The Running Thread - 2018

[rteetz]

QOTD: What do you like or dislike about a taper?

I don’t mind it much. I haven’t done a lot of high mileage runs this training cycle but I feel prepared enough. I like that taper is an opportunity to keep the legs in good shape and some rest going into race day.

 

[Slogger]

ATTQOTD: It's not my favorite part of the training cycle. I've put in the time and miles and should feel confident about my efforts. But sometimes I don't.
Maybe I scaled too far back or not enough. My body seems confused about the change. I'm never really sure if I'm doing it right.

 

[ZellyB]

ATTQOTD: I enjoy the decreased mileage and wear and tear on my body, but the down side is the taper madness in which I constantly believe I have imaginary hurts or that I'm getting sick.

 

[Waiting2goback]

QOTD: What do you like or dislike about a taper?

ATTQOTD: I like the reduction in mileage as it gives me more free time. That doesnt really apply this year since I havent put in many miles, so its been like a 12 month long taper lol. 26.2 is going to be brutal!

I like the time I gain back in my life, much like you. I like that it means the race I have been training hard for is getting closer. I don't like the feeling that I am lost without the running. Sometimes I don't know what to do with myself having the extra free time. It's a double edge sword. Sometimes finding time to get all those runs in to train for a full can be stressful. So that's why I like the free time I get back. But then I feel lost without it at the same time. I know I am making no sense but oh well.

And your race will be tough, I did it last year under similar conditions. But it is Disney. It will still be fun and you will look back on it in the future and it will be a story you laugh about. "Remember when I was stupid enough to try a marathon with only an 8 mile long run (in my case)?" Sure, I sound crazy but I have a nice 25th medal hanging on my rack so it was worth it.

 

[apdebord]

ATTQOTD: I’ve never really tapered for a half, so I think this is my first formal taper. I’m looking forward to healing some stuff, like whatever this hip/groin pain is, and letting my lungs recover. Will also use this extra free time to get stuff done that I’ve been putting off. I will also take some Pure Barre classes as I haven’t been able to take in about a month and a half, although I have been teaching classes.

 

[GreatLakes]

Christmas Eve QOTD: This is going to me a multi part question. Do you have dreams about a big race thats coming up? Are they good good dreams or a dream of something going wrong? Do you have dreams about being in the parks, and if so what are those like?

Generally the only times I have dreams just before races is if I'm under-prepared. Then I have dreams about being under-prepared. I do often have dreams about not being able to really run. Those dreams where no matter how fast you try to go you are basically just walking. They come up from time to time.

QOTD: What do you like or dislike about a taper?

I only really taper for fulls and I like that I'm close to my race, I'm either prepared or accepted that it will be slower than hoped for, and I have some additional free time after work (when almost all my runs happen).

 

[huskies90]

QOTD: What do you like or dislike about a taper?

ATTQOTD: For me, I mostly only taper my long weekend run and maybe take a few miles off my weekday runs. I try not to change my normal running routine too much. I do usually peel back quite a bit the week before the race so my body is well rested and strong.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

ATTQOTD: the races I have made it to, have usually meant that training coincided with the busy season at work. I haven’t made it to a race since moving to Utah full time, but on MV it meant working like a dog all summer, and running my kiester off, then hitting the taper when we died down at work.

Going from running and working constantly had me bouncing off the wall. I’ll see how this year goes since I have 3 races in three months this summer and they get successively longer.

 

[Bree]

ATTQOTD: I’ve only tapered for half marathons and like the reduced mileage. Tapering for Dopey this time around. I had a fantastic last long run on Saturday which ended peak week on a high note. I’m looking forward to some of the easier runs. The women in my neighborhood started a beginners running group. I finally had the time to join them on Monday. I ran two miles with them then ran three more on my own. It was a welcome diversion to all the solo miles I put in. Those two miles went by so fast.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

ATTQOTD: I’ve only tapered for half marathons and like the reduced mileage. Tapering for Dopey this time around. I had a fantastic last long run on Saturday which ended peak week on a high note. I’m looking forward to some of the easier runs. The women in my neighborhood started a beginners running group. I finally had the time to join them on Monday. I ran two miles with them then ran three more on my own. It was a welcome diversion to all the solo miles I put in. Those two miles went by so fast.

Yeah, it’s, I don’t know if “fun” is the appropriate word, but it’s at least amusing when you do really long runs and then do shorter ones and they seem like a quick sprint, even though when you started that same run dragged on.

 

[CDKG]

QOTD: What do you like or dislike about a taper?

This is my first marathon taper. For my half marathon taper earlier this year, I really enjoyed the reduction in miles. What I did not like were all of the random aches and pains that popped up. Since my last long run (20 miles) was just on Sunday, my body hasn’t realized I’m tapering yet. Hopefully this taper goes smoothly!

 

[michigandergirl]

ATTQOTD:

ATTQOTD: I enjoy the decreased mileage and wear and tear on my body, but the down side is the taper madness in which I constantly believe I have imaginary hurts or that I'm getting sick.

This! Taper madness usually hits me hard.

@LSUlakes A friend just talked me into a January trail race:

Jan 5 - michigandergirl - Yankee Springs Winter Challenge 10K - NG

Thanks for keeping this thread going!

 

[AFwifelife]

ATTQOTD: Taper madness isn't my friend. Definitely a downside of Dopey is doing a taper during the stressful holidays. Thankfully I've put in the miles before now but right now is a major struggle, both mentally and physically.

 

[KevM]

Christmas Eve ATTQOTD: I have yet to have a dream about a race I am running.

ATTQOTD: My favorite thing about tapering is the time I gain back my runningless miles.

@LSUlakes I have two runs in Jan.

Jan 1 - KevM - Run with Jack New Years 5k - NG

Jan 19 - KevM - 2019 Winter Pickle Run Seires No 1 - NG

 

[mankle30]

Tapering shouldn't be too different from my regular running. In fact, since I haven't been able to "keep up" with the mileage of my training plan throughout, Week 2 of the 3-week taper is actually more mileage than I'm generally used to (about 47 miles), although I'll try to get that down to 40. My final week of the taper, I'll be touring the parks four of those days, so it'll be tough to find the time to run.

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

ATTQOTD: I enjoy the taper. I like the reduced running. I don't have the thoughts of 'I should be doing more'.

I go on a special diet the last 2 weeks before a marathon. It's almost a ritual. I don't know if it has any physical benefits, but it helps me get in a marathon state of mind.

Like almost everyone else, I worry about every little ache and pain. I am also deathly afraid of public places and family gatherings due to the possibility of getting a cold.

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

Those dreams where no matter how fast you try to go you are basically just walking.

I've had that happen in real life. I thought I was running. I passed a 90 year old spectator. His runner went by, he took a picture and turned around to walk to his car.

He Pac-Manned me.

 

[chuckille]

Today’s run was a 2 mile “tempo” run, with 3 mi total warmup and cool down. I wish I had taken a picture of the “Warning- Coyotes in the area” sign. I ran past it and noticed the only other prints in the snow were dog prints so I turned around and went a different way.

The snow there looks great! I’ll be heading to Park City in mid January for our annual Utah trip so I’m hoping for some more in the near future!


ATTQOTD: I like the taper since it gives me more time to relax and spend time with family, instead of planning runs around kid pick-up times/family outings/etc.

 

[KSellers88]

First, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

ATTQOTD (Christmas Eve): I am a complete weirdo and do not have dreams. I was recently prescribed some medication that made me have seriously weird dreams, so I have stopped taking it and now I am back to not dreaming at all again.

ATTQOTD (today): I love the reduced mileage and extra rest of a taper, but I always manage to convince myself that I have a stress fracture or strained tendon during the taper so that is fun.

 

[cavepig]

I like tapering because I have very tired legs now and the thought of heading out in the cold wind for less time is a nice feeling.

I’m looking forward to healing some stuff, like whatever this hip/groin pain is,

I have a similar area pain that I had in the fall. It went away but recently came back but not quiet as bad. So, yeah this taper is all about healing as best as possible. I usually run a lot of hills, so as part of tapering is limiting hills as that seems to aggravate it. I hope your pain heals up in time for the marathon.