The Running Thread - 2016

[Miranda]

I love racing for time, but I am 40 now and I am never going to be fast. I am just racing against myself. I am making gains and setting PRs only because I just started running again in Fall 2014 after like 20 years off. I am just not built to be a fast runner... I am 6'0" and a lot fluffier than I was as a gangly string bean high school student 20+ years ago. I will never come close to my 5K times back then... my official race PR was 24:03, but I was probably down to 22:00-23:00 when I was in my best shape. No Garmins back then to know!

 

[opusone]

I love racing for time, but I am 40 now and I am never going to be fast. I am just racing against myself. I am making gains and setting PRs only because I just started running again in Fall 2014 after like 20 years off. I am just not built to be a fast runner... I am 6'0" and a lot fluffier than I was as a gangly string bean high school student 20+ years ago. I will never come close to my 5K times back then... my official race PR was 24:03, but I was probably down to 22:00-23:00 when I was in my best shape. No Garmins back then to know!

I reset all my PRs when I turned 40, so I now have times to shoot for that weren't set 20+ years ago. I assume I will need to reset again when I am 60 or so.

 

[ZellyB]

Well if the weather is nice & if you are at the back, you will have gotten the best value/money's worth. Just think of all those speedsters wasting their money finishing too soon. (I kid, I kid!)

On one of our Disney marathons, we had custom shirts made that said, "We're not slow. We're just enjoying the course."

QOTD: Injuries happen from time to time. What was your last injury and what was the last problem? How long did it take to recover from it?

Well, I'm dealing with an injury right now. I've been fighting some tendonitis in my right knee for a couple of months and a little over a week ago, while out running I felt a pop in that knee with some immediate pain. I worried at first maybe I'd suffered a tendon or ligament tear, but a week of rest later and it seems to be improving some. Hoping another week or two will fix me back up. I guess pushing for that Half Fanatic status may not have been the best idea before starting the spring/summer training season.

I need to learn more like @BuckeyeBama said. I'm 51 (for a couple more months ) and my body definitely has some limitations that I need to respect. But, being stubborn is a chronic condition of mine and very hard to overcome.

 

[michigandergirl]

QOTD: Fortunately I haven't yet had any major injuries that required more than a week or two off. I do have a couple of nagging pains: 1) my left soleus muscle gets strained from time to time, especially after a lot of hill training, but I've learned that a combo of strength training and stretching has helped a lot 2) my right medial hamstring tendonitis sometimes flares up after runs over 13 miles, so I try to ice it afterwards and that seems to help, and when it doesn't I usually have to take a week off.

 

[SunDial]

QOTD: As our days are getting longer and the temps increase, we have more time to get our runs in outdoors when there is still sunlight out. Do you use sunscreen when you go out for a run?

Most of my running is in the evening so no sun screen needed. However I do use plenty of screen when outside.

 

[Miranda]

I reset all my PRs when I turned 40, so I now have times to shoot for that weren't set 20+ years ago. I assume I will need to reset again when I am 60 or so.

Yeah I am just counting everything from when I started running again.

 

[cavepig]

QOTD: Injuries happen from time to time. What was your last injury and what was the last problem? How long did it take to recover from it?

Piriformis syndrome hit last fall (mid Nov) leading to Dopey so had to really cut back and walk/run to get some mileage in (sitting was the pits, just awful). It also causes sciatic pain, which is just a pain! But, no, I'm not recovered 100%, but it's slowly recovering. I had deep tissue massage to work out the piriformis muscle last fall, that helped a ton. and now I know I need to not sit as long, take more walks randomly during the day and eventually it will recover all the way. I had sciatic issues years ago and took like 3-4 months or something off, it did heal but I was younger too, but not sure now if I need to take the time off versus alter things like I am now. I feel better getting up and running and walking then not doing anything, if I just sit it makes it worse. Luckily, no stress fractures or broken bones!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

ATTQOTD: I've been lucky so far, and haven't had a major injury that needed a trip to the Dr. or something like that. I have had a little bit of knee pain at the tail end of my half marathon training a couple of times. I also get knee pain if I do intense speed work. I am very scared of getting injured however. It has actually been the biggest thing stopping me from tackling a marathon. This is one reason I love this running thread. I can see that marathon training does not always equal injury. And I can see people come back from an injury and get back into running!

 

[Kathymford]

ATTQOTD: I rolled my ankle while training for my first half last year. I took about two weeks off at used ice and KT tape to help it heal. Every now and then it decides to get puffy if I do something weird with my shoes (laces too tight, etc). I seem to have a lot of trouble fining the perfect balance with my socks/laces, but part of that is my mutant feet.

I'm still struggling figuring out my next running goal. Luckily, my next race isn't until Dumbo in September, so I feel like I have some time. In the mean time, I'm just running for general fitness. I've decided to add in some sprints. I have this device called the MOOV NOW that you attach to your ankle that has different running programs and gives you audio cues and feedback kind of like a coach I guess, and one of the programs is sprints. So I'm going to try using that once a week to start ...

 

[Waiting2goback]

QOTD: I have only missed3-4 weeks because of plantar fascitiis last year. Other than that, nothing much for me.

Question for those with good memories. Any idea how quickly Goofy sold out last year? I don't think it was instantly but I can't remember how long?

 

[ZellyB]

I'm not sure about last year, but I know the year before Goofy didn't sell out at all until they did the Goofy giveback and they broke up some of the Goofy slots into solo half and full marathon slots. And that was even on the 10 year anniversary. I suspect Goofy may yet again be the last to sell out this year. Dopey really took a lot of the capacity out of the Goofy registrations.

But, don't get me wrong, I intend to be online at noon eastern tomorrow to register for Goofy regardless.

 

[camaker]

QOTD: I have only missed3-4 weeks because of plantar fascitiis last year. Other than that, nothing much for me.

Question for those with good memories. Any idea how quickly Goofy sold out last year? I don't think it was instantly but I can't remember how long?

Goofy sold out early to mid-June, if I remember correctly. I was hemming and hawing about upping my half registration to Goofy and ended up waiting too long and missing out.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

Question for those with good memories. Any idea how quickly Goofy sold out last year? I don't think it was instantly but I can't remember how long?

Goofy and the Marathon were the only ones that didn't sell out for early registration, so odds are it won't sell too quickly. Are you changing your mind???

 

[PrincessV]

Months for Goofy and full to sell out, as I recall, too. I know I switched from half to full in late May.

 

[croach]

ATTQOTD- severe ankle sprain during a trail race last year. Lost a lot of fitness while I was off and seemed to take forever to get it back.

 

[roxymama]

On one of our Disney marathons, we had custom shirts made that said, "We're not slow. We're just enjoying the course."

I love that! I think I'm starting to realize I have two types of races. Ones where the most important thing for me is to run to my best ability, maintaining an awesome tempo and kicking backside. And ones where (in your words) I am just enjoying the course. My last race I stuck with my training super well and focused everything I had on getting me to the best results for my race and I PR'd and got within 2 sec. of my secret goal and it felt wonderful. Now one week away from my next race and I had been sick for a week + so was not running to the planned distance or effort I had hope for and now my hubby is on business trip so I can't run again until Wed. But I'm amazingly not stressing like I thought I would. Bummed a little but not stressing. I'm in a weird zen place that I'm allowing myself to just enjoy this course. Run at my normal training pace and then see if my body wants to kick a little booty in the later miles. It's downtown Cincinatti along the river front. I'll get another crack at this distance twice within the next two months. I've been avoiding my race journal because I was sad I didn't have much to add other than "I ran shorter and slower than planned, repeat, repeat, repeat"

 

[DVCFan1994]

ATTQOTD: Most recent and frequently recurring injury is my IT Band. It was bad in January and February leading into GSC. I got through the races, but it was a struggle.

Overall, in the 4 years I have been running I have had plantar fasciitis twice, once I was dumb and ran on it anyway, causing a tear. I've also had peroneal tendinitis, calf tear, shin splints and an achilles strain. I have been totally sidelined only by the torn PF, which required a walking boot for a long period. Other injuries were all dealt with by scaling back mileage and avoiding hills, which is virtually impossible where I live. What I have learned is I train too hard too often. I just am not good at easy runs. I do almost all runs at tempo or hard pace, and I have paid for it. That is why I am getting a coach and trying to really work on heart rate training leading into my first full. My halfs at Disney all had the fallback of walking because I can walk a 16 minute mile, that won't be an option for my full, so I need to go into it ready to run the distance.

 

[ebradley23]

My 4 year old ran in the 1/4 mile kids run before my race. He ran hard the whole time. When I woke him up this morning, he went to jump out of bed as usual. He immediately grabbed his hamstring and said his legs were sore. I'm sure they were too. I didn't run nearly as hard as he did when I started, and there is no way I could complete a 1/4 mile full on sprinting back then.

 

[Dis5150]

Can I get some advice/input on my training schedule? I am following the JG Marathon schedule and just adjusted the dates for my 1st full marathon on Sept. 5th. This is what the next few weeks are supposed to look like:
5/15 Half Marathon
5/21 4 miles
5/28 15 miles
6/5 11.8 (Navy 10 Nautical miles)
6/17 17 miles
6/18 5 miles
6/25 6 miles
7/2 20 miles

Well I just got a good deal on a plane ticket to visit my daughter on Memorial Day weekend and seriously doubt I can get in a 15 mile run. I'm there 3 days and we are driving up to Denver to the Giants/Rockies games. Could possibly get in 10-12 miles, but then my schedule looks like this:

5/15 Half Marathon
5/21 15 miles
5/28 10-12 miles
6/5 11.8 (Navy 10 Nautical Miler)
6/17 17 miles
6/18 5 miles
6/25 6 miles
7/2 20 miles

Seems like a lot of long mile weekends with no step back weekends. Can someone chime in with any adjustments I should make? I really don't want to injure myself by trying to do to many miles too soon. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[opusone]

Can I get some advice/input on my training schedule? I am following the JG Marathon schedule and just adjusted the dates for my 1st full marathon on Sept. 5th. This is what the next few weeks are supposed to look like:
5/15 Half Marathon
5/21 4 miles
5/28 15 miles
6/5 11.8 (Navy 10 Nautical miles)
6/17 17 miles
6/18 5 miles
6/25 6 miles
7/2 20 miles

Well I just got a good deal on a plane ticket to visit my daughter on Memorial Day weekend and seriously doubt I can get in a 15 mile run. I'm there 3 days and we are driving up to Denver to the Giants/Rockies games. Could possibly get in 10-12 miles, but then my schedule looks like this:

5/15 Half Marathon
5/21 15 miles
5/28 10-12 miles
6/5 11.8 (Navy 10 Nautical Miler)
6/17 17 miles
6/18 5 miles
6/25 6 miles
7/2 20 miles

Seems like a lot of long mile weekends with no step back weekends. Can someone chime in with any adjustments I should make? I really don't want to injure myself by trying to do to many miles too soon. Any advice would be appreciated!

Are you racing the half marathon and/or Navy 10 NM? If you are racing both, then I would probably just reduce the 15 miler to the 10-12 that you think you can get in and leave everything else the same. If you are going to treat the races as easy long runs, then I would probably just switch the 5/21 4 miles with the 5/28 15 miles, so that you only run 4 miles when you are with you daughter.