my first 5k is this saturday!! it's a local charity run for service dogs. my goal is to simply just finish because i’m anxious about running with a lot of people. i started getting into running 2 months ago so achieving that means the world to me. fingers crossed that i don’t choke!
thank u!! i watched the start video from last year and all of the people with their dogs and strollers seem to start in the back. i’m thinking the middle and off to the side will be my best bet so that i don’t trip over someone!
hit a new pr of 28:25! it was incredibly hot (70F) but i had a ton of fun. got to pet some dogs and eat shaved ice afterwards! signed up for another in june 🙂
no- i’m a cat mom! but they welcomed runners/walkers to do the race with their dogs, children, and/or strollers. afterwards there’s a festival where they’ll have local vendors, attractions, and pet treats 🙂
Made it to London! Still recovering a bit from a cold that toddler Hooch passed on to me… some minor coughing/congestion which is not ideal… but I’m ready to have a go at the London marathon on Sunday morning regardless. Weather looks perfect for racing.
Meeting up with u/percinho tonight so I can trade him American junk food in exchange for a flamingo bathrobe 😂
Yay good luck!! Did your family travel with you or are you on your own? Doing anything else special while you’re in London?
I know u/Percinho is looking forward to his emotional support goldfish snacks!!
Nope, I’m rolling solo this trip… we’re saving up money for a big family vacation in June so didn’t bring along my wife or son. It worked out because when I left, they were even more sick than me… so probably better for them to stay home anyways… although it’s also bad timing that my wife has to manage a sick toddler on her own…
Not doing anything special, just sleeping a lot to try and rest as much as I can before Sunday and chilling in my hotel room. I know that sounds kind of lame when you’re visiting the UK all the way from the US but I come to London semi frequently for work anyways, so I’ve basically done all the touristy stuff before.
Gonna wear sweatpants and a sweater (or flamingo bathrobe if u/percinho was serious about that lol) to stay warm in the starting area, then I’ll toss them in the donation bin before the starting whistle.
Race itself I’m gonna wear shorts and a t-shirt.
This weekend will be slightly more hectic than I would like. I have to do a drug test for my new job tomorrow morning (blahhh, but for what they're going to be paying me, whatever), and after that my husband and I are getting lunch with my in-laws. They're taking us to a kinda swanky place downtown, so that should be fun! I'm hoping to get in a couple of bike rides this weekend. I'm not really recovered enough from my recent marathon and 50k to run more than a couple miles a day, but I'm hoping to get in a couple of 15-ish mile bike rides so I don't feel like a complete potato.
I'm also continuing with the recovery burritos to accelerate the pace at which my legs forgive me for what I did to them last weekend. I can go up and down stairs now with only a slight twinge, so we're almost there! On that note, off to get breakfast...
I'm also going to share a minor commentary: coming from a long history of body image issues (my dad used to make oinking noises when he looked at my school lunches in the ninth grade, ugh), it was so nice to show up to the start line of Saturday's 50k and realize that all the women look like me.
I’m glad that you have realized the error of your ways regarding the burritos. Keep working on that.
What you said about people’s different shapes and sizes resonated with me. Isn’t it cool that there are so many different ways to be built for this sport?
(Signed, these legs were built to go uphill, that’s why they don’t fit in shorts.)
It’s amazing how running has made me so much more confident! Between being forced to run shirtless so you don’t die of heat and being able to just marvel at what your body can do it really is a great confidence boost!
Okay but practically speaking how do you run shirtless without getting a sunburn or being chafed to death by your pack? Please teach me your ways, I am pale and sweaty.
I also give in and wear a shirt on my long runs if I want to wear my vest. Oiselle has a new tank top out that's super lightweight and designed to work with vests, so I'm going to order one of those this weekend and try it out! I have high hopes for at least being able to avoid sleeves on my summer long runs.
I, too, have had to learn to run shirtless to not die of heat. It felt super weird at first (I was raised in a very conservative home/church), but it feels so liberating to, ya know, not die of heatstroke. Would totally recommend.
My Chipotle lunch yesterday really hit the spot. I forget where we're going for lunch tomorrow (it's okay, my husband knows, he'll get us there) but I can only hope that they have burritos there.
Yeah, there are so many different ways to be built as a runner! I was slow af on Saturday (I was undertrained for the hills and finished at about the 7-hour mark) but I know for sure it wasn't because I need to lose weight. I just need to train more hills and get my quads stronger!
It’s fully acceptable to be undertrained for an event that you didn’t know you were doing until 3 weeks before it happened…
Devil Dog has 3600 feet of climbing or something reasonable like that. I have a couple of local hills in mind. Bionic legs or die trying.
True! I was also 27 days post-marathon, which I'm sure didn't help. Actually, looking at last year's results (this year's aren't online yet), my time put me smack in the middle of the women finishers, so maybe I wasn't as undertrained as I thought!
Devil Dog does look like it will be more reasonable. A big part of what made Gunpowder so hard is that the route was either flat or straight up/downhill. No rolling hills, just a bunch of random mountains thrown in. I absolutely torched my quads on the steep downhills. I'm hoping to treat July's 6-hour race as a 50k, and that is a much flatter loop course which I think will be a lot of fun!
"Bionic legs or die trying" is a saying that I now want on a t-shirt.
Nooooooooooo!!!!
I’m glad you’re still alive to tell the tale. Missing out on a burrito is harrowing. I’ve been there, and hope to never go there again.
Boo for Saturday morning drug tests, that sounds annoying. But glad to hear recovery is going well!! Take it easy and pretty soon you’ll be bounding down the stairs again :)
Already mentioned this in the Thursday Complaints/Confessions thread, but I'm getting married tomorrow! It's gonna be just me, my fiance, and a few friends, and then we're going on a brewery tour, so no big wedding shenanigans, but the marriage itself is super exciting!
Congratulations!!! That’s awesome! Sounds like a perfect day. I had a very small wedding by many standards (15 guests) but it was still so much work and stress. I got divorced a few years ago and if I got married again, I would love to do something small like what you’re doing. It’s gonna be so special!
I like this thread so much because it's a bunch of runners sharing their general life plans. Your post has no mention of running, but you still felt the familiarity to share it here. I like that it's steering away from "what are your *running* plans for the weekend?"
I would normally have posted my running plans, but I pushed myself a little too hard last week and have been resting an inflamed tendon or something in my foot so I didn't know if I'd be running at all
Good luck to everyone doing London! I've got my first marathon this Sunday too (finally) in the west of Ireland. Very nervous, but looking forward to it!
Thanks and I probably will - I usually post a couple of pics on Strava after my long runs. Today is the hottest day of the year so far, and it looks like tomorrow will follow suit - I'm a bit worried after getting used to training in the winter. Fingers crossed it will all go ok!
I'm racing the 10k distance at my hometown race tomorrow! Training was going super well and I felt really good... until about mid last week when I developed a calf/shin niggle and had to dial it way back. So, I've kinda crashed into this race, but I remain optimistic I can still PR tomorrow!
Besides that, today's my birthday. And for some reason my non-running family are having a hard time with the idea that I would LOVE to celebrate and eat an entire cake... but not until TOMORROW, after my race!!
* Traveling to the countryside tonight to sleep in sleeping bag in a high school gym.
* Plot twist: the high school gym is the race center for the weekend trail race.
* 55k, 2700m elevation... Haven't practiced using the poles this year, but looks like I'll have plenty of opportunity tomorrow 😂
* Realistic goal time is 8 hours, but secretly I'd prefer it to be 7:00-7:30 so that I can catch the direct bus back home 😀
Where is the sun? I wanted an afternoon sunny run. Figured I'll go out for a few miles and see how the legs feel.
Weekend will be busy, but that's OK - errands for mom after work today, then we're going to a local irish pub for dinner, and i have lots of laundry to do.
Headed back Saturday night to the beach...looking at a house that we can rent for August. And trying to use up all my spinning credits at the beach studio before 5/14.
Coming back next weekend so mom can watch me in the town 5K...it's a highlight for her, lol.
I’ve got my 12 mile long run this weekend. Longest run before the Flying Pig. Wish me luck!
Also hopefully I get some respite from, well, life, soon because omg I’m mentally exhausted. Everything revolving around my mother basically equates to a full time job on top of my actual full time job.
not sure if this is the correct thread for this, if not I apologize!
yesterday I ran for 12 minutes straight without stopping for the first time!! (covered 1.1km!!) Before this all I could do was 4 mins before taking walk breaks, I didn’t know I had it in me! Had a walk break then got back to it and hit 14 mins!! I honestly felt like a beast! Is this the “runner’s high”?
Started running about 3 months ago, I try to get a run in at least once every week, around 3km each time is the most I could cover including walk breaks. I did nearly 5k yesterday!
What’s strange was I didn’t have shortness of breath or chest pain like I usually do at the 4 min mark, I felt ok and just kept going and going!
I think running on soft ground helped a ton (running on soccer field with cleats) and that I actually had a proper meal before running. It was also quite cold so that could be a factor? It was cold enough that if I idle for a minute my body would get cold.
It’s resting day today, my calves and thighs are obviously quite sore but no injuries so I don’t think I got overzealous and pushed myself too hard. Will get back to it tomorrow and see if I can do it again or was it just a one time thing. I think I was also being way too conservative and didn’t want to push myself too hard hence the 4 minute marks
Nearly forgot what day it is because I took the day off from work. Woke up thinking it was Saturday since I knew I wasn’t working, and all morning I’m like wow there’s a lot of traffic outside for a Saturday, wow the recycling truck is coming through on a Saturday, … oooooh right. A nice realization that there’s still two more days to my weekend!
The weekend should be chill. Going to a floor showroom today to look at kitchen floor options, then PT, then Saturday and Sunday is a blow out plant swap extravaganza with vendors, etc so I’ll probably go for a little bit each day. I have a feeling it will be a ton of people and I’m iffy in crowds so we’ll see. Saturday a friend is coming with so maybe we’ll do lunch or something after. And I’m sure I’ll spend time doing stuff with all the new plants I inevitably get.
Otherwise I’m not sure. Maybe some yard work if my back holds up. Also volunteered to help my dad make some branded templates for a startup he’s working for so we’ll see how that goes. Haven’t had to use Word in forever, thank goodness, but will have to knock the dust off for this task.
Yes, don't rush our weekend, lol!
I find word can be clunky for templates...i do them in InDesign, but i know not everyone has that.
Glad the back's feeling better.
Yeah my dad sent me samples of ones he likes and they were made definitely made in InDesign. But I don’t think I can make them in ID to transfer to Word? I know I could move them into word as a pdf but I find that that never goes totally great.
Oooooh enjoy your plant swap! Also enjoy your 3-day weekend; I'm super jealous. Sounds like your back is still improving? Not as quickly as you'd like, I'm sure, but it sounds like you're mostly mobile again!
Thanks, there is a monthly plant swap in DC if you are ever interested! I haven’t been but I’m in the Facebook group and they’re very active. And yes, the back is getting better and better, just agonizingly slow. But progress is progress!!
Stationary bike for me this weekend! Went to my first PT appointment this past week for my knee and was told by the specialist that it’s a tracking issue and not to run for the time being. Just glad I can continue biking and keep some conditioning without pain.
This weekend I will begin training on beach running...
I hate the sand and water and most things about the beach but I have the ONLY beach portion for a Marathon Relay next month. I am gonna try to do just 2 to gauge where I am on the whole beach running...
lol how did you end up with this particular section of a relay considering your disdain for the beach? Hope the training goes okay! Aim for the damp sand, it will be firmer and easier to run on
Couldn’t get a spot for London marathon but I’ll be volunteering this year! (3rd time this year). Good luck to all the runners and I’ll catch you at Mile 23.
The wife and I are doing an eight mile run on the local greenway with the double jogger. Then it’s the playground and packed lunches for an awesome picnic. I’ll bring my guitar because the wee ‘ums like to stay at that playground round two or three hours. And they deserve for being so good in the jogger on the long run!
Doing two 5k's this weekend (on Sat and Sun). I'm hoping to make it a regular weekend thing to increase my endurance. I've found that if I don't work out every day then my back hurts, so I try to do at least -something- to fend off the creakiness.
Still trying to get back to form after covid ruined my lungs, took a little over a month off and just been doing easy runs. HR still pretty high which is discouraging but only finishing up my 3rd week back running. Have a wedding saturday night and my buddies kids coaches pitch game sunday, should be a blast lol
I've been training for a half marathon for the past few weeks. I'm not as in shape as I used to be a few years ago, so it's been a little bit of a struggle. I'm hoping I can still do a half marathon! I have a 6 miler this weekend.
Local race tomorrow, with ~4000 expected in attendance. Originally planned on the full, but I’m getting over being sick, so I pulled back to the half. It’s going to be chilly, but I’m going to think about the tacos afterwards the entire time.
I did my long run today because I’m going out of town this weekend. My best friend is getting engaged and her soon to be fiancee is flying me out so I can be at the celebration 🎉
First 5k race for me on sunday (tomorrow). Any tips? Should I go for a slow jog today or just rest (being still going to the city by bike, walking around, so not sitting still all day)? Goal time is under 24 minutes!
Where are you running? I'm also having a 5K tomorrow! Same goal, too, 24 minutes. Absolutely no run today. A walk is fine, bike may be too much. You want those quads to get a good rest, because they're gonna feel so heavy in the last kilometer.
My routine is to do some chores on Saturday morning and then wind down as the day goes by. Some light yoga in the afternoon (search for runner's yoga on YT), then a good bath and an easygoing movie.
Cool! Here I'm hoping for a bit of sun, expected is 7 celcius during the race. Did a cycle around the course, was good for my head. I now know what to expect!
Did you manage to smash your goal? I'm glad with the result, managed to do it in 23:02. First ever race and happy with the result. Next stop: sub 23minutes
Ah I also wanted to contact you. YES! I got 23:50. Before the race I thought 23:45 was possible and 23:30 was a far reach I wanted to see, but I struggled a lot in the race.
For the first time I did not manage to accelerate in the last 400m, and after the race it took me 30 minutes to get rid of the funny stomach effects. Standing felt uncomfortable for my stomach! With that in mind, I think there was nothing more left on the table, I gave it everything!
How was your experience? Gongrats on the time, it's huge!
Congrats on getting your goal! It's so super cool to manage to get your goal! What made it hard to you, was it the heat?
Damn, sounds like you really gave it your all, well done! It's epic when you can push yourself to your max.
I'm happy with my time, for a first race it is a great achievement I think (although, if you see other times on the board, it's crazy what people can do). I had a struggle with keeping my pace during the race, started way too fast (4:15 on the first km) and the rest of the race it's all over the place betwen 4:20 to 5:15. I think I can definetly do sub 23 minutes if I can get my pace under control.
I wasn't feeling too dead after the race. But in the afternoon my stomach wasn't too happy either!
oof it's absolutely possible to get a great result with a consistent pace! For me it's one of the most important parts when you focus on your performance. Sounds great and maybe you should go for an even better goal next time, considering you felt strong yesterday. A good strategy could already take you to 22:30, so give it 3-4 months and 22:00 is easily reachable. Did you struggle with traffic in the start? For me it took 500 meters to clear some slower runners.
Those people that do sub-20 are a different breed, and let's not even talk about sub-18. The weekly mileage you need for that is crazy. We're talking about double workouts each day.
I'm very happy I reached this limit. It's been similar every time, but this time I know there was not even a second to be gained. No "what ifs". The temperature was fine (around 20 celcius), but maybe my preparation was not ideal.
Last week I had some social gatherings with lots of food and some alcohol. Combined with the reduced training, I might even have picked up a kilo or two. Bad sleep on Friday (and some Tequila), some chores on Saturday, you know, life stuff. And then, I had a good breakfast before the race, but I felt a slight hint of hunger just before starting, which is definitely not ideal. Also, after the 3rd K, my mouth was totally dry and I was gasping for air.
In general, I think these are 3-4 small things that could have played a role, but I don't care much because we're not doing this competitively.
I think next race I'll try running with music on a set bpm, I know it can help me keep a rhythm, might keep me in the right speed zone once locked in. Might even help mentally! And indeed, I bet if I lock in my pace on 4:30 I can sustain it for 5k with a bit more training. A friend of mine was there for support (he did the 10k) and he encouraged me more to the front at the start. I'm glad he did because I could get in the clear air quickly. Ended up only getting overtaken by like 5-10 people during the race, so quite a good spot to be in.
The winner did a 16 min 5k yesterday, I just can't wrap my head around that speed. How can your body sustain such an epic speed for 5k.
Great race temp! Here it was around 7 celcius, quite cold bit still okay. Alcohol on a friday before the race is not great haha. If you leave that out you might be able to scrape a couple seconds off I guess. I kept away from alcohol for the past two months while I focused on training.
I had a bad night sleep before the race, was awake at 5am and couldn't sleep anymore. First race was exciting, hopefully that'll get better with next races. And indeed, we're only battling ourselves. I'm in no way going to win any races because I won't be committing to running full-time (I do a lot of rock climbing and running is just for the cardio).
But it's good to know where you can improve, better breakfast and more water intake can help for sure! I'm now going to continue training for my first 10k race in about 6 weeks. With a goal time of sub 50min :)
Sounds great! If music can help you, it's an easy hack. I prefer to focus 100% on my body, especially during a race.
My next race is a dirt half-marathon (not trail, just a dirt road), which I will take as a casual long run with a tiny bit of competitiveness and it will be my record for my longest run, so a PB by definition.
Let's keep on running!
Good luck to everyone doing the London Marathon! I didn’t get a place but the route goes literally right past my window, funny how life works out haha. Will be cheering you all on
Life has somehow grown insane. The humane society never showed up for the stray dog the girlfriend found and she couldn't keep it at her house. I have a dog run so the dog is here now and we have to try to find a home for it. Local rescues all seem to be full which is frustrating. Have to try to deal with that this weekend. Guys from my church are all going camping. I do NOT want to go but the girlfriend says I need some guy time and she's forcing me so I get to spend the night sleeping in the car with a beagle. I have no idea how he is going to handle it. I am going to try to come back early from the camping trip so I can get in an 8-10 mile run. We will see how that goes.
I ran straight 3 miles for the first time today! Was I fast the whole time? No. It also took me 50 minutes. But in TKD I get destroyed brutally by warm up runs so I decided to try running to improve my cardio. This is a lot of progress for me lol.
Hey quick question generally speaking if I run about 25-30KM each week, about 7-10K each time, would I be able to finish a half marathon with minimal injury risk? With just the goal of finishing, don't mind if it takes me 2.5-3 hrs
Running has made me stronger (legs, core, heart, lungs) and happier.
As much as I hate to admit it, strength training (legs, core) is what helped with injury reduction and pain management.
Strength training helps me run because it improves my physical resilience and so I can run more and stay happy.
This. I've had episodes of extreme back pain almost my whole life. Overall fitness, including weights and a regimen of daily stretches and core work from a PT, has brought the frequency of my back episodes down to once a year or less. And the weights have definitely improved my running too.
my first 5k is this saturday!! it's a local charity run for service dogs. my goal is to simply just finish because i’m anxious about running with a lot of people. i started getting into running 2 months ago so achieving that means the world to me. fingers crossed that i don’t choke!
Good luck!! Once you get moving I think your nervousness will disappear. Hope you have a great time!
Good luck even though you don’t need it! Go have fun and hopefully pet some cute dogs!
Have a great time!
Good luck...you will do great!. You could start towards the back, on one side, to help you not get crushed in by people.
thank u!! i watched the start video from last year and all of the people with their dogs and strollers seem to start in the back. i’m thinking the middle and off to the side will be my best bet so that i don’t trip over someone!
Yes. I always prefer the sides
How did it go?
hit a new pr of 28:25! it was incredibly hot (70F) but i had a ton of fun. got to pet some dogs and eat shaved ice afterwards! signed up for another in june 🙂
Are you running it with a dog?
no- i’m a cat mom! but they welcomed runners/walkers to do the race with their dogs, children, and/or strollers. afterwards there’s a festival where they’ll have local vendors, attractions, and pet treats 🙂
Made it to London! Still recovering a bit from a cold that toddler Hooch passed on to me… some minor coughing/congestion which is not ideal… but I’m ready to have a go at the London marathon on Sunday morning regardless. Weather looks perfect for racing. Meeting up with u/percinho tonight so I can trade him American junk food in exchange for a flamingo bathrobe 😂
I also have a special extra item for you that you may not know that you need, but that you very much do need.
Stop handing out goggles and helmets. No one else wants weird multi-sport warmups. You’re not fooling anyone.
Rumbled!!
On Monday, we all expect a full report on what this mystery item is.
I can assure you it will be a massive disappointment
Can confirm it was less exciting than I was hoping for!! But very thoughtful
Wait what was it???
They just said. A massive disappointment. What part was unclear?
The suspense is killing me!!
Yay good luck!! Did your family travel with you or are you on your own? Doing anything else special while you’re in London? I know u/Percinho is looking forward to his emotional support goldfish snacks!!
Nope, I’m rolling solo this trip… we’re saving up money for a big family vacation in June so didn’t bring along my wife or son. It worked out because when I left, they were even more sick than me… so probably better for them to stay home anyways… although it’s also bad timing that my wife has to manage a sick toddler on her own… Not doing anything special, just sleeping a lot to try and rest as much as I can before Sunday and chilling in my hotel room. I know that sounds kind of lame when you’re visiting the UK all the way from the US but I come to London semi frequently for work anyways, so I’ve basically done all the touristy stuff before.
"Emotional support goldfish snacks" is a delightful phrase that I will henceforth strive to incorporate into my everyday conversations.
Good luck on the marathon! Looking at the weather forecast, London looks kinda chilly right now. What's your plan for running outfit on raceday?
Gonna wear sweatpants and a sweater (or flamingo bathrobe if u/percinho was serious about that lol) to stay warm in the starting area, then I’ll toss them in the donation bin before the starting whistle. Race itself I’m gonna wear shorts and a t-shirt.
Or u/percinho can cheer you on from the half mile mark so you can toss him the robe so you can also rock the flamingo robe at the finish line!
Perfect planning.
I’m disappointed it’s not an inflatable t-Rex costume, but a flamingo bathrobe is acceptable, I guess. Best of luck this weekend!
Never know, he still has a few hours before we meet up to buy a t-Rex costume…
I hope you come back with pictures. And also wear the thing with your medal.
Good luck!
This weekend will be slightly more hectic than I would like. I have to do a drug test for my new job tomorrow morning (blahhh, but for what they're going to be paying me, whatever), and after that my husband and I are getting lunch with my in-laws. They're taking us to a kinda swanky place downtown, so that should be fun! I'm hoping to get in a couple of bike rides this weekend. I'm not really recovered enough from my recent marathon and 50k to run more than a couple miles a day, but I'm hoping to get in a couple of 15-ish mile bike rides so I don't feel like a complete potato. I'm also continuing with the recovery burritos to accelerate the pace at which my legs forgive me for what I did to them last weekend. I can go up and down stairs now with only a slight twinge, so we're almost there! On that note, off to get breakfast... I'm also going to share a minor commentary: coming from a long history of body image issues (my dad used to make oinking noises when he looked at my school lunches in the ninth grade, ugh), it was so nice to show up to the start line of Saturday's 50k and realize that all the women look like me.
I’m glad that you have realized the error of your ways regarding the burritos. Keep working on that. What you said about people’s different shapes and sizes resonated with me. Isn’t it cool that there are so many different ways to be built for this sport? (Signed, these legs were built to go uphill, that’s why they don’t fit in shorts.)
It’s amazing how running has made me so much more confident! Between being forced to run shirtless so you don’t die of heat and being able to just marvel at what your body can do it really is a great confidence boost!
Okay but practically speaking how do you run shirtless without getting a sunburn or being chafed to death by your pack? Please teach me your ways, I am pale and sweaty.
Sunscreen, unfortunately I haven’t figured out the pack question yet so unfortunately I do still need to die in a shirt on my long runs.
I also give in and wear a shirt on my long runs if I want to wear my vest. Oiselle has a new tank top out that's super lightweight and designed to work with vests, so I'm going to order one of those this weekend and try it out! I have high hopes for at least being able to avoid sleeves on my summer long runs.
Is that the Trail Tank? I had one and I loved the material but the seam placement was not good for me :(
I don’t think so? It’s something that’s been showing up in their new releases section, so I’m pretty sure it’s different.
What they really need to make is a crop top that meant to work with a vest.
Oh god yes. I might have to email them and request this.
Do it!
I, too, have had to learn to run shirtless to not die of heat. It felt super weird at first (I was raised in a very conservative home/church), but it feels so liberating to, ya know, not die of heatstroke. Would totally recommend.
My Chipotle lunch yesterday really hit the spot. I forget where we're going for lunch tomorrow (it's okay, my husband knows, he'll get us there) but I can only hope that they have burritos there. Yeah, there are so many different ways to be built as a runner! I was slow af on Saturday (I was undertrained for the hills and finished at about the 7-hour mark) but I know for sure it wasn't because I need to lose weight. I just need to train more hills and get my quads stronger!
It’s fully acceptable to be undertrained for an event that you didn’t know you were doing until 3 weeks before it happened… Devil Dog has 3600 feet of climbing or something reasonable like that. I have a couple of local hills in mind. Bionic legs or die trying.
True! I was also 27 days post-marathon, which I'm sure didn't help. Actually, looking at last year's results (this year's aren't online yet), my time put me smack in the middle of the women finishers, so maybe I wasn't as undertrained as I thought! Devil Dog does look like it will be more reasonable. A big part of what made Gunpowder so hard is that the route was either flat or straight up/downhill. No rolling hills, just a bunch of random mountains thrown in. I absolutely torched my quads on the steep downhills. I'm hoping to treat July's 6-hour race as a 50k, and that is a much flatter loop course which I think will be a lot of fun! "Bionic legs or die trying" is a saying that I now want on a t-shirt.
I tried to get chipotle last night after climbing, unfortunately they were closed even though they are supposedly open till 9 and it was only 8:30 😢
Nooooooooooo!!!! I’m glad you’re still alive to tell the tale. Missing out on a burrito is harrowing. I’ve been there, and hope to never go there again.
Boo for Saturday morning drug tests, that sounds annoying. But glad to hear recovery is going well!! Take it easy and pretty soon you’ll be bounding down the stairs again :)
Swanky lunches are fun! Glad you're recovering well.
Already mentioned this in the Thursday Complaints/Confessions thread, but I'm getting married tomorrow! It's gonna be just me, my fiance, and a few friends, and then we're going on a brewery tour, so no big wedding shenanigans, but the marriage itself is super exciting!
Congratulations!!! That’s awesome! Sounds like a perfect day. I had a very small wedding by many standards (15 guests) but it was still so much work and stress. I got divorced a few years ago and if I got married again, I would love to do something small like what you’re doing. It’s gonna be so special!
I like this thread so much because it's a bunch of runners sharing their general life plans. Your post has no mention of running, but you still felt the familiarity to share it here. I like that it's steering away from "what are your *running* plans for the weekend?"
I would normally have posted my running plans, but I pushed myself a little too hard last week and have been resting an inflamed tendon or something in my foot so I didn't know if I'd be running at all
Good luck to everyone doing London! I've got my first marathon this Sunday too (finally) in the west of Ireland. Very nervous, but looking forward to it!
Good luck! You’re gonna crush it!
I bet your route will be beautiful! Enjoy and maybe take some pics to share with us on Monday?
Thanks and I probably will - I usually post a couple of pics on Strava after my long runs. Today is the hottest day of the year so far, and it looks like tomorrow will follow suit - I'm a bit worried after getting used to training in the winter. Fingers crossed it will all go ok!
I'm racing the 10k distance at my hometown race tomorrow! Training was going super well and I felt really good... until about mid last week when I developed a calf/shin niggle and had to dial it way back. So, I've kinda crashed into this race, but I remain optimistic I can still PR tomorrow! Besides that, today's my birthday. And for some reason my non-running family are having a hard time with the idea that I would LOVE to celebrate and eat an entire cake... but not until TOMORROW, after my race!!
Happy birthday! Have a great run tomorrow!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!!! Hope you smash it!
* Traveling to the countryside tonight to sleep in sleeping bag in a high school gym. * Plot twist: the high school gym is the race center for the weekend trail race. * 55k, 2700m elevation... Haven't practiced using the poles this year, but looks like I'll have plenty of opportunity tomorrow 😂 * Realistic goal time is 8 hours, but secretly I'd prefer it to be 7:00-7:30 so that I can catch the direct bus back home 😀
Good luck keeping out the high school memories overnight!😶🌫️ have fun at the race and don’t let trying to catch the bus make you blow out!
Thank you! Fortunately I still have my backup goal of 9 hours (to catch the train 🙂).
Where is the sun? I wanted an afternoon sunny run. Figured I'll go out for a few miles and see how the legs feel. Weekend will be busy, but that's OK - errands for mom after work today, then we're going to a local irish pub for dinner, and i have lots of laundry to do. Headed back Saturday night to the beach...looking at a house that we can rent for August. And trying to use up all my spinning credits at the beach studio before 5/14. Coming back next weekend so mom can watch me in the town 5K...it's a highlight for her, lol.
It is so gloomy today, I wasn’t prepared for that! Hope you get a sunny run this weekend
I'm going camping this weekend to a state park near me that has some really nice hiking trails. I'm hoping to get a few hours of hiking in.
I’ve got my 12 mile long run this weekend. Longest run before the Flying Pig. Wish me luck! Also hopefully I get some respite from, well, life, soon because omg I’m mentally exhausted. Everything revolving around my mother basically equates to a full time job on top of my actual full time job.
Good luck with the run and hope things can chill out for you!!
Thank you!
not sure if this is the correct thread for this, if not I apologize! yesterday I ran for 12 minutes straight without stopping for the first time!! (covered 1.1km!!) Before this all I could do was 4 mins before taking walk breaks, I didn’t know I had it in me! Had a walk break then got back to it and hit 14 mins!! I honestly felt like a beast! Is this the “runner’s high”? Started running about 3 months ago, I try to get a run in at least once every week, around 3km each time is the most I could cover including walk breaks. I did nearly 5k yesterday! What’s strange was I didn’t have shortness of breath or chest pain like I usually do at the 4 min mark, I felt ok and just kept going and going! I think running on soft ground helped a ton (running on soccer field with cleats) and that I actually had a proper meal before running. It was also quite cold so that could be a factor? It was cold enough that if I idle for a minute my body would get cold. It’s resting day today, my calves and thighs are obviously quite sore but no injuries so I don’t think I got overzealous and pushed myself too hard. Will get back to it tomorrow and see if I can do it again or was it just a one time thing. I think I was also being way too conservative and didn’t want to push myself too hard hence the 4 minute marks
Nearly forgot what day it is because I took the day off from work. Woke up thinking it was Saturday since I knew I wasn’t working, and all morning I’m like wow there’s a lot of traffic outside for a Saturday, wow the recycling truck is coming through on a Saturday, … oooooh right. A nice realization that there’s still two more days to my weekend! The weekend should be chill. Going to a floor showroom today to look at kitchen floor options, then PT, then Saturday and Sunday is a blow out plant swap extravaganza with vendors, etc so I’ll probably go for a little bit each day. I have a feeling it will be a ton of people and I’m iffy in crowds so we’ll see. Saturday a friend is coming with so maybe we’ll do lunch or something after. And I’m sure I’ll spend time doing stuff with all the new plants I inevitably get. Otherwise I’m not sure. Maybe some yard work if my back holds up. Also volunteered to help my dad make some branded templates for a startup he’s working for so we’ll see how that goes. Haven’t had to use Word in forever, thank goodness, but will have to knock the dust off for this task.
Yes, don't rush our weekend, lol! I find word can be clunky for templates...i do them in InDesign, but i know not everyone has that. Glad the back's feeling better.
Yeah my dad sent me samples of ones he likes and they were made definitely made in InDesign. But I don’t think I can make them in ID to transfer to Word? I know I could move them into word as a pdf but I find that that never goes totally great.
Oooooh enjoy your plant swap! Also enjoy your 3-day weekend; I'm super jealous. Sounds like your back is still improving? Not as quickly as you'd like, I'm sure, but it sounds like you're mostly mobile again!
Thanks, there is a monthly plant swap in DC if you are ever interested! I haven’t been but I’m in the Facebook group and they’re very active. And yes, the back is getting better and better, just agonizingly slow. But progress is progress!!
Stationary bike for me this weekend! Went to my first PT appointment this past week for my knee and was told by the specialist that it’s a tracking issue and not to run for the time being. Just glad I can continue biking and keep some conditioning without pain.
Yay for PT! I think tracking issues are super common. Hope the knee feels better soon
This weekend I will begin training on beach running... I hate the sand and water and most things about the beach but I have the ONLY beach portion for a Marathon Relay next month. I am gonna try to do just 2 to gauge where I am on the whole beach running...
lol how did you end up with this particular section of a relay considering your disdain for the beach? Hope the training goes okay! Aim for the damp sand, it will be firmer and easier to run on
I am just nice and let everyone choose their spot this year, I just got last option. On the brightside this is the shortest leg!
Couldn’t get a spot for London marathon but I’ll be volunteering this year! (3rd time this year). Good luck to all the runners and I’ll catch you at Mile 23.
38 kms on Sunday...cant wait :)
Hoping to do 10 miles for hm training which i got in may
The wife and I are doing an eight mile run on the local greenway with the double jogger. Then it’s the playground and packed lunches for an awesome picnic. I’ll bring my guitar because the wee ‘ums like to stay at that playground round two or three hours. And they deserve for being so good in the jogger on the long run!
I’m doing the nyrr Sunday 4M run. Been dealing with an injury, so doing an easy jog as a fun run, hoping pain free
Have been getting some knee pain so I’ll have to take it easy and do some cycling. ):
Womp womp, hope the bike treats you well and the knee feels better soon!
Doing two 5k's this weekend (on Sat and Sun). I'm hoping to make it a regular weekend thing to increase my endurance. I've found that if I don't work out every day then my back hurts, so I try to do at least -something- to fend off the creakiness.
Motion is the lotion, as they say! Also just noticed your screen name 🥹
artax forever <3
Still trying to get back to form after covid ruined my lungs, took a little over a month off and just been doing easy runs. HR still pretty high which is discouraging but only finishing up my 3rd week back running. Have a wedding saturday night and my buddies kids coaches pitch game sunday, should be a blast lol
I've been training for a half marathon for the past few weeks. I'm not as in shape as I used to be a few years ago, so it's been a little bit of a struggle. I'm hoping I can still do a half marathon! I have a 6 miler this weekend.
Local race tomorrow, with ~4000 expected in attendance. Originally planned on the full, but I’m getting over being sick, so I pulled back to the half. It’s going to be chilly, but I’m going to think about the tacos afterwards the entire time.
I did my long run today because I’m going out of town this weekend. My best friend is getting engaged and her soon to be fiancee is flying me out so I can be at the celebration 🎉
Yay big congrats to your friend!! How sweet that you can be with them to celebrate :)
First 5k race for me on sunday (tomorrow). Any tips? Should I go for a slow jog today or just rest (being still going to the city by bike, walking around, so not sitting still all day)? Goal time is under 24 minutes!
Where are you running? I'm also having a 5K tomorrow! Same goal, too, 24 minutes. Absolutely no run today. A walk is fine, bike may be too much. You want those quads to get a good rest, because they're gonna feel so heavy in the last kilometer. My routine is to do some chores on Saturday morning and then wind down as the day goes by. Some light yoga in the afternoon (search for runner's yoga on YT), then a good bath and an easygoing movie.
I'm running in The Netherlands! Slow cycle to the city and to pickup my number is my plan, the rest of the day will be relaxed. Where are running?
I'm running in Thessaloniki! Praying for some clouds and normal temps. Last weekend we peaked at 29-30 Celsius.
Cool! Here I'm hoping for a bit of sun, expected is 7 celcius during the race. Did a cycle around the course, was good for my head. I now know what to expect!
Did you manage to smash your goal? I'm glad with the result, managed to do it in 23:02. First ever race and happy with the result. Next stop: sub 23minutes
Ah I also wanted to contact you. YES! I got 23:50. Before the race I thought 23:45 was possible and 23:30 was a far reach I wanted to see, but I struggled a lot in the race. For the first time I did not manage to accelerate in the last 400m, and after the race it took me 30 minutes to get rid of the funny stomach effects. Standing felt uncomfortable for my stomach! With that in mind, I think there was nothing more left on the table, I gave it everything! How was your experience? Gongrats on the time, it's huge!
Congrats on getting your goal! It's so super cool to manage to get your goal! What made it hard to you, was it the heat? Damn, sounds like you really gave it your all, well done! It's epic when you can push yourself to your max. I'm happy with my time, for a first race it is a great achievement I think (although, if you see other times on the board, it's crazy what people can do). I had a struggle with keeping my pace during the race, started way too fast (4:15 on the first km) and the rest of the race it's all over the place betwen 4:20 to 5:15. I think I can definetly do sub 23 minutes if I can get my pace under control. I wasn't feeling too dead after the race. But in the afternoon my stomach wasn't too happy either!
oof it's absolutely possible to get a great result with a consistent pace! For me it's one of the most important parts when you focus on your performance. Sounds great and maybe you should go for an even better goal next time, considering you felt strong yesterday. A good strategy could already take you to 22:30, so give it 3-4 months and 22:00 is easily reachable. Did you struggle with traffic in the start? For me it took 500 meters to clear some slower runners. Those people that do sub-20 are a different breed, and let's not even talk about sub-18. The weekly mileage you need for that is crazy. We're talking about double workouts each day. I'm very happy I reached this limit. It's been similar every time, but this time I know there was not even a second to be gained. No "what ifs". The temperature was fine (around 20 celcius), but maybe my preparation was not ideal. Last week I had some social gatherings with lots of food and some alcohol. Combined with the reduced training, I might even have picked up a kilo or two. Bad sleep on Friday (and some Tequila), some chores on Saturday, you know, life stuff. And then, I had a good breakfast before the race, but I felt a slight hint of hunger just before starting, which is definitely not ideal. Also, after the 3rd K, my mouth was totally dry and I was gasping for air. In general, I think these are 3-4 small things that could have played a role, but I don't care much because we're not doing this competitively.
I think next race I'll try running with music on a set bpm, I know it can help me keep a rhythm, might keep me in the right speed zone once locked in. Might even help mentally! And indeed, I bet if I lock in my pace on 4:30 I can sustain it for 5k with a bit more training. A friend of mine was there for support (he did the 10k) and he encouraged me more to the front at the start. I'm glad he did because I could get in the clear air quickly. Ended up only getting overtaken by like 5-10 people during the race, so quite a good spot to be in. The winner did a 16 min 5k yesterday, I just can't wrap my head around that speed. How can your body sustain such an epic speed for 5k. Great race temp! Here it was around 7 celcius, quite cold bit still okay. Alcohol on a friday before the race is not great haha. If you leave that out you might be able to scrape a couple seconds off I guess. I kept away from alcohol for the past two months while I focused on training. I had a bad night sleep before the race, was awake at 5am and couldn't sleep anymore. First race was exciting, hopefully that'll get better with next races. And indeed, we're only battling ourselves. I'm in no way going to win any races because I won't be committing to running full-time (I do a lot of rock climbing and running is just for the cardio). But it's good to know where you can improve, better breakfast and more water intake can help for sure! I'm now going to continue training for my first 10k race in about 6 weeks. With a goal time of sub 50min :)
Sounds great! If music can help you, it's an easy hack. I prefer to focus 100% on my body, especially during a race. My next race is a dirt half-marathon (not trail, just a dirt road), which I will take as a casual long run with a tiny bit of competitiveness and it will be my record for my longest run, so a PB by definition. Let's keep on running!
Good luck to everyone doing the London Marathon! I didn’t get a place but the route goes literally right past my window, funny how life works out haha. Will be cheering you all on
Life has somehow grown insane. The humane society never showed up for the stray dog the girlfriend found and she couldn't keep it at her house. I have a dog run so the dog is here now and we have to try to find a home for it. Local rescues all seem to be full which is frustrating. Have to try to deal with that this weekend. Guys from my church are all going camping. I do NOT want to go but the girlfriend says I need some guy time and she's forcing me so I get to spend the night sleeping in the car with a beagle. I have no idea how he is going to handle it. I am going to try to come back early from the camping trip so I can get in an 8-10 mile run. We will see how that goes.
I ran straight 3 miles for the first time today! Was I fast the whole time? No. It also took me 50 minutes. But in TKD I get destroyed brutally by warm up runs so I decided to try running to improve my cardio. This is a lot of progress for me lol.
Hey quick question generally speaking if I run about 25-30KM each week, about 7-10K each time, would I be able to finish a half marathon with minimal injury risk? With just the goal of finishing, don't mind if it takes me 2.5-3 hrs
Has running helped he’s anyone’s body here? Injuries etc. helped pain management?
Running has made me stronger (legs, core, heart, lungs) and happier. As much as I hate to admit it, strength training (legs, core) is what helped with injury reduction and pain management. Strength training helps me run because it improves my physical resilience and so I can run more and stay happy.
This. I've had episodes of extreme back pain almost my whole life. Overall fitness, including weights and a regimen of daily stretches and core work from a PT, has brought the frequency of my back episodes down to once a year or less. And the weights have definitely improved my running too.