Marathon Tips?

I am running Baltimore (marathon) on Saturday.  Hoping I get over this stupid fall cold by then!

Congratulations on your marathon victory! Seems like it was a good weather day.

K8teebug wrote:
I am running Baltimore (marathon) on Saturday.  Hoping I get over this stupid fall cold by then!

Thanks!  It was a really great day for running Saturday!  And I met Lew Ford and Troy Patton on the way to the car!  I was running in my Orioles colors, of course!

anyone know anyone who has run the great wall marathon?  i'm thinking about doing it, but perhaps just the half.  i'm not sure my first marathon should be this insane, but it's still far enough away to train for.

http://www.great-wall-marathon.com/Themarathon.aspx

You're going to go all the way to China to run a half marathon? Please tell me you're joking.

James wrote:
You're going to go all the way to China to run a half marathon? Please tell me you're joking.

ford, in all seriousness, what's the problem with this?  your "tell me you're joking" comment makes you sound really… boring.  but maybe i'm misinterpreting.

i think it's a wonderful idea.  talk about motivation to train, and what amazing views you'll have during the race.  i've been to the great wall before - heed the website's warning that it will be a very VERY hilly course.  you'll be running up and down stairs at some points.  if you can swing this trip, do it!

I know this is going to sound harsh, but I'm just amazed that anyone who is able bodied and under the age of 90 would find any kind of challenge at all in running 13.1 miles. Half marathons are for 300 pound middle aged fat chicks. You're going to travel all the way to China to run something as pedestrian as a half marathon? Come on, step up your fucking game!

sweetcell wrote:

James wrote:
You're going to go all the way to China to run a half marathon? Please tell me you're joking.

ford, in all seriousness, what's the problem with this?  your "tell me you're joking" comment makes you sound really… boring.  but maybe i'm misinterpreting.

i think it's a wonderful idea.  talk about motivation to train, and what amazing views you'll have during the race.  i've been to the great wall before - heed the website's warning that it will be a very VERY hilly course.  you'll be running up and down stairs at some points.  if you can swing this trip, do it!

sweetcell wrote:
i think it's a wonderful idea.  talk about motivation to train, and what amazing views you'll have during the race.  i've been to the great wall before - heed the website's warning that it will be a very VERY hilly course.  you'll be running up and down stairs at some points.  if you can swing this trip, do it!

thanks sweetcell. the pictures seem to be a pretty hefty warning.  better start getting that hill training in if i'm doing this.

James wrote:
You're going to go all the way to China to run a half marathon? Please tell me you're joking.

friend lives in beijing, i was planning a two-week visit, and a couple friends who are coming along started the idea. it's not like i'm flying in the day before and flying out the day after.

and shit man… it's the great wall.  i'm not much for competitive running, but if i'm already going, and i'm already going to see the great wall, why not run it?  whenever friends come into town, we "run dc", which basically is a half marathon seeing all the different monuments, etc. it pretty much cuts the tourist time in half, and it's a good workout.  

James wrote:
I know this is going to sound harsh, but I'm just amazed that anyone who is able bodied and under the age of 90 would find any kind of challenge at all in running 13.1 miles. Half marathons are for 300 pound middle aged fat chicks. You're going to travel all the way to China to run something as pedestrian as a half marathon? Come on, step up your fucking game!

sweetcell wrote:

James wrote:
You're going to go all the way to China to run a half marathon? Please tell me you're joking.

ford, in all seriousness, what's the problem with this?  your "tell me you're joking" comment makes you sound really… boring.  but maybe i'm misinterpreting.

i think it's a wonderful idea.  talk about motivation to train, and what amazing views you'll have during the race.  i've been to the great wall before - heed the website's warning that it will be a very VERY hilly course.  you'll be running up and down stairs at some points.  if you can swing this trip, do it!

damn, hate!

that's why i'm asking for advice, ford.  i said "maybe half" as in, i'm in between the half and the full.  the full looks insane, look at that altitude map.  i'm not gonna sign up for the full just so i can roll down the downhill portion of the wall and die.

Well if you were already going anyway…that changes my whole answer.

Go for it. You gotta do it! 13.1 or 26.2, doesn't matter.

James wrote:
I know this is going to sound harsh, but I'm just amazed that anyone who is able bodied and under the age of 90 would find any kind of challenge at all in running 13.1 miles. Half marathons are for 300 pound middle aged fat chicks. You're going to travel all the way to China to run something as pedestrian as a half marathon? Come on, step up your fucking game!

not so much harsh as completely up your own ass ;D

1/2 Marathons are still challenging.  I don't think anyone should be disparaging anyone else for wanting to get off the sofa and run a bit.  Be it a 5K, 10K, 1/2, or full.  Marathons are difficult and 1/2 Marathons are also very challenging.  Do what you want and have fun.

Would I recommend the great wall marathon for your first?  No, but that's only because the distance itself is quite a challenge and I can't imagine running 26.2 when it seems like alot of it would be climbing A TON of stairs, but it also might be really beautiful and different.

I would try one stateside first before committing to China though.  Just my 2 cents.

Hey runners, any tips on good heart rate monitors?  I bought a shitty one that turned out to be really shitty, and was smashed in a rage during a run.

I don't need one with the GPS or anything…and I'd like one that I can use during other workouts, etc.  Ideally it will auto-take my heartrate without me doing anything, but that's not the end of the world if not.  Any tips?

I have heard good things about Polar heart rate monitors.  But, I don't have personal experience with one.  I run with the Garmin 410.  You can add the heart rate monitor to that, but I never have.

nkotb wrote:
Hey runners, any tips on good heart rate monitors? 

The only one I've ever used was a beta version of the MOTOACTV one.  I was an early adopter of the motoactv watch/mp3/gps and they sent me a HR monitor to use.  It worked really well with the watch, but it's not useful without the watch.

Personally, HR monitors have never been something I've needed, so I haven't tried any. Sorry.

nkotb wrote:
Hey runners, any tips on good heart rate monitors?  I bought a shitty one that turned out to be really shitty, and was smashed in a rage during a run.

I don't need one with the GPS or anything…and I'd like one that I can use during other workouts, etc.  Ideally it will auto-take my heartrate without me doing anything, but that's not the end of the world if not.  Any tips?

the missus has a garmin watch with the optional chest-band heart monitor, but she doesn't use it.  i tried it once and didn't quite get the point.  then again i'm not a serious runner and i'm not training for anything. 

nkotb, what do you use heart info for?  do you vary your pace based on heart rate?  do you analyze afterwards and tweak future runs?  is it just for curiosity's sake?

Well I believe nkotb is 74 years old, so heart monitoring is a keen interest of his.

DING DING DING!

Nah, mostly for calorie burns, tracking conditioning, etc.  My ideal combo is one that keeps time and monitors heart rate..

Relaxer wrote:
Well I believe nkotb is 74 years old, so heart monitoring is a keen interest of his.

Anyone have any spring races planned?  Am running the Shamrock 1/2, Pittsburgh 1/2, and Nike Women's 1/2 (with team in training).  Will hopefully get into Marine Corps Marathon this year.

Training starts Saturday!  Which is good because it's time to start running for real again.

Ran Rehoboth over the weekend with a 16-minute negative split :o  Gonna take some time off from racing until the Rock-n-Roll Half in March.