Kim, way to go on your 3K! I'm thinking about hitting a running store, too, for a fitting and advice. Thanks for sharing your experience!

I got my ten miles in this afternoon and it was a cool and breezy 60* out. Beautiful for running! Half the time I was so lost in my thoughts that I forgot I was running. Has this happened to anyone else? It's like I wake up all of a sudden and realize my legs are still going. Weird. I feel great tonight - really amped up the protein post-run and I think it did well for me. I also learned today that a cup of oatmeal (made with water), sprinkled with two tablespoons of walnuts, cinnamon, a splash of vanilla, and a spoonful of Z-Sweet (natural sweetener) makes a GREAT pre-run breakfast! It's the first time I've eaten before running where I didn't feel awful in my belly while I was plugging away. So it's oatmeal before all long runs now.

Kara

Whew, just caught up on the thread activity since we've been away! I should've checked in from Florida!!!

Ennay, way to go on your half! Was it a local one?

Helen, I'm excited to hear how the training for the next race goes. I just found out that the Athens Marathon is six weeks after the marathon I'm training for and I'm tempted to enter but don't know how long it'll take me to recover/retrain as this one in Germany will be my first race. I'm going back and forth, though, because next year we're hoping to get back to the States for Thanksgiving, which would mean I couldn't go to Greece in November. Well, *I* could go, but Tom wouldn't be have enough leave to accompany me and the kids would have to take care of themselves while he was at work. Since they're 6, 3, and 1 I don't think that would work...

Running attire...today I wore mesh basketball shorts I got in 1996 and a T-shirt from a student orientation when I transferred colleges in 1997. That's pretty much the newest of my summer workout clothes. (Tom did get me a pair of actual workout pants and an Underarmor shirt for Christmas, so I do have one actual stylish running outfit.)

You all are doing so well on upping your miles! It's great to be a part of such a positive and motivated group!

Kara

Kara - I find running to be very "Zen" and I often space out. That's why I think I find it so mentally refreshing even when it is physically tiring. Swimming is this way for me, too, almost like meditation with the whooshing sound and the feel of slipping through the cool weight of the water. Oddly, I never space out when walking, I always seem to be engaged in keeping good form. Same with cycling, I never space out, I'm pretty hyper vigilant and very aware of everything.

You oatmeal brekkie sounds yummy. I need to work on getting food into my stomach before long runs, too, but I'm always nervous about gastric upset!

Joesphine, I just recently started eating before the long runs. I usually run early in the morning before eating, but I've been trying to train myself for what race day will be like, so I've been doing my long runs in the later morning/early afternoon and have been eating a breakfast. Hope you find a good formula for yourself!

Kara

I am in north jersey. We have a direct train into NYC so it makes commuting a little easier. I am new to the area, moved here about five years ago after living in ny all my life.

I agree, running in central park is wonderful!! I like running in any anonymous setting where part of the enjoyment is people watching.

So, what's the verdict? Is switching up the speeds on my treadmill HIIT?

Hey runners- we were at a party last night. My husband was chatting with a triathele who told him if the treadmill is set on 1 incline the running is comparable to outdoors running. Think this is accurate? I keep it set to .5 as my baseline.

I would imagine that's quite the transition. I'm a north jersey girl -- born in montclair, and raised in south orange.

well, i'm about to head out on my first run since my 5K two weeks ago. Got new sneaks at a running store, they feel a ton better than the ones I had, so we'll see how my knee reacts.

tomandkara -- wow, you are my inspiration! 10 miles...phew! I do not space out while running, no no, not at all...mostly i use my brain to say, "don't stop! come on! you can do it!" But most "real runners" i talk to do say exactly what you did, that they forget their legs are moving. I hope I say that one day!

S

Lizzy, there are definitely days that all I can do is focus on moving one foot in front of the other! I'd say about half my runs are "easy" and the other ones range from whinewhine to I-can-make-it-through-this. I figure I never know what I'm going to feel like on race day, so it's good to train through all emotional "settings".

Kitty, I don't know much about HIIT but I think it's just a matter of changing up the speeds, to the point of exhaustion. You could probably Google it.

Hey, I think Jersey girls are taking over the forum!!! I'm in south Jersey, near Philly.

I was supposed to take a rest day today but tomorrow's forcast is for torrential downpours so I did tomorrow's six miles this afternoon. I felt fantastic after I woke up this morning, not sore at all from yesterday's long run, so I thought I'd be fine, but my legs definitely felt heavy. I should probably try to keep that day after a long run a rest day. I'm still glad I went out today, though. Six miles on the treadmill would've been dreadfull!

Kara

I did my LSD today and it went well. I was supposed to do 7K but due an oops on my route on the way home I did a smidge more. I took it really really slow in an effort to be nice to my leg and I ended up taking 1:18 to complete it! The last 20 minutes or so felt really good and I really felt I found my rhythm for the first time in weeks.

Tonight I went shopping and got some very nice running pants. Part of me is cringing that I spent $70 on pants, but I think it'll be worth it. They're a nice pair of Nike+ capris with a little pocket for my I-Pod. I'm looking forward to my run on Tuesday so I can try them out!

Ooo, a pocket for your iPod?! That's cool!

Kara

Hi all

Gosh I haven't been here in SOOOO long... and that's because my running really fell by the wayside. I started a new job full-time, and I am still adjusting to fitting my running in around this working lark - - !

Glad to see you all, and glad to be back!

Heather

Kara - training is going well so far. I feel a lot better now than I did four weeks before London, the injury has healed up and I seem to be running fairly fast at the moment. I'm still a bit worried about the endurance side of things, when I do a long run I seem to tire quicker than usual, but I only have one long run to do between now and then, so with four more weeks for my muscles to recover from London it should be OK. I ran about 30 miles last week including a 13 miler on Saturday, this week I'm planning the one long run, so the week might be nearer 40 miles, then I start tapering again.

I'm not sure I'd recommend doing two back to back after your first, because you need to know how the recovery process feels for you to be able to work out what runs you should be doing (although having said that a friend from running club did London and Edinburgh - the two races I'm doing - last year when London was her first marathon.

It also depends what your goals for the second are. If it's just to enjoy the experience then it's doable, if you have ambitions of improving your time then you have to be a lot more focussed in terms of making sure you balance training, recovery and training.

I'm rambling and it's my bed time so I'd better head off.

Thanks Helen! I appreciate your advice. At this point, my goal for the Germany marathon is to run the whole thing. If I were to do the one in Athens, it would definitely be for the experience. From what I've read on the two sites, the courses are pretty different so I don't think it would be emotionally beneficial to try to improve my time on a course that has a general uphill route and is scheduled only six weeks after my very first race! I'd love to be able to do it because I don't know if I'd be able to any other time, but I don't want to hurt myself just to say I did it. You know what I mean?

Heather, welcome back! Good luck with the new job!

Kara

Hey there runners. Back in the day when I was more of a runner than I am now, I would get into "the zone". And, yes, everything just moves on automatic. ANd I feel so good. And I was able to sort out issues when in the zone. The zone runs are the best!

Actually, I hit the zone last week when I ran to the train station. It's way way WAY harder to get into a zone when I am on a treadmill. Huh, an interesting case for braving my suburban roadways. Maybe way early in the am... ok I'll consider...

Yesterday I planned on running and sweating on my pal, the treadmill-- but was convinced to try an exercise class while out celebrating friend's dh's 45 bday. I went to a class called Niolates. By Sunday night I was hurting in very new places. My whole torso was sore. And today I am sore (all of these sores-- good type) on the high-up backs of my calves. Last night I had to take advil.. I was getting cranky from the discomfort.

Cool, huh?

Plan to hang with treadman in the am. And counting on dh to get home from work early on Wed so I can get in the zone once more!

Happy running!

I ran outdoors today for the first time since we moved on post and it was hot! I got a good mile into it then hit a spot where there was no pavement and was all rocks and I slipped and almost twisted my ankle. So I decided walking that part (which ended up being 1/2 a dang mile) would be best. Then sort of lost momentum and ran/walked the rest in increments. Some hills too I wasn't expecting. I think next time I will go to the track until I figure out some decent runs that are all pavement and/or grass only! The entire distance today was 3 miles but I doubt I ran more than 1.75 of that with all the craziness.

Cakses, you should ask over at the fitness center to see if they have any routes plotted out. They usually have at least the 1.5 miles for the PT test run somewhere on post. You could do it twice to make your three miles. I'm trying to remember Ft. Lewis, but we only really ever were on post to take the dog to the lake (man, she LOVED that!) or because I taught at the elementary school. McChord has a nice trail through housing and around the park and through the woods back behind housing. I have no clue how long it is...we were there about eight years ago!

Hope you find something good!

Kara