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The Push Yourself Thread!

I'm not 18 Jason :lol

Those times were pushing pretty hard, I mean, I know I've got a little bit more in me, but I don't think I have 18's in me LOL!

Thanks for the optimism though! :clap I'll report how the race went :thumb
 
Thanks for your encouragment Jason!

Well, I didn't hit 18's, but I did much, much better than I had expected!

1 mile @ 6:35
2nd mile @ 6:49
3rd 1.1 mile @ 6:48

Total: 3.1 miles in 20:12 :)

It was awesome! My legs felt very strong (I've integrated weight training into my weekly routine) and I had lot's of energy even at the end. The only thing holding me back was cardio, but I know that's slow to develop, so I'll continue to be patient and bask in my accomplishments. :clap

I think the coolest part was at about 2.5 miles when I started to pass most of the people who passed me at mile one. They were looking pretty rag tag and I felt good and was actually picking up the pace. Anway, this athletic looking teen who's struggling (I think he actually stopped to rest as I came up on him) and he said, "you look like somebody I can keep up with, I'll run with you". I said, "I'm running, not talking". He said, "Look at the babe in the (color) shorts". I shook my head and picked up the pace again, he fell behind, I waved him forward and said, "C'mon, C'mon" and he was back at my side... until I stepped it up another notch and he just couldn't hold it. Man that felt good! :yes

As I turned the last corner and saw the finish line about a block away, I really started to turn up the steam and started passing runners left and right. I felt strong, really strong and I couldn't believe I was passing so many people!

Anyway, there was about 22,000 runners and walkers who participated, and even though I only ran a 20:12, I came in top 300 and actually got a medal! I can't wait for the results to get posted!
 
Latest update:

Well, after letting myself heal from my latest injury I'm back up and running. Last week I logged 30 miles. It feels good!

Had a 1 mile "Road Race" on Saturday. My unofficial time was 5:46. I've never ran a mile all out, and I felt like I was stumbling at the end. I really wanted to wear my Vibram five fingers, but my feet were still recovering from Thursday's run in them, so I opted not to run in them. Anyway, right after the run my legs ached like they've never ached in my life! They ached so bad I had to sit down till the pain went away.

About an hour later I went out with another club member and we logged another 10 miles. We both agreed that we'd run a slow 10 miles, but some how or another we ended up running it in 81 minutes. ;) Needless to say, I slept a lot Sunday :lol
 
Well, just a little update.

I just finished running the Mackinaw 8 mile race and it's the first time I've ever really pushed myself on a distance race. Yes I just finished the Crim and I did the 10 miles in 78 minutes, and I did put some effort into it, but I didn't push myeself.

So, I wanted to see what I had in me for a distance run and I set my goal at a 7:20 pace. (7 minutes, 20 seconds per mile). For an elite runner, this is a joke, but for your average runner my age this is something to be proud of because most of us have to work pretty hard to come in with an average like this.

Well, I made my goal! My average was 7:19.5! I split each mile and I think my worst mile (Mile 3) was 7:31 tryting to catch a 7:20 rythem and my best mile was 7:07 (mile 5 trying to make up for lost time). I think mile 7 was like 7:19 and I hit 7:14 for mile 8 that was more than earned!

Over all, my average was 7:19.5! Talk about cutting it close!
 
I graduated last week. I left the level walking path for 'real' hikes in the state park...the kind with steep hills, beautiful scenery, and fun times with my children. We walked them last week, and this week, and I haven't even fainted! I still have very far to go, but this is another little success that has been granted to me by God's grace. I'm so thankful. I finally feel like I am really healthy enough to really do things to improve my health...I hope that make sense. :chin
 
I am so happy for you Tina! Sounds like a wonderful adventure! I hope as the weather gets cooler you'll be able to spend more time hiking with your children!
 
Thanks, Jeff. I have been so challenged in the past few years with this sickness...I can't tell you how many times I just wanted to give up and be sick. It seems sickness promotes more sickness, you know, and it's a difficult cycle to break....your muscles stop working, you gain weight, you end up not eating well, etc. I still feel like quitting sometimes, but God is so good...He has helped me keep going, even when I didn't have these little successes, and never let me stay discouraged long. I think it would be lovely if I could be a runner like you at some point. I'll take what God gives me, but I am realizing that nothing is impossible...even if you have a looooooooong way to go...and I do.
 
I understand Tina.
Believe it or not much of what you're saying I can relate to, just on a different level. I praise God that I'm able to run and that in all, I'm healthy. That being said, I smoked for 21 years and I remember the day that my daughter wanted to actually spend some time with me throwing a football and in all realness, I couldn't run 30 feet without falling on my face. I remember thinking to myself not only how selfish I had been, but also, "What have I done to myself". I was sick... so I was motivated to quit smoking, so I went through the pain of quitting. It wasn't easy for me.

I think it was 5 or six years later that brought me up to last year. I couldn't do much around the yard without tiring out. I'd do an hour of yard work and would have to come in and take a nap and just chill for the rest of the day and I remember thinking, "I shouldn't feel like this" and I was tired of being tired, and I know you know what I mean. So, I decided to do something about it. I was going to start running. I was going to try and reclaim that which I had lost.

I remember saying I was going to keep it easy at first. Just down to the corner and back. I barely made it out of my driveway and I had to stop because my calves hurt so bad and I was out of breath. It took two weeks of grinding knees and plain grit to make it to the end of the street and back. It wasn't fun by any means of the word. It was hard, and it was painful. My body said stop, don't do this any more and I remember saying one time to myself, "I don't care if my knees grind till it's bone against bone, and I don't care how bad this hurts. I'm doing this and I'm just going to have to suffer the pain".

I also remember the first time I had a little extra energy and my lungs burned and I could taste the nicotine from years past. It was sick. I finished my run, sat down and as my wife was fixing dinner my lungs tightened up and I couldn't breath. Honestly, I thought I was going to die. It was frightful. Then, they loosened up and I could take shallow breaths, yet at the same time I could feel them filling up with fluids.

As you know, I also have heart disease and early on I unknowningly invoked several very subtle mini-strokes as noted by chest and shoulder pain when "pushing myself" (I felt it coming on my last race around mile 6, so I backed out until the pain went away. To my discouragment, I was tempted to stop and throw the race, but God willing, the chest pain went away.), so I have to really be in tune with my body which is one reason I don't run with music. It's a fine line I'm playing with when I really push myself and even yesterday I didn't want to run, but I knew I had to. Praise be to God I was able to end with a couple 400 meter sprints, but I knew better than to do to many of them.

So don't dispare and always Give God thanks for what he's blessed you with. Because he does indeed bless us and who knows, you may run a 5 k next year God willing.

As always, Grace and Peace.
 
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Well, the weather is breaking and it's getting warmer... well, this week anyway :lol

Just started my marathon training program and did 6 miles @ .5 incline on the treadmill at an 8 minute mile pace. I only ran the incline the first 4 miles. That was tough! Talk about pushing myself. I'm supposed to do an easy 4 miles tomorrow at a 9 minute mile pace, and then Thursday is a killer... another 6 mile run at a 6:55 pace. Honestly, that kinda scares me. Friday is a rest day, and Saturday is a slow (whatever I want slow) 9 mile run outside. It's 8 miles into town and the last two weeks I've ran into town to have breakfast with my buddies @ 7am. Looks like I'll have to actually get out of bed at 5:30am if I want to be there in time. Now, that's pushing myself, the 9 miles is the easy part lol!

Anyone else out and about gearing up for getting healthier?
 
StoveBolts said:
Well, the weather is breaking and it's getting warmer... well, this week anyway :lol

Just started my marathon training program and did 6 miles @ .5 incline on the treadmill at an 8 minute mile pace. I only ran the incline the first 4 miles. That was tough! Talk about pushing myself. I'm supposed to do an easy 4 miles tomorrow at a 9 minute mile pace, and then Thursday is a killer... another 6 mile run at a 6:55 pace. Honestly, that kinda scares me. Friday is a rest day, and Saturday is a slow (whatever I want slow) 9 mile run outside. It's 8 miles into town and the last two weeks I've ran into town to have breakfast with my buddies @ 7am. Looks like I'll have to actually get out of bed at 5:30am if I want to be there in time. Now, that's pushing myself, the 9 miles is the easy part lol!

Anyone else out and about gearing up for getting healthier?
Click to expand...
well on thursday after a break i will once again ruck march and i have the full size ruck.
 
Sure biscuits and sausage gravy... with a side of potatoes to mop up the extra gravy.....Dessert biscuit smothered in butter and honey.....:yes
 
reba said:
Sure biscuits and sausage gravy... with a side of potatoes to mop up the extra gravy.....Dessert biscuit smothered in butter and honey.....:yes
Click to expand...

Growing up we called them taters smothered in gravy S.O.S. :D


mmm mmMMM! Man, I all of a sudden just got really hungry!
 
Wow, I actually had a fun run! Total was about 5.2 miles, but the .2 doesn't really count cause it was just streatching the legs out a bit lol. Here's what he other 5 looked like.

First .5 miles @ 9:30 pace
Second .5 miles 8 pace
Second mile: 7 minute pace
Third mile: First .5 miles was 7 Minute pace. Second .5 mile was a 6:54 pace.
4th mile 6.54 pace
5th mile 6.54 pace

I honestly didn't think I could do this, but in reality it wasn't that terribly hard :)

This is going to be a good year running! :yes
 
Still Blessed said:
Just starting on my way back to better health, starting this past Saturday. Reading this thread was encouraging!
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Congratulations, and stay the course! It may hurt a little along the way, but it certainly gets better over time as you reap the rewards of feeling better and having more energy; especially if your older than 40 :lol

What are your plans and goals for attaining better health? Please share :)
 
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