The Running Thread - 2016

[sourire]

I will have to attempt the pinch method of which many of you speak. I just walk the water stops now. I tried the first few times to slow the run pace and drink the water, but I ended up wearing most of it and laughing which is not good for the airway! I usually stick with water, but if they have "the yellow kind" of sports drink, I'll gladly take that with a water too. The husband jokes about how I will only drink "the yellow kind". He doesn't understand why I like it so much, b/c that's the kind his parents would make him drink if he had a stomach bug as a kid. =P

 

[cburnett11]

QOTD: Question for those who fuel during runs, what do you use? What rules govern your decision for fueling? Do you also include water and/or sport drinks?

For training, like most everyone else has responded, I don't bother with "fuel" while running unless I'm doing something like 100 minutes or more. For any training run now during the summer (I'm going at least 7 miles), I'm taking water with me and I've gotten to where I like putting Nuun tabs in it. If I happen to refill my water bottles while running, I haven't yet bothered to add more Nuun... I just add it the night before when I put them in the fridge.

For longer runs, I've been playing around with fuel. Gels don't bother me, but can be messy. I've tried sport beans, but struggled opening the package. Moving forward, I'll open the sport bean packs up pre-run and put them into a small ziplock so I don't fumble with sweaty hands.

For tempo runs, speed/strength work, and long runs, I make sure that I put a little fuel in me a few minutes before I head out the door. I run in the mornings, so this ends up being last minute. But I don't take any additional fuel during the run itself.

 

[cburnett11]

QOTD: Building off of yesterdays QOTD, if you don't carry your own hydration during a race, what have you found is the best approach to the grab and go drinking method from hydration stations along the course?

My first several races I stuggled with trying to drink from the water stations while running. Then I tried the grab, go to the side, and walk quickly method... but I didn't really care for the change of pace. For the Disney Marathon this year, I was able to grab it on the go, pinch (more like crush it to the point where water couldn't go anywhere but where I wanted it), and keep running. It worked really well until about mile 15. That's about the point I decided the marathon was going to be tough to finish and walking through the water stations (and anywhere else necessary) would suit me just fine that day.

I had a few other races in Feb-Apr and was able to pinch/crush the cup while still maintaining some running form.

 

[dis_or_dat]

Tried the saltstick fastchew tablet during my cool down ... a bit saltier/chalkier with the first bite than I expected. I guess I was thinking it would be a quick dissolve thing, although it's called fastCHEW.

Did I misread some of yesterday's answers, or are there a lot of people that go out on training runs (particularly now in the summer) without taking water of any kind (plain, nuun, etc)? In the cooler months I admit that I don't take anything to drink unless I'm running closer to 2 hours, but in the summer if I'm going to be out for an hour or more then I'm planning to drink some water throughout the run.

Guilty ... but it's pretty cool with low humidity over here even in the middle of summer. A famous quote about the area is "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" (not by Mark Twain btw). I do have a giant 32 oz nalgene water bottle waiting for me in the car though! I honestly don't know how you guys do it!

 

[Miranda]

Definitely not me! I sweat too much.

Me too, I can't even comprehend!

 

[Mickey Momma]

ATTQOTD: I try to grab my cup and get out of the way as quickly as possible. Once out of the way I pinch the cup and walk until I am done drinking. If it is hot, I usually grab a cup of the sports drink of the day to drink and a cup of water to dump over my head. If I am taking a salt tab, I skip the sports drink and just do water for that stop.

Even with pinching the cup, I still spill it all over me because that is apparently what I do. I even use straws with my water bottles at home because I spill otherwise.

Oddly, I am (mostly) able to drink coffee out of a mug without spilling it.

More than once I have thought about tucking a straw into my pocket for drink stops.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Me too, I can't even comprehend!

Oh, I do too. I have just trained my body and mind to deal with it. In 7 miles yesterday I lost 3 pounds of water weight. I was so soaked with sweat that my wife asked me if I had jumped in the pool to cool off after my run when I came into the house.

 

[Dis5150]

Guilty ... but it's pretty cool with low humidity over here even in the middle of summer. A famous quote about the area is "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" (not by Mark Twain btw). I do have a giant 32 oz nalgene water bottle waiting for me in the car though! I honestly don't know how you guys do it!

Totally off topic but I miss San Francisco so much!! I spent the first 40 years of my life (I am 48) in Sonoma County, Rohnert Park to be exact. Loved that evening "air conditioner" we would get every night when the fog would roll in! As a Giants and 49er fan I have spent a lot of time in SF and I am completely jealous that you get to run there! Especially since I now live in Arkansas, where it is stupid hot and humid.

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: How often to do you wait to the day of a race or day before to decided to register/run it? Why did you wait?

ATTQOTD: I have a few races that I have a wait and see approach for. They aren't goal races, but sometimes I run then because a large group of friends are doing it, or I just want to get out there and see what I have. For summer races around here, I will wait last minute to see what type of weather we will have. If its 95+ for a afternoon race, I rather hold onto my money or if a bad storm comes through, the race could be cancelled and I would be out the money anyway. So, it may be more expensive to register the day off, but for the local races it is only a difference of ~$5. I have only registered once the day before a half marathon, which I did the weekend after the WDW marathon. I had only ran one day prior to coming home, and it did not go to bad. I also had a friend that was running the full and I wanted to help pace him for the first 10 miles. About 6 miles in, I felt like I was back on mile 20 of a marathon. I did keep pace, but it was a difficult run.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

QOTD: How often to do you wait to the day of a race or day before to decided to register/run it? Why did you wait?

I have never done this. It would just be totally out of character for me to do something like this.

 

[camaker]

QOTD: How often to do you wait to the day of a race or day before to decided to register/run it? Why did you wait?

I've never registered on the day of the race. This would violate my sacred OCD planning ethics.

 

[DopeyBadger]

QOTD: How often to do you wait to the day of a race or day before to decided to register/run it? Why did you wait?

ATTQOTD: I have a few races that I have a wait and see approach for. They aren't goal races, but sometimes I run then because a large group of friends are doing it, or I just want to get out there and see what I have. For summer races around here, I will wait last minute to see what type of weather we will have. If its 95+ for a afternoon race, I rather hold onto my money or if a bad storm comes through, the race could be cancelled and I would be out the money anyway. So, it may be more expensive to register the day off, but for the local races it is only a difference of ~$5. I have only registered once the day before a half marathon, which I did the weekend after the WDW marathon. I had only ran one day prior to coming home, and it did not go to bad. I also had a friend that was running the full and I wanted to help pace him for the first 10 miles. About 6 miles in, I felt like I was back on mile 20 of a marathon. I did keep pace, but it was a difficult run.

Never. The closest to race days I've registered is 3 weeks out for a 10K, 8 weeks out for my first marathon, and typically all other events the day registration opened months in advance.

 

[ZellyB]

Like others, I've never done that. I'm not even sure the closest I've been. Maybe a couple of months out.

 

[RunDisneyDad]

ATTQOTD: Hmmm, deciding to run and actually registering are two different things for me. For anything longer than a half I probably know at least 6 to 9 months in advance what I want to do. But, as far as registering goes, I tend to wait closer to the event to make sure schedules, logistics, family stuff all line up and I can actually do the event. Plus, I've been able to take advantage of groupons or discounts closer to the event.

 

[Barca33Runner]

QOTD: How often to do you wait to the day of a race or day before to decided to register/run it? Why did you wait?

I once signed up for a 5K on race day. I was on vacation, planning to run the mileage anyway, and there happened to be a cheap 5K at the state park where we were staying. I've planned for every Half or Full Marathon and don't expect that to change.

 

[dis_or_dat]

ATTQOTD: Usually months out for my races, especially if it's Disney and needs more logistics: hotel, travel, etc. The closest was when I signed up for a 9/18 half about a week ago, but I had been thinking about it for a bit since I was looking for a local-ish half that coincided with the end of training. But if it's super local (like a few blocks away) and shorter distance, I can decided day of, although I wouldn't race it, and I probably won't do it.

Totally off topic but I miss San Francisco so much!! I spent the first 40 years of my life (I am 48) in Sonoma County, Rohnert Park to be exact. Loved that evening "air conditioner" we would get every night when the fog would roll in! As a Giants and 49er fan I have spent a lot of time in SF and I am completely jealous that you get to run there! Especially since I now live in Arkansas, where it is stupid hot and humid.

Ah, I'm a SoCal girl at heart (hence the Disneyland nostalgia), but I have to agree that it's gorgeous watching the fog roll over the Santa Cruz mountains although I'm always shivering and cold! DH always says I moved up here peak SF sports with the Giants winning the title, the Warriors starting to get hot, 49ers going to the Superbowl, and Stanford becoming a good football team.

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: How often to do you wait to the day of a race or day before to decided to register

I've never done that. I think the closest I've registered to a race is like 2-3 months before and that was for a 5k.

 

[IamTrike]

QOTD: How often to do you wait to the day of a race or day before to decided to register/run it? Why did you wait?

I've done it a fair amount but it's usually opportunistic rather than waiting to see about whether or something. For example, I've signed up at the last minute and run half's in New Zealand and Australia when business trips suddenly gave me free weekends there. This year for the forth of July we were going to visit family in Michigan. On a whim I decided to see if there were any races while we were up there. I found a 5k that DS and I registered for the day before the Race. DW's parents live in the Tidewater area in Virginia which between Flat-Out events and J&A racing has a really healthy racing community. If we take a spontaneous trip to her parents house I'll look for one and it's not uncommon for me to make the decision to sign up the day before the race.

 

[roxymama]

ATTQOTD: I like bargains, so often a race's "early registration" price will get me to sign up way in advance.
I also run a lot of BIG Chicago races that signing up early enough to give POT for "preferred corrals" is a big advantage to standing around in the last corrals. Some big Chicago races are like rundisney on steroids with the # of people, so you can just imagine the "wait times" to get started. And several Chicago races give "first come first serve" to the lead corrals.

BUT...
My husband and I both run so there have been times where one of us registers for a race that only we are running while the other one is going to hang out with our kiddo during the race. And then last minute we will get a grandparent to hang with us and then me or hubs will sign up last minute to also run. That's happened several times.

 

[roxymama]

For Olympic fans: Track & field is underway!!! The women's 10k is in progress. Heptathalon & some prelims for shorter distances today. And tonight is the 20k walk finals. So don't ever let anyone tell you walking isn't athletic...cause you can win an olympic medal for it

Sadly, I'm still waiting for prancercise to be officially sanctioned. Maybe 2024?