January Thaw... 1/8 through 1/14 runs!

[Kimmyt]

It's been warm here recently. Really warm. I wore a tank top and shorts yesterday, and with the high predicted today of 70 I figured the morning temps would be around 45. Got all dressed and went out with the group at 5am only to find it was much colder, thanks to a low-lying blanket of cold damp fog. :( 38 degrees and me with only minimal layers on.

Thankfully, we did 6.2 miles of hills, so I got warmed up quickly. :rolleyes:

Lets hear what everyone's up to this week, ladies!

On a side note, I have a bit of a rant on age-ism, but the reverse kind. :( As I was struggling up a hill past one of the other ladies, I heard her call me 'the young kid' in a somewhat snarky tone of voice. Yeah, I'm the youngest one in the group (I always feel that way) but sometimes I get really upset when people call me a baby, or when I finally manage to do okay at something, they say 'oh thats cause your so young'. I felt really bad the rest of the run because I felt like I was making the other women feel insecure about their age, and I had no intention! Just that women my age don't usually care about running at 5am and so i'm often hanging out with ladies that are older than I am.
:( Now I'm torn if they like me and if I should even bother continue running with them... I hate to make them and myself feel bad, and it's not like I'm even any faster than them!

[OakLeaf]

On a side note, I have a bit of a rant on age-ism, but the reverse kind. :( As I was struggling up a hill past one of the other ladies, I heard her call me 'the young kid' in a somewhat snarky tone of voice. Yeah, I'm the youngest one in the group (I always feel that way) but sometimes I get really upset when people call me a baby, or when I finally manage to do okay at something, they say 'oh thats cause your so young'.

I am SO with you on that! I'm 48 and just starting to really feel old, and I HATE it when people attribute what strength and endurance I have, solely to being "young"!

ETA: the subtext I think is that I'm terrified they're right... that if I'm training 1 to 3 hours every single day now, and I'm okay if not thrilled with how I feel, then in 10-20 years I will have to be training 4-6 hours every single day just to keep my head above water. Please let that not be true.

[Grog]

Yeah, cold morning here too today - 1 C!

And wet.

With some slushy snow on the ground.

It took me a while to muster sufficient courage, but I eventually went out for a mere 20 minutes. I was out there. Check.

[tattiefritter]

Ran on Monday, scheduled to do 6 miles on Monday lunchtime: 2 mile warmup, 2 miles of fartleks then a 2 mile cool down. It was stupidly windy but I headed out anyway, the exact second I broke into a run it started to rain heavily, then it hailed, then it changed back to rain again all in the first mile. I kept going down to the sea front but there was absolutely no way I could run along there as the wind was so strong and the rain so heavy I couldn't actually see. I retreated to a parallel street for a smidge of shelter, still windy/rainy but I could at least see. Normally the frequent road junctions would annoy me but I used them to my advantage for the fartleks by sprinting between one set and recovering between the next, after a mile and a half of this straight into the wind (added an extra dimension of difficulty) I turned round and got blown back for another half mile before "cool down" (too cold to slow down much). I did 6.25 miles and squelched back into the office with a massive grin, then spent 10 minutes trying to warm up in the shower. Think my mojo may actually be returning last month I would've turned tail after about a mile.

Weather is rubbish here, really windy, rainy, hailing with a hint of sleet. I couldn't ride to work yesterday and looks like we won't be going out night riding tonight. May go out for a three miler tonight if not riding to get blown around then do some core training.

[nonsmoker3]

Three painful and pitiful miles. Scheduled for 4, but just wasn't feeling it this morning. Too bad, since it was nearly 70 outside and I had shorts and a T-shirt on at 0500. Wish I could have taken advantage of the great weather.

[teigyr]

Five miles :D No walking AND I my average was under 10 minutes per mile. Oddly enough, I felt better on this run than on my normal 2.5-3.5 mile runs. It was very nice.

Re age-ism, it's silly. I know that some things are slightly easier the younger you are but the most important thing is dedication and training. Some of the best endurance athletes I've been around have been older. The only thing I don't appreciate about age is just that it feels like it takes me so freakin' long to recover sometimes!!!

[OakLeaf]

Simulated 5K today, total of 4.9 miles with warmup and cool-down. I held just over a 9 minute pace for my race distance. Was hoping for better, but I can live with that and maybe do a little better come race day. I'm figuring on two more interval days before that.

[Wahine]

A little over six miles for me in the slush and relative cold. I had a blast wet tights, shoes and all.:D

[DirtDiva]

Haha. I'm not doing so well sticking to my target of running 2-3 times a week. Only went once last week, and will likely only get out once this week, then I'm away next week and may or may not take the running shoes with me... Should be easier to stick to a routine after that though as I'll be back at work then. :rolleyes:

[Grog]

It's pouring rain (again), pitch-black dark (for another half-hour) and I am going out for an hour.

That's a crazy sport.

I have a nice clip-on white LED now but I need one for my back too.

I'll finish my run on the beach so it's a happy finish.

Ok, will report.

(I seem to be using this thread for accountability purposes.)

[Kimmyt]

Accountibility is good, Grog! Half the times I think I only do workouts so I can log them in my BT account. It keeps me motivated.

Took the morning off running, the girls were doing an 8 mile run and I was feeling some slight twinges from the hill run on Tuesday. I'll make a trip to the gym today and test out my new shoes on the treadmill.

Signed up for 2 trail runs over the winter. 7.25 and 9 miles. I'm excited because they seem like really fun races. Plus it's something to do in the cold rainy winter (I feel like I've forgotten what snow is, in the mid-atlantic these past few years....)

[limewave]

I didn't have too much time this morning so I did a 1 mile warm-up. Followed by 10 spring hill repeats. And then a 1-mile cool down. Man, did I feel energized after that!

[HillSlugger]

The weather here has been crazy. On Friday it was 18 so I ran inside on a treadmill. Tuesday it was 49. This morning it was 38. Anyhow, I ran 2.6 miles on Tuesday and 2.7 miles today. Still working to get my running back up to 5k.

Can anyone tell me how I should be using the heart rate data I'm getting from my Garmin?

[limewave]

I get ribbed all the time at Running Club. It drives me nutty. I'm 29 and everyone else is 45+. If I have any successes, it's because I'm young and not because I worked for it. Or, they assume that I've been working out my entire life (I just started exercising 5 years ago) whereas they all started as adults (20 years ago).

I'm tired of hearing them complain about it. All of their kids are grown and in college. They are established and have all the time in the world to dedicate to working out. They don't have to find a babysitter or push a 40 lb baby jogger every time they want to do something. I have a 2 year old, 3 cats, work full time, take 2 night classes, my husband is absent 6 out of 7 days a week, I have hypothyroid, and 3 screws in each foot. I work Darn hard for every little success. It sure doesn't come easy to me. And if it only gets harder, then I'm in serious trouble.

[Grog]

I LOVE hill reps. They leave me energized, too. :) Good for you, Limewave!

I did go out this morning, although it was not especially pleasant. The beach bits were the worst because there were big puddles everywhere, although since I was overdressed and too warm I didn't mind getting my feet wet.

Silly as it sounds, I need to practice running downhill. There is a half-marathon coming with more downhill than up, which for me is a bad news because I can pass most people on the way up... but get passed by everyone on the way down. That will be my goal for the next month.

[Wahine]

Wow, seems like everyone is doing really well. Hills, runs in nasty weather, new distances. Cool.

And Grog, I use this thread for acountability too. I just look at it and say, you better do something today so you can post.

So I ran 3.27 miles in 30 min on the dreadmill. We're in the middle of a winter storm and the roads are a mess. Running on the sidewalk is out of the question because when they plow the roads all the snow ends up on the walk. Usually this is no big deal because it all melts in a day. Not this year. We've got tons of snow. I think I might go snow shoeing this weekend.:D

[tattiefritter]

Silly as it sounds, I need to practice running downhill. There is a half-marathon coming with more downhill than up, which for me is a bad news because I can pass most people on the way up... but get passed by everyone on the way down. That will be my goal for the next month.


If I'm running on tarmac I find running downhill surprisingly difficult - think its the impact and the lack of obstacles, get me offroad though and I love it and fly downhill like an idiot jumping over stuff and arms flailing, on one of my trail races I flew past almost everyone on the downhill enough that only two people caught up with me on the flat where I slowed right down, I put it down to my MTBing background. I'm doing a lot more road hills now so hopefully that will improve. Talking of hills did just over 5 miles with the club last night on a good route with a mixture of hills, some long and gradual some short and steep I really enjoyed it. It actually stopped raining last night and it was a good night for running. The wind has also died today so I'm heading out at lunchtime for whatever I feel like doing also breaking out the Noo Shoooes. :D

[OakLeaf]

I need to practice running downhill.

That's one place where the Chi Running method is immediately obvious. Big, big torso rotation, keep your legs underneath or behind you, midfoot strike, and I fly down hills with like no impact at all.

And +1 on the accountability, this thread has definitely been good for me that way.

[Grog]

That's one place where the Chi Running method is immediately obvious. Big, big torso rotation, keep your legs underneath or behind you, midfoot strike, and I fly down hills with like no impact at all.


I'll be thinking more about my torso next time I run downhill though - I have been taught to gently bend it forward (along the hill's incline) but not to rotate it.

The thing is: I need to run downhill for 2 miles at a time, on a 5% incline. Gravity does take its toll, and no matter what I do I still have to stop my weight at every step. I was amazed to find out yesterday that my downhill pace was 2m45s/km (whereas my pace for the whole run was 5m30s/km). Still, lots of people are passing me. Maybe I'm a downhill-weenie on the run! (I'm not at all on the bike.) I guess I need to progressively re-train for that....

[Kimmyt]

Have you thought trying to add some leg strengthening exercises to your training? I'm not sure it would work, but my thought is that if you did exercises that focused on strengthening the legs that the impact wouldn't be as hard to take. It's kinda like skiing bumps, running downhill is very high-impact, so you try to strengthen your muscles to support your legs during those impacts... not sure if it would work, maybe some squats and dead-lifts and those knee exercises....

[Deborajen]

I did four miles on Sunday but nothing more this week. I've had "the crud" since Tuesday evening - sore throat, cough, plugged up ear, fever, and the worst fatigue I've had in a long time. And of course, we're having really nice weather - :mad:

Well, hopefully I'll have some energy over the weekend. I don't want to overdo it and relapse, but a walk in the fresh air sure sounds good.

Deb

[Grog]

Have you thought trying to add some leg strengthening exercises to your training? I'm not sure it would work, but my thought is that if you did exercises that focused on strengthening the legs that the impact wouldn't be as hard to take. It's kinda like skiing bumps, running downhill is very high-impact, so you try to strengthen your muscles to support your legs during those impacts... not sure if it would work, maybe some squats and dead-lifts and those knee exercises....

That's a good exercise. Perhaps I should start doing squats when I brush my teeth again. :)

Anyone with specific suggestions for this?

**

In the meantime, I went for a tempo run with my sweet partner this morning. Slow 10 minutes warm-up, then a pretty tough 20 minutes (85% effort and perhaps 90-something % on the last 5 minutes of that), and then a light jog to get home (another 10 minutes). Boy! was that painful - I ran way too hard for a tempo run - but it was fun in a way. I was planning to do intervals tomorrow but I don't think it's such a good idea anymore.

So my next run should be Sunday's 18.5 km.

[Shiraz]

:eek:I am so sore from restarting weights and lunges, I can hardly get out of my chair! My daughter talked me into going to the gym and took me through the weight machines (barely any weights, mind you). My behind and legs are so sore!! I met with a trainer today and we did upper body and abs. I can't wait to see how I feel tomorrow :eek: I have forgotten how sore you are when you start up.

I have only ran a few miles this week. Our roads are solid ice and we have had terrible weather. Sunday I ran with my daughter outside so a slow icy 7 miles and a core strength ball workout, Wed only 2 miles than the WEIGHTS, Thursday eve 5 miles of speed work on the treadmill. Today walking half mile and than upper body wts. We are planning on trying to run tomorrow.

Even thought the roads are terrible and the skys are gray I need every little bit of sunlight that you get from being outside. I struggle from Dec - March from lack of beautiful light. I need to get some of those special lamps.

[Wahine]

That's a good exercise. Perhaps I should start doing squats when I brush my teeth again. :)

Anyone with specific suggestions for this?



The major muscle groups you want to train are your glutes, quads and tib anterior for downhilling. Lunges are good, squats are good, step downs are very functionally specific. Skipping rope helps you get used to landing on your forefoot and the impact.

Here's a suggestion:

3 sets of skipping to fatigue (for me at the beginning of a season that's only 1 to 1.5 min) with a good 45 to 60 sec rest between sets.

50 reps (25 each leg) of "uber curtsies" - explained below.
Wall squats using a ball - 3 sets of 10 to 30 reps
Toe taps in sitting - 3 sets to fatigue.
Lunges - 3 sets of 10 to 30
Step downs - 3 x 5 to 15

All of these exercises are body weight only and you're shooting for 3 sets of 30 on the harder ones because it'll build muscle endurance. That's what you need for longer downhill runs.

You should never have knee pain with any of these. If you do, stop.

Uber curtsies = Curtsie but in stead of only stepping back a foot or so, step back until you're almost in a full lunge but remember that a proper curtsie has you crossing the mid line with the leg that steps back. The more you cross over the more work you'll get out of your glut med. But be careful to make sure you line your knee cap of the front leg over the second toe as you bend it. This is very important for ALL weight bearing leg strengthening that involves bending the knees.

Toe taps = sitting, keeping your heels on the ground tap your toes, play with the speed but try make them quick/clean movements.

Step downs = Stand on a step and step down with one foot very slowly, focus on knee alignment and keeping your pelvis level, ie don't let the stepping side drop towards the ground. Only go as far down as you can without comprimising form. This is a tough exercise that works on control and balance.

[Grog]

Wow! Thanks Wahine! I've printed that and will try it today.

I don't quite know what a curtsie is but I think google will help me there in the meantime.

Thanks!!!

[Wahine]

Wow! Thanks Wahine! I've printed that and will try it today.

I don't quite know what a curtsie is but I think google will help me there in the meantime.

Thanks!!!

:eek::eek: What!! You're a good Canadian girl Grog. It's what you do when you meet the Queen. Oh wait, aren't you from Quebec originally? That explains it.;);)

[Wahine]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXxArFuoLvI&feature=related

It's not great but helps.

If you search Curtsy on Youtube, you'll get a bunch.

[Grog]

:eek::eek: What!! You're a good Canadian girl Grog. It's what you do when you meet the Queen. Oh wait, aren't you from Quebec originally? That explains it.;);)

From Quebec indeed!

Hehe :) I was thinking of "curtsy" as an exotic yoga position that I had no clue about. :D

I assume that I should be on my toes on the back leg, right? 'Cause when I do it with my heel down I do get a stretch but no glute work.

[Wahine]

I assume that I should be on my toes on the back leg, right? 'Cause when I do it with my heel down I do get a stretch but no glute work.

Absolutely. Sometimes I do this exercise with a lightish (10 lb dumbbell) in the hand on the same side as the leg I'm stepping back with. As you step back reach the DB out in front. It actually helps with balance and alignment but makes the exercise more muscle work rather than co-ordination. I call this version, "The Brier." Now, as a Canadian Girl, if you don't get that one I might have to come up to Vancouver and bomp you on the head with a curling stone.

[Grog]

Now, as a Canadian Girl, if you don't get that one I might have to come up to Vancouver and bomp you on the head with a curling stone.

Ouch! Okay, I'll do my best to avoid that cruel (and rather unusual) punishment.

Will report!

[kelownagirl]

I went for my first run with the orthotics today. My right foot feels really good and my left is a bit odd but ok. I did 1min walk, 1 min run for 3km, about 25 minutes. Did a really good stretch after, then I tried the suggestion in Chi Running and had a hot bath and did a leg drain. I hope it helps. Nothing is hurting right now. :)

[OakLeaf]

Intervals today. I really had to drag myself out, but I felt like I had to go today if I'm going to get one more hard workout before my race. 1 minute hard run, 90 seconds walking recovery x 7. Unfortunately my HRM wasn't picking up, so I can't compare it to last week (running surface and ambient temperature were very different anyway). Felt pretty good though. 4.2 miles with warmup and recovery run.

[teigyr]

I ran 3.5 miles today. I did some hills too just because I felt like it. One leg is hurting a bit but other than that, it feels surprisingly good! I'm at 13.5 miles for the week and I have one more day to go.

After I got back from the run, DH and I went for a 6 mile walk. That felt good too though my feet were kind of tired by the end of it. I don't suppose it helped that I was wearing my dress orthotics in Converse High Tops.

I think I'll run 4 miles tomorrow maybe. Monday's a swim and cycling day :D

[Wahine]

Accountability post - I'm going to run today, either track repeats if the track is free of snow or a slightly longer run with longer tempo intervals.

OK. Now I can't back out.

[KSH]

I had a good run today.

Per my coach I had to run 72 minutes. Ran 95% of the time. Only walked up a couple of hills to keep my HR down.

I went 6.40 miles with a 11:25 minute mile. Certainly not fast, but solid for me.

[Kimmyt]

Hmm, what's a 'leg drain'?

[Wahine]

6.32 for me. I ran 4 times this week, for a total of.... 18.86 miles. I'm pretty happy with that. It's been a while since I've hit those numbers.:cool:

[Grog]

Lovely long run on the trails.

My running partner is back from her holidays peregrinations so I took her for a nearly 10 K loop then I kept going for another 8 on my own. I stepped - more than once - in deep mud, shoelace-deep mud, and had to hose down my shoes and calves when I came home. Fun in a childish way (I'm glad I didn't slip in it though).

I arranged my route to finish with the long hill near my place. At the bottom of the hill as usual was perched a bald eagle. I whistled to it and it turned to have a look. They're not very interested in humans, though. Then as I was running up I passed a couple more, one of which just landed as I was going by. They started chipping away in their amazingly cute way. Those of you who live in eagle country will understand that it felt like my personal winged cheerleaders. I picked up the pace and although it came after more than an hour and forty minutes of running I blew that hill faster than I did on shorter runs this week. Happy runner.

Makes for a nice finish to the week. Next week I have to add another 10 minutes to that long run.

[emily_in_nc]

Two treadmill runs of 3.25 miles each (+ .25 walking) in the gym this week.

Emily

[OakLeaf]

Endurance run today. It's amazing how much the beach can change. Yesterday, an hour past high tide and coming off a dry couple of weeks, the surface was soft and gently mounded. Today, an hour or two before low tide, and after a hard rain this afternoon, it was very firm, very even. Plus, between the weather, the time of day, and the playoff schedule, I was dodging sand castles and footballs yesterday; today, there were only a few people on the beach.

I love a fresh surface because it lets me study my footprints after I turn around. Strike looks pretty good, but nudge that right heel out a little, girl!

5.88 miles counting my warmup but not my walking cooldown. Average HR = 151. Woohoo!

[KSH]

6.32 for me. I ran 4 times this week, for a total of.... 18.86 miles. I'm pretty happy with that. It's been a while since I've hit those numbers.:cool:

Looks like we had the same run... except I'm sure yours was faster. :)

Great job on getting out there and doing it!

[OakLeaf]

Hmm, what's a 'leg drain'?

Elevate and massage towards the heart. To get maximum elevation, lie in bed or on the floor with your butt against the wall and your legs vertical. It's supposed to help move waste products out of the legs.

[Wahine]

The only thing I would comment on there is that when you elevate the legs such that the hip is bent at a 90 deg angle, you can actually impede the flow of waste products/fluids out of the legs. the optimal angle as taught for lyphmatic massage is 70 deg.

And yeah KSH, I think we were virtual running partners today.:D:cool:

[kelownagirl]

Elevate and massage towards the heart. To get maximum elevation, lie in bed or on the floor with your butt against the wall and your legs vertical. It's supposed to help move waste products out of the legs.

And according to Chi Running, you lie with your legs up against the wall for 3-4 minutes then, starting at your ankles, you squeeze down (up?) your leg as if you are wringing it out. I don't know if it worked or not, but I felt dizzy for awhile when I got up... My legs felt pretty good though.

[Shiraz]

Oh how I would love to be running and see eagles, or the beach and warm weather! January in southeast Idaho is not too great. I did another DVD core strength workout yesterday and ran 7 miles on ice, with wind and a high of 28with wind chill of about 20 something. OKAY, I have whined enough!! Yes I did get out and did not have to run on the treadmill but oh how I long for the sunshine!! The gray days are already getting to me.

I went in to work at 6:30 AM and worked today from until 7:30 PM so no run today. I am committed to running Wed when I am off work, hopefully the sun will shine and I can get a sunshine fix.:):)

[kelownagirl]

I ran again today. 1 min walk, 1 min run. I went after school. I was tired. It was just barely above freezing. The roads were snowy and icey. It was windy. My legs hurt. Then it started to sleet.

But I enjoyed it in an odd sort of way. I feel so good when I get back to school and people say "Did you go for a run?!!". Yeah, I did!!!!

Went swimming afterwards. I tired.

[indysteel]

I ran 2 1/2 miles on Sunday, making that my second run in 13 years! The weather was rather icky (rain/snow mix), but it was nice to be outside on a day that I would have otherwise been homebound. For the first 2 miles or so, I stayed with some friends who run at a pretty slow pace. For the last half mile or so, I picked it up and finished feeling pretty good.

I did a half hour of intervals on the treadmill twice last week, too, and that must have helped because I wasn't sore at all during or after Sunday's run. I'm actually looking forward to running at this point, which is a good sign.
This weekend, however, the temps are supposed to drop below zero, and I'm not sure I have the fortitude to run when it's that cold. I may opt for the treadmill.