My name is Jeff, and I'm addicted to running

[WARFAB]

Treadmill

A: Boring

B: It's not quite the same.

C: Time taken driving to the gym and back is time I could use to run more or sleep more.

I still mix in some treadmill time when I go to the gym, but it has its drawbacks. A couple friends have drafted me to run a leg in a marathon relay next year. Plus, some of the numbers my doctor is telling me are motivating me to find more ways to work out. I didn't run nearly as much this past year as I have in previous years because of my back, but I think I've got a handle on my back issues now. Time to start running more.

[camper4lyfe]

A: Boring

I run outside 99% of the time for this reason alone. Well, that and I want to run in whatever is thrown at me because I know they won't cancel races because of bad weather (lightning being the exception for races and training) I don't care what I'm watching or listening to, I just can't settle in on the treadmill.

[thughes]

Even when the place is packed with MILF's in yoga pants?

[camper4lyfe]

Sadly, yes. But race day tends to make up for it.

[WARFAB]

[camper4lyfe]

I don’t need the water bottle

[WARFAB]

I'm up to 5.3 miles. No idea how you guys can willingly pull of a marathon distance. Perhaps if someone was chasing me with a gun or something........

[alistair]

I'm up to 5.3 miles. No idea how you guys can willingly pull of a marathon distance. Perhaps if someone was chasing me with a gun or something........

It's a love hate relationship. I hate to run, but I love to eat and drink beer.
I'm presently training for the Hudson Mohawk Marathon in October - planning to run 20 miles on Saturday at 8:30 per mile pace.

[WARFAB]

It's a love hate relationship. I hate to run, but I love to eat and drink beer.
I'm presently training for the Hudson Mohawk Marathon in October - planning to run 20 miles on Saturday at 8:30 per mile pace.

Dayum dude. My average pace for my 5.3 mile run was 10:09 and I wasn't very happy for the last 2 miles or so.

[camper4lyfe]

Dayum dude. My average pace for my 5.3 mile run was 10:09 and I wasn't very happy for the last 2 miles or so.

Consistency and base building. You're starting to get into the consistency part. By doing that, you're also building your aerobic base.

I haven't spent a lot of time analyzing your runs at this point, but I'm noticing that I'm seeing them more. What I generally recommend to people that are getting started with running is to aim for 3 days a week. 2 days, usually week days, are shorter runs (maybe in the 3 mile range, depending on ability) and the 3rd day is a long run, up to 5 or 6 miles. Once those long runs start getting easier, you can up one of the week day runs to 4 and drop the weekend long run back down to 5, then build back up. Then up the 2nd week day run to 4, cut back on the long run that first week, then build up.

Once you get comfortable with that, you can change things up a bit more. 1 week day run is a nice easy run, the 2nd week day run can be shorter but run at a higher intensity, and the 3rd run is again a long easy run.

I've also become really good friends with my heart rate monitor. I currently train using the Jack Daniels formula (the coach, not the drink). He breaks the runs into different efforts; easy, marathon, threshold, and interval and repeat. The different efforts align perfectly with the different heart rate zones that I use (I go by % lactate threshold as opposed to max heart rate). Zone 2 is easy, zone 3 is marathon, zone 4 is threshold, and zone 5 isn't really used as the intervals are so short that my heart rate rarely gets that high. By running by heart rate and time, it allows me to adjust my pace (I actually don't even know what my pace is while I'm running, I only watch my heart rate zone) based on a multitude of outside factors; weather and fatigue being the 2 biggest. I've managed to cut my easy run pace by almost 1 minute per mile over the past year with this set up.

[WARFAB]

I haven't spent a lot of time analyzing your runs at this point, but I'm noticing that I'm seeing them more. What I generally recommend to people that are getting started with running is to aim for 3 days a week. 2 days, usually week days, are shorter runs (maybe in the 3 mile range, depending on ability) and the 3rd day is a long run, up to 5 or 6 miles.

At this point I'm only running once a week and I'm aware that is limiting my progress. I'm finally getting over my back issues and I am pretty sure what I'm doing at the gym is key to that improvement, so I can't really go all in on running. With the summer weekends being really busy, I'm not setting myself up for anything phenomenal at this race. I plan on continuing to run through the winter again this year, so I'm sure I'll slowly improve. Maybe my relay team will want to do it again next year.

[alistair]

Dayum dude. My average pace for my 5.3 mile run was 10:09 and I wasn't very happy for the last 2 miles or so.

My best marathon time is 3hr 27min (7:50ish pace), as a 50+ year old man that qualified me for the Boston Marathon.

[alistair]

Consistency and base building. You're starting to get into the consistency part. By doing that, you're also building your aerobic base.

I haven't spent a lot of time analyzing your runs at this point, but I'm noticing that I'm seeing them more. What I generally recommend to people that are getting started with running is to aim for 3 days a week. 2 days, usually week days, are shorter runs (maybe in the 3 mile range, depending on ability) and the 3rd day is a long run, up to 5 or 6 miles. Once those long runs start getting easier, you can up one of the week day runs to 4 and drop the weekend long run back down to 5, then build back up. Then up the 2nd week day run to 4, cut back on the long run that first week, then build up.

Once you get comfortable with that, you can change things up a bit more. 1 week day run is a nice easy run, the 2nd week day run can be shorter but run at a higher intensity, and the 3rd run is again a long easy run.

I've also become really good friends with my heart rate monitor. I currently train using the Jack Daniels formula (the coach, not the drink). He breaks the runs into different efforts; easy, marathon, threshold, and interval and repeat. The different efforts align perfectly with the different heart rate zones that I use (I go by % lactate threshold as opposed to max heart rate). Zone 2 is easy, zone 3 is marathon, zone 4 is threshold, and zone 5 isn't really used as the intervals are so short that my heart rate rarely gets that high. By running by heart rate and time, it allows me to adjust my pace (I actually don't even know what my pace is while I'm running, I only watch my heart rate zone) based on a multitude of outside factors; weather and fatigue being the 2 biggest. I've managed to cut my easy run pace by almost 1 minute per mile over the past year with this set up.

I agree about theconsistency and building up gradually.

I do have a heart rate monitor but do not use it, I prefer to run based on pace. There is no right or wrong, I just find it frustrating when the monitor tells me I'm running at 120% of my maximum.

[WARFAB]

I'm fairly dependent upon my heart rate monitor at this point. It's probably more in my head than anything. I don't run without it very often.

[camper4lyfe]

I agree about theconsistency and building up gradually.

I do have a heart rate monitor but do not use it, I prefer to run based on pace. There is no right or wrong, I just find it frustrating when the monitor tells me I'm running at 120% of my maximum.

It took me a couple races, and training cycles, to get my heart rate zones set up properly. It definitely wasn't perfect right out of the box.

[WARFAB]

So last weekend I got the opportunity to wakeboard behind a Nautique G20 and couldn't pass it up. I tweaked my knee on a landing so I skipped last week's run. It's still a little sensitive and the big race is rapidly approaching.

This week I plan to be better about icing it. Anyone have any tips for faster recovery? Has anyone ever used a knee brace or compression wrap?

[alistair]

RICE .... Rest and ICE. If you wrap it you will end up changing your stride and may hurt yourself more.
The experts say that you can rest (no exercise) for seven days without jeopardizing your fitness level. Any longer than that and you will be losing fitness quickly.

[camper4lyfe]

If you feel you have to move, jump on a bike and go for a ride, provided it doesn’t hurt.