Good morning! I'm up early to get my run in before the heat hits... going to be about 95 today. Yikes!

Yesterday ended up being so hot that I did my run indoors on the treadmill. I alternated intervals of fast pace+zero incline with comfortable pace+moderate incline, for 4 miles. I was dripping with sweat and huffing and puffing. It felt oddly good!

ncuneo--WTG on 10 miles! At what distance did you start incorporating GU? As of right now, I HAVE to eat something small /carby (like melon & yogurt) before runs/exercise or I end up sluggish and woozy. I know that eventually, I'll be out for such a long distance that I'll need an alternate plan. You're a great inspiration to us newbies, btw!

joyful-- That is some serious determination right there, to run after a full day of cooking. Great sense of dedication! Congrats on reaching goal, too

Serval-- That's perfect! Just keep at it, and your body will slowly change and show you all it's capable of. Remember, slow and steady!

aimee-- I am also strangely delighted by sweat. It makes me feel strong and like I actually accomplished something. Great job!

indiblue--Glad your knee is cooperating. Keep at it!

natamars-- Congrats on the 5k! I'm also working on striking a balance between calories in & work expenditure out. However, running for me has become a challenge of endurance and strength, not my only/ primary tool for weight loss. It's a part of the big picture.

AppleBlossom-- Sounds like a great goal! Keep us posted.

CherryPie99-- Be proud of what you did. We've all got to start somewhere, and it takes our bodies time to change! I don't feel like a "runner" either, but I think we all are.

You know I can't remember fat pants. It was last year sometime when I was training for my first half. I do it because I run at around 4:30-5:00 am and I need a boost to get me out the door. I try not to use it if I'm doing less than 5 but sometimes I just need it. I only use the ones with caffeine, the others don't do anything for me. They make a big difference in my performance. If I'm hungry before I go though, the don't help with that, I need food in that case, but that's rare. It's rare that I get hungry during if I've been fueling properly.

I have an 11 miler next week I'm gonna try a mid run GU on that on, I'd like to see my end performance pick up.

No run today - ST and yoga!

Checking in. indiblue - I hadn't thought about it till your post, but I don't think I'm dehydrated so much as I have TERRIBLE dry mouth. I don't like to chew gum because the sugar alcohols in sugar-free give my GI issues. Hmmm, I'll think about this some more.

As for this morning, I did 35 minutes around my neighborhood. Running in the (relatively) cool morning was so nice. Even though I was still soaked with sweat by the end, the running itself wasn't nearly as hot as the afternoon around here. On the other hand, my schedule only allows morning runs twice a week, and I always feel physically better/stronger/faster in the afternoons. Maybe a combo for the summer? I'll play around with with that.

Have a good day, everyone!

nCUENO---quit researching and messing with your head... do what works, what you KNOW works, from experience..... I HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest Hal higdons intermediate I program, with some modifications. I am more than happy to help you plan SPECIFICALLY WAHT modifications to make (ie; day, distance, speed, type of run, etc) so we can customize a program, while at the same time keeping with the spirit of a predesigned program that is as solid as they come (i personally used his intermediate II program for my first marathon, with GREAT SUCCESS, once i added a couple modifications). The reason i went with intermediate II is because i was inclined to do a higher mileage program, and also one with more than 1 20 mile training run..

Thanks MK, I have decided on Hals intermediate I and figured out how to incorporate a 5th day into my program without taking time away from anything else. I also took your advise and incorporated a 3rd 20 miler. But, and this might be a bad idea, I put it side by side with the novice program so I have the option to run less if it feels like too much. I'm an over achiever though so I'm pretty sure I'll complete the intermediate. So I'm pretty sure I'm going to do this...Ahhh...registration is in July and I'm really excited, but at the same time I can't believe it...if you'd have told me a year ago I'd be running my second half and gearing up to do a full I'd call you a liar. So crazy...I only want to run one, but everyone tells me I'll run on and be hooked and want to run more!

I ran ~6 miles on Sunday, first run that long since the fall or maybe even the summer. I am starting to feel curious about how fast I actually go and whether I am way off on my guesses, but I don't want to soil the pure innocence-is-bliss nature of my runs.

Got people left and right preaching HIIT and how I should be doing X and X and using X heart rate monitor, etc, but I feel that it's "good enough" that I am getting out there and running exactly as long and far as I want to. I hate the idea of turning this recreation into "work" by measuring calorie burns or constantly competing with myself.

Nice krampus!! You got a 10K under your belt.

Jen Are there gums without sugar alcohols? I have no idea bout these sorts of things. But I do know that I run much better and easier when I chew gum. I sweated buckets this morning (seriously, completely through my t-shirt, even over my sports bra) and didn't even think twice about thirst because my mouth was always minty fresh ^_^

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Today was AWESOME. It was pretty humid but overcast. I ran inside the park near my house instead of the deadly hilly path around it. 40 minutes/6 km!! Pace was pretty slow at the end, but I can work on that later. This is the longest I've run since college and my hip problems.

Knee didn't bother me much at all. Waiting for my ice pack to freeze, then will ice that puppy down.

I am so happy right now.

WOOO! Glad to hear it indiblue, nothing on earth feels better than a great run after an extended period of injury.

Did pretty good yesterday. I'm not ready to incorporate a whole minute of running every other minute for 10 minutes (pathetic, I know), so I did a 10-minute warm-up walk (avoiding hills for fear of hurting my ankles again), and then did 20 seconds of running for every minute and a half for 10 minutes. Then I did a 10 minute cool-down walk. When I ran, I made sure to run uphill, and believe it or not, my ankles were hardly sore this time. I was still pooped afterward, though.

I know this is nothing compared to everyone else's runs, but I'm getting there. I felt really good after my exercise, and even got some writing done tonight. The exercise goes really quick, and I like that. It also seems to clear my head a bit.

Serval - No...not pathetic...actually quite normal for a beginner. When I started, I could only run for 30 secs/walk 2 mins and repeat for 20 mins. It's consistency that is truly KEY with this running thing. Don't try to advance too quickly. Give your joints at least a week to adjust before increasing your running time. In 9-10 weeks you'll actually be AMAZED at how far you come. HANG IN THERE!

Ok..so this is going to sound kinda stupid, but I must say when I read the first sentence of your post, I thought "wow...Krampus had a fall? Hope she's ok"!

Personally...I feel that HIIT stuff is a total CROCK! I AGREE with you that we should NOT turn this totally relaxing, exhilerating and enjoying sport into WORK!

Congrats on making it back...I DO know how you feel (recently back from knee injury)

Decent 6 miler this morning. I've been getting "runner's high" a lot lately after longer runs or at least I think it's runner's high. Whatever it is it rules. It's anywhere from immediately after to about an hour later and lasts a while. It's this intense euphoric relaxed state. Probably just exhaustion, or a release of some kind of hormone. Love it!

Holy cow joyful!!!!! Look at those guns!

I have to agree with HIIT being a bit of a hype - blasphemy I know. But it seems a little gimmicky to me and any benifit you'd get above and beyond normal cardio and ST seems minimal. Besides I'm all about enjoying my workouts.

ncuneo - I ran a 10k a week and a half ago - did it in 1:18:40. So I have lots of room for improvement... but now I am also thinking... hmmm - wouldn't it be cool to do a HM. Right now, I can do speed intervals or hill intervals and then do a nice comfy 12 min mile and cool down. I can do a 5k in an 11 min mile pace. I can run a full mile in 10 mins - but I can't yet do more than a mile at that pace.

How did you ramp things up to start training for longer runs? Should I get faster before I try doing more distance? I am sure losing more weight would help (then I wouldn't be dragging the extra poundage with me).

Both monday and tuesday I did about 3.5 miles in about 50 mins. I did a lot of walking. Monday was after work and yesterday was at 3pm. It is just TOO hot to be run that late. I am going to have to either TM it or run in the mornings. NOT a morning person. ~gah!~ I was going to swim yesterday - but then realized I left my gym pass and goggles at work (I WAH on Tuesdays). I could get in to the gym without my pass - but I couldn't swim 80 laps without my goggles!

Today I am going to get some ab work in this evening on my new ab ball. Tomorrow is spin class. Then Friday my sis is going to watch my son while I squeeze in my swim in the evening. I might to a quick run or bike before my swim. Satruday morning run. Sunday off.

That is my plan. Maybe I should write it on my calendar.