Ran a 10k in June (5 Viewers)

[pigskinliquors]

Happy New Year All! I briefly have Wi-Fi access, but will be back to the real-world next Tuesday. I'll catch up with everyone else soon, but wanted to post a quick update. We've (Mrs. Liquors and I) been running in N. California along the coast (coast side of Highway 1!) for the last 2+ weeks. All runs have been gorgeous, even with most of them being in the rain. I've only gotten one quality run in the past two weeks, but it was euphoric. I got my second 20+ miler in, doing different 3-4 mile loops from our rental home, with all of the loops having incredible views of the ocean, with great elevation changes. I completed the 20.6 miles a little slow (8:35 pace), but my HR never got above 171, and it averaged 159 (very low for me!!). The best part was that my wife did one 4 mile loop with me, and our daughters were able to cheer from the house, with each loop I trudged through. I can't imagine any race day being better. Post-race, I was able to jump right into the outdoor hot tub and have a smoothie and a beer. Life is grand! The downside of this trip is that I've probably put on 10 lbs., which I'll have to put a dent in before racing in just over 2 weeks. I also have done limited speed work, and all slow runs, as I'm running with the Mrs. every chance I can get. Who knows, having fresh legs, and a fully-fueled belly might be a good thing come race day

I hope everyone's year is starting out well!

 

[gruecd]

2Young: Great job with the race! Sounds like tons of fun.

tri-man: Way to kick off the new year! And way to HTFU (look it up if you need to) despite tough weather conditions. I'm impressed.

pigskin: Sounds like some great running. I only wish our weather here was more conducive to getting outside more often!

Crappy training week for me. Did the treadmill workout on Tuesday afternoon and got up to play basketball on Wednesday morning. Was planning on going afterwards to run on the treadmill, but I ended up guarding a guy who kept running off baseline screens like Rip Hamilton, so by the time I was done, I was totally spent! So I didn't run yesterday, and today I didn't feel the best after partying [a bit] too hard last night, so I didn't run today, either. Planning on doing an hour on the treadmill tomorrow morning and then 12-16 on Saturday depending on how I feel.

Ended up totaling 1,812 miles last year. Goal for this year is to run 2,009 miles, which would be a 10% increase over last year and about 16 extra miles/month. No biggie.

Starting to get a little nervous about this next marathon. Haven't recovered as nicely as I would've liked from Memphis, and I've probably been playing too much basketball, which hasn't helped with the recovery, either. Like I said before, gonna take it pretty easy over the next couple of weeks and hope that pigskin is right about fresh legs being a good thing on race day....

 

[El Floppo]

 

[tri-man 47]

Fitness/racing goals for 2009?I've got a very strong base going, which I plan to use for summer triathlons - a fast Olympic distance, or maybe back to a 1/2-Ironman ..or both. My fall goal depends on whether 2Young needs a filler for the 100K trail relay. If not, I will either target the Fall 50 as a pair with gruecd if he doesn't build a fast local team (rather than just repeating last year's very fun group outing) or a marathon to qualify for Boston. If fall will be the trail run, I'll target a summer XTERRA three-race sequence (did just one of them last summer, and could have won the series for my age bracket). Otherwise, it'll be some 5Ks, etc.

 

[gruecd]

Turns out that a couple days off do the body good. Did a good, strong 60-minute run on the treadmill this afternoon. Started with a 10-minute warmup at 8:00 pace, then 20 minutes at 7:00 pace, then finished with 30 minutes at 7:36 pace. Totaled 8.07 miles at 7:26 average pace, and more importantly, legs felt good doing it.

Planning 12-16 miles tomorrow at 7:40 pace. If the weather's decent, I'll do it outside, otherwise I'll grind it out on the treadmill. Yuck.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Put in my 3rd 70+ mile month of the year in December with just over 74, bringing my total for the year to 628 miles. Not too bad for not having run more than 100 miles total in my life prior to 2007!

Goals for this year include 3-4 trail races, a marathon in late spring/early summer, and if all is going well at that point a 50K trail ultra in the Fall! It's going to be the year I get serious about pushing the limits of what I think I can do!

Figure I'll probably need to double my mileage this year if I'm going to do all of that, so put me on the board for 1300 miles for the year. 5 down, only 1295 to go! That's an average of 25 miles/week, and I'm running 15-20 every week right now, so not too much ramp up to get to there. I figure I'll need to be running at least 20 on most slow weeks, working up to 25 over the next month or two as an average week, and as I peak in my training cycles for the marathon and ultra will be putting in some 30-40 mile weeks, so I think I can get there.

I'm also committing to doing some core training, finally - even if it's just pushups and situps regularly. Think I'll take a look at that 100 push up thread I saw around here awhile back and integrate that plan into my training.

Other goal is to get my weight down further (which if I run these miles shouldn't be a problem). I peaked at almost 230 lbs 5-6 years ago, was at almost 220 when I started running in '07, down to 192 or so for my 1/2 in August, but am back up to around 200 right now. Figure I need to be no more than 185 for the marathon, and probably sub-180 for a 50K. Of course I haven't been that "light" since high school 18 years ago, but it will absolutely help not too have to drag anything extra up all these hills that the runs and races I like to do are typically full of!

I'm going to bookmark this page so I can revisit it regularly - feels good to get my goals for the year written down!

 

[tri-man 47]

SFDuck - that's a good read! Great progress, and nice plans for the year. Two comments: As you gear up your mileage, remember to 'cycle' it ...build up your weeks, and then back off every third or fourth week to rest a bit. And I like the idea of adding core work. It's really pretty easy to add a few hundred push-ups and sit-ups (and variations) every week. Either use commercial time while watching tv or just give a quick 20 minute focus a few times a week. I'm in my fourth year of these routines and feel they've added a lot to my base strength and overall flexibility (I should hit a cumulative 100K sometime next fall).

Back in the pool today for an hour after a couple week break - it felt great. Hitting the indoor bike later today during the Atl-Ariz game (watching my studs, Turner, Warner, and Fitz, that carried me to a second place finish in my main league this year).

 

[prosopis]

Put in my 3rd 70+ mile month of the year in December with just over 74, bringing my total for the year to 628 miles. Not too bad for not having run more than 100 miles total in my life prior to 2007!Goals for this year include 3-4 trail races, a marathon in late spring/early summer, and if all is going well at that point a 50K trail ultra in the Fall! It's going to be the year I get serious about pushing the limits of what I think I can do!Figure I'll probably need to double my mileage this year if I'm going to do all of that, so put me on the board for 1300 miles for the year. 5 down, only 1295 to go! That's an average of 25 miles/week, and I'm running 15-20 every week right now, so not too much ramp up to get to there. I figure I'll need to be running at least 20 on most slow weeks, working up to 25 over the next month or two as an average week, and as I peak in my training cycles for the marathon and ultra will be putting in some 30-40 mile weeks, so I think I can get there. I'm also committing to doing some core training, finally - even if it's just pushups and situps regularly. Think I'll take a look at that 100 push up thread I saw around here awhile back and integrate that plan into my training.Other goal is to get my weight down further (which if I run these miles shouldn't be a problem). I peaked at almost 230 lbs 5-6 years ago, was at almost 220 when I started running in '07, down to 192 or so for my 1/2 in August, but am back up to around 200 right now. Figure I need to be no more than 185 for the marathon, and probably sub-180 for a 50K. Of course I haven't been that "light" since high school 18 years ago, but it will absolutely help not too have to drag anything extra up all these hills that the runs and races I like to do are typically full of!I'm going to bookmark this page so I can revisit it regularly - feels good to get my goals for the year written down!

That is awesome and inspiring. I am starting to keep track of my miles for 2009. I am still waiting on my shoes which should be here next week. I have been keeping up with the walking fast. I have 8 miles so far this year.* I do a fair amount of hiking. Would you guys count that towards your yearly mileage?

 

[tri-man 47]

* I do a fair amount of hiking. Would you guys count that towards your yearly mileage?

Yes. Hiking accomplishes the same benefits as hill work, right?

 

[prosopis]

* I do a fair amount of hiking. Would you guys count that towards your yearly mileage?

Yes. Hiking accomplishes the same benefits as hill work, right?

I dont know. I have never been a runner. I am just getting into it. I am not sure I know what you mean by hill work. I assume it means running up hills? I would think the hiking miles should count but I dont want to cheat the system. I may just keep seperate record of hiking and running miles. I will say reading SFbayduck has given me hope that I can run.

 

[SFBayDuck]

SFDuck - that's a good read! Great progress, and nice plans for the year. Two comments: As you gear up your mileage, remember to 'cycle' it ...build up your weeks, and then back off every third or fourth week to rest a bit. And I like the idea of adding core work. It's really pretty easy to add a few hundred push-ups and sit-ups (and variations) every week. Either use commercial time while watching tv or just give a quick 20 minute focus a few times a week. I'm in my fourth year of these routines and feel they've added a lot to my base strength and overall flexibility (I should hit a cumulative 100K sometime next fall).

Thanks, I entered last year with no real goals other than to keep running, want to be a bit more focused this year - and will have to be if I'm going to get to a marathon and beyond.

I will say reading SFbayduck has given me hope that I can run.

This is true. If I can do it, anybody can. The Couch to 5K plan got me started, and I remember struggling to finish even those first 2-3-4 minutes of running at a time, and thinking there was no way I was going to be running 20 minutes straight in 4-5 weeks! That was about 2 years ago.

 

[tri-man 47]

I am not sure I know what you mean by hill work. I assume it means running up hills? I would think the hiking miles should count but I dont want to cheat the system.

Yup, running up hills. It helps to build stronger legs and a better stride. It's good, efficient training. Many runners don't have a very long stride. Hill training (and in your case, hiking) IMO helps to get the hips into a better rotation ...a better leg lift.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Bentley (and others)-If you don't get Runner's World, you might want to pick up this month's. There is a great 2-pager about (10) mental things to get you through. For your Tri, these may be even more important. I have to say, I think I've used all ten, including doing complicated math in my head. I'll add #11, Pre-writing my race report for the FBG Runner's Thread. The more I run, I find I can had 2 or 3 miles go by without looking at the Garmin or even thinking about my pace (or how much my legs hurt!) by preoccupying myself and I now race without music too.

As articles go, there was also a great short piece about just how cool runners are in this past week's Sports Illustrated. The short story was about a high school girls race in which the winner blew away the field and was wrongly DQ'd for going outside her lane. During the medal ceremony the winner took off her medal and gave it to the winner. 2nd gave her's to 3rd and so on. My version dosen't do it justice, if you all can find it, its a good read.

Today, I took my wife on a Pigskin Liquors inspired running date. We both wanted to do around 6 to 8 miles as a final long run before Disney next week. Doing some reserach, there are several "metro-parks" within about 45-minutes of home. We drove up to Stony Creek. The cool part is that they road salt an entire 10K paved trail around thier lake. The was a tiny bit of snow where it had blown, but the conditions were far better than if we had run at home. We ended up doing 8.5 miles total and there were tons of runners, bikers and walkers out there (much friendlier than running at home with lots of waves (another Runner's World current issue reference)). When we got home we had a post recovery meal with the kids taking them to downtown Detroit for Coney.

One last Runner's World item, gruced, your girl Lolo Jones' abs are are fabulous display this month.

As to tracking hiking miles, I say heck yes. I count the cool down walks after I run and event the walks mid-week of my taper.

 

[bentley]

Bentley (and others)-If you don't get Runner's World, you might want to pick up this month's. There is a great 2-pager about (10) mental things to get you through. For your Tri, these may be even more important. I have to say, I think I've used all ten, including doing complicated math in my head. I'll add #11, Pre-writing my race report for the FBG Runner's Thread. The more I run, I find I can had 2 or 3 miles go by without looking at the Garmin or even thinking about my pace (or how much my legs hurt!) by preoccupying myself and I now race without music too.

Thanks for the tip. I meant to ask the wife for subscriptions to Runner's World and the Economist for Christmas. I got the Economist, but I could never remember what the other magazine was until this very moment.I'm going for a 12 mile run tomorrow. If things turn out OK, I'll declare myself officially ready for the half marathon in six weeks and start focusing more on speed work (shifting my goal from "making it" to "making it in a decent time") and also really start working on the tri stuff, which follows the half marathon by about two months.

 

[gruecd]

One last Runner's World item, gruced, your girl Lolo Jones' abs are are fabulous display this month.

YOU ARE NOT KIDDING! I have got a serious crush on that girl!!!

 

[gruecd]

As articles go, there was also a great short piece about just how cool runners are in this past week's Sports Illustrated. The short story was about a high school girls race in which the winner blew away the field and was wrongly DQ'd for going outside her lane. During the medal ceremony the winner took off her medal and gave it to the winner. 2nd gave her's to 3rd and so on. My version dosen't do it justice, if you all can find it, its a good read.

I don't think the story has been posted to SI's website, but here's a link to the original story from ESPN this past summer. Pretty cool, indeed.And regarding the tracking thing, maybe I'm a bit of a running snob, but I don't count anything besides pure running miles. I don't count walking to warm up, cool down, or all of the running I do while playing b-ball each week. But seriously, do whatever makes you happy! Anything people wanna do to stay active is great by me!

 

[2Young2BBald]

For those doing multi-sport, I spent some time this morning building a spreadsheet in Excel that will track and total miles swam, biked & ran that I can share if desired. PM me an email address if interested. Its a 2-pager that tracks up to 252 workout days and will track swim/bike/run for any given day. The swim entry is built to track yards swam for any given day as the pools I swim are yard layouts. On the YTD tally, it then converts the yards in to miles, so the miles can be added to the miles biked & ran. I'll have to convert meters swam for tri events in to yards. If you swim a meter pool, I can change the formula to convert meters in to miles on the recap, just let me know.

 

[tri-man 47]

5 mile run this a.m., with a 7:10 mile in the middle, just to see if still had any speed at this point in the off-season.

 

[Workhorse]

FINALLY back from rehabbing my groin injury. Logged my first 15 mile week in over 2 months. I'm going to take it slow for a few more weeks and then jump back into Half Marathon Training for a race (TBD) in the Spring, then springboard to my first full marathon this fall. Possibly NYC if I get in via the lottery.

 

[prosopis]

I came across this through the couch potatoe to 5k site.

http://www.activetrainer.com/endurance/pro...ement=LeftLower

Has anyone used this? Is this worth signing up for or will I be bombarded with emails? Is it really free?

 

[bentley]

Got into the 12 miles and rewarded myself by going to the grocery store and picking up the latest Runner's World. Lolo Jones cover was quite a treat.

 

[Harris]

Any room for a marathon veteran coming off of knee surgery in this thread?

Had surgery to fix a torn biceps femoris tendon in my right knee in October. Haven't done much work except some light stuff in physical therapy. Currently working with weights to get some strength back and will start training seriously for Grandma's Marathon in June. I'm trying to make a real run at Boston this summer for 2010 (23 y/o, need a 3:10), hopefully posting in here will keep me motivated to get my knee working again.

Hi.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Any room for a marathon veteran coming off of knee surgery in this thread?Had surgery to fix a torn biceps femoris tendon in my right knee in October. Haven't done much work except some light stuff in physical therapy. Currently working with weights to get some strength back and will start training seriously for Grandma's Marathon in June. I'm trying to make a real run at Boston this summer for 2010 (23 y/o, need a 3:10), hopefully posting in here will keep me motivated to get my knee working again. Hi.

 

[gruecd]

Any room for a marathon veteran coming off of knee surgery in this thread?Had surgery to fix a torn biceps femoris tendon in my right knee in October. Haven't done much work except some light stuff in physical therapy. Currently working with weights to get some strength back and will start training seriously for Grandma's Marathon in June. I'm trying to make a real run at Boston this summer for 2010 (23 y/o, need a 3:10), hopefully posting in here will keep me motivated to get my knee working again. Hi.

Absolutely. It'll be nice not being the youngest guy around here. Best of luck with your rehab!

 

[gruecd]

Four miles this morning at 4:45 AM in the -17°F wind chill, then basketball from 6-7 AM. I always play really well after I run. Really helps get the blood pumping in my legs!

 

[tri-man 47]

Any room for a marathon veteran coming off of knee surgery in this thread?Had surgery to fix a torn biceps femoris tendon in my right knee in October. Haven't done much work except some light stuff in physical therapy. Currently working with weights to get some strength back and will start training seriously for Grandma's Marathon in June. I'm trying to make a real run at Boston this summer for 2010 (23 y/o, need a 3:10), hopefully posting in here will keep me motivated to get my knee working again. Hi.

Hey there, sonny. Hey, just remember not to get stubborn about your comeback goals! If the knee isn't ready for marathon training, be ready to back off. Don't jeopardize the next 30-40 years of running enjoyment by proving to yourself that you can quickly get back to your marathoning. That said ...you're a marathon vet, so I expect you know well what you can and can't do. Welcome!

 

[Harris]

Thanks for the welcomes, my rehab and race schedule definitely includes quite a few duathlons, 5Ks and 10Ks along the way to let me know how I'll be reacting to them. I've been running since 2006, just for fun mainly. My marathons include Chicago (2006, 2007), Pikes Peak (2007,2008), and Tucson (2007). I've also dabbled a bit in triathlon, but I'm not a very good swimmer so I've been putting that off for a little while although I have done once race (Pigman Triathlon in Iowa).

Hopefully I'll post enough to keep myself accountable and it'll be cool to have a different kind of support on here. Like I said I'm just lifting weight right now to try and gain back some weight and get myself between 170 and 180. My races include:

4/11/09 - Shakespeare's MaxTrax Duathlon 2.5m Run, 15m Bike, 2.5m Run - Columbia, MO

4/26/09 - Univ. of Iowa River Run 10K - Iowa City, IA

6/6/09 - Run for the Animals 10K - Wheaton, IL

6/20/09 - Grandmas Marathon - Duluth, MN

8/16/09 - Pikes Peak Marathon - Manitou Springs, CO (Will be doing this race every year for the rest of my life, I love it!)

10/25/09 - Marine Corps Marathon - Washington, DC (Shooting for Boston here!)

I've really only planned up until Grandma's, there will definitely be more 5Ks/10Ks after June. And if any of you have any other fall marathons besides Marine Corps that you would suggest I'd love to hear about them. And if anyone happens to be running any of those races let me know!

 

[Harris]

Four miles this morning at 4:45 AM in the -17°F wind chill, then basketball from 6-7 AM. I always play really well after I run. Really helps get the blood pumping in my legs!

Damn, 4:45AM in the cold. I graduate from school in May and start work in Chicago in June. I had better start getting used to this time of day....

 

[gruecd]

8/16/09 - Pikes Peak Marathon - Manitou Springs, CO (Will be doing this race every year for the rest of my life, I love it!)

10/25/09 - Marine Corps Marathon - Washington, DC (Shooting for Boston here!)

You're not planning on racing Pike's Peak if you're shooting for a BQ at Marine Corps, are you? Just using it as a long training run, right??

 

[Harris]

8/16/09 - Pikes Peak Marathon - Manitou Springs, CO (Will be doing this race every year for the rest of my life, I love it!)

10/25/09 - Marine Corps Marathon - Washington, DC (Shooting for Boston here!)

You're not planning on racing Pike's Peak if you're shooting for a BQ at Marine Corps, are you? Just using it as a long training run, right??

Well Pike's Peak is a whole different animal. Both years I went to do it I have camped out somewhere and hiked around at elevation for about 6 days before the race and then I drive to Manitou Springs for the race. My first year I ran a 6:21 with perfect conditions. Last year I ran a 6:26 with a blizzard on the mountain above the treeline in sub-freezing temps. This year I'm really shooting for under 6 hours. I don't know if I would call that racing because the way up on Pike's Peak is part running and part fast hike, just depends on where you're at on the mountain. The way down is just tough on your knees, especially during the last 6 miles. I don't think it will have too much of an effect on my Marine Corps time, but we'll see.That said, I can also push back that Marine Corps date and pick a different race, I haven't registered for it yet.

 

[meeka]

Great to catch up on the thread. I have not been here for a while and I really slacked after my half last May. I ran in some shorter races during the summer and fall, but I really need to get back to making running a part of the routine.

My wife's college roommate just started running last summer. She has always seriously struggled with her weight, but has been losing weight since she started running. She ran her first ever race with my wife and I on Thanksgiving (8K) and just ran in a 10K New Years Day. She has talked my wife and me into signing up for a series of races for 2009. The part I like the best is that there is a half in May and in October. I really hope that this will keep me running all year long. My wife is scared to death of her first half marathon, so I know she will be a very motivated training partner. I will need to check in here more often for that extra motivation to keep running all year long.

 

[culdeus]

I think I'm going to start a tri/road cycling thread. I don't spend much time in here anymore and it might bring in some people that otherwise wouldn't click on anything that even smelled like running to the fold. Been a good run guys and glllllllllllllllll peas.

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...howtopic=451204

 

[tri-man 47]

start work in Chicago in June.

and meeka - good to hear the details! That's a nice story about your wife's friend. Um, pics?

 

[prosopis]

My shoes arrived today.

It is on!!!!!

 

[Harris]

start work in Chicago in June.

and meeka - good to hear the details! That's a nice story about your wife's friend. Um, pics?

Where from in Chicagoland? I grew up in Wheaton, graduating from Iowa in May, moving to the city (no idea where) in June. I think my biggest challenge is going to be finding a place to bike. LSD seems like it would be too slow and all the streets are way busy. I think I might have to try and find a club to hook up with so I can ride outside and not on the trainer.

 

[bentley]

I think I'm going to start a tri/road cycling thread. I don't spend much time in here anymore and it might bring in some people that otherwise wouldn't click on anything that even smelled like running to the fold. Been a good run guys and glllllllllllllllll peas.

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...howtopic=451204

In that case, I just want to tell the rest of the guys that I always thought you were an #######.

 

[prosopis]

My shoes arrived today. It is on!!!!!

I went out with the new shoes. This is the first pair of running shoes I have ever had. I have been doing my thing in sandals/sneakers for quite a while now. Any way this is awesome. I love the shoes so far.I briefly read the couch to 5k thing and that is what I am trying. Since I have already done a lot of walking I skipped the beginning part. Today I just wanted to get a feel for it so I made up my own walk for a while then run for a while then walk repeat.I have been walking 2 miles in 30-32 mins? I usually just called it 30 mins. Today I did it in 26 mins I am not sure if that is a good start or not but I feel good about it. There is a huge difference when running in shoes that are made for running. I am hoping to run in some kind of race by the spring. I just dont want to be last. I would like to at least be the middle of the pack.

 

[Harris]

My shoes arrived today. It is on!!!!!

I went out with the new shoes. This is the first pair of running shoes I have ever had. I have been doing my thing in sandals/sneakers for quite a while now. Any way this is awesome. I love the shoes so far.I briefly read the couch to 5k thing and that is what I am trying. Since I have already done a lot of walking I skipped the beginning part. Today I just wanted to get a feel for it so I made up my own walk for a while then run for a while then walk repeat.I have been walking 2 miles in 30-32 mins? I usually just called it 30 mins. Today I did it in 26 mins I am not sure if that is a good start or not but I feel good about it. There is a huge difference when running in shoes that are made for running. I am hoping to run in some kind of race by the spring. I just dont want to be last. I would like to at least be the middle of the pack.

Nice going! I love hearing about people who get motivated to start being active and get in shape! If I wasn't already almost done with school and just about to take the CPA exam I would have loved to be a personal trainer just because I think it's awesome to see a person's progress and the feeling they get once they get motivated to work out.Keep up the good work! The more you get out there the easier it gets!

 

[prosopis]

My shoes arrived today. It is on!!!!!

I went out with the new shoes. This is the first pair of running shoes I have ever had. I have been doing my thing in sandals/sneakers for quite a while now. Any way this is awesome. I love the shoes so far.I briefly read the couch to 5k thing and that is what I am trying. Since I have already done a lot of walking I skipped the beginning part. Today I just wanted to get a feel for it so I made up my own walk for a while then run for a while then walk repeat.I have been walking 2 miles in 30-32 mins? I usually just called it 30 mins. Today I did it in 26 mins I am not sure if that is a good start or not but I feel good about it. There is a huge difference when running in shoes that are made for running. I am hoping to run in some kind of race by the spring. I just dont want to be last. I would like to at least be the middle of the pack.

Nice going! I love hearing about people who get motivated to start being active and get in shape! If I wasn't already almost done with school and just about to take the CPA exam I would have loved to be a personal trainer just because I think it's awesome to see a person's progress and the feeling they get once they get motivated to work out.Keep up the good work! The more you get out there the easier it gets!

What is a good goal time wise to run 2 miles ?

 

[Harris]

My shoes arrived today. It is on!!!!!

I went out with the new shoes. This is the first pair of running shoes I have ever had. I have been doing my thing in sandals/sneakers for quite a while now. Any way this is awesome. I love the shoes so far.I briefly read the couch to 5k thing and that is what I am trying. Since I have already done a lot of walking I skipped the beginning part. Today I just wanted to get a feel for it so I made up my own walk for a while then run for a while then walk repeat.I have been walking 2 miles in 30-32 mins? I usually just called it 30 mins. Today I did it in 26 mins I am not sure if that is a good start or not but I feel good about it. There is a huge difference when running in shoes that are made for running. I am hoping to run in some kind of race by the spring. I just dont want to be last. I would like to at least be the middle of the pack.

Nice going! I love hearing about people who get motivated to start being active and get in shape! If I wasn't already almost done with school and just about to take the CPA exam I would have loved to be a personal trainer just because I think it's awesome to see a person's progress and the feeling they get once they get motivated to work out.Keep up the good work! The more you get out there the easier it gets!

What is a good goal time wise to run 2 miles ?

That's a pretty subjective question that varies person to person, for someone just starting out I would say that a more important thing would be to just make sure you keep getting out there and doing your workouts. You have to set your own goals, for you just starting out and being able to do 2 miles in 26 minutes is pretty good. Try to set goals that you are more likely to achieve, like say maybe shave 15 seconds off of every workout. That may not seem like much, but if you are out running 4x/week, that's a whole minute per week and after 4 weeks you would be down to 22 minutes for 2 miles. I don't know your fitness level or anything but my suggestion would be to try and set small goals along the way, like 10-15 seconds off of every time you do 2 miles.A goal is whatever you want to be able to do it in, what time do you want to be able to run 2 miles in?

 

[prosopis]

My shoes arrived today. It is on!!!!!

I went out with the new shoes. This is the first pair of running shoes I have ever had. I have been doing my thing in sandals/sneakers for quite a while now. Any way this is awesome. I love the shoes so far.I briefly read the couch to 5k thing and that is what I am trying. Since I have already done a lot of walking I skipped the beginning part. Today I just wanted to get a feel for it so I made up my own walk for a while then run for a while then walk repeat.I have been walking 2 miles in 30-32 mins? I usually just called it 30 mins. Today I did it in 26 mins I am not sure if that is a good start or not but I feel good about it. There is a huge difference when running in shoes that are made for running. I am hoping to run in some kind of race by the spring. I just dont want to be last. I would like to at least be the middle of the pack.

Nice going! I love hearing about people who get motivated to start being active and get in shape! If I wasn't already almost done with school and just about to take the CPA exam I would have loved to be a personal trainer just because I think it's awesome to see a person's progress and the feeling they get once they get motivated to work out.Keep up the good work! The more you get out there the easier it gets!

What is a good goal time wise to run 2 miles ?

That's a pretty subjective question that varies person to person, for someone just starting out I would say that a more important thing would be to just make sure you keep getting out there and doing your workouts. You have to set your own goals, for you just starting out and being able to do 2 miles in 26 minutes is pretty good. Try to set goals that you are more likely to achieve, like say maybe shave 15 seconds off of every workout. That may not seem like much, but if you are out running 4x/week, that's a whole minute per week and after 4 weeks you would be down to 22 minutes for 2 miles. I don't know your fitness level or anything but my suggestion would be to try and set small goals along the way, like 10-15 seconds off of every time you do 2 miles.A goal is whatever you want to be able to do it in, what time do you want to be able to run 2 miles in?

I have no idea. I would like to be upper tier though. I am not in the best shape but I am not horrible either. I am a big hiker and walker. I am just venturing into the running thing. I have been walking 2 miles 4-6 times a week for over a year. I have never had any kick ### shoes to run in though. Way cool.

 

[2Young2BBald]

My shoes arrived today. It is on!!!!!

I went out with the new shoes. This is the first pair of running shoes I have ever had. I have been doing my thing in sandals/sneakers for quite a while now. Any way this is awesome. I love the shoes so far.I briefly read the couch to 5k thing and that is what I am trying. Since I have already done a lot of walking I skipped the beginning part. Today I just wanted to get a feel for it so I made up my own walk for a while then run for a while then walk repeat.I have been walking 2 miles in 30-32 mins? I usually just called it 30 mins. Today I did it in 26 mins I am not sure if that is a good start or not but I feel good about it. There is a huge difference when running in shoes that are made for running. I am hoping to run in some kind of race by the spring. I just dont want to be last. I would like to at least be the middle of the pack.

Nice going! I love hearing about people who get motivated to start being active and get in shape! If I wasn't already almost done with school and just about to take the CPA exam I would have loved to be a personal trainer just because I think it's awesome to see a person's progress and the feeling they get once they get motivated to work out.Keep up the good work! The more you get out there the easier it gets!

What is a good goal time wise to run 2 miles ?

That's a pretty subjective question that varies person to person, for someone just starting out I would say that a more important thing would be to just make sure you keep getting out there and doing your workouts. You have to set your own goals, for you just starting out and being able to do 2 miles in 26 minutes is pretty good. Try to set goals that you are more likely to achieve, like say maybe shave 15 seconds off of every workout. That may not seem like much, but if you are out running 4x/week, that's a whole minute per week and after 4 weeks you would be down to 22 minutes for 2 miles. I don't know your fitness level or anything but my suggestion would be to try and set small goals along the way, like 10-15 seconds off of every time you do 2 miles.A goal is whatever you want to be able to do it in, what time do you want to be able to run 2 miles in?

As a runner, you now have to decide if you would be happy with 13 minute miles, a 40-minute 5K or if you want to do better. If you are happy with 13s, great, but I think you can do better. Remembering some of your long walk stories, leg strength is probably not an issues, stamina is. So, I like the idea of knocking off 15 seconds or so each run. If you register for a 5K in a few months, I'd all but assure you, you can do it sub 30 minutes if you dedicate yourself to a good run 2 to 3 days a week (studying up on the couch program).

 

[meeka]

My shoes arrived today. It is on!!!!!

I went out with the new shoes. This is the first pair of running shoes I have ever had. I have been doing my thing in sandals/sneakers for quite a while now. Any way this is awesome. I love the shoes so far.I briefly read the couch to 5k thing and that is what I am trying. Since I have already done a lot of walking I skipped the beginning part. Today I just wanted to get a feel for it so I made up my own walk for a while then run for a while then walk repeat.I have been walking 2 miles in 30-32 mins? I usually just called it 30 mins. Today I did it in 26 mins I am not sure if that is a good start or not but I feel good about it. There is a huge difference when running in shoes that are made for running. I am hoping to run in some kind of race by the spring. I just dont want to be last. I would like to at least be the middle of the pack.

Nice going! I love hearing about people who get motivated to start being active and get in shape! If I wasn't already almost done with school and just about to take the CPA exam I would have loved to be a personal trainer just because I think it's awesome to see a person's progress and the feeling they get once they get motivated to work out.Keep up the good work! The more you get out there the easier it gets!

What is a good goal time wise to run 2 miles ?

I really all depends on where you are. When I started running I would run my 2 miles in 25 minutes. After a few months I was down to 20 minutes. I would just start out at a pace that feels good for you, and gradually up the speed and distance.Good luck. Just keep checking in here and the pros will keep you motivated.

 

[tri-man 47]

I think I'm going to start a tri/road cycling thread. I don't spend much time in here anymore and it might bring in some people that otherwise wouldn't click on anything that even smelled like running to the fold. Been a good run guys and glllllllllllllllll peas.

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...howtopic=451204

In that case, I just want to tell the rest of the guys that I always thought you were an #######.

But, but, he's OUR #######.See you some in the new thread, culdeus.

 

[tri-man 47]

Where from in Chicagoland? I grew up in Wheaton, graduating from Iowa in May, moving to the city (no idea where) in June. I think my biggest challenge is going to be finding a place to bike. LSD seems like it would be too slow and all the streets are way busy. I think I might have to try and find a club to hook up with so I can ride outside and not on the trainer.

I'm in Oak Park (and a fellow CPA, though working at a university). If you live anywhere near the lakefront, you'll soon discover that they have a paved bike/running/walking/roller blading path that runs about 15 miles along the lakefront (between LSD and the lake). It gets crowded in spots, but it's great. I'll often bike into the city early on Saturdays and bike up and down the path.In the city, you could look south loop, which has really developed, or anywhere north or northwest of downtown ...you might find the CTA maps and look along the red and brown el lines, which offer very convenient transportation into the city. PM me if you want to give more detail on where you'll be working, and I can give you a better sense of what transportation is nearby.

 

[pigskinliquors]

For those doing multi-sport, I spent some time this morning building a spreadsheet in Excel that will track and total miles swam, biked & ran that I can share if desired. PM me an email address if interested. Its a 2-pager that tracks up to 252 workout days and will track swim/bike/run for any given day. The swim entry is built to track yards swam for any given day as the pools I swim are yard layouts. On the YTD tally, it then converts the yards in to miles, so the miles can be added to the miles biked & ran. I'll have to convert meters swam for tri events in to yards. If you swim a meter pool, I can change the formula to convert meters in to miles on the recap, just let me know.

PM Sent

 

[pigskinliquors]

Harris: Great to have you in the thread. If you're not already on it, I highly recommend glucosamine for your knees. I've been on it for two years, and while it's a pain to take, I've certainly noticed a difference when putting long miles in.

Prosopsi: It's on like Donkey-Kong for you!!

__________________________________________

My update:

I haven't run since last Friday as we drove from N. Cali to College Station from Saturday through last night. The trip included: 2,100 miles of driving; two blizzards; one ice storm; 24 dvd's to help keep our daughters "entertained" and more crap food than my body needed I stepped on the scale this morning, and learned that the 4 week vacation added a rotund 9 lbs. to my frame (####!). I also had my last scheduled long'ish run for last Sunday (only 12 miles), and that is going to have to be skipped. I'll try to make up for it by doing a seven miler this evening, followed by a seven miler early tomorrow morning (I haven't run back to back days in nearly two years!). My last "quality" run prior to full-bore taper will be a 5 mile run on Friday with the middle three @ 7:11. Then, hopefully, I can get my fat-### to do a respectable time at Houston (12/18).

My last run in Cali was a "speed run". I had hoped to do 4x1 mile intervals (.5 mile rests in between) @ 6:48 with one mile warm-up and cool down. I was quicker than I've been, but still not up to where I need to be to go sub 3:30:

Interval 1: 6:48

Interval 2: 6:47

Interval 3: 6:52

Interval 4: 7:01 (exhausted!)

_______________________________________________

Goals for 2009:

Run 3:30 at Houston

Do speed work ALL year long

Run my first Ultra (30 miler in November)

Run 3 tri's

Complete 4 Centuries

______________________________________________

Patting myself on the back for 2008:

1) Successfully ran a marathon for the first time in 4 years (3 in a row canceled due to injury)

2) Become a "road-biker" = my legs LOVE IT!

3) Completed my first ever century

4) Completed the MS150 and HHH (2 biggest races in Texas) with Culdeus; HHH included a sub 5:00 102 miles

 

[tri-man 47]

I haven't run back to back days in nearly two years

This surprises me! Everything else you said about '08 achievements and '09 goals impresses me.Oh, and prosopis - I agree that you'd probably want to get your pace down under 10 minutes/mile as a preliminary goal.

 

[pigskinliquors]

I haven't run back to back days in nearly two years

This surprises me! Everything else you said about '08 achievements and '09 goals impresses me.Oh, and prosopis - I agree that you'd probably want to get your pace down under 10 minutes/mile as a preliminary goal.

With my knees and calves, I've learned that less is more. I went from 4 runs a week to 3 per week, to train for last year's marathon, and it's made a big difference in how my legs feel. I've also put much less emphasis on speed which has hurt my ego, but also makes me feel better overall. Cycling has allowed me to push myself a bit w/o fear of injury, which is why I've changed from a runner who cycles, to a cyclist who runs :NTTAWWT: Tri-Man: Now that you are at the "magic" age; which marathon are you thinking about trying to use to BQ? I'm giddy just thinking about it!

 

[Harris]

Tri-Man: Now that you are at the "magic" age; which marathon are you thinking about trying to use to BQ? I'm giddy just thinking about it!

So wait, how many of us are going for BQs for Boston 2010? How many of you have run it before? It'd be cool to get 3-4 of us qualified and have a Boston FBG party...or are you guys shooting for 2009 still?