November 2015 Running Challenge

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  • Virkati
    Virkati Posts: 679 Member
    @kareF - Haha, we're living parallel running lives. :) When I decided on the Pegasus it was literally because they were on sale and I liked the colors. That's all I really took into consideration as I wasn't as serious about running at the time. After seeing my chiropractor last week, though, he pointed out a lot of my problems could be from my shoes (which I never really considered). I'm really interested to see if the Brooks make a difference for me - if not, I'll definitely give the Asics a try.

    Was told by some of the runners on here a few months back that some of the physical problems I was having might be related to my shoes. So, I had my gait analyzed and was told I'm a heel strike and a neutral pronation. The first shoes brought out were Brooks and omg it felt like I had found heaven for my feet. I tried on others, none of them came even close to how good the Brooks felt and at checkout I found out they were half price. Made the girl go get me a second pair and I just don't know what I'd do without them. SO many issues fell by the wayside after getting the RIGHT shoes!
  • Somebody_Loved
    Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
    @Virkati - That is so encouraging to hear! My Brooks get here tomorrow and I can't wait to try them! Did you need to ease into them at all or did you start running with them no matter the distance right away?
  • Chaidell
    Chaidell Posts: 121 Member
    11/1 - 2.94 miles
    11/2 - 1.32 miles

    Total: 4.26/30

    Only went for a jog around the track today.. ugh
  • runner_girl83
    runner_girl83 Posts: 553 Member
    @karef there are a lot of people who do run walk intervals. My neighbor has done 2 HM (maybe 3) and has never run an entire one. She does intervals like run 4 miles walk 1 or 2 then run 4 more or something like that. You will not be in anyone's way. Some races have pace groups and you can start with say the 3:15 pace group if you think that is where you would end up. If I'm not mistaken a pace group like that would do intervals, someone who has paced can correct me on that one. If there are not pacers, you can just sorta head to 3/4 the way back of the field at the start and ask people "how long do you think it'll take you, I'm looking for a good place to start". Other races will have corrals with times so that walkers or slower runners will not be upfront and having people dodge them. the only thing that will ticked the heck out of people is if you start near the front and start to walk after a mile. Also remember if you are going to walk, move to the side of the road before doing so don't just start to walk in the middle of traffic. When Skip and I run races I usually start in the middle and she starts upfront. One thing you might want to check is if the race has a time limit, if you can't meet that limit then I would wait until I could before registering or find another race. Stoshew71 and I are running the same HM this month, he'll be starting closer to the front, I'll be in the middle somewhere and he'll be home and showered before I'm done. It's the nature of the long race. Like most races HM and under, you'll find people who want to win, people who want to run the whole time, people who want to just finish and people who want to have a good time. All are usually welcome.

    Thank you!! You are totally awesome! I hadn't even thought of checking for cut off times - eep! Still a bit to learn/pick up on! Thanks so much for the info - Checking with other runners for their expected finish times is a good one I'll keep in mind! A friend and her family are doing a HM next year and I have been thinking about it, but still not 100%.. I would like to, though I think I just want to try increase distance a little first to see what I can do :smile: Just good to know that I can walk a little, if need be too!
    @kareF - Haha, we're living parallel running lives. :) When I decided on the Pegasus it was literally because they were on sale and I liked the colors. That's all I really took into consideration as I wasn't as serious about running at the time. After seeing my chiropractor last week, though, he pointed out a lot of my problems could be from my shoes (which I never really considered). I'm really interested to see if the Brooks make a difference for me - if not, I'll definitely give the Asics a try.

    Love it!! Parallel running lives! :smiley:
  • runner_girl83
    runner_girl83 Posts: 553 Member
    Virkati wrote: »
    Was told by some of the runners on here a few months back that some of the physical problems I was having might be related to my shoes. So, I had my gait analyzed and was told I'm a heel strike and a neutral pronation. The first shoes brought out were Brooks and omg it felt like I had found heaven for my feet. I tried on others, none of them came even close to how good the Brooks felt and at checkout I found out they were half price. Made the girl go get me a second pair and I just don't know what I'd do without them. SO many issues fell by the wayside after getting the RIGHT shoes!

    I have been to a few people for shoes over the past few years but my problem at the time was shin splints and I was told constantly "you're wearing the wrong shoes, you need these.." only to find the shin splints got worse and be told "no, no, not those shoes - you need these" Imagine how I felt when I bought the most expensive shoes (Brooks DNA) that I could afford at the time only to find my shin splints get worse?

    So here I was thinking it was the shoes.. when in reality it was the way I was running - My stride was way way too big, my calves were not balanced or strong enough - A video of my legs even prooved my feet nearly crossed over so I was nearly tripping myself. So I wore the brooks into the ground walking, gave up on running because I couldn't move past the leg pain and had no idea what I was doing wrong (well, I did.. but had no idea how to fix it because I had no one to show me how I go about fixing it!)

    Then I bought a cheap pair of Fila's which, I can't even describe the amount of pain they left me in.
    Then I got the Pegasus, after hearing they had similarities to the Asics which were good - once I learnt how to run!!! Though are now causing arch pain.. I'm not sure if it's because my arches are weak or if it's the lack of support or what - but the guy at the running store was demonstrating stability and when he completely twisted the shoe like he was wringing water from it - I was completely mortified! So I wouldn't be surprised if this is what is killing my arches in the slightest!

    Finally, I've now decided to layby the shoes I was meant to get in the first place!
  • MamaMollyT
    MamaMollyT Posts: 197 Member
    Missed October goal by 5 miles so raising the November goal a bit.
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  • ewrook
    ewrook Posts: 90 Member
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    Mild night, not too many piles of leaves. I used my husband's headlamp and it sure beat holding a flashlight!
  • CrimsonWhite
    CrimsonWhite Posts: 104 Member
    I'm going to aim for 50 miles this month. There's a lot of distractions/travels/life stuff, but I'm hoping
    I'll manage to make it. It should only be a couple of extra runs compared to last month.

    11/2 5 miles out of a goal of 50 miles.
  • Virkati
    Virkati Posts: 679 Member
    @Virkati - That is so encouraging to hear! My Brooks get here tomorrow and I can't wait to try them! Did you need to ease into them at all or did you start running with them no matter the distance right away?

    @Somebody_Loved ....I was having so many painful issues that I couldn't start running in them right away. But I DID do a lot of walking at first. I can't even tell you how much better I felt afterwards compared to being in the wrong shoe. Within about two weeks of getting the shoes I was jogging and not hating every minute and wanting to quit. Within a month all I wanted to do was run but I have to be mindful that my body simply hasn't caught up with my head yet! Now running isn't painful. I might get sore, but I'm not in pain. I love the shoes. I can't bear the thought that they might ever stop making them lol.
  • Virkati
    Virkati Posts: 679 Member
    edited November 2015
    kareF wrote: »
    Virkati wrote: »
    Was told by some of the runners on here a few months back that some of the physical problems I was having might be related to my shoes. So, I had my gait analyzed and was told I'm a heel strike and a neutral pronation. The first shoes brought out were Brooks and omg it felt like I had found heaven for my feet. I tried on others, none of them came even close to how good the Brooks felt and at checkout I found out they were half price. Made the girl go get me a second pair and I just don't know what I'd do without them. SO many issues fell by the wayside after getting the RIGHT shoes!

    Finally, I've now decided to layby the shoes I was meant to get in the first place!

    @kareF That's what the people here on this forum told me to do. I had to save my money for a few months because I just didn't have the money to spend at least $150 for a pair of shoes. That's why when I found out the Brooks were half off I had to buy two pairs!! But now that I've learned what a good fit and a good shoe is...the price I paid was a bargain! And I won't flinch at the price again. I'll spend what it takes to keep me pain free :wink:
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    On the price of shoes, keep in mind that once you are fitted in a running store you can usually find last year's model online quite a bit cheaper. Usually the change from one year to another is color and not much more. Skip needed a new pair of shoes on short time and we didn't have time to go to our running store so I ordered them online, they were last year's colors and half what I pay in the store. As a single mom I know how hard it can be to find an "extra" $150 LOL but remember that the right shoes are an investment in your health and fitness :smiley:

    @karef you are too sweet. Never be afraid to ask any question, I ask all kinds of weird questions, that how we learn.
  • angiepetter695
    angiepetter695 Posts: 1 Member
    I'm in for 40. Half marathon this weekend and a week of recovery to follow.
  • ddmom0811
    ddmom0811 Posts: 1,881 Member
    Stoshew71 wrote: »

    WOW! This is impressive, Stoshew71!
    I would like to say that I also welcome all of you! But I don't have the time to find all the names. :wink:

    Thanks again Stan for setting up our challenges! You have helped SO many of us (me, so many times), and you always take the time to answer the questions, that you've probably answered a bunch in the past. The challenges have helped me so much. I don't know if I would have stuck with running when I started if I hadn't discovered these challenges, because I was just on my own. Sure, I could read about running, but having a goal, reading other people's miles and even the struggles, is inspiring!

    Thank you! :smiley:

  • 5BeautifulDays
    5BeautifulDays Posts: 683 Member
    @skippygirlsmom Skip is beautiful when she runs! I always laugh until I'm almost crying seeing myself in pictures--I look like I'm leading my whole body with my chin!

    @smithie092015 and @karllundy and @lporter229 Thanks for your thoughts on where you are in your training and how I can improve mine. The Hal Higdon plans look interesting, but I have to admit that I don't understand how it helps you run farther. I was just looking at the Novice 2 half plan and it is just 3-5-3-add a mile per week to your long run (plus two rest days and a cross-training day).

    I have 16 weeks until my half, and I'd like to run a 10-mile long run by early December. It sounds like if I do a modified Novice 2 plan, I could just keep doing that until it was time to taper for the race.

    Today, I did Day One of my awesome new plan. It involved not running at all, going to teacher conferences, and eating my stash of leftover Halloween candy.
  • Ohhim
    Ohhim Posts: 1,142 Member
    Slow start to the month with just two 4 milers the past 2 nights. Was planning more for Sunday, but I was running the first 4 with a neighbor, we took a break after wrapping up (as humidity was over 90% and the temperature was over 80 even after sunset), and I just didn't come out for my extra miles. Tonight's run felt better, but I'm doing 2 runs tomorrow (w. speed work) so I left today at the 4 mile mark. Racing an olympic triathlon (w. 10k run) Sunday (Trirock Clearwater), and a HM the following Sunday (Las Vegas R&R), so I'll forward load my miles the next 2 weeks so I can taper for each race.

    11/1 - 4 miles
    11/2 - 4 miles

    Total: 8 miles
    Target: 220 miles
    Remaining: 212 miles
  • ACSL3
    ACSL3 Posts: 623 Member
    She loves the pictures that catch her in mid air LOL

    "Look Mom, I'm flying!" :smiley:

    @kareF - I've run/walked a couple of HMs. I find that if you pick a race that also has a marathon, the time limit tends to be higher and gave me more time to finish without worrying. I had one that was a set amount of time to run, then walk, then run, walk, etc. The other I just did it on feel. Run until I felt I needed a break and then walk until I felt I could comfortably run again. I liked the second way better since it involved me doing much less calculating in my head ;)

    @PeachyCarol - I run slowly too. In fact I just bought a shirt online that says "Slow runners make fast runners look good. You're welcome" and has a picture of a turtle :blush: I thought it was cute and funny

    As for the whole shoe discussion. I feel lucky that I found a shoe I like without trying a bunch first. I went to Fleet Feet for the first time about 10 years ago and they watched me run and then had me try on a few shoes. I found a pair of Brooks shoes that felt good and have continued to buy those ever since. I'm considering getting more into trail running, so when I go home in Dec, I might go over to Fleet Feet and see what they have to say about trail shoes :smile:
  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    Wow - so much activity here already and so many new people! Welcome everyone!!

    I took yesterday as a rest day (would have been my normal rest anyway) but being at the agility trial all day meant I was on my feet running around, all day. By the time we got home I was exhausted (puppy did very well though and got his first agility title). I slept for over 9 hours and still felt like a slug when I ran today. It was a lovely cool morning out though and mentally the run was awesome even if my legs were complaining they were still tired!

    Date..........Miles.........Total
    11/01.......0.00...........0.00
    11/02.......4.84...........4.84

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    These are my upcoming races, let me know if you are going to be running too:
    11/21/15 - USA Invitational Half, San Diego, CA
    12/27/15 - Holiday Half, San Diego, CA
    02/07/15 - Surf City Half, Huntington Beach, CA
    02/20/15 - Special Edition Divas Half, Temecula, CA
  • ACSL3
    ACSL3 Posts: 623 Member
    3 miles of hills today. Felt bad for the first 0.5-1 mile, but then started to get into a rhythm and felt much better - that tends to be how things go for me. Really happy with my time - 35 minutes overall. My first mile was 11:11 (before the hills started), which is the fastest mile for me in several months. Not a PR (9 minutes is my PR for 1 mile, and 32 minutes is a PR for 5k), but still pretty exciting for me tonight :smiley:


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  • kcbhopkins
    kcbhopkins Posts: 24 Member
    3.17 miles this morning at 12:37 pace. Which is awesome for me. I'm usually around 13 - 13:30.

    Starting my 10K training for the Disney Princess 10k in February. I'm super excited.

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  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I should have done week 1, day 2 of 5to10K this morning, but I have a bit of a migraine (I have chronic migraines, so I'm functional when they're not major). So just an easy 2 mile jog this morning.

    11/1: 5.62 miles (3.18 running, 2.44 walking) This was 5to10K week 1, day 1 (as you can see, I jog slowly and this was the first time I actually jogged 5K since starting C25K)
    11/2: 5.13 miles walking + weights/TRX with trainer
    11/3: 2 miles easy jog, even slower than usual glacial pace

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  • rogue024
    rogue024 Posts: 1,484 Member
    edited November 2015
    Hi everyone! I'm back for this month's challenge! I didn't get to finish October with you guys but I'm pretty sure I hit my goal of 45 miles.

    I'm going to shoot for 45 again. In addition to my runs, I've also added a lot of walking during the day (after my run, during lunch, walking at night, etc.). So I'm definitely getting a lot of cardio, lol, so for those on my friends list, I am running, but whenever I add my walks to my diary, my status always says I'm walking! But my runs are in there somewhere.

    Glad to be back! I missed you guys.

    November goal: 45 miles
    11/1 - 2 miles
    11/2 - strength day

    November: 2 of 45 miles completed

    @skippygirlsmom love the picture of skip with her running midair. I also had one before from a race, I'll have to look for it lol.
    @Stoshew71 great pictures from the spooktacular run!
  • ddmom0811
    ddmom0811 Posts: 1,881 Member
    Nov 1 - rest
    Nov 2 - 3.2
    Nov 3 - 4.3 -- HUMID! Well, we had a couple weeks of nice in October, but alas, November is like it usually is.


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    @SkippyGirlsmom - that is such an adorable picture of Skip!

    My car got rear-ended yesterday. :cry: I wasn't hurt, or don't seem to be. The bike rack on the back of the car was pushed into the back window (Prius) and that shattered. My husband thinks the bike rack really helped the impact. I have no idea. So took today off to deal with car and that meant I was able to run at sunrise and daylight! So there was some good that came out of the wreck I guess. Me running in daylight!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    I'll join I'm a little late
    My goal is 60 miles for the month

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    1-0 miles
    2-3.72 miles
    3-4.86 miles-I think. Phone restarted during my run


  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    11/1-Rest
    11/2-Strength Training
    11/3-5.0 miles

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  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    @5BeautifulDays The novice plans are designed specifically to get you to the distance without regards to increasing your speed. They do this by helping you to build an aerobic base, hence the repetition of just running easy miles, and by giving you one long run per week to get you up to that distance run. Keep in mind that some gains in speed will be noticed just due to the increase in your aerobic base. If you already have at least one HM under your belt or have been running 20-25 MPW consistently, you may want to consider an intermediate plan that has some basic speed work such as tempo runs or intervals once or twice per week. If you are unsure about doing speed work, a good way to ease yourself into it is to add some good hills into your regular runs. Not sure if this answers your question, but I think you are trying to decide on what type of training plan is right for you, correct?
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
    First, gotta say I absolutely LOVE the Thanksgiving / pie theme tickers! Mmm...pie!

    @kristinegift - Ha! A 22 mile run on the first day will do that for you.
    @ddmom0811 - glad you aren't sore from getting run into and you got to run in daylight (silver lining)
    @lporter229 and @5BeautifulDays - I totally agree. If you have been running for a while, I would work with the intermediate plan. I found the speed work to not only help with speed, but also was mentally fun and different. Plus, adding only one mile a week to the long run keeps you from over training and hurting yourself.

    11/1 - rest day / Halloween Hangover
    11/2 - 5.25 miles, 55° at 5:30 a.m. in Iowa! Nuts, but I love it!
    11/3 - 4 miles on indoor track followed by weights / abs. After running mostly outside for six months, you can run pretty fast on a flat, indoor surface.

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  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    edited November 2015
    11/1 - 10 miles
    11/2 - rest day - sore shins
    11/3 - 5 miles

    15 out of 110 miles

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    @ddmom0811 I'm so glad you are okay!

    Thanks all for the comments on Skip, she does look happy running doesn't she? It might have been the cutie behind her in the pix she was running with ha ha!
  • 9voice9
    9voice9 Posts: 693 Member
    My question on the shoe discussion - I know there've been several articles and studies that indicate that the higher priced shoes may (or may not) be necessarily worth the money, in that a less-expensive shoe might do just as well for some (less-than-elite) runners. I was looking at RunRepeat.com, and was intrigued by the Saucony Cohesion 8, which seems to match the profile of the Mizuno Wave 18 that I've been running, for about half the price. I don't want to cheap out, but at 25-35 MPW, I'm going thru the 400 mile lifecycle of shoes at the rate of about 4 pair a year.

    Does anyone have experience with either the Saucony, or with the idea of a slightly less-expensive pair of kicks? Maybe just use 'em for my easy runs, and use the better ones for races and higher-intensity training? The salesperson at my local shoe store pooh-poohed the Saucony as too cheap to even consider. Of course, the fact that they don't carry 'em, and thus wouldn't get the sale if he commended it doesn't even enter the picture, right?
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    9voice9 wrote: »
    My question on the shoe discussion - I know there've been several articles and studies that indicate that the higher priced shoes may (or may not) be necessarily worth the money, in that a less-expensive shoe might do just as well for some (less-than-elite) runners. I was looking at RunRepeat.com, and was intrigued by the Saucony Cohesion 8, which seems to match the profile of the Mizuno Wave 18 that I've been running, for about half the price. I don't want to cheap out, but at 25-35 MPW, I'm going thru the 400 mile lifecycle of shoes at the rate of about 4 pair a year.

    Does anyone have experience with either the Saucony, or with the idea of a slightly less-expensive pair of kicks? Maybe just use 'em for my easy runs, and use the better ones for races and higher-intensity training? The salesperson at my local shoe store pooh-poohed the Saucony as too cheap to even consider. Of course, the fact that they don't carry 'em, and thus wouldn't get the sale if he commended it doesn't even enter the picture, right?

    Well... I like to find deals. I cannot afford the most expensive shoes on 200+ miles/month. I actually gotten very lucky. My first real pair of running shoes I got at Burlington Coat Factory in the Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall, a pair of ASICS Gel Keyano 20's for only $49. A steal. Had I known how good of a steal at the time, I would have gotten 2 or 3 pairs. lol That was Christmas 2013. Who would have known that the running thing would have been big for me. LOL I then went to the Nike Outlet Store in Nashville, TN a couple of months later for my second pair and only paid $65. I think they were Lunar Glides. I since went to the local Burlington, Kohl's, and all the expos for the major races. I wait and look for deals then stock up. Some I have had real good luck, others I had to get used to, and some I just use for easier runs. I also got a good deal on trail shoes (Sketcher Ultra Go Runs) that were half priced off at Fleet Feet, and my Mizuno Wave Sayanora's were also half off at Fleet feet on a deal day close out. Heck, I even got a pair of Fila Turbo Fuel at Kohl's. I think they were like $25. I said what the heck. I can't go too far in them because they don't provide the cushion like my other shoes do, but to go on my easy runs they work fine for me. To be honest, in the beginning I had to get used to some of the shoes. I think my feet, calfs, and ankles are now stronger for it. I also switch shoes a lot. If I wear the same shoe twice in a week, that is about it.
  • DaveThomas1901
    DaveThomas1901 Posts: 58 Member
    Target for me is 50 miles.

    1/11 6.45
    3/11 6.28
    total 12.73