I'm really enjoying reading the marathon stories. I know two people who were in Chicago. One finished in 3:30, before they called the race, and the other had about 6 miles to go when they called it and she walked to the finish line.

It's been a year since my one and only half-marathon and I have started building up mileage for another half in January.

You guys accomplish some pretty fantastic mileage.

After all the marathon talk, I almost feel silly posting my little running victory today, but here it is anyway!

It was nice and cool today and I didn't have CC practice, so I got home around 6:00 and decided to go for about 3 miles. It felt so good outside that I thought I'd try for a little speed. I made it in 26:55, which was 31 seconds faster than the last time I tried for speed on this route. It was also the first time I had an average pace time under 9:00 per mile. Sure, it was just one second under, but still! My first mile was 9:14, the second was 9:18, and the third was 8:23!! 8:23? Me? I know that to people like my husband, 8:23 is a snail's pace, but to me it's like I'm a freakin superhero all of a sudden. :lol:

THat is fantastic Lisa!!!!!

Lisa - Go you speed demon!

Was going to go for an early run but opted to wait for an afternoon run. My lower body is a little tender after my first try at Power Pump class yesterday, plus it was COLD! It will at least be in the 50s by the time I get home tonight.

Wow - as usual, you guys are all so motivating - Lisa, awesome! I'm totally sticking to my 11:30 pace - :lol3:!!!

Ennay, hope your foot feels better soon; no doubt you'll be running in no time! Rachel - I've loved reading both yours and Ennay's marathon accounts - you are both just simply amazing - !

Ran my 3.25 miles yesterday... I'm so terrified of hurting myself that I'm sticking to that for a while now... I'll build endurance later... and speed? Not even thinking about it! :lol:

Heather :D

Lisa, that is superhuman speed as far as I am concerned hehe :) Good job!

I ran 28 minutes this morning. The weather is great here now. My 5k is in 15 days. I really think I might be able to run the whole thing.

Nice job on the speedwork, Lisa!! I'm v-e-r-y s-l-o-w but maybe someday I'll be a little faster!

I am so inspired by everyone on this thread. The weight loss and the running. It is amazing. It's been about 3 years since I ran. I ran with a trainer outdoors for 3 miles and ran about a 11 or 12 minute mile. We were getting to the point where we were going to work on speed. I got a new job and that was the end of that. She was funny. She told me I could run all the way to Egypt with the speed I was going. Like Heather my concern is not speed. I want to run for time. After the C25K I want to do the One Hour Runner (OHR) plan.

I'm getting a little antsy about running but I know the best thing is to wait until November. I don't want to further damage my foot. The fiona sportsbra has arrived. Nothing is moving in that. I am planning to buy a Maia next. That encapsulates and right now the Fiona is compressing. Which is fine but I want to try out the Maia too.

Shoes--Currently, I have New Balance cross trainers. Do you think I need to buy running shoes? I'll be running on the treadmill.

likenoother, it's probably a good idea to invest in some good running shoes. It's good to go to a specialty store where they can fit you with the right ones for your feet. The wrong shoes can cause some serious problems, so you want to make sure you've got good ones.

I ran 7 miles with the CC team today and my left hamstring bothered me quite a bit. It's hurt constantly since last night's speedy run, and it's been hurting off and on during runs for a while now. I'm just going to keep an eye on it and see how it feels the next few days, and then I might see someone about it.

Taking tomorrow off...

likenoother, please buy a good pair of running shoes, especially if your foot had a previous injury. I tried to run in some other shoes and hurt my ankle because of those shoes. I now have a nice pair that I love, I never knew that my feet needed such support.
I may have to try that sports bra. I like the enell, but I'm nursing and really need a larger size than the one I have now. I've been thinking of trying different types. No more walmart bras for me!

I did three miles!! I have no idea how long it took me. I was running in the cold dark night, but I found a new CD that gets me pumped. Def Leppard's Slang of all things! I am a fan, but I never would have thought to run to it. My iPod puked a few weeks ago, and so I borrowed DH's. It rocked!

Always make sure the boobs are empty before you start out :smug:

Thanks ladies. In the Metropolitan DC area I have a few options for specialty running shops. Maybe more than a few I'm sure. I will start researching. Do you have any ideas about price range?

I had forgotten that last year about this time I had been with a different trainer at my gym and he had me alternating walk/run laps on the track. I liked him but then they tried to switch trainers on me to a more experienced trainer (read as more $) so I quit. That really pissed me off because I had a great relationship with my trainer and that's important. So that reminds me that it may not be as hard as I think to run again. But then again what worries me is the treadmill piece. I do better outside or on a track but the thought of running outside on my own...that is not going to happen. Treadmill it is. At some point I may join my local road runner's club but that is way in the future.

LeedaRenee-Congrats on the 28 minutes!
Onthetee--Thumbs up on the 3 miles!
LisaMarie--Great job on your per mile time!

likenoother, I paid 100 dollars for mine, though I saw them ranging from 80-180. Now that I've been properly fitted, I will probably just try to find them online from now on, where they will be cheaper.

Thanks LeedaRenee that would be my plan also. Once fitted and I know what works for my feet I will buy replacements online. I am a big online shopper. I was thinking that would probably be the price range. Everyone has been so helpful here.

Hi everyone, sounds like we have great runs here this week from lots of our coolrunners! Lisa, way to go on your speedy run - we'll have to start calling you speed racer. ;)

Ran 5 miles this morning, beginning to feel back in the saddle again after the pounding from the marathon. Now I have the post-marathon blues...I have to figure out my next goal!

Rachel, I'm jealous of your post-marathon blues! The more I think about it, the more I want to do a marathon within the next year or so...

I didn't run today or yesterday, however, because of the pain in my left hamstring. It's just not going away. My husband is telling me to rest and I really don't want to! I won't be able to run Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, and I'm trying to figure out if I should just take tomorrow off as well. We're doing a tough interval workout on the track, which would definitely stress my leg too much. I could do something else, but it would mean being away from the kids when I won't be at practice Tues or Thurs either, and I really don't like that. Would it be terrible to take off this week? I want to make sure I don't lose the gains I've made in terms of my speed, because my 5K is on Oct. 27. Cursed left thigh! :mad:

Hi guys! :wave:

I took the weekend off, but ran 3.5 miles today and it was good - sweaty, but good :)

How ya'll doing?

Heather :D

Lisa, marathons are fuuunnn. Or that's what I'm trying to persuade myself.

6.5 relatively gentle miles with running club tonight. I'm planning 4 or so on Wednesday, then about 2 on Friday then I'm done.

I believe you! I just don't know when I would ever have time to train for one! I was able to train for the half marathon because I'm a teacher and had the whole summer off. I could do a long run and then just lie around all day and recover. Plus...I had time to do a 2-hour run here and there! I guess I still could on the weekend, but I wouldn't be able to do more than one long run a week while I'm working. I just don't get how people fit it in!

As for this week, I'm benched... I talked to the trainer here at school and she advised me to rest and ice the hamstring until Friday. She said all I've been doing by continuing to run is keep making it worse... :( She said "I know you won't listen to me, because you're just like your husband, but STOP RUNNING, just for a few days!"

So cool to be known as a person who won't stop running, instead of being known as fat and lazy, as I was for so many years!!

Interesting article on running shoe prices:

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercis...-dont-pay-more

I did three miles again tonight, which suprised me. It has seemed that with every milestone, I would regress and have to kick and fight to get it back. After I did 20 minutes the first time, it was weeks before I did it again. Back to back 3 milers was shocking.

I swear....it's the music. I was listening to a perfectly lovely podcast and got droopy. I skipped to the music, and off I went. There is one song that I listened to three times because it gets me so pumped.

Lisa, I only normally do one long run a week, although I suppose that depends what you class as long...

Lisa - one of the things to remember is that how much you need to recover after a long run changes. I used to "lie around all day and recover" after a long training run....now I dont need as much recovery. The day I ran 19 I took my kids to the zoo afterwards.

If you have more time in the summer, then pick an early fall marathon to train for next year. You are a fairly new runner, I think it is best for injury prevention to spend a long time ramping up anyway. Train for another half in early spring and another in early summer - then you can do the major ramping in the summer when you have more time.

If last summer was a one time deal, then I still think early fall is the easiest to train for if you have to run before or after work because you get more daylight.

Also, while it isnt ideal those midweek 7-10 milers (which is what I assume you mean by second long run) can also be done split, like a 5 miler in the morning and a 3 miler after work, etc.

Still nursing this foot and getting ticked and lazy.

I've definitely noticed a change in this as well -- I can run 10 miles and still have the energy to actually leave the house now, when before I was pretty much dead the rest of the day! I hope I don't lose that now that I'm not doing long runs as often. And you're right -- it's the medium-long runs I was worried about, and I assumed I'd need to up the mileage on those since I'd be training for twice the distance I trained for last time!

The ideal marathon for me to do would be the Richmond Marathon, which is always in early November. I'm always going to do the VA Beach Rock-n-Roll Half, which is end of August or early September, so I can't really schedule a marathon for that time, though it would be perfect. The Richmond marathon, however, is a mere half-hour drive away and also at a fairly good time of year. The only thing that will be a bit screwed up is that my cross country practice runs may conflict with my training schedule, but that may mean just running longer than the kids do, which would be fine.

This year I'm doing the 8k that they run along with the Richmond marathon (on Nov 10), so I'll get to see some of the action, and I'm sure that will inspire me to prepare for doing it next year. Also, that's a WHOLE YEAR away! Look how much I've changed this past year, after all! Surely I can do a little 'ol marathon in another year's time. ;)

A year is plenty of time to build up, lots of time to build a bit of a base before ramping up the mileage.

I did about 4 and a half miles this evening, I still don't feel like it's a marathon week for some reason. Maybe once I pack tomorrow it will start to feel a bit more imminent.

New York plans seem to be coming together, apparently we might be on US tv as well as having a British tv crew following us round and sending regular bulletins back home :faint:

Yep, I do want to ramp up my mileage now that cross country season is nearly over and I can do longer runs after school on my own (except when it starts getting dark really early). Right now I've just been doing between 15 and 25 miles a week, depending on our workouts at practice and on whether I get a long Sunday run in.

Just ran 4 very slow, easy miles, mostly to clear my head. My grandfather died yesterday and I'm about to go out of town for the funeral, so my mind is kind of...heavy. My hamstring did ok on the run, but I took it really really easy. I'm just hoping it'll be ok next Saturday on my 5k. I really want to do well.

likenoother – Welcome back to running! Never heard of that OHR plan… off to Google

onthetee- WTG on those three milers! My iPod has been out of commission for many moons, I’m afraid to find out what it would cost to fix. I figure it’s safer when running outside to be able to hear stuff, like traffic and other people and dogs, but when winter hits and I have to start running at the gym I’m going to wish I had it. Music is great for pumping you up!

Helen – Have a great trip and good luck!

Lisa – So sorry to hear about you loss. Glad to hear your hamstring is holding out. Take care of yourself!

I signed up to do a 5k this Sunday to kick off homecoming week here, proceeds go to the Alumni Association. Haven’t been running enough to really hope for a time improvement, but it’ll be fun and it’s a nice route around the beautiful campus.

My latest goal is to build the ultimate running play list now that I have a new iPod. I have one that is fairly good that is 34 minutes. I think I can do better. My kids just don't allow me to spend hours going through all of my CDs, contemplating each song and deciding whether or not to audition it for the very prestigious spot on my run. It did force me to buy my very first song from iTunes, though!

I have started jotting down songs when I hear them. I got my hair cut this afternoon, and I had my head cocked to see if any of the songs were worthy. I think listening to the 80s station will inspire me as well.

I have been consistently running 3 milesb with no problems. I NEVER thought I would actually do it. I guessed that it would be too hard and that I would just revert back to the safe elliptical. Thanks for all of the support that I have gotten here!

Lisa - :hug:

I've just done my last (very short) run, I'm going to work for most of the day then going straight to the airport, so I might not be back online until Monday or more likely Tuesday. I'll let you know I get on.

Have some good runs over the weekend, everyone!

onthetee,

How nice that you have your own iPod! I borrow dh's or dd's and so my running music varies between Queensryche for the former and Avril Lavigne for the latter. Both keep me running. If (only!!) I have time, I'd like to set up my own list of running songs, but I also just learned how to turn an iPod off. I am technologically inept.

5.1 miles today. I am increasing one run a week as a long run, building up to the half in January. Maybe I should check out the full. You guys all make it seem so doable....this huge massive athletic achievement seems doable, cause, well, you guys have done it!!!

Good luck Helen! Can't wait to read your report!

I feel silly posting this, with of all the great ladies here who ran marathons, but...I am SO excited about my 5k next weekend. And I have a few questions:

Is it ok to listen to music while I run?
Do they usually have refreshments (water, gatorade) available or do I need to bring my own?
If I'm last place, will anyone laugh at me? lol

Any other tips you ladies have would be greatly appreciated :D

Yes, bring your own, no.

LeedaRenee, check the rules of the race posted on their website - some do prohibit wearing headphones, so if they do, you should follow the rules. But, if there isn't anything indicating headphones are prohibited, go right ahead. As to refreshments, the website again should tell you what they'll have available - I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least some water/gatorade station.

And finally - don't worry about being in last place - there's always someone slower than you, trust me, I know!

Most important tip - relax and enjoy the moment! And post a full report when it's over so we can celebrate your success!

LeedaRenee, please note the USATF, the US governing body for long distance races, has banned headphones from use to increase runner safety. This means that you could theoretically get disqualified if the race is USATF certified and they decide to enforce the rule. If you wear headphones, you'll also have trouble hearing last minute race instructions, and instruction from race officials on the course, which could mean finishing or not, even if you aren't disqualified.

Have a great race!

Anne

The other thing about headphones and races is that a race is usually more social than a training run. (For me, anyway. I race to finish, not to win). There are folks cheering you along the way, runners saying good job as they pass you or you pass them, and it's a lot less boring than training runs. Not that all training runs are boring, but I like music to help me on the longer, lonely runs, and I've never missed music during a race.

Good luck with your 5K!! Even if you are last (which you won't be!) you are an athlete for getting out there....and that is awesome!!!!!

Friday I ran 1.75 miles - the most I have done since I hurt myself last month. And I am proud to say I am still not hurt! Next week I will be trying for 2 miles and so on. It felt good to get past the 1.5 barrier though!

I must say even though this is obvious...it is SO MUCH EASIER to run being 16 pounds lighter! I feel even lighter than that some days when I run. It used to hurt so bad and now it feels good! So glad I bought a treadmill and kept with it!

Shananigans

OHR--One Hour Runner
http://www.coolrunning.com/major/97/...it0214.htm#run

Scroll down to Becoming a One Hour Runner.

Shay thanks for sharing the link. I have it saved for after completing the 30 min runs!

So, I ran a "virtual" half marathon today, for something new. For those with the Nike Ipod kit, they had a virtual race today...anyone who logged 13.1 miles today is a finisher. I signed up for it months ago, and forgot about it in the marathon excitement, so good thing they sent a reminder. Anyway, went fine, it was kind of cool to think about other people running all over the country for this event.