The Running Thread - 2016

[Kathymford]

So I had a wake-up call run this weekend. I had a hard, hard, hard time running 6 miles on Sunday. I couldn't keep up my intervals for the whole distance and I'm definitely still feeling it in my legs today. I have two weeks to reevaluate my plan. I think having any kind of time goal for Dumbo is out the window. Boo Boo Boo. I did do some research into my past runs and I haven't run anything close to 6 miles since June 12 ... Injuries are for the birds.

QOTD: What was your favorite moment from the 2016 Olympics? Did you get to watch the marathon (mens/womens)?

Gymnastics, Phelps, Bolt ... so amazing. I loved the women's 4x100 relay after them almost not making it! I watched a lot more running this Olympics and it's been great. The last summer Olympics I wasn't even running yet! HA. How times have changed.

For this novice runner it was interesting watching elite athletes make the same simple mistake I make all the time - they would go out too fast. In the women's 5K the overwhelming favorite, Ayana from Ethiopia (who had easily won the 10K), opened up a huge lead midway through with the apparent goal of breaking the record. The 2 Kenyon runners stayed on their pace, ran as a team along with the pack, and then were able to catch and pass Ayana with 2 laps to go, winning gold and silver and breaking the Olympic record in the process.

I saw this and was shocked!! She looked like she had it all under control too. Can anyone share with me what running in a pack did for them? Is it just pushing each other? Staying on pace? I was really curious about this.

Sanne Wevers winning the gold with her balance beam routine - it was like ballet on the beam - absolutely beautiful,

This was beautiful. I'd never seen anything like it. I love the balance beam though. I remember when I was younger after watching all the gymnastics and doing my beam routine on a wall that separated my friends two houses. lol. No flipping off it or anything crazy, but that wall was definitely my beam. LOL.

ATTQOTD - Women's gymnastics - never disappoints, and this year was no exception. I also really enjoyed the track 7 field competitions.

Don't care for Bolt. He really needs to experience something in his life to teach him humility. I also had to mute my TV more times than I could count. The poor sportsmanship shown by Brazilian fans throughout the Olympics really soured me on the country. If that is a part of their culture, I am fine never visiting Brazil.

Watching and hearing the Brazillian fans just reminded me of all the WDW tour groups. Unbearable honestly.

 

[gjramsey]

I can't believe I forgot to mention Wayde van Nierkerk in the 400. I kept hearing the talk about Michael Johnson's record possibly falling and I doubted it the whole time. I thought there was know way it would happen. It was a great race, and the story of Wayde and his coach was awesome.

This was my moment as well. From Lane 8 to crush the world record while never having to chase someone down.

I felt bad for Meb face-planting at the finish after having a tough race, and his reaction was perfect.

I watched as much as I could, the streaming of events was fantastic, and most had international flavor, instead of US focus. Rugby 7s were entertaining, Team handball is a fun sport to watch. The S. Korean Archers are like machines in their precision.

 

[FFigawi]

QOTD: What was your favorite moment from the 2016 Olympics? Did you get to watch the marathon (mens/womens)?

I don't have a favorite but rather lots of things I enjoyed watching: the sheer dominance by the favorites in the triathlons; Peter Sagan going from last to third in one lap of the MTB race; the open water 10k swims, especially the men's finish; the joy of the US winning bronze in Finn sailing offset by the heartbreak of the women sailing themselves out of a medal in the 470; Katy Ledecky;

I saw this and was shocked!! She looked like she had it all under control too. Can anyone share with me what running in a pack did for them? Is it just pushing each other? Staying on pace? I was really curious about this.

Pack running helps with a few things: pacing - easier to maintain pace with people around you; energy savings - at the speed they run, saving a little bit by drafting is worthwhile. It's not as effective for us mere mortals. Focus - having people & teammates around helps you focus on the external part of the race as opposed to the internal focus of running alone.

 

[Barca33Runner]

I saw this and was shocked!! She looked like she had it all under control too. Can anyone share with me what running in a pack did for them? Is it just pushing each other? Staying on pace? I was really curious about this.

I believe it's drafting like in so many other sports. They are able to share the load of cutting the wind resistance out front by running in a pack and strategically switching places allowing them to (theoretically) conserve more energy for later in the race. In this case I think it was merely that Ayana had a bad day and didn't have as much left in her legs after the amazing 10K and qualifying for the 5K. I was astonished when she fell off the pace.

 

[Kathymford]

Pack running helps with a few things: pacing - easier to maintain pace with people around you; energy savings - at the speed they run, saving a little bit by drafting is worthwhile. It's not as effective for us mere mortals. Focus - having people & teammates around helps you focus on the external part of the race as opposed to the internal focus of running alone.

I believe it's drafting like in so many other sports. They are able to share the load of cutting the wind resistance out front by running in a pack and strategically switching places allowing them to (theoretically) conserve more energy for later in the race. In this case I think it was merely that Ayana had a bad day and didn't have as much left in her legs after the amazing 10K and qualifying for the 5K. I was astonished when she fell off the pace.

Drafting occurred to me, but I wasn't sure if that was really a thing in running, especially considering how thin they all are. LOL. Thanks!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

@LSUlakes that is so nice you have been helping out with the clean up. That does sound like hard, hard work!! Continued thoughts and prayers for your community.

ATTQOTD: hard to pick out a favorite. Each day brought something that I really enjoyed. It was pretty satisfying seeing both Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt show their continued dominance. They have earned retirement. I actually like Bolt's showmanship quite a bit. Katie Ledecky was so so awesome! And Simone Biles! In fact I loved seeing the women be so bad a** in all of the different events. I was happy that Dan Hicks got called out for his (in my view) sexist remarks about Katinka Hosszu. Yes, her husband/coach deserved kudos, but it was Katinka in the water actually winning the races!

I was sad to see swimming finish, but then I sooo enjoyed the track and field events! I really loved watching the men's marathon yesterday. I didn't know that Jared Ward teaches a couple of classes at BYU (which is THE college my family roots for haha) until I heard one of the commentators say it. That was fun. I actually loved learning about many of the elite runners I didn't know before. I know follow a LOT people (Olympian runners) on twitter and instagram which I'm excited about.

 

[opusone]

Drafting occurred to me, but I wasn't sure if that was really a thing in running, especially considering how thin they all are. LOL. Thanks!

http://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/does-drafting-help-in-running

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Drafting occurred to me, but I wasn't sure if that was really a thing in running, especially considering how thin they all are. LOL. Thanks!

It is. Think about it like this - with no wind, they are running at 12-13 MPH. If there is even a slight wind in their face, the resistance is even more significant. If you have ever run into 15-20 MPH winds, you get the idea. Avoiding that while someone else has to deal with it can make a substantial difference over time.

 

[cavepig]

I thought Galen Rupp's hat changing was rather funny personally in the marathon. All 3 women in the top 10 I agree was sweet also!

I watched some of every event, really had to search all the channels we DVRd to make sure we got to see at least a bit of everything since primetime's coverage was kind of lacking, which I get since it was live on swimming & track. I saw the running/shooting of the women's modern pentathlon, that is kind of neat as I didn't realize they ran inside for it.

 

[roxymama]

ATTQOTD: I can't list everything because it would never end. I'll list one I did not see above, I really enjoyed watching Mo Farreh in the 5000, the final lap; watching the lead two guys try to out-sprint each other off and on...I just didn't know human legs could look like that.
And then on a sentimental note: I really felt inspired by the women's US 8 rowing team. That was my sport in my heyday and it gave me a lift to watch.

@LSUlakes I agree with everyone else that we are happy to hear any good news from you. I'll keep praying your everyone in your area!
I also have some races to add to the board!
@roxymama 11/19/16 Ditka Dash 5k, Chicago, IL (sub 30/NA)
@roxymama 12/3/16 Santa Hustle 5k, Chicago, IL (NG/NA) - running with a friend for her first 5k

 

[Keels]

It is. Think about it like this - with no wind, they are running at 12-13 MPH. If there is even a slight wind in their face, the resistance is even more significant. If you have ever run into 15-20 MPH winds, you get the idea. Avoiding that while someone else has to deal with it can make a substantial difference over time.

#NOMATH

 

[CherieFran]

QOTD: What was your favorite moment from the 2016 Olympics? Did you get to watch the marathon (mens/womens)?

My favorite moment was when Aly Raisman finished her floor exercise in the women's gymnastics all-around and immediately burst into happy tears! Marathon-watching got me out the door nice and early for my long runs the last two weeks so I could be back in time to watch.

Great Meb story - in DC we have the Spring Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run (run by some of the fine RunDisney posters here), and this time around this happened:

"Perhaps the most popular runner all day, though, was nowhere near contention. Olympian Meb Keflezighi, who finished in 1:00:41, came to the District to check the race off his bucket list and act as a pacer for the six-minute-mile group."

Could you imagine being 620 B Jay and finishing hand-in-hand with Meb?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...a30f40-f9ce-11e5-886f-a037dba38301_story.html

My co-worker's husband is actually the guy holding Meb's hand on the other side. He was a former college cross-country runner who was having a tough time in the last mile or two of the race. Meb came up from behind and was like "c'mon man, let's go!" and they ran the rest of the race together. So awesome! I heart Meb! I was so bummed he had such a tough race yesterday but so impressed that he gutted it out feeling as bad as he apparently did.

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

Currently training for Lakefront Marathon on October 2nd in Milwaukee. I'm training for a 3:18, but weather conditions will dictate the actual goal on race day. As of right now, I could realistically finish anywhere between 3:10-3:30 given conditions.

Good luck with the Lakefront Marathon! I'm seriously contemplating signing up to volunteer for that, so perhaps I'll see you!

QOTD: What was your favorite moment from the 2016 Olympics? Did you get to watch the marathon (mens/womens)?

ATTQOTD: I only got to watch a few events this year. I watched the bike race the first weekend it I thought it was amazing. I did not have the opportunity to watch a single running event, and I am very sad about that. Guess I will have to watch replays if it looks like I missed something special.


Final Flood Update: So, just incase I have stated, our home is safe. I spent the weekend helping friends and family gut their homes. After doing that all day, it was just getting home, bath, food, and sleep. I have done 20 milers that seemed easier than the labor I have done over the last few days. I have not run in 10 days, but I should be able to get a few TM miles in this afternoon.

If you have a race time for a race you recently completed, please repost it as it is likely I may have overlooked it, and the same for any new races waiting to get on the main list. I am looking forward to getting things back to normal this week.

ATTQOTD: I am so sad that the Olympics are over already! I was fortunate to be able to see a lot of it, so it's really hard to pick a single favorite moment. But I enjoyed all of the swimming and gymnastics. It was great to see Michael Phelps wrap up his unforgettable career, as well as Katie Ledecky build her name as another all-time great. Simone Biles was absolutely stunning to watch in gymnastics (as was the rest of the women's team), and she definitely lived up to the pre-Olympics hype (I love gymnastics but find it's hard to follow in non-Olympic years, so I had no idea who she was heading into trials). I also did get a chance to see the end of the Women's Marathon, and watched pretty all of the Men's. Good showings by the Americans, both women and men!

And @LSUlakes I'm glad your home is safe, and hope that things can start getting back to normal for you and your friends and family soon. I'm sure it's been a challenge and do not doubt that the labor was probably harder than running.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Good luck with the Lakefront Marathon! I'm seriously contemplating signing up to volunteer for that, so perhaps I'll see you!

OMG, that would be so fun! You have to let me know if you decide to do it. I could give you my number for day of so you could tell me where you're stationed (aid, medals, etc) so I can make sure to say hi!

 

[keahgirl8]

QOTD: What was your favorite moment from the 2016 Olympics? Did you get to watch the marathon (mens/womens)?

ATTQOTD: I only got to watch a few events this year. I watched the bike race the first weekend it I thought it was amazing. I did not have the opportunity to watch a single running event, and I am very sad about that. Guess I will have to watch replays if it looks like I missed something special.


Final Flood Update: So, just incase I have stated, our home is safe. I spent the weekend helping friends and family gut their homes. After doing that all day, it was just getting home, bath, food, and sleep. I have done 20 milers that seemed easier than the labor I have done over the last few days. I have not run in 10 days, but I should be able to get a few TM miles in this afternoon.

If you have a race time for a race you recently completed, please repost it as it is likely I may have overlooked it, and the same for any new races waiting to get on the main list. I am looking forward to getting things back to normal this week.

It's so hard to choose a favorite! I watched nearly everything, even sports I didn't understand. I am a huge gymnastics fan, so I loved every minute of that. I also loved all of the track and field...oh and swimming and synchronized swimming and diving... Told you I watched it all! Some of the moments that made me tear up were Phelps doing everything for the last time, our Final Five gymnastics team winning everything, and Abby D'Agostino and Nikki Hamblin. That moment right there makes me proud to be a runner. That is who we are.

Bless you for helping everyone after the flood. I'm glad you are safe.

I watched every possible minute I could, because, well, the Olympics are awesome. Watching Phelps and Ledecky dominate in the pool was amazing. Watching the US women dominate at gymnastics was awesome. Usain Bolt go 3 for 3 again was the perfect way to cap his career. With all that though I have to say watching Matthew Centrowitz win the 1500 was definitely the highlight for me. The way he controlled the race and made the other run what was best for him was awesome. Add to that the fact the US hadn't won gold in that event in 108 years was a great way to wrap up track events for the most part.

Same here! What an amazing year. I am really going to miss it! I'm already excited for 2020. I'm also planning on watching the Paralympics, and I'm excited about that! Those will be some amazing, inspiring stories.

Watched both the Men's and Women's marathons while running on the treadmill. Am always amazed by how fast these athletes are and it is driven home even more when they go to the wide overhead shots rather than the closeups from cameras moving at the same approximate pace of the runners. As amazing as I know Usain Bolt is, I still don't think I have a full grasp of how quickly he is moving because of the camerawork.

I find myself being less pro-USA in many of the events because it is hard to reconcile the training advantages that so many of the US athletes enjoy over the rest of the world. It's not that I'm cheering against them or for other nations; it just doesn't feel as exciting when the US wins anymore. ETA: It is also much easier to feel excited for athletes from all nations, it just doesn't feel as adversarial as it once did.

Favorite moments
-The US successes, both medal and non-medal performances, in (middle)distance running. Molly Huddle, Jenny Simpson, Matt Centrowitz, Paul Chelimo, Evan Jaeger, Emma Coburn, Shalane Flanagan, Galen Rupp, Des Linden, Jared Ward, Amy Cragg, etc. People I would have had never heard of four years ago and now read about all the time. It was great to see them do so well.
-The Women's 10K-Greatest individual and group performance
-Brazil and Neymar getting their moment at the Maracana

Thing I didn't like
-Seeing Meb struggle during the Marathon. He fought and finished the race with his usual great spirit but it clearly wasn't his day. I kinda wish it had been his day.

Thing I don't understand, probably will never understand, and apologize for not understanding
-The fervor around Gymnastics

I have nowhere near the experience of Meb, and obviously am light years from being as fast, but I so related to him in that moment. What a beautiful spirit he has. I wish I had gotten into running years ago, so that I could have followed him from early on.

The gymnastics? I can't really explain it I guess. I have loved it for as long as I remember. I could watch it all day.

You're a good person @LSUlakes - cleaning up after flood damage is back-breaking, and potentially heart-breaking, work.

And I'm sad to say you missed some amazing track events. You'll want to watch replays for just about all of the races. Usain Bolt. Allyson Felix. Wayde van Niekerk obliterating the 400 record from lane 8, cheered on by Grandma the Coach. Matt Centrowitz flat out owning the 1500. Mo Farah getting tripped in the 10K (by training partner and Marathon bronze medalist Galen Rupp) but rolling to his feet and going on to win, then repeating in the 5K. Paul Chelimo fighting through the pack to take silver in the 5K, only to be DQ'd and then un-DQ'd, all on live TV.

For this novice runner it was interesting watching elite athletes make the same simple mistake I make all the time - they would go out too fast. In the women's 5K the overwhelming favorite, Ayana from Ethiopia (who had easily won the 10K), opened up a huge lead midway through with the apparent goal of breaking the record. The 2 Kenyon runners stayed on their pace, ran as a team along with the pack, and then were able to catch and pass Ayana with 2 laps to go, winning gold and silver and breaking the Olympic record in the process.

And thanks to Meb, I now plan to push out 5 or 10 for Sarge at the 20 mile mark in January. I'll need to work a set of pushups into my long runs going forward...

Great Meb story - in DC we have the Spring Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run (run by some of the fine RunDisney posters here), and this time around this happened:

"Perhaps the most popular runner all day, though, was nowhere near contention. Olympian Meb Keflezighi, who finished in 1:00:41, came to the District to check the race off his bucket list and act as a pacer for the six-minute-mile group."

Could you imagine being 620 B Jay and finishing hand-in-hand with Meb?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...a30f40-f9ce-11e5-886f-a037dba38301_story.html

That's amazing. At 6:20, he wasn't in contention. The speed of these people is amazing to me! That guy that won the marathon was doing under 5 minutes 20 miles in! Insane!

My favorite moment was when Aly Raisman finished her floor exercise in the women's gymnastics all-around and immediately burst into happy tears! Marathon-watching got me out the door nice and early for my long runs the last two weeks so I could be back in time to watch.

I loved that. I cried to. Redemption!

 

[Keels]

QOTD: What was your favorite moment from the 2016 Olympics? Did you get to watch the marathon (mens/womens)?

I watched both 'thons.

Favorite moment? Seeing that Meb and I FINALLY have something in common - we both did pushups during a race this year!!!

 

[DVCFan1994]

@LSUlakes Glad to hear your house was safe. It was great if you to help out your friends and family. So much damage to repair.

ATTQOTD: I watched as much as I could. The first week I was in London, and watched BBC coverage. Some different sports priorities there. Didn't see as much swimming as I would have liked, and gymnastics was hot or miss, but once I got back I saw plenty of track and field. I loved the Wayde Van Nierkirk moment of breaking the WR as well. Saw the marathon and 10k finishes, and as someone who hates seeing sportsmanship seem to fade, I really enjoyed the D'Agostino/Hamblin finish.

 

[Slogger]

ATTQOTD: Only caught a few moments here and there from the Olympics...seemed like swimming was on every time!!! Katie Ledecky was phenomenal.
Watched a few track and field moments, didn't realize Bolt was 6'5" and his stride is almost 8 feet.
Missed the women's marathon but caught the second half of the men's marathon. Interesting story about the 2004 Olympics in Athens with Vanderlei de Lima from Brazil leading the event before getting tackled on the course by a protestor.....ended up losing his rhythm and got the bronze and lit the torch for the Olympics this year. Would not have known about it if I had not tuned in to watch the marathon this year.

Also paid attention to the runners as they hit the water/fuel stations....didn't see much eating going on but plenty of fluid intake. Didn't look like they even slowed down.....I need to improve my "pit stop" times! All of the runners looked amazing and it was fun to watch the spectators sprint and try to keep up.
That would have been a nice course to run on except for maybe the hairpin turns near the end. Glad nobody else slipped and fell.
How can you not root for Meb?!!! Seems like a great guy.

 

[Slogger]

In case you missed it, here's the story about Lima and other inspiring Olympic athletes

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/inspirational-stories/news/a39979/pierre-de-coubertin-medal/

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

OMG, that would be so fun! You have to let me know if you decide to do it. I could give you my number for day of so you could tell me where you're stationed (aid, medals, etc) so I can make sure to say hi!

I definitely will!