Fae, I just saw your post after I'd already written mine... so I had to come back and say this:

:welcome3:

6.3 this morning felt really really good

Midwife, welcome back, and Fae, welcome!

I did my 14.3 mile race today. It wasn't actually as hilly as I expected it to be. There was a nasty hill in the first mile and 2 near the end, other than that it was just undulating rather than killer hills, and I ran the whole thing which I was pleased with, I've only done flat long races before now, and I try to avoid hills on most of my long training runs too. I finished in 2:03:19 which is about 30 seconds per mile slower than half marathon pace, but I'm pretty pleased with that as it was much hiller and I wasn't meant to be racing it anyway. And I managed to beat the guy from running club I often end up tussling with in races. His girlfriend is faster than he is, so he tends to go off fast and struggle towards the end in the longer races. They passed me after about a mile, and I only caught sight of him again in the last mile or so, but managed to catch him and overtake him about 200m from the finish. OK, so he's a V50, but he's still not a bad runner and it's nice to beat him!

I've got a bit more confidence for next week too. That's a 20 mile race, and again it's going to be hilly. Hopefully the scenery will be as nice today, it was well worth a trip out to run round the area where the race was, although the weather was pretty grotty up there.

Welcome new runners.

Rai, I get cold just thinking about running along Lake Shore Drive. I went to college around those parts and I remember during the winter going on an expedition to the end of the lake. It felt like going to the north pole. I would look at it. Think, "Oh boy pretty lake" and then go back inside and wait for spring which happens sometime mid june. Soon after I moved to California. Memories.

OK today I had a major NSV, a running one. I am a total beginner and have just in the past 2 weeks or so been able to run more than a mile at a time.

I dragged myself out of bed today. I was totally fatigued I just didn't want to. But of course I did because I have to. But I was feeling all grumbly and low energy.

I tried to find something different to do. I tried farlek for about 15 seconds but forget it. Fatigue day was not a good time to do speedwork. Grudgingly I decided to push on at a slow pace.

When suddenly....

I saw another runner. Mind you I live outside of a town with 50 people in it so this is not your every day occurance. There are a few people on my road but none of them run. Anyhow at this point I felt bad going home so I kept on.

I was just about done with my run when I passed my new running friend. I had just gone up the big hill when she said "good for you running all the way up that hill...I couldn't do it"

Nobody has ever congratulated me on any fitness type activity every in my entire life. OK, so it was just a little comment but you do not know how happy it made me.

I can run up that hill...Oh boy, how cool. Yay me.

Once again I am so glad I got myself up to do my run. This stuff is really addictive.

Good for you, hikerchick! Some hills are such a pain!

Thanks for the welcome back, Helen!

I ran two miles. I am back! : )

:cp: HIckerchick

:welcome: back midwife!

no run for me today tomorrow YES a run at least 8-10k!!

10k run this morning... I am such a slow poke it took me 1:18... Oh well I don't really care :lol:

I had a couple of running victories today. I ran 3.5 miles in a much faster time than I normally would (39:07). I checked the time after about 3.1 miles to see how long it would take me to do a 5k race. I'd been going for about 35 minutes then, so I realized something crazy... Back in October, I watched my husband win a tiny local 5k, and a woman I barely know won in her age group (which is also mine). She ran it in 38 minutes or so, which she said was a personal record for her. Obviously there were much faster female runners in the race, but they were in a lower age group. I knew enough about running to know she wasn't going superfast, but I was enormously impressed by anyone who could run three miles at ALL at that point. I had just started running and was doing 5-minute intervals of very slow jogging at the most. Well, today I would have beat her and taken home that little trophy for myself!

The other victory is that when I logged in my run for today I noticed that I ran a total of 20 miles this past week. My first 20-mile week -- woohoo!!

Lisa Marie, that is awesome. You should go sign up for that race now.

Ilene, slow and steady wins the race. Or at least that is what I would like to think. I can't wait until I can do 10k, I'd like to work up to it before summer because I know in the heat of the summer a half hour of running will probably be my max most days. Unless I go and run right in the middle of the river LOL.

Well, I was hoping to run 8.5 miles today, but didn't have a big enough time block to get there, so had to settle for 6.5. But, it was warm and beautiful, so I loved every second of it!

Hicker -- I don't do well in the heat either...

Hi there. Since in reality I'm training to walk a half marathon at the end of June, I elected to do a hour walking on the :tread: yesterday instead of a C25K session. Can I just say how boring that was? :faint: I cannot wait until it's warm enough and less icy to do my running/walking outdoors! I am however, enough sore today to know that I went for a longish walk! Tomorrow will be running again.

LisaMarie - you will run 5K faster in a race, just by the fact that you are in a race. However, 38 minutes is great!

Helen - I'm constantly amazed at all the running you do....

No no, it was 35 -- and I wasn't even trying to go faster than normal. That's why I consider it a running victory! (The other lady ran 38 in October -- that's why I said I would've beat her). :cb:

Hi all, not the best run today. But I got out for 2.5 miles. Next time will be better.