<p>Idad they should add gluten free as well to that sugar package!</p>
<p>Ha, abasket - I did! :-)</p>
<p>I think I have turned a corner on actually LIKING exercise - and more importantly, seeing this as a long-haul thing, so if I have a day where I can’t work out, or I decide consciously that I want to enjoy XYZ treat, I can do so and still get back on the wagon. In the past, I would have said “screw it” and stopped working out altogether, and / or started eating junk like a madwoman. So to be able to have a “new normal” is good.</p>
<p>Abasket, re 5K-to-10K - I keep going back and forth here. Should I re-start Couch to 5K again at a faster pace (10 min mile) and build up there? Or should I do 5k-to-10K, at my current snail’s pace of roughly a 13 min mile?</p>
<p>Speed is never the importance to me - the endurance is - being able to do a little longer distance with more ease. I run 5K mileage (or close to it) 3-4 times a week as it is and am not spend at the end of it so I think it would be a waste of time (I would be impatient!) to work through all those C25K workouts again. 5k-10K would give me a goal and make me accountable to gradually working through workouts that are longer than my typical 30ish minute runs that I do now. </p>
<p>You have done a fair amount of 5K’s PG. If you finished them without falling to the ground, I would think you would not need to repeat C25K. Unless you really wanted to focus on speed I guess. </p>
<p>I have personally found that overtime (and again, a steady diet of 3-4 runs a week) that my speed has increased naturally - probably because my endurance is better. I used to dread the first 5-10 mins of a run - no more! My first 5K my pace was 11:30ish. Without much else besides consistency in a running program, I have comfortably shaved a minute or so off of that pace. </p>
<p>But running is also my main “thing”. You do a lot of cross training/strength/core classes - so your approach might be different.</p>
<p>pizzagirl, I agree with abasket’s advice. The way I heard it phrased was, “To run faster, you need to run more miles. To run more miles, you need to run slower!” That applies to speedy people as well as us turtles. I will NEVER be fast, so I just work on my endurance.</p>
<p>Another good program is the “One Hour Runner” - a lot of my online running friends have done it. The link: [The</a> One Hour Runner training plan | Paul Jenkins | Lover of Jesus. Father. Husband. Writer. Pastor.](<a href=“http://www.pauljenkins.tv/the-one-hour-runner-training-plan/]The”>http://www.pauljenkins.tv/the-one-hour-runner-training-plan/)</p>
<p>I am back to running consistently again, whoo hoo! I am trying for five times a week, between 20 and 25 miles for now. I am going to run a half marathon next October in Toronto with my online running buddies.</p>
<p>The main reason I’m still running after 7 years is a website called RunningAhead.com. It’s free if you don’t mind looking at ads. If you make a small donation, the website owner, Eric, turns the ads off. This site has been a labor of love for Eric, who only quit his “day job” recently to devote full time to RA. It has a wonderful training log - you can input each of your runs and then create reports or graphs to see how you’re doing. For instance, I am graphing my pace vs. weight, to see if I get any faster as I lose weight. Eric even has a widget for you to keep track of weight loss. There are also a lot of active forums with helpful people - similar to CC in that regard. There is even a closed group just for women. We are VERY tight-knit. We’ve met up in Las Vegas and St. Louis for races (15 to 20 women each time!). That’s who I’ll be running with in Toronto, also.</p>
<p>Since September 15, I have lost 14.5 pounds. I’m within a pound of being at a BMI of 25. I still want to lose another 20+ pounds.</p>
<p>Great job Maine - very impressive and I absolutely love that “even at our age” (the type of stuff said by people who DON’T exercise) we can strive for fitness and exercise goals - I feel like my fitness life has just begun! </p>
<p>I’ll have to check out RunningAhead. :)</p>
<p>BB, lol. I see guys go 11.0 at the gym where I run on occasion, but I don’t think I have ever seen any other female doing speeds over 9.0 there. Run fast, yes, but not putting on the press for speed in this way there. The other day when I did a 4 mile regular run and then the 1/10 mile sprints, it was very odd because as I was near the end of the 4 or so miles a young man got on one of the treadmills next to me and there he is, soon running along at 7.5 mph. Fine, I probably went at 7.9 or 8.0 for the tail end of that run (never mind the speed before that…). 
I followed this with the sprints at 10.0 and 10.1. It was a really weird feeling and confirmation that yep, it’s fast, when I’m going that speed right next to a long legged young guy who, while not sprinting, is running along at a good clip and I feel like I’m jetting past (granted, for a very limited amount of time, and we know he could zip past me at any moment he so chose, lol). I’ve been having fun with this but should give it a rest. I’m running more days per week to meet my end of year goal and have been going faster overall, and my body would probably appreciate it if I quit going wild.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</p>
<p>New Year’s resolutions? Hm…</p>
<p>Well, I’m coming up with numbers for mileage goals for next year and 5K times to shoot for. I can’t let peppy turtle*, aka wily wabbit, get too far ahead! Drats, though, that woman works hard so I’m going to have trouble keeping up. Really I’m mostly interested in chasing after my own goals, but seeing how awesome peppy has done gets me excited about what my times might get down to some day if I keep working at it. I’m sticking with 5K races for now. It’s a distance I like.</p>
<ul>
<li>this anonymous person knows who she is :)</li>
</ul>
<p>IDad- that all sounds so fun and pretty. I miss my Colorado snowshoeing. I used to run on them some- but there was the altitude thing…</p>
<p>4.3 miles in Bristol, TN in Steele Creek Park this am. Gorgeous crushed gravel path by a dammed up stream. 23 degrees but sunny and calm. Wore my LuLu puff pullover. Driving to Charlottesville for my 88 year old father’s wedding! Um, yeah. Will run the tough Ridge Road route in the am.</p>
<p>An email just went around that the finance department has put out Holiday cake pops.</p>
<p>Not sure what a “cake pop” is, but I am resisting the urge to go find out.</p>
<p>DW went to a cookie swap last night, so there’s a whole tin of yummy cookies waiting at home.</p>
<p>So hard to be good this time of year…</p>
<p>I haven’t been participating here too much lately but I am exercising. The weather here has been frightful and I’m on the treadmill which stinks but I’m doing it. I’m also giving myself permission to take a day off here and there as I’ve been super busy with life and stuff. But that ends at the end of this year and then back to it. </p>
<p>Brag alert! Today I had my eyes checked and the young girl was doing a test and apologized saying " don’t worry, I have to do this, it’s not like you are 50". I said, actually I’m 51. She looked at my chart and said wow you are, I never would have guessed you were 50! Made my day and I plan on telling everyone I see! This is what clean living does for you lol!</p>
<p>Saw someone in a lulu puff jacket today at the grocery store. I was more excited than I should have been lol! Resisted asking how she liked it. I know from MOWC and BB how great it is! Lulu sighting are few and far between in my small town.</p>
<p>Trainer and swim. Monotonous, eh?</p>
<p>Yay, Deb! Good reinforcement!</p>
<p>I do know what cake pops are. I like them, of course.</p>
<p>Thanks, MOWC. 
4.55 mile treadmill run. I’m planning on taking a rest day tomorrow. I don’t know how you do the mileage and have managed to keep the streak going this long. Amazing stamina!</p>
32 mile run, 15 minutes on the rowing machine! Actually did 22 mins run, 7 min row, 10 min run, 8 min row. Good idea or bad idea??? Felt pretty good!
<p>Worked with trainer today–we just did leg work for 30 minutes (squats, lunges, step-ups, and one-legged squats (which I could barely do). Followed that with 35 minutes on the elliptical and 45 minutes on the tread mill (cranked it up and did 3.1 miles in 44 minutes). </p>
<p>I signed up for spinning tomorrow at 5:45, which means I’ve got to get up at 4:30 to make it on time. I should probably go to bed now–anyway, I’m making the commitment by writing it down here. Will let you know how I did. It’s the only time I’ll have to exercise tomorrow and the next day. H and I are going to vacation home to close up for the season and trying to get our car off island where house is located. There are only 3 ferries a day now and we’re going standby.</p>
<p>Oops! Just realized that MOWC’s post was probably meant for Deb922. I guess I’m in a cheery mood today! :)</p>
<p>Abasket, I think it sounds good. As long as a new workout doesn’t leave me too sore the next day I don’t worry.</p>
<p>You, too, Deborah. I just read your post. The phone app dropped a page on me and I didn’t see your or MaineLonghorn’s post before!</p>
<p>Maine is right- our RA women’s group is very special. Through thick and thin…</p>
<p>Abasket- did you run 32 miles? :)</p>
<p>YES I DID. APPARENTLY. :)</p>
<p>haha- it was a good day, but not that good. 32 minutes. :)</p>
<p>Ran a paltry two miles but my pace of 8:44 was a fast one for me.</p>
<p>My Navy S came home this afternoon so I was distracted and got a late start for a run before dark.</p>