If you come to Baltimore I will come cheer for ya!

I live in Baltimore and obviously love it but I think other races on your list are more scenic. I don’t know the course but Richmond as a city is sooo cute and certainly worth a visit.

Sounds like you had a great experience which is good! It’s very likely that the treadmill isn’t calibrated so the distance it’s measuring is likely wrong, and I don’t know about Apple Watches but Garmin and other sports watches have an impossible time tracking on treadmills without some kind of footpod. That said, there are also such things as beginner gains, and often beginner runners can pop out some surprising efforts (and then get a little cocky and go too hard too fast and get injured!). Do you think you’ll give it another go sometime?

Oof are you feeling all recovered from being sick? That sounds terrible. Nice bonus to find good cyber Monday deals tho!

You are definitely still a runner if you don’t race and it still counts even if it’s not a race! I’ve done maybe ten races or so and I’ll probably do them again but they’re not really my favorite thing. I also don’t like lots of people. But, your fellow runners are generally a good lot and once you get running and in the zone, you can have some really nice race buddies if the opportunity strikes!

Ugh I’m sorry, covid sucks. I think I’d include the peak sickness days, but I’d also be very cautious about exercise. I had covid a solid month in 2022 and it took me months to feel better enough to try to run. Hope you have much much better luck!!

Oh no, usually I am team pop but I’m not sure with you being so close to race day. Are they quite large and tender? Yikes :(

Lol cheater. Always nice to have amazing, easy runs!

Same to that last sentiment but with cookies.

If it makes you feel better, I think I have a VMO strain/aggravation from sitting weird while working on a home reno project :P It sucks! It hurts the most when I bend my leg to put shoes on or get into bed. Bodies are ridiculous. I hope your muscle strain feels better soon.

Good luck and congrats – marathon training is intense!

Ugh we’ve all been there – really sorry you’re dealing with this. This is a good time to find some other things to fill your time and one reason why it’s so important to have other hobbies. Go for a walk, read a book, visit with friends – anything to get up and out of the house and engage your brain. Running will be there when you’re healed. Right now, the most important part of your training is recovery.

Yay love new gear!

I’ve used BioFreeze before for muscle pains (not shin splints) and it feels so good! I don’t know how effective it is therapeutically but it was very enjoyable and felt like it helped.

Ow :'( I’m so sorry. Yeah black ice is no joke. Certainly one of my biggest fears with snow. If there’s ice under there, you’re having a bad time :(

It’ll only be cold for the beginning, you’ll warm up quick! I also see people recommend doing some jumping jacks or something inside to get the blood flowing quicker before you get out there. How cold will it be?

Oooh family drama. About anything in particular or just general drama llamas?

How cold are your temps? I really like the Patagonia nano air but can only wear it running if it’s close to 20 degree F or below as it gets quite toasty. It’s super breathable though. I also got a nano puff to run in but tend to go for the air more often. (ETA there are probably better options than these, I’m just very brand loyal apparently, and got them used off eBay for super cheap)

A dusting is probably fine and a good way to get used to it, and fresh powdery snow is amazing to run in, but snow can be a little tricky once it’s a day or two on the ground as it gets packed down, thawed and refrozen, etc.

I would take it easy, keep your feet under you, no speed work while you figure it out. If you feel like you need traction, you can get little cleats for your shoes. When I lived more rural, it was actually fine because I’d run in the road and they were usually plowed. Now I live in a city and nobody shovels their dang sidewalks so it’s really hit or miss whether I get out on the snow much.

Yay extended holiday and thanks for reporting to jury duty! I haven’t been selected for jury duty but I think it would be cool to do once, as long as it wasn’t a heinous violent crime.