I guess I am just too old, but I like the phrase "hitting the wall" better than this new-speak version. Avoiding it at all cost, a nice notion, but not necessarily realistic as the typical athlete can store about 2000 calories of energy, about enough for 18-20 miles for the average athlete even when adequately fueled. The best athletes are trained to run through it. As I hear the word "bonking" bantered about so freely, I cannot help think the real meaning of the word has been diluted considerably. John

I am finding that the transition from the treadmill to the road, to be hard on the legs. While my lungs can handle it my legs are sore, in particular my right leg. I hope that they will catch up in the next few weeks. in the mean time I'll just plod along.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!! For those of you in the north of the US (or south of Canada) fall air is here!!!!!!!! (How are the temps in the UK and France??) For the past week or so all my runs have been in nice cool fall temperatures. Those of you still training in a broiler, we think of you each and every run and will be seriously envious of you during our winter months. Although, some of my best running has been on crisp, sunny days on packed snowmobile trails in the back woods. Right now it is so pleasant not to be overly concerned about dehydration during shorter runs and even the BG seems to be a bit easier to regulate. I'm even leaving the heart rate monitor home once in a while. At the moment I'm recovering from a bit of depletion last week following my long run but am still hoping for a 13.1 this Saturday. Today's pace has picked up a bit and the legs are feeling better. So we'll see how things go.

YEP!! I am on vacation and getting up early to run in hte AM. It is nice and cool and I actually have on sweat pants on to run!! Yesterday was clear and cool and ti was nice to look up and see my friend Orion in hte east shining bright

Dave you are right about that. If I can't have distance then I want speed. I hope when I get into the longer distances I will start to relax during the run. Right now it is difficult to do. I am allways tense and this blasted HRM is beeping at me, or it is going spastic, or it is comming off. I hope when I get into the miles and start running for some longer periods I will begin to settle down, After all a few seconds here or there will not mean much then. My legs are long and skinny, not built for speed but distance. Temps have been in the 70s the last couple of days, real nice, and out out of character for TX, for this time of year. I sure hope it holds, but it can't last.

John, Yea I run on cement, but my knees don't bother me, it the large muscles Hams and the rear. The 2 mi rout I run is not flat but has two 30 ft rises and declines. That is the big differance between the treadmill and the road. The thing I am learning is to pace the declines, so that I am rested for the inclines. I have learned that you can not make up on declines for what you loose on the inclines. Best to go into the inclines a little bit stronger. Over all it is the hills that are working those legs and making them sore. I keep them stretched, well stretched for me, which isn't, or never in my life have ever been stretched. The treadmill just never worked them. They will get better as time goes on. I work on Trains for Dallas Area Rapid Transit, those things are parked on rails and a pit is dug under the rails, and scafolding for over the train, and it is in and out of the pits, and up and down the Scafolding, all day long. So my legs are being worked no matter what I do. Running out doors just added one more thing my legs need to adjust for. It is amazing how different activites can work different muscles, or in a different way, on the same part of the body. It is just one more reason to get into shape, so I can add more activities, trail running, trail biking, ( do you do that Dave? ). My son took me oit one day 11 miles, on a very good trail bike, he said I was the first one new he had taken out, and was able to complete the trail. He laughed at me when I crashed and fell. I told him that I was going to live for 30 more years so I can watch him do the same thing when he was 58.

John, Yea I run on cement, but my knees don't bother me, it the large muscles Hams and the rear. The 2 mi rout I run is not flat but has two 30 ft rises and declines. That is the big differance between the treadmill and the road. The thing I am learning is to pace the declines, so that I am rested for the inclines. I have learned that you can not make up on declines for what you loose on the inclines. Best to go into the inclines a little bit stronger. Over all it is the hills that are working those legs and making them sore.

Joeosborn, Obviously your outdoor work does not compare to the treadmill. You are working yourself much harder so take care to pace things better. Something else I noticed in your post, be careful that you don't see the declines as too much of an opportunity to make up time. Declines are absolutely brutal on the knee tendons. As you go down hill, if you extend your stride too much I can almost guarantee an injury that will show up as a sharp pain just below the knee. It may not even show up until a day or so after the actual injury. But it will be noticeable while running and especially when going up and down stairs. So, be careful of those declines.

Hi all. I finally got back into the swing of things after five days off. No running at all, only a couple of walks to keep the BG in check. The summer had really made me stale, pushing to my goal of a half marathon in less than 2 hours after nearly three years of not running—only walking. (I missed my goal by less than 1 minute two weeks ago.) My plan today was to simply enjoy a run for running sake. I left my stopwatch and HRM at home and laced up. Armed with only my wristwatch my goal was to just run. The distance? 1 hour. The pace? Comfortable. Water? Drank before I left. Glucose while running? Not today. Ate a good breakfast 45 minutes before taking off. The BG did get a little on the low side but not bad. What an enjoyable run! A nice big loop out of town along the west side of the valley we live in and then back into town via the main route past our shopping plaza. The plan was to stop at 1 hour and walk the rest and enjoy the morning. The leaves here in the northeast of USA are just getting beautiful. Deep reds and fluorescent yellows in the bright sunshine. The temperature was 50 degrees. It was my first long-sleeved run since spring. This is what I’ve always liked best about running and probably why I just set my own goals and do it solo without the headaches of racing. John Oh...that half marathon I mentioned? It was one my son and I Google mapped and did together. I thought I was staying with him when he was only toying with me.

I just cannot resist a post. Yesterday was an absolutely perfect running day here in New York State. I live in a little village in a very rural area with beautiful rolling hills and beautiful scenery. I go out my front door and the available courses I can take are endless. Yesterday the sun was out and temp was about 50; an absolutely perfect running day and an inspiration to get back into it. The only problem is, these days only occur around here about once a month or so. Just a mean-spirited tease! God surely jests. In another month slushy, muddy snow will dampen the shoes and make for some very unpleasant runs. I do look forward though to mid-winter, week end running when the snow pack is solid and snowmobiles will have created some of the most exciting back-woods running trails imaginable. Just dreaming "out loud." John