Can't Get Enough Fall Running! 10/25-10/31

[kacie tri-ing]

Seems like we needed a new thread!

I ran the myrtle beach half marathon with my friend for her first race.

It was really fun to share a race with someone!

I stayed at her race and ran 2:14. Great time for a first half!

I posted pictures and stuff on my blog.

Myrtle beach is hilarious, but we did have some yummy key lime pie at Margaritaville!

I am running another half on saturday with my mom to celebrate her birthday!

[Veronica]

I want a tough cookie t - shirt! :D

Veronica

[OakLeaf]

So cool Kacie! I wish I could do that two-legged tree pose. :cool:

So, one walk, one fairly relaxed aerobics class (instructor), two pretty strenuous hatha classes (participant), two days on planes trains and automobiles, and two days on my butt (not in sequence) and I was itching to run.

I will say that for all I was never super sore after the marathon (chalk that up to a little bit of ice immediately after, intermittent elevation for the rest of the day, and 24 hours of compression tights), and I was walking normally when I woke up Monday morning - everything I did for the past week, my body helpfully told me was enough. I brought my running gear with me when we went to visit the in-laws this weekend, but never really felt quite ready, especially with the very nice yoga studio just a couple of miles away. By the time we got home last night, my legs were asking for a run. :)

Nice relaxed almost five miles today, just down to the village and back, and it felt soooo nice. The wind was fierce but steady, so it really didn't bother me. It was fun to see the leaves chasing ahead of me (but so much for the fall color :(). They've taken the tornado warning off (thank goodness), but the storm's about to hit.

[GLC1968]

Today will be my first run bumped up in mileage since I started my new off-season plan. 4 miles. I'm looking forward to it because it's long enough that I can run an almost entirely new route.

Can I also mention that I feel like a total non-runner? I am running consistently every other day (4 runs one week, 3 the next) to build my volume and I'm happy with the results so far. I've got a plan to get me to 20mpw by the end of January (injury free), so I've got a goal and a path to get to that goal. I just feel like until I get to some of those higher mileage weeks, I'm not a runner. I'm training to eventually BE a runner, I'm just not there yet. Will I ever make the transition in my head?

[OakLeaf]

Will I ever make the transition in my head?

I think I just did last week. Maybe. :rolleyes: You DEFINITELY don't have to do my kind of mileage! (even if it was pretty freakin' minimal for marathon training)

Let's see if I can dig up what a friend of mine posted on my Facebook page when I aired my doubts last spring. .... Well darn it, now I remember her FB account got hacked over the summer, and apparently when she put together a new one, all the posts from her old account were deleted. :( It was along the lines of:

You are a real runner when YOU CHOOSE! Believe it! It's true!

[katluvr]

So just 3 very slow miles tonite. Totally off my running schedule, tired & tummy was not happy, but 3 slow miles is better than nothing.
As for feeling like I am a runner... most of the time I do feel like one. I have my doubts when I feel slow, or because I know I don't look like a runner or times like today when I really wanted to skip my run. What I don't feel like is an athlete. And that is what I want to be!
K

[colby]

Ran 45 minutes + 5 cool down on treadmill today. I think it's supposed to be my tempo run day but the travel always messes things up so I went for what I could afford in the time I had. When I do that, I do the "random" program on a relatively difficult level, which means it goes up to something like 8-10% for some periods.

I actually ran barefoot on the treadmill because I am stupid and forgot my other shoes and only have one pair of shoes (still VFFs, but I don't necessarily want them to have sweaty foot stink all day!). Yesterday I ran a similar run on the treadmill in my sprints, which is okay, but they rub on the tops of my feet and that skin is super tender, so today I thought I'd try barefoot. It was interesting. I actually enjoyed the being barefoot part, it's so nice to not THINK about how your shoes interact with your body. However, the treadmill is a moving belt and your feet, for an instant, are enjoying heat and friction; repeat for that entire period 90 times a minute, or over 4000 times for the entire run, and they become a little irritated with you. ;) Not a huge deal, maybe my feet would build up tolerance if I did it often enough. Tomorrow won't be barefoot, though, they would definitely be called "blisters" then.

Very fascinating where my feet rub when they fall. I'm not sure if that's just where my feet fall first, or if that's where they stay on the ground longest, or if that's just where your skin is the most prone to blistering (the midfoot, on the outsides).

Anyway... tomorrow is my last day of travel, but we don't get home until 1-2am. Ugh!

[katluvr]

Just finished my run, sitting here enjoyingy chocolate milk:)
It is hot, not July or August hot, but very warm! I did 5 miles, fairly easy warm up first mile, then the middle 3 around my race pace (or at least trying to get there) and final mile a slow cool down. Not an easy run, but it wasn't too bad. Leaving for Knoxville, TN tomorrow, expect to have some cool weather running, 11 miles on the schedule for this weekend.
K

[skhill]

Today ended up being a local history run... About 2.5 miles in, I was going down a road on the opposite side of the street from usual, and noticed a historical marker I'd never seen before, marking the house where Jefferson Davis lived when he was a student here in town. So I decided to detour from my planned route, and went past Mary Todd Lincoln's house, to balance things out. Ended up weaving my way through downtown, past the location of the slave market, Henry Clay's law office, the church where Abe Lincoln went when he was visiting in town, and a few other notable civil war and reconstruction era spots. I was planning on going 8 miles, and did 6. But I'm supposed to be in my pre-race taper, so that's ok...

It's out on my runs that I remember just how much I love my hometown!

[GLC1968]

Very fascinating where my feet rub when they fall. I'm not sure if that's just where my feet fall first, or if that's where they stay on the ground longest, or if that's just where your skin is the most prone to blistering (the midfoot, on the outsides).


Isn't it? I think that it's due how your feet fall AND how you push off that determines that rub pattern. I also found that as some areas toughened up, others began to show blistering/rubbing, so it was really a balancing act. Our treadmill is in our basement so it's such a treat to step off the treadmill and onto the cold cement floor after running barefoot! It was such a contrast that it kind of 'hurt so good' if you know what I mean. :)


So last night, I did my first 4 mile run in my plan. It was also my first half-dark and stormy run. It was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! I truly enjoyed it! Does that make me a runner? ;) Anyway, the distance was totally fine for me but I did have to alter my route a few times because the park I usually finish in was not lit at all. That seemed really odd to me, but I didn't want to take the chance and opted to stick to the lit sidewalks alongside the main road instead. It just seemed safer. I'm really glad I had my Garmin so that I could make sure I still got in my 4 miles (it ended up being 4.2, actually). I was also reviewing my self-defense moves in my head as I was running...just in case. :o

The BEST part was that it wasn't until this morning when I was getting ready for work and saw my toe thingys that I realized that I'd run four miles and didn't once have any foot pain. Wow! My calves are shredded today though - I purposely parked in the far lot so that I could get in a little walking to try and keep them as loose as possible. Ouchie.

[GLC1968]

Did 4 mile run number two last night. Another winner! It's really odd that these two 4 mile runs seemed entirely less painful than my last few 3 mile runs. I'm going to attribute it to 1) somewhat new route 2) stormy/rainy weather and 3) dark. Of course, none of these things should have anything to do with why my foot no longer hurts at 2.5 miles in..but whatever. I'll take it!

Maybe I'm just more cut out to be a winter runner than a summer one? That really shouldn't be a surprise to me at all, but I am pretty amazed that it would make that much of a difference.

[jessmarimba]

Did 4 mins x 4 yesterday and no sore ankles this time! This whole running thing might be working for me again :)

[solobiker]

Did a nice 3 miler and my knee did not bother me which a good thing. Felt great!.

[skhill]

Well, I'm all set for tomorrow's half marathon. I've picked up my race packet, layed out everything I'm taking, and set the alarm clock. Weather looks great, too-- low 40's at race start, if perhaps a bit windy. I'm pretty confident of going faster than last March's 2:08, hopefully it'll be under 2:05. Sub 2:00 is unlikely, given the hills and wind, but who knows?

The bummer is that there's a great halloween party tonight I'd like to enjoy, but a late night+ lots of alcohol might not be such a great idea....

Have a great weekend, y'all!

[OakLeaf]

Good luck!

[Jolt]

I ran the Larch Hill XC race (3 miles) this morning in 26:39 (about a 2:30 improvement over last year). Nice weather for the race today--sunny and about 48-50 degrees. There wasn't as much standing water and mud on the course this year, but there were puddles right at the beginning so I did have cold wet toes for the whole time! The hay barriers were higher this time...last year some of them were just one bale high but this year almost all of them were two stacked on top of each other so I had to vault over them or step up rather than being able to clear them almost without breaking stride like I can when it's just one bale. The only one that was one bale high had another one right in front of it so it was too long to jump clean over. Overall the race felt a little harder this time but I think that was mostly because of the time of the month...does anyone else feel like they're running in lead shoes right before their period? And besides it turns out I was going faster as well, so I was working harder. I was the only one in VFFs this year (last year there was somebody else wearing them). There were a couple of guys behind me at the beginning who could use some form work--their footsteps were LOUD!! I was relieved when they passed me b/c then I didn't have their stomping throwing off my rhythm. I guess I can't be too hard on loud runners though, because later on I was right behind some people and my breathing was pretty loud at that point so I was probably kind of an annoying person to be running near...

[OakLeaf]

Way to go Jolt! :D Sounds like a lot of fun!

[colby]

Congrats, Jolt!

And, good luck tomorrow, skhill (though you are hopefully sleeping now). We'll be thinking of you.

I did an hour or so on the treadmill at the gym last night on "random hike" up to 7% and 6.5mph (basically at 0% it would go 6.5mph, and it would decrease speed to stay at a consistent effort as the incline increased). Based on how my feet felt after running, I decided not to run today before my 16-18 tomorrow.

My KSOs have a hole in the seam on the left side of the right big toe. Sigh. :( I'm sure I could stitch them up by hand, but I'd rather have them fixed properly so I asked Vibram what they'd recommend. I guess I'll be running in the Bikila from now on. I don't want to wear the hole through to the ends and make it harder to fix (should I end up fixing it myself).

I'm also debating a third pair of CW-X non-insulated tights to run in (I have an insulator pair that I run in in the cold of winter and wear for snowboarding). I have 2 pairs of capris with seams worn through that are awaiting repair, but I really miss them. I think I'll buy a pair of full-length pro or expert tights (rather than 3/4) to support my ankles a bit too for the marathon (the new revolution tights look super sweet, but $195 :eek:).

[OakLeaf]

Love love love my CW-X!

The full-length Ventilators are noticeably cooler than the regular non-insulated ones (but low 50s is as warm as I could wear them for a sustained race pace).

[Bike Chick]

Good luck SK! and Congrats, Jolt!

[skhill]

...did not start auspiciously. At 3 AM, I woke to the sound of my dog Pokey having a seizure-- that makes 8 now. I sat with him holding his paw (so to speak) until he calmed down and went back to sleep, and then just dozed a bit until time to get up.

For the race itself, the weather was great, the runners were great, the course was scenic, and the local residents were very gracious. It's got to be annoying to have your town taken over and roads closed like this! First 10 miles went great-- 1:34 at that point. All I had to do was cruise on in at 10 mpm to finish in 2:05. But alas, that's when I started cramping up and feeling nauseous. I drank less than I had in the past, hoping to avoid multiple stops at the port-a-potties, and paid the price. So I ended up walking more and more in those last three miles, and ended up finishing in 2:08, same as last time. Oh well. I learned something important (better to need the potty breaks than deal with the effects of dehydration) and basically had a good time.

Now, if only Pokey would vacate the couch, I'd stretch out for a nap. Don't have the heart to make him move right now. He's feeling fine right now, BTW, just tired and sore (like me!)

[Bike Chick]

Great job, SK! That's still a good time. Any HM is still an accomplishment IMO.

Poor Pokey! Hope he gets better:(

[solobiker]

Did a nice 5 mile trail run with about 1500' of elevation gain. Beautiful weather..sunny and temps in the low 50s. I did have a little tumble and bruised my hand and knee but it could have been worse. I think I am getting stronger with the trail running because I can maintain a pretty high heart rate for longer periods of time. Have a great week next week everyone!!:)

[indigoiis]

I also did a trail run - 8 miles. First we drove up there and parked and rode our mountain bikes home. Then we changed into running gear and ran back and got the truck. A cool biathalon on a beautiful day!
I did not wear my VFFs... I wore them yesterday on a hike, though.

[indigoiis]

work--their footsteps were LOUD!! I was relieved when they passed me b/c then I didn't have their stomping throwing off my rhythm. I guess I can't be too hard on loud runners though, because later on I was right behind some people and my breathing was pretty loud at that point so I was probably kind of an annoying person to be running near...

I'm glad you had fun, Jolt! I have to mention that I, too, am a heavy breather!

[denda]

I did 7 miles yesterday. It was a very pretty morning.

[colby]

Love love love my CW-X!

The full-length Ventilators are noticeably cooler than the regular non-insulated ones (but low 50s is as warm as I could wear them for a sustained race pace).

Yeah, I have (had) the 3+1 pairs of them, and if the seams didn't inevitably wear through it'd be a no brainer. After putting on my zoot compressrx last night and feeling instant love, though, I think I'm sold on another pair of fall/sprint/winter (until it's too cold) tights. Now to debate the model. ;)

[colby]

...did not start auspiciously. At 3 AM, I woke to the sound of my dog Pokey having a seizure-- that makes 8 now. I sat with him holding his paw (so to speak) until he calmed down and went back to sleep, and then just dozed a bit until time to get up.

For the race itself, the weather was great, the runners were great, the course was scenic, and the local residents were very gracious. It's got to be annoying to have your town taken over and roads closed like this! First 10 miles went great-- 1:34 at that point. All I had to do was cruise on in at 10 mpm to finish in 2:05. But alas, that's when I started cramping up and feeling nauseous. I drank less than I had in the past, hoping to avoid multiple stops at the port-a-potties, and paid the price. So I ended up walking more and more in those last three miles, and ended up finishing in 2:08, same as last time. Oh well. I learned something important (better to need the potty breaks than deal with the effects of dehydration) and basically had a good time.

Now, if only Pokey would vacate the couch, I'd stretch out for a nap. Don't have the heart to make him move right now. He's feeling fine right now, BTW, just tired and sore (like me!)

Learning still makes a race valuable even if you didn't PR. Sometimes it's hard to find the balance between drinking/eating too much or too little, especially since it varies with the conditions. The good news is up to that point you were right on pace, so you CAN and WILL PR when the right time comes. ;) Rest well!