ILX running running thread

Sometimes I walk the stairs in my building. 11th floor all the way up to 37. That destroys my legs though. I should do fewer floors at a time, but then I would be a failure.

Holy shit. I feel like a hero when I walk the 6 floors to my office.

I posted about shoes upthread but I feel I should make some kind of introductory post. I am just getting started with running; I've been doing it regularly (every couple of days) for two weeks. I am obviously way behind everyone else; I ran 2.7 miles in half an hour on Monday and that is my best so far. But I finally got my new shoes and so won't be running in decrepit heavy leather Adidas anymore.

this thread was more fun when i was the beginner trying to catch up with everyone else.

less so now that i'm looking over my shoulder at newercomers.

still fun for me, the least competitive person alive

yeah well how d'you think that makes me feel when YOU'RE CATCHIN UP

N/a that's a good start. Twice a week and you'll see that drop pretty quickly I bet. If that's what you want to do. Just staying at the same pace is good for fitness as well. And probably a lot more pleasant.

Like Dr. C I love the numbers. And it's the best way to constantly challenge myself.

I would love to be able to place in my age group. The best I've ever done is 4th, 25th overall in a very small 5k. It's hard because the 30 to 34 dudes are usually pretty fast here.

I'm really only "competing" against myself, though it's interesting to see where other people are after a certain amount of time. My only real goal for now is to be able to run for half an hour without stopping to walk at all, but I'm not trying to do that by a certain time or anything.

I think that's totally fine time considering you're brand new. And like Jeff said, it's certainly enough for cardio fitness.

it'll take a while, but you'll get there. when you get there you can decide what you want to do next, if anything.
i guess i approach this the same way i approach most things: moderation is ok, but if you start to want more more more you will never have enough.

my goal is 2 run so fast i go back in time

That can be a great thing, though. I feel let down if I don't don't have something to move towards. xp

Lamp- trouble is that you'd have to break the speed of light, so nobody would see you do it.

also, you need to get really expensive shoes for that iirc

xpost the Garmin thing is cool, but I can't see me using it really. I even find a watch a nuisance when I'm running.

I think I've reached a plateau (feels more like a flatline!) because I have put on weight steadily and feel a bit bulkier. There's probably an optimum weight/speed balance and I'm maybe just the wrong side of ideal. I think we went into this upthread at some point.

I think you'll reach 21 mins soon Jeff. At forty flippin eight I WON'T - but I will get under 23 soon!

There's probably an optimum weight/speed balance and I'm maybe just the wrong side of ideal

wait i may be be getting you mixed up but aren't you like 8 ft and ten stone?

Ilxor, that water looks terrible, but I do like the way you seem to be gliding over the surface of it.

Dr C/Jeff, have you ever thought about joining your local club and doing a regular track session? Speedwork is so much easier with other folk to spur you on.

NickB, I'm certainly open to that idea. I'm going to see how my group marathon training goes. I may decide I do like running with people other than my virtual stick man.

I was definitely at my fastest when I was doing regular track stuff 7 or 8 years ago (not that I was all that fast then tbh). Would do it again myself, if only I could find the time...

def feel like running has drained all the pro-teen out of my body and as a vegetarian i kinda find it hard 2 keep up which wz nv/ a major prob. b4

no time for track alas. Darraghmac - 6ft4 & 14 stones

that's close enough!

def feel like running has drained all the pro-teen out of my body and as a vegetarian i kinda find it hard 2 keep up which wz nv/ a major prob. b4

I'm vegetarian too and have noticed the exact opposite, but I usually drink a whey protein shake in the morning (though my blender broke so I've been eating just a banana in the morning which has made me less excited about physical activity in recent weeks, so I hear you). I have read that it helps to have a small sweet snack a few hours before running like grapes or something. Also sleep!

yeah, see im only realising now that these protein shakes might b a good idea. ive never taken supplements and my muscles are really slow to recover from physical stuff lately. good advice tho

More comparisons: Using an age grading calculator, I would have to run a 5k in 21:36 to be considered "local class". Looking at previous results for the 5k I'm going to run this weekend, that would only be good for 107th place. At my current pace I would have finished in 202nd place last year.

Did 5 miles for like the first time last night! Came in around 56 mins

co worker of mine ran the boston marathon this week and he placed 166th. I cannot imagine running for 2 hours straight, what do those people think about? I'll ask him tomorrow I suppose. I ran a 5k last week and was all "whew" afterwards. How do you even begin to train for 26 miles?

hey plax i really like soy protein powder, works great

finally getting used to my new route since moving house...took a while to recover from a three weeks i took off due to moving hecticness, i hate how quickly you can lose stamina. and this winter seems to have brought my long-forgotten asthma back from my childhood...ugh. anyway, there are more hills in my new route, a challenge in a good way, but there are also more roads to cross and i find the stop-start nature of waiting for cars really trying. maybe i was just spoiled with my towpath run before.

anyway, ~8k in ~1hr, same as ever. i don't know whether i should be actively trying to improve that (in terms of distance? time? length of time?); it seems to be enough to push myself to..."my limit" sounds dramatic, but so that i'm pretty winded when i'm done.

gonna buy some soy protein powder tomorrow, i hope it doesn't come in some huge bodybuilder cannister tho

actual, proper, non stop 10k, ten days before i have to do it for real. pace nothing to write home about but i guess i'll work on that before the day itself. legs kinda hurt!

doing just the lightest sort of sub three mile runs with dog on training collar; third one is today. Going okay, but ankle is definitely weak. Not hurting that bad and bike time is keeping my cardio okay but i wanna move into this slowly.

Also: my summer job has me working in central park all through june/july/august, so I got a roadrunners membership so i can take a jog at the reservoir and then work after. let's see if that happens.

my goal is 2 run so fast i go back in time

― ( ª_ª)○º° (Lamp), Wednesday, April 21, 2010 12:01 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

otm^

Excited about my 5k tomorrow. I feel like I am going to destroy my PR.

We're counting on you!

My weekend's looking like an easy 5 today, then 10.33 tomorrow (scouting the course for 3 laps = 31 miles next weekend), then 12 or so early Sunday morning, if I can beat the motocross riders out to their AWESOME trail before dawn...

Good luck Jeff!

Still not running here yet, but I feel the time is drawing near...

No running tomorrow 'cause busy with fun stuff but on Sunday I'm going to head down to London to cheer on marathoning friends. Going by the weather forecast it will be a much better day for spectating than racing.

it will be a much better day for spectating than racing.

This is never ever true.

22:44 in my 5K today, which would be a solid PR. Never would have thought it when I started, it just felt awful to run. Then it never got any better. But somehow I kept pace.

Went out way to fast, I never run miles in under 7 minutes but I ran mile 1 in 6:53. Slowed down after that, no way I could have sustained that pace. 315th overall and 77th in my age group.

The winner ran in 15:25. My brain just exploded even thinking about that kind of pace.

Nice one Jeff!

10K tomorrow, I have not been feeling great and not exactly training hard. Last ran on Wed morning, and that was still the usual 5K. So now I have to just, er, double it.

The winner ran in 15:25. My brain just exploded even thinking about that kind of pace.

Granted that's pretty fast, but here's the 5k world record progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5000_metres#IAAF_era

The last two times I tried to run, it's been really shitty, like I'm immediately out of breath and my legs and knees feel really stiff. I don't know if my beginnerhood is catching up with me, or if my new shoes aren't right, or if I need to get used to wearing shoes with support for overpronaters or what the deal is. I walked almost the whole way today :(

Was that on consecutive days? I'd just take a few days off.

^^^^ yah it just sounds like ur not giving your body enough time to recuperate. also i hav no idea what the srsbiz wisdom is @ this point but i still think stretching is key. u can also try a some basic exercises for your off days 2 stay limber this is def smthn i do

those were not on consecutive days. I had a longer-than-usual run that felt pretty good, then waited a day, then had the first shitty run. Then I waited two days until today, had my second shitty run. I'll try taking a longer break before the next run. I stretched out a little before both runs but not very much.

I'm not big on stretching.

I mean, I move around some before I run, but that's about it. No patience for anything more.

The winner ran in 15:25. My brain just exploded even thinking about that kind of pace.

― Jeff, Saturday, April 24, 2010 12:28 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

really want an exploded brain think abt this: top marathoners run faster than that for the ENTIRE MARATHON

n/a somedays are just poopy

Yep, I'm aware of other brain exploding things, I just wish there were slower ppl in my neighborhood 5k.

hah