Cedar Point 5K Challenge

But I WAS! (Times infinity^infinity with no take back elimination spray.)

Tyler, here is some advice that will serve you well if you plan on sticking around Coasterbuzz and being a long term member of the community: Stop trying so hard - to fit in, to impress, to be funny, to be noticed.

If you develop a reputation of high quality posts,no matter how many or few, you will be noticed, welcomed, and valued. If you post a high quantity of low quality or low content posts, you will continue to be seen as a rookie, no matter how long you do it.

I have to admit though, I laughed out loud when I saw his new avatar.

Sorry about that ApolloAndy. I went a bit too far in the sense that it was not necessary what I said.

Np. I didn't take it personally or anything. We pride ourselves on having high level conversations with a bit of nonsense, off topic additions, or personal stories thrown in. Everything works better when the first is the priority and the second is the icing.

I'm hoping to make it to this 5K. I've also been using the C25K app that Dave mentioned, currently on week 3.

The biggest frustration has just been trying to find time to get into running. The workouts themselves are only about 30 minutes, but it's closer to an hour when you factor in getting the dog ready to go and the necessary post-run shower. Between several helpless and obnoxiously demanding clients (doing personal IT work on the side in the evenings) and a spring cleaning list that's barely had anything checked off on it, most days leave absolutely zero time to devote to running.

Keep it up, Chris. That's the program that got me into running, and it worked well while other methods of motivation failed me. As for finding time to run, when I was pressed, I'd run early in the morning before work, and then just shower and get ready. It saved a little time, and also made me more conscious of my calorie intake throughout the day, as I had already "paid myself" in fitness, if that makes sense. Hope you schedule lightens up.

This past weekend, we did the Bug Run in Medina. It was a nighttime 5k through wooded park trails, lit by glow sticks. It might not had had the appeal of running beneath the Cedar Point skyline, but was pretty enjoyable nonetheless.

Dave, I have run in both of the CP 5k Challenges! I think you'll have a lot of fun! That's awesome that you're training for a half marathon at Disney, keep up the great work!

Been a runner all my life, and I would love to do a run around Cedar Point.

Finding time is probably in the top 3 reasons of why people quit, but just remember, even if you can squeeze 2 or 3 miles in, it's better than zero.

Keep going, Dave. :) The Disney marathon is on our running bucket list; a great goal.

What are the other 2? Injury? For me, the top 3 are time, time and time.

Well as a backdrop, I spent about 5 years working in a running store (Frontrunner) in Columbus, Ohio as a "running specialist" (yes, that's what the card said!) :)

Number 1 would be injury due to ignorance (and I do not mean that in a mean way); that is, no understanding of how important the right shoes are for you, not realizing the dangers of doing too much too quick, how nutrition and sleep factor in, the list goes on...so this number 1 includes a lot.

Number 2 would be what we called the "wake-up" call...that is, running hurts, and it's not easy, and a lot of people simply don't realize that for whatever reason...in other words, they want the payoff without paying the price.

The time becomes a non-issue when running becomes part of your lifestyle. We have two kids, two professional careers, and yet we still manage to train 50 - 70 miles a week for a marathon...but running is part of my daily existence as much as breathing & eating. But I get it...this takes years to happen for some people, and I think it's much harder if running enters your life later on. I started running at around age 13, and it's been there ever since.

But...it is possible. There's no such thing as a life that's too busy to not include it, but you have to believe that before it can happen.

Yeah. I'm running about 20 miles in a good week and it just seems like there's not enough time for it. Especially with 2 young kids, most of my runs these days are with a running stroller, which I absolutely hate.

Well here's a strategy, but you have to think long-term.

A rule of thumb to follow is no more than 10% of a previous week's mileage when you are building up. So if you are at 20 miles and want to start ticking up, you'd only be recommended to add 2 miles the next week anyway.

So, run 20 miles and work that as a base. The next week, just add 1 mile to two of the days...just 1 mile. You're talking 7 - 10 minutes of time depending on where you are at on those days (or of course add 2 miles to one day).

And voila.

I'm with you on the baby-jogger, but a little reframing may help. :) You're seeing it as a burden, but you're getting 1) quality time with your kids that some kids don't get with their parents, 2) you're modeling a healthy lifestyle to them, and 3) you're getting an added upper-body workout pushing that thing around.

If I had some viable places around here to run after dark, time would be less of an issue to me. There's just not enough hours of daylight. There's a fabulous bike/running trail literally in my backyard that's part of the metroparks system, but it's off limits after the sun goes down. I live on a very busy street where two joggers and a bicyclist have been hit and killed after dark in the last decade, so that doesn't work for me either.

I'm hoping in the next week or two the side jobs will die down and I can get back into it. But I've been saying that since January, yet the phone keeps ringing, so it's hard to be too optimistic about that.