WTG Stacy and Amber!

I am looking forward to my second 5k on June 2. I’m thinking I may actually break 30:00.

Hiker – Running in Yosemite sounds amazing. 7 or 8 miles of hills sounds like a great workout.

I know I've posted here twice before, but I'm still kinda intruding, so sorry... but I need some encouragement!!

Wow... Just reading through all of your posts...
I'm quite convinced that I'm the SLOWEST RUNNER ON THE PLANET!!

What's wrong with me? I've been "running" for about a month now, I mentioned previously that I go 5K (Actually it's about 5.3K), alternating walking and running. I'm currently up to running about 3.5K of it, and it's taking me FORTY-SEVEN MINUTES!?!?! Granted, there is a monstrous hill on my route, but there's a big downhill, too.

I've read posts where people are WALKING 5K in 40 minutes or less, so what's my problem? I'm really confused. I thought I was doing well, but obviously NOT!! I wonder if my mileage is off? I tracked it with gmaps pedometer... I also don't eat before running - should I? I just get up, put on my clothes, stretch, and go. I'm really disappointed in myself for being so pitifully slow. I mean, I knew I was slow before, but when I read a post today about someone walking a mile in 13 minutes, I just wanted to cry.

Any advice??

RA

Don't fret that was about how fast I was going at first too. I have the hill also. It doesn't seem that the downhill part helps too much. I have stopped watching the watch so to speak. Actually I lost it. I figure if *I* feel worked out then I am doing everything right.

You will get faster give yourself time.

Thank you so much!

Great job on those race times, Stacy and Amber!

-Shelby- No, no, no, *I* am the slowest runner on the planet I still don't do 5k in 30 mins... Hickerchick hit it on the nose: "I figure if *I* feel worked out then I am doing everything right. " Speed will come with practice ...

Amber -- on the race time!!

I didn't run today, I did weights, I just wanted to put my 2 cents in about time and distance

Shelby...you have been running only a month. Running is just not natural for a lot of people. What matters is the process, not the number. I ran for YEARS before I broke 30 minutes. I spent a great deal of time in the 13+ minute mile range.

And I STILL can not walk faster than about a 15 min mile, speed walking is not normal for me.

This isnt about competing with others, its about doing what you can do. On average it takes a runner who runs 4-5 times a week SEVEN YEARS to reach their genetically optimum pace.

Are you working hard? then its right.

Oh....and a downhill can never make up for an uphill. That's why people who are trying to BQ look for FLAT races.

And note the term genetically optimum. Some physiques are born to run, some arent, but the beauty part is you dont have to be fast to reap ALL of the rewards of running, spiritual, mental AND physica.

*whines*
But I don't WANNA be slow!

Thanks for your responses. It just seems like 47 minutes is really, really, really slow, KWIM? But since I started at 55, I guess I shouldn't complain... too much.

I AM working hard, and I push myself a little farther every time I run. I'm only running 2-3 times a week right now, biking and swimming 3-4 times a week.

What's BQ?

Should I be eating before I run? If so, how long after eating do I have to wait before going?

And I am really enjoying running. It's fun pushing myself, and it's something our bodies really were designed to do, even if my stumpy legs don't seem to think so!

Oh, and SEVEN YEARS?!?! Seriously?!?!? Yikes!!!

Shelby, I've had to work really hard to get over that feeling that I'm just WAY too slow. Part of that is having a superspeedy husband, but it's just hard not to compare yourself to other people anyway. The great thing about running is that we can always just compete against ourselves, and you're working hard at it, so that's what matters. It's easy to say, I know, but it's still hard to deal with -- I know because I'm still struggling with the speed thing and I'm just trying to accept that I'll get there eventually!

Today I did a speed workout on the treadmill (see? trying to get faster!) for 3.25 miles. Good lord, the rivers of sweat that poured out of me! I feel like I lost ten pounds.

Wait you have gone from 55 to 47 in ONE month? that is awesome!

BQ is "Boston Qualify" qualifying for the boston marathon. Maybe when I am 70----if I dont get any slower.

Eating - for an am run it is really a matter of preference. If you are running and all you can think about is food, it might be worth a shot. For runs under an hour I do sometimes, usually I dont. But, I always do before a really really long run.

If you are going in the morning and want to go as soon as you get up nothing or small and easily digestible. Small glass of juice. 1/2 banana.

If you have the time (hour or so) between when you get up and when you run. toast with pb or something in that range. Energy bar . Some people like small yogurt, I find it highly indigestible.

If you have 2-3 hours then definitely eat.

THANK YOU! Feeling better now, for real! You guys RULE!

Yep, my first "run" was on April 23rd, at 55 minutes. I've gone 10 times total now, and my best time was 47 minutes (today was 48, tho).

Thanks for reassuring me about the food thing. I'm usually a little hungry when I wake up, but not starving, and when I'm running I don't think about it at all, so I'll stick to not eating. If I ever get up close to the kind of distances you guys are doing, I'll start eating!

Again, THANK YOU for all the support.

Hey Shelby, you are doing great!

I did my 3.1 mile loop this morning. 4 walk breaks! I've been feeling sort of blah the last couple days, like I have a cold deciding whether or not to come on, so I'm blaming that. 42 minutes.

Anne

Everyone's doing great for getting out there. I wish I could, but I'm being a good girl! I am allowed 4 or 5 miles this evening though so I'm going to make the most of it, then two on Friday. I already feel like I have so much energy, so fingers crossed it comes out in the right way on Sunday!

Shelby – That is AMAZING progress for one month! You are doing great, keep it up and you’ll gain the speed with no problem. I did c25k so I took the full 9 weeks to get up to 30 min of jogging, and that sure didn’t add up to 5k for me, but it got me started. The first time I did a 20 min jogging segment with no breaks I couldn’t believe I had done it, now I can jog for at least twice that long. You are doing great, progress will come if you keep working at it!

I totally understand the comparing yourself to others thing. My older brother has completed the Detroit, Chicago, Boston and New York marathons. Both of my sisters have done half marathons and do several 5k and 10k events every year. And they complain that they’re “slow” if they average over an 8 min mile. Sometimes I find it hard to believe we come from the same gene pool, guess I got hit with the "slow stick". I just figure I have to compete with myself, because then I can always win all the time, all I have to do is keep improving.

Anne – Hope you are feeling better. Some days I just feel sluggish out there, especially if it’s hot and/or humid. But I’m guessing humidity is not much of an issue in AZ.

Helen – That so funny that you have to “hold yourself back”. I still have to more or less force myself to run most days, not as awful as it was a at first, but now that I know how great it feels after I run I try to have the “just do it” attitude.

That’s interesting about the 7 years thing, who knew it would take that long? Guess I’ll look forward to hitting my stride by my mid-30s.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I got up at 5:15 to run this morning! I like that it’s quiet and cooler at that hour and I don’t have to worry about traffic. Beats coming home cranky from rush hour commuting and trying to get motivated to go run in the heat and dodge cars. I just have to get myself used to a new sleeping schedule. I also used a pedometer for the first time, does anyone else use one? Not sure how to best use one to measure distance, I guess you’d just run a course that you know is one mile and see how many steps it takes you to complete it? My 5k route took 5,555 steps, so that’s about 1,790 steps/mile.

shananigans - that's how I know I'm so much better prepared this time. Last time I did a marathon I got to the taper and was so relieved to be back at a mileage level I could cope with, this time I'm kind of missing the long runs and can't wait to do the race!

I did 3.5 miles with running club this evening to keep my legs ticking over. The problem is that because my mileage is so low, I'm running way too fast and I'm going to have to be really careful not to start too fast on sunday.