May 2017 Running Challenge

rusgolden wrote: »

Hey all... looking to join this challenge for the first time. I ran my 1st HM a week ago and looking for a good post-HM maintenance plan. I would like to cut my running down from 5 to 4 days a week and stay in the 18-24 miles/wk range. I plan on running some more races later this year, but don't currently have any picked out... just want to stay in good running condition for a month or two until I do.

So, my goal is 80 miles this month.

Congrats on finishing your first half! If you don't already do any strength training, I would suggest adding it in to your maintenance plan. I think most runners will tell you that strength training goes a long way in preventing running injuries. It can sometimes be difficult to keep up with it while you are in a training cycle because it can add to your fatigue, so now is the ideal time to make it a point of focus.

Wow! So much has happened since I last checked in this morning!

Welcome back @kristinegift!!!

Way to go on your first HM @iofred!

Welcome to all of the new runners joining in! There are quite a few this month, so this should be an exciting month!

My first run was a little bit of a slog. It was a planned 8 miler that I expected to go uneventfully or even easy. It was cold out today, cloudy, drizzling, and winds 15 to 20 mph with wind chill of 35 degrees. So I dressed appropriately. As I pushed through those first couple miles I wondered to myself why it felt harder to run today. I figured it had to be the weather. Then I realized I never had any coffee or anything, and had planned to do this as a fueled run but here it was a fasted run due to the hustle and bustle of the morning. So that was another factor.

I was able to make the distance, and even made it in a very nice time, particularly since I felt like I was moving like a snail. So I guess it was a good run that just felt like a bad run. I feel much better now, of course.

5/1 - 8 miles

8 of 180 miles completed

lporter229 wrote: »

rusgolden wrote: »

Hey all... looking to join this challenge for the first time. I ran my 1st HM a week ago and looking for a good post-HM maintenance plan. I would like to cut my running down from 5 to 4 days a week and stay in the 18-24 miles/wk range. I plan on running some more races later this year, but don't currently have any picked out... just want to stay in good running condition for a month or two until I do.

So, my goal is 80 miles this month.

Congrats on finishing your first half! If you don't already do any strength training, I would suggest adding it in to your maintenance plan. I think most runners will tell you that strength training goes a long way in preventing running injuries. It can sometimes be difficult to keep up with it while you are in a training cycle because it can add to your fatigue, so now is the ideal time to make it a point of focus.

Thank you for the reply. Yes, before I started running about a year ago, strength training and walking was about all I did. When I started training for the HM, I cut my lifting workouts down to 2 days a week, so planning on 3 days a week now as well as some flex workouts... trying to regain some balance in my workouts. I think mainly I'm trying to figure out what my long runs should be... was thinking about topping out at 8 miles for my long run?? Any suggestions for intervals or tempo runs? If I am doing just straight runs, I was thinking something like this: Wk 1-4/4/4/6, Wk 2-4/6/3/7, Wk 3-3/5/4/6, Wk 4-5/6/3/8. It's so much easier when I just have an app tell me what I'm supposed to do!

5/1 5.5mi 53:51min (interval run)

Today was an interval run which I did on the treadmill. I find it easier to maintain a specific pace on the treadmill. Tomorrow is a 5 mile run.

I'm in for sure. Gonna start small with 60 miles