Paying to run?

My wife just registered us for a Savage race and two Spartan Races last night. It's fun to run those difficult obstacle races with good friends.

Keith Tanner wrote: Per keeps shaming me with his speed. He's approached running in his usual competitive way and he's quick. He qualified for Boston last year. We're both right about the same age and build, and he's kicking my ass.

Frankly it's due to my coaching. Seriously. Okay, not seriously. From what I've seen, coaching Per would be a function of preventing him from running 400 miles a week at 6:45 pace and blowing up.

While you are all hashing this out, please realize the fact you are able to run is killing me right now. I've been on the shelf for the better part of six months, first with Achilles problems, now with back issues from a car accident. I am gaining weight by the second, despite all attempts to curb my appetite. It doesn't matter that I've run since the Beatles were a band. At my age, starting up again is like I never ran a foot in my life.

You don't know what I'd give to run right now. I'd love to be debating the high cost of racing or whether six miles through the woods is worth the same as a 10k organized road race. Being 61 and not running means I have seen what middle age is actually like for most people. I can't say I've enjoyed it. So don't sweat the small stuff and enjoy it all as long as you can.

Jerry is funny, but wise. Yea, overtraining is an issue for any level. Had a stress fracture in the fall that had me out for 6 weeks--hence the addition of swim/bike to keep my jollies up.

6 in the woods is more fun than 6 on the road--but I have yet to do an organized trail race. There's a 10k loop that I run regularly that's the same as a race that is being held this Sunday. It's muddy and has about 500ft of elevation gain. Tempting--but since I already know my time....

Spartan events - I don't know a ton about them other than one of the area ski resorts hosts them now and then. When they do, the number of people that show up is incredible. I drove up there for some DH practice without knowing and the lots were packed. Needless to say, the lift and trails were closed for riding.

Good to see you back here Per.

I have been on a C2 rowing machine every day and trying to swim/indoor cycle 2x a week for the better part of the last month due to some sort of "bones in the top of my left foot are super hurty when it's cold" issue. I'm almost sure that "super hurty" is the medical terminology. In any case - I wanted to improve my swimming so I could try a tri. Hopefully the foot will cooperate when it's time to go back outside and put one foot in front of the other again.

Getting old sucks but it beats the alternative.

Thanks Ian! Still love the banter here on the board, not doing much car stuff, but figured I'd chime in where I've got interest and experience.

Want to do a Tri and not that good of a swimmer? Find and join your local US Masters swimming group. It's the best route for adult-onset swimmers to learn and will help the swim become a non-issue for the event.

A buddy of mine swims a lot and has done a few triathalons. The one piece of advice from him... if you can't run, you can walk, if you can't bike you can walk, if you can't swim, you drown. So just make sure you are in good shape for that piece of it. Funny, but serious.

Per Schroeder wrote: Want to do a Tri and not that good of a swimmer? Find and join your local US Masters swimming group. It's the best route for adult-onset swimmers to learn and will help the swim become a non-issue for the event.

The other great thing about Masters swimming is the ability to be competitive within your age group, set group and exact-age world records, and have many opportunities for doing so because a record lasts an even shorter time than it does in open competition. Mere mortals set US and world marks all the time.

My wife is a serious runner and regularly competes in halfs, fulls and even the occasional ultra-marathon. I have also joked that for free she can race through our neighborhood. For her, it's the competition and camaraderie. She enjoys it.

I'm in the other group: I can bike fairly well and I can swim, but I don't run. I've heard there are "bike & swim" versions as well I may look into some day when the wear and tear of gravity racing (DH & Enduro) gets too much...

Earlier today I paid the USMC $75 for the honor of running their MCM17.75k in NoVA on March 25th. Finishers of this race get an access code that bypasses the lottery registration for the MCM 26.2 in October. The 17.75k is to commemorate the founding of the USMC in 1775, and it's held on two-track and paved roads in Prince William Forest Park in Dumfries VA. Slow and low, that is the tempo.