June 2022 Monthly Running Challenge
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Oh, dogs off-leash! Yesterday when I was running I saw this lady walking her dog in one of those stroller things for little dogs. Later I was headed to a green space and she was coming out. She had her dog out of the stroller and off-leash. Usually, if I see people walking their dogs and they have them properly leashed I'll slow down or change my route because I know runners can make dogs excited. This time? Eff that. I kept going and her little *kitten* dog tried to chase me. She just stood there and yelled. Didn't even move to go after the dog so I just kept running. I am so tired of these little dogs being off-leash all the time. So, I'm sure in AITA I'd get a YTA or ESH because I am so tired of off-leash dogs I no longer care to be nice. So passive-aggressive YTA for me! I believe this is the same lady who had her dog off-leash in the same green area when I was out with Shadow once. I was keeping Shadow away and she scooped up her dog and started yelling how it was just a few weeks old and I said calmly it should be on a leash and she kept yelling about how it was too young. If it's too young to be on a leash it should not be in a public space!
People will cross the street when they see Shadow. One lad picked up a couple of huge sticks and was swinging them. She was on the sidewalk and we were on the dirt path about 6 feet from the sidewalk. We weren't going anywhere near her. Shadow was leashed. As soon as we passed she stopped swinging the sticks. I was like wow lady, you're an *kitten*. I guess it's hard to tell responsible dog owners from non-responsible ones. But black pitbull = scary!!!4 -
@RunsOnEspresso You are definitely NTA. Just because she won’t put her dog on a leash does not mean that you have to go out of your way to avoid or ensure the dog doesn’t run.
8 miles this morning - 1 mi Z1, 6.5 mi Z2, .5 mi Z1. I wore my shirt that says, “After this, we’re getting tacos,” so of course I had to make tacos for lunch! (Like I really need an excuse to eat tacos…) I have to spend the afternoon doing some work, as I’m covering for some people who are out, in addition to my own job. I really just want to take a nap though.8 -
I was still in May, LOL. I'm sorry, I just can't keep up here lately 😩 And then I feel like I comment on here only when I have exciting news or some complaint, but am not interacting much. I can't promise that will change though, either...
I am still running somewhat less, BUT my hip/back is decidedly better with time and doing my exercises, almost completely better now. But I need to get back on plan without making it worse, so it's a balancing act.
Conference all weekend in a city not too far away but the easy drive there was balanced out by how heavy it was emotionally (all church workers who serve in Poland or were evacuated here from Ukraine... so our lives have all changed a lot since we last got together). Dealing with stress and secondary trauma is another balancing act. I think I'm doing OK with it. But I might need to back that marathon entry down to the 25k in August. "Can do it" and "should do it" might have different answers. But I'm not sure yet. I'll decide after I do some more longer training in the mountains.
Pretty lakes in an city that's known for pickpockets at the train station, and among runners, the disastrously failed WizzAir half marathon last year when the police shut down the race a few miles after it started.
Not a lake. Hopefully speaks for itself.11 -
June Goal: 100 Miles
6/1: 5.51 miles
6/2: 5.04 miles
6/5: 7.10 miles
17.65/100 miles completed for June
I did not get up early enough to beat the heat this morning and I paid for it. Today's run was a real ride on the struggle bus. It was 75°F when I started out and 85°F feels like 89°F when I got home. I had to stop a few times and drink some water. I even considered calling my husband to come get me after about 5 miles, but I stopped in the shade and drank some water and decided I could make it the two miles home. I really wanted to run 10 miles today, but it just wasn't happening and I had to settle for 7 miles. I did stop by to see Sunny the Donkey. Her dogs were barking so her owner came out to see what they were barking about. I told her how much I liked her Donkey and she told me she is really friendly and her name is Lilly. So I finally petted her. I wish I had taken her a treat, but I kind of felt weird about giving a treat to an animal I don't know. But her owner says she likes carrots and apples so I may start taking treats for her now that I know her owner is ok with it. She did say she is fixing to move her to the back yard because they are going to tear down her house. It's kind if funny to see a donkey in a house, but it is good that they are tearing it down. It's really an eyesore. I guess I will have to get used to calling her Lilly now.
I agree with all the comments about loose dogs. Some people should not be allowed to have dogs.
@mari33a Dakota is adorable and obviously has a great personality.
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Got my new Xero shoes. For now just trying them around the house and they are very comfortable. Will see how they do tomorrow on my run though. Unfortunately they don't have a return policy to allow you to try running in them. They have to be in 'new condition' although if I hate them after my run tomorrow I will certainly ask about returning them (I did get them from Amazon so hopefully my Prime returns will work).
@quilteryoyo - it took me a couple of months to work into running in 0-drop shoes too even though I am mostly barefoot or in flat shoes too. I did just a little running initially and built up over time to a full run.
@RunsOnEspresso - you are definitely NTA! Hobbes has several friends that are pitties so we don't go out of our way to avoid them, however we have not had good experiences with them on the trail, mostly now I am not confident the owners have trained or can control them.
I no longer run by unleashed dogs, especially small ones because I am afraid of being bit again. We have so many in our neighborhood (7 right now in the 5 houses immediately around ours). When they come charging out at me I usually just stop and if they keep at me I will yell at them.
@polskagirl01 - {{HUGS}} just check in when you can and let us know how you are doing! Glad your back/hip are feeling better with some rest.
Why did thee police shut the HM down?
@kgirlhart - So great that you finally met Sunny's owner and you got to pet her. Do they live on the same property? I would have a difficult time switching to calling her Lilly.2 -
@shanaber I was thinking where is @rheddmobile for the raccoon expertise. Haven't heard from her in a while so I hope all is well.
I tried zero drop shoes and thought I had sufficiently worked into them but did a longer run and was in a lot of pain and gave up on them. Those look cool, I hope they work for you.
@polskagirl01 no worries, always great to hear from you. Give yourself some time and do what feels best for you about the race. Hugs to you for all you are dealing with and for all you do.
@kgirlhart how nice you met Sunny's owner and got to pet her. None of us are going to be able to switch names!
Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
06/01/22 :::: 0.0 :::: 0.0
06/02/22 :::: 2.3 :::: 2.3
06/03/22 :::: 0.0 :::: 2.3
06/04/22 :::: 7.3 :::: 9.6
06/05/22 :::: 1.9 :::: 11.5
@scott6255 oh boy, I feel you on the overindulging thing. I regretted the margaritas I had last night which seemed to hit me extra hard for some reason. I bailed on my morning run and met a friend in the afternoon for a shorter one. Fortunately, it was another nice day but I was still plenty warm running and ready to stop.4 -
@shanaber and @katharmonic I'm sure I will always think of her as Sunny. And they do live on the same property.1
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Great job getting out and getting done what you could @Scott6255 . Since you know the issue, I have all the confidence that you can stop it from becoming a habit.
@marisap2010 Sounds like a great run and love the t-shirt.
@polskagirl01 Glad your back and hip are feeling better. Beautiful lakes. Were you able to run there? Hang in there. I can't even imagine the stress you all are under right now.
That sounds like a tough run @kgirlhart . Good for you for getting it done. It's great that you were able to speak to Sunny's owner. I think we should still call her Sunny.
I hope she will have some other shelter when they tear the house down.
Today is my rest day, so I did a mile walk on my driveway to keep my streak going and move a little bit.
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@shanaber those mushrooms did indeed turn out pretty tasty. I sliced them thin on a mandolin slicer then just sauteed them in butter. I've found more since then but they were too mature to harvest. I'll be interested to hear your impression of the Xero shoes. I have a pair of Xero sandals which are super minimalist. I haven't worn them much because the flap under the toe seems to always catch and fold under. That wouldn't be a problem with your running shoes, of course.
@Mari33a Dakota is awesome! Love that side-eye he's giving. Dakota happens to be the full name for Kody, though we've never called him that.
@quilteryoyo I call the birds in using that Merlin app. After I identify the birds from their calls, I play some of the pre-recorded calls in the app and most time they fly in close to try to figure out the new bird in the area. That's a cool snake! From the looks of the photos, you weren't shy either, LOL.
@RunsOnEspresso I don't even get up by 7:30 much less start running, but then it's not nearly as hot here either.
@Scott6255 nice job on the run, in spite of the night before.
@polskagirl01 I'm ok with you dropping by when you have exciting news or some complaint. It's better than no dropping by at all and we certainly enjoy it when you do check in.
@kgirlhart have you posted a photo of Sunny/Lilly the donkey yet? I'd love to see her.
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It was a pretty good running weekend.
16 trail miles Saturday
9 trail miles Sunday
51 miles for the week, my first non-race, non-event week over 50 miles in over 5 years
41/160 miles for June
Saturday's run was an 8 mile loop in my "home park" run twice. The first loop I stopped far too many times for calling in birds and exploring the woods for more edible fungus and it took me 2h26m. The second loop I was determined to quit screwing around, and while I did screw around a bit, it only took me 1h50m. I called in several birds but the highlight was the hooded warbler. I don't know if it's just rare in Minnesota, or rare everywhere, but the park where I run is known for it and many folks come here to see it. They even close off some of the trails nearest its nesting sites so they aren't disturbed. I was able to call it in right away the first time I tried.
I tried another new pair of shoes too. This time a pair of Saucony Peregrine 10's, an $80 clearance buy from a while go. I found the Peregrine 11s on clearance for $75 and thought I should break out and try the 10s before buying the 11s. The 10's are a size 13, my normal size, but they where too short and my toes mashed up in the front of the shoe on the downhill runs. The toe box also seemed a bit snug but I liked everything else about them so I ordered the size 14.
^ my Saucony Peregrin 10s. I really like the look of these and they'll make great walking around shoes after they're worn out from running.
Today's run, again in the park just a couple of miles from home, was time constrained so it was easier to leave the birding app alone. The run felt fantastic and I was able to run up many hills I'd normally power hike. Hopefully this is a sign my fitness is turning the corner. I might try to get more mid-week runs out here. I need all the trail I can get.
I did talk to a couple birders who were both trying to find the hooded warbler. One gal said she had come to this park 5 Sundays in a row and hadn't seen it yet, though she could hear them. She was determined though. The other gal had seen two this weekend.
This day I wore my Altra Lone Peak 4.0, a zero drop shoe. It's funny, sometimes shoes will fall in and out of favor with me. When I first started wearing Lone Peaks I loved them, then got to where I didn't because there was too much room in the toe box. I'm cheap so I kept them to wear on shorter runs until they're used up and today they felt fantastic, like they might work out for long runs. I might have to buy more when these (and my Altra Superiors in reserve) are used up. At some point in the next 2 months I need to settle on my footwear for the Superior 50M in September. Right now my favorite long distance trail shoe, the Salomon Sense Max 2, has 260 miles on them so they're too old for a big race and Salomon no longer makes that model so I can't buy any more.Another recent purchase is a pair of Saucony Kinvara 12s for road running. I have a pair of 7s that I've never run in before but just putting them on felt good so hopefully they'll both run well too.
Progress Meters:
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I have Xero shoes - too chicken to run in them but they’re indestructible so I use them for gardening!
My run today was weird. I went out for breakfast - pancakes, bacon, maple syrup and two coffees - and although my head wasn’t in it (I wanted to run but had many things in my mind) my legs and lungs were raring to go and I recorded my second fastest time on my regular loop. I say it was weird because I wasn’t really enjoying it but was cruising happily at a rather brisk pace. Thanks to those lovely endorphins, I felt great when I was done.8 -
@shanaber This was last year. It was something about the course being marked wrong or runners being misdirected in the 10k. Complete organizational disaster.
I'm trying to figure out how @RunsOnEspresso 's stick-swinging lady thought that would help her somehow... wouldn't that just aggravate a reactive dog?
I was dressed to run today, but last minute made the call to let belly-ache kid stay home, sat down on the couch to write to the teacher... and ended up falling asleep. Guess I need to rest.6 -
@polskagirl01 we all love you no matter how little or much you interact, and you really must take care of yourself so that you can continue to take so much care of everyone who needs you!
Just read up to date, liked and hugged and enjoyed the pictures. I love the trails, the cute dogs, the shoe porn and especially the donkey! I desperately want a donkey.
We took our motorhome to a little village a couple of hours drive away for the weekend. The camping area was right beside a really long old railway that has been made into a bike and footpath, and because I'm an idiot and the fact that it's up by some mountains didn't dawn on me, I assumed I'd be running on the path so only took my road shoes. Then of course we got parked up and there was this mountain right behind us, on the other side of the path. So I just had to go and explore, especially when I spotted a dirt track heading up there. Oh boy, it was steep and rocky and really not suitable for my road shoes. I gave up after a couple of kilometres when the track turned into very loose dirt single track that was hurting my feet AND an entire family of flies decided they wanted me for dinner. Headed back down and then did another 5k along the bike path because I was enjoying myself and didn't want to stop. There was (of course) a weird guy that I came upon after rounding a bend, just sitting under a tree with a motorbike parked behind him, gazing out over the valley. It was only on my way back down when I went to give him my 'don't mess with me, buster' glare that I realised he was a ranger. D'oh! The look he gave me was pretty amusing, I guess they don't see many crazy women trying to run up there lol. I quite liked the place, the bike path is awesome and would be really good for long, more or less flat runs and there are exciting mountain trails to explore if you have trail shoes. Will probably bend my husband's ear to head back up there in September, especially as my big race at the end of October is about 25 miles away so the landscape and footing are similar.
Re: dogs. Even though I attract strange men, I'm far more scared of encounters with dogs on my runs. I always slow to a walk when I see a loose dog unless it completely ignores me, and will stop if it looks like it's coming towards me. Owners who let their dogs run up to me and then laugh and say 'he's friendly' when you say something really piss me off. BUT so do owners with their dogs on mile-long leashes. I've been tripped up by those a few times. The worst type of dog encounters for me though, because of where I run, are either dogs with no owner in sight or the goatherds' dogs, which are protecting their goats and sheep and can be very aggressive. Ugh.4 -
@7lenny7 Using Zoom helps me to "not be shy." Had it started toward me, I would have skedaddled.
That's great about how you can call in the birds. I figured it was something like that. Glad you were able to see a hooded warbler. I had to look them up. It's a very cool looking bird. Great running and a very nice place to run. Love the shoes too.
@ContraryMaryMary I'm impressed that you were speedy when you weren't enjoying the run at all. I guess your lungs and legs beat our your mind. My mind usually wins.
@polskagirl01 I hope your kid is feeling better and yes, sounds like you needed the rest.
Sounds like a very nice weekend @eleanorhawkins . The worst dog in my neighborhood is a sheep dog. Fortunately it is fenced in, but I fear of a hole in the fence when it is so aggressive towards me. I avoid passing by as much as I can, but it is right in the middle of where I like to run if I am doing a long run. I guess I just need to trust the fence.
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@kgirlhart Lilly is awesome! It looks like it's just an old house just for the donkey? I had this picture in my head that it was still the family house and they let Lilly live in it like a pet.
@ContraryMaryMary those surprise runs are nice when it happens.
@eleanorhawkins sounds like a great place to run, I'd try to get back there too!
I ended up signing up for that half marathon in two weeks, but I decided I have no business trying to break 1:45. I'll check my average HR for previous HMs, use that as my target and let the result end up as it will. I'm also contemplating running a 50K trail race on July 2nd. Normally I wouldn't entertain a race so close to Independence Day since we're typically busy with family and/or friends on the boat but this year it might be just my wife and I and I think she'd be ok with it. The race is just an hour north of our boat and is in a state park with about 4700 foot of elevation gain and loss. I could be back in time for an evening sail.7 -
June total: 26.7/117 miles
6/1: 4.1 mile
6/2: 3 miles
6/3: 3.2 miles
6/4: 8.2 miles
6/5: 3.2 miles
6/6: 5 miles
Did an easy recovery run yesterday. Uneventful. No dogs or other issues. Today, I went down to the lake trail. Haven’t been there in a while. It is a mixed use equestrian trail but I have never actually seen a horse on it, just evidence of horses. Today I didn’t see a single other person for my entire run. I really enjoy runs like that. It was very windy and the water was super choppy but still really pretty views. I went farther than I have before. Still haven’t reached the end of the trail so I have reasons to keep coming back.
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Re: stinky workout clothes
I've found that whether I use the sports detergent or regular, it's better (in general, not just for workout clothing) to use a LOT less than recommended, and skip fabric softeners or dryer sheets. The detergent cups can be tricky, as they're often significantly bigger than the recommended amount. The more of a detergent scent your clothes have coming out of the washer = the more residue has been left behind. Then it seems to me like the workout clothing gets stinkier faster. So I aim for them smelling almost like nothing, with a slight hint of "fresh/clean".
For items that are continually stinky, IF the fabric can handle super-hot water, you could try boiling them or doing a "sanitize" cycle. But of course that might ruin your clothes, so use caution.5 -
@ContraryMaryMary - Maybe it was the pancakes and maple syrup giving your legs that extra bit of fire! I glad you were enjoying the endorphin affect afterwards even if not the run itself.
@polskagirl01 - that is a shame it was such a mess last year and they had to shut it down. I feel bad for all the runners who trained for it.
Like you I don't use a lot of detergent on my clothes, running or otherwise and I definitely don't use fabric softener of any kind on my running clothes. Fabric softener ruins the sweat wicking capability that we all enjoy. I also usually wash mine in hot water - haven't ever used the sanitize cycle on them though.
@eleanorhawkins that trail sounds awesome. I did the same when we were in Zion. I couldn't pass up on the trail runs up the hills even though I definitely didn't have the right shoes for them. I had to laugh about the ranger... didn't you have another encounter that was similar with a ranger at a different location a while back?
@7lenny7 - those races sound great although I still can't imagine running a 50k and being back intimate for an evening sail!
@martaindale - what an awesome place to run! You all are making me jealous of your beautiful running locations. I love my runs in the bird preserve along our river but it just can't compare to these beautiful country and forest locations!
I took the Xeros out for a little spin today. Planned to just do a short run to try them out. They felt so great I ended up running much further than planned. I took Hobbes out first for a little walk and warmup run. Brought him back home and headed back out. It was around 72 when we first went out and 80 when I got home but the breeze off the ocean was lovely and made it feel much cooler. The shoes made my feet tired towards the end, I think mainly because they don't have very little cushion and my feet seem to have to work harder. Went 1.25 miles with Hobbes and 4.97 (ugh) on my own. Total for the month so far 27.73.
Question - has anyone else had a bunion and did you do anything for it? I have one on my right foot and it is becoming painful. I found some stretches that seem to help a little but I am worried now it may need something more if it continues to get worse.
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Good luck with your races @7lenny7 ! That 50K trail run sounds hard with that much elevation gain, but you can do it!
@martaindale That's a beautiful place for a run!
@shanaber Glad you had a good run in those shoes. I have not had a bunion, so have no words of wisdom for you on that. Maybe see a podiatrist?
1 Jun - Walk - 1.00 mile - driveway laps and trimmed trees for 1.75 hours
2 Jun - Walk - 1.00 mile - treadmill
3 Jun - Walk - 0.70 mile - Ran 2.50 miles - driveway laps
4 Jun - Walk - 0.70 mile - Ran 3.00 miles - driveway laps
5 Jun - Walk - 1.00 Mile - driveway laps
6 Jun - Walk - 0.70 mile - Ran 2.60 miles - driveway laps
13.2/80 miles for the month
Yesterday was my rest day, so I walked a quick mile on the driveway after church and before lunch.
Today, I ran my scheduled Speed Play run after work...on the driveway. It was 81°F and a slight breeze, and shady, so not too bad hot. The run called for 5 min Zone 1, 5 min Zone 2, 5x(2 min Zone 4/2 min Zone 1), 5 min Zone 1. I walked the recovery minutes. I thought I was running the last Zone 4 2 minutes faster than the others, but the 4th one was actually my fastest. I guess that is a sign that I did it right and was running about all I could do for those 2 minutes. My fast paces were: 10:52, 10:22, 10:40, 9:37, and 10:20 min/mile. I was pretty pleased with that.5
