26/30 Group: Week 3 Nov 15-21

Took a nice moderate ride yesterday through South Pas, and the legs took that as a day off.  Today the feeling of continual breakdown of the legs began to wear off, just from one day off.  That's good news that I can do this for another two weeks.  I forgot I had a pair of Salomon shoes I hardly ever wear so I took those our for a spin.  What a difference!  They are less supportive but much lighter.  I felt 50 lbs lighter in them, no joshin.  The shin splints tried to come out but I controlled my speed to keep them caged.

I'm not finding it too hard to go out and run since my days are filled with many small losing battles, running seems to be the one battle I can always win (you win just by doing it).  Today the battles were especially fleeting.  I hate grad school on days like this- anyone wanna start a bike store?

Drift, you're not the only one who takes a few miles to warm up.  My best 5k was the last 3.1 of a half.  So that time it took 10 miles to warm up!  I also welcomed the beautiful morning with a run - it feels so right in good weather.

Averaged a 7:44 for my 2.7 miles this morning..getting back to my old form, but the shin splints are still haunting.

Hi everybody.

Totals thus far:

Week one: 47.5 miles

Week two: 41.3 miles (one day off)

Week three: Thursday 7.25 miles.  Consisted of 3 mile warm-up and 5 steep hill repeats at a half mile each repeat along with "downhill" runs in between and a cool down jog at the end.  Amazingly all done on the treadmill.  One of the things I like about the treadmill is that it keeps me honest and doesn't let me slow down when I really want to.  I also get to watch TV.

William and Lenny - I have learned from a friend and now incorporate the following thinking into my races:  The shorter the race, the longer the warm up.  It's that simple.  For my last two "short" races that I did, I easily jogged around for about two miles before the race.  I always remember thinking "Why do people warm up like that?  They're just wasting their energy they could use for the race.".  How terribly wrong my thinking was.  I find that it takes a few miles for me to get into my pace as well, so this pre-race warm-up/jog works out perfectly.  Stretching after this jog not only continues to loosen up my muscles, but further prepares me for the tough race ahead.

Woke up today at 2:15. Did a little yoga and then worked on a project till 6:00, just in time for baby girl to wake up. I bundled her up and rolled her out of the house for a 5.25m. So far she’s made 4 runs/ 21 miles this month.

Now I'm brain dead and ready to start the weekend. Wuhu!

OK I gave in!  I just signed up for the LaCanada Trukey Trot 1hr before the price increase.  Told myself all month that I'd just go and cheer for the many friends in the race, take pictures and get the freebies.  But the competitive side got the best of me and I'm dying of curiosity of how all this off season run training (ala 26/30) is doing me so far.  This will be my first 5K in 3 years.  I'm trying to control the race entry fee spending this year, esp after my Ironman splurge all last year.  But like a bad habit already in for 3 races in a 15 day period.  This is what it is like to be David P!(CA-3) 

Margo, less thirst in colder wether, yes some truth but also a dangerous misread by the mind and body sometimes because of lower sweat rate, higher evaporation rate in the cool air, and just not being soo hot.  Happens on the bike alot, biking 20mph in 65 degree cool air, hour later look down and not a sip from the bottles and thats not good.

William, oh boy! want to Tri huh. well thats a big subject you can get us going on.  Almost every triathlete comes into the sport with a strength and a weekness.  The most common weakness being a  lack of competitive swiming ability and/or fear of open water swiming.  you are right, lessons, clinics, masters swimming, and practice can solve it.  Too much to say in so little space and I'm not an expert. Surf away on the web, I recommend  http://www.trinewbies.com/ http://www.slowtwitch.com/ and http://www.endurancenation.us/ the later is by my coach and fellow Pasadena Tri Club member Rich Strauss.

So much information and so much to learn about triathlon makes it extremely facinating, stimulating, and expensive. but don't spend any money at first unless you got alot.  go out on your mountain bike, jump into a warm lake in the summertime race in swim suit only if you can't borrow a wetsuit and then kick ass on the run.

I had a pretty normal, unevetful start in the sport no real horror stories, took it on pretty slow and calculating. alot had to do that i joined PTC early in my journey.  but ask david now he has stories!

Question first:  I am experiencing some "slight sharp" pain in my left knee when walking around.  It's uncomfortable, but not unbearable.  When I go out running, it almost immediately STOPS hurting.  Is that a good thing or bad thing?  Is this a possible "overuse" injury?  Why would it stop hurting when I START running?  Confused....

William (et al.) - I highly recommend locating a local triathlon club (or similar) for you to get involved with.  They will have the most knowledge about local support and activities.  I, unlike most triathletes, had absolutely no sports background whatsoever.  Absolutely none.  Growing up, if it had to do with sports, I ran the other way.  Honestly.  I wasn't very popular with my three brothers.   Anyway, I became involved with this sport just over a year ago and went crazy.  I immediately jumped into it with everything I had.  I went a little overboard with my triathlon schedule since I started, which included about 15 triathlons, several marathons, blah, blah, blah, but don't regret it at all.  Previously, when everyone was talking about perspectives, when I did my first triathlon which had a 3.1 mile run, I thought I was going to die.  Now, I look at a 3 mile run as a warm up.  Anything under 6 miles is a nice change and I look forward to it.

My point(s) is that I encourage all of you to tri (get it) it out.  Borrow a bike, borrow a wetsuit (you can even rent them cheaply for one month - www.wetsuitrental.com ). I was so emotional after that first triathlon because that was one of my biggest accomplishments up to that point.  It felt great to say "I did a triathlon!!".  I even placed 5th in my age group!

I really don't have any horror stories, unless I mentally blocked them out.  My biggest problem/obstacle was convincing myself that, "YES, I CAN do it."

Sorry for rambling on and on and on.

Well......all this running got me curious too, Marv!  I signed up for the La Canada event myself.   I'll throw the gauntlet down.....any PTC member younger than 50 that can't beat me in this race will serve as my sherpa for my first Ironman.  

Rich Miller    :p

Hi everyone!

Sounds like everyone is having a good weekend. I had to laugh at the discussion of cool weather vs. hot and humid. My 6:30am run was in 40 degree weather. But at least it wasn't raining, as it has the past two days. I love layering up and running in the cold though, as long as it is not icy. I just tried to count my miles to date for Nov., but my almost four-year-old climbed into my lap and distracted me. I think I counted 52 miles so far. Would be more but a couple weekends I had dog agility trials (I compete with my dogs in AKC agility). So after running on courses all day with the pooches, my actual runs were shorter than I would have liked them to be.

I wish I could do a Thanksgiving day run...but will have a house full of people (about 18) so I will use it as one of my days off (unless I get up REALLY early).

I took last Friday off from running because I had a girls night out after work (mmm, pumpkin martinis are the best). But I found myself MISSING it...and wishing I could have squeezed a run in anyway. This is really getting addicting!

CA-3 Athlete...listen to your knee! I occasionally have the same prob with my left knee and after running a bit, the pain goes away...but I still take it easy when it flares up. I have an old injury there (dislocated knee cap when dog ran into me at a trial). Do you have an old injury there? Have you tried icing?

It was a pretty tough weekend for me, folks...as far as running.  Saturday was an 8.25 run.  Sunday was a looooong run for me at 18.25 miles.  That was tough.  Both physically and mentally.  Here was my general line of thinking:  7:00 a.m. start with Marvin and Albert....don't want to be here...don't want to do this....(miles 1-8) still hate this...cold...why am I doing this....(miles 9-12) okay, not so bad...nice day...I have the ability to run...thankful...Tammy's friend wants to be able to run with my legs....thankful again...(miles 12-15) okay, starting to hate this again...when is this hell going to end....(miles 16-18) please make this nonsense stop...the faster I run the sooner it will be over...the faster I run the sooner this hell will be over...(mile 18.25) I need help lifting my legs into my car...now I see where they get the expression "lead feet"...I hope no cops stop me between here and my bed.

Monday is going to be a rest day...(I think). 

Ok who else is running out of technical clothing?  I'm having to do the special tech clothes laundry load every 3 or 4 days to keep up.  Had a great long run thru the trails on the RoseBowl Half mary course w/david and albert.  Cool foggy start clearing to a sunny morning just slightly overdressed with the long sleeve and gloves. Will be tapering dn to shorter faster paced stuff this week to prep for Thursday's 5K.   I have run 8 days in a row that for sure is lifetime first.  I'm tired, will take a rest day either monday or tuesday.

Day 17:  3.7mi 33:00  easy run with 2 tempo pickups in the middle

Day 18:  8.88mi 1:24:06  long run, hills, trails

I think I run out of shorts before anything else...but the wonders of internet catalog shopping have given me two (yes two) drawers full of technical t-shirts. Definitely helps with the laundry pressure. :-)

Sunday was a fun trail run/race. Santa Monica Mountain Trail Run 30km(18.64 miles, 3200' elevation). The run/race was on trails in Point Mugu State Park, where I hadn't run before. I started slow, not feeling too perky. The trails were beautiful. It was really foggy, which kept the temperatures nice and cool, even though it obscured the views. 

After the last aid station, I was ready to "race" (had ~6 miles and 1 hill left), picked up the pace, passed a couple of people on the uphill and then had the best downhill run of my life. Do not know what happened -- maybe that advil I took at the bottom of the last hill kicked in - but I was going pretty fast, feeling no pain, and passing more people.

Finished in 3:26:10, first place woman! Woohoo!  Yeah, it was a super small race but thanks to the many faster women out there sleeping in or racing elsewhere, I got to bring home the tote bag with "first place finisher" printed on it. PTC people, expect to see gratuitous use of that bag in the near future...

But the best part of the day really was running on the mountain trails. It takes more time to get to them, so too many weekends I don't make the effort to get out to some of the incredible trails in the so cal area, but it's soooo worth it ... will hopefully keep that in mind on future weekends. :-)

Sunday 11-18-07. 

i ran the hills around So Pas with the kids.

they swapped in/out of the jogging stroller. braden pooped out on the way home. thumbed a ride home with mom from the grocery store. madeleine made it the rest of the way.

3.1 mi (5k).

Last Saturday 11-10-07, needed some inspiration for running.

 Bought new shoes! Etonic. luv em.

Promptly went on run. 4mi.

Way to go Sue!  i want a podium picture or something. or how bout you strutting w/ your medal and tote bag?

was supposed to be a rest day. but since i ran at the tract tonight it was like a 36 hr. rest for me. will rest tomorrow, really.

Day 19: interval work, forgot how much all that hard effort stuff hurts.

approx 2.5 miles

Day 19.

11/15 3.4 tempo

11/16 3.4 tempo

11/17 3.4 moderate

11/18 3.3 superduper slow

11/19 3.2 tempo

16.7 miles... that's less than a day's run for some of you lunatics.

Tonight felt really good. I'm finding that I recover pretty well these days. Last night's run was incredibly slow, which I think really helped.

Tonight I knocked about 45 seconds off my ~3 mile loop time from the current training period, though it is still about 2:15 slower than a year ago. Then again, I'm 20 lbs heavier... most of it from donuts at Starbuck's.

I keep meaning to run a long run, but I'm enjoying the quick tempo stuff. I think it's my short attention span.

Hi everyone,

Drift, sorry to hear about your grandpa but your perspective is a healthy one and you are lucky to have spent some quality time with him before he passed. I admire your push to run beyond what you thought you could do during all this. Bravo! Someday, I hope to be able to run as far as you folks! Here are my stats for the past week. So, far I've taken two days off. I am plotting what the other two days will be. I think if I weren't running every day, I'd be able to increase my mileage, at least to 6 or 7 miles. But at the same time, running every day is making me stronger and faster and I must be building some endurance!

Day 12: 3.5 miles
Day 13: 5.13 miles
Day 14: 2.5 miles
Day 15: 4 miles
Day 16: Day off for pumpkin martinis
Day 17: 3.5 miles
Day 18: 2.5 miles plus a boot camp workout
Day 19: 3 miles
Day 20:  4.3 miles

Hey Marvin...I will get my husband to take a pic of me running with the dogs soon. Haven't been able to yet, because I am always running in the dark...either AM or PM.

-Ingrid

Drift, very sorry to hear about your grandfather passing away. I wish your family the best.

Nancy, thanks!  And congrats on the great run today! You're gonna rock on Thursday!

I took yesterday off from running. That pain that wasn't there on Sunday's downhill arrived Monday afternoon.   Did a 6 mile trail and 3 mile rose bowl lap today, both at an slower pace. Think the lactic acid has finally worked its way out of my quads... 

Tomorrow's Thankgiving dinner prep day, and a short-ish run. No track for me this week -- I would like to have something left in my legs for Thursday's 5k, and I figure that'll be plenty o' speedwork for the week!

I'm totally sleep-deprived (still staying up late, getting up early, and can't seem to nap...), so if I don't write here again before Thanksgiving, have a great one everyone!

Sue

Had a good run myself at the Rose Bowl after seeing Nancy just after she finished her run.....she inspired me and I cranked it up a notch myself.   Took off 2 minutes off my normal time....so to Nancy....THANKS!!!!!!

Rich  

Rich,

Glad I was able to inspire you! Great job on your run. You will do great tomorrow.

Drift,

I also want to express my condolences as well. Very sorry for your loss.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone.

Nan

Howdy all.

William & Roberto - Sorry to hear about your loved one and friend passing away.  It's never easy, but we must remember that they are in a better place now.  Several years ago, both my mother and oldest brother passed away in the same year from cancer (smoking).  I, of course, hated to loose them, but I knew they would be out of pain and suffering in this life.

On a different note, my two little dogs have recently discovered how "fun" it is to go running with Daddy.  I am truly amazed that with their fairly short legs, they can keep up with me for 3-5 miles.  They are more obedient running than just walking.  Even crazier yet, they come home and want to play "catch" with the ball.  Daddy wants to nap and they still have energy.  I don't get it.

 Week three summary: 53.75 miles!!!!  I can't believe I broke 50 miles.  I think this is the most I have ever run in one week. 

Three week total: 142.55 (Yowwwzerrr!!!)

After 11 straight days of running, I think I'll take tomorrow off.  That is unless the atmosphere at home forces me to get out of the house for a little while. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all.