Hi guys,

Not much running so far for me this week: 30 mins on monday, but today I went outside for 1 hour and it was great. I have the impression that i am running faster than when i started.

Keep up the good works all!

rabbit

Well, I am still making progress. My run yesterday was a full 1 1/2 miles nonstop for the first time, and then I walked for a 1/2 mile to cool down.
I can't believe that I was only able to run 1/4 mile intervals a few months ago.

4rabbit you just may be running faster you never know. Try timing your distance Sounds like you are doing excellent!

Aphil it's amazing sometimes to how fast we progress and our bodies get used to us exercising. It's like my body thanked me when I started getting active and the running is like icing on the cake.

As for me I wasn't able to run yesterday morning but I did run on my lunch for about 20 minutes did 1.4 miles. Because I did the firm workout tape yesterday morning my pecs are purty sore this morning and I went to bed a little late last night so I couldn't get up and run this morning BUT I will be running on my lunch break.

Congrats on keeping up with the running, MrsDawsondn, Aphil, and 4rabbit

I managed to run a 3-mile loop this morning, but the air was so thick and sticky (even after hitting my inhaler) that i had to take two short walk breaks. I still managed to finish in about 36 minutes, so i am not too angry with myself for walking.

Have any of you noticed a difference in how your body feels when you run on the sidewalk versus running on a treadmill? I would have thought the treadmill would be less impact, but last week i ran outside 3 times and my back did NOT hurt. This wednesday i ran 4 miles on the treadmill and my back is still hurting. Just curious. Thanks!

Tomorrow is my big 5-k race so I just did a 2 mile jog this morning to keep things limber. How much do the rest of you generally taper off before a race? My friend I race with took two days off but usually I run better when I don't take the day before off. Just curious. Also I have never done a chip timed race so that will be different...

Hope you all have great weekend plans!

Fishwoman--I've heard that running on a treadmill can be worse than running downhill (unless you set the incline to go uphill a bit). That could be why your back feels better running outside. Running downhill can be pretty stressful on the body, so anything similar would cause similar stress.

I'm running a 4 mile race tomorrow--I'm pretty nervous about it, as I haven't done a lot of distance running yet. But, it's in my favorite park, so it should be fun. I'm having a bit of knee trouble (an old injury that's permanent til I give in and have surgery), so I'm trying to decide if it's really worth running. However, the race is all on trails, so won't be too stressful on the knee--I think I'll see how it feels in the morning!
Laura

Hi runners,

I ran outside for 1 hour this morning. it was a glorious day, sun shining, not too cold. My daughter (11 y old) went with me on her bike. We had a good time.

MrsDawson, it sound like you are doing a great job! keep up the motivation!

good runs everybody,
rabbit

I was so nervous before the race this morning..it was much bigger than the other two I've run...BUT the good news is that I finished in 24:55 and came in 2nd place for my age group!! My goal was under 25 so I am very happy with this.

Laura--hope your race went well also!

Great job Liz!! That's an amazing accomplishment!

So I am still struggling to run a full lap LOL but I've noticed my walking is getting faster as well as being able to run longer... slowly but surely I'm gettin' there! I hope by the end of this next week to be running a full lap nonstop.

Anyone have any suggestions on good running shoes for heavier runners? I don't feel like mine have enough support but they aren't running shoes to begin with so I am ready to invest some cash in good shoes.

My knee survived the race with very little discomfort! I had a lot of fun running, and actually managed to finish fourth in my age group. : ) They made a mistake measuring the course, and it ended up being 4.4 miles, instead of only four. But, I still managed to finish in a little over 42 minutes. I did well enough today, that I think I might really be able to get myself back to my old speed. I've got a long way to go yet, but am feeling much more confident than I was in the beginning. I'm probably not going to race again until mid-November, though I am starting to think that's an awfully long time to wait! I may have to look for something in October, as well.
On the way to the race, Billy Joel's "pressure" came on the radio. During high school, I would call and request that song on the local radio station every Saturday morning before a cross country meet. So, hearing that song in the car on the way really got me fired up!
Today was a great day!!!!

Bella, I've heard that New Balance makes some good shoes for heavier runners. I haven't tried them, so I can't say for sure, but they might be worth looking at. If you go to a sports-type store, there will usually be a clerk somewhere who knows enough to help you find a good shoe. Otherwise, Runner's World magazine usually has some good shoe reviews that indicate which shoes are best for heavier runners (as well as many other variables).
laura

Yay! I finished the 10k in 68 minutes, faster than my vague target of 70. I was hoping to go a bit faster to be honest, but the course was HARD so I'm quite pleased with that really. There were some very steep hills, and the terrain was very difficult, lots of mud, tree roots, holes, stones etc etc. And one particular killer hill was 1km long, very very steep and a really bad path. I walked that one Plus it was far warmer than I was expecting for a sunday morning in September in Yorkshire which didn't help. So overall I'm quite pleased with my time, I ran the majority of it and was nowhere near last, and at least I finished in one piece!

Still, I'm signed up for another 10k in November and I've now got a time to improve on. I know that the next one is more of a road race (this one had about 500 metres at most on paved surfaces) and very flat, so I've got a time to aim for and a good chance of improving it.

Hi runners,

Laura and Liz - congrats on the runs !! You both did not only join and finish, but also came in good for your age group! That is amazing.

YP1 - congratulations as well !

Bella - I would go to a good store and be advised. The shoes are not only about your weight, but also on the way you run and how your feet are built. Also it is a good idea to take your old shoes with you because a competent salesperson is able to see if you need "neutral" shoes, or if you need shoes that give extra support so you do not lean inside too much, or shoes with extra damping etc. from the way the soles of your shoes are worn. I believe runners world has published some articles on the ins and outs of running shoes as well.

Today I ran 40 mins outside, a glorious sunny day.
And I met my goal of 7 hours of excercise this week.

rabbit