March 2020 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,336 Member
    @bearly63 That's miserable, I'm sorry. Thank you for sharing. I'll know what it looks like should I ever come down with it, as it is fairly common. I've known one person who had it and she said it was like being on fire and hot pins on her skin. I don't know if she was exaggerating or not, but it was how she explained it.


    @7lenny7 I appreciate the advice, even though it wasn't necessarily for me. I don't use a treadmill, either. After having run Austin Marathon (very, very hilly) I realize more of the work I need to do. My 5-6 days of runs per week are very hilly. I run up, I run down and I think I have extremely strong quads (I've made comments here about how strong these runs have made them), but...I still need to work on improving, especially since I'm already running this same Marathon next year and my goal is to shave 23 minutes off of my time from this year. For training I didn't walk uphill or downhill; I ran it. But during the Marathon, I did a variety of both run/walk between miles 17-22. I was telling my dad yesterday how so many of these people have "strategies" especially if they've run the course several times. I have so much to learn but this helps, so thank you. I won't perceive uphill or downhill as a "break" from here on out. People will tell you walk up this hill, walk down that one because then you have another big hill coming up, take mile 6 slow and then...oh, lots of advice given all at once becomes a jumbled up, lost in mess for me. I followed the crowds during hills; if they did it, I did too. But then there were the ones who pushed up the hills and ran down the hills; those were the superstars! I'd like to be one not intimidated by a hundred huge hills. I'm definitely going to hit more hills before the actual event just to be better prepared and more confident for anything. Now I'm going to look for more hills to run up and down!
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Hills are all about attitude. You can hate them for the increased effort they require, or you can love them for the increased benefit they provide. I choose to love them during training runs for their benefit. How I feel about them in a race, particularly towards the end of an ultra, can vary, LOL.

    A word of warning for the downhills. When you run downhill there's an increase in the impact on your body for two reasons. First, your next footfall is going to be lower than your last footfall so that increase distance = increase impact. Second, because gravity is on your side there's a tendency to overstride, which increased that vertical distance between footfalls, and further increases the impact. When you get to that point you may start losing control and your now braking with your strides and that's not good. When I start trail running wasn't respecting the downhills like I should have, I had a couple incidents of being totally out of control and thought for sure it would end with me tumbling down or crashing head first into a tree trunk.

    To get good at running the downhills, and it is a worthwhile skill, practice with short, less steep hills and work your way up as you get comfortable with it. Use very quick, very short strides. Don't force yourself down the hill, but let gravity take you and go with the flow. Arms out for balance, still using good posture, eyes on the trail or road planning out your next few steps (particularly on the trails).

    Running uphill, while harder as far as effort, is easier on your body as there's less impact on each stride.
  • kimlight2
    kimlight2 Posts: 483 Member
    My goals for 2020 are to stay injury free and healthy. I am also possibly going to try again for my first half marathon.

    3/2 - 3.1 miles
    3/3 - 3.9 miles
    3/4 - 2.6 miles
    3/5 - 4.1 miles
    3/6 - 2.5 miles

    Total- 16.2 miles - .8 miles behind for the month.

    Tired and my knees and back are tight and sore. Not injured hurt just tight.

    March goal : 80 miles
    Plan goal: 86 miles

    Allowing some leeway for bad weather and life happening.

    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 or Quarter Marathon
    September 20:
    Cleveland Hero's Run 5 miler
    December 5:
    Santa Hustle Cedar Point 5k
  • polskagirl01
    polskagirl01 Posts: 2,024 Member
    Hill training is hard and I find takes more out of me than a regular speed session, but it definitely makes you stronger at running hills!
  • TheMrWobbly
    TheMrWobbly Posts: 2,541 Member
    Happy birthday to your daughter @emmamcgarity

    Good to have you back @bigblues11

    The media make everything seem so much worse @LoveyChar just to sell "Killer virus on the ramapage". Come on people! What really gets my goat is those profitering by buying all the handsoap and gels and trying to sell them for five times the normal price, scum!

    Arizona sounds a great place to be @katharmonic

    Just over manfluenza myself and finally got a short run in tonight, not many weeks of training left and really mad that someone gave me that bug. Still a mucus machine but getting there.
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    I don’t have a lot of experience with hills living in Houston (AKA land of the flat) but my coach at the running clinic advised focusing on short quick steps in both uphill and downhill during our jog over the footbridge across the roadway. He said it would help me save my energy for the flats.
  • Camaramandy648
    Camaramandy648 Posts: 711 Member
    Happy birthday to your kiddo @emmamcgarity !!!!!!!!

    I like hills for the challenge - granted - the only hill I regularly train on is on a trail and it is called the Bush Push. Love love love that hill because I always feel Rocky Balboa when I get to the top.
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,336 Member
    @TheMrWobbly Agreed and/or pure aGREED!

    And when is the big event? I/we will be cheering you on, sending you super positive, loving and motivational energy and you will feel it!
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,336 Member
    emmamcgarity wrote: »
    I don’t have a lot of experience with hills living in Houston (AKA land of the flat) but my coach at the running clinic advised focusing on short quick steps in both uphill and downhill during our jog over the footbridge across the roadway. He said it would help me save my energy for the flats.

    It's not terribly hilly here but we've got enough. Austin merges into hill country, though. Downtown Austin has a lot of hills, not huge but definitely big enough and one right after another, it seems.
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,336 Member
    Husband and little guy started a tradition about 5 weeks ago called Fryday or Fry-yaaay and they go out for french fries, burgers too but my baby won't eat hamburger meat yet. He just eats bread and fries right now. Anyway, it's such a pretty day and I'm going to try to get at least...6-7 miles in tonight while they're gone. I need to push myself and stay CONSISTENT...
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,206 Member
    Guh Hills. I'm learning to like them. I see them as a challenge, and I'd rather a hill than a wind when running. But yeah definitely a mental challenge for me.

    What philosophy do you fall into: fast to get them over with and keep your average pace the same, or slow and steady to the top?

    I'm usually in the first category, which is probably why I hate them lol. Should really take them slow and steady
  • hamsterwheel6
    hamsterwheel6 Posts: 544 Member
    Avidkeo wrote: »
    Guh Hills. I'm learning to like them. I see them as a challenge, and I'd rather a hill than a wind when running. But yeah definitely a mental challenge for me.

    What philosophy do you fall into: fast to get them over with and keep your average pace the same, or slow and steady to the top?

    I'm usually in the first category, which is probably why I hate them lol. Should really take them slow and steady

    I’m usually slower on hills, I try to keep the effort the same but the pace is for sure slower. Why I want/need to do more hill work..so my pace can increase and not be so hard lol
  • hamsterwheel6
    hamsterwheel6 Posts: 544 Member
    LoveyChar wrote: »
    Wine, pizza and cake happened and I failed.

    Hey I had pizza too! Yes carb loading for the next run! That’s my reason..lol
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    Avidkeo wrote: »
    Guh Hills. I'm learning to like them. I see them as a challenge, and I'd rather a hill than a wind when running. But yeah definitely a mental challenge for me.

    What philosophy do you fall into: fast to get them over with and keep your average pace the same, or slow and steady to the top?

    I'm usually in the first category, which is probably why I hate them lol. Should really take them slow and steady

    Are we talking race or workout or casual run?

    For a workout, you should attack the hills. That is how you get stronger. Show those hills who is boss and rip them down!

    In a more casual run, you should take hills based on EFFORT not speed. That is you put as much effort into running uphill as you do running the flats. This, of course, will mean you slow down, but it will keep you running for longer which is where most of us need to worry about.

    For a race, it will largely depend on your goal for that race. If you want to hit a specific time, then your pace matters. You will need to hit the hills at whatever pace you need to make your goal. In a shorter race (like a 5k) this means hit them hard. In a longer race (like say HM) you will want your overall pace for the first 3/4ths of the race a bit bellow your target, and finish the last part of the race a bit faster.

    Now if you just want to finish the race and you are not pushing for a time, then run the entire thing, hills and all based on EFFORT not pace. You will slow down and speed up naturally as you go, so long as you pay attention to effort level. That will also give you the best chance for a strong finish.
  • quilteryoyo
    quilteryoyo Posts: 6,472 Member
    edited March 2020
    @LoveyChar I love that your son and husband are doing that. They'll both have great memories from these times!

  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    @pastorvincent - I respectfully disagree on 'attacking hills' on a workout. Yes you can push yourself but trying to go all out on a hill without working up to that training level can result in injuries. If you have been running hills by effort, i.e. keeping your effort the same as the rest of your run/workout, for a while and also doing other speed workouts where you push your pace, then yes upping the effort on hills can be a good thing and increasing that effort with each hill workout or hill run makes sense.
    Running hills regularly will make you stronger in all aspects of your running.
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    shanaber wrote: »
    @pastorvincent - I respectfully disagree on 'attacking hills' on a workout. Yes you can push yourself but trying to go all out on a hill without working up to that training level can result in injuries. If you have been running hills by effort, i.e. keeping your effort the same as the rest of your run/workout, for a while and also doing other speed workouts where you push your pace, then yes upping the effort on hills can be a good thing and increasing that effort with each hill workout or hill run makes sense.
    Running hills regularly will make you stronger in all aspects of your running.

    Maybe attacking was too strong of a wording. I was having a bit of fun with the wording, but if you are doing a workout, you need to push yourself. How far, how much, etc, is very individualistic.
  • katarina005
    katarina005 Posts: 259 Member
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    My slow crawl back from OTS. I got a little overconfident after yesterday’s 4.5. Tried 3.5 today. I’ll probably need 3 weeks to recover before I try that again. Seeing as yesterday was the first time I could run at all since the marathon, a consecutive day attempt was not my best decision. But man was I super optimistic anyway. At least I felt like trying-that’s a huge improvement.

    You put forth the effort! Do what's comfortable for you..it gets easier 🤗
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    I’m having a bit of a dilemma and trying to make a choice about my run tomorrow.

    My original plan was to run Parkrun tomorrow and do my normal thing. My leg is feeling so much stronger and I had a new PB at Parkrun again even though I wasn’t racing and was running comfortably by feel.

    But this week, a coach in my run club has offered to start a half marathon training to take runners from 10k to half marathon distance in a series of Saturday runs over 16 weeks. At a pace of 10-12... which is basically exactly my pace. I REALLY want to do this. But, I haven’t pushed past 5k since recovering from the hamstring injury. His first run is planned at 7 miles. My cardio can handle that distance since I’ve been including plenty of cross training with my running. I just don’t know yet if it would be safe to try the distance. I’ve been at 5k distance 4 times weekly for about 5 weeks now without increasing mileage. Partly out of caution and partly out of fear. I could plan to go by feel and cut the run short if needed. But would I have to cut it short every week? If he was starting this project 4 weeks from now I wouldn’t blink about starting it. But he is also gauging interest to see about offering it regularly as a long run for those of us at the slower pace. So there is also part of me that feels like showing up now helps build opportunities for other club members at a slower pace that isn’t currently offered. But it also means I’ll miss Parkrun for several weeks after the time change.

    I want to do all the things...
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    emmamcgarity wrote: »
    I’m having a bit of a dilemma and trying to make a choice about my run tomorrow.

    My original plan was to run Parkrun tomorrow and do my normal thing. My leg is feeling so much stronger and I had a new PB at Parkrun again even though I wasn’t racing and was running comfortably by feel.

    But this week, a coach in my run club has offered to start a half marathon training to take runners from 10k to half marathon distance in a series of Saturday runs over 16 weeks. At a pace of 10-12... which is basically exactly my pace. I REALLY want to do this. But, I haven’t pushed past 5k since recovering from the hamstring injury. His first run is planned at 7 miles. My cardio can handle that distance since I’ve been including plenty of cross training with my running. I just don’t know yet if it would be safe to try the distance. I’ve been at 5k distance 4 times weekly for about 5 weeks now without increasing mileage. Partly out of caution and partly out of fear. I could plan to go by feel and cut the run short if needed. But would I have to cut it short every week? If he was starting this project 4 weeks from now I wouldn’t blink about starting it. But he is also gauging interest to see about offering it regularly as a long run for those of us at the slower pace. So there is also part of me that feels like showing up now helps build opportunities for other club members at a slower pace that isn’t currently offered. But it also means I’ll miss Parkrun for several weeks after the time change.

    I want to do all the things...

    IF (and this is a big if for some of us) you will pay attention to what your body is telling you and bail before pushing too hard, then I would try it. I would also share all these concerns with your coach.

    What if you have to cut short each week? Then you just take a bit longer than his plan to make it to the level, but you will still get there. If you do not try at all you will never make it.

    Now if you are the kind of person that will ignore your body and overdo it, then I would advise against it. :)

    Either way, share your concerns with your coach and see what he says.
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    Avidkeo wrote: »
    Guh Hills. I'm learning to like them. I see them as a challenge, and I'd rather a hill than a wind when running. But yeah definitely a mental challenge for me.

    What philosophy do you fall into: fast to get them over with and keep your average pace the same, or slow and steady to the top?

    I'm usually in the first category, which is probably why I hate them lol. Should really take them slow and steady

    Are we talking race or workout or casual run?

    For a workout, you should attack the hills. That is how you get stronger. Show those hills who is boss and rip them down!

    In a more casual run, you should take hills based on EFFORT not speed. That is you put as much effort into running uphill as you do running the flats. This, of course, will mean you slow down, but it will keep you running for longer which is where most of us need to worry about.

    For a race, it will largely depend on your goal for that race. If you want to hit a specific time, then your pace matters. You will need to hit the hills at whatever pace you need to make your goal. In a shorter race (like a 5k) this means hit them hard. In a longer race (like say HM) you will want your overall pace for the first 3/4ths of the race a bit bellow your target, and finish the last part of the race a bit faster.

    Now if you just want to finish the race and you are not pushing for a time, then run the entire thing, hills and all based on EFFORT not pace. You will slow down and speed up naturally as you go, so long as you pay attention to effort level. That will also give you the best chance for a strong finish.

    I agree with all this, including @PastorVincent 's qualifier in response to @shanaber . No matter the workout, any hard workout, speed work, hill work, etc needs to be incrementally increased.

    I will add to his post and say that if you are a trail runner, you should include power hiking up hills in your training I prefer to push hard during short training runs but i know that during a marathon or longer trail race, I'll be doing a lot of power hiking up hills to preserve my strength and energy. That being the case, the better I am at power hiking the hills, the faster I'll finish the race so for long training runs on the trail, power hiking the hills is required.

    Just like there are good reasons for training at different paces, or efforts, there good reasons for running (or hiking) hills at different paces or efforts.

    Yeah, Trail running is a different world. The terrain can force a walk or even a scramble. I got into trouble trying to run my first trials at 5k street pace. Do not do that. :)

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