Mornin' everyone.

Wednesday’s workouts:
RunnerKSA (2.5 tired morning miles + 1.6 on the TM with fritzing TV)
Holly (5 morning miles + 15 min. of weights)
Marj (3+ miles in IRC + biking + evening dancing at the harbor)
Fatozzig (Core/ST with Bertha the Bursa)
BTY (5 miles, including warm-up, cool-down and progressions)
Catwhoorg (8+ post-work miles with hillage and heat)
Mike (9 post-work mikes, including 6 at tempo)
Spacityrunner (3 lunchtime miles on the greenway)
Tammy (2.2 pre-dinner miles)

Sad news about Pam, RunnerKSA. I hope she’ll get some helpful info at some point soon.

That’s a creative tri, Marj!

Sorry about you going back on Injured Reserve, Fatozzig. I hope Bertha’s stay is a short one.

BTY, as time goes by, I appreciate the value of stretching more and more. I hope your new ones help. Good luck with the grand nephew. I hope his dad can get back on track.

Good, controlled tempo run, Mike.

Spacityrunner and Tammy are on to something with ice cream as a summer, post-run treat (or dinner). But I don’t think it’d work so well on my pre-breakfast workouts. I bought two kinds of ice cream yesterday, and have yet to open either - I hope I’m not coming down with something…

Last night’s meeting was only 1.5 hours. I’m opting out of tonight’s meeting because three evening with meetings in a row is enough, especially since I don’t get paid for any of them. And it'd be nice to have dinner with DW again.

Question (this came up at Monday's half marathon race committee meeting): How many of you appreciate receiving finisher's medals for halfs and up? We've been awarding them since we started our race, but we ask every year if they are still relevant. We choose to keep handing them out at our finish line because they appear to still mean something to many racers. We did all agree, however, that giving out finisher's medals for 5Ks is a bit silly.

6.4 RW tempo miles at J o'clock in 64°, muggy weather. Afterwards, my legs were nicely-fatigued, as if they'd done something moderately hard but good.

Have a greta Thursday!

Jay

Question (this came up at Monday's half marathon race committee meeting): How many of you appreciate receiving finisher's medals for halfs and up? We've been awarding them since we started our race, but we ask every year if they are still relevant. We choose to keep handing them out at our finish line because they appear to still mean something to many racers. We did all agree, however, that giving out finisher's medals for 5Ks is a bit silly.

 

 

I think a medal for a marathon is fine and if it's unique, then maybe a half marathon; definitely not for a 5 or 10K. How much do the medals cost - I'd rather have money go to charity, if possible. Lately, I've been getting really cheap AG medals, which just get thrown out (& therefore a waste of money for everyone) I'm for lower fees with paying for shirts.  At one race we got hats instead of AG medals, which was much nicer (GS loved the hat)

I'm in agreement with probably most that medals for anything below a HM seems silly to me.  I've actually liked some of the recent races I've done where it's not a standard medal, but a unique bottle opener with the name of the race on it, or this last 30K trail race I did had customized arm sleeves. But if getting some sort of swag like that means higher race entry fee, well I'd rather have the lower registration fee and forego the swag.   Races in my area are pretty budget friendly though as most are sponsored by our local non profit running club and they've focused on keeping entry fees affordable and keeping prizes to a minimum. 

may run again after work. or may not. but i'm sure a small bowl of ice cream will still be in my future. 

Jlynne - this has got to stop.

After you tell him this is the last rental payment, maybe let him know he can sleep in his car in your driveway or somewhere nearby enough where he can use your facilities (with-or-without token charge), . . . as long as he is employed, or can tell you why he isn't.  If you keep supporting him at this stage in our lives, ask him what he's gunna do when we can't, and make him give you a written plan.  Otherwise, send him out to Seattle where the city just imposed a new tax for free housing for homeless panhandlers and addicts even if they have no effort or intention to work or undergo or seek treatment.

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jay - in Japan, I've gotten towels, tote bags, string knapsacks, caps, patches, tins of sugar, but it seems that the events that ditch t-shirts over here, e.g. the wrist watches I liked for the 1997 Seattle Marathon, get so many complaints from first time runners who really want a t-shirt to show off as evidence of accomplishment that those of us who already have so many don't need.   Maybe make 'em optional ala marj's idea and all the veterals can save some money on the high price of today's racing.   good luck on setting a new trend.

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ps - don't know whether it will be officially measurable or not, but a light morning mist may have stopped the current rainless streak at 44 days, seven short of the record 51 set, oddly enough, in 1951. More sun by afternoon. though.

I love having a topic of the day!  And today we kind of have two...

Medals: I like getting them for the marathons I travel for, they're sort of a souvenir and a "collection" for me. But my local race doesn't give medals except as AG awards, the finishers' patch is the prize here. I think medals for anything under marathon is stupid, but that's me being a marathon snob. I know a half is a big accomplishment for a lot of people, and many travel for half marathons, too. So, ok. But let's stop with this apparent RD competition for the biggest medal, it's getting ridiculous. They shouldn't look like dinner plates!! And I'd love to be able to check the box to forego a shirt and pay a lower price.

Unemployed adult children: As long as you keep giving, he'll keep asking. I like Holly's idea of making him work it off and verify applications submitted. I like Tet's commentary, too. This is not the time in your life to support him.

Good for you, Mike E, on figuring out what got you injured last time and trying to prevent it. It's a good thing to learn from your mistakes, it's a bad thing to think you can "beat it" by doing it again.

{{Leslie}} things were going so well! Hope it settles down soon. Does your doc ever prescribe prednisone for that?

Speaking of Bertha, where's Lori?

Sorry to hear about Pam. I remember when she did her first 100 miler. Funny comment about how it made all her other runs look so puny on her running log summary; that 100 mile bar made even 20 mile runs look small!

Got in 8.3 miles yesterday at the end of the work day. Legs are still in recovery mode from Sunday's race so didn't want to do my 10+ mile trail route. We had terrific wind come through here on Sunday afternoon and there were two birch trees down on the trail at about the 3.5 mile point that I had to scramble over. I went around them on the way back and got all scratched up. Hope someone brings a chainsaw out there soon cuz that's my favorite trail to run from work! Today will be an easy 5. Feels like I'm coming down with a cold or something. 

Mike E I really, really hate tempo runs! Worse than intervals and MP stretches. I do not know how people do them.

TammyinGP hmm, ice cream for dinner? Not sure I think that sounds all that attractive. Maybe topped with Amaretto. 

coastwalker do you ever have a day without a meeting? I would hate your schedule! As to the medals, the answer depends on what you are really asking. If the question is what do a bunch of people want who run way, way more and way, way, way more races than 99.999% of the population, then this is the right crowd to ask. Most of the people here probably have more medals than they know what to do with. Some likely have the same problem with AG placement trophies. If your question is do medals bring in entries then the right place to go is Disney or Rock n' Roll, the two places that specialize in attracting runners. Based on what they do I think the answer is pretty obvious. If you want to get lots of people to sign up for your races give out lots of very large medals. It does not matter if it is a 100 yard dash. Just build the cost into the entry fee.

Jlynne tough problem you have there. Like spacityrunner I do not have any kids, so this is just based on my having been a male kid at one point and seeing what happened with my younger brother. My advice is cut you DS off. If my younger brother is any indication, any financial aid you give will make matters worse.

tetsujin209 interesting collection of swag you must have by now!

evanflein I have to admit, trees lying across my running route is not an issue I have ever worried about! I hope they clear your favorite trail.

Ran 18 this morning. Started out fine. Then the sun got higher. The temperature went up and with it the dew point until by the end of the run it was near 70. Tough slog through those last few miles. Originally my training partner was going to run 6 to 8 miles with me but she texted last night that she is injured and had to bow out. Off all by my lonesome I went. At least I had company via a ghost in my ear to keep me going over the last several miles.

5.2 miles today in low 70's and sunshine. Big dark clouds started to move in as I was coming back to my building, and by the time I got back to my office it started sprinkling, then a downpour. Talk about good timing! It rained hard for almost 10 minutes, then tapered off as the storm moved east. Right now it looks like it's heading toward our house about 10 miles east of here, and I sure hope it loses some force by then. Hard rain like that will wash out our driveway and the area where our new septic system was put in is bare dirt on a slope. Don't want all that to end up in the ditch! Sun is coming out again now.

Hello everybody!

Wow, Paul--that is some pretty impressive riding.

Medals--I'm kind of a marathon snob like Erika, and think that a medal for finishing a marathon is okay, but the rest of them, no.  BUT--for so many people a half marathon is a great achievement--and for others a 10k--and for others a 5K.  So, if a medal is what motivates somebody to get out and run, then I say give them for every distance.

Jeanne--if Eric had never come along, I would tell you to not give your DS a single penny and, if he ends up sleeping in his car, that's his problem.  But Eric has taught me that every situation is different.  What works for one kid doesn't necessarily work for the next one.  You also have to do what feels right to you.  There was a time when Eric had no place to go.  I spent a month unable to sleep because I had no idea where he was...or even if he was alive.  I can't live like that.  I might, eventually, come to the end of what I can stand...and I have come close...but I have a hard time giving up on my kid.  So--I guess what I am trying to say is--I don't think there is a right or wrong answer--I think you have to do what YOU feel is right and don't worry what anybody else thinks.   By the way--the fact that you are agonizing over this and reaching out for help--shows how good of a mother you really are.  I am praying for you both.

I went for 7.3 miles, today.  I think that was enough.

Okay--I'm done giving my opinions, for the day.  See ya!