The January 2016 Running Challenge

Getting prepped for my long run tomorrow...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaEv78RqoDw

@moyer566 All the best for your 5k race tomorrow!

@Ch1psNQueso There are some "bridge" programs from 5k to 10k that I tried briefly (once http://blog.bluefinapps.com/about-bridge-to-10k , another time http://www.rundouble.com/plans/F10K ). They might be something for you, I don't know - I didn't have a smartphone at the time, so the only way to know when to switch from walking to running and back was to constantly check my watch, which got annoying quite soon.
Instead, I switched to planning the distance I wanted to go as my "long run" and just walked for 1 minute whenever I felt I needed it(*). [eta like @MobyCarp suggested, just run longer distances]
Most sources suggest not increasing the weekly mileage by more than 10%, and doing an easier week every now and then instead of always increasing.
Or just do as @karllundy and @WhatMeRunning suggested and follow the Hal Higdon plan!
I'm actually vaguely following his HM plan at the moment, after messing around with it a bit to "personalise" it
(*)actually, I only read all the nice "don't increase by more than 10%"-advice later. When I decided those to10k programs where too complicated, I just picked a 10km long route that I tried to complete, with as much running as possible. The first time I had to walk a lot in the second half, the week after it got better, ... . But this is not the way you are supposed to do this, I think


@cheriesanta Not sure if this counts as a techie solution:
To find my last posts on the website, I do the following: click on the "Notification" bell in the top right , select "all notifications", click on "replies" (after the spam/abuse counter), and you see a list of the last posts you wrote. You can also bookmark that page to save a few clicks. If I take a wild guess based on the address it is for me and the URLs I'm seeing when I click on your profile, maybe it's something like
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/profile/comments/57382996/cheriesanta
... though if that doesn't work, never mind, just do the clicky way ;-)

@Virkati sounds like you and Raptor already made a good team on your second run together. That's great, as is the fact that you are back on the road!

Today we did 3.37 miles at a walk and omg what a great time we had! Our speed was actually faster walking today than running yesterday. No stress issues and our teamwork was MUCH better! Tomorrow I'm going to try a 5 mile run but not taking the dog. I need to focus on myself for my first long run in over a month. God I'm so happy to be back

@runner_girl83 Congrats on the pain free run today! Good thinking to listen to your body and overhaul your HM plan.

@MorningGhost14 haha @ stoner girl. Good luck! They didn't look they were doing much running in the video, and man, I worry about their lungs - that's a lot of smoke! Maybe you should postpone the weed if you are sick?

@kristinegift What a bummer about your yoga injury so close to your marathon! I tend to avoid yoga too, mostly because I don't have time for it, and also because a recent bout with it aggravated an existing chest muscle injury. (Too much plank and downward dog)

@Elise4270 Yes, I agree - muscular imbalances and asymmetries develop over the years with function - I tend to blame mine on many years of racquet sports (squash), as well as many years of carrying babies around on my right hip (I had 3 much younger siblings when I was a young teen, and then 6 kids of my own).

@7lenny7 Good luck with your calf muscle. Resting it is probably a good idea. Have you been doing more hills? Sometimes that makes my calves mad.

10.4 km this morning @ 7:53 min/km; Av HR 134, max HR 147.

1 Jan 13.4 km
2 Jan Rest
3 Jan 6.3 km
4 Jan 5.4 km
5 Jan Rest
6 Jan 8.3 km
7 Jan 5.3 km
8 Jan Rest
9 Jan 15.3 km
10 Jan Rest
11 Jan 6.1 km
12 Jan 8.3 km
13 Jan 6.15 km
14 Jan 6.15 km
15 Jan Rest
16 Jan 10.4 km (cutback week)

Total: 91.1 / 150 km

All my training is slow and easy because increasing mileage for my first marathon in July.

MobyCarp wrote: »

Ch1psNQueso wrote: »

Anyone have a 5K to 10K training program they'd recommend I follow? I'm at the point where I can finish 3 to 4 miles and feel like I can do more, but I'm not sure if I should push it too much. My legs are feeling good. Other than normal muscle aches I have no complaints.

You might not even need a program. If you're regularly running 3 to 4 miles, you could just vary your routes to be a little longer, whatever is comfortable, until you're regularly running 4 to 5 miles. Depending on how your body reacts, that might stretch out over a couple weeks or a couple months. Just be sure you quit when you still feel like you have some distance left in the legs. Once you get to where you're confident you can complete 5 miles, you will be physically able to complete a 10K. (You might want to actually run the distance from a mental preparation standpoint.)

Blast from the past: In 2011, I trained myself up to a 5K, ran one in October, and looked for a 5K on Thanksgiving Day. There wasn't one locally, but there was a race that said it was 4.4 miles. That was about what I was running, and the distance seemed perfect; but the web site said it was capped at some odd number like 5872, and talked about taking shuttle buses. I was put off by the crowds, and went over to the other side of town to run a 10K. Didn't know if I could do that distance till I tried it; the first time I actually ran a full 6 miles was less than 2 weeks before the race.

I think a lot of people can transition from a 5K to a 10K simply by running more. Once you get fixated on the half marathon distance, a training program is more important. In terms of how you prepare, a 10K isn't that much different from a 5K; but the game changes between the 10K distance and the half marathon distance.

Funny you say that because I said F it and set out to complete 5 miles today and nailed it. Was certainly tired at the end but I could have kept pounding a bit longer if a finish line was ahead of me somehwere. I think my fitness is there, I just need to get my mind to catch up with my body. Seeing all you middle aged folk (like me) post big distances is certainly keeping me motivated to improve. Thanks for that!

https://www.strava.com/activities/471120924

@Ch1psNQueso - I try not to say this ever, but since you mentioned pounding out 5 miles today and feeling you could make it the rest of the way if a finish line was there, this is definitely true for anyone who can run a 5k. It can be a difficult thing to understand though, and with the effort it takes people just to get to their first mile, and then their first 5k it is only natural to think that a 10k is still a ways off.

The way I know this is that I had not even been able to run a full mile before I ran my first 10k event, and I ran the full 10k very much to my surprise. I only signed up for the 10k because I was doing regular 6 mile run/walks. But as mentioned I still had not ever run a fill mile yet. My mind always convinced my legs they were too tired, or perhaps I was running too fast. All I know is that when I lined up at the back of the chute (why pretend I would be fast?) and kept pace with everyone I not only ran my first full mile that day but finished the whole damn thing!

So, trust me. If you can do a 5k right now, then you can do a 10k event surrounded by people to keep pace with and with a finish line ahead of you.

Once you get some legs underneath you then the 10k distance is a mental battle, not a physical one.

You very rarely will hear me (or even others) saying this too often though. All it takes is someone thinking they can run a mile therefore they can train a 6 miler the next day, fail and think we have no idea what we are talking about. But training is nowhere near the same as running an event, and someone who just finished their first mile may not have a 10k event lined up in the near future to test themselves like that.

1/1......3.68
2/1......5.20 walk
3/1......5.70
4/1......0.5
5/1......2.17
6/1......rest
7/1......5.10
8/1......rest
9/1......4.3 treadmill walk.
10/1....9.47
11/1.....Travel Dr appt
12/1.....lazy
13/1.....5.51
14/1.....3.31
15/1.....6.28

51.22/100+ Miles

Upcoming races:

02/06/16 Hot Chocolate 15K Dallas
03/19/16 Rock N Roll 5K Dallas
03/20/16 Rock N Roll Half Dallas
04/24/16 OKC Memorial undecided distance
Run the year 2016  51.22/2016

@MorningGhost14 - could have been me too. I had it. ugh.

Was supposed to have strength training today but trainer cancelled. I feel like he might be quitting soon. But anyway, when I heard about that I rushed home instead and ran! It was great.
Then... tomorrow was supposed to do my usual bike ride by daughter's flight home was delayed until 2am so she got a different flight and lands in the morning. So... can't ride. Going to run instead. Although someone poured a lot of wine down my throat tonight as well...

Jan 1 -41 mile bike ride
Jan 2 - 34 mile bike ride
Jan 3 - rest day
Jan 4 - rest day
Jan 5 - 5.25 miles
Jan 6 - 3.3 miles
Jan 7-11 - Sick
Jan 12 - 4.1 miles — finally!!! Felt so great.
Jan 13 - strength training + 1 mile on treadmill
Jan 14 - 5.2 miles
Jan 15 - 5.1 miles;

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
1/12 crosstraining—elliptical
1/13 5.08
1/14 3.14 — have to say, those compression socks rock! first time user, wow! Did s half hour of elliptical too!
1/15 cross training—elliptical training for 90 minutes. That was good!


44.58/70

Sorry this post is so long - lots to catch up on after I have been buried at work. Catching up with all of you is my prize at the end of a terrible crazy week with too much sitting and too many meetings!

@kristinegift - thanks for the sizing info. I would be a small too, I just don't like them to be too tight. I didn't find anything I was crazy about enough to order but I will keep looking Try duct tape for your shoes that you are making holes in the toe box on. That is what I suggested to @RunTimer and it worked for him.
@Elise4270 - love the 'high' runner - especially to doritos!

Elise4270 wrote: »

Stoshew71 wrote: »

Unless we have enough people really interested by Tuesday, I think we should think about the Bourbon Run as a project for next year. It sounds really fun tho.
@9voice9 - I may just have to sign up for that PeachTree 10K.
I may think about the Nashville one too but just do the half. I'll see if my wife wants to go and hang out at the hony tonks afterwards. The more the merrier. Just imagine hopping from bar to bar which are all lined up down the streets one right after the other. Each one with a different live band from all different genres to include country (off course). Really great time. If anyone is interested, let me know.

Sounds good. A year away will let us plan, talk our spouses in to it, and train up a little better.

My husband will definitely be in - as long as he gets to drink the bourbon and I do the running!

WhatMeRunning wrote: »

Between the bourbon, pot (and even microsdosing), munchies delivery vans, screwing our shoes (and smoking pot from them), all this thread is really missing is the rock and roll. Hey looky there. Time to go to Arizona! http://www.runrocknroll.com/arizona/

I think we should start our own band! We have shirts now, just need instruments and someone who can carry a tune!

@michable, @kristinegift, @Elise4270 - I used to have lots of knee, calf, hamstring, glute issues but I have been doing a lot of core and glute/hip strengthening exercises both on my own and with my trainer. They have made a world of difference and I can tell when I get lazy and don't do them the issues come right back again. Occasionally I am getting some nagging soreness behind my left knee at the top of my calf and I am pretty sure I need to be stretching out my calves more regularly.

MorningGhost14 wrote: »

Ok... I want to know right now which one of you got me sick... sore throat, chest congestion, itching burning eyes... You know you who you are... Do you have any idea what kind of pain in the *kitten* it's going to be tomorrow morning doing my long run? Thank you very much... No... it's ok, I love all of you...

@MorningGhost14 - I am pretty sure it was @Virkati or @ddmom0811! I know this great potion though to make you feel better - tea, whiskey, lemon and honey or forget the tea - it just waters down the whiskey. But keep the lemon and honey

lporter229 wrote: »

skippygirlsmom wrote: »

lporter229 wrote: »

Sorry, that was probably me. If it makes you feel any better, I went to a retirement party for my husband's boss last night and somebody poured waaay too much wine down my throat. Tonight's run isn't going to be very pretty either.

What is with people? How could they do such a thing to you!!

I know, right? The surprising thing is, this happens to me more often than you would think. I don't get it.

This happens to me ALL the time too!
@Virkati - so glad your first outing with Raptor was so good! Hobbes doesn't like the overpasses either - going under or over them freaks him out a bit. I have also discovered he is afraid of the dark (always wondered why he didn't really want to go out to potty after dark) and does not like our night runs much. After our first 6-12 months of running and training him to keep next to me I made the giant step to get us a hands free waist leash and I love it. Does he stop me or drag me sometimes? Definitely but it allows me to run naturally without worrying about him much, he just hangs out right at my side. I did wait, at our vets recommendation until he was almost 18mos before we started running much together.

Another rare night run after a nonstop work day. I needed it so much! Took a fall after catching a toe on the uneven sidewalk (this is why I usually run on the street!). Came away with scrapes and bruises (lots of worried kisses from Hobbes the Vizsla) and a bit of stiffness. Unlike yesterday's run where my legs were unwilling participants this run felt great... Well at least until the fall. I am pretty sure I will be super stiff and sore tomorrow but I was planning an unusual Saturday rest day. I have to work at least part of the day and even have meetings (ugh) so it works out sort of...
Date..........Miles.........Total
01/01.......0.00..........0.00 - total rest/slug day. Did walk 1.5 miles with the pup
01/02.......9.33..........9.33
01/03.......0.00..........0.00
01/04.......7.16........16.49 + Agility
01/05.......4.14........20.63 Treadmill run + Strength Training
01/06.......0.00........20.63
01/07.......5.33........25.96 + Strength Training
01/08.......4.14........30.10
01/09.....12.21........42.31
01/10.......0.00........42.31
01/11.......4.54........46.85 + Agility
01/12.......3.64........50.49 + Strength Training
01/13.......0.00........50.49
01/14.......5.32........55.81 + Strength Training
01/15.......5.47........61.28 - half way to goal on the 15th of the month!!




These are my upcoming races, let me know if you are going to be running too:
02/07/16 - Surf City Half, Huntington Beach, CA
02/20/16 - Special Edition Divas Half, Temecula, CA