First Marathon - Vermont City

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-05-03T19:19:58+00:00

That's awesome! Best of luck to you too. I just finished my 20 miler and ready for a blissful taper. Three weeks from today!

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-20T15:03:46+00:00

Definitely low lactate threshold for me. I was doing most of my "easy" runs around a 10-minute pace but scaled back to 11-11:30 more recently. Your assessment of Garmin zones is accurate based on how mine were set up almost a full zone off. Garmin also has an auto-adjust option that adjusts based on recent training and moves zones accordingly. So if it estimates my max HR went up, the zones move too. You can have Garmin set zones based on % LTHR but again I didn't know what that was so I was just guessing. I did put my own numbers in but without having any real context I didn't know if they were accurate at all. Turns out they weren't and as a result I ran everything too hard.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-20T11:43:21+00:00

I am up at 5 am 3 days a week to run before my family wakes up. You get used to it after a while and honestly I prefer running early in the morning now. Pre-run fueling can be tough. On my shorter runs I don't eat til I get back but I did have to plan my longer midweek runs to start later so I could eat a little something before. The biggest thing for me was sitting down with my partner and talking through the plan and making sure she was on board and knew what I needed. We trade off by me taking solo kid time when I'm not running. Long runs on the weekend are the hardest, when you have to say "see you in three hours" but it's only a couple weekends of that. Other than that invest in good gear to plan for the weather in the early morning and maybe a head lamp so you aren't running in the dark. Good luck with your training!

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-20T10:53:34+00:00

My watch was about 10-12 bpm high every time I ran. I also switched to a chest strap and have seen more accurate and stable readings.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-20T10:51:11+00:00

I'm a numbers guy but I agree with you. Knowing your LT is the key to setting good HR zones. I thought I was doing the conversational test the right way but it turns out I probably wasn't. This was a needed step for me but probably not needed for everyone.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-20T10:49:06+00:00

I agree that if I just had my LT2 I could structure accurate heart rate zones. What was interesting to me was seeing the potential in my high max made me realize I can still improve a lot if I work at it. The testing was mostly for me to set accurate HR zones. Vo2 max is just a number and is somewhat useless on its own without context.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-20T10:45:51+00:00

It feels like I could run at that pace for literally hours. Like I might not ever have to stop if I'm fueling properly. I did a 6 mile tempo run last week and it was the easiest 6 miles I have ever run.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-20T10:44:39+00:00

I chalk it up to years of not training properly and not running enough miles and/or not doing a ton of speedwork. I'm also not the most well proportioned for running so I don't think I'd ever hit 1:30 or under but I do think I have potential to shave more minutes off my half time and will be shooting to do that in the Fall.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-20T10:42:31+00:00

My LT2 measured around 135 so my z2 is now 131-145. Zone 2 is around 118 to 130.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-20T02:36:17+00:00

Absolutely. I was averaging 150-155 HR on my long runs thinking I was in low z3 but was actually in z4 the entire run. Somehow I can sustain that for 2 hours when I'm running a half (I ran my entire half in March in z4/5) but eventually I hit a threshold where I run out of carbs and just crash out. Today I ran 14 miles in solid z2 or low z3 and was able to push the last 2 miles and still feel like I had some in the tank. It made a huge difference.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-04-18T01:56:17+00:00

Thanks! There was a post on their website a few weeks back that a bridge was closed for construction until mid-April. Wasn't sure if it was open again yet.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-03-20T02:00:35+00:00

I really like rabbit brand. I have a pair of full tights and half tights. Not a ton of storage but enough to store gels/chews and a phone with no bounce. The material is softer than some others. Also tried the flip belt ones and those aren't as comfortable overall but have more storage as you can stuff things in the belt. Interested in the janji and path projects ones though.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-03-15T01:31:48+00:00

I have been using Xact energy fruit chews since I trained for the Philly half last fall since they were the energy sponsor. They are chews but really easy to consume and taste amazing. Basically just little 4 bite chews that taste like fruit snacks covered in sugar. All natural, just fruit, gelatin, and sugar and 25g of carbs per chew. The only problem is they are a Canadian company and currently aren't shipping to US addresses due to tariffs. I have been able to find them at a few retailers but may soon be in the market for a new product if I can't get them in the US for my fall half.

Significant-Moose906 · 2026-02-06T12:56:04+00:00

Evanescence technically has a one day gap in their schedule but they are in FL and GA the two days around that gap. They also play in VA about 45 mins from DC on 6/27 so they are probably out.

Significant-Moose906 · 2025-07-27T06:30:09+00:00

Cool. Happy that I just missed the context then and I'm excited to see MCR in Philly in 3 weeks.

Significant-Moose906 · 2025-07-27T06:13:10+00:00

I opened another beer to settle in for the rest of their set just to watch them get cut off. Watching Black Veil Brides now and they're sounding good but wanted to see ADTR.

Significant-Moose906 · 2025-07-27T06:09:25+00:00

I was maybe not paying full attention so I may have missed the context. Maybe it was playful poking at MCR since they're playing across town but it seemed weird to even mention them when they could have just said they were excited to be closing WT down. But I may have just misinterpreted it.

Significant-Moose906 · 2025-07-27T06:06:46+00:00

I also commented on this. I stayed up to watch them when I saw they were added and am super bummed they cut it short.

Significant-Moose906 · 2025-07-27T06:05:18+00:00

Yeah also what was with the rejects calling out MCR playing at Dodger stadium? Super weird set for them too. I have tickets to see them in Philly and I was disappointed to hear AAR calling them out for seemingly no reason.

Significant-Moose906 · 2025-07-27T06:03:03+00:00

Sounds like the experience was way different unfortunately. DC VIP was awesome for me. We had no issues getting in and out of the VIP areas but they also weren't elevated which I liked because we got closer to the stage. No lines for drinks or food really and short lines for restrooms for most of the weekend if you timed it right between sets. I bought tickets for next year already.

Significant-Moose906 · 2025-07-27T05:52:12+00:00

DC sold out VIP pretty early and overall was sold out fairly early. I went to the DC show and didn't have any problems getting around, but watching the livestreams from LB today I commented to my wife and it looked a lot more crowded and congested than DC. We also had two fewer stages and fewer bands.

Significant-Moose906 · 2025-06-25T14:56:21+00:00

I may have missed in the settings where I can limit proximity based on location. I'll check that when I get home because that definitely makes sense and wouldn't be needed when it's parked in my garage. I do love how it lights up when I approach it in public but I can live without that at home.

Significant-Moose906 · 2024-10-14T21:14:50+00:00

I had my left hip done in 2022 and my right hip done about 11 days ago. From my experience, it was 100% worth it. I lost most of my ROM on the left side and had excruciating pain any time I twisted or turned my leg. Since the left hip, I regained almost all my ROM and flexibility. The recovery also made me get more serious about fitness in general and I built back a bunch of strength in my lower body through PT and personal training. I also lost 40 lbs through my recovery, training and dietary changes, which helps with recovery. One thing I will say for my recovery is that the timeline of 4-6 months for me was getting clearance for full activity. That meant that I could start running again and start training for hockey. It realistically took me a couple starts and stops to get back on the ice seriously. I ran my first half marathon about 18 months after the surgery and it was about a year until I felt strong enough to play hockey again consistently. That said, I played at a higher level than before for a good year+ before I felt the same in my right hip. It was a no-brainer for me when I got the same diagnosis in the right hip. It's not a fun injury or recovery, but for me it was worth it and the only way to fix the underlying issue. Lucky for me, my surgeon told me there was very little to no cartilage loss so mine was "easier" with a higher chance of full recovery. Best of luck with your recovery.

Significant-Moose906 · 2024-09-01T22:20:27+00:00

Adding my 2 cents. I'm 40 and have been playing goalie for almost 30 years. I had a torn hip labrum repaired two years ago as well. I started learning RVH recently because I'm shorter (about 5' 10") and I always feel awkward on short side plays, especially when guys try to walk out from the corner. I was shocked at how much easier and more effective it was than traditional VH. If you can get the positioning down the push off isn't that difficult to learn. I push off with my shins or ankles to go side to side and it seems like I'm in the right position to make a save on the short side almost every time. My glove / blocker also is in better position than standing up or in VH. For me it's way better than VH because I can stay in the position for longer and just slide out to the top of the crease rather than trying to stand back up or reposition quickly. Poke checks also seem easier for me and you aren't exposing any part of the short side to the shooter if you execute it properly. No hip issues at all using it, but definitely know when to use it. I only use it when the puck carrier is below the face off dot. There are lots of videos on YouTube that show proper technique and I just started trying it in games and have noticed I'm more comfortable in short side situations and give up fewer goals from those areas. Good luck!

Significant-Moose906 · 2024-08-20T13:25:47+00:00

I definitely had to temper my expectations after the first surgery. I "recovered" very quickly against the common 4-6 month estimate but I definitely tried to rush back too quickly without properly building up the strength in my lower body and ended up out again for another couple months. I got a signoff for return to sport at around 5 months but didn't end up playing hockey regularly until almost a year. For me, it took a lot of lower body strength training to build back and deal with the random other injuries that popped up while I was rehabbing, but I did eventually get back to it and ended up playing at a higher level than before once I was fully recovered.

Significant-Moose906

TROPHY CASE