April 2018 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,162 Member
    edited April 2018
    Thanks @7lenny7 That is really encouraging. I have recently started getting up earlier and running in the morning before work. I probably do need to get a little more sleep.

    ETA I always love the pictures of Kody.
  • Azercord
    Azercord Posts: 573 Member
    shanaber wrote: »
    I have a question for those of you running in the heat and sweating... Now that we are getting warm here (80-90F) I sweat, a lot... I always wear a hat and it helps to keep the sweat off my face for a while until it becomes saturated (sorry TMI and gross!). Then it all just runs down my face and into my eyes. Does anyone have a solution for this? I was thinking of trying a headband under or next to the band of my hat or maybe a bandana... I don't know but I hate not being able to see and my eyes stinging...

    I have big bushy eyebrows that do the trick nicely :tongue:

    I also use I hat in the summer that has a plastic in the brim for the visor part and it seems to do a really nice job of helping channel the sweat towards the edges. I got it off a vendor years ago so I can't recommend a brand but I would look for that component again when I need a new hat.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    4/1-14.5 miles
    4/2 Rest Day
    4/3 5.7 miles (4 on dreadmill, 1.7 with Stella)
    4/4-30 minute elliptical and 30 minute strength
    4/5-8 miles
    4/6-Yoga and rest
    4/7-11.6 miles (10+1.6 with Stella)
    4/8-16 miles
    4/9-Rest day with yoga
    4/10-5.8 miles+yoga
    4/11-8 miles w/ 6 @ tempo
    4/12-10 miles
    4/13-P90X3 Dynamix
    4/14-21 miles
    4/15-10 miles
    4/16-Rest Day
    4/17-8 miles w/ 6 @ tempo
    4/18-6.7 miles total including 1.7 with Stella
    4-19-10.1 miles
    4/20-Rest/travel day
    4/21-9.7 miles
    4/22-7.9 miles
    4/23-Rest/travel day
    4/24-4.3 miles

    157.3/180

    I had the most bizarre experience on my run yesterday evening and I am hoping someone can offer some insight. For me it was a very pleasant, easy run. However, my Garmin said otherwise. I got out of work late yesterday and had some errands to run, so I opted to do today's assigned easy taper run of 4 miles at an easy pace. No big deal. I headed out through the streets of my neighborhood as I have done hundreds of times before. I was cruising along at a slower than normal pace and enjoying the mid 50s temps along with the light rain that was falling. When I hit the first mile I glanced at my Garmin and noted the 9:05 pace. That's when I noticed my heart rate. 160 BPM! I'm thinking "Is this even possible?"

    To give you some perspective, my estimated lactate threshold heart rate is about 160 BPM. When I ran my last 5K in March I had an average pace of 7:04 and an average HR of 152. My HR peaked at 160 for this race. When I normally do this route around my neighborhood at a pace of 8:45-9:00, my HR is usually in the low 130s, maybe climbing into the 140s when I run up a hill. But I was already running slower than normal and I did not feel any exertion at all. I started to slow down even more, but my HR continued to climb. I came to a long downhill and continued to take it slow to see if it would come down. No, it held stable at 170. When I used to run with my chest strap, I had to give it everything I had to get my HR in the 170s. I tried messing with my pace and no matter what I did, my HR stayed in the 160s for the remainder of the run, until I came to the last downhill run to my home, where my HR usually is about 115-120. Nope. 180. When I got to my driveway and stopped my Garmin, my HR finally started to fall, eventually leveling off in the 130s about 2 minutes later. Normally at this point my HR would be under 100 regardless of how hard I was running.

    So I'm trying to figure out if this was a malfunction with my heart rate monitor or a malfunction with my heart. I thought maybe the rain had something to do with it (even though this it never had this effect before). I tried doing a google search and I found very little on the matter. I did see some forum notes where someone noticed small spikes in their HR while swimming or when it was wet out, but this was a constant uber high reading.

    On the other hand, could this be my actual HR? I did just have a long weekend trip which included air travel. I am not sure if that can mess with things, but I guess it sounds logical. I was not feeling overly tired from the weekend though. Over the weekend, I also drank alcohol for the first time in several weeks, but not so much that I ever felt hung over or effected by it. Or could it be my body in taper mode catching up with the recovery process? I really can't figure it out, but I can't help but feel a little bit scared. Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this or have any insights? Any thoughts on whether I should trust this data or not?
  • Scott6255
    Scott6255 Posts: 2,555 Member
    @lporter229: I am quite sure it is the Garmin (not sure which Garmin you have). That has happened to me on a few runs. I have a Garmin 235 (w/wrist HR monitor). Normal HR for an easy run averages 125-135 BPM. But on (very) few occasions, it has registered an easy run between 170-200 BPM. I remember during the run thinking I am feeling nice and relaxed, then look down and see the HR in the RED reading 180+!
    So I am quite sure it is equipment failure. Maybe how is worn on the wrist (too loose that day), or too much sweat, or something. If it were actually my real HR, I think I would be writhing on the ground half way into my run!
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    @lporter229 It was probably a hardware malfunction - but if it happens again, maybe stop and check your HR manually to confirm? It would give you some peace of mind for sure if you checked and you were closer to what you expected.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    sarahthes wrote: »
    @lporter229 It was probably a hardware malfunction - but if it happens again, maybe stop and check your HR manually to confirm? It would give you some peace of mind for sure if you checked and you were closer to what you expected.

    Duh...not sure why I did not think of that!
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    @lporter229 - I agree sounds like Garmin messed up. Next time that happens - stop and take your HR manually and see what you get. If Garmin has 180 and you count like 140... then you know Garmin is wrong. IF you count like 175 or something then Garmin is correct.

    But I have seen wrist monitors that are too loose read really high numbers. I think if they move around they double count beats.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    edited April 2018
    @scott6525 @sarahthes @PastorVincent Thanks for the input. That's mostly what I was thinking, but when I stopped running and it started to fall but not to normal levels is when I started to get scared. I will keep an eye on it today. I developed a bit of a rash under my strap so I did have it on a little looser than normal.

    Another reason why I hate technology!
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    lporter229 wrote: »
    @scott6525 @sarahthes @PastorVincent Thanks for the input. That's mostly what I was thinking, but when I stopped running and it started to fall but not to normal levels is when I started to get scared. I will keep an eye on it today. I developed a bit of a rash under my strap so I did have it on a little looser than normal.

    Another reason why I hate technology!

    Try it on the other wrist while running for a better fit?
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
    @lporter229 - I can't address how wrist-based HRMs work, but my experience with chest strap HRMs that came with the Garmin 620 and 630 shows a lot of runs where I have an unrealistically high HR early, then it comes down and the rest of the run looks normal . . . if the run is long enough for it to come down. Stuff that I've identified, not all with 100% certainty:

    - A Garmin rep giving a talk with Q&A at a local running store mentioned in passing (before the 630 came out) that high readings can happen if there isn't a good contact between the strap and chest. Then when you sweat enough to moisturize it and create a good contact, you get better readings.
    - The 630 came with instructions to rinse the HRM every time and use soap once every 7 runs. (I can't remember 7 runs, but I can remember every Saturday.) So . . .
    - The 620 strap had less of a high HR problem when I cleaned it up with soap and water. Apparently, accumulated salt from sweating degrades the skin contact.
    - The 630 strap worked better than the 620 from the start, but I get more false HR if I let the cleaning slide, or on runs where I put the strap on at home the drive somewhere to run and there's enough time for the contracts to dry out before I start running.
    - The longest periods of false high HR were on long runs in cold weather, where obviously it takes longer for me to sweat enough to moisturize the contacts.
    - On many runs with the 630 and a well maintained strap, I don't have a high HR problem at all. Then it shows up again at random, typically on a run where I didn't warm up gradually enough. Or it can show up on the warmup run at club practice, but then not on the workout proper starting 15 to 30 minutes after I finish my warmup.

    Now, if wrist-based HRMs are displaying a similar phenomenon, I don't know what mechanics might cause that. But at least I have a thought model for understanding the readings from my chest strap HRM.
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    @lporter229 - I can't address how wrist-based HRMs work, but my experience with chest strap HRMs that came with the Garmin 620 and 630 shows a lot of runs where I have an unrealistically high HR early, then it comes down and the rest of the run looks normal . . . if the run is long enough for it to come down. Stuff that I've identified, not all with 100% certainty:

    - A Garmin rep giving a talk with Q&A at a local running store mentioned in passing (before the 630 came out) that high readings can happen if there isn't a good contact between the strap and chest. Then when you sweat enough to moisturize it and create a good contact, you get better readings.
    - The 630 came with instructions to rinse the HRM every time and use soap once every 7 runs. (I can't remember 7 runs, but I can remember every Saturday.) So . . .
    - The 620 strap had less of a high HR problem when I cleaned it up with soap and water. Apparently, accumulated salt from sweating degrades the skin contact.
    - The 630 strap worked better than the 620 from the start, but I get more false HR if I let the cleaning slide, or on runs where I put the strap on at home the drive somewhere to run and there's enough time for the contracts to dry out before I start running.
    - The longest periods of false high HR were on long runs in cold weather, where obviously it takes longer for me to sweat enough to moisturize the contacts.
    - On many runs with the 630 and a well maintained strap, I don't have a high HR problem at all. Then it shows up again at random, typically on a run where I didn't warm up gradually enough. Or it can show up on the warmup run at club practice, but then not on the workout proper starting 15 to 30 minutes after I finish my warmup.

    Now, if wrist-based HRMs are displaying a similar phenomenon, I don't know what mechanics might cause that. But at least I have a thought model for understanding the readings from my chest strap HRM.

    @MobyCarp Very Interesting. I have not had any of those problems with wrist ones, but I do know that looseness is a huge factor in accuracy. I sweat A LOT and when I say a lot, however much you think I mean, I mean more than that. :) People often ask me if I feel in a pool, or got caught in the rain. With all of that, the Garmin 935 wrist always reports reasonable numbers if I am wearing it correctly.

    SO at least IME - the wrist-based ones are primarily only sensitive to relative tightness on the wrist.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    @MobyCarp I've never washed my chest HR monitor. I've washed the strap, but not the monitor. I'll have to try that. Mine has no contacts that I can see however. It's all encased in plastic.

    I usually get an HR spike for the first 5 to 15 minutes, then it becomes believable. Sometimes I think it's my actual HR spiking, sometimes it's too high for me to believe.

    In the winter when it's dry and my HR monitor has a hard time picking up a signal I smear some ultrasound gel on the back of the monitor and it works well until I get some sweat built up.
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
    edited April 2018
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    @MobyCarp I've never washed my chest HR monitor. I've washed the strap, but not the monitor. I'll have to try that. Mine has no contacts that I can see however. It's all encased in plastic.

    I usually get an HR spike for the first 5 to 15 minutes, then it becomes believable. Sometimes I think it's my actual HR spiking, sometimes it's too high for me to believe.

    In the winter when it's dry and my HR monitor has a hard time picking up a signal I smear some ultrasound gel on the back of the monitor and it works well until I get some sweat built up.

    @7lenny7 It's the strap, and particularly the contacts to your chest, that are important. I talk about washing the HRM because the one that came with the 630 doesn't detach from the strap. The one that came with the 620 does, and I can run that strap through the laundry if I want; but the 630 HRM has to be hand washed because you don't want to soak the electronics in water. Of course water flows over the HRM proper when I rinse or clean the strap, but it's sealed well enough to take that.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,162 Member
    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    kgirlhart wrote: »

    I am really starting to get tired from the training for the HM. I don't think I could train for a full marathon. My feet are feeling tired after my run today. I did order some new shoes yesterday so hopefully that will fix the problem. Typically when I notice that my feet are feeling sore it is because I need new shoes. But my husband made a comment this morning about how he hopes that I'm not ruining my feet with all this running and he hopes I haven't broken any bones. I don't think he realizes that I am already worried about getting injured and not being able to run the HM. I already have a tendency to be anxious about things like that. It's weird because I felt really good during and right after my run, but now I am feeling discouraged. Maybe part of it is the weather. I really dislike cold, cloudy weather.

    I usually lurk in this thread because it simply moves too fast to keep up but just a word of encouragement about the HM. I just ran my first one two weeks ago and, like you, was totally exhausted by the end of the training program (I really started to hate the weekly long run).

    Trust the process, if you adhere to a good taper at the end of the training (it will be tough to resist getting out there, but do it) you will be amazed at how good you will feel throughout the entire distance on race day.

    I do not think I've ever felt more relaxed or in control of a run at race pace as I felt for the first half of that race. In fact, my 10K split was only something like a minute off my PR time for the distance and I still felt fresh as a daisy.

    Best of luck to you!

    Thank you!
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    @MobyCarp I've never washed my chest HR monitor. I've washed the strap, but not the monitor. I'll have to try that. Mine has no contacts that I can see however. It's all encased in plastic.

    I usually get an HR spike for the first 5 to 15 minutes, then it becomes believable. Sometimes I think it's my actual HR spiking, sometimes it's too high for me to believe.

    In the winter when it's dry and my HR monitor has a hard time picking up a signal I smear some ultrasound gel on the back of the monitor and it works well until I get some sweat built up.

    @7lenny7 It's the strap, and particularly the contacts to your chest, that are important. I talk about washing the HRM because the one that came with the 630 doesn't detach from the strap. The one that came with the 620 does, and I can run that strap through the laundry if I want; but the 630 HRM has to be hand washed because you don't want to soak the electronics in water. Of course water flows over the HRM proper when I rinse or clean the strap, but it's sealed well enough to take that.

    I think we may be using the same words for different parts.

    My HR strap assembly consists of the plastic encased sensor, and the elastic strap. Probably like your 620 HR monitor.

    The elastic goes in the laundry, the plastic encased sensor has never been washed. But I don't see any contacts on that sensor. It's entirely covered in plastic. My assumption is that it picks up the HR signal through the plastic.

  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    @MobyCarp I've never washed my chest HR monitor. I've washed the strap, but not the monitor. I'll have to try that. Mine has no contacts that I can see however. It's all encased in plastic.

    I usually get an HR spike for the first 5 to 15 minutes, then it becomes believable. Sometimes I think it's my actual HR spiking, sometimes it's too high for me to believe.

    In the winter when it's dry and my HR monitor has a hard time picking up a signal I smear some ultrasound gel on the back of the monitor and it works well until I get some sweat built up.

    @7lenny7 It's the strap, and particularly the contacts to your chest, that are important. I talk about washing the HRM because the one that came with the 630 doesn't detach from the strap. The one that came with the 620 does, and I can run that strap through the laundry if I want; but the 630 HRM has to be hand washed because you don't want to soak the electronics in water. Of course water flows over the HRM proper when I rinse or clean the strap, but it's sealed well enough to take that.

    I think we may be using the same words for different parts.

    My HR strap assembly consists of the plastic encased sensor, and the elastic strap. Probably like your 620 HR monitor.

    The elastic goes in the laundry, the plastic encased sensor has never been washed. But I don't see any contacts on that sensor. It's entirely covered in plastic. My assumption is that it picks up the HR signal through the plastic.

    It may be that your HRM works differently than mine do. The Garmin HRMs have identifiable patches on the strap that are called "contacts," and those particularly are what I'm supposed to clean. The 620 had metal snaps to attach to the strap; the 630 is permanently attached and can't be removed. I could think of the metals snaps on the 620's HRM as contacts, but that's just to connect the HRM to the strap; it's the contacts between my skin and the strap that are of concern for cleaning. N.B. - the contacts on the strap look and feel like plastic, but I know that somehow they must be capable of conducting electricity for the thing to work.
  • AmyOutOfControl
    AmyOutOfControl Posts: 1,425 Member
    edited April 2018
    shanaber wrote: »
    I have a question for those of you running in the heat and sweating... Now that we are getting warm here (80-90F) I sweat, a lot... I always wear a hat and it helps to keep the sweat off my face for a while until it becomes saturated (sorry TMI and gross!). Then it all just runs down my face and into my eyes. Does anyone have a solution for this? I was thinking of trying a headband under or next to the band of my hat or maybe a bandana... I don't know but I hate not being able to see and my eyes stinging...

    You are not the only one with this issue. I use an Adidas visor that I have owned forever. It was once black but has faded to gray with all the washings. It has a thicker band and usually keep the sweat at bay (for a while). Once the hat becomes saturated, it drips off the top of the visor instead of my eyes. I am going to be really sad when that hat finally falls apart.

    I have heard good things about this product. I have not personally tried it, yet. Summer is just getting started so that might change. https://thegymwrap.com/
  • garygse
    garygse Posts: 896 Member
    Skim-read through a lot of posts, so if I missed anyone's race, I apologise!

    @katharmonic Congrats on your race PR!!!
    @7lenny7 20 miles without Glide or nipple protection? I would've yelped the moment I stepped into the shower! :open_mouth:
    @timothytclee Congrats on your first 10K!
    @karllundy Congrats on your sub-2 HM!
    @lporter229 Compare your HR to your cadence and see if the watch was suffering from cadence-lock...it can happen with optical HRMs.


    I've been playing too much Far Cry 5 recently and so haven't been posting daily updates; here's a quick update before I go back to playing. :blush:

    02 - 15.39
    03 - 13.55
    04 - 15.21
    05 - 13.38
    06 - 31.56
    09 - 15.28
    10 - 8.50
    11 - 8.36
    12 - 8.52
    14 - 13.11
    16 - 15.24
    17 - 13.51
    18 - 15.26
    19 - 13.39
    23 - 15.25
    24 - 12.20
    25 - 15.26

    Total: 242.97 / 280 miles
  • TattooedDolphinGirl78
    TattooedDolphinGirl78 Posts: 5,214 Member
    Getting into the groove... :smiley:

    exercise.png

    1/4: REST
    2/4: REST
    3/4: 5.26 kms (brisk walk) + 8 mins of bodyweight training
    4/4: 10K+ steps
    5/4: 10K+ steps
    6/4: 10K+ steps
    7/4: REST
    8/4: REST
    9/4: 5.05 kms (normal walk) + 7.5 mins of bodyweight training
    10/4: 8.19 kms (lunchtime walk + C25K Wk1 D1 after work) + 8 mins of bodyweight training
    11/4: 3.09 kms (2 short walks, at lunch and after work)
    12/4: 3.59 kms (lunchtime + after work walks)
    13/4: 4.39 kms (lunchtime + after work walks)
    14/4: REST
    15/4: 3.88 kms (walk indoors due to freezing rain) + 5 yoga poses (Dolphin, Warrior II, Triangle, Warrior III, Pigeon)
    16/4: 2.1 kms (lunchtime walk), no gym as it was closed due to the power outages
    17/4: 3.07 kms (lunchtime walk)
    18/4: 12K+ steps
    19/4: 3.63 kms (C25K Wk1 D1 repeat) + 10:30 mins of bodyweight training
    20/4: 4.29 kms (walk)
    21/4: 1.12 kms (walk)
    22/4: REST
    23/4: 4.25 kms (walk)
    24/4: 2.72 kms (lunchtime walk) + 5.06 kms (C25K Wk1 D2 Walk/Run)
    25/4: 3.16 kms (lunchtime walk) + 29 mins of bodyweight training + 30 mins of yoga stretches

    TOTAL : 62.85 / 50 kms goal

    Races:

    19/4-30/4: Zombies Run! App 2018 Spring Virtual Run
    22/9: “Coureurs des Bois” Obstacle Course Challenge (not signed up yet)
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    edited April 2018
    Looks like I will be going to the local running store tomorrow for new trail shoes. My Altra Lone Peaks have one seam which looks like it's about to blow out. Only 155 miles! I'm not happy. I'm going to try to get a warranty replacement but I want to get a shoe I can count on asap for my 50k next month.

    For my 50k last year I wore my cloudventures and loved them but for some reason my second pair just don't feel right.

    I have a few other models which might work, but I feel compelled to buy something different. I don't know...i have a 24 mile run planned for Saturday maybe I rotate what I have left and maybe I'll decide one of them will work.

    Or new shoes.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    @lporter229 - A Garmin rep giving a talk with Q&A at a local running store mentioned in passing (before the 630 came out) that high readings can happen if there isn't a good contact between the strap and chest. Then when you sweat enough to moisturize it and create a good contact, you get better readings.

    This one affected me yesterday.

    rfc6ac7hjebb.jpg


    My normal easy run HR is about 154.

    When I started my 25 km run, it was fairly cold and my Garmin felt loose, so I tightened it so it was firm.

    About 4 km from the end, it felt too tight and I fiddled with it and moved it further towards my hand.

    Looks like it lost proper contact.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    I'd like to join in please for the first time in eight months.

    Not been able to run or walk much due to major surgery in September.

    Been running again for just four weeks. I'm surprisingly managing two thirty minute runs and an hour run a week already. My pace is shocking though. I'm only doing 5 miles an hour. It'll come in time I'm sure.

    Signed up for Bamburgh 10k to push myself.

    I want to do 11 miles over three runs before the month ends

    @RuNaRoUnDaFiEld So happy you're back running again and here in this thread! :heart:

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