November 2016 Running Challenge

November Running Totals (miles)
11/1 – 1.77 easy
11/2 – 2.09 easy
11/3 – 2.43 (1.67 + 0.76) easy
11/4 – rest day
11/5 – 2.60 easy
11/6 – 3.19 (2.60 + 0.59) easy
11/7 – rest day
11/8 – 2.15 easy
11/9 – 3.10 easy
11/10 – 2.04 easy
11/11 – rest day
11/12 – 3.70 easy
11/13 – 3.64 easy
11/14 – 3.05 easy
11/15 – 3.38 warmup + easy speed work

November total to date – 33.14

Nominal Challenge Goal – 30 miles
Real Goals: Continue recovery. Complete Race with Grace 10K on Thanksgiving without setting recovery back, even if I have to walk most of it.

Today's notes – Ran the 2 mile warmup, Garmin measured 2.06 miles. The leg didn't ache at all until after a mile and a half, and I had time for some stretching before the pep talk. Asked Coach for advice; he said do a lap of drills (not measured by Garmin) and a lap at T pace, then we'd talk. Most of the drills were okay, but I noticed the butt kicks beating on the recovering leg. Then it felt good to just run; I brought the lap at T in at 1:35, 3 to 5 seconds faster than target.

Told Coach I didn't really have a feel for the pace. How fast have I run? That last lap was the fastest since injury. Okay, try to do 4 x 400m at 1:40, no faster, with a lap of easy jog to recover. So I set out to do that. First lap came in at 1:37. Jog and think. Slow down, next lap came in at 1:46. Jog and think about how it would feel to be just enough faster to hit 1:40. Meanwhile, I'm beating on the recovering leg; by the last 100m of the second recovery lap, it told me I'd beat on it enough for one day. So I quit at 2 intervals. It's enough for now.

Coach told me it's good to push a little, but not too much, and it was good that I recognized when it was time to quit. I did some good stretching, came home, and the leg feels normal again as I type this.

I don't have the range I want, and my pace control isn't as good as I'd like, but this is progress. I'm better now than I was a week ago.

2016 races:
January 1, 2016 Resolution Run 7.5 mile (Mendon, NY) finished in 53:58
January 9, 2016 Winter Warrior Half Marathon (Gates, NY) finished in 1:30:59
March 12, 2016 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green 5 mile (Rochester, NY) finished in 32:32
March 26, 2016 Spring Forward Distance Run 15K (Mendon, NY) finished in 1:05:24
April 18, 2016 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA) finished in 3:23:01
April 24, 2016 Flower City Challenge Half Marathon (Rochester, NY) finished in 1:36:50, targeting MP
May 15, 2016 Highland Hospital Lilac Run 10K (Rochester, NY) DNS - injury
June 19, 2016 Medved 5K to Cure ALS (Rochester, NY) DNS - recovering from face plant
July 16, 2016 Shoreline Half Marathon (Hamlin, NY) finished in 1:31:11
August 13, 2016 Bergen Road Race 5K (Bergen, NY) finished in 19:07 (5K PR)
September 4, 2016 Oak Tree Half Marathon (Geneseo, NY) finished in 1:31:37
September 18, 2016 Rochester Marathon (Rochester, NY) DNF a mile from finish
October 15, 2016 Finish Strong 15K (Hilton, NY) DNS – Achilles tendonitis
October 22, 2016 Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K (East Rochester, NY) DNS – Achilles tendonitis
November 24, 2016 Race with Grace 10K (Hilton, NY)
December 10, 2016 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships 8K (Tallahassee, FL)

2017 races:
January 7, 2017 Winter Warrior Half Marathon (Gates, NY)
April 17, 2017 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)

Back from my travels, so time for a few miles!

Date     Miles      MTD
------   -----    -------
Nov  5     6.2        6.2 
Nov  6     5.0       11.2 
Nov  7     2.0       13.2 (+20M Bike @15)
Nov 15     3.2       16.4 (+10M Bike @15)

Depression was a *kitten* today. Decided the best remedy was to run until I couldn't stand it anymore. That turned out to be 7.1 miles. Garmin thinks I did 8. Garmin gives me too much credit. Regardless, it was a good hour and a half of running at a relatively easy pace. Don't ask me how I can stand to spend an hour and a half on the treadmill. I have ways of distracting myself.

54.85 miles so far. Tomorrow I'm seeing Doctor Strange with the BF after work, so no run. My legs are gonna need the rest anyway. They ache.

@greenolivetree - that green grass was the result of 1 storm! It is unbelievable to me how things can go from brown and dry to green and lush so quickly and easily!
@elise4270 - Thanksgiving dinner is pretty traditional for us and we make for our elderly neighbor too. Turkey, dressing (homemade and I love it!), fresh homemade cranberry/orange relish (none of the cooked stuff), maybe potatoes for my husband and sweet potatoes with walnuts (no marshmallow crap) and plain veggies, neither of us like green bean casserole. Pie - can't forget pie... I am thinking pumpkin and pecan even though there are just 2 of us. We need both right??

I had a horrible stressfilled day at work with no chance for a run. So as soon as I could I escaped for a little sunset 5 miler with the pup. We even ran some overpass 'hill' repeats and laughed at all the people sitting in traffic Rest day tomorrow but I am going to make it my Strength Training day since my trainer is away this entire month and I didn't do it today.

Date........Miles.....Total
11/01......0.00......0.00 - + Strength Training
11/02......4.66......4.66
11/03......0.00......4.66 - + Strength Training and Rally Obedience (2 classes!)
11/04......4.29......8.95
11/05......0.00......8.95 - Agility Trial
11/06......0.00......8.95 - Agility Trial
11/07......4.23....13.18 - + Agility class
11/08......3.00....16.18 - + Strength Training
11/09......4.41....20.59
11/10......0.00....20.59 - to Napa
11/11......0.00....20.59 - Wine
11/12......5.02....25.61 - Wine country run + Wine
11/13......0.00....25.61 - Back to reality
11/14......3.67....29.28
11/15......5.06....34.34 - Sunset run
11/16......0.00....34.34 - + Strength Training



My completed and upcoming Races - Let me know if you will be running too!
02/07/16 - Surf City Half Marathon
02/20/16 - Divas Half Marathon - Temecula
07/04/16 - SHEPower Virtual Half Marathon
07/31/16 - San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon
08/21/16 - Tiki Beach 10k, Huntington Beach
09/18/16 - Beat the Blerch Half Marathon, Seattle
11/19/16 - USA Invitational Half Marathon (Yay, I qualified again!) - CANCELED!!
12/18/16 - San Diego Holiday Half Marathon
02/05/17 - Surf City Half Marathon

Since I've done 4 half marathons since June, but have never done an actual HM race, I'm wondering if I should do an event on November 26, considering I just did a HM on Sunday November 13.
ETA: Now the website is saying it's on December 4. Even better.

11/1: 8.5 miles
11/2: 6.7 miles
11/3: 3.6 miles (am), 6 miles (pm)
11/4: Rest
11/5: 14 miles
11/6: NYCM spectating!
11/7: 3 miles
11/8: 3 miles (am), 6 miles (pm)
11/9: 4.5 miles
11/10: 5.5 miles (am), no pm run
11/11: 4.4 miles
11/12: 10 miles
11/13: 5.5 miles
11/14: 3.3 miles
11/15: Rest day finally!
11/16: 6 miles

Today was my last speed day before Philly! I did 6 miles with 1 mile to warm up, then 5x5 mins "cruise" with 2 min recovery, then the last .75 or so was a "cool down" (aka: jogging the rest of the way to my house). Was hitting a solid 7:30-7:45 pace for the cruise intervals depending on elevation gain and it was feeling pretty easy, so I'm happy with it! My shin twinges are about 30% of what they were earlier this week and my ankle feels like it's finally aligned again, so things are coming together just in time! Still hoping for a dry -- if cold -- day Sunday.



Fall Race Season & Next Year:
10/8: Coe College Homecoming 5k: 21:26
10/16: Superhero Halloween Half Marathon: 1:42:24
11/20: Philadelphia Marathon (Goal: 3:30 or better)
3/26/17: Philly Love Run HM
5/14/17: Delaware Marathon Running Festival HM

This is an awesome idea! I'm very new to running but will keep a look out for the December thread

11/1- 6.05
11/2- 6.13
11/3- 6.01
11/4- 6.12
11/5- 10.25
11/6- Rest
11/7: 6.05
11/8- 6.01
11/9- 6.02
11/10- 6.14
11/11- 6.01
11/12-11.01
11/13- REST
11/14- 6.02
11/15- 6.06
11/16- 6.15

Total: 94.03/150

Today's notes: Run felt pretty good today, still hanging on the border of z2 and zX at 153bpm average, but felt good. Temp was right around 21, and it felt pretty nice. I have to remember though, that I need to have my cough drops on cold runs, they really help keep my throat and mouth from drying out.

Quads are a little stiff/sore now that I've been done for a while. I'm thinking that's a hanging on effect of yesterday's Tempo Run, since I haven't done one in a while.

I'm about 2 miles ahead of where my schedule had me for the month, and I'm happy for that because....With 5-8 inches of snow coming Friday AM-Saturday AM, I have a feeling that shoveling will leave me not wanting to run as much. Nice to know I could cut my run down to 8 miles and still be on track/ahead of making my goal.

witchy_wife wrote: »

As a beginner, how often should I run? I only started 6 weeks ago when I couldn't run 100 yards! I'm now up to around 4.5 doing a very slow but non-stop jog.

I've been aiming for three but I see some people run almost every day. Would that be too much for a newbie?

@witchy_wife Welcome. When I was a very new runner, (now just "new" without the very!) I found 3 times a week was plenty, giving me a complete day off between runs. If you decide to do more, make sure to listen to your body though and give it rest when needed or if you feel any niggles. Over-training is very easy if your body isn't used to running, and can lead to fatigue etc as well as very easily lead to injuries. You can supplement your running with other cross-training (cycling, elliptical, swimming etc) or strength training activities if you want to do something on the other days - this will all help you when you do get round to increasing your run frequency. I personally just stuck to doing long and/or fast walks on my non-running days when I started out and that has definitely helped me build my running distance.

@Orphia I say YES Go For the HM.
I did 2 HM's last year that were separated by 2 weeks - Not a problem.
The 1st one was a Hypo-Thermic HM ( Traditional name for the 1st HM of the Calendar Year in Northern Canada ) the next was 2 weeks later - Chilly Willy and then 3 weeks later the Jasper Park ( Rolling Valley in the Mountains ) HM. Go have some fun. .

Worked late last night ( 8am - 10pm ) so missed my Adult Swim Club and I had left my Running Kit Bag in my Work Truck - Just couldn't drag myself back to work to pick up the bag after a long slog of a day.

@witchy_wife Are you following a program - C25K, B210K, Zombies etc? 4.5 ? Km? Miles ? as it a big difference.
If you are only 6 weeks into running you are still in a Base Building phase and this is when Over doing it can cause injury. You don't mention if you are doing any cross traing activities so its hard to give advice with out a complete picture. I would suggest you stay at 3 Days a week for now and continue building your base. The people you see running everyday have spent a lot of days running slow miles/kms building up there base level of fitness, and you will notice that some are on training cycles for specific events so have "Rest Days" already built into their schedule.

I can manage 4 days in a row fairly easy as a rule - 5 can be a struggle especially if there have been some long or hard runs. Others weeks the body will just say No after 3 days. Listen to your body it will tell you.