The Running Thread - 2018

[run.minnie.miles]

ATTQOTD: I did one of those "glow runs" 6 years ago and loved the evening start time. I am an evening runner, so I wish more started then!

Ice Cream: I have never had Blue Bell... But I love basically every flavor at UNL's Dairy Store. Yum.

Suffice it to say I am not in a good place at the moment. Sorry to bother you all.

Oh no! Sorry to hear this. Hope things look up soon!

 

[camaker]

ATTQOTD: The last race I ran was the running leg of an IM70.3 relay Sunday before last. Due to the time consumed by the earlier swimming and biking legs, my half marathon portion didn't start until 1:50pm. At that point it 85 degrees or so with a dew point around 72 degrees and the afternoon sun beating down. Probably the most miserable race conditions that I have ever run under.

It's interesting how perspectives change with relative conditions, though. The last month or so here has had me running at T+Ds of mid-140s to high 150s. We had a mini cold front come through Monday and last night's run was at a T+D=137. It felt so cool, refreshing and comfortable! It was also the first 5 miler that I've gotten in since injury that felt effortless. So nice! The funny thing is that if those conditions hit during the winter, it would have felt terribly hot and sticky. It's all relative, I guess.

 

[LSUlakes]

Grasping at straws, but has anyone here had a cervical disc replacement (or fusion) or know a runner who has. If so can you share with me (via pm or here) your status in regards to running.

Suffice it to say I am not in a good place at the moment. Sorry to bother you all.

I do not know anyone, but I wish you the best of luck and hope for a speedy recovery so you may get back to doing what you love.

 

[jennamfeo]

Since the ice cream topic is still going strong: thoughts on Halo Top & Enlightened pints?

ATTQOTD: I have only done races that start at normal hours but there are a few evening races this summer near me that look fun. I don't know how well I could race at night since I have become such a morning runner.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Since the ice cream topic is still going strong: thoughts on Halo Top & Enlightened pints?

My husband likes Halo - hates enlightened. I just had to throw out 3 pints of it.

 

[Jules76126]

Since the ice cream topic is still going strong: thoughts on Halo Top & Enlightened pints?

ATTQOTD: I have only done races that start at normal hours but there are a few evening races this summer near me that look fun. I don't know how well I could race at night since I have become such a morning runner.

Love love love Halo Top ice cream. Birthday Cake is my fav, although I don't care for the chocolate variety. It's so expensive though so I only buy it when its on sale. Sometimes I will also get the Yasso bars as I like those too.

 

[Capang]

Since the ice cream topic is still going strong: thoughts on Halo Top & Enlightened pints?

I have a Halo Top problem. I like most of the flavors but if you are looking for something just like ice cream it doesn’t cut it. It’s not creamy, it has a slightly icy taste to it but if you leave it sit out for a few it softens up a little and is almost like ice cream. I’ve had one that was better, it might have been enlightened pints, but I’ve tried several and don’t really remember.

Also, I’m not a huge fan of ice cream. So although I like Halo Top, true ice cream fans may find it horrible.

 

[Miranda]

ATTQOTD: I know you said we are eliminating Disney runs, but I don't think we should eliminate the old W&D, because that was a weird time to start even by runDisney standards. Plus the year I ran it was the last year it was at night and it was delayed due to the thunderstorms, so I don't think my corral started until almost 11:30 PM.

For local races, there is a 10K in mid-August (this year is the 42nd one) that is always on a Thursday night with a 6:00 PM start time... so, not just a weird time, but also a weird day! And a 5M in mid-September with a 5:00 PM start time. I have run the 5M race 3 times and the 10K twice.

Maybe I will do the 10K this year, maybe not. It's always hot. And I will be mid-ish training for a HM at the end of September and running Beach to Beacon 10K like a week and a half before it. The course will be different than it has for the past 41 years... the race is called "Saunders at Rye Harbor 10K" because it used to start/end near a restaurant called... Saunders at Rye Harbor. The restaurant closed a number of years ago... but the race is still called that, and the location never changed, which was a big field near some farmhouses on the other side of Route 1A, which runs right alongside the ocean here. The field/farm was sold in the past year, so the race is now moving to a location a few miles further up 1A at a state park. On the one hand, it's kind of sad that the race is changing after 41 years! But on the other hand, the field was just like everything else with long grass in NH: full of ticks. The new state park location should be good. My HM I ran earlier this spring, Wallis Sands, the first half of the course was mostly the same as this 10K course, and I think the new course will be now the second half of the HM course.

I've mentioned it before, one of my goals is to someday get a t-shirt at the 10K. It may take me until I'm in the 70-79 age group! They do not give t-shirts with registration like most races, there is a complicated #math formula that determines who gets t-shirts based on their finish time. They have a set number of shirts, and the allocation of shirts to each age group is determined by the % of finishers for that age group in the previous year's race. So like this year there are 240 shirts. Last year, 14% of the finishers were in the women's 40-49 bracket, so this year 14% of the 240 shirts (30 shirts) will be allocated to women's 40-49 finishers. It's usually an ugly shirt... I think last year it was BROWN. Like... poop emoji brown. And there's no way to even know if it's going to fit! But it's just the idea that you earned the t-shirt.

 

[TCB in FLA]

QOTD: I’ve done a few afternoon/evening races. Back in my 20s, I ran the Midnight 5k in Fort Walton Beach with my newspaper crew — a hot humid mess that ended in the mall parking lot with lots and lots and lots of beer. Can’t understand why that one didn’t last.

I did the RnR Vegas night half about 5/6 years ago. Wasn’t my favorite (it was odd hanging around Vegas during the day trying to be good before the race), the RnR part was awful (our “headliner” was a Journey cover band), but glad that I did it. One and done.

My next race is the Highland Brewery Night Flight 4.5 miler coming up next month. Starts at 7:30 pm. Was humid last year but not so hot. I’m hoping to improve my time, as it’s one of the “my generation” challenge runs. I’m currently in third place for the Gen X ladies with two races left!

 

[apdebord]

Since the ice cream topic is still going strong: thoughts on Halo Top & Enlightened pints?

Halo Top Birthday Cake is life. I can easily finish a carton in one sitting. I want to try some of their dairy free options too. Haven’t tried Enlightened. We recently got Chilly Cow ice cream bars, which is another low-cal option. I got the brownie batter flavor. UH-MAY-ZING and I’m not even the biggest chocolate fan.

 

[MissLiss279]

I like Halo Top. I’ve been trying several different flavors recently. I try and squeeze the cartons before I buy them to see if it seems like there are any big air gaps. I think (may be completely wrong) when there are big air gaps, it has melted some (a lot??) and then when it re-freezes it is icier and less creamy. I just tried Strawberry, and I think it has been the creamiest and freezes not quite as hard as the others. Strawberry is not usually my first choice of ice cream flavors but I like it in Halo Top! I also really like Oatmeal Cookie. I really like Ben & Jerry’s Cinnamon Roll, but Halo Top’s did not compare, and Halo Top’s Oatmeal Cookie tasted more like it.

Another good regional ice cream: Braum’s! I love Cookies and Cream!

 

[apdebord]

Another good regional ice cream: Braum’s! I love Cookies and Cream!

I love Braum’s too! I live in VA so I only get it when I go to visit family in OK, but I’ll go just about everyday while there. I love their cherry limeades in addition to the ice cream.

 

[Miranda]

I don't usually buy ice cream for the house, although I'm wondering if maybe I did for the summer then I could kick my baked goods habit. I think I could eat less ice cream than baked goods. We usually go to local ice cream stands that make their own or sell Gifford's from Maine, or one place also sells Shaker Pond from Maine. We also have some local markets that sell Shain's of Maine (they like to make small batch ice cream in Maine!) and Richardson's Farm from Massachusetts.

I do like frozen custard, but it's not really a thing around here. My parents had a Culver's near their house when they lived in FL, which was delicious, but they up and moved to AZ last year! Edit: Actually it looks like the Tucson area has 4 Culver's, so I guess my source of frozen custard is still intact whenever I go to visit them.

 

[Dis5150]

ATTQOTD: We have a local 5k here in late July called That Dam Night Run. It crosses the dam (duh?) and starts at 8:00pm. But I haven't actually gotten to run it yet. I was going to do race night registration one year and it got cancelled due to storms. Last year we pre registered and it got cancelled again due to lightning.

On the topic of odd races, I am thinking about doing this one https://runawesomesauce.com/a/races/dream-chaser/ . Has anyone done any of the awesomesauce races? I am currently burnt out on running marathons and have contemplated giving up my goal of 5 this year. But I think this marathon would be fun and even though it isn't a certified course I would still count it as one of my 5.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

ATTQOTD: We have a local 5k here in late July called That Dam Night Run. It crosses the dam (duh?) and starts at 8:00pm. But I haven't actually gotten to run it yet. I was going to do race night registration one year and it got cancelled due to storms. Last year we pre registered and it got cancelled again due to lightning.

On the topic of odd races, I am thinking about doing this one https://runawesomesauce.com/a/races/dream-chaser/ . Has anyone done any of the awesomesauce races? I am currently burnt out on running marathons and have contemplated giving up my goal of 5 this year. But I think this marathon would be fun and even though it isn't a certified course I would still count it as one of my 5.

@rteetz Do you see the name of this company?? It's made for you!

 

[KSellers88]

ATTQOTD: I run a night HM every August that starts at 7 pm (it has an alien theme). I've also run several night trail races that start at 8 or 9 pm. those are a blast too - one even had a river crossing (it was waist deep on me). Luckily it was warmer that night as opposed to the race the next night, which I also did, where it was in the 40s and raining the whole time. It is in Atlanta in March, so the weather is all over the place.

I'm also doing a race this July that starts at 2pm. You run a 2.62 mile loop (you see where this is going) every 40 minutes. The faster you do each loop the more rest you get in between. You can do half or full distance, I'm doing the "full". It will be a great way to get some training miles in for my fall marathons.

Do you like the Area 13.1 half? That is my "August" half marathon.

 

[KSellers88]

ATTQOTD: We have a local 5k here in late July called That Dam Night Run. It crosses the dam (duh?) and starts at 8:00pm. But I haven't actually gotten to run it yet. I was going to do race night registration one year and it got cancelled due to storms. Last year we pre registered and it got cancelled again due to lightning.

On the topic of odd races, I am thinking about doing this one https://runawesomesauce.com/a/races/dream-chaser/ . Has anyone done any of the awesomesauce races? I am currently burnt out on running marathons and have contemplated giving up my goal of 5 this year. But I think this marathon would be fun and even though it isn't a certified course I would still count it as one of my 5.

I am doing the Burn Your Half Off run by them in July, I can let you know how it is!

Edit: PS. Sorry for the multiple posts, I didn't see this question until I had already posted my reply above. LOL

 

[FFigawi]

QOTD: Most races start in the morning, anywhere from 6:00AM to 10:00AM would be considered "normal". During the summer you will also get a few races start in the late afternoon. Todays question is have you had a race that falls outside these somewhat normal times? We are going to exclude runDisney events from a possible answer with its 5:30 AM start.

There's a 10k through the woods near here that starts at 830 and has a good party afterwards. I've heard it's fun, but since I'm not a fan of wearing a headlamp, I've never done it.

 

[Dis5150]

@rteetz Do you see the name of this company?? It's made for you!

I thought of @rteetz when I saw the race, lol!

I am doing the Burn Your Half Off run by them in July, I can let you know how it is!

Edit: PS. Sorry for the multiple posts, I didn't see this question until I had already posted my reply above. LOL

Thanks! I would love to know how you like it!

 

[TheHamm]

ATTQOTD & follow-up question: I have not seen many local odd timed races but for a Christmas 5K. I considered this race because I wanted to try more 5s (I am over that now), but was concerned about (1) running on snow/ice (2) running in the dark (3) already being exhausted from a full day. I believe I run differently at different times (5:15am, noon, or 4pm are the times I can fit into life), but I cannot decide if this is also due to different paths. Do you see a difference in perceived effort or pace when running at different times of day? Does that come into play when racing an odd time?

Since the ice cream topic is still going strong: thoughts on Halo Top & Enlightened pints?

Pass. It is no substitute for the real thing, but if you are looking for something totally different perhaps it works? I keep pints of vanilla (Haagen Das, Breyers, or the local creamery Zingerman's depending on price) to put in my coffee when I need to sacrifice the last of the milk for the kids. The Halo does not sufficiently calcify my caffeine source. It is also not sufficiently creamy when I am looking to steal a bit when no one is looking. Perhaps if I had the opportunity to eat ice cream without sharing more than once a month I would consider it a replacement, but as my pint lasts two months, I am not willing to give up the density and creaminess of the real thing. Enlightened Pints suffered the same flaws, but I gave it fewer chances.