No Fools here! running week 30Mar -05Apr

[eclectic]

Another week ended and another month closer to summer!

Did no one run today?

Urlea - are you snowed in again? The storm missed us which is good for us - but we could have handled it better than Fargo or Bismarck. W/ the flooding more snow is the last thing you need.

No running for me today - off day. I did swim this morning after a week off and plan on getting on the trainer tonight to ride w/ a friend training for her first 1/2 IM. I have a feeling it will eliminate any dreams I may have of ever training for a 1/2 IM :D

[Urlea]

Eclectic- Yep, nice fluffy flakes of snow have been falling here since noon. It's beautiful & I like winter so I don't have a problem with it other then the added water to already flooded areas. :)

No training for me today, both of my gym branches are closed until Wed. *bummer* But, I'm running tomorrow no matter what. Looking forward to it!

[Crankin]

I ran today. 2.6 measly miles on the treadmill at the gym. I sat in class all weekend and my whole body hurt. Running made it feel better. I did the whole run at a 10.25 pace, where i ran almost the whole time at 6.0 mph, about 3 minutes at 6.2, with a couple of minutes of walking thrown in, too. I decided to concentrate on speed today, but I have to start working up to longer than 3 miles.
It was pouring out today, so I spent like 3 hours at the gym, basically avoiding starting on a research paper. After running, I did some running specific stretches, worked the foam roller, and then lifted upper body weights. Then I went to a 75 minute yoga class. By the time I ate lunch and showered, i spent about an hour and a half writing the introduction to my paper. Then I went to acupuncture, where he worked on my hips, back, and IT band.
I will be riding tomorrow afternoon because classes were cancelled for some bogus research day at the university, and also on Wednesday, with my club.
I guess that means I'll be running on Thursday.

[kacie tri-ing]

I ran 8 on saturday, and I have to do 5 today. The front of my left hip is suddenly hurting (my body is just messing with me before this race).

Going to see the sports chiropractor this afternoon. Trying to get myself right before the race. Hopefully it will not be a problem!

[kacie tri-ing]

Oh right, I am being positive--DO DOUBTS! I will NOT have any problems running. Tapering is wonderful! Total confidence over here!!!!

[yellow]

kacie, they don't call it "taper madness" for nothin'! :p Ommmmmmmmmmm.

Got out for runs on both Sunday (recovery) and yesterday (snow-slush fest with the dog...what fun!) but kind of crashed last night. Went to bed early and skipped Crossfit this am; I think I just needed to catch up with "rest".

The RD from my race last weekend sent out an email with the resuts; seems I won my age group and will be receiving some sort of a prize in the mail. One of the hidden benefits of getting older! ;)

The other really weird wacko thing is that the person who finished right after me was female, in the same age group, and has the same exact name as I do. What are the chances of that? Freaky. (I have a common 60s first name and pretty common combination of first and last names, but really, the same race, the same day, consecutive finish??)

[OakLeaf]

I did long intervals, speedplay, whatever you want to call it - 3 minutes race pace, 3 minutes jogging x 5. I took the opportunity to try out my new Nathan Intensity hydration vest. That thing totally ROCKS! Thanks for letting us know about it, Yellow! :) And, way to go in your race!

Kacie, you'll do great!

[Urlea]

As per the program I ran 2mi, walked .5mi on the dreadmill this evening.

I was really hoping to run outside, but there is over a foot of fresh snow and all of the plows have been used hauling sand & moving dirt for the flood efforts so that was a no go.

Hopefully on Thursday though!

Gym is closed until then as well. There is a recumbent bike in the apt. fitness room. Not sure if it would be worth hopping on that tomorrow or not to at least do some form of biking. What do you think?

Yellow Congrats on the age group win! That's exciting. :D

Oak Your training program has you doing a lot of tough work. I am guessing you are going to be very speedy this summer! Keep up the good work!

Kacie Does reading the TE threads during your taper help or just make you want to get out and do something? Thinking of you!

[Susan Otcenas]

I had a really crappy day today ( I get VERY moody one day per month...) so I decided to burn off some steam by doing tomorrow's speed work tonight instead.

The plan:
1 mile @ 5.5 (warm-up)
1 mile @ 6.1 (5K race pace)
0.5 mile @ 5.7
1 mile @ 6.1
0.5 mile @ 5.7
1 mile at 5.5 (cool down)
Total = 5 miles

I followed the plan until 4.25 miles, at which point I dropped down to 5.4.
At 4.5 miles I decided to walk for 0.25 mile
Then I ran another 0.5 @ 5.0
Then I walked another 0.5

So, all in, I still ran 5 miles, but the last .75 were at slower than the planned pace. Total distance was 5.75

I'm glad I went. I feel so much better! :)

Susan

[Crankin]

Well, this wasn't a run, but was a hike that turned into a 10K walk on the road..
My husband came home early and we decided to go to one of the local conservation land trails in the next town. It's about 4 miles from my house. We have been on this trail lots of times, but mostly we go with friends. It's confusing; there are several exit points where you can go in and out, not at the point where we parked. The trails go in concentric circles, too. You're never more than half a mile from houses, but you feel like you are deep in the woods. We had gone about 2 miles when we realized we were not where we thought. We both had our GPS's on, but even though we had marked the start point, the trail ended and somehow, we were backtracking.I did not want to bushwhack, since there was a lot of water. So, I thought it would be good to leave the trail and walk into the neighborhood I saw. Unfortunately, it was not the street I thought it was, which would have been about 1.5 miles from the trail head. So, in Massachusetts, there is a long tradition of not putting street signs for the street you are on. At intersections, there is a sign for the street that is off of the street you are on. Essentially, we had no idea where we were. It was a development, with homes built on common land; I have been in a lot of places in this town, since my kids went to school there, but as we started walking, I saw no familiar street names. Finally, after a few turns, I saw a street I knew, that gave me a clue to the name of the development. Except, we had no idea how to get out of there, onto a main street! And, we were about 4-5 miles from the car! Finally, I remembered dropping one of my kids off at house there about 10 years ago, and we got out to route 2A. Thankfully, there is a sidewalk because, by now, it was rush hour. By now, we both had feet that were hurting, but we hiked up Strawberry Hill Rd. to Pope Rd., with only a little part with a sidewalk, lots of cars, and rush hour on a narrow country road. Much better on a bike.
6.3 miles and some very tired hips!

[indigoiis]

That's why I hate those developments.
*shudder.*
Glad you came out alive! ;)

I ran 3.2 this morning at a 10 minute mile pace (30 minutes.)
After riding 60 miles Monday and Tuesday, this body didn't want to go. But I made it go.

Lil frosty this a.m. *brr.*

I feel good now.

[Urlea]

Ran the 7mile route with my Thursday morning running group. Wow was it good to get out again! :D

It was pretty icy, one woman fell twice in the first 1/2 mile. I managed to stay upright.

Less people in the group this morning, but I think everyone is still adjusting to their post-flood/flizzard schedules. Once the lead group (Or fast people) get on their way I found myself as the lead for the slower group which is actually kind of intimidating. I knew some of them had not done the 7mile route before and since I was just following the two women I ran with last week I wasn't 100% sure which roads to turn on today. Everything went fine there so no complaints.

My body felt relatively decent. Had some calf cramping the first 1/2 which is unusual for me, but all of my muscles have been feeling short since sandbagging last week. Looking forward to my swim tomorrow that always helps lengthen things out. :)

Susan Sorry to hear you were having a tough day earlier this week. I hope things are improving as the week progresses! Running is a great mood changer.

Crankin Sounds like an adventure!

Indi Good job talking a body into running when it had other ideas! Not a bad pace either. :)

[jesvetmed]

Thought I'd post here again, finally. I've been slowly rehabbing my calf (turns out, calves, as the other one has more trouble than the injured one per the PT massage therapist!).

I ran 45 minutes today, at a slow pace, stopping to walk and stretch for 30 seconds only 3 times. Huge accomplishment for me from just 5 weeks ago when I couldn't walk one minute, jog one minute more than 3 times in a row! It's tight, and I have to be careful, but it's coming along. Stretching, the STICK, and massage... my new favorite pastimes! Glad to say I'm actually a "jogger" again! :p

Sounds like you are all doing great... very inspirational to read! BTW... I've also been lost before running. It's a little disconcerting, but funny to look back on! :rolleyes:

[Susan Otcenas]

jesvetmed- CONGRATS on being able to get back out there again! You must feel fantastic.

I had an easy 30 minute run in my schedule this morning. After the 10K race on Sunday and the speedwork on Tuesday, it was a welcome change to have an easy-paced day built into the program. Which is precisely the point, eh?

I have a very busy weekend planned! 50 mile hilly ride with friends tomorrow, after which 2 girlfriends and I are going to quickly lace up our shoes and go do a 15 minute run. I'm sort of lax about training for the bike/run transition, so I've determined that I'm going to try to do it on a more regular basis. We've decided to reward ourselves with Mexican food when we're done. :D

Long run and swim lessons planned for Sunday.

Have a good weekend, all!

[Crankin]

I ran 3 miles on a new route this morning. It was spritzing and very humid, but I managed to get done before the deluge happened. My Garmin did not work well because of the clouds, etc. and kept giving me the message that the satellites were nowhere to be found, so I have no idea of my pace. But, I think I actually did it very quickly (for me), because my husband was surprised when I arrived back when I did.
I am learning about eating and running. I had a whole wheat bagel, fruit, and coffee and ran about an hour later. Not a good idea. I felt sick starting about half way through and it didn't let up until after I took some Tums and ah, visited the bathroom for awhile. I think next time I do an early morning run, I will eat a Luna Bar and go. Definitely no coffee.

[OakLeaf]

I blew off the club ride since there was a line of thunderstorms coming in. Turns out three of them went out and got a shorter ride in, but honestly I didn't miss the grit and yuk.

So I dragged my sorry *ss out for a run instead. I was just planning to dog it for a few miles, just to get my HR up, but as soon as I started warming up I couldn't justify it. Tried to knock out a 15 minute tempo run anyhow. It was so hot and humid all I could make myself do was just under a 9 minute pace.

With warmup and recovery, right at four miles.

[yellow]

Crankin, I can't imagine running WITHOUT having coffee. :D I don't typically have anything to eat before runs about 8 miles or shorter, but for anything beyond that I seem to do well with a big protein slug...usually an egg and a Morningstar Farms sausage pattie. Definitely no fruit. :eek:

Welp, I did my long run today. Woke up to rain, which was predicted to turn to snow, so I waited until it did and headed out. It's not cold, so I just wore a light water resistant jacket (in the event it turned back to rain). The temps were perfect.

The trails were...a challenge. Some mud, some slushy puddles, and a lot of snow. Several of the areas were wind loaded, so I did a lot of wading through thigh-deep drifts. There was quite a bit of walking today, which is OK since it was going to be the longest run I'd done in a quite some time. I was the first maniac to tackle the trail in many stretches, so my footprints were the only ones in the snow. It was pretty, and very peaceful. The schedule said 18, and I clocked in at 17.77. Close enough, especially with the snow handicap. My quads are quite fatigued!

Off to nap now. http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Sleepy/sleep-027.gif

[Urlea]

Completed my longest run EVER today. 16miles. 2miles more than my training program called for, but with all of the closed roads due to flooding & unplowed sidewalks it was the best route I could come up with.

It was tough. I needed every gel I had (btw, Cliff Shot's Apple Pie when frozen tastes horrible & doesn't go down easy.) Considering I biked 30mi. and swam 1.2 yesterday my body did very well on the run today. No complaints. I'm proud of myself for going that far. :)

Happy long runs for the rest of you this weekend!

[OakLeaf]

Wow, great job both of you! That kind of distance, under those conditions... just wow. :)

[emily_in_nc]

No running, but I did my first road ride today since Oct. '07. Have been doing mountain biking (very much a beginner, easy trails), a bit of running, and Pilates, but no road riding for so long. Riding on the road again reminded me why I used to love it so very much before a serious accident four years ago. And although I admire and envy many of you on this thread who are able to run as much and as long as you do, I must say that I much prefer riding to running. I didn't realize how much until today's ride. For me, running on anything other than a flat treadmill is a constant struggle, while riding alternates between difficult (hills, headwind) and easy, fun, exhiliarating euphoria (descents, flats with tailwinds). I get much more of a cyclist's high than I ever have experienced a runner's high. I guess I'm just a cyclist at heart....running is great for fitness, and I plan to continue when it makes sense (at the gym at work, on our home trails on a day I don't have time for a ride), but if I never do an "official" race, I won't feel that I missed out.

Kind of an interesting day with some interesting revelations.

[yellow]

Kind of an interesting day with some interesting revelations.
Emily, I am so glad to hear that you went out and rode on the road. I remember the time after your accident and your apprehension. You waited until you were ready, and the reward is huge. I think you'll have many happy miles on your road bike this year.

I am very happy for you! :)

[Crankin]

Emily, I have come to the same conclusion as you. I like running, but it's overall so much harder for me. I live where essentially, there is no flat, so it's never easy. I can pretty much handle 3 miles, with hills, but I am not sure if I can or will do more. My legs just feel like cr*p if I go to ride the next day, which happened yesterday.
I am not going to stop running and I do envy those of you who can go out and run 10 miles and then ride 50 the next day. Riding is too much a part of my life, in a way that running isn't that it's always going to come first, even if I am getting older and slower.

[Jolt]

Well, I took about a week off because of having banged up the ball of my right foot on a rock during a trail run. That healed, so I went for a run yesterday with my sister (I went to NJ to visit my family for a few days) on a local rail trail. For some unknown reason, that #@*! left IT band acted up, after having behaved itself just fine for the past three months on runs up to 45 minutes. Not sure if it was from slacking off for a few days on my stretches/hip abductor exercises, having started cycling again last week after not doing any over the winter, crashing on the couch in a tight curled-up position the night before (because I had to share the couch with other people also crashing in front of the TV), the change in surface (that rail trail is very hard packed dirt/small gravel, and a lot of it was sloped sideways a little), or some/all of the above. I did find a trigger point in that TFL muscle, which was most likely the direct cause of the ITB getting grumpy. So, it will be a few days of working on those trigger points and stretching like crazy, along with doing extra glute exercises, before I try running again. That should get things under control, I hope. And then no more slacking on those exercises!

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, I have come to the same conclusion as you. I like running, but it's overall so much harder for me. I live where essentially, there is no flat, so it's never easy. I can pretty much handle 3 miles, with hills, but I am not sure if I can or will do more. My legs just feel like cr*p if I go to ride the next day, which happened yesterday.
I am not going to stop running and I do envy those of you who can go out and run 10 miles and then ride 50 the next day. Riding is too much a part of my life, in a way that running isn't that it's always going to come first, even if I am getting older and slower.

Yes, I think that I just have to accept that I can't do everything with excellence; there are some activities that will always come easier than others, and some that will always be more fulfilling than others. But it doesn't have to be all or nothing; if we don't LOVE running like we do cycling, that doesn't mean we should just quit running. I think cross-training is the best of all worlds. Running is better for bones than riding, it's better in the winter than riding (for me, anyway, not a fan of cold weather), but much worse in the summer (pant pant). I have access to a free gym at work, so running on the treadmill my lunch break is something I can do since I can't ride mid-day. We can do all of it, just not necessarily excel in everything at once. And that's ok. :)

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, I am so glad to hear that you went out and rode on the road. I remember the time after your accident and your apprehension. You waited until you were ready, and the reward is huge. I think you'll have many happy miles on your road bike this year.

I am very happy for you! :)

Thanks Yellow! :) I've actually been riding on the road on and off since my accident (April 2005), but MUCH less than before my accident, when I used to do centuries, touring, events, etc. I was actually back doing short road rides just four months after my accident. But I hadn't done any road riding since Oct. '07 since my DH stopped riding for awhile, and I won't ride alone anymore. So it was great to get back to it, and I'm glad DH has caught the bug again! I still have apprehensions (I practically sprinted for a mile uphill on a road he had encountered dogs on once), but I am working on them and trying to stay strong, because riding is just so darn fun!

[OakLeaf]

Welcome back to the road Emily! :) :)

Crankin, there's nothing wrong with knowing what your priorities are! Now, if you want to run more but cycling still comes first, I'd say do your long run the day after your long ride, not before; and really emphasize your recovery nutrition after long rides. But this is supposed to be fun eh.

I know for myself I'm really looking forward to getting back to the hills on the bike, but really dreading them for running. We'll see how it goes. The shortest loop from my house is about 8 miles and the hills are pretty steep whichever way I go. I think I can handle that now for my long run. I'm definitely ready for a change from the out-and-back I'd been doing.

In the meantime, I'm still in the flatlands, and I hit half-marathon distance today. :) Way slow, but oh well.

[Crankin]

Good idea, Oak. Right now, my longest run is 3.2 miles... but I'd like to work up to a 10K, maybe. So, that would put my long run on Thursday this week, since I will be doing a 47 mile club ride Wednesday (gotta prepare the body for all of that matzah Wed. night).
I guess it will depend from week to week. I don't always do long rides during the week. I've been running on Mondays almost every week since January, but I don't feel well today; I was up all night and now I realize I just feel sick, like a viral thing is approaching. Plus I went for my eye exam, and my eyes were dialated almost all day from those drops. I actually took a full rest day. No yoga, either.
Well, I did do 50 sit ups...