The Running Thread - 2019

[Slogger]

I know I asked the question, about age related PRs. I started running about 9 years ago when I was 35. The impact of training is a lot more noticeable and speedwork takes more effort now, but I still think I have a couple more years where PR's are possible. Every year I think it will take a lot more discipline and effort to make them though.

I hadn't even started running at the age you are right now @IamTrike. Would you mind sharing what you are doing for speedwork these days?
Open to all suggestions.

 

[roxymama]

I'm reminded that the best part of only starting running in 2015 is that to get a PR I can find a new distance to try. I'm starting to run out of "automatic PR" opportunities though.
At least I got my first 10 miler coming up.

 

[Chaitali]

I started running running at 37 and it was PR every year for a while. But once I hit 40, I can't seem to get close to my old PRs again. It wasn't even that long ago! But complicating factor is that I eventually went to the doctor and there was a medical issue. I had been on medicine for hypothyroidism since I was 18 and all of a sudden, the dose was too high and my heart rate was correspondingly too high. So I worked with the doctor on trying several other doses and getting to a new equilibrium. I'm hoping that I'm at the right place now and can start getting my times back down as well. I may not get back to those PRs but hopefully closer than I am now

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I know I asked the question, about age related PRs. I started running about 9 years ago when I was 35. The impact of training is a lot more noticeable and speedwork takes more effort now, but I still think I have a couple more years where PR's are possible. Every year I think it will take a lot more discipline and effort to make them though.

I would say that age 45 was the dividing line for me, but everyone is different.

When I hit age 45 something in my body chemistry changed. It started to take longer for me to recover between workouts, and that probably led to the slower times. I still lift, but my max weights all dropped, as did the number of reps that I could do with lower weights.

All of my blood tests come within optimal ranges. But my doctor tells me that this is natural and that, unless I am willing to take HGH, I have to learn to accept my new normal. No drugs for me, so I have learned to live life in the slow lane.

 

[Slogger]

I'm reminded that the best part of only starting running in 2015 is that to get a PR I can find a new distance to try. I'm starting to run out of "automatic PR" opportunities though.
At least I got my first 10 miler coming up.

Hey @roxymana.....I've got a distance for you. Come down to DC/Northern Virginia and run the Marine Corps 17.75k with me in the Spring.
Bonus perk=running it gets you automatically into the Marine Corps Marathon.

 

[IamTrike]

I hadn't even started running at the age you are right now @IamTrike. Would you mind sharing what you are doing for speedwork these days?
Open to all suggestions.

I've done a variation of things recommended by DopeyBadger as well as things coming from Garmin's connect adaptive training and from Hanson training plan.

They boil down into two different types of runs.
Short intervals. ( These range from as short as 30 seconds up to about 3/4 of a mile (hanson's pushes them a little farther than that) which are significantly faster than my goal race pace.
Strength intervals which range from 1-3 miles each which are at about 20-45 seconds faster than goal race pace.

I shoot for 4-7 miles total with most of my speed workouts.

I struggle with speed workouts as my garmin doesn't really track my pace right on my treadmill and particularly for short intervals it doesn't update pace fast enough when I'm running outside. Dopeybadger's suggestion of doing them outside on a path with a known distance by time is definitely the best way to do it but not always practical for me.

Hey @roxymana.....I've got a distance for you. Come down to DC/Northern Virginia and run the Marine Corps 17.75k with me in the Spring.
Bonus perk=running it gets you automatically into the Marine Corps Marathon.

My buddies did that for their entrance to Marine Corps a couple years ago. I think it sells out pretty quickly.

 

[roxymama]

Hey @roxymana.....I've got a distance for you. Come down to DC/Northern Virginia and run the Marine Corps 17.75k with me in the Spring.
Bonus perk=running it gets you automatically into the Marine Corps Marathon.

That is an extremely specific distance! Is it based on the year 1775?

Maybe that's a good future QOTD: name a unique race distance you've complete.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Maybe that's a good future QOTD: name a unique race distance you've complete.

Looks like we have tomorrow's QOTD

 

[KevM]

I only really started running 3 years ago at age 34. I’ve definitely still got a couple years of PRs left in my tank.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Mid-Mountain Marathon race report.

The good-did my first marathon in a decade. It’s beautiful(which is one of the reasons why I live here), and ITS OVER!

The bad-I barely finished and I am dropping out of the 50 miler in November. I don’t see any reason to press ahead with it, when I doubt I’ll finish. I don’t even care to drop back to the 50 or 30k either. I can start running shorter distances with my partner and our daughter and swap out the long runs for hikes with them and put more time into strength training and diet for now. I have also found myself getting short tempered at work, which is not something I am known for.

Anywho, to my abbreviated race report. As the race started we headed away from the Mid Mountain trail which we were pointed directly at, and on to a road. We made about a mile paved loop around Silver Lake Village in deer valley to thin out the herd before we hit the single track.

About 10 miles in I felt great, and fought off the thought that I might even pr versus my road marathon. At mile 14 the dream slipped away, and as I passed the course cut off my time that I thought would probably finish in slipped ways as well. I barely made it over the finish line at 7:00:38. My feet and ankles felt like they were gonna explode.

The final aid station at the top of the bobsled run was handing out ice water soaked bandanas, which temporarily dulled my pain, but as I began the final short climb my mind drifted back to how I wished I was done.

I would like to say I am disappointed in myself, but about 2 years ago when I started my business I said I would revisit the marathon at WDW. Well, we had a surprise baby last year. My business failed this year, and I cancelled the WDW marathon trip for next year...but I completed the trail marathon, we head to DL in less than 4 weeks, and am making a whole lot more money at my real job than ever before and will only see more when the third restaurant comes online next year, so silver linings all around. Except that I have also gutted our budget to be more responsible adults, so, I guess...aluminum linings all around. I think we are doing great for two people who were various times in our lives were not expected to live too much longer.


Photo of me near the finish line at the Utah Olympic Park.
Bonus babby photo.
The medals for the trail series this summer Voltron themselves together.
The trail series also came with a sweet soft shell coat. I am telling myself now that I won’t run it next year, but if I did they just sew the new year on it, so you don’t buy a new one. It will come in handy this winter since I have been wanting to buy a new soft shell, even though the old one doesn’t need replacing.

I didn’t take any pictures, as I was busy trying to stay ahead of pace and then trying to just finish upright. At any rate since I had run all but 2 miles of it in training runs I had taken pictures then.

Note-claimed elevation gain for the race was 3800 feet. I told a coworker that “unless there is 2000 feet on that 2 miles I haven’t run, it ain’t 3800 feet.” Strava is claiming 2300 and garmin 2800. So lies, lies, lies all around.

 

[Dopey 2020]

I guess I’m lucky that I started running at 45. Soon to be 48 and of my 4 HMs, all of them have been PRs, and I am still getting better. Of course my one full was an automatic PR and now I can keep working toward personal goals. I’m sure I’ll soon reach a point where I get slower but seeing improvement each time out made it very easy to stick with it until running became an enjoyable habit.

 

[Dopey 2020]

Also @Professor_Cookie , that is possibly the best medal(s) I’ve ever seen

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

The medals for the trail series this summer Voltron themselves together

Sweet!

 

[Professor_Cookie]

I know I asked the question, about age related PRs. I started running about 9 years ago when I was 35. The impact of training is a lot more noticeable and speedwork takes more effort now, but I still think I have a couple more years where PR's are possible. Every year I think it will take a lot more discipline and effort to make them though.

I still think I have a PR at 1/2, full, and trail full left in me, but i definitely have to cut more weight and stick to running for longer than a training cycle. My 5k is 24:45, half is at 2:00:32, my full is at 5:45, and my trail full is 7:00:38(gun time). I have been running off and on post high school since I was 18. got heavier into running by jumping into marathon at 29 after the previous year doing the Seattle to Portland bicycle classic. So...long rambling story short, I haven’t switched to age based or yet, but I also didnt put in a strong enough effort early on to give me that hurdle, as it were.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Also @Professor_Cookie , that is possibly the best medal(s) I’ve ever seen

I think it’s the Flavor Flav medal @lhermiston has been looking for.

 

[michigandergirl]

I think it’s the Flavor Flav medal @lhermiston has been looking for.

That is an awesome medal. Speaking of Flavor Flav medals, I am going to earn the Biggest Half Marathon Medal in the Country at the North Country Trail Run on Saturday! I don't even know what it looks like yet, but I am so excited!!! Never mind that I've never run more than 7 miles on trails before and that there is an elevation gain of 2400 feet...

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

I am going to earn the Biggest Half Marathon Medal in the Country...

No fair teasing us with the underline, making us think it was a link.

 

[michigandergirl]

No fair teasing us with the underline, making us think it was a link.

Sorry, try this...

http://northcountryrun.com/

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

Sorry, try this...

http://northcountryrun.com/

OMG! It's as big as a dinner plate!

 

[michigandergirl]

OMG! It's as big as a dinner plate!

And they said this years medal is their biggest one yet!!