The February 2016 Running Challenge
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@skippygirlsmom - Hope those episodes are just temps from the infection!
@sleepigirl - Actually, for day 12 out of 29 you are on target (even a little bit ahead). With your current daily average of 1.04 miles you should be around 30.2 miles after 29 days. Keep on kicking butt!!
@kateparry84 - Do you have any running specific compression pants that are made for running in hot weather? Those might be just what you are looking for. Then again if you are already overheating with those...shorts is the obvious answer.
@Elise4270 - Thank you for heading up all of the shipping on all this!
@rune1990 - Treadmill miles are better than no miles!
I seem to have added a couple more races to my calendar.
I also backed out of the BattleFrog obstacle course run on 4/30 because while they advertised it to be in Kansas City they later decided to hold it in Topeka. While that's only an extra 90 minutes there and back (plus toll roads) I would not have signed up for that one in the first place if I had known it would be that far away. That same weekend the Warrior Dash 5K is in Kansas City and I was debating between the two originally. I have opted instead for a half marathon on 5/1 so I can get 4 half marathons on 4 consecutive weekends to add another moon to my Half Fanatics moon level.
After my 3 consecutive crappy runs I had planned to rest 2 days then do easy runs this weekend. But the car had a date with the service center this morning and as fate would have it I could not get a ride home. So I ran the 5.3 miles home.
I muted my phone and just ran at an easy effort, making sure I focused on just enjoying the run yet making sure I kept good form and staying within 4 strides per breath. Well within my easy effort range.
Not only did the run turn out pleasant, but my pace was a LOT faster than expected, even with a potty break and several stops at intersections. My current 5k record pace is 10:19/mile, yet today's easy effort over 5.3 miles was at 11:04/mile. My recent easy runs were pretty consistent around 12:00ish/mile. So...not sure how the heck that happened, but I'm happy with it!
2/1 - 4 miles
2/2 - 4.3 miles
2/4 - 4 miles
2/6 - 11.1 miles
2/8 - 9.5 miles
2/10 - 4.5 miles
2/12 - 5.3 miles
42.7 of 100 miles
Upcoming races:
4/9 - Rock the Parkway half marathon (Kansas City, MO)
4/16 - Garmin Wickedly Fast half marathon (Olathe, KS)
4/23 - Race for Hope half marathon (North Kansas City, MO)
4/30 - BattleFrog 8k obstacle course run (Kansas City, MO)
5/1 - Buffalo Bell Stampede half marathon (Leavenworth, KS)
5/14 - Running with the Cows half marathon (Bucyrus, KS)
6/2 - Hospital Hill 5k 7pm PRE-RUN (Kansas City, MO)
6/3 - Hospital Hill half marathon 7am RE-RUN (Kansas City, MO)
10/15 - Kansas City Marathon 26.2 (Kansas City, MO)
11/6 - Kansas half marathon (Lawrence, KS)
11/13 - Gobbler Grind half marathon (Overland Park, KS)
11/20 - Pilgrim Pacer half marathon (Lenexa, KS)
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@skippygirlsmom I don't know your situation or if she has other health issues. But that sounds quite similar to something my daughter experiences when she has a high temp. They're called confusional seizures according to the paediatric neurologist she sees. We watch for them every time she has a high temp now. They're scary to watch and see, she'll be completely disorientated, drop where she is or lose control of limbs and muscles, she'll swap languages or be totally fuzzy and disorientated. I'm not sure how it works in the states but in Canada they made sure we saw the peds neurologist when I brought her in to ER. And we now follow up with him and do tests just in case. It might be worth seeing if you can get a referral to a neurologist.
Thanks everyone for the prayers and good thoughts, you all are the best!!!
@DCKgirl03 that is exactly what it looked like. What we weird was the temp spiked for a very short time. She was warm, then this happened, then she was burning up for a few minutes and then back to being just warm. She's crazy enough without this ha ha! Thanks for all the info.0 -
2/1 - 0
2/2 - 4 miles outside
2/3 - 0
2/4 - 2.75 miles outside
2/5 - 0
2/6 - 4.75 miles treadmill
2/7-10 - 0
2/11 - 4 miles treadmill
15.5 out of 80 miles
Upcoming races:
2/13 - Hug a Cub 5K
4/10 - Bridgestreet HM
5/30 - Cotton Row 10K
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It was rather cold this morning for my run... sub-zero. Because it's a bit of a cut-back week, I only needed 6 this morning, but it felt like I couldn't enough air. I was half-way up a hill and all the oxygen in my lungs was like "K... bye."0
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MorningGhost14 wrote: »It was rather cold this morning for my run... sub-zero. Because it's a bit of a cut-back week, I only needed 6 this morning, but it felt like I couldn't enough air. I was half-way up a hill and all the oxygen in my lungs was like "K... bye."
Kind of makes you want to do what is in your profile pic.
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Did my 5K run yesterday mid-morning in my newer shoes and felt pretty good up until the last tenth of a mile - so maybe my left foot issues are receding! I'm in the same kind of weather as @kateparry84 - warm and beautiful! Also can't run in shorts. I put them on and my family begins to cry out in pain from the pure blinding whiteness that is my legs. Someday though!
I'm getting there with the mileage. I did just sign up for a 5K on Feb 21st - and it is uphill for the first half. More motivation to stay consistent!0 -
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MorningGhost14 wrote: »
I hear ya bro.0 -
Guess that's why we run. So people don't get hurt.0
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1/31 Rest
2/1 6.25 @ 12.00 on the treadmill
2/2 3.5 (3 @ 11:50 and .5 walking) and strength training
2/3 Rest day
2/4 10.25 @ 11:46 on the treadmill.
2/5 Planned rest day--taking my daughter on her first college visit!
2/6 5 @ 10:35 on the treadmill
(25/25 for the week)
2/7 Rest
2/8 5 @ 11:23 on the treadmill. Knees were giving me a little trouble at the beginning but warmed up ok.
2/9 3.25 @ 10:46 on the treadmill and strength training
2/10 11 @ 12:00 on the treadmill. Dear goodness golly that was awful.
2/11 Rest
2/12 6.25 @ 11:23 on the treadmill. Other than the fact the treadmill was possessed of a demon, it was a good run and my knees don't hurt quite so much today. I'm going to rest again tomorrow in preparation for my 5K on Sunday--which will be my first run outside in this nasty cold weather since mid-January.
2/13 Rest
(25.5/25 for the week)
Upcoming Races:
Feb. 14 Run Your Heart Out 5K, Fairfax, VA
Feb. 21 Disney Princess Half Marathon, Orlando, FL
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5BeautifulDays wrote: »@instantmartian I've been stalking the weather, too! I agree, 20 mph wind would not be awesome, at least not waiting around. I don't mind it while I'm running, though, especially if it's at my back...makes me faster, lol!
I am all for wind at my back. Wind in my face, however, makes me feel like I'm suffocating and made of lead! I ran a 5K a couple summers ago along the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The run was nice, the temperature was perfect, but the wind was awful! It was an out and back run, and on the way out the tailwind was great! On the way back, I had to walk bits of the race because I felt like I was running in water with a pillow over my face.
That being said, the temp looks like it's the same, but the wind gusts are down to 9mph. The running gods must have heard my pleas! Fingers crossed!0 -
Quick question before I head out.. Ive worked out that most of my playlist is songs for 160 bpm.. I thought I was taking little steps already (I'm pretty short and its more like a power walk for me
)
Ive read about 180 bpm being an ideal goal to take shorter strides, avoid injury.. Go faster..
I'm just stuck on how it helps/ makes you faster..? Or is the idea for it to be more of a fast walk?
Spotify is telling me if I run to music at 180 bpm, i will be more of a 4:30 min/km runner?0 -
runner_girl83 wrote: »Quick question before I head out.. Ive worked out that most of my playlist is songs for 160 bpm.. I thought I was taking little steps already (I'm pretty short and its more like a power walk for me )
Ive read about 180 bpm being an ideal goal to take shorter strides, avoid injury.. Go faster..
I'm just stuck on how it helps/ makes you faster..? Or is the idea for it to be more of a fast walk?
Spotify is telling me if I run to music at 180 bpm, i will be more of a 4:30 min/km runner?
I have already answered this in a nice post in our group. let me know if you have any further questions.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10228828/good-running-form-overstriding0 -
runner_girl83 wrote: »Quick question before I head out.. Ive worked out that most of my playlist is songs for 160 bpm.. I thought I was taking little steps already (I'm pretty short and its more like a power walk for me )
Ive read about 180 bpm being an ideal goal to take shorter strides, avoid injury.. Go faster..
I'm just stuck on how it helps/ makes you faster..? Or is the idea for it to be more of a fast walk?
Spotify is telling me if I run to music at 180 bpm, i will be more of a 4:30 min/km runner?
I say, 1-read over Stan's post, and 2- try it out! My husband changed shoes and it forced his cadance faster. It's crazy, how you feel slower.0 -
runner_girl83 wrote: »Quick question before I head out.. Ive worked out that most of my playlist is songs for 160 bpm.. I thought I was taking little steps already (I'm pretty short and its more like a power walk for me )
Ive read about 180 bpm being an ideal goal to take shorter strides, avoid injury.. Go faster..
I'm just stuck on how it helps/ makes you faster..? Or is the idea for it to be more of a fast walk?
Spotify is telling me if I run to music at 180 bpm, i will be more of a 4:30 min/km runner?
Here's my take on the 180 cadence (and I accept the fact that I may be off base) Everything I've read about the magical 180 cadence references studies done with elite runners. I've not read anything about studies with the average runners like us.
My thought is that until you reach a certain speed, hitting that 180 mark is going to be very difficult. If I concentrate on it, I can hit 160 to 162 running at a 10:00 pace. When I ran a stride last night, I was up to a cadence of 180 to 190, but that was with a pace of 6:30. If my some magic I could keep that up, I'd be running a 2:50 marathon. That tells me that elite runners should have no problem at all hitting 180.
I do believe that increasing your cadence has benefits, particularly with regard to preventing injury. I've experienced it myself where I've had to increase cadence to less pain from an existing injury. I wouldn't, however, get hung up on trying to hit 180 if you're running 10 or 12 minute miles. Focus on quick, soft steps and you'll reap the benefits whether you're at 180 or not.
If you're using music to help increase your cadence, don't jump from wherever you are now to 180. Jump up in increments of 5 until the new cadence becomes second nature, then increase again.
Again, this is just the conclusion I've reached after reading a few articles and trying a few things out myself.
BTW, You're BPM won't tell you anything at all about how fast you're going because it's also dependent on your stride length.
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runner_girl83 wrote: »Quick question before I head out.. Ive worked out that most of my playlist is songs for 160 bpm.. I thought I was taking little steps already (I'm pretty short and its more like a power walk for me )
Ive read about 180 bpm being an ideal goal to take shorter strides, avoid injury.. Go faster..
I'm just stuck on how it helps/ makes you faster..? Or is the idea for it to be more of a fast walk?
Spotify is telling me if I run to music at 180 bpm, i will be more of a 4:30 min/km runner?
You can run slowly and still hit 180. I have a friend who runs the same speeds as me or slower, and I usually do 165 steps per minute while she gets 180 or so. It has to do more with stride length than speed. I have worked my cadence up to 165-170 from 158-160, and have had fewer knee problems, so I guess it works. When you overstride, you put more pressure on your joints, so taking smaller/quicker steps is more efficient and easier on your body.0 -
I am away for a 1.5 days and there are 7 pages of posts to work through! WOW!! I am just going to reply to a few and may add a few more later as I work through all of it.
@skippygirlsmom - I hope Skip is feeling better! My daughter had seizures in high school too. Terrifying! Hang in there!
@runner_girl83 - if you go on Runnersworld.com and do a search on for glute strength there are lots of good articles. This is one of them that has examples of different exercises http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/glute-strengthening-workout
Also my trainer has been having me do on leg squats watching in the mirror so I keep my knee straight. It was super hard for me initially but as we do it more I am getting better at it. Also watching myself in a mirror has been an eyeopener to see my ankle collapse in and my knee leading the way!
@kristinegift - love the new shoes and haul from the running store.
@xxx_Pink_Princess_xxx - how was the sports massage?
@Stoshew71, @ddmom0811, @5BeautifulDays - Like @7lenny7, I am slowly working through a pile of sweatshirts from my 'before' days that are now way too big on me. I leave them at the start or shortly after and don't look back. I always pack a change of clothes and leave it with my ride or at gear check because even if I am sweaty and gross, a dry shirt or sweatshirt helps me from freezing afterwards.
@lporter229 Love this^^^^^lporter229 wrote: »angie_kins wrote: »I've been having some motivation problems this week. I bailed out on two runs just minutes after starting, just couldn't get myself to do it. I'm trying not to dwell and just focus on my next opportunity, but does anyone have any advice for getting yourself to keep going when you don't want to?
Try not to focus on the rest of your run. On how long it will be, or how fast/slow it should be, or the hills you might encounter or whatever it is that is keeping your mind from letting you enjoy your run. Shut it all out and just focus on how good it feels to be running at that moment. Free yourself of any expectations for the run you are doing. I think that is what often bogs us down. Expectations of what we think we have to do or should be doing. Remember that nobody is forcing you to run. You are out there because you love doing it and you love how it makes you feel. When I start to get burn out in the depths of marathon training, I take a day and leave my Garmin at home and I just go run and set no expectations of how long or how far or how fast I will go. I just run until I feel satisfied with my run and then I head home, always feeling rejuvenated.
I intended to run today, I really did and I may still later this evening. I was up early (4:30am) for a 4 hour meeting and planned to run after it. Unfortunately the bed was calling and Hobbes the Vizsla wanted to snuggle so instead of changing into my running clothes I took a 45 minute nap and puppy snuggle. It was wonderful so the new plan is for today to be an active rest day with a good walk (or slow run) later and use this as the start of my taper for next week's HM. I also didn't post my run from yesterday which was awesome - just short and quick, betweeen meetings... I hat it when work interferes with my running plans!
Date..........Miles.........Total
02/01.......4.15..........4.15 - Treadmill run at the hotel
02/02.......0.00..........4.15
02/03.......3.55..........7.70 - Treadmill run at the hotel
02/04.......0.00..........7.70
02/05.......4.12........11.82 - Yay for running outdoors!
02/06.......0.00........11.82
02/07.....13.20........25.02 - Surf City HM
02/08.......4.50........29.52 - Agility
02/09.......6.10........35.62 - +Strength Training
02/10.......0.00........35.62
02/11.......4.32........39.94 - +Strength Training
02/12.......0.00........39.94
These are my upcoming races, let me know if you are going to be running too:
02/20/16 - Special Edition Divas Half, Temecula, CA0 -
What kristine says is correct. You can keep quicker cadence (more number of steps) but still maintain a slower pace. Distance = number of steps X stride legnth. So say I take 180 steps and my stride length is 1 meter per step. Then how far would I travel in 60 seconds? 180 steps per minute X 1 meter per step = 180 meters per minute. So how do I increase my distance per minute? I can either increase the number of steps I take per minute or I can increase the stride legnth or i can do both. So if i could some how go 1.3 meters per step but keep 180 steps per minute then now I am running 234 meters per minute (or 14040 meters per hour or 14 km per hour or 8.7 mph).
So how do I keep my same number of steps but go faster (or just increase my stride length)? You pick your heel up higher. This is known as butt kicks. The higher you lift your foot off the ground the more power in your lift off which makes you go further during each stride. Keep the number of steps per minute or even increase the number of steps per minute and you natually go faster.
So why is 180 some magical number? It's more of an observation of more elite runners who run with a more trained and better biomechanics. The problem with us mortals (or recerational runners) is we tend to have a slower cadence (less steps per second) with an over stride (which means our foot lands further in front of us) which is the cause of a heel strike. because of all of this, our risk to injury increases.0 -
Example of butt kicks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-SnAgL4aOk
and this one is actually a good comparison video and explains why over striding is bad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrOgDCZ4GUo
^^^ sorry, I have to critique. LOL Even tho 2 weeks later this video on the right the girl is doing a better job of landing more forefront and closer to her center of gravity, she has way too much verticle displacement (bobbing up and down) caused by her still sitting in the saddle (her butt is sticking straight out) and she is bending too much at the hips. If her back was much straighter and leaning from her ankles as opposed to her hips, she would be doing even better. She needs more work than just 2 weeks. LOL But the point of the video was too show over striding.0
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