Light on our Feet: Week of August 4

[emily_in_nc]

Hey, I'm first this week! :D

I'm kinda psyched today because I got new running shoes during tax-free weekend here in NC (New Balance W755C), and I had my first run with them today -- 4.2 miles on the treadmill in 43 minutes. They are SO comfortable! My old shoes served me well, but were getting worn out as they were at least a year old, so it was time for a fresh pair. Ah so cushy and good support too. Just wearing them really motivated me to start the week out with a good run.

Me happy! :) :p :D

Emily

[kelownagirl]

I did a 3 sport brick and my 5 km run was the crappiest part of the whole thing. Dang shins. I'm going to give them 4 days off then try again.

[Fujichants]

5 mile run today. My ankles are hurting...they have never hurt before? But then again, I have upped my mileage.

[limewave]

Light on our feet? I felt like lead weights were strapped to my ankles. I did a 7 mile run yesterday. I set myself up for failure. I wore a cotton t-shirt instead of a sleeveless tank. I didn't bring water. And I wore a baseball hat instead of a sunglasses and sweat band. To top it off, I left for my run at 1:30 in the afternoon. 87 degrees and very humid.

I walked/jogged the last 1.5 miles. But I made it. Easy run tomorrow. Pace run on Friday. And then, hopefully, an 8 mile run on Sunday.

[Wahine]

My calves are so sore and tight I was afraid my heels would never touch the ground when I got up this morning. No running for me!!:)

[limewave]

I do not feel like doing a 6 mile pace run today :(

[Shiraz]

I finally had a decent run. I ran 11 miles of rolling hills and maintained under 10/mile pace. I was ready to hang up the shoes and bag it. I had been sick for 3 weeks and couldn't get in a run that was worth 2 cents. I went from a terrible sore throat to a nasty sinus infection to the gastro intestinal stuff. Still not fast but I didn't have to walk! It sounds like everyone is having the late summer yucks with the heat and humidity.


Limewave hope your run went well today.

Wahine hope your calves lighten up

3 weeks and counting down till my half:)

[OakLeaf]

Intervals today. Unfortunately my HRM wasn't picking up for most of it, so I don't have a good sense of how I did, although speedwise it was pretty much okay. 1 minute sprints/1 minute walking recovery x 7, 4 miles total with warmup and recovery jog.

I didn't post my run last Saturday, since it was a couple of days before I got back to my computer. But I need to pat myself on the back ;). We were camping at the racetrack as we always do, and for once I didn't have too much to drink :rolleyes:. This year we camped in Family Camping (with about 200 other old f*rts and two or three children :p) which was great because they didn't have all the klieg lights trained on the campsites and I was able to sleep without an eye mask... which in turn meant that I was actually able to wake up normally in the morning - even a little bit earlier than usual, since the tent admits more sunlight than my bedroom windows! So I crawled out of the tent, knowing that DH would be sleeping for at least another hour and there wouldn't be bikes on track for longer than that - stood around for a couple of minutes trying to find some motivation since ordinarily I DO NOT do any exercise before 8 a.m. and ESPECIALLY not running! Finally I went all Nike-commercial on myself, put on my running clothes and shoes and went out. I actually stayed inside the gates, just because it was pretty foggy when I started out, I'd forgotten my Xinglet or anything else hi-viz, and I didn't want to go out on the road. So just a 3.5 mile free run, just enough to blow the campfire smoke out of my lungs, but it didn't hurt NEAR as much as I expected a pre-7 a.m. run to, and I was sure proud of myself for doing it :)

Shiraz and Wahine, hope you both start feeling better soon!

[firenze11]

I did an 8 mile walk this week, no running. I hope to do two more long ones tomorrow and Sunday.

It has been a very very stressful week and I've found myself needing to go for a run. I must have turned a corner because I never used to want to exercise when I was stressed.

[colby]

I did 3 quick miles with my dog on Tuesday, but have been traveling since. Two days of 35 minutes on the elliptical, then a crapload of walking yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Totally Off Topic Rant: Hotel gym fees - what a racket. Usually $25/day, some hotels have multi-day deals where you can get a discount, but not this one (Caesar's Palace, Vegas - I think Mandalay Bay has multi-day dicsounts). The nicest hotel gym I've been to is inside the Four Seasons San Francisco - it's a real gym, that people have memberships to, with tons of equipment and trainers and classes and all kinds of things. I can't remember if they do the multi-day thing or not, but it was nice. You would also think that most hotels have somewhere you can lap swim... not usually. I don't even bring my suit anymore, I stick to the bike/treadmill/elliptical. I only travel once or twice a month (some months not at all), thankfully.

[emily_in_nc]

I finally ran outside this morning -- first time in a couple of months. We are having a beautiful day here in NC, and the humidity is LOW for the first time in quite some time! :) I had already taken a long trail walk with Paisley, so I didn't have time for a long run, but did get in about 2.5 miles running. I haven't run trails for awhile so didn't mind it being shorter to get my ligaments and tendons used to that type of running again. I've been strictly a treadmill/gym rat this summer.

Ready for fall!!!
Emily

[kelownagirl]

I FINALLY went for a run today. Shins hurt to touch but they felt ok when I ran. Thank goodness! About 1 1/2km into the run I had to go to the bathroom so ultimately ran home early due to me recent GI 'issues'. Twas a good thing I came home I think. Didn't go back out and finish the run tho - don't want to push it so close to my tri. I will run once more on Wednesday and that's it. Try to rest up my legs until Sunday.

[jesvetmed]

KG: Hope your GI issues and shins get under control soon!

Two runs for me this week -- one hilly one (sucked) about 4 miles; yesterday back to my flat trail and it felt much better. 3.5 miles. I have to admit, I've not run much lately. Bad, considering i've got the tri coming up on Sunday:(

[limewave]

I just did an 8 mile run. Finally. I've been putting it off. I walked/jogged the last mile or so.

[Fujichants]

I did a 5 mile run on Thursday, intervals on Friday, and an 8 mile run on Sunday morning.

My upper quad is really tight and I am having trouble walking normally so I am going to see a doctor on Wednesday to get that checked out.

Running seems to bring out all my old soccer, softball, and horseback riding injuries :mad:

[katluvr]

Well I am still slow (guess I always will feel that way). Did my 9 mile run on Sat. I felt good. Last 1 - 1.5 miles was a bit tough and would of loved to walked...but didn't.

I am so lucky here in Florida (excpet for running in the heat)...saw a couple of Manatee's during my run along the water. Overall a 11:30 min mile pace....hey I am under 12!

Today (Tuesday) was tempo on treadmill (yes, the torture device). But I felt better w/ this run than my tempo run a few weeks ago. Still embarassing to say what I put the treadmill on that is "fast for me"...but I see progress. And I did it! It is an accomplishment.

The long runs are easy...cuz I just go slow. It is the speed work and tempo that kill me (or the brick). But if i want to get faster this is waht I have to do!

I have a duathon on Saturday. I plan to just have fun!

[Fujichants]

The long runs are easy...cuz I just go slow.

I go slow too! But I find that my mind starts telling me that i'm tired and that I need to walk...or that I am going too slow, might as well walk...long runs = more time for my mind to mess around with me!

[jesvetmed]

I walked yesterday -- 6.5 miles. (With screaming children along -- seemed like 12 miles:( )

Today ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill before going to Boot Camp tonight! Kept it at 6.1 to 6.3 miles/hour.

By the time we were doing one legged hopping for 1 minute at the end of class, I was sorry I had ran just before going!

[limewave]

I did 6 miles yesterday. I was starting to have some pain in the arch of my foot, so I walked a little.

Tuesday I did 35 minutes of hill repeats.

Sunday I ran 8 miles.

My legs are feeling the additional mileage. I also towed DD in the burly for a 20 mile bike ride this week.

According to my training schedule (I'm simultaneously training for a mntn bike race and 1/2 mary) I'm supposed to mntn bike 16 miles . . . but I'm also supposed to run 10. Not sure how I'll do both of those.

[Fujichants]

I also have the problem of deciding what to do training wise. I am riding a metric century on Saturday, and my mind is telling me HTFU and run 10 miles on Sunday as part of my half-marathon training. But since that will be my furthest distance thus far, I have a feeling my body will be quite tired on Sunday...

[Shiraz]

I have had a decent week so far. I ran 8 miles on Tuesday and 6 -1/2 mile intervals with 1/4 mile recovery last night I ran okay even though it was 85 degrees last evening. Tomorrow in the morning, I am babysitting my little grandboys so my daughter can get her 12 long mile run in and I will run my long run Saturday morning. My plan is to run 12 miles, 6 miles easy and 6 miles at goal pace.

Work stress is killing me and I need to mentally put it out of my head so can have a good run Saturday. Tomorrow I am going for a bike ride with friends and plan to JUST HAVE FUN!!

Hope everyone keeps running healthy and meets their personal goals

[Grog]

I'm baaaack!

I've started running again regularly, third week in a row this week, just on Wednesdays, a 5 km just to keep the legs moving. My running partner from last year has agreed to run again, which is great.

But next week she wants to go twice! I might be upping the mileage faster than I thought I would.

So for now I'm cycling 15 km to meet her and then we run on our old trails, which is much nicer than running around my house. Legs feel okay so far. We'll see in September when I start running 3 times a week.

Not sure what events to do this year though. Anyone else planning fall running races?

[limewave]

I also have the problem of deciding what to do training wise. I am riding a metric century on Saturday, and my mind is telling me HTFU and run 10 miles on Sunday as part of my half-marathon training. But since that will be my furthest distance thus far, I have a feeling my body will be quite tired on Sunday...

I don't know what to do. I'm riding a grueling 16 mile mountain bike loop on Friday and Sunday as part of my final training for a race next weekend. I'm supposed to run 10 miles this Sunday and then 9 the day of the race. It's two consecutive weeks that my long run is in jeopardy.

Right now, my thought is to get up early on Sunday and run a 5k before the mountain bike and then run another 10k later that evening.

I'm still not sure what I'll do the following week . . .

[katluvr]

Limewave and Fujichant,
I feel you confusion. I have always tried to mix biking and running and not always successful. This year I got a coach and we decided really what my "A" events were. Where I wanted to focus. We recently had a discussion about a biking event I have planned. I know I can bike distance and it is never a race and usually it is more about fun that time. So that being said we are really run, 10 K bike, 5 k run). Then Sunday is my 9 mile long run. I did do 9 miles last weekend. And right now the long runs ARE "slow" and until we get closer that is not an issue. We recently discussed a bike event in Oct. (probably a metric) and my 1/2 marathon is in Nov. So we will include biking...distance...but again keep main focus on running. We try --if at all possible--to do long runs on Sat. and keeping Friday as a rest day. That being said, d/t weather last weekend I did my run/bike/run workout on Sat. and long run on Sunday...that will mimic this weekend. My legs did feel a bit heavier and sluggish when I started the run, but felt better as run progressed.
Not sure if this helps any. I think it is just very important to really decide which is the "bigger" event or which needs more focused dedication. I always feel I can get a distance covered on my bike because I do not hang w/ a fast group. But running is what I personally want to improve right now.

Other option...find a duathlon or tri plan that mimics the distances of the 2 or more sports you are trying to fit in and use those plans. They should help you figure out what should/could come first.

The option of having a "coach" is not always affordable to all. But I think I have made a wise investment at this time!

[katluvr]

Limewave,
Another option is to "skip" next weeks long run (mtb event weekend).
If you work out your long run plan you can "catch" up by increasing mileage during the week or increasing the rate you "increase" your long run. Instead of going from 10 to 11, if you "skip" a week you can increase from 10- 12. In fact my plan does my be dong a "2 mile bump" up at one point.

Good luck. I don't know if any of my advice will work. But just some thoughts!