RunningAHEAD - Topic: race questions

chloe36

posted: 10/10/2006 at 2:18 PM

Two questions: -My first 5K is in two weeks, am I allowed to use my Ipod when running? I don't think I could do it without it. -Background: I have a two year old and I live in West Virginia, so I only run on a treadmill, however I can easily do 7miles a day. I would love to do a half-marathon in January. I know it will be harder for me to run outside but my real concern is running when it's that cold. Is it much harder? Better? Just curious. Thanks for your help!

Goals: Maintain 120 beat 5k time: 25:52 beat 10k time: 55:48 Complete one half-marathon-Jan. 10th

rockenmamaof5

posted: 10/10/2006 at 2:27 PM

To answer your ipod ? I've ran many races that you weren't supposed to wear ipods. Lets just say there were tons of people who bent that rule and didn't get punished for it. As far as your ? about running outside in the cold. Let me say this. I started running in September of 2004 on the treadmill, HOWEVER I didn't get outside until April or May of 2005 and let me tell you it was SO much freaken harder for me! First off I wasn't used to the cold, second of all I wasn't at all used to the ground underneath my feet. If you really want to run a HM I'd start running outside!

Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

chloe36

posted: 10/10/2006 at 2:32 PM

Gosh! It is so freaky hilly where I live. The HM is about 2 hours away from me and flat! I guess I could go to the high school track but that is soooooooo boring!! Thanks for your reply!

Goals: Maintain 120 beat 5k time: 25:52 beat 10k time: 55:48 Complete one half-marathon-Jan. 10th

Wingz

Professional Noob

posted: 10/10/2006 at 3:12 PM

Try saying to yourself, "Hills are my friends. They make me stronger. The more hills I run, the stronger I get!" Works for me! Big grin

Roads were made for journeys...

Mile Collector

Abs of Flabs

posted: 10/10/2006 at 3:26 PM

You definitely should run outside, even if it's only once a week to get your body accustomed to the cold. Otherwise, the cold will be a total shock to your system. If your neighborhood is hilly, you can cut back your mileage. Instead of runn 7 miles a day, run 5 and ease yourself into it. Try to slowly increase the distance back up to 7 or whatever gradually. When you finally run the half on a flat course, you'll notice how much easier it would be.

Beantown Runners | On the Bench

Pron8r

posted: 10/10/2006 at 4:03 PM
modified: 10/10/2006 at 4:04 PM

You have got to train in the conditions you are going to run in. There are some good pointers here: rockenmamof5: I wasn't at all used to the ground underneath my feet. There is a big difference between runnning on a treadmill and running outside, not the least of which is the mechanics of how you run. A treadmill is cushioned, it helps pull you along, and you won't work your calf muscles like running outside will. At some point, you have got to get outdoors. Wingz:"Hills are my friends. They make me stronger. The more hills I run, the stronger I get!" Word, girl. Hills are speedwork in disguise. They make you both faster and stronger. Mile Collector: If your neighborhood is hilly, you can cut back your mileage. Instead of run 7 miles a day, run 5 and ease yourself into it You can do it. You just have to get used to it. As far as the cold--dress appropriately and run. You can run farther and faster in the cold than you can in the heat. Yeah, it will be hard to go out the door. But, once you get going, you'll be fine. Good luck!

My Masters (>50) Race PR's: 5K - 20:17 10K - 42:36 HM - 1:31:22 Marathon - 3:20:48

JakeKnight

posted: 10/10/2006 at 8:07 PM

Quote from chloe36 on 10/10/2006 at 2:32 PM:

Gosh! It is so freaky hilly where I live. The HM is about 2 hours away from me and flat! I guess I could go to the high school track but that is soooooooo boring!! Thanks for your reply!

You run 7 miles at a shot on a treadmill and you think a TRACK is boring? Shocked

I think I'd slit my wrists if somebody made me run on a treadmill for an hour. Talk about boring. But my better half runs on the thing every morning. So you're not alone in your craziness. Big grin

Go run them hills. Sounds fun. And imagine how fast you'll be if you do all your training in the hills and go run a flat half-mary! As for the iPod ... what Rockenmama said. The last two marathons I did there were lots of warning about not wearing iPods. I wore mine, and I sure wasn't alone. (Of course, I found out that I don't actually use it much in a race. Too much else to see and hear!). If you do wear it ... keep the sound down so you can hear people coming up behind you. People get ornery if you don't.

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
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tbarton

posted: 10/11/2006 at 7:44 AM

Hills are great to train on, especially for a flat race. Smile

I live in a bunch of really flat cornfields. I drove across the county twice a week to train on a hilly course when I ran my first half and it made a huge difference. I felt like I was flying at the actually race. I finished about 20 minutes faster on the flat course than I did on my final 13 mile training run on the hills. BTW, I have a friend who has several small children and does *all* of her training on a treadmill. The only time she runs outside is at races and she pretty much always wins her age group and usually wins the master's women's or the overall race. Teresa

I'm Running to Eat

chloe36

posted: 10/11/2006 at 8:32 AM

Thanks for all your advice. My town is more than hilly, but a neighboring town is more rolly (is that a word?) I have torn cartilidge (spelling) in my left knee...I wear 3 knee braces --In doing that, I haven't had any pain for 7 months--Going up hills does not bother me or my knee, but going down hills is much harder. Is there a reason for that? Can I run only areas that have hills going up and not loop around to come back? Will that train me enough?

Goals: Maintain 120 beat 5k time: 25:52 beat 10k time: 55:48 Complete one half-marathon-Jan. 10th

Wingz

Professional Noob

posted: 10/11/2006 at 3:25 PM

I'm not an expert on this, but you should be aware that going down hills is especially hard on the knees when the muscles (think: quads) aren't well enough developed to handle what's being asked. Again, I think you should run this by a PT and get their help/advice.

Roads were made for journeys...

race questions (Read 629 times)