August (2016) Running Challenge

@ohhim - Ouch! Hope you are moving ok! Those falls can be painful a day or so after! Take care!

@Ohhim Besides the fact you had a crash, I'd say you got away fairly lucky! Hope the road rash heals quickly.

@Ohhim I bet you're sore this morning but I'm glad it wasn't any worse. Sounds like it won't affect your running too much and glad the bike is ok. Hope things heal quickly!

Today is just strength training for me and I just realized that with my longer run tomorrow..........I'll be going 7 days straight without a rest.............ooooops............I'll take Sunday off!

8/1- 4.01
8/1- 9.02<---Daily Double. If it isn't thunderstorming in the morning, I will not be happy.
8/2- REST <- Recovering from the INSANE daily double
8/3-4.1
8/4- 7.82
8/5- 4
8/6- 13.11
8/7- REST
8/8- REST <- beginning of cutback week
8/9: 5.01
8/10-5.13
8/11- 7.02
8/12- REST
8/13- 9.08
8/14- REST
8/15- 4.08
8/16- 9.0
8/17- Forced rest day<- 25 minutes of Kayaking for XT
8/18- 9.01
8/19- 4.05
8/20- 10.83
8/20- 2.4
8/21- Rest
8/22- Rest (unscheduled, ankle and calf still sore)
8/23 REST- Un scheduled, up starting at 0230 because little man is sick.
8/24- 4.01
8/25- 6.01
8/26- 4.01

Total: 121.77/125

Today's notes: Recovery run, 4.01 miles at 10:44 pace. I haven't run this pace in several months. I'm still fighting a cold though, so I needed the recovery before tomorrow's vertical madness run. It still felt not great, but definitely better than my last 2 runs and, I guess, the recovery adviser on my Garmin pointed to that. Recovery time after this run was 18 hours, as opposed to the 40 hours it said for my 6 miler yesterday.

So, as the end of the year is approaching, and my first half marathon is a month away (I don't count the other half marathon I did a few years ago, when an overuse injury blew up half way through and I had to walk the last 7ish miles) I need to start thinking about my full marathon plans. I'm hoping to set my sights on a full marathon towards the fall/winter of 2017. I live in NY, about 45 min from the city, but obviously I can't qualify for the NYC Marathon using the 9+1 since that I would have had to complete that this year.

So, I have a couple questions for you awesome people:

1) Does anyone have recommendations on a fun/interesting/cool first marathon? I'd be willing to make a mini trip out of it, possibly even with flying, so feel free to recommend races that aren't in my immediate neighborhood.

2) I've never actually followed an official training plan (eek, I know, I've just kinda put my own together), but for a marathon I want to commit to a legitimate plan. Looking for recommendations on people's favorite marathon training plans so I can start checking out options. My goals are definitely to run the entire marathon. I've never done any of the run/walk interval type stuff, and I am currently up to 12 miles (this Sunday) of straight running, no stops (in this heat/humidity I've been averaging around an 11:00-11:20 pace on long runs depending on if my route is flat or has hills). I'm open to all of you more experienced running folk here for any advice/suggestions/words of wisdom you might have!

Thank you all in advance!

ah I pissed off the MFP Gods and my comment needs to be approved must the the one hundred and nineteen miles

8/1 - Intended to run 4, but oversleeping and a thunderstorm kept it from happening :-(
8/2 - Bodypump class, followed by Abs/Core class. I may be too uncoordinated for this ab stuff...I feel like a bull in a china shop for sure.
8/3 - 4.11 miles. Cool but foggy/sticky. Felt like running through a shower.
8/4 - 5 miles on treadmill (Trek class). The Y was so humid, kinda felt like I was outside anyway.
8/5 - Bodypump class.
8/6 - 6.33 miles with HM training group.
8/7 - Rest Day.
8/8 - 4.25 miles. Felt good!
8/9 - Unplanned rest day. Some annoying back pain kept me awake all night, so I "overslept" without actually getting any sleep.
8/10 - 4.3 miles in 75°, 90% humidity...plus, owl.
8/11 - 4.95 miles on treadmill (Trek class). Then, some quick upper body weights. Again, humid.
8/12 - Spin Class...not sure I have ever sweat that much in my life
8/13 - 6 mile group run with HM training group. Nice pace, cooler temp.
8/14 - Rest / housework day. Ended day with an unnecessary trip to the ER for my 10 year old. Even Moms that are Pediatric nurses overreact once in a while
8/15 - Slept in due to that ER visit.
8/16 - Bodypump class, followed by Abs/Core class.
8/17 - 5.04 miles. Started in a pleasant, light rain...ended in humidity.
8/18 - 4.27 miles. Weather was OK, but felt like a slog. Just one of those days, I guess
8/19 - Spin Class, followed by upper body weights.
8/20 - 6.22 miles. Group run. Light rain at start, pretty cool temperature. Loved it!
8/21 - Yard work / house work / rest day.
8/22 - 4.0 miles. Cool, comfortable morning.
8/23 - Bodypump class, followed by Abs/Core class (still feel clumsy)
8/24 - Unplanned rest day...woke up with back pain / spasms that got worse as the day went. Yuck!
8/25 - 5 miles in cool but humid weather. Back feels tender/weak, but no pain. Wonder if I did something wrong in my abs/core class on Tuesday morning.
8/26 - Spin class, then upper body weights. If sweating gets rid of toxins, I should be clean as a whistle.

@ohhim - Ouch! Glad you got out of it relatively OK and the bike, too. Watch that road rash, infection is no fun.
@skippygirlsmom - Squash that bug! Why do people do *kitten* like that? People suck sometimes.
@MNLittleFinn - I think you should be OK. I almost always go out for a 5k the day after an HM. Slow, gentle. It is the only time I do a really good job of intentionally keeping my pace low.

Planned rest day for me today.

@Ohhim - Sorry to hear about your wreck. Also, I see that your bike made the "better than" list before your body. "Given the speed of the crash, I'll take a $55 or $200 damage total vs. a broken bike frame/wheels/teeth/bones/etc.."

1-stung by a bee yesterday. was told i shouldn't run today
2-leg was doing well but woke up in pain this morning and a little swelling, putting run off till tomorrow just in case.
3-1.66 mi and an 1hr of foam rolling class.
4-nothing
5-nothing yet. aerial yoga or a run maybe-might have a kidney infection. i have to wait for results
6-nothing
7-renfair. i walked 5 miles but no running
8-slept in-recovering from faire
9-back and neck seizing up and i was up early and everything
10-2.01mi and 1 hour foam rollling
11-nope
12-date night
13-8.02mi it felt good but was rough
14-nope
15-nope
16-cold/flare
17-nothing
18-nope
19-nope
20-nope
21-nope but i had a nice hike
22-nope
23-life happened
24-1 hour of aerial yoga
25-4.63 miles. tempo run. i did alright. i have to get used to being uncomfortable again.
26-rest and/or aerial yoga demos tonight





me and Cigar-now adopted out and named Rocket by some nice folks

8/25 - 3.5 Miles

53 miles done with goal of 70