The Running Thread - 2016

[alexksmith]

The Baby Boomers still out number you, but that won't be the case for much longer.

Oh yeah, Get off of my lawn!

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/

Not anymore, old-timer! The world is ours! If only we knew what to do with it.

 

[IamTrike]

So I've got another race to add to the list. I signed up for the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon om May 15th. It's my first half in Australia. I think you run around the course in the opposite direction there.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/

Not anymore, old-timer! The world is ours! If only we knew what to do with it.

No respect. No respect, I tell you.

 

[cburnett11]

I haven't posted in here in a while, but will hopefully get a little more engaged in the coming months. Please add October 9th Chicago Marathon for me. Goal time (perhaps this will change if training goes good or bad) of 3:59. Thanks!

 

[gjramsey]

. How do you train between plans? How do you select mileage goals to maintain fitness and avoid injury while getting ready for the next plan? I've generally just kept things within my 18-25 mpw comfort zone with 2-3 x 3-5 milers during the week and a 6-11 miler on the weekend depending on how I feel that week.

2. When it comes time to start a plan, I am usually running in excess of the mileage called for in the early plan weeks. Do you drop to the plan mileage and essentially start over or do you keep your baseline/interim training going and then pick up with the new plan when it starts to exceed that level? I've been a "keep doing what you're doing until called on to do more" runner thus far.

I was thinking something along the lines of these questions this morning. My goal race next season is Houston full in Jan. I got my confirmation for my qualifying time about 10 minutes ago.

1. I am going to try and keep my base between 25-30 mpw during the off-season with a long run of 10-13 miles. I have other races in Sept, Oct and Nov, but they will be used as part of my training plan for the full.

2. I don't drop down to the mileage planned when starting a plan, except for the long run. I will run the distance it calls for on the weekend.

 

[bellrae]

Rethinking my goals for this weekend. I signed up for a short race Saturday and a half on Sunday, but have since found out the short race is on at 8pm Saturday night (so only 12 hours before the half). Will see how I am feeling tomorrow, but may pike on the shorter race to ensure I am in a good place for Sunday morning.

On the upside, the weather here in Switzerland is perfect for running!

Hope the rain clears up for those at Tink.

 

[SunDial]

What age group is the Geritol Generation?

 

[Jing]

What age group is the Geritol Generation?

Not sure I could skew this anymore OT, buuuuut: One of my husband's colleague's, Warren Bobrow, is the grandson of the inventor of Geritol. He sometimes does seminars at Food & Wine festival, so he could give you a very amusing answer to that question.

As a Gen X cusper, I am very happy the masses went with "millennial" instead of "generation next" or "generation Y." When I started doing some clinical teaching a few years ago, I sat in on a great seminar where the speaker talked about teaching to a multi-generational classroom. One of the things that stuck out was the defining of generations according to coming-of-age tragedy.

Greatest: Peal Harbor
Boomer: JFK assisination
Gen X: Challanger
Millennial: 9-11
(turn of the century folks): (???)

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Not sure I could skew this anymore OT, buuuuut: One of my husband's colleague's, Warren Bobrow, is the grandson of the inventor of Geritol. He sometimes does seminars at Food & Wine festival, so he could give you a very amusing answer to that question.

As a Gen X cusper, I am very happy the masses went with "millennial" instead of "generation next" or "generation Y." When I started doing some clinical teaching a few years ago, I sat in on a great seminar where the speaker talked about teaching to a multi-generational classroom. One of the things that stuck out was the defining of generations according to coming-of-age tragedy.

Greatest: Peal Harbor
Boomer: JFK assisination
Gen X: Challanger
Millennial: 9-11
(turn of the century folks): (???)

My son would label this generation's tragedy, Donald Trump.

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

ATTQOTD: I don't usually have a mantra, I'm usually too busy looking around and getting distrac - SQUIRREL! But during the WDW marathon this year, I had a rough start mentally and was thinking negatively (let something little bother me) until I slapped myself upside the head (figuratively) and started chanting, "You can do this, you can do this." I was amazed at how quickly that adjusted my attitude!

 

[preciouspups]

We're so forgotten I rarely remember what we're called

I didn't know we were called anything!

 

[Waiting2goback]

QOTD: Do you have frequent mantras or motivational phrases that you say each race, training run, periodically? This may be a philosophical piece or just "go go go". I've heard of many that use this kind of thing to keep them going. Do you imagine a race, a condition or a person? What mental images, words or other habits motivate you?

ATTQOTD: For each race I take the approach of Pre with "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift". So each race may not be a PR, but I will give my best effort for that day. Then for training I like the "Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better be running!" If that fails, then there is youtube. For races, I try to learn as much about the route as possible so there isn't any surprises. I then imagine myself taking on the challenges of the course and my plan for difficult parts of the course. For WDW marathon this January I somehow missed the overpass around mile 20 ish, by that point my whole plan had fallen apart, but that overpass took a lot out of me and I was not prepared for it. With upcoming races, I plan to be more prepared to avoid the "Oh $h!&" moment.

I have a few things I do when a run or a race is tough. During training runs I listen to my podcasts and it helps keep me distracted but when I am struggling I have always pictured myself running toward the castle, Cinderella of course. So when I did finally run down Main St. in January it was so an awesome feeling.

When a race gets really tough I have two "go-to's". My future ex-wife told me roughly 3 years ago now that she didn't love me anymore because I was a fat, lazy, slob. So when I am struggling in a race I just replay that conversation in my mind. My legs would have to fall off to keep me from finishing at that point. And when I need music to help I play "Let It Go" and I just tell myself to let go of the pain, the fear, and all the stuff that has ever held me back.

 

[keahgirl8]

I'm so jealous of everyone at Tink this weekend. It was my first half marathon ever last year, and my first runDisney weekend! I had so much fun. Three ladies that I'd never met in person from a weight loss forum made a plan to get together and do the race. We had such a fun weekend (plus my and one other spouse were there too in a non-running support role ).

I'm jealous too! I keep saying I'll do Tink "next year," but for one reason or another, I haven't made it yet. I'm hoping for maybe 2018.

Interesting read. I don't mind so much if some of the boom dies off. Might halt some of the ever increasing entry fees and difficulty in getting into some races. And, good for millennials to be looking at a variety of things to remain fit. I should branch out more myself.

I don't mind either. I just hope that what's left are still plenty of people like me, who are in it for fun, and not only "competitive" racers.

QOTD: I hear Dory from "Finding Nemo" in my head but instead of saying, "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming." I hear "Just keep running, running, running". Sometimes it's an old Rich Mullins song "Step by step you lead me and I will follow you all of my days". It's encouraging and light and by the time I've sung all that in my head, I'm a little farther down the trail.

That's a good one! I actually use "Just keep swimming," as a life mantra sometimes! Before I race, I just take a deep breath and pray. My favorite thing to repeat to myself is Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Sometimes when it gets really hard and I don't think I can go on I repeat that verse to myself, and then repeat, "I can do ALL things. ALL things." During Princess 2015, I had a really rough race. I saw 2 people with that verse on their shirts.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/

Not anymore, old-timer! The world is ours! If only we knew what to do with it.

I guess I am on the cusp! According to that chart, I am between a Gen X-er and a Millenial.

 

[derekleigh]

QOTD: Do you have frequent mantras or motivational phrases that you say each race, training run, periodically? This may be a philosophical piece or just "go go go". I've heard of many that use this kind of thing to keep them going. Do you imagine a race, a condition or a person? What mental images, words or other habits motivate you?.

"Please let me sh**!"

And

"Lord, give me the strength to run to the best of my abilities"

(These are pre-race mantras)

 

[Miranda]

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/

Not anymore, old-timer! The world is ours! If only we knew what to do with it.

Wait, what? It's kind of late, and I'm on my way to bed because I have to get up and run in the morning, but I'm reading the description of Gen X and it says "Though the oldest Gen Xer is now 50, the Gen X population will still grow for a few more years. The Gen X population is projected to outnumber the Boomers in 2028 when there will be 64.6 million Gen Xers and 63.7 million Boomers. The Census Bureau projects that the Gen X population will peak at 65.8 million in 2018." I get that we'll outnumber Boomers as they die off, but how can our population possibly be growing when Gen X ended in the early 80's? Is a TARDIS involved somehow?

 

[alexksmith]

Wait, what? It's kind of late, and I'm on my way to bed because I have to get up and run in the morning, but I'm reading the description of Gen X and it says "Though the oldest Gen Xer is now 50, the Gen X population will still grow for a few more years. The Gen X population is projected to outnumber the Boomers in 2028 when there will be 64.6 million Gen Xers and 63.7 million Boomers. The Census Bureau projects that the Gen X population will peak at 65.8 million in 2018." I get that we'll outnumber Boomers as they die off, but how can our population possibly be growing when Gen X ended in the early 80's? Is a TARDIS involved somehow?

Immigration. It's how the millenials grew so fast. Or a TARDIS. It's hard to say which has the larger effect.

 

[Miranda]

Immigration. It's how the millenials grew so fast. Or a TARDIS. It's hard to say which has the larger effect.

Oh! I was totally not making the connection that they were talking about the population only in the US. You know, like the charts all are labeled.

Or the part in the beginning that I skimmed right past that mentions immigration.

 

[Baloo in MI]

QOTD: Do you have frequent mantras or motivational phrases that you say each race, training run, periodically? This may be a philosophical piece or just "go go go". I've heard of many that use this kind of thing to keep them going. Do you imagine a race, a condition or a person? What mental images, words or other habits motivate you?

Nothing too deep for me. In a race or a training run that I am struggling I circle back on two thoughts. One - This will end, and when it is over am I going to be happy with what I did. Two - You are what you do, not what you say you are going to do.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

(These are pre-race mantras)

I'm glad that the 1st is pre-race.

 

[ebradley23]

I just finished one of my worst runs in a long time, and all of y'alls mantras failed me. I tried them all ... except @derekleigh's. Nothing was helping me ignore the cramping from mile 8 on.