A week of no running at all due to a business trip, looking forward to start again next week, hopefully full of energy.

Every .1 counts! congrats! :)

Congrats, HG!

Good stuff, hoopsguy!

Race report
Oktoberfest 13.1
October 27th, 2013
Philadelphia, PA


Inconsistent training and my mt-dew-and-peanut-butter-cap'n-crunch-only diet did not produce the results I was hoping for. I had been under the illusion that a 2:00 finish was possible, and was able to keep that pace for the first 7 miles. But after that, my legs just absolutely ran out of whatever it is that legs need to keep running. I even had to stop and walk multiple times. Plus, I wasn't ready for hills at all, except for the downhill kind.

Approaching the finish line, crowd cheering on..."alright doug, lets kick this thing into high gear and show the folks how it's done". So I start sprinting, but my legs rebelled against my brain, and my calves cramped into bocce balls. So I limped past the finish line, and almost had to stop altogether. I am hoping that no video surfaces of that moment. 2:13

Best 10K, best 15K, and (I'm guessing) best half marathon should provide some measure of satisfaction. Even if the legs did run out of Mountain Dew halfway through.

Sounds like you just ran out of fuel. Still finishing a half marathon is great, and you have something to improve on next time. Don't be down on it, you did a great job!

if it wasn't for this thread, i probably never would have run a half marathon, and for that i'm grateful.

And you should be very proud for completing it! Congrats!

I think I want to post daily regarding my marathon training, but I don't want to clutter this thread or even my blog, so I've started a dynasty thread here to serve as my training log: Real-Life Training Log: 125 Days Of Preparation For My First Marathon - Front Office Football Central

I commented a fairly pedestrian "good job!" on your Strava feed but I do believe it was a good job, an impressive job. I mean, you ran a frigging half marathon! How many people have we all heard about say that "oh yeah, I started running, I'm gonna get in shape!" only to see them post runs on FB or hear about their running for a couple weeks, maybe a month and never hear about it again? huh, how many? Too many!

No matter how infrequent your training was, or how neglected your diet was (I'm not much better btw, although no Mt Dew for me ;)), you still put in some work toward a goal, running a race that is 13.1 frigging miles! In which you pushed yourself for two frigging hours! That is worth something, something to be proud of.

Keep on running, keep on having fun doing it, mix it up and if you want to, you'll do better next time.

Happy running, life is good :)

FM

The Ultimate Motivational Clip - Rise & Shine! - YouTube

I pulled the MP3 of this video and it's now on my iPhone and I think I could listen to it in a loop all day, just awesome...


FM

Nice one FG.

Here is my most motivational video about running, from obese and depressed to Ironman and to appear in runners magazine. the guy has also a nice blog that i read after watching the video a year ago.

On Strava, what does GAP stand for? It looks like it takes elevation into account with your pace, but I'm not 100% sure.

Beginning week 2 of my regimen. I'm hoping it starts to get easier. I went to a running shop, and they analyzed my stride and recommended a stability shoe. I will admit, my knees haven't been sore, which is a first. And I have avoided shin splints so far. But the muscles on the outside of my calves start to burn badly about a mile in. I think it is because these muscles haven't been used before due to my stride, and the shoes are forcing them to work harder. The day off between runs is a lifesaver right now, to let them heal a bit.

You are correct, GAP = Grade Adjusted Pace. It is a Strava special value that they use the elevation vs what your expected pace would be if you ran the same effort on level ground. In an attempt to show your effort level and not just how fast you ran.


As for your running, it is perfectly normal for the muscles to be sore after a run, especially if you haven't been running before or for quite some time. Especially when you start up, make sure to take full advantage of the off days to rest and recover, as that is where the most of the improvement comes in , the healing of those muscles.

As you continue to run, over time, the amount you can run will increase the soreness will decrease and the amount of down time needed will decrease as well.

FWIW, I started running just this past May 30th. Had not run since maybe high school, some 25 years ago. At first, I found it hard to even run every 48 hours. The first few steps would sting in my hips but I would warm up and I'd be able to go through with my run. But for most of Summer, I never erally thought about regularly running on back to back days. There were even days follwing a run that I'd dread going to my son's soccer game by fear of simply having to do a light jog.

But it got better after a while and eventually I was able to run on back to back days for only a couple days. Then, the Hal Higdon plan I picked to train for my 18k race had runs on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday, then on Saturday & Sunday. I thought I wouldn't be able to handle the midweek stretch but I was. That was back in mid September, so maybe 3 months from my beginnings as a runner. I went at it almost like clockwork all Summer though, every other day, making it a week of 3 runs followed by one of 4 runs. My highest mileage week topped at 26.4 miles, three weeks before my race. I had an easy week last week following the race but will be building on that as I train for Strava's Any Way 10k in four weeks or so. Weather permit, I'll have my first 30 miles week this week, as I go for my first ever run of half marathon length this weekend...

FM

Nice job Doug. Sounds like you gave it your all and that's all you can ask.

On a side note... peanut butter Cap'n Crunch is sounding awfully good right now.

47 degrees for my bike ride today. At one point got up to 34 mph going down a nice steep hill. I think I lost all feeling in my ears at that point. Going to seriously need to find some warmer bike wearing gear.

ish, yeah biking is rough in the cold... Was 30, felt like 20 according to the local meteo outlet, for my 5:20am run this morning. Bought a pair of sorta/kinda tights from Nike last week and tried for the first time this morning. Awesome! Add to that a baselayer from Columbia that they call Omniheat (it has a sort of foil backing that's supposed to keep your body heat but at the same time wicks away sweat) and I was running with a simple sweatshirt.

Still had to take care where I stepped as we received some snow yesterday and while most of it melted by the ended of the day, there some ice patches left and right on the side of the streets. It's quite dark at 5 am, wouldn't want to start spinning on a patch of ice...

FM

Love it. I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff.

I don't know how many folks here are podcast listeners, but there is one I just discovered called Endurance Planet. There is a great episode from 9-6-13 with Dr. Tim Noakes (he did The Lore of Running) and the entire episode is pretty fascinating as he and the host go about debunking myth after myth about nutrition, hydration, and training. Great stuff.

I'm a big podcast listener during my long runs. I'll grab it for this weekend. Thanks!

And just for added mind's-eye candy, here is what the female host of that podcast looks like (middle):

Sorry, I've been busy a bit so not online as much so might have missed it, but who is Lars? Looks like someone from here, just want to put a name to the screen name so I know who I am rooting on :)

I was wondering the same thing, Alan.

I think we might need to do a who's who every once in a while in the strava club to match up names and screen names.

I'm thinking maybe corbes = Lars.

I hit 20 pounds lost today. Paltry compared to what Ben has achieved, but I feel pretty good about it. Halfway to my goal weight (mid-170s). :cool:

Ideally, one should never put themselves in the position to achieve what I've achieved, weight-loss wise. Good job!

I created a screen name post over there and filled in the ones that I know. Please jump in and post your name there or here.

Log In | Strava

Log In | Strava

True. If I lost what you've lost, I'd be knocking on death's door. :)

[quote=Kodos;2869601]I hit 20 pounds lost today. Paltry compared to what Ben has achieved, but I feel pretty good about it. Halfway to my goal weight (mid-170s). :cool:

wow awesome!

awesome indeed Kodos! well done!

FM

Great job Kodos! Just like running, weight loss isn't a competition between other people, it is a competition with your goals. Right now you're winning. keep it up! :)

Good to be not only back out on the bike but on the new (to me) Major Jake. Temperature was perfect and the rain MADE ME KNOW IT WAS REAL.

Here is a terrible pic of my bike as I was pulling it to the freight elevator. That's how much I love this bike. I WILL POST TERRIBLE PHOTOS OF IT.

Yes, I am elated to be back out.

She's a beaut!

Signed up last minute for a 10-k this morning.

On the positive side I have a sub 40 minute time in something labeled a 10-K race.

On the negative side, the course measured about .4 miles short.

Probably didn't run the smartest race given I haven't run six miles at one time since late July but cumulative fitness still does wonders. Went out way too fast and tried to voluntarily slow down a bit. Then I involuntarily slowed in miles 4 and 5. Felt better toward the end.

Time for a finish line beer. Unofficial time of 39:33 for something like 5.8 miles.

Wow, that is really fast. Do you think your GPS could just be off?

Congrats to Kodos on his weight loss and digamma for posting a damn fast run.

I lengthened my walk/run today, and a couple of hours after I was done, the inside of my thigh was sore. I took a look at it, and I have a nice rash. I am putting some A&D ointment on it for now, but since my fat thighs won't be skinny any time soon, does anybody have any suggestions how to prevent this?

This happened to me quite often when I first started running, especially when I was a good 70 pounds heavier than now. At first I started using body glide before every run on the insides of my thighs and that helped remove the chafing.

Since then, some friends clued me in on wearing under armor 9 inch boxer briefs under my running shorts. Those are the most comfortable things for me ever.. I wear them every run now and haven't had a problem with chafing since then at all.

Can you get these at Target or something similar, or do I need to go to a sporting goods store? I think my cotton boxer briefs bunched up while I was running, and that was the biggest culprit.

In awe of the digamma speed as always.

http://www.amazon.com/Reebok-Perform...3437259&sr=1-1

These are great for my meaty thighs... the underwear, not the dude's package.

I got mine at the local sporting goods store for $20, but they can be bought on Amazon as well

I left before the awards ceremony yesterday (trip to the zoo!), but this was good enough for 14th out of 335 finishers and 1st out of 36 35-39 year olds--my first time winning my age group.

That's awesome! Congratulations!

I ran my 5 miles yesterday morning. Before I left for the football game I noticed pain in my right ankle...wrapping under my foot and climbing up the side of my calf.

It numbed with the weather I suppose and I didn't really feel it in the evening.

Today I've been non stop limping. I had to wrap it to coach on the field of my youth football team today. It feels like a knot in the arch of my foot...and I still have the pain that wraps around the bottom of my foot from the ankle.

I still did my 40 minutes of cardio today. Tomorrow is a scheduled day off.

I'm supposed to run Tuesday. This junk better be gone by then.

With those type of pains, you want to take it carefully to make sure you don't make it worse or you may be sidelined for far longer. Make sure to RICE (Rest, Ice it, Compression, and Elevate it) and give it a little time.

A day or three off now is better than two weeks later.