Wk of Aug 20--2007 WISH Walking/Running Club

[AmyBeth68]

Oh Sunny...sorry to hear of your continued frustrations. But you really continue to amaze me...hang in there . Sending loads of pixie dust that the shots and PT do the trick for you! Great job on a long workout at the Y....super way to deal with your frustration.

Dave....nice job during your first week of official training. Still impressed with those early morning work-outs. ANd good luck on your Cross Country run this week!!!

Kristi....Excellent 5 Mile!!! WTG!!!

Cruella de Mom....yeah....I'm getting those aches and pains too . I notice them as I increase the number of runs throughout the week. For me it might be something different every few weeks LOL. Right now I've got some strange ankle tenderness ..... sometimes it's my hips causing problems...sometimes my feet. I'm totally paranoid but without any swelling or severe pain I tend to just run through them. Best bet for me is ice and advil and keep an eye on it. My biggest fear for this marathon is my body's ability to do the mileage! I'm expecting aches and pains but the thought of injury is really nerve-wracking. I'm sure you'll be fine...never hurts to throw an extra rest day in there though when things don't feel right.

So...training has been fine this week....

Monday: 40 minute run. I slowed down my normal pace to try to hit 4 miles in 40 minutes. Ended up doing about 4.1 for a 9:45 mpm avg or there about. Todays run can be faster so maybe I'll hit 4.2 today if the ankle soreness subsides during the run.

Tuesday: 90 minute Kickboxing class. So that's triple what MfM calls for . Not sure if that is too much for the body? Anybody want to comment? I can't live without my KBX...I've scaled back to twice per week but I'm wondering if it's too much on the joints? Guess I'll be playing this by ear as the mileage increases.

So that's it to date! Hope everyone else is doing well.

 

[Honeibee]

Good morning all. Today I have questions. Oh and it was a rest day so nothing to report.

I was reading MfM last night, about what to eat and drink during a long run or walk. And now I am confused. Maybe I'm not getting what they are saying but it seems to me at one point it says NOT to combine gels or food with sports drinks. It says to drink only water if you are going to eat. Then later is says it's OK to have a sports drinks and like half a Cliff bar or banana. So, now I'm confused. So I'll ask you guys......what do you eat and drink during LW/LRs? I know Cam does a water/Gatorade thing and that's what I was thinking but then should I have a gel too?

OK here's my other question....What's wrong with my training plan?

MfM says to do small intervals, like 1 run/3 walk, etc. My plan, before I really studied this, was 10 walk/5 run for the Half, and that is how I've been training. Is there some obvious benefit in doing small intervals that I am missing? I'm not really well educated in sports physiology, although I'm reading all I can get my hands on. But 10/5 seems to be working for me, but maybe it's not such a smart plan for some reason I am not aware of. Help!

BTW, I jokingly mentioned in my post yesterday that I was thinking of doing the NYC Half next year. Well, I went to their website to check it out and well, umm, you have to be able to do it in an hour and a half. OK, well, guess I won't be doing THAT one!

Cam - I am considering the Minnie....

Sara - I'm glad your back and you had a wonderful time. I hear you about your...situation. I was on my way to the doctor when my DH called me and said forget it. I'll do it instead. I was very grateful.

Carrie - I have a question for you...What does your screen name mean? I get the Winnie The Pooh part, right? But not the CLC.

Jodie - Oh excellent ! Yes we have to meet! That would be so cool. You'll be my first DISer! I have been emailing the race director. Oh he's a pip! What a funny guy! He gave me this link.... http://www.hitekracing.com/ Look at all the races I found!

Sunny - Geez! How incredibly frustrating! And how dangerous I think to have a communication problem with a doctor! That part scares me. Well, I was glad to read your good news. I really hope this combination of shot and PT works for you.

 

[Houstonmouse]

Good morning everyone!

3.2 miles on the TM this morning in 39 minutes. First 5 minutes were a warmup walk, and then running thereafter. The treadmill was so much easier than my run outside yesterday.

I would also like to know the answer to Judy's question about what to eat/drink before and during long runs. And how do you take the gels? Straight out of the tube, then drink water?

Also, adding to the questions, what exactly is speedwork? Just running at your max speed for 30 seconds or so and repeating after a short rest? Is this simply to increase your speed? Is it a necessary part of training if all you want to do is finish and not focus on speed?

Tracey

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Hi WISH Team!

I wanted to offer a reminder that WISH Walking/Running Chat is tonight 8:30 p.m. EST in Room 2. I'll see you there! I have the link to Chat in another thread on our Events forum.

No time just now to stay. Busy here and gotta jet.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

OK, as many of you know I'm trying to surprise my DW and princesses, DD5 and DD8 , with this marathon trip. My DW and I just got an e-mail from her father offering us the use of their condo in Florida (Sanibel Island) Jan 20-27th. Aaaaah, I don't know how to handle this - it's such a generous offer, but we can't go down to Florida at the end of the month if we're going down for the marathon at the beginning of the month. The e-mail just came through. Maybe I could just say that we can't take the kids out of school for a whole week, or I can't be away from the lab for a whole week or something.

 

[plutosmyfav]

OK, as many of you know I'm trying to surprise my DW and princesses, DD5 and DD8 , with this marathon trip. My DW and I just got an e-mail from her father offering us the use of their condo in Florida (Sanibel Island) Jan 20-27th. Aaaaah, I don't know how to handle this - it's such a generous offer, but we can't go down to Florida at the end of the month if we're going down for the marathon at the beginning of the month. The e-mail just came through. Maybe I could just say that we can't take the kids out of school for a whole week, or I can't be away from the lab for a whole week or something.

I'm the Queen of sneaky and that one has me stumped!!! I think your plan sounds good, I would emphasize your inability to be away from the lab incase DW insists the kids can miss school! Isn't there an important lecture you must give that week Good luck!

Sunny

 

[TXBelle]

Too busy to work out, putting on more weight, and trying to decide what diet to try for the @#$% time. Basically, same old story here. The news story about how even being 1 pound overweight at 50 puts you at risk for premature death did not brighten my morning.

To answer the question about what to eat on LWs/LRs, I love the Snickers marathon bars. I will eat half at about 45 minutes to one hour into a LR and then eat the other half about 45 minutes later. I am not a fan of Gu. At Chimera's suggestion, I have tried Clif Blocks, which I prefer to eat with water rather than gatorade because it is easier on the tummy. I also love the Jelly Belly sport beans. Basically, any excuse I can find to eat candy I take it (now the note above is making more sense, right?). In the end, you need to experiment and find out what works best for your body. The goal is to remain hydrated and have enough electrolytes to remain healthy during the extended exertion of running/walking long distances. Runner's World has a good article on hydration and these types of issues this month. In general, it appears that if you are going to be running or walking for less than one hour, you only need water. After one hour, however, you need to replace the electrolytes lost and perhaps have some carbs or protein to maintain your endurance, which means drinking a sports drink rather than water or using GU or some other product (Cliff Blocks, Jelly Belly Sport Beans, Snickers marathon bar). I know that some in our group take packets of honey to eat on their LRs. I know this all seems confusing at first, but there really is no right answer. You have to do what works best for you.

 

[jodistar]

OK, as many of you know I'm trying to surprise my DW and princesses, DD5 and DD8 , with this marathon trip. My DW and I just got an e-mail from her father offering us the use of their condo in Florida (Sanibel Island) Jan 20-27th. Aaaaah, I don't know how to handle this - it's such a generous offer, but we can't go down to Florida at the end of the month if we're going down for the marathon at the beginning of the month. The e-mail just came through. Maybe I could just say that we can't take the kids out of school for a whole week, or I can't be away from the lab for a whole week or something.

Is there a way that you can contact him without your wife knowing -- letting him know of your plans (can he keep it quiet). I'm sure if he knew about the surprise then he would understand plus he might be able to cover the Jan 20-27th to your wife and contact her saying that he was wrong about the dates of availability.

 

[wtpclc]

Jumping in quick:

Sunny - that the PT and shot combo work!!!

Judy - OMG, you are the first person to figure out wtp on his/her own!!! Wow. No way you could get the last part. Initials. But, not my current ones. The ones I was born with. They just look cooler. I was in a hurry and not thinking too much ahead when I created my name here. Really wish I had gone with something pronounceable.

Kristi - Good luck tonight!

jodi - Forgive me. I htink I confused your ww story with Kristi's.

Heather - That is soo hard. Being busy rtends to increase stress and make me want to eat more too. I'm guessing you may also have this problem. Totally unfair! What works best ofr me is logging what I eat. It makes me aware of how much I put in my body. PLUS - There are times that I'm just not hungry enough to bother logging the food. So, prevents some eating. I have Diet & Exercise Assistant for my Palm. It will track calories taken in and calories burnt through exercise. Has a ton of food and work outs already input and you can add to suit your needs. So far, it works best for me. SOunds liek you've tried a ton, so thought you might like a new idea. Oh, and I plug in my current weight and goal weight (along with height) and it will tell me my calorie goal. Right now, I'm just going for slow and steady, so I'm eating 300 calories less than I burn a day. Not too painful, and I've done ok for about a week and a half. Good luck! The whole weight thing stinks! PM or e-mail me if you want an accountability partner.

Tracey & Judy - I do a Powerade (orange, everything else gives me heart burn)and a snickers bar 1 hour begfore I run. Then I do Gu every 4 miles (~45 - 50 min). I drink mostly water right after I Gu. DH usually carries Powerade fro him and water for me on our belt, so I do sometimes do Powerade. During the marathon, I ended up having a lot of watered down Powerade too. I guess, you just need to find a starting place and see what works best for you. I think towards the end of the marathon, I was thinking I needed every ounce of energy I could get.

OK, that wasn't as quick as planned.

Hope to chat for a bit tonight. BUT, if you see me after 9, please kick me out!

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

I'm the Queen of sneaky and that one has me stumped!!! I think your plan sounds good, I would emphasize your inability to be away from the lab incase DW insists the kids can miss school! Isn't there an important lecture you must give that week Good luck!

Sunny

Is there a way that you can contact him without your wife knowing -- letting him know of your plans (can he keep it quiet). I'm sure if he knew about the surprise then he would understand plus he might be able to cover the Jan 20-27th to your wife and contact her saying that he was wrong about the dates of availability.

Both of these are good ideas. Thanks Sunny and Jodi. I'm sure I could come up with something that I HAVE to do in the lab, and I can also contact my FIL to explain what's going on. I'd hate to offend him - because it might be a nice offer in future years.

 

[ryley26]

Wfloyd any stomach problems with gel. Ive never used it and was just wondering. This is my first marathon and was going to use it on my next few long runs. Ive done twenty miles without it and no water so far. Ive been told i'm nuts but have no real wackiness yet. I'm hoping to boost energy level because at the end of my LR been a little lacking in energy. Also how much do you scale back your training before the race and how many weeeks out. thanks for any help and advice Rich

P.S. trying to get as close to 4hrs or under as possible .

 

[wfloyd]

Wfloyd any stomach problems with gel. Ive never used it and was just wondering. This is my first marathon and was going to use it on my next few long runs. Ive done twenty miles without it and no water so far. Ive been told i'm nuts but have no real wackiness yet. I'm hoping to boost energy level because at the end of my LR been a little lacking in energy. Also how much do you scale back your training before the race and how many weeeks out. thanks for any help and advice Rich

P.S. trying to get as close to 4hrs or under as possible .

I have never had any problems with it but there are others who can't have certain brands because their stomachs don't like it. That is why it is good to try things out while you are training so you can see what is best for you. This way you can also figure out which flavors you like. There are certain flavors that I don't enjoy so I avoid them.

For tapering, my last long run is 2 weeks before the marathon the the week before my short runs become even shorter. I think last year I just walked during the short runs to ensure I didn't hurt anything.

Bill

 

[ryley26]

Thanks Bill thats what i was thinking but i was'nt sure will be trying gel this weekend any flavor you find better than others. I let you know how it goes are you running a wdw marathon this year . I'm hoping to do at least the half next year or the full if i get the bug after this one. The training over the summer has gotten a little tedious.

 

[MelRhoads]

Rich - I feel like i can chime in here! I think I have tried about every gel there is!! I do long adventure races (up to 25 hours) and have to find ways to take in the calories during these events. Right now, I like the plain flavor PowerGel. It has electorlytes and no caffeine. It is still pretty sweet but a little offset by the sodium. I also like the sport beans b/c of the whole sweet/salty thing. I have noticed that sometimes the caffeine hurts my stomach, so i only do a few. I just did a 1/2 ironman this weekend and I took one caf. gel after the swim to replace my usual morning coffee . It sounds like our bodies are wired totally different though. I generally average around a 10:50 pace on marathons and i definitiely have to drink and eat a lot (drink every mile and eat every 4!!) When adv. racing, I set my watch timer to go off every 15mins to remind our team to eat and drink!! Good luck w/ your marathon. I hope you find the nutrition answer for you!!

 

[ryley26]

Thanks for the advice i'll let you no how it goes this weekend. My neighbor is trying to talk me into a mini triathlon next year. so that might be my next adventure.I don't know how you adventure racers do it that just a long time to be at it. Thanks for your help off to work talk to you soon

 

[solotraveler]

(Just need to remind myself why I'm doing this....)

Hi all!!

Sunny-- I can't even imagine.

Cruella-- I'm the same way too. Aside from general soreness, I get pretty regular tendonitis in a couple places as my mileage increases. Take it one day at a time and rest when you feel you need to.

Judy and Tracey-- I am a gel guy. My personal favorites are Raspberry Cream Powergel and Espresso Love GU. So long as I take them with water, I am good to go and notice a real difference than when I ignore taking them. Any run over five miles I will take a gel at the five mile mark and every subsequent five mile mark, but your body may react differently, so you will want to experiment. The Clif bar/banana thing you are referring basically is advice not to run on a totally empty stomach. Especially for early mornings, you'll want to eat a little something and give it time to settle before your workout.

Judy (again)-- According to a recently consulted Sports Physilogist (no joke... I asked him when I saw the question), there could be two reasons for prefering shorter intervals: 1- Injury prevention, particularly in early training; and 2- Possible greater improvement. (Most people can run faster for a minute than for, say, three minutes. That might help boost your pace long term, as you increase your intervals.) Now, that said, since you have been doing much longer/harder intervals, you would possibly be backstepping on you current cardiovascular fitness level, which you certain don't want to do. ( I just raised more questions for you than answers, didn't I?? )

Dave-- Yikes, that's a toughie. This is why I don't do suprises well.


Yesterday was just one of those days where no matter what I did, the day kept getting further and further away from me. Long story short- No run . I had decided to flip flop today and Thursday due to yet more work stuff and I did actually manage to get my nice crosstraining workout in today.

Hope to get to chat tonight!
Kevin

 

[wfloyd]

Thanks Bill thats what i was thinking but i was'nt sure will be trying gel this weekend any flavor you find better than others. I let you know how it goes are you running a wdw marathon this year . I'm hoping to do at least the half next year or the full if i get the bug after this one. The training over the summer has gotten a little tedious.

My favorite flavors are Raspberry Cream, Strawberry Banana, and Tropical Fruit all from Power Gel.

Bill

 

[Pungodingy]

today I did my first full mile, took me 7 mins for the first half and 10 for the second half...but I dont think thats too bad for first time (is it?) now just 12 more to go (ha ha ha) do you think I'm pushing to fast? I did half miles for a week, now I'm starting full miles...

 

[Dennyha]

Pungodingy,
You're going in the right direction, and that's all that matters.

 

[chimera]

The new WISH bracelets have arrived! We now have two colors available...all-green and green with black lettering. Check them out here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=13522930#post13522930

I did 2.25 miles on the TM tonight at a 14:49 pace. Intervals are W3/R7. Thinking I may try to tighten those up to W2/R8 next week

I think with the gels you're not supposed to use them with the 'ades...could give you too much electrolytes. I've always seen the recommendation to use one or the other, but not both. And definitely, chase the gels, Bloks or beans with water. I used to do the honey shots and also carried peanut butter crackers, but prefer the Bloks because they're easier to carry. Before a long run, I eat a Snickers marathon bar and wash it down with a diet Pepsi

Judy...I trained to R/W the half based on the MFM plan, working up to intervals of R3/W2. I found the training fairly difficult and the transition from W3/R2 to R3/W2 was really hard! After the PF episode, I found the training program with the longer intervals that I'm doing now. I have found this much easier...I think it has something to do with the longer walking breaks. I think I started back at W7/R3 and now have been able to get to W3/R7. But...I'm at a whole difference fitness level now than I was when I trained for the WDW half, so that might be why it was easier. If you want to mix it up a bit, try increasing to W9/R6 for a week and see how you do. Might be better way to ease your knee into the pace.

Heather...right there with you. I hit a wicked plateau this summer, partly due to the PF and partly due to relaxing my dietary control Since my cholesterol issues, I've tightened up hard and things are going in the right direction again...but just since last week. It's an ongoing, frustrating battle. Just glad to be in training mode again...makes it so much easier. Carrie's right...journaling helps. I use www.fitday.com.

Dave...I'd be happy to check out that condo for you Sanibel's great...that's where we went for Senior Skip Days in high school

Sunny... hope the PT/injections help. Back pain is so tough.

Tracey...don't think I can help much with the speedwork question. I haven't gotten to that point yet. I do try to increase my pace on the Wed SR, but I'm not sure if that counts. And I do believe this is a good place for my favorite running word...FARTLEK!!!!!

Rich...

rKYdeX...yep...that was On a Shoestring! I was very impressed...liked them better than Urban Sole. Just wish someone would carry ASICS, but I've been doing okay ordering them online.

MelR...love your race! Congrats on your trophy!

Lynne...wow...you're amazing, dude! How are clinicals going?

Kathy...good to see you back. We look for Erin whenever we're in Fantasyland, but haven't seen her there in awhile.

Hope to see everyone in chat tonight!