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

fb-guy


    The 2011 tailwind was really good, so I would recommend that we save this one, and use it next year.

    m: 2:55:04 | 10k: 37:14 | 50mile: 9:35

    Running Problem


    Problem Child

      rlk you didn't ask but I grew up there as a young child so I figured you'd want to know somewhere to eat and/or drink. Prior to a lot of things being built. Last time I ran around there I kind of got lost because so many things weren't there or WERE there. As for "yeah I did that too" activities, I have always felt that way about stay at home parents. No I couldn't do it but I have to do everything you're doing on top of not being home for 8 hours. Being retired is WAY different. I think a lot of people enjoy the amount of time they have to do things and then start doing less and less. Other people do more and more with their free time. Oh and I like how you're rolling into work late Monday. I assume you're going to get a long(er) run in as well as laundry and some other stuff while you're waiting to go to work Wink

       

      As for advice on running a 5K on the track, do you best "Dale Petty" and make only left turns. I say this as a fan of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. Dale Petty is a fake name combining two of the best drivers in the sport.

       

      KK Hope you start feeling better as time goes on. I almost asked you about living in SLC for advice for someone on a DIFFERENT forum looking to move there from the East Coast. I started with 4% beer and cant buy it on Sundays but figured that's the lowest priority sometimes Big grin.

       

      asthma Every time it comes up I wonder how many people even look to see if their medication is legal now that I know some of it isn't. I'd probably not even look into it if I had asthma and tell people "yeah I have asthma and I ran a marathon."

       

      dad at least SOMEONE gets it. I think most people who go there, and leave, recognize a neighboring "town" from a Julia Roberts movie about bad water.

       

      dw have you ever been drug tested for a race? I assume no and you're just being 100% proactive to not dope unlike some other women you've talked about hitting massive PRs late in life after "not taking PEDs" etc.

      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

      Jim E


        FB - Cool on the Paris RR, and again well done. What did you think of the tunnel with the disco ball? I've heard people grumble about that, so was wondering what it is really like. Being held back by the energy system is how I feel when racing at altitude. The legs don't get beat up as much when that happens.

        Brew - I'm pretty sure GPS signals work worldwide, but yeah, language might be an issue. Yeah, amateur use of PEDs, including prescribed meds without a TUE, is a thing. It's hard to tell how much of a thing because testing is expensive and rare. Will testing get cheaper? I should probably ask TRB, who is a biochemist. (I'm sure Sam will find that interesting)
         
        Katia - I am familiar with the speedup during taper thing. Also with the speedup when life is stressful. TRB is prone to that. She says it has to do with cortisol.

        rlk - Run 20 on the treadmill or the kitten gets it!

        McBen - Good luck in BOTH your marathons!

        Ace - Sounds like a plan. I have been spinning too.

        Keen - Will read your RR when I have a few minutes.

        Oregon - Get Well Soon!

        Dad - "Does BAA cover any costs when they invite you?" She got a free entry, which is pretty cool. I think you have to be a top elite to get appearance money. The only time I ever won a free marathon entry (for CIM) I got hurt and could not run it. Bah.

        rlk - Morgan Hill is my 5K PR (20:01) I'm not on track to beat that this year (or maybe ever), but I plan to race it again. That's an interesting workout. Was there a pattern to the faster intervals, or was it more like a dice-roll? I'm looking forward to hearing about the track 5000m.

        Enjoying the weather updates. Last year was a tailwind once the wind got started. It cooled our hot bodies too, so double boost. It's the only race I can remember where the (perceived) temperature got cooler in the second half.

        jaimegu


          Hi, everyone,

           

          Keen: Congrats on such a stellar 10K.  You are improving fast and your mileage is pretty good.

           

          FB: Goals: 3:10.. Given that the first part is mostly downhill+flat, a conservative approach may include even splits, So I plan to pass 1:35 by Wellesley, loss some time in the 4 hills (probably 60-90 secs), and then race against the clock in the last 10K.

          I have done a good amount of uphill/downhill specially in long runs, so I shouldn't be afraid of burning quads

           

          Good luck, everyone.

           

          I'm planning to hit the expo Sunday afternoon... Is it a good idea?

            CDR K ~ Yep.

             

            Drugs: Getting ready for USATF Nationals was eye-opening to see how easy it is to take something that's banned. Probably the most common would be pseudoephedrine (in competition).

             

            Ran the Main Street Mile last night @ 5:23. Mile pace downhill is hard; my little legs just couldn't turn over fast enough to take full advantage of drop (144 feet).

             

            For everyone headed to Beantown, especially first-timers: Best wishes and have an awesome time!

            Running Problem


            Problem Child

              dad 5:23 and you consider that a "not fast" leg turnover? Jeeze. I guess 70-80 MPW will help the mile times.

               

              Jim I guess everyone will do what they can to get ahead including ignoring the obvious. "I'm running so much better since March." "Isn't that when you started taking steroids for _____?" "No it's not that. It's my training. I've been training much harder."

               

              I hate trails. I hate hills. I hate trails and hills. I just signed up for a pretty challenging half marathon for some idiotic reason and I'm contemplating using my wizard sticks for the first time to try them out. Thanks Max.

               

              I expect Bib numbers by Sunday Night.

              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

              pepperjack


              pie man

                It's a hard thing to get right on the first try.  My first time there is my slowest (and probably kept that true by skipping).  I decided the best way for me was hold back a bit on the down and then try to pick it up when it flattens out near half.

                 

                I didn't go, I just didn't have a race in me so soon after CB.  I went to the trails and ending with the anti-Main Street Mile, 200 feet of gain for a mile on Gun Rd.

                11:11 3,000 (recent)

                  It's a hard thing to get right on the first try.  My first time there is my slowest (and probably kept that true by skipping).  I decided the best way for me was hold back a bit on the down and then try to pick it up when it flattens out near half.

                   

                  I didn't go, I just didn't have a race in me so soon after CB.  I went to the trails and ending with the anti-Main Street Mile, 200 feet of gain for a mile on Gun Rd.

                   

                  Just after halfway (2:41, I think), I noticed it was getting easier and I felt like I could pick it up, then it shifted downhill again and I felt like I was going to fall over if I didn't keep it controlled.

                   

                  Good call not going.

                  darkwave


                  Mother of Cats

                     

                     

                    asthma Every time it comes up I wonder how many people even look to see if their medication is legal now that I know some of it isn't. I'd probably not even look into it if I had asthma and tell people "yeah I have asthma and I ran a marathon."...

                     

                    dw have you ever been drug tested for a race? I assume no and you're just being 100% proactive to not dope unlike some other women you've talked about hitting massive PRs late in life after "not taking PEDs" etc.

                     

                    There's a lot of people who don't check, and a lot of people who play dumb, rather than deal with the difficult fact that the stuff that they'd really like to take is banned.  I've spoken to quite a few people who insist that if a doctor prescribed it, then it must be legal, regardless of what the rules say.

                     

                    I haven't been drug tested as a runner.  It's unlikely I ever will be - testing is expensive, and it's especially challenging to test the top 3 masters (or whatever number) in a race because you don't know exactly who they are when they cross the finish (unlike the top 3 men or women).  But, rules are rules, and doing the right thing is not about whether I'd be caught or not.

                     

                    Additionally, it's not out of the realm of possibility that I would be tested at some point - there are more and more stories of non-top-elites getting tested (and busted) - USADA is widening its net.  And I'd be the first to agree that a woman who starts setting major PRs at all distances in her 40s after switching asthma doctors and going on different meds looks suspicious as hell, and should be tested regularly.

                     

                    Jaime - no idea about how the expo will be on Sunday.  I'm hitting it first thing when I arrive Saturday morning.

                     

                    Dad - I really believe that the Main Street Mile is the exception to the general rule about pacing a race well.  To get your best time on that course, you need to go out hard, and then just hang on (letting the downhill assist help you to the finish).  Doing it that way hurts like hell, of course.

                     

                    (and of course, PJ, who has much more experience on that course, has a different and likely better take).

                     

                    Brewing - good luck this weekend!

                     

                    My Botulism number is 7560.

                     

                    Question for those who have run it before:  One of my big lessons from Grandma's 2015 (similar weather) was that it doesn't pay to get to the race start early - you just freeze longer.  However, I know that Botulism will also have tents (unlike Grandma's) and I'd like to get a tent spot if possible.

                     

                    So....should I get to the start early, to make sure I get under the tents?  Or cut it closer, to minimize my time outside?  I am 1/8, and so if I cut things too close and miss my wave, it's not the end of the world - starting in 2/2 I'll still be with people near my pace.

                     

                    6 "miles" pool-running with the belt this morning, plus some light upper body strengthwork and core.

                    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.

                    darkwave


                    Mother of Cats

                       

                      Just after halfway (2:41, I think), I noticed it was getting easier and I felt like I could pick it up, then it shifted downhill again and I felt like I was going to fall over if I didn't keep it controlled.

                       

                      Good call not going.

                      When I ran it, my splits were 71/80/83/76  (autolapped my Garmin every .25 - official time was 5:08.87).  That flat section in the 3rd quarter almost killed me.  Then it dropped again and I could just focus on trying to stay on my feet.  I had no control the entire race.

                      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.

                      pepperjack


                      pie man

                        Keep in mind I start every race too fast, so me holding back is more like an even split.  I also benefit from seeing the finish and you can't see it until it starts down again.

                        11:11 3,000 (recent)

                        rlk_117


                        Resident Millennial

                          dad- nice!!  that sounds fast to me, but i know the feeling of merely not being able to spin fast enough. brew- if anything, i'd think that 80mpw saps some speed out of the legs. but dad knows the right workouts to do, clearly, since he's got the wheels!

                           

                          brew- lol @ wizard sticks. have fun with that one. i want to love trails, and much of the past 3 years of my running has been an effort to do better w/ them, but slogging up long/steep hills (hiking) and still having my legs burn and seeing stars isn't the most fun form of running. maybe one day i will go extreme with the vert training, but i think until then, i will always dread it. :/

                           

                          jaime- sunday afternoon is probably the most crowded time to go to the expo. if you are arriving earlier than that, go as soon as you get there. unless you enjoy waiting in long escalator lines/crap they sell/having to plow your way to walk through a crowd Wink can you tell i love expos?
                          but if that's the only time you can go, so be it, you can be in and out in 15 minutes if you're efficient.
                          i like your race plan. if you've still got it all together by the top of heartbreak hill, the last 5-6mi of the race are actually a blast.
                          related: why do people bring their entire disinterested-in-running families to expos?

                           

                          dwave- "But, rules are rules, and doing the right thing is not about whether I'd be caught or not." man, if only everyone in the world operated this way. A+ !
                          re. Botulism, the tents are not huge (they're clearly not intended to cover everyone in a wave) so I am not sure if your chances of being under it are super high. if it were me i'd bundle up (in throwaways), have a garbage bag on, a hat, not get there super early (like i usually try to), and not bank on being under a tent. plus, the ground would be wet, so you'd need your garbage bag to sit under the tent even if you got a spot.
                          once you move from the general waiting area to the corral waiting area, there are no tents and you'll have to accept being outside, so you may as well be dressed for it and just wait until the last minute to shed all the stuff. The time waiting in the corral goes by (nervously! and) quickly, but it's still prob 20+ min of just shuffling around under the open sky. i'd minimize time in the general waiting area, but still get to your corral as soon as it opens, because you're gonna get wet anyway and you don't want to miss it your start. sure, you could move back to wave 2, but then you'll have an additional 25(?) minutes of wave-waiting, which nullifies all of the above optimization and which you don't want in the rain.

                           

                          i will try to collect botulism numbers in one spot once everyone posts them.

                          dwave - 7560 (whoa, 4 digits!)

                          others?

                          _________________________________________________
                          mile, 5:26 /5k, 19:34 /10k, 41:00 /13.1, 1:31:49 /26.2, 3:12:58

                            DkW ~ My $.02: Tent space is comparatively minimal; my guess is that plenty of people will have the same idea, Moreover, there's so much time that you'll be out in elements anyway -- getting to bus, bus to AV, AV to pre-holding area, migration to corrals*, waiting in corrals -- that I'd invest in better quality throwaways. Given rain, that'd include a cheap umbrella. And shopping bag galoshes (maybe even real ones).

                             

                            If the wind is from the correct side, a spot against Hopkinton HS will be the best spot; of course, there are even fewer of those.

                             

                            *I think the walk from the AV to the corrals is the most underrated aspect of the B experience, unless you happen to actually be a rock star and are sued to that sort of treatment,

                            darkwave


                            Mother of Cats

                              Thanks guys.  I feel decently prepped - building on lessons learned from Grandma's.

                               

                              I got lucky and found a water proof (just tested it) LL Bean jacket at Goodwill this morning for $8.  I'll layer that on top of a sweatshirt and then a thin synthetic longsleeve shirt.  I have sweatpants for below.  I bought waterproof shoe covers from Amazon.  Also bringing an old yoga mat, a heat sheet, a disposable poncho, and an umbrella.  Plus the obligatory disposable hand and body warmers.

                               

                              Race kit will likely be shorts, singlet, arm-warmers, and a hat.  If it's pouring as we start the race, I'll wear the disposable poncho and the thin longsleeve for the first few miles before tossing them.

                               

                              I debated wearing a different pair of shoes to the start but a)  I know myself, and there is a non-zero possibility I would forget my race shoes b) if I get chilled at all, my hands won't work well enough to tie my shoes properly, so better I tie them in my hotel room.

                              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.

                              Jim E


                                Dwave - What rlk said, plus the Botulism tents don't have sides so are not all that warm anyway. In addition to throwaway stuff to wear, take something to sit and put your stuff down on. Old mylar blankets are good for that. (arr, when I was a young-un, Botulism had a bag drop with yellow 13-gallon bags. Those were the days...) 

                                 

                                Jaime - The expo is a crowd-fest whenever you go, and BIG! I'm not sure which times are better. Allow some time for waiting in the checkout line if you plan to buy apparel. (Everybody buys apparel)

                                 

                                Brew - Sticks? You doing an ultra or something?

                                 

                                Yeah, high mpw isn't everything, particularly if you are submerging other aspects of training to get there.

                                 

                                Speaking of trails, I ran in the pouring rain yesterday with TRB and a group from a local running store. The local Altra rep loaned me a brand new pair of Altra Superiors to try. The zero heel drop was not as weird as I expected. It was the first rain in a week, so there was a slippery mud/water mix on top of a firmer base. I was skating around quite a bit on the downhills, but it was mostly under control. Apparently the Superiors are not the grippiest shoes in the range, but that is a trade off with weight maybe. They did shed the mud pretty well. I ran through puddles in the last half mile to turn them (mostly) blue again.  The rep didn't turn a hair when I turned in a very dirty pair of shoes.