OK, it's seriously time for a new runniing thread!!

[Bike Chick]

Good grief, it wasn't even a year and a half ago I thought I had no interest in anything over 10K.

Funny you should say that, Oak. A month ago I was telling myself that if I make it through this HM, I was never going to do anything longer than a 5K or maybe an occasional 10k. Then during my run Sunday I felt stronger with each mile and by the end I thought maybe I could do a marathon. I think it was the euphoria from the endorphins but now I realize it's possible. You are proof!

I'm in my taper week. 4 miles tonight with the HM on Saturday. Woot! Woot!

[TsPoet]

I've come to love reading these threads, but never posted.
I started "training" for a 5k to keep up with a whole bunch of 3rd-5th grade girls
http://www.girlsontherun.org/
My part in the program was supposed to be as a "professional" woman mentoring these girls in that aspect - running didn't come into it. But, I thought if they could learn to run 3.1 mi, so could I!
I'm slow and my max distance is a 3.2 mi trail loop that includes some pretty hefty elevation change (I walk up the 0.25 mi hill that the motorcyclists use to challenge themselves, I've seen several fall over, and run the rest).
yesterday I didn't have time for a run, so I decided to run my 2 mile loop as fast as I could - my best time of 14:01 min miles (darn that 1 second!). I also learned a new interval training, I call it the doggie-go-back interval. My usual 15:30 min/mile pace my 10 year old stubby-legged dog can keep up, faster and he can't. So, 4 times during the run I doubled back and let myself slow down a bit until I found him, then turned around again. This added just over 0.3 miles for a total of 2.35 mile run.
Good day, and I think the doggie-go-back intervals are going to work for all, I was afraid I'd have to leave him at home when running farther/faster, and he'd hate that.

[Crankin]

I ended up not going for the 43 mile ride, as it was 32 when I woke up and rain was threatening. It was 40, wind chill of 35 at 10:00, when I should have been leaving. I decided to finish my last paper of the year. Was about to go out for a run, when my son called and we made a lunch date, so I got on the treadmill and did a short 20 minute interval program, at progressive inclines of 1-4%. There was a bit more walking than I would have liked at the level I was at, but, frankly, running at 9:55 for even one minute at a 4% grade was hard. When I run up hills outside, I slow way down.
Then I did 5 minutes of planks, sit ups, and groin stretches. Better than nothing.

[Susan Otcenas]

OK this is a little embarrassing but I HAVE to ask. So I did a 5 miler in the rain, wind and a floppy cotton T shirt last Friday and it seems it has irritated the nips?!?! Only today are things looking and feeling less irritated. Gawd, has anyone has this issue

Chafing is caused by two things rubbing against each other. Are you running without a bra? The combo of the cotton & rain could definitely cause irritation on sensitive tissue. If you're running in a bra, could be the wet combined with a bra that might be a little too big for you?

The farther I run, the more often I have chafing issues. I've had a few vicious chafing incidents recently, mostly as a result of how my heart rate monitor interracts with my different bras. After resisting resorting to Bodyglide for a loooong time, I finally broke down and got some. (We sell it, so it's not like it was that hard to get some. ) It's made a huge difference. The stuff really does work. Now, if only my chafing scars will fade away....

____

I ran 14 miles this morning, my second time at that distance. 11 minute miles solidly in my Zone 2 heartrate. Last mile I was definitely getting fatigued, but considering that I raced not one, not two, but THREE time trials this past weekend, I feel pretty good about how my legs performed and that my HR stayed low.

[Skierchickie]

I haven't been running much this season, but was slowly working my way up from, oh, 1.5 miles to 5 miles for a couple of weeks, and then lost interest for a week or so. My longer runs were actually run/walks with DH, who has weird heart-related issues after having a Maze procedure in December to fix his atrial fibrillation. Anyhow, last weekend a friend was up here for a class, and she talked me into running with her Saturday evening. We ran singletrack for an hour and a half. The ankle I broke last summer felt fine while running, but after we finished it nearly rolled while walking. And again later, on the stairs. It was a little swollen and hurt a little. So running might not be a big thing for me this season (I'd rather be biking anyway). Methinks and hour and a half of singletrack might have been too much. At least I established my limit, right?

[Becky]

I did a little over 4 miles at a local state park yesterday. My car was the only one in the parking lot, and it was so quiet! Loved it! Their trail map sucks though, so my initial plan to do 3-ish became 4-ish because I missed a turn. That's ok though...my goal is to comfortably do ~6 miles so that I can join some of the group trail runs around here. Best part: my IT band didn't squawk once (knocks wood)!!

I had a blast, my calves are torched, and I can't wait to do it again!

Any advice on how to spare the calves on steep hills?

[zoom-zoom]

I've come to love reading these threads, but never posted.
I started "training" for a 5k to keep up with a whole bunch of 3rd-5th grade girls
http://www.girlsontherun.org/

GOTR is fabulous! I have done 4 rounds of fundraising for our local chapter. It's so popular around here...I love to see that.

[zoom-zoom]

The farther I run, the more often I have chafing issues. I've had a few vicious chafing incidents recently, mostly as a result of how my heart rate monitor interracts with my different bras. After resisting resorting to Bodyglide for a loooong time, I finally broke down and got some. (We sell it, so it's not like it was that hard to get some. ) It's made a huge difference. The stuff really does work. Now, if only my chafing scars will fade away....

I liked Body Glide until I started getting sticks that crumbled and broke off the base only 2/3 of the way through a stick. Once it breaks it's a PITA to use and I ended up throwing up $$ worth of product over the course of a year.

An ultra friend of mine swears by Sport Shield. I gave it a try and haven't looked back. I can make a bottle of that stuff last at least 2x as long as a stick of BG, for about the same price. The Blister Shield sock powder is fabulous, too. I use it for any runs of longer than about 2 hours.

[limewave]

GOTR is fabulous! I have done 4 rounds of fundraising for our local chapter. It's so popular around here...I love to see that.

DD and I watched dozens of little girls out training yesterday. It's an encouraging and inspiring program! I love it! I plan on volunteering when DD is old enough to participate.

I have some friends that have started a similar program for boys, Endurance Adventure. That's a neat program too. DH and I plan on helping out with their event this spring.

[OakLeaf]

I just put a piece of masking tape over the battery door on my HRM, for the duration.

Apparently I'd scuffed the plastic a little bit the last time I replaced the battery, but that was in February, and it was never a problem until a long run on a hot day a couple of weeks ago when I must've been sweating enough to loosen my bra band. Ouch.

Tried filing the plastic down, tried lubes, settled on the tape. Stays on, slips without chafing against my skin (even the not-quite-healed area), will come off without too much residue whenever the battery goes.

Re: Body Glide, I apply it with fingers anyway, so if/when the stick breaks is really irrelevant. I find that J&J Friction Block works even better than Body Glide on my feet (and I'll use Compeed pads on one or two toes in addition, depending on the state of callus). Any more, I've been using pure shea butter as a chamois lube and Friction Block on my feet, so the Body Glide hasn't been seeing a lot of use.

[TsPoet]

I just put a piece of masking tape over the battery door on my HRM, for the duration.

Re: Body Glide, I apply it with fingers anyway, so if/when the stick breaks is really irrelevant. I find that J&J Friction Block works even better than Body Glide on my feet (and I'll use Compeed pads on one or two toes in addition, depending on the state of callus). Any more, I've been using pure shea butter as a chamois lube and Friction Block on my feet, so the Body Glide hasn't been seeing a lot of use.

I haven't had my coffee yet, and I'm reading through the latest posts quickly and... I thought your tape comment was related to the Body Glide comment and was thinking that tape on nipples would not be pleasant.
Going to get coffee now.

[OakLeaf]

Ouch! Although, I've never tried those stick-on nipple guards, doesn't seem like they'd be much different...

[GLC1968]

I haven't had my coffee yet, and I'm reading through the latest posts quickly and... I thought your tape comment was related to the Body Glide comment and was thinking that tape on nipples would not be pleasant.
Going to get coffee now.

I thought the same thing, ick!


I ran last night. I had an interval workout on the plan, so I did it on the treadmill by choice. I actually ran for over 30 minutes on the treadmill in our basement, facing a concrete wall with no music. Unreal.

Anyway, did 60 sec at 6.5 or 7.0 followed by 75 sec recovery (5.0). Repeat 10 times. I think I might have accidentally done 11. My heart/lungs were fine - my hipflexors and legs were exhausted by the last interval! I did push through though and I'm glad. I followed it with a 20 min weight workout (legs!), so I'm a tad destroyed today. Just in time to do my last timed 500y in the pool before the tri. Woohoo.

[skhill]

All you tri folks have got me thinking maybe it's time for me to learn a stroke other than the doggie-paddle...

Today's run was just short of 6 miles, at an 8:58 pace. I'm wondering if I either mapped it wrong, or something happened to my watch, because it sure didn't feel that fast. Or maybe the unplanned sprint when a little yippy dog started chasing me knocked some time off...

Don't know what it is, but it seems like I've been encountering a lot of loose dogs lately. We do have a leash law here, but it's widely ignored. Sometimes I stop and yell at them, sometimes I calmly walk by, sometimes (when it's a little teeny miniature dog my cat could easily beat up) I'll outrun them... Then I go home and give my own dog a belly rub, and thank him for never chasing anything other than squirrels.

[Jolt]

Yet another trail run today. About 3.5 miles, I think. Felt kind of slow today, maybe it was because it was such a windy day and not as cool as Tuesday (not that it was exactly a hot day either).