The Running Thread - 2018

[MissLiss279]

ATTQOTD: If I’m going to be traveling somewhere, I will look to see if there are any races in the vicinity. For instance last year, my parents drove to Alaska and mentioned I could fly up for a week and join then. So, naturally I looked for a week that included a marathon. Also, my sister lives in Montana, so when I have gone to visit her I have found a few marathons near her or on my way there - Jackson Hole, Pocatello, and Bozeman. Other races are local (Prairie Fire) or within a few hours drive (Rt. 66). Chicago - several friends were running - they had free/guaranteed entry (their work is a sponsor), so I signed up for the lottery and got in. One of the Marathon Maniacs signature races is Fargo this year (which is somewhat within driving distance and has pretty good reviews), it’s at a good time of year, it’s flat, and so it should be a good ‘A’ type race. In the fall, a good scenic one that several friends have been talked into is the Columbia Gorge. So pretty much I look for easy driving distance or somewhere I think would be a pretty or scenic race or somewhere I want to travel to.

 

[Nole95]

My wife and I are in this predicament now of trying to figure out our race schedule for the year. There is a local Atlanta half marathon that I have run every year since it started. This year is the fifth year, so I plan on keeping the streak going. It's in June, and definitely lives up to its name of the Hotlanta Half.

We had been so focused on Dopey this year, that we had not planned anything else out for 2018.

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: Todays question is a suggestion from a follow poster on this thread. Thanks for the suggestion! How do you determine your race schedule for the year?

I don’t. Lol.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I really want to find some more local races specifically a half marathon. I just don’t know many of them in my area. I typically don’t plan my race schedule for a full year. It’s a one at a time thing.

 

[baxter24]

ATTQOTD: My racing schedule usually depends on what races I want to do and what my big goal is for the year. I am now contemplating running a marathon this fall. With having run two at Disney now, I think I would like to see how I can do without the allure of character stops and running through castles.

Got to run three miles in the snow yesterday! It was starting to stick to the road so I took it easy. While I wouldn't want to do it all the time like some of you have to, it was cool to do! We ended up getting 5-6 inches so naturally we won’t be going back to school till Monday.‍

 

[roxymama]

Attqotd: I used to do every race that came along that sounded semi interesting. I've since learned about the concept of A races vs fun-run/training runs. So I think I've been trying to focus on my A goals and finding races that will help me get there. This year I tried to pick times with good weather...allow enough time in between for full training cycles...etc. so I've got PR attempts in 8k, HM and then new distance PR in a M. All spaced out.
And I'm going to just pepper in fun runs or training runs as I go...maybe it means less races or more last minute registrations based on weather/what I feel like.
It's a work in progress.

I have no rundisney scheduled for 2018!!!!!!! (If DL races existed I'd probably have found a way over to CA again this year). So stay tuned for 2019.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Since I am now know for using sneaux for snow, maybe icee can be the new icy. lol I got a good lol at all of it.

I got a chuckle out of this yesterday... and it also made me think about a diet coke icee for an embarrassing amount of time.

QOTD: Todays question is a suggestion from a follow poster on this thread. Thanks for the suggestion! How do you determine your race schedule for the year?

By which races I want to run and work with my schedule

I've said this before, but there are very limited races available where I live, most are 2.5+ hours away. So logistically, I only enter races a few times a year.

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

ATTQOTD: I plan marathons 9-12 months in advance. I have a few races that I don't really plan, they are permanently on the calendar: Peachtree Road Race, Tartan Trot.

5K/10K/halfs are more ad hoc. Halfs maybe 2 months in advance. 5K/10Ks only a week or two in advance. Just whenever the race urge coincides with a convenient race and good weather.

 

[AbbyJaws2003]

QOTD: Todays question is a suggestion from a follow poster on this thread. Thanks for the suggestion! How do you determine your race schedule for the year?

I tend to go with ones that look fun or interesting, or ones I have run before and really enjoyed. There has been no real rhyme or reason to it. 2 years ago I did a lot of 10ks to try and get a decent POT, 2017 I cut back on local races (but did 4 Disney races in a 12 month span so I was conserving funds). I am currently on a break so no races are signed up for as of now. I have a few fall races that if I feel I am in a decent spot and feeling the race itch I will go for, but for now I have nothing on the schedule for the first time in like 5 yrs!

 

[Anisum]

QOTD: Todays question is a suggestion from a follow poster on this thread. Thanks for the suggestion! How do you determine your race schedule for the year?

I base it around my goal or goals. For example the first half of 2017 was about getting a PoT for Dopey which meant lots of 10 milers, while the second was only a few fall races and mostly training for Dopey. This year I want to PR certain distances which means setting up a 10 miler in the spring (easy since we have three local runs the first weekend in May), hopefully a half in Spring (harder because there are less of them), a full or half in the fall, and a 10k in the fall. This leaves room for another 10 miler in the fall if I need it.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

ATTQOTD: I plan my races based on what I want to repeat from the year before. I also try to do at least one or two with local friends or family. And lastly, I look at what could potentially make a good race-cation. 2018 is shaping up to 3 repeat half marathons I loved and I will run solo, 1 new half marathon I will run with some family members, and the WDW marathon filled my race-cation part. I suppose some other races could be added if some friends are interested in running something else.

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

QOTD: Todays question is a suggestion from a follow poster on this thread. Thanks for the suggestion! How do you determine your race schedule for the year?

ATTQOTD: We completed a few 5k and 10ks last year and are in the process of adding distance for the Star Wars Dark Side trifecta. As we add miles up to the Half Marathon, we will decide if we want to do another Half or stick to 5k/10k/12k races. The "Plan" is to do 2 runDisney challenges per year (we vacation 3 to 4 times per year anyway) assuming we can tolerate the added distance. DH decides which local races to run depending on the "bling!" There is a Veteran's Day run we both want to try this year as well as a Christmas Half. It all depends on how we feel after April!

My longest run is 8 miles which was supposed to be a 9 miler but I was hurting all over so I cut it short. I had my flu shot the day before and by mile 8 all I could do was crawl into the car and go home. I was fine the next day so I'm making the assumption it was the flu shot reaction and not the distance. I've run multiple 10ks and 7 milers before and since. I'll be hitting that distance again in 3 weeks so I'll know for sure!

On a side note, I've helped take care of my family and 2 others who've been home sick with the flu. It spread like a chain reaction through all 3 families but I've never come down with it. Maybe that 8 mile run wasn't a bad thing after all!

 

[KSellers88]

ATTQOTD: I am the most OCD planner so I pretty much always know what my schedule will look like. Last year the main focus was my marathon, and this year I am shooting for one half marathon per month and my A race will be my third marathon in December. The halves will all be training/fun runs with the exception of two that I think I am going to shoot for a PR during. There are two local running series that I always do in the Summer and Winter, so I also do those.

I also normally try to look for a few race-cations that I can talk my husband into. Goal is to eventually do one race in every state.

 

[Dis5150]

ATTQOTD: Usually I am just planning for a Disney race I managed to register for. This year I decided to run 5 marathons for my 50th birthday so currently scoping out marathons that are close enough to home without being run in months that are hotter than the surface of the sun here in the south. So that means a couple this spring and the rest late fall or winter. Already got one down (Dopey!) and the next is Little Rock on March 4th (I will add it to the front page when I am officially registered for it - payday!).

 

[The Expert]

ATTQOTD: I plan whatever my big rD race or challenge is going to be and go from there. When I first started, I had actually planned out the next three years or so with Disney (Coast to Coast & Castle to Chateau, then Kessel Run, then maybe Marathon Weekend) but after my first year they canceled Anaheim on me so now I'm floating. Still doing Dark Side as I've signed up for all three races (and can get my Kessel Run thanks to virtual), and I loved the Princess 10K medal so found a way in to that. I know I need a decent 10K or Half in the fall for a new POT for next year's races, but no idea what that may be yet. Beyond that, I'm thinking about trying the WDW Marathon as my first full in 2020. My schedule for 2019 will probably all be based on getting ready for that (and what rD does between now and then).

 

[hauntedcity]

My wife and I are in this predicament now of trying to figure out our race schedule for the year. There is a local Atlanta half marathon that I have run every year since it started. This year is the fifth year, so I plan on keeping the streak going. It's in June, and definitely lives up to its name of the Hotlanta Half.

We had been so focused on Dopey this year, that we had not planned anything else out for 2018.

I'm in the same boat! I have been laser-focused on Dopey for the last year, and now I'm not sure what mountain to climb next. I have local races in May and November that I always do, so those are on the calendar, but I'm trying to figure out other local races. I probably won't make it back to Disney until Dark Side 2019.

 

[DVCFan1994]

I usually have a better idea about my goals for the year than I do this year. Generally I have a goal race in the spring and fall, and I usually throw a 10k in somewhere.

I was feeling pretty burnt out in December and told myself this year I’d be less about races and more about getting back to truly enjoying getting out for runs. Then I did the WDW marathon still battling a cold and had so much fun I still can’t wrap my head around it. So I’m back to feeling like I’d like to do some races. There’s a new 10 miler series here in New England I’m considering, but I have to be sure I can make the dates work. One is in Newport, RI, which I did last year for my POT, great course. The other two are Portland, Maine and Stowe, Vermont. I figure at least it will be 3 attempts at improving POT for the 2020 WDW marathon weekend

 

[Chasing Dopey]

ATTQOTD: Yeah, I guess a plan would be a good idea! I'll have to get to work on that...

Thankfully, there are a lot of good ideas here!

 

[Chaitali]

Thanks for the info about the BFF. I tried it at the expo and really liked it but couldn't justify that price. $30 is definitely much more manageable.

As far as the race calendar, I'll usually pick out a race or two for Spring and Fall as goal races. Then I'll fill in smaller local races around it. This year, my Spring race is the new National Women's Half in DC and I saw a good deal on a local 5k/10k challenge in March. I'm not sure what I'm doing in Fall yet. I'm thinking maybe Richmond or Philadelphia in November? Though Baltimore in October would be a good choice too now that I think about it. @evre13 Have you done that half before and if so, is it hilly?

 

[gjramsey]

ATTQOTD: Hmmmm, good question. I really don't plan too much. There are a group of races I seem to do every year, and will add on races as they come up. Most of the races I try to register for early to get a "decent" price on, but I have also signed up for races last minute.

 

[Miranda]

ATTQOTD: I pick a HM for a season (spring and fall, although in 2016 I did 3 in the spring and 2 in the fall, it was too much I think 2 is about my max), and then I just do stuff that seems interesting. Sometimes it's stuff for a local race series requirement (there are 2 main ones in my immediate area, one is 6 of 8 races and the other is 7 of 11 races... I did the 6 of 8 in 2015 and 2016, and 2017 I did the 7 of 11 one), sometimes it's just stuff that my run buddies are running, sometimes it's a longer race that fits into my training schedule. We have tons of races within a 1 hour drive, there's no shortage of races to pick.

This year my spring race is Wallis Sands HM in May, and I'm not sure about the fall. Historically, my run group does the White Mountain Milers HM in late October, but we are talking about maybe trying to do Wineglass this year.