I feel virtuous tonight. We had a running club meal at a pizza place this evening, but I squeezed 8 miles in between work and showering to go out, so I felt like I'd earned that pizza
4.4 miles this morning. I've got a half tomorrow but it's a lovely morning and I wanted to get out there so I took it easy. I often run 3 - 4 miles the day before a race actually, at the moment my long runs (and my races) are so long that 3 - 4 miles just feels like a nice gentle trot out rather than a hard workout so I'm not worried about it tiring me too much. (Although when I say I took it easy, I've just looked how long it used to take me to run it. I've not done that route for ages but last summer when I used to run it regularly I was usually around the 40 minute mark - sometimes down to 39 something, but up to times as long as 45 minutes. Today I did it in 36 )
Off to buy some more running shoes later. The ones I've got are fine but will probably hit 500 miles or so just before my marathon (they've done 300 at the moment) so I want to get some fresh ones on the go so I can have them nicely worn in for when I need them.
I did 4 miles this morning too, Helen -- the Saturday group run -- and it took me 45 minutes. That's actually about right for me, though -- a little fast, considering there were some major hills. I felt pretty good about the run.
It was our last Saturday run before the 10k -- next Saturday I'll give a full report of my very first race!
9.5 miles this morning. Felt hard, but it was a good pace too. Humid though.
Skiing all week next week so just gonna squeeze in maybe 1 run. Maybe more if I feel up to evening running AFTER skiing
I know what you mean Helen about 3-4 easy miles though. I'm not back there yet, but your brain totally shifts as well as your body. I've had days where I said I wasnt going to run because I needed a rest and a new running friend wanted me to go out with her for a mile or two and of course I went. And I am finally starting to run BEFORE races to warmup instead of thinking the race is long enough and why would I add another mile to it.
Unfortunately I am still slower than I was pre preggo for most of my runs. Getting there, maybe only a minute off the pace now. I'm going to start training with my team next month and that is what got me faster last time ("fast" being an extremely relative term)
My feet didn't hurt at all, which makes me think it's not so much the shoes that are a problem (though I do need to have my gait analyzed at a running store), but the old treadmill.
I'm kind of dreading the longer 2.25, 2.5, and 3 mile runs on the old treadmill, but there's no way to avoid it.
I'm sure you will love the longer runs poppns. Its addictive and doing the longer runs feels like such a huge accomplishment that the difficulty factor gets minimized.
Today did 5 miles. Walked and sprinted up hills in the last 2 miles and still got in under an hour (which though by some standards is slow is still super fast for me).
My time still kind of sucks but i am so proud of my self because I am kicking but up the steep hills. Before I was running them but S L O W L Y. Now I can really cruise. Almost to the top. I can get to the top of the 2 less steep hills but the big one I only make all the way up sometimes. Its long AND steep so I do my best.
Then after this I am so worked that I can only jog slowly or even walk but it feels like an awesome workout.
Have fun on your race Helen! Taking it easy with 4.4 miles. How long have you been at this? That's just so cool I can't stand it.
Oh and Lisa I can't wait to hear about your first race. So exciting!
Good going on the runs poppins! Lisa, you are doing a fantastic job.
Ennay, did you ever find the secret to being illness-free? If so could you pass it along? I'm on upper respiratory infection number 4 for the year. I haven't been able to run since last Sunday, and the last exercise I got was swimming on Tuesday.
Hikerchick - I started trying to run in summer 2004 (seems so long ago when I write it down!!!) I didn't make a huge amount of progress though until I trained up for my first 5k which was in summer 2005. Since then I've been steadily building it up. I'm shocked to actually think about it and realise I'm nearly coming up to the second anniversary of the first time I ran 5k straight on the treadmill. I think it was April 2005, and I was so proud of myself for doing it. I don't think I could have guessed what sort of running freak I'd turn into at that point.
Lisa, I am so excited for your race next weekend, can't wait to read the report! I ran 9 miles today, very pleased that I was able to reach a new distance for me. Still aiming for a half marathon this summer, so I'm trying to stretch my long run each weekend a bit further.
I've just realised that not only does 4 miles seem like a gentle jog, but even half marathons don't seem that far any more! I had a fantastic race today.
Rewind to the end of January - I was getting all stressed because I thought I'd run under 1:50 for my half and the provisional results had me a couple of seconds over (the final results corrected it and put me at 1:49:30). I said that my next goal would have to be to get under 1:45. To be honest I didn't pay much attention to that goal, I thought I'd get my marathon out of the way first before trying to pick up a bit more speed for a half. I did another half at 1:47:47 a month ago, but still didn't set my sights much higher than that, and expected roughly similar again.
So I must have pushed just about as hard as I could to finish in 1:43:03 on what was a hillier course than the other two Amazingly that's sub 8 minute miles all the way round and a mere 4 seconds per mile slower than my 10k PB.
I think I'm going to have a few drinks to celebrate this afternoon
(And I'm not going to go sub 1:40 in my next half - it's the local one and I know how hilly it is!)
I would like to come close to matching my half PR in May (2:07:??) but that will be tough given my setbacks, although when I did set that PR it was a bad race. I have another half in June but it is super hilly. I think I would be really really happy with ~2:10 for both. Then no more halfs until sept, but that will be a warmup for the marathon.
Wow! (general comment to all you experienced runners)
Lisa, we are about neck and neck. I haven't done 5k in under 34 and that might be off a bit since I am estimating the length of my road.
I have seen all the map my run sites and i am so rural that the map is wrong.
I generally think that my times are optimistically low but I figure since the hills are ridiculously steep that probably counts for something. Anyhow it helps me track my progress and i know its close.
Thanks for the encouraging words. I only just found your response. When I post after a run my brain cells are not functionng quite as efficiently as normal.
5 miles is totally pushing it for me but it is so much fun to push it. I have been in a routine where I do 3 miles during the week and 5 on the weekend. Seems to work well for now. I haven't really adjusted to it yet so its not quite time to push the envelope. I generally do 12 minute miles.
My favorite thing to do lately is tell people about how I am running. They never quite know what to say and most of them get a bit intimidated. "I could never do that I am just not a runner"
Its just like being a math major. (I was years ago) It was such a converstion stopper. Whats your major? Math? "Oh I was never good at that. "
Funny how math and running are similar in that way. Whodda thunk?
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