The January 2016 Running Challenge

@Elise4270 I had my first group run 3 days ago and I was thinking some of the same things. It turned out pretty good though. I saw another guy who looked like he also came by himself and just started chatting and then we ran together. He was normally a faster runner than I was but said he was actually grateful for having to slow down. I think there's an understanding you can't expect slower runners to speed up but faster runners can certainly slow down. Any runner really concerned about maintaining a minimum pace would be better served running by themselves.

I enjoyed it enough that I'm going to join a group of local trail runners tomorrow for a winter trail run.

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!
1/16 6.08 —
1/17 4.32 — coldest miles ever. It was 0 degrees and -20 with windchill. I forgot who mentioned this a couple of days ago, but it is really true: most of what we think we’re unable to do (not everything of course and I recognize different people have different abilities), but most of what we think we cannot do has to do with the mental games we play in our own heads. I would have never imagined walking, let alone running, in a windchill weather like this one!
1/18 — rest day.
1/19 6.3 — nice run, in new shoes, in the dark and cold. Ah, so relaxing. I do think I am becoming a runner because I came home without a plan to run, work was really busy, but I just could not sit still before I running. I not only missed it, but actually needed it to relax!
1/20 4.22 — nice easy run (11 minute/mile), cold but bearable, and clear sidewalks. it was a really good run.
1/21—rest
1/22 4.20 — great run in the cold and snow! beautiful.
1/23 cross training—elliptical for today
1/24 6 miles. 3.5 with my neighborhood group and 2.5 by myself! Okay, now I am over my monthly run, I did decide from the very beginning to make up for the lost miles in December, so, that’s good!
1/28 5.64
1/29 4.07

85.43/70

runner_girl83 wrote: »

Off for my first parkrun shortly... Wearing some running shorts that I made.. Haven't tested them out yet though so this could be a real disaster about to unfold

They Survived - Thought we might have to pass a hat to collect some Get Out of Jail Money for you due to a Wardrobe Malfunction.

@MorningGhost14 I don’t think I would like to be between a snow plow and an electric fence, either. I guess your profile picture indicates the gesture you might be giving the snow plow driver.

@rune1990 congrats on running your first 5km! 37 mins is a great time for your first one!

@ceciliaslater that is some bruise! And pops are positively alarming! Does it feel ok now that it popped back into place?

@7lenny7 glad you worked out your calorie burn. These Garmins are smart, aren’t they? I have the Forerunner 220, too (in the purple). And that is sweet about the replacement shoes! My husband should have sent his last new pair of Asics back, along with the toenails they took off! I bought the shoes for him for his birthday, the same size he always wears, but they had discontinued his model, so I bought the next closest model that was recommended to me, and it turned out that they were a bit smaller in the toe box, because they bruised his big toe nails, and then of course, the toe nails fell off. It had never happened to him before. I felt really bad, and will never buy him running shoes again.

@Virkati that’s great you’re already getting relief from the physio treatment.

@Stoshew71 Wow - you killed your monthly goal! Super running.

@shanaber good luck with trying not to party too much at your conference before your HM! I find laying off the drink hard when I am away for work, too.

@Elise4270 I share your fear of running with a group. I always worry I will be too slow and they will have to slow down for me, and so I just avoid the whole issue and continue to run by myself. Running by myself fits better with my life anyway - I can run at whatever time suits me straight from my door, with my music, without having to schedule extra time to drive wherever the run starts from, and then talk to people before running. I will tell a story, though, to ease your mind about being too slow. (It's just a short story.) When I ran my second half marathon, I started a long way back, and ended up passing several runners from the local running group during the race, which means I was running faster than them! I was a bit stoked about that. However, it still didn't make me join the group, although I have looked at the FB page a few times. I'm not ruling it out, it's just another thing I don't want to have to worry about right now. And I hope your leg feels better soon.

19.1 km long run this morning @ 7.44 min/km; Av HR 139; max HR 153. Another hot, humid run. I got out the door at 4.45am, and it was already 26C with 92% humidity. Lucky it was a bit overcast so I didn’t have the sun beating down on me on the way back. It was dark when I started, so I took my head lamp, and turned it off after about 4 km when it got light. I did feel like a bit of a goose running with a headlamp on my head, in the broad daylight, for another 15km passing all the other Saturday morning runners and cyclists, but no one pointed and laughed, so all good.

1 Jan 13.4 km (long run)
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 (long run)
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)
17 Jan Rest
18 Jan 6.16 km
19 Jan 6.18 km
20 Jan 10.03 km
21 Jan 6.15km
22 Jan Rest
23 Jan 18.28 km (long run)
24 Jan Rest
25 Jan 6.16 km
26 Jan 10.05 km
27 Jan Rest
28 Jan 6.14 km
29 Jan 6.16 km
30 Jan 19.1 km (long run)
31 Jan Rest

@ddmom0811 I'm totally in to the pace group. I ran a 10k that overlapped with a HM group, and I hung with a pace group for the mental boost and it was super.

I really need to refocus, and push a little during the run. Especially, if its a once a week group. But I really worry that I am pushing outside my limits with this chronic injury.

@7lenny7 That's nice that it worked. I guess even if I am the slowest, and they break off, it won't be a big deal. I'm a big girl.. I'll still have a nice run. (Even though it road and I run trails, or even though I'm fat, and injured and wah wah wah... LOL!) I'm a dorkus...

January Goal—will try for 140 km, half marathon Feb 7 and I’m behind in my training

1/6—3.89 km or so…first run after being sick…still congested and a bit sick
1/7—3.40 km—still feeling icky so keeping it short. Just ran around my complex
1/8—5.29 km..about to kill my lungs. Sick of the congestion
1/9—5.01 km
1/10—10.48 km-
1/12—4.55 km skipped 1/11 due to it being cold and rainy
1/13—3.64 km
1/14—5.14 km
1/17—3.30 km after a weekend away
1/18—3.22 km
1/19—5.09 km
1/20—5.01 km
1/22—5.something km…the run tracker messed up again and my watch measured almost 1 km shorter than my phone gps
1/23—15.66 km of cold rainy windy raw temps
1/24—5.01 km
1/26—3.2km
1/27—decided i like sleep more than running in cold, windy, rainy raw weather. Went to Zumba at night
1/30—10.56 km…first time running in days. It finally stopped being raw, cold, rainy and windy.

No run today but 12 km of walking around Town and 2 hours on the Ice at the Local Curling Rink.
Scheduled for a Big Ugly run tomorrow Commonly referred to as 4 Hells ( or 4 Hills for the more politically correct) My plan is to do 2 Hells as this is my last long run before my HM next Weekend so the Taper Begins.
I have come to the conclusion that a secondary reason for the Taper is to prevent an injury in that final week where you don't have enough time to Heal/Recover.

5 and a bit miles today, including 5k at parkrun. 81/60 for the month.

2/1 - 5k
3/1 - 7k
5/1 - 1k walk
6/1 - 3k
7/1 - 2.5k
9/1 - 7k
10/1 - 5k intervals
12/1 - 2k walk
13/1 - 1k
14/1 - 5k
16/1 - 7k
17/1 - 5k
18/1 - 1k
21/1 - 6k
23/1 - 8k
24/1 -6k
25/1 - 1k fastest ever
26/1 - 2k not as fast as 1k but fastish
27/1 - 4k
30/1 - 7k


85.5/80

Yay! Hit my target (even if I don't could my 3k walking that I had added just in case). Been a crazy couple of days on here - fab first 5k's done @rune1990 , lots of injuries. I hope everyone recovers quickly @Virkati @ceciliaslater . Only ran outdoors 1 weekend and was already bitching this morning that I had to use the treadmill as it was icy out. I might be getting this now.

Oh I'm sooo close.... I may pick up the last 3 this afternoon .

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
16/1.....rest
17/1.....6.05
18-19/1....I didn't run? No idea where those days went.
20/1.... Steroid shot #2
21/1......5.78
22,23.....Nada
24/1......11.21
25/1.....3.89
26/1.....Rest
27/1..... 6.26
28/1.....6.69
29/1.....rest
30/1.....5.89 first group run


96.99/100+ 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  96.99/2016

Elise4270 wrote: »

@runnergrl82 regarding your new shorts.....I have a surgical scar from hip to hip that is hypertrophic and itches if anything rubs it (did shots-less itchy). Do your new shorts lack a seem in the front? Ha ha! Cuz, I need some so I'm not trying to itch an insane itch that gets worse if its touched.... It can drive me mad. I think I may just ignore vanity and try a larger size, unless you are making MFP shorts


Anyone? Favorite shorts?

I have SO MANY OPINIONS on shorts. I wear tight shorts, because regular running shorts just creep up and leave my thigh exposed to chub rub. 3.5" inseam or bust, is what I say! I love Saucony tight shorts, but they stopped making my favorite model >:( I also wear the Oiselle Stride shorts (the reg inseam, not the short-shorts), and Oiselle has some good longer shorts in both tight shorts and regular shorts that have 4-5" inseams. Perks are that both shorts have pockets; I refuse to buy shorts if there's not a zipper pocket for my key and ID, or if you can see through them because who needs that?

@rune1990: Congrats on your first 5K!

(deleted a bunch of stuff you've already seen....)

Jan 25: Wimped out, just wanted bed after Boy Scouts (my son’s meeting not mine :P )
Jan 26: In the 40s this morning!!! 5.2 miles Not sure if I’ll get to goal this month or not…it’s going to be close. We’ll see how I feel tonight, maybe I can log another 3 or so.
Jan 27: REST DAY
Jan 28-29: I was lame and didn’t run.
Jan 30: Intended to go get 10 miles this morning, my legs said oh no you don’t. Honestly wanted to give up at 4 miles but ground out 7.05 that felt like every bit of it. :P Really close to goal though…might try and do some more tonight. I’d really like to get there this month.

Date      Miles      MTD
------    -----    -----
Jan 01      6.5      6.5
Jan 02      5.1     11.6
Jan 03      5.6     17.2
Jan 05      3.3T    20.5
Jan 07      3.4T    23.9
Jan 09      8.2     32.1
Jan 10      6.2T    38.3
Jan 13      4.2T    42.5
Jan 15      8.2     50.7
Jan 18     11.3     62.0
Jan 20      4.1T    66.1
Jan 21      4.4T    70.5
Jan 23      8.2     78.7
Jan 24      4.9T    83.6
Jan 26      5.1T    88.7
Jan 27      6.3     95.0
Jan 30      6.5    101.5

And BOOM ... past the goal. I may do another 3 or so tomorrow because my only outside running these days happens on weekends. For February, my goal is to run shorter distances more frequently, and try to improve my speed.

rune1990 wrote: »

Thanks all for the 'grats on my 5k, I'm still stoked

I read a post that said most who do a 5k training program can't actually run the 5k at the end, SO glad I didn't read that before I did it!

@9voice9 Please tell me you're joking...
@Amandajs232 I've run outside a handful or so of times now, and I too have decided any weather is better then the treadmill, haha. Of course, it hasn't been raining yet, or (too)icy! I do hate the wind however
@kristinegift thanks for the shorts opinions!! I know I'm going to need them soon, and to know where to start looking is awesome! I figured the longer tight shorts would be the most comfortable.
@GBrady43068 Good for you for keeping on!

I might look into some compression socks too for shorts weather. My shins aren't hurting, but I know they're there, if that makes sense..

Is true depending on speed or time for sure, unless you are so excited about completing that you keep on going. Which I did my first time 3 years ago, or after not running for a year I started over with c25k last Fall, and ran my first 5k race on Thanksgiving with 3 weeks to go on the schedule.