August (2016) Running Challenge

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  • ariceroni
    ariceroni Posts: 422 Member
    Thanks @katharmonic and @MNLittleFinn for the kind words!

    @shanaber - I wear the calf sleeve(s) while I run, and usually leave them on for a bit after the run. I've struggled with shin splints for a few years, worse in my left leg than in the right, and two tibial stress fractures (left also). Shortening my stride, stability shoes, and hip exercises have helped a lot but I still get pretty bad shin splints/calf pain that comes and goes, and the sleeves help with the pain. For a while, my shins were good enough that I didn't wear the sleeves at all. But about two months ago my left one started bothering me again, so I wear the one sleeve for longer runs (7+ miles) or fast runs. Twice now, I've felt my right shin/calf start to twinge so I wear a sleeve on that leg too for the next run or two. I guess I could always wear both instead of just the one, but they make my legs kind of hot and I don't really like to rely on the sleeve if I can avoid it. Plus it makes for a fun tan line- with all this summer running, my left shin is noticeably lighter than my right one :D
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    MNLittleFinn wrote: »
    OK. I need some help figuring out my Cutback week this. Last time around it was easier, because I was running less mileage, and wasn't being so hardcore about it. I've averaged 40 mpw the first 3 weeks of this training cycle. I'm trying to figure out how to structure or not structure my cutback. Normal weeks looked like:

    Mon: 4 miles
    Tues: 7-9 miles hillier
    Wed: 4-7 miles (depends on how many I ran on Tues)
    Thurs: 7-8 miles (Tempo run, Steady State Run or Cruise Intervals)
    Friday: 4 miles
    Sat: 10-14 miles
    Sun: Rest

    I'm aiming for like 25-30 miles for this week, so I can still run a 9-10 mile long run and will probably be running a Tempo Run of 30-35 minutes plus W/u and C/d on Thursday.

    Thinking about skipping tomorrow's run, but that's as far as I got. Any thoughts?

    Wait, you've been running 6 days a week? I thought you were pretty much a newbie runner like me who's reached doing a HM. (I run 4 days a week.)

    Distances in miles (as I've said previously) turn my brain to mush, but my thoughts are to just cut back to 4 days a week and run easy. It's supposed to be a cutback week. :smile:

    IIRC you've been really pushing it lately. I'm totally in awe, but just a bit worried you might push it too far, old beast. xoo
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Welcome, @luluinca @TravelBear87 @smillerrr21 and other newbies I'm sorry if I've missed! I hope you grow to love this running challenge community as much as I do. :heart:

    @Ohhim I'm suddenly struck dumb and in awe of your Gasparilla 15K - Feb 20 - 1:01:59. Marathons and ironmans aren't on my radar, but I have some reference for a 15K and that just amazes me! I'm happy I'm doing 1:30:00!

    @vandinem Oh, dear, so sorry about your sore foot! I hope it's fine after your wise plan of 2 days off. My very best wishes.

    @ariceroni Wow, awesome 10K race time! Very impressed here. And damn, you look great in your pic! :smile:
    katharmonic wrote: »
    @louubelle welcome back from vacation. Uh, sorry about the relationship not working out. Sounds like not quite the match for you anyway. Hope you got some running in!

    What the lovely @katharmonic said!

    Speaking of apps and Olympics, I want to watch the gymnastics (and the running when it starts) but the app keeps crashing on my iPad 2. Will have to try on my iPhone 6.

    I used to do gymnastics at school (got to level 5), and it gets me all nostalgic for when my back wasn't so temperamental!
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    Thanks for the welcome. Hubby and I went searching for a new running place for me. I've been running the hilly horse trails in my neighborhood with my dog since I started and the basketball court at my gym.....LOL. I don't do treadmills, they scare me. We found a nice park where he's convinced I'll be safe in the early morning hours and so I'm intending to try that one day this week.

    I also broke out my old HR monitor which I used to use for swimming. According to my last fitbit, which bit the bullet, my HR was generally in the 130 to 140 range when I felt like I was pushing my pace a little. I have no idea if that's a good target or not so I need to do some research.

    Also, last week I had the miracle cold that only lasted two days but last night it came back with a cough.........ugghhh, weirdest cold I've ever had. I'll take two days and see what happens then try to get back to the gym and running.

    I may have to lower my expectations this month already. :#
  • DayLi77
    DayLi77 Posts: 655 Member
    8/1.....rest day
    8/2.....3.25 miles run/ walk on treadmill
    8/3.....weights
    8/4.....2.4 miles run/ walk in the park (achy, asthmatic slog in the heat & humidity - bleah)
    8/5.....unplanned rest day: not feeling well
    8/6.....rest day <--still feeling ill :persevere:
    8/7.....yet another rest day, still sick :(

    Binge watched Olympics yesterday - - I love watching just about all of the events, although swimming, track & field, & gymnastics are my favorites. I'm one of those weirdos that loves to watch the marathon (I'm guessing there might be a few more fellow marathon-watching weirdos in this forum!) I've also recently gotten into soccer thanks to my BF & his soccer loving daughters. Hoping to do some weights today - so far I'm feeling better than yesterday - then hoping to get back at running tomorrow.

    @skippygirlsmom congrats to Skip on her race!

    @ddm0811 I bet you'd be great at a triathlon, but I don't blame you for not wanting to swim with alligators & jellyfish! Yikes!!! @juliet3455 that was a very interesting story about how you got into swimming & then running. I swam as a kid & considered that to be my best sport, but always in a pool. I didn't do any open water swimming. Thinking of giving a sprint triathlon a try - - but I'm staying out of alligator or jellyfish infested water! Sheesh! Luckily I think the only thing I'd run into in Lake Michigan is another swimmer. Perhaps a beer bottle or two.


    Goal: 40 miles
    5.64 miles done, 34.35 to go

    Upcoming Races:
    Stride Against Violence 5K - 10/16/16
  • 9voice9
    9voice9 Posts: 693 Member
    29.17% of 140 mile goal

    01-Aug: 5.11 miles
    02-Aug: 5.38 miles
    03-Aug: 5.57 miles
    04-Aug: 8.41 miles
    05-Aug: 5.69 miles
    06-Aug: 5.08 miles
    07-Aug: <Life Day>
    08-Aug: 5.60 miles
    09-Aug:
    10-Aug:
    11-Aug:
    12-Aug:
    13-Aug:
    14-Aug: <Life Day>
    15-Aug:
    16-Aug:
    17-Aug:
    18-Aug:
    19-Aug:
    20-Aug:
    21-Aug: <Life Day>
    22-Aug:
    23-Aug:
    24-Aug:
    25-Aug:
    26-Aug:
    27-Aug:
    28-Aug: <Life Day>
    29-Aug:
    30-Aug:
    31-Aug:

    exercise.png

    Upcoming Races:
    13-Aug: Apple-a-Day 5K, Macon
    27-Aug: John 316 Cancer Awareness 5K, Lizella
    05-Sep: Labor Day Road Race 10K
    10-Sep: Glazin' a Trail Donut Run 5K, Centerville
    17-Sep: Joshua's Wish 5K, Macon OR
    Race for Education 5K, Warner Robins
    24-Sep: Georgia Golden Olympics 5K
    01-Oct: Terry's Run 5K, Eastman
    22-Oct: S.C.A.R.E. 5K, Macon
    05-Nov: Ridge Run 5K, Macon
    12-Nov: Pecan Orchard 10K, Fort Valley
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    @ariceroni -Congrats on the 10K. Still a very good time. And don't worry about the slowing down. Just what you need to do great on your marathon!
    @louubelle16 -Sorry the relationship didn't work out. As others have said, probably not the one for you. Better to find out sooner than later.
    @katharmonic and @shanaber - I have a Starbucks about a mile and a half from my house. I often plan my long runs to end there. I take a baggie full of chocolate protein powder with me, add it to an iced Americano, and enjoy my recovery drink while I walk home. Couldn't be more perfect. And for the record, Starbucks has the BEST water. Maybe it's because it's after a long, hot, run, but I could drink a gallon of the stuff right there!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    1-stung by a bee yesterday. was told i shouldn't run today :(
    2-leg was doing well but woke up in pain this morning and a little swelling, putting run off till tomorrow just in case.
    3-1.66 mi and an 1hr of foam rolling class.
    4-nothing
    5-nothing yet. aerial yoga or a run maybe-might have a kidney infection. i have to wait for results
    6-nothing
    7-renfair. i walked 5 miles but no running
    8-slept in-recovering from faire


    exercise.png




  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    edited August 2016
    Aug 1-Rest Day
    Aug 2- 3.5 miles AM, 7.4 miles PM cruise intervals, 0.7 mile run with puppy
    Aug 3-5.9 miles
    Aug 4- 6 miles easy
    Aug 5- 5.5 miles speed intervals on the treadmill
    Aug 6- 10 miles easy with the group
    Aug 7- 10 miles with speed play
    Aug 8- rest day- Of course it's the nicest day we have had in weeks!

    I have a question about my Garmin heart rate monitor (FR220 with chest strap). Yesterday I did a 10 mile run with speed play which required me to do a two mile warm up and then do the first 0.25 miles of each mile in zone 3 with the remainder of the mile in zone 2. I kept getting unusual spikes on my heart rate when I was in zone 2. I would be cruising along in the 130-140 range, and then all of a sudden it would shoot up into the 150s-160s and even 170s at time. There was no change in effort, speed or elevation and it definitely didn't FEEL like it was that high. Then it would come right back down. I did not notice it happening when I was running in zone 3 though. I was running at paces of 7-7:20 and my heart rate stayed in the high 150s for the whole interval. It kind of had me worried a bit. The graph of the HR data does not look normal. Instead of gradual ups and downs, it's full of drastic spikes. Has anyone ever seen this before? Trying to figure out if it's a problem with my heart rate monitor or my heart!

    exercise.png
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
    8/1 - Intended to run 4, but oversleeping and a thunderstorm kept it from happening :-(
    8/2 - Bodypump class, followed by Abs/Core class. I may be too uncoordinated for this ab stuff...I feel like a bull in a china shop for sure.
    8/3 - 4.11 miles. Cool but foggy/sticky. Felt like running through a shower.
    8/4 - 5 miles on treadmill (Trek class). The Y was so humid, kinda felt like I was outside anyway.
    8/5 - Bodypump class.
    8/6 - 6.33 miles with HM training group.
    8/7 - Rest Day.
    8/8 - 4.25 miles. Felt good!

    exercise.png

    @_nikkiwolf_ - Yes! I never understand stoplight bouncers!
    @MandaNar - Yep...sometimes running helps you feel better, other times there is just no way.
    @Stoshew71 - I am not ready to say that...but it may be true. Midlife? Hope not. Though, I too never excelled at any sport. How was that nasty 20+ mile hill thing?
    @ereck44 - Yay! Thank you for the real world observation about knees! I am not going to ruin my knees by running! But, as my Mom just found out in the last year, if I hadn't lost 100+ pounds from my peak weight...I probably would've destroyed them both.
    @kristinegift - I am a total Olympics junkie! I seriously considered taking the entire two weeks off, just to veg out and watch...but the responsible part of me won out. I watched Georgia vs. Mexico too.
    @ariceroni - Congrats on the 10k! That's pretty amazing considering the 13.1+ the day before!


    Everyone - way to kick *kitten*! Collectively having a fantastic summer of running!

  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Date Miles today - Miles for August
    8/1 9 miles - 9
    8/1 4.5 miles - 13.5 << Daily Double
    8/2 9 miles - 22.5
    8/2 4 miles - 26.5 << Daily Double
    8/3 5 miles - 31.5
    8/4 9 miles - 40.5
    8/4 4 miles - 44.5 << Daily Double
    8/5 5.25 miles - 49.75
    8/6 20.97 miles - 70.72
    8/7 REST DAY
    8/8 7 miles - 77.72



    exercise.png

    Upcoming races:
    UAH 8K - 3/6 <<< 34:33 3 in AG
    Oak Barrel HM - 4/2 <<<< 1:38:00 3 in AG
    Bridge Street HM - 4/10 <<< 1:36:33 3 in AG
    PEO-AVN Team Day 5K - 5/4 <<< 19:10 (2.9 mi) 1 in AG 5 OA
    Cotton Row Run 10K - 5/30 << 44:57 PR
    Firecracker Chase 10.2 miler 6/25 << 1:20:22 1 in AG & 15 OA
    Rocket City Marathon - 12/10

  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    @karllundy The nasty 20+ miler wasn't too too bad. I was rather impressed with myself. There's was a point on the second time coming back over the mountain where the incline was the sharpest and went on and on and on that I thought this really sucks. Other than that, it wasn't too bad. The weather cooperated very well considering it was the first weekend in August.

    @ariceroni Great job on your half. I also found out that once I started full marathon training, the half distance didn't seem to bad anymore.

    Weather this morning continues to be nice. I work up late and didn't have time to put in a full 9, so I did 7 with every other mile at tempo for a couple of miles. Need to get my speed back after a summer of slower paced running. Actually, I am surprised that I was able to do what I did considering this weekend's long run.
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    edited August 2016
    8/1 - 40 mins total body strength + pilates, 20 min light cardio, stretching
    8/2 - 3 mi walk - .75 mi of which was running intervals to test out my leg
    8/3 - 3.1 mi walk - again I ran about .75 mi in short intervals, also a few tiny hill repeats
    8/4 - 20 min light cardio, 55 min strength&pilates
    8/5 - 3 mi walk
    8/6 - back to school shopping wore me out!
    8/7 - just totally being a lazy bum here....no excuse :(
    8/8 - 20 min light cardio so far

    Running Goal: 0 of 60 miles (adjusted down further due to leg pain)
    Non-running goals: Take my strength training more seriously this month/Lose 5lbs (dang it!)

    Well I was reading over the weekend but not posting so I won't try to catch up and comment on anything except this current page we're on :) I've been super tired which is not shocking considering the little sleep I've been getting. I napped Fri/Sat/Sun afternoons and I normally would nap only 1 day a weekend.

    Saturday I went out for tax-free back to school shopping in the pouring rain and ended up being gone 5 hours and I at least got 8000 steps but then I crashed. Sunday went to church then crashed again with less than 5000 steps for the day. Two days in a row without ANY official exercise is just not normal for me.

    I'm possibly depressed due to my lack of running :o My calf is totally better but I have one specific point of pain in my shin with high impact and I just can't bring myself to run on it. I don't want to trash my leg and end up worse off. At this point, I don't know when I'm running again. And the pain is really so mild. I've seriously had way worse pain from running "injuries". But something about this is giving me hesitation and I'm just not willing to risk it. So it's now been almost 2 weeks since my last real run.

    @lporter229 I wonder if your chest strap battery is going bad causing it to malfunction?

    @cljoe7 and @luluinca Sorry you both haven't been feeling well.

    @jazlynunbedacht Welcome to the group :)

    @Elise4270 2.9 still beats 0!



  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    Virkati wrote: »
    Hi everyone! I told @shanaber that I would drop in and say hi. I've been struggling for several months, stopped running, stopped checking in here too. I think I have a plan to ease back into it now. It may be another failed attempt, but I'm feeling like I'm on solid ground again. We'll see. The goal for this month will be a combined walk/run of 50.

    Yea! So good to hear from you! :heart:
  • _nikkiwolf_
    _nikkiwolf_ Posts: 1,380 Member
    edited August 2016
    @5512bf You really plan most of your runs in enough detail to hit exactly the goal distance? Wow, that's impressive!
    I have some rough ideas of "if I take a left here, it will be about 2kms longer than the other way", but that's it. My training plan was originally in miles, and the conversion leaves me with funny numbers (I refuse to run in miles, I only run kilometres ^^) - hard to take those serious. Last week I should have run twice 6.44 km (came out 6.73 and 6.20), twice 12.9 km (ended up 12.3 and 12.7) and once 27.4km (turned into 28.1)... 100m more or less are definitely a case of "*kitten* it, close enough" for me.

    @9voice9 That's great that you found a running partner at work! If he wants to do tris and hasn't done any running most of the year, he's really lucky that you are going to drag him out for some runs.

    @HonuNui Not sure I would call mowing 2 acres and mucking out the chicken coop lazy. More like... "active rest day"? ;-p

    @luluinca Coughs are the worst part of having a cold. Hope you get better soon!

    @KatieJane83 Great job on the 10 miles!

    @lporter229 My old HRM used to give me crazy spikes whenever I ran under power lines or across rail tracks. Could it be something like that? Or maybe you were running next to somebody with the same HRM, and the signals interfered with each other? I can't imagine your actual heart rate would do spiky things out of nowhere like that.

    @Virkati Great that you are back!

    @shanaber I haven't yet found any shorts where I could keep the phone in the pocket. Either they don't have any pockets that are large enough (the tights), or I can feel the phone bouncing around in the pocket (the shorts)...

    Actually, my good resolution for the next few short runs is sorting my running pants collection! I tore them all out of the closet on the weekend, as I was digging for something breathable (because summer...) yet long (to run a trail on Saturday and still wear shorts to work on Monday, without any shocked questions regarding all the scratches on my legs ^^ ). Can you believe I have 11 (yes, eleven!) running trousers? 7 short and 4 long. Out of all those, there are three that I actually wear, the others are retired to the bottom of the pile, because I don't like them for various reasons.
    I decided it's time to get rid all the ones I never wear (and maybe replace them with one or two nicer ones o:) ). Four of them went on the donation pile right away, because I still remember what's wrong with them: 1x no pockets (not even a tiny one for a single key), 2x shorts that try to transform into underwear when I run, and 1x compression tights that are so good at that compression stuff that they actually hurt.
    The remaining four are all loose black shorts; all short enough that I need to use body glide if I don't want chafing on my thighs, but if I recall correctly, at least two of those have "riding up issues" as well. Since they are all boring black, it's impossible to tell them apart. I'll have to go for a run in each of those to figure out which ones are tolerable and which ones have to go.
  • TattooedDolphinGirl78
    TattooedDolphinGirl78 Posts: 5,214 Member
    skippygirlsmom wrote: »
    I hadn't planned a rest day for today, but I was just exhausted when the alarm went off. I think the 10 yesterday took more out of me than I thought. So here's my contribution to the thread for today. :wink:

    Sometimes we just have to listen to our bodies. :) Love the pic!
  • DayLi77
    DayLi77 Posts: 655 Member
    @greenolivetree I wonder if wearing a compression sleeve like @ariceroni would help? It's tough to deal with feeling depressed from lack of your regular exercise endorphines (sp?) Hang in there!
  • TattooedDolphinGirl78
    TattooedDolphinGirl78 Posts: 5,214 Member
    womanofgod4893 wrote: »
    How do you highlight someones name like you guys do?

    Type "@" and follow with the name with no space in between (a little drop-down will show up when you get close to the name you want). Just click on it and continue your message. :smile:
  • 5512bf
    5512bf Posts: 389 Member
    @ariceroni

    I wore those CEP sleeves for a while and they really do help with shin splints. I've got screws, plates & rods hold both lower legs together so I had a lot of issues when I started running with lower leg pain. I'm hopefully through that period of my running life since I haven't needed them for about a year now. I do still wear the recovery socks which are amazing if you can sleep in long compression socks. I wake up with no swelling or shin/calf pain.

    @lporter229

    My 225 with the optical wrist HR monitor does that from time to time. It's typically when it's not making contact right. It normally happens right at the start of run but works itself out with a few minutes. With the chest strap it could be a battery, but I'd bet it just wasn't setting right. This is what mine looks like when it goes bonkers. This was from yesterdays 10 mile MP run. IT spiked to 174 then back to 80 then stayed solid about 142-146.

    vi4crq7oqupb.png
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    @skippygirlsmom Great pic. I wonder if my difficulty sleeping and feeling so tired is actually from the sudden decrease in activity.

    @cljoe7 I keep saying I'm gonna get calf compression sleeves. It's just frustrating that I have no pain with anything other than high impact. Every other day I check if I can run in place on the carpet or hop on it without pain, but it's still there.
  • 5512bf
    5512bf Posts: 389 Member
    8/1 - 2.23 - HS XC Practice
    8/2 - 6.0 - Easy
    8/2 - 4.15 - Easy
    8/3 - 15.03 - Easy
    8/4 - 6.0 - Recovery
    8/5 - 11.06 Easy + 3.47 @MP XC Practice
    8/6 - 7.0 Easy W/ 10 x 160M Strides
    8/7 - 10.22 MP
    8/8 - 4.38 recovery

    Total 69.55 of 285 miles

    Since my long run got cut short yesterday because of fear of getting zapped by lightning, I went ahead and ran a bit with the kids at XC Practice. I had mentioned a week or so ago how i loved running in a light rain, I'm over that now. I've been rained on last 5 days, sometimes to the point it was difficult to see where I was going. I'm now going to say how I love to run in 60 degree weather and see if that happens for a few weeks.

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