The Running Thread - 2020

That’s super nice! i think you’d like a FW race weekend.

Thanks. We have decided to stick to our original plan of going to CA so race weekend won’t be an option now anyway.

In light of today’s marathon (Congrats to everyone that ran today whether you finished or not!) temps, I have a question. It maybe a little TMI

Are there any tricks to not stink? Seriously. I sweat - a lot - even when it’s not hot. Deodorant is a given as is moisture-wicking clothes. Any other suggestions?

I have an upcoming race with some friends and it makes me extremely self conscious to hang with them and certainly ride home with them after the race because I know it will be bad.

I think most people stink after running a long race in any conditions. I sometimes bring a travel deodoran in my Roo pouch and put some more on during the race and then toss it. But I find my clothes just stink once they get sweaty. Other runners will get it, trust me.
 
Between Disney parks and running Dopey I’m a bit behind...

QOTD: So most folks go with some sort of rule on how many miles on a pair of shoes before they get a new pair. The numbers range depending on the individual. Today I wanted to ask another shoe life question. Regardless of miles on the shoes, how old would you let a pair of shoes get before you get new ones? Would you answer change if you had a certain % of miles on them plus age?

I track my shoes for every run and plan on 400 miles or one year. I won’t go over the milage but if they reach that age I’ll use them on shorter runs depending on feel. I try not to run a race in anything with over 250 miles.

Fun Friday QOTD: I just recalled that I am registered for the Louisiana Marathon on 1/19/2020 and theres no chance in me running it. For fun I wanted to know what the cut off time for the race is and come to find out it's a 16 min pace or 7 hours, just like Disney. So for the question, do you think it is possible to walk 26.2 miles below 16 min pace without training?

Possible? Yes. Good idea? No
personally I would probably do it because I am stubborn and will do something if I’m told I can’t. The real question is just how undertrained? If you have no training at all it would end very badly.
 
Art of Animation or one of the All Star resorts for a race weekend? If you vote All Star, which one?

DH has said I can do the W&D race weekend, but it will be on a much tighter budget than prior WDW trips. We have never stayed at either a value or moderate resort before so looking for thoughts from those who have.

I’m also conflicted about going since my plan is to run a November half for time, and the race I had been planning on is the weekend after W&D (it will be much smaller, @100 people). DH thinks I will do better at WDW than I will put by myself.

I like AoA over the All Stars, but to be fair, I haven't stayed at All Stars in years. I'm staying at Music next month, so I'll know more about them then. I stayed at AoA for the marathon in 2016 in the Little Mermaid rooms. I like Pop Century better, but the advantage Pop or AoA have over All Stars is the Skyliner terminal. However, this also seems to have affected the pricing, so All Stars will likely be less expensive.
 
So, DH and I ran the marathon on Sunday. We are hooked. DH struggled with the heat and is now determined to come back again to better his time. I beat my BQ time by >10 minutes, so am planning a trip to Boston in April 2021.

Is there a way to make marathons suck less? I was struggling pretty bad around 23 - 24 miles in. It took a lot of mental work to convince my legs to keep running. There was never any "wall", nor did anything particularly hurt, but I was just tired. I maintained a 7:45ish pace through to 23 miles, then dipped just over 8 min miles for the last couple. Definitely not a negative split. This was my first full...I'm hoping that I'll be better prepared to know what to expect next time. I'm also hoping that my next one won't be quite so hot!
 


So, DH and I ran the marathon on Sunday. We are hooked. DH struggled with the heat and is now determined to come back again to better his time. I beat my BQ time by >10 minutes, so am planning a trip to Boston in April 2021.

Is there a way to make marathons suck less? I was struggling pretty bad around 23 - 24 miles in. It took a lot of mental work to convince my legs to keep running. There was never any "wall", nor did anything particularly hurt, but I was just tired. I maintained a 7:45ish pace through to 23 miles, then dipped just over 8 min miles for the last couple. Definitely not a negative split. This was my first full...I'm hoping that I'll be better prepared to know what to expect next time. I'm also hoping that my next one won't be quite so hot!
Start slow, finish fast. Easy fix would be to start with the 8:00+ pace you ended with, and speed up to your 7:45s. Did you fuel during with gu, beans, etc?

Edited to add a congrats on the PR!
 
So, DH and I ran the marathon on Sunday. We are hooked. DH struggled with the heat and is now determined to come back again to better his time. I beat my BQ time by >10 minutes, so am planning a trip to Boston in April 2021.

Is there a way to make marathons suck less? I was struggling pretty bad around 23 - 24 miles in. It took a lot of mental work to convince my legs to keep running. There was never any "wall", nor did anything particularly hurt, but I was just tired. I maintained a 7:45ish pace through to 23 miles, then dipped just over 8 min miles for the last couple. Definitely not a negative split. This was my first full...I'm hoping that I'll be better prepared to know what to expect next time. I'm also hoping that my next one won't be quite so hot!

Wow BQ on your first marathon is amazing! Congratulations! The only way to know what to expect is to run one, which you’ve now done so you are already far more prepared for your next one.
 
So, DH and I ran the marathon on Sunday. We are hooked. DH struggled with the heat and is now determined to come back again to better his time. I beat my BQ time by >10 minutes, so am planning a trip to Boston in April 2021.

Is there a way to make marathons suck less? I was struggling pretty bad around 23 - 24 miles in. It took a lot of mental work to convince my legs to keep running. There was never any "wall", nor did anything particularly hurt, but I was just tired. I maintained a 7:45ish pace through to 23 miles, then dipped just over 8 min miles for the last couple. Definitely not a negative split. This was my first full...I'm hoping that I'll be better prepared to know what to expect next time. I'm also hoping that my next one won't be quite so hot!

First off congratulations. Second i would what for @DopeyBadger to chime in. He is the master of the training plans. However, when I raced my marathon in 2018 (i have done lots but that was the first one i truly raced, was trying for and got my BQ), miles 24 and 25 were awful. I mean i was just trying to hang on. It did not even feel like i was running. i felt so slow. Yes my mile pace dropped those last 6 miles and 20 to 24 was not horrible drop but steadily slower and then 24 and 25 was horrible, but then the last mile I was just going for everything i had to get a better cushion.

As others told me it was exactly how you run a marathon, so i am thinking you were not too far off :).
 


So, DH and I ran the marathon on Sunday. We are hooked. DH struggled with the heat and is now determined to come back again to better his time. I beat my BQ time by >10 minutes, so am planning a trip to Boston in April 2021.

Is there a way to make marathons suck less? I was struggling pretty bad around 23 - 24 miles in. It took a lot of mental work to convince my legs to keep running. There was never any "wall", nor did anything particularly hurt, but I was just tired. I maintained a 7:45ish pace through to 23 miles, then dipped just over 8 min miles for the last couple. Definitely not a negative split. This was my first full...I'm hoping that I'll be better prepared to know what to expect next time. I'm also hoping that my next one won't be quite so hot!

Hey now I recognize you from the profile pic! You were Captain Marvel near the front of Corral A. I think you passed me right as we entered BB. Honestly, those last few miles of the marathon are going to feel tremendously difficult. The drop from high 7s to low 8s is completely reasonable. I always expect a tiny “u” shape in the splits at the end. I’d say for a first time marathon experience you nailed many of the aspects of race day performance. As for making the end suck less, it’s probably just a matter of running slower than you’re capable of as a maximal performance. But then again, if you’re going for a max performance, accept that more often than not, it will feel like that. Congrats on the BQ!
 
Hey now I recognize you from the profile pic! You were Captain Marvel near the front of Corral A. I think you passed me right as we entered BB. Honestly, those last few miles of the marathon are going to feel tremendously difficult. The drop from high 7s to low 8s is completely reasonable. I always expect a tiny “u” shape in the splits at the end. I’d say for a first time marathon experience you nailed many of the aspects of race day performance. As for making the end suck less, it’s probably just a matter of running slower than you’re capable of as a maximal performance. But then again, if you’re going for a max performance, accept that more often than not, it will feel like that. Congrats on the BQ!

Yep, that was me! I recognized you, but was too shy to say anything. I sort of suspected that when working close to max capacity (especially in heat), that the later miles are just gonna suck, but I wasn't as prepared as I should have been for how powerful the urge to stop would be. I had some mental pep talks ready, and just kept picturing the numbers I wanted to see on the finish line clock. In the end, I performed better than I ever expected to, so I'm still thrilled.
 
Yes there is: join the Goof Troop! We run easy, stop for character photos, rides, and booze, and have the most fun out in the course. :)

LOL, DH (the reluctant marathoner) is all-in on runDisney now, and has been trying to figure out when we can do Dopey together. We've already decided that when we do Dopey, it's gonna be a fun one!
 
Thanks everyone for your input on my “stinky” question :)

I have some shower wipes that I keep in my running bag but I think I need to shop around for another kind. Changing clothes is something I prepare for and then say forget it until I can shower. But I probably should do it to save my friends noses. ;)
 
So, DH and I ran the marathon on Sunday. We are hooked. DH struggled with the heat and is now determined to come back again to better his time. I beat my BQ time by >10 minutes, so am planning a trip to Boston in April 2021.

Is there a way to make marathons suck less? I was struggling pretty bad around 23 - 24 miles in. It took a lot of mental work to convince my legs to keep running. There was never any "wall", nor did anything particularly hurt, but I was just tired. I maintained a 7:45ish pace through to 23 miles, then dipped just over 8 min miles for the last couple. Definitely not a negative split. This was my first full...I'm hoping that I'll be better prepared to know what to expect next time. I'm also hoping that my next one won't be quite so hot!

To beat your BQ time by that much in your first marathon AND in that heat is freakin' phenomenal! Well done!

I've done 30+ marathons or ultras, up to 50 miles, and I've found that the longer the race, the more it's a mental struggle more than a physical struggle. That voice in your head questioning why you're doing this to yourself just gets louder and louder. When I'm building up for a marathon, I make a conscious effort in my training to mentally focus on my race goal and think about why I'm doing this particular race with this particular goal. In the same way that you train your body to deal with the pace you want to run, you've got to train your mind to deal with the "suck" that's going to hit in the race.
 
To beat your BQ time by that much in your first marathon AND in that heat is freakin' phenomenal! Well done!

I've done 30+ marathons or ultras, up to 50 miles, and I've found that the longer the race, the more it's a mental struggle more than a physical struggle. That voice in your head questioning why you're doing this to yourself just gets louder and louder. When I'm building up for a marathon, I make a conscious effort in my training to mentally focus on my race goal and think about why I'm doing this particular race with this particular goal. In the same way that you train your body to deal with the pace you want to run, you've got to train your mind to deal with the "suck" that's going to hit in the race.

Thanks! Good advice!

My body is still angry at me for doing this. I am so so so sore. Fortunately it's all just muscle aches and a couple gross blood blisters on my feet. My joints are all feeling just fine! Walking the parks after the marathon is a great shakeout.
 
So, DH and I ran the marathon on Sunday. We are hooked. DH struggled with the heat and is now determined to come back again to better his time. I beat my BQ time by >10 minutes, so am planning a trip to Boston in April 2021.

Is there a way to make marathons suck less? I was struggling pretty bad around 23 - 24 miles in. It took a lot of mental work to convince my legs to keep running. There was never any "wall", nor did anything particularly hurt, but I was just tired. I maintained a 7:45ish pace through to 23 miles, then dipped just over 8 min miles for the last couple. Definitely not a negative split. This was my first full...I'm hoping that I'll be better prepared to know what to expect next time. I'm also hoping that my next one won't be quite so hot!
Congrats on a great race and a BQ!

Marathons suck. If they didn’t then everyone would do them. Part of what makes them suck so bad is the same stuff that changes your life by doing them.

To a certain degree John is correct. If you take them slow and have fun with it they don’t suck that bad. My 2016 marathon at Disney I was well trained for and I ran much slower than my fitness level at the time. That was a fun race. But if you are trying for a good time, it’s going to suck. Acceptance makes it easier to deal with.
 
Monday was a amazing sporting event. It was worth every dollar to be there!!!!! I also learned that 36 year old me can not do NOLA like 26 year old me. Went to bed at 4:00 AM Tuesday morning after getting some hand grenades, a lucky dog, and a stop at Pat O's. I am still hurting today lol, but so worth all of it! The ole GPS watch tells me that I walked 11 miles before midnight and another 5 after that. Gotta get back to work and will start with QOTD's again tomorrow morning!

GEAUX TIGERS!!!
 
QOTD: Which would you rather do question: Would you rather run a half/full or walk it? You are not allowed to do both in todays hypothetical situation.

ATTQOTD: Run it for sure. This kinda follows up with my previous question from last week and after walking around 15-16 miles Monday night I know for sure walking either distance would be difficult.
 

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