Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

October 31, 2024

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Location:

Snoqualmie,WA,

Member Since:

Jan 31, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

Marathon PR: 4:17 at Portland Marathon, Oct. 2007

5K PR 24:37 2009

10K PR 52:58 2010

Have run 22 marathons to date.

No injuries, ever. :)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Qualify for Boston (4:05 for my age/gender) - or, perhaps, to use my desire for a BQ as a way to get in the hated speed work so I don't just get slower and slower over the years. This goal is "under (re)construction" right now, until I figure out whether it is truly what I want. :)

Long-Term Running Goals:

To continue learning about myself and about running, and to enjoy being a fit, happy runner for life. To always know why I am running and the best way to get the most (both mentally and physically) out of my runs. To keep a sense of humor and remain optimistic about myself as a runner. To enjoy running more and more with every passing year.

Personal:

Baby boomer generation. Jogged a little in my 20's and 30's. Started running seriously in 2002. Low-carb runner since January 2010.

I love long runs and cold, cloudy weather. I don't believe in "junk miles." I am an optimist. I adore dark chocolate, fog, my family, and knitting -- not necessarily in that order.

"As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are." -- Joan Benoit Samuelson

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00
Brooks ST3 Lifetime Miles:						891.35
Vibram Five Fingers KSO Lifetime Miles:						23.77
Brooks ST3 II Lifetime Miles:						965.17
Lunaracers II Lifetime Miles:						198.23
Mizuno Wave Universe 3 Lifetime Miles:						104.14
Asics Piranha Lifetime Miles:						536.83
RunAmocs (Softstar) Lifetime Miles:						16.23
Piranha II Lifetime Miles:						219.53

Wed, Oct 29, 2008

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
6.27	0.00	0.00	0.00	6.27

Objective: Easy run, finishing with 8 hill sprints.

Weather: Mid 40's F, Cloudy, breeze (Bf. 2)

15 min. core & weights

Pleasantly uneventful run. I think I am ready for a steeper hill for those hill sprints. Furthermore, I went back and looked through Brad Hudson's book ("Run Faster"), which is where I learned about hill sprints and compared his instructions to the advice that Sasha gave me last week. I concluded that the two approaches are not using hill sprints in the same way. In particular, Sasha recommends timing the sprints and ceasing when the runner begins to slow down. Hudson, on the other hand, seems to view them more like strength/resistance training for the legs. For the latter approach, one certainly would not cease when the sprints get slower, any more than one would put down the dumbbell when biceps curls get hard to do. Quite the contrary, as it is those last reps that build strength. I don't think I am slowing down much at all during my hill sprints, but I was just thinking about the two different points of view.

A friend and I have been talking about the influence of body weight on performance. I am in the top quarter of "normal" range on the Met Life Weight Charts and I think I will try to move down to the lower end. As a runner, I really should not have extra weight, but I think I've been telling myself that at my age (dreadful words, eh?) I cannot be thinner. Well, that might not be true. I have not been unhappy with my weight from an aesthetic point of view, but my friend and I were discussing how much weight affects performance and whether losing a little weight makes a difference. The thing is, training programs and running books have very little to say about this. With all the media coverage about eating disorders, I think people might be afraid to talk about being thin. Thin is Dangerous. "You'll be underfueled," "you'll risk Amenorrhea," "you're health will suffer." Pardon the rant, but why is it ok to come out and criticize a reduction of body fat when it is so clearly taboo to say "gee, you have really put on weight! Don't you realize how bad that is for your health?"

P.S. Could someone tell me more about the Shoe Manager. I entered my shoes yesterday, but I'm not sure how the updating works. Do you have to add up each addition to the mileage separately? It doesn't seem automated, but I think I've missed something. Thanks.

Blue Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 6.27

Comments

From saamijeff on Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 10:26:05

I have read that each extra pound over ideal weight can cost as much as two seconds per mile in a long race. I think this is probably too high but none the less the idea seems sound. I too am in the 50+ crowd and am a few % over ideal weight. I am trying to lose a few ponds before Seattle. We will see then if it makes any noticable difference.

From kelsey on Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 11:57:51

Honestly, I think that when someone runs as much as you do and eats fairly healthy (emphasis on fairly, I think being too strict is a bad thing!) your weight comes to what it should be. If you can go out and run 8 miles and you're not eating fast food all the time, I feel your body finds some kind of equilibrium... a happy place! If you felt like your times were being affected or you wanted to look a little better in your bathing suit you could take a look at your diet and see where maybe you could make some improvements, but I bet you are just where you should be "at your age" :)

From Carolyn on Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 12:00:14

I am down about 55 lbs. from my peak weight a year and a half ago. I am at the top of the medium frame range for my height on the Met Life tables. I would like to lose 10-15 more lbs.

People express incredulity when I tell them I want to lose more weight. And I have one friend who is afraid I will become anorexic. I am so NOT anorexic.

In any case, I am working on the additional weight loss and hope that it helps my running.

Thanks for the link to the article. Very interesting.

From Carolyn on Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 22:55:57

For Shoe Manager, just enter the distance that you ran with the shoes that day in the field for the shoes that's just below the regular distance and sleep time fields. It is automatically added to the running total for the shoes, which began with the distance you put in for the shoes when you first added the shoes.

I hope that makes sense. That's the way it seems to me to work.

From walter on Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 23:34:57

Wow, top of the mileage board! Here ive been in Marathon land (Boston) for the last 5 days and didnt run once! (partially from my back problem) And youve been ripping up the state of Washington! Very nice!

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