December 2018 Monthly Running Challenge
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PastorVincent wrote: »polskagirl01 wrote: »12/1-9 Totals: bike 41 minutes, run 39.1km
12/10 - run 16.5k
Just over 10 miles today in the rain. That counts as a long run for me. I didn't take gloves and really regretted it in the second half of the run, but had a dry hat in my vest-thingy that helped.
I spend too much time with y'all, apparently. Used my free time yesterday to compare 50k training plans. I'm still undecided about my future running plans, but I do know that the plans all scare me and I need a better "why" than "I love running" if I'm going to do something like that. Regardless, I have a plan, and a backup plan, and the option to bail completely if I so choose. For now, I just need to finish the HM plan I'm on
@polskagirl01 if you have a marathon plan you like you can just use that. Just do your long run on trails. If you can do a mid week run on trails as well, that's even better. Make sure you do hill work every other week.
I would suggest you finish the half plan before starting a new plan. Also see if you can find a good 1/2 to run in. Then move on to finding a Marathon or 50k to target. There is something to be said for completing a plan before starting the next. It sets you up mentally better for finishing the next plan.
you being the voice of reason...
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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
December Total: 63k
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.
Nice recovery run today. Warmed up all the way to 28 degrees F, so I didn't have to wear long sleeves under my hoodie. Cloudy with no wind to speak of.3 -
Good god, I took my 11 year old son on a run with me yesterday (we ran about 2.5 miles) and he smoked me and left me behind in the dust! I was running an 11.30/mile pace and I would guess he was going like 8-9 min/miles. He would run so far ahead, then turn around and run back to me, then run up ahead etc.
Way to make old mom feel lame. We are running a 5k together next weekend for Christmas, I was hoping to use him as an excuse to take a lot of walking breaks but it looks like that's not going to be the case. I am 6 weeks pregnant and utterly exhausted. Have only run 2x in the last two weeks. 
15 -
This weekend I got to run 9.96 miles in the Reindeer Run Yukon Challenge - a 10K at 8AM followed by a 5K at 9:30. Somewhat to my surprise, I hit another PR in the 10K, my third race and third PR at that distance, even though course conditions have been worse in each race as well. My 5K time was officially my slowest, but seeing how I spent the first mile and a half dodging walkers, that’s to be expected. I still managed negative splits and my last three miles were all under 10’30”, which is honestly better than I expected.
But back to the beginning! There was no race day bib pickup and the starting line was about a mile and a half from my front door, so we didn’t leave much in advance. That turned out to be a slight misjudgment, as my husband missed the start of the 10K trying to find parking, but so it goes. Half the time I forget to look for him and wave when I start a race anyhow. It was pretty cold, 18 degrees according to Apple Workouts, and I’ll admit to a little bit of AM grumps over the weather, but once I got to the course that was replaced by the usual pre-race excited jitters.
There weren’t any pace signs set up, so I started off around the middle of the pack and hoped for the best. I checked my pace after the first few minutes and was going somewhere around 10:15, so I slowed down a hair but decided to just go by feel and enjoy myself, and I didn't look at my watch again after that. Somewhere around mile 2 I found myself running behind a couple keeping a pace around what I wanted so I followed them for most of the rest of the race.
There had been some warnings about ice, but thankfully it wasn’t a big issue - a lot of the course was on a one-way road around the lake so you had ice on the sides and middle of the road, but two nice clear paths where tires had kept the road clear. The only time I was a little concerned was when I passed people, which wasn’t a huge issue in the 10K but got to be more of a problem in the 5K.
I was a little worried about the course being boring, as I’m a spoiled runner who never has to double up my routes, and I remember the second loop of the half (which was a figure-eight of this lake and the neighboring lake) being a bit of a drag. I think that may have had more to do with the distance, though, because I actually found the second lap fairly nice this time. I managed to find some speed the last mile and almost succeeded in my impromptu goal not to let anyone pass me for the rest of the race.
I was impressed when I saw my time - something just over 1:04:00 by the clock, and I knew I had a few seconds less net time. My official time turned out to be 1:03:57, almost exactly a minute faster than the last 10K, and almost a minute and a half faster than my first 10K in October. I've had the sense that this would be my favorite distance for a while, and that remains true.
What these three races have told me is that I’ve got a lot more speed in me for this distance, and that the key for improvement right now is going to be pushing my early pace as much as I can - I’ve managed negative splits in each race, but even though the second and third overall times were better than the first, I’ve never matched my last-mile speed in that first race. What I’ve done is improve my time in the main body of the race and that’s made the difference in the end.
Anyhow, I was feeling good at the end of the 10K - those of us also running the 5K were told not to get our medals until after that race, so I grabbed a cup of hot chocolate then headed towards the car. Unfortunately, my lack of directional sense combined with some fussy electronics made this difficult. In case anyone was wondering, touch-activated technology does not appreciate the combination of wet fingers and cold, dry ambient temperatures. I hadn’t ended up listing to music during the race and couldn’t get my Air Pods to respond at all when I tried to call my husband to get directions to the car.
I ended up walking around longer that I should have but I finally found the car and had about 15 minutes to change my clothes and drink some water. I pushed that a bit too long and had to hustle to get to the starting line in time, but being able to warm up and have dry clothes was worth it.
To be honest the 5K was a bit of a drag after the 10K. I was tired enough that I wasn’t going for speed, and couldn’t have even if I’d wanted to. According to the official results there were 1247 finishers in the 5K compared to 841 in the 10K, and it was really packed and chaotic. I spent a lot of the first mile and change sprinting around people, which was not what I wanted to be doing after running 6 miles at a pretty good clip. It was better once I finally got around the walkers, and I did have fun watching all the costumes and things, but again, not ideal.
My husband was at the finish line* when I finished in what turned out to be my slowest 5K time, but considering how hard I was working at that first race back in July, I consider it an accomplishment to have managed as good a time as I did given a slow first mile dodging walkers and, oh yeah, the fact that I was starting the race having already run 6 miles! A big improvement when you look at it that way!
*Our joke is that neither of us understands why the other enjoys their part of races - I think waiting around for someone else to finish running sounds super boring and he thinks running for fun is incomprehensible - but we’re glad that the other is having a good time.
So that was my last race of 2018! Looking back, I think that the Twin Cities Marathon Weekend 10K has to be my favorite race - a great course, great crowd, and my first taste of that distance. The Glo Run probably has to take up the last spot - I mainly remember being uncomfortable most of that race and just wanting it to be done, and running in the dark was kind of neat but also kind of distracting.
The only race I plan to repeat in 2019 is the Marathon Weekend 10K, and then only if I don’t get into the 10 Mile. I could see myself doing the Mustache Run or the Reindeer 10K again, but there are a lot of races out there I want to try and there are only so many weekends in the year. For now I’m considering the 10K my race distance and the Half my sight-seeing distance, which means that I'm unlikely to repeat any Halves any time soon. I’d like to hit as many of the major local races (except the poorly regarded ones) as I can, use the Half as an excuse to do some traveling, and see how I like trail racing.
As for the rest of 2018, I’m going to keep getting used to winter running, aiming for about 20 miles a week, and should easily top 500 miles for the year. Which is BONKERS!
Congratulations everyone who raced this weekend and hugs to any injuries - I've got a few pages to read to catch up but for now I'm off to take my mom to a follow-up at the hospital. Fun!
Bling! The pin is for running both races back-to-back - initially I thought there was an extra medal but I like this better.
December Total: 18.03 miles
2018 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 10K DNS - trip postponed
September 9: City of Lakes Half Marathon Net time: 2:28:25
October 6: Twin Cities Marathon Weekend 10K Chip time: 1:05:14
October 21: Mankato Half Marathon Chip time: 2:29:25
November 24: Mustache Run 10K Chip time: 1:04:56
December 8: Reindeer Run 10K + 5K Chip time: 1:03:57 / 0:32:34
2019 Races! (italics under consideration)
January 26: Securian 10K
February 16: Half Fast 10K ($20 price jump 1/30)
March 23: Hot Dash 10Mi
April 27: Get In Gear Half or 10K ($5 price jump 12/31, 1/31)
May 4: Door County Half Marathon, Peninsula State Park, WI (if no half in April and no WY trip in June) ($5 price jump 12/31, 2/28)
May 22: ESTRS Lebanon 10K (registration open 1/1/19)
June 1: Hospital Hill Half Marathon, Kansas City OR Grand Teton Half, Jackson WY
June 12: ESTRS French 5K
June 29: Lift Bridge 10K
July 10: ESTRS Lebanon 7Mi
July 17: Torchlight 5K
July 27: St. Croix Crossing Half
August 3: Minnesota Half Marathon 10Mi OR
August 7: ESTRS SLP 5Mi OR
August 10: Gopher to Badger 10K
September 8: Sioux Falls Half Marathon
September 21: Surly Trail Loppet 7Mi
October 5: TCM 10K or 10Mi
November: Undecided Half?
November 28: Turkey Trot St. Paul 10K
December: Undecided 10K
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December Running Challenge
Goal: 100 km
Done: 18/100
10/12/18 Run 6 km
5/12/18 Run 5 km
3/12/18 Run 7 km7 -
PastorVincent wrote: »polskagirl01 wrote: »12/1-9 Totals: bike 41 minutes, run 39.1km
12/10 - run 16.5k
Just over 10 miles today in the rain. That counts as a long run for me. I didn't take gloves and really regretted it in the second half of the run, but had a dry hat in my vest-thingy that helped.
I spend too much time with y'all, apparently. Used my free time yesterday to compare 50k training plans. I'm still undecided about my future running plans, but I do know that the plans all scare me and I need a better "why" than "I love running" if I'm going to do something like that. Regardless, I have a plan, and a backup plan, and the option to bail completely if I so choose. For now, I just need to finish the HM plan I'm on
@polskagirl01 if you have a marathon plan you like you can just use that. Just do your long run on trails. If you can do a mid week run on trails as well, that's even better. Make sure you do hill work every other week.
I would suggest you finish the half plan before starting a new plan. Also see if you can find a good 1/2 to run in. Then move on to finding a Marathon or 50k to target. There is something to be said for completing a plan before starting the next. It sets you up mentally better for finishing the next plan.
you being the voice of reason...
The VOICE sure... just do not pull back the curtain and look at what I actually do. 10 -
PastorVincent wrote: »PastorVincent wrote: »polskagirl01 wrote: »12/1-9 Totals: bike 41 minutes, run 39.1km
12/10 - run 16.5k
Just over 10 miles today in the rain. That counts as a long run for me. I didn't take gloves and really regretted it in the second half of the run, but had a dry hat in my vest-thingy that helped.
I spend too much time with y'all, apparently. Used my free time yesterday to compare 50k training plans. I'm still undecided about my future running plans, but I do know that the plans all scare me and I need a better "why" than "I love running" if I'm going to do something like that. Regardless, I have a plan, and a backup plan, and the option to bail completely if I so choose. For now, I just need to finish the HM plan I'm on
@polskagirl01 if you have a marathon plan you like you can just use that. Just do your long run on trails. If you can do a mid week run on trails as well, that's even better. Make sure you do hill work every other week.
I would suggest you finish the half plan before starting a new plan. Also see if you can find a good 1/2 to run in. Then move on to finding a Marathon or 50k to target. There is something to be said for completing a plan before starting the next. It sets you up mentally better for finishing the next plan.
you being the voice of reason...
The VOICE sure... just do not pull back the curtain and look at what I actually do.
i'm pretty sure that's how it is for most runners.
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Congrats on your 10K PR, and for doing a 5K right after that! That was some good running!
I missed the post for Mr. @Elise4270's marathon. Way to GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@RunsOnEspresso so sorry for your loss.
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MegaMooseEsq wrote: »This weekend I got to run 9.96 miles in the Reindeer Run Yukon Challenge - a 10K at 8AM followed by a 5K at 9:30. Somewhat to my surprise, I hit another PR in the 10K, my third race and third PR at that distance, even though course conditions have been worse in each race as well. My 5K time was officially my slowest, but seeing how I spent the first mile and a half dodging walkers, that’s to be expected. I still managed negative splits and my last three miles were all under 10’30”, which is honestly better than I expected.
YAY!!! Well done!!!2 -
been running. 1 mile per day since my last post.
i don't know how parents do it, when i get tired i can put the dogs in a crate or tell them to go lay down on their beds and they do. puppies are soooo much work. thankfully, 1 is calming down. but grizzly just zips back and forth for hours at a time.
so interfering with run time was a baby shower(not mine) with a lot of adorable decorations
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Thanks for the kudos for DH. I passed them on inviting him post a race report but hes kind of in that post race disappointed slump. I'm sure he'll shake it, lotta miles to process there.3
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@MegaMooseEsq Well done!!! A highly efficient way of getting two races done in a single day -- with a PR to boot!!3
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We are scheduled to have above seasonal temps all week and nothing seems to be hurting anymore. Trying to figure out a running schedule. I will run tonight.4
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PastorVincent wrote: »polskagirl01 wrote: »12/1-9 Totals: bike 41 minutes, run 39.1km
12/10 - run 16.5k
Just over 10 miles today in the rain. That counts as a long run for me. I didn't take gloves and really regretted it in the second half of the run, but had a dry hat in my vest-thingy that helped.
I spend too much time with y'all, apparently. Used my free time yesterday to compare 50k training plans. I'm still undecided about my future running plans, but I do know that the plans all scare me and I need a better "why" than "I love running" if I'm going to do something like that. Regardless, I have a plan, and a backup plan, and the option to bail completely if I so choose. For now, I just need to finish the HM plan I'm on
@polskagirl01 if you have a marathon plan you like you can just use that. Just do your long run on trails. If you can do a mid week run on trails as well, that's even better. Make sure you do hill work every other week.
I would suggest you finish the half plan before starting a new plan. Also see if you can find a good 1/2 to run in. Then move on to finding a Marathon or 50k to target. There is something to be said for completing a plan before starting the next. It sets you up mentally better for finishing the next plan.
That's my plan. I'll finish Hal Higdon's Intermediate HM plan in a few weeks, then start his 50k plan, which starts with very similar mileage to the final few weeks of my current plan, and mirrors one of his Intermediate Marathon plans for the first 18 weeks. It was the most aggressive 50k plan I looked at, BUT if I switch one medium run per week for an easy cycling day and don't make up the run distance, it makes it comparable to other plans I was looking at. After the marathon though, he has more weeks of training than the 4 I'd have if I do this, so I'd see how I'm feeling and decide which weeks to remove. Other plans had marathon runs 4 weeks out, so it seems reasonable, as long as I treat the marathon as a supported training run.
Hills and trails will definitely be part of the program, and I'll continue my light strength/core stuff.
The backup plan is an UnderArmour plan with lower mileage requirements. I could switch over to this plan at any time if this one becomes too much.
The backup-backup plan is knowing I don't have to do this if the training starts to burn me out on running. Last year's 2-marathons-4-months-apart was hard but doable, and by the end I was ready to take a break and hang out at HM level for a while. And I had a great recovery and consistent running, until I messed things up swimming farther than I should have and got injured. Lesson learned.
ETA: The Marathon would be in May, and the 50k 4 weeks later (that one I mentioned a while back, in PA).4 -
12/1 4.37 Saguaro 7k
12/2 8 Hot Chocolate 15k
12/3 0 cold/tired/depression/grieving
12/4 2 & upper body strength
12/5 3.49 Tempo (10:00 min goal)
12/6 0 rest day
12/7 0 bad day
12/8 3.52 12ks of Christmas 6k
12/9 9
12/10 3.15 easy
Total 33.53 out of 100
Nothing to report today. It was an uneventful run. I attempted to do some "action" selfies. The results are on Instagram. LOL4 -
Well my first toenail finally fell off, another milestone in my life as a runner.15
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Congratulations on the new baby! Too bad you can't use your son as an excuse to walk. They have so much energy at that age!Good god, I took my 11 year old son on a run with me yesterday (we ran about 2.5 miles) and he smoked me and left me behind in the dust! I was running an 11.30/mile pace and I would guess he was going like 8-9 min/miles. He would run so far ahead, then turn around and run back to me, then run up ahead etc. Way to make old mom feel lame. We are running a 5k together next weekend for Christmas, I was hoping to use him as an excuse to take a lot of walking breaks but it looks like that's not going to be the case. I am 6 weeks pregnant and utterly exhausted. Have only run 2x in the last two weeks.
@MegaMooseEsq Congratulations on your PR and running a 5K afterwards is amazing. Love the medal.
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polskagirl01 wrote: »PastorVincent wrote: »polskagirl01 wrote: »12/1-9 Totals: bike 41 minutes, run 39.1km
12/10 - run 16.5k
Just over 10 miles today in the rain. That counts as a long run for me. I didn't take gloves and really regretted it in the second half of the run, but had a dry hat in my vest-thingy that helped.
I spend too much time with y'all, apparently. Used my free time yesterday to compare 50k training plans. I'm still undecided about my future running plans, but I do know that the plans all scare me and I need a better "why" than "I love running" if I'm going to do something like that. Regardless, I have a plan, and a backup plan, and the option to bail completely if I so choose. For now, I just need to finish the HM plan I'm on
@polskagirl01 if you have a marathon plan you like you can just use that. Just do your long run on trails. If you can do a mid week run on trails as well, that's even better. Make sure you do hill work every other week.
I would suggest you finish the half plan before starting a new plan. Also see if you can find a good 1/2 to run in. Then move on to finding a Marathon or 50k to target. There is something to be said for completing a plan before starting the next. It sets you up mentally better for finishing the next plan.
That's my plan. I'll finish Hal Higdon's Intermediate HM plan in a few weeks, then start his 50k plan, which starts with very similar mileage to the final few weeks of my current plan, and mirrors one of his Intermediate Marathon plans for the first 18 weeks. It was the most aggressive 50k plan I looked at, BUT if I switch one medium run per week for an easy cycling day and don't make up the run distance, it makes it comparable to other plans I was looking at. After the marathon though, he has more weeks of training than the 4 I'd have if I do this, so I'd see how I'm feeling and decide which weeks to remove. Other plans had marathon runs 4 weeks out, so it seems reasonable, as long as I treat the marathon as a supported training run.
Hills and trails will definitely be part of the program, and I'll continue my light strength/core stuff.
The backup plan is an UnderArmour plan with lower mileage requirements. I could switch over to this plan at any time if this one becomes too much.
The backup-backup plan is knowing I don't have to do this if the training starts to burn me out on running. Last year's 2-marathons-4-months-apart was hard but doable, and by the end I was ready to take a break and hang out at HM level for a while. And I had a great recovery and consistent running, until I messed things up swimming farther than I should have and got injured. Lesson learned.
ETA: The Marathon would be in May, and the 50k 4 weeks later (that one I mentioned a while back, in PA).
Sounds like you are on a good track then, do that. I am kind of sort of following his 50k plan, but I plan to do much longer mid-week runs. So really only looking at his long run pattern.2 -
12/1 - 7mph for 1 hour @ 4% grade
12/2 - 7 miles
12/3 - 7mph for 1 hour @ 4% grade
12/4 - 0 KM
12/5 - 12 miles
12/6 - Cookies
12/7 - 12 miles
12/8 - Christmas Party
12/9 - Game Night
12/10 - 7 miles
Will not have time to run tonight so snuck out at lunch for a short run. Should have selfied it, I had icicles on my eyebrows blocking my vision for most of it. heh.
Upcoming Races
Steel Challange 5k - May 2019
Pittsburgh Marathon - May 2019
Glacier Ridge 50k Trail Race - May 2019
2021 - Disney World Dopey! (if can raise funds)
2019 GOAL: Knock a full hour off my 50k time at Glacier Ridge.10
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