As of 3:25 am this morning i have COMPLETEY lost my ability to cope with ANYTHING.

I wake up at 2 30 to do my 12 mile run, force myself to get ready, and as im standing at the front door (at 3:25) i find that i cannot even open the front door to take my first steps. Suddenly and without warning i become COMPLETEY overwhelmed by the thought of running 12 miles. I loose it and start balling uncontrolably (not sweet, demure silent little tears, but looud, snotty, snortry hiccupping wails). I did NOT run this am.... (went to the gym instead, easy cardio)
Fromo there everything has just gotten worse.... Faced with the daunting task of having to blow dry my hair and put on my makeup, i became so overwhelmed i started crying. I dropped and spilled my coffe and became so overwhlmed i started crying. Construction driving on the way to work...you can guess how being stuck in traffic without a cigarrette made me feel..... when i got up this morning, it marked 48 hours without a smoke. the exciting, just quit smoking honeymoon phase is over, and i just am not handling it well. I am going to take half of a mental health day off at work today.....

Hello ladies!

MK~ aww hun, I've totally been where you are and it's no fun at all--if it helps even a little bit, it does get better I promise! Your body is going through a big change and it's protesting. Hang in there and take that half day and take a nice long bath and maybe a nap afterwards.

TakingCharge~ Thanks for the advice! My knee is always something I'm worried about so I'm hyper sensitive to it and my hips are wonky and I need to pop them a few times a day (all comes from having flexible or 'double jointed' joints I'm sure) so I'll be sure to keep a close eye out for any increased pain. As far as the interval training--sorry, I don't have any good advice for you--I've only done walking/running intervals so far.

Cake~ bravo for getting that run in after your nap and for speeding up your time too!

Sharon~ WTG! My first 5K is in 2 weeks! I look forward to seeing your post telling us how you liked your first 5K!


Well, I did it! I ran a full 3 miles today! It took me 34 mins and 14 seconds, but I did it! I felt pretty great throughout the whole run, never got out of breath (which amazed me) and even had to outrun a dog (backwards no less! ) for a second or two--good thing he was small, but it sure got my heart racing to having a yapping fur ball with teeth chasing after me! . When I stopped and started my cool down my knees and hips did chew me out for a minute or two but they quit after a couple of minutes. They have been grumbling a bit off and on all day, but in a 'I got in a good workout today' kind of way vs. a 'Ow, ow, owie, OUCH!' kind of way kwim?

Anyway, I think it's Official--I think I'm ready to call myself a Runner!!

Hope everyone is having a great day!

MK -- You can do this .... It does get easier with time, these are all withdrawal signs... I remember when I quit years ago I slept for about 2 weeks, sleeping was my retreat, when I slept I hand no withdrawals symptoms and didn't think of cigarettes... This too shall pass, promise...

iDream -- A dog running after me is my biggest fear when running, I get shivers just thinking about it..

Sharon -- good advice from MK about starting the race slow and going with people that run at your similar pace. Some races even have pace bunnies and at the beginning of the race you just go to the bunny that has your pace on his sign and run with that group... Also, yes, yes, go pee before starting ... I go about 10 times before leaving the house and then again at the race start... But then again I can be a bit anal I pee at almost every toilet when we're traveling, just in case I don't see one for a while and I am stuck...

FatPants -- Take up biking on your off days for sure, running every day really isn't good for your knees... When I first started running I took Glucosamine for joint knee pain and it totally helped. I don't seem to need it anymore. Also weight training your quads in particular, and just strengthening your legs helps a lot for knee pain....

As for myself I will run tonight from 6 to 7pm then go to the gym from 7pm to 8pm... nothing special...

Mk - I've never smoked so I can't even imagine how miserable you must be feeling right now, but from everything I've heard, it's completely normal, so don't think you're going crazy! Honestly, you've put your body through WAY harder things (though it may not seem like it right now). I mean your crazy long distances, the lactate thresholds, waking up in the middle of the night...you are a genuine trooper and I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that you will do this. Just think of this as yet another challenge and use all that dedication and drive you have to succeed! Things will get better soon!

Idream - Congrats on the new distance! That's a huge milestone!

FatPants - Sorry about your injury and not being able to run. So annoying! But I think it's a great opportunity to add a different kind of workout to your routine. I've found that doing other things on my days off from running (spinning, yoga, weights) have helped my strength and endurance and actually improved my running. Also, your body gets used to running so you may not be burning as many calories as you were at the beginning, so it's good to mix things up. Good luck!

Ilene - 2 hour workout? Way to go!!

MK - SO SORRY for your rough morning. You know we're all rooting for you! You're tough and brave and awesome and even if each minute feels awful, this is something you CAN do...just grit it out until the next minute. And remember, you CAN do this, even if it doesn't feel like you can. You can! You can!

iDream - woot! I can't wait for my first ever time across a finish line! 3 miles is AWESOME! That's what I have planned for tomorrow morning...my last chance to hit it before the race!

Ilene - "pace bunnies" - lol! I will be looking for the pace turtles I am also a nervous pee-er. I will have phantom urges when I'm really just apprehensive or too scared-excited (like little high-strung dogs that pee on the floor whenever the doorbell rings...I can control it, is all. But I know how they feel!)

I know Sharon, it's hilarious here's an article.

Alright--76 hrs w/o smoke and counting..feel *better* today.....ran this am...went pretty well...was supposed to do 12, but only ended up doing 9.5. It wasnt that it was hard, or i was tired or ran outta time or anything, i just lost PATIENCE....not frustrated, rather bored.... anyway, 9.5 mi 1 hr 12 min (pretty good time actually)! no idea what my splits were, but was running alternating loosley between 10K pace and marathon pace for approx every mile, sometimes 2 miles...run lacked structure, but thats ok!! my trainer is gonna be PISSED at me he can eat s**t and die for all i care (that was a joke, and no, im not very funny) hope everyone else has PRODUCTIVE runs this am, or last night...

ANYONE RACING THIS WEEKEND????

Hey guys! It's Friiiiday, it's Friiiiday! broc:

Mk - aw, I would LOVE to run with you too! You're in Denver, right? I am in the Springs, but I think it'd be fun to meet up like once a month or something and just do some runs! And we could get dancerindenver in on it, too. Maybe after your marathon in October? So glad you are feeling a bit better today... you are SO strong for doing this!!! I bet the run helped work off some of the emotional stress, too. Hang in there.. we are all rooting for you!!

Sharon - yes, yes, yes I second not starting out fast. I just had my first race last weekend and I started out WAY too fast, petered out about a 1-1.5 miles in and had to run/walk the rest of the way when I had been running 3+ miles WELL before the race. So frustrating!! I guess part of my problem was I felt like everybody was passing me (there were no pace groups since it was just a fun run) and so I swore I would finish last... I was FAR from last but don't get caught up in feeling like you have to keep up with everyone! You will do GREAT!!

TC- thanks for the alternate exercise suggestions. I really just need to shake things up. I kind of had a mini-moment of fear yesterday thinking about what if I never got to do my HM/marathon because of my stupid knee. It doesn't help to read the "ITBS Support Thread" at RW - people talking about being out of commission for years. I KNOW what I need to do in order to let it heal (rest) it's just hard to sit out. I need something to keep me occupied in the meantime! Dh and I are going to go look at bikes for me tonight just to get something low impact and different on my rest days.

Ilene - Yeah I have heard of glucosamine before, unfortunately it's not so much a joint problem as it is a "tendon rubbing against my bone" on the outside of my knee problem. It gets inflamed and I have several remedies for it, I just need to DO them, ya know? Sometimes I can be so lazy! We are going to go look at bikes tonight so hopefully we find something good.

Well - true to my stubborn nature, I went running yesterday. Made it about 1.5 miles before my knee started to yell at me so I ran/walked the rest of the 2.5 miles. I was discussing needing to have a rest day in between runs with my husband last night and it dawned on me that - for my 5k in October - it's not like I can't already run the 3 miles. Heck it's not like I can't already run at least 5 miles if I really had to (with a good knee). So I don't know what I'm pushing myself so hard for. We all have speed goals but maybe right now is not the time to be focusing on them, and instead just slowly increasing mileage (GEE isn't that what you guys have been telling me on here all along?? I went to college, I promise!!)

My run 8 miler was awesome yesterday. FInished in 1:31. YAY! I am taking it easy today and do a quick run. THere is a race this weekend but I am not sure if I am doing it now

MK~ I am soooo glad you feel better. I read your post and just wanted to give you Woohoo for 72 hours!!!

Sharon~ Thats funny! I will be looking for the pacers at my 1/2 HM as well

iDream sorry you had to run froma dog. I am always so scared of that. I am already tired, but I guess that would be good motivation.

TC~

ilene~ how was your workout

FatPants~ I am glad you are going to take it easy and rest that knee. But I do know how hard it is to do. ANd 3 miles is nothing to you! You're a PRO

EVERYONE!!!

OMG i'm so excited today!! I ran 3 miles this morning - I had to walk half a lap before the final last mile because I had an awful stitch...but I ran 3 miles!!! I'm SO READY for my race on Sunday! (ok, I guess it's more of a funrun...but I like calling it a race :d)

AND I weighed-in today and I lost 4.4 pounds this week, which puts me pretty much right at HALFWAY TO GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday a "friend" of mine who used to run xcountry in high school was so discouraging about my race on Sunday - she was giving me the most patronizing advice and kept saying, "you should do this and that so you have a chance at finishing. You shouldn't have high expectations since you haven't been running long and don't know what you're doing. You should be ready to walk a lot so they don't have to put you in the medical tent." I felt so hurt and defeated....not anymore! I can do this!!!!

Sharon : I knew you could do it...

FatPants : your post made me laugh... We are all so hard on ourselves...

Ashlan : Thanks for asking my workout was awesome, ran 5.25k in 45 mins, good pace for moi! Then I did legs at the gym for 30 mins, they were mush though, it wasn't that great a workout, but wow could I feel the muscles in my legs... I did lots of abs too...

Your friend sucks. If you can run 3 miles, trust me, as long as you pace yourself and don't start fast, you'll do absolutely fine. And the adrenaline will certainly carry you through. Even though I bombed my first race (started too fast so I got hit with a SEVERE stitch), I still finished in 34 minutes which was a personal best for me. So poo to your friend! YOU CAN DO IT!

I'm with Fat Pants on this one, Sharon, that friend said nothing useful or helpful. I would say she's either jealous or (to give her a break) had a really horrible race experience once in which all of those things she was advising against happened to her. Either way, you sound like you'll be just fine.

Congrats on deciding to do it.

I'm considering a 5K that's scheduled for about a month from now. I've really only been running for about three weeks (well I did run on the treadmill at the gym fairly regularly for a couple of years) and I just figured out that I can run for 5km so I'm not sure if I'm ready for such a thing but if I don't do this one, I'd probably have to wait till spring and I'm afraid that I'll lose the running motivation between now and then.

I can't say I'm all that excited by the idea of running on snowy/icy sidewalks as it is.

Oh.. and MK: Congratulations on quitting smoking. I'm not a smoker myself but I'm married to one and I can tell from watching him try that the quitting process is incredibly hard. You can do it though. I mean if you can get up in the middle of the night and run half a marathon before breakfast, you can absolutely give up cigarettes.

Mk - You've got this in the bag! I'm so proud of you!!!

Cake - Great 8 mile run! That's awesome!

Fatpants - How did bike shopping go? It'll be so good for you to add that to your routine. Are you doing any pt?

Sharon - I'm sorry you had to hear those negative comments. Seems like a clear cut case of putting someone else down to make herself feel better. Go prove her wrong!! And don't forget to have fun!

Sylvied - Definitely sign up! It's great motivation and it's nit like you HAVE to run the whole thing. You can just see how you feel when race day comes around. Welcome to running!

Today I did a 4 mile tempo run in 37:50, which I'm pretty happy about! It was my 3rd day running this week and then I'll do my long run on Sunday. We'll see if I can eek out another 6 miler outside (keeping my fingers crossed!)

It went well... I think I found an aluminum one that I really like. Don't want to spend a whole lot of money since I don't plan on going down any mountains like my husband does with his! I just wonder about how many calories it will burn.... seeing as how I'm still trying to lose those last darn 25 lbs I want the best bang for my buck. I guess i see it this way... when I run down hills I still have to move my legs to get down them.... on a bike i can just coast down

I have a choice, I can spend $200 on a bike or join my college alumni gym for $200/year. They have an inside track, pool, wide variety of cardio, classes, etc. - more than my bare bones gym offers now.

Actually if i'm being honest, I want to do both LOL

Nice job on the 4 miles, by the way! You are so going to kick butt at your 10k! how many weeks away is it now?