GoaD on the Run - Friday - Labor Day Weekend!

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This thread is for GOADies who like to run. New runners, old runners, and even wannabe runners meet here to discuss the joys and challenges of running. Use this space to log your miles, ask questions, share your race reports, or for anything else related to running.

New runners - and even those just thinking about starting out - are always welcome. There's no reason to lurk here. Join the pack and tell us about your running!

Oftentimes the GotR thread will pose a question or raise an issue in order to facilitate the conversation, but this is always an open forum to chat about any running-related topic.


QotD: stretching and strengthening. Do you stretch? Do you do strength training? Tell us about your routines.

Alt: your holiday weekend running plans. Any races on tap? What about fun long runs?

Have a great one, all!

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  • gadgetgirlIL
    gadgetgirlIL Posts: 1,381 Member
    edited September 2016
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    I try to stretch my calfs on the slant board after I run. If I have the time then I also do my hamstring stretches where I lay on my back and use a strap around my foot to help pull my leg up.

    Strength training hasn't been where it should be but I did have a good workout this morning. Hip thrusters with a weighted bar, dead lifts, lat pulldown, tricep pulldowns with a rope on the cable machine, upright rows, and lateral raises. 3 sets of each. My marathons will be over in 6 more weeks so I plan to get my strength training to be more regular.

    Tomorrow I head back to Wisconsin. Will hike 2 more segments of the Ice Age trail in Waukesha county then head over to the 12 hour event in Germantown that my friend is doing. She hopes to get in 40+ miles. I will be there to support her the last 3-4 hours. I can't pace her but I can walk some laps with her.

    Sunday is a 20 mile run along the lakefront paths south of Milwaukee. It is part of a larger event that includes a 1/2 marathon, marathon, and 50K. The 20 mile run is untimed and no medal, but only $20 for full course/aid station support and a t-shirt. Can't beat that price!
  • Calvin2008Brian
    Calvin2008Brian Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I found this great little plan a while back, did it a few times, and have (halfway) earnestly included it in every training plan I've drawn up over the past year.

    Have I actually done the workouts? Sadly, no. I've reverted back to bad old habits that have me giving seriously NO attention to stretching and strengthening. And, after giving it a good go last summer/fall, I firmly believe there is great benefit to doing these things.

    I'm a runner, not a stretcher.
  • gadgetgirlIL
    gadgetgirlIL Posts: 1,381 Member
    edited September 2016
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    @Calvin2008Brian - I got much more serious about stretching, especially my calves and hamstrings after an overuse injury sidelined me for nearly 2 months back in 2014. I thought it was a knee problem at first but it was a very tight calf and very tight IT band pulling on the tendon attachments on the knee. Even with what little stretching I do now, it is enough to keep that problem at bay.
  • jbrack381us
    jbrack381us Posts: 345 Member
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    QotD:
    I'm a runner, not a stretcher.

    I love that. That is exactly how I feel. Although, sometimes I will guilt myself into stretching before I run. Partly I feel that the brisk walk warmup is my "stretch routine".

    No strength training yet. DW really wants me to work out where she is at. The times are not terribly convenient for me unless I decide I am going to go to a 5:45 AM class. Not there yet. I also have a lot of workout routines and I am still owed a jump start at the gym we went back to recently. I do work out in the pool 2 days or so a week and really would rather just incorporate the weights into the cardio I do there.

    AQotD: w2d2 c25k tonight after work on the indoor track. Pretty sure the gym should be light with the weekend upon us. w2d3 on Sunday with a pool stint on Saturday afternoon/night at some point.
  • Philtex
    Philtex Posts: 967 Member
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    I used to do some static stretches before and after but now I just get out there and run.

    Long run will be 8 miles tomorrow. Morning temp will be cool enough that I can run outside. It has been a long summer.
  • nick197785
    nick197785 Posts: 40 Member
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    I try to do Bikram Yoga weekly, figuring that it covers the stretching. Also I try to lift twice a week. If I can do both of these things,(and be a bit lucky) I seem to be able to avoid the injuries that some of my running friends my age get.

    The plan is to do a 10mile training run on Saturday, 5k race (& beer) on Sunday and a 25K race on Monday. If T/S Hermine comes closer, I may skip the Monday race.
  • Calvin2008Brian
    Calvin2008Brian Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I'm better at strength training than stretching, but at the moment that's kind of not saying much.
  • shenry111
    shenry111 Posts: 4,144 Member
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    I have a bench in my basement, but have not used it in a long, long time. I have tried Yoga off/on, and I'm convinced that if I were to do Yoga, I would gain flexibility, and strength, but for some reason, I just can't make it "stick". I enjoy Yoga. I don't know why I can't seem to work it into my schedule. I don't see a negative thing about it. I am sure that I'll try it again soon, and hopefully keep with it. I even have a 10 minute Yoga app on my phone. Sigh....

    I am planning on getting in a run tomorrow, as I was just too tired today. Then, a long run on Monday, instead of Sunday. DW has had plans both today, and tomorrow, so that threw me off a little. Yep, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it. Today we went to the art museum in KC, and saw an exhibit on Roman Luxury. It was cool. Tomorrow, she wants me to take her to the city market in downtown KC. We have not been to that market in a couple of years. Since I have started working downtown, she has taken an interest to KCMO for the first time in our 27 years together. It is nice. I like downtown KC. We generally just stick to the burbs.
  • jbrack381us
    jbrack381us Posts: 345 Member
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    Good 2-ish miles yesterday afternoon on the indoor track. Already got my pool workout in this AM. Looking forward to W2D3 of c25k tomorrow.
  • gadgetgirlIL
    gadgetgirlIL Posts: 1,381 Member
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    Greetings!

    Lots of miles on my feet these past two days:

    Saturday was 8.83 miles of hiking on the Ice Age Trail to check off another 2 segments followed by supporting a friend doing a 12-hour event. I ended up walking 10 miles around the track with her. We got her to 43.77 miles! She would have been happy to just break 40, but when I checked what her lap count was at the 10 hour mark, I knew she could do more. And she did! My feet were NOT happy walking that far on a track. I've certainly hiked, walked, and run much further and never had the bottoms of my feet be so annoyed. Maybe it was because it was a cushioned track that was absolutely level? I like varied terrain.

    I finished up that 10 miles around 9pm last night and then was at a 20 mile event this morning at 6:30am. It is part of a larger race that has a 1/2 marathon, full marathon, and a 50K. But the 20 mile is only $20 for a fully supported course plus t-shirt. You just don't get an official time or medal.

    My goal was to have a consistent pace and I nailed that in spite of having aching feet by the time we got to 16 miles. I did 9:1 minutes run/walk the first 10 miles then switched to 4:1 run/walk the last 10 miles. Even though it was hotter the second half, I managed to bring my overall average pace down.

    Those last 4 miles were MT (Mental Toughness) miles. It hurt to walk, it hurt to run. I just wanted to go sit in my car with the A/C on full blast. I passed close by my car at the 16 mile mark.... But I knew that the last part of the marathon in 2 weeks is going to hurt just as much so I just focused on each run/walk interval. I mentally calculated how many I thought I needed to do to finish. I ended up finishing strong!

    Drove home from Milwaukee (~90 minutes) and then headed to the fitness center for stretching and aqua therapy. Some water walking in the pool, swam a few laps, then a long soak in the hot tub, followed by a long shower has me feeling much better.
  • jbrack381us
    jbrack381us Posts: 345 Member
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    w2d3 of c25k today. 2+ miles. Pool day tomorrow and likely an off day on Tuesday with DW coming back home from trip to DMIL.
  • StuartPW
    StuartPW Posts: 30 Member
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    I used to be religious at stretching but I have completely stopped. I don't do much cross training other than relaxation bike riding. I have plenty of room to improve. :)
  • shenry111
    shenry111 Posts: 4,144 Member
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    Good Morning!

    Just got back from a 4 mile run. The humidity is coming back, and the run felt brutal. The surprise was that I ended up running faster than last week, and with a lower average HR. Woot!

    Dusted off the weight bench yesterday, and did a light arm workout. Will do back/core today. Legs tomorrow. Rotate arms/back/leg for 10-15 minutes each day. I really must do something to build up my core again. Part of it is for running, and to help my ITB, but my pelvis keeps rotating, and that is a large part of my low back pain. My chiropractor and I agree that strengthening my core can only help with several issues.
  • jbrack381us
    jbrack381us Posts: 345 Member
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    Pool workout done this am. Probably off day tomorrow and start W3d1 on Wed.