Hi folks!

Will try again to report on my training over the last week.  Hopefully redoing the post I wrote (the one that Active keeps rejecting) from scratch will eliminate the bug that's keeping me from posting.

I received so much good information from a bunch of you here (Tony and Len and Mary among others) that I wanted to give back.

Found out I could keep my heart rate at 85% after all.  I had to walk a few times to keep my rate below that, but it was more of a workout than I thought it would be. 

Keeping myself around 85% of MHR:

Saturday - 8 km - average pace:   7:45 / km

Sunday  - 10.5 km - average pace:   7:25 / km

Tuesday - 8 km - average pace:   7:10 / km

(By comparison, my race pace for distances like this is just under 6:00 / km.)

See how my pace is increasing while my HR is being held constant?

By the way, running in that zone has another advantage:  far less stiffness and leg pain the day after!  My legs feel fantastic!  The easy runs and the brutal routines my trainer is putting me through are making me stronger.

Now, I understand that there are many factors other than just the strength/efficiency of my heart that come into play, for example other stresses like the intensity of my gym workouts between my runs, the amount of sleep I'm getting, the temperature, etc.   I am not trying to read too much into the apparent progress I am making, but there does seem to be an indication that I am on the right track.

So thanks folks for your input.  I have done a lot of reading on the topic, consulted with my trainer at the gym and our running coaches, and of course with you in this thread.  It takes an entire village to raise an idiot (is that how the saying goes?) and I appreciate your help.

Going to have an easy, short run in that same aerobic zone tomorrow morning, then a 10 km race on Sunday.  Interested in seeing what the race brings after a week of training in that aerobic training zone, but am not going to push too hard (yeah, I always say that until the gun goes off!).

Wow, Nan!

Looks like you like to travel to torture yourself!  Istanbul, Easter Island...  I thought a 6 hour bus trip to my first marathon was traveling!

Enjoyed your blog on the Easter Island marathon.  I've only run one marathon, and it WAS a flat course.  Time was 5:22...

I wasn't concerned about the time, so it is what it is.  Since I tend to tire out after about 12 - 13 miles, I did a lot of walking on the return trip.  I'm working on my endurance now:  if I ever do run another marathon, it would be nice to do it under 5 hours.  (I've been telling everyone "Never again!", but nobody believes me.)

Thanks for your offer to try to post for me.  I condensed and re-wrote the post, and it uploaded fine.  Sent it as an attachment when I asked support for help, but they haven't replied (tried them twice).  Oh well, life goes on...

Debra, your words feel so wonderful! Thank you. You are right. I am overwhelmed but feel like if I can get a training schedule firmed up and started, it will give me some structure to rely on to corral the chaos when it starts to fly. Maybe wishful thinking but it's a goal. Good for you going indoors! Your track sounds like a vacation!

DiDi, I've missed your posts but am glad to hear you are running. Have any race plans for the near future?

Kim, you are going well with your training. I didn't realize you're planning to run a full and not a half. That's huge! It will be so exciting!! I love running and I have moments of joy with every run. I just like to share the good and the bad because we all have off days and it's hard to read through a long string of celebrations when you're going through struggle. Also, I've received some very helpful input like Debra's reminder that life can be messy or Urun's advice on injury. When I'm in the thick of it, I tend to lose perspective.

Urun, great to hear from you!! What a nice trip! (Innsbruck :-D) That sounds so scenic! Awful sorry about the fall! I pictured you on a paved path. Hope the soreness doesn't last!! You didn't mention DH's run journey or how you are doing on your marathon training? I hope you're not suffering the same heat and humidity we're going through!

Rob, I think the Active.com site has had a virus. I recently got a bunch of emails that were posts from April-May along with a few current ones but the funny thing was that some of the current ones (your's and Nan's). Anyway, I say this because you might not be the only one affected and hopefully the support team will get on it soon. You are seeing some wonderful progess in distance!! Congratulations!! Ice baths are a wonderful way to avoid muscle soreness the day after a hard run or workout. Fill the tub with only cold water and throw in some ice packs. Get in and soak for 10-20 min., as long as you can stand it. It actually is refreshing in this heat after you get past the initial shock. It works when you can do it within an hour or so after your run. I've never tried it when it's taken me more than an hour to get home. Anyone else had any success with this when there's been a delay?

Nan, Little Bunny Foo Foo is indeed welcome. Send her over! I have two feral cats and we are not friends. Allergic. I use traps that catch the mice in a maze but don't kill them so I have to listen to them struggle all night trying to get out and then dump them in the back in the morning. I've caught over 15 since January. If I'd taken the mice more seriously when they first appeared, I'd probably have the problem whooped but I'm renovating the house. With holes everywhere, it seemed like a fool's errand to try and stop them from coming in. Rethinking that approach. Yeah, I bargain with myself when I'm tired.  I'll believe almost anything when I'm tired.

Marie, bless you for carrying for Mom!! DS is a home health nurse so she's taken on watching over Mom for the time. I have tons of respect for people who have the patience and care to do that because that's not me. I so understand now when people say they would trade almost anything for one more day with a loved one, though.  So sorry about your ankle but 65 degrees in TN? I take it you weren't running at 2 am? So envious! This morning at 8:55 it was already 85 degrees and couldn't have been much more humid. I would have gotten out earlier but Trainer Brad wore me out yesterday, I ignored the alarm and it was an hour drive to trail head. I wanted to scope out the course for my race next Sunday. It's a great trail, much like all the others, except I had to duck 13 bikers! No prob. I had no wind and glutes were screaming so I lasted 1.5 mi. running and walked 2.3. 3.8 mi. in 76 min. See, Kim, I am slowwww! Think I'll be passing on the race and doing a training run. 

It's supposed to cool down tonight and tomorrow. I cannot wait!

Run strong and fierce!

Mary Kay, my husband is still on the disabled list. He tore his meniscus in May, had to stop running until he healed, which should have been in mid July. Well, the first night we were in Innsbruck I forgot my purse, with my passport and credit cards inside. He RAN back to the church to get it (not a bad place to lose a purse if you have a choice in where you lose it ;-P) and probably put too much stress on that knee. Later that evening he took an off balance step off of the curb and twisted his knee. So, his return to running has probably been pushed back a few more weeks. We are taking long walks and making plans to find a later marathon. He really misses the runs. He put his running shorts on the other day and remarked how good it felt to have them on again and to be closer to getting back to training. I miss having him out there with me, but this is just a temporary setback. We'll be out there together again soon!

Good morning! I am new here and have been reading, trying to decide which thread to post in for the first time. I guess this 50+ thread fits.

I am 50, really overweight, and I have rheumatoid arthritis. The disease is my greatest challenge. Since May I have been feeling pretty good. The meds I am on now are working. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the disease, what works today might fail tomorrow. Regardless, in March I signed up at the Y and hired a personal trainer for weight training.

I started C25K last month, never, ever dreaming I could actually run again. Despite all my increased activity, weights 2x a week, C25K 3x a week, 30 minutes of cardio 3-5 x a week, I have not lost a pound. Maybe it's time to diet?

Anyway, I feel better, stronger, and healthier than I have in years. My goal is to run a 5k at the end of September.

Thank you!

Robin~Welcome back!  I've missed your posts and race reports, and hopeful you are able to continue to post in the future.  Congratulations on a great HM(how many is that for you?) and 2nd in AG win!  I am also fondly recalling those wonderful winter days running in 20 degree temperatures, too! 

urun~Hope you have recovered from the fall, and so sorry to hear about DH injury.  What a'knight in shining armour' to run back to retrieve your purse!  Enjoy your stay in Austria.

Tony~What an appropriate place to run to celebrate Independence Day!  Keep up the great training for you FM!

Mary Kay~So what HM training plan have you decided to start this week(nudge, nudge)?  I'm on week 3 of the Higdon Novice 2 plan, with a little speed work thrown in on alternate Wednesdays. 

Rob~Hope you had a great race yesterday.  Looking forward to reading your Race Report!

Nan~Enjoyed reading your RR from the Easter Island.  Always fascinated with the moai since watching those Nat Geo specials as a kid.  Can't wait to read about the Extreme Heat Adventure Race!!  Take care....

Kim~WTG on your 13 mile long run -- in Houston heat & humidity no less!  Impressive.

Di~Great to 'hear' from you.  Missed you and your inspirational quotes!  What race are you training for next?

Marie~Bless your heart as you care for your aging parents. I'm not looking forward to having "The Talk" with my dad about not renewing his dirver's liscense this year.  He turns 89 this month.  Both he and my mom are in great health, but declining vision and reaction time are of concern. 

The 100+  degree temps of last week have moved on, and we are once again in the normal range in the 80's.  I enjoyed a cooler 7 mile run on the shaded bike path yesterday.  My husband is back to running after recuperating from hernia surgery, so we ran the first mile together.  I continued on as he ran back to pick up the bike and catch up with me at mile 4.5.  On Sunday mornings the path is so peaceful, the birds were enjoying the cooler temps and singing their hearts out.  A nearby church's carillon bells were echoing hymns through the woods and I couldn' help but sing along, too.  Just then a doe and her fawn hoped out of the woods(hope it wasn't my singing?), and ran away from me toward a runner coming the opposite way.  Just 5 feet in front of the runner, they scurried back into the woods.  The runner's eyes were as big as saucers as they approached her -- new meaning to the phrase "deer in the headlights"!  Have a great week everyone!

Run strong, friends!

okjoan:  Welcome to our forum and congratulations on your improvement.  I agree that diet is a big part of weight loss (and keeping it off afterwards).  Your local hospital might have some weight loss classes.  Keep it up and you will be ready for your 5K.

urun:  I envy your being able to run in Europe.  I trust you recovered quickly from your fall.  When we wer ein Europe in April, I did not take any running clothes (had packed them and then took them out).  There were bike/running paths almost everywhere we were in Germany and the Netherlands, and we had free time.  Now I know.

We are camping again this week, so I did five miles this morning on the trails.  The heat has broken temporarily, so it was about 60 this morning at 6.  Still somewhat humid, but much improved from Saturday.  We're due for 90+ temps again in a few days, so I'll get my outdoor runs in this week and then retreat again to the health club.

Have a good week of training.

Urun - sorry to hear about your tumble and your husband's wrenched knee.

I think it mut be that huge full moon we had this month. So many I know have had bad falls- including me. I misstepped off a curb and landn on my face. The strained wrists and the grated nose job are pretty well healed. Just need a few more days for the bruised ribs to recover. I was able to continue my Team In Training meetings with only a few modifications. Last week we did a 6 mile speed walk, which I was able to handle quie well. Saturday I have entered a 10K event. This will be the longest race for me. The route will be on an asphalt road that runs along a mountain ridge, with gentle undulation, but very little change in altitude. I am hoping to come in under 2 hours. Nothing compared to many of us in this list, but 6.4 miles will be a long way for me. I'm sure this group will be cheering me on.

Phyllis