October 31, 2025 • 24 mins
This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, we wrap up our Run if You Dare October series with a Halloween Special packed with spooky fun and runner-friendly frights! Kyle dives into some of the scariest running myths we’ve all heard — and busts them with a playful Halloween twist. We share eerie, funny, and downright bizarre running stories that could only happen in the dark, on the trails, or in the middle of a race. From the real “boogeymen” runners fear, to costume mishaps and the nightmare fuel of race-day porta-potties, this episode brings laughs, chills, and a whole lot of Halloween spirit. Whether you're running in costume, handing out candy, or hiding from zombies on a night jog, this one will get you in the spooky running mood. Happy Halloween, Pack — run safe out there… if you dare.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
Hello, everyone, greetings and salutations. Welcome back to another episode
of the Back of the Back podcast. Second in I'm
your host, Kyle Walker. Thank you so much for tuning in.
It's Friday, it's Halloween, it's spooky, scary and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Look, I am not gonna take up much of your time.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You have got to get the kids out. You gotta
go trick or treating. You gotta take half their candy
once they get home. As the parent tax I get
how all this works. If you're not taking the kids out,
you might have an adult themed Halloween party you need
to get to. So again, I am not gonna take
up a whole lot of your time on.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
This Halloween Day evening whenever you listen to this.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
If you're listening to this on Saturday, November first, then
hopefully you had a great night to night before.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
But who's gonna listen to this on a Saturday. I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
We should all be out running, although there's not many
races coming up this weekend. Is the Kansas Half down
in Lawrence. They have a half and I think a
five k that's on Sunday, November tewod. Other than that,
there's not a whole lot. It's kind of a slow
weekend for running in Kansas City, hopefully a little more
active wherever you might be. But then things are quickly
(01:17):
ramping up because again we're now just a week away from.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Good Life Havesie.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
It's crazy that that's coming up on what November eighth,
eighth to ninth, I think something like that. But don't
forget if you're going up there, I'll be at the expo.
Got a table all ready to go, so I will
be there, ready to greet the now sold out crowd
for Good Life HAVESI of over eight thousand runners crazy
and I love that for them. It's a great race
(01:46):
of fun time. The expo is an absolute blast last year,
so I'm so happy to be going back. We're gonna
have a good time. So if you're going up to
do Good Life Havesy, then by all means find my
table and say hello.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
I would love to run into you there.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
So what we're gonna talk about today here on second win?
This is just for fun. This is silly, silly stuff.
We are not getting into anything serious because I know
Monday's episode was maybe a little.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
More serious, maybe a little more serious than unintended, but
things just kind of go the way that they go.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
So anyway, this is the Halloween Special, the addition the
last edition of the Run If You Dare series, which
we've done all through October, and so tonight the veil
is thin between runners and the things that haunt them.
So I'm gonna go for a few running myths that
we're gonna hopefully debunk a little bit, and then just
talk about some spooky stuff that goes along with running.
(02:37):
This is all just supposed to be fun. So first
the myth, the myth that running ruins your knees. This
cracked me up as I am facing knee issues right
now and we'll be having knee surgery in twenty twenty six.
Is it running's fault? As I bite my tongue, Boy,
that's spooky. Is it running's fault that my knees are bad? No, look,
(02:59):
it is a complay. Myth is that running ruins your knees.
The truth is running actually strengthens your knees for most people,
all right, the repetitive exercise, the muscles around it. Your
legs get stronger when you run, as you were fully aware,
I have had forty five plus years of constant wear
(03:20):
and tear on my knees due to my age, due
to my genetics, due to all the mileage I have
put on these legs. My right knee is going bad.
And look, it's not just from running. I have been
an athlete since I was seven years old. Seven years
old is when I first started playing a sport. I
started playing the little league baseball. I have not looked
back since. If there's a sport out there, I have
(03:42):
played it on a competitive level. Baseball, yes, men's softball, Yes. Basketball.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
For a long time, that was my sport. I grew
up in the age of Michael Jordan. Football, yes, Soccer, Yes,
still do hockey, yes, actually did so.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Again, all the major sports I have played on some
competitive level. So yeah, it's just it's I'm old. My
body is breaking down. I get that, but I'm not
gonna let that stop me. But that is a complete myth.
Myth busted that running is just bad for your knees.
The next myth, and of course this one gets my goat.
If you walk during a race, it doesn't count wrong.
(04:22):
Walking is a smart strategy and common among the pros. Again,
there is a whole method the run walk method, the
Galloway method that high end athletes utilize, high end, mid end,
low end, all ends. No, it is ridiculous to say
that if you walk during a race it doesn't count.
(04:44):
There is not, no, I'm sorry. There is one half
marathon in twenty eleven. So it's been a minute where I,
if memory serves, I ran the whole way except for
walking through eight stations. I don't I know what got
into me. Then maybe it was because I had thirty
one year old legs and I had been running a lot,
(05:04):
because I was still new to the sport and I
was still trying to really get into it. And so
I'm pretty sure I did the wad Ellen Reed Kansas
City Marathon the half in twenty eleven with only walking
for aid stations. Other than that, though even my pr
last year at Good Life Havesie, my only sub two
and a half hour half marathon, I walked. Yep, And
(05:27):
you know what, it still counts. The next myth skip
one long run and your whole race is doomed wrong again.
The ghost of your training plan will haunt you.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
No, it will not.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Now, one mister, run does not tank a race. It
is consistency in your training that matters the most. I
know so many people who are training for maybe their
first full marathon or their first ultra or whatever. Let's
just talk first full marathon. Well, if I don't get
that twenty miler, then my whole race is doomed.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
No.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I've done fourteen full marathons, including the Boston Marathon, and
not before a single one of those did I do
a twenty miler. The most I ever went before a
full marathon was before my very first full marathon, and
that was in twenty eleven as well. Boy, what a
good year for running for me. And the most I
(06:21):
went with sixteen miles. Sixteen miles was the most that
I have ever done before full marathon in that training cycle.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
And I've still.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Completed fourteen fulls soon to be fifteen in December, sixteen
in March, and so yeah, and I can guarantee you
now where I'm at my running at this point, there's
not gonna be a twenty miler between now in December,
and there is not gonna be well, I guess there's
gonna be a twenty miller because it's gonna be my
full in December, But then there's not gonna be a
twenty mile training run before the Tokyo Marathon. I can
(06:51):
garone tee. That is not a thing that's gonna happen
for me. So no, skipping one long run is gonna
tank you.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
No, No, it is not.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Consistency over training cycle is far more important the next one.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
You must run every day to be a real runner.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Wrong. Rest days and recovery days are as infinitely important
as whatever training schedule you're following. There is no training
plan on God's green Earth that says you must run
every day. Rest in recovery equals longevity. So don't ever
buy into any of that. All have to run every day.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Look, I'm not ragging on those people who have their
run streaks going because I know some folks with some
impressive run streaks. Okay, but they're doing that for the
street purpose. Okay, it's not that they're training for a
particular race. They do it because they've got their streak going.
They want to keep it going. And for one or
two of them, I know, it's like two miles at
the most to keep their run streak alive.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Like I think it has to at least be a mile.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
If I understand this, correctly, they do around one and
a half to two one and a half to two.
That's very different than say it, oh, I've got to
run five miles every day.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I got to run a five k every day. No, no,
you don't. You don't.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Rest of recovery are very important no matter what you're
training for. It doesn't matter the distance or the race.
It is all important stuff, all right. So the next
let's talk about Let's say I didn't get this out
in time to get any of your stories, but I
was trying to think of if I had any like
kind of spooky race stories. No, I definitely have race
(08:25):
stories that haunt me. They definitely haunt my existence, as in,
they weren't great, or I did poorly, or the situation
was just weird one. And I don't mind bringing it
up because that race doesn't exist anymore. The race that
scared me the absolute most, I mean scared the pea
wattle out of me was the Law Dog ten k.
(08:46):
And that was twenty twenty two, I think, or maybe
twenty twenty three, one of those two years where we
did the lag Law Dog ten k in Gardner, Kansas.
And look, I am not ragging on the organizers of
this race. They are not race organizers. This was something
they did to raise funds for the police dog of
(09:06):
the Gardner Police Department, because if you're a cop who
has the police dog and you take care of that dog,
there are so many expenses.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I mean, there's that bills, there's.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Training, and then what I learned back then was if
like if that police officer wanted to go on vacation,
you can't just take a German Shepherd police dog to
Joe Schmoe boarding place and boredom for a week while
you're out of town.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
You can't do a police dog like that.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
So they were raising money to help this family out
who's taking care of this police dog and a worthy
worthy cause, not arguing that at all.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
The problem was the road closure situation was.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Really none and with where we're at doing this five
K and ten K, and I was doing the ten
k and I wasn't even so much worried about me.
My daughters the back of the packets were doing their
very first ten ks and the roads never closed. So
there were constantly not just cars, construction trucks. Because the
(10:02):
construction trucks doing construction on some road somewhere I don't
know which one had been using this stretch of road
the entire time. I'm sure to go back and forth
between the construction site and let's say where they're dumping
gravel or where they're dumping asphalt. So it was constantly,
constantly up and down this road that had runners running
on shoulders because the roads are being clogged with these
(10:22):
giant dieseled trucks. We had to run single file kind
of along the side. They were taken the middle of
the road, and we even had to go up to
the turnaround, which was just turn, you know, you turn
in the road, and you had to make sure that
a truck wasn't coming in either direction that was going
to run you over. And again I had my kids
out there, so I was just scared to death because
it was unsafe. And they never did that race again
(10:45):
after that occurrence, but it was it was not pretty.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
So probably the scariest.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Race I've ever done was the law Dog ten k
And again I hope they find other ways to raise
funds for that dog and for the police department, and
that in that family, a five K ten k was
not it not it. So that was probably the scariest
race that I've ever done. Let's see here, what's one
(11:10):
of the scariest ones you've done? All right, So here's
a few you can take up. Was there ever a
time you heard footsteps behind you on a run but
no one was there? Yes, I do, I have that one.
It was Eldaredo, Kansas and it was hell on gravel.
And Cody had this problem too, so we were being
you know, jerk face as we were just being goofballs,
and we both wore two twos. We wore two twos
(11:32):
to the event, and I'm sure you've seen it because
my two two was way too high, my shorts were
way too short, so I had a lot of legs
showing for that race. But as I'm running along, I
kept thinking someone was running directly behind me because the
two to two I was making was making a sound
that sounded like footsteps directly behind me. And for the
longest time until I figured it out, it was creeping
(11:52):
me out because like, what, there's no one here yet
I can hear it. I hear this happening behind me
and finally figured out, oh, you idiot, it's your too, dummies.
The next one, so think about what was yours? Do
you ever have footsteps behind you nothing there? Runners encountering wildlife?
Did you ever encounter some wildlife snakes, coyotes, deer, owls,
(12:13):
or you know, anything kind of staring at you.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
This wasn't really a run.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
But I was actually taking my dogs out on a
walk around my neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
And it was fall, late fall, so it was cold.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
It was already way dark, pitch black out there when
we left, and we're trapesing along and this is when
the park that I previously talked about by my house
was open and operational, no problems. Well, as soon as
I make that right turn kind of into the darkness
to go into that park, we could hear crashing in
the woods like all around us. It had to have
been a herd of deer going through. And then when
(12:47):
you know, me and two dogs turned the corner, they
probably spooked and really started crashing all around to get
the heck out of there. But the amount of noise
it was making and just you could tell the sheer
kind of girth that was being thrown around in there
had to have been a herd of deers. But boy,
hat that'll that'll kind of you know, get the hairs
on the back of your next standing up, because when
we turned the corner and heard all that commotion, I froze.
(13:09):
My dog's froze, and they're just staring at it. And
these are two huskies, so they're not you know, little
gippie dogs or anything. And we were just like, uh,
what is happening down here? Well, that's We're just gonna wait.
We're gonna wait until they kind of clear out before
we continue on. And then we did and it was
no problem. But that's definitely the most interesting wildlife story
that I've got. There's also the time right during the
(13:29):
Rona when the Rona had the entire world shut down,
that I would go out for a walk and because
there was no one out the road by my old
house where I used to go, there were turkeys. They're
actually wild turkeys out on my running trail, which this
was suburban Kansas City, not something you see often though,
because the world was so shut down as we were
just really getting into the grips of it, I would
(13:49):
go out there and there be turkeys. That was kind
of cool. That wasn't scary at all, but it was
kind of cool. Another one getting lost on a trail.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
So if you're a trail runner, have you ever gotten lost?
Gotten lost on the trails?
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Maybe the sun is starting to set if you're on
a training run and like, uh oh, it's.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Dark and I don't know where I am.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
That could definitely be a creepy running story that you
might have weird people encounters on an early morning or
late night run.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Thankfully, for me, not much of a big issue.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
We've certainly gone to races with some weird ass people
that are a little out there. That's something that we
get almost every weekend. But yeah, there's always the chance
that you run into some kind of strange person out
on the road early in the morning or late at night.
And if you're running in maybe more of a downtown setting,
you never know what you're gonna run into there. So
(14:37):
that could definitely be a little bit of a creepy
story going on. And then let's see that one porta
potty horror story that I'm sure everybody has. Everybody has
to have a story. I'm gonna call her out again
two episodes in a row, Sarah, I hope you don't mind.
(14:59):
My buddy from the garment can't see the marathon that
we just did. A couple weeks ago, had to use
the restroom. It happens to the best of us. Went
on course, she had a T shirt tucked into her belt,
and you had multiple layers on, so stripped one layer office.
It got warm that day, as it will do, went
into the restroom to handle business, and the shirt fell
(15:20):
into the portage on. Lost that shirt and it was
a It was a race shirt from another race. So
hopefully you can get a replacement for that. But that
would be terrible if, like you go into the porta
potty to handle your business and something falls in. Now,
I remember, back in two thousand and thirteen, twenty thirteen
or fourteen, the year that I went and did the
(15:40):
Rock and Roll New Orleans Marathon the full I was
wearing a star spangled kind of a bandana that I
wear at times, and I remember that I had put
it in my pocket because it was hot that day
and I was sweating. Well, I went and used a
restroom kind of a little past a halfway point. It
must have fallen out of my pocket. And now you
do it either fell all the way into the toilet
or just got left in the restroom. But like Miles
(16:01):
and Miles later down the road, I realized, Hey, my thing's.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Not on my head. Oh it's not my pocket. I
had to have lost in the restroom.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
So I'm actually kind of fortunate that my worst porta
pot porta potty story is just losing something. I am
sure people have had it far, far worse than I have.
If you have, I would love to hear your story,
Go ahead and share it. Okay, So let's see. Here
is what we call the monster list, the things runners.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Fear the most. Let me know if you agree with this.
All right, here's the first one, the porta.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Potty line at mile one. Yes, all right, this one
for sure, because yeah, you might get to the starting
line and the porta potty line might be a mile long,
and you're thinking to yourself, okay, self, I'm not gonna
do it here at the start line. I'll just hit
the first one on the course. Problem is, the first
one on the course usually has a line a mile
long with it, and at the last half Garman can't
(16:53):
say to have marathon same thing. It wasn't until over
halfway before the lines at the porta potties it finally
died down enough you could just waltz right into one
as you got to that aid station.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
The rest of them.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
Before the line was five, ten, fifteen, twenty runners deep.
So that is definitely one of the monsters, one of
the things that runners fear the most. The next one
is your garment not sinking.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Yep, yep. Definitely had that.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Where you get that notification either from Garmin or Strava,
Oh you run didn't sink properly, do a manual upload
or whatever they call it, or however they you know,
it's phrased on whatever you use.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
We've all had that, and I had that Ooh was
it garment?
Speaker 1 (17:34):
No, it might have been the race before garment, but
it took forever before I could get something to sink.
My run wasn't there. It's like, come on, I don't
run these things just for fun. I run it for
the online kudos, right like, we've got to have those.
So that's definitely another big runner fear. Another one is
costume chafing or really any kind of chafing, nipple chafing out,
(17:56):
inner thigh chafing out, anything on your foot out, but
definitely something we fear. Now a lot of people will
take steps to prevent use your glide, get some non
chafing socks or non blister socks.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
All those help, but it stinks when it happens. Ugh,
no good.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Let's see another one. A black cat crossing the course. Okay,
that's definitely all straight up superstition. I don't think I've
ever seen that before. I've never had just a black
cat go in front of me across a course. Cats
and runners not a good mix. They are usually running
the other direction. Next one running out of candy on
a Halloween run.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Again, not a big concern. Fifteen not fifteen. Sorry.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
The next one, race photos catching your worst face? All right,
race photos on the course. We know those can be
absolute disasters. And yes, I fear seeing the photographer. I
fear seeing them too late. If I see them in
the distance and I know they're coming, okay, I can
try and you'll suck in the guy, get a good
(19:00):
stride going, puff out the chest a little bit, get
that look on your face with determination and not death yet.
But if it's one of the photographers that gets you
and you don't see them, that's where you get them.
Where your head is down or you're walking, or you
got your gut hanging out, which I've definitely been there.
There is one of our running buddies who I am
not going to throw under the bus here, although I could,
(19:23):
and she's gonna know who she's talking about. Where posting
to her official race photos and there she is on
her phone on the course like staring at her screen.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Like, oh man, that's that's not good. But we all
fear the race photographer.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah, let's see another one for another one for you
trail runners, the unlit trail at night, why why would
you even do it? Like, if you can't see and
you're trying to trail run and you don't, I mean,
you better have a headlamp on or something. But if
it's unlitt you don't have it on you, you're gonna fall,
You're gonna break something. There's just no way to pass
that or there's no way to get around that. Next one,
(20:00):
DNFs and DNS panic, Well, yeah, I mean DNS panic.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
That's not really there.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
If you do not start, that's kind of your decision.
It shouldn't be too scary unless you have a scary
situation that is forcing you not to go to the race,
And that's a different story entirely. DNF though DNFs definitely
have a panic to them. When I had my one
DNF back in Mississippi, I was panicked, like I knew
they were pulling me and I knew that.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
I I mean, it was one of.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Those things like I knew this had never happened before.
I knew I was gonna have to tell you all
about it. I knew because of doing this podcast it's
going to be a public thing. I can't just hide
this DNF forever because people are like, oh my gosh,
I was Misissippi. Yeah, well in finished. So no, there
is a panic that goes with that. I have a
panic about a potential DNF in Tokyo because of how
challenging and restricted their timing limits are. So DNF panic
(20:51):
is real for sure. And then the last one on
the monster list of things runners fear the most injury,
and that is the real boogeyman for runners for sure.
Injury sucks. Nobody wants to get any of this injury nonsense.
All right, So you know, Halloween, everyone's going to the party.
You gotta play games. So here's a would you rather run?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
An edition? Would you rather?
Speaker 1 (21:11):
You? Guys decide at home, and I'll see what I
answered with here, would you rather run a marathon in
full pumpkin costume or a five k barefoot on gravel.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Okay, give me the pumpkin. I will take the pumpkin.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Next one, would you rather be chased by zombies for
a mile or do he'll repeats with the devil himself.
I will take zombies for a mile for one hundred Alex,
thank you. Next, have your running playlist, glitch to only
children's Halloween music, or run with no music at all.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I gotta go no music.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
At all rather than kids Halloween music. I mean, you
can only hear monster mash so many times before you
want to hurt yourself and others. And then the last one,
would you rather pr in a race that no one
sees or finish a life asked in front of everyone.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
But have a blast? Hmm?
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I think I'll finish last and have fun. I don't
know pr where no one sees it, and maybe I
didn't have fun. I'd rather have fun. This is supposed
to be fun. This is what we do, right, It's
supposed to be fun.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
So yeah, I'm gonna go with that.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
So anyway, you know, if you are out there, if
you get a run in in a costume, please share
it with us.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
We'd love to see it.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
You can post it on our Facebook page, or use
it for Metal Monday, or whatever your situation is.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
You can put it in.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
The comments on this very episode on Facebook, because you know,
we always post the link even though it's audio. Or
you can I don't think you can post photos on YouTube,
but if you're watching the YouTube video, go over to Facebook.
You know, you guys can make Facebook more of a
thing than it is. It seems like I post, you respond.
You can post on the page yourself like. Please feel
free start a conversation with other runners. If you want
(22:49):
advice about anything from the community, post it out there.
I'll approve it. Trust me, I don't even think I
have to approve it. I think it'll just go out there.
But please feel free to use the Facebook page as
your own resource.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
It doesn't have to just be me posting my goofy stuff.
Feel free to use it so you know, put your
picture out there. Put whatever you were for Halloween.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
If you got any Halloween miles in, I at least
want to try and get a few miles. My Halloween
is my kids are too old. I don't take them
out trick or treating anymore. I sit at my house
and I take this little gate and I kind of
put around my front area so my dogs can come
outside with me. I go out there with my candy,
maybe an adult beverage. I bring a little TV outside.
Last year, I was playing Ghostbusters, so when the trick
(23:31):
or treaters came up, we had candy, the dogs, me
sitting there playing or watching Ghostbusters. It was a fun time.
So I'm looking forward to doing that again this year.
Whatever your Halloween tradition is, I hope you enjoy it
immensely tonight. It's gonna be fun and hopefully the weather's
gonna keep on cooperating here. I mean it's full, but
it's not been terrible, so we'll take that right.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Yeah, So share your.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Costumes, t tag us in the Halloween running post that
you do, and then stay safe. Stay safe while you're
ot running, while you're trick or tree, while you're at
the house handing out candy, or wherever you might be go.
So may your can to be plentiful and your not
run to be safe. It may no zombies catch you.
Have a happy Halloween. Everyone that's gonna do it. For
this very quick episode, of the back of the Pack
(24:14):
podcast Second Wind. I'm rouse Kyle Walker is my pleasure
as always, everyone, have a safe week of training, a
happy Halloween, don't go too crazy on the candy, and
we will see you next week
Hello, everyone, greetings and salutations. Welcome back to another episode
of the Back of the Back podcast. Second in I'm
your host, Kyle Walker. Thank you so much for tuning in.
It's Friday, it's Halloween, it's spooky, scary and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Look, I am not gonna take up much of your time.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You have got to get the kids out. You gotta
go trick or treating. You gotta take half their candy
once they get home. As the parent tax I get
how all this works. If you're not taking the kids out,
you might have an adult themed Halloween party you need
to get to. So again, I am not gonna take
up a whole lot of your time on.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
This Halloween Day evening whenever you listen to this.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
If you're listening to this on Saturday, November first, then
hopefully you had a great night to night before.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
But who's gonna listen to this on a Saturday. I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
We should all be out running, although there's not many
races coming up this weekend. Is the Kansas Half down
in Lawrence. They have a half and I think a
five k that's on Sunday, November tewod. Other than that,
there's not a whole lot. It's kind of a slow
weekend for running in Kansas City, hopefully a little more
active wherever you might be. But then things are quickly
(01:17):
ramping up because again we're now just a week away from.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Good Life Havesie.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
It's crazy that that's coming up on what November eighth,
eighth to ninth, I think something like that. But don't
forget if you're going up there, I'll be at the expo.
Got a table all ready to go, so I will
be there, ready to greet the now sold out crowd
for Good Life HAVESI of over eight thousand runners crazy
and I love that for them. It's a great race
(01:46):
of fun time. The expo is an absolute blast last year,
so I'm so happy to be going back. We're gonna
have a good time. So if you're going up to
do Good Life Havesy, then by all means find my
table and say hello.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
I would love to run into you there.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
So what we're gonna talk about today here on second win?
This is just for fun. This is silly, silly stuff.
We are not getting into anything serious because I know
Monday's episode was maybe a little.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
More serious, maybe a little more serious than unintended, but
things just kind of go the way that they go.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
So anyway, this is the Halloween Special, the addition the
last edition of the Run If You Dare series, which
we've done all through October, and so tonight the veil
is thin between runners and the things that haunt them.
So I'm gonna go for a few running myths that
we're gonna hopefully debunk a little bit, and then just
talk about some spooky stuff that goes along with running.
(02:37):
This is all just supposed to be fun. So first
the myth, the myth that running ruins your knees. This
cracked me up as I am facing knee issues right
now and we'll be having knee surgery in twenty twenty six.
Is it running's fault? As I bite my tongue, Boy,
that's spooky. Is it running's fault that my knees are bad? No, look,
(02:59):
it is a complay. Myth is that running ruins your knees.
The truth is running actually strengthens your knees for most people,
all right, the repetitive exercise, the muscles around it. Your
legs get stronger when you run, as you were fully aware,
I have had forty five plus years of constant wear
(03:20):
and tear on my knees due to my age, due
to my genetics, due to all the mileage I have
put on these legs. My right knee is going bad.
And look, it's not just from running. I have been
an athlete since I was seven years old. Seven years
old is when I first started playing a sport. I
started playing the little league baseball. I have not looked
back since. If there's a sport out there, I have
(03:42):
played it on a competitive level. Baseball, yes, men's softball, Yes. Basketball.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
For a long time, that was my sport. I grew
up in the age of Michael Jordan. Football, yes, Soccer, Yes,
still do hockey, yes, actually did so.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Again, all the major sports I have played on some
competitive level. So yeah, it's just it's I'm old. My
body is breaking down. I get that, but I'm not
gonna let that stop me. But that is a complete myth.
Myth busted that running is just bad for your knees.
The next myth, and of course this one gets my goat.
If you walk during a race, it doesn't count wrong.
(04:22):
Walking is a smart strategy and common among the pros. Again,
there is a whole method the run walk method, the
Galloway method that high end athletes utilize, high end, mid end,
low end, all ends. No, it is ridiculous to say
that if you walk during a race it doesn't count.
(04:44):
There is not, no, I'm sorry. There is one half
marathon in twenty eleven. So it's been a minute where I,
if memory serves, I ran the whole way except for
walking through eight stations. I don't I know what got
into me. Then maybe it was because I had thirty
one year old legs and I had been running a lot,
(05:04):
because I was still new to the sport and I
was still trying to really get into it. And so
I'm pretty sure I did the wad Ellen Reed Kansas
City Marathon the half in twenty eleven with only walking
for aid stations. Other than that, though even my pr
last year at Good Life Havesie, my only sub two
and a half hour half marathon, I walked. Yep, And
(05:27):
you know what, it still counts. The next myth skip
one long run and your whole race is doomed wrong again.
The ghost of your training plan will haunt you.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
No, it will not.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Now, one mister, run does not tank a race. It
is consistency in your training that matters the most. I
know so many people who are training for maybe their
first full marathon or their first ultra or whatever. Let's
just talk first full marathon. Well, if I don't get
that twenty miler, then my whole race is doomed.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
No.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I've done fourteen full marathons, including the Boston Marathon, and
not before a single one of those did I do
a twenty miler. The most I ever went before a
full marathon was before my very first full marathon, and
that was in twenty eleven as well. Boy, what a
good year for running for me. And the most I
(06:21):
went with sixteen miles. Sixteen miles was the most that
I have ever done before full marathon in that training cycle.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
And I've still.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Completed fourteen fulls soon to be fifteen in December, sixteen
in March, and so yeah, and I can guarantee you
now where I'm at my running at this point, there's
not gonna be a twenty miler between now in December,
and there is not gonna be well, I guess there's
gonna be a twenty miller because it's gonna be my
full in December, But then there's not gonna be a
twenty mile training run before the Tokyo Marathon. I can
(06:51):
garone tee. That is not a thing that's gonna happen
for me. So no, skipping one long run is gonna
tank you.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
No, No, it is not.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Consistency over training cycle is far more important the next one.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
You must run every day to be a real runner.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Wrong. Rest days and recovery days are as infinitely important
as whatever training schedule you're following. There is no training
plan on God's green Earth that says you must run
every day. Rest in recovery equals longevity. So don't ever
buy into any of that. All have to run every day.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Look, I'm not ragging on those people who have their
run streaks going because I know some folks with some
impressive run streaks. Okay, but they're doing that for the
street purpose. Okay, it's not that they're training for a
particular race. They do it because they've got their streak going.
They want to keep it going. And for one or
two of them, I know, it's like two miles at
the most to keep their run streak alive.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Like I think it has to at least be a mile.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
If I understand this, correctly, they do around one and
a half to two one and a half to two.
That's very different than say it, oh, I've got to
run five miles every day.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I got to run a five k every day. No, no,
you don't. You don't.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Rest of recovery are very important no matter what you're
training for. It doesn't matter the distance or the race.
It is all important stuff, all right. So the next
let's talk about Let's say I didn't get this out
in time to get any of your stories, but I
was trying to think of if I had any like
kind of spooky race stories. No, I definitely have race
(08:25):
stories that haunt me. They definitely haunt my existence, as in,
they weren't great, or I did poorly, or the situation
was just weird one. And I don't mind bringing it
up because that race doesn't exist anymore. The race that
scared me the absolute most, I mean scared the pea
wattle out of me was the Law Dog ten k.
(08:46):
And that was twenty twenty two, I think, or maybe
twenty twenty three, one of those two years where we
did the lag Law Dog ten k in Gardner, Kansas.
And look, I am not ragging on the organizers of
this race. They are not race organizers. This was something
they did to raise funds for the police dog of
(09:06):
the Gardner Police Department, because if you're a cop who
has the police dog and you take care of that dog,
there are so many expenses.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I mean, there's that bills, there's.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Training, and then what I learned back then was if
like if that police officer wanted to go on vacation,
you can't just take a German Shepherd police dog to
Joe Schmoe boarding place and boredom for a week while
you're out of town.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
You can't do a police dog like that.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
So they were raising money to help this family out
who's taking care of this police dog and a worthy
worthy cause, not arguing that at all.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
The problem was the road closure situation was.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Really none and with where we're at doing this five
K and ten K, and I was doing the ten
k and I wasn't even so much worried about me.
My daughters the back of the packets were doing their
very first ten ks and the roads never closed. So
there were constantly not just cars, construction trucks. Because the
(10:02):
construction trucks doing construction on some road somewhere I don't
know which one had been using this stretch of road
the entire time. I'm sure to go back and forth
between the construction site and let's say where they're dumping
gravel or where they're dumping asphalt. So it was constantly,
constantly up and down this road that had runners running
on shoulders because the roads are being clogged with these
(10:22):
giant dieseled trucks. We had to run single file kind
of along the side. They were taken the middle of
the road, and we even had to go up to
the turnaround, which was just turn, you know, you turn
in the road, and you had to make sure that
a truck wasn't coming in either direction that was going
to run you over. And again I had my kids
out there, so I was just scared to death because
it was unsafe. And they never did that race again
(10:45):
after that occurrence, but it was it was not pretty.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
So probably the scariest.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Race I've ever done was the law Dog ten k
And again I hope they find other ways to raise
funds for that dog and for the police department, and
that in that family, a five K ten k was
not it not it. So that was probably the scariest
race that I've ever done. Let's see here, what's one
(11:10):
of the scariest ones you've done? All right, So here's
a few you can take up. Was there ever a
time you heard footsteps behind you on a run but
no one was there? Yes, I do, I have that one.
It was Eldaredo, Kansas and it was hell on gravel.
And Cody had this problem too, so we were being
you know, jerk face as we were just being goofballs,
and we both wore two twos. We wore two twos
(11:32):
to the event, and I'm sure you've seen it because
my two two was way too high, my shorts were
way too short, so I had a lot of legs
showing for that race. But as I'm running along, I
kept thinking someone was running directly behind me because the
two to two I was making was making a sound
that sounded like footsteps directly behind me. And for the
longest time until I figured it out, it was creeping
(11:52):
me out because like, what, there's no one here yet
I can hear it. I hear this happening behind me
and finally figured out, oh, you idiot, it's your too, dummies.
The next one, so think about what was yours? Do
you ever have footsteps behind you nothing there? Runners encountering wildlife?
Did you ever encounter some wildlife snakes, coyotes, deer, owls,
(12:13):
or you know, anything kind of staring at you.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
This wasn't really a run.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
But I was actually taking my dogs out on a
walk around my neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
And it was fall, late fall, so it was cold.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
It was already way dark, pitch black out there when
we left, and we're trapesing along and this is when
the park that I previously talked about by my house
was open and operational, no problems. Well, as soon as
I make that right turn kind of into the darkness
to go into that park, we could hear crashing in
the woods like all around us. It had to have
been a herd of deer going through. And then when
(12:47):
you know, me and two dogs turned the corner, they
probably spooked and really started crashing all around to get
the heck out of there. But the amount of noise
it was making and just you could tell the sheer
kind of girth that was being thrown around in there
had to have been a herd of deers. But boy,
hat that'll that'll kind of you know, get the hairs
on the back of your next standing up, because when
we turned the corner and heard all that commotion, I froze.
(13:09):
My dog's froze, and they're just staring at it. And
these are two huskies, so they're not you know, little
gippie dogs or anything. And we were just like, uh,
what is happening down here? Well, that's We're just gonna wait.
We're gonna wait until they kind of clear out before
we continue on. And then we did and it was
no problem. But that's definitely the most interesting wildlife story
that I've got. There's also the time right during the
(13:29):
Rona when the Rona had the entire world shut down,
that I would go out for a walk and because
there was no one out the road by my old
house where I used to go, there were turkeys. They're
actually wild turkeys out on my running trail, which this
was suburban Kansas City, not something you see often though,
because the world was so shut down as we were
just really getting into the grips of it, I would
(13:49):
go out there and there be turkeys. That was kind
of cool. That wasn't scary at all, but it was
kind of cool. Another one getting lost on a trail.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
So if you're a trail runner, have you ever gotten lost?
Gotten lost on the trails?
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Maybe the sun is starting to set if you're on
a training run and like, uh oh, it's.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Dark and I don't know where I am.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
That could definitely be a creepy running story that you
might have weird people encounters on an early morning or
late night run.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Thankfully, for me, not much of a big issue.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
We've certainly gone to races with some weird ass people
that are a little out there. That's something that we
get almost every weekend. But yeah, there's always the chance
that you run into some kind of strange person out
on the road early in the morning or late at night.
And if you're running in maybe more of a downtown setting,
you never know what you're gonna run into there. So
(14:37):
that could definitely be a little bit of a creepy
story going on. And then let's see that one porta
potty horror story that I'm sure everybody has. Everybody has
to have a story. I'm gonna call her out again
two episodes in a row, Sarah, I hope you don't mind.
(14:59):
My buddy from the garment can't see the marathon that
we just did. A couple weeks ago, had to use
the restroom. It happens to the best of us. Went
on course, she had a T shirt tucked into her belt,
and you had multiple layers on, so stripped one layer office.
It got warm that day, as it will do, went
into the restroom to handle business, and the shirt fell
(15:20):
into the portage on. Lost that shirt and it was
a It was a race shirt from another race. So
hopefully you can get a replacement for that. But that
would be terrible if, like you go into the porta
potty to handle your business and something falls in. Now,
I remember, back in two thousand and thirteen, twenty thirteen
or fourteen, the year that I went and did the
(15:40):
Rock and Roll New Orleans Marathon the full I was
wearing a star spangled kind of a bandana that I
wear at times, and I remember that I had put
it in my pocket because it was hot that day
and I was sweating. Well, I went and used a
restroom kind of a little past a halfway point. It
must have fallen out of my pocket. And now you
do it either fell all the way into the toilet
or just got left in the restroom. But like Miles
(16:01):
and Miles later down the road, I realized, Hey, my thing's.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Not on my head. Oh it's not my pocket. I
had to have lost in the restroom.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
So I'm actually kind of fortunate that my worst porta
pot porta potty story is just losing something. I am
sure people have had it far, far worse than I have.
If you have, I would love to hear your story,
Go ahead and share it. Okay, So let's see. Here
is what we call the monster list, the things runners.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Fear the most. Let me know if you agree with this.
All right, here's the first one, the porta.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Potty line at mile one. Yes, all right, this one
for sure, because yeah, you might get to the starting
line and the porta potty line might be a mile long,
and you're thinking to yourself, okay, self, I'm not gonna
do it here at the start line. I'll just hit
the first one on the course. Problem is, the first
one on the course usually has a line a mile
long with it, and at the last half Garman can't
(16:53):
say to have marathon same thing. It wasn't until over
halfway before the lines at the porta potties it finally
died down enough you could just waltz right into one
as you got to that aid station.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
The rest of them.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
Before the line was five, ten, fifteen, twenty runners deep.
So that is definitely one of the monsters, one of
the things that runners fear the most. The next one
is your garment not sinking.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Yep, yep. Definitely had that.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Where you get that notification either from Garmin or Strava,
Oh you run didn't sink properly, do a manual upload
or whatever they call it, or however they you know,
it's phrased on whatever you use.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
We've all had that, and I had that Ooh was
it garment?
Speaker 1 (17:34):
No, it might have been the race before garment, but
it took forever before I could get something to sink.
My run wasn't there. It's like, come on, I don't
run these things just for fun. I run it for
the online kudos, right like, we've got to have those.
So that's definitely another big runner fear. Another one is
costume chafing or really any kind of chafing, nipple chafing out,
(17:56):
inner thigh chafing out, anything on your foot out, but
definitely something we fear. Now a lot of people will
take steps to prevent use your glide, get some non
chafing socks or non blister socks.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
All those help, but it stinks when it happens. Ugh,
no good.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Let's see another one. A black cat crossing the course. Okay,
that's definitely all straight up superstition. I don't think I've
ever seen that before. I've never had just a black
cat go in front of me across a course. Cats
and runners not a good mix. They are usually running
the other direction. Next one running out of candy on
a Halloween run.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Again, not a big concern. Fifteen not fifteen. Sorry.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
The next one, race photos catching your worst face? All right,
race photos on the course. We know those can be
absolute disasters. And yes, I fear seeing the photographer. I
fear seeing them too late. If I see them in
the distance and I know they're coming, okay, I can
try and you'll suck in the guy, get a good
(19:00):
stride going, puff out the chest a little bit, get
that look on your face with determination and not death yet.
But if it's one of the photographers that gets you
and you don't see them, that's where you get them.
Where your head is down or you're walking, or you
got your gut hanging out, which I've definitely been there.
There is one of our running buddies who I am
not going to throw under the bus here, although I could,
(19:23):
and she's gonna know who she's talking about. Where posting
to her official race photos and there she is on
her phone on the course like staring at her screen.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Like, oh man, that's that's not good. But we all
fear the race photographer.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah, let's see another one for another one for you
trail runners, the unlit trail at night, why why would
you even do it? Like, if you can't see and
you're trying to trail run and you don't, I mean,
you better have a headlamp on or something. But if
it's unlitt you don't have it on you, you're gonna fall,
You're gonna break something. There's just no way to pass
that or there's no way to get around that. Next one,
(20:00):
DNFs and DNS panic, Well, yeah, I mean DNS panic.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
That's not really there.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
If you do not start, that's kind of your decision.
It shouldn't be too scary unless you have a scary
situation that is forcing you not to go to the race,
And that's a different story entirely. DNF though DNFs definitely
have a panic to them. When I had my one
DNF back in Mississippi, I was panicked, like I knew
they were pulling me and I knew that.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
I I mean, it was one of.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Those things like I knew this had never happened before.
I knew I was gonna have to tell you all
about it. I knew because of doing this podcast it's
going to be a public thing. I can't just hide
this DNF forever because people are like, oh my gosh,
I was Misissippi. Yeah, well in finished. So no, there
is a panic that goes with that. I have a
panic about a potential DNF in Tokyo because of how
challenging and restricted their timing limits are. So DNF panic
(20:51):
is real for sure. And then the last one on
the monster list of things runners fear the most injury,
and that is the real boogeyman for runners for sure.
Injury sucks. Nobody wants to get any of this injury nonsense.
All right, So you know, Halloween, everyone's going to the party.
You gotta play games. So here's a would you rather run?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
An edition? Would you rather?
Speaker 1 (21:11):
You? Guys decide at home, and I'll see what I
answered with here, would you rather run a marathon in
full pumpkin costume or a five k barefoot on gravel.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Okay, give me the pumpkin. I will take the pumpkin.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Next one, would you rather be chased by zombies for
a mile or do he'll repeats with the devil himself.
I will take zombies for a mile for one hundred Alex,
thank you. Next, have your running playlist, glitch to only
children's Halloween music, or run with no music at all.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I gotta go no music.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
At all rather than kids Halloween music. I mean, you
can only hear monster mash so many times before you
want to hurt yourself and others. And then the last one,
would you rather pr in a race that no one
sees or finish a life asked in front of everyone.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
But have a blast? Hmm?
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I think I'll finish last and have fun. I don't
know pr where no one sees it, and maybe I
didn't have fun. I'd rather have fun. This is supposed
to be fun. This is what we do, right, It's
supposed to be fun.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
So yeah, I'm gonna go with that.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
So anyway, you know, if you are out there, if
you get a run in in a costume, please share
it with us.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
We'd love to see it.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
You can post it on our Facebook page, or use
it for Metal Monday, or whatever your situation is.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
You can put it in.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
The comments on this very episode on Facebook, because you know,
we always post the link even though it's audio. Or
you can I don't think you can post photos on YouTube,
but if you're watching the YouTube video, go over to Facebook.
You know, you guys can make Facebook more of a
thing than it is. It seems like I post, you respond.
You can post on the page yourself like. Please feel
free start a conversation with other runners. If you want
(22:49):
advice about anything from the community, post it out there.
I'll approve it. Trust me, I don't even think I
have to approve it. I think it'll just go out there.
But please feel free to use the Facebook page as
your own resource.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
It doesn't have to just be me posting my goofy stuff.
Feel free to use it so you know, put your
picture out there. Put whatever you were for Halloween.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
If you got any Halloween miles in, I at least
want to try and get a few miles. My Halloween
is my kids are too old. I don't take them
out trick or treating anymore. I sit at my house
and I take this little gate and I kind of
put around my front area so my dogs can come
outside with me. I go out there with my candy,
maybe an adult beverage. I bring a little TV outside.
Last year, I was playing Ghostbusters, so when the trick
(23:31):
or treaters came up, we had candy, the dogs, me
sitting there playing or watching Ghostbusters. It was a fun time.
So I'm looking forward to doing that again this year.
Whatever your Halloween tradition is, I hope you enjoy it
immensely tonight. It's gonna be fun and hopefully the weather's
gonna keep on cooperating here. I mean it's full, but
it's not been terrible, so we'll take that right.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Yeah, So share your.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Costumes, t tag us in the Halloween running post that
you do, and then stay safe. Stay safe while you're
ot running, while you're trick or tree, while you're at
the house handing out candy, or wherever you might be go.
So may your can to be plentiful and your not
run to be safe. It may no zombies catch you.
Have a happy Halloween. Everyone that's gonna do it. For
this very quick episode, of the back of the Pack
(24:14):
podcast Second Wind. I'm rouse Kyle Walker is my pleasure
as always, everyone, have a safe week of training, a
happy Halloween, don't go too crazy on the candy, and
we will see you next week
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