Forums >Racing>2022 Advanced Racing Thread
RIP Milkman
Flavio - even cheaper, and definitely legal: get something called pet corrector. It's just a can of air. I have yet to find a dog that doesn't hate the sound of that thing.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Mother of Cats
Many runners (and non-runners) in the US, especially women, carry pepper spray routinely. Like CK said, it is readily available here. The version designed for humans will also work on dogs. They do make a version designed more specifically to be used on dogs, which is actually lower in strength; less is needed since dogs have more sensitive noses.
I carried pepper spray when I was a teenager. One evening while alone at a strange barn I got spooked and sprayed....a bush with a squirrel in it.
I don't carry pepper spray or mace now - I think that the benefits are vastly overstated and it creates a false sense of security. Sprays usually come with some sort of safety mechanism that has to be undone before you use them, so either you run with the spray armed and in your hand, or you're going to have to fumble with it to undo the safety before you use it (by which time it will be too late).
Even if you have it armed and in your hand ready to use, it's going to take a few moments to mentally shift to the point of aiming and using it (and you do have to aim it). So while it can be useful if you happen to notice a potential predator lurking up ahead waiting for you, it won't be useful for the situation where you are jumped from the side or behind.
And if the predator has been watching you and has noted the pepper spray, that's probably the first thing he's going to grab - at which point he has it and not you.
I can see the utility of carrying it if you are running in an area where you encounter wild animals or dogs. But I don't see any benefit in carrying it as a defense against being assaulted by humans in urban areas (this holds double if you carry it in a pocket while running with headphones).
It's better just to be very mindful about where you run (and I'm not talking about avoiding certain neighborhoods, but rather about avoiding routes where you are isolated and there are plenty of bushes, cars, etc for predators to hide behind.
Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.
And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.
Problem Child
Why carry pepper spray when it’s so easy to obtain and carry a gun? Just pick one up online and have it mailed to your house before your next run.
Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.
VDOT 53.37
5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22
Also true for bear spray. But then again, those are 20x the size of the standard ones for two-legged predators.
Just remember, bear apart doesn’t work like bug spray. https://iotwreport.com/bear-spray-does-not-work-like-bug-spray/
Intl. correspondent
Jmac - thanks I'll check that pet corrector thing.
Keen - I was gonna say your comment was very American haha.
Tell me more about your dog encounters...
DW - pepper Sprays were not common back in Brazil but then again if you were robbed or attacked the odds were very high the attacker had a real gun.
In fact short tempered people don't live long there 😁
PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021
Up next: some 800m race (or time trials) / Also place in the top 20% in a trail race
Tool to generate Strava weekly
Short Race Report:
FSK 6k for WRRC Twilight Series.
Out and back course with rolling hills.
This was the first time I have ever raced a 6k. Fairly hot and humid day. Ran a mostly even pace staying in 2nd the whole way.
Around mile 3 the heat started to get to me and I felt winded. I need to work on my VO2 max more. I could have taken advantage of the last downhill after mile 3 but I got lazy and used it to catch my breath and chill. I run into this predicament a lot, knowing I should use the downhill to run faster but instead giving in to the pain and keeping an even pace.
Splits according to Garmin:
Mile 1: 5:50, Mile 2: 5:54, Mile 3: 6:13, Last ~ 0.72: 3:59. Overall: 21:56.
Mmmm Bop
I like this attitude. No messing about. 👍
Just make sure you’re listening to “Bullet in the Head” by RATM on your iPod after an altercation. 🤘
5k - 17:53 (4/19) 10k - 37:53 (11/18) Half - 1:23:18 (4/19) Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)
Darkwave - there were a couple of female runners who were assaulted by some creep on one of my favourite routes (which is a very popular walkway / cycleway) a year or so ago. I got pretty mad about it to be honest but unfortunately there are a lot of bushes etc. where creeps can hide. He got caught though which was good news.
Me - Hilariously I managed to get 99.99km, which I'm quite proud of. I ran a little longer than planned on Wed and Sun so it wasn't intentional and I'd expected to be in the mid to high 90's.
Did a workout Tues in the Streakfly. They're a fun shoe for sure, a lot more responsive than the VF... but I don't think they're quite as fast.
3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)
10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)
* Net downhill course
Last race: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr, 1:15:48
Up next: Runway5, 4 May
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
Marathon Thread - RIP
I made a late decision to hop in to a local half today to see how I'm doing and my wife wanted a race.
I wasn't expecting much as I've just had my 2 heaviest mileage weeks in 2 years.Came away with 1:31:12,I'd have liked to have been closer to 1:30,but it's pretty warm here today and didn't have much left to kick in the second half.Still that's my first back to back 50m weeks in 2 years.
5k 17:35,10k 36:43,10m 61:55,HM 1:24:03,Full 3:07:39
Total distance: 99.99km
What kind of runner are you? This is how it’s done:
Total distance: 50.06mi
Dave
Mark: Nice week. I do wish you'd list what your workout runs are in the titles, it would be great to know the details of what a speedster like you is doing! You can still start them like you are now, just something like "That run where I did 6 x 800m @ X:XX".
Ian: Nice work on the half! That's a great result, especially coming off the weeks of high mileage, and if the weather was warm.
mmerkle: Something from page 1 of the thread that might be worth remembering:
We also highly encourage you to get involved with other people. If you only dump your weeklies and ask questions about yourself, you won’t get as much support. This is like give a penny, take a penny. Nobody likes people who only take a penny.
My week went ok; I didn't have the motivation for a workout mid-week but had a decent long run today with a pick-up over the last 5 miles. I have to go to Innsbruck for work this week so mileage will be lower, but it's always nice to run in a new place.
2:52:16 (2018)
JT-How come you had 20's only 6 days apart,I'm thinking of doing them a week apart but usually space them further as I wasn't sure if it would be too close.
Ian: it was just because last weekend I took both days off, and pushed the long run to Monday of this week as it was a holiday here. Usually I always do the LR on Sunday so have 7 days between. And even then I don't always put "big" ones 1 week apart; usually 2 weeks apart. I did another today since I know the coming week will be low mileage.
Mmerkle - I can’t see how it would be possible to speed up when you’re out of breath, except maybe the last 400, since anaerobic energy can carry for like a minute.
Ian - That’s a nice fitness gauge with the half. I suppose now you can calculate your workout paces from a recent result.
JT - Innsbruck sounds like a great destination.
Me - a nice week and breaking 40 miles for the first time since October. This time I managed to finish the week feeling much better.
Quite a bit of elevation (for my standards) on the long run today. The strength training is helping tremendously especially going uphill.