The February 2016 Running Challenge
Replies
-
-
Date Miles MTD ------ ----- ----- Feb 01 0.0 0.0
In for another 100, short month be damned! @Stoshew71, or anyone else, if you have any tips for a 50+ runner training to improve time per mile, I'm all ears! Realized today that I've run over 650 miles and dropped 20 pounds as part of this Amazing Group since I first jumped in. Hoping for many more! Good luck everybody ...0 -
Thank you @Stoshew71!!
And thanks to everyone for all the awesome posts and sharing your runs in the group. I learn and laugh so much.
I will keep my same goal as Jan (75). Only hit 71.5 last month, but since I was sick, it was fine. With less days in February and tapering for HM the first week, not sure I will hit it, but will try.
2/7 Daytona Beach HM0 -
OK.. Here goes! I'm going to be counting walking distance as of now.. My shins have flares up nicely so the extra walking will help strengthen and stretch my calves. So originally I was looking at 100km but with walking I'm aiming for 180km!
This month i am doing a virtual 10k and 100km for Run For Mental Health!
Let's go!0 -
I'm in! New to MFP and Garmin Connect. My goal will be 25 miles because I had stopped running for a while and am currently recovering from a sprained ankle.0
-
In for another 100, short month be damned! @Stoshew71, or anyone else, if you have any tips for a 50+ runner training to improve time per mile, I'm all ears! Realized today that I've run over 650 miles and dropped 20 pounds as part of this Amazing Group since I first jumped in. Hoping for many more! Good luck everybody ...
Dropping 20 pounds should help your speed even without doing anything else specifically aimed at getting faster.
I can't claim to be an expert, but I did start running at age 55, and I'm faster at 60 than I was at 55, 56, or 57. Things I think I know that help speed, in no particular order:
- Intervals. I worked up to the 5K distance starting with walk/run intervals. I ran myself into injury a few times, and always came back to running through walk/run intervals. At the end of the interval work, I was faster than before injury. And that wasn't even intervals designed to be speed work; when I found a scientific coach last year, I started doing designed speed work intervals. That made me faster, too.
- Recovery. Get enough sleep, take enough time off running for your body to recover from running fast, and you run faster the next time you try to run fast.
- Run slower to run faster. You don't try to run as fast as you can every run. You build a base of easy miles, and work on speed for a small portion of your week. Just building a stronger base improves cardiovascular function, which typically translates to running faster.
- Other older runners, including retired coaches with a lot of respect in the local running community, tell me that older guys only need one day of speed work per week. The implied subtext is, the benefit of a second day of speed work is less than the risk of injury that second day adds. This is one of the things that makes me a bit queasy about following my current plan with 2 days of speed work per week; but this is only for 16 weeks. After Boston, I can re-evaluate and maybe go back down to one speed work day per week.
- Good form and running efficiency. I worked on good form from a motivation of avoiding and recovering from injury. It also improves running efficiency, which means I can run faster with the same effort.
- If you have a specific distance in mind, train for that distance. Speed work targeting a 5K race looks different form speed work targeting a half marathon, and both of them look different from speed work targeting a mile race.
- Realistic expectations. No matter how fast you run, there will always be somebody faster.
There is a body of scientific research for why most of this stuff works, but @Stoshew71 is better than I am at finding it and posting the stuff that's relevant to individual questions.0 -
-
Hey I am new to this hope this works
0 -
In for another 100, short month be damned! @Stoshew71, or anyone else, if you have any tips for a 50+ runner training to improve time per mile, I'm all ears! Realized today that I've run over 650 miles and dropped 20 pounds as part of this Amazing Group since I first jumped in. Hoping for many more! Good luck everybody ...Dropping 20 pounds should help your speed even without doing anything else specifically aimed at getting faster.
I can't claim to be an expert, but I did start running at age 55, and I'm faster at 60 than I was at 55, 56, or 57. Things I think I know that help speed, in no particular order:
- Intervals. I worked up to the 5K distance starting with walk/run intervals. I ran myself into injury a few times, and always came back to running through walk/run intervals. At the end of the interval work, I was faster than before injury. And that wasn't even intervals designed to be speed work; when I found a scientific coach last year, I started doing designed speed work intervals. That made me faster, too.
- Recovery. Get enough sleep, take enough time off running for your body to recover from running fast, and you run faster the next time you try to run fast.
- Run slower to run faster. You don't try to run as fast as you can every run. You build a base of easy miles, and work on speed for a small portion of your week. Just building a stronger base improves cardiovascular function, which typically translates to running faster.
- Other older runners, including retired coaches with a lot of respect in the local running community, tell me that older guys only need one day of speed work per week. The implied subtext is, the benefit of a second day of speed work is less than the risk of injury that second day adds. This is one of the things that makes me a bit queasy about following my current plan with 2 days of speed work per week; but this is only for 16 weeks. After Boston, I can re-evaluate and maybe go back down to one speed work day per week.
- Good form and running efficiency. I worked on good form from a motivation of avoiding and recovering from injury. It also improves running efficiency, which means I can run faster with the same effort.
- If you have a specific distance in mind, train for that distance. Speed work targeting a 5K race looks different form speed work targeting a half marathon, and both of them look different from speed work targeting a mile race.
- Realistic expectations. No matter how fast you run, there will always be somebody faster.
There is a body of scientific research for why most of this stuff works, but @Stoshew71 is better than I am at finding it and posting the stuff that's relevant to individual questions.
Lots of easy miles. When you run lots of easy miles (conversational pace) you are stressing your body just the right amount to improve the things inside your body that will deliver oxygen from your lungs to your muscles, and improves the muscles to use that oxygen with fuel (sugar and fats) to produce a lot of energy to move your muscles.
here's a couple of my blogs on this:
http://therunningstan.blogspot.com/2016/01/why-is-oxygen-so-important.html
http://therunningstan.blogspot.com/2016/01/reverse-taper-base-building.html
0 -
Speaking of my blogs, I just posted a new one. I been studying about biomechanics and finally put something together about it:
http://therunningstan.blogspot.com/2016/01/running-biomechanics-primer.html0 -
@MobyCarp, @Stoshew71 ... many thanks for the answers to my questions. I will keep you posted!0
-
Hi all,
I am new to the group. I signed up for the run the year 2016 challenge and am already behind. I am also planning on doing my first ultra 50 miler this fall. I am going to try and stay accountable through this thread. So here goes. February goal is 150 miles.
Thanks, looking forward to running with you all..0 -
Love this! The very reason I don't give up is cause it keeps me sane!runner_girl83 wrote: »This month i am doing a virtual 10k and 100km for Run For Mental Health!
0 -
I'm in. I'll go super conservative and pledge to run/walk .5 a day = 15 miles rounding up.
I know its a weekend run to some here. But setting the bar low. Hopefully I can shatter it and get a better idea of what I can really do for march.0 -
With the shorter month I'm going to look to improve my performance rather than up my goal. I'll go for 70 again.
0 -
Again, thanks to @Stoshew71 for your commitment to keeping this challenge group going. I have planned 1/2 marathons in March, June and November, and my overall yearly goal of 1000 miles (um....never yet met.....). So, stretch of 80 this month (actually made that last month, but this one IS shorter......)0
-
Goal: 45 km. Same goal as last month which I didn't achieve due to left hip tendon pain.
My physiotherapist said it's caused by my left leg being one centimetre longer, and my right foot being flatter, so this causes a lot of pulling on the left side. (I also occasionally get knee pain caused by the same thing and both feet being flat.)
I've got floppy feet and I'm lopsided... I'm flopsided!
I'm getting orthotics. I've had the plaster casts done, and will be getting the orthotics on Friday. Can't wait to test them out on a run!
My physio also gave me different exercises to do to strengthen the tendon, ease the associated back pain, and get the muscles on either side of the knee working at the same time.
I love getting professional information!
And that's my cue to read the Amazing Stan's new blog post! Cheers, and good luck for February, lovely people!0 -
My first run of the month, 4.3 miles! Might not be a lot but it's my furthest ever run so I'm well happy0
-
kateparry84 wrote: »My first run of the month, 4.3 miles! Might not be a lot but it's my furthest ever run so I'm well happy
Well done, @kateparry84 !0 -
I'm in for 50miles again. I just missed out last month so hopefully I'll manage it this time. My training plan says I should do 61 miles but, with an assignment deadline looming, I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of mid-week runs have to be missed to get my essay done. I'm literally counting the days until I'm done with my degree...
Good luck for the month everyone, and thanks for the motivation in January! I've been a long-time lurker on these monthly threads and finally went for it properly this month and I'm glad I did0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 901 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.2K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions