Hi all! September is here, which means that my half marathon is NEXT month!! Ack!! My long run last week was 7.5 miles, so this week I am aiming for 8.5 miles. In addition I am running 3 miles 2-3 times a week and keeping up with kick cardio...mostly!

This week I am going to try to find a way to carry water with me. How do you all do it?

I love new months!

I am near the end of my C25K program, running 2-3 miles (3-4x week). I should be graduating next week with a 5K race run on the 9th. I've done 5Ks before, but only walked. I am very excited that quite possibly I might be able to run the complete 3.1 miles. This week I've been going further and pushing at the 3 mile mark, but walking a minute midway. It will have actually taken me 14 weeks to complete this 9 week program due to repeating weeks until I was confident of my physical level, but that's okay. I think I'm better for the long run (no pun intended).

My goal after next week is to work on endurance and adding mileage by 10%, then begin to add some speed work in. I currently run an average of 12 minute miles, so much improvement can be made. I've read recently that if one allows running to be part of their lifestyle through the 6 month mark, usually the activity is incorporated into their lifes. So that is my ultimate goal for the next 3 months - no burn out or injuries

May I "graduate" over to this forum?

Softballmom, I don't think there is any need to 'graduate' here. Anyone who is running, trying to run, or even thinking about it is welcome here as far as I'm concerned. Congrats on getting to the end of the C25K program and good luck on your race next week.

Midwife, good luck on your half. I carry water in a camelback waist pack. It is about the right size for a 10 mile run for me. It can also hold keys, a gel or two and an ID. I just make sure to sinch it really tight so it doesn't bounce.

I squeeze in two miles on the treadmill yesterday. Man, I hate treadmills, but I really needed to get even a short run in, and it was over 100F yesterday afternoon. I'm always terrified it is going to throw me in the wall. Today I got in 20 miles on the bike with DH. Hilly course--I needed that for training for my tri, and even though I'm still hacking and snorting up goobers from my recent cold, I did very well.

Sunday morning I'm scheduled to do about 3 miles run/walk with the baby jogger. Then I'm on the bike or in the pool until next Friday.

Happy running everybody. Happy Labor Day and happy September.

Anne

Thanks, Anne. I will try a camelback and see how that goes. I guess I am afraid it will weigh me down or something (why did I not have that same concern regarding the ginormous breakfast burrito I inhaled this am??).

I have the same fears about treadmills. I worry I will tire and slow down and fly off.

I agree, Softballmom, no graduation necessary. I run 12 min/miles myself and I post without even thinking twice!!

Hey Gang a new month love those new beginning... I didn't run today but I did yesterday and it was good... I am a super slloooowwww runner too but I still run...

softballmom -- Everyone is welcomed here!!

softballmom, Welcome! And I agree with the others that there's no need to graduate to this thread. I've been running for just over 2 years now (I started with the c25k program in July 2004) and it's definitely part of my lifestyle now. I get quite antsy and crabby when I can't get out for a run often enough.

midwife, after trying a bottle holder waist pack that made me nauseous and a backpack camelback type pack which was too hot, I decided that I prefered just carrying a 500ml waterbottle in my hands.

I got in a 30 minute run yesterday. I'd planned to run longer, but my darn sore toenail was changing the way I landed my foot. I figured another 30 minutes running was not worth the chance of injuring myself and be stuck not running for days or weeks, so I cut the run short. I have to admit that my legs were still a bit tired too. Tomorrow I'm hoping for about 60-70 minutes slow and easy, although I'm considering wearing my sandals to avoid the toenail problem. I wish it would just fall off--it would hurt less than having a constantly refilling blister underneath.

Just to be clear, I use the camelback waistpack for running, not the backpack type that is probably more familiar.

Only Me, I think there is some old rule about taking one easy running day for every mile you race, so after a marathon you'd need something like a month to recover fully. I got pregnant pretty much instantly after my marathon, so I have no idea how well it works!

Anne

Anne, I know it's supposed to take a few weeks to recover fully from a marathon, and I'm trying to force myself to take it easy. After going from 60km+ weeks all summer, to 15-22km this week, depending on whether I run 5-12km tomorrow (I'll decide based on how I feel the first 2-3km), I'm going a bit stir crazy. My mind wants me running 60km+ again even if my body doesn't. Honestly, I think the taper and the recovery are by far the worst parts of training for a marathon. I don't think I'm going to try the get pregnant method of recovery--I'm happy enough with the kids I've already got.

I went out for 17 miles this morning. It was meant to be 20, but my legs just ran out of energy after about 15. I've been a bit disrupted for the past 10 days so I was just glad to get running again and do something of a decent length, even if I wish I could have kept going for the extra 3 miles.

I'm heading into the taper now - only 3 weeks to go!

Good luck with your taper Helen! Don't go stir crazy.

I got in two miles this morning with the baby jogger and DD. Just over 30 minutes. It was actually faster than one of my solo runs a couple weeks ago. Was glad to be out as I was felling lousy yesterday--migraine.

Anne

I ran over 30 miles last week - woohoo! finally! I've come so close the past few weeks

My long run was an 11-miler (completed in about 1 hr 50 minutes) - i was very tired afterwards...but one thing i've noticed is my back hasn't been killing me after long runs anymore...even when i ran my half marathon back in february, my back hurt for about 3 days afterwards...now - i think i'm much stronger...maybe not faster or lighter, but stronger...

I only got in an easy 3 miles last night...will run either tonight or tomorrow depending on what kind of 'chores' i need to do around the house today after work

20 minutes HIIT/hills with a 40 second sprint finish! Was trying for a whole minute but my pins had other ideas!

I ran an easy 5k this morning. My legs feel much happier to be moving than last week! Tomorrow is my first mile repeats in months.

Emily, great job on the 30 mile week! I'm looking forward to getting back up to that level myself.

Did some HIIT too this morning ...

Later going to join my running group today is our first day of the season can't wait to see them!!

Easy 5 miles this morning. The same tomorrow and thursday probably. I'm finding all the data from the HRM really interesting, although I really need to work out what to do with it to train better. It's interesting tracking how my pace and heart rate change over the course of my run though.