August 2017 Running Challenge

MobyCarp · July 2017

I still have the final run of July to get in this evening, and my final post on the July thread; but I'll be back for August.

Nominal challenge goal: 260 miles. The marathon training plan calls for more, but there's some stuff going on that I think will cut some miles out of my reality.

Real goals: Stay healthy. Train well toward the Rochester Marathon. Win my age group at Pound the Ground 10K on August 9. Run a respectable sub-20 5K at Bergen on August 12. Run the USATF Masters Mile (road) in under 6 minutes on August 25.

Of course, the age group win depends on who shows up. The other goals should be within my ability, absent freakishly bad weather.

EHollander89 · July 2017

I started my training plan for my next half marathon recently. I totaled up the mileage for August, and it looks like I should be running 97 miles if I follow the plan. That seems a little higher than what I have been running, but I think it's doable!

kristinegift · July 2017

OK OK I'm back for actually this time. I was pretty half-*kitten* about it in May. But I am signed up for a fall marathon (fingers crossed for a BQ!) and training started last week in earnest.

August goal of 250 miles.

Excited to see all your challenge forum shenanigans this month

MNLittleFinn · July 2017

kristinegift wrote: »

OK OK I'm back for actually this time. I was pretty half-*kitten* about it in May. But I am signed up for a fall marathon (fingers crossed for a BQ!) and training started last week in earnest.

August goal of 250 miles.

Excited to see all your challenge forum shenanigans this month

Welcome back!

MNLittleFinn · July 2017

JessicaMcB wrote: »

Glad to see all the usual suspects in for August (welcome back @7lenny7 )! Throwing in for 420k/262mi since I have to cut some miles out of my training plan if I'm going to make a hard run at qualifying at Edmonton on the 20th.

How the hell is autumn running almost upon us btw? Slow down time!

ugh.... making me feel lazy again.... LOL

PastorVincent · July 2017

Amanda2887 wrote: »

So, this is my first time doing a running challenge. I have never been a big runner, typically walk/jog and have gotten up to doing 3 miles at a time. It has been a while since I have done this so my goal for this month will be 20 miles. I plan on running 1 mile 5 times a week. Each month I plan on increasing it by a half of a mile just to take it slow unless I feel like I need to increase it. I am also in a new neighborhood so finding my new path will be interesting. Another goal is to find my sweet spot so I don't need to walk during my run, I would like to be able to do a long distance run at some point.

Any pointers will be great

Biggest pointer - Do not compare yourself to anyone on this thread. Some of them are crazy fast and other do crazy mileage. Use a program like RunKeeper, Strava, MapMyFitness, or what ever to track your progress so that you can see your gains over an extended period of time. Take your time and listen to your body.

Also HAVE FUN!

And fair warning, do not tell anyone you eat your hot dogs with ketchup on them. *smh*

MNLittleFinn · July 2017

PastorVincent wrote: »

Amanda2887 wrote: »

So, this is my first time doing a running challenge. I have never been a big runner, typically walk/jog and have gotten up to doing 3 miles at a time. It has been a while since I have done this so my goal for this month will be 20 miles. I plan on running 1 mile 5 times a week. Each month I plan on increasing it by a half of a mile just to take it slow unless I feel like I need to increase it. I am also in a new neighborhood so finding my new path will be interesting. Another goal is to find my sweet spot so I don't need to walk during my run, I would like to be able to do a long distance run at some point.

Any pointers will be great

Biggest pointer - Do not compare yourself to anyone on this thread. Some of them are crazy fast and other do crazy mileage. Use a program like RunKeeper, Strava, MapMyFitness, or what ever to track your progress so that you can see your gains over an extended period of time. Take your time and listen to your body.

Also HAVE FUN!

And fair warning, do not tell anyone you eat your hot dogs with ketchup on them. *smh*

Awesome advice. I always find myself comparing what I do to others. Here's the thing, when you do that, even if your run faster or more mileage than people, you start feeling inadequate! I'm by no means a fast runner, and my mileage isn't as high as some people's, but I have my goals and I am working toward them as best I can, so I keap that in mind.

Also, don't be afraid to ask question, the experienced runners on here have really helped me become a better runner, and I greatly appreciate their help.

JessicaMcB · July 2017

PastorVincent wrote: »

Amanda2887 wrote: »

So, this is my first time doing a running challenge. I have never been a big runner, typically walk/jog and have gotten up to doing 3 miles at a time. It has been a while since I have done this so my goal for this month will be 20 miles. I plan on running 1 mile 5 times a week. Each month I plan on increasing it by a half of a mile just to take it slow unless I feel like I need to increase it. I am also in a new neighborhood so finding my new path will be interesting. Another goal is to find my sweet spot so I don't need to walk during my run, I would like to be able to do a long distance run at some point.

Any pointers will be great

Biggest pointer - Do not compare yourself to anyone on this thread. Some of them are crazy fast and other do crazy mileage. Use a program like RunKeeper, Strava, MapMyFitness, or what ever to track your progress so that you can see your gains over an extended period of time. Take your time and listen to your body.

Also HAVE FUN!

And fair warning, do not tell anyone you eat your hot dogs with ketchup on them. *smh*

I totally agree, comparison is the thief of joy and whatnot. I wish I could run as fast as some of the men in this group, but reality has to factor in at some point (I tell myself until races start

). My biggest pointer is that if @MobyCarp says it then you should probably listen because he's incredibly well versed in the sport. I've learned a lot from his posts!

And I am 100% laughing over the fact that we have brought the hot dog convo into another challenge month. @PastorVincent is a plant for French's Mustard, I just know it! Haha!

Elise4270 · July 2017

Yay! @kristinegift

Glad you're back!!! Good luck on the BQ!!!

And Welcome @EHollander89 !!!!

juliet3455 · July 2017

Welcome to all the new victums

athletes and those who recently joined in and decided to stick around.
Welcome back for some of our friends who were on a little break whether it was for Family Responsibilities, other interest's, Injury recovery or ?? just doesn't matter.
To all the lurkers - join in we don't bite - except on Zombie Run Nights.

2 events in August = 1 Taper and 1 Mini-Half Taper so I really have no idea what my monthly goal will be. I will drop back to 150 km just as a guestimate. One more July run to log - The Hills are calling me.

kevaasen · July 2017

So saying hi as a new member. Used MFP starting last Oct to reduce weight and during that process started running via C25K, graduated to the 10K program, just ran a 10K In July and now using Runkeeper to do half marathon training for a scheduled Hot Chocolate 15k Run at end of Oct in Chicago along with Running my second 10K in early October.

Should be able to do 125 miles if not close to 150 given the program schedule but the dog days of august might make some of those scheduled long runs ...long. Up for the Challenge however in picking up this new activity that I am enjoying and becoming very addicted to.

Re logging. I use Strava and Runkeeper as my logbook of activity, tracking etc and joined the MFP group there which is great and I am already connect to Gary, Kate and admire your success and training. . If anyone else uses Strava feel free to follow me. That said, I likely can't keep up with the daily messages on MFP that clip in the 1000's to also post here (July I read some when I could, but the volume is intense and again admire the advise, cheering, success stories etc that several dedicate to the entire group.).

All that said - Will try to post updates on a weekly basis on my mileage journey to my goal and lurk here occasionally when thinking about running and have a few minutes to catch up. Cheers. Kevin.

MNLittleFinn · July 2017

@kevaasen There's a group on Strava for this challenge group, you might want to look it up.

PastorVincent · August 2017

MNLittleFinn wrote: »

@kevaasen There's a group on Strava for this challenge group, you might want to look it up.

He is already a member

But for everyone else here is the group: https://www.strava.com/clubs/mfpmnthlychlng

PastorVincent · August 2017

JessicaMcB wrote: »

And I am 100% laughing over the fact that we have brought the hot dog convo into another challenge month. @PastorVincent is a plant for French's Mustard, I just know it! Haha!

Just for you, this is my dinner tonight:

KeepRunningFatboy · August 2017

Wk 7.31.17 - 8.6.17

M - 8.6 - Had to finish with a prime number for July. 241 miles total.
T -
W -
T -
F -
S -
S -

Total - # miles. Goal is 60 miles this week.

shanaber · August 2017

Hahaha - love that the hot dog drama is ongoing! The newbies really will think we are crazy! BTW - Welcome to all of you newbies! We really are a bunch of crazy runners who love to talk about running and well... hot dogs and other things too

Welcome back @PastorVincent

@seanevan10 - I am in Dallas fairly often for work as my company has HQ in Irving (was originally a Dallas based company that was bought out by a French company) At the end of the month I will be there with a whole group of people for training but maybe on one of my trips we can plan a get together with @Elise4270 if she is over that way. We tried once before and I got tied up but I would love to meet some of the crazies here!
@allyphoe - My definition of conversational is not gasping while talking. I would not consider the youtube guy as running at a conversational pace, but that is just my definition.
@5512bf - Great to have you back!
Welcome back @kristinegift! The shenanigans have missed your input!

@girlinahat - when I started out with my 0 drop shoes I ran in them only once or twice a week for short runs - 3 to 4 miles. As my legs felt better and better (and I was running faster in them) I brought them into my rotation more often and for longer runs. Now they are pretty much all I wear. I do have some 4 and 6mm which doesn't seem like a huge difference but they definitely feel so different when I run in them.

JimCrackinDandy · August 2017

So excited to be "running" again this month with you all! I'm hoping for 90 this month.
Love the weird humor! But ya know it looks like Relish is the way to go!

Elise4270 · August 2017

@shanaber @seanevan10 I'd be an honor to catch up with you ladies!! Just say when!

MobyCarp · August 2017

allyphoe wrote: »

Nominal goal: 44 miles, calculated as 3 miles x 3 runs a week for the first 2 weeks, then adding a 4th day starting at 1 mile for the second 2 weeks.

Actual goals:
- Figure out how to run 3-4 days a week while also getting my teenager to and from school and activities and myself to work on time, while complying with my preferred running path's dusk-to-dawn curfew.
- Do at least 30 minutes of yoga for every mile run.
- Do at least 30 minutes of additional non-running physical activity for every mile run.
- Keep my acute-to-chronic ratio below 1.2. (This basically means "learn how to not run as far as I want to.")
- Keep a more consistent pace from mile to mile. (This basically means "learn how not to run as fast as I want to.")

I have a dumb question, because I am dumb. What the heck is conversational pace? I am generally a hard grader, and there is an *enormous* gap between "can speak entire sentences with relative ease" and "gasping between words." This guy on YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLQ5mU952f0 ) thinks he's running at a conversational pace, and that amount of out-of-breath-ness is gaspier than I am on a flat, but less gaspy than I am on an incline.

I could only stand to watch about a minute and a half. During that time, this guy is *NOT* running at a conversational pace. The experienced runners I know are less gaspy than that running at threshold pace, and are able to hold conversations at the level of "can speak entire sentences with relative ease" at marathon pace.

The solo running test I've seen bandied about is, can you recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the same cadence, with the same breathing pattern that you did in grade school? Of course, this test only works for people in the United States. (Do we still have grade school kids recite the pledge in school?) But anything familiar and liturgical will work. The Lord's Prayer, for those of Christian persuasion. Perhaps some familiar Hebrew prayers that are sung, for those of Jewish persuasion. Maybe just sing a familiar song without having to breathe un-naturally.

Example: 6.6 miles into a paced run, the route went onto a street named "Robin Hood Lane." Because that amused me, I sang the chorus from a Robin Hood TV show of my childhood. My breath control was the same as if I had been standing in the chancel at church for choir rehearsal. That's running at a conversational pace. To be fair, it was also running slower than I would have run solo because I was responsible for holding the pace for other runners. The other runners in the group might have been working harder, relative to their own capacity, than I was; but they could all speak in complete sentences with relative ease.

allyphoe · August 2017

MobyCarp wrote: »

in the same cadence, with the same breathing pattern that you did in grade school?

Finally, a level of specificity that makes sense to me! Thank you!

When my sister was here last week with her baby, I bounced him up and down the street for an eternity, while chanting "The grand old Duke of York / he had ten thousand men / he marched them up the hill / and then he marched them down again. / When you're up, you're up / and when you're down, you're down / and when you're only halfway up / you're neither up nor down." I can now mindlessly and endlessly mutter that without devoting any brain space whatsoever to it, and that's what I shall do tomorrow.

August 2017 Running Challenge

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