December 2018 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    girlinahat wrote: »
    It was 48 degrees for my run. I have obviously completely forgotten how to dress for such a heat wave as I was pouring streams of water off me by the time I got back after 12 miles.

    Due to the tilt of the Earth and all that it is now full dark when I am on my return run through the park. There are no lights, plenty of shade trees, and lots of potholes and other trip hazards plus bicycles racing down the trail. So I run with flashy armbands and a waist lamp. Yet I am constantly coming across walkers and runners dressed in all dark clothes with no lights at all.

    Please do not be stupid like them. They are asking to get hurt. Light yourself up so that you have a chance not to get hit at the very least.

    Oh. This morning I went out at before-sun-up-o’clock dressed in dark navy tights, a black top (maybe it had some dark pink trim), black gloves and a black hat. No high vis, no light, nada. I didn’t trip or fall, I didn’t get run over (I stopped for cars before crossing the roads or used the pedestrian-controlled signals (and believe me, we have plenty of visually impaired drivers here), and no one crashed into me. Most of my route is in the dark too.

    I guess what I’m saying is dress up like a Christmas tree if it’s appropriate. Otherwise, let the rest of the world enjoy the darkness while it can.

    Depends on where you're running. If you're running on the road itself or the shoulder like in much of rural USA, I agree with @PastorVincent. But if you've got even sidewalks, trails, and pedestrian-controlled signals, it's not as necessary. For example, I have lights, but don't turn them on when I'm running down the sidewalk, unless I literally can't see where I'm going.

    even with sidewalks. because eventually you have to cross the street.

    Ok but in that case, you need to be wearing a bright yellow hi-vis vest during the day, too ;)

    Finally I may have said something controversial enough to get an actual "woo!" But I still don't like it, because they're anonymous and you can't respond with an actual conversation.

    Oh sorry that was me. I didn't woo you intentionally. Its just in the right spot that i scroll through.
    So, yall get woo'd might tag me to check it. I do it all the freaking time. That button is nothing but trouble.

    Lol. I was going to say it wasn't me
  • polskagirl01
    polskagirl01 Posts: 2,024 Member
    @mbaker566 I figured it wasn't, because you responded in a way that made sense :) and for the record, I was the first "like" on your post, because it sounds like you are consistent with your safety measures.
  • Tramboman
    Tramboman Posts: 2,482 Member
    12-1 7k easy
    12-2 10.5k slow
    12-3 7k recovery
    12-4 rest
    12-5 7k easy
    12-6 7k recovery
    12-7 rest
    12-8 7k easy
    12-9 10.5k easy
    12-10 7k recovery
    12-11 rest
    12-12 7k intervals
    12-13 7k easy
    12-14 rest
    12-15 7k easy

    December Total: 84k
    December Goal: 100k

    Next year when you pop in here claiming your December 2019 mileage, what accomplishments will you have made?
    Run at least 4 5k races.
    Get under 30:00 and a PR for 5k.
    Average at least 135k per month, which would put me over 1,000 miles for the year.

    Cloudy with temps in the low 40s F today, with a gusting wind out of the northeast making it feel much colder than it actually was. Weather has really been good for running this month - much better than I anticipated.
  • polskagirl01
    polskagirl01 Posts: 2,024 Member
    Anyone have any alternatives to the cool year-end Strava visualizations so many of you did last year using madewithsisu.com ? It seems the site has disappeared :( or maybe I (and everyone with online links to it) have the wrong address.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited December 2018
    It's taken some time to figure out a useable format for my spreadsheet. DH is 19 weeks from his second marathon. So I figured I'd try a 10 week half plan and just duplicate each week to give me time to acclimate.

    Of course now that I see that I've only done 4 miles this week... I understand why I'm not building miles. After yesterday's run I have some niggles, left ITB and foot is nervy. DH said to just run through it all. Which I had done leading up to the two surgeries, I was just hoping to self rehab a bit and avoid further damage and pain. Today is nice, think I'll do some active recovery/intervals and see how cranky things get. DH also mentioned that perhaps it's time for me to embrace alternate forms of exercise. Maybe I canI should take the XT schedule seriously and swim, bike or lift.
    zf9owhoeck6c.png the "apply online" tab is school- not work in case there are any nosey-Nancies from work here. Kid needs to get with it.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Question for the sensible minded and the experienced runners round here (I know, not necessarily the same thing!)
    I know full well that it's a waste of time and space even asking this and that common sense must prevail but I seem to have lost mine.
    As you all know (from how much I've gone on and on about it) I ran my first HM last Sunday. It was the furthest I'd ever run so I expected to be sore, especially as my legs were sore after the previous Sunday's 10 mile run. So the couple of days of sore knees and calves were not unexpected and I rested my legs dutifully. On Wednesday as they felt tight but not painful I took them for a 3 kilometre shake out run, which went ok (although the last kilometre or so was hard work). Felt fine on Thursday, did an hour's walk on the treadmill and an hour's upper body strength workout with light weights. So far so good. Yesterday I went out to run a slow 5 kilometres. After about 12 minutes my knees started to hurt. I stubbornly continued, shortening my intervals to run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute. Came home, iced them and slapped on some anti-inflamatory gel and put them up. They seemed ok, until I had to walk up a steep hill twice in the afternoon to take my daughter to a class. The second time I had to walk down that hill it felt like my left knee was on fire, and by the time I got home everything from my hip to my ankle on that side felt like it was in a scalding iron brace. The other knee was complaining too, but not so badly.
    So rest of the day on the sofa with feet up and cold compresses, and more anti-inflamatory gel before bed.
    This morning they don't feel too bad yet but I haven't moved much, I'm pretty scared of how they'll react when I do. Stuck a couple of those nasty cheap elasticated knee support bandage things over them just cause they were in a cupboard.
    Ok, so, I realise that I should probably not even try to run for a couple of days, even though my plan had been to try and get 6-8km in tomorrow. What worries me is how much rest I can get away with without it affecting my fitness level I suppose?
    I have a 14 week training plan for another HM which starts on Tuesday and should have me run 20km altogether for the week. Should I skip that entire week? If I do will I be ok to jump straight into 4 runs totally 21km in a week after 2 weeks off? Should I just take tomorrow and Monday off then maybe try to just do 3km runs next week instead of longer ones?
    I know, none of you are doctors or can tell me what to do, guess I'm just using this as somewhere to write down all the thoughts spinning round and round my head. What I'm secretly hoping is that one of you is Harry Potter and can point your wand at my knees and turn them into nice young healthy uncomplaining joints that allow me to run all the miles without them *kitten* up my plans!


    I agree with @girlinahat
    This doesn't sound like normal "post-race soreness", and at least in my recent experience, the longer you keep trying to stick to a plan, the longer it's going to be a problem for you and you could end up losing even more time.
    Try to stop thinking about "how long before I lose fitness", and concentrate on "how long do I need to be fully recovered?". And yes, you should probably get it checked out if you can.

    Thanks, yes I see your point. Will try to get to see my GP on Monday, although I doubt I can expect anything other than a strange look and a recommendation to rest, ice, take ibuprofen and stop doing things you're too old for (insert rolly eyes smiley here)
    I guess the thing that upsets me the most here is that I literally just paid and signed up for my next HM on March 24th. 2 days ago. And now this. And it's an awesome race with awesome bling that I've been looking forward to for months already. But I guess in the end it's just money and there will be other years. Sigh.
    If it were me I would start by taking Aleve. For some reason it seems to work miracles for my knees, while ibuprofen does nothing but upset my stomach. Also, foam roller that side since it's all the way up and down.

    And I agree with @PastorVincent about the importance of a doctor who knows runners. If I had listened to the first doctor I went to with my knee injury, I would never have run again. Which according to my current doctor was a "ridiculous" recommendation.

    My hip took about a month to stop whatever it was doing after my half. So don't despair just yet.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    Oh sorry that was me. I didn't woo you intentionally. Its just in the right spot that i scroll through.
    So, yall get woo'd might tag me to check it. I do it all the freaking time. That button is nothing but trouble.

    I so want to woo this post. But I will not. :smiley:

    oh man knock it out! could we get 20 WOO'S? hahaha! have fun mods.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,204 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    Not sure ice and ibuprofen would help as "inflammation" is part of the body's healing process.
    Question for the sensible minded and the experienced runners round here (I know, not necessarily the same thing!)
    I know full well that it's a waste of time and space even asking this and that common sense must prevail but I seem to have lost mine.
    As you all know (from how much I've gone on and on about it) I ran my first HM last Sunday. It was the furthest I'd ever run so I expected to be sore, especially as my legs were sore after the previous Sunday's 10 mile run. So the couple of days of sore knees and calves were not unexpected and I rested my legs dutifully. On Wednesday as they felt tight but not painful I took them for a 3 kilometre shake out run, which went ok (although the last kilometre or so was hard work). Felt fine on Thursday, did an hour's walk on the treadmill and an hour's upper body strength workout with light weights. So far so good. Yesterday I went out to run a slow 5 kilometres. After about 12 minutes my knees started to hurt. I stubbornly continued, shortening my intervals to run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute. Came home, iced them and slapped on some anti-inflamatory gel and put them up. They seemed ok, until I had to walk up a steep hill twice in the afternoon to take my daughter to a class. The second time I had to walk down that hill it felt like my left knee was on fire, and by the time I got home everything from my hip to my ankle on that side felt like it was in a scalding iron brace. The other knee was complaining too, but not so badly.
    So rest of the day on the sofa with feet up and cold compresses, and more anti-inflamatory gel before bed.
    This morning they don't feel too bad yet but I haven't moved much, I'm pretty scared of how they'll react when I do. Stuck a couple of those nasty cheap elasticated knee support bandage things over them just cause they were in a cupboard.
    Ok, so, I realise that I should probably not even try to run for a couple of days, even though my plan had been to try and get 6-8km in tomorrow. What worries me is how much rest I can get away with without it affecting my fitness level I suppose?
    I have a 14 week training plan for another HM which starts on Tuesday and should have me run 20km altogether for the week. Should I skip that entire week? If I do will I be ok to jump straight into 4 runs totally 21km in a week after 2 weeks off? Should I just take tomorrow and Monday off then maybe try to just do 3km runs next week instead of longer ones?
    I know, none of you are doctors or can tell me what to do, guess I'm just using this as somewhere to write down all the thoughts spinning round and round my head. What I'm secretly hoping is that one of you is Harry Potter and can point your wand at my knees and turn them into nice young healthy uncomplaining joints that allow me to run all the miles without them *kitten* up my plans!


    Reading this through again.

    It was your first HM. Again, congratulations.

    DOMS would hit after around 2 days. You went running the third day, then 1hr walk the fourth day. The next day your knees hurt going up and down hills.

    Hills hurt at the best of times! You did them on top of fairly normal training instead of downtime after a distance PB.

    A distance PB needs a recovery plan just as it needed a training plan. I know a first 42.2 km needs a month to build back up to regular running.

    Not being able to run will increase your frustration, so try some new things like relaxation, flexibility, and balance sessions, and enjoy a well-earned rest.

    Your knees may be fine before you have your appointment.

    This sounds like excellent advice. I've had basically a month off since my half and it's been frustrating and annoying but I noticed yesterday all the assorted niggles and annoying pains I'd been feeling since the HM have all gone. I'm planning on getting slowly back into things on Monday.

    Also, as always, consider your shoes. How old are they, both your running and walking? I bought a new pair of work shoes 3 weeks ago. Wore them for a. Week but had to stop because I was getting tendon issues again. Not suitable foe me, and it screwed my running AND walking. That also set me back a couple lof weeks. (grrrrrr) Knee issues can also come from shoes.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    1---2.01
    2---2.0 TM
    4---1.0 TM barefoot for form
    9---3.0 TM
    11---2.0 TM
    14---2.0 TM
    15---4.0 intervals


    16/45 miles

    Upcoming races
    January 5 BIRR Ultra relay. 50k. Hawaii. For @KeepRunningFatboy
    March 31, 2019 A2A Undecided distance. Ardmore OK
    April 28, 2019 OKC Memorial Marathon (half)
    Run the Year team A 400+ miles
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10710465/2019-run-the-year-group#latest
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    Not sure ice and ibuprofen would help as "inflammation" is part of the body's healing process.

    IN GENERAL - Avoid ice and ibuprofen as much as you can. They hinder the body's natural healing process.

    I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV though it could be a fun role someday if somehow I ever end up on TV.
  • garygse
    garygse Posts: 896 Member
    Anyone have any alternatives to the cool year-end Strava visualizations so many of you did last year using madewithsisu.com ? It seems the site has disappeared :( or maybe I (and everyone with online links to it) have the wrong address.

    Yep, looks like it's no longer available, but you can use Strartwork to get something very similar, and then edit the image to add any customizations. Example, here's a real quick one of mine for this year so far:
    ypdd7c04eh3m.jpg
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    I ran a Christmas 5k with my 11 year old this morning. He ran it in 27 min 32 sec. and was 8th in his age group (11-14) pretty darn good!! I just wanted to brag. Don’t need to share my time because it sucked haha

    That is great! My 15year does not want to run with us :(
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    Too cool @garygse ! Love the graphic!