Chilly Evening Run! {Come on Spring}
Brrrrrr! I'm happy to be snuggled up getting ready for bed after a brisk run this evening. Winter came back with some pretty cold temperatures the past few days. I can't complain too much since a lot of the rest of the country has had more snow or some crazy tornadoes, but this runner is ready for spring!
I don't normally run in the evening (especially in the dark), but the company I work for as a trainer has started developing a relationship with one of the local running stores. We are leading a warm-up for their Tuesday evening runs once a month, and tonight I took my turn. It's a great group of people with all different levels of running. As a runner myself, I don't mind jumping in to lead a warm-up when I can also join in with the group and get a little training in myself.
You may recall I joined in with them about a month ago, and did a similar run. We took a different route this time around but still ended up with just a little under 5 miles (I started my watch late). Not bad for a chilly Tuesday evening. This time I finished out the run with a lady who is running one of my favorite races this Saturday. I'm not running it this year, but it was fun to talk to her about it since it will be her first time.
In other running news--I signed up for a spring half marathon finally! I've been looking at different races just to shake things up a bit and settled on one at the end of May. It might be ridiculously hot by then, but the course looks like a good one. They limit the field to 500 runners as it's all on a greenway about an hour north of the city. I enjoy smaller races, especially when it's off-road with a more narrow course than most street races. I think I have one more 5k picked out between now and then to try one more time at a fast finish, but I will start ramping up my distance running soon since I have right at 12 weeks until the half.
Cheers to new goals! Happy running my friends!
You are a die hard runner! Have you ever tried to run a marathon? I see that you're going to do the half marathon but I'm sure you would manage the big one too!
You are so happy on that photo :) Running suits you very well. I probably wouldn't go at night either but if there are other people around then it should not be such a problem.
Good luck with the preparation! I'm sure you'll be the shining star :)
Haha, I wouldn't have been out there if I didn't have to go lead the warm-up! I was dreading it all afternoon because it was so chilly yesterday, but once I got into it I very much enjoyed it. It just goes to show you, even trainers need a little extra motivation sometimes, too. The good thing is the time changes here this weekend, so we move the clocks forward an hour. That means if I join again soon at least it won't be dark!
I am still on the fence about a full marathon. The half is just long enough to definitely be challenging, but I don't have to give up too much of my other fitness endeavors to train for it. I know if I wanted to train properly for a full marathon I would have to give up some of my strength training to run more. Perhaps I can think about that for when I turn 40 in three years. I think I would also like to do a destination marathon if I do ever do one. I would much rather run 26.2 miles somewhere beautiful and interesting than just in the streets I am used to running all the time.
I'm happy to have it on the calendar to know I will start training for it! It's always good to have set goals, right?
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Good form there on the running! What is the half marathon you signed up for? I am trying to get myself fit for travels and we have the weekly park run in the UK which is 5km.
Have you done any full marathons?
Doing my best. ;) I just signed up for a local half marathon that is in a few months. Atlanta really is a great running city, and you can find races all over the state pretty much year round. I enjoy having an actual race to work toward because it pushes me to train outside of my comfort zone.
I have not done any full marathons yet, and I'm not sure if they are on the radar or not. It took me about 7-8 years of running to finally start enjoying longer distances, so maybe when I hit my 40's I'll be ready for another bump. If I do decide on the longer distance I think it will definitely be for a destination run and not just a local race. I need some good scenery if I'm going to run that far. ;)
I'm sure you'll be feeling fit and ready to go in no time!
Ah just sign yourself up and go for it haha. I went from couch to marathon in about 14 months with a couple of uni mates.
We signed up for races with increasing distances leading up to the main event. I've run Paris, Edinburgh, Chester, Berlin and Amsterdam. I have done a scenic half marathon but that felt like a full on marathon with the amount of hills but the scenery was pretty awesome!
Do feel inspired to keep fit, whether I will go for a 6th and get that elusive 4h time for the marathon is a different matter. I know how tough it is, current PB is 4h 15m so a long way to go.
Right now, I am aiming for sub 20min 5km race... We'll see!
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Congratulations, that's an excellent performance! I'm always admiring you, you're a great source of inspiration for me. I'm trying to grow my actifit account by being consistent in my trainings so I can support other actifitters with my vote. But till then, my vote will be symbolic, as it worth noting at the moment, so I'm voting you from my main account 🤗
Aww, thanks @erikah! I saw that you started a separate account for that, so I need to make sure I follow that one, too. I thought about doing that, but I have a hard enough time keeping track of one account, haha! I was a little inconsistent for a while over the winter, but now that spring is hitting I will try to do at least a few actifit posts a week since I'm doing plenty of running again. 😊
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Distance running is totally different in my book. At least I run distance differently, I much prefer it. It allows for me to totally get into a meditative state while running at a real relaxed pace. You’ll do great with all of the planning and training you put into your races. Hopefully it’s not too hot when you hit the pavement… SUPERSTAR!
I'm totally with you on that now. When I first tried longer distance running I approached it like I did my 5k training and ran too fast on my long runs. It wasn't pleasant, and I did end up with IT band syndrome. Fast forward 10 years later and I have really come to enjoy doing the longer distances, too. Of course I still like short and fast, but you are so dead on with the meditative state than can come from an easy long run. I'm sure you'll be back to it in no time, too! 😉
I used to do that when I started running too. Now, I only run for the meditative aspect so I never finish runs with good time. I do finish them having answers to some serious questions though. I’ve even written entire posts, papers, speeches, etc, during my runs. Haha.
Probably a silly question: what’s IT band syndrome? The worst I’ve done is ran myself down when I was seriously addicted in college.
Totally! There are times I struggle with making the "time" to go for a run, but I know it can really be productive for problem-solving or at the very least I will have renewed energy when I get back to work!
The IT band is part of the connective tissue that runs along the side of the leg, so it is a common site of inflammation in runners. It usually presents in pain on the outside of the knee. Mine was a combination of overtraining and also overstriding. Switching to minimal shoes helped me with my stride length, and of course I'm much smarter with my training and mobility work, too. So many people still think running is bad for your knees, but really it's like any other sport. If that's all you do it can pose some problems, but if you're smart and add in other modalities to balance the body it is an absolutely fantastic activity! :)
I never had any problems with my knees until I started having all of these digestive issues. I’m convinced they are related but now my joints are much better. I’ve always favored ASICS for my running shoes. I’ve tried many, on other people’s recommendations too but I always go back to my tried and true ASICS. I’ve even tried the expensive ASICS thinking “if I like the 60 dollar ones than the 150 dollar ones must make me feel like I’m floating or something”. What a waste of money. I used to go through running shoes about every 5-6 weeks so the 50-60 dollar shoes were plenty for me. Granted I ran 7-10 a day and wasn’t very healthy about it but that kind of mileage will take a toll on your shoes. My knees have always been fine until just recently. I swear our gut is the answer to all of our ailments, physical and emotional. Haha
That seems to be where a lot of the research is heading--happy gut, happy body! Especially with inflammation. I'm glad you're figuring out what is working best for you. That's no fun to not feel your best.
Shoes really do seem to be such an individual preference! I guess that makes sense since we all have different feet and bodies. From how we're shaped to how we move, there is not a one size fits all shoe. I am still searching for a new favorite since Merrell stopped making the style I've been running in for years. Grrr. 😆
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You’re not kidding! It’s been such a crazy rocky road but I’m very grateful that I’ve taken a corner. I sometimes miss creating all of my carblicious recipes of sweets and savories but then I remember how uncomfortable I was all the time, and so foggy headed which is a horrible symptom on its own, and I’m happy with my situation again. The up side… I’ve been creating some real neat low carb recipes that utilize coconut flour and turn out tasting great. Dandays said those cauliflower falafels I baked last night turned out yum, so that’s good. What I’m really jonesing for is fresh cold tropical fruit. That will come soon enough and that should keep me happy in this gut healing journey. Thanks for hearing me rant 🤷🏼♀️ Haha
Yes, my husbands, cousins, boyfriend run like 100 mile races… he’s kind of a nut… and he was trying to convince me that shoes with the thinnest soles are best for running. I’m sure he has a specific stride and practiced pace that works for him too but I’m just more of a sloppy runner I guess. I really just do it for the meditative aspect so whatever my stride and pace do while I’m meditating is what I practice. Running is so individual… very cool… I never thought too much about that until right now. I wish you good fortune on your quest to find the perfect running shoe. I may have to switch up now that we are in Costa Rica. I just don’t have access to everything I used to and find that I usually just need to be happy with what’s available :)
I could probably give up a lot of the other stuff to eat my weight in fresh tropical fruit, so here's hoping that your tummy can handle it soon!
I had to learn the same thing about fitness in general. Some people can't stand running, while you will never catch me in a Zumba class. When I first became a trainer I thought there was one right way to train people. Boy was I wrong. Besides all of us having different goals and body types, if you don't enjoy your workouts you won't want to continue doing them. In that I also realized my style of training isn't going to be right for everyone, and that is totally ok. Not every client is the right fit for me either. 😉
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very happy if at night you can do this, the cold atmosphere might be more uplifting
I actually don't mind the cold once I get going. I think I prefer it to the summer months when it gets unbearably hot and humid! :)
Every day is a good day when you run.
Kevin Nelson
Nice job @plantstoplanks
5 miles is pretty cool. I have to work in K these days being in mainland europe! The weather is turning here so I will get my regime back on track with running, cycling and football. Get rid of my christmas paunch! :o
Gaz
Thanks Gaz! The metric system really does make a whole lot more sense, but we Americans are pretty darn stubborn, haha. A lot of the runners on here are from other parts of the world, though, so I have gotten better at quick conversions when I am checking out their posts. Glad you have some nice weather ahead! It definitely makes it a lot easier to want to get out and get moving!
I'm English so I was used to imperial too. 10 years away and I finally set my Strava to kilometres! 😂
Definitely nice when good weather kicks in. Bucharest is generally lovely in the spring. Around 25 degrees. Lots of outdoor exercise for me!