Running in September
 

Hey all you runners out there! A new month, a new thread, a new chance to talk, brag, or complain about our running accompolishments! Hope everyone had a great month running in August, and heres to an even better one in september!!! The temperatures should be starting to fall, people should be getting back into their "fall" groove... Lots of races coming up for all of us!!
So have at it! :)

Ill start..... very nice 7.5 miles this am..... 1 hr 3 minutes.......
I have a race this weekend im planning on doing...the Park to Park 10 miler here in Denver.....i dont NEED to do a race, other than the fact that i enjoy them, and i like to "test" where my running is at, speedwise, as often as i can. Helps keep me focused.... :)

On a completely unrelated note...i made a HUGE mistake yeaterday...My brother emails me and says he has a bunch of pictures for me to see, so why dont I "join facebook so i can see them"?? Ok, i thought......get into work this morning and i have about 150 emails from pepes requesting to be my friend, and they all have 50 friends and they all have 50 friends....i have no idea what the heck is going on, or what im supposed to do...feeling very overwhelmed!! :)

Going to try & run my first 5k on September 26th. :) Working on flexibility and form this month. Doing run/walk intervals for 30 min each day. About 2 miles.

As for facebook....its so easy.


Just login and go to your "requests" page and click accept or ignore for each friend request. It doesn't really matter at all if your friends have friends.....don't pay attention to that.

And when you're caught up you can be friends with me :)

Good for you working on our form and flexibility!! How many of us out there ever take the time to stretch or focus long enough on our form?? Maybe if i spent even two minutes a day stretching my hammys and back wouldnt be so tight all the time!! As it is, i only stretch when my trainer makes me.... :)

I've started running again (I've done it off and on over the years but always gotten bored). This morning I managed 5 kms and I want to keep going with it but I have a short attention span. So I'm joining this thread in the hope that it will keep me excited about getting up and getting out there.

This morning was just perfect for running. There was enough of a chill in the air that I wanted to move to keep warm.

Good afternoon all! No running still, but my ankle is wrapped up and was iced this morning. It'll be iced again before bed. I did walk, though, and it hurt, but I think it's getting better. Maybe?

Orchestra starts tonight. My day has been nothing but going to the public library for some new books (they had Tosca Reno's clean eating book- I snagged it fast!) and then coming home to a leftover lunch and then 45 minutes of flute practice in preparation of our 2 hour rehearsal tonight. I'm so rusty, but I found I can go higher than before! It's tinny and hard to get to, but I did it. Three times! *lol*

I may hit the park for my walk tomorrow. It all depends on how I'm feeling when I wake up.

hey ladies. Greatest Bday weekend ever and now back to reality! hehee. I haven't decided totally but I think it will be a long one today!

Duh... I kept checking the August thread and wondering why nobody was updating. Get with it, Fat Pants! :lol:

I've come to the conclusion that I'm trying to up my miles too quickly. Every time I attempt 5 miles, it turns out to be a disaster. I just recently hit 4 miles so I think for September I'm going to concentrate my long runs on 4-4.5 miles, October will be 5-5.5 miles and November I will do one 6 miles run before my 10k. Rookie mistake... wanting to run more than my legs can handle.

My 5k is in 1.5 weeks! :carrot: I'm sooo excited. I ran on the race route last Saturday and as I was running I was thinking about our discussion in the August thread about increasing speed. Mkroyer, I remembered what you were saying about not being afraid to run faster. The first mile of the 5k route is uphill and then a significant (1.5 miles maybe) stretch down hill. I've always used that downhill portion for recovery... never letting myself go too fast for fear of wearing myself out and not being able to finish the run. Well, on Saturday I said screw it, paced myself for a quarter of a mile to recover from the uphill mile and then just flat out ran as fast as I could for the rest of the downhill portion.

1) It felt AMAZING to just let myself go and see how fast I could run... felt very freeing

2) As a result, I had my best 5k time yet of 30:27... usually I'm around the 33 minute mark.

So just wanted to say thanks for the great advice, everyone!

Fatpants-- do i see a "sub 30" 5k time for you at your very first race?!?!? I think i do!! You will run even faster during the race!! COngrats...im so glad my ramblings had a positiv eimpact on someone! Let me ask, how did you feel AFTER that fast downhill? You still had a half mile or more after that, correct? How did running fast during that middle portion affect your pace during the last portion, i guess is what im asking?

WOOT! WOOT! WOOT! See my THREE woots?

Weather was FAB this morning--I did 6 miles. GO ME! OMG!!!

I did a fast paced short run yesterday so that means I gotta long today! I;ll be in there like swimwear this afternoon!

FatPants- AWESOME> You are super fast!!!!

Yeah GO YOU!!!! THIGHS!!!!

Happy September! I love Fall! It's definitely COLD in the mornings now when I run, and the sun doesn't really come up till I'm on the way home. But I love it! I'm looking forward to some glorious day-runs on the weekends.

I ran TWO MILES STRAIGHT for the first time on Monday - AWESOME, for me at least. Today was a little rougher - only made 1.5 miles. I'm blaming in part my weird eating schedule yesterday - big lunch for work around 2, then just fruit and yogurt during Jeopardy, then early bedtime. So I didn't have the fuel I usually would. I'm going for the 2 miles again on Friday, though! Haha that sounds so paltry when the rest of you are hitting 5+ miles - I'll be there soon!

I would love to have a sub-30 5k! I will run the race course one last time this coming Saturday so I'm interested to see what will happen again.

Yeah there is about half a mile after that significant downhill section. It goes short hill-significant stretch of flat/another hill and then downhill to the end. I did notice that I slowed significantly when it came to the two hills but I maintained my regular pace on the flat parts. My recovery was still in the 170s for heart rate on the downhill even though I was running as fast as I could so I really wasn't working that much harder by running faster. Actually I think sometimes it is MORE work to slow yourself down going downhill than it is to just let yourself go and run at whatever speed your legs want to go.

For a 5k, it's not as important to pace yourself, right, since it's a shorter distance? Toward the end of the big hill, I'm going SO slow so I figure I can catch up my time by just allowing myself to go faster on the down hill.

This month I am doing a 10k in Montreal, the best part is that the finish line is in the Olympic stadium, that in itself should be a rush arriving like a real athlete :lol: ... Am I ready? NO way!! :lol: I am doing it just for fun, so are my g/fs who are doing it with me... It'll probably take me 90mins to do 10k... Oh well, it'll be fun...

FAT-for a 5 k i think you should just go balls to the walls so to speak!!! Sometimes when i get running really fast my body gets into this groove with my form, so that even when im tired and need to slow down, i end up still running at a faster pace than my "comfort" pace, which is why i was asking.....Dont worry bout the hills...the trick to running hills w/o dying is to focus on form!! Make sure you arent hunching over and keeping your amrs clenched up near your chest and swinging them across your chest. Try to focus on keeping your upper body relaxed, dropping your arms so they are no MORE THAN at a 90 degree angle. Look up. Also, try and keep your feet moving at the same tempo even though your stride will shorten up. If your leg muscles start getting tired, alternate the way your foot is striking....go a short distance landing on your hills as you run up, and then a short distance landing on our toes!! It will help if any of your muscles start cramping up on the hills! I REALLY think you can do under 30 if your practice run you were only 27 seconds off!! You will definitely run at least a little faster during the race because of adrenaline and excitement and the distraction of it all away from yourself!! If you do decide to go and try the course one more time, dont get discouraged if the time is not as fast as last time...dont let little doubt bubbles in your head!! Not every run can be a winner, right?

General running question for y'all:

Once my friend, who ran cross country in high school, told me that they had a certain way of holding their stomach muscles for stamina and breathing control that ended up making their abs really strong and tones. Has anyone else heard of this? Or did I misunderstand/misremember her? Are there breathing tips I should be aware of?

Well, I went street jogging today and so didn't like it. I'm back at the park tomorrow. I *did* get to calculate my time/distance, though, which is just over 5 k in about 40 minutes! I'm pretty pleased!

Ilene - good luck!! I actually live two blocks away from Montreal's Big O and it's a great neighborhood for running!

Oh, breathing is so very, very important to me and for me! For me, it's two puffs in through the nose and two puffs out the mouth.

If I don't do it this way, I will most definitely get a side stitch that makes me stop. I do my best to hold my stomach in when running for long periods of time. Like you, I have also been told it helps ab muscles.

We have the same running time, I do 5k in 40ish minutes too... Well isn't it cool that you live so close to the Big O, my bib number is 10801, we could actually see each other. Are you participating on the 13th?

Oh, just wanted to add a comment on breathing... I am a mouth breather for the most part, like Thighs be gone two breaths in, two out... I also hold my abs in...

I'm new to the running thing. I've always wanted to be a runner, but always had problems with my asthma kicking in. Well, after reading the C25K thread, I figured out I was trying to go too hard, too fast. I'm still in the early stages and walking quite a bit between my jog/run parts, but in just a few weeks, i have been able to run more than I ever have in my life.

I do have an issue though, I have shin splints, so I have been stretching and wrapping my calves when I am working out, but now my ankles are hurting me. Is this normal, or am I not ready to be running yet. I did go buy new running shoes already, so I don't think that is the problem.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm a newbie runner, nearly done with my couch to 5k. I am running my first 5k in october.

Good luck and cheers to everyone who's training, racing, or just getting in the fight!

Hi Nella :welcome: My suggestion would be to just go at it slowly, even slower that what the C25K suggests on some weeks if need be... In time, hopefully, your muscles and ligaments in your ankles, all of your legs for that matter, will get stronger...

Hey Ladies!!!!!!

I ran outside yesterday, it was pretty cool and beautiful. I enjoyed. Now that it is starting to cool I can do it more thank goodness.

Ilene - GL on your run

Fat - Is the race this weekend? GL. I have a 5k next weekend. I just love them.

Sharon _ I generally breathe through my mouth. I don't think I have a real technique but I most definitely hold in my abs.

Welcome everyone!! Glad to see some new faces! :D

Cake - my 5k is a week from this coming Sunday (the 13th). So this is my last week on schedule before tapering next week. I've been pushing it hard this week so I'm looking forward to an easy one.

Nella - I had shin splints when I started out, too - very soon after I started C25k in fact. 80% of it was cured through just running through them and making my legs stronger... I know that's not always the best advice but I know for me it was my legs just getting used to all of the intense activity. The rest were cured through getting a better pair of running shoes with more stability. I will feel slight soreness now if I over train, but for the most part they don't bother me. I tried a shin support but it never really helped that much. Ice and Advil afterward is what worked for me. Good luck!

Sharon - I also breathe through my mouth when I am breathing heavy. When I first started running on pavement instead of the treadmill, I was amazed at how sore my core muscles (abs, lower back, etc) were after a run. I think it's the breathing plus just your body being strengthened through activity. To me there is no better workout than running!! :)

Well after cutting back on my miles for my long runs, yesterday was 4 miles. It went alright - not the best but not the worst. I will do intervals today, rest Friday and then one last 5k training before taper week. :carrot:

This morning's run was tough. I've always found that the first time I try a new workout, I have few problems but that the second time through, it kills me... this was the second time I've run this far and I had to stop briefly and walk for a minute near the end. I was good though and made myself start running again less than a block later.

Good luck to everyone with their 5k races...someday, maybe, I'll try one of those too... for now I'm just focussed on not stopping.

Nella-- if your shin splints are *true* shin splints, then they are a tendonitis of the medial tibial tendon......you can ice it and strech it and wrap it till your blue in the face, but the only thing that will fix it is the *correct* pair of shoes for you (that compensate for and adjust the underlying physiological reason, ie; high arches, flat arches, overpronation, underpronation, whatever), and also possibly custom orthitics molded to your feet to provide the right support. I promise if that is the problem, and you DO get the right shoes or orthotics, your problem will be INSTANTLY better!! However, it might not really be shin splints either...maybe just a burning feeling in your calves and front of legs due to just starting a running program!!! if thats the case, it will go away as you get stronger and your form improves!!

I wish everyone good luck and great fun at all your upcoming 5ks and other races!! Summers pretty much over, and i do SO love running during the fall!!!

This mornings run--- 10 miles, 1 hr 26 min 8:57 pace (shooting for 9 so thats pretty darn close) Thinking 9 minutes miles will be my marathon pace, so im trying to practice it, and gt the *feel* of it engrained into my muscles!! On a related note, i think 10 miles is the ABSOLUTE farthest i can go in the am WITHOUT having breakfast first!!!! I eat when i get into work, so i ran it on an empty tummy (like i do all my other weekday runs)..... I wasnt DYING during it, but i was struggling more than i should have been to maintain my 9 minute pace.....The amount of effort to turn over my legs felt more like i was running an 8 minute mile than a 9....... Of course i didnt realize this was the problem till about 9 miles into it!! I was confused as to why it was taking so much EFFORT, when ive run 10 miles and even 15 miles before with less effort.... So......its funny... only a few short months ago i would have considered 10 miles to be a *long* run and i would have planned my whole weekend around it, carbo loaded, had a big breakfast, planned out everything, etc.....but now i just roll out of bed before work and since ive got about an hour and a half, decide to pound out a quick 10 miler before work!1 :)

Ok I'm about to head out for another run/walk. Today doing W3D3. Really concentrating on my form. Gonna try to slow down without shortening my stride. On my recovery days I do 60 sec intervals. That is actually fun now.

I always run outside. Treadmills scare me to death. I just have visions of falling off of them....one wrong step....

A little worried about the winter but I have a great running shop and I plan to get new clothes :)

Oh and I've been doing a beginning yoga podcast...OMG, that is harder than running. My shoulders are very sore from downward facing dog, and I am not flexible enough to do alot of the poses all the way. I'm going to stick with it though, it does really stretch my hips.

Thanks all for the advice. I just got fitted for new shoes, so I don't think it's that. I'll just have to work through it.

I am so impressed with you ladies who can get up early and run! I might have to do that soon as it is starting to get darker earlier again. I love fall/winter, but hate that it's dark by the time I leave work. It's just so hard to get the kids, husband and myself ready and out the door by 7:45, never mind get a run in!

wake up earlier!! i ahve the same issues (kids, BF) but we have to leave by
6 30!!! am is the only time i can run....this morning i had to wake up extra early to make sure i got the 10 miles in without having to stress about time......are you ready for this?? 2:50AM!!!! frickin ridiculous!! but i have to have my run done no later than 5 30 am, no matter how far i am running!!!...i was out the door at 3 40 this morning!!

Good lord! I'm barely going to bed at the time you got up! The last few months I have had a hard time falling asleep before 12am. I thought it might change with exercising more, being worn out and all, but no.

Maybe that will be my goal in the next few weeks, get up early and go running.

Morning runs are awesome, but dang, that IS super early :yawn:

I went out this afternoon, I finish at noon, but it was hot, thank goodness there was a nice breeze, ended up running from shade to shade, I have to play mind games when it's hot out... I ended up doing a lot of walking but I was out there burning calories anyways... I walked/ran for 50 minutes...

There is a part of my that doesn't feel "qualified" to join the "runners" thread but...here it goes :o

I am a new runner, did the C25K program and am now just running. I have signed up for my first 5K in October. (It is a chariety run to raise money for breast cancer..I have a friend that is battling so a group of us have signed up) so I am just working on preparing for that.

I can run 5K (I have done it with 1 or 2 short walk breaks) but I am running s.l.o.w.l.y. and would like to increase my speed a bit. I just started running 2 days in a row, then one off (up from the every other day of C25K) and am thinking of doing one day of at least 5K and then another when I run less distance (2- 2 1.2 miles maybe) at a faster pace...then hopefully put it all together in a little while.

At any rate, that's what I've been doing. I can still hardly believe that I am running at all. I have never been a runner (even when I was thin) so running now seems incredible. And I ENJOY it! That's even cazier!!

Thnaks for reading my mini-novel :) Looking forward to learning from all you experienced runners!

MK - That is Freaking Early!!!! Have fun with that. I would prefer morning but I have a har enough time getting up at 5, let alone 3:30 or even 3:00:o. I do want to give it a try and just see how it feels though. I usually fun on an empty stomach as well but for me 8 miles is the limit for me with no food.

Fat Pants - You are doing so great. You are gonna do so well.

Sylvied - I have noticed that as well. Sometimes I just sort of "breeze" through the first workout but then wehn I try and repeat it takes every morsel of my being to complete it. But those are the days I feel like I can do anything....weird :carrot:

WELCOME momof5K!!!!!!!

ilene - I have to play mind games most days...:o hot or not:D

Nella - Keep on pushing. When I first started running my lower legs (underneath claves and fron of legs) used to burn like crazy. The only way I got past it was to suffering. You will eventually forget about when you see you just ran "x" miles.....

omg MK! And here I've been all proud of myself for my 5:40 rise-and-shine! What time do you go to bed?

That being said, I NEVER thought I'd turn into a morning person...but it's happening. Never thought I'd be a runner...it's happening. What's next?

you guys are gonna laugh..i try and be in bed by 7:30 pm!! usually dont actually fall asleep till after 8 though..... i am SO LAME!!!!! but, when im up at 3 am every morning........
This mornings run stats---- weekly torture (track) workout...
ran 400 m (.25mi), 1600 m(1 mile), 1200m (.75 mi), 800m (.5 mi), 1600m ( 1 mi) with 400 meters recovery jog in between each rep
1st 400 (warm up) 7:30 pace; 1600 = 7:05; 1200 =7:00 pace; 800= 6:50 pace; 1600 = 6:55

Totally rocked that last mile!! Now if i could just get ALL of my miles that fast....... :) how did everyones runs go yesterday and/or this morning?!!?

Holy cow. I work so hard to get up at 7!!!! I'm lucky in a way I own my own business that opens at 10 so I get up at 7 to run. Some days I run a bit later, but I typically work until 10:00 or 11pm.

Going out in a few for today's run. A bit late cuz I over slept an hour but I'm ok with it. Today is weird because I didn't schedule any appts because I have weddings both tomorrow and sunday and I have a ton of stuff to do to get ready. So I will run, do yoga, eat breakfast, then start getting ready.

I don't think I'll be able to run again this weekend. But oh well, I typically burn 3500+ calories on a wedding day so I think I'll be exhausted enough.

Great five miles this morning.

I have decided I am running every OTHER day. My plantar fascitis is much better off this way. One day of long run, then a day of rest and Ibuprofen, then running again.

My aim is to be asleep every night by 10:30. I get up @ 6 usually. But I have two kids to get to school. Last year I was running @ 5 am. Now--I usually start out @ 7:45.