May 2016 Running Challenge

EvgeniZyntx wrote: »

@ohhim excellent report and interesting read on your train and goals.

@kristinegift it would seem that the cramping issue you are having isn't related to hydration and electrolytes. I'd suggest to look elsewhere, in particular capacity at effort. It seems your legs just aren't used to that kind of effort. Have you looked at how much protein you are getting and are you doing any regular progressive strength training with your legs?

Training without proper nutrition is going to lead to the type of issues you describe.

@EvgeniZyntx I could always stand to eat more protein, but I do a fair amount of body weight strength training. I've never had cramping issues for runs of 20-22 miles, and I've had the cramping during a marathon no matter the pace (usually in the 9 minute range, and far slower than my long run pace these days). I'll have to continue tweaking things to figure out how to avoid them entirely. But I can run through quad cramps more easily than calf cramps; as long as I keep moving, it's just tight muscles and doesn't affect my gait all that much.

Stoshew71 wrote: »

kristinegift wrote: »

5/1: 26.2 miles (26.5 according to Garmin!)

First things first: I did not BQ, but I did PR by quite a lot! I ran a 3:49:08, which is a 13.5 minute PR from last fall! I kept getting passed by pace group after pace group after I lost the 3:30 group, and it was all I could do to stay ahead of 3:50 in the last 3 miles!

Today was just not my day. I started out solid and was at 8 miles around 64:30, which was spot on. At 8 miles, I planned to drop to a 7:40-7:55 pace. However I told my legs "Go!" and my legs said, "Uh, how about not." I was really hoping this wasn't going to be the case, but knew it might be because of where I am in my lady cycle right now. So I just went by effort and what my legs/quad cramps would let me do (the cramping started, per usual, around 20-21 miles in, despite 5 gels, a bottle of nuun, plenty of Gatorade/water AND 3 salt cap tablets! idk how to avoid it). Also it was drizzling at the start, then lightly raining the rest of the race and pretty darn windy. My shoes were so heavy that I had to stop and retie them tighter because they were almost falling off! I made a decision about 16 miles in that I was not going to BQ, or try, because I'd been passed handily by the 3:35ers by then, so I just wanted to finish the race feeling happy. So I made it a point to smile at spectators, high-five kids, and grin for the cameras. It wasn't my HARDEST marathon to date, but it was definitely really difficult mentally because my legs just weren't cooperating.

Highlights though! My teammate WON THE WOMEN'S DIVISION! Like #1 woman overall. I was so excited for her! I saw her at the out and back as she came to mile 21 and she looked so strong and happy! She's retiring from marathons (allegedly) after this; Boston was going to be her last but she DNF'd because of the heat (decided at mile 14 to walk off the course to her cousin's house because she wasn't having any fun) but she decided last minute to do this race, so at least her last marathon will be a WIN instead of a DNF. Also one of my other teammates/running buddies ran her first 26.2 today and smashed it with a 3:57!! AND another teammate kicked *kitten* with a 3:31 which qualifies her for Boston. So everyone had a super great race today except me (in terms of goal smashing; I am happy with a 3:49, don't get me wrong!)), but sometimes it's just not your day, you know?

Taking a few days off probably and then running light mileage the rest of the month while I decide what I want to do next. I'm signed up for Philly for this November, so I'll be BQ attempting again there. But what to do for the next six months?!

Hey @kristinegift it, may not have been your day and I know you trained really hard for this. But we are all proud of what you did and a PR is a PR. Awesome job. On the bright side, I will be trying for a BQ in December and now maybe you, me, and maybe a couple of others in this group can all BQ for the same year. I think that would make an awesome Boston experience if a bunch of us were to meet up there.

@Stoshew71 I hope so! I know so many people doing 2017, so I wanna be there too. But if 2018 is my year, then 2018 it is! We can make amazing MFP singlets

Ohhim wrote: »

@kristinegift - Thanks for the kudos. It was pretty consistently raining for the first hour. Otherwise, just occasional rain, although it seemed to clear up for the second half but the clouds stuck around providing lots of much needed shade. Good race report, and although it wasn't a perfect outcome, you did manage to pull off a pretty signifciant PR! If you want to give qualifying for this year another shot, Lehigh Valley (if still available) may be your best bet, and Erie isn't an awful weekend rental car ride away. Definitely sharing your post-race pain (calves moreso for me at the moment).

@Ohhim I have been scouting out the Leigh Valley marathon, and that may be my fall 2016 backup as long as it falls before the BQ window closes this year. I'm also considering running the Vermont City marathon in 4 weeks if I can swing it... I have a week or two to run numbers and decide. If my legs feel decent again in a few days, I will strongly consider it. Besides the typical quad pain and my heel issue (which feels better now that I've moved around quite a bit), I feel pretty darn ok. I've had really blah races on my two flattest courses, so I think some rolling hills may be more my style, and VCM has a couple decent hills that will be a good break-up of the course mentally and physically. IDK. I think I'm just marathon crazy

And thanks to the continued "congrats" coming in this morning! I'm too lazy to make a list of all the names, but you're all bringing a smile to my face.

Goal is 148.

5 miles yesturday already done so I'm at 5/148

@instantmartian - wow, that sounds brutal. But you did it! I don't understand why your hands got swollen. That is strange. You one one tough cookie. I may have started crying and gotten a DNF. I can't stand to be that cold! Although when I think about it when I run when it is really cold the hands just ache - maybe that's why they swelled?

@9voice9 - I just lost my second toenail. For me, it hurts really bad for 1-2 days and turns black and blue. Then many weeks later it falls off. Well "falls off" isn't exactly accurate. I have to sort of pull it off. On Saturday though I hit it and it knocked it off. In both toenail losses when the nail falls off there is some weird thing underneath it. Sort of like a nail/sort of a hard skin. IDK. It can be painted though and stays on pretty well. Not that you are going to do that.

@karllundy - that sounds miserable too. And who would think it should be this cold in May. Next weekend sounds fun!

6 slow and easy recovery miles this morning. I was pretty stiff and sore and had to do some quick switching from running to walking for a little over a quarter mile before things loosened up. Things felt good after that and I really needed that run, but I am starting to feel the results of the last 4 weekends racing half marathons. With no race this weekend I will run slow and easy this week and next and focus on base building. My next race is on 5/14 which is the race I have been targeting as my PR attempt, so this period of easy running will also serve as a sort of taper, with these prior 4 weekends of races serving as a sort of race specific training period. After that race is a down week to recover, and then onward to base building into new mileage territory for me in the weeks following that recovery with the goal being full marathon ready, whether I run one or not. I want to be full marathon ready as I head into the series of 6 half marathons on 3 weekends this fall. While 2 halfs on consecutive days is not the same as a full on one day, it is still worthy of being prepared for a full.

5/1 - 13.1 miles
5/2 - 6 miles

19.1/200 miles



Upcoming races:
4/9 - Rock the Parkway half marathon (Kansas City, MO) 2:30:17.6 new PR
4/16 - Garmin Wickedly Fast half marathon (Olathe, KS) 2:28:39.52 new PR
4/23 - Heroes for Hope half marathon (North Kansas City, MO) 2:19:14 new PR
5/1 - Buffalo Bell Stampede half marathon (Leavenworth, KS) 2:25:06
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)

Wow! I have lots of catching up to do since I rarely log in on the weekends! Nice job to all of those that ran PRs and such this weekend. And welcome to all of the newbies. One word of advice, don't get hung up in trying to compete with the mileage of others. Do what's best for you and resist the urge to overdo it. Injuries are the surest way to not meet your goal. Not to mention, they are no fun!

@Ohhim -Congrats on the Pittsburgh PR! Awesome costume and even more awesome race. I really enjoyed reading your re-cap. It sounds like your race was similar to my race in Columbus (except that I was exactly 30 minutes and one second slower, of course). I definitely believe that going out a little bit slower than you hope to be and bringing it home in the end is the key to a successful marathon. I started with the 3:45 pacer and finished in 3:38:36, with my last 6 miles being sub 8. And I finished feeling pretty good. I have a friend (she's 20) who finished Pittsburgh in 3:32:24, so a BQ for her as well. I will be keeping my fingers crossed that you both get in!

@kristinegift- I know it wasn't the result you were hoping for but impressive PR none the less. I am glad to see you are not letting the disappointment get in the way of feeling good about what you achieved. You should be very proud! It was fun to follow your training and see how dedicated you were and how hard you worked. I don't think anyone here has any doubt that you will be at Boston in 2017 or 2018. And I think you may be on to something with the rolling hills, especially if you are prone to cramping. Some people find flat courses harder because you are using the same exact muscles for all 26.2 miles. With a rolling course, you muscle usage changes and your muscles get a break. Would still love to meet you in Boston for 2017, but I will be pulling for you no matter what you decide to do!

Now for a little recap of my weekend. Boy it was interesting and very eye opening. So, you may remember that I decided about a month ago to run the Flying Pig marathon with my friend. It was her 3rd time running the race and she was hoping for a PR in the 4:10-4:20 range. She, I and another friend of hers (and after yesterday, a new friend of mine, but more on that later) were running this thing together, start to finish, regardless of the situation. The forecast all week long had been for nothing but rain, ranging from just flat out wet to heavy thunderstorms. Even as I went to bed early Saturday night, the morning's weather was still very uncertain.

I woke up at 4AM Sunday morning and headed downtown at 4:45 to meet my friend. When I left my house (about 20 miles north of Cincinnati), there was a pretty steady rain, but not too heavy. I met my friend at her hotel, and we walked in a light rain down to the start line for the 6:30 start. It rained on and off prior to the start, but never hard enough that we were soaked or uncomfortable. So far so good. By the time the race started, it looked like the skies were clearing and it was going to be a pretty nice day, especially if the temperatures held true to forecast and never went above 70F. The beginning of the race crosses the Ohio River into Kentucky and back over into Ohio by mile 4. The views of the sun breaking the low hanging clouds over the river were spectacular. It was a great morning for racing! Miles 6 through 8.5 are a steady climb up into the Eden Park area of Cincinnati. This hill is the longest and steepest part of the race and usually the most dreaded. It's right before the HM split, so it's also still pretty crowded. But when you reach the top, you are rewarded with spectacular views overlooking the river. Again, the view of the sun breaking through the clouds on the water was amazing. At this point, we were still pretty good on pace at just under a 10 minute mile, with lots of downhill and flat ground ahead of us.

It was right after the half marathon split around mile 9 when things started to go south. The sun was starting to come out in full force and reflecting off of the wet streets, releasing a nice muggy, wall of steam, and blinding you in the process. It was right then that my friend announced that she was not feeling so well. We stopped to use the bathroom and vowed to make up some time on the upcoming descent. We were still going a little slower than we wanted when she darted off the course, and ran behind a parked car to get sick. Even though we were less than a half mile past the split and it wasn't too late to turn back, she wanted to carry on. We stopped and walked for a while and soon were passed by the 4:30 pace group between miles 10 and 11. At this point we knew that we were not likely to get the PR she wanted and the goal just became to have fun and finish. I felt really bad for her the entire time because I knew she was struggling and I knew that even finishing was going to be tough for her. She got sick one more time around mile 18 but continued on anyway. By mile 20 we were walking as much as running and noticing a lot of people around us falling victim to the unpredicted heat and humidity. It was pretty brutal out there. We came upon a support station from a local running club that had popsicles and Coke. What a savior those turned out to be! Refueled with some sugar and carbonation, we were able to make it mostly running down the final stretch and finish in just under 5:20. It was the longest marathon any of us had run (although her friend had done a 50 mile ultra), and we all decided that it was probably the hardest marathon we all had run.

But, despite my friend not making her goal, and the long and brutal day of running (at one point, a digital sign said it was 86F), I think we all had an amazing time. My friend was a rockstar for finishing despite feeling so poorly, and the two of us running with her both felt like we learned a lot from the experience. First of all, running in the 5+ hour range is inspiring! You see so many people out there pushing through pain and just giving it everything they have. Many people that run at the front of the pack call it a day if they are not going to make their goal. Not these folks. It's do or die. Finish line not finish time. It's a nice perspective. Secondly, this group of people have fun! The most amazing part of the Flying Pig is the crowd support. There are very few stretches of this course that are not packed with spectators. At mile 9, people were handing out mimosas (which I regret not getting!), mile 14 was a beer mile, followed by, what else for the Pig, the bacon mile! Of course, we had to stop for this. A little cup filled with a ball of the best tasting bacon ever! And strategically placed on a part of the course that wrapped back around so you could get seconds! We shot baskets at mile 22 in honor of a local young hero who recently lost her fight to cancer. At mile 23, Jess did a shot of tequila. Yes, the weather was hot and our legs were hurting, but we were having fun and we were building a bond that only runners can understand. And as we were running, I was very thankful that I was here with these ladies, running this seemingly endless race, aiming to cross the finish line together rather than running my own race, completely focused on a goal time and missing out on all of the fun.

Now I am not saying that I regret training hard for a marathon goal and running solo to achieve it. The sense of personal achievement is a big part of why I run. But every once in a while it's nice to take a step back and get another perspective. For those of you that train hard, day in and day out with a very focused goal in mind, I would love to invite you to take a step back and run a race for the fun of it. Use it as a training run, take it slow, have fun, enjoy the people both on and off the course. It definitely gave me a renewed appreciation for all of the many reasons why paying money to put yourself through pain and agony is so worth every penny!

@lporter229 - You are so right about the fun of just enjoying an event as a fun run. It is a whole different experience. I am glad what could have been a miserable day turned into such a positive one!

@9voice9 - I've lost nails on other toes. I know my pinky toe on my left foot came off once, and I lost a nail off the second toe on my right foot.

@lporter229 That sucks that your friend had a bad day. I would be totally out if I was throwing up during a marathon! But it sounds like a party of a course!! A bacon mile would be amazing... I'm sure all that sodium peps you right up! I am definitely adding Flying Pig to the bucket list. Hopefully it wont be on a day quite so agonizing as yours. I think I'd rather take a steady rain than deal with that kind of heat + humidity!

I'm behind after a busy weekend. Congrats to all the racers and welcome to our newbies!

I started off May 1 with just a 2.66 mile walk and only that because it was such a pretty day. It was my son's 16th birthday and we were busy with that.

I wasn't planning to run today but now I'm not sure. It's nice and cool out.

Totally blew off my last couple strength training sessions so I need to get back on schedule this week. I find it harder to confine myself to lifting weights inside when it's light out for more of the day. Maybe I should lower my standards for a few weeks and just enjoy the weather. It'll be blazing hot soon enough and I'll be ready to workout in the air conditioning.

@lporter229 wow what a race, you guys are rockstars, your poor friend. That unexpected humidity is horrible. Great job making the best of a bad situation and enjoying the atmosphere.

@instantmartian hang on to him good ones are hard to find. I had to laugh at the boyfriend comment, Allen and I have been together for almost 8 years and I'm in my 50s so it always sounds funny to me too. When his mom introduces me to people she says "this is Allen's friend" his dad says "this is my daughter in law" LOL!!

How do you guys have toe nail problems? I hear this a lot but I never had problems with it so far.

AdrianChr92 wrote: »

How do you guys have toe nail problems? I hear this a lot but I never had problems with it so far.

Can happen in a few ways. One is wear and tear on the nail from friction. Most commonly though is a "subungual hematoma" or "bruise" from lots of running aka "black toe". I had both of my big toes turn black last year when I ran my first 3 full marathons. One toe from the first marathon, the other toe on the second, and each one got a bit darker with each marathon run. Believe it or not, those nails never fell off! There is still a little bit of black left on each toenail towards the outer edge, but it seems they will just grow out instead of falling off.

Honestly, for me personally, the most annoying thing is the tips of my second toes. They are calloused to the n'th degree on the front tips, hard as a toenail. Once in a while...that tip comes off.

AdrianChr92 wrote: »

How do you guys have toe nail problems? I hear this a lot but I never had problems with it so far.

I heard it a lot, and never had a problem with it. Ran the Buffalo Marthon, no toenail issues. Then I got serious about training for Boston. Lost the middle toenail on my right foot after a brutal 22 mile training run on an indoor track, on a day when group runs outside were canceled for weather and I didn't think I could do more than 13 or 14 miles outside. Lost the big toenail on my right foot presumably from friction; it never hurt, and I didn't notice what run caused it, but it detached from the nail bed and ultimately came loose.

I have lost 1 nail (middle toenail on my left foot) from damage at Boston, and will also lose the big toenail on my left foot. I may or may not lose one more nail on my left foot from Boston damage. But I didn't much worry about losing toenails from Boston. The old adage is, don't do anything on race day that you didn't train; and I suppose I trained for losing toenails.

I possibly had something wrong in how my socks fit or how I ran the days that caused toenail loss, but I can't pinpoint what. Same shoes, same socks, same routine as got me through 8 half marathons plus the Buffalo Marathon with no hint of lost or blackened nails.

3 mile recovey run today. Up to 8/148.

Saturday I'm running Spartan Beast in Ohio which will be 10-13 miles and 30ish obstacles.

And reboot…been gone/been lazy. That’s over. There’s a 45 day step challenge at work and I’m going to focus on this to make sure I get my steps in for that.

The good news: My pace was not far off from where it was when I last ran..probably a month ago.

The bad news: My stamina (of course) sucks and I only have myself to blame. I’ll have to figure out where to hop in on my training plan but I don’t think I’m going to be ready for that half in August…I will probably settle for doing a few 5Ks and trying to PR and just work on getting my body into 13.1 condition for something either late in the year or next year. I’m sure I could DO the half in August..but I have a time in mind and I don’t think I could get there now.

I’ll set a goal of 60 miles for the month and adjust if necessary.

05/01 2.68 miles.

DATE...............MILES.............TOTAL
5/1....................REST................00.00
5/2....................REST................00.00









2016 Races
5/14: Glacier Ridge Ultra -- 50k (Portersville, PA)
6/4: Kettle 100 Night Fun Run -- 38 miles (Whitewater, WI)
7/16: ColorRun --5k (with my 15 year old)(Pittsburgh, PA)
7/17: Presque Isle Half-Marathon (Erie, PA) -- This is maybe.. road races have too many people...
9/10: 1st Annual Possum Glory Endurance Race -- 50k (Northern Cambria, PA)
10/1: Cloudsplitter 100 -- 100 Miles (Pine Mountain, KY)

It was not my intent or desire to start off May so many miles the first two days...