April 2017 Running Challenge
Replies
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Date Miles MTD ------ ----- ------- Apr 02 5.0 5.0
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I don't know why it cut off the rest of my post. I am missing my run because of thunderstorms. I plan to move my Sunday run to Monday this week. The weather shoukd be better tomorrow. I have been running 3 days a week since October when I did c25k. The recommendation was not to run on consecutive days. When do you know if you are ready to run consecutive days? I run on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. I don't really want to reschedule Tuesday run too.
I think if you've been running 3 days a week since October, you're probably ready to run two back-to-back days or even add in an extra day (if you feel like that's something you want to do). It's been a few years since I've done the C25K program so I can't remember exactly how it's set up, but if it's possible for you to do two of the easier runs or maybe just got at a slower pace on Monday and Tuesday, I'd do that. When I run on consecutive days, usually the first day will be a harder run and the second day will be an easier run since my body is still recovering from the harder run.0 -
I'm in for 30 miles this month
4/2 -- 2.35 miles4 -
04/02: 12.1 mile long run, 9:35 pace
Total: 12.10 miles
Notes:
The first three miles of this run were rough! My legs were just so tired and felt like lead, and I just couldn't get into it. I had decided to shorten the run to eight or ten miles, but then something clicked 3.5 miles in and my legs stopped feeling so awful! The rest of the miles went by quickly and I managed to keep my HR lower than I usually do for long runs Which is a good thing! Because I am still running a little too fast on my long/easy runs I think.
Training For:
04/23: Ravenswood Run, 5K (Chicago)
05/21: Chicago Spring Half Marathon
10/08: Chicago Marathon
11/26: Space Coast Half Marathon (Cocoa, FL)4 -
@kgirlhart - I didn't start running on consecutive days my first year of running. I don't know how to advise the best way to do it, but I'm happy to share my experiences. I ran 3-4 times/week that first year of running, basically every other day. One thing I recall reading that I believe applied to me, but maybe not to all new runners is to give your body that first year to build up skeletal and ligament strength, which takes the longest to develop but gives you the "platform" you need to start running regular long distances and multiple days. The reason I say this may not apply to all is that for some younger folks who were maybe athletic but not "runners" may have a significant amount of such strength to begin with compared to someone like me who was sedentary their whole life until their 40's when they began running. To add days to your running week, you can keep your mileage the same and just spread it out over more days. Or when you build up your mileage on a particular week instead of adding that mileage to an existing run, run that mileage as a new run on a new day. Let your body acclimate to running that distance but undergoing the stress of running more often. It may seem very easy, or not, and may take a few weeks to get acclimated to it. Once you go a week with it seeming rather easy then start adding mileage and/or days again. Repeat until you get to your desired number of days running and mileage. Also, make sure you run slow on those consecutive days.1
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I don't know why it cut off the rest of my post. I am missing my run because of thunderstorms. I plan to move my Sunday run to Monday this week. The weather shoukd be better tomorrow. I have been running 3 days a week since October when I did c25k. The recommendation was not to run on consecutive days. When do you know if you are ready to run consecutive days? I run on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. I don't really want to reschedule Tuesday run too.
With that much running history, you likely won't have a problem with consecutive days. I actually went to running 4 days a week right after I got out of my first 5K program, which was similar to C25K. In particular, I wanted to run both Saturday and Sunday because that's when I had the time. Just don't add more than one day to the schedule or a whole lot of weekly miles all at once. Either get back on your 3 day schedule with a one-off of consecutive days, or move to a 4 day schedule and leave it there for a few weeks to see how your body reacts.1 -
April 2- 8km
135 km remaining.
Congrats to everyone who jumped right in this month!3 -
April Running Totals (miles)
4/1 – 18.19 paced run
4/2 – 3.90 easy 30 minutes
April total to date – 22.09
Nominal Challenge Goal – 150 miles
Real Goals: Run Boston. Finish healthy. Recover well.
Today's notes – Today's assignment was an easy 30 minutes. Welcome to the taper. I got near perfect running weather, 56º F (13º C) with sunshine and a 10 mph W wind. I noticed the wind while westbound, but at that temperature and an easy pace, didn't really care. It came out to 3.9 miles and an average pace of 7:42 per mile, with the second mile pushing MP before I noticed and made myself slow down. Just like a week ago, barely more than a warm up.
The taper mental games have begun. I tried to convince myself that 18 easy miles yesterday didn't beat me up as bad as the scheduled 13 miles of intervals would have, so I could afford more running today. Then that sounded a lot like @lporter229 trying to justify 20 miles on hurt legs. I had the thought that taper drives runners nuts because they *can't tell* how banged up they are when they run peak miles. I thought about asking Coach a year ago whether I should do the workouts as written, or add miles to get to the weekly mileage goal. He said, less is more. Fewer miles won't hurt.
So I came home and stared at what's left of my training plan. Tomorrow's assignment is "easy + 4 strides," a typical Monday assignment. But I've been taking Mondays off to fit my schedule and to have 2 rest days a week. That has worked well. I looked again, and saw that I had miscalculated how far to scale back the miles last week. Oops. Can't do anything about that now, but I can fix it for the last 2 weeks. And less is more. So I changed my plan from running easy plus 4 strides tomorrow, to rest day tomorrow. The rest day fits with my schedule better anyway.
And I thought about how I missed a bunch of miles in February for the trip to Bend, came back, and started nailing the quality workouts. I thought about missing 16 to 18 miles the week of the snowstorm, followed by a PR 8K the next Sunday. And I changed my thinking from doing the "easy 30 minutes plus 4 strides" scheduled for a week from tomorrow to taking a week from tomorrow as a rest day, too. Less is more. The goal is to finish healthy. The hay is in the barn. Insert cliche of your choice.
The revised mileage target for this week is 47 miles. Taking tomorrow as a rest day, I may come in around 41-43 miles for the week. That's okay. The target for next week is now 38 miles. I might come in with around 31-33 miles.
This is going to drive me nuts when I live through it, but it will help to have typed out the thinking before I'm making decisions on the run. Less is more. Goal #1 is to stay healthy. The weather on Patriots' Day will be whatever it is, and I'll take whatever the day gives me. If I run a 3:30 marathon and finish healthy, that's good. If I run a 3:15 marathon and need to spend 2 months on the couch, that's a bad result. Have to keep this in perspective.
2017 races:
January 1, 2017 Freezeroo #2 (Resolution Run 7.5 mile) (Mendon, NY) Finished in 50:45
January 7, 2017 Winter Warrior Half Marathon (Gates, NY) Finished in 1:32:40
January 14, 2017 Freezeroo #3 (Pineway Ponds Park 5 mile) (Spencerport, NY) Finished in 33:42
January 28, 2017 Freezeroo #4 (Hearnish 5 mile) (Victor, NY) short course, finished 4.88 miles in 32:50
February 4, 2017 USATF Cross Country National Championship Masters 8K (Bend, OR) Finished in 35:39, team won the 60+ Men's cross country championship
February 11, 2017 Freezeroo #5 (Valentines Run "In Memory of Tom Brannon" 8 Mile) (Greece, NY) sat out due to training schedule
February 25, 2017 Freezeroo #6 (White House Challenge 4.4 mile) (Webster, NY) short course, finished 4.34 miles in 27:51
March 11, 2017 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green 5 mile (Rochester, NY) finished in 33:25
March 18, 2017 USATF Masters 8K Championship (Shamrock 8K, Virginia Beach, VA) finished in 30:59, PR for 8K
April 17, 2017 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)
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@ariceroni that happened to me today. Felt like I won't be able to complete my run but after 5k I was light as a feather1
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A traditional Sunday slow-short run 6.5 km ( rest day? ) with 7 of my club friends. Included Tim's Hill in the run as it is about the same length/grade as the Jasper HM finishing hill so a way to get in just a little more hill work.
5:29/km avg. 5 of 7 will be in Jasper next weekend for the HM so this is the start of HM Taper Madness .
One more shorty on Wednesday and travel day on Friday, race Saturday, Sunday morning Day Hiking around Jasper. The event is 2 weeks earlier than last year so it will be cooler and an increased chance of crappy spring weather.
04/01 0.0 km – 140. km – 0.0 km – YTD 300.05
04/02 6.5 km – 135.5km - 6.5km – YTD 306.55
@HonuNui - Like all your other MFP Friends I'm so sorry to hear about your news.1 -
Since I missed my goal last month, I'll try again for the same goal this month.
4/02 - 5 miles: Shamrock Shuffle 8k PR 46:01
By the rules on the website, I should get to be in Wave 1 next year, and I will not, therefore, arrive at the train station 30 seconds too late for my train home, watching it pull away from the station.
On the plus side, there was a Chipotle between the race and train station, so that's where I had lunch. You know, while I was killing the 2 hours before the next train.
I went out too fast for the first 2 miles or so, and had to take a couple of strategic walk breaks. I didn't wear the T-Rex, because I really don't think that would be a good plan. It's really too crowded to add another foot or so of clearance to both sides of my body. And the tail. But I did PR. By 2:14. Pretty good, over a 5 mile course. If the whole race wasn't as crowded as the first 1/4 mile of the other races I generally run, I probably could have made the 9:30 min/miles I was hoping for. But not with the constant jostling. I'll schedule a 5k in May special for the costume. I'll even not try for a PR (Ha ha ha!!! Like I can turn that competitive *kitten* off!) And I promise that I'll drag the hubby along to take video.9 -
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Thanks @OSUbuckeye906 , @whatmerunning and @mobycarp. I think I will plan to run on Monday and Tuesday this week and see how it goes. I do feel like I want to add a day, but I will be 49 this month and I was not very athletic in my youth. I don't want to injure myself. I have been trying to take it slow and not do too much too soon. I really have missed my run today though. I know lots of people run in the rain, but thunderstorms are a whole other story.3
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4/1 - 7.0 mi.
4/2 - 4.0 mi
April goal: 11/100 miles
I started running in Nov. -- finally signed up for my first 5K race in May!4 -
@kgirlhart if you're worried about adding that day, make Tuesday a shorter/easier day. Adding another day isn't a problem if you do it right. I remember adding in Tuesdays, about this time last year, and I added it in as a day that was only 50-60% the distance of the other days, with room to build up.3
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Thanks @MNLittleFinn!0
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lporter229 wrote: »WhatMeRunning wrote: »@iofred - You don't have to taper the week before that HM if you don't race it and instead treat it as a standard long run.
OTOH, some of us have trouble treating a race as a standard long run. Best intentions, then there's that race environment.
Very true. The only way I can guarantee that I will not "race" a race is to agree to run it with somebody that I know is slower. I have done this plenty of times, it's just when I am left to my own discretion that I just can't hold back.
I can't even do that. I have been invited to run in races with runners who are faster than me, and I feel guilty about holding them back. Last year's Muddy Monk Nearly Sane Half Marathon, I ran with 2 friends - one who has been recovering from surgery, and therefore slower than me, and the other is usually faster than me, but was recovering poorly from an injury. I ran *half* the race with both of them, then remarked that it could probably still be a PR if I ran the second half harder - they both encouraged me to do so, and I cheered them each as they crossed the finish line, with my shiny new PR. But it seems easier on my conscience to just run solo.1 -
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I was looking at my training plan for the week, the revised plan is only 2 miles shorter than the original for the week. The route I picked out for Saturday "could" help bring me back on schedule. Revised plan has 17 mile LR, original had 18. I'm planning a relatively flat (364 ft elevation according to strava) route for next weekend that is actually 18 mules, but stopping to walk the last mile will be easy enough if I'm gassed.
https://www.strava.com/routes/7765638
All the hills in the last 5 miles are ones I've done many times, so at least I know those pretty well.2 -
Thanks @OSUbuckeye906 , @whatmerunning and @mobycarp. I think I will plan to run on Monday and Tuesday this week and see how it goes. I do feel like I want to add a day, but I will be 49 this month and I was not very athletic in my youth. I don't want to injure myself. I have been trying to take it slow and not do too much too soon. I really have missed my run today though. I know lots of people run in the rain, but thunderstorms are a whole other story.
Definitely listen to your body and take increases gradually so you don't get hurt. But don't worry too much about being 49 and never having been athletic. I started running at age 55, and I was the kid who was picked last for everything in phys ed. What you are right now is not influenced as much as you might think by what you were a decade or three ago.2 -
http://www.nbcchicago.com/multimedia/shamrock-shuffle-finish-line-10-417895003.html
I was on TV! Around 4:15 or so in the video - they call my name, and I go "woo!" Crossing the finish line. I hate that they don't timestamp these clips better, but it was easier to find the first video where more of the bibs were blue (Wave 2) than red (Wave 1) and start watching from there. Next year, I expect to be looking the other direction, from the last clip where mostly red bibs proliferate, towards earlier finishes.8 -
@kgirlhat - I started running last year at age 47, never having been remotely athletic in my life. I joined a walk to run program and really I've been running 6 days a week almost every week ever since. BUT, those runs started out very short at first, like just 15 minutes a day, and very gradually worked up. Now I run 30-40 minutes base run 5 days/week, group workout one night, and long run is 90 minutes on Saturdays. Which is not high mileage at all, compared to many. I did higher mileage for a while training for my first half marathon and I will work it up again starting in May, but my point is that consecutive days is not a problem even as a newer runner, if you are being careful about how much and how hard you are running across all the days. My coach preaches the gospel of consistency over pace, distance, and everything else.
There was this weird thing in the sky today that was bright and got sort of warm! OMG, I think it was the sun! Even though it only got up to the low to mid 50s it was such an improvement that it felt fabulous. I took two hikes with Stella and a nice run on my own.
Date :::: Miles :::: April MTD (goal = 95)
04/01/17 :::: 7.7 :::: 7.7
04/02/17 :::: 3.5 :::: 11.2
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@autumnblade75 awesome job and congratulations on the PR! Pretty sure I saw you in the video I did the Shamrock Shuffle last year and had a blast, it's a great race! Sad I couldn't make it this year but unfortunately couldn't fit it into my training schedule or budget0
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To date
17.05/100 running
0/200 Cycling (I might not)2 -
Thanks @katharmonic.0
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4/1 Eagle Mt cleanup: picked up trash with the family for 2 hours, filled 6 trash bags between the 3 of us.
4/2 13.1 mile run.
Goal: 13.1 of 150
Completed Races:
Cowtown Marathon (Full) Feb 26 (Registered): 3:54:06 / 8:56 min/mile
Upcoming Races:
The Trail Run at Eagle Mt Park (5 miles) Apr 2 (Registered) CANCELLED
XTERRA ATX Trail Run (21K) Apr 23 (Tentative)
Chicago Spring Half Marathon: May 21 (Registered)
XTERRA Jurassic Trail Run (HM at night) Jul 8 (Tentative)
La Sportiva Vail Half Marathon: Jul 22 (Tentative)
Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon: Oct 1 (Tentative)
My 5 mile trail race was cancelled due to lightning. It started storming in the middle of the night and stormed all night. In the morning, the radar looked like it would just be rain, but there was still quite a bit of lightning so the race was cancelled right as I was ready to walk out the door. I really wanted to do the race, but with all the slippery mud, I may have hurt myself. Lol! So, I ran a slow and easy half marathon when the rain let up in the afternoon.
Yesterday, we volunteered for a community clean up. I've always wanted to do one of these, but conflicts would come up. It definitely felt good getting our road sides and park clean. Of course, as I drove by those areas today, I noticed trash again. Ugh!! Why don't people pick up after themselves???4 -
@HonuNui I'm so sorry to see what you're going through. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.0
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Feeling tired today, so I walked instead of ran.
4/1 6.55 run
4/2 5.35 walk
And now it's raining.7 -
RespectTheKitty wrote: »Feeling tired today, so I walked instead of ran.
4/1 6.55 run
4/2 5.35 walk
And now it's raining.
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I am very happy to find a supportive group of runners. It is harder to discover than I thought it was. I am currently training for my first ever half marathon, and have a few other races leading up to it. I am mostly doing run/walk intervals. I would gladly accept any advice or input or tips on half marathons that anyone would like to give.
I guess I haven't thought about a monthly mileage goal really... so, umm 100 miles?
4/2- 5.5miles.
Upcoming races
5/6 - Greenland trails 8 mile trail race
5/29 - Bolder Boulder 10K
6/4 - Mickelson trail half marathon10
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