March 2016 Running Challenge

Options
18889919394127

Replies

  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    Options
    vandinem wrote: »
    I believe I am currently on pace to hit my goal by March 34th
    I totally missed this the first time through! :lol: Why the rush? I would ease up a bit and go for the 40th.
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
    Options
    @4leighbee - I think that when I see other people running pretty much everyday...even if I have already run...even if I already did a half that morning. It's a bit of a sickness.
    @skippygirlsmom - I am so sorry for you! That just sucks! I wish I had some advice, but it sounds like you're doing everything you are supposed to. On another note, I cannot fathom a 2:30 800m!
    @vandinem - I have had a few months like that...no worries.
    @kristinegift - Yep, the wind here in Iowa in March is a little ugly sometimes.

    3/3 - 3.25 miles on indoor track
    3/5 - 4 windy miles.
    3/6 - 6.5 flat, windy, hot (72°) miles...sweaty.
    3/9 - 3.46 miles
    3/10 - 4.45 miles on treadmill (Trek class)
    3/11 - 4 miles on indoor track + weights
    3/12 - 7.5 hilly miles
    3/13 - 4 miles on indoor track + weights
    3/14 - Rest day...seriously sore from squats and dead lifts on Sunday
    3/15 - 4 miles on treadmill + weights (early a.m. thunderstorm kept me inside)
    3/16 - 4.02 windy miles...took a good 2 miles to get into a groove.
    3/17 - 5 miles on treadmill (Trek class)
    3/18 - 4.13 miles. Sooo excited that I am on track for my goal this month!
    3/19 - Unplanned rest day...life got in the way.
    3/20 - 8 wind, flat miles
    3/21 - Planned rest day
    3/22 - Beautiful 4.7 miles. It was about 50° F with a very light breeze at 5:00 a.m.!
    3/23 - Wet 4.3 miles...almost biffed it when I slipped on a downhill. Thankfully saved myself without tweaking anything...thank God for small favors!

    exercise.png
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,135 Member
    Options
    So today started Week 8 of my C25K program, and it wasn't starting out too well...

    I got a root canal yesterday afternoon. Was feeling okay until about 1:00AM. Woke me up starting to hurt, and by 4:30AM I was no longer even trying to sleep, I was awake and in pain. Laid there until 5:00AM when my alarm went off, and decided to give it a shot anyway. Worse come to worse, I could repeat it, right?

    So today was run 28 minutes straight (or 2.75 miles). Ugh... Fired up the treadmill and the tunes and went after it. I could feel my tooth with every step, but kept on going. Legs felt good, breathing was slow and steady, and the tunes were rocking. Never looked down at the clock once. When the 28 minutes were up, I actually kept going for another 2 minutes to get to the 2.75 miles instead of just running for time (I'm slow, I run at a 5.5).

    I think I'm actually going to finish this thing!

    exercise.png
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    Options
    @brian_gunther good job gutting through it with the tooth problem. I know that tooth pain makes everything harder.
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited March 2016
    Options
    So today started Week 8 of my C25K program, and it wasn't starting out too well...

    I got a root canal yesterday afternoon. Was feeling okay until about 1:00AM. Woke me up starting to hurt, and by 4:30AM I was no longer even trying to sleep, I was awake and in pain. Laid there until 5:00AM when my alarm went off, and decided to give it a shot anyway. Worse come to worse, I could repeat it, right?

    So today was run 28 minutes straight (or 2.75 miles). Ugh... Fired up the treadmill and the tunes and went after it. I could feel my tooth with every step, but kept on going. Legs felt good, breathing was slow and steady, and the tunes were rocking. Never looked down at the clock once. When the 28 minutes were up, I actually kept going for another 2 minutes to get to the 2.75 miles instead of just running for time (I'm slow, I run at a 5.5).

    I think I'm actually going to finish this thing!

    exercise.png
    :open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth:
    You earned the "March Bad-*kitten*" award with that one!
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    Options
    vandinem wrote: »
    I believe I am currently on pace to hit my goal by March 34th
    I totally missed this the first time through! :lol: Why the rush? I would ease up a bit and go for the 40th.

    Renewed hope of hitting my goal! Only 65 miles left!
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Options
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    I refuse to run 50 yards. A waste of time for me. LOL

    Last year, when someone was trying to talk me into running a mile race, I told them I hadn't done much sprinting. Big mistake. I got a long lecture on how a mile isn't a sprint, complete with a discussion of race strategies for a mile.

    Funny thing, aside from the ridiculously short distances and time involved, those race strategies sounded a lot like standard advice for a half - don't go out too fast or you'll fad at the finish, pace yourself, finish strong, etc. But from my perspective, the only strategy for a mile race is just run as fast as I can. It looks like a sprint to me.

    I probably should run a 5K someday soon but I am just too focused on getting my BQ right now. From my last race a couple of weeks ago, the 8K, I felt like I proabably could have done a decent job if the race ended at 5K. I just about lost steam about a half mile from the finish line and had to gut it out. If I kept the same pacing for a 5K, I could have sprinted the last 800 meters or so. And I was actually impressed with myself that I got a 6:15 on the first mile and still had much more to keep going.

    Shorter distance requires specific training and strategies that I am not yet accustomed to. I wouldn't say a full out sprint for a mile, but maybe 95-98% effort? Again, if I have done quite a bit of track speedwork, I proabably could figure out the correct effort for a mile race.

    I try telling people that for me, I enjoy the 1/2 and full marathon distances more than a 5K. The marathon pace is actually a nice comfortable pace until you get to ~18 mile mark, and the uncomfortable feeling you get from 18-26.2 is much different than that OMG am I going to die feeling you get for pretty much the entire 5K time. I know I have a lot more slower twitched muscle fibers than faster twitched ones which is probably why I prefer the longer distances.
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Options
    @brian_gunther good job gutting through it with the tooth problem. I know that tooth pain makes everything harder.

    ^^^^ ditto
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    Options
    Anyone use a runnning journal/log? Thinking about starting one to use as motivation/tracking
  • louubelle16
    louubelle16 Posts: 579 Member
    Options
    @MNLittleFinn I have been keeping a log for the last 4 months and it's really helped me. I can reflect on what I ate and wore and other factors, e.g. stress or illness and how it has impacted on my running. I feel much more clued-up about my running now and how to make sure I'm successful, rather than guessing or trying to remember. If you do one, I would suggest logging weather, clothes and food in it to compare :)
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Options
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    I refuse to run 50 yards. A waste of time for me. LOL

    Last year, when someone was trying to talk me into running a mile race, I told them I hadn't done much sprinting. Big mistake. I got a long lecture on how a mile isn't a sprint, complete with a discussion of race strategies for a mile.

    Funny thing, aside from the ridiculously short distances and time involved, those race strategies sounded a lot like standard advice for a half - don't go out too fast or you'll fad at the finish, pace yourself, finish strong, etc. But from my perspective, the only strategy for a mile race is just run as fast as I can. It looks like a sprint to me.

    We talk about this at track

    100m is dash run full out
    200m same
    400m same
    800m is a dash 95% speed first lap full out second
    1600m is considered a run, same with 3200m it's a run pacing involved

    Used to be 800m was considered a run but no more.

    Yeah, like I said above, I don't do enough track work to be an expert here. But from what I understand, it is based upon how much anaerobic power you have. You can sprint all out and use up your ATP reserves, then your creatine phosphate reserves until you start relying on glycolysis which will begin to dump lactate and H+ ions into your system. You are pretty much just holding on as long as you can until that lactate/H+ ion build-up forces you to stop which when all is said and done, probabaly is about 90-120 seconds maybe? Elites may go a little further?

    Any distance beyond that, you have to pace yourself and use more aerobic power.

    Shorter distance athletes not only have more faster twitch muscles, but they train to have more explosive power. The idea is, how much distance can I cover in that short period of time, and I don't care how much mass I am carrying (in terms of muscles) to achieve that power.

    Longer distance athletes do care about muscle mass. The more mass you are carrying, that goes against your running economy. So they train differently so they make the most use of their muscles. They also have more slower twitched muscles and train their aerobic capability to it's maximum. Just compare the muscle build of Michael Johnson and Usain Bolt verses Meb and Ryan Hall.

  • freakymistkd
    freakymistkd Posts: 586 Member
    Options
    March Goal - 50km walking

    March 23 - 1km
    March total - 43.8

    6.2km to go :smile:
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    Options
    Anyone use a runnning journal/log? Thinking about starting one to use as motivation/tracking

    Yes, I love mine. I like to see my progress by the week and by the month, rather than day by day. Along with the many benefits to logging your running progress and pit-falls, an unexpected benefit for me was that my daughter now watches me analyze and adjust daily. Message to her: fitness is a priority. It is personal (diary) - I answer to no one but myself. And it is not a frivolous activity - I do need to answer to myself. :)
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Options
    Anyone use a runnning journal/log? Thinking about starting one to use as motivation/tracking

    That's what I use strava and runningahead for. And this thread. I can go back to all of this if need to be, and I do.
  • sleepigrl
    sleepigrl Posts: 53 Member
    Options


    3/2 - 3 mile walk
    3/3 - 2.25 mile run
    3/6 - 2 mile run
    3/7 - 3 mile brisk walk
    3/8 - 2 mile run, 1 mile walk
    3/9 - too much lightning
    3/10 - 2 mile run, 1.25 mile walk
    3/12 - 2.5 mile run, 2 mile walk
    3/14 - strength training
    3/15 - Ow...DOMS... 1 mile run/1.5 walk
    3/17 - Planned run day but my legs were still way too sore
    3/19 - 2.5 mile run, 1.25 mile walk
    3/22 - 2.5 mile run, 1.25 mile walk

    So far - 33/50

    Four more run days planned for March... If I can ramp my distance up a tiny bit I might just make it!



    exercise.png



    Goal/Planned Races:
    4/9/16 Capitol 10K (maybe not...)
    7/4/16 or thereabouts - a 5K in Alaska because I can :)
    12/3/16 SA Rock N Roll - 5K/10K


  • Virkati
    Virkati Posts: 679 Member
    edited March 2016
    Options
    @skippygirlsmom I'm so sorry! Hopefully it's going to just be a minor issue that a little rolling and Motrin can alleviate. Don't give up on the half just yet...you might have to adjust the goal though. My half is mid May, and the only thing I'm planning to do is finish. My PT doesn't believe me though. Asked me yesterday if I know how to not go hardcore, full bore on something. No. No I don't.

    AND after I looked at my training plan again and moving things around a bit, I now have two full rest days and one active rest day. Best part is that there was no change in the weekly mileage. Woot woot!
  • lloydwells66
    lloydwells66 Posts: 38 Member
    Options
    Right on pace...

    exercise.png
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    Options
    Right on pace...

    exercise.png

    nice
  • Ericsmi
    Ericsmi Posts: 128 Member
    Options
    Goal of 70 Miles for March

    3/1 – 3.21 Mi
    3/3 – 5.91 Mi
    3/6 – 3.17 Mi
    3/7 – 3.28 Mi
    3/9 – 3.97 Mi
    3/12 – 8.28 Mi
    3/19 – 6.14 Mi
    3/21 – 4.18 Mi
    3/23 – 3.21 Mi

    Progress toward Goal 41.35 / 70
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited March 2016
    Options
    My husband told me if I beat him (in a race), he'll quit running. I've got my eye on an upcoming free 5k. If he needs an excuse, I'll help him out. Mid summer.

    My left calf is still uncertain (sore from HM hills). May shoot for a walk today before I get cabin fever.