Cheryl, good luck coming up with something! When I was trying to get from one mile to five miles at a time, I increased my mileage a little at a time (generally about a mile a month) until I got up to a new "even" mile, and then I upped my running speed. It ended up taking me seven months, but I went from running one mile at 5.0 mph on the treadmill to running five at 6.5 mph. Now I average between a 9 and 10 minute mile on long runs and under a 9 minute mile on five miles and less! It took a long time, though!
Tyler, I'll just have to watch that movie back again. I don't remember the pool scene.
Ennay, I laughed when I read about your running times. I'm in the same connundrum here! I can't wait to run when it's light out! I feel like I'm sneaking back in the house after a night out on the town when I get home!
Anne, glad you found a jogging stroller!
Kim, you rock! Stretch, stretch, stretch!!!
I did six miles this morning. Took it really slow as I am doing another six tomorrow morning and didn't want to wear myself out today. Tomorrow I'll have some fun with beating my time from today.
Cheryl - Wish I could add to what Tyler said, but I'm a newbie too, and she covered everything that I know (and more!) But congrats on the four miles! WTG!
Tyler and Kara - I so remember that pool scene, and I don't need a DVD player to recall it, either.
Cross-trained yesterday, ran four miles today. It wasn't easy, but it's getting easier, and I did try to do some intervals in there. Still having some trouble with the asthma, though, so that's tougher than it should be. **SIGH** Staying on the half-marathon training schedule, though, so I should hopefully be ready in June. (I believe I got the schedule from Hal Higdon, actually!)
I'm home from a very crappy 2.2 mile run. It was windy, I had a hard time finding my rhythm, and my leg really started hurting part way through.
I probably should have taken today off or done cross-training after the big run I did yesterday, but I won't have the chance to run again until Saturday so I really didn't want to miss out on tonight. I also probably should have stretched better before I ran. And probably more of a warm-up would have been helpful.
Ah well, it's another couple of miles under my belt!
Edited to say: I just realized I mis-marked my route and it was actually a 3 mile run. I *thought* it felt longer than that!
Last edited by KimProbable; 04-02-2008 at 08:52 PM.
Kim, in my experience, stretching before you run is relatively useless. In order for stretching to be effective, the muscle has to be warm. Otherwise you risk injuring yourself.
I stretch AFTER I've run, when my muscles are quite warm. It helps the healing process and maintains flexibility if you make sure to stretch areas that have been working (like hamstrings, which would tighten up if not stretched since running keeps them tight).
So I ran six miles again this morning and beat my time from yesterday by SEVEN minutes! Didn't even feel like I was going that fast. Well, yesterday I went REALLY slow, so I guess anything would've been an improvement over that time. Still, feels good to smash a time like that!
Now off to get the rest of the day started. I've got some tapioca soaking so I need to find a good recipe for pudding. There's one on the back of the tapioca package that I'll use if I can't come up with any others. It caught my eye at the market last night and I thought I'd give it a whirl. It's been ages since I've had tapioca pudding!
Morning runners! I did a pleasant 4 miles this morning before the sun came up. Other than the high humidity, it was lovely!
Great job Kara, that kicks bootie! I use a Garmin GPS unit that allows me to "race" against another little figure on the screen (who is racing at my previous pace) and sometimes I find that very motivating! I even do a stupid victory dance when I beat him!
Kim, I'm sorry your legs were hurting. Like Kara said, I also stretch AFTER I run, generally. Though if my legs are particularly sore I might do some warm-up strides for a while then stretch a bit before heading into a longer run. Hope your legs feel better soon!
Kim, in my experience, stretching before you run is relatively useless. In order for stretching to be effective, the muscle has to be warm. Otherwise you risk injuring yourself.
I stretch AFTER I've run, when my muscles are quite warm. It helps the healing process and maintains flexibility if you make sure to stretch areas that have been working (like hamstrings, which would tighten up if not stretched since running keeps them tight).
Hope that helps!
Kara
Makes sense to me! I think I might also try to incorporate a short stretch into my run after I've warmed up a bit just to see how that feels. At the gym I do the elliptical for a couple of miles then I have a really good stretch before running and that works well. I've just got to figure out what will work for me with just running.
My leg feels much better today after my fabulous DH massaged it last night. I've been getting foot and leg rubs after every run. I think I'm spoiled.
I hopped on the scale this morning and I'm down another pound! I'm at 6 pounds lost in 6 weeks of working out!
So I ran six miles again this morning and beat my time from yesterday by SEVEN minutes! Didn't even feel like I was going that fast. Well, yesterday I went REALLY slow, so I guess anything would've been an improvement over that time. Still, feels good to smash a time like that!
Wow, what a huge chunk of time you shaved off! Way to go!
Kim, I did it in my five mile pace, so it felt good! Good luck finding a stretching routine that works for you! I am super jealous of your massages. I can't wait until I'm actually in the same time zone as my husband. We're finally on the same continent, so at least we're making progress...
Josephine, I love that your Garmin has that racing feature! How cool! We've got a Garmin, but I don't know what model it is and my husband has it in Florida at the moment so I can't check. Where do you carry it when you run? Does it have an arm band like iPods do?
I am feeling terribly bloated today. I've been eating really well and getting all my exercise in but my period hit hard this month and it's really throwing me for a loop. Yuck.
Kara -- I wear it on my wrist like an overgrown watch. It really is cool if you're a data freak. When I come home I connect it to my computer and viola -- there is a map of my route, my pace per each mile, my heart rate at any given moment, my elevation, etc. It's really dandy!
I love my garmin ..I have a 301, but rarely use the HRM
Man I am tired. Thursday is brutal for me now. 2 runs on tuesday, 1 on wednesday, 1 on thursday...its like a mini **** week. Plus I lift on M and Th. I kind of think of my weeks as really 2 weeks each..the M-T-W-TH is a running week and the S-S is a running week.
I love fridays.
I have a HM this weekend that I am just running (no specific taper or training for it, it just replaces my long run, although I will run it as hard as I can) Should be interesting.
Kim, I did it in my five mile pace, so it felt good! Good luck finding a stretching routine that works for you! I am super jealous of your massages. I can't wait until I'm actually in the same time zone as my husband. We're finally on the same continent, so at least we're making progress...
Ugh, that's got to be tough? Are you apart because of a job?
My husband has gone out of town for business for up to 6 days at a time and I find the playing single parent thing to be tough. I have a few friends whose husbands work away from home for weeks or months at a time and I have so much respect for the amount of work they do!
How come you decided not to taper? Masochist? hee hee
Because it isnt a goal race, it just is a race that friends are doing and it fits my schedule. I'll do a little taper before my HM in June, but I have a couple 10K's in May that I'll just run. Then I have some other races in Aug/Sept that I wont taper for but I'll taper for the marathon in Oct.
If I tapered each time I'd never get my training in!
Did 3.5 on the treadmill on Tuesday night...am planning on at least 4 tonight depending on how well our little munchkin sleeps...DH is off to play poker tonight with friends so i am all by my lonesome tonight!
I think there is a new episode of the Office on tonight - woohoo!
It was windy, I had a hard time finding my rhythm, and my leg really started hurting part way through.
