TT Running Club

“Once you're in you are a member for life. You're stuck with us SG!

Could be worse, a week from this Saturday I'll be doing my first AR. It's 13 hours (at best or worst, I'm not sure). YIKES!”

“Yikes is right! If I ever think about doing one of those, please smack me! I hope not to get that sucked in, LOL! ;)”

“I ran five times last week...total of 10.5 miles. Lost maybe two pounds. That two-mile run still feels hard, I thihnk mainly because of all the extra weight I am carrying around.

This from a guy who did a 27-hour AR last September and gained 17 or 18 pounds since then (YUCK!)”

“It makes a difference Fritz. You'll be rid of it soon enough.

I still don't feel like running is easy. I'm not sure I ever will. It is becoming more fun though. Or maybe I'm becoming a sicker, more twisted individual. Who knows.”

“I used to run a lot (not "a lot" like aero, but "a lot" like Birch, I imagine) so I know what it feels like to be in reasonably good shape. I know the rewards justify the cost. I am just happy right now to have a couple of weeks momentum. Need to keep it going, keep it going, until it snowballs...

Just have to make sure I don't get injured.”

“Smiley:
Congratulations on your soon to be first race. A little apprehension is pretty standard. Trust in "race day magic", it's real. You've trained. When the gun goes off everything comes together.
Have fun, and good luck!”

“Smiley Girl!

Absolutely, exactly what le subtil said. You'll enjoy the experience. The spectators, the other runners, "it's all good."

And no doubt at all that you can cover the distance. Look forward to your race report!”

“My first 5K a couple of years ago, I was just hoping to finish. I pre-ran the course with a boyfriend the week prior so I knew I'd be ok if I maintained pace. I remember thinking after that big hill it's around the corner and a couple of blocks and I'll be done. Of course in the race I ran up a big hill and sprinted for that finish line only to face the second big hill (had forgotten the first one) with 1/2 mile to go. Overall it was fun and I finished in good shape. Only 1 first grader beat my time and I beat most of the men over 75. :-) But, I was determined to better my time and reduced it by over 1 minute per mile by the next 5k. What do they say, the first step is the hardest. Now because of setting that goal, running is a way of life for me, I have more endurance for all my adventures . What's that ad in the magazine, Running makes you a better....

You can do it Smiley - you'll love race day!”

“A friend who was a very good runner at one time told me two things that I always remember when I go run a race (although I've never really put either to use):

1 - Don't forget to win.

2 - Don't worry about getting tired - you'll faint before you die.”

“My goal is to finish the race w/o having to walk. That's it. I don't care what my time is (well, I'm hoping 32 mintues, but I won't be horribly disappointed if I don't make that!).”

“You can do it SG!


Fritz, I remember you doing the ar and running before. Just trying to be encouraging, not trying to imply that you haven't been there and done that. =)”

“I ran 30 minutes non-stop last night. I had no intention of enjoying my run last night, but about 10 minutes into it i decided i could go quite a way further. probably could have gone past the 30 minute mark as well, but it was getting so late....

i've never tracked my distance, but assuming my pace is pretty slow, i doubt i've run a full 3 miles yet. i'm a little worried about that on race day.

my bigger worry, though, is the weather. last night was cool and breezy, and i had no problems. when its warm and humid, though, i die out about 10 minutes into it. pray that July 17th is cool and breezy!”

“Nice, smiley. You have nothing to worry about. Really. Even with warmer weather, all you have to do is slow down, make sure you have enough fluids beforehand, and enjoy the event. If they have a water stop halfway through (likely), be sure to walk through the area while drinking one cup and pouring another on your head.



I haven't been able to run much lately, with all of the baseball coaching going on. I need to get in a few hard workouts in the next couple of weeks so I can be confident enough to run well in our local 10k. I'm hoping to be able to run faster than the last 10k, which I did in 41:55; maybe under 41? We'll see....”

“Smiley
You'll be fine. The adrenaline of race day will carry you the distance as long as you don't go out too fast.

Best of luck!

I'm just as nervous about my off-road triathlon this weekend! I'll be thinking of you! Go Girl!”

“yeah, i'm a bit stressed, i guess!


oh, last night also, my right leg fell asleep about the last 5 minutes of my run. that was a horrible feeling. my siatic (sp?) nerve has been bugging me, and i can feel it hurting again today.”

“Chiropractor time?”

“ooooh. that's familiar pain to me. Sass is right. You might want to talk to a chiro or your doctor. There are some pretty basic stretches that can be done to help alleviate problems w/ the "psychotic" nerve (that's what my chiro likes to call it.

BTW, the stretch some runners do, the one where you bend in half at the waist to touch your toes or the ground, he (my chiro) says is one of the worst stretches people can do. It puts tons of unnecessary stress on parts that don't need addt'l unnecessary stress. I've been instructed to never ever do it again. Said I should put a leg up, near waist level, and bend my forehead to my knee to get similar results w/out the damage. Just an fyi”

“Huh? ;)



I've been avoiding my chiro lately, since she's not really helping my neck, and she wasn't really helping my psychotic nerve a while back either. but i guess its worth a try right before the race, it can't hurt anyway.”

“Whoo-hoo! My first race is only 2 days away! We're registered, and my friends in Sparta are picking up our race packets tomorrow, since we'll be in town a little late tomorrow. Had a good run last night, and plan to just go for a walk or something low-key tonight. I'm excited!”

“Good luck and have fun, sg! And, remember to report back to this thread when you get back.”

“What tarabull said! Good job smiley girl!”

“You're gonna do great and have so much fun SG! Save the tee-shirt to make a quilt square. =) It's really neat that you and G-man are doing this together.”

“you GO girl! :-)”

“I've been e-mailing with my friend John, who we're going to visit this weekend. He and his wife run a lot of 5K's. He said at the last race, he kept up with her for 1/2 of the race, and then lost his energy. She simply patted his ass and kept on running.

G-man usually sticks with we while we run, though he can go faster than me. I'm not sure if he'll stick with me or not at the race. I don't care, since there'll be so many other people around me, I figure it'd be kinda fun to have him meet me at the end!”

“Well if he doesn't stick with you, maybe he'll pat you on the-- er, maybe he'll give you some encouragement before he continues on....”

“Good Luck Smiley Girl. We will be cheering you on in spirit.”

“So, I did it! Ran the whole thing w/o stopping! Without G-man running with me the whole way, I probably would have stopped somewhere. He finished 6 seconds ahead of me. Rained the entire race. The other two people we ran with finished in 22/23 minutes.

It was fun, we're planning another race soon.


Oh, bummer of the day was a man running the race died of a heart attack on the race course, pretty close to the finish. A bit of a downer heading to the finish line trying to dodge ambulances and seen them work on the guy.”

“Congrats Smiley!!! You da ma'am!”

“Congrats Smiley! Achieving a goal is always an awesome feeling!”

“Good Job Lady!!!”

“So, what do you all recommend for increasing one's pace? Sprint/interval training? I'd also like to try some longer runs, work my way up to 5 miles. The race was only the 2nd time I had run 3.1 miles, ever!”

“Nice job SG! Congratulations!!”

“Great job smiley!!”

“Thanks all!

Hey Birch, G-man wants to do a triathalon now. Got any advice/training recommendations for him?”

“C'mon, y'all!

So, what do you all recommend for increasing one's pace? Sprint/interval training? I'd also like to try some longer runs, work my way up to 5 miles.”

“Way to go, smiley!!!!!!!!

Glad to hear of your success, not to mention that you had fun!

Now, about increasing your pace, I would recommend against it - there's no reason to slow down now! :-)

Instead, try decreasing your pace by continuing to increase your mileage very very slightly every week. Then, start adding in what is called a fartlek workout, which is simply speeding up several times in the middle of your run. Run faster for a couple minutes, then back to your regular pace for a couple minutes, then speed up, etc. For beginners, I like to recommend that method because it's self-governing. If you go out to a track, you might have a tendency to try to run too fast right off the bat and injure yourself. Later, you can start doing tempo runs and track workouts (intervals).”

“LOL, you know what I meant, BowlderMan!

What's "very slightly" when it comes to increasing mileage?”

“Ha! Gotcha!

"Very slightly" means no more than 10% a week. I think that guideline works pretty well, although more experienced runners may make occasional bigger jumps if they can read their body's signals.”

“Smile, I havent run any triathalons, but would think there would be great info online. I am kinda at a loss for any specifics though. Tell hime to run,swim,and bike lots LOL!”

“OK, now that all the excitement has waned a bit from smiley's race, I feel comfortable reporting my progress and plans. :-)

On Friday I ran my "Hills of Severe Pain" course, a 10k with some hellacious hills. I did try to push the pace, and ended up finishing in about 44:30, one of my best times on that course. Last night I went to the track and did 4 800s with 2:00 rest. I was hoping to average 3:00, but it was pretty warm, so I only averaged 3:02.7.

I think those workouts are a good sign for our hometown 10k race coming up on 8/1. I feel confident I'll beat my previous 10ktime of 41:55 (in May), and I think I have an outside chance to break 40:00. Pace-wise, 40:00 is 6:26/mile, while 41:00 is 6:36/mile, and my 41:55 was 6:45/mile. Of course, that average for my 800s last night projects out to about 6:05/mile. We'll see!”

“It sounds like you are very ready BowlderMan! We'll be routing for ya.

Smiley - check out Jim Friel's book the Triathlete's training manual. I also have a multi sport training book at home that has realistic workouts for busy people. I'll check the title and report back, cause it's my favorite.

You can do it. It's mind and training over matter. You've already got the bug. Just set a realistic time goal for each leg and train for it.”

“BowlderMan, dang, you go! Hellatious Hills are hopefully not in my future!!

Dhutch, I'm not even intersted in the triathalon yet. A few more 5K's under my belt first, and then I'll think about it.

Next goal: To be able to run 5 miles at a time. (Don't laugh, its a big deal for me!)”

“. . .or at least I fly through the air like him.


On a short (2 mile) warm up run before lifting yesterday I took flight.


I had just turned around, and picked up the pace, on a hard pack mud trail near the river, when my toe stubbed a rock sticking up about 2 inches.


I didn't have a chance. This was NOT a stumble and trip . . .this was flat out in the air, arms extended, superman style.

Landed on my palms, forearms, chin, and upper thighs.


Scuff marks on the chin and thigh. My jaw aches like a MFer today .. . .sore chewing lunch.”

“41:30 in the 10k today - details later or tomorrow....”

“Excellant BM! Tell us about it.

I'm back to the treadmill today, sigh.

I really enjoyed running at Camp Grayling, counting deer and having hills to kick my heiney. Running in the city sucks exhaust fumes.”

“LOL!

I tried an easy run Saturday morning, but about a 1/2 mile into it we kicked up the pace just a little, and I had what felt like a minor asthma attack. It was challenging to breath in. It was really, really humid out, so I'm guessing tht had something to do with it.”

“OK, 41:30 isn't super, but not bad, either. It's about a half minute better than my last 10k and about a half minute slower than my goal.

Looking back at my splits, there were really three parts. The first two miles were 6:24 and 6:28, the second two were both 6:47, and the last two were 6:59. I finished with an equivalent of a 77 second quarter.

I started off relaxed and moved up to hook onto the coattails of one of my running buddies who was aiming for a sub-40. I felt comfortable hanging with him in the early going, and even got his butt moving when he started to fade a bit up the one little hill on the course, just before 2 miles. He then pulled ahead of me at about 2.5, only to drop out just before 3 with a hamstring problem.

At about that point, I found myself largely in no-man's land, running mostly by myself, so it was too easy to slow down. A couple of young women blazed by me at about 4 miles - one had a t-shirt from the state high school track meet. Saw some friends watching on a corner at about 4.5 - got a high five there.

At 5 miles, I actually looked at my watch, and saw the 6:59 time - I thought, "Dammit, I don't want to run any miles over 7:00!" And some guy passed me shortly thereafter, so I was determined to stick with him. He gapped me a bit, but I pushed on. Every time I got close to him he accelerated a bit (jerk!). Finally, just after 6 miles, BowlderGal and BowlderSon saw me and started cheering wildly! The guy had about 20 meters on me, but I put the pedal to the metal. I passed him with about 10 meters to go - whew!

Our block had its usual strong outing, with my neighbor across the street finishing in about 50:40 and the new neighbor a couple minutes after. Another neighbor's brother had come in at about 45:00 or so.

Conditions were ideal for running - a thick overcast and enough wind for cooling off, but not enough to impede one's pace. Temps about 62.

Fun race. Now it's a few weeks until vacation; then time to get serious for cross-country season.”

“OK, I was 58th overall out of 476 finishers, or within the top 12%. Among men finishers, I was 54th out of 286, or within the best 19% of the guys. In my 5-year age group, I was 7th out of 39 (top 18%), and I was 12th out of the 73 guys in the full 10-year Masters age group (top 16%).

As I noted before, my neighbors did well: one was 4th in her age group, and the other was 6th. Woo hoo!”

“Nice job, bowlderdude!!”

“How cool that your neighbors run the same races!”