Active Community: Message List

Re: Spring Into Summer 5k and 1 Mile Fun Run Reviews

guest — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 20:13:28 GMT

Great Race! Can't wait till next year's races. Love running in this park. The Take the First Step Club volunteers continue to do such a great job and are so supportive and encouraging. I want to join! Thanks everyone for a wonderful day.

Re: 19th Annual Hare Racing Experience 5K/1 mile/Fun Runs Reviews

guest — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:13:26 GMT

I ran this race as a buddy for Girls on the Run. I agree with some of the other comments. The course is too narrow for the number of people and the number of inexperienced runners who attend. It was also poorly organized with slow registration, too many latecomers, unclear starting location, a course that is too narrow and then repeats itself. At one point, we had no idea at the end where to go to finish as rounded the outside of the track. It would have been nice for this to have been chip timed since there were so many obstacles both to starting and finishing. I would do it again with Girls on the Run but likely not as a race for any other reason. I, for one, will be asking GOTR to please help us teach the girls running etiquette as part of the learning experience to help them be more appreciative and appreciated on the course.

Re: Sarasota Springfest 2011 Reviews

guest — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:43:20 GMT

Beautiful day. Very frustrating that there were t-shirt issues. One thing to remember about runners....we register late and "it's all about the t-shirt" so this is a big hit that will be remembered altho it seems minor to others. I was very sorry to see that we finished on the grass because it was bumpy, lumpy and due to the high WET grass it was hard to tell where the uneven spots were. Not very good or safe and made it hard to finish fast. I agree that the race starts should be staggered and people should be more available to guide, direct people to start area. Race results being posted in a better timeframe would be great too.

Re: Armadillo Run 29th Annual Reviews

guest — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:54:41 GMT

This was the best race of the few I have run. The community is charming, the police and public works staff were wonderful, supportive, very helpful. This was a great race, good people, lots of fun to be had by all. Thank you for a great experience Oldsmar and the Rotary Club.

Re: Calling all Penguins (slow runners)

guest — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:28:04 GMT

Hi FLAmom. I'm in FL also and am really having an adjustment to the rising temps. I started running in the hot weather but it quickly turned cold and now that it's getting hot I'm slowing down a bit. Of course, it does not help that I was sick all last week and still coughing a bit....and that we now have fires in the area from a controlled burn that was anything but controlled. I'm with you....the earlier the better! Congrats on making it through a 4.5 in the hot weather though! Way to go.

Re: Calling all Penguins (slow runners)

guest — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 01:00:56 GMT

Melissa---Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I so agree. I have always been a couch potato and very overweight. I've started working on losing the weight and getting active since August. I've lost about 24 pounds and have somewhat stalled but have focused on staying active and continuing to work on it. I LOVE TO RUN! Where that came from I have no idea. If you had told me a year ago that I would be doing 5K's I would have told you that you were nuts and certifiable. My time is slow but I'm good with it since it would have taken me forever to walk 3 miles a year ago and now I can run it in 40 minutes at a steady, slow pace. I'm learning so much about me and life in this process. I'm so glad that this is new for me and I have nothing to compare it to because I'm so proud and want to enjoy every single second no matter how long it takes me to run whatever distance I choose to run. The key thing is I do choose to run now as often as I can. Being 53 just makes me laugh at this more. I love running with the young and the old folks here in Florida because we all share the joy of running each race that we run. Take one day at a time and revel in every minute. I run for the sheer joy of the moment and the feeling of making a difference in my life. I hope others can have this experience too!

Re: Calling all Penguins (slow runners)

guest — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:52:07 GMT

Ok, I missed this but I'm new. How did you get a Penguin shirt???

Re: Calling all Penguins (slow runners)

guest — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:51:09 GMT

TX248, I will start this by saying that I am by no means an expert....but, in my experience, if you have not yet, PLEASE go to a running store with a good reputation for fitting shoes. They should take a look at the shoes you are currently wearing and how they are worn. Also they should watch you walk and run to see your gait for what type of shoe would be best for you. Now...the other thing is to start taking a look at exercises that will help strengthen your leg muscles to better support your knees, feet and ankles. I started this little venture at over 200 pounds at 53 yo. One thing is not to try to do too much too fast. Combine walking and jogging/running for a while until you build your endurance and leg muscle strength. There are lots of good exercises to prevent injury on this website as well as some others. I have always had terrible problems with shin splints which stopped after I got a good pair of fitted sneakers and learned how to lace them up correctly for my foot. Also, I had to learn that if I was going to run I was going to run/walk in spurts and build up slowly. I still had some soreness but I learned from that how to slow it down a little and make it work for me to go for the longer haul by walking and running. To get myself to the point I could tell when I was needing to walk I had to stop running for a few days, let my shin splints heal and then start some phases of walking, running. Then when I am running and I feel pain, I know it's time to walk to permit recovery. Almost always, I can run again in a few minutes and I don't end up hurting myself. The best part is, with this plan I could run as many days as I wanted and my distances just kept getting longer and longer with more running than walking.

Best of luck TX 248. I hope you continue to enjoy running and that it gets better for you.

Re: Calling all Penguins (slow runners)

guest — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 02:24:10 GMT

I started running in August, 2010. Just a little running in between walking. Started because someone in my weightwatchers group talked about starting running with her kids during walks by picking a street light and running between it and the next then walking again...This I thought I could do and besides I was training a service dog at the time who could use the exercise! I have so often heard that it all starts with one step. This I hold onto as I run everyday. I am now up to over 4 miles. I am 53 and battling my knees but LOVE to run after being a couch potato all my life. I still have way too much weight on my body and am stuck at a plateau but hanging in there and willing to work on it. I ran my first mile as part of a fundraiser for MDA. It was supposed to be a 5K but my registration was only for the one mile in error. It was a great beginning though. I actually ran it and ran it again to come back in with my husband who is disabled and rolled the race in his powerchair with his service dog. I ran my first 5K 1/8/11 and was soooooooo nervous. I had nightmares about whether I would finish or not. Then had a recurring nightmare for a week before the race that I finished but when I came in no one was there as everyone had already packed up and gone home!! I decided to run anyway and was not the last to finish. My time was about 41 minutes. I was pretty sure I was going to pass out because I got caught up in all the excitement and started running too fast at the beginning but calmed myself down and got into my rhythm. It was incredible to finish. I was in tears because if anyone had ever said a year ago that I would do this I would have told them they were nuts. I'm scheduled to run my second 5K on 2/5 and can't wait. I have increased my distance in the hope that I won't mind the distance so much. My only problem is that I'm struggling with my knees giving me some pain after my long runs. I take a few days off and then run shorter distances in the middle. I'm curious if anyone else has any suggestions. I love reading the things on this thread. It's so motivating to hear about other's experiences being so new. I love running and so hope that I can continue this for a long, long time even though I'm a late bloomer. I have heard that there are some exercises to improve thigh muscle strength and stomach muscles that can help sometimes with taking the pressure off the knees while running. Any suggestions of good resources?

Let's keep running! Looking forward to hearing more from everyone!

Re: MADD Dash 5K-Resolution Run Reviews

guest — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 23:18:11 GMT

This was my first 5K ever. What a great location, day, and run! The First Step Club volunteers were wonderful in helping make this a great event. Their coaching at the different locations was just what I needed to keep going and finish my first race ever. My time was also my best time ever even though I saw more of the backs of the rest of the racers! Thanks so much for a great run and a great experience!