amyneff

At the event a week and a half ago, they told us that registration for next year's race will be $145 for either the half or the full marathon; however, their web site says $135.

If you register by May 1, 2010 and use the code "OWNTHESTRIP", you will get a $10 discount off registration.

(Registration for the first 1,000 people to register on site at this year's race for next year was $95.)

Bedford Half Marathon, UK. 13th December, 2009
So this was a new experienc e for me -'Pacer!'

(Sorry LJ doesn't want to do 'cuts' at the moment? Go figure?!)

I was to go and pace my good friend Mr W around this course. He wanted a sub 1:40 time, which was do-able for me. As for him, well as a member of a decent running club, and a keen competitive runner it was on the cards -probably!

I stayed over night and had lots of fun with his 3 year old, ate lots of pasta the night before and generally enjoyed mesel.
The day dawned bright and early for pre-race breakfasts, and general coming rounds. The weather was 'fresh' to say the least. It were more than a little bit cool!

We set off for the car park to join the bus shuttle to near the start of the race. I kid you not, all a bit of an effort but ultimately sensible. Arriving in plenty of time I hit the portaloos, already a good queue building from the promised 2,000 runners that were expected. We were on our own at this race so we dumped bags in to the baggage area (very smooth and efficient) and clad in the customary pre race bin liners (it was cold!) we set off for the car park to warm up.

When I say 'warm-up' its more a figure of speech than an actual physical manifestation! Man it was cold. I'd already planned to race in gloves and hats with shorts and t-shirt, vest on. Glad I did. We soon warmed up, but, well as I said - IT WAS COLD!

The race plan went - Mad mile at the start, steady till mile 3, very steady and work hard at the hilly bit all the way till mile 9, then enjoy the downhill section and try for a final kick depending on how Mr W was feeling to the end.

The Mad Mile was just that! How people don't trip over and fall ALL the time at the start i do not know!
The steady to mile 3 was a bit rich, but he looked fine coping well with the sub 7:30 a mile pace; and in fact managing even quicker speeds.
The working hard up the hills was just that, steady and work for him. But with lots of cajouling, abuse and general helping along he did well!
The downhill section was EXCELLENT! Very quick, and lots of 'just let go' ('Luke!') relax and peg it down the hill. A slight shower at mile 9 was refreshing but not too bad and was quickly over.
From mile 12 the field started to really thin out and it was evident that we were doing well for time, and that people were finding a kick to the end. Not convinced that Mr W did. He was starting to tire at this point, but having ran amazingly a sub 1:40 was looking on the cards.
The last mile to the finish was hard work, but I tried to help, dropped right back and pushed, and helped in my own little way (read: 'shouted abuse a lot!' LOL!)
The run in to the finish was strong and we crossed the line in a new personal best for Mr W with 1:36.29. BRILLIANT!

Personally I finished feeling fresh, happy and well in control. It hadn't really stretched me too much, but that wasn't the point. The point was a new way to experience a race through beautiful wintery scenery with low lying Winter Sun at some points. Running down quiet little roads with bleak open farm fields on either side. The icing on the cake was his jubilation at acheiveing such a good time for himself and within his standing in his running club.

A cool race which I think I'll have a real run at next year!
And a few piccies...
I'm the guy in front with Mr W in the club vest..
waving at the official photographer within the last mile and a half! and even Mr W managed a wave!

A great race. Happy times!

Good morning runners! Here's the daily training thread! Today I'll be doing about seven miles on some trails at my park right after work, with some hill sprints after. So what is everyone else up to, training and otherwise? Question! What temperatures correlate to what types of running attire for you? Discuss... and HAPPY RUNNING!

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So. The treadmills are broken at the weight room at my appartment complex. Well, one of the three works but it doesn't make it easy for 2 roommates to go running together on them. So I ended up going 5 miles on the bike, 1 mile on the eliptical, and then I got a new PR of 7 min 15 sec for one mile on the treadmill. I was excited about that but I definitly had wheezing afterwards. I think part of it may be that I didn't really have a cooldown after that mile. And because it was the fastest mile I've ever run...yeah. I also lifted weights...but mostly just did the weights for my legs. It was a good workout overall though. A good variety.

And I tried out my new running shoes my mom bought me for christmas because my feet have been killing me lately and I took at least a week off from running. I never realized how expensive running is when you are supposed to replace your shoes at least every 450 miles you run and really more frequently than that. That's at least 3 shoes per year. I'm glad I went to the 3 rivers running company because I knew I was overpronated (despite having moderatly high arches) but I'm actually only overpronated in one leg and reglar pronated in the other. Weird but it explains why one foot has been killing me and the other hasn't really been bothering me. I push off hard with my big toe and that ball of my foot just on the right side. It's been bugging me ever since my second half marathon and that was a month ago now. I was pretty worried about my food since I've only been running for a year and don't knwo all the ends and outs about it. I mean, I just figured a person's feet really hurt after a mini marathon but when my friend said hers hardly hurt at all I knew that there was a problem.

I'm ITBS girl.

Yep, I christened myself that. Question for those of you coming back from an injury, especially ITBS. How often should I try to run to see if the ITBS has subsided?

I have taken six weeks off now, give or take, going to the gym instead of running. I miss running. I miss it terribly and want to get back into it. However, my ITBS flaired up ridiculously bad at my last half marathon in October and I'm scared. What kind of run should I do to assess accurately my recovery process? Should I try to run once a week to see if it's getting better?

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

I'd like to thank everyone for their kind words of encouragement on my earlier post. Today I went out there and tried again... this time on the road... and sad to say, I felt terrible. After a mile I was nauseous and felt like my first day ever ever running... at this point, I'm thinking I must be coming down with a tummy virus or something. Anyhow, I tried, walked for a bit, ran for a bit, got about 30-45 mins in and called it a day. Tomorrow I'll try again. On the brighter side... I did take advantage of the Garmin 305 offer on amazon! Hope everyone had a great day.
Mariana

I signed up for the inaugural LA County Half Marathon last month to get back on track after a slow running year (injury in March sidetracked me a lot!). I had a relatively short timeline in which to train, but I'm pretty quick at getting back up to an okay half marathon performance as long as I've been running at least 10 miles a week consistently. This was going to be the first race where I actually knew someone else who was running it too! My coworker, who got inspired by my running, was going to do it, and at the time I signed up, my old friend from elementary school was as well!

I was really looking forward to this race because it passed through some of my old high school cross country stomping grounds - a park where I'd gotten my best ever cross country PR (race completed with an EPIC bloody nose that showed up really well all over my white and lavender uniform)!

( Okay, okay, I'll cut to save your friends page! )

So, positive notes about how wonderfully the inaugural race was put on, as well as the well organized parking and race start:
- The mile markers were the most accurate I've encountered
- There were water/powerade stops where they said they'd be!
- There were bathrooms every mile, and since we were in the park, many of them were real flushing toilets. When those weren't available, there were portapotties with no lines!
- The course was clearly marked and every switch off had someone standing there making sure you went the right way.
- On some of the steeper downhills, with wet ground, there were volunteers standing there to warn you of slippery turns ahead. And med golf carts waiting nearby just in case!
- Signs for dips in the road, etc. were out for the bike tour people who'd started before us!

It really was a lovely run. Once I got over my initial disappointment, I loved it! I will definitely be doing this one next year!

Total ascent/descent: 2500 ft. My splits were in the 8:50-9:10 range until mile 9 where the leg acted up and I started getting above 10 minute miles. Average pace 9:42.

Good morning runners! Here's the daily training thread!

I'm pretty exhausted today. Not from getting my butt kicked bowling with hbfs, jakshadows, & perfectstormpsu, but from not getting anywhere close to a full night of sleep since about December 4th. So I'm headed to get something to eat, then probably a bit of a nap. This afternoon hbfs are headed to Valley Forge to run some hills for about an hour again. Might also lift again, I realized I missed that more than I thought yesterday.

So what is everyone else up to today, training and otherwise?

Question! Tell me about your most interesting/fun/exciting/adventurous date experience.



Discuss... and HAPPY RUNNING!

Before I started running, it took me somewhere between two and three weeks to get rid of a cold once I caught it.

For the past year or so, I have not only not caught as many colds, but it takes me only three or four days to get rid of one.

I don't know whether running itself has improved my resistance, or whether it's my mental attitude of wanting to get rid of it so I can get back to running.

So...
I have big plans for myself for the upcoming year... I have signed up to run my first marathon on february 21st, but time and low motivation has put a damper on my training. I work nights and my schedule is a little insane. I haven't had a real long run since november 14th after my first half-marathon. Now I'm psyching myself out because I simply don't think I'll see the finish line at the pace I'm going. I got up today and tried to get my game back on, after only doing a 6 mile run the previous week. Let me tell you folks... it sucked! I got on the treadmill and just felt like absolute hell. Palpitations, cold sweats and after ten minutes I gave up... Not really sure what happened, but I truly felt awful, not your normal "sucky run" of the day, but simply said... like hell, sickly. Tomorrow I'm going to try again. Start up with a lite warm up on the elliptical and see where it takes me. My only hope is to stay focused on my goal and complete that race. I hope everyone is doing well... I just needed to do a little venting. Happy running!
Mariana

So. I've been dealing with a bit of an injury...the ball of my right food started giving me a stabbing-like pain a few weeks ago.

I eased off the Vibrams and my minimalist shoes (Adidas Adizero Ace), as those seemed to be problematic, and started running solely in my heavy Asics trainers. The pain continued. I kept running, but I was concerned about my foot, especially because the pain never seemed to go away (it never got worse though), but it seemed to be the worst after long runs when I'd walk barefoot towards the shower afterwards.

I started researching the cause of this pain. The best I could come up with was either 1) a neuroma, or 2) a stress fracture (or pre-stress fracture) in my second metatarsal. I was just about to zip over to the running store for a pair of special metatarsal inserts when I discovered the cause of the pain...

( here's what I figured out today )

Can I just say how much I DESPISE the effing treadmill???

I just started running September of this year and until about 6 weeks ago I was strictly treadmill running.

The transition from running on the treadmill to running outside was hard the first two weeks. I had myself tricked into thinking I was a better runner then I was.

The past couple weeks, I have been retreating inside to the treadmill when it snowed. Typical runs for me up til this point were 5 to 6 miles. Yeah, my first treadmill run I set out for 5 or 6, and stopped at 3 out of sheer boredom.

Today was my 3rd time retreating inside to the devil mill, not so much because of the snow, but because of stupid finals not allowing me to get out til dark had already snuck in. I set out for my final long run before my first race ever, a 10k this saturday . Umm yeah. My 8 miles sadly turned into 4.

I seriously do not lknow what it is, but I can't run on that stupid treadmill anymore. I wish I had more will power to push through those hard long boring minutes, but I admit. The treadmill won again.

Here's the best news. Were supposed to get 6 inches of snow tonight, and tomorrow I will be forcing myself out in it just to prove to myself I can and will run 8 mother effing miles.

I have only ran in the snow one other time and it was miserable, so any tips would be gladly appreciated. Mostly I felt like I was going to slip and fall, and the lovely city of boise does not feel the need to clear snow whatsoever.

I now have a pair of Asics Gel Nimbus 11 and a pair of Asics Gell Speed Star 3 shoes. I plan to run in the Speed Stars for my speed work, some of my long-distance runs, and in races, and wear the Nimbuses for the rest of my runs.

Does that sound reasonable?

-- Michelle

More cross training advice needed!!!

So, I've been kind of a slacker with my cross training. I do it, but I know I'm not doing it as well as I could...this led me to the decision that I should definitely invest in some sort of "class." Fortunately, being an undergrad, the rec center on my campus has a plethora of classes to choose from, including master swim and a 45 cycle burn class (it's a lot of intervals, sprinting, yelling and 80s music...).

I've been trying to decide which one of these I should take. I have a lot of individual pros and cons for each, but I thought I'd throw it out there...

What would be the better cross training to follow? Cycling or swimming?

Oh, I'm going to be training for my second half marathon (maybe a full...later on...no idea), so, that might be helpful information.

So I ran a 5K this weekend and I felt like I was going to die. this is the 3rd one I have ran in the past 2 months so I honestly thought I would be okay. I ran it in 30:06 and I usually run in under 27. I was somewhat disappointed in my performance but I felt so bad I thought I was going to pass out. I decided to go to urgent care only to find out that I had pneumonia! The gave me a breathing treatment at the office to get my oxygen levels up...Needless to say, I was no longer disappointed with my time. The doctor said it was a miracle I was able to run and finish at all because I was wheezing so bad.

It really is a good thing though. I have been kind of going back in forth about running a half marathon in April unsure of my abilities. Saturday my husband said, "Becky, if you can run 3 miles with pneumonia, you can run a half marathon!" Maybe if I keep telling myself that I will start to believe it :) Anyways, just wanted to let you guys know :) Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Just thought i'd give you all a head's up on this awesome 'Wingtips' shirt from Threadless.com (the same company that makes the jogging hippo who wants to be a unicorn...i know how much you guys love that shirt). A modern approach to the winged sandals of Hermes. Right now they have it on sale for $10.00 plus a $4.00 shipping fee (the shirt is usually $18).

Christmas is right around the corner. :)

Anybody else get accepted into the Cherry Blossom for this year? I did! Yay!

I need to start training NOW, though. My running has been crappy lately and I think this is the kind of thing that may energize it back up again. Anyone know of any structured training plans for 10 mile races? I think I do better with a plan.

I've graduated from C25K, ran a 5k race yesterday (Christopher Martin's 2009 Run for Children, New Haven CT), and I have signed up for a 10k this upcoming June in Lake Compounce.

Which 10k training programs out there use interval training, like the C25k (I'm thinking here of things like W6D2, in a 10 min run/3 min walk way that culminates in a longer run on D3)? I felt that method really helped me achieve my goals without making each running day seem more insurmountable than the last, as is the case with some of the more popular ones that just say, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, run 4 miles... is there anything out there like that, the "amped-up" C25(10)K?

Thank you!

Good morning runners! Here's the daily training thread!

Today I'm going to run. Probably about 45 minutes - 1 hour, with some hills sprinkled in. I'm also going to be doing yesterday's WOD: Complete as many rounds as you can in twenty minutes of: Row 500 meters/25 Turkish Get-ups with a 60-pound dumbbell

So how is everyone else starting off the week, training and otherwise?

And it's Monday -- how was your weekend? Highlights/lowlights/venting/commiserating/rejoicing/celebrating/other?

Discuss... and HAPPY RUNNING!

I typically go to the gym in wrestling shoes (Asics Matflex) -- I'm not a wrestler but I really like those shoes for the gym. They are extremely light with a thin, completely flat sole. However, sometimes I get there and my trainer wants me to do 20 minutes on the treadmill. The wrestling shoes are a pain to get in and out of because they come up high on the ankle, so I prefer not to just switch shoes. I typically do my road running in Nike Frees, so I am accustomed to fairly minimal footwear. Is it a terribly bad idea to do the treadmill in wrestling shoes?