July 2015 Running Challenge

briebee7 wrote: »

Aresende90 wrote: »

Quick poll: have you ever run when you were upset? And did it make you run better or worse?

I was upset yesterday, so instead of eating the pint of ice cream in the freezer I went for 5.5 mile run. . . I had a hard time breathing and my chest felt heavy for the first few miles..i kept having to stop to seriously catch my breath. It went away after a little while..anyone ever experience this? I thought my feelings would fuel my workout...not so much..:/

For me it depends on the type of upset I am. I have found that if I am stressed or need to work through something in my head then running is a great outlet for me. In those cases it will fuel my running and I will come back refreshed and rejuvinated. However, sometimes when the "upset" is just too overwhelming I end up feeling like you did - that overly anxious, tight chest feeling. Either way I am always glad that I chose to run vs other less healthy outlets.

@Aresende90 - ^^^ this is pretty much me too. Like @briebee7 if I am stressed (I am pretty much always stressed) or angry, running is my outlet and makes me feel better. Other things not so much. I don't find those other emotions fuel my run or take away from it, it is just that the running doesn't really help. Today was super stressful with work and issues with my daughter's house (lawsuit type issues) I really NEEDED to run but a) it is a taper/rest day and b) there was no time due to the work issues... I did get in my strength training and it helped some but it was not the same as run would have been.

@briebee7 - welcome to the humidity I have been experiencing! This is not supposed to be in California!!
@melaniefave41 - we are related - I am Smellysock Bouncyboobs!!
@Elise4270 - Beautiful sunset!
@5BeautifulDays - I don't eat before I run unless I get going too late and it never turns out well if I do eat first. I have protein powder in coffee (decaf) sometimes before I go to bed for muscle building, or with milk right right after I run, for recovery.

No run for me today - taper/rest day.

7/1: 6.5 miles
7/2: 6.5 miles with the Thursday running crew
7/3: Rest
7/4: 3.1 miles (New 5k PR of 23:42!)
7/5: 12 miles
7/6: 4 miles easy recovery pace
7/7: 5 miles of easy "I'm drowning in humidity" pace
7/8: 4 miles
7/9: 5 miles -- quick, fun ones with the Thursday running group!
7/10: Rest
7/11: 3.1 miles
7/12: 14.3 miles
7/13: 4 miles easy recovery pace
7/14: 5 miles
7/15: 8 miles
7/16: 6.3 miles
7/17: Rest day/XT: 4 mile walk
7/18: 4 miles
7/19: 15 miles
7/20: 4.2 miles (recovery style!)
7/21: Rest/XT day (14 miles stationary bike)
7/22: 9 miles -- Temps were 15 degrees cooler than my run on Monday, so this was just a fun, energetic midweek longish run!

119/175

@CrimsonWhite Those are fantastic paces, don't sell yourself short! With you 100% on running in cooler temps. I'm ready for autumn and some mid 40's mornings/evenings.

@Elise4270 Such a beautiful picture, thanks for sharing!

@5BeautifulDays It really depends on my run, mileage, time of day, etc... For early morning runs under six miles I won't bother with food before, just water. Longer than that and I will eat a handful of almonds or some yogurt. Of going later in the day, I always like to wait around to hours after my last meal before I run, this one learned from experience.... Lol. But that's what works for me. Depends on where I'm running at, too. I'll drink a cup of coffee before I hit the trails because the pace is slower, doesn't bother me, but if I'm just doing a quick in town run, then I wait until after.

5BeautifulDays wrote: »

Does anyone run without eating beforehand? I normally have a scoop of protein powder in my coffee, but I'm running so early that I'm not sure I'll want anything.

I eat beforehand on my Sunday long runs, which are usually 12-20 miles. I'll eat a piece of bread with peanut butter and drink a cup of coffee, then I'm out the door. The rest of the week, my runs are 4-10 miles and I go out without eating anything. I did 9 this morning without eating or drinking beforehand, and just took a 10 oz water bottle with me and that was it. It takes some getting used to, and my paces are always slower in the morning (especially when it's a pre-coffee run!), but it's good practice for races.

July 1 - rest
July 2 - 3.75 run/walk combo
July 3 - 5 miles
July 4 - 5.76 miles
July 5 - walked 5 miles in morning to scout out a place to do long run. Then walked another 6 all around the city.
July 6 - rest
July 7 - 8.6 - fun run to Roosevelt Island and then around the island. Weather is great for me!
July 8 - 4.1 miles
July 9 - 3.51 miles - last run with daughter until HM in October.
July 10 - 5.2 miles in the hills of Virginia.
July 11 - 3.5
July 12 - 4.3 very slow miles
July 13 - rest
July 14 - 9.26 miles
July 15- rest day - driving back to FL day.
July 16 - strength training
July 17 - 5.62 - back in the Florida heat! Wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be.
July 18 - 34 mile bike ride
July 19 - 41 mile bike ride
July 20 - 3.26 miles + cycling indoor (FTP)
July 21 - strength training
July 22 - 10.21 miles!!! New longest run! It was quite slow (11-12+ min miles) but I don’t care. I’m working on distance and speed will come later. I am obsessed with the Jelly Belly Sports Beans during the run! @elise4270 told me about them and now I love them! I am just having them on my long run days and on my biking days.





@Aresende90 - I always run in the early morning. When school is in I leave around 4:30am, so I haven't had time to even get mad or upset! I'm too tired, lol. But I always feel better after a run no matter how good or bad the run was. And it seems like the rest of the day just goes better on run days.

@419er - I don't believe my memory either sometimes. Frustrating!

@5BeautifulDays - I tried having some milk or protein shake prior to running a few times because of what I read on here (after a long sleep and then running your body needs some food!) but it just doesn't go well. It makes me have to go to the bathroom after about 1 mile. For a few weeks I would run a mile circle, make a pit stop at home, then head out again. But I didn't want my body to get used to that routine, so I stopped it.

7/1 - 1.75mi Today was going to be a rest day because my quads are tight and sore but I did it. It was slow and I went on a sandy path instead of pavement to see if it helped and I do feel a little better.
7/3 - 3.1mi Did my usual hilly path thru the park. Waited until evening to go but it was nice. Completed the first of 2 virtual 5k's. Now I have the rest of the month to improve my time LOL.
7/6. - 1.6mi Went for a birthday run with my son, which, While I love spending time with him I hate running with him because i am to much slower than him and he always wants to walk LOL.
7/7. - 3.1 mi Got up at 4:30am to get a run in before work and make up for yesterday. Think I will skip yoga today, I am sure I will pay for it later this week.
7/10 - 1.85mi Couldn't get my butt out of bed this morning and I paid for it. Very humid, slow run on a hilly trail. I knew I couldn't do the 3 miles I had planned so I worked on powering uphill and maintaining the faster pace after the downhills on the hilly trail I picked.
7/15- 3 miles Started off badly by forgetting my watch and decided not to turn around and get it. Was also still stiff and sore for my fitness test on Monday. All the strength stuff was "to failure ". But I am glad I went, I saw a doe and fawn and another doe farther down the path. It started out cool and drizzly but stopped halfway thru and ended with nice temperature
7/17 - 1.6mi Started off in the rain which was nice but after a half mile I started getting a headache which kept getting worse. I threw in a few walk breaks to see if it would help but gave up early. I will try again Sunday.
7/19 - 3.0 mi Crazy hot and humid and it made my RAD act up worse then it has all summer. Could not get my lungs to clear out and of course forgot my inhaler because I have not needed it yet. So more walking then running but still I was moving.
7/21 - 2.0 Late posting this, went for a run during lunch and used the dreadmill to see if it made a difference in how I felt when I ran and of course it was much better. No humidity and air conditioner apparently = happy lungs. Only had time for 2 miles because my new boss was on site and I didn't want to disappear for to long but felt like I could have gone 2 more which is a nice change instead of dying in the second mile and barely finishing the third LOL.

21 done 9 to go

I did my "long" run this morning--7.2 miles--although as I look at a lot of your distances I realize that I am just a bitty baby in "long distance running!"

Things I learned: A) Running on a fasting tummy was fine, but I felt like my first two miles were like molasses. Which was probably because running a long way (for me) on the day after "leg day" at the gym is probably not the best idea. My hip flexor/IT band (I'm not sure which it is--the really tough band of whatever that goes from groin to inner thigh) started to ache around mile 6 and I had to walk a good chunk of the last mile.

Thanks for all the comments on eating/not eating before a run. I think I like the way I fee *with* my protein coffee better, but it was nice to know I could do it without.

7/2 4.5 @ 12:42
7/3 4.5 @ 13:58
7/4 5 @ 11:54

7/6 4 @ 12:00
7/8 5.5 @ 11:42
7/9 6.5 @ 11:41
7/10 3 @ 10:47
7/11 2.5 @ 12:54

7/13 3.5 @ 11:55/15 splits (half was walking with friends)
7/14 3.75 @ 12:40
7/15 6.25 @ 13:40
7/16 2 @ 15:00 (walking with friends)
7/17 4.25 @ 13:41
7/18 4.75 @ 13:24

7/20 5.25 @ 11:57
7/21 3.5 @ 12:12
7/22 7.25 @ 13:54 (my fastest mile was 12:51--on a blacktop path. The gravel felt especially loose today, otherwise...or maybe it was just me, lol.)

76/100 for the month

@5BeautifulDays - Ha! I learned not to do my long run the day after leg day that way as well. That's your hip flexor. IT band is on the outside from hip to knee. Fantastic run!!

4 miles today...