The Running Thread - 2018

SarahDisney said:
Today ATTQOTD: I feel like this is one of the few places where I can say this and a few people will understand it ... I don't really set goals. Usually it's just finish. Sometimes it's more about having a good time. Occasionally I'll set a continuous running goal or a time goal, but here's a secret: I've only set a serious time goal once and I didn't reach it*. I have another serious time goal for my next race, and I'm terrified I won't reach it because I never have before. I hate the fact that I'm so scared of this goal. Which is part of why I don't like to set goals ...

Which reminds me. @LSUlakes, when you get a chance, can you update my goal for my 9/30 race (Bronx 10 Mile) to 1:45:00? I'm trying to squeak into corral D for the marathon. Thanks!

*I actually had time goals twice before, but the second time was with a pacer and was a much less aggressive goal, so I don't really count it
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If it helps, I believe you can hit that goal. I know for me, if other people think I can do the scary thing...it makes it less scary for me.
 
FFigawi said:
If they weren't scary and beyond what we've accomplished before, trying to achieve them wouldn't be quite as much fun nor as challenging. I've tried and failed to lower my PR at various distances before, as have many others on here. We might never reach them, though without something to strive for, the training and the effort and the journey don't seem to be as important.
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See, this is where I differ from other runners. I don't enjoy "scary" goals. I'm not interested in being faster. Maybe sometimes going further, but only if there's a specific reason for it. I run because I run. I don't run to be a better runner. It's why I have such a hard time relating to other runners most of the time - I don't enjoy pushing myself to reach new goals (whether they're easy to reach or not) and most people don't understand that. I don't run to take myself out of my comfort zone - I run because it's one of the few things I can do where I can stay in my comfort zone and still feel like I'm accomplishing something. Which is why time goals scare me so much - they take me out of my comfort zone and into an area that isn't my normal running mentality, and I don't know that I'm okay with that.
 
SarahDisney said:
See, this is where I differ from other runners. I don't enjoy "scary" goals. I'm not interested in being faster. Maybe sometimes going further, but only if there's a specific reason for it. I run because I run. I don't run to be a better runner. It's why I have such a hard time relating to other runners most of the time - I don't enjoy pushing myself to reach new goals (whether they're easy to reach or not) and most people don't understand that. I don't run to take myself out of my comfort zone - I run because it's one of the few things I can do where I can stay in my comfort zone and still feel like I'm accomplishing something. Which is why time goals scare me so much - they take me out of my comfort zone and into an area that isn't my normal running mentality, and I don't know that I'm okay with that.
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I want to say I kind of relate. For a while I just wanted to run and enjoy races, running with friends. If I got faster - great! But I wasn’t actively trying to get faster.

However recently I have been trying to be more intentional with my training in order to get faster. I think I decided that I wanted to see how fast I could get, and then go back to run just to run and not worry about paces and running the right mileage/pace on the right days.

For me, I really enjoy running with people, and running with my specific paces has made this hard. I’m giving myself at least one more training cycle to concentrate on getting faster/being more intentional with each run before I go back to my old ways. I never previously thought I could get anywhere close to a BQ time, and now I’m about 32 minutes away (still a long ways, but before I was 1.5-2 hours away!). If my Spring Marathon is within grasping distance, I may continue for another cycle or two.

After that, I’ll probably return to my previous norm of run all the races, travel, and enjoy the races in the process.
 
ATTQOTD: I normally will shoot for a goal during 2 or 3 races per year. This year my focus has been half marathon distance and I will switch to focusing on the marathon distance starting on Monday. My long term, big time scary goal is to eventually get to Boston. Right now I am trying to take baby steps to reach that huge goal though. I also set yearly goals. These include mileage goals (1,000 miles in 2016, 1,500 miles in 2017, and 1,800 miles this year) and an additional goal of running 12 half marathons this year. I'm big on goals (clearly, lol), they help me stay motivated.
 


LSUlakes said:
QOTD: How do you determine what your goal is for a race? How far out do you make your decision?
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If I have a time goal, it's based on my most recent run and the amount of training I'll be getting in between. For the most part, the goal is 'faster than last time'. Picking out a specific time doesn't seem to work for me.

At Star Wars this year, I was debating whether or not to try to get all the pictures and still beat two hours, or just race the thing all out. The first picture line wasn't bad, but I was feeling pretty good, so I decided to go for it. The idea of beating 1:45 entered my mind for a moment before the race, but I shrugged it off. I passed the 1:45 pacing group (what was left of it) in front of Fake Italy. That was an awesome feeling.
 


ATTQOTD: My goal is always to run at least as fast as my personal best...or faster! Of course, at my age, just maintaining is a huge accomplishment....

I have a long term goal of earning a BQ too, but first I need to complete an actual marathon. So that's probably at best a few years away from being anywhere near "realistic".
 
LSUlakes said:
QOTD: How do you determine what your goal is for a race? How far out do you make your decision?
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ATTQOTD: Mostly based on how I feel and how I had been running leading up to the race. I pretty much just say to myself "I should be able to finish in xx:xx time" and that becomes my time goal. But mostly, my goal for a race is the same as it is for a daily run: I just want to go out, enjoy the outdoors and have a good run.
 
ATTQOTD: As others have stated, current fitness level, current PR, course, weather, training schedule, POT cutoffs, going sub XX:YY all play into my goal setting.

The longer the race, the further out I set my goal. I stated my goal for Rocket City Marathon on this forum in January, and achieved it in December, so 11 months ahead.
I set a half marathon goal, anywhere between 4-8 weeks. Having said that, I am already formulating a goal for a half next April.
Must of my 5-10Ks are spur of the moment, so just a week or 2 ahead of the race.
 
LSUlakes said:
QOTD: Have you ever taken a fall during a race or training run? If so describe the injury and let us know if you finished the run, called it a day, needed to take a few days off, ect...
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I have tripped many times and hit pavement last September. I was in denial about the severity of the fracture in my sacrum and thought I could do an easy 5 miles with my group I was leading. My gait was so screwed up with that injury. I tripped on a sidewalk. Hit my wrist and face and had all kinds of icky tree stuff stuck to my wounds. The guys I was with wanted to take me back to the store where we started. I yelled at them to "get my a$$ up and let's go. We aren't done running yet." I ran and wiped blood off my face the rest of the run. I also paused my watch as soon as I hit pavement (yeah, I know...). I cried in my car on the way home because I hurt (physically and mentally).

Here is my wrist and I was glad I didn't break it. I won't post a pic of my face which was worse. I had to volunteer at my kids' school with my scraped up face the next day.

IMG_2170.JPG

LSUlakes said:
QOTD: If you have to miss a run for whatever reason, what do you do? Do you move everything back a day, make it up on a rest day, run a double, or just move forward with your plan?
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I am missing a few runs now. I have made my back angry for some reason and could barely walk yesterday. I am scheduled for an MRI on Friday but if it feels better I will cancel. I get nervous with anything related to my back since last year's injury. Not sure what I have more problems with, my back or my feet. I am also battling plantar fasciitis which I am aggressively treating. I felt it every step of my half marathon 2 weeks ago.


LSUlakes said:
QOTD: How do you determine what your goal is for a race? How far out do you make your decision?
Click to expand...

I usually have a good idea how I will perform based on training. If I hit my paces for training, I know what I am aiming for. If I had some injury, then I know that I need to scale it back. I also take in account my mental state. Some days, I just don't feel like pushing and hurting. If it is a race where I am trying to win or place, I won't necessarily PR, just do what it takes. Racing definitely helps me figure out future race potential for the season. Mixing up the distances helps too. I hate 5ks but force myself to do them. I typically know about a month before a race what I am aiming for. Then race weekend/day I may change it again (Boston this year--goal changed to surviving the elements).
 
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SarahDisney said:
I feel like this is one of the few places where I can say this and a few people will understand it ... I don't really set goals. Usually it's just finish.
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I'm the same way. My primary goal is always to finish. While I'm working on getting faster so I can have more fun during Disney races I still view finishing as the most important goal.

FFigawi said:
If they weren't scary and beyond what we've accomplished before, trying to achieve them wouldn't be quite as much fun nor as challenging. I've tried and failed to lower my PR at various distances before, as have many others on here. We might never reach them, though without something to strive for, the training and the effort and the journey don't seem to be as important.
Click to expand...
I love this. I also think it's imperative to keep everything in perspective. If we set a goal that never happened did we fail? In the area of that goal (PR, BQ, whatever), yes. But if we became better (more fit, committed to pursuit of goals, etc) in the pursuit of that goal, then maybe we didn't really fail after all. What if the pursuit of that failed goal achievement extended our life so as to spend more time with our families? Is that failure? NO.

SarahDisney said:
See, this is where I differ from other runners. I don't enjoy "scary" goals. I'm not interested in being faster. Maybe sometimes going further, but only if there's a specific reason for it. I run because I run. I don't run to be a better runner. It's why I have such a hard time relating to other runners most of the time - I don't enjoy pushing myself to reach new goals (whether they're easy to reach or not) and most people don't understand that. I don't run to take myself out of my comfort zone - I run because it's one of the few things I can do where I can stay in my comfort zone and still feel like I'm accomplishing something. Which is why time goals scare me so much - they take me out of my comfort zone and into an area that isn't my normal running mentality, and I don't know that I'm okay with that.
Click to expand...
I will argue that this is actually the best approach for you. Why do we run? Why do we pursue this? Each one of us needs to determine why we run and what we receive from it. We need to run for our own reasons and enjoy it on our terms. Do I own running or does running own me?

PrincessV said:
Pro-tip: be sure someone snaps it with your phone/camera, too - PhotoPass lost my final Dopey jump in EP. :sad:
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Very true. Also, some photo ops do not have a photographer. I use Memory Maker and PhotoPass, but I always like to make sure that my own camera is available as backup. Photos get lost and sometimes they can't be found.
 
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