Our weather is so much cooler! I ran my run and then stayed outside and walked it was so pleasant.
Thinking about carrying things on a run. I have a water belt that holds one bottle and has zipper pockets for keys, etc. It is so old it doesn’t really have a space for a phone. What I have been doing is putting phone, keys, and paper towels in my pants pockets and getting water from drinking fountains. I wear gypsyrunner dot com shorts that have these great, deep pockets. They are compression shorts (bike shorts) so protect me from the chub rub, too.
Drinking at fountains does require some planning on my part and I may have to break down and carry water. In the old days when I ran a lot, I used to plan my routes to go by libraries, gas stations, churches, and hotels. If I needed a drink or a rest stop, I could duck in. I’d refill my water bottle if necessary.
I have an arm sleeve thing for my phone (Apple SE). I keep my Fitbit tracker on and the volume turned up so I can keep track of my mileage and pace as I go. I carry a hand held water bottle that straps onto my hand. It has a zippered pouch on the back for keys, ID, etc.
In hot weather I keep an extra water bottle in my car (an insulated, refillable one). My training group and I frequently run loops that pass by our cars so if someone wants a shorter run that day it’s an option. We can also stop to refill water bottles.
My husband and I walked a virtual quarter-marathon benefiting the arboretum this morning, and we actually wound up doing 7.24 miles! He needed a pit stop at the halfway point, which probably added about ten minutes to our time, but as walkers we were just aiming to finish the distance. Celebrated with a burger, some Advil, and a nap ?
Now that the temperatures aren’t in the 90’s, I wouldn’t mind adding some walking/slow running to my usual indoor cycling regime.
@Lizardly - I have water belts, but when possible I use pockets instead. I have a great pair of shorts with wide elastic and drawstring that allow me to have my small/flat water bottle in one pocket and small cellphone in the other.
With other stuff also in pockets it gets a little bulky, so I prefer having pockets on top too. If cool enough, I wear a cycling jersey. They don’t breath much, so my favorite is similar to this sleeveless one from REI … but for me the window of comfortable temps for it for running (in CO, dry but oh so sunny) is about 55 to 65 deg - https://www.rei.com/product/169472/terry-wayfarer-cycling-top-womens. It is one of the few pieces of running clothing ithat I bought new (on sale), and I get a lot of use out of it.
I also have a variety of sleeveless activewear tops with one or two pockets from the local ARC thrift shop. Then I just need pockets for keys and tissue and necco wafers. We live in an area with a lot of runners and cyclists, so I’ve gotten some fun stuff to try with minimal investments.
Weather is great here in Colorado this week (some days over 70 degrees). I hear it’s same in many other parts of the country too. That’s nice for walking - too bad the time change makes evenings dark.
Perfect weather in Texas, low humidity and pleasant temperatures mean I’m happily joining my husband on his weekend hikes. I signed up for a number of virtual events that are keeping me motivated - did the Global Run for the Water 5K this past weekend and have the St. Jude’s 5K coming up in a few weeks. Need to register for a Turkey Trot - all the nonprofits that rely on these fundraisers are struggling.
I use the app “Couch to 5k and 10k”. It has worked well for me when I keep with it but usually have to start over in the spring because I seem to phase out when winter comes. I am no pro but I use Altra shoes which I love. Large toe box and zero drop meaning no raised heel.
Thanks for your post @total1096 . I run 5k about 4x a week, but I’ve only run 10k a few times (when weather and schedules gave ideal opportunity). It got me thinking more about 10k, which I’ve avoided due to concern about body wear and tear.
This link was interesting… but I may wait to pursue til on the next phone with more memory.
For the above vertically challenged person, I’m 5 ft and fast walking with H is always a challenge. I realized that if I take long strides, rather than faster regular steps I can keep up much better. I would say we do about 3 mi/hr but it is high altitude and intense hills.
I also pace my fast walking speed so I can talk without getting out of breath while walking fast. If no, I slow down a bit. We walk about 4 miles in the evening. I agree, being retired helps alot in choosing the right time of the day. Used to be in the evening, now it is in the afternoon. Soon it will be the middle of the day.
@rockymtnhigh2 - I am a foot shorter than my husband. We’ve had debates over the years about “step count”. He has longer stride, claims his steps take him further. I maintain that one of my shorter step represents as much effort as his.
I am miffed that H (5’8") and I wear apple watches and I have compare the exact same 4 mile walk we do together with the same stride. He gets way more ‘credit’ distance traveled for his walk with the same amount of steps than I do, like 30% more.
I tried once changing my stats on my watch to reflect his height because of my longer stride when exercising. But then I seemed so light weight that that screwed up the aerobics credit.
Now I look mainly at total steps and resting heart rate. I ignore the distance traveled.
H also gets more steps/mile than I do. I am shorter (not that much) but have longer legs. Oh, and since he weighs quite a bit more he also burns WAY more calories than I do for doing the same activity. Sigh…
This is where you change your frame of mind. Choose the motivating goal for you - time spent exercising? Mileage? Steps? Personally I feel my body benefits more from the intensity of an exercise session. My 3 mile walk at a brisk pace is better for me than walking with a friend for a more leisurely 4 mile walk.
And don’t compare! It’s your game to play. Maybe your H is swinging his arms more or his heart rate is higher. You do you!
Agree on not comparing. DH and I had good natured debates about step count, but he knew that I mostly compared with self. Any day over 10k steps was a victory. The days chained to my home office desk with triple digit step counts were a good reminder of my sedentary trends.
I only count my steps when we are on our evening walks which is a brisk walk with a minimum distance of 5 miles. I live in a 3 story house and wfh so I get up during the workday to do laundry, get mail, etc. I can get 3 to 4 thousand steps just doing this, but i don’t count this towards my daily exercise goal.
New here (to this thread). I just finished reading the thread from the beginning. I’m a lapsed runner who is trying to motivate to run again. 10 years ago I started distance running with friends (went from running 5Ks to multiple 10Ks, 10 milers and a few 1/2 marathons). The group slowly disbanded over the years. When my most counted on running partner was injured for more than a year and my regular fitness routine became haphazard at the same time I hit menopause, I gained weight and had a really difficult time even running 3 miles! My last run was almost exactly a year ago, right before the pandemic shut everything down. I am finally ready to get back into running, but this time, more for fitness than for distance, so just hoping to get back to running 3-4 miles.
I’ve been walking my dogs 4-5 times a week, and usually go at least three miles. I walk at a fast pace so it’s not a leisurely walk (I walked 3 miles this morning in just over 46 minutes). I just need some motivation and accountability! It’s supposed to rain here all weekend so I’m hoping to start on Monday. On the bright side, I much prefer to run in cold, winter temps than in the hot, humid summer so I’m hoping to build up my stamina and strength the next couple of months before the heat arrives here. I’ve also been doing at home video workouts to build back strength.
I see that until this morning, this thread has not been active in a little while. Hopefully the previous posters will return.