You think they are blowing you away! HA Imagine how feel!!
Add a prior lower back injury and re-injury to that and accept that I'll more than likely NEVER be able to run that fast, then you share the same ball park with me! {{giggles}}

That's the thing about running. You never know and really the only person you compete with is yourself.

Unless your name is Kara Goucher and Nike is paying you crap loads of money to run. Then I suppose you compete against others.


I have had times when a 13 minute mile was a victory and times when a 7:45 mile was defeat.

Did my 4 miles today. 535 feet elevation gain for the course. It was a down and back in the foothills here where I live. I have a garmin running watch (christmas from husband) now and it makes such a difference. I had run this trail many times in the past. And I had always figured that the distance I covered todat to be 4.5 miles. I wasnt aware how much the hills slow me down! Nice to learn what I'm really doing. My pace was 12 min miles on the uphill and average only 9:50 on the down. Not too surprised at the uphill pace, but I had believed I was making up more time than that when flying back down. Craziness. Took the puppy and he had such a blast. 4 miles was much tougher than I remember it being last fall. Proof to the 10 lbs and lack of excercise over the holidays.

How's everyones day?

Thanks k9owner and ENNAY Starting running at 59 + my running freinds think I am a super star BUT I guess even though I did not know it in my younger years I am a bit comtitive. I am doing better than friends and they have been doing a LOT longer some have health issues or time issues I have niether and I have been doing alot of diffeent types of execise over the last few years and they have not thou I have not ran... I have kickboxed strength trained ,done insanity tubo jam and HITT training all after 55 years old {before couch potato} ect for hiking and backpacking.
So should be patient with myself {AINT HAPPENING}
ma26
Just got my GARMIN for Xmas it makes quite a difference!!!NOW YOU DO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOIN!!!I guess that is what is makin me even MORE NUTS!!!Competeing against myself!

OH diva. I had no idea! Well then you need to find the age grade calculator. Seriously, I believe by that calculator you are leaving us in the dust. I have a friend who races other friends by the calculator for fun.

You are all rock stars to me! If you'd told me two years ago I'd be having to slow myself down I'd have laughed in your face. Like Ennay said, we're really just competing against ourselves.

Great strength training session, really worked those areas running leaves weak. 6 miler EZ run tomorrow. Looking forward to it!

I worked overnight Saturday & Monday & I'll work again Saturday and Sunday of this week. It'll throw my training days off a little. Also, it's wet here, and I still can't make myself run in the rain. So my runs this week will be on my treadmill. I can't afford illness at this point. I'm doing to well to get some respiratory bug!! It's defo not the same as running outside.

As far as competition with self goes, you all are absolutely right!! But then again, I am MY worst critic.

MA: I felt the same way when I first started using my Garmin. Imagine my surprise when I started using my Polar FT40. I remember it so vividly...I had asked my Zumba instructor one day after class how many cals she thought a person of my weight/height burned in her class (we are close in height, but I am about 20 lbs more than her). She told me people burn about 500-900 cals during her routines. HA NOT ME!!! The first time I wore it, I think I actually burned 450. I was a little disappointed. I burn more cals running.

Anyway, I often get a laugh out of some of my friends on MFP who claim to burn all of these cals (especially on a machine). I know they are way off, but somehow, they manage to lose weight...uhm, I guess they lose. Sometimes, it's hard to know for sure.

Today is a cross training day. But after the lovely run in the hills with the snow (though grueling) I wish it wasnt a day in the gym. I missed my strength workout on monday. So I need to lift two muscle groups today to make up for it. I'm wondering how well this plan is going to really work. I have my strength routine stretched out over 4 days of the week. This is so I can work one major muscle group at a time. But I dont know how much lifting that often is going to affect my running workouts?

Anybody have much experience with this? I really need to build my strength back up. Also I know that muscle mass does alot for metabolism and weight loss. So since I want to work off these extra pounds I believe its paramount.

I have 15 weeks until my race. Thinking lifting hard and heavy for a month or so would still leave time to change the focus to more running oriented later? Anyone have knowledge about this that they would be willing to impart?

K9Owner- Gosh I know! My garmin is heart rate monitor capable. I just need to get one to go with it. I know that with that it can do a calorie estimation. That is precisely why I dont count back calories even though my calorie counting app does. When I am getting up to longer runs again I figure a post run protien shake (140 cals) and a pre-run snack of healthy carbs (200 or less calories) should be the only additions I will make to my eating. I am starting counting calories (not so successful thus far at hitting target!) And with a goal of 1700 per day that should mean I lose weight slow and healthy and still have fuel to run the shorter runs and do the workouts.

It might be tiring at first ma, but I have no problem doing both weights and running. The only muscle group you have to work your timing is legs. Some find it easier to do legs on an easy run day, some find it better to double up legs and a hard run before the muscle soreness kicks in. It is really a matter of personal preference and recovery.

You might run a little slower in training while also weight training, but when you run fatigued you get a different kind of training benefit.

Cease lower body lifting 2 weeks before your race and all lifting 1 week before your race.

Ennay: thanks for the tip on the age graded caculater made me feel alot better. I don't think I am all that fast but not too bad for just starting. Todays run was 5 miles in just under 57 min. My heartrate seems avg 152 peak at 172 so I guess its good. Like I said I have nothing to compare it to. But I feel good about my progress. I have 2 days of NO TIME to run {work} and Sat. is my 5k. We have or next race in 6 weeks it will be a 10k.

Ran 33 minutes on the treadmill last night. First 18 from 5-5.6mph, then the last 15 @ 6mph. Trying to add a mile @ 6 each month with the goal of doing a 5K in under 30 minutes this spring/summer.

I also have no issues with lifting and running. Also lifting is a really important component of running. Be sure you're hitting all the muscle groups running neglects, it will really help you to avoid injury.

K9 - All those cals people "claim" they're burning on MFP drives me nuts! I see some people claiming like a 900 cal burn on a 30 min exercise DVD....oh well, not my problem.

Decent 6 miler this morning. Finally weaned myself off the unnecessary pre-run fuel. I don't know how I ever go in the habit of the pre-fueling before runs under 90 mins. I think because a lot of fuels I use have caffine, and I run at 4:30AM so I often need some help waking up! But it's taking cals away from food I could be eating, and it's not helping my body to learn how to burn fat, which it should be doing since I'm fasted.

So I'm really struggling with what an acceptable calorie deficit would be while training. I know I shouldn't have one at all, but I can't help it...I'm still trying to push through these 10 lbs I reagained, it was 15, but I got off 5 of them. I was hanging around a 500 cal deficit about 4-5 days a week, but I think it may be a bit too much, so I'm gonna play around with it. I don't feel too tired, but something about it doesn't feel right so, maybe 250. Ok...go ahead, yell at me how stupid it is to train for a marathon while on a calorie deficit.

Yesterday I did w3d2 of c25k. I can't believe that tomorrow I will be done with the program! I never thought I would finish! LOL. I did some intervals during mile 2 to make it a little more intense so I finished it in 35:30. I'm slowly gaining speed .
Today I didn't run on the treadmill, but I did some HIIT on the elliptical for about 10minutes.
Tomorrow is the last day! Then this becomes normal life . I think I'm going to work on adding .25 mile each week to gradually increase my distance.

My reward for finishing is to get new running shoes. I think I'm going to go with another minimalist pair since I'm transitioning to my 5-fingers. I run in my 5-fingers once a week right now, and by the time I'm done I can definitely feel it in my ankles, feet and calves!

Later chickies!

Sigh...see, all of us have someone faster. I am watching a FB friend take down my PR's one by one while stating a goal of running "for the first time ever!" fewer miles in 2012 than I run in some months.

OK, well, hopefully he'll decide to do a marathon soon, then we might get even!

Soooooo as it turns out running is decidedly less fun when you let yourself gain weight and ummmm stop doing it. Still it must be done. Other shocking news to follow.

Cheers ladies for moving forward however fast or far.