STrooper Member

She could probably update but she hasn't been posting much publicly recently. Between health issues and nursing school, she just hasn't had much to say publicly. She is on my friends list and so I know she is still around and she has posted comments from time to time. I will pass this along: she completed a half-marathon…

I did a 20-miler this weekend, too. Mine registered as 1000 feet of elevation gain (split the difference between two programs). I forgot that when I run this route counterclockwise I get to run UP what is named "Nunn Mountain" as well as the area where I live (Piney Mountain). Not huge hill climbs in absolute vertical…

Always alone for the long runs. Rarely run with anyone on shorter runs.

It depends. I rarely take water or anything to eat on runs less than 10 miles (unless the dewpoint is in the mid to high 70's and then I might take a small bottle if I'm going over 6 miles). I often run at lunchtime and so the temperature has been close to 90°F until just recently. I realize I've been running without…

Carrie: Actually, Galloway's plan doesn't call for that whether you are running the train to finish or to train for time plans. The train to finish plan is on his website and I think it is only slightly different from the one I originally worked with. He used to post one of his intermediate train for time plans on his…

So, I return to address the OP's question...26 miles following Galloway's "train to finish" plan. As a 60 year old marathon first timer, I finished in a relatively satisfying 5:10. I would have been faster had I not stepped on a sweet gum ball at mile 14 and strained my left Achilles tendon. That made running the last 12…

Carson: I'm just repeating what Galloway says about his data. But he, too, indicates it's about training and fitness, weather / temperature and proper gear for conditions, practice in fueling your body to go the distance and proper pace. Nor are his plans particularly short (24 weeks is typical). So, it's not like "go out…

Moby: Congrats! Carrie: I'm working towards a 2017 attempt as well.

Well, as a very late reply. I did it and found the wall on the first one at Mile 23. I took it easy (until mile 23) and ran a PR in poor conditions (cold and windy). It was actually training back up for a third marathon in April that injured me.

We're busy...maintaining, having reached our goals. :)

I used Galloway's plan for my first one. He has a two week jump from 14 to 17 miles. Once you get to 17 miles, he has you increase by three miles every third week. So there was a 17, 20, 23, and 26 (I did somewhat more than 26) and then the taper. But Galloway will tell you that the 26 miler serves two purposes. First, it…

Once you are running a fairly consistent schedule with a gradual ramp up, you'll likely see it on the shorter distances first with the longer distance becoming easier and gradually faster (though it really depends upon where your fitness level is when you start). Using a 1-mile test as a basis, I started out being able to…

All the remarks above are good and I can't add to them. Yes, run slower on those longer runs and remember to go even slower, the higher the temperature is (add 30 seconds per mile for every 5°F above 60°F). Yes, on extremely hot days that will bring you nearly to a walk (consider a walk run combination to get some period…

One other thing...if you calorie expenditure for exercise is reasonably accurate (some are, some aren't) and you have a relatively large energy expenditure (say you walk or run 10 miles) such that it gives you a large calorie deficit each day rather than a more nominal one, you'll also find that you'll "run out energy" to…

If I recall Matt Fitzgerald's book correctly, any run where you get into one of the higher zones, the entire run counts as being in that high zone and so the entire time (since he primarily counts time at zone, except the long runs which should be done at a lower pace until the plan calls for speedier runs towards then end…

Thanks! I should have updated this. So, I ran them both. Both were cold (where was that warmer beach weather in winter?) though Myrtle Beach was a tougher run due to conditions. I hit the wall at 23.5 miles. Never experienced that before but I did finish. Was more tired on the second one at mile 20, but ran a very…

I have been reading Maffetone's most recent books and he makes a similar argument for higher fat content (for higher fat burning), noting that up to half of the carbs we ingest convert to fat because of overactivation of the insulin cycle. My fat consumption tends to be a lot closer to 35% of my calories except during the…

In general, you are going to find that a diet (fueling) that has a higher percentage of carbohydrate than typical. I find that mine tends upward towards 55-60% carbs,25-30% fat and the remainder is protein. On weeks approaching the longer runs towards the end of the training cycle I have switched over to a much higher carb…

A. Old guys need an occasional break.

I have an Orange Mud single bottle for those 1-2 hour runs and a Camelbak Rogue (70 oz) for those longer runs on very warm and humid days.

It's PMS...postmarathon syndrome.

Interesting. A couple of us had a similar conversation today. I'm with Carrie on this one. I don't lift heavy when I weight train. It is more for lighter weights, more reps and more sets that help provide some definition where the fat has burned off.

Oh, I love that monster at mile 22. I was more afraid of falling (slipping) down it on wet leaves the first time I ran it to get a sense of that portion of the course when I was training. I was surprised how many people (half-marathoners) complained about the hills on the outbound leg. I run those hills on Clark Ave all…

I generally consider a course with more than 1000 vertical climb (even if it is a net zero because you return to where you start) a "hilly course." Most of the courses we have around here that are characterized as hilly have more than 1200 feet of climbing over the marathon distance, 600-800 feet over the half-marathon…

You probably don't have to carb load for a half marathon (just don't go and eat a lot of fatty or spicy foods the night before). It might help somewhat if you increase your carbs somewhat the last three days before. For marathons it is much more important.

A coworker of mine ran the Downhill at Dawn half marathon this morning. Haven't heard from him yet, but I'll be interested to see if he feels as good after running and dropping more than 2,000 vertical feet was as "fast" and feels as good as he thought it might.

My answer is it depends. If there are a few minor aches and pains, I might not take anything. A little more soreness and pain, I might take a Tylenol or aspirin (I prefer aspirin over Tylenol for pain and inflammation) to offer temporary relief and comfort. But I've generally avoided taking anything just so I can run. I've…

I've had similar experiences of "thanks for being my pacer!" I've noticed that in most of my races, I am thinking about how I am running through a checklist of questions: am I keeping a consistent effort for the pace, how am I feeling, any problems anywhere (and anything I can do about it), how's my heart rate doing, where…

Life has a way of doing that. It only took me from 1985 to 2013 to get back to running again. I was fast way back when. Now, not so much. But then I ran shorter distances and shorter races. A marathon just didn't cross my mind because it neither held a mystique nor any interest. Fast forward to now, all race distances are…

Joni: My two cents worth. More miles help and getting up to 50 miles/week was doable for me. Building an aerobic base is useful and it showed up mostly as an improvement in speed the 5K and half-marathon times since those races are short enough to take advantage of the aerobic capacity. But like you, those times didn't…