Virtual Running Buddies - Week of September 20

[Natasha3]

Hi all!!

Hello? Anyone? Where are you? :p ;)

It's looking like a beautiful morning here. No sign of Isabel's little sister to be found, though she did come by for some fun and games yesterday. It cleared up by late afternoon and I ended up spending several hours outdoors. Go figure. :)

Today I plan to run and we'll see what else the day brings! I just wanted to start the thread and say hello, and I hope some of you come out of hiding and join me! :D Les and others in the East - how did you hang in there these past couple of days?

Cheryl, welcome!! I agree with the motivation tips that others have given. Signing up for an event or telling people that you plan to do an event are always good. What I find works for me best is just having a couple of really and truly fun runs in recent memory. Then usually all I have to do is remember them and I'm game to go out again. :) (Mind you, I usually don't have trouble motivating myself to get out -- I have more trouble motivating myself not to OVERtrain sometimes. :o But I'm weird!)

Thea, I'm glad that you got to return the old shoes, and I hope the new ones continue to be good for you!

Laura, getting excited about the half? :)

Natasha

[MaryH]

Good morning Natasha,

Was supposed to do 5 miles but got in 5.5 this morning. Tomorrow the schedule says to do 9 but there's a 5 mile race so I'm doing that and as a friend suggested, may just run another SLOW 4 after that (or not :D ).

OK, here's my equipment question for the week (and I apologize if it's been discussed before) but let's just say that I am not built like you're typical runner up top (I am a 36C/D) and I am having the hardest time finding running bras that do not dig in underneath. If I go say 2-3 miles it's not a big deal, but for something like 5+ on a regular basis I'm getting marks and chafing that is uncomfortable (to put it mildly).

I have a New Balance running bra that seems to work better than anything like Champion or Hanes but I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations or one that they swear by. (Les, feel free to jump in on this if you have any advice. :cool: )

[Laura]

Mary, Alas, I don't have your problems. I am built like a runner, at least up top anyway :rolleyes:, but I do recommend Body Glide for chafing. It rolls on like a deoderant, and is not thick or too greasy. It has done well in keeping my blisters in check.

I am running tomorrow but I haven't decided how far. I thought I was supposed to go 8, but when I looked at my training schedule, it said 6, so I might compromise and go 7. Then it says to do no more than 3 mile runs during the week, so I figure I will do 3 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 2 on Thursday and then rest until the 1/2.

Natasha, I am excited, but a little nervous as well. Yesterday's run was hard. The trail I ran on is a composite gravel, and yesterday it was like running on the beach it was so soft. I know I have trained well enough for this 1/2 but I just want to meet my time goal, which is not very ambitious (2:24), but still I am nervous about making it.

Les, I hope you weren't hit too hard by Isabel. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Kerri]

Long time lurker, here. I used to post on the old Runner's Rambles threads, but since then I am just not able to get on the internet much. I have a question and a comment.

I am training for the Chicago Marathon in 3 weeks. I have run one marathon before (Motorola). This time around my stomach has been super sensitive. With the last one I knew I couldn't drink gatorade or eat during or after running, but I could handle diluted 1:4 gatorage, water and gels. This time, I am having a really hard time even handling the gels. I have been training with the USA Fit program here in Dallas and one of the people in charge suggested just drinking the diluted gatorade(powerade, whatever) as much as I could. I guess I am still concerned that I won't be taking in as many calories as I should. I am pretty slow (10min/mile pace) so I think I should eat/drink something. I was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions of what I could try. The final problem is the last really long run (22 miles) was this morning, and I will only have 2 tapering long runs to try things out. Please let me know if you have any advice.

MaryH - I am a 36C, so I am with you on the chafing. I was using champion, but I couldn't take it anymore. I went to my local running store and asked for help and they suggested Champion (um,no) and Moving Comfort. I was concerned about the Moving Comfort bra because it was almost $40 and I wasn't sure if I was supportive enough. I tried it out today (with vaseline) and I have few red spots, but no "get into the shower and scream" scars. It is so much better! If you are not able to find that brand, maybe look into a slightly less supportive bra.

Finally, I have a last tip. I get so much from these boards, that when I have something to give back I want to share it. After the long runs, I have been taking an ice bath. It really helps with soreness, especially the next day. Fill the tub with cold water, and it helps to get in while its running. Once it is almost covering the tops of my thighs I add the equivalant of 1 8lb bag of ice. I soak for 10-15 minutes. This is not a very comfortable procedure. I usually wear underwear and a sweatshirt, and just getting in the cold water is hard, but it is so worth it. Remember, DO NOT ADD THE ICE UNTIL YOU ARE IN AND DONE FILLING THE TUB. If you do it first, you will never get in.

Happy running!

[Laura]

Hi Kerri, Welcome,

My running partner had suggested ice baths but I have never been brave enough to try them. Of course she didn't recommned putting the ice in after you had gotten in.

I don't have much to offer in way of nutrition except to possibly suggest trying a drink like Accelerade, it is not too bad when diluted, and its benefit is that it has some proteins with the carbohydrates. Good luck in the marathon. Hopefully, Les, SusanMac, or Scout will join and be able to answer your questions; they have all run a marathon.

[MaryH]

Originally posted by Kerri
MaryH - I am a 36C, so I am with you on the chafing. I was using champion, but I couldn't take it anymore. I went to my local running store and asked for help and they suggested Champion (um,no) and Moving Comfort. I was concerned about the Moving Comfort bra because it was almost $40 and I wasn't sure if I was supportive enough. I tried it out today (with vaseline) and I have few red spots, but no "get into the shower and scream" scars.

I am LOL here because that is EXACTLY what I'm talking about and I am so glad someone else knows what I mean. I will look for the Moving Comfort around here because I don't recognize the name.

Thank you!!! :)

Editing to add: I did find Moving COmfort at our local running store so I picked one up (it was $30). I asked them if it would be possible to return it if it didn't work out and they said yes. (I told them I would be able to tell after one or two wears.) So, we'll see.

[Kristilyn1]

Am I crazy!? The only times I've been sore after a run was after my marathon.

Does this mean I'm not running hard enough?

Kristi

[Laura]

Originally posted by Kristilyn1
Am I crazy!? The only times I've been sore after a run was after my marathon.

Does this mean I'm not running hard enough?

Kristi

LOL, I wouldn't complain, my guess is that you are in pretty good shape, lucky, and you also may have youth on your side. Now that I am 41, my joints don't handle the runs they way they did even 5 years ago. I can usually handle 6-8 mile runs with no pain, but I do start to feel it after that. I was in pain for a day and a half after a 14 mile run I did last week, but really felt pretty good on a 13 mile I did two weeks before that.

[Natasha3]

Originally posted by MaryH

(Les, feel free to jump in on this if you have any advice. :cool: )

Mary, you crack me up! :D :D

Unfortunately I don't have much advice on this one since I have had chafing maybe once or twice and nothing too bad. So most of my sports bras are pretty unspectacular and no particular brand. I hope the Moving Comfort kind works well for you though!

Laura, I'm confident that you'll do just fine in your 1/2 and meet your time goal too. :cool:

I hope Les is doing okay! :confused:

Hi also to Kerri and Kristi. Kerri, welcome from "delurking". I remember you from the Runner's Rambles. Good luck in Chicago!

Had a good weekend of fun and games -- nice run on Saturday, long hike through a gorgeous conservation area on Sunday. I won't be around much this week but hope to get in some beautiful runs!

Have a great day, all.
Natasha

[Laura]

Hi Natasha,

I think Les is probably still w/o power, and from the sounds of it, may be until the end of the week. At least I hope that is all that it is.

I feel pretty good about the 1/2, but I "tweaked" my ankle again. I really think it is my new shoes. I ran on a fairly soft trail on Friday, and it started bothering me again yesterday and is still pretty sore. So I didn't get my "long run" in yesterday. I will see how it feels tomorrow, and if it is okay, run 6 in my old shoes and then 3 on Thursday. These new shoes seem to be okay for shorter runs, 3-4 miles, but anything other than that, and my ankles start to bother me. I don't have time to break in a new pair of shoes (I would go back to my Asics, just in a 1/2 larger size), so I think I will just wear my old ones. They weren't in too bad of condition, and the last really good run I had, I was wearing them. I don't know. Any suggestions?

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks for all the wishes and concerns. I really don't have time right now to answer a lot of the questions (I'm at work and have to "unbury" myself from 4 days away - figuratively). The house is still without power as of 7am today. We lost power early, about 9:45am Thursday, and haven't had any since. On the up side, the house came through okay and we still have water, sewage, and hot water (thank goodness for gas hot water heaters and pilot lights). I'm not sure when power will be back - the paper this morning said that they expected that 75% of the Tidewater (Norfolk etc.) area would have power by Thursday. I'm hoping that we're going to get power back sooner but it's a day by day thing. Power is out sporadically throughout the city (lights on in one block, out in the next).

On another up side I got through the remainder of the workouts for last week (with the exception of the 4 miles easy on Thursady - go figure :rolleyes: ). Plugged through 19 on Saturday and look like I'm on track for the November Marathon.

For all who are nursing injuries or looking for motivation my thoughts are with you. Take care of yourselves.

Gotta fly - but I'll be back soon (I hope).
Les

[SusanMac]

Hi everyone! I've been quiet as I was out of town last weekend at a football game. We wanted to get in a fun run, but DH had the stomach flu :-( Oh well. Today it's raining, and I'm itching to run but might not make it.

Lots of good discussions going on this week! Thanks for starting, Natasha.

SASHASMOM - Hope you're still participating in our thread, as we haven't heard from you in a while. I saw my friends from Phoenix this weekend (actually, we were at the Iowa/ASU game...dont' know if you're a fan) and I asked about their running club. It's called Brett's Banditos and is supposed to be Phoenix' biggest running club. Sounds like they do both long/road runs and also speed/track workouts each week. It's big enough that there are several different groups at different paces for each workout. One of our friends runs around 9 min/mile, and the other 7 min/mile, and they are both in the club. Hopefully you can find more info about them on the web or a local running store. Good luck!

LAURA - Good luck on your tapering week! Sounds like your'e getting excited. It's an awesome feeling to know you're prepared. It sounds like maybe you should stick with your old shoes to be safe, but it's a tough call.

MARYH - I can't help you on the job bra front, but do know there have been several threads on this topic separate from the Virtual Running Buddies. I started a thread once to ask and within 1-2 posts it turned into a conversation about your problem (which, let's just say, is the exact opposite of my situation :-) So, try a few separate searches and you should get some more suggestions.

KERRI - How exciting! Good luck in Chicago! That is supposed to be such a fun and exciting race. Your fuel issue is a tough one, as I'd think you would definitely need to consume something beyond water during your marathon. The elite runners often don't, but they're only out for 2 hours. Getting diluted gatorade will be tough unless you carry your own, which could be a pain but worthwhile because it's important. Assuming you've already tried everything, including different gel brands, fig newtons, bananas, hard candies, honey, etc.

re: the ice bath....do you think it's better than just plain ol' ice? Have to admit that the ice bath doesn't sound very fun or relaxing (I know, I'm a whimp). Whenever I get aches/pains it's typically a specific spot, so I ice that rather than a bath that would impact your whole lower body.

[scout1222]

Kerri -

I'm training with USA Fit also! (I'm an assistant coach for the 9:45 pace group) I've run 3 marathons, all in the vicinity of 4:22-4:39.

I carry my fuel belt with me on race day, and I will generally carry diluted Gatorade (1/2 strength) because lately I've been running races that serve Ultima WHICH I CANNOT STAND!!! I also carry it so that if I get thirsty when I'm not around a water station I can sip on something.

I generally take 4 gels with me, and use them at 5,10,15 and 20 miles. Between that and the diluted Gatorade (which is NEVER empty by the time the race is done because I've stopped for water at each station) it has worked for me. I don't have sensitive stomach issues, but I believe it's enough nutrition replenishment for me. Of course, at the finish line I've got something waiting for me - a bagel, banana or something. But I don't think it's necessary to really fill up on a lot of stuff. I'm not sure it would make my experience all that much better, and quite honestly if I ingested more, I'd probably have stomach issues, too.

So if you can handle gels and diluted sports drink, I think you'll be just fine.

[misstapioca]

I frequently read this thread but never post. Well today I had a breakthrough!:D I have been doing this 4 mile route for a few months now. I walk some and I run a little bit. Every day I try to increase the length of time I run. Well today I ran a full mile without stopping to walk!!! I have not done that since high school! I hope one day I will be able to run a marathon. To all of you that post here on these running threads it really gives me motivation and I gather alot of encouragement towards my goals.
:)
Thanks, Jennipher

[Natasha]

Jennipher!! Good to see you! :) I hope you've been doing well and are still enjoying Texas (and not missing Alberta too much - I'm sure you don't miss it at all in the winter ;)).

Congratulations on your breakthrough; you must feel SO good. Keep on running and I hope to see you here more often.

Natasha

[misstapioca]

Thanks Natasha!
I am so happy about this mornings accomplishment I had to share with like-minded folk!
I don't really miss Calgary. I love Fort Worth!! I will be in Canada for Thanksgiving (Oct8-22). I will be in Calgary, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, Castlegar and Nelson visiting family. I will also be going to my best friends wedding. I got a great deal on a rental so I can't wait to drive through the mountains!!
Sorry to hijack this thread with my travel plans!
Jenn

[Natasha]

Originally posted by misstapioca
Thanks Natasha!

I don't really miss Calgary. I love Fort Worth!! I will be in Canada for Thanksgiving (Oct8-22). I will be in Calgary, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, Castlegar and Nelson visiting family. I will also be going to my best friends wedding. I got a great deal on a rental so I can't wait to drive through the mountains!!

Jenn

Your trip sounds awesome, and very busy!! I hope you get good weather and enjoy the drive. The Rockies are so beautiful -- I need to go back! :)

Oh yeah, and I hope you get in some good runs while you're there!! :D

Natasha

[SusanMac]

Misstapioca - congratulations on meeting your running goal! It's funny you mentioned this, because my uncle just told me he's doing pretty much the exact same thing. He's doing a 6-mile route, however. He recently retired and does this route every day, part walking, part running. Next summer is a 7-mile race where he lives, so DH & I have agreed to do it with him to celebrate his return to running. That must feel so great to complete your first mile!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Jennifer and Keri WELCOME!!

I'm sorry that I really can't help these days - life kind of off kilter in Norfolk after Isabel but I hope that you both enjoy our little band of runners.

For what it's worth, decided that LW and I would go out to dinner tonight - kind of a celebration of our 5 days in purgatory. :rolleyes: Besides, even if the power is on there is no food in the house to speak of. Hope she was able to scare up a little ice or we're out the last $15 of food to boot.

Hope I can check in tonight from the luxury of my air conditioned home - but I'm not holding my breath.

I think I'm starting to get back to normal but there was a lot of physical devastation here - more than 1000 trees uprooted in Norfolk alone and probably more than 50 in the 4x8 block neighborhood that we live in. And our trees weren't the little ones - they were the big ones that are decades old.

Check you all later,
Les

[msxy75]

Hello all

Welcome to all the new folks!! Well I had a great trip to Tennessee to visit family. Unfortunately I have not been running these past few weeks with being away and now that I'm back unfortunately I'm busy trying to nurse my running partner back to health. So my four legged running partner is very ill with pancreatitis that is why I have been very scarce for the last little while.

Mary I'm also in your category and a running friend of mine told me to try running with a sports bra and using a support type tanktop. I haven't had any trouble don't know it that would help or not.

Les sorry to hear that your power is out, yikes that just sounds aweful about all the damage that has been done. Glad that your house hasn't been touched or damaged.

Anyhow gang I'm hoping to get out and run soon, as soon as Sierra takes a turn for the better.

Laura good luck your going to do fabulous on your 1/2.

Hello to everyone else.

Chat with you soon,
michelle

[SusanMac]

KERRI -- I also wanted to ask you about the Motorola Marathon. That's the one in Austin, right? I'm considering that one next Spring for a half-marathon (possibly a full 'thon). I've heard good things about it. I was amazed that they want $80 to register for the half. And that's early registration. Geez. Anyway, any input you have would be great!!

[Natasha3]

Michelle,

I'm sorry to hear that Sierra has been sick lately. :( Good wishes to her and I hope she and you are back on the trails soon!

I'm going out of town tomorrow for the rest of the week on business so will probably catch you all on the next VRB thread! Happy runs, all, and Les, welcome back to the land of the "empowered". I hope you and your wife have a wonderful dinner together tonight and that things get back to normal in Norfolk and area soon.

Natasha

[Leslie Ferguson]

Natasha - (Although you're probably gone by now.) Dinner was fantastic and simple - a new place near downtown Norfolk that bills itself as a Burrito Bar. Basically it is a "Subway" mexican style - order the basic burrito or soft taco (chicken, beef, boca, or veggie), the tortilla (6 choices), and the fixings that you want and they put it together right there at the counter. LW and I walked out for $15 including tip (no alcohol in the store or it may have been more :rolleyes: ).

Keri - I second what Susan said - if you're able to keep diluted sports drink and gels down then you should be fine. A question is what type of sports drink did you drink in Austin? There is a lot of difference (for the stomach) between Gatorade and Powerade (and most of the others). Gatorade tends to be less upsetting while Powerade is more apt to upset (has to do with the formula of the Powerade). It maybe worth seeing what you had in Austin and try to bring some of your own during the marathon in Chicago.

Mary H - Sorry I can't help you too much with the chafing/bra question. But it's not what you'd think really, most of my running partners are built like runners (on the top) and don't have issues with chafing. Believe me, after all those long runs with my female partners we've talked about lots of feminine running concerns (and many other feminine things too). And LW, though not a runner does a little power walking - leads to more chafing in my not so humble opinion - but she really doesn't have issues there, on her arms and thighs yes but not in a place to help you.

Laura - The only answer I have for you is how old (many miles) were there on the old shoes? If you are really pressed you can wear them but have you checked some of the online folks for your old type of shoe? You'd be surprised that they actually have old/out of date shoes there. I'm going to check for some Asics Gel Cumulus IIIs at "Sports 'N More" (1-800-397-5480) in AL - they had some and said they'd ship UPS/FedEx when I talked to the owner in Miami in February. May be worth a shot. I hope that your ankle stays with you for the duration of your race. Take it easy.

Michelle - Things are pretty bad here - lots of minor property damage in Norfolk but the Outer Banks was really clobbered. As of today we are still without power and guess what... it's raining cats and dogs! I hope the tenuous trees stay up and that the weather doesn't stop the power folks from getting lines up. I heard that we were up to 10000+ power folks from as far away as Texas, Kansas, and Wisconsin (I think) in town to help rebuild.

Jennipher - Sorry :( to have misspelled your name... nothing is so sweet as a person's name spelled correctly.

Hopefully I'll get my run in at lunch today so I can get home at a reasonable hour. Hope of hopes that I'll have power at home (but I'm not counting on it).

Peace to all,
Les

[Kerri]

Wow, this thread really exploded in the last couple of days. I just can't get on the internet as much as I used to. So many people to thank! Let's see...SusanMac, in reference to your question about Motorola, I thought it was okay. Somehow I got the impression that this race did not have to many uphills, and that was incorrect. Also, I had just run the 2-person relay at the Dallas White Rock marathon where the water stations compete for "Best Water Station" so there was lots of engery and music that I really missed at the motorolla marathon. I honestly did not do all that well, so maybe I have a bit of a negative attitide. I have spoken to many people who did like the marathon. A word of warning, I had to wait in line to pick up my packet for at least an hour because they had started running out of stuff. If you do decide to run it, try to pick it up on friday if possible.

Thanks to all who gave tips and advice. I might try to make sure I am drinking gatorade and not powerade. Right now I am not even sure what has been provided. I think it was powerade though. I may try the Fig Newtons again. Maybe I'll give the gels another try. I bought some new flavors that might sit better.

I'll try to keep you posted on how things go and will definately write about Chicago!

[Leslie Ferguson]

And the $64,000 question for tonight... Who finally got power restored after 5 days, 9 hours, and 16 minutes?

Lots of ground to cover but it feels good to have lights again!

Thanks for all your concerns and wishes - but I must remember that there are still many out there who still don't have power - a prayer for them too as they struggle onward.

Peace,
Les

BTW - does that show my age? $64,000 Question?

[MaryH]

Les, glad to hear the power's back. I've been having posting "issues" for the past couple of days but I think its been straightened out.


Originally posted by Leslie Ferguson
BTW - does that show my age? $64,000 Question?

Don't know if it shows your age, but I know what you're referring to -so maybe it's showing mine???:cool:

Yesterday I was supposed to meet a friend for an early morning run with a local coach who knows all the local runners here. Should have known when she didn't show that it might not be a good sign (she ALWAYS shows). Anyway, so I tell the coach that this friend said to meet her. He says ok and the small group does some warmup in the parking lot and then heads out. Still no sign of my friend. I knew a couple of the runners from seeing tham at races and let's just say they were WAY FASTER than me.
Apparently Tuesday mornings with coach are always tempo runs. Ha, well I was hanging out by myself for most of this which was fine, except that no one told me excatly where to go, when to turn around, and when they were heading back. Let's just say I lost the coach. In my defense (and I was kinda pissed after running for almost an hour and not seeing him after about the first 30 minutes), there was another girl who was also doing her first run with him, who also got left behind. So we finally decided we'd had it and headed back to our car. Never did see any of the group again and all the cars were gone when we got back. However, I know I probably got in a lot more mileage than I would have and it was definietly faster. :D :cool:

BTW, anyone know of good running paths in Las Vegas? We are leaving Friday morning and I am supposed to get in a 5 miler and 9 miler this weekend. Hmmm, we'll see.......:D

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by MaryH
Yesterday I was supposed to meet a friend for an early morning run with a local coach who knows all the local runners here...

Boy does that suck! :mad: I'd be really upset with the "coach" for running off and leaving me. I wouldn't be too upset that the group ran off (maybe even the coach) but to have everyone gone when I got back - I'd be furious. Thank goodness you didn't get lost or hurt on the run. Glad you got through it okay.


BTW, anyone know of good running paths in Las Vegas? We are leaving Friday morning and I am supposed to get in a 5 miler and 9 miler this weekend. Hmmm, we'll see.......:D

I've never run in Las Vegas but it may be worth checking out the Las Vegas Track Club (http://www.lvtc.org/) "Places to Run" link. There were a few sites in Las Vegas to run listed there.

Got both yesterday's and today's run in after today's conference. Flying to Jacksonville FL to present the same briefing there on Friday - yuck! Anyone know a good place to wrap up 10 miles in Jacksonville/Mayport? I'll try the running sites there but just wondered.

Still have lights! Only one short outage today but power still up. Of course still many thousands without power (and 315 homes destroyed in the greater Norfolk area) tonight. Kind of humbling.

Peace to all and hope to hear from some more folks in the next day.

Peace,
Les

[MaryH]

Les, I already checked that Vegas site and have a map and some other info, but thought I'd also check in here because you just never know who might have infomrmation.

In the coach's defense (and I don't know if this is true because I haven't seen him) all I could think is maybe he was looking for us when we came back. We'll see.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by MaryH
In the coach's defense (and I don't know if this is true because I haven't seen him) all I could think is maybe he was looking for us when we came back. We'll see.

I would hope so - most running coaches are good enough to go back and look for the folks that they start with. And believe me, from a coaches point of view, tracking down "lost" runners is unnerving. I've actually run back on the trail for most of 2 miles (one way) in serach of a runner. Not bad until you add the extra 4 miles to a 10-11 mile run. I'll be nice and assume the coach was out looking for you when you returned - faith in human nature.

Ciao,
Les

[SusanMac]

MARY - you are such a trooper! Ever find out why your friend didn't show up?? At least you had someone else to run with. And running clubs wonder why they often have bad reputations! ha! re: Las Vegas, be sure to check out the Runner's World website, too. They have tons of articles on running in commonly-traveled-to cities. I'm sure they have on on LV. I'm not sure if it's much of a running town. The good news is that your route will be well lit any time of day or night :-)

LES - good luck on your Fla trip. Hope your presentation goes well. I'm sure you'll find a place to run. That always makes the business part go much better!

NATASHA - I've got my eye on the Vancouver International Marathon next Spring (actually, I'd do the 1/2). By chance have you ever done that one??

Running's been kind of strange, but good, for me in the last week. I think I hit a point of needing a bit of a break after a summer full of tough training schedules. Autumn weather hit, too, which definitely changes my mood. In addition, I don't have any races scheduled, and know that DH and I are headed into a rigorous winter/spring workout schedule as he prepares for the Ironman. So, my runs over the past week have been very ad hoc and opportunistic. If I feel like running, I do. If I don't, I don't. When I head out the door, I just run however I feel. Sometimes slow and steady, sometimes a few fartleks. It actually feels really really good not to have any pressure or firm schedule. Laura - I'm thinking you'll be happy to have this phase following your 1/2 mary!

[MaryH]

Originally posted by SusanMac
MARY - Ever find out why your friend didn't show up??

She woke up that morning and really wasn't feeling up to it. I did make her go out though yesterday as well as this morning and she seems to be fine. :cool:

The good news is that your route will be well lit any time of day or night :-)

Yup, since I tend to run before dawn anyway at least I'll be able to see where I'm going. :D :D

[Kristilyn1]

Well, I'm on week two of the Runner's World marathon training schedule and all is well so far. I admit that I've been someone who completely resists days off and feels like a loser when I don't run and boy, I can only imagine how good the days off will be when my distance really starts getting up there. I'm really liking it.

Natasha--I doubt the reason I don't get sore is because I'm in great shape---the fact that someone like YOU, who *is* in great shape gets sore and I don't--well, that just tells me even more that I'm probably not pushing myself as hard as I could. I'll have to see how this training goes, this will be pushing myself as hard as I ever have. My other marathon was coming on the heels of never having run more than 3 miles in my life and having 4 months to train to run the marathon. Basically, I trained enough so I could somehow pathetically finish---now I admit to having secret fantasies of qualifying for Boston.....isn't it funny how quickly you get ambitious?

Glad to hear everyone's running is going well and I'll continue to lurk.

Kristi

[Laura]

Hey everyone, just wanted to say hi before my race this weekend. I may not post until late Monday. I am going up tomorrow to spend the night in Boulder, and then my sister will be in town as her daughter is running the 1/2 as well. Hope everyone has a great week!