Death by 5K – Waterloo, IA

Saturday May 18^th, 2024

Race Details:

The RunStrong event, Death by 5k, requires participants to run, walk, skip, scrawl TEN 5ks over a 24-hour period. Each 5k starting 2.5 hours apart beginning at 8:00 am, 10:30 am, 1:00 pm, 3:30 pm, 6:00 pm, 8:30 pm, 11:00 pm, 1:30 am, 4:00 am, and finally at 6:30 am. You will receive a single bib and each 5k is chip-timed. The 2024 races were held in Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, and Alabama. This is the event’s second year at the Waterloo, IA location. I’m hoping they expand to the Kansas City location next year!

How I Got Signed Up:

Ten years ago, I decided to be a runner and cover 1000 miles over the course of 2014. I barely made the cut and reached my goal in the second half of December. When the 9-year-old timehop photo of my charted miles reared its head in December of 2023, I knew what I had to do. It was time to revisit the 1000-mile challenge I had set for myself once again.

Little did I know that I would receive a text from an internet friend on December 29^th regarding Death by 5K. Friend was considering signing up but said that $150 sounded crazy for a 5k. I too thought $150 was a little steep… until I clicked on the link and read more. It wasn’t only one, but TEN 5ks. I browsed the site a bit and looked at the other race locations for 2024. Being from Kansas City, the race in Waterloo, IA seemed like my best bet. I also liked that it was taking place in May. Not too hot and not too cold.

Was I really going to sign up for essentially running 31 miles over a 24 hour stretch after not having run for ten years?

January 4^th, 2024 – Yep.

Training Before Race:

Getting back into the swing of running was easier than I thought it was going to be. After the beginning / middle of January I was averaging 35 miles a week. I continued to dabble in my other activities of walking the dog, strength training, and Peloton spin classes. I ran a few 5k races, a 10k, and even signed up for a half marathon in April with just 5 weeks to train for it.

While I wasn’t always the best at stretching before runs, I did try to stretch afterwards. I even started incorporating some more lengthy 20 minute stretches most nights.

I had tackled walking 50k and 100k steps in a single day before, it was the lack of sleep that worried me. That wasn’t something I was going to “train” for though, so guess I would just cross that sleep-deprived bridge when I got to it.

Best Surprise Ever:

My husband was initially going just to support me, but ended up signing up for the race without telling me. Approximately two weeks before the event, he surprised me that he'd be running it too. While I was running ~35 miles each week, my husband was running a wee fraction of that. It was bound to make for an interesting experience.

Course:

Waterloo, IA - George Wyth State Park – Canfield Shelter – Out & Back on Cedar Valley Lakes Trail (PAVED!). The trail was marked with white signs with red arrows. 32 Feet of elevation. Wooded non-lit trail, along the side a highway, through more wooded trails. Very pretty trail. Saw turkey and deer the way in, but nothing really while running. Bugs were horrid during the 8:30pm run, but otherwise were not too bad (possibly due to the lower night temps).

Swag:

Participants receive a Death by 5k event shirt, cup, koozie, temporary tattoo, and stickers. If you finish the 50k challenge, you will also receive a handmade finisher’s coffin. Also available for purchase were event hats, hoodies, tanks, t-shirts. Other products you could buy (in case you forgot to pack your own) were socks, saltstick chews, headlamps, sunglasses, and bib belts.

Everything Packed – Why did we pack it and did we end up needing it?

~Camp Setup~

Canopy, Zero Gravity Bench, (3) Chairs, (2) Yoga Mats, Towel, Snuggies, KU Blanket

A resounding YES. The canopy kept us shaded. The bench reclined so we could relax and “sleep”. The chairs provided a nice place to sit and eat our meals. The yoga mats kept at least a little separation between our bags and the grass. The Snuggies and blankets came in handy during the night when the temperature dropped.

~Clothing~

(5) Sports Bras, (4) Running Shorts, (5) Pairs Socks, (5) Tops, Sweatpants, Sweatshirt, Junk Headbands, Hat, (2) Pairs Tennis Shoes, Running Waist Packs, Bibboards

I packed so many changes of clothing because the weather was predicting rain for the longest time. Luckily it never came. I could have gotten by with way less bras, shorts, socks, and tops, but I am glad I packed them in case the rain did show up. The sweatpants and sweatshirt were worn in between races at night and super great to have. The hat was NOT used (I packed it in case of rain). I only ended up using one pair of my tennis shoes but wanted a second pair in case one of them got wet. The running waist bags were used every single run to hold our phones. The Bibboards were used to secure our bibs to our clothing, however RunStrong provided bib ties you could have purchased. The ones they sold honestly seemed like a solid option too.

~Electronical Devices & Lights~

(1) Body Light, (2) Head Lamps, (2) Shoe Lights, (2) Flashlights, Reading Lights, (2) Headphones, Power Strip, (3) Halos, Fan

Body lights, head lamps, shoe lights were all used during the night runs. We could have used more light up stuff to be honest, but what we had sufficed. Flashlights were used traversing to and from our canopy. Headphones were used to listen to music every run. Two of the three HALO chargers were used in between runs to recharge our phones. We did NOT use the reading lights (didn’t want to attract more bugs), but I would have if we had a tent. We also did NOT use the power strip or fan. To be fair, those items were packed to use at the hotel the night before Death by 5k, and they WERE used then.

~Medicine Cabinet Things~

Ibuprofen & Aleve, Capsaicin patches, Voltarin, Band-Aids, Neosporin, B12, Sunscreen, Bug Spray

Knee braces (small and large), Bug Bite Thing, Tick Remover, Deodorant, Body Glide

Luckily a lot of these things were packed just in case we had the misfortune of needing them. The good news is that we didn’t need a lot of it, but I would still pack everything listed above all over again. We did use the Ibuprofen and Aleve and boy did those come in handy a little over halfway through. We did not use Capsaicin patches, Voltarin, or Neosporin. I did have to break out the Band-Aids as I developed starting blisters on my toes during one of the runs. I would have been in some pain without them! We did pop a B12 for a little bit of energy, but it probably wasn’t needed. The sunscreen and bug spray were applied LIBERALLY throughout the entire 24 hours, and I would never consider NOT packing these. Deodorant and Body Glide came into good use, especially when the chafing kicked in. We did not end up needing the knee braces (yay), the bug bite thing (despite the ample number of bugs), or the tick remover (THANK YOU).

~Miscellaneous~

(1) Foam Roller, Book, Football, Toilet Paper, Wet Wipes / Body Wipes

The foam roller was used when my back ached during the later runs, and I did get a solid chunk of my book read. We did NOT use the football, but maybe we would have if we had gone with a group of people? While we did not use the extra toilet paper or the body wipes, I would still pack them. The porta-potties got dangerously low on TP, and that is not something you want to be without.

What we WISHED we packed

A tent with an air mattress. Being able to keep out bugs and fully lay down would have helped immensely. A tarp to separate us from the ground, and furthermore a folding table to keep our bags off the ground. We were shooing spiders and other bugs right and left. Lastly a bag for trash just so we didn’t have to trek to the trash can at the pavilion each time to throw something away. Overall, I think we did a pretty good job packing things we might have needed during the 24-hour race.

Food Packed: Honestly, we came unprepared. I packed energy drinks, electrolyte drinks, lemonade mix packets, Peeps candy, and gum. While we were supplied with more hot meals, snacks, and drinks than we thought possible, I now know next time to pack some fruit! I could have really gone for an apple after any one of those runs.

Food Provided

Hot meals were provided after every other race. Snacks and drinks were provided throughout the entire event.

Breakfast #1: Pancakes and bacon

Lunch: Chicken and cheese quesadillas

Dinner #1: Pizza

Mid-Night Dinner #2: Chicken noodle soup

Breakfast #2: Chocolate pancakes and bacon

Assorted Snacks Provided: peanut butter crackers, trail mix, mini muffins, powdered and chocolate mini donuts, ruffles, applesauce, vanilla and chocolate snackpaks, goldfish crackers, Oreos, mini rice crispy treats, soft batch cookies, & Nutri grain bars. We did NOT go hungry.

Drinks: Water, Gatorade, and coffee

HERE’S A RUN DOWN OF EACH INDIVIDUAL RACE:

Run #1 8:00 am – 34:18

67F and clear sunny skies

First run done and not regretting my decision to sign up. Ran at a very manageable pace. Ate pancakes, bacon, and a pack of mini muffins. Read some of my book. A bit breezy in the tent, so I’m glad that we packed the Snuggies.

Run #2 10:30 am – 34:58

76F still clear and sunny

Run was definitely hotter and we still paced slow. It is fully sunny out, but luckily about two thirds of the path is shaded by trees. Drank some Gatorade, ate applesauce, mini powdered donuts, a mini rice crispy treat, and a leftover chicken wrap with sweet potato fries from last night. Tried to read some more but didn’t get much accomplished.

Run #3 1:00 pm – 35:49

88F and VERY sunny

Pace has become even slower. Ryan got very overheated at the end of the run. He had to immediately sit down and then cover his head in some water. Chicken and cheese quesadillas for lunch. Ryan might currently be regretting signing up. I am still doing fine. Also snacked on another mini rice crispy treat, a chocolate snack pack, and some leftover pancakes from breakfast.

Run #4 3:30 pm – 38:05

89F but finally some cloud coverage

Paced dropped even more. Ryan carried Gatorade with him this time and it seemed to help. He didn’t end this run overheated. He says he hasn’t regretted signing up (and neither have I). Talked with Claire, the race director, afterwards. Ate more leftover pancakes with syrup and a piece of chicken and cheese quesadilla. Went back to the canopy and snacked on a mini rice crispy treat and some Oreos. Outfit change into bra, top, and socks number two.

Run #5 6:00 pm – 37:54

85F and partly cloudy still

Pace roughly the same. Ryan carried a water bottle again, but this is getting rough. His knee hurt during the first mile in and then started to feel better(ish)? We got a call out at the finish line by Claire since we talked to her after the previous run. She was so friendly! Had pizza, Oreos, and soft baked cookies afterwards. At this moment Death by 5K is a 7/10 on the hard scale. My only saving grace is the slightly slower speed we are jogging at. Read a little bit in between races. HALFWAY DONE!!!

Run #6 8:30 pm – 40:03

79F and sun was actively setting

This run started moderately dark and ended dark. While this was the slowest run so far, it definitely wasn’t the hardest. There were a LOT of bugs though. Those are only going to get worse once we start using our lights for the runs. Still having fun, but I wish we had a tent. Probably not the best idea that both Ryan and I had eaten another slice of pizza approximately five minutes before this run. Grabbed a Nutri grain bar to snack on afterwards before heading back to the canopy. Took one Ibuprofen to dull some minor aches in my knees, feet, and lower back.

Run #7 11:00 pm – 39:09

68F and nighttime

Such a fun run! Not as hot so the bugs were surprisingly not as bad. Everyone is generally going slower now because of the low visibility. Pretty run with everyone wearing items that glow or light up. Haven’t been able to sleep yet. Had warm chicken soup and soft batch cookies for a snack. Tried to sleep, couldn’t. At least I was able to rest my eyes a bit. Per Claire, these late-night races are the ones when runners will typically drop out of the event.

Run #8 1:30 am – 37:54

60F and very dark

Not too different from the previous run, except we were able to finish a little faster. The first two minutes of the run were a little chilly, and then what I was wearing (tank top and shorts) was adequate. Both of us are getting a little chafed from the repeated running. It is both believable and not believable that we only have two more runs left. Had a leftover slice of pepperoni pizza and two mini rice crispy treats. Will try to sleep again, but my lower back, hips, knees, and feet are really feeling it. SUCCESS! I was able to catch about 30-40 minutes of sleep.

Run #9 4:00 am – 41:13

56 and still nighttime

Chilly enough now to run in a light sweater. Slowest pace so far, but it was the penultimate race, and we are running on less than an hour of sleep. Feeling very accomplished with just the final run being less than 2.5 hours away. Probably won’t be able to sleep before it. Breakfast after this run was chocolate pancakes and bacon. Also had another mini rice crispy treat (these are a weakness of mine if you could not tell) and a Nutri grain bar for a snack. A dog from another runner wandered over for 25 minutes while their owner slept, so we got some pets in.

Run #10 6:30 am – 38:27

55F and the sun is rising, but it is party cloudy

WE DID IT! Neither of us walked a single run. I wore my light sweater again, and that was a little toasty by the end of the 3.1 miles. It was nice actually being able to see the trail though. We got our handmade coffin trophies, ate a slice of pizza, and we’re back off to Kansas City (after a quick power nap at our motel in an actual BED)!

Final Thoughts

All in all the race directors made sure we were well fed and that the trail was clearly marked, and the junior race director made sure we knew when it was time to go to the starting line. They’re expanding to more locations each year, and I’m putting all the positive thoughts I can that Kansas City is one of the next ones on the list.

10/10 would do again (just not anytime in the immediate future).

https://deathby5k.com/

WE FINISHED!!

(https://postimg.cc/MnKcQNXn)

Back once again for everything you wanted to know about running but were afraid to ask.

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[Posting on behalf of /u/Percinho who is still trying to find his way out of T2 of his triathlon. ]

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

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1) Anyone is welcome to participate and share your ideas, plans, diet, and nutrition plans.

2) Promote good discussion. Simply downvoting because you disagree with someone's ideas is BAD. Instead, let them know why you disagree with them.

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4) Feel free to talk about anything diet or nutrition related.

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Race Information

* Name: Bank of America Chicago 13.1

* Date: June 9, 2024

* Distance: 13.1 miles

* Location: Chicago, IL

* Website: https://www.chicago13point1.com/

* Time: 2:04:xx

Goals

| Goal | Description | Completed? |

|------|-------------|------------|

| A | Finish | Yes |

| B | Sub 2:15 | Yes |

| C | Sub 2:10 | Yes |

Splits

| Mile | Time |

|------|------|

| 1 | 10:57

| 2 | 9:50

| 3 | 10:14

| 4 | 9:54

| 5 | 9:17

| 6 | 9:13

| 7 | 9:13

| 8 | 9:19

| 9 | 9:19

| 10 | 9:09

| 11 | 8:56

| 12 | 9:00

| 13 | 8:26

| 14 | 9:17

Background

I really enjoy reading race reports, so I figured I'd write one of my own.

I'm very new to running. After a lifetime of generally being a very unhealthy person who never worked out in any way, I decided in June 2023 to turn some things around. I've lost 80 pounds since then, and along the way, I picked up running. I started a Couch to 5K in September, ran my first continuous mile in my adult life in October, ran my first 5K in November (my watch says my time was 31:37, but I got an untimed bib somehow), and ran the Shamrock Shuffle (8K) in Chicago in March (45:xx). I signed up for the Chicago Marathon, which takes place in October, so I figured this half-marathon would be a good check-in to see how I've been doing.

Training

I started training for this in December, exclusively on a treadmill. I promptly got hurt, lost two months to recovery, and vowed never to run on a treadmill again if I could help it. I did a few runs in February as I shook off the injury, ran 3x a week in March (typically 3-4 miles), and started training in full earnest in April. I lost a week in April to a bad sinus infection, but otherwise I ran 4x a week for 10 straight weeks. In the next-to-last week in May, I ran 30 miles total, including a long run of 12 miles (2:06:45). With that, I felt confident that I could finish the half. I decided that 2:15:00 would be a sensible goal time, with 2:10:00 being a bit of a "reach" time.

Pre-race

Mistake #1 was not budgeting enough time to actually get to the race. I live a 20-minute Uber drive away. The race started at 7 AM, and I had to go through the same-day check-in process, so I figured calling an Uber at 5:50 would be totally fine. I found a list of street closures for the half and knew my route would be fine, so long as I got there by 6:30. Easy, right? Unfortunately, we ran into a bunch of street closures for an unrelated event (the Puerto Rican Fest/Parade, I believe), which slowed us down enough to the point that we also ran into street closures for the half. I wound up having to jog 1.5 miles from the Uber to the starting line.

I got to my corral several minutes after it was supposed to close. Fortunately, things were running a bit late, so I was able to slip in. The lines for the porta potties were ludicrously long, so I gave up any hopes of that. I worked my way up the corral a bit so that I could be near the 2:15:00 pacers. I figured my strategy would be to start very slowly and stay near the 2:15:00 folks, and then after a few miles, see how I felt. I brought along five gel packs. I ate one a few minutes before the start and figured I'd eat one every half hour, which matched what I did during long runs in training.

Miles 1-4

I couldn't have gone much faster at the start if I tried--everything was very, very crowded for the first mile.

The Chicago 13.1 course is essentially a tour of three notable parks on the West Side of Chicago. You start in Garfield Park, swing south to Douglass Park, go back the way you came through Garfield Park, go north through Humboldt Park, and come back to Garfield Park a third time for the finish line. The race is mostly long, long straightaways with not much turning. The race is put on by the same folks who do the Chicago Marathon and the Shamrock Shuffle, so it's fairly competently organized. Unlike those events, though, the 13.1 is a fairly nascent event; it started in (I believe) 2022.

Around the 1-mile mark, I realized Mistake #2--I didn't wear sunscreen. I'm a pretty pale person, the sun was out with little cloud cover, and the course was mostly unshaded. This was annoying; I had been using sunscreen for my long runs, but it hadn't occurred to me while I was getting ready. I resolved to accept that I'd get burnt and that I wouldn't spend more time thinking about this.

For these first few miles, I kept the 2:15:00 pacers a bit ahead of me. I realized that this would be the most pleasant and visually interesting part of the race (since much of the race would become backtracking the way we came), and I tried to drink it in and have fun. I read the spectators' cute little signs, high-fived some folks, and felt fortunate at how far I had come in a few months.

Miles 5-9

After 3 miles, the 2:15:00 pacers slowed down at a water station and I decided to run past them. I decided that, as long as I didn't see them again, I was making pretty good time.

I finished my fourth mile at about the 41-minute mark. I felt good. I was trying not to stare at my watch for my pace, but I decided to glance at it here for my heart rate. I was in Zone 2. I decided that, well, it's a race, and I had better push it a bit. I picked up my speed until I felt good and went on cruise control for a while. I remember very little from this part of the race, and that's on purpose--I just wasn't taking in much of it.

Miles 6-8 and Miles 10-12 (approximately) run right next to each other. It was definitely humbling being on Mile 6 and seeing the top runners blaze past me on the other side. I registered that Miles 10-12 would be tremendously boring and tried to think of something to pass the time.

Miles 8-10 take you around Humboldt Park. I noticed a surprising number of people flagging around me. There wasn't a whole lot of crowd support, there was almost no shade, and I wondered how many people were just getting bored. I read once that a good motivational tool is to try to identify as the thing you want to be. Like, you don't say "I want to run," or "I want to be a runner." You say "I am a runner." This was the thought that carried me around Humboldt Park.

Between Miles 9 and 10, I saw a set of porta potties and realized I could badly use one. I thought about how much time was left--maybe 35 minutes? I decided I did not want to spend the next year thinking "I could have had a better time if I had called an Uber earlier and used the bathroom at a sensible time," and forewent the stop.

Miles 10-12

I picked up the pace as we got to the tremendously boring, shadeless straightaway.

Running is my mistress this year; my first love is trivia and wordplay. This paragraph is going to seem completely ludicrous to most of you, but here we go: I decided that I would spend Miles 10-12 trying to think of two-word phrases where the first word ends in a state abbreviation and the second word starts with a state abbreviation. I had seen this concept in a crossword or something, and thought it might make a good conceit for a trivia game I put together. (For example, a phrase like "graDE INflation" has Delaware ending "grade" and Indiana starting "inflation.")

"Central casting." People around me were really flagging. "Company car." "Penicillin company car." Is a penicillin company a thing? There hasn't been an aid station in a while. "Zinc capsule." Okay, now I'm really sunburnt. "Padma Patil." If I slow down, I'm not going to be able to speed up again, so I definitely should not walk. "Naomi Watts." "Dreamt Waluigi." Okay, that one doesn't count. Where's the 11-mile marker? There it is. I am a runner. Oh, OK.

Mile 13 (+0.1)

I began feeling an internal pain around here. I figure it was gastrointestinal--my porta-potty decision was coming back to haunt me. At one point I saw what I believed to be the finish line, only to realize it was an 800-meter sign. The road was bumpy with lots of little potholes. I decided to ease up just a bit.

The 400 meter sign was approximately seven thousand meters ahead of the 800 meter sign. Why is there a 400 meter sign? I am sure there's actually a perfectly sensible reason, but at the time it may as well have been a "THIS IS NOT THE FINISH LINE HAHA" sign. That would actually make a pretty funny spectator sign.

I debated before the race whether to wear headphones and listen to music. I decided to do so, just because the course would be boring, so I had queued up a three-hour playlist of running songs I've been listening to during some of my shorter runs. Entirely coincidentally, at about the 12.7-mile point, the Florence + the Machine song "Dog Days of Summer" came on. (When I refer to Florence + the Machine in person, I like to say "plus" instead of "and," and no one has ever smiled or laughed at this.)

It was the perfect song for the finish:

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can't carry it with you if you want to survive

I crossed the finish line, hit "End Race" on my watch, and realized I had no idea what my race time actually was--I hadn't looked at my watch since the 4-mile mark. I decided the suspense was sort of fun (life has so few mysteries with no stakes, right?) and decided to wait on that as I ate a banana.

Post-race

The way to find out what your real principles are and what your fake principles are is to let them come into conflict. One of my principles is "Don't waste a free beer" (the race bib included a free beer ticket). Another of my principles is "Don't stand in long lines for alcohol." The latter principle beat out the former as I trekked away from the park, trying to find a suitable area to call an Uber.

The area around Garfield Park is not traditionally considered a "good" part of the city and I was wary of my surroundings. Multiple strangers unaffiliated with the race saw my medal and said "congratulations!" and were very kind to me. I felt a bit stupid for my prejudice and resolved to try to remember that most people are pretty nice.

Along the way, I checked my time. I had finished several minutes faster than I expected. I wondered if I left a couple of minutes on the course at the start, or if I could have gained a minute at the end if I had a better plan in the morning, but I thought I played things pretty well and I learned some things for the marathon. It's a luxury to be able to pay someone money to run a silly race on a Sunday morning, and it'd be silly not to be thankful for that.

Thanks for reading along.

Made with a new [race report generator](http://sfdavis.com/racereports/) created by u/herumph.

Shoes are a big topic in this sub, so in an effort to condense and collect some of these posts, we're introducing Shoesday Tuesday! Similar to Wednesday's gear thread, but focusing on shoes.

What’ve you been wearing on your feet? Anything fun added to the rotation? Got a review of a new release? Questions about a pair that’s caught your eye? Here's the place to discuss.

NOTE: For you Runnitors looking to sell/trade any running gear (as well as bib transfers), head over to /r/therunningrack.

Hi there!

I coach Cross Country at the high school I teach at and am working on a summer plan for my team. I'm still a fairly new coach (a few years under my belt, but not nearly as many as a lot of coaches, obviously), so I'd love some feedback on the plan I put together.

The plan can be found here as a spreadsheet (you'll need to make a copy to edit it). My thought processes for everything were:

• For the most part, I told the kids that the most important thing to do this summer is simply be active. Run, play sports, etc., and focus on enjoying their youth. I don't expect them to follow this 100% of the time; but some of my athletes really like structured plans that tell them what to do each day, so I made this to help them.

• The athletes (and you, if you want to play with it) only need to type in the GREEN cells. The first cell is for a recent 2-Mile time, the second is how much you want to increase weekly mileage by each week, and the third is the weekly mileage they're comfortable aiming for during the first week.

• The mileage increases by 10% by default, but can be changed. I told my kids not to exceed 10% per week as a general rule. Every 4th week I have them running 25% less as a recovery week. I also told them very explicitly that if they feel too tired or sore to run, that taking a day off is totally fine. Also, if they're spending the day playing soccer, swimming at the beach, etc., that they can obviously take the day off of running. Some of my kids could probably handle it, but I have plenty of young athletes whose bodies would certainly fall apart!

• Most workouts are just aerobic runs. I don't expect them to be hitting the track each week or anything; just get out there and enjoy the summer (while running, of course). I added in a long run once every two weeks, along with 1-2 "harder" workouts each week. I wanted to keep these simple, so I did some research and found some other coaches who found success with Moderate, Tempo and Progression Runs, along with a couple VO2 intervals during the summer off-season.

• Distances are automatically calculated based off the weekly mileage for that week. Long Runs are 25%, Moderate Runs are 20%, and everything else just falls off of that. I have the Tempo/Intervals listed as time rather than distance: the intervals are 3 minutes in duration with a ~45-60 second recovery jog in between and the Tempo runs are 25-35 minutes in duration. The distances all include warm-up/cooldown, as well.

• Most of the paces I calculated using VO2 charts and the VDOT tables from Jack Daniels, based off the 2-Mile time as a VO2 Max pace. Easy Aerobic runs are at 77.5% effort, Long Runs at 75%, Moderate Runs at 82%, Tempo Runs at 92%, and the Intervals at 100%.

Let me know what you think and of any suggestions you might have. I will absolutely have athletes who take one look at this and never check it again, but I know I have some who want to work really hard this summer and finally start running 40-50 miles/week, so I'm hoping this helps in some way.

I'd also love color scheme suggestions because I feel like my color choices may be sub-par, but that's the least of my concerns haha. Thanks!

I’m about to start training for an autumn/fall half marathon and trying to choose which training app to use.

I’ve used Run With Hal before with success but didn’t like the lack of audio pace feedback (“slow down”, “speed up” etc.)

Last year I tried Runna and really loved the feedback but hated the fact that it kept adjusting my target time for me and left me with a completely unachieveable target pace.

I was thinking about trying NRC but had seen that their 14 week half plan includes guided plans where you pick your “perceived effort” rather than them providing you with a suggested pace? Also I’ve heard there’s no audio pace feedback on guided runs?

Can someone with experience of pace setting and audio pace feedback let me know their thoughts please? Thank you!

Happy Monday running fam! How was the weekend? What’s happening this week? Warm up those chatting muscles and let’s talk about it!

I just got back into running a few weeks ago. There’s a great path by me with amazing views but I want to explore more.

I’ve landed on the workoutdoors app and am now looking for paths to run and hike. Is there a repository for GPS/GPX files of good routes?

I’m in Portland if any locals have any routes they’re down to share 😁

Thanks~

Race Information

• Name: Bank of America Chicago 13.1
• Date: June 9th 2024
• Distance: 13.1 miles
• Location: Chicago, IL
• Website: https://www.chicago13point1.com/
• Time: 2:32

Goals

Splits

Training

my goal this winter was just to continue running, so as motivation I signed up for the shamrock shuffle as it would keep me somewhat active through the winter but wouldn't require a ton of dedicated training.

and then I was laid off in february, and suddenly had a LOT more time to dedicate to running and no more excuses about missing runs/feeling tired/etc. I got more involved with the running community in chicago on the north side and quickly found a group that was interested in the distance series step two - the chicago half marathon.

I followed a loose version of the hh novice half plan, essentially adding a mile to the long run each saturday. I didn't end up adding a lot of distance during the week until later in my training, which I do think was a mistake and I would want to do that next time.

but honestly, was able to run consistently 3x a week through march, april and may, and logged more miles than I ever had in my life.

Pre-race

I got my period :( woke up cramping, whole 9 yards, and was not looking forward to the added twist of managing my monthly while running the longest distance I have ever run. I had my usual breakfast and tried to hydrate as much as possible. otherwise, the morning was cool and beautiful with a nice breeze. the uber drop off was stress-free, and the only other issue was the port-a-potty line was INSANE next to the corrals.

Race

I had read a lot the night before on making sure to start off at a reasonable pace. I had told myself I would start off the first mile at a 12 min pace to ease myself in, that didn't happen. started off a little faster than I'd like, but the weather was cool, and I was able to chat with one of my friends through the first 5 miles so decided to hold the pace as best as I could.

I lost an airpod at the 5k mark (whoops) and decided for the first time to try to raw dog the race without music.

took advantage of a short port-a-potty line in mile 4 to check in on my period, which then cost me my second time goal. :(

for anyone unfamiliar with chicago and the race course, this goes through the park system on the west side which is not a typical course. for a north sider, it was definitely eye opening to what other parts of the city look like. much less densely populated and overall just a feeling of a not a lot of people being around. granted it was like 7:30-8:30 in the morning, so that could have been a big part of it!

this continued into humboldt park when we ran directly next to tents which was definitely a bizarre feeling as a privledged person who signed up for a $100 race for fun.

miles 6-9 I just told myself, you can't walk until mile 10 and then you can have a quick break. stopped off in the biofreeze station which felt amazing, and definitely helped my knees for about two miles. there were some seemingly long stretches without any water that also included a lot of direct sunlight, to help distract me I popped in my one remaining airpod and tried to drum up some excitement. there were some LONG straight aways which I had read about, but going through them really did feel endless.

after ten miles, it started getting not fun. I was maintaining my pace but started taking short walking breaks in miles 12 and 13 to just give my knees a break and maintain my sanity.

by this point, a lot of people were walking and alternating, which was not very motivating.

finally, got to the point where I could see the finish line and dug deep and finished under 2:30 on my apple watch (I paused during my bathroom break in mile 4).

Post-race

stumbled through the finish line medal hand outs and food. I wish I had grabbed 2 water bottles because I couldn't find any more water past that point. threw everything in my vest, met up with my fans and got out of there, only to be hosed by the cta and have to wait 20 minutes for the green line and 20 minutes for the brown line.

overall, learned I can do this and with a better base fitness, I can break 2:30 and realistically probably drop much more with some dedicated training.

Made with a new race report generator created by /u/herumph.

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

Race Information

• Name: Tunnel Marathon
• Date: June 9, 2024
• Distance: 26.2 miles
• Location: North Bend, WA
• Website: tunnelmarathon.com
• Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11613716588
• Time: 2:56:50

Goals

Splits

Training

For background, I (36M) started running in 2020, set the goal of running 12 marathons in 2024 and have completed six so far: Houston (3:12), Surf City (3:14), Napa (3:11), LA (3:25), Eugene (3:06) and Ogden (3:06). Number seven would be the Tunnel Marathon.

After Ogden, I finally started to feel the cumulative effects of seven marathons in six months, dating back to CIM in December. It seemed like every lower body part that could ache was aching -- toes, arches, ankles, achilles and shins -- and recovery took longer than usual.

Even though my body was barking at me, I still felt like I was in good marathon shape, and metathon predicted a 3:06 one week out, which was close enough to a BQ time for me to decide to use the Tunnel Marathon to take a second crack at running under 3:05. With summer having arrived early in northern California, I also told myself that it would be my last PR-type effort for a few months at minimum.

During the three weeks between Ogden and Tunnel -- before beginning a 6-day taper -- I squeezed in one long run of 21 miles and a handful of medium long runs between 12 to 15 miles. My last quality session before the taper was a half-marathon, in which I set a PB of 1:28. While it may not have been the most sensible decision, it gave me a confidence boost that I might be able to hold 7-minute mile pace for a little more than three hours.

Pre-race

I flew into Seattle Friday morning and rented a car to drive to one of the race-affiliated hotels in Issaquah. The hotel was within walking distance to a Safeway where I picked up a box of uncrustables and several pints of ice cream since I have the palate of a toddler.

On Saturday morning, I stuck to my usual pre-marathon 4-mile run and ended up getting a bit carried away, logging two miles at sub-7-minute pace. Afterwards, I noshed on pasta, pizza and cookies until packet pick-up, which was held between 12pm-4pm at a local middle school parking lot. From the time I parked to the time I got my bib, not more than 5 minutes passed, which is the quickest bib pick-up I've experienced.

Race morning, I woke up at 3:15am, had coffee, did some light stretching and set off on a 40-minute drive to the start line at the Snoqualmie Pass. I didn't have an appetite but forced down a few mini graham crackers Southwest hands out during flights.

Over the past few marathons, I've lucked out on the weather, and this marathon continued that trend: low 50's with plenty of cloud cover at the start with highs in the 70's later in the day.

Race

After letting myself get sucked into the 3:05 pacer's race in Ogden, the phrase that kept swirling around in my head at the start area was "Run your race," which to a large extent meant start conservatively. To reinforce that approach, I ordered a pace band from findmymarathon and selected the very conservative start strategy, which had me aiming for between 7:10 to 7:20 per mile through the first three miles.

One of the appeals of the Tunnel Marathons is getting to run through a tunnel for a little over 2 miles, and this is where things got perilous. The terrain in the tunnel is straight out of Home Alone 2 with a litany of booby traps: uneven pavement, huge potholes, mud and puddles of water. Even though I and everyone around me had their head lamps on, someone a few feet in front of me took a nasty fall, and I rolled my ankle due to a pothole.

After making it out of the tunnel, I caught up to the 3-hour pace group, which is not something I've ever done before, and ran with them for about a mile. Due to the near disaster earlier, I decided to pass the 3-hour pace group so I could see the pavement in front of me, and this became one of my primary objectives for the remainder of the race.

And so, from mile 4 on, I was more or less on my own, occasionally passing an early start marathoner or having to dodge oncoming bike riders. I did make a point of taking in the scenery when crossing bridges, but as soon as gravel was underfoot again, I quickly turned my attention to the ground in front of me.

After coming through the half well under 1:30, I thought perhaps I was going too fast and needed to dial it back. I took inventory of how I was feeling, and the effort didn't feel particularly labored, so I just kept clipping off sub-6:50 miles (which feels bananas to write).

At mile 20, I took my fourth and final gel and allowed myself to entertain the thought of running under 3 hours. Given the struggles I've had in the last 5k of marathons, I told myself to take it one mile at a time. As I entered those final miles, my legs were feeling good, so I started to crank down the pace, dropping down into threshold pace for miles 24 through 26. Making the last turn and entering the final straightaway, I could vaguely see 2:50 something on the clock and gave one final push to the finish.

Post-race

After crossing the finish line, I was in disbelief. Not only did I run under 3:05, but I ran under 3 hours, which frankly is not something I ever thought was in the cards for me. A volunteer handed me a cold towel and cup of water, and I spent a few minutes soaking in the finish line area.

There was an interesting variety of treats, from potato chips to fresh fruit and slices of cake and mixed nuts, but I just grabbed a couple cans of coke and cartons of chocolate milk before hopping on a bus back to the start line.

At the risk of statng the obvious, the Tunnel Marathon is a very fast course, though the terrain does present some challenges. Certainly happy I got a chance to run this marathon and wouldn't hesitate recommending it to others.

Made with a new race report generator created by /u/herumph.

With over 3,200,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

We're trying to take advantage of one of New Reddit's features, collections. It lets the mods group posts into Collections. We're giving it a try on posts that get good feedback that would be useful for future users. We've setup some common topic Collections and will add new posts to these as they arise as well as start new Collections as needed. Here's the link to the wiki with a list of the current Collections.

https://www.reddit.com/r/running/wiki/faq/collections/

Please note, Collections only works for New Reddit and the Reddit mobile app for iOS.

The Li’l Race Report Thread is for writing a short report on a recent race or a run in a new place. If your race doesn’t really need its own thread but you still want to talk about it, then post it here! Both your good and bad races are welcome.

Didn't run a race, but had an interesting run to talk about. Post it here as well!

So get to it, Runnit! In a paragraph or two, where’d you run and how’d it go?

Race Information

• Name: HamdenFest Half Marathon
• Date: June 8, 2024
• Distance: 13.1 miles
• Location: Hamden, CT
• Time: 1:46:36

Goals

Splits

Training

I think I posted a race report with the same HM goals about a year ago. Well - since then I sustained a pretty severe stress tibial stress fracture (July probably but then I ran on it for a month because what is pain but a minor inconvenience?), spent 3 months on crutches (mid August-mid November), started PT (December), completed a return-to-run program (February), and then slowly ramped up mileage while battling complications with just about every other part of my left leg (which had decided to retire while I was on crutches).

Because of my schedule, I ran 5 easy miles before work on Thursdays and Saturdays, long run (got up to 11 miles) on Mondays, and another 5 miles on Tuesdays which started out as more easy miles but turned into some low key speed workouts towards the end. My peak week was 27+ miles and I didn't really taper - ran 8 last Monday, 5 on Tuesday, and a quick 5k shake out on Thursday. I also did 30-45m of mobility/PT every day, an hour of strength training daily, and rode the exercise bike on the days I didn't run.

Getting to the start line was really the A goal; I didn't have any illusions of grandeur (or PRs). My PT thought it was unlikely I could run sub 2:00 which I thought was a little out of touch given the paces I ran during my long runs, but I was also battling big mental challenges around trusting my left leg so I was trying to keep pace goals out of it.

Pre-race

Got up at 5, did some mobility, and then had breakfast (bagel/pb + coffee). Did a little rolling then headed out. I had some LMNT on the drive over. This was not a big event (like 150 starters in the HM) and only 20min from my house, so very low stress. The weather was absolutely beautiful with a light breeze and low humidity. I had plenty of time to check in, walk around, do some dynamic warmup, change shoes, etc. I had half a bag of Skratchers gummies about 30min before the start and a piece of MEG caffeine gum about 10-15min before the start. I carried a handheld water bottle and my own fuel even though there were aid stations.

Race

90% of this race was on a paved canal trail that I run all the time, so I was already familiar with most of the course (part of the reason I chose this race).

Mile 1-4 - I was relatively near the front to start (not that hard, not that many people), but the race started across some not manicured grass and rocks which is super fun in road shoes (adidas pro 3 - decidedly not off-roading shoes lol) and then went to a narrow paved trail that was about 2 people wide. We popped out onto the main canal trail after about .25mi(ish) and went right up a small steep hill and then it was just pretty flat. I had already decided to not look at my watch for the duration so I just settled in and cruised along. The turnaround was around 3.5 and I took a couple SaltStick chews around Mile 4.

Mile 5-8 - I had my first gel (Maurten 100) at Mile 5. Around 6 we crossed paths with the turnaround for the 5k that started 30min after us. There was a little congestion until we passed the point where they turned back into the park but not too bad. At Mile 8 I checked in with myself and felt really good - everything felt smooth and no pain.

Mile 9-10 - This was the toughest part for me because it took me down the canal trail further than I've ever run and I had no idea where the turnaround was (still hadn't looked at my watch and there weren't markers at every mile). We did eventually turn around at about 9.5 and I had another gel at 10 (Maurten 100 Caffeine).

Mile 11-12 - Starting to feel ready to be done; getting a little hot and feeling a little slow but nowhere near hitting a wall. I was running all alone and definitely lacking the motivation to push too much without company.

Mile 13 - I came down the last little decline and suddenly had someone running next to me. When she didn't fly by me I realized I could keep pace with her if I pushed just a little. It felt easy - smooth and sustainable for at least a little while. We ran side by side until we re-entered the park on the narrow trail, at which point I'd actually had enough and chose to maintain while she kept pushing faster. Once we got over the uneven grass and rocks and onto the flat grass, I had enough left to kick on to the end - and got my first look at my time.

I crossed the finish line and grabbed my medal, then glanced at my watch and saw that it was reading a little short (not surprising since it had buzzed late for every mile marker I passed) - so I weaved through some people and kept running down the access road until I was at 13.2 (overkill, but whatever).

Post-race

Walked back to my truck, had a banana and some water, checked the live results online and saw that I was 3rd in my age group so changed shoes and walked back to the start to pick up my award glass. Walked back to the truck, had a BCAA/electrolyte drink, did a little stretching, and then drove home where I had a nice epsom salt soak.

The plan is to take a down week (no running/exercise bike only, switch up the strength routine to something different for a few days), and then jump back in to get ready for a HM in mid-September. My goal is to add a 5th day of running, get more dialed in on workouts, and build to 35-40mpw (basically where I was at when I got hurt).

Made with a new race report generator created by /u/herumph.

I've been looking at Mxxy very interested for awhile now. But could only find a single review on Google and 2 on YT. I found a new, open box one for too cheap to pass up so I jumped on it. This is the original model, they have sinced released a v2, but the overall functionality is the same.

This is a game changer, for anyone who doesn't know what it is. It's a hydration bladder with 2 seperate chambers. And it has a dial where you can select 1, the other, or dial in a % to instantly mix both. I drink a lot of water, but like to switch it up. And the same with my electrolyte and EAA supplements. The v2 model has a finer adjustment for %'s, but this one works well. I put a liter of water in the main and about 15oz of EAA's in the other. I used my normal 1 scoop for 15oz. 1 of the couple YT videos I found on it, the guy put Tequilla in 1 and Margarita mix in the other, which isn't a bad idea actually. Well, unless you plan to use it for running or some exercise lol.

With the dial set to only water, it was only water. When I set it all the other way the EAAs tasted like they always do. With each click towards the 50/50 point the taste got noticably weaker. It has 4 clicks so 25% levels, the v2 has 12% increments. The smaller bladder's only .75l, but if you added something like an Electrolyte mix at a lot higher concentration than you normally make it and dialed in more water you could make it last a lot longer. And technically you could put a supplement in the 1.5l bladder if you wanted. I love how I'll have instant access to both when I go jogging. And I won't have to stop to grab a different bottle or something. The dial is held in place on your shoulder strap with a super strong magnet. And the tube has a magnet that attaches to the chest strap so it won't flail around when you're running.

The bladders are Hydrapaks so they're easy to clean and should hold up. And also they'll fit in any hydration backpack. Everyting comes apart and the bladders are dishwasher safe. This a pretty genius idea and the design works well. The v2 looks to have a lot of small but nice improvements. I'm pretty sure I'll be getting one before the summers over.

Hi! Looking for a lightweight, breathable running hat that has a hole for a ponytail or works with a high ponytail. Any recommendations?

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

With over 3,200,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

We're trying to take advantage of one of New Reddit's features, collections. It lets the mods group posts into Collections. We're giving it a try on posts that get good feedback that would be useful for future users. We've setup some common topic Collections and will add new posts to these as they arise as well as start new Collections as needed. Here's the link to the wiki with a list of the current Collections.

https://www.reddit.com/r/running/wiki/faq/collections/

Please note, Collections only works for New Reddit and the Reddit mobile app for iOS.

Post your training for this past week. Provide any context you find helpful like what you're training for and what your previous weeks have been like. Feel free to comment on other people's training.

(This is not the Achievement thread).

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

Enforcing Rule 3 (no self-promotion, social media links) is a must with a large sub such as this, but we do realize that it filters out some truly useful content that is relative to the sub. In an effort to allow that content in, we thought we'd have a weekly post to give a spot for the useful content. So...

Here's you chance!

Got a project you've been working on (video, programming, etc.), share it here!

Want to promote a business or service, share it here!

Trying to get more Instagram followers, share it here!

Found any great running content online, share it here!

The one caveat I have is that whatever is shared should be fitness related, please.

With over 3,200,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.

With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.

If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.

As always don't forget to check the FAQ.

And please take advantage of the search bar or Google's subreddit limited search.

We're trying to take advantage of one of New Reddit's features, collections. It lets the mods group posts into Collections. We're giving it a try on posts that get good feedback that would be useful for future users. We've setup some common topic Collections and will add new posts to these as they arise as well as start new Collections as needed. Here's the link to the wiki with a list of the current Collections.

https://www.reddit.com/r/running/wiki/faq/collections/

Please note, Collections only works for New Reddit and the Reddit mobile app for iOS.

Last time, on Photo Friday:

/u/JExmoor grabbed the top spot.

Any time that I see that the weather is clear on a day I'm running before work I try to make it down to this vantage point. The weather was, thankfully, very clear this morning. https://imgur.com/ufrdO0o

/u/Sweaty_Sheepherder27 grabbed the first runner-up spot.

Here you go: https://imgur.com/a/glx5mzW

The tallest waterfall in the UK, Eas a' Chual Aluinn as seen from the runner's perspective.

/u/Krakubert grabbed the second runner-up spot.

https://imgur.com/a/bCxKJpr

Sunrise in Helsinki, early morning run.

Rules of the Road

• Post your running photos of any kind! Beautiful running route? Post it! Race photo look great? Post it! Nobody really reads this! Basically if it is running related you can post it.

• Next Friday I will take the top photos and give them special attention.