The January 2016 Running Challenge

Setting a Goal of 75 Miles for January

1/3 – 3.87 Mi
1/5 – 4.24 Mi
1/7 – 5.32 Mi
1/10 – 3.49 Mi
1/11 – 6.87 Mi


Progress toward Goal 23.79 / 75

DATE...............MILES...............TOTAL
1/1....................REST...................0.00
1/2.....................16.00.................16.00
1/3.......................5.00.................21.00
1/4.....................REST................21.00
1/5.......................7.00.................28.00
1/6.......................5.00.................33.00
1/7.......................7.00.................40.00
1/8...................WEIGHTS...........40.00
1/9......................16.50................56.50
1/10......................5.00................61.50
1/11....................REST...............61.50

@WhatMeRunning - Yes! That flow chart is perfect!
@runner_girl83 - I run with just the twisted, sick, ear wormy music in my head...it could end up anything! This morning on the treadmill it was "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer". Congrats on the PR!
@JohnLang2013 - Good luck!
@skippygirlsmom - They have country music in Jersey? CONGRATS TO SKIP! Two PRs and that is an amazing 1600 time!
@Virkati and @Elise4270 - I'm in for buying shirts for @Stoshew71 and @skippygirlsmom
@_nikkiwolf_ - Ain't nobody here gonna discourage your shoe addiction.
@5BeautifulDays - yep...glasses fogging are an issue in this weather for sure...especially wearing a balaclava.
@kateparry84 - Congrats on the distance PR!
@kristinegift - 60° in January?!?! Single digits here in Iowa...for the high!
@lporter229 - Yay for back to running!
@7lenny7 - You are awesome...and nuts!

Anyone ever use / run with ice cleats over your shoes? Thinking about getting some, but wondering if it is worth it.

karllundy wrote: »

Anyone ever use / run with ice cleats over your shoes? Thinking about getting some, but wondering if it is worth it.

I haven't used them yet. I do have yak trax for the few weeks a year we'll have ice.

@Ohhim excellent reporting and a huge congrats on your marathon and pace. I cannot imaging running a marathon, let alone having his kind of pace! Awesome!

karllundy wrote: »

@runner_girl83 - I run with just the twisted, sick, ear wormy music in my head...it could end up anything! This morning on the treadmill it was "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer". Congrats on the PR!
...
@kristinegift - 60° in January?!?! Single digits here in Iowa...for the high!

Anyone ever use / run with ice cleats over your shoes? Thinking about getting some, but wondering if it is worth it.

@karllundy Haha, OBOSOB is such an ear worm! I heard it on True Detective S1 and had to download it. Not my ideal running ear worm, however!

And yeah. 60 degrees yesterday was a treat. Back down below freezing for my morning run today though. Not envious of the single digits my family's seeing at home in eastern Iowa!

My dad and I used Yak Trax when we did winter training in 2009. I remember vividly one run that we did that we had to go over 2 miles of unplowed bike trail, and the Trax came in handy then, but obviously running on ice and packed snow, you still have to slow down and be cautious. I haven't ever used them again though, because I'm too weak to pull them over my shoes myself. If it's TOO icy, I just hit the 'mill, because I'm a baby.

7lenny7 wrote: »

WhatMeRunning wrote: »

I thought about it for a couple days over the last couple weeks though. So the temptation is there. I'm just worried if I would like the shoes the same afterwards. You know, in the summer when I take the screws out. Would the shoes still be the same?

I haven't screwed my shoes and up to this point, have not felt the need. If I were to screw my shoes, however, I would use an older pair and leave the screws in. That pair would then be dedicated for use in conditions that warranted a good screwing. I would not try to unscrew the shoe.

I don't think there's enough sole on my favs to screw. I love getting new shoes, but would have a hard time screwing them too. (I just know @MorningGhost14 won't pass that up )

if running in 6 degree weather, like i did just now, is not awesome, i don’t know what is


1/1 5.6 miles—street run given the snow and ice on sidewalks. excellent run at 25 F.
1/2 elliptical day, no run
1/3 10.2 — excellent run, slow pace 11:45. But pain in the heels and achilles afterwards. got better with ice treatment!
1/4 elliptical day, no run
1/5 rest day
1/6 6.5 — ran in 28 degree weather. starting to feel 30 degree weather might be pushing it too warm for comfort My heels, which bothered me after my last run (stretched, iced, and rested) held up quite nicely during today’s run. i guess i should just recognize that every time i push myself a bit more on distance or on speed, i should expect some pain if not planned well enough and if not done in a gradual way.
1/7 3.64 — the run was okay at 10:30 per mile, but the roads were slippery because of some freezing rain. icing helps a great deal with the pain. I still have some pain in my achilles, but doing much better everyday. I took it easy though.
1/9 6.11 —nice group run while snowing lightly!
1/10 crosstraining—elliptical
1/11 4.31 — 6 degree weather @10:50

36.36/70
ps notice the 36 and 36! a powerball sign?

Checking in before checking out the 70 new posts!

1/1 5 @ 10:36 on the treadmill
1/2 4.75 @ 10:42 on the park trail (20.75/20 miles for the week)

1/3 5.25 @ 11:14 (5.0 @ 10:51, .25 walking) on the trails near my house. It was a beautiful, blustery day!
1/4 10 @ 12:00 on the treadmill. While running from Indominus Rex.
1/5 3 @ 11:14 on the treadmill and strength training
1/6 Rest Day and feeling fairly sore from yesterday's PT (and maybe Monday's run?)
1/7 4.75 @ 11:53 on the park trail.
1/8 3.5 @ 10:07 (3 at 9:48 and .5 at 12:00) plus strength training
1/9 3.5 @ 12:22 (3 at 11:26, plus .5 at a walk) loping around the neighborhood with St. Woolos the Barbarian, aka The Poopinest Dog in the East, aka Woogie the Worst Running Partner Ever. It's a good thing he's cute!
(30/30 for the week)

1/10 Rest Day/Family Day
1/11 10.75 at 11:46 around the park trails. It was icy and muddy and a glorious run at peace with the world. I was listening to music (unusual for me outside, but I was afraid 10 miles would get a little too zen, lol) and my favorite Real McKenzies invited my dad along for the run (I bet he didn't know he'd take up running after his passing, but he joins me frequently in the metaphorical way ghosts have). We invited David Bowie, too, but he was busy bedazzling his heavenly choir robes. My heart was light, but my legs felt every centimeter of the last two miles. "Gently rolling terrain" feels a lot like "stinking big hills" after 100 minutes or so...
(10.75/30 for the week)

Upcoming Races:
January 18: MLK 8K at Burke Lake Park, VA
February 14: Run Your Heart Out 5K, Fairfax, VA
February 21: Disney Princess HM, Orlando, FL
March 6: Reston 10-miler, Reston, VA
March 12: Lucky Leprechaun 5K, Reston, VA

@Ohhim Congrats on your marathon in yuck conditions. I think you did an amazing job! I'm so very excited about my Disney half--but I have every intention of getting my photo here and there. I'm not wearing a tutu for nothin'

@_nikkiwolf_ congratulations on baptizing your new shoes, lol. I hit a few big, icy puddles this morning and was quite grateful for how my Peregrines just whisk away the water.

@skippygirlsmom congrats to Skip for qualifying for state and her PR!

@Stoshew71 and @Elise4270 Shirts ordered!

Hi everyone! Brand new to running but I've been working my way up. I'm following the attached plan for a half marathon. It's not until May but this way I give myself plenty of time to work up to it. My goal is pretty low - 20 miles.

1/1 - 3.5 miles
1/2 - rest
1/3 - 2.3 miles
1/4 - 8 - rest (ITB rest)
1/9 - 4 miles
1/10 - 11 - ITB rest

9.8 out of 120 miles

Newbie welcome to @Lisaburnett71

@MobyCarp: congrats on winning your age group!
@runner_girl83: congrats on your 1st medal!
@kateparry84: Way to go with the distance PR
@Ch1psNQueso: It sounds like a 5K is well within your grasp. I’m with @Elise4270, go for it!
@Ohhim: 98% humidity….eww. Congrats on pushing through..that sounds miserable.

Jan 1: When the run started it was still the 1st..so I'm counting it here.
6.59 cold night miles, slow, around 12:40/mile.
Jan 2: REST DAY
Jan 3: First “official” training day for the HM and first snowfall of the year (on a run day at least). 3.51 miles. Some fast intervals mixed in with slower paced runs. 12:10 average pace, fastest split was mile 2 (11:29).
Jan 4: Wimped out 
Jan 5: Ice in my ‘stache at the end of the run…that’s new. 3.2 miles this morning
Jan 6: Went an extra .5 before I took my first (brief) walk break. 5.05 miles avg. pace around 12:11
Jan 7: REST DAY. Plan on some walking and weights.
Jan 8: Wimped out 
Jan 9: Beautiful running weather..50 degrees this morning in Central Ohio! Easy 6.2 miles but every step SUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKED! 12:08 average pace. A little over 1/3 of the way to month’s goal. #betterrunnexttime #ohwellatleastIdidit
Jan 10: Sick..no run
Jan 11: Feeling slightly better..we’ll see if I feel up to a run after work.

MorningGhost14 wrote: »

Elise4270 wrote: »

I don't think there's enough sole on my favs to screw. I love getting new shoes, but would have a hard time screwing them too. (I just know @MorningGhost14 won't pass that up )

Well, it DID conjure up certain images....

And for the record, while I freely admit to having a close, intimate relationship with my shoes, I have, up to this point anyway, drawn the line at screwing. Not saying there was not this hot little red and gold pair of Merrells that sorely tempted me...

Lol, you guys are priceless! Now I feel even more guilty about taking both these tempting pairs of new shoes home last week, and that already after the first date at the sports shop
@Elise4270 , I have just PMed you about the shirt order. If MFP eats the message before you can read it, let me know so that I can send it again.

rune1990 wrote: »

@_nikkiwolf_ I haven't singed up yet, but I will be. It will be my first race, virtual or otherwise! And I love the new sauconys, great color. I need another pair of shoes to swap out on wet days too! BTW is that a road or a path in your photo?!

@rune1990 It's a tarmac path, roughly wide enough for 2-3 people to walk side by side - that is, usually two people walking next to each other in front of me manage to block it quite efficiently, until I start to run with really noisy steps to motivate them to move a little closer to each other...
I used to be a little sad that nearly all paths in this area are paved, but with the recent amounts of rain I'm starting to see the benefits...

@skippygirlsmom Congratulations to Skip - sounds like it was a really big event, and she did great!

@Ohhim Thanks for the very detailed race report! It's highly unlikely I'll ever run a Disney Marathon, so at least reading about it was really nice.

@7lenny7 I love your new winter running profile pic! Glad I had never to expire the "freeying eyeballs" feeling myself, that doesn't sound fun at all.

@randilast Welcome to this group, and have lots of fun here!
I'm also planning to run my first HM in May. One question I had while looking at your training plan - just out of curiousity: wouldn't following the plan lead to more than 20 miles this month? Or are you spreading the plan out a bit so that it will "last" until the race date? The HM training plan I'm currently following will finish a few weeks before my race, but so far I was planning on following it for now, such that I have a little "buffer" in case I have to miss a week or something later down the road.