RWR: runners without runDisney (plans)

[Ariel484]

Have you done any RnR races before? I think I'd like to try the Cleveland d RnR (cause its close) and maybe Vegas (love night races). I am wondering what you think of the logistics, re: water stops, entertainment, and fellow runners. Is it more laid back like Disney or more intense like Boston?

I did RNR Cleveland last year and am signed up for this year's race. I'd say it's more like Disney - lots of bands and DJs on the course, good water stops and volunteers. I liked it! They just need to add more corrals. Last year was the inaugural race and the corrals were crowded, so hopefully they'll fix this.

Fair warning - on the Cleveland course there is an awful, awful hill at mile 10.

 

[kim3339]

Second that RnR is more laid back. Not as many costumes, but great fun atmosphere. I've done San Diego, Providence and San Jose. SD is my fav and they changed the course again last year and for the 1/2, there's a nice big downhill b/w 10-12. Providence was good. SJ, there's a lot of crowd support b/c a lot is residential, but the expo is tiny tiny and I work and drive along most of the course everyday so it's a little boring for me. But the course is great, all flat w/ a couple of underpasses that aren't bad, great for PRing. I'd love to do Vegas to; maybe next year.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Had a very rough day at the gym today. I am finding that I lack serious motivation. I have a 5K in a week and a half and I feel like I'm going through the motions.
How do I stay motivated?
I have a race in March, a potential race in April, and a race in May. I want to do it, but I don't want to do it. KWIM??

 

[kim3339]

Had a very rough day at the gym today. I am finding that I lack serious motivation. I have a 5K in a week and a half and I feel like I'm going through the motions.
How do I stay motivated?
I have a race in March, a potential race in April, and a race in May. I want to do it, but I don't want to do it. KWIM??

I do. After my race in Nov, I enjoyed not waking up early tour too much and had a hard time getting back into it. If you listen to music, I'd look for some new music, that works a lot for me. If you run outside, maybe try new routes or mix it up w/ running drills mid-run, that works for me too. If you're inside you can try speed work to mix up the monotony. It's a little sadistic, but I love fartleks, you can do time if you're on the tm or blocks or light posts if you're outside. Another tm speed workout that I've fallen in love w/ (it might be considered a fartlek)is a warm-up and then minute fast and 30 sec recovery, then cool down. You can do as many or as little as you like and play w/ the speed.

 

[buckeyecinderella]

No rDisney races planned. I was kind of thinking about the fall races but they sold out so quickly. Maybe Dopey or GSC but nothing definite.

Seriously lacking running or fitness motivation since marathon. I have put on a few pounds since marathon weekend. It's not been a good winter! I get 2 -3 easy runs in per week and that is about all. Though I have noticed faster times. And I did get some skiing in which has been a refreshing change.

On the other hand I think I needed a bit of a break. I am catching up on some other things in life that I had put off during training. As soon as I register for that next race my motivation will improve.

My 2 cents for marathon training for those training for first marathon with no particular goal but to finish healthy within the allotted time? Don't feel that you need high weekly miles. Pick a beginner plan like Galloway or marathoning for mortals- Bingham I think. Definitely add strength training a couple times per week. That can help to prevent injuries. Run 3-4 days per week. I think my highest mileage week was about 30 running though with walking maybe that number jumps to 40 or so. I only went to 20 miles for longest run. Ultimately you will need to find a plan that is right for your goals , which might be a higher mileage plan.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Had a very rough day at the gym today. I am finding that I lack serious motivation. I have a 5K in a week and a half and I feel like I'm going through the motions.
How do I stay motivated?
I have a race in March, a potential race in April, and a race in May. I want to do it, but I don't want to do it. KWIM??

Get something new that will make you want to get out the door and use it. Pretty much anything will work for me - new running shoes, new running clothes, new running music, new garmin. Something like this gets me kick-started, then I have no problems keeping it going.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Thanks for the ideas! I think right now I am ready to be outside again. I think part of my issue was being out in the FL sunshine and warmth but then having to come back to the frozen tundra. I am so done with winter.
I'm also mad because since returning from FL, I can't find my running gloves. I can not, for the life of me, remember if I had them in FL because I didn't use them but I might have had them at the airport.
My other issue is that the race I'm running next week is the one I came in dead last the previous year. I wanted to improve my time but I'm running with a friend who is a new runner so I want to run with her, but she's a little slower than me. So I know the cops will be chasing us again. LOL

 

[DVCFan1994]

What a great idea! I may or may not do Princess/GSC next year, and other than that I don't have any rD upcoming races. I've been doing some base building and getting ready for triathlon season. I've been running regularly with a HR monitor and my zone 2 runs have been steadily improving - actually, that's not exactly true, it wasn't gradual but I had a step up in performance at a point when I really felt like I just didn't have any run mojo at all. But in any case, my zone 2 (conversational) pace is 30-45 seconds faster than it ever was in the past, though I haven't really had a chance to see if it translates over to race efforts yet. I've got a half marathon relay (I'm running 10k) and a sprint triathlon coming up in April. Oh, and a 5k and metric century ride in the same day. It's a good thing I took March off to prepare!

Do you have a good place to start in terms of learning more about training using heart rate zones? I have a low resting heart rate, high 50s. But, I tend to have a high heart rate with exercise. Such that I don't feel like I'm working that hard, but my heart rate is 170-180 on a tough hill. 182 should be my max using my age. I was injured for PHM and had to go slow. But, I still felt great at the finish, toured the parks all day, enjoyed the evening, and toured again no issues the next day. When I got home and uploaded my Garmin info I saw my heart rate stayed in the 160s for highs, and I averaged 157, which is a low average for me.

I think keeping my heart rate in check really did wonders. I can't set pace alarms in my Garmin, but I can do heart rates. I'd like to learn more about heart rate training and determining proper zones, but I am not sure where to start for a reliable source. Any input?

 

[paxsarah]

Do you have a good place to start in terms of learning more about training using heart rate zones? I have a low resting heart rate, high 50s. But, I tend to have a high heart rate with exercise. Such that I don't feel like I'm working that hard, but my heart rate is 170-180 on a tough hill. 182 should be my max using my age. I was injured for PHM and had to go slow. But, I still felt great at the finish, toured the parks all day, enjoyed the evening, and toured again no issues the next day. When I got home and uploaded my Garmin info I saw my heart rate stayed in the 160s for highs, and I averaged 157, which is a low average for me.

I think keeping my heart rate in check really did wonders. I can't set pace alarms in my Garmin, but I can do heart rates. I'd like to learn more about heart rate training and determining proper zones, but I am not sure where to start for a reliable source. Any input?

I have a coach, which helps a lot. She had me do a lactic threshold field test, and then actually had me do a max heart rate test later because I think my HR was higher than she expected it to be. I also have a high heart rate during exercise, and my actual max HR is almost 20 beats higher than what the 220-age formula would give.

Basically, the field test is run easy for 15-20 minutes until you're fully warmed up. Then you hit Lap on your watch and run 30 minutes at the hardest effort you can hold for the full 30 minutes. After the first 10 minutes, hit Lap again. The average HR for the last 20 minutes is your lactic threshold. Then, there are a lot of HR zone calculators online that once you know your LT heart rate, you can plug it in and get your zones. It is a really hard test! For me, it's like running between 5K and 10K PR effort.

Unfortunately, I don't really have a handy source for heart rate training info. I googled to see if there was something succinct and informative, and everything I found was either way too detailed and technical or way too general. This article from beginnertriathlete.com (http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=633) is pretty good, though to use their calculators, I think you need to have an account. But there are a lot of other calculators that you can google.

Anyway, the short of it is that the 220-age is an average, and doesn't actually give accurate max HR for everyone. You can also do it by perceived exertion, and I can certainly sense a change in my breathing when I go up from zone 2 into 3 and again from zone 3 up into 4. But the nice thing about the HR monitor is it's kept me honest, especially going up hills where otherwise I would just let myself increase effort instead of pulling back on the pace (and even walking if needed).

I don't know if any of that helped!

 

[DVCFan1994]

I have a coach, which helps a lot. She had me do a lactic threshold field test, and then actually had me do a max heart rate test later because I think my HR was higher than she expected it to be. I also have a high heart rate during exercise, and my actual max HR is almost 20 beats higher than what the 220-age formula would give. Basically, the field test is run easy for 15-20 minutes until you're fully warmed up. Then you hit Lap on your watch and run 30 minutes at the hardest effort you can hold for the full 30 minutes. After the first 10 minutes, hit Lap again. The average HR for the last 20 minutes is your lactic threshold. Then, there are a lot of HR zone calculators online that once you know your LT heart rate, you can plug it in and get your zones. It is a really hard test! For me, it's like running between 5K and 10K PR effort. Unfortunately, I don't really have a handy source for heart rate training info. I googled to see if there was something succinct and informative, and everything I found was either way too detailed and technical or way too general. This article from beginnertriathlete.com (http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=633) is pretty good, though to use their calculators, I think you need to have an account. But there are a lot of other calculators that you can google. Anyway, the short of it is that the 220-age is an average, and doesn't actually give accurate max HR for everyone. You can also do it by perceived exertion, and I can certainly sense a change in my breathing when I go up from zone 2 into 3 and again from zone 3 up into 4. But the nice thing about the HR monitor is it's kept me honest, especially going up hills where otherwise I would just let myself increase effort instead of pulling back on the pace (and even walking if needed). I don't know if any of that helped!

That explanation does help a lot. My google search mostly left me confused. I think your input reinforced what I was thinking. I need to get some professional analysis. My PT place specializes in athletes, and there are therapists who are also trainers and do tri and run coaching and testing. I think I need to save up and bare minimum get a threshold test, and some coaching re heart rate. The difference in how I felt post GSC compared to how I felt after most long runs was amazing. It would seem just slowing down would help, but I do want to get faster, and I train mostly on hills (by necessity not choice) so I need help figuring how to manage my HR. Thanks for the input! Really appreciate it

 

[kim3339]

Not running related, but was able to do one legged squats on the bosu ball w/ the ball part on the ground today! They were short sets and not as low as regular squats but still stoked. Now if only I could figure out how to do one legged calf raises on the same side I'd be good to go.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Ugh, had my weigh in today. Up 5 pounds since the PHM, I guess it's not terrible considering I've been lazy but the new jeans are getting a little tight. So back on the diet I go. I also hope that will help me with my speed a bit. Now that it's starting to look more promising weather wise (Go away snow forecast for tomorrow), I am really looking forward to getting back outside.

I do need to talk to the trainers at Planet Fitness to get a cross training routine started. I find that I am lacking upper body strength and I'm having an issue with the muscle on the back of my shoulder/neck area. I thought it was from carrying a sling bag around at WDW but I didn't carry a bag during our trip fro PHM and it still really bothered me.

Question: How do you guys feel about running clubs?
We have one here but they are all experienced runners and are much faster than I am. They don't really seem to have any kind of pace groups or groups for beginners. It's more like they were all HS and college runners, turned coaches, turned retirees who still run.
Should I dig deeper to find a group? We live in the sticks so driving into Hartford would not be great, especially if it's a week night and there are no Galloway groups in CT at all.

 

[paxsarah]

I have always shied away from running clubs for the same reason. There is a fairly new running club in my town that seems to be broader-based and more welcoming and accommodating of a wide range of pace and abilities, but I still haven't taken it upon myself to check it out. However, I have gotten involved in my local chapter of Moms Run This Town, which is a free running club for moms. There's a centralized national website, and chapters wherever there's a critical mass of people who are interested. I've found MRTT to be truly welcoming of all levels, beginner to advanced - it's really almost more of a networking opportunity for moms to find running buddies and hang with other similar-minded women.

In other news, I signed up for my next marathon today. Georgia Marathon 2015, here I come!

 

[Figment1990]

I have always shied away from running clubs for the same reason. There is a fairly new running club in my town that seems to be broader-based and more welcoming and accommodating of a wide range of pace and abilities, but I still haven't taken it upon myself to check it out. However, I have gotten involved in my local chapter of Moms Run This Town, which is a free running club for moms. There's a centralized national website, and chapters wherever there's a critical mass of people who are interested. I've found MRTT to be truly welcoming of all levels, beginner to advanced - it's really almost more of a networking opportunity for moms to find running buddies and hang with other similar-minded women.

In other news, I signed up for my next marathon today. Georgia Marathon 2015, here I come!

That sounds really cool. I'm always nervous to run with other people and so far have only run with DH. I'm gonna look into this more. I have a bunch of friends who run but our schedules and abilities and locations vary so much that we don't run together. But we love chatting about it!

I can't believe avengers sold out so fast (I mean I can but can't you know?). It's so hard to plan that far in advance when our school doesn't release a school schedule a year in advance. At least with tink last year I knew it was MLK weekend. I wasn't planning to do avengers this year but was considering it for next year. DS would be so mad at me though if I went to DL without him! WDW he can handle but not Carsland! Kinda wish they would flip w&d and avengers next year to give avengers the Veterans Day holiday. Then id be 100% in and probably do something crazy like go for coast to coast w w&d.

In other notes, i have been doing a new workout called beautiful ballet and realy enjoying it. I am still running a bit, but taking a break because I'm so sick of the treadmill and it SNOWED again overnight. The reason I started running in the first place was to build up my leg muscles again so I could go back to dancing. So this was a nice find. It's really toning my whole body which I did need a lot. I've been working out more often than I did when I was just running for distance, so I think this spring training approach is going to help me build some good habits in my "off season." But I have also learned that if I want to keep my mileage up, I clearly need a goal race of 10k or more to keep me motivated. So I'm signing up for our local 10 miler when that opens.

I can't wait to go for that first true spring run!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

We lived on Long Island for a while (way back when), and I was then a member of the NYRR Club. It was huge, so there was always someone to run with in your ability range, from walker to world class runner. It was pretty cool for a while, but I dropped out before we left Long Island because I discovered that I enjoyed my runs more when they were solo.

My wife has since started running, and running with her is an absolute pleasure. I never imagined that running could be better until I started running with her.