The Running Thread - 2016

[Miranda]

QOTD: If I have to run indoors, then I drive to the gym because I don't have a treadmill. If I am running outdoors I just leave the house and go usually. I always run alone. We have a rail trail in town that I could drive to, but I'm not really much for out and back routes. I will plan routes that avoid retracing my steps at any cost, so the rail trail doesn't appeal to me. I suppose I could drive to a spot on it and run home, though, and then have my SO bring me back later to get my car.

I live about 2 miles from the center of our small ~30k city, so I have a lot of options for route planning in and around the city, which is also good for my long runs because we don't have outdoor fountains up here, so I need to plan routes that go by convenience stores or Dunkin Donuts... anything where I can buy another bottle of water to refill my 20 oz handheld. I am a slow runner so I'm out there a very long time for 10+ mile runs (my half race PR is 2:45 so that gives an idea of how long my long training runs can take ) and a very heavy sweater and will easily go through 60 oz in a long run during the warmer weather. If I were ever to start running more rural routes or trails, I would definitely need to get a Camelbak or similar.

 

[LSUlakes]

Did anyone else get into the Space Coast Half?? Probably going to be my 'A' race of the year as its the flattest of all the halfs I've signed up to and because my younger sister (who is slower than me) has said I don't have to run it with her and it can be her first solo race - I do love her! I've also never been to the states when its been Thanksgiving so looking forward to that!

Would you like me to add this race to the list on the first page? Any goals for it? Anyone else need to add this race to the list?

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

QOTD: For your runs, do you tend to run out the door or do you drive somewhere? When you do drive, what motivates you to do that? Is it terrain?... a change??? meet people??... So what's your story?/QUOTE]
It varies for me...I get in most of my runs just out the door from the office. I will also run right from my house for longer weekend runs. Finally I will drive to the trails to get in trail runs. A bit of everything for me...

 

[DopeyBadger]

QOTD: For your runs, do you tend to run out the door or do you drive somewhere? When you do drive, what motivates you to do that? Is it terrain?... a change??? meet people??... So what's your story?

I just head out the door. I stay inside my neighborhood so that I don't have to cross either of the highways. I can get any distance run in by winding through the streets. I also have a 0.66 mile loop that is relatively flat that I can do speed work on (sharp turns though). There are also many hills with long slow grades and short steep grades depending on the challenge I'm looking for. Also, the streets are 4 cars wide (2 for driving and 2 for parking) so I have a lot of space to avoid obstacles (snow/ice) or oncoming traffic. Another benefit to my run is that I am never more than 2 miles away from home. I have a spreadsheet posted in our house that details distance and time of the workout so that my wife always knows when I should be arriving home. If I don't show up, she knows she doesn't have to search to hard to find me since I'm just somewhere in a 2 mile radius on one of a few streets. I don't really get bored with it and all the neighbors know me by now. A few times people have come up to me when I'm far away from home and just doing daily things and they're like "Hey, you're that guy in Cottage Grove always running by my house", or "Hey, you're the Arby's runner. I see you every time I go to Arby's." I've been stopped in races too, it's kinda funny. I think I've logged about 4,000 miles in a 2 mile radius of the house.

 

[IamTrike]

QOTD: For your runs, do you tend to run out the door or do you drive somewhere? When you do drive, what motivates you to do that? Is it terrain?... a change??? meet people??... So what's your story?

ATTQOTD: During the winter I find myself driving to our office gym to run on the TM. It isn't ideal, but neither is starting a hour plus run at 7PM. Normally I just run from home where I can get in anywhere from 2 to 10 miles without covering the same ground to much. Now the weekends I drive to the "lakes" by campus. Its about a 20 minute drive, but it's full of people running and the group I try to run with usually meets in the area. I do enjoy running with a group, but it doesn't always work out. Could be because the type of workout they have planned is very different than mine or I just need to start earlier than the group to get back home.

My neighborhood is small so I can only get about a 1 mile loop in it. Most days I drive to get somewhere to run.

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: For your runs, do you tend to run out the door or do you drive somewhere? When you do drive, what motivates you to do that? Is it terrain?... a change??? meet people??... So what's your story?

I'm out the door I've never driven somewhere to run unless it was to use a treadmill because the conditions outside are not good. I also stay within my neighborhood area and on long runs just do loops of it. I usually run in a 1.5 mile loop that goes by my house otherwise I'll just run up and down the streets. It does get a little boring but I deal with it.

 

[roxymama]

QOTD: For your runs, do you tend to run out the door or do you drive somewhere? When you do drive, what motivates you to do that? Is it terrain?... a change??? meet people??... So what's your story?

Usually on weeknights (except the summer months when it is light outside later) I am running on a treadmill at Planet Fitness at 8:30pm and that is about a 1 mile drive from my house. But on too busy of Chicago street to run/walk there.
On weekends and on weeknights of the lighter months (aka heaven) I just run out my back door and around my neighborhood. I'm fortunate that there are several parks within a mile+ of my house so I can get some scenery mixed in. I also live less than a mile from a college campus and that can be nice to run around. When the weather is horrible, I just run a 1 mile loop in my neighborhood so that I'm always close to home.
I am also lucky that my house sits on two separate official 5k courses and so I can "train" for my local runs on the exact course if I want to.

 

[gjramsey]

ATTPQOTD: I will usually have to skip one or two long runs during a training cycle. My base is usually good enough where it does not seem to impact me. Does not seem to impact my mood too much as well. Weekday runs, I usually hit as scheduled, mostly early morning, but if I do sleep in a little, I will hit it after work.

ATTQOTD: Weekday runs, I am out the door running in the neighborhood. Weekend long runs I drive about 10 minutes away to meet up with the running club. Those runs we usually have groups starting at 4:30 to 6am, and the earlier starters will swing back by the meeting spot to pick up the later starters. Our long run group is usually between 5 to 15 strong, which helps in getting out the door to meet up. Hill work is usually a 20 minute drive to the county soap box derby hill. The Houston area does not lend itself well to hill training....

 

[RunDisneyDad]

ATTQOTD: I almost exclusively head out my back door and can find/create any distance and terrain. My house is uphill from every direction I choose to run, so I'm always finishing my runs going uphill.

The only exception is when I'm training for my local marathon. I'll drive down to the section of the course that has the final 6 miles and do workouts along that route.

@gjramsey I'm originally from Houston and trained for my first 2 marathons at Memorial Park, Allen Parkway Trails, River Oaks, etc...I loved how there were so many people and mental distractions.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

@roxymama how do you not run on the Lakefront Trail every single day??? I'll get in long runs down there almost every day I'm in Chicago, it is honestly one of my favourite places in the world to run!

 

[LSUlakes]

I'm originally from Houston and trained for my first 2 marathons at Memorial Park, Allen Parkway Trails, River Oaks, etc...

I am considering the Chevron Houston Marathon for my marathon this year. Any thoughts for or against running it?

Any other Texas runners or anyone who has run the Houston Marathon have any thing they would like to add about the race? TIA

 

[hotblooded]

QOTD: For your runs, do you tend to run out the door or do you drive somewhere? When you do drive, what motivates you to do that? Is it terrain?... a change??? meet people??... So what's your story?

Whether at home or traveling for work, I almost always jog right out the front door. Sometimes, I'll take a look on google maps if I'm in a new area to choose a direction or a turnaround point, but often I'll just run in the direction of a neighborhood that looks interesting. It's my favorite way to explore new place. I find that making a production of it and traveling to get to a run disincentivizes leaving the house. I'm surprised the majority here seem to agree.

 

[gjramsey]

I am considering the Chevron Houston Marathon for my marathon this year. Any thoughts for or against running it?

Any other Texas runners or anyone who has run the Houston Marathon have any thing they would like to add about the race? TIA

I have not run the full, but have run the half three times. The running club I am in had over 300 runners in both races this year.

I love that they use the GRB Convention center for pre and post race area. The marathon takes over the whole first floor and on the cold weather days, a nice place to stay warm before, or warm up afterwards. Of all the races I have done, this is a major plus for Houston.

The full and the half are together for the first 8 miles, and they meet up again around 11/24 for the final run down Allen parkway to the finish. Crowd support is amazing almost the whole race (this is from others I run with that have done the full). The half has about a 3 mile stretch when it is not part of the full course where crowd support drops.

The last 6 miles of the full comes through Memorial park and down Allen parkway, and there are enough little rolling hills (underpasses), that make you realize you have worked hard and is a good test for the mostly flat Houston area. Most races in Houston that start in the downtown area use this stretch of roadway for their course.

I am looking to do the full this year as my goal race.

I know there have been several years where they have run out of medals. Post race breakfast they serve has been consistently bland and not worth it!

The race is capped at 13,500 for the full and the same number for the half. They usually do come close to a sell-out, but usually have between 8000 to 10000 finishers for each race.

 

[RunDisneyDad]

Any other Texas runners or anyone who has run the Houston Marathon have any thing they would like to add about the race?

I ran the full waaayyyy back in 2001 and am 95% sure I'll be doing it in 2017! @gjramsey obviously has a more recent perspective on it than me, but I've followed it online the past couple of years. I love the course as its flat and goes through some really nice areas of Houston. Also, the weather tends to be perfect for racing. I've also noticed in watching it online the city really seems to embrace it and the crowd support along the course seems fantastic.

I think the next wave of registration opens up in May and sub 4:00 runners are guaranteed a spot.

 

[LSUlakes]

I have not run the full, but have run the half three times. The running club I am in had over 300 runners in both races this year.

I love that they use the GRB Convention center for pre and post race area. The marathon takes over the whole first floor and on the cold weather days, a nice place to stay warm before, or warm up afterwards. Of all the races I have done, this is a major plus for Houston.

The full and the half are together for the first 8 miles, and they meet up again around 11/24 for the final run down Allen parkway to the finish. Crowd support is amazing almost the whole race (this is from others I run with that have done the full). The half has about a 3 mile stretch when it is not part of the full course where crowd support drops.

The last 6 miles of the full comes through Memorial park and down Allen parkway, and there are enough little rolling hills (underpasses), that make you realize you have worked hard and is a good test for the mostly flat Houston area. Most races in Houston that start in the downtown area use this stretch of roadway for their course.

I am looking to do the full this year as my goal race.

I know there have been several years where they have run out of medals. Post race breakfast they serve has been consistently bland and not worth it!

The race is capped at 13,500 for the full and the same number for the half. They usually do come close to a sell-out, but usually have between 8000 to 10000 finishers for each race.

Thanks! I was looking at the site for the marathon and it looks like I missed early registration, but the next round opens up early May. The May registration period seems to have some requirements to enter at that time, one of which is corral A placement. Looking at the time cutoffs for the different distances, I wont have a problem getting in. A friend of ours lives near Houston and said he would run it... not sure if it would try pacing me to a low 3:10's or a miracle BQ if I can make some major progress over the summer I may be able to convince him to pace me. A 3:05 marathon for him is a walk in the park.

 

[LSUlakes]

While just rambling on... For the time being we wont add any 2017 races until the end of April. This should allow for anyone running WDW 2017 a chance to register and then it will be worthwhile to add Jan 2017 to the list. Thoughts?

 

[roxymama]

@roxymama how do you not run on the Lakefront Trail every single day??? I'll get in long runs down there almost every day I'm in Chicago, it is honestly one of my favourite places in the world to run!

Ahhh, I wish that I could! I am a little too far away right now...I'm on the south-side of the city and it is across the highway. But my husband works downtown and he does run it when it is nice out which I am jealous of.
When I was about 10 years younger I lived literally right off of it for a few years, but at that point I was not a runner. I wish I had a time machine to rectify that. BUT I have run it A LOT in races...so that counts right?

 

[gjramsey]

Corral A in needed for Houston to have a shot on fast time goals. There are only 4 corrals, and it took almost 40 minutes for the last runner to cross the start line.

I didn't bother with early registration this time either, but have registered the other times when the time requirement sign-up happens in May. I have been in corral A all three times. In A, it seemed like most people seeded themselves pretty well for pace.

 

[cavepig]

ATTQOTD - I usually just go out the door. I have hills right easily available in which way I go, can run to a park trail easily for longer days. It's just easier and then I don't have to sit in a car afterwards

 

[LSUlakes]

Corral A in needed for Houston to have a shot on fast time goals. There are only 4 corrals, and it took almost 40 minutes for the last runner to cross the start line.

I didn't bother with early registration this time either, but have registered the other times when the time requirement sign-up happens in May. I have been in corral A all three times. In A, it seemed like most people seeded themselves pretty well for pace.

Looked up the time requirement and I have races in the last year that meet them. I am guessing that it doesn't matter how much below you are because everyone ends up in the same corral and just goes near a pacing group or sign with anticipated goal finish time... these are the standards.

Marathon - Half Marathon - 10K
4:00:00 - 1:52:55 - 0:51:08