Okay, so this is not the venue for getting encouragement to run on a treadmill! I'll add this forum to my motivational incentives for the transition to outdoor running. I run in minimalist shoes: Atlra's or the new Saucony version. I'm a graduate of Brooks Beast & other shoes designed for heavier runners, but they really aren't good for me. I battle peripheral neuropathy & I need the ground feel a minimal shoes gives me. I don't have running-related joint pain, since I'm EXTREMELY careful not to mask any twinges with painkillers. I get a twinge, I find an exercise to strengthen the complaining muscle/joint. I have no illusions that I can just throw on a pair of running shoes and head out for a 5 mi. run like I did in my twenties.
Art- I count every calorie that goes in my mouth. Not too many required at my age, even with exercise. I've been losing weight consistently for the past 18-24 months. Probably a total of 50lbs, so far. It gets harder to lose the closer you get to your goal. I feel like I'm constantly having to "kick it up a notch". In addition to the running/erging 3-4x/week, I swim 1-1 1/2 miles 5x/week. I love it, but it's all time consuming & I work FT. I have friends who say they hate to exercise. I'm grateful that I've always enjoyed it.
Friday, 8/2
6 miles today, the first 2 on the local railtrail, then 4 on pavement. I'm experiencing a little tightness in my lower right leg I assume is caused by the switch to zero drop shoes and barefoot running. It's improving, but visits every time I run.
sara... by all means post your treadmill runs here. Not being familiar with your running history, I didn't know if you'd ever even experienced a run outside. It's all good, a treadmill run gives you the same aerobic workout you get outside.
Sara: Never having had a joint replacement, it had not occurred to me that your new hip is an issue, . I can only echo what others have already said, that the combination of diet and exercise will get you where you want to be. I also echo the comment about good shoes. Even if it's a longer drive that you like, if you can find some unpaved trails for walking, the stress on your hip and body generally will be far less.
Ray: Love 51 degrees for running. Shorts and maybe a long-sleeved top if it's cloudy.
Everyone have a good weekend.
2014 Races:
Wisconsin (Half) Marathon, May 3, Kenosha, WI
Dam To Dam HM, June 1, Des Moines, IA
Garry Bjorkman Half Marathon, June 21, Duluth, MN
Des Moines (Half) Marathon, October 19 (registered)
Steve - Yes. Gotta love the cooler weather - just I'm not usually up that early unless a race is involved. Enjoy your weekend.
Sara - I don't think we're against the treadmill. It is certainly a valuable and very useful tool to have. They are boring, as you've found. Rich and adkkev do a lot of trail running, as do I. I'm fortunate that they is a nice long creek trail at work. When at home I prefer to get over to Stanford to include the "Dish" trail as part of my run. There's tons of wildlife in both places and the terrain varies - not to mention all the "people" critters I need to dodge. On long runs and treadmill runs I usually listen to my ipod. We have a large screen TV out with the treadmill where sometimes we might watch (more likely on a longer walk or run). The last few months I'm probably averaging 40-45 miles per week, of which 3-8 miles will be on the treadmill. I don't find running in the heat or up hills pleasant either, but I do those too. I almost go out of my way to do hills and run in the heat under the theory that it'll make me a better runner. You get out of it what you put into it. Given your challenges, most of us are going to find what ever you can do inspirational. On the predecessor to this list PKAR was 87 and still doing races, the rest of us loved it!
Rich - 4 miles barefoot! You going to do your next marathon barefoot?
Did second session yesterday at work ~5.1 miles in ~40 minutes. Forgot my garmin so they're both guestimates, but I have done the course a lot and the upper bound on the time is 41 minutes and lower bound could be 38. Walked just over 5 miles today in about 1:12 today. I'm hoping I can keep up with my little bro tomorrow...
Ray
Ray, I honestly don't know where barefoot running is going to take me. When I put the Altras on to run home yesterday after running the 4 barefoot miles, it was like running in street shoes, the difference is so great.
Right now I'm running barefoot no more than once or twice a week and doing it as a way to strengthen my feet. They're not tough enough for full time and I don't know if they ever will be, but I'm having fun with it and that's good enough for now...
A marathon? I'd love to and qualify for Boston at the same time...
6 miles this morning on pavement and along the canal. Felt good the first 5.5 miles and then that last half mile felt my stride off.
Sara - I'll echo what the others have said about the treadmill. They use them because they have to during certain periods. I don't like, use or own one. If I can't run because of something I don't run that day but will run the next. Or I might walk or ride my bike. I have no need for one because where I am in Arizona the weather is almost always conducive to getting outside.
You want to lose some more weight before going outside because of the pounding on your feet and hip. Maybe getting some type of cushioning shoe to use for running outside might help. Do you know what type of shoe you should be in? Meaning should your shoes be neutral, stability, etc. If you haven't, you should go to a good running shoe store and have your feet and run style checked. That could help.
Keep up the work. You'll get all kinds of encouragement and advice here.
Rich - Nice barefoot mileage.
Ray - Good weekly mile average. Do you have a next event?
Received a notice for a HM in Nov. I did this one last year and after a great start it ended as being my slowest time do to needing to lose some "waste" and nowhere to lose it. This year they are starting at 4:00 in the afternoon so this will be a twilight type of event. Sounds fun. Also means not having to get up early to get to the race.
Art in AZ
Mesa, AZ
saratg hope your training continues to go well.
Art in AZ a twilight race sounds like fun.
rmcj001 good luck
NH Runner saw a photo of a guy running a marathon barefoot. It was cold out, too. Guess a person can harden the feet up.
15 miles with the group. Stayed with them for a longer distance this time.....because they were running slower...not because I was faster.
"dancing on the path and singing, now you got away,
you can reach the goals you set from now on, every day"
Sonata Arctica
15 trail miles @ Moosalamoo Trail Races in Vermont this morning. Lovely day for a run in the woods. Roughly 13000 feet of elly gain and loss. All the good stuff ... water, slippery rocks/roots, mud.
adkkev - 13,000 feet?! Holy crap! You da man!
Chantilly - Just 15 miles? Who's the slacker? Oh, yeah - that would be me...
Art - Given when I read this, contemplating 5K or 10K in 3 weeks, it's a trail run just south of the one today, but not paved and remember feet taking a beating last year. Definitely 5 miler over labor day weekend and Moonlight Run at end of September (5 or 10K again).
Rich - Those feet were made for running and that's just what they'll do, one of these days those feet are going run right over you...
5K race today with son and brother, while wife and other son did 1/2 marathon. Ran well and set an over 50 PR for 5k at 21:40. 2nd in age group to -- my brother... Did narrow the time to 28 seconds. I'm pretty happy, main goal was to get it under 22 - mission accomplished and the other was to do sub 7 minutes/mile - think I got that one too.
rmcj001 congratulations on your race. Age group PR's are very satisfying.
adkkev that's some mountain climbing you're doing.
6 miles.
Saturday... 5 miles of running, then later in the day 4 miles of bike riding on the railtrail.
Sunday... 8 miles. Pace was high 8's except where I backed off in the last mile
Ray... congrats on a solid race and PR!
adkkev... you must have been in Northern Vermont, eh? Nice run!
Chantilly... congrats on your 15 miler as well. I wonder what the feet of a barefoot marathon runner look like after a race. I betting they look SORE...lol
Rest day today ... just a little sore here & there.
Rich - the race is near Middlebury VT, in the National Forest.