Mileage Reporting 3rd Week of 2013

#41
Barefoot Dama said:
I admire your discipline. Stopping to stretch during the runs if I were doing that myself it will take the joy of running for me and I'll be in coocooland by now. :eek:But if it's working for you, well keep it up!
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It really doesn't take any discipline; there's no choice at the moment if I want to run injury-free. Stretching and somewhat faster paces seem to do my ITB a lot of good. That and warming-up properly and post-run stretching and rolling, ... oh and also possibly this new idea of a micro-run on my off-day.

Yesterday I kept waiting for the ITB to start to strain at the knee, but it never happened. Knock on wood. Maybe it would get better on its own, but my body seems to be telling me that doing these things will get me there faster. Plus all this stretching is making me feel more limber or spry in general.

Hopefully in the not-too-distant future, I'll be able to head out the door for a continuous, hour-long run at sub-9mm pace, without further ado (no further to do?), but until then, I'm sticking to this method. Once I attain that, which I would consider a good base, then I'll start to gradually add distance to my third weekly run, my Saturday run, and see where that takes me, and also get back to intervals and hills on one of the weekly runs.

@ Skedaddle: nice report!
 
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#43
TEN laps. Swimming. Well, it took place in a pool.
Had to take a break every half lap, because my lungs are really crabby about getting air when I say it's time rather than when they are hungry. Oh, and I'm sure my form is inefficient as well. But it felt like not torture, only minor frustration, at the edge of being not entirely unpleasant, which is more than I can say about the first time i tried it this week. Someday.....maybe

And anyone who swims w/ pointers for me, (happysongbird!), send them my way. I have a friend who is an avid swimmer, and he gave me some helpful hints here and there, but I need all the encouragement I can get.

Got so much sympathy for when people try running, flail and overdo a few times, decide running is annoying, and give up. We have to get past that learning curve and figure out how to enjoy and relax into new activities, eh?
 
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#45
scedastic said:
TEN laps. Swimming. Well, it took place in a pool.
Had to take a break every half lap, because my lungs are really crabby about getting air when I say it's time rather than when they are hungry. Oh, and I'm sure my form is inefficient as well. But it felt like not torture, only minor frustration, at the edge of being not entirely unpleasant, which is more than I can say about the first time i tried it this week. Someday.....maybe

And anyone who swims w/ pointers for me, (happysongbird!), send them my way. I have a friend who is an avid swimmer, and he gave me some helpful hints here and there, but I need all the encouragement I can get.

Got so much sympathy for when people try running, flail and overdo a few times, decide running is annoying, and give up. We have to get past that learning curve and figure out how to enjoy and relax into new activities, eh?
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I recommend that you give up the idea of a "swimming workout" for a while and just take some time to find your balance in the water. You'll get some exercise anyway, and will find it a lot more enjoyable in the long run. Try just floating, sort of on your side at a 45 degree angle (whatever angle feels good, but not all the way on your back), with your face out of the water. Keep up just enough flutter kick to keep your feet near the surface of the water. (Kick from the hips, with knees barely loose, toes in a relaxed point. Balance is the goal, not propulsion. Try to relax. If you feel that your feet are sinking, press a bit with your upper body into the water, keeping your core firm and straight, but not rigid, without bending at the waist. I'm assuming that you know to keep blowing out any time that your face does go in the water. Slow, steady blowing through mouth and nose. Don't rush it. You want to be exhaling the whole time your face is ever under water. Look at some of the Total Immersion stuff on youtube to get an idea of this, but don't get too hung up on doing it just right. Just find that spot in the water where you could float all day if you needed to. Then practice doing a few laps of that for a couple of days. On each lap, only think of one aspect of your form at a time. You will get some muscle memory going for you pretty soon. After you have the hang of that, you can move on to turning to face the water and trying a stroke once in a while! Let me know how it goes and if you want any more ideas. :)
 
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#46
happysongbird said:
I recommend that you give up the idea of a "swimming workout" for a while and just take some time to find your balance in the water. You'll get some exercise anyway, and will find it a lot more enjoyable in the long run. Try just floating, sort of on your side at a 45 degree angle (whatever angle feels good, but not all the way on your back), with your face out of the water. Keep up just enough flutter kick to keep your feet near the surface of the water. (Kick from the hips, with knees barely loose, toes in a relaxed point. Balance is the goal, not propulsion. Try to relax. If you feel that your feet are sinking, press a bit with your upper body into the water, keeping your core firm and straight, but not rigid, without bending at the waist. I'm assuming that you know to keep blowing out any time that your face does go in the water. Slow, steady blowing through mouth and nose. Don't rush it. You want to be exhaling the whole time your face is ever under water. Look at some of the Total Immersion stuff on youtube to get an idea of this, but don't get too hung up on doing it just right. Just find that spot in the water where you could float all day if you needed to. Then practice doing a few laps of that for a couple of days. On each lap, only think of one aspect of your form at a time. You will get some muscle memory going for you pretty soon. After you have the hang of that, you can move on to turning to face the water and trying a stroke once in a while! Let me know how it goes and if you want any more ideas. :)
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Interesting! I hadn't heard to do that floating practice. So I'm 45 degrees or so, from being flat on my belly? What do I do with my arms? Do I use one of those kick board thingies?

Right now I can do a subpar rendition of a freestyle, and I know the idea of blowing out, breathing in, was getting a little better today at getting my arms all the way through the stroke, lengthening it out, but it's still awkward. I know enough not to lift my head up but not to be smooth and not enough to relax and figure out the rhythm of the breathing. Maybe the floating/isolating one skill at a time will help. Thanks.
 
#47
scedastic said:
Interesting! I hadn't heard to do that floating practice. So I'm 45 degrees or so, from being flat on my belly? What do I do with my arms? Do I use one of those kick board thingies?

Right now I can do a subpar rendition of a freestyle, and I know the idea of blowing out, breathing in, was getting a little better today at getting my arms all the way through the stroke, lengthening it out, but it's still awkward. I know enough not to lift my head up but not to be smooth and not enough to relax and figure out the rhythm of the breathing. Maybe the floating/isolating one skill at a time will help. Thanks.
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45 degrees from being on your back. You should either keep your arms by your sides, relaxed but not random OR (and many people find this helpful) keep your bottom arm (the one in the water) extended. When doing this, you will extend from the shoulder and have the upper arm pretty much touching the part of the head that it is under. Leave the wrist and fingers relaxed, too. You will learn that over reaching (and ending up reaching too high) with the hands actually slows you down. No kick boards. Just you feeling the water and enjoying it. One of the keys, like with running, is to have control, but not be tense. People tend to get tense in the water.
 
#48
I did a LOT of stair repeats today in the house, lifting, etc., due to cleaning and reorg of the garage due to mess from the swimming pool project. Now the husband with the early morning commute can park his car in the garage again. He is happy to not have to scrape ice every morning now.:)
 
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#51
4.5 slow miles yesterday and lower body ST at lunch time today.
I will do some upper body ST today after work---maybe.
 
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#52
skedaddle said:
10.04 miles today, 9.45 average pace and even managed a 6.5 half mile, albeit slightly downhill with a following wind whilst being chased by a pack of rabid farm dogs, but I'll take it, yay.
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Dogs always help my pace... :p
 
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#53
skedaddle said:
.......and even managed a 6.5 half mile, albeit slightly downhill with a following wind whilst being chased by a pack of rabid farm dogs, but I'll take it, yay.
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Personal trainers helping you make excellent time, and didn't even charge. If they read this, though, you're doomed to get a bill.

Did you have your dog with you? Or do I just assume you have a dog due to your avatar (which would of course oddly imply I have toads...hmmmm).
Anyhow, if so, how does your dog deal with encountering other dogs on a run? (I've been thinking of getting one and worry, since I get my share of loose and crazy dogs chasing me)
 
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#54
happysongbird said:
Dogs always help my pace... :p
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And seriously, y'all must be awefully fast to be outrunning dogs.
The dogs I encounter meet me at their end of the road/driveway and are really close to meaning business as soon as I get there. I have no reason to think that continuing to run would make me look anything less than delicious (look at how slow she is! bet she's got great marbling. Get the intruder and bring home dinner! Papa dog will be so proud, better than the last time we brought a 'possum)
 
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#55
scedastic said:
And seriously, y'all must be awefully fast to be outrunning dogs.
The dogs I encounter meet me at their end of the road/driveway and are really close to meaning business as soon as I get there. I have no reason to think that continuing to run would make me look anything less than delicious (look at how slow she is! bet she's got great marbling. Get the intruder and bring home dinner! Papa dog will be so proud, better than the last time we brought a 'possum)
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I usually manage to stay farther away than that to begin with. :barefoot:
 
#56
scedastic said:
Did you have your dog with you? Or do I just assume you have a dog due to your avatar (which would of course oddly imply I have toads...hmmmm).
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I am going to be laughing at this for a while!:D
Edit: I shared the exchange with my runner teenage daughters and they are now calling you "Toad Lady" ... just to keep the characters straight. :)
 
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#57
First run in a week. I ran a total of 2.85 miles at a slow easy pace. 38degF but dry so I started out in vff's for 1.15 miles and then took them off to run the last 1.7 barefoot. This is my first barefoot run in a few weeks I think. Felt great to get out without the shoes. Much easier to run barefoot in the cold as long as it is dry. My calf decided to get a niggle again at roughly 1.3 miles in so I turned around shortly after that when I decided it just wasn't going to go away. The niggle wasn't bad but it just means my calf is still not fully ready to run yet. I will stay off it some more and then check Monday and see how it is. Hopefully I didn't just hurt it more again. I was able to alter my form just slightly by bending the knees just a little more that it took off some of the pressure while running and I was able to get back without the niggle getting any worse. My son has been sick and then I got sick so I haven't run or worked out really in a week, but I kind of think this is/was a much needed break. Gonna enjoy it a couple more days and hopefully Monday I will be ready to come back and get back to exercise and being healthy.
 
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#58
Forgot to mention how many looks I got today, one guy actually busted up laughing and did the hand motion signaling I was crazy because not only was I barefoot, but I was in shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt. I had taken off my long sleeve t-shirt earlier as I was sweating too much. I just looked back at the dude and smiled as I saw he was in a big bulky winter jacket that I probably wouldn't even use during MT winters unless I was going to be out in the elements for a long period of time. I don't understand folks here, they overdress at the slightest change in weather...
 
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#59
scedastic said:
Personal trainers helping you make excellent time, and didn't even charge. If they read this, though, you're doomed to get a bill.

Did you have your dog with you? Or do I just assume you have a dog due to your avatar (which would of course oddly imply I have toads...hmmmm).
Anyhow, if so, how does your dog deal with encountering other dogs on a run? (I've been thinking of getting one and worry, since I get my share of loose and crazy dogs chasing me)
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What do you mean dogs don't make you pay, I stepped in an invoice only last week, luckily I was shod at the time.
I did think about getting toads once but they seem a bit jumpy for me, and I'd only end up licking their backs to see if I could get high.
 
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