August 2017 Running Challenge

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Replies

  • mainemooncat428
    mainemooncat428 Posts: 8 Member
    PastorVincent wrote: »

    So what is that, about NINE WEEKS or so to go from "3 miles with difficulty" and 50 pounds over weight to a half marathon? I am no doctor and no expert but that sounds overly aggressive to me.

    I suspect if you plan is to walk much of it and your goal is to just finish, that could be done, but run all 13 miles based on where you are at? I am not sure that is a realistic target. I think you would be risking injury and burn out. I would suggest you set your sites on a 10k first.

    Again, I would not call myself an expert, but I that just sounds too aggressive based on your self-declared fitness level.

    Thanks for the honest feedback; it was what I was looking for. I could walk a lot of it and finish but I don't think I want that as my first half marathon experience. Additional thoughts are welcome.
  • Svnwitch
    Svnwitch Posts: 71 Member
    edited August 2017
    My goal this month is 60 miles! (Running as much as possible, walking when needed)
  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
    8/1: 3.1

    Total: 3.1/44

    Weather forecast last night: cool and cloudy, no rain before 7am. Weather forecast at 5:20am: cool and cloudy, no rain before 7am. Actual weather at home, 5:50: cool and cloudy, no rain. Actual weather at trail parking lot, 6:00: Heavy rain. I hung out in my car for half an hour until it was actually light enough to see and the rain had diminished to a drizzle.

    The guys who are usually about a mile ahead of me were just finishing their run as I was warming up. Didn't see anyone else the whole time.

    I usually run with music, but today went with just a metronome set to 180bpm and the occasional Grand Old Duke of York. I think I may still have been a little fast, but I maintained a much steadier pace.

    I also chose to turn around at the 5k halfway point, which worked out well, because it started raining significantly harder just as I got to my cooldown marker, and I was really glad not to be half a mile further from the car.
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    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:
    kf039a1dl2cv.jpg
    :lol:

    @pastorvincent I'm so jealous!!! I love hot dogs. Skip is making me eat healthier since I gained some weight in the last year so it's salmon and veggies for us tonight.
  • seanevan10
    seanevan10 Posts: 385 Member
    MNLittleFinn wrote: »
    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 :smile:


    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! :smiley:

    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.

    All of this. I am slow and low compared to all of these folks. But I don't compare. I am out there doing my best and it will get better over time!

    Also, Thank you for all the support you all have given so far!
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
    skippygirlsmom wrote: »
    @pastorvincent I'm so jealous!!! I love hot dogs. Skip is making me eat healthier since I gained some weight in the last year so it's salmon and veggies for us tonight.
    Those are Hebrew National all beef ones. About as healthy as a hot dog can get. Which is not really saying much I know, but allow me my delusions. :smiley:
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    8/1 - 5 miles

    5 of 80 miles

    exercise.png

    So happy to see all the usual faces and so many new ones here!! Welcome everyone.

    @kristinegift girl you have been missed though I've been stalking you on the newsfeed :wink:
  • seanevan10
    seanevan10 Posts: 385 Member
    shanaber wrote: »
    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 :wink:
    @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! :smiley:
    @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.

    @shanaber Funny that you said Irving, because I actually work for the city of Irving! So I am right here. Would love to meet up some time. Just let me know, I'm here every day!!!
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    spencerfiretn1322 wrote: »
    PastorVincent wrote: »

    So what is that, about NINE WEEKS or so to go from "3 miles with difficulty" and 50 pounds over weight to a half marathon? I am no doctor and no expert but that sounds overly aggressive to me.

    I suspect if you plan is to walk much of it and your goal is to just finish, that could be done, but run all 13 miles based on where you are at? I am not sure that is a realistic target. I think you would be risking injury and burn out. I would suggest you set your sites on a 10k first.

    Again, I would not call myself an expert, but I that just sounds too aggressive based on your self-declared fitness level.

    Thanks for the honest feedback; it was what I was looking for. I could walk a lot of it and finish but I don't think I want that as my first half marathon experience. Additional thoughts are welcome.

    You can do a half with little training, if you don't mind walking a significant distance of it. And if you decide to do it... well come next year you'll be faster and will set a PR.

    Check out the cut off times. There usually are plenty of walkers the ones I've done.
    Figure out the distance you can run.
    Do you want to run every other mile and the last 2 or something of the sort? Or are you set on running the entire course?

    Just be careful. This is the type of situation that tests rule #1 of running -train smart- always be mindful of being too agressive to quickly.

    Everyone is different. You may be able to pull it off- just approach those miles/kilometers with caution. My son made 6 miles in 6 weeks and was able to consistently run 2 miles in 13 minutes. It'd take me 6 months to do that and I'd get no where near his pace.

    So, you're the only one that can truly decide if you can do it. Just be ready to reign it in if needed.
  • 5512bf
    5512bf Posts: 389 Member
    August Goal - 120 Miles

    8/1/17 - 4.02 Easy

    I will be doing all of my base building miles in z2/z3 avoiding any threshold / vo2max stuff until i get back to 40+ miles a week and lose a few more lbs. I may add in some cadence drills but getting back to logging more time on my feet is needed. Today was cool, raining and dark at 5am so it was a few laps around the hood. I was looking back at my training from last year at I logged a tad over 300 miles for August last year so hopefully getting to that 120 won't hurt too bad.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited August 2017
    seanevan10 wrote: »
    MNLittleFinn wrote: »
    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 :smile:


    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! :smiley:

    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.

    All of this. I am slow and low compared to all of these folks. But I don't compare. I am out there doing my best and it will get better over time!

    Also, Thank you for all the support you all have given so far!

    @Amanda2887 You know, all miles/kilometers are not created equal amoungst us. Age, terrain, endurance, nutrition, weight, attitude, altitude, cool shoes, and pace are just some of the variables. You'll find newbies to marathoners here. The challenge is of yourself!

    And I bet I'm slower than all y'all!
  • seanevan10
    seanevan10 Posts: 385 Member
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    seanevan10 wrote: »
    MNLittleFinn wrote: »
    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 :smile:


    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! :smiley:

    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.

    All of this. I am slow and low compared to all of these folks. But I don't compare. I am out there doing my best and it will get better over time!

    Also, Thank you for all the support you all have given so far!

    @Amanda2887 You know, all miles/kilometers are not created equal amoungst us. Age, terrain, endurance, nutrition, weight, attitude, altitude, cool shoes, and pace are just some of the variables. You'll find newbies to marathoners here. The challenge is of yourself!

    And I bet I'm slower than all y'all!

    I don't know about that slower thing. During my actually running today, my mile was 12:04. No worries. I am only 4 weeks back into running after a long time off. Not worried. Just out there kickin' it as best I can.

    Aug 1- 2.02 miles. It felt sooooo good this morning. O dark thirty was 72 degrees. That is so nice for North Texas!
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    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:
    kf039a1dl2cv.jpg
    :lol:

    Ugh, blasphemy!!!
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited August 2017
    @seanevan10 my run yesterday was 13:05. My fast pr run this last weekend, 12:03. Gotta beat girl!
  • _nikkiwolf_
    _nikkiwolf_ Posts: 1,380 Member
    edited August 2017
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    spencerfiretn1322 wrote: »
    Thanks for the honest feedback; it was what I was looking for. I could walk a lot of it and finish but I don't think I want that as my first half marathon experience. Additional thoughts are welcome.

    You can do a half with little training, if you don't mind walking a significant distance of it. And if you decide to do it... well come next year you'll be faster and will set a PR.

    Check out the cut off times. There usually are plenty of walkers the ones I've done.
    Figure out the distance you can run.
    Do you want to run every other mile and the last 2 or something of the sort? Or are you set on running the entire course?

    Just be careful. This is the type of situation that tests rule #1 of running -train smart- always be mindful of being too agressive to quickly.

    Everyone is different. You may be able to pull it off- just approach those miles/kilometers with caution. My son made 6 miles in 6 weeks and was able to consistently run 2 miles in 13 minutes. It'd take me 6 months to do that and I'd get no where near his pace.

    So, you're the only one that can truly decide if you can do it. Just be ready to reign it in if needed.
    @spencerfiretn1322 : @Elise4270 made a good point about the cut off times! The half marathon I want to run in September for example has a time limit of 2:30 hours. I'm not a fast runner, so I know that I would not be able to finish in that time if I had to do a significant amount of walking mixed in with the running...

    Which is the training plan you want to follow, and how fast does it go from 3mi to 13.1mi?

    If you want to finish the half marathon well, you should be up to running at least 10 miles before the race day.

    There are different suggestions on how to increase your mileage. Some say don't increase the weekly mileage by more than 5-10%. I've also read other suggestions like "increase the distance of your long run by 1mi and the distance of the short runs by 0.5mi each week for three weeks, then take a recovery week where you reduce it again".

    From my personal experience, I already found it hard enough to increase from 5km to 10km; I don't think I could have gotten to the point of enjoying a half within three month. I went from first half marathon to first marathon in ~6 month, but that was after running somewhere between 10k and half distances for at least a year before.
    If your goal is to finish and you are determined to put in the effort, you can do it. But I'm not sure how much fun it would be.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Hey @lporter229 ! Some great goals there, sounds like you're back on track!


    My upcoming race schedule.

    9/16/17 - Outrun Homelessness 5K, Savage, MN - 5K (Tentative)
    9/23/17 - Surley Trail Loppet, Minneapolis, MN - HM
    10/7/17 - Big Woods Trail Run, Faribault, MN - HM
    1/27/18 - Securian Winter Run, St. Paul, MN - HM
    2/24/18 - Psycho Wyco, Kansas City, KS - 50K (Tentative)
    4/14/18 - Zumbro Endurance Run, Theilman, MN - 50 Mile
    4/28/18 - Chippewa 50K, New Auburn, WI - 50K
    5/19/18 - Superior Spring 50K, Lutsen, MN - 50K (Tentative/Lottery)

    I also have a handful of other races picked out through October where if the weather is not conducive to sailing, I'll consider a late entry into those races instead. Included in that is the local Ragnar in August. I've been asked by two teams to join, but I'd rather be sailing if possible.
  • shrcpr
    shrcpr Posts: 885 Member
    It's only August 1st and there are so many posts! Welcome to those just joining!

    I'll set a goal of 75 for August. This morning's run was 4.16 at 10:44 min/mi.

    MTD: 4.16 / 75
  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    I seem to have picked up a niggle of sorts in my right heel. It's not PF, I know that. I've had surgery for PF and I know what it feels like. This is a different area of my heel, towards the very back, so I'm thinking it's my achilles. It's not terrible, just annoying. But it's definitely something to keep an eye on.

    As Laura now goes and Googles "achilles stretching exercises."
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    edited August 2017
    RespectTheKitty wrote: »
    Jesus Mary and Joseph how are there already four pages of posts on August 1st? Pace yourselves, people!

    :smiley:

    You're awesome. ;)
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    edited August 2017
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    skippygirlsmom wrote: »
    @pastorvincent I'm so jealous!!! I love hot dogs. Skip is making me eat healthier since I gained some weight in the last year so it's salmon and veggies for us tonight.
    Those are Hebrew National all beef ones. About as healthy as a hot dog can get. Which is not really saying much I know, but allow me my delusions. :smiley:

    @pastorvincent I was delusional with Nathan's, Skip saw some with less calories the other day so we are trying them out this week. I swear I could eat hot dogs every day. @7lenny7 no one wants to know what they are made of, never ever look at the back of the package, ever! BTW I wish you would do some races this fall. :wink:

    @respectthekitty ha ha my grandmother used to say that all the time "Jesus, Mary and Joseph .... " ha ha BTW did you win the walk challenge?

    @_nikkiwolf_ wow a 2:30 cutoff on a half seems awfully short, that's an 11:30 pace.

    hi @lporter229

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