Running tips?

[Goose]

Sir Lawrence

Years of Knotty Pine and other establishments definitely has taken a toll on the body. The new routine allows for me to misbehave from time to time.

Saw the Commissioner a couple of weeks ago and had a nice time at Pius XI Trivia night. Fun time had by all.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

LOL once I went to a conference in Arlington, Virginia and wound up getting chased by some MPs.  Apparently, I was jogging a little to close to the Pentagon for their comfort.

I've run that neighborhood.  I kept away from MPs.  I recall staying at the Residence Inn on Army-Navy Drive and the hotel view is the Pentagon and a jumble of highways.  The only landmark or park to run to was up a steep hill to Air Force Memorial which I made the visit to.

[mu03eng]

I've run that neighborhood.  I kept away from MPs.  I recall staying at the Residence Inn on Army-Navy Drive and the hotel view is the Pentagon and a jumble of highways.  The only landmark or park to run to was up a steep hill to Air Force Memorial which I made the visit to.

DC is a great place to run if you get out in the early mornings for sure.


I think we've spent enough time giving our young padawan some running advice.....what is everyone's favorite race and/or route they have run?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

And now, the bizarre running story from a foreign locale on a business trip.

On my second business trip to Mexico City, I expanded my morning run route in the Polanco neighborhood.  At 6:00AM it is extremely weird to see no traffic at all in a city of 18 million people.  The only cars I saw were Policia and idling taxis waiting for a call. 

I neared the end of my run.  I had to cross the street where there were no parked cars, so I ran behind a newspaper kiosk on the corner and a second later - BAMMM!!!  Something grabbed my foot and I went lip first into the street unable to break my fall.  Someone in their infinite wisdom decided to cement into the edge of the sidewalk a slightly above ankle height, crown-shaped chain fence.  The chain snagged my ankle and because it was swingable but unmovable, it hung to my foot and I was immediately stopped in mid-stride.

I had a horribly bad swollen lip and my big toe caught a share of the fall and was black-and-blue for weeks.  I had to go to a business meeting at a customer that afternoon where it worked to my advantage because the customer wanted to unfairly ream my company out, but instead took some pity on the wounded gringo and the meeting ended up being thankfully shorter than my co-worker and I originally slotted.

[Lennys Tap]

Lenny


You are right on changing your life. When I started I was struggling with dealing of loss of several people I loved, tough times in business and general stress in life. I really do believe that getting on that treadmill everyday helped me cope much, much easier. Told my wife many times that exercise changed my life. Really glad that I made the first step nearly four years ago.

Goose

Can't overstate how happy I am to hear your story! Nice going, I'm sure those who love you most are proud.

[Sir Lawrence]

I think we've spent enough time giving our young padawan some running advice.....what is everyone's favorite race and/or route they have run?

Hood to Coast relay run. 
I also did the Bourbon Chase, but HTC is better organized, and hard to find better scenery.

[keefe]

DC is a great place to run if you get out in the early mornings for sure.


I think we've spent enough time giving our young padawan some running advice.....what is everyone's favorite race and/or route they have run?

Best Marathon? Marine Corps. Meticulously managed run through the nation's capital that ends at the Iwo Jima memorial at Arlington. Goose bumps.

Most scenic urban run? Bowen Road in Hong Kong. Halfway up the Peak in Mid-levels you are overlooking Central and Victoria Harbor. Breathtaking.

Best 10K? BolderBoulder. Incredibly well managed and a stirring finish line. Few get to be an Olympic athlete. But running into the stadium is a reasonable proxy for us less gifted.

Best Ultra Race? Leadville 100. 50 miles out and back. We ran this as an 8-man team of TACPs, taking turns flying lead, and stayed in formation throughout. No better way to get ready for A Stan.



 

[BM1090]

One other thing that I would echo is don't get discouraged by the time results, focus on completion instead. When I trained for my first marathon, it sucked. My time wasn't close to what I desired, but I completed it and that was encouraging. I ran my 2nd marathon in November and cut 40 minutes off of my time. Then, I did a half a couple of weekends ago and improved my pace by 30 seconds per mile.

Bottom line, is the first race (whatever length) is the hardest to train for and get out of the way. If you train for a 2nd race, it's much easier to build on.

[Goose]

Keefe

Right on regarding the best urban run being in Hong Kong. Truly is amazing.

Lenny

Thank you for the kind words. Time to get on the treadmill. Have been a tad lazy the past month or so and have to stay focused.

[martyconlonontherun]

And now, the bizarre running story from a foreign locale on a business trip.

On my second business trip to Mexico City, I expanded my morning run route in the Polanco neighborhood.  At 6:00AM it is extremely weird to see no traffic at all in a city of 18 million people.  The only cars I saw were Policia and idling taxis waiting for a call. 

I neared the end of my run.  I had to cross the street where there were no parked cars, so I ran behind a newspaper kiosk on the corner and a second later - BAMMM!!!  Something grabbed my foot and I went lip first into the street unable to break my fall.  Someone in their infinite wisdom decided to cement into the edge of the sidewalk a slightly above ankle height, crown-shaped chain fence.  The chain snagged my ankle and because it was swingable but unmovable, it hung to my foot and I was immediately stopped in mid-stride.

I had a horribly bad swollen lip and my big toe caught a share of the fall and was black-and-blue for weeks.  I had to go to a business meeting at a customer that afternoon where it worked to my advantage because the customer wanted to unfairly ream my company out, but instead took some pity on the wounded gringo and the meeting ended up being thankfully shorter than my co-worker and I originally slotted.

Was there a week ago and was shocked they blocked off that street. The whole time I was thinking there was a major race going on. Considering it is pretty much impossible to run anywhere else in the city it was a good idea.

[naginiF]

DC is a great place to run if you get out in the early mornings for sure.


I think we've spent enough time giving our young padawan some running advice.....what is everyone's favorite race and/or route they have run?

though not as scenic as Keefe's i love running the local Brew-to-brew (Boulevard brewery in KC to Freestate brewery in Lawrence) it's a 42 mile relay where you set the size of your team from 1 to 10.  The team runs are a blast.

Second DC running - running the mall is always cool because there are only runners out.  no crowds or traffic.

edit:  martyconlon's mentioning of seeing someone arrested at 10AM reminded me.....as much as i hate going to Vegas running, the strip in the AM is surreal and highly entertaining, especially as you get to the older areas.

[martyconlonontherun]

DC is a great place to run if you get out in the early mornings for sure.


I think we've spent enough time giving our young padawan some running advice.....what is everyone's favorite race and/or route they have run?

Favorite Trail- Right along the east side of the Milwaukee river starting off Warren north of Brady. A little treacherous since it is very uneven skinny at points, but a beautiful (dirt) trail to run along the river in a city like Milwaukee. Most people don't even know it is there. (runner-up: Trails at Lapham Peak)

Favorite Paved Trail: South side of Milwaukee along the lake. Changes scenery a few times and you don't have to worry about crossing traffic (Runner-Up: Island trail behind Summerfest Grounds)

Favorite Short-Run: Al's Run.

First Marathon: Chicago - It's flat and cool seeing the whole city and neighborhoods it offers.

Favorite Marathon: Flying Pigs. This course won't allow you to set a PR since it has a ton of hills, but it is beautiful at times and the city gets behind it. Set-up well like a big city marathon without any of the hassles.

Favorite Run: Rocky 50k in Philly

One bonus of running is it a great way to see the city when traveling. If you get to the point where a 10+ miler is appealing, you can scope out a town and then not feel bad pounding a ton of beers later that night. In the Rocky 50K mentioned above, I zig-zagged across the city and saw every part of the city (woman getting arrested at 10am in one part of town) and had a good feel for where everything was when I met my wife afterwards.

[keefe]

Keefe

Right on regarding the best urban run being in Hong Kong. Truly is amazing.

Lenny

Thank you for the kind words. Time to get on the treadmill. Have been a tad lazy the past month or so and have to stay focused.

None better, Goose.

The HK Hash did Bowen Road and some runs over on the Stanley side. If we did Bowen we ended up at the Bull and Bear which was near the tram stop in Admiralty. We lived in Queen's Garden on Old Peak Road in Mid-Levels so I would walk to the start then cab it back up after a night of drinking.

Another great place to run was up in the undeveloped parts of the New Territories. Almost like a jungle.

[Goose]

Keefe

Love your style!!!

[warriorchick]

DC is a great place to run if you get out in the early mornings for sure.


I think we've spent enough time giving our young padawan some running advice.....what is everyone's favorite race and/or route they have run?

My favorite race so far has been the Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon.

It's in November, so the temperature is perfect.  Because it's on a Sunday with the start time in the early evening, you can still do a decent amount of Las-Vegas-style partying over the weekend.  I love the course.  It's super-flat -- perfect for a first race or if you are trying for a PR.

 You start out near the Luxor heading south on The Strip, loop around the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, and then run all the way up Las Vegas Boulevard to downtown and back. It's pretty thrilling running down a closed-off Strip with all of the neon and flashing lights going. All along the route, you are cheered on by drunken revelers.  They always have a famous-name act play a set before the start of the race. 

It's an all-around great time.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

* I'll third running in Hong Kong, except the few times I was there I only ran the Kung Fu Hall of Fame walk along Victoria Harbor.  Very cool watching the fishing boats at dawn among the Peak & skyscrapers.

* Anytime in my neighborhood in October seeing New England in it's autumn glory.

* Central Park, NYC is different everytime I've run there, despite the sameness.

* Savannah, GA - Flat land, and Spanish moss covered age old pin oaks.  I can never get a full run in because my wife is inspired to take photos every few minutes.

* Any beach run where the tide receded and left the compressed, but soft sand.  At dawn, it's usually a like a highway filled with other runners and walkers. 

* King Street in Alexandria.  Brick sidewalks with views of DC at the mid-point of the run from the Alexandria riverfront.

[GooooMarquette]

I think we've spent enough time giving our young padawan some running advice.....what is everyone's favorite race and/or route they have run?

Favorite overall race:  Big Sur Marathon- 26.2 beautiful miles up the Pacific Coast Highway, serenaded by live classical music. 

Favorite city race:  Twin Cities Marathon- going from Minneapolis skyscrapers, to city lakes to St. Paul mansions and the capitol, all among beautiful fall foliage.

Favorite training area:  Nashville.  I lived about a mile south of the Vanderbilt campus (Hillsboro Village), and I could step out my door and get to the nice suburban-like neighborhoods of Green Hills in minutes.  When I had time to drive to a running area, I'd go to Percy Warner Park - Just on the outskirts of Nashville, a very hilly, rural, secluded area.  Go far enough, and you are among horse paddocks on the other side of the park.  Having previously lived only in Milwaukee, Chicago and Madison, Percy Warner introduced me to hills.

[warriorchick]

Favorite overall race:  Big Sur Marathon- 26.2 beautiful miles up the Pacific Coast Highway, serenaded by live classical music. 

Favorite city race:  Twin Cities Marathon- going from Minneapolis skyscrapers, to city lakes to St. Paul mansions and the capitol, all among beautiful fall foliage.

Favorite training area:  Nashville.  I lived about a mile south of the Vanderbilt campus (Hillsboro Village), and I could step out my door and get to the nice suburban-like neighborhoods of Green Hills in minutes.  When I had time to drive to a running area, I'd go to Percy Warner Park - Just on the outskirts of Nashville, a very hilly, rural, secluded area.  Go far enough, and you are among horse paddocks on the other side of the park.  Having previously lived only in Milwaukee, Chicago and Madison, Percy Warner introduced me to hills.

I am a lazy runner, so I hate running in Nashville.  Plus it's as humid as Hades down there in the summer.

[mu03eng]

Love running Folly Island in Charleston, but I only do it November to March because other wise it's a race to see what will kill you first, the humidity or the malaria.

In Milwaukee, South Shore is a great trail with a lot of variety and ability to avoid cars. Lots of options once you get into Grant Park and coming back north I think it has the best view of downtown in Milwaukee.

I've done some trail runs in the Denver area that are spectacular but given the altitude I don't get as far as I'd like.

Races, haven't done much out of the Milwaukee/Chicago area. I like Tyranena Half in Lake Mills because most of it is great scenery(except for the last 1.5 through an industrial park) and it ends with a bunch of beer and lasagna. Trying to talk myself either into or out of doing the Chicago Marathon, depending on the day. I've heard great things, but I'm just not sure I want to commit to that level of training. I can easily do a 14 mile run if I have time without really training but to get a time I'd want and to complete the marathon without dying it feels like a large commitment to a training program.

[BM1090]

Love running Folly Island in Charleston, but I only do it November to March because other wise it's a race to see what will kill you first, the humidity or the malaria.

In Milwaukee, South Shore is a great trail with a lot of variety and ability to avoid cars. Lots of options once you get into Grant Park and coming back north I think it has the best view of downtown in Milwaukee.

I've done some trail runs in the Denver area that are spectacular but given the altitude I don't get as far as I'd like.

Races, haven't done much out of the Milwaukee/Chicago area. I like Tyranena Half in Lake Mills because most of it is great scenery(except for the last 1.5 through an industrial park) and it ends with a bunch of beer and lasagna. Trying to talk myself either into or out of doing the Chicago Marathon, depending on the day. I've heard great things, but I'm just not sure I want to commit to that level of training. I can easily do a 14 mile run if I have time without really training but to get a time I'd want and to complete the marathon without dying it feels like a large commitment to a training program.

There is a big time commitment to the marathon training program but the program I follow maxes you out at 21 miles so it's not THAT bad. I think it's 4 running days per week for 16 weeks. Long run on Saturday or Sunday and the longest weekday run is about 9 miles.

[BM1090]

I am a lazy runner, so I hate running in Nashville.  Plus it's as humid as Hades down there in the summer.

I was planning on doing a half-marathon in Nashville when I was down there for the Packers-Titans game in November....now I'm not so sure. Thanks for putting doubts in my mind.

[warriorchick]

I was planning on doing a half-marathon in Nashville when I was down there for the Packers-Titans game in November....now I'm not so sure. Thanks for putting doubts in my mind.

What's the name of the race?  I will check out the course and let you know how hilly it is.

And it's not humid in November.  It's pretty perfect running weather.

[BM1090]

What's the name of the race?  I will check out the course and let you know how hilly it is.

And it's not humid in November.  It's pretty perfect running weather.

Yeah I figured weather wouldn't be a concern (barring possible rain). The race link is below. Thanks!!

http://nashvillehalfmarathon.com/

[Goose]

Warrior chick

My wife and her siblings did Vegas and had a blast. My wife normally only likes competitive over fun races but loved Vegas. I was there but did not run due to injury and feel like I missed out.

[warriorchick]

Warrior chick

My wife and her siblings did Vegas and had a blast. My wife normally only likes competitive over fun races but loved Vegas. I was there but did not run due to injury and feel like I missed out.

I may do it again with Glow Jr. next November --- I treated Chick Jr as a graduation present two years ago and will probably do the same for him (just got his grades -- it's official!).  You should go back!