The Running Thread - 2016

[Keels]

QOTD: Anyone doing a Turkey Trot of similar type race this week? Since it is Thanksgiving, what is something you are thankful for that you would like to share with the group? Todays QOTD is a great suggestion by a fellow poster of this forum. Thanks for the suggestion!

I'm running a local 10K on Thanksgiving - same one I ran last year, that's my current 10K PR - and I'm cautiously optimistic. My performance in that will help me set my goals for Dopey and adjust my training plan as need be.

As for what I'm thankful for? I mentioned some things/people in my Marathon Weekend PTR **shameless plug, link in my signature **, but especially today, I'm thankful that I'm healthy, that I'm happy and loved, that I have a roof over my head and the opportunities to do the things I'd like.

I was grocery shopping for Thanksgiving (AKA Friendsgiving - I cook Thanksgiving for our "framily" every year) today and there was an elderly lady checking out in front of me - and her cards kept being declined and declined and she was crying. It was heartbreaking. She was just trying to buy some sandwich bread and lunchmeat, a gallon of milk, a couple of bananas and two apples. That's all - maybe $10 worth of groceries, if that. It was heartbreaking - all I could do was give her a hug, tell the cashier to just include her things in my groceries and that I'd cover those and anything else she might need. She just thanked me and thanked me, and told me she was just thinking about what she was going to do - that she was going to have to steal, and in 78 years of living she'd never once stolen a thing. I wish I could've done more, but I guess I'm just thankful I was there to help her in that dire moment of need? I dunno. It's been weighing on me all day.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

I'm running a local 10K on Thanksgiving - same one I ran last year, that's my current 10K PR - and I'm cautiously optimistic. My performance in that will help me set my goals for Dopey and adjust my training plan as need be.

As for what I'm thankful for? I mentioned some things/people in my Marathon Weekend PTR **shameless plug, link in my signature **, but especially today, I'm thankful that I'm healthy, that I'm happy and loved, that I have a roof over my head and the opportunities to do the things I'd like.

I was grocery shopping for Thanksgiving (AKA Friendsgiving - I cook Thanksgiving for our "framily" every year) today and there was an elderly lady checking out in front of me - and her cards kept being declined and declined and she was crying. It was heartbreaking. She was just trying to buy some sandwich bread and lunchmeat, a gallon of milk, a couple of bananas and two apples. That's all - maybe $10 worth of groceries, if that. It was heartbreaking - all I could do was give her a hug, tell the cashier to just include her things in my groceries and that I'd cover those and anything else she might need. She just thanked me and thanked me, and told me she was just thinking about what she was going to do - that she was going to have to steal, and in 78 years of living she'd never once stolen a thing. I wish I could've done more, but I guess I'm just thankful I was there to help her in that dire moment of need? I dunno. It's been weighing on me all day.

That is so heartbreaking! I'm so happy that she happened to be in front of a kind person that paid for her groceries. There really is so much need out there- it's hard to know what to do to help.

 

[Baloo in MI]

@Keels that was so kind of you. It is easy to do nothing, ignore, see it as someone else's issue. But instead you truly made a difference for someone! I am going to share this story with my girls tonight when I get home.

 

[HomeiswhereMickeyis]

ATTQOTD: No race but definitely going to try to get a run in that morning. I am thankful that last year we got to move to Central Florida. I absolutely love where we live and love being close to WDW. As for how my turkey is going to be cooked, we have reservations at Garden Grill!

 

[preciouspups]

I had big plans to run on this vacation to Boston but instead we have done a ton of walking. I'm still sore from climbing the bunker hill monument. And frankly, this bed is comfy and warm and my kiddo is at grandmas so I have no reason to get up!

 

[Anisum]

QOTD: Anyone doing a Turkey Trot of similar type race this week? Since it is Thanksgiving, what is something you are thankful for that you would like to share with the group? Todays QOTD is a great suggestion by a fellow poster of this forum. Thanks for the suggestion!

Nope. The local turkey trot is on Saturday which for my family is a big shopping day. I'm thankful for my health/family/friends/job/etc. the usual things.

 

[CherieFran]

ATTQOTD: I'm planning on running my local Turkey Trot tomorrow morning. It's a 5-mile course and the start line is just over a mile from home, so I'm planning on a easy jog there and back. Just hoping the rain holds off.

I'm thankful for the ability to get out and run and for the warmness of the running community, both on these boards and in the wider world.

 

[LSUlakes]

@Keels that's a very kind thing to do and I would imagine most of here is the same situation would have reacted similar helping out someone having a hard time. Bless you!

QOTD: Have you ever registered for a race and at some point along your training decided that it may be within your best interest to not run the race? What factors contributed to that decision?

ATTQOTD: Like I may have said before a lot of my QOTD comes from personal experiences. Today is not any different. I sit here with a cold that just wont go away and is getting worse this week. It has been nearly a month since I have run anything worth writing home about and have about 6 weeks to my marathon. I have some serious doubts if I should attempt the race at all. I think I could finish the race, but at this time I do not see the point of doing so as I project I could finish under ideal conditions around 4 hours which is 30 to 60 minutes slower then any of my goals... I feel like if choose not to run it though I am letting a lot of folks down, but I really don't want to go out and have a bad race experience. Money wise I am only out registration cost at this time which is ~$100, so that isn't to bad. I really need to get rid of this cold and get a few runs in to see where I am at before I make a final decision on the matter. I am just kinda bummed that it has come to this.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

ATTQOTD...
1. No turkey trot I'd love to run an organized one, but I will run 3 miles tomorrow morning before leaving town.
2. Still new to racing... no canceled races for me.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

ATTQOTD - Never decided not to run one, but have decided not to "race" a few. In other words, I have turned a number into training runs instead of races for time.

ETA - I did defer last year's Dopey, but I really had no choice with the broken foot.

 

[roxymama]

@Keels that's a very kind thing to do and I would imagine most of here is the same situation would have reacted similar helping out someone having a hard time. Bless you!

QOTD: Have you ever registered for a race and at some point along your training decided that it may be within your best interest to not run the race? What factors contributed to that decision?

ATTQOTD: Like I may have said before a lot of my QOTD comes from personal experiences. Today is not any different. I sit here with a cold that just wont go away and is getting worse this week. It has been nearly a month since I have run anything worth writing home about and have about 6 weeks to my marathon. I have some serious doubts if I should attempt the race at all. I think I could finish the race, but at this time I do not see the point of doing so as I project I could finish under ideal conditions around 4 hours which is 30 to 60 minutes slower then any of my goals... I feel like if choose not to run it though I am letting a lot of folks down, but I really don't want to go out and have a bad race experience. Money wise I am only out registration cost at this time which is ~$100, so that isn't to bad. I really need to get rid of this cold and get a few runs in to see where I am at before I make a final decision on the matter. I am just kinda bummed that it has come to this.

I was in your shoes earlier this year coming off a doozy of a several week long cold leading up to my very first 10k. My situation was a little different since I'd never run the distance and my goal was "completing it", so I didn't have a time in mind. I did have somewhere around a 10+ pace as a "goal", but each day I got sicker I added to my "allowed pace" in my head. I nearly gave up on it but we were travelling specifically for it and I was staying with family out of town and they were very excited for me. I miraculously got better about half a week prior but all training was toast. I literally walked up to the starting line with a thousand unknowns over my head and very few training runs. But I allowed myself to "see what I could do" with no pressures and no guilt and I TRIED SO SO HARD not to be afraid. I didn't even memorize the race course which is not like me AT ALL. What happened was kind of special. I just let the course come to me. I really took in the sights. I paid attention to all the people around me much more than when I am more focused on myself. I surprised myself in how much better I felt than the weeks prior...so although I wasn't my fastest by far (I finished with 10:51 avg which was better than I predicted given the circumstances)...I felt good and proud of how my body was handling everything. I realize this wasn't a marathon...and finishing a 10k is so much easier on the body so I don't want to make you think I'm comparing the two. I just say...you have time to see how your body keeps up and maybe allow yourself to run that 4 hour+ race. You may surprise yourself. Now if you still feel like absolute garbage...that's different...but don't write it off just yet. And a half year later I finished a longer race with a better pace and so there's always another training cycle and race in the future. This one doesn't have to be "THE ONE". I hope that helps even a smidge.
Also being sick sucks.

 

[roxymama]

ATTQOTD: Oh I forgot to say...yes I didn't race last weekend. My husband wouldn't let me leave the house. I was that sick (still recovering but feeling way better.) It was an un-timed "party" 5k, but I am still getting over being bummed out that my friends all had fun without me. If it was a race I'd been training for, I'd probably have vetoed the staying home.

 

[Dis5150]

ATTQOTD: Nope, not yet anyway.

 

[dis_or_dat]

Sorry to hear about your cold @LSUlakes, I know you've been battling sinusitis for a while. Hope you get better soon.

ATTQOTD: Not yet

 

[LSUlakes]

This week we have the following folks with races coming up!

24 - @Disney at Heart - Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon (NG / N/A)
24 - @michigandergirl - East Grand Rapids Gobble Wobble 4.3 Mi (NG / N/A)
24 - @foxontherun15 - Turkey Trot (60:00 / N/A)
24 - @dis_or_dat - Gobble Wobble 5k (22:00 / N/A)
24 - @opusone - Rotary Run 3.14 Pie (22:00 / N/A)
24 - @CherieFran - Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Miler (42:30 / N/A)
26 - @roxymama - Grant Park Turkey Trot 5k (33:59 / N/A)
27 - @disneyscotland - Newcastle Santa Fun Run 5k (NG / N/A)
27 - @Dopey Devon - Space Coast Half Marathon (1:40:00 / N/A)
27 - @Mimsy Borogove - Space Coast Half Marathon (N/A / N/A)

If you would like to revise your goal for your upcoming race or any changes to the race just let me know and I will adjust. Good luck to each of you! I look forward to reading about how your race went!

 

[Ariel484]

QOTD: Have you ever registered for a race and at some point along your training decided that it may be within your best interest to not run the race? What factors contributed to that decision?

UGH yes!

With local races - actually the same one, twice. First DNS was in the midst of a HUGE running funk and I just wasn't ready for it. Second time I was injured. Mr. Ariel484 has said I'm not allowed to sign up for that one anymore, and I can't say I blame him. At least the benefiting charity got some donations from me?

Disney-wise, I was signed up for the Princess 5K, Glass Slipper Challenge, Never Land 5K and the Pixie Dust Challenge this year. Sciatica sidelined me for a couple of months and I was nowhere near ready to do those race weekends. I lost my Princess 5K entry fee but was able to defer my GSC registration to 2017. For Tink weekend, I was able to do the 5K and found a 10K bib through a travel agent, and deferred my PDC entry to 2017.

Thankfully all I lost through that were the deferral fees, my Princes 5K fee and my Princess weekend pre-order pins (I was too sad to make the trip to WDW and be there with the races going on when I couldn't participate - I had booked flights through Southwest, so I moved those for free and was able to cancel my resort reservation). I'm so glad runDisney still had deferrals at that time, because otherwise I would have been out a LOT of money.

As much as I hate that I missed these races and feel like I wasted the money, deciding not to participate was not something I took lightly. I'd say each time it was the right decision.

 

[Anisum]

QOTD: Have you ever registered for a race and at some point along your training decided that it may be within your best interest to not run the race? What factors contributed to that decision?

I've only ever reached the point of actually backing out of a race once. It was a few weeks ago when I first got tendinitis that I was supposed to run a race that would assist my friends in getting their PoT in for GSC. I was still in pain at that point so I told them I had to back out and let it heal. Twice, I've considered not running a race and still run it however those were more conditions based the morning of. They included a 10 miler in a downpour and a 5k with flooding. I ran them both because I was healthy enough to do so but they were a pain because rain running is the worst.

 

[gjramsey]

ATTQOTD: I have signed up for a race before, and had to change to a different race in the series due to conflicting activities on the original scheduled weekend.

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: Have you ever registered for a race and at some point along your training decided that it may be within your best interest to not run the race? What factors contributed to that decision?

No, I've never had that happen. I run mostly Disney so that probably contributed to that.

 

[Miranda]

ATTQOTD: I haven't backed out of any races before, although some of the longer ones this year maybe I should have, they were so tough with my relative lack of training. I am pretty proud of myself for not bailing out on some of them due to weather. I had a LOT of bad weather races this year, multiples in the rain. It's easy to power through a 5K in the rain, but it's a lot harder when you are a 2:45-3:00 half marathoner to face slogging through the rain for that amount of time.

I am contemplating joining a winter running group. This is hard for me, as I am a RL introvert, even though I will chat all day long on the internet. I do not know anyone in this group, but they have a Wednesday evening 45 min run and Saturday morning 60 min run group. I am planning on trying to increase my running this winter to 4 days of running (Tu/W/Th/Sa) so this fits in well, the only issue is that I usually do dog agility with our dog on Wednesday evenings so I wouldn't be able to go for the next couple weeks (she doesn't have agility tonight due to the holiday). Her Wednesday class fits into my evening schedule better than Thursday normally (the other day that her level of class is offered) but I could probably switch her class night after this session. I have a Thursday obligation at 7pm, and class is at 5:30, so I could make it barely or just be a tiny bit late to my other thing, whereas class on Wednesday is at 6:30, so there is no way I could do a 6:00 run group and class.

I have always been hesitant about joining a running group because I'm slow and I run/walk, so I don't even know if I'd actually be running WITH anyone. That and the introvert thing. Well right now all of that AND the fact that I have barely run in the past 4.5 weeks... I have not run since my HM on 11/13, and before that I only ran 2 short 2.5-3 mile runs between that and my HM that was on 10/23. I have surely lost a lot of endurance, and 45 min sounds like a long time, even though I just ran/walked for 185 minutes a little over a week ago.