yeah for you sushi!!! sometimes to alleviate the stitch try breathing very deeply - (and like try to get the breath to go where the cramp is). expand ;

yeah for the running - and motivating yourself to get off the couch - soo proud!

It turns out my long run was 5.3 miles - so I'm proud!! I did another one the next day and yest I did prob 2 miles and a big leg workout - my but is still a little sore. But I mostly enjoyed it.

I tried to work out my arms today - and the gym I go to (A school gym) I haven't joined yet for the summer - and it turns out that they need my fall semester registered class printout before I can begin - ouch - didn't have that. ahh well tomorrow!

and many more!

Ok got my last wk7 run in on Sat. Moving onto week 8. Sat's run went well but it was inside on a treadmill which always makes me skeptical. With the race coming up on Aug 6 the pressure is really on not to miss and training runs. I need to get my endurance up before then. SO this week I should be right on target *hopefully*.

bida - I have been doing that too. Giving it a bit of get up and go and sprinting to finish out my runs. So much easier to make yourself give a little bit more when you know it will be over soon. Great job getting a run and a workout in. I am so not to that level yet. I can maybe muster some more cardio but strength training kills me.

Dreamer - good luck with running. I was skeptical but determined when I first started and I love it. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment and killer self esteem. It has helped me change my body already and I have only been at it for 8 weeks.

sushi - There is actually a 5 k program seperate fromt he c25k on coolrunning. It is a bit harder. I see nothing wrong with you starting off at week 3 though if you think that is where you are at level wise.

Sigh, I didn't manage to go for any runs during the week... either got home too late or was too tired or whatnot.
It's Saturday here already, and I did go out this morning, but it didn't go well at all. Unlike last Sunday when I couldn't wait to run, this morning I didn't really want to be out there, my legs just didn't want to carry me, and it didn't help that I was really hungry and suddenly got some weird pain in my side. In the end it was a walk with several running bursts.

So I think the drought may be over. I had been having the worst time with my running. I gave up twice last week because I just could not get my head to let me do it. It was even on the treadmill that I made these attempts which should have been easy peasy right? Nope...So last night I made the trek to this beautiful riverside trail we have in town. Got all 28 minutes in although I did have to stop and walk for 1 minute at one point and 2 minutes at another. But I added minutes onto my total so that I could make sure that I did run for the full 28 minutes. I am not going to be too hard on myself for stopping...It's been rough lately and this really is an improvement.

sushi - Those running bursts count as running too! Don't forget that. I have been having trouble with my running too...you just got to make yourself do it.

The c25K sounds about right for me. I have been jogging for 6 weeks now, I'd say 4-5 days a week. My goal is to do 5K in 31 minutes (a passing Marine Corps PFT run time) before my birthday. I can run 1 mile in 14 without stopping, but I generally am too cramped in the abs to keep going to 2 miles. So I don't think I'm quite ready, I pushed myself too hard those few times. Then I ended up really hurting in the calves last week, so I cooled down on the jogging a bit and did workout videos instead. I'm going to start on this program tonight.
I jog on the treadmill because it's too darn hot here, even at night, to run outside. Eek. Which of the three workouts are you each doing?

Hi Candice

I run almost every day (or have been for the last 3 weeks - hu ya - or is that the army :)) Last night I did 5.3, tonight I'll do 3 or 5.3 - depending on how sore my muscles are - but even then I feel better after I run for a bit. It's really sad - sometimes it takes me just 2 minutes to get into my stride, sometimes up to 20!!! But not so long anymore. I now go to the gym and lift too - just started that last week - so I am totally sore.

anyway - if you are getting cramps - make sure you are breathing properly - and deeply into your abdomon area. If you don't then I think that is why you are prone to cramping (also I cramp if I eat to close to my run, or too heavily).

Hrm - I have noticed an improvement in my running because of a few things i have started to do which I read in the runners magazine. Basically it said that if one does jumping drills it helps with some of the "twitch" or "switch fibers" in your leg, which helps with your sprinting or speed running - and I have noticed I have been able to run faster - I think - or with more power (when I finallly know I am gonna finish soon!).

anyway I should find another 10K to run - so I have another goal set.

B

Candice - great to see a new face in our humble running thread. The c25k is great. I think it is perfect for getting your body used to running the 3 miles of a 5k. I am doing the time version however looking back I wish I had done it for distance.

I agree with Bida...if you are getting side stiches try to really focus on your breathing. Also there is nothing wrong with stopping for a min to catch your breath and then getting going again.

Thanks, I'll remember to breathe better. I also think I need to watch my posture. I find myself hunching when I start to get tired. I'm going to try to focus more on that next time and see if it doesn't help.
DH got called to go on duty tonight (sort of a 24 hour watch at work) so no one was here to watch the kids for me to go run. Pooh. I wish I had a double jogging stroller, but no room in a Sergeant's budget, LOL.
I haven't decided yet whether to do a distance or time track. Now that some of you are down the road on this plan, what do you see as the pros and cons?

And it's OOH RAH! :drill:

Semper Fi ;)

Now that I've been running (the past 6 or so weeks) I've found that my weight loss goal has transformed into a fitness goal instead. I really am more focused on reaching the running and resistance training milestones than seeing the pounds go down. I do like to see the weight come off, but I really love being able to get through another set of reps with an extra 5 pounds on the stack each week, you know? It's much more immediate, and I do like me some instant gratification!

Candice - also when you are more focused on fitness the weight loss comes naturally. lets see pros and cons of time vs. distance. Well in my opinion the timed version lets you work at your own pace and may make you less likely to do too mcuh too fast. For instance week 5 I think it is says go 1 miles or like 9 minutes or something...if you were to go 9 minutes at say a 12 minuute pace you would not be hitting a full mile but you would get the gratification of hitting the time. The reason why I said I would have loved to do the distance version is because I was interested in doing a 5k asap and in order to do a 5k in the 8 weeks of the program you need to be able to run 3 miles at the end of the schedule. The end schedule allots you 30 mins...that is 3 ten minute miles. I am much slower than that. I am 5'2" and a babyrunner so I am more around the 11 mark. Also If I am running for distance and it takes me more time to go the distance...I will have more cardio time for my fitness challenge log on here. Sometimes even though I know I crammed a lot of effort into those 28 minutes I feel wussy having only done that amount of cardio.

I agree - i go for distance - becuase though you can push yourself in time - I wonder if you really do (the only time I do timed stuff is when I am in the gym - so like on the stairclimber or in a cardio class - like spinning) - even when I am on the treadmill I usually set a distance goal - and if I beat my time of say 30 minutes in doors - I may then add the extra time on while I am done with my goal. (so inside its time and distance I guess :) )

Now for outside - I like to know where and what I am doing. I did the marathon a few years back - and there was no way (and I hadn't been that dedicated a runner back then) I was going to do a timed thing - because no matter what I had to run 26.2 not 3 hours :) heeh - it took me a lot more than 3 hours - but I attained my time goal and that is all that matters. Also when you do distance you know where the finish line is - so you are that much more inclined to do your sprinting work at the end (which is also good for racing, imagining the crowds and what not).

But what I like to do sometimes is put on some good music and do like interval running - easier done on a track - where I have a fast song, and during the faster chorus I pick up the pace (this is something I learned to do from my spinning class). Also good for cal burning - or so say the magazines.

I am glad you are doing a fitness goal - it is so much more impressive to know that while your weight may be coming off slowly - you can still bench and run faster or further than those skinny girls :)

OOh Rah

btw, did I tell you all I love this thread!

Ok. I'm hooked. I tried to hold out as long as I could, but my sheer hatred for the gym right now has given me no choice.

I am not a treadmill runner and I track time, not distance. It's enough for me to run for 3 straight minugtes, you know? The thing that I like about it is that I have a sense of progress, whereas on the elliptical I never feel as though I'm improving on anything.

Here's my "track":
http://www.uscho.com/images/colorsca...04/magness.jpg

I run on the main concourse (just under the press box) completely around the ice for 30-45 minutes before 7 every morning. There is a step at each aisle which keeps it interesting. *Sometimes* I can even head to Invesco Field with Ross for 30 more minutes. While I don't think I'm logging as much cardio, it's a much needed boost for my system. I feel like Im working out way more effectively. :)

bida - you said what I wanted to however easier to understand. I remembr getting halfway through the program and thinking ok there are no races where you just run for 30 minutes...I have got to get my distance up. I love this thread too...so motivating!

June - I know what you mean about progress. I dig that feeling too. I know if you would have asked me two months ago if I could ever run like I do now I would have bet money against it. Nice to have something to work on.

Word.

You're right Stephie- there are only distance races, not time ones. The base has free 5K fun runs every other month, so I want to do one in October, hopefully. As long as I can get to 3 miles, I don't care what my time is, I just want to be able to get to the end without dying first, LOL.

Who has been running? Not me, been out of town. I have a girlfriend coming into town though who has been running. The thought of her kicking my @$$ at 5k is really inspiritational though so I am going out tonight.

I've been running!
Well, can't really use the present continuous tense, since all I'm talking about is just one run! ;) But it counts! :lol:

I'm out of work, so I could go to my Nia class today, and I decided to go for a run along the river trail there. I was going to do it after the class, but it turned out that I was more than half an hour early (the class got re-scheduled for later since I last went). So I went for a run before the class instead. It was freezing, freezing, freezing... awfully freezing. The cold air made it really difficult to breathe, so I had to take walking breaks. But I kept the walking breaks the same lenght (2 min), while increasing the running intervals. In the end, the whole adventure was 28.5 minutes long, with two thirds of that ran and one third walked.

I just completed 3 of the 5 running days I'm shooting for this week. I was suffering from some hip pain, but found some stretches that seem to have done the trick. When I first started, I was noticing immediate increases in stamina and endurance, but it's starting to level off. I'm making it 35 minutes with 3 <1 minute stops to stretch out that hip socket. I guess now I'm just waiting for that second wind....

Well ladies I just cannot figure it out. My running is still terrible. I think what may have happened is that I progressed through my program to quickly. When the program would call for 20 mins running I would do it and it would kill me but yet I would move on. I never stayed on anything long enough to get where it was easy or comfortable. So now that I am on the last week I am constantly struggling with the fact that I cannot even do thw 20 minutes comfortably how am I supposed to do 30? Its all a mental game....which I seem to be losing. So I am going back to wk6 and going to stay there until I can do it everytime no excuses then progress from there. I don't just want to complete the program...I want the program to work.

sushi - Trail running can be very rewarding but man the weather can throw a whole new element into it! Great job getting it done though. The longer is has been since you ran the harder it is to get back into it.

june - Glad you found some stretching to help with that hip pain. A lesser woman would have used it as an excuse not to run, but we both know how much of a fighter you are.

I got back to my running this morning...I struggled through a 25m run, wanted to do a 30m I couldn't push myself through to those last five minutes...even at a slower pace. It's been awhile.

Time to get back to my new love of running though!

I love this thread to! Very inspirational!

saddness - Before tueday I was running (at least a bit) 6 days a week ranging from 1 to 5.4 miles. (Usually I do about two fivers a week, and 2 three-ers) BUT now I am back in the swing of set work, only till thursday - but I don't know when I will get to run again (well I will get to run on Sat - finally) but I leave for set sometime between 530-6 and don't get back till after 8 - and then have more work to do and then can go to sleep.

Anyway - good news is i've been keeping up with my diet. (on set where there is lots of bad food) - still no sugar or caffeine - not been snacking on anything but healthy stuff. and still no carbs after 8PM (meaning dinner).

ok! enough - Stephie - are you sure you are pacing yourself enough? Or are you running too hard?

ok - need to go to sleep!

B

Steph- I'm starting to believe there are training plateaus just like in weight loss. Before I was running and just using machines I would notice that I would go at it hard for a couple of weeks without giving myself much of a break and my workouts would eventually just suck. You are doing great though, don't let this small hurdle throw you off!

my new running goal- 10 minutes without stopping. I need to start tracking my distance as I'm becoming insanely curious about how far I'm getting. Any ideas? Do pedometers work for this? We tried to find the circumfrence of the arena, but no luck (so I could at least no how long the laps are)

spill - great that you have gotten back to running. It really is the best cardio!

bida - Thats right kick my butt into gear. No I don't think I have been pacing myself. I have been running on a trail and basically I get into the zone where I am just feeling really good about my form and my pace and I think it is too quick. Problem is it feels great to be in that zone. Thats why I am thinking of running at the same pace but maybe moving backwards in the program? Or do you think I should just go slower?

jen - I believe pedometers do work however if you could get yourself a chronograph ( stopwatch, heart rate monitor, distance etc...) It would be sweet. Some even have the ability to store your last run info so you can race yourself.

I havent really posted on this thread before (I think I may have way back at the start of it) but thought that even though I am not doing the program you ladies are that I am still a mad keen runner and it'd be nice to chat to others with the same addiction :)

You guys don't mind do you?

I have had a bad run lately (oops, no pun intended :P). I woke up on my birthday (July 5) with a swollen and infected jaw...thanks wisdom teeth, but I guess thats I get for ignoring them for five years and so was in far to much pain and drugged up to the eyeballs to get out of bed let alone run.

And then when that finally improved the antibiotics and infection had killed my immune system and left me open to getting a really nasty cold which laid me out of a week. If it had just been a stuffy nose I would have been fine but it got into my ears which shot my balance to pieces and hence ruined any chance of running. Blargh!

BUT in all this I have met a new guy and he's a mad runner as well *grins* so guess whose been given an extra shot of motivation? He's asked me to run in the Sydney City2Surf on August 13 so I have something to train towards now (It's a 14k run).

I haven't done an actual organised run like this before so wish me luck. I ran properly for the first time today and was mildly surprised I made it around my entire track (albiet slightly slower than normal) but I haven't lost as much condition as feared.

I'm excited! Any tips from those who run fun runs and marathons?

Cheers all,

Liv

Whee, I had a great run today - 40 minutes, sort of hills. It felt great, and I probably could have continued longer, and knowning that made me feel even better! :)

Lyria, check the Cool Runners thread in the Exercise section. Lots of people on there, and many of them do races and fun runs. :)

OK, running is not going welll for me. I stretch before and after but I still get so sore that I can't do it the next day. Then I get discouraged because after 2 or 3 days I am healed enough to go out again, but I can't get through a full mile without stopping to walk about 3/4 through. I feel like i can't get ahead doing it this way. So running is just going to have to be part of a varied exercise program for me for a while, I think I'm putting too much strain on my legs. Once my whole body is in better shape I can probably start working up to the 5K again. My weight loss has been kind of slow these few weeks and I think it's because the injuries aren't letting me work up to my full THR.

Candice - I think you are running too fast. Basically when you are first starting out you need to go slow to get your body used to it. When I first started I felt seriously rediculous I was going so slow but I was having so much more success than now when I try to go a lot faster. Getting through your mile at like a 4 or 4.5 mph pace (I assume you are around my height...so that is still pretty fast for us girls with short legs) should leave you not as sore as blasting it out for a shorter period of time.

I don't think I'm going all that fast, at best I only pull out a 13 minute mile, LOL. I do think I need to take it easy though. Maybe just jog.

Candice - well a 13 min mile would probably be around the right pace. hmmm...I am not sure why you are so sore? But I think you are right if running keeps you too sore to work out consistently and losing weight is your main goal maybe it is best just to keep it on the back burner. Sucks though running has been amazing for me, toned areas I have always had problems with. As far as cardio goes it is the best.

Yeah I think it has some super metabolic power or something. Maybe I just really needed a change, but I'm at a more comfortable and lower weight and I have stopped fluctuating.

But man, my butt hurts, and just the right side. Stretching afterwards has really helped, though. Where are you sore, Candice? For me, it was a matter of finding the right stretches. It still hurts, but it's not crippling anymore.

I will say this, though. I have become more in tune to my body and I really wonder what kind of damage I've done to it. Sometimes I feel like a little old lady when I run, but I am determined!

YES YES YES YES YES! Going back to week 6 of the program worked like a charm. I honestly think I just progressed ahead before I was really ready to. Did wk6d1 and man oh man did it feel great. I was still a little sore from kickball but so tired of missing out on my running. A great run in the bag and that is all I needed to be back on track for good. H E L L O Runners high :) Please stay a while!

Great to hear that Stephie! :) Yay!

Thanks sushi, I was beginning to get so frustrated. I am glad it is all figured out now. How has your running been coming along?

Talking of runner's high - has anyone had a real one?

The one I remember best - and maybe my only one was back in the days I was just beginning to train for the marathon. I did a fast run - maybe 30 or 40 minutes - but really fast at the end - completely pushing myself - and then I went out with my friends afterwords - and we were just walking down the streets of NY and it hit me - like there were stars going off in my head - or like combustions - electricity - I dont' know how to explain it - but it felt awesome - and we had a good meal after the run which just tipped that day off for the records.

So I feel in part I have been trying to get back that feeling while I've been running - though I have not done it again - maybe I've not pushed myself hard enough? (though I think I have pushed pretty hard sometimes)

ANYWAY - I finally got back into running after 1.5 weeks off. or more - lets see myty last run was on the 17th and my first run back was today on the 30th. So that is 13 days - wow almost 2 weeks! Never do set work again! (I did work out yesterday - but did the stair climber and arms - wasn't ready to run yet). Today I felt a little slow - I hate when I start to run again after a hiatus - because I get that itchy like feeling on my skin - my stomache and sides and sometimes my upper legs etc - do you know what I'm talking about? It's awful - luckily it won't come back (most likely) or if it does - it will just be tomorrow.

Ohh - I am taking my first surfing lesson on wed - I am so excited - since moving to LA I have sworn I was going to learn how to surf.

and I am moving to a new house on tuesday - which kinda sux - cause I don't wanna pack and move - but I will like it better I hope. It's more expensive - but it has a yard - isn't that better than an apt? I will have to find a new running trail which I am a bit worried about - but it should be OK.

OK enough of me - what of you my runners!?

hello ladies!

i am officially starting my C25K this week so I hope you don't mind me joining you on this thread. I have been lurking for a while keeping up with your ups and downs while running.

A bit of background on my "running" history.
































Yup. That's it :rofl:

Sorry - I am in a bit of a silly mood ;)

I was like - what did Daisy do - post something but there was an html break!! then I got it - and even smiled a little ;)

good luck Daisy! and congrats for starting - always the hardest step!

That was a good one, Daisy! :lol:

Stephie, thanks for asking. :) I did go for another run last week, another 40 minutes here in the neighbourhood, up and down bits of the main street, which is a hill - so I got my hills in. I struggled at first, but then it got easier. I think that the problem might have been my breathing - not deep and long enough breaths. I'll see how it goes tomorrow or Wednesday. Wish me good weather, today was rain rain rain rain rain and such is the forecast for the rest of the week (Daisy, you must have sent it here since you had rain last week :lol: ).

:lol:You girls sure know how to give a girl a chuckle first thing in the morning...

No runs for me for a little while ladies...hurt my leg playing sports and can barely hobble :( Hopefully will be better by the end of the week. I will be out of town on an assignment but the great thing about running is you can do it anywhere!

Bida - I know the itch you are talking about. My skin always get itchy around parts that I have a bit of fat on. My thighs my lovehandles etc...never really equated it with happening when I come back from a long time without working out though.

daisy - you are too funny hun! Welcome to this addiction of running, ofcourse ya can join us.

Sushi - see you are doing awesome again. WTG, you know I needed some inspiration. Thanks!

thanks for the welcome girls!

i am disappointed that i didn't get a run in tonight. all of the treadmills were taken at the gym so i didn't even get a chance. i did my strength and when it came to my cardio only a cross trainer was free.

never mind. will pick it up elsewhere in the week :D