Fall race training!

[JoshuaSpodek]

In mid-40s temperature 31 mph winds and 50 mph gusts, with a 3:52:05 finish, I beat my old NYC marathon record from 1995 and was less than a minute off my marathon record.

I wrote a post about the run with graphs and everything -- http://joshuaspodek.com/joshua-spodeks-2014-new-york-city-marathon-results.

I also like this old post about reading the marathon results in 2010 -- http://joshuaspodek.com/on_reading_new_york_city_marathon_results.

[Bank]

Nicely done, everyone!!  I was going to run the South Shore half marathon, like the good Dr. (Doom).  Sadly, they postponed that race which meant that I had to knock out a long-ish run without company.  There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, although it might have been due to the 20 mile per hour wind and cold temps.

Training for Hyannis Marathon starts in earnest this week.  I am committed to making it through another dark, dreary New England winter without going full doughnut.  Starting running from scratch suuuuuuccccckkkkkkkkssss, and I have done it far too many times.  Nothing like a February marathon to scare me out of my house and on to the roads -- at least that's what I'm hoping.

[aneel]

OOH OOH I'm doing Hyannis too!  The price (for a marathon) is very mustachian :)
I'm hoping the worst of winter will hold off until tapering for the race begins.  I know running races tends to be an added expense, but it keeps my outing expenses down because I'm either too tired, or I don't want to be tired the next day.  It's also a good way to get out of expensive group outings without saying "I would never spend money on that crap" - and it adds significantly to my happiness :)

[Paul der Krake]

Good job! Nothing worse than a windy race day to ruin your mood...

[Bank]

A fellow Hyannis runner!  That's great.  I have a feeling that this one will go on, even in the teeth of a nor'easter.  I'm even a bit excited about running a race in inclement winter conditions as a test of my stoicism.  But we'll see.  Weather here is so unpredictable that it could easily be 50 degrees and sunny on race day.

I definitely think running is mustachian, even if that's not the reason I do it.  Running for me is a keystone habit.  It helps keep me in shape (lowering my medical bills) and forces to me make better (usually cheaper) food and alcohol choices.  It also makes me happier and more relaxed, which makes me a better and more productive worker, and far less likely to buy useless crap I don't need.  Basically, I am a better version of myself when I'm pounding out miles on a regular basis. 

You can stack that up against the ungodly cost of running shoes and clothing (even on sale), but I'm pretty sure I come out ahead both monetarily and otherwise. 

[cdttmm]

I did it! I finished the Stone Cat 50 mile race on Saturday in 11:40. Three 50 milers in 9 weeks. This was one of the crazier ideas I've ever had. But I did it and I qualified for a bunch of different 100 mile races for 2015 and that's really what this whole thing was all about. Now I'm going to opt for a few weeks of rest, which should give me a chance to plan the racing schedule for next year. Then I'll be back at it because it's gonna take me a while to build up the mileage base for the next phase.

Keep up the great work, everyone! It's always inspiring to read about the training everyone is doing.

[horsepoor]

Way to go!  Will be interested to hear about your prep for a 100 miler.  The 3 50-milers is a pretty crazy achievement; must feel great to have it done!

[rocksinmyhead]

wow, cdttmm! that's amazing, congrats!!!

as of this week I'm officially in taper mode for my marathon on November 23rd (Route 66 in Tulsa). I'm pretty stoked!!

oh and I almost forgot, I PR'd the Guinness Challenge on Saturday--4 miles and 3 12 oz cups of Guinness--with a 34:04, beating last year's time of 35:57. 6th in my age group! :)

[Chaplin]

@JoshuaSpodek: Nice work! I was there too and it was awesome. Waiting over three hours at the start wasn't pleasant, but once it started it was a great experience.

I can't believe I didn't see this thread earlier. Training for NY meant running through the summer, whereas my other marathons were in the spring which meant training through winter. Different experiences for sure.

Now that NY is over I have to make sure I don't make the mistake I made after my last marathon - relaxing on the couch too much. I completely agree with the comments above about how the planning and scheduling to fit the training in is the hardest part. I end up with more mental burnout than physical.

The "FIRST" training program (http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/less-more-marathon-plan?page=single) was helpful to me, if only to reassure me that I didn't have to run six days per week to prepare. Based on it I made a plan for three days per week, skipped most of the cross-training that's supposed to be a part of it, and still did three marathons all around 3:30.

Using a running app (RunKeeper in my case) also made a huge difference. The instant pace and time feedback allowed me to make each workout count and the data was helpful and motivating.

'Good luck to all!

[Dr. Doom]

oh and I almost forgot, I PR'd the Guinness Challenge on Saturday--4 miles and 3 12 oz cups of Guinness--with a 34:04, beating last year's time of 35:57. 6th in my age group! :)

Uh, nice, I think?  Does the Guinness Challenge mean that you have to drink those beers prior to running the 4 miles?  Or during?  Or after?

We had an unofficial event in high school called the 'magic mile,' held after-hours on a Friday night annually.  Super-secret, students-only.  It went like this:  Chug a beer, run a quarter mile, chug another beer, run another .25, and so on, until you've finished four beers and 5,280 feet.  It was kind of like a biathalon in the sense that you're flexing two skills at once:  sprinting and drinking fast.   Same kid won 3 years in a row.  He's gotta be the fastest alcoholic on the planet by now.

A big congrats to the recent finishers, btw.  Love to see the running passion on display.

[Primm]

oh and I almost forgot, I PR'd the Guinness Challenge on Saturday--4 miles and 3 12 oz cups of Guinness--with a 34:04, beating last year's time of 35:57. 6th in my age group! :)

Uh, nice, I think?  Does the Guinness Challenge mean that you have to drink those beers prior to running the 4 miles?  Or during?  Or after?

We had an unofficial event in high school called the 'magic mile,' held after-hours on a Friday night annually.  Super-secret, students-only.  It went like this:  Chug a beer, run a quarter mile, chug another beer, run another .25, and so on, until you've finished four beers and 5,280 feet.  It was kind of like a biathalon in the sense that you're flexing two skills at once:  sprinting and drinking fast.   Same kid won 3 years in a row.  He's gotta be the fastest alcoholic on the planet by now.

A big congrats to the recent finishers, btw.  Love to see the running passion on display.

Beer Mile is now a thing, with lots of events over the world. Some 44 year old woman just broke the world record - 6 minutes 28.6 seconds to run a mile and drink 4 beers.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2259904-44-year-old-mother-of-six-sets-new-womens-beer-mile-record-by-13-seconds?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national

[rocksinmyhead]

oh and I almost forgot, I PR'd the Guinness Challenge on Saturday--4 miles and 3 12 oz cups of Guinness--with a 34:04, beating last year's time of 35:57. 6th in my age group! :)

Uh, nice, I think?  Does the Guinness Challenge mean that you have to drink those beers prior to running the 4 miles?  Or during?  Or after?

We had an unofficial event in high school called the 'magic mile,' held after-hours on a Friday night annually.  Super-secret, students-only.  It went like this:  Chug a beer, run a quarter mile, chug another beer, run another .25, and so on, until you've finished four beers and 5,280 feet.  It was kind of like a biathalon in the sense that you're flexing two skills at once:  sprinting and drinking fast.   Same kid won 3 years in a row.  He's gotta be the fastest alcoholic on the planet by now.

A big congrats to the recent finishers, btw.  Love to see the running passion on display.

Beer Mile is now a thing, with lots of events over the world. Some 44 year old woman just broke the world record - 6 minutes 28.6 seconds to run a mile and drink 4 beers.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2259904-44-year-old-mother-of-six-sets-new-womens-beer-mile-record-by-13-seconds?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national

yes! that woman is incredible!!!
Guinness Challenge is different than the beer mile, though. it's put on by a local bar/restaurant, is four miles and there are three stops where you must drink one 12 oz cup of Guinness... two are sort of in the middle of the race and one is at the end. definitely a lot easier than the Beer Mile, from a drinking perspective. also more fun from a running perspective.

with a gun time of 34:12 I was 6th in my age group, and I think 4 of the women ahead of me were also doing the Guinness Challenge (you can also just do the run with no beer). I got a little held up at the first beer stop by my friend who wanted to chat, so I still think I could do better, but I crushed my time from last year by almost two minutes.

[Dr. Doom]

yes! that woman is incredible!!!
Guinness Challenge is different than the beer mile, though. it's put on by a local bar/restaurant, is four miles and there are three stops where you must drink one 12 oz cup of Guinness... two are sort of in the middle of the race and one is at the end. definitely a lot easier than the Beer Mile, from a drinking perspective. also more fun from a running perspective.

with a gun time of 34:12 I was 6th in my age group, and I think 4 of the women ahead of me were also doing the Guinness Challenge (you can also just do the run with no beer). I got a little held up at the first beer stop by my friend who wanted to chat, so I still think I could do better, but I crushed my time from last year by almost two minutes.

Sounds like a fun race, thanks for sharing the details, funny stuff.  Back in the 1920s, there was speculation that being drunk while running was actually a performance enhancer. 

[Chaplin]

Back in the 1920s, there was speculation that being drunk while running was actually a performance enhancer.

Like the notion that cigarettes were good for calming morning sickness for pregnant women.

[Primm]

Back in the 1920s, there was speculation that being drunk while running was actually a performance enhancer.

Like the notion that cigarettes were good for calming morning sickness for pregnant women.

I dunno, when I was running (and not hobbling :( ) my coach used to always be on me about relaxing my shoulders more. Maybe I'd have been more relaxed and been able to run better if I was just a little bit tipsy.

[Bank]

South Shore Half Marathon in the books.  1 hour 56 minutes.  No where near a PR, but the best time I have run since my single days.  Maybe I'm getting this whole Dad/Husband/Man with 3 Jobs thing worked out.

I thought the race course was quite nice.  The weather was pretty cold (a function of the race being delayed two weeks), and I almost froze before the gun.  Took me at least three miles to feel the tips of my fingers again.  Crowd support was decent for a small race and there were plenty of aid stations.  The beer was good, but I would have enjoyed it more if it had been warmer.  Swag above average (hat, pint glass, nice long-sleeved tech shirt).  All in all, a nice experience, and I think I will do it again.

How did everyone else feel about it?  Dr. Doom?  Anna?

[Dr. Doom]

South Shore Half Marathon in the books.  1 hour 56 minutes

Big time congrats!  My time was a somewhat worse 2 hours 3 minutes, but I'm pretty OK with that.

You're right -- the most significant quality of the race was the cold.  By mile 4 I was very warm, took my hat off and everything, and was comfortable for the remainder.   I thought the course was good, mostly flat, a few mild hills, relatively straightforward.  And beautiful frost-covered fields to look at in the beginning.

But waiting 30 minutes to start was uncomfortable, no doubt.  Also, the first water I grabbed at mile 2 had shards of ice formed in it.  I gulped it down and thought I pierced my throat for a second as it closed around a pointy hunk -- completely unexpected. 

It was fairly well organized other than a hiccup at the beginning... it seemed like there wasn't quite enough room behind the start line to hold everybody prior to takeoff.  A little awkward.  I'd do it again, though.  I'm getting hooked on these things. 

[Bank]

But waiting 30 minutes to start was uncomfortable, no doubt.  Also, the first water I grabbed at mile 2 had shards of ice formed in it.  I gulped it down and thought I pierced my throat for a second as it closed around a pointy hunk -- completely unexpected. 

It was fairly well organized other than a hiccup at the beginning... it seemed like there wasn't quite enough room behind the start line to hold everybody prior to takeoff.  A little awkward.  I'd do it again, though.  I'm getting hooked on these things.

Congrats on a strong finish!  I forgot about the ice water at the first aid station.  That did suck, although I managed to keep from swallowing it.  Glad to hear it didn't do any major damage to your throat.  Any ideas of what your next one will be?  I have the same issue - the more I run the more I want to run.

[Dr. Doom]

Back in the 1920s, there was speculation that being drunk while running was actually a performance enhancer.

Like the notion that cigarettes were good for calming morning sickness for pregnant women.

Exactly.  Pall Malls sooth the throat.  Four out of five doctors agree!

[Dr. Doom]

I forgot about the ice water at the first aid station.  That did suck, although I managed to keep from swallowing it...

Eh, I'm no worse for the wear, and hey, new experiences are always awesome. 

It's looking like I'm going to do a half marathon very far out, in May 2015, in my hometown of Hamden CT.  In between I'm going to do a few local 5 and 10K races just to keep me honest.  I want to do some strength and cross-training prior to the May event to strengthen my legs and core further - don't want to get too 1-dimensional and prepping for this half has had the side effect of a bit of lost muscle mass on my upper body.

But to your comment:  Hell yes, running makes you want to run more.  Making sure you're properly trained and prepared provides focus and direction to your free time, and dammit, it feels great.  Everyone is super tough and stoic.  Cold weather?  Icy conditions?  Eff it, we're running this mother anyways, and with smiles on our faces to boot.  Pain is weakness leaving the body.  Or something.

You still planning on your full marathon in the spring?

[Jon_Snow]

It looks like the weight loss has been the tonic my creaky knees needed. They feel amazing, and have survived some 10km runs with nary a hitch. My wife and I are heading to Baja soon for 3 weeks, and we plan on running every morning - between the hills, and the HEAT (looking forward to that, really) I will know by the end of the trip whether or not 2015 is the year I become a RUNNER again. Sure hope so.

Have to say it feels great to be FIT again - I will never let that slide again. Never.

[rocksinmyhead]

Almost forgot to post! My fall marathon was a week ago yesterday. It was fucking BRUTAL! I think I already said this on here, but I had run one 50K two years ago (dirt roads, but think "trail race" style with lovely scenery and few participants). Never ran a road marathon, never ran a race this long with an actual goal time/attempt to run "fast." I really underestimated how much more that would hurt than just taking it easy on the 50K!

Probably didn't help that going into it I was having hip issues, and a week before the race was starting to worry that I had a stress fracture in my foot. I ended up running even less than planned during my taper week for these reasons (one 3 mile and one 2 mile run). My hip started hurting around mile 3 and foot around mile 15. Also, weather here had been really delightfully cold, and then race day all of a sudden had a high in the low 60s and 93% humidity. ?!!?!!? I had friends who ran the same marathon last year who were all, "I was sooo jealous of this year's weather!" Last year was VERY VERY cold, especially for Oklahoma, but I would much rather have had that weather! Low 60s doesn't sound that bad, but I warm up a LOT when running, and combined with the humidity it just did not feel good. I think it was rough on a lot of people, I actually saw like 3 people puking during the first half which I definitely didn't see during my half in OKC in the spring!

Anyway, my goal was 4:05 but I told myself if I got under 4:15 I wouldn't be pissed off. I started to really slow down around mile 16 and after mile 20 I stopped keeping track of my pace because I knew there was no way I was going to catch back up, and I just had to finish. I ended up finishing in 4:14:24, so I'm not pissed :) I actually feel pretty good about it. I didn't make my A goal but it was definitely my hardest race ever and I gutted it out pretty well. Plus I'm just glad it's over, I'm gonna have so much more free time now :)

[Bank]

Nice job, rocksinmyhead!!  I agree that too hot is way worse than too cold.

[cdttmm]

Thanks for posting your race report, rocksinmyhead. Congrats on finishing in under your pissed-off time.  :)

With fall race season coming to an end, I thought we should look ahead to winter/spring/summer races. Who has something planned for next year? I'm planning to take a stab at running a 100-miler. I'm thinking either Black Hills in June, Eastern States in August, or Superior in September. I'm planning to warm-up with the Kettle Moraine (WI) 100k in early June. That's all the further I've gotten in my race planning. Registration for most races opens on or around January 1st, which is why I'm planning now.

[Jon_Snow]

2015 is looking like the year that I am going to start participating in organized races. For the past 3 weeks my wife and I have been doing 5 and 10k runs every morning here in the Baja. Apart from a sore right Achilles' tendon, things feel great... my previously troublesome knees seem to be a thing of the past. *fingers crossed*

The posters in this thread are a motivating force for me.

[horsepoor]

I'm doing the Freezeout Challenge hill climb at the end of January.  I ran it in '13 and it happened to be pretty much the coldest day of the year.  -4F when I got out of my car, and it was nasty packed down snow the whole way.  Hoping for something a little milder this year.

After that, I'm not sure.  I wanted to work on my 5k time, but I haven't been very motivated to do the workouts required to get faster.  Instead, I've just been heading out and running or walking as far as I feel like going, at whatever pace I feel like taking it on that particular day.  Since I'll be competing with my horse, I might just opt out of racing after Freezeout, since entry fees really add up, and both activities have a way of eating weekends.

[Primm]

I hope I'm not pre-emptively jinxing myself, but my foot seems to be improving. On a daily basis. And I'm talking dramatic improvements - from unable to weight bear without icing and stretching one week to jumping out of bed pain free the next. I'm not quite ready to start running again yet, there's still an ache in my heel, but when I do serious hill walking at a relatively quick pace it doesn't put me out of action for three days anymore.

I'm cautiously optimistic.

[Hedge_87]

We didn't get near as mugh running in as we would of liked for a new years day half marathon  however I'm still feeling pretty good about it. Extended forcast says it will be around 32 f and clear so that's good news.I guess we will just go at it slow lol

[11ducks]

I know it's not fall anymore, but I just signed up for a half-marathon, haven't done one for 3 years, and very little running this past year- time to get back into training!!! It'll be winter here by the time the marathon rolls around (July) but our weather is always gorgeous. It pains me so much to pay the entry fee that I know it'll motivate me into running regularly again. Anyone else training atm?

[horsepoor]

I don't know that I'm really training, but I signed up for the Bruneau Beast, which is 10K over sand dunes in June.  I'm trying to get back in the groove of running, and DH and I will start hiking hills next week to prepare for a trip to Peru in May.  Basically, I need to rebuild some endurance, but I'm not worrying about my speed at all for these two challenges.

[cdttmm]

I've got several races lined up for this season. I'm running the Kettle Moraine 100K in June, which is my first race at that distance. Followed by the Black Hills 50 miler or 100 miler if I'm feeling ready for the longer distance. I got into the Eastern States 100 miler in August, too. Waiting to hear if I got a spot at Superior in September.

I swear, if I make it through this race season and successfully finish a 100 miler, I'm retiring from ultra running. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself...

[Longwaytogo]

Not sure if I'll do any running races this year. Really want to break 2 hours in the Half Marathon (2 hours 3 mins last one I ran) but I may just pick a date and run 6.55 miles from my driveway and turn around and run back.

I am planning on doing an organized 35 mile Mountain bike ride that happens to fall on my 35th birthday this year. It's called the MoCo Epic and takes place in Montgomery county MD. It's the biggest (only?) fundraiser for our local trail advocacy group so I'm excited to participate. It's in October so I have all Summer to train. Longest ride I've ever done off road is around 15 miles so I have some work to put in!

[11ducks]

Not sure if I'll do any running races this year. Really want to break 2 hours in the Half Marathon (2 hours 3 mins last one I ran) but I may just pick a date and run 6.55 miles from my driveway and turn around and run back.

I am planning on doing an organized 35 mile Mountain bike ride that happens to fall on my 35th birthday this year. It's called the MoCo Epic and takes place in Montgomery county MD. It's the biggest (only?) fundraiser for our local trail advocacy group so I'm excited to participate. It's in October so I have all Summer to train. Longest ride I've ever done off road is around 15 miles so I have some work to put in!

Sub-2hrs is my goal too! Don't love my chances, but may as well try! Ride sounds great, have fun!

[cdttmm]

Revitalizing this old thread.

Clearly we're well beyond the fall race training that the title implies, but a few folks posted about summer races so I'm just curious how 11ducks, horsepoor, and Longwaytogo are doing with their various training/racing goals.

I finished the Kettle Moraine 100k last weekend. It took me 17 hours and 11 minutes. Gah. Much longer than I was anticipating. I really struggled for more than half the race, but I didn't want to take a DNF so I just kept sucking it up. It was a good learning experience as it taught me that I can push through the suffering much longer than I had previously thought.

Next up, Black Hills 100 miler. Yep, I think I'm just gonna go ahead and commit to the 100 mile version instead of the 50 mile. It'll definitely be another learning experience.

[kpd905]

I'm trying to get back into running at a decent level.  I'm doing a trail 5k in the beginning of August, and a road 8k in September.  I hope to get under 32 minutes for the 8k.  Then I might find a 50k somewhere warm around March.

[horsepoor]

I'm afraid I didn't make it to Bruneau Beast.  A once a year event that I really wanted to take my horse to was scheduled for the same day, so I was waffling on it, then I cut my toe in a tragic house cleaning accident the day before the race, so I didn't go.

Did run 5 miles this morning in about 45 minutes and it felt pretty easy.  Happy about that since I've only been hitting the road once or twice a week.  Basically, running has taken a back seat to training and showing my horse for the time being.