May 2017 Running Challenge

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  • springtimez
    springtimez Posts: 51 Member
    05/03-- 2 miles
    05/05--2 miles
    05/07--3 miles
    05/08--3 miles

    Total 10 miles so far. Planning to do the Boston Half-Marathon and a couple others this fall!
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,885 Member
    5/2-3 miles
    5/5-2 miles
    5/7-3 miles
    5/8-4 miles

    Total-12/65miles

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  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
    @girlinahat and @_nikkiwolf_ Love the race reports! Sounds like you both had a marvelous time and finished strong!
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    5/1 - 5 miles
    5/2 - 5 miles
    5/3 - 3 miles
    5/4 - rest day
    5/5 - 2 miles
    5/6 - 5 miles - Steeple Chase 8K
    5/7 - rest day
    5/8 - 5 miles
    5/9 - 3 miles

    28 of 60 miles

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    This mornings 3 miles was big time sucky from the minute I stepped out the door. Awesome weather, but my quads are still talking to me and I was just exhausted. My heart rate kept going way up and I was having a hard time catching my breath. Forced myself to go a way that will make me have to get in 3 miles before heading home. :smile: ugh! Oh well tomorrow is another day

    Upcoming races:

    5/6 - Steeple Chase 8K - done
    5/13 - Technicolor 5K
    5/29 - Cotton Row 10K
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    @_nikkiwolf_ I'll have to go back and read your report but great race pics!

    @ereck44 Just minor surgery for my husband this time to place a port since his veins are so bad. He needs to have his Crohn's infusions more frequently than normally prescribed so this will be a huge help because it has been taking an hour to get an IV started and those poor nurses want to run and hide when they see him :-D

    May 1 - 30 min walk with 3 hills (am), 30 min light cardio (pm)
    May 2 - 30 min walk with 3 hills (am), 30 min strength+plyo workout (pm), 3 mile run (pm)
    May 3 - 30 min walk (am)
    May 4 - 40 min walk (am), 3 mile run (pm)
    May 5 - climbed 4 flights of stairs at hospital :-p stairs KILL ME
    May 6 - exhausted
    May 7 - no excuses.....
    May 8 - 30 min walk with 2 hills (am), 3 mi run/walk intervals (pm)
    May 9 - 30 min walk with 3 hills (am)...... run later


    It was 80 degrees last night so I decided to just do a run/walk instead of killing myself running when I'm not adapted to the heat. Oh heck, who am I kidding? I never adapt to the heat! LOL So half mile warm up walk, then 2 miles of intervals, then half mile cool down walk. It was starting to wear on me even after 2 miles of intervals so I think I made the right choice.
  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    edited May 2017
    My hip was bothering me yesterday and it still a little twingey today so I am taking a rest day from running. Going to still try to get some walking in, assuming the rain stays away. This is frustrating. I really want to get back to my regular running schedule but my stupid hip has other plans. Add to this the fact that my new medication is giving me all kinds of food cravings that I haven't had before, and that's a perfect plan to gain weight. I've come so far in the past year and five months and I do NOT want to undo everything I've accomplished.

    My boyfriend says that even if I do gain weight, I'll still be running and that's a win. However, I think that if I gain weight it'll affect my running since I won't be able to run as fast or for as long. I don't know... I'm just trying really hard to keep any weight from coming on. I've set my calories to maintenance in the meantime until I can figure out how to manage the cravings. I would still like to lose about 10 more pounds, but if I don't that's okay.
  • Bakins929
    Bakins929 Posts: 895 Member
    So today was supposed to be a long, slow 4.5 mile run. I couldn't keep my pace that high and ended up running faster than intended. Then, I decided I wanted to run more, so I just did a 10k. :)

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  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    @Orphia I sent you a FB request :smile:

    I think we should make a Facebook page for this group! @Stoshew71 what do you think?
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    @RespectTheKitty I try to do soups when I hit PMS or for any other reason I develop an insatiable appetite. (Usually stress).

    Good luck!
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    5/1 5.5mi 53:51min (interval run)
    5/2 5mi 44:35min
    5/3 rest
    5/4 5mi 44:20min
    5/5 4mi 37:27min
    5/6 11mi 1:43:14min
    5/7 rest <- but I spent 7 hours painting!!!
    5/8 7mi 1:06:29min
    5/9 5mi 45:31min

    Nice easy 5 miles today. My body is still really sore from the epic painting job Sunday. I'm so relieved tomorrow is a rest day!

    I read on here that someone listens to audio books while running. I thought it was a great idea! My local library lets you borrow audio books - it's pretty awesome. My runs don't seem nearly as long :smile:
  • HRKinchen
    HRKinchen Posts: 202 Member
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    One thing that I thought was a little odd about the race was that they had us run a loop through the cemetery. Has anyone ever run or walked in a cemetery? It was a nice place to run, but it seemed odd to me. There was a part of me that wondered if that was appropriate. I guess a cemetery is basically a park, but I don't know.

    There's a 5k strictly dedicated to it in New Orleans. It's called "A Run Through History" and goes through the historic Metairie Cemetery (est 1872). Don't know if I could do it, personally, but it's definitely not uncommon.
  • HRKinchen
    HRKinchen Posts: 202 Member
    Kicked it up a (small) notch on the TM today and increased my sustained run in both speed and distance. Baby steps. But I'm at 4.2mph for 2.25 miles now. Felt like I could've done at least another quarter mile, but always afraid of pushing too much at once. Anyway, it was 3.25 relatively easy miles today.

    5/1: 2.0 (2.0/30)
    5/2: 2.25 TM (4.25/30)
    5/3: 2.75 TM (7/30)
    5/4: 2.5 TM (9.5/30)
    5/5: Rest
    5/6: Rest
    5/7: 2.75 TM (12.25/30)
    5/8: Life
    5/9: 3.25 TM (15.5/30)
  • Mari33a
    Mari33a Posts: 1,264 Member
    edited May 2017
    Hi Everyone,

    I'm back a bit late this month. Don't think I can reach 70 miles as I've missed a week but will give 60 a go. I've not had a chance yet to read how everybody is getting on.

    09/05 3.53 miles


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  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,163 Member
    HRKinchen wrote: »
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    One thing that I thought was a little odd about the race was that they had us run a loop through the cemetery. Has anyone ever run or walked in a cemetery? It was a nice place to run, but it seemed odd to me. There was a part of me that wondered if that was appropriate. I guess a cemetery is basically a park, but I don't know.

    There's a 5k strictly dedicated to it in New Orleans. It's called "A Run Through History" and goes through the historic Metairie Cemetery (est 1872). Don't know if I could do it, personally, but it's definitely not uncommon.

    That sounds like it would be really interesting.
  • snowyne
    snowyne Posts: 268 Member
    5/1 - 3.5 mi.
    5/2 - rest
    5/3 - 6.2 mi
    5/4 - 4.5 mi.
    5/5 - 3.8 mi.
    5/6 - 3.1 (5K race)
    5/7 - rest
    5/8 - 5.2 mi.
    5/9 - 3.7 mi.

    May goal: 30/100mi.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    5/1: 3 miles
    5/2: 4 miles
    5/3: 4 miles
    5/4: 3 miles
    5/5: 3.8 miles
    5/6: 5 trail miles
    5/7: Begrudingly a rest day
    5/8: Rest day again
    5/9: One more rest day

    Sadly, one more rest day today. I'd love to go out for a run because the weather is perfect and I just got two new running shirts in the mail, but alas... my back is horribly tight. So I'm doing stretching, icing, and a hip reset instead while gazing longingly out the window. :'(

    Loved reading all the race recaps from this weekend! Congrats to everyone who raced!!!

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    Upcoming Races
    5/14: Delaware Marathon Running Festival HM
    7/1: Finger Lake Fifties 50k (trail)
    10/8: Steamtown Marathon (BQ Attempt #3)


  • 9voice9
    9voice9 Posts: 693 Member
    Strava recently added free similar data points in a section called Fitness and Freshness...

    You don't need these though. For the most part you should have rest days or easy/recovery runs in between workouts. If you feel stiff in tge first mile of a run you should not be doing a workout that day.
    Okay - reviewing my Strava report on Fitness and Freshness, I do see a downward trend recently. How do I need to address that?

    I will say that my avg pace has been slowing (high minutes/mile), and it feels like I can't sustain the effort as well lately...
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited May 2017
    9voice9 wrote: »
    Strava recently added free similar data points in a section called Fitness and Freshness...

    You don't need these though. For the most part you should have rest days or easy/recovery runs in between workouts. If you feel stiff in tge first mile of a run you should not be doing a workout that day.
    Okay - reviewing my Strava report on Fitness and Freshness, I do see a downward trend recently. How do I need to address that?

    I will say that my avg pace has been slowing (high minutes/mile), and it feels like I can't sustain the effort as well lately...
    Well, I honestly don't know. :blush::lol: I'm not sure what to base any advice on. Plus, it might also be worth stating that I only know what I do from learning from other members here over the last 3 years. So I'm not a coach, physical therapist, or anything like that. Just another runner who wants to know how this whole running thing works. I do tend to be a bit of a sponge though, and a data geek to a certain degree. I am also eager to share any info I can, I love to pay all this stuff forward.

    When you say a downward trend, in what specifically?

    I know that I have had trouble with my pace this week and the effort has felt harder, but I think all of that is the heat as this is the first week it has regularly been in the 60's every morning. In just weeks prior it was in the 40's and maybe 50's. So the heat has to do with this week. If you are talking a longer period though, that is something different.

    Do you track your resting heart rate, or your heart rate while running? Has either been trending higher than normal? If so and you have had any other symptoms of over training you might just need a down week or even some time off.

    You could also have hit a performance plateau. If you run the same mileage at the same efforts week after week for too long without taking enough down time (down weeks or rest in general) then this could happen. In that case you are not getting any new fitness gains due to running at an all too familiar effort for an all too familiar amount of time. You get no cardio/strength gain from it. Without adequate down weeks or rest this gets complicated by a thing called accumulated fatigue. You still take a bit of a beating for those repetitive runs, and without enough rest to get rid of that fatigue you can wind up in a nasty spot where you are no longer gaining fitness but are feeling the fatigue building up. So the only thing you really gain is fatigue.

    If you suspect a performance plateau, change things up. But first, maybe get some rest. :smile: Then either up your mileage or maybe maintain your mileage and start doing speedwork during a couple of your mid-week runs. Something that really challenges your cardio. That will get your fitness bumping back up again. BUT...get that fatigue down first because these added efforts will build more fatigue than your current runs.

    All of this is so much speculation though, I probably shouldn't actually post this. I'm going to though, in case it helps, but really, I have nothing to base this advice upon. I don't know what might be causing you to feel like this based on the info you shared.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    2---3.11
    4---5.16
    6---6.62
    7---2.4 walk
    9---4.64

    10th-15th in Georgia.

    21.93/50+

    UPCOMING RACES

    May 27- XTERRA Rock Dallas Trail Run. 5k.
    July 8- XTERRA Jurassic Trail Run, 5K.  Glen Rose,TX
    Dec 2- POOP trail run, Hoping for a half! Norman OK.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,163 Member
    edited May 2017
    May goal: 50 miles

    5/1/17: 4 miles
    5/3/17: 3.5 miles
    5/4/17: 3.1miles
    5/6/17: 3.1 miles
    5/7/17: 3.5 miles
    5/9/17: 4.1 miles

    21.3/50 miles

    I had a great run today. The weather was cool. It was a little humid and I thought I might get rained on, but there were just a few sprinkles.


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  • 9voice9
    9voice9 Posts: 693 Member
    I am also eager to share any info I can, I love to pay all this stuff forward.
    And I completely understand, and don't expect anything other than some ideas and some commiseration. :wink:
    When you say a downward trend, in what specifically?
    According to the Strava data, I had an upwards trend in F&F thru my sub-30 5K last fall, and then it went down a good ways thru December (as I didn't run much while in Japan), trended upwards thru February (thru a couple of HMs) but now has been trending down since then. I pretty much always have a higher value for fatigue than for fitness by about 25-30 points, but the most current calc is 51 fitness, 29 fatigue. The high point was 80 and 92.
    ... I think all of that is the heat
    Actually, we've had a bit of cooler weather this week than previous weeks...
    Do you track your resting heart rate, or your heart rate while running?
    I don't have a good gauge for my resting heart rate, and have left off the HRM recently.
    You could also have hit a performance plateau. If you run the same mileage at the same efforts week after week for too long without taking enough down time (down weeks or rest in general) then this could happen.
    This sounds too familiar - and likely. I do know that I've been keeping track of my yearly goal of 2,017, and maybe should be MUCH less concerned with that.<chagrin>
    All of this is so much speculation though, I probably shouldn't actually post this. I'm going to though, in case it helps, but really, I have nothing to base this advice upon. I don't know what might be causing you to feel like this based on the info you shared.
    But I thank you for your thoughts!
  • 9voice9
    9voice9 Posts: 693 Member
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    @9voice9 @whatmerunning On the topic of the decline...

    1- is it hotter than hell?
    2- is it humid as hell?
    3- what's​ your food look like? You allowing yourself to recover? Cut back eat a little more? ("100-200 calories a day, not a whole pie" she says to remind herself). How about an off season?
    4-hows your iron? When is the last time you had your​ blood work done?
    5- are you pushin' yourself least once a week/10days? Doing any play with speed? Changing up your route? Running some hills?
    6-eeeee! Molly's Cafe! Haha!

    1 - not really. In fact, it's been cooler these last few mornings.
    2 - not any more than usual for mid-Georgia. We live in a sauna (sometimes hot, sometimes cold, but always humid).
    3 - just got back on the MFP food-tracking bandwagon, so prob the bod is re-adjusting to a different calorie intake load.
    4 - I've stayed on an iron supplement since a few years back I was deferred from giving blood because of low iron. I'm thinking about (based on some earlier conversation) adding a B-vitamin supplement to the regimen.
    5 - prob not as much as I should.

    6 - !!!
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited May 2017
    @9voice9 - That thing with Strava listing fatigue at a higher number than fitness matches my results too. It's why I haven't really paid much attention to the Strava Fitness and Freshness for myself because I can't make sense of when I am performing well versus fatigued because it always says my fatigue is higher than my fitness. I guess we are supposed to magically know when the fatigue is too high?

    I love my Sport Tracks data because it is obvious what the ratio of fitness is to fatigue. When the numbers get close, I can feel it. When fitness is higher than fatigue I perform better. The down side is that it is not free, so I feel bad ever talking about it here. I find it worth the cost, but it might not be for everyone.

    Runalyze looked really nice, you might check it out. It's free and had even more metrics. I just don't want to change tools from something that works for me already.
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    Another 80 degree run/walk this evening. 3.25 miles. I do think I walked a little less than yesterday. The heat hasn't been terrible with the walk breaks but I felt achy all over the past 2 days. Even had weird back pain at my waistline that's only when running. Even weirder is the back pain doesn't coincide with impact but rather with my breathing!
  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
    Just found out its supposed to pour rain at RDM, of course haha! Ran a shorty in town, not enjoying having to go easy on distance leading up to the race even though I can see the performance benefits.

    mn1picmrly22.png


    May 1- Rest
    May 2- 14.2
    May 3- Rest
    May 4- 14.5
    May 5- 18.8
    May 6- 8
    May 7- 23.3
    May 8-Rest
    May 9- 15.7

    94.5/300km
This discussion has been closed.