The Running Thread - 2018

[opusone]

QOTD: If disney races did not require a POT to corral placement where would you place yourself?
A. In a corral based on my current fitness.
B. As far in front as I could get.
C. Where my POT would probably put me.
D. Somewhere near the back.

This is actually a very difficult question. After over 30 years of running races, it is quite clear to me that the majority of runners are very bad at self-selecting their corral placement. Now, before chip timing was available, this made some sense because your time was based on clock time only, so any time after the start gun and before you crossed the start line was just wasted time added to your official race time. Therefore, people would try to get towards the front, especially if they were trying to PR, regardless of their race pace.

I was optimistic when chip timing started to become commonplace; however, people still didn't properly self-select. Then, races started to add more corrals to try to divide it up even more, but most races had poor security and did not police the corrals.

Bottom line: I think there are likely several reasons why people don't self-select properly:

• they are just unaware (i.e. not paying attention to the pace requirements in each starting location/corral)
• they think they are faster than they are
• they are running with friends/family and are staying all together at the start (even though they all run different paces)
• they know others are improperly self-selecting, and they don't want to get stuck behind a bunch of folks
• they just don't care

So, what does this mean for me:
I try to stay close to where I should be based on my current fitness (so, A), and this would work really well if everyone did the same; however, they don't, so if it appears to me that folks are not self-selecting very well, then I sneak up a bit (so, somewhere between A & B). This is a little bit of art because it's hard to determine the fitness level of other folks. Sometimes people will be talking about their goal time/pace, so that can give you a clue if you are in the correct area or not. If it's a local race, I am usually familiar with many of the other runners, so I can properly place myself based on where they line up. Otherwise, it's a bit of guesswork.

 

[kbenson13]

ATTQOTD: I've experienced only one Disney race so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. But my guess is it's best to get to the characters as early as possible since I'm pretty sure the lines only get longer as the race goes on. (I found this especially to be true for the post-race characters at the finish line.) So my guess is that if you want to stop for the characters, it's best to be in the earliest corral that you can get yourself into and get to the characters as quickly as possible. That was certainly my experience at W&D last Fall. So if I was at a Disney race and could choose my corral, I would choose Corral A to ensure the shortest character lines. Having said that, I may do a Disney race in the future where I intentionally put myself in the last corral so I can ride the Tower of Terror or some other ride in the middle of my run. While I ran fast to get to the characters and had an early corral, that also got me through the parks before they opened....

 

[SarahDisney]

ATTQOTD:
E. Other: With the people who run at my running pace. I'm a run/walk person, and POT seeds me with people who run the same avg pace as I do. For example, if my POT puts me at an average pace of 11 min/mi, when I start the race, the people around me are running at 11 min/mi ... but I'm running at 10 min/mi. So I'm actually behind people running slower than I am. So I'd rather start with the people running at my running pace. It'll even out in the end, but it helps me start off less frustrated.

 

[cburnett11]

ATTQOTD: A

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: If disney races did not require a POT to corral placement where would you place yourself?
A. In a corral based on my current fitness.
B. As far in front as I could get.
C. Where my POT would probably put me.
D. Somewhere near the back.

In a corral based on my current fitness or where my POT would place me.

 

[TCB in FLA]

QOTD: If this was really a thing at Disney races, I would never run another! You know all the “I didn’t train for this race and I’m going to get swept which isn’t fair because I’m more special than the other people who trained” people would totally start at the front, getting there hours before the buses even start running. So for this question, I’m going to assume everyone else is corralled based on a POT except for readers of this board (because WE are more special). I’m going with A, which is really just one up from answer C. I’m right after the cutoff from one corral to the next, and the flat roads of Disney are way easier to run than the hills at home where I run my POT.

 

[tigger536]

ATTQOTD: When I was in London last summer, I did a running tour. Not a "run for a bit and then stop to hear the tour guide and then run to the next location" tour, but an actual "tour guide gives the tour while we ran along" tour, going about 5k along the Thames. It was a TON of fun. I think there were 5 of us there in total, all Americans except for the tour guide, and we got both a great morning run in and a wonderful tour. One of the best things I did in London, and one of my most unusual runs so far.

That sounds really cool! Would you mind sharing the info? Headed to London as part of a Disney cruise this summer.

 

[tigger536]

We’ve got a peloton here that ride on the weekends and think that every hard surface belongs to them. They actually rolled through a bunch of us running a half marathon last year, hollering that we needed to run in the grass.

Cyclists can really be the worst.

Yes they can! I ran Mountain to Mainstreet in Greenville a couple of weeks ago. Its mostly run on the Swamp Rabbit, a paved biking and running trail. I lot of bikes zoomed past us (it has a slight downhill grade), and most were considerate, slowing down some and saying "on the left"). There was one lady who came zooming past, she did say on the left but she was going too fast for that crowded of a trail (in addition to the race there were the usual runners/ walkers out for a Saturday stroll). I was out of her way, but less than .5 mile later, I came upon one of the runners I had been leapfrogging with and the rude bike lady, down. The runner was crying. She had been having a great race, and it was over at mile 9 because of this jerk. Luckily it was right before a water stop where the trail met the road, so she had volunteers and a cop who was managing the cross traffic tending to her. Rude lady's bike looked banged up too, and good, because, karma.

 

[jennamfeo]

ATTQOTD: If it's a Disney Race that we are only talking about then I would rather start at the very front because I haaaaaate trying to dodge all the walkers who have their entire family with them and walk 15 people across. LIKE WHY??

 

[cavepig]

ou know all the “I didn’t train for this race and I’m going to get swept which isn’t fair because I’m more special than the other people who trained” people would totally start at the front, getting there hours before the buses even start running.

Ha, yeah I never get those people. But they 'deserve' to start in the front to get character pictures as it's not fair faster people get shorter waits & they need the extra time. It puzzles me their logic of thinking faster people should start behind slower ones, as I've seen that suggested, that would be a disaster.

 

[dis_or_dat]

I had this conundrum on my last race (over 1.5 years ago). My POT and fitness put me squarely in A but I was planning on a 2:00 half. I ended up staying in the A corral but in the back and did a faster pace initially just to help separate from the crowd and then tried to get out of everyone's way and stick with others running my pace. I was irritated at those who jockeyed to the very front of A and immediately walked.

Question! I just signed up for my first race in almost 1.5 years (see above). It's a 10k and not sure what my strategy should be. I've only run max 6 miles and recently only 3-4 miles due to time constraints and both courses contain very long stoplights. I've been taking it pretty easy and generally running 8:30-8:45 pace. Should I go all out to see where I am? It's a local family friendly charity race so not sure if it's correct etiquette to push to the front given that I don't know where I stand. My current VO2 max is 55 (but maybe because I haven't been close to hitting my peak HR). I guess I'm a little nervous since I haven't really run in so long. I haven't actually raced since September 2016. I did a 6:30 for a quarter mile when some jogger refused to let me pass him and blocked me so I had to run in the street and he then decided to race me as I was dodging cars.

 

[apdebord]

ATTQOTD: I'd like to say A, but as it's already been said, people not trained to be at the very front would head that anyway. I think that's been proven with the 5 and 10Ks, people, both knowingly and unknowingly I'm sure, put in a false time at registration. As frustrating as getting a good PoT can be, or wondering how their mystery calculator will seed you, I think C is the best option overall.

 

[opusone]

Question! I just signed up for my first race in almost 1.5 years (see above). It's a 10k and not sure what my strategy should be. I've only run max 6 miles and recently only 3-4 miles due to time constraints and both courses contain very long stoplights. I've been taking it pretty easy and generally running 8:30-8:45 pace. Should I go all out to see where I am? It's a local family friendly charity race so not sure if it's correct etiquette to push to the front given that I don't know where I stand. My current VO2 max is 55 (but maybe because I haven't been close to hitting my peak HR). I guess I'm a little nervous since I haven't really run in so long. I haven't actually raced since September 2016. I did a 6:30 for a quarter mile when some jogger refused to let me pass him and blocked me so I had to run in the street and he then decided to race me as I was dodging cars.

After a decent time between races, I usually take the first mile (or two miles for races longer than 5k) a little easier than I think is likely my true race pace for the distance. So, what do you think your likely 10k race pace is based on your training runs? Do the 8:30-8:45 paces seem really comfortable? Maybe start in the 7:10-7:20 range, then just go by feel after the first mile or two?

 

[roxymama]

My last race was a women's half marathon with no corral assignments and no corrals! Let me tell you that you cannot judge a book by it's cover when it comes to a giant sea of runner-gals. So I just sort of lurked about the side until the pacers showed up and then I was like "thank goodness...ok I know I don't want to be ahead of that pace out the gate and I know I kind of want to always be ahead of that one" Without those pacers it would have been really tough to decide. Turns out I was like one of the very last to cross in the first wave (I had no idea there were two waves) So yeah, even signs with paces are helpful...I like some kind of structure to make decisions off of.

PS I knew this question would be easy for those whose fitness and POT puts them in A at disney. But I'd hate for someone trying for "let's say a sextuple dopey PR attempt" to have to go to corral C or something because there was no POT and that persons bus was late, etc. (In this scenario)

 

[sylkai]

That sounds really cool! Would you mind sharing the info? Headed to London as part of a Disney cruise this summer.

I did it through London Walks - you'll have to look at their summer PDF for info/dates (it looks like they're offering them in the evening this year instead of the morning), and they're not offered nearly as frequently as some of their other tours, but it was a lot of fun. This was the selfie we took together at the end of the run, with the guide. If their schedule doesn't work for you, there are a bunch of other companies that do running tours as well, although I don't know if they're structured the same way.

I love London. I could easily spend a month in London. I could probably spend two months in London. The runs! Hyde Park was wonderful. I also did Regent's Park which was ALSO wonderful. And there's a canal trail that I want to go back and do, and a Thames River path to be investigated, and...

If you want more recommendations for London, feel free to drop me a PM, because I can go on for a while. And about things other than running too. We did 6 days there last summer and hit a LOT of stuff. (My husband and I are food and drink oriented travelers with an appreciation for older buildings, authentic neighborhoods, and getting somewhat off the beaten path but still enjoy well-done history museums and the occasional tourist trap. And I write romance novels set in 1820s England so there was some work-related research.)

 

[FFigawi]

QOTD: If disney races did not require a POT to corral placement where would you place yourself?
A. In a corral based on my current fitness.
B. As far in front as I could get.
C. Where my POT would probably put me.
D. Somewhere near the back.

If Disney stops requiring a proof of time and a subsequent corral placement, I'd probably stop running Disney races. As many others have pointed out, the crush of untrained, slow, and otherwise entitled people all wanting to be in the very front of the race would make running behind them extremely frustrating and rather unenjoyable. If I had to run a Disney race under these conditions, I'd head to the back and turn the race into 7-8 hours of pre-day day drinking.

PS I knew this question would be easy for those whose fitness and POT puts them in A at disney. But I'd hate for someone trying for "let's say a sextuple dopey PR attempt" to have to go to corral C or something because there was no POT and that persons bus was late, etc. (In this scenario)

1) this hypothetical person is nuts, and 2) we all know he'd never, ever be late to the race

 

[jennamfeo]

I'd head to the back and turn the race into 7-8 hours of pre-day day drinking.

How do I sign up for this race?

 

[dis_or_dat]

After a decent time between races, I usually take the first mile (or two miles for races longer than 5k) a little easier than I think is likely my true race pace for the distance. So, what do you think your likely 10k race pace is based on your training runs? Do the 8:30-8:45 paces seem really comfortable? Maybe start in the 7:10-7:20 range, then just go by feel after the first mile or two?

The 8:30 pace feels easy but maybe because of those long pauses at stop lights and because I'm only running 3-4 miles. I don't know if I can hold a 7:10-7:20 pace for 6 miles. I tend to go crazy for the first mile (jitters and trying to get away from the crowd), think I can hold it, and then pay for it later. Your advice makes sense. I'll just go by feel. Thanks!

 

[opusone]

The 8:30 pace feels easy but maybe because of those long pauses at stop lights and because I'm only running 3-4 miles. I don't know if I can hold a 7:10-7:20 pace for 6 miles. I tend to go crazy for the first mile (jitters and trying to get away from the crowd), think I can hold it, and then pay for it later. Your advice makes sense. I'll just go by feel. Thanks!

I was completely guessing at the 7:10-7:20 (based on your easy 8:30 pace), but I do think your first mile plan should be at a specific pace you know you could maintain for 6 miles. Maybe 7:45-8:00? If you go by feel for the first mile, that can oftentimes led to pain later on in the race. So, I like to plan my first mile and FORCE myself to stick to the plan, then after the first mile, let it fly if I feel really good or just maintain (at least for another mile) if it feels like decent effort.

 

[KSellers88]

ATTQOTD: I haven't had major issues with the corral system at Disney so I would be somewhere between A and C. I like the proof of time concept for many of the reasons stated here (walkers walking 10 people side by side, etc.). I'm with others that I am not sure I would continue Disney if it was a free for all.