Ran a 10k - Official Thread (4 Viewers)

[pbm107]

I get a little self-conscious about what people in cars are thinking about me!

I'm a lot more self-conscience in other areas of my life, but with running I don't mind being the lunatic runner in the neighborhood.  Quite often when I meet people there like you're that guy I seeing running everywhere. 

 

[MAC_32]

I thought that was a middle eastern pastry.  Not sure how that keeps you warm.  

What, you don't eat pastries while running to keep warm in the winter time?

 

[SFBayDuck]

What, you don't eat pastries while running to keep warm in the winter time?

Only apple fritters.

 

[SteelCurtain]

Unless I'm racing, I'll wear long parts if it's under 40.  It's not that I always need them, but I get a little self-conscious about what people in cars are thinking about me!  

My main problem is my hands get cold easily.  In the 40s and 50s I'll wear exactly what I'd wear in summer but with gloves.  My hands can't handle much below 20.  I've probably bought 8 or 9 pairs of gloves/mittens since I've started running but none of them work well in the super cold.  The last pair I bought had Amazon reviews like "my husband was outside all day with these gloves in sub-zero temperatures in Minnesota and his hands stayed toasty" but they didn't work well for me under 20.

I start to wear old ski gloves when it is below 15 degrees.   If hands get too hot, I just take them off for a few minutes.

 

[mr. furley]

What, you don't eat pastries while running to keep warm in the winter time?

guy runs 100 miles at a time. he's shoveling in 16" pizzas on the run.

 

[ThreeThousand]

Unless I'm racing, I'll wear long parts if it's under 40.  It's not that I always need them, but I get a little self-conscious about what people in cars are thinking about me!  

My main problem is my hands get cold easily.  In the 40s and 50s I'll wear exactly what I'd wear in summer but with gloves.  My hands can't handle much below 20.  I've probably bought 8 or 9 pairs of gloves/mittens since I've started running but none of them work well in the super cold.  The last pair I bought had Amazon reviews like "my husband was outside all day with these gloves in sub-zero temperatures in Minnesota and his hands stayed toasty" but they didn't work well for me under 20.

You should check out whether you have Raynaud's or not.  I do, and the realization that gloves are never going to help has been nice.  Now I can just run, knowing that my hands are going to be cold no matter what.  The shower afterwards is rough, though.

 

[tri-man 47]

Seventh annual year-end reports!  (If you want to see prior reports, searching on "funniest" in this thread should get you to them, or are they lost with this new thread?).  This is an open invitation to everyone who spends time here in the thread.  Add your report over the next week or two.  It’s a great time to step back and review the 2016 year as well as look ahead to 2017.

2016 Year-end Report

Your goals coming into the year, and were they achieved?

 

New accomplishments or PRs in 2016:

 

Your proudest and/or best race (or segment within a race):

 

A race or race training disappointment during 2016:

 

Total training volume during 2016:

 

Best memories of other guys’ training or races in 2016:

 

Oddest or funniest experiences (yours or one of the other guys):

 

And let me also say:

 

Goal(s) for 2017:

 

 

[Hang 10]

 

2016 Year-end Report

Your goals coming into the year, and were they achieved?

1. Build on the momentum of 2015. - I'd say that I definitely did this. It was a strong year for me overall. 

2. BQ again but this time get into the race. - NOPE

New accomplishments or PRs in 2016:

5K - 18:28

10K - 38:52

HM - 1:26:44

Your proudest and/or best race (or segment within a race):

This is a tough one but I'd probably go with my HM pr. Conditions were ridiculous with high winds and rain but I still managed a negative split and a 6 second PR.

A race or race training disappointment during 2016:

This one is easy. Getting injured right before my marathon taper was pretty crushing. There's no doubt in my mind that I'd have run better than 3:05 had I stayed healthy. But hey, you live and you learn. I will be smarter training for my next BQ attempt this spring. 

Total training volume during 2016:

Currently at 2,216 miles...probably reach 2,250 or so by years end. 

Best memories of other guys’ training or races in 2016:

Always a tough question but I think the thing that stands out the most for is the jump @MAC_32 made in his fitness. He went from good runner to knocking on the door of being a local elite. Very impressive.

And of course who could forget about @SteveC702 's Olympic quest. Though he narrowly fell short it was still an incredible year and unimaginable to the rest of us hobby joggers.

Oddest or funniest experiences (yours or one of the other guys):

Probably had to a local buddy of mine getting bit by a rabid fox while running the trails this summer. Of course getting bit wasn't funny but his interview to the local news was hilarious. When he told the Asian'd reporter that the fox "pearl harbored" him I lost it.

http://wtkr.com/2016/07/21/fox-taken-from-frist-landing-state-park-tests-positive-for-rabies/       

 

And let me also say:

It's hard to say I was disappointed with 2016 but it does leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth to get in the best shape of my life this Fall and have nothing to show for it. But when I was reflecting back on the year the other day I think what stood out the most is that I became a giant medal monger. This year I finished 1st overall in a race, 2nd overall twice, 3rd overall once, won my age group 5 times, 2nd place once and 3rd twice. That's far in away the most hardware I've ever earned in a single year. 

Goal(s) for 2017:

Train smarter. Get faster. Punch my ticket to Boston 2018.

 

[Osaurus]

On the plus side, this is a great time of year to hit the reset button.  You accomplished a lot this year.  Enjoy it 

Great point.  On the mend for the long weekend and back to running.  Goals for next year mostly involve longer distance, staying healthy, and longer distance.

2016 for me:

11 5ks

2 8ks (including first trail run)

1 10k

Calf muscle tear took me off my feet for 8 weeks

Lots to be proud of and lots to look forward to next year.

 

[SteelCurtain]

2016 Year-end Report

Your goals coming into the year, and were they achieved?

  I didn’t have any goals initially.  However, I decided in July to try to BQ at NYC in November.  This was after running a 3:52 marathon in June.

New accomplishments or PRs in 2016:

  Marathon – 3:21:04 (BQ) (Old PR was 3:29:11)

5K – 19:26 (Old PR was 20:36)

Your proudest and/or best race (or segment within a race):

  Getting the BQ in NYC was super cool.

A race or race training disappointment during 2016:

  Disappointed:

1.       I didn’t break 3:20 at NYC

2.      I didn’t PR a half marathon in September (missed it by 22 seconds)

3.      Physically I came pretty close to breaking down.  I had to go to PT to keep the body working.  Hope I haven’t hit my limit.

Total training volume during 2016:

  Estimating around 1300 miles.  I did 865.1 miles since late July (that’s when I got my new watch).

Best memories of other guys’ training or races in 2016:

  Loved watching @SteveC702 chase down his Olympic dreams.

Inspired by @Ned's positivity and training commitment

Awed by @tri-man 47's focus on core, lunges, and keeping the body healthy

Oddest or funniest experiences (yours or one of the other guys):

  It was cool to have Ned say to me to say “Hi” to Shalene Flanigan when I was in NYC.  So I texted him a picture I took of her when she was at the expo at a booth doing autographs.  Then at the race, I finished and was stumbling towards food and bag check and inevitably got my medal from a kind volunteer….who happened to be US Olympian Shalene Flanigan!

And let me also say:

  I wouldn’t have been able to BQ without this board’s positivity, knowledge and ability to keep me accountable.  So a heartfelt thank you.

And I couldn’t have done it without @Ned texting me “Its time to BQ. HTFU and stop being a pu55y”  He has a way with words! 



 




Goal(s) for 2017:

Chicago Marathon – I’d love to BQ for 2019 and hopefully run a 3:15-3:18.

Also, I want to get into the Boston marathon field for 2018.

 

[ChiefD]

Went back and looked at last years report for a frame of reference, so here we go.

2016 Year-end Report

Your goals coming into the year, and were they achieved? Beat 1:49 in the HM. After the Chicago race, I think I may crush this. And also, run Chicago again if I can get a spot. My goal there would be sub 4:00. Another year of training should get me there.

I give this one a 50/50. Achieved goal #1 in the HM, but did not hit sub 4:00 in the marathon.

 

New accomplishments or PRs in 2016: 

Actually had a good year here. Hit 1:46 for the HM, which was a really good breakthrough performance for me. And also PR'd the marathon by 2 minutes. Not what I wanted, but it still counts and I am glad I gave it another go. I also know I have another one in me, but not in 2017. 

 

Your proudest and/or best race (or segment within a race):

Early in the half marathon, I had a revelation on how to finally pace myself properly. I realized I could bust ### down the hills and ease back just a tick on the uphills. I learned this maybe 4 miles into this race, and I wish I had realized it earlier. I was really proud of how I ran this race, because there is a late hill in this race that always had kicked my ###. And this time I was prepared for it. And I killed it. This is my normal spring race, and I'm really excited to tackle this one again come April.

A race or race training disappointment during 2016:

 I would say my effort training leading into Chicago. I had such high hopes for this cycle, but I wasn't ready for another marathon mentally. Add to that a brutal summer here in KC, and my heart was not in it. And the results showed it. BUT, there was still a PR, and I got through it, and I am damn proud of that.

Total training volume during 2016:

1195 miles. A slight increase over last year, and the health issues over the last month killed any momentum I had going into December. Will end up being 100 miles or so over last year, so I'm happy with that.

 

Best memories of other guys’ training or races in 2016:

So many. Duck getting into Western States has to be the highlight for sure. I know how much that means to him. Others include: Hang10's gutsy performance in the marathon despite the ankle issues, Steel Curtain's marathon, tri-man continuing to kick ###, and of course following SteveC throughout the whole Olympic experience. Mac's marathon balls to the wall race. Ned having one hell of a training cycle for this last marathon. I know I am forgetting stuff, so will come back later to add to this.

 

Oddest or funniest experiences (yours or one of the other guys):

 I have to think about this one for a bit.

And let me also say:

I met my first one of "youse guys" in person, and tri-man was pure class all the way. A good dude for sure, and a representation of how great this community is. I would not be still doing this if not for this group, and it is much appreciated. It has been a pleasure hanging with you guys on here and on strava. A big thanks to all of you for everything. 

 

Goal(s) for 2017:

Feel better. Run a 1:45 half in the spring, and see what happens. Run some more smaller races in the 5K and 10K arena just to mix it up.

 

 

[Hang 10]

We love you too, @ChiefD! 

 

[Osaurus]

I know I didn't follow the format.  I'll try better next year.  

ETA:  I did get on Strava finally!  

 

[Ned]

Ughhhhhhhhh, this board blows.

Guys, don't hit control enter by accident.  It automatically posts for you.  I did it twice in a row..... deleted the dup, but it didn't appear deleted.  So I deleted again and now both are gone.  

I'm going to have to redo my entire YE rpt.....

 

[Hang 10]

Ughhhhhhhhh, this board blows.

Guys, don't hit control enter by accident.  It automatically posts for you.  I did it twice in a row..... deleted the dup, but it didn't appear deleted.  So I deleted again and now both are gone.  

I'm going to have to redo my entire YE rpt.....

 

[Ned]

It's kind of symbolic of my year.  

 

[Brony]

I used balaclava when the temp was zero. Worked really well. Biggest (ahem)  problem at that temp is protecting the peens. 

At20, a hat is good enough for me. My hands will get cold if I'm walking but no problem if running fortunately. 

I swear by goretex outer shell for upper body. With that jacket and a sweatshirt or long sleeve, I'm probably good to - 20.

 

[SteelCurtain]

Ughhhhhhhhh, this board blows.

Guys, don't hit control enter by accident.  It automatically posts for you.  I did it twice in a row..... deleted the dup, but it didn't appear deleted.  So I deleted again and now both are gone.  

I'm going to have to redo my entire YE rpt.....

Happened to me too!  Second one I did in Word and then copy and pasted.

 

[SteelCurtain]

It's kind of symbolic of my year.  

 

[pbm107]

[SIZE=13.5pt]2016 Year-end Report[/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Your goals coming into the year, and were they achieved?[/SIZE]

From last year’s report on goals: “Not sure trying to figure all that out now. It should fun to compete with/against Juxt and Ned at Broad Street. If I run more miles than this year I will improve, but at some point I would like to run a good half.”

Well it was really cool hanging out with Juxt and Ned the night before Broad Street, we mostly talked about you guys.  Only Juxt and I raced because @Ned hasn’t figured out how to operate a calendar. 

I didn’t run more miles than last year, but I did finally run a good half marathon.

[SIZE=13.5pt]New accomplishments or PRs in 2016:[/SIZE]

PRs
Mile  5:09
5K    17:49
Half  1:23:23

[SIZE=13.5pt]Your proudest and/or best race (or segment within a race):[/SIZE]

The Love Half marathon, this distance has been my nemesis and I was able to improve my PR from 1:28:12 to 1:23:23. 

[SIZE=13.5pt]A race or race training disappointment during 2016:[/SIZE]

The over-training syndrome or whatever I went through this summer and early fall.  This Sept I broke my 55 month streak of running at least 100 miles a month.  Not being able to train and run a fall marathon sucked.

[SIZE=13.5pt]Total training volume during 2016:[/SIZE]

Currently at 2,248 and should be over 2,300 by the end of the year.  It was a disappointing year for the most part but I am proud of the progress I have made through the years.


Year



Miles



Elevation



HR



Pace



2016



2,248.15



54,246



140



8:09



2015



2,843.93



74,883



140



8:11



2014



1,957.04



58,685



142



8:21



2013



2,214.73



70,932



144



8:26



2012



1,823.15



63,288



146



8:26



2011



947.96



33,173



--



8:52




[SIZE=13.5pt]Best memories of other guys’ training or races in 2016:[/SIZE]

@SFBayDuck finally winning the lottery with the Western States.

@Juxtatarot breaking 18 in a 5K, for me it is an indication that he has the speed to really improve his Marathon time.

@MAC_32 breaking 17 in a 5K, insane.  His McMillan marathon equivalent is 2:40.

@Steel Curtain and @FUBAR with their BQs.

@SteveC702  pursuit of the Olympics, he really went for it again and again.

In general it was a tough year for the group, running is hard.  There was a lot of bad luck this year.

[SIZE=13.5pt]Oddest or funniest experiences (yours or one of the other guys):[/SIZE]

MAC casually dropping a 5:38 mile at the start of a half. 

[SIZE=13.5pt]Goal(s) for 2017:[/SIZE]

A BQ in March and get in PR shape in the fall.  I am considering a 100K in Sept.

 

[Ned]

I am considering a 100K in Sept.

 

 

[Hang 10]

 

 

 

[MAC_32]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Your goals coming into the year, and were they achieved? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Primary goal - sub 90 half. It'll depend on the conditions, but I'd like to do the February trail 10K in under 55 minutes (previous times - 1:03:12 and 58:50). If I achieve my half goal in Spring then I'll probably look to do something different this summer/fall. If I don't then I'd like to get 1,200 miles in by the end of October. I figure if I can do that then I will in turn run sub 90.  [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]1:25:56 half (8 minute PR), 47+ minute February trail 10K (11 minute PR), completing a marathon would qualify as something different in Summer/Fall, and I eclipsed 1,200 miles in early August. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]I’d say I achieved my goals.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]New accomplishments or PRs in 2016: [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Most miles in a week - 64 (previous 36), month - 239 (previous 133), and most importantly…year – less than 50 miles away from 2K (previous – about 1,100). I demolished the 5K goal (sub 18) I set 5 years ago and had given up on then to my surprise bested my high school PR (16:55) too – 16:27.  [/SIZE]The aforementioned half marathon PR and trail 10K CR.  I also set an 8+ minute PR for a road 10 miler (1:02:09) and a road 5 miler PR (30:09).  While I fell short of my BQ goal and I am confident I can run a lot faster my marathon bench mark has been set - 3:25:40. 

[SIZE=13.5pt]Overall, I wish myself good luck one upping the progress I made this year ever again.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Your proudest and/or best race (or segment within a race):[/SIZE][SIZE=13.5pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]I found it very difficult to narrow it down to one.  [/SIZE]I’m going to say the half in large part because it had been my primary goal for 18 months and the weather conditions that day were some of the worst I have ever seen - mid-May, 30-35 degrees, extremely windy with every type of precipitation imaginable (in order - sleet, snow, hail, torrential downpour, thunder snow – to be fair this was immediately after I finished though).  That additional hurdle thrown by mother nature was a deal breaker for most, so overcoming it made burying that goal that much sweeter.  Could make an argument for any of the first 6 races though.  My reactions ranged from surprised to proud when I saw the clock as I approached the finish line at each one…and that 5K goal had been sitting out there for the better part of a decade.  But the feeling of accomplishment at the other 5 races paled in comparison to how I felt approaching the half finish line.

[SIZE=13.5pt]A race or race training disappointment during 2016:[/SIZE][SIZE=13.5pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]The marathon is the easy answer, but I’m going to zag and say the dumb training decisions I made between weeks 6 and 11 of training for that marathon.  [/SIZE]This being my first real go at the marathon I knew I was going to make mistakes in training; I just needed to avoid the big one.  I didn’t.  The one period sticks out like a sore thumb (bridge from week 10 to 11 - 20 miles, 11 miles + strength training, rest, 11 miles + strength training again), but there were several similar ones earlier that I believe compounded over time causing that last error to be worse than it would have been otherwise.  I have been a vocal proponent of listening to your body while using the training plan as more of a suggested path than gospel, but I learned there is one huge exception – after a long run.  Your body may not ask for a rest immediately after, but no matter how you feel you should anyway.  I did not make good training decisions on the back-end of the long runs during this stretch, which culminated with the stretch cited above. 

[SIZE=13.5pt]Easy to see in hind sight, and was probably easy for others with experience on the outside to see coming, but I think this was a lesson I needed to learn the hard way.  [/SIZE]I don’t know if those missteps, which caused me to significantly dial back my training weeks 12 and 13, ultimately led to my bonking but it may have reduced the margin of error to zero, which mother nature and my plan of attack took care of race day.

[SIZE=13.5pt]Total training volume during 2016:[/SIZE][SIZE=13.5pt]  [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Once I felt like I was over the groin and back issues post-marathon 2,000 miles became the goal.  [/SIZE]Weather has delayed getting there, but I will get to it between Christmas and New Year’s. 

[SIZE=13.5pt]Best memories of other guys’ training or races in 2016:[/SIZE][SIZE=13.5pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]I’m not going to isolate one.  [/SIZE]I’m going to cite the collective.  This is a resilient group and I think 2016 really showed that all adversity does is cause someone in this group to detour; they keep going though.  Sure there were some successes (the BQ’s, juxt’s streak, and Steve chasing Rio jump out), but I think there were a lot more road blocks.  And every single one of you has either overcame them or are working towards it.  There is no give-up in this group and I think because of that so many in here achieve their goals – we feed off our surroundings. 

[SIZE=13.5pt]Our surroundings in here just happen to be really ####### awesome.  [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Oddest or funniest experiences (yours or one of the other guys):[/SIZE][SIZE=13.5pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]My Good Samaritan.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]And let me also say:[/SIZE][SIZE=13.5pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Upon review of 2016 my output was really just a standard bell curve.  [/SIZE]You can see it from a raw mileage perspective on Strava, but it was also evident in my racing performances, strength training, and just generally how I felt day-to-day.  I did not start off in good shape.  I had been battling a variety of nagging injuries off and on for about 15 months then a couple of flu bugs and holiday dieting sent me over the edge.  Winter was about rededicating myself in the gym (started at about 200 lbs and 23% body fat) and slowly increasing mileage.  Throughout winter and into spring I experienced something I hadn’t in a very long time – no setbacks.  I was so used to taking two steps forward and one step back or one step forward and two steps back that it had subconsciously developed into an expectation.  This year though?  It wasn’t happening, so I just continued to ride the wave of momentum.  I knew it was going to stop at some point, but every week when I re-evaluated the previous week and what I wanted to do the next two weeks I kept coming to the same conclusion – I don’t know what the wall is and I am not going to know until I hit it.  So let’s keep going.  I’m not even sure I came close to my ceiling as from a cardio perspective I consistently felt like I had more.  I just didn’t have the physical base developed enough to do more than what I was doing.  There are a variety of reasons why my BQ attempt failed, but overall I think it’s rather simple – I peaked too early.  A part of me knew it was going to happen as the arrow can’t go up at that rate forever, but I was playing with house money having already achieved all my goals so I wanted to push it just to see how far I could go.  I obviously also wanted to BQ, so that weekly re-evaluation was a tug of war between the angel and the devil in my head.

[SIZE=13.5pt]Goal(s) for 2017:[/SIZE][SIZE=13.5pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Now that I have a better sense of what my abilities are, 2017 is going to be about establishing and maintaining a stronger base.  [/SIZE]I am now about 180 pounds and at 14% body fat.  I won’t complain about a few extra pounds as long as the body fat stays the same (or improves).  Evaluating my workouts year-over-year I appear to be now where I was about March last year, so I have an opportunity to start 3 months ahead.  I figure if I continue to maintain this stronger base that once I set a goal I can more confidently plan and execute my training so that I peak at my goal race, not halfway through training.  Because being honest with myself, I’m fried.  I’m not mentally ready to even think about racing, let alone mapping out a plan.  I’ve been fried since the marathon and the edge hasn’t come back.  It will, and I’m happy to see that I haven’t had problems ramping up the intensity for at least a couple of workouts per week, but I’m not going to force it when it’s not there and am just going to focus on the baseline until that edge returns.  Whenever it does though…I am going to #### some #### up. 

 

[jb1020]

at everybody...

 

[SFBayDuck]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Goal(s) for 2017:[/SIZE]

A BQ in March and get in PR shape in the fall.  I am considering a 100K in Sept.

Hell yeah!  Have one in mind yet?

 

[pbm107]

Hell yeah!  Have one in mind yet?

I may be getting a little ahead of myself, lets see if I can handle the mileage buildup for my March marathon.  The 100K is the Boulder Field 100, my in-laws live a few miles from this race so it would be fairly convenient for me.

 

[FUBAR]

What, you don't eat pastries while running to keep warm in the winter time?

Real men eat dozens of donuts. 

 

[FUBAR]

How many can we get from here to do the Big dog? 

Registration for 17 isn't up yet but the 2016 site:

Description

The Backyard Ultra is back for 2016.
The concept is simple. 
At 0700 hours on Saturday, October 15, we will start a race around the 4.166667 mile Big Trail. 
The time limit will be one hour.
At 0800 hours, we will begin another race around the trail.
We will do the same at 0900, 1000, and so on, 
every hour, on the hour,
until only one runner can complete a race within the time limit.
Any runner not in the starting corral for any race, is not eligible to continue.
No late starts!
If no single runner can complete a race at the end, 
there will be no winner.

At 1900 hours, the races will transfer to a road out and back course.
At 0700 hours the following morning, we will return to the trail loop.

Have you ever thought that you could not be beaten,
if only the faster runners were unable to run away and leave you?
This is your chance to find out.
Every surviving runner will be tied for the lead, every hour.

Runners are responsible for their personal aid.
Water will be available throughout the race (mineral water or city water)
Brats and Chili will be served beginning at 1500 hours and continuing until the finish.
Rumor has it, there will be moonshine testing lessons around the campfire.
Crews are allowed, but not necessary.
4x8 foot spaces will be provided for runners near the start/finish (first come-first served),
Runners who give up will be required to vacate their space,
so that survivors can move closer to the starting corral.

All runners will receive a Backyard T-shirt.
Amy's birthday is on October 16.
Runners surviving to complete the first loop on Amy's birthday
(18 hours or 75 miles)
will receive a medal. 

Since the original backyard ultra was run,
many replicas have been held around the world.
All of those races have cutoffs and tiebreakers.
Only the Big Backyard will continue until but one man is left standing...
no matter how long it takes.
This is a race to the death...

Big's Backyard Ultra. Accept no substitutes!

This is a for profit race.
The entry fee is set to allow enough profit to pay the property taxes on the Big Farm.

 

[SFBayDuck]

How many can we get from here to do the Big dog? 

This is put on by the same guy who runs the Barkley Marathons, Lazarus Lake.  I was following along as he was posting updates on the Ultralist this October, people dropping one by one.  Really cool idea for a race.

 

[Ned]

OK, lets try this again.

2016 Year-end Report[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

Your goals coming into the year, and were they achieved?[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

I had none going into 2016 other than to enjoy running.  That all changed when I had dinner with @pbm107 and @Juxtatarot.  They convinced me to give Boston another shot.   

[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

New accomplishments or PRs in 2016:[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

No PRs for me this year.  First time in 6 years I’m saying that, so I’m fortunate. 

[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

Your proudest and/or best race (or segment within a race): [SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

 The way I paced/managed the 15K I ran in October was awesome.  About as perfectly managed as I’ve ever had.  It’s a shame I ruined the clear PR by making a wrong turn so close to the finish.  Should've been ~59:30.... 

[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

A race or race training disappointment during 2016: [SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

 Obviously having my first ever (in my lifetime) DNF.  The disappointment weighed on me a lot, but I’m learning from it.

[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

Total training volume during 2016:[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

 2,186mi which is a PR for me.  1,527 of those miles were in a 6mos period where I focused on the marathon.  In hind sight that was too much…[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

Best memories of other guys’ training or races in 2016:[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

 This is always the hardest one to answer, but 2 really stick with me.

@SteveC702's relentless pursuit of the Olympics was incredible.  I know he’s gone dark (online speaking), but I hope he knows how much of a role model he was/is for me.

@Steel Curtain's resurgence to crushing his marathon PR and getting a BQ.  I knew he had the talent for it – I’m glad he went for it and succeeded![SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

Oddest or funniest experiences (yours or one of the other guys):[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

 I’m a loner when I run and rarely see any serious runners around here.  One day this summer I saw this fast guy running shirtless with a HRM strap.  We both had that sort of ‘hey wtf are you doing out here’ looks on our faces.  Then a couple weeks later I get all of these alerts from Strava – that sucker went hunting on my turf and was stealing my segment CRs.  That was a declaration of war….. so I went after it and retook the CRs except 1.  

And let me also say:[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

I’ve battled with the disappointment of this year for the past few weeks, but I am extremely fortunate that I’ve had a crazy run of 6 years where PRs dropped like flies.  It was unrealistic to expect that to continue forever, which forces me to appreciate the good days just a little bit more.  I need to remember where I came from...My disappointing days now would've been a distant dream for 2010 me.  

[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

Goal(s) for 2017:[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Get my ankle healthy and get this damn BQ.  [/SIZE]I know it’s dumb, but I really want the BQ before I hit the 40-44 age group (I’ll be 40 for the 2019 race, so fall 2018 is it).  The +5mins will be nice, but it almost feels like cheating after I’ve chased 3:05 for so long (really 3:10, but you know what I mean).[SIZE=12pt][/SIZE]

 

[Ned]

How many can we get from here to do the Big dog? 

This is put on by the same guy who runs the Barkley Marathons, Lazarus Lake.  I was following along as he was posting updates on the Ultralist this October, people dropping one by one.  Really cool idea for a race.

Super cool idea.  All sorts of strategy ideas are going through my head.

 

[pbm107]

Get my ankle healthy and get this damn BQ.

How is the ankle feeling?

 

[Ned]

How is the ankle feeling?

I struggle to answer this every day; if you told me to go run right now, I could.  Every.fricken.day...... the thought crosses my mind to just go out for a quick 5 miler.  It won't do any more damage....But that's like telling a crack addict that taking just a little hit won't be a big deal.

There are times every day where I'll feel the same areas (achilles insertion point and peroneal area) that are still kind of tender.  Some nights I'll get a weird sharpish type of pain in my achilles.  In a vacuum, the signals aren't that big of a deal, but these are similar feelings I ignored during training and look where that got me.  It's much better than before Rehoboth, but it's not 100%.  If I don't see any more improvement by the new year, I'm going to go see a dr since I don't want to get back on the road until it's 100% again.

 

[pbm107]

@Ned it is good news that you are seeing improvement and that you feel good enough to run if you had to.  Waiting for it to be 100% is the right move.  When you do try running again I suggest you run in the most traditional pair of shoes (in terms of heel drop) you own to minimize the strain on the achilles.  

I recently started having achilles pain myself (must be contagious) and switching my running shoes made all the difference. 

 

[SFBayDuck]

Well it is good news that you are seeing improvement and that you feel good enough to run if you had to.  Waiting for it to be 100% is the right move.  When you do try running again I suggest you run in the most traditional pair of shoes (in terms of heel drop) you own to minimize the strain on the achilles.  

I recently started having achilles pain myself (must be contagious) and switching my running shoes made all the difference. 

When I'm having achilles issues I do the half an insert under the insert trick mentioned in that article. Just a little extra lift in the heel area to reduce the stress/stretch in the achilles. 

 

[Ned]

Well it is good news that you are seeing improvement and that you feel good enough to run if you had to.  Waiting for it to be 100% is the right move.  When you do try running again I suggest you run in the most traditional pair of shoes (in terms of heel drop) you own to minimize the strain on the achilles.  

I recently started having achilles pain myself (must be contagious) and switching my running shoes made all the difference. 

When I'm having achilles issues I do the half an insert under the insert trick mentioned in that article. Just a little extra lift in the heel area to reduce the stress/stretch in the achilles. 

I was just about to respond about that little trick.  Will definitely give it a shot!  

I suspected it may just be a footwear issue, so I was experimenting as well and obviously haven't found the cure.  IIRC, aside from the trail shoes and the racing flats, they are all in that 9mm drop range (runningwarehouse.com is an outstanding source for checking this stuff).  Hmmmm... 

 

[pbm107]

I was just about to respond about that little trick.  Will definitely give it a shot!  

I suspected it may just be a footwear issue, so I was experimenting as well and obviously haven't found the cure.  IIRC, aside from the trail shoes and the racing flats, they are all in that 9mm drop range (runningwarehouse.com is an outstanding source for checking this stuff).  Hmmmm... 

For me going from Saucony Ride 8 (8mm drop) to Brooks Ghost 9 (12mm) took care of the achilles.

 

[NREC34]

Did 4.66 miles today but my year end report would be bad if I did one.

Sept '15 I set 3 PRs one weekend then early October I visited Central Park and had the run of my life. Close to 10 miles in like 1:20 or something. Ever since then it's been a slow regression down. I haven't read this thread for a long time either. I guess seeing how great everyone is doing would probably make me feel worse about myself.

Running just fell out of a "must do" almost every day for whatever reason. I've put on some pounds too. Was under 200 for awhile at my best. Pretty good for 6'2

I mean I was close to thinking I was able to do a marathon back at my high point and now if I can do 3 miles in 30 minutes on a treadmill it feels like a win. 

Maybe I can turn it back around next year. 

 

[ChiefD]

I guess seeing how great everyone is doing would probably make me feel worse about myself.

Don't think this, especially about this crew. Getting out and doing anything is a win. 

 

[Juxtatarot]

How many can we get from here to do the Big dog? 

You know, if there was ever a group of us that wanted to do an Ultra together, something like this would be ideal.    If a number of you would want to do this, I'd seriously consider it.

 

[Ned]

You know, if there was ever a group of us that wanted to do an Ultra together, something like this would be ideal.    If a number of you would want to do this, I'd seriously consider it.

Would the obvious strategy be to try and run each lap in as close to an hour as possible?  How difficult is the trail for them to make the cutoff an hour for a little over 4 miles?  After seeing how sick and twisted the Barclay's marathons course is, I have to assume that 14min miles is going to prove to be pretty tough after the first couple of laps.    

 

[FUBAR]

You know, if there was ever a group of us that wanted to do an Ultra together, something like this would be ideal.    If a number of you would want to do this, I'd seriously consider it.

I'm in, assuming everything goes as planned these next few months. 

Would the obvious strategy be to try and run each lap in as close to an hour as possible?  How difficult is the trail for them to make the cutoff an hour for a little over 4 miles?  After seeing how sick and twisted the Barclay's marathons course is, I have to assume that 14min miles is going to prove to be pretty tough after the first couple of laps.    

I think I'd be tempted to walk a lot of it, I know I can keep a 14 minute clip with a ruck for a while, figure without would be easier.

 

[Sand]

Super cool idea.  All sorts of strategy ideas are going through my head.

So the best guys go for 150-200 miles?  Eh, no thanks. 

We have a cool race down here that this reminds me of (a bit less brutal).  Race against the Sun.  36-ish mile race on the shortest day of the year.  Entrants have to bring a bomber of beer.  First one out gets their pick - the further you go the worse your choices.  Entry fee is only $30 and if you reconsider you get a refund minus a $30 cancellation fee.  Finishing rate is very low.

 

[Ned]

I'm in, assuming everything goes as planned these next few months. 

I think I'd be tempted to walk a lot of it, I know I can keep a 14 minute clip with a ruck for a while, figure without would be easier.

Have you watched the documentary on the Barkley Marathons yet?

 

[FUBAR]

Have you watched the documentary on the Barkley Marathons yet?

my sister in law and I have been joking (sort of) about doing it.  The park is only 2 hours from their place so could be fun for the whole family. 

 

[tri-man 47]

I'm a grandpa!  Tri-a'-little born 7 am.  Everyone doing great.  Labor/delivery took maybe 4 or 5 hours ...I've had races longer than that!  

 

[Brony]

I'm a grandpa!  Tri-a'-little born 7 am.  Everyone doing great.  Labor/delivery took maybe 4 or 5 hours ...I've had races longer than that!  

Congrats!!!!

 

[Juxtatarot]

Would the obvious strategy be to try and run each lap in as close to an hour as possible?  How difficult is the trail for them to make the cutoff an hour for a little over 4 miles?  After seeing how sick and twisted the Barclay's marathons course is, I have to assume that 14min miles is going to prove to be pretty tough after the first couple of laps.    

My initial thought would be to run "easy" (which would be slower and slower as the laps added up) and take advantage of the rest time before the next start.  Probably a woefully ignorant strategy though since I know very little about ultras and stuff.

 

[Sand]

my sister in law and I have been joking (sort of) about doing it.  The park is only 2 hours from their place so could be fun for the whole family. 

Ok - define fun.  While I laughed multiple times during that movie, it was the sadist inside me that was in control.

 

[beer 30]

Year End Report

• Haven't run a lick in 2 years
• Still inspired by you goofballs