April 2016 Running Challenge

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  • pcarvalho3
    pcarvalho3 Posts: 36 Member
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    pcarvalho3 wrote: »
    @_nikkiwolf_ @AdrianChr92 Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate all the suggestions. Probably going for a Banana with some chocolate, just a square.

    tks also to @shanaber

    Thank god the race is at 10am, weather is supposed to be 32F-33F.
  • pcarvalho3
    pcarvalho3 Posts: 36 Member
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  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    I've just read several posts about people running in nice/warm/hot weather, and I just wanted to let you all know that I am super jealous of wherever you live right now. When I woke up at 5:00am, it was 18 degrees F (approximately -8 C). It is now 8:06am, and it is only 19 F. It's supposed to stay pretty much above freezing here by this point in the Spring, but no. Not this year. In contrast, it was in the 70s close to Christmas. I think the weather got a little confused and thinks Pennsylvania became part of the Southern Hemisphere or something.

    It looks like there is a possibility that I will be running my 5K Saturday morning in snow and below-freezing temperatures. Not exactly the weather I had in mind for a mid-April race. It's a beer run at Yuengling's original brewery in Pottsville, PA that includes a beer garden and block party. I am certainly not forfeiting my beer, but it makes me wonder how many people will be sticking around after the race this year.

    I know that weather must really stink and I don't think it's just PA. I think the entire northeast is effected. Even down here the temps got a little more chilly the last couple of days but not quite as bad as you guys. I had to pull out the long pants and long sleeve this mroning. But after all the training runs in cold weather winter, I would love to have one that ended with lots of Yuengling. lol Makes it worth it. Which one is this? I may have to add it to my list for next year. LOL

  • biscuitnow
    biscuitnow Posts: 141 Member
    edited April 2016
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    shanaber wrote: »
    @pthyay - Now a days I run 4 days during the week 4-6 miles depending on my schedule and a long run on the weekend. Right now I am running slow to build up base miles and hopefully some speed before my next race in July. Note that most of my gains in distance and time improvements have come since being in this group. I have learned so much from everyone here and they have kept me motivated to keep moving and/or come back from injury. I have run on cobblestones and it is VERY tough on your knees. I also don't like running on cement so where ever possible I run on the asphalt paved street, instead of the cement sidewalk, a paved trail or a dirt trail.

    Running on 3 or 4 days a week is one of my goals for when I get better at it - I'm starting with two sessions per week so my legs get a chance to recover from what I'm doing to them (and what I'm doing wrong). I'm hoping to do more soon - until then, I'll be swimming in between as it's easier on the joints. ;) This group seems really cool. Having all the experienced runners around is a bit intimidating, but then they all make you feel like sticking around. ;)

    The cobblestone path near my place is great for walking, but I can practically feel the shock that goes through my knee when I take an awkward step while running, plus I'm always in danger of stumbling. I'm trying the lawns next. :)
    I'm finding this to be a good discussion and I presume many newer runners reading may be curious.

    Very curious! I enjoyed reading along.
  • trbilbao
    trbilbao Posts: 27 Member
    edited April 2016
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    April goal is 60 miles. This is a great motivator to get back on track with running.

  • instantmartian
    instantmartian Posts: 335 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    I've just read several posts about people running in nice/warm/hot weather, and I just wanted to let you all know that I am super jealous of wherever you live right now. When I woke up at 5:00am, it was 18 degrees F (approximately -8 C). It is now 8:06am, and it is only 19 F. It's supposed to stay pretty much above freezing here by this point in the Spring, but no. Not this year. In contrast, it was in the 70s close to Christmas. I think the weather got a little confused and thinks Pennsylvania became part of the Southern Hemisphere or something.

    It looks like there is a possibility that I will be running my 5K Saturday morning in snow and below-freezing temperatures. Not exactly the weather I had in mind for a mid-April race. It's a beer run at Yuengling's original brewery in Pottsville, PA that includes a beer garden and block party. I am certainly not forfeiting my beer, but it makes me wonder how many people will be sticking around after the race this year.

    I know that weather must really stink and I don't think it's just PA. I think the entire northeast is effected. Even down here the temps got a little more chilly the last couple of days but not quite as bad as you guys. I had to pull out the long pants and long sleeve this mroning. But after all the training runs in cold weather winter, I would love to have one that ended with lots of Yuengling. lol Makes it worth it. Which one is this? I may have to add it to my list for next year. LOL

    I think it is the entire northeast. I follow Northeastern University's men's rowing team (Boston, MA) on Facebook and they posted a bunch of photos yesterday of the guys rowing in the snow. I can't even imagine how awful that must have been!

    The race is the Yuengling Light Lager Jogger. This is it's fourth year for the race, and I've done it every year so far. It is quite the challenging 5K - the course is all hills. The race starts and ends at the brewery, and they do free brewery tours Thursday-Saturday (which is a very interesting tour from both an architectural and historical standpoint...plus free beer samples at the end), they have a beer garden, a little block party with food vendors and such, and some bars/restaurants in town have specials and live music all weekend for the event. The people who live along the course are super supportive, and it is a very nice area of Pottsville to run through. It sells out every year, and I believe it's capped at 3,500 runners because of space constraints. It really is a great little race!

    EDIT: Oh, and Dick Yuengling is usually hanging around the beer garden for photos and conversation.
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    About the tendons and ligaments (and I'll add bone strength) taking longer to strengthen I'll proffer the advice I took about being new to running and thinking about future marathon training (or similar type mileage hopes). That advice was to not start marathon training or trying to go over 40 miles per week without having been running regularly for at least one year. The reason for that wait was specifically to build up those parts of the body.

    As a general rule, it seems reasonable.

    The reality is that some individuals will be ready to run a marathon much earlier. It depends on age, other activity, athletic history, flexibility, prior injury, mobility, weight - personally, I ran my first major race at 22 without a significant history of running. Just for fun.

    Today at 49? I'll probably hit 65 km (about 40 miles)/week after 12 months but I certainly think you can do a marathon with less mileage.

    All these general rules, they tend to be good guidance not things written in stone.

    When I designed hip prosthetics - the typical non-bone ligament injuries we saw where not related to new runners doing too much too early. Outside of old age and car accidents, they tended to be contact sport injuries or exercise overuse injuries in the absence of proper nutrition, cross training, mobility and strength work. If the concern is less injury - work on doing something else too, often and on mobility.
    That makes sense, I agree. I came from a history of no running and sedentary activity for a good decade or more, and never being athletic. :smile: So I took that advice to heart figuring it sounded reasonable enough. Plus I had nothing to gauge such progress on!:lol:

    My sister in law is about to run her first HM this weekend (part of a 39.3 series of 3 HM's) and I was recently wondering if she might get bit by the running bug and go for a full this fall. I wasn't going to offer her that same advice I received because she used to play soccer in high school, running quite a bit for that, and has pretty much used her treadmill pretty regularly, but only for short workouts I think. She did a 5k and next thing you know, she's shooting for a series of 3 HM's.:smile: I suspect she could probably handle it.

    And perhaps I should be more clear about the kinds of injuries I was concerned about when starting out, and what I would have advised new runners with my completely unproffessional medical opinion. Achilles tendons, stress fractures in feet, knees. Also ITB but in that case it is not running history that will help but strength building.

    I'm finding this to be a good discussion and I presume many newer runners reading may be curious.

    This sounds a lot like me. I never ran track or cross country. I played football and wrested in HS and tried out for the wrestling team in college. Running was just a means to improve endurance and many times was thought of as punishment. LOL Then I graduated college and got a job. I did softball beer leagues and some pickup basketball games, but nothing too serious. Every so often I get a kick and do the gym thing for a few months and that included running on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes.

    Then I got another kick back in Oct 2014, but then signed up for a 10K. Then it all started for me. 14 months later I ran my first marathon in just barely under 4 hours. So even though I tell people that I did Couch to marathon in 14 months, I don't know if I was truly represented your typical couch person.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    I've just read several posts about people running in nice/warm/hot weather, and I just wanted to let you all know that I am super jealous of wherever you live right now. When I woke up at 5:00am, it was 18 degrees F (approximately -8 C). It is now 8:06am, and it is only 19 F. It's supposed to stay pretty much above freezing here by this point in the Spring, but no. Not this year. In contrast, it was in the 70s close to Christmas. I think the weather got a little confused and thinks Pennsylvania became part of the Southern Hemisphere or something.

    It looks like there is a possibility that I will be running my 5K Saturday morning in snow and below-freezing temperatures. Not exactly the weather I had in mind for a mid-April race. It's a beer run at Yuengling's original brewery in Pottsville, PA that includes a beer garden and block party. I am certainly not forfeiting my beer, but it makes me wonder how many people will be sticking around after the race this year.

    I know how you feel! Not quite that cold here this morning, but I did have to pull out my gloves and winter gear. There is an event here this Saturday, the final long training run for the Flying Pig marathon. A local running store and several charities set up a 20 mile route along part of the race course with aid stations, pace groups, etc. and a big party afterward... And it's supposed to snow!! Crazy!

    Have fun at the Yuenlgling 5K. That sounds like a blast! Yuengling will always hold a special place in my heart. I was a Penn State grad in the early 90s and State College was one of the only places in the country where you could get Yuengling, so it was always our beer of choice. It was crazy to see it start surfacing in trendy bars when I lived in Atlanta several years later!
  • zoe2434
    zoe2434 Posts: 69 Member
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    Decided to up my goal for the month because I am almost half way to my goal, and I'm only a week in! With this being my first month in the challenge, I wasn't really sure where to start. What a great feeling to see I can do better than I initially thought! :smile:

    4/1: 1 mile (outdoor run)
    4/2: Rest
    4/3: Rest
    4/4: 3.0 miles
    4/5: 3.0 miles

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  • ariceroni
    ariceroni Posts: 422 Member
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    4/01: Off, rest day
    4/02: 12 miles, long and easy
    4/03: 8K race - 36:36 (7:22 pace) - new PR! + 1 mile warm up
    4/04: 4 miles, easy
    4/05: 5 miles, easy
    4/06: 5 miles total, 2 miles @ 7:38 (LT) pace (am)
    Total: 32.14 miles

    Overview:
    Very cold, windy, and rainy out today! 1.5 mile warm up to the lake; 2 miles @ LTP (7:38); 1.5 mile cool down. My legs were really feeling it by the end of the second mile, and they were still burning for most of the cool down. Just easy runs now for the rest of the week, leading up to my half marathon this weekend! I’m really hoping for under 1:45 this time!


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    Races I'm registered for:
    04/03 - Shamrock Shuffle (8K) 36:36 - new 8K PR!
    04/09 - Chi Town Half Marathon
    04/24 - Ravenswood Run (5K)
    05/22 - Chicago Spring 13.1
    05/28 - Soldier Field Run (10 miles)
    09/10 - Magnificent Mile Half Marathon
    09/25 - Chicago Lifetime 5K
    10/09 - Chicago Marathon
    10/30 - Hot Chocolate 5K
    11/27 - Space Coast Half Marathon
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    I will regret naming specific people because I know I will skip somebody (not on purpose).
    Welcome @aimeegibbins, @Net1968, @Binzee1964, @noah_mac, @skyhoppertk, @sunnybeaches105, @bama_belle78, @trbilbao, and anybody else I may have missed. These are the new people from the last 2 pages that i noticed. I didn't bother scanning back further. Sorry.

    @bama_belle78 There are a couple of us in the Huntsville area. I am just wondering what HM you are signed up for in November.
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    Date Miles today. Miles for April
    4/1 REST DAY
    4/2 14.3 miles - 14.3 <<< 13.1 HM + 1.2 warmup
    4/3 REST DAY
    4/4 4.2 miles - 18.5 << will try and get a second lunch time run in
    4/4 4.0 miles - 22.5 << daily double, 3E +1HMP
    4/5 8 miles - 30.5
    4/6 4.2 miles - 34.7 << easy recovery 4 (taper week)



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    Upcoming races:
    Oak Barrel HM - 4/2 <<<< 1:38:00 3 in AG
    Bridge Street HM - 4/10
    Cotton Row Run 10K - 5/30
    Firecracker Chase 10.2 miler - 6/25

  • instantmartian
    instantmartian Posts: 335 Member
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    lporter229 wrote: »
    I've just read several posts about people running in nice/warm/hot weather, and I just wanted to let you all know that I am super jealous of wherever you live right now. When I woke up at 5:00am, it was 18 degrees F (approximately -8 C). It is now 8:06am, and it is only 19 F. It's supposed to stay pretty much above freezing here by this point in the Spring, but no. Not this year. In contrast, it was in the 70s close to Christmas. I think the weather got a little confused and thinks Pennsylvania became part of the Southern Hemisphere or something.

    It looks like there is a possibility that I will be running my 5K Saturday morning in snow and below-freezing temperatures. Not exactly the weather I had in mind for a mid-April race. It's a beer run at Yuengling's original brewery in Pottsville, PA that includes a beer garden and block party. I am certainly not forfeiting my beer, but it makes me wonder how many people will be sticking around after the race this year.

    I know how you feel! Not quite that cold here this morning, but I did have to pull out my gloves and winter gear. There is an event here this Saturday, the final long training run for the Flying Pig marathon. A local running store and several charities set up a 20 mile route along part of the race course with aid stations, pace groups, etc. and a big party afterward... And it's supposed to snow!! Crazy!

    Have fun at the Yuenlgling 5K. That sounds like a blast! Yuengling will always hold a special place in my heart. I was a Penn State grad in the early 90s and State College was one of the only places in the country where you could get Yuengling, so it was always our beer of choice. It was crazy to see it start surfacing in trendy bars when I lived in Atlanta several years later!

    I spent some time in State College when I went to Lock Haven in the early 2000s. :smile: Since Lock Haven is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, we would spend quite a bit of time in State College or WIlliamsport. I grew up about 20 miles from the original Yuengling brewery, so Yuengling is the beer of choice for many people in the area. Is Yuengling the best beer around? Certainly not, but it will always hold a special place in my heart, and Lager remains my go-to beer when nothing else interests me. It is crazy how wide-spread their distribution is, these days!
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
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    Wow so much to catch up on. I've taken taper to a whole new low and haven't run since Sunday. I figure at this rate I might be looking at the 3 hour pace group for my HM on Sunday...geesh!

    Welcome to all the new folks!
    @whatmerunning since I rarely run with my glasses I might have been doing a "here kitty here kitty" and been really sorry if I was running with you
    @_nikkiwolf_ I'm glad I'm not the only chocolate person, I took tootsie rolls with me when I my last HM and 15K races :smiley:
    @robotfood your runs sound amazing and exhausting at the same time. Awesome
  • Ericsmi
    Ericsmi Posts: 128 Member
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    Goal of 70 Miles for April

    4/2 – 8.77 Mi
    4/6 – 5.55 Mi

    Progress toward Goal 14.32 / 70
  • kristinajeang
    kristinajeang Posts: 63 Member
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    I'm just going to count my running miles, and my goal for April is 25 miles. I would do more, but I have final exams this month. Hopefully I can go much higher for May and the rest of the year!

    So far, so good!

    4/1 - 1.5 miles
    4/5 - 2 miles

    Planning on a run today, too! 3.5/25 done!
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
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    @Ericsmi Nice!
    @kristinajeang Keep it up!
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
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    I guess I'm in the minority because I loved running in the cold this Jan/Feb! I never had to go below 19 degrees (well, the windchill may have been a little colder a few times) and we had a mild winter with no snow. I may change my mind if next winter is snowy and -12 degrees :smiley: We now seem to be having an abnormally warm spring which I'm not happy about :wink:

    My left knee is mildly painful today. I hope that's not a problem. I don't usually run Wed/Thurs so I'll have until Friday for that to hopefully work itself out.

    I don't have a heart rate monitor to wear during running, but I check my heart rate often on my phone. Last night I didn't feel well and my heart rate was still in the 90s 2 hours after running. This morning first thing was still 80s. Still around 70 now, but slooowly coming down. Normal for me would be 52-55. I've had this happen a couple times and I'm trying to figure out if it's dehydration, too much caffeine, or over-training that causes it to be higher off and on.

    Welcome to all the newbies who've popped in since yesterday!
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    I'm already at 34 km per week and it's getting a toll on my legs to increase it further. I read somewhere that ligaments and tendons can be very slow to catch up with your muscles and aerobic capacity so I guess I shouldn't push too hard and just go as slow as possible. I figure this will give my body some time to get used to a mileage before increasing it further.

    This is a very important point you make here.

    The cardio vascular system is the quickest to improve and is also the quickest to degrade when you take a long extended rest (like nursing an injury).

    Muscles and stuff take a very long time to build up (in comparison) but they are also the slowest to degrade when you take a break.

    Not quite.

    Muscular tissue repair may be a thing of hours or days while cardiovascular performance improvements take weeks. Osteoblast remodelling (building) may be a relatively slow process, but it remains generally much faster than osteoclastic changes (bone loss - which tend to be slooow processes).

    One can see a change is muscular performance in weeks. Muscular volume in months. Ligament repair, remodelling (or wear damage) may be much longer.

    If you want to get a personal idea of fitness, fatigue and performance curves try https://sporttracks.mobi. You can upload your Garmin runs and it will calculate the curves seen in those videos:

    fczd0ycylev0.png

    My curves - you can see how tapers work - reducing training improves performance, while fitness reduces slowly (and fatigue a little faster).

    This is very interesting to me. I like to know more about the specifics about all of this. You have any suggested resources to learn more about all this? Thanks for commenting @EvgeniZyntx.