August 2017 Running Challenge

8/01/2017 - 0 miles
8/02/2017 - 9 miles Z3/Z4
8/03/2017 - 7 miles Z2
8/04/2017 - 5 Easy miles
8/05/2017 - Cranberry Cup 5k - 23:18
8/05/2017 - Howl at the Moon 5k - 25:11
8/06/2017 - Rest
8/07/2017 - 7.75 miles
8/08/2017 - 6.5 miles Z2
8/09/2017 - 7 miles Z2
8/10/2017 - 7 miles Z2

Summer Goal: Get my marathon pace below 9 minutes.
Official Marathon PR: 4:11:28

Next Races (more as I find them):

08/12/2017 - Friends of the Riverfront Trail Run - 15k
10/14/2017 - Stop, Drop, and Run - Fireman style obstacle course - 5km

05/06/18 - Pittsburgh Marathon - aiming for sub four hours.

REST day == Run Extra Slowly Today day.... right? Tommorrow I will have to leave my gym bag at home I think. I put a bunch of pictures on the Strava run, lets see if this "relive" thing works... if so I will link it later... when I have it.

Hi all!

8/4: 15.2k -Slow LR-
8/6: 12k -w/u, 8k negative splits, c/d-
8/7: 9.4k -Steady+strides, c/d-
8/10: 10.6k -w/u+intervals-

Goal: 47.2k/150k

Something bad happened. I started to smoke cigarettes again, for the last 10 days. Not many 1-5 daily but today it affected my training. My heart was abaout to explode. Need some help with this. I must QUIT again!

@skippygirlsmom Happy birthday

Take care and stay hydrated!

zdyb23456 wrote: »

8/1 8miles 1hr:16m:25s
8/2 6miles 60m:39s
8/3 5miles 46m:32s
8/4 rest
8/5 12miles 1hr:57m:36s
8/6 rest
8/7 6miles 57m:25s
8/8 5miles 49m:20s
8/9 rest
8/10 13.1miles!!!! 2hr:04m:17s

I did it! Another half marathon. It wasn't a race, just against myself and my last half marathon distance back in June. I headed out by 5:15am and it was a cool and comfortable 70 degrees. Dark. I've decided I really don't like running in the dark, but since I was running around my neighborhood it was very quiet and no traffic. Around 2-3 miles I was feeling like 13 miles was going to be impossible, but I just kept telling myself to take it one mile at a time. And just like that I did it. I swung by the water stop on the golf course once to refill my water bottle, which was still mostly full, but mentally I think it really eases my mind to know that I won't run out.

I ran it this morning 2:32 faster than last time. I didn't have my garmin forerunner last time and used runkeeper. I'm noticing that garmin is a .3 miles off from runkeeper - meaning if I go by runkeeper I ran it even faster. Alas, I am going by my Garmin since I hoping my $350 running watch is more accurate.

Even better is that I feel great right now. Last time I was a wreck. My husband had to help me into the house and I could barely even crawl into the shower. My stomach was so messed up and I was afraid I was going to puke. There is none of that this time! I feel like I've made a lot of progress in 9 weeks!

That's great! I am impressed on so many levels - primarily related to the fact that you are doing this without an official race. I don't think I could ever push myself hard enough to feel ill after a non race run. And getting out there early in the morning and shaving off time doing it all by yourself is something to really be proud of!

PastorVincent wrote: »

Was thinking of trying the Glycerins 15s - but I have a coupon for 50% of New Balance, so probably just reorder the 880v7s this time and consider them in another 500 miles

Still, hate to gimp myself if I can avoid it.

If you can manage to get both, it would probably be a benefit to your feet and would probably make those shoes last longer as well. I seem to remember you reporting significnt sweat losses. Allowing your shoes to thoroughly dry between runs should keep them springy a little longer. And it also tends to make you notice sooner when one pair of shoes is nearing the end of its life. Maybe get the 50% off ones now, and then in a month or two add in the others to the rotation so they will be fresher.

seanevan10 wrote: »

so how many of you change out shoes for your runs? When did you start that? Early on? or when you were running many more miles?

I have a few pairs in rotation right now - more than normal because I added several when I was training for a marathon and wanted to get new ones broken in and not be racing in either new or really old shoes. Anyway, I used a single pair until I was close to needing a new pair and then I got a second pair and since then I have pretty much always had at least 2 pairs in rotation. Honestly, I don't even want to admit how many I have right now - far more than should be needed by someone who tends to run a total of 20 or so miles each week and hardly ever gets out for more than 3 runs a week.

@shrcpr - Glad you like the Lucy pocket capris. I can't order any more or I will get in trouble even if they are 30% off. As it is I had to clean out my running shorts/pants just to be able to get the latest ones I bought into the drawer. I now have 3 pairs of the capris and 2 of the shorts

Happy Birthday @skippygirlsmom! What do you mean you didn't want to go out and run 56 miles this morning Hope you are having a wonderful day!
@seanevan10 - Happy early birthday to you too! I was going to join in with @girlinahat and disagree on August birthdays and say that December birthdays are the best...but they aren't...

On the headphone question - I have also gone through many types and brands mostly wired though. My favorite were Sennheiser - they had awesome sound, didn't come out when I was sweaty (you could actually put them under running water to clean them) and had great customer service. But the wires kept breaking inside and they would stop working or go on and off depending on the wire movement (so annoying!) After the 3rd or 4th replacement I gave up on them. I liked Yurbuds for the fit but they were terribly unreliable and would just stop working. I still have an old pair though that sort of work that I use when I travel. If I lose them which I have been known to do more than once, I won't be sad. Right now I have Jaybird wireless (X2 I think) that I use exclusively for running and have had for over a year. I haven't had any issues other than one of the foam buds ripping and I was able to get a couple of replacements from Jaybird at the SF marathon expo (got them a year ago at the same expo with a great runner discount).

@MobyCarp - Congratulations on another great race! Love the bling!
I have found that the Kinetics Revolution challenge stretches have really made a difference in my hamstring/glute/hip niggles and tightness

On shoes! I have several pairs mostly from looking for replacements for shoes I liked but didn't love. Some of them I won't wear for running any longer even though they have minimal mileage, because they made something hurt or not feel right when I ran in them. I typically give them several trials to see if it is a onetime issue or if it repeats and if it does they are out and I return if I can. I started having multiple pairs in rotation on advice from my sports chiro after I tore my PF. He said you should have at least 2 pairs in rotation if you are running back to back days to allow your shoes 24 hours to recover. There is compression that occurs in all running shoes and you get the best out of them if you don't wear them over and over. It is also the same reason you shouldn't also wear them to walk around or go to the gym in (unless of course you are running on the TM there). I like the rotation too because they don't wear out as fast - same miles but over a longer duration.

As promised here is my first attempt at a Relive run...

https://www.relive.cc/view/1127190681

Was a REST day (Run Extra Slowly Today) so did stop and take pictures. It grouped them closer together than I was hoping. Some it has at the same spot were 1/4 mile apart. heh.

wishiwasarunner wrote: »

PastorVincent wrote: »

Was thinking of trying the Glycerins 15s - but I have a coupon for 50% of New Balance, so probably just reorder the 880v7s this time and consider them in another 500 miles

Still, hate to gimp myself if I can avoid it.

If you can manage to get both, it would probably be a benefit to your feet and would probably make those shoes last longer as well. I seem to remember you reporting significnt sweat losses. Allowing your shoes to thoroughly dry between runs should keep them springy a little longer. And it also tends to make you notice sooner when one pair of shoes is nearing the end of its life. Maybe get the 50% off ones now, and then in a month or two add in the others to the rotation so they will be fresher.

Definitely can not right now. Too much else going on, but maybe in a couple months... of course at 50-60 miles a week, may need new shoes in a few months

August goals are 90 miles and figuring out what all the info from my new watch means about my training.

Aug 3 - 10 miles
Aug 4 - 6.2 miles
Aug 5- 7.5 miles
Aug 6- too rainy/ wimpy
Aug 7- 7 miles
Aug 10- 7.3 miles

Total 41/100 goal

Lifted weights last night with my teenage son and then got up this morning and did weights with my trainer. Then with my old, sore muscles, managed a slow 7.3 miles. Still showing up as really high in the zones on my watch. I hope to be able to get in faster tempo work this weekend and I will see if that changes the zone recommendations.

@skippygirlsmom - Happy Birthday - I love that you and your daughter go for runs together. My daughter will go with me occasionally - but I really hope that one day, we will be more like you!
@seanevan10 - Happy Birthday early
@MobyCarp - CONGRATS on the awesome race and on clinching your bigger goal!

I think there were others I was planning to Congratulate, but after being gone for less than 24 hours, I was over 100 posts behind. I read them all - but WOW - how do you all manage to keep up with this?

Well folks, I am sick today with the stomach flu. BLAH.

Stayed home from work, although I did do some work from home. I think my low fever has broken and I haven't been to the bathroom in a while so I'm hoping this is just a 24 hour thing, unlike my boyfriend who had it for almost three days.

Not sure when I'll be back to running. I haven't eaten at all today, though I am making some rice now to try later. Not sure when I'll have my strength back. Sigh.

And to top it off, my new shoes arrived yesterday and I can't use them yet *cry*.

Hope everyone else is doing better than I am.

NikolaosKey wrote: »

@Elise4270 haha feel free to say that, I will keep that in mind

Tnx all of the support!

There are few things better than the way a man smells well, maybe pie with said nice smelling man.

My husband quit 5-6 years ago. It was so hard on him. He's a recovering addict anyway. Giving up the nicotine took online meetings, chantix, Wellbutrin, prayer, and a spot on his lung. I bet if he could, he'd pick it up in a heart beat.

Best wishes my friend!

@shanaber When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade there was a display of a smoker's lung and a non smoker's lung. 40 years ago and I still remember it. Then in college we were shown a pigs lung. I was supprised that they are not sacks and more similar to sponges. Can you imagine getting cigarette tar out of a sponge?

And there is good bacteria in your lungs working to keep you healthy. I never wanted to kill the little buggers. Haha! I did smoke in HS to hang out with this boy, Brad... Brad didn't like me back. But did put me in the trash can once a year... *Swoon* lol!

ETA corrected horrible errors. (Alex called- he likes a girl- ive had this mother's feeling that it's time for something quasi serious. Dang if I can't remember her name! Ashton? Aspen? )

@NikolaosKey my husband smoked for eleven years and struggled hard to quit so many times. A few months before our middle daughter was born he woke up one day and just stopped- he'll be quit 4 years in September. You can do it!

Had physio tonight, ran afterward (significantly less than I had planned because she yelled at me lol). I'll be gone all weekend to the lake for our youngest daughters' 2nd birthday so I'll have to run early tomorrow. If I don't manage to pop my mileage in for Friday tomorrow I wish everybody a fabulous long run and racing weekend

August 1- 13.4
August 2- 17.3
August 3- 16.5
August 4- 17.3
August 5- 40
August 6- 20
August 7- Off
August 8- 24.5
August 9- 34.6
August 10- 15.3

198.9/420km