January Running!!!
 

Good morning everyone and happy New Years Eve! So I know I'm early, but I so wanted to start this month'ss thread for many reasons. The obvious ones, it's a new month, a new year and because I've never gotten to start the running thread!

But more because this month's thread is pretty special to me. January 2011 marks the one year anniversary of when I started running seriously. I'd run in high school as a source of exercise and a little bit in the begining of my weight loss journey. But last January, I had hit the preverbal plateau of losing the weight for the second time and decided that it was time to start doing something about it. So, like many of you, I started running. It was tough at at first. 5 mins was difficult, but within a month or so I could do a mile. By April I was up to 3 miles and I was addicted. I never expected to fall in love with running the way I did and by July I was at my "goal" and ready for a bigger challenge, so I signed up for a half marathon and officially started calling myself a running. The training was a challenge but so rewarding and in November I ran my first half marathon.

Today, I'm still logging in the miles, about 20-25 a week, and I'm 10 lbs past my goal putting me at about 50 lbs lost in a year and a total loss of 130 lbs in the last 4 years.

I've got some big plans for 2011, I'm registered for my next half in August and will likely do one next New Years Eve as well. I'm setting a goal for myself of 1000 miles in 2011, but with my training for the halves I'm hoping to beat that. The big picture is the LA Marathon in 2012, but mentally I'm having a really difficult time imagining running 26.2, so I'm not committing to anything on that front yet.

So what are your goals for the new year and the new month?

Happy running in 2011!

My goals for tomorrow are the same as they were yesterday and today..haha! That is, to continue running and incorporating weight training (so far...so good), and increasing my pull ups (up to 3..woot!)....and of course, to get down to my goal weight of 150 lbs @14%bf!:)

My running goals are simply to be able to run 5 miles. I will not ever run more than this because I would like to be able to walk when I'm 65 yrs old...without the help of a walker..lol! But 5 miles is my ultimate goal. Right now...I'm up to 4.3 miles @5.0mph. Speed is a "non-issue" for me as I do not have hopes of entering into the olympics, nor am I interested in running publicly held races (at least, right now..that is).

My goals (as always) are to keep listening to my body...and to take it places when and where it will allow me to go! Living each day as if it were my last...as tomorrow is not promised to me (not even if it's a new year or an old year...)

I'm going to join in this thread because I need some serious accountability this month. See, I'm involved in this wellness competition at work that has a pretty badass vacation as the top 3 prizes. We get points for all kinds of things, one of the big ones being meeting 2 goals that we set for ourselves in November. Enter running.

One of my goals is to run/jog a full mile without stopping/walking, and I'm way behind schedule. I have to meet my goal by the last Friday of this month. When I tried a 5 min run Monday, I really thought I was going to throw up. So I can't even run half a mile right now and I need to complete a full before the month is out. I think I need to reduce my pace. I don't feel like I'm running that fast (I bumped my usual 5.5 down to 5.2/5.1 for the 5 min run). I did do a 3 min 5.5mph run before the 5 min (C25K wk 4). Maybe I should slow down my warm up run too. I think I may try to run outside today. The weather is nice and perhaps that will help me set my pace more naturally.

Hi Ncuneo, I too started in 2010 getting serious about running. I am happy to say that I trained for my first 5k from August to October and completed the 5k without walking. I am currently up to 3.5 miles at 5.2 - 5.2 miles per hour. My goal for 2011 running is for the first six months is to get up to 4.1 miles for the April Pat Tillman Run and possibly by year end do a 10k run. My ultimate goal is a 1/2 marathon but I'm working at it a little more gradiually.

Good luck to you all for 2011 !

I too worry about this, but I've read the running helps build bones and prevent ostoperosis. Athough there's no denying that many runners have a lot of issues as they age. Here's hoping I'm not one of them:)

Osteoarthritis (which causes cartilage loss), can be caused by overuse of joints. Frequent long distance running is known to cause the dreaded "stress fracture". Medically speaking, the "jury is out" on whether marathon/long distance running in itself causes the disease, however, it makes sense to me that the constant pounding, wear and tear of this thin sheet of cartilage in your knee over many years may potentially stand a good chance of wearing out. If I err...I'll do it on the safe side.

Anyways...my journey is about learning "moderation". I've always been an ALL or NOTHING person and I'm trying to change that. Besides, I'm too old (43) to become an olympic champion...LOL!. Being fit and looking fab is more than sufficient for me.;)

P.S. - I also know way too many family members and friends who are suffering with this cartilage issue...so I'm not taking any chances!

Hello there, hope its ok if i join up too.

I'm just now getting back to the gym, and I used to consider myself a runner...I miss that a lot. I've done a handful of halfs, and my last race was Thanksgiving 09 (10k. I started the rapid gain about a month later.) I ran a few times over the summer, when I made the first attempt to lose what i gained this year, but that fell by the wayside when I backslide.

Anyhow, I just started back at the gym yesterday. I am not able to run much, and for now I do 2 min walking and run/jog for 2 mins for about 30 mins and want to add in additional cardio. I would really like to be up to being able to make it 2 miles by the end of the month. Starting super small, but gotta start somewhere. It was really hard to swallow how hard it was, and how slow I am now (i used to, while i was not something special or that fast, but pretty decentish. that and running this heavy is just so much harder of course)

I'd like to enter something possibly come April. Seems plausible.

And ncuneo- wow congrats on such achievements!

Hey everyone! I just started running... When I first started I could barely do 30 seconds.. now I'm up to a minute. I'm going to keep pushing myself and keep going! I want to be able to run a 5k this year.

Thanks for starting off the new running thread!

Awesome accomplishments ncuneo :)

For the month of January my plans are to increase my miles by about 10% or so a week. I'm starting the month by running a 4 mile race tomorrow in Salem, MA. The weather is going to be mild and temperatures might actually be close to 50, very nice running weather. I was afraid it would be super cold and snowy.

My long term goal for this year is actually to run a marathon. I know that seems outrageous and daunting considering the fact that the longest distance I'd run is only a 10k and a marathon is over 4 times that amount ;)

I'm thinking of the Chicago Marathon in October. Registration for that opens on April 1st. I have friends in the Chicago area. Another possibility for me for a fall marathon is the "Steamtown" marathon in PA. I also know someone from the area that I could stay with.

At this point I'm not sure I want to be a marathon runner as much as I want to just complete one.

EDIT: Welcome to the new posters on this thread!

I'd like to join in too. I've been a recreational runner for a while but had to stop when I had pretty severe knee pain. Five weeks ago, I had a torn meniscus repaired through surgery and I'm currently rehabbing that with physical therapy, which is going well so far. Both my surgeon and my therapist say there is no reason I can't get back to running as long as I start slowly and build up gradually - sound advice for anyone starting, of course. My knee injury was most likely not caused by running but by my pelvis being misaligned (it tips forwards and up on the right side) which in turn pulled my leg out of alignment and caused my kneecap to rub on my cartilage. I'm now working on stretching and strengthening the supporting muscles and tendons in my legs to help alleviate the misalignment.

I also just got new running shoes. I've always worn stability shoes, having been told by a number of "specialty" running store employees that I over-pronate. The store I went to this week puts you on a treadmill and videos you running - they play it back at slow speed and you can see if you do indeed pronate. I don't - my stride is almost perfectly neutral, which was news to me! So I bought a pair of Brooks neutral shoes and the difference in my running gait is pretty amazing. I'm only running very short intervals right now (30 seconds) as I'm still rehabbing the knee but I can tell the difference already. I'm hoping to run a 5k in late February, then complete a couple more of them in the spring, a 10k in late spring, and a half marathon (if the knee holds up!) in late 2011.

I am also going to join this running thread! My goal is to run 30 miles this month!!! So excited. I start week 6 on the C25K this week, so that should help get my mileage up! I run my first 5k on March 12, 2011

So my outside attempt at c25k week 4 went a lot better (and A LOT slower). I can't wait for the days to get longer again. I run on the treadmill because it's dark after work and my neighborhood isn't so great. For now, I guess I just need to dial that speed way down.

Not running yet - currently I do some light jogging on my treadmill and walk 6 miles every few days. However several months ago I was walking 8 miles and running in bits and pieces of that... I think about 2 minutes then walk for 5.

Gonna try and reclaim that. At some point you just can't walk everything because it takes up too much time! :) Fortunately I have a long stride and can walk a mile in 15 minutes.

WHOOHOOO! It looks like there are lots of great enthusiastic people joining the thread. Welcome :) Darway, jogging 2 and then walking 5 definately counts as running. Keep it up and soon you will be jogging 5 and walking 2 and then going longer and longer without needing to walk.

Today I finished the "Wicked Frosty Four" race in Salem, MA. My time was just about 45 minutes.

This week ends my most mileage ever. I've run 4 times this week for a total of 17 miles! Maybe next week I'll shoot for running 20 miles with a long run of 6 or 7.

I want to join too! I am running about 1.5 miles straight and then keep going walking running for another 1 or so. I want to keep increasing until I run the entire half and hour and do 5 minute warm up and cool down. Right now I am able to run for 15 minutes and then do the remaining time alternating.
Question for you seasoned runners....I was told to only run every other day but I sometimes am not able to do any other type of exercise and I end up running maybe 4 days in a row and then when my husband is home I can do yoga. So is it very bad. How are your running schedules?

Congrats on your race Matt!

Good luck on your training twinmomma! I'm so jealous of your confidence to run a full! Mentally I'm just not there yet. I'm hoping a couple more halves willl get me there. I think I might train beyond a max of 13 miles, maybe 15-20 just to get my confidence up.

I'm splitting up my long run this week so I got in 5 today. I had to run it with a jogging stroller today and the hill to my house almost killed me! It's about a 1 1/2 mile gradual incline. I hope I get used to it soon because there's no way to avoid it and it's making my runs slightly less enjoyable.

Sun, your running schedule needs to work for you, however, every other day is good advice. I'm running 4 days in a row this week because of some weather and schedule issues, but my schedule typically looks as follows. Run M, W, F, Su. Strength train T, Th. Leisure walk Sat. Just really listen to your body. I find my runs start to suffer when I run too many days in a row.

Good morning everyone. I am day late to the party - thank goodness it a month long party :)
I am looking fwd to joining all of you on this running journey this month and throughout 2011. I tried to start running this summer with C2k and did it for about 3 weeks but gave up because of the heat and lack of personal motivation. In October I started to do SLIM in 6 dvds. After 4 weeks I became bored however I gained motivation to want to keep exercising. I jumped back into running with alternating run/walk. By the beginning of December I was able to 3 to 4 miles. I got sick and that really put a hamper in my training. I did my first 5K mid December right on the heels of being sick but it made me want to really run more.

I have set my goal at running 1/2 marathon. I am using Hal Hidgons novice plan. I am also thinking seriously about doing the NYC marathon. I am not sure though if I will physically and mentally be able to run for 26.2 miles hence why I am trying hard to get my first 1/2 marathon in early to see if I like longer runs. I log my training miles at daily mile which I like because it records my feelings about the runs. I think it will be interesting to be able to go back over time and read them all.

I also wanted to ask you all what types of strength training and cross training do you do if any?

I strength train 2xs a week. Your usually stuff - free weights, squats, lunges, deadlifts, step ups. I did New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women and I'm now looking for a program specific to running. I really want to spring for a trainer but just can't seem to find the funds.

6 miles today, almost hit my goal of 6 in an hour. I did it in 1:00:49. I would have crushed it if it wasn't for that darn hill! Damn you hill! I will conquer that dumb thing.

Joining as well. Ran 4+ yesterday, 3 of it with a friend who pushes me to run just a little faster. I'm hoping to run with her once a week for a slightly faster workout.

My goals for this year are to run 1000 miles and run a mile in under 6 and a half minutes... or maybe 7. I did a one mile race in 7 and a half minutes a year ago, but I think I can drop that time dramatically. Or at least I hope so.

2011 will be the year of my first half... in 12 weeks! I have not run for three weeks but I will go full speed starting Tuesday (today Sund it is raining and tomorrow my kids have gymnastics).

My biggest running enemies have been and will be time and weather. I run in the afternoons, right after work, and if there is something extra besides Mon, like a meeting or something, then I cannot run that day. Mornings, forget it. I go to sleep around 1am everyday (due to work), there is no way I can run in the mornings. For rainy days, I would like to sign up for a gym but if I am going to use it only when it rains, doesn't make sense.

All and all, I want to look like the woman in the Jan cover of Runner's World by the end of this year LOL.

Hello everyone! I would also like to join this running thread. I’m actually no newbie to running. Throughout high school I ran cross country, track and indoor track. I’ve been running off and on for the last 6 months, but I would like to be more consistent with it. Some weeks I’ll run 30 miles and the next week I won’t run at all. Right now my goal is to run at least 20-25 miles a week. My ultimate goal is to run the Marine Corps Marathon in October, possible.

I ran 9.6 miles yesterday and 5 miles Tuesday, so that equals about 15 miles this week. I was going to run today, but it has been raining all day. The weather looks good tomorrow though. Highs in the 30s and clear, so I’m definitely going to start off my Monday morning with a 5 mile run. :)

alright so I didn't run today..I jogged/powerwalked for an hour...went for 4 miles.
I know that is not alot but I remember right after I had my baby and I could barely walk 5 minutes before I was winded and tired and now I literally bounced to the very end..enjoying it all the way through. :) Hope everyone enjoyed their runs today.

I haven't run this year yet - that sounds so dramatic! Yesterday was cold and windy - when I say cold, I'm talking around 35F which for here is darn cold! But the wind really was biting and I hate running in the wind. Today I rode my horse for the first time in months - I've not been able to ride due the knee problem, but now that's resolving, I've been desperate to get back in the saddle, quite literally. Tomorrow I have physical therapy in the morning and then I plan on going out for a couple of miles to do my 30 second intervals at what will undoubtedly be a very slow pace - but I have to start somewhere!

Today was my long run of the week in my training. I was nervous because I was tired and was not sure if I could run the whole way. I am happy to report I did in fact run the whole way. I covered up the screen and held out looking until I made it through 8 songs. I was exhausted at that point and had only gone 2.5 miles. I was not sure how I was going to make it through. I challenged myself to run through 2 more songs and see my distance at that point. I made it to 3.3 miles at that time and thought OK one more song. I made it another .4 miles and then I only had .3 left and knew I could make it with out walking. I was really happy that I ran the whole thing. I am nervous about transitioning to running outside.

Hi everybody,

I want to join too! Just like Ncuneo, I started running last January with C25k. Since finishing it, I have pretty much stuck to 30 minutes of running, but recently, I've noticed that my endurance and speed have started to improve dramatically, and so I'm really interested in seriously trying to up my distance....

I'm looking forward to seeing what others do. Right now, I run 5x a week on a treadmill for 30 minutes each time, and lift every other day....

My goal for 2011 is to run at least one 5k.

Yesterday I jogged at the track. Completed 2.20 Miles. 27.8 miles to go for the month. I found a running club in my area and I kind of want to join it. They promote jogging and walking. I am doing the C25K and am set to complete W6.D1 Tomorrow :) Should go well.

Hey, guys! I've used 3FC on and off during my weight loss, and I'm back now that I've plateaued. I've been stuck in the 190s for five months now. I run 40+ miles/week, and I start training for my first marathon tomorrow.

Sun - I've never run four days in a row. I do three days on, one day off, two days on, one day off. Running four days in a row is probably fine so long as you don't push hard every day. How intense are your workouts? Focus on running slooooow every other day.

So many new people are joining this thread, it is awesome!!

Welcome and congrats on running/ starting a running plan. I'm still a running newb and I'm very impressed with the mileage and time that several people are able to accomplish. Its very motivating to me to improve as I go.

I should have a more formal running plan, but I notice when I do that I get frustrated when live events interrupt plans and I have to shift things around. Basically, I'm just running on days that I can run and trying to work around other things. My goal for this week is to hit 20 miles and run at least 4 days. I have social events on Thursday and Saturday, so I need to schedule my runs around that (I could run Saturday morning, but that would cause me to have to change other plans).

Do you all follow a set schedule or just wing it?

I think I'm going to try for 6 miles tonight. :)

I'm totally OCD so it's ALL about schedule for me. My life is so busy I could never just wing it. I'd always be stressed about fitting it in. That said I allow for interruptions and I always have a back up plan if I can't do a run when it's scheduled. My runs are usually in the morning before anyone gets up so I'm really not taking time away from anything else to get my runs in.

Today was a dreadful 3 on the treadmill. It was dreadful because this was my 4th day running in a row, not typical, and I was on a hotel treadmill because we're out of town and it was raining outside.

Great job everyone! The enthusiasm and dedication is addictive!

I pretty much run on a schedule because of c25k, but if I know ahead of time that something is coming up, I'll change it around a little. I run M/W/F, but like the week of Christmas, I knew I was driving to Atlanta straight from work on Wednesday and would not have time for my run. So I made that week a T/Th/Sa. I usually have to run on the treadmill right now because it is dark after work, but definitely plan to move outdoors when the light permits it.

I was kind of excited to run outside today since I'm off work but it's soooo cold right now (I like it cold when I run but under 30 is pretty tough to get yourself out there). So I may go later, or if I can't squeese it in before sunset, I'll just go to the Y tonight. I'll be repeating week 4 this week, since last week I didn't finish Monday and skipped Wednesday. Week 4 kind of scares me a little, because that's when I hurt my knee last year. But so far, everything feels fine.

Oh, and my cross training is spin class. I'm still pretty new to it, but I really enjoy it.

When I'm back on track, I aim for six workouts a week, three of them being running and the other three being cross training (love swimming, taking a class at the gym, and weight training). I try and schedule Sundays as my day off, but even then I ride my horse so it's not a true day of rest, unless both the horse and I are feeling particularly lazy. I haven't yet run a distance that needs solid training, such as a half, but I suspect as I work towards that goal, my schedule and plan will become more formal and I'll need to actually schedule my runs to make sure I get them in. Right now I just work out before work during the week and early on Saturday - I find if I leave the workout til after work, I have a thousand excuses for not doing it. Much harder to find a good excuse at 5am, other than "I really don't want to get out of bed"!

Usually I run in the morning, after I workout at the gym. There’s a park right down the street, so it’s really convenient to go right from the gym to running. Plus I’m already warmed up, so the cold outside air is actually refreshing. A perfect week for me would be getting up at 5am, going to the gym for an hour and then running my usual 3-6 mile route, plus one long run on the weekend. Unfortunately, I have many imperfect weeks, but I try.

I ran 5.3 miles this morning, and I’ll probably run 3 tomorrow.

Matt - I follow a formal schedule when I'm training for a big race. I wasn't training for anything in December, so I just did my own thing.

My marathon training plan started today with a rest day. I'm doing eight miles tomorrow - a warm-up followed by mile repeats. Can't wait!!!

Keep up the great workouts, guys!

I'd love to join here but I'm lucky to do a walk/jog for 2 miles. I guess I could set a goal of being able to run a mile without stopping then go from there!

Niki - you're further ahead than me! I say join this group - you'll learn a lot and as you get faster and run further, you'll already be in a good group. And your goal is a great one - it's one I have to get back to, as I used to do 4-5 miles and now I can do 30 seconds jog/30 seconds walk and that's for about 1.5 miles. I can't wait til I can go further and faster and actually run the whole time!

Ok, well I did a jog on the tredmill. It took me 13:30 min to do one mile.....it's a start and I didn't walk! Now I'm just going to try to get a bit faster, like 13 min or 12 min and try to job 1 1/2 miles.

C'mon, you belong here! How do you think anyone who hasn't been running since middle school got started? The first few times I ran, it was at a 17:00 pace. You can already run a mile, AND you want to do more? Runner. You're doing awesome. Work on distance, and your speed will increase on its own.

Niki and Jules, welcome!! You both are runners and you belong here. :) . I remember that first day of the C25K program and how the 30 second jogs KICKED MY BUTT. It was pure ****.

You will surprise yourself at the progress you make if you are follow your schedule.

Tonight I did 6 miles. 5 of those miles was at 5.0 speed and the last mile was at 4.5. I'm going to take tomorrow off and then I'm going to try to change things up and run very early on Wednesday morning.