I am having an ESP session with your knees right now, Kim!

I ran 5k yesterday on the treadmill while Kim was on the elliptical and another 5k today while a test was running on the computer.

I'm trying to decide whether to push for more distance or more speed, going forward.

This is to lene1974 who was wondering if she could make the 5K, I say, from my own experience, when you get into a race you will have strength and speed you had no idea was there. It's just a lot of fun to be competing and in a group of others all trying to push themselves, and it inspires you, or at least me!

If you are thinking of conserving your strength in the event to make the distance in whatever way you want to, my only advice is not to get caught up in the sprint off the start, but find your own pace and stick to it until everyone settles down. In my first race I actually looked around to see if anyone was left behind me, so many seemed to be passing me, but of course there were, and I re-passed some of those passers (ugh, this sentence is just so confused!) not that much later on and went on to finish respectably (meaning within what I wanted to do). Plus, the others are right. I count it as a run if you run any of it, and I can also tell you that I have found I can run VERY SLOWLY, amazing how slowly my legs can go! and get a rest.

Doing my first race is what hooked me on running. (I had tried running, I had given in to the desire to stop running and walk for many years and never got past that, but the first race I did did it for me, showed me I could actually do it!) Just loved the whole thing. What a sense of accomplishment you have ahead of you, doing a 5k, to add to what you are already doing! Good luck!

Jo, Midwife, and Tomato: My knee sends big happy kisses to you all! It's feeling pretty good today. Race day here I come!!

My pecs and my upper back are feeling the effects of yesterday's elliptical session. I think I need to do more upper body work!

Kitty: I'm right there with you on the loving to sweat and preferring runs that don't involve the treadmill! I'm not looking forward to running outdoors with our bone-chilling winters but there's something less than appealing about running on a treadmill for months.

Lene: You rock!!! :carrot:

[QUOTE=Pink Geranium;2315111]
If you are thinking of conserving your strength in the event to make the distance in whatever way you want to, my only advice is not to get caught up in the sprint off the start, but find your own pace and stick to it until everyone settles down.QUOTE]

In a race situation, it is REALLY hard not to get caught up in the adrenaline rush at the start and go out way faster than you should, based on your ability and training. I remember a 5K I did last spring, it was a very small event raising money for one of the Sickle Cell anemia foundations I think. There weren't a lot of runners, mostly walkers and quite a gaggle of kids participating. The gun went off, and about a dozen teenagers took off like the proverbial bats out of heck .... left me in the dust ... they took the lead for, oh, about 100 yards and dropped out to the side completely winded. Don't do that. :D I got quite a chuckle as I cruised on by never to see them again... :p

Can I brag on myself just a bit? That was a REALLY small race because there were at least 2 or 3 other higher-profile races the same day, and the fast runners went to those. There were maybe 60 registered runners and a couple hundred walkers. After I blew by the kids, I pulled a 5K personal record (PR) of 26:18 which in this race was good enough for 3rd female overall! :carrot: So the moral of the story is, you don't have to be REALLY fast, just fast enough to beat most of the others that show up that day. ;)

Welcome Hadaad! Hmmm distance or speed, distance or speed.Tough to choose. No reason why you can't do both though.... right?

NICE JOB! Sounds like that was a great race! Congratulations! :carrot:


I biked and walked today, since I ran yesterday and will run tomorrow -- but the whole time I was thinking of running. I'm trying not to become a one-sport person, but it has now been a couple of weeks since I got in the pool (bad Jo, bad), and even when I'm biking I'm wishing I was running -- except when I bike with my husband, which usually only happens on weekends.

If I'm honest, right now I'd prefer to run every day.

MBN - congrats!!!

I made a weeny teeny progress - I usually run alternating between 4.8 and 4.9 mph but today I ran almost my entire distance at 4.9 mph. I WILL make it to 5 mph one day!

Thank you for your response Pink. I'm hoping the adrenaline gives me that extra boost if I need it. I'm really going to try to pace myself.

MBN~ I had no idea that kids actually participate in these runs. I know that they can but I'm surprised about how many do. I hope they don't run me over. :D Great job on 26:18 run time!

Tomato~ great job running 4.9, 5mph is right around the corner

Josephine~It's funny you say that you'd rather be running. When I'm running and a cyclist passes me I keep wishing they would stop and give me a lift. :p

Hi Ladies
Congrats to everybody for doign great, you ladies who rum mega miles are my inspiration!
I havent gotten outside yet, but I am now running at 4.0mph for 5 mins and then walking for 2min! I cannot believe I am doign 5mins! i think I will continue increasing the running time beofre i increase the speed. I think I will fall off the treadmill if I run at 5mph!!
I was going to register for a run/walk next month, but I will be fasting (I am muslim)and I am really nervous I will stop working out and be back to week one when I start again. Do you think that will happen or I will be okay to jump back on after four weeks out?

Hello Ladies! I ran today and it felt so refreshing today was one of those days I really didnt feel like working out but I pushed myself. I just completed w5d3 on the c25 training I must admitt that last week I started to up the incline just to level one and I am glad I did because I feel a major difference. Anyways I hope all is well with everyone.

I would like to say that yesterday I went on that run that I got lost on last Sunday, and this time stayed on course. It was a nice run, that part I missed by taking off on my own into the wilderness! I do wonder about my unfailing ability to miss turns, ignore trail signs right in front of me, etc., but --- guess it just makes life more interesting.

I am doing a 5k race tomorrow morning on the road, so I think I should be all right (since quite a few people will be in front of me, so I can just run in perfect calmness following them).

Does anyone else do trail runs? I really enjoy being in the woods, the roughness of the footing, etc. It certainly distracts from the feeling of, how much more can I run without keeling over, when you are concentrating on jumping over a little stream or those tree roots, or managing the footing on a gravelly path, I will say that!

Parveen -- It would certainly be hard to run while fasting. How long does the fasting last -- from your post I'm assuming 4 weeks? Maybe you can do a light walking training plan during that time to keep you in the habit of working out?

Tomato -- you'll be at 5 mph before you know it, clearly you're doing awesome.

Matilda -- nice job completing W5D3! Pushing through those days when you don't want to work out deserves special praise, so WELL DONE YOU!

PG -- Good luck at your 5k tomorrow, I'm sure you'll kick butt! I enjoy trail runs, but there are not that many good options for me to run right out my door since I live on a barrier island (between the ocean and a river). Mostly I end up running on pavement -- but at least I almost always have a water view! When I vacation I always search out trails -- I just came back from Monterey/Big Sur area and I ran trails all over the place including in Big Basin Redwoods State Park and up on the cliffs of Half Moon Bay. It was awesome.

Tonight I did 6.81 miles. I really prefer running first thing in the morning, but then occasionally I run at night and do enjoy it. It is the feeling of waiting around all day to do my run that I do NOT enjoy. :)

Hello all. I used to be a somewhat frequent poster on this thread then I fell off the wagon. Well I am back on, but doing a 12 week program of weights/cardio so my running is 3 times a week only for 20 minutes (HIIT training). I get in around 1.8-2.0 miles with a w/u and c/d. After the 12 weeks I plan on bumping my running up to a few miles at a time 3 days a week.

I am feeling a lot better this time around, no pain in the hip and I attribute that to the weights I am faithfully doing. My run speed isn't where it used to be but I am sure after this program is done I will be much faster and have more endurance!

Well, I hit 7k today, so I guess I am going for more distance - at least for now.

Welcome back to the thread Cakses! Glad the hip pain has faded!


This morning I ran 6.05 miles with the only problems being humidity in the 95% range and a Pelican that seemed determined to poop on me. Fortunately, he only got a little on me, but a little Pelican poop goes a looooooooooong way.