The Running Thread - 2019

[avondale]

ATTQOTD: My goal was to run the Disney World 10k in under an hour. @DopeyBadger wrote my training plan, which is so well designed I've changed my registration to the HM.

Running a local 10k next Sunday - my first ever race! Racing tips for beginners, anyone? Thanks!

My tip: nothing new on race day. No matter if someone gives you some fuel to try or a new piece of clothing to wear, don't try it on race day. Don't panic and change anything from the running routine and gear that you're used to and have tested.

And then have fun! Good luck!

 

[avondale]

First a definition, then a question...

Plantar Fasciitis (n.): two words I have heard a million times over the years but had no idea what they actually meant

So, for the past year or so, I have had slight-to-moderate pain in my heals (especially the left heal) usually after playing tennis or paddle (platform tennis). It has got to a point where I try not to schedule a run for the morning after tennis/paddle because my heals typically do not feel like running (although every once and a while I will still run the day after, and after a slightly awkward warm-up, I'm usually fine for the run). In any case, after a year, I decided to look it up online a few days ago, and plantar fasciitis seems to be the culprit. It's not debilitating at all. After a day or so, it seems to improve back to normal.

Now the question: for those who have dealt with plantar fasciitis, was it as simple as adding orthotic inserts into your shoes or are there other solutions that helped? TIA.

There have been a lot of good suggestions from others. I think you can get PF with different levels of severity and caused by slightly different factors, so there are many different ways to combat it. Fortunately I have never had PF, but my husband has a pretty serious case a couple of years ago. He is not a runner - he plays a lot of tennis (as do I).

What my husband swore by was stretching out his calves IMMEDIATELY after getting up out of bed. As in, the moment your feet touch the floor, do the stretching. As I remember, he did the two types of stretches that get both your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. He claims that if you walk at all before doing the stretches, they didn't work. *shrug*

In addition, before he even got out of bed, he would sit upright in bed with his legs straight out in front, toes up. He would stretch each foot/calf individually by pulling the top of the foot back toward himself.

I think he tried some OTC inserts and didn't have much luck. He never tried the sleeping boot because he's too much of a fidgeter in bed and wouldn't have been able to stand it.

He got over it in a few months. If he feels it starting to come back, he gets back into the stretching routine.

Good luck with it - I hope you find a remedy soon!

 

[StacyStrong]

Does anyone have any suggestions for compression socks? I imagine I'll rarely wear them while running, but I got really bad vasculitis the last time I went to Disney and would like to wear them on planes and at night after a long day in the parks. I figured this group might have some suggestions.

 

[PrincessV]

Does anyone have any suggestions for compression socks? I imagine I'll rarely wear them while running, but I got really bad vasculitis the last time I went to Disney and would like to wear them on planes and at night after a long day in the parks. I figured this group might have some suggestions.

I never wear them while running, but I love my Zensah compression socks for after a long run, and also after walking around WDW for hours! AND when I did a road trip last summer and my ankles started swelling after driving for 10 hours, I pulled on those ugly black compression socks and felt better enough to knock out another 2 hours, lol!

 

[Kazrak]

How is everybody doing with their goals for the year? Have you already accomplished it or hope to do so this Fall? Details....let's hear it.

My primary running goal for the year was to spend the Star Wars Half not worrying about how close to the sweepers I was. I was able to spend half an hour getting photos and still finish most of an hour ahead of them.

My goal since then has been to move up to a faster corral for next year's races. I don't see it happening for Princess, but I'm planning out training for a NYE race to get under 2:30, which would move me up for Star Wars next year. (Assuming they don't change corral setup again, of course.)

 

[steph0808]

I'm not sure I wrote them on this thread, but my goals were a sub-1:50 half and a sub-50 10k. Neither were achieved, but I'm running great and faster than ever, so I'm not complaining if I didn't achieve my goal in the one half marathon or two 10ks I ran this year. I don't race enough to really give it a shot.

PF - I have dealt with mild PF before when 1. My shoes wore out and I didn't change them quickly enough, and 2. I wore heels every day for work. I ditched the heels, got new running shoes, and wore an arch support sleeve for my foot with PF. I also rolled a tennis ball under my foot (or a frozen water bottle). It took several weeks to go away completely. It really sucks and hurts a lot, so I recommend being proactive if you are dealing with it!

 

[Bree]

ATTQOTD:

Short Term: Finish Dopey and get over this hip bursitis.

Long Term: Figure out what i want to race this year. I have my eye on a March 10 miler that has pacers. I’d like to attempt a sub 2 half late fall or early winter. Maybe see if I can cut more time off my 10K? Other than that I’ll continue strength training, but cut it back to two days a week to make time for a BodyFlow class I enjoy at the gym.

ATTQOTD: My goals and reality ended up being quite different! Finished Dopey and it turned out to be a hip fracture and not bursitis! I’ve increased my strength training and I’m getting my muscle definition back and building my strength again. Just set a new personal best in the deadlift 175lbs for a set of two. I’ve got a 10 mile race on 10/5 as my “A” race for the year. Still unsure about meeting my time goals, but I’m so grateful to be running at all right now. Wine & Dine is coming up, but those are for fun. After that it’s Goofy and then I dunno.

 

[LdyStormy76]

Does anyone have any suggestions for compression socks? I imagine I'll rarely wear them while running, but I got really bad vasculitis the last time I went to Disney and would like to wear them on planes and at night after a long day in the parks. I figured this group might have some suggestions.

Mine are from CEP. I like the fact that they come in fun colors. Also, they size based on calf size which is wonderful.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

How is everybody doing with their goals for the year? Have you already accomplished it or hope to do so this Fall? Details....let's hear it.

My goal at the start of 2019 was to finish my first marathon and Dopey. Mission accomplished. Secondary goal was to avenge my difficult showing at least year's San Francisco Giant Race. After a nasty cold wiped out almost all of June for me, coach recommended that I adjust that goal to finish injury free and be ready for Dopey 2020.

The Giant Race is this weekend, so we'll see what happens. But I'm at peace with whatever happens. I decided that finishing the marathon was avenging my tough showing last September.

Does anyone have any suggestions for compression socks?

I like CEP. I do recommend measuring your calf beforehand. I also use them after races in the parks to help with recovery. At this point, I have enough pairs of compression socks to have post race pairs as well.

Mine are from CEP. I like the fact that they come in fun colors. Also, they size based on calf size which is wonderful.

I have some much cheaper compression socks that I bought from Amazon to try because they were cheap. While they work okay, I definitely notice a difference with the CEP so I use my CEP socks exclusively for long runs/races.

 

[IamTrike]

Does anyone have any suggestions for compression socks? I imagine I'll rarely wear them while running, but I got really bad vasculitis the last time I went to Disney and would like to wear them on planes and at night after a long day in the parks. I figured this group might have some suggestions.

I have tried compression socks from CEP, "pro compression", CW-X, Saucony and Some Amazon Medicated ones.
For me the CEP socks are the most comfortable, but the Pro Compression and the weird medical Compression socks seem to have more compression. I don't know if it's just the medical and pro compression socks are too small.

From Pro-Compression info these are the amounts of pressure exhibited by compression gear and the purpose of that pressure level.

8-15 mmHg: This is the lightest amount of pressure that will be placed on your limbs. It’s ideal for those with tired or achy legs that need a subtle boost in circulation.

15-20 mmHg: This range treats mild conditions such as varicose veins and the aches and swelling caused by pregnancy or traveling for long periods. Compression socks in this range are ideal for anyone who sits or stands for a long period of time and can help prevent deep vein thrombosis from occurring.

20-30 mmHg: This is the compression-level sweet spot for many compression sock wearers. It means you’ll experience a moderate pressure on your limbs. Those with edema, deep vein thrombosis or varicose veins will appreciate socks that fall in this range. Compression socks with moderate-level compression are also ideal for many types of athletes including runners.

30-40 mmHg: This range treats more severe conditions of edema and often treats those suffering from active venous stasis ulcers. Socks at this level will most likely require a doctor’s prescription as they are considered a more intense form of treatment.

40-50 mmHg: This is the highest compression level that is mainly prescribed by doctors to treat chronic venous conditions.

CEP's Running compression socks are in the 20-30 mmHG.

If your looking for CEP socks leftlane sports usually has them marked down a lot, but the colors may be crazy.

 

[RunDopey]

De-lurking

My A goal for this year was to finish the Keys100 in May. I finished in 28 hours but did not feel like a ran a very good race. A few 'life' things got in the way of solid training from December to race day. My support from my wife and mother (who spent all 28 hours in a Suburban together) was second to none.

Next goal was to run one of the Habanero 100 races. I ended up running the 50k and had a really good time.

Next goal for this year is the Bike Around the Bay in Galveston in October with my wife.

Next goal is to get rid of the PF that has been plaguing me for almost 10 months. I have gotten the most relief from stretching first thing in the morning using a foot rocker (check Amazon). I also did acupuncture three times a week when my weekly mileage was > 100mi during training. It kept the PF manageable during those weeks.

Final goal is to prep to run all RunDisney races in 2020 with my wife.

I use Compressport calf and quad sleeves as needed after running. I very rarely will use a single sleeve if needed.

Hip fractures: Stress fracture of the hip during the marathon when attempting Goofy in 2015. It was my first attempt at a marathon. Six weeks on crutches followed by surgery and another 3 weeks on crutches. Not a good time.

 

[apdebord]

ATTQOTD:

ATTQOTD:Short term goal is to finish my first marathon next week!

Long term, I don’t really have anything specific. After WDW, I have no races on the schedule. It’s a weird feeling. I will do something at Shamrock in March, just not sure if it will be the half or full. I’d like to hit 1000 miles for the year, but motivation might be lacking if I decide not to race for the rest of the year. I’m really enjoying trail running, so maybe I’ll sign up for some trail races!

Short term goal completed! Long term...not so much. I don’t even know if I have 100 miles for the year yet and I haven’t raced since WDW Marathon and no plans for the future. Life kinda sucks sometimes and it zapped any kind of energy or motivation. I’m getting it back though and I’m pleased that I didn’t lose too much of my fitness.

For the rest of the year, I’d like to continue to fall back in love with running. I’ll also be crew chief at Grindstone 100 Miler in the Virginia mountains for a friend in October and I’ll be a professional spectator at the NYC Marathon in November!

 

[huskies90]

ATTQOTD: Short term goal is to finish Goofy in January. Slightly longer term post Goofy is to get back to a regular running routine, get back to cross training / strength training and get back to playing basketball since my self imposed suspension from the first half of the season for fear of getting hurt and impacting marathon weekend. Longer term goals are going to depend on how my first marathon goes and what races I run/train for in 2019. I know I would like to try to do a 5K since I have not done one since 2014.

Completing my first marathon (Goofy) and then getting back to a normal running and cross training routine were my main goals in 2019 - which I completed successfully. Since then I signed up for Dopey 2020, trained for and ran a half marathon in June for a new PR and upgraded POT for Dopey (A corral) and then spent the summer in maintenance mode. Training for Dopey 2020 is just starting and will be my focus for the remainder of the year. However, I will continue to cross train and strength train as I believe I over trained last year running more miles than were in my plan. I also registered for the Hartford half marathon in October which will definitely be a “B” race and I am still hoping to get a 5K in before the year ends.

 

[flav]

ATTQOTD: On track with increasing my mileage to run my first Marathon in 17 days and Dopey 2020.
ETA: And a bit into that Marathon preparation bubble to do a lengthier introspection right now.

 

[McNs]

Does anyone have any suggestions for compression socks? I imagine I'll rarely wear them while running, but I got really bad vasculitis the last time I went to Disney and would like to wear them on planes and at night after a long day in the parks. I figured this group might have some suggestions.

I have some Skins brand compression socks I wear after long runs (they are designed for recovery rather than activity). I found them great when having calf issues last year. I don’t wear them often now unless I cannot gee tightness in the leg

 

[KevM]

ATTQOTD: I had a number of goals at the beginning of the year, let’s see how I’m doing:

Run 1,500 miles - On . I’m currently ~24 miles ahead.
Run a minimum of 26 races - I’ll need to sit down and count, but I should be on pace for this.
Run my first trail race
Run an Indoor Triathlon
Run a Triathlon - getting pushed back to a goal for next year.
5K: sub 26.5 minutes
5 miler: sun 45 minutes
10K: sub 1 hour
15K: sub 1 1/2 hour
Half-marathon: sub 2 hours - currently 38 seconds off the mark. Sep 29 is my next go at breaking 2 hours.
Marathon: sub 4 1/2 hours - Marathon is in late Nov.
Add 1 state onto my list of states I have run in (current states: PA, NJ, FL) - Had a Race for Delaware, but couldn’t end up making it. Looking to find another in Delaware soon.
Try running groups (while I like solo running creating a network of runners in my area does sound like a good plan)
Prepare for Dopey 2020! - I feel I am preparing well for Dopey.

 

[StacyStrong]

I have tried compression socks from CEP, "pro compression", CW-X, Saucony and Some Amazon Medicated ones.
For me the CEP socks are the most comfortable, but the Pro Compression and the weird medical Compression socks seem to have more compression. I don't know if it's just the medical and pro compression socks are too small.

From Pro-Compression info these are the amounts of pressure exhibited by compression gear and the purpose of that pressure level.

8-15 mmHg: This is the lightest amount of pressure that will be placed on your limbs. It’s ideal for those with tired or achy legs that need a subtle boost in circulation.

15-20 mmHg: This range treats mild conditions such as varicose veins and the aches and swelling caused by pregnancy or traveling for long periods. Compression socks in this range are ideal for anyone who sits or stands for a long period of time and can help prevent deep vein thrombosis from occurring.

20-30 mmHg: This is the compression-level sweet spot for many compression sock wearers. It means you’ll experience a moderate pressure on your limbs. Those with edema, deep vein thrombosis or varicose veins will appreciate socks that fall in this range. Compression socks with moderate-level compression are also ideal for many types of athletes including runners.

30-40 mmHg: This range treats more severe conditions of edema and often treats those suffering from active venous stasis ulcers. Socks at this level will most likely require a doctor’s prescription as they are considered a more intense form of treatment.

40-50 mmHg: This is the highest compression level that is mainly prescribed by doctors to treat chronic venous conditions.

CEP's Running compression socks are in the 20-30 mmHG.

If your looking for CEP socks leftlane sports usually has them marked down a lot, but the colors may be crazy.

Thank you everyone, but especially to this!!!

I'll probably go with the 20-30 because of the dramatic edema I got my last flight that ended in a visible vasculitis "rash" I got my last trip.

I really only intend to wear them with travel and maybe after some races. I should suggest them to my mom, who NEEDS to wear compression traveling because she is at risk for DVT due to an autoimmune disease - not sure what she currently uses.

Thanks again!

 

[Slogger]

ATTQOTD: I had a number of goals at the beginning of the year, let’s see how I’m doing:


Add 1 state onto my list of states I have run in (current states: PA, NJ, FL) - Had a Race for Delaware, but couldn’t end up making it. Looking to find another in Delaware soon.
Try running groups (while I like solo running creating a network of runners in my area does sound like a good plan)
Prepare for Dopey 2020! - I feel I am preparing well for Dopey.

Delaware.......soon?
How about the Lederhosen on 9/28? Takes place in Newark. I'm running it but probably not dressing up. Looks like a fun event.

 

[KevM]

Delaware.......soon?
How about the Lederhosen on 9/28? Takes place in Newark. I'm running it but probably not dressing up. Looks like a fun event.

That does look like a fun event. I’m running the Ocean City (NJ) Half the next day though. Hmm, I do see there is a 5K.

 

[Baloo in MI]

ATTQOTD: I don’t remember my goals exactly. I believe they centered around a few items: get back into running post the injury and surgery, be smart and focus on getting and staying healthy and lastly toe the line at the Woodstock 100. Well, 2019 has been up and down... I have got back into running, but the “smart” factor is debatable. I think after the last set back I have been much smarter and I have dropped my ego. This has been critical to getting back to consistent running. I finally recognized I would not be able to run Woodstock this year and gave my spot up. So of my three goals I think I am getting healthy, trying to be smart but let go of Woodstock. Given what 2019 has been, I am very happy with this, cuz 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.

Yes - I just quoted Meatloaf!