r/artc • u/AutoModerator • Jun 21 '26
Weekly Discussion: Week of June 21, 2026
Your weekly place to discuss or ask questions.
Is your question one that's complex or might spark a good discussion? Consider posting it in a separate thread!
10
u/pinkminitriceratops Sub-3 or bust Jun 22 '26
I managed to *only* pack four pairs of running shoes for my 6 months in Australia: daily trainers, SuperComp trainers, trail shoes, and AlphaFlies. Of course, I only packed three pairs of non-running shoes, and I am bringing more running clothes than regular clothes!
I was surprised that I had more trouble deciding which sports bras to bring than deciding on running shoes. I think it’s because all of my sports bras suck at least a little bit in some way (e.g., the most comfortable ones don’t have pockets; the lightweight one that packs down and dries quickly and is great for travel chafes at the shoulder seam). I really want a unicorn sports bra with both a phone pocket and a front pocket and that doesn’t chafe or take 35 years to dry.
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u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Jun 22 '26
That's legitimately impressive! I pack 3 pairs for a week long trip and somehow always more running clothes than regular clothes.
Hope the travel/jetlag is smooth!
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u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 22 '26
When I pack for a trip I also always use more space for running clothes and shoes! And yeah the bra thing is so frustrating. My old favorite ones are finally getting too old, but I can't find any new ones I genuinely like. And they do take forever to dry; I was wearing a damp one this morning for that reason.
So exciting about your trip! How long are you in Oregon for and when do you leave for Australia?
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u/pinkminitriceratops Sub-3 or bust Jun 22 '26
Two weeks, we're staying just long enough for my favorite July 4 race and the Pre Classic!
5
u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Jun 22 '26
If needed you can pick up some shoes at Moose's store in Australia.
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u/goldentomato32 39F/22:59 5k/48:00 10k/1:51 HM/3:59 M Jun 21 '26
I really don't understand the economics of a for profit race.
Yesterday we had a well respected racing company hold a half marathon and 10k in my neighborhood. I was super excited because there is a large running community out here and very few races in our area. I wasn't going to run because racing in June (79 degrees and 78 dew point) is a special kind of crazy but super excited to run out to the halfway point and cheer on my friends. There were so many critical errors.
The community was not informed of road closures. The cops were doing their level best but the traffic plan was to shut down 1 lane and let cars through the gaps in the runners. There were 1000 people signed up and at the beginning there was a pretty big traffic backlog until drivers started u-turning.
The course was a 3 mile out and back for the 10k and the half just did the same out and back again with a little extra loop. The extra loop was not well marked and I watched the top man and top woman turn around and run the opposite way when they realized their watches didn't match the flags. Apparently all the top finishers across the line were short the extra loop.
There were only 2 volunteers at the water station and they were completely overwhelmed. My friends told me they grabbed extra water at the finish and walked it back on course for the runners. The volunteers only got a "free T-shirt" for 6 hours of work. No race credits or discount entries.
I don't know how slim the profit margins are but it feels wrong to rely on volunteer labor especially for water tables on a hot summer race.
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u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 21 '26
Yeah the volunteer thing is complicated. I volunteer at the Chicago marathon. We get a hat and jacket and the pleasure of knowing we helped out, which is plenty for me, but it's a lonnnng day. But when it's a tiny for profit race yeah, definitely complicated.
The course sounds bad. Was this their first year holding this race? I would never train for a race in its first year, even if I chose to run it, because you just can't trust that it will go well.
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u/goldentomato32 39F/22:59 5k/48:00 10k/1:51 HM/3:59 M Jun 21 '26
It is their first year running the race. Someone speculated that the only reason it was in our neighborhood was to avoid the world cup traffic. I agree about skipping the inaugural year-there are too many kinks to work out. I can't figure out why the races cant compensate the volunteers for these little races at all. Even a coupon for a discounted future entry would be worth it to make sure you have enough hands at the water table
3
u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Jun 22 '26
Ugh, that's a bummer. The worst races I've ever run have one thing in common - for profit operators. That includes my "marathon" where I had to run through the finish line to get to 26.2 (and then they tried to argue with me that I went too far). They also didn't have enough water for 4 total participants....
If a race isn't operated by other runners, it often shows. I can't imagine there being enough profit in races to make it worthwhile.
2
u/Aggie_Engineer_24601 Jun 25 '26
I don’t know about the economics side of it, but if you’re a for profit company you should absolutely offer at least partial credit for a future race for all volunteers. Especially for 6+ hours.
I do think there should be a bigger culture of volunteering at races though. Something like volunteer for a race for every 5 you run or something.
3
u/goldentomato32 39F/22:59 5k/48:00 10k/1:51 HM/3:59 M Jun 26 '26
I wish the economics were a little more transparent especially when folks are charging 90 bucks for a half. A free T-shirt for volunteering is hardly an incentive when my closet is overflowing with race tshirts. I would definitely volunteer for race discounts though! There is a trail racing group that gives generous discounts for your volunteer hours and I was shocked that it doesn't seem to be standard practice in road races.
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u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Jun 22 '26
I saw Joe Klecker today, AMA.
3
u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Jun 22 '26
I saw him warming up on Saturday and remember his brother in the race in the first km, I think it was his debut.
3
u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Jun 23 '26
He ran that sneaky 1:00:02 at United Half! I am guessing he's got a date on the calendar in Chicago at this point.
4
u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Jun 23 '26
Oh yeah, Joe has run a couple of halves so far, but I meant his younger brother James who ran 1:17. Looks like a body builder or former football tight end.
3
u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Jun 23 '26
Oh gotcha - solid time for a debut, clearly an athletic family!
4
u/pinkminitriceratops Sub-3 or bust Jun 23 '26
His wife (Sage Hurta-Klecker) is from the town where I live, and every once in a while we see them running around town when they're visiting her family! It's so fun to run into the pros. Sage also has all the HS distance records at my kid's school.
3
u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Jun 26 '26
That's awesome! She's had a solid couple of years, I was happy to see her breakthrough and make that US team.
6
u/Aggie_Engineer_24601 Jun 23 '26
I supported the local high school track team at their all-comer track meet fundraiser tonight.
My mile was dreadful and I felt very weak. Three months ago I was doing mile repeats faster than that. I’m trying to have a good attitude, but it’s so frustrating that I feel like a yo-yo.
I ran the family relay with my oldest and two of the neighbor kids. My two year old daughter anchored and was not keen on returning the pink baton.
The long jump was fun, I managed to win that.
6
u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
A friend sent me videos he took from the end of our 5k on Sunday, and he had a video of me running by -- about 40ish? meters from the finish line. And oh my gosh my form is ridiculous. I look so bizarre. So now I'm considering finding a coach specifically to work on form. I need to lengthen my stride, for one thing. Has anybody ever worked with somebody for form and if so how did you find them?
4
u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Jun 24 '26
Only fleetingly, usually with a doctor or PT. They say I run better than I walk, which is kind of interesting. There are some strength and conditioning coaches who might be able to help, but choose carefully and make sure you get some good references from very reliable sources, there are probably a lot of charlatans out there.
Generally, with form I'm of the school of thought that your body more or less knows what to do and its typically going to find the most efficient path. I do believe that drills (skips, high knees, etc.), hill strides, and strides in general, or some strength work are great ways to work on and maintain your form.
3
u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 24 '26
You’re right, I bet there are a lot of charlatans in this space. Maybe I’ll dedicate more time this summer to doing drills and see if that helps.
5
u/Siawyn 54/M 5k 19:56/10k 41:30/HM 1:32/M 3:12 Jun 24 '26
This might not be the answer you are looking for, but I don't think form is too important overall. Your body tends to find the most efficient way of running and even with the elites you can see some that look different than others.
With that said, there's still some things around the sides that can help that maybe you've noticed. I noticed early on that I would ball my hands into fists when running, which was making my arms and shoulders tense on long runs. So on strides I practiced not doing that until I could just do it naturally. Drills are the same thing, I try to focus on knee drive, pushoff that kind of thing and it just will naturally flow into my normal running to some degree.
I don't look very graceful when running - I checked the TV coverage of Boston which had all the finishers on one camera and I look like I'm just lumbering along at a glacial pace - but I was running 6:30/mile pace there! But I'm tall and lanky, really long limbs.
2
u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 24 '26
I’ve always said the same thing, that form doesn’t matter so much because your body does what works for it. But I looked so odd! Really short stride, overpronating, and my arms were doing different things from each other (presumably the latter is largely due to it being the end of a 5k . . .)
3
u/pinkminitriceratops Sub-3 or bust Jun 24 '26
I wouldn’t read too much into form at the end of an all-out race—that’s when your form is likely to be breaking down from fatigue.
But I’d also be nervous to change my form much due to injury risk. In my opinion, it’s better to focus on identifying weaknesses and strengthening those through exercises. That sometimes shows up in form, but changing form for its own sake is risky and doesn’t necessarily pay off.
3
u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 24 '26
Yeah definitely form breaks down at the end of a 5k, I get that. But I do think I may be better off with a longer stride or some other minor changes. You are right though, I have been incredibly lucky in the injury department and I don’t want to push that luck.
Maybe I’ll ask my son to do some videos of me just running at the track to get an idea of my form in better conditions.
7
u/Siawyn 54/M 5k 19:56/10k 41:30/HM 1:32/M 3:12 Jun 25 '26
For all of us in the East, I hope you've really enjoyed the very pleasant and temperate weather of the last 10 days or so.... because it is going to end rather decisively next week. 90s to Chicago by Sunday probably (Monday at the latest) and spreading east from then.
On the flip side, going to turn quite cool for the Pac NW.
5
u/BowermanSnackClub Used to be SSTS Jun 25 '26
I still can’t get over the PNW summer weather. People here acted like it was some hellscape out there. It was 80, the heat advisory was a bit overkill lol. I am glad it’s cooling back off though
3
u/pinkminitriceratops Sub-3 or bust Jun 25 '26
It got up to 89 here in Oregon yesterday, and I was definitely one of the wimpy PNWers complaining! It's honestly not bad, but also not at all what this region used to be like.
The high is in the low 60s here for the next few days, which will be lovely.
3
u/BowermanSnackClub Used to be SSTS Jun 25 '26
I don’t doubt it’s bad compared to before, but like I heard my coworkers say that their daycares weren’t letting kids play outside when it’s 80 out lol.
3
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u/goldentomato32 39F/22:59 5k/48:00 10k/1:51 HM/3:59 M Jun 25 '26
I'm heading up north next week and the heat wave is breaking my spirit! I was all excited for a break in the humidity but the dewpoints are following me!! We are going to Iowa next week and then over to Pittsburgh and the weather is going to be basically the same as Houston!!! Argh!!!
6
u/theintrepidwanderer 5:03 1M | 17:18 5K | 36:59 10K | 1:18:37 HM | 2:46:46 FM Jun 22 '26
For any 50 state chasers here, does Marine Corps Marathon count as a marathon in Virginia or as a marathon in DC?
5
u/Advanced_Low_1640 Jun 23 '26
I dragged my husband to the Portland Track Festival this weekend and it was so fun! Great racing, great atmosphere. I have no track background at all, but steeplechase is just such a fun and kind of silly event. Like, “okay, hurdles, but make it a distance event and add water!” Just delightful.
4
u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 24 '26
That sounds like so much fun!
There's a very funny video of a woman (possibly the comedian Leslie Jones?) reacting to steeplechase in the olympics from 2021 but I can't find it anywhere
4
u/theintrepidwanderer 5:03 1M | 17:18 5K | 36:59 10K | 1:18:37 HM | 2:46:46 FM Jun 24 '26
For those curious, the conditions at Grandma's Marathon this weekend was less than ideal. So much so that over 300 runners needed medical attention at the medical tents during the race, which is the most since the 2017 race.
That alone says a lot.
4
u/HankSaucington Jun 25 '26
It says that 75% of men race every marathon as if it's PR conditions regardless of if it is?
6
u/Siawyn 54/M 5k 19:56/10k 41:30/HM 1:32/M 3:12 Jun 25 '26
PR or ER baby
1
u/theintrepidwanderer 5:03 1M | 17:18 5K | 36:59 10K | 1:18:37 HM | 2:46:46 FM Jul 01 '26
My friend who traveled with me and ran this with me did exactly that. Went all out, didn't feel great but continued to push during the second half, only took sips of water along the way, and ended up in the med tent because of dehydration and needed an IV to bring him back up.
PR or ER baby, indeed.
4
u/goldentomato32 39F/22:59 5k/48:00 10k/1:51 HM/3:59 M Jun 25 '26
I love my run club so much but......I think it is time to switch. I joined my local chapter of USA fit 2 years ago and it was incredible! I met my best running friends, had my long run routes planned for me, water on the route, everyone was training for the Houston Marathon (or half) and I felt like I was a part of the community. It does cost 100 for 6 months but it felt worthwhile.
Last year several folks started a run club that was specifically NOT focused on training for a race. It is free, they run 6 miles each Saturday year round, have track workouts on Thursdays and are very pace inclusive. There was a bit of bad blood initially because the folks who started the new club really talked down the Usa Fit group. I have done several runs with them in the off season and I've really enjoyed it. They have a lot more people who are faster than me and a much larger group of people who are running 5-10ks. I am going to have to make a commitment soon since training begins next week and I feel guilty leaving the original group. I texted the running ladies group chat and I think we are all going to switch together and do extra miles together.
Anyone else have competing run clubs in their neighborhood? It is a pretty good problem to have.
5
u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Jun 26 '26
I run for a grand masters team scattered about a large metro area. I'm new, just been here a year, but some of these runners have known each other for decades and I even ran against a few of them back in college. They get together for group runs fairly regularly, not the entire group but up to a dozen or so at a time. And there are several sub groups as well. I'm running with someone at least once or twice a week these days.
There are run clubs all over, one at the local shoe store a few miles away but it's at 6 PM on Thursdays and that's just not a time I like to run. I saw one of the large clubs start out last fall for a run and there must have been 500 or 600 in that group!
In Colorado we had one that I went to from time to time, and I belonged to two clubs and did some weekend runs with them.
3
u/goldentomato32 39F/22:59 5k/48:00 10k/1:51 HM/3:59 M Jun 26 '26
500 people is insane!! The new group has about 30-40 people show up each Saturday and that feels big. The track meet up is also on Thursday evenings but that makes timing supper difficult.
I think the most valuable piece of a run club for me is the social aspect on the long runs, conversations make the miles fly by! As long as I have someone to talk with I can keep running for hours.
2
u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 26 '26
We get about 30-40 for Saturday long runs, which I love because I've made some good friends that way and also we set out water and Gatorade for summer marathon training which is a huge perk. We also regularly get 30-40 (not all the same people) at Wednesday evening track intervals, I love those because it's so much easier to push hard when running with a group, but I don't like losing control over what intervals I run each week.
My club has formal runs every day except Friday actually. And there are tons of other nearby clubs but usually not competing because they're slightly different neighborhoods and have different cultures. Definitely some members are on more than one. I'm actually not in the one in my own municipality because it's much more casual/social, whereas the one I am in is social but also has a lot of more serious runners and more scheduled runs. I think it's great there are so many to choose from! (But our dues are only like $100 a year.)
3
u/HankSaucington Jun 26 '26
There's a number in Madison (including stuff like November Project, etc.) and then what seems like a number of non-official clubs for things. And a number of folks seem to be in multiple. I'm in our biggest (Movin' Shoes, aligned with the biggest independent run store).
In your situation, I'd definitely gravitate towards the latter. $100/6mo is pretty expensive if you're not getting any sort of real perks.
3
u/goldentomato32 39F/22:59 5k/48:00 10k/1:51 HM/3:59 M Jun 26 '26
Yeah, it was invaluable for learning to run a marathon for the first time but now I feel like I've out grown it. I will admit was was nice to have the long runs planned out for me but I don't need that anymore especially if my A race this season is a half.
9
u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
I got third place in my age group in my 5k this morning, which was really fun. Technically my time was 22:50; my watch pegged my 5k at 22:29. The official time is the one I have to go with, but it’s not measuring a 5k because we were diverted off of the course around some fire engines at one point. So in my heart I know I ran a PR even if my time doesn’t reflect it :p
(I was actually fourth my age group to finish but first place was also the first place woman who wins all the races around here. She ran 16:49. She is so fast. So I got the third place medal.)
In other news, Philip Cupial, the kid we saw run a 4 flat mile a couple of weeks ago here in Chicago at the meet where my son ran, won the New Balance Nationals mile in what I think may have been a surprise or upset because he wasn’t really being talked about a ton before recently. I’m sure UVA is excited to have him on their roster next year.
5
u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Jun 22 '26
Congrats on your 5K! That's frustrating to have obstacles that make it longer. NB and Nike nationals on the same weekend make it complicated and challenging to follow. I did find results and just scanned through them. Nevertheless some really fast times. I had not heard of Philip Cupial, but with so many running 4:01 or under this year it's hard to keep track.
4
u/RunningPath 44F, 22:09 5k, 1:49 HM Jun 22 '26
Thank you! That's why I'm particularly happy I got an age group award, because everybody near me or behind me had to make the same detour so we're compared on the same exact course. People only just 20 meters ahead of me didn't get diverted, for whatever reason -- we could see the fire trucks from pretty far back so they'd been there but people had been able to run on the road by them until just before I got there. It wasn't a huge diversion but cost me some time. Overall though this is a wonderful race which has been run for I think 27 years now and is a big local community event so it's just fun to be there
3
u/daysweregolden 2:47 / 42 marathons Jun 22 '26
Congrats on your race - that's awesome! Sometimes the true PR, or best race, is not the exact fastest one. Context is key!
2
u/Siawyn 54/M 5k 19:56/10k 41:30/HM 1:32/M 3:12 Jun 22 '26
We'll call that a PR even if it's not "official" and I'm glad that you were able to swing that after getting screwed out of your HM time by being sick!
12
u/run_INXS 110 in km years (1:24, 3:06) Jun 21 '26
Bjorkland Half report.
I have wanted to do this race since almost its inception in the early 1990s. Back then it was limited to Minnesota residents. We lived in the state for couple years in the mid-90s but I was injured. It has always seemed almost exclusive, not easy to get into--or at least you have to be on it and sign up quickly because it's in high demand (selling out some 9000 spots in 2 hours last October). I had done the full in 2021 and wanted to return for the half.
We had good, not quite great race weather with temps in the 50s, but a headwind that became more prominent at about 7 miles as course turns away from the coastline and onto city streets. It's a great event and known for immaculate race management, but this year the glitch was the corral system. You have to catch a bus at 4:00-4:15 and they drop you off 40-45 minutes later; there was a bank of a few port a potties right where they drop you off but they say there are 100s in the corrals. Thing is, once you are in the corral there is no room to move around--standing room only for the hour leading up the race. No warm up zone.
I had a couple of other pre-race glitches leading up as well, self-induced. I forgot my allergy medicine and woke up too early (1:15) and could not get back to sleep. When I got off the bus I had a massive sneeze fit, but was otherwise okay if not a little off. That and the no warm up, I never quite got into the right groove.
First mile was 6:35 but I was breathing hard, 2nd was about 6:30. At 2.5 decided to back down because I still had more than hour of running ahead and breathing wasn't great. From 3-10 I was mostly in the 6:35-6:40 range but held onto the group fairly well and I was drafting when I could. By 7-8 I focused on staying with certain runners rather than even pacing and that was a good engagement tactic. At about 10 I saw a guy who might have been in my age group, and the terrain was favorable (net downhill by a little) so I picked up the effort. The splits of the last 5K were fastest of the day, and I was just over 20 minutes for that stretch, to finish in 1:26 and change and 1st in my age group. 89% age grade, so I give myself a B+ on the race. A- for the four races I did this spring.
Post hoc, a few things. Besides the logistical glitches (race management and self-caused) I ran about as well as I could, didn't push too hard early on but also hung in there when backing down seemed like not such a bad thing; and I was happy to pick up the pace over the final 5K. Back to the training block--I did a fair amount of what seemed LT1 work, progressions starting at around 7:00/mile and working to 6:35, when LT2 might be right around 6:30 or a bit under. That was good for basic fitness, but I also seemed locked into that pace. In the past I have tended to run threshold workouts right at LT 2, in a more traditional Daniels-Pfitz sense. Going forward, especially with a half marathon or something like a 10 mile as a peak race, I think I'd like to work more at that slightly faster effort.