February 2020 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
    LoveyChar wrote: »
    Running every day on a taper down, although, tomorrow is 8 miles. Because of the way Austin Marathon is mapped out, husband and kids will see me at the Start, 6, 12, and Finish line. They're making signs but I won't see them until race day. I'm ready. I AM READY.

    If anyone finds or keeps an "easy pace" after hitting over 10 miles, then kudos to you. Running that long would exhaust many and maybe most. It's hundreds, maybe a thousand or more, of calorie burns in distance for a reason compared to a lesser distance; you're body is running longer and it's harder and much more grueling to do. You're fatiguing your muscles, your mind...all of it over several hours if it's a Marathon you're running.

    I think it's meant to get more difficult for many reasons...

    "People think I'm crazy to put myself through such torture, though I would argue otherwise. Somewhere along the line we seemed to have confused comfort with happiness. Dostoyevsky had it right: 'Suffering is the sole origin or consciousnes.' Never are my senses more engaged than when the pain sets in. There is a MAGIC IN MISERY. Just ask any runner." - Dean Karnazes


    Part of me wants to be encouraged that After Mile Ten it Just Gets Hard - but I really don't remember that happening for previous training. Perhaps it's selective amnesia. I AM going to figure this out.
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,335 Member
    Morning!

    Feeling completely unmotivated this morning because well.... so much going on and the bed is so comfortable. My hip has been screaming at me for days and I am nervous about running on my ankle, though almost every day this week has been a rest day. Today is a scheduled 17 miles so I’m probably not doing myself any favors by continuing to put this off. So here we go!

    Will be thinking about you and sending positive vibes your way...push on, push on...
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,335 Member
    LoveyChar wrote: »
    Running every day on a taper down, although, tomorrow is 8 miles. Because of the way Austin Marathon is mapped out, husband and kids will see me at the Start, 6, 12, and Finish line. They're making signs but I won't see them until race day. I'm ready. I AM READY.

    If anyone finds or keeps an "easy pace" after hitting over 10 miles, then kudos to you. Running that long would exhaust many and maybe most. It's hundreds, maybe a thousand or more, of calorie burns in distance for a reason compared to a lesser distance; you're body is running longer and it's harder and much more grueling to do. You're fatiguing your muscles, your mind...all of it over several hours if it's a Marathon you're running.

    I think it's meant to get more difficult for many reasons...

    "People think I'm crazy to put myself through such torture, though I would argue otherwise. Somewhere along the line we seemed to have confused comfort with happiness. Dostoyevsky had it right: 'Suffering is the sole origin or consciousnes.' Never are my senses more engaged than when the pain sets in. There is a MAGIC IN MISERY. Just ask any runner." - Dean Karnazes


    Part of me wants to be encouraged that After Mile Ten it Just Gets Hard - but I really don't remember that happening for previous training. Perhaps it's selective amnesia. I AM going to figure this out.

    My twenty miler was two weeks ago. Mentally, I felt better like "thank God I'm over the halfway point; I just want to go home." But physically, it didn't get easier. It was tough, it really was...I ran it with a sore ankle and my muscles were aching. You will figure it out. I'm sure circumstances change, too...weight, attitudes... whatever...all of it and more...
  • TheMrWobbly
    TheMrWobbly Posts: 2,509 Member
    Come on @Camaramandy648 - Rest when you can, listen to your body, walk where you need to, we a right here with you 🏃
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,335 Member
    10.5 miles today, still not quite figuring out how to get to 15. I didn't walk at all, though. I spoke to myself out loud every half mile. I could fool myself for the first 9.5. The last couple, I recognized that I wasn't even fooling myself - and then I took a walk break and it was all over. I think I need a third water bottle to supply enough fluids for a full 15 mile run (and longer! Eek!) because rationing to a couple mouthfuls every 8 minutes leaves me thirsty - 6 is my standard. Today's experiment: I ran 11:32 for 10:30, then a minute at 10:00/mile. This gave me an average pace of 11:26 for a full 10.5 miles. I felt a lot better about it than 11:00/mile for 9 minutes, then a 1 minute walk. Tomorrow I have 7.5 on the schedule, but I'm an idiot and will probably make another attempt at 15 miles. The experiment shall be 10 minutes at 11:46, 1 minute at 10:00/mile.

    Why is a 3 minutes savings over the course of a 3 hour run so important? If I'd just set the treadmill at 12:00/mile and trot along for the full 3 hours, we could just check this long run off the list and move along...

    exercise.png

    Honestly I would stick to the plan, and do the 15 next week, rather than trying again so soon afterwards. Let your body get used to what you're doing. If I know it's going to be a tough run, I might plan the route as an out and back or something where the return is the shortest path possible, so that once I get to halfway, I have no choice but to do it. Seriously, don't worry about time on a long run that's an increased distance for you. Hide your watch (or leave it behind!) if you have to. Build in planned walk breaks if you want, or allow yourself to go as slow as you want as long as you're running, take along gummies or some sort of treat to encourage you, wear your favorite hat, plan some sort of reward for afterwards, whatever you need to do to get it done.

    I love this advice...all of it... for anyone, for myself...
  • bearly63
    bearly63 Posts: 734 Member
    @shanaber
    Interesting! I will bring this up at PT. I've used this shoe/orthotic combo for a few years with no issues until the past few weeks so don't know if its that or trying to up my distance or the new strength routine or all of the above. Or just not a spring chicken lol! Thank god for advil and ice.😉🧊
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    kimlight2 wrote: »
    My goals for 2020 are to stay injury free and healthy. I am also possibly going to try again for my first half marathon.

    February goal : 70 miles
    Plan goal: 76 miles

    2/1 - 6 miles
    2/3. - 3 miles
    2/4 - 2 miles
    2/5 - 2 miles
    2/8 - 6.2 miles
    Monthly total - 19.2 miles (3 miles behind)

    Today was a stop and start run. Originally I planned to run 1.5 miles to the park, do 2 laps and run home for a 6 mile total. Unfortunately the park was a sheet of ice so I made up the missing 3 miles by running around the town. I had to keep stopping to jump on curbs to avoid getting run over and stopping at intersections for traffic. I covered my scheduled 6 miles but it wasn't fun or pretty.

    Since I didn't eat dinner last night, I thought it might be a good idea to try some Gatorade gummies with caffeine that I had and bring a bottle of water. My stomach did better than I thought it would. I don't usually do well with caffeine but it was good. Only issue was the gummies froze and I had to melt them in my hand mid run. I didn't like the taste and they were really big so I had a hard time chewing them. I think I will try Honey Stingers on my next long run or regular jelly beans.

    Races:
    March 14:
    St. Malachi 2 mile and 5 mile
    May 16:
    Cleveland Marathon Half and 5k
    June 13 - 14:
    Run and Ride Cedar Point 5k and Quarter Marathon
    September 20:
    Cleveland Hero's Run 5 miler
    December 5:
    Santa Hustle Cedar Point 5k

    I use a cheese slicer to cut up large gummies such as Clif Blocks into smaller pieces. I can’t seem to run and chew a huge gummy at the same time either!
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Let us know how/if your race went @hamsterwheel6 and you are right @autumnblade75 3 minutes don't matter, the time doesn't matter - the distance will come and that is what matters right now.

    With tomorrow's being cancelled due to the weather I decided to do a HM of my own this morning. It doesn't count as a HM, partly because it wasn't under race conditions and partly as I hadn't mapped it and went too far, but most because you won't normally stop part way for a hair cut 💇‍♂️!

    Time to hunker down for storm Ciara!!

    I'm trying not to worry about how long the distance takes - and this isn't my first marathon. I've had exactly ONE totally magical run on the treadmill that lasted 20 miles, and stayed constant at 10:00/mile for the entire run. The trouble is that my brain wants to tell me that I can do that, every time. So, even though last time around 11:00/mile was a very pleasant run for as far as I wanted to go, I pushed for faster every time. And now I'm not even in proper shape to chase 11:00/mile. And then I have some sort of mental block about falling below that 12:00/mile threshold. And I don't know what this is that 11:30 feels like an easy pace until all of a sudden around 10 miles. After 2 hours, if it was an easy pace, it should still be an easy pace, right?

    I'm intrigued by the notion of stopping for a haircut in the middle of a run. That sounds Very Spontaneous.

    Most people have about 90 minutes worth of stored glycogen, so bonking after about 10 miles makes perfect sense. Fueling at about 8 miles should help.
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    Let us know how/if your race went @hamsterwheel6 and you are right @autumnblade75 3 minutes don't matter, the time doesn't matter - the distance will come and that is what matters right now.

    With tomorrow's being cancelled due to the weather I decided to do a HM of my own this morning. It doesn't count as a HM, partly because it wasn't under race conditions and partly as I hadn't mapped it and went too far, but most because you won't normally stop part way for a hair cut 💇‍♂️!

    Time to hunker down for storm Ciara!!

    I'm trying not to worry about how long the distance takes - and this isn't my first marathon. I've had exactly ONE totally magical run on the treadmill that lasted 20 miles, and stayed constant at 10:00/mile for the entire run. The trouble is that my brain wants to tell me that I can do that, every time. So, even though last time around 11:00/mile was a very pleasant run for as far as I wanted to go, I pushed for faster every time. And now I'm not even in proper shape to chase 11:00/mile. And then I have some sort of mental block about falling below that 12:00/mile threshold. And I don't know what this is that 11:30 feels like an easy pace until all of a sudden around 10 miles. After 2 hours, if it was an easy pace, it should still be an easy pace, right?

    I'm intrigued by the notion of stopping for a haircut in the middle of a run. That sounds Very Spontaneous.

    Most people have about 90 minutes worth of stored glycogen, so bonking after about 10 miles makes perfect sense. Fueling at about 8 miles should help.

    This. Listen to this very wise person. Fuel like 15-30 mins before you need to. Everyone's system is a bit different so you have to learn your timing. Taking smaller quantities of fule every 15 mins from the start works for some, large amounts ever 30 for others. Pick what works for you, but the key fact that is true for all is you need to fuel BEFORE you run out. Playing catch up is a bear.
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    bearly63 wrote: »
    @shanaber
    Interesting! I will bring this up at PT. I've used this shoe/orthotic combo for a few years with no issues until the past few weeks so don't know if its that or trying to up my distance or the new strength routine or all of the above. Or just not a spring chicken lol! Thank god for advil and ice.😉🧊

    I have missed many posts, but if you have used the same orthos for a few years they are probably worn out. They only last like 2-3 years or something depending on use. I would ask about that when you next see your doc.