March 2017 Running Challenge

karllundy

3/1 - Hate starting a month on a rest day.
3/2 - 5.0 miles.
3/3 - Grrr...overslept this morning and have commitments after work. No run. Unwanted rest day!
3/4 - 6.0 miles.
3/5 - 3.1 'mill miles, then upper body weights.
3/6 - Life got in the way. Had to get kids up and going early.
3/7 - WINDY 4.38 miles.
3/8 - 3.45 'mill miles, then upper body weights.
3/9 - 4.8 treadmill miles at Trek class.
3/10 - Unplanned rest day.
3/11 - 4 'mill miles.
3/12 - 7 windy miles. Longest run in 5 months. Plus, negative splits...woot!
3/13 - Another rest day. I am totally slacking.
3/14 - 5.1 treadmill miles at Trek class. Lots of speed/"hill" combo today.
3/15- 3.42 treadmill miles, then upper body weights.
3/16 - 5.05 treadmill miles at Trek class.
3/17 - Bodypump, then 2.25 treadmill miles.
3/18 - 7.3 mile group run.
3/19 - 4.05 hot miles.
3/20 - Rest day.



I will try to catch up with you all later today...I am 10+ pages behind!

dkabambe

@autumnblade75 - shame about the lack of beer, but fab job in the race. My pace graphs never look as smooth as that!

dpwellman

I can't top drummers (really cool!) but i recall three experiences that come close
1. Just past mid-way point of The Bear in Linville, NC, the race course is lined by throngs of Celtic warriors
2. The guy at mile 8 of 2010 Myrtle Beach marathon holding a box of Krispy Kremes yelling "I got your gu right here!" More people should be like that guy.
3. And these guys:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGNEacVXRQg

The event is now called the Hillbilly Half. 'Bout time.

Bakins929

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

5 miles down this AM.

jts1981

2.55 in yesterday and 1.95 in today.

7lenny7

03/13 - 6.5 miles, 45 floors
03/14 - 7.0 miles, 55 floors
03/15 - rest
03/16 - 90 floors
03/17 - 100 floors
03/18 - 18.1 trail miles
03/19 - 20.2 road miles

Last week I started climbing the stairs in our office. Our building is 6 floors, so 5 floor each trip up and down. The above totals are over 3 or 4 breaks. It feels great to get that extra workout in!

Unfortunately, it was a case of too much, too soon, when compounded with my back-to-back long runs on the weekend.

Saturday I ran 18 miles on very hilly trails. I had no pain other than general soreness. I could really feel the fatigue from all the stairs last week. I wanted 20 miles but ran out of time. I was encouraged, though, that I really didn't feel like I needed any more recovery than usual, which lately isn't very much.

Sunday was a different story. After all the vertical, I went for a long, flat road route for the second half of a back-to-back long runs. The run started out wonderfully...general soreness, but nothing acute. I called this a "recovery" run in my log, but that was mainly to remind myself to take it SLOW. I failed. I was pressed for time and took the first half as I normally do a long run. Around mile 11 I felt a sharp twinge of pain in my lower calf. Two more times it happened in the next two blocks. I considered calling my wife to come get me, but instead slowed my pace and shortened my stride. That helped quite a bit and I able to continue without any additional sharp pain.

The damage, however, is done I fear. I'm confident it's my calf muscle and not my Achilles, though, and am hoping/praying for a quick recovery.

With seven runs of 18 miles or more this training cycle, including five of 20 miles or more, I feel like I'm ready for my ultra now, calf notwithstanding. There are 6 weeks to go before the race, so I do have the time to recover. I was planning a 30 mile run Saturday but that of course is probably not going to happen.

Rest day today then I'll see how it goes for the rest of the week. Hopefully I can start running Tuesday, but at a reduced distance. We'll take it day to day. An no more stairs until this completely clears up.

BeeerRunner

In the Dallas Marathon, FC Dallas had a spectator viewing area complete with their awesome drummers (don't ever go to one of their games with a headache!) Lol

In the Cowtown, there was a group around mile 18 to 19 that was handing out cups of beer!! Lol! No, I didn't take one, but if it was a 5K or 10K, I might have.

snowyne

3/1 - 3.5 mi.
3/2 - 4.0 mi.
3/3 - 4.2 mi.
3/4 - 4.0 mi.
3/5 - 3.5 mi.
3/6 - 3.1 mi.
3/7 - 3.5 mi.
3/8 - 3.2 mi.
3/9 - rest
3/10 - 3.1 mi.
3/11 - 3.0 mi.
3/12 - 4.1 mi.
3/13 - 4.0 mi.
3/14 - 4.7 mi.
3/15 - 4.1 mi.
3/16 - rest
3/17 - 3.2 mi.
3/18 - 4.1 mi.
3/19 - 4.1 mi.
3/20 - 4.0 mi.
March total: 67.4/100

dkabambe

So, just found out that as well as it going extremely well, my HM effort yesterday has helped contribute to me winning a runningheroes.com prize! (Technically though I had already run the required distance during the week so may have won anyway)

I've won an entry into the Wings for Life race in Cambridge, (or I can do as a virtual race). This looks like a fab idea of a worldwide synchronised catcher-car race so I'm going to definitely try to get up there that weekend. Check it out at http://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/

In addition, I've won a kit set from Puma comprising a technical tee, technical l/s top, shorts and a pair of Puma Speed Ignite trainers. Sadly I don't get to choose colours but given all free can hardly complain!

I'm off to buy some lottery tickets...

autumnblade75

@dkabambe you're not kidding about the lack of beer. It was a good race. My pace graphs never used to look so smooth, either - that's why I was looking to shadow a pacer. Looking closer, I guess I did speed up *some* when I left the pace group behind. But I think the work that I've done on my running playlist (finally went ahead and bumped everything up to 180 bpm) and steady runs on the treadmill have really helped me to keep consistent.

Congratulations to you, too, on your excellent first Half Marathon. Did they ever get the official times straightened out?

dkabambe

autumnblade75 wrote: »

Congratulations to you, too, on your excellent first Half Marathon. Did they ever get the official times straightened out?

Yes, fortunately got it sorted last night and I came in at 1:51:00 which totally shocked me. I had forgotten that as well as forgetting to stop it straight away I had started my phone well before the timer mats at the start so when my phone said 1:53:08, I was expecting a low 1:52. Now just waiting to see the photos.

autumnblade75

@dkabambe That extra 90 seconds or so on each end of the race will mess with you, every time. Throws off the data for the entire first mile, and skews the last split, too - but at least when you look at that one, you recognize that it's more than the 0.1, and "oh, yeah, I didn't hit the button right away because I was accepting a medal and being handed a water, and I'm not a juggler..."

ko4q

3/1 6
3/2 4.5 + 6 x strength circuits
3/3 8.5
3/4 6.2 + 60' athletic conditioning
3/5 7.5 EZ pace
3/6 7.25
3/7 4.5 + 6 x strength circuits
3/8 7.3
3/9 4.5 + 6 x strength circuits
3/10 8.75
3/11 6.2 + 60' athletic conditioning
3/12 7 EZ
3/13 7.25 with 2 x 1 miles at 10k, 4x 800m @ 5k
3/14 4.5 + 6 x strength circuits
3/15 6.4 (HARD!)
3/16 4.5 + 6 x strength circuits
3/17 8.15 8 x supersets (1200m)
3/18 7.2 +60' athletic conditioning
3/19 7.5 + lovely hike in the mountains
3/20 4.5 + 6 x strength circuits

128.2/175

Incredible weekend for running, Saturday was about as perfect as it gets (40F, overcast, slight humidity, no breeze). Did my usual 7.5 miles on Sunday and then took the kids on a nearby hike. They complained the whole way up, but it was lovely (but much much cooler and windy). Had a picnic, and made it down for a really nice afternoon out (minus the whining!).

RespectTheKitty

Congratulations to everyone who ran races over the weekend!

@autumnblade75 Is that Bolingbrook, IL? If so, I'm not too far from there. I may consider that HM for next year.

WhatMeRunning

Yikes! Hope that calf straightens out soon @7lenny

NikolaosKey

Hi all!

Aim: 120k

3/2: 1.5k -warmup for strenght training-
3/3: 11.6k -5.49 min/km-
3/4: 4.4k -wu and cd for strength training-
3/5: 10.7k -Perfect trail, a little bit tired at the end-
3/8: 6.5k -easy incline-
3/9: 8k -treadmill, intervals-
3/11: 6k -last shake out before race-
3/12: 13k -Trail Race-
3/14: 5k -cool down from race and from strength training-
3/15: 4k -cool down-
3/16: 6.2k -empty stomach early morning run-
3/20: 1.3k -walk/run at gym-

Well, nothig went good. After my morning 6.2k morning run I went for baskeball the same afternoon and guess what, my quad went bananas. It seems that running and basketball combination is bad idea, or my legs were/is extreme loaded. So, after 3 days of rest I test them today and still in pain. Patience, patience and again patience.
Oh and ofc I lost my race during 3/19...


SUM: 78.2/120k

Races:
4/2: Alexander the Great 10k

autumnblade75

@RespectTheKitty Yes, that's Bolingbrook, IL. It was a nice course. That one hill at around 11 miles was uncalled for, but otherwise, very nice. There was a steeper hill at around mile 6, but that one was Downhill, so I enjoyed it.

I'd ask if you were likely to be at the Shamrock Shuffle, but I'm pretty sure you mentioned that you really don't like crowds. I'm usually not a fan of big mobs of people, either, but I make an exception for that race.

ashcky

Goal: 40 miles
MTD: 41.71
104% of goal

3/1 - 5.48
3/2 - circuit training
3/3 - 4.02
3/4-5 rest
3/6 - 3.1
3/7 - circuit traininh
3/8 - 4.25
3/9 - rest
3/10 - 6.05
3/11-12 rest
3/13 - 5.19
3/14 - circuit training
3/15 - 4.22
3/16 - rest
3/17 - 5.16
3/18-19 rest
3/20 - 4.24

I met my goal so changing it to 50 miles!

_nikkiwolf_

Guess what I found in the mail today?



I ordered two pair of running shoes recently and the first of them arrived today: a pair of Saucony Cortana 4s!
I've had the same model in the past, and was convinced they were the best running shoes ever made. Least year I was really shocked when I learned that Saucony didn't make them anymore For a year now I've been trying to find another pair in my size anywhere. Whenever I would need new shoes, I'd first search for Cortanas at every shop I could think off, without luck. Until last week! I actually found an online shop selling them again. I'm sure I checked their website a few times over the past year already, so I couldn't quite believe it. Maybe they found a forgotten container in their warehouse or something? I ordered a pair right away.

Today was supposed to be a rest day (and I was even looking forward to that), but after opening the box, I couldn't resist going for a short run. And the shoes are every bit as perfect as I remembered them!

The other shoes I ordered (Altra Intuition 3.0) haven't even arrived yet, and already I'm considering sending them back and getting another pair of Cotranas. Or telling my sister our summer vacation this year is cancelled, and spending the money on ten pair of them instead

autumnblade75

@_nikkiwolf_ I support your shoe-buying plan. I am considering a similar strategy with my favorite Merrell Bare Access Arc 3's. There are still a few vendors that have a few orphan pairs, and I keep eyeing my bank balance vs. their price and wondering if I could get away with that many shoe boxes in the mail box...