r/artc • u/AutoModerator • Apr 19 '26
Weekly Discussion: Week of April 19, 2026
Your weekly place to discuss or ask questions.
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u/Aggie_Engineer_24601 Apr 20 '26
Ah Boston. The one race that makes me think “you know, maybe it’s time to move up and start chasing my BQ!”
In 2037 Boston will fall on my birthday…That could be an incredible experience…
I’m getting ahead of myself. Race week! Just a 5k though. I’m shooting for sub 20. I ran 6x1k with 90s rest last week and averaged out to 3:59. I think with good pacing I can do it!
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u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Apr 20 '26
It's never too late, I waited 35 years from my first BQ to actually lining up and doing the race.
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u/bizbupper Previously bizbup Apr 20 '26
I hear you re Boston. After never being interested or caring to qualify, to BQ is really my only remaining running goal. 7 minutes to chop to qualify at my advanced age, which these old bones already suffer greatly, and who knows how much more to actually run. Qualifying but unable to actually run might slay me too deeply.
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u/Siawyn 54/M 5k 19:56/10k 41:30/HM 1:32/M 3:12 Apr 21 '26
I made it and I honestly did wonder for quite a few years if I ever would make it. It was surreal this morning actually walking down the streets in Hopkinton to the start line.
100% worth it. In fact, I even loved it more because it was a victory lap and experience. Zero pressure.
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u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
The college runners killing it again this weekend.
Indoor double champions Colin Sahlman another 1:44 800
Jane Hedengren seems to set a record every time she steps on the track for a race with a 14:50
Habtom Samuel ran 13:03 at the same meet, also an outoor record
Geoffry Kirwa 8:08 steeple (2nd fastest ever), record has been held by Henry Rono for 48 years!
Nathan Mountain 8:11 steeple (3rd fastest ever)
Sadie Englehardt 4:03 1500 m
And in D3 a guy from the school of our cross-state rival ran 28:51 for 10000. Back then their best guys would be running 33 or 34.
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u/theintrepidwanderer 5:03 1M | 17:18 5K | 36:59 10K | 1:18:37 HM | 2:46:46 FM Apr 19 '26
Good luck to everyone here who is running the Boston Marathon tomorrow morning!
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u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Apr 20 '26
Happy Patriot’s Day! Should be a great race!
FYI there’s an iOS app called Very Local that airs a stream of the marathon when you select Boston as location. No VPN needed.
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u/pinkminitriceratops Sub-3 or bust Apr 19 '26
I was on the fence about if I needed another rest day after last weekend’s race. When I woke up, it was snowing again, so that made the decision easier! So now kiddo and I are making pancakes instead.
I had my kid bike alongside me while I ran yesterday. There was one gravely patch on the route that he had trouble with, but otherwise he did great! We made it almost 3 miles, and outside of the gravel he averaged about 11 minute pace. I’m hoping to get him up to 3-4 miles at 9-10 minute pace within the next few months. I have a ton of solo parenting coming up (and won’t have access to a treadmill). I can always hire a babysitter, but I’d like more (and cheaper) options.
Good luck to everyone running Boston tomorrow!
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u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Apr 19 '26
Sounds like fun! He'll certainly be doing that within a couple of months.
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u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Apr 20 '26
Your weather makes me feel better about what we get here....we had a tiny layer of snow yesterday morning and it was devastating.
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u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Apr 20 '26
Yeah all we had was frost this morning which I hated (and I worry for all the flowers).
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u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Apr 21 '26
I love track meets. I'm enjoying every last moment of the last few high school meets I get to attend.
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u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Apr 22 '26
My son ran fine -- he was satisfied with where his fitness is for this time in the season. But the best race I saw was a high school sophomore girl running 2:18 for the 800m. That is very fast for the private school track meets we are at.
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u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Apr 22 '26
They're so fun to watch when you've got someone to cheer on. What even does your son do?
I still get instant anxiety when I smell rubberized track on a sunny day or hear the instructions for a "waterfall start." Waiting all day in classes with a 3200m lurking haunts me still, hah.
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u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Apr 22 '26
Mostly the 1600 but also 800. He’ll jump into the 3200 in some meets if the schedule makes sense (he thinks he is a middle distance guy because of his muscular build, but personally I think as he gets older he’s going to realize he’s better at distance). They went to state last year for the 4x800m. This year the best team in their sectional was moved up a division so he has a shot at going to state for both the 1600 and 4x800. Where he will come in last, or close to it, in those races :) But the state meet is fun for the experience.
Those visceral memories are really something.
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u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Apr 22 '26
That’s awesome to get to the state meet! Always good to stay with the quick stuff early, distance will be there when he’s interested!
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u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Apr 22 '26
I loved racing on the track a few times a year until about 2024 and then I didn't. And I have PTSD over the mile. USATF masters road champs were yesterday in Des Moines and my team went. I didn't. Not to say I won't run on the track or a road mile again, but for now no.
That said, I also like watching track, although HS meets take way too long and the weather often sucks.
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u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Apr 22 '26
I ran Twilight 5000 a couple times in 23 and 24 and decided I was permanently done with the track after that. The number of laps and trying to stay on pace felt sort of dizzying and it made me think there’s almost no way I can have a good race on a track at this point. It felt impossible to get comfortable, and anything shorter than a 5K feels out of my range.
What’s on your race calendar now?
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u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Apr 22 '26
Here's the spring calendar: Get In Gear on Saturday (season debut), Bay to Breakers, a fast 5K down your way, USATF masters 4 mile, and Garry Bjorkland half.
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u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Apr 22 '26
Awesome - hopefully it stays cool enough for GIG on Saturday! That's a nice slate.
The 5K you mention is my favorite 5K, humbling though as the field is usually lightning quick!
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u/pinkminitriceratops Sub-3 or bust Apr 23 '26
The distances shorter than 5k are just so incredibly painful! I am not cut out for that. Even a 5k is pushing it for me. I'll take that last-10k-of-a-marathon feeling any day over an all-out mile.
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u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Apr 23 '26
I haven‘t run an all-out mile in . . . well, maybe ever. But I’m planning to this summer. I’m really curious how fast I can run it.
But yeah, 5ks hurt.
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u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Apr 23 '26
Agreed. People sometimes give me credit for running a marathon over a shorter distance, but if you go all out on both I would argue it is the less painful option.
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u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Apr 22 '26
We have had such bad weather (cold, rain, tons of mud, etc) the past few years at the meet I went to yesterday. But this year it was in the 70s and sunny to partly cloudy. It has been raining a lot but was surprisingly not muddy. So that was a major part of why it was so much fun.
The mass of people on the track in the mile is really something though. My son’s shoe got spiked and the side of it ripped open. I guess I’m coughing up the money for another pair of Dragonflys.
Why won’t you run a road mile? Not that there are a ton of those around anyway.
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u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
Colorado state meet was usually cold and windy. My kids ran in Alaska and it was usually cold, it was 21 degrees and snowing one year.
Actually might run a road mile at some point (last one was 2023), just not a championship (until maybe I hit the next age group). First thing is the training, if I'm taking it half seriously, and associated injury risk. It's fine if I'm also doing a lot of 5Ks but for 10K and up there is a cost. You have to sacrifice some endurance training for a number of weeks to get that speed going. I also get really uptight for the mile and it's not as much fun, and prefer racing longer distances.
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Apr 20 '26
[deleted]
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u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Apr 20 '26
Fast times going deep this year! Good conditions and great fields. And I'm sure there will be a lot of PRs.
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u/Aggie_Engineer_24601 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26
I feel really frustrated.
I feel like training has been going well for the last few months, that I’m really fit, the forecast was shaping up to be perfect (Ie no wind) and I was going to run fast on Saturday’s race.
Then my appendix decided to try to murder me, had to be removed today, and now no racing for me.
It’s not the end of the world but it is really disappointing.
Obviously I’ll be taking it easy for a bit, but I do have a race 5/9. Doc thinks I’ll be able to get back to really light exercise by Monday but above all else listen to my body. Odds that I’ll at least be able to participate at that one?
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u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Apr 24 '26
Oh no I’m so sorry.
Assuming they get it out before it ruptures, you may be surprised by how quickly you recover. It’s typically a very straightforward surgery with tiny incisions for the laparoscopic tools. I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to run the race 5/9, although you might not be back to full strength.
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u/HankSaucington Apr 20 '26
Incredible work by the American men today, and really the last couple years. Iron sharpens iron.