Calling all Princesses! (2014 Princess half marathon board)

[kappyfamily]

In regards to sore hips, I had this problem last year. My sister in law who was an athletic trainer and is an avid runner, gave me this advice and within almost 2-3 weeks of working on this it went away. First off, she asked me if I slept on my left side (which is also the side that hurt the most). She said most women are taught to sleep on their left side when they are pregnant(better for the baby, etc). After giving birth it just becomes a natural thing to keep sleeping on that side/hip. She told me to try really hard at night to either sleep on my right side , back or front. It was hard in the beginning but have now gotten used to it. Second, she asked me if I swung my hips when walking fast or running. I wasn't sure so I went out and really payed attention to my form. She said to try and keep your hips "squared" in front of you.

These two things have made a world of difference. I literally have no hip pain. Not sure if it will help you, but it did work for me and I don't know about you but I will do just about anything to "take the hurt" away!!

Good luck!

 

[EeyoreEma]

I wear Smart Wool toe socks in both the summer and winter and they work pretty well. I think having the fabric around each individual toe helps keep them a little warmer (I wear them to prevent blisters).

Do they work well for blister prevention? I ramped up my lubing and wrapping at Wine and Dine, and did much better blister wise but still ended up with a couple.

 

[EeyoreEma]

I think I"m feeling back up to doing the GSC again. After this weekend, I swore I wasn't going to do it - W&D kicked my tail! But I think I"ll go for it after all - and then I am RETIRING from racing!!

 

[MaMa3Princess]

I am glad I won't be alone And thank you for the advice. Within last 3 months I bought 4 pair of sneakers and they were terrible. So like you girls said, I went to the store 3 days ago and asked for help. I've got my best shoes

Glad you got some good shoes. This is going to be your bread and butter when it comes to running!!

 

[steph0808]

Do they work well for blister prevention? I ramped up my lubing and wrapping at Wine and Dine, and did much better blister wise but still ended up with a couple.

I definitely think they work! I get blisters because of my toes rubbing against each other and the Smart Wool (or other toe socks) keep them separated. I occassionally still get one on the tip of a toe from rubbing against my shoe but it is a rare thing these days.

 

[PrincessV]

In regards to sore hips, I had this problem last year. My sister in law who was an athletic trainer and is an avid runner, gave me this advice and within almost 2-3 weeks of working on this it went away. First off, she asked me if I slept on my left side (which is also the side that hurt the most). She said most women are taught to sleep on their left side when they are pregnant(better for the baby, etc). After giving birth it just becomes a natural thing to keep sleeping on that side/hip. She told me to try really hard at night to either sleep on my right side , back or front. It was hard in the beginning but have now gotten used to it. Second, she asked me if I swung my hips when walking fast or running. I wasn't sure so I went out and really payed attention to my form. She said to try and keep your hips "squared" in front of you.

These two things have made a world of difference. I literally have no hip pain. Not sure if it will help you, but it did work for me and I don't know about you but I will do just about anything to "take the hurt" away!!

Good luck!

I can't speak to anyone else's hip pain, but mine's thanks to too many miles on a steep camber plus scoliosis. I have no way to keep my hips from moving because my spine is so curved, making one hip sit higher than the other. Doesn't normally pose a problem beyond some lower back pain after long runs, but the 11 miles on a steep camber did me in - IT Band tightened, which led to bursitis. Got that fixed up, but in the process my SI Joint got out of whack. My chiro popped it back in, but everything that had been stretched too tight because of it is still sore. GAH! I'm a mess!

 

[EeyoreEma]

I definitely think they work! I get blisters because of my toes rubbing against each other and the Smart Wool (or other toe socks) keep them separated. I occassionally still get one on the tip of a toe from rubbing against my shoe but it is a rare thing these days.

Awesome - thanks steph. I've been scared to try them, as I thought they might make the blisters worse (mine can be so bad they put me out of commission for weeks at a time). Now I will definitely have to get some to give them a try!

 

[pinkvol7]

I have a few questions for you pros. 1) My friend and I are running a 1 mile/walking 2 minutes combo on our long runs. Is this a good method for the half? We run two 30 minute runs and one long run per week. We run the whole 30 minutes and are tweaking the long runs. We average between 10:47 to 11:35. 2) Average run temps are 40°. It's going to get much colder here before the half. Should we continue to run outside? Will this throw off our run for the half since it will be warmer? 3) Final question, my running shoes are great for short runs, but on long runs, I feel the pavement. Make sense? When should I go get fitted for shoes for the half? I don't want to get a pair now that will be worn out by Feb. Or should I get a pair now and only wear them for my long runs? Sorry for all of the questions. TIA for your responses!

 

[MaMa3Princess]

I have a few questions for you pros. 1) My friend and I are running a 1 mile/walking 2 minutes combo on our long runs. Is this a good method for the half? We run two 30 minute runs and one long run per week. We run the whole 30 minutes and are tweaking the long runs. We average between 10:47 to 11:35. 2) Average run temps are 40°. It's going to get much colder here before the half. Should we continue to run outside? Will this throw off our run for the half since it will be warmer? 3) Final question, my running shoes are great for short runs, but on long runs, I feel the pavement. Make sense? When should I go get fitted for shoes for the half? I don't want to get a pair now that will be worn out by Feb. Or should I get a pair now and only wear them for my long runs? Sorry for all of the questions. TIA for your responses!

Certainly not a pro by a long shot! I will say this the only difficulty of the Princess is that most people train in cold and come to Florida heat in the winter. I ran Princess in 2012 and Miami ING 2013 both I trained in winter temps and both races were extremely warm. My time slowed down but the biggest was hydration.Please work on hydration. miami i had to take salt capsules as when i finished it waa almost 80 degrees! So please compensate for what could be warmer temps in Orlando. Who knows it could be could.
Shoes I just purchased a pair for training and I know by 3 weeks before the race they will be worn out. I try not to put more than 300-400 miles on my shoes. I have a certain brand that I stick to and they are fairly inexpensive on the Internet. So have you settled on a shoe that works for you? The time to find a good shoe is now and just update that shoe before toy leave. Again I buy my shoes every 3-400 miles.
That's my non expert but experience opinion. I am sure others with more knowledge will chime in.

 

[pinkvol7]

Certainly not a pro by a long shot! I will say this the only difficulty of the Princess is that most people train in cold and come to Florida heat in the winter. I ran Princess in 2012 and Miami ING 2013 both I trained in winter temps and both races were extremely warm. My time slowed down but the biggest was hydration.Please work on hydration. miami i had to take salt capsules as when i finished it waa almost 80 degrees! So please compensate for what could be warmer temps in Orlando. Who knows it could be could. Shoes I just purchased a pair for training and I know by 3 weeks before the race they will be worn out. I try not to put more than 300-400 miles on my shoes. I have a certain brand that I stick to and they are fairly inexpensive on the Internet. So have you settled on a shoe that works for you? The time to find a good shoe is now and just update that shoe before toy leave. Again I buy my shoes every 3-400 miles. That's my non expert but experience opinion. I am sure others with more knowledge will chime in.

Thanks!! I definitely hydrate, so I'm good there. As far as shoes, I love my running shoes for running 4 miles or less. When I run more than 4, I feel like I am running barefoot. I guess I just need to go get fitted. I'm just trying not to spend $$.

 

[joan4mickey]

I have a few questions for you pros. 1) My friend and I are running a 1 mile/walking 2 minutes combo on our long runs. Is this a good method for the half? We run two 30 minute runs and one long run per week. We run the whole 30 minutes and are tweaking the long runs. We average between 10:47 to 11:35. 2) Average run temps are 40°. It's going to get much colder here before the half. Should we continue to run outside? Will this throw off our run for the half since it will be warmer? 3) Final question, my running shoes are great for short runs, but on long runs, I feel the pavement. Make sense? When should I go get fitted for shoes for the half? I don't want to get a pair now that will be worn out by Feb. Or should I get a pair now and only wear them for my long runs? Sorry for all of the questions. TIA for your responses!

Not a pro but I have to say the weather is the hardest...we won't know the forecast until a few days before so really no way to plan. Hope it is like the first year's weather..cool not cold. Second year cold not horrible. Third and fourth year okay but this year too warm.

 

[cindy0519]

Ran, well ran/walked, a local 11k Last weekend. My first official race..woo hoo! We got off course thanks to no course map or route signs and wasted a bunch if time. My official time shows a pace of 15:48. Do I submit this in hopes if better corral placement or just skip it because it is so close to the required pace?

 

[PrincessV]

Ran, well ran/walked, a local 11k Last weekend. My first official race..woo hoo! We got off course thanks to no course map or route signs and wasted a bunch if time. My official time shows a pace of 15:48. Do I submit this in hopes if better corral placement or just skip it because it is so close to the required pace?

I'd submit it - at the very least, it could put you before those who submit nothing.

 

[MaMa3Princess]

I'd submit it - at the very least, it could put you before those who submit nothing.

I would agree with Princess V, it sounds like you could have gotten a faster time if the route was clearly marked. Congrats on your 11k!!!

 

[fashionista311]

I have a few questions for you pros. 1) My friend and I are running a 1 mile/walking 2 minutes combo on our long runs. Is this a good method for the half? We run two 30 minute runs and one long run per week. We run the whole 30 minutes and are tweaking the long runs. We average between 10:47 to 11:35. 2) Average run temps are 40°. It's going to get much colder here before the half. Should we continue to run outside? Will this throw off our run for the half since it will be warmer? 3) Final question, my running shoes are great for short runs, but on long runs, I feel the pavement. Make sense? When should I go get fitted for shoes for the half? I don't want to get a pair now that will be worn out by Feb. Or should I get a pair now and only wear them for my long runs? Sorry for all of the questions. TIA for your responses!

I'm in the northeast, and have done a few destination races over the years. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to prepare for the shock of the heat. I try to avoid the treadmill (although if it's very icy out, sometimes it's a necessary evil) because it's def not quite the same, and I think it tweaks my stride. It takes about 2-3 weeks of running for an hour or longer to adapt to the heat, so unfortunately, there's no real way to acclimate for the race (unless you are lucky enough to be a snowbird! in which case, can you adopt me then?) The best thing you can do is to make sure you are well trained, and be prepared to slow down if it's warm.

Def get fitted for shoes asap. The right shoe will not make you any faster, but the wrong shoes will almost definitely bring on a running injury.

 

[cindy0519]

A good reminder to all those, like myself, who feel a little "too slow"

 

[MagicMomma]

A good reminder to all those, like myself, who feel a little "too slow"

LOVE this! I'm definitely in the turtle club- but I get there eventually!

 

[keahgirl8]

A good reminder to all those, like myself, who feel a little "too slow"

This is great! If you run, you're a runner. Period.

 

[afnaechiquita]

Thanks!! I definitely hydrate, so I'm good there. As far as shoes, I love my running shoes for running 4 miles or less. When I run more than 4, I feel like I am running barefoot. I guess I just need to go get fitted. I'm just trying not to spend $$.

you should get fitted now, or at least two months before the race, so that you have time to break them in. you don't want to be running the race in brand new shoes, and you also don't want to be running in the ones you're currently in if that's your problem.

 

[donaldandpirates]

Thanks!! I definitely hydrate, so I'm good there. As far as shoes, I love my running shoes for running 4 miles or less. When I run more than 4, I feel like I am running barefoot. I guess I just need to go get fitted. I'm just trying not to spend $$.

My sister, who's an athletic trainer, told me that it's better to spend the money on good shoes now than it is to spend sometimes significantly more money treating an injury later. I'm a cheapskate, but this made total sense.

LOVE this! I'm definitely in the turtle club- but I get there eventually!

I'm right there with you in the turtle club!