It will be interesting when you finish because you will feel like you accomplished something, which you have. Good luck and make sure to get a lot of sleep tonight.
Had an awesome run today. Weather was great! Did 12 miles in 1:51:51. (last week I did 11 in 1:56:00) Only one mile was over 10 minutes and it walked to take a gel during that one. Overall, I can't wait for the Mudder and my half in August!
You don't get to busy for running if you make it part of your life, just how bathing and keeping a certain level of cleanliness should already be. Some people like to equate running in their lives equal to sleep, it is something you simply do every day.
Yeah, you're right about that...But in my case, I need to really have to set my mind, my lifestyle to devote time on running, like make it part of my everyday activities...I'm just too lazy to even try...But, maybe it is time to do something...I am not getting any younger and time is ticking ;0)
I was in your boat as well last year. I have a pretty busy schedule between work, a 2.5 hour commute, volunteering and a marriage, but like you said, you just have to make it part of the routine. If you like something enough, somehow it just finds a way into your life.
Last year I started working out for the first time in my life (I'm now 34) and was putting in about 6 hours a week by the end of the year (careful, it's addicting). This year I entered the Tough Mudder competition (6 days until the event!!!) and I started running for the first time in my life in May. I now run an average of 3-4 days a week and am up to about 23 miles a week. My typical in-week runs are between 3-5 miles each and a weekend long run averages 10-13 miles. It seems like a lot at first, but if you put it down to time, a run during the week is about the time of a TV episode or two, and my long run on the weekend is often shorter than a typical movie. The positive thing is that instead of sitting around letting your brain dissolve, you get outside, breathe some air, get some natural endorphines rolling through the system and get in shape.
I've decided that after the Mudder, I'm going to be running my first 1/2 marathon (since I'm pretty much trained up for it anyway) and next year's goal is to tackle an ultra-marathon (50k) in Chicago.
I encourage everyone to get involved in some type of activity in one way or another. In the last year I've seen my energy sky-rocket, my stress levels drop, my overall health increase such that I feel like I'm in high school again and I'm definitely willing and able to take on almost any challenge that comes my way, both mental and physical.
If you stick it out for at least a couple months and stick to a routine, it starts becoming a habit, and at least this habit is something good for you.
My buddy wanted me to do the Chicago 50k this year but I seriously doubt I could put my body through that training in time for November. We'll see how I feel after the 1/2 on Aug. 28.
I have to ask this question, because I've been reading this thread off and on since it started.
How can you handle going such long distances? Isn't it boring? How do you handle pacing?
As a person who has spent over half his life as a sprinter, how do you handle these things? I'm pretty sure the personal pride part of it comes in just like a sprinter. All that time in the weight room and all those strides and stretching and plyometric work pay off in the end when you run .1 faster.
Answering part of your question is impossible, it falls into the "why do you run" category which part of that is communicable and the rest of it is a mix of feelings & sensations. I can't speak for Lax but I feel like he is starting to be drawn in the same direction I am.
The distance is something that grows on you as you train. Looking at just a 10 mile run when you do not run that distance in a single go looks horribly long but if you start running 3 miles a day for a few weeks then turn it into 5, 7, 8.5, 9 miles a day the 10 miles becomes the norm. My short easy days have turned into 5.5 miles which seems rather crazy when I think back to starting in Feb. The best way I could put it in shorter terms is doing a full set of 800m sprints, you get where you don't hate them incredibly but it is still hard to finish them.
It can be boring but I picked a very specific time that is easy for me, 8 PM, and it also allows me to watch the sunset. Then when the sun is gone I feel like I have to cut through the night, plus then I can make silly faces while I run or talk to myself and generally no one is around. You find routes that you really like and learn to change them up when they get to boring but it is an incredible feeling to run the same paths at night and listen to your feet slide through the grass knowing you have already put your feet there before a few hundred miles ago. Find a time you want to run and find an internal reason for you to be there, that is the key to long term success with distance...that drive to be there 15 miles from home and still not turning back.
Pacing for me is about being able to keep moving the entire time, yes I walk some to drink, eat, or because I just need to. I aim not to be exhausted when I finish so I can stay up and do a few things or possibly be productive that day if I manage to run in the morning. If I can't do an hour of yard work afterwards my pace is to fast for what I want. Pace is really personal because it is focused on what you want and how you want to get there. I have run one race this year, 5k. When I got to the last mile, my planned move time, I realized I didn't care about passing the 3 people in range I was fine watching them run; the next closest person was way behind. This is when it really clicked with me that I didn't want to race I wanted to be in races that were about finishing only.
Adding miles for me really isn't the same. I have to be willing to make the time commitment because I had to start giving up some things in order to go out for 2 hour runs, I had to get over the mental hump of knowing I was going to be running for an hour solid.
I wrote a lot but I could write several pages trying to give you an answer and not have it right. The video above for Indulge, the way Tony looks when he is running is how I feel when I run...to a large degreeish. The only real answer I can give you is about pacing and that one you already know, there are times when you can push and when you need to hold but only practice and knowing your body will tell you what pace you are capable of today.
I just started running again. I have no intention to get as serious as k and Laz here, but it does feel good to be somewhat in shape again. I had to work my way up to a mile, because I switched from heel-toe to toe-heel and it was killing my calves the first few times. Yesterday I finished a mile with no pain and no headache, which is new for me. Hopefully, I can get up to two or three miles in one run.
Yeah, i'm also curious as to what you mean by toe-heel. I hope you mean forefoot striking, not that you are rolling your foot backwards while striding forward.
Generally when someone says heel-toe or toe-heel that means they are making contact with their heel and forcing their foot to roll all the way to the toe, or reverse. Do not do this.
There is not A correct way to strike, have your foot hit the ground, but there is one thing that is important to help form, efficiency, and help prevent(not stop) injuries. When your foot makes contact with the ground it should be directly under your knee if you are using a mid or forefoot strike, if you are using a heel strike then your leg should be rather straight when you make contact.
Generally everyone will tell you to use mid or forefoot and avoid heel but one or the other has not been proven to be better. I always recommend mid because of the way your foot is built and operates, but it comes down to your preference. People naturally change strikes with terrain and how they are feeling.
My check list while I am running consist of this. Head up looking at the sky or down the trail, shoulders back and relaxed, pump with the elbows but relax the hands at the wrist, back arched and self erect, breath deep to the bottom, drive with the knees and let my feet strike below them, kick the heels.
ok... so this last weekend was the BIG WEEKEND... The Tough Mudder... For those who don't know me or have heard the stories, I've been training for this for a while. I started P90X last August and have been doing it fairly regularly until about May of this year. Let me just say that it made a HUGE difference in my general health, but this is about running, so I digress...
In March of this year I ran my first 5k. It was a big step for me because I had never put together 3 miles non-stop before this. Not even when I was in high school (16 years ago). I felt good after it, but I didn't have a crazy desire to keep running. 1) it was still too cold for me in the morning, and 2) I was still a disciple of Tony Horton. But I was looking around for some crazy adventure to take around that time and found the Warrior Dash. I told my buddy about it and he said that if I was going to do something really crazy, look up Tough Mudder.
At first sight, I was hooked.
So my goal was to run the Tough Mudder. Not to win (I'm a pragmatist), but just to finish. I told my workout buddies about it and they all signed on. In fact, by the time we went, I had a team of 6 (two girls and four guys). But the problem was that the Mudder was 10 miles long. Again, 5k (3.1 mi) was the longest I had ever run before. So, in May I began my long training. I downloaded a 1/2 Marathon training schedule and essentially each week I would run Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun with Saturday being my long run. Each week the long run would increase by 1 mile.
Well, long story short(er), I did the training and my longest run was 12 miles and I finished the Mudder. It was not easy. I'm broken, battered and scarred, but I made it and I have the headband to prove it. I'm also going back next year for more suffering...
But, to digress a second time, I guess the big reason I am getting into running now is that it is a solitary sport that you only rely on one person, yourself. I've never been one for team sports and the fact that I will only have one person to blame at the end of the day is good. That, and I don't know many people that can actually run 13.1 miles staight and I consider this a personal accomplishment. Before this year, I've never been able to do it, but now I can. I love the idea of being able to train for something and persevere through pain and agony to come out at the end and accomplish something you've never been able to do before.
But why am I sticking with it? I have more goals in mind and I need to keep training for them. Next year I want to run a 50k (31~ mi.) and I have an eventual goal to run a 100 mi. ultra-marathon. Why? For no other reason to feel pride in the fact that I was able to run 100 miles. Again, not many people could say that, but if I am able to one day, I have a good story to tell...
So for me, the goal comes first... then the path to the goal... then the celebration in achieving the goal... then the creation of a new, more difficult goal... and so on...
8 miles this morning. 9:50 avg/mile. Not a bad run, but considering I took the last week off to recover from the Mudder, I'm not surprised I was a little slow.
I paid attention to my running, and no, I'm not rolling the whole foot. I just never really noticed the difference between the way the foot lands in running and walking, so I said "toe-to-heel." So that's good, right?
Was supposed to do 12 miles this morning with a cousin, but he pushed it off til tomorrow. So lying in bed at 6:00am this morning I had to decide between Minecraft for several hours or to try to get 3 miles in at a minimum...
10 miles later, I feel great. And Minecraft is still here waiting for me!!
10 more miles down this morning. I don't know if I like stacking these long runs together like this. I'm glad tomorrow is my day off. 2 weeks until my first 1/2 marathon!
Comments
Tough Mudder in 15 days!
I was in your boat as well last year. I have a pretty busy schedule between work, a 2.5 hour commute, volunteering and a marriage, but like you said, you just have to make it part of the routine. If you like something enough, somehow it just finds a way into your life.
Last year I started working out for the first time in my life (I'm now 34) and was putting in about 6 hours a week by the end of the year (careful, it's addicting). This year I entered the Tough Mudder competition (6 days until the event!!!) and I started running for the first time in my life in May. I now run an average of 3-4 days a week and am up to about 23 miles a week. My typical in-week runs are between 3-5 miles each and a weekend long run averages 10-13 miles. It seems like a lot at first, but if you put it down to time, a run during the week is about the time of a TV episode or two, and my long run on the weekend is often shorter than a typical movie. The positive thing is that instead of sitting around letting your brain dissolve, you get outside, breathe some air, get some natural endorphines rolling through the system and get in shape.
I've decided that after the Mudder, I'm going to be running my first 1/2 marathon (since I'm pretty much trained up for it anyway) and next year's goal is to tackle an ultra-marathon (50k) in Chicago.
I encourage everyone to get involved in some type of activity in one way or another. In the last year I've seen my energy sky-rocket, my stress levels drop, my overall health increase such that I feel like I'm in high school again and I'm definitely willing and able to take on almost any challenge that comes my way, both mental and physical.
If you stick it out for at least a couple months and stick to a routine, it starts becoming a habit, and at least this habit is something good for you.
Good luck!
How can you handle going such long distances? Isn't it boring? How do you handle pacing?
As a person who has spent over half his life as a sprinter, how do you handle these things? I'm pretty sure the personal pride part of it comes in just like a sprinter. All that time in the weight room and all those strides and stretching and plyometric work pay off in the end when you run .1 faster.
Is it the same mentality just adding distance?
The distance is something that grows on you as you train. Looking at just a 10 mile run when you do not run that distance in a single go looks horribly long but if you start running 3 miles a day for a few weeks then turn it into 5, 7, 8.5, 9 miles a day the 10 miles becomes the norm. My short easy days have turned into 5.5 miles which seems rather crazy when I think back to starting in Feb. The best way I could put it in shorter terms is doing a full set of 800m sprints, you get where you don't hate them incredibly but it is still hard to finish them.
It can be boring but I picked a very specific time that is easy for me, 8 PM, and it also allows me to watch the sunset. Then when the sun is gone I feel like I have to cut through the night, plus then I can make silly faces while I run or talk to myself and generally no one is around. You find routes that you really like and learn to change them up when they get to boring but it is an incredible feeling to run the same paths at night and listen to your feet slide through the grass knowing you have already put your feet there before a few hundred miles ago. Find a time you want to run and find an internal reason for you to be there, that is the key to long term success with distance...that drive to be there 15 miles from home and still not turning back.
Pacing for me is about being able to keep moving the entire time, yes I walk some to drink, eat, or because I just need to. I aim not to be exhausted when I finish so I can stay up and do a few things or possibly be productive that day if I manage to run in the morning. If I can't do an hour of yard work afterwards my pace is to fast for what I want. Pace is really personal because it is focused on what you want and how you want to get there. I have run one race this year, 5k. When I got to the last mile, my planned move time, I realized I didn't care about passing the 3 people in range I was fine watching them run; the next closest person was way behind. This is when it really clicked with me that I didn't want to race I wanted to be in races that were about finishing only.
Adding miles for me really isn't the same. I have to be willing to make the time commitment because I had to start giving up some things in order to go out for 2 hour runs, I had to get over the mental hump of knowing I was going to be running for an hour solid.
I wrote a lot but I could write several pages trying to give you an answer and not have it right. The video above for Indulge, the way Tony looks when he is running is how I feel when I run...to a large degreeish. The only real answer I can give you is about pacing and that one you already know, there are times when you can push and when you need to hold but only practice and knowing your body will tell you what pace you are capable of today.
I swim. In debt.
I cycle. Through various take-out menus.
On a serious note, I do cycle, though not as much as I should. I am also going to get back into boxing. I contacted a trainer in my area.
There is not A correct way to strike, have your foot hit the ground, but there is one thing that is important to help form, efficiency, and help prevent(not stop) injuries. When your foot makes contact with the ground it should be directly under your knee if you are using a mid or forefoot strike, if you are using a heel strike then your leg should be rather straight when you make contact.
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/f2Jofys-flE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Generally everyone will tell you to use mid or forefoot and avoid heel but one or the other has not been proven to be better. I always recommend mid because of the way your foot is built and operates, but it comes down to your preference. People naturally change strikes with terrain and how they are feeling.
My check list while I am running consist of this. Head up looking at the sky or down the trail, shoulders back and relaxed, pump with the elbows but relax the hands at the wrist, back arched and self erect, breath deep to the bottom, drive with the knees and let my feet strike below them, kick the heels.
In March of this year I ran my first 5k. It was a big step for me because I had never put together 3 miles non-stop before this. Not even when I was in high school (16 years ago). I felt good after it, but I didn't have a crazy desire to keep running. 1) it was still too cold for me in the morning, and 2) I was still a disciple of Tony Horton. But I was looking around for some crazy adventure to take around that time and found the Warrior Dash. I told my buddy about it and he said that if I was going to do something really crazy, look up Tough Mudder.
At first sight, I was hooked.
So my goal was to run the Tough Mudder. Not to win (I'm a pragmatist), but just to finish. I told my workout buddies about it and they all signed on. In fact, by the time we went, I had a team of 6 (two girls and four guys). But the problem was that the Mudder was 10 miles long. Again, 5k (3.1 mi) was the longest I had ever run before. So, in May I began my long training. I downloaded a 1/2 Marathon training schedule and essentially each week I would run Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun with Saturday being my long run. Each week the long run would increase by 1 mile.
Well, long story short(er), I did the training and my longest run was 12 miles and I finished the Mudder. It was not easy. I'm broken, battered and scarred, but I made it and I have the headband to prove it. I'm also going back next year for more suffering...
But, to digress a second time, I guess the big reason I am getting into running now is that it is a solitary sport that you only rely on one person, yourself. I've never been one for team sports and the fact that I will only have one person to blame at the end of the day is good. That, and I don't know many people that can actually run 13.1 miles staight and I consider this a personal accomplishment. Before this year, I've never been able to do it, but now I can. I love the idea of being able to train for something and persevere through pain and agony to come out at the end and accomplish something you've never been able to do before.
But why am I sticking with it? I have more goals in mind and I need to keep training for them. Next year I want to run a 50k (31~ mi.) and I have an eventual goal to run a 100 mi. ultra-marathon. Why? For no other reason to feel pride in the fact that I was able to run 100 miles. Again, not many people could say that, but if I am able to one day, I have a good story to tell...
So for me, the goal comes first... then the path to the goal... then the celebration in achieving the goal... then the creation of a new, more difficult goal... and so on...
10 miles later, I feel great. And Minecraft is still here waiting for me!!