Trotting for Turkey (November Running)

[Veronica]

Drizmal - I have a hard time getting out the door to exercise once we enter drizmal season. That's what I call it when it's sunny just over the hills, but we're socked in with river fog - for DAYS on end.

Anyway... managed to get out the door this morning for 3 miles with Thom. He did intervals, I just ran. My head and neck still hurt from my stupid fall on Saturday.

Veronica

[emily_in_nc]

Great job, Emily, and congrats to your hubby. We run about the same pace so I know how good it feels to get a PR. I looked at your pictures and it's absolutely beautiful down there.

Thanks Bike Chick! It really is.

7rider, my DH only runs 3x a week and still won the race and finds running "easy", so it's not necessary to run daily to do well at it. In fact, I think it's probably safer not to -- less risk of injuries if you do different workouts throughout the week. I cycle, do yoga/lates and light weight-training as well, so a 3x a week running schedule works well for me -- and not on consecutive days.

[katluvr]

About runs feeling easy...just when they do you try to amp up the speed. So, yes, eventually they feel easier, but like I said then you try to get a new PR!

Speaking of upping my speed, did my first run of my new plan to get faster. So it was a tempo run and I my goal was 9:30 - 9:50 pace for 1 mile, 1/2 mile recovery and then another mile at tempo pace. And I CAN run 9:30. Not real steady w/ my pace, thank goodness for my garmin, but I can do it. What I really need to run is 9 or sub 9, but I'll get there. At least I think I can. Overall 4 miles w/ warm up and cool down.

Next week I need to do the full 2 miles at tempo pace... hope I can hang in there!

K

[skhill]

It's been raining yet again, so I didn't run the past two days. I was planning on heading over to the Y and using the treadmill this morning, but we had a break in the rain! It was just a slushy drizzle, and it felt good to be out running in it. Wore my merril minimalist shoes for the first time, and my feet were warmer and dryer than in the VFFs. But I did cut it off at 3 miles, because I couldn't see through my rain-streaked glasses in the dark, and couldn't see well enough to run without them.

[Bike Chick]

Well we had our first snow of the season yesterday It wasn't cold enough to last but it was frozen precipitation so I did my 2 mile run on the treadmill. My legs are so sore from my long run Saturday I could hardly make it a mile. I got off and jumped on the eliptical to finish up. I sure hope they heal up. St. Jude half marathon is this Saturday.

Good job on the speed work, katluvr! Isn't it a cool feeling to break that 10mm pace?

[OakLeaf]

Yeah, isn't that a saying they put on T-shirts? "It never gets easier. You get faster."

Not just because you're continuing to work (although obviously that's most of it) - but because when you do run what you think "ought" to be an easy pace and distance, you do it because you're struggling with something else, whether it's a change in the weather, stress or other emotional stuff, health or injury trouble, whatever - so it still feels hard. I do love to run in a lot of ways, but in all my miles I've experienced the vaunted "runner's high" exactly twice (and the last time was before I started training for anything).

It's been cold and rainy here too, and I just haven't had the motivation. Plus it's deer gun season, which even though I always wear a hi-viz jersey and a hunter's orange visor just on account of cars, can still be nerve-wracking. We got a break in the weather late yesterday and I kicked myself out the door for a quick six while there was still daylight, and glad of it too.

I need a goal... should just go ahead and sign up for that Illinois marathon.

ETA - done. Also signed up for a Level II Chi Running workshop.

[indysteel]

I bit the bullet yesterday and joined our town's rec center. It's not exactly what I'm looking for in a gym in that its group class schedule is pretty limited and you have to pay extra for them anyway. But it's a place to run when the weather is nasty that's two blocks from my house. I did 30 minutes on the treadmill yesterday. It was boring, but it was raining and sleeting outside so it was a decent alternative.

[Veronica]

I finished up my monthly mileage goal yesterday. That's 14 months straight of making my goal. It's a very modest goal, but it's achievable while allowing me to skip runs if work or life get in the way. And I've seen so much progress. I don't think I've had a runner's high, but I do enjoy running now.


Veronica

[solobiker]

Short 3 mile run today before the cold and snow come into town. Today it was in the low 60s and sunny...by tomorrow it is supposed to be a high of 20 with up to 8 inches of snow

[emily_in_nc]

3.6 mile beach run this morning. Every muscle in my body was sore, or so it felt, after my first, very intense, 90-minute yoga class yesterday. Hamstrings were especially sore, along with mid-back muscles. But the run felt okay. Temperature was a bit cooler than it has been (70), but with full sun, I still sweated quite a bit.

[limewave]

I've taken the better part of two months off and am trying to kick-start my running season by doing yasso 800's today. My goal was to do a set of 5. Well, after the second one I was ready to call it quits!!!!

And then I imagined Veronica next to me. And remembered her post about the push ups and pull ups. Then I thought, what would V do?

For the remaining 3 800's I pictured V running next to me and taunting--in the style of Bob or Jillian from Biggest Loser. And then once I finished my 800's I thought V would surely push herself not to her limits, but beyond. And so I did an extra 400.

Thanks Veronica for being so inspiring!

[Veronica]

And then I imagined Veronica next to me. And remembered her post about the push ups and pull ups. Then I thought, what would V do?

Thanks Veronica for being so inspiring!

Wow! You made my day! It sounds silly, but I want to be inspiring, to my students, to the people at my gym, to you guys... to myself.

Glad I helped you make it through a tough workout.

Veronica

[Blueberry]

Veronica-

I'm another who has been inspired by you. You have a great mix of being tough and being encouraging. It's gotten me out on a ride more than once (and will get my butt on the trainer this afternoon).

Please keep posting

[indysteel]

Me, too! I've mentioned in the past that one of your posts from last fall/winter inspired me to start running again last January. I tried to find teh exact post, but couldn't. But I distinctly remember sitting on my couch on Martin Luther King Day while reading your post and thinking "you can do that too; get off your butt!" And I did. Sadly, I had to quite running over the summer when my thyroid was hyperactive, but the minute it was under control, I hit the road again. I also just signed on with a personal trainer recently. It's only one day a week, but I'm really excited about it. We're two sessions in and I can already see a bit more definition in my arms.

Many of the ladies here on TE are truly inspiring, but I do find your candor (pics included) about going from out of shape back into shape to be particularly inspiring.

[colby]

I third/fourth/fifth/tenth V's awesomeness!

As for my running...

I ran the Seattle Marathon's half marathon this Thanksgiving weekend. I cut 13 minutes off my time from a few years back when I ran it after recovering from my hip problems and finished in 2:19 (usually I run the full, and I'd got my time down to 4:20ish, but the second half is pretty flat). Not awesome, but still good for a hilly half 3 weeks after an Ironman! I was more sore than I expected for a few days afterward, finally back to walking and feeling normal today. I am so glad I didn't run the full. It was also pretty wet and starting to get windy, though the temperature was nice.

Next stop... I don't know. Enjoying the holidays and winter running when I'm in the place where winter actually happens, then base building, I guess. Thinking about running the Austin Marathon or likely the Half, February 19, since part of my time is in Austin. Running in the winter there should make it bearable.