Exercise! - Cool Runners #23 February 2006

Ok, new month...

I just ran for 36 minutes... which is the longest ever! But I did walk a little bit and I had a stitch and felt a bit :barf: But I DID IT! According to my Navman Sport|Tool it was 4.6km... :D

I'm aiming for a 30 minute 5K. I think it's possible!

Of course it's possible! You'll get there no worries. My race for life pack turned up today - number 34 :D Almost up there with the celebs who normally get 1 - 10/20 or so.

Ugh I have a terrible head cold so I havent ran since Sunday :( Here's to hoping I feel good enough to run come Fri! I feel so blah without running for 2 days :(

Did TWO runs today...one 3.25 on the treadmill this morning increasing speed and one 3.33 miles outdoors after work with a friend. I was sooo tired that I almost talked myself out of it but she was so chipper when I called that I had to go through with it. and I admit, I did feel better afterwards!

Ha! You know how life is what happens while you're busy making plans? My "running" for the past 1.5 days has been between the couch and the bathroom. Ick!!! I HATE being sick :( :tantrum:

Oooh Helen, my Race for Life pack came too on Tuesday... I haven't opened it yet! :rofl: Too busy! ;)

Fantastic speed intervals today, I covered 6.69k in 36 minutes, which makes for 8:40 minute miles!!! I never knew I could go so fast :faint: It really is amazing the difference a proper structured training plan can make.

Oh Pat I hope you get better soon :hug:

I ran 7.25k today it was awesome!!

I did 12.2 miles yesterday at 10 minutes per mile (just over 2 hours), and a quick 33 minutes today which I'm guessing is about 3.75 miles. I'm definitely getting there!

Hello! I was here a few months ago, but now I'm back. I still have been running, but not as much as I would like. I'm ready to get back into gear! I'd like to do a 10K pretty soon.

:wave: Hello - posting my pre-run dedication! ;) Hoping to do 5K at lunch and I'm feeling pretty good about it. Just need to get some fluids in me first!

I did my long run yesterday~7miles and the weather was just perfect! Saturday is my next 5-k so this week I've got to make sure I get in my practice runs.

I did my 5K! 5.01k to be exact, yes that 10 meters makes all the difference! Well if you'll remember, last Wednesday I ran 4.6km in 36 mins, today my 5K was 34.26mins! :dancer:

I'm so chuffed! That's an acceptable race time! And I even stopped for brief walks. Hurrah! :cheer:

Weather and laziness made for a bad week last week, and I only ended up running 3x, but I least I got in my long run on Saturday morning (16.9k). Then, thanks to more crap weather (rain combined with a ton of slush on the ground), I missed Sunday's run. I managed to make up for it this morning. The weather's turned cold and the former slush is now ice. Except for here and there where it is a crust of ice over slush. The path was a wonderful mix of rough ice, snow, and the ice/slush mix. It made for a slower than usual run that was pretty tough on my knees and ankles. But at least I got out there for 8.6k.

2frustrated--Sounds like you're about ready for your 5k!

YP1--You're going to do great in your half marathon! It sounds like you're training more carefully than I did for my first last spring, and it turned out fine for me. My current training is being hampered by the crap weather and road conditions. I just can't do faster running on icy/snowy surfaces or in ice/rain/snow storms. And we keep getting one after another. Over 2.5m of snow so far this winter with 2 more monts of snow to go, and that doesn't count the rain!

lizzbabe--Good luck with your upcoming race!

waterRat--I hope you're feeling better after the weekend.

I ran 10k on level 4 hills on the :tread: this morning in 58:15 which I'm well pleased with. i can't do a long run at the weekend, so I'm increasing the distance of my shorter runs throughout the week to try to make up for it. This one wasn't even meant to be particularly fast and it's still nearly a minute faster than I've run the distance before!

I started my sign language class tonight but still managed a quick 3-miler after work before heading out. BUT my friend decided to drop the bombshell that she is going away with her boyfriend this weekend and will not be racing with me after all. Hopefully I can convince my boyfriend to come and cheer me on because it's roughly an hour away. We could make a weekend out of it....maybe. Sigh, I was really looking forward to racing again!

I am on my 2nd week of training. Training to improve my 5K speed that is. Therefore I am running 5x a week, and about 20 miles each week, but that will increase over the course of the 8 week training.

Sunday was 5 miles, yesterday 3 mile steady run. Today is just a 30 min tempo run (10-10-10)

YAY for running!

i still have the pics of me on the fridge from my first run back in early December and man i look totally different now. its amazing how much running can improve the way your body looks!

I feel awful! I didn't exercise at all over the superball weekend, and also ate tons of junkfood! Better get back in shape this week.

Just under 4 miles in the wind and rain tonight, horrible conditions but I guess I've just been lucky so far this year and I need to run in nasty weather sometimes just in case it's like this for races. I was glad to get in though!

easy day for me today. all i have is a 30 min tempo run and then some weights

Hey Miaka, Don't feel bad! Everyone has to have some of those weekends! As long as you get back to exercise, you'll be fine. Beside, you're body could always use a break. take care

I didn't have much free time today where dh could watch the kids, but I managed to squeeze in a quick 5.5km at tempo pace (5:13/km). I haven't run even moderately quickly in ages due to weather/road/path conditions, so tempo pace felt fast and I felt like I had a good workout even if I was out for less than 30 minutes. Intervals are going to kill me in the spring though.

I had a 45 min walk/run today, no idea how I ended up in the fast pace group, but anyway got through it (it was tiring, I wanted to quit!!). I definately will be doing the rest of my training runs outside on the sidewalk from now on, I think the treadmill is decievingly easier. :dizzy:

Did my first 4 miles in 40 min this mornning. Feels Grrrreat! Haven't been this out of breath since I first ran the 3 miles!

I ran this morning on the treadmill but was totally not into it so I only did 1.5 miles with increasing incline. This afternoon should be a better run. I'm disappointed about not running the 5-k this weekend.

you guys are some EARLY risers to run! its so hard for me to do that! i dont have the endurance or stamina that i do at the end of the day.

thats why its sometimes hard for me on race day!

oh and i have a 3 miler for this afternoon! tomorrow is REST DAY!!!!!!!!!!

Miaka -- Good going on your time!

I ran 5.37k/3.34miles in 40 minutes, I am so dang slow sometimes... But just to TRY to justify my slowness :lol: I was running with new runners and they were quite different. They are Ariels by Brooks recommended by my foot specialiast. They are for over-pronators and flat feet, which I am NOT either one, but he assures me that with the insole taken out and my orthotics in, they are good for my feet with a LOT more support all around. They were a totally different feeling though, not good not bad, I haven't decided yet... I sure hope I get used to them they cost a feakin' arm and a leg!! HOPEFULLY, they will be covered under my DH's insurance since they were purchased at a Doc's office :crossed:

I did 10k in 57:27 this morning, another good run. I just wish the treadmill wasn't so dull, but it's the only place I can run in the morning before work which is the best time for me to fit a run in, so the treadmill it is.

Ilene,
I have worn Brooks Ariels for the last three years. I do have flat feet and overpronate. They have been wonderful for me.. no shin pain or knee pain. I just bought a pair of asics that are also supposed to be stability shoes (because some stupid guy at a new shoe store I tried out said they were the same as my ariels) and I have had pain I never used to have. I went back to my old store and got my Ariels. Now I have a very expensive pair of asics to mow the lawn in :(
Now I know everyone is different. My husband can only run in New Balance. I think a good forum to get shoe advice from is the runner's world forum. I hope the shoe works out for you. Buying shoes can be very stressful.

Buying shoes can be very stressful.Amen Sister :high: ... I had returned a pair of Asics before purchasing these Ariels :faint: ... I want to buy the right pair so badly that I was having dreams, how silly is that?...

You are all such inspirations. I did one full marathon running in 1998 but not fast, just finished in 5 hrs. 20 mins (3 brief walk breaks during). I walked full Boston Marathon course same year in about 6 hours or 6 and a half. But now years later, last "big" run was Halloween 5k...which I was thrilled to do and complete (however had to walk a little) as got so much heavier and out of shape since my former years....really want to get back to a steady 5k without walking so have to build up through intervals again. This has been a totally sluggish week as hubby home sick and my motivation down the tubes. Back on track tomorrow I resolve!

Did 4 miles at the park last night which was great because it made up for my crappy run in this morning. PLUS my friend was feeling guilty about bailing on the race this weekend and has decided to go again so YAY now we have our motivation back!

I have a blister! This has me puzzled, because I can't think what might have caused it. I have been wearing the same shoes doing pretty much the same routine everyday. Anyone have suggestions? It really hurts, I've never had a blister before.

Miaka I would say you are extremely lucky to never have had blisters before. You must have good shoes! I've gotten blisters with flip-flops before. Anyway best thing I know to do is cover it with a band-aid and keep on running. That's just me though...

a friend of mine just purchased the new Gel-Kensei's from asics and she said its like gold on your feet...nothing like it. ever.

Ilene, LOL! I know those stress dreams... I have them, but usually about my class being out of control :)

Miaka, Where is your blister? The location might indicate the source of the problem. I don't get blisters too often. I am really good at losing toenails though. hee hee

Miaka -- If the blister is a large bubble I burst it with a needle that I have dipped in alcohol to get the water out and flatten it, then put a bandaid, a good one that sticks, and just keep on runnin'...

Today I had a very good run 7.3k it was -18c with the windchill, it was quite nice, we all enjoyed the cold...

Thanks for all of your advices. I tried on a regular Band-Aid this morning before my run. I can feel it hurting into the 3rd mile. Apparently it shifted. I will try a more sticky one next time. And I will check out Gel-Kensei's also.

Ilene - it's more of a callous than a large bubble and I have this thing about needles. But if nothing else works, I might be resorted to that too. It’s still bearable, hopefully it won’t get worse.

Thanks!

Managed a 3.5 mile run on the treadmill this morning with speeds between 6.5-8.5mph. I think I am ready for tomorrow...except for this whole rain thing. Oh well what's a little water going to do?

good luck tomorrow!

not sure where brownwood is, but here in houston, the rain is to be bad this afternoon and tonight, and out of here by tomorrow morning. however the winds and cold will be here.

Good luck! I ran a FANTASTIC 10k this morning in 54:44 - my previous fastest was over 57 minutes, so I'm over the moon to get so much faster. The half marathon training is really paying off!

Well done, Helen :bravo:

I've been neglecting my cardio this week, but plan to get back on track tomorrow morning.

Way to go Helen! That is a great time.

As far as the weather report, it looks to be dry but pretty cold AND we'll have to leave around 5:30am to get to the race since we're not exactly sure where it's at. Oh well at least I don't have to drive! And since I'm a northerner at heart I really shouldn't worry about the cold but I run best in shorts and tank tops so we will see about that.

June, Brownwood is about 5-6 hrs north of Houston. I have family in the Woodlands that I go visit sometimes...did a race there at Thanksgiving actually.

Race went ok--finished in 26min due to heavy winds against us runner. Brrr was it cold!

Anyway I had a question--for those of you who run with gloves in the cold do you have any recommendations? My hands are always freezing but I didn't know if they made special coolmax running gloves or if that was just a silly thought.

Great times Liz and Helen!

I just wear the cheap stretchy gloves that you can buy anywhere, but you can buy thin gloves for running too. When it's super cold I wear some wool gloves over those, but you don't have to worry about that in Texas.

I took advantage of the sun today and did my long run in the afternoon. 18k in the sun was wonderful. The -11C/13F temperatures were a bit chilly, but at least there wasn't too much wind.

I did a 7.85k this morning and it was great... Same temperature as you OnlyMe, -11C/13F, the sun was shinning it was good...

They do have CoolMax type gloves and I love mine... When it gets really cold I wear some windbreaking mitts on top of them and I am warm as toast, ofen too hot, I had to take the mitts off the other day and it was -16C out ... Lizz you have NO idea what cold is do you? :rofl: You southerners who live in warm weather year round crack me up...

Hey I paid my dues living in Maine 18 years and Vermont 4 years....I just have really bad circulation so I'm thinking running in shorts and a T-shirt but covering my hands with gloves lol.

i am in houston and sure needed gloves this morning on my run!!! holy heck it was 28 at about 6:30, but i held out till just after 10 to hit the park.

Hey I paid my dues living in Maine 18 years and Vermont 4 years.....Ok then, you're ok :yes: ;)

I did 8k on the treadmill this morning, which I'm pleased with as I'd only had an hour and a half in bed after getting back from my weekend away rather later than I planned (at 4.30am!) :dizzy:

I've been lurking and reading all your posts.....so motivating!! I am a newbie wanting to get started. Can anyone reccommend how and what to do to get started? I have been using a treadmill to work up to a 20-30 minute run. I have it in my head to do a 5k run the beginning of April. I would appreciate any help or info....THANKS!! woohoooo:carrot:

Did a quick 4 miles at the park after work today and let's just say the sun was shining and I was enjoying the weather MUCH more than Saturday!

Hi Ladies

Did my 11-mile run on Friday of last week. It's not one of those runs I would have called "fun". It was pretty much a struggle for the last second half but I managed to finish in 98:45. (my goal was 99 min)

I did another 7 miles on Sunday (broken up into 2 runs) and will not run again until Wednesday. I think i need a little more healing time (plus today's V-day - lol)

Have a great day!

Em

I've been lurking and reading all your posts.....so motivating!! I am a newbie wanting to get started. Can anyone reccommend how and what to do to get started? I have been using a treadmill to work up to a 20-30 minute run. I have it in my head to do a 5k run the beginning of April. I would appreciate any help or info....THANKS!! woohoooo:carrot:

i believe that you can find a training schedule on www.halhigdon.com for novice runners wanting to do a 5K. I am doing his schedule on a) to increase my 5K speed overall and b) will start his novice training for my first half-marathon.

good luck!

I did 7k on hills on the :tread: this morning. All good stuff :D

JustJune....THANKYOU!! The site you reccommended is fantastic, just what I was looking for.

glad it helped! i love those training schedules. right now it seems brutal and i wish i could just skip a freaking day, but then i will feel horrible after it, so i ... just keep running, just keep running.. :):):)

10k this morning, tomorrow is a day off running so I think I'll have a nice swim.

I just registered for a 10k in Ottawa in May :dance: ...

I didn't run today... or yesterday... or for a week and a day now.. Someone slap some sense into me please!!! :stress: I have to run by myself 2 days a week, and one day with a group, but I uh, skipped the group run yesterday... :( and I signed up for a 10k in april!!!

just get out there and do it kookie! my friend skipped our run yesterday and i regret not going without her anyway...but I DID run already in the morning and I am going to hit up the treadmill today too to make up for it. Started some hill training yesterday and my hamstrings are feeling it today.

Ran four miles on the treadmill this morning, feels great!

ugh. pulled groin from last night...must have been the inclines i added to my run...thankfully today is day off from running. hope that i can still do my scheduled 4 miles tomorrow.

ohhhh....Ilene...in time for the Tulip Festival? You're making me homesick!!

Ok! I just did it!:carrot: 40 min walk/run, wasn't so bad after all. :) maybe because I was watching tv...

Can I join? I'm planning on running my very first 5k on Memorial Day weekend this year and run on the :tread: as part of my daily exercise.

I ran 10.6k on the treadmill yesterday (1 hour), and am trying to persuade myself to get out there this morning. The little bit of red wine from last night is trying to persuade me not to though ;)

I did my 3.5 miles this morning. I am up to 16.5 miles per week. Three more weeks and I'll be 20 miles/week! Yeah :dance:

6 miles round the park this morning, it was beautiful weather for it in the end and I'm so glad I forced myself to go out and do it.

I ran/walked 1.26 miles in 20 minutes today at the gym, my first attempt at running! I'm aiming for a 30 minute session on Monday, and to extend my running intervals to 2 minutes rather than 1 minute.

Yay Kyk!!!

After 3 weeks of sickness, I was finally able to try running again tonight. Made it about 1.5 mi and it was pretty rough. At least I'm back into it now.

Anne

7.5 miles this morning. It was lovely running weather again, and I wish I'd been able to go further but my parents are staying so I didn't feel like I should go out for much longer than an hour - 70 minutes. Ah well, I get a nice long run next weekend with my half marathon!

YP....How long have you been running? You seem to log in some really long runs and I was just wondering how long it has taken you to build up to that? There may be hope for me yet!! ;) I downloaded a novice training schedule to help me train for a 5K race in April, but the run for today is 1.75 miles and its freezing outside (-5F) !!! My gym is also closed today so not sure if I can get that cardio in. Other than the huge blister on my foot.....so far so good. Have a great day!

I've been running about a year, probably a bit less. I did my first 5k in July last year, then 10ks in September and November, and I've built up from that. I was surprised at how quickly I managed to increase my long run from 6 miles to 12 miles as part of the half marathon training - I only really decided to do it after new year.

Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can!

It has been brutally cold this weekend (in the 20's) but I did manage a 30 min run yesterday and today on the treadmill increasing speeds up to 8.5mph. Tomorrow I should be able to do an outdoor run, we will see.

lizzbabe - I can't believe you are running at 8.5 mph. I tried 7 mph the other day and thought my legs might collapse.

I am still working towards 20 miles/week at 6 mph; I should get there around mid March. But then I don’t really want to increase the mileage because that all the time I can spare in the morning. Speed work would probably be a good next challenge. But how fast should I increase my speed?

its a short week for me on the daily run(s) because i have the 10K on saturday. looks like the temps should be mid 40's but i am hoping for 50ish...

I have a question, for all you, experienced runners!

i started running last September i was up to running 3.5 km a day which was pretty good for me. Then it got cold i stopped running and gained another 20 pounds over the winter. Yesterday i got on the tread mill and started running, about 15 minutes in i checked my heart rate and it 86. i thought my watch was broken so i used the machine to check it and it said the same thing. The thing is, my heart rate is usually 155 when i am exercising...My question is: Is this supposed to happen? Has this happened to anyone else?
i felt really good and i felt like i could keep running another hour..Any ideas???

Started back running after a week off. Had the worst run ever, but it can only get better! I will be going again on Wednesday, so it obviously hasn't put me off! :lol:

I ran/walked for the second time ever today. Did 30 minutes, and managed 1.86 miles (on the treadmill)

My 10 k is in June, so I have plenty of time to get used to this running thing! I hope!

Ran 7.64k this morning it was cool -6c with not too much wind... It was a good one!

Miaka believe me I'm not running at 8.5mph the entire 30 mins! It's more like a ladder scheme, increasing .5 every 30 seconds and then back down again but it's really helped me with my overall tempo.

I have a question, for all you, experienced runners!

i started running last September i was up to running 3.5 km a day which was pretty good for me. Then it got cold i stopped running and gained another 20 pounds over the winter. Yesterday i got on the tread mill and started running, about 15 minutes in i checked my heart rate and it 86. i thought my watch was broken so i used the machine to check it and it said the same thing. The thing is, my heart rate is usually 155 when i am exercising...My question is: Is this supposed to happen? Has this happened to anyone else?
i felt really good and i felt like i could keep running another hour..Any ideas???Are you concerned because your heart rate was low? If you were feeling fine I wouldn't worry too much about it... Just keep monitoring it... and keep :running:

Miaka and Lizzbabe

I do similar to what Lizzbabe does. I start at 6.0 or 6.1 and every minute I increase until I'm at a 9-minute mile pace (6.7). Then every two minutes I increase until I hit the 20-min mark. After the 20-min mark, I increase every 2.0-2.5 min until I reach the 30-min mark and then I slow it back down to 6.3 for a minute or so (just to catch my breath - lol) and slowly speed back up, depending on how long of a run I'm having. One thing I need to try to do is adjust my incline along with this...

Lizzababe - I'll have to try your routine. What's the longest entire run you've done using this type of interval training? Do you put any incline adjustments in?

Emily--when I am doing a speed run, I keep the incline at 0%. I generally run 30 min going up and down that ladder scheme, depending on my mood whether I stick it out for longer intervals or not. My latest hill run includes spurts of up to 6% incline with speeds from 5.5-7.5mph. That one I got from a magazine so I just follow their pacing guidelines.

Wow, I didn't realize a lot of people are doing these interval training. It's like opening up a whole new world. Once I get my 20 miles in, I will give it a try. Thanks to lizzbabe and Lucky13.

I did 40 minutes on hill intervals on the treadmill this morning. I set it a level higher than normal, but coped. That's my hardest run before Sunday, the rest of the week probably won't involve anything over 5k.

Did about 5k walk/run for 46min. But the hills! whew! They're everywhere, can't avoid them. :dizzy:

Tonight ran 7.28k with my group, it was gorgeous out only -1c and no wind... Darn right balmy in my book :lol:... Afterwards a gal and I went for some laps for over an hour...

Did my hill/incline workout this morning and I am feeling those hamstrings! We will see how the "easy" jog this afternoon goes at the park. I might be begging my friend to stop early instead of the other way around...

I had a tough week last week with life and snow storms getting in the way of running. Only 22km last Sunday-Saturday. I average 40km+. And I missed my long run.

This week is looking somewhat better so far. 7.4km Sunday. 8.6k Tuesday. Stupidly, I didn't run on Monday because I'd have "only" had 30 minutes. How I thought 0 minutes was better than 30 I don't know. In a little bit I'm going to go out for about 10km. No major snow storms on the horizon, so the rest of the week is looking good too. I'm getting a bit sick of running on snow though. I keep telling myself it'll make me stronger, but I still don't like it.

Lizz - if you want to put your fitday account under your avatar go to "use CP" then to "edit profile" scroll down and put your fitday name in the area...Just a thought...;)

I did it! 10k at steady state pace (5:25ish/km) on mostly clear roads. Only light snow flurries in my face. It felt great. Sometimes I think that I'm not making any progress. Then I realize that last June, on a fast race course in near ideal weather conditions, I ran 10k in barely less than 53 minutes going all out. My goal for that race had been 53-55 minutes. Today it was not even painful to run 10k in 54:20. My first km was a slow warm up. Ok, so it's slow progress, but definitely progress.

I did my third run/walk ever today, 3 miles in 45 minutes. Was really pleased with that since I only started trying to run last Saturday. I still have a long way to go before I am where I want to be.

My first 10k is in June, and my aim is to finish in 90 minutes, and I'll be incredibly happy if I can finish below that!

Did my four miles this morning. Feel great! Yesterday was my day off, it just doesn't feel the same!

Thanks for the tip, Ilene!

We ended up running 2miles at the park then walking another 2 and stretching. I never know how long my friend is going to want to run for so I just count that as an "extra" run and a nice time to get together and chat that we can count on. Plus it makes me stretch afterwards which I sometimes skip on my own.

kykaree, great job on your run! you will definitely smoke them at the 10-k in June with the pace you are improving at.

miaka, isn't it strange? i never thought i'd miss running on my off days but since that is when I train my legs (ugh) i would much rather be running

All I want is not to be last :D At school when I ran I was always last, the classic fat asthmatic walking around the track.

There are going to be people dresssed in huge banana costumes and such, and I'm hoping that will slow them down sufficiently for me to pass them ;)

:D :D You'll be fine, don't worry.

I did 30 minutes/5.3k this morning and will probably do the same tomorrow. I'm getting quite restless cutting my mileage down this week!

today and tomorrow are off days for me, since saturday is the 10K...but i know how you feel. its bad enough when i have to sit out one day. I think if i at least WALKED 4 MILES early tomorrow (friday), that would be ok. my race is at 9:30 am on saturday...

Helen, you're supposed to get restless and antsy the last few days before the race, as you cut down your mileage. Make yourself do your runs at an easy pace, even though you want to go faster. It's to make sure that you're well rested for the big day. If you think it's bad now, imagine how'll you'll feel cutting back before your marathon!

I ran an easy 8k this afternoon. With more light snow. I think we've been getting light snow almost constantly for the past three days. My dds and I spent the morning shovelling the driveway. I'm running out of room to put the snow though. I have to go up a 4 foot snow ramp to get to the back yard, and push it to the middle of the yard to dump out the shovel (it's a very large scoop).

I'd much rather be running than training legs lately too, I love it so much. Same with swimming, I'd rather be swimming than at the gym...But I know that the weight training is very important, so I keep at it...

Only me -- Great work on the progress... It's funny, just when you think you're not getting anywhere, BAM! :lol: You break a personal best... We barely have any snow left, :dance:, I'm not braggin or anything just stating a fact ;) ...

Kykaree -- I agree you'll do fine, we'll be cheering you on :cheer:...

JJB -- Good luck on your race!! :cheer:

Good Luck on all your races tomorrow!

hear hear!!! Good luck JustJune and YP.....do us proud!!! :cheer:

I'm definitely resting today. I ended up doing 5.5k yesterday, and had to force myself to stop. I will be keeping myself busy and stocking up on those carbs I think! (and working out how to get there, where to park, digging out my number etc etc)

Good luck this weekend JJB and Helen! Let us know how the races go.

Ilene, I definitely didn't run anywhere near pb the other day. My 10k pb is under 52 minutes, last October. I was just thinking that less than a year ago, my race goal was to run the same sort of time that I was running in training without feeling like it was that much of a stretch. I'm not seeing much day to day or even month to month progress. With all the snow this winter, my easy run speeds have even been slowing down compared to last fall, I can't do speed work outdoors and I don't have access to a treadmill. I've been getting nervous about the 1/2 I want to run in May and whether I'll do worse than last year. Until I remembered that 54 minutes was my fastest pre-10k race training run. Done as a time trial, in great weather, on a flat course, with an easy 1k warm up. And it was HARD. Yesterday's 54:20 wasn't easy, but I know I could have run it faster.

Good luck Helen. Let us know how it went!

Good luck this weekend JJB and Helen! Let us know how the races go.

Ilene, I definitely didn't run anywhere near pb the other day. My 10k pb is under 52 minutes, last October. I was just thinking that less than a year ago, my race goal was to run the same sort of time that I was running in training without feeling like it was that much of a stretch. I'm not seeing much day to day or even month to month progress. With all the snow this winter, my easy run speeds have even been slowing down compared to last fall, I can't do speed work outdoors and I don't have access to a treadmill. I've been getting nervous about the 1/2 I want to run in May and whether I'll do worse than last year. Until I remembered that 54 minutes was my fastest pre-10k race training run. Done as a time trial, in great weather, on a flat course, with an easy 1k warm up. And it was HARD. Yesterday's 54:20 wasn't easy, but I know I could have run it faster.DANG and I thought I was giving you some encouragement :lol3:... Hang in there the snow will go away and you'll be stronger on those nice days because of all the leg workouts in the snow :hug:

:D Ilene, thanks for the encouragement anyway, even if I didn't quite deserve it as much as you though. I have to admit that all of my pbs have been done on the race course. I just can't motivate myself as much when I'm alone.

I went out and ran 20k this morning while dh took the kids to my 4 year old's dance class. They seemed to have enjoyed the time together even if I accidently sent them 1 hr early.

I live in a beautiful, historic city but I have this bad habit of running in blah newish subdivisions in a less than beautiful part of town when I do my long runs. As I was about 6k into this morning's run, I decided to head down town instead. I ended up running a few km in and around the Plains and some of the older streets around there before heading home. It was so nice out there. Cold and sunny, with lots of people walking, running, skiing, snowshoeing. I'm going to have to head over there for more of my long runs--it's a bit too far away for weekday jaunts. The only downside is that my garmin lost close to 1k I think of distance because of signal loss between tall buildings as I was heading home. Which means I probably ran closer to 21k than the 20.2 that it claims, but I really enjoyed my run this morning anyway.

my first 10K under my belt! cold and windy as heck and pouring down rain for about 2 miles of it. drizzle the rest. but hey i did IT! i did IT!

:cheer: WTG JustJune :cheer: I look forward to the day when I can run a 10K.....right now its training for my first 5K. GREAT JOB!!!

Well done JJB, the first of many?

:dance: JJB good job :bravo:

oh yes the first of many!! now that i know i can do it and actually enjoyed it i can wait to do it again!!!

with the rodeo and all now starting for the next 20 days my next race isnt until march 25th and its a 5K or maybe an 8k...cant remember.

thanks for the kudos! my race report is on my blog... www.lifeshighway.blogspot.com

Woo and indeed hoo! Not only did I run all the way (I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to as my longest run to date was 12.2 miles), but I had enough energy for a kick at the end! From about 7 miles to 11 I ran with someone from a running club who was on her 10th half marathon, and had a bit of a chat with her. Then between 11 and 12 something really strange happened, either she slowed down or I speeded up, but I lost her (behind me!) and overtook a couple of people on the way to the finish.

Based on my previous race times I had a relatively conservative goal of finishing within 2 hours 10 (based on time prediction calculators online). I knew I'd improved since my last race though, and based on my treadmill "race" two weeks ago I thought I might be able to get close to 2 hours (the calculator was predicting 2:01 from that time).

My actual time?

This deserves to be in bold!

1:55:40

I'm so happy!!!

I actually felt far less tired at the end than I did at the end of my 10k in November, and although I wouldn't want to have gone round the course again, the full marathon seems a little less daunting now.

:dancer:1:55:40 that's totally awesome :cheer:

Awesome! Congrats!

Yay! JJB and YP1!

(Helen, I wish I was as fast as you!)

Today was supposed to be an easy 10k after yesterday's long run. But due to circumstances beyond my control (sleeping in, kid swimming lessons all morning, dh working all afternoon) I only had about 30-40 minutes before supper to squeeze in a run. So I braved the cold and wind and ran a quick-ish 6k. I'm enjoying running at a slightly faster pace once or twice a week after plodding along since last fall. I'm sure we'll be getting a fresh layer of snow this week which will slow me down again.

Way to go on those race times! That is great.

Today was actually nice outside so once I had done the laundry and actually had a clean sports bra I went out to the track and did 2.5 miles of intervals (sprinting the straights, jogging the curves) then walked for another hour or so. Good day, overall.

Today was supposed to be my long run 10-12k, but the girl I ran with wanted to quit after 7.75...Oh well :shrug: what can ya do? Plus I swam for an hour this afternoon...

I was only scheduled to run 4.5 miles this morning, but I forgot the time and run 5 miles! Yeah!

my personal distance has been attained!! 6.2 miles in 73 min and some change. I have the full run-down on the horrible conditions etc on my blog!

Hi Guys

I did it! My goal for my Half Marathon on Saturday was under 2 hours and my chip time was right at 1:59:30 (but my actual running time was 1:59 because I didn't cross the starting line until about 30 seconds after the race officially started)

I'm so sore still, even today...i've been trying to keep walking to get some of this soreness out but man...it's tough...I don't remember being this sore after the last half marathon I ran...(3 years ago!!)

I did improve by about 14 minutes from my last half (over 1 min/mile!!)

:)

:carrot: :carrot: :carrot: :carrot: :carrot: :carrot:

Well done for breaking 2 hours, it's been a good weekend for it!

I got hold of a copy of the race results, I finished 717th overall, but out of 319 women I finished a highly creditably 114th! Nearly (but not quite) in the top third, which I'm amazed with!

No running today for obvious reasons, but once I've had a bit of a rest I'll be back in the saddle, I'm really fired up for more after that run.

Well done! Congratulations on finishing your race!

YP - great job! Are you sore?

Our results aren't posted yet :mad:

But, my soreness has definitely subsided today :)

Isn't it spring yet? We're experiencing our coldest week of the winter right now, with lots of wind to go with the cold weather. To add insult to injury, it's not even sunny today. I did get out for an easy 8k run, which was not so bad after the first 15 minutes when my fingers stopped being painfully cold, but I'm spending the rest of the day hibernating. I don't have to leave the house, so I'm not. Could someone send some sun and snow melting temperatures my way? At the rate things are going, I'm not going to have a garden/lawn until June.

I was a bit sore yesterday, but my legs actually feel less slow when they're moving than if I sit down and let them seize up so I did a very slow 5k this morning which seemed to sort them out and they've been fine since.

okay, I just got in from a workout at my gym and I have a discrepancy with the numbers the treadmill machine said and my HRM. One hour on the treadmill said.....632 calories used (I entered my weight,speed,incline) but my heartrate monitor said.....456 calories used. Now normally, I get a difference of 70-100 calorie difference, but almost 200??? What number should I use? Maybe I'll split the difference and log in 540. Any ideas? :?:

After that I went and used the free weights and did some situps. I'll probably be regretting those because of TOM.....but I felt like I had lots of energy. How is everyone's day going? :carrot:

spring is around the corner here in TX! today it's around 84 and tomorrow's high is 88...that is going to take some getting used to again i think. I did 3.3 miles yesterday before class and tomorrow will run on the treadmill in the AM (hills) and after work a few miles around the park. I guess I'll need sunscreen!

angel-eyes...i would go by the heart rate monitor because those machines are notoriously inaccurate. I generally enter my weight lower to avoid overestimating or go by the 100cal/1mile rule.

Congrats to all you racers! I can't wait for my next one...not sure when that will be. Apparently the race in Ft Worth that I missed had torrents of rain last weekend. A girl from my gym drove all the way there the night before and decided not to run in the morning. I figure once you're there, you might as well go for it but then again--I wasn't the one about to get drenched and miserably cold.

Isn't it spring yet? We're experiencing our coldest week of the winter right now, with lots of wind to go with the cold weather. To add insult to injury, it's not even sunny today. I did get out for an easy 8k run, which was not so bad after the first 15 minutes when my fingers stopped being painfully cold, but I'm spending the rest of the day hibernating. I don't have to leave the house, so I'm not. Could someone send some sun and snow melting temperatures my way? At the rate things are going, I'm not going to have a garden/lawn until June.Here too Only!! :censored: cold!! I didn't even go out today at 4pm looking at the dreary sky, I just went upstairs and had a bath :^: ...

lizzbabe - yes - (i'm assuming you're talking about the cowtown) it did rain for about the first 40 minutes or so of the race but overall the course was pretty good. Part of the course was on a brick road so that made me a little uneasy because it looked more slippery but other than that it was pretty good.

There was no way I wasn't going to run after paying $40 - plus, i run better in the cold once i get going because i get too cold if i stop! lol

It rained more early in the morning than the actual race itself (between 4 and 7 in the morning) and by 9am the rain was gone.

Race results posted now :)

Official chip time: 1:59:34 (9:07 pace)

I finished 15 out of 58 in females, age 25-29
I finished 69 out of 316 in all females
I finished 261 out of 770 for all runners

YP - my soreness has definitely subsided. Monday night I walked about 2 miles to keep my muscles going and got a good stretch in. I plan on running tonight to see how it goes.

angel eyes, those darn treadmills! i hate ours because i know they arent calibrated correctly! chances are yours arent either.

JustJune.....yup, that seems to be the general consensus. I'd better go with my HRM. It was too good to be true and that should have been my first clue!!

Lucky.....Those are GREAT results!!! Congratulaltions. :carrot:

i just got a Garmin GPS Forerunner so that i know exactly what my calories, distance, pace and times are!! it just sucks that it doesnt work too well when i run inside.. :(

I'm so jealous, I want a Forerunner but can't justify the cost. Yet...

I did just over 5k this morning and my legs feel completely back to normal now. I'm just trying to work out when I can do another half marathon as I ended up really enjoying it and it's easier to justify travelling to than a 10k.

I registered yesterday for a 1/2 marathon in May. My first race of 2006! It was my first real race last year. Hopefully the (cold, gray and very windy) weather conditions are better this time around. My ds is registered for the kids 3k. Which should be interesting since he only did a couple of kids 1k races last year. He's not very fast, but he likes the ribbons all the kids get. I hope he manages the distance ok and doesn't mind coming in last or close to last (since he's only 7 and the race is for 7-16).

The registration fee did get me motivated to get outside again for 7k today despite the continued windy, arctic weather. But as dh keeps telling me this week, it can only get warmer from here.

JJB--which forerunner did you get? Dh/Santa got me the 201 for Christmas 2004. I really like it, but kinda wish I'd waited for the 301 (or the new 205/305). But they definitely don't work inside! :D

YP1--sounds like you've found a new addiction. I totally understand about travelling for a 1/2 vs. a 10k. And usually they cost about the same too--hmm, twice the distance, exact same entry fee--I feel like I get a better bargain with the 1/2.

Helen, I found mine on ebay. just the bottom of the line one, and I got it for $77...where retail here they sell for like $100 or something like that...

now if i can just figure out all the bells and whistles. i am completely an idiot at directions and anything that is a techie toy.

Only Me- i only bought the 101 and yeah they suck at working indoors. so i have to run on the treadmill thats not calibrated correctly :) oh well.