February 2018 Running Challenge

It's February. Time for a new running challenge.

WARNING: Following this thread may be addictive and it get's very talkative. Miss a day and you can be 50 posts behind. This is the most popular challenge on MFP. If you found us in the middle (or end) of the month, you're still welcome to join us. No requirements or special invite needed. Once you post, you're in. And yes, we do this every month.

You set your own pace and distance for the month. We will all be doing it together. This is your virtual running group to keep you accountable and enjoy a virtual coffee with your fellow runners after you run. Make new friends and learn a few things.

This is a continuation from the January 2018 Running Challenge which can be found at:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10625700/january-2018-running-challenge/

Anyone can join in. New & Old. And if you found this thread late, you can join in at any time.
We have members that are total beginners all the way to Boston Qualifiers and beyond. We are a friendly and encouraging bunch.

Here are the details from last month that applies here again.

Anybody want to join me for a running challenge? Set a goal here and mark it every day here. OPTIONAL: You can post your progress by creating a ticker at http://www.tickerfactory.com (If creating one seems difficult, then don't let that stop you. Just type in your daily miles here.)

You can run, walk, or do treadmill. Just be consistent. I am setting a goal for 100 miles. Don't let my high (or low) goal intimidate you. Some can do 25, 50; whatever you like. We can help motivate each other. What do you say? If you are new to running, set a low goal. (You can also log your miles in km's if you choose.) Also, if you rather log your progress by time rather than distance, you are free to do that as well.

You can set your goal now but wait until Thursday February 1 to start logging your runs.

Also, don't forget to join our group which can be found at:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/21182-monthly-running-challange

(We also have a strava group and Facebook group.)

There you will find lots of good info, and it's a place where everyone can talk to each other for further motivation. It's also a place to find help when there is a problem with this thread.

After you run, come into this thread and post what you did. (don't forget to hit the star in the upper right corner to bookmark this thread) Keep a running tally of what you did this month, and interact with the others. Many folks come in here and chat it up even on their rest days or while recouping from injury. This is a very social group and we talk about many things to include running. Very friendly bunch here so don't be afraid to say hi (even if this is your first time). Talk about a recent race or one coming up. Ask questions, provide answers, or just learn. Participation is what makes this group successful.

Not quite sure how to log your runs, follow what many other people are doing. Even look at last month's thread that I posted above.


*******OPTIONAL TICKER*************
Info on tickers since I know there will be questions. Sign up for an account http://www.tickerfactory.com and create your ticker.
Then you need to update it after you do a run and post it here. Here is what you will need to do.


After setting up your ticker, you will need to make note of the weblink they give you so you can return. An example would be:

http://www.tickerfactory.com/exercise/w6K1EiX/ <<<< the last part will be a part of the image link (explained below) that will be supplied to you after you initially create your link.

When you return to TickerFactory with the weblink, go to your settings page. Make sure you type your pin in that you set when you created your ticker account.
Then where it says "Your current cumulative value, there is an add button. Just add what you just did and the cumulative value automatically changes. Then hit next.

Now after you added your new miles (or km's) to your ticker you need to post it here.


After you hit next, it will give you a bunch of codes suggesting on how to display your ticker.
Use the one at the bottom where it says Direct Image URL:

It will look something like:
http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/w6K1EiX/exercise.png

To display that correctly in your post, make sure you place the img tags around that link. So it will look, (removing the spaces in the img tags):

[ img ] http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/w6K1EiX/exercise.png [ /img ]

^^^^^^^ Don't forget to remove the spaces between the brackets. ^^^^^^^^^^

Some key things to pay attention to when posting your ticker.

1: Use the link that ends in .png
2. Remember the [ img] and [ /img] tags go in between the link
3. remove the spaces in the img tags before posting
4. YES, there is a / in the second /img tag


By the way, everyone here should consider themselves a runner no matter how fast or slow they are(unless you find a dead body- then you're a mere jogger). No judgment here. We all started somewhere. No comparisons, except to your former self. Don't compare my Chapter 20 to your Chapter 1.


“I often hear someone say I’m not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner.” – Bart Yasso

“There’s not one body type that equates to success. Accept the body you have and be the best you can be with it.” – Mary Cullen

“‘I breathe in strength and breathe out weakness,’ is my mantra during marathons—it calms me down and helps me focus.” – Amy Hastings

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” – John Bingham

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." - John Bingham


Good luck! And happy running (or walking or treadmilling, ect). If you have any trouble or have questions, please feel free to PM me.

Stan