Running - Week of Sept. 3-9

[Wahine]

Wahine... REST! Gosh lady. You deserve it.

I only did it as a test run to decide if I was going to slog through a race this weekend. The idea was not to "race" this weekend but to go out to show support for the race director who's helped our tri-club out a lot this summer. Based on how I felt last night, I decided that I shouldn't even try to slog through it so I will be volunteering. The race director would rather have me doing the race, but he's happy to have me out there in any capacity.

[emily_in_nc]

Just a little 2.75 mile treadmill run (plus .5 walk) at the work gym, but it felt fairly easy, and I managed to run a mile of it at a 10:00 pace, my fastest ever. I think the cross training (road riding, mountain biking, walking, running, sailing, and gym) is paying off. I am definitely a jack of all trades, master of none, but feel fitter than when I was doing many miles of road cycling 5 days a week and nothing else, and I'm never bored! And hiking season will be here before too long!!!

Emily

[annie]

My first time on the running thread, I think. Nice to see others who like to cross-train.

Running is NOT my exercise of choice. But I know it is good for me. Good for my bones, good for my aerobic system, and good for a change. I'm trying to run at a minumum, once a week. Didn't run at all this summer, just biked. In the last three weeks, I've been running twice each week. Just about killed me the first time out, but is much better now. I am up to a 5K. I'd like to eventually be able to do a 10K. Any ideas on how long I should take to build up to that? No competing in mind here, just keeping fitness over the winter. Thanks!

Annie

[limewave]

Annie--I would say take 3 months to build to the 10k. You could do it faster, say in 2 months if you really wanted to--depends on how motivated you are. Increase for three weeks, then have an easy week followed by 3 more weeks of building, rest week, etc.

Today was hill-repeats for me. There was a huge red blob on the radar just off the coast when I went out, so I kept it short.

Hill-repeat question: What kind of hill (%grade, distance) is good for hill repeat training?

[Kimmyt]

4.5 miserable miles last night after work. Decided to do hills, and in the heat. don't know what I was thinking. Also realized the power of training, ran with a friend of mine I'd done the last tri with, who had just started running then, but now is training for a 1/2, and she really kicked my ***. Ah well, it was all in good fun, and I'm super proud of her, but still. It was a rough night!

K.

[michelem]

We had a bit of a cooldown on Tuesday, so I was able to do an outdoor run in the early evening - yay! Did my regular "six mile" loop in an hour and 5 minutes. For the first time, I wore my heartrate monitor (which, did not work - kept fluctuating from 74 bpm's and then up way over 200 and back down again - weird) and looked at the watch that goes with it for my time. Normally, I just look at the clock as I leave home and look at it again when I get back in the house. Anyway, I know the mileage on the streets and for the part of the trail that shows up on Google and it looked as though I was running approx. 9 minute miles, which corresponds with what I've been doing on the treadmill. Odd, I had always thought I was doing more like 12-15 minute miles and was so discouraged at my slowness outdoors. So, I really think that my guesstimate of my loop is off. It's probably more like 7+ miles rather than 6. I wish Google would get it's act together and update their maps to show the area where my paved trail is – the area has been built out for well over two years, with houses, etc., but Google shows it’s just a bunch of dirt.

Okay, enough of that.

Last night it was back on the treadmill as we have been advised not to do outdoor activity due to (fire) smoke. Did about 8.25 miles, plus walked about .25 miles at the end, for a total of about an hour and 25 minutes. I say "about" because the treadmill turns off and loses all data after one hour and then I have to re-start it at 0.

That's it for running this week. Saturday and Sunday will be back on the bike for more hillclimbing!

[northstar]

4.3 miles that actually felt great today, Friday. This is the first time I've run over three miles without stopping to walk at least once...maybe I've broken out of my little plateau.