ILX running running thread

today was the first day i had to run in the gym, but when i am outside i try to set a goal in the distance and then tell myself that i CANNOT STOP until that stop sign way up there. it helps that i live right by the lake and have lots of different routes if i so please. i also keep track of the minutes i have been running using my ipod and whatever song is playing.

"also, have tried harrassing a number of ppl into being my running buddy, none were interested."

Get a dog!

Note: don't get a pug.

my dog is so fucking lazy, I couldn't even walk her half the distance I run without having to drag her the second half.

Get a less lazy dog!

my dog is going to be a great running partner as soon as i can run as long as he can. until then, i have to focus on my improvement. soon he will come along.

I wd recommend the pdf I posted earlier La Lechera

ok i will dl and read it

Ok, since I last posted:

Ran the Elvis is Alive 5k a week and a half ago. Finished in something like 28 minutes, which wasn't bad for a few thousand people trying to run on the lake front path. I spent most of my time dodging other people. So many people dressed up as Elvis were faster than me though.

Got new custom orthotics. Just comparing them to my old ones shows how much they had broken down, I'm glad I finally got new ones. Since my insurance covers them completely, I just be getting a new pair every year.

Got new shoes tonight. I tried on six different pairs, but settled on the Adidas Adistar Ride. I liked them because there were more form fitting, but still had a lot of cushioning. I hate for my foot to move around in a shoe. And hopefully the extra cushioning will keep my knee probably away.

Regarding running form, it is something I had to work on a lot. When I first started running, my feet were hitting the ground hard. It was almost like I was stomping down the street. I have to focus striking first with the heel then rolling down to the ball of my foot. It's slower to run that way but it is easier on my feet, knees, and hips.

Since I seem to be running about the same speed all the time, I'm going to try a practice 5K, but after every mile, walk one full minute. I'm curious to see how that affects my time.

My knee injury seems to be under control now I switched to running on the flat (doing laps around a lake). I did 10 miles (my longest ever) at a slow pace yesterday without any pain at all, and a fast 5k today. I think I will try to build up distance and pace this way before I have another go at hills. Maybe the Chi running book will inform me about form for hill-running, thanks for posting.

and after three weeks, i can run for 8 min straight without stopping or walking. AGAIN i realize this is a meager accomplishment for many of you, but for me it's progress.

when i first started running regularly i remember being fucking thrilled at something like this - well done, keep going, it gets better &c

when i am outside i try to set a goal in the distance and then tell myself that i CANNOT STOP until that stop sign way up there

yup this was v effective for me too - once i reached the sign i always had a random burst of relaxed energy and found i could keep going for a bit more, which felt great.

just had a good run, later in the day than i'd planned so had to deal with far too many ill-mannered walkers/cyclists on the towpath. worst was a cyclist behind me on a narrow bit of the towpath - there was another runner coming towards us so i went to one side, he went to the other; instead of slowing for the two seconds it would take to pass each other, the woman on the bike barrelled STRAIGHT INTO HIM without even trying to slow down, like literally knocked him down. wanted to shout "cunt" after her but too out of breath :(

a few minutes later some dude who was just walking along started randomly running alongside me, keeping pace even when i tried to speed up to get away from him - it was so weird. told him to fuck off.

god, people.

wow that sounds like a horrible run

haha in terms of actual running it was ok, kept a good pace up and did the full distance i usually do - maybe all the ill-mannered dalstonites took my mind off the effort!

honestly i just don't get why people act that way though...towpath etiquette is neither complicated nor arduous.

Quick 2 miles today, first time in new shoes and new orthotics. 7:48 the first mile, rested for about a minute and a half, then slowed down to 8:58 the second mile. It's hotter out there than I expected.

just started running, fed up with being pudgy and generally unwell. four miles, every other morning before work - taking an even 45 minutes right now, but it's only been a fortnight.

turns out it's quite rewarding, mentally speaking, although my body is more uh sore than lithe. your quick results, give them to me!

i have to say that once you get to the point where you're not in horrific pain for a day after you go running, it does start to make you feel amazing.

yeah, i'm looking forward to that. Fuckin' knee.

also, highly addictive, I can't go tonight and I feel all wrong about it, can't wait to go tomorrow morning.

You're damn right about the addictiveness. Have got to the point (once again, after a long lay off) where I'm running almost every day and totally looking forward to it beforehand. Have been here before though and this is normally the stage where I overdo it and either get injured or ill, so I'm trying to go steady.

yeah, when I started this I ran every day for two weeks and my knee couldn't take it first off.

Ran 2 miles again yesterday. And I ran it in EXACTLY the same time, 16:41. How frustrating, you think I could have pushed for at least a second improvement. We'll see what I can do today.

It was a different route too, so it's not like I ran the same time on the same path.

2 miles yesterday and 3.8 today. That's 4 days in a row that I've ran, which is probably my best streak in quite a while. Also, I noticed that I've run more miles in 2009 than I did in 2008.

Also, I ran my first mile in 7:27 today, which is the fastest mile I've ran since June 08.

Went out for a long one today. Kept it slow, just wanted to cover some miles. I live half the way up a horrible hill, and if you want to get out into the countryside, you basically have to keep going up the hill for about a mile right at the start of your run. It's always an off-putting prospect, but it's good in a way, cos it makes you start off really conservatively. You just try and relax and pay out your energy slowly otherwise you're going to gasping for breath after just a couple of minutes. Was out for 1 hr 45 mins, brain totally tuned out, listened to a couple of albums on my iPod, no-one else around but me and the rabbits.

i have tentatively decided to try out la lechera's week by week thing starting this monday because i think if i don't make myself stick to some sort of plan i will think about running a lot more than actually running. i need different shoes, for sure, but i can get away with the ones i have while doing the 1 min run 2 min walk thing right?

Yeah, if they're comfortable enough to walk a decent distance in, they'll probably be fine for short runs.

sept 1 is doctor visit; I'm real uncomfortable about all this.

I was planning on getting up early to run this morning, but I just couldn't move. I'll try tonight. It will be my 5th day in a row. I'm actually surprised I haven't injured myself again.

hey guys guess what -- today i ran for 15 min straight! i never would have thought this was possible.

tehresa -- it did get easier when i got better shoes, but the first week was fine with my old shoes. i seriously cannot believe that i actually enjoy running. as it turns out, the better i get at it, the better i like it. btw i looked at that pdf book but tl;dr unfortunately.

brain totally tuned out, listened to a couple of albums on my iPod, no-one else around but me and the rabbits.
this sounds dreamy, except running for almost two hours would probably put me into the hospital.

wow, that's awesome! how long did you say you have been at it?

i survived the 1 min run 2 min walk x 10 (or maybe 11 bc i lost count at the end so i threw in an extra set just in case i was only at 9 instead of 10). it really wasn't that bad! we'll see if i feel the same way on wednesday, but by the end i felt like the min of running was going by quickly and the walking was taking forever. seems like this technique of not running until you are totally spent and instead stopping, regrouping, and going again is more encouraging than the former approach.

i think i also just generally do a lot better with a plan/structure than trying to guess at it.

Figgester, how far did you get in 15 min?

tehresa -- i've been at it for 4 weeks. no signs of giving up yet.

jeff -- not sure, because i'm not measuring distance, but i do know this: what used to take me 30 min has had to be expanded. i think i went from my apt to the bottom of loyola beach (pratt/sheridan) in the 15 min, maybe a couple of blocks further. i'm guessing it was about a mile? slow and steady, that's me.

yeah that's right, a 15 minute mile. but i ran a mile! i have never done that before in my life without walking for at least a little and/or feeling like i was gonna die. in gradeschool i was an active (even hyperactive) skinny kid, but when it came time for the mile run (presidential fitness) i always got a cramp, gave up, and walked. redeemed!

ha, pratt/sheridan = my home, 2000 AD

2.5 more miles today. That's 5 days in a row. Tomorrow is my day off.

Four miles today, after my day off. Not bad. I felt like I had gas in the tank when I quit too, which bodes well for running tomorrow.

hooray i conquered day two of this thing, which was somewhat of an achievement after training session/abs/cardio earlier today (i screwed up my scheduling!). i feel good. might die tomorrow. we shall see!

I'm surprised how much my stamina has increased. I ran another 4 miles today in just over 35 minutes. Two weeks ago there is no way I could have done that.

Also surprising, my favorite song for running is Tokyo by The Books.

Starting up again after the field season, when i seriously reduced distance for the first month and then just didn't run at all for the second...i'm nowhere NEAR where i was in June, and just moved to a new city without any routes i actually enjoy yet (it's very flat and gridded, which i hate, so i'm pessimistic). it'll get better eventually, it always does....

Also surprising, my favorite song for running is Tokyo by The Books.

Never really listened to the Books, though things I've read have always sounded interesting. Have just recently been listening to lots of ambient stuff while running, nice to let my brain just drift off rather than be driven along on by beats. Am totally into going really slowly at the moment though, wanna keep building distance.

Four more miles today. That seems like my distance.

have just devloped a few new routes that incorporate about a half mile of running on railroad ties. keep it lively

i feel like i am getting better at this. today i threw in some small hills and stairs.

and then i lolled when the last song the genius gave me was
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKCuMy6JffY

because i took 'ankle injuries' out of the gym list since i thought it would be bad luck.

haha! uh oh.

but i am going to use it as a sign to go get new shoes :)

I ran 10 miles today, which is certainly the longest distance I have ever ran in my life. I really should have stopped at 8, but I was feeling good and wanted to see if I could hit 10. Just after that I slowed waaaay down:

1: 8:43
2: 9:38
3: 9:58
4: 9:42
5: 9:46
6: 9:53
7: 9:31
8: 9:50
9: 10:12
10: 11:16

Basically just shuffling my feet for the last mile, my knees were starting to ache.

Hey, nice work Jeff! Have a rest tomorrow eh?