If it makes you feel better, I’ve been training semi-seriously for two summers and my VO2 on Garmin is totally unchanged despite getting noticeably fitter and faster.

After taking an unprecedented 10 days off running because I finally caught COVID (I haven’t stopped running for this long since 2019 or before probably!), I’m going to try running today and I’m so excited. Probably play it by ear, 3-5 km. I WAS supposed to start half-marathon training this week…

Thanks!! I felt absolutely awful for several days and then one day I woke up and felt basically normal, just more easily fatigued. I’ve been going for walks and feeling okay, but I’m terrified of long COVID so I don’t want to push it!

I think I’m mostly over COVID but I’m planning on taking almost two full weeks off to be conservative. Which sucks because I was supposed to start half training this week.

However, when people say they took a week off etc, are they including the days when they were peak sickness?

Easier to have conversations with runners in your country? Can figure out routes much more easily given that everything in your country is measured by km?

If you spend more time outdoors in the winter, you adjust. Or wear a buff and cover it up.

Start your watch inside? Maybe next to a window?

Zero cushion merino wool socks and very lightweight breathable shoes are your friends.

Have you seen a physio?

I ran for years before one year I doing a 10k with my then girlfriend. She trained for 3 months and came 11th out of all the women and crushed my best ever 10k PB by 6 minutes or something.

I actually find the first 2km to be really great, then it gets sucky for a bit until you forget to feel sucky.

Running down hills is harder on your quads, especially if you’re heavier. If you’re more accustomed to running up hills, you’re going to faster running up hills as well. Generally it’s okay to speed up a little on the down but you’re unlikely to make up for the time you slowed down going up.

I tend to pass a lot of people even we go uphill. I’m used to running up hills. On the downhill I only a little faster, nothing crazy.

245 supports courses, I’d be pretty surprised if the 235 doesn’t support courses.

This is not remotely controversial.

Amazing! I may need to see if mine fits.

Where/how do you keep the hot chocolate??

They can be REALLY warm, so YMMV. I have and love my Smartwool 250 tops but they’re too hot for running until it gets to -10 C. The lightweight Smartwool top (150?) is scratchy.