weekly Check In

[ell]

Happy Monday all!

How was your training last week? Any good race reports for us? What are your plans for the next week?

Here's a quote for you:

The beauty of running is its simplicity; the beauty of runners is that we all have a similar drive to improve. We are either trying to run a personal best, or toeing the line for the first time, which will snowball into a future of trying to run personal bests. We road racers are a tight community of mileage-happy, limit-pushing athletes.

Deena Kastor, long-distance runner who holds American records in the marathon, half-marathon, and numerous road distances

Do you agree with her?

Comments

[zulu]

Early this week was great! I moved on to Day 2 of Week 5 of couchto5k after two or three weeks stuck on Day 1. Then...I got the cold from hell. I was sniffly and running out of breath going up the stairs. I'm trying to decide if I should push myself to run today, or leave it until tomorrow when I'll probably be better. Tomorrow might be the smarter idea.

[cleo]

I was definitely doing well, running between 4 and close to 7 miles a day, but I was set back a couple of days when my heel got caught in the (irony) anti slip stuff on the stairs in one of the T stations here and I took a tumble. I hit my head and banged up my leg/knee pretty badly. That was Thursday, and I was back on the treadmill Saturday, having to stop at 4 mi and run them really slowly. But at least it seems like just bumps and bruises as opposed to real damage!

[gnomad]

Took it fairly easy this week until Sunday when I ran the MCM 10K. I did pretty well: 1:21:05. I stayed steady the whole race and only had a few problems right there at the end.

[yvi]

I am back :) At least i hope so. I am restarting C25K and started with W2D1 yesterday.

[blnchflr]

I finally actually got out on two training runs last week, so I hope I can keep that up. Or, at least one training run a week would be good (in prep for the weekly 5K races).

[temve]

My training was with a certain sprightly runner who kept reminding me to go run and even made me do intervals! :D

And you already heard, over breakfast, that I disagree with Ms Kastor. Because I'm not a roadrunner. Racer. Whatever. *meep*

[cyphomandra]

I did the Auckland half marathon on Sunday, which has a rather hilly course *but* you get to run over the Harbour Bridge (woo hoo!). I was horribly disorganized in the lead up to this, as my packing for the trip up for the run also had to incorporate a work conference and my first trip with dog (six month old spaniel puppy, very fond of sports socks). I got the last possible ferry over before the start and basically dumped my gear bag, set my Garmin and went straight through the start. I felt pretty good on the run but just didn't have the speed - 2h 5min, 2 min slower than last year. I have two less hilly halves lined up for next year and will (earthquakes, dog and injuries permitting!) eventually go under 2 hours. Even if I have to use a bike :)

[sophinisba]

I had a tough time in the early part of this week but then got in some good runs this weekend. So if you count Sunday-Saturday (as I usually do) I did about 17 miles, but if you count Monday-Sunday it's more like 23 or 24. :)

[linaelyn]

Last week I ran every day but Sunday. I didn't run fast and I only managed 2 or 3 miles each day, but I am counting it as a massive win, because I kept going out there, despite feeling really horrible. I was having terrible menstrual cramping all week (only 24 days until my hysterectomy, HUZZAH!) and threw up from the pain during my runs on Thursday and Saturday. But I kept running.

Last week, I didn't have any "drive to improve." I didn't care that I wasn't getting any greater mileage or faster times. I did have a drive to push my limits, though. Facing down that kind of pain and exercising anyway was something I felt I needed to do, to prove that I will not be held back by anything as trivial as physical pain. Actual injury, sure. But this was pain without purpose - cramping pain caused by torsioned fibroid tumors in an organ I do not need.

I am a runner. Nothing can stop me.