May 2017 Running Challenge

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  • garygse
    garygse Posts: 896 Member
    Welcome to the new members!

    It was a beautiful morning today, but unfortunately most of the running group missed out on it due to dropping out for various reasons. That left just a few of us to enjoy the cool morning air. It was an easy run, but I started to develop a little pain in my left knee; it started early on and lasted for a couple of miles, but then cleared up...no idea what caused it, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on it and take things a lot easier during tomorrow's longer run.

    01 - 13.50
    02 - 10.58
    03 - 13.49
    04 - 9.80

    Total: 47.37 / 225 miles
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    @ddmom0811 actually, a lot of the time it's a four count breath in, in 1,3,4 out,2,3,4. Sometimes it's short breaths for a 4 or 6 count....just something that I found works well for me.
  • Run4life375
    Run4life375 Posts: 98 Member
    I'll be working on building up my mileage this month, and I want to get back into some speed work!

    4/01 - 3.2 miles
    4/03 - 2.7 miles
    4/04 - 5 miles

    exercise.png
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    Thanks for all the interesting convo regarding estimated finishing times. When I ran my first hm I think I managed my pacing pretty well. I didn't have any "I'm gonna puke" moments, but by the end I really had just fumes left in the tank, and didn't really have enough to even give much of a push over the final home stretch. And I did run one 10k where I definitely had an 'almost puke' moment, lol. So I think I can do ok at pushing fairly close to my maximal effort for races.

    So I have two options I need to decide between for pacing my Tinkerbell half, a week from this Sunday (wow that crept up fast!). I think I'm going to be optimistic and set my target goal as 2:00:00, and then adjust as necessary if I feel like it's out of my grasp.

    1) Doing the same thing for pacing my Tinkerbell half that I did for the Adirondack half in September. Back then, I knew my stretch goal was to finish under 2:10. So, I calculated what average pace that came out to, which is around a 9:55 pace. I paid attention to my watch as I finished each mile and it told me how long it took me to run it. Every time I finished a mile in under 9:55 I kept a mental running tally of how many extra seconds I had earned as a cushion (for example, if I did a mile in 9:25 I had earned myself an extra 30 seconds). And vice versa, if I finished a mile in over 9:55, I subtracted those extra seconds from my cushion. I have no idea if this is a common or legitimate pacing method, I didn't even think of it until I had actually started the race! But, it got me to my goal, so it worked for me at least, lol.

    2) Look up a negative split plan to hit my target time. Something like on this site: runningforfitness.org/calc/racepaces/split

    @hanlonsk sorry for the panic I induced, regarding the estimated HM time! :D I would say that you should be fine with getting under 2:30 for your half. Here are a few numbers for comparison: I ran my first half, back in September, in 2:09:58. The closest 5k I raced to that date was on 12/31 and I did it in 28:55. So, if I could pull out a sub-2:10 hm when I was running a 28:55 5k I'd say you should be fine for a sub 2:30 hm with a 29:53 5k. Or at least it seems that way to me, although I am certainly not an expert, lol.

    @kgirlhart yay for first races, I'm so excited for you!!! You'll have so much fun! As was previously mentioned, don't do/try/eat anything new, that you're not used to on the day of, and couple days before the race. And, importantly, try not to get sooo swept up in the excitement that you sprint off the start line and burn yourself out. There's a lot of energy that will be bouncing around, but be mindful of your pace, and keep it reasonable as you're starting out.
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    Today's 4 miler finished up my 6 week base building cycle putting me solidly at 40 miles/week of nothing but hilly routes.

    It was an uneventful run save for identifying a pair of shoes that need retiring. They seem to cause some mild soreness around my knee in a very ITBS way. I was massaging to alleviate until I realized it might be those shoes. This issue went away over the last two weeks as I set these shoes aside, but then felt it a bit while running in them today. So out they go! Farewell Brooks Glycerin 13's with the big red X drawn in sharpie on the tongue (to separate them from the others). They only have 170 miles on them, but I have been a bad shoe owner and have been using them as daily shoes since last fall. So they are more worn than just that mileage, and worn down in spots outside of just running.

    Tomorrow is a rest day, then I start my down week on Saturday with a 10 mile long run.

    5/1 - 8 miles
    5/2 - 4 miles
    5/3 - 8 miles
    5/4 - 4 miles

    24 of 180 miles completed


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  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    @WhatMeRunning good call on retiring the shoes! That's not a lot of miles, but since you were using them as daily shoes, I bet the wear on the cushioning is way more than the miles show! My Glycerin 13's have 357 miles on them and I'm hoping to get at least 400 out of them.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    Tracking my monthly "non-running" progress for accountability:

    May 1 -P90X3 Total Synergistics + 20 minutes stretching and foam rolling
    May 2- P90X3 Agility+ 45 minutes stationary bike at gym (rolling hills, level 7)
    May 3- Swimming laps 25 minutes (1000M)+P90X3 yoga (25 min) + 20 minutes stretching hamstrings
    May 4-25 minutes yoga/stretching

    Yesterday my hamstrings were super sore all day at work. I was trying to figure out if it was DOMS from the new routines, or just general aggravation of my tendonitis (I think it was a combo of both). I was even thinking about not doing my scheduled P90X3 yoga video in lieu of some easier stretching. But when I got home, I found that my new compression shorts had arrived. Where have these things been all my life??? I am not sure why I have never bothered to look into these in the past, but they felt like magic on my legs! I put them on and wore them around the house for a while before heading to the basement to do the P90X3 video since I was now feeling up for it. I did 25/30 minutes (cut it short when Stella insisted on joining me for arm balance poses). Afterwards, I was completely amazed to find that I could touch my toes! This is a big deal, because that hasn't happened since February when this whole thing started. I am not sure if I can credit the shorts or the yoga (most likely a bit of both), but it was one of those little things that just made my day. I did an additional 20 minutes of stretching while watching the (super exciting) Pens/ Caps play-off game and then went to bed wearing my new shorts. I am pretty sure I will be getting another pair of those.

    This evening I have my free fitness assessment at the gym. I know that this is mostly just a pitch to hire a personal trainer, but I thought it might be interesting to do nonetheless. I did not do my scheduled P90X3 workout this morning because I thought I could benefit more from another round of yoga, so I did 25 minutes of free-style yoga instead. The P90X3 workout is supposed to be push-ups/pull-ups, so I might just try and do some of those at the gym or else do the video at home afterwards. I am not that worried about sticking rigidly to the plan. I am just feeling good because to day is the first day since Boston that I feel like I might be heading in the right direction with getting my legs to heal.

    @kgirlhart -Good luck on your 5K! You are going to have a blast. As mentioned above, don't get caught up in the pace of the other runners, run your own race. Don't worry about taking walk breaks if you need to, but try to be mindful of runners behind you and avoid stopping suddenly. It's always good to ease yourself over to the right side of traffic if you are going to slow down. Take a bit of toilet paper with you in case the port-a-potties are out. I also usually like to take a pair of flip flops or comfy shoes and a dry shirt to change into after the race. I don't always need them, but it's better to have them than to have to be completely uncomfortable for the drive home, Also, don't try and start at the front of the pack. Some of the runners up there are very competitive and I have seen people get trampled at the start. There may be pace groups (look for people holding up signs) that can give you an indication of where to start. If not, remember that there is no benefit in crossing the start line early in a chip timed race (assuming it is chip timed?). Enjoy the crowd. Smile for the photographers if they have them. And most importantly, have fun!!!
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    MNLittleFinn wrote: »
    @WhatMeRunning good call on retiring the shoes! That's not a lot of miles, but since you were using them as daily shoes, I bet the wear on the cushioning is way more than the miles show! My Glycerin 13's have 357 miles on them and I'm hoping to get at least 400 out of them.

    YMMV, literally! :D But I just retired my Glycerin 14s with 488 miles on them, so hopefully you'll get at least 400 out of yours!
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    KatieJane83 wrote: »
    YMMV, literally! :D But I just retired my Glycerin 14s with 488 miles on them, so hopefully you'll get at least 400 out of yours!
    Nice, I'd love to get almost 500 miles out of them! I'm just hoping for 400, because the rubber on the heals is pretty worn through, but the cushioning is still good, so more might be possible, if I stop wearing them for runs over like 10 miles.
  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    I'm a bit annoyed. Weather Channel said it was supposed to start raining at 6:15 so I decided to stay in and go back to bed. Then when I finally got up, it hadn't rained at all. I guess today will be my rest day for the week.

    Looking into a 5k or 10k race, possibly end of May or early June. Right now I don't have the money for fees, but once I start getting regular paychecks again it won't be an issue (I've been on short term disability while I was in outpatient treatment and so my paychecks were only 60% of what I usually make... who came up with that? I can't live on 60%, no way!)
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    KatieJane83 wrote: »
    MNLittleFinn wrote: »
    @WhatMeRunning good call on retiring the shoes! That's not a lot of miles, but since you were using them as daily shoes, I bet the wear on the cushioning is way more than the miles show! My Glycerin 13's have 357 miles on them and I'm hoping to get at least 400 out of them.

    YMMV, literally! :D But I just retired my Glycerin 14s with 488 miles on them, so hopefully you'll get at least 400 out of yours!
    I'm expecting about 300 miles on each of my current pairs of Brooks based on past pairs plus my current weight (50 pounds higher than last year). Last year I was looking too eek out 400 miles in these same shoes, but things changed. :smile:
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    MNLittleFinn wrote: »
    KatieJane83 wrote: »
    YMMV, literally! :D But I just retired my Glycerin 14s with 488 miles on them, so hopefully you'll get at least 400 out of yours!
    Nice, I'd love to get almost 500 miles out of them! I'm just hoping for 400, because the rubber on the heals is pretty worn through, but the cushioning is still good, so more might be possible, if I stop wearing them for runs over like 10 miles.

    I hear ya. My heels stay pretty much pristine because I'm a midfoot striker, so if anything, my wear issues start on the ball of the foot on the sole.
    WhatMeRunning wrote: »
    KatieJane83 wrote: »
    MNLittleFinn wrote: »
    @WhatMeRunning good call on retiring the shoes! That's not a lot of miles, but since you were using them as daily shoes, I bet the wear on the cushioning is way more than the miles show! My Glycerin 13's have 357 miles on them and I'm hoping to get at least 400 out of them.

    YMMV, literally! :D But I just retired my Glycerin 14s with 488 miles on them, so hopefully you'll get at least 400 out of yours!
    I'm expecting about 300 miles on each of my current pairs of Brooks based on past pairs plus my current weight (50 pounds higher than last year). Last year I was looking too eek out 400 miles in these same shoes, but things changed. :smile:

    And I hear ya on this! I hadn't really thought about it before, but I definitely got some more miles out of this last pair, than the past couple, but I've also shed quite a bit of weight. Never made the connection before now, lol, but it makes sense.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    girlinahat wrote: »
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    May goal: 50 miles // I will be running in my first 5k on Saturday. I am excited, but also getting a little nervous. // Any tips for a first time 5k? Things to do or things I should avoid?

    My first race was a 7.5k. I'd read somewhere you should drink as much as you can shortly before the race.


    Don't do that.

    I also impatiently overtook runners at the beginning (there was a bit of a bottleneck at the start and we were all slowed by it).

    Don't do that either.

    Also, don't be one of those at the front starting out if you are not fast enough... because then you create the bottleneck.
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    5/1 - rest
    5/2 - 6 miles
    5/3 - 4.15 miles (track workout)

    May Total: 10.15/170

    500.15 miles/2,017 miles - goal for the year

    So, last night I did my first ever really legit track workout, lol. It was the first session of the Rockland Road Runners' (my county running club) yearly summer track workout program. And I have to say I really enjoyed it, so I'm hoping I can work it into my training schedule. It's nice doing repetitive stuff with a bunch of other people vs just by yourself.

    So the workout consisted of .5 mile warmup, 4 laps of straights and curves, 4x400 repeats with 4x400 recovery laps, and .5 mile cooldown. I ended up with a total of 4.15 miles, with an overall average pace of 8:24, which is truly crazy to me because that includes the recovery laps and the warmup and cooldown segments. What I liked the most was realizing I could push the 'fast' bits faster than I thought I could do. I was seeing paces down around 6:25-6:35 at times, when doing the 4x400 repeats. This also made my recovery laps faster than I was expecting, though they still felt easy in comparison to the fast laps. Also, the springiness of the track was a really nice feeling, not gonna lie.

    My splits on my 4x400 repeats were - 1:54, 1:45, 1:39, 1:37. I was really pretty clueless with how fast I should be pacing the fast parts of the workout, which I think is reflected in my splits here. I'm looking forward to getting more experience with these types of workouts, and can really seem them being beneficial.
  • rusgolden
    rusgolden Posts: 1,337 Member
    5/2 - 4 mile riverfront run, avg pace 8:36/mi.
    5/4 - 6 mile downtown run, avg pace 8:41/mi.

    After completing my 1st HM last month, I am looking for some good 5K's and 10K's this summer. @WhatMeRunning - what's a good race calendar for the KC area? I've been using the kcrunningcompany and runningintheusa, but I know of a couple of races that don't show up, so didn't know if there was a more comprehensive calendar.

    I would like to finish up the fall with another HM and thinking either the Pilgrim Pacer or the Gobbler Grind and might try the Heartland 30K series in September.
  • garygse
    garygse Posts: 896 Member
    @lporter229 I love compression gear! I have several pairs of compression tights for use after my longer runs, and it's amazing how quickly they seem to help out with recovery.
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited May 2017
    rusgolden wrote: »
    5/2 - 4 mile riverfront run, avg pace 8:36/mi.
    5/4 - 6 mile downtown run, avg pace 8:41/mi.

    After completing my 1st HM last month, I am looking for some good 5K's and 10K's this summer. @WhatMeRunning - what's a good race calendar for the KC area? I've been using the kcrunningcompany and runningintheusa, but I know of a couple of races that don't show up, so didn't know if there was a more comprehensive calendar.

    I would like to finish up the fall with another HM and thinking either the Pilgrim Pacer or the Gobbler Grind and might try the Heartland 30K series in September.
    Generally you can find every 5k and higher distance race in the KC area (and beyond) between these 3 groups who provide timing for the events (one site you are already using).
    http://www.kcrunningcompany.com/events/
    http://www.racedaytimingsolutions.com/event-calendar.htm
    http://www.psychowyco.com/id95.html

    Between those 3 and runningintheusa I find pretty much every event I have ever heard of. I do wonder what events might be missing though, and how I might find them. :smiley:

    I already registered for Gobbler Grind and plan to register for Pilgrim Pacer. Gobbler Grind is on the racedaytimingsolutions site, and Pilgrim Pacer is on the Trail Nerds site. Pilgrim Pacer 2017 is tricky to find (at least last time I looked for it). They haven't updated all of the links so most take you to the 2016 event page. Here is the link to the 2017 Pilgrim Pacer event.
    http://www.psychowyco.com/pilgrimpacerrun/
  • AmyOutOfControl
    AmyOutOfControl Posts: 1,425 Member
    5/1/17 = 3 mile run + 1 hour kettlebell workout
    5/2/17 = rest day
    5/3/17 = 6 mile run
    5/4/17 = 6 mile run

    May Goal 15/125 miles
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    Yesterday was a rest day. Hoping to run this evening. I'll miss my run tomorrow. Have to leave at 5am to take hubby to hospital to get his port. It's outpatient though so I don't know.... If he's totally feeling awesome maybe I can run tomorrow night if he's just resting or something :-D Definitely need to get to bed early tonight to get up at 4am tomorrow. Ugh!

    @RespectTheKitty We've done the 60% short term disability thing in the past. Hang in there.

    @katiejane83 Awesome track workout :)
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
    @lporter229 - glad your legs are showing some good signs of improvement. I wore some compression socks today during my run and felt like it really helped my calves too. Good luck with your fitness assessment. And, I hear you on your Stella helping with your yoga. LOL.

    @kgirlhart have a great time with your 5k! My main mantra to myself is always don't start too fast. Other than that I try to have some fun, look around and cheer other people on (especially if it's an out and back - it's fun to see the lead runners and cheer for them, as obviously I'm not in that group). Good luck!

  • springtimez
    springtimez Posts: 51 Member
    05/03-- 2 miles.
    Came back from a long vacation abroad on 30th April. Tired and sleepless because of the jet lag! Only that its the kid's jet lag that's keeping me up!
    Hoping to get in routine soon!
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    HonuNui wrote: »
    May goal: wear sunblock

    @HonuNui This is such a good goal and a very timely reminder for us Northern Hemisphere folks. I forget to wear sunblock for a majority of the summer and that's a habit I seriously need to break. Sun safety is important for us outdoorsy running folk!

    kgirlhart wrote: »
    I felt pretty good about my run today. The temperature was nice but it was a little windy. I will be running in my first 5k on Saturday. I am excited, but also getting a little nervous. The weather is supposed to be really nice on Saturday. Any tips for a first time 5k? Things to do or things I should avoid?

    @kgirlhart My only tips are: 1) Nothing new on race day... at least until after the race! No new shirt, hat, socks, food. Stick to what you're used to; even if something annoys you, at least it's a familiar annoyance and not a novel one! 2) HAVE FUN! Thank volunteers, give kids high fives, interact with the crowd of spectators as you come in to the finish (if you have the mental capacity to do so). This is something I always set as a goal on races. In a HM or a marathon, I have a goal to thank a volunteer once a mile, and that helps the miles fly by plus it gives you good karma!
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited May 2017
    GAH!!! :grimace: My Sport Tracks data is feeding my Down Week Crazies before my down week even begins!

    So, my plan for the down week was to schedule runs that should equate to efforts that would leave my calculated fitness level relatively flat (maybe a minimal dip), while allowing my fatigue levels to drop. Seemed perfect at the time. Maintain my current fitness while allowing things to heal up and strengthen.

    BUT...

    Looking at the data from the last week, this week was exactly that. Relatively flat. My Fitness number went from 924 after my 12 miler to kick off the week to 926 after today's 4 miler to end the week. Almost as flat as should be. For reference, here is this +2 difference along with the entire 6 week series:
    Week 1 (30 mpw): +68
    Week 2 (30 mpw): +40
    Week 3 (30 mpw): + 21
    Week 4 (40 mpw): +63
    Week 5 (40 mpw): +60 (Garmin half marathon was this week, thus the relatively higher number)
    Week 6 (40 mpw): +2

    Also, for reference, my fatigue level dropped 37 points this week, while in prior weeks fatigue went up each week (although at a lower rate than fitness went up). So with the combined flat fitness over the week and the reduced fatigue...this last week looks like a down week. :grimace:

    Now...my body deserves down weeks before I introduce new stresses pushing my fitness higher. The thing is, looking at this, if I repeated my week 6 mileage I would finish the week flat again, or most likely even downwards, which is effectively the same as a down week. Which would be two back to back down weeks. I think I'm OK with this. I don't think I should increase mileage beginning this next week.

    So now I am wondering if I should do the planned reduced mileage and take the dip in fitness level, or go with the original plan of leaving the fitness level relatively flat for this week, which means leaving this weeks mileage the same as last week?? And how much should I let these damn numbers and charts dictate my running plan???

    I am so going to lose my *kitten* this week.
  • iofred
    iofred Posts: 488 Member
    WhatMeRunning wrote: »
    GAH!!! :grimace: My Sport Tracks data is feeding my Down Week Crazies before my down week even begins!

    So now I am wondering if I should do the planned reduced mileage and take the dip in fitness level, or go with the original plan of leaving the fitness level relatively flat and repeating the mileage? And how much shoudl I let these damn numbers and charts dictate my running plan???

    I am so going to lose my *kitten* this week.

    are you not overthinking this too much??
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