Spooky running - It's October!

[yellow]

Still out here running around a bit. I've been working through some non-running related musculoskeletal failures but for the most part have been able to keep running. I did what I consider to be my last big hurrah for the year over the weekend (yesterday; an "adventure" run around the Portneuf range in Idaho, a 38-mile loop, at a time when guys are driving around on ATVs with rifles) and am ready for some cross training and contemplation. I am really looking forward to ski season! I plan to ramp up the running again in January-February, when I will start training for my big 2012 event, which is the trans-Rockies run in August. It is a 6-day stage race that you do as a team. I am hoping that I have not taken a bigger hunk of the pie than I can eat.

You are all taking on some pretty amazing running goals. Remember, you all represent a very small segment of the female population! Reading about so many accomplishments and lessons learned makes me hopeful that we can teach our daughters to be fit and stay healthy. Keep it up, ladies!

[limewave]

DH and I are participating in a Halloween Trail Run this weekend. Costumes are strongly encouraged. DH is so completely preoccupied with work that I can't talk to him about anything right now. So annoying.

Anywho, I'm trying to come up with easy, inexpensive costume ideas that DH will go along with.

I saw a picture of someone running wearing a Pacman costume. I was thinking about being Lady Pacman (I can easily cut and paint cardboard) and DH could be a Pacman Ghost! I think this is brilliant. I hope DH will go along with it. The race is only a 5k so I'm not too worried about wearing an encumbering outfit.

[GLC1968]

Ms Pac Man would be hilarious, Limewave!

Yesterday was my first ever half marathon. It went better than I anticipated. I finished it in 2:15 which is 15 minutes faster than I was anticipating and 10 sec/mile faster than my stretch goal of 10:30 min/mile! My legs are trashed today though which is definitely a new thing for me as I've never gotten this sore from a tri before. I think that means I need to run harder in my training.

I've got 8 weeks until my next one so I'm trying to decide what my plan will be between now and then. All I know is that today is about REST.

[Blueberry]

Congrats, GLC!!

Quick question for you: what training program did you use when you first started running?

[GLC1968]

Blueberry - You mean when I first started running at all, right? I used a 'conservative' couch to 5K plan from Beginner Triathlete and I dropped off the first 4 weeks of walking only and started with week 5. Let me see if I can paste it here (this may not work):

Phase I Warm up phase Month 1 All Walking (Times in minutes per day)

Week M T W TH F S S TOTAL
1 Off 10 Off 15 Off 10 15 50
2 Off 10 Off 15 Off 20 15 60
3 Off 15 Off 20 Off 15 20 70
4 Off 20 20 Off 20 Off 20 80
Grand total: 260



Phase II Month 2 Mostly Walking (Times in minutes per day) Walk/Run

Week M T W TH F S S TOTAL
1 Off 28/2 Off 28/2 Off Off 28/2 84/6
2 Off 26/4 Off 26/4 Off Off 26/4 78/12
3 Off 24/6 Off 24/6 Off Off 26/4 74/16
4 Off 24/6 Off 24/6 Off Off 24/6 72/18
Grand total: 308/52



Phase III Month 3 Mostly Walking (Times in minutes per day) Walk/Run

Week M T W TH F S S TOTAL
1 Off 22/8 Off 22/8 Off Off 22/8 66/24
2 Off 20/10 Off 20/10 Off Off 20/10 60/30
3 Off 18/12 Off 18/12 Off Off 20/10 56/34
4 Off 18/12 Off 18/12 Off Off 18/12 54/36
Grand total: 236/124



Phase IV Month 4 Mostly Walking (Times in minutes per day) Walk/Run

Week M T W TH F S S TOTAL
1 Off 16/14 Off 16/14 Off Off 16/14 48/42
2 Off 14/16 Off 14/16 Off Off 14/16 42/48
3 Off 12/18 Off 12/18 Off Off 14/16 38/52
4 Off 12/18 Off 12/18 Off Off 12/18 36/54
Grand total: 164/196



Phase V Month 5 Mostly Running (Times in minutes per day) Walk/Run

Week M T W TH F S S TOTAL
1 Off 10/20 Off 10/20 Off Off 10/20 30/60
2 Off 8/22 Off 8/22 Off Off 8/22 24/66
3 Off 6/24 Off 6/24 Off Off 8/22 20/70
4 Off 6/24 Off 6/24 Off Off 6/24 18/77
Grand total: 92/268



Phase VI Month 6 Mostly Running (Times in minutes per day) Walk/Run

Week M T W TH F S S TOTAL
1 Off 6/24 Off 6/24 Off Off 6/24 18/72
2 Off 4/26 Off 4/26 Off Off 4/26 12/78
3 Off 2/28 Off 2/28 Off Off 4/26 8/82
4 Off 2/28 Off 2/28 Off Off 2/28 6/84
Grand total: 44/316



Phase VII Month 7 All Running (Times in minutes per day) Run

Week M T W TH F S S TOTAL
1 Off 20 Off 20 Off Off 20 60
2 Off 25 Off 25 Off Off 20 70
3 Off 25 Off 25 Off Off 30 80
4 Off 30 Off 30 Off Off 30 90
Grand total: 300

I have this in excel that I can email to you if you send me a PM. The days with a mixture are walk/run (not run/walk!). On those days, I would usually mix it up so I was doing a type of interval workout to break up boredom since most of those workouts were on the treadmill. So a 22/8 would be 5 walk, 2 run, 4 walk, 2 run, 4 walk, 2 run, 4 walk, 2 run, 5 walk.

[katluvr]

Wow! Great runs and race results.
Oak...I would LOVE to get under 2 hours for a 1/2 marathon (that just may be my goal this year!)

So I ran 4 times while on my 7 day cruise. The track was awesome and I could see the VERY blue water inbetween the rescue boats. Thank goodness I was on such a large ship so it was only 7.5 laps to equal a 5k--I did that 3 days, last day I ran I was so tired from all the LATE night activities that I am not used to so only ran 2 miles. So 11 miles in 1 week while on a ship, best I could do!

2 weeks away from a "just for fun" & "no expectations of time" 1/2 marathon I am signed up for. So I need to get some longer runs in the next few weeks!

K

[emily_in_nc]

Congrat GLC! Really excellent job!

I ran today after a week off with a sore back. I cut back to approx. 2.5 miles (beach run). It was pretty hot and steamy, but I was greeted by a delicious headwind when I turned around to run back to our place. So different than with cycling where headwinds are dreaded; they feel great in the heat when running!

[jessmarimba]

Did a 45 minute trail run today. Saw a beautiful young buck only 10 feet off the trail - he just stood and watched, so I slowly walked past him. He was still there on my way back.

It was my first run in my brand new Brooks Pure Grip shoes, and I love them. Definitely a shoe to consider if you have a low-volume foot and wear them with socks, or wear them barefoot if your feet are larger They are a quasi-minimal shoe with a 4mm drop.

I'll review them later, but all in all it was a fantastic run. Why is it that the days that seem so dreary always seem to be the greatest runs?

[Crankin]

I haven't been running for a week, but yesterday, I did my 2.5 mile hill run, with a minimum of pain. I've had a calf issue when riding, which I felt on the run, not sure what it's from, so I came home from the run and put my compression socks on.
Hope to run a bit more as I am getting used to my new bike.

[OakLeaf]

Nice job GLC!

FWIW, with my limited experience, I'm finding that my first race at any distance has been kind of a throwaway in terms of time - strictly a learning experience on what the distance is about. I know for a fact I was in MUCH better shape two years ago the last time I ran a half marathon; running this one nearly 8 minutes faster was all about experience (and the choice to not try to have so much fun at the expense of speed ).

Yellow ... speaking of amazing goals!!

I just walked a couple-three miles easy yesterday, and I'm trying to decide whether to walk or jog today. I definitely need some recovery days, but I really want to push on through into marathon training. I still have to pick my next race, but my time on Sunday brought me a lot of confidence for a good marathon time. Fingers crossed...

[Blueberry]

Did the 27/3 workout of a Couch to 5k plan (a total of about 35 minutes). Was going to run 2 minutes, but wanted to do a third. Run intervals were hard, but not miserable. Feeling it in my calves definitely.

Got back just before the rain. A sticky, steamy workout. Thankfully, cooler weather is coming with the rain.

[jessmarimba]

Weekly bar run today. It turned into a tempo run, since the girl who is staying with me isn't as slow as she leads me to believe.

Which is cool, I could use the extra work!

Just signed up to run the Richmond half marathon. Hopefully I can redeem myself after that trail race here

(Also hopefully, the decrease in altitude ought to push me to my goal pace - I'd LOVE to finish in 2 hours but would be content with under 2:05. Since I finished the half during the full in 2:09, I should be able to go faster, right?)

[VeganBikeChick]

Ugh...

Just started "officially" running a month ago. New to the sport, never been an athlete, out of shape, yadda yadda.

Was able to fully run a 5k last week. Haven't been able to do so again. It's so frustrating! I can tell that my aerobic capacity is MUCH better, but it's like there's a signal in my brain telling my legs they can't run another step. So I walk for a song, then start running again.

Any advice on overcoming mind blocks?

[jessmarimba]

When I first started running, I started with a run-walk program and found it to be much easier on me mentally. When I got to about a 5k distance, I was running 5 min, walking 30 seconds. Then I ran a race and didn't walk because no one else was and I realised I could do it.

Other than that I'd say just set goals. You can't run another step? Run one more block, then walk. You'll teach yourself to read physical vs mental limits that way.

[emily_in_nc]

VeganBikeChick,

You've only been running a month and already ran a 5K? You have nothing to feel bad about! That's really quick to get up to that distance. Don't think you can do it again? Well, just scale back a bit, do the run/walk thing until it comes. Yes, it is mind over matter to some degree, but it also takes a body time to build strength and endurance used for running, which are not the same as for cycling. It's not just about aerobic capacity.

I am only running a 5K distance even now, and I've been "running"/jogging, whatever, for over 2 years, so you have nothing to feel bad about. Depending on the weather, my mood, and how much exercise I've been getting (or not getting), sometimes even that 5K distance can feel like a marathon, and I have to play mind games to get myself to the end, like imagining that my deceased father is waiting there for me at the end.

All that said, I did my 5K beach run this morning for the first time since I wrenched my back 1.5 weeks ago, and it felt just fine. However, klutz that I am, I tripped on a root on the path and fell, skidding with both palms on the sand, which was a bit of an owie, but I didn't see to do any other damage and was able to finish just fine.