The Running Thread--2024

[SheHulk]

Race Report: Philadelphia Half Marathon, 11/23/24

I've run this race many times before, and it was basically the same as always: great race, really insane lines for security to enter the start area. Temps at the start were about 33F, so it was pretty cold waiting in that line and then waiting around to start. The race started late (as maybe it always does) and I'm guessing it's because so many participants are still waiting to get in when the start time rolls around. Bill Rodgers was there on the announcers' stage, and so was Bart Yasso, so it was nice to hear words of encouragement from them as we waited. As always my fellow runners were friendly and helped pass the time.

Once we got going, the race was great. The first half is very scenic, passing landmarks like our tremendous City Hall, Independence Hall and the surrounding historical sites, and South Street with all its shops and restaurants. It's also pretty flat. The second half is hillier, windier, and less scenic (unless you like an urban park, which I do, but it's still not a national landmark like Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell). The wheels seem to come off for many runners in the second half. This was a training run for me, so I didn't have aggressive time goals. I just wanted to hit the paces I had prescribed in my DopeyBadger plan for WDW Marathon. I did that, so it was a success for me! Just really really freezing afterward and it was kind of difficult to find a way out of the start/finish area, just as it was hard to get in. The medal was, as usual, a Liberty Bell with a real clapper inside so it tinkles. These are among my favorite medals.

Crowd support was awesome in the first half of the race, which makes sense because, again, that is the more "city" part of the course. Best sign I noticed: "I ALSO LOVE ATTENTION". It was a young person holding it and I don't know if it's from something but yes they pretty much captured the reason I am willing to plunk down $100+ and wait in the cold, just to run a training run: it's the crowd support!

I have never organized a race at all, much less a large one, so I know I shouldn't complain. But every year I have waited on at least a half-hour long line just to get to the start area. I ran the Chicago Marathon last year, a much larger race, and security was nothing like this (full disclosure: I did get there much earlier). The runner instructions do tell you to get there early, but getting there a half hour or more early should not make you late to the start line. I understand they are trying to keep us safe but gosh there must be a better solution to this. If you are running the Philadelphia Marathon tomorrow, all I can say is, get there earlier than you think you need to.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Well I have a first- the deck of my treadmill (underneath the belt) is cracked all the way down the middle. It's a nordic track and about 2.5 years old. I'm well under the 300lb limit (and well under 200 lbs for the matter) and am shocked this happened- hopefully it's fixable or refundable as the majority of my miles are done on it while my kiddies are sleeping. UGH.

I have a good news follow up! The part came in a (very fast!) 4 days and my husband installed it last night. Took her for a spin today and she works like a dream again! So less than a week out of commission, which is way better than I was expecting. Thank goodness for my handy husband

(I will say that I still think was a pretty obvious production flaw and I felt like it sould have been covered, but I need to get over that.)

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I’ve been taking a quick break from running since I’ve been moving this weekend. I’m more sore than I’ve been after my runs! I’ll get back to it this week with easy runs.

 

[jmasgat]

So I have spent the last week with my new Garmin 165. I previously had a Vivoactive3--so it's pretty obvious that a LOT of stuff has been changed/added since I got that device. There is so much that it wants to/can track, and I'm sure some is valid and some is....?? Body battery, HRV, Pulse Ox, Sleep score, etc, etc. I'm giving it some time before I prune/add the things that mean the most to me,

So my informal QOTD: What features/data do you find to be most useful (and reliable) to you? What are your "must haves" in your Glance?

 

[pluto377]

Anyone dealing with a horrible cough or dealt with one recently? I've been sick for a week, tested negative for every respiratory illness. I can't walk more than a few steps without coughing. I've already missed a full week of training and starting to get antsy and nervous. Should I be waiting until this thing is completely gone before trying to even just go for a walk?

 

[GollyGadget]

So I have spent the last week with my new Garmin 165. I previously had a Vivoactive3--so it's pretty obvious that a LOT of stuff has been changed/added since I got that device. There is so much that it wants to/can track, and I'm sure some is valid and some is....?? Body battery, HRV, Pulse Ox, Sleep score, etc, etc. I'm giving it some time before I prune/add the things that mean the most to me,

So my informal QOTD: What features/data do you find to be most useful (and reliable) to you? What are your "must haves" in your Glance?

I'm honestly not sure how "useful" any of them are but there are those that I find more interesting. I turned off pulse ox because it was too big of a battery drain for something I didn't care at all about. I find the body battery and sleep score interesting but not that useful. I typically know if I slept poorly or I'm low on energy. My verdict on HRV is still TBD. My training status is currently "strained" because of a low HRV but my resting HR is also 20% higher than usual so I don't really need HRV to tell me that I'm not well rested.

The most interesting value to me is training load, not sure if that's on the 165 or not.

 

[Herding_Cats]

So I have spent the last week with my new Garmin 165. I previously had a Vivoactive3--so it's pretty obvious that a LOT of stuff has been changed/added since I got that device. There is so much that it wants to/can track, and I'm sure some is valid and some is....?? Body battery, HRV, Pulse Ox, Sleep score, etc, etc. I'm giving it some time before I prune/add the things that mean the most to me,

So my informal QOTD: What features/data do you find to be most useful (and reliable) to you? What are your "must haves" in your Glance?

X2 on pulse ox draining the battery like crazy.

For “glance” do you mean the running metrics on the face while you’re running? I have elapsed time, distance, pulse, and lap avg pace. I have almost everything turned off on my VA3s because I value battery life over a lot of metrics.

Anyone dealing with a horrible cough or dealt with one recently? I've been sick for a week, tested negative for every respiratory illness. I can't walk more than a few steps without coughing. I've already missed a full week of training and starting to get antsy and nervous. Should I be waiting until this thing is completely gone before trying to even just go for a walk?

I don’t wanna give you bad news, but we have had upper respiratory crud in our house for months. DS2 ended up with walking pneumonia in September and is still coughing. DH got something about 2 weeks ago now and is still hacking up a lung throughout the day. There’s soooooo much going around (my chiro had RSV and then got laryngitis) so my vote is to just do what you feel comfortable with, even if it’s the bare minimum right now.

 

[avondale]

The runner instructions do tell you to get there early, but getting there a half hour or more early should not make you late to the start line. I understand they are trying to keep us safe but gosh there must be a better solution to this.

LOL... for MUCH smaller trail races, I never show up less than an hour before the start time and there's no security or anything. Even if I wasn't "racing" it, I'd be such a nervous wreck getting there only 30 min early. For a race with thousands (? - I'm guessing low thousands) of runners and security, I find it completely unsurprising about lines.

So my informal QOTD: What features/data do you find to be most useful (and reliable) to you? What are your "must haves" in your Glance?

I keep:

• daily steps: it's a must for me to hit 10k steps per day, so this is first. Probably the most reliable measurement, too, honestly. (I'm at 1651 days in a row of at least 10k steps!)
• HR: I don't really keep an eye on my current HR in the glance, but I like seeing the resting HR, and tapping on it in the glance gets me to 7-day resting HR, etc.

Things after those two are more for fun to follow in a relative sense, but I don't think they are hugely "accurate" (except my weight).

• Body battery: for fun to see if it confirms how I'm feeling
• Training readiness: same
• Training status: curiosity to see how it's quantifying things - definitely do not use this to decide on my training for the day or anything
• Weight: I track daily, so convenient to have it here to add in daily measurements
• Sleep score: for fun to see if it confirms how I'm feeling

 

[SheHulk]

LOL... for MUCH smaller trail races, I never show up less than an hour before the start time and there's no security or anything. Even if I wasn't "racing" it, I'd be such a nervous wreck getting there only 30 min early. For a race with thousands (? - I'm guessing low thousands) of runners and security, I find it completely unsurprising about lines.

In my defense.. I live 7 blocks away! If I had to look for parking or worry about traffic, yes, I'd leave more time. But leaving 45 minutes ahead of the start feels like it should be plenty of time. And I'm telling you, the lines to get in, stretch for blocks. Maybe others have had similar experiences but I've never waited in a security line like that for a Disney race or any others, big or small. The Broad Street Run has a much bigger field, like 3-4 times bigger, and doesn't have any secured start area at all (for better or worse).
Not to dwell on it, every other aspect of the race is good, but just defending my position a little

 

[dobball23]

daily steps: it's a must for me to hit 10k steps per day, so this is first. Probably the most reliable measurement, too, honestly. (I'm at 1651 days in a row of at least 10k steps!)

Wow! That is an impressive statistic! I am averaging about 15,000 steps over the past year, but have been under 10,000 on many occasions. In fact, I got only ~3,000 on Friday. Kudos to you!

 

[PrincessV]

Anyone dealing with a horrible cough or dealt with one recently? I've been sick for a week, tested negative for every respiratory illness. I can't walk more than a few steps without coughing. I've already missed a full week of training and starting to get antsy and nervous. Should I be waiting until this thing is completely gone before trying to even just go for a walk?

Caveat - I’m NOT a medical professional, just someone who developed chronic bronchitis followed by pneumonia after a respiratory infection decades ago and have suffered ever since: do not push your body. The long-term risk is not worth it. I’ll also strongly recommend seeing a medical professional if you’re not seeing improvement in another week or so and/or if you have a fever associated. This is only my experience, but I do not mess around with lung stuff!

 

[Erika10021]

Goodness, I love discussions about counting steps! (I would have quoted Avondale and Dobball23 but have not yet figured out how to do it, perhaps related to small number of posts so far?)

I am super impressed with 1651 in a row or averaging 15,000! My best was almost 500 days in a row and have not been able to get back up to it. I've been averaging around 12,000-13,000 steps a day for the last 9 years. I am hopelessly addicted to wearing a Fitbit but have considered switching to the Garmin.

 

[FFigawi]

So my informal QOTD: What features/data do you find to be most useful (and reliable) to you? What are your "must haves" in your Glance?

ATTQOTD: The Glances I use most often are HRV, Training Readiness, and Sleep Score. None of them are perfectly accurate, but they do an excellent job of illuminating trends. HRV, for example, nearly always drops 2-3 days before I get sick. There’s not much else I look at on the watch. The Garmin Connect app is easier to dig into the details.

 

[The Expert]

Caveat - I’m NOT a medical professional, just someone who developed chronic bronchitis followed by pneumonia after a respiratory infection decades ago and have suffered ever since: do not push your body. The long-term risk is not worth it. I’ll also strongly recommend seeing a medical professional if you’re not seeing improvement in another week or so and/or if you have a fever associated. This is only my experience, but I do not mess around with lung stuff!

One million percent THIS! I had an annoying cough linger for almost two months, and woke up one day with massive chest pain. I legit thought I was having a heart attack and drove myself to urgent care, who sent me to the ER. I was admitted for about 8 hours while they tested for a bunch of stuff. Turns out I had bacterial pneumonia! Thankfully they were able to give me a good dose of antibiotics via IV and sent me home with a prescription. They said had I waited even a few more days, it could have been far more serious and I could have been in the hospital for weeks.

Thankfully I haven't had anything like that since, but I will never again let a cough linger more than a week without getting it checked.

 

[The Expert]

ATTQOTD: I have a data-heavy home screen on my Forerunner 245s that shows HR, body battery, steps, stress, weather and sunrise/sunset. I really only pay attention to HR, body battery and the weather. I do appreciate my "morning report" though!

And I agree that HRV isn't useful day-to-day but I do always see it start to dip if I have an illness or cold coming on. It's an excellent predictor, and I can often hold things off if I bump up rest, hydration and zinc/vitamin C intake when that happens.

 

[jrsharp21]

So I have spent the last week with my new Garmin 165. I previously had a Vivoactive3--so it's pretty obvious that a LOT of stuff has been changed/added since I got that device. There is so much that it wants to/can track, and I'm sure some is valid and some is....?? Body battery, HRV, Pulse Ox, Sleep score, etc, etc. I'm giving it some time before I prune/add the things that mean the most to me,

So my informal QOTD: What features/data do you find to be most useful (and reliable) to you? What are your "must haves" in your Glance?

I am also trying to dial in my 165. I loved the 55 because it was so plain and simple. The one thing that bugs me about the 165 is that when you have the gesture option turned on, you have to make big gesture for the screen to come on. I also loved having the screen on all the time on my 55. With the 165, I tried it this past couple of days and it really drains the battery. I am also trying to find a face that has everything that I had on the main screen with my 55.

 

[MissLiss279]

I don’t think my HRV reading is very useful. It’s very up and down. As soon as the average zone comes down, the HRV numbers go up, and then are out of range again. The zone moves up, and then my numbers go down out of the zone.
For one, I don’t wear my watch all day, but it sounds like the readings are taken at night when I do wear my watch. I think my problem is that I have frequent PVC’s (pre-ventricular contractions) at night, which causes my resting heart rate to read lower than it actually is (low 30s - it misses reading the beat that comes too close to another one).
So - although HRV may be interesting, I’m not sure it indicates anything for me…

 

[sandam1]

Anyone dealing with a horrible cough or dealt with one recently? I've been sick for a week, tested negative for every respiratory illness. I can't walk more than a few steps without coughing. I've already missed a full week of training and starting to get antsy and nervous. Should I be waiting until this thing is completely gone before trying to even just go for a walk?

I came home from Wine & Dine with the respiratory bug that seems to be going around. Last Thursday (2.5 weeks later) I finally called my doctor because the cough just wasn't going away. She put me on steroids and an antibiotic and I felt better almost immediately. I'll admit - I'm usually one to try to let things run their course, but at this point in Dopey training just give me the meds!

 

[smrt1]

Race Report: Philadelphia Half Marathon, 11/23/24

I've run this race many times before, and it was basically the same as always: great race, really insane lines for security to enter the start area. Temps at the start were about 33F, so it was pretty cold waiting in that line and then waiting around to start. The race started late (as maybe it always does) and I'm guessing it's because so many participants are still waiting to get in when the start time rolls around. Bill Rodgers was there on the announcers' stage, and so was Bart Yasso, so it was nice to hear words of encouragement from them as we waited. As always my fellow runners were friendly and helped pass the time.

Once we got going, the race was great. The first half is very scenic, passing landmarks like our tremendous City Hall, Independence Hall and the surrounding historical sites, and South Street with all its shops and restaurants. It's also pretty flat. The second half is hillier, windier, and less scenic (unless you like an urban park, which I do, but it's still not a national landmark like Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell). The wheels seem to come off for many runners in the second half. This was a training run for me, so I didn't have aggressive time goals. I just wanted to hit the paces I had prescribed in my DopeyBadger plan for WDW Marathon. I did that, so it was a success for me! Just really really freezing afterward and it was kind of difficult to find a way out of the start/finish area, just as it was hard to get in. The medal was, as usual, a Liberty Bell with a real clapper inside so it tinkles. These are among my favorite medals.

Crowd support was awesome in the first half of the race, which makes sense because, again, that is the more "city" part of the course. Best sign I noticed: "I ALSO LOVE ATTENTION". It was a young person holding it and I don't know if it's from something but yes they pretty much captured the reason I am willing to plunk down $100+ and wait in the cold, just to run a training run: it's the crowd support!

I have never organized a race at all, much less a large one, so I know I shouldn't complain. But every year I have waited on at least a half-hour long line just to get to the start area. I ran the Chicago Marathon last year, a much larger race, and security was nothing like this (full disclosure: I did get there much earlier). The runner instructions do tell you to get there early, but getting there a half hour or more early should not make you late to the start line. I understand they are trying to keep us safe but gosh there must be a better solution to this. If you are running the Philadelphia Marathon tomorrow, all I can say is, get there earlier than you think you need to.

Congrats on the half. I’ve done the Philadelphia Marathon every year since 2011. It’s really one of the best races out there and it’s growing in popularity. Yesterday at the race start they said there were 37,000 runners. It’s a fast course with great scenery, and the weather is usually bearable. This year was some of the best weather I can remember. It was in the low 40’s at race start, so the shivering was kept to a minimum while I waited. I’ve unfortunately been injured since May, so I’ve barely run at all in that time. I decided yesterday that I would just run whatever I could and then walk the rest. It didn’t go that great. I only made it to around mile 4.25 until the pain got to be too much and I had to walk the remaining 22 miles. It was mentally exhausting, but at least my body felt pretty good afterward. I have no idea how I’m going to get through Dopey (it will be my 40th full marathon!) in January. I have ‘Perfect Dopey’ status which I have no intention of losing so I’m going to have to plow through it, but it’s definitely going to be a much different experience than in past years.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

QOTD: What's your go-to solution for carrying nutrition during a marathon? (Especially helpful if Team Not-So-Fast members could also respond!)

I

Running tights with side pockets. Phone slides in one side, ID/credit card//room card/emergency cash in the other pocket. Slide the outside of the running shorts up to access the phone when it is wanted/needed for character photos, lightning lane, etc.
Nathan belt for fuels, I plan on something for every 4-5 miles, so not too many Gu's or other packets, plus I know there will be some race-provided fuels like the jelly beans. I'll have little packets of sunscreen, which can also go in the non-phone pocket of the tights or the belt. Nathan belt also gets the inhaler, a packet with 2 Tylenols, and a plastic grocery bag for post-race bling, food, drink, etc.
The shorts pockets get nothing of any substance because I hate having stuff bouncing or swinging around while I run.
Carpal tunnel says nothing in my hands. Aftershokz go around my neck until and after race time. Sunglasses (for the marathon) hang in the back of my collar. After the start corral, all liquids are from the race hydration stops.
YMMV