September (2016) Running Challenge

Whew, finally caught up with this thread. At least with reading about everyone's runs, the time at the airport waiting for my delayed flight back home after a work trip didn't get too long. During the conference this week I didn't get many chances to run; only a quick loop on the last evening, when everyone else was sleeping, and twice when I skipped lunch in favour of running (bothtimes much shorter than I liked, but to make up for that, a little faster than my ususal pace - I thought my colleagues would appreciate it if I also managed to squeeze an after-run-shower into the lunch break ). And I swam 10-15min in the lake every morning before breakfast, which was awesome. I wish I had a lake in front of the door at home!

I'm running my second official half marathon this Sunday! It's the first time I'll run in a race with pacers. Which is kind of cool. But they start the wave in races, so I need to figure out where to line up in advance, rather than just go by feel like I usually do. Right now, I think I'll probably line up behind the 2:10 pacer. My first half in May was 2:17, so hopefully that time won't prove to be overly optimistic.

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@WhatMeRunning Great that you are running again, you'll probably be back to 8mi runs before you know it!

@shanaber I love the pictures of the pelicans! Regarding your eating question: I'm not sure if when I eat ever made much difference for weight loss, apart from the fact that if I don't eat enough breakfast (like just grabbing a croissant instead of my usual cereals + greek joghurt + juice), I get ridiculously hungy during the next few hours, and end up raining the vending machine at work - which sells only chocolate, so not great for weight loss at all ;-)

@ariceroni Great that you are finally rid of the crutches! Let us know how the water running goes, that sounds really interesting.

@RespectTheKitty I had a black toenail once. When it started getting loose on one side, I "encouraged" it to come the rest of the way off. I'm not sure if that's what you're supposed to do or not, but while it was flabbily half-attached, I kept stubbing or snagging it rather painfully. After it was gone, the nailbed was somewhat sensitive to pressure for the next day or two, and looking at it weirded me out, but other than that it didn't bother me anymore.

@jodilynnsanders5104 Wow, you are already way on your way to even your increase goal, great job!

@sparklyglitterbomb Congrats on the pace PRs!

@dianefogel1 and @shenry111 Welcome to this group!

Belated happy birthday to @karllundy and @TattooedDolphinGirl78!

@TattooedDolphinGirl78 I'm going with the others here and answering "that depends". The first time I ran more than 20km (about half a year ago), I took the next day off, and went for a short easy run the day after. Now I'd be perfectly happy about running again the next day. I've actually done my long run on Saturday and a 10km "marathon pace" tempo run on Sunday, when that fit my schedule better than vice versa. Still, I usually try to avoid that. I might feel perfectly fine about running again the next day, but I don't want to risk getting injured, so playing it save and making the day after the long run a rest day (with maybe 30-40min easy running or crosstraining) seems like a better idea; and some "yoga for runners" and/or streching for sure. Recovery is an important part of training as well.

@7lenny7 You have an ultra on your calender? I must have missed that somehow. Which one are you training for?

@KatieJane83 Thanks for sharing the pictures of your running route, I love running next to water, so that looks really nice
Regarding the shoes: more than one pair of running shoes makes a lot of sense, especially if you train for half marathons and the like. I read that the cushioning foam inside the shoes has time to recover if you don't use them every day, and the shoes last longer. I'm also someone who owns (more than) a few different shoes from different brands. I'm a big fan in running in different shoes (different amount of cushioning, 2mm more or less drop, etc), because I think they make me run in slightly different ways, and thus involve training different muscles while resting others (not very different, but still a tiny bit). Plus if you run through heavy rain, having a comletely dry pair of shoes the next morning is rather nice as well!

It is great to see so many people making great progress towards their goal. I, on the other hand, had all kinds of excuses for not running in the past few weeks. Now that one third of the month has passed and I ran less than 10 miles. Would it be considered increasing mileage too much if I run 20, 25 and then 30 miles in the coming weeks? I still won't make my goal (100 miles) but at least I will be back to the mileage I was at before the HM last month...

Any advice?

mom3over40 wrote: »

It is great to see so many people making great progress towards their goal. I, on the other hand, had all kinds of excuses for not running in the past few weeks. Now that one third of the month has passed and I ran less than 10 miles. Would it be considered increasing mileage too much if I run 20, 25 and then 30 miles in the coming weeks? I still won't make my goal (100 miles) but at least I will be back to the mileage I was at before the HM last month...

Any advice?

What kind of mileage have you been doing previously and for how long? How long have you been running low mileage? Was there an injury involved? I think I remember you saying that you were feeling a little burnt out and unmotivated after a half marathon, is that right? I think maybe a little more info on your running history is needed in order to offer any valid advice. Sorry if you have already been through this. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with this thread and I may have missed those details.

@Stoshew71 I just hope that maybe I can go a little more aggressively because I had run a 30 mile week before, but then I only did that once.

@lporter229 You were right, I did mention that I felt a little unmotivated... But physically, I actually felt pretty good after the race besides needing to catch up some sleep after waking up super early race morning. The hike on Labor Day, on the other hand, had left my thighs in pain. I tried to have an easy run on Wednesday but I stopped after a mile because DOMS on my thigh was still too much to ignore. I feel good enough to run again today but I was busy this morning and we have a group run planned for tomorrow. So, suddenly, I found myself with super low mileage this week...

Here are my weekly mileage since mid-Jun. Before that, my weekly mileage was less than 20:

Week of 06/19: 22.9 (6)
Week of 06/26: 24.3 (7.8)
Week of 07/03: 26.8 (9.9)
Week of 07/10: 25.9 (11.3)
Week of 07/17: 19.0 (6.4)
Week of 07/24: 25.7 (13.2)
Week of 07/31: 32.4 (13.7)
Week of 08/07: 20.5 (10)
Week of 08/14: 15.9 (6.2)
Week of 08/21: 22.1 (13.1, HM Race day)
Week of 08/28: 14.5 (5)
This week: Hiked 6 miles Monday, walked 6 miles Tuesday, and run/walk 2 miles Wednesday.

After typing this down, this looks quite embarrassing... The weekly increase or long run ratios weren't done as good as I thought I did. I must have skipped some runs, switch some days etc...

My true goal is to build up to run consistently 30-35 miles a week with a long run of 10+ miles. I do have another HM coming up in December but I don't think it is a concern here.

I would really appreciate your advice and insights here! Thanks!

Got a message from @lporter229 asking about what to expect during Boston registration. I'm guessing there could be more first-time qualifiers hanging around, so I wrote a description of how it played out last year on the Long Distance Runners group.

Hi! Sorry to be late to the party. Nice to see so many fine runners in here. I'm Rachelle! I'm training for a half-marathon on October 23, 2016, and hope to finish around 3 hours (I'm slow). I also just splurged on a new Garmin and it came with a free trial of Strava, where I searched for MFP in the clubs and found you all (request to join sent). I tried Strava once before and didn't have the patience to figure it out, so hopefully this time I'm not as technologically challenged. I've only begun to think about weekly mileage . . . I'll start conservatively with a goal of 100 monthly miles.

September 1 - 2.98 miles
September 2 - 2.1 miles
September 3 - 2.13 miles
September 4 - 11.67 miles
September 5 - rest
September 6 - 3.39 miles
September 7 - 2.65 miles
September 8 - 6 miles
September 9 - 2.84 miles

Total: 33.76 / 100 miles

2016 Races
01/17 - Trail 8K: 1:09:36
03/13 - Trail 5K: 44:35 (3+ mins improvement over last year)
04/10 - Trail 5K: 43:10 (1:39 improvement over last year)
10/02 - Trail 5K:
10/23 - Road Half-marathon:

johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »

Just a thought, I see a lot about prices of shoes, true they are expensive. Rack room has done me well. The shoes are usually last years models but discounted and its buy one get one half off. Not to mention after $200 you get a $15 coupon. Sorry to cheap to pay for a new model, lol

In my opinion, it is wise to seek out last year's model, especially if the shoe has worked well for you. No sense in paying full retail.

At the moment, I have 8 pairs of different model Altra shoes on the shelf waiting to be used. All were bought at a 30% - 50% discount. Some are last year's models and a few are new models.

6pm, shoebuy.com, runningwearhouse, jackrabbit.com, Amazon and kellysrunningwearhouse are just a few good places online to find good prices on shoes.

RunRachelleRun wrote: »

BasicGreatGuy wrote: »

Welcome, Rachelle

Don't ever feel like you have to apologize about your pace (re: "I'm slow"). In the grand running scheme, we would all be slow, if we were to compare ourselves to someone else. Fortunately, we only compare us to us.

I see you got in a nice long run on the 4th. You have time to get in a few more long runs before your race. Be careful with your long run distance in comparison to your total weekly mileage. It is a good idea to try and keep the long distance run between 30 - 35% of your total weekly miles. This helps to cut down not only on excess body fatigue, it also helps to prevent injury due to the amount of miles (and time on your feet).

I see you have some trail running experience. Trail running is fun. Good for you.

I wish you the very best with your upcoming race.

Ha, @BasicGreatGuy I had a good laugh at your profile photo (though I disagree with the sentiment lol).

Yes, thanks for the advice on the long run in the scheme of weekly mileage! A few other runners on MFP just pointed out something similar to me earlier this week. I've just rewritten my schedule to have a few more runs by distance and hopefully be better balanced. I was following a plan that had all the weekday runs by time and the long run by distance.

I am glad that my well-meaning advice was received as such.

Have you been experimenting with hydration and fueling for your upcoming race? Will you be using a handheld or vest?

RunRachelleRun wrote: »

For sure, it is much appreciated! I need all the help I can get. I've read a lot, but it's not so easy to put everything together.

I am carrying a 30 oz. bottle of my own homemade energy drink (honey, sodium, potassium, and lime juice) as I have an allergy to an ingredient in sports drinks (rosin/ester gum). I received a small Camelbak knock-off for a gift, but I've never used it. Something about the straw discourages me.

And I have started experimenting with a bit of fuel, which has been a lovely distraction while slogging out those miles. I have a few allergies, so buying any of the snacks/gels etc. has proven to be a challenge as it seems I am allergic to one small ingredient or another.

If you don't have allergy problems with dates or raisins, they would be good carb sources. A banana would also work well. You could freeze it and cut it into small pieces. By the time you were ready for a little energy, they would be ready.

Whatever you are using to drink and fuel with, make sure to use those same items during your training. That way you will be able to experiment and will have a good idea what works for you and what doesn't.

Felt pretty good at the end of today's 107 mile ride, despite the bumpyness of the C&O canal towpath. As a result, despite 7 hours of trail riding (at a decent 15.5 mph pace) I went out for a 6 mile run tonight. The run felt pretty good, and my heart rate stayed in check despite the 93 degree humid weather.

Rushing through my last 130 miles tomorrow as I need to make it to DC in time for a friend's Karaoke birthday party, and hopefully the towpath won't be too flooded from tonight's rain. As a result of the party, I probably won't run again until Sunday, but will try to get in a long run Monday.

9/1 - 6 miles (treadmill)
9/2 - 10 miles
9/3 - 12 miles
9/4 - 16 miles
9/6 - 10.5 miles (w. HM pace running at end)
9/7 - 6 miles
9/9 - 6 miles

Total: 66.5 miles, 1 MP+ faster session
Goal: 190 miles, 8 MP+ faster sessions
Remaining: 123.5 miles, 7 MP+ faster sessions

2016 Race Schedule:
Disney Marathon - Jan 6 - 3:29:09
Gasparilla 15K - Feb 20 - 1:01:59
Ironman 70.3 Florida - Apr 10 - 5:07:51
Pittsburgh Marathon - May 1 - 3:08:25
Ironman 70.3 Augusta - Sep 25
Chicago Marathon - Oct 9
Ironman Florida - Nov 5
Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas 10K - Nov 13

Felt extremely sick during yesterday's workout. I tried to compensate with a full length recovery run this evening (60 minutes instead of 30).

9/1 6.3 miles
9/3 6.2 miles, split into two equal runs as I started out way too fast.
9/4 6.3 miles
9/6 6.2 miles (treadmill)
9/8 4.8 miles fartlek run on treadmill, felt sick after completing speed portions and had to stop.
9/9 6.4 miles easy run


Upcoming races:
9/10 - Louisville Pure Tap 5k
10/1 - Norton Sports Health Great Pumpkin 10k
10/22 - Urban Bourbon Half Marathon
11/24 - Hungry Turkey 5k

Awesome blog post, @Stoshew71


1 September – 10.3 km
2 September – 10.3 km
3 September – 10.5 including parkrun 5K PB 26:46
4 September – 18.1 km
6 September – 10.2 km
7 September – 10.4 km
8 September – 10 km
10 September – 8.2 km hills in lieu of flooded parkrun

Goal: 150 km
Total: 87.9 km

Upcoming:
September 18 – Beat the Blerch Virtual Half Marathon 21.1 km
October 23 – The Bloody Long Walk 35 km
November 6 – Vitality 10 km

My home parkrun was cancelled today due to flooding! My next nearest parkrun is also flooded, 100 km away. The next nearest after that, 150 km away, I couldn't get to due to flooded roads, plus I don't even drive. That's the second parkrun I've missed in 48 weeks since starting parkrun.

But I did 8 km with hills instead and met up with parkrun friends for coffee afterwards, and that was very nice.

September running challenge. Goal: was 40km but I upped it to 80km running for month.

9/1...Cross train day: 30 min on my recumbent bike in the morning, 4km power walk at lunch, 30 abdominal crunches at night.
9/2...30 min run before work (just over 4 km), 40 minute recumbent bike at work. 49 minutes strength training.
9/3...12km long run. Previous longest run was 5km. Walked another 5.7km with my husband at rib fest in the afternoon. I blew past my previous mileage....looks like I set my bar too low for the month...
9/4...rest day for running. Walked 5km with my dog and walked up the Chedoke stairs once (300 stairs or 30 flights of stairs).
9/5...5km interval run, including running drills for 5 min. Walked 16km in the afternoon with my husband.
9/6...cross train day. 45 min on recumbent bike at lunch. Ran 1.5km on treadmill to warm up in evening followed by 30 min strength training focus on arms. Walked dogs for 1.5km.
9/7...4.31km hill repeats. 10% grade (I think?). Run up hills. Combination of jog down or walk down. Updated my monthly running goal from 40km to 80km. 0.67 km run to warm up my muscles before stretching for baseball.
9/8...non run day. Climbed up and down about 1000 steps...man my legs were sore.
9/9...walked 6km throughout the day. Ran twice...went out a lunch and it was too hot so didn't run as much as I wanted. Went to the gym later and ran a short progression run on the treadmill. 7.34km run total for day (not including the walk mileage).

Thought I'd add my swimming in so I don't look so lazy compared to everyone else!

1 September 5.2km run
2 September 3km swim
3 September 2.7km swim
4 September 3.3km swim
5 September 2.6km swim
6 September 6.2km run
7 September 2.9km swim
8 September rest day
9 September 5.3km treadmill run
10 September 2.7km swim

Running total 16.7km
Swimming total 17.2km

Running goal 40km
Swimming goal 40km