The Official OGBoards Running (and Cycling) Thread: (Insert Season Here)

[RollTheQuad06]

So I did my 20 miles today, 4 weeks out. It was pretty slow, but right in the typical range of my past 20 milers for previous marathons.

Muddy trails at Salem Lake, but thankfully the one big tree that came down between yesterday and today (since I ran there yesterday too) had already met a chainsaw earlier this morning and the trail was clear.

Embarrassing admission: I ran 47 miles this week..... which represents nearly 1/4 of the 200.4 total miles I've run this year. I've been SO BAD at training, total lack of motivation. And I've even done a marathon already this year! I'm hoping a few solid weeks of training can keep New River from being another personal worst, then I will really buckle down into training for San Francisco at the end of July.

[wakephan09]

RTQ, read my post to you on the girl thread.

[RollTheQuad06]

RTQ, read my post to you on the girl thread.

I think I'll take the answering over here, this thread is more appropriate.

(backstory) I mentioned I am too chicken to join Twin City Track Club. Explanations followed on why I should join.

oh I know I should join. it's stupid that I haven't. I'm definitely not a BAMF in any capacity. Mostly I've convinced myself (even though I know this is wrong) that it's a tight-knit group of fast people who don't want some random slow person (me) crashing their party. Also I don't know how to talk to strangers.

5 marathons so far - so just one hand. #6 is in a few weeks though.

Lately I've decided running a marathon isn't as big an accomplishment since all the Biggest Losers do it. I'm not fast. Anyone without medical conditions and with the time and incentive to train and the spending money to register can finish a marathon. If I got to respectable speed it'd be a different story. BTW this only applies to me - other people who do marathons at all get a well-deserved pat on the back, but I judge myself way harsher than I do other people.

In groups of new people, nobody comes to talk to me. I think I'm stand-offish.

RTQ, if it means anything coming from me, a marathon will always be an amazing accomplishment; i have never even attempted one.

I definitely understand your 'anyone can run a marathon' feelings, because I feel much the same way. But it is certainly a fantastic goal, and a great challenge to have overcome.

Now that you have completed 5 (6), if you don't feel like they are the same sort of mental challenge, move on to 5ks. They will be a much, much different sort of challenge, both mentally and physically.

Also, I feel like runners are the nicest and least exclusive people around. Join up.

Well I'm registered for 3 marathons this year: May, July & November, so I'm certainly not going to stop going for 26.2 anytime soon. But I do want to get faster elsewhere too. Maybe after July marathon I can put some more focus on speed. I know all my running would benefit from speed work and maybe I can do some damage to my 5k PR at the same time. I should probably do some speedwork between May and July anyway. I just really don't know where to start.

[TWDeac]

I think I'll take the answering over here, this thread is more appropriate.

(backstory) I mentioned I am too chicken to join Twin City Track Club. Explanations followed on why I should join.







Well I'm registered for 3 marathons this year: May, July & November, so I'm certainly not going to stop going for 26.2 anytime soon. But I do want to get faster elsewhere too. Maybe after July marathon I can put some more focus on speed. I know all my running would benefit from speed work and maybe I can do some damage to my 5k PR at the same time. I should probably do some speedwork between May and July anyway. I just really don't know where to start.

Before I start looking/training for another marathon, I'm going to work on getting my 5k time back to a respectable level.

I think they are good training tools. Especially when you focus on them exclusively for a few months.

[RollTheQuad06]

I think I'd miss hours-long runs if I was just 5k-ing. at least a little bit.

[DeacHoops]

Before I start looking/training for another marathon, I'm going to work on getting my 5k time back to a respectable level.

I think they are good training tools. Especially when you focus on them exclusively for a few months.

i would really like if somebody could tell me how to effectively train for BOTH. i've switched mostly to the 5ks/10ks for the time being (marathon training starts in june), but i am still planning on the new river half in may. i can't for the life of me figure out how to balance the track workouts/tempo runs with all of the distance.

[TWDeac]

I think I'd miss hours-long runs if I was just 5k-ing. at least a little bit.

No reason you can't work in a few long runs. You could adequately work with 10-15 mile runs as easy days.

[wakephan09]

No reason you can't work in a few long runs. You could adequately work with 10-15 mile runs as easy days.

TW is correct; your long days can and should probably be at least 90 minutes. You just have to work more speedwork and change-of-pace stuff into your schedule.

[iodeac]

RTQ, I know I've told you this before but the TCTC is definitely not just a bunch of super fast runners. I know several members who are probably much slower than you are, and they would love to have you. I'd definitely join if I lived in Winston-Salem without a doubt. That would also be a really good way to get started with speedwork since I'm sure they offer organized speedwork sessions, maybe WestEnd or wakephan can confirm?

Wakephan, are you running Ultimate Runner? My friend in the TCTC told me about it and it sounds like a lot of fun, and would definitely be a different kind of race. I'll probably mail in my registration tomorrow.

[wakephan09]

Wakephan, are you running Ultimate Runner? My friend in the TCTC told me about it and it sounds like a lot of fun, and would definitely be a different kind of race. I'll probably mail in my registration tomorrow.

Hey IO,

No, unfortunately, I have never attempted the Ultimate Runner. I have been on hand to watch the events for years, but have never competed myself. Every single person I have ever known to have completed it has loved it, and it is definitely a unique sort of challenge.

Also, I am in absolutely dispicable shape; I am in the process of taking (more or less) two years away from the sport.

[RollTheQuad06]

RTQ, I know I've told you this before but the TCTC is definitely not just a bunch of super fast runners. I know several members who are probably much slower than you are, and they would love to have you. I'd definitely join if I lived in Winston-Salem without a doubt. That would also be a really good way to get started with speedwork since I'm sure they offer organized speedwork sessions, maybe WestEnd or wakephan can confirm?

Wakephan, are you running Ultimate Runner? My friend in the TCTC told me about it and it sounds like a lot of fun, and would definitely be a different kind of race. I'll probably mail in my registration tomorrow.

I've thought about the Ultimate Runner for the past couple years, but it seems like a race that would be way more fun with a friend. I'd definitely need to do speedwork to attempt that.

Did you register?

Maybe I'll join TCTC first and then register for Ultimate Runner (save $5 if I'm a member!).

[iodeac]

I just mailed in my registration earlier today, looking forward to it. The post-party sounds fun too.

[DeacHoops]

ok, runners. help me out here. before maybe a month ago, it had been YEARS since i had had a charlie horse. since a month ago, i've had 3. i know that the general cause of charlie horses are low potassium, dehydration, and low sodium. i eat one banana every single day, drink TONS of water, but probably am a little low on sodium (i don't eat out very much, don't buy prepared/processed foods at the grocery store, don't use a lot of salt when i'm cooking).

the thing is, i really hate the idea of increasing my sodium if that's not the actual cause of it. so i want to make sure that that's the cause before doing something that i consider slightly unhealthy. is a banana a day enough potassium? should i be eating more than that? or should i be including some other food that i'm not currently including?

thoughts?

[BeachBumDeac]

RTQ - thanks for warning me about the mulch at the end of Flying Pirate. Holy crap that almost killed me.

As soon as I saw the left turn onto the big uphill slope covered in mulch I started swearing.

[leftcoastdeac]

Short run yesterday, hoping to bang out about 3 miles tomorrow morning.

Need to drop a few pounds to help get my run time up - hard to run fast when you're big.

[DeacHoops]

still wondering if anybody has any thoughts on the charlie horse issue (see above).

but also, i was REALLY low on motivation today. usually i do track workouts on tuesdays, but the girl that i've been doing them with lately had to work tonight, and asked me to do it on thursday instead. my race this saturday doesn't really matter to me at all, so i don't care if i'm exhausted for it, so i agreed. which left me needing to do a longish (8-9 mile) run tonight. i sat at work all day and wondered if i would make it out. finally posted a plea on facebook to see if anybody would do the run with me, just to make sure i didn't bail on it entirely.

my friend ended up introducing me to the mallard creek greenway for 8 miles tonight. holy crap, awesome greenway! way more interesting than mcmullen. the bugs were worse, but this time of the year they're going to be bad wherever you are. we negative split the run (completely unintentionally). the temperature was great. seriously awesome run. i was pumped when we finished.

[iodeac]

I love the Mallard Creek Greenway, I'd run it all the time if I lived closer.

[DeacHoops]

yeah, it's definitely far away from my normal stomping grounds. but i'm thinking i'd like to hit it up for some long runs sometime. it'd be worth the trip if i was doing over 10 miles.

[RollTheQuad06]

Hoops - sounds like a great run tonight! I don't have any thoughts on the charley horses though, sorry. Last night I got 2 in one night (1 in each leg) and I hadn't had any for ages. I also have a banana every day.

BBD - glad that it was a help to know about the mulch. one of my friends/running buddies told me that her boss ran that this weekend and the mulch totally derailed him.

I'm thinking of running OBX Marathon as a double with Richmond this year (Sat & Sun).

[CaptainAwesome]

has anyone here ever experienced a sports hernia? i think i may have one (first noticed the pain on sunday after playing a pretty intense volleyball game and going for a short run on saturday) and don't know if i should just wait it out or get it checked out asap. i ran today and it didn't bother me too much just felt like a prolonged cramp. there is a sharp pain if i sneeze/cough/make a sudden movement at the waist.

i'm really stubborn when it comes to going to the doctor (i havent volunteering gone to a doctor since i got food poisoning in 2006) so i'd rather wait it out. anyone have any experience with this, and if so, am i being really dumb?