Slacker...

So I haven't ran in almost two weeks - except for a mile yesterday and the day before on the treadmill. Thought I'd share that update with everyone. :-) Needless to say I don't have shin splints anymore... I have worked out just haven't gone for a long (or short) run. That's ok, right?

Hopefully I get back on track next week though I'm giving myself another week or so to slack due to New Years and upcoming BCS madness.

Roll Tide!

MG

PS - my trainer at the gym said to foam roll a lot and stretch your calves a lot. He also said to help with shin splints to walk on your heels for a few mins before you run... Stand flat footed and lift your toes off the ground so all your weight is in your heels and walk around - like this lady is doing!

HO HO HO!

I ran 3 on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, 3 on Wednesday and 4 on Friday (outside). I rested Thursday and today. I will try to do something on Christmas but it's hard to make it to the gym on the holidays and I don't want to push running since I'm so tight! My long run (yesterday) was a little difficult because my calves started hurting in the first mile (YIKES) but I pressed on! I'm wondering if this is going to be a recurring issue. I hope to get my foam roller tomorrow from my sister so hopefully that will help. I've been stretching and massaging whenever I think too!

I hope everyone has a wonderful christmas eve and christmas! What are everyone's new year plans? well maybe send via email and not via blog! haha

Happy running to all. Excited for my upgrade to 5 miles next week.

LH

3 miles in City Park

I did 3 slow stiff miles in City Park this morning.  After 7.5 on Sunday and hourblast last night my legs felt like they weighed 100 pounds!  But when this is your view running its hard to complain:

I think tomorrow may have to be a stretch and rest day!

Run Run Run

So I got four runs in this week. Monday 3.5 Wednesday 3.3 Saturday 3 and Sunday I did my 4. I am definately feeling much better than my first week back, which is super encouraging. I am trying to plan ahead so that christmas doesn't affect getting my long run in this weekend. Also, I have two hourblast classes planned, so I will interested to see how those affect my energy level etc.. Vince has been running with me, which is so nice. Just knowing that he is going with me is more motivation. But yesterday his shins were bothering him and I had to leave him behind. Hopefully we can address the problem and he can keep going with me. I am so impressed with everyone. Reading everyones progress definately motivates me - cause usually im slacking. Yesterday I added some new tunes to my playlist. I was jogging to some old school jams. Music defintalely affects the runs I think....Anyway - great job ladies!

7.5 with Ole Man River runners

I did 7.5 miles Sunday am.  As I got to City Park, I remembered it was Ole Man River 5k/Half Marathon.  Its so much easier to do part of a 7.5 training run with a bunch of runners and people cheering you on!  I wish I had signed up for this race.  The weather sunday morning was perfect - high 40s and sunny, so it felt a lot warmer.  Pace was good - I tried to practice negative splitting.  My first three miles were around 11:27 per minute.  The four-ish I picked it up, getting down to 10:45ish by mile 7 and 10:15ish for the last half mile.  I then stretched and foam rolled forever!  It was a really great long training run - esp when I compare it to this summer when I did 8 miles while training for the Gulf Coast Half Marathon and almost died because it was so hot outside and all the water fountains in City Park had HOT water in them.

Hope everyone else's long runs went well!

Facebook

I did 6 miles today (6.18 to be exact). Averaged exactly an 11 minute mile which I am happy about. I think I need to run around a 10 min 15 sec mile to finish the half in around 2 hrs 15 mins which is my goal. I have plenty of time to speed up. This was my longest run since the half last year.

I use the Nike+GPS app on my phone to run with. I like it (now that I figured out some of its kinks like don't use the Power Song button unless you want the iPod to switch from your Run playlist to shuffle through all the songs on your phone...). I like how you can post to Facebook that you started a run and during your run when people like your post or comment on it you will hear cheers. Only problem is I must be a big loser because after posting this on FB 3 or 4 times I have never gotten a single Like or comment. :-(

So next time you see me post that I started a run in Facebook like the post so I can hear cheers!!

Favorite new running song, and favorite song in general - We Are Young by Fun.. LH didn't you suggest that one?

four!

I ran four today outside. surely my mapmyrun app is wrong. at one point it said my pace was 13:48. I know I usually run a 10:30-11:00 pace outside right now. Maybe 11:30 on a slow day but not 13:48! It was a beautiful day to run but I find that I am so much slower outside. I guess because you can control your pace easier on a treadmill. My knee and calves started hurting in mile 1 but I pressed on and kept going. I think my sister is getting me a foam roller for christmas!

I enjoy running to rap music. I cracked up on my run today when "Wop" came on (by J Dash). Great! Anyways, I'm glad I got my "long" run in today before the wedding tonight. I even was able to enjoy 2 glasses of red wine and a st. germain cocktail last night (which I highly recommend!)

Happy long runs to you all this weekend!

LH

New Course Map for Mardi Gras Half

Tracking my progress..

Tuesday - 3 miles outside. I REALLY didn't want to run on Tuesday. I was sore and not motivated. But I ended up going. I left my house when it was cold and cloudy and halfway through my run the sun came out and it warmed up to 70 degrees. I was very over dressed so it sucked. And I had just gotten a cavity filled so my left cheek was numb and I was drooling the whole time. Lovely.

Wednesday - 1.2 miles - sprinted this one as part of my lower body Gym Matrix Class

Thursday - 2ish during Hourblast.

Tomorrow I am doing a total body Gym Matrix class so will probably only run about a mile or so. Saturday I will take it easy (I may run a mile or two depending on how hungover I am). Sunday I'm shooting for 5 or 6 miles.

Today at work I feel like doing this:

Miles this week

Everyone with tight calves needs to foam roll them!  If you don't have a foam roller - get one!

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11756534

Best $20 you will spend while training!

3.5 miles Tuesday am alone. Little pain in my hip and very tight calves.  I think I was still sore from my Sunday run and strength training Monday.

Wednesday - slacked off because Hourblast was cancelled.  Apparently I was the only one signed up.

3.2 miles Thursday am - really it was me chasing Joe down St. Charles because he is so much faster than me... and he won.  Calves and hip felt great! I think running along the street car path on St. Charles is easier on my legs than the sidewalks in Lakeview.

I plan on getting 3ish miles in tomorrow then doing my long run Sunday.  I hope this weather continues!  It is so much easier to run in shorts and a tank top at 67 degrees then 100 layers at a frigid 41 degrees!

Currently listening to:
Girl Talk - but I am sick of them and about to remove them from my running mix
Glee - Survivor mash up and Adele mash up are my favs right now!
Other - music I am sick of because I haven't changed my play list (with the exception of the 2 new Glee songs) since I trained for the half marathon in October.  I need suggestions!

Brooks - Ghost 4

Hey all-

I think I figured out my calf/under calf problem. I talked to a few of my guy friends that run and one used to work in a shoe store and they say it's probably just my legs getting used to a new running shoe that is very cushioned. Since my Brooks are very cushioned for a neutral fit, it will take some adjusting. Also, it's both legs so it has to be the shoes, right?

I ran 2 today since I'm sticking with the novice 1/2 marathon training schedule again and this is week 12. I ran pretty fast for me though 6.0-6.8 intervals.

I really like to run to songs that are longer in length to make the time pass by. I get myself through one song and think one more 5 minute song and a mile will be done. Besides the other two songs I told y'all about the other day I also really like "We are Young" by FUN (on glee's episode last week), "Right above it" by lil wayne, "wild heart" by sabi, and "Blackout" by breathe carolina.

I'm planning to do my "long" run (it's 4 this weekend for me) on Saturday since I have a wedding sunday night and don't want to even talk myself out of the run on Sunday.

LH

Calves also hurting...

Sissy - mine too - definitely try foam rolling! It helps a lot. You can borrow LA's probably! Or they are only like $20 I think. I ran 1 Saturday, 2 on Sunday and 3 today. I cross trained Monday to rest my calves. I'm hurting the area under my calves ... almost near the Achilles. E - I also find that I have bad runs after good runs... again, I think it's mental. Congrats on the 6.35 - that's awesome! Keep up the good work ladies.

Ouch! My calves hurt.

So here goes for my first update...

On Sunday I ran 6.35 miles at a brisk pace (for me). Not sure how I ran it that fast, but I hope I can keep it up for the full 13.1 in a few months. I felt really good afterward. I gave myself some time to do a lot of stretching so I wasn't sore at all. Yesterday I did a "cross" day and did the elliptical for a bit at the gym and then some upper-body weight training. That's not so much for the half training and more for my aim of having rockin' arms for my wedding. (P.S. for those counting down, it's officialy less than 5 months away!!) This morning I ran 3.5 miles - this is where the calf pain comes in. Almost immediately after I started running, my calves balled up. I stopped to stretch them out a bit, but it didn't help. Luckily, I did an out and back route that I had mapped out beforehand, so I had no choice but to complete the distance. I was so happy when I finished.

Does anyone know of any good calf stretches? I did the only one I know - placing the ball of your foot against the wall and leaning in - but that hasn't helped me.

Also, does anyone find that sometimes after having a really good run, your next run is slow and somewhat painful?

Streak

Tracking my progress:

1 mile on Saturday (outside)

5 miles on Sunday (outside)

1 mile on Monday (treadmill, after an upper body Gym Matrix class)

The 5 miles on Sunday was easy but slow. Took me about 55 minutes. I'm happy though because my shins/knee/ankles didn't hurt at all. I just want the weather to warm up. It's too cold to be outside!! Tomorrow I plan on taking it easy - 2 or 3 miles and probably no gym.

How's everyone else doing?

PS - I am loving my my Nike Free Run shoes!!

5.5 miles today

I did 5.5 miles today at a steady pace with no knee issues. Would have been 6 miles but I got a late start and the saints game was starting! Had to sprint the last .5.

-L keep foam rolling and make sure you stretch a lot , especially your hip flexors. I have found that helps.

Who dat!

Streaking

Day three of the Run Streak! I ran 3 miles yesterday and it was pretty brutal. I think my unusually hard Hour Blast and Gym Matrix classes Mon-Wed of this week had taken their toll. I was very slow. I'm also still getting used to the Nike Free Run shoes (they told me you would have to break them in) and I felt different muscles in my feet and ankles that I have never felt before.

I ran 1.84 miles today - one minute sprints and 30 seconds walk to recover for 20 minutes. I did the Total Body class at Gym Matrix this morning and I was not very happy to see the hard trainer from Monday night teaching the class. Usually it's a girl that teaches on Friday mornings. I was able to get a run in during the class which was nice.

We'll see if this streak continues tomorrow. If so I plan on running just one mile...one very slow mile.

TGIF!

-M-

12/8/11

Weak run today. 2.5 miles on the treadmill. I found that my calves were really tight from yesterday's run. Maybe not enough or proper stretching? A trainer at the gym told me to use a foam roller so I've been doing that to loosen my calves after each run.

Advice on prevention of knee injury again? Right knee tends to ache also, like LA.

Inspirations...

This is what inspires me...

I am by NO MEANS a Veteran

L - get your mind right, I am by no means a veteran runner.  3 half marathons does not make a veteran - especially when you are limping through your last two halfs (halves...??) due to IT Band issues!  

This training go around will include lots of stretching, foam rolling and pilates to hopefully prevent any future knee/IT band issues...

- LA

Going Streaking!!

My most recent "power song" on my Nike run app is Sandstorm.  Laugh all you want, when that song comes on I can somehow easily pick up my pace.  It made me sprint mile 8 of the half marathon last year!   I am kind of over running to Girl Talk so I am looking for some new song suggestions!

I just got the Nike free runs and love them.  I started running last week - but just 3 miles on Wednesday and 3 miles on Sunday.  I am going to do 3 today and probably 5 on Sunday.  My training was going to consist of 2 runs a week and continuing my current Gym Matrix / Hourblast workouts b/c I don't want to give those up.  But last night I discovered this online and thought it looked tempting...

http://trainingdaily.runnersworld.com/2011/11/17/announcing-the-inaugural-rw-holiday-running-streak/

Basically its a challenge to run every day from Thanksgiving to New Years.  You can run as little as one mile - just as long as you run.  I'm thinking I am going to try it.  It will be hard but surely I can find 10 minutes on a busy day and run one mile.  That will be 24 straight days of running.  PS if you run 365 days straight you can get your name listed on this website:  http://runeveryday.com/  but I am not up for that challenge... yet

-M-

Motivation to Train

I figured it might be helpful for us to keep each other motivated for the half marathon.  Participate if you care to - if not, no worries!  I know a few of us have done this before and others are veterans (Leigh Anne especially) (the beauty of a group blog - I can edit your posts!) but as someone who needs a little push every now and again, it may be helpful to share our tips/motivation/etc with each other!  (Laugh it up, I'm a dork I know but I need the motivation :))


I just started running/training again.  I got fitted for a good running shoe and LOVE my new Brooks.  I started last Monday and rested this weekend.  Yesterday, I was able to do 4 miles on the treadmill.  I've been determined to push myself and increase my pace so I have been interval training (somewhat) at a speed ranging from 5.6 - 6.4 mph.  I'm also keeping a daily log so I can look back and be proud of my accomplishments.  


I feel like I'm finding my dedication and determination slowly to do this again.  Any tips or advice to continue to motivate myself?  I am dreading the long runs that will be coming up in the near future and I'm wondering how you guys prepare for those.  Any good songs that always motivate you to run?  I like to pump myself up with the song "I don't care" by Apocalyptica.  Also, Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" is a great pacer song.  


For me, this is a mental game.  I know physically my body will be able to do this again, just need to get on the right mental track.  And stay hydrated! :)


Happy running to you all - 


-L-