2018 3:20 (and beyond) (Read 582 times)

darkwave


Mother of Cats

    In 2013, Dad said: "I put 3:20 and beyond in the title because 3:20 is more than a goal. It's a mindset and just the start."

     

    This is as true in 2018 as it was five years ago. 3:20 is a state of mind and it's always 3:20 somewhere. It was 3:20 for a long time at the late, occasionally lamented RWOL.  And now it's 3:20 here.

    This is not a thread restricted to those who have broken 3:20 for the marathon, or to those training for that goal. Some of us have run faster, some have different goals.

     

    Rather, this is where you come to chat about running and training. But also about beer and bad ideas and brunch and alternate names for that race that starts with a B.

    And also cats. Always cats.

    (but never screwshoes)

    We look for new members, and hope we'll get many more this year. To those of you considering joining - welcome. We're some of the best one-step-up-from-imaginary friends you could have.

    And like any friendship, we ask that you participate and reciprocate. Please don't dump your training week or question and run - give as well as take. Please don't join for validation - this is not Instagram. Like any good friend, we'll speak up if we're concerned you're headed down the wrong path. Or need to be (nicely) taken down a notch.

    With that, on into 2018!

     

    Links:

    The introductions thread

    The race goals thread

    The forum encounter photos thread

    handy tool for exporting from Strava

    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.

    CommanderKeen


    Cobra Commander Keen

      Welcome to 2018!

       

      Fireworks woke up DD3, and me by association. I think I'll try sleeping in tomorrow and waiting for the daily high temperature of 19° before going for my run tomorrow.

       

      Best of luck to our racers ( E11DWave?) today!

      5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22

       

      Upcoming Races:

       

       


      Strict WTF adherent

        Happy 2018 everyone.

        I'm in a very small house with six kids. It's a good thing I run.

        AceHarris


          Happy new year almost imaginary friends!! Best of luck in 2018.

           

          dwave: I enjoyed the 2018 intro to the thread! Well done

           

          keen: I too am waiting for the temps to warm up, high is 25 here today. Woke up to wind chill of -1. Glad I skipped out on the NYD 5K.

           

          McBen: we've been at double normal capacity at our house this week (from 5 to 10). It's been fun, but my runs are a good respite.

           

          I finished 2017 with my second biggest training week.

           

          Finished the year with 1,590 miles. Most miles I've ran in a year since 2004.

           

          My week

          M: 5.1 easy, (7:47) in the snowy mountain town of Shady Valley, TN (population ~900)
          T: 8 miles - 7 Progression, 1 easy (7:39, 7:24, 7:16, 7:01, 6:41, 6:33, 6:18, 7:55)

          W: 5 easy at lunch (7:46) - felt a little tight, would've slowed down, but had to get back to work.

          T: 6 miles - 2 up, 16 x 100 hills, 2 down

          F: 5 easy with my buddy Paul (8:04)

          S: 17 miles - 15 easy, 2 mile pickup (6:51, 6:26) (Averaged 7:39 for the run) - Felt strong from start to finish. Pickup felt easier on the legs than usual.

          S: 5 easy (7:51) - A lot of times the day after a long run with a pickup I feel fairly tight, but I felt fresh and effort was easy today. I attribute this to eating/drinking more than usual yesterday and some good foam rolling.

           

          Total: 51.1 miles

          Road Mile: 5:19 (2017), 5k: 17:09 (2021), 10k: 35:54 (2021), HM: 1:21:55 (2020), M: 2:53:18 (2021)

            Happy New Year to y'all!

             

            dw - thanks for getting the 3:20 started

             

            I've got to get myself back into a running groove, but it's colder than a well digger's ass out there.  Maybe tomorrow when my gym opens...

            darkwave


            Mother of Cats

              Happy New Year, y'all.  Ran my 5K in 19:35 - race report is here: http://wellimtryingtorun.blogspot.com/2018/01/race-report-new-year-new-you-5k.html

               

              Wore the Vaporflies - I didn't like them as a 5k shoe, but I think they'll do well for the half-marathon.

               

              McBen - I lol-ed at your comment.

               

              Ace - nice week - especially the pick-ups.

              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.

              Elizabeth78


              Recovery Phenom

                Commander: Happy New Year.

                 

                Ace: Great week. I saw your goal in the other thread and I definitely think you can do more than just squeak under 3:20.

                 

                McBen: Hope you are surviving all the kids! 

                 

                Rovatti: Ah the irony of needing to use a gym on the WORST day of the year to go to the gym. All the resolutioners!

                 

                Darkwave: Impressive result this morning. I agree that it doesn't really matter in terms of the big picture, but that course was a little long. That course is usually run the other way and potentially with the cones it was impossible to run the tangents. Ringing in Hope has been like that in the past, where the tangents are the actual street corners, but they place cones so that you can't run to those corners. Anyway, a truly miserable experience for me, but it was a good workout pre-Houston.

                 

                As for me, I set a yearly mileage PR by over 300 miles in 2017, finishing off with 2,622. As for the 5K, here is my race recap. Not the race I was expecting, but a decent workout.

                 

                In terms of this week, to treadmill or to brave the cold? Single digits + wind. Typically I would just brave the cold, but the problem is that it will also be dark when I run before work. Even though I have a headlamp, I worry about slipping on ice, and we definitely have icy patches. Our gym doesn't have fans so the treadmill is extra torturous. UGH.

                26.2 x 31 (3:15:34 PR)

                13.1 x 35 (1:30:58 PR)

                Author of the book Boston Bound

                AceHarris


                  Elizbeth: enjoyed the RR even though your result wasn’t ideal. The picture of your hands could be in a textbook for Raynaud’s. Now I know why you wore gloves, mittens, and hand warmers!

                   

                  dwaveyour RR link did not take my to your RR, but the 3:20 introductions page.

                  Road Mile: 5:19 (2017), 5k: 17:09 (2021), 10k: 35:54 (2021), HM: 1:21:55 (2020), M: 2:53:18 (2021)

                  DukeDB


                    Happy New Year everyone.  DukeDB here, new to the group & looking forward to getting to know 3:20 again.  Raced Boston twice as a qualifier but after 2 years on the slow side of 3:30, I decided last winter to take 2017 off from races longer than the half.  Feeling healthy and faster.  Built up to a 20 mile long run on my own late fall of '17 and am doing a winter trail running program with my club (Montgomery County Road Runners, Maryland) in prep for a 50K in early March.  For the base mileage that's in it.  I've been doing weekly track workouts on a Northern Va. high school track by my office to keep some speed on, and will do an Oly Tri in late spring for the cross training motivation.  Then a big long summer training program with my club and a full effort at a BQ-5:00 sub-3:20 somewhere flat, fast, and cool in October or November.

                     

                    Looks like some others here are in the DC area (and maybe also on the W&L track).  New Years Day 5Ks were tough - I've never raced in sub-20 temps and am not sure what to make of this morning's 21:22.  Five hours sleep and 2-3 glasses of wine aren't my normal prerace routine either ... except for this race.

                     

                    The change of scene (to trails) has helped a lot with motivation this winter.  Hope everyone else finds a good way to Spring.

                    darkwave


                    Mother of Cats

                      Thx Ace - fixed that.

                       

                      E78 - sorry about the disappointment.  I think I figured out where/why the course was long.  If you look at the course that they took and reversed (http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=VA14018RT)  you can see that they were supposed to have a separate start and finish line, but didn't.  I don't think that made a huge difference in times, but it added something, and was probably why the course felt long to me.

                       

                      Duke - welcome.  Yup - I think we've probably encountered each other multiple times at WL.  I train with the big group that meets there at 6:30 am on Tuesdays - on the SW corner of the track.  We may have gotten in your way at some point. (sorry).    MCRRC is good folks.

                       

                      Regarding the temps - yeah, I think this weather was not conducive to fast running, especially at shorter distances.  I actually wouldn't have minded a 10 miler in it - once you warmed up it was OK.    But the cold really saps some of the fluidity and speed from your legs, at least IME.

                      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.

                      Elizabeth78


                      Recovery Phenom

                         E78 - sorry about the disappointment.  I think I figured out where/why the course was long.  If you look at the course that they took and reversed (http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=VA14018RT)  you can see that they were supposed to have a separate start and finish line, but didn't.  I don't think that made a huge difference in times, but it added something, and was probably why the course felt long to me.

                         

                        Regarding the temps - yeah, I think this weather was not conducive to fast running, especially at shorter distances.  I actually wouldn't have minded a 10 miler in it - once you warmed up it was OK.    But the cold really saps some of the fluidity and speed from your legs, at least IME.

                         

                        Haha - I kept saying that they should have just moved the start/finish closer to the road! That and also the fact that we ran it backwards and cone placement could have come into play.

                         

                        Totally agree with you on cold being better for long distances, and I was actually thinking to myself that this would be decent (although not ideal) half marathon weather. Certainly better than the conditions at Navy Air Force. Probably not great for a marathon because I lose the use of my hands and ability to fuel.

                        26.2 x 31 (3:15:34 PR)

                        13.1 x 35 (1:30:58 PR)

                        Author of the book Boston Bound


                        A 3:20 Slowpoke

                          DW -  Nice result considering the conditions.  Did you know the woman who won?

                          E78 -  The sub 20 will happen......just not in those conditions.

                          CK -  For some reason we’re having a ridiculously warm Nov/Dec/Jan here in Flagstaff (I know that will change).  It’s cold in the mornings (12 to 20 degrees) but it’s been warming up to the high 50’s to mid 60’s which is crazy for this time of the year. Shorts and short sleeves for today’s trail run.

                          McBen - You’ve got your own x-Country team!

                          Ace - Nice week.  Can’t complain when you top 50mpw.

                          Duke -  Welcome......this is a great place!

                           

                          My week

                          M - 14.8 mi - 8:33 pace 1,500ft of climbing/descending. It feels like I still have some post marathon fitness.

                          T - 11 mi - 8:58 pace  roads

                          W - 5.3 mi - 9:24 pace forest service road

                          Th - 9.1 mi - 12:05 pace trails with climbing

                          F - 7.3 mi - 9:23 pace forest service road

                          Sa - 7.4 mi - 13:02 pace trails with climbing

                          Su - 6 mi - 9:11 pace forest service road

                           

                          total - 60.9 miles

                          2017 total - 3,070 miles (500 mile yearly pr)

                          PR's   5k - 20:39 (2014).  10k - 42:04 (2014)   13.1 - 1:30:30 (2014)   26.2 - 3:14:21 2017)

                          Upcoming Races  -   Boston Marathon 4/18

                            DkW ~ Thanks for starting us off. Solid efforts by you and E78 today; tough conditions for racing. (And, oh those hands!)

                             

                            Duke ~ Welcome! Nice to see new faces (hint for anyone waiting to jump in!). Am also a MCRRC member.

                             

                            Getting good use of my balaclava, heavy mittens, and thermajock past few days. Brrr ...

                             

                            7.5 easy

                             

                            2018 goals:

                            3K miles

                            consistent strength & mobility work

                            include pure speed work (sprints to mile pace)

                            focus on shorter stuff (mile-10K) ... at least thru September; maybe a Nov HM

                            Arvind Balaraman


                              Nice RR E78. It was bloody cold in Virginia. I was in south riding that weekend.

                               

                              wish you all a very happy new year 2018.

                              Running Problem


                              Problem Child

                                dwave4 I was wondering who was starting this years.

                                 

                                McBen umm....I have 1 and it's a lot. No way I could handle 6.

                                 

                                KK Sh*tty K*tty went from us to her "actual owner" when DW was pregnant. Actual owner gave her away as she wants to travel for work more and finding a place to live with a pet harder than finding one without. Plus she mentioned going to HI and said it's a 30 day quarantine or something where Sh*tty K*tty is stuck in a holding cell all day long. Hope #2 for you comes along soon.

                                 

                                keen Craigslist. I found mine in the free section. We've gone over this previously. McBen will tell you to spend lots of money. I will tell you to run outside. I'm pretty sure a nicer, newer treadmill would be great to have in the near future for me but my winter consists of 32F lows and 55F highs so I get my runs in at work currently.

                                 

                                Duke Welcome. Sounds like you might be aiming for Chicago 2018. I'll be there aiming for a BQ but mine is substantially faster than a 3:20. Being young sucks.

                                 

                                cold weather running Since it's been an "indian summer" here I've cherry picked when I run. Sunday's run I actually decided to embrace the cold (32-38F) and worried I was under dressed. You know that feeling where you are trying out new "cold gear" for the first time and you're hoping for 1 of 3 outcomes? Well I'd rather be lucky than good because it seemed to workout nicely.

                                 

                                2018 goals #1 is a BQ at Chicago. #2 is 2,018 miles. #3 is sub 20 5K. #4 sub 1:30 13.1. #5 is to floss every day, even on vacation or while at the lake.

                                2016 was my previous best year. 1,627 miles, 3:13 marathon PR (Chicago entry), met some new friends and hit PRs for 5K (20:43) and 13.1 (1:34:XX). 2017 I slacked on miles (1,067) and did my first ultra (they're dumb. Don't do them.) so I need to get serious for 2018.

                                 

                                Off to the introduction thread.

                                 

                                EDIT: Last week

                                Weekly Summary
                                Monday, Dec 25, 2017 thru Sunday, Dec 31, 2017

                                <tfoot> </tfoot>
                                Day Miles Pace Description Link
                                Mon 5.3 8:37 That time I was part everything. strava
                                Tue 7.9 8:34 That time it’s a West Coast winter. strava
                                Fri 7.8 8:27 That time I had to increase my weak lee mileage strava
                                Sun 5.9 8:57 That time 2017 was named Felicia. strava
                                  26.9 8:37    

                                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