The Running Thread - 2019

I was doing exactly what it sounds like you are not doing. I started getting antsy and started really pushing mileage too fast. My bad ankle began to swell horribly. No new surgery but I had to back way off and it was back to PT. I am being smarter now, trying to be anyway. I have little to no pain but do get some swelling. My PT feels that it is fully healed but I need to pay attention to form when I am running. When I run more my form goes to hell and that stresses the ankle. Patience he says. My response, ok, but I do have Dopey to get ready for!

It took me well over a year before things got back to normal. I know you have Dopey but you don’t want another surgery so be smart and take it slow. You are going to be running over 50 miles in 4 days with all four races, plus the miles of walking before and after the races, plus more if you do any park time. All with no days of rest in between to rest the ankle. You need to be very smart about this.
 
Brookfield Zoo Run Run 5k

This has been a race I have wanted to do for years and it finally made the schedule this year. A fundraiser for the zoo, the entire race occurs on zoo grounds; while the first half mile or so is service road the rest of the course is in the public areas of the zoo.

Packet pick up was easy for me as I went Friday during the day. Bag was a string backpack in one of three animal shapes (monkey, hedgehog or ladybug) and contained the shirt and a flyer for a local sports team. Looking at the pick up line this morning it appeared to moving steadily. The race company corralled a bit like the WDW 5k, self seed, with those with strollers asked to be in the back of their pace corral or in the designated stroller corral. They also started each corral a few minutes apart to keep the course from being too congested. Despite the twists and turns the course takes I was able to maintain my slow pace.

Animals in the areas the run went past were outside for participants to see, with the exception of the goats which were hiding in their house so they could stay dry. Since some of the animals were out 90 minutes early today there were keepers who had to change up routines for both themselves and their charges this morning.

Finish time was 55:47, which isn’t bad considering I was only allowed to restart walking 10 days ago. However, Garmin showed the distance covered to be 3.05 miles. Since there is no way I managed to run under the tangents I strongly suspect the course was .2 to .4 miles short. Temperature was 64 with a constant drizzle.

@regul8ter18 did the course seem short to you too?
 
Brookfield Zoo Run Run 5k

This has been a race I have wanted to do for years and it finally made the schedule this year. A fundraiser for the zoo, the entire race occurs on zoo grounds; while the first half mile or so is service road the rest of the course is in the public areas of the zoo.

Packet pick up was easy for me as I went Friday during the day. Bag was a string backpack in one of three animal shapes (monkey, hedgehog or ladybug) and contained the shirt and a flyer for a local sports team. Looking at the pick up line this morning it appeared to moving steadily. The race company corralled a bit like the WDW 5k, self seed, with those with strollers asked to be in the back of their pace corral or in the designated stroller corral. They also started each corral a few minutes apart to keep the course from being too congested. Despite the twists and turns the course takes I was able to maintain my slow pace.

Animals in the areas the run went past were outside for participants to see, with the exception of the goats which were hiding in their house so they could stay dry. Since some of the animals were out 90 minutes early today there were keepers who had to change up routines for both themselves and their charges this morning.

Finish time was 55:47, which isn’t bad considering I was only allowed to restart walking 10 days ago. However, Garmin showed the distance covered to be 3.05 miles. Since there is no way I managed to run under the tangents I strongly suspect the course was .2 to .4 miles short. Temperature was 64 with a constant drizzle.

@regul8ter18 did the course seem short to you too?

Awesome! I did that run seven years ago (2012), and I just looked at my Garmin results, and it stated 3.11 miles (https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/226061850). Don’t know if the course changed any in the last seven years,
 


First a definition, then a question...

Plantar Fasciitis (n.): two words I have heard a million times over the years but had no idea what they actually meant

So, for the past year or so, I have had slight-to-moderate pain in my heals (especially the left heal) usually after playing tennis or paddle (platform tennis). It has got to a point where I try not to schedule a run for the morning after tennis/paddle because my heals typically do not feel like running (although every once and a while I will still run the day after, and after a slightly awkward warm-up, I'm usually fine for the run). In any case, after a year, I decided to look it up online a few days ago, and plantar fasciitis seems to be the culprit. It's not debilitating at all. After a day or so, it seems to improve back to normal.

Now the question: for those who have dealt with plantar fasciitis, was it as simple as adding orthotic inserts into your shoes or are there other solutions that helped? TIA.

Some one else mentioned but I would agree with the sock to treat it. I had a pretty bad case a few years back and it was great. I slept in it and stretched out my foot over night. It was sort of like a torture device though
 
Morning all! A little bit behind, Hurricane Dorian really messed with my routine (even if it didn't mess with my house).

August Totals:
Distance: 167.35
Avg Pace: 8:06/mi

Second highest monthly total for me, as I am upping my mileage in preparation for my 12 week marathon training program, which begins in 2 weeks!

As far as my goals for the year, it will all come down to how I do in the marathon in december. I do have a mileage goal (1500 miles this year) which barring injury I should easily meet, I am about 20 miles behind, but most of that is due to the three weeks in january where I didn't run, I have been catching up all year and with marathon training will be way over the needed pace.
 
Awesome! I did that run seven years ago (2012), and I just looked at my Garmin results, and it stated 3.11 miles (https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/226061850). Don’t know if the course changed any in the last seven years,

For some crazy reason, despite having a Garmin account, I can’t open the link. However my bet is the course was different since the area around the old baboon island is still closed with construction. The course route that we ran is not the one they were showing on line.
 


For some crazy reason, despite having a Garmin account, I can’t open the link. However my bet is the course was different since the area around the old baboon island is still closed with construction. The course route that we ran is not the one they were showing on line.

Hmmm... I made sure it was unlocked for everyone to see. Don't know why you are not able to view it. Seems like it is a slightly changed course, though, per your points above.
 
I have tried compression socks from CEP, "pro compression", CW-X, Saucony and Some Amazon Medicated ones.
For me the CEP socks are the most comfortable, but the Pro Compression and the weird medical Compression socks seem to have more compression. I don't know if it's just the medical and pro compression socks are too small.

From Pro-Compression info these are the amounts of pressure exhibited by compression gear and the purpose of that pressure level.

8-15 mmHg: This is the lightest amount of pressure that will be placed on your limbs. It’s ideal for those with tired or achy legs that need a subtle boost in circulation.

15-20 mmHg: This range treats mild conditions such as varicose veins and the aches and swelling caused by pregnancy or traveling for long periods. Compression socks in this range are ideal for anyone who sits or stands for a long period of time and can help prevent deep vein thrombosis from occurring.

20-30 mmHg: This is the compression-level sweet spot for many compression sock wearers. It means you’ll experience a moderate pressure on your limbs. Those with edema, deep vein thrombosis or varicose veins will appreciate socks that fall in this range. Compression socks with moderate-level compression are also ideal for many types of athletes including runners.

30-40 mmHg: This range treats more severe conditions of edema and often treats those suffering from active venous stasis ulcers. Socks at this level will most likely require a doctor’s prescription as they are considered a more intense form of treatment.

40-50 mmHg: This is the highest compression level that is mainly prescribed by doctors to treat chronic venous conditions.

CEP's Running compression socks are in the 20-30 mmHG.

If your looking for CEP socks leftlane sports usually has them marked down a lot, but the colors may be crazy.

This is very nice. I realized there could be different levels of compression, but I didn't realize that it was generally broken down so logically.

I have couple pairs of CEP calf sleeves (no foot part) that I sometimes use post-race. More often I use them when I'm playing tennis and my calves are getting tight and I'm worried about a sudden pull (tennis leg).

I have a full pair of compression socks that I wear during airplane travel - if I don't, my calves get very uncomfortable, almost like I have restless leg syndrome. So annoying. However, I bought them at an airport once when I realized that I'd forgotten my CEP socks. It turns out I like them more, at least for traveling - I wonder now if they are at a different compression level?
 
Brookfield Zoo Run Run 5k

This has been a race I have wanted to do for years and it finally made the schedule this year. A fundraiser for the zoo, the entire race occurs on zoo grounds; while the first half mile or so is service road the rest of the course is in the public areas of the zoo.

Packet pick up was easy for me as I went Friday during the day. Bag was a string backpack in one of three animal shapes (monkey, hedgehog or ladybug) and contained the shirt and a flyer for a local sports team. Looking at the pick up line this morning it appeared to moving steadily. The race company corralled a bit like the WDW 5k, self seed, with those with strollers asked to be in the back of their pace corral or in the designated stroller corral. They also started each corral a few minutes apart to keep the course from being too congested. Despite the twists and turns the course takes I was able to maintain my slow pace.

Animals in the areas the run went past were outside for participants to see, with the exception of the goats which were hiding in their house so they could stay dry. Since some of the animals were out 90 minutes early today there were keepers who had to change up routines for both themselves and their charges this morning.

Finish time was 55:47, which isn’t bad considering I was only allowed to restart walking 10 days ago. However, Garmin showed the distance covered to be 3.05 miles. Since there is no way I managed to run under the tangents I strongly suspect the course was .2 to .4 miles short. Temperature was 64 with a constant drizzle.

@regul8ter18 did the course seem short to you too?

Congrats on finishing it so soon after clearance. I had my eye on that race but my schedule didn't work out for it this year. I am a member of the zoo so I've definitely gotten in a lot of walking miles there. I've often thought a jog through it would be very pleasant (too bad it drizzled.) I'm gonna try to not be busy that day next year!

Are you doing any other Chicago-land fall races?
 
Yay! I found a use for the marathon plan I'm replaying:

12/14- @OldSlowGoofyGuy - Rocket City Half Marathon (1:49:59 / NA)

I'm on the wait-list right now, but got an email last night that said 'we can't tell you officially, but you're almost certainly in.'

I've done the Rocket City Marathon 5 times. It's my favorite marathon. This will be the first time I've done the half. I love the race and Huntsville. This will violate my rule that your one-way travel time should be no greater than your approximate race time as Huntsville is 4.5 hours away (7 hours in a snow storm).

The half marathon starts exactly 2 hours after the full and runs the back half of the course and shares a finish line. This seems odd to me. Every other time I've done a race with a half and a full, they start at the same time and the half peels off. It seems unsporting that a 1:58 half marathoner gets to Pac-Man a 3:59 marathoner, but waka-waka!

It's time to get serious about training.
 
The half marathon starts exactly 2 hours after the full and runs the back half of the course and shares a finish line. This seems odd to me. Every other time I've done a race with a half and a full, they start at the same time and the half peels off. It seems unsporting that a 1:58 half marathoner gets to Pac-Man a 3:59 marathoner, but waka-waka!

This is why I dislike marathons with a relay option. It can be demoralizing when you’re slogging through those tough miles in the back half of the race only to be blown past by a fresh runner who only has to run their 6.5 miles or so...
 
This is why I dislike marathons with a relay option. It can be demoralizing when you’re slogging through those tough miles in the back half of the race only to be blown past by a fresh runner who only has to run their 6.5 miles or so...

This was a huge part of my horrible 2017 local marathon experience. At mile 21/22, I'm passed by this guy running fast, going "you can do it! don't give up! blah blah". Dude, I've been out here for 3.5 hours in a thunderstorm running 20+ miles soaking wet while you just started and the sun is shining. I cried. It wasn't my proudest moment.

And, of course, I'm running the same race again this year. But I've learned not to take marathons too seriously anymore.

At this race, the marathon and relay start at 9, half starts at 9:30.
 
I run a race every year where the courses diverge at mile 3ish and then come back together to share the finish line...but when we converge it's still separated by a divider all the way down and it's on a really wide like 6-8 lane road. I think they mostly do that because only the longer distance gets a medal. I like this system better than the "everyone converges together." Mostly because I feel in the way of the faster peeps (not the other way around.)
 
This is why I dislike marathons with a relay option. It can be demoralizing when you’re slogging through those tough miles in the back half of the race only to be blown past by a fresh runner who only has to run their 6.5 miles or so...

Totally agree! This happened to us on our 50 miler this past May. We were struggling along as we just starting to descend after the biggest climb at around mile 37 and along comes this runner flying past us looking fresh as a daisy. We were like "what? how is that possible? Did we not prep enough for this?" It wasn't until the next aid station when we saw the pick up buses for relay runners did it hit us that the person who flew by us and crushed our souls had only just began running their leg. At least from that point on we joked that anyone who past us was just running their leg of the relay.
 
@roxymama, thanks. I was thrilled to be able to do it. Not sure if Brookfield will be my last Chicago area event or if I want to try and squeeze in either the DuPage Pads or Naperville Fire Department 5k on September 21st, and/or Run with the Nuns on October 20th. We are moving out of the area October 21st and I get to pack the house by myself since DH is already in the new city. Still hoping I will be able to get my distance and speed back by March - if so DH has agreed to let me come back for the Bolingbrook St Patrick’s Day half marathon. The course is nice and flat and they have pacers.

:offtopic: Anyone here live in southern Illinois? As in the Carbondale - Marion area?
 
12/14- @OldSlowGoofyGuy - Rocket City Half Marathon (1:49:59 / NA)
I'm on the wait-list right now, but got an email last night that said 'we can't tell you officially, but you're almost certainly in.'

I'm in. Just finished registering!

<oldGuyRant>
I hate the official name: 'Half The Rocket City Marathon'. Couldn't we just have stuck with 'Half Marathon'?
They've really upped their marketing game since I last registered. During registration they tried to sell me: a spectator's medal (really?), a blanket, socks, training shirts, stickers, magnets, race dinner, charity donation, etc.
</oldGuyRant>

I'm complaining, but like I said before: I love Rocket City and am excited to be going back. Rocket City Marathon (never done the half) is special to me for a number of reasons.

I may have to pick up some Trash Panda merchandise while I'm there.
 
I'm in. Just finished registering!

<oldGuyRant>
I hate the official name: 'Half The Rocket City Marathon'. Couldn't we just have stuck with 'Half Marathon'?
They've really upped their marketing game since I last registered. During registration they tried to sell me: a spectator's medal (really?), a blanket, socks, training shirts, stickers, magnets, race dinner, charity donation, etc.
</oldGuyRant>

I'm complaining, but like I said before: I love Rocket City and am excited to be going back. Rocket City Marathon (never done the half) is special to me for a number of reasons.

I may have to pick up some Trash Panda merchandise while I'm there.

434869
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top