The Running Thread - 2016

[CheapRunnerMike]

ATTQOTD and race report:

My local store is Playmakers, just a few miles down the road. Great place; they offer a free running injury clinic, form classes, sponsor many local races and were incredibly helpful to me so many times!

Saturday I completed my first Ultra at the Run Woodstock Weekend in the appropriately named town of Hell, Michigan! It rained the entire night before the race and into the next day. The course begins on a privately owned farm and leads into State Park land. The course is like a figure eight that is 16 miles long; with 2 inner loops of 8 miles each. Pretty hilly and mostly on single track trails. The views were just beautiful! The challenge was the trails (read mud slicks) that where side to side mud, puddles and then more mud. So very tricky when it got hilly. It was a blast!

The race started in the dark so headlamps were a must. Over the course of the race it went from dark and raining to light and raining to sunny. The start/finish area was also a huge weekend long party with people camping and bands playing. Think the 1960's Woodstock Concert. Just a complete blast, a muddy one, but still a blast!

Given my training slips in August I still had a good race and am very proud to have finished my first ultra race; 50k. I found a solid pace and just cruised along taking in the setting, feeding off the super positive vibe of the runners around me and pushing longer than I thought I could. I finished with a smile and wiped out legs! I think I am hooked and already thinking about the next ultra I can do. I left plenty of room to improve!
View attachment 194027

Those legs say it all! Congrats UltraBaloo!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

It was 80 degrees and humid when I ran my 15 miler yesterday morning. It was 45 degrees for my 3 mile run this morning. What a change.

 

[Ariel484]

@Baloo in MI amazing job, congratulations!

 

[ZellyB]

@surfde22 congrats on completing your first half marathon!

Congrats @Baloo in MI on becoming an ultra-marathoner! Sounds like a crazy run.

 

[LSUlakes]

Watched The Barkley Marathons today - wow!

It is really a amazing race and well done documentary. I have no desire to run that one.

It was 80 degrees and humid when I ran my 15 miler yesterday morning. It was 45 degrees for my 3 mile run this morning. What a change.

Please send the cooler temps south. Saturday took everything I had in me just to finish 8 miles...

 

[roxymama]

Congrats to everyone who crossed the finish line this weekend. That ultra-marathon stuff is way outside my realm of understanding, but it's super impressive!

This thursday my hubby is running a local race so I'm going to try to get to daycare after work in time to pull my kiddo by wagon to the finish line nearby. I'll literally be racing him to get there in time Doubtful they will give me any kind of medal for that.

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: What type of fuel do you take while out for a run? Which is your favorite and which one will you never try again?

ATTQOTD: I take a combination of GU and sports drinks during my run. My favorite is the salty watermelon flavor of GU. I will never try those blocks again. The whole chewing and running thing doesn't work for me.


Awesome race weekend everyone! A lot of PR's on the board over the weekend. Congrats and keep up the hard work!

Side note: Today starts registration for the Boston Marathon! It opens up for the "wicked" fast runners that have a BQ -20:00 today. Anyone getting a chance to register this year or run for charity?

 

[roxymama]

ATTQOTD: Only water during runs. Though I think that may need to change soon as I dive into multiple 7 mile + training runs leading up to my big race end of Oct. I've been using some sports beans with "breakfast" and water prior to race starts and some after. But never fueled during a run.
10ks are my longest races to date though.

And the only BQing I'll be doing this week is BBQing...hahaha, I bet no one has ever made that joke before.

 

[surfde22]

QOTD: What type of fuel do you take while out for a run? Which is your favorite and which one will you never try again?

As this if my first experience with longer distances and needing fuel, I haven't tried many. I don't like Honey Stinger waffles as I feel they're too dry to eat while running. The flavor was fine, but didn't like the dry aspect of them. I like GU, or at least the few flavors I've tried. But upon reading the a review by @DopeyBadger I tried e-Gels. I really liked them, or at least the 2 flavors I've tried so far. The consistency is a bit thinner than GU and easier to take down for me, and I felt the flavoring was better as well.

Also, @LSUlakes I have another race to add. Stillwater Log Run 10 Miler, no goal. It is this Saturday, 9/17.

 

[Barca33Runner]

QOTD: What type of fuel do you take while out for a run? Which is your favorite and which one will you never try again?

ATTQOTD: I take a combination of GU and sports drinks during my run. My favorite is the salty watermelon flavor of GU. I will never try those blocks again. The whole chewing and running thing doesn't work for me.


Awesome race weekend everyone! A lot of PR's on the board over the weekend. Congrats and keep up the hard work!

Side note: Today starts registration for the Boston Marathon! It opens up for the "wicked" fast runners that have a BQ -20:00 today. Anyone getting a chance to register this year or run for charity?

I'm the exact opposite. I like the Bloks because I like gummy candy and they are easy to eat during a run, haven't found a flavor that I don't particularly like yet. GU (or the various similar products) are really sticky and difficult for me to work with while running. The flavors and consistency don't bother me for the most part, but being uncoordinated and having a little OCD about not being sticky makes them not ideal. Only flavors that aren't appealing to me are the chocolate and coffee themed flavors. I'm sure they're perfectly fine, I'm just not a coffee drinker and chocolate is unappetizing when I'm hot.

 

[Ariel484]

QOTD: What type of fuel do you take while out for a run? Which is your favorite and which one will you never try again?

I like Honey Stinger Waffles (vanilla and salted caramel). Never again - Hammer gel. The consistency is way too watery for me, I thought I was going to yak it right back up.

 

[FFigawi]

QOTD: What type of fuel do you take while out for a run? Which is your favorite and which one will you never try again?

I use Clif gels (chocolate or razz), Clif bloks (mountain berry), and Sport Beans (fruit punch). I vary what I take because I don't like to have the same thing over and over again. I also use Salt Stick tabs and BASEsalt vials.

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: What type of fuel do you take while out for a run? Which is your favorite and which one will you never try again?

I usually don't take anything with me other than water. Sometimes I'll have Gatorade or something similar as well. I have the clif gel or whatever since that is what they give at Disney races. While it's not my favorite ill take it anyways for energy. I'm afraid to try new energy things in case I don't like it then I'm stuck with it.

 

[Chaitali]

Congrats to everyone that had races this past weekend!

@ZellyB That cave portion of the race looks so cool!

@Keels Sending wishes your way for a speedy recovery. I really like the Hal Higdon plans too and it seems like you've got a good route mapped out for being able to do Dopey.

I really struggled this weekend with my run. It was 7 miles and pretty much the same route as my 6 miler last weekend which felt great. But it was an extra 10 degrees hotter, more humid, and I ran out of water. I hadn't seen paces this slow since I started running in 2014. The only good thing I can say about it is that I finished.

I think another part of the problem is food. I had been experimenting with not eating before morning runs and that was fine for my maintenance 5-6 milers but I guess now that I'm training again, back to fueling. My standard last year was toast with peanut butter in the morning so I'll probably just go back to that. And I use the clif shot blocks for mid-run fuel. I like them because I can spread out the serving (3 blocks) over an hour. With gels, I feel like I have to eat the whole thing at once and that's too much for my stomach at one go. I use run/walk intervals so I can just eat a block during a walk interval.

 

[Chaitali]

I usually don't take anything with me other than water. Sometimes I'll have Gatorade or something similar as well. I have the clif gel or whatever since that is what they give at Disney races. While it's not my favorite ill take it anyways for energy. I'm afraid to try new energy things in case I don't like it then I'm stuck with it.

My local running store sells single packs of various fueling options so that may be worth looking into. When I was deciding what to use, I bought a bunch of singles to try and then decided which one I liked best.

 

[RunDisneyDad]

ATTQOTD: I’ve always been a GU guy. I started on GU Roctane last year and like the extra kick it gives me. I don’t really have a preference on flavor.

RE: Boston – I’m sitting on a BQ minus 3:30 so my window will open next Monday. I’m cautiously optimistic as everything I’m reading has the cutoff very close to the listed standards.

 

[rteetz]

My local running store sells single packs of various fueling options so that may be worth looking into. When I was deciding what to use, I bought a bunch of singles to try and then decided which one I liked best.

I'll have to look and see what I can find then. Thanks!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

QOTD: What type of fuel do you take while out for a run? Which is your favorite and which one will you never try again?

For "solid" fuels, I switched from GU and Chomps to Sport Beans in 2015 (though I still like them). I haven't really found any fuels that I will never try again, but I try to stick with favorite flavors of any item when I discover them (Strawberry Chomps, Cherry Sport Beans, Strawberry/Banana GU).

When/how I fuel: Nothing when running less than 10 miles, no matter how hot it is outside. 10-15 miles, I drink Gatorade (prefer Rain Berry as it has a very light flavor - not too sweet). I drink once/mile - about 3oz per mile. 15 miles and beyond - I add solid fuels to my Gatorade, starting to consume solids at 2 miles, and taking in solids every 2 miles thereafter. If I am using GU, I consume one packet every 4 miles. I try to take in 100 calories every 4 miles from solids on these long runs.

As I get closer to the race date, I limit my liquid consumption to match the race course water stops. Most races have water stops every 2 miles, so I limit liquid consumption during the last 4-6 weeks of my practice runs to once every 2 miles.

 

[Anisum]

Congrats to everyone who ran this weekend!

QOTD: What type of fuel do you take while out for a run? Which is your favorite and which one will you never try again?

I now take water with me on long runs via my camelbak before I used to loop back to my house. I never really do Gatorade or anything like that unless I have to. For fuel I am a big fan of sports beans. I like the pear the best but I got a big mixed pack. Fruit punch is my least favorite because the longer I run the worse they taste to me. I also recently tried Clif Bloks and while they are much chewier than my beans I found that they work pretty well for me. When it comes to Gels or GUs I found I struggle with consuming them while I run. They're sticky and I don't like the texture of them so much so I consume them slowly over the period of a mile before I give up and throw whatever's left away. I do like the flavor of them. Vanilla is good and I had a peach and banana one once that was amazing. The two things I would never consume again are the honey stinger gels which taste like honey because that is not my idea of delicious fuel and any gel with caffeine because it messes with me (clif bloks with caffeine seem fine though).

@rteetz and anyone else looking for new fuel I get stride box because I don't like trying things I'm unsure of. You never know what you're going to get but you usually get enough tasty things that the one or two gross things are an acceptable loss.

 

[rteetz]

Congrats to everyone who ran this weekend!


I now take water with me on long runs via my camelbak before I used to loop back to my house. I never really do Gatorade or anything like that unless I have to. For fuel I am a big fan of sports beans. I like the pear the best but I got a big mixed pack. Fruit punch is my least favorite because the longer I run the worse they taste to me. I also recently tried Clif Bloks and while they are much chewier than my beans I found that they work pretty well for me. When it comes to Gels or GUs I found I struggle with consuming them while I run. They're sticky and I don't like the texture of them so much so I consume them slowly over the period of a mile before I give up and throw whatever's left away. I do like the flavor of them. Vanilla is good and I had a peach and banana one once that was amazing. The two things I would never consume again are the honey stinger gels which taste like honey because that is not my idea of delicious fuel and any gel with caffeine because it messes with me (clif bloks with caffeine seem fine though).

@rteetz and anyone else looking for new fuel I get stride box because I don't like trying things I'm unsure of. You never know what you're going to get but you usually get enough tasty things that the one or two gross things are an acceptable loss.

Thanks I'll have to look into that!