sorted out a whole bunch of problems I didn’t even know I was carrying. Having a singular focus on a PB gave me something to aim at — but I was pushing real decisions about work and relationships to one side. Running was how I stayed on top of all of it.

There’s research that explains why. The prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain responsible for overthinking — quiets significantly during sustained aerobic exercise. The inner critic goes offline. Things surface that couldn’t get through the noise before.

I stopped logging pace and started logging what I was carrying before each run and what shifted after. That record means more to me now than years of Strava data.
Interested whether others have gone through a similar shift — particularly anyone who’s stepped back from performance running and found something different underneath it.

I’m talking the insoles you buy separately from the shoe, like the ones from Superfeet, Dr Scholls, Currex, etc.

When I went to a running shoe store to get fitted for new running shoes, they recommended buying insoles too but I wasn’t sure if it was just a money grab or not.

With over 4,200,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

##As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

####And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

Back once again for everything you wanted to know about running but were afraid to ask.

Rules of the Road:

This is inspired by eric_twinge's fine work in r/fitness .

Upvote either good or stupid questions. Sort questions by new so that they get some love.

To the more experienced runnitors, if something is a good question or answer, add it to the FAQ.

Post your question - stupid or otherwise - here to get an answer - stupid or otherwise. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. Many questions get submitted late each week that don't get a lot of action, so if your question didn't get answered, feel free to post it again.

As always, be sure to read the FAQ first. Also, there's a handy-dandy search bar to your right, and if you didn't know, you can also use Google to search runnit by using the limiter "site:reddit.com r/running ".

Be sure to check back often as questions get posted throughout the day. Sort comments by "new" to be sure the newer questions get some love as well.

[Posting on behalf of u/Percinho who is currently busy trying to clean the mud out of all his gear]

With over 4,200,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

##As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

####And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

I’m currently in two minds. I’m going for a half marathon pb and have already booked a race in October but feel as though it’s too far away to start a training block now (21 weeks), and don’t want to lose progress/plateau in the meantime. If you were in my situation, would book another race in august (16 weeks from now), or just stick to the October race and do a 21 week training block? For context my goal is to drop 7-8 minutes off my last time.

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

I've been noticing a recent trend of high stack shoes and I'm thinking to myself how are we going too far? I saw the newest cloud monster shoe and it's just an abomination of cloud tech

I've been using the Brooks Adrenaline GTS for awhile since I'm an overpronator. However, I have felt calf pain while running. I feel like I run really slow in the Adrenaline as well. I run 1 to 3 miles 1 to 3 times a week on the road. I'm around 185 to 190 lbs, so I don't think I would be a heavy runner enough to be having calf pain after running. I previous have used the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 20 and GTS 17.

I tried the Adizero in stores and liked that it was lightweight and felt more springy. The Adrenaline feels more heavy, but idk if I should stick with it for the stability? I have not got to try on the Gel Kayano yet. The last time I used an Asics model was in 2005, but I remember Asics feel faster than the Brooks Models as well.

Which of these models would you recommend?

Putting this out specifically to people who have run a marathon: how much of it is about being adequately trained vs being able to motivate yourself mentally? I realize it’s a mix of both, but I’m curious what you think the breakdown is of mind vs body.

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.