Welcome to the new thread, everyone!

2023 was a great year for us that brought new members and new PR's in distance and race times from returning members.

The rules are simple: Just pick a mileage goal (1,000 is just 19.23 per week, and with this being a leap year you have an extra day!) and post your daily and total mileage. The typical format you'll find here is "miles ran today" / "total yearly miles". Feel free to list rucking, hiking, or walking miles if you like as well.

No worries if you find the thread or start running well into the year - go ahead and join rather than wait for 2025.

Feel free to ask your running questions here - there's a lot of experience in this group. We also have Garmin Connect & Strava groups you can join to follow along with as well.

In previous years the idea has been floated to try arranging a race we could try meeting at. Speak up of anyone wants to try fitting this into your schedule so we can try finding a location (or locations) so we don't have to travel all across the country to do it - maybe Cola Warrior-style regionals.

Best of luck to us all!

For any beginners out there, here's a list of recommendations to help you get started. This isn't exhaustive by any means, and I may add to this throughout the year as things come up, but feel free to ask the veteran runners around here if there's anything more about which you have questions.

•Just get out there. Running doesn't take much at all, and whatever pair of shoes and shorts you have will get you started. Legit running shoes do make a difference. Go to a running specialty store (NOT a general sports store like Academy) and tell someone there you want to be fitted for some shoes. Yes, you'll pay more than you would at Amazon but it's worth it at least once. They'll provide you with a service in the form of looking at your stride and running motion and recommending specific shoe models based upon that. Get your first pair there, then you can order them cheaper elsewhere if you like.
•Forget about pace! I can't stress this enough - don't worry that you aren't "fast enough". Most runs should be at an intensity that's low enough that you can have a conversation while running. You should be able to say 3-4+ sentences without needing to stop to breathe. If you're running easy enough that you could sing show tunes you can pick it up a little. Particularly if you're first starting the paces associated with this may be quite slow, but that's fine. It will build your aerobic base (the key to running fast and/or far) and you'll naturally get faster at the same effort just as you rack up miles.
•Most people, when first starting, aren't running miles at a time without stopping. It's totally OK to run for a bit (even just 30 seconds or so), walk a bit to recover, then run again. As your fitness builds you'll be able to increase the "run" portion of the interval and decrease the "walk" portion.
•Build up slowly - consistency is key. You'll make much more progress getting out there for 20-30 minutes every other day (for instance) and adding on 5 minutes to each run every other week than if you try adding a bunch of time too early and you wind up injured because you're trying to do more than your body can handle.
•Contrary to what Runner's World and others tell you, for most runs you don't need to specifically "fuel" before, during, or after. Your body has more than enough energy stores to get you through most any run. Fasted runs are great for the metabolism and if you're looking to shed some fluff.
•Pick a goal and set a reward for it. Maybe you want to run 3-4 times per week for a month or do your first 5k and then get yourself some new running clothes. Just something definite and achievable that you can use as motivation to get yourself out there.
•NEVER bail on a run before at least starting it. If you don't want to run get out there anyway but make a deal with yourself that you can quit after the first 5 minutes or after you've gone a mile. Here's the secret: Once you're out there you almost certainly will finish the run you had planned anyway, and I can't think of a time I've forced myself out on a run and regretted it.


I'll also toss out another offer to pace or crew an Arfcommer for a race (marathon, ultra, whatever) within a 3-4-ish hour drive from the OKC metro area. Just PM me here and I'll see if I can make it happen.

2,024 in 2024.

8 / 8

4/4

5 / 13

I'm in.

I'll go for the 1000.

Now I just need to remember to post my miles

1JAN2024

2.5/2.5

Thanks for starting another year's thread, @Commander_Keen. These threads have been great inspiration for me and probably many other ARFCOMmers.

I hope everyone is willing to ask questions and post their results, even when not as great as planned. These threads great for both accountability as well as support.

My '24 goal is 1,000. Barring another injury, I should be good to hit it.

5 / 5

Looking to meet the 1,000 mile challenge again this year.

3.7 yesterday, 4.8 today / 8.5

Daughter is out of school today and I need an excuse to get her out of the house so she rode her bike alongside me. We've done this several times and we both enjoy each other's company

Not sure on end goal.   Main goal is to complete a (my first) marathon in May in under 4:00.

10/10

5/9

4/14

4.8 / 13.3

4.8/13.8

10.55 + 7.62 / 41

Double workout day. Triple if you count weights.

He's back!

Good for you

3.9/17.2

I think I need a new chest strap. Mine has been giving me these weird dips in my heart rate over the last couple of weeks. That or I'm dying

This was a 5k effort for the run. I'm using a Polar H9 I think. New batteries. Anyone ever seen anything like this?  I'll try my next few runs without the strap to see if the dips go away. The strap is tight and isn't moving around.

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ETA here are a couple other instances
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I'm doing the long runs for marathon training on Thursday to keep my Saturday's open. I mostly work from home, but I'm currently unemployed. So, this works out (no pun intended) with Saturday hikes with my much better half.

Yesterday: 3.5; I only did this due to feeling chilled and just not being able to warm up. A few miles and I felt great.
Today: 14.0
YTD: 22.5

That's weird. Usually they'll read high (typically caused by static) rather than low.

Personally, I prefer optical HRM on an armband. The Polar Verity Sense is probably king of the hill so far as those go.

6/20

4/17.8

Another 4/21.8

7.45 + 4.1 / 60.75

9/29

12.4/29.6

6.4/28.2. Shit weather has started so on the dreadmill today.

3.5/32.5

7.6/35.8

2.5/5.5

Think I'm over my cold and can get back to work.

3.7/33.3

2.2 hike over w/e and 6.2 run today
YTD: 30.90

Zero miles today. Too cold/icy.

0/54.3.

i laughed

6.8 since last update/42.6

8.2 / 39.1

4.8/37.8

Are you still having issues with the Polar H9? I had been looking at getting one but on the fence now.

My last several runs I've left it at home and don't see the drops in HR anymore. So I indeed think it was the chest strap.

I'm going to swap the battery one more time and maybe slightly change where I've been wearing it to see if that fixes it.

4.8/42.6

13.1/45.6

14.1 / 123

A big loop by many monuments before leaving D.C.

16.0 / 55.1

6.4/52

2.5/8 well, not quite. Just a ruck the other night.

5/13. Feeling mo better today but still dealing with it.

3.6/16.6 AM

3/19.6 PM  

9 since last update/51.6

5/57

7/49.6

16 / 144

Garage treadmill. 18° with no wind in the garage is better than 10° and 15mph winds outside.

6.2/57.8