The Running Thread - 2020

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

I know it’s not the same but if you can’t do your classes, I like Yoga With Adrienne on you tube. And there’s a website called fitness blender that has good hiit and strength routines. You can filter by equipment/none, length of time, type of workout, etc. I think most of them are free.

Thank you, that is valuable information. I'll give them a look before I make my decision.

 

[dis_or_dat]

@DopeyBadger

Any general recommendations on how to maintain base? Figured with all the cancellations the board may find it useful!

 

[FFigawi]

@DopeyBadger

Any general recommendations on how to maintain base? Figured with all the cancellations the board may find it useful!

I’m not @DopeyBadger but I met him a few times.

I find cross or multi sport training best for maintaining base fitness. A few runs, a few swims, and a bike ride or two each week help keep my fitness up without the physical stress of only running. Plus, I find doing something different every day helps prevent mental burnout too. Running 5-6 days a week when training for a race certainly brings mental focus. Doing it for only base fitness can drive one crazy.

 

[DopeyBadger]

@DopeyBadger

Any general recommendations on how to maintain base? Figured with all the cancellations the board may find it useful!

@FFigawi has great recommendations. Now's a good time to possibly shore up other deficiencies in your training if you go into a base mode. Things like cross training with weights, biking, or other methods. Running wise, you can do about 50% of what your recent peak was and one hard workout every week or every other week. It takes a lot less running to maintain base fitness. Just leave yourself about 8-12 weeks before your next race for the ramp up in training to be race ready.

It's also a great time to lose some bad weight if you actually need to. Trying to train hard and lose weight at the same time is hard and usually leaves you vulnerable to injuries. So during a down period in training is a great time to adjust your diet and try to lose some bad weight if necessary.

 

[flav]

Super good suggestions for adjusting our training and intake in regards of the situation.

With all the school and daycare closed, besides working from home and running, that pretty much sums up our plans:

 

[avondale]

The Cherry Blossom 10-Miler on April 5 has been officially canceled. They had already offered a non-complimentary deferral to next year. They are now offering a refund option, also.

Of course, they are an odd race in that you pay for the race entry, your medal, and your shirt separately. It was very clear that only the race entry fee was being refunded, so I expect I should still be getting the medal and shirt that I paid for. What I haven't heard yet is how that will happen. An expo is obviously not going to happen, but mailing them out seems expensive and work intensive. But we are supposed to be getting an email with more info in a few days.

I wouldn't normally wear a race shirt for a race I didn't run, but since I was planning to run this as a long training run and will likely replace it with a training run of the same distance, I'll wear it. Also a good reminder down the road of the craziness of this spring.

 

[IamTrike]

I ran on the greenway here today. They were a couple of people we saw running in Bibs. They decided to do their own virtual NY Half Marathon today since it was cancelled. I feel bad for all the people with cancelled races

 

[flav]

QOTD: Building on some of the last posts, many of us will be stuck with a few weeks without a gym and with adjusted training plans. What training and cross-training plans and tools do you use in that situation? In particular, can you suggest an ideally free entertaining two weeks cross-training get back in shape plan that can be done with minimal equipment? Bonus point if it allows my whole family to do it!

ATTQOTD: After doing an inventory, I have some 5lbs weights and some elastic bands. I might be able to get a big training ball. I also have some Wii games including Wii Fit Plus but I feel like I am always using the controls instead of training. I have my usual trainer made plan but it will become too repetitive over the course of the next two weeks. I will try the NRC app tomorrow after my run. I am also curious with the videos that have been suggested earlier.

 

[jillinastoria]

We're going full-on work from home over here and have a 5-year-old that we'll each be watching half the day, should be interesting!

I'm thinking of doing a run streak to help keep me on a consistent, early schedule (I'm working the early shift). Any advice from anyone who has done/is doing a significant run streak would be appreciated!

 

[KevM]

ATTQOTD: A lot of running and walking outside. As for working out/cross training at home. The two main yoga places I go to each have videos on their website. Then there’s also YouTube. I also have a few dumbbells, kettlebells, elastic bands, resistance bands, & a jump rope. I’ve started to think about unconventional things too. Such as, the extra Unopened 40 pack of water that I have is 42#. So try to lifting with that. I also today on Facebook saw a video for the Toilet Paper workout (The below video). Hahaha.trying to think of other things around the house I turn into workout equipment.

 

[SarahDisney]

QOTD: Building on some of the last posts, many of us will be stuck with a few weeks without a gym and with adjusted training plans. What training and cross-training plans and tools do you use in that situation? In particular, can you suggest an ideally free entertaining two weeks cross-training get back in shape plan that can be done with minimal equipment? Bonus point if it allows my whole family to do it!

I'm still going to my fitness classes (and theoretically running, just not so much in practice), so this doesn't fully apply to me. But there are a lot of good workouts available on YouTube.
My barre studio also has online videos (not free, but subscription is included in my membership), so that's what I do when I can't get out.

 

[Smilelea]

Perfect QOTD!

I have a small variety of workout videos - mostly cardio but a few incorporate some strength training. I have up to 10 lbs free weights and a band. I’ve already told DH there will be days that he comes home and I’m running (literally) out the door. I just pray we don’t go through days and days of rain like we have been.

 

[Chaitali]

I talked to some friends and we’re setting up a zoom meeting to all do a yoga video together tomorrow morning. I’ll let you all know how it works. It should be social interaction and yoga so filling two needs when we’re not leaving the house.

 

[huskies90]

Nothing is changing for me. I have a set routine where I do 30 minutes of strength training in my basement before work every morning - rotating different muscle groups everyday. I plan to continue that routine. I run outside by myself so my running routine is also not changing.

For strength training I have a full set of weights, benches, dumbbells, and a full rack with pull downs and pull ups in my basement. That being said, you absolutely do not need weights to do strength training. And since I work out every day and mix it up, I often do workouts with no weights. You can Google videos. There are tons of great routines out there. Find ones that work best for you and don't forget to mix it up.

For races, I had planned to do one each month this Spring -- 5K in March, 10 Miler in April, a 10K in May and a Half in June. The 5K was today and of course it was canceled but I ran it virtually and did it in 20.14 which was 58 seconds faster than the guy who won my age group last year and 41 seconds faster than my last 5K six years ago. My 10 Miler in April will most likely be canceled and I am planning to do that virtually, too. I am hoping the 10K and Half will happen.

 

[corn princess]

The Illinois marathon was postponed this week. It was going to be my first full. I am majorly bummed as I was moving into the second half of training and the end was in sight . I will wait and see when they reschedule it to see if I do the full, half, or what!
For now, I took a few days off because I wasn't in the right head space after the cancellation! Today things got in the way and kept me from running. Tonight I could feel myself starting to itch for a run so I'll go back out tomorrow! I plan to cut back my miles for now but keep them s little.higher so I'm ready to start training again.

 

[PrincessMickey]

QOTD: Building on some of the last posts, many of us will be stuck with a few weeks without a gym and with adjusted training plans. What training and cross-training plans and tools do you use in that situation? In particular, can you suggest an ideally free entertaining two weeks cross-training get back in shape plan that can be done with minimal equipment? Bonus point if it allows my whole family to do it!

I use the 7M workout for women app. It’s a pink background with white w. They have quite a few different workouts on there and keep adding new ones, some as short as 5 minutes long. I rotate through several workouts, some days I do 2 or 3, some days I only do 1.

 

[MommaBerd]

Just wanted to share - I had a great run yesterday! I had to take my son to an extended music lesson in downtown Atlanta (Little Five Points). I decided to run while he was there. It was such a beautiful day, when all we’ve had is rain lately, and I was excited to run somewhere new. It’s been a loooong time since I’ve been in that area, and I was so impressed with the parks and “trails” (really more like greenways). I even found one section that is a real trail that winds through a little patch of woods and followed a stream. So beautiful and so fun! I was actually a bit jealous, and we live in a suburb with nice parks and a greenway! I was supposed to do 14 miles in preparation for my HM, but since that was cancelled—and I was on limited time—I did a little over 7. I will say, it was hilly! It felt like I ran uphill both ways! Despite that, I think it was one of my most enjoyable runs to date. It made me realize I should get out and explore other areas to run around here, when time permits.

 

[FFigawi]

Interesting article from a race director on what goes into making the decision to postpone or cancel a race.

https://www.slowtwitch.com/Opinion/...r_Emails_to_RDs_in_the_COVID-19_Era_7605.html

 

[avondale]

Interesting article from a race director on what goes into making the decision to postpone or cancel a race.

https://www.slowtwitch.com/Opinion/...r_Emails_to_RDs_in_the_COVID-19_Era_7605.html

Thanks for this. I didn't know all the details, but this is why I wasn't expected refunds from my race(s) that have been cancelled. For typical races, the entry fee isn't enough to break the bank for most of us - although there are certainly exceptions to that. I think the bigger issue is the disappointment in not getting to run the race you wanted.

 

[camaker]

Interesting article from a race director on what goes into making the decision to postpone or cancel a race.

https://www.slowtwitch.com/Opinion/...r_Emails_to_RDs_in_the_COVID-19_Era_7605.html

I was lucky with the cancelled marathon that was supposed to be run today. It is a big charity fundraiser locally. Despite that, they deferred all runners to next year’s race and are currently looking for a safe way to distribute shirts and medals to all registrants. In addition, once they heard a significant number of runners were planning to complete the distances virtually, they set up a Facebook post to discuss experiences and set up a database for runners to log their virtual distances and times. They’re going to publish the results and count the virtuals towards people’s completion streaks.

I figured I was supposed to run the distance anyway, so why not? My training run area is significantly more challenging than the race course. Still, I was able to achieve the time I targeted as my PoT for next year’s Dopey. Too bad it doesn’t count!