December 2019 Monthly Running Challenge

katharmonic
katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
edited November 2019 in Challenges
It's time for the DECEMBER 2019 Running Challenge!

WARNING: Following this thread may be addictive; it gets very talkative...miss a day and you can be 50 posts behind. This is the most popular challenge on MFP. If you found us in the middle (or end) of the month, you're still very welcome to join in - no requirements or special invite needed. Once you post, that's it you're in. And yes, we do this every month.

You set your own pace and distance for the month. We will all be doing it together. This is your virtual running group to help keep you accountable, to enjoy a virtual post-run coffee with your fellow runners, and to make new friends and learn a few things.

This is a continuation from the November 2019 Running Challenge which can be found at: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10770461/november-2019-monthly-running-challenge/p1

Anyone can join in, new and old, and if you found this thread late, you can join in at any time.
We have members ranging from total beginners all the way to Boston Qualifiers and beyond. We are a friendly and encouraging bunch. You never need to be ashamed of your miles. If you are making the effort, you will find only support here.

Here are the details from last month that apply again:

Anybody want to join in for a running challenge? Set a goal here and update us every day. OPTIONAL: You can post your progress by creating a ticker at http://www.tickerfactory.com (if creating one seems difficult, or you're like me and can't be bothered, then just type in your daily miles in this thread).

You can run, walk, or do treadmill - just be consistent. Don't let the high (or low) goals of others intimidate you. Some do 25 miles, others do 50, some go higher than that, some do lower; it's entirely your goal and therefore completely up to you. We help motivate each other, so what do you say? If you're new to running, set a low goal. If you're from a part of the world where miles aren't your thing, log your distances in KMs. And if you'd rather log your progress by time rather than distance, then you're entirely free to do that as well.

Feel free to set your goal now but wait until December 1, 2019 to start logging your runs!

Also, don't forget to join our group which can be found at:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/21182-monthly-running-challenges

There you will find lots of good info, and it's a place where everyone can talk to each other for further motivation. It's also a place to find help when there is a problem with this thread.

Note: we also have a group on Strava and Facebook.

After you run, come into this thread and post what you did (don't forget to hit the star in the upper right corner to bookmark this thread). Simply keep a running tally of what you've done this month, and interact with the others. Many folks come in here and chit-chat it up, even on their rest days or while recouping from injury. This is a very social group and we talk about many things (sometimes even about running ). It's a very friendly bunch here so don't be afraid to say hi (even if this is your first time), talk about a recent or up-coming race, ask questions, provide answers, or just lurk-n-learn. Participation is what makes this group successful.

Not quite sure how to log your runs? Follow the examples of many other challenge members. Even take a peek at last month's thread (posted above).


*******OPTIONAL TICKER*************
Info on tickers since I know there will be questions. Sign up for an account at http://www.tickerfactory.com and create your ticker. Then you need to update it after you finish a run and post it here. Here is what you will need to do.

After setting up your ticker, you will need to make note of the weblink they give you so you can return. An example would be:

http://www.tickerfactory.com/exercise/w6K1EiX/ <<<< the last part will be a part of the image link (explained below) that will be supplied to you after you initially create your link.

When you return to TickerFactory with the weblink, go to your settings page. Make sure you type your PIN in that you set when you created your ticker account. Then, where it says "Your current cumulative value", there is an add button. Simply add the distance that you just did, and the cumulative value automatically changes. Then hit next.

After adding your new miles (or KMs) to your ticker, you need to post it here.

After you hit next, it will give you a bunch of codes suggesting how to display your ticker.
Use the one at the bottom where it says Direct Image URL:

It will look something like:
http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/w6K1EiX/exercise.png

To display that correctly in your post, make sure you place the image (img) tags around that link. So it will look something like the following (but removing the spaces in the img tags):

[ img ] http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/w6K1EiX/exercise.png [ /img ]

^^^^^^^ Don't forget to remove the spaces between the brackets ^^^^^^^^^^

Some key things to pay attention to when posting your ticker:
Use the link that ends in .png
Remember the [ img] and [ /img] tags go in between the link
Remove the spaces in the img tags before posting
YES, there is a / in the second /img tag

By the way, everyone here should consider themselves a runner no matter how fast or slow. There's no judgment, we all started somewhere. And no comparisons, except with your former self. Don't compare your Chapter 1 to somebody elses Chapter 20.

“I often hear someone say I’m not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner.” – Bart Yasso

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius

"We all know that if you run, you are pretty much choosing a life of success because of it.” – Deena Kastor

“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” – Steve Prefontaine

“Get going … walk if you have to, but finish the damned race.” – Ron Hill

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." - John Bingham


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Replies

  • Tramboman
    Tramboman Posts: 2,482 Member
    How do I decide what races I run? 5ks, fairly close; relatively small; and one per month from April to October (if I can).
  • polskagirl01
    polskagirl01 Posts: 2,024 Member
    I'm a regular in the 100-mile club :) Completing that goal in December will also get me over 2019 KM for the year.
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    greeneggs_and_sam wrote: »
    Thanks for setting-up the group, @katharmonic!

    New to this group. Old, fat guy. Returning to running after a long time off. Starting slow and building a solid base. Goal: 80K in December.
    Welcome!

  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited November 2019
    Monthly question?

    Gifts, what cool stuff are you getting with the sales?

    And of course...

    Where have you been this year and where are you going in the next?
  • Unknown
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  • quilteryoyo
    quilteryoyo Posts: 6,471 Member
    @T1DCarnivoreRunner WOW!
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    quilteryoyo wrote: »
    @T1DCarnivoreRunner WOW!

    Thanks, but it isn't much next to runners like @AlphaHowls
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
    @Scott6255 hope your shins and knees feel better this month and you can make your goal.

    Welcome @Christine4695, @greeneggs_and_sam, and @dmfaler!

    Good luck with your incredible goals @T1DCarnivoreRunner and @AlphaHowls!

    Monthly questions:

    Picking races - what's local that everyone likes doing, what's a place I want to go or a challenge I want to take on (like the double half marathon). More often than not I'm talked into doing things my friends are doing :)

    Gifts - I bought myself a Spartan 3-race pass yesterday so that's my gift to myself. And now it's time to stop spending money.

    Where have I been and where am I going? - this year turned into much more of a journey than I expected. I pushed myself in so many new ways, and got a lot stronger (but not faster, to my dismay). I was burned out and struggled with the mental game of road races, but really got into the fun and challenge of Spartan races. I don't know exactly where I'm going from here but my main focus is on continuing to get stronger and have more endurance. I am not signed up for any races in 2020 yet other than a Resolution Run on January 1st. I want to see what I really want to do vs. feeling like I wish I hadn't committed to something when it comes up. I also see myself doing more hiking and rock climbing so I want time to pursue those things.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    I’m in for 50 miles this month with a stretch goal of 60. My secondary goal is to enjoy running and not stress out over fitting it in with the holidays - last year I ran St Jude Marathon 5k in December and it was just one more thing during a month when everyone wanted me to do something, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have, even though we had a great race. This year we have nothing planned except for the night time Buffaglo Fun Run through the holiday lights at Shelby Farms.

    How do I pick races? I try to pick races which will help keep me excited about running, either by offering new challenges or other new experiences, plus a couple of old friends which have sentimental value, for example the West Cancer Clinic Run which is our runniversary race. This relates to @Elise4270 ‘s question about where we have been this year. New experiences in 2019: ran my first trail race, first race series, first 10k, first set time race, and first ultra (did 50k at the 24 hr timed race.) after doing 10k on trails, I had hoped to run a sub 1 hr 10k on roads and had done it in practice but then was injured and ended up dropping to the 5k. That’s still on my goals list for next year. Where I hope to be next year is still finding new and exciting ways to run!

    Gifts? I tried the Brooks Adrenaline 20s at packet pickup and like them. Gonna get them from REI in case they don’t work for me. The 18 is my current shoe and the 19 I hated. I also need an organizer for my makeup. I got a subscription makeup bag and now I have too much stuff to keep track of.

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