July (2016) Running Challenge

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  • CarmenChaban
    CarmenChaban Posts: 33 Member
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  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    @katharmonic go with the local race. I just ran my first HM yesterday, and I'll say having folks to cheer you on is a HUGE benefit at a first HM, and having someone run you in the last mile is awesome!

    You can always to the other one later, but for your first, go local. Even if it is ":boring" knowing the route is a huge advantage that will help you also.

    So, my two cents, run the local one this time, a first HM is special enough, and the support you'll have will more than make up for it not being a "destination" HM.
  • DayLi77
    DayLi77 Posts: 655 Member
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    @PoppetsMaster deactivated again. :-(

    I was wondering where he went! :(
  • 5512bf
    5512bf Posts: 389 Member
    7/1 - 11.5 Easy
    7/2 - 5.86 Recovery
    7/3 - 18.11 Long Run
    7/4 - 2.0 Strength Training Warmup
    7/5 - 9.0 Tempo

    total 46.47 of 289

    Going into this run I knew it was going to be a lung searing killer. The temperature at 6 am was 77 degrees and the humidity was 90%. My training plan called for a 9 mile run with 5 in the middle at between 15k pace and HM pace, or basically just below threshold. Since I'm not certain what my 15k pace would be I thought I'd just run my HM Pace minus :15, hoping to hit 8:15-8:20 pace. My watch was in workout mode so it wasn't giving me mile splits and I had it on the HR screen monitoring that. HR kept bumping into zone 5 so I had to keep dialing it back a little so I figured my times would suffer even though the pace seemed comfortable. I was just going to chalk it up to heat/humidity so when the watch spit out 40:03 for the 5 mile tempo I was rather shocked. Can't really ask for much more out of a run in these conditions.

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  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    katharmonic wrote: »
    Can I ask for opinions on which half marathon to sign up for? I think I mentioned this before but I really need to decide and I keep changing my mind. Maybe if I talk it out some more with you all I'll make a decision. Choices are:

    1. Empire State Half Marathon (Oct 9) - local race, no logistical challenges, I run on the course frequently and know it well, flat, will know people running it including many of my running group, will have people to cheer me on and one person has offered to run me in the last mile or so.

    2. Niagara Falls International Half marathon (Oct 30) - beautiful course ending at the falls, flat to net downhill, closed course so not a lot of spectators, don't know anyone else running the half but do know a couple of people running the full, will need a hotel (already reserved just in case) but the logistics are not bad (bus right from hotel to start). Chance of being very chilly.

    This is my first half marathon and I'm looking to FINISH and show myself I can do it. I'm in a HM training group with a coach so should be ready for either one although I am no where near ready now. I feel like the Niagara Falls one will be more special and I don't mind the hotel cost, would be a mini vacation. But I'd be on my own. The local race I would feel very supported but worry that it won't feel very special, maybe even boring?

    What say you all?

    That's tough. Just do them both :smiley: If you have to just pick one...... hmmm.

    Niagara sounds like the one you want to run. I've traveled for the 3 HM's I've done, all 2-3 hours away. If I did a local one, I may not take it seriously either, and I don't plan on doing the local one either. So I see what you mean there.

    My vote, train up and do them both. Go easy on the empire state, have fun and get it done. Rest, recover and eat, then PR on the Niagara.
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    katharmonic wrote: »
    Can I ask for opinions on which half marathon to sign up for? I think I mentioned this before but I really need to decide and I keep changing my mind. Maybe if I talk it out some more with you all I'll make a decision. Choices are:

    1. Empire State Half Marathon (Oct 9) - local race, no logistical challenges, I run on the course frequently and know it well, flat, will know people running it including many of my running group, will have people to cheer me on and one person has offered to run me in the last mile or so.

    2. Niagara Falls International Half marathon (Oct 30) - beautiful course ending at the falls, flat to net downhill, closed course so not a lot of spectators, don't know anyone else running the half but do know a couple of people running the full, will need a hotel (already reserved just in case) but the logistics are not bad (bus right from hotel to start). Chance of being very chilly.

    This is my first half marathon and I'm looking to FINISH and show myself I can do it. I'm in a HM training group with a coach so should be ready for either one although I am no where near ready now. I feel like the Niagara Falls one will be more special and I don't mind the hotel cost, would be a mini vacation. But I'd be on my own. The local race I would feel very supported but worry that it won't feel very special, maybe even boring?

    What say you all?

    If this is your first HM, it will always be special. My first HM was a local race (the Bridge Street Half) and it is always special to me. I ran it 3x already. We basically run this area twice a week, and we fit our long runs on Saturday as part of this course.

    The Niagra Falls one does sound very nice. You can't go wrong for wanting to do this one either. If it were me, I would sign up for both. Enjoy the Niagra Falls one and do not worry about racing it so hard.

  • ddmom0811
    ddmom0811 Posts: 1,881 Member
    @9voice9 - great job! Congrats and great report too! I salute you for running in that heat! Amazing!
    @MNLittleFinn - awesome job! I like to do a very slow run the day after a HM. Well, I've only run 2 of them, but that's what I did!
    @skippygirlsmom - such a cute picture!
    @Elise4270 - so excited your son has the running bug! Congrats!
    @kristinegift - my daughter said her run in NYC felt like running in the FL this morning too. But I had to correct her on that one!

    I was dreading my run because of the Florida temperatures but I wasn't about to have another rest day! I should have left a little earlier than I did because it is just so hot. When school is out it is harder to get up! I had to cut it short because our poor little dog has been in the kennel for 15 days and I could finally go get him at 8am. So I rushed back from run to change and went in there all sweaty. Poor little guy - but he's as happy as ever and glad to be home!

    Anyway, yeah, it was hot and miserable as far as temperature/humidity goes, but I just took it very slow.

    7/1 - 5.23 miles in Washington
    7/2 - 3.7 miles in Washington
    7/3 - flying home all day - no running.
    7/4 - :disappointed: couldn’t ride with friends today because of very late flight.
    7/5 - 4.5 miles - back in the Florida heat



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  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    edited July 2016
    7/1 - 2 miles
    7/2 - 5 miles
    7/3 - 3 miles
    7/4- hiking day with Skip
    7/5 - 5 miles

    15 of 110 miles

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    @stoshew71 that is Dismal's Canyon in Phil Campbell. You can't run there, so much of the trail is too narrow and going through small spaces in the canyon but it's really pretty. E would probably love it. I saw Poppetsmaster bailed last week sometime.
    @shanaber Awesome job on the getting the virtual done, great picture. Skip told the coach her goal is to run in college. She (we) know that scholarship money at anything under a D1 school is hard to come by. But I understand if a coach wants you bad enough they can help you find academic money. UAH is a big engineering college here in town, not her field of choice but hey he will know coaches elsewhere and who is to say he'll be at UAH in 2 years.
    @ddmom0811 I really need to sign up for the HM next year, I would love to run it and to run on the track would be a highlight for this race fan.
    @Kristinegift yeah the weather and 8 sounds like it would be rough when you aren't feeling your best
    @9voice9 It's "sprinkling" with the holy water. We love our holy water (I'm Catholic). Love the picture. You placed great !!
    @lporter229 I like zucchini muffins :sunglasses:
    @MNlittlefinn blisters on your feet? ouch
    @katharamonic I would give different advice on the your first HM, though I might say sign up for both, I would definitely do the local as your first. I think crowd excitement and all is what makes it so much fun.


    edited to add more comments
  • ddmom0811
    ddmom0811 Posts: 1,881 Member
    edited July 2016
    Forgot to mention that the registration for the Daytona Beach Half Marathon on Feb 5th just opened up. I just signed up. I ran it last year and it was great. Very flat (except for a small bridge over the river) and February temps are generally perfect for running in Florida. Even though I'm not a race fan it was very cool running around the track - just 1 time and then down to the beach and back.

    https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/DaytonaBeach/DaytonaBeachHalf

  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited July 2016
    @MNLittleFinn - Congrats again on running that first half! Hopefully you are feeling a lot better about how you did. Many people can not run their first half all of the way through, and it is normal to have your HR creep up later on as fatigue sets in. I'm sure the caffeine strategy will help in the future with that some, but you shold still see your HR creep up and at that point it's about cardio and muscular endurance over that last 5k which just requires more training and development. You did great!!! As for recovery time, give yourself a week at least. Do a test walk for a mile or two before doing a test run, and keep your runs in the recovery zone for at least that whole week. Heck, as I read further it looks like @Stoshew71 has already given you all of the advice you need! :lol:

    @9voice9 - Great race recap and congrats on doing well in spite of the heat and humidity! I'm not so keen on the idea of travel for races either. I'm loving the idea of meeting others in some of the upcoming events though. If my wife was also a runner things would be different as we would both want to run in other locations, but at the moment it would be her tagging along on my "runcation" which I know is not ideal for her.
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    @PoppetsMaster deactivated again. :-(
    He'll be back! :smile: We could start a pool on what his new username will be.

    I hadn't planned on a rest day today but I still am unsure how to plan my running with the added strength stuff. All that combined with yesterdays 5k meant I slept in, felt great, and am not running today. Will get my daily single-set strength exercises in though. I'm looking forward to being able to get that daily run in with that mix as well. I just have to build to that point still.

    7/1 - 0 miles for me but 3 for Black Toe Month (BTM)
    7/2 - Nada, just strength exercises (sorry BTM)
    7/3 - 0 miles for me but 2.5 for BTM
    7/4 - 0 miles for me, 7 for BTM
    7/5 - No running today because I'm such a wimp!

    0 of 100 miles completed for me
    12.5 of XXX miles completed for BTM

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  • _nikkiwolf_
    _nikkiwolf_ Posts: 1,380 Member
    edited July 2016
    TresaAswegan wrote: »
    juliet3455 wrote: »
    TresaAswegan wrote: »
    I have been back at it for a few weeks now and I have done some slow intervals, which have been going well! I have been doing about 2-3 miles at a time of running/walking combined, so I think I am going to go for 45 in July!
    And one question.. there is a local half marathon/5k coming up September 24. And I kind of got the idea it might be fun to walk/run the half!!

    @TresaAswegan Have you taken part in previous races?
    If the answer is no I would suggest you start with some 5km events - all the speed demons will be at the front of the starting pack so to prevent potential passing conflicts start near the back of the pack in front of the walkers.
    Once you have completed a few 5 km events and managed to get a few longer runs ( 7-9km ) then find a 10km event. Have fun.

    I have probably done around 15 5k races, so I'm pretty familiar with the format for shorter races.

    Thanks for the replies! Sounds like everyone thinks I am better off to wait. Just getting excited haha.
    @TresaAswegan I think if you really want to do it, especially if you already did lots of 5k races, don't have a time time, and don't mind walking some of it, it should be possible.
    There's HM training plans like the "Novice 1" by Hal Higdon that take 12 weeks (just as long as you still have) and assumes "you have the ability to run 3 miles, three to four times a week". If you combine that with some Jeff Galloway-like Run-Walk-ratio, you should be able to finish it. Although you'll probably have a lot more fun if you train for a 10k instead, and maybe do your first half marathon next spring.


    @katharmonic My first half marathon was a big event, and I absolutely loved it. In the first part (out in the countryside), there weren't any spectators, but lots of other runners, some entertainment at the aid stations, and I'd never run the route beforehand. So it never felt boring. Then there were lots of people along the course for the second half. I didn't have any supporters cheering me on personally, but there were so many people around, I never felt lonely. I've never run a race on a course I know from training, so I can't really judge on how interesting that would be.
    If they aren't too expensive,I'd probably do as @Elise4270 and @Stoshew71 suggested and consider running both ;) Three weeks in between should be enough time to recover, and running at the Niagara Falls sounds awesome!
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    @WhatMeRunning I took a 2.66 mile walk this mornig with my little guy in the stroller. I feel better walking than I do still. I'll be resting and listening to my body this week and see how next week looks. I have 11 weeks until my next HM, so I've got time, as I have a good base already, from the last training cycle.

    One of the good things about this experience was that it convinced me that I made the right decision not switching to a full this fall.
  • louubelle16
    louubelle16 Posts: 579 Member
    @katharmonic If I were you, I would do the Empire State Half this year and Niagra Falls next year, when you've been running for longer and will be able to enjoy the scenery more. For your first, you need all the simplicity and support you can get, plus it can be quite a hard battle round. That means you might not spend as much time enjoying the sights than if you were a more seasoned runner. Your first will be awesome anyway, even if it is on your usual routes - the race day atmosphere and having all the cheering and support around you really do make it incredible.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    @katharmonic - I also would do both if you think you can swing it. Running your first one in a familiar area with friends and crowd support will help take away some of those first race jitters. I would take it easy and have fun and get a feel for how the distance feels in a race environment. Then rest up for a few weeks, decide on a pace that you feel is good for you and hook up with that pace group for Niagra. It sounds like a great destination race and running with a pace group is a good way to find motivation and support in an unfamiliar race. Good luck!!
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  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited July 2016
    @MNLittleFinn - I agree about the full being unwise this early on. Everyone is unique in how they develop to longer distances due to varying physical backgrounds, current health, age, build, etc. But the thing that everyone does have to develop (only the lucky few can do this unknowingly) is develop supporting muscle endurance and strength. Your primary running muscles will approach or reach fatigue for most runners in HM's or fulls at which point you are no longer relying on those muscles to keep you going as you are supporting muscles, and this is where you slow down and in worse cases form breaks down. In an interesting twist, the stronger your supporting muscles are, the more they can contribute to your efforts and help your primary muscles endure longer. Running alone will build these up slowly, but takes a longer time because they are not being directly stressed until you get to a certain level of fatigue. You can also work on them ahead of time (pretty much what I'm focused on now) but that often means sacrificing mileage for the added strength. It is hard to run when your supporting muscles are stiff and sore, even though your primary running muscles are doing fine. So it comes down to what you are willing to accept. For you to have built up to a full this fall there is less chance you could develop those supporting muscles appropriately to prevent a breakdown in form for a full, making finishing and/or recovery much harder.
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    Totally looking at cross training to do for help with my supporting muscles. Trying to find a good balance for running and XT that will get me in better shape for September.
  • DayLi77
    DayLi77 Posts: 655 Member
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    WhatMeRunning wrote: »

    He'll be back! :smile: We could start a pool on what his new username will be.

    LoneMaster, WolfPoppet? I feel like I'm forgetting one... ZenWolfMaster! :smiley:

    I take it this is a thing with him? Dropping out & coming back?
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    @greenolivetree I talked my husband into seeing a specialist for his asthma. He came back with a plan and several new meds. I'm not advocating for the pharmaceutical industry, but it has helped him greatly. No more hacking and wheezing.

    He smoked for ages, probably 25+ years, and he has decreased lung capacity, ~80% of what it should be. The asthma can cause lung scaring so it's important to get under control. You probably know all that though.

    Good luck with it!

    I was with a pulmonologist for about 2 years and then decided to drop it. It just wasn't helping. He tried me on like 6 different long-acting inhalers, all of which gave me horrible side effects, and I still had the same asthma attacks. Basically I can go months feeling fine then have a bad week or two. Taking the twice daily inhalers wasn't stopping that, so it was like flushing money down the toilet. So it's been about 16 months now since I decided to quit seeing him. Last summer I just hit up my regular doctor for some more albuterol and I'm still using that same inhaler as needed. I don't know what my lung capacity is but I don't think it's ever been great. I try not to dwell on how much better of a runner I could be with better lungs :-p
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    greenolivetree wrote: »
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    @greenolivetree I talked my husband into seeing a specialist for his asthma. He came back with a plan and several new meds. I'm not advocating for the pharmaceutical industry, but it has helped him greatly. No more hacking and wheezing.

    He smoked for ages, probably 25+ years, and he has decreased lung capacity, ~80% of what it should be. The asthma can cause lung scaring so it's important to get under control. You probably know all that though.

    Good luck with it!

    I was with a pulmonologist for about 2 years and then decided to drop it. It just wasn't helping. He tried me on like 6 different long-acting inhalers, all of which gave me horrible side effects, and I still had the same asthma attacks. Basically I can go months feeling fine then have a bad week or two. Taking the twice daily inhalers wasn't stopping that, so it was like flushing money down the toilet. So it's been about 16 months now since I decided to quit seeing him. Last summer I just hit up my regular doctor for some more albuterol and I'm still using that same inhaler as needed. I don't know what my lung capacity is but I don't think it's ever been great. I try not to dwell on how much better of a runner I could be with better lungs :-p

    Aw, I wish something simple made it better. I find it funny that you and my husband have seemingly simultaneous attacks.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    @ROBOTFOOD I read your story the other day and didn't have time to comment. Holy smokes man. That is a serious scare. Glad to hear that you are at least on the mend and cleared for some physical activity. Take it slow. It doesn't sound like something you want to mess with.
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    @skippygirlsmom Lol. I've been seeing this kitten being posted everywhere. I was wondering about it.

    @lporter229 Ya. It was kinda crazy. But thankfully I'm feeling normal now. I just have to to keep everything very easy for a while. I'm actually not going to do anything until that 5k. Just pool lounging and Netflix :smile:
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    @AdrianChr92 and @Somebody_Loved Great pics!

    @5512bf Nice workout :)

    @Elise4270 It's probably this doggone hot humid weather that has both your husband and I having trouble breathing! Feels like 100 here right now. Boo.
  • Mathsrunner
    Mathsrunner Posts: 93 Member
    1/7: 4.5 Miles
    3/7: 8.1 Miles
    5/7: 6.5 Miles

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