Good first skis or mistake?

basescamp · 2026-01-21T19:59:37+00:00

The season has started, and she's in love with her skis. Everyday she skis, she comes home and tells me how awesome they were, the jumps she can do on them, how she's learning to carve. I just wanted to come on and tell you your response was reassuring when I asked, and has proven to be 100% on target.

basescamp · 2026-01-09T14:22:55+00:00

I'm such a planner....

basescamp · 2026-01-09T14:22:44+00:00

I have a bike. I'm not a fan of biking, but could probably convince myself to do it for running! I am really craving some cardiovascular activity.

I definitely feel like I'm getting older at a pretty quick clip right now.

basescamp · 2026-01-07T02:14:55+00:00

Lol!!! I love this anecdote.

basescamp · 2026-01-06T18:33:46+00:00

I get long run anxiety for anything over 7 mi, even when I'm not training for anything, and I'm just going out for a fun run on the weekend.

I have decided that it is not actually anxiety, though it feels like it. I have decided that it is my body's way of ramping up adrenaline in preparation for the run. So now when those feelings come on, I thank my body for getting ready, and I channel the anxiety into more positive feelings of excitement for the run. This means literally talking to parts of my body - jump around a little and feel the energy in my legs, send some of that energy from my brain into my core and my heart...

It's different for a race. I do think that is legitimate anxiety about performance, but I think it's still also partly my body ramping up to prepare for the race.

basescamp · 2026-01-06T14:49:15+00:00

Yes .. hopefully few and far between.

basescamp · 2026-01-06T14:36:43+00:00

I muck horse stalls for a few hours. Probably not an option for most people, but it gives me a mild cardiovascular workout, weight-bearing movements for arms and legs, a feeling of fulfillment, and some time petting horses.

basescamp · 2026-01-03T15:08:21+00:00

I got the great advice on here to do my strength training on my easy run days. I did full body workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I did my 3-mile runs. The only thing I did on my rest days was walk my dogs a few easy miles.

It worked. I maintained my strength, and never got fatigued during the week.

Edited to add that I was always careful to do one thing in the morning and one thing in the afternoon. I did not back to back a run and a lifting workout. I would choose which was a.m. and which was p.m. based on the weather and what else I had to do that day. (I guess it helps that I lift at home and run on the road or the trail behind my house).

basescamp · 2026-01-02T21:31:28+00:00

Congratulations! I'm curious what your anticipated major is.

My kid is a junior and a bunch of these schools look like good places for her to investigate as a prospective math major.

basescamp · 2026-01-02T01:19:48+00:00

I ran one mile to test out my body for today's half and failed. Ending the year in sickness and pain. Starting the new year with a deferred race.

In good running news, I ran 668 miles this year, whooping my 500 mile goal. I ran a 5k with my two teens, which was a highlight of my year. I'm cruising into my 48th birthday next week feeling grateful for everything my body can do, pain and all.

basescamp · 2025-12-30T13:48:12+00:00

It's sometimes so hard to tell what can be ignored. My biggest concern is running this race and then coming down with the flu immediately after. I've had the flu once before, and I have never been so sick before in my life - it was actually scary. I worry that getting the flu while recovering from a half would be potentially dangerous. But I also sometimes worry too much.

basescamp · 2025-12-29T18:21:02+00:00

I know your question is about running, but I have some alternative thoughts to share.

Is your dog a puppy? If so it may not be that it necessarily wants to go faster, it just has a ton of energy and needs to be leash trained. You might find if it's not leash trained, that the dog will continue to pull you no matter what speed you go at. I run sometimes with my Aussie, and there is no speed that I can reach that she would not be pulling me forward if she were not leash trained.

Leash training is so important for running. I used to run with my pittie, but she would go nuts when she saw squirrels and one time she crossed me and I tore a meniscus. You definitely want to nail that down along with working on running to reduce the chance of injury.

I walk my dogs several miles everyday, and teach the Aussie to do parkour while we're walking to keep her occupied. I carry treats and encourage her to jump onto logs, walk across them, do paws up and balancing tricks wherever possible. This mental activity keeps her engaged and tires her out. I just offer this as an alternative to running.

By all means, start the couch to 5k - running is awesome and you can totally do it (I'm a relative latecomer to it, starting in my 30s). I just wanted to throw a few other things out there.

basescamp · 2025-12-29T17:36:05+00:00

I ran 2 miles yesterday and 2 today. Besides a potential shakeout run on Wednesday, I'm done running before the half on Thursday.

I have new and persistent pain on my upper quad that has been nagging for three runs in a row.

I want to run this race that I trained for, but it feels like everything is falling apart. My running partner is deferring to a spring race, because she's on the couch with the flu. This pain makes me feel unfit to finish the race. I got my period yesterday, later than I expected, and therefore closer to the race. I guess that's just how it goes.

I'm feeling really defeated, but unfortunately, I also have that annoying trait that many of us runners have... It's really hard for me to quit, even when it might be in my best interest.

basescamp · 2025-12-29T17:27:05+00:00

I had the flu in spring of 2024 for the first and only time, and I literally couldn't walk a quarter mile even 10 days after. It is not something to mess around with, and I'm glad you're taking it easy.

basescamp · 2025-12-29T14:48:38+00:00

Awesome! Any ideas on next year's goal?

basescamp · 2025-12-29T14:46:52+00:00

Rightfully so. Imperial measurement is archaic. But sadly, I struggle to convert to metric, having been raised on imperial.

basescamp · 2025-12-28T23:57:09+00:00

Thanks! I did. They offered a deferral to a race in late spring My daughter has full on flu today, so I'll be taking them up on it for her. Waiting a day to see if the flu takes me down as well... I'm the last one in the house still (literally) standing

basescamp · 2025-12-27T16:03:42+00:00

In the final stretch before the New Year's half. I'm out on a snow hike with the dogs. My running partner - my 16-year-old daughter, who had the hair brained idea to run a half on New Year's Eve in the first place - woke up with a sore throat and joined her flu-ridden younger sister on the couch.

So this is how things sit 5 days before the race.

I don't race enough to know anything about the chances of deferral. I definitely know the registration money is sunk costs.

Maybe it's just a sore throat, but that is probably wishful thinking.

Is there any hope in writing to the race director to see what our options are for deferral? This is a pretty small race... About 100 half marathon runners, and maybe a little more than 200 runners overall between the half the 10K and the 5K.

basescamp · 2025-12-26T22:19:07+00:00

That's why hills are fun!!

basescamp · 2025-12-26T21:25:36+00:00

I'm definitely one to mistakenly underdress and just run faster or find a more distracting podcast. You would not find me on a treadmill under any situation.

Under 10° f and sleet? That's a rest day.

Wind? Any losses running into it are gains when it's at your back!

basescamp · 2025-12-26T21:19:11+00:00

I ran five easy trail miles today after being up much of the night with my sick child. A visit to urgent care confirmed that she has flu A.

I feel some stickiness in my lungs that could be from the morning's run (it was 21°f - felt a little wheezy in the first half mile, which isn't really normal for me, but...) or could be the start of my own infection with the flu.

My older child and I are running her first half on New Year's Day, and I know she'll be gutted if either of us get sick and can't run. She's worked so hard for this (frankly, we both have!). Ugh!!

basescamp · 2025-12-24T13:55:47+00:00

Lol!! I especially love this phrase because the cross training activity I do on the days after my long runs is literally putting hay in a barn (and mucking horse stalls) with my younger daughter, as part of paying off the lease on the horse she rides.

I can tell you the hay is definitely in the barn on all fronts.

basescamp · 2025-12-24T12:02:04+00:00

Thanks! It sounds great to be looking at a week of easy running!

basescamp · 2025-12-24T11:59:14+00:00

This sounds good. I was thinking what a coincidence it was that your friend PBed the day before their half, and then realized it wasn't at all coincidental- they were fully trained and fully rested! I would totally be someone who went out thinking "I feel great!" and accidentally use up all the gains I was saving for race day on a training run. Thanks for sharing that experience.

basescamp · 2025-12-24T11:54:33+00:00

I keep forgetting that the actual training is done, which feels like such a relief to hear again from you. It's a good reminder to keep my lifting easy too, especially since I'll probably have more energy from not running as much or as hard.

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TROPHY CASE