30 minute runs

Dear trackchicka-

being a female runner who once battled (and overcame)a similar problem, let me say a couple of things:

1. there is no such thing as "minor anorexia"

2. you must concentrate on total recovery and not focus so much

on qualifying for anything right now. You are very young

and have years of great running ahead IF you get a handle on

your disorder. Health should be your focus now.

3. props to you for consulting a doctor! You are VERY

brave to admit to having a problem and doing something about

it! However, it concerns me that you seem to be more worried about not

losing fitness over the next two weeks until you can "get

you mileage back up" than you are about your anorexia. It takes a lot more than two weeks to

gain enough weight after a "dramatic" loss to be healthy and A LOT more work than that to overcome an eating disorder.

PLEASE, PLEASE take care of yourself and make sure your priorities are in the right place. I sincerely wish you the very best and hope one day you reach your running goals with a strong and healthy body, mind, and spirit!

i've heard that a fit runner can take as many as 10 days off without losing any fitness. if you're running 30 minutes a day for two weeks, you probably will still be in the same shape (actually better because you're correcting a major problem in anorexia) as you were in.

if you really want some good 30 minute workouts-

try easy warmup and cool down for each of these:

20 minute tempo run- at steady pace or increasing pace every 800.

10 x 400 @ race pace with half time recovery.

5 or 6 x 800 @ a little slower than race pace, short recovery

or a good mile workout like 3x mile

or mix it up- mile, 1200, 800, 400, 800....be creative.

1000s are nice too- 5 x 1000 @ race pace with 200-400 recovery jog should be right around 30 minutes for you.

i'm just answering your question. like the last person said, please be smart, and be careful. at 15 years old, you have time and more time to become great. just take it easy and let your body heal. that would be the SMART thing to do.

do what you think is right, though, you know better than us. by all means run through this if you can. just do what you know is smart for you.

Let me start off by saying that this is a severe medical condition. Anyone who recomends anything except extreme caution (cheers to runnerbabe) should not only have their post deleted but should be brought up on charges for practicing medicine without a license.

BLOW OFF THE SEASON. Consult a nutritionist and probably a psychologist. The choices you make now could very well affect you for the rest of your life. Get healthy and establish new, positive behavior patterns. Then go off and kick some ass next year. Your 15 so you can't be any more than a sophomore. I can give at least one example of a female runner who bagged a season of high school (for reasons other than yours) and came back to win numerous NCAA titles. She doesn't begrudge that year at all, trust me.

Anything more you care to discuss, please contact me directly

nitchrunner@aol.com

Runnerbabe,

That was the best advice from a woman I have ever seen on this issue. No jab at women, but for some reason with regard to eating disorders, I've found women, and especially women distance runners, to be very defensive about this. You have your head on straight.

Anything else anyone has to say to this 15-year-old girl is either rehashing exaclty what you said, or is flat out wrong if they disagree.

Runnerbabe, you really ought to post more often. You do not need to "Move On".

Good posts also from thisisserious and coop. They get it. Hopefully these are the only kinds of posts that go here.

15-year-old girl, take Runnerbabe's advice.

Great post, Runnerbabe- count me amongst your fans.

Trackchica- you are getting some excellent advice here, please take care of your health FIRST and then come back stronger and run for many years of happy competition.

You are right- there is a lot of defensiveness. Why I don't know but boy is that attitude ever counter-productive! I have read your posts on this subject before and have found them all to be substantive and direct yet compassionate. Right on!