Travel Health and Fitness - The OMNI Exercise Blog...

Today I was 4 hours climbing (difficulty 6a). Afterwards I jumped into the lake !!! :D

I walked/ran about 3.5 miles Tuesday and 3 miles today, trying to keep my heartrate around 130-134. It did get up to 150 or so with the heat and humidity but only a short time. Not much foot abraion.

Been a real busy week because we're going on vacation starting tomorrow, so I've been trying to get a million things done. In any event, I've done most of my runs, so that's good:

7/30: 4.16 miles, 32:11 time, 7:44/mile pace
8/1: 5.00 miles, 39:59 time, 7:59/mile pace (treadmill)
8/2: 2.8 miles, 22:35 time, 8:03/mile pace (ridiculously hot outside)

This afternoon I hit the gym and did a nice upper body lift for about 45 mins. Tomorrow I'll do 11 miles before our flight to Greece!

a few days of rest for me. Back at it tomorrow.

Last week I was in Vegas for a conference. It was hot as expected every day, but it was also humid (50-60%)! I got in 2 hour long runs and one for 90 minutes. The worst morning I left the blackjack table at 3:30am and met my running partner at 6am! Nothing like sweating out alcohol at 6am.

This week back on track:
Monday -- 6 miles -- 7:30 pace
Tuesday -- 7 miles -- 7:30 pace
Wednesday -- 17 miles -- 7:45 pace
Thursday -- Off
Friday -- Track -- Pyramid workout -- 400-800-1200-1600-1200-800-400 All but the 1600 under 6 minute pace. 1600 was a 6:15.

I swear one of these days the heat and humidity have to break.

This week back on track:
Monday -- 6 miles -- 7:30 pace
Tuesday -- 7 miles -- 7:30 pace
Wednesday -- 17 miles -- 7:45 pace
Thursday -- Off
Friday -- Track -- Pyramid workout -- 400-800-1200-1600-1200-800-400 All but the 1600 under 6 minute pace. 1600 was a 6:15.


:eek:


The worst morning I left the blackjack table at 3:30am and met my running partner at 6am! Nothing like sweating out alcohol at 6am.


:eek: :eek:

Last week I was in Vegas for a conference. It was hot as expected every day, but it was also humid (50-60%)! I got in 2 hour long runs and one for 90 minutes. The worst morning I left the blackjack table at 3:30am and met my running partner at 6am! Nothing like sweating out alcohol at 6am.
This week back on track:
Monday -- 6 miles -- 7:30 pace
Tuesday -- 7 miles -- 7:30 pace
Wednesday -- 17 miles -- 7:45 pace
Thursday -- Off
Friday -- Track -- Pyramid workout -- 400-800-1200-1600-1200-800-400 All but the 1600 under 6 minute pace. 1600 was a 6:15.

I swear one of these days the heat and humidity have to break.

(my emphasis on the one part of this I'm incapable of doing).

(my emphasis on the one part of this I'm incapable of doing).

I was surprised I was able to do it myself! I was prepared to leave the blackjack table, but I kept winning. At one point I said out loud "I need to start losing so I can leave and get some sleep." The player next to me said "You need to think about what you just said." I agreed and played until they shut that section of the casino down and tried to move everyone over to another table. Then I went to take my nap. This is one of those cases of peer pressure. If nobody was counting on me to be there for the run, that workout would have just disappeared.

I haven't done anything since Ditch Day. :( Back at it tomorrow, I think.

Today was a scheduled 11 miles but it was 92 with 60% humidity when I started, so I decided to only do "8ish." It was miserable out there. Finished 7.7 miles in 1:03:04, or 8:11/mile pace.

To give you an indication of how hot it was, I did a little experiment to assess my water needs. I weighed myself before and after the run and have a -4 lb difference! This is with drinking 32 ounces of water throughout the run. Craziness.

Off to Greece this week. Doubt I'll get much running in, but I'll try. Have a good one!

Well on holiday in south of France, so I've been doing my classes:

-Body Pain-au-Chocolat
-Body Picpoul de Pinet
-Body Evening couple of glasses of Rose
-Body Domain Beaurenard Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2003

:D

Actually we did find a gym near by the let us sign up for the time we are here. I have managed a few classes:

Week 1 - BodyPump x2, BodyCombat and RPM (Les Mills Spinning)
Week 2 - BodyPump and BodyCombat

Hopefully next week will manage a few more, as the other classes are beginning to affect the waistline!

Oh, and got real lucky as the instructor just happens to be one of the Les Mills France trainers. Didn't realise this as when I did BodyCombat she had said I knew the moves better than her! :eek: Suppose that is a compliment :D

Marathon prep long run today: 2:45 of up and down the Berkeley hills. It was roughly a 20 mile equivalent in the flats. Today was much, much better than my long runs last year. The difference: sodium and other electrolytes.

There was a thread about this here recently. I didn't post in that, but let me say here that the Powerbar gels with the 4x sodium plus eight electrolyte capsules have dramatically improved my long runs. Not only did I shave eight minutes off of my best time in the same run last year, but I actually felt much stronger at the end.

I think I sweat more than most runners, and that I lose more electrolytes in the long runs and marathons. If you think you are doing the same, I strongly recommend that you experiment with substantial electrolyte supplements during your long runs and marathons.

Can we rename this to the OMNI runner's blog? :(

Can we rename this to the OMNI runner's blog? :(

Works for me.

Chicago Marathoners: I've seen elsewhere that there have been problems with the corral assignments. It's worth checking your registration online to be sure that you've gotten your requested assignment.

Can we rename this to the OMNI runner's blog? :(NO! :mad:

:D

It's been a while since I've blogged, unfortunately. :( As a result, I'm not sure that I've got all my times and distances right, but they should be pretty close. Like my posting, my cycling has been a little more erratic than I'd like. But, I'm still poised to hit the 2,500-mile mark for the season this weekend.

Sunday, July 22 - 48 miles, 3:47: Santa Monica to Pasadena
Thursday, July 24 - 38 miles, ~2:15: San Rafael hill circuit, loops at the Rose Bowl
Saturday, July 28 - 53 miles, 4:14: Mount Wilson summit
Sunday, July 29 - 97 miles, 7:17: Pasadena to Santa Monica to Pasadena
Tuesday, July 31 - 38 miles, 2:09: San Rafael hill circuit, loops at the Rose Bowl
Thursday, August 2 - 35 miles, 2:03: San Rafael hill circuit, loops at the Rose Bowl
Tuesday, August 7 - 40 miles, 2:14: San Rafael hill circuit, loops at the Rose Bowl
Thursday, August 9 - 37 miles, 2:25: San Rafael hill circuit, a few loops at the Rose Bowl, more climbs in the San Rafael Hills
I've definitely been getting faster on the climbs that I do on my Tuesday/Thursday rides. I've been climbing at 8+ mph and faster! ^ Today's ride, unfortunately, was interrupted by some event at the Rose Bowl (DCI championships?), so I just climbed up to the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.

More riding and more blogging on a more frequent basis, I hope. :)

The OMNI runner's blog??? :confused: :rolleyes: Not if I have anything to say (er, blog) about it! ;)

I think I sweat more than most runners, and that I lose more electrolytes in the long runs and marathons. If you think you are doing the same, I strongly recommend that you experiment with substantial electrolyte supplements during your long runs and marathons.I'll think about that. I know I sweat a lot. I routinely finish daytime rides with salt deposits on my jerseys and shorts.

I forgot to eat one of my Gus (those have a little bit of potassium) on that 97-mile ride I did on July 29th. I didn't realize it 'til I got home. But, seems to me that that may well explain how toasted I was when I got home. I was so excited to crest that last hill and look back down into the San Gabriel Valley!!!

Back from Greece! What a great place (Santorini in particular).

In any event, I didn't do squat except some hikes (Fira to Oia - about 6 miles over hilly terrain) and some long walks.

Will get back to the training today with a 5 miler and a upper body lift!

There was a thread about this here recently. I didn't post in that, but let me say here that the Powerbar gels with the 4x sodium plus eight electrolyte capsules have dramatically improved my long runs. Not only did I shave eight minutes off of my best time in the same run last year, but I actually felt much stronger at the end.

I think I sweat more than most runners, and that I lose more electrolytes in the long runs and marathons. If you think you are doing the same, I strongly recommend that you experiment with substantial electrolyte supplements during your long runs and marathons.

Tell me more about these pills.. you take them before you run? During? The problem I have is that anything in my stomach shortly before the run or during the run give me major gastro problems. Sometimes even gatorade is too much!

The problem I have is that anything in my stomach shortly before the run or during the run give me major gastro problems. Sometimes even gatorade is too much!Yeah, that's a curious phenomenon. I used to feel this way after running. I know that many people on my track team, particularly the long-distance runners, would follow a personal best with a nice puke. :eek:

I don't have this problem on the bike.

But, like magiciansampras, I'm curious about the electrolyte supplements, too. I'm wondering if Gu has much in the way of electrolytes.

Tell me more about these pills.. ...

Before that 2:45 long run I did, which was about a 20m equivalent in the flats, I consumed the following:

1) Cliff Bar about 15 before the run: 250 cals, 210mg NaCl, 220mg Potassium
2) 0:41: PowerBar Gel (110 cals, 200mg NaCl, 20mg), 2 Hammer Endurolytes (each has 100mg NaCl, 25mg Pot. & other stuff) and water
3) 1:00 gel
4) 1:13 water and 2 Hammers
5) 1:18 gel and water
6) 1:45 gel, water and 2 Hammers
7) 1:55 water and 1 Hammer
8) 2:30 gel and water

The timing of my water breaks was dictated by my route in the Berkeley Hills. In a marathon, things would be more evenly spaced. At the end of this run, I felt much better than in previous training periods. I attribute that mainly to the electrolytes.

My stomach can take a lot while running, so while this approach does wonders for me, for others it might turn a long run into long runs. Sorry for painting such a disturbing picture.

Phew, I'm finding that I'm dragging this week getting back into the swing of things after vacation. Maybe it's the jetlag. Or maybe it's the fact that we were walking/hiking a lot through Greece and my legs or tired. Or maybe it's the little cough I picked up thanks to the folks on the Lufthansa flight with me the other day. Plenty of excuses to pick from. :)

In any event, I did 5 miles on the treadmill yesterday, 39:45 time or 7:56/mile pace. I also did a nice upper body lift yesterday.

7 miles today outside in 55:57 or 7:59/mile pace. I wanted to pick it up a bit but just didn't have the energy.

Tomorrow I won't run, but I think I'm playing golf. Hopefully will get a chance to rest the legs a bit.

I guess the day off from running yesterday was helpful. I did my usual 4.6 mile run today and what a difference; felt much better. Finished in 34:47 or 7:33/mile pace. That's more like it.

I also played 9 holes of golf yesterday (shot 51 - blah) and did an upper body lift yesterday evening.

Tomorrow I probably will do nothing and then run long this weekend.

Just back from my Greenland mountain hikings. I was there for 3 days and have reached about 20 summits, all about a hight fo 600 Meters. Every day I walked about 10 hours.

Yesterday I did nothing except eat and drink a lot at a reception and dinner. Felt like a big fat slug this morning.

8 miles was on the schedule. My wife wanted to hit the gym for a class this morning, so I went with her and did an upper body lift for the first 30 minutes and then did 5 miles on the treadmill (7:58/mile pace). Once we got home I went out and finished up with another 2.8 miles at 7:44/mile pace or 21:40 time. Felt good.

I'm either going to do my 18 miler tomorrow or Monday, depending on what the weather is like.

The OMNI runner's blog??? :confused: :rolleyes: Not if I have anything to say (er, blog) about it! ;)

It seems to be all anyone posts about!

Hey, I jogged .6 miles yesterday at a 9 minute pace!

<---- Just not a runner. :(

...Hey, I jogged .6 miles yesterday at a 9 minute pace!

<---- Just not a runner. :(

But it's a start! A marathon of 26.2 miles starts with an initial 0.6.

Had today a soccer game (2 x 45 minutes). We have won !!! :D

Two rides today: 49.50 miles (2:40:54) this morning, and this afternoon 20.35 miles (1:06:44).

Yeah baby.

I felt really good during today's 18 miler. There was little to no humidity, the temperature was in the low 70s, and it was just a great day for a run. I started off fairly quick, around 8:00's, thinking that I would just settle into a 8:20 or so pace (or hopefully even slower as they are supposed to be Long Slow runs). As it turns out I actually did a negative split and finished the 18 miler faster than I started!

Finished in 2:22:19 or 7:54/mile pace average. Yeah baby!

Just for giggles I looked at the logs from last year and I ran last year's 18 miler in 2:35:55 or 8:39/mile pace. I feel pretty good about this improvement!

Now just time to relax the rest of the day!

Post long-run got a nice 3 mile walk in and an hour long upper body lift. Also did some work on the core, focusing on abs and obliques.

Yeah baby.

I felt really good during today's 18 miler. There was little to no humidity, the temperature was in the low 70s, and it was just a great day for a run. I started off fairly quick, around 8:00's, thinking that I would just settle into a 8:20 or so pace (or hopefully even slower as they are supposed to be Long Slow runs). As it turns out I actually did a negative split and finished the 18 miler faster than I started!

Finished in 2:22:19 or 7:54/mile pace average. Yeah baby!

Just for giggles I looked at the logs from last year and I ran last year's 18 miler in 2:35:55 or 8:39/mile pace. I feel pretty good about this improvement!

Now just time to relax the rest of the day!

^^ WOW ! This is something to be proud of. And, while I have only attempted a half marathon (the Flying Pig, in Cincinnati) --- I am impressed, and bid you congrats !

I so hope to get back into running, as I really desire to do the Las Vegas Marathon (I'll only do a half...) --

so, I will use this post (and thread) as a bit of training inspiration ! :cool:

I've been on vacation. Did quite a bit of walking and a bit of running. Did a full body workout before leaving and another today. Pretty fun.

Yeah baby.

I felt really good during today's 18 miler. There was little to no humidity, the temperature was in the low 70s, and it was just a great day for a run. ...

Similar weather (middle 70s, medium humidity) for me yesterday, but dissimilar results. I can't take the heat. My 20 mile long run (less than than, but that's roughly the equivalent in the flats) turned into a 18 mile run and 2 miserable walking miles home. My pace while running was 30 sec./mile slower than usual, and I just didn't want to run any more after 18 mi.

Give me cold, and spare me the heat.

Nice weather continues here in Boston, and so does my running. 5 on the schedule today and I completed it in a quite fast (for me) 36:15, or 7:14/mile pace. Felt really good!

I'm going to try and hit the gym this afternoon for a little lifting, too.

After yesterday's fastness I took it easy today. Easy upper body/core lift and 5 miles on the treadmill at an easy 8:29/mile pace. Finished in 42:27.

Will take the next couple of days off from running as I plan on running a half marathon on Saturday.

Cycled 24.90 mile route, 1:12:15, avg 20.7 mph

Hoping to fare as well for tomorrow's 50 miler.

Cycled 50.10 miles, 2:44:42, avg 18.3 mph--started around 7 am.

Had done yesterday a mountain hike, 25 km and 17 hours walk in one day.

Cycled 50.07 miles, 2:45:19, 18.2 mph avg

Holy crap yesterday's half marathon sucked. It was 92 at the start and really humid. 4pm start didn't help things. I felt ok for the first couple of miles and then started feeling like crap. I slowed and slowed and eventually walked a bit. It was terrible. I decided just to jog the rest of the race, finishing in 2:05:19 or 9:33/mile pace. Over 700 people started the race and around 500 finished. It was brutal.

In any event, glad that's all over. :) I'm going to take a couple of days off from running, focus on some lifting, and then get ready for next weekend's 20 miler.

Still in race recovery mode yesterday so I did a long (hour) upper body lift and 30 minutes of relatively easy elliptical work.

Today I hit up the gym for my scheduled 5 miles. Did it at a relatively easy pace of 7:54/mile. Finished in 39:35.

Tomorrow is 8, but I'm traveling so it might be tricky to get in. I'll probably get up early and run in the AM.

jogged 2 miles at a relatively hard pace of 10:54/mile.

I hate you all.

jogged 2 miles at a relatively hard pace of 10:54/mile.

I hate you all.

C'mon, robb! This is a supportive thread. Run those two miles at that same pace 3-4 more times. Then, push things a little. You'll be at a 10 min. pace. Do that a few more times, then tap the accelerator just a bit.

That's how cardiovascular training works. Little by little you become a fast machine.

Wow! My riding sure has gotten spotty. :td: Between a funeral, a move and a very intense increase in the pace at work, I suppose that has to be suspected.

Saturday, August 11 - 56 miles, 4:32: Mount Wilson summit
Tuesday, August 14 - 38 miles, 2:10: San Rafael hill circuit, loops at the Rose Bowl
Monday, August 27 - 25 miles, 1:30: climbs in the San Rafael hills, a few loops at the Rose Bowl,
But, with any luck, things'll settle down. I'm some 2,500 miles into the season; and, I hope to put on another 1,000 miles. I'll need to pack in the rides, though; the waning of summer is now palpitable. I should get in one more short ride before biking to Oxnard on Friday (^).

Even though yesterday's ride was really short, I have to say that the views of the San Gabriel Valley from the top of the San Rafael hills is really amazing! :cool:

And, robb, yeah, what dhuey said!!! ^

No, I know that; I'm not a stranger to cardio exercise. I'm well aware of how the process works, and it's cute that you think I'm actually discouraged. :)

It just seemed amusing to post my little numbers in a thread that is dominated by runners.

I actually think it's pretty good. I don't think most FlyerTalkers (certainly not the Americans!) could run for 2 miles straight at any pace.

But no, I don't honestly compare my numbers to runners. Why would I? I thought this was a general exercise thread, not one just for runners! :)

The only reason I'm doing any running at all now is because I'm on the road a lot more these days, and need to have more conventional cardio than boxing and running stairs. Also, it's summer and awfully hot, even when I'm home in L.A., so anything I can do indoors on a treadmill is a bonus. I really don't have any reason to care about my pace, except for how compact I can make my workout on off days from weights. I could have actually gone further and will next time, and that's all i really care about. As it was, today was already a jump from 1 mile to 2 miles.

8 miles on the schedule today, got it in this morning on the treadmill. Finished in 1:04:00 or 8:00/mile pace even. Felt pretty good, albeit still a bit store from the race last weekend. I'm going to take it easy the next few days in preparation for my 20 miler this weekend!

Cycling 25.6 miles, 1:15:06 (20.4 mph avg)

Long, long run today. 3:24, with a few minutes of water breaks.

Started at the panhandle of Golden Gate Park.
http://www.proaerialvideo.com/products.php?req=view&product_id=27

Ran north on Ocean Beach
http://www.proaerialvideo.com/products.php?req=view&product_id=420

To the Cliff House and the trails along Lands End
http://www.proaerialvideo.com/products.php?req=view&product_id=413

Through SF's Sea Cliff neighborhood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Cliff,_San_Francisco,_California

And down to Baker Beach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Beach

Up the infamous "sand ladder"
http://whatupwilly.blogspot.com/2005/08/see-will-tri-escape-from-rock-version.html (scroll down to second photo from bottom)

To the Golden Gate Bridge
http://www.proaerialvideo.com/products.php?req=view&product_id=416

And back.

Short cycling outing today: 1:01:39, 20.90 miles, 20.3 mph avg.

Hmm maybe I should get out of the house more.
Today I walked about 150 paces in the house. and stretched in bed.

I'm in Chicago and purposefully haven't done anything much in the last few days, except walking, as I hope to rest up for my 20 miler this weekend. It's either going to happen on Monday or Tuesday, depending on when I can fit it in.

3:24???? Are you sure you are running Chicago and not an ultra-marathon?

I got in 2:30 yesterday, but almost 3:30 is crazy!

Long, long run today. 3:24, with a few minutes of water breaks.

Started at the panhandle of Golden Gate Park.
http://www.proaerialvideo.com/products.php?req=view&product_id=27

Ran north on Ocean Beach
http://www.proaerialvideo.com/products.php?req=view&product_id=420

To the Cliff House and the trails along Lands End
http://www.proaerialvideo.com/products.php?req=view&product_id=413

Through SF's Sea Cliff neighborhood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Cliff,_San_Francisco,_California

And down to Baker Beach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Beach

Up the infamous "sand ladder"
http://whatupwilly.blogspot.com/2005/08/see-will-tri-escape-from-rock-version.html (scroll down to second photo from bottom)

To the Golden Gate Bridge
http://www.proaerialvideo.com/products.php?req=view&product_id=416

And back.

3:24???? Are you sure you are running Chicago and not an ultra-marathon?

I got in 2:30 yesterday, but almost 3:30 is crazy!

I hoped that the 3:34 was net time and included the water breaks. Otherwise, that is a crazy training run, baby!

it's been awhile since I posted. I've been doing my weightlifting twice per week -- one whole body workout, one upper workout. And about 3 miles 4 times per week. It's working out well (hahahaha).

I hoped that the 3:34 was net time and included the water breaks. Otherwise, that is a crazy training run, baby!

3:24 did include the water breaks, and the pace wasn't that fast. It was more about getting the legs used to moving that long.

I did the big 20 yesterday in Chicago. It was pretty warm (low 80s), so I took it night and slow. I felt pretty good up until about mile 15 and then found myself needing more hydration breaks. In any event, I got through it in 2:56:00 or 8:47/mile pace.

I look forward to the 2nd 20 miler being a bit easier in a couple weeks. :)

5 on the schedule today, bit of a recovery run from Sunday's 20 miler. I did it on the treadmill for the cushioning. I felt pretty good, so I stretched out the legs a bit. Started at 8:00 pace and gradually got up to 6:50 before cooling down with 8:00 again. Finished in 37:49 or 7:33 average pace.

My right calf is a bit tight, I noticed. I'm going to massage it tonight and see how it feels tomorrow.

Another 5 miler on the schedule. Given the tightness in my calf I thought I would do my regular 4.6 mile loop. The problem I have is that I am just not disciplined enough to run slowly. I started out slow enough but by the end I felt like I was running at a decent clip. And it looks like I was. Finished 4.6 in 34:39 or 7:31/mile pace. Oh well. I'll try to run slower tomorrow.

Any ideas what this calf tightness could be all about? It's only the right calf and it is the lower portion of the muscle that hurts when I run. Massaging it doesn't hurt that much, although when I flex my foot up the muscle is definitely tight.

Any ideas on how to help this sucker to heal?

7/22 - 7/29 52 miles/2 lifts
7/30 - 8/5 30.2 miles / 2 lifts
8/6 - 8/12 2 lifts and a few hours of stationary (traveling)
8/13-8/19 72 miles 2 lifts and 54 minutes of HIIT
8/20-8.26 51 miles 2 lifts and 60 minutes of HIIT
8/27-9/2 45 miles 1 lift and 60 miuntes of HIIT


My workouts have been hard but there haven't been enough of them. I've slipped to about 6-8 hours of workouts/week. I need to be closer to 10-12 with all this biking. Have a couple busy weeks ahead but will refocus.

Starting doing some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). I use 3 pieces of equipment (stair mill, ellipse, stationary bike) and hit them for 5 minutes each with no rest between, rest 1 minute, do the same for 4, rest 1, 3, rest 1, 2, rest 1, 1, rest 2, then try to work my way back up. The key is no rest between exercises and going full out on each machine. Its an amazing workout.

I have 1500 miles on my road bike (wish I could count all the stationary I've done) with a goal of 2000 by the end of the season. Need to pick up the pace as it gets cold quickly here in Wyoming. Going to buy a trainer this winter and keep doing 4-5+ hours/week on the bike.

5 miles on the schedule today. As I had tightness in the calf yesterday and I want to nib this in the bud ASAP, I decided to do elliptical work in lieu of the run. Did 50 minutes at a reasonable 140 RPMs. Tomorrow I'll rest up and hopefully the calf will be as good as new on Saturday for my 8 miler.

I guess it's hard not to be a little banged up at this point in the marathon training schedule, eh?

I guess it's hard not to be a little banged up at this point in the marathon training schedule, eh?

Agreed. After my long run last week my right IT band ached for a few days. Having struggled with an IT injury last year I was pretty nervous. Since that injury (left IT) I have done a lot more stretching. The injury got much better and I was able to run pain free, but I still don't feel 100% all the time. It seems to be a chronic injury. Now I'm afraid that my right side won't ever be the same.....Long run tomorrow (15 miler) so fingers crossed that goes ok. Getting older stinks! ;)

Cycled 21.22 miles, 1:02:37, 20.3 mph avg.

The sporadic cycling continues. I had a pretty good ride out to Oxnard, California, last Friday. I barely made it to Santa Monica, California: the half-way point, owing to all of the heat. Heat typically doesn't bother me much, but I could tell that I was getting dehydrated by the time that I arrived at the beach. Fortunately, one 20 oz. Gatorade, a can of Coke, some water and ~5 miles later, I was recovered and back on my way. The ride between Santa Monica and Oxnard is just gorgeous.

Then yesterday, while making my way up towards my first climb on bike ride that started late, I realized that a group of cyclists were headed up the same climb that I was doing! I usually go alone. So, when we started, most of them had some distance on me. I only caught two of them, but it was a great climb! ^

Tuesday, August 28 - 10 miles, I don't know the time; this ride got so screwed up, it wasn't even worth remembering the time. :( At least I got to bike up one good hill.
Friday, August 31 - 93 miles, 6:31: Pasadena to Oxnard
Sunday, Setember 2 - 39 miles, 2:22: Oxnard to (almost) Carpinteria to Oxnard
Wednesday, September 5 - 29 miles, 1:42: climbs in the San Rafael hills, a few loops at the Rose Bowl,
I'm looking forward to some good climbs and some long distance this weekend. I think the weather is supposed to cool off slightly. So, the dehydration won't be a problem.

I have 1500 miles on my road bike (wish I could count all the stationary I've done) with a goal of 2000 by the end of the season. Need to pick up the pace as it gets cold quickly here in Wyoming. Going to buy a trainer this winter and keep doing 4-5+ hours/week on the bike.I'm at about 2,700 miles for the season right now. I was hoping to hit 4,000 this summer. But, I've fallen short of that goal (I'm blaming my GF, but I'll deny that if anyone ever repeats that to her. ;)). I'm hoping to get a good 3,500 miles in by the end of October, which should happen.

I generally quit regular cycling at the end of Daylight Saving Time, as I can't get in regular rides during the week, owing to the early sunset. Still, this winter, I hope to get in regular rides on Sunday. I sure can't do 4-5+ hours/week on a trainer! Ugh. I can barely stand 30 minutes at a time (why is that?).

I'm at about 2,700 miles for the season right now. I was hoping to hit 4,000 this summer. But, I've fallen short of that goal (I'm blaming my GF, but I'll deny that if anyone ever repeats that to her. ;)). I'm hoping to get a good 3,500 miles in by the end of October, which should happen.

I generally quit regular cycling at the end of Daylight Saving Time, as I can't get in regular rides during the week, owing to the early sunset. Still, this winter, I hope to get in regular rides on Sunday. I sure can't do 4-5+ hours/week on a trainer! Ugh. I can barely stand 30 minutes at a time (why is that?).

My setup just sits idle in the living room now. I just have to navigate around it. I guess the one advantage to being in FL is we can cycle just about every day, year around. Disadvantage, at least to me, not much in the way of climbs--so I cherish my trips when I take my bike with me and head West.

I have hit 4160 miles for the year, and will have to replace the chain soon (same mileage on it). Unfortunately, I missed the point of saving my cassette for a 2nd chain a few thousand miles ago, so that will have to be changed out too. I plan on doing two century rides, back to back, on October 20-21 and have to a) keep up my routine for that and b) get that chain and cassette replaced. I probably need a new crank too (bleeding $$).

Any ideas on how to help this sucker to heal?

If you're drinking booze, cut it out. For me, no booze = pain-free muscles.

I lifted for 55 minutes today. I haven't really done weights in 2 weeks; in fact, I've been rather slacker after having completed the Chicago 1/2 marathon a few weeks ago.

Don't want to lose all my work, so time to get back on the saddle.

I'm at about 2,700 miles for the season right now. I was hoping to hit 4,000 this summer. But, I've fallen short of that goal (I'm blaming my GF, but I'll deny that if anyone ever repeats that to her. ;)). I'm hoping to get a good 3,500 miles in by the end of October, which should happen.

I generally quit regular cycling at the end of Daylight Saving Time, as I can't get in regular rides during the week, owing to the early sunset. Still, this winter, I hope to get in regular rides on Sunday. I sure can't do 4-5+ hours/week on a trainer! Ugh. I can barely stand 30 minutes at a time (why is that?).

Its all weather related for me. End of October can get cold around here (read snow most years).

4000 is a ton. I couldn't do that unless I did nothing but ride (and even then I might not make it). Lifting is too important (2-3 hours/week) and I try to get at least an hour of some alternate cardio in each week.

I lifted for 55 minutes today. I haven't really done weights in 2 weeks; in fact, I've been rather slacker after having completed the Chicago 1/2 marathon a few weeks ago.

Don't want to lose all my work, so time to get back on the saddle.

What kind of weight/reps are you pushing around?

What kind of weight/reps are you pushing around?

I'm a wimp.

Bench is 170. I put 70lbs on each arm of the lat chest press. About 150lbs on the squats. 300 on the leg press.

Typically do 3 sets of 8 reps.

What kind of weight/reps are you pushing around?

I'll speak for myself.

I'm still an upper body weakling.

I do two sets, 8 reps, dumbbell bench press with 2 55lb dumbbells. That's up from about 40lb!

I'm still an upper body weakling.


We runners tend to be that way. :)

It might be a good thing; less weight to carry around on those 26 mile runs!

We runners tend to be that way. :)

It might be a good thing; less weight to carry around on those 26 mile runs!

But then I ask myself, what's the point of doing all this lifting then? :)

But then I ask myself, what's the point of doing all this lifting then? :)

Haha, me too. I do it mainly for balance...it looks silly to have extremely well-built legs and little or no upper body.

I find some upper body strength is also beneficial while running; I notice when I slack, my neck and shoulders tend to be more sore after a run of respectable length.

I'll speak for myself.

I'm still an upper body weakling.

I do two sets, 8 reps, dumbbell bench press with 2 55lb dumbbells. That's up from about 40lb!
I'm a wimp.

Bench is 170. I put 70lbs on each arm of the lat chest press. About 150lbs on the squats. 300 on the leg press.

Typically do 3 sets of 8 reps.

Its all about body type. I don't run anymore :( but probably out weigh both of you by 60+ pounds (240-245).

12 miles on the schedule for this weekend's long run. Theoretically I should have done 8 today and 12 tomorrow, but my wife has to work today so I figured that today is a better day to be out on the road for a longer period of time.

I woke up early on purpose to try and get used to the early race time and to avoid the heat (it is supposed to be 90+ today in Boston). Went to sleep around midnight and woke at 6, giving me more or less the amount of sleep I expect the night before the race. I headed out at 7:30am and the temp was 74F. Not too bad.

I was pretty happy with the effort. I could tell it was getting hotter and hotter as the run went on, but I maintained a pretty consistent pace. Given my recent struggles with hot weather, it was nice to not struggle with this one.

In addition, I decided that I wasn't going to run a planned pace. I was just going to run what felt comfortable. The first couple of miles I felt pretty heavy and still sleepy, so I ran a bit slower. But then I settled into a nice 8:00 or less pace, which is a good sign. It felt comfortable throughout, even in the heat, and is a good 20 seconds or so faster than I plan/hope to run in Chicago.

Final numbers: 12.35 miles, 1:37:27 total time, 7:53/mile average pace (I kicked it up a little at the end).

A couple of observations:


Don't eat italian sausages the night before you get up early to run. I felt nasty at the beginning (a little heartburn too) and could feel the dinner the entire run.
magiciansampras is the man!
The right calf felt a lot better with the two days of rest. It was still a bit tight, but definitely not as painful as before. I think this is an injury I can train through. I'll work on massaging it today and hopefully it'll be all good soon. I might even get a massage to have someone work on it.
he is really a great runner! yeah!
I felt like I had to take a deuce the entire time, but I put it out of my head and didn't stop (because if this happens in Chicago I don't want to stop, like I had to do last year). This strategy worked well and I took care of business when I got home. :)

Days when I exercise a few hours after doing an all you can eat pizza buffet...ow... the burn :)

Cycled 33 miles, 1:42:25 this morning, off to tailgate, drink beer and watch some football (5 pm kickoff).

The right calf felt a lot better with the two days of rest. It was still a bit tight, but definitely not as painful as before. I think this is an injury I can train through. I'll work on massaging it today and hopefully it'll be all good soon. I might even get a massage to have someone work on it.


Glad to hear you are feeling better. ^I unfortunately am not. :td:Yesterday called for 15, but the right IT started nagging me early on. I made it to 12.5 or so, but the last few miles were pretty ugly. I had to walk the last mile home. I called the PT and hopefully can get in to see him early in the week. This feels exactly like my previous IT injury (left side) which took me 5-6 months to heal. I'm beginning to think Chicago isn't in the cards for me this year and hope that I can still get Asia off my continent list in November.

Glad to hear you are feeling better. ^I unfortunately am not. :td:Yesterday called for 15, but the right IT started nagging me early on. I made it to 12.5 or so, but the last few miles were pretty ugly. I had to walk the last mile home. I called the PT and hopefully can get in to see him early in the week. This feels exactly like my previous IT injury (left side) which took me 5-6 months to heal. I'm beginning to think Chicago isn't in the cards for me this year and hope that I can still get Asia off my continent list in November.

:( That sucks, dukeman. Try to get into a PT ASAP and see if he/she can't work some magic. We still have some recovery time before Chicago.

It sounds like you're being smart about it though. That's a good thing.

8 on the 'ol schedule for me. What a great day to be running. Overcast, low 70s, a nice breeze along the Charles. I probably could have run 20 today. Thankfully, I didn't. :)

Finished 7.8 miles in 1:00:47 or 7:47/mile pace.

Tomorrow is a rest day from running. I'll do an upper body lift.

Anyone here make protein shakes of some kind for post-workout replenishing? I'm wondering if it would help to start incorporating a bit more protein into my diet during these last couple weeks of high intensity training.

Thoughts?

If your objective is muscle-building, yes. But it's not just post-workout. After all, your real muscle-building is occuring over the 24-48 hours after the workout (some theorize even longer).

So, I try to get around 200g of protein each day, and that pretty much requires protein shakes. Mine are 2 scoops of Designer Whey in 8 oz. of lowfat milk.

4 miles on Friday with chest and shoulders.

So, I try to get around 200g of protein each day, and that pretty much requires protein shakes. Mine are 2 scoops of Designer Whey in 8 oz. of lowfat milk.


Not to imply your weight here, but is it roughly 1g per lb of weight that you want to aim for with the protein?

I'd like to get a bit bigger up top, where I am a weakling. But I also want to help promote muscle recovery. Maybe the protein would help?

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No, my stats are public knowledge around here. :)

6'5" 220 pounds.

You'll hear numbers ranging from 0.7 - 1 g of protein per pound of body weight. It varies from source to source and whether or not they consider body weight or lean body mass.

I don't sweat the specifics because I don't believe the body works that way. I just get in the balllpark.

Cycled 49.3 miles, 2:43 this morning while feeling the effects of a 2 6-packs of beer yesterday while tailgating.

Cycled 49.3 miles, 2:43 this morning while feeling the effects of a 2 6-packs of beer yesterday while tailgating.

:confused: How many did you drink???

The last long run for 2007!

Long training runs have earned their reputation as the hardest part of marathoning. I think they're harder than the marathon itself, even though they are (ideally) slower and shorter than the marathon.

Today was that same 20-mile San Francisco route I mentioned 10 days ago. This time it was hotter, and I could feel some lingering fatigue from that run. But, today was good enough.

Only two more runs left this year longer than one hour: Chicago and New York (and with 37,000 or so of my closest friends in each).

The last long run for 2007!


I'm looking forward to saying that on Sunday. :)

Well done! ^ ^

Today was an off day from running, but I hit the gym and did an upper body lift.

Tomorrow is 5 on the schedule. I'm contemplating doing it on the elliptical given that that strategy worked well for me last week as it allowed me to rest up some of the sore little bits and such.

Did my "5 miles" on the elliptical. What I did was 60 minutes at 140 or so RPMs. Felt good and smart to take some pressure off of the legs and feet. Tomorrow I'll do 8 on the treadmill.

I also finished my upper body lift by working on some muscle groups I didnt' get to yesterday.

8 miles on the 'ol schedule today.

Hit up the gym and did it on the treadmill. Did the first 4 miles at 8:00 even and then kicked up one notch for the next mile, another for the next, and then back to 8's to finish.

Total time was 1:03:30 with an average pace of 7:56/mile.

Felt really good throughout, albeit a bit bored on the treadmill.

5 miles today. Again on the treadmill for the cushioning, and again at a reasonable 8ish pace. Finished in 39:55 or 7:58/mile pace.

Felt pretty good, but I'm looking forward to the day off tomorrow. 3 days of running in a row tires me out (ok, 2 days of running and 1 elliptical).

dukeman, how is your IT band? Any improvement with the PT?

dukeman, how is your IT band? Any improvement with the PT?

Thanks for asking. PT is putting me on an intensive 1 month strength and flexibility program. He thinks I'll be fine for Bangkok, but Chicago isn't a good idea. I am compensating on my right side for something (not exactly sure what yet). I go for a full evaluation and program on Tuesday so I should know more then. Sorry I will miss you and dhuey for Chicago.

Thanks for asking. PT is putting me on an intensive 1 month strength and flexibility program. He thinks I'll be fine for Bangkok, but Chicago isn't a good idea. I am compensating on my right side for something (not exactly sure what yet). I go for a full evaluation and program on Tuesday so I should know more then. Sorry I will miss you and dhuey for Chicago.

Sorry to hear that my man. I'm sure you'll recover fully soon. I think Bangkok is a more important race given your all continents plan (I think that was it, yes?), so a good idea to rest up for that.

As for me, I did my 5 miler at the gym today. Felt good except for a couple of cramps (maybe related to lunch?) in the gut. Anyway, did it in 40:10 or 8:01/mile pace (slowing down at the end because of the cramps).

Tomorrow is the 20. I'm going to get up early and get it over with, both to simulate the race conditions (cold in the morning, sleepy, etc.), and to have the rest of the day to relax.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Left the house around 8:30am and it was low 50s. Downright cold at the start of my run. But I'll take that compared to the heat anytime.

Big big big difference this 20 miler. I felt strong most of the way, tiring only towards the end, around mile 17 or so. But overall much stronger than the last 20 miler in the heat where I tired around 14.

Only problem with this run was that at about mile 9 I felt the need to take a deuce. Unlike last time this wasn't the type of deuce that I could run through. Kind of crampy and a really bad feeling. Made me stop to take a couple of walk breaks so I didn't crap my pants.

Eventually I hit upon an ice skating rink that had a bathroom. Once I took care of business I was good to go the rest of the way.

I think for me this pooping issue is going to be constant. If I have to go during the marathon, I'll have to go. I've tried a lot of things and nothing seems to really help.

But I'll take it. Compared to dukeman I am doing well. Some nagging aches and pains, but I'm relatively healthy at the moment, so I have no reason to be complaining about some poop.

Totals: 20 miles, 2:39:28 total time, 7:58/mile pace (yes, I know these long runs are supposed to be slow.. I felt too good out there though).

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Saturday: 4 miles on the treadmill
Friday: Heavy chest with some bis
Thursday: Back and Shoulders, lots of stairs and a mile on the treadmill

... Sorry I will miss you and dhuey for Chicago.

Bummer! There goes my pacer. Oh well, I hope to run another one with you.

Heal.

Left the house around 8:30am and it was low 50s. Downright cold at the start of my run.Those fans in the stands did look genuinely cold at the Red Sox-Yankees game! :eek:

But I'll take that compared to the heat anytime.That makes one of us. ;)

I think for me this pooping issue is going to be constant. If I have to go during the marathon, I'll have to go. I've tried a lot of things and nothing seems to really help.I'm in the habit of going before I go for my bike rides. I guess it's a little different with running -- there's a whole lot more 'jarring' than in cycling; and I guess that makes a difference. I guess I don't recall having had this problem when I used to run.

Here's what I've been doing the past week and a half or so:

Saturday, September 8 - 21 miles, 1:32: climbs in the San Rafael hills, a couple of loops at the Rose Bowl
Sunday, Setember 9 - 88 miles, 6:32: beach ride -- Pasadena to Santa Monica to Pasadena
Tuesday, September 11 - 22 miles, 1:22: San Rafael hill circuit, loops at the Rose Bowl
Thursday, September 13 - 26 miles, 1:31: San Rafael hill circuit, loops at the Rose Bowl
Sunday, Setember 16 - 86 miles, 6:17: beach ride -- Pasadena to Santa Monica to Pasadena
I definitely need to improve my discipline in getting out of work earlier in Tuesday and Thursdays -- that's why those rides have been so short. But, in other news, I crossed the 3,000-mile threshhold on Sunday! :)

\
I'm in the habit of going before I go for my bike rides. I guess it's a little different with running -- there's a whole lot more 'jarring' than in cycling; and I guess that makes a difference. I guess I don't recall having had this problem when I used to run.

It's gotta be the constant up and down. I always poop before I run, but nothing seems to help. Either I have a lot of poop in me at all times (full of ...., one might say?), or running affects me strangely.

Either I have a lot of poop in me at all times (full of ...., one might say?), or ...I agree. We most certainly might say this. See this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=596084) or this one (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=734905) for justification of such a statement. :p

Sorry, m/s, you opened the door. I just walked through it. ;)

I know this is a disturbing topic to many, but it is pretty important for those who care about their race times. If you need to make a pit stop, you will lose a minute or several, depending on your needs.

My plan is to wake up about 3-4 hours before marathon gun time, have a light breakfast with a few cups of coffee (I'm a coffee regular). And speaking of regular, this helps me take care of business well before that gun is fired. Also, don't overdo the water consumption on race morning. Urinate as close to race time as realistically possible.

My plan is to wake up about 3-4 hours before marathon gun time, have a light breakfast with a few cups of coffee (I'm a coffee regular).

This is going to be my strategy this year. I'm a coffee regular as well. The problem I think I have is that my gastro system is also affected by nerves. So even if I can manage to clean out pretty good before the race, the nervousness of the whole race thing do me in.

This is going to be my strategy this year. I'm a coffee regular as well. The problem I think I have is that my gastro system is also affected by nerves. So even if I can manage to clean out pretty good before the race, the nervousness of the whole race thing do me in.Have you experimented with foods that ... uh, have the reverse effect? No one wants to run all stopped up. But, if you can get things straight that morning, it might help.

Have you experimented with foods that ... uh, have the reverse effect? No one wants to run all stopped up. But, if you can get things straight that morning, it might help.

I have tried that. The problem is that I can leave the house all stopped up, but after 10 miles of pounding, everything is loose and ready to come out.

And I've tried the opposite end. Bulk up on fiber to really clean the pipes proper a couple days leading up to the race. No dice. I still manage to have to drop a deuce during the race.

The real gross past? The stool is extremely loose. It's almost as if the water I drink is going right to the colon. Arg!

...the nervousness of the whole race ....

I was counting on dukeman to be my pacer, and calm my nerves in Chicago, but he's out with an injury! 3timesalady has moved from Chicago to Dubai. Now what am I going to do? WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!

I was counting on dukeman to be my pacer, and calm my nerves in Chicago, but he's out with an injury! 3timesalady has moved from Chicago to Dubai. Now what am I going to do? WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!

What's your projected time? :)

What's your projected time? :)

It was 3:19 before dukeman and 3timesalady bugged out. Now it's 5:43, if I'm lucky.

It was 3:19 before dukeman and 3timesalady bugged out. Now it's 5:43, if I'm lucky.

lol, I know the feeling.

Check this out, my running partner got pneumonia this week. It's unclear whether or not she'll be able to run.

People are dropping like flies!

5 miles on the schedule today. Given the success I had last week substituting the elliptical for this distance after the long run on Tuesday, I decided to do the same exact thing. Hit up the gym for 50 minutes on the elliptical.

Then I did a nice upper body lift. Chest press, biceps, triceps, situps, pushups, etc. etc. Felt good!

Tomorrow is 6 as we begin to taper for Chicago.

Tomorrow is 6 as we begin to taper for Chicago.Just curious (and lazy): when is it?

Just curious (and lazy): when is it?

October 7.. will be here before I know it, I'm sure.

October 7.. will be here before I know it, I'm sure.

We need to devise a strategy to beat the Kenyans. I'm thinking Qualuuds in their water bottles, and crystal meth in ours.

Just had a nice 6 mile run along a reservoir trail. Felt pretty good so I push the throttle a bit, finishing in 46:13, or 7:42/mile pace.

Tomorrow I think I'll do another elliptical workout. I'm being super cautious because it was around this time last year that I developed the stress fracture that sidelined me for a long time. Don't want a repeat performance there.

I'm also trying to up my calcium intake as well.

Just had a nice 6 mile run along a reservoir trail. Felt pretty good so I push the throttle a bit, finishing in 46:13, or 7:42/mile pace.

Tomorrow I think I'll do another elliptical workout. I'm being super cautious because it was around this time last year that I developed the stress fracture that sidelined me for a long time. Don't want a repeat performance there.

I'm also trying to up my calcium intake as well.

Not to tell you something you already know, but this is a good time to take measurement of your shoes; if the tread is low, you should get new ones now instead of a week before the 'thon.

I screwed up when I ran the 1/2 marathon a month ago, fortunately I was able to make it through w/ some beat down shoes, but I would have much preferred something in better shape. If it were a full marathon, I'm not sure what I would have done.

Not to tell you something you already know, but this is a good time to take measurement of your shoes; if the tread is low, you should get new ones now instead of a week before the 'thon.

I screwed up when I ran the 1/2 marathon a month ago, fortunately I was able to make it through w/ some beat down shoes, but I would have much preferred something in better shape. If it were a full marathon, I'm not sure what I would have done.

That was one of the mistakes I made last year as well. This time I bought a pair just a week ago. So I got the 20 miler in on them and the taper. I think that will put them in good condition: nice and broken in but not too worn.

Thanks for the note!

Travel day yesterday, so I didn't do the elliptical work I thought I was going to get in. So today I did 5 miles on the treadmill. Nice and easy 8:00/mile pace or 40:00 total time.

Tomorrow I'll do elliptical and then on Sunday I'll do the "long run" of 12 for the taper.

Also did a nice upper body lift today. Felt good there as well.

I don't plan on doing any lifting at all the last week before the marathon. Complete rest.

Yesterday I was hung over. Didn't get to the gym, didn't do any elliptical work. Bad magiciansampras. :)

But today was better. Went out with my running partner for our final long run of substance, 12 miles. We tried to go more or less at race pace, and that's exactly what we did. Finished 12.15 miles in 1:41:22 or 8:20/mile pace. Felt great throughout. I'm not even really tired right now. Good stuff!

Today was recovery day. Just hit the gym and did 15 minutes of light cycling to warm up and then an upper body/ab workout for about an hour. Felt good. I can tell I am getting stronger in my upper body, which is really nice. Maybe one day I won't look like a toothpick upstairs. :)

We're really into the taper now. The runs this week aren't very substantial at all.

4 miles on the schedule today. I did "it" on the elliptical, continuing my super-cautious taper. Felt good.

Tomorrow I'll do 5 outside.

5 miles on the schedule today. I'm in Columbus this week so I did it at a local reservoir (1.2 mile loops). Finished 4.8 miles in 36:01 or a fairly speedy 7:30/mile pace. Felt good!

Tomorrow is a travel day so I might have to push my 4 miler run to Friday.

Taper is going well. On Friday I did my scheduled 4 miles on the treadmill, nice and easy, 30:50 or 7:42/mile pace.

Yesterday we went for a long walk and were out for about 3-4 hours, so I decided that was enough on my feet and skipped yesterday's 4 miler.

This morning 8 was scheduled and I did 7.75 at a quick pace. 57:48 time or 7:27/mile. I'm kicking myself for running that fast, but I just felt really good out there.

I'm definitely going to take it super easy this week. No substantial/fast runs and no upper body lifting. Almost complete rest!

Taper is going well. On Friday I did my scheduled 4 miles on the treadmill, nice and easy, 30:50 or 7:42/mile pace.

Yesterday we went for a long walk and were out for about 3-4 hours, so I decided that was enough on my feet and skipped yesterday's 4 miler.

This morning 8 was scheduled and I did 7.75 at a quick pace. 57:48 time or 7:27/mile. I'm kicking myself for running that fast, but I just felt really good out there.

I'm definitely going to take it super easy this week. No substantial/fast runs and no upper body lifting. Almost complete rest!

I took two days off after Sunday's long run instead of the usual one because I came down with something of a scratchy throat and achy feeling on Monday morning. Given that the marathon in Sunday, I figured rest was the right ticket. I've been downing vitamin C, zinc glutonate (Cold-Eeze), lots of fluids, etc.

Feeling much better today, although the sore throat is still there a bit.

4 miles was on the schedule, so I did 3.6 around a local reservoir here (3 loops of 1.2 miles). I just went out by feel and didn't bother looking at my watch during the run. I didn't feel all that great, it felt like it was kind of struggle. Imagine my surprise when at the end of the run I looked at my watch and I had run the thing in 26:15 or 7:17/mile pace! I felt like crap because I was running my ... off! Oops. I thought this was supposed to be a taper. :)

Tomorrow I'll probably do some light work on the elliptical and then Saturday I'll run around the block a couple times, maybe a mile or two, just to keep the legs fresh. I'll try to do that at race pace.

Priority #1 though is getting rid of this little cold bug that's been affecting me.

Another shortie run, today. 2.26 miles just to keep the legs fresh and get the blood flowing a bit. Tried to take it slow, but didn't of course. Finished it in 16:36 or 7:20/mile pace.

My main concern now with Chicago is the heat. It is supposed to be close to record-breaking on Sunday (i.e. high of mid-80s). Humidity shouldn't be too too bad and there should be some cloud cover, but still. It really sucks running in the heat. And running 26.2 miles in the heat sucks even more.

For anybody doing or watching the Chicago Marathon I setup a thread in community buzz. PM me to be added to the list. Also, PM me if anyone is going to the post-marathon party.
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=743017

For anybody doing or watching the Chicago Marathon I setup a thread in community buzz. PM me to be added to the list. Also, PM me if anyone is going to the post-marathon party.
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=743017

PM sent. I'm probably in, depending on the severity of my anticipated heat stroke.

3 mile run today. Boy that feels strange after so many long runs.

Another shortie run, today. 2.26 miles just to keep the legs fresh and get the blood flowing a bit. Tried to take it slow, but didn't of course. Finished it in 16:36 or 7:20/mile pace.

My main concern now with Chicago is the heat. It is supposed to be close to record-breaking on Sunday (i.e. high of mid-80s). Humidity shouldn't be too too bad and there should be some cloud cover, but still. It really sucks running in the heat. And running 26.2 miles in the heat sucks even more.

Just don't run this one with a broken foot. :)

Good luck on Sunday magiciansampras and dhuey and any other FTers running Chicago. My apologies on the pending forecast. I hate running in the heat. My PT has cleared me to start running again. Only every other day and I have to keep the speed down, but hopefully Bangkok will become a reality in November. I'll check the Chicago site and FT on Sunday. Have a great run and try to stay cool and have some fun.

Well, it's definitely winding down for me. I've had only a few very abbreviated rides in the past few weeks. On Tuesday, September 25th, I rode for 16 miles in the San Rafael hills at 1:11. On Tuesday, October 2, I rode 10 miles -- I didn't even bother recording the time. Yesterday, Thursday, October 4, I rode 21 miles climbing in the San Rafael hills at 1:33. At least I'm getting in some great views! :( :)

Good luck on Sunday magiciansampras and dhuey and any other FTers running Chicago.Yes, ditto! Good luck to you all! ^ :)

m/s, I'm pulling for you enjoy all the success this weekend that I hope your Red Sox don't! :p

Thanks for the kind thoughts, folks. Much of our brains will be broiled away by the end of the race on Sunday, so our posts next week will seem very different.

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I'm in Chicago abd it is HOT. :(

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I'm in Chicago abd it is HOT. :(


Any update magiciansampras or dhuey? I saw the news and know it was pretty ugly! Probably very similar to Boston 2004, a marathon I will never forget. I hope you are both ok and resting.

Any update magiciansampras or dhuey? I saw the news and know it was pretty ugly! Probably very similar to Boston 2004, a marathon I will never forget. I hope you are both ok and resting.

I'll post more later as I'm packing up to go home this morning, but it basically sucked hard-core.

Me and my running partner were with the 3:40 pace group at the beginning and were able to hold that pace for the first 4-5 miles. After that we knew it wasn't going to happen. She went ahead and I took it slow. I felt bad from the very start for some reason. The heat/humidity was just too much for me.

By the halfway point I was thinking about dropping out but decided just to make it a fun run. Started taking walking breaks around mile 15.

At mile 20 we were notified by police that the race was "canceled" and we were to walk to the finish. So I did. :) I had no time to beat and I thought if I continued to run I was just being stupid. If I walked at least I could sign up for another marathon in a month or two and not completely waste my summer training.

So I walked the last 6 chatting with various people and jogged the last 0.2 over the finish line. Total time: 4:50 :p.

Last night I signed up for the Philly marathon in November. I'm not going to throw away a summer's worth of training on this little training run I had yesterday.

Basically dukeman, it was a nightmare.

---
Dhuey fared better I believe. I think he finished under 4. ^ A great accomplishment on a day like that.

Today begins recovery mode.

I traveled back home this morning and just did some very light stretching exercises and some very light upper body lifting. Just simple dumbbell curls and the like.

I like the idea of a "zero week" where I do no serious running. Maybe some light jogging or elliptical towards the end of the week, but nothing serious. Next week I'll start up with some reasonable running again.

Any update magiciansampras or dhuey? I saw the news and know it was pretty ugly! Probably very similar to Boston 2004, a marathon I will never forget. I hope you are both ok and resting.

I survived and finished, and that was no easy task for me. I gave up on running with the 3:20 pace group after 5km. At that point, I decided to turn the race into a long, ridiculously hot and humid training run for the NYC Marathon next month. My final time was 3:54.

Despite all of the problems with this race, and despite missing my goal by over half an hour, I enjoyed it tremendously. I've never run in heat and humidity like that in my entire life -- nothing even close. This was wild.

Hit up the gym this morning for a quick (30 minute) lifting routine. Focused mostly on upper body as I allow my legs to heal. Did bench press, bicep curls, pec fly, etc. Also did some situps and pushups.

This afternoon if I get a break, I might try and get a 3 mile run in just to stretch the legs and see how I feel from Sunday's race. I'm taking this week easy and then will get ready for Philadelphia.

Nice little recovery run outside. 3.6 miles, 26:27 time, or 7:20/mile pace. Felt good. Some lingering soreness, but nothing too bad.

Hit up the gym today for a nice full body lift and some elliptical work. Did 50 mins on the elliptical and lifted for about an hour. Felt really good!

I'll continue to take it easy from a running perspective and then get back into the swing of things next week as I prep for Philly.

Hit up the gym this afternoon. Decided to run for about an hour on the treadmill. Did 7 miles at 8:00 pace or 56:00 total time. Felt very good!

Hit up the Walk for Breast Cancer this morning. 5.8 miles along the Charles river. It was nice. Walked with my wife and her coworkers. Finished in 1:47:00 or 18:26/mile pace. Not exactly booking it, but not lollygaggling either.

Did an upper body lift today, about 40 minutes or so. Then hit the reservoir for 4 laps, 4.8 miles total, 35:21 or 7:21/mile pace. Felt good.

8 mile trail run today in the rain. The legs are noticably fatigued from Chicago, eight days ago. I hope they're ready for New York in 20 days.

8 mile trail run today in the rain. The legs are noticably fatigued from Chicago, eight days ago. I hope they're ready for New York in 20 days.

Are you following any kind of "plan" to transition from Chicago to New York, or are you just running on feel? If you put in a good effort in Chicago than I would imagine a couple weeks will be required for the legs to get fresh again. You should be good for New York, though.

Are you following any kind of "plan" to transition from Chicago to New York, or are you just running on feel? If you put in a good effort in Chicago than I would imagine a couple weeks will be required for the legs to get fresh again. You should be good for New York, though.

No plan, really. I'm just doing runs of between 5-8 miles at a slower pace than my pre-Chicago training runs. As for NYC, I'm pacing my brother for a 3:30:59 or better finish (Boston for him), so I don't need to be 100%.

Hit the gym this morning for a little treadmill running and an upper body lift. Did 5.25 miles in 41:25 or 7:53/mile pace.

Then I did some chest presses, pec flies, bicep curls, etc.

I agree with huey, my legs are still a bit fatigued from Chicago.

Now my hard runs are in the vicinity of m/s's easy days!

Did 4.5 miles yesterday in about 42 minutes. :)

Oh man, I had a whale of a workout today. No treadmill though like you runners. I benched, curled, did a lot of back movements, and a whole lotta crunches. Then I kicked the **** out of my trainer. :D

I put up 315lb on the bench this morning - for the second time no less. I'll be at 365 before ya know it. :) Then I can start hollering in the gym. GET OUTTA MY WAY!!!! :D

I put up 315lb on the bench this morning - for the second time no less. I'll be at 365 before ya know it. :) Then I can start hollering in the gym. GET OUTTA MY WAY!!!! :D

I envy you. I was just at the gym and did 145 on the bench and felt like I was pushing it. :rolleyes: I got a way's to go to catch up with you!

As alluded to above, I hit the gym today for a nice long workout.

Started with weights. Did bicep curls, dumbbell bench press, pec fly, seated lat row, dips, and the one where you put the dumbbell on the floor, kneel on the bench and lift it up. Then I did regular bench press. 2 sets, one of 8 reps of 135, and on of 5 reps at 145.

I'd like to get a bit better with the chest press and *eventually* get to the point where I can bench my weight (~185 lbs).

Then I did the treadmill. 5 miles at a speedy (for me) 7:11/mile pace or 35:57 total time. A good workout! ^

30 mins on the elliptical for me today plus some light lifting. Did pulldowns, tricep pushdowns, shoulder press, stretching, etc.

Decided to do today's long run at the gym today since my wife wanted to go to the gym. It's boring, but at least I had the NFL games on. Did 13.1 miles in 1:44:48 or 8:00/mile pace flat. Felt pretty good (for being on a treadmill anyway!).

Decided to do today's long run at the gym today since my wife wanted to go to the gym. It's boring, but at least I had the NFL games on. Did 13.1 miles in 1:44:48 or 8:00/mile pace flat. Felt pretty good (for being on a treadmill anyway!).

Goodness -- nearly two hours on a treadmill?! I can't take five minutes on those things.

Two weeks to NYC for me. I'll be pacing my brother for a 3:30:59 or better finish. It's going to be tough for him, but he's got a shot for a Boston qualifier.

5 miles on an oval track (my only watching the kids plus running option). What could be worse than an oval track? A treadmill, I guess.

13 days to NYC. Weather gods, please make up for Chicago with 53 F and overcast. Thank you in advance.

Ran the KC half in 1:59. One of my best overall halves ever - my flat-course PR is 1:52, but I've never come close to breaking 2 hrs on the streets of Kansas City in either the spring (Hospital Hill) or fall course. Both courses are beasts, but the Hospital Hill race usually has heat/humidity as well. We had cool conditions on Saturday - I ran the last mile in under 8 minutes... ^

I took the first step and joined a gym last week. Already went 3x with about 45min jogging/running and lifting weights. Damn Poland with its fried pork chops and potatoes and really good chocolates!

Ran the KC half in 1:59. ...

That probably puts you in the fastest 5% of non-elderly adults. Of course, probably 70% of adults here couldn't even run that distance.

I took the first step and joined a gym last week. Already went 3x with about 45min jogging/running and lifting weights. Damn Poland with its fried pork chops and potatoes and really good chocolates!

One of the great things about running is that it burns up calories galore. A good 45 minute run can knock off 350 or more calories, depending on speed and weight. Also, it raises your metabolism so that you burn more calories after the run. It's like the heath effects of smoking, but for the good.

One of the great things about running is that it burns up calories galore. A good 45 minute run can knock off 350 or more calories, depending on speed and weight. Also, it raises your metabolism so that you burn more calories after the run. It's like the heath effects of smoking, but for the good.

A good rule of thumb is approximately 150 cals per mile. Keep running!

Hit up the gym again today for a 30 minute lift (chest press, triceps, biceps) and an hour on the 'ol elliptical.

Tomorrow I'll take a rest day.

One of the great things about running is that it burns up calories galore. A good 45 minute run can knock off 350 or more calories, depending on speed and weight. Also, it raises your metabolism so that you burn more calories after the run. It's like the heath effects of smoking, but for the good.

Does it help when I'm done, I go eat a steak dinner with melted garlic butter and a bowl of ice cream? (not that I ever done that...yet) :)

Reminds me of Nutty Professor when hes at the gym lifting a Snickers bar :)

My goal is 10lbs (cause 10lbs is all I need to lose) in around 10 weeks and try to get into shape for my skiing short vacation so I can hit those blacks/double blacks again out in the Rockies!

After a day off yesterday, hit up the gym for a nice upper body lift (chest, pecs, triceps, biceps, pull-ups, situps, push-ups). Also did 6 miles on the treadmill. Felt a little bit sluggish, I think I was kind of dehydrated.

Finished 6 in 47:40 or 7:56/mile pace.

Tomorrow is travel, next run/workout will be on Friday.

Just had a very nice run outside, 4.6 miles in a speedy 33:12 or 7:13/mile pace. Felt great, except for a couple of cramps due to eating lunch a bit later than normal. Other than, fantastic.

I might be headed to the gym tonight with my wife to get a lift in as well; we'll see.

What a difference nice cool weather (55F here in Boston) makes!

I've gotten back to an irregular schedule. I found some good shoes to travel with, (Nike Free) so I've been in the gym when I'm on the road. With horseback riding and swimming with Miss Redbeard, maybe I can get some semblance of fitness back.

I was up in the country (New Hampshire) this weekend, so it was difficult getting a long run. I did manage to do 5.6 miles today on a difficult and hilly route, though. Finished in 42:03 or 7:30/mile pace.

I'm going to try and do my long run on Wednesday afternoon/early evening I think. Run for about 2 hours or so.

Got in late today so I wanted to get a quickie workout in. Did 4 miles on the treadmill, 7:25/mile pace or 29:40 total time.

Also did about 15 mins of chest press and biceps.

Since I didn't get to do a long run on Sunday, but did a fast shorter run instead, I decided to do a longer run today instead of the normal 5 miles. Went out and did 10.47 before I started to re-taste my lunch and decided to call it quits. The forerunner says I did it in 1:19:59. I think it's being a bit generous with the mileage, but what they hey, I'll take it. Average pace of 7:38/mile.

Tomorrow is travel day, so I'll rest. Friday I'll run and lift. Saturday probably elliptical and then Sunday I'll do a long run. Somewhere around 16 miles or so.

Good luck dhuey in NY! I'll be thinking of you as I do my run.

I'd like to get a bit better with the chest press and *eventually* get to the point where I can bench my weight (~185 lbs).

That is a great goal. I've always thought one should be able to bench at least their weight for 10 reps.

Oh man, I had a whale of a workout today. No treadmill though like you runners. I benched, curled, did a lot of back movements, and a whole lotta crunches. Then I kicked the **** out of my trainer. :D

I put up 315lb on the bench this morning - for the second time no less. I'll be at 365 before ya know it. :) Then I can start hollering in the gym. GET OUTTA MY WAY!!!! :D

Is 365 the point where I can start hollering?! SWEET! I've got 15 more to go (I've been stuck in the 335-350 range for a LONG time).

If you don't mind me asking, how much do you weigh? Do much cardio?

I use to run but now road bike. Best weight was just 215-220 (the good old days) but currently I'm in the mid-high 240's. A solid 20 pounds heavier then I should be....its just so hard to lose weight without running :(

That is a great goal. I've always thought one should be able to bench at least their weight for 10 reps.

I can do about 10 reps of 150 or so I would think now. The problem is that I'm rarely in the gym with other people (I tend to go at kind of weird hours), so I don't have a lot of people to spot me, so I never really really push it. I always keep it relatively controlled.

I need to start going to a gym with one of those chest press thingies that catches in case you get in trouble.

Did 75 laps (25m ea) in about 35 minutes today. Now that the weather is getting cooler, I'm going back to swimming instead of the running -- while I like running better, swimming is still an excellent workout.

Well I'm back (sort of). I didn't want to post in this thread until I finished my long run today. I've been going to PT now for about 6 weeks. It turns out that my problem is not my IT Band, but rather my right hamstring. I've been doing some pool running and also strength training along with getting stretched and massaged by the PT. It is painful but it works! The back of my right leg is purple from the hamstring work the PT has been doing. He cleared me to start running 3 weeks ago but only 3 days per week. I looked at the calendar and had to crank the mileage up pretty quickly. 3 weeks ago I ran a 12 miler, last week 15 and today 18-19. My pace hasn't suffered. I'm sore, but I think Bangkok is realistic. I won't be running a PR, but I think I can just go out and run. I'll need to stop and stretch periodically, so I'm saying 4 hours or more given the heat and humidity. Weather should be in the low to mid 80's at the start and only get hotter. Next week is 10 miles and then race the following weekend.

dhuey good luck in NYC this weekend. magiciansampras -- sorry I'll miss you in Philly (I live 25 minutes from the city) but I will be in Bangkok. My race is Sunday too, but I will be finished long before you start thanks to the time difference. I'll be thinking about you over a few beers.

Yesterday I hit up the gym for a nice long lift and an easy 5 miles on the treadmill. Finished in 39:27 or 7:53/mile pace.

Today I just did elliptical for 45 mins.

Tomorrow I'll run 16!

Today I was the first time skiing for this winter. A lot of ski areas in Austria are opened and as a ski instructor I can use special slopes to prepare us for the winter season.

Today I was the first time skiing for this winter. A lot of ski areas in Austria are opened and as a ski instructor I can use special slopes to prepare us for the winter season.

Awesome! I can't wait till we get some snow here in New England. Skiing here is nothing like Austria, but its still a fun weekend activity and not too far from Boston, where I live. :)

We're entering the "taper" now for Philly, with 16 on the schedule for today and 10 next weekend.

Did it on the treadmill so I could watch NFL games as I run. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It also allowed me to control my pace and run slow, like I'm supposed to, on these long runs.

Finished in 2:14:44 or 8:25/mile pace. Felt good throughout.

---

I hope dhuey had good luck today! Conditions seemed to be favorable. Can't wait to hear about it.

Well lets see, I've been doing the past two weeks:

BodyCombat, BodyCombat and more BodyCombat

Why?

Well in September I took the plunge and did my YMCA Level 2 qualification in Exercise to Music.

A week and half ago I did my first BodyCombat instructor module. Boy did they work us. Basically loads of drills on punches, kicks and katas. Oh and loads of BodyCombat. And we had our 'BodyCombat Challenge' Lets just say I never realised there was an advanced plank (arms straight!). The next day flew off to France and did I ever ache -- absolutely every single muscle was sore. But I had an absolute blast!! :D

This coming Saturday I've got my second module and assessment -- I've had to learn several 'tracks' which I will need to present this Saturday.

So from 4 stone overweight ( 30 Kilos/70 lbs), to a fitness instructor in two years. Oh and at the tender age of 43.

And of course credit to some really cool FT'ers, namely edi-traveller and kt74 who have been really great and encouraging. And in the six-degrees of separation, edi-traveller, it turned out, was covering my ETM instructors classes (pure coincidence!) when I was doing that course.

So howz dat?

www.lesmills.com/bodycombat

Wait till you see the mix for tomorrow at DL Fulham - will be good to set you going for Mod 2 with some tough ones.

We're still behind the cow but baby I'm on Fire!!!!!

Me wraps are washed and drying on the radiator!

Oh my, going way back are we? BC8?

Oh, and shadowed a class tonight!! :D

BIOF dispels the myth that the early stuff was slow. One of the most full on power tracks ever IMHO.

Had a great TT with Ned at Egham tonight.

Just got back from the NYC Marathon. I paced my brother to a 3:53 on a day with ideal conditions. He was initially thinking of a Boston qualifier, but at mile 12, we could see that wasn't in the cards so we slowed the pace. Still, this put him in the top 30% of his age group -- not bad for his first marathon.

Just got back from the NYC Marathon. I paced my brother to a 3:53 on a day with ideal conditions. He was initially thinking of a Boston qualifier, but at mile 12, we could see that wasn't in the cards so we slowed the pace. Still, this put him in the top 30% of his age group -- not bad for his first marathon.

Very nicely done!

Could you "feel" Chicago out there? Or were your muscles well recovered?

Did a nice lift this morning for about 45 minutes. Then I went outside and did a quick little 6 miler. Finished in 43:32 or 7:15/mile pace. Felt very good!

Very nicely done!

Could you "feel" Chicago out there? Or were your muscles well recovered?

I didn't feel any fatigue from Chicago, and I had very little soreness after NYC, probably because Chicago trained the joints and muscles to deal with the stress of the distance. I did feel a lot slower in NYC, though, and I think that's because seven weeks passed between my hard training and the NYC race. I probably couldn't have done much better than 3:30 had I been going all out.

I agree with the conventional wisdom that if you're going to do two marathons close together, run the first with a time goal and run the second at a more leisurely pace. Between the two races (four weeks), all I could really do was some recovery running and another taper.

Well I'm back (sort of). I didn't want to post in this thread until I finished my long run today. I've been going to PT now for about 6 weeks. It turns out that my problem is not my IT Band, but rather my right hamstring. I've been doing some pool running and also strength training along with getting stretched and massaged by the PT. It is painful but it works! The back of my right leg is purple from the hamstring work the PT has been doing. He cleared me to start running 3 weeks ago but only 3 days per week. I looked at the calendar and had to crank the mileage up pretty quickly. 3 weeks ago I ran a 12 miler, last week 15 and today 18-19. My pace hasn't suffered. I'm sore, but I think Bangkok is realistic. I won't be running a PR, but I think I can just go out and run. I'll need to stop and stretch periodically, so I'm saying 4 hours or more given the heat and humidity. Weather should be in the low to mid 80's at the start and only get hotter. Next week is 10 miles and then race the following weekend.

dhuey good luck in NYC this weekend. magiciansampras -- sorry I'll miss you in Philly (I live 25 minutes from the city) but I will be in Bangkok. My race is Sunday too, but I will be finished long before you start thanks to the time difference. I'll be thinking about you over a few beers.

Good luck in Bangkok. I can't even imagine trying to run in 80 degree weather right now; I'm very glad the cooler air has finally arrived. :)

I'm very curious to hear how the race is. Running a marathon in Asia is intriguing to me. Scary (because of the heat), but intriguing.

I've lost ~20 lbs in the past two months by dropping my caloric intake to ~1800 calories/day and increasing exercise to roughly daily. Exercise is nearly 100% running with a bike ride thrown in there occasionally. On my way to 190 or so; still 15 lbs or so to go.

My brother (same build/height) weighed 160 when he was marathoning. He looked like he was on a hunger strike.

... Weather should be in the low to mid 80's at the start and only get hotter. ....

After Chicago, I'm not about to sign up for 26.2 in heat & humidity. I've spent my whole life in places where that kind of weather is rare, so it hits me harder than it does most people.

Good luck in Bangkok, and be sure to keep the electrolyte levels where they should be.

I've lost ~20 lbs in the past two months by dropping my caloric intake to ~1800 calories/day and increasing exercise to roughly daily

Wow, ease up my friend! 20 lbs in two months is A LOT. That's 5 lbs a week which, I think, would border on the unhealthy side of things.

I'd take a less aggressive approach. Maybe 2000 calories a day for a bit. :)

Wow, ease up my friend! 20 lbs in two months is A LOT. That's 5 lbs a week which, I think, would border on the unhealthy side of things.

I'd take a less aggressive approach. Maybe 2000 calories a day for a bit. :)

Isn't 20lbs in 2 months = 2.5lbs / week?

Isn't 20lbs in 2 months = 2.5lbs / week?

This is why I run and don't do math problems instead.

Absolutely. :)

After Chicago, I'm not about to sign up for 26.2 in heat & humidity. I've spent my whole life in places where that kind of weather is rare, so it hits me harder than it does most people.

Good luck in Bangkok, and be sure to keep the electrolyte levels where they should be.


I hear you! I don't like it either, but really want to get the 7 continents done. At least I knew what to expect when I signed up, but I'm much prefer cold weather running. I plan to take it nice and slow and enjoy the course. I feel no pressure to run any specific time. Boston 2004 was a different story. Lots of Gatorade and water and I won't be afraid to stop and walk for a bit. I'll try to post after the race how it went. If not, I'll be back in the States on Tuesday. This is almost an MR. I'll only be on the ground in BKK 4 days.

I hear you! I don't like it either, but really want to get the 7 continents done. At least I knew what to expect when I signed up, but I'm much prefer cold weather running. I plan to take it nice and slow and enjoy the course. I feel no pressure to run any specific time. Boston 2004 was a different story. Lots of Gatorade and water and I won't be afraid to stop and walk for a bit. I'll try to post after the race how it went. If not, I'll be back in the States on Tuesday. This is almost an MR. I'll only be on the ground in BKK 4 days.

At least the post-race massage will be cheap. :)

At least the post-race massage will be cheap. :)

True, but my PT says no massage for 7-10 days after a marathon. :(

Quick little 4.5 miler outside. Felt great with the cold weather finally here. Finished in 33:45 or 7:30/mile pace.

Day off tomorrow, wedding on Saturday, and then hopefully a 10 miler on Sunday, although we're traveling. Getting the workouts in the next couple of days could be tricky.

Just used 90k DL miles for a business class round trip to Berlin for the '08 Berlin Marathon. Not a bad deal for a pretty long hike in C!

C'mon runners, laufen sie in Berlin mit mir!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Marathon

http://www.real-berlin-marathon.com

The race is September 28th. I'll be there from the 26th-30th.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8700/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

I'm in DC this weekend and was able to get a nice little 8.72 miler in with my brother. Did it in 1:08:08 or 7:48 pace. That's my last run of any substance before the race in Philadelphia on Sunday. Just some short ones or elliptical work. I feel good!

Short little 3.6 mile loop for me today. Did it in 26:05 or 7:14/mile pace.

More rest tomorrow, short 2 miler on Friday or Saturday, and then the race on Sunday!

I think I like having the day off before the marathon, so I did my little 2 miler today to stretch the legs. Nice and short and easy, 8 minute mile pace on the treadmill. Felt good.

I'm excited for Sunday!

C'mon runners, laufen Sie in Berlin mit mir!Fixed your typo, dhuey, which, as I'm sure you know, matters auf deutsch! ;)

So, after a month of sloth, it's definitely time to switch back to the winter regimen -- one day of cycling on the weekend, three days in the gym. My weight has picked right back up and I'm not happy about it. :( Now to find a gym to join ...

I think I like having the day off before the marathon, so I did my little 2 miler today to stretch the legs. Nice and short and easy, 8 minute mile pace on the treadmill. Felt good.

I'm excited for Sunday!

Go get 'em! The temps look good (47 F or so), but there is a threat of rain. Plan your gear carefully, and use a ton of Bodyglide.

Well, continent #5 is done! It wasn't pretty though. Start time was 3:30 am so after a 1am wakeup call, a shower, and a light bite to eat, we grabbed a cab at 2am. Start and finish was at the Royal Grande Palace, nobody knew exactly where the marathon start was. We got dropped off by the cab as close as he could get (they were closing the streets down). We asked lots of guards at the various buildings and showed them a map of where we needed to go. After about 25 minutes of wandering around and asking at least 6 different people for help, we found the start. It was hot. It was in the upper 70's or low 80's at the start and the humidity was high (weather.com is reporting current weather (10am) of 86 degrees and 55% humidity but the humidity felt higher).

The first 2K was from the Palace to an elevated highway which was closed to traffic and we stayed on this highway and did an out and back. We finally exited the highway at 25K (15.5 miles). We started off running 8 minute miles, but I started struggling early. I was just hot and my heart rate went high early in the race. I started walking through the water stations around 8K to try to get it to go down. Shortly after exiting the highway the smells of the exhaust and other aromas got to me and I puked (near mile 16). Nothing like puking up Carb-Boom and stomach acid. That changed the race for me. I struggled over the next 10 miles. I ran and I walked and I ran and I walked. It was just like Boston 2004. I finished in 4:28. A new "PW" (personal worst). I'm glad it is over!

magiciansampras, I hope you get much better weather when you run Philly (tomorrow for you, today for me).

dukeman, your report sounds very similar to my Chicago experience. Pure misery :).

I fared quite a bit better with the weather. Around 45 most of the day with a little rain during the 2nd half of the race. Couldn't really ask for better running weather.

I started out with the 3:40 pace group but decided that I was feeling pretty good, so I pulled away after about 5 miles or so. Got up to about an 7:55/mile pace, reaching the first half in 1:44 or so.

The 2nd half I slowed a bit because my legs were feeling it. Once I hit 22 I was fading quite a bit and suffering from some calf cramps, but I kept the ship moving.

Crossed the finish line in 3:35:15, or, a new PR for me. :)

This really gives me confidence that I can break 3:30 the next time around and then, possibly, think about eventually getting to that 3:10 Boston time. It's still a long-term goal, but it is definitely seeming more realistic now.

dukeman, your report sounds very similar to my Chicago experience. Pure misery :).

I fared quite a bit better with the weather. Around 45 most of the day with a little rain during the 2nd half of the race. Couldn't really ask for better running weather.

I started out with the 3:40 pace group but decided that I was feeling pretty good, so I pulled away after about 5 miles or so. Got up to about an 7:55/mile pace, reaching the first half in 1:44 or so.

The 2nd half I slowed a bit because my legs were feeling it. Once I hit 22 I was fading quite a bit and suffering from some calf cramps, but I kept the ship moving.

Crossed the finish line in 3:35:15, or, a new PR for me. :)

This really gives me confidence that I can break 3:30 the next time around and then, possibly, think about eventually getting to that 3:10 Boston time. It's still a long-term goal, but it is definitely seeming more realistic now.

Congrats on the PR! ^ Those last 3 miles can be challenging along the river. The wind always seems to be in your face along the Schuylkill. Funny thing is I too crossed the 1/2 around 1:45 and finished an hour slower! It is Monday morning here in BKK. I feel like I got hit by a truck!

Congrats on the PR! ^ Those last 3 miles can be challenging along the river. The wind always seems to be in your face along the Schuylkill. Funny thing is I too crossed the 1/2 around 1:45 and finished an hour slower! It is Monday morning here in BKK. I feel like I got hit by a truck!

Yeah dude I thought the wind was never at our backs. Clearly that couldn't be the case since the 2nd half is an out and back, but it sure felt like we were hitting the wind the entire time. :)

I really enjoyed the course. The rolling hills kept things interesting. You would climb for awhile but then be rewarded with a nice long downhill. I prefer that to just flat running, I think. Keeps you focused on what you're doing.

...Crossed the finish line in 3:35:15, or, a new PR for me. :)...

Right on! 3:10 (actually 3:10:59) seems incredibly hard to me. I don't think it's fair that I get an extra 10 minutes to qualify. Sure, you 20-somethings have an advantage over a 40 year-old, but I don't think it's a 10-minute advantage.

I suspect the Boston Marathon wants older runners because they generally spend more in town.

Right on! 3:10 (actually 3:10:59) seems incredibly hard to me. I don't think it's fair that I get an extra 10 minutes to qualify. Sure, you 20-somethings have an advantage over a 40 year-old, but I don't think it's a 10-minute advantage.

I suspect the Boston Marathon wants older runners because they generally spend more in town.

I hadn't considered the $$$ aspect, but that's a good thought.

I agree with you about 3:10 seeming ridiculously hard. That's over a minute improvement PER MILE for me right now. Definitely not something I'll be able to do tomorrow.

I'm going to focus on trying to get a bit faster generally. I'll train this winter with some tempo runs and hills and such and maybe I can inch that comfortable pace upwards a bit.

I did a "recovery" turkey trot this morning up in Concord, NH. Since I just wanted to jog, I ran with my mom who does about 11 minute miles. I don't even recall what our time was, but the race was a hilly 4 mile course, so I'll estimate 44 minutes. :)

Felt good. Still a little sore from the marathon, but not too bad.

Did nothing on Friday except eat leftovers.

Yesterday I did a nice little 5.6 miler with my brother. Normally we'd push it on this route, but we took it easy and finished in 43:31 or 7:46/mile pace. Felt pretty good. Most of the soreness is gone and my legs are feeling like they have a bit of spring coming back.

I'll continue to take it easy the next couple of weeks to be sure to get my 26 days of relative rest in before training again.

I'm thinking a half-marathon the first week of February up in New Hampshire sounds about right.

Hit up the gym for a quick upper body lift and a nice and easy 3 mile run on the treadmill. Finished in 23:59 or 7:59/mile pace. Felt good.

Lovely day for the Seattle Marathon/Half Marathon.

PR (lame, since I walked it), but still....next year, running it baby.

I did a "recovery" turkey trot this morning up in Concord, NH. Since I just wanted to jog, I ran with my mom who does about 11 minute miles. I don't even recall what our time was, but the race was a hilly 4 mile course, so I'll estimate 44 minutes. :)

Nice that someone actually runs slower than me!

Did 5 miles today (and yesterday) at (not nice and easy) 9:13 pace

For anyone interested in data about qualifying for the Boston Marathon, see http://mysite.verizon.net/jim2wr/id202.html

I'm tempted to say the guy who compiled all this data should get a life, but then again, I hang out in OMNI.

this year has been one for me of developing an aerobic base and working on exercise walking, improved form, faster cadence. I jumped at the chance of doing a 10K in December that goes on here less than a mile away. Hopefully no snow on the ground :)

dhuey, that is some really interesting data. It looks like the time to qualify for men is once you hit 40+ and then 60+.

Today I hit up the gym and did a little elliptical work plus some easy lifting. 50 mins on the 'ol elliptical.

Did my first 10k over the weekend in 57:18, which is a PR by default. I probably could have done it faster, but I was pacing a couple of friends in the first 5k. I left them after the halfway point, and they finished about 8 minutes after me.

Went out and did 5.3 miles at lunch today in 43:58 (8:18 pace), which is very fast for me for that distance. I felt it after I was done.

Did my first 10k over the weekend in 57:18, which is a PR by default. I probably could have done it faster, but I was pacing a couple of friends in the first 5k. I left them after the halfway point, and they finished about 8 minutes after me.

Went out and did 5.3 miles at lunch today in 43:58 (8:18 pace), which is very fast for me for that distance. I felt it after I was done.

Great job! ^ 10ks are a really good distance because it is long enough to challenge your stamina and short enough to test your speed. Very challenging.

Great job! ^ 10ks are a really good distance because it is long enough to challenge your stamina and short enough to test your speed. Very challenging.That's what I used to say about running the half-mile! :eek: Only I didn't call it a very good distance. ;)

dhuey, that is some really interesting data. It looks like the time to qualify for men is once you hit 40+ and then 60+. ...

Yes, I'm afraid that's my analysis as well, Mr. 20-something. I think you could get to 3:10:59, but it would take a ton of work. As you can see, only about 7% of marathoners in your group qualify for Boston in most marathons. I suggest you keep improving your times with an eye toward 3:15:59 on a flat course when you're 34 (or even 33 if your birthday is between Sept. and Jan.).

Yes, I'm afraid that's my analysis as well, Mr. 20-something. I think you could get to 3:10:59, but it would take a ton of work. As you can see, only about 7% of marathoners in your group qualify for Boston in most marathons. I suggest you keep improving your times with an eye toward 3:15:59 on a flat course when you're 34 (or even 33 if your birthday is between Sept. and Jan.).

That is my goal. I think hitting 3:10:59 is close to impossible for me. :eek:

That is my goal. I think hitting 3:10:59 is close to impossible for me. :eek:

I'm not sure I could do it. To have a shot, I'd have to train a lot harder than I'd like, eat and drink less than I want and probably lose some upper body muscle mass. No thanks.

I'm not sure I could do it. To have a shot, I'd have to train a lot harder than I'd like, eat and drink less than I want and probably lose some upper body muscle mass. No thanks.

Yeah that's the thing. Getting there would require way too much work. This isn't my job, it is supposed to be a hobby. :)

Long time no post here. I'm gonna do a 10K in December. I hope it doesn't snow as I will of course be barefoot regardless. That should be interesting.

I have been focusing on building an aerobic base this last 4 months or so and I think it's working. Also improving form and strengthening a lot of muscles that I discovered are very weak.

Nice little 6 miler for me today. Legs are still feeling the marathon, but I still ran fairly quick. Finished in 7:12/mile pace or 43:13 total time.

Tomorrow is a travel day but I will do a long workout on Friday (lift + running).

Nice little 6 miler for me today. Legs are still feeling the marathon, but I still ran fairly quick. Finished in 7:12/mile pace or 43:13 total time....

Whoa! With proper distance training, that's showing a marathon potential of 3:28 or so. See http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_news_frameset.html?http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rvm_calculator.html

You are well on your way to 3:15:59.

Whoa! With proper distance training, that's showing a marathon potential of 3:28 or so. See http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_news_frameset.html?http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rvm_calculator.html

You are well on your way to 3:15:59.

Hehe let's hope so.

I think my first goal will be to break 1:40 in the half marathon distance, something I haven't done yet. I signed up for one in February and failing that, another in May.

Incremental improvements, baby!

First time posting in this thread. A New Year's Resolution of mine for 2007 was to do a triathlon, which I did in August after about 3 months of training (the first real working out I had done since college almost 10 years ago). My goal for next year is to do an Olympic distance one, so I have been working on increasing my distances in the events to start getting ready for my heavy training, which will begin in February.

That said, I did a nice half mile swim today. Doesn't seem like much, but it was a step up for me. I still need to drop some weight, so anything helps. I'm still pretty slow (10 minute mile pace when running) but considering I couldn't even run a mile a year ago this time, I'm happy with it.

Josh

...Josh

Welcome, Josh! If you're looking for others to celebrate your athletic achievements, you've come to the right place.

Welcome, Josh!

This afternoon I hit the gym for a 2 hour workout. Spent an hour lifting and then did a 10k on the treadmill. My goal is to get my "easy" pace down from 8:00/mile to around 7:30/mile. I think this will make pushing it in the halfs and full marathons easier.

Anyway, did this 6.2 miles in 36:13 or 7:27/mile pace. I'll probably do elliptical and some lower body lifting tomorrow as well.

Hit up the gym today (freezing outside). It's been 2 weeks since the marathon, so I think it is time to start incorporating "long" runs back into my Sunday schedule. Granted, I'm starting pretty short as we're still in recovery mode, here. Did 1 hour on the treadmill, at a fairly easy 7:53/mile pace (7.6 miles total).

Tomorrow I'll lift.

Upper body lift today. Was able to do 165 on the bench press, which is good for me!

Also did 45 mins on the elliptical for my cardio work. Good stuff.

I have an opportunity to get a bib for the Houston half-marathon in 6 weeks. Trying to decide if I should go for it...the farthest I have run so far is 8 miles, which was on Sunday. Is 6 weeks enough time to get up to half-marathon shape? I can only run about 3x a week max, including a long run on the weekends.

I have an opportunity to get a bib for the Houston half-marathon in 6 weeks. Trying to decide if I should go for it...the farthest I have run so far is 8 miles, which was on Sunday. Is 6 weeks enough time to get up to half-marathon shape? I can only run about 3x a week max, including a long run on the weekends.

If you can run 8 miles you should be able to run 13 in 6 weeks. Just add another mile to your long run each week:

Week 6: 9 miles
Week 5: 10 miles
Week 4: 11 miles
Week 3: 12 miles
Week 2: 8 miles (step back, rest for race)
Week 1: 13.1 miles

It's not an ideal schedule but it should get you to the finish line, I would think.

Good luck!

Treadmill again for me today. Lots of ice outside. Did the remaining muscle groups from the upper body today that I didn't do yesterday (shoulders, back, etc.) and then did 5 miles on the treadmill. Nice and slow 7:54/mile pace or 39:35 total time.

Nice long lift for me today (about an hour).

Then I did the "Hills" program on the 'ol treadmill. I've never done it before so I didn't know what level to choose. I chose 6 and found it to be fairly challenging. The incline got up to 5 a bunch of times. Not sure how that equates to outdoor hills, but I was huffing and puffing for sure.

I tried sprinting up a couple of the hills, putting the pace at 7:00/mile.. that tired me out good and proper.

Anyway, finished the 40 minute program covering 5.08 miles or 7:53/mile pace. I think I'll incorporate this hills thing into my weekly regimen. Definitely got a good workout.

Anyone know how to equate the incline numbers with actual degrees of climb outside?

...Anyone know how to equate the incline numbers with actual degrees of climb outside?

I have no idea. I'd look around on the manufacturers' websites for that. Perhaps it's in the product literature.

I have no idea. I'd look around on the manufacturers' websites for that. Perhaps it's in the product literature.

In poking around I did find this chart, which is kind of interesting:

http://www.hillrunner.com/training/tmillchart.php

It basically takes the pace you put on the treadmill, the incline, and does some math to tell you what the outside pace equivalent is.

Not surprisingly, 0% incline is equivalent to an easier pace on the 'mill. You need about 1% to mimic the outdoor work effort.

If this chart is true, I was running pretty "fast" today.

While I can't stand treadmills, there are actually quite a few elite runners and triathletes who use them regularly. The machines have the virtue of precision, with no significant variation in temperature, wind, hills, etc. like you have in outdoor running. My wife (a very accomplished triathlete, if I'm allowed to brag) has shown me articles on how several triathlete pros use treadmills for most of their training.

Still...I can't imagine it.

While I can't stand treadmills, there are actually quite a few elite runners and triathletes who use them regularly. The machines have the virtue of precision, with no significant variation in temperature, wind, hills, etc. like you have in outdoor running. My wife (a very accomplished triathlete, if I'm allowed to brag) has shown me articles on how several triathlete pros use treadmills for most of their training.


I was always pretty against treadmills because I hated running on them. But after my stress fracture last year I started doing it more for the cushioning. I guess I got used to it because now it doesn't bother me so much. In some ways it is actually easier, I find, if you can get involved in a football game or something.

I plan on doing some tempo and hill repeat runs on the 'mill this winter to try and get my comfortable pace down.

Another treadmill run for me today. Was a bit short on time so I just did a 40 minute time program and upped the pace whenever I felt like it. Didn't want to push it too much as I'm doing a longish run tomorrow.

Anyway, finished 5.25 miles in 40:05 or 7:38/mile pace. Did a couple miles at 3, one at 7:45, and a couple at 7:30 or faster.

New shoes today too. :)

So, would anyone care to comment on why 0% on the treadmill is not the equivalent of outdoor level ground pace?

So, would anyone care to comment on why 0% on the treadmill is not the equivalent of outdoor level ground pace?

I think there are a couple of reasons.

The biggest is that there is no wind resistance inside. This makes running easier, so to compensate they say you need to increase the incline.

The other thing is that the treadmill basically is easier since the belt moves, the ground doesn't. When your foot hits the ground you have to use your foot and leg muscles to propel you. On the treadmill you use the same muscles but they are aided by the belt which is moving on its own.

Finally, they say that the outdoors is never really flat, either. That you have subtle inclines and declines and that these don't actually just cancel each other out, but sum up to a net "increase" in effort. It is hard to run uphill than it is easy to run downhill the logic goes.

Timely thread on this over on Hal Higdon's forums: http://www.trainingpeaks.com/bbs-forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=33906&posts=39

Which is interesting because I've done most of my running on a treadmill, but decided to do some outside in the neighborhood today (Los Feliz--which is far from level), and without the treadmill to pace me, I ended up running about 8:15 minutes/mile instead of what would be a standard 9:13 (6.5mph) on the level treadmill.

Of course, that was pushing myself too far, and I only got about two miles in before I started to really feel it and decided to walk out the rest of it.

So, I wonder what the 0% treadmill equivalent of an outside, hilly 8:15 is.

Speaking of the treadmill, I just did 10 miles on it while watching the Patriots and Steelers. Football makes the 'mill a lot less boring. :)

Finished in 1:19:58 or 7:59/mile pace.

The only hassle is that the treadmills at the gym are set to a max of 60 minutes. I have to restart after hitting mile 7.5.

I have had enough. sitting down now to watch

Quick little workout today. 30 minute upper body lift, 35 mins on the elliptical.

Tomorrow I'll run again.

Quick run today of about 2.5 miles. I was planning on doing closer to 5, but the weather changed right when I started, and the blizard we are supposed to get started blowing in early. I called it quits as I have been sick and didn't want to push it.

Did a mile swim today. Don't know why, but it felt awesome! I was only going to do 1000m, but it felt so good I just kept going. I LOVE days like today! :)

Was a bit tight for time so I hit up the gym for a quick treadmill run. 5 miles @ 7:26/mile pace, 1% incline. Finished in 37:15. Felt good, albeit it a bit gassy. Sorry to the girl on the treadmill next to me. :p

I'm kind of following Hal Higdon's Intermediate Marathon recovery program to make sure I don't do too much too soon after Philly (well really Chicago and Philly). For those interested, it is here: http://www.halhigdon.com/postmarathon/postint.html

Anyway, Wednesdays call for a bit of a speed day. Today it recommends doing 5 miles total with 1 miles warmup, 3 miles @ 5k pace, and then 1 mile cool down. So that's what I did:

Mile 1: 7:30 (warmup)
Miles 2-4: 6:58/mile pace (my 5k pace based on trying to improve my half marathon time)
Mile 5: 8:00 (cooldown)

All told it was 5 miles in 36:15 or 7:14/mile pace. Felt very good!