Any Fall Marathons/Half Marathons?

[limewave]

DJ--I always take an ice bath after my long runs. It helps so much. I actually sit in the tub first and then turn on the water instead of just plunging into a huge tub of frigid water. I find cycling really helps with loosening up my legs too.

Well, girls, I'm supposed to do an 18 miler today but DH says he'll be working until 10 or 11 tonight. That leaves me with the little pooper. I'm hesitant about pushing her in the jogger that far. I've done 13 with her and she was great, but 18 miles is going to take me more than three hours. And I can't run on Sunday because we're riding in a tour all day. I don't know what to do . . .

[kaybee]

Limewave, you're planning 18 miles for Saturday AND an all-day ride on Sunday? What a woman!

DJ -- The ice bath works, if you can stand it. Taking a little walk later in the day after a long run and stretching also help. I've also decided to treat myself to a few massages between now and the half.

KB

[colby]

DJ--I always take an ice bath after my long runs. It helps so much. I actually sit in the tub first and then turn on the water instead of just plunging into a huge tub of frigid water. I find cycling really helps with loosening up my legs too.

I haven't tried the ice bath, but I agree about the cycling. Something about the motion helps stretch and loosen up my running muscles. Obviously a super-long ride after a super-long run would hurt, but if I make it a point to commute the next day (6 miles), it really seems to help.

[Lise]

Thanks to you ladies, I've finally started icing my legs. I did it for the first time last Tuesday, after a 40 mile ride.

Today after my 10 mile run, I tried limewave's trick, and sat in the tub as it filled. More bearable that way. I filled it with cold water, and put in an ice pack. It's a big, thoroughly frozen thing that came with some medication in the mail. After I'd soaked for awhile, I put the ice pack on top of each thigh for a minute or two. Then I took a warm shower, went out on my bike for 10 miles, came back and stretched. We'll see how tomorrow goes, but I'm feeling pretty good today! Thanks!

My greatest regret about the marathon is that I didn't ice afterward, and I came home and took a hot bath. HUGE mistake. If I were to do it again, I'd have a friend bring me bags of ice for my legs right after I finished.

[Running Mommy]

Glad to see that you are ICING the legs!! That is the single most important thing to my recovery after a long workout- be it bike, run, or both.
ICE IS YOUR FRIEND!!!

[maillotpois]

Did my 18 miler today. Great route, half paved and half dirt. Lots of climbing.

But - OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!

Why is it that run/walking 15 + miles hurts more than any of the double centuries I ever did?? It almost hurts more than the 600k. It does, but my butt doesn't hurt like after the 600k! My muscles are just so SORE! The first 2 miles is always hell because my shins hurt so much. I'm trying to be more diligent about heel walking during the week, which should help that. And I know it goes away after a couple of miles. But it really does slow me down.

I remember after my marathons, when I switched to cycling and did my first century. When I was done with the 100, I was ready to go around again and do another 100, and wondered WHAT was the equivalent of a marathon on a bike in terms of making you sore and tired. Well, I've done the Death Ride, a bunch of double centuries, a 600k, oodles of double metrics, and I still haven't found it! Nothing hurts me like running (or even, apparently, walking! ).

So we're doing a weekly thread? I will report for duty Monday!!

[colby]

Colby -- it sounds like you are being very sensible, and I applaud you. On race day if you get to mile 7 and you're feeling froggy, you can always speed up. This is my third attempt at a half. The first two times I got too enthusiastic in my training and ended up injured. I'm determined to do it right this time. We can dream about finishing in under 2 hours, can't we? I'd have to work a lot harder and find a flat course (Memphis ain't it) to even come close, but it's nice to dream about.

I must admit, I have a long run tomorrow and I am a little discouraged. This guy I work with has the "runner" body and can just up and run 8 minute miles like they are nothing. He doesn't run every day, but does so regularly. He'll pick up and run a 10 mile race at an 8:40 pace. We were discussing a 10mile race he's doing tomorrow, and the marathon came up... and I said he could ramp up to it with no problem, being complimentary and all, mentioned what the training is like (adding miles on long runs), and he said "well yeah, I could probably run one tomorrow and keep close to the same pace, though it sure would hurt the next day." Arrgh. I know he doesn't mean to be discouraging, it's just his personality and it's just a part of discussing something we both do... but today on my 3 mile prep run for tomorrow I just felt so slow (plus I took the dog, so we stopped and sniffed everything, next time I take the dog I'm not taking the watch ).

Reminds me of KSH's "why can't running be like swimming?" thread and Lise's "NOW can I get on my bike!?!?" post. That's how I feel... I know I'm slow on the bike, but I feel like if I trained, I could get faster. I know I have a decent swim time, but if I trained, I could do better. With running, I feel like I train, but I just don't get faster, and it's always hard. So when someone comes along that gets it so easily... it's just frustrating.

Maybe just complaining will make me feel better I'll try to wipe it out of my mind for tomorrow.

[Lise]

I've pretty much decided (for the moment, at least), that after next year's 1/2 IM tri, I'll be done with the long runs. I do enjoy races, for the community and excitement, but I'll limit the running to 5, 8, or 10 km. The training for the longer runs is boring and time consuming. I'd much rather train for a century ride! Then maybe I could actually get a little faster on the run, instead of just going for endurance.

I'm thinking that I'll mostly do sprint tris, after next year...the 1/2 IM is a goal. But I'll be 47 next year, and I was so worn out after this last Oly tri that it was discouraging. We shall see. I can certainly get better at the training, core work, etc. But I want to do more that's fun and less that's genuinely painful! For me, that means more biking, and less swimming and running. Not *no* tris--they remain my favorite. But less suffering with each one.

[colby]

I've pretty much decided (for the moment, at least), that after next year's 1/2 IM tri, I'll be done with the long runs. I do enjoy races, for the community and excitement, but I'll limit the running to 5, 8, or 10 km. The training for the longer runs is boring and time consuming. I'd much rather train for a century ride! Then maybe I could actually get a little faster on the run, instead of just going for endurance.

I'm hoping slower and longer is going to mean faster when I go back to shorter distances I'm hoping if I train for goals (I also want to do 1/2 IM next year), it will make my running more specific, and I will get faster instead of just falling into a rut and/or being bored (I year you on those long runs!). I really want to do a full IM sometime in the future, at least once, but I think it'll be a few years.

I really want to do a century and other bike events, too. Sometimes it seems an aspiring triathlete's job is never done

[maillotpois]

You guys will be amazed at how much better your body will feel after a century than it does after a long run. I swear. After my first century, I swore I would never run or do a marathon again unless being chased by a pack of dogs. So here I am....

[Lise]

You guys will be amazed at how much better your body will feel after a century than it does after a long run. I swear. After my first century, I swore I would never run or do a marathon again unless being chased by a pack of dogs. So here I am....

Well, you're sort of being chased into it by a pack of emboli...

I do love the cycling. I also love the strategy of triathlon. If cycling got taken away, I could see doing more distance running. MP, when does your doc think you can ride again?

[Shiraz]

I agree! I have never felt so tired and fatigued then after finishing a marathon. It took me two weeks to feel "normal" after my first and almost a week after my second. But I can bike a century and back to back centuries (STP) and still feel tired but not like I have been run over by a mack truck, so that's why I have been doing halfs. I just must not been made to run the marathons. I follow training plans and cover the miles too. My hat is off to all of you ladies who can run marathon after marathon.

Lise, I agree I am missing my biking time. It is hard because you want to do both and there isn't enough time for both.

My family is planning to do the Las Vegas half in December. Anybody doing this one?

[colby]

... today on my 3 mile prep run for tomorrow I just felt so slow (plus I took the dog, so we stopped and sniffed everything, next time I take the dog I'm not taking the watch ).

I'm replying to myself and this is an old thread, but I had to share my general progress. I started serious marathon training after my tri at the end of August. That's about a month now. Before that, I was running about 5 miles 5 days a week at about an 11 minute mile pace, and could not get faster, but didn't really care to either because I was stuck in "I hate running, maybe today I will bike instead" land

Today was the first 5-miler for a few weeks, really since I seriously started training. And, drumroll please, today I finished 5 miles in 50 minutes, just about on the dot. A 10 minute mile pace, YAY. I'll take what little improvement I can get

Back to the long march...

[Lise]

YAY! I know how hard it is to get back on that horse. And, given the choice, I will ride rather than run. But...13.1 miles on my bike is no big deal. 13.1 miles on my feet is hard and takes training. So I'll be running tomorrow morning! You GO--believe me, I think about my TE pals when I'm out there. I say, "Colby's doing it, Limewave's doing it, Denise (RM)'s doing it...etc." Then *I* can do it.

[colby]

YAY! I know how hard it is to get back on that horse. And, given the choice, I will ride rather than run. But...13.1 miles on my bike is no big deal. 13.1 miles on my feet is hard and takes training. So I'll be running tomorrow morning! You GO--believe me, I think about my TE pals when I'm out there. I say, "Colby's doing it, Limewave's doing it, Denise (RM)'s doing it...etc." Then *I* can do it.

Glad I'm not the only one! I think of you guys when it's one of those rough days, especially on the long runs (which are often "I HAVE to finish this so I can report back!"). I also think "I know the girls on the forum will understand..." even if I don't end up posting about whatever it is I'm thinking about. Some days I imagine us as a big string, pulling each other along... sometimes that's for my benefit, sometimes that's for you guys when I read about your challenges. We're a big peloton of runners, right?