Exercise! Love it or hate it, let's motivate each other to just DO IT!

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Old 12-01-2011, 10:52 AM   #1  
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Default December Running - Finish STRONG!

Well, believe it or not, it's December! Personally I can't believe it...the year is just about at a close. But here it is anyway, our favorite monthly running thread - newbie or long time runner, whoever you are - commit and share your running here!

So how'd you do this year? Did you achieve your running goals? Still have goals to achieve? My main goal was to run 1000 miles this year. As of this morning I'm at 926 miles and with the whole month of December to go, I should have no troubles achieving that. So I'm pretty proud of that. I was thinking about making next year's goal 1212 miles for 2012, but since I've recently dropped to 3 days a week of running (which I'm loving by the way) I think that would be pretty difficult to do, but who knows.

I had to do my long run this morning, it was a shorter one though 8 miles. But I did spin last night and now have to work all day, so I'm a little spent. I did my LR today as opposed to my usual Sunday because it's DHs b-day this weekend and we're going to a nice dinner and I don't want to have to forgo the drinks and decadent food because of needing to run the next morning - LOL.

I also had a great 9 mile LR this past Sunday. It was one of my top ten runs I think. We were out of town and the course I chose was amazing. I hit the beach, the marina, the canals and it was just wonderful.

Up next I have a 5 mile easy run tomorrow and 6 mile hill run Saturday. Next week my schedule will be a little off again because of a x-mas party, but after that no more running back to back. Marathon training is kicking into high gear in the next few weeks and I'm excited and exhausted

So let's finish the year strong!
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Old 12-02-2011, 02:50 PM   #2  
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Where is everybody?

Weak easy 5 miler this morning. Was supposed to be 6, but I just wasn't feeling it.
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Old 12-02-2011, 04:23 PM   #3  
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I'm here! Ran 4.5 yesterday on my lunch hour - really great run. It was about 40 degrees, but sunny. So I was not cold at all. Took my gloves off just after mile 1.

Today it snowed all day and is generally miserable out. So I'm hitting the treadmill for some speed work.
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Old 12-02-2011, 08:03 PM   #4  
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Happy December!

My runs have been short this week - 2.5 miles Wednesday and 2 miles last night on the treadmill. Doing a 5K with my son tomorrow - it will be his first(he's 8). I have no idea how he will do..he's never done more than a 2K before.

Trying to increase my speed slowly. I probably average about an 11:15 minute mile now..trying to get to a 10 minute mile. Last night I did 1/2 a mile at that speed..planning to increase that to a mile by the end of the month, then an add'l mile every month after that, until I can do a 10K in about an hour.

ncuneo, have fun with your DH this weekend!
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Old 12-02-2011, 10:44 PM   #5  
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I'm here! Just running 1x a week so I have nothing to report for now . Tomorrow I'm going out to this huge campus where I hope to do a long run... I'm excited.

natamars Good luck with your 5k! So cool you're doing it with your son!
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Old 12-03-2011, 04:46 PM   #6  
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Well, we made it through! My son started taking walking breaks in the first mile and I was afraid we were doomed. By the third mile he was in tears :-( But I kept talking him through it and we finished together in 37:57. It was hard for me because the conditions were PERFECT and I really wanted to just go. But I'm glad we did it together. He was fine 5 minutes after we finished, and they served us hot chocolate and bagels :-)
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Old 12-04-2011, 04:13 AM   #7  
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Did a slow 45-minute run today. I still have a decent amount of congestion in my chest so I tried not to push myself. It was hot, but running out in the fields on a huge campus was amazing! Not like the cramped, polluted, crazy roads of Indian cities that I'm accustomed to...

I'm doing a 5K next month in the same area. Pumped. I think switching from distance to speed will be a good change-of pace.

(So long to my commitment not to run for a month.... oops)

natamars That sounds like so much fun! (minus the tears part, poor guy) But that's so cool you guys finished. I'm sure he is so proud of himself!
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Old 12-04-2011, 09:35 AM   #8  
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Nat - Oh my gosh cograts on your run with your son! My son is 3 right now and I can't wait til he can do a fun run or like you a 5k with me! He's so funny, he already knows all about my running and I ask him if maybe he'd like to run with me some day and he always says yes! I'm just not sure when it's appropriate to get your kids into that...maybe 5? I'd really love it if my son's memory of me is always as a runner and never as the lazy bum I used to be

Indi - running for speed is such a different experience from distance. I'm not fully committed to it at this point because I am still training for a new distance, but I have incorporated tempo and hill repeats into my training, and it's a whole new kind of fun. Tempo I like, hills I did for the first time yesterday and I think I hate those. I really need to keep the hills in my program because there are some hilly parts of the marathon course, but they seemed to aggravate my TFL a bit, so I'll reserve judgement for now and keep the repeats minimal. Yesterday I did 4 400 meter repeats of my 5 mile run. So I think I'll keep it around 4 repeats until I see what kind of affect they have on my body.

I really want to run a sub-2 half at some point, but have yet to find the right course. I'd like to do it in Jun/Jul, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of half marathons in my area during that time. I'm shooting for that month because my full is in March and I want to run the Nike Women's Half in November. But that is in San Francisco, so obviously not a PR course. It's also a lottery to get a spot, so I'm not sure I'll get in or not. I'm such a dork I've made a list of races I really want to run, anywhere from Napa Valley and Big Sur to the Grand Canyon. It's really fun to have these races to want to run that will also allow me to take vacations to places I've never been. It's added a new element to my running.

No run today, I pupously rearranged my week so today would be rest. It DHs birthday so we had a big indulgent dinner last night with cocktails and I didn't want to have to hold back for fear I'd have to run the next morning. So we enjoyed and now I have a great day of rest ahead.

Have a great weekend everyone!
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Old 12-04-2011, 10:17 AM   #9  
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ncuneo Thanks for sharing your thoughts- it gets me excited. I had fun with my 10K last weekend, but I didn't really train for it, just ran a 10k each week over the past month. I'm afraid of running too much more than that per week because of my knee.

The 5K will be fun- my weekly mileage won't be high enough to exacerbate my knee (I hope). I'm going to try to only run 2x a week and see if I can improve my speed that way. The last time I ran 3-4x a week my knee flared up, big time, and I had to take a month off.

I have to be so careful with my joints (my hip pops every time I get out of a chair ) so I don't think I could ever do anything serious like a half, or even an amazing 5 or 10K. But if I can get my 5K closer to 26 mins I'll be a happy camper
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Old 12-04-2011, 12:28 PM   #10  
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Finished C25K in Nov, took a couple week break and hurray! Stumbled on E210K. Started W1D1 Friday.
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Old 12-04-2011, 12:33 PM   #11  
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Hi All!
I wanted to ask a question.
I'm new to running. I started in Jan of this year on the treadmill with alternating jog/walk (and at 200lbs) and as of now, I am able to do 3-5 miles no problem. Around April I moved my running outside and stopped doing the treadmill completely. I truly dislike the treadmill, and will skip a run before using it. I did my first 5K in Oct at 32:23, no walking. Pretty nice considering where I started. Anyway...
This is my first winter as a runner. Up until the past month or so, I was doing a 3-5 about 5 days a week. One of those days was a 5 mile trail run. And once a week I was doing a long run, of about 7 miles. I was just pluging along at increasing my endurance and weekly miles.
Then winter came. The shorter days were a problem because I have to be out and back and showered before my kids are up. My 5am runs got pushed back later and later, making my runs shorter and shorter. I started going on mornings my husband was off, so it didn't matter what time I left and got back.
Then the cold. I've gotten all the gear, but I've found for me, anything under around 45 degrees really bothers me. A few mornings ago, I just decided to bite the bullet, so I layered up and went out and ran in 35 degree weather, and actually irritated my lungs. Like the way I'd imagine asthma to feel, I had trouble breathing. (wth?) I was actually having trouble breathing the rest of the day!
I find myself looking ahead in the weeks weather and planning which mornings I can run (going to be a little more mild) but those mornings are getting fewer and fewer. I have a treadmill but honestly I don't log nearly as many miles on it as outside. I really avoid it. I'm already feeling a difference in my fitness level. By that I mean if I suddenly went outside and decided to do 7 miles, I know I can't do it, where two months ago I could. (I know this because 3 miles is getting to be a challenge.
Is this kind of normal over the winter? Do runners cut back a little? Even if I was being dilagent on the treadmill, I still have lost my running outside edge, and I can feel it when I squeeze in a run outside.

And the winter not even in full force here. I expect snow and freezing temps soon. Bringing me indoors 100%...

I know I need to suck it up and just do the treadmill, but even so do some of you cut back on your mileage over the winter? I'm seriously thinking of moving to a warmer climate with milder winters!!

Last edited by GlamourGirl827; 12-04-2011 at 12:34 PM.
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Old 12-06-2011, 12:37 AM   #12  
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Glamour I am by no means an expert, but I do know that runners don't run the same distance/mileage each week throughout the year. Those who actually train for races peak during race season and cut back on off-seasons.

I wouldn't worry if you reduce your running during the winter. I too find breathing painful in the cold when I run and don't enjoy it. Find other activities that keep your heart rate up and maintain your endurance. You don't always have to be able to step outside and run 7 miles at a moment's notice at any time of the year. In fact, your joints and muscles will probably welcome a change in pace and a break from high-impact running.

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Old 12-06-2011, 12:48 AM   #13  
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Glamourgirl- I'm glad you asked about this because this is my first winter running too and I'm trying to find a happy medium between comfortable (non freezing temp, slippery road) runs and not losing my endurance. My solution to this problem is a combination of inside track running, biting the bullet and getting on the treadmill, cross training, and picking a few nice days.

Indiblue- thanks for the opinion and the reminder that bodies are not generally built for 24/7 long distance running.

W1D2 of E210K done. Hurrah!
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Old 12-06-2011, 07:13 AM   #14  
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I'm also trying to figure out how I'll handle winter running. Last winter I did all my running on the treadmill, but once I started running outside in the spring I didn't want to go back to it. We've had a very mild fall here and I've run outside when it's as cold as 35 or so without a problem - bought some long sleeve wicking T's and some fleece. The issue is going to be the snow and ice. I'm hoping for a mild winter, but I'm sure I'll be spending some time on the treadmill. Planning to use those sessions to work on increasing my speed.
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Old 12-06-2011, 09:40 PM   #15  
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Woot! Week one of E210K done. Gotta remember to mind my knee or I'll be back outta commission. Funny though. Treadmill running doesn't bother my knee, it's always the track running that does. Hmmm...
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