December 2018 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
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    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    @corriepelc welcome!

    So I'm really fed up right now. Legs were feeling good after Tuesday's little treadmill jog so I had my heart set on getting out for an easy 5km this morning. Stupid thing to do. There was more ironing to be done last night after I finished work, I swear that freakin ironing is to blame (nothing to do with running an HM of course!) and of course my knees started to hurt again before I was done. I tried to be positive and optimistic and all that crap and told myself I'd be fine in the morning, but I'm not. Not in agony, but there's a definite tightness round the knees again that shouldn't be there. I could be crazy and just go run on them knowing that will cause pain, but I'm not going to let myself. So it's going to have to be some super fun exciting not at all tedious boring or frustratingly low calorie burning yoga/pilates/stretching/muttering stuff for me today. Oh the joy.

    Been hoping against hope some relative (long story but most of my family lives in the UK) would send me some cash for Christmas that I could invest in a physio visit. Nope. That would have been too perfect.

    Not only does running help me manage stress and anxiety and keeps me sane (ok half sane?) but it allows me to eat. At about 5'1" (is that how you type it? dunno we use metres here) and with a desk job that has me sitting in place for up to 12 hours a day, I maintain on around 1350 calories. That is NOT a lot of food. Especially with Christmas coming up. Looks like I'm going to be the bitter grumpy depressed one in the corner while everyone stuffs their faces again. Yay!

    So, when you ran on the dreadmill you were okay, but outside was harder. Is it hilly where you run? That is the most obvious difference between the two. On a dreadmill you are running (unless you are me and change it) on a perfectly flat surface. Outside, pending where you live, that might be impossible.

    Also, standing for a long time is murder on your body. So the ironing probably did not help at all. :)

    You could try power walking while your knees heal. Personally, I walk 3-4 miles most days at lunch at work. It uses your legs a bit differently, and if you do decide to push into the marathon distance, having a fast walk can really help. I seriously got sore from it when I first started despite being able to run five times that distance. I can walk a really good clip now. At least when I am not distracted and forget where I am and what I am doing...

    Most of all listen to your body. :)
  • eleanorhawkins
    eleanorhawkins Posts: 1,657 Member
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    PastorVincent wrote: »

    So, when you ran on the dreadmill you were okay, but outside was harder. Is it hilly where you run? That is the most obvious difference between the two. On a dreadmill you are running (unless you are me and change it) on a perfectly flat surface. Outside, pending where you live, that might be impossible.

    Also, standing for a long time is murder on your body. So the ironing probably did not help at all. :)

    You could try power walking while your knees heal. Personally, I walk 3-4 miles most days at lunch at work. It uses your legs a bit differently, and if you do decide to push into the marathon distance, having a fast walk can really help. I seriously got sore from it when I first started despite being able to run five times that distance. I can walk a really good clip now. At least when I am not distracted and forget where I am and what I am doing...

    Most of all listen to your body. :)


    @PastorVincent Nope, I hadn't tried running outside since they first started to hurt, that was what my heart was set on doing today. Incidentally I usually put more of an incline on the dreadmill when I use it whether for walking or running than I can find outdoors here without going out of my way to purposefully hunt down a hill.
    I actually reduced the amount of walking I was doing when I started training for that HM... before that I made myself walk for an hour every day I didn't run. Now I'm try to get back into that habit. Maybe that also has something to do with it. Dunno.
    I am entirely sure the ***** ironing is to blame. Probably I'm still recovering from the race and the long run the week before. Very possibly there's also some mild psoriatic arthritis in the mix too, I have to say the most problematic knee has given me some aches in the past when I was carrying all the excess weight about, I had just put it out of mind since weightloss/general better health and fitness, etc etc.
    I know, I know, I need to go get it looked at. But I'd cry in the doctor's office and he'd try and tell me I'm depressed and give me drugs. I'm not depressed dammit I'm just having a crap year and need to be able to run to deal with it and my stupid legs won't play nicely! Lol.

    @_nikkiwolf_ thanks :) You know, I own a bicycle but Spanish drivers make me too scared to ride it on the roads, and there's nowhere offroad I can get to without putting the bike in a van for pushing it along pavements for over half an hour first, so it's rusting in the garage. I used to own a spinning bike, but we didn't use it so we sold it. I really really regret that now. I can't afford to buy another one, and have yet to find any second hand ones round here. I have toyed with the idea of selling the road bike to cover some of the cost of an indoor bike, but would probably regret that some time too. I need to look into those roller things to convert outdoor to indoor, but vaguely remember looking once and them being really expensive. There's a municipal indoor pool 5 minutes from me, I could try and pluck up the courage and fork out the bit of cash to go use that, but the times its open for non-lesson use are pretty dumb and I hate getting almost naked in public and it has a tonne of chlorine that really *kitten* up my psoriasis. I think the English phrase for this current situation is something like 'stuck between a wall and a hard place' **insert rolly eye smiley here**

    About the murder, glad you all see my point! Obviously no it wasn't her fault, but come on what was she thinking of going ANYWHERE alone if she knew someone strange was watching her?
    Instinct is there for a reason and far too often when we feel that something is wrong it really is wrong. Nobody should ever ignore that.
    And yeah, can you imagine the same headlines if she'd been on her way shopping or to work? Would my husband now be saying "I told you you shouldn't go do the groceries on your own....." Yeah, right!
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
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    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    @PastorVincent Nope, I hadn't tried running outside since they first started to hurt, that was what my heart was set on doing today. Incidentally I usually put more of an incline on the dreadmill when I use it whether for walking or running than I can find outdoors here without going out of my way to purposefully hunt down a hill.
    I actually reduced the amount of walking I was doing when I started training for that HM... before that I made myself walk for an hour every day I didn't run. Now I'm try to get back into that habit. Maybe that also has something to do with it. Dunno.
    I am entirely sure the ***** ironing is to blame. Probably I'm still recovering from the race and the long run the week before. Very possibly there's also some mild psoriatic arthritis in the mix too, I have to say the most problematic knee has given me some aches in the past when I was carrying all the excess weight about, I had just put it out of mind since weightloss/general better health and fitness, etc etc.
    I know, I know, I need to go get it looked at. But I'd cry in the doctor's office and he'd try and tell me I'm depressed and give me drugs. I'm not depressed dammit I'm just having a crap year and need to be able to run to deal with it and my stupid legs won't play nicely! Lol.

    Cross training is important, and adding walks in is a form of that. The problem with running is the same problem with any exercise. Running will only target specific systems in your body allowing others to get weak. Cross training helps address that.

    Also, endurance exercise is a common prescription for dealing with depression. The adrenaline released is a natural treatment. So running really can be an anti-depressant. If the doctor is worthy of the title, explaining to them that running is working for you, they should not prescribe anything. IMO, YMMY, and I am not a doctor, just ask @7lenny7 :)
  • eleanorhawkins
    eleanorhawkins Posts: 1,657 Member
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    PastorVincent wrote: »

    Cross training is important, and adding walks in is a form of that. The problem with running is the same problem with any exercise. Running will only target specific systems in your body allowing others to get weak. Cross training helps address that.

    Also, endurance exercise is a common prescription for dealing with depression. The adrenaline released is a natural treatment. So running really can be an anti-depressant. If the doctor is worthy of the title, explaining to them that running is working for you, they should not prescribe anything. IMO, YMMY, and I am not a doctor, just ask @7lenny7 :)

    Yeah all in all our public health system is pretty good compared to some, but a lot of our GPs are not. In fact you would probably do a better job than some, no matter what @7lenny7 says :-)
    Once, back when I was overweight and a heavy smoker, I asked my dr at the time (yes I did change after this) why I was forever getting chest infections. His response was "well you have a lot of chest to catch them with"..... enough said.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    juliet3455 wrote: »
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    not that you all aren't awesome but i sorta miss @LaDispute57 too
    So true - his wit and brutal honesty could turn some people off but if you knew a little history he was on point with no sugar coating. He will be back - with a new UN.

    plus those tattoos.......
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    i've had a niggling pain on the inside bottom of my ankle bone. anyone else ever had it? tendonitis?
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
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    mbaker566 wrote: »
    i've had a niggling pain on the inside bottom of my ankle bone. anyone else ever had it? tendonitis?

    Not a doctor, but that's where I had tendonitis. My GP diagnosed it and then sent me to a sports physiotherapist to get a more precise diagnosis and treatment. I had it in the tendon that connects the inner calf muscle to the bottom of the foot. It ached behind the ankle bone and into the arch.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited December 2018
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    Yesterday I got to run 3.34 miles around my home lake. I’d been feeling sluggy all morning and took an extra-long nap in the middle of the day instead of running, then decided to actually DO MY JOB instead of run. /eyeroll I was really antsy when I came to bed, though, and as soon as I mentioned maybe wanting to go for a run but being worried it was too late and wanting to be asleep by ten my husband more or less kicked me out of the house. So that was nice of him.

    I don’t think I’ve ever started a run after dark, and definitely not this late in the year, but it’s been fairly warm recently so there wasn’t really much snow or ice left to worry about. I probably could have used a head lamp, but the path around the lake was fairly well-lit and is generally well-maintained so I was fine. I wore my reflective vest over my neon windbreaker, which reminded me that I need to adjust that thing so it fits better. Still, I mostly forgot I was wearing it, so that was good.

    I might have found a winner for cheap base/mid layer - the DRSKIN compression shirt. It fit a lot more comfortably than the other long-sleeve shirts I have, both the Heines and Baleaf ones I’ve gotten from Amazon and the couple of race shirts I’ve collected so far (Brooks and Storm Creek). It wasn’t too cold last night (mid 30s) but it was very humid, and this shirt under my windbreaker kept me warm enough but actually felt comfortably cool walking the couple of blocks home, and not clammy or wet. I liked the higher neck but would still want a buff on really cold days to pull over my face. I want to give it another go after washing so fingers crossed.

    I actually made good time for me for a 5K - just under 10 minute/mile overall pace. I decided that was worth “awarding” myself one of my Hogwarts Potterhead Running Club medals that came in the mail yesterday. I’ve still got a 9K one sitting around that I need to figure out what to do with. I think I mentioned in my last post or so that I’m still figuring out whether virtual races are a thing for me or not. I like the Potterhead group for the charities and community and medal design, but it’s hard for me to feel like I’ve earned a medal when I’m doing a run that I most likely would have done anyhow.

    “Real life” races are kind of a pain in the butt, which is part of why they’re good motivation for me to keep running the rest of the time - I’ve paid $50-75 to get up early on a weekend and drive somewhere and run a course I (usually) haven’t run before with a whole bunch of people I don’t know who are all super into what we’re doing no matter the weather. And then I get a nice memorial trinket to put on my wall and remember that wacky good time. I think I’d run even without races because I really do love running for how it makes me feel, but races provide some additional structure and motivation for me right now, so I’m not going to question that. And I doubt I’d have pushed myself quite so far on those long runs earlier in the year if I hadn’t had a couple half marathons as goals.

    All that said, virtual races don’t have that inconvenience element, and while the medals are nifty, I would have gone out running last night just because I was in a bad mood and knew it would be worth it. Well, we’ll see how I feel about it when PHRC announces its next event. They do usually include a suggested run date (which I’d missed for all but one race this year), so maybe sticking to that will be a little extra oomph. Of I could save some money and buy those new glasses I’ve been eyeing over on Zenni.

    December Total: 38.90 miles

    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
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,493 Member
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    @shanaber I have the same HRM strap that @garygse linked to. I've had the same experience with long battery life. I actually got it used with my old Garmin FR305 and have used it with my FR220 and FR230 as well. Still going strong. I do generally get the overstated HR for the first mile or so but I just ignore that until it settles down. It's pretty consistent after that.

    In colder, dryer weather I smear the back of the sensor with ultrasound gel so I get a good connection right away. If I forget to do that, i've been known to lick or spit on it. Sounds gross but it's going to be soaked in sweat soon away so no big deal.

    @juliet3455 I've actually considered strapping on my old Garmin to Kody to see just how much he does run but I'd have to pause and unpause it ever time we got in and out of the truck between fields and I'm sure I'd forget. I think I could use the Strava website to crop the driving out though. I'll have to do that next year. I'm really curious. I estimate that he travels about 3 times the amount we do when we go through a field. We typically go 15,000 to 18,000 steps a day unless we limit out early.

    @PastorVincent & @eleanorhawkins sometimes a runner has more experience with running related issues than non running doctors, so there is benefit to talking to other runners about various issues. Finding a good PT who knows running is priceless.

  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    @eleanorhawkins: *hugs* I’m short too and definitely appreciate the extra calories from running. I’ve also been stressed out about my fitness level sliding since my half in October, but both my 10K and 15K went fine even though my weekly mileage has been substantially reduced. I suspect that my fear over losing fitness is overblown, and even if it isn’t, I can’t let my evil brain use it as an excuse to give up entirely, which is what I think the weasels want me to do. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good!

    Per your post about the recent murder near you - I think many people try to reassure themselves that they can avoid having something horrible happen to them or their loved ones by coming up with easy answers like “well, if she hadn’t been doing X she’d have been fine. I don’t do/let my loved one do X, so bad things won’t happen to me/them”. Unfortunately, that’s just not how the world works. I try really hard not to second-guess people in these situations, even when it's something that seems completely reasonable. Maybe she had changed her routine and he was still able to find her. Maybe she called the cops but they blew her off. Who knows. There's just no way to make ourselves 100% safe and after a certain point, there are much more important things in life than trying to pursue perfect physical security.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,493 Member
    edited December 2018
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    There's an extension for Chrome which increases the functionality of Strava. It's called Elevate (formerly Stravistix). My favorite feature is that it tracks your fitness level, fatigue and form (Fitness - Fatigue) using a generally accepted formula. When I'm running, I'm always checking on this to see my progress and to make sure I'm not overtraining.

    Here's my last 3 months of data. So sad....I was on a great upward trend, peaking at 41.6 on my last race. Since then, I've dropped to 9.6. I have not been this low in 3.5 years. :(

    Tonight I get to start going on legitimate walks again. I think if i wear my HRM strap, I'll get credit for it on this chart and it will start showing an increase.

    Orange is fitness level - Shows my improvement.
    Black is fatigue level - The wear and tear on my body
    Gray is form. This number tells me if I'm training enough, or if I'm training too much. It also tells me if I'm ready for a race.

    tiu5cztmj3g9.jpg

    This is interesting too. It's my entire running "career" tracked by Elevate going back to May 2015. It shows me just how fit I was for the various training cycles. Until my surgery, I was on track for my best training cycle yet.
    7pqmcsxloxpq.jpg

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