Beginners and Beyond

123

Come to Charleston, WV to watch the carnage (Read 114 times)

Love the Half


    On June 28, there will be a "Biggest Loser" half marathon in my home city.  Given that it's a Biggest Loser race, I imagine that a large percentage of the competitors will be first timers who are barely, barely capable of moving their bodies 13.1 miles.  In one of the more idiotic arrangements I have ever seen in my running life, the race organizers have mapped the course to go through Spring Hill Cemetery.  Why is that an idiotic arrangement you may well ask?  Simply because the climb up the hill into Spring Hill Cemetery is brutal.  I ran it with a group of folks yesterday and it kicked my ass.  There is plenty of flat ground in the Charleston area although you'd probably have to run some kind of course with a couple of loops to keep it on flat ground but still............

     

    I'm tempted to get some lawn chairs and a cooler full of beer and set up at the top of Spring Hill Cemetery to watch the carnage.  Should be entertaining to say the least.  Oh.  Almost forgot.  After trashing people's legs with a brutal climb and a steep descent, they'll still have 6 or 7 miles of flat ground staring them in the face and it's likely to be hot.  I'm guessing the medical folks will be busy.

     

    (A local runner who has been organizing races for 30 years was asked to serve on the race committee and when he found out what date they wanted to run and the course they wanted to use, he flat out refused).

    Short term goal: 17:59 5K

    Mid term goal:  2:54:59 marathon

    Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life.  (I started running at age 45).

    Love the Half


      For anyone curious about the elevation profile, here it is.  What you see is the Charleston version of a "Rim to Rim" run (this is my Garmin track from yesterday) as it runs up the hills that line Charleston north and south.  The Spring Hill Cemetery climb is the first climb in this profile.

       

      Short term goal: 17:59 5K

      Mid term goal:  2:54:59 marathon

      Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life.  (I started running at age 45).

      happylily


        Sensationalism at its best. Do the people who sign up for this show realize that they are used as entertaining clowns? I just don't get it. And I don't get the interest in watching that show. And if you sit there that day and watch in amusement those poor people struggling on that course, you're a mean one, LTH. But then, that would not be surprising. 

        PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013

                Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013

        18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010

        catwhoorg


        Labrat

          Lily,

           

          i think its a simple act of desperation from the people involved. They really do want to change, but seem to lack the internal motivation or ability (or knowledge) to enact the change themselves.

           

          Which is of course why most who succeed on the show revert afterwards. It takes as much if not more internal strength to maintain weight loss than it does to lose in the first place.

           

           

          That course looks like fun to me, but then again I have done plenty of halves and most race round here have some degree of hilliness.

          5K  20:23  (Vdot 48.7)   9/9/17

          10K  44:06  (Vdot 46.3)  3/11/17

          HM 1:33:48 (Vdot 48.6) 11/11/17

          FM 4:13:43 (Vdot 35.4) 3/4/18

           

          Half Crazy K 2.0


            Oh yikes. That sounds like recipe for disaster. Can you imagine the outrage if they have to shorten or cancel due to heat?

            happylily


              Lily,

               

              i think its a simple act of desperation from the people involved. They really do want to change, but seem to lack the internal motivation or ability (or knowledge) to enact the change themselves.

               

              Which is of course why most who succeed on the show revert afterwards. It takes as much if not more internal strength to maintain weight loss than it does to lose in the first place.

               

               

              That course looks like fun to me, but then again I have done plenty of halves and most race round here have some degree of hilliness.

               

              Richard, I think you're right. Which is why it makes me sad that the show is made under that format. Like a game, a contest. We're dealing with real people who have real problems in life. I would feel really uncomfortable watching the show. I feel sorry for the people who are desperate enough that they signed up for this. I think it's stupid to give them such a hard course for their race. Serious medical problems can happen during races, why take a chance like this with people who are obviously not in good physical condition to start with?

              PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013

                      Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013

              18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010

                Sensationalism at its best. Do the people who sign up for this show realize that they are used as entertaining clowns? I just don't get it. And I don't get the interest in watching that show. And if you sit there that day and watch in amusement those poor people struggling on that course, you're a mean one, LTH. But then, that would not be surprising. 

                 

                If they don't, they have never watched any reality TV themselves, and/or are delusional. This move shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Of course it makes good TV to show people suffering as much as possible. It would be enough of a bloodbath considering a bunch of first-timers with presumably insufficient training, no matter how they did it. Ridiculous hills along with what is bound to be excessively hot/humid conditions will only add to the horror.

                I suppose plenty of people will watch and think "wow, that's what running a half marathon is like?", and will never want to try it.

                Dave

                Half Crazy K 2.0


                  What is the time limit? Is it fairly generous? Imwginw if they have a three hour time limit....

                  MothAudio


                    As many times as I've run the Charleston Distance Run I'm not familar with that part of town. CDR runs along the river and is perfectly flat except "The Hill" and maybe one roller going toward the stadium [maybe that's the SECTION you're talking about before we head south]. Weather can't be too much worse than Labor Day weekend, at least it's slightly shorter. Also, when they cross the river are they hitting "Capital Punishment hill"? I thought that was the largest hill in the area.

                     Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile

                     

                    onemile


                      There is a Biggest Loser race around here that is a 15k. I was almost tempted to do it because the 15k distance is pretty rare. But it was fucking expensive.

                      Jack K.


                      uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI

                         

                         

                        I'm tempted to get some lawn chairs and a cooler full of beer and set up at the top of Spring Hill Cemetery to watch the carnage.  

                         

                         

                         

                        Yes!

                        fourouta5


                        Healed Hammy

                          Its now official:

                           

                          West Virgina > Texas.

                           

                          Nuf said

                          catwhoorg


                          Labrat

                            Given what passes for 'entertainment' these days,

                             

                            I would not be surprised if there truly was a recovering alcoholic or drug abuser themed rehab show before long.

                             

                            If I keep being turned off the TV at this rate, I'll soon not need to pay for it.

                            (Curse my love of watching live sports, so its not really an option, but I can day dream)

                            5K  20:23  (Vdot 48.7)   9/9/17

                            10K  44:06  (Vdot 46.3)  3/11/17

                            HM 1:33:48 (Vdot 48.6) 11/11/17

                            FM 4:13:43 (Vdot 35.4) 3/4/18

                             

                            Half Crazy K 2.0


                              Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. Not sure if its still one any more though.

                              Love the Half


                                As many times as I've run the Charleston Distance Run I'm not familar with that part of town. CDR runs along the river and is perfectly flat except "The Hill" and maybe one roller going toward the stadium [maybe that's the SECTION you're talking about before we head south]. Weather can't be too much worse than Labor Day weekend, at least it's slightly shorter. Also, when they cross the river are they hitting "Capital Punishment hill"? I thought that was the largest hill in the area.

                                 

                                The CDR runs up hills on the south side of the city while Spring Hill Cemetery is on the north side.

                                 

                                Here's the comparison.  Capital Punishment Hill starts at 590 feet and climbs to 890 feet over 3/4 of a mile.  The Spring Hill Cemetery climb goes from 620 feet to 1,030 feet in 1.3 miles.  Of course, during the CDR, you aren't finished with the climbing when you reach the top of Capital Punishment hill.  It goes up to 1,063 feet at the peak.  Thus, the total amount of climbing is nearly identical.  What is different is that the climbing in the CDR takes place over a span of right at 2 miles compared to the 1.3 miles of the Spring Hill Cemetery climb.  Spring Hill Cemetery is a 6% climb while the CDR is a 4.4% climb.

                                 

                                Beyond that, the CDR has a reputation as a brutal race and you rarely find entrants who are brand new.  I know some fairly decent newer runners who probably could do CDR but won't because of its reputation.  A Biggest Loser event won't have that same aura frightening off the woefully unprepared.

                                Short term goal: 17:59 5K

                                Mid term goal:  2:54:59 marathon

                                Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life.  (I started running at age 45).

                                123