2013 Running Thread

Thanks firstcall for starting up the 2013 calendar! 

W7D1 completed today.  Still slow, but almost 2 miles in 25 minutes...felt good!

Goldlining and Natsfan ... thanks for the info, I am going to buy one for me, too ... as a preventative to injury, sounds like it gives the same results as a good deep tissue leg massage, except without being pampered

MMTOMH ... your pace is real good ... keep going!!

First radiation appointment was a lot longer than expected ... an hour and a half to be exact ... they redid the markings because RO wasn't happy with the setup ... was so hard to hold still for that long. I ran 4.5 mile before going to relax me. During it all my arms felt fatiqued being up above my head for so long ... some of my muscles started twitching. They promise that tommorrow will be a lot better/shorter.

Thanks for doing this Firstcall! Back to running and hoping to avoid injury. Still nursing a small stress fracture, so hopefully it won't interfer with my training plans this Spring. 

Firstcall- would you put me down for the Kiawah Island Marathon on December 14th!

Thanks,

Eula

Take a break. Wait until you feel better, then start up again. Check your stride length.

Adey ... I never had shin splints ... so no advice, but happy to see you back on the thread

I used the foam roller yesterday for the first time on IT bands ... how often should I use it, daily? weekly? Left side hurt more than right when using it and today is a little tender when pressed on ... didn't effect running today though and I did feel a bit more flexible. Thanks!

Welcome QueenKong.

Foam roller is about 6" diameter, 24" long, styrofoam. Mine is blue. There are instructions in the wrapper. You basically put it under you on the floor (or yoga mat), and lie on it with the body part you want massaged out and use arms or legs to roll forward and back along it. Your body weight will press the body part into the roller which is quite hard, not soft like a pillow, and this will help stretch the bands. It is popular for hips / IT band but I also use on shoulders. I used to use it as often as daily. Sort of part of the everyday routine. Have fallen off a bit but still enjoy it.

I also swear by the compression tights. I have CW-X. They really make me feel something is pushing me forward. Definitely wear those in an endurance event (with my tutu or sparkle skirt over top). For training, I will wear a reasonably snug tights or capris like Lululemon, also with a training skirt over top (nobody needs to be looking at my butt). I got the compression tights at the running shop, but a great place to check out all the gear is watch for a big marathon or half marathon to come to your region and go to the free expo. They are open to anyone, not just the participants. You can see all the latest merchandise there that you will never find in the average community running shop, sometimes with discounts, much better selection of clothing, sports bras, compression and therapy gear even running nutrition and stuff like shirts with insider runner humour on them, plus often there are speakers etc.

With the compression tights during an event I use regular running socks, but I put on compression socks during recovery after a half marathon. I believe all this gear and tricks (like the icewater bath) is used by the elite runners for a reason, and it's worth a try for me. I have had really easy-peasy recovery despite my obscene lack of training. 

In this cold, I am not running outside. I have asthma that is aggravated by cold OR exercise and I am not subjecting it to cold AND exercise. However in temps as low as -5C, I might go outside. For the base layer, I like the merino wool rather than the synthetic wicking for really cold. Over top, I would wear windbreak pants and a wicking cold-weather midlayer pullover and windbreaker, a hat that opens on top for ventilation, and gloves/scarf etc.

Runners World website has a good "what to wear" calculator where you can input the weather and how you like to feel when you run and it will make suggestions. I started keeping track of what I wore when I felt too hot, too cold, and just right, and that helped. Just Google "runners world what to wear" and you will find the tool.

I just had to post this: I saw the physio yesterday for the usual, and it was the first post-Disney Half Marathon session so I was focusing on the neck knot and tight ab muscle. It was actually a pretty easy run but tight ab muscles pull me forward then the upper back has to support my head more than it would if I was in alignment. I have had a tight, like rock-hard ab muscle as part of a post-DIEP muscular traffic jam in my shortened front side and she had noted it before I went but we did not work on it then. It is literally a ball of muscle on just one side. Yesterday, she put ONE acupuncture needle there for like TWO minutes, and the muscle just went "sproing" and relaxed to be similar to the other side. She said it was not the rectus abdominis but rather the top end of the psoas. Psoas!!! Damn you. Much psoas stretching in my future!

I have good news! I finished my very first 5k today.  Time was 44:19 and I was stoked as I've only made it through W7D1...almost two weeks shy of the full plan, but I pushed hard and made it!  There was some speed walking involved, but I never dropped the pace below 4 mph.  This is me right after I finished...can't figure out how to get the picture right side up!!

Congrats MMTOMH! What a great accomplishment!

First 'long run' since my surgery and chemo! Feeling exhilarated after a 5 mile run in 10 degree weather!

301724:  SWEEEEET!  What an awesome feeling!

MMTOMH:  Nice going!!

Planning my first run with my youngest (age 26) son tomorrow morning. He just started adding distance (he ran in high school, hasn't run in awhile) and we both registered for a May half-marathon.  We're planning 5 miles tomorrow.  He'll probably kick my butt - or NOT!

Great updates! Way to go everyone! Still way too cold and slushy out, so I did a half hour run with my fast new shoes and stayed on the treadmill walking an additional 45 minutes waiting for results of a ballot at the political leadership convention. Not as interesting as football but better than nothing :-)

Had my first run with my son this morning.  He doesn't like early mornings, so I compromised and went at 7:30.  That won't happen often.  We did 5 1/2 miles together so I'm sure he'll build up his mileage in no time for our half-marathon.  He did 8 earlier this week. He thinks my stride is too short, I think his is too bouncy.  I reminded him that my legs are a lot shorter than his, and since I've been running going on 35 years pretty much injury-free, I'm not gonna start tampering with my gait at this point!

Cold but not windy - about 12 degrees so it wasn't too bad.

Great running, everyone . . .

Great to hear from you, Annette! This is a great group for running ideas and support.

Thanks for the welcome guys!  

And Sharon, we do seem to have a lot in common, except that you can run further, LOL!   Good luck with training ... so far so good on my energy levels as well, but friends who have been through it tell me that weeks 5-6 tend to knock you down pretty good - I'll worry about that when it happens.    Nice having the appointment times get quicker, isn't it?  So far so good on the skin, but my RO tells me he expects me to start getting pink towards the end of next week.