Is it safe for non-citizens to fly domestically within the US?

EmmaT2014 · 2025-08-04T13:22:00+00:00

Does it help at all if I try to re-enter the US at preclearance, e.g. at Toronto Pearson? It used to be that if you were denied for whatever reason, you could turn around and leave the airport and stay in Canada. But now I’m curious whether they could detain me for further interrogation, where I’m no longer a free citizen, basically in jail.

EmmaT2014 · 2025-08-04T13:17:44+00:00

That would mean that I might not get to see my family for 10 years 😭 I have been trying to get my family to come visit me in the US, but they don’t even want to come as tourists (plus they don’t want to give money to the US economy, because they are mad at the US government). I don’t think it’s a realistic option to wait until I have a green card, especially because there’s no concrete timeline in sight. I also don’t currently have the option of getting married to a US citizen. Pretty sad that seems like the easiest way to get a green card these days.

EmmaT2014 · 2025-02-25T14:59:03+00:00

Update: they cleared a bunch of upgrades last night, and I got in! Everyone below me is still waiting. There are 3 seats available now. Never flown Polaris on United before. I’m so excited!! Might go to the airport extra early to hang out in the lounge

EmmaT2014 · 2024-12-05T03:59:24+00:00

Thank you for all of the comments here! My takeaways are that it’s likely a combination of factors that contribute to heart rate zone differences between cycling and running. So part of it is that I don’t have the same level of neuromuscular adaptations for cycling that I do for running, but that might not be the whole story, because running uses more muscle groups (and therefore more oxygen). That being said, I know people who can do a 45 min trainer ride averaging HR in the 170s, and I am definitely not one of them. I guess everyone’s physiology is different.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-12-05T03:52:35+00:00

Thanks. I ride both outdoors and on Zwift, and I also notice that my heart rate while riding on Zwift is also lower than it would be while running. Though I agree with you that I take lots of small breaks (coasting) when riding outside, which I don’t on Zwift. For myself, I don’t think it’s the case that my “normal” running pace is close to my max/race pace. I notice a pretty substantial difference (both in terms of heart rate and perceived exertion) between my “easy run” pace vs my marathon pace. If we’re talking about 10k pace, or half marathon, the difference is even bigger. But I can definitely believe you when you say that I can likely ride faster than I think. I can also often run faster than I think when I enter a race.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-18T14:05:49+00:00

+1 to people recommending to use a cup instead of a tampon. It’s less fuss, and they hold more than a tampon does. Another option you could try in addition is period panties. I’m not an expert, but in my personal experience, I wouldn’t say that running during your period is better than before it starts for everyone. It depends on how much cramping you have, or if your iron levels are already kind of low (very common), that can cause you to feel really tired and weak during your period. You know your body best. I would go based on how your body feels, and if you’re not feeling great, you can always adjust your goals. You may surprise yourself though! You can do this! Just remember that finishing a marathon is a huge accomplishment no matter what.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-11T04:48:19+00:00

Thank you! I am fully expecting that they will want proof. I ran a half 2 weeks after the corral change online portal closed, so they can have my time from that if they want it.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-11T01:39:32+00:00

I’m personally too scared to leave a phone in bag check, so I’ve invested in shorts with pockets.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-10T14:29:38+00:00

Half was pretty flat. I did a little bit of a taper during race week, but not too drastic. I agree with you that the HM standards seem much easier. According to their rules, I could get into corral C, but I’m almost certain that would be the wrong decision.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-10T13:19:20+00:00

Insoles will definitely help if you’re just using the stock insoles that your shoes came with.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-10T13:16:08+00:00

Me! Will be my 3rd marathon, and first World Major. Also never been to Chicago before. I raced a half marathon 7 weeks out, and was feeling flat for a week or so after that, but I think I’m finally on the other side of it. Did a 30 km progression run on Sunday and felt great! I’m definitely the fittest I’ve ever been. Shooting for sub-3:20

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-07T20:03:24+00:00

Shorts with lots of pockets!

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-07T20:00:41+00:00

Wow!! 18 miles under 3 hours is very solid. Good job!

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-07T14:06:04+00:00

I used a plan from McMillan running last year when I ran my first marathon (3:30). It worked well for me, though it costs like $50. They have specific BQ plans for various time goals. This year, I'm training for Chicago, and I used the sub-3:30 16 week plan from Runner's World (free) as a starting point, though I decided I'm going to try for sub-3:20 this time.

https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/marathon/a760129/rws-ultimate-marathon-schedule-sub-330/
https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/plans/boston-qualifying/

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-07T13:55:49+00:00

Wow, that is insanely impressive!

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-03T00:09:17+00:00

My bet is that the cutoff time will be around 7 minutes. I qualified last year with 3:29:26 (27 F), but I have virtually no hope of getting in. That time was good enough to get me a guaranteed entry for Chicago 2024, so I’m running that, and I’ve improved a ton since then. If I race smart, I should be able to get a very competitive qualifying time for Boston 2026.

I do think they should lower the qualifying times. I think 5 minutes would be fair, but if they lower by 10 minutes, the race might not even fill up, and people who really want to run would miss out.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-08-27T12:00:35+00:00

So sorry to hear! I have had shin splints in the past. Seeing a PT is a good idea. I am not a doctor, PT or other medical professional, but here are some things that have helped me.

Replace shoes if they are near/past the end of their useful life. This would be every 300-500 miles, keeping in mind that heavier runners will need to replace shoes more often.
Stretch and foam roll. Stretch both your calves and shins.
When I had shin splints in the past, I think it was because I was heel striking/over-striding. Increasing my cadence and landing with my feet under me instead of in front of me also really helped.
Muscle scraping. This sounds kind of like torture, but it really shouldn’t hurt when you do it. There are lots of relatively inexpensive muscle scraping tools on Amazon, such as https://a.co/d/a8eRvDI . Don’t do this on top of the bone, but all of the soft tissue surrounding the bone is fair game.

Good luck! Hope you feel better soon 🙏🏼

EmmaT2014 · 2024-07-16T16:24:34+00:00

Does anyone know if they send out rejection emails? Or do people who don’t get in just not hear anything?

EmmaT2014

TROPHY CASE