Corona Virus and events

Unthought Known · 14-11-2020 3:27pm

I'm clinging on to the hope that Donedea 50k will go ahead in February.

event · 14-11-2020 3:46pm

I didnt do any virtual races really, but may start getting used to them. Looks like be the way to go in early part of next year.

And when races do open up, gonna be crazy trying to get an entry

robinph · 14-11-2020 3:53pm

Lambay island wrote: »

Events 6 months out in doubt already is a pretty depressing thought.

Don't over think it. Mostly the organisers can't afford to have to cancel twice more. By April/ May they would need to be finalising details for October events, but things are going to be a lot clearer by then and then we have the summer to help get events moving again.

I'd still expect small events that need less time to get things setup to be up and running in the spring.

Swashbuckler · 14-11-2020 4:25pm

I still can't get my head around the attraction of a virtual run (even in current circumstances). Paying for what is essentially a solo time trial.

Slow_Runner · 14-11-2020 4:28pm

Unthought Known wrote: »

I'm clinging on to the hope that Donedea 50k will go ahead in February.

1 week into training, I'm clinging on to the hope that Donadea 50k will not go ahead in February. ðŸ˜႒

ThebitterLemon · 14-11-2020 4:33pm

Swashbuckler wrote: »

I still can't get my head around the attraction of a virtual run (even in current circumstances). Paying for what is essentially a solo time trial.

I’d never ever do one unless it was for charity.

A virtual race is a euphemism for a Strava run

TbL

echancrure · 14-11-2020 5:58pm

Unthought Known wrote: »

I'm clinging on to the hope that Donedea 50k will go ahead in February.

Me too, it is a small affair away from crowds.
It is about time that outdoor activities be promoted.

daydorunrun · 14-11-2020 8:25pm

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

I’d never ever do one unless it was for charity.

A virtual race is a euphemism for a Strava run

TbL

Same as that.
One positive of virtual races is they enable chip timing companies to stay afloat until we can all toe the line in actual races again.

Swashbuckler · 14-11-2020 8:41pm

daydorunrun wrote: »

Same as that.
One positive of virtual races is they enable chip timing companies to stay afloat until we can all toe the line in actual races again.

What am I missing here? Virtual runs aren't timed... They're a bunch of people recording runs on garmin or strava and paying for a medal.

Stark · 14-11-2020 8:50pm

Swashbuckler wrote: »

What am I missing here? Virtual runs aren't timed... They're a bunch of people recording runs on garmin or strava and paying for a medal.

Usually it's a timing chip company that organizes the t-shirt and medal and collating the various Strava/Garmin times so they still get their commission.

Annie get your Run · 14-11-2020 10:52pm

Swashbuckler wrote: »

What am I missing here? Virtual runs aren't timed... They're a bunch of people recording runs on garmin or strava and paying for a medal.

Sort of I guess. I'm doing one tomorrow but it's fundraiser for Wicklow Mountain Rescue (RTL) and you get a t-shirt with your entry fee. I actually used it to raise funds online for another charity too (I'm up at nearly €700) so win win (except for the part where I have to run 12K uphill in the muck

).

If it keeps people motivated, and timing chip companies in business there's no harm.

event · 15-11-2020 1:23pm

Heres a question for ye?

If someone gets a PB in a virtual run, is it really a PB? Id have thought before hand that for a PB to count it needs to be done in a race. In a marathon its very different running around solo with everything planned out and running a marathon where you need to run in crowds etc.

Obviously you still need to run the distance and the time

Thoughts?

Swashbuckler · 15-11-2020 1:27pm

event wrote: »

Heres a question for ye?

If someone gets a PB in a virtual run, is it really a PB? Id have thought before hand that for a PB to count it needs to be done in a race. In a marathon its very different running around solo with everything planned out and running a marathon where you need to run in crowds etc.

Obviously you still need to run the distance and the time

Thoughts?

I've been more impressed with some of the solo time trials I've seen in recent months than if they had been recorded in an official race.

Without getting too philosophical, what is a pb anyway. At our level it's something for ourselves rather than going on any official record. If I run a sub 36 in a TT you can be damn sure I'll consider it my "personal best".

robinph · 15-11-2020 1:30pm

Depends on nature of the virtual event as the word is being used for a bunch of different things.

Going for a run around some random route until your watch ticks over for the distance, no.
Going for a run around some random route until an app on your phone ticks over for the distance, no.
Filling in a form on a website to claim a medal and you pinky promise that you ran the distance, no.
Running laps of a track until you've counted the appropriate number of times around, no.
Running a measured course with timing at both start and finish and either being set off solo or in groups of 6 at a time, yes.

Swashbuckler · 15-11-2020 1:31pm

I've changed my mind..... What Robin said...... ðŸ€£

Itziger · 15-11-2020 1:37pm

robinph wrote: »

Depends on nature of the virtual event as the word is being used for a bunch of different things.

Going for a run around some random route until your watch ticks over for the distance, no.
Going for a run around some random route until an app on your phone ticks over for the distance, no.
Filling in a form on a website to claim a medal and you pinky promise that you ran the distance, no.
Running laps of a track until you've counted the appropriate number of times around, no.
Running a measured course with timing at both start and finish and either being set off solo or in groups of 6 at a time, yes.

Hardly surprising that you give one yes!! The last one is an actual race. Can't be arsed with the virtual stuff either.

Wottle · 15-11-2020 1:59pm

I'll be attempting a half marathon TT in December. I haven't PB'd since 2018 and if I run my fastest during this half, I'll be counting it. Races aren't available to us, so no other option. I've a couple of rules though, 1. You need to run 101% of the distance to mimic the big races, so that'll be 13.23 miles not 13.1 and 2. You should finish at or close to starting elevation.

If I do PB, it will in fact be MY personal best, I run for me, nobody else, so it's what matters to me.
I will however look forward to backing it up in an actual race.

Sunny Dayz · 15-11-2020 2:09pm

event wrote: »

I didnt do any virtual races really, but may start getting used to them. Looks like be the way to go in early part of next year.

And when races do open up, gonna be crazy trying to get an entry

I’ve done a few virtual events this year. The ones I enjoyed were the more structured one - specific day or small window to do your run and a proper results submission. I find events like this give you something to work towards and can create a little buzz if a few others are doing it. DCM weekend was great - such a great spirit was created. Contrast to Women’s Mini Marathon - 10km spread any way over 10 days and no submission of time required - it was hard to get buzzed up for it personally.

In terms of signing up to events next year - I don’t think I’ll be rushing to sign up - a few events I’d been signed up to this year didn’t go ahead and I won’t see the money back. I’m finding it difficult to look forward to real life events when we don’t know when they will eventually be allowed go ahead again.

rovers_runner · 15-11-2020 2:37pm

Wottle wrote: »

I'll be attempting a half marathon TT in December. I haven't PB'd since 2018 and if I run my fastest during this half, I'll be counting it. Races aren't available to us, so no other option. I've a couple of rules though, 1. You need to run 101% of the distance to mimic the big races, so that'll be 13.23 miles not 13.1 and 2. You should finish at or close to starting elevation.

If I do PB, it will in fact be MY personal best, I run for me, nobody else, so it's what matters to me.
I will however look forward to backing it up in an actual race.

You will though be running a course you chose yourself at a time you choose yourself.
Will never be the same as a race.

Annie get your Run · 15-11-2020 4:23pm

rovers_runner wrote: »

You will though be running a course you chose yourself at a time you choose yourself.
Will never be the same as a race.

I don't think anyone is saying it's the same as a race though. It's clearly not. I don't really understand people giving out about them. What harm is it doing to the folks that want to take part? If you don't want to run one then don't, sure grand.

Also there are people giving out here that took part in the boards TT which was also not a race :P.

Lambay island · 15-11-2020 5:00pm

Annie get your Run wrote: »

I don't think anyone is saying it's the same as a race though. It's clearly not. I don't really understand people giving out about them. What harm is it doing to the folks that want to take part? If you don't want to run one then don't, sure grand.

Also there are people giving out here that took part in the boards TT which was also not a race :P.

Yeh I agree,its a real each to their own thing. I'm not the biggest fan of TTs or virtual races but if it wasn't for them this year, I would have ran 1500 miles less.

rovers_runner · 15-11-2020 5:00pm

Annie get your Run wrote: »

I don't think anyone is saying it's the same as a race though. It's clearly not. I don't really understand people giving out about them. What harm is it doing to the folks that want to take part? If you don't want to run one then don't, sure grand.

Also there are people giving out here that took part in the boards TT which was also not a race :P.

I was thinking of it more from a PB point of view.
People could setup a 5k or even a marathon course dead flat with shelter and run on a calm day whenever suited.
The real test is when you don't get to dictate those variables and neither do the other hundred or thousand participants.

OOnegative · 15-11-2020 5:25pm

TT’s, virtual races etc are something I don’t buy into, not for me but each to their own.

Like Wottle I only race to better myself, but no way I’d be claiming a PB from a TT or Virtual race. Again that’s a personal preference but don’t think Boston, Berlin etc will accept your PB ran on the lonely roads of Ballygobackwards as a GFA qualifier.

Swashbuckler · 15-11-2020 6:53pm

Just to defend my own position on this. No issue with TT.. No issue with virtual races for charity. Can't wrap my head around the excitement for some of this bigger scale "events" though. GLR has announced a virtual for December. Makes no sense to me why people want to hand over their hard earned cash for what is essentially a training run but to each their own.
I think my own view of virtual races goes back to pre Covid where I've seen several examples of people thinking they're getting great value for money but in reality are just being taken advantage off.

Stark · 15-11-2020 7:20pm

The "Virtual Run the Line" is on this weekend. Now it's for a very good cause (Mountain rescue) but otherwise I think the idea is a bit farcical, especially now with travel restrictions so most people can't even get out to run it on trails. Better off just donating the money if you want to support them imo. I guess the one advantage is they already produced a stock of t-shirts and medals so it's an excuse to distribute them.

Murph_D · 15-11-2020 7:29pm

I’ve run a good few TTs this year, from one mile to marathon distance. I’ve run times that were probably faster than my HM and M PBs but I haven’t claimed them and never will. I think of them as PB-paced, half marathon/marathon-ish distance runs. I enjoyed all these runs immensely (in the aftermath) and some of them felt like races. But I’ve no problem with not claiming the PBs. Consumer level GPS watches like most of us use just aren’t good enough to know for sure.

And by the way the races where I didn’t get a ‘PB’ were definitely long.

Laineyfrecks · 15-11-2020 11:50pm

I wouldn't be the greatest at TT's at all, A race environment is where I am at my best. Nothing beats the buzz of it, but as many have already said each to their own. Isn't there enough going on really to bring us down at the moment? It can really help with motivation during these uncertain times so good for those people! I totally get the PB part of it & again that's an individual thing too. Of course people can go out & pick the flattest route on the best day but I think most of us here wouldn't do that as you are only really fooling yourself. I think if you are training towards a particular distance you do your block of training then taper so there's not really a huge choice of pushing out your TT to the best day possible, best day over a particular weekend maybe but not much longer than that if you want to feel the peak benefits of your training. Also I think a TT can be a lot tougher on the head than a race, given the fact that the head can go at any given time throwing you off completely, where as a race you are generally more focused & in the zone.
Unfortunately I can't see races coming back for a good while so if TT's work for people what's the harm.

Dudda · 16-11-2020 12:28am

The only exception to all these TT and where a PB counts was in the Boards 5k earlier this year. Anything else has to be an official timed race.

Chivito550 · 16-11-2020 12:06pm

I reckon TTs from 800m and up on a track are fair game, as the difference between hand time and electronic timing for longer distances are negligable, and the distance covered will be correct.

For 400m and under, hand times shouldn't be counted. They are way too inaccurate.

For road running, aren't GPS watches inaccurate? Like you might be within 100m in a 10km, but that's still a hell of a variance. So the time somebody is claiming isn't really the correct result. I ran a Parkrun once and my watch said 4.85km.

Tbh, unless you're new to it, and still rapidly improving, or have ramped up the training so much, that your PBs are now soft, I can't see how somebody runs a PB running by themselves, without that pre race adrenaline, and having people to race against.

PB is PERSONAL best, so each to their own. Not for me though.

Murph_D · 16-11-2020 1:14pm

Chivito550 wrote: »

...I can't see how somebody runs a PB running by themselves, without that pre race adrenaline, and having people to race against.

Magic shoes! :pac:

Corona Virus and events

Comments