The Running Thread - 2018

Anyone have a race this weekend? I believe this weekend is the only week without someone having a official race. I understand why with the holiday and then marathon weekend just around the corner, this weekend is probably not a good idea for one, but if someone has one lined up let me know so we can keep the streak alive!

I do! 12/22 Houston's 12k of Christmas.
 
ATTQOTD hard part:
At first, once we completed the C25k program, the lack of plan/purpose made it hard to stay motivated to run regularly.

Now, dealing with pains and injuries... and with the fear that they’ll prevent me to run what I want to run in the future.

Always, getting out of the door i.e making time for running in my busy schedule.
 
QOTD: What did you find to be the most difficult part of running when you first started? What do you find to be the most difficult now?
Honestly, when I first started running the most difficult thing was learning how to breath. I actually thought I was doing it wrong and there had to be a trick to it that I didn't know. (I think the "trick" was just cardiovascular fitness! :laughing:)

Now that my training schedule is much more regimented the most difficult thing is running on weeknights. I mean, 8 miles on a treadmill after getting up at 4 am and spending a mentally draining 8 hours at work all day is not easy!
 
ATTQOTD- when I first started running(as an adult) I would say it would be being consistent week to week. Now, it would be being consistent year round. I go through intense periods in summers, then start snowboarding, working like mad, and drinking all the beers in winter time. Putting that to bed this winter. No beers, very little shredding.

Picture from tonight’s 4 miler after work. Doing a 10 miler tomorrow at some point in the middle of my work day. Otherwise I won’t be able to do a long run for a few weeks, because Christmas time in ski town.
 

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ATTQOTD: In the beginning, it was trying not to run as hard as I could for each run. Now, it’s finding and making time for longer distance training runs. It’s a lot harder to find time during the week when my plan calls for a 7+ mile run.
 
QOTD: What did you find to be the most difficult part of running when you first started? What do you find to be the most difficult now?

ATTQOTD: When I first started the most difficult thing was to run a single mile without stopping. Today I would say being able to find time to get my runs in are the most difficult. A lot has changed over the years, but I do love to get out there a get some miles in regardless how fast or slow they are these days.

Then: overcoming self doubt. Understanding what I was capable of accomplishing. Dealing with the constant negativity I was living with at home.

Now: my body not keeping up with my mind. I now know I am capable of anything my mind decides it wants, my body is just not letting it happen.



My recovery is still ongoing. I have been cleared to run, but I have had to pull myself back some as I could tell pretty quickly that my ankle was not ready for as much as I was wanting to do. So I am back to walking and riding my spinner and very slow, easy run/walks twice a week. I am also starting a new PT program that is supposed to help with more ankle strength and improving my gait which is really the issue right now. My doctor said I can expect a full recovery and is not putting distance limits (in the future) on me.

My injury was purely the tendon and ligaments; no bone cutting or screws. Surgery was in late August, September was the cast, October was the boot, and since it has been an ankle sleeve. I am almost at 4 months and my doctor thinks it will be 6 months to "relative normalcy". I was able to walk pretty well at 2 1/2 - 3 months; very minimal pain and enough ankle strength to feel secure when wearing the sleeve to get more active. If you can get the surgery in early Feb, I would think that mid to late April would be a realistic goal, even if you have to cruise around in the boot. Towards the end of my time in the boot I was getting around quite well.

Glad to hear that you will have multiple opinions and that you were able to get them so close to each other. This ankle stuff sucks, I can't imagine having to deal with both! Here is to quick and effective recoveries!!

Oh boy. I was afraid of that. My recovery with the bone and screw was 6 months before I could run. Then I had to take it slow. It was probably a year before I felt confident to really go back to normal running. I was hoping yours was a lot faster without the screw. I wasn't having any ankle pain until I went to DL in October. All those hours on my feet apparently did some damage. I may have to get one of those scooter things to put my knee on to get around the parks. Do they let u skip to the front of the line with one of those? :rolleyes:

I'm just bummed right now. After I was removed from the boot I was told I could do the elliptical with the screw because there was no impact. So, I tried it this past weekend thinking it was safe and even that hurt. So I can't do much exercise right now. It's bothering me. So I don't want to wait until after Disney for surgery, assuming that's what they tell me I need. But I don't want to slow my family down on their trip either. :sad:
 


But I think moving forward I am going to have to face the impact of time - 50 is on it's way. .
Right there with you. For a while, I was frustrated that all the young years I'd been running for no other reason than because I enjoyed it and it helped my overall fitness, I could have been logging fast times, but now that I've accepted that I hit my peak at a time I was involved in a different "sport" (ballet), I'm genuinely happy to let running be a thing I do because I like it and not spend much time thinking about how fast (or not) I am. It's been very freeing!
 
I was thinking about the question last night and I think something that's been hard for me when thinking about next years goals is do I want to A) just have fun running comfortably at a fitness level I am already at and not pressure myself for a new goal or B) choose a goal that is just out of reach to work hard towards.
I've been giving myself reach goals (sometimes multiple ones) every single year so now I'm on the fence.
I did sign up for a beginner distance sprint triathlon, so that right there is something new. But in terms of running only...making decisions for next year may be my hardest thing about running currently.
 
QOTD: Race day preparation. Do you review the course route and try to learn it or just glance it over before the race? Do you prefer not knowing and the whole thing be a surprise instead?

ATTQOTD: I always review it regardless of distance. I rarely know all the turns because I am just going to follow the person in front of me, but I do like to know about any interesting sites I will see and elevation changes.
 
ATTQOTD: I glance over it but don’t really study it. Which I regret a little during the actual race because I find it mentally better for me when I know what’s to come/how far until _____. Since 4 of us are doing Marathon Weekend and we will all be together for a couple days for Christmas, I’m expecting us to break down the course maps more than usual. My mom is super nervous so I want her to get as comfortable as possible with what’s ahead.
 
ATTQOTD: I don’t really pay attention to the maps, but I have already been looking at the elevation change for the four races on my plan this summer, The Round Valley Rambler in June (13.1), Jupiter Peak Steeplechase in July (16 mile), and Mid-Mountain Marathon in August (26.2), which are all mountain trail runs with plenty of altitude gain; as well as the Red Bull 400 here in September, which should be interesting. I was supposed to do it last year, but training became a challenge due to baby.
 
QOTD: Race day preparation. Do you review the course route and try to learn it or just glance it over before the race? Do you prefer not knowing and the whole thing be a surprise instead?
ATTQOTD: I HATE surprises. So yeah - I spend some serious time studying a course map and visualizing my race on it. Google Street View and I are well-acquainted. (I also have a photographic memory, which came in handy when volunteers screwed up and had runners going the wrong way in a race once.)
 
ATTQOTD: Depends on the race. For a non-Disney, I glance at it, make sure there are amble water and porta potty stops and look at things like where to park. For a Disney race, I look at it a little closer and get excited about running through certain areas, but am far from knowing it perfectly.
 

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