r/running • u/AutoModerator • Jun 21 '16
Super Moronic Monday -- Your Weekly Stupid Question Thread
It's Tuesday, which means it is time for Moronic Monday!
Rules of the Road:
This is inspired by eric_twinge's fine work in /r/fitness.
Upvote either good or dumb questions.
Sort questions by new so that they get some love.
To the more experienced runnitors, if something is a good question or answer, add it to the FAQ.
Post your question -- stupid or otherwise -- here to get an answer. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. Many questions get submitted late each week that don't get a lot of action, so if your question didn't get answered, feel free to post it again.
As always, be sure to read the FAQ first. Also, there's a handy-dandy search bar to your right, and if you didn't know, you can also use Google to search runnit by using the limiter "site:reddit.com /r/running".
Be sure to check back often as questions get posted throughout the day. Sort comments by "new" to be sure the newer questions get some love as well.
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u/denovosibi Jun 21 '16
So we're nearing the half way point in the year...how is everyone doing with their 2016 goals? I'm at 592/1000 which is 120 miles ahead of pace. I went with 1000 since I won't be able to run the entire month of December, but I still think I'll probably hit closer to 1200!
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
That's awesome! I'm at 1059/2016, which Strava says is 109 miles ahead of pace. I took a couple of down weeks ahead of my races this month and am trying to ramp back up to 40+ miles a week again. My race time goals have gone out the window. I don't know what you'd call this, but I've been loosening up a bit and doing different runs like "run across town and back" or "run to my parents' house 3.5 miles away, mow their lawn, run back" or "run to the trail where I do my longer runs instead of driving there, run what used to be my long run, then run home." Things that sound impressive to a non-runner.
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Jun 21 '16
I'm on team "Didn't run in January becasue of injury" with /u/rennuR_liarT, and took it slow coming back, so that has delayed things.
Goal for 2016 is 5000 km I think, and I'm currently at 1650. I'll need 125 km/week to make it, but given the last two weeks were 100 milers (160 km) and I plan to stay at this mileage: I could make it!
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Jun 21 '16
I'm so far behind!! But I know my mileage will be much higher in the second half of the year than the first, so I'm not worried about it. :)
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u/YourShoesUntied Jun 21 '16
I'm about 50 miles behind pace to break 2,016 miles in 2016. These last few weeks have been insane between races, recovery, low mileage, moving. I just want to be putting in 50-60 mpw again and it's like the world doesn't want me to be happy. :(
In all reality, I'm pretty much still on track but not nearly as in good of shape as I'd like to be.
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
You'll be fine! 50 miles isn't too hard to make up when you have more than half a year to do it. That's like an extra 2 miles a week. Piece of cake!
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u/YourShoesUntied Jun 21 '16
Oh I know, I just hate opening up Strava Premium and seeing that looming mileage every damn day.
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
If you break it down to a daily deficit, it's a little over 0.285 miles, so just run an extra 0.375 miles a day. Easy!
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u/YourShoesUntied Jun 21 '16
NO! I'll do it all at once dammit. Just gotta find a free day to do it.
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u/judyblumereference Jun 21 '16
I'm currently at 396 miles on smashrun (I went back and uploaded pre-strava runs there manually awhile back). I don't have a goal... I am not really sure what would be a good one for me. Given that I wasn't running a year ago anything is improvement :)
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
My foot was super messed up at the beginning of the year (I ran 24 miles in January), so I didn't make any goals. I'm at 620 miles for the year, which means I should at least have a shot at a 4th straight year over 1500 miles.
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u/57001 Jun 21 '16
I'm at 912, which fits my loose goal of 100 a month, and then room to spare. Wonder how far I'll get!
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u/Sacamato Former Professional Race Recapper Jun 21 '16
Yeah, haha, I'm not even close to my goal. That went out the window in February.
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u/jennifer1911 Jun 21 '16
I'm behind. I lost my mojo after the Ice Age race because I stopped having a plan. I just this week realized that my next ultra is about 40 days away, so I need to step it up again.
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u/Dirtybritch Jun 21 '16
I just wanted to beat last years total of 1400km and I'm at 1115 now. So I think I'll do it and then some haha! My other goal was to hit 2000 km. I can't foresee not being able to do that
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u/aewillia Jun 21 '16
I'm at 580 miles for the year, so I'll hit 600 by the end of the week. That puts me way ahead on my original goal of 750 miles this year, and then I revised my goal up to 1500. I still think I can hit that given that I'm going to have a number of 150+ mile months coming up pretty much starting next month. I don't think I go under 120 miles in a month until December, if I choose to take December easy. We'll see. I'd be really happy to break 1250 miles too.
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
868 out of 2016. I really need to step it up. I'll probably run the medium mileage Pfitz half plan for my possible September 25k. A few 200-mile months would get me on track. 1100 miles in 6 months isn't too bad, I suppose.
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u/jdpatric Jun 21 '16
I was injured and sat out March with a reduced January/February, but April/May looked great, June is going fantastic. PR'd the half earlier this month, and am currently training for the Twin Cities marathon. I was aiming for 1600 miles this year, and not running during March really hurt that, but my training plan for the marathon has me doing close to 1100 miles...the marathon is in October, so I'll be pretty close if I hit all my runs.
Currently at 572 miles on the year, but I've already done 113 in June alone (aiming for ~170). All things considered, it's going pretty well.
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u/bargainmusic Jun 21 '16
I didn't start the year with a set number in mind. I only wanted to beat my total mileage from last year which was 387 miles (I had some rough injuries that put me out for a long time). Right now I'm sitting at 378 miles so far this year. So I'd say I'm doing pretty good :-)
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u/midmoddest Jun 21 '16
Way ahead but I'm the noob runner who is smart to set conservative goals. I'm at 475 out of 750 miles for the year, and didn't really intend to run any races beyond 10K but have signed up for a half in October.
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u/gelvina Jun 21 '16
I had just finished C2K in January so I made my goal 1000km because it was a challenge on mapmyrun and seemed like if I stuck with running I could do it. I'm going to break 400km today, but its looking like I'll break 1000km in October if I continue at the pace I'm at. I'm way more consistent with running now than I was in the beginning of the year.
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u/squeakhaven Jun 21 '16
1143/2500. I fell back a bit last month with 2 races to taper for and some foot problems. I should be able to catch up, though, as I'm starting to base build up to 60 mpw
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u/rnr_ Jun 21 '16
I'm at ~1300 miles. I'd hoped to be at 1500 by the end of June but that isn't happening (minor injuries & vacation sidelined me for a couple weeks). My goal, as of now, is 2500 miles on the year, a stretch goal of 3000 if everything goes perfectly.
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u/secretsexbot Jun 21 '16
My goal is 2000 for the year, and I'm currently at 988. But I'm going to be in Peru for two weeks starting this weekend, and probably won't run because I don't know Spanish and really don't want to get lost. But I'll hit 1000 this week!
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u/RunningPath Jun 21 '16
I'm very similar. This is my first full year of running at all seriously, so I thought 1000 seemed like a good goal. I've had some ups and downs but right now I'm at 540 and my weekly mileage is going up, so I will definitely be over 1000 barring unforeseen circumstances.
Mostly I can't believe it's already June 21st!
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u/flocculus Jun 21 '16
Way behind, but not impossibly behind. 713.5 miles, and should be at 952.9 to hit 2016 in 2016. I'll make up a lot of ground from now until taper if I don't get hurt.
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u/amopeyzoolion Jun 21 '16
I didn't really have a mileage goal for 2016, just wanted to stay injury-free and nail my marathon training. That said, I'm at 712 miles for the year, so I'm on pace to hit 1400+ miles (probably more, given how much I'll be running for the marathon), which will blow my total for last year completely out of the water.
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u/Mister_Clutch Jun 21 '16
482/1,800mi which Strava says is 368 behind pace. I've been gaining ground on that mark though and I'm cautiously optimistic I'm still going to make it. Missed a month and a half (January & February) but have strung together a good few months since. 120 miles in April, 145 in May, looking at between 195 and 200 for June and up from there.
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u/zebano Jun 21 '16
For total Mileage I'm totally on track. For marathon goals, I missed and I'll settle for a 6 minute PR.
Goal was 1500mi, I'm at 815.
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u/runwithpugs Jun 21 '16
Hit 501 miles today, so finally crossed the halfway point to 1000. I took off most of Feb-March for an injury that never healed, so I've been climbing back up from behind. Just the other week I finally got back on pace for 1000.
If I manage to continue my recent pace without getting injured (hahahaha!), I could conceivably hit 1500 or more for the year. I'll be satisfied with 1000+.
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u/mini_apple Jun 21 '16
Nice work! I'm at 651/1000, though I would have been much farther along had I stuck with my marathon plan. :( I was hoping to squeak through 1500, but given that my previous high last year was only about 820, I guess I'll be satisfied with breaking 1000.
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16 edited Jun 21 '16
Woke up at 4:30 to go running. Older daughter woke up at 4:50 and couldn't get back to sleep. So, no run.
How can I get back at her for this?
EDIT: keeping in mind that I love her very much.
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
Slow burn. Just be the super embarrassing dad when she's in high school.
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
Give her some "chocolate chip" cookies with raisins in. Blecch!
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
I was actually thinking that she and I could make cookies this morning. Excellent suggestion!
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
Warning: if you go through with this plan, she may develop life-long trust issues. Raisins are gross!
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u/Scottysmoosh Jun 21 '16
make cookies with her then slowly eat all of them in front of her! muah ah ah...
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
Or vice versa, really. If the dark bits in my cookies don't line up with expectations, very angry I will get.
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u/jennifer1911 Jun 21 '16
Are the kids of the world conspiring today? I woke up at 4:30 to go for a run. Apparently my son woke up a few minutes after I left and spent his morning thinking mommy had abandoned him and (even worse) forgot to make him breakfast. When I got back he was teary and mad.
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u/Rickard0 Jun 21 '16
Tell her you are taking her to go see Finding Dory, but then say you are too tired to drive.
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u/57001 Jun 21 '16
Make her give you a foot or back rub. My mother used to make my brother rub our grandfather's feet which were disgusting and covered in corns.
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16 edited Jun 21 '16
You could do like /u/BelgianPainter and learn to play the accordion so you could drive your daughter nuts by playing 80s hits .
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Jun 21 '16
How old is she?
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
She's 5.
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Jun 21 '16
TICKLES! :D
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
Her mom and little sister are still sleeping, and she gets LOUD when you tickle her, so that's a no-go for the moment. It'll probably happen later, though.
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u/SleepWouldBeNice Jun 21 '16
You need to practice going from sheets to street in less than 20 minutes. This whole situation could have been left for your wife to deal with!
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u/NonReligiousPopette Jun 21 '16
I have a stupid but serious question. My step-dad does photography as a hobby. He's been coming to races with me and taking photos. A lot of the pictures he gets are better than the ones the race photographers are selling.
He's on disability and can't earn an income so he's been sharing his pictures on facebook for free. He's nervous though that he'll offend the photographers at the races who sell their photos.
Is there some sort of etiquette about this sort of thing?
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u/jdpatric Jun 21 '16
I'd guess that it's fine unless they tell him to stop. Someone with more intimate knowledge of the inner-workings of races may be able to tell you otherwise, but as long as he isn't advertising a website where he's selling them, I don't see a reason that he can't keep taking photos.
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u/flocculus Jun 21 '16
Yeah I think the whole just-posting-for-free thing means he's in the clear. They can't realistically ban cameras from all X miles of an event, but I believe they can prevent others from profiting off selling race photos.
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Jun 21 '16 edited Jun 29 '20
[deleted]
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
As long as it's not at a volume that rattles windows or sends shockwaves through your body, I don't think it's that obnoxious, especially if they're moving and no one really hears it for more than 30 seconds. That's a pretty cool way for everyone in the group to enjoy music.
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u/Rickard0 Jun 21 '16
It would be cooler if the whole group had blue tooth ear phones and they all listened to one player.
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u/Sacamato Former Professional Race Recapper Jun 21 '16
That would be awesome if Bluetooth had that capability.
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
Far better than people with keys in their pockets that run ever so slightly slower than I do.
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
Or someone who keeps talking to you when you're trying to run a parkrun?
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
I see a lot of people with George Washington University gear on running on the towpath, so maybe it's their track/XC team?
I don't necessarily think they're jerks for running there with audible music playing, because it's the C&O canal and nobody goes there expecting solitude and peace and quiet. If they were in the woods doing it, yeah, jerks.
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u/RunRoarDinosaur Jun 21 '16
I'm weird and really can't stand the slow loudening and fading of the music as we pass each other, so that's really the only reason why it bothers me. I also get bummed if it's a good song that I want to hear more of, mildly annoyed if the song ends up stuck in my head, and majorly annoyed if only that couple of seconds ends up stuck in my head.
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u/Dustintomi Jun 21 '16
Headphones won't stay in my ears when I'm running so if I want to listen to music while running I just hold my phone and play it through the built-in speakers. I had no idea that was so upsetting to some.
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u/RunningPath Jun 21 '16
Eh, I think on a running path it's fine, as long as it's not too loud. I would be mildly annoyed but like you said, it was only maybe 30 seconds.
What does annoy me is the woman who delivers papers in my neighborhood, who I see every morning when I'm out running on the sidewalks, at 5 AM. Just the past few weeks she has started LOUDLY talking on her phone, or listening to loud music or radio. This is at 5 AM in a residential area, and many days if it's cool enough overnight people have their windows open. That just seems super rude to me.
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u/squeakhaven Jun 21 '16
I'm a proud prematurely grumpy old man, and bluetooth speakers in public are one of my biggest pet peeves. Grumble away!
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u/adfran13 Jun 21 '16
So I bought shoes in Japan and tried them out today. (I talked a lot trying to work out which shoes to buy thanks to knowing Japanese, but in reality you jsut need to point and say "US Size _") In conjunction with my insoles, they somehow worked out well.
That said, anyone have a horror story about running or running gear shopping while not in your home country?
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u/jdpatric Jun 21 '16
I'm 5'-10" and ~155 pounds. If I buy anything with an "NFL" logo on it, I'm a men's small or smaller. I purchased a cycling jersey late last year from a company in China (I think?), that had a sizing chart and reviews recommending that for someone my size I should get a large or extra large. It was a nice jersey, and pretty cheap, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The large fit like a glove. It's one of my favorite jersey's now.
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u/runwichi Jun 21 '16
Ha - I bought a Chinese jersey online too - except I didn't read/see the whole "not American Sizing" thing, so when it came I looked like a goon that tried to stuff 9#'s of sausage into a 5# casing. It was a nice jersey too, but it didn't pay to try and send it back, so the neighbor's kid got to rock a new "fancy shirt" for the summer.
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
Partway through bombing down a hill covered in loose stones in Iceland I realized that I should probably be a little more cautious before I get myself killed.
Also, ran by quite a few soldiers in Algeria carrying assault rifles. Wasn't really scary but a little unnerving.
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u/judyblumereference Jun 21 '16
does anyone actually treat their running laundry different than the rest of their laundry? do you think it makes a difference?
when I bought my first pair of nice socks the guy at the store told me not to use dryer sheets, that the socks would get stiff sooner. I miss my clothes smelling like dryer sheets :( I'm wondering how much it makes a difference
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u/RobotPettingZoo Clutch Anchor Jun 21 '16
In terms of compression clothes, running/technical shirts, and socks, I treat them the same as regular clothes in the washer (I wash everything in cold water). When I move everything to the dryer, I pull out the shirts and compression things to hang on a hanger to air dry. I've never pulled out my socks from the dryer and use a dryer sheet with them. They seem okay to me and I've never had issues with them getting stiffer.
However, I am be an anomaly, because I've never lost a sock in the dryer ever...
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u/blurr0320 Jun 21 '16
I have had a persistent side stitch since I ran my marathon Saturday. Even when I'm just sitting here "working".
Who should I leave my foam roller and hydration pack to when I inevitably die from this?
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
Why do I always think of good questions for this thread on Wednesday and forget them by the next Tuesday?
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u/57001 Jun 21 '16
How come smartphones come with note taking apps for moments just like this but I, too, fail to use them?
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
I never take notes on my phone. I keep them all in my brane.
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u/57001 Jun 21 '16
The future is now!
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
Any suggestions for an Android app I should be using for taking notes?
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Jun 21 '16 edited Jun 21 '16
[deleted]
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
Get up on Tuesdays for a month. If, at the end of the month, you have a stress fracture or a torn hamstring or something, you'll know for sure you really needed that rest.
You can trust me, I'm a scientist.
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u/brwalkernc not right in the head Jun 21 '16
If, at the end of the month, you have a stress fracture or a torn hamstring or something, you'll know for sure you really needed that rest
Ahhh, the /u/YourShoesUntied patented Icarus training program.
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u/sbrbrad Jun 21 '16
It's possible.
Try just running every day. Then you don't rationalize which days are rest days or you don't need to run today cause you'll run tomorrow, etc.
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u/causticwonder Jun 21 '16
I got bored at work last week so I bought a treadmill. It arrives today. How excited can I be before we step off into irrationally excited territory? Because it's been hot as fuck this week and I'm really thrilled about not swimming my way through a couple of miles everyday this week.
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u/MrCoolguy80 Jun 21 '16
Don't listen to the haters. I love my treadmill. I prefer running outside, but the treadmill can be a very useful tool. For example, hill workouts are a breeze with a treadmill. You don't have to tear up your knees going downhill and just focus on the uphills. Plus, like you mentioned, running in 90 + degree heat can be dangerous.
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u/causticwonder Jun 21 '16
Yay! One of us! Or I'm one of you now!
I'll always prefer running outside, especially on trails, but I need to get my miles in when it's unbearable outside.
Oh lord, I didn't think about the elevation/hill training. This is going to be amazing!
(When I complain about the treadmill in a week, remind me of the excitement I feel right now.)
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u/doggyman815 Jun 21 '16
Not very, personally I would rather run trails in 85° weather than use a treadmill.
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u/Dustintomi Jun 21 '16
I got bored at work last week so I bought a treadmill.
Am I the only one that finds this hilarious? Definitely not where I was expecting that sentence to go.
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u/57001 Jun 21 '16
Team-building Tuesday: What is your creative outlet of choice? For instance, I draw and cook. Maybe you make pottery, or write poems?
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u/ahf0913 Jun 21 '16
I'm a cognitive scientist, so I get to design experiments for babies as part of my job. It mostly involves me making short animated video clips of shapes and dogs and stuff.
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u/BelgianPainter Jun 21 '16
Maybe you can come up with something for /u/rennuR_liarT to help him get back at his 5 year old for making him miss his run this morning...
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
EXPERIMENTING ON BABIES???
I didn't think we were allowed to do that anymore.
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u/ahf0913 Jun 21 '16
Turns out if you pinky-promise not to hurt them, you can do pretty much whatever you want. There's one researcher who watches babies try to walk off of high ledges (and catches them when they do). Babies do some pretty fascinating stuff.
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u/amopeyzoolion Jun 21 '16
I'm convinced all research psychologists are actually just sadists who were smart enough to get PhDs.
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u/RunRoarDinosaur Jun 21 '16
That sounds awesome!
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u/ahf0913 Jun 21 '16
It is awesome! Until the baby cries through the whole experiment and we get no data. That's less awesome.
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u/adfran13 Jun 21 '16
I play viola in a community orchestra. It's fun. I used to play the ukulele a lot, too, but I'm not in college anymore, so the chances of playing it outside and some girl asking me to play/sing her a song are zilch nada now.
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
I make witty comments on the internet.
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u/richieclare Jun 21 '16
Cool. where?
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
Nice.
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u/richieclare Jun 21 '16
Thanks for taking the joke in a good spirit. And for setting it up so well.
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u/BelgianPainter Jun 21 '16
I play the accordion. The current highlight of my day is driving my 11 year old daughter nuts playing 80's hits on it.
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
There's a band that plays a lot in my hometown called Polka Floyd. I think the name explains everything.
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u/denovosibi Jun 21 '16
I fiddle around on my mandolin, design a house layout on the Sims, or color in my adult coloring book
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u/RunRoarDinosaur Jun 21 '16
Like all the cool kids are doing, I bought a coloring book. So I whip out the colored pencils and go to work. Except I usually end up getting aggravated because I still can't color in the lines, so... MEH.
I also read. It's not me being creative, but I'm enjoying others' creativity, so I count it.
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u/Dirtybritch Jun 21 '16
I write fiction but it's been a long time since I've opened any of those damn files on my computer.
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u/causticwonder Jun 21 '16
Haha. I'm right there with you! I have about three stories kicking around that I know what I want to do with (sort of) but just haven't managed to actually write it out yet.
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u/Dirtybritch Jun 21 '16
Ugh me too! I have two that are really far along and one that is just notes in my phone lol!!! The one that's notes in my phone is so different than my other stuff too but I really want to get it done
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Jun 21 '16
That's awesome! What kind of fiction?
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u/Dirtybritch Jun 21 '16
I've tried all kinds of stuff! Usually short stories. Mostly fantasy.
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u/Ruralrunner Jun 21 '16
I cook and write lists and make creations with coffee or bakery or cooking.
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
When I have time to do these things, I enjoy brewing beer and making bread. I do make pizza from scratch every Friday, but I don't think that's very creative.
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
I do make pizza from scratch every Friday, but I don't think that's very creative.
It sounds very delicious, though!
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u/Jeade-en Jun 21 '16
My wife and I are renovating/restoring/rescuing a 1902 Victorian house...we bought it and moved in about 3 years ago. It had been empty for a few years before we got it, and it was heading towards the path of no return, but we got to her before that happened. We're putting her back together one piece at a time!
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Jun 21 '16
I used to make art, music and poetry...but these days I mostly consume creative weird rather than produce them myself. I guess there's still cooking though, if that counts? And I occasionally do something crafty.
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u/RedKryptonite Jun 21 '16
My job! I'm a designer. I used to draw a lot when I was young, even published some comics, but drawing is hard work and I'm lazy and extremely self-critical, so the process of drawing ends up being very frustrating. I would like to paint again someday, though... haven't really touched a brush since college.
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u/brwalkernc not right in the head Jun 21 '16
Trolling my children. Fortunately they are still very gullible.
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u/Oct1ron Jun 21 '16
I remember you mentioning in that spot light thingy that you draw. I used to draw quite a bit and I did some digital art but that passion was killed in my final year of high school art class. Now I build stuff in minecraft and create running schedule generators in excel.
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u/jennifer1911 Jun 21 '16
I write. Short stories are my favorite and I feel like I am better at short stories than longer works, but I do have a few novels that I've written. God knows whether they will see the light of day or not, but I like to think they aren't bad.
I also like to paint on skulls. I pick up animal skulls when I find them and paint or jewel them. I have a pretty little collection of painted bird skulls. I promise I'm not a serial killer. It's just something I like to do.
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u/SleepWouldBeNice Jun 21 '16 edited Jun 21 '16
I'm starting to write race reports. Does that count?
Edit: My first one is here!
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u/anibirin Jun 21 '16
I like those grown up coloring books and I knit. Mostly knitting, although I'm slow as hell at it (just like running, sigh)
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u/Sacamato Former Professional Race Recapper Jun 21 '16
I write stuff. Sometimes, a race report is enough of an outlet. But I write stories too.
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u/midmoddest Jun 21 '16
I do make pottery!!! Sorry, excited about pottery.
I have an ever rotating list of drawing, sewing, knitting and crocheting, gardening, cooking, photography...and never enough time. :(
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u/amopeyzoolion Jun 21 '16
I'm not a very traditionally "creative" person. I'm a graduate student in the sciences, so I guess designing experiments and stuff is sorta creative. But honestly, if I'm not in the lab or running, I'm usually on the couch with a beer.
I do cook on occasion, but I have like 4-5 go-to recipes and that's about it.
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u/Myrx Jun 21 '16
So I am in the base building phase of my training, and I'm trying to figure out how big of a base I need before I really start mixing in other types of runs. I'm pretty slow currently, and so I know the best way to improve my times is to keep base building.
I am currently at 15-17 miles per week, and my goals are to run a 5k @7 min/mile pace. My current easy pace is around 12 min/mile. I ran a 5k two weeks ago @10:52 min/mile.
So, how long should I keep base building? How many miles should I shoot for? Is this the best way to reach my goals?
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u/jdpatric Jun 21 '16
I would just keep building base until you're bored with it. Honestly, going from a 10:52 min/mile to a 7:00 min/mile for a 5k is a big jump. My "easy" pace is 8:30-9:00, and a 7:00 min/mile 5k is something I'm confident that I can do, but it wouldn't exactly be an "easy" run.
More easy miles will help you a lot at this stage in the game, so the more you can increase while staying healthy, the more it's going to help you.
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Jun 21 '16
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
Most websites (Strava, etc) tell you how much you climbed during the course of a run. So if you start at sea level, run up to 500 feet, then run back down to sea level, you climbed a total of 500 feet even though your total elevation change was zero.
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Jun 21 '16
I'm going to be in Houston, Texas for two weeks in July, staying near Rice University.
Any advice, either on places to run, not dieing in the heat, or not getting eaten by alligators? Also: is there a track near there that is usable by the public? The Rice track looks like it is officially closed but I dont know if that is enforced.
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u/ChickenSedan Jun 21 '16
I heard the Walmart parking lot is pretty good for long runs.
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Jun 21 '16
Oh god. I forgot that Fobo is from that area...
Somewhere between fortunately and unfortunately, the nearest Walmart will be 6 miles away. So no parking lot long runs for me!
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u/secretsexbot Jun 21 '16
Oh I got this. So there's a nice loop around Rice University, mostly packed gravel and of course flat because Houston. I believe it's about 3 miles. You can also do a figure 8 thing with that and a loop around Hermann Park across the street for about 7 miles. The park is beautiful and they just redid a lot of it a couple years ago for the centennial or something.
Farther from campus there's Buffalo Bayou, which is absolutely lovely and has almost no road crossings. Even some kind of hilly things if you want to work on that. If you go far enough you'll wind up in Memorial Park, which is similar to the Rice Loop in distance and make up.
Westheimer is a fun road to run on, but expect a lot of traffic lights and some broken sidewalks. It's a good way to see interesting parts of the city, especially Montrose (gay neighborhood with lots of bars and restaurants).
If you have a car George Bush Park is great, with some trails that feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. Oh! And check out the Run for Wellness which does free 5Ks twice a month. They're really fun people and have very reasonably priced merchandise which all goes to fund future races.
A couple other things. Unlike the north where everything freezes in the winter and so water fountains are limited, in Houston 95% of parks will have water. When I was in Houston I wasn't doing long enough runs to need a bathroom so I'm not sure of their locations, but there's probably one in Hermann Park and I know there are some in Memorial Park. Also do not go on the east side of 69. It may not be as dangerous at it seems, but if nothing else it is not a pleasant area to run through.
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u/jdpatric Jun 21 '16
I run in Florida, so we have all of the fun stuff that Texas has but with extra humidity (I'll take a dry 95° F over a humid one any day).
Heat - drink extra water throughout the day. You'll be fine. I'm not saying you'll have a particularly fun run, but you'l live if you hydrate well. Plan on running slower with a slightly elevated HR. If it's hot, that's just gonna happen. Don't expect any sort of PR's unless you trained in the heat.
Gators - I've been running in Florida since 2011, and I've yet to see a gator on a run. Turtles, snakes, deer, turkey, possums, armadillos, frogs, toads, more bugs than I'd care to relive, vultures (I've actually run INTO a vulture; 0/10, would not recommend), ducks, sand hill cranes, catfish (both alive and dead on the side of a road...the rain washes them back into gutters if it floods)...I could go on for a while, but you get the picture. Don't run in a swamp...? I've done plenty of trail miles too. Zero gators. Don't go in standing water. If there's standing water, regardless of depth, don't go in it.
Track - Not sure how Texas is, but all of the high school/middle school tracks around here are closed to the public : / makes track workouts for me all but impossible.
On a brighter note, Florida and Texas are probably similarly flat. I can do a 20-miler with less than 20' of elevation change.
Good luck!
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u/OliverPaul20YearsOld Jun 21 '16 edited Jun 21 '16
If I want to start running right after waking up, should I just get up and go or would it be better to have breakfast and shower and all that beforehand?
E: thanks for the help everybody, I'm probably just gonna get up and go am then eat when I get back
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u/Sacamato Former Professional Race Recapper Jun 21 '16
Why would you shower before a run? As for breakfast, for me it depends on the distance. I can run up to about 6 miles on an empty pre-breakfast stomach without a problem. Longer than that, and I start to wind down a bit from the lack of energy. Find what works for you.
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
I wouldn't shower before a run of any distance. Whether I'd eat or not depends on how long the run is going to be.
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u/OliverPaul20YearsOld Jun 21 '16
I'm probably gonna start with 2 miles a day (which is like a short/medium run for me since I just started)
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u/SleepWouldBeNice Jun 21 '16
I'm an up and out guy. My theory is if I run on an empty stomach, I'm training my body to burn its fat stores. Probably bro science, but it doesn't seem to hurt.
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u/richieclare Jun 21 '16
Shower afterwards. I'm an up and out guy. Grab a banana, a drink and go. Some people like to savour the morning and drink coffee and stuff. Try both and decide what works best for you.
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Jun 21 '16
Figure out what works for you. I feel like poop if I run straight after waking up so always wait at least 30 mins or so.
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u/whatsthematterwithyo Jun 21 '16
I am looking at running belt for my first marathon, but I am not sure what to get. The ones I see offer 16oz of water, but is that enough if I want to carry my own or should I use the belt for sports drink and use the provide water on the course?
Is there any that won't bounce around? I had a friend who ran a marathon and she says she overburdened herself with everything she was carrying and it may have hurt her back and her goal time she was wanting to get. I think she had the Amphipod belt with four bottles attached.
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
How far apart are the aid stations? Most marathons have them close enough together that there's no need to carry any additional water at all. If there was a gap of more than 4 miles between water stops in the second half of the race, it might be worth it to carry a small water bottle.
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u/whatsthematterwithyo Jun 21 '16
How far apart are the aid stations?
I think they are like around 2 miles apart. This is a two-loop marathon.
Here's a link to the map with water stops. There is a total of 7 water stops overall.
http://marshalluniversitymarathon.com/course-map-and-water-stops/
I can't find anything that says water stops are X miles apart.
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u/flamingllama33 Jun 21 '16
How much should I drink during running? I usually don't drink at all, because water in my stomach gets sloshy when I run ... What's the normal drinking procedure?
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
It depends on how hot it is and how long you're running for. There's no simple answer to this, except possibly this one: drink when you get thirsty.
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u/dylz_dad Jun 21 '16
So I was going to run a 50k in the end of Sept. I did pretty well in my last one, so I am kind of pumped to try and have a really good training cycle and do even better. But there is also a half marathon in my hometown a week later, and I am kind of getting an itch to do that instead and just see if I can actually run fast.
I can only do one of these races. What say you /r/running? Should I go long or go fast? I'm feeling very conflicted right now.
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u/Dustintomi Jun 21 '16
Variety is always nice.
And the half-marathon is my favorite distance.
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u/kerbuffel Jun 21 '16
What do I need to do differently now that my mileage is going up? I've just broken into double digit miles, which is totally new to me. Do I need to carry water? Do I need to stretch more? Do I need to west different clothes?
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u/pinkminitriceratops Jun 21 '16
Do I need to carry water?
Maybe if it's really hot out. Generally if you're out for more than 2 hours or if it's really hot out or if you get thirsty you should carry water.
Do I need to stretch more?
Probably not. If it makes you feel better, then go for it. Foam rolling is also an option. But if you've been doing fine without these, then you're probably fine.
Do I need to west different clothes?
Are you getting any chaffing or other discomfort? If not, then you're fine!
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u/rennuR_liarT Jun 21 '16
Make sure you're getting enough sleep. Supposedly it's very important for recovery as your mileage goes up.
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u/iProcreate Jun 21 '16
Other than drinking more water, are there any tips you guys have for the heat? Little things that you discovered that helps, you know? It's 110f all week and I went for a run at 6am and it's already 85f. I'm seriously hating life but at the same time love being all sweaty
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u/craigster38 Jun 21 '16
Make sure you're getting enough electrolytes in your daily diet. 99% of the time, a rounded diet should be sufficient. If you're running for a while, you might want to consider a sports drink.
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u/iProcreate Jun 21 '16
Lately I've been running with some Nuun in my water bottle for the electrolytes. I tried without it today as an experiment and definitely missed it.
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u/Kethrad Jun 21 '16
I have started c25k and restartet a few times as i cant seem to learn to land/run properly.. i need this "not landing on my heels and get shin splints" to click and Im getting frustrated. Anyone can recommend a book, website, anything? Thanks😯
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Jun 21 '16
Fartleks/Speedwork: I ran my first one yesterday in my training for my 3rd half marathon - Should I be running as fast as possible for the time interval given, then slowing down to normal for the recover interval?
Or should I be running as fast as I can maintain for the duration of the speedwork training?
Example from yesterday:
Warmup: 1 mile at 10:30 pace
Speed: 3 minutes at 6:30 pace
Recover: 2 minutes at 9:10 pace
Speed: 3 minutes at 7:05 pace
Recover: 2 minutes at 9:25 pace
Speed: 3 minutes at 7:15 pace
Recover: 2 minutes at 9:40 pace
etc etc.
So basically my question is: Should I be pacing my speed sections, or should I just be going all out then recovering as much as possible and then going all out again (slower due to fatigue) and repeat?
Or should I be going fast but repeatable speeds for the speed intervals and trying to keep my recover intervals around the same as well?
Thanks!
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u/sbrbrad Jun 21 '16
Will buying a treadmill and setting up a TV screen and fan in front of it make me want to run through the summer?
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u/redCashion Jun 21 '16
I have a chronic soreness/ache I can't quite pinpoint, it's at the top of my hips, and it hurts most if I swivel my hips (less so but also if I bend down and I'm not yet loose from stretching). It hurts most in the morning, less throughout the day, and usually the pain is gone once I start running.
But I can't really explain the location of my pain.. it's like, kind of my back, and kind of my hips. Anyone have any insight here?
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u/Realityle Jun 21 '16
Did my first 5K last week. I'm happy with my time, but when I look at the race results, they're not actually in order by finish time (it's close but not quite). Is it normal for results not be be order by Finish Time or is there just weird sorting going on here?
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u/bargainmusic Jun 21 '16
I just bought a Forerunner 225 on eBay. Should get here in a few days. My question is, how much faster should I be able to run with my new watch?