January 2022 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • Orsolla
    Orsolla Posts: 9 Member
    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    @Orsolla welcome :) There are no set rules, the best thing about this group is we all support each other while each doing our own thing, which could be anything from tieing our shoelaces or crawling to the end of the drive or doing crazy things like running ultras or marathons or humungous amounts of miles every day or going up and down mountains. We do love run and race reports though, and answering random questions!

    @polskagirl01 yay! Wouldn't have been the same without you.

    Today is Spain's version of Christmas day, so nobody was coming to train tonight. So while they all bragged in chat about their presents I was out struggling to do what I have dubbed the staircase to hell. A lovely little workout one of our evil coaches has us do a couple of weeks before races, involving finding a hill and going up and down it doing 200m, 400m, 600m, 400m, 200m. Usually the guys are done by the time I start my final 200 and escort me, so making myself do it and not stop today was tough.
    Starting to think about tapering and eating ALL the carbs now... I've been working on losing some fat since my HM in early November and man do I miss carbs lol

    Sounds awesome!!!! <3
  • Teresa502
    Teresa502 Posts: 1,869 Member
    1/3 – 7.02 miles
    1/4 – 6.02 miles
    1/5 – 5.08 miles
    1/6 – 4.03 miles

    I was able to get a 5-mile run in before I left Florida yesterday. It was 61F and 84% humidity. This morning it was 28F when I went out for 4 miles. Currently it is pouring big flakes of snow and the ground is starting to get white. I may have to renew my friendship with my treadmill. Compared to @juliet3455 though…. I can’t imagine! The tire thing is very interesting. Please be safe out there.

    Welcome @Orsolla!

    Glad Monty is doing better @Faebert.
  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    @AlphaHowls - that is pretty cool to see the snow falling! Have to say I kept watching expecting to see a crazy runner running down the median 😁 Do you normally get snow?

    @Teresa502 - Well I think the world is righting itself some... you all are getting your colder winter weather and we are getting our warmer winter weather (70F today).
  • polskagirl01
    polskagirl01 Posts: 2,024 Member
    edited January 2022
    @AlphaHowls fun road conditions you've got there!

    @eleanorhawkins with workouts like that, you're gonna rock that race you've got coming up!

    Hike/run report!
    I'm at a conference in the mountains and had 4.5 hours of free time between lunch and dinner, so naturally I planned the best route I could find that fit into that time frame. I ate lunch quickly and could see my potential ride up to the trailhead was going to be eating/talking longer than the 15 minutes it would take me to just go on foot, so I decided to just call for pickup if needed on the way back down. Spoiler: ended up not calling because I was feeling great and figured I might as well check off my January half-marathon distance while I was so close.

    So it's winter, fresh snow on the ground and light snow coming down. Minus something single digits Celsius when I started out. Within 100 meters some guy selling souvenirs asked how far up I was going and then said it's too late in the day for me to make it there. I said I have lights (didn't mention all the other gear and safety stuff I had on me) and kept going, but of course that made me question myself, as it was coming from a local. So I redid the math. Again. I needed to average 5k/hr, which is typically reasonable for me going up. Factor in unknown snowy conditions and faster descent, and it should be fine, unless the trails are too slippery to come down fast - but I'd know that in time to turn around sooner.

    I was sticking to main trails and this one was wide enough for vehicles most of the way (until you reach a lodge, then 2 km of single track) and snow-covered. My Brooks trail running shoes did great, and I didn't need the not-yak-traks-but-similar that I had in my bag. I did use the trekking poles going up and they were very helpful. Everyone I saw was heading down, which added to my self doubting and sense of urgency to get to the top before it got dark. I kept checking and was on pace the whole time. Passed the lodge and the single track got more and more interesting (picture coming) and then got a little steep and somewhat scary. There was one guy ahead of me. As he got up to where I was expecting the lake/view to be, he just kind of stopped, looking ahead. The view was a sheet of white. We were in a cloud. There was no view. It was very disappointing. I dropped my hands and dragged my poles over to the sign for a picture (in spoiler) and tried to imagine what was right in front of me, then tossed some frozen hard jelly beans in my mouth, then tried to drink from my hydration pack and felt like an idiot for forgetting to put it inside my jacket because now everything from the hose to nozzle was frozen. And my fingers were suddenly very cold. I needed to get moving, so I turned around and started back. Got stuck behind slow people dressed like climbers on the single track, even with stopping to put on a second layer of gloves and a headlamp, but when I reached the lodge it was dark and I realized all these people I was seeing up there were staying at the lodge and not heading down. I warmed up a bit inside and readjusted gear (pack inside jacket, folded/stowed poles, got backup light out and easily accessible) and got moving. Running came easily and I was getting decent traction, so I made good time. The hood on my coat had frozen solid though, and was so loud in my ears that it was a relief to warm up enough from running (and descending) that I could put it down. I was wearing a buff folded into a headband over my ears, plus a lightweight tech-fabric hat I got at a race, and for a while also the hood to one of my long-sleeved shirts. But then at some point there was a noise that sounded exactly like a bear/wolf/something was running at me from behind, alone in the dark, which freaked me out until I realized it was my own frozen hood. Yes, it would've been nice to not be alone, but my choices were go alone or don't go, and I feel I took lots of precautions and planned it out well. A few times I stopped, turned off my light and just looked at the stars. It was so peaceful. But mostly I kept moving and soon was back at the trailhead and heading back downhill past rows of guest houses and restaurants. No sign of souvenir guy, and I wanted to check in and tell him I made it. A team of horses passed me also going downhill, pulling a wagon full of tourists, and 2 kids waved at me, so I waved back. Then they stopped at the same place I was staying, just as I got there - the whole group was from the same conference.

    Even though the view at the top was a bust, it was very nice getting there and back, and was an excellent training session.

    Pictures:
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    fxkiszbzu529.jpg
    ql0czmo5jvwg.jpg
    28dahvhwds7h.jpg

    Here's that same spot in summer (with sign and rock) in a picture from the internet:
    Oh, and my gear/clothing, if anyone's interested.
    nij4eg3wmmd6.jpg
    ojbl8xtdzbh5.jpg
  • AlphaHowls
    AlphaHowls Posts: 2,004 Member
    edited January 2022
    @shanaber wrote: »
    @AlphaHowls - that is pretty cool to see the snow falling! Have to say I kept watching expecting to see a crazy runner running down the median 😁 Do you normally get snow?

    No, we might get flurries once a year, but inches not usually. We have the temperatures for it, but we are a somewhat special unicorns here weather wise. Rain usually splits at the river and goes around on both sides.

    TRAFFIC ALERT: 178 wrecks, stranded motorists so far in Clarksville-Montgomery County
    (our specialness, no one can drive here!)

    110 wrecks
    11 wrecks with injuries
    57 motor assist calls
    1 fatality
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
    @polskagirl01 awesome job on your run up and down the mountain! You are fearless just going for it and getting your HM distance done to boot! Too bad about the lack of view, but beautiful snowy landscape. Glad you made it safely and felt good. Enjoy the rest of your conference - all the others there are going to know how bada$$ you are.

    @alphahowls that is a lot of accidents, good grief. You have more snow than we do right now. That may change starting tomorrow as we have some lake effect snow in the forecast.

    Nice workout @eleanorhawkins! Way to get it done.

    @Faebert so glad Monty is doing better.


    Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
    01/01/22 :::: 5.0 :::: 5.0
    01/02/22 :::: 3.2 :::: 8.2
    01/03/22 :::: 2.0 :::: 10.2
    01/04/22 :::: 4.2 :::: 14.4
    01/05/22 :::: 3.1 :::: 17.5
    01/06/22 :::: 3.1 :::: 20.6

    Another 5k with a friend just looping the streets around her neighborhood. We were both definitely not in the mood to start this run in the cold, but we got going and each talked out our various issues so good therapy run today.
  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    edited January 2022
    @Faebert - so glad Little Monty is on the mend!

    @AlphaHowls - that is a crazy number of accidents, but I totally understand people no knowing how to drive in it. Here it happens when it rains... they all think they can zoom along like they would when it is dry until they start hydroplaning down a street (saw that with a guy in a mustang with our last storm) or they create a problem but driving so incredibly slow that people have to slam on their brakes...

    @polskagirl01 - what an amazing run! It is pretty incredible how close the lake was and you couldn't see it at all! I am guessing it would be pretty solidly frozen though. The snow looks so pretty, especially on the trees. Also it is great that you were so well prepared. I bet that souvenir guy has seen lots of unprepared 'tourists' who think they can make it and then have to be rescued...

    @katharmonic - I love how you have your 'therapy runs' with friends! I have never had anyone close enough to run with but it sounds like it would be a great way to get out there!
  • quilteryoyo
    quilteryoyo Posts: 6,534 Member
    @shanaber I'm a couple of days behind on the thread. I hope you have gotten my pay pal money by now. I have all of the e-mails that said it was sent. Well, I see that you didn't get it. Someone did. What should I do? Love the snow on the mountain pictures. I'm not sure what a "virtual run" is either, but last year it was set up for running miles only. So, when I logged the walking miles, I called them "virtual runs" and it worked. Maybe that is for the fast walkers or the race walkers.

    Welcome @tamlyn1980 . Sounds like you have a very reasonable goal.

    @eleanorhawkins You've got this! Can you go to the race website and find pictures of previous races or find the route and use google maps for a satellite view? Would that make you feel better about it? Hahaha about your daughter and the hamster. That sounds like a tough hill workout! Sweet of the "guys" to help you make it through the last 200m. You did great to do it solo today!

    @Tramboman Glad you had a great run on the 4th.

    @skippygirlsmom Love the frozen hair picture. I was reading in my journal that you just passed the year anniversary of your fall. You did great with your recovery!

    @Teresa502 Great running while in FL for work. I bet you had temperature shock when you got off the plane. :lol:

    @Faebert I hope your cat gets better soon. Having a sick pet is so stressful. I am glad to see that he is on the mend.

    @rheddmobile I hope you hear from the cardiologist soon. The raccoon story is so funny. I bet that was really cute to watch. I'm glad they have a nice warm place to stay.

    @noblsheep Glad your body decided to enjoy your run yesterday. The no pressure approach seems very sensible.

    @juliet3455 I can't even imagine temperatures that cold!

    Welcome @Orsolla ! Hope you have a mild case of CoVID and feel better soon.

    @polskagirl01 You did great. I can't imagine doing that run on my own, in the dark, in unfamiliar territory. I guess I really am a wimp. Beautiful pictures!

    @AlphaHowls I missed getting to see the snow fall. But it currently looks like they didn't do a very good job of clearing the streets. That's a lot of accidents! You're right. We don't get enough snow here in TN for anyone to know how to drive in it. And, it only takes one person who screws up to cause a pile up.

    Speaking of which, I was glad that I was able to leave daycare today before it started snowing. Turns out now, it may go around us, but with the rain and a bit of snow and below freezing temps the morning commute could be horrible. I'm glad I get to stay at home tomorrow.

    When I got home today, I did a treadmill session. My back was hurting a little, and I was hungry, so I walked one mile and ran one mile today. Doing what I can and keeping my streak going for now.

  • marisap2010
    marisap2010 Posts: 909 Member
    Welcome, @Orsolla !
    @polskagirl01 Great job! I know you didn’t get the views you wanted, but the snowy pictures are beautiful.
    @AlphaHowls That is a ton of accidents! People can’t drive here when it snows here because it happens so infrequently.

    This morning, I had a short tempo run as part of my taper. I worked from home today, so I was able to do a morning run instead of running in the evening dark, so that was nice. I also got my new shoes in the mail, so shoe porn in the spoiler.
    97b1wnrmjrkq.jpeg

    December miles: 18
    Streak days: 6
  • Tramboman
    Tramboman Posts: 2,482 Member
    marisap2010 wrote: »
    Welcome, @Orsolla !
    @polskagirl01 Great job! I know you didn’t get the views you wanted, but the snowy pictures are beautiful.
    @AlphaHowls That is a ton of accidents! People can’t drive here when it snows here because it happens so infrequently.

    This morning, I had a short tempo run as part of my taper. I worked from home today, so I was able to do a morning run instead of running in the evening dark, so that was nice. I also got my new shoes in the mail, so shoe porn in the spoiler.
    97b1wnrmjrkq.jpeg

    December miles: 18
    Streak days: 6

    AAAAAHHHHH. Nothing like shoe porn (unless it's cake porn).
  • quilteryoyo
    quilteryoyo Posts: 6,534 Member
    I had a nice post written up and lost it when trying to make the degree symbol and my keyboard was not on NumLk. Ugh.

    Love the shoe porn @marisap2010 .

    @kgirlhart and @Tramboman and any others who go out for runs in those temps, you are hardier than I. That's why I have a treadmill in my basement. :lol:

    @rheddmobile Love the raccoons. I too hope the "tame" one doesn't get into trouble by becoming a pest to the wrong person.

    @Faebert You are doing great with your comeback.

    @eleanorhawkins Hope you feel better and figure out how to get the fuel you need without getting that yucky feeling.

    @Juliexx00 The treadmill can be hard. Usually the TV or music is enough for me. I do find that it helps to do a ladder workout or speed work. The change in pace keeps me from getting bored.

    We didn't get the expected 3" of snow last night. Woke up to maybe half an inch on the ground, but it is really cold (for me) and icy: 16°f (-8.9°C) with a forecasted high of 28°f (-2.2°C). I'll be keeping the fire going in the basement stove to try to keep the emergency heat from running all day (my heat pump is out too) and exercising on the treadmill.
  • eleanorhawkins
    eleanorhawkins Posts: 1,659 Member
    @Tramboman I often wonder that about wind, too, spend half my run telling myself how nice it will be to have the wind at my back on the way home then it turns around as soon as I do.
    @Juliexx00 I always had that on my treadmill, I never did work out whether the machine itself was inaccurate or my watch was or I was or what, but my runs always seemed to take forever. Intervals do help stop it from getting too boring.
    @quilteryoyo thank you. New recipe book for vegetarian athletes just arrived... looks interesting but everything looks pretty high calorie at a glance, will have to see whether I can get away with higher calories if they're healthier (I do admittedly eat way too much processed stuff just because I have little time and/or enthusiasm for cooking from scratch. There's a section of energy bars/balls and snacks and they're all way over what I can afford in calories for a snack... more like a meal! Being small really really sucks sometimes.
  • martaindale
    martaindale Posts: 2,333 Member
    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    @quilteryoyo thank you. New recipe book for vegetarian athletes just arrived... looks interesting but everything looks pretty high calorie at a glance, will have to see whether I can get away with higher calories if they're healthier (I do admittedly eat way too much processed stuff just because I have little time and/or enthusiasm for cooking from scratch. There's a section of energy bars/balls and snacks and they're all way over what I can afford in calories for a snack... more like a meal! Being small really really sucks sometimes.

    I didn't know you were vegetarian. My husband is vegetarian and in the past I used to cook almost exclusively vegetarian at home so that both of us could eat the same thing. I ran into this problem a lot. The most satisfying and tastiest veggie meals were often way too much for me. He can eat them fine, but been smaller means I just need fewer calories. But I still need the volume to feel full. You'll have to look closely at your cookbook and see if you can tweak anything. For instance, a lot of recipes use several tablespoons of oil/butter for cooking, but really you only need about 1T if you have a good pan. Also, for baked goods like maybe some of the snacks, you can sub applesauce for oil and I use cashew milk in place of regular as the consistency is the closest to whole milk. I do this a lot for things like muffins or bars. I would rather have 2 muffins than 1 and those substitutions give me "more" food.

    Some of my favorite vegetarian recipes that are tasty and reasonable calorie-wise.
    https://halfbakedharvest.com/wonton-soup/ Just use vegetable broth and veggie wontons. Delish!

    https://pinchofyum.com/sweet-potato-peanut-soup So satisfying and freezes really well.

    https://halfbakedharvest.com/spicy-pesto-and-cheese-stuffed-zucchini-involtini/#wprm-recipe-container-80312 Did this without the sausage and it was absolutely amazing. FYI - for HBH recipes, I usually use 1/2-1/3 of the olive oil she does and things taste great.

    https://champagnenutrition.com/lasagna-roll-freezer-meal/

    I don't know what meat substitute products are available in your area, but there are so many options now for chicken, ground beef, sausages that you can make almost any recipe vegetarian. Another favorite recipe blogger is peanut butter and fitness. Not vegetarian, but again, substitute as above.
  • eleanorhawkins
    eleanorhawkins Posts: 1,659 Member
    @martaindale they look nice, thanks! I was born vegetarian (apparently the doctors told my mother her baby could show up with carrots instead of fingers), my husband isn't but is out of luck as I refuse to cook meat except maybe some chicken or throw a chop in a pan. My daughter decided she wanted to go vegetarian a couple of years ago, to her father's dismay lol.
    I'm hoping these recipes have big portions that I can reduce a bit, will report as I try them. Should probably do that in the other thread.
  • AlphaHowls
    AlphaHowls Posts: 2,004 Member
    @skippygirlsmom wrote: »
    @AlphaHowls I didn’t realize we live so close to each other…well if 160 miles is close LOL I’m just outside Huntsville AL. Thank you for keeping the snow up there I appreciate it. I saw the pictures of all the cars backed up on 65 etc. Why people (especially southerners) feel the need to drive in the snow is beyond me.

    160 miles is really not bad. I think Canada needs to keep her arctic air to herself.
    7°F this morning!
    I stepped out just a few minutes ago @19°F just to put the trash on my truck...that was one big NOPE.

  • martaindale
    martaindale Posts: 2,333 Member
    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    I'm hoping these recipes have big portions that I can reduce a bit, will report as I try them. Should probably do that in the other thread.

    most are 4-6 servings so you could easily half them. but all except the wonton soup also freeze well so you can eat a couple and freeze the rest for weeks you just don't have time to cook.
  • Teresa502
    Teresa502 Posts: 1,869 Member
    Woke up to about 5 inches of snow this morning and the temp right now (3:00 pm) is 21F. Some of the snow has melted but spots are still icy out there and I’m giving it a big NOPE also. I did a Pilates workout this morning and may walk on my treadmill after work. Below is a view out my window today. Thankful to be working from home. In the distance, you can see the neighbors with their horse and wagon coming down the hill.
    p29wo4auukij.jpg
    @Juliexx00 – My treadmill pace is also slower and like you I try everything to distract/entertain myself.

    @polskagirl01 – I’m so inspired by you!

    Love those shoes @marisap2010 – especially those colorful soles.
  • globalhiker
    globalhiker Posts: 1,730 Member
    1/7: 4 miles
    Total to-date: 10 miles
    Falling behind & need to catch-up!

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