Why do you post on A/R?

Pacing Mule

I originally came in here to ask a very noob question after my first race. Didn't know what MS meant in the results.

Saw the wealth of information available and began lapping it up, seeking advice (ignoring a lot of it :pac:), learning not to ignore it, improving much more than I would have done by myself.

Why do I stay ? Despite a recent compulsion to close my account here I haven't given up hope that things can turn back around to where they once where. I certainly believe there are many many good people (and friends) still here. The bad apples will hopefully move on or at the very least get drowned out by better quality posting. When this forum is good and comes together it is excellent - we've seen that last year. I'm keeping the faith ! Plus your own log space is a great tool to be able to look back on as time progresses and get the detail of your sessions / paces / how you felt / weather conditions etc which is better than what you can see on Garmin / Strava etc.

Singer

I post to participate in the forum which has taught me almost everything I know about running. I enjoy reading about running (in a dancing about architecture kind of way, and it's a lot easier to connect and empathise with runners in your locality - I don't think there's any other Irish running forum, so this wins by default

I first started reading the event threads, then some of the stuff on the main forum, and over time started reading most of the stuff on it. I remember having an epiphany that the logs were actually were all the real chatting got done and nowadays try to read all the logs. After a bit of lurking last year's DCM novices thread got me posting and logging, and I've been able to post from time to time on some threads. As online community efforts went, last year's novices thread was truly remarkable and one of the highlights of last year, so now I feel a bit of attachment to these parts.

I enjoy the diversity - purist club runners, folks interested in the fashion and technology side of running, loggers who are better/worse/around the same as me, mountain runners, track runners, followers of actual elite athletics, historians, contrarians... almost all the content is interesting in its own way even if I don't have any real understanding of it all. A lifetime of hanging around the Internet means I have no problem skipping past the noise and bickering, though I really don't find it that bad here.

I really admire and appreciate the input of a lot of posters, and really I have no other way of getting the opinions and knowledge in the same depth and frequency which I get from folks around here. I think I've read most of both Krusty's log (RIP) and TFB's running blog, both of which are very enjoyable to read and are basically howto guides on how to become a good distance runner. Finally there's a load of folks I've met with in real life and are very sound

Hannibelle Smeeeth

For the advice. Simple as that. I would never have braved a log in a million years and but when I met MS for a treatment I thought jees that crowd arent all that scary. So gave it a crack.

I dont have anything to contribute to the main forum, the logs are my thing. I love reading them. I started one to get a bit of structure going for myself and also because I didnt know anyone who runs, so when you come back from a run its nice to post about how it felt. The feedback is great and there will always be someone who can spot something that you would never have thought of to help you out.

I havent a bog of what people are talking about scuffle wise, everything goes over my head bar the logs (eeeww).

IvoryTower

I post because I like to talk about running all the time so it allows me to get my hit while I'm at work.

I don't really get the dramatics and I'm almost certain the forum any amount of years ago would seem no different to me. It's just a bunch of random people talking about running

Firedance

Primarily for the advice, I came here first for the Dcm 2014 novices thread. Now I have a log and a bunch of top notch running friends.

I don't get the 'backslapping' comments, it's nice to be nice, the world is a harsh enough place without feeling you cant put a positive spin on a negative race/run/training session. It's possible to post construtuve critisim and be supportive.

I stay because the advice and support here is fantastic, from runners far more experienced than I, despite the fact I'm in a club (also filled with great runners willing to advise). There's far more good than bad on boards, it's easy to ignore the bad and get on with the business of talking about running, racing, encouraging others to run better & moan about our latest injuries.

kit3

I found A/R by accident in November 2009 when I was googling looking for a race. I'd started 'running' in March that year and did the Achill half marathon in July off far too little training & finished in a world of pain as you could imagine. It goes without saying then that I have learnt an awful lot from the forum, much of which I have yet to put to good use It was invaluable to me as I didn't know anyone else who ran and, with 3 small kids & a full time job, I was not in a position to join a club.

In that time I've seen a number of groups of posters come and go. It never fails to amaze me to see how the experienced runners will patiently answer the same questions over and over again as they reoccur. It is definitely one of the most important thing about this forum. I also love the sense of community that you find on here for the most part - a prime example of this was the Bohermeen thread last year where almost all the regular posters were involved in one way or another and a lot of money was raised for a worthwhile charity.

My own relationship with the forum has come in two parts. For the first 5 years I can honestly say that I never had a disagreement or cross word with anyone on the forum (and a perusal of my posts will bear that out).<snip>

I had taken a step back from the forum, started a log last year but was fairly sick of the constant niggling around other issues and let it slide. Having said that, this thread has made me think long & hard about why I have posted here over the years and helped me remember that it hasn't always been like this.

I think the forum still has a lot to offer - the things that make it good are all still there.

Great idea for a thread Myles.

Hannibelle Smeeeth

kit3 wrote: »

I found A/R by accident in November 2009 when I was googling looking for a race. I'd started 'running' in March that year and did the Achill half marathon in July off far too little training & finished in a world of pain as you could imagine. It goes without saying then that I have learnt an awful lot from the forum, much of which I have yet to put to good use It was invaluable to me as I didn't know anyone else who ran and, with 3 small kids & a full time job, I was not in a position to join a club.

In that time I've seen a number of groups of posters come and go. It never fails to amaze me to see how the experienced runners will patiently answer the same questions over and over again as they reoccur. It is definitely one of the most important thing about this forum. I also love the sense of community that you find on here for the most part - a prime example of this was the Bohermeen thread last year where almost all the regular posters were involved in one way or another and a lot of money was raised for a worthwhile charity.

My own relationship with the forum has come in two parts. For the first 5 years I can honestly say that I never had a disagreement or cross word with anyone on the forum (and a perusal of my posts will bear that out). <snip>

I had taken a step back from the forum, started a log last year but was fairly sick of the constant niggling around other issues and let it slide. Having said that, this thread has made me think long & hard about why I have posted here over the years and helped me remember that it hasn't always been like this.

I think the forum still has a lot to offer - the things that make it good are all still there.

Great idea for a thread Myles.

Its eye opening to see the hat tip to the more experienced runners and how patient they are re the repeated questions etc. I never thought about that before.

There are a few posts in here and in another thread about how the forum has changed and some people say this and other people say that and its turned a lot of good posters away etc and its made me think.

Whilst Im new enough to A/R and dont know anything other than from Jan 2015 onwards (when i started logging I think?), I was apart of another forum many moons ago. Initially it was a fantastic forum, one I made lots of friends on and one very best friend. Then the trolling started. Proper Grade A trolling by a twonk and it completely changed the forum. All the good posters left because they were sick of every thread being stunted or derailed or the most innocent of comments being misinterpreted as a swipe or dig. He spread vicious crap about people, including me and got muppets who believed him to get stuck in and soon his bile infected the whole place and it actually shut down the forum in the end.

Anyhow my point is, one person drowned out everything good. Whereas if we'd all just got on with the good elements and constructively worked together the forum could have continued. Sometimes it isnt about mods or bans its about pulling together as members and bringing the quality back.

Not saying I think theres a lack of quality here btw :pac: Im learning all the time!

Anyhow thats me tuppence worth if its even worth that

Peterx

I joined boards to comment on a thread about cycling the WW and to thank the people that had helped us do it, I just kept going from there.
I post in A/R for both information (giving and getting on IMRA mainly to be fair) and read for information and entertainment.
I just get on with reading threads that interest me on the main forum and I don't really bother with the logs apart from Demfad's, and I only look at his as I see him and race him the odd time.

Peterx

IvoryTower wrote: »

I post because I like to talk about running ...
I don't really get the dramatics and I'm almost certain the forum any amount of years ago would seem no different....It's just a bunch of random people ...

I should have just written this

Slogger Jogger

Used to post a lot and lurk reading items and training logs when I had more time. Used to be a very friendly helpful place. Got busy, life took over and I found less time for it. When I started to check back in on A/R it had become a different and less friendly place somehow and I missed what happened so was puzzled. I now pop in occasionally for specific subjects of interest like IMRA, particular events and threads involving people I know in real life. Thanks to the mods for doing a dedicated job.

Younganne

I started using Boards after a friend told me about it while training for Dublin 2010 and i knew no-one else running. I found the level of support, encouragement & knowledge amazing and kept coming back for more. I went missing for a while in 2014 when not running so much but feel that getting back to my log has helped me get back the love for my running.

I have made some great friends and am looking forward to making many more and absolutely love to see the progress that is made by people everyday.

I read back over my own log only last week and really enjoyed the things I had written about and can't believe how naive i was(and still am with regards to alot of things training wise).

The other great thing about Boards is that people are so generous with their time, knowledge and friendship and as [pointed out earlier answer the same questions over & over again.

I also got & still have a fantastic Coach who is always willing to help others, impart with his knowledge and help me get to where i am today!!

Duanington

1 - Most of my family\mates nod off after 10 seconds of me talking about running

Conversations following races of any distance usually go like this:

Family\mates - " well, how did your marathon go?"
Me - "yeah, well it was 10k but yeah really well, very happy with it"
Family\mates - "did you win?"
Me - "well, no but I got a new PB, its my 3rd one so far this year and I've put a lot of work in over that particular distance...."
Family\mates: "Zzzzzzzzzz"

2 - The advice I have received on boards has been priceless really. Its made running a much more enjoyable sport for me and actually helped me develop an interest in watching athletics in general ( locally and on TV). I don't really see the drama that others have mentioned to be honest, in my experience, the majority of posters want to help people develop and get better - I've been lucky enough to get some coaching through boards too and am extremely grateful for that.

3 - I think its important to give something back, there are a bunch of us now who have been posting for a couple of years and have been steadily improving as time goes by and I think it is only right that we keep up the tradition of giving advice where it may be warranted. Running is a strange sport in that most people do most of their running alone, we tend to form our own ( sometimes bizarre ) ideas on what is good and what is bad during those runs and don't always have an independent\logical perspective to call upon when required.
Whether or not people take that advice is completely up to them of course !

Chivito550

Duanington wrote: »

1 - Most of my family\mates nod off after 10 seconds of me talking about running

Conversations following races of any distance usually go like this:

Family\mates - " well, how did your marathon go?"
Me - "yeah, well it was 10k but yeah really well, very happy with it"
Family\mates - "did you win?"
Me - "well, no but I got a new PB, its my 3rd one so far this year and I've put a lot of work in over that particular distance...."
Family\mates: "Zzzzzzzzzz"

2 - The advice I have received on boards has been priceless really. Its made running a much more enjoyable sport for me and actually helped me develop an interest in watching athletics in general ( locally and on TV). I don't really see the drama that others have mentioned to be honest, in my experience, the majority of posters want to help people develop and get better - I've been lucky enough to get some coaching through boards too and am extremely grateful for that.

3 - I think its important to give something back, there are a bunch of us now who have been posting for a couple of years and have been steadily improving as time goes by and I think it is only right that we keep up the tradition of giving advice where it may be warranted. Running is a strange sport in that most people do most of their running alone, we tend to form our own ( sometimes bizarre ) ideas on what is good and what is bad during those runs and don't always have an independent\logical perspective to call upon when required.
Whether or not people take that advice is completely up to them of course !

I've got the "did you win?" question loads of times. Bit hard to win when you've got the likes of Dara Kervick and Timmy Crowe in your race!

I was on a first date once, and as she had run a marathon, we got talking about running. She thought it was hilarious, in quite a condescending tone, that I came last at Nationals (despite the fact I ran a big PB). This coming from somebody who didn't break 4 hours for the marathon.

There was no second date.

kit3

Chivito550 wrote: »

I've got the "did you win?" question loads of times. Bit hard to win when you've got the likes of Dara Kervick and Timmy Crowe in your race!

I was on a first date once, and as she had run a marathon, we got talking about running. She thought it was hilarious, in quite a condescending tone, that I came last at Nationals (despite the fact I ran a big PB). This coming from somebody who didn't break 4 hours for the marathon.

There was no second date.

Sorry but that last line made me chuckle

diego_b

Registered on the boards site many years with the idea of always staying anonymous hence the fella from midlands now with a Spanish name for username but no matter. Took up running about 3 years ago now and probably came across the A/R section soon after. Barring posting in the odd race thread I didn't dream of getting involved in any serious discussions with people, I generally use the site for information alone and also I participated in DCM Novices 2015 thread and it was safe place for a novice like me.
That thread is probably the best experience I have ever had online with anything, so much information and it made me feel as well prepared as I could possibly have been outside of having a private coach. We had a champ of a mentor! The whole experience thought me so much and made me a far more knowledgeable runner than I thought I would ever be.

I have a training log but I still feel a bit funny about that, I maintain it as I feel I get a lot from the training logs that I try to keep up with and the challenges people have to deal with. Hopefully it's vice versa though I know I can ramble a bit.

I don't keep up with all the threads on the A/R section as just too much and also I think I am out of my depth even attempting debate with experienced, more serious runners than me. I can and do make mistakes with my training but the information I get here will keep me coming back as I try to be better.

pgmcpq

I stumbled on the site during a random google. Started posting when I signed up for the Dublin marathon.

There were a lot of great help here - I still go back to many of the threads indexed on some the stickies. There were (and still are ) a lot of posters who made efforts to help me out and make suggestions ( not all I agreeded with and even fewer I managed to implement - but I always appreciated the efforts ) .... Myles, Krusty, Meno, Dory, MarthaStew, Targat, amadeus, to mention a few.

Yes, I'd have to say that there are seem to be a lot of ..... less positive... postings these days, threads attempting to parse out what is a "proper runner" :rolleyes: in terms of pace or (dear god) behavior with shirts or medals.

The surge in the number of training logs is great but it does mean that I no longer read many and usually return only to the ones that I knew from a few years ago, It's less useful as I don't really have the time to binge read through the training logs to see how a particular approach pays off (e.g. I was scanning for Hadd based training a few months ago).

Finally - living outside Ireland I also like to keep an eye on the Irish althetics scene. There'll be very little coverage of Irish althetes in Rio on my local tv. This forum was responsible for several trips for races - most recently an injury ridden attempt at Connemara.

Maximus Alexander

I'm an idiot and I don't know anything about running except that you can only have one foot on the ground at a time or else it's walking. There seem to be a lot of people here who know stuff about running so I would like to absorb some of that knowledge. That way I might one day know stuff about running too and maybe even get good at it.

AuldManKing

Came across Boards a few years ago when I started running.

I post mainly in my own training log - which I like to keep and look back on for the purpose of having a running diary - the things that Strava cant account for.
I also like looking at some other training logs and enjoyed meeting people in 'real life' at races.

The 'talking about running' thing is interesting and was a big factor - less so when I joined a club and found like minded people to run with and talk about running.

I dont tune into the main page much - it typically starts with a good question or topic then moves into a slagging match or goes way off topic. I dont have the time or the inclination for that.

I enjoyed Boards a lot more in previous years and met up a lot for training runs with a lot of them - for now, its a running diary, a way to catch up with other friends exploits and a 'not too often nowadays' way to get information. & advice.

Dubgal72

Why did I start posting here?
I started to post in July/August 2014. I needed advice about the Dublin HM. And then Ososlo took the helm and led me and many others safely through DCM 2014.

Why do I still post?
Reading and posting here has been like reawakening a long lost and forgotten language.

It's still exciting to me. I love the training logs although I follow too many too be manageable or meaningful. In and around 'my generation': look at Ososlo's log. It has everything. Shame current behaviour has caused her to lock her log, temporarily. What a bloody loss. Look elsewhere, at Bungy Girl's log. Full of dedication, application, good sense and wine. And it's damn funny! Aquinn, what can I say? Come back soon! Annapr, firedance, laura_ac3, Adrian, chickey2, hillsiderunner.... all doing what we love. One day we too might look back but in the meantime I think they'd all probably agree if I said we're too busy looking forward.

The 'old guard' logs are great too, btw

You can't 'go back' lads. You cannot step into the same river twice. So the forum has its crap aspects. I don't like the sock puppet accounts. It becomes quite obvious who many of them are within a short space of time. It also has the tendency to put you on guard.

Anyway,

THIS IS SINGER

I enjoy the diversity - purist club runners, folks interested in the fashion and technology side of running, loggers who are better/worse/around the same as me, mountain runners, tracker runners, followers of actual elite athletics, historians, contrarians... almost all the content is interesting in its own way even if I don't have any real understanding of it all. A lifetime of hanging around the Internet means I have no problem skipping past the noise and bickering, though I really don't find it that bad here.

SINGER HAS IT IN A NUTSHELL

BE LIKE SINGER

EXCEPT EAT FIRST

And look at Singer's running, jake1970's, Diego_b, denis, kennyg, nop, paulers09, chrislad, FeenaM (where are you?!), TFGR, Mrs Mc, JMSE mbarr....all the new runners coming through the ranks. Surely we owe it to them to make an effort to get back on track? Or road? Or cross country

I am tremendously excited about seeing a new crop of graduates coming through the ranks in 2016. I'll be keeping schtum on the mentored novices thread, but I will be enjoying the backseat ride as it unfolds this year in the ever so capable hands of

This is quite possibly the main reason I will keep posting here. The new members revitalise the forum each year, what's not to love?

To me, it feels like not valuing the new members of the forum if we, the older and more experienced members, throw in the towel.

Firedance

Be like singer love it

Did you mention your wonderful self in the list above? No? Well here's your mention. You support, cajole, boss (:p) protect & encourage - I'm sure I'm missing something!!

Dubgal72

Firedance wrote: »

Be like singer love it

Did you mention your wonderful self in the list above? No? Well here's your mention. You support, cajole, boss (:p) protect & encourage - I'm sure I'm missing something!!

Waffle?!

Firedance

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Waffle?!

Oh yeah, totally forgot the waffle

annapr

Firedance wrote: »

Be like singer love it

Did you mention your wonderful self in the list above? No? Well here's your mention. You support, cajole, boss (:p) protect & encourage - I'm sure I'm missing something!!

Hang on girls, getting into backslapping territory here, don't think that's allowed...

Murph_D

Slightly different version of the answer to a similar question on another thread recently:

I log because it helps me reflect on the training and provides a record that I can go back over if I'm doing a particular type of session, run, or race. Try to get better, learn from the mistakes. I like the interaction with other runners/posters and the advice and encouragement on offer. Small things can be so helpful - I'm in a club, but it's a big club, and people sometimes overestimate the amount of coaching you get in a big club if you're a mid-pack runner like myself. This forum is terrific for informal coaching and advice, especially around marathon training. I read other logs and pick up tips and ideas, and I hope mine can be useful to others on the same journey, or at different stages of their progression.

Apart from my own log, I post because I enjoy the interaction with runners, some of whom have become genuine friends in the real world, and because I like giving others the benefit of my (limited) experience, the way I got the benefit of the experience of others. And I like to learn from the experiences and the observations and the interventions of others. People in this forum are generous with what they have, and I like that. As that guy on my subway commute used to say long ago when I lived in NYC - "You don't gotta be a Rockefeller to help out a fella".

I miss the contributions of some of the posters who have left A/R, especially meno, bless him, you'd never meet a more generous soul with the rare ability to combine vast knowledge with a desire to use it to help others be better runners. But I don't regret their departure because when you want to move on, you move on. It's only the internet, and no one ever asks why no one is on bebo anymore. And the people who have moved on from here still exist in the real world, so they haven't moved on at all really, so why do people harp on about it! FFS, really! :pac: