January 2012 Running - Snow, stay away!

[Selkie]

Sorry no clever title for this thread.

Started the new year out with a five-miler that began in first gear and steadily shifted into a speedy clip. DH and I went out after sunrise, it was crisp (mid-30s) but not cold, with a foggy mist.

We decided to forego our usual route that starts from our house (unrelenting rolling hills, some of which are steep) and run on a section of the W&OD which is a progressive climb [for locals, we started at Bluemont Park and ran out to Falls Church]. It's easy in comparison to the regular route, as there are only a couple discernible and not too steep or long hills. Started out going up the gentle grade, so the last half was at a decline. :):):)

Saw a beautiful deep red golden retriever taking an early morning stroll with her daddy as I was finishing.

[rubysoho]

Sounds lovely, Selkie!

Went out for my second ever 5k this morning (a portion on the W&OD near Reston). I haven't run since Thanksgiving and haven't done this distance since the 5k I ran in September. It went better than I expected and mentally this race was easier than the last. No idea what my time was but it was definitely about the same as my race in September - which I made effort to train for. Yay!

I'll be settling in to "bike mode" until June when I have my 150 mile ride so running won't be a priority but I'm hoping to participate in my first triathlon next Fall which means running won't be ignored either.

[skhill]

The 5 mile race I was thinking of doing today is about to start, but I'm sitting at the computer instead. It's warm, nearly 50F, but the wind's up around 30 mph, and that wouldn't be fun at all.

This morning I did take my dog for a little run-- just a mile. It's only the second time we've tried it, and she's not sure about this yet. She keeps getting spooked by this person running there behind her. And her running style is a doggy one-- she likes to sprint, then stop to sniff/pee/whatever, then sprint again. We'll figure it out.

[SadieKate]

NOOOO, I WANT SNOW!

I mentally can't start my winter-only running program unless there's snow on the trails. Freaky warm and dry means I'm still out riding and coming home dusty yet my once a year running event is looming nearer and nearer.

Not to mention we need the snow for the fishies, etc.

[Bike Chick]

It's freaky warm here too. It was 55 yesterday and we got a 19 mile bike ride in--and weren't in long underwear! That's unheard of on New Year's Eve but I will take it. It felt great to be outside on the bike. It was a little cooler today and the wind is wicked but I ran 8 miles this afternoon. It's the longest run I've done in 3 weeks and the physical therapy and rest have paid off. The hip is feeling much better and I think I will be able to finish the marathon next week. It will take me longer than I had planned but I will finish. I asked my PT if he thought I would be able to do the marathon and he told me I would do it because I was a determined person. I responded that it might take me 7 hours to finish and his reply to that was "the majority of people I see don't walk 26 miles in a month; don't be ashamed to say you did it in 7 hours." That really puts it in perspective, doesn't it?

[emily_in_nc]

I responded that it might take me 7 hours to finish and his reply to that was "the majority of people I see don't walk 26 miles in a month; don't be ashamed to say you did it in 7 hours." That really puts it in perspective, doesn't it?

Yes indeed! I think it's just an amazing feat for anyone to finish a marathon (for me, 5 miles would feel like a marathon), so hope you can, and without too much pain. Don't worry about time at all.

[GLC1968]

Ditto Emily...completing a marathon is always an accomplishment, regardless of speed!

Today my husband and I did 5 miles together. I had very little sleep last night, so I was really dragging at first, but I did ok. He was barely hanging on for the last mile, but it was his first 5 miles ever, so he has a good excuse!

We are both hoping to put in a lot more consistent miles in 2012.

[OakLeaf]

BikeChick, so glad you'll be able to run. It looks like you'll have decent weather - sunny and not too windy - on the warm side, but OTOH that means it won't be freezing when you're waiting for the start. Plus, the humidity has been way down all week, and we've got a cool front blowing in tonight which should keep it nice and dry. Good luck!



Back to speedwork for me today, 10 x 1 minute sprints. Been a while since I ran hard, and I was feeling it in my lungs, but I ran the sprints at a consistent 6:30, so that was good.

[Selkie]

BC -- Glad you are on the mend.

OK, SadieKate, snow is fine as long as it stays on the west coast.

[skhill]

BikeChick, what words of wisdom from the PT! And it's great news that it looks like you'll be good to go.

There were snowflakes in the air this morning! Just a few, and not sticking. It was the wind that sent me to the treadmill at the gym, not the snow. I stopped at 4 miles, because there were a couple people waiting for a free treadmill (I was already over the 30 min. limit). Just hope that they'll get the 2 broken treadmills fixed soon!

Since the run was cut short, I did some weights. Not my favorite thing. But I was very pleased to find that I can still do an unassisted pull-up!

[katluvr]

So I didn't start the year with a run....I hardly ran at all end of December. I ALMOST didn't' go this AM, but it is in the 60's & sunny--perfect running weather for me. I ran 4 miles without the Garmin, no monitoring my pace, just ran. Did it in the usual time give or take a few seconds. Running is good, gives me time to really think so I set my "goals" (not resolutions). Now I just need to write them down. One of my goals is to run at least 1 run a week WITHOUT the Garmin, watch yes (I'm obsessed) but nothing to really monitor pace, just run how I feel.

Hope to be posting again tomorrow! Of course expecting much cooler temps to head our way.

K

[Selkie]

Celebrated my final day of holiday vacation with a 4 miler on the hilly regular route from the homestead. Was a bit sluggish, which was ok since I ran Sunday (prefer a day off between runs, since I'm a geezer). A 90-minute swim before I set out probably zapped a big chunk of my pizza fuel reserve.

It's gotten noticeably colder since yesterday and the wind is downright icy/strong.

Back to purgatory (work) tomorrow. While the running trail at work consists of rolling hills --- with one extremely steep, heart attack climb, it's less of a grind than the running routes originating from my front door. Probably won't get out again until Wednesday or Thursday mid-morning (my "smoke break"/early lunch) -- we'll see what day is less winter-like, weather-wise.

[Jolt]

NOOOO, I WANT SNOW!


I agree...was looking forward to learning how to XC ski this winter but if we continue to not get any snow, that won't be happening. We've been getting freezing rain instead lately, which is just nasty stuff.

[yellow]

NOOOO, I WANT SNOW!

I do too, but now I'm torn. I signed up for a 50k in March (running, not skiing), which means that I will be doing 20+ milers in February. I don't mind the snow, but if this silly warm pattern continues, it will be rain. Muddy trails and hypothermic conditions make me cry.

So expect more precip any day. Let's just hope it's the frozen kind.

(P.S. I'm going to go wash my car today, which I suspect will further increase the likelihood of precipitation.)

[Crankin]

I want snow.

[Selkie]

As long as you don't live in the metro DC area, I hope you get your snow! :-) Post your snow running tips -- how to keep your footing, do you wear normal running shoes, etc?

Back in the olden days, I ran in snow and enjoyed it. One of my all-time favorite long runs was through a State Park campground--I was alone--and it was snowing. There must have been an inch on the road but deeper off the pavement. It was one of the most peaceful moments of my life.

Moved back to the city, so no more easy access to that Park. Now I worry about slipping on an icy patch and breaking or straining something.

Ice is evil.

[pll]

My first post in the running section... I intend to keep a more regular running routine this year. This morning I ran 5 miles. It was an average Chicagoland-style winter day: 24 degrees (wind chill was 8), winds of 25 to 35 mph. Luckily, I was facing the wind on the way out.

I like running in snow, but I do not care for ice on sidewalks and the puddles that form eventually at the edge of every block. Invariably, I will get soggy shoes at least once or twice every winter.

[SadieKate]

See, Selkie, there are several of us all over the nation that want snow! :p

As far as running tips on snow and ice -- I try to stay on packed trails (not pavement) and just wear trail shoes. Depending on conditions , as in ice or unpacked snow, I use Microspikes or Atlas running snowshoes (now THAT's hard work). While I have YakTrax which sorta work on pavement, I just generally stay away if the pavement is icy. Trails are a lot safer.

I also use Saucony trail shows which have a tight water-resistant upper and a heavenly loop for gaiters.

Most of what I know about running comes from yellow (though it turns out that she'll run 50 miles in a day but won't run at all in snowshoes cuz it's too hard! Wuss.

[SadieKate]

(P.S. I'm going to go wash my car today, which I suspect will further increase the likelihood of precipitation.)

I think we should plan another TE-cyber event, a car wash day. Maybe if we all do it "together" we can make the sky fall.

[pll]

The one trail I have nearby is next to the lake and it freezes -- it's a lot less dangerous to run on the sidewalks... {I think I still have a piece of a winter tight embedded in my left knee after flying into some rocks years ago. That hurt.} The other problem is that it is not well lit. During the winter, if I run before or after work, at least half my run is in darkness.

[SadieKate]

Hmm, in my neck o' the woods, Microspikes on icy trails where the teeth can dig in are far safer than pavement. And sidewalks scare the **** out of me. There are so many more edges and cracks to trip on. I don't know anyone around here who would run on sidewalks in the dark. Matter of fact, we had a long conversation with several people at the running shop about this just on Saturday. Lots of sidewalk horror stories, even daytime versions.

[pll]

Perhaps I have been lucky and have not fallen (yet). The area where I live is a downtown area and is well lit, while there are no lights by the trail. The sidewalks are generally clean (with notable exceptions), particularly along the university area. Where I need to be more cautious is crossing streets, as slushy puddles are typical on the edge of the sidewalk.

[yellow]

Re: running on snow and ice, I am lucky in that I live in a place with a pretty dry climate, so ice is an anomaly (our snow generally stays cold and dry, which keeps it "sticky"). I have Microspikes but have only used them for hiking and backpacking (traveling across snowfields). I'm sure I would use them more if I lived in an icier place. I just wear my regular shoes (trail shoes) with wool socks and wear gaiters if the snow is deep (I have short gaiters). I do have a pair of studded shoes but have only worn them a handful of times; I just don't need them on packed snow. I focus on taking short steps and staying light on my feet. Running in the dark on snow is amazing (but then I really just like running in the dark and love running in the cold). If it's clear and the moon is close to full, you don't even need a headlamp.

If you have an old pair of shoes that you are willing to sacrifice to the winter running gods, you can try doing this (http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm) to them. Low-budget studded shoes!

Ummmm, yeah. Running on snowshoes is really hard.

Edit: forgot to mention that I don't run on pavement, so I don't have any advice for that!

[skhill]

When I took my dog out for the first pee of the morning, I was slipping around on the snowy sidewalk. It wasn't that much snow, but it was dark and I wasn't wearing my glasses... Still, snowy pavement can be so treacherous.

Back to the treadmill again today-- I'm getting good value from my Y membership this week. It's really not all that bad, compared to the 5F windchill this morning. And they've been having some trouble with the heating system, so it was a reasonable temperature for once-- it took about 3 miles before I was starting to feel it was too warm in there. No one was waiting, so I got in my 5 miles (in 45 minutes flat!).

[limewave]

Did a 6 mile New Year's Day run. I had been sick the entire week before and did nothing remotely looking like "exercise." It was a bit of a shocker, but I wasn't going to miss it. Managed to avg. just over 8 minute miles--not too bad, just a few seconds off my average from last year.

Of course, my legs feel like peanut brittle now.

3 easy miles yesterday.

[chosen1]

I'm working running back into my schedule, did 2 easy miles on Monday and will be doing 3 today. At the end of the year I was having a hate relationship with running and was about to kick it out of my life but the scale tells me my life is "better" when running is included in my workouts :rolleyes:

[7rider]

Was 17 degrees (-8.3 C) this morning.
I decided I really didn't want to bike commute in that, so I did a Runervals session on the treadmill instead. (Didn't want to run outside, either.) Maybe it'll be up to around the freezing mark while I'm standing around waiting for the bus later. :rolleyes:

Add me to the list of those who want snow. For now, we may have to settle for snow guns and man-made snow at a nearby ski area for a hookey day next week to see some white stuff.

[skhill]

First outdoor run of the new year-- finally! It felt so good to be back outside, and seeing a beautiful sunrise. What wasn't so great was the traffic around a couple schools I went past. Why aren't most of these kids walking or riding the bus????? Grrrrr.... Nearly got hit by a SUV at the elementary school, by an ancient minivan at the middle school. Both times I had the right of way...

Still, it was a delightful 7 miles, with the exception of the school incidents.

[Veronica]

. Why aren't most of these kids walking or riding the bus????? Grrrrr.... Nearly got hit by a SUV at the elementary school, by an ancient minivan at the middle school. Both times I had the right of way...

Still, it was a delightful 7 miles, with the exception of the school incidents.

Buses??? What are those? I think the only kids who get bussed in my district are the special needs kids and the kids who can't attend their home school because it's full.

Veronica

[limewave]

5 miles. Feels good to have 'em behind me.

[Selkie]

Got in a chilly/cold 3.5 miles on Wednesday at work--27 degrees but little wind (waited until after lunch instead of my usual mid-morning run). For once, my tendency to layer up paid off---I was comfortable.

Trigger point issue in my left calf is irritating my ankle a bit. I've been doing deep massage on the TP & stretching. Need to work on relaxing my calves.

[limewave]

Rarely do I see such courtesy from a driver whilst out running or biking: yesterday I was running on a busy road. Normally I don't run on it, but it had dry and wide shoulders. The side roads were all covered in slush and ice. About a 1/4 mile ahead a garbage truck pulled out onto the shoulder to continue his route for the day. Noticing that I was coming and that there was no way around him other than to blindly step out into the road, he backed up and pulled onto a side street. He waited for me to pass before pulling back out :)

[skhill]

Week 1 of my unstructured training plan is in the books! Today's long run of 9 miles took me to 29 miles for the week. The plan: between Jan 1 and the HM on March 31, do a long run (8+ miles) 3 out of 4 weeks, stretching the length out to 14 miles. Also, increase the weekly mileage from December's 25ish to 35. And do some kind of speedwork at least every other week. So far, so good.

[OakLeaf]

I did 16 today and actually felt reasonably good, though I was tired before I'd even finished 13. My mood was about 1000% better than it was for my last long run, and I even threw in a little bit of a kick for the last mile. It was just about 68° and this is the weather the DeSoto arm coolers were made for - they totally kept it from being uncomfortably hot.

I swear, if I'd remembered how hard it was to ramp up mileage past 14, I'd never have let myself get so out of shape. :rolleyes:


BikeChick, good luck at Disney tomorrow!! (Isn't someone else from here running, too??)

[emily_in_nc]

I have not been able to run in January yet due to a bad cold that has finally departed. Today is the first day since around Dec. 29th that I've felt like myself. I will start back running on Monday am (my usual running days are MWF) and hope for no coughing. I am sure I will be slow as mud and have zilch endurance, but gotta get back to it. I am really sad that I have started the new year with such a whimper! :(

[7rider]

Today was my follow-up gait analysis. I had the initial done in October. Lots of issues. :o The trainer gave me a whole bunch of exercises - mostly focused on hip and hamstrings. I did them great for the first 6 weeks or so, but them...um...kind of slacked off. I was worried that today things would look pretty much the same and I would confirm my suspicion that I am a hopeless case when it came to running. (Told DH I felt like I was taking an exam for which I was ill prepared).

But...

Things looked very much improved and Doug, who did the analysis, said he noticed it right away and that he's jealous because he couldn't run because of an ankle injury. So, my hip drop was not as noticeable, I had better arm movement, better leg movement (stride length - which showed better flexibility and hamstring strength). I was pretty stoked. So I went home and did a 4-mile training run. Felt great. Was very happy...it was a big boost to my confidence. Yay!

[Blueberry]

Congrats, 7rider! That's awesome:)

(still waiting on my all clear to run from my ankle injury)

[OakLeaf]

Yay 7! Good work. Makes me want to hire a running-specific trainer.

[GLC1968]

Wow, Limewave - that was nice of him! In contrast, I almost got hit by a big BMW SUV pulling a horse trailer and speeding, on a totally flat, straight section of the road I run on. There was ZERO reason for cutting so incredibly close to me and the draft almost knocked me off my feet!

Great job, 7rider! That's awesome!

I ran 4 miles on Saturday with my husband and felt fantastic. I totally could have gone further if we weren't running out of daylight. Then I did 3.3 miles on my own yesterday from my house. Sucky run. Besides the above incident, I genearlly hate running from my house because I spend the entire run worrying about not getting hit instead of really focusing on my run. It's a tad more hilly too (which I typically enjoy) but it just felt off.

[OakLeaf]

Mile repeats for me today. Or as I call them, "the ghost of races yet to come." Because I dread them more than any other workout ... and they are shades of results that may be, if my training plan remains unchanged. :p

I set out not knowing whether I'd do three or four, and wound up doing four, but I'd forgotten I'd re-set my watch so the workout had only three repeats in it. So the last one I ran on the segment that was supposed to be cool-down, with my watch beeping at me the whole way, and just ran eight minutes in zone 5 since it was displaying time and HR zone but not distance.

Felt pretty good, for a warm day.

[emily_in_nc]

My first run since catching DH's cold and just not feeling like doing much of anything for 1.5 weeks. I did 3.5 miles on the beach, slowly, and was surprised I felt as good as I did. I think using my albuterol inhaler ahead of time helped a lot. I honestly thought I'd be lucky to get 2 miles in, so I was pleased. Back in the "saddle" (so to speak)!

GLC -- how scary! I have to watch out for bicycles on the beach where I run, but am very glad not to have to worry about huge vehicles that could take me out in a heartbeat. Be very careful out there.

[Crankin]

My foot is actually feeling better. I did a 3.5 mile very hilly and rocky hike yesterday, and I had a minimum of pain afterwards. I will be riding outside twice this week, so I won't be going to spin, which seems to aggravate this.
I have hope that I'll be able to run again.
But, not until late winter. Not going to ruin what little x country ski season there's going to be.

[yellow]

As of this week, I am back on a training schedule. My first big event (a 50k) is toward the end of March. The BIG news is that my hubby, who has always despised running, signed up to do the shorter distance at the March event, so we've been running together a little (today we did 4.3 miles together). This is his first race ever! I think I'm more excited than he is :p (but he really is pretty excited about it, and I really had nothing to do with him entering this event--it was his idea).

[Selkie]

Ran 3.5 miles on the rolling, windy trail at work.

I ran in the morning, before the SNOW started! Yes, SNOW. It was 36 degrees out when it started, so it wasn't sticking to pavement, even though the flakes were thick and coming down steadily. Regardless of the just-wet roads, the hordes decided to flee work at my normal quitting time. Doofi (plural of doofus).

[Bike Chick]

I DID IT!!! I completed my first marathon at Disney! What a feeling! My time was slow but I don't care. DH was running the Goofy Challenge and ran the marathon with me at my pace. We took our time and took advantage of all the photo ops with the Disney characters. These folks really know how to put on a race and I would highly recommend it to everyone--especially for your first marathon. The hip I had been nursing behaved itself and wasn't really a factor. I'm now a firm believer in physical therapy. The only issue I had was a blister that started early and decided to break at mile 24. I know this is a bad place on my foot and had a nice callous built up but I hadn't ran much the past 3 weeks and the area had gotten soft. I am amazed what happens to your body over 26.2 miles and how unbelievably bad your body smells when you are finished. It's so different from a half marathon.

DH and I crossed the finish line together and spent yesterday at Epcot
"refueling.". We are packing now and heading home. It was truly a magical experience.

I will post a photo when I get home. Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement.

[Crankin]

Congratulations, Bike Chick. I know you started running at the same time as me, so I really can appreciate how hard you have worked.
And yes, PT is the best.

[OakLeaf]

Congratulations Bike Chick!! Way to go, I'm so glad you and your PT were able to get your hip worked out.


FWIW, if your blister isn't too big, I've had great luck with Band-Aid Advanced Healing blister cushions - both to get me back on my feet on existing blisters, and to prevent new ones from forming.

Enjoy your recovery!

[7rider]

Congrats, BikeChick!! Well done! (but ouch on the blister....that must have been a painful final 3 miles)

I just found out, I won entry into the Blackwater Duathlon (http://www.tricolumbia.org/events/?eid=13) in June. I had been hoping to get in - but dreading it at the same time. Is that strange or what? Running 20K in a single day (broken up over 2 runs) will be my biggest challenge. I'll need to get some serious running in this Spring. :eek: The longest I've EVER run was 7 miles.

[emily_in_nc]

Congratulations BikeChick! A former co-worker of mine did Disney as his first marathon a few years ago and raved about it too.

[skhill]

Way to go, Bike Chick!

I'm weather-befuddled. It was 28F this morning; I had frozen taking out my dog first thing, so I kept putting on layers when getting ready for my run. And then I was sweltering after a couple miles. 6 toasty-warm miles, with a great sunrise thrown in.

And this afternoon it's supposed to be in the low 50s and sunny. Great bike weather-- but tough for dressing for commuting by bike. There are worse problems to have, of course!

[yellow]

So good to hear that, Bike Chick. You must be on top of the world! :D

[katluvr]

Awesome BikeChick! Yes, Disney is fun and I, too, have spend time at Epcot refueling. Glad you had a good time!

K

[limewave]

Very cook Bikechic!!!! Congrats on your marathon. Sounds like you had a great time. We had friends that ran the Goofy Challenge this year too (one of them averaged under 6 min/miles for both---INSANE). I've heard mixed reviews of the Disney Marathon so I am curious about your experience with it. DH and I have it on our bucket list.

[emily_in_nc]

Crappy run this morning. Legs sore from layoff when I was sick and then doing first run back on Monday, still kind of congested so couldn't breath. Hot & humid. Still, no breeze. Ran two miles with legs like lead, walked one mile, then ran the last mile back.

Why does running always feel like two steps forward, one step back? So different from cycling!

[OakLeaf]

I did the bridge loop, 7.6 miles at an overall 9:17 pace, threw in some fartlek for the last mile or so. It rained on and off, but not enough to make my shoes soggy, just enough to be comfortable. Good run.

[GLC1968]

Congratulations, Bike Chick!! I can't wait to see photos!

And congrats, 7rider for getting into Blackwater. I'm sure you'll do great!

[Selkie]

Congratulations, Bike Chick!! I can't wait to see photos!

And congrats, 7rider for getting into Blackwater. I'm sure you'll do great!

What she said. :)

Got a nice 3.5 mile run in on the trail at work Wednesday morning before the rain set in during the afternoon. Cold but sunny. I don't really mind running in the cold anymore. Felt good, too. This was a run where I was able to relax my legs/arms while keeping my core strong. I was tempted to add an extra mile but decided not to push it.

[OakLeaf]

I have a question about Yasso 800s - who does them?

This is a new workout for me. I know Yasso himself says start with four and work up to 10. But just this week I did four mile repeats at about 0:15/mile slower than my target Yasso 800 pace. So should I still start with four half miles? Some number between four and eight? Or just do as many as I can maintain the pace, my first time around?

(Don't worry, not doing them today. ;) In fact I get the day off today ... Santa Claus brought me a spa day. :):) )

[skhill]

The snow has largely been staying away, but it's due to arrive in force this afternoon. So instead of taking a planned rest day today, I got out for a windy 5 mile tempo run. It was slower than usual for a tempo run, due to the wind. And it seems that I've worn a small hole in one toe in my vffs-- found it thanks to a small puddle...

[katluvr]

Haven't ran consistently. I did 5 miles this weekend with SO. She has NOT been running but is signed up for a 1/2 marathon this weekend. So we did a slow easy 5 miler. I am now signed up for the 1/2 marathon to run with her. I am also doing a 5k & 10k the day before. Last year I finally broke 30 minutes for my 5k, I was hoping to get a new PR. Not so sure after today's run. It was 5 miles, Garmin ran out of battery before the finish but I knew I was under pace, I was tired and my thoughts of new PRs flew out the window.

Treadmill arrives today, maybe I can finally get some consistent speed work. There will be no excuses!

It was a beautiful "spring" day. We are expecting "cool" front tonight. This weekend's race is at the beach, so I expect it will be a bit chilly....maybe perfect for running fast!

K

[limewave]

6.5 miles in the freezing rain. I guess the spring-like weather is history and winter is about to storm in . . .

[indysteel]

Ugh; my PT has still not cleared me to run. The hamstring is just not healing. We've decided to give some of the strengthening exercises a rest for the next two weeks. The irony is that because of what we've been doing in session, my yoga practice has really benefited. My one legged balance poses are off the chart strong right now. But I can still barely sit for any length if time without a ton if pain (which means no riding) and running and fast walking are too risky. Ack!

[emily_in_nc]

indy -- that sucks, so sorry.

I managed about a 5K very slow and uncomfortable run on the beach this morning. Like so much of the US, Belize is experiencing above-normal winter temps, which means that it feels like summer here. Low in the upper 70s (with high humidity), and highs in the low 80s. The sun comes up really early, and we're in dry season now, so fewer clouds around to help. Running in the heat, humidity, and sunshine is SO HARD for me.

A month ago I was able to run farther and much more comfortably, as we had cooler, more overcast mornings. It's amazing how much difference just a few degrees in temperature and clouds can make.

I am praying for a cold front to bring it down just a few degrees. Please, weather gods!? :(

[indysteel]

I really struggle to run in the heat--which for me is anthing above 60. I hand it to you for running in Belize at all!

So, I ran for five whole minutes today as a warmup for my session with my personal trainer. It felt fine.....but it was only five minutes at a relatively easy pace. Still, I'm hoping that it's healing bit by bit. Back to resting it though. I'm not ready for a full-on run. :(

[Crankin]

Emily, I also have a lot of difficulty running in the heat. And by heat, I mean anything over 60-65. A couple of years ago, I went for a "practice" 5K run through my town center, in preparation for the one and only 5k race I've done. It was a beautiful, clear, sunny classic New England day, about 70-75 degrees.
I truly thought I was going to faint and the only thing that kept me going was the thought of being in the police log published in the local paper! And this was just a few days after I got back from riding in 100 degree temperatures in Spain. I slowly have been able to build up my tolerance for riding in the heat, but it's still not my favorite thing.
My on and off running has always been an early spring and fall thing.

[Selkie]

6.5 miles in the freezing rain. I guess the spring-like weather is history and winter is about to storm in . . .

oy vey, lime! Was it miserable? I hope it wasn't too slippery.

Emily, you are welcome to have the cold front that descended on us yesterday (went from being in the 60s to the 30s---with strong winds). Tomorrow and Monday, I probably will be running in 20-30 degree temps but luckily, there isn't supposed to be windy.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, I also have a lot of difficulty running in the heat. And by heat, I mean anything over 60-65. A couple of years ago, I went for a "practice" 5K run through my town center, in preparation for the one and only 5k race I've done. It was a beautiful, clear, sunny classic New England day, about 70-75 degrees.
I truly thought I was going to faint and the only thing that kept me going was the thought of being in the police log published in the local paper! And this was just a few days after I got back from riding in 100 degree temperatures in Spain. I slowly have been able to build up my tolerance for riding in the heat, but it's still not my favorite thing.
My on and off running has always been an early spring and fall thing.

Me too. In North Carolina, I was very much an on-and-off runner. I tended to run on the treadmill at the gym year-round since I could get there during my lunch break from work and not cut into my before- or after-work time. The temperature there was always right around 68 with low humidity due to A/C or the fact that the gym was in the unheated basement in the winter. No sun beating down on me. I still got really hot the longer the runs got, but not unbearably so.

When I did have the opportunity to run outdoors (not all that often, since I was primarily a cyclist), I did so in any season other than summer. Just couldn't manage it then, though I could and did ride in some miserably hot and humid conditions. Though not always the most pleasant, riding in heat is a lot easier than running in it since you create a nice breeze riding along. I can't run fast enough to do that!

[OakLeaf]

I can handle temperatures from 25°F to 95°F, if I'm acclimated. The trouble in the last few years has been that temperatures have been so variable that I never either get acclimated to the heat, nor get the motivation to run when I'm too cold in the house to even think about putting on running gear.

Hate to gloat, but it was a perfect running day here - low 50s, mostly sunny, very little wind. I thought about running long today - even though I don't really want to be on a 7-day cycle - but the magic 8-ball decided against it, and just did six at marathon pace.

Then hopped in the shower, got re-acquainted with the hair dryer that I almost never use, and took the motorcycle out. :D

[Veronica]

Did 5.3 miles today with the intent of keeping my HR within a 5 beat range, just below my LT. The first three miles were pretty easy - mile 4 was tough. But happily, it got easier again. I'm focusing on NOT going so hard, I blow myself up.

It turned into the fastest 5 mile run I have ever done. :D

Veronica

[VeganBikeChick]

Barely did 2 miles today on the treadmill. Off sick for a week with a cold, and surprising how quickly endurance fades.

[skhill]

Saturday, I resorted to the treadmill; it was kinda cold for running outside, at least for me. 15F (but the horrible wind had died down) makes it tough! I was planning on going at least 6 miles, but maybe as much as 9, depending on my patience and how crowded the Y was. Ended up doing 6 at a long-run sort of pace, and just setting the treadmill at 6.4mph and just cruising along without changing pace felt a lot harder than my usual speeding up and slowing down.

But today, I braved the outside, as it has warmed up. 24F, hooray! There is an inch of fresh snow everywhere, so I slowed down a bit, and just enjoyed the beautiful morning. 4 miles, and the footing was pretty good except downtown.

[Selkie]

Sunrise run with DH in the cold (25 degrees, windchill in the teens). Last 1.5 miles were with a tailwind, which was perfect. First two miles or so, I could really feel the chill, but it was fine after I warmed up. The MUT runs alongside a creek, so the sound of the running water was soothing. Felt pretty good and went at a nice pace.

Plan to run at least 3.5 miles tomorrow (maybe 4).

I'm starting to semi-seriously consider a half-marathon next year to mark my 50th.

[7rider]

I'm starting to semi-seriously consider a half-marathon next year to mark my 50th.

I think that would be great!

Me....I'm such an idiot.

So it was cold and breezy yesterday, and like VBC, I'm just getting over a week-long head cold that knocked me for a loop. But training plan (semi-serious at this point, will ramp it up more in February) called for a 5-miler on Saturday (actually, just "weekend").

DH looked at the thermometer, reading in the mid-20's, and we watched the wind blowing through the trees out our back window. My motivation was flagging - if it ever existed at all. "Why don't you run on the treadmill?" he asked. Why indeed. I honestly find running by myself boring. If I'm going to be bored for an hour (I could do it SO much faster on the bike!), I may as well be bored in the comfort of my home on the 'mill, listening to some good tunes on Pandora. I laced up my new running shoes (lighter stability shoes, vs. my clunky motion controls I normally run in), and remembered the picture of my foot from last week's gait evaluation follow-up and how I could run with orthotics or not, based on Doug's recommendation. So, I put my SuperFeet inserts in the shoes (the black ones) that I had from bike shoes that I sold.

New SuperFeet inserts + 5.25 miles on the treadmill = painful feet. OUCH. :eek: My soles are killing me. I should have done a 2-mile run on them to start. Then a 3-miler. Not jump right in to +5. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Crap. Well, hopefully, they will be pain free by Monday when I plan to get in an easy 3 (without the inserts) for my day off.

[Selkie]

I hope your feet are feeling better, 7.

MLK Day run -- DH and I ran this morning, after my swim. It was cold (25 degrees) but the wind wasn't as brutal as Sunday. It was blowing in the opposite direction from yesterday (south vs northwest). My legs felt great. Because I had post-swim sinuses, I was a snot rocket factory!

[skhill]

Ouch, 7!

In honor of it being MLK day, I ran the length of my city's MLK Ave. Even the block there at the end that scares me; but at 6:30 am the dealers and prostitutes aren't out working. Came back on a parallel road that includes a bunch of landmarks of local black history-- the site of the slave auctions, several of our oldest historically black churches, and the old "colored" city high school. Even threw in a 1/4 mile on the school's track. All in all, about 4.5 miles.

[OakLeaf]

Owie, 7, hope your feet feel better!

skhill, that's a terrific idea for a run.

I did 17 today, and it felt basically okay after I finally managed to drag myself out. :rolleyes:

DH and I did the motorcycle safety class again yesterday - I got a little dehydrated being out in the sun all day, plus one of the main things I'm trying to get past is a panic reaction in the really tight U-turns, so the class took a lot out of me both physically and mentally, and I didn't wake up until 8 a.m. today and still couldn't get moving for hours. But when I finally got myself to run, it was fine. :) 10:30 pace overall, tried to kick the last mile at marathon pace.


I'm a little bit off schedule - I'd like to try for a 5K PR at Daytona again this year on the 28th, but that means this is my last long run until after that. I guess I'll do between 12 and 14 next weekend, that should work out pretty much okay.

[7rider]

Thanks, all!

Feet are feeling better. Not perfect, but good enough for an easy (verrry easy, as it was after a similarly very easy 18.5 mile bike ride, and I'm in no shape to be doing bricks just yet) 5k this afternoon in my old motion controls. Was actually nice to be outside finally, getting some fresh air and listening to birds.

Spent the morning washing floors, as Miss Zoe Kitty decided that last night would be a good time to re-introduce her little mouth to our peace lily plant, and she threw up in four different spots. Grrrr. So we wiped up everything last night, but this morning the floors got washed. You would think sweeping the kitchen floor is the MOST interesting thing on the planet, the way the cats followed me around, staring. :rolleyes:

[Crankin]

More experimenting with my foot. I had 15 minutes to warm up for a killer weights/core class, so I warmed on the TM for 5 and then did one minute intervals for the next 10 minutes, with a 2 minute cool down. The intervals were even ratios (1 minute run at 6 mph and 1 minute walk at 4.2 mph). My foot felt fine, and even better, I felt in control of my breathing at 6 mph. I kind of modeled this after a trainer workout I do on my bike.
My foot was fine after, during the class, which had a lot of balance and foot work (squats, lunges) It's a bit tender now, but I think, this is the way to go to increase my tolerance on the foot and also my tolerance for running (again).

[emily_in_nc]

5K beach run. Super windy in my face on the way out; it felt like going uphill the whole way. The way back was MUCH easier with wind at my back. A little cooler today and partly overcast, which helped. Still getting back my endurance after my cold.

[skhill]

I was efficient last night-- from the weather forecast, it was clear that it would be a treadmill day today. So I packed the reusuable grocery bag I use as a gym bag last night, and left it sitting on the floor in the bedroom. When I got to the gym and started pulling stuff out, I found that one of the cats had deposited a hairball in there. YUCK! Thankfully it was on my shirt, so I just rinsed it off a bit and put it on and hit the treadmill anyway. Did a 4 mile tempo run, broken into 2 segments as a leak started dripping on the first treadmill after about 10 minutes. The day can only get better from the start, right?

[Veronica]

Kitty was just trying to put the hairball in a discreet place. :D

Morning workouts always make me feel better about my day. Good job getting it done. :)

Veronica

[limewave]

Going to attempt first snow shoe run of the season this afternoon. I'm expecting lots of pain, the collapsing of lungs, tripping over myself and getting lost. Speaking of which, I better make sure my Garmin is fully charged . . .

[katluvr]

I never did post about my weekend trio of races. I wrote a nice race report in my head, but never put it down in words. Did finish my 5k in under 30 minutes (29:55)...happy with that but just think if I really did speed work and train consistently I could maybe run that fast for longer distances. The 5k was followed by a 10k. I was running just to run. By mile 2.5 my ITB was acting up...felt like my knee would collapse. Did ok w/ it until mile 4, then if I ran anything faster than an 11 min mile pace it would feel like my leg would buckle. Next day was a long 1/2 marathon. I signed up last minute to help my SO get thru it. She fell off running & training and yet still was going to do the half. Actually first 4 miles or so was ok. Mile 6 she thought she was one, we pasted our hotel mile 8, we contemplated that there was DFL (which at that time we were not) but she felt DNF was better than DNS...but then there is pride or wearing the shirt and getting a medal...so she kept on and I kept her going. The course was closing at 3 hours and we were a few minutes past that. The people behind us must of quit so we were last. It was like the vultures are following you...the fire rescue care, the truck picking up cones. She got emotional about being last so I walked and let her finish in front. Not sure if that helped or not! I really hated the "vulture" following us feeling!!

Now for my poor training/running: I have not posted many runs because I have not been running (or doing much of anything except this past race weekend). So today I FINALLY got on our brand new treadmill (we have had it a week!) to do a speed workout I used to do. I managed to do only 3 speed intervals at paces slower than my 5k pace! Why is the treadmill so much harder?! I think I should do this work out everyday until I can complete it (the full workout ) and without stopping! I ended up with only 3 miles and with the walk breaks to catch my breath a 12 min mile pace!! :(

K

[OakLeaf]

Hang in there Kat. Hope your ITB feels better. Sometimes it's hard and you feel like cr@p and you feel like you ought to be faster ... those are the times to be proud of yourself that you kept going. Three races in a weekend is epic!

I wouldn't count on a treadmill being all that accurate. Could be the pace indicator is just off. Could be the different stride you have to use on a treadmill feels weird and hard to you and uses different muscles - if that's the case it'll get easier once you adjust.


Me, I did Yasso 800s for the first time today. I was even a little bit excited about trying a new workout. My target pace for the repeats was 7:50 (for a 3:55 marathon goal :eek:), but I was kind of having trouble finding the pace, figured it was better to do them a little faster than a little slower, and wound up with all of them right around @7:40, give or take a few seconds.

I did 8 repeats. By the last one my legs felt pretty leaden, but I kept the pace up. It's possible I could've kept going for another one or two, but I didn't want to totally use myself up the first time I tried the workout, especially since I'm supposed to ride with the club tomorrow.

Good run. :)

[katluvr]

Great workout Oak!

K

[Selkie]

On Wednesday morning, I had a great run. Felt really relaxed and in a rhythm. I ended up going 4.2 miles, wanted to go longer but alas, not possible since I was at work.

It was 42 degrees with a strong, cold wind. Luckily, most of my route was protected from the worst of the gusts (woods).

Since they are predicting potential slippery conditions on Sunday when I usually do my long run, I might do a five-miler today. I don't want to have to do a long run on the treadmill......

[skhill]

Why oh why is it so difficult to dress just right for the cold? Keep thinking I should have this figured out by now. It was about 27F, wind chill in the upper teens, this morning. My legs and arms were just right, torso a bit warm, and head and hands way too warm with hat and mittens, way too cold without. And my toes were freezing. So it goes... But I got a pleasant surprise when I looked at the final numbers for the run-- just under 6 miles, at a 8:52/mile pace :D. It's been a while since I went that fast on an easy run!

Kat, that's a heck of a lot of racing. Like a month's worth, in just a weekend! talk about persistence...

[yellow]

My legs and arms were just right, torso a bit warm, and head and hands way too warm with hat and mittens, way too cold without. And my toes were freezing.

I assume that you are wearing wool socks, but here is a little secret (that isn't so secret, really): duct tape over the meshy part of your shoes. Blocks the wind.

FWIW, I can't stand to wear a winter-type hat if it is warmer than about 25 w/o windchill, so I wear a ballcap-style running hat and an earband. That way I can take the earband off if I get too warm. The hat isn't totally ventilated, so it provides just enough heat retention.

I will have my first test-of-mettle for the year this afternoon: a long run in the rain. Yes, rain. Not snow. Rain and mud make me cranky. This is just so wrong for January in northern Utah. :mad:

[emily_in_nc]

Did my longest run in the new year today -- just 4 miles, but I was happy. I caught a bad cold around new year's and have been very slow coming back (between coughing and asthma). It felt good to finally get back up to 4 miles.

[7rider]

4 easy miles - some walking uphill to keep the HR reasonable. So just thinking about building distance at this point. Not worried about speed or even running the whole thing - just form when I can and keeping the legs moving.

DH and I are away for the weekend to deal with family issues, so this was as good as I could get as I'll be in the car or with family the rest of the weekend, so my planned long run was kaput.

[Selkie]

Ran Friday morning on the trail at work, it was about 35 degrees with a brisk wind. Felt great, physically and mentally, probably because I had to circle swim with a super pokey person during my morning swim. As a consequence, I had extra energy.

Outdoor running this weekend is a big ????? Right now, there is a coating of snow on the ground and freezing rain in the forecast. I'm hoping it warms up enough on Sunday to melt whatever accumulates on the pavement! I'm not digging the idea of my first treadmill run of the year.

[skhill]

Figured out why my right toes have been so very very cold-- I've worn a hole clear through on the first toe in my beloved VFFs. I was hoping to get them to 1500+ miles, but that might not happen. Thinking of trying duct tape, but that's not going to wear well on the sole... Might be time to go shopping!

The weather outside was marginal, cold light rain, so I went to the treadmill. I did 8 miles, in about 1:15. The weird thing was that the whole time, I was the only woman in the room. It was just me and a bunch of old men...

[Selkie]

My goodness, skhill! Which model VFFs do you wear running?

Icy outside this morning, so I did my first treadmill run in more than 10 years! Felt good, actually, which surprised me, and I was able to keep my pace in check. I was so happy to get in my Sunday 5 miler.

It was nice to wear shorts and a tank, rather than layering up. I worked up an incredible sweat!

[indysteel]

Sigh....I ran for the first time (for an appreciable amount of time that is) since before Christmas. While I wasn't writhing in agony during or after, it's clear that my hamstring injury hasn't gotten much better, despite rest and PT. I see my PT on Wednesday, but I'm not sure he's going to have much in the way of further insight. He's tested and retested me multiple times and is convinced we've correctly identified the injury; it's just not responding very well to any of the treatments.

I haven't been on any of my bikes for a while, mostly because the worst of pain is centered around my left sit bone. We have a bike trip planned for late April--the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands NP. While I need to just try to ride to see how irritated the hamstring gets from it, I'm afraid that if I don't see progress real soon, we're going to have to cancel this trip.

Needless to say, I'm pretty frustrated.

[skhill]

Indy, that just stinks. Kinda sounds like a broken bone would not have you sidelined for as long as the hamstring problem...

Selkie, I've been running in the VFF bikilas-- but only down to temps in the mid-20s, with wool socks. As the one of the stores in town that sells them was having a 10% off everything in-stock this weekend, I now have a new pair! It was back to the treadmill AGAIN this morning, due to thundersorms (in January!!!!). So the new pair now has 4 miles on them.

[indysteel]

Indy, that just stinks. Kinda sounds like a broken bone would not have you sidelined for as long as the hamstring problem...


Yep. I ran into a fellow runner/cyclist whom I know the other day who was sidelined for 18 months with a similar injury. She said it never has fully healed. That bit of information sure didn't make me too happy!

ETA: I really need to read through this thread. I realize that I've only chimed in recently to complain about my hamstring. I haven't followed along otherwise. I apologize for my self-involvement...but regularly reading the running thread was getting me down. I hope you gals understand.

[katluvr]

First run the the week on my "stay-cation". I have plenty of paid time off and did not take any time off during the holidays...I prefer a week off in January to get my self "ready for the year". Usually don't get as much done as I plan. This year my goals for the week are simple:
Run each day
Do something (little or big) around the house daily (also because I have company coming end of the week)
Do something FUN each day.

Today was 4 miles. Garmin was charging so although I had a watch for time, nothing to look at for pace. It was not a fast run but I felt good and had fun!

K

[Selkie]

Selkie, I've been running in the VFF bikilas-- but only down to temps in the mid-20s, with wool socks. As the one of the stores in town that sells them was having a 10% off everything in-stock this weekend, I now have a new pair! It was back to the treadmill AGAIN this morning, due to thundersorms (in January!!!!). So the new pair now has 4 miles on them.

I like the bikilas but I don't run in them (also like the komandos). ;) Enjoy your new shoes!

After work, I plugged out 4 miles on the treadmill (potential icy conditions/freezing drizzle/rain in the morning put the kabosh on my planned run at work).

[OakLeaf]

Well, this week was supposed to be a pull-back week anyway in preparation for the 5K on Saturday, but for periodization purposes it obviously needs to be a pull-back week. I've been sooooo sore for the last few days, between cycling and yoga and errands on the hybrid. I did 11 on Sunday - about four miles of easy barefoot walking on the beach yesterday - today I'll just do a short run with a few pick-ups.



Indy (if you're reading) - totally fair to stay away from the thread if it's depressing you while you're injured! No need to apologize! Just heal up quick.

[indysteel]

Thanks, Oak; I appreciate that. I think I'm going to start following the thread again. I miss hearing about everyone's accomplishments, big and small victories, big and small struggles and whatnot. In that vein, good luck at your 5k!

And Bike Chick, I want to very belatedly congratulate you on your marathon. How amazing!

So, my pain from running on Sunday has been manageable. Not a walk in the park, but manageable. I'm going to try to it again on Wednesday or Thursday and see what happens. If the pain stays at a dull roar, then I'm just going to deal with it. My doc suggested that I could take that approach, but I originally opted to follow my PT's advice to rest instead. I'm just going to take it a run at a time. I'm also going to start using a donut to sit on. My coworker brought in one she used for a tailbone injury for me to try out. The less pressure I put on the tendon, the better. Driving seems to aggravate it the most, likely because of how my car seats are shaped.

This, too, shall pass. Or at least it better. During this down time, I have been working with a trainer on building upper body and core strength. I'm starting to see the return of some muscles, especially in my shoulders and back, that I'm neglected for the last couple of years. I'm no Veronica just yet, but she is my muse.

[Veronica]

During this down time, I have been working with a trainer on building upper body and core strength. I'm starting to see the return of some muscles, especially in my shoulders and back, that I'm neglected for the last couple of years. I'm no Veronica just yet, but she is my muse.

Cool - what a compliment. As a Latin/Greek major I totally dig being someone's muse. :D

Just remember genetics also plays a part here. I always feel a little guilty (not quite the right word) but developing my upper body was not hard for me. I work hard at it, but I am inclined to be muscular. I'm just maximizing my assets. :)

I wish running had come as easy. :rolleyes:

Veronica

[indysteel]

Cool - what a compliment. As a Latin/Greek major I totally dig being someone's muse. :D

Just remember genetics also plays a part here. I always feel a little guilty (not quite the right word) but developing my upper body was not hard for me. I work hard at it, but I am inclined to be muscular. I'm just maximizing my assets. :)

I wish running had come as easy. :rolleyes:

Veronica

I don't have bad genetics in this regard either, at least as they relate to my upper body. I did a fair amount of resistance work and a lot of yoga a few years ago and was thrilled when people kept telling me how "cut" my arms looked. Of course, I was also a bit leaner then, so you could see my muscles better. Regardless, I love the physical and mental payoff that you get from weight and core work.

My legs are a totally different story, however. The only time they looked even vaguely muscular was during my high school track and cross country days. I also weighed 100 pounds then, too. So, yeah; that isn't gonna happen again by a longshot.

[kacie tri-ing]

I am very much in the peak of my double IM training. I ran 29 miles on saturday. Not going to lie, that's exhausting! But I have to learn to drag myself on and push through it (so I rode a century sunday :p )

I have a marathon this weekend.

I am seriously out here in a new world of training!

[kacie tri-ing]

Cool - what a compliment. As a Latin/Greek major I totally dig being someone's muse. :D

Just remember genetics also plays a part here. I always feel a little guilty (not quite the right word) but developing my upper body was not hard for me. I work hard at it, but I am inclined to be muscular. I'm just maximizing my assets. :)

I wish running had come as easy. :rolleyes:

Veronica

You work hard and you know it!!!

I am always impressed too.

[skhill]

It hit me while running this morning that maybe the reason my speed and stamina are so much better now than during the fall is because I've finally put those 10 lbs back on. And I feel better too.

I'm not superstitious, but... When my run takes me past the house where Jefferson Davis, president of the CSA, lived while a college student, I always go on the other side of the street. But today, I got stuck on the "wrong" side. So I departed from my planned route to go past the church Abraham Lincoln went to when visiting his in-laws, just in case bad karma might be following me. Ended up going about 6 miles, and it's a beautiful day:)

[indysteel]

I am very much in the peak of my double IM training. I ran 29 miles on saturday. Not going to lie, that's exhausting! But I have to learn to drag myself on and push through it (so I rode a century sunday :p )

I have a marathon this weekend.

I am seriously out here in a new world of training!

Wow, Kacie. I can't even get my head around that! Good luck at the marathon.

[katluvr]

Wow, Kacie!
I did vaguely "dream" about an ultra marathon someday...not sure when that will be since I have only done 1 marathon. But a double IM...seriously not in the cards. But I love this thread and TE because it inspires me.

Today I planned to do 10 miles. Since I am enjoying a "stay-cation" I slept in til 7:30. I enjoyed coffee & the Today Show. I knew it would be warm...we are in the 80s, but still decided to go. So I had a very warm & sunny 10 miler. My speed is no where I want or need it to be for the 1/2 in a little over 2 weeks. I think if I can pull it off in 2:20 I'll be doing good. So no PR this year.

I can't believe the weather we are having. I would be lounging by the pool if I did not have company from Wisconsin & Connecticut coming in on Thursday & Friday for the weekend. I am busy cleaning house (blah!) Hope the weather holds for my northern friends, they will love this weather! Nothing like an early & warm spring!

Plan an easy run tomorrow and speed work on the dreadmill on Thursday.

K

[7rider]

After work, I plugged out 4 miles on the treadmill (potential icy conditions/freezing drizzle/rain in the morning put the kabosh on my planned run at work).

How's that new treadmill working out for you? Sounds like it's doing well and you're already putting some serious miles on it! :p

[OakLeaf]

Kacie. Holy !@#$%@. Seriously. You go!

[emily_in_nc]

Kacie. Holy !@#$%@. Seriously. You go!

+1. Simply. cannot. imagine. :eek:

I feel proud when I do four miles.

[Bike Chick]

And Bike Chick, I want to very belatedly congratulate you on your marathon. How amazing!

Thank you, Indy. I hate to hear that you aren't improving and are still suffering. I hope you stick around and keep us posted on your progress. That's what we are here for. We are all pretty good listeners and I think a lot of us have been where you are right now. Hang in there.

Holy cow, Kacie! I agree with Indy. I find it hard to wrap my head around that. Good luck on the marathon this weekend.

[Crankin]

I think I've realized that I just can't run yet. My foot *is* better. That is, until I run. It's fine for cycling, even jumping around in my classes at the gym, and hiking. But, I went snow shoeing and x country skiing last weekend, after I ran a little on Friday. That was bad. My foot hurt, especially when I was herringboning up the climbs on Sunday. It's better now, but I just don't want to jinx it.
I will live vicariously through you guys. Until the spring, at least.

[emily_in_nc]

Sorry Crankin, but I remember your saying awhile back that you were taking the winter off of running to let your foot heal, and here you are trying to run again! Bad girl! :D

You are a probably a lot like my DH -- he managed to run two miles this morning with two of the ugliest looking toes you've ever seen -- all purple and swollen. Our Boston Terrier ran into him at full speed a couple of days ago and knocked his foot into a concrete wall. He may have a broken, or at least severely sprained one of the two toes (the other is more of a bad abrasion), but yet he still couldn't stand not running *at all*.

I did 4 miles on the beach this morning. I do have a slight blister on my left pinky toe from a lot of walking on an inland tour we took on Monday, but it only bothers me walking (in the same trail-running shoes), not running, for whatever reason.

[Selkie]

How's that new treadmill working out for you? Sounds like it's doing well and you're already putting some serious miles on it! :p

Thanks for asking! We still have the very nice "loaner" treadmill---there was a significant delay from the manufacturer on the model we purchased. It's finally being delivered next week.

Not surprisingly, my form is different on the treadmill. Ended up with a blister on my right forefoot and a very bad bruise on my left hand (I was apparently going faster than the treadmill belt and kept whacking the front bar w/my hand! Bonehead!!). Looks like I was in a bar fight with a hooker! ;)

Was very happy to run outside at work yesterday. A nice 4.2 miler--was warmer than I expected. I would have gone further but my blister pad/protection started coming off.

Are you still putting a lot of miles on your treadmill?

[7rider]

Well, using it regularly, but I don't think I've put on as many miles, in total, as Kacie did last Saturday! :eek::p Amazing.

Since I use it in the a.m., I'm good for about a half hour, and then I've got to shower, eat, and head to work. So my runs on it tend to be short - 2-3 miles (except for that 5-miler with the new Superfeet that nearly crippled me.). But it's getting used pretty regularly.

Yesterday, I rode my bike home in all daylight. Amazing the difference in the past few weeks (and the benefit of arriving at work early, so I could leave a bit early). Soon, I'll be able to add bricks to my bike commute days - ride home, grab the shoes and head out for 2-3, so my morning treadmill runs will become less frequent.

[katluvr]

3.3 miles this AM. Whole lower body felt like lead most of the run. It was slow. I am not sure if I am recovered from my 10 miler 2 days ago. I have been busy and on my feet/legs last 2 days doing pre-guest & spring cleaning. Or maybe it was the pizza and wine last night. Or maybe I'm just carrying too many pounds and a bit slow this year! Whatever the reason, I did run. I plan to run each day w/ my guests here as I am sure we will be eating and drinking way too much to be healthy!!

K

[limewave]

5.5 miles this morning. It was the best run I've had in a long time. Yay! It helps that the roads are dry and bare. The last run I did was on sheer ice, probably more appropriate to wear ice skates. And the run before that was in snow and slush--the consistency of brown sugar. Ugh.

[Selkie]

7 - That's great! Looks like the weather will continue to be on the mild side, so being outdoors will be nice.

Ran 4.2 miles on the trail at work yesterday morning. Was worried that it was going to rain/drizzle, but luckily, it stayed dry! Temps were in the low 42, which was also nice.

[Veronica]

I ran a whooping 1.25 miles this morning.:rolleyes: I missed my Thursday afternoon fun run because of a meeting that ran long. I don't normally run Friday mornings - Friday is usually yoga and nothing else. So, I figured I'd do a fun run this morning.

The thermometer says 52,and I dressed for 52, but the cold northerly breeze didn't make it feel like 52. I wasn't warm after a mile and while I was running well, I was freakin' cold. I've got 2 hills in this mile loop, so I should have been warm.

I trotted on home instead of doing another loop or two. At least it was a reasonably quick mile. :D

Veronica

[yellow]

What an interesting and eventful run. First and foremost, if I had been thinking, I would have worn my shoes with carbide spikes (my beloved Icebugs). But it was early and, no, I was not thinking.

I run from my house to the trailhead, a distance of about 1.2 miles. About halfway to the TH, a very, very cute short-tailed weasel ran across the road in front of me. He had some sort of prey in his mouth. OMG, he was so incredibly cute! All white with a black-tipped tail. My run was off to a good start! :D

But then, I hit the trail. It's beautiful today, but we had rain over the snow yesterday, so the trail surface was intermittently breakable crust and ice skating rink. I was wishing I had my Icebugs on. I thought about turning around and running on the road, but I convinced myself that it just _had_ to get better.

It didn't. And got worse in some places. But I committed to it so I kept going. I saw bobcat tracks, weasel tracks, coyote tracks, raccoon tracks, deer tracks, and elk tracks. I came around a corner and there, in the sun on a tree, was a huge flock of goldfinches. I saw one other crazy runner out and when we passed each other we both giggled. I'm sure we were both thinking the same thing: "My gawd this trail SUCKS today but it is such a pretty morning!" It was slow going but, ultimately, totally worth it.

After about an hour and a half of slipping and sliding, my hamstrings had had enough. I was at a point where I could hit the road for the rest of the run so I did, running up the canyon alongside the creek. I eventually turned around and headed back down. About 1/2 mile from the end of the creek road (which does not have traffic on it except for maintenance vehicles), I see a plow/salt truck coming up the road. I got over to the side to give him plenty of room and gave him a peace sign. As he passed, I got hit with a bunch of salt and rock (he had the salt thrower on). Good thing I had sunglasses on. I could have been mad, but wasn't. It was just too nice of a day.

About 14.5 miles and 2,282' of climbing and some pretty pissed off hamstrings but I can think of worse things :) Happy Friday, everyone.

[indysteel]

Boy, that's quite a run, Yellow. I'm lucky if I see squirrels on my outings. I envy your environment.

On my end, I saw my PT on Wednesday and he did nothing other than some deep tissue massage. He has recommended that I start seeing a female PT for some instrument-assisted deep tissue massage (there's likely a formal name for that but I don't know what it is). He offered to do it himself, but we both recognize that the location of my hamstring injury is in a delicate location. I'm not a terribly modest person, but it is somewhat embarrassing when he massages me.

I am hopeful that this will help in that I always do feel a better--if only for a day--when he's massaged me for any length of time. So, I have a call into my doctor to see about a recommendation and a new PT order.

In the meantime, I ordered a foam roller for home massage. I went with "the Grid" from Trigger Point Performance. I also ordered a massage ball from TPP so that I can use it at work. I used one in my PT's office and it felt great--in a painful sort of a way. Until now, I've just used a tennis ball. I'm prepared to be diligent with both if it'll help. I'm so tired of this injury.

[emily_in_nc]

4 mile beach run this morning. Hot. Still waiting for that elusive cold front. I guess like much of the eastern US, Belize really isn't going to even get their usual version of winter this year. :(

[OakLeaf]

I lopped another 43 seconds off my 5K PR at Daytona this morning - 23:42. My target was 24:10 so I happy. :):)

Still not good enough for any hardware. It's a dang arms race out there, those gals are getting faster, faster than I'm getting faster! :p The consolation is that I was over than a minute out of an AG podium. I'd be kicking myself if it'd been close.

Beautiful day for racing - 47° and sunny, not too much campfire smoke. I treated myself to an almond croissant from the French bakery on the way home. :)

[katluvr]

Wow! Awesome 5k time and congrats on the PR.
Yes it is amazing how the people in my age group keep getting faster and I just feel like I am getting older!

4 mile run this AM to help w/ all the food & drinks I have indulged in the past 2 days. We have company and it's a lot of fun (and calories).:D
This run felt better than my last run.

K

[skhill]

Wow, Oak, that's huge! Almost 30 sec. faster than your goal... And my experience aging into a new age group this year is that older=faster, around here. I'm faster than most everyone in their 30s, but there are a bunch of women in their 50's that leave me in their dust...

Today was supposed to be a long run. But weather is crappy, so it was the treadmill. I was still planning on going 9 miles anyway, but just ran out of gas at about 6 miles. Weird. I had my usual breakfast, and should have been good for 9 or 10 miles on that, but somehow I ran out of gas early. Maybe the warmer temps in the gym had an effect?

[indysteel]

Wow, Oak! Great job on your PR!

[emily_in_nc]

That's a wonderful time, Oak! I just want to break 30 minutes. :rolleyes:

Congratulations!!

[jessmarimba]

I haven't been posting b/c I haven't been running much lately (injuries...bleh) but I went to a Newton clinic this morning and it was really fun. I'm not sure if I liked it b/c they pretty much told me what I was hoping to hear (I seem to have learned to run on my own the way they teach, so going to the clinic was pretty self-affirming!) but it was something to think about, seeing as it's the opposite of how my coach is telling me to run. Just a different perspective.

Shoes are sooooo expensive though!! Yikes.

[Bike Chick]

Awesome time, Oak! Congrats on your PR. There must be something about our age group. It's the same thing around here. If you compare the times of the 50-55 age group in any running or triathlon event, they are usually faster than the 30 year olds. It's a tough group. Why do you think that is?

I ran 8 miles yesterday afternoon after swimming 2000 yards in the morning. I was tired but that's what makes us stronger, right? It was sunny and in the low 40's. A great day for the end of January.

[Veronica]

Nice job Oak! Congratulations!

I did a nice 6.5 mile loop yesterday with a local running group organized by one of the running coaches from the high school. It's a nice change to have some people to run with. We do break into groups and yesterday I found myself running with the coach's wife. The loop included some short steep hills that I have ridden several times but had avoided running up. :rolleyes:

I was totally thrilled to be able to gauge my effort level to run up the hills and keep going after I reached the top. I think I'm going to adjust some of my loops to add them in more regularly.


Veronica

[Selkie]

Great job, Oak. Actually, I've been meaning to thank you for your posts on trigger points and Chi running. Since I've been spending time every day tending to the TPs in my calves, I've been running pain free. Incorporating Chi running techniques is helping as well.

This morning, DH and I went for our usual early morning Sunday long run. Gorgeous sunrise, cold (30 degrees), but not windy. I felt strong, went my planned five miles and felt like I could have gone at least another mile. Unfortunately, my DH has a hamstring strain and so he ended up walking most of the time. I didn't want him to have to wait on me, so I figured it was a sign to end it at five.

[7rider]

Wow. A 23 5K. Awesome, Oak. My goal is to come in under 30. At the rate I'm improving, I should do that in, oh, another 2 years or so. :rolleyes:

Goal was 6 today, but the route I did ended up coming in as 5.75. That was fine - I haven't been running much more than 2-3 miles lately, so if I came in short, I wasn't going to sweat it. I was just happy to get in over 5.

[katluvr]

So I did a 5K off road race today. It was AWESOME! Very technical course for me (ups an downs, was a single track bike course). Overall I did well. So after all the technical single track I come out and see the finish. According to my Gramin we are only at 2.8 miles, so it can't be the finish. So I hit hard trail, like limestone and all of the sudden I trip and find myself falling full & hard face down...knees, palms, chin hit the ground...all a few yards from the finish! I'm ok, a bit skinned an bruised, but wow...really after almost a 5k I then bust it!!

So my best 5 k on the road is barely under 30 minutes. I did this 5k in 33:44. Now my Garmin said 2.85 miles but it was supposed to be a 3.1 mile course. So if it was really 3.1 miles I think I did really good. Could it be my Garmin was not accurate due to all the switch backs?? Anyways I had a blast. I should do more trail runs!!!

K

[skhill]

Kat, what a way to finish with a flourish! And the course may well be short-- my 5k pr was on a course that's more like 3.02 miles, but I'm still claiming it as a full 5k since it was so fast!

Finally back outside this morning! It was a beautiful if chilly dawn. 6 miles, and I was trying to keep it slow but kept speeding up. I was suprised to see so many treadmills occupied when I went past the downtown Y and glanced through the windows...

[Veronica]

Intervals this morning with Thom and I finished up my monthly mileage goal today - 16th month in a row! :D

Veronica

[SadieKate]

So my best 5 k on the road is barely under 30 minutes. I did this 5k in 33:44. Now my Garmin said 2.85 miles but it was supposed to be a 3.1 mile course. So if it was really 3.1 miles I think I did really good. Could it be my Garmin was not accurate due to all the switch backs?? Anyways I had a blast. I should do more trail runs!!!

K

Congratulations! Trail runs are going to be somewhat to way more slower than a road race.

If your Garmin is set to smart recording (some have this option), a singletrack course could easily measure short. It's easiy for the recording point of your GPS to not record every single link twist and turn of a singletrack anyway, but smart recording makes it worse.

[limewave]

9 miles for me on Sunday afternoon. Not so bad! Slipped on the ice only once. My hips were sore the rest of the afternoon. It was a strangely comforting feeling. They always get a bit weary when I start increasing my mileage again.

[indysteel]

Great job, LW!

I am tentatively excited. I ran Saturday and today. Three miles each at a 6 mph pace. I haven't gotten my roller or massage ball yet, but for the past few days I've been using a tennis ball to roll out the worst of the areas of my hamstring.

Wow! What a difference. The pain is substantially less so long as I do it several times a day. I imagine the roller is really going to help. I'm really excited!

[Selkie]

Going through a frustrating time at work, so it was easy for me to run longer Monday morning. It was a nice 4.7 miles on the trail at work. Cold (35 degrees) and sunny with a brisk wind--I am going to miss cold weather running when spring arrives. Felt good and reluctantly dragged myself back inside.

[skhill]

The snow did a remarkable job of staying away this January-- we've had a few flurries, but I haven't had to break out the shovel yet.

I wrapped up the month with some speedwork. Intervals this time. I didn't actually go much faster for them, I just tried to maintain my speed going into a 20 mph headwind. Yuck. Just 4.5 miles, and I'm feeling it (as well as yesterday's hip-intensive yoga class).

[OakLeaf]

Thanks all!

V., way to go with your mileage goal. Kat, great work (and +1 on the one-second recording for twisty trail runs, if they're not so long that your battery might go down too quickly). Selkie, you're very welcome - glad my Chi Running evangelism is helping you (although everything I know about trigger points I learned from the wise women on TE before me :)) Indy, glad you're starting to feel better. That foam roller masochism does pay off, doesn't it? Yellow - just wow.

And now back to my regularly scheduled marathon training. :rolleyes: Well, sorta - I really need to start pushing the mileage again, it feels like forever, and I'm less than three months out now. But other commitments have been getting in the way early this week - so I did not quite 8 on Sunday and 14.5 today. Hopefully I'll be able to get a longer one in this weekend.

[7rider]

I haven't gotten my roller or massage ball yet, but for the past few days I've been using a tennis ball to roll out the worst of the areas of my hamstring.


If you have a rolling pin, try that until the roller arrives.
DivingBiker clued me in to that one. We wrapped it with an old towel and secured it with rubber bands...makes it more uneven and gives a deeper massage on the cheap.

Glad it's all working for you.

I just agreed to buy a slot to transfer into the D.C.'s Cherry Blossom 10-miler (http://cherryblossom.org/) on April 1st. :eek: My first ever 10 mile race, I'll use it as training for my ultimate goal of hitting 13 before my June Duathlon. Early start....alone (no peeps that I'll know by my side) in a field of 20,000 complete strangers, loooong porta-potty lines. Everything to get my anxiety level ramped up to stratospheric levels. And I'll do this for fun! Yee-HA! :cool:

[GLC1968]

I just agreed to buy a slot to transfer into the D.C.'s Cherry Blossom 10-miler (http://cherryblossom.org/) on April 1st. :eek: My first ever 10 mile race, I'll use it as training for my ultimate goal of hitting 13 before my June Duathlon. Early start....alone (no peeps that I'll know by my side) in a field of 20,000 complete strangers, loooong porta-potty lines. Everything to get my anxiety level ramped up to stratospheric levels. And I'll do this for fun! Yee-HA! :cool:

LOL, just reading this got MY anxiety levels up for you! :)

I've been MIA lately due to a very weird infection of some sort in my throat. I was without a voice for over a week and super phlegm-y now that I'm vocal again. Oy.

My first of two half marathons is 16 weeks away with a 15K at about the half-way mark, so I was able to put a good training plan together today. Well, RunnersWorld's Smart Coach was able to with my tweaking. ;) I'd played with a couple of other plans but they were making me nervous and not even the least bit excited. This one is WAY better and I'm psyched to start running again!

Tonight will be 3 miles. Looking forward to it!

[indysteel]

Thanks for the suggestion, 7!

And good luck at your race. You have really come a long way in the handful of months that you started training for your December 5-miler! Awesome job!
I keep wanting to bite off an ambitious goal, but my hamstring injury has reminded me that I'm better off--at least for the time being--sticking with pretty modest goals.

[limewave]

4 easy-peasy miles.

[GLC1968]

Woohoo! First run in more than two weeks last night and it felt pretty good. I had no coughing while running, but I was about to hack up a lung a couple of times last night. It seems to have quieted down today though, so I think I'm good to keep going.

3 very easy miles on the treadmill. Let the 2012 training season begin! :D

[limewave]

GLC--that is awesome! Yay!

6.5 miles for me today. Felt pretty decent.

[skhill]

Well, I've done it. Signed up for a pair of March races, just before the rates went up. A 3k, then 2 weeks later a half-marathon. Funny thing is that the race I'm excited about is the 3k-- 2 years ago I was 4th AG, last year 2nd (by chip, but 3rd by gun). I really, really want to win it this year. Of course, the winner was about 50 seconds ahead, and that's a lot in a 3k. It's not like I was slow, either, she's just crazy fast. If she's running, I probably won't win, but a much closer second place would be pretty good too!