Runlopnik? Oppositejog?

"Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle" (1500sand535)
09/01/2016 at 16:21 • Filed to: Oppositejog

Anyone on Oppo a runner? Training for anything in particular? Next race? I’m getting back into it after taking a little too long off and wouldn’t mind some tails of great training or racing success to keep me motivated.

I ran 4x400 last night on the track with 100 walk/jog inbetween. Laps were 76, 76, 76, 80. I’d eaten literally right before I ran but I didn’t want to miss my chance. It’s mostly just a workout to get my legs moving but as you can tell, the wheels fell off on the last one.

Mileage in the last week was probably 18. I’m trying to build back up to 40ish. I have no races planned but I’m going to sign up for a 5k before the end of the month. In my wildest dreams, I'd get back into decent 1500m shape and go mix things up in open d2/d3 track meets.

DISCUSSION (32)

Brian, The Life of > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 16:22

I only run if someone is chasing me with a knife

Ash78, voting early and often > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 16:25

Awesome, nice goals. I’ve been slacking off, but I prefer broader crosstraining to pure running, so I’ll never do more than 5-10mi/week. Nonetheless, I’m hoping to get my 5k PR down from 22:30 to sub-20:00 some day. This December, I’m doing a Spartan Sprint with some buddies, which is a nice way to level the playing field for those of us who carry some mass (195#, 6'2"). I’ll probably do a couple 5ks this winter when the weather is nicer. 90+ degrees with high humidity is just dangerous and demoralizing, especially starting out. I also enjoy the occasional sprint intervals...I once got my 40yd under 4.5 seconds. I never do any distances over 5k, though. I honestly get bored :D

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 16:26

I just got the running shoes back on a couple nights ago and did about 2 miles. I was crazy slow at almost 12 minute miles, though I was pushing about 50 pounds of combined toddler and jogging stroller weight.

My quads are less than pleased. haha.

I did a 4 mile obstacle course back in July which has left my shoulder even less pleased than my quads and it even bothers me while running (doc says it’s tendonitis) so I’m trying to push my way back into it. Probably do a 5k or a 10k this fall.

Viggen > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 16:37

I ran because the Army made me. Then I got injured.

Story though! To start our last four day weekend before deployment, our acting company commander took us on an eight mile formation run. Maybe a week or so prior we had all received Small Pox, Typhoid, and Anthrax shots. That combination had just begun to kick all of our asses that day. So flu symptoms, aching and nausea on a humid and windy July morning. But we pushed through to the end, even though a lot of us fell out of formation. When myself and a good friend of mine got back to the barracks after a miserable drive home in my P71, we both passed out in our rooms and texted each other saying the run must’ve helped sweat the sickness out. But the soreness remained! Moral of the story is to push through pain.

Also having your timed two mile run interrupted by a taxing helicopter. Turns out it’s not a good enough excuse.

Decay buys too many beaters > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 16:43

I run, not really training for anything in particular, it just lets me enjoy some quiet time (I don’t music) and clear my head each evening. Usually I do around 20 miles per week, but I’ve found that increasing on that results in the slow degradation to my knee’s performance. Over the past 5 years I’ve actually gotten pretty quick for a casual. The races I have entered usually put me in the top 1%, think my average pace at my last 15K was just under 7 min/mile.

CB > Ash78, voting early and often
09/01/2016 at 16:45

Spartan Sprints are a ton of fun. Be prepared to get your ass kicked, though.

CB > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 16:47

I’ve been running, but I’m naturally a sprinter, so I’m trying to get my distances up while getting my times down. Did 4.1 kilometres in 21 minutes today, and my big goals right now are being able to run 10k without stopping, be able to run 5k in under twenty minutes, and be able to run 2.4 k in under nine.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Viggen
09/01/2016 at 16:51

About 50% of the people I meet who have been in the army insist they are definitely faster than me (or were when they were in the army) because they ran so much, and about 50% insist they are slow, they only ran because they had to. But they all report having hated it.

There is no middle ground of, “let’s go for a run some time.”

One of my friends from law school would go on 4-5 mile rucks with ROTC and then catch a cab home the 1/2 mile to his apartment. Cracked me up.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/01/2016 at 16:55

Seriously, the stroller makes things way harder, and it’s not just the weight. I was jogging with an empty stroller to pick up my daughter from day care(run there, plop her in, take the long way home) and with any kind of head or head/cross wind, it was pretty noticeable.

I struggle with all sorts of nags, I find a little bit of core actually helps a lot of the other stuff. My core this week? Working on my car, trying to reach up and unscrew 13mm engine mount bolts 1/4 turn at a time made my damn abs sore.

Viggen > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 16:57

A release run or a trail run I can enjoy. But all we do in my unit is run. So it gets boring and begins to cause injury.

Ash78, voting early and often > CB
09/01/2016 at 16:57

I look forward to it! I’ve been an obstacle junkie since I was a kid (I even told my parents I wanted to join the Marines for that reason. Plus the guns, of course). I’m about to crank up my training and trying to do it mostly outside. One quick way to get your ass handed to you is to not train in the same environment...ie, in a heated gym with nice, neat little weights :D

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 16:58

I’m heading to Newcastle next week to do the Great North Run. It’s my first half in a couple years!

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > CB
09/01/2016 at 17:00

Good luck, remember keep the distances and speeds varied, and have fun. The speed and endurance will come.

CB > Ash78, voting early and often
09/01/2016 at 17:02

Bingo. We trained in a gym and it was rough for all of us. Ours involved running up and down a ski hill twice, plus obstacles, and we had pretty much just trained in a gym. That’s one of the major reasons why I’m running outside now instead of on a treadmill, because in the real world, there isn’t much A/C or heating. Good luck with your training!

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Where have all the lightweights gone?
09/01/2016 at 17:03

If you see Mo, say high for me. Ha.

Good luck.

Leadbull > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 17:03

I ran xc/track in high school, but I’ve been tapering off the past few years. Running got a lot less fun once I didn’t have a pack of teammates to talk to on long runs.

I really want to transition into swimming as there’s no impact involved, but I’m out of college now and no longer have “free” access to a pool... I’ll probably suck it up and get a YMCA membership this fall.

CB > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 17:04

Yup. Doing a 2.4 kilometre sprint every Tuesday, a longer run on Thursdays, and a duration run on Saturdays to try to work on everything. It sucks, but I’m already seeing improvement. Just sucks living in a neighbourhood with lots of hills, but it’ll make me better in the long run, pardon the pun.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Ash78, voting early and often
09/01/2016 at 17:07

Distance running? Boring? No way.

P.s. One day on vacation with the in laws my mother comes back from a walk and says, “why the hell would someone have a sign in their lawn about cheese?” It was a “make America grate sign.” Apparently she didn't get it.

Ash78, voting early and often > CB
09/01/2016 at 17:10

Thanks...I’m gathering up my supplies now. I’m installing my first outdoor pullup bar (galvanized steel and flanges) later today. 5-gallon buckets of gravel to carry around. Big-ass rocks from my yard to simulate Atlas stones. Running around the block in between (over 100' of elevation change). My neighbor and co-racer has climbing rope. I'm going to have a hard time justifying my gym membership pretty soon :D

Ash78, voting early and often > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 17:12

Hahaha...yeah, my attention span is too short for much past 20-30 minutes (unless I’m hiking, which I can do all day). Honestly, part of my drive to get a better 5k is to make it end quicker :D

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 17:12

Something tells me he’ll be done before I even start. Thanks!

CB > Ash78, voting early and often
09/01/2016 at 17:13

For added help, cover the rope in mud, because it’s not going to be clean when you get to it, I guarantee it. As well, monkey bars are a good idea, as is being able to toss a javelin straight.

Chasaboo > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 17:14

I chase tails, when do you want to go out bro?

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 17:19

I wish there was a track community that existed after High School/College like there is for distance (5ks, and whatnot). I was a miler in high school, and know I could break 4:20 if I had somewhere now to train or compete. Was looking at D3 schools to run at after HS, but ended up at a D1 school with no T&F program, not that I’d be fast enough to run in D1 anyways...

Vlachen > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 17:55

I’m trying to get myself back into the running gig again. I usually do a half marathon in early April followed by all the 5ks I can stand during the summer, but there haven’t been any 5ks I’ve attended this year. So, to make up for it, I’m looking at pulling two halvsies in October. If I can get my ass up and run in the mornings.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Vlachen
09/01/2016 at 18:07

Run training is all about inertia. If I can get in a run every day for 10 days, there’s a good chance I’ll be able to go 2 months pretty consistently. But if I miss a lot of days in a week or two, it could be 2 months until I get consistent again.

I’ve been contemplating a fall half marathon just to keep some motivation to just up my miles.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/01/2016 at 19:08

Trail runner and triathlete here.

I am a recovering distance swimmer who rowed crew in college, so I needed something to stop being fat after 7 years of being sedentary.

dropped 40+ pounds (still more to go) and keep a packed calendar for the very reason that i can’t slack off then.

It’s the only way it works for me, haha.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > PotbellyJoe and 42 others
09/01/2016 at 22:58

I did triathlons after college but now I'm mostly just focused on running. Congrats on the weight loss! And I agree about keeping the schedule going. What's next on your calendar?

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/02/2016 at 07:58

See it’s funny for me because I do like 1 maybe two events per month, but then September is always crazy and then I won’t have anything until a Turkey Trot. So...

10K on Monday

Charity bike ride - 64 miles - 9/10

Tour De Troit - 30 miles - 9/17

5K - 9/25

Waterman’s International Tri - 10/1

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/02/2016 at 09:30

Yeah it does and we have a nice 18 pound one (it does need some air in the tires, that’ll help I’m sure).

But yeah my core sucks too. I was dying after that obstacle course haha

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
09/02/2016 at 13:14

Here in Oregon there is a bit of an adult track community(Eugene being track town USA and all) but really if you want to run as an adult it's mostly 5k-marathon. Yeah, I didn't think I was going to run in college, as I was a 17:00 guy in high school and the d3 school I went to was very competitive but I nabbed he last spot on the team my freshman year.

Nauraushaun > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
09/03/2016 at 09:23

I run frequently. My one and only event was a half-marathon earlier this year. It was brutal but I did it. :D

All my running is done while listening to Game of Thrones audiobooks.