The February 2016 Running Challenge
Options
Replies
-
WhatMeRunning wrote: »Looks like an unplanned rest day. My oblique muscle is a LOT better but I still feel it on certain movements. After doing a little bit of Dr. Google and coming to the clear concensus that I am going to die, I am also going to keep my planned rest day tomorrow to heal for 2 days before attempting a run on Saturday. Saturday is supposed to be a long run but I will cut that down and skip the long run this week. Hopefully I will be able to run each day as scheduled next week without it feeling any worse.
This post is so full of sense and win.
Good plan, @WhatMeRunning 0 -
First...never tell your PT that you're feeling great and that you're thinking of trying a long run on Saturday, dependent on what happens during your current session with him. He will try to kill you. Then he'll ask if you still think you want to do the long run, when you say yes, he'll get an evil glint in his eye, and that's when you do the whole "oops, look at the time! I gotta go!" and you bail out faster than you ever thought possible!
Second, I was feeling great and was considering trying a long run on Saturday but my PT tried to kill me so now I'm not so sure what I'm going to do. *Scratch that. As I've written and read what I wrote, I realized I need to take it slow so I'll run at my lunch break tomorrow and leave the long run for another day. Rushing will only set me back and I don't want to risk not finishing my first half in May. Come on March!!
02/20 Snowman Stampede 10 mile race-cancelled due to injury
04/24 Graffiti Run with grandkids - "Memaw's Mini Posse" is our team name!
04/30 Greenland Trail Race...8 mile
05/15 Colfax Marathon (Half)
08/07 Tri for the Cure Sprint Triathlon
09/05 Labor Day Mini Marathon (Half)
10/16 Rock-n-Roll Denver Half0 -
LOL! Funny post, @Virkati
Funny you should say that. I've cancelled doing my Body Balance class today because in the past it's killed me, and I have my event tomorrow.
Having recovered from my recent painful hip tendon, back facet joint impingement, and, hopefully from my "Baker's cyst" on the back of my knee, I don't want any more drama!0 -
@instantmartian.... Thanks a lot. I was hydrated, not sure what else was the issue. Might have to get more knowledge and prepare better for next time.
@9voice9.... Thanks a lot.Surely wan't to better 00:31 next time.
@Orphia.... Thanks a lot, It was amazing just to finish and didn't really think that 00:31:51 was a good time 0 -
2/9 3.84 miles. Total is 14.52----1/3 of the way to goal.
2/11 4.39 miles. Total is 15.08. Getting more fit. 2.5 minutes to recover after pushing myself to 93% max heart rate.
2/15 4.52 miles. Total is 19.6. All on the treadmill with 1% incline.
2/20 8 miles, running outdoors on a local trail. 27.6 miles total.
Very sore hips, esp the right after the 4th miles.
2/22 4.1 miles on the treadmill, needed to work out the soreness after Saturday. 31.7 miles for the month; only need 8.3 miles for my goal of 40 miles.
2/24 3.98 miles on the treadmill. Noted that my fitness has improved in 3 weeks time. Improved to 13:02 miles/minute at 85% or less max heart rate, improved from 15:00 on February 3rd. Total for the month is 35.68 miles, goal is 40 miles. Need to run 4.32 miles tomorrow night to finish this out and reach goal.
Ultimate goal is the mini-marathon in Indy on May 7th, 100th anniversary of Indy 500. Going to try to run 4 HM this year and maybe a couple of 10 K's. Trying to fit them into my schedule.
2/25 6 miles. Ran outside in snow flurries, really a lot of fun but couldn't relax for some reason. Muscles behind both knees tightened in final mile. Pace was 14:38. Just tried to stay in 80-84% range on heart monitor. Afterward crashed.....so exhausted. Later hit the gym for 30 minutes of weight training and 35 minutes on stationary bike. The bike really helped with tight hamstrings.
Met February goal of 40 miles with grand total 41.68 miles. Hooray!!!!
0 -
02/09 3.25 miles - found it hard after the break
02/10 3.25 miles - same route, much better 30 sec faster
02/15 3 miles
02/23 3.5 miles
02/24 3.5 miles
02/25 3.75 miles
20.25 done of 30miles
0 -
@Stoshew71 @MobyCarp @WhatMeRunning @kristinegift @_nikkiwolf_ and everyone else who chimed in on the long run discussion. I am so fascinated with this topic, as this is the exact scenario I am struggling with at the moment. I am doing my first marathon in July, and I have one of those 18 week plans @Stoshew71 critiqued! I have extended the plan out to 27 weeks to give myself a bit more time to build mileage, but there is no way I will have time to build the mileage to support a 32km long run if I try to use the 25-30% of weekly mileage rule.
And I will also be violating the 2 1/2 hr to 3 hr rule almost every week until my marathon, because I am running slowly (7 1/2 to 8 mins/km), and hence covering the distances slowly. My issue is that if I only get to a total distance of 23-24 km for my long run because that represents 3 hrs of running, then that is nowhere near the time or distance I will require to run the marathon, and how on Earth will I be able to run for another 2 hours on race day! It does not add up for me. I guess I agree with @WhatMeRunning and others about the psychological benefit of doing that 32 km long run, even if it is 4 hours of running. And I also agree with @WhatMeRunning that you can probably go longer doing slow/easy running with less stress to the body. This is what I am hoping anyway.
My husband also says he would not run longer than 3 hrs in his longest run, but he runs sub-3 hr marathons, so that means his longest training run is actually a longer time than he will be out there running his marathon! I think the rules based on elite runners don't necessarily apply to your average first-timer who may be out there for 4 1/2 to 5+ hrs on race day. These are my thoughts as someone training for a first marathon. I want to cover as much distance as possible in training to see what it feels like to be on my feet for 4+ hours, so I will be prepared on race day.0 -
Only 1.6 miles last night, had to cut it short as I went all dizzy and lightheaded. Quite disappointed, it's the first time since I started this that i've had to abandon a session. I'll try again at the weekend.
0 -
2/01: 3 miles, easy, 8:36 pace + 45 min x-training + core
2/02: 5 miles, tempo, 8:22 pace + 40 min x-training
2/03: 5 miles, speedwork (4x800m at 5K pace) + 45 min strength training + core
2/04: Off, 45 min x-training
2/05: 4 miles, easy, 8:40 pace
2/06: 5 miles, 3 miles at race pace (averaged 7:43) with warm up/cool down + 55 min strength training + core
2/07: 8 miles, long and easy, 8:39 pace
2/08: 3 miles, easy, 8:40 pace + 45 min x-training + core
2/09: 5 miles, speedwork, (6x2 minutes at 5K pace with 2 minutes recovery jog between)
2/10: 4 miles, easy, 8:54 pace + 45 min strength training + core
2/11: 1 mile, quick, 6:52 pace + 45 min x-training
2/12: 5 miles, easy, 8:45 pace
2/13: 5 miles, speedwork (1 mile/800m/2x400m at 5K pace) + 55 min strength training
2/14: 9 miles, long and easy, 8:34 pace
2/15: 3.5 miles, easy, 8:46 pace + 25 min x-training
2/16: 5 miles, tempo, 8:11 pace
2/17: 6 miles, super easy, 8:57 pace + 45 min x-training + core
2/18: 5.5 miles, speedwork (5x800m at 5K pace) + 50 min strength training + core
2/19: Rest day - preparing for my 5K race tomorrow
2/20: 2.5 mile warm up + 5K race (22:05 - new PR!)
2/21: 11 miles, long and easy + core
2/22: 6 miles, easy + 50 min strength training + core
2/23: 5 miles, tempo (2 miles at LTP)
2/24: 6 miles, easy + 30 min x-training + core (am)
2/24: 3 miles, easy (pm)
2/25: 6 miles, speedwork (5x800m at 6:45 pace with 400m recovery) + 40 min strength training
2/26: Rest day - flying to LA for a scientific conference!!!
Total: 126.58 miles
Recap:
Got a lot of snow here yesterday so the track was (once again) unusable. Which means today’s run was interval training on the treadmill torture device. 1.5 mile warm up; 5x800m at 6:45 pace with 400m recovery between; 1 mile cool down. Followed of course by 40 minutes of strength training. By the end of this workout I was ready to die haha. Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow!
I'm going to be in LA the next 6 days for the Biophysical Society annual meeting, so it's going to be a challenge to get all my runs in! It seems like I'll be doing a lot of treadmill running while I'm there because the hotel/conference is in the heart of downtown and it doesn't look like there is anywhere good to run nearby (according to google maps). I'll scope it out better once I'm there though! By any chance, is anyone on here familiar with any good places to run in/near downtown LA??
Upcoming races:
3/12 - Leprechaun Leap (5K)
3/20 - Excalibur 10 Miler
3/26 - Chicago Quarter Marathon
4/09 - Chi Town Half Marathon
5/28 - Soldier Field Run (10 miles)0 -
So nice to know I'm not alone. Rest day for me - everyone have a happy day! 0
-
2/1: 6 miles with Joe to Go crew
2/2: 5 miles
2/3: 7.5 miles
2/4: 8.2 miles (am), 6 miles (pm) with the Thursday crew
2/5: Rest day (hallelujah!)
2/6: 9.5 miles with the Saturday crew
2/7: 18 miles LR
2/8: 6.1 miles with Joe to Go crew
2/9: Rest day
2/10: 7 miles speedwork (am), 10 miles (pm)
2/11: 6 miles (am), 6 miles (pm) with the Thursday crew
2/12: Rest day!
2/13: 14 miles with Saturday crew
2/14: 7 miles
2/15: Rest/lazy day
2/16: 5 miles
2/17: 5 miles (am), 12 miles (pm)
2/18: 8 miles (am), 6 miles (pm) with the Thursday crew
2/19: Rest day!
2/20: 8.5 miles
2/21: 16 miles
2/22: 6 miles with Joe to Go crew
2/23: XT: 12 miles stationary bike
2/24: 10 miles
2/25: No AM run, 6 miles PM with Thursday crew
2/26: Rest day!
I am loving this cutback week business! It was so refreshing to run with my group last night and not be complaining about how sore/tired/achy I am. I'm excited to get back to crazy mileage next week, but having ZERO two-a-days this week was a nice break. Glad I took it now rather than waiting a week; it worked out well with the storms we've been getting in Jersey and I feel so ready to tackle another block of tough weeks.
And I've hit 400 miles for the year as of last night! And with 30 miles on the schedule for this weekend, I'll be well over 200 for the month very soon! I think my highest mileage in a month so far is about 207, so this will be a huge monthly PR for me (whether I beat @Stoshew71 or not)!
Upcoming races:
3/12: Run o' the Mill 5K
4/3: Caesar Rodney Half Marathon
5/1: New Jersey Marathon0 -
That right there is the area which I think has not been researched at all as @MobyCarp suggested.... My issue is that if I only get to a total distance of 23-24 km for my long run because that represents 3 hrs of running, then that is nowhere near the time or distance I will require to run the marathon, and how on Earth will I be able to run for another 2 hours on race day! ...
First off, if someone is newer to distance running and has run a couple halfs perhaps, even if they are a 3 hour half runner and trains for a season with 3 hour 12 to 14 mile long runs, they may not have the strength in their running chain to go 26.2 miles in 6 hours and I would be concerned for them about injury pushing themselves to such a large, new and unfamiliar distance. Do any training plans suggest a runner who has a 10k as their longest run do a half marathon as their first long run? Then why take someone who has only run 12-14 miles as their longest distance and suggest it is safe to run 26.2 miles???
I also suspect their refueling plan based solely on those 3 hour runs could come up inadequate. I learned I needed a little more, an extra GU packet every hour to have the ability to run 4+ hours, and more water too for that matter (I'm 6 feet 2 inches tall and 250 pounds which takes extra fuel). Truth be told, I can do a two hour run with zero fuel, and a 3 hour run with a single GU. But a 4 hour run I do best taking 4 GU packets.
I was not dehydrating after 3 hours and could rehydrate quickly after the run, but a similar rate of water consumption on longer runs left me slower and achy from dehydration. Some added water would put extra spring in my shuffle on those later miles. Even if it's just mental, that is the biggest battle of all, the mental aspect.
I would not pretend to have more running physiological knowledge or experience than Jack Daniels. He has more in the tip of his pinky finger than I will probably gain in my lifetime. But I know when I feel something is very wrong from my own knowledge and experience that I do better when I listen to that voice in my head trying to make sense as opposed to following a generic plan. Which, in a sense, is exactly what the whole 25-33% and 2.5 hour long run things are...cookie cutter plans for all, from elite to novice, from fittest to out of shape, from just over 2 hour marathon finishers to 7 hour marathon finishers. That makes no sense.
@Stoshew71 has mentioned at a few points that even he deviates from such recommendations where he thinks it makes sense. It's all about having enough knowledge from reliable sources to arm yourself, and the intuition to know what you can do, and the wisdom to put it all together to reach your goal unhurt.
That's not easy, either.
@MobyCarp mentioned (if memory is correct) that a first time half or full marathoner is probably best served by training and running the race at easy pace. That just seems to make sense. Obviously you do not have to do it that way, many trained for their first with speedwork, many ran the first race at race pace. Many made it, many failed for various reasons including injury. If it's about least injury risk, I really do have to wonder what the odds of injury are for someone to suddenly one day run 26.2 miles when their previous longest ever run was 13.1 miles.0 -
Oh, something I really wanted to say when I started that last post, but drifted and forgot...
I do believe that once your running chain has built up enough strength to support you running for several hours that you can just keep going to new, unexpected distances. This is not the same as saying that because someone has run 2 miles they can run a 10k, and extrapolate that to if a person has run a half then they can run a full. That is only true if their running chain has been trained long enough to have the endurance to do so.
Last fall towards the end of my first full, I had zero doubt in my mind or body that I could have dropped all 3 fulls and done at least one 50k, maybe two. I had zero confidence about a 50 miler ultra. So, even though my longest run was 20 miles, I do think that could have been stretched to 31 miles as those last miles in the full were on empty tanks, sore muscles and purely just the will to finish. When I saw the 26 mile marker I knew I could run another 5 miles that day if the race was that long.
But how does one know when they have built up enough strength? For the example of the 3 hour half marathoner training for a season on 12-14 mile 3 hour long runs only...when do they have the strength earned to go 26.2 miles? What test can they do to prove they are ready? Is their only option to take a chance and see if they can do it and hope to not fail or get injured?0 -
1-personal training episode. so sore
2-nothing, not feeling well
3-slept in. still not feeling great
4-see above, and then transmission cracked
5-car hunting
6-car hunting
7-4.75 miles. I added hills to my treadmill work out. oh the suck
8-nothing
9-i was on the way to the gym. because it was icy i didn't want to run outside. so icy, i hit a parked jeep with my 2 day all new to me car.
no gym for me
10-yoga tonight. a little sore from the accident, but i'm really concerned about the race this weekend. I've not been able to train like I'd like to due to flares and accidents. I'm not sure how I'll do
11-no run. fell asleep by 7pm
12-slept like a rock thru my alarms
13-8k race day. freezing 1F. but i did get a PB and after not finding any particularly friendly people, i did find a few to chat and run with.
15-went to the gym and did a 10k virtual run. it was hard physically but I was proud I did it
16-rest
17-yoga tonight
18-wayward ice chunk took out rental's bumper, went back to insurance and got another car and filed a claim. sigh, no time for run today.
19-planned rest day.
20-7.04mi felt good. i missed the distance. the first few miles are always a struggle. it was my fastest 6-8 miles
21-video game day (borderlands pre-sequel)
22-nothing
23-lazy did not run. cannot get motivated
24-yoga tonight
25-overslept
26-yoga tonight
apparently I'm taking a rest month
RACES:
Jan 16-Frosty 5k-33:43:123 (gun time-don't have chip time)
Feb 13-Steve Cullen Run 8k chip time: 53:37
Feb 15 Puppy Love Virtual Run 10k runkeeper time: 1:13:20
?Mar 14-Great Pi Run?
?Jun 11-Rock n Sole 5 or 8k? honeymoon might interfere
June 19th through Sunday, July 10th SHE Power Virtual Half
0 -
Good morning friends. This morning was AWESOME !!!!! I ran 3.6 miles today, I know it does not sound like much since so many of you run much more, but I have not ran more than 2 miles in almost 14 years. The last time was when I was in Iraq. It feels so great to see that I can reach my goal soon. I hope everyone has an awesome day.
0 -
@cbro70 - Awesome! Congrats! There is no such thing as "Not much". There is running or not running. About the only time runners should consider a run to be "not much" is during a taper and wondering why they are bothering with what feels like ridiculously simple and too short of runs. But they never consider other peoples mileage as "not much" because everyone started somewhere. And after an off season or injury everyone is again starting back over.0
-
Good morning friends. This morning was AWESOME !!!!! I ran 3.6 miles today, I know it does not sound like much since so many of you run much more, but I have not ran more than 2 miles in almost 14 years. The last time was when I was in Iraq. It feels so great to see that I can reach my goal soon. I hope everyone has an awesome day.
That's great!!! Agree with @WhatMeRunning -- no such thing as "not much".
0 -
0
-
Date Miles today. Miles for February
2/1 7.55 miles - 7.55
2/2 7.4 miles - 14.95
2/3 4.5 miles - 19.45
2/4 7 miles - 26.45
2/5 REST DAY
2/6 16 miles - 42.45
2/7 REST DAY
2/8 10.5 miles - 52.95
2/9 7.5 miles - 60.45
2/9 3.2 miles - 63.65
2/10 6.4 miles - 70.05
2/11 7.5 miles - 77.55
2/12 6.3 miles - 83.85
2/12 3.3 miles - 87.15 <<< Daily double
2/13 16 miles - 103.15
2/14 REST DAY Happy Valentines Day
2/15 8.1 miles - 111.25 << First run of 2 today
2/15 4 miles - 115.25 << Second run of the day. I hate cold rain.
2/16 10 miles - 125.25
2/17 5 miles - 130.25
2/18 11 miles - 141.25
2/19 6.2 miles - 147.45
2/20 16 miles - 163.45
2/21 REST DAY
2/22 8.5 miles - 171.95
2/22 4 miles - 175.95 << Another daily double
2/23 8 miles - 183.95
2/23 4 miles - 187.95 << Another daily double
2/24 6.2 miles - 194.15
2/25 8 miles - 202.15
2/25 4 miles - 206.15 << Another daily double
2/26 6.2 miles - 212.35
Upcoming races:
UAH Spring Road Race 8K - 3/6
Oak Barrel HM - 4/2
Bridge Street HM - 4/10
Cotton Row Run 10K - 5/30
Firecracker Chase 10.2 miler - 6/25
0 -
Good morning friends. This morning was AWESOME !!!!! I ran 3.6 miles today, I know it does not sound like much since so many of you run much more, but I have not ran more than 2 miles in almost 14 years. The last time was when I was in Iraq. It feels so great to see that I can reach my goal soon. I hope everyone has an awesome day.
That is so awesome! Congratulations!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.8K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 396 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 967 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions