November 2017 Running Challenge

BruinsGal_91

Ran my 5k turkey trot this morning, and my husband beat me by four seconds. He's still crowing.

bjderhak

Yesterday I did 10 miles. I had to postpone my run until the evening because a. scheduling conflicts b. too hot to run in afternoon. I have found that i DO NOT like running at night. I started around 445. The sun was starting to set. 5.5 miles later it was black out. And while the sidewalk are nicely lit and I live in a pretty safe community I still didnt like it. It felt completely off. I ended up circling by my community gym and doing miles 7-9 on the treadmill knowing Id have a mile left to run home and finish my goal.

4 mile recovery run this morning. There were so many people out in the neighborhood, the HOA couldve organized a Turkey Trot (perhaps I should mention that for next year )

I started tying my shoes with the "lace lock" technique and I really like it. My toes no longer press against the front of my shoes on declines. It feels much more stable. Check it out on youtube

114 of 150 miles this month.

Hope everyone has a great holiday. Im at work and hoping to be out by 7 (its all good as this is one of my least fav holidays.. lol)

bjderhak

@PastorVincent awesome job at your races! very inspiring
@BruinsGal_91 you know youll never hear the end of that!! lol

skippygirlsmom

Thanks for the encouragement @amymoreorless
@PastorVincent woohoo super job two PRs awesome. Loved the pictures. Check box on the Christmas tree ha ha
@BruinsGal_91 I have a feeling I would have loved to see the finish of that race

BruinsGal_91

@bjderhak @skippygirlsmom It was definitely a lot of fun. His strategy of using me as a pacer and then speeding up right at the end worked perfectly. There were 1,700 runners, so my plan of storming ahead so he couldn't keep up didn't work because I was wasting all my energy zipping around other runners. And then at the end he did a fantastic swerve to get past a couple of people, and I couldn't react quickly enough to catch him.

My excuse is I'm still recovering from Saturday's half-marathon. Oh, and next year I'm entering us in a smaller race.

Elise4270

1---3.23
2--PT
3---4.34
7---PT
9---PT
10---3.33
13---3.47
17---3.40
19---6.29
23---3.49

27.55/65 miles

Upcoming races:
Dec 2- POOP trail run, 5.5 miles Norman OK
Jan 27 Running the Rose. Tyler Tx. 11mi or 7k

Pre-op PR's
1 mile 8:27  5k 24:42. 10k 1:00.52.  HM 2:17.28
Post-op Training PB's
1 mile 9.25  5k 33:46 10k 1:09:46

---

Congratulations on all the trots today!
@skippygirlsmom way to go on the AG!
@BruinsGal_91 4 seconds! I feel you. Mine says he'll quit racing me when I beat him. So I can't give up!

weat0043

Happy Thanksgiving everyone in the US and congrats/good luck Turkey Trotters! Sounds like some amazing running has been going on today.

hjeppley

@PastorVincent Awesome PRs! Congratulations!

PastorVincent

Something I guess that I should have expected, but is odd. Today ran 2 back to back PRs. So was definitely, for me, going pretty hard. Well, oddly enough I did not need water at all for either race and only grabbed couple ounces (1/2 dixie cup) between the races.

I realize a winter race needs less water, but man it used to be I had to stop at every table in a 5k race for water, no matter the weather and today I ran 8 at race pace with essentially no water.

I guess our bodies can get better at water management too?

JessicaMcB

@PastorVincent just slaying the race day! The guy in the Pumpkin Pi costume had me cry laughing! Please tell me he was like 1st overall, everyone needed to see that on the podium

@skippygirlsmom Me and Skip apparently have the same tendency to talk the race away, haha Congrats to her on her AG placement!

@MNLittleFinn Altras, damn you must love your mom I can't even justify getting me Altras yet lolll

MobyCarp

November Running Totals (miles)
11/1 – 5.14 group run
11/2 – 6.60 warm up, speed work, cool down
11/3 – rest day
11/4 – 7.24 aborted paced run
11/5 – 11.15 easy
11/6 – rest day
11/7 – 6.41 warm up, speed work, cool down
11/8 – 7.02 group run
11/9 – 6.98 warm up, speed work, cool down
11/10 – rest day
11/11 – 10.03 paced run
11/12 – 7.06 warm up + 8K cross country race
11/13 – rest day
11/14 – 6.21 warm up, short speed work, cool down
11/15 – 6.89 group run
11/16 – 6.28 tempo intervals
11/17 – rest day
11/18 – 18.05 paced run + add on with running buddy
11/19 – rest day
11/20 – rest day
11/21 – 4.09 easy and MP
11/22 – rest day
11/23 – 8.34 warmup + 10K race

November running total to date – 117.49

Nominal challenge goal: 200 miles

Real goals: Stay healthy. Build base. Prepare for Club Nationals in early December and the start of Boston training in late December.

Today's notes – Today is US Thanksgiving Day. For the seventh consecutive year, I chose to run Race with Grace 10K at 9 AM. There is a race named Turkey Trot on the other side of town, and all the reasons I chose RWG 6 years ago are still valid today: There are 5000+ runners at the Turkey Trot, there is no parking, there are no indoor rest rooms, and it's actually a little shorter than the nominal 4.4 mile distance. There are typically between 1000 and 1300 runners at RWG, enough on-site parking, and indoor rest rooms that at clean, heated, and have hot water.

What I didn't know 6 years ago is that RWG is more for people who are racing, while the Turkey Trot is packed with people who are running or walking the event. I belong to a fairly hard core club of runners; today's workout assignment was "Race with Grace or 4-6 x 1 mile at T w/1 minute recovery, but each progressively faster." For those of you who didn't get the alternate description, the 10K race is an easier assignment.

Notwithstanding the serious racers, there is something of a holiday atmosphere at RWG. There are always a few people who wear turkey hats:



There was also a full turkey costume, and a Santa Claus; but I didn't get their pictures this year. I did wish Santa a Merry Christmas when I passed him about mile 2. (Yes, he's a good runner; if he weren't in costume, he'd be likely to finish ahead of me.)

RWG also features family teams. There are categories for husband-wife, father-son, father-daughter, mother-son, 3 generation, etc. That's not relevant to me personally, because my daughter doesn't run and my sister isn't local; but some families go so far as to have team shirts made:



The big deal for me this year is a niggle in my left leg. It has been manifesting as a sore thigh, in a muscle or tendon that I don't have a name for. Yesterday I took a rest day in the hopes that the leg would be good enough for the race. I felt it during my warmup, but the leg felt better after I got the blood flowing well. So I was comfortable with the plan of basically treating the 10K as a tempo run. It was not a day to push for a PR, it was a day to feel pretty good while running and be prepared to back off if anything hurt.

The other noteworthy thing about RWG is that is a down and up course. The route is an out, loop, and back that goes toward the lake and back. That means the first half in net downhill and the last half is net uphill. When you race it for best time, the uphill on the way back is challenging. In addition, today the wind was from the SW. So we ran out with a tail wind and back with a head wind.

So I set out to just hold a steady T pace level of effort. Within the first quarter mile, my left leg stopped all complaints. It felt pretty good, but I held to discipline and didn't push for pace until right before the finish line. Mile splits per Garmin were 6:30, 6:42, 6:36, 6:46, 6:48, an 6:54, with an average 6:39 pace for the tag end. This is in keeping with the geography of the course and a short finish line kick.

I ended up finishing in 41:53, for an average pace of 6:45 per mile on certified race distance. Garmin had me running 6.24 miles, which isn't bad. From 2.8 miles on, I had to go around clumps of early start walkers and runners, so perfect tangents were not possible. I ran decent tangents for the conditions.

The results were as expected. A guy who recently aged up to 60 ran 39:54 (equal to my PR 10K, but slow for him) and took the First Senior award. That left me with 1st of 41 in the M 60-64 age group. Got a medal that isn't as nice as a typical half marathon finisher's medal, and $25 cash. The cash will just about cover my entry fee and my gas getting to and from the race.




After I stopped running, that left leg got very stiff. When I got out of the car at home, it was difficult to go up 2 steps from the garage to the house. Puttered around with putting things away, then got out the Addaday roller I bought a while back. I've never used rollers much, but it was something to try. Worked on where the leg hurt or was stiff.

OMG, what a difference. Now I understand why people swear by these rollers; it just took me 6+ years to get to a point where I needed one. I could walk after the first pass, and went back to touch up spots as they became apparent. It's not magic, but it's a lot better than just waiting for the stiffness to go away.

The good news is that my recovering right ankle was fine with today's activity. The PTT isn't totally healed, but it's to the point where I could have raced hard today. Just couldn't do that on the left leg.

So now it's NFL, rest, play online, and get a good night's rest. Tomorrow will tell the tale of whether I had a good race today.

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) finished in 3:49:42
April 30, 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship (James Joyce Ramble, Dedham, MA) finished in 39:54, PR for 10K
May 21, 2017 Lilac Run 10K (Rochester, NY) finished in 40:04
May 27, 2017 Canandaigua Classic Half Marathon (Canandaigua, NY) finished in 1:33:06
June 9, 2017 Charlie McMullen Mile (Fairport, NY) finished in 5:44.90, PR for mile
June 18, 2017 Medved 5K to Cure ALS (Rochester, NY) finished in 19:32
July 4, 2017 Firecracker Four Mile (Fairport, NY) finished in 25:42
July 15, 2017 Shoreline Half Marathon [1:40 pacer] (Hamlin, NY) finished in 1:39:05
July 28, 2017 Karknocker 5K (East Rochester, NY) finished in 19:28
August 9, 2017 Pound the Ground 10K (Mendon, NY) finished in 41:26
August 12, 2017 Bergen Road Race 5K (Bergen, NY) finished in 19:47
August 25, 2017 USATF Masters Mile (Hap Crim Michigan Mile, Flint, MI) DNS - injury
September 3, 2017 Oak Tree Half Marathon (Geneseo, NY) DNS - injury
September 17, 2017 MVP Rochester Marathon (Rochester, NY) DNS - injury
October 29, 2017 Pete Glavin XC Race #4 6K (Brighton, NY) finished in 25:32.8
November 12, 2017 Pete Glavin XC Race #5 8K (Canandaigua, NY) finished in 34:42.6
November 23, 2017 Race with Grace 10K (Hilton, NY) finished in 41:53
December 9, 2017 USATF Club National XC Championship 8K (Lexington, KY)

2018 races:
January 1, 2018 Freezeroo #2 (Resolution Run 7.5 mile) (Mendon, NY)
January 6, 2018 Winter Warrior Half Marathon (Gates, NY)
January 13, 2018 Freezeroo #3 (Pineway Ponds Park 5 mile) (Spencerport, NY)
January 27, 2018 Freezeroo #4 (Hearnish 5 mile) (Victor, NY)
February 17, 2018 Freezeroo #5 (Valentines Run "In Memory of Tom Brannon" 8 Mile) (Greece, NY)
February 24, 2018 Freezeroo #6 (White House Challenge 4.4 mile) (Webster, NY)
April 16, 2018 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)

MNLittleFinn

JessicaMcB wrote: »

@MNLittleFinn Altras, damn you must love your mom I can't even justify getting me Altras yet lolll

I got her the same ones I have, ended spending like maybe $70USD, with my discount. She's more than worth that!

Teresa502

Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating in the US! Started running streak this morning with 3.5 miles. It was cold and windy!

girlinahat

skippygirlsmom wrote: »

@_nikkiwolf_ I hope the knee is better. My PT says "I don't worry as much about what hurts while you as much as what hurts when you aren't running". Love the idea on the sleeves.

I’ve heard it said ‘don’t worry about pain after a run, but worry if the pain is still there the next day’

girlinahat

@rheddmobile - you have face planted. You are officially a runner. Welcome.

And sorry about your thanksgiving rushin around changes - hope you sort it.

Happy Thanksgiving people of America.

girlinahat

So here’s a thing - you guys have thanksgiving where you eat ALL the food. And then you organise packed out races to justify it.... But I love the fact that Thanksgiving is becoming known for its turkey trots rather than just the stuff-your-face thing. Maybe that’s just in this thread but still....


Oh, and @BruinsGal_91 Oh. What else can I say?

@PastorVincent well done. I have a feeling your under four hour target is close. What then?

Here’s another thing. My neighbor was complaining there aren’t enough races with age groups for him (70+). He wants to compete but compete on a reasonable playing field. I did point out that UTMB had a 70-120 age group with at least two in (who both finished) but I guess that’s hardly an everyday race. He’s done the Snowden’s marathon 5 times (mountain) and his CURRENT half marathon status is 1 hour 24 minutes. His PR at the HM is......SIXTY-SEVEN minutes. No comment.

weat0043

Nov. 23 - 4.5km
MTD - 58.5km/80km

sarahthes

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! Since we live in Canada we have to work, but since my husband is American we are having a fancier than usual dinner tonight. Skipping today's run due to treacherous sidewalks (@JessicaMcB we got the same freezing rain you did) but it will be nice tomorrow so I'll make it up.

I went for lunch with a firmer coworker wherein we discussed career goals and he mentioned that if he didn't know I want my (over 65) manager's job when she retires he'd think I'm crazy to still be working for the company. When I got back to work after lunch my manager called me and told me she's probably getting promoted next week and was I interested in her position? She's gauging interest with all of her most senior reports before deciding whether to post for the job or just appoint one of us so I won't know for a while if I have any competition but I definitely made my interest known! I would say two of us are serious contenders and the rest not so much.

Orphia

@NikolaosKey Good luck in your race on Sunday!

@hjeppley Bravo on your AG second place!! Awesome pace!

@Elise4270 Champagne/suede Sapphire 5S - beautiful!

@PastorVincent Wow, back to back PBs!!! Way to rock. Yep, I do think we get better at not needing as much water.

@BruinsGal_91 LOL @ your husband.

@MobyCarp Bravo on 1st of 41 in your AG! Man, you're good. Best wishes on recovery.

sarahthes

Forgot to add congrats to all who raced today! Awesome job!