August 2015 Running Challenge

WhatMeRunning wrote: »

Question for the runners out there who are (or have in the past) done two-a-day runs regularly...

I am finding my schedule a bit difficult lately to hit my weekly miles based on the focus on lots of long, slow miles. Mainly, the biggest issue is that my shortest run in my normal schedule right now is 8 miles, which for me can take 1:45 to 2 hours even! My weekend long runs I am not so concerned with, but I also have a mid-week long run on Wednesdays of 12 miles currently, which can take from 2:45 to 3 hours (more if I have to make rest stops).

Getting a 2-3 hour block of contiguous time is what is wrong. Mornings used to be when I would fit these in, but with this mileage and times it is difficult to do that when I have to wake the first kid up for school at 5:45am, meaning I would have to be up around 3am, or even 2am on a long run day in order to be dressed, ready, all that and out the door in time. Not practical at all.

Evenings are a nice backup when possible, but many times not realistic either. The only thing dependable is getting them out of the way in the morning. After that, maybe I can run later...maybe not.

So I am giving a lot of thought to running twice a day. Say a 4 or 6 miler in the morning. I could wake up for that much easier. And then later in the day fit in another one.

So my main question is, if my goal was 8 miles on a given day, would two 4 milers give me the same benefit? Same with higher mileage?

I am not doing speedwork, just focusing on lots of miles and trying to continue building my strength, endurance, form and pace.

Remind me: what is the event you're training for?

I wouldn't say I do 2-a-days regularly since I've only started doing them for the last two weeks, but I see them as something I'll continue doing for the foreseeable future, and so here's my thoughts: Personally I do a two-a-day on Thursdays so I can squeeze in another rest day on Friday while still getting ~50 miles in every week and hitting all my targeted workouts and easy/recovery runs. So I don't split a run in two; I do my "Friday" workout on Thursday morning and then do my group runs in the evening. However, depending on what your race goals are, you could probably split your runs into two for now since you're still doing really long runs on the weekend (what, 16, or 20 miles regularly?). And you may even find that splitting your runs may help you work on strength and form because you won't be as fatigued at the start as you may be if you're doing 2-3 hour runs almost daily. Also I agree with pretty much everything @Stoshew71 said

Arh, my stupid ticker won't update! Total is 61.8 miles!

8/1 - 10 miles
8/2 - 3.2 miles
8/3 - 5.5 miles 1st day of school here, can't believe my baby is a Sophomore!
8/4 - 3.2 miles
8/5 - rest day
8/6 - 1.8 miles ending up not getting back out last night - had to bring work home with me and worked until 9:30
8/7 - 4.4 miles in the fog 5K Run to the Rescue with Skip and some of her teammates tomorrow.
8/8 - 3.1 Run to the Rescue 5K today. Skip and I ran, it was trail for almost 2 miles (I've never run off the road) then onto the road, then onto parking lot gravel (ugh) then back to and finish on grass. We don't have official times, I was I did a 9:43 pace just over 30 min so not near a PR, Skip said she was about 23:49 not near her PR either. I thought it was a tough course, a few hills. The trail was hard for me very rooty and uneven, but it was a lot of fun. I finished 3rd in my AG and she finished 1st in her AG.
8/9 - 9.3 miles
8/10 - 3.5 miles of recovery - it's my birthday it's my birthday!!
8/11- 6.1 miles
8/12 - 3.5 miles - Wed is usually my rest day but I need to be in work at OhDark30 the next two days so I ran today.
8/13 - rest day
8/14 - rest day - work got in the way for 2 days :-(
8/15 - 6.5 miles - halfway right on schedule
8/16 - 8.6 miles - longest run ever for Skip - so proud of her
8/17 - 3.5 miles of leisurely run in the rain
8/18 - rest day
8/19 - 6.4 miles legs still sore and they talked to me the whole run - they weren't cursing so I kept going
8/20 - 5.1 miles
8/21 - 3.5 miles - overslept a bit so I knew I couldn't do the 4.5 I wanted ended up with a 10:15 pace, felt great.
8/22 - 6.5 miles

93.9 miles of 120



When a run is bad it's bad. Without a doubt the hardest miles Skip and I have run, it started slow and awful and never got better. She got sting by a wasp at like mile 3, I heard it bbbbuuuuzzzzz when it hit her under the eye, she started to scream and cry and instantly you could see it start to swell. Luckily we had cold water and she was able to put it on her eye. Then at mile 4.5 I got a side stitch that came on fast and hard to the point I was doubled over in pain. We walked about a 1/4 mile and it got better. We continued until we got back to where we started and called it a day ... while we were still alive. Luckily she is taken benedryl for the allergic reaction she was having to the antibiotics she took and the swelling in already gone.

@ohhim Skip got her finger and got a staph infection last weekend. She had an allergic reaction to the first antibiotic and broke out in a rash from head to toe. She's been on something else for 4 days and the rash finally stopped itching and it starting to go away. So we know how you feel. She has been taking oatmeal baths and benedryl.

Weather was just too perfect for a rest day, despite getting in a bunch of miles on the bike and pool, so I went out for 3.5 miles tonight. Doing a long run tomorrow early AM with friends, so didn't want to push it too much.

@skippygirlsmom - Rash seems to be slightly subsiding as I only had to get up once in the middle of last night to apply benadryl. Cold showers/water and drinking lots of water (to flush things out) seem to be working as well.

8/1 - 3 miles
8/2 - 6 miles
8/4 - 12 miles
8/5 - 5.5 miles
8/6 - 8 miles (w. 8x800s @ 6:22 pace)
8/8 - 3 miles (sprint triathlon 5k @ 7:03 pace)
8/10 - 9.5 miles
8/11 - 3 mile run
8/13 - 1 mile run
8/16 - 5 mile run
8/17 - 7 mile run
8/18 - 8 mile run
8/19 - 8 mile run
8/20 - 8 mile run
8/21 - 8.5 mile run
8/22 - 3.5 mile run

Total: 99 miles
Goal: 140 miles
Remaining: 41 miles

I have been reading through and trying to get caught up on everyone. I had a good long run today until it got too hot. It started out lovely, cool and overcast that burned off around mile 8 and it started to really warm up. Learning from my more recent experiences with the heat I walked and ran the last 2-3 miles. Both Hobbes and I were exhausted when we got home. It is supposed to get super hot and humid this next week with triple digits here and even up to 90 at the beaches! Ugh - Fall can't get here fast enough! Even though it is going to be a hot week I am hoping to make it to my goal this month - I still think(hope) it is doable!

@ddmom0811 - I love running with Hobbes the Vizsla. He gets me out there even when I don't really want to go. It is especially fun when he can run off leash - he just wants to go fast and is always looking longingly at the faster runners and the cyclists. I am sure he is hoping to get to run with them!
@Ohhim - Hope the antibiotics and allergies are getting better!
@mwyvr - love the view!
@skippygirlsmom - hope your side is ok and that Skip is doing all right too. Hopefully she doesn't get a black eye
from the wasp!

Date.......Miles......Total
08/01.....8.45.......8.45
08/02.....0.00.......8.45 - rest
08/03.....0.00.......8.45 - unplanned rest +Agility
08/04.....5.11.....13.56 - +Strength training
08/05.....4.18.....17.74
08/06.....4.86.....22.60 - +Strength training
08/07.....5.32.....27.92
08/08...10.48.....38.40
08/09.....0.00.....38.40
08/10.....5.10.....43.50 - + Agility
08/11.....0.00.....43.50 - Houston
08/12.....0.00.....43.50 - Houston
08/13.....0.00.....43.50 - Houston
08/14.....4.19.....47.69 - Shake out run
08/15.....7.05.....54.74 - ugly run
08/16.....2.00.....56.74 - Dog Beach Sunday!
08/17.....7.16.....63.90 - + Agility
08/18.....0.00.....63.90 - +Strength training
08/19.....4.98.....68.88
08/20.....0.00.....68.88 - +Strength training
08/21.....5.52.....74.40
08/22...12.02.....86.42

8/1: 5 miles
8/2: 11.5 miles
8/3: 4 miles
8/4: XT day: 42 min bike (12 miles) and 35 min walk (2 miles), AKA: 2 episodes of Gilmore Girls
8/5: 8 miles
8/6: 6.5 miles with the Thursday crew
8/7: 5 miles
8/8: 3 miles
8/9: 18 miles
8/10: 4 miles
8/11: REST DAY!!
8/12: 10 miles
8/13: 7 miles am, 6.4 miles pm with Thursday crew
8/14: REST DAY!!
8/15: 6 miles with the Saturday morning group
8/16: 14 miles
8/17: 5 miles
8/18: Rest
8/19: 9.2 miles
8/20: 8 miles am + 6.3 miles pm with Thursday crew
8/21: Rest (went shopping and got the last of the "sizing down" clothes I need for summer/fall)
8/22: 5 miles
8/23: 15.1 miles

Perfect day for a long run: 60 degrees at the start, breezy, not too humid. I ran along the canal for a mileish and startled a crane which was fun! But then later I got bit by a bug/spider, and that was not fun. But I felt great throughout and hit the last three miles at a faster pace: 8:45, 8:40, 7:50! I'm really excited for proper training to start in September. These long mileage weeks are paying off already! I'm going to have to figure out what my new tempo and race paces will be and that's super exciting!

157/200

MFP: August running challenge:
New personal record 5 miles in 49 mins.
My goal was to get it done in under an hour. My previous time was 67 mins from 6 weeks ago. I am so stoked!!
I also picked up another mile in warm ups from last couple days.

August goal: 45 miles
Completed: 43
>>>>>>>>> 2 to go <<<<<<<<<

Thanks for the feedback on my 2-a-day question everyone. I'm kind of glad that the feedback kind of fit in with my assumptions, giving me a little more confidence in the training alterations I was considering.

My goal for summer training was two specific things that worked hand in hand. I was running halfs comfortably with regularity and wanted to increase pace by running increased easy miles, and getting my long distance into the 16-20 mile range and doing a full in the fall (slowly at training pace so I could do other fall races too).

I started all this doing about 24 miles/wk on 3 runs/wk. I was able to build to 56 miles/week over the summer on 5 runs per week. Part of what made that workable was 2 long runs of 12 miles and one 16 miler. I have recently started doing 20 milers which are a different thing, and I was expecting that. Add in the schedule changes with school starting and it all adds up to rethinking my traing approach as I head into fall.

I have only had one chance at a cool run to see how my pace increased on a long run and I shaved a little over a minute on that run, very nice, but I had hoped to get faster than that as I am looking at a 6 hour marathon most likely. Doable if I have the correct nutrition, hydration, fueling, pace and even luck on race day. I was hoping to be anywhere in the 5 hours range. But it is what it is, and I have the mental readiness to go that distance, of that I have zero doubts right now.

My initial plan was lots of miles and no speedwork. But if I'm going to do 4 days/wk with far shorter runs (4 to 6 miles) and one long run per week 16 to 20 miles) then I think it makes far more sense to do two of those shorter runs as tempo, intervals or hills. Especially hills.

1- 8.35 miles. walk
2- 5.9
3 rest
4- 3.24
5 rest
6- 3.27
7- busy, hot, lazy unplanned rest day
8- 3.12 to make up for unplanned rest day.
9- 7.13 hot. HI >90
10-rest
11-1, cramps
12- 4.38
13- rest
14- 4.21
15- rest
16- 5.57
17- 1 shake out the road trip stiffness
18- 4.73
19- rest
20- 3.47 walk
21,22-leisure walking/ rest
23- 11.11

66.48/70+


Looks like I can hit 90 for the month if I don't lose momentum. Crazy, because I feel like the whole month has been mediocre runs since I'm off pain med. Forward is still forward. I've embraced slow. Not happy about it, bit accepting that where I am.