The Running Thread - 2016

[michigandergirl]

So my 10 Mile race this morning could have been a disaster. I woke up late, it was hot & sunny, and I felt a wee bit hungover because I stayed up too late the night before celebrating the Spartans win over Notre Dame. I even had my shirt on inside out, which my friends thought was hilarious. Disaster right? NOT! I PR'd!!! Somehow the minute I started running I felt better and I knocked a whopping 8 minutes off my time from last year AND I negative split the last 3 miles! I can't help but wonder how I would have done had I done everything right...official time 1:40:02.

Congrats @CherieFran and @jhorstma on your PR's!!!!

 

[Slogger]

Brief recap for the Dulles Days 10k from yesterday.
Great weather, upper 60s and overcast at the start.
First run that I had done in 29 days due to injury--doctor and family strongly suggested I wait two more weeks before resuming running. It was an early morning decision but I couldn't sit this one out.

Good turn out for 5k and 10k, DJ with music for prestart festivities, plenty of port-a-potties, and smooth start only about 10 minutes later than scheduled.
Simple out and back course to Runway 1R and back with great photo op by the United plane and a water stop at the 3.1 mile turnaround. Little bit of headwind for the 2nd part of the run but nothing to complain about. Stuck with my plan of staying under 9 minutes a mile for the first 5k and decided it was not a PR day and didn't want to risk further injury so I backed off a little and finished in 57:38.

Nice shirt and medal and airplane wings, water and bananas and snack bars at the finish. Winner of the races won 2 roundtrip tickets on United (maybe I can attempt that next year!)

Nice event, big thumbs up.
A few pictures attached.....

 

[Baloo in MI]

So my 10 Mile race this morning could have been a disaster. I woke up late, it was hot & sunny, and I felt a wee bit hungover because I stayed up too late the night before celebrating the Spartans win over Notre Dame. I even had my shirt on inside out, which my friends thought was hilarious. Disaster right? NOT! I PR'd!!! Somehow the minute I started running I felt better and I knocked a whopping 8 minutes off my time from last year AND I negative split the last 3 miles! I can't help but wonder how I would have done had I done everything right...official time 1:40:02.

Congrats @CherieFran and @jhorstma on your PR's!!!!

Congrats @michigandergirl on two fronts. Running a PR and negative split, that is awesome. And for supporting the Spartans! Sounds like a great weekend. Go Green!

 

[Keels]

So! I'm putting my newfound race director knowledge and skills to work for ... my birthday!

I've decided to organize and host a 5K complete with a baller "post-party".

My permits with the city officially passed today, so now I can plan the fun things!

It's going to be a fun run, something my friends can bring their kiddos to and enjoy. Out-and-back 5K that ends with a DJ, taco truck, mimosa station, big inflatable slide and bounce house.

And of course COOL BLING.

What else should should I add? Any fun things you've seen at a local fun run?

 

[FFigawi]

Ran a 20 miler today - my first run with e-Gel. I was out of town (in Chicago) all week, but I managed to get in all of my runs, so I felt ready for the run. I got a good night's sleep (Alabama won!) and woke up to 70+ degree weather and 100% humidity.

The e-Gel worked as advertised for the first 16 miles or so of the run. They have a lot more volume than any other running fuel that I have used, so that will take some getting used to. Ran with water instead of Gatorade in my Camelbak. But the heat and humidity eventually caught up with me. The e-Gel makes me more thirsty than any other fuel that I have used, then add in the weather conditions and I ran out of water too soon. The last 3 miles of the run were really bad, but I made it. Kept my heart rate low (averaged 138 BPM) but lost 6 pounds of water weight on the run even though I drank 65 oz of water - not good. That also explains why I was so light headed at the end.

I am going to use the e-Gels a few more times before making a final decision about them. Again, the size/volume was a slight problem for me, as was how thirsty they made me (drank a lot more water that I am used to drinking in similar conditions which caused me to run out of water too early in my run).

Better to experiment and find out now than on race day. Drinking more water in the heat isn't necessarily a bad thing, and if the e-Gels made you thirsty, that's probably good too. Sometimes we need those triggers to keep us hydrated. I know a few people who love the e-Gels, and maybe you'll end up being one of them after you've used them a few more times. Fuel is a tricky thing, and even when we think we've got it nailed and found something that works for us, there's always that one day it doesn't.

 

[jhorstma]

So! I'm putting my newfound race director knowledge and skills to work for ... my birthday!

I've decided to organize and host a 5K complete with a baller "post-party".

My permits with the city officially passed today, so now I can plan the fun things!

It's going to be a fun run, something my friends can bring their kiddos to and enjoy. Out-and-back 5K that ends with a DJ, taco truck, mimosa station, big inflatable slide and bounce house.

And of course COOL BLING.

What else should should I add? Any fun things you've seen at a local fun run?

Video shot by drone, with an epic soundtrack, uploaded to Youtube.

 

[FFigawi]

What else should should I add? Any fun things you've seen at a local fun run?

Beer! Duh.

If it's for your birthday, I would add the cone hats, British crackers (not the edible kind), and other festive touches.

 

[Mickey's sweetheart]

I ran my fourth half of the year this morning. This was the Equinox Half that I signed up for two weeks ago while feeling restless during tapering for Dumbo. I completely rested the first week after Dumbo and last week did short, easy runs every other day. I felt good and ready for this morning.
I was expecting a cool start since the low in town last night was in the 40's and the race started at a higher elevation in the Poudre Canyon. I don't know what the temp was but it was definitely warmer than 40's. Everybody was crossing the finish line with white salty streaks on their faces.
I've run three halfs on this route before with no issues and my two fastest times ever were on this route but this time the downhill deceived. It's almost all downhill. My first six miles flew by in 58 minutes. That was way too fast of a start for me but I was feeling good and went with it and started dreaming of a PR. i paid for my fast start and slowed waaaaay down with each mile. It was still my fastest half of the year at 2:27 but not what I was hoping for. It was a beautiful day to run and I'm really looking forward to a massage on Tuesday.

 

[dis_or_dat]

Hi guys! So I don't have a training journal, so this might a be a long post since I love reading other people's race recaps.

So it all begins several years ago ... just kidding! So last night I went to a football game with DH. Initially I was a bit peeved that our biggest home game (as well as a Beyonce concert!) was the night before my half, but it proved to be a blessing in disguise since it took my mind off my usual pre-race jitters (and we won without going into triple OT).

The first thing DH did when he woke was trash talk some CFB since our teams are meeting next weekend. It was great because it relaxed me immediately. We left later than I wanted, but ended up having lots of time to spare once we got there and somehow found parking right at the start line. The only hiccup was the water had run out at the sinks at the porta-potties and there were no hand sanitizers. So a lot of people had sticky soapy fingers after using them. At 7am, the marathoners were off; a small but mighty group. 15 min later, we were off. I had gotten a prime location at the front. I felt silly since I'm not a fast runner, but every second not weaving counts, right?

The weather was beautiful and clear and I even saw a dolphin in the water. Didn't realize how fast my first mile was, but I think I settled in OK although a bit too fast. I did get lost twice. Backtracking to a volunteer thinking he was telling me to run a different way, but he was saying "water!" and another time I followed another runner the wrong way into a dead end. But I don't think it affected my pace much. However, around mile 9 I could feel a blister large forming and my pace slipped around mile 11. I even thought about quitting and walking. I knew DH would be around mile 12 and thought about collapsing into his arms wailing about missing my PR. But I also thought about this group and how some people have really been helping me (especially @DopeyBadger) and how much time I've been training and so I kept going. My foot started cramping (compensating for my blister) around mile 11.5 right as I saw my DH filming me! I gritted my teeth and kept pushing myself to MOVE (hoping to see the finish line around every corner ). I could see the clock at the finish line and saw I could make my PR if I booked it and I did!

I did want to collapse afterwards (all the while my DH is surreptitiously filming me, why?!) luckily they had good swag with giant cans of coconut juice etc and even FREE massages! But the line was too long so we went home and I jumped into the hot tub. Ahhhh. It was really cool talking to some super friendly runners afterwards and I think it showed my DH the running community camaraderie. Also, it was the first time he'd ever seen me race, so that support was really awesome. Besides DH, course support was a bit sparse - nothing like runDisney!

Spinner!


Stats:
1:39:41 (PR!!!), almost 3 min shaved from Tink
Gender placement: 9th overall
Division: 7th

Congrats @CherieFran, @jhorstma, @Slogger, @michigandergirl and @Mickey's sweetheart !

That Dulles Day 10k looks so cool! Excited for this week off, not stuffing my face full of carbs (it's fun the first day, not so fun later), foam rolling, drinking some alcohol, and looking towards the future

 

[dis_or_dat]

So! I'm putting my newfound race director knowledge and skills to work for ... my birthday!

I've decided to organize and host a 5K complete with a baller "post-party".

My permits with the city officially passed today, so now I can plan the fun things!

It's going to be a fun run, something my friends can bring their kiddos to and enjoy. Out-and-back 5K that ends with a DJ, taco truck, mimosa station, big inflatable slide and bounce house.

And of course COOL BLING.

What else should should I add? Any fun things you've seen at a local fun run?

Nothing to add, but that's a baller move!

 

[Keels]

Nothing to add, but that's a baller move!

At first, when I started thinking about it - it seemed silly.

But the more I let the idea snowball ... it seemed ... perfect? IDK! I'm just excited to do something that all my friends can take part in - even the littles and the non-runners - and want to just give it a feel of the weekends that I love so much.

And, duh, Keels-specific bling. Because obviously.

 

[FFigawi]

and want to just give it a feel of the weekends that I love so much.

In that case, you need to charge a race fee two or three time higher than any 5k in the area, have very narrow portions of the course to force the complaints over walkers walking and runners running to the surface, and start the race early enough so everyone has to set an alarm beginning with a 2.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Better to experiment and find out now than on race day. Drinking more water in the heat isn't necessarily a bad thing, and if the e-Gels made you thirsty, that's probably good too. Sometimes we need those triggers to keep us hydrated. I know a few people who love the e-Gels, and maybe you'll end up being one of them after you've used them a few more times. Fuel is a tricky thing, and even when we think we've got it nailed and found something that works for us, there's always that one day it doesn't.

Thanks. With only one run using e-Gels I will certainly try them a few more times. They are not as thick as Gu, which made them easier to consume while running. I just wish that they came in smaller packages. I'll carry more water/mile on my next run - lesson learned there.

 

[FFigawi]

Thanks. With only one run using e-Gels I will certainly try them a few more times. They are not as thick as Gu, which made them easier to consume while running. I just wish that they came in smaller packages. I'll carry more water/mile on my next run - lesson learned there.

The thickness issue is one I feel the major brands still can't quite figure out. My chocolate Clif's are kind of like a soft fudge/frosting, but the razz ones I also use are more like syrup. I'm giving Tailwind a try this weekend. I figured it was about time I did given the rave reviews from my ultra running friends, and the discussion about it here recently finally got me off my butt to order some.

 

[bellrae]

So, ran my 9k on Sunday morning. My physio had cleared my on Friday, and said he was pleased with my progress (and made all my exercises harder!). I was a little disappointed with my time. It took me 61 minutes to run the 9km. My left knee had no issues, and could have kept going. My right knee however stopped me for a walk break a few times. Frustrating, but the fact that i made it through 9kms, and was able to walk this morning was a massive step forward with this it band injury.

Race itself was in a great location - we got to run over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. I suck at posting pictures here, but for those who love looking at the bling I have posted it on my instagram @belindarae15

I have now 6 weeks to step up my physio game and get myself ready for wine & dine!

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

So! I'm putting my newfound race director knowledge and skills to work for ... my birthday!

I've decided to organize and host a 5K complete with a baller "post-party".

My permits with the city officially passed today, so now I can plan the fun things!

It's going to be a fun run, something my friends can bring their kiddos to and enjoy. Out-and-back 5K that ends with a DJ, taco truck, mimosa station, big inflatable slide and bounce house.

And of course COOL BLING.

What else should should I add? Any fun things you've seen at a local fun run?

How about adding a virtual 5K for us DIS'ers??? This whole idea is amazing, you're blowing my mind right now...so cool!

 

[Baloo in MI]

So! I'm putting my newfound race director knowledge and skills to work for ... my birthday!

I've decided to organize and host a 5K complete with a baller "post-party".

My permits with the city officially passed today, so now I can plan the fun things!

It's going to be a fun run, something my friends can bring their kiddos to and enjoy. Out-and-back 5K that ends with a DJ, taco truck, mimosa station, big inflatable slide and bounce house.

And of course COOL BLING.

What else should should I add? Any fun things you've seen at a local fun run?

That is awesome! I can only imagine the amount of work it would be to direct a race. You will have to give updates. So cool!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Wow, everyone rocked their races this weekend. Way to go everyone! @Slogger, @michigandergirl, @Mickey's sweetheart, @dis_or_dat , and @bellrae

@Keels That sounds like so much fun!

 

[Baloo in MI]

Hi guys! So I don't have a training journal, so this might a be a long post since I love reading other people's race recaps.

So it all begins several years ago ... just kidding! So last night I went to a football game with DH. Initially I was a bit peeved that our biggest home game (as well as a Beyonce concert!) was the night before my half, but it proved to be a blessing in disguise since it took my mind off my usual pre-race jitters (and we won without going into triple OT).

The first thing DH did when he woke was trash talk some CFB since our teams are meeting next weekend. It was great because it relaxed me immediately. We left later than I wanted, but ended up having lots of time to spare once we got there and somehow found parking right at the start line. The only hiccup was the water had run out at the sinks at the porta-potties and there were no hand sanitizers. So a lot of people had sticky soapy fingers after using them. At 7am, the marathoners were off; a small but mighty group. 15 min later, we were off. I had gotten a prime location at the front. I felt silly since I'm not a fast runner, but every second not weaving counts, right?

The weather was beautiful and clear and I even saw a dolphin in the water. Didn't realize how fast my first mile was, but I think I settled in OK although a bit too fast. I did get lost twice. Backtracking to a volunteer thinking he was telling me to run a different way, but he was saying "water!" and another time I followed another runner the wrong way into a dead end. But I don't think it affected my pace much. However, around mile 9 I could feel a blister large forming and my pace slipped around mile 11. I even thought about quitting and walking. I knew DH would be around mile 12 and thought about collapsing into his arms wailing about missing my PR. But I also thought about this group and how some people have really been helping me (especially @DopeyBadger) and how much time I've been training and so I kept going. My foot started cramping (compensating for my blister) around mile 11.5 right as I saw my DH filming me! I gritted my teeth and kept pushing myself to MOVE (hoping to see the finish line around every corner ). I could see the clock at the finish line and saw I could make my PR if I booked it and I did!

I did want to collapse afterwards (all the while my DH is surreptitiously filming me, why?!) luckily they had good swag with giant cans of coconut juice etc and even FREE massages! But the line was too long so we went home and I jumped into the hot tub. Ahhhh. It was really cool talking to some super friendly runners afterwards and I think it showed my DH the running community camaraderie. Also, it was the first time he'd ever seen me race, so that support was really awesome. Besides DH, course support was a bit sparse - nothing like runDisney!

Spinner!


Stats:
1:39:41 (PR!!!), almost 3 min shaved from Tink
Gender placement: 9th overall
Division: 7th

Congrats @CherieFran, @jhorstma, @Slogger, @michigandergirl and @Mickey's sweetheart !

That Dulles Day 10k looks so cool! Excited for this week off, not stuffing my face full of carbs (it's fun the first day, not so fun later), foam rolling, drinking some alcohol, and looking towards the future

Congratulations on the PR! If you were worried about lining up in the front, don't be! With a time like 1:39, that is exactly where you should be. Sounds like an all out effort; great job!

 

[jhorstma]

In that case, you need to charge a race fee two or three time higher than any 5k in the area, have very narrow portions of the course to force the complaints over walkers walking and runners running to the surface, and start the race early enough so everyone has to set an alarm beginning with a 2.

And balloon ladies!