December 2016 Running Challenge
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@Elise4270 - love the violin picture! My boyfriend is a violinist working towards a Masters of Music in performance so he spends a lot of time practicing at home; our cat loves the sound! Turns out she is afraid of the cello though... haha. The violin is a beautiful instrument and definitely worth the work you put into it!1
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Update: 13.5/50
@RunRachelRun - nice snow
@RespectTheKitty - nice PR!
@Elise4270 - looks great
@skippygirlsmom - that's awesome. Sounds like a great day.
@RunsOnEspresso - great run!
@MobyCarp - sounds like a good day to me3 -
@Elise4270 - love the violin picture! My boyfriend is a violinist working towards a Masters of Music in performance so he spends a lot of time practicing at home; our cat loves the sound! Turns out she is afraid of the cello though... haha. The violin is a beautiful instrument and definitely worth the work you put into it!
That's great to hear. I'm hoping she'll come around as I get better. Good luck to your boyfriend in his pursuits!
If i stood away from the bed she climbed up my front and just hung at my waist. Haha! Maybe she thought it was another cat.0 -
My goal is 50 miles this month. My job is crying for us to pick up overtime.
12/2....4.73 miles on the treadmill, rolling hills, pace at 13:20, average heart rate at 82% max.
12/4....2.85 miles on the treadmill.
12/7....3.52 miles on the treadmill, max heart rate at 88%, pace at 13:02.
12/9.....3.95 miles on the treadmill, max heart rate at 80%. pace at 12:45
Running these short distances has weirdly given my legs a break.
Total...15.05 miles
Goal....50 miles.
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Due to the Extreme Cold this Morning we cancelled our regular Saturday Morning Long run, one dedicated individual had to go out and do a 4km shorty just to rub it in. This morning -28C + Windchill = ~40C. Tonight -21C and zero wind.
5km along the River Bank trails in a light skiff of fresh snow. It was a 3 layer Day for Top and Bottom plus Dbl socks and Chemical Toe Warmers just as a precaution. I pulled my GoreTex Un-lined Ski-Pants out and used them as a wind proof layer for my Legs. I didn't realize it until I turned for home that the Vent Zipper on the back of my jacket was 1/2 open - got a little chilly as the wind was blowing on my back. Need to add a Pull Lanyard that I can grab with Mitts On so I can close it with out taking the gloves off.
December Running Goal 140km
12/01–0.0 km –140km – 0 km – YTD 1210.5 km
12/03–8.0 km –132km – 8 km
12/04–5.0 km –127km – 13 km
12/05–12.0 km –115km – 25 km
12/07–7.0 km –108km – 32 km
12/10–5.0 km –103km – 37 km – YTD 1247.5
Pretty Close to being On-Target for the Month.2 -
@RunRachelleRun Traction Aids are all ways a good idea - especially when you don't have a lot of experience with Snow Running. Stay safe. LOL at your
I have at least 5 Snow Shovels, 2 different sized ones in the back of my truck, one 40" pusher beside the top of my driveway, one 24" at the bottom of the deck and one 24" on top the deck.RunRachelleRun wrote: »Since no one here owns a shovel
@NikolaosKey Nice intervals, It's something I have never been good at - now that we are in the middle of the dark-cold of winter its not advisable as the risk of a Cold Weather Induced Cramp/Injury exceeds the Benefit.
@elise4270 Obviously that Cat has a Big Personality - Great Pic.
@skippygirlsmom Great job giving back to the running community by volunteering. Any time an injury kept me out of an event ( I was going any way with my friends ) I would join in as a volunteer. Did a water Station at the local community race, Traffic control at a Tri-Athlon and Corner volunteer at a Mountain HM - Made sure everyone took the Right hand trail going up and the 2nd left coming down, it was a busy corner especially when you had the leaders coming down and the mid packers still coming up - if you had no experience running or volunteering you would need 2 people. I had Extra Flagging in my Pocket Which I used to Make a Dbl Arrow for the Downhill Folks.
@kristinegift That's a nice little Fun Run. Be Patient on the Car, make them come to you if you can. My personal habit is before I will close on a Used Vehicle they have to " Loan/Multi-day Rental at 0$ " it to me as a courtesy vehicle so I can do a 2-4 hr drive and get an independent ( AMA ) Vehicle Inspection. As a Bit of a Gorilla a lot of vehicles get un-comfortable if I have to spend any amount of time in them.
@MobyCarp We are worst judges when it comes to self evaluation - especially when recovering from an injury. I think you did a great job. Cross Country - "Bushies" are a different beast - strangely I rather enjoy them - I find it easier to relax and enjoy the scenery and get into a natural - unconscious rhythm that seems to flow.
@ariceroni Glad to hear that your PhD is completed
and that you are getting back on track. Good luck on the 5K - Just protect yourself from re-injury: Bail out completely or drop to a walk rather than risking a re-lapse. That is probably the biggest lesson I picked up this year from my own experience ( Calf ) and from MobyCarp. 0 -
@Calvin2008Brian I've never seen a running track at the sports domes around it, but it makes great sense. I sometimes will go to the Bloomington high schools where they have a 1/7th mile track but I'd much rather be in a cooler place like that dome.
@RespectTheKitty great job on the PR!
@elise4270, I love the cat checkin' things out!
@RunsOnEspresso how appropriate that you ended up at a Starbucks. You might want to consider running the next long run with the same fueling strategy as your race so you make sure it's going to work for you. You'd hate to be surprised by stomach issues on race day.
@kristinegift if they won't budge on price perhaps you can talk them into throwing in a half dozen oil changes? One thing I tell the dealer when I buy a car is that I don't want the dealer sticker on my car or a dealer license plate holder. I have a thing about allowing them to advertise for free on my car. Of the 3 cars for which I've made this demand, the last dealer "forgot" and had a sticker on it so I walked out of the place back to my car while the salesman chased after me apologizing. I gave them 5 minutes to get the sticker off. Maybe I was being an *kitten*, but I felt it was a simple request.
@mobycarp congrats on the great finish!
@ariceroni why to kick some PhD butt! wow! I'mg glad life is going great for you now!
@juliet3455 I don't know if I could wear my shoes with double socks and a warmer. too tight!
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It was a tough run, but I got 15 miles in with the traildog, which is a new distance PR for him.
The first 2+ miles were my first miles with my Altra Lone Peak's. These are my first zero drop shoes so I'm easing into them in light of my recent Achilles issues. One aspect I love about them is the very wide toe box. They almost look like clown shoes. I was going to take a picture but my phone was messed up from the cold. The shoe will take some getting used to but I think I'm going to end up liking them. I'll certainly need more miles to come to a conclusion.
I started the run fairly cold. Just as I literally hit the trail, a runner popped out whom I knew so I spent 10 or 15 minutes talking to him. Of course I wasn't dressed for just standing there and by the time I finished, my toes were very cold and soon numb.
The last 12+ miles were with my Cloudventures. I still love 'em! My toes were so cold after the first short run I had to sit in my truck with the engine on until I could warm them back up. I was fine after that. With 3 or 4 miles left I got really tired and ended up walking up most of the hills on the way out. When I got to my truck i started getting the chills and even now am bundled up.
I've got a fun run planned for tomorrow so I better get to bed.
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I haven't been on for a day and was 7 pages behind - wow!
I was able to get my long run in on Friday as I took the day off so Hobbes could compete in his first Rally trial. We had a nice long rung to hopefully workout some of our nervousness. I thought he crashed and burned at the trial but the judge must not have taken many points away because he qualifed and came in 5th. Last night I had tickets to see Jim James in concert and didn't get home until after midnight and had to be up early for an appointment. When I finally got home I just crashed on the couch with Hobbes and watched the Army Navy game. I am pretty sure Hobbes thinks he is somewhere like Chicago where it is really cold based on his need to be under a blanket, instead of So California
I am sort of tapering for my HM next weekend. I haven't decided if I will run tomorrow or not but for sure I will run M-W-F, head to San Diego on Saturday and race on Sunday. This is my 4th year running this race so I know the course and what to expect and I am really looking forward to it!
@7lenny7 and @Virkati - I have heard of Mushers Secret. It is supposed to work really well. As noted above Hobbes is sure that it is freezing here. He gets cold when it is in the high 40s, low 50s here but he doesn't have the nice undercoat that Kody has to keep him warm.
@MobyCarp - Nice job on your race after your injury! Bend is beautiful and I would love to run there but it is tough to get there. I think you have to fly into Portland or Eugene and drive there.
@skippygirlsmom - That is such a neat idea for the kids marathon!
@Elise4270 - Love the picture!
@RunsOnEspresso - I have always wanted to run into Starbucks at the end of or even in the middle of a run but have been too embarrassed to go in a sweaty and gross and then what do I do with Hobbes... I have considered maybe I could run up to the drive through window though
@kristinegift - hang tough with those car sales people! Also note sometimes you can get better deals later towards the end of the month when they are trying to close out for the month/year. December is also one of the highest months for car sales so they may think they have no reason to lower the price for you. Like @ddmom0811, I don't do car negotiating - I hate it.
Date........Miles.....Total
12/01......0.00......0.00 - + Rally
12/02......4.30......4.30
12/03......0.00......4.30
12/04......3.62......7.92
12/05......6.23....14.15 - Birthday run + Agility
12/06......4.53....18.68 - + Strength Training
12/07......0.00....18.68
12/08......5.91....24.59 - + Strength Training and Rally
12/09......9.35....33.94 - + Rally Trial
12/10......0.00....33.94
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10K tempo run today. Was 7C and sunny so I thought just about perfect for it. Felt very hot on the way out, and was a bit faster than I wanted - 5K in 29:44 whilst I was aiming at 31min. Turned around into the headwind (11mph) and realised why I was hot/fast. I normally try to negative split any flat run over 10k, but given the wind decided I may have to settle for equal split but in the end was about 30s quicker coming back so that was pleasing.
Definitely need some grippier shoes for running the trails post rain though - At least I gave my stabilising muscles a good workout!
1-Dec: 6.2k easy run
2-Dec: 11.5k - 10k tempo plus warm up/cool down
3-Dec: 2.1k TM
4-Dec: 5.3k easy run
5-Dec: 21.7k long run
6-Dec: 8.3k 'tired' run
7-Dec: 3.1k TM
8-Dec: 5.3k easy
9-Dec: 12.6k easy
10-Dec: 2k short run
11-Dec: 11k - 10k tempo plus warm-up0 -
December Running Totals (miles)
12/1 – 8.08 warmup + speed work
12/2 – rest day
12/3 – 10.13 warmup + 5K race + easy 30 minutes
12/4 – 8.07 easy
12/5 – rest day
12/6 – 5.96 warmup, speed work, cool down
12/7 – 6.00 easy
12/8 – 3.78 easy
12/9 – 3.80 course preview
12/10 – 5.01 USATF Club Nationals Masters 8K
12/11 – 2.57 easy
December total to date – 53.40
Nominal Challenge Goal – 150 miles
Real Goals: Finish transition to healthy running. Use Club Nationals as a learning experience on managing air travel to a race. Build a base toward Boston training. Avoid re-injury
Today's notes – I thought I'd sleep late this morning and miss running because check out is at noon. But I lucked out; I caught an early ride back to the hotel to swap a few of us party poopers for some young kids who weren't ready to party when most of us left for dinner. So I got to bed at a decent hour, and woke just before 6. My roommate and I went out for a short run. He held me close to a 9 minute mile, which was okay. It wasn't very far, but it's psychologically much nicer to have run than to miss running for a day because of travel. It was also nice to run at 48º F (9º C) instead of the 28º F (-2º C) and snow showers that the Weather Channel is reporting for home right now.
And now I have some leisure time to shower, pack, get checked out, and figure out how I'll get to the airport.
2016 races:
January 1, 2016 Resolution Run 7.5 mile (Mendon, NY) finished in 53:58
January 9, 2016 Winter Warrior Half Marathon (Gates, NY) finished in 1:30:59
March 12, 2016 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green 5 mile (Rochester, NY) finished in 32:32
March 26, 2016 Spring Forward Distance Run 15K (Mendon, NY) finished in 1:05:24
April 18, 2016 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA) finished in 3:23:01
April 24, 2016 Flower City Challenge Half Marathon (Rochester, NY) finished in 1:36:50, targeting MP
May 15, 2016 Highland Hospital Lilac Run 10K (Rochester, NY) DNS - injury
June 19, 2016 Medved 5K to Cure ALS (Rochester, NY) DNS - recovering from face plant
July 16, 2016 Shoreline Half Marathon (Hamlin, NY) finished in 1:31:11
August 13, 2016 Bergen Road Race 5K (Bergen, NY) finished in 19:07 (5K PR)
September 4, 2016 Oak Tree Half Marathon (Geneseo, NY) finished in 1:31:37
September 18, 2016 Rochester Marathon (Rochester, NY) DNF a mile from finish
October 15, 2016 Finish Strong 15K (Hilton, NY) DNS – Achilles tendonitis
October 22, 2016 Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K (East Rochester, NY) DNS – Achilles tendonitis
November 24, 2016 Race with Grace 10K (Hilton, NY) finished in 42:38, First Senior (60+) Male
December 3, 2016 Freezeroo #1 (Don Curran Memorial 5K) (Gates, NY) finished in 20:06
December 10, 2016 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships 8K (Tallahassee, FL) finished in 33:38
2017 races:
January 1, 2017 Freezeroo #2 (Resolution Run 7.5 mile) (Mendon, NY)
January 7, 2017 Winter Warrior Half Marathon (Gates, NY)
January 14, 2017 Freezeroo #3 (Pineway Ponds Park 5 mile) (Spencerport, NY)
January 28, 2017 Freezeroo #4 (Hearnish 5 mile) (Victor, NY)
February 11, 2017 Freezeroo #5 (Valentines Run "In Memory of Tom Brannon" 8 Mile) (Greece, NY)
February 25, 2017 Freezeroo #6 (White House Challenge 10K) (Webster, NY)
April 17, 2017 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)
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@patrikc333 What kind of bike are you buying? I bought my first road bike this summer, and was surprised how much more fun it is to ride it compared to my old bike. I didn't do any really long rides, but for the first time in my life, I've gotten into the habit of taking the bike to work instead of the car when it doesn't rain.
@greenolivetree Sorry about your knee & shin pain! Rest sounds like the best decision, take care.
@Virkati That's great news that the interview went well, congratulations!
@MrsLeonard2016 and @sdphil90 and @nats2508 Welcome!
@shanaber That's too cute that Hobbes thinks he needs a blanket. Totally understandable though, I also think blankets (and hot chocolate) make a TV evening much more comfortable.
@MobyCarp That Florida christmas decoration photo made me laugh - a tiny bit of fake snow for the Santa next to the palm trees?
I've once visited relatives in Argentine for Christmas, and we had a barbecue at the pool on christmas eve, that felt even weirder.
@lissadecker Glat that your ankle feels better. Regarding the freezing toes on the bike ride: I have the same problem right now! On Wednesday I put some plastic bags over thin socks, that helped a lot more than thick wool socks did; but I will probably at some point buy some neoprene overshoes as somebody suggested over in the cycling thread.
@Calvin2008Brian I've never run on an indorr track. So you did 52 laps? Wow, that sounds like a lot. I don't even want to do the math for what the "indoor marathon" would look like. Good that you had company!
@RespectTheKitty Congratulations on the PR!
@Elise4270 I love the picture of you with the cat and the violin! The cat looks like she thinks humans are crazy.
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Not much running for me in the last couple of days. I didn't get enough sleep in the night from Wednesday to Thursday - picked a colleage up from the airport at 22:30 and drove her home, so I didn't manage to go to sleep before 23:30. Still had to get up at 4:15 to leave on a business trip of my own to Freiburg (Germany).
I was really tired at the end of the day, but rather than going for dinner and then to the hotel in the evening, it turned out to be the date of the local colleages' christmas party, with all-you-can-drink mulled wine. At some point I some of us really wanted food, so we went to a nearby pizza place - as it happens, one of my colleagues is friends with the owner, so we got as much free mulled wine as we wanted with our pizza... After that, everyone else went back to the party, but I went back to my hotel, changed into my running clothes and did at least a short run through the old town. I drank a lot less wine than everyone else, but in combination with the huge pizza I just ate, I was starting to feel sick, so I left it at 3.6km. Friday I got back home so late that I didn't do any running either.
Maybe I can make up for a bit of the missed distance today. I just looked at the weather for different villages to decide in which direction I should head for my long run to get a bit of sun. Sadly, they all have the same forecast:
Not as cold as some of you get, but really, "freezing fog"? Can a weather forecast sound less attractive?
At least I'll have warm ankles! The men's size pants I ordered arrived yesterday, and as I had hoped, they are a lot longer than the women's version:
Those three are all Under Armour winter running pants in size S - the womens ones already leave a large gap at the ankle when I'm standing straight, you don't want to see what happens when I bend the knees. It's really ridiculous - I'm not that tall (1,68m / 5ft6in), and the UA pants I bought two years ago fit me just fine, I don't know when they started making them so short. Guess I'll be buying the mens version from now on.1 -
@juliet3455 that sounds like nasty weather. I only had -20c and 4-8kmph winds when I ran yesterday, and that was bad enough!0
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_nikkiwolf_ wrote: »@Calvin2008Brian I've never run on an indorr track. So you did 52 laps? Wow, that sounds like a lot. I don't even want to do the math for what the "indoor marathon" would look like. Good that you had company!
I hadn't even thought about the number of laps until you said that. Ugh. Garmins work inside the fabric dome, so we weren't counting.
The indoor marathon two of my friends are doing is the Zoom! Yah! Yah! at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Something like 150 laps on a longer indoor track, and unlike our run yesterday they will get to change directions every 30 minutes. Zoom! Yah! Yah! has a great reputation as a well organized event. They limit the field to 40 runners and there is a lottery to get in. Each runner has his/her own personal lap counter from the women's cross country team. Runners really seem to adore this race.
I need to go clear my driveway, then decide whether that is my cross-training or whether I'm going to the gym. It's a winter wonderland out there with 7" of fresh snow and more still falling.
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Question for those of you who plan out your running/racing season, Right now I have my marathon set for June 17, and that is my entire focus for the next 7 months, but after that 2017 is a complete blank, other than the obvious recovering and probably a mud run in August with work. How do you decide what to do?0
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@7lenny7 Thin Compression socks and Smart wool, so not a lot of extra volume. I needed the thin socks so the Chemical Toe Warmer was not in direct contact with the skin. When I buy my shoes I bring a smart wool sock with me and do the fit test with single and then double socks just to make sure they are a 4 season shoe. I learned that lesson the Hard way. Ironically it is a standard test for work boots but never did it with athletic shoes before getting into running.0
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@juliet3455 that makes sense. I wore a thicker sock yesterday in my run and it felt a bit snug, though no unmanageable. Maybe I'll need to buy a few pair of winter running shoes one size up
@MNLittleFinn What did you ever decided about the Med City HM?
My main 2017 race is a 50k trail ultra in the end of April. Here are the rest of my races:
Upcoming Races & Events
01/28/2017 - Securian Winter Half Marathon - St. Paul, MN <- I got in cheap, they have great swag, and it's a winter race
02/25/2017 - PsychoWyCo Run Toto Run 20 Mile Trail Race - Kansas City, KS <-Warm-up for the 50K
04/29/2017 - Chippewa 50K Trail Race - New Auburn, WI <-MAIN RACE
05/24/2017 - Endless Summer Trail Running Series, 10K - Eagan, MN <- Awesome weeknight trail race series on my "home turf"
06/??/2017 - Dan Patch Days 5K - Savage, MN <- Hometown 5K...gotta do it
07/04/2017 - 4th of July Road Race 10K - Red Wing, MN <-very small race near our boat slip
07/12/2017 - Endless Summer Trail Running Series, 7Mi - Eagan, MN<- Awesome weeknight trail race series on my "home turf"
07/19/2017 - Torchlight 5K - Minneapolis, MN <- Huge weeknight race with thousands of spectators, party at the end
08/02/2017 - Endless Summer Trail Running Series - Bloomington, MN <- awesome weeknight trail race series
08/30/2017 - Salomon Autumn Trail Series - Bloomington, MN <- Nice weeknight trail race series
09/13/2017 - Salomon Autumn Trail Series - Bloomington, MN<- Nice weeknight trail race series
09/??/2017 - Outrun Hunger 5K - Savage, MN <- Our church puts this on, my main 5K
09/27/2017 - Salomon Autumn Trail Series - Bloomington, MN<- Nice weeknight trail race series
10/11/2017 - Salomon Autumn Trail Series - Bloomington, MN<- Nice weeknight trail race series
So for me it boils down to
Pick a main race
Pick a race or two to build up to it
Pick other races based on schedule, cost, and fun factor
If I were a more serious runner, or had more time on my hands I might pick more "goal" races but for now, this works for me and my family. Note that of those 7 midweek trail races, I only made 3 last year. They're cheap though. $25 for the Endless Summer races and $15 for the Salomon Autumn Trail races (if you register for all at once). I like cheap races. i won't pay $40 for a 5K and even have a hard time with $30 or more unless it's a really good race. All my 5K and trail races listed above will be $25 or less. The HM was just $40. The 50K was $45. The 20Mile will be the expensive one at $90 or $100 depending on when I sign up, but it includes a hoodie, many kegs of craft beer and chili at the end. Most importantly, it's the only prep race that fits my criteria for length and timing.0 -
It looks like 6 or 7 inches of fresh snow outside. Time to go run!!!3
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@7lenny7 pretty much decided to no go on it. I'm too competitive, if I run a HM, I'll want to go fast. Looking at targeting a fall HM after marathon recovery,and hopefully go for a sub 2. That's the general plan anyway, have to look for the HM to go with2
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Hi!
Goal for December: 120k
12/1: 8k
12/2: 2.2k (warmup for strength training)
12/5: 6.8k
12/6: 6.8k intervals
12/7: 2.1k (as a warmup for strength training)
12/9: 10.2k (easy run, quad testing)
12/10: 8.7k (intervals)
12/11: 6k
50.8/120k
Very problematic run the last one. All was well until 2k then I had a sudden pain in my inner thigh. Walk a bit and continued my run for about 2k at beach sand and things got better. @juliet3455 In my case its not the cold weather affecting my leg's muscles since we have like 12 oC here. I blame the surface I am running which 90% of my runs is asphalt. As soon as I started to run at the beach the pain settled down. I must remind myself to alternate surfaces. The thing is that I dont have a track&field stadium close by so I must use the sand more often
Races:
12/18: Tour of Drama 10k0
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