Lotsa new people around here, so I thought a thread where we can properly introduce ourselves would be nice.

I'm Eric. I'm a French Canadian living in Montreal, and that explains the occasionnal weird word choice or sentence structure.

Started running in 2012 at age 42 during my son's soccer practices. I'd go to a nearby park where nobody I knew could see me and run. First time I ran 6 consecutive minutes and came back. A few days later I ran 8 minutes. Then 10, 12, and so on. Wanted to run 25 minutes as I remembered a phys ed teacher in high school said that you need 25 minutes before an activity has an aerobic benefit. Don't know if that's true, but that was my goal.

Then I started to run every other day. 4 laps around a park near my house before work. As fast as I could. Had no idea what distance that was, but it took me over 25 minutes. I figured that when I could run the 4 laps in under 25 minutes, then I would do 5 laps. I had a normal everyday watch, and that was it. I now know a lap is about 1.25 kms, so I was running 5Ks as fast as I could every other day

A friend talked me into running an organized 10K, the Energizer night race. I had been running for about 3 months and ran a 48:24 (had a Timex GPS watch by then). Had no idea if that was good or not. After comparing with a few runners I realized it wasn't bad at all. So I went on Amazon and purchased 2 running books on how to train for a marathon that had good reviews: the Pfitzinger advanced marathoning, and the Hansons marathoning book. Read those and started training more properly.

3 years later, after a couple of half marathons in the years before, I ran my first marathon in September 2015. I was 45. 3:14:47, good for Boston. Ran Boston in April 2016. I had trained very hard for it, but it was hot and did not manage the course correctly and ran a disappointing 3:18. In September 2016 I wanted redemption and ran Montreal again, but got calf cramps starting at mile 24ish and finished in 3:13.

Since then, I have not run another marathon. I ran a half in May 2017 and did a time I'm very happy with of 1:27:29.

This fall I don't think I'll race at all, but I'm training. I will have my marathon revenge one day. For now I will race the occasionnal 10K or HM just to assess my progression.

Your turn now!

Good to see you, HCK...didn't know that was you!

I started running about 6 1/2 years ago just as a way to stay healthy, fit, and survive all the middle-age changes that life has to offer.  I'll be 60 in 6 days.  That's really what my goals are -- health and fitness.  My 1st race was a large 8K, and I liked the energy of a race.  I don't do many, a few a year, but I've done all distances except the full (not really interested in that).  I think the 10-miler is probably my favorite, though there aren't many of those around.  It's a definite challenge, but doable.  Planning on a half in a couple of months if all goes well.  A nice flat course with a little trail, which I've never done before, so I'm kinda excited about that.  I've surprised myself and stuck with it.  Had to take a couple of sabbaticals over the years for one health issue or another, but always get back to it.

Thanks to all here for the warm welcome!

I'm HCK, was Run4Kupcakes over at that other place. I'm 41 and live outside of Baltimore, MD.

 

 

Hey HCK - didn't realize you were in Balt.  I was just up that way - have kids and grand kids in Fallston.

No username change for me, my name is Dan and I live in DC.  I started running towards the end of 2014 as I was pretty unhealthy and way out of shape.  Coming off of about zero exercise, I built up my mileage pretty quickly going from 3mi runs to 5mi in a few weeks.  Eventually I got the idea to sign up for a race (I'd never run one except a track meet 400m that nearly killed me and I think I was DFL).  It was a 10k and I had the audacious goal of sub 40min.  I came pretty darn close and finished in 12th place (it was a small race).  Since then, I was hooked!  A few weeks after that I said screw it and registered for the Shamrock Marathon which was in 4 months.  I thought I put in some great training, cobbled together from tidbits I read here and there and went out with the 3:05 group to BQ.  Well, by mile 15 I knew it wasn't gonna happen but I still managed to finish in 3:12x.

Since Shamrock '15, I've run the majority trail races, primarily ultras.  Several 50Ks, a few 50 milers, a 100k, 70 miler and my first 100 miler this past May.  They've all been a blast and I've had some good success (especially for still being so new at this).  Since MMT 100mi I had the other goal for this year to BQ so I guess I had to sign up for a marathon.  Richmond it is, and I've been plugging away at a couple halfs and a 10k leading up to it.  Pumped for my next 26.2 but also looking forward to some big goals for '18!  

I'm using the same name I used on the RW forums for the past several years. Started posting there in 1995. Been running since 1988, but I've had months and even a year here and there when I didn't run much.

Long time track and field athlete, fan, and dad. I was the 1981 high jump champion in what is now the Horizon League (1982: 3rd in high jump, 2nd in triple jump). My son was a D1 All-American, Ivy League champ, and Princeton record holder in the decathlon and a superstar in high school: state record in triple jump, state high scorer and MVP. My wife was a college basketball player who could dunk and he got his hops from her as well. He's a college track coach now coaching throws.

I grew an inch taller and much much wider since my college days and have been between 240 and 310 lbs (250s now) the whole time I've been running. I was over 200 lbs as a scrawny high-jumper and my son competed at 230 lbs, so we're big people. I lift weights regularly, so it's not all fat (just mostly).

I've been almost exclusively a trail runner the whole time but have run 5 road marathons and a few other road races. Don't race very often. Don't race at all most years. I've done several long trail races including a 50k and hope to do more ultras. I moved from Arkansas to South-Central Pennsylvania four years ago. The first few winters the snow forced me to the roads, but last year there was almost no snow and I did most of my miles on the Appalachian Trail, which is 10 minutes from my house. The steep, rocky, and rooty sections of the trail are very similar to the trails I used to run in the Ozarks.

Coming back from my first ever running injury now. Took 4 months off. Lost 20 lbs during that time and am now fighting to keep it off as I've started running again. I'd really like to lose more and take a shot at a good fall marathon some year. Summer weather in PA is perfect for training, but I travel a lot in the summers for work and am unable to be consistent with running. I do research and innovation on water systems for indigenous communities, been in villages in Vanuatu, Nicaragua, Sahara, Fiji, and Bolivia in just the past couple years. I think if I take off more weight, I can better pick up after a break and maybe get a good October marathon some year.

Anyway, that's more than I said about myself in 22 years on the RW forums, but you asked.

I like this thread.

Hi Nurunner, trail races are fun. Probably more fun if it's a flatter course, although I've fallen on the flat sections of trails tripping over roots. You're over on the shore? Is the half Salisbury?

Yep, on the shore.  I'm planning to run the Salisbury half, too, which is in April.  This one is in Rehoboth Dec. 2nd - part road, part trail, part boardwalk.  I'm all about flat, and Rehoboth, so what's not to love? 

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Started in 77 at 16 ran hs and college cc but was only average.

After around 89 cut way down.  Quit for 5 years in the 90s

Ran over 100 races from 1 to 15 miles. Mostly trails since 2012.

Very low miles for a long time. Would like get back to 25-30  a week.