jogging and motivation thread

[Tudo88]

Went to see physio yesterday, he ruled out achillies tendinitis, like what @Ender said, he said if it’s achillies tendinitis, I should be able to feel the pain at the heel or lower calf area specifically.

According to him, he said it’s my right hip that’s imbalanced that is causing my calf to overload and thus the pain.

Got to rest for another 2 weeks before I see him again. Private physio really damm ex.

 

[WussRedXLi]

Hi All! Hope the new year has been great for everyone. The last time I asked for advice with my run, has made me able to run long distance quite well. I was wondering if anyone could give me an advice on how to keep my heart rate zone around zone 3 consistently. I usually start pretty well maintaining it but once I reached 3km, somehow at the same pace, it will go to zone 4. This is for my usual 5km run. I usually ran on alternate days. In all the months that I have run, I have never been able to keep my HR at zone 3. Hopefully I could get some pointers here. Thank you.

I think the easiest is just to slow down a bit and try to maintain that.
This is how your body physiologically copes with the extra heat that the body is creating while the muscles are contracting, and as we know, muscles are ~ 20% efficient and 80% heat. So say you are doing 200W jog, that is like 800W of heat liao. I kid you not. You heart/body then uses even more extra energy and channels that blood flow to near the skin and sweats to try dissipate that heat.

And over here in SG, pretty much exercise in futility coz of the heat. Nowadays early morning still somewhat ok....but still it is far from optimal unless if you can somewhat regularly douse yourself with chilled water (can also try that when running in loops around your home or on the 400m track)


You can also try this out, if you dont mind the risk of falling sick (wont lah). Go and run during a rather heavy rainstorm and temperature at 23-24 deg C, but pls pls take note of lighting risk. Use a lousy shoe if you want.
So it is not just 23-24 deg C temp, it is that rainwater at say 22-23 deg C constantly cooling you.

Wont be too cold one, if you keep the pace up....... I cycled so many times in the heavy rain on my foldie last time.
Damn shiok. Even tried Rail corridor when it was raining (trying to go ABC market to packet food), and came across fallen trees........actually now thinking back i also playing with my life then. So dont try this on the rail corridor....
Now on road bike i dont dare to play such stunts liao.

Bonus
Google for this, NEA lighting alert
https://www.weather.gov.sg/lightning/lightning/lightningalertinformationsystem.jsp

 

[WussRedXLi]

Hi All! Hope the new year has been great for everyone. The last time I asked for advice with my run, has made me able to run long distance quite well. I was wondering if anyone could give me an advice on how to keep my heart rate zone around zone 3 consistently. I usually start pretty well maintaining it but once I reached 3km, somehow at the same pace, it will go to zone 4. This is for my usual 5km run. I usually ran on alternate days. In all the months that I have run, I have never been able to keep my HR at zone 3. Hopefully I could get some pointers here. Thank you.

There is also heat training which can help lots. Unfortunately that physiologically only lasts about 2 weeks post workout(s). Not permanent. So.... sigh.

And lastly, of coz, you'd just can try to get fitter. So then of coz naturally you'd then run at a lagi lower HR than before at the same effort/pace. But the issue would still be there, just at a lower bar.
But overall, untrained and unfit folks are much more susceptible to cardiac drift, the fitter you are, the less susceptbile.


Also why so many people spend thousands of dollars flying overseas for marathons and try to get PBs as well.
It's actually sorta free money on the table for us, coz more or less in some way or another, we over here are already heat training to certain degrees compared to those in colder climates.

The converse is also true, ang mohs come over to SG and try to run here wo heat training, either they do terribly or they just peng san. Like that London marathon or recent Berlin izzit......23 deg C ang mohs dropping like flies. For us if 23 deg C i think 95% of local runners out there trying to gun liao.

 

[WussRedXLi]

I don't know whether there is such a test but I want to try the running economy test since I think it will be a better predictor of marathon fitness. Having never done the marathon before, it might be able to shed some light into what pace I can aim for without blowing up.

Bro, you pretty hardcore / data driven runner. Just get your lactate meter.......esp if you can stand the constant pricking. Around $300 nia, edit - nowadays significantly less than $300 . No need to have a good super accurate one, you wanna see trends can liao. These chinese products are more than sufficient for us, and even for our national self-sponsored athletes if i may add.
Actually is also to confirm your own feeling, after that can even map out at X mmol/L you'd feel what in your legs.


I used to do it, but even as general usage and i dont mind the prickling coz i also got my own OGTTs every now and then with my blood glucose meter, but it was not that enjoyable and i was transitioning into cycling. One really gotta stop literally instantly and measure it within seconds, which is quite the feat. So since 1 year plus ago not much use liao. Other than the expiry of the test strips is pretty short as in ~ 12 months usually, so that is also one on-going expense that you gotta maintain tho not terribly expensive.

Search on TB etc, not expensive one. Just the cost of 2 pcs BMAI 3.0 turbos and way cheaper than your overseas marathons . If done consistently, it might really help significantly in shaping your training as it is no longer agaration, and also help you improve faster coz you'd be testing and confirming things and be 100% sure when to move up your training and no longer like 3 blind mice guessing.

https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?abbucket=14&id=694846983758&mi_id=0000O4Vrx-OQ0_xgNBoLB_89eEUNMx4iLWmYoRQzxl9pcy0&ns=1&priceTId=214781b817685357345274855e198a&skuId=4931536261004&spm=a21n57.imgsearch.item.1&utparam={"aplus_abtest":"466aa23ee964529f9e6a9c1e5c028c3f"}&xxc=taobaoSearch
(unfortunately, need to use 3rd party forwarder, changing address in TB profiles does not work)

ps. For the lance and esp lancelets, better go shopee and get Accucheck, coz poking yourself with those. Much safer. And also the alcohol swabs.

 

[dev_stg_prd]

silly question say we are still active and running and assuming we are not sick when old..
we can really still continue to run as of now ah?

 

[WussRedXLi]

These ones can send via official forwarder via vegetable bird......but more expensive unit.
Not sure what's the diff vs the above tho.

They also have EKF Lactate scout and Nova Lactate Plus, but more costly than other avenues. But then other avenues the shipping is terok (DHL / Fedex, the GST declaration admin overhead already like 20 dollars), so see which one more expensive. Nowadays i dont really dare to get from Ebay already.

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?abbucket=14&id=868546007700&mi_id=00007aXx6jnfQPeuqCQOM7G8NnTpCTxARx7BkUZc8ue2OaE&ns=1&skuId=5865806483595&spm=a21n57.1.hoverItem.4&utparam={"aplus_abtest":"f8e6e628f9239ef1397c21061d9bdb49"}&xxc=taobaoSearch

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?abbucket=14&id=929900860633&mi_id=0000qC_4LBjHyv818eTSGxne4CwmfpKYFNQJzfJm6ae1xdU&ns=1&skuId=5813870497446&spm=a21n57.1.item.3&utparam={"aplus_abtest":"156d3bb8da38ddfffd8608f937f25899"}&xxc=taobaoSearch

 

[WussRedXLi]

silly question say we are still active and running and assuming we are not sick when old..
we can really still continue to run as of now ah?

Of coz can....... Same goes to other sports as well. Unless if one develops very serious conditions preventing that particular sport, but then also nevermind, just change sports.

Also, when one gets other serious illness, with good fitness / aerobic base, you can bounce back and recover much faster. It's like that you have a much younger biological age, you can recover much better with better outcomes.

ps. This might be controversial and of coz some folks do not like to hear such things, but IMO In My Opionion, please do not subscribe to the thinking that, oh....since i am old already, 70+, 80+, time to really slow down. Safer. Slow walks at 2-4kmh is good enough.
That will kill that fella still eventually, if i may even say so..... but of coz just at a slightly slower rate than if laying on the couch predominantly. Dont subscribe to such thinkings bro.
Your body still needs sufficient stimulus and challenges.
The last video a bit controversial, you dont have to follow it 100% and it probably is not 100% of the whole story, but i think it still bears quite a bit of hard truth, no harm incorporating a bit of training in that including proprioception and twists and turns. (but note, no sports like soccer which is different, that is not the type of training that the fella is doing so do not misunderstand)

My father and mother that time when my kid still in primary school, they bring my kid to school, i ask them carry school bag and my kid to gun it. Return home air the clothes, afternoon time rinse and repeat, daily wash. 4km+ to and fro mileage daily, they can do it. My pops 80+ liao. Move it, no excuses.

 

[WussRedXLi]

Woah sheesh, the Hyrox athlete's 400 PB is maciam like our Shanti Periera sprint queen.

 

[WussRedXLi]

Even tho i dont agree with the Crossfit technique stuff with questionable safety being at the top , still.......

 

[WussRedXLi]

 

[WussRedXLi]

 

[xllms]

Yet another (AI) video, but good to be reminded. But this AI vid is actually decent info.

For older folks, actually i think it even makes more sense. Tortoise and hare story.
Bo bian one, dont binge on the off season.

@xllms quite useful info

ACtually if i may give some anecdotal info........it's only like last year (or even now) after 3 years that i find that structurally (musculoskeletal and with strengthening/plyo that surpasses what most amateur endurance runners do, simply coz of my calisthenics focus) that i finally dont really get injured. But of coz i also stuck to the distances that i am most comfortable with and the kind of weekly running load i am able to do due to restrictions.
Quite long. For me no really true off season......though there are deloads here and there.

no wonder my longest run was around 31km.

thx for sharing

 

[rECKleSSfElla]

More interested in the Pro. Another Evo SL wannabe

 

[Jeremy1]

My community centre is organising the 2XU run for this year.

Got free transportation but don't know which race should I participate

 

[xllms]

sharing a list of running shoes (25/26)major Chinese & other major brands from Western & Japan, which I compiled while I am trying to make sense amongst across the brands. It is by no means complete. Just a simple compilation to begin with.
This will help those who are looking to buy running shoes but doesn't know where to start from.
Can download the excel file from the following link.
2025-26 Running Shoes .xlsx

 

[GlassDoor]

 

[xllms]

More interested in the Pro. Another Evo SL wannabe

likewise. Adidas Evo SL, Asics Megablast, Anta Zone 2 90, Dynafish Xiaonian & this Xtep 2000km v5 Pro are the main plate-less super trainers to look out for. I do feel that the Saucony Endorphin Azura & Mizuno Wave Neo Zen 2 should also be considered. Also looking foward to the upcoming 2026 Brooks Ghost AMP.

 

[rECKleSSfElla]

likewise. Adidas Evo SL, Asics Megablast, Anta Zone 2 90, Dynafish Xiaonian & this Xtep 2000km v5 Pro are the main plate-less super trainers to look out for. I do feel that the Saucony Endorphin Azura & Mizuno Wave Neo Zen 2 should also be considered. Also looking foward to the upcoming 2026 Brooks Ghost AMP.

Another chinese review for the 2000km 5.0 Pro.


Personally i think there is probably too much overlap between this, Xiaonian and Zone 2 90 to warrant having more than 1 pair from those 3. In terms of 驾驭门槛, from easy to more advance, likely in the order of 2000km 5.0 Pro > Zone 2 90 > Xiaonian so the 2000km 5.0 Pro will be the most mass appealing if that makes any sense.

 

[xllms]

Another chinese review for the 2000km 5.0 Pro.


Personally i think there is probably too much overlap between this, Xiaonian and Zone 2 90 to warrant having more than 1 pair from those 3. In terms of 驾驭门槛, likely in the order of 2000km 5.0 Pro > Zone 2 90 > Xiaonian so the 2000km 5.0 Pro will be the most mass appealing if that makes any sense.

based on reviewers, you are quite correct. 2000km v5 Pro & the Lining Red Hare 9 Ultra also appear to be a good pair of shoe for travel (run and jalan jalan).

 

[rECKleSSfElla]

based on reviewers, you are quite correct. 2000km v5 Pro & the Lining Red Hare 9 Ultra also appear to be a good pair of shoe for travel (run and jalan jalan).

Think i would have bought this 2000km V5 Pro instead of the Xiaonian if i had known about it earlier. The Xiaonians are a great pair of shoes dont get me wrong. Done a couple of runs in them. The feeling i get is anything slower than sub 6min, the shoes are okay-ish and nothing too special. But once you pick up the pace, they are an entire different beast. Thats where i feel the 2000km V5 Pro are likely more versatile and better suited for a bigger variety of paces.