leeapeea Member

Back story- until three years ago I said I would only run if I was being chased by bears. And even then... I'd probably just give them a pick-a-nic basket. My knowledge of running came solely from the presidential fitness test when one runs around a track in gym class, and doing laps at soccer practice. BLECH. Then I met…

This Saturday I'm running the 14 mile option (there's a 36 as well) at the first annual Moosalamoo Ultra in Goshen, VT. Main features of the course include climbing Mt. Moosalamoo and fighting through a field of puckerbrush. Oh, and the location is perfect, with several brewpubs in the local vicinity. :-D

@garciachris- the Odyssey sounds FANTASTIC! Have a great time!

Thought of this thread this weekend when I was running in Sunapee, NH on trails and two does came crashing through the woods crossing the trail right in front of me! The runners ahead must have spooked them. If I was 2 seconds faster I might have been pummeled by hooves, but luckily I was taking it easy. :-) Always have to…

Anyone in the NH area doing the Cigna 5K in Manchester?

Those aren't really target areas. Your best bet is a combo of cardio and strength and good diet to loose fat, though in women those are some of the last places we loose it. :-/ That being said, core work for the lower abs (Pilates) and full back exercises like pullups, pulldowns, and rows will tone the muscles in those…

You can certainly start with no weights. Find out what exercises you'd like to do, then purchase what you need as you need it. I have one barbell with a few plates and two sets of dumbells, one that's a set weight and one with plates. I also have a pullup bar and an exercise ball, and I can do almost any exercise with this…

I don't get a lot of chafing since I switched to capris (thigh rub, ugh), but my bf ALWAYS gets it- worse when he's not hydrated. He's used Bag Balm, Body Glide, but the latest and greatest is Chamois Butt'r. Longer runs+ humidity is probably the culprit. You might need to change your belt- maybe you're carrying more…

Anyone in the NH area, check out this little 5K I'm running in Hillsborough on July 20th: http://www.3craceproductions.com/RacePages/BalloonFest5K.htm The course is pretty. The road follows the Contoocook river and some pretty farms. There are hills, but nothing out of the ordinary for New Hampshire. Bonus: it's at the…

I'm with Eloise, I use my smart phone. There's a billion aps- most are free. I currently use MapMyRun, but I've also used the Running Ahead ap. Running Ahead also allows you to map out a course beforehand and manually record time, etc. If you're not sure you want to invest, I'd download an ap and see how much you use…

I see a lot of folks with the Garmens and the Polars. I use a program on my smart phone for the GPS stuff- it works ok depending on satellite. Not sure that I'd want to know exactly how slow I was going or how many more miles I had to go on a known course, though... ;-P That's more of the mental training that I need to…

@what- amazing! As awesome as I feel it would be to see a big cat or a coyote on the trail, I'm just as glad to never have surprised something that *could* kill me. Be safe running around camp this weekend... and maybe take some pepper spray... and a camera... :-D And as for the bad dog owners? Don't I WISH. :-)

I've paced quite a few folks through runs, the longest being a 25K, and you might find that being focused on your mother's well being and enjoying your time with her will actually make those 5 hours a bit easier. Think of it as an extended fun run rather than a race, and leave your own watch at home. :-) You will want to…

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! Does anyone have a preference of wrist over chest monitor? I know the chest is more accurate, but I'm not sure that would be comfortable on long runs.

That REI guy is probably asked about running in Vibrams from every 5th customer- many of whom have never run at all. You, however, are a runner and have been running in minimalist shoes, and I assume you know your barefoot technique is good and you won't get hurt. I run in vibrams as a training supplement. I'm way too…

What are your goals? Are you simply looking to finish? Or do you have a finishing time in mind? My very first 5K I was simply looking to finish. I had only ever run 2.5 miles before, so the distance was the goal. After I was sure I could do the miles, speed was the goal, so I've focused on speed training. The most…

A wolf?!? Holy crap- where were you? Here in New England we have some coyotes (which, thankfully, I have NOT had an encounter with), but wolves haven't made a big resurgence yet. Most of my animal encounters have been with dogs, either on the owner's property or in the woods. I carry mace with me now, or when I'm with my…

Congratulations!! It's always nice to hear a runner who runs because s/he LOVES it! When I'm not actively on a training program (which is most of the time) for my long run I won't have a milage goal- I'll have a time goal (maybe 2 or 3 hours, maybe more if it's a perfect day), and it's all about being on my feet. Yes, I'll…

"Great course" is sooooo subjective. I'm a trail runner, so a "great course" to me has single track, switch backs, challenging hills, a water crossing, and maybe a sweet view. These are all things that are opposite of what would make a great road race. I'm sorry to hear about your experience. It sounds like the race was…

I use my camel back when I need over 12 oz of water, generally runs that will be well over an hour. If it's a super duper hot day, I'll take it if I think it'll be over 45 minutes because dehydration sucks. The pack is nice for long runs not just for water but also food and holding layers especially in the fall/winter. For…

If I have the forethought to get a decent snack in before a run, I can trust my body for about 2 hours unless it's really rugged terrain. I get low blood sugar pretty quickly, and I get "hangry" (hunger angry), so I tend to pack a Gu gel or similar in my hand-held's pouch just in case. There seriously is a TON of options…

Hi, I'm Leah from New Hampshire. I started running about three years ago and to date my longest distance is just under 30 miles. Most of my runs are between half and marathon length. I've got an "ultra hike" of 29 miles in the fall and a trail marathon in November, as well as several trail races this summer between 5K and…