Running into '10

[indigoiis]

Today we ran 9.26 - I ran in my scuba booties and it was a great run. Averaged 9:55 min. mile, with some big hills.

[Veronica]

1.83 pain free! miles. I was slow and I've lost so much endurance since October. But nothing hurt and that was good. :p

Veronica

[Aggie_Ama]

DH came and paced me for a 2 mile run. It is my longest run since March but I was so happy he challenged me to keep going. It is exactly 3 months to my half marathon but I know I can do it! I am glad to see 2009 leaving it has been a year of terrible losses, I will happily run into 2010!

[katluvr]

I had to run my long run (20 miles) on the treadmill last night. Too much snow outside on the roads! The last five miles were truly horrible.

happy running!

OMG:eek:
On the treadmill?? You are amazing! I guess sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!

[Bike Chick]

I had to run my long run (20 miles) on the treadmill last night. Too much snow outside on the roads! The last five miles were truly horrible.

happy running!

I agree with Kat! Wow! I have to push myself to do 5 on the treadmill. Are you training for a marathon, Syn? If so, how soon is it?

That's truly amazing.

[limewave]

I had to run my long run (20 miles) on the treadmill last night. Too much snow outside on the roads! The last five miles were truly horrible.

That is true dedication.

I'm scheduled for 15 miles this week. I've upped my runs from 2-3 miles to 5-7 three times a week. Dropped a couple of pounds . . . hopefully they'll keep dropping. My knees and ankles have been sore.

[Karma007]

Took the new GPS out for it's inaugural run run on my normal 3 mile loop, only to find it's only 2.6 miles. Oops! Nice to be out after a week of laziness though!

[Urlea]

Well like a lot of people in the upper mid-west, I was snowed in all weekend. :p It was pretty, but the roads & sidewalks were/are a big mess. We are buried in snow!

Thankfully I headed out for an impromptu 9mi run on Christmas Eve (Video of that is up on my blog.) so I wasn't fretting about missing my long run on Saturday when I looked outside to see snow drifts my height & 20-30mph winds causing white-outs.

My long run got postponed until today. It was originally supposed to be 14miles, but I was tempted w/ the idea of 16 before I left the door, not sure why. When I gelled at mile 6 & tried to wash it down with water I realized the hose/water for the hydration pack was frozen rock solid. It wouldn't budge. Knowing that it was only an extra mile-ish to my gym where I could run the hose under hot tap water to loosen it up, I made the choice to extend my route to get there. The plan worked, while a lot of the sidewalks weren't plowed (roads were thankfully!) & the windchill dropped below -10f the run was actually great! Ended up with 17.32 for today, feels good that I can still cover that distance. :D

Syndirelah 20miles on a treadmill?!?! Yikes. That is hardcore. Awesome & inspiring perseverance!!

Indi Are your scuba booties just straight up neoprene? I'm missing barefoot running so bad!

[Susan Otcenas]

I ran 25 miles last week. Wow. Who is this person who is inhabiting my body?? ;) Might be a new record for me. Included 5.5 miles (at 10 min/mile) on Saturday, hot on the heels of a 3 hour bike ride. I felt great, but was sure glad for my rest day yesterday!

5 miles with hill repeats on the dreadmill this morning. My coach has instructed me to get my heartrate down to 120 on my rest intervals, which I find hard to do without a little bit of walking on the RI. If I just sloooow jog, I can't get it below about 130. I hate to walk, but I have to trust my coach, right??

Syndirelah - WOW! 20 miles. That had to have been excruciating. I'm impressed with your determinination!

Aggie - WOoHoo! Must feel great to be back out there again. A new year brings so many possibilities, doesn't it? :)

Urlea - Are your roads clear of ice? If it drops below freezing, our roads are too slick to risk running on. This morning it was 30-31 degrees, but because it rained last night, it was an ice rink out there. That happens all the time here, so it really makes training this time of year tricky. I'm hoping for dry roads for my 9 mile run on Wednesday. A few weeks ago I had to do an 8-miler on the treadmill and do NOT want to repeat that experience.

[fatbottomedgurl]

Susan I am wondering if you did a test to get your maximum heart rate? I figured mine on the bike is 205 (that is when I see stars), but I haven't run hard enough to get there yet (I don't want to puke in the gym haha). I'm just using 200 as my max until I get the gumption to do a running HR test. Crazy thing is at my age- 46 "they" say it should be 174. Sheesh I can have a conversation at that level.

[Susan Otcenas]

I had my VO2Max done for both cycling and running in November. So, I have all my heart rate training zones pretty clearly defined.

My AT is 169 on the treadmill. Coach had me doing hill repeats in Zone 4 (154-161bpm) with the requirement to get my bpm down to 120 during my rest interval. (My recovery zone (zone 1) is anything under 136 bpm. But hill repeats are hard efforts, so she wanted me well into that zone.

My heart rate gets into Zone 1 quickly during easy jogs, but doesn't get *that* low unless I walk for about 30 seconds of the 3 minute rest interval.

[Urlea]

Susan The roads are pretty slick, but I wear trail shoes when they are like this & the grippers on them work well. You also learn how to slide/skate through the icy areas. I know some of the runners up here put screws in their shoes for traction or wear yaktraks, but I haven't felt the need for them yet. Just shorten my gait & be careful. My pace is slower because of it, but I'm not disappointed with that. :D

You've really taken to running this year, I'm impressed!

[GLC1968]

OK, kind of like in the swim thread...I'd like to join you ladies, but recognize that my distances are short sprints compared to most of you! I think it will help me be accountable if I check in here.

I'm sloooooowly trying to get back into running. I have cronic foot trouble, so I'm using a modified couch to 5K plan to get back up to speed. So far, it's going well, but while I have three runs scheduled per week, I've consistantly only done 2 of them (for the past 6 weeks!). This week, my goal is to get all three completed, damn it! I've been using the treadmill because frankly, it's a lot easier for me to just go down to the basement. I'm terrified of running on the road where I live in the dark and driving somewhere to run is just not happening right now.

Last night was actually the last run of last week for me (missed it on Sun). It was my last 10/20 run/walk (minutes). Managed 2.25 miles in that time frame. Tomorrow I do my first 12/18 run/walk and I'm looking forward to it. All this walking SUUUUCCCCKS but I am forcing myself to stick to the plan and so far, so good.

[katluvr]

GLC,
Don't worry about what distance you are doing. This thread has been great for me. It is like logging my TP and getting support w/ it. Just keep plugging along.
Not sure how much running I'll be doing once this marathon is over...:o

[Bike Chick]

Syn, I've registered for the half in the Illinois Marathon. DH is doing the full and my son and daughter-in-law who live up your way are considering it as well. It will be fun.

I'm not officially starting my training until this weekend. I'm just running 2 mi 3 x a week right now (just finished a 2 mile lunch hour run at work) so I guess you would say I'm training for my training! LOL:D:D I'm also doing a sprint triathlon the end of May so I'm going to be cross-training throughout. Hope this old woman can handle all this!

I hope I see you there. We will have to plan a meeting!

[Grog]

It is inspiring to read all of your run reports!

I never quite dropped off, but I have been running twice a week or less for a few months since starting my new job. Scheduling runs has been a bit complicated for various reasons, including primarily because I cycle to work. But I have a half-marathon in eight weeks and I've decided it would be enjoyable, not painful! So I'm back on schedule.

Ran 7 km yesterday and again today. I discovered a track 2.5 km away from home, and I will be headed there for an intervals workout on Thursday. Long run Sunday is a mere 13 km. I wish I was at more than 15 km already, but I don't want to push it and injure myself needlessly.

My husband got me (at my request) a Nike Sportband gizmo to track my distance for my birthday (yesterday!). I like the simplicity of it, recording just time and distance. Is anyone else here using the Nike+ web site? I wouldn't say I'm crazy about it, but it could be fun to add a few "friends" there. I go by "Grogotte" (Grog was taken).

[colby]

I did about 2 miles today with the dog. I got a Polar RS800CX Multi (just means it comes with the HRM, GPS, and software, really) for xmas from my husband and it was my inaugural run with it all on. I did a 45 minute ride last night with it on, too, but there's no point to wearing the GPS on the trainer. ;)

It was cool to see the route on the map (and how it is downhill at the start and uphill or flat the rest of the way, basically :p) and line the speed up with the heart rate chart. Since I had my dog, it was quite comical to actually SEE where she stopped to do her business along the route. :rolleyes: The GPS unit is comfortable (it's separate from the wrist unit, which will be quite useful on longer rides and runs and races to extend the lifetime of the most important part, the HRM).

Oops, ETA, this is week 1 of Ironman training. Not really "training" this week, but getting used to daily workouts, sometimes more than one per day, again.

[Grog]

Oops, ETA, this is week 1 of Ironman training. Not really "training" this week, but getting used to daily workouts, sometimes more than one per day, again.

GO COLBY!!!!

[Urlea]

Didn't run today, but I always love reading about yours! :D Enjoying my rest day after yesterday's run, body feels surprisingly good.

Syndirelah Yes! I'm training for my first 100 mile ultra which will be in August 2010. For the most part I'm a silly excited about it, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed w/ the training ahead. I just keep telling myself that I only have to run 10 miles 10 times & that helps! I'm also hoping to do another HIM in June, the cross training really helps my running and I love tris too. :D

GLC Welcome! I hope this new plan works well for you & that you're able to get back to running w/o pain. As the other ladies have said, it's not about the distance, it's about running. :)

[colby]

Thanks, ladies. You are the best. ;)

[Bike Chick]

Wow, Colby and Urlea! I hope you keep posting here while you are training. When are the IM and UM?

Syn, thanks for your help. This will be my first half so I wouldn't know a good race from a bad one. My hubby went to college there too so he will be running down memory lane as well.

[Veronica]

Veronica, glad your knee is holding up--being injured stinks. But those pictures on your website look awesome, you look strong! Im thinking of getting a trainer for working on strength training. (there's only SO much cardio you can do....) and I HATE strength training. Do you think its worthwhile to get a couple of sessions to add into my regime??



Thanks! If I didn't have my sessions with Shawna I would have gained some serious weight in the last two months. I think a trainer who knows their stuff is totally worth it. It cracks me up when we'll do an exercise that's just been mentioned in Triathlete magazine or that I've read about in one of my books. I don't really like strength training either. But she keeps it challenging and having someone to talk to and push me to go harder than I would on my own makes it fun.


Veronica

[katluvr]

Last night was a 4 mile run w/ the 2 mid miles @ tempo.
First mile --warm up was a bit sluggish. I really worried about hitting and sustaining 9:50 - 10 min miles. But I DID. Problem is I find my self running toooo fast, then drift down toooooo slow and then overshoot again. I really tried to "feel" what that pace was when I was at my target pace. Overall I did avg 9:50 for those 2 miles.
I DID walk about 1 min after that. I just need to do that to get my HR down and actually my breathing back in control. Last mile was where it needed to be pace wise, but was faster than warm up mile.

Question.... length of stride.
So a 10 min mile is pretty much "running" for me, meaning a bit past comfort zone. I am 4'10" and have about a 25- 26 incn(I think more like 25) inseam. So I have short legs and therefore a short stride.
On my long run on Sunday my SO (who biked around and checked on me) noted that even for my short legs she thought my stride was too short. I do know it feels comfortable. I did note that when I speed up last night for my tempo pace that my stride lengthened. But when I am in "long" distance mode I keep it short.
SO recommended "bounding" drills. Anyone have any thoughts/recommendations?

Urlea--I WISH I loved running like you did. Of course I don't think I am a "natural" at anything. Biking and running just don't come easy. (Except for doing it very slow and for a long time). You amaze me to just go out and run in those extreme conditions and seem to love every minute of it. Maybe after the marathon training I can focus more on just enjoying it. (But often without a goal I don't even find myself running). You do inspire me!

Colby--An IM?! WOW! And you just finished a marathon. You may have said but when is the IM? I really want to get swimming again adn try a sprint AGAIN. I can't imagine swimming 2 miles. OMG! I will enjoy your training updates.

Synderilah--I hope you don't have to do your long run on dreadmill again this weekend! I'll be doing my firstt 20 miler!

Everyone else--have a great run today (if you are running)!
Not sure of my cross training plans today. Friday I plan to head out to the "hill" (bridge/overpass) and run other that a few times.

Happy New Year!

[Urlea]

Bikechick I'm sure you'll hear plenty about my training in the coming months, you ladies help keep me sane! :D

Kat In answer to your stride question I have nothing scientific to contribute, but I also have short legs. I'm a 5'4" freak of nature w/ a 27in inseam, the height is all in my torso. That said, unless I am trying to haul during a 5k or finishing with a sprint my gait/stride is always relatively short & that is what my body responds well to.

It seems to shave off some of the impact since I'm not leaping from step to step. It also means that when I slip on muddy trail or ice with one foot my other one is there quickly to keep me from falling. HTH! :)

[Grog]

Katluvr,

My stride is also quite short. My husband observed that it might allow me to run faster than most people up hills. On hilly race courses, I pass everyone on the uphill, and they gingerly run by me on the downhill.

I think if I wanted to run, say, a 1h30m half-marathon, I'd have to progressively learn to lengthen my stride a little. But that's not really a plan for me! As Urlea mentions, short strides reduce the force of impact, thus the likeliness of injury. That works for me.

[Veronica]

What's your cadence? I've been doing a bit of reading lately about improving my run and it suggests to start with improving cadence.

Veronica

[Susan Otcenas]

Thanks to an unexpected snowstorm here in Portland, I had to do my 9 mile run on the treadmill at the gym this morning. I simply can't fathom doing 20 miles on a treadmill.

Pace varied between 5.6 & 6.0 mph. Coach gave me a target heartrate and I was able to stay in it for the most part. It got a little high at the end, but I wasn't willing to drop below 5.6 mph because I really really wanted to be done!

The weather is warming up, and the rain is coming, so the snow should be gone shortly. Yay!

Susan

[GLC1968]

I'm not the voice of experience here (obviously), but I'm built like Urlea (weird!!! I'm 5'4" with a 27" inseam, too!) and also naturally have a pretty short stride. I'm also working with the concepts of Chi Running as I get back into this and they basically say that a shorter stride is ok. If you stride out in front of you, that just means more heel strike, further in front, causing not only more impact, but also actually slowing your forward momentum forcing your legs to work even harder. I try to strike mid-foot (for my foot injury problem) and thanks to Chi Running, I'm also trying to strike closer to below my body and not out in front.

What this means is that until I learn how to effectively rotate my hips (without rotating my upper body) so that I can lengthen my stride behind me, then I'll be taking shorter steps at a faster cadence. On Monday, when I ran my last interval, I wanted to match my cadence to the song I was listening to. In order to do that, I had to lengthen my stride to slow it down but still maintain my overall pace. It was like a huge A-HA moment! All of a sudden my hips naturally rotated, my legs felt the stretch and I was easily maintaining my pace with less effort. I can't wait to run again tonight to try it again. My point is that if you feel the need to lengthen your stride, you might want to try lengthening it behind you instead of in front of you.

Or, you might want to read Chi Running to get the REAL explantion instead of my half-assed version! :p

[katluvr]

Thanks...yes, when I "lengthen" my stride it is out and front. Not sure I get the lengthening behind. But I could play with it. On my long run I'll just do what feels comfortable...and if it is my short stride then that is what it is.

Susan...9 on a dreadmill. Hats off to you, too!

[OakLeaf]

Wow, great runs everybody!

It's been a, well, interesting week, but I was able to run enough to stay sane. Um, maybe not, but then it would've taken more than running to keep me sane. :rolleyes: Not a bit of mental energy left for speedwork, just miles to get my heart rate up. A little over 4 Christmas Eve, not quite 5 the day after Christmas, then 5.5 from the in-laws' on Monday, actually one of the better runs I've done there, since I found a loop that took me out of their horrid little golf course community without having to run on super busy roads.

Skipped riding this morning to finally get my long run for the week. I took it as a good sign that my heart lifted just thinking about it - this time I could visualize finishing, so I figured I'd add on a little bit. Almost the same route as last week, with a couple of twists to make it 16.4. Only 10 more to go to marathon distance. And 137 days.

[Karma007]

Had a very nice 3 miles with husband and dog! It was nice to get out, and quite unexpected!

[Aggie_Ama]

I am blown away by what some of your are training for! And 20 miles on the treadmill, goodnight nurse! DH is tired of me calling it the Dreadmill. :p:p

Did my first higher intensity run of half marathon training. It was 5 minutes easy pace, 20 minutes hard, 5 minutes easy. The weather was perfect, about 57 with a bright nearly full moon. If my allergies would just calm down it would have been awesome. :rolleyes:

[colby]

Wow, great running ladies. 9 miles on a treadmill after hearing about 20 earlier. :eek: I guess it's the season!! I really hope to avoid it as long as possible, though my winter runs are much shorter.

16.4 miles, great job OakLeaf. :D

Ironman Coeur d'Alene - June 27, 2010. 178 days, 7 hours. ;) It will be my third. It's in my backyard, more or less (about 14 miles from my house), so I can swim/run/ride the same lake and bike/run course. I guess I have no excuse for being slow other than being slow. ;)

[katluvr]

Ok, no run/mileage to log today...and I am SURE there is a thread on blisters so I did not want to start a new one. In fact I am not really looking for answers/care, but just wanted to "share" my story w/ my running buddies.

So about 2 weeks ago I got a blister on the side of my big toe. It only hurt a few days. It was pretty big, but not too tight. I am of the believe that you just let it be. The fluid under the blister is there for a reason (lubrication) and the skin on top to protect the area underneath until it is ready to peel off. I don't even pin prick them (unless really tight and hurt). Being in FL I also have the opportunity to let them "air out" and dry.

So yes, I cover it w/ my runs (most of the time) and often it fills back up w/ a little fluid. But all and all it doesn't bother me. So last night it was driving my crazy itching. So I thought, must be healing so let's take the old skin (blister) off. Low and behold I had a blister under the "new" skin. It is still itchy (weird) and this blister looks a bit more angry.

I normally get large fluid filled blisters, but not many that are red and hurt. This was is more red than I normally see. I not really worried. I put the band-aid brand blister bandage on to protect and cushion. I suspect I'll still have it and it will get a bit sore and more fluid after my Fri and then Sunday long run.

So, long story just to tell you all about my blister under my blister! Hmmmmm, things you find out when you run a lot or long distances.

Oak...already up to 16 w/ that many days left? I am under 60 days now (I should know the exact amoutn). I have 20 this weekend, then next weekend I am getting a new runner thru the Disney 1/2 Marathon. My goal is to get her there BEFORE the cut off time.

Happy running into the New Year!

[limewave]

GLC--You have me even more intrigued in Chi Running. I think I have to check it out now. I've been curious for awhile.

I got in my 4 and 3.5 mile runs this week. It's been very snowy and icy. Half the time I feel like I'm running in sand the other half I'm on an ice rink. Both runs were ho-hum because my diet has been really bad the last few days.

Tomorrow I have my first 10k race in over a year. I've got a good meal plan down for the day so that I hopefully will not have any tummy troubles tomorrow.

And, for the die-hards out there, my uncle told me that he was running with someone on the beach who was barefoot--in the SNOW! Crazy.

[Bike Chick]

BikeChick if you want a running buddy for the IL half let me know, what is your pace?? Im not a talented runner, I just sort of chug along. But if for some reason you and your DH dont run together I always love running with people doing their first race.

Oh, Syn, how nice of you to offer!!! I don't think you want to run with me though. I'm just a beginner and VERY SLOW. I run an 11-12 mi pace and hope that I'm up to 10-11 by the half. I can't run with my DH--he's much faster but he's hoping if he stays with me for the first half I will keep him at a good pace for the marathon. I don't think I want that pressure! LOL

[Grog]

Just posting to commit myself to today's workout:

I'll go do intervals at the track sometime mid-day. I will just do 4 X 100 m on the straightaways with walking on the turns, then 4 laps with 200 m of walking, then another 4 X 100m.

Will report back.

[OakLeaf]

Here's an article (http://www.chirunning.com/shop/pages.php?tab=r&pageid=18&id=397) about pelvic rotation from the Chi Running library. They have quite a bit online, and Danny's and the instructors' blogs are helpful to read, too.

Syn, 20 miles on the dreadmill?! :eek::eek: Susan, you too. I don't even wish I had that kind of dedication. :p

Lime, good luck tomorrow!

Kat, hope your blister heals quick. They're miserable. :( Do you lube your feet with anything? I've had good luck so far with Blister Block and keeping my calluses shaved down. But I know things change as you get into the longer distances.

I'm running Cleveland on May 16, and yes, it'll be my first. One way to look at it is, part of my Half-Assed Marathon Training Plan™ is leaving myself plenty of time. Another way to look at it is I've only added three miles since my half in October.... :rolleyes:

[Susan Otcenas]

Ironman Coeur d'Alene - June 27, 2010. 178 days, 7 hours. ;) It will be my third. It's in my backyard, more or less (about 14 miles from my house), so I can swim/run/ride the same lake and bike/run course. I guess I have no excuse for being slow other than being slow. ;)


One of the gals in our office is signed up for IMCDA! It's also the same weekend as my half. Big weekend for TE folks!

[Aggie_Ama]

My half is March 27. It seems way too close!

[Grog]

Just posting to commit myself to today's workout:

I'll go do intervals at the track sometime mid-day. I will just do 4 X 100 m on the straightaways with walking on the turns, then 4 laps with 200 m of walking, then another 4 X 100m.

Will report back.

Done.

That was not very pleasant, but I'm glad I did it. Now on to two days of rest, and a happy New Year to all runners! (And their friends, too.)

[Jolt]

I'm not the voice of experience here (obviously), but I'm built like Urlea (weird!!! I'm 5'4" with a 27" inseam, too!) and also naturally have a pretty short stride. I'm also working with the concepts of Chi Running as I get back into this and they basically say that a shorter stride is ok. If you stride out in front of you, that just means more heel strike, further in front, causing not only more impact, but also actually slowing your forward momentum forcing your legs to work even harder. I try to strike mid-foot (for my foot injury problem) and thanks to Chi Running, I'm also trying to strike closer to below my body and not out in front.


That is right--most people overstride and this is part of what causes injuries b/c of the braking and excess impact that results. If you run in bare feet, you will quickly learn not to reach out in front of you with your stride--if you land heel-first while barefoot, ouch! If you land forefoot/midfoot first, under your center of gravity, there is less impact and the natural "spring" of your calf muscles contributes to propulsion in addition to absorbing some of the shock. As for my running, I have done a grand total of two runs in the past week--3-milers with more walking breaks than usual. That's what I get for not running as much lately...snowshoeing and swimming don't quite keep me in running shape I guess.

[Red Rock]

I hope this is ok to put this here...

I am going to attempt a 5K trail race this year (March). If all goes well, perhaps a 10K trail in October. This will help me by doing something else other than biking, as well as, getting and and meeting new people that like to exercise. I really like the whole social side of doing races like these.

Red Rock

[Bike Chick]

Good for you, Red Rock! Sounds fun.

I did 2 mi yesterday..............still training to begin half marathon training:o

[limewave]

I ran my first race in over a year. Posted my slowest time ever for this event. Last time I ran it, in 2008, I averaged 9min/mile with a finish time of 55 minutes on the dot.

This year . . . I came in just under 1:04 :( I weigh 25 lbs more. Time to get serious about the weight loss.

Here is my Garmin reading from the race.

[Red Rock]

Thanks Bike Chick for your encouragement. Good luck to you on your runs. We might be some of the "new beginners" here.

Well after all of the posts that I have posted so far on running questions and trail advise, I actually went out for a run on a local trail. This is how I am starting my new year.

I used a combonation of a stopwatch and my pedometer. I figured that would cover all of the bases electronically.

So here is my report...
I went 2.64 miles in just over an hour. I was covering rolling hills in this area so it was definately difficult. So I started with 5 min runs ans 1 min walks to see how that felt. After doing it twice, I knew that was to much. Mind you, this is going uphill with rollers, doging mtn bikes too. Anyhow, I switched to running 4 minutes and walking 2. This was more doable. Thank god for stopwatches. This allowed me to go out there and run but not over extend myself which I have done in the past MANY times. So my net running times were 2 sets of 5 and 1 and then another 2 sets of 4 and 2. So that was about 18 min of running which was enough.

After my first 2 sets and going uphill, I took a long walk to get my heart rate down, relax and try and figure all of this out. After walking for a while, that was when I decided to turn around and head back. It was at this point that I switched to the 4 and 2 combonation.

Clothing was good. I dressed as if I was going skiing. I had thermals on, then a cycling jersey, running tights, wool socks and knit gloves. I had my smaller hydration pack with me too.

Depending on how I feel tomarrow, I was going to try and go for a ride. I run by "feel" and ride by "feel" to. It makes it easier to not think about time and distances so much.

I just know I need to get back into shape again. It will take work but thankfully I have not gained a whole lot so far.

Red Rock

[WindingRoad]

I am training for a half marathon in May. My goal is to drop some time from my first time doing it and hopefully drop a couple of pounds in the process. Winter fluff is annoying, grrrr.

I have been going to the gym now for a month or so. Yesterday was my 'power' workout: I did a pretty intense Pilates class, followed by a 4 mile hill run on the treadmill and chased that with a spin class. I think the spin class and running was fine but OMG the pilates is killing me today. Sneezing makes me want to pee my pants, my ribs are so sore. I am trying to do more Yoga and Pilates so I don't die everytime I do a class. The weather has been rediculous cold so it seems I am going to have to train more on the treadmill, yuk.

I really hate the treadmill which seems to be unanimous here. What do you all do to keep yourselves motivated? For some odd reason the treadmill makes me get blisters on my feet? Running hills on the treadmill helps but still getting some blisters. Do any of you have this issue too?

[Bike Chick]

Winding, I'm training for a half in May also and, like you, hate the treadmill. I did 3 miles yesterday--outdoors--in 8 degree temperature with below zero windchill. I'm a beginner so this was a true test for me. I stayed warm and had a really good run except that all I had on my legs was one layer of tights and my upper legs lost all feeling by the beginning of mile 3. I really thought I had frostbite in my thighes if that's possible. It was scary. Next time I will wear wind-blocking pants over the tights. Live and learn.

Urlea, I officially became a member of the frozen eyelash (and eyebrow) club yesterday.

[WindingRoad]

I think my limit is if my nose hairs freeze, then there's no way I'm running outside. That's just me. Kudos to those of you who are super motivated to run in the extreme cold. I have to wear layers of tights to run in the 20's and heavy tights to run in the 30s. I ran in 17 degree weather about a month ago and hated life the whole way, OMG that was the worst run ever. I just couldn't get warmed up EVER. I'd say my cutoff is about 20 degrees OR my nose hair rule of course, whichever comes first:D.