OK, it's seriously time for a new runniing thread!!

[Bike Chick]

No run today. I'm packing to leave in the morning for my first HM Saturday. Any last minute advice?

[Jolt]

No run today. I'm packing to leave in the morning for my first HM Saturday. Any last minute advice?

No real advice, just want to say good luck!!

[Susan Otcenas]

No run today. I'm packing to leave in the morning for my first HM Saturday. Any last minute advice?

Yes! Run YOUR race. Not the race of the faster people passing you. It's easy to get carried away (by adrenaline and the crowds around you) and go out too fast (been there done that) but you'll pay for that later in the race (been there done that too ).

And, most importantly ENJOY IT!!!

[OakLeaf]

Wow, good luck BikeChick! Have fun, I'm sure you'll do great!

[colby]

No run today. I'm packing to leave in the morning for my first HM Saturday. Any last minute advice?

Absolutely - have fun!! This is the run you've trained for, so go out there and do it. (This must be how nike got the just do it slogan )

I did my hard 30 minutes after 10 minutes warmup today. Today's also the last day of my week and I have had an emotionally exhausting couple of days at work so it was rough. Basically I warmed up, then ran hard until the point I felt like my form was falling apart at a speed I could sustain for 30 minutes. 10 minutes in I hit the lap button so I measured the last 20 to get average HR and whatnot. Then, jogged home. Funny how "jogging" after you run hard is different than "jogging" on a normal day.

Sunday I will be racing the 12k, so it probably helps mentally that I had a hard run today. It's not a flat course so we'll see how it goes. I will try to do my long bike ride early early on Saturday and feed the muscles well so I am on fairly fresh legs. Unfortunately we're talking 3-4 hours of riding, so.... yeah. Fresh legs are kind of a dream. I just can't do my long ride tomorrow, so I'd have to do it Sunday after running if I don't do it Saturday. I'd really like to have the day before off to see how well I CAN do on fresh legs but I have to remind myself to think big picture. But, but, but...

[rocknrollgirl]

Yesterday I took a friend on her first trail run. She is an excellent runner and very much a crunchy outdoor girl. Why she has never traken to thr trails is still a mystery to me. Accessabilty is the most likely explanation.

Anyhoo....She loved it. After two mins of running she was just buzzing. It was really awesome to share that with her.

We did about 5 miles of rolling singletrack. I betcha she has a few sore muscles today. Even though she is training for a HM, she said she could feel all of her unworked stabilizers at the end.

It was very cool.

Good luck to all racers this weekend.

[Bike Chick]

Thanks so much everyone! I'm on my way and will give you a report when I return!

[WindingRoad]

I'm having a really crappy running week, thank gawd its about taper time anyhow. Problem is my allergies are beyond rediculous. I took a final yesterday and almost drowned in my own mucus . Doing my Neti Pot and having to use Afrin at night just to breath. Did a bike ride yesterday on tandem and thought that would be a good easy ride; ugh, we hit the worst winds EVER! It was one of those working your butt off rides just to hold 15 or 16 mph. I'm pretty sure all this wind is what's up with the allergies too. I'm actually looking forward to some rain this weekend, atleast I can breath them. Geez.

Four more finals to go.... then one half marathon.... then one 650 mile move. I'm not feeling overwhelmed, I'm not! I'm not!! I'm not!!!! I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.

Bike Chick - Have fun at your HM, that is the most important thing! You will do great so enjoy yourself. Just about to go mail your shorts, hope I don't blow away in this wind (yes, riding my bike to PO).

[skhill]

Good luck, BikeChick! Just relax and enjoy it...

Today was a 3.5 mile tempo run, and I realized when I logged it that it was the first time in april on that route that used to be one of my favorites (but these days, it's a bit short). My April totals: 124.5 miles, at an average pace of 9:18/mile. My goal for May is to do speedwork of some sort at least once a week (that was also a goal for April, but somehow it didn't happen...)

Happy Kentucky Oaks day, everyone! (It's when the fillies run for the lillies, the day before the derby).

[Jolt]

Shorter run today, around the neighborhood (about 25 minutes). On today's run I decided to experiment and see if I could get through the whole run breathing only through my nose. Much to my surprise, I did it--and was no slower than usual. I guess I have just been in an experimenting mood lately when it comes to running.

[OakLeaf]

Just a short one for me too. I was already kind of tired from shoveling compost and wrestling the tiller around the garden, so I just did three miles. Would've been three and a half, but there was a heavy catalog and some other stuff in the mailbox, so I just walked back from there.

I've been trying to breathe through my nose more too, but even at long run pace the condition of my sinuses makes it difficult. I'm definitely going to clean up my diet before the marathon, so I should be breathing better by then. Did you know that your sinuses produce lots of nitric oxide, which when you inhale it, enhances oxygen uptake and acts as a vasodilator? I've also been looking for some of those nasal strips, but I guess they're out of fashion, because I can't find any, any more. I know they always did help my breathing.

[Grog]

Thinking of you, Bike Chick!

[Jolt]

Did you know that your sinuses produce lots of nitric oxide, which when you inhale it, enhances oxygen uptake and acts as a vasodilator? I've also been looking for some of those nasal strips, but I guess they're out of fashion, because I can't find any, any more. I know they always did help my breathing.

I had read that--interesting. And when you think about it, breathing through your nose rather than your mouth just generally makes physiological sense even aside from the nitric oxide--the nose filters "stuff" out of the air whereas the mouth doesn't. Today's run didn't go as well as yesterday's, but I think it was because I ran a section of trail that I haven't done in a while that is harder than what I've been doing lately and because of the temperature (85 degrees, up from mostly the 60s lately).

[Bike Chick]

Well, I did it! I ran the HM today at the Illinois Marathon in Champaign. Had a great time doing it too. DH and a friend ran the full, our friend's son ran the half and his wife and daughter ran the 5K. Here's the best part. My son and his wife were registered to run the HM also. She had started a new job and hadn't trained past 7 miles. She and I ran together and finished a half minute apart. My son ran a 16 mile training run with my husband in March and today decided at 7 miles that he would just run the full marathon---without training for it!! Not the smartest thing he's ever done but he did it and finished. He is a 4th degree blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do and spent 15 months in Iraq with the army and said miles 15-19 were the toughest mental challenge he has ever had. He also added that he thought he'd come close to death 4 times (just joking). He never lost his sense of humor and crossed the finish line with a smile. I am proud of everyone. We all did great.

[OakLeaf]

Way to go BikeChick! And your whole family too, what fun!

Now enjoy your recovery.