ILX running running thread

Don't know how it compares with sites that other folks have been using, but http://www.goodrunguide.co.uk looks like an amazing site for mapping your runs and also logging them (also viewing climb profiles, keeping training schedules, checking out other peoples routes and all that stuff). Good for logging bike rides too. It's UK based - not really sure if you can join if you're abroad - but you can certainly map runs in the US and elsewhere, so might be worth playing with. You need to sign up to save routes, but you can take out a free trial membership to start with. It's definitely been designed by runners, the functionality is so good. Dunno why it's taken me so long to find really.

Lots of graphing functions and stuff too, totally geeking out here.

i finally had a 20 mile week! now have to work on going up from there, though - probably means running more often instead of much longer distances, though, i don't look forward to long runs like i used to thanks to living in a boring city. how i miss living near trails.

The Chicago Marathon is tomorrow. I thought I would run an (unofficial) half marathon in celebration. I'm previous long is 10 miles, I'm sure I can eek out another 3.1. We'll see.

You should be able to do that Jeff, just start slow and take some snacks and water with you.

I made it all 13.1. That's certainly not something I want to do every day. I finished in 2:04:54, which close the the time Sammy Wanjiru completed the real marathon today, 2:05:41.

congrats!

Good work Jeff! How are the legs now?

Uh, they feel like they weigh about 100 pounds each. I try to stay light on my feet and not hit the ground too hard while I'm running, but for the last two miles it felt like I was stomping with each step.

Still can't imagine running a marathon though. Even though all types of runners seem to finish.

Haha, I know the dead legs feeling well! Good luck with that tomorrow...

BTW, if you keep progressing like you have, you would seriously be able to do that marathon next year, no sweat.

Well done Jeff! I know that feeling where all lightness and grace from your kick has disappeared into plodding. Are you aiming for a marathon as a concrete achievement? In terms of lifestyle / pain / non going mentally crazy, I prefer to run halfs for speed, cos it's a great distance, and one you can train at every day (a 45 - 90 min run is always good). The whole marathon, for me at least, I find a little straining, I get nervous, weird digestion issues, uncomfortable recovery etc. Having said that - if it's your goal, go for it! (Sorry if that looked negative - just saying that if you were happy today, the half type distance is one that gets better as you get faster, and a distance you can carry anywhere as you trian / travel etc).

I haven't decided yet if it is a goal for me. Right now I'm just focusing on increasing my monthly milage and a couple of 5k's I have coming up. And getting through the winter without lapsing into lethargy.

Totally agree with what Paul says about halves being a better distance than marathons for all sorts of v. good reasons. But by God, I do want to run a decent marathon one day...

Was a bit of talk on ChiRunning upthread. Not really looked into it before, but some of the videos on YouTube are quite interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkUqkdPQHis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADBBAxIBGRw

All sounds sensible enough, but has anyone come across any critiques of this method?

what he's talking about in the first video is what happens when you run barefoot, at least according to ppl i know that run barefoot.

basically the discomfort of heel-striking makes you assume a more neutral stride, which means landing with your foot flat or slightly towards the ball. and always underneath, too

Seems to be the way that the Road Runner does it too, must be something in it.

I got passed by a guy with no legs tonight. Actually, he had a pair of those fancy bionic legs. It was impressive.

Also, I took into account the 20 degree rule in which you should dress as if it were 20 degrees warmer outside. I had shorts and a long sleeve shirt on. What I failed to take into account is the lake front wind. It was alright after about 1.5 miles.

My calves are still sore from my 13 miles on Sunday. It may be stupid, but I want to try another 13 this upcoming Sunday.

Probably best to do a shorter one, just to give you a chance to recover properly, then go for it the week after. But I'm a great one for ignoring sensible advice like this.

Been trying to do some faster runs because I've got a 10k next month, first race I've done for quite a few years. Just doing it to gauge where I'm at, shouldn't really be too bothered about the time because I've been concentrating on building endurance, but I know I'm going to be a bit dissappointed if I'm all *that* many minutes outside my old pace. It's tough though, you don't realise until you start looking at your times just how much your cruising speed slows without any regular fast running. Think I'm going to have to start doing some reps once a week, really hard to force myself to do it though, so painful, so boring.

I tend to ignore sensible advice as well. It does not help that I'm just not having too many ill effects from running. Every time I go out I want to go longer and faster.

Smart run today, just a slow one along the cliffs, air was cool and still but the sun was bright. Birds were queuing up along the top waiting to launch themselves across the Channel for the winter. Listened to the 'Sky of Honey' disc of Aerial, took my time, did about 12 miles. Up again with the neighbour tomorrow, going out on the Downs, really looking forward to it. Man, I'm loving running so much at the moment.

Ran the Pumpkins in the Park 5K today. My goal was to get in under 25 minutes, but I made it in 23:48, which is a PR. I was basically cursing myself the whole time for making myself run hard. Regardless I got faster each mile, which is really quite amazing for me. Usually I'm a start fast and fade away type of guy.

I'm really looking forward to a nice and easy longish run tomorrow.

Nice going Jeff, those short distances are really brutal. That whole feeling of wanting to puke as you cross the line... Must be doing some good, right?

Tell me about it. I lined up between the 8 and 9 minute milers. For my 5k next weekI'm just going to pace myself with the 7 minute milers to see if I can break 23 minutes.

After that I've got two 8k's. The "Turkey Trot" and the "Rudolph Ramble". Ha.

I'm amassing quite the collection of technical shirts by participating in all these races.

I've got the "Mince Pie 10" coming up soon! You always get ugly and hueg cotton t-shirts after races in the UK, always go straight in the charity bag.

Ran another 5K today, finished in 23:05, about 40 seconds faster than last weekend. It was cold and rainy, so not as many people at this event. I finished 25 out of 412. Surprising.

This is in the fashion/fitness section, so make of it what you will

Dr. Robert M. Conenello, a sports podiatrist who tended to contestants of a multiday race in the Sahara. “A lot of them look at their toenails as useless appendages, remnants of claws from evolutionary times long ago. I’ve heard them say, ‘Toenails are dead weight.’ ”

fully agree with this guy

“You know any sport has gone off the rails when you have to remove body parts to do it,” said Christopher McDougall, the author of a recent book about ultrarunning called “Born to Run.”

GROSS

dudes toenails are just dead weight no biggie

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ymX1zgOdsHONRM:http://www.beauty-and-the-bath.com/image-files/healthy-toenails.jpg do not want

hating on toenails is the new hating on bacon

people fronting OMG LUV TOENAILS etc

toenails are empty calories

i'm going to remove my toenails and replace them with sardines

that's a convenient way to carry foodstuffs when you're running

time for a break

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00023/cbb_tina_516_23000a.jpg

I've actually had part of a toenail treated so it doesn't grow because of a persistent ingrown toenail. This has not affected my ultra marathoning times.

I got to 75 miles for October yesterday, completing all three of my goals for the month. I'm not sure what I should do for the rest of the month, I'd like to run more miles next month, so I don't want to set the bar to high in a month that will have some crappy weather.

And October is over. My best running month ever. I can't wait to try and beat all my numbers in November.

Total miles: 100.01 miles

Number of runs completed: 17

Active time: 15 hours 5 minutes 12 seconds

Average pace: 9:03 per mile

Average speed: 6.25 mph

Average distance per run: 5.88 miles

Longest run: 13.1 miles

Shortest run: 2 miles

Most consecutive days ran: 5 days

Most miles in a week: 25.47 miles

inspiring!

siiiick! I'm going to start doing that w/cycling

ran tonight, just a quick two miles before dinner, felt good

Nice one Jeff. 16 miler for me today in hideous weather - thick fog, rain coming down like bullets, and a furious headwind that felt like it was trying to rip the shirt from my shoulders. Last two miles were so bad, just wanted to lay down in a ditch to die. Knees are a bit shot, headphones have died of drowning again.

I killed my Shuffle running in the rain the other night... It's the clip on version, so I had to order a refurb.

This is me for most of October, think I'm missing the first week:

Runs Logged - 18
Miles Logged - 129.9
Time - 17:01:00
Average Pace - 8:54
Fastest Pace - 6:54
Average Weight - 11st 3.6lb
Average BMI - 21.4%
Easy running - 68%
Steady running - 20%
Hard running - 12%

Obviously been shying away from faster runs, need to start working on that.