Running Week of 10/05-10/10

[indigoiis]

Ran three in the pitch black this morning.
There's this runner guy, we call him Capt. Incredible because he is always dressed in red and black and runs like a superhero. Every time he passes my house (5:15 on the dot) each morning he makes a hacking noise. I am not sure why he does this by my house, but I think it is because we are the only house that comes up near the road, and the light from our porch probably reminds him to clear his throat. Maybe. It's very odd and overly routine. He is even more routine than my husband, who always wakes me at precisely 4:53 each morning before he leaves for work. It seems I am surrounded by natural alarm clocks. Of course, my purpose has now been to get up when my husband wakes me up and leave the house BEFORE Captain Incredible runs by our farm and makes his hacking noise.

I am sure then that the past few months I have freaked him out when, not regularly mind you (because I have to run different routes - I can't stand doing the same thing every day) I occasionally turn up out of the rural dark with my bouncing headlamp. He always shouts (much too loudly) "Morning!" and I always say, in my deepest, scariest freakiest voice, "Mohhrnin'!"

I'm evil.

Anyhow, I ran into him this morning and gave him a little spook, and he went his way, and I mine.

Tomorrow morning I will do 6, then ride Saturday, run long on Sunday before my mini-taper before the half.

[roadie gal]

I ran yesterday for the first time since my race. My SO and I went to the paved trail along the river. I ran 6 miles in 53 minutes. That's the fastest I've ever done it.

[SJCzar]

You certainly have an ambitious year planned Susan. I can definitely see why having a coach would be a great thing for you.

I have also used the Runner's World program for my half-marathon, and am now using it for my marathon plan. I didn't want to give up so much biking time so my plan only has 3 running days too. I have some health issues so that's already plenty of miles for my body anyhow.

I did a 6 mile run last night. It was the first time out after replacing my shoes. My feet were very happy to have good padding under them again. I won't let myself wait that long again. I love that I gotten to the point where a 6 mile run feels so easy now compared to how a 2 miler felt last year. I never, ever thought that I'd get to a point where I'd actually look forward to going out for a run. Running was always something that I had to make myself do before - there was never any joy in it like there is now. I don't even know when that feeling snuck up on me but I hope it's there to stay.

[skhill]

Today was one of those days (thankfully rare) when the hardest part of my run was dragging myself out the door. I found myself sitting on the couch, shoes on, checking out the weather channel and hoping the rain in the area was headed my way... it wasn't...

So I headed out the door, and the first mile was icky. So was the second. But then, when I got to the first convenient bail out point, at about 2.5 miles, I was feeling better. So I kept on going. At 3 miles, I was feeling pretty good; at 4 I felt great. Ended up going 5.25 miles, at a 10 min/mile pace (waiting at stoplights included). I'm awfully glad I got out the door!

[Jolt]

Ugh...not such a good run today. Driving to the trail, I had a lady with a major case of road rage behind me (for a mile or two I thought she was following me, but then she turned onto another road) and then it was just an off day running-wise. Part of the problem on today's run was probably the wicked adductor trigger point I have somehow managed to develop--time to dig in (ouch) and hope it doesn't take too long to get rid of it!

[kacie tri-ing]

Susan! Sounds like a blast!!!! I understand, I already have my 2010 planned out too

First run back post race! My #1 goal for the last HIM was to be able to still run (well, do more than limp around injured) after the race! Three miles, nice and easy, with no hip pain! Yippie! Sounds like a fun winter of building my running back up so that I am strong enough to IM train in January!

[indigoiis]

Jolt - ouch! I got that a lot last year. I got a stretch from the Chirunning book that has helped a lot. Stand and put your foot on a table a little lower than your hips, turn sideways to the table so that your foot is resting on its side, and then bend like you are trying to touch your toe that is on the floor. Repeat on the other side. It seems to help those abductors, especially when they hurt.

KC - yay! Three pain-free miles is great.


I ran six hilly ones today, in the dark so I couldn't see the hills.

[Susan Otcenas]

Kacie - So glad to hear you had pain-free miles!

I did 10 miles this morning, my last long-ish run before tha half marathon on the 18th. I'll taper off between now and then, using mylast few short runs to test a few pieces of gear/apparel I'm contemplating wearing for the event. I know which top I want to wear, but I haven't settled on bottoms yet.

We just received some very cool new race belts that should hold 6 energy gel packets (I don't need that many for the half, though) and I'll run with that for the next week to make sure it's comfortable on me.