November 2016 Running Challenge

Date :::: Miles :::: Nov total (goal 75)
11/01/16 :::: 5.7 :::: 5.7

Good start to the month. Tonight's group workout was described by our coach as just two intervals - 6 minutes then 4 minutes [PAUSE while we look happy about this], and oh yeah, then a 20 minute tempo [insert evil laugh]. Ha! It actually was not so bad and I felt really good tonight. My pace was a lot better than it has been in a long time. I'm feeling encouraged! Part of it is the weather I think, not too hot and not too cold, so it's been great for running. I'm hoping this holds out for a while!

Elise4270 wrote: »

Now a sprint triathlon is not very far. I have faith that everyone here could do it if they wanted too. Half mile swim, 12 mile bike ride and 3.1 miles running. Easy peasy!

@Elise4270 and anyone else thinking about a Tri. The Sprint Tri's are a great introduction as it's long enough to be a test but short enough you could do it on your grand-daughters Huffy Bike ( take the training wheels off ).

For those of us in Metric Land here are some average times - 3 years of Data from our local Sprint Tri-Athlon.
750m swim = 30 lengths of a 25m pool ~ 18 min Avg men 50-59
20km Bike Ride ~ 43 min Avg men 50-59
5 km run ~ 31 min Avg men 50-59
Avg Time to Complete ~ 1:32:27 for Men 50-59.

My informal Local group would do what is called a Brick Workout - Swim and Bike or Bike and Run so you get a feeling for the Transition and effort required. I found the Bike-Run as the Hardest Transition as your feet have been going in circles and suddenly you want Linear steps. Lots of stumbles and near Face Plants the first time you do it.

Adult Swim club tonight so First run of the month will be tomorrow and then Taper ( 2 rest days ) for our Inaugural 7 Peaks & 7 Pubs Run.
No official time clock, no bibs, no medals, no t-shirt, no official mapped route ( I know a few x-country shortcuts) just a local challenge. We plan on doing all Seven Hills that are in town and then hit all 7 pubs - after the run. Estimated distance 37.5 km - just shy of a Marathon - but when you add in the effort of the hills its more like a mini-ultra. I have a feeling I will be walking the last 2 or 3 hills. Good thing its not one peak one pub that would make for a interesting event? We have 2 rabbits in our club ( 3:10 Marathon ) so we will use every trick we know to leapfrog-shortcut them on the trail/route in 2 places. Just promises to be an epic day.

Thanks again for setting up the challenge, @Stoshew71 !

I'll make this month a recovery month, probably following Hal Higdons Post-Marathon recovery plan. That means I should run something like 150km this month.
It also means no running until Thursday. But I went for a walk last night. Originally, I was planning to go to the village centre and buy some paste sauce, so that the walk had a purpose. I only realised the 1st Nov is a holiday in France when I was standing in front of closed supermarket doors (we have the Swiss holidays at work, so I always notice these things too late...). So I was left to walk home again without tomato sauce and eat my spaghetti with ketchup *sigh* Ran a few steps on the way home, just for fun, until I remembered that I wanted to take three days off from running. So my ticker's still at zero - but at least it's a pretty ticker , I decided to try out something other than tickerfactory this month.

Strength training today for me. Worked out well because apparently it rained overnight and it is very humid outside!

@shanaber - I just read the end of October's posts and saw the picture of Hobbes the Vizsla dressed as a minion! OMG - SO CUTE! He's getting another dog of the day in my classroom!

@_nikkiwolf_ had to laugh at your comment that you can get scared by leaves. Me too! There is this box thing in my neighborhood - that makes a clunk sound every few minutes. I really don't know what it is. It sort of looks like an electric box type thing or maybe for the sprinklers. It's hidden by big bushes and is on a corner of the main street going through my neighborhood. EVERYTIME I go by the thing it gives me a scare when it makes the clunk noise.

11/1 - 4.3 miles
11/2 - strength training


Upcoming races
11/30/16 - I/ITSEC 5K
2/5/17 - Daytona Beach HM
2/26/17 - Disney Princess HM Orlando

11/1- 6.05
11/2- 6.13

Total: 12.18/150

Today's notes: Another day where I struggled to keep it in z2. I ended up with an average HR of 153, with is z2, but I had about 18% of my time in z3, according to Strava (Garmin had me at 31%). Maybe the drop in temp (27F when I was running) contributed to this? So, this was one of those runs where I was slower than desired pace, and higher than desired HR..... My calves are definitely feeling it today. I don't recall this being something I noticed over the summer. Maybe the monger time on my feet for the distance is working my muscles more? I don't know, something to look at.

@juliet3455 Your race sounds crazy and ridiculously fun. Will you drink at each pub? Will that be dangerous? Good luck! I look forward to the race report if you can remember anything after lol.

greenolivetree wrote: »

Mental battle going on. I want to run but I also want to be a bum and watch tv.......and what the heck is wrong with my gut?! I've been having issues since Friday. And still have the congestion crud going on. And it's hot outside. As you can see I have plenty of excuses! I technically only have 4 miles to run by Thursday to hit my weekly goal.

@greenolivetree, when I feel that way I tell myself that I'm just going to run a mile or two to see how it goes, then decide if I want to continue me run. I always continue my run and feel better for it.

Nothing better for congestion than a run for me, particularly in cold weather. It always clears me out.

@Elise4270 & @juliet3455 if they had a super-mini tri I might register. I'm confident I could work my way up to swimming 100m without holding on to the pool, but any more than that and I'd sink. And @juliet3455 I still think that you guys should be hitting a pub after every peak, not at the end. It sounds like a great event as is though.
@MNLittleFinn in my limited experience colder temps, for me, equate to faster pace, lower heart rate, or both. I haven't looked at the HR differences as much but on an easy run I may see a 60 second quicker pace or better in the winter. I've only run for one winter so it will be interesting to see if I see the same thing this winter.
@_nikkiwolf_, Kody is definitely getting taper crazy. He rarely chews on anything other than his chew toys but for the last few days I've come home from work to the remains of something he's chewed on. Mail, a cardboard box, and yesterday a CD case.
@TattooedDolphinGirl78 I hope all goes well and you have a speedy recovery!

I'm in for 50 this month. Might be difficult with TRX three times a week, but I will get there!

_nikkiwolf_ wrote: »

Maybe I should try again to learn something other than breast stroke; but getting arms & legs & breathing right at the same time seemed impossible the last time I tried to learn crawl swimming.

@_nikkiwolf_ 4 years ago I couldn't swim - well like you I could do the Breast Stroke. Signed up for the Learn to swim at the local pool 2 sessions 5 weeks per and 2 lessons a week ( 20 lessons ) and I am a swimmer - not a great swimmer but I can now do over 2 km at a time in our Adult Swim Club ( 1hr ). Get in there and get wet. The best lesson I learned was to break the swim down into its components, arm pull, kick and breathing. Do the drills for each one and then put it all together. In running you need time/distance in your shoes to improve your technique-cardio. Swimming is the same time/distance in the water naturally improves technique.
Breathing - for two years I was a single sided - right - breather. Just picked up bi-lateral breathing last year. I seen a YouTube video on breathing drills and did them on my own. For me with our long dark winters it gives me a second option for exercise in case we get some extreme weather that closes down our running trails.

11/1- Rest Day
11/2- 4 miles solo plus 1 mile with Stella
11/3- 0.8 miles with Stella (AM)+



Did my morning run with Stella. I am hoping to get in a routine where we do it 4 of 5 weekday mornings. She ran great today. She saw me putting on my Garmin and ran for the door. So funny. She knows her regular route now and didn't even really stop to sniff, just slowed down, but sped back up when I said "run". She did stop to poop...always in the same spot on our route. I think she gets the "runner's trots" because she had just gone an hour before on our walk. Oh well, can't blame her for that. Even with the poop stop, she averaged a 9:43 pace. I did some good yoga this morning as well. Planning on an evening easy run to add to today's total.

@MNLittleFinn - Usually when I have those days where my HR is higher at slower paces and I can't attribute it to weather or other issues, it tells me I am in need of a bit of rest. I usually lighten my load the following day and things get back on track.

@skippygirlsmom - Good luck to Skip!! Fingers crossed.

@HonuNui Love your goal and love Lily!

@Shanaber - I also meant to make a comment on Hobbes' Halloween costume. Totally love it! And love that he will tolerate those glasses!

@skippygirlsmom I definitely will be thinking about Skip tomorrow and praying she does her best! You've got quite a girl there!

@lporter229 yeah, that might be it too. Today was a weird day, since my in-laws left yesterday, it may have been something of an adrenaline dump thing. I'm going to see how tomorrow goes, and then cutback my mileage on Friday if my HR remains high.