Thanks for all the ideas. i took the shoe runners test and it gave some ideas. We do have a couple of running places in town I will go to. I agree that I am making excuses during the work week. It is dark and cold and icy in the mornings so that is out for now, also same when I get home. I work through lunch so I can get home most days on time. I agree that the workout in the evening would be best with changing clothes when I get home may get me started. The gyms here in this small town are really not a good option with the occupation I have. My female colleagues gave up on the gyms here because they constantly ran into the patients and comments and I really do have a very nice home gym. I love it once I get started in the evening and it does not keep me from sleeping. I do keep a schedule in the kitchen and cross off the days with the mileage plan.
My plan for now, check out the galloway method, go to a shoe runners store, consider an evaluation, stretch and ice/heat more, and change into exercise clothes as soon as I get home from work.
I can’t emphasize enough how well it works to just tell yourself you are going to your exercise room to “just do 10 minutes” or “just do 1 mile”. Make it manageable in your head, and once you get down there, the rest takes care of itself.
Where is iDad???
He’s probably off on a snowshoe hike.
I’ve done something to my left foot. I can’t put weight on it, but I don’t remember twisting it. It mostly is
It’s been like this since before our trip, so I am calling a podiatrist tomorrow.
It could just be arthritis that is more noticeable since I have become more active.
So frustrating, now that I have something to train for.
“My plan for now, check out the galloway method, go to a shoe runners store, consider an evaluation, stretch and ice/heat more, and change into exercise clothes as soon as I get home from work.”
Sounds like a good plan. If your ankle hurts a bit, taping it or wearing a light brace could help.
When I trained for my last races, I sometimes had to get my shorter weekday runs in at 10 pm because of my crazy commute schedule and evening classes. I kept the sheet with the running schedule in the kitchen so I could see it first thing in the morning and in the evening. I crossed out the days as soon as I finished my runs, so it looked like an advent calendar with the big prize, the race day, getting closer and closer. 
I found that it was very motivational!
Ouch, EK! Hope it is nothing serious, and it will heal soon.
Love your new avatar, sabaray!
“Love your new avatar, sabaray!”
Ditto. Awesome!
Sounds like a good plan Rocky - and MOWC is right - I have many times when I say, "ok, I’m going to go out and just do 2 miles - or “just run for 5 and walk for 3” - most times, I end up exceeding those original goals because I just feel good once I’m into it. Something is better than nothing!
That said, went to the gym and combined track and treadmill for 4 miles - more than I intended when I went in!
Plantmom has been MIA too - hope you’re all just recovering from the holidays!
Rockymtn, would TV help? Watching a show or the news so the run time is also chill time? Back when the kids were little I used to do a lot of stair master because I could read there. I could combine the exercise time with the reading time.
Hour swim today, part of a fund raiser. I dk how far I went. I had to hustle into clothes and become a timer for the next wave of people. Always fun to watch this event due to the range of abilities. Young hotshots, a few wounded warriors, older folks, including one who just had brain surgery. I will confess to wanting to lap my lane mate; he was younger and male and was giving me helpful hints before we started. So I beat him.
Oh God, sabaray! How did I miss that great avatar? That’s awesome!
Ambitious plan today was to get up fairly early, run 3 1/2 and then go to the 75 minute hot yoga class at 9:30. That would mean I didn’t have to struggle to fit it in early in my work week. Well, I woke up, didn’t feel like doing much of anything, so bagged that plan. Ran 3 1/2 with H slowly in the gloom and then later ran a little more on the dreadmill while I watched some football. No yoga today, which means I need to figure out how to go tomorrow. I really want to keep it up since I think it is good for me- except maybe for the part about almost passing out from the heat.
It didn’t get into the mid-50s like we were promised, so the inch+ of slush from last night didn’t melt. It’s basically standing water so I can’t use the snowblower… had to do it by hand. Geez that stuff is heavy.
Is it spring yet?
New computer is set up. H’s Fitbit is set up. Vacuum cleaner has bit the dust. I’m going for a run.
I’ll try and keep you all entertained with the avatars. ;))
I read the galloway website- quite interesting- it is very similar to what we were doing before I got the idea we had to be faster in our training thus the ankle situation. He said your first half marathon should only be about finishing not time. This is the thing- I came in last in grad school on a 10 K and that was the first and only one I ran until this year over 30 years later. I signed up for the half with the same sponsors and good grief - they give an award for the last person that finishes male and female as the one that tried the hardest or something like that. I thought of asking the coordinator if they could skip us if we came in last but I figured that would draw too much attention to us, etc. I checked the times from last year and I will probably not come in last - even if I do over 4 hours but H (63) might if over 3 hours. He does not seem to be upset by this prospect at all. OK so not to worry about this.
I checked the track today and it was all snow- so it is indoors today with the treadmill. I found a setting called intervals that I think will work for the walk run walk.
Rocky- Races are a LOT different than they were 30 years ago. Now there is much more focus on participation as opposed to time and many people walk the whole thing. 30 years ago you simply did NOT walk a half marathon- or really even a 10K. If you entered one, you were prepared to run. The rise of charity events, training programs, couch to 5K etc has changed the landscape and has made it perfectly acceptable to walk entire distance races. You won’t be last! Back when I was a young competitive runner, if we entered a race where we weren’t prepared to go all out, we made sure we loudly proclaimed to everyone that we were “just doing it as a training run!” We still play that card occasionally. Obnoxious-yes.
I have been on vacation/holiday for two weeks and it is going to be very tough going back to work tomorrow! I was very industrious today - did a 6.5 mile run this morning (34 degrees with 20 mph winds), lots of work around the house (DH is out of town on business until the 10th, I always get lots more done when he’s gone), took the dog on a 4.5 mile walk this afternoon in the blowing snow (he loved it!). But my biggest accomplishment? Just caught up on 219 posts that I was behind on on this thread!
Glad to hear that so many enjoyed the holidays - lots of good eating and lots more great exercise. Glad to know that I’m not the only one who exercises more so that I can eat more!
I’m still thinking about goals for 2015. I want to try yoga again - I used to do it with DD when she was in high school but I haven’t done it in nearly 10 years. I really need to work on flexibility and balance and yoga seems perfect for that. I am also thinking about a marathon this year. I think I could do it, it’s just that the training for a half is so time intensive, I don’t know how well I could manage the training for a full marathon. The other thing I really need to do is become more intelligent about running. Honestly I just run. Haven’t read much or talked to anybody about training plans, technique, proper eating/training, or anything like that. I’ve just done the brute force approach and go out and run. It has worked OK so far, but I think I could probably do much better with more research. So that’s another goal I am mulling over for the year.
My favorite of the 219 posts I missed was MOWC eating peppermint ice cream while getting those steps in. Love it!
Now that I am caught up and heading back to work tomorrow and thus back to the regular world of routine I will be more faithful about posting. I feel as if I learn so much from all of you!
Welcome back, C3Baker! Sounds like you had a good break. Marathon training isn’t that much more time intensive than half training with the exception of the long run. Maybe you up one of your mid-week runs by a mile or two. The key is building up that weekend long run, and, really, the longest runs are every other week anyway. I’m not saying it’s easy- and it IS time consuming- but it’s not that much worse than half training if you can work in that long weekend run.
There are a lot of good training plans- the Higdon plans are an example. (Hal Higdon Beginner or Intermediate). I honestly think you can do it on a “just run” method IF you build up the long weekend run to 18 miles 2-3 weeks before the marathon and get a mid-week run in of 6-8 miles. My daughter brought her PR down nicely on about 25 miles a week (with cycling and swimming triathlon training), so you don’t need huge running mileage.
Key is to not get injured.
Glad you liked my peppermint ice cream workout!
What MOfWC said.
"Honestly I just run. "
That is my approach. I got a Garmin watch to keep my pace in check (I’m so impatient in the beginning of each run I needed someone telling me that my take off 6:30 pace was not sustainable for my body! it really is not. ) If you figure in the setup costs (getting dressed, putting shoes on, going to the park or outside or to the gym then showering) an extra 20-30 min of running will not add much to your running schedule. I managed to train for and run 2 races while working full time and taking evening classes. Just plan your timing so the training schedule and the race do not have major conflicts with work. I planned to run a race in October and then found out that I had to do something else that weekend, so that plan had to be abandoned.
Swam in the (cold) ocean, walked all over the place. Ended the day with a 4 mile run in the gym and weights while Mr pedaled his bike, so we called it a team mini triatlon. The gym here is well equipped with pretty much everything: Bosu balls, medicine balls, free weights, valslides, jump ropes, kettlebells, you name it! Impressive.
Tonight’s plan is to eat the leftover steak and walk a mile to the nearby posh hotel to listen to live music in the lounge and to have a drink. The walking should cancel out the calories that come with the drink … just like MOfWC’s trick with ice cream did. 
Finally getting back into my routine. 6 miles this morning, gorgeous moon. One plus of H’s new fitbit is his desire to make the numbers change and announce how many steps he’s done - so he was eager to walk the dogs this morning! As I was returning to the house I heard a familiar jingle and it was Sabadog and Sabapup trotting along with H. Yay! One less thing for me to do this morning.
Slowly crawling back up on the wagon with my inaugural 2015 snowshoe trek up the hill. Felt good! Didn’t mnd the bitter cold as it offset my degree of exertion
Saba, awesome tat your h was out walking this am. Maybe I shoulda given mch a fitbit…though it would likely say “zero” every day
Great news, sabaray!
The kids got H a fitbit surge. While it said coming soon on the fitbit website, I found one on best buy . com. It’s scheduled to arrive today. H is very excited. The surge says its a watch, heart rate monitor, fitness tracker and I think it can also sync to myfitnesspal. Excited to see how it works. H says if I like it, we can order one for me.