SOSH Running Dogs

Lose Remerswaal

Experiencing Furry Panic
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oh, I know! She is an ultra marathoner and has crewed Badwater twice. We zoomed last night and she definitely knows what she is in for, has a strong crew, and knows that quitting isn't failure.

I'd say she takes after her uncle, but she married into the family.
 

rbeaud

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
348
Orange, CT
This thread has been quiet, understandably so with Covid. However things are opening up, so perhaps the latest bunch of “tools into running” have some activities planned?

We ran our first post epidemic half in June, in hilly and always humid Fairfield. The plan was Wineglass for a second time, though we succumbed to our middle child’s pleas and will visit her for Parents Weekend in October. Hartford the next weekend it is!

And…Antelope Canyon 55k Ultra for March. I’m nervous about a race that has sand for about half the distance, +/- 2300’ of total elevation, and “only” only needs you to run 2.8 mph to avoid DNF. However the ‘ette has her sights on an ultra and I’m her running partner. Hopefully the vistas overwhelm my pain receptors!!!
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2002
28,535
right here
I have a bunch of routes I've mapped out in google pedometer which is nice because variety. yay!
But I would like to be able to send it to (something) and be able to tell (something) on my phone (or watch or whatever if something like that would work) that I'm starting route X, please give me turn by turn directions.
Does this (something) exist?
 

Marceline

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2002
6,441
Canton, MA
I have a bunch of routes I've mapped out in google pedometer which is nice because variety. yay!
But I would like to be able to send it to (something) and be able to tell (something) on my phone (or watch or whatever if something like that would work) that I'm starting route X, please give me turn by turn directions.
Does this (something) exist?
It doesn't do turn by turn directions but you can use Strava to pre-program a route and then follow it on your phone while you're out running.
https://www.trainingwithdata.com/strava-route-builder/

What kind of watch do you use? I think Garmin watches have some of this functionality.
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2002
28,535
right here
heh. I have an old fitbit charge 2. I've been toying with an apple watch and am very in the "doing research" phase of things
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2002
28,535
right here
just as a follow up someone somewhere else pointed me to https://www.rungoapp.com/ and it looks like it might work. I can upload my GPX files from google pedometer and use it on the app on my phone and I think I'm in business. Will try one out on Sat and let y'all know if you're interested
 

TallerThanPedroia

Civilly Disobedient
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
25,546
Boston
Anyone else running Boston? I'm on my third year of injuries but managed to shuffle through last year's virtual. This year at least it'll approximate the real thing, though I've only been to one team group run and I'm probably not going to the pasta party, and there won't be anything in Hopkinton (they haven't said yet, but I think we'll just get off the bus, maybe have a chance to use a porta, and then just start running).

http://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/sbrady2
 

fiskful of dollars

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
2,874
Charlottesville, VA
Agree w/ above, especially the slow recovery run on post race day#1. One small caveat...IF a 13.1 mi run/race represents a hard, hard effort w/r/t intensity/distance, sometime foam rolling can actually create some worsening fascial tearing and exacerbate some tissue damage. I foam roll extensively but usually not after a long or especially hard run. So after my "long" runs (varies, depending on my fitness but usu 12-18 mi) or an intense interval set, I'll forego foam rolling and just use ice, recovery boots and a brief walk followed by elevation. I don't really do much static stretching anymore - some, but not much. Definitely do a short, shake out run tomorrow but make this EASY and walk if you're feeling any sig discomfort or fatigue...just keep telling yourself the purpose of this effort: to get blood and oxygen and nutrients into those sore muscles. CONGRATULATIONS!
 

bohous

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 21, 2005
4,421
Framingham
Wasn't planning to do another half this year but a buddy talked me into doing this Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon in Hampton NH last weekend. We registered plenty early enough to prepare but due to the hot and/or rainy days all summer (plus the new mountain bike eating into running days), my training was sporadic at best. Add that I was laid out with a cold for the whole week before I wasn't expecting much. Somehow I still managed a PR at 2:00:43, which I should be thrilled with, but have to admit I'm frustrated that I came :43sec from hitting 2hr mark.
 

kfoss99

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2009
1,193
Wasn't planning to do another half this year but a buddy talked me into doing this Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon in Hampton NH last weekend. We registered plenty early enough to prepare but due to the hot and/or rainy days all summer (plus the new mountain bike eating into running days), my training was sporadic at best. Add that I was laid out with a cold for the whole week before I wasn't expecting much. Somehow I still managed a PR at 2:00:43, which I should be thrilled with, but have to admit I'm frustrated that I came :43sec from hitting 2hr mark.
Congrats on the PR. I got into the running (more like jogging) game later in life. I hated running as exercise as a kid. Bikes got me places a lot faster.

I have my first official 10k over the weekend.

I was hoping to train for a half, since I turned 40, but it didn't work out. I'm signing up for one early next year to motivate me. I ran ~13 miles in one day as part of a relay team and doing itall at once, honestly, would have been easier than spaced 4 hrs apart.

I've gotten over 200 miles in this season, but need to find a way to get exercise during winter and my busy work season, so I don't have to start at zero all over again.
 

bohous

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 21, 2005
4,421
Framingham
Congrats on the PR. I got into the running (more like jogging) game later in life. I hated running as exercise as a kid. Bikes got me places a lot faster.

I have my first official 10k over the weekend.

I was hoping to train for a half, since I turned 40, but it didn't work out. I'm signing up for one early next year to motivate me. I ran ~13 miles in one day as part of a relay team and doing itall at once, honestly, would have been easier than spaced 4 hrs apart.

I've gotten over 200 miles in this season, but need to find a way to get exercise during winter and my busy work season, so I don't have to start at zero all over again.
I'm also a midlife crisis runner. I just turned 50 and didn't start running 'seriously' (should say with any regularity), until about 5 years ago. I did my first 10k and Half Marathon just 3 years ago.
If you are looking to try a Half next year I would recommend registering for a fall race. It gives you the whole summer to train and cooler weather for race day.
Good luck on your 10k. Let us know how it goes!
 

kfoss99

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2009
1,193
Ran my first 10k race, this morning. I out did my best expectation with a PB 1:11:10.

I was hoping for a 12 minute/mile pace and shattered it.
 

TallerThanPedroia

Civilly Disobedient
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
25,546
Boston
Ran my first 10k race, this morning. I out did my best expectation with a PB 1:11:10.

I was hoping for a 12 minute/mile pace and shattered it.
Great job!

I managed 4:11 at Boston yesterday. That's my fourth-slowest marathon, but given how badly I've been doing for two years now, and especially the last two months, my only goal had been to keep it under five hours, and I wasn't totally sure I could do that. The crowd was like 25% of the usual size, but the heroes who showed up really brought it, and it's amazing how much that helps.
 
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MuzzyField

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
I'm scheduled to fly into the Nor'easter aftermath tomorrow from Florida to run in the Cape Cod half on Saturday with a coupe of my cousins. They're currently in the dark at their house between Boston and Providence and the house on the Cape we'll be staying in for the weekend is also currently in the dark. There are also pictures of trees down in Falmouth on the course and 80% of the power is out. I thought about moving my travel days to Friday-Monday from Thursday-Sunday, but I'm not sure that's a great idea.

The organizers are still in go mode for the weekend fun, but I'm leaning towards getting Jet Blue to give me a travel credit and not going. I don't care the weather on Saturday is gong to suck, but the lack of electricity and trees in the road don't quite match the lovely narrative and photo's on the website when I registered in August.

Also, being a CT native, I know Eversource isn't synonymous with rapid power restoration.

Any thoughts on the recovery prognosis and the half marathon still being a go on Saturday?
 

bohous

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 21, 2005
4,421
Framingham
Great job!

I managed 4:11 at Boston yesterday. That's my fourth-slowest marathon, but given how badly I've been doing for two years now, and especially the last two months, my only goal had been to keep it under five hours, and I wasn't totally sure I could do that. The crowd was like 25% of the usual size, but the heroes who showed up really brought it, and it's amazing how much that helps.
Late bump to say 'Congrats' on Boston! Even being in the ballpark of a 4hr marathon amazes me. I pat myself on the back for gutting out a 2hr half, I can't imagine doubling that distance at the same pace.
 

Bunt4aTriple

Member (member)
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
4,348
North Yarmouth, ME
Anyone have a suggestion on a good hands-free running leash? We've got a Tuff-Mutt but there's a few problems with it: the clip on the belt for the leash doesn't really stay put, so it always slides all the way to the left, which makes the second issue even worse. There's no adjustment on the leash itself, which is quite long. When my dog stops pulling/leading and just runs alongside me, one of us ends up tripping on the leash.

Bonus points if it's got space to store a cell phone.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
50th Falmouth this morning. We live close enough to ride bikes to the starting line so I'm leaving in a bit.
I've PR'd 3 straight years (not actually impressive as I hover just under the hour mark), but i haven't been running as much this summer as I've been skating 3-4 night a week and I'm carrying a pretty nasty hip bruise (from hockey of course) that will impact my running (it impacts my walking lol so...).
Going to just enjoy one of the most beautiful, challenging, and fun road races around.
 

rbeaud

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
348
Orange, CT
50th Falmouth this morning. We live close enough to ride bikes to the starting line so I'm leaving in a bit.
I've PR'd 3 straight years (not actually impressive as I hover just under the hour mark), but i haven't been running as much this summer as I've been skating 3-4 night a week and I'm carrying a pretty nasty hip bruise (from hockey of course) that will impact my running (it impacts my walking lol so...).
Going to just enjoy one of the most beautiful, challenging, and fun road races around.
Good luck DH! Falmouth is a race I’ve wanted to try for a few years.

In the next few weeks the ‘ette and I are beginning training for the Antelope Canyon 55k in March. Going to be an interesting challenge!
 

Batman Likes The Sox

Not postscient
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Dec 28, 2003
2,434
Madison, CT
Hello running dogs,

I write to you today on behalf of a running pup -- my son is about to complete his second season (7th grade) of cross country and is doing well. He's very short and thin (it is likely he has the lowest weight and height in his 6-8 middle school, for reference) but has good speed and endurance. He runs about a 6:40 one mile time and for the meets (all slightly above or below 2 miles) he's generally sub-7:00 miles.

Although I ran cross country for fun in middle and high school, I was the slow, bringing up the rear of the race runner, so I don't have many tips for him, and thus my post to you all.

A couple of items for background:
-He experiences a lot of anxiety (which he does have professional support for) and he says this affects him a lot before, during, and after races. As I attend his meets, I will note that he does have a lot of friend interaction and seems to be having a good time, though sometimes it is clear that during and right after the race he is struggling with the anxiety and seems upset. I note the good time mostly to indicate that the anxiety that he is experiencing is not always visible.
-He visibly struggles with his arms a lot during the races on the back end. At the beginning/middle of the race his arms are coordinated and pretty natural. By the end one arm is swinging and the other is almost totally locked up into a curled position, barely moving, and that shoulder is much higher than the other. He says his arms get too tired by the end and that happens.
-Although he's got some general talent at running, I've encouraged him to think about whether he wants to continue, especially given the anxiety he experiences even after a race. No need to continue if it's unpleasant. He's a pretty reflective person and thought about it for a few days and decided that he does want to run again next year, and that he would also like to train between now and next August when they start again. Last year he did not run between seasons (though he did play soccer and is pretty active) and I think he felt a big difference over the course of the season -- same 2 mile course at the beginning of the season was about a minute longer for him than at the end -- and he expresses wanting to start his 8th grade year (as one of the oldest kids at the school) with more preparation. He also has expressed motivation over the course of this season about trying to get closer to, or pass, the two boys from his school that are always ahead of him (in a friendly competitive type way).

I would love to be able to create for him or show him a not-intense weekly training schedule that is steady (he's not going to need to increase miles next year, all races are below 2.5 so all training below 3 miles would be fine), has some variation (stretching, maybe some light arm weights, perhaps some sprints), and perhaps even has some mindfulness/breathing/etc. work mixed in for the anxiety. I'd also like it to be totally relaxed so that if he decides to miss or has to miss a day or even a week for any reason, he just can drop back into the Friday routine if it were today without any pressure. I'd like to keep it as fun as running can be.

Anyway, that's a long post but I figured you all might have suggestions or be able to point us in the right direction. Thanks!
 

moondog80

heart is two sizes two small
SoSH Member
Sep 20, 2005
8,105
Hello running dogs,

I write to you today on behalf of a running pup -- my son is about to complete his second season (7th grade) of cross country and is doing well. He's very short and thin (it is likely he has the lowest weight and height in his 6-8 middle school, for reference) but has good speed and endurance. He runs about a 6:40 one mile time and for the meets (all slightly above or below 2 miles) he's generally sub-7:00 miles.

Although I ran cross country for fun in middle and high school, I was the slow, bringing up the rear of the race runner, so I don't have many tips for him, and thus my post to you all.

A couple of items for background:
-He experiences a lot of anxiety (which he does have professional support for) and he says this affects him a lot before, during, and after races. As I attend his meets, I will note that he does have a lot of friend interaction and seems to be having a good time, though sometimes it is clear that during and right after the race he is struggling with the anxiety and seems upset. I note the good time mostly to indicate that the anxiety that he is experiencing is not always visible.
-He visibly struggles with his arms a lot during the races on the back end. At the beginning/middle of the race his arms are coordinated and pretty natural. By the end one arm is swinging and the other is almost totally locked up into a curled position, barely moving, and that shoulder is much higher than the other. He says his arms get too tired by the end and that happens.
-Although he's got some general talent at running, I've encouraged him to think about whether he wants to continue, especially given the anxiety he experiences even after a race. No need to continue if it's unpleasant. He's a pretty reflective person and thought about it for a few days and decided that he does want to run again next year, and that he would also like to train between now and next August when they start again. Last year he did not run between seasons (though he did play soccer and is pretty active) and I think he felt a big difference over the course of the season -- same 2 mile course at the beginning of the season was about a minute longer for him than at the end -- and he expresses wanting to start his 8th grade year (as one of the oldest kids at the school) with more preparation. He also has expressed motivation over the course of this season about trying to get closer to, or pass, the two boys from his school that are always ahead of him (in a friendly competitive type way).

I would love to be able to create for him or show him a not-intense weekly training schedule that is steady (he's not going to need to increase miles next year, all races are below 2.5 so all training below 3 miles would be fine), has some variation (stretching, maybe some light arm weights, perhaps some sprints), and perhaps even has some mindfulness/breathing/etc. work mixed in for the anxiety. I'd also like it to be totally relaxed so that if he decides to miss or has to miss a day or even a week for any reason, he just can drop back into the Friday routine if it were today without any pressure. I'd like to keep it as fun as running can be.

Anyway, that's a long post but I figured you all might have suggestions or be able to point us in the right direction. Thanks!
Love me some middle school running. My son is in 8th grade, he started running a little bit 6 years ago when I started coaching his older brother's team and he was just hanging around because I had nobody else to watch him. My thoughts:

-Anxiety never goes away. If I enter a local 5K that I have no chance of winning, even in my age group, and the number of people who will ever see my result and be able to put it in proper context, I'll have trouble sleeping the night before. For me, it always goes away the second the gun goes off and I'm fine afterward, no matter the result. Most of the kids I coach get nervous, it's just a matter of learning to handle it. If it is overwhelming then professional intervention is helpful, otherwise I just try to project an even demeanor for them and keep a loose atmosphere (even though I am often quite nervous myself, especially when it's my son).

-It sounds like his form is faltering as he gets tired, which is normal. Doing drills high knees, butt kicks, etc.) and strides at he end of practice, this is when I try to have them focus on form. But it takes time. My son's form has been terrible for years, it is starting to improve as he matures and gets stronger.

-I'm not a huge fan of running full time at this age. My son competes though December and then maybe starts up a little in the spring to prep for summer training. He might do track next spring, which I haven't let him do before but since he will be in high school next fall maybe now it's time. He will likely decide to run all 3 seasons in high school, which can mean 45+ weeks a year, so I'm worried about burnout, mental and physical. What you can do, IMO, is up the mileage. IMO 25-30 miles a week (on 5 or 6 days) is suitable for a middle schooler who is willing to do it. That's total mileage -- warmups, strides, runs, intervals, everything counts. Going "hard" twice a week, whether it's a race or a workout. I see middle school running like minor league baseball -- we try to compete of course but the focus is development, does anyone know how many HRs Aaron Judge hit in AA? My son has improved notably every year this way, upping the miles a little bit as he grew, but still well below what he will see in 9th grade, so hopefully I haven't maxed him out, so to speak. I want middle schoolers to gain confidence and experience, but I want them to continue to improve in high school.

Good luck. If he really wants to run in the winter, going for 2-3 miles a few times a week is fine, but I would recommend a routine that starts to ramp up in late spring, just so he can see the natural training cycle where you can't be at peak 365 days a year.
 

Batman Likes The Sox

Not postscient
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Dec 28, 2003
2,434
Madison, CT
Thanks, @moondog80 ! This is helpful and I’ll look for some of those drills related to form that you mention.

Totally agree about not burning out on running. I was actually thinking about some pattern I could put on his wall that is Sun - Sat and has maximum 3 days of running a week (one of those maybe being an about 2 mile “race” that he times, one maybe being some intervals, and one being maybe a moderately paced slightly longer than usual distance like 3 miles).

The other four days I was thinking a mix of things like some light weights for arms (10 lbs or less I think), non-running drills, etc. And maybe some things that can be done each day regardless of activity that are related to race prep like stretching or mindfulness.

And I don’t want him to feel any pressure to do this each week for 7 days. I’m going to suggest to him that he might pick a target (like try for 4 days a week and if you do more, cool, and if you miss the target, try again next week) and whichever days he does, he does.

Interesting about maybe switching that up in late spring to get him ready for the season with a bit more running. Maybe I’ll check in about that depending on how the winter goes.
 

rbeaud

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
348
Orange, CT
On the off chance someone is interested, I’ve a bib for the Antelope Canyon Ultramarathon 55k. It is available because my wife took a new job with limited time off.