December 2019 Monthly Running Challenge
Replies
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polskagirl01 wrote: »Anyone have any ideas about why my easy pace is FASTER the day after my long run??? Shouldn't I be tired or something???
I mean, it was awesome that I could walk up and down the entire stone-paved hill (aka twisted ankle just waiting to happen, and I thought my bicycle was going to bust the one and only time I rode that way)... and keep my watch running while walking around checking out the little "stations of the cross" prayer path I saw next to a church at my turnaround point, and STILL have an overall pace faster than I expected for "recovery"... but if I'm doing something right, I'd love to figure it out so I can keep doing it!
Umm, shot in the dark here...
1) You are more fit than you think you are (probably true)
2) You were being chased by a jackalope (high likelihood)
I dunno, but might have something to do with being looser after running then you would have been if you had sat around?4 -
PastorVincent wrote: »polskagirl01 wrote: »Anyone have any ideas about why my easy pace is FASTER the day after my long run??? Shouldn't I be tired or something???
I mean, it was awesome that I could walk up and down the entire stone-paved hill (aka twisted ankle just waiting to happen, and I thought my bicycle was going to bust the one and only time I rode that way)... and keep my watch running while walking around checking out the little "stations of the cross" prayer path I saw next to a church at my turnaround point, and STILL have an overall pace faster than I expected for "recovery"... but if I'm doing something right, I'd love to figure it out so I can keep doing it!
Umm, shot in the dark here...
1) You are more fit than you think you are (probably true)
2) You were being chased by a jackalope (high likelihood)
I dunno, but might have something to do with being looser after running then you would have been if you had sat around?
3. You mentally paced yourself slower on your long run the day prior for fear that you might wear out too soon.
Obviously option 2 is most likely
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PastorVincent wrote: »Happy Birthday @shanaber and @scott6255! I hope tomorrow is great for you both!
Happy Birthday! And remember you are supposed to run your new age in miles on your birthday!
...or in kilometers. Inserting a decimal point works, too.3 -
12-1 7k easy
12-2 7k slow + resistance bands
12-3 rest
12-4 7k slow + resistance bands
12-5 rest + yoga
December Total: 21k
December Goal: 135k
January Total: 131k
February Total: 159.5k
March Total: 183k
April Total: 126k
May Total: 128k
June Total: 161.5k
July Total: 151k
August Total: 133k
September Total: 135k
October Total: 115k
November Total: 155k
2019 Total through November: 1,578k / 978.36m
Monthly average: 143.45k
Next year when you pop in here claiming your December 2019 mileage, what accomplishments will you have made?
Run at least 4 5k races. Completed 8-31
Get under 30:00 and a PR for 5k. Nope...
Average at least 135k per month, which would put me over 1,000 miles for the year.
Run the Year Team: Five for Nineteen - Completed 9-28
Three inches of fresh snow overnight; don't feel like slogging through it and competing with cars on the road.
I have two more runs to hit 1,000 miles for the year - doesn't much matter if they're today and Saturday or Friday and Saturday.
2020 goals:
Continue a 5k regimen.
Train better.
4-13 Shine the Light 5K - 31:12 chip time; First Place male 65 and older
6-30 Strides for Starfish 5K - 31:34 chip time; 31/77 overall; second male 65 and older (no official category)
7-27 Solon Home Days 5K - 31:11 chip time; 95/141 overall; 4/6 age group (male)
8-31 Race for Freedom 5k - 31:39 chip time; 32:00 Garmin time; Third Place male 60 and older
10-13 Haunted Hustle 5k - 31:22 chip time; 47/74 overall; First Place male 60 and older6 -
Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
12/01/19 :::: 0.0 :::: 0.0
12/02/19 :::: 3.0 :::: 3.0
12/03/19 :::: 3.1 :::: 6.1
12/04/19 :::: 1.7 :::: 7.8
12/05/19 :::: 2.6 :::: 10.4
As I was puzzling over how to fit in dropping off the dog at the daycare, running at the gym with associated shower after, stopping at Target, and getting to work for a meeting, it suddenly occurred to me - I can just get dressed and run outside right now. LOL.
I ran a snowy, slush trail and the pace was slow but it was beautiful and peaceful. Now on to the rest of that list.12 -
Happy Birthday @shanaber and @scott6255!4
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katharmonic wrote: »...it suddenly occurred to me - I can just get dressed and run outside right now. LOL.
I ran a snowy, slush trail and the pace was slow but it was beautiful and peaceful. Now on to the rest of that list.
This is some great wisdom.
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Tracking this only so I can finish the year. I’m heading in to hospital on Friday for surgery to reduce my risk of breast cancer. Double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction - will be unable to run for around 12 weeks they say.
Oh gosh. I am thinking of you and hope you recover fully and quickly.
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Motivation, sigh.
I finished my C25K app pretty well. I'm a mid-50s guy and had not run since, dear lord, I was 15 yo or so in 9th grade gym class. At the end of C25K I was running at a pace of 10'36"/mile, which I think is pretty decent, considering my age/experience.
I immediately started the bridge to 10K app, and went through the first 2 weeks OK, and then, I don't know what happened, but I have lost most of my motivation to continue. I was on a run on Thanksgiving morning that was supposed to be 40 minutes long. I finished it and felt great but ever since then I find it hard to wake up and get on the track.
I have no injuries, the weather has not gotten noticeably colder (it was getting colder last month and I geared up for it.) It's been rainy but I can work my runs into the non-rainy parts of my days. I have a very flexible schedule.
Really there is no reason for me not to run. But when I was out on my last 45 minute run, it just seemed impossibly long from the very first step and my brain kept on asking me why I was even bothering with it so I quit after about 25 minutes. I had never done that before, I mean just quit a run completely.
How do you get your motivation back when it is waning?
ETA: I do find running longer-for-me distances more fatiguing and have insisted on never taking walk breaks. Maybe I should just take a walk break in the middle of a 45 minute run. OTOH, I did not have to do that with a 40 minute run. Is it horrible to walk a couple minutes during a long run? Does it even count as a long run then?
I still feel this is mainly a psychological issue for me.4 -
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Absolutely, i'll sign up and pass it along to the Still I Run group on fbeleanorhawkins wrote: »
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Happy birthday @shanaber and @scott6255 !!!
@durhammfp I did C25K and B210K end of last year into beginning of this year and I think the program itself just got really boring for me. Granted I was strictly doing treadmill at the time. But every run just getting longer and longer, I was finally just bored out of my mind with it by the time I reached the point of running 1 hr straight (I never hit 10k with my slow treadmill pace). On the treadmill I definitely find I pass the time and am less bored if I do things like varying the pace and incline for certain amounts of time (like every 3 mins I'll climb a hill or something). Outside I like to vary my route. But I don't get bored really outside. Have you tried audio books or podcasts to pass the time and detract from being so aware of the minutes or miles passing? Also, nothing wrong with walk breaks - unless you find it really hard to get started running again. Is there a trail you can drive to vs running your neighborhood or something like that? Running around other people makes me not want to be seen "giving up". LOL
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greenolivetree wrote: »Happy birthday @shanaber and @scott6255 !!!
@durhammfp ...Also, nothing wrong with walk breaks - unless you find it really hard to get started running again. Is there a trail you can drive to vs running your neighborhood or something like that? Running around other people makes me not want to be seen "giving up". LOL
Oh gosh I missed this... I hope you enjoyed your birthdays @shanaber and @scott6255 !
@greenolivetree I think you are right about running with other people. That is not something I have done yet.
Part of the issue I think is that I had planned out my coming year in a way that demands I hit certain goals at certain times. So, for example, I was going to take a Fleet Feet HM class in the winter/spring, which meant I needed to be at a certain point in my B210K app by the first week of January. This makes me feel like the running is now a job, lol.
The reality is that Fleet Feet also amends the same training for those preparing for a 10 miler in April, which means a class that is a little more slow-going and something I think I could start right now if I had to. (They recommend that folks have the ability to run 4 miles comfortably for the HM training and just 2 miles for the 10M training, before the class starts. I'm right at about 3 miles.)
I think that is what I might do, just prepare for the 10 miler in April and spend the summer and fall working up to a proper HM. That seems slow to me. OTOH, I have not been running all that long and this is just for fun anyway. If it stops being fun then I stop doing it.
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Absolutely, i'll sign up and pass it along to the Still I Run group on fbeleanorhawkins wrote: »
Awesome! I don't think my legs would actually accept the RUN every day, so my version will be run/walk/swim/yoga every day :-)3 -
Happy Birthday @shanaber and @scott6255!3
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Motivation, sigh.
I finished my C25K app pretty well. I'm a mid-50s guy and had not run since, dear lord, I was 15 yo or so in 9th grade gym class. At the end of C25K I was running at a pace of 10'36"/mile, which I think is pretty decent, considering my age/experience.
I immediately started the bridge to 10K app, and went through the first 2 weeks OK, and then, I don't know what happened, but I have lost most of my motivation to continue. I was on a run on Thanksgiving morning that was supposed to be 40 minutes long. I finished it and felt great but ever since then I find it hard to wake up and get on the track.
I have no injuries, the weather has not gotten noticeably colder (it was getting colder last month and I geared up for it.) It's been rainy but I can work my runs into the non-rainy parts of my days. I have a very flexible schedule.
Really there is no reason for me not to run. But when I was out on my last 45 minute run, it just seemed impossibly long from the very first step and my brain kept on asking me why I was even bothering with it so I quit after about 25 minutes. I had never done that before, I mean just quit a run completely.
How do you get your motivation back when it is waning?
ETA: I do find running longer-for-me distances more fatiguing and have insisted on never taking walk breaks. Maybe I should just take a walk break in the middle of a 45 minute run. OTOH, I did not have to do that with a 40 minute run. Is it horrible to walk a couple minutes during a long run? Does it even count as a long run then?
I still feel this is mainly a psychological issue for me.
There’s nothing wrong with walk breaks. In fact my fastest 5k and 10k times both included a walk break - the rest allowed me to run faster.
The way I avoid giving up is to make myself do something even harder if I quit. So, “Okay, if your legs are feeling too beat up for a long run, I guess you have to stationary bike today.” That will get me out the door every time. Another way is to listen to your body’s complaints, and ask a few questions in return. Oh, you’re tired? Are you going to die if I don’t stop? Probably not, huh? Have you been this tired before and yet kept going? Yeah? So SHUT UP ALREADY and let me know when you have a real problem.
I hate, hate, hate running in the cold. Running in the heat is miserable but it’s a physical misery. Cold running, for me is a mental misery. So last year I dealt with motivation by signing up for a winter trail race series with a race every two weeks all winter.
I also make a point of running places I enjoy and looking out for the experiences I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t run. So, big fat bluebird trying to stay warm: check. Pair of camels at the Christmas fest: check. Funny little girl talking to her dad: check. If you hate where you run, switch it up.4 -
@durhammfp
Maybe sign yourself up for a 10k race, so you'd have something to work towards? Others have mentioned "carrots" like audiobooks, some piece of gear you'll buy yourself once you complete a certain goal, running with a group, thinking about doing it for your "future self", varying where you run or trying a new workout... I definitely plan ahead - runs are a scheduled item on my calendar, and I lay out clothing etc the night before to make it easier to just do it.
Also out-and back routes sometimes help if I think I might be tempted to quit. I plan the route so that the return path home is the shortest way possible - then after I reach the turnaround, there aren't any shortcuts available.
Walk breaks definitely don't ruin your run (if they did, I'm pretty sure most of my long runs don't count!) and some runners actually use them strategically. So yes, planning a short walk break to reset during that long run is totally fine 3 -
@durhammfp I think we must be similar because any time I try to do a set schedule running feels like a chore and I quit. I don't think I have the personality for structured plans. I do enjoy running for exercise but don't do races or anything. Definitely keep it fun if that's your goal and figure out what works for you. I've worked my way up to running 8 miles a couple times and I seem to hit a wall there where the fun is gone and I just don't want to spend that much time running. But maybe one day I'll find myself in a phase of life where running longer distances doesn't feel stressful.4
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PastorVincent wrote: »polskagirl01 wrote: »Anyone have any ideas about why my easy pace is FASTER the day after my long run??? Shouldn't I be tired or something???
I mean, it was awesome that I could walk up and down the entire stone-paved hill (aka twisted ankle just waiting to happen, and I thought my bicycle was going to bust the one and only time I rode that way)... and keep my watch running while walking around checking out the little "stations of the cross" prayer path I saw next to a church at my turnaround point, and STILL have an overall pace faster than I expected for "recovery"... but if I'm doing something right, I'd love to figure it out so I can keep doing it!
Umm, shot in the dark here...
1) You are more fit than you think you are (probably true)
2) You were being chased by a jackalope (high likelihood)
I dunno, but might have something to do with being looser after running then you would have been if you had sat around?
#2, YES, that's it!4 -
Part of the issue I think is that I had planned out my coming year in a way that demands I hit certain goals at certain times. So, for example, I was going to take a Fleet Feet HM class in the winter/spring, which meant I needed to be at a certain point in my B210K app by the first week of January. This makes me feel like the running is now a job, lol.
This may be part of it. You MAY be over goaling yourself, and it just isnt fun anymore? Instead of doing the 5K, then immediately heading for a HM, why not hit a few more 5K's? Try a 10K or two, or just have a little fun with it? I speak from my own experience, once I started having specific goals I wanted to hit and races on the calander it became a chore. Something I had to do for the day, rather than a release and something I get to do.
A few other have suggested running outside. Personally, I hate the dreadmill, and do better outside. This year, I discovered trails, and that has opened my mind and made some routes a lot more fun, too.
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I'm in central Texas where it's been in the 70's all week. Today is beautiful. Sun is shining and there's a nice breeze so as soon as my little guy wakes from his nap, it's up and in the stroller and a running we shall go...9
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Happy birthday to @shanaber and @Scott6255!!
@PastorVincent I'm not diggin' that run the birthday miles thing! 51 miles...in a day....? Not even sure I could do that in a month! Nope, my birthday is a planned rest day and my Packers will trash da bears at Lambeau as their gift to me.7 -
Goal: 30 miles
12/2 - Ran 2.02 miles
12/3 - Ran 3.05 miles
12/5 - Ran 1.55 miles (6.62 done, 23.38 Miles remaining)
Walked yesterday morning. Planned to run before work, but I knew the temps were going to be low. So I decided to set the alarm early enough, then see. I got up & dressed, knew it was only a 1.5 today, told my knees to shut up & went, 25F. Dodged the increased cars along the road (school time, not my normal run time), dodged the buses who thought they didn't need to move over for me, and got it done, at a quicker pace than normal! Even had time for a quick yoga before shower.5 -
December Goal: 100 Miles
12/1: 10.05 miles
12/3: 6.25 miles
12/4: 6.05 miles
12/5: 6.25 miles
28.6/100 miles completed
Today's run was 6.25 miles. It was really nice. The weather today is perfect. It was 53°F when I ran this morning and it is 78°F right now. This is by far my favorite type of weather. Today's run puts me at 1193 miles so far for the year which is 1919.947 kilometers, so I have officially run the year. I doubt that I will ever run the year in miles so when it comes to running the year I am going to go by kilometers. Last year I ran 1096.4 miles (1764.48 K) so I did not run the year last year and I have run farther in 2019 than I did in 2018 and that is good enough for me.
@dreamer12151 The key to the birthday runs is to use decimals to your advantage. So on my 51st birthday I ran 5.1 miles. There are some on here who can run 51 miles in one day, but I am not one of them.
@durhammfp There is nothing wrong with taking a walk break when needed. You are still running more than you are walking and lots of people use a run/walk strategies for all of their runs, even marathons. If I start feeling stressed about the distance I "have" to run then I usually try to focus on time for a while instead of distance. And since I run outdoors I like to go places. So maybe I will run to the courthouse and then to my office and then swing by the post office and the park on my way home. That way I focus more on where I am going than on how far, or how long it is taking me.
2019 races:
2/2/19: Catch the Groundhog Half Marathon - PR 2:15:17
5/18/19: Run for 57th AHC Half Marathon - Cancelled due to weather
10/5/19: Old Rip 5K - PR 27:27, 1st AG
11/9/19: Wags and Whiskers 5K -2nd AG, 4th Woman, 5K PR - 26:36
2020 races:
5/16/20: Run for 57th AHC Half Marathon7 -
Good work @kgirlhart2
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@durhammfp there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking walk breaks. I used to be the same, I felt if I allowed myself to walk I wasn't running, and I definitely wasn't a runner. Eventually after injuring myself from pushing too hard and not listening to my body, and having to start from scratch, I discovered the Jeff Galloway run-walk-run method. It took me a lot of work to get over the mental hurdles and negative thoughts. Now I am a complete convert. Some people say I'm not a runner because I run-walk-run. Usually when I pass them towards the end of races, when they're burned out and I'm still fresh as a daisy, they have to eat their words. Even more so when the following day I'm hauling furniture about while they're going down stairs on their backsides cause their legs hurt ;-)
My advice is to stop fighting your body and mind and look for what works for you. You've nothing to lose, try things out. Want to see if walk breaks are for you? Try them. Don't like them? You haven't signed a contract, you can stop taking them....
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Accidentally ran 5k this morning lol
Was hill repeats on the training plan. Just 2 repeats of 400m but by the time you do 1.6k warm up, up and down the hill twice, then another 1.6k cool down, suddenly you've done 5k haha11 -
Hiseleanorhawkins wrote: »@durhammfp there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking walk breaks. I used to be the same, I felt if I allowed myself to walk I wasn't running, and I definitely wasn't a runner. Eventually after injuring myself from pushing too hard and not listening to my body, and having to start from scratch, I discovered the Jeff Galloway run-walk-run method. It took me a lot of work to get over the mental hurdles and negative thoughts. Now I am a complete convert. Some people say I'm not a runner because I run-walk-run. Usually when I pass them towards the end of races, when they're burned out and I'm still fresh as a daisy, they have to eat their words. Even more so when the following day I'm hauling furniture about while they're going down stairs on their backsides cause their legs hurt ;-)
My advice is to stop fighting your body and mind and look for what works for you. You've nothing to lose, try things out. Want to see if walk breaks are for you? Try them. Don't like them? You haven't signed a contract, you can stop taking them....
Amen sista!
Are you out there running occasionally? Then you are a runner. Screw what everyone else says of thinks.6 -
PastorVincent wrote: »
I'll second that!!!2
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