Exercise! - Cool Runners-November!

Happy November!

Just wanted to drop in and let you know I'm once again on running hiatus until sometime next year. We're expecting again, and I don't seem to be one of the lucky ones who can mix running and pregnancy.

Anyway, everyone keep posting and running. I need some kind of running fix, even if it is virtual.

Good luck in NY Helen!

Anne

Just a little cross post of sorts here....

As if I didn't have enough to do on Thanksgiving (6 out of town house guests and 25 out of towners for T. dinner) I entered myself in a 5k Turkey trot. I'm sure I'll be home in plenty of time to get the turkeys in the oven. Best of all, I persuaded DS, DD and DH to join me (although they'll probably walk).

Hey allison, that turkey trot sounds like fun. It's really neat that your family is going with you. Hope you have fun.

Ann, congrats on the baby!! I always wondered if I would be able to continue running while pregnant, but I agree you have to do what is best.

Anne, what blessed news! Congrats! What a great reason for a hiatus!

Congratulations, Anne! :)

Today I ran 3 miles in 25:48. I'm getting kind of speedy lately! :carrot:

I bought a book about training for marathons -- I'm kind of determined to do one by the end of 2008...

Hi everyone! I'm fairly new to 3FC, and just discovered this section of the forum. I got into running this summer and did a bunch of races, but then in the fall didn't have time so I stopped for a while. A few weeks ago I started up again, but doing short runs (2-3 miles) and usually on the treadmill, because my new job doesn't really give me the opportunity to run outside except when it's unsafe.

This summer, no matter what distance I did, I ran a 9:31 pace. Exactly 9:31. Whether it was a 5k or a 10M. I tried hard to do speedwork to get that to drop, but seemed to always settle into this pace. However, taking a break seems to have helped - last week I ran a 5M (first race since July or so), and I dropped down to an 8:30 pace!!! I'm really thrilled, and attribute it to the cross-training (swimming, elliptical, weights) I've been doing.

I'm watching the marathon on TV right now and it's pretty exciting - if you have some free time, definitely turn it on. In a few hours some friends and I are going to head over to mile 18 to cheer on one of our managers who is running. I still haven't done a marathon (even though I've read a ton on the subject and got as far as running a 10 miler in preparation), but next year I really want to try to run the NYC. Hopefully I can run something sooner, but it's a good goal to have.

Hi laura, welcome! Congrats onthe 8:30 pace, that is fantastic! I am still trying to get to a 10 minute pace lol. I don't think the marathon is showing on any stations near me, but I would love to see it. I will check espn, maybe it's on there or something.

My name is Renee, I just started running a few months ago using the Couch to 5k program. I currently can do about 3 miles. Anyway, welcome to the group, glad to have you :)

Anne, congratulations! Be sure to keep posting here to let us know how things are going even if you're not running (for the best reason in the world).

Welcome Laura! You are a speed demon compared to me, so keep up the good work and post about it here anytime.

Lisa, what book did you pick up? I'm excited to hear you talking marathon...once you get your mind on track to doing it, it becomes so much more real.

Short runs for me this week - I have a little medical issue that is probably going to turn out to be nothing, but I'm a little freaked out by it right now, so am keeping things slow.

Welcome, Laura!

Rachel, I picked up Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide by Hal Higdon. I have another book on speed training by Higdon and I like that one, and I'd seen this marathon book at the bookstore a million times and nearly bought it. I'm definitely thinking I'll do one by the end of 2008. The problem is that I want to do the Richmond marathon but if it's at the same time next year (this year it's Nov 10), it's the same day as the cross country state meet. I imagine the state meet will be scheduled for the same time next year, and I imagine our boys' team will go to state again next year so I won't be able to do the marathon. I'll have to find another one!! I can't find one too far away, however, because I definitely won't have the funds to travel, since we're planning a trip to Italy next summer!

I ran 10 miles today and my legs are tired tired tired. I didn't feel that pain in my sciatic nerve or hamstring or whatever the problem is, however, so that's good news. Yay for Sunday long runs -- they're back! :carrot:

This is my last week of running with the kids at CC practice, and then I can set my own schedule!

Lisa, I followed one of the online Hal Higdon plans in training for my marathon, so I'm sure his book is a good way to go. As to looking for marathons that are close to the same time and near where you live, if you haven't already done so, you should visit www.marathonguide.com - they have a map with all the marathon races in the country, and you can search by dates to find one that works for you. They also have reviews from runners who have participated in past years, elevation charts, etc. - it was a great resource for me when I decided to go to Portland.

I'll admit to tearing up a little when Paula Radcliffe won NYC marathon yesterday. For those who dont follow, she just had her baby 9 months ago. Whoooooo Mommy power!

Cant wait to hear from Helen!

Three of the top 5 women finishers (Radcliffe, Wami, Ndereba) have kids. You'd never know it from the coverage Radcliffe's motherhood is getting.

Yes they have kids, but not many have a baby that young. Considering there are still people who look at you like you are a freak if you run while pg, I think it is a good sign.

she just had her baby 9 months ago

I'm with you Ennay, that is amazing!

Count me among those who think it's pretty awesome to see Paula come back and win 9 months after giving birth! And the other wonderful moment of the NYC marathon (of course, besides what we will read about from Helen in her personal report) - Katie Holmes ran it, and she was 45 minutes slower than my marathon time - gotta confess I get a little joy out of knowing I can run faster than a hollywood starlet ;)

Woohoo, Rachel! Your time kicked her butt! :carrot:

I ran a mile on the trails and then 2 miles on the track today with the CC kids. The track workout was an interval one, so I'm kind of worn out! It felt good, though, especially the part on the trail! Tomorrow we're doing 5 miles, which is farther than we usually go, so I'm excited about that, especially since I won't be able to run Thursday or Saturday this week and Wednesday and Friday will be short runs.

I'm getting really excited about the prospect of doing a marathon, but I'm not really finding another marathon for 2008 that works for me, so I'm just hoping the scheduling works for Richmond. The Charlottesville one could work, but it's in April - that just seems wayyyy too soon! I would like to do the half that day though. It's supposed to be a really pretty, scenic route.

Anybody know when Helen is coming back? I'm looking forward to her race report.

Anne

Paula Radcliffe is my new hero, even though I only heard of her about 1 day ago hehe. I wish my body looked like that 9 months after giving birth. Oh and that I could run a marathon that soon.

That soon?

She's been a world-class runner for 15 years. Probably been running for closer to 20. All those years and all those miles matter, a lot.

I think she means that soon after giving birth, which seems impressive to me too. I've never had a baby, so I can't speak from experience, but I imagine the process of pregnancy and childbirth does a number on your body. To be able to run a marathon within a year of giving birth seems like a feat, even for a very experienced runner. So...yay for her! It's fun to celebrate other runners' accomplishments!!

Speaking of which, where IS Helen?

I'm here, I just dragged myself back home today. Quite worryingly, the first thing I did when I got home was to put my running kit on then I went for a short jog before jumping into the shower I needed after 19 hours of travelling!

Things are manic back here still with family stuff, so I'm only here for 18 hours (most of which needs to be spent sleeping) before heading off again. I promise I will write more about the marathon (which was the most fantastic experience of my life), but for now I'll give you the link to the bbc report on our team - it's about 2 and a half minutes long, and it sums the day up pretty well.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7070000/newsid_7079400/7079422.stm?bw=bb&mp=rm&asb=1&news=1

You can also go here (http://www.brightroom.com/view_event.asp?EVENTID=18469) and look at the photos under bib numbers 42086 (one of the official runners) and W513 (the number the three guide runners including me wore). Of the seven of us, three were registered in their own right and three were guide runners. That means we weren't in the official results, but did get the t-shirt and the medal as long as we finished with our designated disabled athlete - in our case Matt.

I've just checked and our official time was 6:48:40, not bad considering the battery in the wheelchair died and we had to push it for miles which wasn't part of the plan. If you watch the finish video you'll see that I had to push matt over the line, there was also a spell between about 4 and 11 miles when we had to push (and as the strongest runner a lot of the responsibility for that fell to me) - that's why he talks about wanting us to go ahead at mile 5, because we were slowed down a lot by pushing him, but it was a team thing so there was no way we were leaving him, and we told him that!

Hey all. It’s been a while, just catching up here. Not too much to report in my running world, same old.

Lisa – Congrats on your team going to state, no doubt that’s a credit to your awesome coaching, and you hubby too! Glad your hamstring seems to be better. A marathon for you too? I’m starting to feel left out. Hope you find a good one at a time and location that works for you.

Anne – Congratulations! How exciting, enjoy your running hiatus and keep us posted.

Allison – That turkey trot sounds fun. My DF and sometimes the dog come to cheer me on but I’ve yet to get anyone I know to participate in any of the 5k events I’ve done.

Laura – Glad you’ve joined us! I’ve started a bit of cross training with lifting and a bit of cycling, hope to get back to swimming soon. I do think it’s helped me get a bit faster, I’m pacing at a little under 10 minutes now.

Rachel – Hope your med issue is resolved and all is well.

Helen – Sounds like an incredible experience! You’re amazing. Can’t wait to hear more.

Had a pretty good 4 miles on Monday. Yesterday I was really not in the mood to run at all, I was just doing it to get it done, my hamstrings were pretty spent from lifting and yoga the day before. However, it was a pretty speedy 3 miles so maybe being impatient to get it over with already isn’t such a bad thing. :p Getting too cold out, I could have used an extra layer. Plus it’s dark out too so I have to wear reflectors and my safety light and be extra careful not to get hit by cars. Oh well, beats the treadmill, which I will sadly have to resort to pretty soon. :(

That soon?

She's been a world-class runner for 15 years. Probably been running for closer to 20. All those years and all those miles matter, a lot.

Yes, I meant that soon after giving birth.

This is my full race report from New York (http://ypweightloss.blogspot.com/2007/11/marathon.html).

Yes, I meant that soon after giving birth.

You missed my point, though.

Her many years of high-level, serious training-- years and years of lots of fast miles--probably have a lot to do with her being able to run a fast marathon so soon after giving birth. So, for that matter, does her not stopping training during her pregnancy.

It's not just Radcliffe's talent that's in another league compared to those of us who post at 3FC, it's also her training and her history of training.

Helen--What a fantastic story. I just started posting in these threads last month so I must have missed the fact that you were helping an athlete with a disability. I have worked with individuals with disabilities more than half my life and they are an amazing bunch. I mostly work with those with intellectual disabilities but I am getting more opportunities to work with those with physical disabilities. Of course I cried when I read your story just as I do when I cheer my athletes during Special Olympics.

Helen - your story brought tears to my eyes too...Congratulations and :bravo:

What a great story...thanks for sharing.

:D

Mine too. It sounds like a wonderful experience. (Although a slightly harrowing experience for Matt and his parents! They seemed very pleased on the video that he had declared his intention never to do another marathon.)

Helen, what a great story. I bet it felt better than a PB time, to be able to help and support Matt to the finish line. I love stories like these, you guys contsantly amaze me!

Congrats on the pregnancy, Anne!! Hope you're feeling well.

I, too, am in awe of Paula Radcliffe. I thought the way the articles phrased her triumph was interesting.....she is such an elite athlete that they might have mentioned that in the headlines. Might have saved countless women from a moment of woeful inadequacy!

I've been so inspired by our marathoners around here that I am planning a half in January and a full in October. Should be fun! :-)

I can't wait to read your race report, Helen! it's blocked on my computer at work. >boo hoo<

Good luck with ya'll's mileage this week!

Helen, what a wonderful story! I'm so glad you had that fantastic experience. I can't get the video to work on my stupid computer, though, which is annoying me. :(

midwife, you and I can share the experience of training for our first marathon! I plan to do one next November, as long as scheduling problems don't knock me out of it. It's the Richmond Marathon, which happened just yesterday. I'd planned to run the 8k that was happening at the same time but couldn't go because I had to go with my cross country team to the state meet.

Speaking of which -- our boys finished FIFTH in the state!! I can't remember if I posted anything about it here because I've been bragging about them all over the place! :lol: Six of the seven boys had a PR yesterday -- they were AMAZING. I'm sooooo proud of them I just can't stand it! :cheer2:

I had a fantastic run today -- my long 10-mile run. I felt so good -- I kept up an average 10:00 mile pace the whole time (well, I finished the first 5 miles in 52 min and the last 5 in 48 min, so it evened out that way). I must just be a distance runner kind of girl, because I always feel really good between miles 5 and 7, and I almost always run the last half faster than the first. The difference in my long run pace just a few months ago and the pace I'm at now is huge, and I believe it's partly because of all those short, faster runs I've been doing with my XC team. I'm kind of sad that XC is over, but some of the kids are going to keep running with me and my husband after school in a very loosely structured kind of schedule. A few girls have asked me to start sort of a "fitness club" where we can lift weights and run and I can help them get in shape. Can you imagine? ME?? My life is sooooo different these days...

Hello runners! Been busy all week, so haven't had much of a chance to post here, but I've been logging my miles. Helen, I loved reading your New York report, it sounds like it was a really amazing experience, so thanks for sharing it.

Lisa, congrats on so many things - the success of your boys team, your improving long run times, the fitness club, it all sounds wonderful! And I am soooo excited that you and midwife are in marathon planning mode now, I am going to enjoy reading all about your training.

Rachel, thanks for all the congrats! I feel great about all those things! :) And you're one of the biggest reasons I've decided to do a marathon, by the way -- you've inspired me to believe that I can do it!

I did 4 fairly speedy miles yesterday and a 1.8 mile trail run today with some students. I'll be off tomorrow because of an after-school commitment, but I'm planning a 6 or 7 mile run Thursday (again, with students. I guess even though the season is over I'm still going to run with them).

I'm baaaack...

Since I got back to the UK on Thursday I've just done a couple of 3 - 4 mile runs, but tonight I managed 8 with running club. It wasn't easy, but it felt good to get some miles into my legs again. I'm running into work in the morning, but haven't decided which way I'm going yet - I have the choice of anything from a 5 mile mainly downhill run to about 12 miles with hills in the way. I don't think I'll go for the long version, but there's a 9 mile route which isn't too bad - no uphills after about the 3rd mile But as I'm still recovering I might just go the short way. I'll see how I feel.

Is it really worrying that I've started plotting my next marathon already. Although what's really worrying is that I've found one on my 30th birthday which is really tempting me. It's the next one Matt might do (Stockholm) and I agreed to do it if he did without checking the date. When I checked the date and realised I could make a holiday out of it I started to get tempted to do it anyway, even if he doesn't...

Helen, a marathon on your 30th birthday would be a VERY cool thing to do!

My run tonight was kind of icky. I didn't have my iPod with me, which would normally be ok but sometimes you just NEED music and tonight was one of those times. Plus, I was freezing and just couldn't warm up. I was very tired and even though parts of the run felt ok it ended up being slow and sluggish and a little unpleasant in general. The only good thing is that I went ahead and pushed myself to do 7.2 miles instead of the 6 I'd planned. Oh well, bad runs happen. I've been having a string of good ones, so I was due a bad one!

4 miles yesterday and 5 miles today. I really need to program my iPod, cause right now it plays random songs and I definitely slow down to some of them. Tomorrow will be 6.8 miles and then Sunday will be a no run day. I'm starting to build my long runs to prepare for the half marathon in January.

I've been struggling a bit with negative self talk. I am the slowest runner I know and all my running partners are much faster. Usually I can shake it off, but a friend told me she saw me "speed-walking" yesterday. Noooo....that's my running. And then sometimes I consider the mileage I have planned and my instinct is to say "I can't do that." But I can and I have done it and I don't know where that voice of negativity comes from.

So I'll just ignore that negative voice and drown it out with action and positive thoughts. It's just annoying.

a friend told me she saw me "speed-walking" yesterday. Noooo....that's my running.

A woman I know saw me running and called it "trudging." :) Yup, shake it off, and just do what you can do. You're getting lots of good benefits from it no matter how fast or slow you are.

I do the negative thing when I'm cycling. I swear I run faster than I cycle sometimes (OK, so I'm comparing flat, short races with uphill cycles in traffic, but it took me 45 minutes to do 5 miles yesterday - my 10k PB is 47 minutes!). I just try to remind myself that at least I'm doing it, even if I'm doing it incredibly slowly, and if I want to improve there's no option other than practising.

I ended up doing about 6 miles to work yesterday and fell over about half way there, putting a big hole in the knee of the running tights I bought the day before. Luckily they were only cheap ones, and I'll still wear them for cycling and running when no-one is likely to spot me, but it was a bit annoying. Today I tried to get back into my treadmill speed sessions. I find that it does help my speed when I get into the habit of doing them, but I tend to drop them in the later stages of mara training. Today's session was relatively gentle - 1 minute fast, 4 minutes recovery for 30 minutes, but at least it's getting me back into the habit of doing the fast bits even if it's only for a minute at a time. Next time I'll try to make it a bit harder to get my speed back up again.

Thanks, guys! I have added in some speedwork, so maybe someday I'll be faster! But for now slow and steady burns my fat, strengthens my bones, and makes my heart stronger. I'll take it! :-)

midwife, you'll eventually get faster, especially if you start doing a little bit of speedwork. I thought I would NEVER get faster but I'm suddenly able to go a lot faster than I did before. I did a 2-mile tempo run today in 17:19, which is far faster than I ever imagined I could do (average pace of 8:40/mile). I doubt I could keep up that pace very long, though.

Regardless, speed shmeed. It's all about just getting out there and doing it!!

If she thought you were speed walking, then I guarantee you she would think I was just taking a stroll. I am slow...I dont' care :)...much...:)

Well, per my trainer's request I am stopping running until I am 185-190 pounds and will pick it up again. My hip's killing me and she's got me doing a quick walk at a very high inclince (9 is very high, at least for me!) and she wants me to stay with that to get rid of my injuries until I lose a little bit more. Since I already have a treadmill at home, it made the decision easier. So here's to a quick 10-15 pound loss so I can try again! The uphill walking is kicking my butt and burns (almost) the same amount of calories that my running did, so if I stay on track I should be able to run in Januray, yay!

When I bust it I go about 11:30 minute miles. 8 minute miles are impressive Lisa!! Maybe someday.....but for now slow and steady gets me there....

Early this summer I was running daily and increasing my distance and trying my hardest to get faster - even doing "speed laps" at the track to try to train myself to run at a faster pace. Nothing worked. I ran the same pace whether I did 3 miles or 10 miles (like, to the second NO MATTER WHAT). It was really frustrating.

Then I took a break for 2 months (moved to Manhattan and started working), and I thought I'd be worse. But I started running on a once every 3 days schedule, did the elliptical one of the other two days, and swam the other day. I was running much shorter distances than I ever had (usually 3 miles max, where I used to run 6-8 daily), but I signed up for a 5 mile race figuring it would be a good challenge and still doable. To my surprise, I beat my old 5 mile race times by 5 minutes, or a full minute off my pace! I was thrilled, and when I mentioned it to someone, they said cross-training was amazing, and also that the breathing in swimming helps with running.

Good luck!

I just started doing Couch to 5K and have found that I think (MUCH TO MY SURPRISE!!) that I actually might like running???? I'm only on the second workout, and the first one was WAY difficult to get trhough becaues I just kept thinking "I HAAAAAAAATE RUNNINGGGGGGG!!!!!!" but the second one today was more enjoyable. It's still difficult, but hey, what isn't????

And I was ALWAYS one of those people who would avoid running at all costs. Weird, huh?

And I was ALWAYS one of those people who would avoid running at all costs. Weird, huh?

I was always one of those people too, and now I've completed a half marathon and am preparing to do a full one next year. Plus, I'm a running coach! I guess I never actually gave running a chance before because I assumed I would hate it. I wish I'd started a long time ago! I'm glad you're here -- welcome!!

I ran 11 miles yesterday and took it nice and slow. I ran the first 4 with my sister-in-law, then she left and I finished the other 7. Felt nice, though my legs were a bit tired. These long Sunday runs are nice but they do take a big chunk of time out of my day!

Aaarrrggghhh.

We did a 4.5 mile hill session at running club tonight. It was haaard. I'm sure it will be good for me, but by the 12th rep I was really wishing they'd go easy on us!

I've made an amazing discovery! Well, probably everyone else has known it since the beginning of time, but it's a new discovery to me. :)

Since I stepped off the treadmill and started doing my 3.25 mile runs outside with my dog, I've been unable to run the entire distance without stopping to walk. (It's my lungs, not my legs: I'm a really heavy smoker). Anyway, it occurred to me the other day that I should force myself to run SLOWER. Today I did my run as slowly as I possibly could (more like trudging, re the other discussion) and I was able to run for much longer without stopping to walk. Hooray! I feel like I've had a kind of revelation. :) If I keep up this slow running, I should be able to run the whole distance without a break very soon, and then I really would be pleased. The slowest runner on earth, of course, but at least able to run for a full 30 minutes.

I also need to quit smoking or I'm never going to improve at this running lark. I need actual working lungs.

I ran 3.2 miles today. It felt really good. I'm totally off my training schedule for my 10k in February and I just found out that I have to work a 12 hour shift on the day I planned to do my "long run" so, I will have to rearrange my schedule a bit.

Baffled, good for you for slowing down! I've foudn it does wonders for me. I have to make myself slow down the first half mile because I usually start out almost sprinting. I have to tell myself that I won't last the entire time if I keep that up. Good luck with the quitting smoking. It's tough, but I know you can do it...you lost quite a bit of weight and that takes the same determination. :)

Baffled, that's a wonderful discovery I wish everyone would make! I think a lot of people who think they HATE running could realize that it's fun if they would just s l o w d o w n. The ironic thing is that when you slow down and build up some mileage, you get faster without even trying to.

Speaking of that, I ran 4 miles tonight and didn't intend to go under 10-minute miles, but ended up running an average pace of 9:17. My shorter runs (under 10) are much faster than they used to be, but my long runs are usually sloooooow.

Hello everyone,
I just realized I have been posting my time in Run/Walk Challenge thread but not really talking about how I've been doing with C25K in this thread. Well I am on Week 3 currently. I just completed Week 3, Day 1. I was really worried about running 3 minutes straight. But everyone was right, the 3 minutes was definitely doable. I like the progression each week. Each week is a little bit more challenging but not so much so that you want to quit. I'm saying that now but lets see what I say Week 5 when you have to run for 20 minutes straight on Day 3. Well I will be able to complete this week and move on to Week 4 based on today. I was worried about doing C25K in general. We all know what you want to do and what you can do are two different things. I am really happy with where I am currently.

Me again

Leeda, Baffled, Midwife--Slow is definitely the way for me. A few years back when I was running with my trainer outdoors she took me out to see how long I could run. I ran the whole way, 3 miles, at a very slow pace. My goal is finishing first and maybe I will worry about the speed later. I'm doing the C25K on the treadmill and I've been upping my speed .1 each week. That has worked for me. I will adjust it along the way as I need to.

Slow chicks rock!!! That's what I'll be telling myself during my 5 K tomorrow. I'm running it with DD, who averages 6-7 minute miles. I guess I'll see the back of her for about 5 seconds! :-) My goal is to finish, and I know I can do that. I would like to not be last, but if I am, oh well! Someone has to be!

My legs felt like molasses on my run this morning. I hope they have more perk and energy tomorrow.

Hey, running ladies!

I have not been around for a while. 3FC was taking up large chunks of my life, especially since I am doing the TBL challenge. I have checked on you now and then, but resisted posting and did not get email notifications for this thread.

But I have news. I am doing my my first race (http://www.tuxbro.com/Drumstick%20dash%20entry%20info.htm). I am so excited. I am going to run the short course because I am not ready for 4.5 miles, and I really want success in my first outing. 2.6 is no problem.

That is not to say that there will not be problems.....parking is going to be a nightmare. Packet pick up today was insane. I will probably have to walk a mile to and from my car. Good warm-up, right?? Nice cool down? It is only supposed to be about 37 degrees with snow at the starting line.

The shirts we got?? Extra awesome. Very nice.

I will be thinking of all the help and inspiration that I have gotten here as I trek through the course.

Now....for all you speed demons.....

Going from treadmill, and my nice 5.4 MPH to the outside world....I did the same thing. I had some really bad runs and realized that I was setting records (personal, not world ;) )at the first half mile. The biggest issue was my playlist. When I was listening to a book or news show on the iPod, I did well. When I listened to some rockin' tunes, I was exhausting myself.

Once I remember that I am an old woman who has no need to prove anything to anyone but me. And my only goal is to finish any outing without vomiting. Better living through lowered expectations.

Shay, I'm glad you're enjoying the C25K program -- keep it up! :cheer2:

midwife, how was your 5K?

onthetee, good luck in your first race! How exciting!!

I had a nice 3.1 mile run with my brother today. It was so cool to be able to run with him. He's not the most athletic person in the world, but he's always been FAR more athletic than I am, and today I even had to slow my pace a little to stay with him (he pretty much always runs at a 10:00 pace no matter what). It was a gorgeous run on a flat, wide trail in the woods and we got to run around a beautiful lake. My husband was with us but of course he had to run ahead because he couldn't go that slow! But yeah, running with my brother is not something I ever would've imagined I could do, so it was pretty exciting. Now my secret goal is to beat him in the 10k we'll run together in April!! :devil: I don't think I've ever beat him at ANYthing!

Good luck onthetee!

I'm meant to be doing a 10k on sunday, but I'm not very inspired. I can still feel the marathons in my legs, and I've put on a bit of weight so feel a bit sluggish. I know it won't be near a PB, but it's the first proper 10k I did (can you believe it will be my 3rd time doing it?!) so I'd quite like to do it for that reason. I might see how I feel on Sunday, and what the weather's like before I decide. I've registered, but if I really don't feel like it it could do more harm psychologically to make myself run it and run badly, than it would to stay in bed.

I've had some mixed runs this week. I did a really good short speedwork session on the treadmill on Tuesday, trudged round the club run last night then did about 10 minutes on the treadmill this morning before the fire alarm went off! I then went for a run outside as I figured it would be better to keep moving than to stand outside in my shorts and t-shirt, but it wasn't really what I was planning to do. I'm running into work tomorrow, then taking Saturday off before the race. At the moment I seem to be running more often, but shorter runs, to keep my legs ticking over without doing too much on any one run.

OnTheTee, hope your race went well!! Give us a report tomorrow after all the festivities die down.

I did a 10K Turkey Trot this morning that went fantastically well - 52:04! That is a far better pace than any race I've ever done, even a 5K, and I'm especially thrilled because I had a few problems (lost my headband that covers my ears, about 10 mins before the race; felt a little queasy at the start; and my iPod case/strap broke about 1/2 mile in, leading to me fumbling around for a while to figure out what to do with my iPod). I'm SO proud of myself, and I definitely want to make this an annual tradition.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Onthetee, love the thought about just not vomitting!

Lisa, thanks for asking! The women were supposed to have a separate race than the men, but there were a lot of men running in the women's race, which bugged me a little, but whatever!

Anyway, I settled DD at the front (she came in 3rd for her age group) and then schlepped toward the back for the start. Even starting toward the back, I was still passed a LOT for the first mile. The first half of the race was uphill and when I got to the first mile marker my time was 12:40!! I had a slow start and got stuck behind some folks who were walking, but still! That is slow, even for this slow chick.

After the halfway mark it was downhill and I really kicked it into gear. I felt very strong and finished in about 36 minutes. My mile average was 11:30-something so I did make up some time on the downhill.

I then chowed one and a half bagels which was probably not a great choice with the afternoon ahead of me! But I am proud that my average pace was less than 12 minute miles, cause that was my goal. I felt strong and springy toward the end of the race, so I felt fast, which was fun! Got my butt totally kicked by some 8 year-olds, but that's ok!

Hope you all have lovely runs today! That is great you can run with your brother, Lisa. I have been running with my sil and it's nice to have that time together.

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful I can run!

onthetee, I hope your race went well :)

Well I completed W3 of the C25K yesterday. So far things are going well. As each week passes I worry about the longer running intervals. All I can do is take it one day at a time. I have surprised myself so here's hoping I continue to do so.

I did my 10k this morning in the end, I wasn't too keen on the thought but actually ran a lot better than I was expecting, it was my 2nd fastest 10k of the year (3rd fastest ever), and only about a minute off my PB which wasn't bad because it was a much more crowded race than the one I did my PB in. I'm pleased I've kept up my record of not going over 50 minutes in a 10k this year (although I did push it close twice at 49:55 and 49:50!), and I've kept up my record of running this race for three consecutive years which is nice too.

I even had a cheering squad just before and after half way (I went past them twice) which was really nice.

Hello runners! I've been away for the holiday and so I am very happy to come back and read about all this race activity! Onthetee, anxiously awaiting your report on how things went for your first race - I love the goal of not vomiting...I almost managed to miss the mark on that one in my marathon experience :)

Anyway, I had a nice long weekend at my parents house - they live in an area that actually has a few rolling hills, I remember last thanksgiving how I was struggling to get up a few of them, this year, I was positively enjoying the opportunity to run a little elevation. what a difference a year makes. Ran 10, 10, 15 and 8 miles Thursday through Sunday, I was enjoying it so much (and truth told, was hoping not to loose too much ground on the weight front to my mother's good cooking too).

Hope the rest of you U.S. folks had a great holiday!:turkey:

The running mojo is back - wahey! I was actually looking forward to running club tonight, and seemed to pick the pace up a bit. Looks like I'm recovered from the maras now, just need to make sure I keep things ticking over during the party season.

Oh, and as I posted on the walk-run challenge thread - I've hit my mileage target for the year!

1504.9/1500

1500 miles -- woohoo!!! That's fantastic, Helen! :)

I ran 3 miles with some students tonight. I'm running into a bit of a dilemma because they want to work out and run with me EVERY day now, and I don't want to say no, but it also interferes with my running schedule. They can't exactly do six or seven miles at this point, so I have to cut some of my runs short in order to supervise them. This was only the second day, so we'll see how it goes. I may just tell them we can only do it two or three times a week. The GOOD part is that it's making me do strength training. If I didn't do it with them, I'd just run and do nothing else (like I've been doing for ages now).

I had a great 8-mile run in my hometown Saturday, which I forgot to report. I had to loop around this park over and over, but they have a bigger loop that's more like a trail, with hills and such, so I incorporated that this time and it was lots of fun.

It's getting cold out there on the jogging path! Ran 6.5 miles today, the hardest part is getting out of a warm bed and out the door - it feels good once I get going, but that first half mile is tough. Guess I still need to develop my winter mental toughness...I just keep telling myself how much better it is to run in the cold than in the heat of August.

Whew Week 4 of C25K. I really didn't think I was going to make it through that 2nd 5 minute interval. I'm thinking of doing Day 2 and 3 back to back just because of my schedule. We'll see how that works out.

So, I've still been lurking around this part of the forums, reading everyone's runs and being inspired, but too afraid to post any. I am back to running again, not much yet, but the first real running I've done since I hurt my foot. I ran/jogged a mile tonight in around a 12-13 min pace... I'm hoping to get back to 5k by the end of the month, there is a 5k plus a free kids run that I'm hoping the kids and I can do. Everyone keep up the great job, and thanks for motivating me to get off my duff and back out there.

Dee

reading this thread makes me feel lazy if I skip a day! Thanks for the motivation everyone, good luck with the running!

I hear ya, Erica. I didn't run yesterday and now today I feel pukey and it's $*#& cold outside! I'm telling myself it won't kill me to skip two days in a row. I'll run tomorrow with my running partners and I'll do a long run on Saturday.

DH is convinced I shouldn't run everyday, but I feel guilty if I don't. What kind of cross-training or weights do all of ya'll do?

When I was running every day, I got into a running rhythm that I couldn't improve no matter what I did. I even tried choosing faster music in case it was that I was running to the beat! No dice. Then I took a lot of time off running, and I run every other day or every third day... and I am SO much faster! I dropped more than a minute off my pace. I still exercise the other days, but it's usually weights, or swimming, or the rowing machine, or the elliptical... or a zillion other things that just aren't pounding the pavement. So if I don't run for a few days now, I look at it as a good thing :)

Thanks, Laura. I do remember you credited some rest days for making you a faster runner. :-)

Hi guys!

I was wondering if you care that I join you! Im a runner, spin instructor, compete in Tri's, Du's and road races. I'm 41 married with three young daughters. Nice to meet all of you!!

I don't run every day, but I don't skip days when I plan to run, if that makes sense. I schedule rest days, and I don't run then, but if I plan to run then I run.

I ran into work this morning, a long-ish route that was about 8.5 miles. Tomorrow I'm planning on cycling in, and then doing some speedwork on the treadmill. Although I might give it a miss as I'm planning on heading down to a time trial on Saturday. It's just started here, they run a 5k every week and it's completely free! You just register, turn up, run and get all sorts of fun stats. The problem is that Saturday is usually my long run day, rather than short and fast, but until I start mara training again I might give it ago. We'll see.

Helen, a free 5k every week sounds fantastic! I wish we had something like that here! I'm not even scheduled for another race until my 10k in April. I think I'll get antsy before then and have to find some kind of 5k, even if I have to travel a little.

midwife, I usually take Wednesday and Saturday off, but sometimes my schedule forces me to take other days off as well. My husband (a longtime runner and running coach) swears by running only every other day unless you're doing some kind of specific training for a race, and even then he says you should just do 4 runs per week. I like to do 5, though, including one long run, one medium long run, one speedwork session, and the rest easy miles. That's a perfect week, but it doesn't always work out that way. I honestly SHOULD do more crosstraining but it's hard to force myself to do something besides running now. I've started strength training again, however, and I'm hoping to get back into yoga.

Gymgurl - :welcome3:

I wanted to do 6 or 7 miles tonight but after school commitments made me get home too late. I don't run in the dark (I live in the boonies). So I ended up doing 4, but I kept an average pace of 9:30 the whole time, so it was a decent run. I'm trying to get used to that pace or faster so I can meet my goal of running my April 10k in less than an hour.

It's great to hear about other people's schedules! I admit I was asking because yesterday I was not feeling well and I was trying to talk myself either into or out of running and wasn't sure if I was making up feeling yucky. Since I was up all night with a barfing boy, I guess my symptoms were real. The downside is that said barfing boy will stay home from school today, so I can't run today either! But I can (and will!) do the elliptical.

Another tough one for WK4 of C25K. I made it through though. I may have to repeat this week. Day 3 is tomorrow. I will have to see how I feel.

Go, Shay, go!

Lisa - this is the time trial (http://www.parkrun.com/Default.aspx?tabid=253). I've not done it yet, but it looks good :)

I did 5k on the treadmill this morning, I just wanted to do a short fast one. I haven't decided what to do tomorrow, a long run or the time trial, I might see what the weather is like.

Thanks for the encouragement, Midwife. I need it.

Helen, that seems like fun. I just found out from my husband that there's a weekly 5k here in June or July, but it only goes for three weeks and you pay $20 to do the 3 races. That's still a good price, considering most races are $20 just for the one race. I'll probably do that, even though it will be hot hot hot, because they do them in the afternoon and it's soooo humid here in the summer.

Shay, I see on your profile that you're in Virginia. Where are you? Maybe we're neighbors! :)

Didn't get to run today because I just got home and it's nearly 10pm. Sigh... Planning a 4-mile run tomorrow morning and 11 miles or so on Sunday.

Does anyone here have the Garmin Forerunner? I'm seriously wanting one for Christmas and there's a $50 rebate on them right now but you have to buy it by Nov 30 (um, yes, today) to get it. I sent the link to my husband so I hope he got it for me, but I don't know!