The Running Thread - 2016

QOTD: What is the best sign you've seen while running a race? Spectators create some amazing signs and some very humeours ones to what are the best ones seen during races you have done?

During the Houston marathon, our hash group hands out beer at mile 24 to anyone who wants it. One guy is always there with a sign that says "You paid $100 to run this slow?!?"

Side note: we hand out a keg or two's worth of beer each year. Lots of thirsty runners by that point in the race.
 
ATTQOTD (from yesterday): My area is very very flat. Chicago races are generally pretty flat, but there are a few with a couple of big hills but nothing like what I've seen other people post about. I haven't focused a lot on hill training.

ATTQOTD: My favorite personal sign was my daughter made one for my husband and it was complete gibberish and scribbles of orange crayon on yellow construction paper that I wrote GO DADDY on top of in pen. She insisted we make it a "flag" so I taped a paper "handle" to it? Was sad looking. But we got a lot of smiles from runners as she held it in her stroller and repeatedly yelled "Yay run!" and "A GIRL!" anytime there was a woman. This was a tiny local race and we were the only ones on that particular corner about a 1.75 miles into the race.
Favorite sign I've seen while running was during RnR 5k last year in Chicago. A women was parked in a mobility scooter with a cardboard sign that just said "BEYONCE" and she was playing "Crazy in Love" on an old boom box very loudly. I have a feeling she probably wasn't even there for that race in particular as we were in the big park area of the run, that she was probably a pan-handler...but I loved it.

Can I ask a sub-question today? I'm sick...phlegmy and coughing...and have been sick for just shy of one week. I have a 10k next Sunday in Ohio that my plan was to run on feeling and not try for any kind of crazy time since we will technically be on vacation. A scenic, relaxing 10k with the hubby. (but prior to his I was in the best shape I've been in for over four years.) But now I am worried because I have not run since last Sunday where I only did 3 miles because I cut my LR short. What should I do? Attempt to run tomorrow at super easy pace? Keep resting? I can breathe great through my nose, I just have drainage into my throat which makes me cough like a maniac (TMI!) I should mention this is farthest distance for me this year as I did a 5k and 8k leading up to this so I wasn't doing loooong runs of over 5 miles yet. (I don't want to skip my race but understand I may be going way easier than normal, I'm just worried about what workout I need to do this week!)
 
QOTD: What is the best sign you've seen while running a race? Spectators create some amazing signs and some very humeours ones to what are the best ones seen during races you have done?
There were plenty of great signs to choose from running through the scream tunnel at Wellesley College...the "Kiss Me or I'll Vote for Trump" stood out as a good one. In fact, there were plenty of Trump-related signs that were good for a laugh this year. "If Trump can run so can you" and others to that affect.
 

Can I ask a sub-question today? I'm sick...phlegmy and coughing...and have been sick for just shy of one week. I have a 10k next Sunday in Ohio that my plan was to run on feeling and not try for any kind of crazy time since we will technically be on vacation. A scenic, relaxing 10k with the hubby. (but prior to his I was in the best shape I've been in for over four years.) But now I am worried because I have not run since last Sunday where I only did 3 miles because I cut my LR short. What should I do? Attempt to run tomorrow at super easy pace? Keep resting? I can breathe great through my nose, I just have drainage into my throat which makes me cough like a maniac (TMI!) I should mention this is farthest distance for me this year as I did a 5k and 8k leading up to this so I wasn't doing loooong runs of over 5 miles yet. (I don't want to skip my race but understand I may be going way easier than normal, I'm just worried about what workout I need to do this week!)

A good rule of thumb is that if you're sick above the neck, you can run. If you're sick below the neck, you'll be better off resting.
 
ATTQOTD (from yesterday):

Can I ask a sub-question today? I'm sick...phlegmy and coughing...and have been sick for just shy of one week. I have a 10k next Sunday in Ohio that my plan was to run on feeling and not try for any kind of crazy time since we will technically be on vacation. A scenic, relaxing 10k with the hubby. (but prior to his I was in the best shape I've been in for over four years.) But now I am worried because I have not run since last Sunday where I only did 3 miles because I cut my LR short. What should I do? Attempt to run tomorrow at super easy pace? Keep resting? I can breathe great through my nose, I just have drainage into my throat which makes me cough like a maniac (TMI!) I should mention this is farthest distance for me this year as I did a 5k and 8k leading up to this so I wasn't doing loooong runs of over 5 miles yet. (I don't want to skip my race but understand I may be going way easier than normal, I'm just worried about what workout I need to do this week!)

I gauge my running on fever. No fever, I go. Fever, I don't. I would probably take Mucinex round the clock to thin out the mucus. Right before running, I would take a cough suppressant. That's just me though. Definitely no medical advice.
 
I gauge my running on fever. No fever, I go. Fever, I don't. I would probably take Mucinex round the clock to thin out the mucus. Right before running, I would take a cough suppressant. That's just me though. Definitely no medical advice.

Mucinex is a good idea. I'm weirdly stubborn (or lazy maybe) about just riding colds out without taking anything. I need to grow up and take care of myself better. I'll stop by my drugstore today. My cold is 100% above the neck so I think trying a run tomorrow is a good idea...It's my long run pace day anyways which is generally an easy pace for me. (just frustrated that my body doesn't want to cooperate with my vacation/running)
 
QOTD: What is the best sign you've seen while running a race? Spectators create some amazing signs and some very humeours ones to what are the best ones seen during races you have done?
I am notoriously focused on running during my races but at the first 5k I ran there were signs made by the local winery hosting the race (I run for wine a lot because they're the main races in the area and well wine) that said 'Only x amount to go before wine'. Not very witty but it was what I needed during that first race.
 
Also a question from a fairly new runner - in a race, if you're running intervals where do you usually start?

Running around my parking lot I can usually get somewhere between a 10:30 to 11:00/mile pace (depending on effort, temperature, etc.) according to Runkeeper with 45sec/30sec intervals. I'm running my first 5k on Saturday and I want to keep up with the intervals but don't want to get in the way of people who are running the whole thing!

I'm also planning on intervals for my 10k and really just have no clue how to handle that in a setting with actual other people.

For some reason I just posted the quotes. So editing now to answer. :)

I usually try to get into my intervals right away, but sometimes when the course is really crowded that can be tough to do. If so, I try to scale back my running pace to a slower than normal interval pace and then wait for the chance to get into a spot that allows me to start intervals. In the vast majority of races, though, we can usually do that almost right away.

QOTD: What is the best sign you've seen while running a race? Spectators create some amazing signs and some very humeours ones to what are the best ones seen during races you have done?

ATTQOTD: Well, I'm not sure it was the best, but it added to my lexicon. When running at Disney one year, I saw one that say, "You go, Glenn Coco". It's a line from the movie Mean Girls which I had seen but never latched onto that particular line. After seeing it, I watched Mean Girls again and now I use it all the time. The things you learn running a marathon. ;)
 
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@LindseyJo22 I might be late responding to your question. But my very first 5k I was doing run/walk and I started at the very end because I did not want to get in the way. I did not realize (because it was all new to me) there were several hundred people strictly just walking leisurely for charity. So it took me awhile to get through all the walkers. Once I got through them I was able to do my intervals with a lot of open space because I was somehow in a bubble between everyone. I'd suggest not starting too too far back if you plan on doing a run interval off the get go. My A-personality side started checking the results pages of my local races from the previous year to gauge how walker heavy runs were to figure out how to seed myself in the start line...because talking to actual humans at the race was too scary for me at that time.
 
ATTQOTD: I also loved the Steve Harvey signs at the Disney marathon, especially the one that said, "Hurry up and get to the finish before Steve Harvey gives your medal to someone else."

At my half last weekend, there were these cute little boys that were holding signs that said "tap here for more power" and they were so excited every time someone tapped their sign, it made me smile! I love reading all the signs, it's a great distraction.
 
ATTQOTD: I've seen a lot of signs that make me laugh, smile, giggle, or just give me much-needed lift. One such sign was during my first half marathon, Wine & Dine 2013, there was a lady sitting in a motorized scooter outside Beach/Yacht Club at a god-awful time of night/morning handing out Starbursts with a sign saying, "Hello Complete Stranger I'm Proud of You Too." It wasn't until much later that I realized what a runDisney staple Peggy Sue was and now I look for her sign at Disney races because some people are carrying on her tradition - I saw it at last year's Princess Half and also during Marathon Weekend this year. It always warms my heart.

Also during Princess last year, my favorite was "Run like Gaston just proposed." and last weekend during Star Wars "I find your lack of deodorant disturbing."
 
@LindseyJo22 I might be late responding to your question. But my very first 5k I was doing run/walk and I started at the very end because I did not want to get in the way. I did not realize (because it was all new to me) there were several hundred people strictly just walking leisurely for charity. So it took me awhile to get through all the walkers. Once I got through them I was able to do my intervals with a lot of open space because I was somehow in a bubble between everyone. I'd suggest not starting too too far back if you plan on doing a run interval off the get go. My A-personality side started checking the results pages of my local races from the previous year to gauge how walker heavy runs were to figure out how to seed myself in the start line...because talking to actual humans at the race was too scary for me at that time.

I am a run/walker and I totally do this too! :)
 
ATTQOTD: There are always funny signs out on the course but I can't ever seem to remember any of them afterwards. We would go to talk about them and I just totally draw a blank.

So I guess I'll add some races to the schedule-

May 7 - Trail Nut Half Marathon
June 4 - Conquer the Cove 15k
Nov 12 - Richmond half marathon - goal of 1:28
 
Ugh... I'm going to have to take a race off the schedule...

June 4 Race 13.1 Raleigh - Spring

Registered for it before finding out my youngest daughter graduates from high school that day. Next we were told graduation was at 11:00, so I had my contingency plan to run the race at 7:15 and still make the ceremony. Today I get the official schedule that the ceremony is at 9:30! There's no way I could race and make that, even if I channeled my inner Meb!

Just to twist the knife a bit, too, this one was the final race of a local 3-race challenge series, of which I will have run the first two! Would she really miss me if I showed up at the end? I wonder. :)
 
@flvy do I have the below information correct? I believe this is for the month of November...

12 - flvy - Disney Avengers 10k (NG / N/A)
12 - flvy - Rock and Roll Las Vegas 5k (NG / N/A)
13 - flvy - Rock and Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon (NG / N/A)
 
Todays QOTD was submitted by a poster of this thread. I think its a good one! Any suggestions by anyone else, just send me a PM!

QOTD: What is the best sign you've seen while running a race? Spectators create some amazing signs and some very humeours ones to what are the best ones seen during races you have done?

The one that motivated me the most during a race was during a half marathon...It read "Make Mile 10 your *****!"...so I did :)


ATTQOTD - It was a sign being held around mile 12 or 25 (depending on if you were running the half or full) in Richmond in 2014. It said: It's too late in the race to trust that fart!

I'm not sure any sign is ever going to top that one.

That's my motto during any run!
 



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