OT: Hartford Marathon

[Hey Adrien!]

It didn't fit our schedule last year, but my wife signed up for the Hartford Marathon this morning.

She's doing the Hamptons Marathon next Saturday and figured since she's already trained and has three weeks off in between, why not sign up for the Hartford Marathon, especially since we had such a blast last time.

Shout out to all the organizers, volunteers and first responders: as I mentioned two years ago, the whole operation is run so well and it is such a warm community event. Hanging by the Hamptons for a morning is nice, but it's not the same thing...there's a beautiful buzz through our capital!

Anyone else going to participate or watch?

 

[TRest]

It didn't fit our schedule last year, but my wife signed up for the Hartford Marathon this morning.

She's doing the Hamptons Marathon next Saturday and figured since she's already trained and has three weeks off in between, why not sign up for the Hartford Marathon, especially since we had such a blast last time.

Shout out to all the organizers, volunteers and first responders: as I mentioned two years ago, the whole operation is run so well and it is such a warm community event. Hanging by the Hamptons for a morning is nice, but it's not the same thing...there's a beautiful buzz through our capital!

Anyone else going to participate or watch?

The half marathon has been going past my house in WeHa for years, I’m always astounded by the logistics with the volunteers, water stations, etc.

 

[YukonDolt5]

I started running regularly at age 42 with a few 10Ks and then a few 21Ks on my way to running in my first marathon at age 44. I was quite disciplined about following the running part of my 4-month training schedule (although I skipped the cross training parts). I even nearly lost my now wife because I couldn't ever meet up for dates because of training.

With several KMs to go I was already mustering everything I could to keep going - watching the shoes of a person in front of me and focusing only on that just to will myself to keep moving my feet. I ended up stopping within sight of the finish line. With only a few city blocks to go I simply couldn't make my legs move anymore.

After about a minute, I resumed and ran across the finish line. My time was not good but I finished. I never did another - I did some more 21Ks but then stopped completely after I tore my knee hiking in Sapa.

Point being, marathons suck.

 

[Blue Blood]

It didn't fit our schedule last year, but my wife signed up for the Hartford Marathon this morning.

She's doing the Hamptons Marathon next Saturday and figured since she's already trained and has three weeks off in between, why not sign up for the Hartford Marathon, especially since we had such a blast last time.

Shout out to all the organizers, volunteers and first responders: as I mentioned two years ago, the whole operation is run so well and it is such a warm community event. Hanging by the Hamptons for a morning is nice, but it's not the same thing...there's a beautiful buzz through our capital!

Anyone else going to participate or watch?

Only a minor word of caution when I ran a marathon 4 weeks after a previous one it was a nightmare on my knees, they had not fully recovered from the toll 26 miles takes. Granted I'm a larger guy but I basically had to stop running for 4 months to recover and only recently started training for the NYC in November.

 

[husky429]

People who run >10k for fun are masochists.

Give me powerlifting, let me puch the bag for cardio 10 rounds a few times a week, and call it a day.

 

[Marbles90]

They changed both courses this year.

I like the old half marathon course that did a complete loop around West Hartford. It is now a much smaller slice of WeHa with an out and back down Farmington Ave and a small loop that still includes Elizabeth Park. They added the big hill around the Xfinity Theater and a run back along the Hartford side of the river through Riverside Park which used to be part of the marathon course.

The new marathon course I like better as it now follows the half along the same smaller slice of West Hartford and then breaks off when you get back to the city - heading over the Founders Bridge to do the normal East Hartford / S. Windsor section of the marathon. I like it better because it now includes both West and East Hartford and it cuts out that hill by Xfinity.

Unfortunately, I will not be running Hartford this year as I am doing the NYC marathon on 11/5.

 

[Marbles90]

Point being, marathons suck.

Can't argue with this. For me, it is more about the training which is so miserable, excruciating and time consuming. The race itself is grueling but I do enjoy the challenge, the running community and the feeling when you finish. Half marathons are more my speed. I have done almost 2 dozen halfs. The 2023 NYC marathon will be 5th full marathon.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

They changed both courses this year.

I like the old half marathon course that did a complete loop around West Hartford. It is now a much smaller slice of WeHa with an out and back down Farmington Ave and a small loop that still includes Elizabeth Park. They added the big hill around the Xfinity Theater and a run back along the Hartford side of the river through Riverside Park which used to be part of the marathon course.

The new marathon course I like better as it now follows the half along the same smaller slice of West Hartford and then breaks off when you get back to the city - heading over the Founders Bridge to do the normal East Hartford / S. Windsor section of the marathon. I like it better because it now includes both West and East Hartford and it cuts out that hill by Xfinity.

Unfortunately, I will not be running Hartford this year as I am doing the NYC marathon on 11/5.

Yeah, just checked out the course since we're driving up to Hartford next week.

The new course is not as good for the fan experience, but much better for runners. The hard-stop turn-around at mile 18 is still a killer, though.

Probably my plan of attack is to hang around downtown Hartford from Mile 0 to Mile 11 and then move out to East Hartford.

I’m a big Mo’s Midtown fan but I’m looking for Egg Salad sandwich recs in Hartford or East Hartford (my wife’s go-to post race lunch: egg salad, pickles on rye).

 

[Waquoit]

I’m a big Mo’s Midtown fan but I’m looking for Egg Salad sandwich recs in Hartford or East Hartford (my wife’s go-to post race lunch: egg salad, pickles on rye).

Shady Glen does egg salad!

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Yeah, just checked out the course since we're driving up to Hartford next week.

The new course is not as good for the fan experience, but much better for runners. The hard-stop turn-around at mile 18 is still a killer, though.

Probably my plan of attack is to hang around downtown Hartford from Mile 0 to Mile 11 and then move out to East Hartford.

I’m a big Mo’s Midtown fan but I’m looking for Egg Salad sandwich recs in Hartford or East Hartford (my wife’s go-to post race lunch: egg salad, pickles on rye).

Hey Adrian,

A bit off topic but has your wife or any of her running friends ever been diagnosed with this:

IT Band Syndrome: Knee Pain Symptoms & Treatments | HSS

If so what type of rehab was used to resolve the problem? Any other runners have suggestions?

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

People who run >10k for fun are masochists.

Give me powerlifting, let me puch the bag for cardio 10 rounds a few times a week, and call it a day.

5k's with emphasis on speed can be more painful.

 

[Hamms30]

will be doing the 5k and sticking around for US vs. Germany that afternoon.

 

[husky429]

5k's with emphasis on speed can be more painful.

I can deal with pain. I did 5Ks or sprints for training 4x a week for years.The idea of running for anywhere near an hour is horrendous. People running marathons are psychopaths through and through

 

[Tyler2Rings]

Hey Adrian,

A bit off topic but has your wife or any of her running friends ever been diagnosed with this:

IT Band Syndrome: Knee Pain Symptoms & Treatments | HSS

If so what type of rehab was used to resolve the problem? Any other runners have suggestions?

I had that as a track runner in HS. Of course, the most important part is prevention, which means stretching after every run.

When this injury knocked me out, I added a hip flexor stretch to my routine. It has helped me ever since and I have not had a reinjury.

Basically you get on one knee, opposite leg in front, all right angles. Like taking a knee for coach in little league. Then you tighten your butt- maintaining the right angles. You should feel it from your knee on the ground north.

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

We often observe that Hip Flexor muscles(iliacus and psoas muscles) are often tight across the runners, men & women, beginners and experienced alike.

geeksonfeet.com

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I can deal with pain. I did 5Ks or sprints for training 4x a week for years.The idea of running for anywhere near an hour is horrendous. People running marathons are psychopaths through and through

Its all about pace. Distance running (all relative) certainly has taken more of a toll on my knee. Interval training for a 5k can be brutal depending on what you are targeting for a PR.

 

[husky429]

I had that as a track runner in HS. Of course, the most important part is prevention, which means stretching after every run.

When this injury knocked me out, I added a hip flexor stretch to my routine. It has helped me ever since and I have not had a reinjury.

Basically you get on one knee, opposite leg in front, all right angles. Like taking a knee for coach in little league. Then you tighten your butt- maintaining the right angles. You should feel it from your knee on the ground north.

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

We often observe that Hip Flexor muscles(iliacus and psoas muscles) are often tight across the runners, men & women, beginners and experienced alike.

geeksonfeet.com

@Hey Adrien! 's wife is a yoga teacher (I think?). I'm guessing her hip flexors are like gumby's. What people constantly overlook is hip flexor strength--especially runners. You can find plenty of PT exercises using just a band online for them.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

@Hey Adrien! 's wife is a yoga teacher (I think?). I'm guessing her hip flexors are like gumby's. What people constantly overlook is hip flexor strength--especially runners. You can find plenty of PT exercises using just a band online for them.

Yessir. Cheerleading, basketball and dance growing up and now a runner and yoga instructor, both of which were taken up in her mid-30s, but her dad was a long-time HS cross-country coach in Montana. Funny, I coach cross-country at my school, even though I'm not a long-distance runner.

It's pretty insane how not sore she is after long-distance running. I'm tentative how she'll feel after the Hartford Marathon, especially since she ran the Hamptons Marathon three weeks prior to it, but we'll see. She ran the SONO half-marathon last Sunday (I ran the 5k) as part of her maintenance to keep the miles up.

The Hamptons Marathon was pretty wild. Rain wasn't as bad as expected (rained for like the first and last hour), but the winds were pretty insane: gusts of 50 mph for the stretch just a block from the ocean. Weather next weekend doesn't look good either, but we're conditioned to it at this point.

@BLUEDOGHOUSE no info for you on that.

 

[fatlucy]

3 weeks may not be enough recovery unless she’s used to that kind of grind. But good luck her and and have fun. I ran 4 marathons and many shorter races. The training is much worse than the race.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Yesterday was amazing. I've said it before, but the energy and love throughout the city during the marathon is truly heart warming.

Had a great time and my did feels great today, despite running the Hampton's Marathon three weeks ago and us both working through colds.

Perfect weather and no rain throughout any of the time we were in Hartford. After the start, I was able to sneak down to the finish area and snap the photo below, and even ran into Howie the Hawk!

Around mile 8, the runners ran over Founders Bridge and I was able to hang out right by the Old State House, which was a pretty awesome vantage pTheoint to snap photos amongst some of the taller building in downtown.

Right after that, picked up an amazing as always breakfast at Mo's Midtown, which took a bit longer since Whitney Street was closed, so I was able to park on Kenyon Street and walk down that street for the first time. Beautiful historic homes and especially fun with Halloween stuff and foliage starting to turn.

With the runners trekking through East Hartford and South Windsor via Main Street, I was able to camp out near Newberry Road. That part of South Windsor is very pretty this time of year and the overall vibe in that area was a ton of fun: lots of onlookers, DJs, etc.

After that, I was able to spent the remainder of the marathon right near the Memorial Arch for about 45 minutes, where it's hard not to get emotional seeing the finishers run under just a mere meters from the finish line. A favorite moment: one guy was focused on the finish line and then he realized how close he was to the arch. Catching this, he stopped, grinned, snapped a photo and then finished the marathon.

My wife's post-race go to meal is an egg salad on rye w/ pickles, so we ended up trying The Cove Deli in Wethersfield, which was surprisingly really good. I highly recommend if you're in the area.

Back to my opening paragraph: to all the runners, onlookers, volunteers and staff: it's truly one of my favorite events of the year!

 

[HCCForever]

I stood at the Memorial Arch for one of the marathons a few years ago. It truly is awe inspiring since I used to have trouble running 5k. Back in 2019 I also went to the NYC marathon to see my nephew run. That was his first and only time running there. That was pretty cool as well as we went to various spots along the way to watch him run by on a sunny Autumn day.

 

[QDOG5]

Chicago marathon a few weeks back had ideal weather conditions and a number of world records were broken. A 23 y/o from Kenya, Kelvin Kiptum, ran a 2:00:35! 4:36 mile pace. To me, truly mind boggling. He would have lapped me 3 miles into the 10k I ran yesterday

 

[husky429]

Chicago marathon a few weeks back had ideal weather conditions and a number of world records were broken. A 23 y/o from Kenya, Kelvin Kiptum, ran a 2:00:35! 4:36 mile pace. To me, truly mind boggling. He would have lapped me 3 miles into the 10k I ran yesterday

It won't be long until someone officially breaks 2 hours.

I've seen a trend on tiktok of people trying to see how long that could run Kipchoge's pace on a treadmill. Tons of solid athletes can can barely do it for a couplefew minutes. I tried it and had about a minute thirty minutes before I was puffing. These guys breaking distance records are genuinely incredible.