October 2017 Running Challenge

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  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    @WandaVaughn So glad your friend is on the mend.
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    edited October 2017
    @JessicaMcB your kids are adorable! on the feet. Mine didn't look that bad, but I did a lot more hiking... more cuts though and a nasty rub on my right achilles tendon that still isn't better

    Edit to ad: That's one sleepy looking princess on the right.
  • kevaasen
    kevaasen Posts: 173 Member
    Final October tally

    October goal of 120 with a stretch of 150

    Week 1: 39.2
    Week 2: 43
    Week 3: 36.6
    Week 4: 20.8
    10/31 : 7.2 (Final total 146.8)

    Was a good month of running overall hitting close to my stretch goal while also completing 3 medium length races of 10K, 12K and 15K. Happy Halloween to everyone!
  • shrcpr
    shrcpr Posts: 885 Member
    @WandaVaughn, good news about your friend. :)

    Got in a good 4.7 mile run this morning. I'm happy that I was able to recover enough from the 10+ on Sunday to run this morning without pain. Looks like the exercises and foam rolling I'm doing is working nicely.

    Finished off October with 61 miles - way under my goal but I was out of commission for almost two weeks so I'll take it!
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    10/31 - took a rest day today

    Ended with 111 of 100 miles :smile:

    @WandaVaughn glad your friend is on the mend.
    @JessicaMcB the girls are adorable!

  • rusgolden
    rusgolden Posts: 1,337 Member
    When I set my Oct goal I didn't really look ahead to my training schedule, so I used the same as Sept since I hadn't quite made my goal that month... well, I made it this month! :smile:

    October goal: 95 miles

    10/01 - 5.0 miles, 7:57 m/m, 163 AHR (8K race)
    10/03 - 5.2 miles, 9:20 m/m, 145 AHR (3x1 Intervals)
    10/04 - 3.5 miles, 9:16 m/m, 143 AHR
    10/05 - 5.1 miles, 8:48 m/m, 148 AHR
    10/07 - 3.1 miles, 7:29 m/m, 167 AHR (5K race)
    10/08 - 9.0 miles, 9:36 m/m, 140 AHR
    10/10 - 3.7 miles, 9:26 m/m, 141 AHR (6x.5 Intervals)
    10/11 - 5.0 miles, 9:07 m/m, 138 AHR
    10/12 - 6.0 miles, 9:30 m/m, 139 AHR
    10/14 - 5.1 miles, 9:08 m/m, 146 AHR (1mi WU/CD+5K Virtual)
    10/15 - 10. miles, 9:10 m/m, 144 AHR
    10/17 - 3.7 miles, 9:08 m/m, 140 AHR (6x.5 Intervals)
    10/18 - 4.0 miles, 8:38 m/m, 148 AHR
    10/19 - 7.1 miles, 9:10 m/m, 143 AHR
    10/21 - 3.0 miles, 8:58 m/m, 140 AHR
    10/22 - 6.1 miles, 9:13 m/m, 139 AHR
    10/24 - 4.7 miles, 8:57 m/m, 142 AHR (4x1 Intervals)
    10/25 - 6.0 miles, 8:36 m/m, 149 AHR
    10/26 - 7.0 miles, 8:34 m/m, 152 AHR
    10/28 - 6.0 miles, 9:15 m/m, 141 AHR
    10/29 - 12. miles, 9:13 m/m, 146 AHR
    10/31 - 6.0 miles, 9:15 m/m, 143 AHR

    Total: 126.3/95


    2017 Races
    02/25/17 - 26:06 - 5K Mardi Gras (not official course)
    04/01 - 53:23 - 10K Jadon's Hope Bug Run (1st)
    04/22 - 1:58:24 HM Garmin Oz Run (1st and PR)
    06/18 - 54:04 - 10K Father's Day Run (gun time)
    08/05 - 24:02 - 5K Spencer Duncan
    09/16 - 52:01 - 10K Kade Meyer Celebration Run (PR)
    10/01 - 40:24 - 8K WWI Museum Double run (5K-25:53/3K-15:01)
    10/07 - 23:37 - 5K Jared Coons Pumpkin Run (PR)
    10/14 - 28:00 - 5K AIM Melanoma Virtual
    11/19 - HM Pilgrim Pacer
    11/23 - 8K STL Turkey Trot[/quote]
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    No run today, so finishing October at 209.8 miles.

    For Halloween, we set up tables and give out coffee and hot cocoa to all the parents as they herd their little monsters around the neighborhood. Started it a couple years ago and it has become a very popular stop along the candy gathering routes.

    So that is what I will be doing instead of running. :) Catch y'all in November.

    @PastorVincent great idea, give out beer and I'll stop by.
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    skippygirlsmom wrote: »
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    No run today, so finishing October at 209.8 miles.

    For Halloween, we set up tables and give out coffee and hot cocoa to all the parents as they herd their little monsters around the neighborhood. Started it a couple years ago and it has become a very popular stop along the candy gathering routes.

    So that is what I will be doing instead of running. :) Catch y'all in November.

    @PastorVincent great idea, give out beer and I'll stop by.

    We do not have beer, but we do have dog treats too. :)
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    I'm finishing out the month short of goal again.

    On Oct. 21, I ran my first marathon... it did not go well due to a low BG issue after the first mile, which resulted in a lack of energy for the remainder of the run. A year ago at this time, I had only run 5K's, so I don't know if that is too fast of progress or not.

    I stopped running after Oct. 21 and shifted focus to trying to lose remaining body fat. I'll continue to keep focus for now on fat loss and not worry about running at all. I'm not sure what the future holds, but I'm really hoping to return to running in January as I spend the rest of this year frantically trying to get rid of remaining excess body fat. If I don't make my BF% goal by year end, I'll need to decide whether to accept current level of body fat or if I'm going to continue frantically trying to lose or something else. Regardless of what I decide, I think I will do more running next year... it's just that I don't know what, when, where, and how far just yet. I'm thinking more trails and building distance more slowly; but that still might mean 1 or 2 marathons next year. I won't be ready for ultras for awhile. Additionally, I'll need to figure out optimal nutrition to reduce the risk of low BG in the future.

    So I'm leaving this challenge for a couple months at least.
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    So my goal for the month is 45 miles. I have a lot going on this month, including visiting my mom and my brother this month, and going to a few concerts.

    10/2...4. miles
    10/10..6 miles
    10/13..6 miles
    10/18..6 miles
    10/21..6 miles
    10/22..5 miles
    10/26...8 miles...not sure if it is a personal best but ran it 11 minutes faster than the last time I ran 8 miles. Some intermittent sprints. The temperature was perfect, in the high 60's...mild head wind in the beginning.

    10/30....5 miles.

    My goal was to try to run it under an hour. The weather was cold, approximately 38 degrees. I wore my mittens for the first time under mile 3 when I got too hot. It started to rain at 2.5 miles. (I hate running in the rain because my feet get wet.)I am trying to overcome running in adverse weather. Also had fasted 13 hours for blood work and was really hungry during myself run. I finished in 1:00:44....pretty proud even though missed goal slightly. I still reached goal for the month.



    Total..48 miles
    Goal...45 miles




























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  • rusgolden
    rusgolden Posts: 1,337 Member
    Quick question on elevation... for my Half that I am doing next month, I am doing a course that my son did a few years ago and he has warned me about the hills although he didn't really do any sort of hill training beforehand, and I haven't had a chance to scout the trail out yet. So, here is the elevation map for the course (it is an out and back)... and while the map looks like it has some steep hills, when I calculated the grade on the last hill, I'm only coming up with a 2.5% grade (approx 200 ft elevation rise over about 1.5 miles). Am I calculating that correctly?

    6tcz6ba93m0l.jpg

    Also, when Garmin/Strava etc., calculate elevation gain for a run, how is that calculated? For instance, on my run today, Garmin shows that I had an elevation gain of 341 ft., but the difference from max and min elevation was only 167 ft. Just curious. TIA.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    @rusgolden I'm pretty sure Garmin elevation is cumulative evelation gain.

    For example: Gain 10 ft., drop 20 ft., then gain 30 ft. - Elevation is 40 ft. gain. If you started at 0 ft. elevation, you ended at 20 ft. So you might think it is a 20 ft. gain; but Garmin would calculate as 40 ft.

    Unless I'm misunderstanding... does anyone else know?
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
    @rusgolden - Take a look at the chart you posted. It shows a max elevation just under 1000 ft., and a min elevation of somewhere close to 800 ft. It also says elevation gain/loss/net of 980.7 ft., -980.7 ft., and 0 ft.

    What this means is that you go up 980.7 ft. and go down 980.7 ft. to end at the same level you started from. You do this within the same 200 foot range above sea level, kind of like climbing 5 flights of stairs by going from your main floor to your basement and back 5 times. Your Garmin results will use the same methodology, though there might be some inaccuracy from either GPS or barometric measurement of elevation. (More discussion on this earlier in the thread.) From the precision of the chart you post, I'm guessing that it's an out and back ending where it starts, and that the race organizers used something more precise than Garmin to figure the elevation.

    To a certain extent, hills are in the eye of the beholder. I might regard the half you're running as hilly but not a problem with proper training. @MNLittleFinn or @PastorVincent might regard it as no big deal. Someone who trains exclusively in Florida might regard is as brutal to impossible.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    skippygirlsmom wrote: »
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    No run today, so finishing October at 209.8 miles.

    For Halloween, we set up tables and give out coffee and hot cocoa to all the parents as they herd their little monsters around the neighborhood. Started it a couple years ago and it has become a very popular stop along the candy gathering routes.

    So that is what I will be doing instead of running. :) Catch y'all in November.

    @PastorVincent great idea, give out beer and I'll stop by.

    Haha! @skippygirlsmom Beer-O-Treat! Tequila-O-Treat? Omg, Halloween pub crawl! Let's go!!!
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    @rusgolden I'm pretty sure Garmin elevation is cumulative evelation gain.

    For example: Gain 10 ft., drop 20 ft., then gain 30 ft. - Elevation is 40 ft. gain. If you started at 0 ft. elevation, you ended at 20 ft. So you might think it is a 20 ft. gain; but Garmin would calculate as 40 ft.

    Unless I'm misunderstanding... does anyone else know?

    Yeah, that is my understanding too. And honestly, that is the gain that matters. What you want to know is how much time you spend running uphill, not where you stop relative to where you start, especially since that is an out and back making your "real" gain of 0.
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    rusgolden wrote: »
    Quick question on elevation... for my Half that I am doing next month, I am doing a course that my son did a few years ago and he has warned me about the hills although he didn't really do any sort of hill training beforehand, and I haven't had a chance to scout the trail out yet. So, here is the elevation map for the course (it is an out and back)... and while the map looks like it has some steep hills, when I calculated the grade on the last hill, I'm only coming up with a 2.5% grade (approx 200 ft elevation rise over about 1.5 miles). Am I calculating that correctly?

    Yes, assuming 200 feet over 1.5 miles is 2.5% grade. But that is an AVERAGE over 1.5 miles. There could be places where it is 10% or .5%. The problem with that graph is that it is compressing 13 miles into a few inches of screen space. So it is hard to tell how bad the hills really are.

  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
    @rusgolden I personally wouldn't worry about the hills if that elevation profile is accurate and you've done some hill work in your training. The only people who I can see struggling with that are people who are training exclusively flats. If you are used to running trail it looks like no problemo to me :) !

    @MNLittleFinn Mia was super mad we wouldn't let her wear her Moana costume because we live in Alberta and I'd like for her not to freeze to death hustling for Reese's pieces :D
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    edited October 2017
    @rusgolden I think @MobyCarp covered it very well.

    When I'm looking at the "hillyness" of a route or a race I take the overall elevation gain in feet divided by the distance in miles (let's call this EGF for Elevation Gain Factor). When I look for trails to train on, I like 100' of gain per mile so if a 7 mile has 700' of elevation gain, I'm happy. It's not unusual for me to do hill repeats when I find good hills to get to that factor, or make that factor bigger.

    That's not the whole story, of course. A long gradual incline of 700' is a completely different animal than a 700' climb in the first mile, and flat the rest of the course. You have to look at the elevation chart to get a sense of where the elevation comes from.

    The total distance is a factor too. A given EGF is more tolerable over shorter distances, just as a given pace is easier to maintain over shorter distances.

    In my head I've come up with the following (in terms of overall elevation gain per total distance)

    300 < EGF - Very challenging hills! (if I lived somewhere like Colorado, or if I were @JessicaMcB this would be much higher)
    200 < EGF < 300 - Hell of a workout. If the distance is long enough, my quads will be sore! I need more of this.
    100 < EGF < 200 - Excellent gain for a solid workout, or enough gain for a challenging race.
    50 < EGF < 100 - Enough gain for a solid workout, but nothing super tough.
    25 < EGF < 50 - Enough gain that I may notice a hill here or there, but nothing I need to think about.
    0 < EGF < 25 - Am I in North Dakota!?!?!

    Looking at your chart, the course has an overall EGF of 75 (980/13 miles). This course happens to be fairly easy to breakdown:

    The first 1.5 miles has some good downhill, maybe an -150 EGF?. That's actually harder on your quads than uphill in the long run because it's an eccentric contraction. It's harder on your joints because you have farther to "fall" so there's a greater impact. Take shorter, quicker strides to combat the increased impact, and let your body flow down the hill.

    From 1.5 to the turn around I'd guess an EGF of 35. Nearly all runnable.

    The reverse of this section is the opposite so mostly downhill. It will be easy running, but by the time you get to the lowest elevation, you may feel it in your quads & knees. Use the downhill slope to your advantage, but again, a short, quick stride will help you avoid soreness in the last couple of miles.

    Back to the big hill for the last 1.5 miles at 150 EGF. Try to maintain constant effort, not constant pace. I do this mostly by using a shorter stride. If you have a goal time in mind, you'll want to get ahead of the game before this section because that hill will slow you down!

    Another thing you'll really want to do on this section (and on any uphill) is to engage your glutes as much as possible. These are the biggest muscles in your body and to be an efficient runner you have to get as much as possible out of them. On your training runs, run up hill and focus on using your glutes to propel you up. On every run I try to remember to spend time consciously firing those glutes so it becomes second nature, particularly when I'm tired.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    edited October 2017
    That long post above, that was the first time I tired to put that idea to words. I'm sure there are better ways to explain it, and better ways to think about it. Sorry for the ramble, but hopefully there's something in there of use. Ok, % grade is already a known unit so I probably didn't need to come up with EGF. IN my head it's just numbers I'm thinking about, not "EGF". IT's also the first time I broke it up into ranges. In my head it's just a continuum.

    I need to go home now.
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    skippygirlsmom wrote: »
    I'm dying! A great addition to your trail running.

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

    This video is too funny! I love the leopard print panties! LOL!
  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
    That is an awesome course assessment @7lenny7 ! Re: Colorado, I ran Banff with a woman from CO who was convinced that the Canadian rockies were "Colorado on steroids" and that she would never return :D . If you're looking for good vert our ultras have it
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    To a certain extent, hills are in the eye of the beholder. I might regard the half you're running as hilly but not a problem with proper training. @MNLittleFinn or @PastorVincent might regard it as no big deal. Someone who trains exclusively in Florida might regard is as brutal to impossible.

    Wanted to highlight this cause it is so important.
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    @ereck44 Glad you were able to go down to Churchill Downs and the KD Museum! I think we've talked about how I'm a horseracing fan as well. For my birthday in September (my 30th!), my mom and I went down to Louisville and Lexington to do a bunch of horse stuff. We went on an early backside tour of Churchill Downs where we got to see some horses doing morning exercises, visited the KD musuem, went on a tour at Darley (saw Nyquist and others), went on a tour at Old Friends (saw Silver Charm and others), and visited Keeneland during their preview of the yearling sale. It was awesome and my only regret is not being able to see my girl Songbird but they weren't letting anyone see her at the time. I hope to go down there again soon to be able to see her (hopefully she stays in KY) as well as American Pharoah and California Chrome. I hope to run the Kentucky Derby Marathon again - hopefully either in 2018 or 2019.

    @MobyCarp Despite the less than ideal conditions, you still did great. Congrats!

    @JessicaMcB Wow, congratulations! That is just awesome!

    Always wonderful to find another avid horse racing fan! I would have loved to meet the thoroughbreds that you got a chance to meet. I was and still am a fan of American Pharoah, California Chrome, and Nyquist. I would love to meet them. American Pharoah is supposedly tame enough that you can pet him. It's too bad that you didn't get a chance to see Songbird. (I think that she will stay in Kentucky).

    Good luck in your marathon. I have such admiration for those who run one....can't imagine running farther than a half.

  • rusgolden
    rusgolden Posts: 1,337 Member
    edited October 2017
    @midwesterner85 @MobyCarp @7lenny7 @PastorVincent -- thanks all for the feedback, very good info and thanks for the tips as well @7lenny7 ! I decided to use mapmyfitness to map the route out since I knew that I could see the hill grades with that tool... so, here is the end result and I think it is more useful in dissecting the run a bit more.

    tprx6oxk7ire.jpg

    Edit to add: Somewhat hard to read, but goes from -7% to 7% on the color scale...
  • RunsOnEspresso
    RunsOnEspresso Posts: 3,218 Member
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    To a certain extent, hills are in the eye of the beholder. I might regard the half you're running as hilly but not a problem with proper training. @MNLittleFinn or @PastorVincent might regard it as no big deal. Someone who trains exclusively in Florida might regard is as brutal to impossible.

    Wanted to highlight this cause it is so important.

    What are hills?

    The half I've done several times seems to find the only hill in Phoenix and puts it at mile 9. And it doesn't *look* bad but it's long and you have to crest it and then turn around and go back up before you get to go down again. I hate it & tell all new people about it because I had no idea the first time.
  • _nikkiwolf_
    _nikkiwolf_ Posts: 1,380 Member
    bride001 wrote: »
    Besides just not having the want to, do you have any other reasons why one shouldn't do this? The reason I ask is because one of our local hospitals is having a running weekend that consists of a 5K and kids run on a Saturday and then a 10K and half marathon on Sunday. Seriously considering doing the 5K and 10K.
    @bride001 If you want to, go ahead and do it!
    Just don't expect to PR in both of them - pick one that you are more serious about, and run the other one easier. I've done two 10ks in one weekend last summer - had already signed up for the first one an hour away on Saturday, when I learned that there would be another 10k on Sunday just 10min from where I live, and with the fees for a good cause, so I "had" to sign up for that one as well :wink: I decided to race the first one as fast as I could. That one was a PR in 58:06. The next day, I took it a bit easier finished in 1:02:59. I don't think I could have run as fast as the day before, even if I had tried, but since I only went to enjoy the atmosphere, it was perfectly fine.


    @ddmom0811 Lol, I never knew that was the full title of Strong Curves! That's one if the things I love about the kindle - nobody knows if I read a serious bio of some smutty romance that would have a real embarassing cover as paperback :D

    @WandaVaughn If you need a new goal after your HM, you don't have to go to longer and longer distances! Even if you don't want to become a speed demon, you could try to improve your 5k or HM time. Or you could try to get better at running hills. Or do something completely different, like try to run all the streets in your city.
    I'm glad your friend was already allowed to go home, I hope he'll recover well.

    @7lenny7 and @Kody :wink: Great runs, I love the photos!

    @HonuNui That sharks and fishermen picture looks intriguing. Have fun dodging them!

    @JessicaMcB Your girls in their costumes are adorable :heart:
    Of course I had to click on the spoiler button too... the picture of your foot is a little less lovely :D

    @midwesterner85 Wouldn't running would help with reducing body fat? But I guess you have some alternative plan what to do instead of running... In any case, I'm sorry that you're leaving this challenge for the near future. All the best, hoping to read from you again next year!
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,184 Member
    edited October 2017
    October goal: 70 miles

    10/1: 7.7 miles
    10/3: 3 miles (intervals)
    10/4: 3.1 miles
    10/5: 2.3 miles
    10/7: 3.1 miles (race)
    10/8: 5.7 miles
    10/10: 3.3 miles (intervals)
    10/11: 3.2 miles
    10/12: 2.7 miles
    10/14: 3.1 miles (virtual race)
    10/15: 7.2 miles
    10/17: 3.1 miles (intervals)
    10/18: 2.6 miles
    10/19: 3.3 miles
    10/22: 8 miles
    10/24: 2.6 miles (intervals)
    10/25: 3.5 miles
    10/26: 2.8 miles
    10/29: 8.1 miles
    10/31: 2.8 miles (intervals)

    81.2/70 miles

    I really surpassed my goal this month. I'm kind of proud of that. I am still going to leave my goal at 70 for November though. Between going to visit my son at college and the holidays and having to deal with the plumber at the house hopefully Thursday but also possibly Friday I may miss a run or two in November.

    Today was my first time to go to the track. My husband is on week 2 of C25k and he likes to run there so I decided to go run my intervals there. I just did straights and curves because when it comes to intervals I don't really know what I'm doing. I've been doing zombies run intervals which is time based and I like it, but occasionally I have missed a voice prompt. I did like running the intervals at the track, but it was kind of boring too. I think I may start going to the track more for intervals, but I can't imagine doing regular runs there.

    @jessicamcb What cute little trick-or-treaters!


    exercise.png

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