CP running thread

[Slacker]

The reason why I'm asking is because Sportchek has the friends and family event, but the icebugs are only available online.

[powderjunkie]

They sell some Icebugs at Atmposphere (Deerfoot Meadows). I tried on a pair...they felt fine, but not so perfect that I had to have them. I have a semi-wide foot, super high instep...I think I tried the highest volume pair, but not really sure.

[Wormius]

Man, today was such an easy breezy run. Feels so effortless when it's a little cooler.

[bob-loblaw]

Saw this today - pretty funny yet pretty strange.

'Mad Pooper' Wanted By Springs Police

[Wormius]

Well, Melissa’s was a lot of fun. Beautiful route to run through, almost takes your mind off things. Too bad it was the last one.

[Slacker]

That was a fun race! I only ran the 5k and I was enjoying the view. Such a beautiful area to run

[Wormius]

It was a lot flatter than I had been lead to believe. I think I experienced more hilly terrain in Calgary.

My body still felt like it was made of lead in the final 2k.

And Strava is showing it as 20.8k, so my half-marathon badge will not be realized.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Wormius

It was a lot flatter than I had been lead to believe. I think I experienced more hilly terrain in Calgary.

My body still felt like it was made of lead in the final 2k.

And Strava is showing it as 20.8k, so my half-marathon badge will not be realized.

THe 10k Melissa's route is the hilly one. So that's likely what people talk about if they are saying night mare hills. It runs up from the river to the centre for the arts and then up to the tunnel mountain trail head. It sucks.

[Cowperson]

A pic I took running Melissa's Half yesterday. Nice, chill, morning although sitting on a port-a-potty at 1 Celcius is a bit alarming.

[puffnstuff]

Can't be a Cowperson pic...no dogs in it.

[Wormius]

I have learned that I really dislike the way I look when I run. I think I am going to convert my wife's finish line "live" pictures from her phone to stills.

[missdpuck]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

Trail running is the bees knees. Running on pavement is ok, but a big step down from a nice treed or mountainous trail. A treadmill is basically time spent wondering wtf is wrong with me for getting on a treadmill in the first place.

Yes, trail running is the best.

We don't have hills like you guys (unless you go north a bit more where there are at least some small ones) but we do have some challenging sandy ridges and lots of roots to trip over.

I haven't been doing it long and I do not get very far at all.

I have a bunion that causes problems, and I'm not sure that I run correctly.

I did have a really cool experience the other day. I was in a pretty deserted place and heard a noise behind me.

It was a doe! We ran together; such a nice coincidence. It was so cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by missdpuck

Yes, trail running is the best.

We don't have hills like you guys (unless you go north a bit more where there are at least some small ones) but we do have some challenging sandy ridges and lots of roots to trip over.

I haven't been doing it long and I do not get very far at all.

I have a bunion that causes problems, and I'm not sure that I run correctly.

I did have a really cool experience the other day. I was in a pretty deserted place and heard a noise behind me.

It was a doe! We ran together; such a nice coincidence. It was so cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe the deer is why you have issues with a bunion? After all, a bunion is a problem with the big doe.

[missdpuck]

Bwaaahahaaaa


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wormius]

It’s probably entirely psychological, but why do runs that feel slow end up being pretty fast, while the opposite is sometimes true of runs that feel fast. Today was weird - felt uncomfortable, shin annoying me, calf felt tight, but ended up with my fastest run.

[Slacker]

Any tips for winter running? I don't have any gear for winter time.

Thanks!

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Slacker

Any tips for winter running? I don't have any gear for winter time.

Thanks!

Fo base-layers, you can get merino wool long-sleeved shirts for Costco really cheap. Merino long underwear you can get at the Bay on sale sometimes. Depending on how cold, I would wear a sweater too.

For outer layers; running pants from Running Room, a Marmot waterproof shell. Generic toque and neck gaiter. Glove liners and shells from MEC. My hands still felt cold to the point of me getting kind of nervous for the first 20-30 minutes of a run during -30 last winter. They warmed up eventually. I might need to look at new gloves, myself. The MEC shells get really stiff in the cold.

Saucony Peregrine Ice for shoes. I am not really a huge fan of these, I still feel a bit unstable on ice. My wife said there was a company selling the DIY spikes you put into your shoes at Melissa’s Race, so maybe those are available locally now.

Wearing glasses in winter while running sucks. I am not sure if there is some neck gaiter you can put over your face to prevent fogging your glasses, but I haven’t found anything cheap. Contact lenses I guess are the best alternative.

[Slacker]

Thanks!

I’m going to start breaking in a new pair of trail running shoes (New Balance 910v3 trail) in preparation for Winterstart in November. I’m certainly lacking everything else, and should be getting the necessary equipment before the end of next month.

My biggest concern would be a good pair of running gloves. Again, thanks for the information. It’s quite useful!

[RatherDashing]

If you're a guy, wind shorts can make a huge difference.

For gloves, I never found a pair of running gloves that was great. I usually run with a thin pair of mitts, or heavy ski mitts when it got really cold. I think your body regulates a lot of heat through your hands so its hard to get gloves right. It's nice to have a few pairs as they can get pretty sweaty and may take more than a day to dry out.

If you are running near your house, breaking your run up into several short loops is really nice, in case you over or underdressed. Again like gloves it is hard to nail down exactly how heavily you should dress, as the temperature, amount of sunlight, wind, effort level, etc. will effect how warm you are. A good rule of thumb is that you should feel chilly standing around before you start your run.

I've never used spikes in the city, I always found that regular shoes combined with keeping an eye out for icy patches worked for me. The iciest time of year is usually the spring, when the snow melts during the day and freezes overnight. Try to find pathways that get cleared regularly. If you are close to downtown the river pathway is usually in the best shape.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Slacker

Any tips for winter running? I don't have any gear for winter time.

Thanks!

A common mistake is over-dressing, turning yourself into a sweat box, even on those minus 20 Celcius runs. You want to be feeling chill as you start out. You'll be warm in a kilometre or two, but not hot. The reverse of that is if you have to start walking, you'll get cold very quickly, so be aware of your circumstances.

Layering is an art form, very personal and everyone has their own peculiarities.

My weird thing is that, even at minus 25 C or worse, even running through snow, I'll usually wear thin, business dress socks - total dweeb - and my feet never get cold. The other weird thing is I hate running without a neck warmer, even on warm winter days.

I tend to wear looser fitting gloves, leggings and jackets. Tighter fitting stuff can transmit the cold directly to your skin. Looser fitting stuff leaves room for warmer pockets of air between your skin and the material.

On minus 15 C days or worse I'll wear looser fitting gloves and shove my cell phone down into the palm of my hand. That keeps the phone warm. A cell phone won't last long in cold weather, even in an interior pocket.

Windproofing yourself will be important with winter running. Particularly the boy parts!!! That's a painful thaw. But primarily the core. I like a warmer core with colder arms.

I start wearing a balaclava at about minus 23 C or so. It's hard to breathe through a balaclava but also harder to breathe at that temp and worse anyway. The side benefit of a balaclava is warm air puffing out and immediately forming an ice cone on your head (pictured). This makes you look like a total badass. It's harmless until your eyelashes start to freeze together.

Lastly, if the passenger side or back seat of your vehicle looks like it holds the entire clothing inventory of a running store, you're probably a normal winter runner. Different layering combinations for different temperatures, plus 10 C down to minus 25 C or so. I have three running jackets and a light running vest.

I run lonely country roads southwest of the city, in the Black Diamond/Millarville area and not unusual to be out for a hour or two, maybe more, at minus 15 to minus 25 C and many miles from my vehicle. I like those days.

Good luck with your race.

Ice cone head, 11 KM at minus 23 C.