ILX running running thread

The other night I caught my foot on a curb while going at a relatively high speed. Was face down on the pavement before I knew it. Banged my head/face pretty good and had a cool welt to show for it. So in summary, pick up your feet when you run.

yikes! glad you're relatively ok, though, it sounds like.

Yeah, not much harm done. Mostly embarrassment and some cool scrapes.

Ran 13 miles yesterday. It was tough because I've been doing all these shorter distances recently. Also it is cooooooooooold.

Speaking of cold, I wear this as my base layer these days. It's awesome and I wish I had more. But it is $$$$.

http://www.directbaselayer.co.uk/Images/Large/craft_warm_crewneck_mens_ls_top_black.jpg

These are my favorite tights. Pearl Izumi.

http://dsp.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pG01-12559098p275w.jpg

My gloves. Have the foldover to make them mittens. I put hand warmers in the mittens section.

http://www.fleetfeetchicago.com/filebin/images/product/nonshoes/full/Manzella-Windstopper-Hatchback.jpg

In other news, I've hired a running coach. Basically someone to create training plans, training paces, and realistically tell me what my goals should be. I've wanted to do this for awhile but haven't been healthy enough that I could give it a good effort and make it worth it.

Shooting for a 45 min 10K and 1:40 Half in January.

Man, I hadn't run in a long time. I went out this morning on a four and a half mile loop through some once-industrial landscapes. Must confess I walked almost half of it, but it's a start, and it felt good (erm, mostly).

Can take awhile to come back, but it's awesome to keep seeing improvement.

I'm going to have pay my dues, that's clear.

It's funny how external, mostly visual factors, can affect my energy level while running. If I'm running along a long fence just inches from my right elbow, for example, that visual impression of the posts just whizzing by me makes me feel so fast and...dynamic! ...and this in turns gives me a boost. Similarly, interesting landscapes (like the aforementioned 19th century riverside factories) inspire me. Your average suburban residential street, on the other hand ... plod huff plod huff plod

I need this snow and ice to melt NOW. It's so annoying to run in and I can't get in a real quality workout. All my time is spent trying to not fall on my ass.

Yeah, that's the worst -- it's why I reupped my gym membership. I love running in the cold, but I strongly dislike slipping/tripping/falling down.

running on snow and ice is good for balance

I'm reading this book anatomy for runners who's main thesis is runners aren't generally v good athletes and then it talks about how to become a better athlete in a way thatll help yr running, it's p intersting

that looks good. i think the same tendency is true for other "specialists".

some of my best-feeling runs have been on snow (trails). it gets tricky if it's deeper than 3 inches or mixed w/ ice and slush. but in general i like getting creative and dodging stuff so my tolerance is high.

i've been doing rounds of sprints on a track indoors and it's really helped pace and stamina on (short) runs that i'm doing only on the weekends because i dread going outside when it's dark and cold. morning yoga in the living room instead. running and yoga = cooking with oil imo. except i've totally fallen off this week. amazing how what used to feel like a much-needed break is now maddening. i think it's a good sign that i'm finding the right balance.

i only sprint now a days haven't ran over a mile in a long time

agree on running+yoga, tho ive never been able to maintain for any meaningful stretch, running is p much the only exercise ive been able to stick w consistently, tho recently ive been good abt doing plyometrics pull ups and a lil core routine, def seeing results from even that fairly minimal branching out

Running in snow can be fun and challenging, but it just isn't conducive to what I want to do right now, which is just get faster for my two races in January. I need to do speed work and a slippery path is no good.

Tonight I'm supposed to run hill repeats, but I'm not even sure I'll make it up the hill. Or the two miles I have to run on slippery sidewalks to get to the hill.

get some yak trax bruh

ok those look awesome

I have some. Hate them. Feel like they fuck up my form.

Least favorite sidewalk conditions to run in. I'd rather it be a couple of inches of fresh snow than this. It's not too bad if I keep running but if I have to stop at a light, I slip almost every time.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8215/8317316115_a7fbc87d85.jpg

it's tough to WALK in that ice tbh - snow isn't ideal but fine because it's not slippery. pretty sure my first major running injury was the result of running in icy conditions and having to constantly twist to dodge ice patches.

just completed my first post-xmas run, probably my favourite of the year because it feels so needed.

interview w the guy who wrote that book http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/strength-training-for-runners-how-to-do-it-right.html

Yeah, I read that a few days ago, very interesting. I've started doing some non-weight bearing core exercises three times a week. Not exactly sure what I'm going to accomplish, but I am certainly sore from them.

soreness accomplished

signed up for my first official half-marathon today (first official run ever) - do you guys follow training regimes or just generally start building distances? i found this and it seems like it might be useful: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/racing/rws-10-week-sub-150-half-marathon-schedules/97.html

i've probably done 11/12 miles maybe three or four times before in my three years of running. i'd average about 12-16 miles a week, though I think I could push myself harder really as I've been doing it for quite a while.

Seems like a reasonable plan as long as you current base is already near 20 miles a week. Interesting it has lots of interval/speed/hill work.

Not sure why it is billed as a sub 1:50 plan though, especially when it doesn't list any specific paces that you need to train at. Very much a perceived effort plan.

went for a run on strava and my iphone stopped recording part way through

can I edit the run to add in the omitted section?

Hmm, never used the app.

super annoying

Happy running in 2013 everybody!
Laryngitis+cold set me back a month, but I'm up and running again. Set a not so ambitious goal of running a half marathon in a year's time as I prefer running at low temperatures and the one I'm going for has a 7 km stretch on the beach that's somehow very appealing to me. Currently running 10 km comfortably, will be extending that to 15 in the coming months.

is strava a tracker? nike plus keeps fucking up my times lately, can't be sure if it's since i've been wearing more clothes for winter and covering up my phone affects the signal.

Looks to be. I think I looked at it once before, but I already upload my workouts to RunningAhead/Dailymile/Garmin Connect/Fitocracy and two local applications Ascent and Garmin Training Center. Don't think I can handle much more.

Week 3 of working with a coach and it is going well. Workouts have been extremely varied, so it keeps things interesting. 10K race this weekend and it makes me slightly sick to my stomach that my goal pace is going to be 7:15 to 7:20 pace. My 8K several weeks ago was at 7:14 pace, but it was... difficult. Theoretically I should be able to hold it though.

Had a good weekend, ran both Saturday and Sunday, about five miles each day. I'm doing this half-mara with my brother, nice surprise to find myself fitter than him when we trained at the weekend as he's traditionally been way more active than me. After one training session already it's become competitive in a fun way.

i ran past this house today and in the driveway was was an ol basset hound dog half heartedly barking at me and wagging his tail, i gave him a lil hey buddy and continued on, then like fifty yards later i hear the tell tale jingling of metal tags and sure enough bro dawg is following me, i stopped and told him to go home but he just started jumping around and barking excitedly like lets go man come on, i was like okay they have this big field next to their house maybe hell stop once we get to the edge of his territory, but he did not, he was so ready to go on an adventure, i turned around and he followed me back to his house where i watched a kid in a boy scout uniform try to chase him down for five minutes before his mother gave him an open face peanut butter sandwich to lure the dog in with, even that took a while, he did not want to give in, felt bad for the lil dude he just wanted to party, im sure he doesnt get walked enough, his name is flash

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/basset-hounds-running

thats what it was like! i would be lying if i said i didnt consider running all the way home with him then driving him back, such a spirited fellow

-So the 5K I ran last month, I thought I got 5th in my age group, but I got an email from the race director and I actually go 3rd, so I won an award! A little tiny medal.

-PR'ed in a 10K race yesterday. 44:55, 7:10 faster than my last 10K (2.5 years ago). Was sort of shocked how easy it felt. Got 19th place overall, out of 706 runners. Also shocking, the best I've ever placed overall in a race. Only got 5th in my age group though.

-Half marathon in 2 weeks.

Are you chalking those fast times up to your coach? Very cool either way.

Not yet, since its only been 3 weeks now. He's had me do a lot more speed work though, so my confidence that I can maintain those speeds is going up. So far so good.

Took the last 8 days off due to travels and it just seemed like a good idea to rest my legs, then went out this morn at about 6. It was super dark due to fog, and I'm running thru rock creek park in DC. All of a sudden i feel a sudden and solid scratch on my head, thru my baseball hat. Turn around and a big-ass owl (I think, i really only saw a silhouette) is flying away. It came back and got me again about 1 min later, then I was completely spooked and ran like heck to get away. Birds creep me out.

Owls will do that. Fuckers. In Chicago we have Red-winged Black Birds that attack during their nesting season, all along the lakefront path.

hah owl awesome

Did I post this pic her yet? New kicks.

http://media.dailymile.com/photos/581515/72650364cf0b1232b8e9caa30deeee3c.jpg

Brooks PureFlow 2 and Asics Gel Lyte 33's.

man i havent bought new shoes in so long

well new running shoes

have mostly been avoiding this thread of late due to a bad conscience. didn't really get much running done during november and december, somehow i managed to keep up my peak biscuit intake though, so i'm not feeling as trim as i could be. need to get back into RIGHT NOW, have long been planning on doing the brighton marathon in mid april. amazing how these things creep up on you, cos the last time i really thought about it i still had ages to prepare. plan is to clock up as many 40-60 mile weeks as possible, be nice to do 8 or 9 of those. focus will be on the long sunday run, but what i also really want to manage to do this time is get in a regular midweek 8-12 mile run and run it at about 30 secs per mile faster than my marathon pace. i think it's really my speed endurance that is holding me back, cos i can plod on and on for ages or otoh run relatively fast over shorter distances, but i'm really out of practice at keeping a good speed up over a sustained period. other priority is MORE SLEEP, but getting to bed early is something i find almost impossible to do

new shoes here too btw, picked up a couple of different pairs of asics 33 range things, can't remember what, but they were in the sales and looking at them you can see why they were reduced cos they're both absolutely hideous to look at, very fluorescent, bright greeny yellow, and i sort of love them. previous shoes were also asics 33 something-or-other which i found to work really well for me in terms of both comfort and injury-free running. have been really concentrating on good forefoot striking running form and its been gratifying to see that all the wear on the tread was on the front portion of the shoe. my one gripe with them is that they didn't really last very long - my big toes wore through the upper and the soles have started to become unglued and they now flop about. had them for about six months so they prob needed changing anyway, but normally my shoes go on forever without actually physically disintegrating.