Running, Anyone...?

[Could Be Buggy]

Ms. Hutz and I ran all winter and decided to train for the blues clues 50k in october. We're pretty stoked.

aka the Blues Cruise 50K. www.bluescruiseultra.com

Also stoked for the Double Trouble 30K. French Creek State Park (Birdsboro, PA) is one my favorite area spots.

Check out this race if you live in PA/NJ! Great training opportunity. http://www.pretzelcitysports.com/doubletrouble.html

On another topic - Anyone here successfully overcome ITBS? I've self-diagnosed myself with a minor case (sharp, sudden pain on outside of knee during 10 miler at approximately mile 8; mild discomfort this morning during standard 5 miler) and want to nip it in the bud before it gets out of control. I run 25-30 miles per week but will be increasing to about 35-40 over the next few months. I've never had knee issues before. There is no tenderness or swelling. No pain going up or down stairs or walking.

I've implemented a stretching and targeted strength training routine, and will begin using a foam roller.

Any other tips? Success with knee straps, taping? Do I really need to cut back my mileage?

[Tuckerman]

On another topic - Anyone here successfully overcome ITBS? I've self-diagnosed myself with a minor case (sharp, sudden pain on outside of knee during 10 miler at approximately mile 8; mild discomfort this morning during standard 5 miler) and want to nip it in the bud before it gets out of control. I run 25-30 miles per week but will be increasing to about 35-40 over the next few months. I've never had knee issues before. There is no tenderness or swelling. No pain going up or down stairs or walking.

I've implemented a stretching and targeted strength training routine, and will begin using a foam roller.

Any other tips? Success with knee straps, taping? Do I really need to cut back my mileage?

I had lots of ITBS issues. It was to the point where I would be on 40 mile run and the pain was so bad that I had to call someone to come and pick me up. When it started to get real bad I went to a Chiropractor in my area who is also a ultra runner and Kinesio tape guy. I told him I need to be tape up he had other ideas that he wanted to try first. He would work the muscles behind my guts ouch it really hurt using a method of pushing down on the muscles and having me extend my legs etc.. Then he told me to get a foam roller I did and I use it all the time and that hurts as well. And before a race he will tape me up.

Anyway if you can swing it give a Chiropractor who is also a sports guy a shot.

[bean]

Seeing what some of you are doing makes me feel lame. I'm doing a half marathon in May and depending how that goes, considering the Denver marathon in October. Not having anywhere fun to run nearby doesn't help things (woo suburbs!) but running in fivefingers at least keeps is a little interesting.

[Tuckerman]

Seeing what some of you are doing makes me feel lame.

My first run ever was around my block 1 mile but I had to walk most of it. That was about 6 years ago. Then I started to write my 1 mile times down on the railing of my steps. Then someone posted a link to the Jay Challenge saying only the fittest of people could do it. I felt like that was pointed at me so I trained hard and run it with a poor time, now I'm hooked.

[lionelhutz]

the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Who cares how long the first race is or even what your goal race is. Just commit to it, train hard and have fun.

As to CBB's ITBS...she forgot to mention that her ITBS may be closely related to her IMMENSE thigh bruise which she can thank Alta and the Supreme Bowl for.

[bean]

It's not that I can't run, when I lived downtown I'd run 4-5 miles almost every day just for the fun of it. Decided a couple weeks out to do a 10k and pulled a 43:34 after only being back into it for a couple months. My problem is that where I am now is incredibly boring and I have to make myself go run miles just to run miles. Are there any ways to make a flat suburban setting fun to run in?

[lionelhutz]

Run with a dog?
Run with a friend?

[bean]

Dog + friends are too slow for a good run of any length. I should just try to rent my place out and move back closer to downtown.

[Tuckerman]

Are there any ways to make a flat suburban setting fun to run in?

Never had to deal with that, I run a lot on trails no trails where you live? When I do run on the road I listen to podcast per Steve's suggestion, I like it.

[BeanDip4All]

my 30k at pirates cove this weekend went really well, I was psyched at how strong I felt...although HOLY BALLS there was one hill/mountainside that I basically crawled up. It was just up and up and up and had lots of stairs, too. I even sat down when I got to the top and just hung around for about 4 minutes, sending text messages and trying not to dry heave. Who does that, during a race??

BDFA... 40 miles a week?? Holy crapola, girlfriend... can you share what your schedule is? I'll admit I've been feeling good about my 15-20... but not really in training mode for anything yet...

You guys all make me wanna do an ultra... but damn... that's just gonna hurt...

sure! here's my schedule last week (and this is given to me from people who know what they're doing, so I don't feel bad passing it along, if it was just me making this up, I wouldn't tell you do to it because it's not really like I know how to put this stuff together at this point!)
Mon: 7 miles easy
Tues: 4.5 TEMPO/Fast
Wed: 6 miles easy
Thurs: 4 easy
Fri: off/rest
Sat: 18.6 30k
Sun: off/rest (I actually did a 40 min slow jog that day because I like kind of slowly running the day after a big effort)

and this week:
Mon: 7 mi easy
Tues: 5 easy
Wed: 7 MODERATE
Thurs: 5 easy
Fri: off
Sat: 20
Sun: off

I'm supposed to be strength training in there 3x a week as well, but honesly I haven't... yet. Will be doing crossfit, I think, in a few weeks when my schedule is a little more stable. It's been so variable lately that I'm just happy getting the running done. One thing where I think I always had problems is I would try and throw myself headfirst into EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE (ironman training) where you have to do strength and yoga and swimming and biking and running and stretching and blah blah blah and then just be overwhelmed and kinda do ... nothing. So for now, I'm just happy to be getting the running done, every day. Simple and refreshing.

You should certainly try an ultra! Are the races you are doing trail races? Having never really run on trails before this (other than cross country at lame suburbia based high school), I am just blown away by how fun trail running is compared to roads. The time goes a lot faster, too! Why not find some shorter trail races up there- a 10 miler or something? I'm sure they have them around your parts?

[bean]

No trails around home, I'm on the wrong side of Denver. The place I used to work backed up to table mountain so I could go for a trail run at lunch, which was a blast. Fortunately I got out of there (approaching 40% layoffs since I left) but damn do I miss being in Golden every day. Getting 33 miles in on the bike every day commuting was nice too. I just mapped out a possible run that's 7 miles, most of it is approach though and the unpaved stuff is still flat and boring, and runs along major roads. Weak.

[BeanDip4All]

No trails around home, I'm on the wrong side of Denver. The place I used to work backed up to table mountain so I could go for a trail run at lunch, which was a blast. Fortunately I got out of there (approaching 40% layoffs since I left) but damn do I miss being in Golden every day. Getting 33 miles in on the bike every day commuting was nice too. I just mapped out a possible run that's 7 miles, most of it is approach though and the unpaved stuff is still flat and boring, and runs along major roads. Weak.

Hi Bean (i feel like we have this kinship through our usernames),

I was thinking about some ideas for you and here's what I came up with:
- run with a friend, race each other
- track workouts once a week. are you near a track? these days can be fun because you can do pacing, intervals, speed work. sometimes the forced structure of the oval is a nice change to mix it up
- new routes. use this as an excuse to really explore EVERYWHERE. there's got to be some interesting stuff in that suburban hellhole- cemeteries to run by, a river, some old abandoned warehouses you can run through, unfinished developments, just go around and really get to know everywhere. you could try this using the "no route, only for time method" where you leave your house and say, head out for 30 minutes and come back for 30 minutes. that way you're not sticking to a particular route for distance
- fartlek always makes things more interesting, 1 minute on, 2 minutes off or some variation
- was going to say bring dog, but you are already doing that "boat anchor"- lol, i've ran with one of those before! he's a boat anchor on leash but not off
- run at different times of day- how about a jog at night, when it's dark under the stars? the spookiness of running at night might make things more interesting
- get really really really obsessed with pace/speed. if you're being psychotically attentive to performance, i don't think you'd really notice your surroundings as much, because you'd be watching the clock.
- same with other things- think about the details! footstrike, footfall, stride length, etc. get obsessed with form, concentrate on details.
- drills could mix it up. there's hill bounding (be prepared to look and feel like an idiot if you try this), running over "hot coals" and a bunch of others.
- blame yourself. only boring people are bored.
- drive somewhere interesting to run, i normally drive 10-30 minutes outside SF on weekends to trail run. i've been exploring lots of parks around here that are an hour to an hour and a half away, but normally try and coordinate those when i'm already in the area for something else
- oh one more that could also work if you have a stadium near you: run stairs! you won't be bored because you are too busy being miserable.
-okay 1 more- so maybe you live somewhere boring, but one thing that could help in the motivation department would be to sign up for a crazy adventure race somewhere NOT BORING and then you'd be motivated to get out there, looking forward to the race. two of my friends just got back from running a marathon on king george island in antartica, howzaboutit? or... you could sign up for the Arrowhead 135 where people ski, bike or run 135 miles in minnesota. maybe the toughman in england? or gobi desert death race? the survival of the shawangunks was one race i would have loved when i lived on the east coast... there's all kinds of "wacky" races out there- why not have something like that looming on your calendar to make you get out the door.
- get someone else involved. grab a lady and sign up for a couple's relay, if you are both working towards the goal that's twice the motivation.

[lionelhutz]

BDFA-
What's your tempo at? I can't figure out tempo workouts for CBB and myself for our 50k because we don't really have a goal pace...we have a goal time but pace is so sporadic - I mean with all the walking up/down hills, eating at aid stations, and creek crossing I don't feel like I have a pace the way I do for a half marathon/marathon.
I guess I could just pick a goal pace and go with it..but then I feel like my tempo workouts would be too slow.

[bean]

Thanks for the suggestions BD4A. I think I'm going to try a semi-offleash run with the mutt and see if she can keep up that way. She's a cattle dog, she should be able to run for more than a mile before dying of exhaustion here. I've convinced a friend to go do a 13mi trail run in Boulder once the snow sucks again. Also thinking about the night running.

There's a hudge park that's 2 blocks away from my house that was supposed to be done and open 2 years ago but they're not even close. If that were open, laps there could be fun (despite it being flat).

[johngenx]

I started running years ago simply to train for mountaineering and ski touring, and though I still run to train for that, it's taken on a bit of a life of it's own. I am also seconded to the 'burbs, and living on the prairie, I'm lucky that the city has a small river running through it, and a nice little valley offering some good ups and downs. Running on flats is boring, I agree, but sometimes I guess you take what you get.

My ipod is my best defense against boredom. I love finding great music to match the weather/scenery. I have playlists (that change all the time) like "cold morning run" and "sunny afternoon run" to "grueling hot day." I am a lone runner, preferring to be out with my thoughts and my music and my breathing. I like exploring new trails, but also have found it fun to be running "on an old friend" and relish that next steep bit I know is around the next bend.

[valleygirl]

my 30k at pirates cove this weekend went really well, I was psyched at how strong I felt...although HOLY BALLS there was one hill/mountainside that I basically crawled up. It was just up and up and up and had lots of stairs, too. I even sat down when I got to the top and just hung around for about 4 minutes, sending text messages and trying not to dry heave. Who does that, during a race??


You should certainly try an ultra! Are the races you are doing trail races? Having never really run on trails before this (other than cross country at lame suburbia based high school), I am just blown away by how fun trail running is compared to roads. The time goes a lot faster, too! Why not find some shorter trail races up there- a 10 miler or something? I'm sure they have them around your parts?

During a race... texting, never... trying to keep from dry heaving, always.

I too love trail running... and while most of my races are on the road, I do a lot of training in the experimental forest on Bear Notch Rd. Carriage roads, but good hills and a relief from running past houses. In the spring & fall there are trail running series at Great Glen -- I'll be doing both this year. Also there's a 9 mile Black Fly in Your Eye race in June -- my friend & I split it last year (me 6, her 3) but I'm trying to convince her to do the whole thing this time so I can too!

I can see I need to re-commit... not only to running but to my general health & well-being -- have been out of work for a month and this doesn't do good things for my psyche even while it gives me a large amount of time in which to Get Things Done...! Thanks for the inspiration...

[bean]

Can anyone suggest a well-priced GPS watch with a HR monitor? Having a gizmo that tells me exactly how I'm doing would be likely to get me out there more. Garmin has some pretty slick looking ones but at least at MSRP, they're a little more than I'd like to pay.

[valleygirl]

Does the wind have to blow EVERY DAY??? Am dressed to go out and am just dreading it... Yep... zero motivation...

[Daywalker]

Does the wind have to blow EVERY DAY??? Am dressed to go out and am just dreading it... Yep... zero motivation...

Suck it up, Sally. It's called spring and it's better to run in than winter.

[lionelhutz]

Disagree with that...Winter isn't so bad and it rains less.
The wind is totally demoralizing to run into...but it does make you stronger.

[valleygirl]

Demoralizing is exactly the right word....

[BeanDip4All]

not running much, doing 12 hours of class (straight) a day these days and then studying at night. also eating lots of ... unhealthy cafeteria type garbage and sodas.

i can literally feel myself getting fatter as i sit there taking notes and drinking diet coke!

But, loving school and it's done on april 11th so after that can get back at it. ::yawn::
signed,
a very tired beandip

[lionelhutz]

What are you in school for? April 11th is a perfect time to get back to running...

[Daywalker]

Finally starting to run and get in shape again. It feels good.

[Could Be Buggy]

Happy to report that i've had no ITBS flare ups in the past week. Been aggressively using the foam roller (very painful at first), stretching after every run (this is new to me), doing more leg weights, etc. 12 miler on Sunday was no problem.

Will report back if things change.