The Running Thread - 2018

[tigger536]

You gonna be sprintin’ around that parking lot!

That's exactly the plan. Its not going to be pretty, but if I start at around 3 I can cover some good ground beforehand. Then that would give me about 4 hours to do the half.

 

[tigger536]

Just remember - you can't pause your GPS (well, you can, but the time limit goes by elapsed time, not "time my GPS app/watch was running"), so take that into account when thinking about your extra miles.
See you in 2019!

Oh yes! I am trying to figure out the math, but the more I do beforehand the better, and I can always stop the Strava once I get to 26.5 even if its still during the half. If I can do 14 at 11 min mile pace before, that's just over 2.5 hours.

 

[TheHamm]

MmmHMM. I've been a real packrat in the past, and I know that as I start to run races again I'm going to accumulate Stuff. I've gotten a lot better at discarding things I would have found too sentimental to get rid of in the past; I expect I'll keep and display my medals but only hang onto the shirts if I really, truly like them--not just because they happen to have been given to me.

I stopped taking the medals and shirts and found it quite freeing. 10K long sleeve unisex 100% cotton tee? I'm never going to pull you out of the drawer, so there is no need to put you in there! Maybe someone will be happy to trade their ill fitting shirt for my size if I leave it behind? 5K medal in the shape of a popsicle? My kids will just fight over you, so I walk right by when they are handed out. Long sleeve tech tee from Thor 10K? I could have done with two. You are not doomed to having more free clutter, but it is there if you want it.

 

[Keels]

That's exactly the plan. Its not going to be pretty, but if I start at around 3 I can cover some good ground beforehand. Then that would give me about 4 hours to do the half.

And then you can have parking lot beers!

 

[Miranda]

I wonder how they know that you're not just like riding a bike really slow? Or a skateboard, or something.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

ATYQOTD: I signed up for Dopey via a travel agent! Even though I'm 45 minutes or so from WDW I'm staying on site, but having wife/mom guilt about that. I'm thinking after the first two morning wake up calls for the races that guilt will be gone.

My little sister and I chose to get a hotel room in San Francisco for the Giant race even though we live in the Bay Area. We decided that even though it would cost a lot more to do so, we wouldn't have to stress about making it to the race on time if we were driving into the city and trying to park.

QOTD: Since today is my Friday and I looking at our schedule for tomorrow morning, EPCOT rope drop and making FP+ for September, I am going to go ahead and ask a non running selfish question. What is a last minute thing to do if you were taking a short trip without the kids?

ATTQOTD: Just to help with any suggestions I'll post our proposed game plan here, which I may have mentioned before...

7/13 - Rope Drop EPCOT, Lunch @ Teppan Edo, spend some time at the Boardwalk and 5:00PM Hollywood Studios till 12:30AM
7/14 - 9AM Animal Kingdom (Missing EMH (8-9), Flame Tree Lunch, Yak and Yeti QS, 8:00 PM Magic Kingdom for COP, FEA, and Disney After Hours from 10:00 - 1:00AM
7/15 - Rope Drop Magic Kingdom, Gastons. Leaving the park around 2 ish for flight home.

Honestly, just enjoy the time together. It will be good for everyone.

Definitely normal mom feels! After spending years doing marriage ministry, I’m very happy when I hear about couples getting away for a kid-free weekend.

Your plan looks great - my only recommendations would be to hit Ample Hills or Boardwalk Bakery during your Boardwalk time depending on your sweets preference. And based on my comment above, I’d also highly recommend planning one or two special surprises for your wife based on her favorites. Enjoy!

Just yesterday I was talking with a friend about recommendations around Disney World and she said Ample Hills Creamery. It's now on my list for the next trip.

Amen - alcoholic beverages.

My wife and I have taken a vacation without our kids every year. The first few times she felt guilty because they were so young and she was worried that she was going to miss some magical moment in their development. She eventually relaxed about it and now we don't give it a second thought.

If you want to have a great relationship after your kids grow up and move out, you have to keep building that relationship through their childhood. You are not just mommy and daddy - you are also that loving couple who decided to create a life together. Too many couples ignore their relationship through those years and find that they are living with a stranger when the kids move out.

So much this. My church has special congregations for young single adults up to age 30. Multiple leaders repeatedly emphasized the importance of continuing to court each other long after getting married. I remember one husband and wife who loved to tell us about their monthly celebrations of their wedding annivesary, some 300 months later (25 years for the #math averse among us).

On another occasion, I heard a woman talk about the best decision she and her husband made as newlyweds was to sacrifice to buy season tickets to BYU college football. She wasn't a football fan, but her husband was. What she found was that in the subsequent years, attending the college football games became something that she and her husband always did together. And that time together became about far more than cheering on their alma mater.

So enjoy the time together. And keep making sure that you spend time together. Just the two of you.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I wonder how they know that you're not just like riding a bike really slow? Or a skateboard, or something.

They would not know, but they are only allowing 500 entrants through this process, so it's not like an elite runner is going to miss out because someone "cheats" on the virtual. They are probably pulling the 500 from the lottery pool. The charities get an additional $100 per entry. No one loses here.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

I wonder how they know that you're not just like riding a bike really slow? Or a skateboard, or something.

That's a good question, but there are tell-tale signs. There's a sort of signature behavior to a run, so even for the most consistent runners the pace with jump around. On a bike, the pace is very smoothed out in comparison. But I bet you a handful will try it and probably sneak through.

 

[sylkai]

ATTQOTD: All of my trips are without children because the cats don't travel well. Most of them are semi-last minute. Even the ones that aren't don't involve spreadsheets, because I'll FP the stuff that absolutely has to get done and then the rest of it just kind of ...happens. This is the first trip I'll be getting ADRs, even. So that should give you an idea of how we would normally approach a trip, which may or may not work for you.

With that said: eating a Mickey ice cream bar. Finding a new tasty adult beverage. Trying on silly hats at one of the hat shops. Visiting with a character or two. People watching. Riding the train around the park (MK) and just sitting and talking together.

My last trip to the park was actually sans husband and I missed him a lot. Disney is one of my happy places but he is my happy person and it felt weird to not have him there.

 

[FFigawi]

ATTQOTD: I echo the calls to do things you can't do when you're there with your kids. I'd also recommend having the days and nights less planned out and opt for more of a "let's wing it" approach. This gives you the chance to stop and eat or drink or ride or merely sit and people watch without feeling as if you're being pressured to keep to a schedule. In addition, I think you should find a way to have a nice long and relaxing dinner at someplace like Jiko, California Grill, or even Victoria & Albert's. Spend time enjoying the food, the wine, and each other's company in a way you can't do when you're out to dinner with children.

 

[YawningDodo]

I stopped taking the medals and shirts and found it quite freeing. 10K long sleeve unisex 100% cotton tee? I'm never going to pull you out of the drawer, so there is no need to put you in there! Maybe someone will be happy to trade their ill fitting shirt for my size if I leave it behind? 5K medal in the shape of a popsicle? My kids will just fight over you, so I walk right by when they are handed out. Long sleeve tech tee from Thor 10K? I could have done with two. You are not doomed to having more free clutter, but it is there if you want it.

Point well made--it's easier to not take something at all than to discard something once I have it. I just think it comes down to being choosy about what I take, same as I've become more choosy about the things I buy. Worst comes to worse, though, Goodwill's not a long drive.

 

[TheHamm]

Question: At this point my (looooong term) goal is to increase distance to finish a half. While I understand that it is possible to differentiate tempo run, long run, etc, I seem to run at varying paces all the time (should you have children who watch the Lion Guard it is closer to Kanguay than Fuli). Is it reasonable to just keep adding total mileage? It is probably not helpful that I do not run anywhere that is flat- garmin told me I had climbed 10 flights of stairs on this morning's run.
Regarding pacing, I am not consistent. I will need to be on a treadmill to do that, and I am going to prefer outdoors if AM temps stay below 75*. Any ideas on how to improve consistent pacing? Even trying to consider a training plan with a targeted pace seems foolish to me.
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Any ideas on how to improve consistent pacing? Even trying to consider a training plan with a targeted pace seems foolish to me.
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Don't target a pace, looking at your watch. Instead target a run cadence and pick music with that cadence to help you stay on track. For instance, you might try taking 160 steps per minute to start (170-190 is the sweet spot for most runners). Let your left foot strike the ground for each count. After a while the cadence will become natural and you will not have to think about it. When you are ready, pick songs with a faster cadence, but as you grow stronger you will get faster at any cadence as your stride length will increase.

 

[camaker]

Question: At this point my (looooong term) goal is to increase distance to finish a half. While I understand that it is possible to differentiate tempo run, long run, etc, I seem to run at varying paces all the time (should you have children who watch the Lion Guard it is closer to Kanguay than Fuli). Is it reasonable to just keep adding total mileage? It is probably not helpful that I do not run anywhere that is flat- garmin told me I had climbed 10 flights of stairs on this morning's run.
Regarding pacing, I am not consistent. I will need to be on a treadmill to do that, and I am going to prefer outdoors if AM temps stay below 75*. Any ideas on how to improve consistent pacing? Even trying to consider a training plan with a targeted pace seems foolish to me.
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Targeted pacing has been of great benefit to my running and progress as a runner. I have found the best way to keep my pacing on target and in check is to set my Garmin to auto-lap every 0.25 mi. I know what my time for each quarter mile should be and can then adjust my pace up or down until I have it calibrated in. By checking each quarter mile, I'm able to adjust before too much time/distance has passed. Over time you'll get used to how a given pace feels and will start to settle into it naturally, making smaller and smaller adjustments to keep on pace as time goes by.

 

[baxter24]

ATTQOTD: Take advantage of eating at the places you’ve wanted to eat but knew your kids wouldn’t need like. I love being able to go into the gift shops and taking my time looking around and not worrying about the kids asking for stuff. Just have fun!

 

[PCFriar80]

QOTD: Since today is my Friday and I looking at our schedule for tomorrow morning, EPCOT rope drop and making FP+ for September, I am going to go ahead and ask a non running selfish question. What is a last minute thing to do if you were taking a short trip without the kids?

ATTQOTD: Just to help with any suggestions I'll post our proposed game plan here, which I may have mentioned before...

7/13 - Rope Drop EPCOT, Lunch @ Teppan Edo, spend some time at the Boardwalk and 5:00PM Hollywood Studios till 12:30AM
7/14 - 9AM Animal Kingdom (Missing EMH (8-9), Flame Tree Lunch, Yak and Yeti QS, 8:00 PM Magic Kingdom for COP, FEA, and Disney After Hours from 10:00 - 1:00AM
7/15 - Rope Drop Magic Kingdom, Gastons. Leaving the park around 2 ish for flight home.

If Hollywood Studios is too much to handle until 12:30AM you could always head back to the Boardwalk and check out Jelly Rolls. So, in other words
skip the mid-day Boardwalk tour, head to HS after lunch and that cap it off at the Boardwalk at night. Nonetheless, have fun!

 

[Keels]

If Hollywood Studios is too much to handle until 12:30AM you could always head back to the Boardwalk and check out Jelly Rolls. So, in other words
skip the mid-day Boardwalk tour, head to HS after lunch and that cap it off at the Boardwalk at night. Nonetheless, have fun!

Or, if you don't want to pay a cover, Kimono's has karaoke every night!

 

[jennamfeo]

Sparkle Athletic just came out with a rose gold sparkle skirt. I am so obsessed.

https://sparkleathletic.com/shop/rose-gold-sparkle-running-skirt/

 

[Waiting2goback]

Who says I can't do both?

Excellent point!

ATTQOTD: I agree with do something that you can't do when the kids are around. Also, I totally get the mom guilt thing, but I would kill for a vacation with just my husband! We are not fortunate to have anyone who is willing to watch our 3 kids for more than one night. So yes, for the last 15 years, we have never had a vacation without the kids. So party like a rock star, run around naked, etc...

If you lived closer I would. I already have 7, yours would blend right in.

As for the whole mom guilt discussion, I used to have it too. I may not be a mom but I was a stay at home dad for 7 years and there were times I needed a break. My ex wouldn't do Disney so I went solo. At first it was hard and I felt guilty but with each trip it got easier because I realized, more so when I began running, that I'm a person too and it's ok for me to do things that make me happy/healthy. You become a better parent when you take some time for yourself.

 

[Waiting2goback]