The Welcome Thread: Both old and new

[Dave-O]

As 365Runners.com grows, we hope to welcome many new members to our relatively small, but knowledgeable, community. Given that many here already know each other (perhaps too well), please use this thread to introduce yourself. The current crop of members includes everyday runners of all speeds and distances, both old and young, shod and unshod, elitist and egalitarian.

So tell us about yourself and join the fun!

[Natalie]

I'm Natalie. Slow, shod, youngish/oldish (among this group, anyway), egalitarian. I ran my first marathon (Chicago) in 2005 with a friend. When my running friend couldn't run anymore due to injury, I looked for a running community where I could find answers to my running questions and support from runners who also, many of them, run alone. Before finding this group, I could not have conceived of running more than 10 miles without someone to keep me company. I'm now training for my 10th marathon, the New York City Marathon, on November 6th.

[Schuey]

As Dave has said I think that most of you all know me around here but I did notice a few new people signed up.

Name is Martin but was given the nickname of Schuey because there were a couple of other Martin's that posted. You will also find some will call me the "Bull" around here. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. My favorite distance that I like to race is the marathon but I am finding a new love for the 10k distance and I'm really looking forward to turning 40 next month to try and compete in the 40-44 master's division.

I started running again in 2005 for a few reasons, 1. was to get back into shape. I was an a avg. athlete in H.S. and well just kinda lost my way as I got older. 2. For my father that passed away in 1986. It's a long story but the short of it was that my dad loved watching me compete in sports and I loved going out and performing for him. So as knew I had lost my way in life, I felt that running would be a great way to reconnect with him and I know that everyday he is looking down at me from Heaven (yes I do believe that doesn't mean anyone else has to) and watching me run. I have always felt that he is there on every step I take. 3. I wanted to get over and quiet my bad addictions that I started and that I knew were not only killing me but were not allowing me to be the person that I know I am and could be. I'm happy to say that I have been clean of my demons for over 5 years now. Yeah for me.

Let see outside of running I really really enjoy and dig music. Yep for everyone on here that knows me I love love love the Grateful Dead, I really get into how Jerry plays guitar and how that band approaches making music just mind blowing really. Well at least for me. I saw my first Dead show in '78 when I was 7 and I got into audio taping shows when I was around 15. Other then the dead I really enjoy the late 1800's to early 1900's blues stuff such a raw sound and then I like everything from classical to jazz. I also enjoy reading books for enjoyment but also dig reading about running. Can never learn enough about it.

Back to running do to my buddy Dave-O on here I have become and I'm a believer of running high mileage with a good mix of quality stuff also. I'm also married to a wonderful girl who is also on these boards and I love spending time with her, running and hanging out with our dog Hana. She is such a little s**t. We are also White Sox, Bulls, Bears and U of Michigan fans. The sport that my wife and I differ in is hockey. Since she is from Michigan and I'm from Chicago we just don't see eye to eye when it comes to hockey. I'm a Blackhawks fan and well she likes that team called I don't know Red something???

Anyway there is a little about me, so welcome all you new 365runners and as Matt would say "RUN MORE"! I look forward to talking running, giving my advice and learning new things from not just the new members but also all the current 365runners.

Schuey

[Julie]

I'm Julie, I started running fall of 2004 to get out of depression. I ran-walked a bit, and then a woman whose husband manages our city's marathon website told me I could run the half marathon and it didn't matter if I walked. So in 2006 I ran my first half marathon and then started running with a group most days of the week. They're almost all 50 staters, either working on running a marathon on every state or have already completed them. They helped me train for my first marathon fall of 2006. Since then I've been much healthier, have run 12 marathons including one when I was newly pregnant and have a wonderful husband of 3 years and a little girl almost 2 yrs old. I ran one ultra, a 50K Chicago Lakefront. It was great, and I hope to run more ultras.

I've been stuck around the same pace for many of my marathons and am working to PR this September for my 13th marathon! My long term goal is to complete my 50 states marathons which doubles as a great excuse to travel. I'd also like to break 4 hrs one of these years.

I stay home with my daughter 6 days a week and then on Saturdays I work on the rehab floor of a local hospital as a speech-language pathologist. Mainly I work with adults who have had strokes or brain injuries, helping them improve swallowing and communication.

[Nick Morris]

I will follow in Schuey's footsteps...Most of this comes from my blog, but here is a little bit about me for those that are new or, heaven forbid, don't follow my blog.

I am a 30 year old guy living in
Madison, Wisconsin. I have lived in or near Madison for most of my life.
I have undergraduate degrees in Marketing and Human Resources and a
Masters Degree in Business Administration. I have seven years healthcare
experience. Four years working in a hospital handling quality and
accreditation and three years working for hospitals doing strategic
marketing. My current line of work (working for hospitals) allows me to
travel all over the United States. On average, I travel about once a
month…

When I am not running, I enjoy hanging out with friends
and competing in every sport that I can possible play. I am uber
competitive and normally go all in when doing something…

I have
been running regularly now for about eight years now. I got started
after college as a way to get back into shape and really haven’t stopped
since. I ran recreationally until 2006, when I decided to try a race.
That race just so happened to be a half marathon. I trained eight weeks
for that first race and although I was sore and felt a great sense of
accomplishment. I thought to myself I could do better. So, I signed up
and trained for another half marathon. That half led to another and then
another and another…you get the picture. With each race, I was posting
faster and faster times. After about six or seven half marathons, I
finally talked myself into signing up for and training for a full
marathon. It was at this time that I found Hal’s training site and
eventually the V-Boards. I started out with Hal’s Novice II plan. I
found out that 18 weeks was definitely a lot of commitment. My first
full marathon was the 2008 Twin Cities marathon. It was a cool wet day
in October. I remember hearing thunder and running through downpours to a
finishing time of 3:55 and change. Just like the first half marathon, I
felt a great sense of accomplishment and, of course, soreness. But
still thought that I could do better than a 3:55. In 2009, I signed up
and trained for the Chicago Marathon. I switched my training regimen
from Novice II to Intermediate I. The move up in training helped
immensely, as I had set a lofty goal of 3:40:00 and a 15+ minute
increase from the year prior. The training paid off, as I ran a great
race and finished in a time of 3:39:XX…A full 16 minutes faster than the
Twin Cities…

Onto 2010…by now, my half marathon times are down
to the mid 1:30:00s. Once again, I signed up for the Chicago Marathon
with hopes of a 3:20:00 time. I upped my training to Intermediate II and
had the best training cycle to date. I added strength training in my
legs and found that the pesky patella tendinitis went away. Even though I
was training for a 7:38 pace, I was actually running my training runs
at around a 7:25 goal pace. All of the hard work was paying off as I
half marathon PR’d (1:31:02) during my tune up race in mid September by a
full four minutes over my previous PR that I had achieved in the
spring. After posting such a great time, thoughts of BQing a year ahead
of scheduled plan crept into my head. I mean, it is Chicago that I am
running. It is a very favorable course to BQ. I decided to go for it and
signed up for the 3:10 pace group even though I had not fully trained
for 3:10 and the weather was not cooperating (those that ran the race
understand). Race day came and I was feeling great…The gun went off and
we were started. The pace was a little fast at first, but I settled in
and continued on a 7:15 pace. Then I got to mile 10 and that’s when
things started going wrong. I started feeling a pain in my right hip
that wasn’t there before. I continued on, knowing that my family would
be at mile 13. Things started getting worse, but I was holding pace. I
made it to my family just after the halfway point and things were worse.
It was at this point that I knew that that day was not going to be my
day. I stopped and chatted with my family for a few minutes and decided
to carry on. I made it to mile 15 before I had to start walking. I
continued on walk running the rest of the way back to the finish. It was
very disappointing day, but I finished and got our Fantasy Team (the
Tigers…WooHoo!!) a point…

After seeing a specialist, I found out
that I had strained my gluteus minimus and medius. After that, I took a
few weeks off to heal and get therapy. After about three to four weeks
of therapy, I started back to running, of course, taking it slow at
first. Then, gradually building up distance and intensity to where I am
now. I have been working very hard to strengthen all of the muscles in
my legs, including the glutes, adductors, and abductors. I feel great
and think I am right where I need to be physically…

I am currently training for the Steamtown Marathon this fall, in hopes of getting that elusive BQ. The BAA threw a kink in my plans this year and lowered my qualifying time to sub 3:05. I feel confident that my winter and spring running programs have put me in prime condition to be able to put in the training for a sub 3:05.

I look forward to reading about everyone's running experiences and heckling a bit too. Thank you again Matt and Dave for putting together such a wonderful forum.

[Julie]

Nick (are we allowed to comment here on each others stuff?) my husband and I ran Twin Cities Marathon together in '08! That was not my favorite just for the rain. It was his only marathon.

[Mrs. Schuey]

I'm Lisa aka Martin's wife aka emoticon girl

As some of you know, I am a former smoker and had a few
pounds to lose. I lived a rather sedentary lifestyle. I decided to
start running to help me quit smoking and to escape the stress in my
life. I will never forget that first run ever and I got to .20 on the
treadmill and thought I was going to die. I couldn’t breathe, my ass
hurt from bouncing up and down and I couldn’t imagine running any longer
than that. However, this posed a challenge and it was one that I
welcomed. I gradually worked my way up to 3 miles. At the time, that was
far and I was so excited that I tackled it! My first 5K was in 2005,
the Trottin’ Around Town in Berkley, MI that I ran in honor of my
grandfather that passed away. I was hooked! I ran like crazy for the
next 2 years; it became my new addiction. I ran my first marathon in
2007; The Chicago Marathon. Yep, that cooker of a marathon was my first.
I trained for that marathon and ran my heart out until I got to the
half and had to walk. The temp was 100 degrees (at least that’s what I
remember seeing on the ETrade sign). I tried running more and ended up
running and walking the remainder of the marathon. I got to mile 21 when
I heard the race had been cancelled and I literally stood in the middle
of the road, crying and asking people if we were still going to get
medals. There were mixed responses..some were saying yes and others were
saying no. I should state that before I arrived in Chicago that year
for the marathon, I decided I was going to get a “finishers” tattoo on
my right foot. There was no way I was going to get the tattoo if I
didn’t finish! I made the cut-off and ran/walked my way to the finish.
As I lay down on the grass near Buckingham Fountain under the tree, I
looked up and thought, ‘there’s no way this will be my marathon
experience’. I had to come back and tackle this course. I did get that
tattoo .

March of 2008 I flew out to Napa Valley to run the Napa Valley Marathon, in
which I had to DNF because of an ankle injury I suffered in my right
ankle.

May of 2008 I ran the Bayshore Marathon with Martin and we got through the
whole thing. Unfortunately, I hadn’t trained properly and somehow
managed to finish the marathon in a 4:08. I did, however, have to walk a
lot.

October of 2008 I ran the Marine Corps Marathon with Martin. I had moved to
Chicago that summer and didn’t train. I found excuses not to - ‘it’s too
hot’, ‘the lakefront is boring’, yada, yada, yada. If there was an
excuse, I had it. Martin and I got to Washington D.C. and I ran strong
for 18 miles and then crashed. I had to stop and walk....a lot. I
cramped up and my body laughed at me as I hobbled to the finish line. It
was saying, ‘when will you learn you big dummy?’

I signed up for the 2009 Chicago Marathon and a few months out decided
not to run it because I developed shin splints. I was happy that at
least I made the smart decision to DNS instead of show up and have
another bitter Chicago Marathon experience. I joked with my friends that
that was the most expensive 312 beer I’ve ever purchased. (The beer
offered at the finish line of the race).

I had intentions of running the 2010 Chicago Marathon, and really got
into my training. The day after Christmas, 2009 I ended up tearing the
ligaments in my right ankle, which lead to me being immobilized, which
lead to a blood clot in my right calf. Clearly, 2010 Chicago Marathon
was out.

March of 2011 I ran the National Marathon. I succeeded in my goal of not
walking and running my heart out. Unfortunately, I didn’t really train
like I should have. Dumb, I know - this is where the whole, ‘made a lot
of mistakes and regrets’ part of the song speaks to me. It’s a harsh
reminder that I’ve been lazy and non-committed in my training in the
past. My body again enjoyed laughing at me for the days after that
marathon. I ran this marathon as a dry run for the 2011 Chicago
Marathon. In the end, it was a great pump mentally. I know now that I
can cover the distance, I can get through my wall at 18 and remind
myself that it’s just a mile, and I tell myself that really great things
are possible if I just stick with it. Just do it.

I’m not just running the Chicago Marathon for myself, I’m running it for
the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of my granny. She was diagnosed
with Alzheimer’s and is in the late stages of it. When Martin and I
visited her in the hospital a while ago, she was holding my hand and
asked me what I have been doing. I told her running and I said that we
should go running one time. She just stared straight ahead and said that
she’ll be running with me. I bottled that moment with her voice and
locked it into my heart. I’ll have her with me when I’m out there
running. When I want to toss in the towel, I will remember that moment
and I will look down at my purple ALZ bracelet and be reminded as to why
I’m running.


Welcome new 365runners!

[Mike MacLellan]

I'm Mike. Young, eager (probably a little too much), and still in a honeymoon phase with running. I've run 2 marathons (PR = 3:07:52) and a handful of shorter races, but I think I enjoy the longer distances (HMs, marathons, ultras) more. Recently started hitting the trails a lot more and am planning a summer/fall of ultras, culminating in a 50-miler in December.

I like stupid mantras like "no stopping any time" (my first blog's title), "meglio un giorno da leone che cento da pecora" (better one day as a lion than a hundred as a sheep), etc.

I'm vegan, a somewhat famous cook within my circle of friends and family, and I'm likely to be found wide awake with the aforementioned friends at 3 or 4 in the morning, drink in hand, the night before a really important/big run. Go figure.

I also cycle a bit (~4-6hrs/week) and swim when the moment's right.

Oh, and career-wise, I'm back in school training to become an ASL-English interpreter; I'll be moving to Auburn, CA (Endurance Capital of the World) by August. I've also lived in Florence, Italy (and speak Italian really poorly) as well as NYC for a brief stint.

[Admin]

Hi. I'm Mr MattM... Sometimes I run. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I run a lot! Sometimes I run very little. Sometimes I crave clam chowder from Old Fisherman's Grotto on Monterey Pier. But mostly, I run...

Okay, really. Name's Matt and I've completed 50ish marathons since starting in Oct 2004. I've done as many as 6 marathons in a 9 day stretch. I'm 45 years old and just ran my PR (2:59:35) in Chicago this past October. I hope to still have a few PRs in me... so I've got my sights set on Chicago 2011...

I've lived in some of the most beautiful places... Destin, FL, Golden, CO, Monterey, CA. I served in the US Army and was stationed in Germany for a couple of years. I have a Bachelors in Computer Science and an Executive MBA. I play several instruments. As for family, I have 2 beautiful 8 year olds (boy and girl) and I'm a very active dad.

If you want to know more, just ask!

[Schuey]

That was pretty darn cool Matt!

[Seth Harrison]

I'm Seth...as most of the folks here know, I'm the one who's usually injured. Last July was my third knee surgery. It wasn't pretty, but I managed to run my first Boston nine months after the surgery. I've been a runner for years, but I came to marathoning relatively late. Boston was my fifth marathon in the last four years. (I turned 50 two days ago).
In my non-running life, I'm a photojournalist, having worked at the same newspaper covering the northern suburbs of NYC for the past 23 years. I've covered a war in the middle east, the attacks of 9/11, five World Series, and just today, I found out that I survived the fifth round of layoffs in the last two years, so it's been a fun time in the newspaper business.
I'm married, with two older step-daughters, and a sixteen year old daughter, a dog, and two birds.
I was a pretty strict vegetarian for years, but started eating fish again a couple of years ago. Still no meat or poultry, but I've been known to cheat when I get a whiff of chicken wings, having survived on a strict diet of wings way back in college.
I'm a huge, huge fan of Lucinda Williams. I like to say that she's been the soundtrack to my life for the past 7-8 years. Also a big fan of Pat Metheny and Patti Griffin, and after 35 years, I haven't tired of Led Zeppelin.
That covers the important stuff.

[Kenny B.]

My name is Kenny B.and I am a grateful recovering active run-aholic. I am sober one day at a time but not including today, yesterday or since June 2006 and I can promise you not tomorrow or the next day.

My M.O.'s include but are not limited to: internet running forums specifically 365Runners, running multiple marathons, running every day as early as 4:30am, running on weekends for hours on end, driving to races over 3 hours away, flying to races, talking about running incessantly to not only fellow run-aholics but to those who don't care, eating and drinking for the purpose to run better, buying multiple pair of running shoes at a time, matching my running clothes to my shoes, wearing compression socks even when I am not running. To name a few!

[Tom H]

Hitting 50 a few years ago was no big deal for me from a mental point of view, but a lot happened in that year. My mother-in-law, who I was fortunate enough to consider a dear friend, had significant health issues that meant I spend a lot of time with her at her retirement community. She was in her late 80’s but had up until then been very active and energetic. As I spent more and more time with her and her neighbors, all the things I’d read about taking care of yourself while younger having a great impact on your quality of life as you age really bubbled to the surface. I saw the difficulty many there had just getting around , and remembered the statistic that you lose 5% of muscle mass each year after 50 if you don’t actively exercise.

Well, at that point I was 50, 5’8” and 185 lbs. Exercise was a foreign concept. I subscribed to the theory that you are born with a certain number of heartbeats you’ll get to use over your lifetime, so why use them up faster by exercising ? And yes, I had the argument with my wife about getting rid of my threadbare recliner that had become molded to my body shape by decades of sitting in front of the TV with pizza rolls. Really. No, really. mmmmmm, Pizza Rolls. It became clear to me that change was in order if I wanted to not just age gracefully, but enjoyably! So in October of ’08 started in on a major change in eating habits. By mid-February '09 had dropped 25 lbs and was feeling great. I decided at that point to bring exercise into the mix, joined the local gym and, to commit myself, signed up with a personal trainer for 2x/week sessions to focus on core and strength training. The first week was hell. I thought I was going to die, and looking back, we were hardly doing anything. The typical couch potato hits the gym floor with an audible ‘splat’.

Aside from the sadistic treatment I was paying to receive from my trainer, I had decided that I would make sure I was addressing my aerobic fitness needs by walking on the treadmill. Who knew the treadmill could be such a challenge. I’d been walking all my life. How hard could it be? I remember PUSHING to do a mile at 3 mph! But I was committed and I viewed it as a personal competition (both with myself and against the blasted treadmill!) that I was going to succeed at. Things progressed nicely, and in May I was doing 3 miles at 10.5 incline 4x per week – and found it difficult to get my heart rate to get past the mid-160’s (my self-competitive nature kicking in). I could have increased the incline, but was seeing the signs of Achilles tendonitis. I thought about switching to running, but in the past I’d always developed significant pain in my shins in the first quarter mile that would bring me to a stop. I discussed this with a friend of mine who is extremely fit, and after hearing my story said he thought I should give running a try as I had significantly strengthened the muscles in my legs and I might find I’d be OK. He was right. I got on the treadmill the next day and ran 4 miles. WOW. “I can do this!” I thought. Now, the next day, couldn’t hardly get out of my chair, but that was a lesson learned about doing too much too fast, not a demotivator. So after a necessary and appropriate recovery period, I then starting pounding away on the treadmill to get my cardio done, 3 miles 4-5x per week. Felt great, achieving fitness goals, life was good.

Then, in September of ‘09, and I cannot remember for the life of me why, I decided to go on a run OUTDOORS. What a concept! Actually running outside. It was a whole new world. Running 3 miles wasn’t enough anymore. Exploring new routes was fun. Runs stretched to 4, 5, 6, 7 miles and in November that same friend who got me running said “You ought to run a half marathon, you can do it”. I thought he was a bit nuts. 7 mile to 13 miles seemed like a HUGE leap. But it was also a huge challenge. Hmmm. So, on Thanksgiving morning, knowing I had 12 people coming over for Thanksgiving dinner that I was in charge of preparing, I went out on my run. Feeling good, thinking about a half, and ignoring all common sense, said to myself “let’s do it!” – and I did. 13.2 miles (13.1 wasn’t enough, and to be honest, I couldn't remember if a Half was .1 or .2 - that's how much of a newbie I was then!) in 2:00:44. Holy crap! This is great. Better yet, dinner came off with no problem and the next day I was hardly sore at all. That’s when it hit. Marathon. I can do a marathon. Me, over 50, doing a marathon (I think I was actually giggling at the prospect). After seeing what races were happening when, I decided on the Big Sur International Marathon in April '10. I spent years growing up in the Monterey area and my Mother-in-law lived in Carmel, so this seemed fitting in many ways. Of course, later, more in-depth research uncovered the 2-mile 500-foot climb to Hurricane Point, but by then I had my eye on the prize and that was the race I was going to run! I completed it in 4:06:50 and felt on top of the world. 8 Weeks later ran a second one with my Daughter in Anchorage, Alaska and then my third in Eugene on May 1, 2011 setting a new PR of 3:42:02.

Hooked on running, I guess that's a fair statement. But in this training cycle I've branched out adding swimming, cycling and Pilates to the mix to build the aerobic base and round out the muscle development in the areas I've been ignoring for the last year and a half. For all of you who are new to the boards here, take it from me, you'll get all the great advice and encouragement you need to get and stay motivated as you go through your training cycles. I may have run those races, but all the great people here really made it possible and fun. Don't be shy, if you've got a question, ask it - you'll get answers!

[Peg Coover]

Hi. I'm Peg. I found this group of great people via the Hal Higdon forums when I ended up with a stress fracture while training for my first marathon at the end of 2005.

Let me rewind a bit! I was never an athlete in high school. I was a band geek, a straight-A student, and worked part time! I hated PE! But for some reason, the summer after my sophomore year in HS, when I would no longer be required to run the mile in PE, I started running for....gasp...."fun"! My sister motivated me that you could run farther if you just slowed down a bit! I was running 2 miles at a time and feeling so cool! My town put on a road race that year and I ran the 4 mile race--shocked the hell out of my PE teacher!!

I kept running off and on through college, a baby, then started running 5 and 10K's for fun. Since our local races were small, I was getting age group awards in the 20-29 group a lot. Then I had another child and the older one got into activities and my running dwindled over the years. From 1999-2004 I was a fair-weather runner, only running from April to August! The pounds crept on and I found myself at my heaviest weight (without stepping on a scale!!) in the spring of 2005. For some reason, we decided to do a half marathon (last one was in 1994) and I had to get myself dedicated. We did that in September of 2005 ( I ran 2:33) and then went on to train for a full in Phoenix in January of 2006. In the process of doing my 16 and 17 mile runs, on a concrete bike trail, I got a stress fracture.... It wasn't diagnosed until after the marathon, which I did in 5:18.

The stress fracture, and being unable to run, really sparked my dedication to running. I got through the injury and have run multiple half marathons, 10k's, 10 miles, 15k's and 4 more marathons, with my PR being Twin Cities 2009 4:45. If you want to know how I recovered from the injury, PM me!
In the process I lost a bunch of weight (not sure of the amount because I had lost a bunch before actually weighing myself, but over 19 pounds) and got down to a solid size 6.

I have two grown kids, a one year old grandson, and I am 47 years old chasing down PR's from back in my 20's! I am 30-60 seconds away in the 5K and 10K, and I think I could do it if I didn't train for one marathon a year!!!! And I set a huge PR in the half September 2010 with a 1:58!!!

I am a math and science teacher, I love to garden and can pickles, salsa, and tomato juice. I love Jackson Browne!!!

[Michele "1L" Keane]

I'm Michele and I currently live in Atlanta, GA when I'm not in western NY state for the summer. I've been running pretty much most of my life - well at least since I was 16 and I'll be 50 in January. I've run 37 marathons and multitudes of 10Ks, half marathons, 15Ks, 5Ks, etc., etc., and have run some pretty fast times for a girl. I'm a chemical engineer by schooling and I currently work for a small equipment vendor who manufactures custom water treatment units that I assist in designing and costing for various OEMS. I've been married for almost 26 years, and I have one daughter who turned 18 two weeks ago and will be a senior in high school in the fall. My job this year is to make sure she gets into college! Then I'll be leaving Atlanta, GA for sunny Cleveland, OH once again to re-join my husband and live under the same roof (long story, but a job transfer took him to San Diego and we stayed to finish high school).

I really can't imagine life without running, but even though I've been a runner for a lot of years, I learn new things here every single day. I fell into the original V-boards back in October 2000 when I was training for Chicago. I had taken a hiatus from marathon running after setting my PR in 1987, and I didn't run anything longer than half marathons until that October. That Chicago was marathon#11 - you can see that it took off from there. The boards were/are a great asset to me as I come from a family of ball -kicking athletes (soccer, football) and no one understands my running obsession. They are extremely supportive; however, and have travelled with me all over the country for races.

I ran high mileage when I was at my peak with very little time off for injury. As I've aged, I'm still struggling with the right balance of mileage, speed (which I love), stretching, strengthening, etc. As you can tell, that is why I learn so much for all of you every day.

Thanks to you all for your information, compassion, and most of all camaraderie. And welcome all newbies to this great family.

[Sara Jane]

I'm Sara. When I need attention, I pretend that I am friends with Kara Goucher.

[wendy_miller]

I'm Sara. When I need attention, I pretend that I am friends with Kara Goucher.

And I pretend to coach Sara Jane...which means I kind of know Kara.

[wendy_miller]

My name is Wendy. I actually do coach Sara Jane.

Running background/info

I have only been running since 2008. I've always been fit but, despite being surrounded by runners (my dad and both brothers), I never tried running until I hurt my back during an aerobics class. The only thing that didn't hurt my back was running. I began by running 10 minutes/day on the treadmill at an 8 minute pace. Every week, I added five minutes. Then I increased the pace.

I did this a few weeks until I was running 50 miles a week on the treadmill. I finally decided I was a real runner and could run outside (same phenomenon Tom experienced). I ran 10 miles with my dad and brother. I was hooked.

Four weeks after I started running, I ran my first 5K in 20:23. A week later I broke 20:00. A week later I ran 19:17, and two weeks after that I ran a 19:06 (and won my first race). Six weeks after I started running, I was running 70 miles/week. I won almost every 5K I ran. I was getting fast. Things were going very well...until I got hurt. The first injury was achilles tendonitis. Manageable. That was followed by PF...manageable until the fascia actually ruptured. So I was off and cross training more than I was running. Then the big one came: bilateral compartment syndrome (Kara had it, too...coincidence? I think not). Being diagnosed was a struggle, and once I was, I was told that I HAD to have surgery or stop running. Easy decision. Had the surgery and thought I was home free. I started training for my first marathon--Chicago '09.

With my new calves, I felt invincible and, five weeks before the race, sustained a major groin (obturator, actually) strain. I didn't get to run Chicago. I was absolutely devastated. I was off four months before I could run pain free. When I could, I vowed to start my running career over. I decided I kept getting injured because I had no base...I came out of the gate running fast times without very many miles on my legs.

So I decided to do low heart rate training. And have a baby (with my husband, Tim, who is also on this site). The two go well together. I got pregnant VERY quickly and began my low HR training. I ran through about 7 months of my pregnancy, including two half marathons, a 10K, and a trail relay (Dances with Dirt). I ultimately pulled the plug because I was having blood supply issues in my right leg. But I cross trained 12 hours a week to keep my fitness.

About two weeks after my son was born via a fast and natural birth, I resumed running and began training for my NEW first marathon...Eugene 2011. I made it through the Eugene cycle uninjured, but suffered severe abdominal pain during (and inbetween) my runs that no one could figure out. I ultimately had surgery for the pain a week after Eugene, and it was determined the pain was due to scar tissue from a latent peritoneal infection. So, though not injured, I was unable to train fully for Eugene. I ran all my miles, but none of my pace miles or tempos. I ran in a TENS unit during training and during the marathon (yes, I really did). I ran a 3:18:56, which is a good debut, but I know I can/could have done so much better.

I'm setting my sights on Chicago '11. I have unfinished business there. I might run a half or a few 5Ks along the way, but my goal is the marathon. After that is likely Boston, and then I think I may dip into some ultras. In about 5 years I'd like to run a 100 miler. I'm self-coached at the moment but I am lucky enough to get to coach (I like to call it "help") Sara Jane. She is an amazing person and has a TON of untapped running potential. I love coaching her as much as I love running.

As an aside...I'm kind of known as the butter knife pusher. If you have an injury, and you ask me what to do about it, I'll tell you to go after it with a butter knife. Graston therapy is the best thing ever for overuse injuries.

Personal Stuff
I'm 29 and live in Southern Indiana with my husband Tim, daughter Amelia (9), and son Rowan (10 months). I'm a nurse, an RN. I have a Master's in nursing, and that makes me a Clinical Nurse Specialist. I'm finishing up (as in actually finishing...in the midst of my dissertation) my PhD in nursing. What does one do with that? Same thing people with PhDs in physics...teach in academia and conduct independent research. I love my profession but I can't wait to be out of school.

I am addicted to Splenda and Diet Coke.

[Glenn]

I'm Sara. When I need attention, I pretend that I am friends with Kara Goucher.

It worked in Duluth last weekend.

[Mrs. Schuey]

That was pretty darn cool Matt!

That was...how did you do that Matt?

[ChasMcG]

I'm Chas. I'm the SLOWEST runner here. Literally. Ask anyone. But I love to run and I try really hard. I started running in Dec 2006 and met my husband through this group of friends. We married in Dec 2007 and we still run together today!

I hate marathons but love the half marathon. My favorite race. I love trail running now.

I've lost 40 pounds since I started running and I would probably lose more if I put the bottle of Patron down.

I love to keep it real!

[JohnP]

Hi, I'm JohnP, and I'm very dedicated to this running. While I ran a marathon as a bucket list item at 40, it was a joke. It was not too speedy, but I finished even though walking quite a bit for cramping. It wasn't until my parents both contracted stomach cancer 7-8 years lTER and I tended to them for a year each, that I saw the effect that cancer or illness can do to you. I was so moved by this set of experiences that I started running. Then I tried to follow a plan. Then trying to follow a better plan. Then running more miles, then trying harder plans. The combination of this has led me to continue to improve my PR times every year (marathon anyway), to where my PR is 3:36:33. My goal now is to get it under 3:35 and 3:30, preferable in the same race. Also to break my PR for the 5K and a ten miler and the half.

[Matt W]

I started running at around the age of 6 when I wondered where my dad went each night and decided to follow him. I ran a few road races growing up, and was a member of the cross country and track teams in high school and college. After college I still ran, but somewhat aimlessly and at a much reduced volume compared to my glory years. After deciding that 5Ks didn't offer a suitable challenge, I made the jump to marathon training in 2007 when I entered the Rock n' Roll San Diego Marathon. I searched for a training plan that fit my teaching/coaching schedule and settled on Hal Higdon's Advanced I program. That led me to the message boards that introduced me to the people posting here. Currently, I've run 7 marathons and 12 half marathons, and really enjoy those distances. More than the races, I've enjoyed meeting the people here as I've traveled around the country to compete and share experiences with lots of fellow I/V/365-Teamers.

[jon c]

I'm new here but it looks like I'm one of the older ones here. I'm Jon and I live in Nebraska with my wife Connie and daughter Hannah who will enter 3rd grade in the fall and some cats. I'm here because Mr. MattM invited me and I appreciate that. Matt and some others have been my mentors in running and I'm always amused to see what Matt will come up with next. Looks to me like there are a lot of knowledgeable runners here which is great!

Been running more or less since the early 70s, but really got more serious about long distance in 2005 as I trained ten months to run Twin Cities which was really hard for me. However after the race I decided that I didn't want to train for that length of time and then simply throw it away so to speak. So I ran a few more and improved and I have been running five or six full marathons with a 50K thrown in per year for the last two or three years.

I really seemed to improve the most after seeing Matt put the "run more" in action and then incorporate a modified version (ie less mileage than he does) into practice. I recently PR'd by about 30 seconds in Green Bay (3:29:01) and that was encouraging. My fulls have been in the 3:3x's consistently in the past year. I usually average 40-50 miles per week consistently with some peaks and valleys during a training regimen. Also have been fortunate to stay injury free for the past three years.

I'm probably not going to be a prolific poster and I'm not sure how "knowledgable" I am but I will be happy to contribute what I can. It seems to me that this journey of long distance racing is a process and not an event and you continue to attempt to improve yourself in what ways you can to optimize your experience. And then hopefully pass your experiences to others so that they can benefit from that, whatever that happens to look like.

My plan for the summer is to stay in training mode until fall. I have a 50 miler planned in October and will probably run another full or two before the end of the year if all goes well.

On another note, in the past month we have had golf ball and larger size hail hit our community and two days ago some tornadoes came through about 8 miles from us. This must be a sign of what lays ahead for Nebraska joining the Big 10 in the next week or so. Or something like that.

Anyway, hope that I will able to get to know some of you all in the future.

[Admin]

Hi, Jon!

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