The Running Thread

[Dreamer_D]

There are a lot of people into running these days, and some have suggested maybe having a thread for all things running related! Well here it is

I'll start off with a question... DH and I run 4km every second day on pavement, hilly terrain. We have been running this distance and course for about 4 weeks now after gradually increasing our distance over the past months. We are now at the point where we are working to increase speed. It is not torture anymore

Today I noticed that I have a sharp pain in my lower left glute/upper hamstring area. It is not severe and I can run & walk, but I notice the pain when I swing the leg forward. In this situation, do I rest? Keep running with extra stretching added in? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Hey dreamer!

I just wanted to welcome you to the world of running! I am a pretty avid runner (6 miles/day usually). As with anything it just takes time!

I am recently making the transition to barefoot running or minimalist shoe running and am enjoying it even more. So it feels a bit like I am starting all over. It also helps you develop your stabilizing and leg muscles more, and teaches you to the right stride (most who wear regular shoes do a heel strike or strike harder, relying on the cushion, which is worse for you). It is not for everyone, and takes some time for those who are used to shoes, but it is incredibly fun!

Hey Rai Kai I thought I would reply to you here!

That is WIIIILD! Do you have a link to the shoes you are talking about? I am curious to see them.

I admit I cannot imagine runing 6mi per day at this point. We do 2.5mi now and it is more than enough I think when we lose the weight we want it will be easier. I am carrying and extra 40lbs right now and I know it makes running that much harder. I recall so clearly how I felt after my son was born and I was 50lbs heavier than *now*, and how much better I feel now in comparison just walking etc., so I am looking forward to how easy it will be to run when I take off another 40lbs.

 

[BeachRunner]

Awesome! Thank you for starting this thread. Hopefully it'll really take off! We can post daily mileage, new shoes, etc!

I started running only a few yrs ago. I recently completed my first 1/2 marathon in May, and am training for a full in October. My whole life I lived at sea level, until my DH and I moved to CO. Whew. I've finally adjusted to the altitude, and it's super nice to not run in humidity.

Anyways, I got 8 hot miles in today. It was 8am and already hot.

I hope lots of runners, new, old, and people interested in running chime in!

Today I noticed that I have a sharp pain in my lower left glute/upper hamstring area. It is not severe and I can run & walk, but I notice the pain when I swing the leg forward. In this situation, do I rest? Keep running with extra stretching added in? Any help would be appreciated.

Any sharp pains are not good. I'd use the trusty RICE method; Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevate. Occasionally I'll get cramping during my runs, my joints will get sore over a certain amount of miles, but sharp pain is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. I'd make sure your stride isn't too wide.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Today we ran 4km in 30 minutes on our hilly route. Slow by many standards but it is a big improvement in our time, we really pushed it. I felt great and strong, though it was one of those runs that was a struggle mentally for me.

Today I noticed that I have a sharp pain in my lower left glute/upper hamstring area. It is not severe and I can run & walk, but I notice the pain when I swing the leg forward. In this situation, do I rest? Keep running with extra stretching added in? Any help would be appreciated.

Any sharp pains are not good. I'd use the trusty RICE method; Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevate. Occasionally I'll get cramping during my runs, my joints will get sore over a certain amount of miles, but sharp pain is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. I'd make sure your stride isn't too wide.

Wide as in my feet to far apart left to right, or wide as in too long strides? I bet my stride is wide as I have chunky thighs still.

Hmmm... how do I elevate my butt? Maybe sharp pain is too strong a word... it feels a little like sciatica, a little like a tightness in that area, a little like stiffness. I admit I have not been stretching...

When you rest if you have an injury, how long do you take off? How do you know when you are ready to get going again?

Our goal is to run 5km M-F and then train for 10k races. Though the idea of a marathon is intrigueing, it will never happen. I am just not that motivated.

My friend recently did a race where it was trail running through the forests in our area. That sounds like a tonne of fun to me! We are hoping to find trails near us that we can take our running stroller on... we run with our son in his stroller (only way we can do it!) and so we are somewhat limited in where we can go. But I did some trail running as a teen and loved it a lot! So much fun.

 

[BeachRunner]

I admit I have not been stretching...

There is your answer! Stretching is super important! your muscles are just tight. Get to stretching girl!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I admit I have not been stretching...

There is your answer! Stretching is super important! your muscles are just tight. Get to stretching girl!

Sigggh I am so lame, it feels like "work" if I have to do even one more little thing ya know? LOL! I will stretch well from now on, scouts honour.

 

[RaiKai]

Hey dreamer!

I just wanted to welcome you to the world of running! I am a pretty avid runner (6 miles/day usually). As with anything it just takes time!

I am recently making the transition to barefoot running or minimalist shoe running and am enjoying it even more. So it feels a bit like I am starting all over. It also helps you develop your stabilizing and leg muscles more, and teaches you to the right stride (most who wear regular shoes do a heel strike or strike harder, relying on the cushion, which is worse for you). It is not for everyone, and takes some time for those who are used to shoes, but it is incredibly fun!

Hey Rai Kai I thought I would reply to you here!

That is WIIIILD! Do you have a link to the shoes you are talking about? I am curious to see them.

I admit I cannot imagine runing 6mi per day at this point. We do 2.5mi now and it is more than enough I think when we lose the weight we want it will be easier. I am carrying and extra 40lbs right now and I know it makes running that much harder. I recall so clearly how I felt after my son was born and I was 50lbs heavier than *now*, and how much better I feel now in comparison just walking etc., so I am looking forward to how easy it will be to run when I take off another 40lbs.

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

There are lots of fakes out there, so that is best place to look at real deal. They are coming out with some new models shortly.

I am getting a pair of the KSO's, and a pair of the brown leather Treks. The former for running on pavement and more easy going stuff, kayaking, in and around water, and so on. The leather for running on harder trails where I need the added sole and upper protection from the leather over mesh, on gravel roads, cooler days and winters (I am on treadmill in garage in winter but the leather should still keep my feet warmer!), short easy going hikes, and casual Fridays or casual date nights! It took me three days to decide between brown or black Treks, but looks like the new season won't offer brown for the women, my KSO's are black so why not change it up, and I figure brown is usually more my colour scheme anyway (and looks great with jeans!) and won't show dust and dirt much on the trails. I am still debating it though and whether I will exchange them when I get them, ha! It's a pain though doing so!

I can see adding some bright Bikila's for pavement (but they are sold out everywhere), some Trek Sports which are coming out in next couple weeks (for more laid back trail running) and some classics or sprints for just lazy summer days! But this could be an expensive habit!

I imagine as you lose the weight, and get the right muscles built up, it will become easier. There are many run programs out there which are great for increasing distance as well.

 

[RaiKai]

As a basic intro, I have been running for many years, but the reasons or intensity have varied.

I have never been very fast, but I have always had reasonable endurance. Which is rather annoying, as my bio father was very fast and held many high school records for many years, and my mother was a hurdler when she was younger (I am too short to hurdle!). I have short legs, and not much speed. I might end up in last, but I will keep going.

When I was a young teenager, I did run some cross-country or longer distance track (no one else wanted to do the 5,000 m so I did it, not that I was very good!). I then moved into using running more as a fitness thing to compliment my wrestling, or field hockey. It was more of a thing I just did 3-4 times a week.

Then I went into the army reserves so was running PT and so forth. Fell a bit out of love with it during that time as they had a tendency to make things rather tedious!

I spent much of my late teens and early twenties doing more swimming (recreational), with running as a back up if I was traveling, etc.

I shifted more into cycling for a few years, mountain and road. I would run maybe once a week.

Then I started doing some more adventure racing, and so was running more trails more often. For about 3-4 years my week would be a mix up of cycling 4-5 days a week, running a couple times a week (maybe about 15-20 miles a week) and yoga/hot yoga, with some paddling.

In the last two years, I have gone to running, and yoga/hot yoga, and the running 40ish miles a week, with occasional lazy bike rides with my husband, kayaking and hiking. In the last year, I have not been doing as much trail running, mainly as I don't live near the wooded trails I did before, but I can run to the many trails in the coulees in a matter of minutes (but there is so much up and down running in there!) and whenever we go camping or visiting, I find trails to run. I love to run, but I tend to not worry about competing or anything these days or so on. I just enjoy running for running. I tend to not really go out for more than 10 miles these days, with most runs between 5-7 miles. But, I do run near everyday, and it is pretty rare I don't get out the door even if just for 3-4 miles if that is all I can manage that day.

I am now starting to get into that barefoot or minimalist running, and find it really fun and already am noticing some of the aches I was having are disappearing as I strengthen my stabilizers more. It feels like I am wearing boats when I wear regular shoes now (cushy boats though!). I add a bit on to the end of each regular run. Yesterday I did about 3.5 miles barefoot at the end, today I did about 2 miles at the end. Once I get my new Five Finger shoes, I'll start learning in those too.

Oh, and I am totally a morning runner. I get up at about 5:15am on weekdays (I just run whenever I wake up on weekends). I love running in the mornings. I get it done (no excuses later!) and it's just different being up as the sun is coming up and others are just rising.

I find I need to keep things new or I get a bit bored. Be it mixing trails and road, finding new areas to explore (I LOVE running while traveling or on vacation...I am that geek running along the ocean/beach at 6:00 in the morning while everyone else is sleeping off their margaritas!), or trying new things (i.e. barefoot).

 

[ImpatientOne]

I discovered a passion for running last fall when I offered to help my daughter get in shape for Basic Training (she leaves next month!). We started out with the Couch to 5k program, which was perfect. I generally run 5+ days per week with an average of 5-7 miles. I use the Nike+ program to track my runs and participate in challenges. If anyone here uses Nike+, we should get a friendly PSer Challenge going!

I've participated in a few 5k races so far and really enjoy them. My fastest time so far is 24:12, which I don't think is too shabby for a 49 year old woman!

ImpatientOne
Proud Army Wife
Proud Marine Mom
soon to be Proud Army Mom

 

[BeachRunner]

I discovered a passion for running last fall when I offered to help my daughter get in shape for Basic Training (she leaves next month!). We started out with the Couch to 5k program, which was perfect. I generally run 5+ days per week with an average of 5-7 miles. I use the Nike+ program to track my runs and participate in challenges. If anyone here uses Nike+, we should get a friendly PSer Challenge going!

I've participated in a few 5k races so far and really enjoy them. My fastest time so far is 24:12, which I don't think is too shabby for a 49 year old woman!

ImpatientOne
Proud Army Wife
Proud Marine Mom
soon to be Proud Army Mom

I don't have the nike+ system. I have a Garmin 305 which I can't live without. I wore it hiking a couple weekends ago, and when DH and I got a little turned around, I pulled up the map and told us where we needed to go. Love that watch!

Awesome time on your 5k! I haven't ran a 5k race since April 09, and my time and PR was around 24:30.

My daily miles:
4 hot miles after work. There were some sprinklers on watering lawns during my run, so I made sure to run by them for some cool water!

 

[kelpie]

I subscribe to barefoot running theory. I used to run in socks on a treadmill but 4mi was my limit because my feet would get raw. Now I run outside and I have these shoes called Feelmax Osma I like. My fiance has insanely expensive terra plana shoes he loves. I had the dorky 5 fingers but they felt awful all the time. The separated toes is a gimmick and they cut off circulation,my feet are also smaller than the smallest size so I would get blisters on my heel. I wish someone would make shoes with their soles but normal toes and construction. I used to have terrible foot problems and shin splints any time I ran. It was painful to get there, but barefoot running solved my issues.

 

[lliang_chi]

Joining Beach over here on this thread.

I started running only a few years ago, maybe 3? I grew up in Miami where you do *not* run outside. Too hot and muggy. So I always did water sports (competitive swimming, water polo). I moved up to Chicago and started running for half assed triathlon training. I *hated* running so I needed the most practice with that. I think I'd total about 15 miles a week, longest distance was 5 or 6 miles.

Then I dropped it again and did a bunch of yoga, hot yoga, then lifting & training with a personal trainer. I would do some running but mostly intervals where I SPRINT/walk/SPRINT/walk etc. I would still do some races, mostly a 8K in March/Apr with hubs, and another 5K or 8K later in the fall with friends. Just kinda whatever, no times or anything

Sis and I signed up to do our first marathon this October. So I've started running in earnest only because I have to. I think Ive finally broken through that mental wall and am OK with running. It helps that my sis is the best running partner.

Mileage today: 3 hot, humid miles
Mileage week: 10 + 7 on Saturday

Dreamer, I think stretching is SO important. I used to NEVER do it, but my age i totally catching up to me now. If I don't stretch before the run is SO much harder and if I don't stretch after I feel like I still haven't recovered. I still don't do it when I run on my own, so that's pretty bad. Maybe since you run with your hubby you can do partner stretches before and after your run. That way you're hanging out together. It also helps to stretch out afterwards before you even go inside the house.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Does anyone have a quicky list of stretches they do before and after running?

Also, when you are having aches in the legs... not pain, just ache sort of in the bones of my lower leg... how long do you rest?? I feel like I need to take a day off of our every second day thing, I am worried about injuring myself and not being able to run anymore, but I don't want to stop ya know? My butt feels better if that matters

We have been running for a while now... is there a point in training when injury is more or less likely? We've been doing the 4k every second day for about a month, after gradually working our way up from intervals etc... but I still worry about injury. What are? the situations/changes in training where injury is more likely?

 

[Dreamer_D]

RaiKai The between the toes part of the shoes does look uncomfortable, like Kelpie said. Have you tried them on?

beachrunner Our friend has a Garmin and loves it too! He is an avid runner and partly he and his wife's running has been our inspiration. I think we will get one for our next special occassion.

 

[AsscherGirl]

I am mostly a PS lurker, but do pop in healthy lifestyles every once in a while!

I looooooooove running. I used to hate it. When I was in college, ellipticals were super popular at the gym and every once in a while, I'd have to go on a treadmill to get my cardio in. It was pure torture and I could never get past one mile and would normally want to die after 15 minutes, hahha.

In 2006, my dad and friends somehow convinced me to sign up for a 5k. I have never looked back! I've never been fast and up until 2009, I could not run more than a mile without stopping to walk. In the races, I would run, walk, run, etc. In 2009, my best friend and I found a 5k training program and followed that to get ready for our annual 1st race of the year. Somewhere in the middle of that training I was able to continuously run. I don't think I have ever been more excited in my life. Since then I basically don't ever have to walk on my runs and have had training runs/races up to 6.5 miles.

My current 5k PR is 30:07 and I am really hoping to get under 30 sometime soon! I don't expect it to happen in the summer, but maybe this fall or next spring. I have been slacking the last couple of weeks on running due to school/extreme heat, but I'm hoping to start back up. I'm not training for anything in particular right now, so my usual plan is to do 3 miles 3 times a week and if I have time have a longer run of 4-5 miles on the weekend.

I have had my share of injuries including shin splints, ITB syndrome and even that weird butt pain Dreamer is describing. Most times it's just due to overtraining or pushing too hard. I also live by RICE and when something really HURTS, I will take an entire week off, test it and if there is still pain on my test run, take another week. The best injury prevention I have found is strength training on my legs by doing lunges, squats and side leg lifts on a regular basis.

This post is crazy long, but I'm also due for new shoes. I have the Asics 2140's right now and never really loved them. I think I'm going to look at a pair of Brooks next.

Oh - and Beach - happy to hear you are loving your 305. I can't live without mine either!

 

[RaiKai]

RaiKai The between the toes part of the shoes does look uncomfortable, like Kelpie said. Have you tried them on?

Dreamer, yes I have tried them on in store and walked around and ran around a bit in them in the store and I found them very comfortable. Like slippers, or a second skin. I have not got to run in them yet, as they are still coming my way, but will give you my reports once I do. I did not find them tight on my toes at all (I can see how they would cut circulation if they were tight on your own toes) and find it a lot more natural to run with my toes "spread". As someone else said, they can't even keep them in stores and people get on wait lists for them, so I think there is something to them (toes apart and all).

I think you either love 'em or hate 'em. My sister for example hates ANYTHING between her toes (including toe socks) and they would not work for her. Some people have feet that likely would not work at all in the Five Fingers. But there are plenty of people on one of the barefoot forums I lurk and do some posting on that swear by them and find them incredibly comfortable (they don't even really wear regular shoes anymore and try to figure out ways to get by with them at work too) and love being able to wiggle their toes in their own pockets or get traction with their toes or feel the earth between their toes. There are people who wear them for ultra running (one of my coworkers wives is an ultra runner and likes them for example). Indeed, the comfort of them is what gets a lot of people into trouble, as they try and run what they did before in regular shoes in their Five Fingers right away, and end up having problems later on, as it really is like starting over again and learning proper form! I know part of why I like running barefoot is the traction and stability I get with my toes on more uneven ground, so I can see the appeal.

There are different models too, and they are always coming out with new ones. Some of the Flow models, since they are neoprene, are a lot more snug on the toes, apparently, than the Classics or KSO which just have a thinner fabric in between the toes. So there are people who find the KSO's to fit like gloves, and the Flows to be uncomfortable and tight.

 

[RaiKai]

Does anyone have a quicky list of stretches they do before and after running?

Also, when you are having aches in the legs... not pain, just ache sort of in the bones of my lower leg... how long do you rest?? I feel like I need to take a day off of our every second day thing, I am worried about injuring myself and not being able to run anymore, but I don't want to stop ya know? My butt feels better if that matters

We have been running for a while now... is there a point in training when injury is more or less likely? We've been doing the 4k every second day for about a month, after gradually working our way up from intervals etc... but I still worry about injury. What are? the situations/changes in training where injury is more likely?

I do not really stretch beforehand, as I roll out of bed and get going. I just take it easier the first 10-20 minutes to loosen the muscles up....warming up by doing a slower, relaxed version of what I will be doing.

If you do stretch beforehand, they recommend dynamic stretching (which uses active movement - think jumping jacks or walking lunges), rather than static (which is the classic stretch and hold stretch). If you are starting "cold" it is easy to overstretch in a static stretch, so the general thought is NOT to do them beforehand as it may even increase risk of injury.

Afterward, I spent about 15 minutes doing a variety of leg and hip stretches from yoga - pigeon pose, head to knee calf stretches, side twist, etc. And I do hot (or warm right now as I have not been heating warm up enough beforehand) yoga 1-2x a week.

During day, if I feel any tightness, I will take a couple minutes to stretch (such as going against a wall and gently stretching calf out). And I do massage my calves, and feet, with a foamy think like a rolling pin, and a set of rollers with knobs on them, during the week.

If your ache is in the BONES of your lower legs (rather than muscles), I would be concerned you are on way to shin splints and once you get those you will be out for a while! I had them back as a teenager when I was doing cross country and they were painful. I would really look at your form (are you heel striking), what surfaces you are running on (maybe you need to mix it up with some softer grass or track), and how you are increasing distance.

There is a big difference between having soreness, and having PAIN. Running with muscle soreness is one thing, running with pain is another!

As for risk of injury....well, I would say it increases anytime you stop listening to your body or you try and push it too much too soon. They have 10% *rules* (i.e. only increase distance by 10% at a time) to prevent this and allow your body to adapt and so on. Finding yourself in new terrain (i.e. trails) and expecting to do the same you did on road may have you injuring yourself, running with PAIN (rather than soreness) may increase your risk, and so on.

You and your H may want to look into local running clinics (i.e. at the Running Room) as they can have some pretty good training programs, to help guide you through healthy training, and it is a good way to socialize with other learning runners too.

 

[Dreamer_D]

You and your H may want to look into local running clinics (i.e. at the Running Room) as they can have some pretty good training programs, to help guide you through healthy training, and it is a good way to socialize with other learning runners too.

I do really want to do this but they are in the evenings when our son goes to bed. I am now perhaps wondering if it is worth it for us to do them and get a sitter... it would be good to have someone here I can talk to about these things.

I will think about my foot strike and read up more on shin splints, see what they feel like etc. Thanks!

 

[AsscherGirl]

How are all the runners doing out there? I'm hoping that I can run tomorrow after a 2 week hiatus. I expect it's going to be quite difficult, but the weather may have different plans and I might not get out there.

One of my favorite things about running is racing. I hate getting up early, but I love the atmosphere and excitement of a race so I continue to do it! My favorite distance is a 5k - how about everyone else?

I actually have a race this Saturday - a shorter than 2 mile fun run with a huge beer party afterwards. My parents are gracious enough to host my friends and me at their house for an after party barbecue. It should be fun! I finished this race in 18:56 last year and it's always my goal to do better in the same race year after year. Hopefully my slacking off won't hurt me too bad (who am I kidding?

 

[BeachRunner]

Hello fellow runners!

My training is going well. I did yoga on Monday, and today I did 4 miles in a light rain. Call me crazy, but I like running in the rain. It was a little humid, but overall, not too bad.

I do 8miles tomorrow am; hopefully it's not storming!

Danielle- I've only ever raced in a few 5k's and then a half marathon. The vibe is totally different, obv. I'm training for a full now, but I think I really like the 1/2 distance. I've read that's becoming the most popular distance to race.

My stretching routine:
I don't really stretch before running. I may stretch to loosen up a bit. On my long runs, occasionally I'll stop and stretch out my muscles or do lateral movements (ie: I'll lift my left knee to the right side of my body). It feels good and loosens my hips. They tend to get sore over ~10miles.

After my run I'll stretch for a good 15 min; I'll incorporate lots of yoga poses with normal stretching.

Anyways, I have a gnarly blister on my left toe so I'm going to pop it then soak my foot in some epsom salt. Ahh. And, my left and right big toes are black/blue. Super!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Danielle I love races! Soooo much fun compared to running with just my husband! I think there is one in August we will be doing.

So I took 4 days off last week and I think it was a good idea, my legs needed the break and I felt a lot better after the break. This week we ran 4k on Mon and 4k today. I felt really good and strong, except for the tightness I was talking about earlier...

Ever since I was pregnant I have been having issues with my hips/pelvic area. The latter part of my pregnancy was rough, and I seriously injured my tail bone in labour, and both things means I was in real physical pain in my hips/pelvis for about 6 months. A massage therapist I say briefly about a year ago commented that the area was extremely tight, probably because of compensation for the pain I was in. Since starting to run I am noticing that I have a lot of stiffness and soreness in the area between my tail bone and left hip joint. I have been doing stretched like child's pose a lot, but the stiffness is still there and I feel it when I run. So my plan is to see a physiotherapist and massage therapist to find out what I can do to hopefully re-adjust things. For my running, but also for the next time I get pregnant.

 

[EricaR]

You and your H may want to look into local running clinics (i.e. at the Running Room) as they can have some pretty good training programs, to help guide you through healthy training, and it is a good way to socialize with other learning runners too.

I do really want to do this but they are in the evenings when our son goes to bed. I am now perhaps wondering if it is worth it for us to do them and get a sitter... it would be good to have someone here I can talk to about these things.

I will think about my foot strike and read up more on shin splints, see what they feel like etc. Thanks!

Try googling chi running and watch some videos. I am not super woo-woo (if you know what I mean) so I ignore that part of the chi running and just listen to what they say about form. I'm slowly switching from a heel strike to a mid-foot landing, but since it uses totally different muscles I'm adding it slowly. I will say that when I'm in the right form I am always able run faster without putting any extra effort into it.

Six weeks from tomorrow is my first half marathon. I need to be VERY careful not to over train, especially since the mileage in my training program is starting to increase pretty drastically. My schedule this week was -
Tues: 4.5 miles
Wed: 3 miles
Thurs: 4.5 miles
Saturday (should be Sunday but won't be able to fit it in): 7 miles

Next week my shorter runs stay the same but the long one will go up to 8. I'm heading out for my 7 mile-r now. Yesterday I broke down and purchased a fuel belt as I was getting extremely dehydrated while running. Lets hope it works well and doesn't bother me too much.

 

[megumic]

Wooooo hooooo runners! I did 4 miles this morning

Amping up my runs some more recently to fit into this wedding dress! Adding more hills, more miles, more intervals and just in general more runs. Any other tips???

Loving the new running thread

 

[Dreamer_D]

We ran another 4k on friday and it went well. I have been stretching and it seems to make a difference. I am still tight when I start running but loosen up as it goes. Our plan is to run a 5km route on Sunday on gravel/woodchip trails around my campus. Should be fun, but I think it will be killer because it is a longer distance and it is hot right now!

Erika I will look into that! Thanks! I was paying attention to my form and I feel like I do a mid foot strike now as does DH but maybe we are wrong.

 

[megumic]

We ran another 4k on friday and it went well. I have been stretching and it seems to make a difference. I am still tight when I start running but loosen up as it goes. Our plan is to run a 5km route on Sunday on gravel/woodchip trails around my campus. Should be fun, but I think it will be killer because it is a longer distance and it is hot right now!

Erika I will look into that! Thanks! I was paying attention to my form and I feel like I do a mid foot strike now as does DH but maybe we are wrong.

If you're sore, try throwing in a light yoga class once a week. I did this when I trained for a few 1/2 marathons and not once during my training was I sore after a long run!

 

[AsscherGirl]

Hi Everyone! I had my race on Saturday. It's kind of a joke race, it's less than 2 miles. I hadn't run in 2 weeks and hadn't been training at all, but when I started running, it felt good and reminded me why I like running in the first place! however, it was 95 degrees outside and 10000000% humidity, so after 1 mile, I had to stop to take a walking break. It was seriously oppressive outside. I finished about a minute slower than last year due to my walk break, but I'm cool with it! It was a fun day with my friends, we got awesome shirts from the race and free beers afterwards .

It FINALLY rained here today and seemed to break the humidity so I am definitely planning to get more runs in this week. My next race is in a couple of weeks at Yankee Stadium - I am pretty psyched!

Dreamer - glad to hear that stretching is helping a bit!

Erica - which half are you doing? Your schedule sounds good! I've never gone further than 6.5 miles in a single run, so 8 in training sounds crazy to me. Good luck!

Beach - it does seem like halfs are becoming very popular. I'm a pretty slow runner, so I get pretty bored after 1 hour - it'd be really hard for me to train for a half and do 12 milers and stuff. I admire you for taking on the full - it is NO Joke. I went to see a friend participate in the NYC marathon last year and it was SO Exciting even as a spectator. I can't even imagine how he felt after he finished!

Megumic - yay for 4 miles! Hills are brutal - but they should slim you down!

 

[Dreamer_D]

megumic I will try it if my stretching at home does not help!

Danielle When you said "which half are you doing" for a second I thought you meant is she doing the first or second half, and I thought, Does it matter???!!? LOL!

I don't think I will ever train for something that long. Right now honestly even doing 10k seems sort of long!

Today we ran a new 5k route in trails around my campus. It was great, I felt like I was FLYING on flat terrain and cushy ground! Makes such a huge difference. It took us 32 minutes, but it was hot and our first time so we were unsure of the pace. I know we could run it a little faster.

The funny thing is our usual 4k route takes us 30 minutes! And it feels waaaay harder because the first half is all uphill then the second half all down hill. I am amazed at what a difference hills make to our pace because it took us only 2 minutes longer to run a whole km further on flat terrain. I know the distances are accurate (the 5k route has mile markers and we drove the 4k route to get the distance) but I am still really dumbfounded!

So this week we ran 17k total! I am really proud of us. We have not stuck with a fitness program this long since we have been together. It has also been a goal of mine for years to become a runner, and to actually be doing it is such a great feeling!

 

[EricaR]

I actually think a half is going to be a good distance for me. My long runs are becoming easier and easier and I hope it stays that way. This week's 7 miles was MUCH easier than the previous week's 6 mile.

I think I found a new trick - a fuel belt. I bought a 4 bottle fuel belt, and filled two with water, two with an electrolyte mix. Every time I took a walk break (I do one at least every half mile so I can check my breathing - I've got asthma) I took a sip of one or the other. That made a huge difference. My mouth never got gummy and I never felt thirsty.

My half is in 5 weeks, 6 days. Not that I'm counting or anything... My friends (who are all big runners) convinced me to sign up for 3 between now and the end of the year. They claim that the first one is always fun/scary, the second is really hard and the third is enjoyable, so I need to get to the enjoyable one as soon as possible. Haha. I've signed up for the Disneyland Half, Los Angeles Rock 'n' Roll Half, and Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll half. I was very nervous, but after my good run this week I'm feeling very comfortable with the whole thing. If I can run 7 miles in just over an hour, I am sure I can run/walk 13.1 in three hours without too much trouble.

Anyone else keeping a running log? I love RunningAhead.com. My Garmin downloads data right there, and my friends and I can all see each other's logs and encourage/make fun of each other on a regular basis.

 

[phoenixgirl]

DD, I know, it's so nice to be "a runner" after it was out of reach before! Before a few years ago, I couldn't even run a couple of blocks. I would get too winded, and I probably could have pushed through "the wall," but I was scared. Then I started doing cardo & weight-training plus power-walking 6 miles, and finally after 6 months of that I was able to run 1.5 miles! I've done a 10K, but since my baby was born in October, my running has been more sporadic. I'm happy to report that I ran 30 minutes yesterday. My next goal is 35 minutes.

I'm not counting distance anymore because I'm mostly running with Claire in my BOB stroller, so my timing is slower (plus it's harder to dash across a street when you've got a giant stroller and are concerned for more than your own safety; I do a lot of running in place at intersections). I also haven't been going to the park where I used to run the 1 mile trail (which made it really easy to gauge one's pace) because it's over a mile to get there so it's a minimum 3.3 mile run -- not sure I'm up to that in this heat (it was 105 this weekend!). So I just go based on minutes, though I did try to pick up the pace yesterday.

And yes, stretching is super important! I am really trying to stretch, stretch, stretch. Before baby, I was so limber, and I want to get that back!

I also believe in weight-training of all of your muscle groups to gain strength in areas (back, arms, etc.) that aren't really toned by running. If I'm just running, I feel out of balance somehow.

 

[ImpatientOne]

I'm another one who loves races. I haven't done very many yet, but hope to do several over the course of the next year My husband is presently deployed to the Middle East, so I have nothing better to do than run and keep myself in shape while he is gone. I bet him that by the time he comes back next June, I will be able to beat him in both a one mile race as well as two. I can already beat him in a 5k, but he seems to think he can beat me in shorter distances. We shall see!

I like 5ks and doubt I will ever race more than a 1/2 marathon. This will probably sound silly to some, but I enjoy seeing how I compare to others my age. I love the competition. My 50th birthday is February, and I am actually looking forward to the ONE positive thing about that - I will then fall in the 50-59 category and should be able to place first more often for my age, lol!