May 2020 Monthly Running Challenge
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katharmonic wrote: »Wow, thank you all so much! Your encouragement means a lot to me. This is hard.
9 out of 12 runs done, 36 out of 48 miles.
Running thoughts:
Run 1, 9 am - Good morning! Lovely day on the trails, a little muddy, I better do roads from here on. I can totally do this. I'm in!
Run 2, 1 pm - OK, we're good, it's a good temp, I still got a few things done today between runs, feeling fine. This is easier than a long run. I can do this.
Run 3, 5 pm - All right, it's still fine, but it's gotten a little chillier and is starting to mist and I'm not super into this. Drove to a new location so the change is good. The misty rain is starting to get a little more intense. OK, now I'm soaked and this is less fun, but I'm done. I hope I can do this.
Run 4, 9 pm - I'm not sure I've ever run at 9 pm before. It's no longer raining, thank goodness. It's a little chilly but I over-layered. Trying to mix up the route a little. Quite a few Christmas lights up! Why am I not at 2 miles yet, good lord. I just want to go to bed, thank goodness it's finally over. This is going to be tough.
Run 5, 1 am - Oh, I am tired. My fellow challenge runners are texting how amazing this is and I can't relate. It's a little foggy out and hard to see with the headlamp reflecting on the droplets in the air. It's very quiet out here at this time. Staying close to home, just looping back and forth through the neighborhood. Just two miles out and then double back. I've only seen one car and no people. Not necessarily worse than the 9 pm run. Oh wow - a fox! And I'm home, ready to fall back into bed. Gah, 5 am is coming soon.
Run 6, 5 am - Can't comprehend how it is time to run again. My fellow challengers begin to worry that I'm not up, so they call me. Grr, I'm awake, leave me alone. It's down to upper 40s and I'm cold. This one is rough. Starting to see cars out. I feel like I'm moving at a snail's pace. The sky is getting light and that gives me some hope. 4 miles is too much. This challenge sucks. Ah, there's the sunrise. Ugh, I cut the loop too short and can't go home yet. Wonder if my neighbors have seen me out here multiple times. Thank god. Done. Back to bed. Half way done with this challenge. Is that freaking all?
Run 7, 9 am - Ok that was not enough sleep but the sun is out and it feels like a civilized thing to get out of bed. It's actually a gorgeous day. I need to change up the route, so driving to the canal. Parking lot is nearly full and it's starting to get crowded along the path but at least it's wide. The distraction of people and spotting some wildlife (turtles, ducks, snake) is helping but 4 miles is still long. Try to remember that at least it's not a long run and stopping at 4 is a lot less than I'd normally do at this time on a Saturday. We won't mention total miles in the last 24 hours. If I can just get through these daytime runs ok, then survive the night, it's over. 5 more runs.
Run 8, 1 pm - Tried to stretch more and do a little yoga before this, not sure how much it helped. I'll just try to run out 2 miles on the main street and then run back. Too mentally challenging to think of routes. Listening to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is a decent distraction. My feet hurt. I forgot this long hill. I'm walking the worst part. OK, now just bring it home. I almost calculated the distance correctly this time, only a tiny bit past my driveway. I don't really want to do this again.
Run 9, 5 pm - A friend to the rescue, she is chatting to me from 6 ft away and getting me through this run. Usually she is slower than me but I'm dragging and she seems full of energy. She is awesome and her constant dialogue keeps me from totally focusing on how tired I am. She coaches me through the hills (why do I live in such a hilly town, may need to move) until we are at the peak of the last one. Then it's coasting back to the car. I am practically in tears with being grateful for the company and so tired of doing this. She tells me to order food and be sure to eat and drink, so that's what I do. Just 3 more. It's going to suck but I can do it. I'm feeling like it's mile 20 of the marathon. I want to be done so badly, there's still too much left but comparatively it's getting close.
You got this!!0 -
@katharmonic you are killing it and are almost done! Anyone would be exhausted at this point, you can do it and are inspiring all of us to challenge ourselves!1
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Well rest day today. Well i say rest. Actually I did a 20 min strength workout then a 45 min walk. It's pouring with rain but I managed to get a patch where the rain has eased a bit. It was lovely being out though and needed to stretch my legs. Now just chilling with the kids until work time.4
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So May. Started with an intentional walk yesterday, which normally rest day. A friend really wanted(needed) to get out. So off we went. We did about 4+ miles.
Today was long run of 10.5. @rheddmobile interestingly enough my left knee started feeling a bit sore at the last couple miles. Great I think, here is another problem. First the foot now the knee. Could be my gait is all thrown off because of the foot issues. I do hope you are ok and it doesn’t get too bad for you! I totally understand about the crowds, it’s crazy5 -
You are a beast @katharmonic! You can do it!1
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Go Kat go!!! just a few more hours and miles!
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I’m aiming for 31 miles for May to get me back into the habit. I’m coming back to running. I’ve done a couple half marathons in the past and there have been periods where I’ve been pretty consistent but it’s been a while. Looking forward to the challenge!5
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Well, I am kind of caught up on April and May thread that’s I missed, and golly I missed a lot.
Unlike many of you, I have been having overall amazingly positive experiences with bicyclists and dogs. UTVs, and bored tweenagers who happen to be on a bike, are a different story. But true bicyclists have given me wide berth, like even when I’ve been on the frontage road, went clear to the other shoulder to give me space, used all their hand signals, etc. a gentleman with a drop kick dog was routed to cross my path... but not only was dog on a leash, but he stopped completely in the middle of the street WITH a truck coming, and made it very clear that he did so in order to be sure I could continue, and keep proper COVID spacing, and not get tripped up by his dog.
So, I was feeling pretty fortunate for my interactions after reading what y’all are encountering. But, the small town rednecks are getting bored and coming into town in their UTVs, and ATVs, and to entertain themselves of course buzz past you, way too close, and way too fast, and intentionally try to be louder when they do it. Ugh.
And then on yesterday’s run...the tweenagers were running around unsupervised.... and we’re coming up the sidewalk towards me on their bikes.... so, I swung out into the road to give them room, but a car was coming, so I couldn’t swing out very far (I clearly do not have the faith in drivers that the man with the dog did.).... so I turned my head to avoid huffing and puffing on them..... and the kids return my attempts to be respectful by turning toward me, fake (I hope) coughing at me, yelling “six feet!!” And riding away laughing.... gaaaahhhhh I hate people!!!
Anyways, other than that, yesterday’s run was fairly uneventful. The virtual 5k I still have to do this weekend because my sister talked me into it.... is for “Black Dog Animal Rescue.” And they have various raffle prizes that you can get an entree for, by like wearing a costume, taking picture of your pet, etc etc.... well if I win, sister gets to pick up the prize, so Any I try for are to give my sister better odds.... well one entry is if you can spell the organization abbreviation on your 5k (BDAR)....and although some of you are very skilled at that, I have never tried.... and since I am bad at both running and spelling... let alone when combined....I decided I needed to practice at that... so that was yesterday’s run. I managed to do it, so I will probably make a wrong turn and screw it up tomorrow. So yesterday starts me off at 3.65 out of 50 for the month.
See below for today’s activity, and a new social distancing strategy.....
New social distancing strategy... get surrounded by bees!!!
....also, this is what happens when folks KNOW you cannot have other plans, and so you don’t have a way to chicken out of it gracefully.
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quilteryoyo wrote: »Today was supposed to be a 6 mile, long run per my new plan. It's also a cut back week. Well, 6 miles is still a long distance for me and didn't feel very cut-backie. I was scheduled to run the Courage Un-Cancelled 5K today so decided to try to get a PR instead of doing a long run. I DID IT - well, sort-of. It was hard and I felt like I gave it my all. I didn't even have enough in me at the end for a sprint. Garmin said I PR'd and I was thrilled. I had looked back at my running journal before I left and thought my PR was 35:10 minutes from the race I did back in December. But, when I looked at the Garmin data, it said my PR was in January and was 33:43. That was the run that I'm pretty sure Garmin messed up and said I ran further than I did, so the pace would have been slower in reality. Anyway, I still beat it, with 33:42 minutes today! LOL I guess a second is a second. But, then I looked back into my diary again, and I did do a 5K on the treadmill last month in 33:04 minutes. Garmin didn't record it because it is nowhere close to accurate on the distance on the treadmill. I did that run on 0% - 5% incline and today was on the road. I am still proud of myself and am counting this as a road 5K PR. I also walked a mile.
Hey! Well done!
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Firstly, @katharmonic, you are an absolute rock star. What a mammoth effort. Keep up the amazing work.
Secondly, I had my 2-4hr adventure run/walk scheduled for this morning. Woke to light drizzle and though, awesome - I won’t have to worry about carrying enough water or overheating.
I had mapped out a 30km route and gave my husband the option of dropping me at the start or picking me up from there at the end. He chose the former, which was just as well, as the first 10km along the waterfront came with a very stiff breeze, which was, most fortuitously, behind me for most of it.
Incidentally, I was thinking of you @avidkeo as I was running this stretch, as this is kilometres 21-42 of your full. Best you start praying for a calm day now 😂
Anyway, because of the less than sterling weather, the only people out were exercising - mostly runners plus a few walkers. The next 10km took me through the CBD, which is currently orange cone central and full of detours. Fortunately, very quiet as I had to run in the cycle lane. And up and down through the lovely suburbs of Ponsonby, Herne Bay, and Point Chev. No time to look at the pretty houses as I was too busy dodging every man and his dog (and wife and kids). No wind here, just cool and overcast. Great running temperature and, after 10ks on dead flat, it was nice to run up and down hills.
At the 20k mark I hit the causeway that heads to west Auckland. A shared path runs alongside the motorway for about 5k and can be windy (not really), exhaust fumey (too quiet) and overrun with people on bikes (much quieter thanks to inclement weather). At 25k I arrived in my suburb - I had the option of heading straight home if I needed to but I was feeling good and really wanted to hit that 30km mark so took a winding route around the waterfront to get me home just a couple of hundred meters past the magical 30km marker.
My longest run ever. I took it nice and slow and I felt I could have continued if I had wanted to.
Good to break through both the distance mental barrier and the time one (3 hours, 12 minutes).9 -
You are a beast @katharmonic! You can do it!
YES! YOU GOT THIS! GO GO GO!0 -
katharmonic wrote: »Just 3 more. It's going to suck but I can do it. I'm feeling like it's mile 20 of the marathon. I want to be done so badly, there's still too much left but comparatively it's getting close.
Mile 20? Then you already passed the people with the signs that say "You are almost there!" so that is good at least
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ContraryMaryMary wrote: »Firstly, @katharmonic, you are an absolute rock star. What a mammoth effort. Keep up the amazing work.
Secondly, I had my 2-4hr adventure run/walk scheduled for this morning. Woke to light drizzle and though, awesome - I won’t have to worry about carrying enough water or overheating.
I had mapped out a 30km route and gave my husband the option of dropping me at the start or picking me up from there at the end. He chose the former, which was just as well, as the first 10km along the waterfront came with a very stiff breeze, which was, most fortuitously, behind me for most of it.
Incidentally, I was thinking of you @avidkeo as I was running this stretch, as this is kilometres 21-42 of your full. Best you start praying for a calm day now 😂
Anyway, because of the less than sterling weather, the only people out were exercising - mostly runners plus a few walkers. The next 10km took me through the CBD, which is currently orange cone central and full of detours. Fortunately, very quiet as I had to run in the cycle lane. And up and down through the lovely suburbs of Ponsonby, Herne Bay, and Point Chev. No time to look at the pretty houses as I was too busy dodging every man and his dog (and wife and kids). No wind here, just cool and overcast. Great running temperature and, after 10ks on dead flat, it was nice to run up and down hills.
At the 20k mark I hit the causeway that heads to west Auckland. A shared path runs alongside the motorway for about 5k and can be windy (not really), exhaust fumey (too quiet) and overrun with people on bikes (much quieter thanks to inclement weather). At 25k I arrived in my suburb - I had the option of heading straight home if I needed to but I was feeling good and really wanted to hit that 30km mark so took a winding route around the waterfront to get me home just a couple of hundred meters past the magical 30km marker.
My longest run ever. I took it nice and slow and I felt I could have continued if I had wanted to.
Good to break through both the distance mental barrier and the time one (3 hours, 12 minutes).
Amazing!! Go you! Lol at thinking of me. Hopefully after Wellington (for those not from NZ it's called "the windy city" for a reason haha) ill be ok. But as always hope for the best, plan for the worst.
Your run sounded wonderful, well done. The weather here is awful.2 -
Watching Forrest Gump. Thinking of @katharmonic5
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5.01 - 2/150
5.02 - (8) 10/150
Mostly walking3 -
Just one run left, guys. Sunrise.12
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katharmonic wrote: »Just one run left, guys. Sunrise.
Whoot whoot!!!1 -
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katharmonic wrote: »Just one run left, guys. Sunrise.
@katharmonic You are amazing. Insane but amazing :-D
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