Listener Q&A: December 2021

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Just like that, another year is drawing to a close.

Before we officially kick 2021 to the curb, however, we gotta do a little Q&A!

You Ask, I Answer!

In case you’re new to these parts, here’s what’s going on.

At the end of every month, I do an episode dedicated to you and your questions.

Want to get a question answered in a future Q&A episode? Come join our FB group, watch for the post asking for Qs, and put your query in the comments.

Basically, whatever you ask I try to answer!

Sometimes, the answers aren’t worth a whole lot. But every once in a while I like to think (or at least hope!) that I hit the nail on the head!

When it comes to free advice, there are no guarantees that you won’t get any more than what you paid for it.

That said, I promise to do my best!

And if nothing else, there are usually at least a few decent memes/GIFs to make it worth your while.

Let’s get into this month’s questions, shall we?

This Month’s Questions

What are your goals for 2022?

How often do you have a splurge meal or weekend? Do you struggle to get back on track after a splurge?

I don’t think I splurge too often, but I suppose that depends on your definition of splurging.

I’ll usually treat myself to some ice cream on a Saturday evening, and in a perfect world that’s my splurge for the week.

However, as a creature of habit, the weekends can sometimes unravel pretty quickly because I’m out of my normal food routine that works pretty well during the week.

Holidays and vacations? I don’t go crazy, at least as I would define crazy, but I’m definitely more willing to color outside of my usual dietary lines.

As for getting back on track, it’s usually not too much of a struggle provided I can slot back into my usual routine.

Do you think I’m asking for trouble if I try some different shoes, even though what I’m currently wearing are working just fine?

Any chance a Diz Runs Ragnar team could become a regular thing?

I know I held out on doing a Ragnar for a while, but I really did enjoy it.

Not only was the event itself fun, but the opportunity to get to hang out with people I’ve gotten to know online was pretty cool.

In my own little fantasy world?

I’d love for there to be a few Diz Runs Ragnar teams that pop up every year.

Would I be able to be part of every team? Probably not, though I’d love to be if it would work out.

But if people from different areas of the country wanted to put teams together for their local-ish events made up of folks from the FB group?

That would be pretty fricking awesome.

Thoughts on CRAW?

It was fun, but I’m not sad for the official event to be finished.

Would I do it again? Probably.

But I’m in no rush to start something like this anew right away.

What is the furthest distance you’ve coached someone for?

100 miles, so far.

But Ana is gearing up for her first 200 miler in a few weeks, so hopefully my answer will change shortly.

How would you compare Coros and Garmin?

At this point, I’m a Coros guy for sure.

I used Garmin for years, and I really don’t have too much bad to say about the watches that I’ve owned or the customer service I experienced.

But when you look at the two brands and watches of similar specs, the difference in price between the two can be pretty incredible.

Obviously, it’s up to you in terms of which bells and whistles are more important.

So for you, splurging on a Garmin might be a no brainer.

But for me, I can’t see a compelling argument to go back to a Garmin any time soon.

When are you coming back to Kansas?

So now that you’ve done a 45-miler, you eyeballing a 50-miler? Or going right to 100k?

Can you tell me about your strength training routine?

Now that you’ve smashed your 2021 mileage goal, do you think you’ll go up or down next year?

Any special Christmas Eve dinner in your house?

Kind just kept it low-key this year.

Swedish meatballs have been the tradition in my family forever, but we had meatballs when my sister and her family were here and we had our family Christmas.

My parents came over on Christmas eve, but we just had burgers. Nothing too fancy there.

How do you respond to questions from non-running family members around the holidays?

Can you coach someone that refuses to adopt HR training?

I actually only have a couple of folks that are pretty serious about HR training.

The one thing I do stress/prioritize is effort.

As long as someone is keeping their easy runs easy, I’m not worried about HR too much.

What are your thoughts on junk miles?

I feel like this is one of those terms that often get thrown around but no one really knows what it means.

Or, at least, there isn’t a universal definition.

To me, junk miles are neither easy enough to be easy nor hard enough to really bring about the benefits of a hard workout.

So while I wouldn’t call junk miles worthless, they are definitely (in my view) more meh than anything else.

What kind of weather conditions will you not run in?

Cold rain is the worst.

Any other splurges around the holidays besides apple pie and fudge?

Reeses. Certain cookies.

A little extra gin.

I try not to eat junk just for the sake of eating junk, but I’m definitely more willing to color outside the lines this time of year.

What do you want for Christmas? If money was no object?

How long did it take you to adapt to HR training?

Maybe not quite that long, but it definitely takes time.

I’d say I started seeing signs of progress in about 4-6 months.

But to really adapt to it? Probably 12-18 months.

And now that I’m 4 years deep, I really feel like I’m finally starting to hit my stride.

So, yeah, it takes a while.

Who is your favorite person in the world and why is it your wife?

What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?

Figure out a solid investing strategy to maximize returns and minimize tax liability.

Let’s just say you were guaranteed entry to any 100-miler, what race are you doing?

It’s gotta be Western States, right?

If you have to do a 5k, rather run on the treadmill or in the snow?

When you start running, do you always start on the same foot?

Why do some socks come with a specific left/right?

Marketing.

Siri or Alexa?

What’s the best running picture ever taken of you during a race? Worst?

I’ve had a few good ones, actually.

No doubt several rough ones, but none worse than the finish line at Running with the Bears.

Turns out, heat exhaustion isn’t my best look…

What’s harder: a white puzzle or a marathon?

Why do people in your neighborhood throw their Christmas trees out on the 26th?

What are your running/non-running goals for 2022?

How many races is too many?

Foam rolling: every day? A few times per week?

I’ve heard of someone that only uses Coke as race-day fuel. Would you ever try this?

Is there a professional runner that inspires you?

Which is the worst: Cadbury Eggs, candy corn, or treadmill running?

Can you give some examples of setting multiple goals on race day?

I’m a fan of having multiple goals on race day.

Some say that by having multiple goals you’re giving yourself an easy out, but I feel like there are so many variables at play that having a few different targets allows you to adjust as needed based on how the day unfolds.

A real basic example could be as follows:

• Finish the race.
• Finish in X time.
• Set a new PR.

Adjust as needed, but I like having one goal that is almost a gimmie, one that isn’t a gimmie but isn’t too much of a reach, and then one that requires you to have a pretty good day at the office.

When you’re mostly running easy in your training, how do you know what kind of race day paces are realistic?

It’s a little bit of a gut feeling, a bit of listening to your body, and a bit of blind faith.

Quite the combination, eh?

In all seriousness though, it’s tricky and far from an exact science.

What I tend to do is have a target pace in mind, but try to really trust my body and how it’s feeling on race day.

It doesn’t always work out gloriously, but more often than not I’ve been able to have paces on race day that were 1-2 minutes per mile faster than most of my runs in the months leading up to the event.

Is running in the sand a good substitute for running hills?

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And that’s that…

As always, the answers in this post are the abridged versions. For a bit more, make sure you press play at the top of this post.

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What Was Your Favorite Question and/or Answer this Month? Let Me Know in the Comments Below!

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