<p>Sabaray, in order to have some idea what to expect (even though numbers can vary a fair amount from year to year), I like to look at a past year or two of race results online. I get an idea of how many people do the run, where I might reasonably expect to place overall, in my age group, and for females, and also, based on the volume of runners and my pace, where I might want to line up initially (though now, after nine races, I have a better idea how to gauge that).</p>
<p>When you look at those past years’ results it makes it much easier to see that unless one is very fast or there’s a calamity, one will likely be finishing somewhere there in the middle of the pack. :)</p>
<p>To each his own, but I also know that I personally can “deal” with the anxiousness/anxiety when I know that in 35 mins or less I will be breathing normally and over and done with the challenge - and I can break that 30ish mins into nice, small, compact parts when I’m running the “race”.</p>
<p>Awesome site, abasket. Thank you! Most of my “local” races are fund raisers for local organizations that I will not support or are 200 people or less. I should definitely be able to find one on that site.</p>
<p>Wow, there are so many new posts to read to catch up with what’s been happening here. I’m on the road again and have limited ability to check in here. Have to find the time to run my easy 5 miles sometimes today. This Sunday is the last long run, and then taper!</p>
<p>Abasket and sabaray - that is why I like the Color Runs - because you know when each kilometer is over since you can see the color in the distance - and I can say to myself, “Ok, just make it to the yellow and then you can walk.” And then when I get to the yellow, “Ok, just make it to the blue and then you can walk.” Etc.</p>
<p>I will say, though, I am intimidated by signing up for a “real” timed 5K or one that would attract serious-minded runners. So I’m letting it be, by doing my fourth and fifth Color Runs this fall.</p>
<p>PG, I wear a watch and try to look at it close to when I step on the blue timing start pad so I can tell during the run how long I’ve been going. Since I know around how long it usually takes me to run 5K, that tells me how much is left. Sometimes there’s a race map online, too, which might show elevation changes. If you look at that ahead of time you’ll know during the race, oh, here’s that mini hill that’s about 1/3 of the way through the run. Sometimes I check out the race route days or weeks ahead of time, sometimes not. Bear in mind, I’ve intentionally chosen flat courses! Hat tip to CJane. Thank you. One of these days maybe I’ll brave a race with hills.</p>
<p>sabaray… Thanks!
I have done several 5Ks…walking! There are always walkers in the races/runs. The Park 2 Park in Iowa that my family does attracts ranked runners but I still plod along at my own pace! I like it because it is a beautiful setting in the fall with very nice people. You will find the perfect run for you!</p>
<p>So I have been very careful the past few days and eating gluten free items and having no wine :eek: . Seriously, in 2 days I have lost 7 pounds of water weight! Talk about inflammation! No wonder I feel bloated all of the time.</p>
<p>ucb: Deborah was correct… it was 1000 calories eaten! ;)</p>
<p>On the other hand, Saba, if you don’t race, I think you’ll still be happy just completing the training. At least that’s how I feel I don’t enjoy the idea of the competitive part at all. But I am also always going to be SLOWWWW. </p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback on my son, idad. There are no steroids, thank goodness. But just the idea that he’d load up on any kind of calorie to get bigger seems unhealthy, not to mention, just stupid. He’s so confident that he can control his weight. Oh 18 yo arrogance mixed with advice from weightlifting friends.</p>
<p>I haven’t been to many (if any) 5Ks or 10Ks or half marathons in the last few years where a significant number of participants were not walkers. These events are really attracting walkers- including our corporate “running” team. That is fine. I wouldn’t hesitate to go to a local race these days even if you know you are going to walk a lot. It is WAY different from when I started back in the 70s and only fairly serious runners participated. Besides that- nobody cares how slow you are! (I finally figured that out) The fact that you are even out there puts you ahead of everyone back home in bed or on the couch! If you ever went to a large half-marathon race expo (like a Rock n Roll series) and saw the people picking up their packets, you would never again feel self conscious. I promise. The only thing that can be a problem is if the course is structured incorrectly and the faster runners get tangled up in the walkers and slower paced runners.</p>
<p>That is my downfall - I am running and I start mentally calculating - well, this is probably a 4 minute song - that’s a 3 minute song - so that must mean I’m doing xxx … and then I have to remind myself to just stay in the moment and take it one footfall at a time. This is not an easy thing for me, but it’s something running is helping with.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it for now. It’s hard for an athletic 18 year old male to overeat. They have to consume massive amounts of calories to fuel the muscle growth. They are muscle building machines in the transition during the college years.</p>
<p>Around here the electric run is called The Rave Run. D2 just did one a month or so ago. It was very unorganized and had way too many people because they ran a Groupon and Social Living special. The traffic was backed up on roads for miles and many people missed the start of the run.</p>
<p>Last year, I had signed up for a run called the Hot Chocolate 5K, run by a local running store (that puts on many events). I thought it would be a fun thing to branch out from the Color Runs and who can argue with hot chocolate at the end? You had to pick up your packet at Soldier Field; I started to drive down there on Friday around noon, checked Facebook, and apparently the lines were several hours long. It was a logistics disaster -they had way underbooked the number of people you needed to register a crowd of this size. People were standing in the cold for hours to get to a small, warm tent. Then, they screwed up the numbers and chips so if you were really participant 34202, your shoe chip was that of participant 18445. They also screwed up the sizes of the sweatshirts so people were receiving the wrong sizes. (This went well beyond the “there will always be a few mistakes” crowd – it was systematic.) They additionally started the 15K’ers - including many “serious” runners who were trying to qualify for the marathon – alongside the recreational 5K’ers, so the 15K’ers were tripping over the 5K’ers. And the path went through alleyways and parking garages - when it was in downtown Chicago with the lakefront right there! You can google Hot Chocolate 5K Chicago and read all the complaints!</p>
<p>Now, obviously a city this size registers thousands of people for runs (Chicago marathon, Shamrock Shuffle, etc.) all the time - but they were totally unprepared. I wound up bagging on it, which is a shame because the concept was kind of cute, and that can keep me motivated. I’m not ashamed to admit I can use a gimmick!</p>
<p>I’d thought about doing the Hot Chocolate 5K, but it looked to have hills so I didn’t do that one. I was told by a couple of people afterward that it was a tough run, hilly, but I think they did the 15K. I don’t think I talked to anyone who did the 5K.</p>
<p>I only quickly did a search to find the electric run link, didn’t look closely at the pictures. Somehow I think there were different photos before. It looks really packed in these. I do recall now that it seemed like they were planning for a very large number of participants. Hm… Maybe not. That’s looking a little wild. Thanks for the heads up, NMinn.</p>
<p>Back from the basement. Did my little kettlebell circuit again. 17 minutes and 58 seconds of sweating and grunting.</p>
<p>Did both sides without stopping in between for the first two rounds, but the push presses at the end of the second side were doing me rather than vice versa. Panted for a count of 10 between sides on the third and fourth sets.</p>
I’m on the road again and have limited ability to check in here. Have to find the time to run my easy 5 miles sometimes today. This Sunday is the last long run, and then taper!</p>