The Running Thread - 2020

[GreatLakes]

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope some of you got some cool running stuff for Christmas. I hit the trifecta of coffee gifts (new coffee maker and about 50 pods), a Disney gift (Vault of Walt holiday edition), and running gift (some shoe lights for night running).

I gifted myself version 2 of a local National Park virtual running your. 115 mike's of trail maps and information to check out some new trails. 2020 was the year of trail running and I'm planning to do my first trail half next year if we have races.

We got about 5 inches over night and we were outside with the kid playing in the snow for part of the day. I miss all the get togethers we had to cancel this year but it was a good Christmas none the less. Already planning a Christmas in July party (pandemic willing) to make up for it.

 

[BriarRabbit]

I'm looking at the Florida Marathon in Melbourne on Feb 7, 2021. A good race? Any locals think that it's probably going to occur?
https://thefloridamarathon.com/

 

[GreatLakes]

I'm looking at the Florida Marathon in Melbourne on Feb 7, 2021. A good race? Any locals think that it's probably going to occur?
https://thefloridamarathon.com/

I can't speak directly about the race or likeliness it will happen but the Cocoa Beach race went on a few months ago in person and it is the same area.

 

[r2d2_runner]

It's been a while since I posted here but I have a question for the group: Obviously this has been a crazy year and I’d like to finish the year off with a crazy running challenge, ideally one that involves the number 2020 in some way. I’ve thought about a few options and at this point I’m considering running 20 miles in 20 hours on New Years Eve. The idea is that I’d run one mile every hour for 20 hours. So the first mile would be sometime between 4am and 5am, the second mile would be between 5am and 6am, and so on, with the last mile being between 11pm and midnight. Obviously there are faster ways to cover 20 miles but this approach has the benefit of using the number 20 twice and adding an aspect of unnecessary silliness However, I have never done a challenge like this and I have no idea if this will be pretty easy to pull off, or ridiculously hard. For background, I have run many half marathons (and just did a solo 13.3 mile run last week) but have never done a distance longer than that. I can’t imagine running 20 miles in a single shot right now (although I hope to one day), but breaking it up into 1 mile chunks throughout the day feels do-able. But perhaps I am really underestimating how fatigued my legs will feel doing this for part of every hour all day long? I would plan to do it at an easy pace (around 11min/mile) so would have plenty of recovery time each hour. I know lots of people in this group have done different kinds of unique running challenges so I thought you might have some useful perspective on whether this is a reasonable challenge or not. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice? Thanks and happy New Year!

 

[Kerry1957]

It's been a while since I posted here but I have a question for the group: Obviously this has been a crazy year and I’d like to finish the year off with a crazy running challenge, ideally one that involves the number 2020 in some way. I’ve thought about a few options and at this point I’m considering running 20 miles in 20 hours on New Years Eve. The idea is that I’d run one mile every hour for 20 hours. So the first mile would be sometime between 4am and 5am, the second mile would be between 5am and 6am, and so on, with the last mile being between 11pm and midnight. Obviously there are faster ways to cover 20 miles but this approach has the benefit of using the number 20 twice and adding an aspect of unnecessary silliness However, I have never done a challenge like this and I have no idea if this will be pretty easy to pull off, or ridiculously hard. For background, I have run many half marathons (and just did a solo 13.3 mile run last week) but have never done a distance longer than that. I can’t imagine running 20 miles in a single shot right now (although I hope to one day), but breaking it up into 1 mile chunks throughout the day feels do-able. But perhaps I am really underestimating how fatigued my legs will feel doing this for part of every hour all day long? I would plan to do it at an easy pace (around 11min/mile) so would have plenty of recovery time each hour. I know lots of people in this group have done different kinds of unique running challenges so I thought you might have some useful perspective on whether this is a reasonable challenge or not. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice? Thanks and happy New Year!

Sounds fun! The closest I have come to doing this was a run where you had to cover 4 miles in an hour for up to to 6 hours. (As an aside google Big Dog Backyard Ultra and read about people doing this for literally days at a time). We had to start each four mile lap at the top of each hour so if you finished early you only had to the top of the next hour to rest, and had to cross the start line again at the top of the next hour.

You will have to decide if it is within your "rules" to sort of double up to give yourself a longer break. You could bend the rules and, for example, run mile 1 starting at 4:45am, start mile 2 at 5:00am and then not start mile 3 until 6:45 am. Rinse and repeat. This effectively lets you run 2 miles every 30 minutes with a 90 minute rest in between while still running each mile somewhere in between x:00 and x:59. You will also have to decide if walking (perhaps every 4th mile) is within your rules, or if all miles have to be run under a certain pace. I assume you will want to do 1 mile loops starting at your home to make the rest stops, nutrition stops, and bathroom stops easier. A good headlamp and extra batteries will be required unless you run on well lit streets.

My biggest issue was convincing my body that I was not done after each loop. The first few miles will be very easy for you, but then just general fatigue and the novelty wearing off will start to take their toll. It may well end up tougher for you mentally than physically. I hope you attempt it and report back how it went.

 

[SheHulk]

In case anybody is jonesing for in-person races in the Mid-Atlantic area, the runBucks folks here in PA are putting on a Mother's Day 10k and 10 miler: Very limited spots and covid rules in effect as of now. I ran an in-person half here in November and it was well-run.

http://www.mothersday10ten.com/

 

[avondale]

In case anybody is jonesing for in-person races in the Mid-Atlantic area, the runBucks folks here in PA are putting on a Mother's Day 10k and 10 miler: Very limited spots and covid rules in effect as of now. I ran an in-person half here in November and it was well-run.

http://www.mothersday10ten.com/

I got their email about those races, too. Unfortunately May is probably going to be too warm for me to perform well. I hope you have fun if you do one!

 

[SheHulk]

I got their email about those races, too. Unfortunately May is probably going to be too warm for me to perform well. I hope you have fun if you do one!

I signed up for the 10 miler. Temps can be pretty variable up here that time of year so it's a roll of the dice what you'll get. I don't live so far away, so it's worth it to me to register. By Odin's eye, I swear that I will not get greedy on pace, and only run the pace I need to get a PoT for the marathon distance, and no faster. Hoping to avoid a heat-related blowup this time.

 

[FFigawi]

It's been a while since I posted here but I have a question for the group: Obviously this has been a crazy year and I’d like to finish the year off with a crazy running challenge, ideally one that involves the number 2020 in some way. I’ve thought about a few options and at this point I’m considering running 20 miles in 20 hours on New Years Eve. The idea is that I’d run one mile every hour for 20 hours. So the first mile would be sometime between 4am and 5am, the second mile would be between 5am and 6am, and so on, with the last mile being between 11pm and midnight. Obviously there are faster ways to cover 20 miles but this approach has the benefit of using the number 20 twice and adding an aspect of unnecessary silliness However, I have never done a challenge like this and I have no idea if this will be pretty easy to pull off, or ridiculously hard. For background, I have run many half marathons (and just did a solo 13.3 mile run last week) but have never done a distance longer than that. I can’t imagine running 20 miles in a single shot right now (although I hope to one day), but breaking it up into 1 mile chunks throughout the day feels do-able. But perhaps I am really underestimating how fatigued my legs will feel doing this for part of every hour all day long? I would plan to do it at an easy pace (around 11min/mile) so would have plenty of recovery time each hour. I know lots of people in this group have done different kinds of unique running challenges so I thought you might have some useful perspective on whether this is a reasonable challenge or not. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice? Thanks and happy New Year!

The hard part is not the fatigue in your legs. You’ll get plenty of rest. It’s the ability to rest after each lap which is the challenge. You want to get in short cat naps when you get tired and not get distracted by your phone, friends, etc. Fueling is important too. Small portions all day long are more effective than large meals.

We’re doing a backyard ultra race like this over here in April if anyone wants to join us. We’re starting at 7am with a lap of 2km every hour on the hour, ending with a total of 50km the next morning.

 

[TheHamm]

For Kicks: 2020 goals started at page 2.

Running
The goal comes from a bit of reflection that I originally started running to keep up with two tots running away in separate directions and to improve my health. (1) Speed- I was reminded over the holiday break that incorporating a bit more speed into running would help me manage the kid with impulse control issues. I previously wanted to be faster, but I think I have new motivation. Next up I suppose I need a plan. I have some time/distance goals in my head, but I am not sure why any of those numbers are there nor if they are realistic so I am not willing to set a target for this yet. I am also unsure how to decide what is achievable. (2) consistency- I can pull off 3-4 shortish runs a week if I am home/working but all of this goes out the window when my routine is shaken up. As there has been the equivalent of a earthquake & tsunami at work, there is a lot of inconsistency, a lot of travel, and a lot of chaos in my 2020. Some of this is exciting, some of it not, but my first objective is to maintain my sanity at home and running will help this. I just need to figure out how to run in cold/wet/ice/dark and while on the road. I anticipate this will be a disaster until at least mid-February.

Health
I scaled back on running for a few reasons mid December (see above), and was happy to have maintained a steady mass and sleep schedule. I would like to continue the sleep achievements and I recognize that weight reduction would probably make me feel better and run faster. While the internet seems to love dry January, it is not for me. However, I do drink a lot of tea and I have come to realize that my favorite one has some side effects when consumed in mass quantity, so I need to branch out in my non-water beverage choices.

(1) I did not get faster and I have been slower since mid-September. I attribute this to several things: chatting with friends while running eats at least 20 seconds/mile, I seem to compose work email in my head and then stop to dictate to my phone with a similar pace loss, ice hit in November and does not seem to want to leave so I am trying to run delicately to at least still go out (this is better than I expected, I have found if I can get to university property they are stellar at maintaining sidewalks).
(1b) I did have a target of distance in my head, which was 'more than before.' I did not hit the 500 miles I covered in 2019 but I am close. I do not see a way to get 15 miles in the next 3 days but at least it will be close to the arbitrary target. I am ok with this distance in general given that I covered the distance without any races, did not have access to my usual track or a treadmill, and could not eek out time for what I would consider a long run (acknowledging my short runs are long to some, and my long runs would be short to others). I would have liked to feel good about running a 10K on a random Wednesday or a Saturday 10miler, if I am honest the issue was more eeking out time than my ability.
(2) I did well on the consistency front! Other than a brief bout of hip issues in July/Aug, I was out 3-4x/week. Travel was shut down in March, so that was not an impediment, but chaos did indeed come into its full force!
(3) sleep was fine before the March shut down, a disaster until May, and moderately ok in the summer. All things went out the window when we went back to virtual school, and furthermore when I changed jobs. Holiday break is doing wonders for healthy sleep and better eating.
(4) I found new beverages, but I drink less water/tea/coffee at home than when I used it as a break in work.

I'm not one who would have taunted 2020 with a 'bring it on' attitude, and I have no expectations that 2021 will be less chaotic. I am looking forward to the innovation and adaptation we have faced this year carrying into the future!

 

[MissLiss279]

ATTQOTD:
Well my immediate goal is to not have a time goal for the spring - take it easy, don’t worry about pace, and run with friends! Maybe for the fall if I’m feeling motivated, try for another half under 2 hours so I can keep a decent POT.

Interesting... well I did not really have a time goal in the spring. I was able to squeeze in one race (50k) right before/as everything was shutting down. I ran with a couple friends (who are generally faster than I), but we walked up the hills and ran down them, and I finished feeling really good!

I did try for one under 2 hour half marathon attempt this fall. I was not specifically training for a half (added on a few weeks after a full), the weather was not ideal for a PR, and I finished just over two hours. Considering weather and not the best training for a half, I feel pretty good about that!
After my virtual Goofy, I plan to repeat a @DopeyBadger plan to train for a good effort (hopefully PR or under 2 hour) half marathon in mid-April possibly followed by a marathon the next weekend.

I have a couple races in the summer/fall that were deferred, another spring race that was already moved to the fall, plus another that I always run. Even though the July race is a summer race (!!), it is a slightly downhill course. I may try and make that a good race effort. I’m not sure if I will be able to get back to my PR time or not, so I just want a good effort race. As for the fall races (3x Marathons), they will be about taking it easy (no hard efforts) and trying not to get burned out.

I think my local spring races (half and maybe full) should happen, because they are fairly small races. Hopefully by the fall, larger races will have an opportunity to be run!

 

[SarahDisney]

My first big goal is to actually step away from running a bit. For the last few years, my race schedule has basically dictated my life schedule and I really started to resent running for that reason. Over the summer I tried putting life (and other exercise, actually) first and running second and I was so much happier. So my goal for 2020 is to develop an overall fitness routine (which will include running and other exercise) that I can fit into my life schedule, and to learn to be okay with skipping a run or a workout because life came up.

I ACTUALLY DID THIS!
After the Princess Half in February, I mostly took a few weeks off from running. I maybe ran 5 times in March, mostly in the last week or two of the month. Since then, I've been running 2-3 times per week and doing barre classes 3-4 times per week. I almost never run on weekends. I've basically settled into a routine where running is something I do as a way to get fresh air in the mornings - but if I wake up and don't want to go out, then I don't. I can always adjust my schedule to run on a different day or to get a walk in the afternoon. I still run, but I no longer let it dictate my schedule, and I think my relationship with running has improved significantly over the last year (although I still have my moments where I hate running ... but with no races on the horizon, when those moments happen, I just don't run).

My second big goal is to get my eating under control. It starts with limiting my snacking. Which is tough, because my office has some good snacks. I'm trying to meal plan, but sometimes that's not enough to stop me from snacking.

So ... I got away from the office snacks, but it turns out I snack a lot at home too. Ugh. This is something I'm still working on. I ordered too many cucumbers last week so I'm using those as a snack now, which is awesome, but is also a good reminder that I need to be more about the healthy snacks and less about the chips.
Thankfully, I have another 9 months of work from home to figure this out.

 

[FFigawi]

My first running goal is to survive Dopey. I’m trying out a new coach and the plan she’s given me is like nothing I’ve used before. I’m curious to see if it works.

Dopey went really well, had a blast all four races, so I can call this one a success.

Second goal is the Ride London 100 in August. Third goal is either IMFL in Nov, IMWA in Dec, or a marathon in Auckland in the fall.

Didn’t do any of these. Ride London was cancelled, and the events in Australia & New Zealand weren’t accepting entries from non-residents. Here’s hoping for better luck next year.

 

[jmasgat]

Well.....my 2020 goals involved registering for NYC Marathon, which I did, and doing a 5k plan, which I didn't. But in my defense (or excuse) I did have a return of the dreaded C5/C6 issue which kept me from running from about April/May to August/September. I DID however do Beat the Blerch 5k virtually with no training shortly after I restarted running in the fall and ran a pokey barely sub-27 minute time, so I guess I'll claim victory on the 5k goal.

 

[r2d2_runner]

Sounds fun! The closest I have come to doing this was a run where you had to cover 4 miles in an hour for up to to 6 hours. (As an aside google Big Dog Backyard Ultra and read about people doing this for literally days at a time). We had to start each four mile lap at the top of each hour so if you finished early you only had to the top of the next hour to rest, and had to cross the start line again at the top of the next hour.

You will have to decide if it is within your "rules" to sort of double up to give yourself a longer break. You could bend the rules and, for example, run mile 1 starting at 4:45am, start mile 2 at 5:00am and then not start mile 3 until 6:45 am. Rinse and repeat. This effectively lets you run 2 miles every 30 minutes with a 90 minute rest in between while still running each mile somewhere in between x:00 and x:59. You will also have to decide if walking (perhaps every 4th mile) is within your rules, or if all miles have to be run under a certain pace. I assume you will want to do 1 mile loops starting at your home to make the rest stops, nutrition stops, and bathroom stops easier. A good headlamp and extra batteries will be required unless you run on well lit streets.

My biggest issue was convincing my body that I was not done after each loop. The first few miles will be very easy for you, but then just general fatigue and the novelty wearing off will start to take their toll. It may well end up tougher for you mentally than physically. I hope you attempt it and report back how it went.

Thanks! These are great tips. I think I'm going to give this a shot ... but I will think a bit about exactly what rules I'll hold myself to during the challenge. And that Backyard Ultra you mentioned sounds so hard ... but somehow knowing that people do crazy things like that makes me feel that my watered down version will be possible I'll report back afterwards!

 

[r2d2_runner]

The hard part is not the fatigue in your legs. You’ll get plenty of rest. It’s the ability to rest after each lap which is the challenge. You want to get in short cat naps when you get tired and not get distracted by your phone, friends, etc. Fueling is important too. Small portions all day long are more effective than large meals.

We’re doing a backyard ultra race like this over here in April if anyone wants to join us. We’re starting at 7am with a lap of 2km every hour on the hour, ending with a total of 50km the next morning.

Thanks! I agree that rest will be important ... and probably difficult to fit in. I have 2 young kids which makes "rest" a challenge even on a regular day ... but my husband seems onboard with my running challenge plans so hopefully with his help I can make this work!

 

[nursejackie]

Towards the end of December 2019 I decided to step up to 10kms to be able to attend my first Run Disney (Princess weekend 2021). I ran my first 10kms a few months later in 58 minutes and 19 seconds (I'm a fairweather runner which isn't easy in the north of England) and in June secured a 10km bib for Princess 2021. Of course my dream is in tatters now, but I'm hopeful to secure a bib for Princess 2022 if in-person races start again, so I'll spend 2021 getting better and slightly faster.

(I know 10kms is a walk in the park for lots of you but it was a challenge for me )

 

[GreatLakes]

Main goal is to eat better. I am not terrible but need to eat more healthy fats and less carbs.

I did this and also started intermittent fasting. I love it and feel so much better.

Second is to spend more time running trails. 2016 I did about ten trails runs but this year I want to spend more time running trails.

Did this too. I did a total of 19 trail runs this year while I had a grand total of 8 leading up to 1/1/2020.

As of right now I plan to run the Space Coast full and attempt another BQ. I need a 3:10 and my PR is 3:16 but that was 2011. I'm going to use the Hanson Method and more structure than my previous attempts and with the race being later in the year I will be doing my long runs in hopefully better weather.

This didn't happen. I am hoping to do a BQ attempt this fall if life is back to normal. I'll see in the early spring if it looks like racing will be picking back up and then decide on a target race and start to shoot for a BQ.

 

[camaker]

ATTQOTD:
Health: My primary health goal in 2020 is to get back to watching my calories and get a few pounds off early in the year. Being in constant training for the marathon distance has led to a false sense of security that I could largely eat whatever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to. Not only does that not work out, it led to bad habits creeping back into my diet that were magnified when the holidays coincided with an "injury" that limited my running. So I'm not very happy with where I am weight-wise right now. No excuses, I did it to myself and now I have to fix it.

Running: I turn 50 in 2020. I would like to run either a 100k or 100m race before I hit that milestone. My best candidate race is Blackbeard's Revenge at the end of March. It's a nice, flat course down the outer banks of NC. I've given myself until the end of Dopey recovery to decide on whether I'm going to go for it and what distance I'll shoot for. Unfortunately, I can't seem to shake the hamstring tightness that flared up in November. Every time I make it 2-3 weeks without discomfort and think I've moved on, it tightens back up (like it did last night ). It's not strained or pulled, it just tightens up and I have to slow down or it gets increasingly uncomfortable and feels like it could go twang. I'm pretty frustrated, at this point.

Setting that goal aside, I currently have Dopey and the Rival Run/Kessel Run Challenges on my docket for the year and I'm strongly considering adding Wine & Dine to that list, given the villains theming. At some point, I will also most likely look for a fall marathon to put on the calendar to help keep my motivation up through the hot summer months.

ATTQOTD: Well, this is going to be a bit of a mixed bag.

Health: It wasn’t exactly early in the year, but I was able to take off around 35 lbs in the second quarter of the year. That was going pretty well and I was maintaining the loss until October or so, when a bit of pandemic fatigue coupled with holiday treats caught up with me. I’ve given some of the loss back, but plan to buckle down in the new year.

Running: I did, in fact, turn 50 this year. All my live races (including 2 ultras) were cancelled after Dopey. Dopey was actually the last live race set I completed. Outside these goals, though, 2020 was great for my running. I was able to move my base from ~25 mpw up to ~35 mpw. That resulted in an annual mileage PR of around 1877 miles, >500 miles more than my best previous year. It also helped me unofficially drop 12 minutes off of my marathon PR in a virtual race. They might not have been the goals I initially set, but I’m happy with the accomplishments.

 

[flav]

ATTQOTD 2020 health and running goals:
1) Complete the Running Challenges I am registered for (WDW Dopey, Ottawa Lumberjack, Montreal RnR Remix, Petit Train du Nord Marathon).
2) After the first two, assess whether I should but BQ as a goal for the last and if so, make it happen because that comes with tons of sub-goals.
3) Do minimum one Strength Training session per week.
4) Be the second to finish my plate at the table at least once a day. I need to slow down and be more conscious of what I eat.
5) Cut simple sugars. I am planning to do a detox on them during my post challenges recovery weeks.

1) I completed Dopey in person and Ottawa virtually. The rest got canceled or postponed. I did add other virtual challenges to compensate.
2) Well, no in person race to try that one. A solid training plan to increase my speed is ongoing.
3) Not quite and my back started to hurt at dome point. I need to fit this in properly in 2021.
4) Oups, I still eat too fast. But I was stable weight wise this year which is not bad considering I have been at home since March.
5) Well

That said, I crushed my objectives in terms of running volume!