September 2022 Monthly Running Challenge

Options
1…1112141617…19

Replies

  • tarun_yadavA
    tarun_yadavA Posts: 1,095 Member
    Options
    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    @tarun_yadavA lol your gentle pace is still way faster than my race pace!
    @martaindale so cool about the owl! I scared one into flight early one morning this summer and it flew down low in front of me for a while before making what I took to be an exasperated noise and headed for the hills. I clearly got in the way of its plans.
    @Scott6255 that's awesome about your brother!

    I'm sure I've missed lots of things to comment on, I speed read, like and hug but life is pretty crazy atm, lots of travel, mini-me just started back at school (loads of drama and stress as she decided to change subjects halfway through sixth form), and of course, there's my 'not-quite-a-marathon' training.
    Peak week (inc that dreaded 20 miler) next week, and today, while messing up what was supposed to be a shorter long run (just 14 miles, whoever would have thought I would come to say just and 14 miles in the same sentence?) by adding in random kilometres at HM pace and running up the big hill 5 times, I came up with a horrific plan for that 20 miler... In an attempt to be more race specific, as from what I can tell on the elevation graphs there are 11 hills and none of them are very long (steep may well be another matter), rather than just going up the mountain for 10 miles and then turning around and coming back down I am going to do a similar run to today's, but instead of doing 5 x 500m up the big hill and back down again, I plan to do 15 x 500m up the big hill and back down again. I may die of boredom or exhaustion, and my legs may fall off, but it should be pretty damn good preparation for race day. And then... taper time.
    In the meantime, I've consciously decided not to log or even worry about the crazy amounts of food I'm inhaling. As I lost a couple of kilos with my gastritis issues and was left pretty weak and feeble I needed to start getting some fuel back on board. I've regained about 1 kilo I think, and am feeling a little bloated, so will be trying not to go too crazy, but restricting food is probably the last thing I need to do right now. Trouble is, I am SO rungry! Now I understand why everyone told me they gained weight during marathon training. I thought I was going to be the odd one out on that, but with a month to go I may still end up joining that club lol.

    @eleanorhawkins haha, I've gradually got quicker over the last 18M from around 9:45"-10:00" to 8:30"-8:45". That said, running say, 5M 28/30 days in a month at that pace - start picking up aches and niggles. So when I feel like I might be about to tweak something, I'm calming it down now.

    I struggle to accelerate these days. Feel it in my right glute-hammy, so try and stick to the same pace I started off at. Occasionally, I'm in a foul mood for whatever reason, or stressed about something, and I find it I've just attacked the first half so much quicker than I would have liked.

    Hear what you're saying about Marathon training. Ive never run a full one. Done several Halves (max is 16M), but found I'd put on weight whenever I did. No idea. 🤷. Pass.
    Think it's cos you overeat the next day and are pretty lethargic for a day or two.

    I saw your 14 on Strava - awesome 🙌
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,796 Member
    Options
    Currently at 107.2 miles out of 120 goal for the month. Got my booster yesterday afternoon so I expect by this afternoon I will feel a little puny. I can already tell my HR is up and I have a headache. But I did a 5 mile run at a pretty normal decent pace. Lately I have been a snail so this is good.

    My new Apple software tracks a LOT of additional metrics but I still find the ones which were already there are the most help. The others just seem to follow the pace and cadence as far as results.
  • martaindale
    martaindale Posts: 2,061 Member
    Options
    @Scott6255 Congrats to your brother! It’s cool that you are getting to celebrate with him.

    @kgirlhart I used to work providing vacation coverage for a breast center in Denton from time to time. The main thing I remember about it was a restaurant called Hannah’s in the old downtown area. It was sooo good and the place was really cute. Kind of a TX fancy casual vibe.

    @eleanorhawkins It’s smart that you are adding some race specific components to your workouts. Besides the physical training, it’s probably good for your mental prep. Re: runger. I am not as far into my plan as you are, but I am running 35-40 miles a week and my appetite took a DIVE this week. I had a couple days where I didn’t even eat all my snacks because I just wasn’t hungry. IDK if it’s the type of calories (ratio of macros) in this weeks meal prep or if the overall volume of food is just too high (it doesn’t seem crazy) but I’m hoping this will sort itself out. I don’t usually struggle with eating and as the mileage climbs, I need the fuel. Not losing weight or anything but when I am underfueled, I know my runs get harder and recovery doesn’t work as well.

    @SummerSkier I got my booster recently too. My initial series and 1st booster was Pfizer but my pharmacy only had Moderna, so the 2nd booster switched brands. My husband had Moderna initially and felt run down for a day or 2 after each shot but yet again, not a single symptom for me. It’s weird. I thought my lack of symptoms after the Pfizer shots was a difference in the brands/dosages, but guess not.
  • martaindale
    martaindale Posts: 2,061 Member
    Options
    Sept total: 88.7/123 miles

    9/1: 4 miles
    9/2: 5 miles
    9/4: 4.2 miles
    9/5: 5 miles
    9/6: 5.2 miles
    9/7: 3.2 miles
    9/8: 3 miles
    9/9: 5.2 miles
    9/12: 5 miles
    9/14: 4.8 miles
    9/15: 5 miles
    9/16: 3 miles
    9/17: 6.1 miles
    9/18: 3.8 miles
    9/19: 7.6 miles
    9/21: 6.5 miles
    9/22: 4.1 miles
    9/23: 8 miles

    Drove out to the hill country after work last night so I could wake up here. It’s a few degrees cooler here and the humidity was pretty low this morning so overall nice conditions for a longer run. Once again, got sidetracked by phone calls and got out 30 mins later than intended so the sun was out in full force and the temps started climbing pretty quickly in the last few miles. I was expecting the hills to kick my butt, but it wasn’t as bad as expected. I think mixing in the treadmill 1-2 times a week, which almost always has some incline changes, has helped maintain some of the gains I made on the hills during my last visit. Of course, it’s no substitution for the real thing but it helped. From my house, any route I choose with be net downhill on the way out and net uphill on the way in. So while I handled the uphills on the outbound portion like a champ, the biggest ones pop up about 60-70% of the way through my run. I hiked up a couple of them to let my HR come down but I still think I’m in a better position than I would be without the treadmill and more than 2 months since I have done any hills runs.

    Going to try out the run club tomorrow morning. They seem to run about a 5k, so I’ll finish off my run alone afterwards. I’ve never participated in a run club before. I guess we’ll see how it goes.
  • swenson19d
    swenson19d Posts: 786 Member
    edited September 2022
    Options
    end of month question?
    Share a story, tid-bit, or pic that isn't running related!


    My monthly question is more of an update.
    I got new compression socks this week . Like many (once a) runners, I have an overdeveloped interest in stockings, pens, pencils, the proper key chain, the only acceptable drink cup, etc... I bought a package of 6 knee-high compression socks. I did't unpack them so I can just reach in a get a surprise pair. I think I may have to continue this cheerful way to start the day, except I can't afford new packages of random hosiery; well I might be able to do a monthly pack. There should be a Stocking Exchange; wear once, send to a random runner. I thought of @garygse yesterday, our handsome apace elf on the shelf with my newest favourite soks, and @WhatMeRunning as I discarded the toe-socks for the charity bin; and @7lenny7 for sharing his boys Bob Ross, because I want to paint. Hope you all are well.

    My Gary soks
    Yes, the house is a mess. Keepin' it real.
    ipp939c9prdz.jpeg

    I got a viola.
    Did I already tell you all that? I bought it from the luthier, its handmade, in Ireland. It is beautiful. It is the Specilized bike to the old walmart bike at a yard sale. Yes, I have nearly fallen out if love with the internet purchased machine made violin. My teacher says I am at the point whereI can continue to learn both without too much trouble. But, the viola is divine.
    b1mmtz93070y.jpeg
    k4e93l22j3jy.jpeg
    dyn22t5laxjy.png

    Mental health
    Alex is still dead. Sadness is upon me rather than the darkness. I spent the last school year in a masters programme studying psychology. It was opportune and cathartic. Autism and ADHD diagnosis; which has helped me understand why I don't exactly fit in and have certain struggles. It's allowed me to "lean in" to my grief process and accept that I will probably always have, what seems to be a soulless existence. I've given my soul to Alex. I am back in the nursing programe, (where's Jeremy? @workaholic_nurse)? a semester and a half left. From there I think I will go back to psychology and aim for a clinical psychology degree. I should connect with a psychologist, have one pick out even, just need to make an appointment. Grief is a chronic condition.

    Latest pic of Alex shared with me from on of hi friends. Love that I get the surprise pic still.
    ns8baq0b8svi.jpg

    I was one of the first on scene
    Car vs deer, deer into oncoming car + motorcycle at 5am a week ago. I helped the motorcycle rider best I could for 30 minutes before EMS/EMT's/5-0 got there. I may entertain emergency medicine. I reached out to the volunteer FD for more info in joining them. I'm 8 minutes from where this happened, not 20-30. My psych mental health professor says a lot of ER/ED visits are psych cases. So, IDK what I want to do when I grow up... other than an accomplished Violist of course.
  • polskagirl01
    polskagirl01 Posts: 2,010 Member
    Options
    @eleanorhawkins just don't go TOO crazy on the 20-miler! The point of that run is time on your feet. General hills/mountain terrain are fine as that's similar to race conditions, but a tough hill workout should be on a different day. You don't want to run your race in training and then still be recovering on race day. Just my 2 cents though. Feel free to ignore me 😁 It could also be you're planning to do those hill repeats nice and slow, in which case it might work out ok.
  • martaindale
    martaindale Posts: 2,061 Member
    Options
    @swenson19d So glad to hear from you. It sounds like you have been busy.
  • swenson19d
    swenson19d Posts: 786 Member
    Options
    martaindale wrote: »
    @swenson19d So glad to hear from you. It sounds like you have been busy.

    Yes. I was diagnosed with "distraction as a coping mechanism". 😁

    With cooler weather upon us, are you looking forward to those brisk runs?
  • martaindale
    martaindale Posts: 2,061 Member
    Options
    swenson19d wrote: »
    Yes. I was diagnosed with "distraction as a coping mechanism". 😁

    With cooler weather upon us, are you looking forward to those brisk runs?

    So, so much. I've been over summer pretty much since it started!
  • martaindale
    martaindale Posts: 2,061 Member
    Options
    polskagirl01 wrote: »
    @eleanorhawkins just don't go TOO crazy on the 20-miler! The point of that run is time on your feet. General hills/mountain terrain are fine as that's similar to race conditions, but a tough hill workout should be on a different day. You don't want to run your race in training and then still be recovering on race day. Just my 2 cents though. Feel free to ignore me 😁 It could also be you're planning to do those hill repeats nice and slow, in which case it might work out ok.

    Good point @polskagirl01. Don't trash your legs right before race day!
  • tarun_yadavA
    tarun_yadavA Posts: 1,095 Member
    Options
    Good morning all.
    Hope you all have a lovely weekend. Got my 5 in.
    jvcankt1rdpo.png
  • martaindale
    martaindale Posts: 2,061 Member
    Options
    Sept total: 96.7/123 miles

    9/1: 4 miles
    9/2: 5 miles
    9/4: 4.2 miles
    9/5: 5 miles
    9/6: 5.2 miles
    9/7: 3.2 miles
    9/8: 3 miles
    9/9: 5.2 miles
    9/12: 5 miles
    9/14: 4.8 miles
    9/15: 5 miles
    9/16: 3 miles
    9/17: 6.1 miles
    9/18: 3.8 miles
    9/19: 7.6 miles
    9/21: 6.5 miles
    9/22: 4.1 miles
    9/23: 8 miles
    9/24: 8 miles

    Another 8 miles this morning. The run group meets at a park by the canyon lake dam, so drove out there this morning. It ended up just being me and my neighbor! It was nice to see her and we ran together for the first few miles. The dam is 0.8 miles across and flat as a pancake, which was a nice change after all the hills yesterday. There are some trails in the park and another along the river that I checked out. The park trails are short and all looping/interconnected. I stuck to the flatter parts and didn’t take the dive down to lake level. The trail along the river has a ton of stairs made with railroad ties as little retaining walls. It’s pretty and I will go back with my husband to hike it, but it isn’t great for running. I bailed before the halfway mark. The stairs are super uneven in height, depth, and level. A much more experienced trail runner might be fine but I was nervous about running up them because the strides were so variable and I was nervous going down them because it was so steep I was worried I would get going too fast and fall. So I figured if I walking that much I might as well make my way back to the road. I may head back to the dam for my repeats on Monday and take advantage of the flat, straight path.

    Pics of the trails. I just realized I didn't take a pic of the overlook at the dam. I'll have to do that Monday.
    m4on32owz8gy.jpg
    gei9klacbcxg.jpg
    849fsrp6zn67.jpg
  • tarun_yadavA
    tarun_yadavA Posts: 1,095 Member
    Options
    Scott6255 wrote: »
    Great totals for the year so far @tarun_yadavA

    Got in a very nice but short 5 miler this morning with the bro

    exercise.png

    @Scott6255 thanks buddy! 😊

Categories