(Long and Less Long) Runs - 12/25 to 12/31

[KSH]

Sorry Grog, not trying to take your job away. Just figured I start a thread up for this week. Next week, you get the job back.

Well, I took basically 5 days off of working out.

Then I went out and ran 3.5 miles today.

During the run I focused on the tips from my coach. Planting my heels on the ground (after the mid foot plant) seemed to help aliviate some of the stress up the back of my leg. Otherwise, I fought side cramps the entire way. They never got too bad, but I fought to keep them away.

Yea, uuummm... I'm paying for the run now. My back, knees, ankles, muscles in my lower legs (expected), quads... ALL HURT. I'm hobbling around like an old lady. So sad.

What was I thinking !

Tomorrow will be a swim day... to give this tired body some rest!

[Grog]

Hey KSH! Don't worry about it Someone will have to do the job as I'll be running much less in the first months of the new year!!

Glad you went out there, even if it hurt a little bit. I realize how much regularity running takes, otherwise it just hurts like hell when I start again!!

I had a Christmas-day run with my sweetie yesterday. He ran with me, how sweet! (Normally he runs about 50% faster than me, so either we ran separately, or he runs in circles around me... literally!! ) We went about 9 miles with a fierce headwind on the way out and a nice tail wind on the way back.

No run today after three hours of snowshoeing with sweetie and his dad, going up about 500 m up hill.

"Are you going to keep up with your exercise plan?" asks my darling when I tell him I'm not going for a bike ride.

"You mean, just snowshoeing uphill for two hours and downhilling for one today, running 80 minutes yesterday, and cycling over 120 km the two days before that? Well, no, I guess not..." *sigh* Unless he gets two workouts a day he goes wacko!!!

Enjoy the break ladies! (I hope you get one!)

[Wahine]

Those first runs back after a break are killer. i used to be quite the runner in my youth. But now, I have to get back into it really slowly. Any day that I don't feel on top of my game plan is a tread mill day, easier to work on form and control HR.

One thing's for sure, running is the worst of the 3 disciplines of Tri. Not sure why we do it. I'm even masochisitic enough to sign up for a marathon this yer to get me ready for IM. What am I thinking?!

[KSH]

I had a Christmas-day run with my sweetie yesterday. He ran with me, how sweet! (Normally he runs about 50% faster than me, so either we ran separately, or he runs in circles around me... literally!! ) We went about 9 miles with a fierce headwind on the way out and a nice tail wind on the way back.

How sweet. Guess he was being nice... because it was Christmas?

9 miles... into a headwind. I bet it was cold too. NO THANKS! You are way too hardcore for me! I would have been on a treadmill... for about 3 miles of running.

[KSH]

One thing's for sure, running is the worst of the 3 disciplines of Tri. Not sure why we do it. I'm even masochisitic enough to sign up for a marathon this yer to get me ready for IM. What am I thinking?!

Yea, running is a thorn in my side. I REFUSE to give into the pain/injuries though. Simply refuse.

I want to do an IM in 2008, but I'm so scared of a half or full marathon.

I tried to train once (1 year ago) for a half marathon. The injuries I got from that training, put me out of running for almost a year. I missed the tri season for 2006 because of it. The crazy thing is that I was training for a half, so I could get over my fear and negative thoughts about me and running distances... and my fears were just solidified.

I'm still trying to figure out if I should try to run a marathon pre-IM. There are many people who do their first marathon at an IM. I think I might go that route, to keep injury away. Plus, if I try a marathon pre-IM and I fail, then I might get it in my head that I can't do the IM.

Not sure what I will do.

When is your marathon? Soon? What year are you doing an IM? 2007? 2008? Which one?

[alpinerabbit]

*gasp* just back from another set of intervals (8x1 minute). The people on their holiday walks musta thought I'm a complete eejit, zooming past them to break into a walk 10 seconds later.

I finished off with another pass over a killer hill on the way home, it's maybe 4-500 meters long and a (guesstimate) 8%? - this time I was able to give some more on the last 40 meters or so, so it's getting better.

Still can't live up to what I could do with my boyfriend ahead in the race. But then again I was sore for half a week.

[Tri Girl]

I want to do an IM in 2008, but I'm so scared of a half or full marathon.

I'm still trying to figure out if I should try to run a marathon pre-IM.

Don't be scared of the marathon, KSH! And if I were you, and had the running history that you do- I'd just wait to do the marathon during the IM. How cool would that be? Your first mary is after you've already gone 116.2 miles... pretty cool. I've known a few people that have done their first mary during the IM- no biggie and you don't run the risk of injury. A year before my IM I injured my knee pretty badly while training for a marathon (had to walk that marathon slooooowly b/c I refused to not go). All year training for the IM I was soooooo scared of re-injuring my knee, but it was fine. I never ran more than 13 miles at a time during the training (as per the program), and that was the best feeling marathon I've ever had (although it took me 6 hours, that was the most fun 6 hours of my IM day).
I'd just do the mararthon with your IM- you won't be risking injury as much because you're doing so much cross training. Really, the marathon was the event that I worried the least about (looking back I probably should've spent a little more time running- but oh well), because I knew that if I could make it through the swim and bike I could easily complete 26.2 miles- even if I had to walk it. Plus, it's not like I was going for first place, so there was no pressure to meet any specific time goal- just to go out and have fun.
(sorry I'm so long winded)


Guess I can't contribute to the runs for the week. Haven't ran in a week and, like you ladies, I know it'll be hell on legs when I get back out there. Why, oh why, must we lose our running legs so quickly?????

Have fun out there ladies!

[Wahine]

Yea, running is a thorn in my side. I REFUSE to give into the pain/injuries though. Simply refuse.

I want to do an IM in 2008, but I'm so scared of a half or full marathon.

I tried to train once (1 year ago) for a half marathon. The injuries I got from that training, put me out of running for almost a year. I missed the tri season for 2006 because of it. The crazy thing is that I was training for a half, so I could get over my fear and negative thoughts about me and running distances... and my fears were just solidified.

I'm still trying to figure out if I should try to run a marathon pre-IM. There are many people who do their first marathon at an IM. I think I might go that route, to keep injury away. Plus, if I try a marathon pre-IM and I fail, then I might get it in my head that I can't do the IM.

Not sure what I will do.

When is your marathon? Soon? What year are you doing an IM? 2007? 2008? Which one?

Hi KSH,

To answer your questions in a slightly delayed fashion, (I don't usually get much time at the computer), I'm doing IM Can in Aug 2007 and I'm thinking of doing The Ave of the Giants Mary in May as part of my training.

My first Mary was at IM Can in 2003. During my training program I never ran for longer than 2.5 hrs, that's about 15 miles for me on a training run. My coach told me that the only reason to run longer was for confidence and that if I was confident in my ability to finish IM than there was no need to run past 2.5 hrs. Apparently, physiologically anyway, if your body learns to process energy for that long it can do it for 6 hrs, the rest is muscular strength of which we should have lots from the cross training etc. I had a 4:20 split at that IM.

The next year I coached my DH to his 2nd HIM finish. He is a much slower runner than I am. We did training runs up to 2.5 hrs at a 11 to 12 min pace most of the time, my heart rate was very low - 105 to 115. I was painfully bored during these runs but I wanted to support him fully, he was really nervous about his race. So I think that year I ran about 2 times per week, one long run and the other about 1 hour of hills usually. On race day we both competed and I had my 2nd best HIM finish ever, even with a flat tire. I'm sure that I would have PRed otherwise. Best of all, I had my best HIM run ever both in terms of time and how I felt. BTW DH had a great finish, he took a full hour off of his first HIM time.

So no, you do not need to do a mary before IM and I also recommend doing all your long runs really slowly, painfully slowly. Worry only about the time you spend and not on the miles, time is more important for training the way your body utilizes your energy systems.

Have fun training and feel free to ask more questions. I've got a few races under my belt.

Cass

[colby]

I ran Tues-Wed-Thurs of last week on the "prescribed" plan for my last "recovery" week (20-25-30 minutes), but on the weekend and on Tuesday I went snowboarding all day instead of running -- very similar muscles, though a little different on the calves.

Yesterday I did a strange 4 miles with my doggie friend (you can never just go 4 miles straight with the dog, so we walked a fair bit), then today was the longest run I've done since the marathon, something around 6 or so miles. It felt WAYYYYYY better than I thought it would! I have no idea what my pace was, it was icy and I had to watch my step (I ran some of it on grass, walked across streets and scary sidewalks). I was really expecting the tree-trunk feeling (great description) after about 3 miles, since that was the longest I'd ran continuously to this point, but it felt pretty good. I really did feel like I could run twice as far and feel just fine. I must have found my new "forever" pace.

I still need to get my bike back on the trainer so I can do some bricks, and start my swimming (still a little scared). I need a new plan! Got to get back to those triathlon training plan books and see what I can work up. I'd really like to do a HIM or Olympic distance tri this year if I can find a good one.

[Running Mommy]

I'm never gonna do another one unless it is connected to an Ironman!!
I have 4 NYC marathons under my belt (99,2000,2002,2004) and one Ironman mary. The Ironman mary was WAY easier to train for! Yeah it was a 6:30 marathon split, but who cares!
I'm training for the Walt Disney world mary in a week and it's KILLING me! It seems like all I'm doing is running and my body has taken a huge toll! My back has been giving me fits, my left hamstring barks after 15 miles, and my right ITB feels like it's ready to snap. I just don't think my body can handle the pounding that long distance running is giving it.
And I'm not having any fun either. getting out there knowing I'll be running for 3+ hours just has NO appeal!
So I'm going for my mouse ears medal and then I'm retiring from marathons.
I'm going to do IMAZ in April- which I'm looking forward to training for, and then I'm going to give my body a nice rest. I think after IMAZ I'm going to stick with the shorter distances for awhile. They are just alot easier- and more fun- to train for.
All I know is I miss my bike!!