April 2018 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • vandinem
    vandinem Posts: 550 Member 
    Date      Miles      MTD
-------   -----    -------
Apr  03     3.7        3.7 
Apr  06     3.7        7.4 
Apr  07     4.4       11.8 
Apr  14     3.7       15.5 
Apr  18     3.7       19.2 
Apr  22     4.5       23.7
Apr  24     3.7       27.4
Apr  26     3.7       31.1
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    lporter229 wrote: »
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    lporter229 wrote: »
    RunsOnEspresso wrote: »
    BruinsGal_91 wrote: »
    @RunsOnEspresso I'm so jealous! I was at the Narrows last September, but it was Labor Day and it was absolutely heaving with people with no room to move. Definitely want to go back there.

    We started fairly early but apparently are some of the few that tried to reach the turn around. We saw the same few people and the bulk of peoplenonce we got back toward the start.

    I'm disappointed we didn't get the whole thing because we were so close but it just wasn't meant to be. We were super close, maybe a mile or less from Big Springs.

    Our trip to Zion (also Grand Canyon North Rim and Lake Powell) was one of my favorite ever. So many breathtaking moments, it's hard to pick a favorite. Hiking the Narrows was definitely cool. It was like walking on bowling balls. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. What else do you have on your agenda?

    We did a very similar trip about 4 years ago and unfortunately it was before I started running. Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon North Rim, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, kayaking Lake Powel, and Four Corners. We loved them all except Four Corners (total waste of time).

    We went to the lower antelope canyon and I was able to get a photographers pass which meant I was able to stay twice as long (2 hours I think) and completely on my own. The rest of the fam had to stay with the guided group tour.

    That would be awesome! You know there is an ultra through antelope canyon, right? ;)

    We spent a day kayaking Lake Powel as well. That was truly amazing, kayaking along the canyon walls, knowing how deep that water is. Other highlights included a repelling trip outside of Zion and hiking Angel's Landing. But I think the most memorable moment of that trip for me was when we were camping at the campground in Springdale, right outside of Zion. It started thunder storming in the middle of the night. I awoke to the sound of thunder reverberating off of the canyon walls. You could literally hear it bounce from one wall to the other, getting louder as it made its way toward you through the canyon. I just laid there and listened and watched the light show through the tent. The rain never got so hard that we had to seek refuge in the truck, so it was just a magical experience. One I will never forget!

    That sounds just incredible!

  • polskagirl01
    polskagirl01 Posts: 2,024 Member
    kevaasen wrote: »
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    First though... I need make myself taper... look at all that sunshine out there today... temps in the upper 50s... never had this weather in training!

    Peak...don’t taper! ;)

    Agree with @MobyCarp that less is more but I also like the advise in this article on the subtle differences

    https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/dont-taper-peak/

    Great article about how to taper well. Thank you for sharing!
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,185 Member
    Scott6255 wrote: »
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    I just hope my new shoes get here before Sunday when I do my long run. I'm sure the increased mileage is part of why my feet are achy, but I have 349.8 miles on my shoes and I really think that that is most of the problem.

    Just my two cents...May not be a great idea to do your long run in brand new shoes :'(
    But hope you feel better after your yoga and rest day!

    @sarahthes: I feel your pain. I have felt the same hip/butt pain for a couple weeks now. Think I was over zealous on leg day a couple weeks back. But it is starting to feel better, so have faith! Time heals all wounds, right?

    I didn't think about that. But would it be better to do it in shoes that are already hurting my feet?
  • Scott6255
    Scott6255 Posts: 2,569 Member
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    I didn't think about that. But would it be better to do it in shoes that are already hurting my feet?

    Yeah, that's a tough one. If the new shoes are similar to your existing shoes (same brand, similar specs [i.e. weight, heel/toe drop, cushioning, stiffness, stability control, etc.]) then you are probably better off going with the new shoes if your old shoes hurt that much. But if they are vastly different, you'd be wise to break them in slowly.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    @kgirlhart if these are a model you've worn before, go ahead an use the new shoes, particularly if your old shoes cause pain. There's no need to break in running shoes, but if they're of different construction your feet and stride may need to get used to them gradually (like transitioning to zero drop shoes).
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    04/01/18 - 8 Miles - 9:59 Pace
    04/02/18 - Rest
    04/03/18 - 10 miles - 9:27 Pace
    04/04/18 - 10 miles @ 4% grade and 7:43 pace
    04/05/18 - 0
    04/06/18 - 0
    04/07/18 - 11.7 miles - 2 races and a bit more
    04/08/18 - 0
    04/09/18 - 0
    04/10/18 - 12.1 miles @ 9:27 pace
    04/11/18 - 12.1 miles @ 9:00 pace
    04/12/18 - 11 miles @ 9:00 pace
    04/13/18 - 10 miles @ 9:04 pace
    04/14/18 - 21 miles @ 9:55 pace
    04/15/18 - Rest
    04/16/18 - 0
    04/17/18 - 8 miles @ 7MPH and 4.5% grade
    04/18/18 - 7 miles @ 8:57 pace
    04/19/18 - 10 miles @ 8:00 avg pace and 4% grade
    04/20/18 - Red Robin to celebrate last day a work
    04/21/18 - 17 miles @ 9:38 pace
    04/22/18 - 8 miles @ 9:23 pace
    **Taper Start**
    04/23/18 - Rest
    04/24/18 - 7 miles @ 6.5 MPH @ 4.5% Grade
    04/25/18 - 7 miles @ 7.4 MPH @ 4.5% Grade
    04/26/18 - 5 miles at CP

    Big Hairy Audacious Goal: Sub 4 hours in Pittsburgh 2018!

    Official Marathon PR: 4:11:28

    Next Races (more as I find them):

    05/06/18 - Pittsburgh Marathon - aiming for sub four hours.
    05/12/18 - Glacier Ridge 50k Trail Ultra (I must hate myself)

    2020 - Disney World Dopey! (if can raise funds)

    5 miles at the easiest pace I could manage on the flattest course I know of. I will be skipping the 20+ mile run that I would normally shoot for this weekend, and probably not run again till next week. Not sure on that.

    All joking aside I need figure out how to balance the taper with the fact that if I stop running for too long my arthritis will flare. Already 19 miles for this week is a major cut back from the 50-60 I do on good weeks.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,185 Member
    @scott6255 and @7lenny7 The new shoes are the same brand and model so I should be good. I didn't want to try anything new this close to the race. Plus I really like the old shoes, they are just getting old.
  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    @juliet3455 - thanks! she actually has one but did not have a key in it for whatever reason. I talked to her today and she was stopping to get additional keys made - for the lockbox and neighbors!
    @amymoreorless - I ordered a couple of the Gymbands (2 for $30) and they are having a promotion for 30% off your entire order so I figured why not!
    Now if I could just find a great sale on shoes I really like I would be all set! I am thinking about trying Altras again - the Escalante this time. I saw them at REI but didn't have a chance to try them on. They feel so incredibly light! Hoping maybe they will go on sale one of these days too!

    I got in a pretty good run this morning other than I had issues with Strava. My daughter is convinced it is just me. You can see on the map that it jumped from one location to another, my pace went to 1.4 min/mile :smiley:for that section lol, and my distance went from 2.7 to 2.1 (yes it went down) and never incremented again... I know the distances on the trail so I know I covered the 3 miles, at HM pace... maybe a bit more and a bit faster.

    Date........Miles.......Total
    04/01......0.00.......0.00
    04/02......5.81.......5.81 - + Agility
    04/03......4.73.....10.54 - + Strength Training
    04/04......2.26.....12.80
    04/05......5.55.....18.35 - + Strength Training
    04/06......4.59.....22.94
    04/07......7.67.....30.61
    04/08......0.00.....30.61
    04/09......5.00.....35.61 - + Agility
    04/10......4.70.....40.31 - + Strength Training
    04/11......0.00.....40.31
    04/12......9.25.....49.56
    04/13......0.00.....49.56 - Agility Trial
    04/14......0.00.....49.56 - Agility Trial
    04/15......0.00.....49.56 - Agility Trial
    04/16......6.23.....55.79 - + Agility
    04/17......0.00.....55.79 - + Strength Training
    04/18......4.24.....60.03
    04/19......0.00.....60.03 - + Strength Training
    04/20......4.83.....64.86
    04/21......7.07.....71.93
    04/22......0.00.....71.93
    04/23......5.14.....77.07 - + Agility
    04/24......5.01.....82.08 - + Strength Training
    04/25......0.00.....82.08
    04/26......5.87.....87.95 - + Strength Training

    exercise.png

    My completed and upcoming races. Let me know if you will be running them too.
    02/04/18 - Surf City Half Marathon
    05/05/18 - Cinco de Miles 5k
    07/22/18 - San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon
    12/15/18 - San Diego Holiday Half Marathon
    02/03/19 - Surf City Half Marathon
    05/11/19 - Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon
  • weat0043
    weat0043 Posts: 172 Member
    @PastorVincent instead of running could you do a brisk walk.... Still gets you moving but not as intensely as if u were running.
  • weat0043
    weat0043 Posts: 172 Member
    4.6km today. I have no idea what my total for the month is, I know it's below the 40km I was aiming for but it's more than the last 2 months so I can't complain.
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
    April Running Totals (miles)
    4/1 – 6.21 easy
    4/2 – rest day
    4/3 – 6.35 easy to MP
    4/4 – unscheduled rest day – wind storm
    4/5 – 8.39 easy with snow showers
    4/6 – 4.01 easy
    4/7 – 12.01 paced run
    4/8 – 7.84 easy 60 minutes
    4/9 – rest day
    4/10 – 5.34 easy with hills
    4/11 – 5.61 group run
    4/12 – 6.17 warmup + easy workout
    4/13 – rest day
    4/14 – travel day
    4/15 – 2.14 shakedown run
    4/16 – 26.45 Boston Marathon with bad tangents
    4/17 – travel day
    4/18 – rest day
    4/19 – 2.39 recovery run
    4/20 – 5.01 easy
    4/21 – 5.20 group run
    4/22 – 7.20 easy with hills
    4/23 – rest day
    4/24 – 6.06 warmup, easy miles, strides
    4/25 – 6.08 group run
    4/26 – 6.64 warmup, easy miles, cutbacks

    April running total to date – 129.09

    Nominal April mileage goal: 130 miles

    Real goals: Arrive at Hopkinton healthy. Get to Boyleston Street under my own power. Recover well.

    Today's notes – It was shorts and tee running weather this evening, but club practice includes some standing around to chat. So I wore a light jacket that didn't kill me with heat running, but sure made standing around in a 15 mph wind more comfortable.

    Ran my 2 mile warmup, and the assignment for people running Dedham on Sunday was 1 mile at goal race pace, then one set of 15 second cutbacks starting at 1:30. I'm trying to balance training with recovery from Boston, and a mile at 10K race pace sounded intimidating; so I ran 3 easy miles then did the cutbacks. The cutbacks did just what they were supposed to do, got me used to running fast without beating me up and gave my confidence a boost. Add some good stretching afterwards (skipped that yesterday, oops), and I'm feeling pretty good right now.

    Rest day tomorrow. I should pass my nominal April mileage goal on Saturday when I do a pre-race shakedown run on the course in Dedham. Don't know how much time I'll have on the road to read and post here, but I'll catch up when I get home if I don't post over the weekend.

    2018 races:
    February 17, 2018 Freezeroo #5 (Valentines Run "In Memory of Tom Brannon" 8 Mile) (Greece, NY) finished in 54:48
    February 24, 2018 Freezeroo #6 (White House Challenge 4.4 mile) (Webster, NY) finished in 28:46
    March 17, 2018 USATF Masters 8K (Shamrock 8K, Virginia Beach, VA) finished in 31:55
    March 24, 2018 Spring Forward 15K (Mendon, NY) ran at MP, finished in 1:10:47
    April 16, 2018 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA) finished in 3:28:43
    April 29, 2018 USATF Masters 10K (James Joyce Ramble, Dedham, MA)
    May 20, 2018 Lilac 10K (Rochester, NY)
    May 26, 2018 Sunset House 5K (Rochester, NY)
    June 9, 2018 Ontario Trail Summit Half Marathon (Naples, NY)
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    4/1-rest day (unscheduled)
    4/2-rest day
    4/3-5
    4/4-3
    4/5-4
    4/6-rest day
    4/7-9
    4/8-3 (plus coach made me do weights)
    4/9-coach made me do different weights
    4/10-5
    4/11-4
    4/12-3 (plus coach made me do weights)
    4/13-rest day
    4/14-10 (probably 10.5 because my GPS things weren’t in agreement)
    4/15-4 (plus coach made me do weights)
    4/16-rest day
    4/17-4
    4/18-3 (plus coach made me do weights)
    4/19-2 (plus coach made me do different weights)
    4/20-rest day is the best day
    4/21-7 plus yoga
    4/22-3 (plus coach made me do weights)
    4/23-rest day is the best day
    4/24-6.3 - I don’t usually count the little extras but this seemed like more work than it needed to be so I’m counting these. I’m blaming it on all the stupid weights my coach makes me do.
    4/25-3 (plus coach made me do weights)
    4/26-4 (plus guess who made me do different weights)

    MTD-81.3

    25/26 Days according to plan.


  • polskagirl01
    polskagirl01 Posts: 2,024 Member
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    5 miles at the easiest pace I could manage on the flattest course I know of. I will be skipping the 20+ mile run that I would normally shoot for this weekend, and probably not run again till next week. Not sure on that.

    All joking aside I need figure out how to balance the taper with the fact that if I stop running for too long my arthritis will flare. Already 19 miles for this week is a major cut back from the 50-60 I do on good weeks.

    Referring to the McMillan article posted a page or 2 back, perhaps you don't need a MAJOR cutback on mileage. He recommended running the same number of days, just shorter distances. And if you're going shorter and felt good, even increasing the intensity within reason was OK.
  • cburke8909
    cburke8909 Posts: 990 Member
    8 soogy rainy miles through the sites in DC. Heartrates have been running high on these runs hit goal for month already
    exercise.png

  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    polskagirl01 wrote: »
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    5 miles at the easiest pace I could manage on the flattest course I know of. I will be skipping the 20+ mile run that I would normally shoot for this weekend, and probably not run again till next week. Not sure on that.

    All joking aside I need figure out how to balance the taper with the fact that if I stop running for too long my arthritis will flare. Already 19 miles for this week is a major cut back from the 50-60 I do on good weeks.

    Referring to the McMillan article posted a page or 2 back, perhaps you don't need a MAJOR cutback on mileage. He recommended running the same number of days, just shorter distances. And if you're going shorter and felt good, even increasing the intensity within reason was OK.

    Yeah, I looked at that. I am not sure I agree 100% with how much running it has and it is too close to the race to mess with. I mean if I follow his plan, I think I will still be running more miles per week than is in some full marathon training plans at their peak. :) So I am assuming the author did not have me in mind when it was written. :)


    The ONLY race I taper for is full marathon. If it was merely 18 miles or something, I would not bother. I might take 1 extra rest day. :) But I run 13-18 all the time without resting, so, eh, :)
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    AlphaHowls wrote: »
    Marathon in 24 hours: excited, anxious, tense

    W00T!!!

    Just remember: left, right, left, right, repeat until done. :)
  • AlphaHowls
    AlphaHowls Posts: 2,004 Member
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    AlphaHowls wrote: »
    Marathon in 24 hours: excited, anxious, tense

    W00T!!!

    Just remember: left, right, left, right, repeat until done. :)

    Thank you for that! I needed the smile and the giggle!
  • kevaasen
    kevaasen Posts: 173 Member
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    polskagirl01 wrote: »
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    5 miles at the easiest pace I could manage on the flattest course I know of. I will be skipping the 20+ mile run that I would normally shoot for this weekend, and probably not run again till next week. Not sure on that.

    All joking aside I need figure out how to balance the taper with the fact that if I stop running for too long my arthritis will flare. Already 19 miles for this week is a major cut back from the 50-60 I do on good weeks.

    Referring to the McMillan article posted a page or 2 back, perhaps you don't need a MAJOR cutback on mileage. He recommended running the same number of days, just shorter distances. And if you're going shorter and felt good, even increasing the intensity within reason was OK.

    Yeah, I looked at that. I am not sure I agree 100% with how much running it has and it is too close to the race to mess with. I mean if I follow his plan, I think I will still be running more miles per week than is in some full marathon training plans at their peak. :) So I am assuming the author did not have me in mind when it was written. :)


    The ONLY race I taper for is full marathon. If it was merely 18 miles or something, I would not bother. I might take 1 extra rest day. :) But I run 13-18 all the time without resting, so, eh, :)

    Perhaps you read a different McMillan article about his training plans. The article had peaking/tapering suggestions specific to ANYONE’s training plan. 2 biggest suggestions as follows:

    1. Secret: Don’t change your weekly running routine

    Our bodies and minds like routine. If you run four days per week, then run four days per week during your peaking phase. If you run six, then run six. You’ll feel flat if you suddenly run less frequently than normal. Exception: Runners who are nursing a sore muscle or niggling injury may take an extra day off each week during the peaking phase. But, don’t take it the day before the last long run or the race if you don’t normally rest the day before your long runs. This risks feeling flat on race morning.

    2. Secret: Reduce weekly training volume, but not too much

    Over the last 10-14 days before your race, you should progressively reduce the volume of your running. Two weeks out from the race, I like to reduce the daily volume by 10-20 minutes or so. The week of the race, reduce approximately 20-30 minutes. This, along with the normal reduction in your long run length as the race nears, will drop your overall running volume in line with what we know from research (and, more importantly, from practical experience) to the level that allows the body to get prepared for a peak performance. Don’t make the common mistake of dropping your volume too much. This takes your body out of its routine and can leave you stale on race day. My opinion is that more runners fail because of tapering too much rather than not enough.

    Seems applicable to your needs. Run what you are used to with only a slight reduction in your daily runs by a small 10-20 min time amount and a normal reduction in your long runs. 3rd secret was about keeping intensity and speed in training as a way to maintain peak performance.
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