Then summer was over and I had to shift my jogging to the 4PM heat and humidity. It was almost unbearable, but I made it. Then winter arrived and I had to deal with a host of new issues ---- never been an exerciser, let alone one who ran in the ice and snow, so how do you keep your glasses from fogging up or avoid bronchitis in the cold???? Made it through that too.
This summer (up until yesterday's close), I taught summer academy but did not have to be there so early as with regular school, so I was able to return to my morning workouts. HALLELUJAH --- I had forgotten how incredible cool, peaceful, and invigorating it is to run in the early morning hours. It's as if my dog and I are the only living beings..... I love it.
My body clock is pretty good at waking me up and I try very hard to just make it happen every day --- for me to be done with my workout in the cooler weather and because my dog needs the exercise, but my friend Tamar who lives in a VERY HOT climate is having a hard time getting up to run.
How do you make it happen for yourself? How do you get up and get going???????
Other deep thoughts that cross my mind in the morning..........
1) my knees are beginning to be an issue even with new shoes, stretching, ibuprofen, etc, anyone here an OT or sports medicine guru? I know I supinate/walk on the outsides of my feet and that is why my knees hurt ---from being torqued too hard side to side, so what do I do to strengthen whatever quad/ham muscles to stop/help my knees?
2)am I the only person stricken at times with almost emergency bathroom situations while jogging before "voiding"?
3) anyone find now the mp3 player that first motivated you to keep going is now just a distraction from the road and your pace?
4) what about runner's etiquette ??? -- I always get out of oncoming car paths -- even if it means running across the road or getting my running shoes wet/dirty, but still the people in this town are hateful.
5) what about this --- the same routes I have been running (I have a range of 2-5 miles mapped out) are getting too easy/too short/I feel like I could run more, but I like to do a loop, you know? start at my house, make 4 turns, I am home. do I just try to pick up my speed (yuck) or do I do two trips?
This is long, but I hope to hear lots of good advice and get a support group going for all us early morning slaves of the shoe! Are you out there?????
I do one of my weekly runs early in the morning, does that count as enough to join this crew?
Background: I have been running since last November and ran my first full marathon in May. I have also ran a 1/2 marathon and a 10k. Right now I am training for my 2nd 1/2 marathon. I would love to run more mornings but that would mean having to get up by 3am in order to get my 4-7 mile run in and ready for the day. I run a daycare out of my home and the first kids show up between 6:30 and 6:40.
When I'm closed or any weekend run I do I wake up about 5am and I love to run at that hour. Lately I have been doing my week day runs at 8:30-10pm due to the heat and humidity, by then it's starting to cool off.
Hi!
1 day a week is good enough for me! that is about all i am doing at the moment. (i am pretty new here too). i will hit a record with 3 AM runs this week if i can get up tomorrow!! although i have nothing to cry about since i am able to get up at 4am instead of 3am!! until recently i had been striclty a PM runner, but morning runs are just wonderful...so i am trying to get into the habit.
congrats! that is awesome! i am training for my 1st marathon. i have run a few 1/2 marathons, so i thought i should tackle one of the bigger races.
i like running in the evenings, but it also has been so humid here that i can't bear it. i could log more quality runs without the humidity.
Welcome cfeltontufty
wow, a marathon in such a short time, I also starting running last November, and by May I was no where near ready to run a marathon! I would love to do one, but right now with working full time, having a 2.5 year old, and a husband who works later into the evenings and most weekends, unless I want to start getting up at 2-3 am for some of my training runs, it just isn't happening right now (work, 2.5 year old and little sleep do not mix well for me!). I am hoping in a year or two to do one though.
Khooder - I am running the Sydney City to Surf run on Sunday, its 14K and starts right in downtown Sydney and end at Bondi Beach (very famous beach here in Australia). It attracts a HUGE number of runners (for Australia that is, I think this year is about 70,000) and there is a massive hill right at the midpoint of the run that they call heartbreak hill (alhtough with all the hills I run around my house, I can't imagine it will really be THAT bad!).
Next month I am running the Sydney Half Marathon which runs right over the harbor bridge and past the opera house. Really looking forward to that one. The earliest I have gotten up for a run is 4:30 am, and although I live in a very safe area, it did feel a little weird running that early in the morning. I honestly can't imagine 3 am.
I had a tough time dragging myself out of bed this morning and I only had to run 3 miles, so after snoozing it for a little while, I finally just told myself, get out, get it done, you will feel better.... and as always, the run was great and now I am ready to start my morning! I just need the sun to start rising earlier here, then I will be back on track with my running addiction!
Thx for the warm welcome!!
khooder~ I know what you mean about the humidity. I wait until late enough in the evening that it's starting to break. I just remind myself that I need to train in that weather because you never know what it will be like on race day. Marathon's are fun but tough races.
Sharon~ I wouldn't recommend jumping into marathon training like I did. What saved me was I worked out on my elliptical for 60-75min 6 days a week before I started running. I understand the busy life, young kids take a lot of energy. Sounds like you have some really fun races planed, 70,000 people at one race I could not imagine. The Fargo Marathon had 15,000 and that was overwhelming.
Today is my scheduled rest day and my hubby's birthday. I have no idea what he has in store for us. Our three kids went down to his parents for the weekend. Tomorrow I will be up a 5am and meet up with my running partner at 6am for my 12 miles run. Then hubby and I are driving down to his parents and going to be in a golf tournament. It's my first tournament and I'm not that good of a golfer so it'll be an interesting and long day.
I have a stretching question. The tendon that runs down your ankle bone on the outside is really tight. This morning I notice it really throwing my stride off. Can I stretch this or just ice it? I am sure it's from wearing flip flops all day long.
i didnt run this morning (sad face for me). i went out to play last night and got home pretty late. i could not get up this morning. i will try and make up for it this afternoon.
manta, that is great! i think the fact that you can even get runs in, let alone sign up for races with your schedule is a feat in itself!! isn't it addicitng? my fiance doesn't understand when i tell him what a big rush it is...he just thinks i am crazy.
cfeltontufty - That is so true! training in tougher weather conditions is a good idea as it will prepare you for the unexpected, or make race day a bit easier. i can't wait to run my first one!!
leslee - i sprained my ankle and that is the tendon that i injured. i stretched it two ways.
1- while sitting in a chair or couch, extend your leg out (with the ankle you are trying to strech), and write out the alphabet in the air. if it feels tight, it will help your range of motion.
2 - get like a face towell, and wrap it around your toes so that you can hold on to the ends. extend your leg out and pull the ends to the right side, then push your foot against the towel to the left and hold for a few seconds. then alternate. you can also pull the towell ends toward you and then push your foot away form you. and vice versa. you will need someone to hold it for you when you are pushing your foot toward you, since the towell will need to be pulled in the opposite direction. i hope this helps!
Yeah, i can't imagine 70,000 people either. There are 4 start groups, but unfortunately to get in the first two you have to have run the race in pervious years and finished within a certain time period, the third start group is just for a small numbre who got in early, and then I am in the back of the pack. They stagger the starts for each group so i am going to try to get toward the front of my start group. If I can finish in under 75 minutes, I will qualify for the first start group next year (but 75 mins will be really pushing it for me), but I am sure to finish in under 100, which will qualify me for next years second start group at least
Khooder - I have found running SO addicting, its ridiculous, my husband is the same as your fiance, he can't understand WHY I like running so much, although he used to cycle and do races and loved it. I honestly don't see the difference, I am not that into cycling, but can understand what he loves about it, but he can't understand the running thing with me. Oh well! I am thinking after the half marathon to maybe work some cycling into my workouts, but who knows because running is such a draw to me.
Leslee - one more stretch you can do is to put your toes up on a wall and lean forward to stretch it, hope your ankle starts to feel better soon!
hey Manta, where's the best/ prettiest place to run in Sydney or in New South Wales?
went for a lovely jog this morning and watched the sunrise. the clouds were small thin and scattered, like tiles or translucent fish scales. it was so pretty
Bettypage - not sure if I could pick just one place, but I would say anywhere along the coast is fantastic. I live close to the beach, so many of my runs go right by the ocean and being that we are on the east coast, the sunrises over the ocean... makes for a beautiful sight early in the morning. The other thing about the coastline here is that it is made up of beaches followed by rocky cliffs and big headlands, so the view is quite spectacular no matter what time of day. And during whale season, you sometimes get lucky enough to see the whales up close to the cliffs (although I haven't seen any yet on my morning runs, but I have seen them while walking). Also, a lot of the coastline in NSW has been made into national parks, so you can get both bushland and coast all in one run... although I haven't had the privilege of running through one of the national parks on the coast... yet. Also, I did a fantastic run along a walking track along the coast in a place called Nelson Bay a few months back while we were there over a long weekend. Anyway, if can be so peaceful running by the ocean in the morning and just hearing the waves crash against the cliffs.
So, I did my city to surf run this weekend.... I mapped it out and it was ~8.8 miles, and my time by my watch was 84 mins (I will have my official time tomorrow), I was hoping for a bit quicker (~80 mins), but I am pretty happy with it since I spent a lot of time weaving around slow people and then having to slow down anyway. I couldn't believe the amount of people, 70,000 people is really a lot. While I enjoyed the run, it was a bit frustrating to get around all the people moving slow or walking. If I choose to run it next year I will be in the second start group, which is all runners, so I might consider it again. While I am glad I did it, I am not entirely sure I would do a run with that many people again.... will see how I feel about it next year. Ahhh well, on to the half marathon next month! I am very sore today, even though I went slow at parts, the places where I could run, I really went all out. The course was a bit hilly, but the "big hill" that every makes a big deal about was a bit of a joke, I mean I guess it was a reasonably long hill, but not steep AT ALL. When I finished running it I was like... that's it? All in all, it was a fun run.
Well, back to half marathon training today, going to do a slow 4 mile recovery run on my lunch break.
I'm just back from vacation in California. Had a couple of nice runs on beaches, not really early a.m. but still in the morning. They seemed really easy compared to the hilly course I ususally use! I felt like I could have run forever. One day I slept in and then went for a hike at noon in Audobon Center in L.A. Boy, it was SO hot! I heard later that it was actually 100 F, so that explains why I felt totally wasted after I finished!
Re: HR averages. Mine has been 139-142, but I'm pushing 50. My resting heart rate is about 50 and my blood pressure has always been low, 90/55. Women get an advantage in maintaining low bp from our hormones, and the running helps make it even lower.
I am having some back pain from sleeping on a different bed, but I hope to get back up and out tomorrow, even if I can only hike. I will try massage and visiting the chiropractor if the pain continues. It is the kind that hurts when I breathe in deeply so I can't even jog!! The plane ride really aggravated the injury, too; why do they make headrests that push your head forward? I will never understand that!!
Anyway, I'm going to have to get back on track with eating b/c I wasn't particularly watching it on vacation. I am currently showing a 3 lb gain but just got back today so I need to give it a day or two to "even out," and then I'll know what "damage" I might have done.
cfeltontufty-
congrats on your first marathon! My first one was last February, so we're kindof on the same page. I had been running reguraly for a year, but working out reguraly for 2-3 years prior. I start training for marathon #2 in September, but I've been keeping my weekly long runs at 10 and 12 miles so I don't lose too much!
Khooder- Good luck with your first marathon. Whatever you do, DO NOT EVER SKIP THE LONG RUN!!!! Also make sure you cutback every 3 weeks. You sound like you're in shape for it, and you will be just fine as long as you stick to your training plan. When is the big day? What marathon is it?
I am also unable to run in the morning much now. School started back last week, so I'm leaving for work at 6 am. My weekday runs are now in the early evening, but I can still do mornings on the weekends.
I can't wait for it to cool off!
manta - lol! it's true. i think only runners can understand runners. it sounds like you have some beautiful backdrops for running. it sounds amazing! congrats on your race this past weekend! It sounds like despite all the people, you maintained a pretty good pace. passing people is tough. it takes a lot out of you. That is great that you qualified for the second group next year. if you decide to run it again, you will have less people to pass up and you will know what to expect from the course. Good luck with the half marathon next month!
mkculs - that is awesome that you ran during vacation. I dont have that kind of discipline. I always take my gear, but somehow it never manages to leave my suitcase. I am jealous that you were in Cali.
sordino - thank you for the tips. I have heard that if you are ever going to skip a run, to not let it be your long one. My long run this past Saturday was 10 miles. A bit slower than what I am used to, but I am trying to get my mileage back up on my long runs and work on my speed during some of my shorter runs. I am a bit anxious since i have never run a full. I am somewhat familiar wiht the course, since i have run the half on that course. I am hoping that will help. It is The Chevron Houston Marathon, January 18, 2009. Lucky for me, i have time. What has been/will be your longest run for marathon training? how do you handle long runs in warm weather? do you carry a water?
i cant wait for it to get cooler here either. my run on saturday was a bit faster than my run two weeks ago, and although at the end my body and my breathing were ok for the most part, i was worn out. I think it was all just heat exhaustion.
cfeltontufty & sordino (and anyone else) - any other tips that you can offer for running your first marathon will be greatly appreciated!!
have a great day everyone!!
khooder- My longest run in training is 20 miles. Originally, I wanted to run the full distance before the actual marathon, but I'm glad I didn't. Trust me, after you run 20 miles you will understand. Your body will definitely not want to run the next day, and you will have to take it easy even 2 days later. Running any further than that will just exhaust you, and you'll run a high risk of injury or over-training. Try to get in two 20 milers if you can- the more your body is used to it, the better off you'll be in the race. Just make sure you don't run them back to back- run 20 miles one weekend, the next weekend do 12 or so, then 20 miles again. I was worried about tacking on another 6.2 miles, but when I was actually there doing it, I had so much adrenaline pumping when I past the 20 mile marker that there was NO QUESTION whether or not I'd finish. As for long runs in hot weather, and I completely understand this issue being a few hours down the road from you in Baton Rouge, I schedule in short walking breaks every 15-20 minutes. By "short" break, I mean no longer than 1-2 minutes, just long enough to cool down. Also, if you have any of those water fountains with the misters on your route, they tend to help a lot. Avoid running in mid-day, but I'm sure you know that. I've tried carrying water, but I really found it to be a nuisance. I like my hands to be free. I tried belts, but they would always ride up, ride down, or twist around. They're better than nothing though, if your route has no water fountains. During the actual race, you probably won't need a water belt because they will have water stations set up every mile or two. Other things to remember about running insanely long distances... BODY GLIDE is your friend (chafing gets worse the further you go), and experiment with eating. You really need something with carbs and electrolytes after an hour or hour and a half. I like the sports beans, some people like gels and bloks, others actually carry granola and raisins. Really it depends on your stomach.
Good luck all you distance runners!
Original Post by khooder:
mkculs - that is awesome that you ran during vacation. I dont have that kind of discipline. I always take my gear, but somehow it never manages to leave my suitcase. I am jealous that you were in Cali.
I was not even in my gear when I started running! I went for a walk on the beach and after about 30 minutes, felt so loose that I just started running--barefoot, capri-length jeans on, etc. My bra wasn't the best and my boobs hurt for a couple of days beginning the next day, but they felt fine while I did it. I had no intention of doing it and worried that being barefoot would lead to injury, but I was wrong!
Cali is great but I would not want to live there. I've been from L.A. to SF and maybe in the north would be ok, but Southern Cal is definitely not for me, long term. A great place to visit and workout for a week or so, however!!
Back in the days b.c. (before children), I always ran on my first morning in a new place. After an hour or so, I had seen all the major streets, locations of major sites, etc. It is SUCH a great way to get to know a city as long as you ask about any really 'bad' places to run. Still, as long as you keep moving, no druggie will catch you and few are out and about at 6 am, in my experience!
Hi gals/guys,
I'd like to join your support group.
I am very new at running, but super excited to start.
I will be following the couch to 5k program. Has anyone tried it?
The program looks doable. I also found a podcast of a guy counting the walk/jog intervals for me and it has energetic music.
I just came back from my first walk/jog and I feel great. I wasn't out of breath and kept a good pace... just felt little pains here and there, but nothing unbearable - yay! my muscles are working!!
I plan on doing this early in the morning, and I was wondering if you had any advice for this first time morning jogger?
Thanks and cheers!!
Welcome tamarita
I started with the C25K and loved it. The best piece of advice I can give you right now is first, make sure you have a good running shoe and second, just stick with the program for now and see how it goes. I found c25K really kept me motivated to get up and the mornings and get the workouts done. Helped turn my running into a habit and then an addiction! Also, one other thing, maybe sign up for a 5K run that will be in about 3 months, so you have something to work towards while doing C25K. Finally, just HAVE FUN! Keep it slow and steady and soon enough you will be running 5K and beyond if that is a goal you want to attain!
sordino - I see that you have the same weather i do, being in Baton Rouge. i also hate carrying around water bottles. They are a huge pain. i also like to have my hands free so i can concentrate on running. Because of that, I have become accustomed to not really needing too much water during my runs (i hydrate before and after) but i really feel dehydrated during the summer months. I have heard that 20 miles is a good number to aim for as far as long runs and that adrenaline will carry you the rest of the way. i like the idea of doing it more than once though so I can get used to it. I will have to work towards that. YES! Body Glide is the best invention ever!!! i love that stuff!! i will definitely have to try eating during my runs as i increase my mileage. Thanks for all the good info!!
mkculs - i like that idea about running your first day in a new city. It totally is a great way to check out your new surrounding. i will have to try that next time im in a new place. i know So Cal is not for everyone, especially LA! I grew up in LA and i just miss it (friends and family mostly).
hi tamarita!! welcome! it is always great to see more runners. the most important thing is to enjoy it. If you love it, it will get to a point where you dont want to miss a day. some days it is tough to get out there, but once you start running, it is so therapeutic that you won't regeret having gone out there. it is pretty much an individual sport, so you definitely get plenty of "me" time which is great; especially in the mornings.
but like manta said...good shoes are important. for your first pair i would try going to a running store because they can recommend the best shoe for your foot and running style (how you plant your foot on the ground) to give you the most support and comfort. and signing up for races is great! it keeps you on track for a goal. also dont get discouraged. There will be bad days. Days when your body hurts or you cant run as fast as the day before. it happens to evryone. but the feeling of accomplishment afterwards, just surpasses all the bad stuff completely. two websites that i love: runnersworld.com is great for pretty much anything you want to know about running. and halhigdon.com has great training guides for all kinds of distances. good luck! keep us posted!
i went running this morning and despite how ridiculously humid it was, we had a good run. I wanted to get 5 miles in, but settled for 4.6mi. because we were running low on time (i got up a little late) and the boys were pretty much done. all in all, it went well and as usual, i felt great and so happy that i went. we'll see how tomorrow goes!
Hi Manta515 and khooder - thanks for the welcomes!
Yea, I'm a super excited to do the C25k! I'll keep you posted on my progress.
What 5k run are you referring to Manta515?
Welcome newbies and the oldies...
So I ran 17 miles yesterday. Well, we ran 14 and walked 3. It was intense.
But, here is my issue.
I trip with my left foot ALOT. Yesterday I tripped 6 times and fell 2 times. My husband is totally freaked out when I fall.
It is always on my left side which I broke my left tibia 2 years ago. But I don't know how to handle this - do I go to a chiropractor, orthopedic surgeon, neurologis, massage. do I look for a personal trainer who specializes in gait analysis. I know that I don't pick up my feet because I am going slower.
Any ideas? my poor left leg looks terrible...
Khooder~best marathon advice, start training early and SLOWLY increase your mileage (10% per week). Also, make sure you have easy weeks every 3-4 weeks. What worked really well for me was I would increase my long runs for 2-3 weeks and then I would back off (i.e. 7m, 9m, 10m, 9m, 11m, 13m, 12m...). I never ran over 20 miles before my first marathon. Runners world has a great smart coach program that can help design a training program, I used it for my half marathon training.
marathoner78~ I think I'm going to keep to one full marathon per year and do a couple halfs and shorter runs throughout the year. I just did 12 miles this last week for my long run. I think 10-12 is a great mileage for the "off season."
Leslee~ I like to stand on a step on the balls of my feet and raise and lower my body, it works the calf/chin and ankle.
manta~ congrats on your finish, you did well with all the weaving you had to do.
I had a great rain run yesterday, it was just under 5 miles. For the first 4 miles it was on and off gentle showers and felt great. Though when i was at about 3.75 the rain really started to come down. At one point I felt like I was running through a river, lol. I really enjoyed being able to go out for a run and not get hot. I don't think I'm going to get a morning run in this week :( We are going to go camping this weekend to a cancer ride (horse ride), we don't ride we volunteer. It's in this little hick town (no paved streets) so I can't run early in the dark since it's really in the country. I think I'll end up having to do my 11 miles Friday afternoon, yuck.
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