Who all is here and what are you doing? (Read 16053 times)

I may be the very last person to post here... I'm a 35 year old architect in Belfast, Maine (along the coast about 2 hours north of Portland) I'm hoping to run a 10K next year when I'm assured I'm not going to be last! I'm trying a 20-24 mile training week and one day I hope to be in that 100-mile club - today calves are recovering from yoga class. I love reading the posts and playing with my charts, thanks Eric, A

Hello, I wrote my first "hello/introduction" post in the Running 101 section -- perhaps I should have written here! Just found this site last night. Thanks for building runningahead.com Eric! Here is some background on me: from about age 16-25 I ran and cycled quite a bit. I competed in community 5k/10k running races and a variety of run-bike and run-bike-run biathlon events. I really enjoyed cycling long distances and accomplished a number of centuries and a double century. Age 26-36 I trailed off on my exercise regimen. Age 36-40 I began building out my home gym roughly 5 years ago (elliptical trainer, stationary bike) and slowly got back into an exercise routine. I began cycling again in 2004. It was nice to put in some miles on the road again however I still missed running - a lot. I bought a treadmill in April of this year and slowly began to put time in; 15 or 20 minutes is all I would do for the first few weeks. I started my outdoor running slowly at first with 3 mile loops around the neighborhood eventually building up to 6 mile loops. I have been gradually increasing my mileage over the weeks as well as increasing my hills. I know my self/body well enough to realize too-much too-soon can be detrimental so I am trying hard to be incremental about each phase of my exercise routine. I started a log on this site to get less sloppy about my training. The handwritten notes in a variety of places was working, to a certain extent, but overuse injuries scare me. I gave myself a goal to run in the Seattle Half Marathon November 26. I want to keep it simple and run it - not race it. Currently I run in the 9:30 per mile range. Thanks, Jeffrey.

Hi Friends! My name is Norm, I am 36, single, and a reborn runner....glad to be here...glad to have found all of you...and basking in the warmth of knowing I am not alone. I was your typical chubby, sickly kid who discovered running and basketball in the 8th grade and quickly become a decent point guard, quarter miler, and supporting teammate in cross country. Then off to college where I played volleyball and continued running for fun. I graduated, worked in the entertainment and travel and tourism fields...adopted some bad habits... retreated to the business world and 10 years out of college I was 253 pounds and a cheese steak away from a heart attack. My last year of grad school both of my parents were diagnosed with cancer, fought it, and won...made me look at myself... Empowered with a new Master of Education degree and a job running a residence hall, I decided it was time to change my life again. So, I started running. Day one saw me make it 2 laps around the track before I was done. Not the best start....That was June of last year. I kept at it with the help of some great friends and this past February ran and completed a half marathon....2:13:27....nothing close to world class or whatever...but I was 40 pounds lighter and a much happier, healthier man. Now, I am a few months from my first marathon...and the training is going well. So, I have seen the blogs and articles about running accepting mediocrity and all that...but, I am alive and, God willing, am better prepared to live a healthier, happier life...and who knows....at this rate...I will break 200 pounds this year...new wardrobe time! Who wants to go shopping when that happens!??!! :-) Cheers and happy running to all!!! PS. This site rocks!!!

WELCOME! There are enough of us that have to get in the last word that this post isn't likely to ever end! We are glad you decided to join us. Now, let's talk about that "last" thing. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, in fact, in my circles, some races actually recognize that placement as "most determined", or some such thing. Keep in mind, if you are last in a race, you are ahead of everyone that didn't show up to toe the line in the first place! Keep posting! Lynn B

Thanks Lynn B et al, This is a great site, totally informative, and very welcoming. A

Hey Podoasis - as we ex-hippie types used to (and still do) say, "Keep on truckin'!" That marathon finish line is going to be sweet!

Hey Podoasis - as we ex-hippie types used to (and still do) say, "Keep on truckin'!" That marathon finish line is going to be sweet!

Cheers, Runningluke! I am getting more excited by the day! 61 days to go!!! Yes...I will keep on truckin'! :-) Happy running!!!

What was brutal was that the hills are in the last 3 to 5 miles.... but you are correct. Training on hills helps. I have several courses I run during training that have gradual hills and a couple that have steep hills. I found that the Seattle hills were runable... I was BARELY running but I was passing others that were walking them...