ILX running running thread

Ran today for the first time in 17 days. It was pretty miserable. I hate running in this weather, I'd rather run in 95 degree heat.

Regardless, 2.89 miles. First mile at 7:56, then slowing down to 10 min because I was miserable.

I think I'm finally over the two week period of low stamina and shin splints I get when I start running more every spring! I hadn't run since Sunday due to weather and working late, but today I ran about 4 miles in 40 minutes comfortably, so that puts me back at my normal base level. Now the only thing between me and faster, longer runs is making time for them, which is always a little tricky.

Definitely should do intervals and shorter, faster runs more, they do help a lot with speed (and if it's true that they speed up your metabolism more, that'd be nice too). The problem is that I really, really hate them! It's so much more pleasant to go slowly and enjoy the scenery.

i am just starting to commit to running several days a week seriously, but because i have never run regularly before, 2 miles in 22 minutes on a treadmill w/ 1.5 incline leaves me completely winded. some good advice tho on this thread, i hope to improve (first step: buy sneakers that hurt less, agh)

music seems as much an impediment as a motivator - if i play things with heavy beats i end up matching my running to the BPM of the music but i feel this might have some kind of deleterious effect in the long run (it def. results in my run subconsciously resulting in more of a stomp, which can't be good for my feet)

but at the same time i really do not want to work out to "poker face", now or ever

also i've always purposely avoided caffeine before a run because i assumed it would dehydrate me -> make muscles more tired. i didn't have any before i biked the bridge today and i was grunting and puffing before i'd even gotten to the bridge entrance, so i'm definitely going to try this now

is there a walking thread?

i was doing a good job, then stopped completely for the past 3 weeks, and now i'm doing that thing where i can't start again

i went today, around the lake. sorta dragged ass, but i hadn't had much to eat. my roommate is training for a half-marathon and it's making me feel bad about myself

also btw caffeine isn't really ~that~ much of a diuretic

It's still too cold. I look at the 15 day forecast every morning. Watching. Hoping.

i gave up on half-marathon. not gonna be ready. i suck :(

what the hell dude it's in the mid-60s up here

it's just damp here, like 46º. probably tomorrow i'll be like it's too nice out i'll go tomorrow

Is this an organized 5K, or just your own thing? That seems like a lot for an initial foray.

it was an organized thing that i didn't do. i did run a couple miles over the weekend and my legs were pretty sore on monday (did a fair amount of biking too, i guess i got a little too excited about the sun being out). looking forward to getting my summer legs in working order.

I just ran this. I cooled down the last bit, so the run was just over 2 miles. It felt more, but at the same time it felt good and I could have gone longer. It was a lovely sunset and I saw lots of things.

I'm very happy that I did not succumb to the couch, which is happened last time and what I felt coming on this time.

went out today and yesterday - only ran a couple times the ten days or so as ive been moderately to vaguely sick but my strength is returning - did a mile jog then 2 of intervals and some weights and core strengthening when i got home - next week i think ill be back on the yoga/running cycle - and u know what i think would be sweet to add once i get in a little better shape - plyometrics! why i dunno novelty

yoga running schedule sound good, ima try tht

hey guys. i'm thinking about giving this a try, though aside from trailing the packing during laps in high school sports practice, i've never been much of a runner at all. i've been working on cardio -- elliptical & arctrainer machines @ the gym so i'm not hopeless. however, i now live a block away from a beautiful park about a half mile or so in circumference, and spring is upon us, and i want to get in fighting shape for lol kickball season. so.

any advice for a former chub scout whose knees are maybe not the best? or maybe encouragement, in addition to advice?

Go for it! Just take it a little at a time! Move into action, you'll get so much more! Go for it! Go for it!! Go for it now!!!

Yeah, just hit the park and have fun with it. Wear decent running shoes so you don't kill your knees. It'll take a couple of runs for you to settle into your pace, run at a pace that feels comfortable for you -- pay no attention at first to the other runners in the park who may be slower/faster than you.

yeah just ease into it - itll be tough and somewhat horrible at first but youll get a flow in no time and start enjoying it - one thing ive always found v helpful is to complete the distance i set out to even if it means walking part of it - often ill feel totally gassed and decide to walk out the rest then once i catch my breath find that ive got more juice left and start running again

thanks guys! :D

often ill feel totally gassed and decide to walk out the rest then once i catch my breath find that ive got more juice left and start running again

yeah i've found recently that i can basically double the distance i run b/c of this. also, when you find yourself really struggling, esp towards the end, set a point at which it's acceptable to stop - like, you won't feel like you gave up or anything - often the psychological relief of reaching that bridge/gate/whatever is so great that i can keep on going even further. you have to play these mind games w/yourself, i've found.

yeh thats part of the reason i pretty much prefer intervals because u get to take breaks - also they are imo fyi way more invigorating than a steady running

2.34 miles today, averging 9:01

5K
27:14

Then I walked .5 and jogged another .5

All of this after eating Arby's.

(.5 miles, I meant)

OK, today was my practice for the 5K on Sunday. So 3.10 miles in 28:29. 1st mile = 8:35, 2nd mile = 9:29, 3rd mile = 9:43, .10 mile = 42 seconds. Despite slowing down, I felt like I was keeping more of a consistent pace, which felt good. I would be extremely happy if I can hit that time on Sunday.

I decided today that I hate running and I'm never going to like it. I just like the resulting data set.

Funnily enough I decided this week that I hate running and am giving it up after the 5k in July.

i hate it too but i quit all the time and that just makes it worse. i just do it because i have to do something. i'm not really good at "sports."

Actually I don't hate it. I just wish my schedule was such that I could do it more often. Then it might become tolerable.

Even though I hated every step, today's 5K was pretty good. I didn't expect to break 28 minutes, but official time was 27:45. My Garmin clocked it at 27:35. I stopped for 16 seconds at the halfway point to drink some Gatorade. Sprinted the last .3 mile.

skipped a 5k today cuz i was too tired/hungover. one of my goals for the summer is a sub-24 minute 5k, though ive done nothing new to reach this and basically ALWAYS run 5k's in like 24:20 ~~ i guess :20 seconds isnt that tough an obtacle tho

had a great running week last week. inauspicious start on tuesday, when i tried to run my normal distance but got awful stitches TWICE - it was unexpectedly hot and i think i failed to hydrate properly. thursday, i ran 6 miles! my furthest distance ever! and it felt GOOD all the way. so much so that i decided to run off my hangover on friday - this would've been a totally insane concept six months ago - and did pretty good.

(all in 45mins-1hr, i don't keep strict track of anything)

i like running - been playing basketball mostly tho

JESSE K*** Time: 32:23 Pace: 10:26
Not fast, but better than I expected. I put myself in the 11:00/mile group b/c I was tired and I had a touch of GI distress. I ran the whole time, which is great.

Ha, I lined up with the 7 min a mile people. I did run the first mile in 7:44, but the was consistently passed the rest of the race.

I almost didn't run today out of laziness...and then...I ran!

I've been running across Golden Gate Park and back, 3 miles + 3 miles. I started out just running one way and walking back, then worked my way up to the full 6 miles. Never been able to do these kinda distances before in my life, so I'm pretty content.

http://pitchfork.com/news/35191-de-la-soul-prep-nike-running-mix/

started today. ran a total distance of about 1.75 mi in half- and quarter-mile intervals, mixed with about the same distance of walking. gonna take a while to get the endurance up but hey, it's a start.

So I've taken up running. It's only been a couple weeks. Right now is usually where I'd start to fear getting tired and slacking off on exercise, but I actually wake up early every morning excited to go out and run. In fact, I know I should take a day off and let my legs rest a little -- I also walk about four miles a day, to and from work -- but I keep putting it off, because I always want to go run.

I'm frustrated with my leg muscles, though. The first week was mostly about getting my cardiovascular system up to the challenge, just getting to the point where I could run over a mile without panting. Now my heart and lungs can keep up just fine, but by the time I start getting up toward two miles, my legs start giving out. Which is too bad, because I have to go home still feeling energetic, like I haven't really gotten a full workout. Hopefully the muscles will catch up soon.

Re: doing intervals of running and walking, it seems like this is demonstrably better for you, and more efficient in just about every way. Runner's World suggests starting out by doing 30-minute stretches -- first you alternate between 1 minute running and 1 minute walking, then gradually increase the running intervals until they're the full 30 minutes. I know I should do it this way, but a lot of the enjoyment and motivation I'm getting out of this has to do with seeing how much farther I can get each day, and I also don't trust myself not to cheat on intervals; I think I'd start doing all kinds of rationalizing and bargaining about why I can stop early or extend a walking bit.

even though i never approached it this way consciously, i think i was in the best shape was i did a lot of trail running that involved long stretches of walking. like, if it got so steep or rocky that running wasn't an option, or if i just got super tired.

you should probs take rest day, nabisco, if you're really out there seven days a week.

i'm doing about 4 miles every other day, w/probably about 3 miles running and 1 mile walking. it's basically stretching, then walking, then running, then a little walking, then a lot of running, then twenty second walk, then another mile of running. works out well for me.

xpost - I know, I'm just bummed about having to skip a run. Maybe I just need to focus on how much better it'll be the day after a rest.

BTW, I've been reading Haruki Murakami's little running book, since I've had running on the brain anyway. Dude has run a 62-mile ultramarathon. Pretty much twelve hours of straight running.

I am also going to leave a quick list here of reasons I like exercising/running every morning, so I can be shamed/reminded months from now if I ever drop off:

- awesome feeling of accomplishment, even after a short, crappy run
- higher energy level all day
- slight tiredness/soreness makes it easier to sit calmly and concentrate on things like writing
- mindset during running seems to help with concentration in general
- experiencing real physical tiredness at bedtime, the good kind
- body has better appetite, for healthier food, in healthier amounts; water intake has also shot up
- markedly positive effect on digestive system even apart from changed diet
- sudden ability during everyday activities to do something like sprint across an intersection without even feeling it

I haven't run since that last 5K I did. I don't know what happened. Actually, I do; I had to finish up a school project and then Chicago weather became infuriating. It's June, just stay warm.

When I'm in a groove, I don't like stopping or skipping days either. Back when I would run the most, I would go 8 miles and then realize for the last half hour I couldn't feel my left foot.

nabisco OTM! I went for a forty minute jog today, felt so lovely. It's a big muggy this week, though. I prefer running in our very big state park because it's fun getting lost.

yea all those observations are so on the $. many of those i can still get by running in the late afternoon (like i feel more alert, smart, personable if i go out for drinks later) but i do wish i could make myself run in the a.m. altho 4 it to work, id have to get up at like 5

h8 running in the morning

me too. i'm so stiff and slow in the morning.

a couple weeks ago i hit my long-term goal of being able to run 10 miles! it is exciting, i feel accomplished!

i've also been trying to run 25+ miles a week, but instead I've been doing a very unbalanced-feeling 5-5-10 or 2-3-5-10 schedule thanks to lots of travel and a little soreness keeping me from running as much as I'd like. i'm a little horrified that in july and august i'll be losing a lot of this progress because i'll be doing fieldwork and, if last summer is anything to go by, i'll quite literally not have time to fit in more than about 10 miles a week.

- slight tiredness/soreness makes it easier to sit calmly and concentrate on things like writing

^^^ very underrated side benefit from running (at any hour, not just in the morning)