I got in 6 miles in just under 54 minutes last night - woohoo - that's my longest continuous run in about 3 months! Maybe i'll go for 7 this weekend

iowasteph - I have no idea how many ounces I carry with me It's 500ml if anyone know how that converts...

I did a good 40 minute spell on the treadmill, covering 7.6k. Tomorrow is a 7 miler, I've got a support for my knee which I'm going to try out. I improvised today with an old tubigrip from when I broke my ankle (which was about the size then that my knee is now), it seemed to help so I went and bought a proper one at lunchtime. Fingers crossed sorting my knee out will also help my hip, it's been far better today than normal. They're never bad enough to stop me running, just a bit niggly. If I can keep going til the end of next week I'm taking a week off for my holiday anyway so they'll get a bit of time to heal up and rest.

I look SO MUCH BETTER than I did in college. How many of them will be able to say that? Hmmm. And FWIW, I think anybody running looks awesome!

Finally!!! I got out this morning, just me, did a nice training run, 3 miles, 40 min, very disciplined 4:1 run/walk intervals. Felt great. Hot, at 5:30 am, but great. About 12min/mile pace on the running segments.

Another aquathlon tomorrow. Let's see if the 2 days of training this week pay off.

Anne

REST DAYS!! Do you have them? How many per week? Do you just rest from running, or from all cardio?

Thanks!!

I did 2 miles In 24 minutes, not bad, considering I only ran a few minutes and the rest was fast walking. Me no like the dreadmill! It seems somehow that I can't get into the stride that I want, so I'm either too fast or too slow, a speed that seems fast on the display feels slow, but anything faster is too fast Also, it's SO boring, I tried watching the TV but it didn't help. Although there was a Right Said Fred music video on Those guys were so screamin But I loved them anyway! Ah 9 year old crushes

Oooh and the display reckoned I burned 250 calories off! Enough to compensate a little bit of my meal out tonight

I rest completely on Sunday ie trying to stay in bed sleeping! I run every other day, put my weights into 4 day splits so that muscle groups get a whole week to repair, and I kickbox every other day (alternate with running ISH). So a bit of both!

Hi midwife, I take at least one rest day a week, sometimes two. Ideally, I swim, run and bike each twice a week during tri season with more running and less swimming and biking in the off season. Sometimes I double up (bike to the pool and back, run in the a.m. and swim p.m, although less so these days due to time constraints. I also do a long run (>1.5hr) and a long bike (> 2.5-3 hr) on weekends. Before DD I also used to strength train twice a week on one of my easy days, but these days that's gone.

2F, I hate the treadmill too. The only thing I can ever do to keep myself interested is to run ladders on it, start real slow, and step the speed up every couple minutes until I think I'm about to die and then step it back down. I'm far too uncoordinated to even think about watching TV since I'm afraid I'd be splatted on the back wall in about half a second. If anybody knows anything good, please post! I have some business travel later this month and that usually means hotel treadmill.

Anne

7.6 miles this morning, in 70 minutes. Slower than last week, but I ran harder yesterday than I did on Tuesday last week.

Rest days - at the moment I run 5 days, cross train 1 day and rest 1 day. I run Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and cross train on Monday. Friday is my rest day, before the weekend because it's harder, and it also works for me because I have an evening class on a Thursday and it's a killer to get in late then get up in the morning to exercise. To be honest, for general fitness I'd rather run 4 days and weight train more, but at the moment I'm focussed on marathon training which means I run more and do other stuff less.

Did 3.5mi in 31 minutes this morning...DH and I are 'toying' with the idea of a marathon...it is in December in Dallas...I think I will be able to do it because I've done 2 half marathons...I just can't seem to get over the 'mental hump' of 13.1 miles! That is the furthest I have ever run and I have yet to surpass it...

According to my training plan, I'm scheduled to surpass that 'hump' in October with a 15 mi race...

I remember how hard it is to finish a half...and then do twice that amount? my mind does not like that! But, i know I can do it

If you can train for it you can definitely do it! I've only done one run over 13.1 miles (last Sunday), but I've built up to it steadily, and it was surprisingly doable. I'm just hoping the same goes for the rest of marathon training!

I agree that your mind tries to talk you out of running longer distances. 26 miles seems unbelievable to me also. The longest I have run yet is 10. But I'll be running it before I know!

Right now I am running 4 days a week, cross-training 2 of my off days (and 2 of my running days) and taking one day off totally. My off day is Sunday because Saturday is my big day and I wold be too tired to really do anything.
Today is a cross-train day and I have my first Yoga class. Should be interesting.

The holiday weekend is coming up. Woohoo! Not going anywhere. Not doing anything (other then regular workouts of course). Should be fun! Tonight is supposed to be the Detroit/Windsor fireworks, we co-celebrate Independence Day with those Crazy Canadians. But it is supposed to storm so I will be staying warm and dry. Thank you very much.

Today I managed a 16km run at marathon pace in the rain. At least the rain kept me cool since the temperature was in the low 20sC (around 70F) and it is incredibly humid today whenever the rain stops. My marathon pace runs won't be getting any longer between now and the big day, and the pace doesn't feel too difficult at least not for 16km.

I've never done any treadmill running, although I sometimes fantasize about it while running in the winter at -30.

Emily, if you've already run 2 halfs, and you follow a decent training schedule, you should be ready by December. It's not as hard as I thought it would be to increase distance beyond 13.1 miles; at least it's not difficult when it's done at a comfortable pace.

I run 5 days a week, at least I plan to, although sometimes gets in the way. On my rest days I might do some exercise like walking, bike riding with the kids (I pull the younger two in a trailer), or skating or sledding in the winter, or I might take a completely lazy day, depending on what's going on in life.

Emily, one of my strongest memories from my marathon was running at about 23 miles and thinking "Holy @#$% I'm still running!" And I felt really good. This memory now gets me through a lot of rough spots. Your body can do more than your brain thinks. Not that it is good to go for a marathon unprepared or anything, but you can do it, you'll be prepared. It is a leap of faith to trust a training plan the first time around, but they really do work, even if you don't get it perfect. My longest run for that marathon was an unmitigated disaster. You can do it. You've done the half, you'll do the work. It is a life-changing experience, and worth it.

Anne

Edited to add: Did my aquathlon tonight. Swim was about the same but I took more than 2 minutes off my run time. It is still a pretty lousy 5K at 39 minutes and change, but I'll take it. My 5K PR is just a touch over 30 min.

I've just been out for 4.4 miles, it's a lovely morning for running today and summer seems to be coming back. Yay! I'm off exercise now til Saturday, making the most of that rest day (it's more like 47 hours usually which is a nice long break!)

I was out for an easy run, around 7-8km, this morning. It was 19C, but 95% humidity without raining, so the air was somewhat soup like. 2 months ago I didn't think it was possible to miss those gale force type winds we get every spring and fall.

Good job on the aquathon Anne! Your running times will get back to what they used to be with time. I felt like I did a reverse aquathon on the weekend since I followed up my long run with taking my 2 year old to her swim class. It's been a few years since I swam for exercise though. When I was in university, access to the pool was part of our student fees and a short walk from where I was living, so I would swim laps a couple of times a week then.

Ran 5 miles today. Thanks for the input re: rest days. I ran Tues am and then nothing on Wed and it was the longest day of my life. I felt fat clumping all over my body. I know that it is my mind playing games and that it is OK if I do not exercise every day...I just felt really off all day.