running, races, yammer

[aroraborealis]

I feel fucking awesome. After a few weeks of challenging workouts and not managing to run as long as I wanted, I read something over the weekend that reminded me of the obvious: Getting too tired too early and have to stop? Maybe you should try slowing down. And shazzam! I hit my next training goal without breaking a sweat (though maybe the 20 degree weather helped with that) and feel awesome. So I'm a slow runner. Big deal.

I'm signed up for the ras na heireann 5K around Davis Square next month, which is entirely doable. I'm psyched.

Some crazy people have been whispering the suggestion of Bay to Breakers to me. I don't think I can be ready to run it by May, but I could easily enough plan to walk/run it. Perhaps more realistic would be to consider the Bridge to Bridge run at the end of September if I want to run a race in SF. Or, in crazy talk, I could look for local races. Pfah!

Racing aside, I'm still really enjoying running, from the running itself to the setting and achieving of goals to the ... everything! I find that even on days that I don't hit my goal for that day or when it feels hard and discouraging, I feel awesome for getting outside and doing it. (Running on the treadmill when the weather sucks is a pale, pale substitute.)

My current fantasy: I can talk the fancy shmancy gym with the awesome sauna to sell me a "wet area" membership only, so I can sauna after I run. Heh. Dream on, me.

Comments

[lightcastle.livejournal.com]

Run
When do you run?

Would you consider a partner?

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

I usually run in the middle of the day, roughly every other day (though I'm thinking about switching to a Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat schedule - we'll see) and I'm curious to run with people! I haven't, yet.

I'm still very new to running, so if I go running with people, my rules for myself are:

1. I'll go my pace or slower, but I won't rush myself; if that makes my running buddy sad, s/he can run on ahead.

Hm, actually, that's the only rule I have so far. I'm not fast, and I'm not going to work on speed until my endurance is much longer, so I wouldn't want to run with someone who would feel grouchy about keeping to my 4.3 - 4.7 mph pace :)

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

There's a bridge to bridge run? Why do I find out these things from you crazy east coasters? It's in September?

I'm (probably, given many unknowables working out) there! Perfect training for the Treasure Island Tri :)

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

I only know 'cause trom told me about it, and he used to be a bay area person, so... uh... [insert relevant conclusion here.]

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Oh, btw, all the races I mentioned in this post are links to the respective web pages.

Oh, and...

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

From my very limited (last year only) experience, I'd say walk/running Bay to Breakers would still be totally fun. Costumes! and bands! and (oddly) tortillas!

My midwife, unfortunately, looked at me as if I were a crazy person when I brought up trying to walk it this year :-/ I still plan to do it if I'm in any kind of shape at all (other than my current round shape or a flabby prone shape that is).

Re: Oh, and...

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Midwives! What do they know??

Hm, well, I guess they are professionals.

But this is good to know! I was also thinking I could just volunteer, but it would probably be more fun to walk/run it. I dunno! Though, geez, at that point, if I do bay to breakers, I'll be in SF again at the end of July, and then also the bridge to bridge... why is this pesky continent always in my way??

[ivorjawa.livejournal.com]

You have three months to train for Bay to Breakers. If you're running 5Ks now, you could totally do it.
There's one nasty hill, which you could walk, but other than that hill, it's either flat or downhill all the way.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

I'm not running 5k, yet, but I will be within a month. I'm at about 2 miles right now. Bay to Breakers probably is doable even so, if training goes well, but I don't want to pressure myself. *waffle waffle*

[ivorjawa.livejournal.com]

Waffles are tasty. They're especially tasty after running a 12K.
I know a couple of places in the Sunset that do good ones.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Hooray for bad influences!

[ivorjawa.livejournal.com]

Dr. Badplan loves you and wants you to be happy.

[cruiser.livejournal.com]

Way too cool! Welcome to the dark side!

[laurenhat.livejournal.com]

Yay! Yes, slowing down is a great secret. :) And it seems to be highly recommended by all the running sites, which say you should run slower than you think you should. So I've been doing that more too.

I admire you for running outside in this weather. But I don't think I have the gear for it, and the ice makes me really nervous. What do you wear to keep warm yet not overheat? And where do you run to avoid slipping and sliding all over the place?

I should find out if I can give any guest passes or discount rates for guests through my Healthworks membership. Maybe I could at least get you a few sauna visits. :)

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Yes! All the running people say to run slower, but it's hard to believe them. Yesterday seems to have given me a good grounding in actual supporting evidence, though.

I find running outside so so so much more pleasurable that I don't think I deserve any admiration for doing it! I find that I have to wear less clothing than I think I should; I start out a bit on the cool side, but once I'm running, I have a pretty good head of steam. Wind is the one confounding variable that makes planning hard, so I'm most likely to resort to the treadmill when it's windy or actively stormy. And once we hit the single digits, I wuss out. But it turns out that 20 degrees is pretty nice for running! Though 40 is still my favorite. Some people swear by having a scarf over their nose/mouth, but I think that would annoy me, and I don't have exercise-induced asthma, so the cold air isn't a big problem for me or my breathing.

As for slipping, I run on the bike path a lot, and I run in the street. I've sworn off sidewalks due to their cement nature, but that works out well at this time of year when they're in shitty condition, anyway. Mostly, the streets around me aren't so busy that it's a problem for me to run on the asphault, which I especially like to do on one-way streets where I can see traffic coming.

And, oooh, guest passes! That would rock!