The Running Thread - 2016

[LSUlakes]

Today is my last day in the office before the move, so my time online will be limited due to the many task I need to take care of.

This week we have the following folks with races:
30 - @Dis5150 - Crawfish Crawl 10k (NG / N/A)
30 - @surfde22 - Get in Gear 10k (Sub 48:00 / N/A)
30 - @dashofsunshine - Wicked Wine Run 5k (NG / N/A)
30 - @Miranda - Children's Museum of NH 5K (35:00 / N/A)
30 - @DIS-OH - Cap City Half Marathon (NG / N/A)
30 - @roxymama - Flying Pig Cincinatti, OH 10k (NG / N/A)
May
01 - @Diskidatheart - Pittsburgh Half Marathon (Sub 2:00:00 / N/A)
01 - @Anisum - Run the Vineyards 10 Miler (2:15:00 / N/A)
01 - @Mickey's sweetheart - Colorado Half Marathon (NG / N/A)

If you would like to revise your goal time let me know. Good luck to all of you!

 

[Chaitali]

Good luck to everyone with races this weekend! @DIS-OH and @roxymama I'd love to hear what you end up thinking of those races. I am considering one of those for next year.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

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?

I'm currently working on my Achilles. I ran the Dark Side challenge on it without any trouble, or making it worse, even with a decent result in half (which I know would have been a lot better without the crowd at the back). It's pretty minor. I only feel it occasionally, and can do the eccentric drops protocol without any pain, but until it passes the pinch test, I will continue to keep a close watch over it.

Over the past year, I feel like I've had it all, though. IT band, PF, insertional Achilles, extensor tendinitis (left big toe only. Weird.), cuboid syndrome, slight calf strain, a bit of runners knee, and I might be forgetting something. I've just been real aggressive strengthening whichever weakness has caused each of these so they haven't lasted too long, and I stop the moment something doesn't feel right.

So I've missed a lot of training, until the 2 months before Dark Side, when I introduced some really good strength and flexibility training. I feel like that has helped me a lot. That and learning to take it easier when I do run.

 

[Barca33Runner]

You can add me for Dopey on the first post if you want.

 

[croach]

Me and my husband are in for Goofy again this year. Woohoo!!!

Question for anyone here who has dealt with knee issues. I mentioned on the ATTQOTD about injuries that I'm fighting my knee right now. I think it is some tendonitis that I ignored until it turned into more of a tendon strain or something. So, it's steadily improving, but still not 100%. I've stayed off running for about 10 days so far. Planning to go at least 2 weeks and maybe more before I try running again. Once I do think it's ready for running again, I'm debating if I should wear some kind of knee compression sleeve or something to give myself some added support. I'm worried about reinjuring it, but I've also read that sometimes using those sleeves can stop the injury from fully recovering. Any input? Would you wear one? I suspect for me it might be more of a placebo effect making me feel "safer" once I start running again.

My thought would be if your healed enough to where the knee doesn't hurt then the sleeve can only add stability and peace of mind. I have often subscribed the placebo effect be it with an IT band or currently an ankle sleeve. I could see the knee sleeve not helping if your still hurt and just trying to grit through the injury. I have read some articles about the value of compression sleeves/socks overall but that's probably different then what your talking about. I hope the knee feels better soon!

 

[camaker]

Me and my husband are in for Goofy again this year. Woohoo!!!

Question for anyone here who has dealt with knee issues. I mentioned on the ATTQOTD about injuries that I'm fighting my knee right now. I think it is some tendonitis that I ignored until it turned into more of a tendon strain or something. So, it's steadily improving, but still not 100%. I've stayed off running for about 10 days so far. Planning to go at least 2 weeks and maybe more before I try running again. Once I do think it's ready for running again, I'm debating if I should wear some kind of knee compression sleeve or something to give myself some added support. I'm worried about reinjuring it, but I've also read that sometimes using those sleeves can stop the injury from fully recovering. Any input? Would you wear one? I suspect for me it might be more of a placebo effect making me feel "safer" once I start running again.

If it were me, I'd probably wear one for a while, at least. In this case, it's important to keep in mind that you are not using the sleeve to try to reap any performance benefits from the compression, which is where a lot of the research into compression gear has focused and been, at best, inconclusive. The advantages to the sleeve at this point in your recovery are that it provides additional support to the knee joint when you have a tendon not performing up to 100%, it provides a passive warmth to the joint during the initial stages of exercise, and it provides a "reminder" to the joint and muscles to maintain proper alignment. I have ongoing knee issues from the pounding they took playing Ultimate frisbee, and eventually resulted in a torn meniscus and surgery. My PT advised me to use a knee sleeve for the 2nd and 3rd reasons above. I don't think you are going to see any deleterious effects from using one and, as you say, may provide you a feeling of safety while you regain confidence in the joint.

 

[Miranda]

My achilles/calves have been bugging me since my race on Sunday, especially my left one, so I think I'll just say 35:00 again for this weekend's 5K, same as a couple months ago. It's just achy/sore at my lower calf/achilles, not sharp pain sore, so I'm not too worried about it. I think it's just a combo of my slacking off in training this spring (I have been doing all my weekend long runs but skipping my weekday ones) and road camber, since both my calves are sore, but only one is sore down in to the lower part and we were running on the left side of the road a lot for the race.

 

[opusone]

@LSUlakes, I have registered for a few more races this year:

May
28 - opusone - Western Springs Tower Trot 10k (46:00 / N/A)

June
10 - opusone - La Grange Rocks 5k (22:00 / N/A)

October
23 - opusone - Naperville Half Marathon (1:40:00 / N/A)

Thanks!! Good luck on the move!

 

[DOOM1001]

Would anyone run a half marathon on a path in the middle of the Everglades with alligators right there that can come and go right on the path with you?Living down here this part of Everglades national park is known as Shark Valley and has a tram tour and is also popular with bicyclists since its around a 15 mile loop.I've done the bike ride and you see no fewer than 40-50 gators right up on the path or on the grass next to the path.Riding a bike I have no problem with but in my mind the path not being that wide what would happen as a large crowd of runners comes upon a gator.I had thought to myself with the loop being 15 miles that they should do a half there and yesterday while looking at the newly listed races on runningintheusa.com I saw it listed.Its an inaugural race and since its on my brothers wedding day I don't think I'll be running it,but I'm not ruling it out either,I wonder how many of you would do this race?The registration seemed a bit high at over $100 but I can understand that they don't want a huge race for not only the reason I stated above but that there's just not a lot of parking there.The website mentions a shuttle but doesn't go into detail of where the parking will be,I'll assume at the Indian casino about 18 miles east.There's a lot of videos of people riding bikes there on YouTube.

https://m.facebook.com/evergladeshalfmarathon/

 

[SunDial]

Would anyone run a half marathon on a path in the middle of the Everglades with alligators right there that can come and go right on the path with you?Living down here this part of Everglades national park is known as Shark Valley and has a tram tour and is also popular with bicyclists since its around a 15 mile loop.I've done the bike ride and you see no fewer than 40-50 gators right up on the path or on the grass next to the path.Riding a bike I have no problem with but in my mind the path not being that wide what would happen as a large crowd of runners comes upon a gator.I had thought to myself with the loop being 15 miles that they should do a half there and yesterday while looking at the newly listed races on runningintheusa.com I saw it listed.Its an inaugural race and since its on my brothers wedding day I don't think I'll be running it,but I'm not ruling it out either,I wonder how many of you would do this race?The registration seemed a bit high at over $100 but I can understand that they don't want a huge race for not only the reason I stated above but that there's just not a lot of parking there.The website mentions a shuttle but doesn't go into detail of where the parking will be,I'll assume at the Indian casino about 18 miles east.There's a lot of videos of people riding bikes there on YouTube.

https://m.facebook.com/evergladeshalfmarathon/

You know this sounds rather interesting. I can see why they would not want a large crowd. Have to admit it would scare the daylights out of someone if they cramped up or tripped and fell. Then think about the volunteers that will be working water stations. I think this day is during a big drag racing event I will be working at. If not, It would be an hour drive south.

 

[ZellyB]

My thought would be if your healed enough to where the knee doesn't hurt then the sleeve can only add stability and peace of mind. I have often subscribed the placebo effect be it with an IT band or currently an ankle sleeve. I could see the knee sleeve not helping if your still hurt and just trying to grit through the injury. I have read some articles about the value of compression sleeves/socks overall but that's probably different then what your talking about. I hope the knee feels better soon!

If it were me, I'd probably wear one for a while, at least. In this case, it's important to keep in mind that you are not using the sleeve to try to reap any performance benefits from the compression, which is where a lot of the research into compression gear has focused and been, at best, inconclusive. The advantages to the sleeve at this point in your recovery are that it provides additional support to the knee joint when you have a tendon not performing up to 100%, it provides a passive warmth to the joint during the initial stages of exercise, and it provides a "reminder" to the joint and muscles to maintain proper alignment. I have ongoing knee issues from the pounding they took playing Ultimate frisbee, and eventually resulted in a torn meniscus and surgery. My PT advised me to use a knee sleeve for the 2nd and 3rd reasons above. I don't think you are going to see any deleterious effects from using one and, as you say, may provide you a feeling of safety while you regain confidence in the joint.

Thanks so much to both of you. I'll think I'll give it a try once I start running again and see how it goes.

 

[Shumshine]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this... BUT I'm sure most of us remember the amazing FULL HOUSE series... and we know that Kimmy Gimbler runs...

I just stumbled upon this Virtual Run / 40th Birthday celebration

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/andrea-barber-40-mile-birthday-run-tickets-24938963110

Just thought I'd share - as I didn't even know that these "virtual runs" are a thing now

 

[Waiting2goback]

Would anyone run a half marathon on a path in the middle of the Everglades with alligators right there that can come and go right on the path with you?Living down here this part of Everglades national park is known as Shark Valley and has a tram tour and is also popular with bicyclists since its around a 15 mile loop.I've done the bike ride and you see no fewer than 40-50 gators right up on the path or on the grass next to the path.Riding a bike I have no problem with but in my mind the path not being that wide what would happen as a large crowd of runners comes upon a gator.I had thought to myself with the loop being 15 miles that they should do a half there and yesterday while looking at the newly listed races on runningintheusa.com I saw it listed.Its an inaugural race and since its on my brothers wedding day I don't think I'll be running it,but I'm not ruling it out either,I wonder how many of you would do this race?The registration seemed a bit high at over $100 but I can understand that they don't want a huge race for not only the reason I stated above but that there's just not a lot of parking there.The website mentions a shuttle but doesn't go into detail of where the parking will be,I'll assume at the Indian casino about 18 miles east.There's a lot of videos of people riding bikes there on YouTube.

https://m.facebook.com/evergladeshalfmarathon/

This would not be appealing to me. If you told me there was a chance an alligator might show up, that would be one thing. The fact there are 40-50 hanging out is a recipe for disaster. Running will be no fun with a missing leg.


So I came across this article on Facebook today and I thought I would throw it out there for conversation. The article is called "Breaking Up with runDisney" just in case it isn't right on top when you open it like it is now. I can't help but think they are right considering that as of right now Dopey, Goofy, the full and 1/2 marathons (20th anniversary) aren't sold out yet. Dopey and the 1/2 usually sell out quickly so this is surprising to me.

Dumbo and DL 1/2 aren't sold out yet
Infinity Gauntlet and Avengers 1/2 aren't sold out
Tinkerbell wasn't sold out as of a couple days ago

I guess I am just wondering if people are starting to expect more for their money on these races and that's why they aren't selling out quite like they used to?

http://teamshenanigans.org/

 

[Miranda]

I seem to remember that Avengers wasn't sold out until very late last year, either.

Last year was my first year of runDisney, so I'm not as familiar with how fast things sell out. I did Tink and W&D. IIRC, Tink didn't sell out right away, although it did eventually after a couple months maybe? But W&D went fast, of course. My experiences with rD were overall good, although there were definitely some glitches and frustrations.

I do think they could give you a little more for your registration dollars than a t-shirt and an itty bitty Clif bar. Oh I guess there was that little mesh backpack at Tink, too. After all, in addition to the race fee, most of us are dropping some serious cash to stay there before or after the races. That is the real reason I can't register for all the races though... I simply don't have enough vacation funds to be able to afford to travel to the races + race fees + hotel/food/tickets/etc that often.

 

[keahgirl8]

No. It's quite painful for the first mile or two and then gets better. Wearing a compression sleeve on that calf helps.

That's good. My PT always tells me to stop immediately if pain increases.

 

[croach]

They have added a few races lately and then the additional challenges. They may have overextended themselves with races and now people have to make choices as to which ones to do. But they still are bringing in a lot of people regardless of selling out or not. And as far as what you get - most races don't give you more then a t-shirt it seems. Granted most don't charge Disney prices.

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

Would anyone run a half marathon on a path in the middle of the Everglades with alligators right there that can come and go right on the path with you?Living down here this part of Everglades national park is known as Shark Valley and has a tram tour and is also popular with bicyclists since its around a 15 mile loop.I've done the bike ride and you see no fewer than 40-50 gators right up on the path or on the grass next to the path.Riding a bike I have no problem with but in my mind the path not being that wide what would happen as a large crowd of runners comes upon a gator.I had thought to myself with the loop being 15 miles that they should do a half there and yesterday while looking at the newly listed races on runningintheusa.com I saw it listed.Its an inaugural race and since its on my brothers wedding day I don't think I'll be running it,but I'm not ruling it out either,I wonder how many of you would do this race?The registration seemed a bit high at over $100 but I can understand that they don't want a huge race for not only the reason I stated above but that there's just not a lot of parking there.The website mentions a shuttle but doesn't go into detail of where the parking will be,I'll assume at the Indian casino about 18 miles east.There's a lot of videos of people riding bikes there on YouTube.

https://m.facebook.com/evergladeshalfmarathon/

That sounds terrifying! And good point to the person who mentioned the volunteers just standing there and people who may get injured or fall. The Everglades seems like a beautiful, picturesque place, but running a half marathon among dangerous creatures does not sound too good.

So I came across this article on Facebook today and I thought I would throw it out there for conversation. The article is called "Breaking Up with runDisney" just in case it isn't right on top when you open it like it is now. I can't help but think they are right considering that as of right now Dopey, Goofy, the full and 1/2 marathons (20th anniversary) aren't sold out yet. Dopey and the 1/2 usually sell out quickly so this is surprising to me.

Dumbo and DL 1/2 aren't sold out yet
Infinity Gauntlet and Avengers 1/2 aren't sold out
Tinkerbell wasn't sold out as of a couple days ago

I guess I am just wondering if people are starting to expect more for their money on these races and that's why they aren't selling out quite like they used to?

http://teamshenanigans.org/

I haven't read the article, but it's interesting to see how things are going. The addition of 10Ks and the challenges have definitely taken some of the pressure and demand off individual races like the half marathon (the title events of the weekends!) If RunDisney wants to continue to rake in the money, they should do something to allow themselves to add capacity to or the number of 10Ks, since no matter how the race weekends are selling, they are always the ones to go first (and still super quickly!) This is not surprising considering the type of people RunDisney draws in the most - the newer runners and those looking for a fun race over competition. 10Ks are the perfect distance for that, and for the people still looking to do halfs, the challenges are where they'll head.

 

[FFigawi]

Would anyone run a half marathon on a path in the middle of the Everglades with alligators right there that can come and go right on the path with you?Living down here this part of Everglades national park is known as Shark Valley and has a tram tour and is also popular with bicyclists since its around a 15 mile loop.I've done the bike ride and you see no fewer than 40-50 gators right up on the path or on the grass next to the path.Riding a bike I have no problem with but in my mind the path not being that wide what would happen as a large crowd of runners comes upon a gator.I had thought to myself with the loop being 15 miles that they should do a half there and yesterday while looking at the newly listed races on runningintheusa.com I saw it listed.Its an inaugural race and since its on my brothers wedding day I don't think I'll be running it,but I'm not ruling it out either,I wonder how many of you would do this race?The registration seemed a bit high at over $100 but I can understand that they don't want a huge race for not only the reason I stated above but that there's just not a lot of parking there.The website mentions a shuttle but doesn't go into detail of where the parking will be,I'll assume at the Indian casino about 18 miles east.There's a lot of videos of people riding bikes there on YouTube.

https://m.facebook.com/evergladeshalfmarathon/

I'd do it. Gators don't really bother people very much on land. We had several of them watching the run course during the Rocketman half iron tri last fall.

 

[Barca33Runner]

This would not be appealing to me. If you told me there was a chance an alligator might show up, that would be one thing. The fact there are 40-50 hanging out is a recipe for disaster. Running will be no fun with a missing leg.


So I came across this article on Facebook today and I thought I would throw it out there for conversation. The article is called "Breaking Up with runDisney" just in case it isn't right on top when you open it like it is now. I can't help but think they are right considering that as of right now Dopey, Goofy, the full and 1/2 marathons (20th anniversary) aren't sold out yet. Dopey and the 1/2 usually sell out quickly so this is surprising to me.

Dumbo and DL 1/2 aren't sold out yet
Infinity Gauntlet and Avengers 1/2 aren't sold out
Tinkerbell wasn't sold out as of a couple days ago

I guess I am just wondering if people are starting to expect more for their money on these races and that's why they aren't selling out quite like they used to?

http://teamshenanigans.org/

I read the article and think most of the things he mentions/emphasizes are realizations most of us have had over the years about rD. I only do WDW Marathon Weekend because I do think there can be a burnout issue with many of the undeniably capitalistic aspects of rD and Disney. Disney is a corporation for better or worse. You need only look at all of the live-action "reimaginings" of Classic Disney properties they just announced in anticipation of and response to the success of "The Jungle Book" to know that nothing is sacred if there is a dollar to be made. You've got to take the good with the bad.

I think the bigger issue with their registrations is oversaturation in the marketplace (both with their own races and overall) and a steady decline in the running boom that took place. When Tiger came on to the scene in golf there was a tremendous boost in interest in the sport. Many new players were buying equipment and lessons and frequenting courses, new courses popped up everywhere, and greens fees went through the roof. Then, gradually, the bandwagon and casual players jumped off and courses and equipment shops started lowering prices and eventually many started shutting down. That's just one example of a cycle that goes on everywhere and I tend to think is going on in endurance running right now.

RunDisney has a lot of things that they can do better and he hits on most of them; I know every race weekend I find at least a handful of things to gripe about. I'm just not sure that the decline in popularity isn't just the natural course of things. It is disheartening that rD does, in many ways, appear to be resting on their laurels and I hope they start being a little more proactive with their race weekends. I don't expect it, but I hope. In the meantime, for me and for one week every year, the good continues to outweigh the bad.

 

[DOOM1001]

I'd do it. Gators don't really bother people very much on land. We had several of them watching the run course during the Rocketman half iron tri last fall.

Having ridden my bike out there several times I've done research on gator attacks at this particular spot(Shark Valley),its been open since 1947 and in those almost 70 years its been open there's been one attack and that was a 9 year old boy who was playing around where he shouldn't and fell into the swamp on the side of the path and a gator got him,he did live though!!I'm trying to picture in my head if there are a few spots where the path widens up a bit in spots to put water stations and I think it does but even so I can't imagine this being a race with any more than 300 runners or so,its just not big enough and there are plenty of gators out there,near the midway point there's an overlook and a deeper swamp next to it literally has dozens of gators,(that you could see)!!If my brother wasn't getting married that same day I'd be in 100%.