Now What To Do???

So...I think that I have narrowed down my spring marathon choices. They are:

Pocono Run for the Red Marathon - 5/19
http://poconomarathon.org/

Glass City Marathon - 4/28
http://www.glasscitymarathon.org/

Eugene Marathon -
http://eugenemarathon.com/ - 4/28


I am leaning towards the Pocono Marathon...Has anyone ran any of these races or know anyone that has?

I know several people who have run Glass City - what do you want to know? I can quiz them on tomorrow's run.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I know several people who have run Glass City - what do you want to know? I can quiz them on tomorrow's run.

I have heard that the traffic/parking at the start is not very organized. It is also pretty flat, are ther any tricky areas to the course? Challenging hills??

Ok, no complaints from the group as they all liked Glass City. I was told that it was flat and fast and that they would recommend it. Not sure if you remember Paula Sue who used to post back on Hal's boards and here some, but she is from western Ohio and recommended the course as well. Apparently, it is not windy like Cleveland can be but just as flat.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Ok, no complaints from the group as they all liked Glass City. I was told that it was flat and fast and that they would recommend it. Not sure if you remember Paula Sue who used to post back on Hal's boards and here some, but she is from western Ohio and recommended the course as well. Apparently, it is not windy like Cleveland can be but just as flat.

Cool...Thanks!!

Starting to ramp it back up, as I completed back to back 8 mile days this morning. Training will be starting within the next week or so

I know Mark B has had good things to say about Eugene, and finishing on the Hayward Field track would be pretty sweet.

If you plan on running a fall marathon, let me know what you're thinking and perhaps we can get a group together. I think MCM may be on my short list.

I know the feeling you had this weekend! I did some intervals on Saturday and 8 on Sunday. I felt like an actual runner again.

If I can pull things together, I'd like to simply complete another marathon - Glass City looks like it might be a good laid-back marathon to try. Hmmmmmmm....

Ok, if you all come up to Toledo, I'll make sure to drive over and cheer - maybe the Mudhens will be in town (yes, they really exist).

mul21 wrote:I know Mark B has had good things to say about Eugene, and finishing on the Hayward Field track would be pretty sweet.

If you plan on running a fall marathon, let me know what you're thinking and perhaps we can get a group together. I think MCM may be on my short list.

I know the feeling you had this weekend! I did some intervals on Saturday and 8 on Sunday. I felt like an actual runner again.

Marine Corp Marathon may be doable. My birthday is that weekend and what better way to celebrate

Nick - are you training now for the marathon in Maine?

Kenny B. wrote:Nick - are you training now for the marathon in Maine?

No, I have ruled out Maine. The transportation just to get there is a disaster. I am thinking either the Poconos, Toledo, or Eugene.

Nick Morris wrote:

Kenny B. wrote:Nick - are you training now for the marathon in Maine?

No, I have ruled out Maine. The transportation just to get there is a disaster. I am thinking either the Poconos, Toledo, or Eugene.

Eugene I researched seemed really good choice. Fast course finishes I believe in the famous stadium that's cool. Weather could be decent.

Nick Morris wrote:

Kenny B. wrote:Nick - are you training now for the marathon in Maine?

No, I have ruled out Maine. The transportation just to get there is a disaster. I am thinking either the Poconos, Toledo, or Eugene.

I was looking at fall options yesterday and may have ruled out even attempting to get into St. George because of it. There's just no good way to fly in there from St. Louis and the next best option was flying into Vegas and driving the 2 hours up there.

mul21 wrote:

Nick Morris wrote:

Kenny B. wrote:Nick - are you training now for the marathon in Maine?

No, I have ruled out Maine. The transportation just to get there is a disaster. I am thinking either the Poconos, Toledo, or Eugene.

I was looking at fall options yesterday and may have ruled out even attempting to get into St. George because of it. There's just no good way to fly in there from St. Louis and the next best option was flying into Vegas and driving the 2 hours up there.

Plus, it is a lottery...luckily I can fly from Madison directly to St. George if I ever do plan to run that race.

8.75 miles this morning and 10 more tomorrow. After that it is go time as I start training again...

Wow, I thought the Pocono marathon would be pretty hilly but instead I see it is a huge downhill marathon. Reading some comments on marathonguide shows it is a bit hilly but it got good ratings. I didn't even know they had one there. When will you decide which one? Do any sell out?

JohnP wrote:Wow, I thought the Pocono marathon would be pretty hilly but instead I see it is a huge downhill marathon. Reading some comments on marathonguide shows it is a bit hilly but it got good ratings. I didn't even know they had one there. When will you decide which one? Do any sell out?

I think that Eugene will sell out. The others will probably not or will closer to the race. I think that my training is really going to dictate which race I will run. If I am feeling good early, then I may do one of the earlier races. If not, I may choose the later race. Although, the middle of May scares me. In a sense that the weather may be warm.

I read the review on marathon guide for the Pocono Marathon, too. I guess that the course is challenging both up and downhill. I guess the elevation chart is deceiving. Although, it looks big time downhill to me. We will see...

So, this past week was supposed to be Week 1 of my training cycle. Unfortunately I felt something in my right knee last Sunday durning a 10 mile run. I ended up shutting it down about 9.5 miles into the run, because I didn't want to hirt anything. I also took the week off from running. I tested it out with a mile run at the gym on Friday and things seemed alright. From that, I decided to run on it yesterday. About a mile into the run, I knew something still wasn't right. So, I turned around and shut it down after two miles.

It is not a sharp pain, but more of a dull ache on the inside of my right knee. It seems to act up when I run for a little while. I also felt it today when I tried to ride the bike at the gym. I don't feel anything when I walk. I also found that I don't feel it when using the eliptical.

So, today at the gym I got in a good 40 minutes on the eliptical. It is my first time every using this machine, but I want to try to keep my cardio fitness up. Being that I have never used an eliptical before, how does it translate when converted to running? Meaning how much do I have to do on an eliptical to simulate a run (if possible).

What does all of this mean?? It means that I will more than likely have to take at least another week off from running. It means that I will be behind in my training, but I will try to maintain some type of cardiac fitness while I get this thing healed.

I plan on getting some therapy done on it this week. It is a little frustrating to have something come up, especially since I have been healthy for a year and a half.

Wow - sounds identical to the knee issue I've been battling for a couple of months now that derailed me in Tucson. I had an MRI done and return to the doctor on Tuesday. The preliminary take is that I have a torn medial meniscus on the right knee. Just like you said, dull ache on the inside right knee. It got real bad when I tried to pile on lots of mileage or run downhill. I'll let you know what the official word and plan ends up being on mine.

Chris M wrote:Wow - sounds identical to the knee issue I've been battling for a couple of months now that derailed me in Tucson. I had an MRI done and return to the doctor on Tuesday. The preliminary take is that I have a torn medial meniscus on the right knee. Just like you said, dull ache on the inside right knee. It got real bad when I tried to pile on lots of mileage or run downhill. I'll let you know what the official word and plan ends up being on mine.

Did you/do you only feel it when you run? Is it normal when you are sitting, walking, or standing?

That's a heck of a way to start a new training cycle! It's a good sign that it doesn't bother you on the E machine and your cardio can easily be maintained using it. Not sure about the equivalency question that you had.

Sounds really similar to a feeling I was having over the summer. Does it feel like it needs to pop if you do a deep knee bend?

My remedy was a knee brace while running. I even wore it for the first 12 miles of my first 20 of my fall cycle. Get one with a knee hole in it if you decide to and see how it feels.

mul21 wrote:Sounds really similar to a feeling I was having over the summer. Does it feel like it needs to pop if you do a deep knee bend?

My remedy was a knee brace while running. I even wore it for the first 12 miles of my first 20 of my fall cycle. Get one with a knee hole in it if you decide to and see how it feels.

No, it doesn't really feel like it needs to pop, but maybe a knee brace would stabilize things.

Just be careful with a knee brace. I just say that because I had carpal tunnel and tendinitis in college and wore wrist braces all day for about 2 yrs. I became so weak I could barely hold a cup or brush my hair without intense pain. It helps support the joint but it can also really weaken it if you don't need it. It might be different with running if you're just wearing it during the run, though.