MK - you look AWESOME! Your plan is quite inspiring too! holy cow!

TC - Good luck with your 7mile run. Your "short runs" are my current "oh my god I'm going to die" runs so I'm no help in the rest of your delima!

Momof5K - Since I haven't ran any real distance I may be off here, but last winter, I was doing some indoor track running and treadmill running and I could "run like the wind" on the in door track and the treadmill and then when summer came I went outside - but outside KILLED ME. There's wind, and uneven pavement with rocks, leaves, sticks and the occasional road kill to watch out for, hills, turns, traffic, other people, there's hot days, cold days etc... just a small breeze aimed at you will feel like you're running into a brick wall... I'd suggest getting in as much outdoor running as you can before your race. I'm sure your body will adjust if you do. All of your work hasn't been in vain.

Amy - Thanks for the good luck! Just a few months ago, my "short" runs were also my "I'm gonna die" runs!! It's crazy how quickly your body adapts if you keep it up fairly regularly, just a few times a week, and stick with it. Honestly, some days still, running 3 miles makes me feel like I'm gonna die, but I think that happens for a while until you're a superstar, like Mk! :)

Mom - A few months ago, I was in literally the EXACT same situation as you are now. I was doing great on the treadmill but couldn't make it for more than 20 minutes outside without feeling like ****. Amy gave you some great advice. It's really just as simple as running more outside! Sometimes I still dread my outdoor runs because for me, the treadmill is easier, but the more you get out there, the more comfortable you will be. Also, make sure to put the treadmill at a 1% incline and never ever run at 0% because it helps prevent injuries and also simulates outdoor running, though not perfectly. Make sure you're pacing yourself when you're outside, since you don't have a treadmill telling you how quickly you're running. And just take it slowly! Your body WILL adapt as long as you keep at it. Please try not to get too frustrated or get down on yourself. It'll all come together and you'll do great in your races!

momof5K-- i keep reading that as "mom of 5 K (Distance)" and not Mom of 5 kids....... :)
Anywa...when you start out runningoutside, its gonna feel weird, its gonna feel different. Thats a given. The ground does not move beneath you outside!!! I always feel like i get a better workout running outside!! :)
I can make ONE more suggestion as you transition into outdoor running (seems like takingCharge has it covered pretty well!) Try and make sure you find as FLAT a course as you can, to begin with! Alot of times, when we drive places, or even walk places, we dont realize we are going up a hill, unitll we try to RUN up it! Maybe you have a small lake with a path around it? (lake are usually pretty level the whole way around, if they are small enough). In anycase, going uphill and dealing with terrain maybe is a factor that really worked you!! Look at it this way though, everytime you go for a run outside you are getting a REALLY GREAT Workout!! :) Good luck, and keep at it! it will get a lot easier. I like to think of treadmills only as a backup plan, if i cant run outside, ya know?

ShrinkingAmy, you will get there!!!! And takingCharge, you know, we ALL have bad "oh my god im going to die runs!!"

Ok. getting ready to leave and go for my FIRST OUTDOOR RUN ALL WEEK!! WAhoos!! Or maybe its my second.... :l anyway, i have a 7 mi LA Threshold run.....Long run tempo, so i guess that mean i run it at an 8:03 mile. We will see how that goes..its still VERY icy out here.....

:dracula::haphal::dracula:

Mk you are AMAZING! Congrats on the pull up and FIRST friggen place in a 10K????? YOU GO GIRL! You look so strong in those pictures! Reading your posts are so inspirational to me, makes me feel like I can do ANYTHING!

Hope everyone has a nice Halloween and stays away from the evil candy! ;)

MK - thanks for the advice. I'll try changing it up and do strength before cardio, and spend more time on the treadmill. Good luck on that icy run!!!

Fatpants - great to see you here. congrats on size 8! Single digit size!!!

Dancer - I'll have to explore and see if there are other options besides sidewalk/pavement to run on. Maybe not immediately nearby, but perhaps if I drive instead of just starting out my front door.

So, I have some exciting news: I ran 5k last night! I bypassed the elliptical totally and hopped on the treadmill with my iPod. I've never run more than one mile at a time, so I thought 5k might be impossible, but I pulled it off. I ran/walked it in 35:40, which I know isn't too fast, but hey, it was my first time ever doing it! I felt great afterwards, and my legs/glutes aren't even really sore today, just that "I had a good workout" feeling in the muscles, you know? So this makes me feel like I could get somewhere in this running business, like maybe even run a 5k in summer 2010 if I am diligent in my training and weight loss efforts. Thanks for being an inspiration, everybody!

Mk - Good luck with the run! Hope it's not too painful!

Blueridge- Congrats!!! That's such a great accomplishment. You should be really proud of yourself that you pushed through and make it through a whole 5K. Once you get comfortable with that distance, your running will take off before you know it!

As for me...I did it! 7 miles!! Well, I think it was 6.9, but whatever. I am TIRED. More tired than I thought I'd be, considering I've done 6.2 before and didn't feel too bad after. I planned the route so that the first half would be slightly uphill but the second half would be slightly downhill, which was great for the second half, but by mile 3, my legs were dying with the uphill! I also got pretty tired at around mile 5 and ate a few almonds, which really didn't do much, so I need to invest in some of those wacky gels or shot blocks or whatever. I also brought along some vitamin water but out of habit, I bought the low sugar 10 calorie version, so not much help in the sugar/energy boost department!! Lots of lessons learned to prepare me for my 8 mile attempt next weekend! That sounds miserable right about now, haha, but maybe after a good breakfast and some coffee, I'll change my mind. :)

How's everyone else doing today? Nothing like a great run to start off halloween! Hopefully I won't negate it all with cocktails at tonight's party!

blueridge-- sounds to me like you can run a 5 K now!!! Why wait till summer? Congrats, BTW, and 35 minutes is a GREAT 5k time!! Doesnt it make you feel like you are on top of the world?! :)

Evel-- thank you!1 i was actually SQUEALING and SCREAMING with joy when i did a pull-up!! it was the greatest feeling!!

And thank you ALL for the Compliments on the Pictures!
I just want to point out to ALL OF YOU, that i have only been running for about 1 and a half years!! I was overweight, outta shape, and on top of all that, a recovering methamphetamine addict and a pack a day smoker (just quit smoking). Your running will take ALL OF you as far as you want to go with it!! You have to keep trying, and keep working and keep pushing! The rewards are tremendous!!

mk - :bravo: on the pullup - that's awesome! And NO WAY were your photos too muscular - you looked slim and strong!

blueridge - happy dance for your great run! Amazing what you can do if you give it a shot, isn't it?

tc - nice to see you back and hope the run today goes/went well!

Blue, congrats on your 5k! :carrot:

Takingcharge, great job on 7 (or6.9;)) miles! That's AWESOME! Don't let the cocktails win!

Me, I'm on my rest day today. I just started c25k yesterday and my run/walk went really well! I've attempted c25k in the past and week one was a lot harder than it was yesterday so I'm getting better!

I have a beginner's question (or two) for you wonderful ladies.

I am EAGER to go go go and this first rest day is killing me! I want to go and run again, but I've heard from sooo many people that taking it slow is critical to not getting injured especially when you are starting out. I've been exercising 6-7 days a week for 12 weeks now and I'm curious if on my run rest days if I should still do other kinds of exercise? I know I need to be resting my joints and my legs and stuff but I'm worried that I won't lose as much weight if I don't keep up with my exercising. What should I do?

Secondly, I've been reading reading reading everything I can about training and I've been hearing a lot about 'carbo-loading' and eating a higher amount of carbs while you are running. Well, for the past 12 weeks of my weight loss journey, I've been following a high protein and low carb diet. It's been getting me great results to date. I'm worried that if I still keep my carb intake limited it will sacrifice my runs or if I up my carb intake I will gain weight. Ack! What's a chick to do? :?:

Thanks for reading and any help I can get is GREATLY appreciated! :D

Evel-When a running training plan, such as C25K, calls for a "rest" day, what it really means is a day off from running! I ABSOLUTELY think you should continue to exercise on your off days, just try and pick an activity that is not hard on the joints. Do cycling, swimming, elliptical, strength training, etc!! You can even supplement your running with additional exercise, such as the above mentioned suggestions. I personally HIGHLY Recommend/suggest you supplement your running with strength training, at least 2 or 3 X a week. Thats where you will REALLY see the results!!!

Im so glad for you that youre so psyched about running!! Its SO ADDICTIVE! The more adapted your body gets to running, the more often youll be able to do it as well, without adversely affecting your joints.


As for the carbs--yes, its true that ANY form of exercise utilizes glycogen for immediate energy. I trained for a marathon for 6 months on a "low carb"ish diet, and ran it successfully, while losing weight. Granted, my low carb wasnt like atkins or anything, just LOWER carb. I still ate fruit and whole grains and veggies with every meal. If you are in serious training for something, you would want to have a slightly higher carb ratio i suppose. But to be honest, i found the most helpful thing as I was training, was the HIGH protein part of my diet. Eating so much protein allowed my body to fully, and quickly recover between workouts ( i would run in the am, and then w/o with trainer or strength train in the evenings). It also allowed me to continue to INCREASE my muscle mass as my fat mass decreased. If, and when, you get to the point that you are running for more than 90 minutes at a time, thenyou will need to think about supplementing during your run with carbs, such as runners energy goos. And the only time you need to "carbo load" is before an endurance event, such as running a marathon, or a half marathon if you plan on it taking you longer than a couple hours to complete. I think you will do ok, as long as you are consuming SOME HEALTHY GOOD Carbs. But we are all different, and if you start finding you dont have the energy to complete your runs, then maybe you need to look into adding more carbs in!

MK, you are a fountain of running knowledge! I am so grateful to be able to have my questions answered by people with experience!

Now I'm off to devise a new exercise plan to incorporate my running! :D

Tomorrow morning i will tackle my first *long* run since the marathon---13 miles . . . . . I AM going to start working on my long distance speed, however. So the 13 miles will be run at approx an 8 30 mi or 8 45 mi.

Eve - Thanks! I'll do my best not to let the cocktails win. Mk did a great job of answering your questions and I don't have too much to add, other than I would suggest taking 1 actual rest day a week, where you really let your body take it easy, maybe a nice walk or yoga/stretching. That may become more important as you start increasing your mileage, but I definitely second the opinion that you should supplement running with other forms of exercise! And the carbs issue is really something you'll just have to play around with. Make sure to listen to your body and try to adjust if you feel you need more energy during your runs or just in general, as the effects of running can definitely be felt on rest days as well as during your actual runs. Good luck!!

Mk - Good luck with the 13 miler! I posted this earlier, but do you have any advice on fuel during runs? I saw you mentioned something about only fueling after 90 minutes, but even during 7 miles today, I was pretty tired, since I run early in the morning and don't each much breakfast. Do you use gels/block/beans? I'm so tired today after only 7 miles! I can't imagine going for 8 next week...yikes. I guess your body adapts right? Hopefully that'll kick in soon!

Happy Halloween everyone!!

D*MN!! I just typed out a HUGE response for you, taking charge! And i got the BOOT!!!! SIGH....

90 minutes to 2 hours is about how much glycogen our liver can store for energy.
The energy goos are NOT Diet friendly, just so you know. They are all about 100 calories and PURE Sugar/carbohydrates--25 grams. This provides IMMEDIATE energy being released into your blood. My advice, if you are being sugar/diet/carb conscious, is to eat a little more substantially beofre your long run. I also do not eat breakfast before i run, unless it is a long run. I think youre better off eating an apple or oatmeal which have lower glycemic loads, and will therefore release the energy you need slowly throughout the run, and it wont blow the diet! But goos are DEFINITELY useful for quick pick-me ups, or if your run is 2 or 3 or more hours long. If im running really long, i will take one every 5 miles or so, whether im feeling tired or not. I prefer the goos over the gummy Chews and jelly beans, but just becuz they are more compact. The Chews, and Luna things and Cliff blocks are all DELICIOUS!!! Delicious but bulkier. I carry everything with me in the tinyest little key pocket on my water bottle. If your considering a fuel belt or water belt, i highly recommend DONT. It has been my experience that they are all designed for men, and not for humans with HIPS. They cause me every sort of discomfort and irritation imaginable, and i own SEVERAL brands and varieties. That is my opinion. I cannot stress enough how much i cant stand wearing a water belt. I use a hand-carrying water bottle thingy, with this strap that goes around your hand, so you dont actually have to grip it. I dont EVEN NOTICE IT anymore. Granted, it doesnt hold a lot of water, BUT all of my running routes frequently pass gas stations and fast food restaraunts and such, where there is ALWAYS a sink to refill my water bottle. I never go thirsty.

Whew! The first response wa much more thoughtful a response, but im tired. Hope you all have a great evening and great runs tomorrow!!

BTW-TakingCharge-- Mayhaps you were doing your long run too fast?? Long runs are not done at the same pace you run a 10K at, ya know? You run a little slower than a 9 minute mile avg? 9:20- 9:30 if i remember correctly---- Do your long runs at LEAST as slow as 10 min miles, if not 10 30s or even 11's. i SWEAR. Trust me. The point of running long is to build endurance and tolerance to being on your feet running for a length of time. I run my 10Ks at 7 to 730 min/mi and i trained/ran my marathon at 9 minute miles.

takingcharge,

Thank you for your advice! I like the idea of having a yoga stretch day! My body is relaxing just thinking about it...mmmmmmmm:yoga:

As for the hydration discussion, what about a camelback backpack? I own one and I've been using it for when me and DH would go cycling but I am going to try to run with it once I get into longer distance runs. They aren't heavy and have an easily accessible mouthpiece attached to a little hose where you just bite onto the mouthpiece and suck. Again, I haven't tried running with mine yet, but when I do I will let you know how it worked for me. http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recre...ion-packs.aspx

I get to do day two of c25k tomorrow! YAY! Never thought I'd be this excited about running! :D

hth!

Good Morning everyone!

Today is day two of c25k for me and I'm up and at em' before I have to go to work. I just had a great breakfast. 1/2 cup of old fashioned oatmeal mixed with a tbsp of flaxseed and some yogurt for sweetness and an egg white omelet with a tiny bit of cheese and a lot of spinach. YUM! After my run and workout, I am having a protein shake with skim milk and 2 tbsp natural peanut butter. Then after showering it's off to work! That extra hour of sleep from turning clocks back really refreshed me! I'm ready to hit the ground running!

Hope everyone has a good day!

Ive never tried running with a camelback! Ive always envisioned they would bump around back there and really annoy me, but maybe not! you DEF have to let us know how that works!!! Enjoy Day 2!!

Im getting ready to eat a small bowl of oatmeal (like a quarter cup) with a handful of raisins and a little bit of whey protein mixed in...then im off on my 13 miler! I dont usually eat before a run unless its REALLY long, BUT, if i dont eat SOMETHING now itll be 9 or 9 30 before i get anything into my tummy... im actually VERY excited about this run...the solitude of running for 2 hours......the extreme ENJOYMENT i had while running the marathon still fresh in my head........it could definitely be described as a peaceful, contented feeling..... Also, im planning on trying a "new" loop, that is 10 miles, then i will pass back by my house and then im going to switch out my running shoes and go barefoot (using the vibram 5 fingers) for the last 3 ish miles as i do another, smaller route around the neighborhood. Ive never worn them running outside yet, so it should be pretty neat. Hopefully by 9 ish all the snow/ ice will be melting off again. Anyway, thats the plan.
13 miles: 8:45ish Pace

EvelHalf--that sounds like a FANTASTIC power charged BRkFst for running!!!! And i LOVE the after workout Protein!!!! That exactly what i did to lose all my weight and gain muscle mass at the same time... Youve seen my pics? im friggin HUGE. MUSCLE WOMAN. I shoulda been SHE-man for halloween.... :)
Once again, if you have time, i can t stress enough how important strength training in for runners!!! Work your legs and your core!!!

Have fun on your run!!!

Evel-how did your run go??

Grr...mine went FANTASTIC. TOTAL zen-like peace and contentment. LOVED IT. Unfortunately, it got cut short. I went home after 10 miles to change into my vibram five fingers so i could run the last three mi barefoot, and THEN i got a phone call that i had to go pick up my daughter..... i will try and get the last 3 miles in later today, i suppose.....

Hey girls! Since it always takes me a few days to catch on and find the new month's thread, I decided I'd start it this time! So join me in the Running in November thread!! (That's where you'll find my responses to the previous posts also!)

Happy November!