I know someone who would fit right in with these ladies. I'm not saying she has ever sat on the side of the road waiting for the "parade bus" but she doesn't exactly take it all that seriously either. I helped her run the BAA in 2015. Her pace was 15:46/mile. If that was her best effort, no problem. But she told me half way through the race she hadn't trained. This year she signed up for a bunch of Disney races. She got swept at Dark Side. Then she went on Facebook and told people she finished and accepted all the congratulations that were thrown her way. She did Tink and avoided being swept somehow. Her pace was 17:06/mile. She tells people she is a runner and yet she has gotten slower from the day she told me she didn't train for our race. The only conclusion is that she still isn't training, right?
My whole point is this, if someone has the money to go on these "runcations" just to basically buy a medal, all the power to them. The medals are nice but I wouldn't pay $200 for one. They clearly aren't runners. They aren't runners because they aren't even trying to finish the races. They aren't runners, and this is the most important part, because they aren't part of the running community. They don't understand the support that comes along with it. They may accumulate medals. They may be able to hang a bunch on their wall for attention, or post them all over social media. But they aren't getting the benefits that come with doing the actual running. So many people on just this thread alone have said how much running has changed their lives, they are missing out on all of that. I feel bad for people doing it for all the wrong reasons.
It's one thing to go buy medals for attention but it's another to make fun of a lady who may actually be trying to changer her life. If I was on the course and heard that those ladies would be sorry because I would have definitely put them right in their place.
I agree with every word. They're the ones missing out. I refuse to let them ruin my experience. I'm just not worrying about what other people are doing...UNLESS they are bullying or hurting people. That is unacceptable.
I am trying to stay positive. But damn... it's hard. Like I said, my friends and I are taking this pretty seriously. Is there a way to ask Disney to move up corrals? Will I know my corral ahead of time (ie: when I sign up?) so that I could submit a proof of time or something (even though I know I don't need one for a 10k)
Don't get discouraged! You are seeing a lot of the negativity here because that's what we're talking about, but that's not the whole picture. There is nothing like a Disney race. You will not know your 10K corral until you pick up your bib. There's no POT for the 10K, but you can say what your estimated finishing time is going to be.
Track and Field Olympic Trials Start Tomorrow!!!
Here is a link to the television schedule:
Schedule
Personal can't misses:
Friday July 1st @ 9:15pm ET- Mens 10K (Can Galen Rupp make it to Rio in both the marathon and the 10K? Hassan Mead or Ben True, and what about Lagat?)
Saturday July 2nd @ 2:04pm ET - Womens 10K (Emilys Sisson and Infield and what about Molly Huddle? She's the one to let up at Beijing last year and got 4th instead of Bronze)
Monday July 4th @ 8:42pm ET - Womens 800m (Super tight race with anyone possible, 12 women qualified within 1 second of each other)
Monday July 4th @ 8:51pm ET - Mens 800m (Boris Berian vs Nike, Donavan Brazier recently breaking 50 year old collegiate record, Clayton Murphy)
Thursday July 7th @ 10:48pm ET - Womens 3000m Steeplechase
Friday July 8th @ 8:23pm ET - Mens 3000m Steeplechase
Saturday July 9th @ 8:20pm ET - Mens 5K
Sunday July 10th @ 7:28pm ET - Womens 5K
Sunday July 10th @ 8:00pm ET - Womens 1500m (Two high school girls: Aragon and Murphy vs the seasoned vets Rowbury, Simpson, and Martinez)
Sunday July 10th @ 8:20pm ET - Mens 1500m (Too many to count, I think this one will be the most fun)
I am so freaking excited about this! I watched the entire LA Marathon on TV and loved it!
I have a question about shoes!
I'm registered for the 5K in January - it will be my first race. At this point I'm just working on making a habit of walking 3-4 times a week, so my walking shoes are fine. But I plan to begin Couch to 5K in October, when the heat & humidity here in Texas starts to wane. Should I buy cross training shoes for that, or can I stick with my favorite, well fitting walking shoes? It's nice to think I'll run the entire 5K, but reality is I'll probably run/walk it! TIA!
I would suggest, like others have, to go to a running store. Tell them exactly what you are going to do. They can watch you run and walk and figure out some options. If it's a good running store, they'll let you return them after they've been worn. That is what I did the first time, and now I order from Zappos because I know what I need.
ATTQOTD:
Total miles: [edited to add: forgot that I haven't done my morning run yet!]
Some quick thoughts:
-I'm lucky I live in a relatively cool/temperate environment. I really admire those who can run in the heat/humidity.
I don't have humidity here, but it has been getting pretty hot. I am no good in the heat. Also, allergies are killing me this season! I don't think I'd be able to breathe out there. So...unfortunately, it's the treadmill for me.
-I love the running community in general. On my local long run trail, there's always some unofficial acknowledgement of other runners on the trail (a head nod, a quick wave), maybe not from the super fast runners (they seem to be in their own zone) but at least from the regular runners.
Me too. It's one of my favorite things about being a runner! I have encountered many many more like this than the other kind. If anyone reading this is a new runner, I hope you know that.
Rio is in bad shape. They had body parts washing up near the volley ball court the other day. With less than 2 months to go, they are still building major transportation systems that are just getting started. The water is making people sick. they cant afford to pay their law enforcement... the problems are stacking up. With all that going on, I would imagine security is probably not where it should be either. I hope they can pull it off, but man they got some work to do.
I've been reading about all of this. I am really concerned for the athletes and spectators.
I have been thinking about several of the posts today and yesterday about running, ettiquette, medals, community, etc. The problem is that many are out there for the wrong reasons. I feel that running is a journey that really has no true destination. Some races offer medals, or shirts, bumper stickers and so on, but none of those things make you a runner. They symbolize a piece of the journey, an accomplishment along the way.
I do keep my medals, I am proud of them. I bought a medal rack and hope to fill it and need another. But I am not a runner because of those medals, or for the stickers on my car.
I am a runner because I run. I want to have goals and work toward them and then I want new goals. There won't be a final destination, just another run to do. I think this is where it becomes about the self. My medals, shirts, stickers are for me. I can't be motivated by what others think of those things. That doesn't matter. Because even without any of those things if I lace up my shoes and head out the door I am a runner. And it is the running itself that has the most meaning for me.
Love this. If you run, you're a runner. It doesn't matter how much experience you have, how fast you are, how far you run, what size you are, or how old you are. If you lace up and get out there, you're a runner, even if you never get a medal or cross a start line.
Attqod:
96 miles this month. That's way short of my goal of 170. I need to really pick my training back up. My weekly average for the year is about 10 miles short of my goal.
Well said. I kind of wonder if this, the princess topic and the slower marathon weekend sell out thing are all kind of related. Back when you had a smaller number of race weekends, marathon weekend was really a great way to get people into running. You had people of all shapes and skill levels coming together to run. The vibe in the parks and around the resort in the days after the races there was a lot of encouragement. I know for me, seeing all the different types of people with Goofy medals on Sunday gave me the motivation to want to do my first marathon and challenge. Marathon weekend had this really cool overlap of people that we into running (who are usually a pretty encouraging group) and put them at the happiest place on earth. The bling and merchandise were neat, but they weren't the primary focus. I think as they've gotten more specialized in the races, it's become more about the bling and merchandise than the actual running. As that's changed it's changed the dynamics of the crowd. Part of it may be that the size of the field has doubled too. When you double the people in a race your bound to wind up with more people that are outside of the running community. Its sad to think that some of these people are getting an experience that may push them away from running or to think that there are some people that don't really want to join that community.
I think you're right. It has become a thing to do on vacation, rather than something to prepare for. I'm not sure what can be done about it, unfortunately. If they limit the field, these people will still be there. They'll just fill it up. If they raise the minimum pace, that will cut out a lot of people who work really hard, but are just not fast.
You bring up a good point and I agree with for the most part. for rD races, unless you are in the first corral or two, it's difficult to race at a PR level simply due to the large number of people involved. I wouldn't scoff at running a Disney race, but I know unless things come up my way, these races are definitely more for the experience rather than a time.
True. I was talking to a girl on the bus who said she was going to PR. I tried to tell her what it's like, and she was still convinced she'd do it. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. You just can't put all your eggs in that basket, or you will not have a good experience. You'll spend the race being frustrated unless you're in the first few corrals. Besides, if I want a PR, there are a lot cheaper races I can find to do that in.
This is rather sad and pathetic. Even walking these women could make the finish line. It's one thing to stop because of injury or illness, but to just give up at the half way point is mind numbing. Princess Weekend is probably the least event I'd like to do, but it's very likely the only other rD event I can do (outside of Marathon Weekend). However, part of me feels like I need to see these battle royals and trash talking. It also helps that I'm a male too... Or maybe that doesn't help.
If people purposely don't train because they fully intend to stop halfway, I have no patience for that. However, I developed an injury during the 2015 half and I am still not over it. I wish with all that's in me I had sat down and waited for that bus.[/QUOTE]
I cannot stand phony people. I know it shouldn't bother me, but people like the person you referred to in your post drive me absolutely nuts! Those people are a very small percentage of people, but it's rather sad they take no pride in their activities and rather enjoy the few minutes of attention or the "Likes" and comments on FB. Truly perplexing.
Agreed. I just have to try not to care. It's hard, because I want to stomp my feet and say "But she didn't even train!" I just have to run my own race and not worry about what other people are doing. I'd stay too frustrated and angry otherwise.
Hopefully I will do better in July. This month it just felt like I was floundering, what with cancelling my marathon and then cancelling the half marathon we were training for. @DopeyBadger is super awesome and putting together a marathon training plan for WDW Marathon for me though so I know I will get more miles in! 
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