Running week 5/11 - 5/17

[Jolt]

Yet another trail run/walk today, to enjoy the nice weather! I was out for about 1.5 hours but only 20 minutes or so was running (interspersed with walking breaks). Getting better but still some work to do!

[Urlea]

This morning was my first real post-marathon run. If felt so good to be out there again even though it was a brisk 35 degrees! I kept with the 3miler group most of whom had run the full marathon so our pace was nice & slow. Despite wanting to run the whole 3mi. with them I fell back about 1/2 way through to start giving myself walk breaks.

Like you said Spindizzy I do have another big race coming up & need to train smart in the limited time I have left.

My legs have been recovering surprisingly well. So I'm really encouraged by that. Woohoo, I can run again!!!

Overall I'm just excited to get back to training in general. Swimming & a short easy spin on one of the trainers @ the gym felt decent yesterday. I think next week I will feel confident enough to start training on the road-bike again. Right now I'm worried my quads will give out on me while I'm locked into my pedals.

Anyway...Keep running ladies!! Way to go on the speedwork!

[Crankin]

I went trail running again today; it was not my best run, but I forced myself to go. Of course the rain predicted to start tonight started as soon as I opened my front door, to put my Garmin out to synch up. I decided to go anyway, since I figured once i was in the woods, I would be protected a bit. Plus, it's about 10 degrees warmer than my last rainy run.
My lower back/hip is getting progressively stiffer as I run longer distances and my left neck is wacked out, too. I have an appt. Monday to see my rheumatologist, who has pretty much decided I don't have Fibromyalgia. Well, my goal is to get a scrip for PT and to avoid telling him I've been running. He will yell at me, as he's a slightly overweight guy my age, who is a cyclist. And he tells me to swim or "ride 5 miles." Since I can barely swim that's not going to happen.
Anyway, the run was slow and I felt stiff all over, although I have found going to yoga before running helps me immensely. All was fine until I was about 3/4 the way down the out part of the out and back. I hit a rock straight on and went flying, landing splayed out in the middle of the trail! Thankfully, no real damage. My left knee has some reddish abrasions, but arnica should take care of that. After I made sure no one saw me (it was empty), I continued on to the end, rested at the turn around for a couple of minutes and headed back. I didn't do the extra loop I intended to do, but I felt better on the way back. I ended up running 3.5 miles, at an 11:50 pace, about 1:20 slower than my last run on the road. I did walk again on the rock gardens, etc and took a few more walking breaks than normal.
I probably won't run again until Sunday or Monday; will be riding tomorrow and Saturday.

[yellow]

Crankin, it takes me at least 30 minutes to warm up. I know that it takes other runners far more talented than I at least that much time as well. Go easy on yourself. Walk more if you need or want to. Remember to keep it positive and fun!

Urlea, it's a 50k here in Utah. It's the first year for this event. I'm looking forward to it as it's in an area that is not normally open to the public. I just hope it isn't 90F. Could be based on the pattern we're looking at for the next week. If so, well, it'll be a nice, long hike (although there is a time limit...)

I had a 2-hour beat me up massage today during which she worked only on my legs and hips. Could have gone another hour on my calves alone. OK, I exaggerate. But they are really inflexible these days. I'm blaming it on jumping rope and box jumps. We'll see how they feel on my long run tomorrow.

[Crankin]

Yellow, you reminded me that next week I am going to schedule a massage at the massage therapy school that I discovered is 3 miles from my house! It's only 25.00 for a student to do the massage, but, something is better than nothing.
I actually feel less stiff today. I don't know if it's the yoga or the run. My hamstrings are killing me, though. I guess the 30 mile ride I am doing later will work that out!

[SJCzar]

Thurs. was my 5 mile tempo day. The last run before Sunday's HM. Very enjoyable. Maybe I can almost start to think of myself as a runner (although a slow one).

My daughter, the super swimmer in the family, has been making sure I get to the YMCA and swim laps. We went last night and again this morning. I was satisfied to just do my 400 meters and another 100 with the kickboard and head to the hot tub but she wouldn't let me get away with that. 3 more laps before I could hit the tub. I made the mistake of saying that since I take less breaks, and we get done sooner, we could sleep in a little later next time. Oh no way - she told me that it just means that we'll get there early still but I'll just have to swim more laps. Wait ... who's the parent here and who's the child? I guess at least I'll feel more prepared when that first sprint tri of the season rolls around next month.

I'm very excited about the weekend's events. I'm going to a few pre-race talks on Sat., pasta dinner, and then hopefully a good night's sleep at the hotel. There were some bad days while training where I thought I'd never be able to run 13 miles but surprisingly now I feel fairly well prepared. We're even bringing our mountain bikes along with the hope that we'll have enough energy afterwards to go do a few loops on the local area trail. Sounds like a good idea in theory but .... we'll see.

[Jolt]

I had what started out as a pretty good run today, until I tripped on a rock and went sprawling in the dirt. Oops. I found out in that incident that my homemade herbal bug repellent concoction is a dirt magnet! Then later, walking back along the trail, I almost stepped on a snake--at a glance it just looked like another root and then it wiggled, and I realized it was a garter snake in the middle of the trail (and it slithered off to avoid getting stepped on). Good thing I'm not afraid of snakes or I would have flipped out!

[yellow]

SJCzar: have a great race!

[roadie gal]

I've been afraid to post about running because I thought I'd jinx myself. But I've actually been able to run for about 3 weeks without an injury!!

I think I *may* have solved the problem. I've been trying to run more forward on my feet. I'd read about Chi running and Evolution running and thought I'd try it. But I had to do it on my own since there aren't any classes or instructors within 100 miles of me. I guess I was too far forward... or something... because I've been getting injured since I've been doing it. So I moved my weight back a bit. I'm not heel striking like I was, but I am letting my heel hit the ground. And I'm running pain free!

Yesterday I ran for 40 minutes on the road without a hitch. Yay!

[spindizzy]

And I'm running pain free! Yay!

Yippee!

It is hard to change your foot strike. I thought I was striking mid-foot until I studied some of the pictures from my last race. Changing my foot strike has kept me running knee-pain free for a couple of years.

Good for you for doing it on your own!

[Jolt]

I've been afraid to post about running because I thought I'd jinx myself. But I've actually been able to run for about 3 weeks without an injury!!

I think I *may* have solved the problem. I've been trying to run more forward on my feet. I'd read about Chi running and Evolution running and thought I'd try it. But I had to do it on my own since there aren't any classes or instructors within 100 miles of me. I guess I was too far forward... or something... because I've been getting injured since I've been doing it. So I moved my weight back a bit. I'm not heel striking like I was, but I am letting my heel hit the ground. And I'm running pain free!

Yesterday I ran for 40 minutes on the road without a hitch. Yay!

Excellent! I hear you on trying to work on form without any kind of coaching etc.--it's hard! As far as the foot strike, I'm pretty sure you're supposed to let your heel touch--the fore/midfoot comes down first and then the heel touches down lightly (at least that's what I have been doing). It just shouldn't hit hard. BTW, how is Evolution Running? Is it worth getting the DVD? I heard about it and was looking at the website and it looked pretty good.

[roadie gal]

Excellent! I hear you on trying to work on form without any kind of coaching etc.--it's hard! As far as the foot strike, I'm pretty sure you're supposed to let your heel touch--the fore/midfoot comes down first and then the heel touches down lightly (at least that's what I have been doing). It just shouldn't hit hard. BTW, how is Evolution Running? Is it worth getting the DVD? I heard about it and was looking at the website and it looked pretty good.

I got the DVD. I think it's more helpful watching it than trying to read about it. The idea of landing fore/midfoot does make sense.

[kacie tri-ing]

Ok, I am posting carefully (don't want to jinx it!)...I ran a mile without pain

I am going to PT and to see the guy who does ART again this week....hopefully I will be able to slowly add to my miles again (still doing plenty of miles in the water and on the bike).

I have totally decided to let go of the Kansas 70.3 (unless someone wants to do a relay with me...takers...takers??), and look forward to the 70.3 right here in GA in september. I am settled with that idea now, even though it doesn't make me happy....

I am just happy to have run a mile without pain!!

Can't wait to hear about races/runs from this weekend!

[divingbiker]

Did my second-ever 5K this morning, and improved my time by 30 seconds. Still slow as molasses in January, but I managed a sub-12 minute/mile pace this time.

I just love the environment of races, and am going to try to do at least one each month into the fall.

[skhill]

I'm so excited!!! Ran 55 minutes this morning; that's a new longest for me (but I haven't figured out the distance yet). And I felt great afterwards, until about half-way through mass later this morning when my stomach started growling (I did eat...) and my calf started cramping (damn kneelers).

The other cool thing today was that I finally got up the gumption to run in the slum just to my south. At 6 am, the prostitution market is shut down for the morning, thankfully, and I only encoutered 2 falling-down drunks... Still, I'm thinking of getting some pepper spray if I decide to run there often....