~Running In August~
 

Hello there my fellow runners. How are you guys. So this is technically the third day of the month but either way I am excited to start off a new month of running. This is my LAST month before my HM on Labor Day weekend. So I need to stay focused. I haven't run all weekend but will definitely be running this evening and oh BTW I RAN 3M in 33:15 on Friday. Now I can run an 11:00 minute on any day but never can sustain that long....this was my tempo run BTW.
Have a great day LADIES!!!!

excellent job on the tempo run Cake!! They are very hard, but definitely a GREAT way to train...consistency is key, if you want to continue to improve your times!!! I just recently added back track workouts to my weekly routine...my marathon training doesnt call for it, but im getting so much faster now even WITHOUT doing speedwork, that i really want to see my times improve even more!
So, i had a 10 miles race this weekend.....my training schedule called for a 14 miler, so i did the 10 miles race than went back out for 4 miles......and here comes the big shocker...------ I was the FIRST PLACE FEMALE!!!!! Seriously!! what a fluke!! :) All the good runners must have been sick or something, because i didnt even run it that fast (was trying to do a pace run, practicing my pace for my half marathon next weekend....maintaining an 8:00 to 8:30 miles...)HARDLY fast enough to win a race!!! ANyway, im really excited about it, but still find it so strange.. :) So that day, there were two race options, a 10 mile race and a 20 mile race..for the 20 miler runners just repeat the 10 mile course twice......it turns out, they were only giving out awards for the top 20 mile racers!! FIGURES. the ONE time i PLACE, and they arent doing awards... Oh well.... i didnt do the race with any expectation of winning or getting awards so......How did everyone elses runs go this weekend?? Any races?

WAY TO FREAKING GO MK That is sooo awesome! :carrot::carrot::carrot::hug:

Thank You Cakebatter!!!! How did your long run go?? or did you not do it? (up above it says you didnt run this weekend)

MK - I did it today and it went well! I really think the tempo runs really improve my long runs. I can so long at a faster pace and it amazes me. I am getting sooooo close to the HM its scary. And I found out all finshers get a medal. Awesome!

Did two tempo run last night of 2.5M each. It took me right under 28:00 min each time! I CAN NOT wait to do a 5k and test my new time. easy day today moderate tomorrow and then rest until long run. Well that is my week all planned out.

MK - how are you???

im doing "ok", i guess.....tired, for sure......i had a pretty high milage week last week(almost 50 miles), with no days off in my training scheduled...and this week is looking pretty much the same, milage wise/trainingwise. I WILL however get Sunday off, so i think i will take a spinning class then....yesterday was a 7 mile pace run, today was ANOTHER 7 mile pace run, tomorrow is a 5 mile track workout, then friday is easy breezy 4 miler, because on saturday i have a goal Half marathon race!!! This is a big race, and one ive been looking forward to! It was my first HM ever, when i ran it last year, and i think i did it in about 2:10....not bad...THIS year however, i have EVERY INTENTION of absolutely SHATTERING that time and running it between 1:50 and 1:55...we will see.....i think i am beginning to feel the strain of being overtrained, at least i am right now....On top of my running i have a personal trainer i meet with 3x a week, and he is training me very hard, trying his best to break me down and help to make me a great runner...i LOVE IT!!
Oh, a quick story/side note about yesterdays morning run...scary stuff.......i was running my usualy 7 mile route at about 4:45 am along this one particularly dark and deserted stretch of the route and a guy in a pickup truck drove by, slowed down and kinda follwed me then drove off...i didnt think TOO much of it (you know how creepy men can be). then a minute later as i am running up this hill, he passes me AGAIN going the other direction, and slows down to stare at me, then drives up and over the hill....LITERALLY a minute later, i am STILL running up this hill, and he must have flipped a u-turn on the other side of it, becasue he comes down the hill again, and slows down and stares at me....by now im COMPLETELY freaked out...there is NO ONE around, no houses, no businesses, no lights along this stretch of road.....so i weigh my options and decide to book it to the nearest populated place, a gas station thats about a mile down the road......i go inside and then just kinda hang out, around the well-lit store for quite a while deciding what to do..I didnt see him again, and i thought about going home, or calling my BF to come pick me up, and then i realized that the entire rest of my run was along high traffic, major roads, so i just decided to finish it out....really scary either way.Ive never had anything like that happen to me before..

Hey I could use some advice from you runners. I am on week 7 of C25K. I took a week off because I was traveling for work. The next time a ran I noticed that I was feeling a fairly sharp pain along my bikini line. It hurts every time I am active (started about 7 min into my run yesterday) and then is very sore the rest of the day.

I did ice it yesterday.

What would you do?

Candice

Crcossel- along your bikini line you say? Sounds like your hip flexor muscle.....if that is the case you may have inadvertantly "strained" it.... it was lower than a side stitch? (sometimes i get stiches very low). If it IS your hip flexor, its prob ok, just take it easy on it, and try stretching it out...also make sure you adequately warm it up, THEN stretch it, then continue with your run...did icing it help at all??? Icing should only really help if there is any swelling involved..if the icing didnt make a difference then there was no swelling ( a GOOD thing).... DO you have good running shoes? have you had your gait analyzed at all to see if you are a pronator (over or under) or a neutral runner?? Weird alingment issues can affect anything all the way from the ball of your foot up into your hip or lower back.... In anycase, if it goes away within the next couple of days, then it was prob nothing....did it hurt bad enough to cause you to have to stop running?

Yes it is definitely lower than a side stitch and it lasts the rest of the day.

Its hard to tell if its swollen. The ice felt good while on but it was still sore afterwards.

I do have great running shoes. I have gone to a good running shop, ran on a treadmill for them before getting a shoe recommendation.

I did stop running twice for about 30 seconds. Then I only did 20 min instead of 25. I tried to push through but I just couldn't. Walking for my cool down it was hard to not limp.

Does it hurt more when its "cold" (ie, the beginning of the run, before its warmed up, and during the day after youve been sitting and then stand and walk, kinda thing) or does it hurt more with USE (as in, the further you got into your run, the more it hurt)??
good for you on getting fitted for good shoes--absolutely important!!

I injured my hip flexor on a super long hike last summer, painful! You'd notice it whenever you lift your leg up if that's what it is.

mkroyer- that is scary! Good thinking going to a populated place. If you see him again remember his plate number and call him in if you have to.

As for me, I'm still trying to get used to running in the morning. I'm definately going to go back to evening runs in September!! Although I do appreciate the quiet of the early morning... I like my sleeping in lol.

Hey girls! Wow, you're all kicking serious butt - it's amazing!

Cake - Way to go on the tempo runs. I was running on the treadmill the other day and decided it would be "fun" to do a mile in under 9 minutes. Man, was I sore after that!

Mkroyer - Damn! 1st place! That's no accident. Your training and dedication is so impressive and inspirational!

As for me, I ran 6 miles on Monday, my longest distance yet! It felt amazing to run for a solid 60 minutes, but it was on the treadmill (which for me is easier than outside) so I have to take my training outside to get ready for my races. I've inspired a friend to start training too, so we'll be doing outdoor runs together on Saturday mornings. I'm excited!

Off for a run...treadmill again, too hot outside (I'm a wuss, I know). Have a good day/night everyone!

Mk - that was pretty scary. Please be careful...carry a taser if you have too. And I am assuming you tell someone where you are going.

Taking charge - mile in under 9 minutes! Awesome! Thank you for the encouragement and compliments.

As for me I started running and I was pretty sore but usually I can push it. I had to listen to my body today and just do cross training. Not only was I lacking umph but the ball of my foot started having some weird a** pain to the point where I had to stop. I may need new shoes...they are 300 miles in. I am off tomorrow and then back on it friday! Happyu Running!

CAKEBATTER_----- Ball of foot pain is BAD BAD BAD!!! Especially if it was bad enough to have to stop running!! If it continues PLEASE go see a doctor!!! You might have a stress fracture in you sesamoid bones or Metatarsalgia!! Also you could be right about needing new shoes-- if i dont replace mine every 300-400 miles i start having serious issues with all my vairous tendonitises and stress fractures.....

aneleh-morning running will come easier..just give it some time!!! You will learn to completely revel in that quiet time to yourself, before the rest of the world wakes up....

Cake batter- can i ask you a question?? How are you doing your tempo runs? i noticed above you said you did "two" tempo runs in one workout..... can you step me through one of them please...

Taking charge-- Congrats on the 6 miles!! What an amazing accompolishment!! Are you training for a 10K? If so, youve got it in the bag!! Once you start comfortably running at the 10K distance, your bodies physical ability to handle even greater distances and challenges will improve also, very rapidly!! Doesnt it feel great to inspire someone else to make healthier more active choices?!?! Its funny, the harder i train and the more body fat i drop, i begin noticing others here at work are starting to "copy" me alittle...i.e; start exercise programs, and i notice peoples lunches starting to look a little similar to mine, etc....its kinda funny :)

Cake and Mk - Thanks for your encouragement! It's so amazing to see what your body can do and how much it can improve in such a short time. I'm training for a 10K in October and a 1/2 marathon in February, so I have a lot of time to increase my distance, but you're right Mk, I'm getting close to 10K level! I'm gonna try to increase my pace from 10min/mile to about 9:30/mile and slowly sustain that for longer distances.

It's funny, as much as I know that exercise will make me feel better after a long crappy day, I'm always surprised by just how much better it makes me feel! Like today, I had a loooong, stressful day at school and just wanted to sit around and eat, but went to 45 min of spinning and then 60 min of yoga and literally feel like a new person. Next time I feel like slacking, please remind me of this feeling!!! Thanks ladies! :)

My first race is tomorrow. I'm starting to get really nervous. It is a 6k (3.7 miles) and thankfully is all flat. The distance doesn't concern me since I've been running either 4 or 5 miles at least once a week.

Any last minute tips, hints, or advice I should know about?

TIP: THis the advice I was given: Relax and have fun. And don't do anything different than usual...i.e. wear the same shoes, no new workout gear and eat the same things u always do and most importantly HAVE FUN Good Luck

Zink---Dont eat anything different tonight or in the am than you would normally eat..Now is NOT the time to try out that new indian or thai restaurant!! :) Seriously, theres no reason to "carbo load" or do any of that nonsense for a race of this distance. Make sure you hydrate REALLY WELL all day TODAY, and dont worry so much about in the am.....Depending on how many people are racing (is it a big event?) the first thing you do when you get there is get in LINE FOR THE PORTER POTTYS!!!!! there may be a lot of people, there may not be enough bathrooms, and you might have to wait a LONG TIME In line.....AFter you go to the bathroom (this is what i do, at least) i get BACK IN LINE FOR THE PORTER POTTYS!!! :) repeat until race starts....:) Im only partially kidding....for me, the stress and nervousness of the race makes me have to go GO GO, and the LAST thing i want is to have to pee a half mile into a race, when there ARENT bathrooms available! Umm, what else..? Make sure you dont do anything different in the am before the race than you would normally do before a training run, for instance, dont wear any new article of clothing that you havent already tested (INCLUDING socks and underwear) new clothing has a way of sometimes rubbing the wrong way, even if it *seems* fine. Make sure your ipod is charged, and try and *rest* today, but dont be a couch potatoe! I reccommend at least going for a brisk shorter walk, and then afterwards taking a nice long time to stretch stretch STRETCH...the reason you should walk (or jog) first is so you can loosen up and warm up your muscles prior to stretching... Try and lay out and pack everything you will need in the morning, so you dont forget anything in all the rush and nervousness getting out the door....remember to HAVE FUN!!!!!! Youll be amazed at how quickly the time goes by when you are running in a race!! Enjoy the atmosphere, soak in the environment of running with others who share your passion!! There will be faster runners, and slower runners...just do what feel right at the moment!! If you need to slow down or walk for a few during the race, its polite to make sure you move over to the right side of the road before you slow down, but check to make sure you dont run into anyone either!! Good luck!! make sur eyou post here and tell us all about it!!!

taking charge-- you are funny--just like me!! Us runners are seriously out to punish ourselves--masochistic in a sense!! As SOON AS we get cozy comfy happy running a 10 minute mile, we want to push ourselves to run a 9:30...as soon as you can comfortably do that, youll want to run a 9...:) and believe me, it never ever stops!!! I went through that whole process..when i was running 10s i thought i would be so happy and content as soon as i can run comfortably under a 9 minute mile.....now im trying to push myself to be able to run sub 7 minute miles!!! its TORTURE!! cant we just be happy with the status quo?!? of course not!! :)

Zink - you've gotten some great advice from cake and mk (our resident experts!). Ill have to come back and reread that before my first race in October! I just want to add - have fun!!

Mk - you're so right! Just 4 months ago, I started out dreaming about running the "5k" prgram setting on the treadmill, which is 3.1mi at 10min/mil and now I'm shutting down the treadmill as it stops after 60 min and pushing the + button for speed whenever I can. It keeps it so fun though! I crave running during my off days and can't wait to see how far I can go on the next run. Love, love, love it! And thanks for sharing all of your amazing experiences and revelations. It really inspires me!

I finished and didn't die.

Estimated finish time is 45:15. I was hoping for anything under 50 mins. If my time is right it was my best pace ever. It was cold and rainy so I didn't stick around for the official results but I'll find them out Thursday when the newspaper comes out.

Overall I am pleased. :)

Way to go, Zink! That's so awesome. You should feel so proud! Do something nice for yourself and enjoy your accomplishment!

hi all!! Dont have time to write up an "official" report right now, but will post my finishing times....
Ran the Georgetown to Idaho Springs half marathon this am.......Official time (which is WAY F**ed up--ill write about it later) is 1 hr 54 minutes!!!!! WAHOOS!!! 1:54 was my goal and i made it!! howEVER, my GARMIN time was 1 hr 50 minutes 45 seconds!!! WAY WAY WAY Faster than i planned on being able to run it! BTW, the reason there is such a discrepancy between the two times is because the race start was the most disorganized, choatic mess i have ever witnessed!! like i said, i will tell you guys about how horrible it was later... Hope everyone had great races/runs today!!

Way to go zinc!! Fantastic feeling coming in UNDER goal, isnt it?!?! Tell us more about the experience when you have a chance please....

Taking Charge - That is sweet of you but I am no expert....LOL I love to push and torture as well. If I am not then I don't feel like I am working hard you know???? You are doing awesome BTW. ANy long runs lately.

ZInc - :congrat: You did awesome. I find that my pace is AMAZINGLY faster during a race than when I am training alone.....all that adrenanline.

MK - :congrat: That is wonderful and you are not off the hoo...I am waiting to hear the story! :D You are the queen of torturing oneself!!! I apsire to be like you.

Well my HM is less than a month away and I am nervous, excited and ready to rock it out. I ran 8 miles Saturday and finished in about 91 minutes. Not great but not terrible, I think I call myself starting slow to build and I am going too slow. it is like I want to run faster initially buy afraid I will tire too quickly. Oh and did I say I LOVE tempo runs. My lactate threshold is unbelievable more than I ever thought possible. Have a great day everyone!!!!

cake-congrats on the 8 miles!!!! DOewsnt it feel great?? You are so close now to your HM...i hope you are starting to get excited!! (hopefully more excited than nervous!)
so, i saw that your run took 91 minutes......Here is my best advice i can give you (slightly off-topic?) WHat type of nutrition or "fuel" do you use before/during a long run?? It is my opinion that any run that takes you longer than 90 minutes to complete, you need to enhance your nutrition?fueling needs.... I personally start adding the running goo gel thingies on any run over 90 minutes, and the longer, and continue adding them for each half hour or so of exercise.... i might take one during a 90 minute run, 2 during a 2 hour run, etc.....have you started using them yet??? The prevalent theory is that our bodies only contain about enough readily available glycogen to fuel us for 90 minutes to 2 hours. You should always start replenishing BEFORE you are "out".....On longer run days (over 90 minutes) i also generally add an extra low cal carb (like sara lee light bread) at breakfast before the run, as well as my once weekly indulgence of a little bit of peanut butter to go with it (bonus protein and good fats, plus high calorie) if the run is REALLY long ill also smear honey on top of everything i eat for breakfast!! SOunds funny, but its extrememly high in readily available sugar carbs!!! Dont worry if its "off-plan" for you, your body will burn off more than its fair share of those calories, and its really important to have enough energy to complete your run strongly!! Maybe i am preaching to the choir here, and you already know all this??

Mk - No I didn't know about the running goo gel. I will look into it. Also I (definitely by coincidence) had a BIG blueberry pancake with sugar free syrup and an egg and a piece of bacon for breakfeast that morning. SO I think that has a lot to do with my energy levels. Thank you somuch for the encouragement

cake-batter- check out hammer gels, luna blocks, cliff shots and cliff blocks...all are little tiny puches of flavored "Goo" that are pure carbs....some taste better than others, but the are all the exact same thing, just different brands...you can find them at SPorts stores in general, and they will all be together, usually near the checkout...my grocery store even carries a very limited selection!!! Start using them...... :) Your an ENDURANCE RUNNER now!!! thats what endurance runners do...they eat gross endurance runners energy gels... :)

but i hear you cant REALLY be a runner till you lose a toenail.....:(
still waiting for one of mine to fall off......... :)

I thought is was having to stop to $hit mid run that made me a runner. :o

Hahaha...so much to look forward to as a runner!!

Congrats cake and Mk on your respective long runs and races! You girls give me so much inspiration, so thank you for that!

Quick question: do you eat before morning runs? I was up at 5:15 this morning for a 6 mile run, which isn't super long, but I had a bite of a banana and some water and think it held me over pretty well. What do you guys do?

Another quick question actually...so I'm training for a 10K in october but ultimately a half marathon in february. Right now, I'm running 3 times a week (prob good for now due to fear of recurring shin splints) and Mon and Sat I do 4-4.5mile runs outside, but I'm not sure what to do with Wednesday. I've been doing a 6mile treadmill run (at normal 10min/mile pace) to pick up my endurance, and it has definitely helped get my outdoor runs up to longer distances, but I'm wondering if I should work on speed instead on Wednesdays. I'd love to get under 10 min/mile, but I guess I don't need a whole day devoted to that and I can just try to pick up the pace during my normal runs. I like having my weekly mileage reach 14-15 miles so I'm not sure I can fit in a tempo run at this point. Maybe after the 10K when I start really training for the half?

Ah, sorry I totally rambled away. I'm clearly a beginner...haha. I'd appreciate any input! Thanks so much!!

Ran 5 last night and I have a quick 3 today before WI. This week will be my all time high of 23 miles this week....woot woot.

Taking Charge - I think that is a MK question. I just recently started adding tempo runs in about 3 weeks ago. But I was running 5 days and I just changed the two days over to a "light" and a "tempo" day. IMHO if you are training for a 10k (you have that in the bag ) and in the long run a HM then you should work on endurance. The main goal is to finish. It is your first right? But again ask MK.

ZinkemomX2 - that happens to me all the time (well at least once a week) and I just squeeze my booty and keep running because I refuse to stop! HAHA :o

MK- Thanks I am going to pick up some before my 9-miler this weekend. THanks for calling me an endurance runner and I am NOT looking forward to missing toenails...ewww:D. Question My training schedule stops at 10 miles and then next week is supposed to be the HM. WTF??? Is that reasonable. Now I don't follow this thing to the tee, more like a guideline but why wouldn't I at least get to 12 miles before I run the race? Any advice or tips? I mean what would MK do!!! LOL

taking charge- sounds to me like your wedsnday run is your long run?? That is a KEY run...do not change that (of course, you can change the DAY you do it!) If you want to start working on speed, definitley do it on one of your shorter run days....You are definitely ready for your 10k now, but looking into the future for your HM in feb, you dont want to mess with long runs. They are a MUST!!! :) I think that since your 10k is in OCtober, you DEFINITELY have time to start working on speed, and there is honestly no reason why you should run more than 3 times a week if you dont want to run more (for NOW---that will change with HM training to be sure!!) So, your schedule might go monday-easy 4-5 miles(or whatever distance) wednsday-long run (6 miles, for now) friday-4 mile interval speed work. Tempo runs are kinda hard to figure out if your new to running. I think your best bet is to start doing intervals.... So, for a 4 mile run, you would do prob 8X400 meters, for now. Of course, if 8 is a little much to start out with, feel free to only do 4X 400meters. It goes like this (on the treamill?)...... after warmed up run 400 meters (1/4 mile, or one lap around the track) at a hard effort, slightly faster than your 10K pace, or even slightly faster than your 5 K pace. If you run comfortably a 10 minute mile, you could push the speed to a 9:30 mile or even a 9 minute mile You want to be able to FINISH the interval, but you should be ready for your rest interval when you get to it. So, do a 400 meter hard, then a 400 meter rest (light jog, or walk). Thats 1X400. Repeat as many times as you want/need to, up to 8 times. That will give you exactly 4 miles, not including warm up. LIke i said though, when you first start, 8 X might be a little too much. ANd as they start getting easier over the next weeks, tack on more intervals, run a little faster, or start doing 800 meter (1/2 mile) repeats.... Hope this helped!!??!?!?! Please dont do speed work more than once a week..... and never sacrifice your long run!! :)

Cakebatter-- you ARE an endurance runner now..yer welcome!!!!
I have to bounce your question back to you.....Do you FEEL like you are ready to run 12 miles yet?? Im going to assume you are using a beginning training program?? For beginner runners, the thought of that "double digit" miler is quite overwhelming and scary..... I think you are stronger than that though!! Youve put in your time, training-wise, your milage, everything. I promis if you only do the suggested 10 miler for your longest training run, you will have NO PROBLEM finishing the full 13. Whats another three miles to a hrad core runner like you?!?! :) However, if you feel like you could comfortably (??maybe not COMFORTABLY) go an extra mile or two on that last long run, i say GO FOR IT!!! Maybe instead of running 9 miles this weekend, you could run 9.5, (in increase of 1.5 miles from last week) and if you do ok, then increase NEXT weeks 10 miler by another 1.5 miles, up to 11! of course, listen to your body, if the jump up by 1.5 miles was too much, then just run the 10 miles for your longest run...you will be FINE.....although the last couple of miles might be a mental struggle for you! Im planning on going a little overboard on MY long run mileage the weekend of your last long run also!! My training calls for a 17 mile run, but there is a 20 mile race going on, and i cant pass THAT torturous experience up!! The most ive done so far is 15 miles, so that will be a BIG jump up for me.... Itll suck, itll hury, but i will feel so great when its over!! SO much accompolishment. I mean, its ONLY 3 MORE miles than what im supposed to do!!! I can do ANYTHING for 3 measly Miles!!! :) Take THAT 20 miler!!!

Cake_ i guess the real question that needs to be asked, which only YOU can answer---is will you feel PREPARED if your longest run is only 10 miles? feeling prepared is necessary for confidence going into the run.... on the other hand, one or 2 weeks out from your HM is no time to OVERDO your training...it is a fine line that you have to figure out for yourself...sorry!! But we are kinda in the same boat...my marathon training only calls for my longest run to be 20 miles!! thats a FAR cry from 26.2. I have to have confidence in my training and my ability however, to know that i can finish that extra 6.2 miles...it will prob be the LONGEST and hardest 10k of my life, however :) you CAN run 13.1 miles! ANd the sense of accompolishment when you do will be unlike anything youve ever felt!!
side note-- im considering upping my last 20 miles to 22 miles, just because i know i can do it!!

MK - I LOVE YOU! Too bad I am getting married here soon....LOL No really that was great advice and I love the idea of increasing ...which is what I am going to do. Usually after my long run I already have that "high" going and I FEEL and I can go another couple miles. I always feel invincible afterwards but I usually stop at my pre-determined miles or a little past for fear of overdoing it. Good Luck on that 20 miler race. You kick a** in everything so I know you will do awesome! And you are right it is like I know I CAN finish the 13.1 but I guess it is the fear of being un-prepared. You have given me some great insight that will definitely help get me across the finishline. What do you do with your goo while running. Do you run with a tiny waist pack or back pack or something?

Check out my new avitar!!! i totally pirated it from the website of the HM i just did this weekend!! Its prob the best race picture ever taken of me, and im def going to actualy PURCHASE IT!!
Cake- If you dont carry a waterbelt or have a zipper key pocket in your shorts, you can do what i USED to dao with the running gels- saftey pin it to the least annoying part of your body (you may have to experiment with this) Ycan pin it to your shirt, or shorts or even inside on your sports bra. I dont know if youve seen them, but they are pretty small.....you can even just carry it in your hand if you want!! I carry a hand held amphipod bottle that has a little tiny zippered key pocket on the side, and my goos (several of them for REALLY long runs) fit inside!

Cake- that feeling , or that "high" after your long run, like you could go a couple more miles is EXACLTY how you want to feel after a long run!!! You must have found a pretty perfect pace for yourself at the moment....i think you can TOTALLY handle running just a little longer for your next two long runs!!!!
FYI....steer clear of the coffee flavored goos when you by some for this weekend...although they dont TASTE too bad, they leave the most godawful flavor that just lingers and lingers for the rest of the run... gave me really bad cotton/sticky mouth....even after i drank water... the rest of the flavors are about preference.....you wont know till you try em!! Just so you know, none of them are actually GOOD!! :) its an aquired taste, and an aquired sensation of downing one, to be sure!!

Hi ladies...

I was wondering how one might know when it's okay to run more then one day in a row? I've been working on every other day for the most part and I'm still very slow (Mostly due to my weight)

I've been thinking about throwing in short runs and doing 5x a week to be better prepared for my Nov 1st 15k, but do you think this is overkill and opening myself up to injuries? I've only been back to running seriously for 3 months after taking too much time off last winter after my Olympic Tri last summer (which had a 10k in it)

MK- Okay girlie you are frickn hott! That is an awesome picture. Thanks for so much encouragement really. Note to self: stay away from coffee flavors...LOL

Ideal - How about just adding in one extra day to start. and from then listen to and feel your body out. that is always so important. On your shorter days you could work on speed.