My run today was lovely! Even though my regular running buddy AND another friend who was going to join us BOTH bailed on me, I went anyway...by myself! AND I did two-miles straight for only the second time ever! Feeling good...

MK, what did you mean by those times and distances for your weekly drill? Is that some kind of conditioning program?

I did 3.2 miles yesterday. 5k is a week from today!

And my last mile was faster than the first 2. lol. But I had to wait for traffic to cross the road a couple of times with the first 2. I'm still slow anyway.

This morning I did 5.65 miles/9.1k, in 1h18mins, gawd I'm slooooow :lol: .... But it's ok, I was practicing for my 10k next week at least now I know I can at do it ... I'm just happy with that...

Hi girls! I, like Fat Pants, kept checking the August thread for your updates and 5 days later have realized that it's not august anymore! I've missed so much! I don't have much time to respond to everyone but I'm glad to see that everyone is doing so well and improving, whether it's working on speed or distance. And a big welcome to all the new runners!

As for me, it was my birthday weekend also (happy bday Cake!!) and I had my first exam of the year, so this past week I only managed to fit in a few 3-4 mile runs instead of my usual 4-6miles, but I guess this makes up for the step back week I failed to have last week! Since my runs were shorter, I made them faster and ran an average of 9:30min/miles for all of them...woohoo!! I have about 5 weeks until my 10K and I'd LOVE to be under 60min, so I'll have to keep working on speed and get my long run back in next week. Oh, and I got new running shoes for my bday! Yay!

Hope everyone's having good runs this weekend!

:cheers: Happy Birthday Taking Charge :cheers:

I'm 58 and have never run or jogged 3' in my life. Am I too old to start or have I got a chance?

Originally Posted by martha123:
I'm 58 and have never run or jogged 3' in my life. Am I too old to start or have I got a chance?

Oh, most definitely you can run at your age!! I'm 52 and have no intentions of stopping... I just read a great book I got from the library "Running until you're 100" by Jeff Galloway and it convinced me that nothing is impossible... Just start slow using as a baseline the C25K and go with it... Have fun!!

sharongracepjs--- That was the workout i did onfriday morning at the local HS track behind my house..... 1X around the track is 400 meters, or a quarter mile, 2X around is 800 meters, or half a mile, etc....4X around the track is 1600 meters which is 1 mile (roughly). So for my workout i was working on speed. So i ran 1 400 meter at the pace i listed, and then i ran a 1600 meter interval (at the pace/time listed) then a 1200 m interval, etc.... in between each interval, or repetition, i jogged a slow recovery lap, whihc is agian 400 meters. The idea behind running intervals like this is "different paces for different races" if that makes sense.... So, becasue 800 meters is only a half a mile, i run it a LITTLE TINIER faster than i might run a 1200 meter interval, and i would run the 800m also a LITTLE TINY bit slower than i run my 400meters, which is only one lap....... Did any of that make sense?

Mk, when you're doing all these intervals, do you need a GPS to monitor your speed? Because how would you know if one length is at a higher or slower speed... I've always wondered this ...

Hi, I'm Cat and I'm super out of shape (and running shape for that matter). I was up to running 2-3 miles a few times a week before I fell off the wagon more than six months ago. Needless to say it's going to take me a month or two to get it back together. September I am just planning on getting on my treadmill at least 5 times a week and running what I can which seems to be anywhere from a half to a mile and a half. So with extra walking as warm up and extra cardio/cooldown, I am shooting to do 30 miles this month. It will be upped more as time goes by but I want to be able to hit my goal and feel some sort of success.

Tonight I tried to run way too late at night. Just worn from a long day, I was only able to do 1/2 a mile and then walked the rest. 2 miles in total. No more late night running for me! Will try to do at least a mile in the morning and then keep the morning routine.

ilene, if you dont have a garmin just use a watch..in fact most people prefer to just track time on their laps, but i cant seem to figure out how to set my Garmin to do that!!

Runners -- silly question but how do you know when your running shoes are worn out?

I just realized I've been using the same shoes for about 6-7 years and I think they must be worn out by now!!! My ankles have been bothering me and I think its the shoes. Fortunately I have an almost new pair of running shoes sitting in the closet and switched to them this morning.

as a general rule of thumb, running shoes need to be replaced every 300-400 miles that you run in them......if your following a specific training schedule its easy to keep track and *guesstimate* how many miles are on them, but if not, there are websites where you can track the miles on your shoes (of course, that requires you get online and input your distances after every run...i believe its either cool running or runners world websites that have this feature.
As for me personally, i just had to replace my shoes last week...i KNEW i had to replace them becuz whenever my shoes are starting to break down, my tendonitis flairs up something fierce in my posterior tibial tendon...out of nowhere it rears its ugly head...then i buy new shoes, and its all better, just like that!! Also, if you flex the shoes in your hands underneath where the toes go, and its really easy to bend, then you need new shoes!!

so for me about every 6 weeks or so......l

mkroyer -- thanks! Yikes that gets expensive fast! (but I'm sure worth it to avoid injury)

Ilene - Thanks for the bday wishes!

Jay - I think your question has been answered, but I just got new shoes also, mostly because I started getting random little aches (right knee, left foot) while running and figured it had to be my shoes wearing out, and I think I was right!

As for me, I think my interval work is really helping me with speed because I went out for a 5 mile run this morning and finished in 45:36!! I was actually in a new neighborhood and didn't really know how far I had gone until I mapped it online, but it's the longest run I've done outside and definitely the fastest, so I think I'm in good shape for my 10K in a month! Yay!

Originally Posted by mkroyer:
ilene, if you dont have a garmin just use a watch..in fact most people prefer to just track time on their laps, but i cant seem to figure out how to set my Garmin to do that!!

I see, so I guess you'd have to run a track to get a better idea of your speed and improved time....


JJ, I replace mine every year at the very least, I usually get a new pair in the spring...

Originally Posted by cakses:

Tonight I tried to run way too late at night. Just worn from a long day, I was only able to do 1/2 a mile and then walked the rest. 2 miles in total. No more late night running for me! Will try to do at least a mile in the morning and then keep the morning routine.

I think that after a long time of not running you should start with intervals of walking and running, like the c25k... Running a half mile right off after a hiatus is a lot IMHO... Take it slower and I think you'll enjoy it more and improve faster...

Ilene-- once you start running intervals around a track, you will begin to get a *feel* for what your paces are, and when your pushing hard enough or too hard.....of course, having a garmin DEFINITELY makes it easier, but not everyone can shell out that kinda money for a glorified watch! (that, btw doesnt tell time--in the traditional sense!) :)

ha!! Guess what everyone?? im taking a day off from running!! GULP....... gonna hit up the....gym....? I am so stiff and sore.....i beat myself up pretty good last week, and my long run yesterday was horrible, so....... figured i had better take care of myself with a 20 miler next weekend and my marathon less than 5 weeks away!!

Hey everyone, how was your Labor Day?

My only exciting news for the holiday was discovering that um, weighing less means it takes less alcohol to get ya feeling good! Duh, I went to college, I promise...:lol:

It's race week for me!!!! Ran the 5k route one last time on Monday... my IT Band has been acting up for the past few runs so I had to walk it out a few times...still finished in 31 minutes so here's to hoping Sunday's race goes well.

I'm having a hard time with taper week. I was originally planning on resting today, running on Wed, and then resting for the remainder of the week but I am really having a hard time NOT running. Do you think it's ok to do intervals today and Thursday, and 4-mile run on Wed, and still have Friday and Saturday to rest? Or am I pushing my luck and risk tiring myself out? I also need to keep an eye on my IT band problems. Grr. I really hate not being able to run!

Fat Pants : I have a hard time with the tapper week also especially that I don't feel 100% ready for my 10k on Sunday since I've only been "training" seriously in the last two weeks.... My plan is to run today and Thursday, rest Friday and Saturday, race Sunday... But they will be only easy runs or intervals.

I had a good weekend, but I ate too much yesterday :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Ilene:
Fat Pants : I have a hard time with the tapper week also especially that I don't feel 100% ready for my 10k on Sunday since I've only been "training" seriously in the last two weeks.... My plan is to run today and Thursday, rest Friday and Saturday, race Sunday... But they will be only easy runs or intervals.

Thanks Ilene... I'm leaning towards doing intervals today and Thursday as well. So your 10k is on Sunday? Good luck! :D

Just got back from my run. I'm really excited because today will be my last day of C25k w3! (I've been doing w3 since I came back from my injury) Today I implemented running technique I learned from this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfJVB...layer_embedded

It really worked. I feel great about moving on.

However, after my last running interval I suddenly felt really sick! I didn't want to eat but I'm glad I did because after just a few bites of breakfast I feel better. This has never happened before. I typically get up and spend an hour having some coffee with milk while I answer email. Then I head out for my run. Anyone else have this issue?

Thanks for explaning, MK! Very interesting. I'm still working on respectable distances and consistency, getting a handle on my own capabilities and how to pace myself for success...I'm sloooooooow..

Great Saturday night run for me - ran nearly 4 miles with just a couple of short walking breaks. 1.75 miles the first stretch. Walked one block, then ran another mile, then a walk, then I ran and could only last for about a quarter mile...thought my legs were done, since it had been just a day since my last run. Walked another 2 blocks, then ran again...and my legs felt totally fresh?! And I finished from that point to home without any more walking breaks (about 1.5 miles).

Anyone else have this experience? I'm used to my first stretch of running being the strongest, but the sudden change from horrible running to tiny break to strong running is new to me!

i usually run stronger the second half of most of my runs. it takes me a REALLY long time for my body to *warm up* to the run.....

per my trainers request, i ran a half marthon this morning before work......he wants me to start doing two half marathons a week before work on top of my long runs on the weekend, and my tempo run and my track workout, etc... i guess he has two reasons for this....#1) i think he wants to break me, if you know what i mean..like break me down physically, mentally, emotionally---- force my body to perform under stress----mind you i had to wake up at 2:30am this morning to get it done before i had to leave for work at 6 30... the other reason is that he wants to figure out what the *highest* mileage i can physically handle training at (per week) before my performance starts to degrade.......... this week will be 66 miles total, and to be honest i think this is going to be my upper limit, for the moment.......

Originally Posted by mkroyer:
per my trainers request, i ran a half marthon this morning before work......he wants me to start doing two half marathons a week before work on top of my long runs on the weekend, and my tempo run and my track workout, etc... i guess he has two reasons for this....#1) i think he wants to break me, if you know what i mean..like break me down physically, mentally, emotionally---- force my body to perform under stress----mind you i had to wake up at 2:30am this morning to get it done before i had to leave for work at 6 30... the other reason is that he wants to figure out what the *highest* mileage i can physically handle training at (per week) before my performance starts to degrade.......... this week will be 66 miles total, and to be honest i think this is going to be my upper limit, for the moment.......

Good grief, woman...you are a MACHINE! :D

mkroyer - ok, that just sounds scary! i am panicking for my HM in October and you're doing 2 a week?!?! i agree, you're a machine!!!

Howdy, girls! I was MIA for a bit there but am catching up on all the posts.

MK - Jeez - you are one impressive woman! I can't believe how early you get up! Do you feel safe running in the dark in the middle of the night? This week sounds awfully intense but that level of training is so far beyond my experience that all I can say is I hope nothing hurts too bad :)

fatpants - can't wait to hear about the race this weekend - I just know you'll do great!!!

sharon - I'm the same way - never underestimate the power of a short walking break :) Amazing how your body bounces back, isn't it?

cr - woohoo on finishing w3! Are you recovered enough to go on?

Ran an hour this morning at my usual snail's pace but feeling good. Hope you're all doing well...

Hey girls!

FatPants - Good luck on your race! I'm so excited for you! I know how much it sucks to taper (actually, I've failed both times I've tried!), but maybe do more cross-training this week instead, or just switch out 1 run for yoga or something. I'm sure you'll do great either way! Report back!

Sharon - That definitely happens to me sometimes. I don't take walking breaks but I'll find that 20-30 minutes into my run, sometimes I'll just randomly get a second wind that'll push me through the next 20 minutes, and then I'll sometimes even get a 3rd wind when I go 6 miles! It's crazy, but I'm not complaining!

Mk - Like I've said so many times before, you're such an inspiration! I can't believe your trainer has you running so much right before your marathon. But I'm sure you know your body well enough by now to sense when it becomes too much. You're so ready for your marathon girl!

Dancer - Way to run for an hour! Speed is so easy to work on but endurance definitely takes time to build up and means you're getting in great shape, so you should feel awesome about that!

As for me, I was sooo sore after my fast 5 miler (45 min!) on Sunday. It's the first time I've been sore after a run in months, but it felt good. I'm going out again today (making up for the lack of outdoor runs last week when it was freakishly hot!) so we'll see how my legs are feeling and how fast I can go. I'll report back later!

hey all!! thanks so much for your kinds words!!! Cant say i feel much like a "machine' or an "inspiration" right now, just alittle more like a lunatic ( a DEDICATED lunatic, but a lunatic none the less!!) i only managed 4 hours sleep last night, so i HAVE to go to bed at 7 tonight!! Im only running 6 miels tomorrow (plus personal training) so i will be able to sleep in (HA!! that means 4 am!!) Anyway, ive been too zombie like to provide any positive or helpful feedback to Ya'll today...so...heres a mass "you all rock!!! Way to go on your guys runs!! Keep up the hard work, and im looking forwad to hearing about everyones races coming up!" Details, fellow runners......details......i love to live vicariously through other peoples race experiences!!!

Originally Posted by mkroyer:
per my trainers request, i ran a half marthon this morning before work......he wants me to start doing two half marathons a week before work on top of my long runs on the weekend, and my tempo run and my track workout, etc... i guess he has two reasons for this....#1) i think he wants to break me, if you know what i mean..like break me down physically, mentally, emotionally---- force my body to perform under stress----mind you i had to wake up at 2:30am this morning to get it done before i had to leave for work at 6 30... the other reason is that he wants to figure out what the *highest* mileage i can physically handle training at (per week) before my performance starts to degrade.......... this week will be 66 miles total, and to be honest i think this is going to be my upper limit, for the moment.......

:faint:

Taking Charge, so glad to see another slow poke here :high: ...

Tonight I had a nice 40 min interval run at the track, it was warm though even though I went at 6:30pm...

MK you ARE an inspiration!!

Originally Posted by Ilene:
Taking Charge, so glad to see another slow poke here :high: ...

Haha, yes, my goal is definitely to work on speed. Though I have to say, I was pretty proud of my 9:00min/mile pace, especially sustaining it for 5 miles! I've only been running for 5 months and I started out at about a 12:00/mile, so it's great to see that improvement can happen so quickly and I can't wait to see how much faster I can run in another 5 months!

I noticed you asking Mk about intervals. I've been doing a lot of them lately and have seen a major difference in my ability to run faster for longer bursts of time. You should give it a try!

Oh my. If a 9 minute mile is a slow poke around here I must be....hmmmm...on the wrong thread :)

I am just pleased to be running at all, even if I am running slowly. Waking up at 2:30 in the morning to run a half marathon is most definitely not in my future. Hats off to those of you that commited!!

My big goal is to someday get below the 30 minute mark for a 5K (hangs head in shame)

Originally Posted by momof5k:
Oh my. If a 9 minute mile is a slow poke around here I must be....hmmmm...on the wrong thread :)

I am just pleased to be running at all, even if I am running slowly. Waking up at 2:30 in the morning to run a half marathon is most definitely not in my future. Hats off to those of you that commited!!

My big goal is to someday get below the 30 minute mark for a 5K (hangs head in shame)

You are most definitely in the right place!!! A huge CONGRATS to you on getting out there and running, because honestly, it's freakin hard! We all have completely different goals, commitments (I'm single, no one else to take care of!), schedules, limitations and desires in life, so as impossible as it may seem sometimes, you just can't compare yourself to others. You should be so incredibly proud that you're doing such great things for your mind and body.

And there will be no hanging of your head in shame!!! I think it's awesome that you have a goal in mind, whatever that goal may be! My goals are what keep me going and make me push through the hard times. If you want to know something funny, when I first started running (in April), my first goal was to run a 5K in 31 minutes (slower than your goal now!). It took some time but I made it and my goals just keep getting reshaped as I go along, so you may find that to be the case for you as well! Either way, we're all here to support each other and I'm happy for anyone who takes up running/walking/jogging at any speed for any distance because it rocks! :carrot:

Thanks takingcharge :hug:

Runners -- you are all very impressive!

One more question -- what do you do when it rains? I'm a "fair weather" jogger and usually don't run when it rains, but now that I'm getting a bit more dedicted I'd like to run in light rain. Do you have a special jacket that is waterproof? ... pants too?

LOL -- I recently "pushed" myself to run 15 minute miles. I get passed by walkers all the time, but I'm very proud of myself for just getting out there!

TC - thanks for the suggestions on tapering. Nice to know I'm not the only one that has a hard time sitting out for a week! :lol:

momof5k - pffft, I run about an 11-min mile, I'm very slow! Have you ever read anything by John Bingham? He wrote a great book called "Running for Mortals" (well that's just one of his great books). It's all about beginning running, but the biggest thing I got from it was that it was ok to go slow... just listen to your body, and you will improve speed over time. I would LOVE to have a sub-30 5k! Did you know my goal for my first 5k is to just run the entire thing? Don't care (or at least I tell myself I don't care) if it takes me 35 minutes or what... as long as I run it, I'll be happy! :)

My taper plan yesterday was not successful.... I ran 3 miles, going for my fastest time yet, and then went on a 3-mile walk with DH later! So I guess it was successful in that I had a great run, which I wasn't expecting to since I'd run the previous two days. Why is it that our runs are so fickle?! :lol: