The Running Thread - 2016

July Totals

Total miles - 100.5 a new PR!, previously 87 was my best
Total time - 19:09:28
Average pace - 11:26


August Goals

Follow my training plan.
Run 128 miles!
Don't get injured.
Volunteer at a race.


I really have two major goals:
1. Survive the heat & humidity here in NC
2. Survive the ramp-up in my training plan. ~100 miles last month becomes 131+ miles this month!

Looks like we'll have a couple of similar mileage months!
 
ATTQOTD: > Run 163.75 miles over 23 running days
>continue to stay disciplined with my pacing, distances and strength training
>improve fueling strategy now that my long run is getting l-o-n-g-e-r
>stay injury free
>find a Half Marathon to run 2nd week of October (open to suggestions!!)

Not sure when the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon is in the month, but we've done it the past two years. We're skipping this year, because my relatives moved. It flat and a pretty good course. You finish up on the boardwalk. Their medal is pretty cool.

Hersey Half is supposed to be fun. You get park tickets and a goodie bag which I assume contains plenty of chocolate.
 
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Not sure of how far of a trip you would have to make, but the Gulf Coast Half Marathon - Mandeville, LA is October 16, 2016. If you are college football fan and like to check out different stadiums, LSU has a home game that Saturday. In theory, you could stay in Baton Rouge and go to the game and drive/carpool Sunday to the race. New Orleans would also be another location you could stay as well as Mandeville itself, but I don't know much about the town. If the gameday experience interest you, you are more the welcome to come participate at out tailgate. Just throwing some ideas out there. Anyway, here is the link to the race: http://www.gulfcoasthalf.com/la-pre-race/
This is the race where I have my PR for the half. The course is FLAT, my garmin has 16' of gain for the whole race... If you have any questions or need help with planning let me know and I would be happy to help.

Not a ton in Mandeville except the BEST Chinese restaurant in America. We always try to make a trip across the causeway when we visit New Orleans to go to Trey Yuen.
 

ATTQOTD: August goals are to run my 153 miles in my training plan.

Go to my boot camp class once a week.

Drop the 7-10 lbs. I really only need to lose 5 - 7 lbs, but I like to pre-lose the 5 lbs I gain at WDW. Our September WDW vacation is a week earlier this year, so I need to start in August.
 
QOTD: With the Olympic games starting this month, what event are you looking forward to watching the most?

Well, I'm currently having a party at my house for Opening Ceremonies and two night's of Girl Nights/Wine & Dinner for Women's Gymnastics (both team and individual all-around).

I'm also hoping that somehow I can get my running girls all together to have brunch at watch the Marathon. THAT would be amazing.
 
Thanks @DopeyBadger for the suggestions. Moderate hills in Front Royal ?!!! Not sure that is possible, it's the beginning of Skyline Drive where the leaf watchers come out in the fall to see the trees change colors.
I'll have to consult with my "coach" to make sure these dates don't disrupt the training plan!!!
October 8-9 would be the ideal date.

If Raleigh isn't too far to go, there is a Race 13.1 half marathon there on Sat, Oct 8th. Nothing really special about the course, but it's a pleasant run mostly through greenways. I ran it last year and it is still my PR. http://www.halfmarathons.net/north-carolina-race-13-1-raleigh-fall-half-marathon-10k-5k/
 
My August goals:

1) Slowly getting back into running after my injury, but not overdo it as I am still waiting on my inserts, so only 2 30 min runs per week
2) keeping up with the PT exercises for my flat feet
3) get my inserts and then buy new running shoes!! (this last one is more something that I am looking forward to, not a real goal, but I also want to make sure to get it done in August so September can finally be a month again that really counts!!)
 
QOTD: What are your goals as it relates to running for the month of August?

ATTQOTD: I have three goals for this month.
1. 175 mile for the month
2. 5k PR
3. Drop a few pounds, Currently ~210 with a goal of 205.

QOTD:
1. I am going to catch up on some of my reading and try to learn more about Zone 2 HR training so when I can start running again I make more progress.
2. Try to get in as many P90X workouts and battle rope workouts as possible
3. Keep working on my eating to work toward my weight loss goals
4. Help as many people on here as I can. :teeth:

Congrats to those who raced this past weekend...I did a Long Course Triathlon (not quite as long as a Half Ironman, but longer than an Olympic distance) and took third in my age group. Lots of details and pictures in my journal.

Another awesome story Mike. I personally would have pulled over and addressed the bee sting but then again I would have no shot at a podium finish. :worship:


See, this is why I lurk instead of post. Not the fastest runner out of the corral. :-)

July Totals:

Miles: 70.11
Time: 15:55:35
Pace: 13:38

In addition to the above mileage, I completed 14.84 miles worth of walking.

First of all, thank you. I know in my head, of course, that everything you say is true. And I often find myself saying it to others who I have convinced to start running when they are disappointed with their pace.

You would think after completing many half-marathons and two full marathons, I could (would) stop attaching disclaimers to my accomplishments. Thank you again! I love this board. :)

I hope you never lurk again. You have completed "many half-marathons and two full marathons" and you don't feel you are worthy to post on here just because of your pace. :headache: You have so much to offer. Have you ever looked at the statistics on how many people can finish a full marathon? I saw the numbers just about a month ago and of course I can't find it now. Don't kill me if I get it wrong but it was something like 573,000 finishers of a full marathon in 2015, WORLDWIDE. This is not people, because it counts those who do multiple marathons in a year. So you are probably one of 300,000 people to do one of the hardest things a person could ever do and you don't feel you can post here because it wasn't fast enough?

I am assuming based on your name this will apply to you. But say a young pregnant woman came up to you and asked questions on child birth. There are some people who are in labor for a couple of hours and some that are in labor for 48 hours. Should the mother who was in labor not be able to give advice because she took longer to give birth? In a way its a very similar thing isn't it? You have nine months of build up ending in a very painful event, the speed at which you complete it doesn't diminish the experience in my opinion. (I have never given birth so I hope I didn't offend anyone with my analogy because I am not saying a marathon is as painful as childbirth, although I have heard some women say it's worse :scared:)


ATTQOTD: To get back on track in my training. There's more info in my journal in the last couple posts if anyone is interested, but long story short I am another on the hip injury train. This is my first injury that has precluded me from running and I am not enjoying it. On vacation this week and things are finally starting to normalize. Hoping for no pain when I get back into the swing of things next week.

I hear you loud and clear. It is so frustrating. I hope you get better soon and get back to it!


I posted from the table as I was at the doctor yesterday and then the doctor came in and delivered the good news. Everything went great in the surgery and I am healing very well. I can expect to be off my feet up to 8 weeks. :sad2: Wait, what? I thought it was 3-6 weeks? No, it will be 6-8 weeks she said. Apparently the 3-6 weeks applied to the one tendon repair and I tore them both. My incisions needs to close before I can put any weight on my foot. She told me the way to speed up the process is to stay off my feet as much as possible to keep the swelling down and eat a lot of protein. I can handle the protein thing no problem. Staying off my feet as much as possible means no working out? So, I will give it another week and then I may start my workouts then which is why I said try to get in as many workouts as I can. I have about a 2" incision on the top of my foot and about a 4" incision on the side going around my ankle bone. And I thought I was getting about 2 stitches from this whole thing. :sad2::sad2::sad2: The best part is when she took my foot and stretched it back toward my shin without warning. That felt pretty good. I didn't want to vomit from the pain or anything. They had to do it even more when putting the cast on and the cast guy says, "They are supposed to tell you to take your pain killers before you come in" to which I respond, "Yeah, well they didn't." And he says, "They never do, so you're going to hate me for the next couple of hours until the pain goes away." Wonderful!

OK, I vented again and hopefully provided some comedy relief as well.
 
I'm a little behind on posting here. Lots of good questions and new posters too.

QOTD: With the Olympic games starting this month, what event are you looking forward to watching the most?

I watch as much as possible. Track and gymnastics are the most interesting to me. I'm curious as to how Meb and Lagat perform in their races.


QOTD: What are your goals as it relates to running for the month of August?

  1. Run ~247 miles
  2. Stay healthy
  3. Stay positive
  4. Run all my fast AND slow days as prescribed
 
If Raleigh isn't too far to go, there is a Race 13.1 half marathon there on Sat, Oct 8th. Nothing really special about the course, but it's a pleasant run mostly through greenways. I ran it last year and it is still my PR. http://www.halfmarathons.net/north-carolina-race-13-1-raleigh-fall-half-marathon-10k-5k/

Thanks @camaker for the suggestion......I've heard great things about Raleigh and my daughter wants to do some college tours in NC. Hard to believe she starts her senior year in HS next week.
 
Not sure when the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon is in the month, but we've done it the past two years. We're skipping this year, because my relatives moved. It flat and a pretty good course. You finish up on the boardwalk. Their medal is pretty cool.

Hersey Half is supposed to be fun. You get park tickets and a goodie bag which I assume contains plenty of chocolate.


MB mini this year takes place on 10/23 which might be cutting it close with my marathon a few weeks later. It's an event that I have always wanted to try.

Hershey Half is 10/16 and we discussed doing it this year. The medal looks like a big Hershey kiss and they give you chocolate during the run and 2 tickets to HersheyPark for each HM entry. What's not to like? We signed up for it a few years ago but cancelled when our dog got very sick the day before and we spent the entire weekend at the emergency vet clinic. It's on my to-do list. Maybe this year.......
 
@LSUlakes: How about you and I do a relay? I'll tread water until the starting gun, then you can take it from there!

Can I join your relay? Once LSUlakes crosses the finish, I will gladly take over so he can rest his legs. I'll bear the burden of waiting in the banana and medal lines for you :)

Hersey Half is supposed to be fun. You get park tickets and a goodie bag which I assume contains plenty of chocolate.

My ears perk up whenever I hear "chocolate." I swear one day I'm gonna sign up for an ultra if they offer free candy at the end.

I see a lot of people posting about "you don't have to be fast" and it reminded me of something I read in a running magazine last year that stuck with me. It was an elite woman (can't even remember who) that said whenever she runs large marathons she is always shocked at the people who run for 5-7 hours. She explained she did not mean that in a bad way. That her training never has her running even over 3 hours and she just has no idea if she is a strong enough athlete to run that long. That what those people are doing is basically an athletic feat in itself. I'm paraphrasing here, but the gist was how impressed she was with all of us middle of the packers/slower folk who endure/have the stamina/mental toughness etc.
Something about that little article always sticks in my head when I'm at a race feeling slow as speedy people come buzzing by me at turnarounds or on double loop courses. So instead of thinking "I'm not as fast as X person"...think "OH, yeah, well I'm gonna run twice as long as you." Now you've turned yourself from the slower person to the one who can run longer :)
 
Here is a question I'm hoping some of you can help me out with as I cannot find the info an any relay race website.

Okay, say you sign up for a marathon 2-person relay (could be any relay really but we'll use this as an example). The day of the race or a few days prior, your partner cannot make it. What happens to you? Could you run the whole thing? do you start the transition point? Is your team disqualified? I've been wondering about this for some time but never can seem to find the answers!
 
I enjoyed reading about everyone's goals for the month. I thought it was a good question to ask, for those with a plan and those who maybe haven't thought about it, to type it out and somehow feel accountable now since its on the internet. Good luck to everyone this month and I look forward to seeing how everything went for each of yall at the end of the month!.

QOTD: What are some interesting weather events you have witnessed while out for a run?

ATTQOTD: A few winters ago, I got to run while it sleet / snowed. For those further up north, this may not seem like a big deal, but in the southern states, the frozen stuff rarely happens. Another one, was from this morning (which is what gave me the QOTD idea) I checked the weather before heading out and basically it said, "like running in a steam bath". I head out the door around 4:50AM and I see lightning in the distance and was like, what the hell, I did not see this on the local radar. Went out and ran anyway and had a cool light show to watch while running. When I finished my run I pulled up the radar to see how far away the storm was because I did not hear any thunder. The storm was over a lake near New Orleans, which is ~45 miles away. It was a amazing thing to watch while out for a early morning run.
 
@LSUlakes: How about you and I do a relay? I'll tread water until the starting gun, then you can take it from there!

Can I join your relay? Once LSUlakes crosses the finish, I will gladly take over so he can rest his legs. I'll bear the burden of waiting in the banana and medal lines for you :)

I will agree to the terms of this deal as long as someone pays for my travel/room/race fee. I'll buy my own food, but request a IPA while I "rest my legs" in the ER. One last request, I get to take the medal home to Louisiana.

I really fee like I am getting the best deal in this situation now... well minus the fact that I am way under trained, have zero swimming training, and my bike has a flat tire that I haven't even thought about fixing since I moved about 3 months ago... How much are those nifty tri swim suits? Could I just swim in my beach trunks? I know that would probably add to my transition time, but I'll make the sacrifice. LOL
 
I will agree to the terms of this deal as long as someone pays for my travel/room/race fee. I'll buy my own food, but request a IPA while I "rest my legs" in the ER. One last request, I get to take the medal home to Louisiana.

I really fee like I am getting the best deal in this situation now... well minus the fact that I am way under trained, have zero swimming training, and my bike has a flat tire that I haven't even thought about fixing since I moved about 3 months ago... How much are those nifty tri swim suits? Could I just swim in my beach trunks? I know that would probably add to my transition time, but I'll make the sacrifice. LOL

I find to really cut down on transition times you should just wear your bike helmet in the water too. Another good tip would be to visit the hospital the day before after packet pick-up to get a pre-filled-out medical bracelet and to reserve your room/pre-order your preferred blood type. Really cut down transition time into the ER that way. I'm full of really good triathlon tips if you need more.

UNRELATED: I just saw they are FINALLY going to have iphone emojis with a running girl for the new IOS! So I don't have to use that little runner-dude in my texts anymore once I get my new phone later this year. Looks like she will have a ponytail.
 












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