Newbie Racing Plans

[Bare Lee]

This may be the year I become a racer. Or not. So far, a very inauspicious beginning:

Today - Securian Winter Run, 5K.
Scratch that, I'm just getting over the flu, and it'll be too cold to run it barefoot. The idea was to start with a 5K, then build to a 10K, 10mi, and half Mary. As Mike Tyson said, "Everyone has a plan, until you get hit."

4/27 - Get in Gear, 10K.
So, scratching today's 5K, this will be my first race since ninth grade, when I went out for track one year because I was bored of baseball. I played right field, batted ninth. Track was even more boring, however, so the next year I went back to baseball, but by then I had lost my starting spot, so I quit spring sports altogether the next year. Anyway, this should be a good maiden race. It's down by the river where I frequently run, so it will all be very familiar to me. And it'll only cost $20 bucks to lose my racing virginity.

6/9 - Lola's Run Lake Waconia, 10 miles.
Building from 10K, this will be a nice, moderate bump up in distance. It's also a very nice course, basically one long loop around a pretty suburban lake. And I'll probably be able to park the family for a picnic nearby.

8/3 - Minnesota Half Marathon.
I figure if I become a racer, the half mary is most likely going to be my distance. Not so short that I'll feel like I have to run fast, but not so far that I'll have to do any special training. A good no expectations distance. We'll see. If I end up liking racing, I'll probably sign up for one or two more in the fall. If I end up not liking racing, at least I'll have been able to meet Dutchie and Dama at this one. It's just three days before my birthday, so hopefully I can weasel a few rounds of ale out of them.

Of course, the fact that I'm even thinking about racing is the fault of everyone here at BRS.

 

[Tristan]

Missed this post earlier. Wish you luck man, I was in your spot last year with my big start over barefoot. I had started to get back into running and racing a couple years prior shod, but only 5ks and usually only 2 each year, one of which I ran with my friend who's pace was much slower. Last year I took it easy early on since I was still getting used to barefoot, I think I did 4 races total and only 2 of them I actually raced. But I'm calling last year a success and continuing onward and upward. This year I'm going all out, already did two 5ks and a 10k. Signed up for another 10k in a couple weeks and two half marathons a couple weeks after that, and my first full marathon in October.

Just remember you don't have to push yourself in a race, heck plenty of people walk. Its a donation to charity, and some races are just fun or maybe scenic. It does give you the chance to maybe push a little faster than you normally would though. I try to not worry about place so much, I've never placed in any race other than my small middle of nowhere town's 5k with like a couple dozen people. Even the last 10k I ran that I got 13th overall, I still didnt get in the top 3 in my age group.

Hopefully we'll both have some firsts this year...

 

[Bare Lee]

Missed this post earlier. Wish you luck man, I was in your spot last year with my big start over barefoot. I had started to get back into running and racing a couple years prior shod, but only 5ks and usually only 2 each year, one of which I ran with my friend who's pace was much slower. Last year I took it easy early on since I was still getting used to barefoot, I think I did 4 races total and only 2 of them I actually raced. But I'm calling last year a success and continuing onward and upward. This year I'm going all out, already did two 5ks and a 10k. Signed up for another 10k in a couple weeks and two half marathons a couple weeks after that, and my first full marathon in October.

Just remember you don't have to push yourself in a race, heck plenty of people walk. Its a donation to charity, and some races are just fun or maybe scenic. It does give you the chance to maybe push a little faster than you normally would though. I try to not worry about place so much, I've never placed in any race other than my small middle of nowhere town's 5k with like a couple dozen people. Even the last 10k I ran that I got 13th overall, I still didnt get in the top 3 in my age group.

Hopefully we'll both have some firsts this year...

Thanks for the advice and encouragement Tristan. I will definitely not be racing this year, just checking out the scene as my running fitness continues to develop. I'll be a 'just finish' racer in other words. I got too far behind with my nagging injuries in the fall and winter to have any real hope of decent performances this year. If I end up digging it, then next year I may try to push it a bit, get caught up in PRs, and maybe even placing, although I'm already assured of winning the barefoot classification in most races!

P.S., Glad to see you back on the mileage forum!

P.S.P.S., I started doing "woodchoppers" in my weight routine (with dumbbells and standing barbell), in your honor.

 

[Bare Lee]

Well, I knew this was coming, but now it's official: my wife has prohibited me from running in any mass event races. I could argue it, but it's not worth the stress it would cause her. So I guess I'm going to stay stuck as an ordinary recreational runner.

 

[Barefoot Dama]

Well, I knew this was coming, but now it's official: my wife has prohibited me from running in any mass event races. I could argue it, but it's not worth the stress it would cause her. So I guess I'm going to stay stuck as an ordinary recreational runner.

 

[dutchie53]

So, does that mean no halve in August Lee? I will still be there, how about Dama, still running that one?

 

[Bare Lee]

So, does that mean no halve in August Lee? I will still be there, how about Dama, still running that one?

Doesn't look good, but her mind might change between then and now. If I can't, it'd still be great to meet up at some point over an ale or two.

 

[mokaman]

Well, I knew this was coming, but now it's official: my wife has prohibited me from running in any mass event races. I could argue it, but it's not worth the stress it would cause her. So I guess I'm going to stay stuck as an ordinary recreational runner.

Oh what a terrible thing to be stuck stuck as an ordinary runner I didn't race at all last year and don't miss it a bit... it doesn't really factor in either way for me on the enjoyment of running.

 

[Bare Lee]

Oh what a terrible thing to be stuck stuck as an ordinary runner I didn't race at all last year and don't miss it a bit... it doesn't really factor in either way for me on the enjoyment of running.

Yep, next step is to ditch the Garmin . . .

I remember last Saturday, I was running through a long section of gravel, slush, cold mud and puddles, and worried a bit about my overall pace for the run dropping. Really dumb. Really out of the moment. It's funny, I don't have any benchmarks (so to speak) or goals for strength-training, why did I develop them for running?

Wait a minute, ditch the Garmin, that's crazy talk . . .

 

[NickW]

Yep, next step is to ditch the Garmin . . .

I remember last Saturday, I was running through a long section of gravel, slush, cold mud and puddles, and worried a bit about my overall pace for the run dropping. Really dumb. Really out of the moment. It's funny, I don't have any benchmarks (so to speak) or goals for strength-training, why did I develop them for running?

Wait a minute, ditch the Garmin, that's crazy talk . . .

I now only use the Garmin on days that I am wanting to pay attention to mileage and/or pace. On routes that I know the exact distance of I don't bother bringing the Garmin with me unless I am worried about trying to maintain a certain pace. I'm getting even less focused on that and more just running at whatever my body says is a good pace. Only reason I worry about mileage is so I don't over do things and I track my mileage. It's easy to be able to look at and say, ok I was averaging 12 miles a week here and had no injuries, but once I bumped the mileage to x miles I started having injuries.

 

[Bare Lee]

I now only use the Garmin on days that I am wanting to pay attention to mileage and/or pace. On routes that I know the exact distance of I don't bother bringing the Garmin with me unless I am worried about trying to maintain a certain pace. I'm getting even less focused on that and more just running at whatever my body says is a good pace. Only reason I worry about mileage is so I don't over do things and I track my mileage. It's easy to be able to look at and say, ok I was averaging 12 miles a week here and had no injuries, but once I bumped the mileage to x miles I started having injuries.

Yah, I don't really worry about pace while I run anymore, just look it up afterwards. When I run I go by perceived effort. Still, when I start doing intervals again I'll probably dust off the pace alert function once more. And it would be hard to give up knowing what my mileage is, and I rarely run the exact same route. Still-still, Google Maps gives good approximations, so it's within the realm of possibility . . .

 

[NickW]

Right now with me just getting back into running I have very limited routes. Once I can build my distance back up it will open back up tremendously for me. Right now I can run to the park, 0.555 miles, and back or I can run hills (probably not good right now since I am still trying to get better). I guess no matter what route I run here I still have some hills, but some are smaller than others so those are my "flat" routes. I can't wait till my distance gets back up to me running in the big park. It's about 1.5 miles one way down to it and has miles and miles of blissful truly flat running in it. Often times it's flooded which is super fun to run in when barefoot or in huaraches.

 

[Bare Lee]

Right now with me just getting back into running I have very limited routes. Once I can build my distance back up it will open back up tremendously for me. Right now I can run to the park, 0.555 miles, and back or I can run hills (probably not good right now since I am still trying to get better). I guess no matter what route I run here I still have some hills, but some are smaller than others so those are my "flat" routes. I can't wait till my distance gets back up to me running in the big park. It's about 1.5 miles one way down to it and has miles and miles of blissful truly flat running in it. Often times it's flooded which is super fun to run in when barefoot or in huaraches.

Yep, I probably shouldn't confirm your thoughts on that, lest you become overly exuberant and push the distance too soon, but that's the great thing about greater distances: so many more route possibilities, so many more places to explore and have little adventures. As I was saying a week or so ago, once I'm firmly in the 10-15 mile range it'll really get fun. Just to be able to run down to the Mississippi River and back is cool. I got another route figured out that will take me out to a suburban lake and back, a lake where we always used to go swimming in the summer when I was a kid. And I can run to either downtown. So my thinking today--could change tomorrow--is to do real workouts during the week--tempo, interval, hills--about an hour each time, and then have my long, fun run on the weekends, checking out new areas, stopping to look around and stretch, just have fun. That way I'd never be doing the same pace, so there's less chance of getting repetitive stress problems on the longer runs.

So yeah, not having the expectation of having to run a certain distance at a certain pace within a certain time frame has been a little liberating, I find, as the day progresses, even though I was already prepared to bail on the half if the progress slowed. Too bad such awful circumstances led to this release though.

 

[NickW]

Oh I'm not gonna get too exuberant yet. Hell, I would have to look back in my logs, but I think the last time I did a run over 5 miles was probably back in December, maybe even November. I've lost all exuberance. This is my year for getting healthy, so if it takes me the whole year so be it. Once completely healthy I will start having more fun and extending out my runs, slowly. I will say the last couple days I have gone around only barefoot or in my huaraches and man have I noticed a huge difference. I am thinking I need less shoes and more barefoot time. Still have this pain but it's not as bad. Tomorrow I see the new dr so we'll see what he says and then maybe I can convince him to get me an mri so I don't have to keep playing this guessing game. I wish I could have stayed with the same doc, too bad he had a non-compete and so now can't work here for 6 months until that non-compete expires.