The Running Thread - 2018

[Keels]

Careful with blanket statements like that. First it was "everyone deserves a medal," and now this? How long before someone sues for not having fun?

I'm pretty sure I've got three Marathons of un-fun that I'm sure some lawyer would be willing to take the case on.

OK, the first one was fine - I'll just sue you. The other two? Definitely gonna blame RD.

 

[Waiting2goback]

QOTD: For those with races either on marathon weekend or around the same time, how is training going for you so far?

ATTQOTD: It's not going well and I've made a huge mistake for signing up for the marathon. It's going to be fun, but brutal experience.

Let me ease your mind a bit my friend, while I embarrass myself. I did the marathon this past year and the longest run I had in training was....8 miles. That's the embarrassing part. I know better than that but the ankle pain was in my head until November when I finally got an MRI to confirm the surgery went as expected and it was OK to run. You don't even want to know how bad my training was for that race. Now that part that will ease your mind. I finished. My time was a little over 6 hours. I ended up having to walk the last 3 miles in tears because I was in so much pain and so pissed at myself, it I finished. So your training is way better than mine so far and your proposed schedule will get you through fine if you stick to it. Just go and have fun. And keep in mine one thing, you have dedicated this race to someone, most people don't ever even attempt to run a full marathon so if you finish in 4 hours, 5 hours, or 6 hours you still finished and it is ALWAYS something to be proud of.

I may have been in pain for the race but I went back to my room, showered, and me and my girlfriend headed to AK so the pain couldn't have been that bad.

Question for yall who ran the marathon last year. Can you tell me what corral you were in and what time you crossed the starting line? Ill ask here and the marathon thread. TIA.

I was in G and I think we crossed around 6 if I remember correctly.

ATTQOTD: I am doing Goofy. Training is going well, although not as smoothly as the summer when I did a dry run through my training plan. I have had to move around many of my scheduled runs/distances and I have missed a few as well which did not happen over the summer.

The bottom line is that this a tough time of year to get training runs in. And now we have holidays coming up and here in Hartford, CT we have 3-6 inches of snow forecasted for the weekend and alot of bad weather in the extended forecast. So, I am predicting more adjustments to my plan in the next two months.

It is my first marathon so naturally I am nervous about the full distance, but I feel like I will be ready for that run. What is making me more nervous is doing it after doing 13.1 the day before and how sore I will be for the marathon. I sorta wish I just signed up for the marathon because that is really my goal: to complete a marathon.

If you are running for time in the 1/2 you may be sore. If you are running for fun, which you should be, you will be fine. Don't worry, just relax and have fun. Wait until you cross the finishline of your first full at WDW and change your life. All the pain and soreness will disappear immediately, well, until Monday at least.

I hope that everyone is doing well. My apologies for dropping off the thread for awhile. I think it has been about 6 weeks. As I shared (at nausium) I have been recovering from ankle surgery and I just need to step back from the tread, stupid i know but it was hard to not be able to particpate in the conversations. But the good news I lost the cast and then the boot and am now in a sleeve. On Monday I passed my tests and got the go ahead to begin full (but very slow) activity again. So as I do PT I am allowed to start “running” again. It is in quotes because for now, and for awhile, running means walking. But today I went out and walked a mile! I have to say it was just awesome to put on running gear, put in a running podcast and head out the door. Even though it is only 35 degrees and snowing, I loved every second of it!

Most ironic is that it was a slip in the snow that started this whole mess last February. Then my first outing, yep in the snow... Of course I am moving so slow that the chance of another slip are extremely remote.

I hope that training for WDW Weekend and other races Is rolling for everyone!

I am glad you are able to resume full activity again. I remember that day clearly too. My advice to you now would be, take it slow. It's going to hurt initially when you start running. Try to warm up before you run and do your stretching when you're done. And don't be alarmed if your ankle hurts. My ankle still hurts and we are almost 2 1/2 years post surgery.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Fitting given the topic today. Marathons aren't easy but running one at WDW is always fun and always making memories.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

@LSUlakes - last year my husband had a goal of a sub 5 hour marathon but was undertrained due to switching jobs and working in retail management at the holidays makes long runs almost impossible

He finished over 5 hours and in pain. We were able to move our dining reservation to later so he could clean up and nap.

Please look at your plans post marathon and be willing to adjust accordingly. If that means your wife takes the kids and you stay in the room, that’s ok. There will be more chances to spend time with them. Don’t end up injured.

 

[TheHamm]

- high five a cheering kid as often as possible
- punch the ubiquitous "tap here for power" sign each time you see it
- have a drink at Thirsty River while waiting to ride EE
- ride EE
- lay down with the gravediggers
- take a picture at every mile marker
- buy a pretzel in Germany
- cross the finish line with a margarita in hand
- thank each and every volunteer you interact with
- take some candy from the strangers
- wear a sparkle skirt like @CheapRunnerMike and I do and enjoy the comments you get while doing so
- enjoy the fact you're out there having fun and being physical, something far too many people are unable to do

I would love to see more of these non-time goals!
It is my first half, and like many, training is not what I would like it to be making the goal finish and have fun.

 

[IamTrike]

I would love to see more of these non-time goals!
It is my first half, and like many, training is not what I would like it to be making the goal finish and have fun.

Dress up in a costume or something crazy.
Take selfies with CMs, choirs and Band people.

Take fun selfies at mile markers.

 

[LSUlakes]

Does it help your situation if you leave out this part 'but hopefully in less than 5 hours'?

Honestly, that seems like a stretch, give the other data you've provided.

This is going to sound crazy, but I have to set some sort of time goal. It's just my personality to have a goal as part of the plan. For running a duration is always the goal. Now I do not always meet or exceed those goals which I am ok with, but I gotta throw a number out there. As I get some miles in I will no doubt adjust that goal towards more realistic expectations.

Agreed. @LSUlakes, you should remove any sort of a time goal from your mind and switch to "having fun" goals instead. Having a time in the back of your mind is only going to make you feel pressure on race day, which could lead to you pushing too hard and getting hurt. Much better to focus on ways to have fun and enjoy yourself and the day. Here are some ideas to get you started...

- high five a cheering kid as often as possible
- punch the ubiquitous "tap here for power" sign each time you see it
- have a drink at Thirsty River while waiting to ride EE
- ride EE
- lay down with the gravediggers
- take a picture at every mile marker
- buy a pretzel in Germany
- cross the finish line with a margarita in hand
- thank each and every volunteer you interact with
- take some candy from the strangers
- wear a sparkle skirt like @CheapRunnerMike and I do and enjoy the comments you get while doing so
- enjoy the fact you're out there having fun and being physical, something far too many people are unable to do

I'm good with all of these except the two underlined. I am not a pretzel fan lol. Just not part of the #snackgoals and I'll never say never, but the skirt just isnt in the cards for me.

To kind of echo what others said, @LSUlakes - I'm sure your wife and kiddos would rather have you be 45-60 minutes later than when they were expecting then for you to push too hard, get hurt and be completely useless not ONLY for the rest of your vacation but when you get home as well.

In the grand scheme of things, it's just an extra hour - it's not the end of the world. And when you come in faster? They'll be impressed and excited!

But FP+... I kid I scheduled the first one at AK for 2:05 PM, which means I have until 3 to get there. Also eating Yak and Yeti which is one of my favorite places to eat at WDW. That duck though!!!! I planned a relaxed afternoon that day with delays so I would not feel pressured to hurry up the race to get to prior plans.

Let me ease your mind a bit my friend, while I embarrass myself. I did the marathon this past year and the longest run I had in training was....8 miles. That's the embarrassing part. I know better than that but the ankle pain was in my head until November when I finally got an MRI to confirm the surgery went as expected and it was OK to run. You don't even want to know how bad my training was for that race. Now that part that will ease your mind. I finished. My time was a little over 6 hours. I ended up having to walk the last 3 miles in tears because I was in so much pain and so pissed at myself, it I finished. So your training is way better than mine so far and your proposed schedule will get you through fine if you stick to it. Just go and have fun. And keep in mine one thing, you have dedicated this race to someone, most people don't ever even attempt to run a full marathon so if you finish in 4 hours, 5 hours, or 6 hours you still finished and it is ALWAYS something to be proud of.

That sounds like a difficult and rewarding journey to do what you have done there.

@LSUlakes - last year my husband had a goal of a sub 5 hour marathon but was undertrained due to switching jobs and working in retail management at the holidays makes long runs almost impossible

He finished over 5 hours and in pain. We were able to move our dining reservation to later so he could clean up and nap.

Please look at your plans post marathon and be willing to adjust accordingly. If that means your wife takes the kids and you stay in the room, that’s ok. There will be more chances to spend time with them. Don’t end up injured.

As I mentioned to @Keels I have park plans starting at 2PM. Well maybe lunch at AK, but that can be changed depending on how the race goes. With a start around 6AM and lets say a 6 hour run, I think 2-3 hours to get to that FP+ is achievable, if not we have a FP+ for the same attraction later on that trip so not the end of the world. Now missing a dole whip with rum is non negotiable lol.



I want to thank everyone for yall comments. Thanks for taking time to put things into perspective and just being good people.

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: Looks like I will need something to hold my phone during the marathon this year. I have a iphone 10 or whatever it called, not thats really the most relevant part of the question. Anyway, those who run with your phone, what you use to hold it during the run? Do you bring a extra battery as well and what do you do with it?

ATTQOTD: I use to have a arm band for the a older model phone and I guess it worked fine back then. Just curious if there are other ways than having to carry my phone without buying a new band for one run.

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: Looks like I will need something to hold my phone during the marathon this year. I have a iphone 10 or whatever it called, not thats really the most relevant part of the question. Anyway, those who run with your phone, what you use to hold it during the run? Do you bring a extra battery as well and what do you do with it?

I hold my phone on my hand. No extra battery. I’ve never had an issue with battery life.

 

[IamTrike]

QOTD: Looks like I will need something to hold my phone during the marathon this year. I have a iphone 10 or whatever it called, not thats really the most relevant part of the question. Anyway, those who run with your phone, what you use to hold it during the run? Do you bring a extra battery as well and what do you do with it?

ATTQOTD: I use to have a arm band for the a older model phone and I guess it worked fine back then. Just curious if there are other ways than having to carry my phone without buying a new band for one run.

I used armbands when I started running. I liked that I could see the phone and select songs on my playlist easily. Eventually I went to bluetooth headphones and now I use a belt to carry my phone. I have a couple different belts and don't have a massive preference. For races like Disney I really like that the belt makes it easier to pull my phone out for pictures. (although this year for Wine and Dine I just carried my phone the whole way). During my first MW I think I carried a small extra battery. Now my phone battery life seems to be good enough that, that's not an issue.

 

[LSUlakes]

So a update to my running situation. I decided to hire my old running coach to get me through the next few weeks safely and someone to be a voice of even more reasoning. Getting plans put together and going to get to the start healthy and being able to finish healthy is the goal.

 

[KSellers88]

ATTQOTD: I use a flipbelt and have never had battery issues during a run. The parks are a different story though.

 

[apdebord]

ATTQOTD: I typically use my SPI belt. I have beeen using my Nathan vest for longer runs and I put it in the bottle pocket I’m not using. If I’m not using the bladder then I slide it into that pocket. The only time I’ll pack an extra battery is if I’m staying for a while after the race, then I’ll put it in my drop bag.

 

[baxter24]

ATTQOTD: I used to use a flip belt but have been using a Nathan vest since the summer. Plenty of pockets for my water bottle, phone, etc. I never had an issue with battery life for my phone during the marathon but I made sure to have it on low power mode and didn’t have a lot of apps running. I think I carried a portable battery the first year becasue I was paranoid but it ended up being fine.

 

[tigger536]

I got the VA3 this summer. I previously had a Garmin Forerunner 235. I don't know what the Vivomove is like.

I like the VA3 overall. Like the touchscreen and it has the running and daily functionality that I want. It is a bit smaller (both width and thickness) than the FR 235. The options for colors are better, IMHO.

As I've been complaining about lately, the elevation measurements are fictitious. Someone linked a possible fix for this, but I haven't tried it yet. To me, it's annoying but not a deal-breaker. From what I can tell, the HR and GPS mapping functionality are on par with other Garmin devices.

I have VA3 also. The elevation is wrong some of the time, its a flaw due to the barometric pressure reader. Which is weird, but anyway. Its only wrong sometimes, so if you get a weird elevation result (could be more or less than actual), go to garmin connect (not the app, the website, but you can do this on your phone thru the browser). Select the activity in question. Go all the way down to the bottom where it says elevation (correction? or some word like this) enable/ disable. Toggle enable and it will correct the reading. I asked someone at an expo if there was a way to permanently enable this, sadly, no. Dumb flaw on an otherwise good watch.

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

ATTQOTD: Fitletic Neo I Running Belt. I don't carry a phone during races. I carry it on training runs for emergencies. I don't use it for music or social media and generally ignore it during a run, except for the 'lost key' incident.

 

[cburnett11]

QOTD: Looks like I will need something to hold my phone during the marathon this year. I have a iphone 10 or whatever it called, not thats really the most relevant part of the question. Anyway, those who run with your phone, what you use to hold it during the run?

I just put my iphone (7) in my running shorts' pocket. I may use a spibelt occasionally if I happen to have long pants with no pockets.

 

[Capang]

ATTQOTD: I stuck a pop socket on the back of my phone. I have a Samsung 8 and it is pretty big and bulky. I extend the pop socket and just slide it between my fingers run.

 

[camaker]

QOTD: Looks like I will need something to hold my phone during the marathon this year. I have a iphone 10 or whatever it called, not thats really the most relevant part of the question. Anyway, those who run with your phone, what you use to hold it during the run? Do you bring a extra battery as well and what do you do with it?

I keep my phone in a RooSports Pouch when I run. It tucks nicely inside my waistband between my compression shorts and over shorts. I've never had an issue with battery life, but I also don't do much with it during a run.

 

[PrincessV]

QOTD: Looks like I will need something to hold my phone during the marathon this year. I have a iphone 10 or whatever it called, not thats really the most relevant part of the question. Anyway, those who run with your phone, what you use to hold it during the run? Do you bring a extra battery as well and what do you do with it?

ATTQOTD: I have an iPhone 6 and use a Tune Belt armband, and/or a leg pocket in my skorts/capris/tights. In long races, I need the pockets for fuel, so usually the armband for the phone. I like Tune Belt's armband because it's slim, soft and comfortable, and my phone slides in and out easily, even when enclosed in a Ziploc bag. No need for an extra battery or charger: I just turn off Cellular Data and keep the screen closed when not in use. I run iSmoothRun and music simultaneously and take photos, and still had 40-something% left after a 7-hour marathon.