The Running Thread—2023

[FFigawi]

Congrats @garneska!

 

[kps7795]

Race Recap 45th Annual Lake Hartwell Dam Run 10K

Goals:
1. Hope the knee is ok and survives
2. Run a good and smart race (because of said knee I have not RACED in a long time)
3. POT for HM coral A so under 54:45

This race was two hours north of us. We left atlanta at 5:30. Whisky came with as i did not want to look her up for hours. Plus it would mess up her morning routine with breakfast and potty times. Once there we got our bibs, shirts, and hit the bathroom. Whisky did really good walking around with all the people. We were waiting for @OldSlowGoofyGuy and Mrs Oldslowgoofyguy to arrive since, Mrs was going to watch Whisky for us. We all met up and handed Whisky off and lined up.

This was the first time i ran this race. It was a nice easy down hill for about a 1 mile. Then a rough up hill and then slightly easier uphill. You turned around and then it was basically flat.

Mile 1: Downhill ran this smart 8:33 mile. Did not want to go out too fast but wanted to use that downhill.
Mile 2: Uphill, uff, 9:22 but honestly i took it well. DH was on my tail. That hurt him in the end.
Mile 3: Finish the uphill and get to the turn around 8:51. I was not sure how much hill would be left so i stayed comfortable.
Mile 4: Getting on the dam path 8:37. I barely started to open up. This was my one mistake as soon as i hit the path i should have started the increasing the speed. I was not sure if i could hang on so i still did this one conservative.
Mile 5: Flat and chasing people down 8:32.
Mile 6: Flat and i could see us reaching the parking lot 8:13.
Finish: 54 even. I looked at my watch and pushed hard trying to get in just under 54 but i did not make it.

While crushed at the end for that last push, i felt good. Good enough i could have run more, that is why i think i hit the throttle a little late. FYI DH finished in 55:22. He was training for POT under 61, i thought he would do 58 so he crushed it.

This was a great flat race. I ended up first in my age group. @Disney at Heart and Mr Disney at Heart had a great race going there. it was a beautiful course and outside of that one hill flat and fast. We hope to do it again next year. Now i can coast at PTRR.

View attachment 759161

That's really great. You're both freaking amazing!!!

 

[Kerry1957]

One of my favorite weekends of the year here in Pittsburgh, marathon weekend. I just did the half. I probably jinxed the weather last when I said the forecast was looking ideal. It ticked up to the upper 50s at the start, but it was overcast so it wasn't that bad. The goal was anything sub-1:30. I finished in 1:29:00. Aside from the twelfth mile which is all uphill (7:04), everything else was between 6:35 and 6:48. It's always a really enjoyable race. Seemed like there was many more spectators out on the course than in years past.

The organizers took a page out of the runDisney playbook by shooting off fireworks at the start of each corral. Only thing is, they were for about two minutes straight each time.

Congrats; sub 1:30 is fantastic! Glad to see all those miles you churn out every month have a payoff.

 

[GollyGadget]

Just posted a race recap in my journal. I know some of you are into those so posting the link here:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/running-renaissance-2024-disney-marathon.3595467/post-64798018

Bonus race reports if you go back a couple of pages and catch up on the earlier part of my spring season

 

[PrincessV]

ATTQOTD: May the Fourth followed by Revenge of the Fifth, celebrated at Batuu East, of course. This was an especially good year for people watching AND ending the night with a Dark Saber magic shot! MTFBYW

 

[dis_or_dat]

great jobs @garneska , mr garneska and @Guidman and @GollyGadget

ATTQsOTD:
-mostly run on paved though one of my favorite longer trails is about 2/3s packed dirt/gravel; prefer paved
-enjoy both 5/4 (usually will wear a star wars themed shirt or accessory) and 5/5 but imbibe more on 5/5
-virtual: did a disney 5k to get my son a medal but he didn't even care about it also did one when boston 2020 was switched to virtual. i did it in the middle of fire season in hazardous air quality (saw 2 people on the trail wearing respirators) - did not enjoy that experience at all and came home with a pounding headache. I think virtual for shorter distances are fine especially if you're doing them anyways for training, but a full marathon is not a fun time (at least for me).

 

[camaker]

Did anyone here run the Flying Pig Marathon this weekend? From what I'm reading about the weather conditions, it seems to be a highly irresponsibly run race. I know it's one of the "big name" races, but between this and the sanctioned banditing that's also been widely reported on, I'd hesitate to even consider running it.

 

[nancipants]

Did anyone here run the Flying Pig Marathon this weekend? From what I'm reading about the weather conditions, it seems to be a highly irresponsibly run race. I know it's one of the "big name" races, but between this and the sanctioned banditing that's also been widely reported on, I'd hesitate to even consider running it.

I saw an instagram post and couldn't believe they let the race go on with so much rain and lightning.

What is banditing?

 

[LorrieAnn5]

What is banditing?

Bandit means to run the race without officially being registered with a bib, like just tagging on to the race.

 

[camaker]

I saw an instagram post and couldn't believe they let the race go on with so much rain and lightning.

What is banditing?

Banditing is running the race without a bib or registration. There was a big controversy about a family banditing the race with their 6yo last year, including the race director hand delivering them a medal after the race.

 

[nancipants]

Banditing is running the race without a bib or registration. There was a big controversy about a family banditing the race with their 6yo last year, including the race director hand delivering them a medal after the race.

Ohhh, was that the same family who had their kid run a marathon?

n/m, I see that it is!

 

[jmasgat]

Wow! How did they expect to/actually spread the word to all those runners that they are supposed to shelter in place? Answer: they couldn't possibly. I get the idea of "making a decision based on the best information available at the time"....seems like they could have improved that info with the guidance of an actual meteorologist.

 

[camaker]

Wow! How did they expect to/actually spread the word to all those runners that they are supposed to shelter in place? Answer: they couldn't possibly. I get the idea of "making a decision based on the best information available at the time"....seems like they could have improved that info with the guidance of an actual meteorologist.

The actual local meteorologist (or one of them, at least) tweeted that the decision to start the race was one of the most irresponsible he's seen. There are also reports that a number of runners didn't get the "shelter in place" notice during the race.

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Did anyone here run the Flying Pig Marathon this weekend? From what I'm reading about the weather conditions, it seems to be a highly irresponsibly run race. I know it's one of the "big name" races, but between this and the sanctioned banditing that's also been widely reported on, I'd hesitate to even consider running it.

I ran the half which started at the same time as the marathon. I have really mixed feelings on the race weekend. Taking the weather call out of it, it was a great race weekend and I'd enthusiastically recommend it. That being said, I feel like the call to start the race as planned was irresponsible. The weather turned quickly with lightning and thunder rolling in while we were in an open section of the course running across a long bridge. I was terrified. I put distance between DH and myself so that if lightning struck nearby only one of us would die and our kids wouldn't be orphaned. I mentally went to a really dark place! We stopped under an overpass the first chance we got off the bridge until the lightning and thunder stopped.

We had no idea that they issued a shelter in place. No on-course communication. It was crazy.

It really tainted the whole weekend for me and I don't think we'll do it again.

 

[dobball23]

Race Recap: York (Pa.) Half Marathon - May 7, 2023

I set a PR! But it wasn't a great race. Here's why...

I've used @DopeyBadger training plans in the past, but decided to not ask him for a training plan following the Disney Marathon in January. Instead, I adapted some past plans and even worked in a sixth day of running many weeks in preparing for this race. My training went well, and I felt like I was well-prepared for this race.

The weather was good. It was upper 40s at the start and was upper 50s by the end, although it did get a little humid over the final 20 minutes. No precipitation. Flat course on a rail trail.

There were 334 total finishers in the race and I placed in the top 20, which I was pleased with. I also set a PR by just over a minute, which I was also pleased with. I definitely did not negative split, though.

I went into the race hoping to do about a 7:05 pace, which would have given me a PR. Well, I started out a lot fast. I was at a 6:50 pace through 6 miles, and while I slowed down to 7:00 for miles 7 and 8, that was still faster than planned. I posted a 6:51 for mile 9 and then I collapsed. My plan was to take a gel at the water stop just past mile 9. I felt like I wasn't going to be able to take it and keep running my pace, so I gave myself permission to walk. That opened the floodgates and I probably walked six or seven different times over the final four miles, including once with only .20 to go (why!?). It shows how mental running is.

I knew I was going way too fast, but was feeling good and sticking with some fellow runners, so after a couple of miles I decided to just go for it and see how long I could keep up the faster pace. I wasn't sure if I would tucker out at mile 7, 9, 12 or never. Unfortunately, my mental side took over around mile 9 and I couldn't push through anymore. Interestingly, my final pace ended up being ~7:05, so I met my goal, just not in the way I envisioned.

Some things I learned...
- The ~6:50 pace is sustainable for me, just not yesterday and maybe not for a full 13.1
- I like having other runners near me over the final few miles of a half to help push me (I did not have other runners near me in this race)
- I haven't had a strong desire to walk in a half in a long time. I need to be aware of the possibility and to be ready to combat it mentally in the future.

Overall, the half marathon was good. The YMCA that hosted the race even had shower facilities available for runners. My wife, especially, appreciated that so she didn't need to ride an hour and 45 minutes home with a smelly runner.

I did meet one person who finished ahead of me who is a Perfect Dopey runner. I also placed third in my age group, the highest I think I've ever placed.

There is also a marathon that started an hour before the half. There were about 200 runners in that. Again, a nice flat course. The first-place marathon runner crossed the finish line about two minutes after I did. Incredible!

 

[GreatLakes]

The Flying Pig is my favorite race, even above Disney. I didn't run it this year but three friends that I have run it with in the past did (2 the half and 1 the full). They have all done races in really heavy rains and while they thought it should have probably been delayed or postponed none of them felt unsafe.

They have had a few PR gaffs and this year is not an exception but I would still run it without reservation and recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging race.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I knew I was going way too fast, but was feeling good and sticking with some fellow runners, so after a couple of miles I decided to just go for it and see how long I could keep up the faster pace. I wasn't sure if I would tucker out at mile 7, 9, 12 or never. Unfortunately, my mental side took over around mile 9 and I couldn't push through anymore.

My plan was to take a gel at the water stop just past mile 9. I felt like I wasn't going to be able to take it and keep running my pace, so I gave myself permission to walk.

Were you still with the other runners through Mile 9, and when you stopped to get the water and gel you lost contact and thus motivation?

 

[dobball23]

Were you still with the other runners through Mile 9, and when you stopped to get the water and gel you lost contact and thus motivation?

Not really. They mostly pulled away from me by ~mile 6 to 6.5 or so. So I was mostly by myself from that point on. I know there were some people not too far behind me, but not a group to stick with and help pull me along.

 

[PrincessV]

QOTD: (inspired by the talk of dangerous weather…)

What DO you do if you get caught out in inclement weather during a run?

I’m assuming this isn’t a regular thing for most folks. But here in FL, it happens to me a LOT. I can start a run with a forecast of no rain, and be caught a mile from home in a violent thunderstorm. I’ve got nobody to come rescue me, so I mostly roll the dice with lightning and try to minimize my risks as best I can - options on the routes I usually run are: run faster and hope statistically it makes me less vulnerable, take shelter in a public restroom if I’m in a park, huddle against the wall of a building if it’s not a public place I can get into, try to be somewhere that I’m not the tallest thing around while also not being too close to the tallest thing around. I’m not sure much of this is sound, but it’s all I’ve got lol!

 

[jmasgat]

ATTQOTD: I run close enough to home that I would call my DH to come get me if I thought I couldn't make it home safely. (as he does if he's out cycling and has a mechanical that he can't fix on the road, or runs into some bad weather)--guess I should start bringing my phone on shorter runs. Also, my area is very residential, and I figure I could shelter close enough to someone's house where it wouldn't be too weird.

But mostly, I try to avoid the situation in the first place. I look at the weather, and if it' mentions T-storms, look at the radar. I will delay or defer if it is dodgy.