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Running as a hobby


Cashmere
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Any other runners floating around in here? I would never have imagined I'd be into it, but it's quickly become the best way for me to stay in shape. I prefer competitive sports, but adult schedules make it much harder to do those regularly.

 

I run on the elliptical 9 times out of 10, but I do enjoy taking my dog out for a few miles too. Hopefully my outdoor running time will increase as the temperature does.

 

As far as competitive running goes, I ran 2 5k races last year, and improved my time by 2 mins at the second one, even though it was 18 degrees outside.

 

I am hoping to do 5-10 5k races this year and work up to a 10k at some point.

 

Any advice from more seasoned runners? Any fun running stories or special races you'd like to share about?

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I'm not a runner, but I know some hard core ones!

 

http://geekgirlsrun.com/

 

I know one of the founders of that group (Janine). They did a Fun Run at Dragon Con, and she and several of her friends do the Disney races. Another good friend of mine in the area is a regular runner and has done a bunch of the Disney races.

 

I have absolutely no interest in running at all, HOWEVER I'm very tempted to do a Disney 5k just because it seems like such a fun environment.

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I don't even know how people start running, unless it's a thing they've always done.

 

I was really good with using our treadmill every day (or almost every day) for several months. I did it for 20-25 minutes at a time on one of those pre-programmed routines, and while it definitely was helping to slim me down/get more energy/sleep better/etc etc, I never went above 4.5 mph and a 6% incline. I increased the max speed and incline over time, but those were the maxes so I still never got to running. Now unfortunately I haven't done it at all in over a month, but I do need to start again. But man. Running. Sounds awful, man. I don't know how you do it.

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There's a great program called Couch25K that helps non-runners get a start. I did a 5k a couple years ago, but then life changes happened and I stopped running. Now I either swim or do a treadmill 3 days a week. Don't really love it, but my wife is a runner and she loves it. In fact, sometimes I'll tell her that she needs to go for a run, because if she doesn't run for a few days she acts like a smoker trying to quit.

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I don't run. I can't honestly say I've run for any significant distance since I was like 12. Even back in my in-shape days I couldn't run. I can't find a sports bra tight enough to keep these fuckers from bouncing around which really REALLY starts to hurt my back after a while. I can't jump too much either for the same reason. A few years ago I was jumping on a trampoline and pulled/dislodged something in my back that hurt so bad I couldn't lay on my back for over a month.

 

But my dad's a runner. He's a marathoner actually.

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I will say that running is one of the most convenient exercises when you have really little kids. You can't really run with a jogging stroller until 6 months because they don't have enough neck control, but after that, load them up and go, they love it. I actually run better with a 25 lb stroller + baby than by myself. Without kids, I hate running. It's just so boring. I don't mind running as part of competitive sports, but I can't do it by itself. I think I'm just too impatient. But I'll probably run a 5k or 10k with my moms group next summer. I'd do it this summer but baby won't be old enough.

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I definitely like that running can be a family activity, although my husband is not into it. So maybe I will run with kiddos someday.

 

I think people start much like you did, Krawlie. With walking that turns to jogging that turns to running that turns to a half marathon. I starting walking my dog for a few brisk miles, then joining a gym for the elliptical, and then I randomly decided to try a 5k. I am lucky because there are tons of races near where I live so anything from a mile to a marathon is right around the corner.

 

That Geek Girls Run blog is awesome! I would totally do one of their fun runs.

 

And you can totally do a 5k, Mara! I ran my first one after a few months of easy running on the elliptical. I hadn't even run outside since high school and it was fine. If you train for real it would be easy. Plus, in all of the 5k races I'm familiar with, tons of people walk them and finish in about an hour. Anyone can walk for an hour. I have heard good things about the couch25k program that Fozzie mentioned too!

 

And lastly, I don't have the problem of neededing super pricey running gear to contain my girls like Cerina does, but I do love all of the colorful running clothes I get to buy to support my healthy hobby. It was seriously a necessity to buy running pants this winter with the negative temps in the morning for my drive to the gym and the races and other outdoor runs I did all being below freezing.

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In my high school days I would run 5 and 10 k courses, almost all of it over farmland. Some races involved wearing a 40 lb rucksack. I used to enjoy those days, but I was never the strongest runner. I usually wasn't the weakest though, except one year where I was particularly out of shape. I rarely LIKED running though.

 

After college, I met a man who used to be an Olympic coach and runner. He was around 60 or so at this point in his life, and would go running around a course at the nearby school. He'd usually go fairly slow and would invite anyone to join him. So we'd get high and go jogging together. We didn't always get high, but these were enjoyable runs. Exhilarating and at just the right pace-- it got your heart pumping but never felt like a race. Had I more motivation, I could do this sort of running again.

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We were on a course, I've heard it can be pretty tough if you're out on open snow that isn't packed. I didn't find it terribly difficult but I was also in really awesome shape at the time. I've definitely worked harder downhill skiing (I'm an intermediate skier, I'm getting bored on blues but some blacks are still too challenging). But I still thought it was a lot of fun. If you get a chance you might like it, especially if you like hiking and don't mind the cold. I was thinking I could take Quinn to go do it, throw baby in a carrier.

 

They actually had a race before the hike started, where people actually ran in snowshoes. Crazy! Pretty sure I would biff something spectacular.

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Cross country skiing can be a nice change of pace, but I found it sort of tough. I only went a few times, whereas I went downhill skiing many years ago, but went enough times to really get a good feel for it. The Cross Country is so vastly different compared to downhill. My wife kept falling over, which was not terribly surprising given her coordination. One time we had a pretty big storm roll through town and it knocked out our power. Living on a secondary road, I knew it would be awhile before they attempted to plow. So I busted out the skis and went for a jaunt down the middle of the road, which had probably 5 inches of snow on it by that point.

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Destiny, I was talking to some friends who are into snowshoeing this weekend, and I mentioned the 5k hike you talked about above. I don't think they go often, and they were pretty dumbfounded that anyone would want to do it for that far. I'm not sure how far they usually go.

 

My first 5k of the year (and 3rd of all time) was Saturday. Lots of hills on this course, including the largest one that lasted for a little over 0.1 mile at the very end of the course. Luckily the wind hadn't picked up yet when the race started and the temperature was between 35-40 degrees, so that was a win. Finished in 29:04, which is about a 30 second improvement over my last time, which was on a totally flat course. Now to find a nearby 5k in April!

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I think that's the difference between doing it out in the open or on a "trail". I was told I was crazy, too, when I told my co-workers I was doing a 5k snowshoe hike and I've never snowshoed before. But I actually found it pretty easy, so I assume it was because I was on a groomer. I'm in decent shape, but I'm no ultra-marathoner or CrossFitter.

 

Here's the trail map:

map.snowshoe.jpg

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I suppose the snow conditions would make a huge difference, and a dedicated snowshoe trail would probably be as close to ideal as possible. I just think it's a super cool thing to be able to say you have done. I don't know anyone else that has showshoed a 5K!

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Unless you're a competitive racer (and even then), I can think of no more insane thing than running as a hobby. It's not particularly great for your body and it sucks. I much prefer HIIT workouts that have a high benefit and a low level of suck. If you run too much you're burning through way more muscle than fat, which obviously isn't ideal.

 

I ran cross country when I was younger, but only until high school when I started soccer (we didn't have a middle school soccer team), and I have several friends that compete at the national level in distance running, but I still think that running as a hobby is patently insane. INSANE.

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I agree. I hate running as a hobby, I find it boring and need a competitive edge to my sport.

 

That said I'm running my second half-marathon in four weeks....

 

Last year I drunkenly agreed to run the Barcelona Half marathon with my friend and so I trained as much as I could make myself. Going out once/twice a week and running in the park outside my house (when I say park I mean [urhttps://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Richmond+Park/@51.4400923,-0.2773555,14z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x138cbe1a5a3a048d]Richmond Park[/url], so a pretty damn beautiful place to run if you can avoid the deer). It was winter, it was damn cold and I probably didn't quite manage to train myself to my full potential. I think the furthest I managed to run in training was 9 miles, a bit shy of the 13.1 which is the half marathon distance.

 

As I said I don't like training but being there on the day is completely different. It motivates you being around so many others all doing the same thing. I managed to post a time of 1:49:45, which I was quite happy with. Plus I then had another 5 days to spend in Barcelona.

 

This year I'm running in Madrid in April, which will be significantly hotter than Barcelona in February. I've made a pledge to run a half marathon every year in a different city. My motivation for doing it is to see places I otherwise wouldn't see, that's pretty much the only way I can bring myself to get through the pain!

 

I've never run a shorter distance race, don't go on long runs in between my training. I think I'm a bit weird...

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  • 5 weeks later...

In my continued fitness quest, I decided to spring for a pricy pedometer. My new fitbit tracks my steps during the day and my sleep quality during the night and syncs to my phone wirelessly. I am so excited about this little contraption. I got the tiny one that fits into a bracelet so I never have to take it off. (Other than to charge it 1 or 2 times each week.)

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I'm training for a 5k. Just started week one of a Couch to 5k program and it's going well so far.

 

I just wish I actually had time for it. My wife is training for a half marathon and we have limited running time and somebody has to stay with the baby, and the weather hasn't been cooperative to put him in the stroller in the morning for my run.

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Congrats on taking that step, Fozzie! You will feel so awesome (and possibly jelly-legged) after you finish.

 

I can only imagine how tough it would be to both find time to run with a little one at home. Stroller weather will be nice for sure. Good luck to you and to Mrs. Fozzie on your training!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Im also doing couch to 5K. I'm currently in week 6 and am doing fairly well. Last year at this time I was running 5K like there was no tomorrow but got lazy over the summer and with the cold winter this year I was just slacking... Started back up in April though... good times.

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I'm in week 4 right now, and my biggest problem has been the rain. I have noticed that the exercise does seem to help with my asthma overall, though, despite causing more problems around the time of running.

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