The Running Thread - 2016

[Waiting2goback]

This was me for every race during marathon weekend this year because of my broken foot deferral.

That would be very difficult!!! But at least you get to run it this year.

Thanks! These are some pics from back then.

View attachment 182130 View attachment 182131 View attachment 182132

For reference, I'm about the same weight now as my wife was back then. So the two of us from behind is a good representation.

AWESOME! So was it running that inspired this lifestyle change or did you discover running after it? Either way, impressive. I hope to eventually be able to post a before and after pic as well.

Woowwww, I had a rough run this morning. It really ended up more as a walk. Humid, hot, and it was like my legs forgot how to run. My breathing was good, I guess because I wasn't moving fast enough to get out of breath! My legs were just dead dead dead, though.

But you got out there and ran anyway so great job! Not every run is perfect. It has been hot here too. We are talking FL in summer hot. Mid 90's and 90% humidity. I went for a bike ride after work tonight and I was soaked. It can be hard to get out there on the hot days but that's when you set yourself apart from most.

I ran the Bridge of Lions 5k this morning. This was my first repeat race! It was a beautiful run starting at the fort and then out over the bridge in St. Augustine, FL. Man oh man was it hot. I wish they would have started 30 mins earlier because the sun was brutal!! I came in at 38:53 which was 4:38 faster than last year's time.

I would say that is a significant victory and a huge improvement. Great job!!!

Congrats! It's a long hard road, but so worth it. 125 pounds here.

You have lost 125 lbs? How? Just better eating and exercise? That's amazing!!!

 

[wendybeth75]

A few things could be causing the issue. The first that comes to mind is that your shoe may be to small or to big causing your toe to rub against the shoe and making the blister. So the expensive option is more shoes, the other is perhaps the nail needs trimming. you mention the toenail falling off, usually this is a sign on high mileage and toenails being to long. So perhaps its a combination of those things. Hope you are able to solve the problem soon.

Thank you for the reply. I keep my toenails trimmed and the toe in question only has half a toenail on it since it is the one I lost during the SW 10k . I haven't pin pointed if I am curling my toes while I run or what. It does not seem to be a friction type blister as it is almost hard to find the blister part when it first starts. It is as if it is deep down under my skin and worsens from there until it gets large. I did tighten up the laces in the toe box and that did help during the last run as well as applied a blister bandage to the tip of my toe o give me some cushion.

Have you cut your nails short? Do you use Body Glide or another anti-friction agent? Have you tried the Injinji socks designed to keep your toes from touching each other? Maybe tighten the laces in the toe box of your shoes to keep you foot from sliding around? I can't guarantee any or all of these will work, but they're the first things I recommend to people when they get blisters on their toes during long runs.

I may have to try the socks. I have used body glide, but it didn't make a whole lot of difference. Thanks so much for your help. Hopefully I will get this figured out before my long runs get longer over the next few weeks.

 

[Waiting2goback]

With all the changes happening, improvements made in times, and stories of significant weight loss, it is obvious it takes a lot of courage to make those changes. This seemed fitting.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

I ran the Bridge of Lions 5k this morning. This was my first repeat race! It was a beautiful run starting at the fort and then out over the bridge in St. Augustine, FL. Man oh man was it hot. I wish they would have started 30 mins earlier because the sun was brutal!! I came in at 38:53 which was 4:38 faster than last year's time.

Congratulations! That is a big improvement! I've only had a couple of repeat races, but its fun to see how you change from year to year!

 

[roxymama]

It was great meeting @roxymama this morning! We took a couple of pics together but I am having technical difficulties posting them here...hopefully she is better at that than me.

I ran a post 40 PR this morning for the 5K, official time 27:40. I ran by feel today and completely surprised myself. We have been over-indulging all afternoon so I don't expect the same result tomorrow.

Congrats! That's a great time. Now we get to run at 6:30am tomorrow...oooof. Hopefully weather will be like today

 

[Barca33Runner]

Thanks! These are some pics from back then.

View attachment 182130 View attachment 182131 View attachment 182132

For reference, I'm about the same weight now as my wife was back then. So the two of us from behind is a good representation.

Unfortunately I am not quite as advanced in my efforts as you, but I've got some pictures that remind me where I've come from, why I started running in the first place, and why it's so important to me to continue.

The first is from ~2009 and is pretty representative of me at my heaviest. Shockingly, I avoided the scale like the plague at the time so I don't really know where my weight topped out (I also avoided cameras, hence the terrible photo). Please everyone, forgive the outfit; it was Day 6 counseling at a Soccer Camp in late June with no laundry facilities and pickings were slim. The clothes were probably a better choice than the hair.
The second was after finishing my first race, the WDW Half, in 2012. I weighed myself before leaving for the race and weighed 243, so after a couple days at Disney I was probably a little heavier. I went for the high tech phone photo of a framed photo, so it's got a nice flash covering my bib. The strange look on my face is a mixture of happiness for finishing, exhaustion, melancholy at knowing I could do better and determination to come back and prove it.

Sorry to everyone if this is apropos of nothing, but seeing @DopeyBadger 's photos reminded me of my own journey and I couldn't resist posting those photos after seeing them. That killer fashion was not to be missed.

 

[camaker]

Unfortunately I am not quite as advanced in my efforts as you, but I've got some pictures that remind me where I've come from, why I started running in the first place, and why it's so important to me to continue.
View attachment 182260 View attachment 182261
The first is from ~2009 and is pretty representative of me at my heaviest. Shockingly, I avoided the scale like the plague at the time so I don't really know where my weight topped out (I also avoided cameras, hence the terrible photo). Please everyone, forgive the outfit; it was Day 6 counseling at a Soccer Camp in late June with no laundry facilities and pickings were slim. The clothes were probably a better choice than the hair.
The second was after finishing my first race, the WDW Half, in 2012. I weighed myself before leaving for the race and weighed 243, so after a couple days at Disney I was probably a little heavier. I went for the high tech phone photo of a framed photo, so it's got a nice flash covering my bib. The strange look on my face is a mixture of happiness for finishing, exhaustion, melancholy at knowing I could do better and determination to come back and prove it.

Sorry to everyone if this is apropos of nothing, but seeing @DopeyBadger 's photos reminded me of my own journey and I couldn't resist posting those photos after seeing them. That killer fashion was not to be missed.

I'll throw mine in here while we're on the topic. They are also in my training journal and show the contrast between 335# me and 180# me. It's one of those pic sets I like to remind me to "let's not do that again!" I never imagined when I started that diet and exercise alone would net a 150+# drop.

 

[huggybuff]

This is some amazing inspiration you guys and gals!!!

 

[Baloo in MI]

@camaker @Barca33Runner @DopeyBadger wow!!!! Your hard work and dedication, which is so easy to see, is inspiring!

 

[keahgirl8]

You have lost 125 lbs? How? Just better eating and exercise? That's amazing!!!

I have! Thanks! Yes, that's pretty much what I did. I chose Weight Watchers, but really the main things were to move more, make better food choices, and cut my portions.

 

[DopeyBadger]

AWESOME! So was it running that inspired this lifestyle change or did you discover running after it? Either way, impressive. I hope to eventually be able to post a before and after pic as well.

Thanks! I did caloric restriction first. Then restricted more calories, but it wasn't working anymore. I added exercise and lost the majority of the weight. Then started running more slowly and more miles, and increased my healthy food intake and dropped the last little bit. I'm confident that you want it badly enough, and will be able to post whatever before/after pics you want when you reach your goals.

Thanks for sharing @keahgirl8 , @camaker , and @Barca33Runner.

 

[camaker]

Thanks! I did caloric restriction first. Then restricted more calories, but it wasn't working anymore. I added exercise and lost the majority of the weight. Then started running more slowly and more miles, and increased my healthy food intake and dropped the last little bit. I'm confident that you want it badly enough, and will be able to post whatever before/after pics you want when you reach your goals.

Thanks for sharing @keahgirl8 , @camaker , and @Barca33Runner.

I'll echo this. Slow, steady progression is what you're looking for on both the results and activity fronts. Don't try to do too much too early in the plan or you'll frustrate or injure yourself.

When I started I could only walk 1/2 mile through the neighborhood without having to stop and rest. Once I could do that, I increased to a mile, then kept increasing in small increments until I was walking 6-8 miles/day. Be patient. It will take time. It took me 6 months to get to that distance. Then I started adding periods of running to the walks.

The best pieces of advice I can give are to stick with it and be patient. If you have a bad day, don't stress, just refocus and don't let a bad day become a bad week or a bad week become a bad month.

The initial stages of limiting my calories were the hardest. My body was used to a given volume of input and it told me it was hungry constantly. However, the body is wonderfully adaptable, and it adjusted to the new input level and the constant hunger dissipated.

I'm also a big believer in good starts. Hit the plan hard and consistently in the early stages. The initial success you see on the scale can be energizing and build momentum that can carry you through rockier times later in the process. Plus, it's easier to stick with something uncomfortable if you're seeing the tangible results.

Hope this helps!

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

You folks with your weight-loss pics and stories...WOW! I love hearing about how people get out there and make change happen. So inspirational, thanks for sharing!

 

[croach]

Man, I'm sorry about your horrible day @Dis5150 I really hope Hunter recovers quickly!

Sorry about your rough run @Miranda I hope your next one feels much better! The great thing about running is you constantly have another one to prove to yourself that you can do it!

I love that your dis name in on your bib @roxymama How fun that you met up with @michigandergirl! Congrats to both of you on a great 5K!

I ran my first night time race. It was a 10K that started at 11:00pm. I'm usually in bed watching a show by 9:30, so this was way late for me! I had a ton of fun though. It makes me sad that there are no options for night races at Disney anymore. I would have loved to try it! (Though I have to say after running so late at night, I couldn't fall asleep until 3ish, so I am pretty useless today!) Everyone was in neon colors and the race passed out glow necklaces and bracelets. I was quite surprised that my Garmin said I only ran 5.9 miles at the end of the race. When I mentioned this to the guy handing me my medal, he said they are careful about measuring. I was thinking maybe if they measured the race on the very outside of the path for turns and stuff if that would account for the difference? Anyway, since I'm not using this race for POT or anything, I decided not to stress about it. My average pace was 9:40 which I was very pleased with. It helped that this was the flattest stretch of land that I have EVER run on in Utah since moving here a year and a half ago!

View attachment 182250

Congrats on your 10k! Was the course lighted or did you have to carry head lamps. And agree about the Disney night time races - I was hoping to Wine And Dine this year and then they changed it. Oh well.

And everyone's before and after photos are awesome. Great work and dedication by you guys and gals. Very inspiring.

 

[DIS-OH]

Wirh my daughter--eight years, nine half marathons and many training miles occurred between the photos!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Was the course lighted or did you have to carry head lamps. [GALLERY=][/GALLERY]

There were a few flood lights here and there, but there were times when it was just lit by the moon! My head lamp was not in working order, so I didn't have one but many runners did and I benefited from their light too Luckily, the path was completely paved without obstacles or rocks on it.

 

[roxymama]

Had a nice 10k race this morning. PR'd 1:05:31
Hubby PR'd by 9 minutes! What? I got to see michigandergirl finish too.
My 5k official was 30:02...dang 2 seconds!
It's mcd's nugget time.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Congrats @roxymama and Mr. roxymama! You deserve those nuggets!!

 

[Miranda]

Congrats to all the racers this weekend!

I just got my new HRM all set up with Strava and my Garmin. I'm gonna give it a try tomorrow at spin class. Hopefully it will just pair with the spin bike automatically, although maybe I'll bring my Garmin just in case.

 

[nickyfielding]

So I crossed the 5 mile barrier today and boy did it feel good. I just had that feeling that a half marathon in September maybe wasn't a step too far. I even got a slightly sweaty high five from a runner in the opposite direction which, though completely gross, was just what I needed as I was tackling an uphill section in mile 5.

Has anyone got any suggestions for good stretches for calf muscles that are beginning to be painful.