SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Juxt went overboard on the beet juice and was in the ####ter during the pic, so he was photoshopped in.
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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (10 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ned
- Start date
Ned
Footballguy
gianmarco
Footballguy
Relay race weekend over. Will write up more later, but what a great experience. Some legit BMFs that came into town to run this with me. So incredibly humbled. But more importantly, just a great group and had a blast even while suffering. Even with the new format, it's a long day and it was a lot hotter/humid than we expected.
I wish I could have done better but gave it all I had. Bonked again in my last leg and could barely finish. Just a tough format but makes you work for every moment of it.
Anyway, thanks again for all the support to put work into training for this, for coming down, and just being great folks. Always welcome here.
P.S. -- Thanks for getting me out for a run AGAIN this morning, @Juxtatarot.
I wish I could have done better but gave it all I had. Bonked again in my last leg and could barely finish. Just a tough format but makes you work for every moment of it.
Anyway, thanks again for all the support to put work into training for this, for coming down, and just being great folks. Always welcome here.
P.S. -- Thanks for getting me out for a run AGAIN this morning, @Juxtatarot.
gianmarco
Footballguy
Some quick highlights of the day that I, and I'm sure others, will touch on more later, but....
-- At the end of the 1st round of running, we were on pace to the minute of predicted. Kind of nuts.
-- @Brony finding my wife and kids getting off the shuttle and bringing them to a spot so I could see them at the beginning of my 2nd leg. Perfect timing. While brief, that's the first time they've been at a race and seeing them was so amazing. True highlight for me as small as that may seem.
-- The guys clearing out a place for me to lie down after my 3rd leg under the tent.
-- Watching @gruecd and @Juxtatarot battle it out all day. Just beasts out there.
-- @tri-man 47 just taking a little power nap like 10 minutes before he was heading back out. True veteran. And killed his last leg. Probably not happy with us interrupting his attempt to whiz in the woods a few times.
-- @ChiefD bringing it home his last leg looking strong as ever. He and I ran the same order and watching what he did helped immensely.
-- @JShare87 running a strong final leg with how he was feeling. Probably the biggest BMF performance of the day. And glad that chick didn't puke on him earlier. Some runner tried to pull a @pbm107 at the finish line after her first leg and made a beeline to Bart (Jshare). The crowd of people watching this parted like the red sea because we knew what was coming.
-- At the end of the 1st round of running, we were on pace to the minute of predicted. Kind of nuts.
-- @Brony finding my wife and kids getting off the shuttle and bringing them to a spot so I could see them at the beginning of my 2nd leg. Perfect timing. While brief, that's the first time they've been at a race and seeing them was so amazing. True highlight for me as small as that may seem.
-- The guys clearing out a place for me to lie down after my 3rd leg under the tent.
-- Watching @gruecd and @Juxtatarot battle it out all day. Just beasts out there.
-- @tri-man 47 just taking a little power nap like 10 minutes before he was heading back out. True veteran. And killed his last leg. Probably not happy with us interrupting his attempt to whiz in the woods a few times.
-- @ChiefD bringing it home his last leg looking strong as ever. He and I ran the same order and watching what he did helped immensely.
-- @JShare87 running a strong final leg with how he was feeling. Probably the biggest BMF performance of the day. And glad that chick didn't puke on him earlier. Some runner tried to pull a @pbm107 at the finish line after her first leg and made a beeline to Bart (Jshare). The crowd of people watching this parted like the red sea because we knew what was coming.
Last edited by a moderator:
gruecd
Footballguy
I'll write more later too, but I just wanted to tell the rest of you guys what amazing, gracious hosts @gianmarco and his wife were. Hopefully some day soon they'll come to visit in Milwaukee and my wife and I will have a chance to return the favor.
Ned
Footballguy
It's pretty ####### special, this crew. Amazing when you think about it being a random FF board.
The Iguana
Footballguy
Little milestone for me today... Ran while,on vacation. May not seem like much but usually would NEVER happen. Kind of felt like a lumbering mule out there today but was awesome. My right heel, which almost always gives me some discomfort, was feeling pretty good today after a couple of days of rest.
Oh, and I could get used to this beach life thing. It's awesome here!
Oh, and I could get used to this beach life thing. It's awesome here!
ChiefD
Footballguy
2019 KT82ish Trail College Campus Relay Race Report (my legs)
Not even sure where to start to be honest. This year has been a milestone year for me. When this race was put on my calendar, I hadn't planned to run the half marathon immediately after the marathon.
But after running the PR in both races, I felt fulfilled. Satisfied. Content. Like I finally climbed that mountain and succeeded at what my goals were. And it was GREAT! But it also took a lot out of me. I didn't realize that at the time, and I didn't fully realize it until the weeks leading up to this race. And it showed in my preparation for this race. I did not prepare properly.
I ran a few days a week to at least maintain some semblance of fitness, and my heart rate to pace ratios were staying pretty solid. So I felt "decent" going into this weekend. My goals as listed on this thread were aggressive - but they were definitely TOO aggressive. I failed in this race for my team.
Leg 1: Trail Leg
My first leg was a trail leg that was basically the grassy cross country trail at the college where they had the race. It was early, so the ground was wet with dew and the ground was slightly wet. But not too bad.
When I was in the transition area waiting on @gruecd, I turned on my watch to get it ready for the belt pass-off. I'm standing there, and my standing heart rate is sky-high. Normally I am at about 80 or less at the starting line, but today was sitting at 115-120. Not a good sign. The only thing I can contribute it to is the excitement of a relay and thinking I needed to be fast. My goal for this 3.2 mile segment was 8:00 miles.
I went out hot - way too hot. I thought if I could come in a little sub 7 I could buy us some time at the start.
Mile 1: 7:21 pace, HR 181
Mile 2: 8:25 pace, HR 189
Mile 3.2: 8:28 pace, HR 188
Total for segment was an 8:06 pace. I put us off track right away. A sign of things to come for me. I actually hit a max of 196HR on this run, which means my max HR of 197 is probably a few beats low. More than likely is my max is probably at 200. So at least I learned something.
Leg 2: 3.5 Mile Paved Trail
So the plan here was supposed to be 7:45 pace. Back on a road, and I figured the first run heart rate was an anomaly. Nope - I was running hot AGAIN at the starting line. Similar to the first one. So I know I'm in trouble already. I attribute this to several factors - wanting to run fast to try and do my part for the team, and the weather. It is HUMID as heck and temps are rising. Suck indexes were creeping into the 140's and this was still early. So I revised my plan at the start to try and run consistent smooth 7:45 paces instead of jumping out fast. I'm trying every technique in the book to try and slow down the HR, but nothing is working.
Mile 1: 7:47 pace, HR 176
Mile 2: 8:24 pace, HR 182
Mile 3.4: 8:40 pace, HR 182
I'm cooked at the end of this run and know it. I also know I've torpedoed our chance at top 5. At this point of the race I was the only one on the team under performing, and that was hard to take mentally. I have the 6 miler left, and it would be in the heat of the day.
Leg 3: 6 Mile Paved Trail
At this point, I knew this leg would be in the 9's pace wise. I was just hoping to stay in the 9's. My only thing left to salvage was just have a good run. Try and get your heart rate under control at the start and just run a consistent 6 miles. This was my best run of the day in terms of execution. Consequently, my HR at the starting line was about 85. WTF? Seriously, I hate this sport sometimes - the hottest part of the day even!
This segment ended up at a 9:27 pace with a HR of 173. I decided after mile 1 to just run this all by heart rate, so I kept it right around 173 the entire run. Can't remember the SI at this point, but I think it was 150 or so. It was tough out there.
In Summary
Thanks to @gianmarco for putting this together. It was FUN, even though for me personally my performance sucked. He and I performed similarly today, so I know he will have a story to tell. But he certainly gave everything he had on that course.
@Juxtatarot, @gruecd, @tri-man 47 - these 3 killed it all day. Consistent performances all the way through, and even some that I would consider superhuman, especially with the conditions of the day.
@JShare87 - I will let Bart tell his own story, but I wanted to add a few words of my own here. He probably had the toughest route to this race. He traveled the farthest to meet a group of people he didn't really know. The rest of us had met at some point one way or the other, so we had some familiarity with each other already. But he jumps on a plane to run a race with some internet dudes for a course that did not suit his normal training. That right there takes some stones just to "want" to do this.
And he may come in here later and tell his story, but this dude can run. I gained so much admiration for him as the day went on, but he will tell you he had a rough day. But he showed up at the gun each time and ran his butt off. And gave literally everything he had physically AND mentally.
In my opinion, he crossed a major, major mental barrier this weekend. This has happened to all of us in this sport. It happened to me at my marathon this spring. As we all know, there is that final mental mountain you must climb over, but when you do it creates the sense of calm that you know you can handle almost anything a race can throw at you. This even helped me during my 6 miler - I felt awful the first mile and told myself: you really aren't hurting here. And it was true.
So for @JShare87 - on the outside looking in, getting up and running his 3rd leg was a massive mental barrier. And then he ran awesome that whole leg. And at the end, we all gathered near the finish to run in as a team, as he was our last runner.
And he gave us the thumbs up and then pointed at us toward the finish basically to say: Let's go boys! And he pulled out this incredible burst of energy and sprinted with all he had to the finish - leading us all across the line. It gave me chills running behind him, and chills even now typing this. His performance in that final leg was my highlight for the weekend.
So thanks all you guys for a great weekend. And a special shout out to @Brony, who came and supported us and helped us and documented the event on camera. It takes a special person with great character to come down and help out and just cheer us on, and he was at every transition, start and finish all day. Thank you sir.
Awesome weekend guys.
Not even sure where to start to be honest. This year has been a milestone year for me. When this race was put on my calendar, I hadn't planned to run the half marathon immediately after the marathon.
But after running the PR in both races, I felt fulfilled. Satisfied. Content. Like I finally climbed that mountain and succeeded at what my goals were. And it was GREAT! But it also took a lot out of me. I didn't realize that at the time, and I didn't fully realize it until the weeks leading up to this race. And it showed in my preparation for this race. I did not prepare properly.
I ran a few days a week to at least maintain some semblance of fitness, and my heart rate to pace ratios were staying pretty solid. So I felt "decent" going into this weekend. My goals as listed on this thread were aggressive - but they were definitely TOO aggressive. I failed in this race for my team.
Leg 1: Trail Leg
My first leg was a trail leg that was basically the grassy cross country trail at the college where they had the race. It was early, so the ground was wet with dew and the ground was slightly wet. But not too bad.
When I was in the transition area waiting on @gruecd, I turned on my watch to get it ready for the belt pass-off. I'm standing there, and my standing heart rate is sky-high. Normally I am at about 80 or less at the starting line, but today was sitting at 115-120. Not a good sign. The only thing I can contribute it to is the excitement of a relay and thinking I needed to be fast. My goal for this 3.2 mile segment was 8:00 miles.
I went out hot - way too hot. I thought if I could come in a little sub 7 I could buy us some time at the start.
Mile 1: 7:21 pace, HR 181
Mile 2: 8:25 pace, HR 189
Mile 3.2: 8:28 pace, HR 188
Total for segment was an 8:06 pace. I put us off track right away. A sign of things to come for me. I actually hit a max of 196HR on this run, which means my max HR of 197 is probably a few beats low. More than likely is my max is probably at 200. So at least I learned something.
Leg 2: 3.5 Mile Paved Trail
So the plan here was supposed to be 7:45 pace. Back on a road, and I figured the first run heart rate was an anomaly. Nope - I was running hot AGAIN at the starting line. Similar to the first one. So I know I'm in trouble already. I attribute this to several factors - wanting to run fast to try and do my part for the team, and the weather. It is HUMID as heck and temps are rising. Suck indexes were creeping into the 140's and this was still early. So I revised my plan at the start to try and run consistent smooth 7:45 paces instead of jumping out fast. I'm trying every technique in the book to try and slow down the HR, but nothing is working.
Mile 1: 7:47 pace, HR 176
Mile 2: 8:24 pace, HR 182
Mile 3.4: 8:40 pace, HR 182
I'm cooked at the end of this run and know it. I also know I've torpedoed our chance at top 5. At this point of the race I was the only one on the team under performing, and that was hard to take mentally. I have the 6 miler left, and it would be in the heat of the day.
Leg 3: 6 Mile Paved Trail
At this point, I knew this leg would be in the 9's pace wise. I was just hoping to stay in the 9's. My only thing left to salvage was just have a good run. Try and get your heart rate under control at the start and just run a consistent 6 miles. This was my best run of the day in terms of execution. Consequently, my HR at the starting line was about 85. WTF? Seriously, I hate this sport sometimes - the hottest part of the day even!
This segment ended up at a 9:27 pace with a HR of 173. I decided after mile 1 to just run this all by heart rate, so I kept it right around 173 the entire run. Can't remember the SI at this point, but I think it was 150 or so. It was tough out there.
In Summary
Thanks to @gianmarco for putting this together. It was FUN, even though for me personally my performance sucked. He and I performed similarly today, so I know he will have a story to tell. But he certainly gave everything he had on that course.
@Juxtatarot, @gruecd, @tri-man 47 - these 3 killed it all day. Consistent performances all the way through, and even some that I would consider superhuman, especially with the conditions of the day.
@JShare87 - I will let Bart tell his own story, but I wanted to add a few words of my own here. He probably had the toughest route to this race. He traveled the farthest to meet a group of people he didn't really know. The rest of us had met at some point one way or the other, so we had some familiarity with each other already. But he jumps on a plane to run a race with some internet dudes for a course that did not suit his normal training. That right there takes some stones just to "want" to do this.
And he may come in here later and tell his story, but this dude can run. I gained so much admiration for him as the day went on, but he will tell you he had a rough day. But he showed up at the gun each time and ran his butt off. And gave literally everything he had physically AND mentally.
In my opinion, he crossed a major, major mental barrier this weekend. This has happened to all of us in this sport. It happened to me at my marathon this spring. As we all know, there is that final mental mountain you must climb over, but when you do it creates the sense of calm that you know you can handle almost anything a race can throw at you. This even helped me during my 6 miler - I felt awful the first mile and told myself: you really aren't hurting here. And it was true.
So for @JShare87 - on the outside looking in, getting up and running his 3rd leg was a massive mental barrier. And then he ran awesome that whole leg. And at the end, we all gathered near the finish to run in as a team, as he was our last runner.
And he gave us the thumbs up and then pointed at us toward the finish basically to say: Let's go boys! And he pulled out this incredible burst of energy and sprinted with all he had to the finish - leading us all across the line. It gave me chills running behind him, and chills even now typing this. His performance in that final leg was my highlight for the weekend.
So thanks all you guys for a great weekend. And a special shout out to @Brony, who came and supported us and helped us and documented the event on camera. It takes a special person with great character to come down and help out and just cheer us on, and he was at every transition, start and finish all day. Thank you sir.
Awesome weekend guys.
Last edited by a moderator:
Ned
Footballguy
AAABatteries
Footballguy
gianmarco
Footballguy
And la di da.....2019 KT82ishTrailCollege Campus Relay Race Report (my legs)
Not even sure where to start to be honest. This year has been a milestone year for me. When this race was put on my calendar, I hadn't planned to run the half marathon immediately after the marathon.
But after running the PR in both races, I felt fulfilled. Satisfied. Content. Like I finally climbed that mountain and succeeded at what my goals were. And it was GREAT! But it also took a lot out of me. I didn't realize that at the time, and I didn't fully realize it until the weeks leading up to this race. And it showed in my preparation for this race. I did not prepare properly.
I ran a few days a week to at least maintain some semblance of fitness, and my heart rate to pace ratios were staying pretty solid. So I felt "decent" going into this weekend. My goals as listed on this thread were aggressive - but they were definitely TOO aggressive. I failed in this race for my team.
Leg 1: Trail Leg
My first leg was a trail leg that was basically the grassy cross country trail at the college where they had the race. It was early, so the ground was wet with dew and the ground was slightly wet. But not too bad.
When I was in the transition area waiting on @gruecd, I turned on my watch to get it ready for the belt pass-off. I'm standing there, and my standing heart rate is sky-high. Normally I am at about 80 or less at the starting line, but today was sitting at 115-120. Not a good sign. The only thing I can contribute it to is the excitement of a relay and thinking I needed to be fast. My goal for this 3.2 mile segment was 8:00 miles.
I went out hot - way too hot. I thought if I could come in a little sub 7 I could buy us some time at the start.
Mile 1: 7:21 pace, HR 181
Mile 2: 8:25 pace, HR 189
Mile 3.2: 8:28 pace, HR 188
Total for segment was an 8:06 pace. I put us off track right away. A sign of things to come for me. I actually hit a max of 196HR on this run, which means my max HR of 197 is probably a few beats low. More than likely is my max is probably at 200. So at least I learned something.
Leg 2: 3.5 Mile Paved Trail
So the plan here was supposed to be 7:45 pace. Back on a road, and I figured the first run heart rate was an anomaly. Nope - I was running hot AGAIN at the starting line. Similar to the first one. So I know I'm in trouble already. I attribute this to several factors - wanting to run fast to try and do my part for the team, and the weather. It is HUMID as heck and temps are rising. Suck indexes were creeping into the 140's and this was still early. So I revised my plan at the start to try and run consistent smooth 7:45 paces instead of jumping out fast. I'm trying every technique in the book to try and slow down the HR, but nothing is working.
Mile 1: 7:47 pace, HR 176
Mile 2: 8:24 pace, HR 182
Mile 3.4: 8:40 pace, HR 182
I'm cooked at the end of this run and know it. I also know I've torpedoed our chance at top 5. At this point of the race I was the only one on the team under performing, and that was hard to take mentally. I have the 6 miler left, and it would be in the heat of the day.
Leg 3: 6 Mile Paved Trail
At this point, I knew this leg would be in the 9's pace wise. I was just hoping to stay in the 9's. My only thing left to salvage was just have a good run. Try and get your heart rate under control at the start and just run a consistent 6 miles. This was my best run of the day in terms of execution. Consequently, my HR at the starting line was about 85. WTF? Seriously, I hate this sport sometimes - the hottest part of the day even!
This segment ended up at a 9:27 pace with a HR of 173. I decided after mile 1 to just run this all by heart rate, so I kept it right around 173 the entire run. Can't remember the SI at this point, but I think it was 150 or so. It was tough out there.
In Summary
Thanks to @gianmarco for putting this together. It was FUN, even though for me personally my performance sucked. He and I performed similarly today, so I know he will have a story to tell. But he certainly gave everything he had on that course.
@Juxtatarot, @gruecd, @tri-man 47 - these 3 killed it all day. Consistent performances all the way through, and even some that I would consider superhuman, especially with the conditions of the day.
@JShare87 - I will let Bart tell his own story, but I wanted to add a few words of my own here. He probably had the toughest route to this race. He traveled the farthest to meet a group of people he didn't really know. The rest of us had met at some point one way or the other, so we had some familiarity with each other already. But he jumps on a plane to run a race with some internet dudes for a course that did not suit his normal training. That right there takes some stones just to "want" to do this.
And he may come in here later and tell his story, but this dude can run. I gained so much admiration for him as the day went on, but he will tell you he had a rough day. But he showed up at the gun each time and ran his butt off. And gave literally everything he had physically AND mentally.
In my opinion, he crossed a major, major mental barrier this weekend. This has happened to all of us in this sport. It happened to me at my marathon this spring. As we all know, there is that final mental mountain you must climb over, but when you do it creates the sense of calm that you know you can handle almost anything a race can throw at you. This even helped me during my 6 miler - I felt awful the first mile and told myself: you really aren't hurting here. And it was true.
So for @JShare87 - on the outside looking in, getting up and running his 3rd leg was a massive mental barrier. And then he ran awesome that whole leg. And at the end, we all gathered near the finish to run in as a team, as he was our last runner.
And he gave us the thumbs up and then pointed at us toward the finish basically to say: Let's go boys! And he pulled out this incredible burst of energy and sprinted with all he had to the finish - leading us all across the line. It gave me chills running behind him, and chills even now typing this. His performance in that final leg was my highlight for the weekend.
So thanks all you guys for a great weekend. And a special shout out to @Brony, who came and supported us and helped us and documented the event on camera. It takes a special person with great character to come down and help out and just cheer us on, and he was at every transition, start and finish all day. Thank you sir.
Awesome weekend guys.
JShare87
Footballguy
Relay report from my perspective.....
I say from my perspective because out of the 7 of us, everyone formulated their own opinions about the weekend. With that being said, there are a few things that we would all agree on. First and foremost, @gianmarco and his family were absolutely amazing hosts and people. The thought of inviting 6 other grown men into his home and his family being cool with it is unbelievable. Number 2, @Juxtatarot, @gruecd, @tri-man 47, were as solid and experienced runners as advertised. The 3 of them were unfazed by everything thrown at them, and they truly carried this squad of misfits. Number 3, @Brony volunteering to join the crew and contribute in so many ways was absolutely selfless. Number 4, @ChiefD was way too hard on himself and he was a main contributor to our success, not our failures. Deep down, we all wanted to run our very best, but based on his HR during runs, he left it all out there.
I will keep my thoughts about the weekend pretty short. It was really difficult for me to travel someplace by myself and meet up with people I have never met before. I don’t get out much and am a true homebody. I hate flying and sleeping away from home. However, being greeted by @gianmarco and @gruecd at the airport really calmed my nerves. We all had a great time Friday night and got to know each other a little. Woke up Saturday morning after a surprisingly decent night of sleep. Did the usual bathroom routine and headed out the door with the crew.
As we pulled into the designated parking lot, we were stunned by the line of humans and junk waiting for the shuttle. I believe there are still people waiting in the line to start their race as I’m typing this. So, like the geniuses we are, we decide to walk 2 miles, with all our junk, to the base camp. We were fortunate enough to be accompanied by millions of bugs on our journey there, and they essentially carried us to our destination.
@gruecd, @ChiefD, and @tri-man 47 wandered ahead and picked out the best possible spot for our tent. We set up, and I tossed the pigskin around with Drew Brees for a bit (that eased my nerves). Music playing, people running, everything was going great. Fast forward to about 45 minutes before my first leg, and I cannot calm myself down. With everyone hitting their paces on the first run, I felt an immense pressure to perform. My HR on my warm up jog was around 155 at a 10:30 pace. I knew I was in trouble.
My first leg started around 9:45 and it was pretty hot at that point. I had the 6 mile leg first, and my pace wasn’t terrible, but my HR was close to maxing out at times, similar to what @ChiefD spoke about. I finish and felt like crap.
After finishing my first run, I was sitting down and had one of the biggest panic attacks of my life. I didn’t say anything to the BMFs at the time because I was certainly not acting like one in that moment. I got this overwhelming feeling of being stuck somewhere with no escape. I knew I couldn’t run anymore, I needed to go home, but I just couldn’t. I wanted so badly to call my wife or parents but again, I felt like I was being a little #####, so I sucked it up and did some self-talk and somewhat got through my panic attack.
About 45 minutes before my next run, I was dry-heaving in the bathroom. I was still struggling to catch my breath, and the anxiety pretty much fully consumed me. I ran my 2nd leg which was the trail leg, and did okay but nowhere near what I’m capable of. After finishing that, I was in no-man’s land. I was hot, sick, tired, and extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to leave again, I wanted to ask someone to run my last leg because there was no way I could.
About an hour and a half before my last leg, @tri-man 47 spotted a vulnerable human being and went in for the kill. I may have been delirious at the time, but I just remember him looking like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons with his hands in front of his chest saying something like, relax and take of your shoes young fella. At that moment in time, I was at the mercy of his will. I fought off his advances at my feet the night before, but I was in no shape to fight his intentions at this point. Although it wasn’t a foot massage, he did provide me with a bucket of ice water to dip my feet in in an attempt to cool me down.
After that, I assumed the fetal position in the tent awaiting my impending doom of completing 3 and a half more miles. The very thought of sitting up was difficult at this point. But, understanding what all my teammates went through and to call it quits for my last leg to DQ our squad would’ve created a void and disappointment in my life I would always carry with me. So, I plodded along at a slow pace and finished it off. Was my effort the gutsiest most BMF performance of the weekend? No, not even close. I created my own circumstances by having a full blown anxiety attack. It wasn’t the heat (although it sucked). It wasn’t my leg or an injury (although I wish I could’ve made that excuse). It wasn’t my fitness. It was all mental that started to create physical complications. The only thing I can say about my lackluster performance was that I gave it everything I had. I know every member of the team did as well. The most awful running experiences are truly the biggest character builders.
After I finished my last leg, I was not out of the woods. I began to dry heave again and essentially collapsed on the tarp while the team was trying to pack everything up. I just remember looking at @gianmarco and saying, “Gian, I gotta get the hell outta here.” He quickly obliged and @ChiefD and @Brony lugged me out of there and into the vehicle. A nice cold shower and A/C really helped.
All in all, I had some great conversations and got to meet some awesome individuals. I wish the crew could’ve seen me at my best but instead, they saw me at my worst and didn’t blink an eye. They respected me and treated me like family. I will always remember this trip and the people I met. It was an amazing experience.
-Bart
I say from my perspective because out of the 7 of us, everyone formulated their own opinions about the weekend. With that being said, there are a few things that we would all agree on. First and foremost, @gianmarco and his family were absolutely amazing hosts and people. The thought of inviting 6 other grown men into his home and his family being cool with it is unbelievable. Number 2, @Juxtatarot, @gruecd, @tri-man 47, were as solid and experienced runners as advertised. The 3 of them were unfazed by everything thrown at them, and they truly carried this squad of misfits. Number 3, @Brony volunteering to join the crew and contribute in so many ways was absolutely selfless. Number 4, @ChiefD was way too hard on himself and he was a main contributor to our success, not our failures. Deep down, we all wanted to run our very best, but based on his HR during runs, he left it all out there.
I will keep my thoughts about the weekend pretty short. It was really difficult for me to travel someplace by myself and meet up with people I have never met before. I don’t get out much and am a true homebody. I hate flying and sleeping away from home. However, being greeted by @gianmarco and @gruecd at the airport really calmed my nerves. We all had a great time Friday night and got to know each other a little. Woke up Saturday morning after a surprisingly decent night of sleep. Did the usual bathroom routine and headed out the door with the crew.
As we pulled into the designated parking lot, we were stunned by the line of humans and junk waiting for the shuttle. I believe there are still people waiting in the line to start their race as I’m typing this. So, like the geniuses we are, we decide to walk 2 miles, with all our junk, to the base camp. We were fortunate enough to be accompanied by millions of bugs on our journey there, and they essentially carried us to our destination.
@gruecd, @ChiefD, and @tri-man 47 wandered ahead and picked out the best possible spot for our tent. We set up, and I tossed the pigskin around with Drew Brees for a bit (that eased my nerves). Music playing, people running, everything was going great. Fast forward to about 45 minutes before my first leg, and I cannot calm myself down. With everyone hitting their paces on the first run, I felt an immense pressure to perform. My HR on my warm up jog was around 155 at a 10:30 pace. I knew I was in trouble.
My first leg started around 9:45 and it was pretty hot at that point. I had the 6 mile leg first, and my pace wasn’t terrible, but my HR was close to maxing out at times, similar to what @ChiefD spoke about. I finish and felt like crap.
After finishing my first run, I was sitting down and had one of the biggest panic attacks of my life. I didn’t say anything to the BMFs at the time because I was certainly not acting like one in that moment. I got this overwhelming feeling of being stuck somewhere with no escape. I knew I couldn’t run anymore, I needed to go home, but I just couldn’t. I wanted so badly to call my wife or parents but again, I felt like I was being a little #####, so I sucked it up and did some self-talk and somewhat got through my panic attack.
About 45 minutes before my next run, I was dry-heaving in the bathroom. I was still struggling to catch my breath, and the anxiety pretty much fully consumed me. I ran my 2nd leg which was the trail leg, and did okay but nowhere near what I’m capable of. After finishing that, I was in no-man’s land. I was hot, sick, tired, and extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to leave again, I wanted to ask someone to run my last leg because there was no way I could.
About an hour and a half before my last leg, @tri-man 47 spotted a vulnerable human being and went in for the kill. I may have been delirious at the time, but I just remember him looking like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons with his hands in front of his chest saying something like, relax and take of your shoes young fella. At that moment in time, I was at the mercy of his will. I fought off his advances at my feet the night before, but I was in no shape to fight his intentions at this point. Although it wasn’t a foot massage, he did provide me with a bucket of ice water to dip my feet in in an attempt to cool me down.
After that, I assumed the fetal position in the tent awaiting my impending doom of completing 3 and a half more miles. The very thought of sitting up was difficult at this point. But, understanding what all my teammates went through and to call it quits for my last leg to DQ our squad would’ve created a void and disappointment in my life I would always carry with me. So, I plodded along at a slow pace and finished it off. Was my effort the gutsiest most BMF performance of the weekend? No, not even close. I created my own circumstances by having a full blown anxiety attack. It wasn’t the heat (although it sucked). It wasn’t my leg or an injury (although I wish I could’ve made that excuse). It wasn’t my fitness. It was all mental that started to create physical complications. The only thing I can say about my lackluster performance was that I gave it everything I had. I know every member of the team did as well. The most awful running experiences are truly the biggest character builders.
After I finished my last leg, I was not out of the woods. I began to dry heave again and essentially collapsed on the tarp while the team was trying to pack everything up. I just remember looking at @gianmarco and saying, “Gian, I gotta get the hell outta here.” He quickly obliged and @ChiefD and @Brony lugged me out of there and into the vehicle. A nice cold shower and A/C really helped.
All in all, I had some great conversations and got to meet some awesome individuals. I wish the crew could’ve seen me at my best but instead, they saw me at my worst and didn’t blink an eye. They respected me and treated me like family. I will always remember this trip and the people I met. It was an amazing experience.
-Bart
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SteelCurtain
Footballguy
@JShare87 — thank you for sharing your struggle. I’ve been in your place but I never had the balls to share it so openly as you have. I hope your experience this weekend helps you in the future to manage your anxiety. I’m here if you ever need anything.
gruecd
Footballguy
@JShare87 - Bro, it was pretty obvious to everyone that you weren't doing well, and I can only speak for myself, but I don't think any of us knew it was that bad. While we were waiting for you to finish that last leg, @tri-man 47 and I were talking about how we'd both thought about offering to run that last leg for you, but in the end we both kinda realized (even if you didn't) that it was something you needed to do for yourself. BIG ups for fighting through all of that and getting it done. That's the #### that BMFs are made of right there. Super proud of you, buddy.
Also, this part here had me literally laughing out loud in my living room a few minutes ago:
Also, this part here had me literally laughing out loud in my living room a few minutes ago:
Last edited by a moderator:
Brony
Footballguy
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
@JShare87 - this report details exactly how great you were on Saturday. I'm glad that you laid it all out here.
Honestly, you displayed the greatest strength out of all of us there. It would have been so easy to just quit. You literally pulled yourself from the depths of your personal hell on that day. I can't imagine how hard that was for you. We could see the physical, but not the mental anguish you were going through.
I'm not sure I can express strongly enough how impressed I am with you. This may have been one of your worst days, but you stood up and stood tall and still killed your segments.
I am honestly humbled by your mental strength.
You were the baddest MF yesterday - no question about it. Proud to have been there to see it.
Damn, you are pretty awesome man. And you look like Matthew McConaughey you lucky magnificent bassturd.
gruecd
Footballguy
Same. Even sitting here now, I'm disappointed in myself for not realizing that it might be more than just the physical.
gruecd
Footballguy
I do kinda sorta hate him for this...And you look like Matthew McConaughey you lucky magnificent bassturd.
#AlrightAlrightAlright
gianmarco
Footballguy
2019 KT82 Relay Race
I could spend forever trying to cover the past couple days. I think it's already apparent, but just an incredible experience all around. I'll try to get to most of the stuff and may just add stuff later as I remember it.
First of all, I need to give some recognition to the running organization that put this on. I know that doesn't involve the people here directly but it still involves all of us. While this race has only gone on a few years, it's started to grow in popularity and there's something about the uniqueness of the event that draws people. It's why I was excited to even consider getting a group of guys from here to take part. Then mother nature stepped in and made the race impossible. The organizers of the event could have very easily just cancelled it. Instead, they took an event that takes months of planning and preparation and set up a completely different race in one week's time. What took place yesterday was truly amazing. Not just the hard work from those putting it on but the entire group of runners that took part. Instead of lamenting the complete turnabout or getting down about a new location, format, long lines, the entire running community that participated turned it into an awesome display of just getting together to run and compete and just make the best of it. I was blown away by that. Reading through the Facebook comments in the group, seeing all the pictures, and just witnessing it firsthand just makes me incredibly proud to be a "runner". I would have never understood what that meant just 2 years ago.
Now, onto the guys here and the race. So much I could try and get into, but I look back on this and think how crazy it is that we put together this group here. And even moreso because these guys didn't travel down here to join some elite running group. That, to me, is what still blows my mind about this whole thing. So, two days ago, 4 guys show up in my driveway, none of which I'd ever met. Yet, it all just worked. Shortly after arriving, we got to go out on a quick little run together. It's hard to even describe how cool that was for me, running in my neck of the woods and just chatting along (as best I could as I was trying to keep up). A little bit afterward, I was able to go pick up @JShare87 and it was the same feeling. Just awesome to finally meet up. @ChiefD arrives a bit after that, we get to hang a bit and then it's off to bed for our big day.
I couldn't sleep. I wasn't nervous. And I wouldn't call it excitement, but I was just ready to go. That's not usually like me either but I ended up with maybe 2 hours of broken sleep. Luckily, I'm somewhat used to that so I wasn't too worried about it affecting the day. We were up early, packed stuff up and got out. As we arrive, looking at the lines of people waiting for the shuttle was a big kick in the nuts. We're debating how to handle this and finally enough decided that we're going to haul all our #### together and walk 2 miles to the camp. In the end, I think it was a good decision, but it was so far from an ideal start to the day. Yet it worked out, we settle in, and comfort finally took over.
I was running leg #5 so I had a good wait. I'm watching the guys just nail their runs. As Chief mentioned above, we are very similar runners and we were running the same order of legs. So I was looking to what he did to judge what I was going to try and do and be able to do. As he also mentioned, our goal paces were way too aggressive. Same story, different race. Onto how my legs went:
Leg #1 (3.2 mile trail leg -- 7:47 pace) -- I got the scouting report from Chief and learned the first part was a relative downhill and then it got tough at the end. So I figured I'd try the same thing and take advantage earlier on to bank some time. Much like Chief, I paid for it at the end.
Mile 1 -- 7:11 (HR 138)
Mile 2 -- 8:04 (HR 148)
Mile 3 -- 8:12 (HR 176)
Mile 3.22 -- 7:19 (HR 183)
I was doing well to start, but when I hit that hill and then steady climb at mile 1.7, my HR skyrocketed and that final 1.5 miles was pure hell. When I finished, I honestly felt like that was the most difficult run I'd ever been on. I wasn't trying to blow my wad too early but that's exactly what I did. Again. Unfortunately I also realized that my run with most of them the day before was not a good idea for me. It's no one's fault and it's certainly not an excuse, but I was purposefully resting my legs all week to be fresh and the 3 mile loop with hills around my house ended up taking more of a toll on me than I thought it would. I should have known better. Before the run, I could feel my quads were tight and aching a little. That's not normal for me. As the day went on, that mistake ended up catching up with me.
Leg #2 (3.4 mile leg -- 8:13 pace) -- Once again, after seeing what happened to Chief ahead of me, I realized that I needed to temper expectations already. I originally was hoping to run this at least at a 7:45 pace. But it was apparent early on that wasn't going to happen. I start my leg and briefly started going on the wrong color route but fixed it within a few seconds. Luckily @Brony saw me and yelled at me to slow down and pace well. That was such a huge help to me and got me on track to try and run smart. This was also the leg where I saw my wife and kids another couple minutes in and that was amazing.
Mile 1 -- 7:58 (HR 157)
Mile 2 -- 8:23 (HR 173)
Mile 3 -- 8:32 (HR 174)
Mile 3.42 -- 7:38 (HR 178)
This was definitely the easiest leg of the day. But, after the first mile, I was struggling big time. The heat and humidity was climbing. But my legs were also starting to really fatigue. As a result, I felt like I was working a lot harder to try and keep any kind of decent pace. By the time I got to the turnaround (this was an out and back), I was in a bad place. I actually knew the guy manning the water station there and seeing him gave me a bit of a boost. I did whatever I could to get me back. But, for the last mile, I realized my quads were like lead and just weren't firing like they should. I thought of @MAC_32 talking about using his hips and glutes to power through and that's what I started to do. I had to change my stride a bit and I was working so hard to finish. We talked about it at the race, but as you come around the final turn, you can see the finish line. But it's still about 4/10ths of a mile away. Your team can see you but it takes so long to get there. I was pushing as hard as I could to get across that line quickly. As bad as I felt after that 1st leg, this was even worse somehow. As soon as I finished, I started thinking that there was no way I was going to be able to run my 3rd leg. I just laid down in the tent and needed a bit to come back to life.
Leg #3 (5.9 mile leg -- 9:39 pace)
Chief finished his 6 mile leg and looked so damn good. While his time was slower than he wanted, he was smart and ran it the right way. I knew I needed to do the same thing or things weren't going to go well. I figured I would start at ~9:00 pace for the first 3 miles and see how things felt. Well, I started off and kept it nice and even and my HR and breathing felt great. I was doing this the right way and I was going to finish like Chief. I could even slow down a little if I needed to but up until this point, I was feeling really good.
Mile 1 -- 8:44 (HR 155)
Mile 2 -- 8:34 (HR 164)
Mile 3 -- 8:54 (HR 166)
At this point, there's a turnaround with a water station. It's so hot and humid and my mouth was parched. I decided to grab a couple drinks, poured some on my head, and just keep it steady until the very end. But when I started back up, shortly afterward it happened to me again. I completely bonked. Fitness wise I felt ok but my legs were done. My quads just wouldn't go anymore. The combination of the hills the day before along with pushing the first 2 legs finally caught up to me. My heart sank. All I'm thinking about is how these guys traveled all the way here and I'm ####### walking my last 2-3 miles. I'm thinking of how Bart is going to be waiting for me and I'm not going to show up when expected. I'm thinking that no one else couldn't finish except me. So I did what I could and would start running for as long as I could. I couldn't feel my legs. My whole body was starting to feel numb. It was so strange. I think it was a total of 10 times I had to stop and walk and the moment I could get anything going, I would start running whatever I could. I know it's happened to you guys in races before, but knowing I still had almost 3 miles to go and they were waiting for me was torture. I wasn't even hurting physically. I finally hit the last turn and I started running and said I was going to collapse before I started walking again. I had to actually close my eyes for most of the end. I somehow finished to the line and handed off the belt for the last time.
Mile 4 -- 10:01 (HR 166)
Mile 5 -- 11:04 (HR 158)
Mile 5.9 -- 9:17 (HR 157)
Well, it ended. But, as disappointed as I was that it happened again, I was at peace knowing that I really gave everything I had. And as you guys have already read from the others that have already posted theirs, so did everyone out there. And THAT was what made the day so amazing, so special, and such a success. The 3 pros on our squad made it look so easy when it was anything but. I really can't even describe how beastly @Juxtatarot, @gruecd, and @tri-man 47 are. What an awesome performance and I'm so glad I was able to see it firsthand.
And, I hope @ChiefD and @JShare87 can appreciate how much we all put into it even with us being disappointed in the overall results. I realized that there was nothing more any of us could have done and I hate reading any kind of disappointment from either of them. We couldn't have chosen a more appropriate team name for the day. And I feel really lucky to have gotten to race with each one of you.
Finally, another huge shout-out to @Brony. Coming out and supporting us and doing all the little things we needed was so ####### awesome. On top of that, he ran 2 of the 3 legs and still was able to assist wherever we needed. The day would have been different if you weren't there.
I was able to get a short recovery run with @Juxtatarot this morning (there was no way I was passing up that last chance to get a quick run together). Since lunch time, my quads are complete toast. So stupid sore right now. But, despite all that pain and suffering yesterday, there's no way I'd give up that experience we had.
Thanks again for everything, BMFs.
I could spend forever trying to cover the past couple days. I think it's already apparent, but just an incredible experience all around. I'll try to get to most of the stuff and may just add stuff later as I remember it.
First of all, I need to give some recognition to the running organization that put this on. I know that doesn't involve the people here directly but it still involves all of us. While this race has only gone on a few years, it's started to grow in popularity and there's something about the uniqueness of the event that draws people. It's why I was excited to even consider getting a group of guys from here to take part. Then mother nature stepped in and made the race impossible. The organizers of the event could have very easily just cancelled it. Instead, they took an event that takes months of planning and preparation and set up a completely different race in one week's time. What took place yesterday was truly amazing. Not just the hard work from those putting it on but the entire group of runners that took part. Instead of lamenting the complete turnabout or getting down about a new location, format, long lines, the entire running community that participated turned it into an awesome display of just getting together to run and compete and just make the best of it. I was blown away by that. Reading through the Facebook comments in the group, seeing all the pictures, and just witnessing it firsthand just makes me incredibly proud to be a "runner". I would have never understood what that meant just 2 years ago.
Now, onto the guys here and the race. So much I could try and get into, but I look back on this and think how crazy it is that we put together this group here. And even moreso because these guys didn't travel down here to join some elite running group. That, to me, is what still blows my mind about this whole thing. So, two days ago, 4 guys show up in my driveway, none of which I'd ever met. Yet, it all just worked. Shortly after arriving, we got to go out on a quick little run together. It's hard to even describe how cool that was for me, running in my neck of the woods and just chatting along (as best I could as I was trying to keep up). A little bit afterward, I was able to go pick up @JShare87 and it was the same feeling. Just awesome to finally meet up. @ChiefD arrives a bit after that, we get to hang a bit and then it's off to bed for our big day.
I couldn't sleep. I wasn't nervous. And I wouldn't call it excitement, but I was just ready to go. That's not usually like me either but I ended up with maybe 2 hours of broken sleep. Luckily, I'm somewhat used to that so I wasn't too worried about it affecting the day. We were up early, packed stuff up and got out. As we arrive, looking at the lines of people waiting for the shuttle was a big kick in the nuts. We're debating how to handle this and finally enough decided that we're going to haul all our #### together and walk 2 miles to the camp. In the end, I think it was a good decision, but it was so far from an ideal start to the day. Yet it worked out, we settle in, and comfort finally took over.
I was running leg #5 so I had a good wait. I'm watching the guys just nail their runs. As Chief mentioned above, we are very similar runners and we were running the same order of legs. So I was looking to what he did to judge what I was going to try and do and be able to do. As he also mentioned, our goal paces were way too aggressive. Same story, different race. Onto how my legs went:
Leg #1 (3.2 mile trail leg -- 7:47 pace) -- I got the scouting report from Chief and learned the first part was a relative downhill and then it got tough at the end. So I figured I'd try the same thing and take advantage earlier on to bank some time. Much like Chief, I paid for it at the end.
Mile 1 -- 7:11 (HR 138)
Mile 2 -- 8:04 (HR 148)
Mile 3 -- 8:12 (HR 176)
Mile 3.22 -- 7:19 (HR 183)
I was doing well to start, but when I hit that hill and then steady climb at mile 1.7, my HR skyrocketed and that final 1.5 miles was pure hell. When I finished, I honestly felt like that was the most difficult run I'd ever been on. I wasn't trying to blow my wad too early but that's exactly what I did. Again. Unfortunately I also realized that my run with most of them the day before was not a good idea for me. It's no one's fault and it's certainly not an excuse, but I was purposefully resting my legs all week to be fresh and the 3 mile loop with hills around my house ended up taking more of a toll on me than I thought it would. I should have known better. Before the run, I could feel my quads were tight and aching a little. That's not normal for me. As the day went on, that mistake ended up catching up with me.
Leg #2 (3.4 mile leg -- 8:13 pace) -- Once again, after seeing what happened to Chief ahead of me, I realized that I needed to temper expectations already. I originally was hoping to run this at least at a 7:45 pace. But it was apparent early on that wasn't going to happen. I start my leg and briefly started going on the wrong color route but fixed it within a few seconds. Luckily @Brony saw me and yelled at me to slow down and pace well. That was such a huge help to me and got me on track to try and run smart. This was also the leg where I saw my wife and kids another couple minutes in and that was amazing.
Mile 1 -- 7:58 (HR 157)
Mile 2 -- 8:23 (HR 173)
Mile 3 -- 8:32 (HR 174)
Mile 3.42 -- 7:38 (HR 178)
This was definitely the easiest leg of the day. But, after the first mile, I was struggling big time. The heat and humidity was climbing. But my legs were also starting to really fatigue. As a result, I felt like I was working a lot harder to try and keep any kind of decent pace. By the time I got to the turnaround (this was an out and back), I was in a bad place. I actually knew the guy manning the water station there and seeing him gave me a bit of a boost. I did whatever I could to get me back. But, for the last mile, I realized my quads were like lead and just weren't firing like they should. I thought of @MAC_32 talking about using his hips and glutes to power through and that's what I started to do. I had to change my stride a bit and I was working so hard to finish. We talked about it at the race, but as you come around the final turn, you can see the finish line. But it's still about 4/10ths of a mile away. Your team can see you but it takes so long to get there. I was pushing as hard as I could to get across that line quickly. As bad as I felt after that 1st leg, this was even worse somehow. As soon as I finished, I started thinking that there was no way I was going to be able to run my 3rd leg. I just laid down in the tent and needed a bit to come back to life.
Leg #3 (5.9 mile leg -- 9:39 pace)
Chief finished his 6 mile leg and looked so damn good. While his time was slower than he wanted, he was smart and ran it the right way. I knew I needed to do the same thing or things weren't going to go well. I figured I would start at ~9:00 pace for the first 3 miles and see how things felt. Well, I started off and kept it nice and even and my HR and breathing felt great. I was doing this the right way and I was going to finish like Chief. I could even slow down a little if I needed to but up until this point, I was feeling really good.
Mile 1 -- 8:44 (HR 155)
Mile 2 -- 8:34 (HR 164)
Mile 3 -- 8:54 (HR 166)
At this point, there's a turnaround with a water station. It's so hot and humid and my mouth was parched. I decided to grab a couple drinks, poured some on my head, and just keep it steady until the very end. But when I started back up, shortly afterward it happened to me again. I completely bonked. Fitness wise I felt ok but my legs were done. My quads just wouldn't go anymore. The combination of the hills the day before along with pushing the first 2 legs finally caught up to me. My heart sank. All I'm thinking about is how these guys traveled all the way here and I'm ####### walking my last 2-3 miles. I'm thinking of how Bart is going to be waiting for me and I'm not going to show up when expected. I'm thinking that no one else couldn't finish except me. So I did what I could and would start running for as long as I could. I couldn't feel my legs. My whole body was starting to feel numb. It was so strange. I think it was a total of 10 times I had to stop and walk and the moment I could get anything going, I would start running whatever I could. I know it's happened to you guys in races before, but knowing I still had almost 3 miles to go and they were waiting for me was torture. I wasn't even hurting physically. I finally hit the last turn and I started running and said I was going to collapse before I started walking again. I had to actually close my eyes for most of the end. I somehow finished to the line and handed off the belt for the last time.
Mile 4 -- 10:01 (HR 166)
Mile 5 -- 11:04 (HR 158)
Mile 5.9 -- 9:17 (HR 157)
Well, it ended. But, as disappointed as I was that it happened again, I was at peace knowing that I really gave everything I had. And as you guys have already read from the others that have already posted theirs, so did everyone out there. And THAT was what made the day so amazing, so special, and such a success. The 3 pros on our squad made it look so easy when it was anything but. I really can't even describe how beastly @Juxtatarot, @gruecd, and @tri-man 47 are. What an awesome performance and I'm so glad I was able to see it firsthand.
And, I hope @ChiefD and @JShare87 can appreciate how much we all put into it even with us being disappointed in the overall results. I realized that there was nothing more any of us could have done and I hate reading any kind of disappointment from either of them. We couldn't have chosen a more appropriate team name for the day. And I feel really lucky to have gotten to race with each one of you.
Finally, another huge shout-out to @Brony. Coming out and supporting us and doing all the little things we needed was so ####### awesome. On top of that, he ran 2 of the 3 legs and still was able to assist wherever we needed. The day would have been different if you weren't there.
I was able to get a short recovery run with @Juxtatarot this morning (there was no way I was passing up that last chance to get a quick run together). Since lunch time, my quads are complete toast. So stupid sore right now. But, despite all that pain and suffering yesterday, there's no way I'd give up that experience we had.
Thanks again for everything, BMFs.
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SteelCurtain
Footballguy
gianmarco
Footballguy
Also, the mystery of why @tri-man 47 doesn't ever upload his runs to Strava was revealed.
His pre-digital analog Garmin sundial on his wrist doesn't have that function. I'm actually surprised he can run as fast as he does carrying all that weight on his arm.
His pre-digital analog Garmin sundial on his wrist doesn't have that function. I'm actually surprised he can run as fast as he does carrying all that weight on his arm.
gruecd
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
The foot-whisperer strikes again.
To add to this story, we all got a good laugh at this. We were saying things like:
"The foot ice bath is the gateway drug to the foot rub"
"The ice bath is like soft porn before @tri-man 47 gets to the good stuff."
AAABatteries
Footballguy
tri-man 47
Footballguy
KT82 Relay Race report
Let me start by reinforcing what others have said. @gianmarco was an amazing host. A normal host: "I have beds for most of you, and a couple will need sleeping bags, if that's OK." A @gianmarco host: "My two oldest children will be sleeping out by the curb for a couple of nights, so you guys are all covered." He and his wife were wonderful, gracious hosts.
Props to @Brony for driving us down to STL, getting us to the race site, and chipping in wherever needed ...while also slipping out to run a couple of the legs! Always good to catch up with him!
@JShare87, what can I say? You were obviously hurting, but we didn't begin to know the depth of it. What an incredible effort by you to, rather literally, gut out those second and third legs. You're a better man for it, and you should be very proud of yourself. And having survived my little 'ice bucket challenge,' I'd say you're ready to advance to a full foot massage. But in all seriousness, I'm sorry we didn't get an opportunity to chat more and get better acquainted.
Super impressive to see everyone battle through the day. @Juxtatarot and @gruecd leading the charge and nailing strong pacing throughout; @ChiefD and @gianmarco hanging tough and pushing each other in a friendly little rivalry; @JShare87 starting strong and then hanging on.
My legs:
5.91 miles, 7:45 pace (7:50, 7:46, 7:48, 7:49, 7:53, 7:25)
Hammies felt tight at the start, probably from the morning hike, but some downslope in mile 2 seemed to loosen things up. Held it steady, though I had some hopes for a faster pace. 17 "kills" for the segment (with no one passing me, which was the case throughout the day).
3.20 miles, 8:15 pace (7:55, 8:28, 8:28, 7:39)
This was the trail leg, and it was a frustrating run. My strength is my stride, and my stride isn't good on trails. Not to mention some fatigue. The mostly-grass trail wasn't conducive to running smoothly. As runner #3 in this second sequence, I felt bad about being the first one to slide above 8:00 pacing. Another 9 kills.
3.38 miles, 7:49 pace (7:53, 8:01, 7:44, 7:14)
I wanted to run strong for the team, and I wanted some redemption for the second leg. More fundamentally, a personal goal was to run this at a sub-8:00 pace. The reason: my desire in Boston, 2021, is to be ready to push the final miles (after Heartbreak Hill), and this leg was a practice run for that. Could I run sub-8:00s when I was mentally and physically at my limits? As intended, I used mantras throughout this leg to carry me along, and I mentally clicked through the various segments. I was very pumped as I moved into the final mile, particularly after making the final turn for the final half-mile push to the finish. Another ~12 kills, too.
Overall, a great weekend reconnecting with some friends and meeting a couple of guys for the first time. I'm so glad we did this!
Let me start by reinforcing what others have said. @gianmarco was an amazing host. A normal host: "I have beds for most of you, and a couple will need sleeping bags, if that's OK." A @gianmarco host: "My two oldest children will be sleeping out by the curb for a couple of nights, so you guys are all covered." He and his wife were wonderful, gracious hosts.
Props to @Brony for driving us down to STL, getting us to the race site, and chipping in wherever needed ...while also slipping out to run a couple of the legs! Always good to catch up with him!
@JShare87, what can I say? You were obviously hurting, but we didn't begin to know the depth of it. What an incredible effort by you to, rather literally, gut out those second and third legs. You're a better man for it, and you should be very proud of yourself. And having survived my little 'ice bucket challenge,' I'd say you're ready to advance to a full foot massage. But in all seriousness, I'm sorry we didn't get an opportunity to chat more and get better acquainted.
Super impressive to see everyone battle through the day. @Juxtatarot and @gruecd leading the charge and nailing strong pacing throughout; @ChiefD and @gianmarco hanging tough and pushing each other in a friendly little rivalry; @JShare87 starting strong and then hanging on.
My legs:
5.91 miles, 7:45 pace (7:50, 7:46, 7:48, 7:49, 7:53, 7:25)
Hammies felt tight at the start, probably from the morning hike, but some downslope in mile 2 seemed to loosen things up. Held it steady, though I had some hopes for a faster pace. 17 "kills" for the segment (with no one passing me, which was the case throughout the day).
3.20 miles, 8:15 pace (7:55, 8:28, 8:28, 7:39)
This was the trail leg, and it was a frustrating run. My strength is my stride, and my stride isn't good on trails. Not to mention some fatigue. The mostly-grass trail wasn't conducive to running smoothly. As runner #3 in this second sequence, I felt bad about being the first one to slide above 8:00 pacing. Another 9 kills.
3.38 miles, 7:49 pace (7:53, 8:01, 7:44, 7:14)
I wanted to run strong for the team, and I wanted some redemption for the second leg. More fundamentally, a personal goal was to run this at a sub-8:00 pace. The reason: my desire in Boston, 2021, is to be ready to push the final miles (after Heartbreak Hill), and this leg was a practice run for that. Could I run sub-8:00s when I was mentally and physically at my limits? As intended, I used mantras throughout this leg to carry me along, and I mentally clicked through the various segments. I was very pumped as I moved into the final mile, particularly after making the final turn for the final half-mile push to the finish. Another ~12 kills, too.
Overall, a great weekend reconnecting with some friends and meeting a couple of guys for the first time. I'm so glad we did this!
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MAC_32
Footballguy
It took the better part of an hour this morning, but I found it more fulfilling then if I had read it with each piece added over the last day. Still soaking it all in. With my feet soaking in ice water.
beer 30
Footballguy
Barefoot Runners Unite!
Very cool to read the race reports guys, sounds like a fantastic experience even if the conditions did suck. You guys are all beasts
ChiefD
Footballguy
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
THIS is why this thread as started way back when!!!! I've said it before, someone needs to write a book about about the incredible stuff that has gone on in here over the years!!
Zasada
Footballguy
Awesome reports, BMFs.
@JShare87, yours was truly special. Not just the candor, but you dredging-up every ounce of motivation you could go get out on that third leg. So inspirational. One of the reasons I stay away from team sports is because I can't handle the stress of others depending on me. It's already stressful enough just trying to perform individually, let alone drive the success/failure of a team. So I have had a small taste of the massive thanksgiving feast of anxiety you had this weekend and admire your resolve.
@gianmarco, fantastic work putting this whole BMF-convention together. Being "responsible" for an event like this can be very stressful and it seems unanimous that you pulled it off with excellence. Wished I could have been there.
@JShare87, yours was truly special. Not just the candor, but you dredging-up every ounce of motivation you could go get out on that third leg. So inspirational. One of the reasons I stay away from team sports is because I can't handle the stress of others depending on me. It's already stressful enough just trying to perform individually, let alone drive the success/failure of a team. So I have had a small taste of the massive thanksgiving feast of anxiety you had this weekend and admire your resolve.
@gianmarco, fantastic work putting this whole BMF-convention together. Being "responsible" for an event like this can be very stressful and it seems unanimous that you pulled it off with excellence. Wished I could have been there.
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MAC_32
Footballguy
I think sometimes a post says everything and there's no follow up necessary. That was one of those posts. It was honest. It was raw. It showed self awareness. It showed grit. And it will effect everyone reading it in its own unique meaningful way.
JShare87
Footballguy
Thanks everyone for all the kind words. I was expressing to @Brony and @ChiefD how this place has changed my life on the ride back to @gianmarco‘s house from the relay. Pretty sure one of them busted my balls for expressing my feelings but it was all in good fun. Had some great personal conversations with @gruecd, @gianmarco, @ChiefD, @Brony, and @tri-man 47 over the weekend. @Juxtatarot is a pretty quiet, humble, and reserved individual much like he is on here. A man of few words, but when he speaks, it’s meaningful. The point being is, this place is filled with great human beings. If anyone is ever in my neck of the woods, please reach out to me so we can get together.
The Iguana
Footballguy
I love this place. Great reading this evening. Pretty sure I've said it several times here... know I've thought it about a million times... this community is very inspiring on so many levels. Glad I ventured in shortly after I started my journey and even happier to have crashed the party and joined the conversation.
You can't imagine how often this thread is in my mind when out for a run. This is especially true in the days that are the toughest. This place inspires and motivates me daily.
Thanks to all you wonderful, beautiful, BMFs.
You can't imagine how often this thread is in my mind when out for a run. This is especially true in the days that are the toughest. This place inspires and motivates me daily.
Thanks to all you wonderful, beautiful, BMFs.
gianmarco
Footballguy
gianmarco
Footballguy
But in all seriousness, I'm doing the Father's Day 5K again with my wife in a couple weeks. After that, I don't have anything until my Hot Chocolate 15K in late November.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep it that way. I had a fun year last year doing a race every couple months (5-6 last year) but I want to cut back this year for sure. Work on some miles this summer and fall and then get into a nice cycle leading into that 15K.
MAC_32
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
Yeah, maybe. I do think it is time for something different. Maybe a year of trail races and then revisit the marathon when my wife decides not to hate me so much about running.
The Iguana
Footballguy
I have the Monumental for November but need to sign up for a 5k or 10k or something soon. I like the freedom of just running to run but I like having something to look forward to and plan for also.
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