March 2018 Running Challenge

Ugh I just wrote a really long post and despite telling myself to not hit the done button... I hit the done button. MFP needs to get rid of that damn thing.

I was supposed to race this morning and I was looking forward to it all week. It was a particularly difficult payroll week (and I hate payroll weeks more than anything) and this was going to be my fun time.

I agreed to shoot an event last night as a favor to a friend. I was told it was 6-7. Cool. I'd be home by 8. Plenty of time to eat dinner and relax. Well turns out the event is 7-8. Ok home at 9 is later but still workable. So they are running behind and don't start until 8. We left at 9 pm.

I got home at 10 and ate some dinner and tried to drink some water but I knew I'd never be able to make my race this morning. I am still not feeling 100%. There was nothing I could eat at the event and I didn't have any water. I was dehydrated. I had a headache and I thought I was going to pass out.

I know to take food with me, which I did but I only had one protein bar because I was told I'd be done by 7. Needless to say I slept until 630 and missed my race. I knew last night I'd be in no shape to get up at 5 since it was almost 11 by the time I went to bed and I wasn't feeling well.

I like to think I’m participating in this challenge vicariously through all of you. But I’m really just lurking.

March total: 40.1m

Eta: Just came home from the LRS with new shoes—Saucony Kinvara 9’s, to replace my aged 6’s. Crazy bright orange and red.

March Running Totals (miles)
3/1 – 5.57 easy
3/2 – rest day
3/3 – 16.09 paced run
3/4 – 7.22 easy with hills
3/5 – rest day
3/6 – 6.21 easy with fast finish
3/7 – 6.60 group run
3/8 – 6.24 easy with fast finish
3/9 – rest day
3/10 – 18.07 paced run
3/11 – 6.54 easy
3/12 – rest day
3/13 – 6.51 warmup and group run
3/14 – 6.01 at marathon pace
3/15 – 6.23 easy
3/16 – travel day
3/17 – 6.99 warm up, 8K race, cool down
3/18 – travel day
3/19 – 6.11 easy shading to MP
3/20 – 5.29 easy with hard stop
3/21 – 6.62 group run
3/22 – 6.51 easy
3/23 – rest day
3/24 – 17.97 warmup, 15K race, cool down
3/25 – 10.05 easy with hills
3/26 – rest day
3/27 – 6.01 easy with light showers
3/28 – 6.65 group run
3/29 – 6.32 easy with rain
3/30 – rest day
3/31 – 18.87 partly paced run

March running total – 188.68

Nominal challenge goal: 180 miles

Real goals: Build base. Work toward being able to run 26.2 miles by Patriots' Day.

Today's notes – Final report for March. Made the nominal challenge WAG goal, with a few miles to spare. Built a decent base in the low 40s per week, a bit light for marathon training but I didn't re-injure myself. I'll count that as a goal met. Prognosis is good for being able to complete Boston, so I definitely will line up at Hopkinton in 16 days.

Today was a paced run open to the public because it included a preview of part of the Flower City Challenge Half Marathon course. The assigned routes were 11 + 7 miles, with a bit more than the first 7 miles of the 11 being the start of the Flower City course. I was the 8:00 per mile pacer.

I never know who will show up for a preview run that's open to the public. If there are unfamiliar faces, I can count on them not being accustomed to following a pace leader; but if I don't already know who they are, I don't know in advance whether they will push the pace or drag a bit. Today I got guys who pushed the pace a bit. I reined them in several times, but we still averaged a little faster than 8. For the last half mile or so of the 11, I just let 3 of them run ahead because the way back was obvious.

Two of them went out with me for not quite 3 miles of the last 7, since it looped back by the start. Then I was on my own for the last 4 miles. Thought about running 20, and added some ad lib loops to add distance; got back to start at 18.87 miles and that was that. I didn't have the mental toughness to do an out and back to get to 20, and I wasn't OCD enough to run 200 to 250 meters to get to 19. I think if it had been 19.87 miles, I would have been OCD enough to get to 20; but I was thinking that European marathon training plans only go up to 30K, and I was a bit past 30K. In a couple weeks I'll find out whether that's good enough.

Technically, I should start taper tomorrow. Don't know if I'll run 7 miles, 6, or maybe only 5; depends on how I feel and what the weather is like. I suppose I should go look at some old training plans to see what the final 2 weeks look like; maybe I can kinda sorta ease from a not terribly aggressive peak mileage down to a standard taper volume.

Now to think about goals for April. I have no clue how many miles I'll run, but the important goals will be to arrive at Hopkinton healthy, and arrive at Boyleston Street under my own power.

2018 races:
February 17, 2018 Freezeroo #5 (Valentines Run "In Memory of Tom Brannon" 8 Mile) (Greece, NY) finished in 54:48
February 24, 2018 Freezeroo #6 (White House Challenge 4.4 mile) (Webster, NY) finished in 28:46
March 17, 2018 USATF Masters 8K (Shamrock 8K, Virginia Beach, VA) finished in 31:55
March 24, 2018 Spring Forward 15K (Mendon, NY) ran at MP, finished in 1:10:47
April 16, 2018 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)

Initial plan/post here was for 90km and being happy at hitting 75.

My little image won't load, but my plan changed to 114km and I ended up at 120.3km for the month, so well on my way to my 1/2 marathon training.

I RAN 13.2 MILES UP AND DOWN A MOUNTAIN TODAY.

TWICE.

IT WAS REALLY HARD AND SOMETIMES I HATED IT, BUT WAS SO PROUD OF MYSELF FOR DOING IT.


That is all.

3/1 - 7.4km
3/2 - rest
3/3 - sick / snow day
3/4 - 10.0km
3/5 - rest
3/6 - 8.0km
3/7 - rest
3/8 - 8.0km
3/9 - rest
3/10 - 14.0km
3/11 - rest
3/12 - rest
3/13 - 8.0km
3/14 - walk
3/15 - 8.1km, first km with Spiderman
3/16 - rest
3/17 - rest/sick
3/18 - 10.0km
3/19 - rest
3/20 - 8.1km
3/21 - walk
3/22 - 8.2km
3/23 - rest
3/24 - 16.1km
3/25 - rest
3/26 - rest
3/27 - 8.0km
3/28 - rest
3/29 - exhausted
3/30 - too cold
3/31 - 5.1km

119/115km

Gosh that was a horrid run. Between the weather, having problems figuring out what to wear (I circled back to drop a layer on the bottom and switch to a lighter middle layer on top) and then getting really achy shins at the 4 km point I bailed early. I will aim for one last long run tomorrow in my other shoes (plus it will be a bit warmer) but if I don't get it, I don't get it. I got in 10 miles last week, that will have to be good enough if tomorrow conspires against me too.

I am so done with winter. At this rate the snow will be sticking around until almost May.

At least I beat my monthly goal...

Upcoming Races:
1/1/18 Resolution Run 5K ~38:00 (no official times)
3/4/18 MEC Road Race #1 10K 1:30:57
3/17/28 St Patrick's Day race 10K 1:24:53
4/7/18 Jasper Half Marathon
4/22/18 MEC Trail Race #1 5K
5/20/18 MEC Trail Race #2 10K
6/24/18 MEC Trail Race #3 15K
8/18/18 Edmonton Marathon 10K
9/2/18 MEC Trail Race #4 10K
10/7/18 MEC Trail Race #5 15K

Hi again
I’m a beginner who still runs by time rather than distance. I had to stop reading this thread when I took a short break because I felt too tempted to get back on a treadmill when I was supposed to be taking a break. I’m back to the treadmill as of today.
For March, I ended up walking and jogging on the treadmill for about 5.5 hours and did about 27 miles. Hopefully, I’ll spend more time jogging and less time walking in April, but I’ll probably continue just jogging rather than running. Thanks everyone for the encouragement and advice.