The Running Thread -- 2022

[steph0808]

Thank you all for your input! I'll be right by Millennium Park, so I think one morning I'll run south and one morning I'll run north!

 

[ckb_nc]

April Stats
89.4 miles running, finishing with a 8k where my daughter's new fiancee' clobbered me. (350 for the year)
274 biking (1242 for the year)

In a year where I am supposedly reducing mileage April was clearly not one of those. Pretty active month with me quitting a job, taking a few days with the family in the mountains. and starting a new job. Proud of the stats this year but recovery needs to be a priority some. Weather is really heating up too

 

[Jules76126]

Thank you all for your answers.

The freedom trail is something we would be interested in and I heard a trip to Salem is worth it if you have time. Would you agree?

My understanding is you basically need to get yourself to Boston Common early Monday morning and they take you to the start. It is looking like I won't be staying anywhere close enough to walk. Are my options going to be having my wife drop me off, Uber/Tax, or subway? I've done some DC races that are too early for the metro, does that happen in Boston or does the subway run early enough to take that to Boston Common race morning?

If you (or anyone that knows the area) had to choose from the list below which would you recommend if they were the list you were choosing from:

Residence Inn Boston Downtown/South End: 2001 Washington Street Roxbury, Massachusetts 02119
Residence Inn Boston Cambridge: 120 Broadway Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
Courtyard Boston Downtown/North Station: 107 Beverly Street Boston, Massachusetts 02114 (This one actually looks walkable)
Aloft Boston Seaport District: 403 D Street Boston, Massachusetts 02210 (This one might also be walkable)
TownePlace Suites Boston Logan Airport/Chelsea: 30 Eastern Avenue Chelsea, Massachusetts 02150

The freedom trail is great as you can pick and choose where you want to gov and most of it is free. I would definitely do the graveyard (Central Burying Ground).

I love Salem as long as it is not October. There is the Witch Museum (hokey, but great for kids). Plenty of places to walk and great restaurants. You can take the commute rail there and then uber to downtown or you can rent a car. There is a lots of parking. I also have heard great things about the children's museum in Boston. Haven't been yet as my kid is 7 months so too little. Your son may also like a duck boat tour. I only sightsee in Boston when we have out of towns friends visit so I am trying to think what we have done. You can also go over to Charlestown and tour the USS Constitution which is really cool. I would not recommend climbing the Bunker Hill monument unless your child has a lot of stamina. Lot more steps than you think.

For hotels, you do not want to stay in Roxbury or Chelsea or Lynn. There is a reason they are more reasonable. I would recommend for walking purposes the one at North Station. The orange and green lines run there as well as the commuter rail you would take to Salem. The T starts running at 5 AM and it is a normal week day schedule. It is also close to government center and the North End. It is probably a 15 minute walk from North Station to the Common (did this walk for 5 years when I worked downtown). Cambridge is also nice as there are lots of restaurants over there and you would catch the red line to downtown. There is no T stop in the Seaport. It is the silver line bus system and that blows. It will only take you to south station and then you need to catch the subway from there. There are also very few restaurants. Harpoon Brewery is down here as well as the World Trade Center conference. center.

 

[avondale]

The freedom trail is great as you can pick and choose where you want to gov and most of it is free. I would definitely do the graveyard (Central Burying Ground).

I love Salem as long as it is not October. There is the Witch Museum (hokey, but great for kids). Plenty of places to walk and great restaurants. You can take the commute rail there and then uber to downtown or you can rent a car. There is a lots of parking. I also have heard great things about the children's museum in Boston. Haven't been yet as my kid is 7 months so too little. Your son may also like a duck boat tour. I only sightsee in Boston when we have out of towns friends visit so I am trying to think what we have done. You can also go over to Charlestown and tour the USS Constitution which is really cool. I would not recommend climbing the Bunker Hill monument unless your child has a lot of stamina. Lot more steps than you think.

I second the children's museum and the duck boat tour. I used to live in the Boston area and never went on the duck boats because they were for "tourists". Well, we went when some family visited, and the tour is really fun for everyone - it's a different way of seeing things. I would recommend going on a nice day and not if you get unseasonably cold/windy/rainy weather.

The science museum is also great for everyone, including kids. They have an impressive indoor lightning show (not for young kids who might be scared of the noises, I guess).

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

I'm looking for a new fuel for long runs/races. Luckily (knock on wood) so far I haven't had any trouble digesting any that i have tried even during races for the first time. But then again, I haven't run a marathon before. In the past I have used honey stinger gels, that are about 100 kcals. I find it a bother to open gels, and eat them, then stash the wrapper until a trash can appears. It seems not matter what some squeezes out into my pocket. (though sometimes I do remember to bring a sandwich bag for said problem) I liked the chews they had at Spring surprise. Does anyone have any recommendations for what you like? Ideally I'm looking for something with a higher calories/carb count, so I can take less of them. E-gels are 150, so I was thinking of trying those. Any favorites?

 

[jpeterson]

I'm looking for a new fuel for long runs/races. Luckily (knock on wood) so far I haven't had any trouble digesting any that i have tried even during races for the first time. But then again, I haven't run a marathon before. In the past I have used honey stinger gels, that are about 100 kcals. I find it a bother to open gels, and eat them, then stash the wrapper until a trash can appears. It seems not matter what some squeezes out into my pocket. (though sometimes I do remember to bring a sandwich bag for said problem) I liked the chews they had at Spring surprise. Does anyone have any recommendations for what you like? Ideally I'm looking for something with a higher calories/carb count, so I can take less of them. E-gels are 150, so I was thinking of trying those. Any favorites?

I like the Gu Chews and the Clif Bloks. I have an order of the Performance Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Chews getting delivered today that I want to try out.

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

I like the idea of only two chews. of the PF 30 chews. I may give that one a try! thanks

I like the Gu Chews and the Clif Bloks. I have an order of the Performance Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Chews getting delivered today that I want to try out.

 

[kps7795]

I like the Gu Chews and the Clif Bloks. I have an order of the Performance Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Chews getting delivered today that I want to try out.

Do you know if you can only get the PF 30 chews from Precision Hydration or can you buy them on Amazon as well?

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

Do you know if you can only get the PF 30 chews from Precision Hydration or can you buy them on Amazon as well?

I didn't see them on amazon.

 

[kps7795]

I didn't see them on amazon.

Neither did I. I was wondering if I was missing something.

 

[jpeterson]

Neither did I. I was wondering if I was missing something.

I bought them from the manufacturer.

 

[kps7795]

I like the Gu Chews and the Clif Bloks. I have an order of the Performance Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Chews getting delivered today that I want to try out.

Did you try out your PF 30 Chews? How did they taste?

 

[jpeterson]

Did you try out your PF 30 Chews? How did they taste?

Not yet. They are sitting on my desk. I'll report back once I do

 

[kps7795]

Not yet. They are sitting on my desk. I'll report back once I do

Free shipping for order over $65, but that would suck if you don't like the taste.

 

[jpeterson]

I tried the original and it's a very neutral taste. Tastes like nothing but has a soft texture, not as firm as other gummies. I liked it.

 

[kps7795]

I tried the original and it's a very neutral taste. Tastes like nothing but has a soft texture, not as firm as other gummies. I liked it.

I ordered one package of the mint and lemon.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Does anyone have any recommendations for what you like? Ideally I'm looking for something with a higher calories/carb count, so I can take less of them. E-gels are 150, so I was thinking of trying those. Any favorites?

My current go tos:

Egel - 150 cal, 37g carbs per packet. Higher electrolyte content than most others. Cheap comparatively to other similar products on a per g carb basis.

Maurten gel - 100 cal, 25g carbs per packet (standard). Isotonic (thus is requires zero water to absorb). Caff version has 100mg per packet (among the highest). Very expensive per packet, but highly effective.

Tailwind powder - Based on my cost analysis a few years back, this is the cheapest of the major products at 6 cents per 2g carbs. I do a concentrated formula of 1 scoop per 1-2 oz of water. Lessens the bulk of carrying a concentrated amount of carbs/electrolytes. Need to drink an appropriate amount of water on course to properly absorb the concentrated formula.

Maurten 320 - Highest absorbable carbs per oz of liquid on the market at 4.6 g carb/oz (standard is around 2g carb/oz). Expensive and lacks potassium. But if you're looking for lessening liquid carrying, then you can cut your liquid carry in a little over half by switching to Maurten 320 instead of a standard product. Difference between this and the concentrated Tailwind is that I still need to consume the same amount of water using concentrated Tailwind (2g carb = 1 oz water needed), but Maurten at 4.6g/oz needs no extra water consumption on top.

 

[dobball23]

My current go tos:

Egel - 150 cal, 37g carbs per packet. Higher electrolyte content than most others. Cheap comparatively to other similar products on a per g carb basis.

Maurten gel - 100 cal, 25g carbs per packet (standard). Isotonic (thus is requires zero water to absorb). Caff version has 100mg per packet (among the highest). Very expensive per packet, but highly effective.

Tailwind powder - Based on my cost analysis a few years back, this is the cheapest of the major products at 6 cents per 2g carbs. I do a concentrated formula of 1 scoop per 1-2 oz of water. Lessens the bulk of carrying a concentrated amount of carbs/electrolytes. Need to drink an appropriate amount of water on course to properly absorb the concentrated formula.

Maurten 320 - Highest absorbable carbs per oz of liquid on the market at 4.6 g carb/oz (standard is around 2g carb/oz). Expensive and lacks potassium. But if you're looking for lessening liquid carrying, then you can cut your liquid carry in a little over half by switching to Maurten 320 instead of a standard product. Difference between this and the concentrated Tailwind is that I still need to consume the same amount of water using concentrated Tailwind (2g carb = 1 oz water needed), but Maurten at 4.6g/oz needs no extra water consumption on top.

I tried to copy your fueling strategy for my marathon in January as part of Dopey. While I did fatigue at the end, I truly think the fueling strategy helped me. I wasn't a fan of the taste of Tailwind concentrate at first, but once I realized I should squirt it into my mouth vs. sucking it out of the bottle, I was able to taste it less (it may have bypassed some of my taste buds?). I'll be purchasing more of the items you have listed prior to the marathon this coming January.

I always read about how people are concerned that certain things might not sit well with their stomachs, but all of these were fine for me.

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

My current go tos:

Egel - 150 cal, 37g carbs per packet. Higher electrolyte content than most others. Cheap comparatively to other similar products on a per g carb basis.

Maurten gel - 100 cal, 25g carbs per packet (standard). Isotonic (thus is requires zero water to absorb). Caff version has 100mg per packet (among the highest). Very expensive per packet, but highly effective.

Tailwind powder - Based on my cost analysis a few years back, this is the cheapest of the major products at 6 cents per 2g carbs. I do a concentrated formula of 1 scoop per 1-2 oz of water. Lessens the bulk of carrying a concentrated amount of carbs/electrolytes. Need to drink an appropriate amount of water on course to properly absorb the concentrated formula.

Maurten 320 - Highest absorbable carbs per oz of liquid on the market at 4.6 g carb/oz (standard is around 2g carb/oz). Expensive and lacks potassium. But if you're looking for lessening liquid carrying, then you can cut your liquid carry in a little over half by switching to Maurten 320 instead of a standard product. Difference between this and the concentrated Tailwind is that I still need to consume the same amount of water using concentrated Tailwind (2g carb = 1 oz water needed), but Maurten at 4.6g/oz needs no extra water consumption on top.

Thanks! I will try Maurten next. I ordered some Egel and the PF chews,. Times like this I wish I lived in the city to run down to the store for instant gratification, and just try one or two. Oh well, getting deliveries does brighten up a day.

 

[jmasgat]

On a tangential note .....

The 2021 Ironman World Championship is taking place now in Utah (yes there are at least 2 things weird about that sentence). Live feed is at..... (also on Peacock)

https://www.facebook.com/IRONMANnow/

ETA: It is humanizing to see some of the pros also "pull up" in the water (which is on the cold side), and do breast stroke in order to calm/stabilize their swim. Also, the woman's lead in the swim is not currently bilaterally breathing (and her sighting head lift is barely perceptible--impressive!)