Do you work out?

[74PILOTMOM]

Thanks for bringing this thread back to life, borg
I am planning to do the Seattle half marathon this November, and was hoping to get some info on a good training program. I've done a 13 mile beach run before, but this was YEARS ago, when I was involved in cross country. Does 4 days a week varying 3-7 mile runs sound good, or do I need to run more often?
I don't want to hurt myself

[BCinTX]

I think you'll need to work up to longer than 7 mile runs before the race, the jump from 7 to 13 is really too big.

I ran a marathon in 2001, following Hal Higdon's training program, and I had no problems. I tried training for a couple of other marathons since then but schedule and a calf muscle problem knocked me out. This year I've signed up for 2 long races: The 50K Great Eastern Endurance Run in the Virginia blue ridge mtns, and the NYC marathon, if I make the lottery. If not I may run Dallas or Richmond.

Anyway, Higdon also has a half-marathon training program I'd recommend to you. Pick whatever level you're comfortable with. It's a 12 week program, and assumes you can run 3 miles 3-4 times a week coming into it. It peaks at a 10 mile run.

Other suggestions: proper shoes are a must. What's good for one person may be awful for you. Either go to a good running store where they should either look at your current shoes or otherwise examine your feet or shoes for pronation factor, or if this shoe selection guide makes sense you can probably find them yourself. No matter who picks them, if you have leg or back problems consider trying other shoes.

I also like Cool Max (or similar) fabric in my clothes way better than cotton for wicking away sweat. Race Ready has good selection, quality, and prices.

Maybe way more than you wanted to know, but I've gotten a bit consumed by running. I even just ordered a $115 GPS watch to track my miles anywhere I run. Just ask if you have any other questions. We also have a running thread here. Good luck!

[Stevie B]

I run the Catalina Island Marathon and Death Valley 30K, annually. To train, I used to run with the L.A. chapter of the Hash House Harriers, but lost interest after a while. Anyway, I've never run more than 14 miles for a training run and have done fairly well in the years I've been running these races. If you can run nine miles with relative ease, you can definitely do a half or full marathon. I don't do it for time, so these training programs and gadgets are useless to me.

A good pair of shoes, and getting off of your duff to prepare for the upcoming run is all you need, IMO. Good luck, and maybe we'll see you down here next year for Death Valley.

[Oahu_Dave]

Originally posted by Stevie B
I run the Catalina Island Marathon and Death Valley 30K, annually. To train, I used to run with the L.A. chapter of the Hash House Harriers, but lost interest after a while. Anyway, I've never run more than 14 miles for a training run and have done fairly well in the years I've been running these races. If you can run nine miles with relative ease, you can definitely do a half or full marathon. I don't do it for time, so these training programs and gadgets are useless to me.

A good pair of shoes, and getting off of your duff to prepare for the upcoming run is all you need, IMO. Good luck, and maybe we'll see you down here next year for Death Valley.

Hey fellow Hasher! Used to run that in Saipan and Boise, but lost interest pretty quickly. I would ask your hash name, but most cant be shared in public forums.

Training for a duathalon now since I cant swim for nothing. I dont think dog paddling a couple miles would work too well. Hah.

[BCinTX]

A friend of mine from Austin ran Catalina last year. Pretty wet and muddy, wasn't it?

I won't argue much of what Stevie B said, just getting out and running is the biggest thing. I still contend that the right shoe is important if you're having pain or injuries. If you overpronate badly and blindly pick a shoe with no stability control, you're probably going to have problems. Why not try to avoid it in the first place? If you don't have problems, don't worry about it, just don't put on a new pair for the 13 miler.

And the GPS watch is definitely just a toy for me. It also measures altitude, I'm interested in seeing how steep some of the hills I run are.

[74PILOTMOM]

Wow, thank you BCinTX!

Excellent information. Jumping from 7-13 is a bit crazy I thought too, but when I trained for XC the longest runs we did were 7-8 milers, then they threw that one at us, and on a sandy beach. (At least it was flat!)

50K! Wow, how many miles is that? 30ish? I've heard of these ultramarathons through death valley and stuff and thought, OMG these people want to die! Go for it guys, men of steel!

It's cold here, in November and our lungs freeze...but it feels good to us Eskimos up here in the Northwest.

Thanks again!

[BCinTX]

50K = 31 miles. From what I've seen of pictures and race reports and know of the course, its too steep to run the whole thing, especially on the single track trail part.

[jdeanski]

During the early 90's I'd jog about 1000 miles a year, hit the weight room 3 times a week, swim laps once a week and play tennis on Sundays.
Then for about 5 years I stopped pretty much all activity, other than social. I packed on the pounds to a point where tailgating just wasn't fun any more and besides I was almost ready to buy my clothes at the tent shop.
Four years ago I slowly began to get back into shape. Now I hit the freeweights 2 to 3 times a week and jog 2 miles 3 times a week. My knees and back won't let me go further. I've lost 40 lbs but need to drop another 10 to 15 to get where I was in the 90's. My resting heart rate is in the lower 60's and my bp is in the 117/70 range. I'm 56 years old and really looking forward to taking Pilot to it's first tailgate this Sept.

[74PILOTMOM]

Originally posted by jdeanski
. My resting heart rate is in the lower 60's and my bp is in the 117/70 range. I'm 56 years old and really looking forward to taking Pilot to it's first tailgate this Sept.

DANG!!! You're going to live to be 120! I'm impressed!

Now, the questions: Low blood pressure is a good thing, right? What's too low? Mine is 110/60, but my resting heart rate is too fast, 74 I believe, does this mean I have a weak heart? I don't fully understand it.

[BCinTX]

I'd check with a doc or at least read up on some of the more credible medical web sites since I don't have any real medical knowledge...but I'm not under the impression that's any indication of a weak heart.

The low BP is great, unless you have symptoms like light headedness or fainting.

When do you take your heartrate? The best time to measure a true resting heart rate is to take it when you first wake up without an alarm or anything jarring you. I've measured mine as low as 38 that way. During the day its more likely to be somewhere in the 50s or even 60s. Some of it is just heredity, some is conditioning.

Are you running now? Do you run aerobically (not out of breath)? That's better for your heart than pushing harder. A great way to train is to learn what your optimal heart rate is and keep it in that range using a heart rate monitor. I don't do this myself but someday I may.

[Preludetundra]

Originally posted by Preludetundra
I'm 60 and retired. I Do cardio (cross trainer, treadmill, or stationary bike) at least 5 days a week for 45-60 minutes. I also lift on 3 of my workout days. Also have recently gotten into distance biking on the weekends. I used to be a running addict, but I guess old age and 25,000 plus miles have taken their toll. If you are relatively young and sedentary you'd better wake up before it is too late.

Now 61. From last May until now I have continued my fitness regiment at the gym. However, i never really got serious about road biking until about three months ago. It is great to be back outside and on the road again. For me it is the next best thing to marathon running. Last Saturday I road 44 miles in a little under 3 hours. My goal is to increase my pace and to complete a 100 race/ride.