Pavement Pounding - Week of August 27 to September 2

[Grog]

I'm back at pounding pavement after a summer of abstinence. I have signed up for a 10K race in October and am waiting for the sign up to start for a February half-marathon. I'm also leading an introductory run for new residents of my college Sunday morning.

So I have to start running I guess!!

Went for just 15 minutes this morning to get the systems going. Went for my favourite hill and sprinted up to pass a commuter bike that was coming up - the cyclist passed me once on the flat part, but it felt good to be able to run fast uphill for a few minutes.

I'll run Thursday, too. Maybe 20 minutes.

Only now I need to find a new running partner. The friend I ran with last year has moved thousands of kilometers away. I remember when we started running together, last September, after a few running dates I told her: "Just so you know, we're following a plan for a half-marathon here." She had no intentions to do that at first, but she was a great sport and did it with me the whole time, including on awfully dark, cold and wet winter mornings. There's a whole bunch of new residents moving in this week, hopefully there will be one or two girls who run...

[Starfish]

Grog, I hope I will be joining the ranks of the runners this fall. I have some weight to lose before I will risk my knee, but last night I downloaded a program intended to take someone from Couch-To-5K slowly and sanely.

I haven't run since I injured my knee in college, but the triathlon bug is biting, so I want to give it a try over the winter.

Hope you find your running buddy!

[Shiraz]

Thanks for starting the new thread Grog. Glad to hear you are running again. I actually love running in the winter. There is something about getting outside and being apart of the elements that gives me joy, b ut my favorite time to run is the fall. I love the crisp air, the smells of the fire places and running through the leaves and the colors of the trees.

I ran a short 4 mile tempo run this morning averaging 9:32 pace m/mile. I am trying not to kill myself this week and save it for my 1/2 mary saturday. I can still feel some fatigue in my legs from the half this past saturday.

You can do it Starfish!!!

[Starfish]

You can do it Starfish!!!

Well, we'll see. I am not about to keep it up if it seems AT ALL like it could re-hurt my knee and jeopardize my cycling and other activities. But, I am hopeful!

Good luck on your run Saturday!

[Shiraz]

I took almost a full year of running off to heal up after my foot surgery so I can totally understand. I biked and that kept from going insane. I hope it works for you.

[kelownagirl]

Grog - enough about running, how was the wedding?!! How was the honeymoon??! How is the new Mr. Grog???! Wish I'd known you were in Penticton or I would have found you and said hi and returned your book.

Running - I am desperate to get back into running again. This week for sure. I promise. There, I have committed to it on the internet, that oughta work...

[rocknrollgirl]

Intervals today:

warm-up- 6 mins
3 hill repeats
1 mile tempo run
3 hill repeats
1 mile tempo run

cool down

whew........

[Kimmyt]

Did a short 2 miler yesterday, just to meet my hundred mile goal for the summer (whew, barely). I was on track to finish about a month early but then I hurt the ankle. It's feeling better now, though sometimes still gets cranky when i do things that emphasize precise foot placement and pointed toes. (despite that I'm actually climbing stronger than I was before the injury, go figure....)

So I committed to doing a half-marathon next spring, and promised myself two Olympic tris hehehe. This winter my running is going to have a bit of a focus to it, which will be a change.

[alpinerabbit]

It's absolutely pouring here. I am not taking the tram to my running group and then back again to catch my death.
I'm also less than motivated to swim in my sneakers (i.e. run along the river on me own..).

ergo. no running in a week.

Alas...

the weather for the weekend looks worse by the hour and I am supposed to do the Stelvio again. NOT in rain. at 2700m that means snow.

[HappyAnika]

I ran for about 28 minutes yesterday morning. Felt really good so upped the pace the last 10 minutes. It was 59 degrees to start, 60 to finish. Although it rained the night before, so it was humid as all hell, but the nice cool temp took the edge off the humidity. I find it really odd that we are now, in August, getting all the rain we should have had in April and May.

Starfish, I think you can do it. I didn't really "used to run", but I have had some serious knee problems. ACL reconstruction in '99, then another scope to remove more torn cartilage in '00. I flirted with running for several years, but could never stick to it due to my knee acting up. This time there have been a few things that have enabled me to stick with it: 1) I only run on dirt except for races, 2) I eased my way into it slowly, and 3) I'm trying to learn Chi Running, but mostly I have modified my form to avoid heel striking (Heel striking = very bad, wish someone had told me that sooner). As far as no. 2 goes, it was hard for me to limit my run time since I felt, cardio-wise, that I could do more. However I obeyed the 5% rule (increase 5% a week), and I have been running (mostly) pain free since March. Icing after running helped a lot too, I think. Good luck with it, keep us posted on your progress.

Grog, your wedding happened already!?!? Congratulations!

[michelem]

Back to the gym last night for another date with the treadmill (it topped 100 degrees here yesterday, so, for now, I need to run indoors). Didn't do too well. I had gotten a sample gel and decided to try it. Downed the gel and a few gulps of water right before taking off. Launched into a 10 min. mile pace and started feeling nauseous from the get-go. Varied my pace between 6mph and 6.6 mph and percent grade between 0 and 3 and lasted about 5.75 miles. At that point I just couldn't keep going - I had horrendous side-stitches, I started passing gas, and still felt like I was going to puke! So, I ramped down the speed and grade and walked another 1/2 mile or so and called it quits for the night. Bleh. I HAVE to up my mileage and I'm getting worried. At least now I know that gels are not going to work for me. Unfortunately, I haven't figured out anything (even plain water) that works for me while running - the only thing that works is an empty stomach, but that isn't going to cut it once I get much over an hour . . . Any suggestions?

[Jolt]

I was in NJ visiting my family for the past 3 days, and before I left today I went for a run with my younger sister on a MUP in town. I don't know what my problem was today, but that run was awful! After about a mile, I started feeling like I could toss my cookies (turns out my sister was feeling the same way, but neither of us wanted to admit it) and this continued for the rest of the almost 3 miles we did. I also had a heart rate of 200 when I checked it at one point; hers was 190. Maybe it was the heat and humidity, or maybe because I haven't run as much lately (mostly because of the aforementioned heat and humidity--can we please have fall weather soon???). The weird thing was that the path is pretty flat and my usual running routes are not. At least neither of us actually hurled!

[Starfish]

but mostly I have modified my form to avoid heel striking (Heel striking = very bad, wish someone had told me that sooner).

Hey, thanks. I have a lot to learn. Probably before I start I need to (1) lose the excess weight, (2) get some great shoes from someone who can evaluate my stride/needs, (3) have a coach teach me how to run properly, even in a one-time session to get me off, well, on the right foot.

[KSH]

I'm really starting to love 6 mile runs! I rocked another one tonight. Second one in the 6 days!

1h 12m
6.30 miles
11m 26s /mile


Speed work was scheduled for today. That meant I would have to get on a treadmill.

Well, it rained at the temperature dropped to 88 degrees and I wasn't passing that up.

Plus, I figured hill running was better for me at this point since the HIM will probably have a hilly run.

So, I went to Arbor Hills (aka: LOTS OF HILLS!) and ran. I did a good job, although my times don't reflect it so much.

1-2 miles- 23:20
2-4 miles- 24:00
4-6 miles- 25:00

I only walked a total of 2 minutes during this run. Even the big hills didn't beat me!

I took a total of 3 minutes of breaks between the 3 loops.

All and all a very good run for me!

[tattiefritter]

Did 10.5 miles on the trails on Saturday with 1300ft of climbing then a hard 24 mile MTB ride on Sunday with 3500 ft of climbing and very tired legs (was also very rocky, very technical, lots of technical climbing too - absolutely great fun ) so rested Monday but legs not surprisingly were tired still on Tuesday. I totted up my running mileage and had done 57 miles for the month which is actually my second highest mileage month running ever - normally I'd be very chuffed and trying to make it my highest mileage month ever but I reminded myself I've just come back from an injury and had been building mileage a lot this month so I called an easy week and rested!

Did a short run today to push the mileage over 60 (still second highest though) so 3.7 miles at a reasonably frisky 8.10 mm, fun but not as good as the trails!