The February 2016 Running Challenge

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Replies

  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited February 2016
    @ereck44 - Congrats on the fitness gains! Love the running goals!

    Looks like an unplanned rest day. My oblique muscle is a LOT better but I still feel it on certain movements. After doing a little bit of Dr. Google and coming to the clear concensus that I am going to die, I am also going to keep my planned rest day tomorrow to heal for 2 days before attempting a run on Saturday. Saturday is supposed to be a long run but I will cut that down and skip the long run this week. Hopefully I will be able to run each day as scheduled next week without it feeling any worse.

    Damn oblique muscles...why you no work right?!?!
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited February 2016
    I'm afraid this looks like a stress fracture. Anyone know better? If it is, can I lay off the next 4 weeks (upcoming half), swim, elliptical and such and porentially make the race? Can I manage it on my own or should I see a doc?


    My mileage had been 80-100 since ~September. I'm working harder or could it be a gait issue with my bum left? Maybe just dumb luck.

    Thanks everyone. @WhatMeRunning I'm willing it better.

    Think I can run today?

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  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    Oh crap, @Elise4270 you need to get that checked out so you can get a plan going. Hopefully it is not a fracture, but with swelling and discoloration like that I suspect you are going to need some downtime. We runners always need to think long term...like next season.

    Where the f**k is March already?!?!? February is really pi$$ing me off with this injury crapola!!!
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    edited February 2016
    2/1: 6 miles with Joe to Go crew
    2/2: 5 miles
    2/3: 7.5 miles
    2/4: 8.2 miles (am), 6 miles (pm) with the Thursday crew
    2/5: Rest day (hallelujah!)
    2/6: 9.5 miles with the Saturday crew
    2/7: 18 miles LR
    2/8: 6.1 miles with Joe to Go crew
    2/9: Rest day
    2/10: 7 miles speedwork (am), 10 miles (pm)
    2/11: 6 miles (am), 6 miles (pm) with the Thursday crew
    2/12: Rest day!
    2/13: 14 miles with Saturday crew
    2/14: 7 miles
    2/15: Rest/lazy day
    2/16: 5 miles
    2/17: 5 miles (am), 12 miles (pm)
    2/18: 8 miles (am), 6 miles (pm) with the Thursday crew
    2/19: Rest day!
    2/20: 8.5 miles
    2/21: 16 miles
    2/22: 6 miles with Joe to Go crew
    2/23: XT: 12 miles stationary bike
    2/24: 10 miles
    2/25: No AM run

    No morning run for me today! Storms kept me up til about 1 am, so when my alarm went off at 6 I just muttered "nope" at my phone and turned it off. Plus while I was NOT sleeping last night, I was reviewing some training stuff, and looking at this week's numbers I realized that 6 + 10 + 8 + 6 + 10 + 20...... doesn't equal 50. It equals 60. Because I'm a dumb-dumb who can't do math (hey, I'm in a humanities MA program for a reason!). So I reasoned that 60 miles does not a cutback week make, since it was all the 60 mile weeks that prompted the cutback, so skipping this morning's 8 miler -- though I was missing out on a 50 degree morning! :( -- was the best choice if I wanted this cutback to actually be a thing. Though hopefully this doesn't mean I lose in the mileage Jedi war against @Stoshew71 ;)

    So bummed to read about all these injuries, you guys! Hopefully you're all good to go again in March and we can all get some happy training on the thread!

    exercise.png

    Upcoming races:
    3/12: Run o' the Mill 5K
    4/3: Caesar Rodney Half Marathon
    5/1: New Jersey Marathon

  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member

    1-personal training episode. so sore
    2-nothing, not feeling well
    3-slept in. still not feeling great
    4-see above, and then transmission cracked
    5-car hunting
    6-car hunting
    7-4.75 miles. I added hills to my treadmill work out. oh the suck
    8-nothing
    9-i was on the way to the gym. because it was icy i didn't want to run outside. so icy, i hit a parked jeep with my 2 day all new to me car. :frowning: no gym for me
    10-yoga tonight. a little sore from the accident, but i'm really concerned about the race this weekend. I've not been able to train like I'd like to due to flares and accidents. I'm not sure how I'll do
    11-no run. fell asleep by 7pm
    12-slept like a rock thru my alarms
    13-8k race day. freezing 1F. but i did get a PB and after not finding any particularly friendly people, i did find a few to chat and run with.
    15-went to the gym and did a 10k virtual run. it was hard physically but I was proud I did it
    16-rest
    17-yoga tonight
    18-wayward ice chunk took out rental's bumper, went back to insurance and got another car and filed a claim. sigh, no time for run today.
    19-planned rest day.
    20-7.04mi felt good. i missed the distance. the first few miles are always a struggle. it was my fastest 6-8 miles
    21-video game day (borderlands pre-sequel)
    22-nothing
    23-lazy did not run. cannot get motivated
    24-yoga tonight
    25-overslept

    totally not making my goal but I think i needed a rest. i was literally falling asleep at my desk this week


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    RACES:
    Jan 16-Frosty 5k-33:43:123 (gun time-don't have chip time)
    Feb 13-Steve Cullen Run 8k chip time: 53:37
    Feb 15 Puppy Love Virtual Run 10k runkeeper time: 1:13:20
    ?Mar 14-Great Pi Run?
    ?Jun 11-Rock n Sole 5 or 8k? honeymoon might interfere
    June 19th through Sunday, July 10th SHE Power Virtual Half

  • Ron_Dco
    Ron_Dco Posts: 51 Member
    Hi All,
    Excited ... completed my first 5K just am hour back. My calves caught fire around half way and started getting cramps so switched to walk after that and regained running only at last 500 to 600 meters. Completed 5K in 00:31:51 my PR. Will definitely want to improve this and do something to those calves, they really didn't co-operate today... :(

    Date.................KM...................Total
    2/7...................1.19.................1.19 (Run)
    2/10..................1.85.................3.04 (Walk)
    2/11..................1.88.................4.92 (Walk)
    2/12..................8.8.................13.72 (Bird Count Exercise)
    2/13..................4.20................17.92 (Walk)
    2/15..................5.27................23.19 (Run)
    2/17..................5.32................28.51 (Walk)
    2/18..................2.28................30.79 (Walk)
    2/19..................3.20................33.99 (Run)
    2/21..................2.40................36.39 (Walk)
    2/25..................5.00................41.39 (5 K run)

    First 5 K.................. 25th Feb (00:31:51)


    exercise.png


  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited February 2016
    Oh crap,
    Where the f**k is March already?!?!? February is really pi$$ing me off with this injury crapola!!!

    Amen! I am beginning to think it's contagious. Maybe I'll get super lucky and get a few weeks off work. I can focus on cross training.
  • ddmom0811
    ddmom0811 Posts: 1,881 Member
    Feb 1 - 4.27
    Feb 2- repairing/recovery day.
    Feb 3 - Strength training 4.5 miles
    Feb 4 - rest
    Feb 5 - Strength training
    Feb 6 - 34 mile bike ride
    Feb 7 - 13.1 HM - New PR 2:18:57!!!
    Feb 8 - 3.05 mile recovery run.
    Feb 9 - 1 hour spinning class
    Feb 10 - Strength training
    Feb 11 - 6 miles
    Feb 12 - recovery day
    Feb 13 - 34 mile bike ride
    Feb 14 - 36 mile bike ride
    Feb 15 - 7.5 miles
    Feb 16 - 3.6 miles
    Feb 17 - strength training
    Feb 18 - 5.04 miles + 1 hour spinning class
    Feb 19 - strength training
    Feb 20 - 34 mile bike ride
    Feb 21 - 35 mile bike ride
    Feb 22 - 4.5 miles
    Feb 23 - 4.5 miles
    Feb 24 - strength training
    Feb 25 - 4.5 miles - tried doing intervals using Endomondo as the guide. It was fun.


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    3/3 Orlando City Soccer 5K
  • annekka
    annekka Posts: 517 Member
    February goal—None first 1/2 on February 7…just going to try for as many miles as possible in February

    2/2—5.2 ish km—the groundhog wouldn’t see his shadow if he existed here
    2/4–3.2 km
    2/7—21.09 km—Condura skyway marathon. Didn’t get the time I wanted as I had to walk a lot due to the heat and humidity and hills. Gee…I thought I was trained and ready.
    2/17—4.78 km
    2/18—4.87 km
    2/21—14.12 km
    2/23—5.02 km
    2/25–6.4 km evening run
  • instantmartian
    instantmartian Posts: 335 Member
    rohanivan wrote: »
    Hi All,
    Excited ... completed my first 5K just am hour back. My calves caught fire around half way and started getting cramps so switched to walk after that and regained running only at last 500 to 600 meters. Completed 5K in 00:31:51 my PR. Will definitely want to improve this and do something to those calves, they really didn't co-operate today... :(

    Congratulations on the PR! It might not have been your issue, but make sure you're well hydrated before your run - that might have been part of your calf problem.
  • 9voice9
    9voice9 Posts: 693 Member
    rohanivan wrote: »
    Completed 5K in 00:31:51 my PR. Will definitely want to improve this...

    But still an awesome time! I'd love to post a 31 on 5K! Enjoy it, but I understand about it spurring to better yourself.
  • 9voice9
    9voice9 Posts: 693 Member
    Still not running (obviously) or even much walking, but I wanted to share: My younger son, who graduated in '15 and has been a bit frustrated in finding a job (much less a career), has been offered a position teaching English in <drumroll> Japan! He's very excited, as are we. WE are feeling a bit more trepidatious about sending him to the other side of the world... especially since (AFAIK) I don't have any of my MFP running family over there! :smiley:
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    edited February 2016
    @9voice9 -Glad the surgery went well. Here's to a speedy recovery!
    @ceciliaslater -That stinks. I have been there too. But it will all be worth it when you are back to 100%. Hang in there!
    @Elise4270 Tough to say without an x-ray, but there is definitely some bruising. I think you should rest and ice it and if it still bothers you get it checked out. When I had a stress fracture in my metatarsal, I could not comfortably walk on it and running was pretty much out of the question.
  • juliet3455
    juliet3455 Posts: 3,015 Member
    No morning run for me today! Storms kept me up til about 1 am, so when my alarm went off at 6 I just muttered "nope" at my phone and turned it off.

    cx232jv93cej.jpg
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    7lenny7 wrote: »

    @WhatMeRunning you may be modest, but you've been one of my three biggest inspirations here since I started running. The other two are @Stoshew71 and @mwyvr. Since we seem to have started our fitness journey at similar ages and in similar situations, the three of you have led the way and have shown me that what I wanted to do can, indeed, be done! BTW, you're race list is EPIC!
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    Most ultra people I heard don't actually do a 30 mile training run (tho I could be wrong). Instead they do back to back long runs. So Saturday they would do a 20 miler and then Sunday do an 16 or 18 miler for example.

    A met a new trail running friend in January. The first time I met him on the trails, he was running 20 miles on Saturday, 20 on Sunday. Then tells me he's had to cut back because of injury. Normally he does 30 miles Saturday, and another 30 miles on Sunday. For the month of January he ran over 350 miles. He tells me that he runs so much he never trains for any particular race. He's just always ready. I think he said his longest race has been 100 miles. Just one person, but an interesting anecdote, I thought.

    Regarding the long run and a limit of 2.5 hours due to injury prevention...I've read about doing a simulated 20 mile run by running long (but shorter than 20 miles) two days back to back but what about using cross training? Say biking for an hour or more followed by 2.5 hours of running? Would there be benefit to that?

    Thank you sir. I find inspiration inside everyone. You guys truley are great in what each and everyone is doing.

    @7lenny7 Your new trail friend is what I would called Extreme. But not in a bad way.

    As far as long run, you lose the benefit if you break it up. Even with cross training thrown in.
    But if you can run for 2.5 hours, I would say that alone is a good workout. You would just need to keep that consistent and over time you will eventually be able to do the 20 miles within that 2.5 maybe 3 hour limit.

    Now if you ran for 2.5 hours then biked for another hour, I am not saying that is a bad thing and not a good workout. It's just not the same thing as being able to run 20 miles within the alloted time. Actually it sounds like more fun then some of the workouts I have done. LOL

  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    @kristinegift My cutback week is supposed to be next week, so we will see. :-)

    Let's see if I can do a good Yoda... Smart you are for your body to allow it to rest, hmm?
  • MorningGhost14
    MorningGhost14 Posts: 441 Member

    Where the f**k is March already?!?!?
    Now you are talking like me. Potty mouth.

  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    Regarding the long run and a limit of 2.5 hours due to injury prevention...I've read about doing a simulated 20 mile run by running long (but shorter than 20 miles) two days back to back but what about using cross training? Say biking for an hour or more followed by 2.5 hours of running? Would there be benefit to that?

    There are a lot of ways to simulate the late marathon miles. One of the workouts that shows up several times in my training plan is 2 or 3 miles easy, 4 miles MP, 1 mile T, 4 miles MP, 1 mile T, 1 or 2 miles easy. The amount of easy at the front and end varies, but the core of 2 x (4 miles MP, 1 mile T) is common. This simulates running at MP on tired legs in the second interval of MP, and having to speed up like finishing the marathon in the second interval at T.

    I've only done that one once, and it was a real ego boost to find that I still had a 6:30 mile in me at mile 13 of a 15 mile workout. Granted, I did that one on a nice level soft surface (Erie Canal Trail, a segment of crushed stone surface); but I'll add hills to it later on in the program.

    Another thing I've see was a week and a half ago the program had me run for 100 minutes on Sunday, after running 22 miles on Saturday. While that entire weekend was at easy pace, the last 2 or 3 miles of Sunday were a bit of a mental challenge from the simulation of having to keep going even on tired legs.

    The thing is, I think most of the simulated late miles techniques will work better for runners who have done a marathon before. I don't think I would have appreciated the significance of stuff like this before I actually felt what it was like to run the last 4 miles of a marathon.

  • jaynee7283
    jaynee7283 Posts: 160 Member
    I did 50 miles in January, and my goal is to go 50+ in February. I'm about 10 mile shy with four days to go...
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member

    Where the f**k is March already?!?!?
    Now you are talking like me. Potty mouth.
    But I haven't even begun any back to back long runs yet this year! Although I have run on some trails recently. And had some pizza. And beer.
  • MorningGhost14
    MorningGhost14 Posts: 441 Member
    DATE...............MILES...............TOTAL
    2/1.....................REST..................0.00
    2/2.......................6.50...................6.50
    2/3.......................5.00.................11.50
    2/4.......................5.00.................16.50
    2/5.....................REST.................16.50
    2/6...................... 7.50..................24.00
    2/7.....................20.00..................44.00
    2/8.....................REST.................44.00
    2/9.......................6.25..................50.25
    2/10.....................4.00..................54.25
    2/11...................REST.................54.25
    2/12.....................6.00..................60.25
    2/13.....................4.75..................65.00
    2/14...................12.75..................77.75
    2/15...................REST.................77.75
    2/16.....................5.25..................83.00
    2/17...................REST.................83.00
    2/18...................REST.................83.00
    2/19.....................4.25..................87.25
    2/20.....................3.00..................90.25
    2/21...................REST.................90.25
    2/22...................REST.................90.25
    2/23.....................8.00..................98.25
    2/24.....................6.25................104.50
    2/25.....................5.00................109.50


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    exercise.png

    Upcoming races:
    May 14, 2016 Glacier Ridge Trail Ultra 50K (Portersville, PA)
    June 4, 2106 38 Mile Night Fun Run (Kettle Moraine State Forest, WI)
    October 1, 2016 Cloudsplitter 100 Mile (Pine Mountain, KY)




  • MorningGhost14
    MorningGhost14 Posts: 441 Member
    This is where my October race is being run...

    e9u4bzvutky5.jpg
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    That looks quite hilly. But also amazing!
  • Virkati
    Virkati Posts: 679 Member
    @9voice9 So glad your surgery went well. Now for a speedy recovery!!
    @MorningGhost14 OMG that's beautiful! Looks like it would kill me though :D

    I have some good news already today and I haven't even been to the PT yet! Monday I "ran" (more of a huff and puff, drag and crawl my way down the street and back without any parameters except to just run for the love of it) like @7lenny7 suggested and realized how much work I needed to do to get back to where I was. So I reverted to what I did when I first started. Sign to sign, driveway to driveway. Leap-frogging my way thru the entire time. Tuesday I walked. Yesterday I ran again. Sign to sign etc, but here's where the really good news comes in...after running Monday the muscle hurt, was hurting Tuesday, felt better yesterday. After the run yesterday I expected pain today and tomorrow. But you know what?? A little bit of soreness...NOT actually painful!! I see the PT later this afternoon and I'm sure I'll hurt tomorrow because of that, but I'm so freaking excited that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel finally! Like @WhatMeRunning says....Come on March!!!
  • _nikkiwolf_
    _nikkiwolf_ Posts: 1,380 Member
    edited February 2016
    Even if I'm a little late to join the party: I like the long run discussion and enjoyed reading it a lot :-)

    It's especially interesting for me because the "25/33%" rule is the one running rule I break a lot of the time. Maybe because, if I'm completely honest, I always feel like it "doesn't apply to me", but rather to people who run a lot:
    If I ran 6 times per week, and my 5 runs during the week would be an average of 10km long, then I could run 25km as long run and still have the long run at 33% of the weekly distance..

    However, I don't run nearly that often - I try for at least 4 times per week, but sometimes the only way to squeeze in run number four is doing it at the gym before strength training. Since my gym has a "max 30 min" rule for cardio machines, and my 5k PR happens to be slightly below 30 min, it's not surprising that the extra distance I can get in that way is rather limited. Right now, I'm considering to drop my crosstraining day completely (since it turned out cross-country skiing is not my sport at all). Then I could add another running day. But so far I planned my training with 4 run days.
    So, if for example my midweek runs are 8km + 13km + 4km, and I wanted the long run to be 25%-33% of that, that would put the long run at 8km to 12.5km - which happens to be actually shorter than one of the runs during the week! Rather than doing that, I'd probably have no qualms about doing 17km as a long run. Even if that means the long run will be 40% of the weekly milage, I don't feel like that is excessive compared to the length of the other runs.

    As a more extreme example: In the past, when I was running only 3 times per week, I used to have weeks like 5km + 7km during the week, with a 10km long run on the weekends, i.e. making up more than 45% of the weekly distance. But with three runs per week, the only way to have the long run at 33% would be to run the same distance all the time - that just didn't make any sense to me. It just doesn't work until you run longer distances and more often.

    There are reasonable arguments for the "25/33%" rule.
    But on the other hand, I was chatting to a guy at the running store (another customer) a while ago, who was vehemently against adding more runs for the sole purpose of "getting the percentage down". His argument was that if I went from three midweek runs to, let's say, five 10km runs, that wouldn't prepare me better for a 20km run on the weekend. Sure, the long run would only be 30% of the week that way, but it would still be twice as long as my other runs, and I'd have only one non-running day and therefore less time to recover.
    His advice was instead to try to have one "medium long" run in the middle of the week, which should be 75% of the long run. I found his arguments quite convincing, which is how I ended up with weeks like "8/13/4 + 17" in my training plan (8/13/6 would have been nicer, but... stupid gym treadmill time limit). I can't claim to have seen any scientific evidence to support that this is a good approach - I can only say that so far, it's worked for me (disclaimer: for me, I'm not telling anyone to distribute their run distances like that).
    Of course, at that point someone else at the store joined the discussion to say that no, that's nonsense, you have to run more days per week, and then they were discussing whether "base building" or "enough recovery" were more important, with good arguments for both...

    Of course, I'm only training for a half, so my long runs are near-where as long as for people training for a full marathon.

    It would be interesting to see actual numbers of injuries compared to the percentage that the long run makes up, also taking into account how many runs per week the subjects do. But I don't think I've ever come across a study like that - anyone ever saw something like that?
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    edited February 2016
    This is where my October race is being run...

    e9u4bzvutky5.jpg

    @MorningGhost14 take me with you
  • HonuNui
    HonuNui Posts: 1,464 Member
    February goal 80 miles

    2/1 3.8
    2/2 4.17
    2/3 bad life day
    2/4 4.00
    2/5 3.82
    2/6 preparing a Superbowl Luau
    2/7 hosting a Superbowl Luau
    2/8 sick
    2/9 4.02
    2/10 10.00
    2/11 rest
    2/12 snorkel 3 hours
    2/13 3.25
    2/14 3.52
    2/15 3.34
    2/16 rest
    2/17 6.48
    2/18 3.12
    2/19 3.54
    2/20 rest
    2/21 6.32
    2/22 2.12
    2/23 8.07
    2/24 travel
    2/25 4.72

    Total 74.29
    @9voice9 speedy recovery!
    @Elise4270 ouch.....please get it checked....

    Upcoming races:
    3/20 Big Island International 1/2 marathon
    6/26 SHEPower Virtual 1/2 marathon
    11/13 Las Vegas Rock n Roll 1/2 marathon

    Ticker is my goal for 2016 and accumulation to date:

    exercise.png



  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Date Miles today. Miles for February

    2/1 7.55 miles - 7.55
    2/2 7.4 miles - 14.95
    2/3 4.5 miles - 19.45
    2/4 7 miles - 26.45
    2/5 REST DAY
    2/6 16 miles - 42.45
    2/7 REST DAY
    2/8 10.5 miles - 52.95
    2/9 7.5 miles - 60.45
    2/9 3.2 miles - 63.65
    2/10 6.4 miles - 70.05
    2/11 7.5 miles - 77.55
    2/12 6.3 miles - 83.85
    2/12 3.3 miles - 87.15 <<< Daily double
    2/13 16 miles - 103.15
    2/14 REST DAY Happy Valentines Day
    2/15 8.1 miles - 111.25 << First run of 2 today
    2/15 4 miles - 115.25 << Second run of the day. I hate cold rain.
    2/16 10 miles - 125.25
    2/17 5 miles - 130.25
    2/18 11 miles - 141.25
    2/19 6.2 miles - 147.45
    2/20 16 miles - 163.45
    2/21 REST DAY
    2/22 8.5 miles - 171.95
    2/22 4 miles - 175.95 << Another daily double
    2/23 8 miles - 183.95
    2/23 4 miles - 187.95 << Another daily double
    2/24 6.2 miles - 194.15
    2/25 8 miles - 202.15

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    Upcoming races:
    UAH Spring Road Race 8K - 3/6
    Oak Barrel HM - 4/2
    Bridge Street HM - 4/10
    Cotton Row Run 10K - 5/30
    Firecracker Chase 10.2 miler - 6/25

  • 07KatieP13
    07KatieP13 Posts: 220 Member
    My first time on here for a while due to injury and it seems there's a lot of it about at the moment! I'm hoping to do my first run for 2 weeks on Monday, fingers crossed all goes well and i can get back to my half marathon training soon. Good luck to all you other injured lot, I hope you're all back on the road (or track or trail!) soon :)
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    Ohh my preliminary self diagnosis is tendon sheath inflammation! Oh that's so much better than a stress fracture... In a bit I am heading to the bone and joint clinic for a some what professional opinion. Sacrificed a much needed hair cut appointment, but I'd rather be running than trimmed up!