The Running Thread - 2018

[Chaitali]

ATTQOTD: I am luck to live in a suburban area with sidewalks and mostly small streets that don't have a lot of traffic. I avoid crossing the couple big streets that have a lot of traffic. I also live close to a paved trail that I can do longer runs on and if I feel like driving or am meeting friends, we have a couple options of paved trails in the area that are car-free. I would be way too scared to run on roads, and like I said, I don't even cross the busy streets.

 

[opusone]

June Training Summary
Total Miles: 64.5 miles
Total Time: 10:42:59
Average Pace: 9:59/mi
Average HR: 139/min

 

[Dis5150]

Side note to QOTD: I actually decided against a marathon here in Arkansas that would have been much easier to do than the one I am going to do in Tennessee in October, almost entirely on the fact that their website says the road most of the race is on is rural highway that they can't close due to the harvest going on and that the youth hunt is that weekend. So farm vehicles and little children with guns, some of them shooting for the first time? #NOPE

 

[Miranda]

I have actually run a lot of races where the roads weren't closed. I would say pretty much all of the longer races that I've done, the roads were not closed to traffic. The 5K's tend to be, and the start of some of the longer ones until things thin out. But I have run many a road race where the cars are going by... maybe we are just lucky in this area, the cars are always very respectful and move away from the edge.

 

[cavepig]

That's so sad. I run on roads without sidewalks 95% of the time, some days there's more traffic (farm equipment too) then others, but I can get in the ditch if I need to. Today not too many cars at all. We ran back roads on gravel for our long run the other day and only got a passed a few times. I do run on a 2 lane country HWY for a bit sometimes, again huge shoulders I can go on and I have two intersections I'll cross sometimes that are for 2 lane HWYs. So, yeah I guess I don't pick less traffic at times, but I've actually only had the near misses being hit on the less driven roads because the drivers check out or they think they're avoiding me and go into me instead, like turn the wheel the wrong way.

 

[cavepig]

ATTQOTD: Rambling answer: I run on rural back roads. No sidewalks, but the shoulders are generally wide enough to jump to safety. There is not much traffic. People drive distracted (and I doubt our new law is going to change that) and too fast. Not to mention, some of the 'locals' actually are aggressive toward runners. I bail out onto the shoulder about once every 1.5 miles. I stay alert and don't wear headphones. I wave at every driver. The motion gets their attention, let's them know I'm friendly, and if they wave back, I know they've seen me. Pickup trucks with the 2 foot long mirrors scare me the worst. I've been running the same roads for so long, I think people have come to expect me.

How safe do I feel? Medium to low. I worry sometimes that the odds are going to catch up with me at some point.

Would I bike on these same roads? No way!

I should have just ditto'd your post, pretty similar to me

 

[TheHamm]

Side note to QOTD: I actually decided against a marathon here in Arkansas that would have been much easier to do than the one I am going to do in Tennessee in October, almost entirely on the fact that their website says the road most of the race is on is rural highway that they can't close due to the harvest going on and that the youth hunt is that weekend. So farm vehicles and little children with guns, some of them shooting for the first time? #NOPE

Almost entirely? #NOPE seems too mild. Combines and firearms? Is this the Hunger Games Marathon?
I'm over here eliminating races for much more mild reasons "sidewalk? waaaahhhh" "doesn't start until 9am in August? How hot!"

Also, I keep having to re-read the thread to find the nuggets of conversations I recall from a month or two ago. I cannot believe the content generated here!

 

[Dis5150]

Almost entirely? #NOPE seems too mild. Combines and firearms? Is this the Hunger Games Marathon?
I'm over here eliminating races for much more mild reasons "sidewalk? waaaahhhh" "doesn't start until 9am in August? How hot!"

Also, I keep having to re-read the thread to find the nuggets of conversations I recall from a month or two ago. I cannot believe the content generated here!

Lol, yep. I said almost because the only other reason was that last year there were under 100 finishers and they were all at least an hour faster than I would be. I almost decided to just go for it anyway, until I read that sentence in their description!

 

[kbenson13]

Can someone explain how you can get average pace and average HR for the month in either Garmin Connect or Strava? I see others posting those things but I can't figure out how to do it!

 

[YawningDodo]

Side note to QOTD: I actually decided against a marathon here in Arkansas that would have been much easier to do than the one I am going to do in Tennessee in October, almost entirely on the fact that their website says the road most of the race is on is rural highway that they can't close due to the harvest going on and that the youth hunt is that weekend. So farm vehicles and little children with guns, some of them shooting for the first time? #NOPE

I've been out in rural Colorado during harvest season and watched the trucks book it in and out from the farms on the dirt road past my aunt and uncle's ranch...nopenopenope. Honestly, I've never run a race on a road that wasn't closed, but I'd be afraid of getting hit by a rock kicked up by a fast vehicle even if the traffic itself wasn't right on top of the racers. The one time I had to get my windshield repaired was when my aunt's car launched a rock into it on one of those country roads. Do not want.

 

[opusone]

Can someone explain how you can get average pace and average HR for the month in either Garmin Connect or Strava? I see others posting those things but I can't figure out how to do it!

For average pace, I just use Excel (total time divided by total miles). For average HR, in Garmin Connect, go to Reports, then click on Progress Summary, then choose Last Month and Running in the filters at the top.

 

[derekleigh]

QOTD: Over the weekend a cyclist from this area and a friend were struck by a vehicle. The area they were at is a known and popular area for people to ride at. One of the riders did not make it and the other was airlifted to a local hospital. I realize there is a difference from running and biking, but around here the two activities are usually done by both on the same roads. For todays question I wanted to ask how safe do you feel in the areas you run in which you share the roads with normal traffic? Are there areas that people run, but you refuse to because of the traffic?

My neighborhood is generally one of the safest areas in our city (I've been told by many police officers). Thus running and or biking with my family in this area I feel safe. Running-wise, I feel safe around my city and such as there is either plenty of sidewalk and/or shoulder. Plus facing traffic is always great way to be prepared to jump out of the way if possible.

However, later this week or next I will have to venture out on a bike to get some mileage in for a Triathlon coming up in August. Having been running so long while facing traffic, it makes me nervous riding WITH traffic. Fortunately, as I said above, there is plenty of shoulder room.

 

[kbenson13]

For average pace, I just use Excel (total time divided by total miles). For average HR, in Garmin Connect, go to Reports, then click on Progress Summary, then choose Last Month and Running in the filters at the top.

Thanks! Why would Garmin give average speed in MPH and not average pace? That makes no sense for running....

 

[dis_or_dat]

ATTQOTD: Live near 2 relatively busy streets with no sidewalks. I'm always on high alert running on those streets (and prefer running facing traffic) and relax more once I get on sidewalks. However, I'm on the edge of a nervous breakdown whenever my son rides his bike in the area.

June:
Total Miles: 115.28
Average pace: 8:13

 

[opusone]

Thanks! Why would Garmin give average speed in MPH and not average pace? That makes no sense for running....

I've always wondered the same thing.

 

[Keels]

QOTD: Over the weekend a cyclist from this area and a friend were struck by a vehicle. The area they were at is a known and popular area for people to ride at. One of the riders did not make it and the other was airlifted to a local hospital. I realize there is a difference from running and biking, but around here the two activities are usually done by both on the same roads. For todays question I wanted to ask how safe do you feel in the areas you run in which you share the roads with normal traffic? Are there areas that people run, but you refuse to because of the traffic?

The Fort is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the US, but it's not without its faults OR its drivers that hate cyclists. I haven't been hit, but I've had two close calls with people parked in parallel spots (our bike lanes are between traffic and parallel spots in many areas) who have thought it was funny to wait until cyclists were coming up on them to open car doors. People are the worst.

I don't ride by myself unless it's just a casual ride in my neighborhood, and even for those I probably need to be more responsible (yeah, I'm the person that doesn't wear a helmet and I'm usually in flip flops. I need to be better about that), but those rides are usually from bar to brewery and don't cross any major streets. For long rides, I'm either with a group, or I rack my bike and drive down to the river and ride the protected trail. If anything happens, there are usually plenty of people to help (like my flat from a couple of weeks ago).

As far as running goes - I'll do short runs in my neighborhood and then longer runs out on the trail. Again, I drive to the trail ... but that's more to get me to not be lazy and cut my run short because I'm close to home or friends having lunch somewhere or happy hour or just ANY general excuse I can make.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I got a couple of new pairs of shoes before I left for Florida (I switched from Brooks to Nikes), and not even thinking, I just threw one pair straight in the suitcase without even opening the shipping box.

So, yeah, womp ...

 

[Disney at Heart]

June
Miles: 80.64
Time: 15:42
Pace: 11:41

June title: “Runner on a Hot Sand Beach”

 

[kleph]

I've always wondered the same thing.

cycling, most likely.

 

[Bree]

June Miles: 130.29

ATTQOTD: my subdivision has sidewalks and I usually just run around it. I got creative and was able to set up a route around it where I can get 3.1 miles in. We are in a rural area so once you leave it there’s narrow country roads with canal ditches if you go out our back entrance. I won’t run on those. People drive way too fast on them. If you go out our front entrance the road has very wide shoulders. I do use that road because it’s a short sprint to where a sidewalk begins.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Thanks! Why would Garmin give average speed in MPH and not average pace? That makes no sense for running....

You can just divide the time by the mileage. Convert the total time into minutes first. Total time - 1000 minutes. Total miles = 100. Average pace = 10 minutes/mile.