jogging and motivation thread

[DulanMax]

Just to share with you guys who want massive improvement (I'm a 31 year old male).

First 2 years my training was just focused on Z1 (occasionally Z2) long slow mileage, went from 20km/week to 160km/week.

Now I'm cutting down my mileage to max 80km/week but adding alot of intensity, been doing this from May 2025 (5k PB was 20:56 then) and just ran a 19:14 ytd.



Hopefully I can reach my full potential in the next 2 years with this method.

Wah, 160km per week entirely in z1/2 will take forever sia.

How much time you take to run per week?

 

[Ender]

But i also like this statement from AI most. This has also been what i have been subscribing to for the past few years esp......




So depends on how one sees things. Half empty or half full. Things in real world is not digital or black and white, so no need to view things very negatively (if not, just living your life would be a drag).

It is not like things like Type 1 diabetes, autoimmune condition which vast majority is not reversible and need lifetime insulin injections.
Type II diabetes, high (LDL) cholresterol, Hypertension is reversible, just ask my wife or FIL.
It is not easy but it still is reversible and i do mean reversible back to a good healthy range with some meds and aerobic exercise with sufficient volume and good proper eating again causing weight loss etc , eg systolic 110, diastolic 70 for eg. From Sys 150-160 / Dia 110-115 range.......which to me and the specialist that my wife is seeing is fxxxing high. (the rheumatologist got a shock actually). My wife's mother and grandma also got such issues, so could very well be genetic. After which is maintainable without medication but your makan and exercise volume must be up to scratch.

Of coz best is if you are not genetically predisposed + aerobically fit with good mitochondria/strong good muscles ie insulin sensitive/good neruo good motor units good fast twitch + healthy living etc.

edit - actually the healthy lifestyle recommendation of 150 mins of MICT ie zone 2 is really bare minimum vol for healthy individuals. What more individuals with medical issues.
I have come across folks in various medical problems threads saying things like they are doing exercise 4-5 times a week, every day 20-30 mins, which is like really a lot already. Like.....WTF sia.

I think just base on myself, with only exercise, consistency and plentiful of it works very well is metabolic health. i.e insulin sensitivity. Previously was diagnoses as pre diabetic in my late 30s, now HB1AC is 4.8% at 57. HPB, cholesterol not so good, to no effect coz I have been maintaining my bad number for LDL and borderline HPB for 20 years since I started exercise. But my diet is 99% hawker fare, so I think that only way is I have to go home cook which unlikely will happen

It make sense that exercise, especially those that has 80% low and 20% high intensity concept, helps alot with metabolic health. As this the only way our mitochondria with getting their work and they have to adapt to meet the demand of oxidized energy conversion with Glucose, Fats, protein. Dieting alone is not going to improve mitochondria health.

 

[junjie433]

Will be running my first HM this Sunday.. only start running actively last Oct..

Any tips? Looking to do a sub 2hrs if possible..

Attempted a trial HM run before at 6.05min pace with avg HR 147..

For HM chiu will need 5.40 min/km to get in sub 2hrs.
Find a running group to join?

 

[LWZ]

Marathon training, don't control diet with calories with restriction. Carbs, fats and protein are our friend.
I don't know how those calories in and out and deficit work. I really think I eat more than I workout, but maintained my weight at sub 65km for many years, until the day I started Creatin.

65kg ? What's your height ?

 

[songboh9696]

Today uncle very happy, run faster than > 12 years ago during IPPT LOL...

 

[Shawny88]

I have been working out and losing weight but my visceral tummy fat still very thick…hope it is not caused fatty liver

 

[puffypaddington]

Wah, 160km per week entirely in z1/2 will take forever sia.

How much time you take to run per week?

Run double session at 6:00min/km to 6:30min/km, had to really control myself from going faster. Total 15-16 hours.

Goal for the first 2 years was to build up muscle and bone endurance as I didn't want to get injured at all.

Now with 80km I run around ~7-8 hours.

 

[Ender]

65kg ? What's your height ?

175cm

 

[mcylo]

U all wear thin or thick socks for running and what brand or from where you bought? Wear cap for long distance?

compression socks from taobao

 

[puffypaddington]

Polarized 80% easy 20% high intensity would work beautifully for vast majority of amateurs. If you are able to tahan, 70/30 also can since it seems that nowadays you love intensity. 80km/week is very decent for 5k already even if the mileage is not optimal, even for 10k is good, of which 30% of high intensity is no joke.
Shd be able to pick up some more benefits with plyo/strength or maybe cross train in other areas (swim/bike) and focus more towards recovery nuances (sleep lowest hanging fruit), also probably towards a more rounded athlete then as well.

17-18 mins range shdnt be too much of a big issue.

Problem is as a newer runner I couldn't handle anything faster than Z2 running when I started out with 20km/week.

I tried doing v02 max workouts/speedwork for a few weeks then and I felt the after those weeks my body gonna get injured. The limitation wasn't my lungs or heart, it was my muscles and my bones lol. No matter how much strength training I did then (3 times/ week) there was no change. I had to cutback on mileage almost every week lol.

 

[WussRedXLi]

I think just base on myself, with only exercise, consistency and plentiful of it works very well is metabolic health. i.e insulin sensitivity. Previously was diagnoses as pre diabetic in my late 30s, now HB1AC is 4.8% at 57. HPB, cholesterol not so good, to no effect coz I have been maintaining my bad number for LDL and borderline HPB for 20 years since I started exercise. But my diet is 99% hawker fare, so I think that only way is I have to go home cook which unlikely will happen

It make sense that exercise, especially those that has 80% low and 20% high intensity concept, helps alot with metabolic health. As this the only way our mitochondria with getting their work and they have to adapt to meet the demand of oxidized energy conversion with Glucose, Fats, protein. Dieting alone is not going to improve mitochondria health.

Needs to all work together.....
And yes that's what i mentioned also, only exercise can help get mitrochondria health back on track. We are designed to move.

 

[WussRedXLi]

Problem is as a newer runner I couldn't handle anything faster than Z2 running when I started out with 20km/week.

I tried doing v02 max workouts/speedwork for a few weeks then and I felt the after those weeks my body gonna get injured. The limitation wasn't my lungs or heart, it was my muscles and my bones lol. No matter how much strength training I did then (3 times/ week) there was no change. I had to cutback on mileage almost every week lol.

Bo bian , need to progress slowly. It's this part that needs the most discipline. It goes the same for other sports as well, gym stuff bodybuilding, powerlifting, calisthenics. If not sure get injured and kena vicious cycle.

Actually the strength training and stuff like plyo would work, only issue is that the tendons (muscle to bone) and ligaments (bone to bone), fascia and also the bones all increase in strength in the range of few months and possibly for middle age folks 1 year +. Many dont have that kind if patience and discipline to progressive load via prehab.
Also need proper nutrition, which we seriously dont get much from hawker food, i think one fifthj of our Mg intake our hawker food also cannot hit. Dont mention other stuff like Ca, D3, protein intake, sleep recovery etc.

Some folks also might start off from having osteopenia already for eg (a bone minteral density scan costing ~ 160 dollars can tell you just that), no way just 6-12 months can get to a strong enough stage that can handle even a fast 5k. The prevalence of this in SG is pretty high, something like just shy of 60% for middle age folks.
Dont get metatarsal pain after just a few weeks can go arm chio already.

One way i like to see things - it's not overtraining (that happens not so commonly), it's more about under-recovery.

 

[WussRedXLi]

 

[WussRedXLi]

I have been working out and losing weight but my visceral tummy fat still very thick…hope it is not caused fatty liver

Might wanna dose in some Sprint Interval Training. Problem is that while it is more effective than say Z2, it also carries a higher injury risk. And some folks also wary about the cardiac aspects (older folks esp with other comorbidities better go cardiac screen first, even a basic TMX also good). But if patient enough to prehab a bit, go check out youtube on how to do.
SIT is the running format, you can do other forms of really hard but short forms of HIIT.

Visceral fats esp around the tummy for asian males most difficult to get rid of one. Not say impossible but it takes a lot of sacrifice from your social/family life that is for sure.......in addition to other things like mental fortitude, which would spill over to other aspects like diet, stress management, sleep etc.

It is lagi more difficult if you are just rely on 1 or 2 things that are mentioned above, actually more like nearly impossible.

ps tip. Cycling you are most probably going to get out of that than vs running in regards of volume. Or a mix, maybe 70% cycling and 30% running.
If it so happens that you get addicted to cycling and got enough spare time, 20hrs a week no issue.....and the best part, you would enjoy it as a hobby as well so it is not time wasted. 20hrs of running, i dont think anyone here also so hardcore enough to enjoy that esp in order to achieve "serious" things like cutting down overall body fat content.

 

[doratch]

I have been working out and losing weight but my visceral tummy fat still very thick…hope it is not caused fatty liver

That means you have more fats to lose.

 

[rarenick]

I have been working out and losing weight but my visceral tummy fat still very thick…hope it is not caused fatty liver

Got drink alcohol, smoke, and not enough sleep? Or too much stress from work or many hours of intensive sports per session?

 

[sales69]

I have been working out and losing weight but my visceral tummy fat still very thick…hope it is not caused fatty liver

Control food intake. Eat healthy, lean proteins, more vege, less sugars.

Other than cardio, increase resistance training. Weights training good too.

 

[WussRedXLi]

Paralympians zhar bohs. Sarah and Amelia

 

[rarenick]

Paralympians zhar bohs. Sarah and Amelia

Last year spoke with the 2 gals before.

Fazzboy recently injured right?

 

[sph777]

Hit my new pb by 1 min plus and got to meet Ben Khoo. Stopped my watch few metres before the finish line but it was accurate. The official time when I crossed was 1:32:59 so just hit my goal of sub 1:33.

super happy