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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (14 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ned
- Start date
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
gianmarco
Footballguy
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
Actually @gianmarco, the timing of your post today is impeccable, as I was just thinking back to a 5K from the pre-thread days on my run last night. I will post the write-up after work.
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
It’s such a great course, amazing trails in Marin. Miss them, big time. Hope the fog is there in the morning to keep it cool but then clears up so @Zasada can take in the views.El Floppo said:
And it’s buttery smooth single track, a ton of runnable sections. Bank time in those with 12:00 ultra shuffle miles to make up for the punchy climbs and aid station time, and you’ll be alright.
gianmarco
Footballguy
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JShare87
Footballguy
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
As promised, here's my breaking 20 minute saga. This is maybe a little long for what it is, but in the spirit of Yan, here is background to one of my running highlights.
I can’t remember when exactly I started sporadically running a one mile course around my neighborhood with my ipod shuffle (I know Chop Suey! was on my playlist), but it was 2014 when I started regularly running once a week 3-4 miles. That Thanksgiving I did a 5K with a co-worker, and then being competitive I set my sights on a sub-20 in 2015.
I trained somewhat stupidly in that all of the runs were of the hard variety (I also did a trail 15K when my longest run ever was 7 miles, which went better than it had a right to), but I thought I had the fitness to accomplish the feat, and I was signed up for a Halloween, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s 5K in order to make it happen. The Halloween one was in costume, so I wasn’t really expecting to do it there, and sure enough I was ~30 seconds slow. The Thanksgiving one is on a fairly hilly course, and my legs were really sore that morning due to too much Thanksgiving football, but I somehow squeezed out a 20:12, so I really thought it was in the bag for the New Year’s race, which is a pancake flat course, and would presumably be on fresher legs. So, when I came up short at 20:05 I was really frustrated. I had been hoping to take a bit of a break from training, but I really wanted to hit that number. I ended up signing up for my first half marathon to force myself to run through the winter, with the plan being I would use the gain in fitness to hit my target afterward. The half marathon was a success, and I ended up signing up for a Memorial Day 5K a month afterward. I wanted a break from hard training, so the plan was to check the sub-20 box, and then dial back the running for the summer.
Fast forward to the long-awaited day. It’s not the most ideal course for a PR in that it is hilly and it has a lot of turns, but confidence was high, and the race was local. The course starts and ends on a downhill, which in the end was important. It was hot as balls, so I lightly jogged to warm up and also make sure I knew where all of the turns were. We started off downhill, and I ran the subsequent uphill strong, in the process accepting a hose shower from an old lady who was standing alongside the course. The dreaded 2nd mile is near the top of the hill and has a lot of turns and I’m trying to keep my pace and also not get lost. I think all is well, but my pace ends up flagging for the first part of the 3rd mile, and I look down at my watch at the 2.5 mile mark and realize that my goal is in the process of slipping away again. At this point, on the GPS you can see me surge for about a minute, but then my legs start slowing again until I make the final turn and see that the clock is already at 19
x and I still have 0.2miles to go. It is pure panic at this point and I just go, trying to will myself to the line as I can’t face failing again. I think I’m going fast enough, but as the clock hits 19:50 and I am still not that close to the finish, desperation mode kicks in and adrenaline unleashes a gear I didn’t know I had and I just empty everything for the last 150-200 feet. It ends up being so close that I don’t know whether I’ve succeeded or not when I cross the line.
It was an old-school race with no chip timing – you tore off your bib bottom to hand to an official and then they matched you up with the clock person. It wasn’t until 30 minutes later at the age group awards where I learned my fate when they told me my time is 19:59. I was on cloud 9. At the time, that one second difference between success and failure was just massive. I remember calling home where nobody answered and leaving a message that was basically just me shouting my time. As I mentioned, I was thinking this last night during a pretty peaceful long run, about how while sometimes this hobby can seem pretty frustrating, sometimes things just come together and you feel gratitude at what you can get out of it.
I can’t remember when exactly I started sporadically running a one mile course around my neighborhood with my ipod shuffle (I know Chop Suey! was on my playlist), but it was 2014 when I started regularly running once a week 3-4 miles. That Thanksgiving I did a 5K with a co-worker, and then being competitive I set my sights on a sub-20 in 2015.
I trained somewhat stupidly in that all of the runs were of the hard variety (I also did a trail 15K when my longest run ever was 7 miles, which went better than it had a right to), but I thought I had the fitness to accomplish the feat, and I was signed up for a Halloween, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s 5K in order to make it happen. The Halloween one was in costume, so I wasn’t really expecting to do it there, and sure enough I was ~30 seconds slow. The Thanksgiving one is on a fairly hilly course, and my legs were really sore that morning due to too much Thanksgiving football, but I somehow squeezed out a 20:12, so I really thought it was in the bag for the New Year’s race, which is a pancake flat course, and would presumably be on fresher legs. So, when I came up short at 20:05 I was really frustrated. I had been hoping to take a bit of a break from training, but I really wanted to hit that number. I ended up signing up for my first half marathon to force myself to run through the winter, with the plan being I would use the gain in fitness to hit my target afterward. The half marathon was a success, and I ended up signing up for a Memorial Day 5K a month afterward. I wanted a break from hard training, so the plan was to check the sub-20 box, and then dial back the running for the summer.
Fast forward to the long-awaited day. It’s not the most ideal course for a PR in that it is hilly and it has a lot of turns, but confidence was high, and the race was local. The course starts and ends on a downhill, which in the end was important. It was hot as balls, so I lightly jogged to warm up and also make sure I knew where all of the turns were. We started off downhill, and I ran the subsequent uphill strong, in the process accepting a hose shower from an old lady who was standing alongside the course. The dreaded 2nd mile is near the top of the hill and has a lot of turns and I’m trying to keep my pace and also not get lost. I think all is well, but my pace ends up flagging for the first part of the 3rd mile, and I look down at my watch at the 2.5 mile mark and realize that my goal is in the process of slipping away again. At this point, on the GPS you can see me surge for about a minute, but then my legs start slowing again until I make the final turn and see that the clock is already at 19
x and I still have 0.2miles to go. It is pure panic at this point and I just go, trying to will myself to the line as I can’t face failing again. I think I’m going fast enough, but as the clock hits 19:50 and I am still not that close to the finish, desperation mode kicks in and adrenaline unleashes a gear I didn’t know I had and I just empty everything for the last 150-200 feet. It ends up being so close that I don’t know whether I’ve succeeded or not when I cross the line.It was an old-school race with no chip timing – you tore off your bib bottom to hand to an official and then they matched you up with the clock person. It wasn’t until 30 minutes later at the age group awards where I learned my fate when they told me my time is 19:59. I was on cloud 9. At the time, that one second difference between success and failure was just massive. I remember calling home where nobody answered and leaving a message that was basically just me shouting my time. As I mentioned, I was thinking this last night during a pretty peaceful long run, about how while sometimes this hobby can seem pretty frustrating, sometimes things just come together and you feel gratitude at what you can get out of it.
Brony
Footballguy
Love all of this. But I find it tough to reconcile an 'old school' race and yet you had a GPS on your watch.As promised, here's my breaking 20 minute saga. This is maybe a little long for what it is, but in the spirit of Yan, here is background to one of my running highlights.
I can’t remember when exactly I started sporadically running a one mile course around my neighborhood with my ipod shuffle (I know Chop Suey! was on my playlist), but it was 2014 when I started regularly running once a week 3-4 miles. That Thanksgiving I did a 5K with a co-worker, and then being competitive I set my sights on a sub-20 in 2015.
I trained somewhat stupidly in that all of the runs were of the hard variety (I also did a trail 15K when my longest run ever was 7 miles, which went better than it had a right to), but I thought I had the fitness to accomplish the feat, and I was signed up for a Halloween, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s 5K in order to make it happen. The Halloween one was in costume, so I wasn’t really expecting to do it there, and sure enough I was ~30 seconds slow. The Thanksgiving one is on a fairly hilly course, and my legs were really sore that morning due to too much Thanksgiving football, but I somehow squeezed out a 20:12, so I really thought it was in the bag for the New Year’s race, which is a pancake flat course, and would presumably be on fresher legs. So, when I came up short at 20:05 I was really frustrated. I had been hoping to take a bit of a break from training, but I really wanted to hit that number. I ended up signing up for my first half marathon to force myself to run through the winter, with the plan being I would use the gain in fitness to hit my target afterward. The half marathon was a success, and I ended up signing up for a Memorial Day 5K a month afterward. I wanted a break from hard training, so the plan was to check the sub-20 box, and then dial back the running for the summer.
Fast forward to the long-awaited day. It’s not the most ideal course for a PR in that it is hilly and it has a lot of turns, but confidence was high, and the race was local. The course starts and ends on a downhill, which in the end was important. It was hot as balls, so I lightly jogged to warm up and also make sure I knew where all of the turns were. We started off downhill, and I ran the subsequent uphill strong, in the process accepting a hose shower from an old lady who was standing alongside the course. The dreaded 2nd mile is near the top of the hill and has a lot of turns and I’m trying to keep my pace and also not get lost. I think all is well, but my pace ends up flagging for the first part of the 3rd mile, and I look down at my watch at the 2.5 mile mark and realize that my goal is in the process of slipping away again. At this point, on the GPS you can see me surge for about a minute, but then my legs start slowing again until I make the final turn and see that the clock is already at 19
It was an old-school race with no chip timing – you tore off your bib bottom to hand to an official and then they matched you up with the clock person. It wasn’t until 30 minutes later at the age group awards where I learned my fate when they told me my time is 19:59. I was on cloud 9. At the time, that one second difference between success and failure was just massive. I remember calling home where nobody answered and leaving a message that was basically just me shouting my time. As I mentioned, I was thinking this last night during a pretty peaceful long run, about how while sometimes this hobby can seem pretty frustrating, sometimes things just come together and you feel gratitude at what you can get out of it.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
Ha ha, Touche. Although, to be fair I meant the manual tracking and no chip timing. Obviously the watch was my own doing. Thinking back, I believe that was my second race with a gps watch as my wife got it for me the previous Christmas. Before that I was just using a stopwatch.
Zasada
Footballguy
I don't think I have the fitness for it, but I would love to knock out a <20 5K and then be done with them forever.
I did 20:22 for the FBG 5K (with all the adrenaline and excitement of that weekend fueling me) and that almost killed me. I have no idea where I get those next 23 seconds from.
And in reality I would need to find more than 23 seconds, because Garmin gives me credit for actual distance run, and not course distance (with inefficiencies, etc).
I did 20:22 for the FBG 5K (with all the adrenaline and excitement of that weekend fueling me) and that almost killed me. I have no idea where I get those next 23 seconds from.
And in reality I would need to find more than 23 seconds, because Garmin gives me credit for actual distance run, and not course distance (with inefficiencies, etc).
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pbm107
Footballguy
You probably could go under 20 now, plugging your half into McMillan spits out a 19:59. Most runners can run faster at the shorter distances than what McMillan predicts when you input a half or marathon time. If you keep up with what your are doing sub 20 will be a soft goal before you know it.
MAC_32
Footballguy
I had a sub 18 goal for years. Everything went right one day and I got down to 18:18 then I never got close again, so I punted the goal. Then my training and health took off over a 6 month period and I suddenly was running down sub 17 at the buzzer. I missed that day, but conquered it a month later.
I don't recall your short term racing goals, but you're gonna surprise yourself what you're capable of once you start doing more of them. Vegas was just the beginning, man.
Zasada
Footballguy
I feel like the HM is my best distance. Maybe because Vegas brings it all together for me. But the thought of holding sub-4:00/km for 20 minutes seems incomprehensible to me right now.
Regarding short-term race goals, I really don't have (m)any. Miwok is now my prime focus (finish under the cutoff). That's in May.
After that, who knows. I mostly just want to keep up this running routine (5 days & ~55 miles per week) indefinitely without getting injured. If I can get through the year maintaining that, I would be really happy.
The relay in STL will be fun, and I just don't want to embarrass myself there. But it's not set up for a "PR" of any kind.
There is an office 5K in a few weeks here at my work campus. It's totally informal, and I doubt that it's timed. I was going to run it, but not race it. If timed, I might change my mind. But it won't be. Too small.
So I guess that's a whole lot of
.
JShare87
Footballguy
Seriously, get that thought out of your head. You’re limiting yourself already. Shoot for sub 19 and you’ll blow past sub 20.I feel like the HM is my best distance. Maybe because Vegas brings it all together for me. But the thought of holding sub-4:00/km for 20 minutes seems incomprehensible to me right now.
Regarding short-term race goals, I really don't have (m)any. Miwok is now my prime focus (finish under the cutoff). That's in May.
After that, who knows. I mostly just want to keep up this running routine (5 days & ~55 miles per week) indefinitely without getting injured. If I can get through the year maintaining that, I would be really happy.
The relay in STL will be fun, and I just don't want to embarrass myself there. But it's not set up for a "PR" of any kind.
There is an office 5K in a few weeks here at my work campus. It's totally informal, and I doubt that it's timed. I was going to run it, but not race it. If timed, I might change my mind. But it won't be. Too small.
So I guess that's a whole lot of
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
To fourth or fifth the others here, you are most likely selling your 5K ability short. You have a much better aerobic base than me, and I am not particularly fast, and I am confident I am in sub-20 shape right now. So, unless your top end speed is really limited I would be really surprised if you weren't. Do you ever do 400m intervals? As a check, I would try to do 6x400 with 400 recoveries. If you can average 90s or less, that's a green light IMO. 5K is very mental, though; you need to be pain cave ready or you'll underperform.
Zasada
Footballguy
I pretty much never do intervals. Probably should.
And yeah, the mental part of the 5K is what scares me. And why I hate that distance. The FBG race series did everything right to get me to run as fast as I could: Lots of enthusiasm, pressure to perform for TeamJuxt, and a net downhill course. Probably the best place I've ever been mentally for a race.
MAC_32
Footballguy
You should, but punt them until after Miwok. There's an adjustment period, which you probably don't want to deal with leading up to this race.
Zasada
Footballguy
Yeah my legs were not ready for the pace I ran the Vegas HM at (never even run a 10K at that pace, only my FBG 5K was faster). Had to take a few days off to recover a hamstring strain, and I never have hamstring issues. So going to just crank volume and as much elevation that I can find over the next six weeks. Nothing fast.
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SteelCurtain
Footballguy
gianmarco
Footballguy
tri-man 47
Footballguy
At @gianmarco's invitation, and following his very cool listing, let me list a dozen of my most memorable races.
I decided to stick with race events and not include other runs as it would be so hard to categorize those. I will say I've been fortunate enough to enjoy and treasure runs in nine other countries (Canada, England, France, Switzerland, Spain, Zanzibar, Tanzania, South Africa, and Cuba) and a little over half of the states. I've also been blessed to meet in person - I don't know - more than a couple dozen of the yahoos from this thread. @gruecd was my first (
) about 15 (!) years ago. He has since turned his attentions to younger men (looking at you, @gianmarco 
). But this thread has led to a number of meaningful friendships. And: I look forward to a couple more first-time meetings in a southern swing in mid/late May (and seeing a couple familiar faces, too!).
The list, in chronological order:
1) Fennville Invitational H.S. cross country meet (1971). I was always borderline JV/varsity. And, I was typically a slow starter. At this meet, I was running JV. Just before the gun, our varsity guys were running over to announce they'd won. Between that celebratory moment and my slow-start habits, I was near the back. We'd jogged the course as a warm-up, so I knew we went straight out through a countryside field before zig-zagging around. But soon after the start, the leaders turned left down a mowed section of the open field. I knew this would dead-end over near the finish line, so I held back for a moment to confirm as the lemmings all began to pile up. Yup! Wrong turn. So I took off with the lead! But, what do I do now? I have no clue on how to lead a race or what pace to run. At around the halfway point, we passed back near the start line and go up a small hill. I make the rookie mistake of looking back and seeing a looooong line of runners. Eventually, I finished 6th. This was one of only two times that I ever led a race.
Note: I ran some races post-college, but it was all pre-internet, and I don't recall many details. I did run my 5K PR of 18:09 or so in the early '90s. In the early '00s, I amused myself with a few races and an annual Olympic triathlon.
2) Fall 50 relay race; Door County, Wisconsin (2008). This wonderful 50 mile relay was run with @gruecd, a couple friends of his, and another FBG. The latter is since long gone. For the race, we used his van. :barf: His wife drove (like a maniac), he had his obnoxious daughters with him, and the inside of the van was a pit. That said, Door County is incredible and it was a beautiful fall day. I'd still like to get back to this relay at some point. Word.
3) Big Sur Marathon (April, 2011). 3:36:59. This was run as part of the B-to-B challenge - I ran Boston (my first), and then Big Sur. In 2011, Big Sur was fortunately thirteen days after Boston. I actually ended up in the med tent at Boston (with a 3:42), but Big Sur clicked on a beautiful day. Due to a road washout, the race maximized views of the coast as an out-and-back. The best? At around mile 6 or 7, with a drop-dead gorgeous view, they had a baby grand piano off the side of the road and as we ran by, the pianist was playing the Forrest Gump theme. As I said to a runner next to me, if God wants to take me right now, that'd be fine. I was feeling great and kicked it up a gear over the final couple of miles to finish with a then-PR. My wife managed to miss the finish.
4) Bourbon Chase relay race (fall, 2011). A team of twelve running through the Kentucky countryside over the course of a couple of gorgeous days. My goodness, what fun as guys traveled in from all across the country. @gruecd again; @Sand; and several others. We stayed at the horse farm of one of the guy's (Wraith's) mom. Pigskin Liquors drove up from Texas just for the after-party. The shirts we had printed made several appearances over the following years (mine was on the steps of the Sydney Opera House).
5) Prairie State HM (1:31:32; 6:59/mi). A pure racing experience north of Chicago. This was on a wood-chip, meandering trail. Everything clicked as I floated along and ran the tangents. As racing goes, this one was special.
6) Dances With Dirt relay races (starting in fall, 2012?). These crazy events in the hills, forests, and swamp north of Ann Arbor, MI were always memorable. In one of the legs my first year, we eventually ended up in some black muck near a channel. It was ankle deep; then knee deep ..but running through the channel washed that off. Soon after, we came to a big, mucky pit. Most runners were trying to find tiptoe around it. I decided to just jump in. However, that sunk me chest-deep in the muck, and I literally had to grab some branches to roll myself out. Soon after, we came to a bigger pit with a rope strung across the 25-30 foot length. The idea was to jump in and pull yourself across commando style. At the end of the leg was a small lake to wash off (most of) the muck. I think that was the last year they used that particular leg.
7) Marathon trifecta (2013). 3:33:29. I thought I was done with marathons after the B-to-B challenge in 2011. But then the bombing happened. :( So I had to get back to Boston. My first attempt in Minocqua, WI (accompanied by my daughter) failed on a humid day (3:44:45), and we were totally bummed. Over drinks and dinner, we decided I wouldn't give up yet. So like a racing whore, I made a contribution to some charity to buy my way into the sold-out Fox Valley Marathon outside of Chicago three weeks later. Even though the Boston field was seemingly filled, I nailed that race. Three weeks after that, I was already signed up for a HM (same location as #5 above). But ..I was in marathon shape, not HM shape. So I switched to the marathon - my third in 40 days. Alas, I bonked around mile 19, but ran a max/min HR to get myself to the finish with a pretty decent time (3:47:03).
8)MUTTS team race (my only ultra, a 50K). Team of four, running together. Two of the guys, from Michigan where the race was held, were from the Bourbon Chase. I was enlisted for the longest leg, which was a 50K ultra...and this over continually winding, up and down, single-track trail. My leg was about a 355 degree loop; shove down some food; then reverse. I tripped and fell about four times and stumbled many others. On my last fall, about two miles from the finish, as I laid in the brush off the trail, my calves decided "cool, we're done for the day" and they tightened up like rocks. So I just laid there, alone, in pain, loudly calling out "ouch ...dammit! ...ouch ...dammit!" Eventually, I won the age-graded award.
9) Texas Marathon (1/1/2016). 3:28:58, We were visiting friends, and I wanted to run a race while in Houston. The best I could find was this very small marathon, but I figured it would give me a chance to improve on my qualifier for Boston, 2016 (which it did). The race only had a few hundred runners, and was held on a weaving walking/bike trail through a Houston suburb. The course was basically four, 10K out-and-backs, which was actually really great to break down the distance. At the start, the starter called all fast runners to the front ...and no one moved. I looked at him; he looked at me. We shrugged, and I stepped up to the line. As the gun sounded, I took off with the lead for the first several hundred yards (15th at the first turnaround; 8th at the finish). Just before the fourth leg, I found myself running behind female #2. But I wasn't mentally ready to pass her yet, so I apologized to her and instead gave her support as we eventually caught and passed female runner #1. After the final turnaround with a few miles to go, she started to fade and I started to fly for a very strong finish and a great PR.
10) Western States 100 miler (2017). OMG. What more can be said about this incredible journey of flying to Cali to support @SFBayDuck as he achieved his dream, after several years of attempts, to run this race? He announced to me the day before the start that I would, in fact, need to pace him for 16 miles late in the race. He and I had met once before, so we weren't acquainted enough for me to know how to approach the pacing. I settled on playing "good cop" by encouraging him with constant chatter as we ran through the Sierra Nevada single track trails ...from 11:30 pm until 4:30 am. We only got almost-lost only once, and that was, like, in our first mile together.
But in the end, he succeeded! The postings here throughout that day, including @BassNBrew's legendary and accurate race analysis, were a sight to behold.
11) Marine Corps Marathon (2019). 3:28:27. I was ready for this race, which was to serve as qualifier for Boston, 2021. The fundraising (thanks in no small part to y'all) went great. As the lead fundraiser for The Elk Institute, I received a bottle of bourbon produced by one of the post-9/11 heroes, one of the "horse soldiers," memorialized at the 9/11 site and in the movie 12 Strong. :shivers: But on race day, I wasn't ready for were the torrential downpours ...what @AAABatteries described as running through a "windy car wash." Yet, I persisted and ran a strong race as I splashed around D.C. in my new Vaporflys.
12) Boston Marathon (2022). 3:31:45. Arguably the most strategic race I've ever run. Everything clicked. It was one of those surreal races (like the earlier HM) where I kept wondering, "am I really doing this?" But I did, finishing 17th in the AG (top 5%). I can't wait to run it again in the next AG.
Alas, the fun St. Louis relay with a great group of the FBG falls into the honorable mention category here as well.
I decided to stick with race events and not include other runs as it would be so hard to categorize those. I will say I've been fortunate enough to enjoy and treasure runs in nine other countries (Canada, England, France, Switzerland, Spain, Zanzibar, Tanzania, South Africa, and Cuba) and a little over half of the states. I've also been blessed to meet in person - I don't know - more than a couple dozen of the yahoos from this thread. @gruecd was my first (
) about 15 (!) years ago. He has since turned his attentions to younger men (looking at you, @gianmarco ). But this thread has led to a number of meaningful friendships. And: I look forward to a couple more first-time meetings in a southern swing in mid/late May (and seeing a couple familiar faces, too!). The list, in chronological order:
1) Fennville Invitational H.S. cross country meet (1971). I was always borderline JV/varsity. And, I was typically a slow starter. At this meet, I was running JV. Just before the gun, our varsity guys were running over to announce they'd won. Between that celebratory moment and my slow-start habits, I was near the back. We'd jogged the course as a warm-up, so I knew we went straight out through a countryside field before zig-zagging around. But soon after the start, the leaders turned left down a mowed section of the open field. I knew this would dead-end over near the finish line, so I held back for a moment to confirm as the lemmings all began to pile up. Yup! Wrong turn. So I took off with the lead! But, what do I do now? I have no clue on how to lead a race or what pace to run. At around the halfway point, we passed back near the start line and go up a small hill. I make the rookie mistake of looking back and seeing a looooong line of runners. Eventually, I finished 6th. This was one of only two times that I ever led a race.
Note: I ran some races post-college, but it was all pre-internet, and I don't recall many details. I did run my 5K PR of 18:09 or so in the early '90s. In the early '00s, I amused myself with a few races and an annual Olympic triathlon.
2) Fall 50 relay race; Door County, Wisconsin (2008). This wonderful 50 mile relay was run with @gruecd, a couple friends of his, and another FBG. The latter is since long gone. For the race, we used his van. :barf: His wife drove (like a maniac), he had his obnoxious daughters with him, and the inside of the van was a pit. That said, Door County is incredible and it was a beautiful fall day. I'd still like to get back to this relay at some point. Word.
3) Big Sur Marathon (April, 2011). 3:36:59. This was run as part of the B-to-B challenge - I ran Boston (my first), and then Big Sur. In 2011, Big Sur was fortunately thirteen days after Boston. I actually ended up in the med tent at Boston (with a 3:42), but Big Sur clicked on a beautiful day. Due to a road washout, the race maximized views of the coast as an out-and-back. The best? At around mile 6 or 7, with a drop-dead gorgeous view, they had a baby grand piano off the side of the road and as we ran by, the pianist was playing the Forrest Gump theme. As I said to a runner next to me, if God wants to take me right now, that'd be fine. I was feeling great and kicked it up a gear over the final couple of miles to finish with a then-PR. My wife managed to miss the finish.
4) Bourbon Chase relay race (fall, 2011). A team of twelve running through the Kentucky countryside over the course of a couple of gorgeous days. My goodness, what fun as guys traveled in from all across the country. @gruecd again; @Sand; and several others. We stayed at the horse farm of one of the guy's (Wraith's) mom. Pigskin Liquors drove up from Texas just for the after-party. The shirts we had printed made several appearances over the following years (mine was on the steps of the Sydney Opera House).
5) Prairie State HM (1:31:32; 6:59/mi). A pure racing experience north of Chicago. This was on a wood-chip, meandering trail. Everything clicked as I floated along and ran the tangents. As racing goes, this one was special.
6) Dances With Dirt relay races (starting in fall, 2012?). These crazy events in the hills, forests, and swamp north of Ann Arbor, MI were always memorable. In one of the legs my first year, we eventually ended up in some black muck near a channel. It was ankle deep; then knee deep ..but running through the channel washed that off. Soon after, we came to a big, mucky pit. Most runners were trying to find tiptoe around it. I decided to just jump in. However, that sunk me chest-deep in the muck, and I literally had to grab some branches to roll myself out. Soon after, we came to a bigger pit with a rope strung across the 25-30 foot length. The idea was to jump in and pull yourself across commando style. At the end of the leg was a small lake to wash off (most of) the muck. I think that was the last year they used that particular leg.
7) Marathon trifecta (2013). 3:33:29. I thought I was done with marathons after the B-to-B challenge in 2011. But then the bombing happened. :( So I had to get back to Boston. My first attempt in Minocqua, WI (accompanied by my daughter) failed on a humid day (3:44:45), and we were totally bummed. Over drinks and dinner, we decided I wouldn't give up yet. So like a racing whore, I made a contribution to some charity to buy my way into the sold-out Fox Valley Marathon outside of Chicago three weeks later. Even though the Boston field was seemingly filled, I nailed that race. Three weeks after that, I was already signed up for a HM (same location as #5 above). But ..I was in marathon shape, not HM shape. So I switched to the marathon - my third in 40 days. Alas, I bonked around mile 19, but ran a max/min HR to get myself to the finish with a pretty decent time (3:47:03).
8)MUTTS team race (my only ultra, a 50K). Team of four, running together. Two of the guys, from Michigan where the race was held, were from the Bourbon Chase. I was enlisted for the longest leg, which was a 50K ultra...and this over continually winding, up and down, single-track trail. My leg was about a 355 degree loop; shove down some food; then reverse. I tripped and fell about four times and stumbled many others. On my last fall, about two miles from the finish, as I laid in the brush off the trail, my calves decided "cool, we're done for the day" and they tightened up like rocks. So I just laid there, alone, in pain, loudly calling out "ouch ...dammit! ...ouch ...dammit!" Eventually, I won the age-graded award.
9) Texas Marathon (1/1/2016). 3:28:58, We were visiting friends, and I wanted to run a race while in Houston. The best I could find was this very small marathon, but I figured it would give me a chance to improve on my qualifier for Boston, 2016 (which it did). The race only had a few hundred runners, and was held on a weaving walking/bike trail through a Houston suburb. The course was basically four, 10K out-and-backs, which was actually really great to break down the distance. At the start, the starter called all fast runners to the front ...and no one moved. I looked at him; he looked at me. We shrugged, and I stepped up to the line. As the gun sounded, I took off with the lead for the first several hundred yards (15th at the first turnaround; 8th at the finish). Just before the fourth leg, I found myself running behind female #2. But I wasn't mentally ready to pass her yet, so I apologized to her and instead gave her support as we eventually caught and passed female runner #1. After the final turnaround with a few miles to go, she started to fade and I started to fly for a very strong finish and a great PR.
10) Western States 100 miler (2017). OMG. What more can be said about this incredible journey of flying to Cali to support @SFBayDuck as he achieved his dream, after several years of attempts, to run this race? He announced to me the day before the start that I would, in fact, need to pace him for 16 miles late in the race. He and I had met once before, so we weren't acquainted enough for me to know how to approach the pacing. I settled on playing "good cop" by encouraging him with constant chatter as we ran through the Sierra Nevada single track trails ...from 11:30 pm until 4:30 am. We only got almost-lost only once, and that was, like, in our first mile together.
But in the end, he succeeded! The postings here throughout that day, including @BassNBrew's legendary and accurate race analysis, were a sight to behold.11) Marine Corps Marathon (2019). 3:28:27. I was ready for this race, which was to serve as qualifier for Boston, 2021. The fundraising (thanks in no small part to y'all) went great. As the lead fundraiser for The Elk Institute, I received a bottle of bourbon produced by one of the post-9/11 heroes, one of the "horse soldiers," memorialized at the 9/11 site and in the movie 12 Strong. :shivers: But on race day, I wasn't ready for were the torrential downpours ...what @AAABatteries described as running through a "windy car wash." Yet, I persisted and ran a strong race as I splashed around D.C. in my new Vaporflys.
12) Boston Marathon (2022). 3:31:45. Arguably the most strategic race I've ever run. Everything clicked. It was one of those surreal races (like the earlier HM) where I kept wondering, "am I really doing this?" But I did, finishing 17th in the AG (top 5%). I can't wait to run it again in the next AG.
Alas, the fun St. Louis relay with a great group of the FBG falls into the honorable mention category here as well.
El Floppo
Footballguy
twice a week hikes, 2 or 3 2-3m runs. yoga daily. been doing all of that for 50ish years. still works teaching, is the co-director of a publishing company and super busy social life. she kicks my ### in basically everything.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
lumpy19
Footballguy
Whoops got cutoff, Buffalo Marathon, Sunday May 29
Not following any official training plan, just going to increase mileage to make sure I can run the 26.2
Longest run I've ever done is ~17 miles so will need to carve out weekend time(most likely very early in the morning) to get some longer runs in.
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Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Zasada
Footballguy
El Floppo
Footballguy
FYI... there are 2 or 3 spots on this trail that have fallen trees from a big storm in November blocking the trail. mostly cleared, but still tricky for us and especially my mom to navigate. As I think this will be late in the course for you- just be aware ahead of time that you'll likely want to stop and carefully work your way through/over/around these. It's a gorgeous single-track, pretty amazingly groomed- but there are some clambering rocky bits along with these fallen trees... and a genuinely steep drop-off on teh downhill side... you're not going to want to fall anywhere here.
Zasada
Footballguy
Nice runs today, @pbm107 & @gruecd. Mrs. @gianmarco, too.
And great race, @SteelCurtain! Way to la di da to the podium!
And great race, @SteelCurtain! Way to la di da to the podium!
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
Speaking of positive signs, I've been feeling a little meh about my progress, and then Saturday's long run, which was humid and 15 degrees warmer than forecast, was a sufferfest that I had to grind through, which dinged my confidence even more. I ended up nixing my run yesterday to allow more recovery. So, having my HR stay nice and controlled through an easy run today was a much-needed morale boost.
@gruecd, if you recall I think we have the same or at least similar foot issues. I've been been very stingy with the speedwork to try to keep mine in check, but I also think I've had some success by keeping the calves loose and doing toe stretches after each run. Basically, I curl the toes both down and up with some assisting from the hand. I read it somewhere as a stretch to help the metatarsals. Something to consider, anyway.
@gruecd, if you recall I think we have the same or at least similar foot issues. I've been been very stingy with the speedwork to try to keep mine in check, but I also think I've had some success by keeping the calves loose and doing toe stretches after each run. Basically, I curl the toes both down and up with some assisting from the hand. I read it somewhere as a stretch to help the metatarsals. Something to consider, anyway.
gruecd
Footballguy
Mine is officially minor tears in the plantar plate. You?
I put a metatarsal pad in my shoe, and it seems to be helping me a lot. It's bizarre, though. Like I told @gianmarcoearlier today, my foot was pretty sore on Friday/Saturday, but I went out anyway and gutted through my planned 16 yesterday morning. It was pretty sore afterwards, and so I figured it would hurt like hell when I woke up today. Nope, barely hurts at all. Totally defies logic. I'm seeing Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay next Tuesday morning, and he's pretty much the best in the country. I want to get his opinion as to whether or not surgery is really necessary, realistic recovery times before I could get back to running, etc. At least I'll have a better idea of where I stand.
Tangentially related, please file my 6-week "Couch to Boston Marathon with a Bum Foot" training plan firmly under "Do as I say, not as I do."
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
I have nothing official as I haven't seen a doctor about it (I know, I know
, although in my defense it was worst at the start of the pandemic, and I wasn't going to go for a luxury issue like this at that time; since then it has vacillated between fine, minor, and vexing). There's pain between the third and fourth toes if I push down in there, with sometimes the big toe area thrown in for good measure. I'm fairly certain it's metaltarsalgia as it feels so similar to when I had achilles tendonitis - as you mention, other than being typically worse in the morning, there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to what makes it worse or better, but stretching things out definitely helps. I was mostly good through last summer and fall, so I was hoping a pretty laid back early winter would maybe kick it for good, but my mileage ramp up for the HM has definitely tested it a bit. I've got 3 more weeks of training before the taper, so the plan is to proceed optimistically but with caution, and then assess getting a firm diagnosis and treatment after the race. Good suggestion on the pad; I may try that - I had made my own pad out of medical tape and some cotton for a few runs when it was bad before, and it did seem to help although it felt weird.
Brony
Footballguy
Beautiful week here in San Francisco. Weather is sunny and high 60s. I've been here many times for work but never had the chance to hit Muir woods until yesterday. We started up north and did the Fern creek trail, went through Muir woods and then did Dipsea and Sun trails. Great hike with a Pliny at the halfway point. Strava read 6 miles even at the end but I pulled an iggy and the hike didn't save. So did it even happen?
Anyway, it wasn't the exact Duck, Floppo trails but I certainly see what all the fuss is about. Love it!
Muir https://imgur.com/a/zJLj7y7
Anyway, it wasn't the exact Duck, Floppo trails but I certainly see what all the fuss is about. Love it!
Muir https://imgur.com/a/zJLj7y7
ChiefD
Footballguy
gruecd
Footballguy
Placement of the met pad is super important. I think a lot of people put them right under the base of the metatarsals, when really they belong BEHIND them to help offload the pressure.I have nothing official as I haven't seen a doctor about it (I know, I know
Good suggestion on the pad; I may try that - I had made my own pad out of medical tape and some cotton for a few runs when it was bad before, and it did seem to help although it felt weird.
PlayaHata
Footballguy
Sorry for not wanting to read through 1162 pages of this thread, but are there any specific recommendations for Couch to 5K apps that I can run on my Apple Watch without needing to take my iPhone on my runs? I've done some Google searches and also perused through https://www.reddit.com/r/C25K/ a little but there are a gazillion apps, many of which you need to pay for in order to enable all of the features. I'm curious if you guys have used any you really like. I walk quite a bit but I have never really run at all so I think one of those apps might be a good way to get started.
gianmarco
Footballguy
This thread is actually a better way to get started.
But I'll let the Apple guys answer some of your questions first.
ChiefD
Footballguy
Don't know anything about how to make the technology work, but welcome to the thread.
Lots of helpful people here who have been through all phases of walking, to jogging, to running, to running races, to excelling at running.
All I can say is just keep with it and do what you can. But the important thing is to get out there.
bushdocda
Footballguy
Start in the archive if you want the recent 1,162 to have richer context.
Not an Apple Watch guy but this seems to offer some options. I though the Apple Watch has a native ‘workout’ app too.
good luck and enjoy.
https://www.techradar.com/best/running-apps-for-apple-watch
xulf
Footballguy
PlayaHata said:
Also not an Apple guy. But, if your concern is taking your phone with you, there are several types of running belts that you can use to carry items while you run.
I have a super cheap one that I got on Amazon, but the flipbelt is a really good one. I bought one for my wife and I know some people in here also use it.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Paging @gianmarco.
But @PlayaHata, I'm not much of an app guy or big user of my iPhone, but can't you just review a Couch to 5K program and then ...go run the appropriate workouts? As others mentioned above, just start running, tell us about it here, maybe sign up on Strava and join the group there, and let us all guide you/encourage you/challenge you/ask you about your bathroom habits. That's what we do, and that's what we enjoy doing here!
PlayaHata
Footballguy
I did some more searching yesterday and ended up buying Intervals Pro from the Apple Store for $8. It seems to get really good reviews, and unlike a lot of the other Couch to 5K (C25K) apps, this one is completely customizable, so once I build up to 5K, I can work towards 10K, etc. and stay with the exact same app if I want to do that.
That said, I just completed Week 1 Day 1 of my 5K journey!
- Warmup walk for 5 minutes
- 8x intervals of 1 minute running following by 90 seconds walking
- Cooldown walk for 2 minutes
- Total Time = 27:01
- Distance = 1.94 miles
- Active Cal = 191.8
- Average Pace = 13:55/mile
- Total Steps = 3353
- SPM = 124
- Avg Heart Rate = 136bpm
