Things have been awfully quiet over here. I hope it is because you are all so busy running, biking, swimming, etc that you just don't have much time for posting. In case some of you need a little motivation, I'm starting a new challenge on the Nike+ forum, in honor of the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" will hit the theaters on May 25. Since I can't sail off in search of treasure, I thought it might be fun to have a "treasure hunt" challenge. This will be a series of challenges, with eliminations each week. Some weeks it will be a speed challenge, other weeks it will be a distance challenge. There will be a qualifying time or distance to get to the next challenge. I will issue the challenge on the evening of May 24, before I head to the theater for the first show.

The Black Pearl needs a new crew of up to 100 hardy souls in search of adventure and pirate treasure. She is hidden in a harbor, 5K from the starting point, and will sail in 30 minutes. Anyone who runs a 30 minute 5K by midnight PDT on Sunday, May 27 will be signed on as a crew member, and invited to the next challenge. The fastest runner will get a little booty for their trophy case.

Be warned, pirates are a rowdy bunch, if one runner wins too many challenges in a row, there could be a mutiny.

So if you are looking for a little adventure, and a little treasure, follow the link and post your Nike+ ID to join the crew.

http://forums.nike.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5098&tstart=0

I'm in! :) I posted over there too.

Cool! I'll send the invitation on the 24th. I think this will be fun!

Speaking of Nike+, I earned my 1000 mile certificate today. That is a lot of running.

Ouch, I haven't run much lately. I need to get back on track, maybe I'll do it if I get started now...

I'm not sure I can run a sub-30 minute 5K though, so I may be out quickly. I'll do my best though.

I need to get the nike + deal for my ipod. I ran a 26:40 5k Saturday. Blah. It had a lot of hills, plus it was way hot.

I am going to enter this once I get new shoes. I bought some Nike+ Shox and they work great on the treadmill. But the day after I go running on cement (around my work) my back is killing me. I saw in another post that you can put the sensor under the tongue of a non-Nike+ shoe, right Steph? I hope so otherwise that whole Nike+ system would have been a waste.

I am going to enter this once I get new shoes. I bought some Nike+ Shox and they work great on the treadmill. But the day after I go running on cement (around my work) my back is killing me. I saw in another post that you can put the sensor under the tongue of a non-Nike+ shoe, right Steph? I hope so otherwise that whole Nike+ system would have been a waste.Yes, I put mine between the laces and the tongue. If you do it this way though, you should make sure to calibrate the sensor. Marware also makes an armband that comes with a small pouch for the sensor. Here's a link with pictures (http://www.pdostore.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=282&CFID=6199001&CFTOKEN=bc70080012ca45a9-90D4C972-D61C-E357-D12005EA446A094C).

Yes, I put mine between the laces and the tongue. If you do it this way though, you should make sure to calibrate the sensor. Marware also makes an armband that comes with a small pouch for the sensor. Here's a link with pictures (http://www.pdostore.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=282&CFID=6199001&CFTOKEN=bc70080012ca45a9-90D4C972-D61C-E357-D12005EA446A094C).


Sweet! Thanks Steph.

So far I've tried Shox, Air Max Motos and Air Equalons, and they were all OK for a while, but by the time I had 200 miles on any of them, I was switching back to Brooks or Saucony. I use something called a switch easy for my sensor. http://www.switcheasy.com

We visited Meridian, MS last month. I ran while I was there, and it wasn't just hot and hilly, it was humid, too!

Steph, it took me a few years of trying to get my 5K under 30 minutes, but now I've got it down to 27:17 (with hills, when it isn't hot!). I hope you can make it through the 5K challenge. I think it is going to be fun.

What did you do to get your speed up? Did you follow any specific training program?

I was pretty surprised by the improved speed, because I didn't think I was doing any speed specific training. I was running slow and long to prepare for the Mardi Gras Marathon, but I was also running very consistently. I was averaging 150 miles/month in January and February, and I ran 190 in March (after the marathon). Before this year, my 5K PR was 30:20. I ran a 5K in 29:12 in February, and improved to 27:17 at the end of March. I think the slower distance training paid off with some big cardiovascular benefits, and it also made me think of 5K as "only 5K".

To eliminate boredom while running on the treadmill, I would increase the speed .1 MPH every .25 - .5 miles. I later learned this is a speed training technique called ladders.

Lately I've been running on hills, and have been surprised by my improved endurance for that, too.

Yeah, I definitely feel more fit right now than I have in a while. Well, except for the new hip pain. :rolleyes:

I may just head to the track soon and try some intervals. That way I can at least get an idea what a sub 30 pace "feels like."

I'm going to do my best! Your challenge is so creative. :)

I haven't run since the Goofy at WDW, but I figured this will be the start of my training program! Thanks for putting together such a creative challenge.

I haven't run since the Goofy at WDW, but I figured this will be the start of my training program! Thanks for putting together such a creative challenge.

Is Mooshu your Nike+ name, too? I will need it to invite you to the challenge. I'm so excited about the movie, I bought my tickets 2 weeks ago! I'm excited about the challenge, too. I think it will be a lot of fun.

Steph, track intervals are a great idea. It's nice to be able to run outside again.

What did you do to get your speed up? Did you follow any specific training program?

Speed intervals are the key. They're not the funnest thing, but you'll tell a difference. Do them once a week. What I do is go to the high school near me and run on their track. I do 400 meters at normal pace, 400 meters fast, 400 normal, 400 fast,... Do it for a few miles. 4 times around the track is a mile. I'll usually finish up with about 800 meters of kinda fast if my legs can take it. There are a lot of good interval training ideas at runnersworld.com. You just need to find the best thing for you. I can't understand half of the techniques they tell you about though. lol. Another one that I tried is at run 400 meters fast, walk about 200 meters, run 400 meters fast, walk 200, etc... but I don't know if it really did much. I went from a 26-27 min 5k to a low 24 min 5k when I was doing it regulary. I'll work it in my runs a lot this year if I can stay healthy. Another thing I read about but never did was a series of jumps you can do to strengthen your stride. It said it helps you finish strong. If I can find the article I'll post it.

Turns out I may not be able to do this after all. I will try to get in a 5K tomorrow, but I'm going away for the weekend and won't be back until Monday.

Here is a new one that I found. I'm gonna give it a try and see where it takes me. I'd really like to get to a 21-22 min 5k.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,ssss6-238-263--7828-4-1X3X4-4,00.html

My one chance to run the 5K over the weekend didn't go all that great. Maybe I'll make it next time.

Hi Steph -- don't be too hard on yourself. It was a good effort. I'm thinking of having a sequel. It would be an easier challenge than the one in progress.

The current Pirate Adventure had 51 people complete the 5K. The next adventure was to run 20 miles during the week. Only 31 made that. Now everyone has a week to run a 10K in 60 minutes or less. Next will be another distance challenge. I'm thinking 30-35 miles in a week. Aren't you glad you don't have to do any of that!

Hey Steph, I saw you on the leaderboard for the NYC event. You've logged more miles than me this week. Nice work!

Hey Steph, I saw you on the leaderboard for the NYC event. You've logged more miles than me this week. Nice work!Thanks! It was exciting to see my name up there, even if it is only for a short time. :)

Your challenge does sound hard. I'm doing a Vox challenge right now, and I'm keeping up with the leader. I'm following a 10 miler training plan, and that's pushing me to keep up with my miles. I think it will really pay off for race day!

I won a challenge!

Not this one, but the Voxers Runoff! I had the most miles in 30 days (72.86 miles). I am so excited. I have a little gold cup in my records area now. :)

How's your challenge going, Diva?

Congratulations on winning your challenge! You've really been increasing your mileage. I'm glad that you are injury free. The increased miles will help a lot when you get back to training for WDW.

This week in the Pirate challenge, everyone has to run 32 miles. We are down to 26 runners of the original 89. Nobody said a pirate's life was easy ;) The last stage of the challenge will end on July 1. After that I'll start the sequel.

I will be sending invitations for the sequel Sunday night. I'm inviting everyone from the first challenge, and anyone else who posts in the Nike forum.

http://forums.nike.com/thread.jspa?threadID=6801&tstart=15