July (2016) Running Challenge

@5512bf great job pounding out that hard, long, run!

@Amandajs232 It was 9-10 PM. So evening. Garmin says it was 80 degrees and at 7:50 min/mile pace if felt like 100. Granted that picture was in the last lap so after around 40 min of running

Edit:

An interesting talk about how elite athletes train and how the training evolved over the years.

http://www.canal-sport.fr/fr/insep-training-periodization-deep-root-cultural-heritage-and-innovative-paradigms-2013/insep-ei_13_10_va_pr_stephen_seiler-mov?sf_culture=en

No running today. I did wake up early, but I woke up to the worst menstrual cramps I've had in a long time. Been in all kinds of pain all day.

@_nikkiwolf_ Yes, we totally understand wanting to run a full marathon. But don't worry about your non-running friends. They won't understand that there's a difference between a marathon and a half marathon, so they'll be no more disbelieving or on your case for the full than they are for the halfs. In my experience, when I say "half marathon" all the non-runners have great difficulty hearing the word "half."

@skippygirlsmom - Pizza the day after a long run. Mmmm. Pizza is a trigger food for me. I usually don't let myself have the first piece . . .

Today I woke up tired and feeling beat up, even though I got almost 10 hours of sleep. Went to church, felt better, but 91º F (33º C) talked me out of even doing an easy run this afternoon. Then my daughter showed up with her moving crew, because this is the weekend she moves into a larger apartment and is taking some furniture I've stored for her. And of course I had to go to her post-move pizza party and chat with her crew/co-workers. Came home an trimmed my daily calorie target by 100 calories, because I've got to make that up over time and I suspect I shouldn't add enough running miles to make a pizza binge no big deal.

End result, today was a rest day. Broke 5000 steps, but the step total will be the lowest it's been in months. I rationalized this by telling myself taking an extra rest day this week is the easiest way to hold the weekly mileage down to last week's level, given a 13 mile workout planned for Thursday and a 19 mile long run Saturday; now I get to see if I actually get out in the early evening heat tomorrow. It's always tempting to turn a work in the office day into a rest day, particularly if I don't like the weather.

@5512bf Holy freaking carp.

An "Awesome" just doesn't cut it.

That gets a truckload of likes.



Sheesh, 21 kilometres would get my attention!

My brain turns to mush when people talk in miles, actually, but I know you ran a bloody long way.

Date      Miles      MTD
-------   -----    -------
July  2     6.5      6.5 
July  3     5.0     11.5 
July  4     4.3     15.8 
July  6     4.3     20.1 
July  9    13.2     33.3 
July 11     5.5     38.8
July 13     7.0     45.8
July 15     5.3     51.1
July 19     4.3     55.4
July 20     5.1     60.5
July 22     6.2     66.7
July 23     5.1     71.8
July 25     5.1     76.9

7/1- REST
7/2- REST
7/3- REST
7/4- 13.1 RW&B HM 2:15:26
7/5- REST
7/6- REST
7/7- REST
7/8- REST
7/9- 5.0
7/9- 1.0
7/10- 4.23
7/11-REST
7/12- 6.01
7/13- 4.04
7/14- 2.01
7/14- 5.0
7/15- REST
7/16-9.06
7/17- REST
7/18- 4.03
7/19- 6.91
7/20- 7.01
7/21-8.24
7/22- REST
7/23- 14.01
7/24- REST
7/25- 4.05

July Mile goal: 93.84/70

Actual goal: Run the Red White and Boom HM well, recover well, run the Park Point 5 Mile (7/14,not racing) well and begin training for September Boundary Waters Bank HM.

Today's notes: For today's 4 miler, I toned down the pace to something a little less insane. I ran the miles in 39:56 for an average pace of 9:51. I'm still ~0:30/mile faster than I averaged at the end of my last training cycle, and almost a minute faster than at the beginning of that cycle.

Here's the thing though, I feel as good or better, after these runs, than I did after my training runs last cycle. Trying to dial things in so I can have a happy/healthy training cycle.

Oh, yeah....Back in March, I set an annual goal of 500 miles....I'm like 4 miles from that.....any thoughts on a reasonable mileage to increase my goal to?

July 2nd - 8.5km (6:37 min/km... 162bpm)
July 3rd - 3km (5:23min/km...180bpm)

July 4th - .5km (actually 5x110m sprint, then walk back: fastest 3:11pace, slowest 3:25pace)
July 6th - 4.5km (6:38min/km... 160bpm)
July 7th - 8.5km (6:40 pace, 172bpm) Back at my hometown - along the ridge rd (Hilly)
July 9th - 5km Parkrun (watch said 4.92; course is different: 5:18 pace, 181bpm)

July 15th - 22km (6:54 pace, 166bpm)

July 19th - 3.5km (6:45min/km, 168bpm)
July 20th - 5km (6:24min/km, 166bpm)

July 25th - 5km

65.5/100km

@9voice9 - I know that run. That, "darn, I did not finish it" run. It sounds like you are like me (and a number of our fellow runners, TBH) that don't cut yourself any slack on those. I understand. I remember a particularly brutal run in the heat several years ago where I bailed after 10 of 13 miles. I forced myself to do 3 miles on the treadmill after I got home. Something about needing to know you have that mental toughness to finish. Obviously, you do. Take comfort in the fact that it happens to all of us at one time or another. It takes guts to get out there in the first place.

@Orphia _how fun! You look awesome!!

July 1-7.3 +1.1 with the puppy
July 2-12 miles
July 3-8 miles
July 4-rest day
July 5-6 miles + 1.1 with the puppy
July 6- 5 miles
July 7- 4.6 miles easy + 0.4 miles with puppy (we ran into a doggie friend and she decided that play>running!)
July 8- 4.4 miles speed intervals
July 9-9.3 miles with Mojo group +1.3 miles with Stella
July 10-6.1 miles
July 11- rest
July 12- 6.2 miles AM+4 miles PM
July 13- 3.9 miles+1.1 with the pup
July 14- 5 miles AM
July 15- 4.1 miles hill repeats
July 16- 12.2 miles
July 17- 4.9 miles
July 18-rest day
July 19- 6.1 miles easy
July 20- 7 miles fast finish (AM)+3.4 (PM)
July 21- AM yoga + 5 miles solo+ 1 mile with the puppy-Super hot and humid!
July 22-4.2 miles AM hill repeats
July 23- 12 miles (forgot to start Garmin-only logged 11.5)
July 24-Rest day (swimming!)

Saturday's run was one of those I would rather forget. 7:30AM group run. 78F with 92% humidity at start. Everyone was drenched and toasted by finish. I had intended to do 14, but there was nobody in the group going for more than 12. When we got back to the store, I thought I would tack on 2 more of my own, but at that point, I didn't even care. It was completely miserable.

After the run I went home to a "brew day" party that was in progress at my house. Hubby and a few friends got an early start on making some home brews. A pork butt was being smoked and by noon we had a house full of people. Spent the entire day outside in 90F+ heat. When I woke up yesterday morning at 6AM to walk the dog it was already blazing hot and super muggy out. I decided to go back to bed for a bit and I slept until 1PM!! I think my body just needed it. So yesterday became my rest day instead of today. I did spend most of yesterday afternoon at a friend's house swimming and playing volleyball in the pool. A much better way to beat the heat than running! Hoping I may finally get a little run in the rain this evening. We sooo need it!

7/1 - 2 miles
7/2 - 5 miles
7/3 - 3 miles
7/4- hiking day with Skip
7/5 - 5 miles
7/6 - 5 miles
7/7 - rest day
7/8 - 5 miles
7/9 - 8 miles
7/10 - 4 miles
7/11 - 5 miles
7/12 - rest day - took Skip to airport
7/13 - 6 miles
7/14 - 6 miles
7/15 - 6 miles
7/16 - 4 miles
7/17 - 9 miles
7/18 - rest day
7/19 - 6 miles
7/20 - 6 miles
7/21 - 6 miles
7/22 - 4 miles
7/23 - 9 miles
7/24 - rest day
7/25 - 6 miles and that my friends is GOAL!

110 of 110 miles



@tattooeddolphingirl78 great new PR!
@lporter229 your rest day sounds perfect
@honunui how are you doing with Darby?
@adrianchr92 awesome picture!
@_nikkiwolf_ I love the art trail how cool
@mobycarp if I don't put the "leftovers" in the refrigerator right when I put 2 slices on my plate, I will eat a whole pizza.
@9voice9 one thing that I know about this group is we are ALL very hard on ourselves when it comes to our running, but because of that we can appreciate it when another member of the group is being hard on themselves. Glad you had a better run today.

Cramps are mostly gone today, so my plan is to go down to the gym early so I can have a little extra time to get some good mileage. Man, do I feel bummed about yesterday. Stupid TOM.