Marathon Tips?

K8teebug wrote:
Anyone have any spring races planned? 

Kaiser Half through Golden Gate Park on Super Bowl Sunday and one other one before the Napa to Sonoma Half in July.

It sucks that they made the MCM registration this year on a day smack dab in the middle of what is Spring Break week for alot of people/families. I'm going to have to put off going to the beach until later in the day so I can get my ass to an internet cafe where hopefully I'll be able to register and nobody will steal my credit card info.

You should probably post your credit card info here so that we can all be on the lookout for it and let you know if we see it being used for nefarious purposes.

James wrote:
It sucks that they made the MCM registration this year on a day smack dab in the middle of what is Spring Break week for alot of people/families. I'm going to have to put off going to the beach until later in the day so I can get my ass to an internet cafe where hopefully I'll be able to register and nobody will steal my credit card info.

Good.  Maybe it will be easier for some of us to register.  I'm worried that it's going to be a fiasco like chicago.

anyone running shamrock this weekend?  I will be there!

K8teebug wrote:
I'm worried that it's going to be a fiasco like chicago.

I was just asked to run Chicago - tell me more……

K8teebug wrote:
anyone running shamrock this weekend?  I will be there!

I'm running the RNR half…

My wife did her personal record at Chicago. Very flat, fast course. Didn't seem to sell our quickly, but that was a number of years ago.

vansmack wrote:

K8teebug wrote:
I'm worried that it's going to be a fiasco like chicago.

I was just asked to run Chicago - tell me more……

It took 2 hours, 47 minutes to sell out last year. How does that equate to being difficult to register for?

K8teebug wrote:

James wrote:
It sucks that they made the MCM registration this year on a day smack dab in the middle of what is Spring Break week for alot of people/families. I'm going to have to put off going to the beach until later in the day so I can get my ass to an internet cafe where hopefully I'll be able to register and nobody will steal my credit card info.

Good.  Maybe it will be easier for some of us to register.  I'm worried that it's going to be a fiasco like chicago.

anyone running shamrock this weekend?  I will be there!

vansmack wrote:

K8teebug wrote:
I'm worried that it's going to be a fiasco like chicago.

I was just asked to run Chicago - tell me more……

So many people tried to register for it that the site kept crashing.  After 30,000 people registered (and it was crazy trying to figure out if you were…people were charged multiple times, etc.)  They ended up going lottery for the last 10,000 spots.  My friend tried for 4 hours to register.

I'm just a little worried that everyone knows MCM sold out so fast last year and the same thing is going to happen next week…

looks like i've got a bib for the cherry blossom 10 miler.  i believe it will be the longest distance i have ever run, pretty sure that 9 is my current long.

sweetcell wrote:
looks like i've got a bib for the cherry blossom 10 miler.  i believe it will be the longest distance i have ever run, pretty sure that 9 is my current long.

Great race!  Looks like the cherry blossoms will actually be around for it this year!

Peak dates were announced as March 26-30. Race is April 7.

K8teebug wrote:

sweetcell wrote:
looks like i've got a bib for the cherry blossom 10 miler.  i believe it will be the longest distance i have ever run, pretty sure that 9 is my current long.

Great race!  Looks like the cherry blossoms will actually be around for it this year!

K8teebug wrote:
Great race! 

i've heard that it's a less-than-awesome race because it's so damn crowded.  you're pretty much stuck running at the speed of the pack, which may or may not be your desired or optimal speed.

James wrote:
Peak dates were announced as March 26-30. Race is April 7.

blossoms should last a week after peak, so they will be around…

I ran it last year.  There were ZERO blossoms as it was 2 weeks after the peak date.  And it was still fun.  it's a crowded race, but I'm not running to win it.  I just like to run different races and have a good time.

I decided not to run it this year because I ran too many in a row last year.

K8teebug wrote:
I ran it last year.  There were ZERO blossoms as it was 2 weeks after the peak date.  And it was still fun.  it's a crowded race, but I'm not running to win it.  I just like to run different races and have a good time.

I decided not to run it this year because I ran too many in a row last year.

FWIW, Pike's Peek is a far superior race.

grateful wrote:
FWIW, Pike's Peek is a far superior race.

yup, i'll be running that too however it's a 10K, not a 10 miler.

That's too close to Clyde's/Nike for me.  I run the Clyde's 10K every year.  It was my first race and it's down the street from my house.  Also, it's a really fun after-race party!

Beat my PR by 10 minutes at the Shamrock 1/2 on Sunday!  Probably would have beat it by more, but I hit a little wall at mile 11.

I've never understood why people pay money and get up early and travel to do 5K and 10K races. It seems like alot of time and effort to do something that you can do on your own anyway.

For me, that extends right up to a half marathon, as I typically run 13 miles EVERY Saturday (actually i've cut back to 9 while not training for a marathon, but it used to be 13).

Now a marathon I can understand. Having others going through the agony with you helps to push you to the finish, and having 26.2 miles of pavement without cars helps too.

James wrote:
I've never understood why people pay money and get up early and travel to do 5K and 10K races. It seems like alot of time and effort to do something that you can do on your own anyway.

For me, that extends right up to a half marathon, as I typically run 13 miles EVERY Saturday (actually i've cut back to 9 while not training for a marathon, but it used to be 13).

A race is completely different from a training run.  I ran the RNR 1/2 at an 8:15 pace, but will likely run a fun 16-miler this weekend at a 10:30.  For my next 5K, I'm hoping to break a 7:00…but would never even attempt to do that on a Tuesday morning…

James wrote:
I've never understood why people pay money and get up early and travel to do 5K and 10K races. It seems like alot of time and effort to do something that you can do on your own anyway.

For me, that extends right up to a half marathon, as I typically run 13 miles EVERY Saturday (actually i've cut back to 9 while not training for a marathon, but it used to be 13).

Now a marathon I can understand. Having others going through the agony with you helps to push you to the finish, and having 26.2 miles of pavement without cars helps too.

we're not all you.

you're an accomplished long distance runner, WE GET IT.  for some people, 10K is a big deal.  i'm fairly confident in saying that the average american can't run 5 miles in under 50 minutes so participating in a 10K makes you above-average.

running any distance on your own - whether it's 5K or 26.2 miles - isn't the same as doing it in a timed race.  you don't push yourself in the same way, you don't have the encouragement, you don't have the resources (water, cleared roads, etc).  i've never run as hard on sunday morning as i have at a race.

your constant berating of any distance other than a full marathon makes you come across like a prick.  i'm sure that's not be your intention.