ILX running running thread

I forgot I started this thread.

Jesse, let's run today. We'll race.

I won't run unless I can track it somehow. Currently I use the Garmin Forerunner 305, but I'm jealous of the smaller 405 these days.

Having said that, I haven't run since 1/4/09 when I ran 2 miles in 19:21. I was so dissapointed in myself I haven't done anything since then. Plus it's been too damn cold.

I have only really done any serious running on the treadmill and I will not be racing you. I will run w/ you, though not today.

OK, I ran. 2.35 miles in 22:21. It was pretty miserable. I think I need to go to an ENT before I do that again.

I want to start running. I'm afraid I'll be one of those guys that gets a heart attack immediately. Oh well. Where to start? There's a gym down the block from me that's only $5 a day. Should I be intimidated by the 'gym people?' Just bought an iPod shuffle. There are lots of nice places to run outdoors here too. Is the 'runner's high' real? Help me get started!

i think the best thing is to just make a start. and don't feel bad if you go slow! i agree with that person up there that said just keep going as far as you can, even if it's just a shuffle.

I've heard this site/program is good for starting out: http://www.c25k.com/

No need to be intimidated by the gym people - they are just there doing their thing and you don't need to worry about being judged. If you're going to run on a treadmill (which I think is good to do sometimes to get realistic assessments of progress, as discussed above) getting an employee to show you how it works could set your mind at ease. They're pretty straightforward, but still.

Also what gem said - just do what you can to begin and if you keep it up, you will be fine. Following a program would be a great idea.

I don't know about runner's high - can anyone speak to that? I've heard that it's the rush of endorphins you get at some point during a hard run, but I don't know if I've ever experienced it.

i did the couch to 5k--didnt get up to 5k but i was doing 2 miles in around 20-25 minutes when i stopped (which is a HUGE accomplishment for someone like me). i think its helpful for the kind of person (like me) who needs concrete goals, times, distances, etc. in order to feel and measure progress. without it i would end up spending a week just sort of running for half an hour at a time and abandoning it because there was no structure. once you complete the c25k you can just go out there and start doing 3 mile runs or whatever. i should take it up again really.

i haven't gotten it recently but i did sometimes get runners high when i was in better shape, like when i was 19. i think you would know if you got it though. it feels like you don't have to try and you could keep going forever, not like the struggle it normally feels like. cruisin'

I have gotten that sort of feeling. I just thought it was supposed to be some sort of euphoria. Maybe my standards for euphoria are too ambitious.

lol people who tell u runners high is like ecstasy are people who have never done ecstasy--its more like "being in a good mood"

yeah

i try to do btwn 3-5 miles every other day & basically track totals by month which helps a lot w/ the structure and measuring aspect

No runner's high for me. It is miserable every single step.

Every winter gets me totally out of the routine and out of shape, but I'm getting started again since the time change, and since the sidewalks haven't been iced over for a couple of weeks. (I know some people get out of bed an hour earlier to go running in the cold just before sunrise, but...no, I run because I *like* it). Right now I'm only running about 3 miles a couple times a week, and I'd like to work up to more regularly running 5 miles again, hopefully approaching 10 in the summer.

I don't think I've experienced runner's high, which I've always thought is because I like to fall into a comfortable groove that I can keep up for a long time, instead of pushing myself so hard I break through some kind of crazy physical barrier...but if it's more "cruising" and less "euphoria", maybe I have!

If what I've experienced is a runner's high, and if that experience is what others consider euphoria, then I pity those people.

I ran 2 miles today in 18 minutes, which is Very Good.

i dunno it's kind of like you feel a switch go off, i really think you would know

also do you guys run in the morning? i can't do it, i always feel so stiff and tired, and if i plan to wake up earlier to run i just end up going back to bed. i'd like to do it in the morning just to get it done but i'm wimpy.

I don't even go back to bed, I can't get out of it in the first place. I ran in the morning when I first started, but I didn't need to be at work very early then, so it was easier.

I don't think I've experienced runner's high, which I've always thought is because I like to fall into a comfortable groove that I can keep up for a long time, instead of pushing myself so hard I break through some kind of crazy physical barrier...but if it's more "cruising" and less "euphoria", maybe I have!

this goes for me the exact same.

i only run in the morning... by the end of the day my energy levels are good enough to cycle home, but not really high enough for a run

yeah i don't mean i run and then get back into bed, i think i meant i go back to sleep and never get out of bed. i guess i'm a morning person but if i don't need to be somewhere i'm just going to sleep. i just need to do it and get used to it but it's easier said than done. thinking about summer though, if it's 95º during the day i should make myself run at 6 am when it's high 70s instead, or else i'll have to wait until it's dark out which is not always the best idea.

Jesse, when are you going to start running outside? I can't do the treadmill, I like running outside too much. I like the heat (whenever it gets here) and the lakefront views. And taking a break at the zoo.

I can't get up early to run, because I already get up at 5:30 to try and get into work by 7:00 am. To get up early would just give me so little sleep I wouldn't be able to run or work. Then I sometimes I don't leave work till 6:30 or 7:00 pm, so it's hard to get the energy to run at night either. I can't run at lunch because I don't have time and normally eat at my desk. So it's mostly weekends for me at this point. Not good for building up stamina.

I should get these today. I'm pretty excited, I'm tired of the wires of my current headphones bouncing everywhere.

I'm going to start when it gets a little warmer and isn't raining. This summer I plan not to wuss out and run indoors when it gets hot like I did last summer.

Those headphones seem pretty cool, but I do a lot of fiddling w/ volume, tracks, etc., so that might be limiting. Wires are the bane of my existence though.

I usually run in the evening right after work. For the past many days I have set my alarm so that I would get up and run in the morning, but I've been hitting snooze. When it gets lovely out I'm going to ride my bike to work which will be a nice change.

Oh, Jeff - why do you have to go to ENT? I'm assuming that means ear-nose-throat.

I prefer to run in the evenings, after work (or after sundown on weekends). I got used to this schedule because I found that during summertime, it was simply too hot to run during the day.

Yeah, figuring out timing is tricky. During the winter, it's too cold to run until the evening, whereas during the summer, early mornings is best (this is NYC). Combined with a job...weekends are the only easy time.

On the runner's high thing: I never feel that euphoric. The two types for me are the cruising feeling when it feels like running is no effort, that you're almost floating, and could go on forever (happens maybe every 5th run?), and the sense of immense well-bring after a run that lasts an hour or two. But no, not ecstasy-like at all.

I'm lucky enough to work a runable distance from home, so I can do it as my commute if I want. Saves lots of time.

Easiest runners high is got from a flat run with a nice tailwind behind you, sometimes you can stop trying and just float along. Is that cheating?

It's a great feeling. Cheating, yeah a little. Do you shower at work?

I have a feeling of great well-being after running too. It turns my mental state around, which is great if I'm depressed or just blah. The hard part is starting running when I'm feeling blah.

Having a shower at work is great. I'm lucky to have a full home-style bathroom at work, which is great for biking in. But I live about 8 miles from my work, so I probably will never run it.

yeah ive gotten to the point where i feel like crap if i DONT run for 3 or 4 days. right, then also i totally sleep and feel better after i've run or exercised in some way. i go late afternoons/early evenings usually

Running fixes drinking.

The two types for me are the cruising feeling when it feels like running is no effort, that you're almost floating, and could go on forever

yeah i get this too. they seem like they last for ages, then you come out of that state and realise it only lasted for 10 mins. agree about the state of well-being post-run though - it seems obvious but my head just feels so amazingly clear after even a 25-min run. i imagine it'll get better as i start running longer, which is great motivation.

i work from home, so i run during the day when no one's around - running at the weekend and having to constantly dodge other runners, cyclists, walkers who love to gawp at struggling runners, is hellish. the ideal is to do it first thing in the morning but i have to beware the procrastination trap and getting to 1pm without doing anything cuz i'm going for a run "in a minute".

used to run with headphones but they were too much of a distraction...running without music is really good actually, you can completely clear your head.

my sinuses can be an issue esp if it's a bit cold, a snotty nose really impedes your breathing but i don't want to be stopping to blow my nose all the time.

Yeah, the "floating" feeling is great, and it happens only every 4th or 5th run for me too. Another thing about the post-run "high" ... do you guys ever hit the pub after running? Not immediately afterward, of course, but after re-hydration, shower, food, etc. There's nothing like the taste of that first beer after a run. It's like the most refreshing drink ever.

Although maybe it's not healthy to drink too soon after running? I don't do it too often though ...

i love beer after a run because the alcohol hits you so fast and you can feel it in your extremities all tingly. maybe just me though.

after rehydrating and shower = don't really count this as after a run

Yeah, it's not exactly "after the run", but it's still during the period of "immense well-being" that paulhw talked about, the one that lasts for an hour or two.

In any case, the beer really does taste different in that situation, and that's what matters to me.

i used to run at least a few miles every day but now that i'm playing pickup basketball just about every day that's more than taken its place.

i love the post-run beer

Agreed. Cigarettes are great after a run, too, but I don't do that anymore.

hey does anyone else have problems with foot pain, plantar fasciitis?

love running but goddamn this constant pain is getting annoying. : (

I had a lot of trouble with my feet when I started running. First thing I did was get fitted properly for running shoes. However, I would get these stabbing sharp pains on the outside of my feet after runs that would last for 2 weeks. Turns out that it was peroneal tendinitis. I went to a podiatrist and got fitted for foot orthotics. It was the best thing I've every done for my active life, I haven't gotten that pain again and I'm generally pain free while running. However I do get some hip snapping on occasion, where the iliotibial tendon passes over the outside of the hip. It doesn't hurt, but it can be alarming. I get the occasional knee pain, but nothing too major.

Immediately after running I have this ravenous craving for a burger and beer.

Jesse, sign up for the Ravenswood Run 5K.

well, i guess i'll see how it goes.

i went to a good store, supposedly one of the "50 best running stores in america" according to some plaque they had. shoes were $112 after a big discount so they better be good.

if it keeps up i guess i will look into orthotics.

i get those pains occasionally...not every time, and not unbearable, but just pain on the inside of my left foot whenever i put weight on it for a few days after some runs. really should get fitted properly.

been running for a while but over the last few months got really into it going like 5-6 times a week but damn my legs got super tight n painful - stretched tons switched up my routine did intervals etc but i think thats just too much running for me so i took a week off and now imna dial it back to 2-3 runs a week 2 yogas - did yoga today was v nice - run tomorrow!

also will be warm enough for basketball soon so ill work that in somehow i dunno

I've never had beer after a run. I always crave cold skim milk, sometimes right after I get back, sometimes a couple hours later. It feels so nutritious, I don't know that I could substitute beer.

My body JUST noticed that I've been running more since we switched the clocks two weeks ago (I only run outdoors)...hello soreness! Tomorrow I'll stretch and take it easy. Looking forward to feeling much stronger and going farther in another couple weeks.

ive been thinking i should be stretching more. this is an off-day thing to do?

i've had some nagging knee pain beyond just your basic soreness/stiffness for a little while now. although it seemed to be worse in like october - feb and is now starting to feel a little better...do my knees have seasonal affect disorder?

think it could be some tendonitis just from describing symptoms to some friends so prob shd see a doctorb, eventually.

did 5 miles today in abt 42 mins on a treadmill + felt pretty good abt it. for me iced coffee hits the perfect spot afterwards

for the first week of my injury I also fast walked a mile and a half a day on crutches

Dear god in heaven I seriously cannot even fathom this. Even just about ten minutes of work with the PT when I was in the hospital (lap around the ortho floor, practicing stairs) was exhausting and left me with the most amazing core soreness--like, my ribs and obliques were just killed, not to mention my shoulders. I have a knee scooter now, which is much easier but also cumbersome to get around a very small house with lots of furniture.

My approach is usually to do nothing and just go into a deep depression, desperately hoping that I can eventually get back my fitness.

Yeah I'm afraid this will be me. Doesn't help that at 50 and perimenopausal, I'm already on the downward cliff of muscle mass and bone density.

I reached out to an aqua PT center (didn't even know there was one in town until I looked) and will plan to start there as soon as ortho says OK. In the meantime, he says three to six months before return to riding.

Thanks for the good wishes and for sharing injury experiences, it is helpful for sure.

For any beginning runners perusing this thread, I got the None to Run app and it has really worked well for me. It's an alternative version of the couch to 5k that ramps up more slowly and with a somewhat different strategy. It felt good to me to work through the weeks (3 runs per week) and see progress without it being overwhelming.

Left to my own devices, I just suck at sticking with running. I need someone to just tell me wtf to do and I'll do it.

I started the c25k thing this morning. It was hellish. I ride my bike a lot, so I thought I was in decent shape.

Nooooooope. Running felt kinda like being a big box of pots and pans rolling down a flight of stairs. Ordered some decent shoes. Will try it for a couple of weeks and see how it feels.

i think the c25k needs a week zero where you just walk around in the kit to get used to it all, work out places and times and how you're going to time the various bits.

Consider None to Run (N2R)—it was specifically developed for people who started C25K and found it discouraging at first. I was also a pretty fit person and found my first attempts at running were WTF this is so much harder than I thought!

I'm getting to grips with the fact that some runs will just feel awful for no discernible reason - though the cold i have at the moment certainly doesn't help. But how was the run i've just done 18 seconds faster per k than the one two days ago even though they felt equally awful?

I'm convinced that the both the feeling and the result of any individual run is completely subject to the whims of the Gods for any given day

It's a fun little part of getting into running: how will I feel today? Oh, terrible? Great!

17 years in, it never really gets better. It almost always sucks. But it sucks in a familiar and consistent way. Hey there old friend, nice to see you again. Let's suffer together for a few hours.

cool, i'm glad i picked such an uplifting new (er sort of) hobby!

i've signed up for a half marathon in may. hope i get some less awful runs in before then.

I often think half-marathon is the best of all distances

If by best, you mean worst, maybe. It just hurts so bad. 10 mile hard tempo followed by a 5K race. But all distances are bad in their own special way.

I do love running though. It's an interesting relationship we have.

Running is sheer happiness. My body is letting me run so I'm getting my feelings back and a bit of ambition with spring around the corner and the first flowers in bloom on my running path today. Since I last posted here I did my 7.3K city run (fun, temperature was 2 degrees, decent time) and I've been running 2-3 times a week. The 9k that was my long train run is now the short one, and I'm starting to think of extending the new long one (I haven't measured it yet, something like 12k). I should start to time myself too. But right now, I'm just enjoying it.

Running IS fun! And if it isn’t, just chill and walk for a while. That has increasingly been my approach as I deal with aging and the increasing injuries that involves. It’s great to train and get faster but it’s also just nice to be outside, on one’s feet and moving.

Yeah half-marathon is pretty much perfect, up to 25 maybe 30 is fine, but after that I'd get bored I think. I don't have the patience for running about 3.5 hours for a full marathon. Maybe I'll still do one someday just for the sake of it.

Agreed. I'm thinking of signing up for the next half marathon in May, it will be the 10th anniversary of me running my first (and then I ran another directly after). It's a comfortable distance because it's long enough that time does not matter too much. I wouldn't be able not to set myself the objective to run faster than in 2014, although that might be a challenge, as the first half of my marathon was way faster than the second. It was a whole different race, going from blissful to "uh oh" at km 25 to horrible at km 32.

Trying to come up with pun type names for a team we're entering in a relay competition. Anyone got any suggestions?

Google suggests things like Scrambled Legs, Chafing the Dream etc

Code Brown

Shin Sprints
Plantar FASTiitis

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