The Running Thread - 2019

[Professor_Cookie]

ATTQOTD: 97% crushed limestone or dirt trails through beautiful meadows and forest preserves, 2% Disney races, and 1% random races on asphalt. I agree completely with @Professor_Cookie ; I don't think I would be a runner if that meant pounding the pavement.

Of course the implications of that can be a bit daunting in the winter. The trail I ran on yesterday here in Chicagoland was a mixture of ice, hardpack snow, and 4 inch deep crusted snow that I broke through. It was a tough slog, but not enough to consider a treadmill or the streets.

Punching through is the worst. I try to tell myself it’s good for ankle strength.

 

[jmasgat]

Anyone run the Gasparilla half in Tampa? Trying to decide between it and Princess. Pluses are that it's new to me and it's cheaper. Minuses are driving from LBV (although it's an early day regardless) and not seeing some people at Princess.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Anyone run the Gasparilla half in Tampa? Trying to decide between it and Princess. Pluses are that it's new to me and it's cheaper. Minuses are driving from LBV (although it's an early day regardless) and not seeing some people at Princess.

If you are already in Disney - I would stay at Disney.

While I haven’t run it, I have friends that have. They generally have good things to say about it.

 

[PrincessV]

Anyone run the Gasparilla half in Tampa? Trying to decide between it and Princess. Pluses are that it's new to me and it's cheaper. Minuses are driving from LBV (although it's an early day regardless) and not seeing some people at Princess.

Yep, it's a local race for me - I've run the Gasparilla half once and the 15K once, and am doing the half this year. My personal view is super biased and jaded, simply because I'm local but don't live in Tampa: I'm not fond of running along Tampa Bay. But I live nearer the Gulf of Mexico and am a Gulf snob. All I heard from non-local Gasparilla runners during the races was how beautiful the course was and how much they enjoyed it! It's a pretty big race and is run like one: excellent coordination, communication and support, real expo, great swag, and fun after-party. I've run PHM multiple times and never care to do so again, but that's also a personal bias against PHM, so take that with a bunch of salt lol! Hope that helps, and please feel free to throw any questions you may have my way!

 

[cavepig]

Mostly asphalt with gravel thrown in for long runs sometimes. I like gravel if it's tiny not chunky. I seldom run on concrete sidewalks since I dislike them and our town has crappy sidewalks, but every now and then end up on them.

 

[Kazrak]

QOTD: What type of surfaces do you run on regularly? Which do you prefer of those type?

There's a 3/4-mile stretch from my house to the loop I run around; that stretch is all asphalt, and the loop is all concrete. So, shorter runs are all or mostly asphalt, but the longer the run, the more time I spend on concrete. I don't really notice a difference.

 

[flav]

ATTQOTD running surface: 70% asphalt, 15% concrete sidewalk, 15% packed gravel trails all covered in snow/ice during winter. 0% treadmill unless there is no other option

ETA: I prefer packed gravel for training

 

[Professor_Cookie]

I think the golf ball demonstration is probably an exaggeration, because our shoes and musculoskeletal structure are different than a golf ball’s.

 

[avondale]

ATTQOTD: Right now, it's about 2 runs/week on concrete sidewalks, 1 - 2 runs per week on the high school track, and 1 - 2 runs per week on asphalt trails. Rarely, run on packed snow/ice or the treadmill. Once it stays light for later, my concrete sidewalk runs will shift to asphalt trails.

I prefer the asphalt trails because there is some scenery. The track is really boring and it's really hard to judge your pace - everything feels slow. I run here for speedwork when I need a flat course, since nothing around my area is flat. The concrete sidewalks are currently a loop around my neighborhood that I do at night after dark, and so the scenery is so-so and repeating the loop multiple times per run makes it a drag.

 

[GreatLakes]

Anyone run the Gasparilla half in Tampa? Trying to decide between it and Princess. Pluses are that it's new to me and it's cheaper. Minuses are driving from LBV (although it's an early day regardless) and not seeing some people at Princess.

I love Gasparilla. I've done the 5k and half before. It is in my top 3 and I like it better than any Disney race I've done. It is in my favorite part of Tampa too. When it is all done there are great restaurants and watering holes to check out.

 

[Slogger]

When is Gasparilla this year?

 

[canglim52]

ATTQOTD: I’m like most with a primary combination of asphalt and concrete. Also like most, I much prefer asphalt because it’s slightly softer. We have a 10 mile clay loop in central Florida that’s probably my favorite place to run, and we also have some sand/shell trails around as well. I don’t get to hit the trails as often as I like, but I generally try to get a trail a few times a month(when life allows it).

 

[jmasgat]

When is Gasparilla this year?

Feb 24 is the half.

 

[PrincessV]

When is Gasparilla this year?

Feb 24 is the half.

Yes, same weekend as PHM: Feb. 22 (expo day), 23 (15K and 8K), and 24 (13.1 and 5K).

 

[Nole95]

I run on a local Greenway that is part boardwalk, part concrete. That is where about 90% of my runs are done.

 

[kbenson13]

ATTQOTD: Probably 60% concrete and 40% asphalt, depending on what the local roads are made out of. There are a few packed dirt trails not too far that I can run around, but then I would have to drive to them first, and I don't like to drive to go running. One of the beauties of running for me is that I can just walk out my front door and get going. No wasted commute time!

 

[camaker]

ATTQOTD: I run the vast majority of my training on concrete sidewalks. On occasion, I'll venture into a local park that has a mix of mulch, dirt trail and asphalt, but since they cut off part of its greenway for housing construction I can't get convenient loops in on it, so my use of that has fallen off. The only times I've run true trails or crushed limestone has been in a race setting.

 

[Baloo in MI]

QOTD: What type of surfaces do you run on regularly? Which do you prefer of those type?

@LSUlakes sorry to hear you have been fighting a stomach flu - that is never fun!

ATTQOTD: In my heart I am a trail runner and would always prefer any natural surface, dirt, grass, sand, etc. Right now I have to leave trails for walking and the best running surfaces for me remain the local track and the sidewalks in the neighborhoods near me. As my ankle continues to get stronger I will get back to trail running though.

 

[Slogger]

Hey @camaker and everyone else that likes running further than marathon distance....did you see this news about Marine Corps Marathon weekend?

https://wtop.com/marine-corps-marat...go-50k-in-latest-marine-corps-marathon-event/

A 50K!!!

 

[tidefan]

ATTQOTD: Definitely prefer asphalt!