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

[wakephan09]

Yeah, it was amazing. True looks like he weighs 170.

He was fifth at Foot Locker the year that Withrow outkicked Rupp and Kiptoo. Solinsky was pretty massive too -- True was ninth in the year Solinsky ran away with it, though my boy Debole outkicked him for fifth.

 

[TWDeac]

tw, i really don't mean this in a condescending way (i know it's going to sound like that, but i HONESTLY don't mean it that way), but have you ever run a marathon?

Yes. I've run two and the flying pig in 3 weeks will be my third. I've been running since freshman year of high school both competitively and recreationally. I understand what it takes to run in heat, cold and everything in between.

 

[DeacHoops]

fair enough. i guess to me the idea of just being like "well, screw a PR. i know i've put 6 months into this training, but no worries. i'll just run a marathon in the fall" is sacrificing SO much. yes, it's the logical thing to do in 88 degree weather. but you're completely ignoring the emotional state of somebody who has poured everything they've got into a race. not many people can just give up that easily.

 

[TWDeac]

fair enough. i guess to me the idea of just being like "well, screw a PR. i know i've put 6 months into this training, but no worries. i'll just run a marathon in the fall" is sacrificing SO much. yes, it's the logical thing to do in 88 degree weather. but you're completely ignoring the emotional state of somebody who has poured everything they've got into a race. not many people can just give up that easily.

What else are you supposed to do though? You can't control the weather, and if you aren't competing at an elite level, there is no reason to kill yourself trying to PR.

 

[JerseyDeac]

Yes. I've run two and the flying pig in 3 weeks will be my third. I've been running since freshman year of high school both competitively and recreationally. I understand what it takes to run in heat, cold and everything in between.

I've been running since my freshman year in hs as well both competitively and recreationally and I will still respectfully disagree with you. Keeping up the training isn't really that easy. You can't account for things like injuries. So if you make it to the start line in great shape and injury free, it sucks to have the weather be awful. I've run 8 marathons in a variety of temperatures. I did not think it would be that bad running in the heat, but it was much worse than I expected. I'm really surprised a competitive marathon runner would say it's not a big deal.

 

[DeacHoops]

What else are you supposed to do though? You can't control the weather, and if you aren't competing at an elite level, there is no reason to kill yourself trying to PR.

i mean, yeah, you're right that there's nothing else they can do. it's just that you're saying you think the weather concerns are overblown. i don't think the dashed hopes of 20,000 runners is "overblown"

 

[TWDeac]

I've been running since my freshman year in hs as well both competitively and recreationally and I will still respectfully disagree with you. Keeping up the training isn't really that easy. You can't account for things like injuries. So if you make it to the start line in great shape and injury free, it sucks to have the weather be awful. I've run 8 marathons in a variety of temperatures. I did not think it would be that bad running in the heat, but it was much worse than I expected. I'm really surprised a competitive marathon runner would say it's not a big deal.

FYI, I'm not a competitive marathoner (I.E., under 3 hours)

I never said it wasn't bad running in the heat. I'm saying that you can't change the weather and unless you want to end up in the medical tent or with a big DNF, you have two other options. Slow down, or defer.

 

[TWDeac]

i mean, yeah, you're right that there's nothing else they can do. it's just that you're saying you think the weather concerns are overblown. i don't think the dashed hopes of 20,000 runners is "overblown"

Agree to disagree, then.

 

[RacerDeac]

I guess my thought it that part of running a marathon is running against the day and the conditions. You do the best you can do on that day. You can't control the weather. If 80 sucks, does 60 also "suck" when it could have been 40? The chance of towing the line with absolutely perfect weather is minimal. You run the race in front of you and do the best you can do. PR's will come on days when everything works out...other days, you'll tough it out to run a slow race against grueling conditions.

Does it suck? I guess. But, unless you want to do all of your running indoors, it seems like it would be an accepted part of the sport. Surprised to hear so many experienced runners with a "through up your arms and complain" attitude towards the weather.

Maybe that's why I find myself more drawn towards the ultra-running community than the marathoning community?

 

[wakephan09]

I am not quite sure what you all are arguing, exactly, but if I had trained for six months or a year for the race, I would go all-out. I wouldn't even consider deferring for a year. Yes, the heat is definitely a big deal, but not enough to quit before the race even begins.

 

[TWDeac]

I am not quite sure what you all are arguing, exactly, but if I had trained for six months or a year for the race, I would go all-out. I wouldn't even consider deferring for a year. Yes, the heat is definitely a big deal, but not enough to quit before the race even begins.

I agree with you. I would never quit, but I would inventory how I felt, and my training to determine what goal I should aim for. I don't think there is any shame in adding 5 minutes to your time under these conditions.

 

[wakephan09]

Surprised to hear so many experienced runners with a "through up your arms and complain" attitude towards the weather.

Maybe that's why I find myself more drawn towards the ultra-running community than the marathoning community?

I would guess that is because today's 'marathoners' are no longer concerned solely with finishing (as I would assume is the primary goal of the ultra-marathon).

Rather, they are concerned with times and PRs. If you aren't an elite, then marathoning isn't really about 'racing' because you have no legitimate shot at winning.

 

[JerseyDeac]

I guess my thought it that part of running a marathon is running against the day and the conditions. You do the best you can do on that day. You can't control the weather. If 80 sucks, does 60 also "suck" when it could have been 40? The chance of towing the line with absolutely perfect weather is minimal. You run the race in front of you and do the best you can do. PR's will come on days when everything works out...other days, you'll tough it out to run a slow race against grueling conditions.

Does it suck? I guess. But, unless you want to do all of your running indoors, it seems like it would be an accepted part of the sport. Surprised to hear so many experienced runners with a "through up your arms and complain" attitude towards the weather.

Maybe that's why I find myself more drawn towards the ultra-running community than the marathoning community?

You are very right about the ideal conditions. It's almost impossible to tow the line with perfect weather. Especially since we're talking about perfect for YOU. I want it 35-40 max. I know most people would hate that. Then again, my PR was from a day when it was 60s and humid. I was lucky to be in great shape and snuck in a PR despite the less than ideal for me conditions.

Frankly, I would have deferred Boston. No question. I do not like hot and do not run well in hot, so there would be no point in me wasting my time. I'd probably jump in another marathon another weekend to try and capitalize on my fitness. None of my friends running Boston are complaining, I'm just complaining for them because I know how hard some of them worked. I think it's easier to complain from the sidelines. People who are registered have few options, so they just have to go with the flow.

 

[DeacHoops]

I am not quite sure what you all are arguing, exactly, but if I had trained for six months or a year for the race, I would go all-out. I wouldn't even consider deferring for a year. Yes, the heat is definitely a big deal, but not enough to quit before the race even begins.

for the record, i never said i would quit before the race. i'm just saying that it really REALLY sucks for those people who have to run in 80+ degree weather today. especially those people who made it through 6 months of intense training injury-free. i've got lots of friends who showed up to the line today with no real time goals because they got hurt during the training and couldn't put in the mileage necessary. but to those who COULD put in the necessary mileage, and who now have to battle against conditions that they haven't seen in 6-7 months, it sucks to see those goals go down the drain.

one of our CRC girls has already slowed significantly. her goal was 2:50, and she was tracking 2:48 for a while. she's 2:52 projected at the half.

 

[wakephan09]

for the record, i never said i would quit before the race. i'm just saying that it really REALLY sucks for those people who have to run in 80+ degree weather today. especially those people who made it through 6 months of intense training injury-free. i've got lots of friends who showed up to the line today with no real time goals because they got hurt during the training and couldn't put in the mileage necessary. but to those who COULD put in the necessary mileage, and who now have to battle against conditions that they haven't seen in 6-7 months, it sucks to see those goals go down the drain.

Nowhere, DeacHoops, was I talking about you or any other person in particular. I absolutely agree with you; it blows to train for a race for months only to get hurt or affected by the heat -- I know, I had a stress reaction diagnosed days before the two most important races of my senior year. I raced them anyway and did absolutely horribly.

My point, however, was that today's marathoners are concerned absolutely with time, rather than racing; I am certainly guilty of this as well. If it were about racing, the heat shouldn't matter because each runner has to deal with the same raceday conditions.

 

[DeacHoops]

wow, after the half i'm now watching most of my friends bonk. paces have slowed by over 20 seconds/mile for most people (others more than 30 seconds/mile). yikes.

 

[DeacHoops]

Nowhere, DeacHoops, was I talking about you or any other person in particular. I absolutely agree with you; it blows to train for a race for months only to get hurt or affected by the heat -- I know, I had a stress reaction diagnosed days before the two most important races of my senior year. I raced them anyway and did absolutely horribly.

My point, however, was that today's marathoners are concerned absolutely with time, rather than racing; I am certainly guilty of this as well. If it were about racing, the heat shouldn't matter because each runner has to deal with the same raceday conditions.

ah, now i get what you were saying. and yep, i agree.

 

[RacerDeac]

Rather, they are concerned with times and PRs. If you aren't an elite, then marathoning isn't really about 'racing' because you have no legitimate shot at winning.

It's about racing the day and the course, or that's how I see it. I was really disappointed to not meet my time goals in my first marathon, but the weather was warmer than expected and I didn't know the course. Some my fault and some just the conditions, but I still put in the best race I could in the conditions I was racing in. I'll keep running and find a course/day where things come together. Maybe we're just arguing levels of disappointment/sucking. In the end, running the Boston is badass no matter what the conditions.

This is what I come back to: you can PR on a downhill course in 42 degree weather, but that doesn't necessarily make it a better run race than finishing 5 minutes lower on a hilly course in the 70's. Then again, I've always been the guy that loved playing sports in adverse conditions...soccer in the rain, golf in the wind/rain, sports car racing in the rain. You can turn it into an advantage for yourself when everyone else is sulking about the conditions.

 

[DeacHoops]

wow, a friend who is usually sub-3 is now at a 9:00 pace and projected 3:25. holy crap. i expected people to bonk, but i honestly thought it'd hit later in the race. it's insane how early this is happening.

 

[RacerDeac]

wow, a friend who is usually sub-3 is now at a 9:00 pace and projected 3:25. holy crap. i expected people to bonk, but i honestly thought it'd hit later in the race. it's insane how early this is happening.

Yeah, it looks like a lot of people didn't adjust their starting pace much based on the folks I've followed. Understandable when you've been training for a long time and are pumped to finally be at the line.