The Running Thread--2024

[marty3d]

Race Report - Tobacco Road Half Marathon
As Marathon Weekend 2024 came to a close, I realized that the May, 2021 sub-4:00 marathon proof of time I'd been using had come to the end of its lifespan. The problem was, that was the last race I actually raced for time as I had focused on more completion-related goals for ultras and RunDisney challenges in the ensuing years. Adding to the challenge was that I had gotten complacent in my diet and had put on an extra 40-50 pounds. As a result, post-MW has been focused on both reestablishing my pace and dropping my weight back to an acceptable level.

The Tobacco Road Half Marathon was ideally timed for me to take a first shot at a new PoT. The course is also well-suited for a time trial, being the flattest and fastest course in my area (although not really flat). My marathon and half marathon PRs are both at this race. Also bolstering my attempt was the 31 pounds that I've been able to lose since Marathon Weekend. My only goal for the race was to reestablish a Corral B PoT with a sub-2:08 finish.

Weather was pretty good for the area this time of year, with temps ranging from 56-59 degrees (T+Ds 103-106). The race started with a combined half and marathon mass start of ~4,000 runners. The initial crowding kept me from getting up to speed and into a rhythm until ~1.5 miles had passed. We started on neighborhood roads with rolling hills and at mile 2.5 we turned onto the American Tobacco Trail's (ATT) crushed gravel trail. The ATT runs down an old rail line and, while not flat, it features long stretches of mild grade. Things opened up on the ATT, as the marathon course heads north and the half course heads south, and I was able to get into a good rhythm.

Cruising down the trail, I hit the halfway turnaround at 1:03:18 on my watch. Coming back, those gentle downhill grades didn't feel so gentle as my legs started to tire a bit. I felt like I was doing well with maintaining my pace despite a couple of minor mishaps where insufficient volunteers at a couple of aid stations led to problems with getting fluids and with runners having to slow almost to a stop as the volunteers had to "reload" on cups to hand out. Between the halfway split time and watching my quarter mile splits, I knew I was going to be close on my goal as I turned off the trail back into the neighborhood roads around mile 10.5.

I spent those last miles mentally focusing on maintaining my intensity and not letting my pace drop. In the end it paid off as I crossed the finish line at 2:06:35. I'm very happy with my effort and its results today. Having the PoT in hand will also take some pressure off of my other spring races and let me relax and enjoy them a bit more. All in all, a good day at the races capped off with a nice St Patrick's themed medal! Thanks for reading!

View attachment 842569

Congratulations on the POT!

 

[GollyGadget]

Race Report - Tobacco Road Half Marathon
As Marathon Weekend 2024 came to a close, I realized that the May, 2021 sub-4:00 marathon proof of time I'd been using had come to the end of its lifespan. The problem was, that was the last race I actually raced for time as I had focused on more completion-related goals for ultras and RunDisney challenges in the ensuing years. Adding to the challenge was that I had gotten complacent in my diet and had put on an extra 40-50 pounds. As a result, post-MW has been focused on both reestablishing my pace and dropping my weight back to an acceptable level.

The Tobacco Road Half Marathon was ideally timed for me to take a first shot at a new PoT. The course is also well-suited for a time trial, being the flattest and fastest course in my area (although not really flat). My marathon and half marathon PRs are both at this race. Also bolstering my attempt was the 31 pounds that I've been able to lose since Marathon Weekend. My only goal for the race was to reestablish a Corral B PoT with a sub-2:08 finish.

Weather was pretty good for the area this time of year, with temps ranging from 56-59 degrees (T+Ds 103-106). The race started with a combined half and marathon mass start of ~4,000 runners. The initial crowding kept me from getting up to speed and into a rhythm until ~1.5 miles had passed. We started on neighborhood roads with rolling hills and at mile 2.5 we turned onto the American Tobacco Trail's (ATT) crushed gravel trail. The ATT runs down an old rail line and, while not flat, it features long stretches of mild grade. Things opened up on the ATT, as the marathon course heads north and the half course heads south, and I was able to get into a good rhythm.

Cruising down the trail, I hit the halfway turnaround at 1:03:18 on my watch. Coming back, those gentle downhill grades didn't feel so gentle as my legs started to tire a bit. I felt like I was doing well with maintaining my pace despite a couple of minor mishaps where insufficient volunteers at a couple of aid stations led to problems with getting fluids and with runners having to slow almost to a stop as the volunteers had to "reload" on cups to hand out. Between the halfway split time and watching my quarter mile splits, I knew I was going to be close on my goal as I turned off the trail back into the neighborhood roads around mile 10.5.

I spent those last miles mentally focusing on maintaining my intensity and not letting my pace drop. In the end it paid off as I crossed the finish line at 2:06:35. I'm very happy with my effort and its results today. Having the PoT in hand will also take some pressure off of my other spring races and let me relax and enjoy them a bit more. All in all, a good day at the races capped off with a nice St Patrick's themed medal! Thanks for reading!

View attachment 842569

Congrats!

 

[FFigawi]

@camaker congrats on the new POT. Nice to be set for the next few years.

 

[flav]

Congratulations @camaker for the new POT and thank you for the SAFD in too of it

 

[accm]

Congrats @camaker on the POT!

 

[accm]

Im going to whine for a second. I just found out I’m going on an industrial project, which means I’ll need to wear 8” steel toe boots with metatarsal protection. I’ve already had to deal with issues caused by my 6” regular steel toe boots, I’m not looking forward to what new issues these new boots will bring. And since this is construction, and I live in the middle of nowhere, I doubt I’ll have many options to choose from.

 

[flav]

Im going to whine for a second. I just found out I’m going on an industrial project, which means I’ll need to wear 8” steel toe boots with metatarsal protection. I’ve already had to deal with issues caused by my 6” regular steel toe boots, I’m not looking forward to what new issues these new boots will bring. And since this is construction, and I live in the middle of nowhere, I doubt I’ll have many options to choose from.

I got new 8“ steal toe boots recently. My previous pair was breaking my feet. I bought the Timberland Pro and my first outing with them went well. If you wear orthotics in some of your shoes, that is definitely a place to put them. Also, the same place that sells the boots does sell extra insoles with more cushions or more support. Good luck!

 

[accm]

I got new 8“ steal toe boots recently. My previous pair was breaking my feet. I bought the Timberland Pro and my first outing with them went well. If you wear orthotics in some of your shoes, that is definitely a place to put them. Also, the same place that sells the boots does sell extra insoles with more cushions or more support. Good luck!

I’ll see if those are available here! And I’ll definitely be putting in orthotics, as that has definitely helped with the different issues I've had

 

[GreatLakes]

Im going to whine for a second. I just found out I’m going on an industrial project, which means I’ll need to wear 8” steel toe boots with metatarsal protection. I’ve already had to deal with issues caused by my 6” regular steel toe boots, I’m not looking forward to what new issues these new boots will bring. And since this is construction, and I live in the middle of nowhere, I doubt I’ll have many options to choose from.

There are companies that have pretty lenient return policies on shoes if you want to order them to try. Zappos is one I've used but I don't know about work boots.

 

[jmasgat]

Lil Nas X shows up and runs NYC Half in Coach high tops. My feet ache thinking about it (and now, off to run). Gift article--free to read.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/...e_code=1.d00.NjcV.B4A1630RZY87&smid=url-share

 

[GollyGadget]

Lil Nas X shows up and runs NYC Half in Coach high tops. My feet ache thinking about it (and now, off to run). Gift article--free to read.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/...e_code=1.d00.NjcV.B4A1630RZY87&smid=url-share

I saw some video clips and it's entirely possible they cut out the excruciating bits, but he didn't look tired or in pain! To be young and dumb again....

 

[The Expert]

Lil Nas X shows up and runs NYC Half in Coach high tops. My feet ache thinking about it (and now, off to run). Gift article--free to read.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/...e_code=1.d00.NjcV.B4A1630RZY87&smid=url-share

I love that he did this. But definitely avoid the comments on social media trashing his entirely respectable 2:32 time.

 

[Naomeri]

I saw some video clips and it's entirely possible they cut out the excruciating bits, but he didn't look tired or in pain! To be young and dumb again....

Some people just have magic feet—think of the ridiculous shoes you see some people touring the parks in with no problem

 

[SheHulk]

Some people just have magic feet—think of the ridiculous shoes you see some people touring the parks in with no problem

I have passed someone running a marathon in flip flops. Like, the $5 type of flip flops with the plastic upper that goes between the big & second toes. No idea whether he finished or how he felt when he was done.

 

[GollyGadget]

I have passed someone running a marathon in flip flops. Like, the $5 type of flip flops with the plastic upper that goes between the big & second toes. No idea whether he finished or how he felt when he was done.

I can't even walk to the beach in those

Some people just have magic feet—think of the ridiculous shoes you see some people touring the parks in with no problem

Although if I got to pick a super power, magic feet would not be it.

 

[Zutroy]

Lil Nas X shows up and runs NYC Half in Coach high tops. My feet ache thinking about it (and now, off to run). Gift article--free to read.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/...e_code=1.d00.NjcV.B4A1630RZY87&smid=url-share

The Tarahumara tribe in Mexico wear Huarache sandals and will run 100+ miles at a time. The forces a human body generates during running can’t really be mitigated by a running shoe, and that’s why proper form is so important to transfer the forces into the leg muscles. The super shoes are nice, but I think a lot of it is hype and marketing.

 

[Marebear_runs]

Brief LA Marathon Recap

@NYC_MW has a much better recap of the LA marathon in her training journal, but all I can manage to say is that I finished. I ran Chicago in October at 3:59 and have been training diligently for the past 5 months and was hoping to see some improvement. I was on track for most of the race to finish just under 4, which would have still been an improvement because it’s a more difficult course, but things fell apart at the end. There’s a mentally challenging out-and-back starting at around mile 18 that passes the finish line with lots of little inclines. I test ran that section and knew what was coming and managed to hold it together on pace until mile 21. When I rounded another corner with yet another hill and no shade, I gave up and phoned it in for the last 5 miles. I ended up at 4:04 which I was disappointed in. If I believe the GAP data on Strava, that tells me that my 3:59 Chicago and 4:04 LA are actually roughly equivalent, so I’m trying to accept it. But…overall LA is slightly easier than SF, which I ran two years ago in 4:01. So either I’ve lost fitness in the past two years or Sunday was just not my day.

The positives: I think I finally figured out the fueling aspect. My mental collapse at mile 21 was from sun and sore legs, not a nutrition failure. Going forward I think I need to incorporate weight training to try to stave off the muscle fatigue. Looking back, I was actually running less when training for SF (5 days a week instead of 6). So I need to decide if having two rest days may actually be more beneficial to me.

More importantly, wow, LA really comes out for its marathoners! I was amazed at the crowd support through a lot of the course, especially the last 8 miles. I don’t think I could have powered through without it. At points near the end, it was like running through a tunnel of cheering fans. Sometimes too narrow a tunnel, but at least I appreciated the excitement and enthusiasm!

Now to somehow recover enough to hit Big Sur in 6 weeks

 

[flav]

I have passed someone running a marathon in flip flops. Like, the $5 type of flip flops with the plastic upper that goes between the big & second toes. No idea whether he finished or how he felt when he was done.

When hiking in Peru, us, in high tech boots and with poles in hands would be passed by carriers running up with a propane tank barely attached on their head/back and with sandals made from old tires in their feet. That was a good humility lesson and thought me to run my race, hike my hike, etc.

 

[Zutroy]

When hiking in Peru, us, in high tech boots and with poles in hands would be passed by carriers running up with a propane tank barely attached on their head/back and with sandals made from old tires in their feet. That was a good humility lesson and thought me to run my race, hike my hike, etc.

Hmm, so what I’m gathering from your experience is that the one thing keeping me from improving is that I’m not carrying a propane tank during the marathon. Duly noted.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

I have passed someone running a marathon in flip flops. Like, the $5 type of flip flops with the plastic upper that goes between the big & second toes. No idea whether he finished or how he felt when he was done.

I saw someone do that on the Mid-Mountain Marathon back in ‘19. Really surprised I didn’t see blood anywhere as it’s quite jagged in places. One was broken and left behind on the trail about two miles from the finish. Crazy stuff