@MomofWildChild – perhaps scary isn’t the right word. Intimidating? not the right word either. Awesome? that’s absolutely part of it. But someone wrote about how they “only” ran twelve miles recently (I don’t remember who)… that word “only” stuns me. It does make me feel a little less likely to post that I’m really worried about my 10K trail run this weekend (I’m afraid I’ll slip on the mud, since heavy rains are forecast).
I think we do put some people off – most of us try to exercise every day, and considering that most people can barely manage 30 minutes a week (and some of us are married to those people) – anything more than that can seem intimidating.
I exercise between 1-2 hours a day, although sometimes that’s just a long walk. I’ve never run more than 7 miles – my typical run is 3.5-4.5 miles. We have a few people who have run marathons, and so in their training they have to run longer distances. I don’t work full time, and I am impressed and humbled by the full-time workers who manager heavy exercise loads (when I did work full-time, my exercise hours were significantly less, and I missed more days). The most impressive thing about me is that I walk everywhere and avoid the car as much as possible – and my Fitbit steps prove that. I can easily walk 8-9 miles a day.
I do find everyone here to be amazingly supportive.
Yesterday I took a short hike with friends and then did yoga (walked the 2 miles to the yoga studio). Today is weights and maybe a run, and another long walk.
I think quite a bit of it is context, dmd - several posters have been training for marathons and if they had intended to run 14 miles, then running 12 is indeed “only”. We’ve become a group of “regulars” but I hope that newer folks feel just as welcome!
I’m in awe of anyone who does a trail run of any length. I’d be the woman finding all of the tree roots with her feet. That is tough running!
@dmd77 - a year ago at this time, I was a couch surfer. I stumbled on the Couch to 5K program one day, & voila - - 9 months later I have committed to doing a half-marathon, in no small part thanks to the knowledge & inspiration I have gotten from this group. You are probably far more fit & experienced than I am! Come join us!
dmd, the posters here are made of the same human dough and have the same fears as everyone else. I might run “only” 12 miles, but I am in awe of anyone running through muddy woods. Kudos to you for taking on a trail run. Roots and mud scare the dickens out of me! What I found is that sharing my pre-race jitters here helps alleviate the fear - and the posters usually have some practical advice in addition to encouragement.
Thank you for all the supportive remarks. I find road running much more painful than trail running (just too much hard surface), but I do prefer well-groomed trails. (I’m very fortunate to live less a quarter of a mile from 200 acres of Portland park with lovely trails.) All of my runs these days are measured against the ridiculous event my daughter and I did last June, called the Mt. Hood Scramble. It took us three-and-a-half hours to do 6.6 miles–it was a flagged trail over rocks, through a river (six times, no less, and I’ll point out that it was snow melt, and thigh deep, and that by the end it was a real joy to get into and ice those aching knees), and we finished last, and last by so much that they were literally packing up to leave by the time we finished, over an hour after the previous person. (They’d sent out the trail-clearing rabbit just before we came in.) But we did finish. Anyway, a 10K on actual trails, even with an email from the organizer reminding us to wear trail running shoes, seems at least slightly less intimidating. (Since then, I’ve run DFL in several more events (a timed mile in which the entire field lapped me once and the first two finishers lapped me twice) and I’m getting quite good at reminding myself that DFL is better than DNF.)
I do understand how you feel though, dmd - I read a lot of threads in the cafe, but rarely post elsewhere due to feeling much the same as you do about this thread. At this point, most of us posting here know each other as well as we know our IRL friends. We are always happy to welcome new posters though! Gertrude’s avatar makes me laugh every time I see it!
Good Lord - I’m reading your post about the Scramble - my entire body hurts just reading about it! Don’t forget - DFL>DNF>DNS.
I had to look up what DFL is - LOL!
@dmd77, I’m another one who joined board with little organized exercise to my name. I don’t have the ambition to run a marathon, but I do dedicate myself to 30 minutes to an hour of exercise several days a week. That’s my “got to do it”. It might be running (usually an 8-10 mile week), spinning, lots of walking, biking when I can, etc.
Info here though often beyond my aspirations, is still helpful. I don’t feel the need to measure up to anyone - except the goals I set for myself. My motto: “It’s your game to play”.
There is no pressure here to do “more” but there is encouragement if you are THINKING of trying something new. 
Trail running is harder for me than pavement running!
The half marathon that I signed up for has a course limit of 3 hours 15 minutes, which does not give me much of a cushion. I told my DH that I just hope not to be picked up by the “Bus of Shame” that comes to pick up the stragglers. Now I feel bad about that comment - you’re right sabaray: DFL > DNF > DNS!! Just don’t lose to a banana or a hot dog!
Well, thank you, all of you. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Good luck on your trail run, dmd! Please do join the discussion here. This is such a great and supportive group of people. My running all started because of a post suggesting C25K,a few years ago. I believe I made the comment about feeling fit, but not believing I’d ever be able to run a mile I mix up running, weight work at the gym, elliptical trainers, bike riding (big, heavy comfort bike), and do a ton of walking. I devote an hour or two to exercise each day–but that time typically includes a stroll with my husband. Anyway, the support here is really invaluable. So helpful for the mental health to be able to connect with others.
Hope the next 24 hours or so go smoothly, PG! Ugh to the prep.
Thank you for the thoughts on the gels, Michael. Although I did a short run this morning, I opened one today to taste. I was actually fearful, especially reading the flavor reviews and hearing (and chuckling over) MoWC’s reception of the dark news…but it was surprisingly…not bad. I followed up the taste with a good drink of water. Finished the packet when I got back with more water. Honestly, I just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t upset my stomach while I was far away from the “facilities”, and it did not. I typically don’t consume much caffeine, but hopefully the 20mg reported in the GU won’t cause any harm later in the day. I think these will be most beneficial when I’m out on the trail, sweating up buckets, or doing the runs lasting longer than an hour.
About 3 miles in this morning, very foggy and as a result very humid.
Me, I’m just jealous of all the runners! I miss running so much (sigh).
MNK - I’m unfamiliar with your history - did you get injured?
Once upon a time (here comes my fairy tale), I was a pretty accomplished recreational level runner. Never did super long distances but would routinely run 10 miles at a 6:30 pace several times per week. Hilly trail running in the woods was my favorite; it appealed to the primordial beast in me
(For the second time, trying to post from my iPhone has resulted in my post being truncated. 3/4 of what I typed is missing. I will have to post when I’m at a computer. )
I would still be in the hospital if I did that scramble!
Yes, MK I want to hear more! (just like a fairy tale!)
so here’s the rest of my fairy tale if my stupid iPad cooperates…
So one day I got the bright idea to run the Philly Marathon. Genius that I was, I didn’t change my training regimen for the distance. Day of, it was a cold rainy October day and off I went at my normal 10 mile pace and without any notion of event nutrition. At mile 20, suffering from hypothermia, I bonked. So completely, so thoroughly, that I got lost on the course. Which in if it self was quite an accomplishment since after mile 6 the course consisted of running in big circles around East River and West River Drives in Philly. My wife and my best friend found me wandering aimlessly on West River Drive, having no idea of what direction to run in that would take me to the bridge to cross over the Schulkyll River to East River Drive. They forcibly abducted me over my protests that I had only 6 miles to go when I was incapable of identifying in which direction those 6 miles were. In the process, I also developed an overuse injury in my left knee which thereafter required me to use orthotics when running.
My next stellar race experience came the following Spring when I decided to run a 10k. Recalling how I had bonked so badly in the marathon, I decided to apply some event nutrition. So for the first time, I drank Gatorade - the morning of the race, just before the start. Two miles in, I puked from it repeatedly, and that was the end of my running career.
Flash forward to a couple of summers ago. I decided to start running again. So I went out with my 20 something year old superbly conditioned fitness professional daughter while on vacation at the shore. I figured, 5 mile run, piece of cake, cause I can ride 100 miles at speed. A half a mile in, I pulled my Achilles’ tendon so badly I couldn’t walk without real pain for the rest of our vacation. Took me 3 months to heal!
So the moral of this tale is that I’m just not built for running anymore. But I really really miss it. And that’s why I envy all you runners out there.
Oh my gosh Michael, that’s hysterical!
Thanks for sharing Michael - wow, wonder what was going on with you physiologically when you were so bewildered during the marathon? Good cautionary tales here!