The Running Thread - 2016

[Keels]

ATTQOTD: Funkytown to Orlando - 1,157 miles, roughly 17 hours driving, 2:25 flying; Funkytown to Anaheim - 1,401 miles, 3:15 flying. Never driven that one because I'm not a masochist.

 

[Miranda]

We drove from NH to Anaheim once, although not for a race. It was part of a cross country road trip, so we drove up the PCH almost to Oregon and then drove back to NH... but a stop at Disneyland was very important to me.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

Looking for some advice. I have recently started a gym routine. I am going 3 days a week and running 5 days a week. I realize I am sore now because its a new thing, but wanted to ask do you change things up any the week or days leading up to a race? Skip leg day, proceed as normal? my next race is June 5th and I think I will be in a constant state or soreness each week leading up to that...

This is just me(no technical reasoning here) but I would drop your strength routine, particularly legs the week before a race. Don't think you want that extra work out on them.

Agreed. Part of your taper would be to pull back on the resistance training as well to let things heal up.

 

[roxymama]

I am a Tues/Thur/Sun runner. There have been times leading up to a race on a Sat where I would run M/W/rest until race. And if it's a Sunday run I'd usually stay with Tue/Thur/Race. I've also run Tues/rest until race on occasion when life got in my way. I'd also never do a tempo or speed workout the week of the race, all easy runs. But that's just what I've always done, so I don't know the pros or cons of it. I'm pretty sure the one time I was trying for a really fast 5k I did do a mile the Friday before to psyche myself up and I did get a fast time for me. But I haven't outwardly tried to be really fast since last fall.

 

[ZellyB]

ATTQOTD: Missouri to Orlando - so according to mapquest that's 1116 miles. Fly every time though and never drive.

My very first outing on my tri bike was at a tri training camp for novices. I managed to clip one foot in, with some difficulty, and promptly fell over. The third time I was out on the road, I stopped at an intersection and promptly fell over. It's not just you.

Yep, fell off my bike while coming to a stop the first time I clipped in. Managed to slice the back of my heel open - 6 days before I ran my first half-marathon. Not the smartest thing I've ever done.

 

[Miranda]

I'm almost the same... a Tues/Thur/Sat runner. I still cross train (Les Mills RPM on Mon/Wed) the week before the race, and I run maybe on Tuesday, but I take Thursday off if it's a longer race. If I still did Body Pump (what I used to do for strength training), I would skip it entirely the week of the race.

 

[PrincessV]

I would add the Adidas Ultra Boost ST to your list to try.

Thanks! You're right, I haven't considered them at all because I know nothing about the brand, but that's a pretty great endorsement!

If the Brooks Launch 3 fit anything like the Brooks Launch 2, they are an amazing neutral, comfortable training shoe. .

I have the Launch 2 and had to stop running in it: not enough forefoot cushion. But I'm reading that the 3 has a bit more up front, so maybe? The 2s fit like a dream, so I'd love for them to work!

What are your symptoms? I think I've got that problem right now. It's not fun. It will be even less fun if I have to give up my Nike frees. But I put on a more built up pair of Nikes I have (all my other brands of "big" shoes are stored during our house move) and they felt like prisons. And they hurt right over the outside edge of my foot right where the tendon goes. Sigh.

Well, mine is a tear from 30+ years ago, so may be very different. I didn't do what was necessary for it to heal well then, so I have a a lot of scar tissue on the peroneous longus and scar tissue does't stretch very well. So put me in shoes with too much medial support and/or not enough ankle stability on top of our steeply cambered roads, and the tension on the peroneous longus created too much pull all up and down that chain. The symptoms when it was bad were pain all along the outside edge of my foot, up the side of my ankle, and behind the ankle bone. Per sports med doc, it'll ALWAYS be an issue for me, so I have to tape it for all long runs and make sure I have shoes that don't aggravate it.

ETA: So I decided to do a little more research on the main differences between the 31 and 32 - it is the stiffness of the shoe. The 31 is very stiff (rated an 8 out of 10), and the 32 is very flexible (rated a 2 out of 10). Given my recent broken foot I guess that the flexibility is probably my problem on long runs. But if you like more flexibility in a shoe, it might be better for you. BTW - stiffness/flexibility in a shoe is measured by how much you can twist it when holding the toe and heel. More flexibility means greater chance of turned ankles and more stress on the feet if you run on uneven surfaces. Since you run mostly on the streets of FL, this might not be a problem for you at all. I run trails almost exclusively.

Oh good stuff here - thank you! Yep, I need some flexibility, so it may just work for me. In shoes that are too stiff, I can feel the shoe actively working against my mechanics - and it hurts!

Looking for some advice. I have recently started a gym routine. I am going 3 days a week and running 5 days a week. I realize I am sore now because its a new thing, but wanted to ask do you change things up any the week or days leading up to a race? Skip leg day, proceed as normal? my next race is June 5th and I think I will be in a constant state or soreness each week leading up to that...

I skip traditional strength training the week before a race. I do hour-long power yoga as part of my normal ST routine, but downgrade it for race week to one or two 20 min practices and keep the effort low with an emphasis on gentle stretching and mental relaxation instead of taxing muscles.

 

[roxymama]

Once again stating I am not a triathlete...I only second-hand know anything. So please defer to wiser people on here. But they make baskets thingies (not sure the right terminology) for the pedals that you can put your foot into wearing your running shoes. And it gives the benefit of the clip in without the same learning curve or cost of the special shoes for the newbie. My husband is doing a short sprint (1/4mi swim, 12 mi bike, 3.1 run) in August and is thinking about just wearing his running shoes and using the baskets for this one so he doesn't have to change shoes. I don't know how popular of a choice that is. He's not racing to win.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Once again stating I am not a triathlete...I only second-hand know anything. So please defer to wiser people on here. But they make baskets thingies (not sure the right terminology) for the pedals that you can put your foot into wearing your running shoes. And it gives the benefit of the clip in without the same learning curve or cost of the special shoes for the newbie. My husband is doing a short sprint (1/4mi swim, 12 mi bike, 3.1 run) in August and is thinking about just wearing his running shoes and using the baskets for this one so he doesn't have to change shoes. I don't know how popular of a choice that is. He's not racing to win.

Cages...but I kinda like "basket thingies"

 

[DIS-OH]

ATTQOTD:

2271 miles...Central Ohio to Disneyland for the DL Half.

 

[croach]

ATTQOTD: Funkytown to Orlando - 1,157 miles, roughly 17 hours driving, 2:25 flying; Funkytown to Anaheim - 1,401 miles, 3:15 flying. Never driven that one because I'm not a masochist.

You're doing Dopey so you're kind of a masochist.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well, mine is a tear from 30+ years ago, so may be very different. I didn't do what was necessary for it to heal well then, so I have a a lot of scar tissue on the peroneous longus and scar tissue does't stretch very well. So put me in shoes with too much medial support and/or not enough ankle stability on top of our steeply cambered roads, and the tension on the peroneous longus created too much pull all up and down that chain. The symptoms when it was bad were pain all along the outside edge of my foot, up the side of my ankle, and behind the ankle bone. Per sports med doc, it'll ALWAYS be an issue for me, so I have to tape it for all long runs and make sure I have shoes that don't aggravate it.

Crud.

I pulled (badly) both of mine during separate runs in around '89. I was in Nike cross trainers that "ran wide". Ha. They didn't. Got blisters on the medial underside of a foot, started running on the outer edge of my foot, by the end of the run one foot was toast. Went through PT etc (I was on a varsity sport and we had a pre-PT and athletic training program so I got it for free), healed up, went out in the same stupid shoes, got the other side. Sigh.

And now I've been taking ballet. Which involves pointing my toes and going up on the balls of my feet.

And the inside track at the Y is cambered. They do have you switch directions depending on if it's an odd or even day, but I tend to run on it every other day. UGH.

It's just recently flared with pain in the area, and I don't know why. Very stressful. Especially since I have a Very Very stupid day coming up in a month, when I have the RnR Half in the morning, and a dance recital in the late afternoon. Go ahead and laugh at me now for thinking that was a brilliant idea. Honestly I registered for RnR without knowing the dates of the recital.

Dagnabit.

(and there's gotta be a more grownup term than "recital" LOL...but I am one of the oldest students in the class so it works for most of the students!)

 

[Waiting2goback]

1. Me too! If we ever meet in person, we'll have to get hat hug! Virtual ones will have to do for now.

2. I'm glad the news was not too bad. Sounds like you can be cautiously optimistic for now. Just take it easy. Don't go out too hard or you can end up doing more damage. You probably already know that, but I know I can use someone telling me that at times.

3. I wear Superfeet. I don't notice that they are there at all. They are just like the insole that comes in your shoe, only better.

4. Ooh...what book did you get? I started to order one the other day, but decided I should probably read the ones that are piling up on my Kindle first.

Deal!

I will run tonight but I will take it slow. I figure a slow and easy run is better than another day on the couch. But I have noticed that it is feeling better with the consistent icing. If I am going to be on the computer for 30 minutes getting caught up and responding to posts I might as well sit here with ice on my ankle. Maybe if I had been doing it this whole time it would be fixed already.

Good to know. Hopefully it is something as easy as implants. I'll know by this time next week hopefully.

I got Racing Weight, by Matt Fitzgerald. I liked his 80/20 Running book so I thought I'd give it a shot. I lost 30 lbs when I initially began running but I have been the same for the last 18 months and it's not like I don't have more to lose.

I also think another thing I figured out will help. I have been so exhausted lately. Well, I have sleep apnea and I stopped sleeping with my machine I am supposed to sleep with when I lost all the weight and all was good for a while. But the last few months I am up several times a night. I finally put the pieces together and ordered all new parts for my machine and started using it again. Just a few days with my machine and I am feeling less tired. I am hoping this helps restart the weight loss as well.

Completely fair observation! While those things are all true, I never pay full price for anything and seek out the best value I can possibly get with anything because I don't enjoy parting with my money (Scottish roots). We are DVC members, obviously not "cheap" but a great way to get the most out of Disney vacations, and we fly Spirit to Orlando (can't get any cheaper than that). We drove to Boston (9 hours) and stayed right downtown using Best Western points. Every one of those bikes was purchased as previous year's clearouts and the two road bikes I had coupons for an additional 25% off, so all of them were less than half the sticker price. Mostly though, I have a blog called 3 Cheap Runners that I (used to) write...I say "used to" because all I ever post there these days are race recaps every few months. Maybe I should change my name to "Deal-Hunter"RunnerMike


Me too...first time out on my fancy carbon tri bike, standing still fall over at the traffic lights a half mile from my house #smooth


Nile crocodiles, amazing...I wonder if they broke out of Kilimanjaro Safaris? You also need to be aware of the murky water if you ever do the Loch Ness Triathlon.
Great advice on bike fit too, worth every penny. The best bike you can buy is one that you will actually ride...a poorly fit bike will be uncomfortable and likely sit collecting dust.

Now that makes sense. Nothing wrong with finding the best deal. I am 25% Scottish as well so I have a bit of that in me too. I have a Jet Blue card and I put everything on that and just pay it off every month so I can earn points and get my flights free. I win contests at work that pay out in gift cards, so I pick Disney gift cards. I stayed at the Contemporary this past marathon weekend because of those gift cards. All I paid for on the whole trip was my food and the race entry fee. I have already gotten enough for 2017 if I stay at a value resort, which I will probably do and then anything extra I win this year will go toward 2018 Dopey weekend. I buy all my running stuff on sale as well. So, I completely understand now. You aren't cheap, just wise.

I totally agree. I spent a weekend on one rental bike and knew I wanted my own, then spent about 3 hours trying various options to purchase riding them around the store where I bought mine. In the end it was the difference of a cm on the Specialized I went with vs. the Trek I had been planning on because it was $100 cheaper. Then I spent another hour+ with them tweaking the fit, changing the stem etc. My husband has had several of those motion capture camera fittings, but I just don't ride mine enough to warrant the cost. His short ride of 40 miles is longer than my longest. I wish I liked it more, but I got out of the habit two years ago when I had was put in a walking boot over the summer. Then last summer my biking partner moved and I get bored out there riding alone. I promised my husband I'd give it another go and not let the bike collect dust for another summer. Otherwise he's going to sell it and use the money for his zillionith set of wheels or some other accessory. Already has the power meter, not sure what else is left. I wish we could ride together, but we have kids requiring babysitters. Darn kids!




Alligators are scary enough, forget Nile Crocodiles. I get freaked out by the silliest things. Sunfish for instance. Doesn't this guy look terrifying?
View attachment 170269

And there are a lot of ocean tris here in New England. You've seen Jaws right? I'm with Brody. I know, I need to put on my big girl pants. I am working on it. I did love the first and only sprint tri I did, and it has a half ironman (Ironman Timberman) the following day. I always thought I'd do it eventually, but its going to take more time to train for than I can commit to right now.

I went to the lake near my house one day with the kids. I am sitting in the water right near the beach. It was about 10" of water I was sitting in and there were little fish swimming around us so I wasn't moving. One of them swam up and bit me on the back. I was like ***! It hurt too. But I generally don't think you have anything to worry about. If there is a race with a lot of people swimming and kicking the fish will stay far away.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Not sure this helps, as I don't use custom orthotics and don't know what/where your injury is, but I deal with chronic peroneal tendonitis thanks to an old injury and CurrexSole insoles have been a total game-changer for me. I cut them to fit and they don't budge within my shoe at all.

QOTD: What is the longest distance you have traveled for a race in terms of both miles and travel time?

ATTQOTD: WDW: miles, 90ish. Time: 1.5 to 2 hours by car.

ATTQOTD: Jax to DL for Tink around 2400 miles. We flew 4 hours to Las Vegas for a night and then drove another 4 hours to DL.

@Waiting2goback I have orthodics the podaitrist gave me when I was having tendinitis issues, she ordered them for my shoe size and they don't move at all.

Thank you both. I am hoping I have the same luck with them if that's what the doctor recommends.

Looking for some advice. I have recently started a gym routine. I am going 3 days a week and running 5 days a week. I realize I am sore now because its a new thing, but wanted to ask do you change things up any the week or days leading up to a race? Skip leg day, proceed as normal? my next race is June 5th and I think I will be in a constant state or soreness each week leading up to that...



I have a want... I don't have the justifiable means to pull the trigger without getting a lot of negative comments at home.

I would hold off on legs days the week leading up to the race, if you are looking for a good time. You want them to be rested and recovered for the race.


I was typing my previous message yesterday when my computer decided to do a Windows 10 update on its own. Thankfully the message was saved as a draft.

QOTD: The longest I traveled is 1300 miles from MA to WDW.

 

[croach]

I got Racing Weight, by Matt Fitzgerald. I liked his 80/20 Running book so I thought I'd give it a shot. I lost 30 lbs when I initially began running but I have been the same for the last 18 months and it's not like I don't have more to lose.
.

I really like Matt Fitzgerald's books. I recently read How Bad Do You Want It. Good mix of technical, science stuff and real life stories. My favorite though I think was Iron War. Really good book about the Kona Ironman. He's a smart guy.

 

[PrincessV]

Crud.

I pulled (badly) both of mine during separate runs in around '89. I was in Nike cross trainers that "ran wide". Ha. They didn't. Got blisters on the medial underside of a foot, started running on the outer edge of my foot, by the end of the run one foot was toast. Went through PT etc (I was on a varsity sport and we had a pre-PT and athletic training program so I got it for free), healed up, went out in the same stupid shoes, got the other side. Sigh.

And now I've been taking ballet. Which involves pointing my toes and going up on the balls of my feet.

And the inside track at the Y is cambered. They do have you switch directions depending on if it's an odd or even day, but I tend to run on it every other day. UGH.

It's just recently flared with pain in the area, and I don't know why. Very stressful. Especially since I have a Very Very stupid day coming up in a month, when I have the RnR Half in the morning, and a dance recital in the late afternoon. Go ahead and laugh at me now for thinking that was a brilliant idea. Honestly I registered for RnR without knowing the dates of the recital.

Dagnabit.

(and there's gotta be a more grownup term than "recital" LOL...but I am one of the oldest students in the class so it works for most of the students!)

So, guess how I first got the 30+ year old injury? Ballet. Actually, I rolled my ankle badly on a step - but was at that point of my planned ballet career that I felt I couldn't afford time off, so I wrapped it and continued to dance on it. Until I simply couldn't anymore. End of planned career in the ballet.

I still do basic barre and floor work because I love the craft and it's a great workout! My doc treats some professional dancers and has a teen daughter in the ballet, so he really gets the intricacies of our strangely hyper-flexible yet super strong feet/ankles. He's the one who explained that shoe shopping will never be easy for me: I need a shoe that's flexible and doesn't push my feet in or out, but that doesn't allow too much lateral movement; that has a heel collar that supports the heck out of my ankle, but doesn't apply pressure to it; that has plenty of forefoot cushion, but isn't squishy. Uh-huh. Pretty sure I've tried 90% of the shoes on the market at this point lol!

My suggestion is to Google the KT tape instructions for peroneal tendinitis and give that a try - you should be able to tell within 1/2 a mile if it's helping. Hang in there!

 

[SunDial]

I'm still rocking the Garmin 610. Its been a good watch...I love being able to see miles and paces (duh) and seeing stats on Garmin Connect. Unfortunately its old and starting to circle the drain, but I'm going to keep using it until it dies. It still tracks fine and holds its charge so overall no complaints.

Miss a week and 20+ pages go by. I still have my 610 for 3 years now. Works good. Charge will last 2 weeks in just watch mode. Will drain the battery in GPS mode in 7 hours. I will be getting a 920XT soon.

 

[FFigawi]

Miss a week and 20+ pages go by. I still have my 610 for 3 years now. Works good. Charge will last 2 weeks in just watch mode. Will drain the battery in GPS mode in 7 hours. I will be getting a 920XT soon.

If/when you do buy one, purchase it from the UK. Much, much cheaper. I paid jus over $300 for mine.

http://www.handtec.co.uk/garmin-forerunner-920xt-hrm-run.html

 

[Keels]

You're doing Dopey so you're kind of a masochist.

Well, yeah ... you're right.

 

[preciouspups]

I fell off the bike in spin class. A stationary bike. Once again answering the question of why precious doesn't ride on the road!

We drive to Disney from Georgia. With a stop near Daytona to drop the hoodlum at my parents house. So about seven hours in the car, trying not to get car sick while my husband tailgates and slams on the breaks. Did I mention that he doesn't believe in air conditioning?