We go running! L&LLRs May 14 - 20

[yellow]

I'll start it this week!

I hope everybody has as fantastic of a run at some point this week as I did this morning. I decided to get out early before the temps climbed, so I hit the trail before the sun was up. What a beautiful morning...birds singing, flowers blooming, fresh new leaves on the trees. And I had it all to myself. At one point I smelled a wonderful smell and looked to my left and there was a huge field of lupine in full bloom. It sent chills up my spine. The air was pretty clear so I got great views of the Salt Lake, mountains, and points north. I ended up going 12 mi with about 3500' of climbing when I had originally intended to go about 10 miles. My times for the various sections of the routes were the same as normal but today I felt a lot stronger, and post run felt--and still feel--good.

After about mile 4, just as the high was hitting, I was thinking "Yeah, I'd like to do a 50 k!" but after about mile 8.5 I found myself wondering how the hell people run 100 miles on trails like this (WS 100, Wasatch Front 100, Leadville 100). I do think I'm ready to bump it up to the 3+ hour range now. I'm tentatively planning on running the Wahsatch Steeplechase route with some friends on Sunday, which should be in the 3+ hour range.

Happy running, ladies!

[KSH]

Hey, I love the new thread title! Your run sounds heavenly and fun!

Thanks for sharing the details. You are a serious runner lady! Pushing it up to 3 hours? Dang!

[yellow]

I don't know if I'm a serious runner, but I definitely feel like I've gone back to the dark side! Marathoners run for much longer...and triathletes go out and run after doing other things! It's all good, though.

Another thing I told myself today as I was chugging up one of the hills: if I ever get to a point where I find myself saying I HAVE to go run so-and-so miles/hours/whatever, then it's time to reevaluate. I want to sustain this love affair with the trails!

[tattiefritter]

Yellow, reading your posts makes me want to pull my finger out and hit the trails round here. I've always had a respect for the fell runners I see when I'm out hiking in the mountains, I'm not going to go running up any mountains quite yet but I need to get me on some proper hills rather than this pan flat tarmac.

However.....I threw myself over the handlebars of my MTB on Saturday and landed very hard on a rock, for once I was thanking the fact I have cleavage as it acted as a nice pair of airbags and took some of the impact but my ribcage and left pectoral (I think) are pretty bruised at the minute. I managed to ride the rest of Saturday and Sunday ok but it hurts today to cough and breathe in hard so no running until it feels ok

It feels better today than yesterday and I've not bothered with any painkillers so hopefully I'll be able to get out by the end of the week.

[rocknrollgirl]

I love trail running, in fact it is the only running that I do. Not as much of a wilderness experience as yellow is describing, but beautiful still. I am convinced the only reason I have been successful at a regular running schedule, is that I stay off the road. The trails are much easier on the body.

Yellow, I too think that I may have one of those long epic races in my future, but for now...just Xterra!

[tattiefritter]

Do you guys drive to the trails to run or are you lucky enough to be able to head out from your front door ?

The nearest (and best) trails to me are about a 10 -15 minute drive away and I seem to have a problem reconciling this with running (have absolutely no problem loading my MTB into the car to ride the same trail area though).

[rocknrollgirl]

The closest running trails are 15 min drive, my closest mt biking trails are 50 min drive. Gotta do what I gotta do I guess.....the ocean however is 5 mins away.....

Ruth

Just start doing brick workouts, and you will already be there....he he he.....

[Kimmyt]

Do you guys drive to the trails to run or are you lucky enough to be able to head out from your front door ?

The nearest (and best) trails to me are about a 10 -15 minute drive away and I seem to have a problem reconciling this with running (have absolutely no problem loading my MTB into the car to ride the same trail area though).

I live right across from a trail but i actually drive right across the street because i don't really want to cross the road on foot as theres no lights or crosswalks. I feel bad, but only moderately so.

As for my running, well, it's been lacking. And I was doing so good lately. I just got cought up in cycling season now and I haven't made the effort to run. I hope my progress hasn't disappeared and I'm hoping to get out this week or weekend, ideally. Maybe I'll run tomorrow after work and before swimming....

Someone kick my butt in gear!

K.

[tattiefritter]

So I should just get myself organised and get to the trails then.

Brick workouts eek!

[KSH]

Was scheduled to run 4 miles with 2 miles of sprints... but I could barely make it 3.50 miles.


42m
3.48 miles
12m 04s /mile


That was a rough run. I started by sprinting across a major intersection and thought I pulled something in my lower left leg. OUCH!

I tried to run and quickly determined that it was going to be a very hard run. I then selected a different route, closer to the office. I figured I wouldn't even make it 2 miles.

Once I got going, after about 2 miles, the pain evened out some. Then the side cramp kicked in. But I kept it away.

Overall a really crappy run, but I'm just happy I got that much done. I seriously though the pain in the left leg had moved from suffering to PAIN (aka: injury).

[alpinerabbit]

Woo hoo .... that effin "cold/not really" is gone. I felt good today.
I did 12 1 minute intervals (high cadence*) on my 8.5 k loop and after the last, I kept up a rather higher pace than at the beginning.

I ended up 6 minutes faster than Saturday or than any of my runs on that loop since BO April. What's even better I did the last 2.7 k in 14 minutes.

I felt very good except my hamstrings really work harder at this kind of speed.

*can you speak of cadence in running? is 3 steps a second a medium, high, whatever, cadence?

[yellow]

*can you speak of cadence in running? is 3 steps a second a medium, high, whatever, cadence?

Absolutely, though it's more often referred to as steps per minute or "turnover" rate. I don't pay much attention to it, but I know that for the kind of running I do (all trails), more SPM is better. You don't necessarily speed up, you just "rotate" faster, which, when running uphill, saves your legs in a way similar to spinning on a bike uphill. I've really changed the way I run now that I'm on trails all the time. Smaller steps, higher lift (to avoid all those rocks & roots & whatnot), and defnitely a faster turnover.

You can download differing SPM running music for your iPod here. However, because my rate varies so much with terrain (and because I don't like wearing an iPod when I'm outside), I haven't used these yet. But I think I will next winter on the dreadmill!

I did a "let's see how it feels to run on tired legs" aka a "back to back" of 6 miles today. Tight, tight left calf on the uphills but otherwise not too bad. A little slow, but I survived. Tomorrow is a running rest day (I'd rest completely but am planning on doing an easy ride for the Ride of Silence).

[beetle]

Thought I might join in this thread now I'm back into a bit of running training.

Mon 14 May
35min
4.5km (2.8M) - gee the imperial system makes my effort look even worse

As an intro post this is going to have way TMI. Headed out at 0615 and started out fine with my warmup (10mins) then went thing went downhill. I was busting for the loo (and not a quick wee behind a tree sort of stop) from about 20mins in. By then I was furthest from home (no toilets on route) so headed back. I walked most of the way home from there in complete fear that I wouldn't get home in time IYKWIM. This has happened on my last 3 runs (no pun intended) and I really don't know what to do about it except run loops past my front door just in case - how borring! My DHs helpful advice was "why don't you just go before you start running" but I just don't have one of those digestive systems that switches on when I want it to (or off for that matter). At least the triathlon I'm training for will have toilets on route though it going to be a bleak few months of training if I can't sort this out.

Enough whinging. Anyway I think this is a great thread for keeping up with run training, it's always nice to post miles (even if they are depressing compared to km) and hear how everyone elses training is going. I am jealous of you all with trails near by.

[kelownagirl]

I did another 3.5 k with the kids today. 19 minutes total - 5:23 per km. I am happy abut that - there is a 1% uphill section that I have to climb for half of each of the 3 laps. While I have enjoyed running with the kids at school, I think I will be glad when the last day is over (Thursday). It is getting too hot (close to 80) at lunch hour now and I haven't had the legs to run on the flats at home lately with all the cycling I've been doing. I am anxious to get back to running 5k and maybe trying something longer. I really want to do a duathlon soon so I need to build up my running asap.

[limewave]

I went for an easy trail run on Monday. Just ran about 45 to 50 minutes, not sure how far I went, but it was really hilly (lots of sand dunes).

Tonight I will try for another easy 5k.

Tomorrow I am supposed to do a brick: 40 mi bike, 5 mi run

The trails are about 4 miles away. I have done 12 mile runs where I jog to the trails, do a 4 mile loop and jog back, but usually I drive. I would like to start riding my bike but I need to invest in a good bike lock first.