Running

[stessier]

5.74 in 49:14 (8:34 min/mile). Was really trying to break 49:00 - so close. Was 74F at the start and I think 55% RH - starting to warm up (yesterday was 45% RH).

[Zaxxon]

Nice!

[Kurth]

Just signed up for a Spartan Sprint for August 11. I’m really nervous about this. All I’ve been doing for the past few years is running, so I’m not at all confident I’m going to have the upper body strength to deal with some of these obstacles. The rope climb has me especially concerned, taking me back to unpleasant memories of elementary and junior high school rope climb failures.

Anyone done one of these Spartan races or something similar? I’m in need of a decent training plan or any tips or advice.

[coopasonic]

Anyone done one of these Spartan races or something similar? I’m in need of a decent training plan or any tips or advice.

Here's the GoPro footage of my spartan stadium sprint from a couple years ago:


I fast forwarded through the running but you can see all the obstacles. I'm a small guy and the only strength training I have ever done is various beach body workouts (P90X, Insanity, PiYo) and Insanity is the only one I ever finished which is only body weight. If you know how to use your legs in a rope climb it is nothing (assuming you are in any kind of shape, anyway).

I'll be happy to trade you. I'll do your spartan if you do my legs of X and Z's Ragnar.

[stessier]

I got hit by an SUV while running this morning. I'm okay - a little scratched and bruised.

I was running around 6am on the sidewalk with my Tracer360 vest on. I was coming at her, so she had the front view. It was twilight but I was running out of the dark and into the light. She was coming out of a well lit church driveway and turning left (into me). I saw her look at me (really in my direction) and the SUV was slowing down so I kept going. As I stepped in front of her, all I remember is she sped up and all I had time to think was "This is bad."

I got my hands on the hood as she hit me in the right hip. She spun me from the sidewalk into the middle of the first lane of a four lane road. I spun around a bit and almost maintained my footing but ended up scraping both palms, although not very bad. I remember thinking I had to get out of the road and scrambled to the sidewalk. She stopped and got out and made sure I was alright. She never saw me. There was a car behind me and she saw that and as it passed it allowed her to go so she went. She was a runner too and was probably as shook up as I was. I still had about 10 minutes until I got back to the gym and for the first 6 or so I was really cruising - adrenaline is great stuff!

When I took a shower, I noticed I have a pretty big scrape/bruise on my right hip. It doesn't hurt and I can't tell/remember if it happened from hitting the car or scraping the ground. It's all a bit of a blur after I remember looking and seeing the car increase speed.

Who says running is good for your health?

[Zaxxon]

Yikes. Glad you're ok. I saw this after coming in from a run on 385 in SD. No shoulders. Glad I saw it after rather than before.

[Jeff V]

Wow, glad you're okay! I had a near-miss years ago...I was fortunate I was able to accelerate faster than a minivan and leapt up on a curb just as she was lumbering by. The lady actually drove all the way around the block to find me again so she could apologize. That incident made me rethink running at night in a cat burgler outfit (black sweat shirt + black long running pants). I also made it a point to always run on the street whenever possible -- sidewalks or even parallel jogging paths resulted in all of the near-misses (or, in once case biking, an accident) because driver tend to not pay attention to traffic not directly on the road.

[Baroquen]

Wow! Glad you're alright stessier. Hope the scrapes and bruises heal quickly!

[Zaxxon]

We've had a couple runners drop from the upcoming Ragnar that coop is joining me for. If anyone else here feels like parachuting in to join us, there's delicious snacks and room in malodorous vans available!

[coopasonic]

We managed to kill the Colorado Ragnar before it killed us. I'm sure Zaxxon will have more to say, but I'll just say "ouch!"

[Zaxxon]

Ouch about sums it up. It was a 195ish mile course, with 13,000 ft of elevation gain and 14,000 ft loss (doesn't seem right to just say 'net 1,000 ft loss'). We ran with a team of 10 (actually 11, but 2 were partials so it works out to about 10) rather than the customary 12, so 5 of us ran an extra leg apiece.

I had a blast, but there was definitely much pain involved. Running down Vail Pass with thunder around put some pep in my step, and the overnight run into Glenwood Canyon under the Perseid shower was incredible. Thanks for coming out for it, coop.

[Kasey Chang]

I got a new job three weeks ago that requires a lot of walking (home deliveries), and I'm here seeking some opinions on gear, as there's a bit of an overlap.

I know everyone has their favorite... first, my existing gear:

* Shoes -- Avia Union -- a "food service" black sneaker
* Insoles -- some "gel" thing I got at Walgreens
* Socks -- Dickies Dri-tech cotton blend
* Pants -- cargo shorts (I sweat too much in denim)

A couple generic questions first... Point me in the right direction.

1) Waterproof shoes, or not? I've heard that waterproof stuff is good for actual hiking trails but also makes the shoe unbreathable and smelly. Since I'm mainly in urban areas, I guess I don't need waterproof. I've heard good things about Merrell and other premium hiking shoes, but those are expensive (MOAB starts at $70 and goes up from there, my Avia Union comes in 11.5 Wide and is available for $38)

2) Not getting any blisters is good, right? That I am wearing my stuff right?

3) Are wool blend socks really that much better than these cotton blend socks? I do wear them 12+ hours a day, so I can afford to splurge a little. But the merino wool blend socks I'm finding online are like $8-10 a pair, whereas the Dickies Dri-tech I wear now comes out to be like $2.50 a pair.

other questions as I think of them. Thanks.

[stessier]

We managed to kill the Colorado Ragnar before it killed us. I'm sure Zaxxon will have more to say, but I'll just say "ouch!"

TTIWWP. Also way more stories!

[stessier]

I got a new job three weeks ago that requires a lot of walking (home deliveries), and I'm here seeking some opinions on gear, as there's a bit of an overlap.

I know everyone has their favorite... first, my existing gear:

* Shoes -- Avia Union -- a "food service" black sneaker
* Insoles -- some "gel" thing I got at Walgreens
* Socks -- Dickies Dri-tech cotton blend
* Pants -- cargo shorts (I sweat too much in denim)

A couple generic questions first... Point me in the right direction.

1) Waterproof shoes, or not? I've heard that waterproof stuff is good for actual hiking trails but also makes the shoe unbreathable and smelly. Since I'm mainly in urban areas, I guess I don't need waterproof. I've heard good things about Merrell and other premium hiking shoes, but those are expensive (MOAB starts at $70 and goes up from there, my Avia Union comes in 11.5 Wide and is available for $38)

2) Not getting any blisters is good, right? That I am wearing my stuff right?

3) Are wool blend socks really that much better than these cotton blend socks? I do wear them 12+ hours a day, so I can afford to splurge a little. But the merino wool blend socks I'm finding online are like $8-10 a pair, whereas the Dickies Dri-tech I wear now comes out to be like $2.50 a pair.

other questions as I think of them. Thanks.

Sorry, I can't really help too much. I can tell you that if you sweat much, the cargo shorts could end up causing painful chaffing. You might want to look at a form fitting or compression undergarment to help with that (like something from Under Armor). For running, I use Body Glide, but it does leave a residue that is hard to wash out.

For shoes, I don't really have any input on type but would recommend you budget for new ones every few months. For running, they recommend changing them every 300-500 miles depending on your weight and tolerance. You mentioned somewhere hitting about 16000 steps per day - for me that's about 9 miles (if you want to estimate how many work days until you need to change them). Changing the insoles may help a bit, but it's really the entire heel structure that breaks down over time and you loose all the cushioning effect.

[Zaxxon]

My story is the stress of planning the thing (fell into my lap with a bunch of drops leading up to the race) led to me having a nasty cold during the race and sleeping about 2 hours across the 2 days. Fun!

It actually was a blast. Here are a few pics:

Our primary van:


Me ending my longest leg:


Which was this one, largely downhill starting at Vail Pass (10,622):


Team photo at the finish:


The interlocking of our medals:


I'd definitely do another Ragnar, but I'd much prefer a full 12-person team next time. Doing 4 legs in about 26 hours was a lot.

[stessier]

Wow, those medals are awesome!

How was eating during the race? That seemed like it would be the biggest issue (beyond actually doing the running).

[Zaxxon]

Eating wasn't bad. There is a *lot* of waiting around at a Ragnar. You easily have 5-7 hours between legs.

[coopasonic]

Wow, those medals are awesome!

How was eating during the race? That seemed like it would be the biggest issue (beyond actually doing the running).

We basically snacked in between runs. I was the last runner and have one of the easiest run schedules.

Thursday night, big pasta dinner.
Friday morning, pancakes and eggs.
Friday lunch, moderate mac and cheese.
Ran 2.9 miles around 7pm
Ate something that night, but I don't remember what... some fruit bar thing.
Ran 2.4 miles around 5am
Saturday morning ate a potato burrito around 9am (fundraiser at a middle school)
Saturday early afternoon ate a Clif bar.
Ran 8.4 miles incredibly painful miles around 4pm - the pain had nothing to do with food. Huge inclines, intense sun, ouch.
Saturday evening ate more Mac and Cheese around... I dunno 8pm?

So I didn't actually eat much in between the runs. We were drinking water almost constantly which may have suppressed appetite a little.

[stessier]

There is a half marathon on Oct 27th that I have been kind of targeting. I've run 13 miles twice but then last weekend was the hurricane and this weekend both of my kids were at a sleep away camp so my wife and I went out alone for the first time in 4 years. Additionally, my back started acting up last Monday. The end result is I've only run 5 times in the last 2 weeks.

So this is my attempt to recommit myself to the plan. I still have 5 weeks and the weather is finally turning cooler. The dream goal is a sub 8:30 min/mile half marathon. Acceptable is something right around 9 min/mile. Both of these are for ideal conditions - high 50s/low 60s for temps and no rain. If it gets yucky out, all bets are off. (My 13 mile run times were 9:37/mile and 9:28/mile, but temps were in the mid-70s and high humidity for each. I also ran 12.3 miles at 9:07/mile the week before those with temps at 70F even.)

[Kurth]

Stessier, you get your 10/27 half in?

Also, I'm back in the market for a treadmill. Cleaned out the garage some and have space for it, and with the rainy season upon us in the Pacific NW, I think I'm going to take the plunge and get one. I was previously looking at the Sole F63, and I see that model's been updated a bit but looks roughly the same as it did a couple years ago. Anyone have any experience with that one or any other recommendations for home treadmills?

[coopasonic]

RE: The Sole F63:

Coop, that Sole treadmill is the exact model I was looking at before I realized I didn't really have the space for it (ok, my wife realized that for me). That's a nice hamster wheel and should keep you spinning for a while.

For future reference, if anyone does order one of these beasts, spring for the inside delivery and assembly. 360 pounds! The box is massive, the assembly is frustrating... on the plus side I got a lot of exercise... and I haven't even finished assembly yet.

I haven't really done much with it other than set the speed and run, but it does that just fine. No real frills, just the facts.

[Jeff V]

Running with kids - can it be done?

My 5 year old seems to have the energy of 10 nuclear reactors. He's been doing a lot of sprinting when I've been walking the dog, and I've been wondering what his limits might be. The dog keeps me from running, but a few days ago, the dog went to my nephews for a week as we were out of town over the weekend. We did a run/walk, about 2K in a series of 9 block-long sprints. After 6 we were tied 3-3 (he won his 3 fair and square) and then on the last 3, as we approached the end of the block he said "daddy hold my hand, we are both winners."

I'm thinking of trying to train him to a 5K by next summer; he'll have to learn to pace himself and not go full-tilt. I've ryb with kids before, not quite so young, and they usually ran out of steam after about a mile. He already participates in some endurance walks and kids dashes, but I'm hoping to see him move up to something more meaningful (and in the process get my own fat ass back into gear).

[coopasonic]

We tried to get my 12yo to try cross country but he wasn't interested and with band he'd have conflicts for practice anyway. I've had my kids follow me on their bikes when I was running, but they got bored because I was too slow. I think the older one could keep up (and probably surpass me) with a little training but he'd rather play video games. Now that I mention it, so would I.

Personally I never ran more than a mile until I joined cross country in high school. No idea what I could have done earlier. I know we had a kid in 7th grade that was doing sub 5:30 miles. He was kicking the seniors asses at the shorter distances.

[Kurth]

Running with kids - can it be done?

My 5 year old seems to have the energy of 10 nuclear reactors. He's been doing a lot of sprinting when I've been walking the dog, and I've been wondering what his limits might be. The dog keeps me from running, but a few days ago, the dog went to my nephews for a week as we were out of town over the weekend. We did a run/walk, about 2K in a series of 9 block-long sprints. After 6 we were tied 3-3 (he won his 3 fair and square) and then on the last 3, as we approached the end of the block he said "daddy hold my hand, we are both winners."

I'm thinking of trying to train him to a 5K by next summer; he'll have to learn to pace himself and not go full-tilt. I've ryb with kids before, not quite so young, and they usually ran out of steam after about a mile. He already participates in some endurance walks and kids dashes, but I'm hoping to see him move up to something more meaningful (and in the process get my own fat ass back into gear).

I've had a great time running with my kids. My guys started off doing the fun-run 1 milers that often are run along side lots of family friendly 5/10Ks. My oldest was definitely doing 5Ks by the time he was in second or third grade. Great to introduce them to running early! Good luck.

[Baroquen]

My two kids run some, but aren't really interested in it as a hobby. My daughter has done two 5Ks through her Girls on the Run group (with a third coming up soon). My son has run Turkey Trots with me, but has passed on it this year. I might be able to talk him into it.

I've got a NordicTrak treadmill, but I forget the model. It's going on 6+ years now, I think, so that's probably over 5,000 miles put on it.

Next marathon for me is Las Vegas, next weekend. Wife and I get a weekend away, while the kids stay home with the grandparents. That almost makes running 26+ miles worth it!

After that, I think I'm leaning toward doing Oregon in April, and Colorado in June. If that plan holds, and I add in something next fall, that means I'll have 20 states down by the end of 2019. This 50 state thing might actually get done.

[Jeff V]

When I was a kid, if you weren't explicitly involved in track, then running involved dashing from the couch to the can during commercial breaks. While I played a lot of sports as a kid, none were endurance sports and it wasn't until I was shaming members of our high school track team that I discovered I could not only run far, but fairly fast. I recall once, for shits and giggles running 10 miles in laps around the field house track after school. Then I started smoking!

Right now, my son just likes hanging out with me, and that's a big part of it. He recently started a weekly gymnastics program and the highlight of his week is a dance class, so he's becoming more physically active after an attempt to engage him in soccer failed ("daddy, it's super boring!") I think if he sees success that will keep him going. Biking hasn't gone so well. I bought him a bike with training wheels last year, he fell off the first time he got on it and has refused to get close to it since.

[Kurth]

Jeff V - Best thing about running with my sons has been the quality time away, totally free from distractions. We've had some of our best talks in the middle of long runs, and the silent time just running next to each other is pretty great, too.

Baroquen - You mind telling me how pricey your NordiTrak was? If it's going on six years, have you had to get it serviced at all? Also, the 50 state thing is amazing! If you can pull that off, that's one hell of an accomplishment. If you're thinking of Oregon in April, I hope you're considering doing the Eugene Marathon. I don't do marathons (at least not yet), but I've heard great things about this one. Also, you get to check out U of O, Autzen Stadium, and Hayward Field (although it's currently being renovated). I'd also strongly recommend making a stop at Pre's rock. Pretty inspiring.

I completely forgot the goal I made last year but saw it in this thread when I was searching up treadmill info. I had aimed to run a 10K in fewer minutes than I am years old. At 44 this year, that would be a 7:05 pace. Looking over my runs the past month, I only broke that on a couple 5Ks, so, I think it's safe to say that goal's blown! Oh well.

But having forgotten last year's goal entirely, I set a new one: I want to hit 10,000 miles logged on my Nike Run Club app before I turn 50. I've got 5,266 right now, which includes the past 4.5 years plus two or three years of on again, off again running back in the early 2000s. By my estimates, that means I need to average about 800 miles a year until age 50. I'm doing about 100 miles a month or 1200 a year right now, so even with gradual wear and tear and injury and sickness and overall declining state (sad), I think I should have enough cushion to hit that.

Then again, I'll probably forget about it by next year! Getting older and setting long term goals is interesting in that remembering you set them can be a challenge in and of itself.

[Baroquen]

Kurth - I was going to check on the model, and find a price, but after 5-6 years, I'm sure it outdated. So I went for somewhat high-end model that was highly rated for reliability (as I knew I'd run it to death). It had a tablet/screen/etc built-in, which was flashy at the time, though I barely use it. I'm sure the bells/whistles have been updated too. Anyway, I probably paid somewhere between $1,500 - $2,000. I got the in-home install/assembly, (well worth it), and got the extended warranty for 5 yrs, but never had to use it. (I renewed the policy, expecting I'll need to use it in the future, and if they can't fix, they'll replace. Crossing fingers).

And yes - for Oregon, I was eyeing the Eugene Marathon. Everything sounds good, though I'm not thrilled about flying into Portland and driving down and back. Though I had to rent a car and drive a bunch when I went to Utah. And that wasn't as bad as I thought. So I'm a little on the fence, but will probably decide yes/no in the next day or two.

And good luck on your running goal! Sounds like a good one. I'm hoping to get in another 1000 mile year, though it's going to be close this time. I was apparently quite the slacker earlier this year.

[Jeff V]

Jeff V - Best thing about running with my sons has been the quality time away, totally free from distractions. We've had some of our best talks in the middle of long runs, and the silent time just running next to each other is pretty great, too.

I never could talk and run at the same time. Biking, yes. Running, no.

[stessier]

Stessier, you get your 10/27 half in?

I did not. The back pain I mentioned I was working through turned out to be a way bigger problem that I was expecting. I tried one more run and didn't make it far. I could go uphill if I grit my teeth but downhill was impossible. I still made it 1.25 miles before giving up and walking in shame back to the gym. I took a full week off of all activity and 3x/day of naproxen. Then I spent a week on bikes and ellipticals for 30 minutes with 15 minutes of stretching afterwards. After that, I was able to walk on a treadmill for a few days before progressing to light jogging (and keeping up with the stretching after every workout). By the end of October, I was back to running again.

For the year I ended up with 1318.91 miles in 196:56:45 (236 runs). I also had 7 workouts on the bike/elliptical for 3:06:21. That's a grand total of 200:03:05 over 243 workouts.

I'm trying to figure out what goals I want to have for 2019. Right now I put in 1500 miles and 292 workouts (that's 80% of a year). I'm not sure that is motivating enough, but at least it's a start.

[Jeff V]

Wife got me winter running jacket and winter running pants for Xmas - everything that wasn't inhibiting running and still not what I need - time to run. I've not done a race since 2015. My hope was to get my son trained up to a 5K by September, but it's going to be difficult with irregular (at best) opportunities.

[Baroquen]

I had to put in over 40 miles in the last week, but I got 1000+ miles in 2018. That's 5 of the last 6 years for that goal, so I'm happy.

Next up is marathon # 20 (in state # 18) - Oregon: Eugene Marathon at the end of April.

Starting to plan out my best options for the other states. Did we have anybody with information on Alaskan options? Hog ran a marathon up there in 2012, earlier in this thread, but that was a long time ago.

Also - I decided to switch running apps since the one I've been using (CardioTrainer) has been discontinued since 2012 (I think). Right now, I've got Runkeeper and Strava on the phone (Android), and will see which one I like best to log my running sessions. I don't need training plans, or motivations, or such. If any of you all have suggestions/recommendations, feel free to chime in.

[Isgrimnur]

Alaskan options

[Zaxxon]

Nice job, Baroquen. I finished 2018 with 812 miles run, and another 745 walked. Completed my first Ragnar along with another half marathon. This year I'm shooting for another half (or two) plus my first full marathon since 2007 (I've done two total, 2006 and 2007).

I use Runkeeper, but I've heard good things about Strava, as well. Good luck!

[Baroquen]

Thanks for the link Isgrimnur. I wasn't familiar with that site. I use Marathonguide.com as my "go-to" research site, though I find raceraves.com is cool as it lets you create your own running map, and has reviews too. I hit those and lots of blogs from other 50-state crazies.

And great job with your miles, Zaxxon. Ragnar is enticing in some ways, but I'm a pretty solitary person. That pretty much keeps it on the backburner for me. Good luck with your 2019 goals!

[stessier]

The men's race at the Boston Marathon ended in an all out sprint today. I have no idea where they found the strength after 26 miles.

[Isgrimnur]

And yet that's only tied for the third-closest men's finish:

Year: 2000
Margin: <1 second
Times: Lagat, 2:09:47, Abera, 2:09:47

Year: 1988
Margin: 1 second
Times: Hussein, 2:08:43, Ikangaa, 2:08:44

Year: 1978
Margin: 2 seconds
Times: Rodgers, 2:10:13, Wells, 2:10:15.

[coopasonic]

The men's race at the Boston Marathon ended in an all out sprint today. I have no idea where they found the strength after 26 miles.

It means they were sandbagging before. At least that's what my high school cross country coach always accused me of when I flew past people in the last 100 yards. Yes, my high school races were only 5k, but I did the same thing at the end of a half marathon... about a second after my best friend said "let's cross the finish line together" and I replied "sure, if you can keep up!"

[Jeff V]

I chased the dog about 3 blocks yesterday and nearly had a heart attack. I am so out of shape.

[Baroquen]

I watched the end of the Boston marathon streaming at work. The men's finish was crazy. I also thought the women's race was pretty insane too - the leader made her move and broke from the pack at mile 4 and it was never close. Second place finished tried to run her down in the last few miles, but to lead (by far) for the last 22 miles... wow.