The Running Thread - 2016

[NJlauren]

Sorry about your toe. I may have missed it, but what is causing the issue?

Oh I just jammed it on a doorway on Tuesday morning.... Not even a running injury! Haha so im just waiting it out for now, swelling has gone down and seems to be improving.

I did a construction site visit yesterday and was able to walk the whole thing with no issue so hoping that's a good sign.

 

[Dis5150]

@LSUlakes so sorry for your loss! Sending prayers and thoughts to you and your family.

 

[dis_or_dat]

@LSUlakes I'm so sorry to hear about your loss; sometimes a run helps get you through tough times. My grandmother just passed away a few days ago and I needed a long run after I found. My first 10 miler in over a month.

 

[croach]

Got around to watching it last night. I enjoyed it. DW is telling me I have a Disney problem because of the amount of time I spend reading about the park and whats going on... I also got 4 miles in on the TM last night after the retirement party for my boss. I stayed for the first hour, but was just in a down mood. My step dad passed yesterday around lunch time and as one could imagine I was not in a very social mood. The run helped and the movie kept my mind from wondering to much. I had a really good 4 miler this morning around my neighborhood. Didn't really set out with any goal other than to get he miles in but ended up with negative splits and a average pace around 7:35. Hope this is a good sign for the race this weekend, but I am not sure how long I can hold that pace at this time. I have been lacking long runs.



Sorry about your toe. I may have missed it, but what is causing the issue?

Condolences to you and your family on the loss of your step father.

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

I'm so very sorry to hear of your loss, @LSUlakes - sending my deepest sympathies to you and your family.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Got around to watching it last night. I enjoyed it. DW is telling me I have a Disney problem because of the amount of time I spend reading about the park and whats going on... I also got 4 miles in on the TM last night after the retirement party for my boss. I stayed for the first hour, but was just in a down mood. My step dad passed yesterday around lunch time and as one could imagine I was not in a very social mood. The run helped and the movie kept my mind from wondering to much. I had a really good 4 miler this morning around my neighborhood. Didn't really set out with any goal other than to get he miles in but ended up with negative splits and a average pace around 7:35. Hope this is a good sign for the race this weekend, but I am not sure how long I can hold that pace at this time. I have been lacking long runs.

My condolences.

 

[croach]

Seconding this. I've been lurking for awhile and have learned a lot already. I've trained for a few rD races over the last couple of years and seem to always run into the same problem: a fear of success. I'll get to a point in my training and then slack off when I'm about 2/3rds of the way to my goal. I usually get intimidated when the longer runs come up in training and find a reason to push them back until I'm hopelessly behind and then I end up undertrained going into the race.

So my goal this time is to keep up with the training for the WDW Half in January and not let my fears take over again. Right now I'm training for a 5K on July 9 and everything is going well to this point. *fingers crossed* it stays that way.

The mental game can be just as hard as the physical. That 2/3rds is where plans probably take a toll on a lot of people. I know it does for me sometimes. It kind of almost feels like a job at some point. But you'll get through it and feel good when you cross that finish line strong. Keep that good feeling going to that 5k.

 

[camaker]

Seconding this. I've been lurking for awhile and have learned a lot already. I've trained for a few rD races over the last couple of years and seem to always run into the same problem: a fear of success. I'll get to a point in my training and then slack off when I'm about 2/3rds of the way to my goal. I usually get intimidated when the longer runs come up in training and find a reason to push them back until I'm hopelessly behind and then I end up undertrained going into the race.

So my goal this time is to keep up with the training for the WDW Half in January and not let my fears take over again. Right now I'm training for a 5K on July 9 and everything is going well to this point. *fingers crossed* it stays that way.

There are a couple of things that I think could help here. First, make sure you are working on a plan that has a slow, gradual increase in your mileage over the course of it and that doesn't have dramatic jumps in mileage. The second suggest is to not look at just the mileage on any given week and let it psych you out. Look at it in the context of what you've just done in the current week. If you can do the what's called for in the current week of the plan, the next week should not be intimidating. With a good, graduated training plan, you should be able to say "I just did x miles this week, doing y miles next week isn't that much more. I can do that!".

 

[RunDisneyDad]

Condolences @LSUlakes

 

[FFigawi]

Got around to watching it last night. I enjoyed it. DW is telling me I have a Disney problem because of the amount of time I spend reading about the park and whats going on... I also got 4 miles in on the TM last night after the retirement party for my boss. I stayed for the first hour, but was just in a down mood. My step dad passed yesterday around lunch time and as one could imagine I was not in a very social mood. The run helped and the movie kept my mind from wondering to much.

Sorry for your loss

I had a really good 4 miler this morning around my neighborhood. Didn't really set out with any goal other than to get he miles in but ended up with negative splits and a average pace around 7:35. Hope this is a good sign for the race this weekend, but I am not sure how long I can hold that pace at this time. I have been lacking long runs.

You can hold the pace for at least a mile longer than you think you can.

 

[opusone]

You can hold the pace for at least a mile longer than you think you can.

Tell that to the 10k that kicked my butt this past weekend!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Got around to watching it last night. I enjoyed it. DW is telling me I have a Disney problem because of the amount of time I spend reading about the park and whats going on... I also got 4 miles in on the TM last night after the retirement party for my boss. I stayed for the first hour, but was just in a down mood. My step dad passed yesterday around lunch time and as one could imagine I was not in a very social mood. The run helped and the movie kept my mind from wondering to much. I had a really good 4 miler this morning around my neighborhood. Didn't really set out with any goal other than to get he miles in but ended up with negative splits and a average pace around 7:35. Hope this is a good sign for the race this weekend, but I am not sure how long I can hold that pace at this time. I have been lacking long runs.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: We have made it to June, which means its an appropriate time to discuss running in warmer temps. For those of yall living up north you may feel a bit like Olaf about the seasons changing. For those of us in the south its a different story. For today lets discuss how you deal with running in the heat that is different than the cooler months of the year. Any tips, suggestions, or adjustments you make to your running schedule?

ATTQOTD: Along the gulf coast we will soon experience morning lows in the upper 70's / lower 80's with the RH at 90% or more in the AM, and the other option of afternoon runs with a lower RH% but higher temps. It's a pick your poison kind of deal. The third option if the trusty treadmill. I'll go over my thought process and other random ramblings for each option.

Option 1: The Sunrise Run - Who doesn't like watching the sun rise? So waking up at 4:30AM doesn't sound like fun... Well here are a few reasons why you should. It's unlikely to get any cooler at any point during the day. (Yes rain could cool it off. more on this later) The road surface you run on is at its coolest in the morning. You start your day off with a positive note and you then have your afternoon to spend doing other things. You are more likely to make healthier choices throughout the day. No sunburns. Most races start at or before 8AM, and if your training for a Disney race you have one less new thing to deal with.

Option 2: Afternoon / Sunset Run - So watching the sun set it also nice. That doesn't happen till almost 8:00PM though. So if you start a run around 7:00PM when it actually starts to cool off a little and run for an hour then you get that experience. The negative sides of the afternoon run are you get your heart rate up late in the evening, then a late shower which also wakes you up, and then eat dinner. Another activity that will keep you up some. So after all of that you are lucky if you get to bed for 10:00PM, leaving you no option but to sleep to the last minute to make it to work and repeat the process. Even as the air temps cool, the running surfaces are like a oven. But you can get lucky and get a afternoon shower to cool things off. If it rains to soon though, the humidity is almost worse than in the morning. If its bad storm, then you miss a run because running with lightning isn't a very smart thing to do. I do enjoy running in the rain, and have gone out of my way to do it, but it rarely works out. A lot of folks do make these afternoon runs, including myself. They are just hard to recover from with the extra heat. If you run even earlier in the afternoon with the sun still out things become even more of a challenge.

Option 3: The treadmill - This is another way to go, but it is boring.... very boring to me. Even with a TV on I still don't enjoy it. I don't feel like I am getting the same workout on it as I do outside. It does have its advantages. A controlled climate, no traffic, TV, can run on it at any time, ect. When I start trying to get in long runs this summer, I will probably get them done on the TM. A 15 miler will be much easier to recover from on the TM then outdoors during the summer regardless of time of day. This helps make the next run a productive run.

Random thoughts: During the summer expect your pace to become a little slower, even with the same effort. Do not get discouraged. Avoid running during the warmest parts of the day. Do drink plenty of fluids during the day regardless of when you run. Not just water, but something to replenish "electrolytes". Avoid cotton clothes at all cost while running. Run in technical fabric, and body glide will be your best friend. Run with water or have access to it. Do not over drink, as this could cause problems as well. Place ice cubs in your drink to keep it cool a little longer. Monitor your weight before and after runs for fluid loss. Sunscreen.

A lot of rambling here, but hope some of it us useful.

 

[DopeyBadger]

As a former lurker, welcome to the thread!

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: We have made it to June, which means its an appropriate time to discuss running in warmer temps. For those of yall living up north you may feel a bit like Olaf about the seasons changing. For those of us in the south its a different story. For today lets discuss how you deal with running in the heat that is different than the cooler months of the year. Any tips, suggestions, or adjustments you make to your running schedule?

Here in Wisconsin we never had spring. We went from winter right to summer. The humidity is there and temperatures are 70 and higher. I ran yesterday in about 80 degrees and humidity which was definitely warm but I made it work and wasn't extra tired or anything. I may have started out a bit too fast and that caught up to me later but oh well I guess.

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

QOTD: We have made it to June, which means its an appropriate time to discuss running in warmer temps. For those of yall living up north you may feel a bit like Olaf about the seasons changing. For those of us in the south its a different story. For today lets discuss how you deal with running in the heat that is different than the cooler months of the year. Any tips, suggestions, or adjustments you make to your running schedule?

Here in south Florida, I much prefer the sunrise/pre-dawn run. For one thing, it gets me moving and feeling accomplished before my work day even starts. Also, I tend to run routes that take me by the beach and watching the sun rise over the ocean is magnificent, some days that's all it takes to get me out of bed is the prospect of watching a gorgeous sunrise. It's cooler, no sun beating down, and while the humidity is higher, I tell myself that that is what makes me stronger! If I wait until afternoon, our subtropical afternoon thunderstorms might derail me and if it's not raining, work can be very draining where all I want to do is go home, and if I've run in the morning I can! I don't own a dreadmill because I hate running on them, that Taylor Swift iTunes commercial is basically what I think will happen if I give it a go! I always feel like I'm going to fall off the back end.

I make sure that I hydrate plenty the night before, and I either bring water with me or plan my route around public drinking fountains (we're lucky to have many beautiful city parks along my island/river route). I also bring a washcloth with me to wipe sweat off my face before it stings my eyes. If I start feeling too hot or feel like I'm sweating more than normal, I back down on my pace - I've had heat exhaustion before and it's not fun.

Outside of summer (which is pretty much March through November here), I give myself a little more freedom on when I run and sometimes take advantage of sunSET runs or start later in the morning if on a Saturday (like 7am instead of 5am).

 

[LSUlakes]

Thanks everyone. Its appreciated.

@LSUlakes I'm so sorry to hear about your loss; sometimes a run helps get you through tough times. My grandmother just passed away a few days ago and I needed a long run after I found. My first 10 miler in over a month.

Running helps clear my head.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Last summer I was dealing with plantar fasciitis, so I barely felt the heat. I actually had a pretty good summer, running. But @rteetz suggested, we had a normal spring last year, which gave my body time to slowly adjust to the temps as they rose. This year it went from winter to summer in a week. I have yet to adjust physically or mentally. I like the idea of pushing my morning runs to an even earlier time. I think that I will give that a try until my body adjusts.

As for the dreadmill - I would rather give up running than run all summer on one of those things.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

I'm so sorry for your loss @LSUlakes

 

[PrincessV]

QOTD: We have made it to June, which means its an appropriate time to discuss running in warmer temps. For those of yall living up north you may feel a bit like Olaf about the seasons changing. For those of us in the south its a different story. For today lets discuss how you deal with running in the heat that is different than the cooler months of the year. Any tips, suggestions, or adjustments you make to your running schedule?

ATTQOTD: West-Central FL here, so lots of heat and humidity. And I've had heat stroke twice, so I'm extra susceptible to heat-related illness now. Thanks to the combo of a hot Tampa Bay and a hot Gulf, our overnight low temps generally don't go below 80 and humidity levels are right around 100%, so even an early morning swim... er, run is tough on the system. Frankly, I find the air moves a bit and the humidity drops a smidge at sunrise, so I make no attempt to go out any earlier than that. I do short runs in the evenings a little before sunset, when the heat index might be 100+, but we get a nice Gulf breeze going - IF it's not monsooning. The risk is so great for evening storms, I can't plan on doing long runs late, so I do them early. I'm always happy to run in the rain when it's hot, but the Tampa Bay area is called the Lightning Capital of the World for good reason: I won't go out if there's lightning in the area.

Adjustments: I run by perceived effort, not pace. Always wear a visor and sunglasses. Electrolytes, electrolytes, electrolytes! I carry a handheld bottle of Nuun and bring extra Nuun tabs so I can refill at fountains; I'll easily go through 80oz on a long run and routinely lose 5-8% of my body weight to fluid loss. I wear a bandanna tied around my wrist - it's great for soaking in a cold water fountain and squeezing over my head, wrists, neck or draping over my shoulders. I run routes with tons of shade, so I'm never baking under the sun for more than maybe 30 secs at a time. Note that NONE of these make it feel less hot - they just help me survive, lol!

For me, the effects of heat are cumulative and really start doing me in by Aug., so I'll also put in some time on the treadmill or pool, and have even split long runs to do some outdoors, then finish indoors or in the pool.

Thanks everyone. Its appreciated.

I'm sorry for your loss, @LSUlakes.