JULY 2024 Monthly Running Challenge

VO2Maxlet

Yesterday I only ran 4 miles--not 6. Unexpected day. A few friends I met in uni came to visit so I cut my run short. Not bad for Z2. I was caught two times going out of HR Zone. I guess my speed compared to Tuesday really does show how good rest is.

Avg 126 BPM
Max 141 BPM
Avg 167 SPM


Today, I wanted to have fun, so I ran a tempo. Definitely did a lot better than I thought I would I initially saw the speeds and thought that I would be out of my league here, not quite exactly the case. I was still able to finish strong.


Lap 2: Avg Pace 10:57, Avg HR 136, Max HR 149
Lap 3: Avg Pace 7:46, Avg HR 177, Max HR 187
Lap 4: Avg Pace 8:09, Avg HR 187, Max HR 189
Lap 5: Avg Pace 10:29, Avg HR 165, Max HR 185



Although, it seems like I forgot how to control my pace at higher speeds.
Current TRIMP x0.65-staying stagnant which means my risk for injury is not increasing or decreasing.
Workload Ratio is in optimum range. 0.90 which is optimal.

VO2Maxlet

On a side note, reading @yirara post (congrats on the diligence to get that extra mileage in without going into Z5 BTW) I recall using a very weird metric for bodybuilding kg of protein per lb of bodyweight or effectively kg/lb. I wonder what the runner equivalent would be of that. I initially thought km/mile but we don't really measure distances like that.

martaindale

tarun_yadavA wrote: »

@martaindale now now Sarah... Don't hate!
😁😁

No hate, just an observation. I literally can not train the way you do. You seem to follow none of the commonly held recommendations and keep on ticking!

martaindale

Happy birthday to your mom @AlphaHowls! I understand what you mean about wanting a day off. It's good your siblings are able to gather to celebrate your mom.

Waiting to hear about your race @chris_in_cal!!

martaindale

July total: 17/100 miles
YTD: 508.8/1200 miles

7/1: 3 miles
7/3: 6.5 miles
7/4: 7.5 miles

I decided to split the difference between treadmill and outdoors. I did the first 4.2 miles outside on the neighborhood trail. After that I did another treadmill run in the Japan series and finished with 3.3 miles for a total of 7.5. My plan had been for 7, but I'll gladly collect a few extra tenths since it will be hard for me to meet my goal this month. The a/c and some ice water was soooo nice after getting super sweaty.

Since I don't have work today I'm going to take it extra easy for the rest of the day. The heat was really getting to me today. Just need to do some laundry so I can start setting travel clothes aside. I need a lot of stuff for a 2 week trip plus several changes of running clothes.

@quilteryoyo My kid is feeling better. The cold has resolved so just dealing with the ear infections. They aren't having as much pain today but still can't hear. We have to yell everything and still end up repeating ourselves multiple times.

ContraryMaryMary

Another sweaty “unproductive” 10k for me this morning. But at least I had company today - one of my running buddies is also holidaying here so joined me this morning. Nice to catch up, share the good eateries, and commiserate about the humidity. We stopped at 9km so she could buy donuts for her family and forgot to start running again for 500m or so, so the last k is a lot slower. Other than that, I think I’m starting to acclimatise a little.

shanaber

Go, Go, GO @chris_in_cal! I think you are likely finished with the race but hope you had a blast and the anticipated starting temp sounds lovely.

@quilteryoyo - maybe the stampeding deer were running from the bears you didn't see?
@kgirlhart - on the other hand, maybe having a bear or two come around would keep the skunks away? Not sure that would be an ideal tradeoff though.

quilteryoyo wrote: »

@kgirlhart Very nice 6 miles. I guess we all need to stay alert while running, even if there is no previous threat detected. I think someone on here said they ran with a tiny device that sounded like a bullhorn to get attention and scare off dogs and such. Does anyone still here remember that or know where you could get one. It seems like a great idea.

It may have been me @quilteryoyo.When we were having problems with loose dogs and also coyotes on the trail here one of the park rangers recommended getting a small air horn. I found mine at a boating supply and it is pretty tiny but makes a big noise. I would clip it to the belt of my waist hydration belt or to m hydration vest. The only problem I have is it freaks out Hobbes but I would rather keep us both safe.

@summerskier - I am so sorry you have issues with a 'friend' on Strava. Is there a way to report them anonymously so it doesn't create issues for you?
@martaindale and @henridw2095 - I too am not a deepish pizza fan but it is my husband's favorite. In fact he ordered one last night with half of it with my toppings. I couldn't eat it as is iso I pretty much deconstructed it by removing the toppings and some of the cheese and just eating the outside end of the crust 😂 I also like the handcrafted thin crust pies.
@martaindale - I am so sorry about your kid's ruptured eardrum and infections. It had to be so very painful for them! I hope they are feeling better and can enjoy your trip to Japan.
@henridw2095 - the vegan food looks delicious! I love falafel but have yet to find any in our area that I would call decent. Most are so dry and/or tasteless. I am sure if I wanted to trek into downtown LA I could find some but it is not worth it going all the way there. The best I have had were on a visit to our niece at NAU in Flagstaff, AZ of all places.
@ContraryMaryMary - I always loved having our pool to jump into in the summer straight after a run. My legs also liked it - an especially great way to literally cool down!
@AlphaHowls - Happy, Happy Birthday to your mom! I hope you siblings pitch in and give you at least time to relax from all your job duties!

I got out for an earlier 2mi walk on Tuesday. I am working on a better way to report my progress. The free flow posting I used in June bugs me so I will likely put it in excel to make it neater 😁 I saw the PA yesterday before my treatment and made sure it was ok continue my walks, running when I feel up to it, along with the strength training. I am still losing weight and don't want to make it worse with all the added activity. She agreed I should keep it up to hopefully regain some muscle mass. If I feel up to it later today I may try for a walking pad walk. It is too hot and the air quality is not great (fires and fireworks - yuck) to go outside. I am toying with trying to get Hobbes to walk on it too, not with me but just a bit of movement for him too.

yirara

VO2Maxlet wrote: »

On a side note, reading @yirara post (congrats on the diligence to get that extra mileage in without going into Z5 BTW) I recall using a very weird metric for bodybuilding kg of protein per lb of bodyweight or effectively kg/lb. I wonder what the runner equivalent would be of that. I initially thought km/mile but we don't really measure distances like that.

Haha, thanks! My HR tends to go skyhigh if I don't run for as little as three weeks. So working on getting it down again so that I'm able to run for longer.

kgirlhart

July Goal: 130 Miles

7/1: 4.02 miles
7/2: 6.02 miles
7/3: 6.02 miles
7/4: 6.26 miles

22.32/130 miles completed for July

I didn't get up early since I had the day off, but I woke up a little before 7, so I decided to go for a run. It was 7:45 when I started and 84°F feels like 90°. The dew point was 71°. I had a great run. I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. I got my salt stick chews yesterday in the mail so I used them. I took one about 30 minutes in and another at about one hour. I was impressed with them. I tried the orange and I thought they tasted good. I ran 6.25 miles in 1 hour, 14 minutes. It was 86°feels like 92° when I finished, but I felt good while I was running, and when I got home. I'll get a better idea of how they work on Sunday when I do my long run, but so far I feel like they will be helpful in staying hydrated.

martaindale

@kgirlhart I could really feel the difference in how the salt tabs made me feel. And they helped me recover quicker.

chris_in_cal

Hello,

I ran the Crown City Classic 5K, this morning in Coronado, CA.

The weather really worked, it was mid-sixties with ocean overcast. The turnout was nice and seemed festive. This area of San Diego is an epicenter of Independence Day celebrating. Getting there at the butt crack of dawn is peacefully and the whole place just ramps up from there. They hold a big parade, fireworks and the beach gets packed with families staking out their spots.

It is the 51st running of this event. I discovered it last year and ran that edition too. This year I picked up one minute on my 5K chip time.

37:51 last year
36:35 today

I enjoyed it and it's fun. It's clear I'm not fit, that's the issue. I wanted to try starting out a little fast and my first mile was the fastest, then I had a lull in the second mile and was thinking I might get a second wind to finish it off, but it didn't come. I shuffled in.

I like running and preparing myself for goals and targets. This was a lot of fun. Wow, I know I can do so much better. I appreciate being upright and breathing. I appreciate being able to get through fun events like this. More holistically improving my body, health, and fitness level is where my work is.

Your encouragement here was amazing. There is nothing else like it and I appreciate this group. Last but not least, I received my first batch of GLP1 injectables (Wegovy) in the mail this week. I understand it can be rough the first week so I held off on taking it prior to the race. But, I'm trying it. I'm pressing send on this post and starting the first dose of this controversial and probably very effective med.

2023 - 37:51 @ 244.4 lbs
2024 - 36:35 @ 240.6 lbs

We'll see how having Wegovy in the mix does when, G-ddess willing, I run the 2025 edition.

kgirlhart

Congratulations on beating last year's time @chris_in_cal! And great race picture! I rarely get a photo with both feet off the ground.

@martaindale I felt really good all day today. I think salt tabs helped. Where are you going in Japan? My son lived in Sapporo for a year and he loved it.

henridw2095

Congrats, @chris_in_cal! These are great pictures, too, especially the one with you in action.

Also, good luck with Wegovy—hopefully, you will be spared any unpleasant side effects. I have no experience with these drugs, but they sound like a potentially very effective tool as long as one is willing to work on all the other aspects of weight loss (and maintaining it).

Pizza talk is making me hungry. My favorite pizza is Italian thin crust (for example, available at Eataly in Chicago, including a cheese-less one). I'm hoping to go for a run early tomorrow morning, but I am also on COVID watch (I had a known exposure during the conference, and several participants are already sick). My test tonight was negative, but I left it on the counter, and after an hour, a very faint line was visible. I'm not sure what that means; time will tell.

ContraryMaryMary

Well done @chris_in_cal, you smashed it. I hope all goes well with your new drug and it does the job for you. Either way, I’m sure you’ll shave even more off your time next year!

I’m glad the salt tabs are effective @martaindale and @kgirlhart - I don’t have any but am ensuring I’m eating plenty of well salted chips while the running’s so sweaty 😜

Nice work @VO2Maxlet, you’re very consistent and you’ll definitely reap the rewards.

I feel for you @AlphaHowls - you deserve a break and it’s a pity your siblings can’t see this. I hope you have a pleasant time anyway.

Apologies for not keeping up with everyone and just spamming you with holiday pics instead. You’ll be happy to hear I’m heading home to the winter frosts tomorrow.

Until then, still loving the post run dip (am I dripping water or sweat?)

VO2Maxlet

@martaindale I need to get some of these salt tablets maybe. They seem like the hack according to these testimonials. I used Cure in some of my bottles. Not a fan of the taste but I'm no stranger to the food is fuel mentality. Currently using these Clif Bloks Energy. They're chews. I just see carbs on here and I assume it's good. Used the Clif bars once during the Garmin Half Marathon program I never completed, and that didn't end up very pretty.

Nice job @chris_in_cal ! Got a great picture to go along with it too. That's awesome!

@ContraryMaryMary thank you! Although, I wouldn't call it consistent provided I'm diverting a bit far from the schedules/training "programs" I made for myself. Oh well. Gotta adapt. I see a running cap so I'm going all in on sweat

I ended up going to the arcade to play some PIU. My left glute was definitely more active this session. Brought baby powder with me to make the pads more slippery, but it looks like someone did the favor for me already by the time I got there. Broke into new levels consistently, but I burned out from not being able to read the arrows. The last two sessions have been rough. Ran through 2L of water and now I look like I was recently dipped into a pool. I have stopped hitting Z5 consistently maybe two months ago with each chart. I really gotta get to the higher levels.

Max 182 BPM

tarun_yadavA

Morning all

Up early so I can sneak a run in before flying.

@chris_in_cal well done!! 🙌🏽

@ContraryMaryMary holiday pics are good! Keep em coming! 😊

@martaindale all good 😊 I know... I'm unconventional lol

@VO2Maxlet Joe's is really good. Haven't really met a pizza I didn't like!
Tried em all... Chicago deep dish, Joe's in NYC, Apizza in CT, NJ style calzones and strombolis, Detroit style pizza... And was recently in Napoli before you joined here... Even ate deep fried pizza!
There's a weird bouggee one in NYC called Artichoke pizza... Thick creamy cheesy artichoke dip type sauce. Will give that a go on my next visit.

tarun_yadavA

Got in 3.60M at 09"28

Will post hungover 'run see' of Berlin over the wknd

Laurz9191

Hi everyone!

@chris_in_cal Congratulations in your race! It sounds like it went really well, you enjoyed it, and you were faster than last year! It sounds like the perfect race to me . Good luck with your Wegovy.

@ContraryMaryMary I will miss your vacation photos! They are putting me in the mood for my upcoming vacation! Two more weeks .

@kgirlhart That sounds like a hot tub to feel so good afterwards. It definitely sounds like you’ve adjusted to the heat.

Today I had an “easy” run with 8 fartleks planned. It turned into more of a hard run, but it was fun. Tomorrow I will take the pace truly nice and easy. I ran 10.6km. I got some new shoes in the mail yesterday. I’m waiting until my “official” marathon training program begins in a couple days before rotating them in. My current favorite pair now has carried me over 500 miles…

60.1/200km for July.

martaindale

VO2Maxlet wrote: »

@martaindale I need to get some of these salt tablets maybe. They seem like the hack according to these testimonials. I used Cure in some of my bottles. Not a fan of the taste but I'm no stranger to the food is fuel mentality. Currently using these Clif Bloks Energy. They're chews. I just see carbs on here and I assume it's good.

I've used the Clif bloks in the past. Some have more salt in them than others so depending on how much salt you need to replenish (read - how salty do you sweat?) you might be able to get a 2 for 1 with the bloks. If those flavors aren't your favorite or you can't easily get them, I definitely recommend the salt chews! I also feel like they helped my stomach not only handle fuel better but allowed me to absorb water more efficiently. I am able to drink a fair bit more water now and not get the sloshy stomach.

The gels I currently use have very little salt compared to what I'm sweating. And I really detest the gu flavors that have more salt (like the watermelon that people seem to love). Supplementing with salt tabs was a perfect solution and gives me a way to replace salt in runs too short for fuel.

martaindale

Way to go @chris_in_cal!! Knew you would crush it! Like others here, I rarely get a race photo with both feet off the ground. That's a good shot! Glad you had a fun time and good luck on your weight loss journey.