<p>Cool info on the run - for some reason I do like the races with a ton of people but maybe that’s because it’s the only type that I’ve run. Any more details? What part of the crowd did you start with? Did you have to do any zig-zagging? Did you run into a blocker (that’s what I call someone that you just can’t seem to get around for a long time)? What was the water table like?</p>
<p>On shirts - I like the more fitted shirts now - those that fit well. I find that the Nike Runner shirts have a tighter cut than the Dri-Fit Tees. The downside is that the shirts that I like run about twice the DriFit Tees, but the materials are very nice. A cheaper approach is to get the Pro Combat shirts but I’ve found that those are now loose in the neck and under the stomach.</p>
<p>I ran two miles, did my stretching video and situps. I wanted to run five today but had a bunch of errands to take care of before taking my wife to the airport. It’s a bit late to go outside so I’ll have to make up the mileage tomorrow. It looks like this week might be more of a 4 miles per day week than a 5 unless I have an inspired day. I was invited to play doubles too but there was no way to fit it in.</p>
<p>Let’s see. The results are up online now, and I’m seeing a total of about 4000 finishers between the longer and shorter races. Both my husband and I heard 5000 at the race. I don’t know what the other 1000 is. Maybe some of the count was the kids’ run, people who changed their mind upon seeing the gloomy weather, ones who started but didn’t finish, came in after a certain time, or ? Those are the guesses I’ve come up with so far.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m thinking I started 150 or 200 ft from the front of the pack. Interestingly for a big race, there weren’t signs at the side with paces directing people where to line up. I started in a good spot. Not too many people passing me and not held up by overly many. Some zigging and zagging but not bad because we were running on streets where there was plenty of room. Or maybe it makes a big difference starting at the right place in the pack! </p>
<p>I don’t think there were race photographers there. That’s good – most of us probably arrived at the finish line looking like wet rats. The rain wasn’t really that bad and it didn’t last the whole time.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No, fortunately. A lot of people seemed to wait until the last minute to start lining up for this race, too. Not sure why. But then there were several that sandwiched their way in right in the area where I was at the last minute, making it slightly claustrophobic. I helped the runners in front of me get in a couple of group photos. They were dressed up in special outfits for the event. There was a lady who was freezing next to me, no jacket or long sleeves, and couldn’t wait for the race to get started. There was the pushy lady who I was very happy to later pass and leave in the dust. Well, you know, that’s how it feels when somebody keeps shoving you. I would say I encountered mostly plenty of chipper, good natured people, and it was a little more relaxed than I thought it might be with this big a group.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No water table, only water coming from overhead.</p>
<p>That’s what I can think of for now! Oh, oh, oh, I placed well for my division!</p>
<p>Nice job, Deborah. Glad the shirt was a keeper.
BB - happy to hear you are cleared to get back to running. Hopefully tomorrow will be a beautiful day for you.</p>
<p>Day of Sloth for me. Literally did not get out of my p.j.s…</p>
<p>Cals 1243
Fat 99 g
Carbs 42 g
Fiber 19 g
Protein 63 g
Sugars 6 g</p>
<p>Low carb (30%) day. Daughter cooked dinner - she cooks tasty food too - I hope that doesn’t become a problem. We had a late lunch at Faneuil Hall and I cleaned up my daughters carton that she couldn’t finish - sweet and sour chicken - dangerous stuff. It was way too sweet.</p>
<p>Today would have been a good day to be a sloth, but even without sleep* I was ready and raring to go this morning after two days of “rest” – no particular exercise – in preparation.</p>
<p>Clarification re water table. Maybe they had one at a mid-point for the longer race – I wouldn’t have seen it. They did have water available at the finish.</p>
<p>Clarification II: Place well in division meaning top 15% of division.</p>
<p>Thanks for asking, BC. It’s fun to revel in it for a while.</p>
<ul>
<li>yup, too wound up </li>
</ul>
<p>5K is pretty short compared to what a lot of you guys have been doing for your workouts lately. Just the longer runs I’ve been doing seems to mean recovery from 5Ks is getting to be quicker. Or maybe it means I could have started sprinting hard sooner. Easy to say that now, right? ;)</p>
<p>Kudos, Deborah, on your race!
Slothful weekend overall as I was out of town visiting mcson. Still having issues with upper back but the spasms have calmed down somewhat. I’ll just be doing my usual hill this a.m. April has been a funny month on the weightloss front for me. Was kind of flatlined for the first two weeks, then suddenly dropped 2 lbs over the last week and a bit even though I’d actually increased my caloric intake a bit. I’d had a hunch I was averaging a little below my metabolic baseline so readjusted the budget to remind my body not to conserve, and it seems to have worked for the moment. Interesting!</p>
<p>KMC, I think we are on a similar trajectory with the weight loss. I will “stall out” - then reduce exercise and increase caloric intake and see a big drop. My problem is now that livestrong is recommending less than 1000 calories per day to lose 2 pounds a week and I honestly don’t think I can or want to do that - just don’t think it’s sustainable in the long run. So I may need to adjust my desired rate of loss. </p>
<p>CJane, your day sounds wonderful to me. Off to the grind again today. Rest day but may try to do C25K anyway. Sabadog has his last class tonight for a while - hopefully we will graduate!</p>
<p>This article is timely for me and I’d like to hear from you other runners - both the newbies and the more experienced.</p>
<p>For whatever reason, I’ve always had the mentality that when I run I must not stop. If I’m running 2 miles or 3, my mind feels that there is more success in it if I run completely without stopping. However, I also note that I (especially in a race or group run) get anxious the first 10 mins or so and my breathing can be a bit crazy. After 10 ish mins I find my breathing becomes more regular. I have noted though, that if I run for 10 mins or so and then take just 20-30 seconds of walking, I can start back up with a much recovered breathing pattern for the rest of my run.</p>
<p>So this article this morning was timely for me. I don’t want to combine as much walking as they speak of, but I guess I need to hear that “it’s ok” to take that 20 seconds - even in a race to regroup my breathing - is it a good idea or how “not” a good idea???</p>
<p>I know some of you often combine a run/walk session - obviously the C25K that got me where I am the last few months advocated this pattern too.</p>
<p>Will be curious to hear your thoughts on this. At this point I don’t have the desire to do more than 5K running so for myself, I’m not looking at a 10K or plus race.</p>
<p>Edited to add: this phrase in the article also sums up where the short break seems to help me mentally: “Break up the distance into manageable units (“I can go for two more minutes”)”</p>
<p>I have Livestrong set at 1/2 pound a week, I have no interest in 1000 calorie a day diets! I gained a couple of pounds over the weekend - hopefully it’s just the extra soy sauce - we celebrated under the cherry blossoms twice!</p>
<p>Interesting article, abasket. I am using Runkeeper along with C25K but haven’t spent much time on their site. I do think there is some truth to walking early - I have noticed my running times are much faster the second half of the C25K workout than the first half.</p>
<p>abasket, thanks for posting. I had just read this same article and was wondering things too. How many 5K and 10K runners actually take a walking break in a race? To this running newbie whose experience is limited to viewing race finishes, or high school track meets, it seems the answer is never; the running is not interrupted. Run walk activity seems to be more natural to us as a species, no? I too think that the walking intervals make the following running intervals easier on the legs and breathing. And it’s definitely easier mentally to know that it’s okay to take a break to walk.</p>
<p>Plantmom, it’s funny though- when I talk to people/friends and say that I have started running now and doing a 5Ks, they always say “do you run the whole way?” - but I have never considered doing otherwise! </p>
<p>I should be doing a 5K this Sunday so I may “trial” this - with just a 20 second walk at the two water stations. Or one of them. I just know the anxiousness/anxiety I feel at the beginning is really relieved if I take that few seconds to regroup my breathing. And perhaps the anxiousness will eventually cease when I have a few races under my belt. </p>
<p>Funny how you overthink things. I mean, I have started running at age 53 - geez, if I need to walk for a few seconds why am I second guessing it?!! The article was a good read for me - just even for consideration.</p>
<p>From my limited experience, lots of people put walk breaks in at races, even 5ks. I imagine that the longer the race, the more walk breaks will happen. I try not to walk in a 5k, but I have. I’ve only done one 10k, and I had to walk part of it. I’m going to try not to walk in my next one, but you never know how you’ll feel on the day, so I don’t rule it out!</p>
<p>And I shouldn’t say HAVE TO WALK, because I can absolutely run the 3.1 without walking. But even the one short stop (even if it’s just to cross the street walking) seems to help me regain breathing control. Now if I DON’T walk, breathing does iron out - just takes a little longer.</p>
<p>It’s pretty funny, isn’t it? Yeah, I don’t want to walk once I’ve started running mostly as a matter of pride. My first race I started out too fast, and that meant that somewhere around 20 mins in I had to start walking. Then I ran again. Then I had to walk again as I recall. Followed by more running, and I was able to sprint at the end, sigh. It ticked me off that for my next two or three races I gauged my start pace better and ran the whole way, yet didn’t beat the time of my first race. Grrr. </p>
<p>I think I normally run a negative split, faster second half than first. That’s the way I like to do it. For me, the key to not feeling like I need to walk is to start slow enough and not push my speed up too rapidly. I notice that for some reason when I’m running I will often feel better around the 28 min point than I do around 20-25. I’m not sure why. For the longest run I did, just over 4 1/2 mi, I felt really loose the last five or six mins. I felt like I could have gone longer but chose not to because I didn’t want to regret it afterward.</p>
The rain wasn’t really that bad and it didn’t last the whole time.</p>
A lot of people seemed to wait until the last minute to start lining up for this race, too. Not sure why. But then there were several that sandwiched their way in right in the area where I was at the last minute, making it slightly claustrophobic. I helped the runners in front of me get in a couple of group photos. They were dressed up in special outfits for the event. There was a lady who was freezing next to me, no jacket or long sleeves, and couldn’t wait for the race to get started. There was the pushy lady who I was very happy to later pass and leave in the dust. Well, you know, that’s how it feels when somebody keeps shoving you. I would say I encountered mostly plenty of chipper, good natured people, and it was a little more relaxed than I thought it might be with this big a group.</p>