February 2021 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • marisap2010
    marisap2010 Posts: 909 Member
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    My HM isn’t until the 13th, so I know the forecast may change, but as of now, it is still predicting snow that day, but also frozen mix the day before. The race is on the Air Force base, so I wonder if there is a chance they may salt the roads...I do have trail shoes I could wear that have more grip, but I don’t know how running that far on a road in them will be. They are saying high of 37, low of 28. I suppose I will just keep an eye out for the next few days and have a variety of layers ready to go.
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
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    Avidkeo wrote: »

    Thoughts? Trust the plan? Or change? I guess I am worried those last 5k will feel like a real challenge on race day. Though race day excitement will get me through, I know that. And I've done HM before. Heck before I got injured I ran HM distance or very close to it for long runs for 3 weekends. And I got injured not following the plan. The plan is to ease the calf back into running.

    OK ok I know the answer. Stick to the plan.
    Well im going to do 15k tomorrow. Its only 500m more...

    @Avidkeo, your goal with this race is to finish, and be uninjured right? I would trust the plan. I don't easily think in km unless they are multiples of 5, but the plan is roughly increasing a mile a week and then the 5k from the last training run to the race. That is really what I did my first HM. 10 miles was my max training run going into the 13.1.
    I honestly don't think it will make a big difference for you to do 15k, 16.5k, 21k vs. 16k 18.5k, 21k in terms of how you feel on race day. Jumping up 3k during a training cycle when you are more tired might be tougher on you than jumping up 5k on rested legs (you are tapering?) on race day.

    Personally I'd probably be more tempted to add one more shorter run in during the week rather than add to the long run if endurance is your concern.

    @marisap2010 yeah, it's pretty far out but to worry about it too much yet but if the roads are clear 28-37 degrees won't be that bad to dress for. Long sleeve shirt an a jacket you can take off would do it for me, thick running tights, light gloves with mittens over, and a hat and buff for your neck. The gloves and mittens maybe get cheap ones you can toss if you get hot (but I often learn the hard way I'll want them back later in the race).

  • quilteryoyo
    quilteryoyo Posts: 5,969 Member
    edited February 2021
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    @HonuNui I enjoyed the video too. Thanks for sharing. That dog is amazing. My Tippy will do a lot of things, but she refuses to go through a tunnel.

    @shanaber I hope they figure out the hamstring issue soon and you are able to get it fixed relatively easily.

    @Avidkeo I just looked back and the plan I was following had my longest run at 11 miles, but it was 7 weeks before the race! That doesn't seem right. Anyway, for my first HM I was nervous about never having ran that distance before the race, so I was going to have a hard time trusting the plan. Since you have ran HMs before, I think you can trust the plan and do great.



  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,799 Member
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    @shanaber I had another friend with some sort of hamstring issue a while back. She was a gazelle and her hamstring did not hurt if she slowed down when she ran. She tried all sorts of things including dry needling and stem cells. Not sure what the final outcome was and she ghosted me last year... sigh.

    Anyway, I do (when I remember to) use a little ithlete HRV reader in the evenings to see what it thinks my HRV is. It is a pretty good predictor of when I am tired vs fresh and sometimes I use that to plan my runs for the next day a little. Fitbit also tries to measure HRV when I am sleeping and so does Apple watch. None of the readings are every close so I try TRY not to get hung up on all the fancy metrics but more how do I feel. It's a slippery slope the more data we have. Do I feel tired because my watch told me I was or do I feel tired because I really am?

    I am excited for @Avidkeo and her HM. I don't really intend to race but I do want to run the distance by my birthday at a reasonable pace.

    Summer
  • eleanorhawkins
    eleanorhawkins Posts: 1,655 Member
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    @Avidkeo my 2 cents.... the reasoning behind Hal's novice 1 only going to 16km is that if you can run 10 miles you can run a HM. That was the plan I used the first time and the one thing I didn't like about it was first time round those extra 5km do seem like a lot and I felt I could have done with longer runs beforehand to reassure me I was capable to doing the whole thing. You, however, know that you are perfectly capable of running HM distance. And the important thing is to be sensible and avoid overdoing it and ending up injured again. So I would say stick to the plan, and just get it in your head now that it is going to be long and hard.
    Actually, the other thing I thought about that plan was that as a beginner I could have done with more of a taper before the race. The second time I did a HM I added an extra week in between the last long run and the race and only did 10k in the weekend in the middle.
  • quilteryoyo
    quilteryoyo Posts: 5,969 Member
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    Sounds like a nice run @katharmonic and getting to talk to your coach along the way was an added bonus. So cool that he did all of those things.
  • martaindale
    martaindale Posts: 2,063 Member
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    @Avidkeo
    Sounds like you have pretty well decided to trust the plan, and that's probably a good idea. This is your return to HM after an injury. Your goal of doing it uninjured comes first, I think. Like so many others have said, you will certainly be able to do the distance. I also love a little extra on the taper end, and it seems like yours is a bit short. Don't push too much and then pay for it by being tired on race day. You'll do great!

    @shanaber I hope the hamstring heals up. That is definitely a fine line between healing and making things worse! I will admit, I am bad at backing off. I usually fall more into the power through it camp but I am trying to be more aware of it and let my body recover a bit when it needs.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
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    @shanaber oh no! That's so frustrating.

    @katharmonic sounds like a wonderful run.

    @SummerSkier glad going later worked for you. I'm definitely in the "go in the morning" camp. With 2 young kids and generally a very early bedtime trying to run later generally doesn't work for me. Though when I'm working shift (3pm start) I usually go out about 9am, once the kids have gone to school.

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