The Running Thread - 2016

[BuckeyeBama]

I said this phrase about 15 years ago, and guess what... I slowed down.

Yep - that's the life of a runner. You improve your times for about 10 years, then (depending on your age) maintain for a while, then comes the inevitable decline.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Yep - that's the life of a runner. You improve your times for about 10 years, then (depending on your age) maintain for a while, then comes the inevitable decline.

Father Time wins every race, eventually

 

[derekleigh]

QOTD: To keep things going a little with a Boston theme, what is your required BQ time?

ATTQOTD: 3:05:00 I have two and half years left to hit this mark. Goal is before I turn 35, or shortly after to go sub 3 hours.

Same answer as you -3:05 and I'm nowhere near that time. However I've only done one full and I paced it lightly, I probably could have pushed it and gotten down to 4:10. But it being my first full, I wanted to enjoy it. I think maybe in another 5-7 years I'll seriously consider trying to BQ. Maybe in 10 I'll finally do it.

 

[Slogger]

Love this thread! I just ran in the Monument Ave 10k with a group called Inclusive Racing. I helped push a disabled athlete in an adaptive stroller. I love running with IR. The next race I'm signed up for is the Richmond Marathon on November 12 this year.

How was the Monument Ave 10k? Hopefully weather was better than last year. I did Richmond Marathon last year and it was really fun. Are you from Richmond area?

This week is a big week for racing for the thread! Below is a list of folks with races. If you would like me to revise your goal, or if you are unable to run the race this weekend let me know and I will make the changes. Good luck to all!

15 - @Disneyland_emily - Star Wars Dark Side 5k (NG / N/A)
15 - @SueInBoston - Star Wars Dark Side 5k (NG / N/A)
15/16 - @gjramsey - Ragnar Austin Relay (goal - survival of the hills!)
16 - @Disney at Heart - Peach Jam Half Marathon (2:25:00 / N/A)
16 - SueInBoston - Star Wars Dark Side 10k (NG / N/A
16 - @camaker - Star Wars Dark Side 10k (NG / N/A)
16 - @opusone - Star Wars Dark Side 10k (53:00 / N/A)
16 - @SunDial - Star Wars Dark Side 10K (NG / N/A)
16 - @SplashRider - Star Wars Dark Side 10K (Sub 50:00 or NG / N/A)
16 - @DOOM1001 - Star Wars Dark Side 10k (1:10:00 / N/A)
16 - @Nole95 - Star Wars Dark Side 10k (N/A / N/A)
16 - @Berniemgr - Garmin Half Marathon (2:00:00 / N/A)
16 - @Diskidatheart - Little Boston Trail Half Marathon (1:50:00 / N/A)
16 - @dmross - Come See Me 5k (NG / N/A)
17 - @michigandergirl - Gazelle Girl Half Marathon (2:20:00 / N/A)
17 - @MommaoffherRocker - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (NG / N/A)
17 - @flvy - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (NG / N/A)
17 - SplashRider - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (1:52:00 / N/A)
17 - @NurseRunner - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (NG / N/A)
17 - @Mimsy Borogove - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (PR / N/A)
17 - SueInBoston - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (NG / N/A)
17 - camaker - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (2:15:00 / N/A)
17 - opusone - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (1:45:00 / N/A)
17 - SunDial - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (2:45:00 / N/A)
17 - Doom1001 - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (2:20:00 / N/A)
17 - @WhereInFlorida - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (1:50:00 / N/A)
17 - Disneyland_emily - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (NG / N/A)
17 - Nole95 - Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (N/A / N/A)
18 - @CheapRunnerMike - Boston Marathon (3:10:00 / N/A)

Best of luck to everyone. Have great races and enjoy your bling!!

QOTD: To keep things going a little with a Boston theme, what is your required BQ time?

ATTQOTD: 3:05:00 I have two and half years left to hit this mark. Goal is before I turn 35, or shortly after to go sub 3 hours.

My time is 3:30 so I guess that makes me pretty old compared to some of you. Think I have a decent shot at making it in about 10 years.

 

[Slogger]

ATTQOTD from a few days ago about what we wear for training vs. events: I wear just about anything for training but save my nicer shoes for events.
I also tend to wear the official race shirt DURING that particular event . I know that's taboo for lots of people to wear something new on race day but I like it and it makes for some great pictures.
I'm such a rebel!!!

 

[Slogger]

On a side note: they released the rock n roll Chicago medals and I'm geeking out about the ferris wheel design that I will get to earn in July. I will be hot but I will get my bling!

Those are super cool.
#jealous

 

[Slogger]

Hi everyone!

Love the community spirit here and finally got the nerve to post.

Welcome to The Running Thread.
It's a great way to share running info and tends to be very addictive!

 

[ebradley23]

How was the Monument Ave 10k? Hopefully weather was better than last year. I did Richmond Marathon last year and it was really fun. Are you from Richmond area?

Hahaha! It's was just as bad this year as last - maybe worse. In the 30's and we actually had a gust of snowfall. At least last year was sunny.

I do live in RVA. Been here for about 10 years. Monument Ave is the reason I started running. It's such a fun event - even when the weather is less than cooperative. Last year's Richmond Marathon was my first marathon. Are you from here too?

 

[gjramsey]

QOTD: To keep things going a little with a Boston theme, what is your required BQ time?

ATTQOTD: Turning 50 this years gives me 5 more minutes. 3:30. Jan Houston Chevron is going to be my goal race of the season to attempt this number.

 

[Slogger]

Hahaha! It's was just as bad this year as last - maybe worse. In the 30's and we actually had a gust of snowfall. At least last year was sunny.

I do live in RVA. Been here for about 10 years. Monument Ave is the reason I started running. It's such a fun event - even when the weather is less than cooperative. Last year's Richmond Marathon was my first marathon. Are you from here too?

Haven't done Monument Ave 10k yet but want to. I am in Richmond 1 day a week for work and live about 2 hours North.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Whoops guess I need to update my race calendar- cause we added the Legoland 5k on Saturday (so it's 5k/5k/half) no real time goals- Id love to finish Star Wars 5k under 50 but it'll be close, Legoland time goal is 60 (we have 2 injured team members) half will be finishing (team member coming in under trained and 2 days after due date for masters dissertation so I'm just hoping she'll have slept even a little by Sunday..)

But I did just hit 300 miles logged for the year (and 700 charity miles logged for the year) so all is well

 

[Waiting2goback]

About 7 or 8 years ago, after my life forced me to take a break from running for a few months, I started up again. I started running again by run/walking this 5 mile loop in my country neighborhood, which included a vicious hill. At the top of the hill sits a huge farm/nursery. Sure enough, one morning there is this man and his son sitting in their truck in the parking area, and the man is heckling me. At first I wasn't sure that I had heard him right, so I walked over to his truck and asked what he said. He was surprised and acted like I was accosting him, but his son repeated what his father had said - "Stop pretending to be a runner if you can't run up that hill".

I smiled at the boy and thanked him, then told the father that at least I was trying and went about my day. For a couple of years I used his comment to motivate me every time I got to that hill - sometimes I still do when running repeats up that hill. It hurts to be heckled no matter what you look like, but it turns out that his snide remark helped me far more than it hurt.

Turn it around and use it in a positive way. The hecklers are out there, always looking to make themselves look bigger by making others look smaller. It is a game that you can only win if you refuse to play. Just smile and keep on truckin'.

I have found that people usually put other people down out of fear, unless they are just plain nasty people. Most people say I am crazy for this running thing I do but I think they are just afraid to try it and don't get the benefits I (we) receive from it. It is fear of the hard work, fear of failing, fear of change, etc... Think about it, how could you heckle someone who was climbing a huge hill like that, it makes no sense. Someone is out trying to improve themselves and you make fun of them??? For the original person who posted about being heckled, I am sorry you had to hear that. I am sorry you don't feel pretty when you run. I don't know what you look like but I will tell you that I am proud of you for making a change in your life and attempting to become a better person. I don't care how you look when you run!

Thanks CheapRunnerMike. It's amazing what a retired school teacher can do once she has the time to train! Wondering if I should sign up for Dopey next week. The marathon almost kicked my butt in January, not in terms of injury, but in that I really struggled through the last 5-6 miles and have never been more tired in my life! It took me about 40 minutes longer than my fairly slow goal time of 5:15, so I was a little disappointed. I am trying to talk myself into it.

I am trying to talk myself into doing Goofy this year as well. I am getting divorced so I am not sure I should spend the money on it this year, so it's a bit different for me, but I say do it. As for being tired during the marathon, well yeah, it's a marathon and it turns out marathons are pretty hard. If you weren't tired I would think there may be something wrong with you. I ran it, I was tired.

Business trip, so I'm not paying, but I totally get what you are saying. I (my company) have paid over $600/night for a bad room in Boston during some weeks.

Boston is expensive. Try to find a parking lot for less than $50.


QOTD: I believe my BQ is 3:15. I will keep trying to qualify as soon as I can but what will most likely happen is I will end up having to wait until I hit 45 and my time goes up 5 more minutes. I have really considered doing the charity route for 2017 but the thought of raising $5000 seems more daunting than qualifying.


I have been so slow lately in my runs, I don't know why, possibly because of the cold weather all winter. Tonight I went out for a run after work. The run started at 9pm and I was tired so I wasn't expecting much. I am into my first lap around the neighborhood I run at night and I am flying. I'm like, what the heck is going on here. I just kept going and it was one of those easy runs where you feel great and everything is perfect. I just had to share because I was so excited. It probably means my next few runs will be slow and painful, that's how it usually happens.

 

[keahgirl8]

Yes, when I train I run in a variety of colors but for races (with the exception of back to back races such as Disney) I wear purple. My family who comes to my races generally expects me in purple and will complain if I don't wear it. I also generally wear tanks and capris for races (with possibly a jacket) but in the winter I will wear pants and long sleeves if it's not a race.

It's funny you mention that! I usually wear a bright pink hat. 1. Pink is my favorite color. 2. I got a bunch of pink hats on clearance at Target. I did a race where I was wearing something that wouldn't go with the pink hat (it's rare, but it does happen occasionally). My mom almost couldn't find me crossing the finish line! lol

QOTD: To keep things going a little with a Boston theme, what is your required BQ time?

ATTQOTD: 3:05:00 I have two and half years left to hit this mark. Goal is before I turn 35, or shortly after to go sub 3 hours.

3:35...Haha! That's only about 36 minutes over my HALF marathon PR. lol

 

[Rattpack]

QOTD: To keep things going a little with a Boston theme, what is your required BQ time?

ATTQOTD: 3:05:00 I have two and half years left to hit this mark. Goal is before I turn 35, or shortly after to go sub 3 hours.

Also would need a 3:05. Doing my first marathon at NYC in November and won't be anywhere close to that

 

[Anisum]

ATTQOTD: I'm 3:35:00 which is conveniently nearly as long as it takes me to complete a half marathon. I still have several years in that range though so maybe one day I'll get fast enough but realistically it's improbable.

 

[Chaitali]

@LSUlakes Thank you so much for keeping this thread going! I have some more races to add to the list as well.

May 21 - Chaitali - Semper Fi 5k (Sub 00:35:00 / NA)
June 11 - Chaitali - Lawyers Have Heart 10k (Sub 01:20:00 / NA)
October 09 - Chaitali - Army 10 miler (NG/NA)
December 03 - Chaitali - Race 13.1 Baltimore Half Marathon (Sub 02:57:00 / NA)

 

[LSUlakes]

ATTQOTD: Turning 50 this years gives me 5 more minutes. 3:30. Jan Houston Chevron is going to be my goal race of the season to attempt this number.

I will be joining you for this race as well. Shooting for the stars!

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: What are your thoughts on races/events that aren't your standard road race or trail race? (ie Color Run, Obstacle Course, Foam Run, ect) If you have run one, what was your experience like?

ATTQOTD: I have not tried any of them out. The only strange race I have done is a beer mile. I think they are great for getting people who may not otherwise start running to get out the door, but for some of these races they turn into pub crawls which kinda defeats the purpose. I am not much of a trail runner either, back in HS CC the courses went through woods, rice fields, ect which I enjoyed, but I just haven't had much interest in them since returning to running.

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: What are your thoughts on races/events that aren't your standard road race or trail race? (ie Color Run, Obstacle Course, Foam Run, ect) If you have run one, what was your experience like?

I haven't run a non standard race but I think I would. I have a relative that coordinates the color runs in my area so I've been intrigued to do one of those.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

QOTD: What are your thoughts on races/events that aren't your standard road race or trail race? (ie Color Run, Obstacle Course, Foam Run, ect) If you have run one, what was your experience like?.

I did the Richmond Rugged Maniac mud run in 2012 and 2013. I had a blast! I went with a group of ladies, but once there, I decided to push myself and see how fast I could through all of the obstacles. I loved the energy and craziness of the participants both years too. After doing it twice though, I realized I had gotten all of the fun out of it there was and decided to stop doing the mud runs-- much to my kids' dismay, they LOVED seeing their Mom play in the mud!