April 2017 Running Challenge

4/2-3.32 miles
4/3-3 miles
4/5-3.5 miles
4/6-2.5 miles
total-12.32 miles



really wanted to run more last night, i was feeling great, but my legs started getting really stiff, so I stopped. taking tonight off from running, probably do a little on the elliptical, and some lifting.

I asked my husband what he thought about taking a weekend and going to Missoula, Mt., so I could do a half marathon, Its 5 hours away, and he surprisingly agreed, so theres another race i will be doing.

Then yesterday I was talking to my boss and he mentioned he was doing the Montana Marathon with me and my other co worker who conned me into doing it with her. If he was a typical boss, that would suck, but hes a pretty awesome boss, so its pretty cool.

Training for:
5/14-womens run-5mile
7/10- Missoula Marathon-HM
9/17- Montana Marathon-Full marathon

I had the best run yesterday. I felt amazing. The weather was perfect. A tad windy, but I kind of enjoyed it at the same time. I felt like I was flying, I know I wasn't and I'm super slow, but it felt good. I got 4.5 miles in, so I am up to 13.5 miles for the month. I have 11.5 more to go to reach my goal. I go to Orangetheory today, so I will get in maybe a mile or so there. I'm excited about my new found runner's high!

I was actually smart last night and skipped my run to let my knee get better. It feels ok to run, but I don't want to risk my weekend for a few miles that don't matter much. I immediately followed that up with being stupid by overeating and staying up until 1:30am. My wife left yesterday for a week and I have a terrible time getting to sleep at a decent time when she's gone. And I justified the eating by saying I was carbo-loading. yeah right.

@MNLittleFinn I agree with @MobyCarp on why you practice fueling, but I also agree with @Stoshew71 about the big benefits to training fasted . I've posted about the fasted long run a few times but your post made me realize I never mentioned one key point. I don't think you should do a fasted long run when your long run is going to be a distance PR. We want to increase stress from just one factor per run. Distance PR + fasted = 2 stresses. If you have the same distance planned next week, why not make that the fasted run? And if you're doing a fasted run, skip the breakfast before hand if you can or it's not really a fasted run. If you need something for heartburn, maybe a saltine or two. Based on the fact that you asked the question, I take it that your marathon plan doesn't address the issue of fasted vs. fueled runs, and when you should be doing them? If honey stingers work, why do need to try anything else?

This training cycle I've made huge gains from fasted runs every other weekend and now could likely to go 20 miles
or more with no fuel at all. I wouldn't do that at MP, but for my slow long runs, I can go and go and go. For my 17 mile race tomorrow, which is a training run for me, I'm not going to carry any fuel or water. I will likely grab water at the 4 aid stations, but will only grab food if they have something that looks really good.

One great benefit of the fasted long run that no one talks about...I'd much rather get my calories from real food (and beer!) after the run than from sickly sweet gels or sports drink during the run.

The opposing thought to @Stoshew71 , I don't think you need to take this week's long run any slower than your previous distance PR pace. Keep the same pace and you're only adding the one stress of increased distance so no problem.

@WhatMeRunning my longest fasted long run was 19.2 miles, and took me 3hr, 12min. No food OR water the entire route. I could feel a drop in energy during the last few miles and my pace dropped but I wouldn't say it was uncomfortable. A fasted run is just that...no calories before or during the run. Like @garygse says, you may need to drop your pace, particularly if you're new to fasted runs, to increase the percentage of fat burned. Now with this discussion I wonder just how far I could push it. Maybe Sunday I'll see how far I can push it.

@kgirlhart while running hills may be slower than running the flats, it will definitely help you become faster. If you train for 2 weeks on hilly trails vs. 2 weeks on flat track, distance and effort being equal, I'd just about guarantee you that you'd end up faster running hilly trails even though it's a slower pace.

I firmly believe that above all, run for fun, not to optimize every single aspect of your running. Now if doing that is fun for you, go for it, but if you want to run hills, run hills. If you want to run an flat oval track, run a flat oval track. None of us is getting paid for this, so enjoying what we're doing should be goal #1.

During my last long run I started thinking about my training, what I've been doing leading up to my ultra, and how I've got my training mapped out through the summer and I've decided that for the month of May (after my big race), I'm deleting everything and running when, where, as far, and as fast as I feel like at the time. I won't be running because I have a number on a spreadsheet. I won't be pushed, or limited, but what I thought I should be doing a few weeks earlier. Just run for fun.

@angmarie28 for a while my son was considering going to Montana State and I was drooling about all the awesome trail running I could do while I was out there to visit him...but no, he's in Milwaukee now.

Allright, tomorrow's long run has been adjusted on my Garmin. Modified my low and high HR alerts so I will be going slower and should average smack in the middle of the Easy Aerobic effort range (Daniels tables). I'll be setting out with 1 gel and plan NOT to take it. Just a bit ago I would have expected to finish the planned mileage in about 2:20, with the adjusted pace I'll probably be 2:30.

I'm so excited I could pee!