September 2017 Running Challenge

BruinsGal_91 wrote: »

WTF?? 99 new messages? I've only been away for a day.

9/1/17 - travel to Vegas. Delayed flight. Nightmare. Eventually got to hotel at midnight. No run today.
9/2/17 - 12 mile hike in Red Rock Canyon. Awesome.

The scenic drive round the canyon is around 13 miles. My first thought was, ooh, wonder if they do a half-marathon? And they do! So very tempted to sign up next year.

O? Seriously? When? I have family out that way, might make the trip to run that.

Man, only day 2 of September and I'm already so far behind on posts!!!
@Orphia gosh those are the best race photos I've ever seen. Especially the handstand one! Nicely done
@MobyCarp ice beards are too hard core! Also very sorry to hear that you are injured, I hope the PTT recovers quickly
@_nikkiwolf_ thanks for the kind welcome back! It's nice to be remembered

September Running
09/01: Off, rest day
09/02: 4.02 mile easy run + 30 min biking
Total: 4.02 miles

Notes:
Just an easy 4 miler this afternoon, followed by 30 minutes on the spin bike to keep the HR up a little longer. The run felt nice and easy, but my average pace was 9:12 which is probably a little faster than "true" easy for me. Always seems to happen after a rest day! My left calf feels a bit tight, so I'll be rolling it tonight and might do an ice massage too. The main event this weekend though is a 20 miler tomorrow, my first time running so far! I have done 18 miles twice though so I don't feel too worried about the distance. I'm using it as a dress rehearsal for my upcoming marathon, so I'll be wearing what I plan to wear for the race, as well as adhering strictly to my race-day fueling strategy (breakfast of bagel with honey banana and PB, GU every 45 minutes during the run, and an electrolyte tablet every 30 minutes). I've been using the GUs for all my long runs, and have only had one "adverse reaction" to them so I think it should be pretty safe. The electrolyte tablets are new as of last weekend's long run though, because I noticed I was losing a TON of salt in my sweat and getting intense salt cravings towards the end of long runs (sometimes I even start licking salt off my arms!! ) which makes me think I haven't been adequately replacing it with just the GU. We'll see how they do!





Upcoming Races:
- Chicago Marathon, 10/08/17
- Space Coast Half Marathon, 11/26/17
- Excalibur 10 Miler, 03/18/18

No run today, it was too hot overnight and nearly 80 this morning. I held off because tomorrow morning was supposed to be cooler. Now they are saying it is going to be even warmer... I am now planning a short run alone (too hot for Hobbes and we have an agility trial again tomorrow), then a long run hopefully on Monday morning. Somewhere, not tomorrow, I will fit in a HIIT run.
It was 104 today at the agility trial and Hobbes, along with many other dogs, was absolutely uninterested in running and jumping over anything.

I'm going to give this a go. Mostly been walking lately trying to scale some weight off before starting running. I'm going to try for 75 miles of running this month. Mostly did brisk walking last month.

Am I the only person that didn't know this?

Heel Lock

9/2: 2.6
9/3: 2.2

Total 4.8 / 50.0

I really prefer longer runs, but that's got to be a mental thing, and what fixes mental things is doing more of what you don't like.

BrianAWeber wrote: »

Am I the only person that didn't know this?

Heel Lock

No I didn't know either. I'm going to try this and see if it helps. My right foot always moves about (I have odd feet ) and thank you for posting this.

allyphoe wrote: »

9/2: 2.6
9/3: 2.2

Total 4.8 / 50.0

I really prefer longer runs, but that's got to be a mental thing, and what fixes mental things is doing more of what you don't like.

You are right there. When I'm out on a run and I come to a choice, run the hard way around or the not as hard way- the second I say "ugh I don't..." Well, now ya gotta do it. It's definitely helped me learn to take on challenges with a better frame of mind. And run those "hills".

@cburke8909 - I don't think you will have any problem with that sub 9 pace.
@orphia- If I haven't already said this, you are my hero!
@BruinsGal_91 - I love Red Rocks! Half marathon there would be great!

I had my Night glow half marathon last night. Very mixed feelings about a night run, and this one in particular. Despite having to wait all day for the start, I kind of liked running at night. I always run better in the evening than in the morning, and the weather was great. The race itself was a bit of an organizational disaster however.

First of all, despite being a BQ, by all accounts, the course was way long. Everyone I talked to measured 13.6 miles. Not enough twists and turns in the course to blame that on tangents. I am thinking that they may have palced one of the turn around points in the wrong place. My pace according to Garmin was 7:47, but my time was 1:45:41, which is something like an 8:05. According to pace, this was my third fastest half marathon, but according to finish time, it was sixth. That's quite a difference.

Secondly, I came in second in my age group. This would normally be great, except that I know the woman that finished first. She is not a cheater of any kind, so I'm not sure what happened here, but she did not run the whole course. The race was run simultaneously with a 10k. The half marathon course was basically two loops of the 10k course, but to account for the extra distance, there was a different turn around point on one of the out and back segments. I was running pretty much neck in neck with her from the start until she turned around at the 10k turn around point. I just assumed she was running the 10k. There was no timing mat to account for this. Needless to say, I was surprised to see her name at the top of the age group results for the half marathon. Oh well.

Thirdly, the course was very poorly lit. The final miles were on a bike path. On my first lap, they had Christmas lights on the ground to light the path, but they were not really needed because it wasn't completely dark yet. But on my second lap, it was pitch black and the lights were out because the generators had run out of gas (my guess). I was pretty much running solo here except for passing the occasional walker, who I could not see until I was literally steps away. It was so hard to see and I kept feeling like I was going to trip. My final mile and a half was about 20 seconds slower than my average pace.

I was kind of excited about this race because it was the inaugural year for my home time marathon and it was organized by the man who owns my local running store and hosts my running club. That being the case, I am willing to give a bit of a pass, but I definitely was a bit disappointed in how the whole thing was run. If I do it next year, I will probably do the 10k and run it for fun. The post race party was at a local brew pub with free beer (which I can't drink), so that part was fun.

Out if curiosity what does everyone listen to when they are out running?

Depending on my mood I sometimes listen to podcasts, audiobooks, music, or nothing at all.

Non-running check in: I woke up with no discomfort in my ankle. Took some morning time without the boot, did balance exercises on the BOSU ball, and tested push-ups without the boot. Tested the TGU motion without weight, but a test with an 8 lb. dumbbell revealed that I would need to be very careful to avoid irritating the PTT. So TGUs are still out.

After fatiguing the PTT a bit in the morning, spent a few hours in the boot. The rain stopped and the pavement dried up, so I took the boot off and got out on the bike. I had a 3 to 5 mile loop in mind, see how it goes; it turned into a 2.58 mile out and back, starting back when I started to feel the PTT fatigue. I'll call that good for today and stop testing things.

I notice that, as with the dreadmill, 10 minutes on the exercycle in the PT's office on Friday seemed to be a very long time; but 12 minutes on a real bike on the roads seemed like a little bit of nothing today.

9/1 – 6 miles
9/2 – rest day XC meet
9/3 – 10 miles

16 of 100 miles




@cburke8909 that is so sweet of you to say you too @orphia

I was at a meet yesterday so I’m trying to catch up today and need to go back and read. Skip had a top 15 finish (15th) in her first XC meet of the season. She wasn't happy with her 24:16 time at all, but she said at like mile 2 she was feeling great then it was like someone hit her stomach with a 2x4, she threw up while running, but she said it took a bit out of her. She was fine after the race, she said it was weird. Oh well, she said I'll get the next time.

Pretty morning today it was like 60 at 8:00 so I went to the Greenway to run. As long as I was on the shady side it was really nice.