<p>Haha I felt bad clogging up the class of 2015 thread with all that running stuff.. So I just made a separate thread for it :)</p>
<p>First order of business: an app for that? Okay so I started by using the RunKeeper app and was really pleased with it.. But when I went on mapmyrun it said I'd run 2 miles instead of the 3 RunKeeper said I had run.. I tried another app (iSmoothRun) and found its results a mile off from RunKeeper's, and found both of them different from mapmyrun .. I would just use mapmyrun but, as I was thinking about it the other day, I realized that my street surely wasn't .5 miles (it takes maybe a minute or two to run it slowly)--and now I have no idea what to trust for my distances.. :(.. It doesn't matter too much since if I just keep increasing the time and general distance I run then I'll improve for track season (just by estimating the 3-6 miles I want to run). Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Also I haven't run it two days.. One night I decided to take a day off ad the next night we unexpectedly went to dinner and tonight I feel really sick (huge headache, slightly upset stomach) so I prolly won't run tonight.. Any tips on how to not get off schedule like this?</p>
<p>The Nike one, where you get the foot sensor, that works really well, my personal favorite, and it’s awesome. Doesn’t just track mileage, but you can also create playlists and all that good stuff. Like $30 maybe, but works really well, a good investment, IMO. But if you don’t want to spend money, then I’m no help, because I use the Nike+.</p>
<p>If you get off schedule a little, that’s OK. No big deal. Just keep going, and make sure that if it’s been a few days since your last run, don’t run as much as you’ve been running in order to avoid any sort of injury. But if it’s a couple days, just keep at it. You can’t help some things, but if you know ahead of time you’re going to do something, just run earlier or later than normal.</p>
<p>Taking a few days off of running won’t hamper your performance significantly, if at all. It might seem a bit more tiring once you start again. I was very sick for five days and just got back into running and haven’t found a drastic increase in my times. Just don’t make a habit out of it. :)</p>
<p>I would recommend RunningAhead.com’s mapping function. It works really well. It’s a great forum for runners, also. You can log all your runs and even graph your progress. It’s all free, too.</p>
<p>@CEM, I’m not against spending money so long as it works and it works with my iPhone (its a 4s… So idk if its compatible, on the site it says iPod nano). Thanks for the product though!</p>
<p>@flapjack that’s sort of a relief… I plan to jump right back on the wagon I just came down with a cold or something.</p>
<p>@maine, sounds good! Though I’m kinda short on a fast computer right now (or a reasonably slow one at that)… My laptop broke and I’ve had to use my really old Mac desktop (it’s like 8 years old maybe)… Anyways it’s pretty slow and takes a long time to load anything–maybe I’ll check it out on my phone:)</p>
<p>Still haven’t run… Missed school for two days … But I was just wondering how important shoes are… I don’t think I’ll buy new shoes until track season… But the shoes I have seem fine (though they are just from either dicks sporting goods or rack room … Not an actual running shop). </p>
<p>Also any ideas on some 400 times I should be aiming towards? I don’t plan to place but I just want to figure out where I’m at and where I Should be working to. Just give some general estimate of a decent time</p>
<p>1) Shoes are important, not in the way you’re thinking. You don’t need a brand name per se, but you need good shoes that fit well and won’t hurt your feet, and you’ve gotta make sure the shoes stabilize your feet. Also, replace your shoes every 300-400 miles or so.</p>
<p>2) As far as times, depends on how fast the people are who you’ll be running against, but generally, about a minute is a good time for the 400 for a girl.</p>
<p>Just use Google Maps to map the distances. That’s what I do. Yes, I have a pair of Nike+ enabled Air Pegasus 28s, but I don’t bother with it … I just run with a old cellphone doubling as an MP3 player (old as in it still has a physical number pad). </p>
<p>What you do want to pay attention to is running technique. I see too many runners, team, and recreational alike, running with improper form. </p>
<p>How do you run? Which part of your foot hits the ground first? How big are your strides - do you lunge? Do you swing your upper body around when running a lot? What shoes do you currently run in? Do you overpronate or supinate?</p>
<p>Knowing whether you overpronate or underpronate (supinate) is critical to deciding which pair of kicks you need. Stability is only one thing to look for in a shoe … cushioning and weight should both also be important factors. Some shoes are more responsive than others. My Pegs, for example, feel like Cadillacs; running in them feels like not running at all. The only problem is that with any turn in the road - just the slightest angle, I feel like I’m going to fly out my shoes if I’m going fast and don’t compensate by decreasing my stride length and increasing my cadence. I also have a pair of Dart 9s … those are firmer, much lower to the ground (and thus more stable and a lot less cushy), but in general feel like a pair of deflated tires compared to the Pegs. What do you want in a shoe? Pillow-like cushioning or a firmer ride? Also, just walking around in a shoe in a store won’t give you much of a feel for how the shoe will feel on mile 8, for example. </p>
<p>Me: neutral runner, midfoot striker, have run up to 8 miles a day, and has run a 40-mile week (if I had more time/didn’t have school I’d be doing 40 miles each week - at least).</p>
<p>Also always hydrate. You need to be downing a glass of water every hour at least if you don’t want to get cramps when running.</p>
<p>Hydrate but DO NOT OVERHYDRATE. Experienced runners tell me you should drink to thirst. A doctor I know who runs a marathon in Nashville stated that overdrinking in marathons causes more problems than dehydration, because your electrolytes can get out of balance and then you’re in trouble.</p>
<p>I like to run but I’m embarrassingly slow. At least I’m doing it, though.</p>
<p>Definitely do not overhydrate. Besides causing problems like MarineLonghorn highlighted, if you drink a lot before a run (Note: be sure you are drinking enough though) you can get stitches in your side and your stomach will hurt.</p>
<p>Definitely. I should have mentioned this in my original post. </p>
<p>I only mentioned the problem of not sufficiently hydrating because it’s a common problem, and even I lapse often and don’t hydrate properly. Eating a big salty meal and not drinking a glass of water is a problem, and a very common one at that. So is drinking too much water during/after extended physical exertion.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses… though I finally went for a run this morning (I’m thinking it was about 2 mi) but felt really dehydrated… (I had some water but I didn’t want to drink a lot right before my run for a lot of reasons) and ended up laying in the grass for a few minutes since I was feeling really lightheaded. But all in all I think it was pretty decent besides that.</p>
<p>@IceQube, having shoes that feel like I’m walking on air would be amazing… </p>
<p>I think I’ll be ready for track in the spring (I’ll still probably be slow though…) but I’m not looking forward to running in anything above 50 degrees… I’ve been running in the early morning and late at night with just nike shorts and a dri-fit short sleeve shirt and its pretty cold but I like it so much more than the heat.</p>
<p>The Peg 28s get you pretty close to running on air but if you’re actually expecting running to be completely effortless … I don’t think you’ll actually find any shoe that works. You’ll still be burned out toward the end of your run. But compared to other shoes; it’ll be nothing - just yesterday night I took my old Dart 9s for a 4 mile run (2 splits of two miles each) and within the first half-mile I knew I should have worn the Pegs instead … I was more sore than usual when I got back. </p>
<p>Maybe it was the 4 miles I had ran earlier that day in the morning … or maybe the Dart 9s are just not built for extreme cushioning. Fairly sure it’s the latter. </p>
<p>Relatively speaking, however, the Pegs are amazing in terms of cushioning (either the 28 or the newer 29). You can’t go wrong with the Pegs if you’re a neutral runner (which I’m not sure you are …). </p>
<p>Also, how do you run … does your heel or ball of your foot hit the ground first?</p>
<p>Plus, you need to figure out what kind of runner you. Go to a running shoe store and get a gait analysis, or get on a treadmill, set up a video camera behind you, making sure the video camera captures everything from your foot up to your calves, and record yourself running at a fast clip. If your foot and leg rolls inward while running, then you’re an overpronator. If your foot and leg remain at a 90-degree angle, then you’re a neutral runner. Recommended shoe: Nike Air Pegasus. If your foot and leg roll outward … then you’re a supinator. </p>
… But I was just wondering how important shoes are… I don’t think I’ll buy new shoes until track season… But the shoes I have seem fine (though they are just from either dicks sporting goods or rack room … Not an actual running shop). </p>![http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID35841/images/Pronation316x278.jpg[/url]](http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID35841/images/Pronation316x278.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
