Motivation gets you started, habit keeps u going

Welcome to the blog. Consider this your running buddy!

Welcome to the blog. I just got started here, but so far it really seems to help keep me motivated.

Hey A! So glad to see you here. I'll go put you in my favorites. Welcome to the blog!

Welcome to the blog. Careful. FRB becomes addicting after a while :) ;)

Welcome to the blog! Picking a race will help focus your attention that's for sure.

Welcome to the blog. A friend of snoqualmie is a friend of mine.

Don't try to run too much as you get back on the wagon. Just do what you can and feel good about what you do.

Welcome to the blog... it's good to get new friends here.

Start out easy and have fun!!

Welcome!!! this is the place to make friends and learn and keep yourself motivated! Good luck on your running journey, sounds like you are a very busy gal!

I look forward to getting to know all of you! I am just having a heck of a time figuring this out! Do you all get a message if I post here back to you on my own blog? and where is my inbox?

Any comments posted to your blog get emailed to you. Same goes for any comments on a thread that you previously commented on. Welcome to the blog.

New shoes - that's great! I think you'll love the Nike+ too. I've heard great things about it.

Hey welcome to the blog.

I'm wondering if your recent headaches have anything to do with hydration. It's easy to get dehydrated when you start running more consistently.

I love the feeling when I can combine an errand with a run.

Good luck with your current running goals!

JD After you said that I said "Duh" You are probably right. I think I have been drinking more mt dew than normal and less water....Sooo along with my "I'm not going to eat as much candy" I'm also going to up my water intake...I only drink a mt dew a day...but it use to be i would drink one everyonce in a while...seems lately it is a regular once a day thing. And thank you for your support!

That's too bad about your ipod. My mp3 player is not an ipod, so I'm no expert, but my husband has an ipod and he had a problem recently where it wouldn't turn off and none of the buttons would do anything. He looked on the internet and found instructions do some kind of reset and it fixed the problem. It's working fine now. Maybe you can search the internet and figure out how to do the reset, or I can ask him this evening how he did it and let you know.

At least you got a good walk in. That should help with breaking in the shoes. I've heard that some people will just wear a pair of new shoes not running, but just going about their regular business, for a day before running in them.

I think I may start doing that with new shoes...it seems I get shin pain when I try to run in a new pair...I have errands later I will wear them then. I didn't know you could reset an IPOD. I shall have to try that! I was so upset! I just got the Nike + to work and then the IPOD dies! LOL Good thing I mapped out my route first just in case!

Great run, April! Glad you enjoyed the group. :)

Thank you? I'm so excited!

It's great that you've got people to run with.

Good workout! I just hate it when my feet get wet. I love the term "comfy pace." :)

Keep running and your "comfy pace" will get faster. I'm glad that the fastrunningblog is helping.

awww...are you all teasing me? Yes I have a few words that you probably would not find in the dictionary but they decribe how I am feeling well. I call them aprilisms. LOL

I"m just glad that 10 pace feels good. I use to gasp for air at an 11 and 12 pace!

Not teasing! It is apt.

It will get easier and easier. 6 months ago my easy pace was 11:00 per mile. Now I am comfortable between 8:30 and 9:00. Just be consistent!

6 months? wow...well considering I haven't done much for speed work I'm not surprised I haven't improved speed wise. I think on my short tuesday runs I will throw some unofficial speedwork in...

Schereville....you're pretty close to me.

Welcome to the blog!!! It's awesome the friends you can make and great to have "cheerleaders"

Psst...I just left a response on my blog for you.

I don't do any speedwork--I've found that higher, slower mileage has increased my fitness much better without getting me injured(I am rather injury-prone).

For what it's worth, my advice would be to not worry about short runs, but to focus on good warm up, good form (make sure you are not heel striking) and enjoying the experience of running. If you have walk or cut things short, that's alright; things will get better if you love doing it and you keep doing it. :)

well I noticed I was running heavy...that seems to be something I do when I haven't completely woken up and it is only really on short runs...OR when I feel lin a hurry...so either I will wake up earlier or plan runs when I don't have to be anywhere...just seems when i feel rushed mentally I don't run as well...but when I have a la de da attitude my performance is better...i'm like that with tests too...LOL

P.S. Looks like I won't have time for a few miles this afternoon...soo should I try again tomorrow? I have a 8miler planned with the LRS on saturday...

Great miles today! I'm sorry you are still working out those pain & cramp issues. You'll figure it out, I'm sure. Nice long run!

thank you so much...

That's interesting that they consistent run a slightly faster pace than they're supposed to. Way to stick with it through adversity.

When you get a cramp or pain in your abdomen try to exhale when the foot on the opposite side of the pain hits the ground. I read this somewhere and it works for me every time. Actually, this last week or so I've been trying to change my breathing pattern so it alternates which foot I exhale on and I haven't got any more aches. miracle cure? I don't know, but it works for me :)

When I'm running at a comfortable pace and even slightly faster, I try to breathe in for 3 steps and out for 2 steps. This results in alternating which foot is going down with each exhale. I never get side stitches or stomach cramps when running. Maybe the two things are connected. I'm not sure, but perhaps it's worth a try.

I wish I could find that article. It talked about the liver usually being the culprit as most people get the ache on their right side. So exhaling hard on the left foot would force the abdominal muscles to loosen up on the right side. This does work for me, even exhaling on the right foot if the pain happened a to be on the left.

I just recently made the connection that always exhaling on the same side, right or left, could possibly aggravate the opposite side. That last bit about alternating is only my own half-baked theory so your mileage may vary :)

I just bought a Garmin 305 and had the same dilemma about the 405 before I placed my order. After some research I discovered that most everybody hates the touch bezel on the 405 and it's totally unusable when it gets wet. Everybody seems to love the 305 even though it's big and ugly. The 305 coupled with the free Sport Tracks program is the coolest thing ever for a techie geek like me and it's still "fisher price easy" to use.

Ooh I like fisher price easy! I was worried about that too...I'm like really how much of this stuff will I actually use? And what is the is sports tracks program? clearly I have not researched enough. And the ginormousness of the 305 does worry me...but I use to carry bottles of water with me so nothing can be any more cumbersome than that!

You will never notice the size or weight of the 305 while you're running. You will appreciate the giant display though when you are reading it on the run!

Sport Tracks is a free(actually donation-ware) program for your computer that replaces the terrible Garmin training center program that comes with the watch. It will show you your course on a google map, display your splits on a bar graph, and even make those fancy elevaton charts like they have for most marathon courses. You realy don't even need it(or the garmin software) to use the watch, but it is very cool.

Jealous? (hand going up)

If it's hurting when you slow down, that could be a running form issue. Heel striking? Don't worry about slow. Good job getting out there!

Not jealous. Our temps are similar to yours today. (Sorry, Snoqualmie.)

Shin pain has been covered in the discussion forum recently. If you look in there, you might be able to find some stretches that will help.

Sno, Yeah I heard about your blizzard conditions! You poor thing...It actually did get into the 70's today. I'm glad I did my run early. I don't think I could have handled running in the 'heat' yet. LOL

Carolyn in CO I read about the shin pain on the forum...it seems they have pain on the inner parts of their leg.. Mine tends to be on the outter parts.....maybe it is tense muscles. I almost bought the stick but ended up with the foot roller thing instead...feels good after a run...but now i'm wondering if the stick would help with the legs...maybe it isn't shin pain at all and it is outer muscle tightness...maybe I'm blabbing on about nothing! LOL

We had 70's today too! It was great. Are you wearing the right kind of shoes for your gait?

seeaprilrun,

OH dear! Yes...I was just fitted...I had another pair of shoes that they had me in and I had to return them...ever since then it has been one issue after another...I have had a few good runs in these shoes...which leads me to believe it isn't the shoe...lately I have felt like I'm running funny...

70's here today too! I am sooo excited to have some nice running weather. Its supposed to drop back into the 40s tomorrow though :(

My sister switched shoes(to ones that she was fitted for) and had all kinds of problems. Even if they are the right shoe sometimes it can take some getting used to. Eventually she adjusted. I hope it gets better for you!

JulieW

Well that makes me feel better... I hope I am in an adjustment period!

April - I think corn fields and deer are very cool. My "better half" Dean is from a little town near Greenfield Indiana -- where is Schererville -- I know in Greenfield it is not just an occasional cornfield!

Bonnie, Schererville is about 30 miles SE of Chicago. It is a growing town so there are still some farms around here. Sporadically. A little further south are even more...WE are thinking about moving further south b/c it is getting too busy up here...I grew up just outside of Chicago...I enjoy the country scenes a lot more than the city!

Outer lower legs?

It sounds like your shoes to me, especially if it is both legs. It is probably coming from your ankle (since it affects both your feet and legs). Are these stability shoes? if so, go to a more neutral shoe -- make your muscles work at stablizing you, don't let your shoes force your feet/ankles into an unnatural (for you) position.

If there are any sports massage people near you - go see one, make sure they do cross-friction or some sort of deep tissue work -- ART is great too. Make sure you find someone who works with athletes - you don't want a feel-good appointment - you need someone to fix (read hurt) you. ART (active release techiques - or the Graston technique) are great - they usually only take one or two visits for soft tissue things.

good luck April. Don't worry, persevere!

Bonnie, different days it is different legs...most days it is both legs...I am in a neutral shoe..i don't over or under pronate...I tried on shoes like that and the arches were too high. This is my second pair of shoes to take home from the running store...the others were horrible...but these were fine for the first week and then poof...yuckness.

I haven't had shin or lower leg pain in atleast 10 years.

Is ART a doc? or is that for massage?

We had some docs come into the running store for a clinic before our runs...Maybe they have a special deal.

first I suppose I will run trying to not point my toes up...not really sure why I started doing that in the first place...if that doesn't work...then i will go to the doc (i hate medical..lol)

I had a ligament strain in my lower calf that felt exactly like I pulled my achilles tendon. In fact, it was muscle related and due to worn out shoes.

Shoes probably aren't your issue. It could be overuse (which was also part of my problem). As you ramp up your workouts you will encounter issues like this. Take it easy for a few days until the pain is gone. Then slowly ramp up again. You'll be right as rain in a week.

Oh, ice and Ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory will help too. Most likely, if it is ligament, they are inflamed because they are mad at you.

LOL my entire body is mad at me...and my brain hates my body b/c it won't run...

Most ART therapists are chiropractors, though not all of them. If it something they can't fix (e.g., stress fracture) they will usually tell you right away. I swear by them. The first one I ever went to I went in and I was not even able to walk, and I left and went for a run! It hurts like heck though. www.activerelease.com

I would try changing shoes first just to rule that out. I'll second the motion for ice and ibuprofen. Massage is good too. Don't worry, you'll get past this.

Thank you all for your help and encouragement...this is very frustrating...I emailed my coach from the LRS...she suggested not running and to come in at 930 (post run) b/c I guess there will be docs there tomorrow for the clinics...I hope they can tell me something...and i hope it is simple...like the shoes being wrong (again) or whatever!

Ah! When the pain moves, that is a SURE sign you are on the right track, in terms of what we talked about. That protective part of the brain says, "Oh dear, she's not going for that one, let me try a different one."

DH has a cold too. Take care! :)

I hope that cold doesn't get you. Take it easy!

Every few days or so i feel the scratchy throat...I drink some hot tea and i'm good! Go figure!

Maybe a break from running is what you need. But if you do take that break, be sure to come back as soon as you can.

You certainly have a lot on your plate, and it's better to leave running aside for a while than it is to end up resenting it.

you could try drastically changing your approach. Crosstrain or run slower or faster. For me sometimes my shins hurt at one speed, but not at a faster or slower speed. I don't really understand it, but it is what it is. Maybe find a dirt trail. Just throwing out things to try, but I agree with Sno, taking a break is better than hating it forever.

azdesertmonsoon,

I haven't had shin pain in 10 years so this frustrates me a lot. A few times running faster has worked but today it was just unbearable and unfixable...I think the headache really did me in.

I think I will just ride my bike maybe pop in the good ol' work out videos...

I'm torn between wanting to not lose my cardio fitness b/c that is so hard to build back up and not wanting to be burned out...I'm sure I will run agian within the next week. LOL

I just can't stay away from my great love! Running!

I think I"m just frustrated in general...life is so weird!

Having fun and enjoying the run is ultimately what it is all about! Maybe if you keep having fun like today and don't pressure yourself the phantom shin splints will disappear all together!

that is my hope!

Glad to hear you're back out there! Nike+ broken? I thought you ordered a garmin.

No it mysteriously turned off?? weird...the Garmin fell through. By the time I got back to her she had sold it to someone on Craig's list. Which was fine. I will just save for one off ebay that has been refurbed...OR i will continue to put off that purchase for other things LOL. such a slacker!

It's great that you got out and just had fun. That sounds like a good way to scare the phantom pain away and get your mojo back.

Sounds like a lovely run! Too bad we all cannot come and run with you when you need a buddy. But you're too fast for me anyway! :)

Sno, me too fast? I did a 12 min average! I am pretty sure you can keep up miss won her age group 5K! LOL

Congratulations on finding the shoes. I hope they work out for you and the shin pain disappears.

I think running in the evening will be fine if you feel like you have the energy that time of day. We each have to find what works for us.

Last running in the morning was perfect...something is off this year and it isn't working out to well for me...Got to try something new! Always adjusting!

That's awesome! Now you need to find some new old shoes. When I find a shoe that really works for me, I try to buy 2 or 3 pairs at a time.

It's wonderful that you have good memories from running in the rain. That turns something from being difficult to being wonderful!

I hope the shoes keep working for you.

hooray for no shin pain ... and running in the rain. I love running in the rain too, though I hate racing or doing track workouts in the rain!

Yeah I suppose I should do that too...I want to make sure they really work (i know i'm being silly) Hopefully after I get my new ones I will run in them for a few weeks and then can go back online and buy some more...My boyfriend is going to think I'm nuts, buying all these shoes. He thought I was a nut when I got back this morning looking like a drowned rat.

Nice run, April! Your thirst for answers will set you free!

It sounds like they don't want to keep your business. Did they end up taking the shoes back?

wow. I am so sorry to hear about your running store woes. I rarely listen to salespeople at running stores about shoes. I have found a few knowledgable people (shout out to Fleet Feet Boulder); but mainly I hear the same stuff over and over and they ALWAYS try to put me in a stability shoe, which I have found to exacerbate any little injury I might have.

Now I just go and buy things online and hope they work out, if they don't I give the shoes to friends. I find a brand that fits my foot and then try various types of that brand until one works. I rotate a couple different pairs along with Nike Free's almost every day.

That said, I do go to my local running store and buy shorts, gels, etc. to keep them in business, I just don't get advice about shoes unless I know them personally.

Yes they did take them back...but after all that and after saying repeatedly that I bought them on March 3rd. I said in the very begining that I wasn't sure when I bought them and that it may be too late and to let me know if it was a problem.

But then she basically insulted my intelligence about my own feet and I was done.

Funny thing is I use to run in kohl's New Balance and things were just fine for about 2-300 miles...some where I let people convince me that I needed to go to a running store to get fitted...Now i'm like what the heck do they know!

Pain free!! That's awesome! Pretty soon you'll be wanting a garmin again :)

Sounds like a great place to run. Way to go prepared. Congratulations on being pain free. I hope it continues.

Yeah for pain free! Hopefully it stays that way.

Rattletrap--yes I actually do...Especially since I found the trails to run on...so much more fun than running on city blocks...

I love running trails too, but it's hard at 4:30am. I have to stay on the roads for my weekday runs. The 205 is only $157 and the 305 $170 on Amazon right now.

http://www.amazon.com/GARMIN-010-00466-00-Forerunner-205-Receiver/dp/B000CSQJ8C/ref=pd_cp_e__map

is the only difference between the 205 and 305 is that the 305 has the heartrate monitor?

I thought I had heard that the 305 was more accurate and easier to use? But they both look a like !

and you are a bad influence! I have school books to buy!

I'm pretty sure they are the same except for the color and the HRM. The 205 doesn't even have the ability to communicate with an HRM. The 305 you can use with or without it. I got the 305 because it was only $13 extra, but I haven't used the HRM yet.

Sounds lovely! I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you enjoying your runs again! :)

Dang it! Pain, pain, go away. Don't come again another day.

lol...i had some strange butt pain today....i'm gonna run tomorrow...I finally got my old new shoes in...heres to crossing my fingers!

butt pain? I've had a lot of weird pains come and go over the past few months, but none there :)

My latest was in the arch of my right foot. For some reason it didn't hurt when running, but I could barely walk between runs! Thank God that one passed. I hope your new old shoes work well for you.

I think that Sno has talked to you about "phantom" pain that moves from one place to another. Could that be what's going on?

As for the race, how long has it been since you ran 10 miles or longer? I haven't looked through your training in detail, but I would be inclined to recommend you skip the race.

yes she did...and I have been working on it...seems to be skipping around more..and I get new pains...

So on my run yesterday I just kept repeating this mantra "I will not walk, I will only run" and few minutes later I was good...this worked better than telling myself the pain wasn't really there and ecetera...

I ran a painful 8miler mid march...(i just looked it up)

I am inclined to believe that I should not run it...but I feel like I would be giving up...but that could be my perfectionism talking...

Atleast I have a 5 k scheduled for May...

Do you think I could get ready for a 1/2 in June? This summer semester I am forced to take many night classes which means less of an opportunity to work since I work at night...which means more time for running...

I say if you're already registered, go for it. Just don't push yourself if it hurts.

Sorry about the pain :( Like Rattle said- you can just use it as a training run and don't worry about the time :) Maybe go easy on Thursday with pace and miles and then take friday off. It is also 100% ok to skip it if you feel like it is stupid, and may cause more injury. If a nice easy 10 miler will not hurt you, then go for it, but if your heart and mind say, "I should not go over 6," then skip it. It is always better to mend well and run again soon, then keep ticking off the injury ;)

Marion and rattletrap,

I have been thinking about it...I think I will just skip this race and start looking forward to the next...I have a 5k in may and even if I still have pain I can run 3 miles with it...there is a 1/2 marathon in June...so I may train for that...I just need good running vibes...school is done after tomorrow for 2.5 weeks and I figure if I get back into the running habit and working out I can make a come back...i know I will make a comeback...just having some setbacks.

Good for you! I should do that. We have Fit TV.

I love ellen barrett and she was on last weekend so I taped it and some others. I was going to buy some new videos--but why when I can dvr it? the only pain is that there are commericials so I wouldn't recommend it for yoga b/c you would have to break out of your thoughts to fast forward...

Good run/miles.

I love my Garmin. The 405 has a feature on it that will guide you back to your starting location, should help you on the getting lost part. :-)

lol i thought about that while i was lost!

Spacing out is one of the benefits of running, in my opinion. :)

Enjoy the sun. We are getting some too! At last!

Sounds like a good plan!

The garmins do have a "bread crumbs" type feature that might come in handy if you get lost :)

I'm no expert, but I tend to agree with the philosophy of running less miles more days per week and building from there. Sasha has posted some good stuff about this both here and in the discussion forum. I've been doing 6 days per week for a while and I sure didn't start out doing 10s. You might want to try just running 2 or 3 miles 6 days in a row and see how you feel if your schedule allows it.

Rattletrap,

I re-read my post. I sort of mispoke....I would lilke to run 5 miles a day for 3-4 days and then add to the mileag of those days. 1/2 the time I can hardly fit in 4 days so even adding a fourth day at this point is stretching it. I may run 3 5 milers and then a 3 miler...Something like that.

I know we can only do what our schedules allow. I guess I was just trying to say that starting with shorter distances 6 days a week really helped me get where I am :)

I know what you are saying, Rattletrap. I have read in several places that there are specific physiological advantages to running more days per week that cannot be gained in other ways. But like you said, one must fit it into Life too! :)

Rattletrap, You are right we are creatures of habit. I suppose running everyday would help me keep that habit. Years ago I did run 5 days a week usually only 3 miles, but it was what I could fit in before work. I think I will add a fourth 3 miler or 2 miler or whatever I have time for.

Sno-this is from ravelry but I was just thinking if I practiced not eating much before runs with my shorter ones do you think I could get use to that? I use to only eat and apple or a banana (again this was years ago) and that did just fine. I was just thinking about your other post...

If I were you I would strive to eat at least 2 hours before running or not at all for early morning runs. Take a gel or some dates with you if you think you're going to run out of gas and don't eat those until you've been running at least 25 minutes. That's what I would do. You might enjoy reading Costill's book if you can get it at your library: Running; The Athlete Within.

Sno - April, I have been contemplating the same thought about eating and training. I came across this article by Greg McMillan that he talks about training your body to do without carbs. You should give it a read. The article is about the "long run" and you may or may not agree with his method, but it is good reading anyway.

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/marathonlongrun.htm

Wow, Jona, thanks! Lots of food -haha -for thought. April, I think we should post this link to that thread on Ravelry. (April and I are buddies from a running forum on a virtual community of knitters, www.ravelry.com) Do you want to post it or shall I? Thanks again, Jona!

No problem, hope it helps you decide what works for you.

Hills are great. They make your legs stronger.

Agreed!

That's interesting about the cop. It's nice that he was concerned, I guess. Maybe he was bored. Did you look distressed?

Ya know cops pass me all the time on the roadsand never once has anyone stopped me...I suppose I thought that I was running super fast...I never thougth about a panicked look!

I know the air felt pretty heavy...so very humid...but I know the worse is yet to come with these hot days of summer we experiance over here!

That sound like a strange thing for a cop to do unless maybe he just wanted to meet you.

well then I guess unfortunately for him I kept on running and never really slowed down...I am oblivious to that sort of thing!

Ack! Try to stay away from that smoke if you can!

Well I found someone to take my shift tomorrow..I figure if I can rest my voice and my body all day I may start feeling better. I ahve a doc appt on Wednesday for my girly exam maybe she can give me some insight..

Agreeing with Carolyn... it's poison! What a shame you have to breathe it at all. Feel better soon!

It sounds like you need some sleep. Recovery is important.

I got a zpac so I should be feeling better in no time!

I have been reading the Chi Running book. I tend to lean to forward. When I run in the day I try to look at my shadow to see how I look. If I feel I am leaning to far forward I put my chin up a little and try not to look down at my feet. It seems to help me. The chi book talks about concentrating on your form at intervals. at 1-3 minutes at a time doing a self check so to speak. Power aid is great, but you should drink it closer to the end of your work out. I love Smoothies! Pick a fruit and some chopped ice, YUM! I put protein powder in mine! Good luck with your form and have fun!

Your butt shouldn't be sticking out because you should be leaning forward from your ankles, not from your hips. At least that's how I understand it. However, I must admit that I'm not a very conscientious practitioner of chi running.

I love chocolate milk post run (or anytime really).

I think you have to practice the stationary posture stance, get everything lined up, then fall forward and "catch" yourself by starting to run. You practice that a few times and get the feel for the lean and the butt will get back in line. :)

I am not a conscience chi-runner, but I tend to line up my upper body first and let my lower body follow. The only time I feel that I am in optimal form is when I am running 10K or faster, the rest of the time I never feel like I am in the "correct" form -- but that is probably why I have such bad problems with my hips and quads - I spend a large part of my week in tears from stretching/foam rolling and sitting on a baseball trying to loosen up my muscles.

ps I used the Costco brand slim fast for my post recovery drink (not much sugars but lots of carbs). I generally avoid processed sugar, unless I really crave it (which is rare - but more often when I am running a lot of miles).

well I need to apologize...I didn't know anyone responded to my blog...I thought i would have gotten an email...any who...

Sno--Whenever I feel like I'm not Chi running I start over and do the falling forward thing--so I think I"m doing it right...

Wildbull--yes I have been making smoothies more often now...they are easier to make at work due to the better ice and fruits that are available!

Carolyn--you are right...I don't think my butt is sticking out...I think the new form just feels different...I'm trying to picture myself as the Nordic Skier...as the book says...kinda makes me giggle

Bonnie-I hadn't thought of slim fast! I use to drink it often along time ago but never lost weight. (i'm not trying to lose weight now) so maybe if i make a smoothie out of it...hmmm...

Everything tastes better as a smoothie!

Good job getting out early on a Sunday morning. I usually don't eat before my runs. I'll have some oatmeal before a long run, but otherwise, nothing. But different things work for different people.

Also, I thought that maybe if i got my run in before anything else in the day I would have less likely of a chance of blowing it off. So far it is working...I obviously don't want to over do it so I will have to bike ride or something tomorrow.

68 degrees at 7:00 am? Wow.

I'm glad that eating after your run seems to be helping.

Good luck with school.

yes isn't that ridiculous? I thought getting up at 645 would have been fine...it has been a goofy week. I woke up yesterday at it was 40s...ya never know in the midwest!

Oh man, those temps don't look like fun at all! But you'll soon acclimate if you keep running in it.

that is kind of hard when today it is 49 and gloomy...i'm gonna wait an hour and see if it gets a little less blah out!

Good to hear there was no stomach trouble. Good luck with the back. The exercises you described are for core/abs. Maybe there are some other good back exercises you could do. Sorry that I'm not expert enough to recommend any.

Take it easy on those fast finishes. If you find that you're really beat tomorrow from today's fast finish, don't take it quite so fast next time.

Yeah so glad some one reads my blog! This week I have been so bored and I'm really trying not to run everyday (i don't want to end up running 25 miles this week and end up injured...tomorrow i will probably do my yoga/pilates thing from fit tv.

I thought if i strengthened my core I would be also strengthening my lower back? Especially supermans? hmmm I shall have to research that!

Yoga and pilates both have really good exercises for the back. As with everything else April ... take it easy and build up so you don't get hurt. A lot of times when your back hurts (especially the lower back) it is your lower body that it not working properly - so concentrate some of the exercises on your hips, quads, gluts and calves too.

There is a good book/website called "pain free" that shows some nice exercises (http://www.egoscue.com/).

Good luck April!

Pretty soon, you'll be asking Sasha to add a column for fast miles. :D Another workout you might enjoy is a fartlek ("speed play"), in which you speed up for short burst of time (30-60 seconds). I don't think you need to count them right now but they are fun and will get your heart rate up without killing you. The main thing right now is (sing it with me everyone!) aerobic base! Have a great weekend.

Sno--isn't fartlek also like hey I will run fast until that stop sign or the end of the block or whatever?

Bonnie-thanks for the link. I really like the yoga and most pilates moves. I really did not put two and two together that more leg exercises would help with the back. I will pay more attention to that.

oh and i'm so proud of myself! I had 54 miles this month! Wow!

I image 190 lbs. of dogs is a lot to handle, though I have no actual experience in it myself.

It's very good of you to get those dogs out for walks.

So did it work? Did the left hamstring loosen up?

Good luck with school!

nope...still hurts. I keep rubbing on it and it looks so weird...but it is really tight!

I think when I get home from school tonight I will take a nice hot bath...

And that you! I already have a lot of reading to do...go figure!

tee hee....i ordered my garmin!

what kind of garmin are you getting?

I home that hammie loosens up for you.

Did you say anything to the owner of the weiner dog?

Have fun with your garmin!

JakeK, I'm getting the 405...REI.com is having a sale and then they have a rebate on top of that so I really couldn't pass it up.

Carolyn in CO it is feeling 88% better right now...Tomorrow I"m gonna do pilates/yoga and not run.

My 405 is suppose to be here by the 13th sooo I can not wait!

I'm anxious to hear how you like your 405. I recently settled on the 305 and now I wish I had waited a little longer for the 310XT: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=27335

I think my wife is getting one of these for her birthday and then maybe I can borrow it :)

Be sure to check out SportTracks instead of the cheesy Garmin software for your PC.

So you're back to the books, eh? Good luck with the coming semester.

How's Chi running? I googled it and it looks interesting.

Sno, Yes back to school for the summer...21 creds in all...blech..

how is your recovery going?

JakeK--I love it...It is hard to judge if I got the lean but I"m adding little bits at a time. I love the idea of it...work your muscles less in order to run with ease and no injuries!

I haven't gotten all the way through yet but so far so good!

I think your run today will have helped you get rid of the old lady legs. If you run again tomorrow or the next day I think you'll feel better.

Good luck with the subbing and the homework.

I agree with Carolyn, at least I always feel (well maybe old man legs in my case :)) the same way if I take a day or two off.

I wish I had a dog to run with! Maybe someday if I move out of the city....

So it is soooo weird that you all say that only b/c when I first started running a break felt great..but now taking 2 days off is murder! I thought if I did my exercise video (has lots of squats) on Wednesday I would be okay. Not so!

JakeK--unfortunately I can't run with my dogs. So the one (my dog) has hip dysplasia--there was a time I would run with her and walk her much farther than I do now but turns out I was doing more harm than good.

I have a 9 y/o Husky but she gets too over heated and blahs out after about 1.5 miles (I tried to run with her for a while there)

and the boy dog is 5..he is actually really awesome to run with. I am working with him on how he walks with me on a leash b/c sometimes he likes to just jut out at a squirrel or a bird. And the places I run have no side walks so I need him to listen really well. I'm thinking next week I will start running with him for 3 milers... tomorrow I hope to do a 4.75 so that won't work...we shall see!

Sorry that was a lot of explanation...but I love my doggies!

April, I love my two dogs, but can't run with either of them. Jake (a hound mix who just showed up on our door one day) has to follow every scent (and can't run more than 2 miles anyway); and Keiko (Rhodesian Ridgeback -- couch potato) is old and never much into running anyway!! But they are both sooooo fun. Our dogs get to go to doggie daycare 2x a week and then have a dog walker come by another 2x a week -- they are very very spoiled (well, we don't want our carpets to get spoiled - and we generally work really long hours so we kind of have to do that). Anyway - I love my dogs too (and I love my not-so-nice cat too).

I am pretty selfish with my running time - so I tend to keep that to myself.

I am sure you will feel ready on your run tomorrow - after a couple days off it often feel like, "have I ever run before?"

work....tired...work...so i'm determined to get out tomorrow...I had to get the groceries done today and homework...tomorrow I start at noon...i need to run tomorrow! grr...it seems if i run on sunday it starts my week off right...I need to keep that up (obviously I didn't start this week off well!)

Hey, at least you got out there. I've never run with a dog, so I can't give you any advice there.

someone said that you can buy an attachment that goes to your hip so your hands are free...BUT he can pull if he sees a squirrel and I don't feel like getting my waist pulled on!

Good job getting out there in spite of the cold. I got rained on today :( How's that Garmin?

Good job getting out there. Did the hot shower warm you up?

Garmin isn't due to get here till tomrorrow. I can't wait!

Yes I stayed in there for a while..felt soo good! I feel so sleepy today--I swayed a lot on the road on the way to school...Which is weird only b/c I have been really good about getting atleast 7 hours of sleep. I may have messed up b/c on Saturday night I got aobut 10 hours...that may have been too much and that is why I'm off.

Can't wait to tell you how my Garmin is doing!

Carolyn-you have one too right?

Rattletrap--I forgot to ask--were you wearing a jacket? Or was it in the middle of your run? I hope it was atleast a warm rain!

I was in Mexico the last time I saw warm rain :) I never wear a jacket when I run, just long sleeves unless it's over 50. If I get cold I just run faster :)

Just to clarify that last comment: I also wear pants or shorts along with my long sleeves :)

Yes, I have a Garmin. I have the 205. It's not too fancy, but it does the trick, except this morning when it wanted a rest, apparently.

LOL rattletrap

I almost got a 205 but then i got a dicount on the 405. How could I pass that up?

So are you saying it's better to run when you're not so awake and your body doesn't really realize what you're doing?

I hope your Garmin comes today. Have fun with it!

Yay for the new Garmin coming! What color did you order? I have the green.

Re the mom pain -- family of origin is everything!! PM me if you ever want to talk about it. :)

Re waking up - that's so funny. One of my mantras when the alarm goes off is, "it won't be any easier 20 minutes from now." And I hate running when the school buses are out. Good job on the run and I hope you get to at least have a little one tonight!

I always do best when I just get up and go. It's weird, but I think I run faster when I dont feel rushed like I usually am when I hit the snooze button too many times.

Carolyn-that is exactly what I"m saying...I can trick myself if i'm still sleepy! LOL

Sno-I'm going to use that mantra tomorrow. I got the black one. Today I was thinking -man I should have gottne the green! Can you get a different wrist strap for it?

And my mom's 50th bday is coming up and the whole family is being ridiculous about it. I'm sure that is bringing up some old bad feelings as well. My boyfriend is being supportive though so that is helping.

Rattletrap-I completely relate to running better when not rushed. Which is why I give myself an extra 1/2 an hour more the days I need to be at school in the morning--just in case i run into some lazy running!

oh i forgot to add...i got my watch...but it is in a different language...must play with it so I can fix it!

Have fun with your Garmin!

Grea idea! I need to learn more about this chi running.... oh, and I got a wrist sweatband that I wear under my garmin, I didn't like it touching my skin either!

That is genius! I never thought of that (wristband)..

so how's your hammie? nice job on getting those days in!

I always start very slowly. Even my intentional cool down at the end, when I'm *trying* to be slow is nowhere near as slow as my warmup. Congrats on the 5 days!

Hammie is better--well once i realized what I was doing wrong with the Chi Running...I need to pick up my feet!

Sno-That is good to know...it was killing me how that group was just so fast at first! it was suppose to be the 10 minute pacers and they would start out at 9:30...i'm like i'm good with 9:30 at the end of a run NOT the beginning!

Good job getting out there 5 days this week! Running often will help as much or even more than running far or fast.

You should go for it on the 1/2 if you are up to the miles. Inaugural events are usually fun and always a little special. That's what got me to run the Tacoma Marathon in '07 and also the Seattle Rock and Roll next month.

Re: Seattle RnR - me too. I love doing the inaugurals, even though they can have kinks.

Yeah I thought about the kinks. I think the race i capped at 2,000...which is great...not too small and not chicago sized (I did not like that)

I think I have about 15-16 weeks to train..well to get serious..LOL...

Our Spring weather is like that too - warm one day and chilly the next. Good running despite not-so-good legs! :)

Wow. You were cold this morning. I'm not sure I could brave a cold shower after a cold run. I hope the stretching helped those hammies.

Is the training program you found the same as this one?

http://www.furman.edu/first/fmtp.htm (Uh, I don't know how to make it a hyperlink).

It probably is, but one of the things that this training plan advocates is cross training on off days. But the first people they had that used this program mostly ran on their off days. You could always follow the training schedule and then add easy runs to it.

By the way, I read your blog occasionally, but I'm more of a lurker :)

And I'm your neighbor in Illinois!

Congratulations on the gazelle running.

As for icy hot type things. I've tried something with arnica in it. I can't remember the name right now and I'm at work so I can't go look at the tube.

Weird, Tracey, I can't even go to your profile!

I have not even seen that training program. I have the book The Complete Runners Handbook. I figured if I went back over it I would find something that would help me train. I think there is something about working backwards from race day in order to figure out mileage.

Carolyn-i got something from a race...a sample and now I can't remember what it was called...maybe we are thinking of the same thing...

And where are you in Illinois? I grew up there!

I just figured out that I have been signing the wrong name all this time. This should lead to my profile.

The thing that I find interesting about this program is that it's built around 3 specific and difficult training runs per week. And supposedly it gets results. I'm interested in it because I have limited time to train--I may try it for a half marathon this summer, but I'm not sure yet.

I'm now near Champaign, but I grew up in the burbs, the only real part of Illinois :)

the burbs...LOL

Not to act like I'm your mother or anything, but it looks like you need some vegetables. I'm one to talk because I'm not great at eating a lot of vegetables myself.

Soda pop is poison! Seriously, it's like crack that makes you fat! Have you seen "super size me"? I will never forget the giant bed-ridden couple that talked about drinking several bottles a day and they were talking about the 2 liter size.

I was just planning to type those exact words: Soda is poison. Rattletrap, how smart you are. ;)

April, I think you are a super smart, awesome person, because you are questioning your world and your own habits. You will find answers and your life will just get better and better! :D

I agree with Carolyn about the veggies 100%. I know how busy you are, and my recommendation is to mostly buy veggies that don't need cooking and have them all prepared (pre-prep once or twice a week). So you get home from the grocery store, and I know you are tired, but this is so worth-it: wash, peel and/or cut carrots, cukes, peppers, radishes, celery, jicama or whatever. Wash the lettuce and put it in a tupperware thingy with paper towels. Every time you open the fridge, you've got a tasty salad bar waiting. I also like to hard boil a bunch of eggs every week for quick and easy protein.

My second recommendation is to cut back on the grains. You are having a serving of grain based food at every meal and snack. Why I don't recommend this: 1) we are not designed to digest grains, which entered the human diet only 10,000 years ago, compared to the millions of years of development of the human genome, 2) They are relatively empty of nutrition compared to the carb sources of fruits and starchy vegetables, and 3) To your body, they are the same as sugar - that's what they become during digestion.

That's the nutshell version of Sno's Happy Diet recommendations; the long version is in Garden of Eating by Matesz (and several other books). You can get it at the library.

BTW, great job on the p'ups and abs!

I love you guys...this is what happened to april after she moved in with her boyfriend...bad boyfriend bad habits!

I had no idea about grains--even the whole grains? I don't want to say that I was a perfect eater before but I was much more into veggies and fruits. I guess I love my grains!

I get to do the grocery shopping this week so I will peruse the store more for stuff that is better. And when it is his grocery week he buys whatever I put on the list. Hey atleast I'm not eating his hostess cupcakes! (yes he eats one a day)

Sno-I use to do exactly what you said--cut up all the veggies and have them ready to eat for the week. I bought frozen veggies b/c lately I like the way those taste better...but then I have to cook them....I have a little pampered chef pot that you can throw in the microwave and in two minutes you have cooked veggies...but still I odn't do it that often

Oh I should mention that when I get home from school my boyfriend will have another dinner cooked for us and I always have corn or veggies or broccoli with that. So I get one serving!

I will focus this week on no cheese and figuring out what else I can bring for lunch besides sandwiches.

And yes I know soda is poison! Rattletrap--did you have a soda addiction? I thought I remembered reading about that somewhere...

I can certainly sympathize with you--it's so much easier to eat like crap. It's convenient and it's cheap, in a lot of cases.

I can't add a lot to the conversation, but I'm a big fan of celery and carrots (and spinach--love the spinach salad) because they are easy to keep in the fridge.

The hardest thing about making good decisions is that it is difficult to make and retain good routines, while it is excessively easy to fall into baaaad habits.

p.s. I have an on/off relationship with soda. We're currently on a break.

I used to drink a LOT of soda, but quit after having kidney stones. I drink a LOT of water now. I blogged recently about my addiction to candybars and poptarts...I did back slide once and ate a candy bar since then, but I plan to stay clean now :)

great job focusing on your diet! I am impressed. my solution to the veggie conundrum is to buy mini carrots, sugar snap peas, brocolli florets and salad "mix", all at costco. its more expensive but I've failed all attempts to prepare stuff myself so now on sundays I put everything in prepared ziploc bags so its ready for lunches. don't forget about apples too!

I also had an addiction to coffee and coke zero, but wet cold turkey the last 5 weeks with the ankle, now im withholding it as a weekend treat only. :-)

Rattletrap--I use to have a BAD problem with candy chocolate bars (snickers, reeces cups etc) Well I was getting these ulcers in my mouth (the kind if you bite your lip but they were in areas where that wasn't possible) the docs didn't know what the heck they were...but they have been going on for years. They said it could be due to stress...but what I figured out was that when i'm stressed I eat candy bars...and then I got those sores...they would get so bad I couldn't eat food. So no more candy bars for me.

nicole-i need to get a costco membership...for now I will just have to get whateve is on sale at strack and van til (like a jewel)

Just another thought: let your sweetie eat how he likes; we all have to let change come from within and it will just blow your relationship if you nag or lecture. My 2c - :)

And a couple of links if you want to read more:

http://www.nutritionreporter.com/stone_age_diet.html

http://thepaleodiet.com/faqs/#Fiber

http://www.earth360.com/diet_paleodiet_balzer.html

Sno--you are such a wealth of knowledge. the Paleolithic diet reminds me of my anthropology studies (I was a anthro major before elemen school major). I will have to weave it in with my diet that I found that is suppose to help mood swings. For instance, potatoes with the skins are suppose to be good for mood but not so good for the Paleolithic diet. Same goes for whole grains.

Oh and I would never dream of telling him what to eat. Really dinner is the only meal we eat together, and as long as I have meat and potatoes for him he is happy. I make myself a side of veggies or whatever.

That must be why he looks so content in your Ravelry avatar!

My philosophy on the Paleo Diet is that though it is ideal, I cannot live in this world and also stick to this diet perfectly. So I severely limit the no-no's and enjoy them to the hilt if I have them. I rarely eat potatoes. But no power on earth will separate me from chocolate.

I think he looks content b/c we were at a Cubs game!

Good job hanging in there with some little aches an pains. It sounds like you're learning when you can tough it out and when you should take a break. Just be careful not to push yourself too far if something hurts! My shins bug me once in a while and they always seem to calm down after running a good hill. If suddenly that didn't work for some reason, I'd be taking a break for sure.

I did walk a few times but then got mad at myself.

I want to sign up for a 1/2 in August but am nervous that the day of the race I will experience all this annoying phantom pain. It would be such a waist to drive all that way for nothing!

Good doggie.

You and I had similar runs and a similar time. It's almost like we ran together! lol

I always start slow. I need at least 2 miles to warm up.

I just read your blog--old lady legs...hahaha...yeah I had a bit of that this morning too...

Carolyn--I think our definition of slow is completely different! YOu are very fast!

I don't know anything about the Garmin bike attachment, but wouldn't it just mean you no longer wear it on the wrist?

Sounds like you are going through a renewal process. Questioning everything, reformulating your goals. I'm sure you'll work out something that makes you happy. :)

I don't know anything about the Garmin bike attachment either, but I suspect that Sno is right.

Some days are just grumpy days. I hope the sun comes out and that tomorrow is a better day.

that is what I was thinking...I"m like why pay 30 bucks for that? any who....thanks for reading my ramblings!

The bike attachment will record your "cadence" that's how many times you pedal in relation to time or distance. It can be useful, but I never worried about it when I was cycling a lot.

Yeah I think I"m just interested in how many miles I put in! Thanks for the info rattletrap!

I say just have a couple and go all out. You don't have anything to prove, but I say see what you got!

Yes, the food looks much better than last week. Way to add the veggies. I would also encourage you to lose the Mountain Dew, but I'm not your mother and you can do what you want.

Good luck with the 5K. I'm with Tracy. See what you've got! And really, want do you have to prove with drinking more than a couple?

You are going to LOVE the Stick! I love mine. I have the small travel model.

I don't care for spirits, but I do love a glass or two of good wine, sometimes a beer w/ Mexican or BBQ. However, I know myself, and I know I do not clear it quickly from my body, so I usually only have some the night before a rest day. Or I will have very little, just a sip or two of DH's glass. And, as Mireille Guiliano says (you have to read this with a French accent): "Always, always, always! with food." http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/ If it were me, I would probably plan to have a glass at the party and do the 5K purely as a "fun run." Wow, I'm older than your mother. Let's not think about it. ;)

I only had 1/2 the mountain dew today...I'm slowing working it out. otherwise horrible headaches will appear and it will just force me towards them again. Yesterday was a bad soda day but we won't talk about that.

Sno-I was dissappointed..the LRS didn't have the travel one. Instead I got the yellow one. They lady said that was the one for distance and it was smaller than the blue one so I bought it. I like how it feels. I'm sure it will be come part of my routine!

I use to drink a lot! Like every weekend and during the week. Now I just drink at parties (which we don't go often too) or holidays. Not to bad.

I think I will play the race by ear. If I feel like speedy gonzalez then I will run fast! and if not I will be okay with usual run.

Carolyn--I have to keep up with my brothers drinking! LOL I"m kidding. These days he could drink me under the table. We rarely have beer in the house anymore. a few years ago that was a staple in my fridge! LOL

Nice miles today! Good luck on Saturday. I hope you're feeling rarin' to go!

Good luck on Saturday! Remember to have fun!

Your knees are strong and running is what they are built to do. If you think something is wrong, watch for swelling or redness, but don't worry about them. You've got your Chi running position, right? Not crashing down on your heels will help.

Have a great weekend!

Good luck on your race!

Relax and have fun with the race. Don't let it stress you out. I'll be waiting to hear how it goes.

congrats on your first 5k!!!! way to go!!!

Congratulations, April! Was that your first 5K? I am so glad you had fun! That's what we're doing here, right? :) Nice running!

Awesome job!

Good job! That 9 minute pace is right around the corner. That's really cool that your brother ran with you.

Great job on your first 5K! I'm so glad that you had fun and that it has motivated you to push yourself a little harder. That's how we improve.

How do I post pictures here? Maybe I will just change my avatar.

Any who, Sno--yes my first and my knees felt really great...No swelling or touch tenderness when they do hurt though.

It felt so good to keep that pace...now if only I could do it for 13 miles!

To post pictures in your blog you need to upload them to flikr or smugmug or some other photo hosting site. Then you can link to them in your blog entries.

Posting pix - just like Rattletrap said, and just like we do in ravelry.com.

Awesome! It's great that you felt strong and ready to race! Just keep logging miles and your times will drop!

When's the next one?

Tracy--Well there are a couple 5ks...there is one in June that involves wearing a necktie for fathers day...and then there is one in July that allows you to run with your dogs....I'm thinking about the latter one. I'm trying to stay motivated to run the 1/2 in August in Madison. I'm trying to find a longer race but I'm not having much luck--lots of 5k's this summer!

I hope you get a run in! I'm in the same boat, but it's just because I didn't want to get out of bed when the alarm went off.

I had trouble getting up this morning too. It must be going around. However, I have the luxury of going to work late, so I did my run. Good luck to both of you and I hope you're both able to run tonight.

Okay call me a weenie if you want...but more storms are a brewing over here...I love running in the rain but not in a thunderstorm. I love to walk in one--as long as I'm close to home...but not running.

I was going to run at school--i had my clothes---but now running shoes! I went to my car at like 4 today and it was hot and humid and I was like blech i'm not going to run in this...my class ended at 6:30 and I went back outside again and it was much more comfy...So I thought I would run when i got home but then it got a lot colder and windier and just looks like a storm is coming like now....watch it won't till like midnight...oh well.

It just wasn't meant to be today!

Good run. Everyone has runs like that. It'll be better tomorrow.

Sorry I can't help you on the garmin question!

You may have some lingering muscle repairs from the 5K. Good job toughing it out for your 5.

Re the Garmin - is it the first time you have uploaded? There is a thingy in the settings mode (I think) that you have to turn on the first time, so that it recognizes your computer. Get some knitting and get comfortable while you wait on hold for tech support and they will kindly walk you through it. That's what I did.

Congrats on signing up for the half!!! How exciting. Nothing like a race on your calendar to focus your energy.

I don't know why I missed that you signed up for a 1/2. Awesome!

And what model of garmin do you have? Not that I can help you or anything, but right now I'm doing my research so I can buy one!

Sorry you had a bad run. It happens from time to time. Just keep at it and it will get better. That's great that you signed up for a race. It's always nice to have that out there for motivation.

I hope that Sno's Garmin advice helped you. I have an old one that's not wireless, so I'm no help.

For the Garmin, I don't know about the wireless download and lost data since I only have the 305, but I'm pretty sure you still have to "reset" the timer after each run if you do not download it to the computer. Otherwise it will just pick up where you left off last time, even if it has been powered off between runs. Downloading it to the puter automatically does the reset for you. I think this is actually a feature not a bug :) I have screwed up a couple runs like that too. How do you like the touch screen on your 405? Is it usable while you're running?

Mike-I love the bezel. I was worried b/c I have heard so many bad things about it...but it really is easy to use. If it messes up at all it is b/c I did something wrong. Also you can lock the bezel so you don't accidently hit it on a run. and very user friendly while running. I mean I'm still getting use to the menus but the ones I am comfortable with are a breeze.

Cool clip.

Hope you can keep working through some of your soreness. You got out there early today--good dedication!

Ah thanks. I have school today so I had to wake up and get out there...I'm trying to get out there at a consistent 6ish..but that doesn't always work out...gotta keep trying though right?

I echo the congratulations for getting out early today. For me, getting out early every morning is the key to consistency.

I hope that shin behaves.

I drink G2. I like that. Much less sugar than Gatorade.

Don't worry about your pace--you are doing well. The faster paces will come as your body keeps adjusting to more mileage. It sounds like this was a good progression run and a good distance! Nice job!

I really just drink water most of the time. G2 occasionally.

I second what Tracy said about your pace. Just keep running consistently and you'll get faster. I know I did.

I suppose I'm just inpatient!

Is a progression run one where you start slow and end faster?

Yep, that's what a progression run is. My workout plan often has progression runs that will say something like 10 miles easy with the last 10 minutes moderate (I think that was yesterday's workout). As the training cycle progresses, the amount of moderate (or sometimes even fast) at the end increases.

Would that include those fast miles Sno talks about?

Are you running tomorrow? What was your mileage goal this week? What's your goal for next week?

I agree. I love my warm up, and have noticed that it makes the entire run more successful.

I take a couple of miles to warm up as well.

Congratulations on getting out in the morning and on hitting your mileage goal.

Way to go!

Tracy-this weeks was 17 miles for the week. Next week is 18 with an 8 mile long run. I know this doesn't sound like a lot but lemme explain...

18 is my minimum that I have to run. I set up my training program to where i counted backwards from race day with my long runs and the I just put minimum mileage for the week. I used runners world as a guide but they only have you running 3 days a week. This worked out great last year but I needed more. So 18 is my minimum so that if I atleast do that I am happy with myself.

it seems I have been running 5 days one week and then the next 4. I haven' tbeen able to do 5 two weeks in a row yet. Either b/c of the race or just timing got a hold of me.

Oh and Saturdays are my day off. I may for for a short run but I decided Sunday is my fast running day so I like to have (as sno puts it) fresh legs.

Feeling "woozy" on a run is not a good thing! Make sure you really tank up on water before you leave on a run if you don't carry some with you.

Working on Sunday is a drag! I'm stuck helping with a system upgrade today.

I hope you found someone to work for you today and that the woozies have gone away!

It was just sooo humid...I had to stop twice just to make sure I didn't fall or throw up...really weird. I had some to drink before I left the house. I felt like that all day today--and I had to go to work (guy never called back) but when he finally got to work I got to go home. I drank lots of a fluids at work and I still had the woozies...rellllly weird feeling.

Now i'm on my couch with a headache...can't say I'm doing much better!

Did you manage to get a day off?

I think you need some rest and some good nutrition. Maybe some chicken soup or something.

I never got sunday off. I went in for a bit. It was very slow. My relief finally showed up later...today i just went in for my morning class and came home. It is sooo humid here. I think that has a lot to do with how I'm feeling.

Stay cool and hang in there. You'll get used to it.

Take care of yourself!

Oh bummer! I guess I'd take that rest too. Humidity sucks.

I think you need to take it easy for a couple of days if you can.

Thanks all for your support

Hope your stomach starts calming down, but way to get out there, even though you didn't feel well. What is your mileage goal for this week?

I think this week is 18...I would like to be at 20 though...and build from there. But I don't want to over do it. As it is I"m at 11.5..I have a 8 miler long run scheduled for tomorrow and then I still would like to run a 5th day on Friday. So as it is I will be over 18. As long as my 8 miler goes well! Truthfully, I'm kinda winging it on my other runs. I just run how ever much I feel like running and what will get me to my weekly mileage...The only thing I have set in stone is my long runs.

We shall see what results it produces. LOL

I wonder if you've got some kind of stomach bug, or if you've been eating something that doesn't agree with you. If it doesn't clear up soon, you might try something like going off dairy for a few days and see if that makes a difference. If it's not that, try going of gluten for a few days. Those are two common culprits for stomach troubles, I hear.

Good luck with the long run!

Funny you mentioned dairy--I checked my yogurt and milk to make sure it wasn't expired. They weren't.

I think my boyfriend may of had it too b/c he was complaining of stomach issues too. Who knows. I am feeling a little livilier so I suppose that is all that is important!

If you're feeling good (tummy trouble gone) I would maybe try to get a short run in this evening. If not, I say skip it.

tummy trouble still here...but i decided to run any way...failed miserabley...i went home and decided to walk tthe dogs.....sigh

I always try to rest the day before a long run and then make it a point to do at least a short run the following day.

That is where I messed up. I ran yesterday. Usually I take off on Wednesday but I think I skipped monday and wanted to make sure I got in atleast 4 days.

I wore my fuel belt for the first time in a long time a couple of days ago. It was turning all around and I got some chafing on my belly from it. That never happened when I wore it in the winter I guess because I wore my clothes then.

Great miles today!

Do you actually mix the milk and salsa together?

Carolyn--do you run naked in the summer?? LOL

Thanks Sno

JD-I cook my scrabbled eggs with milk and cheese...then when they are done cooking I pour them over the salsa...so in a way yes...but not at the same time. OH and this was the first time using homemade salsa--sooo yummy!

Not naked. But the shorts and singlet don't cover quite like the smartwool I bundle up in in the winter.

I had knee issues when I first started running and I noticed I could hear my feet slapping the ground too, especially in the rain so I would focus on rolling off my feet from heel to toe so I could not hear them. It took a while to get it down, especially in the rain, but I've had no knee issues since then. I just had to learn to run in a way that didn't beat me up.

Rattletrap-did you notice your stride got smaller at first? I know when I started listening to my feet my stride got a little shorter. but today I seemed okay..no knee or shin pain..YIPPEE!

I never really thought about my stride length. 8 miles with no pain is great! I wish I could do that lately :)

It has taken me a while to get here! but having a nice run once a week keeps me going!

I'm glad you had a good run, especially when you weren't expecting it. Maybe Galloway is the way for you to go for now.

Hey, i thought I recognized your dog from Ravelry! Its Puffinknits here. Good to see you in here too!

Sounds like the Galloway thing worked for you.

yes I did it again this morning...and I have no knee pain either...the true test will be on my 8 miler on thursday.

Puffinknits! YEAH! So glad you joined us over here! Sno/OHN got me hooked to the blog!

It should eventually turn back on. When it does you might need to erase all of the previous runs. Seem like if you get to much information on then they crash for a bit.? Good job on getting out.

I know on my GARMIN it occassionally seems "dead" but I hold down the mode and lap/reset buttons together for 5-10 seconds and then hit power again and it reboots. Also I second what Tyler suggested. On my last bike ride and run it kept saying "Delete runs now. Memory almost full" haha. Hope it works! What type of teacher are you going to be? I'm almost done with my MS in Adolescent Ed Social Studies.

I have my garmin set up so that it automatically deletes the data from the watch once it is successfully transferred to the computer (which is every day, mostly). This keeps it from getting full.

I've used the same reset procedure that The Howling Commando described whenever my Garmin has been frozen.

Overload should not be the problem. I download every run and then it is automatically erased.

Howling Commando-I held the two buttons but I'm not sure what is meant by then hit the power button? Nothing happened when I held the buttons...I think I have a project for when I get home tonight!

Good weather, good Garmin, good run!!

Good to know about the reset trick! I just spent a while on the phone with the Garmin Support people this morning and learned how to manually upload the runs that my computer randomly decides not to upload. Don't know why it does that, but now I can fix it.

Glad you finished before it got wet!

Congratulations on figuring out the Garmin. I hope it behaves itself now.

You've got a great start to the week.

Good job getting out early to run.

The calm before the storm is the perfect time to run...

Happy resting then! Humid here too, yuk!

Enjoy your rest!

It sounds like you're wishing you had run earlier. Would it have been better to run in the rain? I don't have a lot of experience runningin the rain, so I don't know.

I hope you got your smoothie!

Its a crawdad! Breakfast.

Great analogy about the socks! Except with an out and back you kinda HAVE to go back; I've still got about five single socks that never made it to pairs!

Do you carry your cell phone while you run? So you can take pictures of crawdads and such?

What was a crawdad doing on the side of the street? EWWWW there are too many BP and other steel mills in that area--probably toxic!

Well that sock thing makes me feel better...I'm not sure I"m liking this one I'm making (kind of boring for my first one)

Carolyn--I did get my smoothie--it was delicious. You don't run in the rain? I guess I thought it would rain in CO. The weather people kept talking about how awful the storms were going to be...but all I heard was thunder--no lightening--so yes I think I should have just ran earlier...

It does rain here occasionally, but it's more often in the evening than in the morning and I always run in the morning. I've run in the rain once or twice. It's just something I have to do very often.

Great workout, April!

Nice splits, April! Your fast mile is a good bit faster than the "slow" ones; you should certainly feel the difference.

Madison? Yeah, its a bit rolly hilly in general. Not sure about where the run is.

Great run in the heat and the humidity, April! Try to stay cool today.

I cannot get this darned blob, I mean blog, to let me list you as a favorite blog. I'll keep trying. In the meantime, I go to Sno's blog, click on you and get here the long way.

Looks like it was a good run! Good thing you got it out of the way before it got too hot. I'll be running in the early evening, when I'm sure it'll be bad.

Thanks all!

Auntieem--really? Hilly? darn...I should be okay but I won't expect to PR it then Chicago was pretty flat. Madison is all through the city--no out and back! Yippee! I think it is by the university and the zoo...should be fun!

Are you putting in April27?

Tracy--yes very hot--It is my motivation for getting up early--I tell myself run, shower got back to bed (if I want to but usually don't)

97% humidity!!! Blech. Sounds very sticky, but good for you for getting out there anyway. It sounds like you are making great progress with your running. I love your long-term goal. I'm 42, which I think it quite a bit older than you, but I share that goal myself ;).

That's great that you're adding mileage. A lot of people use the 10% rule. If you're building mileage, each week add 10% of the last week. I'm too lazy to calculate, but I think you're doing about that, maybe a little more, but still not adding crazy mileage too soon. You're doing great!

I didn't think it was too much...but just checking...I got in 25 miles last week...yippeee!

Anita--it is strange to think that I could still be running at 80-but I hope I age gracefully so that can happen!

Congrats on the sneaky mileage PR! Slow and consistent -- you'll be so acclimated to heat pretty soon.

Nice mileage. Way to go :)

Good run! Glad you pushed yourself a bit. It's a hot one!

That's a true sign of acclimatization! You may not like the heat, but your body is learning to deal with it. In the fall when things cool down you will feel like someone just shot you out of a rocket. Great running!

That is one thing I like about summer running--my joints and muscles are all nice a loose and warm...It take so long to loosen up when it is 30 degrees and below!

Nice job running in the heat! We have the opposite: cold again. When will they get the weather right?

Backpacking trip for your birthday maybe?

I don't know but I"m tired of our weatherpeople. Last night the headline was, "Next, when will we see relief from this heat?" But I swear two weeks ago they were wondering where summer was. I'm like yeesh!

Backpacking--I like the sound of that. I shall have to try to find something close...

Hey, how about a marathon!! :)

I often use it for warming up too. I find the warmup period is shorter if I do this. Nice 8 miler!

You're awesome! It sounds like you are at the point where you're taking fewer breaks.

Have you figured out what your big birthday activity is going to be?

Sno-that makes me feel better.

Tracy-auntieem thought about hiking. I may look into that...but so far nada...

Glad it works for you too!

ha ha ha ... those darn birds! I know about the "arm vanity" - I am genetically predisposed to jiggly arms ... (blame it on your parents ;-)).

Have a good day!

Good speed work! I think it will work. I used to have some crows that would attack me in Seattle every time I ran through the cemetary near my house; very annoying that is.

Bonnie--it is the area right up by my arm pits that are really bugging me...the jiggles dont' bother me too much...I just try not to waive! LOL

Auntieem--did you stop running in that area? The stupid guy was like screechin in my ear! So loud!

Are you still chi running? I have tried to do some of the forefoot/midfoot strike running and unless I am really running fast I can't seem to do it!

Thanks for making me laugh!

I have the arm thing too - arg!! I call it my Ethel Merman arms.

One of our cats howls in the middle of the night to be let outside (she's too fat to fit through the cat door). So I have to get up and let her out. 90% of the time, she's already left her business on the bathroom floor!!

The dogs on the other hand, are house trained. It's hard with multiple pets to discipline them when you don't know which one did it.

April--yes I still ChiRun. I find that the hip pivot or whatever you call it along with farther back arm swing helps...Before I was hardly moving my arms (which I suppose is better than them beign all over or doing the cross over). And pivoting my hips helps my legs kick back further which helps with the forward lean. I'm still working on it. I figure it is working b/c I have no knee pain (unless I forget to ChiRun)

JD-Howling cat? This I have to hear! The yellow dog is the newest addition to he furbaby family. He is FIVE! i mean come on! He is the only boy dog and he pees so much! So I have to keep him from drinking too much water and take him out for frequent pee breaks. Now his newest thing is to take my shoes and put them wherever he wants in the house.

Sno--I love Ethel!I use to watch I love Lucy ALL the time growing up. I seem to remember an episode about jiggley arms!

Nice run! Yeah, speed work does tire your legs out, and seems to use some different muscles as well. You really need to alternate your days between speed/strength work days and "easy" mile days. The Daniel's Running Formula book is pretty good for helping you figure all the paces out.

I'm glad that 5 days/week is working for you. Consistency is very important.

Auntieem--I think I usually do...I just messed up the other day by doing weights. I dind't want to wait until tomorrow (which is going to be my new off day) to start on weights.

I have figured I will do it like this

Sunday-Speed work

Monday-Easy

Tuesday-Off running but do weights

Wednesday-long run

Thursday-Easy run and weights(arms)

Friday-Hills or Easy

Saturday-day off

Most of the time I just go by how I feel...Today I felt great so pushed myself...now i'm tired...stupid period is kicking my butt! LOL

Hope you get out there; it will be worth it!

You sure had a rough time of it today, but you did it! Way to tough it out.

For the record, 59 degrees is nowhere near too cold.

Incidentally, you were on pace for a serious half-marathon PR.

Auntieem--it was worth it...I thought about it most of the day and glad I pushed myself to go. I posted it on my Facebook and a friend said " I drove 9 miles" LOL

Carolyn--yes it is when last week it was in teh 90's!

Sasha-thank you for posting! And I never thought about that! How exciting! Madison 1/2 here I come!

You and I ran the exact same mileage this morning - weird coincidence. Sorry about your dog trouble.

What does she expect it to smell like? She should have been glad you were picking it up.

She must be a rocket scientist or something.

Yes fellow FRB friends....she was a rocket scientist...Ahhh onto another running day! LOL

Nice easy blog entry.

I think your experiment will be successful. Have fun in Indianapolis.

Have a good time!

Hsve a good trip! You will do great with 5 days in a row.

And I'm going to run 9-10 miles tomorrow. I figure doing that on 2 days off will be better than doing it on Wednesday...we shall see!

Too bad about the failed experiment, but you should feel great about being adventuresome and trying new things! :) Next time you are planning, you'll be more prepared because of the questions this experience will raise for you. Better runs are coming!

We had stay-home 4th. There are so many displays around us we can see from the porch. But mostly, it's just not my favorite kind of holiday -too noisy. At 10:30 I put earplugs in and went to sleep.

Sorry about your run! You can only plan so much.

We escaped to the mountains for a noise free 4th. I am like a dog and like to crawl under the bed when there are bomb sounds.

Sorry to hear about the tummy troubles, but good on ya' for trying something new.

We stayed home for the 4th. Our little suburb (or is it an exurb) likes to try to be a small town sometimes. So they had a 5K race (which I ran), a parade (which I saw a bit of since it started about the same place as the race, and fireworks in the evening, which my family went to.

Sno and Auntieem--running away to the mountains sounds fantastic. I like fireworks I just hate crowds so it was fine by me that we didn't have to go into the city. I guess we were goign to watch them from a parking garage that my b/f's aunt has access to. So that would not have been so bad.

Carolyn-A race on the fourth? How fun! I should sign up for a July race--i believe I may still have time..HMMMM

Fronts or backs of shins? Are you able to start your run on a softer surface, like a track or a trail, rather than pavement? If its front of shin (shinsplints), there are several ways to apply tape to the leg that help. If you google Taping for Shinsplints, you will find pictures of how to do it. This has helped many of the high school runners with shin pain. The tape to use, probably available at your running store, is called "Endura". There are two things: 1) a base layer that goes directly on your skin and 2) the actual supportive tape that goes over the base layer. This keeps the tape from gunking up your skin, and it can actually stay put for several days once it is in place.

I'm sorry to hear your struggling. It sounds like auntieem has good advice. I wish I had something that would help you.

Aunt-it is the side of my shin...I dunno--some days I feel like it is real pain and others I don't.

Sno--yes we did talk about this--I suppose I thought if I did some exercises mentally I could tell myself that the pain isn't really there.

So frustrating! I just want to run like a month with out problems!

Oh and Aunt--I suppose I could run in peoples yards--I would feel weird but anything to make it go away! I will try that before tape.

Nice run today! Good idea to rotate the shoes on each run.

Nice miles for feeling crappy! Dang uterus anyway. A cold bath! BRRR, it makes me cold to even think about that. Its so cold here the last few days, I am seriously thinking of driving all the way to the ski cabin tonight so that I can have a sauna.

I ended up taking a hot one..that felt better...then i icy hotted my legs...no my legs feel better but my head and uterus are still being mean!

Great distance considering you weren't feeling well. Sorry it didn't rain on you.

I rotate shoes, but it's about time for me to get some new ones too.

Good job with the four days in a row! Your mind will take a while to get used to it; just keep it up.

Do you listen to the podcast while you run? I like to listen to Spanish CDs while I'm on long car trips alone.

You say you don't like running 4 days in a row, but yet this was your best run of the week. Like auntieem said, just stick with it and you'll get used to it.

I think that when you're increasing your days/week like you're doing, you should keep all your runs at a relatively easy pace.

aunt-Well I was going to listen to it. My adapter for my ipod to the truck froze over the winter, so I was trying to burn the c-ds. They didn't work in my truck. I must have did it wrong b/c my cd player will played burned discs.

And I don't listen to anything but nature when I run. I use to but now I find the ipod annoying. I do listen to spanish music/radio when I"m in the car along though. I also like to watch movies that were translated to spanish. I think their telenovelas or soaps are much better than american ones.

Carolyn--good point. I didn't think of that--i just kept thinking about my three bad runs. I'm such a pessimist. I suppose I"m down b/c last week I did one speed work session and I felt like the rest of my runs were speedier. This week I feel like a slug--did I over do it last week and am now paying for it this week?

I should just stop my whining and be happy that I got out there at all this week!

You've had a good week! Congratulations. :)

Thanks!

A well-earned day off!

I'm just catching up on what I've missed. You did have a great week!

Next time you get new shoes you may want to go to a specialty store. I used to get my shoes at Kohl's (because I am cheap) and in the last couple of years I've switched even though I nearly have a heart attack every time I buy new shoes.

The reason I still go there, despite my miserly tendencies? The sales people know what they're talking about. They can watch you run (do a gait analysis) and talk to you about the specific issues that you have so that they can recommend the best shoe for you. And you may spend extra money, but your feet/legs will be happier (and my store gives me a discount for a variety of reasons, but I think they give pretty much everyone a discount).

Normally I would completely agree with you...BUT i had it out with the LRS lady. Long story short I don't go there any more...I couldn't find shoes online so I got the Kohls kind. Plus my feet don't feel any different in those shoes and they run out about the same mileage as the kohls shoes. I haven't been able to get more than 300 miles out of LRS or kohls shoes..I dunno maybe it is me.

Nice job April! You've been running alot! And intervals too - wow.

Thanks! i have been wanting to add in another speed one...I'm finding those more rewarding...but I don't wnat to push it...what do you think?

Good luck with the soda, that's probably the most important thing to cut out of your diet. Here's the fix for a froze garmin:

Soft reset. Press mode and reset for 10 seconds. Then try to power on while plugged in.

A hard reset will delete all your data and settings from the Forerunner. Press the Power and the Mode button until the unit comes on and asks if you want to erase all user data. Select Yes.

If the neither of the above work, try a hard reset that by-passes the confirmation screen. Press Mode, Reset and Power.

Man, you are on a roll, girl! Nice workouts. Maybe the Garmin is trying to tell you something.

A sweet fizzy drink that is somewhat better than soda: Tonic water with lime (no gin). I have that sometimes, more often now that I figured out its just as good with no gin.

Thanks Rattletrap--that worked...

First candy is gonna go...then soda...I think there would be too many headaches involved if I cut everything.

thanks Aunt--what is my garmin trying to tell me?

I'll have to go peek at your Rav page and see what you're working on. Wish I was knitting today! Busy.

I'm knitting today also! Not going to run til 3:00, and I'm sooo close to finishing a blanket for DD.

Nooo don't go there b/c I haven't updated it. I'm sooo horrible at that. Seems that I have so much to do that that would be just one more thing. My goal for july was to atleast to a pic of my socks andpost but I haven't done either...But I am half way through sock number two! Soon I can send it to my friend!

You can do it at night! It will be an adventure. Have fun.

Great job on 10 miles!

Way to go on a hot 10 miler! You deserve the fan support you got out there :) I think dirt/gravel roads are easier on the legs overall, but tough on the ankles because the surface is always so unpredictable. I prefer running on pavement, but then again I'm not running at all right now because of a stress fracture that's probably due at least in part to all that pavement pounding...

Yes I do notice that my ankles need to concentrate more when I'm on the gravel. A lot of the times there are holes and stuff. But that is where I need to run when there are cars! That is our shoulders around here in some parts!

Wow April, way to go! I think its really tough to go out late in the day when its been hot all day. You are going to be so well prepared!

I think pavement is harder on the body. I run mostly trails, and prefer them. But with racing, I now make sure that about 1/3 of my miles are on pavement, just to keep my legs in shape for it. Many people have told me that pavement is faster, as well.

Like the title of your blog. It makes me laugh.

Great 10 miler!

How far away are you from the Warren Dunes (about exit 16 in Mich.)?

Tracy-according to mapquest I am 65 miles away. why do you ask?

I thought you might be closer :( I'm going there on Saturday and I am considering some sand running! So closer to Chicago, eh? I'm there a lot, so we'll have to meet up and run next time I'm there.

Nice run!

Yes definately closer to Chicago. Beach run! How fun!

That's my favorite skirt - I hope you like it too. Don't know about the buffs. Congrats on staying on the TM. I hope I haven't poisoned your thinking towards it. So many people do fine on a TM. At least you were cool I'm sure.

I have neverreally liked treadmills. The one I use now is at school and it is even worse b/c the gym is horrible. Basically you look at a brick wall the entire time. I do like it b/c I get to listen to my ipod. I can't wait to get my skirt!

That's a nice way to incorporate some speed work without over doing it. Don't worry about the pace on the slow parts.

Maybe since you run alone a lot, fartlek speedwork would be fun. You just pick a point (say, a mailbox or a phone pole or something), run faster to that point, the run easy until you are cooled down, and repeat. And, like Carolyn says, make the slower parts slow to recover. On the track, we made our fartlek speed intervals 30-45 seconds.

Thanks Carolyn for that. Means a lot.

Aunt--I shall try that. I was trying to keep the speed evenly spaced. But Sometimes I didn't need the whole 10 minutes to cool down. Aww speed work! So much fun!

Grrr is right. I'm glad that driver didn't hit you.

Good luck with the skirt.

Good run!

Excellent run, April! Ice those knees, then go out a buy a little case of those Gus.

Do you have indoor or outdoor allergies. I would think if they were outdoor allergies, then running would make them worse, but if they're indoor allergies, maybe getting out of the house and breathing some clean air helps. I'm just guessing. I'm no allergy specialist.

Sorry to hear you are tired. Maybe the allergy phenomenon is related to vitamin D? Vitamin D does have powerful effects on our immune systems, and allergies are an auto-immune disorder. Sorry to hear about that too.

I just love your new picture!! It is sweet and funny, and a great shot.

Before I started running, I had allergy issues everyday. Now I have symptoms once every week or two. I literally feel like I've been cured of my allergies for the most part. So, yeah, it makes sense to me. Though I can't explain why. Except to say the body as a whole operates better when it gets regular exercise.

JD-glad I'm not the only one. It use to be so bad that I would get bloody nose in my sleep!

Carolyn-I have both indoor and outdoor allergies-ragweed, cottonwood, dust mites, cats (i don't have any cats) mold etc. I was tested and started getting shots a while back. I thought just getting the shots for 9 months helped but I started running around the time I started the shots too.

I"m thinking they are related.

Sno-I want to say I take too many vitamins to be deficient. I will have to look at what my multi vit says about vitamin D and it's daily percentage. But don't you get vit d from the sun? I would think I have been getting enough of that. I did burn my back a few weeks ago! Plus I haven't been wearing sunblock when I run only b/c I wanted to get some of those rays.

Sno-thanks about the new pic. she was suppose to just sit there and smile for the camera. I tried to get the boy dog to do the same. He kept shying away. Silly dogs!

Cute picture!

Sorry about your allergies acting up. I would guess that regular exercise boosts your immune system enough so that it helps.

Whatever is in your vitamin is not enough for D, at least not here in my part of the world. I need 2,000mg EXTRA during the winter, about 500 extra in summer. Vitamin D is fat soluable, so your body won't excrete it right away, but a few days without sunshine can begin a deficiency.

Thanks Aunt I did not know that! My bottle says that it is has 800 IU and that that is 200% of the daily value...Am I interpreting this wrong? Wouldn't this make it 2 times the daily value?

April, when you have a minute, read this article about vitamin D: http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller25.html

FDA "minimum requirements" are the LAST authority I would go by to determine my health needs, as I have an extremely low opinion of their scientific integrity.

Our bodies evolved in a very sunny climate. Where I live (so far north) and the fact that I live mostly indoors, mean that I am not getting nearly enough D. As the article states, vit. D "controls the expression of more than 200 genes and the proteins they produce." I now reach for D first if I feel I am getting a cold - its affects on the immune system are very powerful.

How much is too much? I go back to our genetic heritage - we are designed to have quite a lot! Another quote from the article: "A light-skinned person will synthesize 20,000 IU (international units) of vitamin D in 20 minutes sunbathing on a Caribbean beach."

ETA: p.s. make sure it is D3 if you take supplements.

noted about the FDA. Good article. D3? I shall get some on my way the store.