September 2015 Running Challenge
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Womens running is having a cover contest.... Some awesome ladies here might look good on that cover! I, of course, entered... Lol!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/204303227/hooded-cape-cloak-for-women-in-black?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=cape&ref=sr_gallery_5
I so wanted to nominate Skip, but you need to be 21 or over. Bummer!
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@Stoshew71
thanks for the clear explanation, so will need to start to concentrate on my refuelling strategy to improve performance
how do you know you are at max carb load before a run? in these last weeks I'm consuming an average of 400g of carbs per day ish (I'm 1.85m for 69kg - 6.07 feet for 152 if i trust google) - is it ok?0 -
9/1 - 3.5 miles - way too many pushes on the snooze this morning!
9/2 - rest day walked the doggie instead
9/3 - 5.1 miles
9/4 - 10 miles last 2 were HOT HUMID and MISERABLE LOL
9/5 - rest day - cross country meet - Skip did great 24th in her division 23:37 no where near a PR but it was so hot and humid you could hardly stand to be out there to watch let alone run. Proud of my girl.
9/6 - 5.1 miles
9/7 - 5.2 miles of trail running - OMG we had so much fun!!! Skip wanted to practice trail running for her meets and folks gave me some great recommendations of trails to run. We went out this morning and had a blast. The first trail was marked as easy/difficult so it was some easy packed dirt and some gravel with harder roots and rocks to climb. The second was difficult and some parts were about 2' wide and quite a climb (for me LOL). We loved it!
9/8 - 5.1 miles
9/9 - 5.5 miles
9/10 - 7.2 miles nice slow pace this morning, just wanted to get the miles in. Still pretty humid (97%) but the temp was 69 so it was nice. Annoying little doggie chased me this morning and nipped at my heels, honestly people it's dark out keep your doggies inside so they don't get run over.
9/11 - 5.3 miles - cool 64 but humid 100% morning, but nice weather for a run
9/12 - xc meet rest day
9/13 - 2 miles - was going to rest, but did 2 miles at the lake to move my legs
9/14 - 6.2 miles - good night 46 degrees in Alabama in September who would have thought it!
9/15 - 5.4 miles
9/16 - rest day
9/17 - 8 miles - started off ugly and then got great and felt good. Negative splits the whole way...that never happens
9/18 - 5.6 miles
9/19 - XC meet - rest day
9/20 - 10 miles felt good the whole run (that never happens) every mile under 11 mins most were around 10:34 the last was 9:56 giving me a 10:33 overall pace. I'd have to check but that has to be my best 10 miler. Taking Skip to see US Women's World Cup team play Haiti this afternoon. Can't wait.
9/21 - 5.2 miles in the rain - well drizzly
9/22 - 5.2 miles
99.6 of 120 miles
Pace today - 10:48 pace - Skip's Coach wants her to run with me 2 days during the week to get in some extra miles. I don't want to hear Skip tell me I'm slow again, she ran the first almost 4 miles with me and miles were 10:50ish 10:30 ish... I ran the last 1.3 alone...hello 10:15 pace. LOL She talks so much that I end up listening to her instead of running. But the poor girl, she was sprinting ahead to work on speed and she was up like a half block and 2 HUGE dogs came flying out of no where barking and jumping at her (it was still dark out). This momma took like 1 second to get to her and I yelling NO and clapping my hands and they took off. We might have woke up the whole neighborhood, she was screaming and crying, I'm sure it scared her half to death.
@angieflames - congrats on the 2 year mark that is awesome
@stoshew71 - LOL on the video, just too funny.
@dawniemate - ah the struggles of being a woman. If I'm somewhere I can "step 10 feet off the trail" I'll do that and squat. If I'm in the neighborhood I usually loop back home.
@jtarmom - it's that so frustrating you are thinking woohoo I'm killing it and you look at your watch and you get the WHAT? face. Happens to everyone!
@karllundy great feeling at the doctor isn't it? At work they are trying to help us improve our health (hey stop stressing me out that will help!), anyway we had to do this survey. When you're done it tells you things to help. It told me I need more exercise. I was like "honestly!?" so at the time was doing some lifting so I put that and running about what I am now 120 miles a month, what MORE do I need to do!
@jorocka - putting on a real shirt after wearing tanks to run is terrible isn't it?
Thanks for the replies on my ending with the neighborhood lady. I have been guilty so many times of snapping at someone for no reason so I knew where she was coming from.
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9/22 -- 2.80mi
I've surpassed last months mileage total! Yay.0 -
patrikc333 wrote: »@Stoshew71
thanks for the clear explanation, so will need to start to concentrate on my refuelling strategy to improve performance
how do you know you are at max carb load before a run? in these last weeks I'm consuming an average of 400g of carbs per day ish (I'm 1.85m for 69kg - 6.07 feet for 152 if i trust google) - is it ok?
My first carb load I had to go with google as well. LOL
Some things about carb loading. it's a little more complex than just eating a bunch more carbs.
They did different studies. The first was done by a Sweedish physiologist named Gunvar Ahlborg. He found out if you trained really hard at the beginning of the week going into race weekend for 2 or 3 days along with eating low amounts of carbs, then followed up by 3 days of rest and eating extra carbs - the first few days almost depleted all of your glycogen, then followed up with no exercise and lots of carbs - the body went into what is called glycogen overload. That means that your body can temporarily store more glycogen than it can normally store. Almost twice as much can be stored. This is awesome. The ability to store almost twice the extra glycogen going into race day. However, the cost of this is an intense set of workouts early on the week. The body needs tapering and rests for a few weeks so the muscles are at their best going into race day. So this strategy was not the ideal. Glycogen overload = good, muscle overuse = not so good.
So some smart people discovered that you didn't need to almost completely deplete all your glycogen in order to maxmimize glycogen storage. You can get nearly the same glycogen benefits if you follow a less intense strategy.
The No-Depletion Carbo-Loading Method
1.Perform a long workout (but not an exhaustive workout) one week before race day.
2.Eat normally (55-60% carbohydrate) until three days before a longer race.
3.Eat a high-carb diet (70%) the final three days before racing while training very lightly.
During the carb load, you eat more carbs but less fat and protein in order to maintain the same number of calories. Early in the week, before carb load starts, you can do light workouts low mileage, but once carb load starts, you are supposed to stop working out. You can probably get one short shakeout run the day before or 2 days before race day, but that is it. No cross training is allowed either.
OK! So that is the general idea behind it, but the devil is in the details. Tapering and Carb Loading is really more of an art than a science. So much of this depends on how your body make up and how it reacts to the specific training you did all year. To make a long story short, the first time you attempt this, you are almost going to get it wrong. You have to learn how your body reacts to different stuff and do something different the next time around as you learn more about how your body specifically reacts. First off, do you do better by taking a complete day off from running the day before a race, or do you do better by going out for a short 1 mile or 2 mile jog the day before a race. Different people react differently. Intensity going into race week. Some people can do better by maintaining the same intensities of the same workouts they did in the last few weeks of training during their taper, but with just reduced mileage. So if you were doing VO2max and repeat intervals during training, you continue that into the taper but with reduced mileage. Other people, they do better by going no faster than goal race pace during taper. Others do better with some short bursts thrown in at slightly faster than goal race pace.
So before we get into the details of carb loading, let's start with the taper. Because both go hand in hand. What I will give you here is what we will call a "text book" taper for a marathon. What that means, you will have to learn through experience on how to modify this to make it best work out for you.
Tapering should mean you cut volume, but not intensity. Meaning, not everything is a slow easy jog. However, you should still have like 70-80% of all your running to be easy or recovery pace with the remaining devoted towards your more speedier workouts. This is when you focus on your goal race pace. It is sometimes wise to throw in short bursts of slightly faster than goal race pace just to remind your muscles of this pace in times you need a short burst during the race. It also makes your goal race pace seem easier. But we are not talking repeat intervals, or major workouts at slightly faster than race pace. You may however be the rare person that performs better by actually working out at faster than race pace during a taper. But even in this case, the volume of this is very small. Most of your "speed workouts" should be at goal race pace.
So you figure out what was the peak number of miles during training (before taper). I personally took an average of the last 3 weeks going into my taper the first time I did this. Whatever number you come up with will be your base mileage for the taper. So you have 3 week tapers and you have 2 week tapers. Again, some people actually do better in a 2 week taper, but the general concensious is a 3 week taper. So I will cover that one here. No cross training during this time.
No strength training this time. It will do you no good to do either. The "hay is in the barn" already. You won't make any gains that will effect your race this late in the game. The idea of a taper is to rest your muscles so they can heal, so that come race day, they are at their maximum strength. No major hill workouts. Try to run flat as much as you can. A normal diet is needed. Enough protein and healthy fat to aid in the muscle restoration process, and enough carbs to maintain healthy weight and energy levels. Eat all your vegatables and fruit and leafy vegatables/whole grains (fiber).
In the next 3 weeks, the volume of running will drop gradually. How you shave off each particular workout is a personal customization. Everyone reacts different. However, the idea is that your shorter runs remain the same, but the longer runs get their miles chopped off.
3 weeks before race day you run 80% of your base mileage for the taper.
-- your long run is reduced by 10-20% from your largest long run
-- If 20 miles was your biggest long run, run 16-18 miles.
2 weeks before race day you run 60% of your base mileage. (Others say 70-75%)
-- This is where it gets tricky and you have to learn how your body reacts.
-- VO2 workouts and tempo workouts should be replaced by goal race pace (GRP) workouts
--would be wise to throw in some strides or bursts at slightly faster than GRP
-- Long Run is 50-60% the max (If you ran a 20 miler, run 10-12 instead).
The week going into your race day
-- Significant mileage drop
-- Maybe 2 - 3 sessions this week.
-- Some people do great with a shake out run the day before, some people need the extra rest
--This week is the most trickiest part of the taper since it is difficult to know how your body specifically reacts.
This week is when you start your carb load. (start 3 days before the race and continue on even in the early morning hours before the race)
You should have gotten in at least 2 short workouts already before carb load starts. The last workout depends on whether you do better with a shake out run the day before or not. If not, then do your last short workout 2 or 3 days before race day. Remember, this is an easy paced run. No faster than goal race pace. Most of this last workout is much slower than GRP. Maybe a few bursts are done at GRP. Run in the shoes you plan to wear on race day as much as possible.
You should have worn the clothes (socks, shirt, shorts, undewear, ect) and even all your assesories you plan to have on race day a few times already. If it's going to be cold at the start of the race, I have been known to buy a sweat shirt at the thrift store ($3) and wore it a few times in training, then come race day, if I need to toss it on the road (never to be seen again) it's no big deal.
3 days before Race Day
Start dropping fat and protein and increase carbs
Monitor closely how many calories you eat per day and how many grams of each macronutrient
The last thing you want to do is gain weight via fat- only maintain weight
You should know your maintenance calorie range by now
Make sure you get in electroyltes, and all your vitamins and minerals by eating a variety of foods and carbs. Remember, nothing new. Eat only foods you know how you will react to. That means you should have been eating most of this all throughout training. In the next 3 days, you will want to eat about 4 grams of carbs for every pound of body weight. (150 lb runner will need ~600 grams or 2,400 calories). I read on 1 site that you actually need 7-10 grams per kg of body weight (That would mean 3-4.5 grams per pound of body weight). This can be very hard if you are not used to eating this many carbs. As you eat mostly carbs with very little to no protein and fat, your blood glucose levels skyrocket. You will get sugar highs and crashes. You may get some GI distress.
Watch your total calorie intake for the day. Do not go over your maintenance level. use this MFP site to track what you eat. Eat more smaller meals if eating a ton of carbs makes you sick. This is the only 3 days you can go crazy on Reeses Peanutbutter Cups and bottles of Coke. You will want to eat healther carbs in the first couple of days (brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat breat, potatoes, whole fruit). But going into the last day, you will want quicker (simple) carbs and less fiber.
I tend to stop eating salads the day before a major race. if you are pretty regular and can be sure that you can have your last bowel movement the morning before the race, then go with what works. I personally don't chance it. I limit the amount of fiber I eat the day before race day.
VERY IMORTANT: Glycogen production requires lots of water. For every molecule of glycogen, 3 parts of water are bound. During the whole 3 days drink lots and lots of liquids. This means you WILL gain water weight during these last 3 days. But you will also shed this water weight during the race as you use up your glycogen. Drink sports drinks, drink Coke (or favorite soda), drink fruit juice. Just log it as you do. Pay attention to grams of carbs and total calories. Try not to go over total calories for the day beyond maintenance. Cut proteins and fats out if you must to get the number of grams of carbs in.
The night before can be very creative meal. Pancakes with extra syrup for dinner? Oh yeah. it can be more than just spaghetti. Measure everything. Log everything. Remember, nothing new either.
The night before the race get to bed early. (If you can sleep well). You will need to get up super early. Eat a small meal of carbs. 600 grams of carbs 3 hours before your race. You lost quite a bit of glycogen while sleeping. You need to top off. About an hour before the race, be sipping on gatorade. Be careful not to over hydrate before the race or else you will need the porta potty early on the race.
The last 2 days before the race, try to stay off your feet as much as possible (minus a shake out run the day before if you need it). No cutting the grass. No helping a friend move in/out. Even limit the time to walk around at the expo the day before the race.
I hope this helps. Good luck!!!!
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@stoshew71 super information! One piece of advice I got before my half was go to bed early 2 nights before the race because the night before you'll be too exited to sleep, it was good advice.0
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skippygirlsmom wrote: »@stoshew71 super information! One piece of advice I got before my half was go to bed early 2 nights before the race because the night before you'll be too exited to sleep, it was good advice.
Yes, I didn't want to go overly crazy on my post. Was trying to focus on taper and carb loading.
As far as sleep is concerned. Your race will not be defined by 1 night of sleep (or lack of), but how much sleep you got that last week going into race day. So if you are a bunch of nerves the night before and don't get much sleep, as long as you slept well for the entire week, you will be just fine. I know people that claim to have gotten PRs on 4 hours of sleep. Main thing is that last week of tapering, get to bed early.0 -
One more thing I never discussed is caffein. And different people react to caffein differently, so take this advice with a grain of salt. I know people that will fast from caffein during the 3 week taper period. No caffein at all. Then on race morning they drink like 3 cups of coffee. This is to flush out any caffein tolerance your body has developed. You may even need to fast from caffein longer than the 3 week taper period. So if you drink Coke during the carb load process, get the caffein free kind. But full sugar, not Diet Coke. You need the extra carbs.0
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@jorocka - putting on a real shirt after wearing tanks to run is terrible isn't it?
heh- I don't even wear a tank top running- I'm one of those "who does she think she is running around in a sports bra" types. The tanks are coming out this week and next and then I suspect I'll have to dig out my henley's. Humrph.
@Stoshew71 great write up- I think that's pushing my limit for running/carb capacity but I'm going to have to give it a good look see- my race is October 10- so I'm starting to need to look up carb loading and I've personally given myself a lot more flex on diet so less "deficit" and more just feed myself.
interesting on the strength training- that mostly makes me sad- I hate not lifting. LOL I figured I'd just stop a week out- but 2-3 weeks makes way more sense.0 -
@skippygirlsmom that is an awesome story. very raw!
9/1 rest day -- elliptical
9/2 4.2 miles -- wasn't that easy for some reason, but done!
9/3 rest day -- elliptical
9/4 3.17 miles -- that was probably the most difficult run since I've started seven weeks ago. The humidity was so defeating and soul crushing!
9/5 rest day--too hot/humid, elliptical
9/6 rest day--too hot/humid, elliptical
9/7 3.32--running again!
9/8 rest day -- no workout
9/9 3.52
9/10 2 -- decided to run two days in a row for first time
9/11 3.18 -- another day of running (three days in a row)
9/13 3:11 -- took a day off bc of heel pain (did elliptical though) -- fasted 5K: pace 9:51/mile.
9/14 4.51
9/15 4.12
9/16 rest day
9/17 4.75
9/18 rest day (elliptical)
9/19 4.35
9/20 4.56
9/21 rest--elliptical
9/22 5.25
50.04/50 YES! I met the challenge. I cannot believe it, not even one bit. I will up it to 60 miles!
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September goal: 35 miles
9/1 - 3.1 miles
9/2 - strength day
9/3 - 2 miles
9/4 - strength day
9/5 - 4 miles
9/6 - hiking (2.5 hours)
9/7 - 3 miles
9/8 - unscheduled day off
9/9 - 2 miles + strength
9/10 - 2 miles + strength
9/11 - rest
9/12 - 2 miles + strength
9/13 - 2 miles
9/14 - 3 miles
9/15 - rest
9/16 - 2 miles
9/17 - strength day
9/18 -rest
9/19 - 2 miles + strength
9/22 - 3.1 miles
September: 30.2 of 35 miles completed
I lost steam for a couple of days but today it was a good run. Maybe the rest helped.
@snha - congrats on meeting your goal!
@Stoshew71 - great info as usual, thanks for taking the time to explain things.0 -
It just got harder to get into Boston. Only 5,000 spots open for all time qualifiers which opened up yesterday. Last year 8,000 spots open for 10,000 people that tried to get in at the last minute.
http://www.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/it-just-became-even-tougher-to-get-into-boston?cid=soc_Running Times Magazine - RunningTimesMagazine_FBPAGE_Runner’s World__News_Races
I wonder what next year will look like when i hope I will get a shot. Dayum!0 -
@jorocka - putting on a real shirt after wearing tanks to run is terrible isn't it?
heh- I don't even wear a tank top running- I'm one of those "who does she think she is running around in a sports bra" types. The tanks are coming out this week and next and then I suspect I'll have to dig out my henley's. Humrph.
@Stoshew71 great write up- I think that's pushing my limit for running/carb capacity but I'm going to have to give it a good look see- my race is October 10- so I'm starting to need to look up carb loading and I've personally given myself a lot more flex on diet so less "deficit" and more just feed myself.
interesting on the strength training- that mostly makes me sad- I hate not lifting. LOL I figured I'd just stop a week out- but 2-3 weeks makes way more sense.
I try not to scare the people who live by me. LOL Skip on the other hand, if she's running with me she'll wear her sports bra and shorts.
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@skippygirlsmom - Way to go all Mama-Bear on the neighborhood canines!
@Stoshew71 - I know a few people disappointed by that BQ change.
Re. calendar - I have 30+ years of stretched belly...ain't no one wants to see that after losing weight.
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September goal 100km
9/1—Rest
9/2–-5.3 km
9/3–-6.24 km
9/4—exploring
9/5—rest, exhausted from exploring couldn’t get my butt up
9/6—12.5 km, walked three times, but that’s okay
9/7—rest
9/8–5.06 km
9/9–5.44 km
9/10–5.15 km
9/11—rest
9/12–6.13 km
9/13—the big 35 birthday…rest after a night of drinking and indian food
9/14—weights at the gym, start of the k2fit challenge. Traditional rest day for me
9/15–5.17 km—half way through the month and half way to my goal of 100 km! 51/100 km
9/16—run tracker said 5.89 km, but I know the run is about 5.3 km
9/17–5.29 km, finally seem to be back to hitting under 7 min per kilometer
9/18—long work day so rest
9/19—longest run yet 13.42 km in 1 hour 40 min.
9/20—rest
9/21—rest again
9/22–5.05 km
9/23–6.44 km0 -
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skippygirlsmom wrote: »@jorocka - putting on a real shirt after wearing tanks to run is terrible isn't it?
heh- I don't even wear a tank top running- I'm one of those "who does she think she is running around in a sports bra" types. The tanks are coming out this week and next and then I suspect I'll have to dig out my henley's. Humrph.
@Stoshew71 great write up- I think that's pushing my limit for running/carb capacity but I'm going to have to give it a good look see- my race is October 10- so I'm starting to need to look up carb loading and I've personally given myself a lot more flex on diet so less "deficit" and more just feed myself.
interesting on the strength training- that mostly makes me sad- I hate not lifting. LOL I figured I'd just stop a week out- but 2-3 weeks makes way more sense.
I try not to scare the people who live by me. LOL Skip on the other hand, if she's running with me she'll wear her sports bra and shorts.
heh- I think as a child I would have been mortified to run in shorts and a bra- now that I'm an adult my GAF meter is broken- also I have seen all of 1 person regularly running- so yeah- sports bra it is!!! FREEEEEEEEDOM.
except now it's october- so no more freedom. #sadpandaface0 -
skippygirlsmom wrote: »Womens running is having a cover contest.... Some awesome ladies here might look good on that cover! I, of course, entered... Lol!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/204303227/hooded-cape-cloak-for-women-in-black?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=cape&ref=sr_gallery_5
I so wanted to nominate Skip, but you need to be 21 or over. Bummer!
I wonder if you entered it if they could get both of you on it since your her mum. You could use her as your inspiration, and they'd have to include her... I just want a shot at going to San Diego- born there and not raised in the area- love to see it. And the free running wardrobe...
@JoRocka I frequently run without a shirt. It's just too hot to be smothered by even the thinnest tank. Last week I wore a light orange thin tank with thinner holes in it. I had some psycho lady yell at me to put a shirt on. I figure she couldn't see that I had a shirt on because of the colour. I just kept running. She wasn't breakin' my stride (there's a old song there! ). I though about running back by with my shirt off, but figured- eh, it's her problem, she'd really be offended seeing my nice tummy tucked abdomen. I was having one of those rare good runs with little pain, it was all about me.. I wondered "What Would @skippygirlsmom Do"
Mix - Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride 1080p (lyrics in description):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuZlnzETGKE&list=RDwuZlnzETGKE
@skippygirlsmom - did you report the dogs? Gald no one go hurt.0 -
@skippygirlsmom - oh my gosh on the dogs! It's amazing how fast you can run in a situation like that!
@stoshew71- great info on carb loading. I'm aiming to "just finish" my first HM in <2 weeks, so I'm not doing all that carb loading this time. So I'm going to need to save all that info. Not that I can't look it up, but you explain it so well. I'm counting on you to be in Boston next year!0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbkZrOU1Zag
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