Ten years into running and I’m still experimenting with the best way to run for me. It’s one of the things I like about running — there’s always more to learn, and different things work for different bodies (the same could be said about yoga).
Pull up a chair and mug with Coco and Deborah and me for the ultimate coffee tea date — in 2019 I’ve been experimenting with ditching my run/walk intervals (although I do take a short walk break every mile to drink some water). So how’s that going for me?
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you that I enjoy hot beverages even on hot days. Indoors, of course, in the AC. If I were outside it would definitely be a cool drink after a hot run — with some Nuun (Nuun Ambassador)in it, so I don’t cramp up.
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I didn’t set out to ditch intervals this year. It just happened organically. After being sick so much in the spring, I just felt that I needed to work on endurance. So far it seems to be working for me and in general, I’ve noticed that most of my runs have been faster than I was running last year at this time.
I’m sure some of that is due to reduced running in general (remember, I was training for an 18 mile race then, not so conducive to increasing speed). I also suspect when I train for a half, I’ll probably use intervals. Only time will tell.
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you that at first it was hard to get used to no intervals! I’d been using them about 3 years. A mile seemed like a very long way. I found myself thinking man this mile is taking forever. I think I have mostly gotten used to it, though.
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you should read my post on Tuesday here, because I thought the answers I got were really fascinating (and please tell me about your own journey!). It’s about your purpose in life, and many bloggers shared their purpose and their path to it.
Never forget — your purpose in life isn’t necessarily the same thing as your job.
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you sometimes girls just want their mamas. One night this week we were having some thunderstorms. Typically I send Lola down to Mr. Judy at night, as otherwise she tends to want to get out of the bedroom when I go to sleep (letting in light, which means I have to get up and shut the door again).
After a few weeks of that dance earlier in the year I just made sure she always went down to Mr. Judy so I could go to sleep uninterrupted. Mind you, for about 13 years she went to sleep — usually before me — and just stayed put until morning.
This particular night she was in the bedroom as usual, and Mr. Judy took her down with him. Shortly afterwards she came back up and hopped back on the bed. Mr. Judy again took her back downstairs, but she came back up again; I hadn’t yet gone to sleep. I could sense she was going to stay this time, so I left her there — and yup, she never went back downstairs.
The next night she was back to being downstairs with Mr. Judy as usual. Actually, she did come back up at one point, but she never came into the bedroom. Sometimes only mom is good enough. 🙂
Do you like to just run or play around with the way you run?
Favorite ways to hydrate after a hot run?
As your furkids age, did/do they develop new, odd habits?
I am also linking up with the Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness from Fairytales & Fitness.
Chocolaterunsjudy 
I just run. I don’t record my pace and don’t really care. I just try to enjoy it.
It’s funny that first you got faster with intervals and then faster without. Next will be running straight. No walking. Lol
I’ve thought about intervals for the marathon but again just thought. May never happen.
I am a light sleeper. No animals in my bed!! If my hubby starts to snore, I sleep in the other bedroom.
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Nope, no running straight for this girl, and when I get around to a longer distance, probably some intervals. Last week’s long run had a lot of walking due to the hills, but paying some attention to the HR actually allowed me to still have a good pace even with all the walking.
I’m a light sleeper too. And Bandit gets under and out of the covers throughout the night. It’s really annoying.
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Ha ha. I was trying to remember what hills and then I realized that you ran alone last week.
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Yes, and I posted that elevation profile. They are some pretty big hills — even though I run down there regularly I never go that far (and now I know why).
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I run and I have an agenda where I record pace and mileage. For the races I have an agenda with more details and all the pics that I can get.
I am a light sleeper but often the lady cat sleeps in my bed under my right arm. It happens even if I change room to sleep alone (my wife likes to watch tv until late night).
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My husband & I go to bed at different times, too. I go to bed early, and he comes in a few hours later. We don’t have a tv in our bedroom. We used to in a different house but then we never watched it, and didn’t really have somewhere to put it in this house, and I’m frankly happier without it in the bedroom!
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The main thing I have changed with my running is incorporating speedwork into my training. Yes, I am pretty late to the party, but it’s only in the past couple years that I’ve actually take the speed-training seriously. And, I have to do most of those workouts away from a track…because if they “seem” like speedwork, I dread them.
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I like some speed work, others, like tempos, I do not. But when training I do them because I know they work. You’ll notice I haven’t done tempos in months!
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I slowly weaned myself off of intervals last spring and was feeling very great. As soon as summer hit, I was back to lots of walking. Feel like a vicious cycle sometimes for me. Thanks for linking up for coffee and tea have a nice weekend
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I think you really have to cut yourself some slack in summer. Effort, not pace! I’m also totally cool with intervals. They work!
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I actually like intervals. I have always used them, even in short races. I “need” that short mental break more than anything, I think. I had to laugh at your “only Mom is good enough” line. Your furkids need YOU!
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The reason I stopped using them (and yes, I used them even for 5ks) is that I really felt I needed to work on endurance after so little running in the spring. I still walk each mile.
Right now I’m loosely tinkering with heart rate, so that has me walking a bit more.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s all good!
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I’m usually the last to bed, and so Scooby comes up with me, but if my husband is away he stays downstairs — maybe waiting for him to come home?
I never did intervals, my legs are betting at getting into one gear and staying there. We do have a lot of walking recovery breaks at OTF, but those are after intense intervals.
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Bandit definitely fancies himself my protector. He can usually (although not always) be found near me. So yup, he comes to bed with me.
It will be interesting to see what happens as *he* ages — every dog seems to switch to being downstairs with Mr. Judy as they age.
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I think waking intervals are great. I didn’t “get it” in my early days of running, but now I’m thinking of integrating them more, the farther along I get in my pregnancy.
The cats definitely like to bug me during the night, usually right before the alarm.
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At some point with Gizmo we just had to close the door at night, mainly because I worried what the dogs would do if he tried to jump on the bed in the middle of the night, although he didn’t like the dogs so most of the time he didn’t — but at the end of his life he’d lost all fear of them (which was so weird).
I think intervals are a great tool, and I suspect I’ll go back to them when I run longer. Although right now I’m at 7 miles with just a walk break each mile for water.
Even though I’ve never been pregnant, one thing I know about it is that you can make plans, but sometimes your body has different ideas. I guess that prepares you for motherhood!
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