July 16-22: Fun While You Run!

[yellow]

It's a new week!

My recent slackerness has caught me, wrapped its tentacles around my neck, and thrown me down on the ground. In other words, WAKE UP CALL!

Did a long run this morning and felt terrrrrible for the first 3 miles, all the while thinking that I may just quit running altogether since I can't seem to run enough to keep the kind of conditioning I want to keep. It got better once I got through most of the uphill and got to run on mostly flat for a while. But after about 10 miles my knees and hips were hurting and it was obvious to me that I was in damage zone. Still had to get back to the trailhead, though, so it ended up being 12.6 miles. BUT-- even though the run was kindy crappy, the flowers were incredible (I was getting slammed by chin-high flowers) and it was nice and cool up where I went (started at about 7600'). I took an ice soak in the creek afterwards (for about 2 minutes, which is all I could stand).

I do think I need to decide if I want to focus on being able to do longer runs (which I love) or just sticking with shorter runs and being happy with that. The long runs aren't fun when they hurt. So if I want to get back to fun-when-I-run-long, I need to start running more again.

[shawnada]

I'm impressed you have been slacking and then still manage 12+ miles. I start to have ADD(attention deficit disorder) when I get around 5 or more and I workout alot. Long distance makes me nauseous just thinking about it. I get bored after 6 and see no reason to run any longer. Obviously I'll never be a long distance anything. Short, fast and sweet for me. Kudos to you for your stamina.

[teigyr]

I've been really lethargic but did an 8 mile ride around the neighborhood then a 2.5 mile run/jog/walk with the operative word being walk. At least that's how it felt

[HillSlugger]

Still working on regaining my form, speed, and endurance. 3.2 miles @ 9:34 pace. I was hoping to be a little faster today, but I think I'm still tired from my practice triathlon on Saturday.

[yellow]

I I start to have ADD(attention deficit disorder) when I get around 5 or more and I workout alot. Long distance makes me nauseous just thinking about it. I get bored after 6 and see no reason to run any longer.

Well, I'm not running 12 miles on pavement...don't think I could do that. For me it's like really,really fast hiking. I walk up the steepest hills (and sometimes not so steep ones ), take pictures, and admire the scenery. Trail running is a whole new ballgame. I never get bored running in places like this! If you haven't done much trail running I highly recommend it for curing the boredom problem!

(Bonneville Shoreline Trail offshoot to Black Mountain, me in the middle there)



(Bonneville Shoreline in the winter...lovely!!)



(Deseret Peak, which we ran/hiked 2 weeks ago...just over 11,000 at the top!)

[crazybikinchic]

What a great view. The rain in Texas has finally given it a break so that me and wonder dog could go running outside (without my white dog turning brown). 3.6. Good run, but hot at 8:00 this morning.

[alpinerabbit]

To me, last week's motto applies....

I set the alarm for 5 am today because it's been hot (that's around 30°C for you desert dwellers). I was out the door at 5.20 and was gonna go an hour.

I decided to turn around at 20 min... and then I had to go to the loo so bad... I ended up walking the last 1K. It made me nauseous too.

I'd had grape juice the night before. eeks.

But other than that running in the morning is wonderful.

[Kimmyt]

Had some bad days running, with some minor knee problems. I'm not sure if that just means I need new shoes, I got them at the beginning of the winter but have probably put over 200 miles on them, anyone know what the usual life span for shoes is?

Ran 4 miles on the Dreadmill yesterday, today I think I'll head outside and run since it was too foggy to bike into work today (now it's turned to sun, of course!)

K.

[alpinerabbit]

I've read somewhere 600 miles (?)

[KSH]

Well, I hear you ladies talking about running anything over 6 miles... is boring.

My coach had me doing 1, 8-mile run a week. Now I'm doing 1, 10-mile run a week. UGH! It's SO BORING!

The first one I did last week... was pure h@ll! It was hot... and humid with a heat index around 95-100F. I could barely run more than 1 minute without walking. I was drenched with sweat after 1 mile. Miserable.

I get to do it again in a couple of days. UGH! I know I have to do it, to get ready for my Half Ironman... but not sure how I'll keep this up till October.


Anyhoo... I did a good job today though. Actually ran in the MORNING! I never do this. Got in 3.50 miles at about a 11 minute mile. There was some walking... the humidity was a killer... but I did OK.

I wish I had someplace pretty to run. I do my 10 milers around a lake, but it's not that pretty. I do like to see the ducks and geese though.

[tattiefritter]

Had some bad days running, with some minor knee problems. I'm not sure if that just means I need new shoes, I got them at the beginning of the winter but have probably put over 200 miles on them, anyone know what the usual life span for shoes is?


K.

Anywhere between 300 - 500 miles depending on your running style, weight, running surface and shoe durability (and probably some other factors too). 200 miles should still be fine really. I think the UK version of RunnersWorld magazine has published some tests you can do on your shoe to get an indication of whether they are worn or not, www.runnersworld.com may have someting similar on the site somewhere.

My knee is giving me grief at the minute as well but I don't think its my running shoes, I think my cycling shoes are not helping.

Did a test run at lunchtime today, 4 miles and it felt ok for most of it, my left leg wasn't hurting it just felt tight from the weekends riding. By the endof my four miles both my knees were a little achey but it felt like it did when I first started running, not surprising then after the break I've had. However, its got progressively more achey as the day has gone on so I'll have to wait till tomorrow to decide if I've aggravated it or not.

[Kimmyt]

hmm yeah i did just do a century on sunday and then ran for the past two days so maybe my knee is just rebelling a bit.... well it'll get a rest when i go climbing this weekend (only one day of biking or running involved!)

K.

[rocknrollgirl]

The DH and I decided to run today before our Wed mt bike ride. Usually we make it a brick workout, but today I wanted to focus more on the run. Well in a word it was miserable! Not the actual running, that was tough as usual, but the weather was unbearable. We slipped our workout between two lines of storms moving eastward. It had just stopped storming and was mid-eighties and 100 percent humidity. It was like running in the rain forest. Hot, humid, close, drippy, muddy, buggy...Nice huh!

Then we saddled up the mt bikes and had the crappiest ride of the season! We were at a 3 day mt bike festival over the w/e and did some really hard riding and I guess that combined with 45 mins of trail running prior to the ride were enough to seal the deal. My legs were toast. YUK!!!!

Glad that workout is over. Swimming tomorrow..ahhh.....

[HillSlugger]

Today was my last run before the triathlon on Sunday. I pushed it hard and improved my pace to where it was before the ankle sprain. Of course, back then I was doing this pace for 3.4 miles! Still, I'm pleased and I'm expecting to continue improving for the Iron Girl (August 19).

3.18 miles @ 9:13/mile

nothin' but rest from here til Sunday

[Wahine]

Wow. Sounds like everyone has had a tough week.

I am on a rest week. I ran at the track today with my new form coach who is really good. I mean really good. He had me adjust my stride significantly and I can already tell it's going to help. We're doing a trade hour for hour, coahcing for me and body work for him. He's an ex-pro triathlete and raced against the likes of Mark Allen. Oh, did I mention that he's buddies with Floyd Landis. Yeah this guy's been around the block and I'm getting one on one coaching time with him.

Keep on keepin' on girls!! We gotta work through the tough weeks too.