The January 2016 Running Challenge

Sounds good to me. Agree on it being voluntary and even anonymous (although we're currently chiming in).

This group is so inspiring! I hurt my upper back like Day 1 into this challenge and I was really miffed I couldn't start adding miles to my ticker. I think this is a good kick in the pants to take my core work a little more seriously this year.

But of course @Elise4270, giving Stan @Stoshew71 the shirt is the least we can do--just a token of appreciation, that's all! @Virkati absolutely on the @skippygirlsmom t-shirt too. she's been awesome every time I asked a question too. Count me in!

@runner_girl83 Wow, that's a great medal. Congrats!

@5BeautifulDays Sub 30 5k, wow, fantastic! I did a fast run on a treadmill this week for the first time (not as fast as yous), and despite walking a few minutes on the mill as a cooldown, my legs felt sort of wobbly after I stepped off. Really weird to experience when no boats and waves were involved ;-P

@kristinegift I've never had watering eyes after cold runs so far. When I run with my glasses instead of contact lenses, they have the annoying habit to fog up completely, but that's easy enough to fix by taking them off and wiping them. Not really an option for the eyes...

@GBrady43068 You're really well on target for your goal, looks like you'll be exceeding it even.

@ceciliaslater Kudos on that new distance PR! 15 miles, wow, that's even more than a half marathon!

... caught up, now I can go to bed to be a little rested for the planned long run tomorrow. Happy running y'all :-)

shanaber wrote: »

@3dogsrunning - this is the link to the liquid run:
https://theliquidrun.webconnex.com/TheLiquidRunNewport2016?utm_source=California+-+Runners+/+Walkers+/+Triathletes&utm_campaign=4de9a48dd4-1st_Liquid_blast_12_22_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_faba3946be-4de9a48dd4-13916669

@shanaber - thanks. I'll pass it on.

January Running Totals (miles)
1/1 - 10.17 warm up + 7.5 mile race
1/2 - 12.29 long slow run
1/3 - 5.16 easy with fast finish
1/4 - 6.01 easy
1/5 - 11.09 warmup, speed work, cool down
1/6 - 5.95 group run
1/7 - 8.04 warmup, speed work, cool down
1/8 - scheduled rest day
1/9 - 16.48 warm up + Winter Warrior Half

January to date total - 75.19
Goal - 51 to 62 miles per week, per training plan
expected January total - 245 to 251 miles

Sunday through Saturday training week came in at 52.73 miles, versus a target of 51 miles. My bad.

Today's notes: I knew I needed 15 miles to round out the week's target mileage, but I was running the Winter Warrior Half Marathon. This is a loop course, four loops of roughly 3.25 miles each. I had not seen the course before today, and decided it was worth being a mile and half past target this week to do my warm up as a loop of the course in daylight. Yes, it was worth it.

Gun time was at 4 PM. The weather was not winter-like; it was 42° at the gun, and no more than 10 mph wind. I ran in shorts, with a long sleeve tech shirt plus a singlet on top, and my lightest gloves. It was too warm for my lightest winter running hat, so I wore a summer running hat with a brim; the course had street lights, so it wasn't a big deal having the brim interfere with my headlamp after dark.

The first lap and about half of the second lap was like a normal race. Then I started lapping the walkers and slower runners. On laps 3 and 4 I couldn't run good tangents because of the crowds I had to pass; but I had expected this. It's part of the experience for a race organized in laps. It wasn't as bad as last year, on a course with 5 shorter laps.

For a while I thought I might have a shot at breaking 1:30 on a mostly flat course, but it was not to be. The combination of normal fatigue later in the race and having to deal with passing crowds in the last half of the race slowed me to a gun time of 1:30:59, which is 2 minutes faster than I ran Winter Warrior last year, under much better running conditions this year. My time was good enough for 22nd overall out of 958 finishing (974 registered and starting), and 1st of 12 in the male 60-64 age group.

I'm happy with this one. It was a lot of fun, and it wasn't necessary to set a PR or to break 1:30 today.

Upcoming races:
March 12, 2016 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green 5 mile (Rochester, NY - need to register)
March 26, 2016 Spring Foward Distance Run 15K (Mendon, NY - need to register)
April 18, 2016 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)

ceciliaslater wrote: »

Went ahead and did my 15 mile run today. That makes 4 days in a row of running, since Saturday is usually my rest day. It was snowing, but the roads were only wet. Temp is supposed to drop all day today, down to about 19 tomorrow morning, so I was worried about ice if I waited until tomorrow.

Overall, it was a good run. Very consistent pace in the upper 10s (a couple miles in the low 11s). And, for the first time on a long run, I didn't walk or stop once! And it was a PR distance for me. Longest previous was 14 miles.

Think that puts my at 38.5 miles for the month. Will double check on Monday!

Omg! That a suburb accomplishment! I'm opting to do my scheduled long run tomorrow. Forecast is less wind and more sunshine.

Congratulations!

Also @MobyCarp! Rock on with first!

This thread is hard to keep up with! Happy to see loads of people around though.

The training program I am using increased my mileage quite a bit this week, plus I've been using the indoor track at work over lunch.

So, I'm at 24.6/84 miles for the month. I way overdid it yesterday, so I'm taking a complete rest day today, and will do some walking tomorrow.

runner_girl83 wrote: »

New Yr 10K - 1:11:58.. Not a PB but not far off it either (PB 1:06:44)... AND *drum roll** I got my first medal!

Your medal reminds me of Doctor Who! Cool! I want a Doctor Who medal! lol