Running week of 9/28-10/4

[indigoiis]

Rest day today, though I am itching itching itching to do something. It's so beautiful out.
This is the first time ever that I hated having a rest day.
Tomorrow I think I will ride the klunker to the bus stop in the morning, and run home from the bus stop, half trail and half road, from exit 3, which is 5.5 miles. I'm on week 10 of a 12 week 1/2 plan. Wow the time she flies.
A

[SJCzar]

Did my first 20 mile run on Sat. afternoon as part of my marathon training program. The last few miles were the only tough ones. My legs were definitely tightening up and I was very happy to be done. I think that it's all just as much of a mental thing for me though because the last few miles always feel like so much more work, no matter the distance of my long run.

I did 15 slow minutes on the treadmill this morning just to try and stretch out those still sore leg muscles. After 5 minutes I could tell it was helping quite a bit. Tomorrow's run is an easy 2-miler. That should feel heavenly after the 20.

[kacie tri-ing]

[QUOTE=SJCzar;464716]Did my first 20 mile run on Sat. afternoon as part of my marathon training program. The last few miles were the only tough ones. My legs were definitely tightening up and I was very happy to be done. [QUOTE]

I know that feeling! Which marathon are you training for?

I ran a half marathon yesterday (after 1.2 miles swimming and 56 miles on the bike ). Yeah!

[indigoiis]

Kacie, congrats! Was that a tri?

[colby]

I'm on week 10 of a 12 week 1/2 plan. Wow the time she flies.
A

That's for sure. I can't believe you already had to put October in the running week title It is surely so much more pleasant to run this time of year, though.

[Jolt]

Yet another hour and a half of running/walking/monkey business on the trails today--it was a beautiful day too! I've figured out that when it comes to working on running form, it's not good to think too much about what you're doing, at least if you're in minimal shoes or bare feet. At least for me, concentrating too much on what my legs/feet are doing or the ground right in front of me ends up making me less relaxed and less able to do it right. This realization came during an all-out sprint up a dirt/gravel path with some bigger rocks for good measure--as soon as I'd start trying to think about what I was doing/where I was going to step, it would disrupt the flow and I would step harder on the rocks. Kind of weird--it's like the body knows what it's doing and the mind can mess it up.

[indigoiis]

Jolt - I agree. Kind of like, the feet know what to do, and the mind is slow and reactionary.

[Susan Otcenas]

Kacie - Congratulations! Do you feel you've recovered completely from your injury? Did the run portion go as well as you'd hoped??

SJCzar - Nice work! 20 miles! It must feel great to get to that benchmark.

I'm back a weeklong trip. I spent 3 days in Vegas for business. I did manage to get in two hour-long 6am runs, which were actually kind of fun. It's a hoot to run down the strip, which is practically deserted at 6am except for a few drunks. Because there was an athletic convention in town (Interbike), we runners were out in force. It was fun to watch the puzzled expressions on the faces of pedestrians, trying to figure out why there were all these fit people running past them.

I spent Sat-Mon in the Grand Canyon, decompressing from the stress of Vegas. No running, but we hiked oodles of miles. On Sunday, after a 2-mile pre-dawn hike (to get some photos of the sunrise inthe Canyon), we did 8 miles onthe Kaibab Trail. 4 miles, down , then 4 miles right back up, gaining 2500 vertical feet. Despite all the running I'm doing, that hike completely trashed my calves! Two days later, they are still sore.

[kacie tri-ing]

Thanks susan! I feel like I am almost all the way there. I have been struggling with this since april, so it has been tough. BUT after the last one when I got hurt, I could not walk afterwards, and now I am just sore, so I consider that pretty HUGE progress! I am taking this week really really easy to recover. Yesterday every muscle in my body hurt, and today it is just a little more isolated soreness. I am sure I will feel good by this weekend and be back into training by next weekend! (I hope!)

[OakLeaf]

Wow, you gals are doing great.

Okay, accountability post. I've hardly been running at all in preparation for this weekend's ride. Now I need to get back to running to be ready for the half-marathon on the 18th.

Last time I ran it was in the 70s - now it's low 50s, windy and cloudy. I am SO not interested in getting chilled while my legs are already sore from the ride. Don't know whether I should do a longer run at a recovery pace, or try to get in a tempo run. Plus, I don't have anything long-sleeved and hi-viz to run in, and waah, waah, waah.

Gotta do it.

[Susan Otcenas]

now it's low 50s, windy and cloudy.

Welcome to my world! I run so early that even in the summer it's always cool. Running in the 70's feels very warm to me! My 2 Vegas runs were in the 70's and I was sweating it up in shorts and a shimmel. I guess it's all what you get used to, eh?

I ran outside all of last winter, with temps commonly in the low to mid 30's. Once I figured out the right combination of layers, gloves and head-covering, it was quite comfortable. I don't dig the rain so much, but since it hardly ever rains really HARD here (it mostly drizzles), it wasn't so bad.

My half marathon is the 18th too. I'll look forward to your race report!

[indigoiis]

I've been running in teh 50's a.m. temps, and using my non-chamois capris, a t-shirt, and occasionally my high vis jacket from bicycling. More often than not that's too hot after the first mile.

[OakLeaf]

Brrrrr. Sunshine would've helped warm me up I suppose.

Lycra capris, mid-weight SmartWool top, and freakin' lightweight knit gloves and it's not even October yet. And the heavy SW hiking socks I'd been wearing around the house all day. I needed all of it, although I was able to push my sleeves up a bit after a while. I'd have been miserable without the gloves. Oh, and I swiped the blaze orange/reflective yellow vest out of the emergency kit in the car.

Mile intervals, only two since I'm still half in recovery mode from the weekend - I would've liked to have kept a bit harder pace, but did what I could.

Probably going to do a bit of a run tomorrow too, since it's off to a fitness convention on Thursday.



I REFUSE to turn on the heat in the house until after the first of October. I don't know if I can keep DH away from the thermostat, though....

[indigoiis]

Oak, we have a woodstove that heats the whole house... so if I want heat, I am dependent on the Mister because I'm just not all that good at starting old Bertha up after a long summer off. He hasn't made any move to light her up and I am hoping maybe this weekend he'll do all that Fall ritual stove stuff.

Meantime, it's alpaca socks and flannel shirts for me!

Yesterday I got off the bus and ran the five and a half miles home. This route is quite interesting - it starts in a plaza, goes up behind the highway onto the North/South Trail for about a mile, and then up one of the oldest roads in the area (now mostly suburban rural-residential.) The trail is very hilly and rocky. The rest of the route has three hills, including the last one which goes up at 7% right before my road, for about a half mile. When I do this on my bike, this is usually an uncomfortable reality of the commute and I bear it. But with running, I sort of just went "in" to the hill. I just took it easy and cruised up. Now, granted my heart was going crazy and I could feel it, but it was not as it is on the bike. I had been fearing running this hill all week and there it was, meek as mayonnaise.

I still managed the 5.5 in an hour - so I am really happy about that.

Today I will do three. Tomorrow looks shot as I have to work late - I was going to do another five up in the city. Now it looks as if I will reserve that five for Friday.

Indy

[katluvr]

I did it! I got out of bed and went for a run this AM.
I did not have any early meetings at work and thought I would just take my time. So I was out by 6 to run. It was just barely 70 degrees and low humidity. It felt so great. It was dark. I was slow. But did my 3.4 mile loop. Felt pretty good. (just still really slow). But happy that I actually got up and did it!