The Running Thread - 2018

[flav]

Demi-Marathon des Microbrasseries (Microbreweries’ Half-Marathon) Race Recap

This was my second race of that series this year and the organizer, Just Run, really improved as this was their first season running these.

By registering early, I got a very good price (roughly 37USD all taxes and fees included) for the entire package (race+photos+medal+tech shirt+meal+2 beer tasting). That fee will be reimbursed as I raised some funds for the Montreal Cardiology Institute. Their goals are both to raise money and make people run as preventive measure for cardiovascular problems.

The base for the four races (Half, 10k, 5k, kids 1k) was the Bromont ski mountain chalet. Bib pickup, real bathrooms and the after-race meal were all indoors which was nice since it was sub zero with a good wind all day.

Since my Achilles tendon started acting up all of a sudden this week, I taped it as shown by my physiotherapist and it stayed and helped all race long! I learn something new every race! That also meant that I was not pushing my speed so I was able to enjoy the hills, the views and the brave people cheering once in a while. There were plenty of volunteers at the tables to hand out « liquids »... One of my cup of water had an eight on an inch of ice and some of the electrolyte drinks were like slush! Brrrr. There was chicken broth at halfway mark, very appropriate.

Although we had been warned that this was a hilly course, by taking it slow, I found that this was my easiest half-Marathon so far. It helped that it was also my first standalone... i.e. outside a challenge involving racing the day before! So @LSUlakes 2:15:27 and totally happy with it, and with the fact that I can walk tonight (no further damages).

The post-race meal was chili, rice, bread, squeaky cheese, donut, apple sauce and a pastry. Of course beer tasting as well.

I enjoy these well organized, all inclusive, food themed races in the country side. I have already registered to two other ones next year.

 

[huskies90]

Faxon Law Madison Half Marathon Recap

As expected, when I arrived at the beach, temperatures were in the 30’s with a howling wind whipping off Long Island Sound. Pretty much everyone sat in their cars until just about race time. I waited until the last minute to get out of my car and hustled to the start. It figures, the first time I run a race where I am not near the front, the results are only posted as ‘gun time’ and not ‘chip time’. Based on when I started my watch as I crossed the starting line, I estimate being further back cost me about 10 seconds off my time. Oh well.

As for the race, once we got away from the beach the weather was not bad and I was actually feeling pretty warm by mile 3 and took off my hat and gloves. While the start was tough, it really turned out to be a pretty good day for a run. The course was not bad. It was an out and back and was pretty flat although there were some interesting switchbacks through one of the parking areas and then about a mile or so through the woods on a trail. That was unexpected and a bit treacherous for a guy who never runs on trails.

I mainly ran this race because a half marathon was recommended at the half way point of my marathon training plan. And I really wanted to run it to see if all the training I’ve done since the summer made a difference in my race time. The last half I ran was in April and I finished at 1:49:25. My goal was to break my PR of 1:47:00 but my stretch goal was to break 1:45:00 which is an 8:00 pace. I had a great run and I was really happy how I felt throughout the entire race. I didn’t feel like I pushed that hard and I still beat my PR as well as breaking the 1:45:00/8:00 pace. My official posted (gun) time was 1:43:59/7:57 (NEW PR!!!). I improved 5:26 on my time and 0:25/mile on my pace since my last half I ran in the Spring. So yeah, I would say it is safe to say the training is making a difference.

@LSUlakes Please update my results. Thanks!!

 

[jennamfeo]

Okay DisFam. I approve a DisRun meetup at the RNR Las Vegas event in the future!

 

[LSUlakes]

MDE is killing me this morning. I have two hotel reservations for marathon weekend and the second one is not linked and wont let me, and now I am wasting time on hold!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also on the list of things annoying me is my Disney After Hours tickets are not showing up, so I tried linking them and they it tells me the tickets are already assigned. To quote a great movie, The Sandlot, "You're killing me Smalls!!"

 

[Waiting2goback]

MDE is killing me this morning. I have two hotel reservations for marathon weekend and the second one is not linked and wont let me, and now I am wasting time on hold!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also on the list of things annoying me is my Disney After Hours tickets are not showing up, so I tried linking them and they it tells me the tickets are already assigned. To quote a great movie, The Sandlot, "You're killing me Smalls!!"

There must be something wrong with me then because when I call Disney I HOPE they put me on hold so I can hear Disney music.

 

[Waiting2goback]

 

[Capang]

MDE is killing me this morning. I have two hotel reservations for marathon weekend and the second one is not linked and wont let me, and now I am wasting time on hold!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also on the list of things annoying me is my Disney After Hours tickets are not showing up, so I tried linking them and they it tells me the tickets are already assigned. To quote a great movie, The Sandlot, "You're killing me Smalls!!"

Silly questions...have you tried a different device? Tried the app v website or vice versa? Cleared cookies and cache? Signed out and then in? Sometimes doing those things helps fix the problem. And sometimes doing that makes your plans disappear. good luck! Disney tech is frustrating.

 

[LSUlakes]

Silly questions...have you tried a different device? Tried the app v website or vice versa? Cleared cookies and cache? Signed out and then in? Sometimes doing those things helps fix the problem. And sometimes doing that makes your plans disappear. good luck! Disney tech is frustrating.

Figured out what the issue was. When I changed up my resort only reservation to a ticketless package to add the dining plan I had to do so by calling it in. The cast member at that time put Jr at the end of my last name, which is something I've never done on my own bookings. So when I put just my last name with my confirmation number that wouldn't work. Added Jr and all the world was right. Beside that, Nearly every day went as planned except one because I was not able to get a early FP for Slinky Dog. Overall a good morning with a minor delay.

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: Since most of us are experiencing at least some colder weather I thought we could discuss running clothes for the winter today. What items you find work well and others that don't?

ATTQOTD: If it's cold enough I will run in a long sleeve shirt made from the same type of material as normal running shirts. I rarely use them as it does not get that cold for that long and after a few miles I am so hot I regret wearing them. I am a fan of those cheap cotton gloves! I also have a beanie for the cold windy days for my ears. I've never ran with tights or long pants of any sort, so I do not have anything to add there. Back when I would run with my phone for music and GPS I found the phone seems to die a little sooner when its really cold out there. Keeping it under some clothes would help reduce that.

 

[apdebord]

Richmond Half Marathon Report:

This was my first time running the half; I ran the 8K in 2015 when DH ran the full. I really enjoyed the course, so when he mentioned he wanted to do this again as a fall road marathon, I happily signed up for the half. This also fell on my 14 miler day of my plan. I told DH if I PR’d I would do the remaining .9 the following day; if I didn’t PR I would finish after the race. Well, I ended up with a new PR by 3:59! Coincidentally, I got 3 hours and 59 minutes of sleep before according to my Fitbit.

Traffic up to Richmond wasn’t too bad Friday night, but we did take a state highway vice I-64 to avoid backups. Expo went smoothly. We then checked into our hotel and went to dinner. Got back to the room entirely too late and I had trouble going to sleep. I woke up at 4:45 feeling queasy and ended up puking twice before leaving for the race. I was able to eat a banana on the walk to the start and took a few sips of coffee. I felt much better after we walked outside. Said goodbye to my husband at the marathon start line and headed to my start wave for the half. It was cold, but I stood right in the middle of the wave so the body heat helped. I used 2:30min run, 1 min walk intervals. I felt really strong throughout but I got very hungry at mile 6 despite hitting all my normal nutrition throughout. I really needed real food. We got into a neighborhood soon after, but I only saw one table that had something other than candy, but she didn’t have any cups ready when I ran by. There may have been more tables and I just wasn’t paying enough attention, so I suppose I wasn’t that desperate for food. Now I know to carry a bag of pretzels for long runs just in case. At 12.1, there was a “1 mile left” sign and I started to tear up a little when I knew I had a PR in the bag. It’s been a year since a half PR and I was starting to think it may not happen again. I also wasn’t necessarily planning to PR since this was a training run, so I was a little surprised. The last ~.3 miles is downhill and I felt great so I let my legs go. My music also shuffled to “Defying Gravity” from Wicked during the last half mile and it was very emotional. I kept it together though! After finishing I had to hurry back to the hotel and ask for late checkout. They said no and I had 17 minutes to pack up and try to semi clean myself. Somehow I did that, packed the car, and got back down to the course to see my husband. Richmond 2015 is his current marathon PR so I was hoping he’d break that, but he missed it by 4 minutes. This was a training run for him as well, so he wasn’t bummed. He ran the virtual NYC marathon the previous Saturday too, so he did a really great job on tired legs. We stayed at the after party for a little bit then left to go home. We got home around 2 and lounged around the rest of the day. What started out as a rough morning, I ended up having a great day.

I would definitely recommend this race! Temperature wasn’t terrible and the crowd support is great. I hope to get back to run one of their races again!

 

[Capang]

ATTQOTD: I have some warm tech shirts I got from Target. Still in need of leggings that are 1. Warm and 2. Dry. I hate running in hats and gloves. I have a headband leftover from my skiing days that I wear.

It is definitely winter here. It snowed this weekend and we have more snow on the way this week. It was 25 when I left for work this morning. That said, I haven't run outside since W&D. I've been dreadmilling it instead. I don't mind the cold as much as the icy rain we had prior to snow this weekend. Ugh.

 

[Bree]

ATTQOTD: I don't need much cold weather gear here in FL. I've got 2 pairs of tights, 1 pair of fleece athletic pants, long sleeve tech shirts, a running vest, 2 hats with a ponytail hole, one fleece headband, a $5 neck warmer that I can pull up to cover the lower half of my face and cheap $1 mittens/gloves. Hoping that will good enough for Maine over Thanksgiving week although I may invest in some warmer mittens. I've got 9.5, 8 & 11 mile runs on my training plan.

 

[KSellers88]

ATTQOTD: My main issues in colder weather are my ears and fingers. If they get cold, I will be pretty miserable so I have lots of ear warmers and cheap gloves. Only issue with those is how awkward ear warmers can be with my Aftershokz, but I have made it work. I own a lot of tights and long sleeved shirts, but I hate running in them. This weekend I just wore light pullovers with my shorts and I was pretty comfortable, even a little hot after a few miles.

 

[ZellyB]

LOVE all the weekend race reports!! Congratulations to all the runners!!!

ATTQOTD: Nothing special on cold weather gear honestly. I have tights that I run in (one pair that is fleece-lined for when it's really cold) and then some insulated long sleeve tech shirts that I layer as needed and if really cold I put a sweatshirt over that. Stocking caps and then for gloves I've found just those cheep stretch knit gloves work the best for me. I can them at Walmart for like 2 pair for a $1 on sale. I've tried the fancier running gloves that are pricey but I don't find they work any better to keep my hands warm honestly.

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: Since most of us are experiencing at least some colder weather I thought we could discuss running clothes for the winter today. What items you find work well and others that don't?

Well I go with several long sleeve tech or athletic shirts. I also wear a hat/headband and running tights. I am sort of dreading running in the cold. It is 28 today...

 

[baxter24]

ATTQOTD: The best investment in cold weather gear that has worked for me is my running vest. It’s very thin material but does a great job keeping your core warm. I don’t wear ear warmers for more than a mile because it gets too hot for me so I just stick with my visor.

Richmond half marathon report:

This was my third time running the half. I was originally planning on running the full but life got in the way around September and I switched to the half. Zero regrets about that choice when it’s all said and done. My husband and I drove up on Friday and got to the expo around 5:00. They always have a good set up and everything has always run smoothly for me there. My husband dropped me off close to the race start shortly before 7:00. Temps were in the 40s. It was a little chilly hanging out but wasn’t bad, especially once everyone starting coming into the street to start. Because I haven’t had the best summer training and because my husband and I had just made some changes to our diet, I wasn’t planning for a PR. The goal was just to move at what felt like a comfortable pace and finish strong. My previous two experiences with the race hadn’t gone well because I was still using gels which lead to my stomach hurting and having to walk a decent amount the second half of the race. It was perfect running weather and the spectators were great as always. The whole time I felt like I was moving pretty good and didn’t feel like I was working too hard. Just kept telling myself to enjoy it because I hadn’t been able to the last two times. I finally looked at my watch around 11.5 because I told my husband I would text him at mile 12 so he could meet me at the finish line. I was shocked (in a good way) when I saw my time and then tried to kick it up a little till the finish. I finished in 2:10:24 which is about 35 seconds off my PR from almost two years ago! The coolest part was hearing my name called as I crossed the finish line. It was a big boost of confindence after what has felt like a crappy summer in running. Really recommend this race to anyone who has considered running it. It’s a three hour drive for me and I’d still consider running it every year if I could.

 

[huskies90]

QOTD: Since most of us are experiencing at least some colder weather I thought we could discuss running clothes for the winter today. What items you find work well and others that don't?

ATTQOTD: Yep, I guess it is time to start talking about this again. Here are my running clothes guidelines:

- I always wear a short sleeve tech shirt and shorts.
- Below 50, I wear a long sleeve compression shirt below my short sleeve tech shirt. I have several of these with different levels of warmth - A few that are just compression and a few with a mock turtle neck and fleece lining.
- Below 40, I wear a running beanie and running gloves.
- Below freezing, I wear compression tights under my running shorts.
- Below 20, I almost never go out when it is this cold but if I did, I probably would add another warm layer but most likely would hit the treadmill

 

[run.minnie.miles]

ATTQOTD: I usually run in leggings, a quarter zip and vest. The most important thing for me is an earwarmer- usually a fleece headband. I have been wearing the cheap knit gloves, but recently ordered a mitten/glove hybrid from Lululemon (along with a vest), which should come in today! I love how a vest keeps my core warm, but isn't bulky.

In other running gear news, I purchased a clippy light yesterday for better nighttime visibility. It feels pretty serious now

 

[AntimonyER]

ATTQOTD: Last year I would add a long sleeve dri fit shirt, compression socks, and gloves to my regular t-shirt and shorts when the temps dropped below 45 or so at night. So far this year I haven't added anything, just ran faster, haha. But its not THAT cold yet.

 

[IamTrike]

ATTQOTD: Here in NC I'm not really used to the cold so I don't have a lot of heavy duty cold weather gear. If it was in the 20's I would wear:
To keep my ears warm: a buff around the top part of my head. I like that because I can pull it up over my head if it's really cold or a can wear it just like a headband over my ears as I warm up.
For My hands: Some Head running gloves I got at Costco for $11 that rock.
For upper body: 3/4 zip jacket with thumb-holes so that I can cover my hands in the event the gloves aren't enough, then some combination of a long sleeve tech-t, and or long/short sleeve compression shirt depending on temp and wind.
For Legs: Under Armour Compression shorts, long CWX stable-x tights, and then a part of non liner running shorts.
Socks: features quarter high socks so that I can pull them over the bottom of my tights.

Richmond Half Marathon Report:

This was my first time running the half; I ran the 8K in 2015 when DH ran the full. I really enjoyed the course, so when he mentioned he wanted to do this again as a fall road marathon, I happily signed up for the half. This also fell on my 14 miler day of my plan. I told DH if I PR’d I would do the remaining .9 the following day; if I didn’t PR I would finish after the race. Well, I ended up with a new PR by 3:59! Coincidentally, I got 3 hours and 59 minutes of sleep before according to my Fitbit.

Traffic up to Richmond wasn’t too bad Friday night, but we did take a state highway vice I-64 to avoid backups. Expo went smoothly. We then checked into our hotel and went to dinner. Got back to the room entirely too late and I had trouble going to sleep. I woke up at 4:45 feeling queasy and ended up puking twice before leaving for the race. I was able to eat a banana on the walk to the start and took a few sips of coffee. I felt much better after we walked outside. Said goodbye to my husband at the marathon start line and headed to my start wave for the half. It was cold, but I stood right in the middle of the wave so the body heat helped. I used 2:30min run, 1 min walk intervals. I felt really strong throughout but I got very hungry at mile 6 despite hitting all my normal nutrition throughout. I really needed real food. We got into a neighborhood soon after, but I only saw one table that had something other than candy, but she didn’t have any cups ready when I ran by. There may have been more tables and I just wasn’t paying enough attention, so I suppose I wasn’t that desperate for food. Now I know to carry a bag of pretzels for long runs just in case. At 12.1, there was a “1 mile left” sign and I started to tear up a little when I knew I had a PR in the bag. It’s been a year since a half PR and I was starting to think it may not happen again. I also wasn’t necessarily planning to PR since this was a training run, so I was a little surprised. The last ~.3 miles is downhill and I felt great so I let my legs go. My music also shuffled to “Defying Gravity” from Wicked during the last half mile and it was very emotional. I kept it together though! After finishing I had to hurry back to the hotel and ask for late checkout. They said no and I had 17 minutes to pack up and try to semi clean myself. Somehow I did that, packed the car, and got back down to the course to see my husband. Richmond 2015 is his current marathon PR so I was hoping he’d break that, but he missed it by 4 minutes. This was a training run for him as well, so he wasn’t bummed. He ran the virtual NYC marathon the previous Saturday too, so he did a really great job on tired legs. We stayed at the after party for a little bit then left to go home. We got home around 2 and lounged around the rest of the day. What started out as a rough morning, I ended up having a great day.

I would definitely recommend this race! Temperature wasn’t terrible and the crowd support is great. I hope to get back to run one of their races again!

Sounds like a great race. Richmond is definitely a race I'd like to do.