The Running Thread - 2018

[Z-Knight]

Two weeks post Cervical Disc Replacement surgery...Go Go Gadget Neck...sigh

Jog/Walk in 3 weeks...before returning to some training. SIGH. And I have Disney Paris Half Sep 23, Warsaw Marathon Sep 30, and Athens Marathon Nov 11, before Dopey...starting from Scratch. Double Sigh.

 

[Keels]

Take recovery easy, @Z-Knight! I know you're ready to go, but set yourself up for long-term success ... and remember, at least you WILL be able to run and train again!

 

[Z-Knight]

Take recovery easy, @Z-Knight! I know you're ready to go, but set yourself up for long-term success ... and remember, at least you WILL be able to run and train again!

Thanks, Keels. I love your positivity and encouragement...yeah, I plan on training a bit later than docs says is ok. So likely will walk most of the Paris Half...a little worried about my Warsaw full though due to lost conditioning. Gonna walk most of that too, but will start recumbant biking soon to help get me in better shape.

 

[Keels]

Thanks, Keels. I love your positivity and encouragement...yeah, I plan on training a bit later than docs says is ok. So likely will walk most of the Paris Half...a little worried about my Warsaw full though due to lost conditioning. Gonna walk most of that too, but will start recumbant biking soon to help get me in better shape.

Can you do pool running? That could definitely help too, especially to correct and maintain your form ... I did that when I was coming out of my Grade II hip sprain and it really helped, plus I felt like I was still doing something related to training.

 

[Z-Knight]

Can you do pool running? That could definitely help too, especially to correct and maintain your form ... I did that when I was coming out of my Grade II hip sprain and it really helped, plus I felt like I was still doing something related to training.

Umm, not in my current state...I would scare the childrens.

 

[Keels]

Umm, not in my current state...I would scare the childrens.

There's no way you're scarier that the heavyset 60+ year-old man at my L.A. Fitness that insists on "swimming" and hanging out in the co-ed hot tub in just his BVD underwear multiple times a week.

 

[Z-Knight]

There's no way you're scarier that the heavyset 60+ year-old man at my L.A. Fitness that insists on "swimming" and hanging out in the co-ed hot tub in just his BVD underwear multiple times a week.

THAT'S ME!!! Just because I can't swim doesn't mean I can't float!

 

[gjramsey]

What’s your ranking score? I’m 36 against everyone - gold on distance and most dedication, silver on pace. I find the ranks another good motivation tool to just get out there!

34 against everyone and a drop of 4 over the last 30 days, which makes sense with 3 weeks off for vacation. Same with gold on distance. Silver on almost everything speed but have not focused on running fast over the last 8 months

I like they way they do the rankings and the site presentation. I have thought several times about going pro for them, since they seem to be run by 3 or 4 folks.

 

[Waiting2goback]

I'm confident you will love it. I see so many "Disney World snobs" that act like Disneyland is some kind of cheap amusement park because it's so much smaller, so sometimes I get very defensive and blunt in pointing out where they're wrong. My initial response may have been a bit blunt. If you go in ready to experience Disneyland for what it is instead of comparing it to Disney World, you will love it. The same holds true for Disneyland veterans heading out to Disney World for the first time. Honestly, in some ways I argue that Disneyland's "bubble" is more impressive than Disney World's because Disneyland sits right in the middle of a city instead of being a city in and of itself. Note that none of this actually insults the Disney World bubble. It's just that dealing with L.A. rush hour traffic and suddenly walking through the gates of Disneyland and literally feeling all that stress melt away in an instant is an incredible feat that Disney World can't really accomplish because it is so vast.

I know some people that actually stopped visiting Disney World because they love Disneyland so much. As for me, I enjoy them both but for very different reasons. To defend one by insulting the other misses the point and ignores what the other has to offer. You've probably heard from a lot of people that they are very different experiences. This is true. However, that's part of the fun. The intimacy of Disneyland park itself is different to the grandeur of the Magic Kingdom. It's very possible to enjoy both the gigantic castle towering over all lands in the Magic Kingdom and love the charming intimacy of the much smaller castle that is home.

For me, it is going to be awesome just because this is the park Walt actually built. That history, and the fact he walked that park, is going to make me love it. I'm told you can feel him there still, there is a special magic there. Also, I have heard the place is spotless because the cast members take such pride in their park. I'm not a "ride" person. I'll go on some but the things that make Disney different are the service, cleanliness, the extras. WDW has been lacking in that area for a bit. So I can't wait to see it return at DL.

QOTD: When was the last time you surprised yourself on a run and what was it?

ATTQOTD: I am in the process of getting back to running. I am doing short runs and increasing in small bits while adding days as well.... Or at least this is the plan. On my run yesterday I added distance and I thought it would be a struggle but doable. It went really well and I felt like I could do more when I was done! I didnt want it to turn into a run that would leave me sore the next day, so I did stop, but I'm looking forward to the future!

I would say this year's Disney marathon. I was severely undertrained. My longest run going in was 8 miles. I was doing much better than expected up until mile 20 and then things started hurting, then mile 23 came and the pain was just so bad I had to walk the rest.

 

[Waiting2goback]

I felt it was time for a little Walt.

 

[GreatLakes]

QOTD: When was the last time you surprised yourself on a run and what was it?

It has been a while because I generally know my fitness at any given time and know what I should do based on the conditions. If I were to really go back to the last time I was really surprised it would be the first half I finally ran under 1:30 back in 2009. I had been close a few times missing once by 24 seconds. I was training for my first full so my miles were way up and I thought I would be able to finally get in under 1:30. I was expecting to come in a few seconds under but managed almost a minute and a half below 1:30.

Disneyland vs. Disney World: I went to Disneyland once in 2006 for the inaugural Disneyland half. It was fun but I much prefer Walt Disney World. At some point we'll take my son out there and my wife has never been but the one trip was all I really needed for a while.

 

[baxter24]

ATTQOTD: It was this past December on my last day of my Dopey simulation (20 miler). My 2.5, 5, and 10 miler the previous consecutive days had gone pretty well but I still had the big one to get done. I ran blind just planning on getting it done and not agonizing how slow or fast I was running according to my watch. I ended up running my 20 miler faster than I had run my 19 miler two weeks prior by two minutes. It was the best confidence booster I could have asked for headed into Dopey!

 

[McNs]

34 against everyone and a drop of 4 over the last 30 days, which makes sense with 3 weeks off for vacation. Same with gold on distance. Silver on almost everything speed but have not focused on running fast over the last 8 months

I like they way they do the rankings and the site presentation. I have thought several times about going pro for them, since they seem to be run by 3 or 4 folks.

The time off running hits hard - even just a week off or below. Then that week lingers in the stars fir a while...

I haven’t pulled the pro trigger yet - I am premium on Strava and for now don’t see anything extra I can get from Snsshrun. In saying that I agree it looks like a small team and such a cool website giving something back would be good

 

[kbenson13]

Disneyland v. Disney World--I grew up on the East Coast going to Disney World but moved to CA for a while and have been to Disney Land a few times. I personally think Disney Land is better than the MK because everything is more "dense" and there are more (and better) rides to go on. By "dense" I mean everything is packed closer in and the theming feels more intense (and better). I feel more "immersed" there. I do think the castle is off puttingly small, but that's a relatively minor thing. Also, it seems like every time I went the fireworks were at risk due to winds. That's definitely less of an issue in FL in my limited experience.

I think the Grand Californian is a awesome hotel and I love the convenience of walking out the door and more or less into the parks, and that the two parks are a short walk from each other. But overall I like Disney World better because there is so much more to do and a greater variety of places to stay on property. But both are great in their own ways.

On a running note, it was running in and around Disney Land in May 2017 that inspired me to sign up for the 2017 Wine & Dine and got me onto this board for the first time!

 

[TheHamm]

Out for the universe: I accomplished my previously state summer goal #5, figuring out what comes next. I will be signing up for the half at Marathon Weekend. DH has apparently heard me muse to my ability to do a half and when booking something else booked me a room for the weekend and agreed to a minimum of 2-2 hour runs in December and chill days after (I imagine that means grandma will be visiting). I can already do ~75 minutes midweek on my lunch hour every other week, and shorter runs other days. I even have a 10K POT that would put me right on the edge of a 2:45 predicted finish already, so if I just run that, I will be happy to walk the other 6.9 miles. So, previous goal achieved (setting a new goal!) and written down.
I have some tools: a mostly good attitude, good health, good shoes that are not due for a model change until at least fall, a 2km track to run on at work, a 2 mile trail I love, a newly discovered water fountain so I can extend my neighborhood route to 4 miles, and instead of picking up lunch today I picked up a garmin.
Other than a training plan of some sort, what do I need?

As an update to the other goals I threw out there, I have been running in the woods, I have not yet increased weekly miles, and I am hoping the garmin will magically help with knowing what pace I am going and adjust during the run if needed- but perhaps that is too much to ask of a watch!

 

[YawningDodo]

Seriously thinking about signing up for a second race in October--besides the 5K I'm already doing there's also a 3.5 mile race. Didn't sign up for it because I didn't want to be too busy during October (my housemate and I go gangbusters hosting an elaborate murder mystery party every November, and the month leading up to it is always a little nuts), but now I'm thinking...man, I'm supposed to be running at least 3 miles every Saturday by then anyway; is it really that much more of a time commitment to do it in a road race? I mean, the answer is yes since I'd be starting my run at 9:00 instead of 6:30, so my morning would be kind of shot, but it's still just niggling away at the back of my mind. Since I'll be in Europe over Thanksgiving I won't have another chance at a road race until next spring...hmm.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

For me, it is going to be awesome just because this is the park Walt actually built. That history, and the fact he walked that park, is going to make me love it. I'm told you can feel him there still, there is a special magic there.

The fire department on Main Street in Disneyland has an apartment over it. That is the Disney family apartment that his family used when he was alive. His children and grandchildren tell stories about being there in the early hours while the park was open and hearing the Jungle Cruise behind them.

When Walt Disney was alive, the light in the apartment over the window would be turned on whenever Walt was in the park so that cast members knew Walt was in the park. Today if you walk by the apartment at night, you can clearly see that the light is still on.

If I were asked to describe the difference between Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom in two sentences, I would say this: The light in the apartment window over the Fire Department on Main Street explains it all. If you know what that light represents, you'll understand.

 

[cavepig]

Two weeks post Cervical Disc Replacement surgery...Go Go Gadget Neck...sigh

Jog/Walk in 3 weeks...before returning to some training. SIGH. And I have Disney Paris Half Sep 23, Warsaw Marathon Sep 30, and Athens Marathon Nov 11, before Dopey...starting from Scratch. Double Sigh.

View attachment 335051

Here's to a easy recovery & maybe it won't be too bad starting from scratch as at least you know you can do the distances. Just take it easy at first as that kind of surgery sounds not fun to me Pixie dust happy vibes to you!

 

[Keels]

Overnight 25K is tomorrow ... starting at 10 p.m., and the temp should only be about 97 degrees at race start! Perfect race weather, amirite?

My friend K ran it last year (she's the rockstar currently training for the Leadville 100) and she said she threw up twice during the race. I previous had a time goal, but I think not puking is my new A Goal for tomorrow.

 

[FFigawi]

Overnight 25K is tomorrow ... starting at 10 p.m., and the temp should only be about 97 degrees at race start! Perfect race weather, amirite?

My friend K ran it last year (she's the rockstar currently training for the Leadville 100) and she said she threw up twice during the race. I previous had a time goal, but I think not puking is my new A Goal for tomorrow.

Not puking is always a good goal. That's mine in every beer mile I run.