So for awhile now I've had the pleasure of running a lot of runs with friends. During the week I run at least 2-3 runs with my co-worker, Fabulous, and on the weekends I've had a never ending supply of friends or Spike to run with. Last week Jen B., Jessie, and I started off the New Year right by hitting the River Trail for a 10 miler and this past Saturday Jen B. met me for a 10 M turn of my old stomping grounds, butterfly randomness, hills, and all. I'll continue the "Friends for 10" trend this weekend when Harold (and possibly his gf) meet me for 10 M while I'm in O-town and I've already got a date with the girls the following weekend when I return. I think it's safe to say my 10 M base is fully established. I feel like I could run 10 M in my sleep and I've gotten to the point where I know I have too much left in the tank at the end. I am so ready for marathon training to begin... but while one part of me is itching to start really going long another part of me dreads going 20 M solo. Having company really helps the miles fly by and it's been fun exploring new routes.
Speaking of routes, Saturday night Spike and I spent the evening mapping out long run routes for future use. Aren't you uber jealous of our exciting night?!?!? Yup, just Spike and I, heads together clicking out possible routes on MapMyRun. Incredibly lame but highly productive. We got up yesterday morning to drive some of the back roads we found leading out of the city before our run. For those of you city folks, back roads are less traveled roads that go on forever in the middle of nowhere, usually surrounded by cornfields and are potentially unpaved. Needless to say my future long runs are going to be about as uninteresting as they come... but at least they will help me work on my mental game. You know what they say about training for/running a marathon; it's 10% physical / 90% mental. Working on your mental game is important, if you're not mentally prepared on race day it could be the very thing that costs you that PR, BQ, etc...
That being said, I'll be enjoying my friend filled frolics for a few more weeks but come the end of the month it's time to get serious. I have hill repeats, pace workouts and long runs that need to be run and paces that need to be achieved. Thankfully, all fun frolics included, I don't think I've ever been in a better position to start a training plan.
Alright enough of my ramblings, how about some pics from this weekend?!? Back in October Spike and I took some running pics out on our favorite trail so this weekend knowing I'd be taking Jen through there, I packed my camera to take some pics at the same spot. Peep the comparo:
Autumn RunningVS
Winter Running
Winter Running
Jen & I posing. LOL! Gotta love impromptu photoshoots!
This is a shot from yesterday's run w/ Spike. We found this maintained trail not far from our digs so we made an out and back of it.
Now this is the kind of winter I can handle, sunny skies and clear paths!
Temps aside it was a beautiful weekend here in the Mitten, how'd the rest of you fare? More importantly if you regularly run with friends how do you work on your mental game?
Now this is the kind of winter I can handle, sunny skies and clear paths!Temps aside it was a beautiful weekend here in the Mitten, how'd the rest of you fare? More importantly if you regularly run with friends how do you work on your mental game?
35 comments:
Unfortunately, I have no friends. Perhaps it's because I am mental...
Yeah, that friends thang is sooooooo overrated! Only three more months of cold and gray days! HA
You're so lucky to have lots of running pals! I had one (other than my husband), but she's pregnant, so it's been a while since I've had a buddy on my runs.
You're lucky to have so many running friends! The trails look beautiful in the snow.
My mental game is shot if I don't have anyone to run with. Like RnR San Antonio half. My running buddy got super sick between mile 5 and 6 so I ran the rest by myself. I was a total basket case the rest of the race. I guess I need to work on my mental game..but I have no idea where to start. ugh.
Your trails are so pretty! We have NOTHING like that here. jealous.
Nope! You can not convince me to give up running in FL weather. Give me the warm weather! Now I can give up the summer heat
Kevin
http://halftriing.blogspot.com/
Brrrr Boo Bear! Stay warm. Work your friends into the last half of those long runs. It'll help get through the back end miles.
I can't imagine running in snow. Scary.
Long runs are all mental for me. I can easily get psyched out if I let myself fall into that trap. What works best for me is when I don't let myself think more than a few miles out. I don't tell myself after one mile of a 12-miler "Okay, one down, 11 to go" because that just makes it seem too long. I think short milestones. After one mile, let's get to two. Two more miles til I GU, those sorts of things. If I know the route, I'll focus on getting to a particular landmark.
That works for me, to break down long runs into smaller easier-to-digest segments.
I run with a group every Sunday and it's easier for me to get out of bed and get my stuff together knowing I won't be running alone, knowing that I have an obligation to show up, but the other mental tricks I use regardless of how many other people are along for the run.
Oh, and not to frighten you or anything but my worst-ever training run was a solo 20-miler :(
YOu know I've said that to people, I only have to run 10 miles. They look at me with a crooked face! LOL I'm still without running people, that's what happens when the good Lord puts you too far from any real runner.. I'm adjusting. We got snow here yesterday so I'll be dreadmilling it!!
I have lots of fair weather running buddies, but they've all abandoned me now that it's cold outside. :(
This mental lone wolf needs to work on the running friend thing. I love winter running. Icy winds are a different story though.
I want running friends too :-)
You know, I think doing 95% of my marathon training runs by myself really helped me out mentally when it came to the actual marathon. I was used to it always being just me and the miles ahead with no encouragement from others during the run. So then actually getting encouragement from spectators in the marathon was quite nice :)
I ran yesterday: 6.5 miles, give or take a few tenths. Only my second run since the marathon. Beautiful day. Good friends at hand. It was nice. I was slow, but I was satisfied.
My key to staying sane on extra-long training runs is my iPod. Anything under 10 miles I can do w/out the tunes, but once I have to start facing down 90+ minutes on the road by myself, it's time for music.
I also do a lot of birdwatching. :)
I love my running crew but they are usually only availble to me during lunch at work. I do most of my longer runs alone but I don't really mind them. But so far I'm not doing nearly the mileage you are.
Hi Red! Yes, I find that I have to juggle social running and solo running to keep myself sane. Both are important and complement each other. Working on the mental game is a gradual process...one mile at a time :)
Your going to have a great year!!!
-LR
I used to only run alone but I am slowly switching over to running with friends. It's awesome.
Love the comparo shots. (nice header!)
I almost always run alone. In the warmer months I may have a biking sherpa with me but rarely another runner. My mental game is great. I can make myself keep going for a very long time which is good for trail running. But I would love to run with others just for the enjoyment of sharing the run.
It's great to have running friends!!
Winter runs that are cold/crisp with blue skies feel pretty darn amazing. It's been quite some time since I've ran with friends...and I'm itching to get to it!
That's a tough one ... as I do prefer running with friends. It was nice in Tampa this weekend ... trying to enjoy the cooler temps b/c I know I'll be back to 4AM long runs before I know it! :)
How do you take such great pictures running? All the pictures of me running look like I'm dying or just standing there.
Had a hard time motivating this weekend, too (25 mph winds - ughh) - but once I got out there, I felt awesome! 8 miles!
Glad you had an awesome weekend mapping out runs :-)
I tend to run alone, but maybe 2011 is the year to change that!
I do run regularly with friends - moreso in the winter than summer. it's ESSENTIAL through getting through all the cold and dark training! I still put in a few runs per week alone and the occasional long run.
We out in a LOT of miles on the "back roads". I love how quiet it is but doesn't it all just look the same? haha
That is great you have so many friends to run with! I love the weather pics. I just gave you a Stylish Blogger Award over on my blog!
it's nice to have people to run with this time of year. it can be hard to get out in this weather alone! like the new banner pic!
Nice pictures. I miss winter running. It will just have to wait.
Ha! That running pose photo is too funny! I, for one, love winter running. :)
Love your new header!
running with friends is always better than running solo!!
major. dorks.
i don't have friends either, we have discussed that.
peep the comparo? what kind of language is that?
Quite a change from the days Imused to follow you in Florida! I don't see how you folks do it. I was freaking this week because it was only going to be 55 degrees on Monday...
Cold. Cold. COLD. COLD. At least it's pretty, right?!
I've gotten super spoiled in being part of the local running groups that I almost can't function on a run by myself. Not that I need to talk to someone, I just need someone to keep me honest and keep me going.
This is probably why I HATE my treadmill now--which seemed like such a good purchase at the time. Ha.
Wow! I would love to have so many running friends. All of my running friends are out there in the blogosphere so I am usually a solo runner.
I loved this post.
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