April 2016 Running Challenge

Got in a good rest day yesterday, and just did 4 easy miles today with a neighbor as I was a bit worn out from lifting & biking. Trying to keep it easy this week going into Sunday's Ironman 70.3

4/1 - 0.5 mile (pre-lift warm-up)
4/2 - 6.5 miles (speedwork - 6 x 5 min threshold/1 min rest)
4/3 - 20 miles (8 super-easy, 7 easy, 5 mid-hard)
4/5 - 4 miles

Total: 31 miles
Goal: 160 miles
Remaining: 129 miles

Upcoming races:
4/10 - Ironman 70.3 Florida
5/1 - Pittsburgh Marathon
9/25 - Ironman 70.3 Augusta
10/9 - Chicago Marathon (lottery TBD)
11/5 - Ironman Florida

clocked up another 3.1km

Date.........Miles..........Total
1/4............Rest..............0
2/4............Rest..............0
3/4.............3.7..............3.7
4/4.............3.0..............6.7
5/4............Rest............6.7

6/4.............6.0.............12.7

A really hard run today, from the second I left my house I knew it was going to be hard. I still completed the distance I set out to do but I was constantly thinking about cutting it short. Feeling rather pleased with myself now for not giving up

Yay Katie!

@shanaber and @nicolemarie999 my daughter is 19 and athletic (although 2 years of architecture school have probably killed her endurance) - something like a color run, mud run or a tough mudder is too light.

I'm looking for something equivalent to 7 days of riding across Iowa, which is what her older sister did with me at 16. Push her to some limit and make it memorable 10 years later. The color runs and mud runs are great, it is what I'm planning with her little sisters (11 & 13 - YES 4 girls!) but don't have enough "umph" for us in this search.

So I guess I'm wondering about a multiday run with medium daily mileage. Something like Sandakphu 70 Mile Himalayan Race which is over 4 days (but only has 25 people in it). Or maybe something like the Double Half Mary+5 - 50 kms over 3 days in Nebraska. Nebraska is probably as "out of this world" for her as the Himalayas. Have any of you done these?

Anyway, the discussion has allowed me to refine my thoughts a little. Found a site that has a registered list of almost 300 multi day runs (http://marathons.ahotu.com/calendar/multiday) and we might find our target there.

Thankfully the younger ones still enjoy cycling - so they might eventually do RAGBRAI instead.

Super early morning mid-week 8 mile long run through the park today in off and on light rain. Strava said it was a night run, but I am pretty sure it was just early morning.

No flashlight again and I am so glad I did not take it. About 3/4 of a mile into the park I noticed something scurrying from my far right peripheral vision towards the path I was on. As I got a better look at it I could see it was a skunk! His path and speed along with mine were on a collision course! So I stopped dead in my tracks and he scurried on by just a few feet ahead of me and kept on going (whew). Had I been focused on keeping light ahead of me and not had my eyes adjusted to the dark I probably wouldn't have seen him coming and who knows what might have happened!

I also had some deer dart across the path a couple hundred feet ahead, their hooves clomping on the asphalt path alerted me to them. I couldn't see them anywhere once I got closer though.

After the turnaround point an owl landed in an as yet unbloomed tree just ahead and was watching me go by. He may have been wondering why the heck I was out there so early. I am pretty sure he would not have done that if I had a light.

4/1 - Rest
4/2 - 14 miles
4/3 - 5 miles
4/4 - 5 miles
4/5 - 5 miles
4/6 - 8 miles

37/160 miles



Upcoming races:
4/9 - Rock the Parkway half marathon (Kansas City, MO)
4/16 - Garmin Wickedly Fast half marathon (Olathe, KS)
4/23 - Race for Hope half marathon (North Kansas City, MO)
5/1 - Buffalo Bell Stampede half marathon (Leavenworth, KS)
5/14 - Running with the Cows half marathon (Bucyrus, KS)
6/2 - Hospital Hill 5k 7pm PRE-RUN (Kansas City, MO)
6/3 - Hospital Hill half marathon 7am RE-RUN (Kansas City, MO)
9/25 - Broadway Bridge half marathon (Kansas City, MO)
10/15 - Kansas City Marathon 26.2 (Kansas City, MO)
11/5 - Jenks half marathon (Jenks, OK)
11/6 - Kansas half marathon (Lawrence, KS)
11/12 - Longview half marathon (Kansas City, MO)
11/13 - Gobbler Grind half marathon (Overland Park, KS)
11/19 - White River half marathon (Cotter, AR)
11/20 - Pilgrim Pacer half marathon (Lenexa, KS)

totally up for joining this challenge! have to wait until I have recovered from my sprained ankle first though.

ceciliaslater wrote: »

Just got back from my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon (MRI followup) and finally have a diagnosis: Os trigonum syndrome and a low-lying soleus muscle.

http://www.foothealthfacts.org/footankleinfo/os_trigonum_syndrome.htm

Basically, I have an extra bone in the back of my ankle that is causing an impingement. The impingement is also trapping my soleus muscle because it extends too far down into my ankle.

Starting with a conservative treatment of anti-inflammatory meds to reduce pain and swelling. The doc also banned me from Insanity, squats, lunges, and other plyometrics. I am, however, allowed to run!

Further treatment could include ultrasound-guided steroid injections to reduce inflammation and surgery to remove the extra bone and/or debulk the soleus muscle.

Well, that kind of stinks, but at least you have a diagnosis, which I'm sure is a relief and a huge step forward for you. Now they know what/how to treat! Best of luck. I'm glad you can still run!

EvgeniZyntx wrote: »

@shanaber and @nicolemarie999 my daughter is 19 and athletic (although 2 years of architecture school have probably killed her endurance) - something like a color run, mud run or a tough mudder is too light.

I'm looking for something equivalent to 7 days of riding across Iowa, which is what her older sister did with me at 16. Push her to some limit and make it memorable 10 years later. The color runs and mud runs are great, it is what I'm planning with her little sisters (11 & 13 - YES 4 girls!) but don't have enough "umph" for us in this search.

So I guess I'm wondering about a multiday run with medium daily mileage. Something like Sandakphu 70 Mile Himalayan Race which is over 4 days (but only has 25 people in it). Or maybe something like the Double Half Mary+5 - 50 kms over 3 days in Nebraska. Nebraska is probably as "out of this world" for her as the Himalayas. Have any of you done these?

Anyway, the discussion has allowed me to refine my thoughts a little. Found a site that has a registered list of almost 300 multi day runs (http://marathons.ahotu.com/calendar/multiday) and we might find our target there.

Thankfully the younger ones still enjoy cycling - so they might eventually do RAGBRAI instead.

My sister did a Double Half Mary in Nebraska a year or two ago, because it was local for her. I don't remember her mentioning a +5, but another 5 miles would make 50 kms. She described it as low volume, and used by a few serious runners to train for the Lincoln Marathon. The courses were out and backs on trails built on old railroad rights of way, one day north of Lincoln and another day south of Lincoln, I forget which was which. The shelters were local taverns that weren't very big. A charming, small community feel type of event. If you're not local, you probably want a motel in Lincoln and count on driving some distance of rural roads each day to get to the race.

If you're talking about a real multiday challenge, I saw a guy on another forum who did a couple of events that were 5 half marathons in 5 days in 5 states, because his bucket list includes running a half in all 50 states. I think one was Dust Bowl - states like OK, TX, AR and I forget which others; the other was some name like High Plains - NE, CO, WY, SD, and I forget whether it was MT or ND. You can probably find them doing a search for nationwide half marathons. Too much travel and logistical overhead for my taste.