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Well, 4 miles today. On....the....treadm...NOPE....I was outside again this morning. Yeah!! I did 4 miles last night too and it was drizzly out. Same thing this morning. I don't normally run at night but I wanted to get it the miles I needed for Sunday when I do my 5k. I've got 7 on the schedule but I know I will not be up to that after running 14 on Saturday on my long run. I can handle the 5k(slowly) but that's about it. I'm planning 14 miles on Saturday and praying for nice weather. Can you imagine 14 miles on a treadmill? Unless it's really bad, I might be outside just to keep my sanity. Or maybe I'll do half outside and half inside. Have you guys ever done that?
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Anybody wear minimalist shoes? I have been reading up on them and thinking about a pair this summer. I have a couple issues with them though. First, I won't be able to run in them that much since you need to build up your miles in them first. Can't go out and run 10 right away like with regular shoes. Also, they are not something I would use on a regular basis and they are not inexpensive so I have debated about the use vs. cost factor. What do people do in the winter time that wear Vibrams, for example? Only treadmill runs? Yuck. Or do you go outside and run in cold weather too. Anybody switch from regular shows to minimalist or barefoot and it's helped your running and/or less injury? Not that I'm injured but I'd be interested to hear your comments.
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I'm really wishing that my 5k this Sunday was on Saturday so I did not have to change my long run to Saturday. The only great thing is that I get to sleep in on Friday morning! Not really looking forward to running the 5k on Sunday after a long run day but considering it's my brother's first 5k and he is slower than me, maybe that will work out nice since we could run together. I have become accustomed to a cross training day after my long run day.
One thing I did do is plan my half marathon's out good before the marathons so those are not an issue for training. I've decided that I don't really like 5k's that much. I'm more of a 10 mile or half marathon kind of guy. Not too sure about this whole marathon business either but it's growing on me. One thing I'm really glad that I did not do is sign up for the full marathon in Detroit - the half is just fine and one marathon a year is more than enough for me. Someone just remind me next year that if I sign up for a marathon, it's in the Fall so I'm not (officially) training through winter.
Have a great day and..........Keep Running!!!!!
I like to race anything between a 10K and half marathon.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of minimalist runners in the Midwest and Northeast who run outside in their Vibrams during the winter. The key - socks!
ReplyDeleteI like a 5 or 7 mile race. Yes, the 5k is always a bit of a freak out, isn't it? Yet it's always the one we all start out when we first begin running.
ReplyDeleteI ran 20 miles on the treadmill last week. I think I've built up a tolerance running on one all winter that it really didn't seem that bad even though nothing good was on TV. Good luck with your run!!
ReplyDeleteMy husband runs completely barefoot (he tried vibrams, but didn't like them. I sometimes wear vibrams for walking in the summer) and he definitely had to build up to it. He started about a year ago and he's just now getting long runs in.
First, I am doing my virtual race on Saturday. Yes, I am waiting until the last minute. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteSecond, good luck with your long run andyour 5k!
Third, my favorite race is the Bolder Boulder 10k. Any race where you finish in a stadium with your face on the big screen is too cool in my book!
Last year on long run day I woke up to more fresh snow and the roads looked like a nightmare. I decided I had to do this one on the treadmill at my gym. I ran one mile to the gym, did 14 miles on the treadmill, and ran home for a total of 16 miles. 14 miles on a treadmill is about as bad as it sounds. It was horrible. I kept myself partly sane by breaking it up into four 3.5-mile chunks. After each segment I took a bathroom break, ate a Gu, and steeled myself for the next bit. I was SO glad to be finished.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite race is the Big House Big Heart 5K in Ann Arbor, which finishes inside the Big House. I'm a UM alum and Wolverine football fan so getting to run on the field is exciting. Also, I like the route through campus. And finally, it's not far from my home which means I don't have to drive for an hour to get there. :)
But I think my favorite race *distance* is the half marathon.
The most I've done on the treadmill is 8 miles I think and I was going crazy! Did 6 last night and that was plenty. I have split up a run between outside and the treadmill. I did it last summer on a brutal morning where I just couldn't run outside anymore and really got concerned about my health so I moved the rest of the run inside which I think was a very smart move for me!
ReplyDeleteSo far I have only raced 5ks and half marathons and I definitely prefer the half. I am not a fast runner by any means but I am actually pretty good with endurance so the half is great.
I feel you on keeping up with blog reading. I follow a ridiculous amount of blogs, I feel so bad when I get behind!
ReplyDeleteFor me, the half marathon is my distance of choice. It is long enough to make you feel like you accomplished something but not so long that the training is overwhelming.
As far as the minimal shoes...you and I are right across the lake from each other so our climates are very similar....and with the exception of 1 week this winter..i have been able to do a small amount of barefoot running outside. Not minimal....because make no mistake...it is NOT the same. Other then that I have gravel marched to keep my souls conditioned..I can't wait for spring.
ReplyDeleteI have the Nike Free and I really don't enjoy them....almost never run in them...and they are a very expensive work shoe...HA!
I say if you're going to do it...do it...and forget the shoes. You will be amazed how wonderful it is. And when you do lace up...for me anyways...I don't run the way I used to before barefooting..I run with a midfoot strike..so my shoes last longer and I am not as hard on my body....although I have gone up a half shoe size from my feet changing :)
Good luck!
I don't see myself ever changing to minimalist shoes. I walk barefoot all the time and run in regular neutral shoes. I've been injury free since 1995.
ReplyDeleteI've run so many races I have lots of favorites. I have a very special 50km mountain race, a 24 hour circuit race and a 100 miler at the top of my list.
I love the 15K. It's long enough for me to get in a solid run, but short enough that I can bust out some actual speed. For me, once I hit 10 miles, for some reason my speed goes out the window.
ReplyDeleteYo Jeff,
ReplyDeleteRe: your shoe question.
I have been gradually moving toward more flexible and lighter shoes..here's my sequence
Nike Vomero..started on this shoe...very padded, very rigid, also expensive..got bad Achilles tendinitis over time.
Nike Pegasus (much better on the AT..more flexible shoe) I added Nike Frees for short runs..built up leg strength and faster cadence using these
Now finally ditched the Pegasus and use Saucony Kinvara and Nike Frees. I run in the Frees for distance less than 6-10 miles or so.
I am a complete convert to the idea of minimalist shoes, however I feel I'm too old to work into VFFs, etc.
You should try running in a pair of Nike Frees..you will realize how different running can be. They are pure fun if you've only run in big SUV-style shoes ;)
I also walk around in flats or sandals during the day as much as possible.
My fave run/race/distance to race... the Schyulkill Navy Turkey Trot... 5 miles cross-country run on Thanksgiving in Philadelphia. My fave.
ReplyDeletei would rather train in the winter than in the heat of summer. a late spring (may) would be better than fall where you are running a lot of miles in august.
ReplyDeletehavent decided on what my fav distance is yet.
yay for being outside!
ReplyDeleteand i'm crossing my fingers for getting that 5k in but i'm still not 100% yet over this cold. we shall see how i feel in the next few days...aka before the deadline :)
Jamoosh - Still seems cold
ReplyDeleteMs. Caboo - Yes, freak out.
Jogging with fiction - Kill me now if I have to run 20 on a treadmill!
Christi - no problem. Thanks about the race and long run. Your race sounds really fun!
Sun Runner - if it were a longer race, I would do that one but its about 1:10-20 minutes to get there so I would need a longer race to justify it. Sounds great though.
Karen - it's certainly not half of anything.
Claire - sounds cold!
Johann - Ha! Sorry but none of those will ever be on my list- WAY to long for me.
Paul - thanks for the advice. I have not tried the frees on yet but will do so. They look cool too!
XLMIC - probably lots of people there.
Crystal - the only thing for me is that I run at 5am so it's not quite the middle of the day.
marathonmaiden - no problem! Yay for no treadmill!
I'm a half-marathon kind of gal! :)
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