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No run to report. Just thought it was time for a new running thread.
I was supposed to do 8 easy miles yesterday, but was laid-up in bed with a stomach virus. Again. There should be a law that you're allowed to get the stomach flu only once every 5 years.
Today I'm going to do an easy, slow spin. Hopefully I'll have my legs under me so I can get back to running tomorrow.
I'll post a run! Just got back from a little over 4 miles on a nice, warm spring day.
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I got home from Costa Rica just over a week ago, and things are finally starting to settle down! I didn't run in CR because it was way too hot for me, and I refused to spend any time in the gym while I was in paradise. I did do tons of beach walking, snorkeling, and hiking, though.
I managed to sneak in all my long runs by moving one up before I left and doing one late the day I got home. I was pretty happy with that accomplishment.
I had a good 11 mile run outside on Saturday. It was my first long run outside of the season. I ran 4 on the treadmill yesterday, and I was absolutely thrilled that I was able to do all 4 miles at just under a 10 min/mile pace. After 2+ years of plodding along, I feel like I am finally arriving as a runner!
I did a whopping 3 miles and it was awful. Couldn't breathe (smoke from the fires, maybe?), legs felt like I was running through pudding, and my back felt terrible (tense from work? no idea). Even with that, I think I was going faster than I have in awhile, though I don't wear a garmin or a watch anymore so it's hard to tell.
Nice to have warmer weather and sunlight. Yay!!
High winds and a looming storm front sent me back to the treadmill this morning. I kept changing speed with every new song on the mp3 player, so it's strange that somehow I ended up doing 6 miles in precisely 54:00.
It should be no surprise, but I've discovered that if I wait until after my run for the first cigarette of the day, I run substantially faster... Like I think I'm doing a 9:30 pace or so, and it's more like 9:00. And yes, I'm working towards quitting entirely-- my deadline is my 40th birthday, 2 weeks from today...
Easy recovery run yesterday - 3.3 miles, 9:45 pace. Hills tomorrow then the 20 miler on Saturday.
Just got back from about a 35-minute trail run...I really need to work on running uphill--I end up walking any but the shortest or most gradual climb. Even on the road. Yesterday was a short run around the neighborhood (about a 2.25-mile loop) and I managed to scare the heck out of a couple of girls who were walking--apparently they didn't hear me coming up behind them so when I ran by (giving them plenty of space) one of them let out this loud SCREAM. Then all three of us busted out laughing about it. I know I don't make that much noise running, but wouldn't you think people would be paying enough attention to hear me before I'm about to pass them? I certainly hear people well before they're that close to me...
4 miles in the sleet and hail and wind, 8:30 avg. Another 4 tonight with my running partner, probably about 10:30 min/mile average. Hopefully the weather doesn't deteriorate between now and then or we'll have to cancel.
10 mile progressive run. Starting at 10 min/miles and ending with 8:45s. Managed to keep somewhat of a conversation going the entire time. It was freaking freezing out. So ready for warmer weather.
Had a brutal head cold all week - managed to eke out 30 minutes on the treadmill on Wednesday and it set me back for 2 more days.
Today, I was feeling "normal" - so three of us kept our date for a speed workout at the local HS track, leaving from my house. We ran there to warm up, did 3 intervals (2 laps run, 1 lap walk) and then ran home.
I've done this twice before and they came out as 5.16 and 5.17 miles. Today, I did the same route, and it was 4.9 miles. :confused: Go figure. Actually...I think I know what the issue was...we didn't walk one lap of the track when we got there before we started our intervals.
But, I did them today. They weren't pretty and I had to walk some of the second lap on intervals 1 and 3. I was bringing up the rear on the run home. And I was slower than the 2 other times I did this. :(
Still...I lived to tell the tale so I'm pretty happy that I think I can survive next Sunday's 8k road race.
I ran outside for the first time in ages on Thursday. This was on a paved trail and sidewalks around my workplace, which is quite hilly. There is one really long hill. It was much harder than my treadmill runs I'd been doing all winter, and here I thought I was in good shape! I'd been doing 3.5-4 miles on the treadmill but only managed about 2.5 outside (I'm going by time since I have no good way to measure the distance). And my right quad has been sore ever since.
I definitely need to do this more often!
that's great emily!!, I love when Spring comes and I'm back running outside:D I think running outside is so much harder, because you are carrying your weight as opposed to just moving your legs on the treadmill:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by emily_in_nc
That being said, I hurt myself on the treadmill a few months back, so I haven't been running :( I ran on my injury but it was getting worse. I have never ever hurt myself where I couldn't run, but this injury was bad, hurt! A serious pain down the front of my quad, but hurt so bad, I couldn't run... even started to hurt when I walked. Finally two weeks ago I gave up running with a limp, and figured I needed to let it heal. So been doing the stairmaster and elliptical at the gym, uggh... hope I get back to running soon.
I forgot you were doing this; my schedule these days is not very flexible.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
I ran 4.5 miles today but never felt into it or loose. I was glad to be outside rather than on the treadmill (the threat of snow missed us).
Saturday was 16 miles-- but not all in one go. I headed out into a chilly morning very early, planning on going 16-18 miles. But at 11, I stopped off at home, to use the bathroom. My dog was thrilled to see me, mainly because he really need to go also; and by the time we'd both done our business, the wind was picking up and the temperature was dropping. So I ended up doing the last 5 miles later in the day, in the falling snow.
There's a half-marathon here next weekend, and I'm thinking of doing it. Maybe. Depends on the weather, and if I can squeeze in a long run mid-week. It's pretty cool to know I can go out and comfortably run a half, any given day-- just 2.5 years ago I couldn't even run a mile without stopping! And it's weird that the main reason I wouldn't do the half is that I'm hoping/planning on a 20+ mile long run this week...
Saturday was our longest training run - 20 miles. It was a cold day (26 deg at the start). It feels like it should be getting warmer already :-)
Run went well - about 3hrs 5 min, 9:20 pace. Did about 9 for the 1st 10 miles then backed off for the second half which was the plan.
Now its time to taper - 5 miles at an easy pace today. 3 weeks to race day.
Sounds like you had a good 20-miler!
6 easy miles last night. And guess what? It felt easy! We averaged about 10:30's, kept it slow and steady. Good conversation. It was cold, but not bitter.
After almost a month of "taking it easy" I got the okay to start ramping up my training again. Speed work for running this week and some under/overs planned on the bike. Yippee!
I haven't posted my runs in awhile! But I have been running, as I have a half on May 1.
Today I ran down to my bus stop (5.75 miles). Yesterday I rode my bike; Sunday I did a long run (10 miles) and everything is looking good / right on schedule - I'm averaging 9:15 with big hills so we'll see.
5 miles...hill repeats or kinda. The only place to get elevation here is a "bridge" I drive to. Up and over X 1 is about 1 mile (added some time at the end). I so I went "up" 5 times. Trying to maintain about a 10:30 pace no matter what! It was OK, still tough. But things will get tougher as I train for that Peak in August!
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I ran 3 miles Saturday on the treadmill (I was in Chicago with DH, so I used the hotel gym). I felt pretty good, but boy it was boring and hot. I like to run outside in cooler temps, so inside at 70 or so was uncomfortable. I ran/walked for about an hour last night outside. I felt okay; not great.
I feel like I'm not progressing much as far as lengthening my intervals to the point of a sustained run. I feel like with each interval (which is usually between 3-7 minutes), my pace ends up quickening too much, I start to get overly breathless and then panic to a stop. I keep trying to keep my pace in check but to no avail. Last time I ran with any regularity, I mostly ran on a treadmill, so it was easier to regulate. I really don't want to invest in a Garmin or like device, so I'm not sure how best to regulate myself. And I really don't want to run on a treadmill, at least not until next winter. Any advice?
You guys are doing great!
I've hardly been running at all... :o
I got a little over 4 today and it felt pretty good. Cycling is the main focus right at the moment - not that I've been doing that much of that either, with one thing after another. I need to do a little bit more running now just to maintain, then I'll start ramping it back up after TOSRV.
Still planning (i.e. negotiating with DH about :p) a fall/winter marathon. Probably Columbus, but maybe Disney.
Quote:
Originally Posted by indysteel
I love my Garmin and really find it helps me pace myself but another way to try and regulate which I also do with the Garmin is via heartrate. Do you have a HR monitor? I use it to try and stay within a moderate range especially on longer runs.
5 miles today no real plan just went out an ran.
I've been a weather wimp this week, sticking to the treadmill. It's not been that bad outside (30ish, rain/snow, wind) but last week's warm spell spoiled me.... Anyway, today was a slow 5 miles, after doing longer and faster runs on Monday and Tuesday.
I do have a heartrate monitor, but haven't used it in a while. That's a good suggestion. Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by sgf726
Today's run was only 2 miles, but it was a brick run off the bike. My instructions were to push the pace out of my comfort zone and make it hurt a bit. Mission accomplished! :eek::rolleyes:
I did about four and a half again today. I should be ready to start ramping up the intensity next week...
Indy - Using the HRM is a good idea, but I also had the thought that rather than trying to lengthen your run intervals, you might try shortening your rest intervals instead. Intervals of 3-5 minutes are some of the most difficult you can do - I've even read a few things that say just not to do them, because (according to those coaches) the amount of muscle damage you do in long intervals isn't worth the gain.
Maybe try a good thorough warm-up and then a series of one-minute sprints with one minute rest. Start with just a few, maybe five, see how you feel. Jog a bit afterwards or just walk it out.
I forget, do you practice Chi Running? What's happening in your body when you find yourself over-exerting? Quickening your cadence unintentionally, leaning farther forward than you meant to, overstriding? Have you done much work on the Chi Running concept of "gears?"
Thanks for the suggestions/questions, Oak. I'm not sure I understand why long intervals cause muscle damage. Maybe you could elaborate.
What seems to be happening with me is that my cadence is quickening to the point that I become overly breathless. Years ago (many years ago) I was a competitive runner in the 400, 800 and 1600 meters and cross country. It took me a long time to run comfortably at a slower pace, as I always seemed to revert back to my old training pace. Even now--though I'm far from being in good enough shape to run a sub-six mile--I struggle with keeping my cadence in check. Not that I'm running THAT fast now; just faster at times than I can handle.
I've never studied Chi Running, but for watching some Youtube videos just today. I'll be honest that I've never "studied" running. In my old running days, I just ran. There was nothing scientific about it; I was young and naïve. I also got injured A LOT, which is why I stopped running for a long time. Admittedly, I need to put more time and effort into figuring out how to train, on my form, etc., but I'll also be honest that I also want to keep it simple, too. I'm not sure I know enough to intelligently balance the desire to train effectively and injury free with the desire to avoid over-analyzing it, and I'm not sure where to start.
Okay, that's more than you probably wanted to know, and it's late so off to bed I go! :)
Heavy rain today at lunchtime = 4 miles on the treadmill. Next week looks much better. Warmer, sunnier. :)
@Indy -
All intervals - all training - causes muscle damage. That's the point, to create microscopic damage so muscles and bones re-build themselves stronger. But you only want to damage them to the extent that they can quickly recover. One thing I've always heard is that if you're sore the second day, or if soreness limits your next workout, you did too much - but by then it's too late. :p
I'm fuzzy on the theory of why long intervals are so hard on your body, whether it's the old-fashioned idea that staying too far above your lactate threshold for too long, without an interval to clear it, creates a damaging lactic acid buildup, or something else - but I know for sure that of all the workouts I do, the one that makes me the most sore is 3 minutes effort/3 minutes rest. By the time I get to mile repeats, yeah they're hard as !@#*, but the intensity is lowered enough that I don't risk feeling sore for more than a day.
If you're upping your cadence, you might invest in a clip-on metronome, or if your HRM has a footpod, set it to display cadence, or even [shudder] put an earbud in one ear with some 85-90 or 170-180 bpm music....
I'm a total evangelist for Chi Running, but I know you're a yogini, and Chi Running really has a lot in common with yoga. (You probably know it's derived from T'ai Chi principles, another meditative practice.) It's true there's a lot to "think" about, especially when you first learn the method, but it's body thinking, aka feeling or sensing. I'm the kind of person who learns physical skills by doing much more easily than by reading or watching, and if you're the same way, if you're interested, I'd really recommend doing a workshop if you can. I don't think the book would've made a bit of sense to me if I hadn't done the workshop first.
I define muscle damage! :p Another vote for Chi Running here. Also, check to see if there are any Feldenkrais classes nearby. One of the centers here teaches a Feldy running workshop. Similar to Chi Running but maybe more basic. I got a lot out of a one-day workshop. I end up practicing some Chi Running and some Feldy.
Lots and lots and lots of running for me these days; I've been trying to learn how to slow down. I did a 25k race last weekend here in Utah (at a fast-for-me pace) and then ran another very easy 10m right afterwards with a good running buddy. Another shorter race this weekend in Bend, OR, then a 25m trail race in mid-April near Fruita, CO, then probably a trail marathon here in Utah late April, hopefully at least a (self supported) 50k in Zion first week of May (birthday present to myself!), then maybe a trail marathon also in Utah in mid-May. It's all prep for the big dog June 4, which I am still not really going to talk about because I am still not convinced I am cut out for it. :) I will just say that it's here in Utah and involves running around in some big mountains for hours and hours. No, not that big dog. But pretty darn big.
After all this I think I will back off a bit, maybe do some power gardening and a lot of hiking. Still not sure riding is in the cards again just yet. I also need to regain some upper body strength. Last year's surgery and subsequent...condition...resulted in huge losses in upper body strength. I'll keep running, just not as much!
Happy trails, all!
Thanks, again Oak. Perhaps I should clarify that by intervals, I just mean that I run/jog at what is a moderate (not sprint by any means) pace. I'm more or less following the Couch to 5k program. The idea is that you eventually build up to a sustained run, again at a moderate pace. Even when my cadence quickens, I'm not running at anything close to a sprint. I'm not sore at all during or after my runs. It's my aerobic capacity and the mind game I'm playing with myself that seem to be my big limiters at the moment.
Well, I think intervals is anything at a pace that you can't sustain continuously. It's a different pace for everyone. I know all about comparing myself against what I used to be able to do ... and I also know that that is really un-helpful for improving from where I am now. (Not that I've been able to get past it on the piano the way I have on the bici... :()
That alone might be a reason for you to try shorter, more intense intervals with shorter rest periods. You could run at an intensity that's at least somewhat familiar to you from the past, for a duration that's possible for you in the present.
I'm not consciously comparing myself now to where I used to be, at least I don't think I am. :rolleyes: It's more a question of what feels natural to me as far gait and cadence. Running at a slower pace just feels sort of weird to me. I have to really concentrate, or I'll lapse into a faster run. For that reason, I think I will look into a chi running workshop to see if I can retrain myself in that regard. Thanks for that suggestion.
I hit another great milestone last night- 5 miles. It took me 57 minutes and change. I ran pretty slow, but my body felt so good that I could've gone farther. I'm trying to increase slowly and safely though. It was a great feeling.
I have a 4 mile trail race on saturday that should be a lot of fun. I'm glad I had such a great run leading into the race!
Today was my Fitness Center's lunchtime 5K fun run.
Day went like this:
Meeting with my boss all morning.
(sign out for leave...yes, I was honest about this)
Walk 1 mile from office into park.
Run.
Walk 1 mile back to fitness center.
Shower.
Go back to office (sign back in) and run quarterly reports for my team while noshing on a PowerBar and an orange.
:cool:
I have been doing precious little running lately. Between my Colorado ski vacation, a horrible head cold, and a lack of motivation, I think I've run 1 x/week for the past month or so. I managed to get the 5 mile "speed" work last weekend. Then....nothing. Some cycling. Some jump rope. Until today. So I have to admit to being somewhat shocked (yes...SHOCKED! :p) when I saw that my average pace was 11:06 for the race. Now...for some of you, that's slow. For me, that better's my Baltimore 5K last October, when I was (theoretically) in shape and training for the event. Not quite as fast as the Celtic Solstice 5 miler, but that one, I REALLY trained for.
Sunday, I have an 8K. If I match this pace, I'll be stoked!
Another 3.5 miles on the treadmill today. Still a bit chilly (in the 40s with wind), and I didn't have appropriate clothing to try to run outside (the treadmill is in the gym at work). Next week looks warmer and nicer, so I'm hoping for some outdoor running and riding!
I ran about 2.5 miles outside on Thursday and 30 minutes on the TM on Monday. I am now just about able to run continuously outside for 3 miles, almost back to where I was last year.
I'm being really careful, though. I see to be developing a little hamstring thing in my left leg, when I start either increasing my speed or mileage. Not sure what is going on.
Yesterday should've been a bike day, but between a bad case of allergic conjunctivitis, damp roads, and a plane to catch, I decided to do a little barefoot run on the beach. Just a mile, it had been so long since I tried it, but it went well. With a lot of trigger point work and yoga, I'm starting to be able to put my big toes closer to the ground so my second metatarsal heads don't get smashed. Yay!
Then this morning I did 4.5 along the eastern shore of Long Island. Not enough beach to run on, but I was able to see it anyway. Pretty area, I've never been here before.
Today I started out bright and early for a 20 miler... but my left hamstring was tight when I started out (it has been for a couple days). Thought it would get better after a couple miles (it has in the past), but no... At about half a mile in, it went from tight to OW. I stretched a bit, walked a bit, and it felt better for a while, then Ow again. So 20 miles turned into three. I'll try again tomorrow, maybe...
Beautiful day today - high 40's during my run - dumped the tights for the capri's for the first time this winter.
Today's run was 12 miles, we are startng to taper for the marathon. I took the first half easy then the second half at my target marathon pace (9min mile) for an overall 9.17 pace. Felt a little tired at the end, guess still recovery from the 20 last week. Guess that's why we need to taper :-)