As we haven’t been able to run most of the races we love to run this year, it’s forced us to try things we might not have otherwise. Have you gotten really creative with your running, by trying a challenge, a trail, or another place or venue you never expected you would? — Terrell
we've been doing a bunch of virtual races. last week i had a 5k race that i do every year in person. this year it went virtual and for the first time in a while i pushed myself to place. and i did! proof that even though you aren't doing races in person you can still set goals...and achieve them!
I too decided to sign up for a few virtual races to help with motivation and getting outdoors. I ran virtual Stay Home, Smokey Bear and Ratification half marathons. The Ratification race commemorated 100 years of Women’s suffrage. I ran that one with a small group of women. We all took time during our training to study a bit of the history and came together to each declare a quote from the voices of the courageous women. I chose to study Sojourner Truth and learned so much from her. We ran on the weekend it shockingly hit 108 degrees in Southern California. A small price to pay in comparison. Although that race was memorable, my favorite of the 3 was Smokey Bear because I ran that one while my husband Road his bike alongside me. He was born with a disability that prevents him from running, but this is our way of doing it together.
I ran the C&O canal out of Point of Rocks, MD, twice. Once for a virtual 1/2 marathon and one for no reason other than I wanted to run it again in the opposite direction. Hope to get in another run there before the snow flies!
We ran the in-person Run for the Hills trail run here in Williamsburg VA last week. I did the 10k and wife, Jan, did the 5k. The run supports women fighting breast cancer. What made it special was that my strong, courageous, and beautiful Jan recently passed the 5-year milestone and is now completely free of this terrible disease. We will be celebrating her success at our 50th wedding anniversary on January 2.
I was fortunate enough to do the L.A. Marathon on 3/8, California shut down a week later. It was my first marathon and only my second race. I LOVED it!!!!!
Other than that, I have had some training runs on a near by bike trail that passes right next to a small airport. The airplanes take off and land right over my head. That is super cool!
I‘Lloyd be doing the Marine Corps Marathon virtually on 11/8. Hopefully, that’ll qualify as a favorite for the year.
Happy Friday everyone! My favorite run of the year has to be the virtual marathon I just did with 4 other friends last weekend. We made it a trail course, ran pretty much all alone in the grassy trails, and managed to have a great time doing it. Took a few pictures along the way, left early enough to watch the sun rise as we ran and sneak a peek at some deer. I thought I would never run another marathon without the crowds and excitement of the other runners and spectators, but running just for fun, no PR to chase (although I did unintentionally PR!) was freeing and quite enjoyable. We also had friends set up social distance friendly water/aid stations at miles 12 and 20, which was great! Making the most of this strange time we are in. :-)
It’s always good to hear from you guys. I’m a 64 year old 1/2 marathoner. I’ve kept active by participating in virtual races. I do miss the traveling and race atmosphere but the virtual races are an interesting alternative. I’ve also begun to train at another park. It’s good to have multiple venues for training, especially on long days. BTW google my article “Museums and the Marathon Man”. Stay safe everyone. Professor Whitfield
I was lucky to run the Zion National Park Half Marathon by Vacation Races on leap day and was able to enjoy some days exploring Zion and the surrounding area before the virus was recognized as the threat it is. Since then, it's been running around my neighborhood or on my treadmill. I've now done the Charlevoix MI marathon on my treadmill, as well as my first ultramarathon - the Vegan Power 50k. I didn't think I'd run that far on my treadmill but it's where I'm putting in most of my miles these days.
During this Covid season, I actually did more running. JoinIng the 50 states half marathon club In January, prompted me to pursue this goal. When races began to shut down shortly after words, I still kept running. What I did new, was to run 2 half’s in three days. The Runbearlake trifecta for Idaho in Thursday and then Utah on Saturday. I was pleased with my time. I am thinking with the right training that maybe I could do a marathon.
I can't say that I have tried anything new this year, but I have tried to be more focused on building strength by incorporating strength training much more frequently than in the past. Since the pandemic forced the cancellation of my usual training group I created my own to run with. We have kept the group under 10 and we have run together pretty much every Saturday since March. Through the summer months we would go to brunch after our runs and sit outside together, enjoying the weather and each other's company. This has been the thing that has really kept me going since March as it has been a little slice of "normalcy" in a very not normal year. I am sorry to see the colder weather coming as it means the end of our brunches but we will still meet on Saturday mornings to crank out a few miles and enjoy each other's company for just a little while.
I actually have loved the freedom to not be tied to a strict training schedule! I take off and run all the amazing mountain trails here in the Pacific NW. The last 8 weeks I have been training for the Happy Girls trail run in Sisters Oregon and only will be my 2nd organized trail run..... can I say I am REALLY excited for it! With all the hiking and trail running that I have been doing for fun,I feel like I am in the best shape for this run ever !
Weird year to say the least. I ran the Miami Half in February with 25000 people! Who knew it would be the last big race for a long time? Doing the ONENY Challenge (300 miles) in the spring kept me going especially with a chronic PF issue. Done a bunch of virtual races to keep my spirits up, including the McKirdy challenges. Now training for a half in December that is officially canceled except for virtual...and have been on a way more aggressive training schedule which is making me super strong! Believe it or not running an in person little 5k tomorrow - can't wait for an in person race....Oh, and running the St. Louis Half virtually this Sunday as a training run! Let's keep out there everyone!!! So grateful to be a runner
Was able to run my first marathon 26.2 miles at Oak Island, NC on 02/15 and half done the NJ Virtual race (Garden State Parkway 172.4 miles) and the Seaside Heights, NJ Virtual half and the Champions of the Chesapeake Virtual Half. AM completing the Boone to the Outer Banks, NC 400 mile virtual now, have another 18 miles to go. Am hoping to be able to do some in person half marathons next year, like the Wegmans Wineglass Half in Corning, NY.
I’d absolutely love to run the Wineglass Half. I’ve researched it over the years and have just never had the chance to do it — the whole event looks spectacular.
This has definitely been a strange year, not only in the world around us, but also for me personally. One of my training partners organized a half marathon on a scenic paved trail outside of Cincinnati on July 3. We have about 25 in our training group, but he opened the event to everyone who trains with Fleet Feet in Cincinnati. I was only able to run about 4 miles due to a knee injury that ultimately required meniscus surgery. The event was positively joyous. I was able to drive to the finish before anyone had arrived so I could cheer for our friends. One of our injured friends served as the official aid station at intervals along the course. We love each other as family, so the event was special to all of us. Just a post script, my knee surgery was successful, and last week I thought I was within a week or so of resuming my training. However, I was in a hotel room in Dalton, GA on my way home from Walt Disney World and my knee buckled for no reason. I was in extreme pain for two days, and have little stability. I have to get through the next few weeks of helping my wife, who is having surgery on a broken foot on Monday. Once she can function, I will have the knee checked. I made the mistake of Googling the symptoms and I don't like what I see.
Thanks Terrell. I am working remotely, and I don't have any pain while I sit and work. The knee does feel better, and I find that it helps to get up and move around frequently. Late in the afternoon, I do encounter some pain. I'm going to get a simple brace to see if I can reduce the episodes. If it is a sprain, then a brace should help with recovery. If it is worse than a sprain, the pain will persist. That is going to be my regimen for about two weeks. At that point, I will make a decision.
Happy Halloween everyone...it's snowing up here in New England so looks more like December than October. Definitely a "Treadmill day"! In June I signed up for the 90 day One US Run for New England which was fun and kept me motivated every day. No medal, but got a really nice race logo sweatshirt in return for my 750 miles of run/walk. Our goal was to collectively run the perimeter of all 6 NE states virtually. Given some really high mileages reported, we likely hit the goal. 😁 There were One US runs all over the country...did anyone on this thread sign up for their geographic area?
It was that silly "Stranger Distances" run! There was a 3.2mi, a 6.7mi, and an 11.11mi run. It was fun just to have a goal, but I definitely miss racing in person...nothing like the sound of cowbells!
I miss it too. There aren’t many experiences we can have in life as adults where we get to see hundreds/thousands of people cheering us on. It’s something I hope to get back to soon 😀
Hello again, folks. Besides my earlier mentioned solo marathon to support a friend running in the venue, I now can enjoy pure autumn runs like this one near Kartena mound: https://www.strava.com/activities/4254128180 (some pictures inside), or like this morning run in my local town park with some natural obstacles: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bfvTHhN7GPrcfnMTA (https://www.strava.com/activities/4261076077). I don't know what happened to me recently, maybe I became mature at last on my soon to be 45th, but now everyday best attitude for me is "carpe diem" mood and appreciation to have a chance to live one more day happily. Stay safe, stay sane, stay fit everyone!
I've done three challenges this year and they're over a hundred miles it was a lot of fun and I taught myself how to set my times and get my medals and stuff like that I did a lot more racing virtually this year and I did The Rock and roll virtual running too some of it's free so if it's not free vacation racing is amazing organization they had some in-person runs but they do amazing job on the virtual racing I signed up for most of their racing I'm actually right now doing a challenge call at 7/7 and I have had a lot of fun doing this I did the unchallenged project that was a lot of fun in the beginning and I'm really I'm really enjoying this time I'm running a lot more I've done I've done a few more half marathons than I normally do I've meant credible people on the Facebook I love to run and I've built up the community with those people and I love it and next year we hope to be back racing again and I hope to meet some of these people I know from online which will be fun
Oh John, I’m so, so deeply sorry for your loss. I truly have no words, but I am so glad you’ve been able to find some peace through running. You will definitely be in my thoughts, my friend — sending comforting vibes your way. Thank you for sharing it with us 🙏
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you are able to find some comfort in returning to running. It doesn't matter how many miles you run, just that you find solace in it and keep moving forward at the pace that suits/comforts/and motivates you to keep going.
I lost someone very close to me and that is actually why I started running. I didn't know what else to do and moving forward, literally since I was not figuratively, gave me a purpose. Even if that purpose was small, like making it to my first mile without stopping.
I'm so sorry for the sudden loss of your wife. Nothing can ever prepare us for something like this. Way to go on getting back to running. I think that you will find that it will help you feel a little better mentally and potentially give you an outlet for your grief.
I lost my two older sisters this year... I couldn't see either before they passed because no one was allowed into the hospital. A loss is a loss no matter who it is who is close to you. I was told to write down all the things I remember about the person... it gave me something to do and it was something I can look back on, and add to in the future as memories pop into my head. My sympathy goes out to you.
we've been doing a bunch of virtual races. last week i had a 5k race that i do every year in person. this year it went virtual and for the first time in a while i pushed myself to place. and i did! proof that even though you aren't doing races in person you can still set goals...and achieve them!
I too decided to sign up for a few virtual races to help with motivation and getting outdoors. I ran virtual Stay Home, Smokey Bear and Ratification half marathons. The Ratification race commemorated 100 years of Women’s suffrage. I ran that one with a small group of women. We all took time during our training to study a bit of the history and came together to each declare a quote from the voices of the courageous women. I chose to study Sojourner Truth and learned so much from her. We ran on the weekend it shockingly hit 108 degrees in Southern California. A small price to pay in comparison. Although that race was memorable, my favorite of the 3 was Smokey Bear because I ran that one while my husband Road his bike alongside me. He was born with a disability that prevents him from running, but this is our way of doing it together.
I ran the C&O canal out of Point of Rocks, MD, twice. Once for a virtual 1/2 marathon and one for no reason other than I wanted to run it again in the opposite direction. Hope to get in another run there before the snow flies!
To David O, great news about your wife. Best wishes to you guys.
We ran the in-person Run for the Hills trail run here in Williamsburg VA last week. I did the 10k and wife, Jan, did the 5k. The run supports women fighting breast cancer. What made it special was that my strong, courageous, and beautiful Jan recently passed the 5-year milestone and is now completely free of this terrible disease. We will be celebrating her success at our 50th wedding anniversary on January 2.
I was fortunate enough to do the L.A. Marathon on 3/8, California shut down a week later. It was my first marathon and only my second race. I LOVED it!!!!!
Other than that, I have had some training runs on a near by bike trail that passes right next to a small airport. The airplanes take off and land right over my head. That is super cool!
I‘Lloyd be doing the Marine Corps Marathon virtually on 11/8. Hopefully, that’ll qualify as a favorite for the year.
Lol! Weird typo. *I’ll not I’Lloyd!😂
The Gasparilla Half Marathin in Tampa just before collective insanity prevailed.
Happy Friday everyone! My favorite run of the year has to be the virtual marathon I just did with 4 other friends last weekend. We made it a trail course, ran pretty much all alone in the grassy trails, and managed to have a great time doing it. Took a few pictures along the way, left early enough to watch the sun rise as we ran and sneak a peek at some deer. I thought I would never run another marathon without the crowds and excitement of the other runners and spectators, but running just for fun, no PR to chase (although I did unintentionally PR!) was freeing and quite enjoyable. We also had friends set up social distance friendly water/aid stations at miles 12 and 20, which was great! Making the most of this strange time we are in. :-)
It’s always good to hear from you guys. I’m a 64 year old 1/2 marathoner. I’ve kept active by participating in virtual races. I do miss the traveling and race atmosphere but the virtual races are an interesting alternative. I’ve also begun to train at another park. It’s good to have multiple venues for training, especially on long days. BTW google my article “Museums and the Marathon Man”. Stay safe everyone. Professor Whitfield
I was lucky to run the Zion National Park Half Marathon by Vacation Races on leap day and was able to enjoy some days exploring Zion and the surrounding area before the virus was recognized as the threat it is. Since then, it's been running around my neighborhood or on my treadmill. I've now done the Charlevoix MI marathon on my treadmill, as well as my first ultramarathon - the Vegan Power 50k. I didn't think I'd run that far on my treadmill but it's where I'm putting in most of my miles these days.
I love Leap Day!
I did this year!
During this Covid season, I actually did more running. JoinIng the 50 states half marathon club In January, prompted me to pursue this goal. When races began to shut down shortly after words, I still kept running. What I did new, was to run 2 half’s in three days. The Runbearlake trifecta for Idaho in Thursday and then Utah on Saturday. I was pleased with my time. I am thinking with the right training that maybe I could do a marathon.
I can't say that I have tried anything new this year, but I have tried to be more focused on building strength by incorporating strength training much more frequently than in the past. Since the pandemic forced the cancellation of my usual training group I created my own to run with. We have kept the group under 10 and we have run together pretty much every Saturday since March. Through the summer months we would go to brunch after our runs and sit outside together, enjoying the weather and each other's company. This has been the thing that has really kept me going since March as it has been a little slice of "normalcy" in a very not normal year. I am sorry to see the colder weather coming as it means the end of our brunches but we will still meet on Saturday mornings to crank out a few miles and enjoy each other's company for just a little while.
That’s the thing I miss most about my old running group too — the coffee and breakfast afterward 😀
I actually have loved the freedom to not be tied to a strict training schedule! I take off and run all the amazing mountain trails here in the Pacific NW. The last 8 weeks I have been training for the Happy Girls trail run in Sisters Oregon and only will be my 2nd organized trail run..... can I say I am REALLY excited for it! With all the hiking and trail running that I have been doing for fun,I feel like I am in the best shape for this run ever !
That’s such a great perspective, Vicki. What are some of the trails you run up there? (I’m so jealous, living down here in Georgia!)
Weird year to say the least. I ran the Miami Half in February with 25000 people! Who knew it would be the last big race for a long time? Doing the ONENY Challenge (300 miles) in the spring kept me going especially with a chronic PF issue. Done a bunch of virtual races to keep my spirits up, including the McKirdy challenges. Now training for a half in December that is officially canceled except for virtual...and have been on a way more aggressive training schedule which is making me super strong! Believe it or not running an in person little 5k tomorrow - can't wait for an in person race....Oh, and running the St. Louis Half virtually this Sunday as a training run! Let's keep out there everyone!!! So grateful to be a runner
Very cool, Michelle! I can only imagine what it would feel like if I’d run Miami in January too. What are you training for?
Rehoboth Half...they just canceled the Dec 5th in person - so totally bummed!
Was able to run my first marathon 26.2 miles at Oak Island, NC on 02/15 and half done the NJ Virtual race (Garden State Parkway 172.4 miles) and the Seaside Heights, NJ Virtual half and the Champions of the Chesapeake Virtual Half. AM completing the Boone to the Outer Banks, NC 400 mile virtual now, have another 18 miles to go. Am hoping to be able to do some in person half marathons next year, like the Wegmans Wineglass Half in Corning, NY.
I’d absolutely love to run the Wineglass Half. I’ve researched it over the years and have just never had the chance to do it — the whole event looks spectacular.
This has definitely been a strange year, not only in the world around us, but also for me personally. One of my training partners organized a half marathon on a scenic paved trail outside of Cincinnati on July 3. We have about 25 in our training group, but he opened the event to everyone who trains with Fleet Feet in Cincinnati. I was only able to run about 4 miles due to a knee injury that ultimately required meniscus surgery. The event was positively joyous. I was able to drive to the finish before anyone had arrived so I could cheer for our friends. One of our injured friends served as the official aid station at intervals along the course. We love each other as family, so the event was special to all of us. Just a post script, my knee surgery was successful, and last week I thought I was within a week or so of resuming my training. However, I was in a hotel room in Dalton, GA on my way home from Walt Disney World and my knee buckled for no reason. I was in extreme pain for two days, and have little stability. I have to get through the next few weeks of helping my wife, who is having surgery on a broken foot on Monday. Once she can function, I will have the knee checked. I made the mistake of Googling the symptoms and I don't like what I see.
Gene, we’ll be thinking of you, I’m sure! The race sounds like it was a really special experience. Take care of that knee 😃 How are you feeling today?
Thanks Terrell. I am working remotely, and I don't have any pain while I sit and work. The knee does feel better, and I find that it helps to get up and move around frequently. Late in the afternoon, I do encounter some pain. I'm going to get a simple brace to see if I can reduce the episodes. If it is a sprain, then a brace should help with recovery. If it is worse than a sprain, the pain will persist. That is going to be my regimen for about two weeks. At that point, I will make a decision.
Happy Halloween everyone...it's snowing up here in New England so looks more like December than October. Definitely a "Treadmill day"! In June I signed up for the 90 day One US Run for New England which was fun and kept me motivated every day. No medal, but got a really nice race logo sweatshirt in return for my 750 miles of run/walk. Our goal was to collectively run the perimeter of all 6 NE states virtually. Given some really high mileages reported, we likely hit the goal. 😁 There were One US runs all over the country...did anyone on this thread sign up for their geographic area?
My favorite run was a virtual race that I did out of the blue...a 6.7 mi trail race through the gorgeous state park near me. Felt so good to just run.
Nice, Haley! Which virtual race was it? And have you run any more since then?
It was that silly "Stranger Distances" run! There was a 3.2mi, a 6.7mi, and an 11.11mi run. It was fun just to have a goal, but I definitely miss racing in person...nothing like the sound of cowbells!
I miss it too. There aren’t many experiences we can have in life as adults where we get to see hundreds/thousands of people cheering us on. It’s something I hope to get back to soon 😀
Hello again, folks. Besides my earlier mentioned solo marathon to support a friend running in the venue, I now can enjoy pure autumn runs like this one near Kartena mound: https://www.strava.com/activities/4254128180 (some pictures inside), or like this morning run in my local town park with some natural obstacles: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bfvTHhN7GPrcfnMTA (https://www.strava.com/activities/4261076077). I don't know what happened to me recently, maybe I became mature at last on my soon to be 45th, but now everyday best attitude for me is "carpe diem" mood and appreciation to have a chance to live one more day happily. Stay safe, stay sane, stay fit everyone!
You are my hero, Dainius! I think we all can learn a lot from what you’ve discovered. Will check out the pictures today 👍
I've done three challenges this year and they're over a hundred miles it was a lot of fun and I taught myself how to set my times and get my medals and stuff like that I did a lot more racing virtually this year and I did The Rock and roll virtual running too some of it's free so if it's not free vacation racing is amazing organization they had some in-person runs but they do amazing job on the virtual racing I signed up for most of their racing I'm actually right now doing a challenge call at 7/7 and I have had a lot of fun doing this I did the unchallenged project that was a lot of fun in the beginning and I'm really I'm really enjoying this time I'm running a lot more I've done I've done a few more half marathons than I normally do I've meant credible people on the Facebook I love to run and I've built up the community with those people and I love it and next year we hope to be back racing again and I hope to meet some of these people I know from online which will be fun
How awesome is this, Sharon?!
Oh John, I’m so, so deeply sorry for your loss. I truly have no words, but I am so glad you’ve been able to find some peace through running. You will definitely be in my thoughts, my friend — sending comforting vibes your way. Thank you for sharing it with us 🙏
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you are able to find some comfort in returning to running. It doesn't matter how many miles you run, just that you find solace in it and keep moving forward at the pace that suits/comforts/and motivates you to keep going.
I lost someone very close to me and that is actually why I started running. I didn't know what else to do and moving forward, literally since I was not figuratively, gave me a purpose. Even if that purpose was small, like making it to my first mile without stopping.
I wish you well.
I'm so sorry for the sudden loss of your wife. Nothing can ever prepare us for something like this. Way to go on getting back to running. I think that you will find that it will help you feel a little better mentally and potentially give you an outlet for your grief.
Sorry for your losses to both John and Steve. Hoping that running can help manage the pain a bit.
I lost my two older sisters this year... I couldn't see either before they passed because no one was allowed into the hospital. A loss is a loss no matter who it is who is close to you. I was told to write down all the things I remember about the person... it gave me something to do and it was something I can look back on, and add to in the future as memories pop into my head. My sympathy goes out to you.
I’m so sorry to hear this, Steve. My heart goes out to you, my friend.
Hi John, keep on running! Your 2 miles look to me as a 20 miles! You are great, do not give up