Marathon Weekend 2016

[DopeyBadger]

Are there training apps for this? I was looking at some different ones and it shows starting off running 3 miles a day and ramping up from there...

First, sorry for the long post. But this is a great question and can help others!

I'm assuming you mean for the purpose of a training plan (like what should you do in training) vs a training app that actually records the runs (like MapMyRun or Runtastic). I ran with Runtastic for years and found that when I finished measured courses my distance always seemed way off. I just figured I wasn't running the tangents (the line by which the course is officially measured) well. Then I decided for one of my half-marathons to run with a 1:50 pace group. Everything I had done in training was based off of meeting this time. Everything seemed fine after the start until we hit the 1st mile marker. I turned to my phone and it said 7:54min/mile instead of the 8:24 pace per mile we were suppose to do! Yikes! I asked the pacer, "Why did we go out so fast?" and he showed me his Garmin watch which stated we were on pace. It then occurred to me around mile 5 that all of the time specific training that I thought I was doing at home for a 1:50 was off by as much as 30 seconds per mile. I bombed bad in the second half of the race (last 3 miles were a 17ish min mile pace) and finished in 2:12 (Runtastic said I ran 14.3 miles). I've heard good things about MapMyRun, but I think it costs $30 a year to get mile splits feedback from it (which I feel to be a significant help for training purposes).

As for training plans, I always ask anyone who comes to me for advice about training plans a few questions. These questions help dictate what kind of training plan would be best for them.

1) What is your current fitness level?

This can be determined best by using a recent race finishing time. For instance for you, how fast did you run your last 5K? Research has shown that training at the pace you are currently at, and not the pace you want to be is the most beneficial way to train. Those who train faster than they are are more likely to get injured or overtrain which causes them to have set backs. The too fast trainers will see initial gains faster than the people who train at their current level. But, by the end of a 16-18 week training cycle the people who trained at their current fitness level will actually have improved more because they were more likely to avoid injuries or overtraining.

2) What is your goal for the race?

This question helps dictate the type of training you would do during your plan. After learning of the estimate half-marathon finishing time from your 5K race, do you find that pace to be slower than you'd hoped? Or is your goal to finish the half-marathon and call yourself a finisher. Both are commendable goals, but need to be approached differently in your training plan.

3) How many weeks do you have before your next race?

Deciding this helps dictate how much improvement you can see and expect by the time race day comes. If it's longer than 18 weeks, say in your case if you wanted your first half marathon to be Disney 2017, then you can setup multiple training cycles between now and then to see more improvement.

4) What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This question also helps dictate the type of training you want to do during your plan. This question has more importance when someone is attempting their 2nd, 3rd, etc. at a certain distance. The question I always ask is what prevented you in your last race at the same distance from finishing faster? Were you breathing excessively hard and needed to slow down to catch your breath? Or were you so tired you couldn't move your legs anymore? Or some combination of both. The answers to these help dictate what area of running you could see the most improvement from in a single training cycle. If you are a first timer at a distance these types of questions can't be answered easily until you are in the middle of your training cycle because what it takes to run a 5K and what it takes to run a half-marathon is different.

5) Do you get injured often?

What can we do to prevent the injuries going forward and what caused those injuries? I can't give a lot of advice here because I'm not a doctor nor do I have personal experience here. Best bet is to trust the judgement and advice of others more qualified than us about these issues. Many, but not most injuries, can be traced back to question 1.

6) What days of the week do you want to train and how much time do you want to allot on each day?

Once we find out the answers to the other five questions, we start to form an idea of what we want to accomplish in the next training cycle (or in the next race). The question then becomes do my goals match the time I'm willing to put in and can I make my goals fit the rest of my life. As an example, I went through these questions with my mother and wife. My mother wants to get faster. She wants to run as much as possible and is willing to do 6 days a week. We set up a plan that takes her from where she is (2:24 half-marathon) to where she wants to be (2:05 half-marathon) in a 16 week schedule. She is focusing on speed work, intervals, and slowly building her race pace miles. My wife just wants to finish. She has completed two half-marathons (2:24 pre-baby and 2:45 post-baby). She doesn't care about time and doesn't want to get faster. She said she can't run Monday/Friday and never wants to run more than 1 hour on weekdays. We built her plan to run mostly miles at slower than half-marathon pace and occasionally at half-marathon pace. She is attempting to build endurance to make running at a 2:45 easier than it was last year.

I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions. As always, I appreciate feedback and always appreciate a different opinion than mine. For all of us to become better/lifelong runners, we have to be willing to listen and absorb the rationale of others. Everybody is an experiment of one, and what may work best for one person may not work at all for someone else. Best of Luck!

 

[DopeyBadger]

That link was hilarious. I'm still baffled by the hatred of treadmills though. I like training on the treadmill. If mine broke down I would be out buying a new one the same day. I started with the treadmill as a method of exercise for weight control and still view that as the primary purpose although I am also training for some upcoming races as well. I like the controlled temp environment and I watch tv or listen to music. I have never been bored.

I've tried treadmills and never been able to run more than a mile or two. Personally, when I'm outside running at -10 F, I ENVY those who can run on treadmills and wish I was one of them.

 

[LSUlakes]

First, sorry for the long post. But this is a great question and can help others!

I'm assuming you mean for the purpose of a training plan (like what should you do in training) vs a training app that actually records the runs (like MapMyRun or Runtastic). I ran with Runtastic for years and found that when I finished measured courses my distance always seemed way off. I just figured I wasn't running the tangents (the line by which the course is officially measured) well. Then I decided for one of my half-marathons to run with a 1:50 pace group. Everything I had done in training was based off of meeting this time. Everything seemed fine after the start until we hit the 1st mile marker. I turned to my phone and it said 7:54min/mile instead of the 8:24 pace per mile we were suppose to do! Yikes! I asked the pacer, "Why did we go out so fast?" and he showed me his Garmin watch which stated we were on pace. It then occurred to me around mile 5 that all of the time specific training that I thought I was doing at home for a 1:50 was off by as much as 30 seconds per mile. I bombed bad in the second half of the race (last 3 miles were a 17ish min mile pace) and finished in 2:12 (Runtastic said I ran 14.3 miles). I've heard good things about MapMyRun, but I think it costs $30 a year to get mile splits feedback from it (which I feel to be a significant help for training purposes).

As for training plans, I always ask anyone who comes to me for advice about training plans a few questions. These questions help dictate what kind of training plan would be best for them.

1) What is your current fitness level?

This can be determined best by using a recent race finishing time. For instance for you, how fast did you run your last 5K? Research has shown that training at the pace you are currently at, and not the pace you want to be is the most beneficial way to train. Those who train faster than they are are more likely to get injured or overtrain which causes them to have set backs. The too fast trainers will see initial gains faster than the people who train at their current level. But, by the end of a 16-18 week training cycle the people who trained at their current fitness level will actually have improved more because they were more likely to avoid injuries or overtraining.

2) What is your goal for the race?

This question helps dictate the type of training you would do during your plan. After learning of the estimate half-marathon finishing time from your 5K race, do you find that pace to be slower than you'd hoped? Or is your goal to finish the half-marathon and call yourself a finisher. Both are commendable goals, but need to be approached differently in your training plan.

3) How many weeks do you have before your next race?

Deciding this helps dictate how much improvement you can see and expect by the time race day comes. If it's longer than 18 weeks, say in your case if you wanted your first half marathon to be Disney 2017, then you can setup multiple training cycles between now and then to see more improvement.

4) What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This question also helps dictate the type of training you want to do during your plan. This question has more importance when someone is attempting their 2nd, 3rd, etc. at a certain distance. The question I always ask is what prevented you in your last race at the same distance from finishing faster? Were you breathing excessively hard and needed to slow down to catch your breath? Or were you so tired you couldn't move your legs anymore? Or some combination of both. The answers to these help dictate what area of running you could see the most improvement from in a single training cycle. If you are a first timer at a distance these types of questions can't be answered easily until you are in the middle of your training cycle because what it takes to run a 5K and what it takes to run a half-marathon is different.

5) Do you get injured often?

What can we do to prevent the injuries going forward and what caused those injuries? I can't give a lot of advice here because I'm not a doctor nor do I have personal experience here. Best bet is to trust the judgement and advice of others more qualified than us about these issues. Many, but not most injuries, can be traced back to question 1.

6) What days of the week do you want to train and how much time do you want to allot on each day?

Once we find out the answers to the other five questions, we start to form an idea of what we want to accomplish in the next training cycle (or in the next race). The question then becomes do my goals match the time I'm willing to put in and can I make my goals fit the rest of my life. As an example, I went through these questions with my mother and wife. My mother wants to get faster. She wants to run as much as possible and is willing to do 6 days a week. We set up a plan that takes her from where she is (2:24 half-marathon) to where she wants to be (2:05 half-marathon) in a 16 week schedule. She is focusing on speed work, intervals, and slowly building her race pace miles. My wife just wants to finish. She has completed two half-marathons (2:24 pre-baby and 2:45 post-baby). She doesn't care about time and doesn't want to get faster. She said she can't run Monday/Friday and never wants to run more than 1 hour on weekdays. We built her plan to run mostly miles at slower than half-marathon pace and occasionally at half-marathon pace. She is attempting to build endurance to make running at a 2:45 easier than it was last year.

I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions. As always, I appreciate feedback and always appreciate a different opinion than mine. For all of us to become better/lifelong runners, we have to be willing to listen and absorb the rationale of others. Everybody is an experiment of one, and what may work best for one person may not work at all for someone else. Best of Luck!

This is a really solid answer!

I would also get a watch for tracking pace/miles over the phone. Its a small investment when you consider how long the watch last for. You can get a good watch for about the same price you purchase a pair of good running shoes for. I had no idea that mapmyrun charged $30 a year for mile splits... that's crazy!

 

[DopeyBadger]

This is a really solid answer!

I would also get a watch for tracking pace/miles over the phone. Its a small investment when you consider how long the watch last for. You can get a good watch for about the same price you purchase a pair of good running shoes for. I had no idea that mapmyrun charged $30 a year for mile splits... that's crazy!

Thanks!

I totally agree about the watch. I would add that finding a watch that gives you lap pace is extremely beneficial. It will let you know what your current pace is for the current lap you are in. Thus, if you want to run a 10:00 min/mile and through 0.75 miles your watch tells you your lap pace is 9:45, you're going too fast. This is in counter to an "instantaneous pace" which is just what you've been running the last 5 seconds not what you've been running the last 0.75 miles. If your watch says you're running a 9:45 in instantaneous pace you are running too fast right this very second, but for the overall mile you could be going too fast, too slow, or the perfect pace. Instantaneous pace can fluctuate a lot from one 5 second segment to the next, whereas Lap pace is much more consistent. Mostly, all I focus on when running is my current lap pace. If my plan for the day is to run 5 miles at 10:00 min/mile, and my first mile is 9:45, I don't try to compensate with a 10:15 on the next one. The goal is a 10:00 min/mile for a reason and trying to run all of them there is the most important. Just chalk the 9:45 min/mile as a miss and move on. This is also why average lap pace isn't extremely helpful because after a 9:45 min/mile to get back to an average 10:00 min/mile you'd have to now sacrifice the second mile's workout (jumped to 10:15) to get back on average lap pace.

 

[PrincessV]

First, sorry for the long post. But this is a great question and can help others!

I'm assuming you mean for the purpose of a training plan (like what should you do in training) vs a training app that actually records the runs (like MapMyRun or Runtastic). I ran with Runtastic for years and found that when I finished measured courses my distance always seemed way off. I just figured I wasn't running the tangents (the line by which the course is officially measured) well. Then I decided for one of my half-marathons to run with a 1:50 pace group. Everything I had done in training was based off of meeting this time. Everything seemed fine after the start until we hit the 1st mile marker. I turned to my phone and it said 7:54min/mile instead of the 8:24 pace per mile we were suppose to do! Yikes! I asked the pacer, "Why did we go out so fast?" and he showed me his Garmin watch which stated we were on pace. It then occurred to me around mile 5 that all of the time specific training that I thought I was doing at home for a 1:50 was off by as much as 30 seconds per mile. I bombed bad in the second half of the race (last 3 miles were a 17ish min mile pace) and finished in 2:12 (Runtastic said I ran 14.3 miles). I've heard good things about MapMyRun, but I think it costs $30 a year to get mile splits feedback from it (which I feel to be a significant help for training purposes).

As for training plans, I always ask anyone who comes to me for advice about training plans a few questions. These questions help dictate what kind of training plan would be best for them.

1) What is your current fitness level?

This can be determined best by using a recent race finishing time. For instance for you, how fast did you run your last 5K? Research has shown that training at the pace you are currently at, and not the pace you want to be is the most beneficial way to train. Those who train faster than they are are more likely to get injured or overtrain which causes them to have set backs. The too fast trainers will see initial gains faster than the people who train at their current level. But, by the end of a 16-18 week training cycle the people who trained at their current fitness level will actually have improved more because they were more likely to avoid injuries or overtraining.

2) What is your goal for the race?

This question helps dictate the type of training you would do during your plan. After learning of the estimate half-marathon finishing time from your 5K race, do you find that pace to be slower than you'd hoped? Or is your goal to finish the half-marathon and call yourself a finisher. Both are commendable goals, but need to be approached differently in your training plan.

3) How many weeks do you have before your next race?

Deciding this helps dictate how much improvement you can see and expect by the time race day comes. If it's longer than 18 weeks, say in your case if you wanted your first half marathon to be Disney 2017, then you can setup multiple training cycles between now and then to see more improvement.

4) What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This question also helps dictate the type of training you want to do during your plan. This question has more importance when someone is attempting their 2nd, 3rd, etc. at a certain distance. The question I always ask is what prevented you in your last race at the same distance from finishing faster? Were you breathing excessively hard and needed to slow down to catch your breath? Or were you so tired you couldn't move your legs anymore? Or some combination of both. The answers to these help dictate what area of running you could see the most improvement from in a single training cycle. If you are a first timer at a distance these types of questions can't be answered easily until you are in the middle of your training cycle because what it takes to run a 5K and what it takes to run a half-marathon is different.

5) Do you get injured often?

What can we do to prevent the injuries going forward and what caused those injuries? I can't give a lot of advice here because I'm not a doctor nor do I have personal experience here. Best bet is to trust the judgement and advice of others more qualified than us about these issues. Many, but not most injuries, can be traced back to question 1.

6) What days of the week do you want to train and how much time do you want to allot on each day?

Once we find out the answers to the other five questions, we start to form an idea of what we want to accomplish in the next training cycle (or in the next race). The question then becomes do my goals match the time I'm willing to put in and can I make my goals fit the rest of my life. As an example, I went through these questions with my mother and wife. My mother wants to get faster. She wants to run as much as possible and is willing to do 6 days a week. We set up a plan that takes her from where she is (2:24 half-marathon) to where she wants to be (2:05 half-marathon) in a 16 week schedule. She is focusing on speed work, intervals, and slowly building her race pace miles. My wife just wants to finish. She has completed two half-marathons (2:24 pre-baby and 2:45 post-baby). She doesn't care about time and doesn't want to get faster. She said she can't run Monday/Friday and never wants to run more than 1 hour on weekdays. We built her plan to run mostly miles at slower than half-marathon pace and occasionally at half-marathon pace. She is attempting to build endurance to make running at a 2:45 easier than it was last year.

I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions. As always, I appreciate feedback and always appreciate a different opinion than mine. For all of us to become better/lifelong runners, we have to be willing to listen and absorb the rationale of others. Everybody is an experiment of one, and what may work best for one person may not work at all for someone else. Best of Luck!

This is all sorts of awesome! Reading, I realize those are all the considerations I took when formulating my own marathon plan. I just didn't realize it at the time!

I think I might add that for folks new to distance running, it doesn't hurt to start with whatever beginner plan looks good on paper and see how it goes; you can always alter things as you get a feel for how well it's working, or not working, for you. I've been running for a couple decades, but nothing formal, no long distances, no racing until a few years ago. I'd never paid any attention to distance or pace. I had no idea what I was doing, so I started with a 5K plan from the Mayo clinic that looked easy enough to follow. I later learned about Galloway's training plans and tried his for my first half. It was okay, but not ideal for my needs - but I'm glad I tried it and got a feel for how a distance plan generally works. In the end, I've read a lot from a variety of coaches and training experts, I've talked a bunch with runners of all levels and abilities, and I listened to my own body to come up with a plan that's so far working well.

 

[opusone]

I would add that finding a watch that gives you lap pace is extremely beneficial. It will let you know what your current pace is for the current lap you are in. Thus, if you want to run a 10:00 min/mile and through 0.75 miles your watch tells you your lap pace is 9:45, you're going too fast. This is in counter to an "instantaneous pace" which is just what you've been running the last 5 seconds not what you've been running the last 0.75 miles. If your watch says you're running a 9:45 in instantaneous pace you are running too fast right this very second, but for the overall mile you could be going too fast, too slow, or the perfect pace. Instantaneous pace can fluctuate a lot from one 5 second segment to the next, whereas Lap pace is much more consistent. Mostly, all I focus on when running is my current lap pace. If my plan for the day is to run 5 miles at 10:00 min/mile, and my first mile is 9:45, I don't try to compensate with a 10:15 on the next one. The goal is a 10:00 min/mile for a reason and trying to run all of them there is the most important. Just chalk the 9:45 min/mile as a miss and move on. This is also why average lap pace isn't extremely helpful because after a 9:45 min/mile to get back to an average 10:00 min/mile you'd have to now sacrifice the second mile's workout (jumped to 10:15) to get back on average lap pace.

+1... completely agree!

The main data item I track while running is Lap Pace. I would highly recommend anyone getting a GPS running watch to ensure that it has this data item. I also set my watch to Auto Lap every one mile, such that every time I look down at my watch, I know what my current-mile average pace is so far.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I know its probably an overrated experience, but running in the snow sounds like an awesome idea. the closest thing I have come to actually getting snow is some sleet about two years ago. I ran in it and it was awesome. I hope it snows this year here in Baton Rouge!

As long as you are running on a snow covered FLAT surface, snow is cool. But it comes with the same injury risks as running on loose sand if the snow is more than 2 inches deep, and trail running in the snow is really treacherous. The snow covers too much - you have no idea what you are stepping on. That is why I do my winter runs along a wide shouldered road up here. The trails that I run on the rest of the year are just too dangerous for running (fine for walking).

 

[roxymama]

I think I will keep stalking this thread to read tips and ideas for training, as I have only ever done 5Ks and my biggest achievement last summer was actually running (or as my hubby says, "a fast trot") a 5K all the way through.

Waves! I reached that same goal this year...running a 5k all the way through. Took a couple tries to do the "all the way through" part. The people on this thread have never kicked me out for my distance and have actually helped me get new PR's through tips and cheering me on. I'm delving into the longer distances now (EEP) so I'm dissecting everything posted here. Be careful though...they'll talk you into running a bajillion races if you aren't careful

So, to entirely change the topic...
How are people doing on costumes?

I just finished a 2.5 hour sewing marathon making a lot of progress on what may be the skirt for my 5K costume. I have a little more work to do before I can test it out, and if the skirt works out okay, I'll be DisneyBounding Ariel's pink dress.
I also got the fabric for my 10K skirt (Dumbo - yellow and red) in today, and probably be starting work on that next week. My goal is to have the costumes done by the end of November so that I can take them for test runs in December (it takes me a while to get things done because I do all of my sewing by hand).

Ariel's pink dress is such a fun idea! I'm not anywhere close to being ready with my Epcot FutureWorld Minnie costume. I've got two parts of it purchased. But all the other "parts" are easy to obtain. I even know where I want to get them from...I'm just a coupon code and discount stalker so I'm waiting for Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Clearance sales etc.


For all the treadmill talk...I'm like a broken record with my treadmill concern but here it is. I run faster on the roads. Like significantly faster. I have a weird mental bock running up above 5mph for a sustained period of time on the treadmill...I force myself lately to go up to 5.5 or sometimes even 6 for like 5 minutes. It's something about being out of control if I go too fast. It's not physically hard as far as breathing goes...and my stomach is literally bumping up against the front bar because I want to literally run right through the front of it. But there's this feeling that if I am going "too fast" I will slip and fall right off of it. And it's disheartening to run for a half hour and look down and it's not even close to 3 miles yet. Am I crazy? Does anyone else feel this way? Should I just suck it up and set it at the higher speed? Or should I go ahead and just keep running at this pace but for a longer period of time? (FYI...throughout this year I have been training more on getting faster than running for longer distances just for reference and only until recently I've mostly been running outside. I'm just now switching to trying to get myself to the next distance goals but I can't reach those goals if its taking me FOREVER to run one mile on a treadmill - forever being relative to myself.)

 

[BuckeyeBama]

For all the treadmill talk...I'm like a broken record with my treadmill concern but here it is. I run faster on the roads. Like significantly faster. I have a weird mental bock running up above 5mph for a sustained period of time on the treadmill...I force myself lately to go up to 5.5 or sometimes even 6 for like 5 minutes. It's something about being out of control if I go too fast. It's not physically hard as far as breathing goes...and my stomach is literally bumping up against the front bar because I want to literally run right through the front of it. But there's this feeling that if I am going "too fast" I will slip and fall right off of it. And it's disheartening to run for a half hour and look down and it's not even close to 3 miles yet. Am I crazy? Does anyone else feel this way? Should I just suck it up and set it at the higher speed?

I hate running on dreadmills, but sometimes I have to. I got past my concerns about the physical aspects by doing speed intervals on the dreadmill. I would warm up and then go to a really fast pace for a minute or so, then ease back to my normal pace. Rinse, repeat. After a while I became really confident in my ability to run fast for longer periods of time on a dreadmill.

I have also broken more than a few dreadmills over the years at various hotels. When I do speed intervals, I max out the speed (generally 9 or 10 MPH, depending on the type) for .25-.5 mile intervals. I don't think that those devices ever see that kind of work. Add my weight (180 lbs) and the dreadmill takes a beating. The really good ones at fitness centers are fine, but be careful on the smaller ones.

 

[roxymama]

I hate running on dreadmills, but sometimes I have to. I got past my concerns about the physical aspects by doing speed intervals on the dreadmill. I would warm up and then go to a really fast pace for a minute or so, then ease back to my normal pace. Rinse, repeat. After a while I became really confident in my ability to run fast for longer periods of time on a dreadmill.

I have also broken more than a few dreadmills over the years at various hotels. When I do speed intervals, I max out the speed (generally 9 or 10 MPH, depending on the type) for .25-.5 mile intervals. I don't think that those devices ever see that kind of work. Add my weight (180 lbs) and the dreadmill takes a beating. The really good ones at fitness centers are fine, but be careful on the smaller ones.

I go to Planet Fitness so they are pretty gigantic machines that probably are up to it. I often see people doing like a few minutes at those very high speeds, but it seems like they do it before lifting to get their muscles warmed up or something? Doing the intervals may be the way to go for me...it's probably what I'm naturally doing outside since I like to fartlek around. But perhaps not quite as fast as the 9-10mph you speak of (I imagine that looks pretty intense.) I must confess that I fell once early on in my treadmill life when I dropped a water bottle (it missed the cup-holder by inches) and stepped on it. Was bruised up bad for weeks. I get twingey anytime I need to make an adjustment for fear I'll somehow make a mis-step. I'm a bar clinger when I go to drink or make a wardrobe adjustment now. I think maybe looking up at the gym tvs does not help...it's easy to start drifting. One day I'd love to have a treadmill inside my house where I can just watch my tv dead-on in front of me. But with my basement's dropped ceiling we cannot fit one unless we cut a skylight into our upstairs for our heads. And now I've babbled for far too long

 

[michigandergirl]

Thanks for all of the cold weather tips everyone, you guys rock! No hibernation for me this year, I've got a marathon to run! Last weekend I ran a half marathon and the temperature was around 38 degrees and I must have dressed appropriately because I was quite comfortable the whole time. So I'm feeling better about running in the cold temps, but a little worried about the snow - I loathe the treadmill. Let's hope El Nino will keep the snow away at least until I've run my last 20 miler.

 

[GreatLakes]

I dislike the TM and the only time I use one is if its hot outside and I have 8 or miles to get in. I enjoy my outdoor runs like I had yesterday evening. I started a few minutes before sunset and get to see all of the colors of the sky, the ducks and geese come to roost, and the peacefulness of being outdoors. The TM is loud, and watching TV/listening to music is one of the last things I want to do while running. I also feel very weird after finishing a run on a TM, similar to the feeling you have when you get off a boat after a full day of fishing. I deal with it on the occasion I get to salt water fish because redfish on the half shell is amazing! With the TM your pace is predetermined and only varies by your control, as in when I run outside I am forced to think about keeping a steady pace and get a very good idea of what it takes to maintain that pace.
I know its probably an overrated experience, but running in the snow sounds like an awesome idea. the closest thing I have come to actually getting snow is some sleet about two years ago. I ran in it and it was awesome. I hope it snows this year here in Baton Rouge!

I also hate the treadmill. If I am forced onto it because there are a string of rainy days or the wind chill is too low I'll suffer through a few miles but nothing over 4. I bought a track pass for a local college last year so I had that option instead of the treadmill and will do it again this year. I wanted to run on an actual 200-meter rubberized NCAA track. The 15 loops for a mile cement tracks in most gyms is no better than the treadmill IMO.

Snow running is really fun. It is very peaceful and quite beautiful running while the snow is falling. This is especially true around Christmas when you can check out all the lights as well. You just have to dress properly and if you heal strike or have a very long stride adjust. I run normally with a shorter stride and land with my fee under my center of gravity so I don't have to change much other then on turns. You learn to pivot instead of lean on your first run.

I did a 20 mile Disney training run once during a heavy snow. I had to move out of the way of the plows a few times but I don't know if I passed more then 10 cars that entire time I was out on the roads. I'll take that over the upper 80 degree long runs I was doing this year getting ready for my fall full.

 

[Ariel484]

For all the treadmill talk...I'm like a broken record with my treadmill concern but here it is. I run faster on the roads. Like significantly faster. I have a weird mental bock running up above 5mph for a sustained period of time on the treadmill...I force myself lately to go up to 5.5 or sometimes even 6 for like 5 minutes. It's something about being out of control if I go too fast. It's not physically hard as far as breathing goes...and my stomach is literally bumping up against the front bar because I want to literally run right through the front of it. But there's this feeling that if I am going "too fast" I will slip and fall right off of it. And it's disheartening to run for a half hour and look down and it's not even close to 3 miles yet. Am I crazy? Does anyone else feel this way? Should I just suck it up and set it at the higher speed? Or should I go ahead and just keep running at this pace but for a longer period of time? (FYI...throughout this year I have been training more on getting faster than running for longer distances just for reference and only until recently I've mostly been running outside. I'm just now switching to trying to get myself to the next distance goals but I can't reach those goals if its taking me FOREVER to run one mile on a treadmill - forever being relative to myself.)

I have the same mental block! Not with a specific speed, just "afraid" to go faster on the treadmill - so those runs are way slower than outside. It's weird!

Lately I've been trying to do treadmill runs as either tempo runs or speed intervals (probably still not as fast as I COULD go) - that's been working better for me than just going at the same, constant speed the entire time.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I did a 20 mile Disney training run once during a heavy snow. I had to move out of the way of the plows a few times but I don't know if I passed more then 10 cars that entire time I was out on the roads. I'll take that over the upper 80 degree long runs I was doing this year getting ready for my fall full.

I had a 24 miler is a snow storm 2 years ago while training for the 2014 Goofy. It was the week of Christmas and we had about 20 relatives staying with us in our house for the holidays at the time. They took turns driving by just to be sure that I was still alive.

They thought that I was nuts, but it was my last long run before my taper began and I was not going to have another chance to get it in other than Christmas morning - and that wouldn't have happened.

 

[SeattleSuz]

Man alive, good stuff again guys! I am going to work on trying to find a running buddy locally, who can help me with distance and endurance. My hubby has already gotten past his exercised-induced asthma issue, so he is no help! I ran a mile yesterday (my nice, slow trot) and was thinking, 'Dang, I need to step up my running cuz this seems so long. What is a Half going to feel like to me?!'
Honestly, my fitness level is not that of a runner, by any means at all. I lift weights (nearly to muscle failure by the end) twice a week and run/jog twice a week, but my endurance with running needs some help... I am hoping that committing to this half will help me with that.

 

[SeattleSuz]

Oh yeah, treadmill running is something I hate more than anything. For some reason, my heavy feet coming down on that treadmill just gets to be too annoying. Plus, at the gym, I get bored of looking at the same thing for more than about 15 minutes. I would much rather be outside, even in the rain, than stuck inside on a treadmill.

 

[PrincessV]

I DETEST my treadmill. Mine's almost 20 years old and is totally off on both speed and time: same effort level indoors as out but I'm significantly slower on my treadmill - pretty demoralizing. I finally Googled how to figure what your treadmill's actually doing and discovered it shorts me at least a tenth of a mile per mile. Makes it a little better, knowing that I'm actually at 3 when it reads 2.7, but still - not a fun experience on the old, rattly, loud machine. Better then being struck by lightning during our summer monsoons, though. I guess. I'm waiting for the thing to die, at which point I'll start using the fancy ones at our local rec center since that'll cost less than buying new. I've been waiting a long time...

 

[Z-Knight]

I have to counter all of the treadmill negativity - I like running on the treadmill. I'm able to do it in all weather, incline to make it harder and I can focus on breathing and form. I'm worried that it might be easier than outdoors, even at my 2% incline, but the benefits outweight the negative. I also like that I won't be run over by a car or worse, so that security factor makes me like it more.

 

[bcarey2k]

I have to counter all of the treadmill negativity - I like running on the treadmill. I'm able to do it in all weather, incline to make it harder and I can focus on breathing and form. I'm worried that it might be easier than outdoors, even at my 2% incline, but the benefits outweight the negative. I also like that I won't be run over by a car or worse, so that security factor makes me like it more.

I understand that! I got nipped by my first dog over the weekend. It was a small disposable pup, but loud and quite disruptive.

I took my boxer for a walk the next day and didn't see the little rat!

-Brian

 

[Barca33Runner]

I do a vast majority of my runs on the treadmill. I am still self conscious about running in public despite running for a few years and being able to carry a pretty decent pace. I run slightly quicker outdoors than on my treadmill, so I think it is a pretty decent training tool. I run with a 3% incline to make things more difficult. I am trying to run more outdoors because I know the unfamiliarity hinders me a bit in races; but I am doing this all for personal fitness so every day I convince myself to get moving, whether it is on a road or on a treadmill, it is a plus. I also feel less guilty about watching television if I am running on the treadmill at the same time.