I wasn't going to add this today, but since MarathonBroado brought it up, let me emphasize- Especially for the injury prone (and you know who you are;)), please listen to your body. Fatigue after a run is normal, but constant fatigue and pain is not. I believe that we, as runners dedicated to a goal (Fitness, a race result, whatever), have a tendancy to "soldier through" and further mess things up. Us 40+ runners want to treat weakness as we did when we were 20. Unless you're superhuman, you are going to see some lag in recovery and conditioning that requires you take more time than you expect when coming back from an injury, and requires also that you take the breaks your body tells you to when it's had enough.
I'm taking the time to say this because I, after 5-6 weeks of rehabbing an injury, got the brilliant idea that I could automatically add in 12 miles a week (4 x3miles) of running to my 55+ miles/week of cycling and circuit conditioning. Boy was I surprised to fine that it exhausted me, and caused new inflammation in my legs. Duh.
End of dad speech...Have a good weekend.
Afternoon Everyone,
Been a while since I last posted as all my posts were starting to sound the same. A couple of big deals for me. Broke 175 miles for February although my original goal was 200. That will be my goal for March.
I've finally got my races for '08 officially lined up - Shamrock Run 15k, Hood To Coast and Portland Marathon. Hope to add in a Half Marathon in there, probably at the last minute. Not many races compared to some of you out there, but these things are NOT cheap, sheesh .... 
Txaz - Welcome 
Changingground - Thanks for the "dad speech". The way I've been increasing my mileage in the last 2 months, my legs are starting to feel it. I'm still shooting for my 200 in March, but I will distribute the miles more evenly.
Happy and safe running, everyone!
Ok Dad, I took today off..house is on the market, had lookers coming & had to clean. Gonna hike 2morrow, easier on the knee. It sucks getting older and still expecting your body to behave the way it did in my 20s!
Dan..yes you should visit PHX in the near future. You won't believe how its grown, especially the west side. Your watermelon patch is now a huge shopping & entertainment complex called Westgate. You should google it. Hotels are going up all around the Stadium and Arena. There is usually a big name concert twice a month..Foo Fighters this Sunday and Bon Jovi in April. The Super Bowl was nuts! And don't complain about the weather in summer..like they say "its a dry heat" and I would rather have that than Michigan snow and gloomy cloudy days!! You never know, if you bring your wife down here for a visit, she might not want to leave!! All the marathons and races are in full swing now, before the heat arrives in late May.
chow 4 now
Txaz, ya know, with the record amounts of snow we've gotten this year, a hot summer would be nice, and I agree about the humidity. People that haven't experienced both ends of the spectrum just can't understand!
changingground, I'd like to say I listened, but I actually pushed myself pretty hard today, despite three inches of fresh loose powder on top of the ice. Did a 6 mile tempo run after work. I did five miles at pace, with 1/2 mile splits of 4:57, 4:56, 4:32, 4:31, 4:35, 4:38, 4:48, 4:26, 4:23, 4:19. 1 mile cool down, 12:40. I found I keep my pace up better checking splits at half miles, think I'll stick with that.
I'm not as fast as a lot of you, but I'm getting faster.... and lighter. I'm down 23 lbs since October, and about 3 1/2 % body fat! About 10 more lbs and I'll be below 200 for the first time in nearly 10 years!!
As far as total mileage, today's run puts me at 66.45 for Feb, and an even 120 for the year. As I said earlier, I don't think I ran that much in the last two years combined! And I still feel great! Good night all, and good luck with any long runs this weekend. I'm gonna rest.
Lots of good stuff this weekend with a few new pr's in the mile and 3k.
The mile prelims were on friday, I knew i didnt have a chance at making the finals so it was just a good opportinity to try and run fast. We went out a little slow but I still ended up with a 4:15. I was hoping for a little faster but it's still a pr and i'll take it.
The 3k on saturday was an extremely fun race. Again a pr with an 8:30, but not quite what I had in mind. What made this race fun was the battle between myself and a friend from UT who beat me handily back in high school. We were with a pack of 6-7 runners and changed leads numerous times before the mile. For next 3 laps I took the lead of the pack but we we're a good distance away from the lead pack with no one beween us to try and catch. So inevitably the pace slackened way too much and my hopes of a low 8:20 went out the window. It came right down to the last few meters. I ended up beating my friend but he made me run 29 the last 200m to do it.
In both races I was mid pack and a good ways away from placing but that was expected and I'm fairly pleased with the results.
I'm planning on taking today off. It will be my first day off in almost 2 months. Then tomorrow the mileage goes back up and its back to the track to get ready for outdoor..... I cant wait!
Hey All-
CHiggy, congrats on the PR's, but more congrats on the Raiders beating the horns(I am assuming you are at Tech) .
Forced through my run today, right through my bourbon, and sweat out the first mile or so. Ran a slow37 ish pace on my 3.6, but it felt nice to be out after 2 days off in a row.
Excited for next weekends colon cancer run 4m in Central park. Any of you new yorkers out there should make an effort. Its a good cause and should be a perfect day for a race. theres also a 15k, but I am not sure if I am ready for that yet.
Go Tech..that's my alma mater!
Windy today...felt like I was back in West Texas. I hate running into the wind.. At least the sand wasn't blowing and it was a balmy 73. Ran 3.5 in 28 minutes....I'm getting there slowly but surely.
Although I don't like running on a treadmill, I need to look into getting one for the summer when it's 110 outside. That's when I always lose my momentum, I run or hike 9 months out of the year, then don't want to go out into the heat for 3 months. And beer is my worst enemy then, we lay out by the pool and drink suds! So goes life in the Valley of the Sun..
I bought some New Balance Shoes too. I overpronate and these were recommended. I love them. They have arch support and a wide toe area. They feel better than my Brooks ever did!
Check out this link. It's a treadmill used by NASA. Local news station my husband works for did a story on it.
http://www.azfamily.com/video/index.html?nvid=223032&shu=1
Have been wanting to work on my speed a little bit and was given a suggestion by a mate who trains with a former triathlon worldchamp. She swears by it so that was ok for me. 6 reps consisting of a 3 minute run out and a 3 minute run back - you must get back or something bad happens presumably. 1 minute rest in between. I thought I would try 4 reps, and was going pretty well. Got out about 800m on the first run, and about 20m short of that on 2nd and 3rd. Towards the end of the 3rd run though some pesky fly thought my mouth was a good place to rest and that was it for me. I did make it back on all my runs - perhaps due to a sligt tail wind, but that was my limit. Happy with how it went though. Hopefully get up to 6 in the enxt couple of weeks.
32c today so I did my run along the beach. Hoping that summer never ends
Big weekend in the books. Some good running.....plus a little adversity.
Did 10 miles on Sat down in NJ. It was a nice sunny day with a balmy temp at 42 degrees. The run was great.
Then, off to a Cub Scout sleepover on the USS New Jersey Battleship. The kids had a blast. The bunks were tight, but comfortable. I managed to get a good nights sleep (foam earplugs are the greatest invention ever).
MarathonBroado - Fortunately the ship stays docked. Good for me, otherwise I would have to get my Sunday run doing loops on the deck!
We got back home in time for me to do my 20 mile run by 4:00 PM. It was going good until mile 10 when I made a wrong turn. I tried a new course for this run (which had quite a few turns) and obviously missed this one. I was able to figure things out and get back on course, but missed a gatorade/gel stop (I drive my long runs ahead of time and drop waters/gatorades/gels every three miles).
Then by the time I got to the mile 15 where I had a water bottle it had become too dark and I couldn't find it. I went another mile and then had the idea of eating some snow (it pays to watch Man vs Wild). We had about 3 inches of fresh snow on Sat so I figured it was clean enough. I had a tough time finding my gatorade/gel at mile 18....but I found it and savored every drop.
The last two miles were pitch dark (no streetlights on the CT country roads) so I had to go real easy because we are getting a bunch of potholes on the roads and I didn't want to get an injury.
Finished the full 20.....a bit slower than I wanted, but with no major injuries or strains. Only two more long runs until the Boston Marathon. Today's run will be one to recall during the race........at least then I know I won't miss the gatorade/water stations!
Haven't posted in a while and have thoroughly enjoyed catching up on everyone else's posts. Dan- just remember: Chiggy might run faster than you can but you can always arrest him. 
I seem to be doing something that I think I am liking, that is, I seem to be running faster AND still gaining weight. Today's 4 miles was in 31:05 which was almost unattainable a little while ago but now I consider slow. At the same time, last month I gained at least 2 pounds... not much I know but I had been expecting to be losing weight still. I am chalking it up to the change in my gym workout as opposed to my reduction in running miles (59 miles in January but only 46 miles in February--both include treadmill runs and outdoor runs.) Ultimately I don't think I am any less lean so something seems to be going right but a bit more time will tell.
Good luck to all of those who are training for marathons and other long runs. I live just outside of Boston and might fight the crowds to watch it this year. Last year it just wasn't going to happen though. Here's hoping for good weather.
Went for a 2 hr hike up the mountain behind my house today, around 3.5 miles. I ran on the flat parts but most of it was straight up the mountain then back down. I don't run downhill here in Arizona, its too sandy and rocky and I've twisted my ankle and fallen several times doing that. Not smart. So I come down gingerly. On the last 1/2 mile or so, my Aussie Cisco got a cactus burr in his paw, so that slowed me down even more.
Have to run 2morrow..local 5K toward the end of the month to get ready for, if the knee holds up. It's been a year since the meniscus surgery, so I'm pushing harder now. (and swimsuit weather is an incentive also)
Hey Dan, we are going to a police banquet this Wed night..100 Club of Arizona. They support families of fallen officers. Very cool.
Txaz
You said your Aussie Cisco hurt a paw. Is this the picture you use. Looks like a blue heeler (Australian Cattle dog), although thinner snout than I have seen. I too have one although she is down on the required number of legs after being hit by a car a few years back. Also have a staffy cross kelpie although neither are too flash as running partners.
He is an Australian Shepherd, although it's hard to tell from the pic because I had to narrow it down so much to fit it onto this website. And I keep his coat trimmed short to reduce shedding since he stays in the house most of the time. Doesn't need much hair in Arizona. He'll be 2 next month, he's my buddy, goes everywhere with me. I always had Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties) in the past. But Cisco keeps up with me when I run, the Shelties never could. Since I'm normally out alone and don't cross paths with anyone, I don't keep him leashed and he never leaves my side.
I'm not familiar with a staffy cross kelpie, I'll have to Google it and look at pics. Having grown up on a ranch in Texas, I've always had a soft spot for cattle dogs. Since you're from Australia, maybe you can answer this question I've always had...Just because these dogs have "Australian" at the beginning of their names, does that mean they were originally bred there or is it just a name?
My other dog is coloured tan like a staffordshire terrier but thin like the kelpie.
Dont know about the orginal breeding but I know they are very popular here. The cattle dogs have red and blue varieties - I have had a couple of blues and they are sensational - very intelligent, very loyal, but they are essentially working dogs, and to see them in action on farms is amazing. They are as tough as nails as I have seen with my three legged variety. I am sure Cisco will be back to normal in no time.
Great Run Today...Seems like every day i am lowering my time in 3.6 a little bit. Ran sub 35 mins today, and, I know, its way off many of the paces here, but I'm getting there. Baby Steps!!!!!
Another thing that really hepled was that it is 60 degrees in NYC this morning, and that really helped me loosen up a bit earlier than I usually do when its 30 out. Anyway, I am really enjoying the group aspects of this forum, and how everyone shares a little bit of their lives with each other. Keep it up.
D
Txaz - You're exactly right. Everyone has to start somewhere and you are well on your way!
MarathonBroado - They say its very hard to keep from going out too hard at Boston because the first 4 miles are downhill (not to mention the adrenaline). I will do my best to pull back on the reigns. Zurich must be a great place for a marathon. Good luck with the rest of the training. I know it's killing you to get the extra rest, but it sounds like you are doing the smart thing.
I took Monday off. Today I did 5 miles in the AM with some circuit training afterward. I am getting some muscle spasm/twitches in my right hamstring......started Mon night. It isn't really painful, just noticeable. When I ran this morning, it wasn't an issue....but something to keep an eye on.
Good to see new posters, people hit new distances and times....and a few smart ones sticking with a rehab plan. Keep it going!
Took Cisco to the vet this morning because his back leg wasn't getting any better. Vet says he has Valley Fever. It's a bacterial infection we have only in Arizona. It comes from the soil. Causes sore joints, lethargy, loss of appetite. Treated with antibiotics. There was another dog there at the same time with it. Very common this time of year. Humans can get it too although its not passed from animal to person, just from the soil. So he will be out of commission for a couple of weeks. I'm going to miss him running with me so much! He's not only my buddy, but I feel safer with him as I run alone in the desert. I'll have sneak out the front door so he won't know I'm leaving without him. I just hope I don't come down with the fever since I'm outside all the time.
Didn't get to run today, too busy with the dog. And to top it off, it's 40 cent wing night at Buffalo Wild Wings! That means wings and Blue Moon beer! Then a banquet tomorrow night...guess I'll get up early tomorrow and double up on my run.
It is about 32c today so my dogs are sharing their time between sleeping inside on their mats and sleeping outside on the grass. Tough life for them.
Anyway, enough on my dogs, back to running. I havent done a long run since cricket on the weekend, felt my normal soreness. Felt good before the run today so went out for a 15km run. Probably didnt get out early enoguh considering the heat, and certainly didnt have enough fluids before I went out. Did the 15km in a touch over 1hr 10min, which is 3 minutes quicker than the last time I did that run about 3 weeks ago, which hopefully explains why I felt so crap while running. I just have to be smarter with my pre run, partiucular on the warmer days. Have netball tonight for a bit of a laugh, and then tomorrow will probably do some speed work again. Must remember to watch out for flies.
Catch you all later
I have only taking up running semi seriously in the past year. I have always had a decent base, but never felt the need to go out and run. In that time I have come to enjoy the time spent running whether by myself or with others. Since then I have run a marathon so I must be going ok.
I play a lot of other sport. I play cricket which takes up two evenings and my Saturday during summer (finals start this week) and netball on Wednesday night. I try to get a run in after cricket training and also on a SUnday morning, but it changes around during the winter. I start a new job next week and will try to ride to work 3 -4 times a week. That il lalso change the running program.
Obviously I am not as serious as some others on here, but that is what I enjoy about it. I can get on here and lsiten to blokes talking about doing 4.20 miles, and I sit in awe. But the joy of running is just running isnt it. Getting outdoors - treadmills never appealed to me, but I suppose in Australia we have the climate to still run outside during winter - and breathing in some fresh air.
Enoguh of my deepness. As I said Wednesday is my netball night, and the legs felt good after my big run in the morning. My wife plays a girls and mixed game, I just play the mixed. There was a break between the two games last night and I got talked infilling in for a team who were short, so I also played two games last night. Ran around like an idiot for the first one, just acted like an idiot for the second one, because I was spent. But as I use it for fitness and a social catch up it was all good.
Hopefully I might do 10kms after training tonight. Here ends my longest post ever.
Well my "break" is over, at least thats what my coach called it. 1 day off and two days of easy runs then it was back on the track. Today was 40min easy this morning and 4X1000m with 2.5min rest this afternoon averaging 2:50.
gifinkelde- One day I hope to be like you. I look foreward to just loving the simple act of running, getting outdoors , and not having to be so tired all the time. But for some reason I got addicted to killing myself 7 days a week so I could run a few laps around a track and do it quickly. I always think of a quote from Once A Runner, a very good book about a fictional elite runner. I think I'll copy and paste it because it says basically everything I was going to say.
"Cassidy sought no euphoric interludes. They came, when they did, quite naturally and he was content to enjoy them privately. He ran not for crypto-religious reasons, but to win races, to cover ground fast. Not only to be better than his fellows, but better than himself. To be faster by a tenth of a second, by an inch, by two feet or two yards than he had been the week or year before. He sought to conquer the physical limitations placed upon him by a three-dimensional world (and if Time is the fourth dimension, that too was his province). If he could conquer the weakness, the cowardice in himself, he would not worry about the rest; it would come. Training was a rite of purification; from it came speed, strength. Racing was a rite of death; from it came knowledge. Such rites demand, if they are to be meaningful at all, a certain amount of time spent precisely on the Red Line, where you can lean over the manicured putting green at the edge of the precipice and see exactly nothing."
There is a lot to be read in between the lines there but I think this post is quite long enough already and I'm sure yall are getting tired of reading all this.
Chiggyxc - well done to the first person who ever wished they could be like me!!!
I hear what you are saying. I suppsoe the difference is that you are a runner, and a very good one. My sport of choice is cricket, and my efforts, time, frustation come from or are put into cricket. Now I am getting on, I have realised I am never going to be an international cricketer but have kept on enjoying what the game gives me. If running was my passion, my first love, then I am sure I would think of it as you do.
Running is a release for me. But dont get me wrong, I am a competitive person, and when I do my race a the end of the month I want to beat my time from last year, and I want to do better than the 3.42 marathon I did last year, when I do my second in October.
I wil look up this book you mention. My favourite running book is called FLanagans Run - a fictional account of a real life Trans AMerica run in the 1930's. A bit of a pulpy read but what an effort running and staging an event like that during the depression.
2m warm up, 2x4m tempo with three minutes rest (20:54, 20:55), 2m down
It sucks that this good training isn't converting into good racing for me, oh well
Keep up the good work everyone
Haha well what I meant was that I want to be able to enjoy a different aspect of the sport one day like you are, just not right now. Also I would really like to play basketball more but my body is always so close to the injured line that my knees hurt for a few months after just one game.
kdogg- Man I just looked at your log and you right those tempos are faster than your races! You should be blazin in that 5k pretty soon!
I knew what you meant but couldnt resist it anyway!!!!
I have whittled down my sporting careers. Australian Football, basketball have all gone by the wayside. Just cricket and netball comeptitively and golf and running are my recreational pursuits.
Seeing kdogg and chiggyxc are always the kick I need in training. I think I am going alright compared to you two then realise you guys are doing mile splits and I do kms. Apart from that small technicality we are pretty close in our times!!!
Another Lowered Time for me today. Ran my 3.6 run in 33:33. I feel that timing myself has really made a difference, just giving me a reminder of what I should be striving for. I can't wait for the four miler this sunday. The only thing I have really been thinking about, as I seem to be lowering my time considerably, is that it is time to increase my distance. I found a run that was another mile in lenth, and I think i may start that next week, after the 4 mile. Hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy.
d
Squeezed in the second of three 4-mile runs this AM. I'm not really used to running at 4:00 AM anymore, plus I was on a treadmill, so this run felt miserable. I finished four miles in 37:05, for a pace of 9:16, so my time wasn't bad, I guess.
Four more tomorrow night to finish my easy week, then back to heavier training. Keep running.
Lowered my time again. Went in 32:56 for 3.6 miles. Felt great, with a light mist in NYC. Looking forward to the Colon Cancer 4 Mile tomorrow AM. Be Healthy Everyone.
Nice progress by Meyerboy. Good going in the race too. You ran a smart race.....no need to start off too fast on a cold day.....just warm into it.
I did an easy 6 miles yesterday and then did 12 today at a 7:30 pace. The wind was blowing today....but wasn't much of a problem. Time for new shoes.
2 slow miles today, not a planned run, but I thought I'd loosen up the legs a little before my long run tomorrow. Ran with the wife. Felt a twinge in my right ankle afterward that has me a little worried. I'll see how it feels tomorrow. I really don't want to push back anymore runs, but I also don't want to wind up hurt.
Well done Meyerboy. Great progression of times, and it showed int he race. And from somebody who has had some problems in the area - a great cause too.
Cricket semi final on the weekend, we won and I am a mess. Bruised, sore but looking forward to the grand final this week. My running will probably tke a back seat this week given the first half I will be too sore and will probably save myself later on in the week.
Yesterday was stinking hot and really felt the fitness I had gained fom running enabled me to do what I neded to do. Was using the mental strength gained from myincreased fitness levels to push me through.
Have a good week guys.
Haven't posted in a few days so i'll just get caught up here.
Thur- 1 hour run ~8miles
Fri- AM,35min ~5mi PM, 3x400m 10min rest 58,57,56 (VERY windy)
Sat- Decided to run a local 2mi race at the last minuit. It was pretty cold so our warmup consisted of sitting in the car then running the 100ft to the line just before the race. Finished in 10:25-ish, ran at tempo pace. I went home, took a nap, then went for my easy 90min run and got in another 12mi or so. My achilles hurt pretty bad on this run so I took Sunday and today's AM run off.
Mon- 5x800m 2min rest, first 4 in 2:13 last one in 2:11
Hi All,
Haven't been running much lately: just once last week and once so far this week.... and my times are suffering. Today's time for 4 miles was 32:15... a couple of minutes slower than my better times of just a few weeks back. I'm thinking that some of this is psychological and only some of it real.
Speaking of things being psychological: KDogg... it seems that a lot of your limitations on your race times are psychological and not physical. I'm no sports psychologist but if your practice times are better than your run times then I wonder if you are going through some of the same things I went through when I was playing competitive sports (soccer and volleyball to be precise). When I would play I would find myself winded and tired far sooner than I should have been. It was like I had no energy sometimes. I could still run but I felt lethargic, like there was nothing in the tank.... and my breathing was labored as well. I know that when I was practicing I could run, jump, etc with no problems but as soon as game time came I felt sucked out. Simply put, it was an adrenaline reaction, a combination of being excited, overly pumped up, inexperienced or rusty (not that I expect you are in this) and basically wired. Once I calmed down I felt I could play better, a lot better. I recall one of my better soccer games was after about a 5 mile bike ride one hour before I played. I think it was the thing that allowed me to drain out the nervous energy without sapping my long term energy. Whatever the case, you know you have it in you... it's just got to come out at the right time. It'll happen, just don't try too hard... and relax.
Haven't posted in about a month, but then there wasn't much to tell. Mileage on the treadmill just isn't the same. Plus, I strained myself last week on the treadmill. It's hard to do 6+ miles on a treadmill and not push it. It's just so frigin' boring. I had a 9 miler to do, I pushed too far and almost hurt myself. So last Sunday I did 6.5 miles for the first time in a week and felt good.
Just got back from a great 5.8 miler with a 9.2pace. I'm so happy to be back outside in the cold. I guess my love for cold makes me New English, but any who. To my Northern hopefuls; Spring is on the 21st. Just 10 days away.
8 miler coming up Thursday.
1/2 marathon in 3 weeks. Can't hurt myself now.
Till then, Run safe everyone.
LexB - To your question....my suggestion would be to gradually bump up the distance while you ALSO do a few runs at a quicker pace. Mix it up. Maybe pick a few days at a slightly longer distance (which right now is 8K)......and a few at the shorter distance (5K)......pick one or two of the 5K runs each week to be run at a quicker pace. As the weeks go by, you can add more distance onto the longer runs......and some on the shorter runs (try to cap the weekly increase to 10%). Even though you will focus your faster times on the shorter runs.....you will see that your tolerance for faster pace on the longer runs will improve.
I did 5 miles today. My legs were dead. I might have gone too hard on my 12 miler on Sunday....and followed it up with a bike session yesterday.....I really had nothing today...plus I made the mistake of trying to run some serious hills. I think I need a few easy days to recover. I'll still do my planned mileage......just take it nice and easy on a pancake-flat course. I also think I need to bump up my carb intake. I've been trying to drop a few more pounds and have been trying not to go overboard on the carbs.....and probably went too far.
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