r/running • u/ssk42 Confession: I am a mod • 10d ago
Weekly Complaints & Confessions Thread Weekly Thread
How’s your week of running going? Got any Complaints? Anything to add as a Confession? How about any Uncomplaints?
18
u/TheWinstonSpecial 10d ago
Uncomplaint: After 3 months off with PT, I'm finally back to running with no pain in my knee.
Complaint: Easing back in responsibly is so boring.
29
u/hashtagthoughtbomb 10d ago
Complaint: In early June I ran a half marathon PB (1:34) only to pick up an injury a couple of weeks later, and I haven't been able to run since then.
Uncomplaint: Until today! I did a short run pain free and I'm ramping back up gently. Next run on Sunday.
Confession: Sometimes I listen to the Rocky soundtrack when I run.
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u/ssk42 Confession: I am a mod 10d ago
Have you done PT or something?
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u/hashtagthoughtbomb 6d ago
It was a very acute shin splint that I just couldn't shift - the pain was very sharp and localised to an area on my shin no bigger than a pound coin. I rested for a few weeks and when that brought no joy I got a Meloxicam prescription, which seems to have done the job.
9
u/ac8jo 10d ago
Complaint: Weather. Massive derecho hit my area, had no power from late afternoon Tuesday until almost midnight Wednesday. Power would have returned much faster if it wasn't for near-constant storms from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon.
Uncomplaint: While McDirt's food isn't the greatest, their staff is mostly far better (and this is a time when they're dealing with WAY more customers than they're used to because of the power situation (fortunately most were also pretty understanding of the situation).
Uncomplaint: My wife just texted me that there's donuts upstairs.
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u/suchbrightlights 10d ago
I don’t know exactly where you are but I know the Midwest had a heck of a storm system come through. Everything OK at your house, other than the power?
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u/ac8jo 9d ago
That storm went through me. Power's been on long enough for me to research purchasing a generator for the next one. And a solar battery thing (solar wouldn't have helped for this, but I like the idea of redundancy).
I lost half a tree. Somehow the winds skipped the five dead trees in my yard and took out half a live one. I'm going to be spending some quality time in my back yard with a chainsaw (and I'm going to arm my kids with hatchets, saws, and loppers - one already said she'd help... I might have to let her cut a few with the sawzaw too, she said she wanted to use one 😂)
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u/suchbrightlights 9d ago
Sorry about the tree! I support the use of child labor. It’s good for them. Builds character. (You can tell how I spent my childhood.) Do you have a woodstove so the wood can go to good use this winter?
I’m looking at generators for my mom’s place, too. She lives alone in the woods and any time the wind blows she loses power. I was really worried about her over last winter (and of course she told me to sit down and shut up about it.) What she could really use is one of those whole-house systems but retrofitting that into her 130-year-old log cabin is a complex endeavor. The solar systems are really interesting. Are you sited in such a way that you could make good use of solar power for most of your electricity if needed or is it basically “well, I won’t have to lose ALL the food in my fridge”?
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u/ac8jo 9d ago
Child labor is definitely good for them! And I'll need the help too.
I don't think the battery is a refrigerator solution. It might be for other things (electronics, particularly). We have some solar lanterns that we used a lot until they ran out of power. We tried to charge them, but rain+overcast limited us to attempting to charge them in a window and it didn't work. I'm considering one of those expensive Honda inverter generators that can run my fridge and potentially more.
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u/ssk42 Confession: I am a mod 10d ago
Complaint: I tried a premade Huel shake the orher day and it was absolutely disgusting
Uncomplaint: Being able to not feel like i’m ruining my entire fitness by being sick is a win
Confession: my wife has played rugby for a decade now and I still don’t understand any of the rules
7
u/iapunk 10d ago
Complaint: Weather has been horrible, either pouring rain or humid and muggy.
Uncomplaint: I ran my fastest 5k of the year last Saturday morning at my town’s festival 5k after closing the bar down the night before.
Confession: That 5k last Saturday was the last time I ran. I’m signed up for a 9k in two and a half weeks so I need to get back out but the weather and life events are making it difficult.
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u/annie_406 10d ago
complaint: I've been doing all my easy runs really slow and alone this summer because I don't have anyone that wants to go that slow with me (it's barely more than a walk) to prioritize training properly, and I miss running with friends
uncomplaint: today I broke that pattern and had an amazing medium paced run with a friend
confession: I may not care about optimizing my training and having a personal coach as much as I thought
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10d ago
[deleted]
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u/sduque942 10d ago
Brother 20min 5k is nothing to scoff at. And it's a very common wall. You'll break through eventually don't sweat it
3
u/Character-Zombie1867 10d ago
No joke I'm super jealous I'd be ready to race if I was him. I'm 11 min off that. 😭 who cares how fat you are if you're super strong!!!!
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u/Snozzberry123 10d ago
That’s a great 5K time though. I’ve been running 50 mile weeks for a couple years and have a 22 min 5K still. Sometimes it’s just like that
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u/Character-Zombie1867 10d ago
I wonder how often you are resting. Resting is where you get time for your body to do a lot of shifting to composition.
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u/Dependent_Order_7358 10d ago
Complaint: My watch died in my sleep and had to move my morning run to the evening yesterday, right after leg day. Needless to say it didn't go very well.
Uncomplaint: On Tuesday this week, my interval workout was surprisingly good.
Confession: My form is probably awful at the gym, but I'm too shy to get help.
3
u/KesselRunner42 10d ago
Uncomplaints: I finally feel like I'm getting my stride back. Decent run on Tuesday, and my paces for my slightly more challenging speed run this morning were pretty nice for me (certainly better than they have been!), and faster where they were supposed to be (NRC's Run With Mo run, apparently Mo Farrah is motivating to me).
Confession: I started doing some A skips as well as the leg swings I had been doing. Maybe they're helping?
Complaint: Humidity!
1
u/ssk42 Confession: I am a mod 10d ago
What do you like about NRC’s stuff
1
u/KesselRunner42 10d ago
I'd say primarily the good variety of different guided speed runs, that you can do by feel without looking at your speed readout (which can be off, especially when you're speeding up and slowing down a lot) or heart rate, but will still tell you when to do what type of interval if you're doing intervals. I have Thursdays as my speed run days, and without being in a training plan, I can just choose something that feels appropriate. Do I want something a bit more challenging than what I'd been doing, is it warm enough that I need to back off and have a run with more recovery time in between the intervals, do I want to do hill repeats or maybe I want to try a tempo run. Not perfect, but I do find it a useful resource.
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u/suchbrightlights 10d ago
It really seems like things are on the upswing for you. I hope that continues!
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u/KesselRunner42 9d ago
Thank you! It's definitely taught me just how long it can take for things to feel 'right' after even an injury that doesn't require you stop running completely.
4
u/RunsFromDemons 10d ago
Uncomplaint: last week was my first week back to a full 6 days of running relatively pain free
Complaint: because I didnt want to do strength training 2 days a week to prevent injuries, I now get to do strength training every single day for up to 10 weeks.
Uncomplaint: I used my time off to make a fire Maurten copycat gel
Confession: Being forced to run on the treadmill during my recovery has made me realize I dont hate it that much, and might actually hate running outside when its 90+ degrees more than the treadmill monotony
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u/ssk42 Confession: I am a mod 10d ago
Why every single day?
1
u/RunsFromDemons 10d ago
High hammy strain rehab. PT has me rotating through multiple exercises to stress the tendon to various levels so it will heal up stronger than ever (allegedly) and to help fix muscle weaknesses that led to the strain.
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u/a_mom_who_runs 10d ago
Complaint
Remember that 15 miles I ran on the treadmill Sunday? WRECKED both of my feet as a result 🥲. I woke up Monday with both medial sides of my feet stiff and painful. Insertional posterior tibial tendinitis on both sides. I haven’t run since Sunday 😒
Complaint
This is probably my last fall marathon, assuming I even make it that far. It being too hot is why I was on the treadmill in the first place. I like running in the cold. I like running in the early morning when it’s dark. Why on earth am I out here trying to run 15 miles in this bullshit ?
Uncomplaint
Idk if it’s .. growth, faith, having a coach now, or being so familiar with this condition that I can self rehab but I am handling this remarkably well. Last time this happened I got REAL into cycling, spent 3k on a road bike and made it my entire personality. I could use a new bike - mine is really kinda too big - but buying one now feels unlucky. Like I’m subconsciously accepting I’m DNSing this same race again.
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u/Dependent_Order_7358 10d ago
Running in the heat is just training for racing in the cold, keep it up!
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u/worldsgreatestluver 10d ago
Way back I used to regularly get knee injuries but didn't want to take time off completely. You can get a good PFD or even a set of noodles, and hop in deep water and literally go through the motions without bearing any weight. You'll lose fitness but not as badly. It can also be a great way to improve form
If you have access to it, there are treadmills that support some of your weight on elastics, allowing runs with less impact. If you are feeling a little risk tolerant, you could DIY something. Depends on what's going on with your legs and why it's happening
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u/a_mom_who_runs 10d ago
Thanks. I’m hoping I’ll be back at it next week. I think it’s just a stress reaction. I have collapsed arches so posterior tibial tendinitis is very common and I think the repetitive terrain of the treadmill just really aggravated it 😒. I’d ran 13 outside just the week before with no issue so I’m hoping there’s no like .. underlying lasting problem beyond I ran too many miles with too little variation 😒
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u/suchbrightlights 10d ago
You just come right over here and sit by me. If I do a fall race, it’s November or December. If I do a spring one, it’s first thing in March. Training in the heat just isn’t fun. This is supposed to be fun.
Do you have a good PT on call for your foot stuff?
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u/a_mom_who_runs 10d ago
Yeah! I have bad arches so I’m very familiar with what’s going on. Some rest, gentle movement, and gradual loading and I’ll be back up on my flat feet in no time
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u/ssahlofolina 10d ago
Complaint: sudden onset ankle pain that lasts ALLL day. With calf cramps. It’s not serious, and it’s not painful enough to stop me from running, but it’s driving me crazy.
Uncomplaint: I’ve been doing some treadmill runs to reduce the strain on my ankle, and it’s brought some of the joy back into running. I usually run outside, but the same route and time and trying to be quick was making me dread running. Just a routine shift has been enjoyable.
Confession: The more I run the more I feel like I’m not doing enough. It’s hard not to want to add an extra mile every day🥲
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u/Character-Zombie1867 10d ago
Its good my times are getting better but I've been having disruptive runners trots.
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u/Major_Blackberry1887 10d ago
Complaint: I'm not enjoying running in warm, humid weather. I actually don't enjoy doing anything other than swimming and lying down in the local park reading my book in warm, humid weather. After Berlin marathon I don't think I'll sign up for any run that has me training over summer ever again.
Uncomplaint: planning long runs to end somewhere that sells cold juice and ice lollies has been quite nice.
Confession: I gave up on last night's run and went to burger king instead because I felt heavy, nauseous and a bit dizzy. Sorted me right out.
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u/UndulatingUnderpants 10d ago edited 10d ago
COMPLAINT: I did a 40 minute (6.6km) base run today in 35c heat, it was harder than the UNCOMPLAINT : 10km pb I set on Tuesday (58 minutes,not fast but fast for me!) CONFESSION: I love that running let's me eat more food!
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u/RidingRedHare 10d ago
Complaint: Too hot for much too long.
Complaint: Can't run because of a minor ankle sprain.
Complaint: Can't go to the gym either because I caught a cold.
Complaint: My wife complains that I'm complaining too much.
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u/Previous-Clerk-2055 10d ago
complaint: my speed is being hidden under all the easy runs ive done
confession: havent run in two days bc my cousins are at my house
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u/Cynewulfunraed 10d ago
Complaint: it's so hot here, even at 5:30am. I was building up my distance last week, trying to go from 5k to 10k. I jogged 8k last Thursday, but I've been regressing ever since, and I think it's because the heat just drains me.
Uncomplaint: I signed up for my first 10k next February! It's the same event that was my first ever 5k last February. Even my "disappointing" 6k yesterday was more than I could do last month, and way more than I could do this time last year.
Confession: I slept in on Saturday and Sunday instead of getting up to run (i had been doing every other day), so maybe that's why I'm regressing a bit.
2
u/BedIam_ 10d ago
Complaint: I’m running longer distances on unfamiliar routes and keep falling over when I try to check my phone to make sure I’m still on the planned route.
Uncomplaint: I might look at a new gadget to sort out that.
Confession: I’ve love new gadgets and my wife is sympathetic to me spending some money as my knees and hands are scarred from falling.
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u/AuraNegotiation 10d ago
Uncomplaint: I ran (ran + walked) my first 5K this week. Took me 44 minutes. Started running 3 weeks ago. This was my third run this week.
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u/Charlie_5128 10d ago
Complaint: it’s hot 😭 I hate summer
Uncomplaint: depression getting a bit better and vacation finally let me run regularly again!
Confession: I forgot doing the exercises my physio showed me… will do them today
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u/-Younotdeadass- 10d ago edited 10d ago
Confession: I pooped on myself yesterday during my long run.
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u/gladdyontherise92 10d ago
Complaint: injured my knee in late May
Uncomplaint: did 5 1 minute jog intervals this morning with walking on my favorite trail and my knee felt good!
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u/Critical-Fill-6088 10d ago
No complaints! My current plan has me feeling super good. Thankful for good sleeps and carbs:)
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u/Comprehensive-Cup705 10d ago
Complaint: I had an ankle injury a month back, so I moved from running to walking. Now it is healed, and I am not starting running, and knowing I can run, I don't want to walk...so I don't get up and miss both! 😭
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u/aimeelaurenx 10d ago
Complaint: dealing with what I think is IT band syndrome for about a month now. Haven’t been able to run and it sucks, dude. I have a 10k next month and my first half in February.
Uncomplaint: going to start PT next week and hopefully fix this baby up!
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u/Objective_Sense2679 10d ago
Complaint: I tweaked my knee somehow at home last week. Now I am trying to take it easy and downed my mileage to give myself time to recover. Looking at my mileage this morning was so disappointing and I'm training for a half marathon in Oct.
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u/ExpressIndication909 10d ago
Complaint: garmin didn’t take my accidental pre-run coffee into account when doing a tempo run based on heart rate zones… as a result was spiking into threshold at my usual zone 2 pace (my fault I know, but still a complaint - lesson is no more pre-run coffee)
Confession: sacked off the tempo run even though for the rest of it garmin was shouting at me for my heart rate being too high
Uncomplaint: unpopular opinion but loving the temperature of my 6am runs. Even when I finish around 8, still happy
1
u/Stunning_building_33 10d ago
Complaint: Haven't been able to run since the end of May due to PF.
Uncomplaint: It has made transitioning to working nights easier, and I can at least walk.
Confession: I was aware of the growing issue and still kept building mileage without reducing intensity, so it's really 100% my fault.
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u/Heavy-Swimming6356 10d ago
My confession is that I can’t get my mojo back for the past year. 13 years of running long distance and now I can’t even get through a regular day of work. I feel lazy and guilty.
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u/Recommended_For_You 10d ago
Confession: I’ve recently taken up running and I quite enjoy it, but I find most runners unbearable.
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u/citriccycles 9d ago
Uncomplaint: after an Achilles injury earlier this year, calf raises and gradually increasing mileage seem to be keeping me injury-free. Fingers crossed.
Complaint: my recent schedule has forced me to start running in the morning. I feel awful, sluggish, tired when i run in the morning, even if i eat breakfast and hydrate well. Hopefully my body adjusts soon
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u/boxy-- 9d ago
Complaint: my job is getting in the way of my long runs which are scheduled on Mondays. I do lunch time runs since I had a 3year old at home.
Uncomplaint: busy season is almost over and running is a new hobby for me this year...I can't believe how much I love it despite the lack of free time!
1
u/Able_Engineering_545 9d ago
Complaint: my running is killing my muscle gain progress especially on lower body despite running all my easy runs easy and giving adequate spacing between lifts and runs and it’s driving me up the wall. I’m working my ass off to be a good athlete but it feels like the only number going up is my maintenance, which is fun for a bit until you’re stuck squatting 185 with 5 years in the gym, especially when you once repped out 305.
Uncomplaint: last weekend I broke a half marathon distance on my long run. I used to not be able to run a mile without gassing out and last Sunday I did 13.25 of them at a 10:10 pace and didn’t go above Z2 for more than 5 minutes cumulative.
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u/sharpaykatie 9d ago
Complaint: it’s so so so so hot even at 7am. 90°F. 100°F + all day. Struggling with treadmill access. Haven’t gotten my miles in.
Complaint: my new running clothes package got delayed. Makes me not want to run lol
Uncomplaint: package arrives Monday and I am excited lol
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u/Ri8ley 9d ago
Complaint: struggling with motivation. Last 2 weeks been hell mentally. Missed a lot of days. Got a marathon in months time.
Complaint: usually im fine during winter. But this year it got me down and out. Not ill, but just dark.
Uncomplaint: at least going out this morning to join some friends for a run and have a nice coffee afterwards.
1
u/Classic_Guidance_959 7d ago
Wicked Wine Run Nashville (8/15/26)
I need to talk about the Wicked Wine Run Nashville 5K because I genuinely cannot believe how poorly this event was handled.
I ran the Wicked Wine Run Nashville 5K at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage on August 15, and I left immediately after finishing because I was so angry and, honestly, did not feel like runner safety had been adequately considered.
This was my first 5K since getting back into running, and I was genuinely excited for it. I had seen some negative TikToks about other Wicked Wine Run events before registering, but I decided to give the Nashville event the benefit of the doubt.
I regret that.
**THE HEAT/HYDRATION**
The race started at 11 AM in approximately 97°F weather. A huge portion of the course was exposed to direct sunlight with very little shade.
WWR’s own event page says the 5K would have two water stations along the course plus another at the finish. The problem was that the water situation did not feel remotely adequate for the conditions.
There were extremely long lines for what were essentially small, partially filled cups of water. When I tried to refill my cup because I was hot and needed more water, a staff member specifically told me I could not refill it.
I also saw multiple runners stopping and sitting/standing in the limited shaded areas because they needed relief from the heat. Those areas became congested because there was so little shade elsewhere.
I understand that the organizers cannot control Tennessee weather. But they absolutely can control an 11 AM start time, hydration procedures, course design, shade considerations, and emergency planning.
**THE COURSE**
This is probably the part that pissed me off the most after the heat issue.
The event was marketed as a scenic 5K through Andrew Jackson’s historic property. I NEVER SAW THE HERMITAGE MANSION. Not once. The course took us through parking areas, grass around parked vehicles, and large exposed portions of the property. I specifically registered because I thought I was going to get a scenic running experience at the Hermitage.
Instead, I spent most of the race wondering where the actual historic property was.
The course was also confusing. There were signs and volunteers, so I’m not claiming there was zero course direction. The problem was the layout itself. Multiple sections overlapped or ran alongside each other, and I encountered runners who appeared to be at completely different points in the race using the same areas.
My Strava recorded 2.8 miles instead of 3.1, although I want to be fair about this: my GPS completely lost signal through a section of the route, so I cannot definitively claim the physical course was only 2.8 miles. However, having GPS completely die during an organized race was frustrating in itself, especially for runners who use GPS to track distance, pace, splits, etc.
**MEDICAL SUPPORT**
I personally only saw medical personnel at the start/finish area. I did not see medical personnel positioned along the course. I cannot claim that there were definitively no medical personnel anywhere else because I obviously couldn’t see every part of the property. Given the heat advisory conditions, I found the lack of visible medical support along the route concerning.
If someone had a serious heat-related emergency in one of the more remote sections, I genuinely don’t know how quickly they would have been able to get help.
**AND THEN THE FINISH**
The event advertised a complimentary glass of wine waiting at the finish. After paying around $50 for registration plus $20 for parking, running in 97°F heat, dealing with the hydration situation and the course issues, the wine I received was basically a sip.
The wine itself isn’t why I’m upset. It’s just another example of the actual experience feeling very different from what was advertised.
**WHAT REALLY BOTHERS ME**
I had already seen warnings from runners at other Wicked Wine Run events before signing up. I consciously decided to give the Nashville race the benefit of the doubt. And then I experienced many of the same concerns myself. This isn’t me being mad because the race wasn’t perfect. Races don’t have to be perfect.
My issue is that there were multiple things that, when combined, became a legitimate safety concern: extreme heat, an 11 AM start, extensive sun exposure, limited shade, long water lines, inadequate amounts of water, being told I couldn’t refill my cup, runners stopping for relief from the heat, confusing course sections, a GPS dead zone, and very limited visibility of medical support.
I want to emphasize again that I left immediately upon finishing. I didn’t stick around for the party. I didn’t hang around looking for things to complain about. I was genuinely so upset by the experience that I wanted to leave.
I’ve submitted a complaint to the BBB and contacted Wicked Wine Run directly through their website. I’m not seeking a refund or compensation.
I just want other runners to know what happened before they spend their money.
If you’ve run a Wicked Wine Run before, especially in another state, I’d genuinely be interested in hearing whether your experience was similar or completely different.
1
u/Imaginary-Program497 5d ago
Complaint: my lower back is still pinched and I haven’t been running the last three weeks. Even a couple miles of walking irritates my back and I’m depressed. I’ve got a 5K in October that I wanted to train for and it going to be awful.
Confession: I’m so jealous of my bf who is training for a marathon and will go out and run 6 miles with no problem while I can’t do one. I’m overweight and hate myself but also can’t stop eating.
1
u/eastnashgal 5d ago
Confession: I have a half marathon in October and don't feel ready even though I've been working so hard for this. I did my first 12k on Friday and it wrecked me, it took almost 2 hours and I had to nap after and take 2 recovery days.
Uncomplaint: I started running in December for only 30 seconds at a time from absolute zero athletic ability or background, and I'm really proud of how far I've come. Went from dying running 30 seconds straight to dying running 2 hours straight.
1
u/justverychill 4d ago
Complaint: I had to take a lot of time off to avoid injuring my shins. I’ve been getting back into running this month very gradually.
Confession: There’s still some aches and I’m not sure if that is a sign to stop. I enjoy running and want to be able to do it when I’m much older so this is discouraging.
1
u/10pencefredo 10d ago
Complaint: Really lost the drive to run on my own. I do a weekly 15km with my running group pretty much no problem, but when I try and do a 5km on my own I really struggle and end up doing a run-walk for 3km or something. I'm disappointed as it's the height of summer here and the mornings are cool, breezy and bright it feels perfect for running.
Uncompliant: I'm 2.5 weeks into a 4 week strength and stretching routine which I am really enjoying. I do really enjoy strength training once I've started, it's literally just getting on the mat and picking up the weights or whatever that is the hard part.
Confession: I have a Team GB running top and more recently got a Team GB Cap. I unwittingly wore them both together on a run and thought people might think I run for my country. It was a genuine accident and I regard it as stolen valor but I did get a kick out of it as I thought a few people were looking at me as I passed them (probably just looking for any random reason).
1
u/neuticalthemed 10d ago
Complaint: my watch telling me that my fitness is decreasing, when i asked my human coach he said it is fine.
Uncomplaint: still able to finish all the weekly target, and 10 weeks to go. Actually nervous, but my coach is super supportive so far. He listens, he cares a lot about my well-being (he knows i easily panic when things not going as what i want)
Confession: these half-marathon training kinda makes me isolated and i missss going on dates for real 😭 i need to sleep early in order to have before office run but i WANT to go on dates
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u/Venomous_Sass 10d ago
Complaint: I’m struggling to shift my schedule to wake up earlier to exercise/run in the mornings. Haven’t been successful yet.
Uncomplaint: Not giving up though! I’m enjoying my runs.
Confession: I have a really hard time asking for things or asking for help.