Cool Runners - August
 

WOW - is it August already? Hope I'm not jumping on anyone's toes but I thought I'd go ahead and start the month off.

I got in a good 4-miler last night in 35:40!

Emily, you are so fast! Congrats on the time!

I ran 3 miles this am (in the rain!) and my time was 35 minutes.

Three miles for me this morning. Just a touch over 40 minutes. 1 walk break. Getting there, getting there...

Anne

Can I ask all you experienced runners a question? I started running doing the C25K in June, and I am now able to run for 20 minutes at a time. I have the possibility of running in a 10k on the first of October (I am doing a 5k in September), and it is possible to get to 10K by only increasing my mileage by only 10% each week. What I wonder is if it is sensible to run that far when I'm only a newbie? Running websites etc all go on about how important it is to take things slowly and not rush into running too far or too fast. The other people who would do it with me are also all new runners, and they will probably go ahead whatever I do. I would really like to do it, but I don't want to risk injury if it really is too soon to be running so far.

The event information also says that this is a "running event". I don't know if that is normal, but it implies to me that they do not want people who might want to resort to run/walk intervals if it gets too hard for them. Any ideas?

Pachyderm, you should be fine - is it the Cancer Research 10? If so there will be plenty of people who do run/walk intervals - I certainly did for my first one! I think they say it's a running event to distinguish it from Race for Life which they encourage people to walk if they want to, when it says running it assumes that you'll run at least part of the distance, not that you'll run all of it! The same applies for most 10ks to be honest.

I ran in the end this morning, I did 5.6 miles without a hint of pain, and then did just over 10k on the exercise bike to get a bit more cardio in without putting too much weight on my legs. I was sweatier than I've been for a long time at the end of that!

I've found a 30k race that fits perfectly into my marathon training so I think I'm going to give it a go. It's billed as a run/walk event anyway, so I'm not intending to race it as such, just use the distance and the fact there's a tshirt and barbeque at the end as motivation to finish it rather than giving up if it feels too hard. I've just got to try to get hold of the entry form and get it back before the deadline, as this stunning idea only occurred to me at a relatively late stage!

Tomorrow morning is meant to be 5 miles again, but again I'll wait and see how my legs feel in the morning before making a decision. I want to do that 18 miler at the weekend even if it means dropping some of the shorter runs, so I'm not going to take any risks with it.

Pachy, My DH (a longtime runner) swears by the 10% rule, so I would say if you can increase your milage that way, you will be fine. (Not that I apply his advice to my running >haha<).

I managed another 5.4 miles this morning, the knee seems to be a lot better this week so fingers crossed it will hold out and start improving now I'm paying more attention to it :)

Thank you Helen and Midwife, I think I was psyching myself out yesterday about the distance, especially as I took a 30 second walk break in my 2 mile run yesterday, but I still made it up the hill to my house - Yay!

It is the Cacer Research 10K at Blenheim Palace in North Oxfordshire. Should be a lovely place to run.

evening ladies! I kinda joined in July then went on vacation for a week so i"m jumping back in. I actually went on 2 runs over vacation but both very short. I also ate like crap so tomorrow restarts my healthy lifestyle and I'll be running at the gym. I'm looking forward to getting my saggy butt back in shape after my "little" lapse...

Thank you Lucky for starting the August tread...

I've only been running on the treadmill, I so admire you gals who can handle that heat... But hey I can handle the -20c in the winter :D, not that I want winter back now, don't get me wrong....

Monday I ran 4 miles :tread:

okay...starting out here, I was going to start end of July, but decided to wait to post until now (though I was running).
Well I don't know if you can consider it a run, its more like a jog, I think sometimes I can walk faster than I run. It takes me about 35-38 minutes to do 3 miles, but hey, thats better than nothing right.
so yesterday I did 3.01 and tonight I did 3.02, what do you mean by the 10% rule, if I run 3 miles this week I should do 3.3 next week? Wow that seems kind of fast to be advancing, but maybe thats just me. My knee is hurting sooo bad tonight along with the shins, so maybe every 2 weeks I'll do the 10% rule.

Yes, the 10% rule is increasing distance by no more than 10% per week. You don't have to increase the full 10% though, as I understand it that's a maximum not a minimum!

No run for me this morning, I got a little drunk last night :o and didn't feel up to it so I thought I'd give my knee a bit of a rest. There won't be an opportunity to run this evening, so I'll probably run tomorrow morning if I feel up to it instead of my normal rest day.

Hi Nikki, You move at my pace and I consider that a run!

3 miles in 36 minutes this am plus 2 martial arts classes planned for tonight.

The 10% rule applies to total mileage over the week. So if you have 3 runs, a 4 miler and 2 3 milers (10 miles) in a week, the next week you would only want to add one mile in there somewhere. At least that is my understanding of it. But like all things, it is a guideline. I think there are not a lot of rules in running, besides needing shoes that don't kill your feet!

Good luck!

Two miles this morning, no walking but still slow (for me). But it was a minute and a half faster than the last time I did the loop, so I'll take the progress. Feels so good to be running again.

Anne

went running at the gym today using the same plan I did before vacation only this time it kicked my a$$! Average out 9 min miles but only went just shy of 3 miles :( gotta back in the swing of things...

Well my kickball injury is just about healed and I am feeling 100%! So tonight I will go out for a run. Going to try to keep it simple as I have hated this past week...unable to run due to injury. Don't want to push too far too fast and end up sittin on butt reading about you all out there getting the miles in :)

lucky13 - great job on that 4 miler, you speed demon you!

midwife - 3 miles in the rain, sadly that sounds really nice in theory hehe...we have been super hot here.

Anne - Miles in the bag, always admire runners who get their runs in the morning...I just cannot wake up that early/

yp - 30k, cannot even fathom that. I am always so impressed with your dedication though, you are my inspiration lol. Glad your knee is feeling better.

Nikki - YOU ARE RUNNING...you can focus on time or distance...I think you are doing fine.

Batmomm - It is always so much harder to get your momentum back when you stop running for a while. I am in the same boat.

Nikki -- :welcome:, I agree with the others you are definitely a runner :bravo:

No run for me today, I just gotta get back into the swing of things... I'lll run on the treadmill tomorrow for sure, I feel like such a slug when I don't run for a couple of days...

Thanks ladies...
I took a break tonight, I ran the last 3 nights and my knees and shins are painfully slowly killing me tonight, so I need to listen to my body huh, though my mind is telling me to go outside. I think tonight I will do some weight training and then hopefully tomorrow get back out there.

Well ladies, got a beautiful run in tonight. Not enough to aggrevate my recent injury but enough to push myself and calm those voices yelling "you should be out there running" I just hate missing it ya know? I feel like it is such a big part of my life now.

ilene - You deserve a break you super woman. I know how you feel, I feel sluggish when I dont run too.

Nikki - Gotta watch those shins, great job going 3 days in a row though. Take some time off if your body needs it. Nice to meet you btw.

Nikki -- When I first started 3 years ago or so, I only ran every 2nd or even 3rd day depending on my knees. I also take Glucosamine, DH and I swear by that stuff, my knees get sore right away if I don't take it for a few days.

I had some of that Glucosamine, but it got lost in the move when we transferred from Texas to California. Guess those movers needed it too :) j/k j/k
Nice to meet all of you!!

I finally managed the 18 mile run this morning. Well, it was a bit short, but roughly 18. And it wasn't all running, but I did at least cover the distance. I got to 8 miles and my hip started niggling again, but not as bad last week so I decided to run/walk the other 10 miles to start rebuilding my confidence a bit. Sadly shortly after that decision I tripped and went flying to the ground, so the last 10 miles ended up being more walk and less run than I'd intended. I bet I looked a sight with dirt all over my front and a grazed knee! I've decided I definitely need to use gels to go any further, even run walking I was seriously low on the energy by the end, I was OK to get home, but couldn't have gone any further. I had more energy drink than I usually do (I've just got myself a camelbak which means I can carry 2 litres on my back and drink through a hose rather than having to carry a bottle), but I think I need something more than that.

I've got myself some new running shoes today which have a bit more cushioning than the ones I currently wear, so I'm hoping that they will help the knee/hip pain too.

I'm hoping to do 8 - 10 miles tomorrow, the intention is to try to get just past the point where my hip usually starts to hurt and try to push through it for another mile to try to push that point back. I'll see how my legs feel when I get up though.

Way to hang in there Helen. Keep taking care of that hip. After Berlin you should definitely think seriously about more cross-training. That is one of the two main reasons I went from primarily running to triathlon. It really helps to keep the fitness level up and the injuries down.

Biking for me today, got in just over 2 hrs. Last time I trained hard with cycling my running got a lot better too--faster. I'm a little stiff since it has been about as long off the bike as it was off the run. My next run is scheduled for Tuesday. Looking forward to it.

Anne

I'm definitely planning on more cross training and possibly trying tri next year, I just need to sort out a bike! I'm quite into the idea of cycling into work, it's not far and I'm fed up of the bus or paying for parking!

Nikki, Welcome! And I agree with Ilene, I had to take a lot more rest days when I first started running. Even now, my legs/knees/feet prefer that I only run 3 days in a row before taking a rest day, although I can push it to 4 or 5 once in a while.

Helen, way to go on gutting out your 18 miler. It's really tough once you get into those sort of distances. 8-10 miles is a lot the day after a long run though. I find an easy 3-5 miles at most is about all my body wants to do.

Anne, wow, after 2 hours straight on a bike I don't think I'd be able to sit comfortably for a while.

I've been out with some sort of stomach flu for the past few days. I managed a 5km run Monday, then another difficult 5km on Wednesday, but that was it until this morning. I was feeling better last night, so I decided to try out a shortish run this morning to see if my body was up for tomorrow's long run. 8km at marathon pace went fine, so 32km early tomorrow it is. My last long run before the marathon. 3 weeks to go and I'm already getting nervous and anxious.

My schedule does tend to back up two long runs over the weekend, the main reason I switched the long run to Saturday was because sometimes doing 8 miles on Saturday takes it out of me for the really long one on Sunday, so I wanted to get the really important one out of the way and then see how much energy I have left for tomorrow. I'll see how it goes, and just do loops of the lake in the local park so if I run out of steam I'm not miles away from home.

Helen, I completely understand the reason for the back to back longer runs and I actually started marathon training with a schedule like that, but ended up deciding that it was too tiring for me and also too disrupting to my family life (dh needing to get up with the kids both days on the weekend). But, I'm sure you'll be better prepared for all the work. I'm sure today's run will feel more like the last 8-10 miles of the marathon than the first for you!

I'm DONE my last 32km run before the marathon. Well, it was actually 32.2 (and those .2k certainly count when they come at the end of 32k). It was nicely cool, slight breeze, and lots of sun this morning. I challenged myself with a hillier route than I've done for my other 32k runs. It was tough and I did end up slowing down for the last 5km. But only 2 stops--one for a washroom break and one to take a gel and wait for someone else to finish with the water fountain before I could refill. Now I get to taper, run a 10k race next weekend, and panic about how I'm going to finish a full 42.2km in 3 weeks time. Taper madness here I come.

I didn't do the back to back long runs in the end. My hip was sore all night and I was seriously considering not running at all. I was seriously considering doing any exercise, but I managed to persuade myself to go to the gym to at least go on the bike for a while and do some weights, and ended up doing 20 minutes on the bike as well as a 30 minute run on the treadmill, which I was really pleased with because there was no pain at all. maybe the new shoes and the more cushioned surface helped, I don't know, but I didn't want to push it any further than that. I will try something longer during the week though.

I am so totally impressed with you girls-YP1 and Onlyme!! I went out yesterday to run in my neighborhood, something I never do. It's too hot, too hilly and I'm just too used to running on the treadmill. Anyway I've got to get used to outside b/c I've got a series of 5k, 8k, 10k all coming in the next couple months. So I went out and ran and ran and ran-for the life of me I have no idea how to pace myself outside. Finally I was done and went to drive what I ha just run to see how far I went...

1.4 stinking miles...:rofl: Thank goodness my 10k training program starts on Saturday, I def need some help.

WTF Helen and Only me (sorry don't know your name), those are great long distances to be running, I would love to be able to run that far one day. Keep watch on that hip though, you don't want to aggervate it so much that it is still aggervating you when you are older.

Batmom, in TX I was using at the gym and it was so much easier because there was the distance and times right in front of you and I swear there was some padding in the thread, so when I moved here and tried to go outside in the neighborhood it felt so weird, the ground is hard, and if I try to run on the grass it is so uneven I think I'm going to twist my ankle. I bought a pedometer to help me with my distances, only 10$ or so at walmart, and it has been a life saver (Well not really) to me, I'm obsessed with looking at it and my stopwatch, I need to know how far I ran, how much longer in distance and time there is, etc. But really I would suggest you get one, so you can measure your distance if that is what you are looking for. And 1.4 Miles is a great start to start off with!!

Last night I got back out there and ran 1 mile, stopped for about 2 mins to do a better stretch and then ran for 2.5 more miles with a total of 3.50, I was really proud of myself, I felt like I could run more, but it was already 8:15 and dark and well I probably couldn't have ran that much more, it was the runners high talking to me. Well today my inner thighs hurt, thank goodness, my shins are okay and well my knee, its kinda aggervated, but not as bad, I'll do a lot of RICE today.
my husband has Night duty all week 4pm-12A so I dont know what times I'll be running next week, maybe 2pm if its not too hot, I hate morning runs, so I don't know.
Alright off to finish watching backyardagins with my DD..

Have a good sunday

Good Morning

I got in 16 miles over the weekend:

7 on Friday in about 65 minutes
9 on Saturday in about 85 minutes

5.7 miles this morning with 7.7k on the bike after that. I've decided that from hereon in I'm going to listen to my body rather than following my schedule. I know that I should do two or three more long runs (one will be the 30k race), and I know that I need to keep some consistency with my other runs to keep a base, but until the taper starts I'll just do what feels right. My knee and hip have been good all day (fingers crossed it's the new shoes!) so if all goes to plan when I wake up I'm aiming for 8 - 9 in the morning, if not I'll take a cross training day and attempt to run again on Wednesday.

3 miles today and trying to figure out when I will get in a longer run this week.

Just a quick 25 minute run last night - I have at least 6 miles to get through tonight - glad I rented some Sex and the City DVD's to bide my time this week!

Have a great day!

Did my 6.5 miles on Sunday - I beat DF well and truly! :rofl:

He used to be the one racing off ahead, this time he didn't want to keep up with me, so he almost went home! However we found an off-road trail and he came along, but I was still jogging while he walked and occasionally ran to keep up! :rofl: :D

I didn't do the 8 miler because I realised I didn't have time, but did do 5.3, which was OK. My knee is MUCH better this week, so maybe tomorrow will be the day I try 8 miles again, because I'll have more time tomorrow morning to fit it in.

The 8 miler is done. It was more of a psychological hurdle than a physical one, because the past two times I've got to that distance my hip has started to hurt so I was quite scared it would happen again, but touch wood everything seems to be OK.

6-miler last night in 56 minutes - not my best but I'll take it!

No run tonight for me - co-ed softball game tonight!

Was sick again Monday--enough to take off from work. Pushed off Tuesday's run until today, and got in 3 miles this morning. It was supposed to be two segments with one walk break, and got through the first OK, but the last 0.75 mile or so I was just struggling--run/walk/run/walk. Proud of myself that I got through it. Next run is Friday, a short 2 miler, but supposed to be continuous. Tomorrow I bike to work, 18 miles. DH and I trade the car there--he'll bike home.

Helen, good to hear about your hip. Lucky, have fun at softball. 2F good for you for beating your husband! Midwife, good luck scheduling. Ilene! Where are you? Are you running??

It is HOT for everyone else too?? Ack. I am STILL sweating.

Anne

It's not HOT here, I'm making the most of it!

I've just been trying to plan out a 20 mile route for the weekend, at the moment I'm considering getting the train 20 miles out of town and running back along the canal, which should be nice and flat and traffic free, I'm just scared that even the train takes 25 minutes to cover the journey!

Tomorrow is meant to be a cross training day, but I might actually run if my knee's feeling good because I seem to have some energy back in my legs :) Not a long or hard one, just a gentle little trot out.