The Running Thread - 2018

[SarahDisney]

QOTD: The big weekend starts tomorrow for those running the 5k or any combination of the 5k and other races. For those who have run this event before, what last minute advice do you have for someone running one or more of the Disney races?

I'm going to channel Elsa for my advice:
Let it go.

Most likely, there are things about the race that won't be perfect. For me, it was the massive crowding and rain when I rain the 10K a few years back. And I really let it get me down. But halfway through the race I decided to just focus on the good and enjoy the race, and it was like two totally different races. So that's my advice: when things don't go as planned, or something gets messed up, just let it go and don't let it hold you back from having a great race experience.

 

[Jules76126]

Good luck to everyone running this weekend. I am having major FOMO. We are slated to get 12+ inches of snow tomorrow so I would totally rather be in WDW

 

[Gemini1131]

Another first timer adding in some races.
February
24 - Gemini1131- Enchanted 10k (NG / N/A) fairytale challenge
25 - Gemini1131- Princess Half Marathon (Finish with a picture/ N/A)fairytale challenge

Goal for the half has been upgraded from make it to the castle to finish the. To finish with a picture. Started this whole running thing last year after finding all the race reports here and the Galloway plan. Will be doing the 10k with my two more athletic sisters and have stunned us all by being the most consistent with the running (something I always hated in the past). Still got a ways to go in training, but never would have imagined I would have run as far as I have on the training plan so far. Thank you guys so much for all the posts and information in these threads. They are more valuable than you can imagine

 

[Sleepless Knight]

ATTQOTD: my advice is going to be anathema to some. Luckily there's not a 'Dislike' button.

<OldSchoolAdvice>
1. Don't hate the bus ride and the corral wait. It's part of the experience. Where else can you wear marked-down Walmart Christmas PJs in public? Well, except Walmart.
2. Unplug for a minute (or 5 hours). I've seen people so busy videoing the start fireworks that they don't 'experience' the fireworks. Talk to a fellow runner.
3. At the start, take a minute to reflect on the fact that you are healthy and have the means to be there.
</OldSchoolAdvice>

Your first piece of advice made me laugh. That's a good thing. And your second and third pieces of advice were also tremendous. I don't consider myself an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But as a slower runner that knows what it takes to finish, I hope that anything I say to a new runner helps them find success.

Now, for my advice to a runner doing a multi race challenge or race for the first time.

1. Take the shorter distance(s) easier. Save your strength for the half and/or full if you're running a challenge.

2. Trust your training and run your race. Don't get caught up in what everyone else is doing in their race.

3. Wear your medal and/or race weekend shirt around the parks afterwards. I would not be doing this if I had not talked with other runners about their experience. I knew about runDisney years before I actually ran a race. I saw the race description and thought "that sounds cool. Too bad I'll never be able to do it." Years later I actually talked with some runners wearing their medals. And they reassured me that I could actually do it. Beyond saying, "you can do this" they actually explained to me what a 16 minute per mile pace felt like and that I could walk it. 2 years later I signed up. And the day before my very first half, I met a couple in line at Disneyland who were running the race the next day too. I knew they were running because they were wearing their marathon weekend shirts. I told them I was nervous and they continued to encourage me. As fate would have it, I would meet them again around mile 13 the next morning. Like they told me, I was going to finish. I'm fairly certain that I would never have taken up running if not for the encouragement of the runDisney participants who took the time to tell me how I could do it.

 

[LSUlakes]

The race list is up to date! I will probably be a little late getting to tomorrow QOTD as DD is sick and I will be staying home with her tomorrow. Best of luck to everyone running the 5k tomorrow!!!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

The race list is up to date! I will probably be a little late getting to tomorrow QOTD as DD is sick and I will be staying home with her tomorrow. Best of luck to everyone running the 5k tomorrow!!!

Sleepless Knight Race Plans

April 20 - Star Wars The Dark Side 5K
April 21 - Star Wars The Dark Side 10K
April 22 - Star Wars The Dark Side Half Marathon

 

[BoilerGirl91]

Thank you for all you do @LSUlakes. Hope your daughter feels better.

When you get a chance, my spring races are:

March
17-BoilerGirl91-Leprechaun Chase 5k (NG/NA)

April
28-BoilerGirl91-Cleveland 10 Miler (1:50/NA)

May
19-BoilerGirl91-Cleveland Marathon 5k (NG/NA)
20-BoilerGirl91-Cleveland Marathon 10k (NG/NA)

 

[MissLiss279]

5k PR (unofficial time) 27:47! Once I got warmed up and through the crowd, I felt pretty good.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Question (not be confused with the official QOTD): Does anyone keep a physical running journal? I am very interested in a bullet-style running journal and would like to hear your experience. What do you include in your journal? How long have you kept it?

 

[evre13]

cannot wait to hear about everyone's adventures this weekend in chilly Florida!

A few races, as I come out of lurkdom further:

February
2 - evre13 - NYRR Gridiron 4 Miler - (NG/NA)

April
29 - evre13 - Pike’s Peek 10K - (1:10/NA)

June
2 - evre13 - Baltimore 10 Miler - (NG/NA)

October
10 - evre13 - Baltimore Half Marathon (2:30/NA)

December
8 - evre13 - Kiawah Half Marathon (2:20/NA)

 

[KSellers88]

Question (not be confused with the official QOTD): Does anyone keep a physical running journal? I am very interested in a bullet-style running journal and would like to hear your experience. What do you include in your journal? How long have you kept it?

I have a believe training journal that I used for one week and never used again. LOL. I'm much better at tracking on my Excel spreadsheet. If you want my believe one, I am happy to mail it to you. I don't see myself writing it down over tracking electronically. I forget and then don't want to take the time to go back and write it down. I do track my distance, pace, HR and cadence in my excel spreadsheet though.

 

[SarahDisney]

Question (not be confused with the official QOTD): Does anyone keep a physical running journal? I am very interested in a bullet-style running journal and would like to hear your experience. What do you include in your journal? How long have you kept it?

I used to, but I switched to an Excel spreadsheet a little over a year ago.
Mine had some of the same stuff as my spreadsheet - date&time, running time, distance, pace, warm up/cool down info, splits, shoes, nutrition, and other assorted notes. It also had weather/outfit information (which I probably should have put in my spreadsheet too, honestly, but I just didn't) and some other fairly irrelevant stuff (like what music I was listening to during the run)

2 - evre13 - NYRR Gridiron 4 Miler - (NG/NA)

See you there! (I'm volunteering at a fluid station)

 

[KingLlama]

March 10....Lucky Leprechaun 10-Miler
April 22...Dark Side Half Marathon

April 23....eat everything on WDW property

 

[jennamfeo]

Question (not be confused with the official QOTD): Does anyone keep a physical running journal? I am very interested in a bullet-style running journal and would like to hear your experience. What do you include in your journal? How long have you kept it?

I am very much a write it down kind of person. I got a believe journal for this year's training and so far I like it. It's easier for me to grab a book while I am eating immediately after my run session and accurately write down how I felt and how it was vs waiting to get on my laptop to fill in a spread sheet. I have only been using it this week, so we will see how long I last. I tried to do an actual bullet journal last year and got to about March before I got sick of drawing a journal. I got a Plum Paper planner for my life planning stuff, which also have a fitness section I added in, in case I didn't like the believe journal. (I have a notebook problem -- I love them. I buy notebooks all the time.)

 

[BelleWannabe4]

Question (not be confused with the official QOTD): Does anyone keep a physical running journal? I am very interested in a bullet-style running journal and would like to hear your experience. What do you include in your journal? How long have you kept it?

I'm a huge bullet journal convert! I love mine. In addition to my weekly "keep your life together" pages, I have a monthly calendar where I keep track of events and a monthly running tracker. It's pretty simple because I am not an artistic person and I don't really have the time to try But I note how far I ran, what my final time was and my pace. I also keep track of my hiking on the same page and then add up my total miles at the bottom for each month. I really like it because I love looking back after a hard run/hike and realize "oh wow, I actually am getting faster/stronger/whatever" even when it definitely does not feel like it.

ETA: I've kept my bullet journal up for almost 2 years now. I was a huge skeptic at first but now it's how I keep track of EVERYthing. My bf laughs at how much I carry that thing around

 

[jennamfeo]

I'm a huge bullet journal convert! I love mine. In addition to my weekly "keep your life together" pages, I have a monthly calendar where I keep track of events and a monthly running tracker. It's pretty simple because I am not an artistic person and I don't really have the time to try But I note how far I ran, what my final time was and my pace. I also keep track of my hiking on the same page and then add up my total miles at the bottom for each month. I really like it because I love looking back after a hard run/hike and realize "oh wow, I actually am getting faster/stronger/whatever" even when it definitely does not feel like it.

ETA: I've kept my bullet journal up for almost 2 years now. I was a huge skeptic at first but now it's how I keep track of EVERYthing. My bf laughs at how much I carry that thing around

I really did love my bullet journal, but I think Pinterest got the best of me because I would obsess over making it super pretty and artsy.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

I'm much better at tracking on my Excel spreadsheet.

I used to, but I switched to an Excel spreadsheet a little over a year ago.

I work on excel all.day.long. so was thinking of something different, but I guess I have easy access...

I have only been using it this week, so we will see how long I last. I tried to do an actual bullet journal last year and got to about March before I got sick of drawing a journal. I got a Plum Paper planner for my life planning stuff, which also have a fitness section I added in, in case I didn't like the believe journal. (I have a notebook problem -- I love them. I buy notebooks all the time.)

We are notebook/planner spirit animals. I love my planner (complete with colored pens).

I'm a huge bullet journal convert! I love mine. In addition to my weekly "keep your life together" pages, I have a monthly calendar where I keep track of events and a monthly running tracker.

I think I would really enjoy the creation behind the bullet journal... also, I should have never searched for this on pinterest. Way too many ideas!

 

[SarahDisney]

I think I would really enjoy the creation behind the bullet journal... also, I should have never searched for this on pinterest. Way too many ideas!

If you really like the creativity behind journaling, then definitely try it. Mine was pretty boring, but if you're going to get creative, there's a lot you can do - different colors based on different categories of runs (or something like that), stickers based on how the run went (although I don't know if bullet journals generally use stickers ... if not, they should) ... and you can do that all daily/weekly/monthly. If you're looking for a creative outlet in general, journaling is great for being creative and staying organized at the same time.

I'm such a techie these days that I computer pretty much everything, but I miss color-coding things. Color-coding is the best. I really need to color-code more things in my life.

 

[KSellers88]

I work on excel all.day.long. so was thinking of something different, but I guess I have easy access...

I think I would really enjoy the creation behind the bullet journal... also, I should have never searched for this on pinterest. Way too many ideas!

If you are super creative, I'd go with a bullet journal. I am definitely not and mine would turn out like this. LOL

 

[surfde22]

Making a comeback to the Disboards. I had a rough year with running, and life in general, last year, and am hoping being active on here will help me get back into running again. I currently have no races planned, but am considering the Twin Cities Marathon on 10/7 with a few shorter distances sprinkled in, but that's dependent on the outcome of two potential ankle surgeries this year.

@jennamfeo
List of states I've run in: DE, MD, VA, FL, NY, MN, HI, CO, IA, WI