June 2017 Running Challenge

My running goal for June? Every. Damn. Day... and so far I am on a 34 day running streak averaging 3.5 miles per day.

MobyCarp wrote: »

RunnersLament wrote: »

My running goal for June? Every. Damn. Day... and so far I am on a 34 day running streak averaging 3.5 miles per day.

@RunnersLament - Welcome! We don't see a lot of streak runners here; I'll be interested to read what kind of things you need to do to stay healthy enough to keep the streak going. I had a 13 day streak recently, and was REALLY ready for a rest day when it rolled around; but I train fairly hard and rest days are important for me.

Thanks for the Welcome!

I have an entire regimen I follow that helps keep me moving... and one of those things is to just keep moving. I have been running for years and am fairly tuned in with my body. Streak running is not for everyone and certainly not for the novice runner.

My day starts at 5:00 am most days. I wake up, stretch, do some light yoga poses and head out the door for a few miles ( I also Intermittent Fast). Consistency is just critical. If I take an easy day, I make up the distance to maintain my average (i.e. if I ran 2 miles yesterday, I would run 5 today to keep that 3.5 mile average). I generally never run less than 2 miles per day, and never ever increase my weekly volume by more than 10%.

Post run - It's stretch, the Stick, shake (a protein shake), and shower. Then off to work.

I work at a standing desk and stretch and walk frequently thru the day which helps in a big way. It is not uncommon for me to hit 20,000 steps per day.

When I get home... I'll stretch again, use a Stick roller and then take the kids for a walk. Occasionally, if work follows me home, I have a treadmill in front of my computer and will walk and work.

I've had a few Achilles injuries over the years that need some babying. Before bed, I'll do some self massage focusing on my calves, ankles and feet and I sleep with Compression sleeves.

I suppose most of what I do focuses on consistency and common sense... one has to listen to your body and know when to go easy.

Like I say... consistency and after awhile it becomes routine.

Not to say that there isn't a little crazyness in my life either. While my wife accepts my running... I half expect one weekend she'll hide my running shoes to keep me in bed a little longer. But there is always barefoot running...

Cheers,

1/6 2 miles easy
aid station support for Burrington Blaster race
2/6 post-work swim (30 minutes)
3/6 5.5m run along the river to collect car
4/6 walk to pub (lazy day)
5/6 general walking (lazy day)
6/6 re-starting Stronglifts 5x5 - squat, bench and row just with the bar. Hamstring twinging.
afternoon swim - much much better than the previous swims - getting the hang of breathing a bit more now - like remembering to breathe in!!
7/6 1.76 miles plod. Need to run further, this isn't far enough for me to get into the groove of it so it feels awful
8/6 3.57miles. working my way back up to more regular running. legs still aching somewhat from the strength training.
9/6 swim
10/6 7 miles including Parkrun
11/6 quarry swim
12/6 rest
13/6 3.7miles
14/6 rest
15/6 London for a course so lots of walking!!
16/6 3.6miles
17/6 10.3 miles run/walk
18/6 Open-water swim training
19/6 rest

I've started incorporating some fartlek-type running into my Tuesday runs. I realised that I seem to be getting slower and slower, so really if I'm ever going to get any faster I need to practice it. Totally unscientific. I vaguely measured a couple of sections of my usual route, so when I hit them (around 400 yards) I speed up the pace as much as I can without dying. It's not pretty.

I've also been doing more swimming. I bought a swimming wetsuit, dipped in a local quarry, then did an introductory course on open-water swimming to try and teach me how to sight and not swim in circles. The water is a surprising 18 degrees C at the surface. We are having a heatwave here at the moment, meaning we are all sweaty and lethargic at temperatures you guys face daily. That's the British for you. The sun comes out and we rush out to lap it up, then start moaning half an hour later that it's too hot.

I had a great (not that great) run Saturday. A friend of mine is walking the length of Offa's *kitten*. It's 177 miles of National Trail, following the line of a saxon earthwork intended to stop the English being infiltrated by those pesky Welsh. Now we just beat them at Rugby (sometimes, that statement will no doubt come back to haunt me). She's walking the route over several weekends, so the logistics are a nightmare, as there's no real public transport. I agreed to start from her Saturday finish point, run eight miles to meet her, and then walk back to the finish with her (and my car). I didn't look properly at the map. We have lovely maps. The greatest mapping system in the world. Contours and tiny features (such as a pile of stones) are marked on the map. You can see the elevation and how mean that elevation is at a glance. If you look properly at the map that is.




I didn't. I hiked uphill for five miles before collapsing in a heap and weeping at the thought that I'd never meet up with my friend. I sweated in the heat and humidity that wouldn't let up. I had a stand-off with a field of cows with their young who weren't going to let me along the path. Every time I tried to go round them, they played the game of let's go and stand in her way. Cows are big. So a quarter of a mile detour through cowpats and maintaining eye contact I made it round, only to enter a wood with evil flying chompy things. Horse flies are the devil. If you keep moving they are less likely to get you, but they like to latch on with sharp jaws and make you bleed.




Everything was up. there was no down. Had I looked at the map I'd have seen a car park with an ice cream van where I could have begun the run, done a short but steep uphill, then run along a lovely ridge with a gentle breeze. I wouldn't have felt such a fraud at all the people thinking I was a runner and saying 'well done' when all I was doing was walking and swearing.




But then, when I was giving up and worrying because there were at this point TWO versions of the path and I could easily miss my friend, I saw her waving. Hurrah!! got to the top of the hill, and walked down again. Yes, I needed that beer.

note to self. Look closely at the map. PLAN your trip. Also noted - Wales can be really pretty.

Races/events:

1st June - Burrington Blaster 8k ish moorland race - Helping on the Aid Station not running
30th July - Dorset invader HM