August 2018 Running Challenge

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  • juliet3455
    juliet3455 Posts: 3,015 Member
    edited August 2018
  • eleanorhawkins
    eleanorhawkins Posts: 1,650 Member
    Avidkeo wrote: »
    Avidkeo wrote: »
    @AprilRN10 and @PastorVincent I went! And didn't actually get rained on haha

    If running is going to be your sport, then you will need to learn to run in the rain. I mean unless you leave in a desert area. :D

    Funny thing about rain for me (and others have said the same) if I am getting ready to run and it is already raining I dread going out. If I am already running and it starts raining I do not care. Its totally a stupid mind thing I know, but it is what it is.

    Oh I know this, and its part of my training that I must run no matter what the weather. And I'm with you, I don't actually mind getting wet, its actually more pleasant. But also like you I dread going out if its already raining. I think this all comes back to the day that I went out and my shoes got absolutely soaked, and they were like little blocks of concrete on the ends of my legs. Also still winter here, so rain means cold, and I'm not particularly fond of cold either.

    Now wind on the other had. I HATE wind. absolutely loathe it.

    The first half marathon (and only so far) I did was in the middle of winter, it was only 10 degrees (C) and pouring with rain. The course was a U shape along the waterfront of Wellington, NZ (known as the windy city for a reason) and there was a wind blowing into the U, so you started with a tail wind, had a side wind, then a head wind, and reverse on the way back. I had not trained properly for that HM and I was in AGONY. I managed the first 7 km or so fine. walked a bit, ran a bit for the next 5k or so. then trudged cold and wet to the finish line. The ONLY reason I finished if because my ride home was at the finish. I was 12th to last and did it in 3 hrs 7 minutes. I remember walking along with my wrists in my armpits because they were freezing. I was wearing cotton cause I didn't know any better.

    Every time I drove past the waterfront all I could remember is pain. This was 7 years ago. and the main reason it took 6 years to get into running properly again. couple of pics below - I was too cheap to buy them and at the time I just wanted to forget it.

    So yeah, pretty determined to actually train properly this time, and to beat my last time. I'd kinda like to beat it by an hour but Ill be happy with anything less than 2:30. Oh and I want to run the whole thing but wont beat myself up if I have to walk at all. That's one thing you guys have given me, even the most experienced runner occasionally has to walk.


    P.S. that was a long winded way of saying "yes sir"

    This rings a lot of bells for me. I quite like rain (though I have yet to attempt running in it) but HATE wind, possibly comes from a horsey childhood during which the horses used to play up and throw us off in the middle of nowhere when it was windy!
    Living in southern Spain rain isn't something that happens all that often here but when it does do it it really chucks it down so that's something to look forward to. I've seen some special running shoes in the local sports shop that claim to be specially designed for rainy conditions, not sure whether it's worth investing in a pair, the thought of soggy feet is what puts me off more than rain in my face/wet clothes/whatever (as someone else said, at the moment my head, face and clothes are soaked in sweat by the time I finish anyway so what's the difference?).
    There is a slight possibility it could rain for my first half marathon on December 9th. I think it was actually cancelled once due to adverse weather four or five yeas ago. So yeah, I can't just run on the dreadmill when it's raining or I could also end up in the same position. Most of it is along the seafront and round the harbour too. Yuck, I really hadn't considered wind lol.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
    Avidkeo wrote: »
    Now wind on the other had. I HATE wind. absolutely loathe it.

    The first half marathon (and only so far) I did was in the middle of winter, it was only 10 degrees (C) and pouring with rain. The course was a U shape along the waterfront of Wellington, NZ (known as the windy city for a reason) and there was a wind blowing into the U, so you started with a tail wind, had a side wind, then a head wind, and reverse on the way back. I had not trained properly for that HM and I was in AGONY. I managed the first 7 km or so fine. walked a bit, ran a bit for the next 5k or so. then trudged cold and wet to the finish line. The ONLY reason I finished if because my ride home was at the finish. I was 12th to last and did it in 3 hrs 7 minutes. I remember walking along with my wrists in my armpits because they were freezing.

    I lived in Wellington for four years, on Oriental Parade too which made the waterfront my regular running route and I know for a fact that regardless of which direction you’re headed you will have a head wind. Consequently, I’m too chicken to enter the Welly Half because weather.

    I should. I love Wellington. It can be stunning. It has great food. And coffee. However, the weather is highly likely to be somewhere between unpleasant and ghastly.

    Thing is, in June, while there’s a 99% chance of wind, there’s also a 89% chance it’s also freezing, a 78% chance it’s also raining, and at least a 45% chance of it being a full blown storm complete with gale force winds and hail.

    I remember running along there when it was particularly vile one day and, just to add insult to injury, I got hit by a wave. I laughed. It was all I could do.

    Bahaha so true. Its both awful and beautiful. Love the wave. Didn't happen on that event but that would have really taken the cake lol. Apparently that year, 2011, is widely regarded as the worst year in recent memory.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
    juliet3455 wrote: »
    shanaber wrote: »
    Catching up on some of the posts from yesterday and today...
    @eleanorhawkins - you can't compare yourself to others here. I can't run as fast or as far as any of the guys in my age group like @juliet3455 or @mobycarp or most all of the younger crowd here. But that doesn't mean they don't inspire me by their awesome running. I wish I could run that fast/far but I know realistically it will never be and I don't let myself get down about it I just get out and do what I can do and keep trying to improve upon that... a little further, a little faster or just a run that feels great.

    @juliet3455 - the collision analysis of visibility at dusk is very interesting. Have they done anything similar during normal daylight hours?
    @shanaber No they did not have a day light comparison data - which would have been interesting. They all agreed that one of the big night time issues was we tend to look where the best lighting is = straight ahead and peripheral awareness is reduced. Which is why I now concentrate on scanning the shoulders of the hwy looking for movement.

    Well thanks for calling me a speedster. I don't feel I belong in that category - always considered myself to be a middle of the packer. Especially since I post in min/km and Moby and the US gang are in min/mile. A 6 min/km and a 6 min/mile are drastically differant efforts. Doesn't really matter to me - I have lots of fun being average. One of the things that did help improve my pace was some track sessions that one of the BQ ladies puts together. Lots of pace builders/tempo shorties. 400 E, *800 E, 400 Hard, 400 E recover, 800 hard etc. Moby probably has a collection of them from his coach. I have 2 hills that I use as distance fartleks, hit them hard for the whole downhill as a reward for the uphill work. Has really helped with my downhill form and general form/cadence.
    Just give me some mud, tree roots and rocks, Hills with descriptive names, Band-Aid, Boulder Garden, Parachute and it's all good.
    But as so many have said - A mile is a mile 4min, 6min or 12 min it doesn't matter - it's still a mile.
    But like you I get inspiration from so many in this group. The last event I was at the biggest cheers at the finish line were for the back of the packers and especially the 74 year old man in a plaid cotton shirt, jeans, comfortable loafers with a cane. I was standing beside a group of the young guys and gals who had sub 2 hr time and there was a general consensus that the back of the packers have burned up more physical energy and even bigger the mental energy to keep it together for such a long time. One of the ladies behind me in the line for the post run food had been diverted at the 14 km mark to take the cutoff trail and head down, she was okay with it as last year she was diverted at the 10km mark. She said next year will be the year she gets past the cutoff points under the time limit and finish's the whole 20km.
    I think everyone agrees that the mental portion gets bigger as the distance starts to build.

    @Avidkeo A good packable hat is worth it. I have an OR hat and have been in events where it looked like a rainstorm dripping of the brim but my face/eyes were dry. Seemed to channel the moisture out to the tip of the brim. Wellington - I spent 4 months working for Exicom out of Poirura back in 1989. I was there for a week and we did a company trip up to Auckland for a 4 day weekend of fun all on the companies expense. In Poirura I roomed with 2 Irish sisters, a UK fellow, Oz Couple and a Canadian Couple. Usually there were other travelers/backpackers/vagabonds that we had met in our travels camping out in the backyard or in the car port for a few days and then moving on. It's also where I experienced my first Earthquake - sounded and felt like a freight train was going to come through the front door.

    Wow that started as a simple thanks and just grew and grew - chatty me tonight.

    Wellington and earthquakes are a scary combination.
  • eleanorhawkins
    eleanorhawkins Posts: 1,650 Member
    Caught up with thread again now and just want to say thanks to all who have encouraged me to stop being stupid :-)
    No idea why I had that little moment of feeling inadequate yesterday but this morning my legs don't hate my guts anywhere near as much as my teenaged daughter does, so hey I'm awesome! LOL
    That was the third time I tried to run that far and (so far, we'll see how today goes) the first time my shins and/or knees haven't been painful the next day. Thinking a very gentle walk on the dreadmill later to get the blood flowing (and earn a few extra calories of course) might not be a completely crazy idea, even though today is supposed to be a rest day. A walk can't hurt, can it?
    10km left to hit the 97km goal I set myself for the month. Half will be done tomorrow morning, the other half will be a 5km race I've signed up for on Friday evening but won't actually be able to log it on here until Sunday night as we're staying in the area for the weekend. I realise setting the amount of km on my training plan as my goal here could be a (silly but my brain is silly sometimes) cause of extra stress if I have to miss a run. For September I think I will reduce it a bit, far more mentally satisfying to surpass a goal that to not reach one ;-)
  • missevil
    missevil Posts: 113 Member
    I have a question: I've read a bit about heart rate zones and which you should train in. Based on the formulas on the web, my zones are something like that: (I said that I'm untrained, maybe I'm not *that* untrained anymore...)
    Fat burning 109 - 127
    Aerobe 127-145
    Anaerobe 145 - 163
    My regular running speed is slow enough to hold a conversation, so I think I'm not really overdoing it, but my approx. heart rate is usually ~149, which is a bit too high, according to those numbers.
    I assume that I'm a bit trained already (I'm commuting by bike) and am still in the aerobe zone, but my actual question is something else anyway: how can I go lower? For me, it's physically not possible, to run much slower than what I do already. I can't reach an HR below 145.

    August '18
    Goal = 50Km / Achieved so far = 44,5 (that's going to be a close call)

    1. 3,4 Km
    5. 4.18 Km
    9. 4,1 Km
    11. 6.3Km
    14. 4,2 Km
    18. 5,6 Km
    22. 5,25 Km
    26. 6,3 Km
    29. 5,16 Km

    Possible race(s)
    9.9. 5k Women's run (registered)
    23.9. 3K Venus' run
  • biketheworld
    biketheworld Posts: 2,237 Member

    So close.....


    exercise.png


    I have family coming to visit today, they are leaving Friday. Not sure if I can get those last two miles in by Friday night or not.

    June goal - 44/44
    July goal - 52/52
    August goal - 55/57 miles

    Sept. 30 - Wineglass Half Marathon; Corning, NY
    October 7 - Viking Dash Half Marathon; Toledo, OH

    @sarahthes - I've taken your suggestion about running some 5K's "just for fun" to heart. Wow - now I'm obsessed about it. So many fun ones not too far from home. But I've noticed something about myself and it bothers me to admit it. ALL the local 5K's I immediately dismiss for fear of (1) being seen in my running clothes and (2) being seen in my running clothes running so slow. It's ridiculous - I know - I have no problem running down the road and being seen - but something about walking up to a group of runners and being recognized absolutely strikes fear in my heart. It's pathetic - I would rather drive 2 hrs for a 5K in the hopes of not being recognized than drive 30 minutes and have to chat with skinny runners that might know who I am. Sheesh. I thought I was more secure than that.
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
    MobyCarp wrote: »

    Afterwards, Coach asked how I was doing. What sprang to mind was, I think I'm in pretty good shape to run Oak Tree. Too bad I won't be seeing @katharmonic there.

    Maybe I'll catch you at the Syracuse Half! Good luck at Oak Tree!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    edited August 2018
    8/1-2.66mi(2 hours aerial yoga)
    8/2- 1.01(1 hour aerial yoga)
    8/3- (2 hours of aerial hammock and hoop)
    8/4-nope
    8/5-nope
    8/6-marathon plan starts today. 3mi later
    8/7- 3mi unplugged
    8/8- rest day-no class tonight. dogs get shots
    8/9-(1 hour aerial yoga)
    8/10- (2 hours of aerial hammock and hoop)
    8/11-0
    8/12-nope faire day
    8/13-fell asleep
    8/14- 3mi
    8/15-(2 hours aerial yoga)
    8/16- 0
    8/17-6.5mi of run/walk/hike.
    8/18-3.51 mi road/trail
    8/19-8.65mi trail run-unplugged.
    8/20-0
    8/21-0
    8/22-4.01mi(2 hours aerial yoga)
    8/23-fell asleep
    8/24-overslept (2 hours aerial hoop)
    8/25-4.4mi(2 hours aerial yoga)
    8/26-10.00mi (5 hour photoshoot)
    8/27-0
    8/28-0
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    So rain... still running
    Thunder and lightning...maaaaybe
    Flooding...maaaybe
    Tornadoes touching down...nope.
    .
    .
    .
    I hope my body lets me get up to run in the morning. And hope the weather is a little friendlier.

    weather was not friendlier :frowning:
    my life is more important than a run, my life is more important than a run...


    exercise.png



  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    Yesterday I got to run 1.93 miles. Week two of tough Tuesday was a little tougher than last week - I got a near-cramp in my right calf that felt like it was about to explode into full-on Charley horse all afternoon, although thankfully it never did and is feeling better now. I don’t mind the tough workout while I’m in the middle of it, but I’d rather not spend the rest of the day cringing. I got a little light-headed or something during deadlifts, which I did not appreciate.

    One more run this month and then it’s September. Where did the time go? I applied to two mortgage lenders yesterday and we’re visiting the house again tomorrow to check out the central air and so my husband can take pictures of the kitchen. WHAT IS HAPPENING?!? Then we just wait for the bankers to judge us. My dad was a banker, so I’m used to it.

    @eleanorhawkins: I definitely think walking is a good rest day activity - I mainly just avoid anything higher impact or sweat-inducing if possible. I am also a big fan of setting achievable goals. I figure the first goal can be the very doable bare minimum I’d like to accomplish, and then secondary or stretch goals can come in if and when that first goal gets blown out of the water.

    @biketheworld: Just thinking about running into a casual acquaintance in my running gear tweaks the anxiety a little. That said, as @sarahthes wisely pointed out, if they’re also there to run, they’ll probably be questionably attired as well.

    AUGUST MILES:
    8/1 We - 0:21:46 - 1.86
    8/2 Th - rest, prehab
    8/3 Fr - 0:20:08 - 1.96 fartleks, lifted heavy things
    8/4 Sa - 1:24:32 - 7.30
    8/5 Su - rest, yoga
    8/6 Mo - 0:37:54 - 3.47
    8/7 Tu - lifted heavy things
    8/8 We - rest, prehab
    8/9 Th - 0:33:38 - 3.11
    8/10 Fr - 0:34:55 - 3.07
    8/11 Sa - 1:06:45 - 6.10
    8/12 Su - rest, prehab
    8/13 Mo - 0:49:57 - 4.36
    8/14 Tu - 0:20:06 - 1.87, lifted heavy things
    8/15 We - 0:32:20 - 3.05
    8/16 Th - rest, prehab
    8/17 Fr - unplanned rest
    8/18 Sa - 1:30:13 - 8.01 (distance PR in memory of @KeepRunningFatboy)
    8/19 Su - rest & 5 hours of D&D
    8/20 Mo - 0:49:35 - 4.58 tempo
    8/21 Tu - 0:21:00 - 2.07 fartleks, lifted heavy things, prehab
    8/22 We - rest
    8/23 Th - 0:55:10 - 4.85
    8/24 Fr - prehab, lifted heavy things
    8/25 Sa - 0:30:47 - 3.12 - Glo Run Night Race 5K
    8/26 Su - rest
    8/27 Mo - 0:41:45 - 3.75
    8/28 Tu - 0:20:17 - 1.93 fartleks, lifted heavy things, prehab

    August Total: 64.46/50 miles

    Races!
    July 4: Red, White and Boom! 5K Chip time: 0:32:20
    August 25: Glo Run Night Race 5K Chip time: 0:30:40
    September 8: Helen Gold/Shirley Brooker 10K, Overland Park, KS
    October 6: Twin Cities Marathon Weekend 10K
    October 21: Mankato Half Marathon

    Shout out to the August 50 mile club - how’s everyone wrapping up? @mbaker566, @robdavis1, @Teerai, @hanlonsk, @grrrlwonder, @noblsheep, @ireallylikeyourface1989, @ereck44, @bride001, @niavalentino, and stretch members @5BeautifulDays, @rheddmobile, and @jele30!
  • juliet3455
    juliet3455 Posts: 3,015 Member
    sarahthes wrote: »
    @biketheworld I still feel like an imposter when I line up for a race next to all the speedy skinny young things! Well, not next to. Way, way behind.

    Those local 5Ks will have a heck of a lot of walkers if they are anything like the ones near me, so you won't be the slowest, and it's running so literally everybody will be making questionable fashion choices :).

    It's kind of cool hanging around the starting line and running into someone you know - usually I am alone in a sea of strangers too. The only time I ran into someone at a race it was a fellow MFP'er (@juliet3455).

    Yes it was a chance meeting at the Jasper HM - with so many athlete's and spectators/family milling around it would have been so easy to miss people. @sarahthes your little family looked very happy - probably because of the Bears Paw Bakery - that's a deliciously evil place.

    @biketheworld Glad you are able to just hit some events for fun, that's actually how I plan most of my events. My next 3 events are all Trail-Bush based, one includes 20 feet of shoe grabbing swamp , 2nd has lots of sandhills and the 3rd one usually has tree's blown down across the trails so it becomes a bit of a snakes and ladders game of over/under. So much fun, sometimes you stop to help other athlete's over an obstacle. There is one senior lady ( 70 ish ) who speed walks ( early start ) and sometimes need a little assistance to clear some of these obstacles. She does it with a smile, laugh and thank yous.
  • travelling_lots
    travelling_lots Posts: 377 Member
    @megamouse. Wrap up for aug your 50 miles is 80,467 km for me
    -I did 89,440 steps. I stopped counting steps on the 25 of aug.

    123.49 km walked in aug.