Masters Running

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Wednesday's Runs, Rests, and Realities (Read 601 times)

Tramps


    Yup, nice summary, SRL. I picked up most of that from skimming the MarathonGuide reviews, which are pretty helpful. If you skim back a couple of years you can see what the issues were. Then as you move forward you get a sense of whether glitches disappear (presumably because the organizers have learned) or whether they're pretty constant. Philly's definitely had start issues but seems to be improving. Speaking of improving, I thought the Baltimore Marathon had a great example of transparency and good communication. Their site has a letter on "What We Learned from 2008" listing the issues they heard about and how they plan to address them. Very nice. See (upper right-hand corner): http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com

    Be safe. Be kind.

    wildchild


    Carolyn

      I once locked the keys in a rental car at a trailhead, and this was pre-cell phones, so I couldn't call a locksmith. But I still had the trunk open getting my stuff out, so I kicked in the back seat from the trunk space, and reached through for the keys. I put it back together well enough that they didn't notice when I turned in the car... Blush

      I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.


      Renee the dog

        Nono, I didn't mean to imply he writes about races he hates
        No ,no, no, you didn't imply that. Stevie Ray slipped in a reference to only hating about 10 in an earlier post. I was thinking that would be a great cautionary tale to read. Esp. after Tramps' incident this past weekend. ETA: Oh I did do 2 hrs of yard work today and more slide boarding. I'm likin' the slide board. Starting to miss running. Will likely start again May 18. 12 days. I think I can make it.

        GOALS 2012: UNDECIDED

        GOALS 2011: LIVE!!!

        xor


          Well, the problem with writing about certain races I didn't like is that some of those races have fans and fanatics... and even if I'm careful with my wording, they don't take it well. Let's just say that the superfans of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon play defense aggressively. Anyway, there are several different classes of problem races: 1. Races that do a bunch of goofy stuff once. This can lead to a bad day, but as long as it gets fixed the next time, then ok. 2. Races that do a few things goofy, but do them chronically. Depending on what the things are, this may make for a cute/quirky race... or it may make for an outright crappy suck race. BUT. If it's stuff that's chronic, then I probably knew about it going in... so buyer beware. 3. Races that go on the poop list because they were canceled at the last minute for preventable reasons. The old Denver Marathon got canceled the day before because the RD waited until the day before to get the permit (sound familiar?) and the city... who had always done it this way before... said no (sound familiar?). This includes shady deals where the race is canceled for whatever reason and the RD mysteriously disappears with everyone's money. 4. Races that get canceled in the middle due to weather. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about these. Lightning and tornadoes? Absolutely. Heat? I don't know. A heatwave is rarely a surprise. Both runners and race organizers have a few days notice... give or take... and should be able to plan. If you are going to cancel a race because of heat, why the hell do you do it DURING the race and not the day before? (I know one reason why... because, like in Chicago, you don't realize how screwed you are for supplies and impossible logistics until it is happening because you planned poorly and you don't have much choice) Oddly, we have several marathons each year in Hawai'i with tons of mainland marathoners, they are always 80-95 degrees, and nobody freaks out about the heat. Like I said, I'm still trying to figure out HOW I feel about this. Anyway, like I said, I dunno how I feel about #4. As for Grandfather Mountain: 1) lots of oncoming traffic and a skinny running shoulder in places, 2) no bathrooms anywhere, 3) the RD was a jerk, 4) after the race, I sat in a chair and was told that I had to move because that chair was for the organizers only, 5) the RD was a jerk, 6) I had a problem at packet pickup because I registered as 'Robert' and my ID reads 'Roberto', and 7) the RD was a jerk.

           

          Tramps


            Anyway, there are several different classes of problem races:
            I now have a deeper understanding of Ribs' post on my non-race report thread about not wanting to laugh at others' misfortune, yet finding this hilariously funny.

            Be safe. Be kind.

              . . . 3) the RD was a jerk, . . . 5) the RD was a jerk, . . . and 7) the RD was a jerk.
              I think you need to get some things off your chest and tell us how you really feel about the RD. Big grin

              Leslie
              Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain
              -------------

              Trail Runner Nation

              Sally McCrae-Choose Strong

              Bare Performance

               

                Cascade at Dawn? What a Joy!
                What Duz this mean?
                Masters 2000 miles
                xor


                  What Duz this mean?
                  None of your Biz. (ah fooey. I went from dishes to clothes. The Tide has turned. Please don't Cheer) ((I had nothing to Gain from this post)) (((Perhaps I should go Surf))) ((((Yes, that's really All I have to say.))))

                   

                  Tramps


                    Fab post, SRL. Bold of you, too.

                    Be safe. Be kind.

                      Incidentally, the *real* reason why I suspect this race generates polarized opinion comes down to how a traveler deals with, well, that special "charm" of the fine folks from Philadelphia or other NE cities.
                      Bwhhhaaaa! When Holly first asked the question about why people don't like the Philly marathon, I was trying to come up with some smarty-pants reply about how we boo Santa Claus and used to get so out of control at Eagles games that we needed a judge to set up shop at the Vet during games, and if you have a problem with that then stay the heck home! Then I remembered that I'm from the Philly SUBURBS, so it can't be people like me. Wink And I spend weekends at the Jersey shore to get away from the Philly-types, but they always find me there in the summer. Confused My niece met someone recently who ran Philly marathon last year and fell on the ice at a water stop, so I have two degrees of separation confirmation on that one, for one runner, anyway. Of course, I'm going to be volunteering there this year, so you'd at least meet ONE nice person from the big bad northeast. Oh, running - sidelined after getting rear-ended this morning. Felt good enough to walk a mile or so and will do some yoga later, but ER doc said definitely no running today. Grrrr. Thursday, and I've logged zero miles this week. Eliz

                      flomotioncoaching.com


                      Marathon Maniac #957

                        Oh great, Stevie Ray, now I have just spewed blackberry pomegranate yogurt all over my keyboard...... Big grin Big grin

                        Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."

                          6 miles for me this afternoon. Gettin' summer time. Ribs, did you see any Lava at the Cascades?
                          Quit being so damn serious! When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. "Ya just gotta let it go." OM
                            To anyone who chooses to defend Philly: have at it.
                            Cheesesteaks. I win. Tried a "Yasso 800" workout tonight: 10 x 800 at 6:40 m/m pace, with a 3:20 rest (slow 1/4 mile jog in between). 5.5 miles WU/WD, 1/2 mile walk. Back to Philly: most sports fans in that town are only marginally above the Code of Hammurabi. That town is tough on their teams. Walt MTA: I'd really like to enter into the "soap jokes" being bandied about, but I guess my sense of humor is too dirty.
                              lots of interesting stuff here today!!Big grin track workout: warmup ......dynamic stretching...........strides my group: 3x400 with 1:1recovery time........we did our 400's in 1:52-1:55 rest then anothehr set of above cooldown.......stretched i played around with my garmin during the workout and ended up with 4.4 miles in 37:41 - not quite accurate, but felt soooooooooooooo good!!! holly - went to visit my mom today and she had 2 magnets on her fridge from "the flying pig marathon"!! she has no idea where she got them but i just thought it was so cool!!

                              denise

                              busiman


                              Running out of mistakes!

                                evening all...I didn't have time for much of a work out, so I jammed in a hilly 8-miler in about 57 minutes including a warmup mile. I felt speedy throughout which I took as a good sign.
                                -2009 running goals - sub-3 after Boston (probably VCM), 3 PRs, 2009 miles for the year, and no untreated injuries
                                also on Twitter
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