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New shoes keep my back and knees from hurting. I go ahead and spend the money on good shoes and replace often. I try not to put more than 150 miles on them and it keeps everything from hurting all the time. I am up to 6 miles a day, 5 days a week with a long run on Sundays. I hurt my knee last month at a swim meet, of all things! I was watching my son swim and was squatting so the people behind me could see and my knee hasn't been the same since. Stretching is an important injury preventer, too. I learned to hold the stretches for at least 30 seconds and to make my stretching routine last 10 minutes. Ugh. I need to go for a run.

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You are at a difficult stage of your training now with the long runs. I would highly recommend two 20-milers prior to your marathon. I did one of my long runs on a treadmill because of the weather. UGH! That was the worst part of my training. Keep motivated with your training because it will make a world of difference on race day.

 

Cyrena, who ran the 2003 New York City Marathon at age 47. :cool: (Old gals can run!)

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Cyrena- Yea!

 

"I would highly recommend two 20-milers "

 

There may not be time, the race is at the end of April! I am soooo behind schedule. My goal is to run and finish.

 

 

"UGH! That was the worst part of my training. Keep motivated with your training because it will make a world of difference on race day."

 

"Cyrena, who ran the 2003 New York City Marathon at age 47. :cool: (Old gals can run!)

"

 

Well, I think the fact that you accomplished this means you are NOT old! Wow! I want to be you! I need the motivation, thank you!:D

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I just started running about a month ago. And I love it when I stick to it. I am running with two friends four mornings a week. We run 2.6 miles. I haven't been this week and I miss it. I HATE getting up in the mornings when it is so cold, but I am always glad I did it. I am starting back up next week, if not with my friends, then on my own. I am running in a 5K in March, so I need to get back to my plan.:eek:

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I'm running about 20 miles a week right now--I'd like to work my way back up to 30 a week (I got derailed before Christmas by a bad cough that wouldn't go away and have had a hard time getting back) but I'm a little bit worried about wear and tear on my joints...my father ran for years and now has serious back troubles, although there were contributing factors.

 

Anyway, any tips on reducing wear and tear would be welcome. I do try to run on dirt roads and I wear New Balance, but I can feel it in my hips and lower back.

 

Susan, my personal trainer just told me last week that if you have any joint pain or back problems, New Balance probably isn't the best shoe. She suggested Asics or Adidas. I tried the Asics and they were much more supportive. Just FYI.

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I'm running about 20 miles a week right now--I'd like to work my way back up to 30 a week (I got derailed before Christmas by a bad cough that wouldn't go away and have had a hard time getting back) but I'm a little bit worried about wear and tear on my joints...my father ran for years and now has serious back troubles, although there were contributing factors.

 

Anyway, any tips on reducing wear and tear would be welcome. I do try to run on dirt roads and I wear New Balance, but I can feel it in my hips and lower back.

 

This past Saturday I finally made time and went to a running store (whoo-boy, talk about intimidating). They looked at my foot, took a video of me running (yikes!) and then explained to me what I needed in a shoe as they looked at the video in slow-motion. They brought out several options, and I chose the one that was most comfortable (it's an Addidas).

 

But the most surprising thing is that my knee pain is gone after running in the new shoes only 3 days.

 

So, all this to say that I would highly recommend going to a running store if possible and get their advice.

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I'm running about 20 miles a week right now--I'd like to work my way back up to 30 a week (I got derailed before Christmas by a bad cough that wouldn't go away and have had a hard time getting back) but I'm a little bit worried about wear and tear on my joints...my father ran for years and now has serious back troubles, although there were contributing factors.

 

Anyway, any tips on reducing wear and tear would be welcome. I do try to run on dirt roads and I wear New Balance, but I can feel it in my hips and lower back.

 

I take Glucosamine with MSM which helps with the joints a lot. A massage also helps. My Dh has volunteered for this duty. :)

 

Even I love the feel of new Balance, My 1222's (High mileage trainer) broke down rapidly at 175 miles which made me switch to Asics.

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Does walking count?

 

I've been exersizing off and on through the years and really need routine to keep me going. If my routine is broken, it is hard for me to get back on tract. My dh has no problem with this, but I do.

 

When I was 28, I was an aerobics instructor. I did that for years. After an injury and some down time, I started running. When dd #1 came along at age 43, I was in great physical shape. Body building had been added and running routines or aerobic fitness for years. As the years passed I was able to continue running and walking because of baby joggers, but no more body building. Dd #2 came along, (she came when she was 5), I then had 2 5yo and could not get out as much. Dh worked so many hours and the girls were too young to drop off. We own a deli and little girls have no idea what food laws or sanitary means. My routine started to fade until it was no more.

 

It's been 4 years now with intermintent (I know I can't spell :(.) attempts ending in failure to get going again. I don't even want to. But, I am now 53 and lack of sleep and aches and pains rule my life. I KNOW that excersize is the key even while I go through "the change". I started walking 2 weeks ago in the freezing cold weather but routine has yet to take hold. I need help to keep it going.

 

Even though I am only walking right now, can I join you, too?

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I'm running about 20 miles a week right now--I'd like to work my way back up to 30 a week (I got derailed before Christmas by a bad cough that wouldn't go away and have had a hard time getting back) but I'm a little bit worried about wear and tear on my joints...my father ran for years and now has serious back troubles, although there were contributing factors. Anyway, any tips on reducing wear and tear would be welcome. I do try to run on dirt roads and I wear New Balance, but I can feel it in my hips and lower back.

 

Hey, Susan! Thirty miles a week sounds like a good goal. I kept trying to get up to that last year, but time was an issue. That's also one reason why I can't really train for a marathon: I just can't put in that amount of time. Also, whenever I run more than 25 miles a week, I do have more injuries and just general exhaustion.

 

I suffer from chronic back pain. I have slight scoliosis, a very sway back, and going through five pregnancies and c-sections with a double abdominal hernia only served to add to my problems. There is never a time my back doesn't hurt ~ standing in one place is the worst. I also have some issues with my joints, particularly in my right hip. None of this is eased by running, I realize, especially as I have to run almost exclusively on pavement. I tried New Balance shoes for about a week, btw, and didn't care for them at all. I just keep at it and focus on the fact that this isn't my eternal body.;)

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II'm a natural runner. It's easy for me to run. Sorry, it just is.

 

Boo! Hiss!:D:D Seriously, that's a nice gift.

 

Jan 2007 I ran the Disney Marathon. Not what I would call fun, but something I want to do again - a marathon, not necessarily Disney.

 

Congratulations on that accomplishment! Someone would have to hog-tie me to get me to go to Disney, so that particularly race definitely isn't on my agenda.;) I used to always say I wanted to run a marathon, but now I'm not so sure. I just do not know if I want to devote that much time to training, or if my body can really hold up. We'll see. For now, I'm staying with the half-marathon distances.

 

I was getting ready for a 1/2 marathon to be run in March when my dog tripped me. I ended up getting 3 stitches in my knee and being sidelined for a month with doctor ordered recovery. I just haven't made it back yet.

 

Oh, bummer! Sorry to hear that.:(

 

It seems like any time I make it to running 5-6 days a week, I get shin splints.

 

I was just replying to SWB above and mentioned that when I up my mileage to 30 a week, I have setbacks. Shin splints are an example of just that. Not fun!

 

Thanks for replying!

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Good for you! Which marathon is on your horizon? I still do have a marathon goal in the back of my mind, but I won't be devasated if I stay with shorter races. It would take my a long, long time to work up to being able to run a marathon, and at this point in my life, I don't feel good about devoting that much time to it.

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NO NO! 4 years had only been trying to get back at it. I haven't yet got it. My girls are both 9 and have to go with me. I won't leave them at home alone. I've tried having them bike, scoot, anything to keep up, but all they do is cry. So I am now trying again after basically 4 years OFF with those tries at starting up again. I have to take my girlies with me. We go walking in the cattle field and I can't get their bikes over the fence so I am forced to walk, both physically and practically. The dog goes, too. I walk while dds yell "SLOW DOWN, Mommy". They stop and play in the creeks and then run to catch up. We take the dog off leash once in the field and when they get tired, they grab the other end of the leash and make me pull them. But they are old enough that after while, they'll now get stamina, too.

 

Day before yesterday, the elder 9yo brought a clipboard so she could take notes of all she sees. She saw a lot and kept wanting me to stop so she could write it all down. She somehow did it without me stopping, but I ended up towing the dog and the girlies and holding all brought stuff.

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I have no doubt "old gals" can run, since they pass me all the time in races!;) Barring health issues, I foresee running more a decade from now than I do now, at age 38. I just don't want to devote the time needed to train for a marathon while I still have little people in my fold. The long runs would mean I'd miss my boys' soccer games or other family time together, and I'm not willing to sacrifice that just now. Maybe later? Who knows. It's inspiring to hear from women like you, though!:)

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Oh wow! Now I don't "feel so all alone" on this board. (quote by Donovan. remember him?)

 

And...thanks for the reminder that the fifties are fabulous...I forget that a lot. I am going through the change at the same time my girlies are starting their change. The moods swings around are comical. I say "comical" now that I sought medical intervention. Sometimes dh WANTS to go to work.

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Here is my story....My dh had signed up for a 5k in April '04. He was a realtively new runner and I was NO runner. A couple of days before the race he pulled his hamstring and thought he could not race. I looked at the times people completed the race the prior year and knew I could walk as fast as the slowest finishers (walkers, too). So, I decided to go for it using his registration, pushing a double jogger with my 2.5 y.o. twins and all. In the end, he decided to run anyway. I had psyched myself up for the race, so I registered the morning of. I ran the first mile and when I started to slow down a lady behind me with a single jogger told me not to walk because I was her inspiration. Needless to say, I told her I hadn't run once voluntarily in my life (I had to twice a year in the Navy). Well, I did finish the race (rather, my twins and I finished the race) running. I took a couple of walk breaks, but mostly ran it. I was hooked. I did the CoolRunning Couch to 5k.

 

Some years I have logged pretty good mileage running 5 days a week with one or two long runs of 6-7 miles. But, since we moved to the moutains, my running has been less consistent. I had two really good races early in 2005, but ended up with stress fractures in my foot and then a cyst in the ball of my foot. So, I am only good for 3 days a week now. My husband's schedule does not help and the fact that I can no longer run pushing a double jogger makes me dependent on his schedule. Oh, I just dropped of said jogger at a consignment sale. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

 

Two funny thing about running with the twins in the stroller - 1) Since that was how I started running, I had no clue how to run without the stroller - what to do with my hands, etc. 2) Once dh and I ran together and he decided to push the stroller. When he handed it back to me, he said "Gosh, I feel a 100 lbs lighter now!" Uh, yes dear, that's about right. Two toddlers, all their toys, blankets, and the stroller together weigh close to that. Geez.

 

Okay, far more than anyone wanted to know! I am getting out for a run today in the sleet, but I don't know when the next one will be since I have a 4 day booth coming up and none of my consultants can help.

 

Oh, and one piece of advice to all the newbies, run slowly. Your pace should be comfortable enough that you can talk. Your regular runs should not be "race" like.

 

Run on, y'all!

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Hey, Heather! I hope you can get back into a running routine soon; it is a stress reliever, isn't it? I tend to find it easier to run in the winter, in a way. I run in the afternoons, and when I know it's going to be dark by 5 pm, I force myself out there so I can get in my run. When the days lengthen and temps get warmer, I have more desire to stick around home and garden or putter outside. Then it gets to be dinner time and I still haven't had run, and then I have a glass of wine with dinner, and then running definitely doesn't happen!;)

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I'm really, really not a natural runner. I'm not overweight, yet I really have to work to build up to running distances and I quickly lose gains I've made.

 

I can so identify. I'm amazed at how many people can run well without a great deal of effort. I feel sort of silly, training and training in order to be able to do 10K races, when friends of mine who rarely (or never!) run just go out and do it. My husband is not a runner at all, but last year he went out and did a 10 mile run with me, no problem.:rolleyes: Oh, well. Gives me something to work hard at, I suppose. And I will have to check out Kristin Armstrong's running blog. She sounds like my kinda gal!

 

I'm so glad you chimed in, Jennifer!:)

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Good for you! Which marathon is on your horizon? I still do have a marathon goal in the back of my mind, but I won't be devasated if I stay with shorter races. It would take my a long, long time to work up to being able to run a marathon, and at this point in my life, I don't feel good about devoting that much time to it.

The Country Music Marathon. http://www.cmmarathon.com/home.html

I ran the half last year and it was amazing. There were over 30,000 people in it! There were bands every couple of miles and the mood was inspiring. We bought the race poster which was done by a local artist. He signed it for us and now it is framed and hanging above our mantle. I did a smaller half last year that had its own good points but the big ones seem to be such an event! My husband ran it, too. We met at a pub after and had a couple of beers while we watched the finishers before we hobbled home and spent the rest of the day in bed. It is one of my favorite memories now and I am so excited! We are all so blessed to be able to focus on races, our fitness, health, and improving our lives.

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I'd love to start running, but my lungs feel like they are freezing if I run outside during cold weather. I can't run on a treadmill. I just know I would end up in somebody's youtube video. How do you keep your lungs from feeling so cold when you run? It makes my chest hurt.

I can't. I absolutely hate running outside when it is below 50 degrees. I have to suffer on a treadmill or a track at the gym.

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I prefer it chilly too - not frigid, just cold. I like that I dont' HAVE to run at 6:00 in the morning to beat the heat like I do in the summer, although I do prefer to run first thing in the morning.

 

SWB and Colleen, I noticed a big difference in my back when I stopped running the long distances and incorporated some strength training into my routine - especially core.

 

Thanks, again, Colleen for starting this thread.

 

:) Cindy

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I cannot get myself out when it's freezing though. I just can't. When spring arrives I'll start again. I'll even go when it's still winter cool but I'd like to get past the real cold of winter.

 

I really need a goal though. I want to find a race for some cause I want to support and plan on that. Such goals are really what get me out there.

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I desperately want to be a runner. But for the past 10 years or so I taught aerobics, yoga, weightlifting while child care was available. Well, this summer I injured my foot and running was all I could do. But even that became super difficult. So last week I had my 2nd steroid shot and the pain is much less severe. My kids and I ran/walked a mile today. So I hope to run with them at least 2x per week and get them up to 3 miles. Then I plan to start running on my own at the gym and on the weekends for my long runs.

 

My hopes are up, but this injury has been plaguing me for over 6 months.

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SWB and Colleen, I noticed a big difference in my back when I stopped running the long distances and incorporated some strength training into my routine - especially core.

 

The best thing I could do for myself is work on my core. I've had assessments with several professionals who told me that very thing. Trouble is, my free time is at a premium, and I spend it running.:rolleyes: I need to stop putting this on the back (ahem) burner, though, before I get sidelined with an injury...

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Anything from 30-50 degrees is ideal as far as I'm concerned. Like I mentioned in another post, you can expect the temp to feel 20 degrees higher than it really is once you warm up. I used to be somewhat bothered (lung/chest-wise) by temps in the 20-40 range, but I'm not anymore. I guess I just got used to it. Make sure you don't breathe in through your mouth. Breathing through your nose will help. Unless it is dangerously windy or icy, I try not to get sidelined by weather. It's just too easy to start missing one day after another if you worry about that. And like you, I'm not a treadmill kinda woman. I actually FELL OFF a treadmill once. Yes, I did, thankyouverymuch.:D

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This will be my first half marathon. I have connected with two other running moms who are running with me on Sundays after church(6 1/2 miles now). I enjoy the longer runs but prefer to run them with someone versus alone.

 

My husband has given me an Ironman training watch for Valentine's Day and has gently mentioned to me that I think I am more active than I actually am these days. It was good to hear. I am hoping the discipline of a weekly longer run will inspire better weekday runs.

 

I prefer to run outside. We have a flight line that runs around our base that is 6 1/2 miles long. It's pretty to watch the planes come and go as well as running with lots of people exercising for work and personal fitness goals.

 

Hope I will have a good update in a few weeks!

Amy

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When is the half marathon you're aiming for?

 

My husband has given me an Ironman training watch for Valentine's Day and has gently mentioned to me that I think I am more active than I actually am these days. It was good to hear.

 

Hmm, that doesn't sound like something that one would want to hear. Maybe I'm not reading it correctly...?

 

I prefer to run outside. We have a flight line that runs around our base that is 6 1/2 miles long. It's pretty to watch the planes come and go as well as running with lots of people exercising for work and personal fitness goals.

 

I agree! I love it when I have the chance (not very often, unfortunately) to run in an area where others are out and about walking, running, etc. That communal feel is invigorating!:)

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I don't really need the accountability as running is my stress outlet. ;) I run approximately 5 days per week and my runs range from 3-6 miles. (I am building the mileage back up after a knee injury set me back.)

 

I am running a race with a friend in March, a 5K. She runs a little slower than I do at a 10 minute mile, I run an 8. I am excited about getting back into the competition aspect again.

 

I just began blogging about my marathon experience, too.

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I have always wanted to be a runner. I tried a few years ago when this came up on here (well, the old board.) I tried the cool running schedule. It lasted for two weeks and I haven't tried since.

 

My motivation is different now, though, I just turned 45. For some reason this has been a huge number for me, not a bad one, just a number that has prodded me on to be more active and eat healthier. I have recently stopped eating carbs and sugar (I was an addict of both) and I have lost 10 lbx. But I need my body to be more in shape and this is where running comes in. Due to being more motivated, I think it might work, this time around. I am ready to give it a try.

 

It's still pretty cold here, but when it warms up, I will start up again. Thanks, Colleen, for the boost.

 

Julia

mom of 3 (8,7,5)

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I don't really need the accountability as running is my stress outlet. ;)

 

I hear you! I just like to chat about running, and I know some people ~ especially those who are new to the sport ~ do benefit from checking in with others.

 

I am running a race with a friend in March, a 5K. She runs a little slower than I do at a 10 minute mile, I run an 8.

 

That's a pretty big gap! I have trouble trying to match my pace with someone else, whether it be faster or slower. I hope you both enjoy the race, though!:)

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