April 2023 Monthly Running Challenge

Scott6255

Happy birthday @kgirlhart 🎈🎂🎉
@chris_in_cal stack height is the distance from the bottom of your foot to the ground. The higher the stack height, the less ground you will feel.
The heel-toe drop is the height difference between the heel and toe. Some shoes are 0 or very little (2-4mm) and others are large (14 or more) It just depends on what you like and what you are used to. The lower drop is less stress on knees generally, but calves have more work to do. Higher drop tends to have less stress on lower legs, but more pressure on the upper chain.
It all just depends on what you like and your physiology. There are a LOT of choices out there. Good luck!

quilteryoyo

Love the meme @TheMrWobbly ! Slow and steady wins the race.

@tarun_yadavA I hope the sore knee and calf is just from not having run in a while and not an injury. You're slow would be an amazing PR for me.

You are doing great @Laurz9191 .

Glad the new shoes are working for you @Scott6255 .

Happy Birthday @kgirlhart ! I love Mexican. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!

@chris_in_cal I think shoes are one of those things that are very personal. I only use the same shoe, Brooks Adrenaline, because I overpronate and these don't make my legs/knees hurt. I tried a shoe with a lower drop once and about a quarter mile in it was hurting so bad that I had to change back to my old ones.

I got up this morning and got my run in before "starting" my day. I didn't have a ton of time, but did sort-of follow the plan and did intervals of quarter mile each. I walked/ran at 3.8/6.0 mph. I was pleased that it didn't feel like I was totally sprinting and could have probably ran a little bit more at that speed. I am breaking it down into a run and walk for my stats - so 1 mile ran in 10 min and 1.50 miles walked in 23:44 min. My avg HR was 116 with the max of 148 bpm.

Afterwards, I took mom to her dentist appointment and then we ran some errands.

When I got home, I went out and mowed my lawn for the first time this season. I had to push mow it all, so skipped some spots, because I couldn't get my DR mower started (dead battery I am assuming). I also did the weed eating and blew the stuff off of some of the driveway with the leaf blower. Total time there was 1:42:33 min and traversed 2.10 miles. So, I'm a bit tired tonight.

chris_in_cal

Beautiful spring evening run. The little flying bugs are mostly gone, everything is blooming.

April Running Goal: 12 runs, 25 miles

1. April 2 - 2.49 miles
2. April 4 - 3.58 miles
3. April 6 - 3.68 miles
4. April 9 - 2.76 miles
5. April 11- 2.92 miles
6. April 14- 2.55 miles
7. April 16- 3.31 miles
8. April 18- 3.13 miles

Current: 8 runs, 24.42 miles

chris_in_cal

Scott6255 wrote: »

@chris_in_cal stack height is the distance from the bottom of your foot to the ground. The higher the stack height, the less ground you will feel. The heel-toe drop is the height difference between the heel and toe.

Thanks. FWIW: my current shoe is 32mm heel height, and a 10mm drop. (according to the web)

eleanorhawkins

@kgirlhart happy birthday!

chris_in_cal wrote: »

Scott6255 wrote: »

@chris_in_cal stack height is the distance from the bottom of your foot to the ground. The higher the stack height, the less ground you will feel. The heel-toe drop is the height difference between the heel and toe.

Thanks. FWIW: my current shoe is 32mm heel height, and a 10mm drop. (according to the web)

@chris_in_cal Perfectly explained by Scott but I must just stress here that switching from a high to low drop (or vice versa) without making a gentle progressive transition is likely to hurt. It doesn't necessarily mean they won't work for you, just that your body needs to adapt gradually to the big change such a seemingly small difference makes. I currently have 4 pairs of shoes in rotation, 2 trail and 2 road (don't tell my husband), with drops ranging from 4 to 10.

@tarun_yadavA what if you were gentle and tried to ease back gradually instead of expecting your poor body to just pick up where you left off? Wink, wink.

tarun_yadavA

@kgirlhart happy birthday! Hope you had a nice dinner yday!

@eleanorhawkins haha.

Mari33a

Almost didn't get a run in yesterday, it was a hectic day and we had visitors until 8.30pm last night so it was 9.20pm and getting dark before I got out. The sky was really clear so it was a nice run but Dakota was not impressed I left him at home. He had his paws on the window sill barking at me when I tried to sneak away.
02/04 3.26 miles
03/04 3.24 miles
05/04 3.26 miles
07/04 3.26 miles
10/04 3.27 miles
13/04 3.25 miles
14/04 3.25 miles
16/04 3.27 miles
18/04 3.27 miles

Total 29.33/40miles


@kgirlhart - Happy Birthday!
@tarun_yadavA - sound like a fab holiday, U'll get back to top form really quickly.

Laurz9191

@kgirlhart Hope you had a great birthday & a nice birthday run .

This morning I had a nice 10.2km run. The weather started out really cold with my hands turning red and ended really warmly. To me this indicates that springtime has finally arrived. I love seeing the sun come out more and the grass starting to grow/trees blooming. I did 4x 7 minute intervals which were a bit faster than my HM race pace. They went well and I enjoyed my time outside before heading to work.

Tomorrow I plan on taking the road bike out for a pre-race spin!

For April I have completed 107.7/175km.

Teresa502

Thanks for the shoe information @Scott6255. Very helpful.

Happy Birthday @kgirlhart! I hope you had a great day and the Mexican restaurant treated you like a queen!

Typically, I run in Brooks Ghost (even though I'm not happy with their current models) which have a 12mm "midsole drop" but I hike in Altra Lone Peak's which have a 0mm drop. I love the Altra's for hiking because they are so comfortable. They have a wide toe box and just fit my feet perfectly but I pay for the 0 drop. It's Wednesday and my calves are still a little sore from Saturday's hike. On Monday morning, I had to hold on to the hand rails for dear life going down the stairs. I thought about running in Altra's but I've tried running in Hoka Bondi's which have a 4.0mm heel to toe drop and my knees always ended up unhappy.

Scott6255

Got out for 8 miles this morning. It was pretty warm (upper 60s) and windy (15mph, 30mph gusts). Pace has been virtually the same for the last 4 runs. Think I need to shake things up a bit.

martaindale

chris_in_cal wrote: »

Between natural running, and super HOKA pillow shoes, what's the goldilocks number that people typically use? What's the differences?

@scott6255 Explained the difference perfectly. It’s likely that your current shoes just aren’t the ones for you. It’s good to know where you are starting from before heading back in for a new pair so you can make sure any adjustments you make to the drop are gradual. I unknowingly went from a 12mm to 5mm drop when I switched shoes last year and it likely contributed to my achilles tendinitis. I bought a pair that are in between and have made those my main shoes (2-3 days a week) and use the higher drop about once a week and the low ones 1-2 times a week. The higher drop shoes aren’t my favorite anymore but they aren’t terrible so I want to get some more mileage on them before I let them go.
FWIW my favs are a pair of HOKA Mach. Not the super mega cushion variety but still pretty cushioned and their drop is 5mm. The Clifton is more cushioned and has a 4mm drop. HOKA tend to have big stack heights and lower drops. In general stack heights are increasing on running shoes right now. You can still find minimal shoes but the average running shoe seems to be getting taller.

martaindale

Happy Birthday @kgirlhart!! So cool you saw a fox. The last time I was in the hill country I surprised one when I opened the front door. It was on the front porch, maybe using it at cover from the rain, so I had a cool up close encounter. I know there are quite a few of them out there but they are rare to spot.

@Teresa502 I have wanted to try a pair of lone peak for hiking because of the wide toe box but I wondered if the zero drop would be a problem for me. Hearing your experience makes me think I’m probably better off sticking with my cascades. They seem a tad more narrow in the forefoot than the brooks road shoes but not to the point that it is an issue. At least not for the short hikes I do.

quilteryoyo

Glad the little bugs are gone @chris_in_cal . The worst thing is to suck one of those down your throat. Great running.

@Mari33a Great job getting out for a late run when plans changed. Poor Dakota though. You're going to have to work on your sneaking skills.

spl8

I just caught up on the 76 posts I missed. Unfortunately, my knee/leg doesn't seem to be healing very quickly, so I'm still only walking (running hurts, but walking is ok). I am having it checked out by an orthopedist tomorrow. I hope it's nothing serious. In the meantime, my kid is going through a very rough patch, and the combination of her problems and mine has gotten me very down. I'm going to try to check in more often, to get the positive vibes of this group.

TheMrWobbly

Scott6255 wrote: »

Higher drop tends to have less stress on lower legs, but more pressure on the upper chain.

Nobody told me I had to have a chain - where do I get one from?

Many happy returns @kgirlhart

I hope the sun is shining on you all!

eleanorhawkins

Here to moan. I knew tapering would be ugly. Will spoiler so you don't all have to read my crap lol. Warning for the guys, there's girly stuff in there!

ALL the mental doubts and woes (haven't trained enough, will have to drop out half way round, will end up injured, blah, blah, blah).
What with worry about mini-me (there was another blow up at the weekend and we can't get her father to understand about emotions and anxiety and stuff) and pre-race nerves from hell I'm stress-eating like a pig with worms, I'm not sure I'll be able to drag my huge sorry belly round 42km on Sunday.
Add to all of this some lovely peri-menopause stuff (sorry guys!)... 41 days since my last period started, so add the bloating from that to the can't stop eating part. Hot flashes every 45 minutes or so all day long and night sweats to boot. I fear either my period will start, and they still haven't bothered to answer my questions by email, WhatsApp AND social media about access to toilets, or I'll just overheat entirely. The weather forecast there for Sunday is giving highs of about 85f.
The sweats wake me up at night, then my brain kicks in and suddenly I'm too busy worrying about whether I'll forget to pack anything to get back to sleep. Which is nonsense, I've packed most of my stuff already and have a list of what's left to pack. I've figured out the issues I was having with my vest, worked out where to put all the stuff I'll be carrying. But try telling my brain that at 4am. D'oh!
I'll be fine, it'll be great, but I'm starting to wish it would hurry up and be time so I can get it over with.

In other news, I don't remember whether I've shared my latest crazy plans here? I've talked two innocent souls into making a team to relay a cool ultra in November. It's so popular there's a lottery system for places, and they don't give an exact date for signing up in advance, so we're watching that like hawks. We're not sure if we really hope we get a place, or we really hope we don't. Also, they just announced it will start at 1am, so that'll be fun for whoever takes the first section.
In the meantime, I've seen a trail marathon on 3 December that I would like to do if we don't get a place for the ultra. If I survive Sunday and don't decide I'm never running again, that is.

kgirlhart

April Goal: 110 Miles

4/2: 11.03 miles
4/4: 6.02 miles
4/5: 5.25 miles
4/6: 5.51 miles
4/9: 11.02 miles
4/11: 5.25 miles
4/12: 5.26 miles
4/13: 6.02 miles
4/16: 11.01 miles
4/18: 5.5 miles
4/19: 5.26 miles

77.13/110 miles completed for April

It was warm and windy this morning. I ran 5 miles. It was mostly uneventful except about a mile from home I swallowed a gnat. And I had no water with me. So there was lots of coughing and throat clearing during the last mile.

Thanks for the birthday wishes @scott6255, @quilteryoyo, @Eleanorhawkins, @tarun_yadavA, @mari33a, @laurz9191, @teresa502, @Martaindale, and @themrwobbly!

chris_in_cal

kgirlhart wrote: »

a mile from home I swallowed a gnat.

Poor gnat

shanaber

@TheMrWobbly it is good to see you again!
@quilteryoyo - you are doing great easing that running interval up bit by bit! I am always amazed at all you manage to do!
@kgirlhart - Happy Late Birthday! Sounds like you had a nice day and a yummy dinner! Sorry about the gnat! That always makes me gag when it happens 🤢
@chris_in_cal - tiny bugs are still up this way. The hummingbirds love them though so it is fun to watch them flitting back and forth gorging themselves.
@tarun_yadavA - hope your calf and knee are nothing serious and just a matter of trying to do too much too soon after vacation. You might also consider how much mileage your shoes have and if they need replacing? Also are you planning to go by the London Marathon expo this weekend, maybe try out that giant treadmill (the tumbleater) set at Kipchoge's record breaking pace?
@eleanorhawkins - I am sorry about all the drama and peri-menopause issues. Honestly I would just be prepared as if you had started or knew you likely would. I can't imagine that they would have a marathon with no access to bathroom facilities but then I have never run a trail marathon so I don't really know what they normally do.
@spl8 - hang in there! I hope you get positive news about your leg from the Ortho doc and it is not serious. I hope you and your daughter can work through the issues. It can be so hard!

On the shoe stack and drop discussion. I think of the stack as being the amount of cushioning and the higher lit is the more likely I will fall over or twist an ankle. Since I typically run in pretty minimal shoes I tend to focus on low stack shoes (no more than 20 or so) with low drop (0-3mm). So many of the higher stack, more cushioned shoes just feel like I am running on marshmallows with no real responsiveness. I did have to adjust to the lower drop shoes. The biggest issue for me was my achilles - higher drop shoes shorten your achilles in the same way women's heeled shoes do, so going to 0 drop can be a process. Since I have made that transition though I have had no achilles issues at all.
It is true that lower drop minimal shoes are not as popular and there are fewer different brands to choose from. Altra, Topo Athletic, and Xero are 3 I have tried. Merrell also has some lower drop but they don't have the more natural wider toe box. The good thing is they do tend to be a bit cheaper and they last longer. I have gotten over 600 miles on most pairs.

I tried to run yesterday after agility class Monday night since I knew I wouldn't be able to run today. We had a great course with lots of running and some challenging parts at class so we were both exhausted afterwards. I should have taken Hobbes' hint and just recovered. He wouldn't even get off the couch to go for a walk. I walked to the trail but when I started my intervals, my legs felt like stumps and had no energy. So I a what I could and then just walked the rest of the way home. Tomorrow will be a better day!

polskagirl01

@eleanorhawkins not sure if this is encouraging, but what you've described is completely normal for where you're at in your journey (yes, you've got some extra with the kiddo). Sometimes tapering will cause the period to start right when you don't want it, so be ready for whatever. Seems to me those first couple cycle days can be good for athletic performance... yeah, still not encouraging. You definitely can get around the course though - your brain is lying with those doubts. It's going to be awesome. I'm so excited for you!