daisy- congrats on your hm! That is an impressive time! I hope when I do mine in June that I will have a somewhat decent time but as long as I finish before they close the course down (in 5 hours lol) I will be happy.
Good luck with your race, blue! Have a blast!
I'm eating my power breakfast of egg whites with feta and oatmeal with some p.b. YUM! 6 miles today....I can do this!
Did 9 miles today...jst to se if i could still run *long* but i wouldnt really call it long. Maintained an easy 9 minute mile pace. 1 hr 15 minutes. The problem (which i somehow CHOSE to forget about) is the BOREDOM...... blah blah...its not my legs, its my ability to keep myself entertained!!
month or two...im not concerned about the distance (i could do it today-- heck, i could prob run a marathon today if if i had too) the thing is, i WANT TO BREAK 1 HOUR and 40 MINUTES! Or at least 1:45. I have no business qualifying for Boston if i cant run a half in under 1:45. So that maybe should be my focus??
What ever goal idecide on, i just need to go ahead and DO IT ALREADY
So I have officially run my first 5k! My time was 31:12 which is a PR (I thought I had run a sub-30 5k last week on the route but realized I had missed one of the turns - my mapreading skills leave much to be desired...) The race started at 7:45, and I got up at 5:45 (arggh, it was still dark out) and had a small bowl of shredded wheat cereal and almonds, and then my partner and I left home at about 6:30. We live close to race site and there was no traffic, so we got there, signed in, and got our race numbers and had like an hour to kill! We ended up sitting in the car for a while (it was kind of cold) and then got out at 7:15 to jog a bit to warm up. I saw a few people I knew which was nice.
We lined up, there were a few announcements (which I didn't really hear) and then all of a sudden we were off! I have never run in a crowd before and it was strange to navigate being around so many people. There were a lot of slower runners so I ended up passing a lot of people (a new experience for me) and then by the end of the 1st mile it thinned out and my partner and I had a nice niche where there weren't too many people around us. I ran the first mile in EXACTLY ten minutes - my goal going out was to run ten minute miles - and then the time at the second mile was 20:12. So almost exactly ten minute miles - I wasn't wearing a watch so I'm pleased I was able to pace that well and didn't go too fast going out.
Between miles 1.5-3 there were some hills which were tough. There was a point when mentally I was like, "what is this about? why am I doing this?" and then I thought of the people I love with autism (it was a race to raise funds for the Virginia Institute of Autism) and a friend of mine was along the route and cheered me on so I redoubled my efforts. The last lap was heading into the parking lot/playground of the school, and when I turned the corner I saw the big clock at 31:02, and I knew I was going to PR. I kicked it into high gear and finished at 31:12. There were only about 700 runners (my estimate) and it didn't take me to long to get to the starting line so I think that is a pretty accurate time. Right after the race was over I felt kind of nauseous, but I didn't throw up or anything. It was crazy that there were a ton of people behind us - even after we got a drink and sat on the grass and stretched for 10 minutes or so there were quite a few runners still coming in - since I was pretty much always the last person to finish a run in gym class it's hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I was so far from last. The weather was nice, which helped, and it was great to have race volunteers cheering us on at every turn.
I'm pleased with my time - I mean, I still want to lose about 40 pounds, so if I think that I basically ran a 5k in 31:12 with 40 extra pounds on, which means when I can take more of that off I'll really be able to increase my time. I want to do another 5k in June or July when I am in Boston (hopefully sub-30 min), and am already looking ahead to the women's 4-miler on Labor Day weekend. I'm definitely hooked!
Thanks to all of you for your support and inspiration - especially to FP who, way back when I was trying my first tentative steps on the treadmill - invited me over to the running thread. I am turning 30 in August and it's thrilling for me to be as fit as I've ever been and developing a new skill at this point in my life. I'm a runner! And I race!
Well done eberyone who has done races - I loved my first ever race which was a 10K last May. I am still hoping to enter the same one this year but with my calf problems I am still working up to longer runs.
I am up to Week 6 of my condensed C25K and have had no problems so far - touch wood. I have bene running with a support bandage round my calf which does seem to help. Tomorrow is my first run without a break - only 25 minutes but it will be a test.
There is also a 5K fun run this July which I did last year and want to do again - it is also open to kids, and my 8 year old daughter wants to run it, so I started her on the C25K this week. She has finished Week 1 and is buzzing to carry on. She does a decent pace too for a kid - between 5.5 and 6mph.
blue- WOOHOOO! Congrats on the pr! That is an awesome time, girl! I'm so glad you had a nice race! After my first 5k I was hooked, too.
My 6 miles went fabulously well! My hips didn't bother me nearly as much as they used too, and I finished in 1 hr. 6 mins. I looked on my bodybugg to see how many calories I'd burned for my run and I burned over 900! I was so psyched to see that number. I went out and bought some cliff shot blocks for next week and the weeks to come, since I'll be running for over an hour. I also went shopping for a few outfits because I have absolutely no clothes that fit me right that I can go out in and look nice. If I wanted clothes that fit, I had to put on gym/workout clothes and I was feeling girly yesterday not sporty, lol. I haven't felt girly in a loooong time so that was a nice feeling. But anyway, I found I am now in a size 12 jeans! I have not been in that size since highschool! I'm going to take a few pics to compare to my beginning pics. Right after work, I have an appointment with the chiropractor that is certified in 'spidertech taping' so I am excited about that as well.
Blue - congrats on your first race AND a PR! Fabulous job! You are most certainly a full-fledged runner! Sounds like you had a lot of fun...racing is addicting!
Eve - Glad to hear your 6 miler went well with little hip pain! What a great feeling!
Robsia - I love that your daughter wants to pick up running.. I hope to instill the love of running in my kids too. I always tell DH our kids will be track stars lol.
MK - If you qualify for Boston with a half does that mean you have to do a half at Boston? Or can you enter the full?
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I'll just add the shortened version of my race report: My race yesterday was crap (4 of 6 miles uphill) BUT somehow I manged to PR by shaving off 2 miles of my previous 10k race time. So not a total wash. Probably will not run the course again because it completely sucked.
There is also a 5K fun run this July which I did last year and want to do again - it is also open to kids, and my 8 year old daughter wants to run it, so I started her on the C25K this week. She has finished Week 1 and is buzzing to carry on. She does a decent pace too for a kid - between 5.5 and 6mph.
I am doing C25k with my 11 y/o son, in preparation for a kid triathlon this summer that he wants to enter. He loves the program, and I love doing it with him
Well, I chickened out of doing the non stop 25 mins, but I did run three miles, with a minute walk in between each one. on Wednesday I will do 3 miles again, with a minute walk half way through, and on Friday I will try for the non stop 3 miles. If my calf holds up all week I will consider it cautiously healed and start carefully training for the 10K. I won't enter it till the last minute though - just see how things go.
TBH at the moment, it is my OTHER calf that is hurting more - I have a sort of varicose vein on that calf, which protrudes when I run, and it aches deep inside. I may have to put bandages on BOTH calves.
Wow! Somehow I stopped getting email updates from this thread so I came back to tons!
Congrats everyone on your races! Fatpants: LOVE your new avatar!
My half marathon relay is 10 days away. Yikes! I am excited and so nervous too! The thing that sucks about a relay is my friend and I don't actually get to run it together (I am doing the first leg and she the second). They do arrange it so the partners get to meet up just before the finish line so they can crosee together so that is kind of cool.
I have pretty consistently been running 5 miles two or three times a week and am considering training for a September half after my relay event. Have I lost my mind?
momof5k: No, I don't think you've lost your mind. In fact I think all of us here totally understand. Unless that makes us all mad?
We're heading into winter here, and it's getting darker in the evenings. I already get up at 5am to get to work on time, and I don't like running in the dark.
So I've had a brainwave. I bought a running backpack, and I'm going to take my running clothes to work. Then in the afternoon I'll change into them, put my work clothes in the bag and run to the train station! And I'll run to a further train station as my runs get longer. The stations are only about 1k apart if you travel by road, so it won't be too much of a stretch. And it's only 14k to my house, so eventually I'll be running home! Not every day obviously, but when I want to do a decently long midweek run.
Eve: I'm glad to hear running is going well for you. Yeah for you
Blue: Excellent first run. I'll bet that felt great.
FP: I love your new pic
momof5kids: good luck on the relay, have a great time
So momof5kids made me think that when I run my half with dh I'll get to the finish line all with my lonely old self. He's fast but not that fast...... Maybe I'll get some girlfriends to take pity on me and come down to celebrate the improbable with me.......
nine and a half weeks to go. Training is going ok and my hamstring is holding up so far. I made a new running friend in the neighborhood that goes my speed. We haven't run together yet, but we will.
My 65 yo arthritic MIL finished Boston in 4:01 on Monday. It took cortisone in her knee, but she did it to celebrate being 5 years cancer free. She's a pistol.....
sGeranium - great story re your MIL. So inspirational - when I think about the other challenges some folks face it kind of puts things in perspective.
Primm - great idea on running home from work. Sounds like a great way to build up mileage, and practical too.
FP - I read about your race on your blog (great blog, by the way). Sorry to hear that the race wasn't well organized - that sounds frustrating. But congrats on a PR! Sounds like it turned out all despite the bumps in the road.
Okay, saying it here to make it official: I am planning on doing my longest run so far this weekend (tomorrow). They are forecasting thunderstorms so may be on the treadmill. The longest I've gone is 5 miles, so I am planning to go at least 5.25, may more, depending on how I feel. Exciting to be increasing mileage! Frustrated that the scale isn't responding even though I'm working really hard, but at least I can see the progress in my running which is rewarding.
i have been training for a 10k for the past 11wks + training for a 1/2 past month.
got up to 15k a few weeks ago
but last sunday - i rolled my ankle and have to take off at least 2 wks
my 10k is on may 9th - might have to walk it
any one else been in this position - any suggestions?
after a week of pouting - i finally did an hr on the elliptical
sznn --
your call, i guess..
i snapped my ankle the week of one of my marathons...still ran it. I tore TWO ligaments in my OTHER ankle the weekend before my first ever 10 miler....still ran it, but that was rough...
Ive run on MULTIPLE stress fractures......
why 2 weeks?
If you REALLY want it to heal youll stay off it for closer to 6 weeks. If its really not that bad, you should/could feel fine running tomorrow or the next day...... its not going to ever HEAL CORRECTLY if you run on it though...and no matter what, its always gonna be prone to rolling prob for the rest of your life..
SECONDLY, if you are going to go ahead and WALK the 10K, then you might as well run it! youre still putting stress on it by USING it for 6.2 miles..... if it doesnt hurt to walk than it shouldnt hurt to run
I'm so glad you had a nice race! After my first 5k I was hooked, too. 
I was so psyched to see that number. I went out and bought some cliff shot blocks for next week and the weeks to come, since I'll be running for over an hour. I also went shopping for a few outfits because I have absolutely no clothes that fit me right that I can go out in and look nice. If I wanted clothes that fit, I had to put on gym/workout clothes and I was feeling girly yesterday not sporty, lol. I haven't felt girly in a loooong time so that was a nice feeling. But anyway, I found I am now in a size 12 jeans! 
I have not been in that size since highschool! I'm going to take a few pics to compare to my beginning pics. Right after work, I have an appointment with the chiropractor that is certified in 'spidertech taping' so I am excited about that as well.
