Is it Fall yet? Sept. running...

[jessmarimba]

Did 8 today, still too fast But it was my last "season" run with my running buddy - her marathon is next week, and mine's the week after. Then she's doing a 50K in March so I should probably find one to sign up for too...or at least another marathon!

[Tri Girl]

Did my half mary this weekend. This race was more challenging than last weekend, but really for only a 3 mile section. At mile 3 we got to the "Rusty Crown"- a 3 mile section of up and down around a giant hill/mesa. There was some ups that I was crawling on all fours getting up, and some downs that I was side-stepping and sliding using my hands to guide me. I was a little worn out after that, and still had 7.6 miles to go to finish. Thankfully the rest of the course was flatish.
It was by far the MOST fun I've had in a long time at a race. I'm really getting into trail races- the atmosphere at trail races and ultras is just SO much more friendly and relaxed. Much more my style. I just wish I didn't have to drive 2-4 hours every time I want to run a trail race.

I'm gearing up for a 24 hour race at the end of October. It is a one mile paved nature trail (at least it's winding and has a few little baby hills to make it interesting). I'm not thrilled about it being on pavement, but I did the 24 hour trail race there 3 years ago and that trail just beat me to hell (it's the trail I normally run on, but the weird loop they had us doing for 24 hours killed me).

Anyway, 13.6 miles in 3:38. Nothing to be excited about, but I wasn't last (beat 20 people, in fact). I know 16 min/miles is almost as fast as some people can walk, but I had a few 11 and 12 min/miles in there. It was just that the 3 miles of the Rusty Crown brought that average WAY down (those three miles were a 24, 22, and 26 min/miles).


The first pic is of me running
The second one is at the top of the steepest climb (I'm sure you mountain people just laugh at this, but this is the flat-lands and there is nothing even close to hill running around here)
The third is our finisher's award (no medals- they always do something local). This happens to be a from a local apiary and they made the medallions from tree limbs- very personal and special.

[Tri Girl]

Did 8 today, still too fast But it was my last "season" run with my running buddy - her marathon is next week, and mine's the week after. Then she's doing a 50K in March so I should probably find one to sign up for too...or at least another marathon!

Nice!!! I remember running 8's, but that's been a LONG time ago.
You definitely need to sign up for the 50K!!

[jessmarimba]

Your run looks like fun!! And the honey was such a great idea.

Yeah, this whole taper thing is getting to me But I was getting tired of long runs, too. Can't win I think a 6-month marathon training program might be about a month too long for me.

Her 50K is in South Africa so I can't run with her, but I'm keeping my eyes open for something here. Actually I'm debating one in Virginia in December as well...that one should be flat and relatively easier, but I'd need permission to work at corporate for a week or two.

I need to pester you about those 24 hour races. Last time I did one we had a team but I'm sort of curious to find out if I could go it alone. Or at least a 12 hour option. I might PM you later!

[Tri Girl]

I'm no expert, but I sure do like them. I've done 2 so far (the one next month will be #3). You could TOTALLY do one solo. I like them because just about everyone walks at some point, so I never feel like I can't stop when I need to, rest when I need to, and walk when I need to.

and HOLY COW! You do a 6 month marathon training plan? I would soooo get tired of that. The longest one I've ever done was 16 weeks, and even that seemed to drag on forever. I want to get to a point where I do a 20 mile run once a month so I can be marathon ready at any time. For me, I can't run more than 3 times a week while marathon training. Any more than that and it's just junk miles that beat me up too much. I usually do a long run and two short ones. So far it's worked for me for the marathons I've done. Now, I'm not fast (I'm usually in the 5-6 hour marathon range), but I'm not out there trying to BQ or anything.

I still haven't ever done a 50K race. I've run more than that distance in the two 24 hour races I've done, but have yet to do an actual 50K. Seems like it never works out (I was 4 miles short at the race I did in June where I tweaked my knee and stopped so I wouldn't injure myself further, and I dropped down to the 25 two weekends ago when I was afraid that course would beat the crap out of me). I need to do one!!!

[rocknrollgirl]

I am with you guys on loving trail running. It is my fav of all of the things I do. Unfortunately our local trails are infested with ticks and chiggers so no summer trail running here. We start up again next month.

I signed the hubs and I up for The North Face Endurance Challenge at Bear Mt in May. We are doing the trail half marathon. It looks like a toughy so I am excited to train for it.

[skhill]

Brr... It was 41F when I set out on my run this morning. I'd thought to lay out the capri-length tights last night, but was still digging around trying to find my favorite light mittens this morning. Should have looked for something for the ears as well. But it was wonderful, out in the pre-dawn cold morning. Nearly 7 miles, and it felt great. Tomorrow's supposed to be a bit warmer; but today was supposed to be a bit warmer as well.

Looking forward to Saturday's 10k. The weather looks like it will be fantastic, low 50s at start time, and the wind will be at our backs on the longest uphill. I don't want to get my expectations up too high, but a new pr is very possible. So is a terrible race, like last year...

[jessmarimba]

Not about running, exactly...

I travel for work, so I half-jokingly asked my boss to find me a job to do in Maine (so the company could help pay for my trip). This has worked for a few folks but jobs in California are a dime a dozen. Well, my boss emailed yesterday morning to say that hey, there was a new construction job (a job for my side of the company) in Portland due October 16 - could I do it? We haven't had a new construction job in Maine EVER. I can't believe the timing. So my company is reimbursing my flights, paying for a couple days of my rental car and parking, and giving me a day's per diem for food Plus I get a vacation day back. Crazy!!

[Crankin]

Portland is one of my favorite cities.
And I mean Portland, Maine.

[katluvr]

Trigirl, that looks and sounds like fun! I started trial runs (a few) over the last year or so. There are not many here in the flatlands and urban/beach area of Florida. I just found one in Nov. that I'm going to sign up for. I agree they are fun, others walk and being fast is not always the point! This time of year it is still so hot and humid and wooded areas are very buggy (as in the flying/biting kind).

This week I joined (using that word loosely) a running group that ends up a bar....running for brews! Maybe it will help to do my mid week runs!

K

[Crankin]

I am getting the urge to run again. It must be fall!
But, my knee has been achy and I still have a lot of catching up to do with my riding mileage.

[skhill]

Finally, a pr in 2012! Today's 10k was 52:30, more than a minute faster than my previous best. And it was on a hilly course, warmer and windier than I expected, with some nice congestion hangning on from last week's cold. Woohoo! My realistic goal time was 53:30, optimistic goal was 52:45. It really helped to be running with a handful of others; seems like I end up running alone a lot in smaller races, but not today. There was a 5k sharing the start and finish line, and I got to pass the last of the 5k folks there in the final .25 mile. Got a nice little medal for being 2nd in the age group, too.

Now it's off to the grand opening of a new donut shop in the neighborhood, to celebrate with donuts for lunch...

[jessmarimba]

Sounds fantastic! You definitely earned the donuts!!

Kat, my Tuesday group has been a beer group for quite awhile Ours is a pretty short run (3-ish miles, depending) but I usually time-trial it to convince myself that I've earned the beer. It's fantastic.

So I went out and ran around and screamed for people on the Denver marathon course today. Ran to the race (err, to Starbucks, then walked to spectate), and then ran up and back the same section to get my training team up this awful hill. And to run past the extremely cute EMT a bunch of times. Although I probably ran and walked a total of 13 miles today, I spent most of the day on my feet and my legs are really tired. That's my excuse for finishing this bottle of wine, anyway. My training partner finished just under 4:15 - she's a stronger runner than me but I'll have altitude on my side so hopefully I can pull that off for my race too.

[limewave]

I went running today!!!! I've really fallen off the wagon with the whole running thing. I hope I can get back on track.

[chosen1]

Did 4mi yesterday as my "short" run in my half training plan. Running it with relatively "ease" made me realize how far I've (and my running partner) come as a *gasp* runner. Pacing a friend in a 10K this weekend and will also run 4 more miles on the same day so I can get my "long" run in that day. "Cooler" weather sure does make a difference...