The Running Thread - 2018

[JulieODC]

@KingLlama - I vote for A, regardless of B or not do you have a sense of what causes the cramps? Dehydration? I think it sounds like a good opportunity to leverage your training from last weekend, and do it in a way that honors your brother.

 

[JulieODC]

QOTD: a beer is always a priority, and if not, water. I do try to walk, if not immediately, during the day after sometime (and not just lounge) as I think that helps me ward off soreness.

 

[flav]

ATTQOTD:
Walk, drink, eat. Repeat.

I'm working on finalizing our vacation plans for next month... If anyone has any must-dos, eats, sees, or skips for Maui, please let me know!! (you can PM me if you don't want to pollute this thread )

And please cc me in the advice... My turn at the end of July...

 

[flav]

ATTQOTD: Get medal, take pictures, chug provided electrolyte drink and banana, walk, do stretching routine... probably while eating whatever has been given and tempt me at that moment, walk, get home or hotel, shower, eat a real meal, enjoy pool if one is available.

 

[KSellers88]

You already have.

I'm not crying...

 

[KSellers88]

ATTQOTD: Medal, water/gatorade, post race picture, post to Instagram. LOL. In all seriousness, I've been trying to get better about stretching after races. I'm pretty good at keeping myself moving and not sitting down but I don't stretch nearly enough.

 

[DIS-OH]

I will be able to run on a more consistent basis...I am changing jobs.

After 19 years as a school principal, I have accepted a Central Office position. That means, come August, I won’t have to spend 3-4 week nights and Saturday mornings at school athletic events...which means more opportunities to run!

 

[SarahDisney]

QOTD: Since we discussed warm up yesterday it makes sense to discuss the post race cool down today. So, do you have any kind of post race routine, and if so how does it change depending on the race distance?

My usual post-race routine is just walking around, some knee stretches, and then Starbucks. The only thing that really changes with the distance is how long I stretch for and what I get at Starbucks (half (or longer???) is a venti iced latte, shorter than that is either a tall latte or a grande iced coffee).
(I actually did a post-race 1 mile cool down run (mostly) with my friend on Sunday and that was kinda nice, so I may try to incorporate that into my post race cool down occasionally)

 

[KevM]

Well, just signed up for two races.

This Saturday running the Conshy 5K. Was holding off on signing up because I wan’t Sure i’d Feel like running a 5K a week after the half. But i’m Feeling good so decided to do it.

June 3rd signed up for the inaugural Philly Run Fest Half Marathon.

There’s a third race i’m thinking about on May 20th. It’s a 10 miler. Still thinking that one over.

 

[jennamfeo]

Thursday Night Trivia for any knowledgable Disney History buffs out there... My little city was founded in the 60s by a guy named Robert McCulloch. He had this grand idea to buy the London Bridge from England and transplant it to Arizona. It happened literally brick by brick. Rumor has it, the old nursery rhyme "London Bridge is falling down" is about this bridge. Rumor also has it, that the bridge is still falling down... or sinking. Whatever. So Mr. McCulloch needed someone to help him build this city, so he hired a guy named C.V. Wood. Anyone know anything about him?...

 

[Waiting2goback]

QOTD: Since we discussed warm up yesterday it makes sense to discuss the post race cool down today. So, do you have any kind of post race routine, and if so how does it change depending on the race distance?

ATTQOTD: I have a routine for post run as well. Again, the shorter the distance the more running associated with it. For shorter races a mile or two cool down at a very easy pace is common, followed by stretching. For longer races like a marathon I have found stretching and to continue to move around help with recovery. A ice cold chocolate milk also does wonders for recovery, but a beer is hard to pass up.

I find the finishing area after the races have a decent amount of walking and then I just try to stay on my feet for a while as I walk to my car, or the monorail.

Running Participation Declines Expected To Level Off

With race participation slipping in recent years, a big American win and the gnarly conditions at the Boston Marathon shined a much-needed spotlight on the sport of running. However, race organizers and running industry execs still believe a renewed focus on delivering unique experiences will be necessary to again drive up race finishers.

On the positive side, a comprehensive study on running retention from Running USA that came out earlier this year found that race participation is on a path to stabilize. The study, based on a survey for more than 5,000 runners in October and November last year, also found numerous challenges around race events:

• Cost is a major driver for race participation, particularly for females and younger runners
• Only half of the respondents felt they get good value from their race experiences
• Runners are looking for new experiences – events need to create new themes and experiences annually
• Fitness classes more than other color, mud, etc. type events are taking the runner dollar
• Time is a contributing factor – many just have less time

“The findings really confirmed what we have been hearing around the sport,” Running USA CEO Rich Harshbarger told SGB Executive. “Essentially, runners will pay more for an ‘experience’ on one hand and are willing to participate in lower priced events if they are fun. The real follow up on our end as well as for the industry is to be able to properly define and execute on an ‘experience’. Our follow up is to help events understand how to best define that for themselves and not create fads or gimmicks in order to maintain longevity.”

https://sgbonline.com/running-participation-declines-expected-to-level-off/

I don't know how much of this is true. We have talked on here before about entry fees. Rather than give up running in favor of fitness classes wouldn't someone just sign up for less races a year? And most 10k's, for example, would be close to the cost of fitness classes you pay monthly for. I could see runcations dying off because of cost but not local races.

 

[The Expert]

Do the Half!

I did all three races at Dark Side and was severely undertrained. Coming from north and west, I was definitely not acclimated to the temps or humidity and was concerned about my body revolting on me during the Half. I made sure I got plenty of rest between races and plenty of sleep before the Half, and while I was slow and extremely sweaty, I actually felt pretty good -- better than during the 10K, in fact. The one thing I did differently for that race was to use Tailwind (which I had NOT done in training - oops). I took a packet with me and poured half into a water at the stop at about mile 3, then sipped it as I walked for about half a mile. I did the same with the other half at about mile 9.5. I was hot, my feet hurt a bit and my quads were a little tight, but I never bonked and crossed the finish line without feeling like I needed to collapse.

Can I get some level-headed advice from this bunch?

I did my first half this past weekend at Dark Side. I detailed it in that thread, so I won't rehash it here, but the bottom line is that while the first 2/3 of the race were great, the cramps I suffered in the final 1/3 brought me to a screeching halt and I nearly got swept. I hadn't had the chance to train in heat/humidity, so I hadn't had the chance to experiment with different solutions for it. Hence, the cramps.

Here's the issue...there's another half coming up in a few weeks that I've had my eye on. It falls on the birthday of my younger brother, who passed away last Fall unexpectedly. To pay tribute to him(and honestly, to do something to keep my mind off him for a few hours that day), I'd thought of signing up for that half. It will probably be similar weather to what I experienced at WDW this past weekend.

After my Dark Side experience, the only reason I'm even remotely considering this one is because the half and full are the same loop(the full just does it twice), so there's absolutely no danger of getting swept. I could literally walk the whole thing and make it through just fine. But I will only have a couple of weeks to "experiment" and see what I can do about these cramps that flare up.

So I guess my question is....what should I do that day?

A. Try the half and just walk it if the cramps flare up.
B. Try the half, but only if I can get in a long training run in warm weather before then so that I can try a different cramps solution.
C. Do a 5K or 10K in his honor instead.

ARE YOU NUTS WITH THOSE STAIRS?!?! This makes me cringe just thinking about it.

...walking Swiss Family Treehouse...

 

[The Expert]

I'm spending some time in the ATL for work and will find myself here over the first week of July, so I entered the lottery and got in to Peachtree! When in Rome...

@LSUlakes please add this to the race list for me:

July
04 - The Expert - Peachtree Road Race 10K (NG / N/A)

 

[Disney at Heart]

I will be able to run on a more consistent basis...I am changing jobs.

After 19 years as a school principal, I have accepted a Central Office position. That means, come August, I won’t have to spend 3-4 week nights and Saturday mornings at school athletic events...which means more opportunities to run!

Congratulations! I was never principal, but as the h.s. yearbook advisor for 18 years, I know there are many long evenings/Saturday morinings at board meetings, sports events, band and chorus concerts, art exhibits, club meetings and projects, then Relay for Life, canned food drives, homecoming parades, and other special events. Being principal means even many more late nights after a full day of work already! And then, bright eyed and back at school by 7:00 am or earlier to do it all over again! You are amazing!

Thursday Night Trivia for any knowledgable Disney History buffs out there... My little city was founded in the 60s by a guy named Robert McCulloch. He had this grand idea to buy the London Bridge from England and transplant it to Arizona. It happened literally brick by brick. Rumor has it, the old nursery rhyme "London Bridge is falling down" is about this bridge. Rumor also has it, that the bridge is still falling down... or sinking. Whatever. So Mr. McCulloch needed someone to help him build this city, so he hired a guy named C.V. Wood. Anyone know anything about him?...
View attachment 319414 View attachment 319415

C.V. Wood: The most nefarious Disney villain of them all
http://land.allears.net/blogs/guestblog/2018/04/ready_for_april_16_cv_wood_the_1.html

 

[LSUlakes]

Fun Friday QOTD: Which attraction at WDW do you think has the best queue that helps tell the story of the attraction you are about to ride?

ATTFFQOTD: I could think of a few that do this really well, but I my vote goes to Tower of Terror. Without the theming this attraction would not be anywhere near as popular is it today. Ill add that I did ride FOP twice on my most recent trip, but did so using FP+. In that line, you miss all of the really cool stuff so I have yet to see it.

 

[TheHamm]

Opinions, please? My longest training run has been 5 miles, and I have repeated the week twice now as I did not feel good about it the first time (I was surprised how slow I was). I leave for vacation for a week during which there will be lots of walking but no running. The day after our return the local PTO has a 10K. The kids want to do the fun run (in fairy wings because they have been conditioned), so we are planning to make it for that. Am I asking for trouble doing the 10K 12 hours after getting off of a 5 hour plane ride and a week of no runs? If it were tomorrow, I would do it and see how it goes, but the week off (and the time change back east) have me concerned. Thoughts?

 

[TheHamm]

Fun Friday QOTD: Which attraction at WDW do you think has the best queue that helps tell the story of the attraction you are about to ride?

ATTFFQOTD: I could think of a few that do this really well, but I my vote goes to Tower of Terror. Without the theming this attraction would not be anywhere near as popular is it today. Ill add that I did ride FOP twice on my most recent trip, but did so using FP+. In that line, you miss all of the really cool stuff so I have yet to see it.

I am going to answer a question that you did not quite ask, best overall queue goes to Guardians of the Galaxy at DL. Runner up best goes to WDW's Winnie the Pooh as it keeps my kids entertained and happy, they have asked people go in front of us in line so they can keep playing in there. We will hit the land for a day next week, I am curious if they are at all similar.

 

[Disney at Heart]

Like @LSUlakes I FP+ most of the cool queues. I've never done FOP, Navi River, or FEA queues and have only done TSMM and PPF queues once. I like the "lobby" of TOT and the library and fun-to-read puns in the Haunted Mansion queue. I have done EE and Pooh (to play like a kid) queues a few times and like both. But I think Peter Pan's Flight tells the story the best.

 

[PCFriar80]

Fun Friday QOTD: Which attraction at WDW do you think has the best queue that helps tell the story of the attraction you are about to ride?

Haunted Mansion! Runner-up to Toy Story Mania.

 

[cavepig]

Opinions, please? My longest training run has been 5 miles, and I have repeated the week twice now as I did not feel good about it the first time (I was surprised how slow I was). I leave for vacation for a week during which there will be lots of walking but no running. The day after our return the local PTO has a 10K. The kids want to do the fun run (in fairy wings because they have been conditioned), so we are planning to make it for that. Am I asking for trouble doing the 10K 12 hours after getting off of a 5 hour plane ride and a week of no runs? If it were tomorrow, I would do it and see how it goes, but the week off (and the time change back east) have me concerned. Thoughts?

Personally, I would probably run like crap & I wouldn't put stock in a great time. But, if you want to just have fun with it then I don't see why not, especially if it's really close by. The kids may be exhausted too and what seemed like a good idea now to them they might second guess at race time, but you know them better if they'll still be gung hu at race time after the flight.