for the runners

[clif]

i love running, sometimes. it's the best when my mind is as big a part of the process. what i mean is putting my thoughts into perspective, which is what i think mike a lafontaine is getting at.

the workout could be like making a souffle or following a 8 week plan. i've not read about these approaches, they just wouldn't work for me. but if you love finding your boundaries and limitations (or what you THINK are but want to make absolutely un-fuckingbelieveably sure) running as fast and far as you can works well. slow down, if you you think you know something, or keep running and puke or foul your pants if you want to make sure you were right.

'it's the journey' is the cliche. but conceptualizing the process and goal as a continuum with no discrete steps can be liberating.

[dipsi]

If you aren't maintaining a 14 mph pace at 5.something, you will be invited to leave the race.

Wow, a two and a half minute mile...can I use my bike?

Ha! Okay, that was supposed to be 14 min mile, but someone was half asleep when she typed it.

[gregkerzhner]

If you aren't maintaining a 14 mph pace at 5.something, you will be invited to leave the race.

Wow, a two and a half minute mile...can I use my bike?

14 miles / hour = 14 miles / 60 minutes = 1 mile / 4.28 minutes.

[Fartspray]

[mike_a_lafontaine]

14 miles / hour = 14 miles / 60 minutes = 1 mile / 4.28 minutes.

Yeah, I caught that just after I wrote it, but then I realized it doesn't matter, since I'm not doing either pace for more than 100 meters or so.

[KD]

In louisville there is a running shoe store called Swags Sporting Goods. Call and find out when Swag will be in. Swag Hartell is one of the greatest runners in Louisville history abd he loves to help people out with really great advice. Go talk to him and get some beta on starting out running as well as prob 10 to 20 percent off of a pair of shoes. Tell Swag you know me and that that I recommended him for you - I've bought from him for about 20 years now. Get out and run - take some music if you want - leave your watch at home.

[Lateralus]

The run/walk method as pigsteak mentioned, imo is THE way to get into running w/o injuring yourself before you really get into it. How well you do at it and how long it takes you to get "fit" depends on the obvious stuff, current fitness level, genetics/ body frame, discipline for training/mental toughness. 14min pace is barely jogging btw, it's walking very quickly imo--. Running a 1/2 @ barely jogging pace shouldn't be too much of a challenge really for someone that has a decent athletic background and can handle some pain for a few hours. Why people who don't really run want to jump right into a longish race seems ridiculous to me but that's my $0.02. Many experts give a 3-5 year buildup for running a marathon, so 1-2 years for a 1/2 makes sense, unless you are not going really do it with a "running" pace anyway. It's kind of like a new climber starting out and wanting to just do Denali or something w/o really building up to it. It certainly can and has been done but why miss out on all of the experience and fitness you will gain by building up gradually and actually running the race instead of just finishing it.

[Josephine]

Lateralus, good points. i guess i just want something that will make me work to get there. i've tried in the past to just run for the "fun of it" that's not really my thing. but i do want to be able to be fit enough to run. maybe i'll do a 10k this fall and the 1/2 in the spring. i'm really liking the run/walk method. i'm a lot less discouraged

[dipsi]

14 miles / hour = 14 miles / 60 minutes = 1 mile / 4.28 minutes.

Yeah, I caught that just after I wrote it, but then I realized it doesn't matter, since I'm not doing either pace for more than 100 meters or so.

Yeah, I caught it too, and I was going to say something, but I had too much egg on my face at the moment. hee hee

[mike_a_lafontaine]

Egg, that's good. Lots of protein is important for long endurance exercise! One thing very few people realize is that endurance athletes require more protein intake than power lifters and body builders.