November 2017 Running Challenge

Arms and core work today. My husband walked in on me doing bicep curls with 10 pound weights and said "be careful. you're already pretty defined ." As if Im gonna turn into Arnold Shwarzaneggar (sp). I replied with "welcome to the gun show, baby!" lol Good thing it was an off day for running too cuz i got out of bed and the PF was intense! I did about 20 minutes w the foam roller, stretching, golf ball massage and all that fun stuff. I just need it to hold off til Jan 29. Im scouring google for trails or something near me so that i can run on softer surfaces sometimes. Problem is, I like just walking out my front door and starting my run. I dont have the desire to drive 30 minutes out of my way for a run. Im sure plenty of yall do. I just need to get that motivation.

@karllundy dont worry, yall can get me back in spring/summer when the temps reach that of dantes 9th circle.

So, I looked at my schedule for next week, since it got posted. I saw "trail Fartlek" and am wondering, what fresh new hell is this????

@skippygirlsmom did I mention that I'm the one grilling the turkey after my run?

@rheddmobile thats great that you found a safe and welcoming place to run. Makes the experience so much more enjoyable and gives you something to look forward to
i live in a great area to run and i love my neighborhood, i just need something besides the hard sidewalks as far as a surface.
Question: I am kind of confused because I searched "running trails in central florida" but it is giving me many locations that are still paved and such. A search for "dirt trails" didnt yield much for results. I just assumed trails meant dirt/grass.

@Elise4270 thanks.. ill check it out

@MNLittleFinn thanks. i never would have looked up hiking

@skippysmom Congrats on her acceptance!

11/11 -2.25 mi
11/12 -1.5 mi plus 1 mi jog (didn't count jog) fastest mile yet (but fell apart on last .5 mi)
11/13 -1.5 mi plus 1 hr strength training and 25 min on stationary bike (5.3 mi)
11/14 -1.5 mi plus 1 hr zumba
11/15 - rest day per my trainer (I was completely stir crazy and had to take a 1.4 mi walk)
11/16 - 2 mi plus 1 hr zumba. Fastest 2 miles so far.
11/17 - too cold to run... 30 min stationary bike
11/18 - 1.15 mi on treadmill
11/19 - 1.5 mi treadmill, 20 min elliptical
11/20 - 2 mi plus 1.5 mi walk
11/21 - 2 mi plus 1 mi walk
15.4/35

Thanks to those who recommended Buff headgear. I've been using a fleece neck gaiter to put up over my mouth on cold days, but it's often a little too much. The Buff looks fantastic. I'm going to make a broad hint about an early Christmas present!

11/1- 25 minutes strength training (legs)+ 3.7 miles treadmill intervals
11/2-5.3 miles
11/3-5.1 miles
11/4-10 miles +2.8 miles pub crawl
11/5-rest day (dog walking, but that was it)
11/6- 5 miles + 1.5 miles with Stella
11/7-4.4 miles + 1.1 miles with Stella
11/8-4.9 miles + stretching
11/9-30 minutes strength training
11/10-45 min yoga
11/11-3.2 mile shake out run
11/12-13.1 mile Honor Run HM
11/13-rest day
11/14-rest day
11/15-60 minutes Body pump class
11/16-25 minute strength+1.6 miles with Stella
11/17-45 minutes yoga
11/18-6.4 miles group run
11/19-rest day
11/20-P90X3 Total synergistics
11/21-4.2 miles+ 25 min strength training

@skippygirlsmom Congrats to Skip! But also very sorry to hear about your job situation. If you do get another offer, do not be afraid to ask for extra vacation time when you negotiate your salary. My company will negotiate vacation time with employees above a certain pay grade because they assume there is a certain experience level there and those employees will most likely favor keeping previously earned vacation time over a higher salary. My husband does the same with his new hires, so it doesn't hurt to try.

I have been pretty absent lately. I haven't been doing a whole lot of running for the past week or so because it became very clear to me after my last half marathon that I need to focus on strength training. I know. I know. I have been saying that forever. But now is really a good time to do it. I am planning on cutting back to 3 days per week of running and a combination of P90X3, yoga and lifting with my trainer 6 days per week (maximum 2 days of lifting heavy). here is what I am thinking as a plan:

M-P90X3 and yoga
T-run 5-7 miles and lifting
W-P90X3 and yoga
Th-run 5-7 miles and lifting
F-P90X3 and yoga
Sat- run 10-12 miles
Sun- yoga or rest

The yoga I will be doing is a series of 20 minute video workouts that are pretty easy but good for overall flexibility. The P90X3 focuses a lot on plyometrics, agility, balance, etc and it is intended to be done 6 days per week, so I do not foresee it being an issue. I will try and keep up with the thread if I can. Heading into the holiday season, so you all know how that goes!

@skippygirlsmom YAY!!! W00H00!!! CONGRATS! That is awsome!

rheddmobile wrote: »

About driving to a more distant place to run - we live in a pretty rough part of Memphis. A few years back a running couple were stuffed in a trunk and forced to withdraw money from an ATM, then killed, about a block from our house, and my mom reminds me of it literally every time I say my husband and I went running together. Not to mention the sidewalks are in poor repair (where there even are sidewalks) and it's just a generally uncomfortable experience, with rude drivers, feral dogs, etc.

So we drive to the nearby suburb of Collierville. We've been running in WC Johnson park, which is absolutely lovely - it's an arboretum, with miles of field trails, a paved lake path, and a boardwalk through cypress wetlands down to the Wolf River. We regularly see deer, herons, kingfishers, and other wildlife. Last week we saw a Cooper's hawk who let us walk right up to her, and yesterday we heard an owl. It's lovely. But it is, after all, a park, it's supposed to be lovely. Last week we were getting a little bored with our usual traipse around the lake and decided to venture onto the Greenway, which leads out of Johnson park, behind some houses, and across several small roads, to nearby Cox park.

Imagine our shock when we approached the first road crossing and the oncoming traffic slowed down. "I think he wants to let us cross in front of him," my husband said. "He's WAVING US ON," I said. It was like we were aliens who had landed on a new planet with strangely behaving inhabitants. Three times we had to cross in front of traffic, and all three times the traffic came to a complete stop, not at a stop sign, just at a crosswalk, smiled, waved, and let us pass. "How do they do that?" my husband asked. "When you move to Collierville do they make you attend Good Citizenship school? Is there a sign at the crosswalk that says if you don't stop for runners they will escort you out of town?"

@rheddmobile it sounds like you found a great place to run, awesome! If you want to run on trails, I can recommend Shelby Farms Park. My son & I went through Memphis on a barbecue road trip a bit over 2 years ago and one morning I got up early and ran out there. Great place, but I'm sure you already know about it. I came across several other trail runners when I was there.

I mentioned we were on a barbecue road trip. It was a 4 day trip which included stops in Memphis, St. Louis, Mariana, AR, and Kansas City. In Memphis we stopped at A&R Barbecue. I'm not sure I should have been in that neighborhood on a Friday night (I recall most businesses with bars on doors and windows) but the barbecue was great. If you like barbecue, I highly recommend taking a drive to Marianna Ark. and stop at Jones Bar-B-Q Diner. It won't be hard to find something on the menu because he only serves one thing...pulled pork sandwiches. Get there EARLY though. We were there on a Saturday morning at 10:15am and were his last customers of the day because he was SOLD OUT! We plan on going back in 2020 to see if we can get about 40 or 50 pounds of the pork to take back for his graduation party. It was the best barbecue I've ever had.

@bjderhak Check out any state parks near you. usually state parks will tell you how many miles of trails they have for hiking, which usually mean unpaved.

@skippygirlsmom Congrats to Skip!! TBH, though, I can't this comes as a surprise. Any university would be lucky to count her as one of their students.

@skippygirlsmom congrats to you and Skip. The job loss could be a blessing in disguise. My wife's dad was laid off in her senior year and the resulting loss in income qualified her for much more financial aid. That was really good for her because he wasn't the type to part with his own money. How far away is her college?

Nov. 21 - 3.5km elliptical
MTD - 54km/80km