September 2018 Running Challenge

My total for the month of September is 206 km. Still slow as ever. I really have to make an real effort to work on my speed. I know how to do it, in theory, but actually doing it is hard.

1/9: 9.9
2-9/9: unwell
10/9: 9
11/9: 9.3
12/9: 8.7
13/9:10
14/9: 9.9
15/9: 9.8
16/9: 9.9
17/9: 9.2
18/9: 9.6
19/9: 9.8
20/9: 9.8
21/9: 9.1
22/9: 10.1
23/9: 10.2
24/9: 10.3
25/9: 9.1
26/9: 10.3
27/9: 10.1
28/9: 6.4
29/9: 5.6
30/9: 9.8

Thank you all for this month and I hope to see you all for October!

September Running Totals (miles)

9/1 – rest day
9/2 – 15.80 warmup + Oak Tree Half
9/3 – rest day
9/4 – 7.23 warmup + XC workout
9/5 – 6.02 group run
9/6 – 6.05 warmup + XC workout
9/7 – rest day
9/8 – 14.23 paced run + solo run
9/9 – 6.29 warmup + PG XC #1
9/10 – rest day
9/11 – 9.24 warmup + XC workout + cool down
9/12 – 6.55 group run
9/13 – 5.18 warmup + XC workout
9/14 – rest day
9/15 – 13.25 partly paced run
9/16 – 6.28 easy
9/17 – rest day
9/18 – 5.91 warmup + XC workout
9/19 – 7.03 group run
9/20 – extra rest day
9/21 – scheduled rest day
9/22 – 8.60 easy
9/23 – 6.59 warmup, 5K XC, cool down
9/24 – rest day
9/25 – 6.38 warmup, XC workout, cool down
9/26 – 6.21 group run
9/27 – 7.30 warmup, light speed work
9/28 – rest day
9/29 – rest/travel day
9/30 – 26.35 Wineglass Marathon

September running total – 170.49

Nominal September mileage goal: 165 miles

Real Goals: Run Oak Tree well, winning my age group and finishing healthy. Build base/train toward Wineglass, running PG XC #1 so as not to be injured, and running the USATF Masters XC Championship so as not to be injured. Run Wineglass easy, finishing healthy for a good recovery in October.

Today's notes – Today was the Wineglass Marathon. Forecast was for 42º F (6º C) at gun time rising to 55º F (13º C) about the time I expected to finish, with 0% chance of precipitation and partly cloudy skies. Perfect weather for running a marathon, a geographically easy course, and I was thinking to finish in the 3:20 o 3:25 range.

Got up at 4, put together what I wanted with me, and the hotel had breakfast out at 5. Drove 5 miles to beautiful downtown Corning, parked in my first choice of lots, and hopped on a bust about 6. Got off the bus in Bath, waited in a heated tent with other runners, and someone says, it's raining.

It was a downpour. It wasn't in any of the forecasts. Cell phones came out, we all looked at the radar, guesses were that it would clear up by 9. Gun time would be 8:15. Another runner found a roll of clear plastic bags, and everyone who was situationally aware grabbed one. I dithered about things for a while, made a couple trips to the porta-pots partly to check out weather, and ended up deciding to run in what I'd planned plus throwaway gloves. The plastic bag stayed on until a couple minutes before gun, then got passed to the side.

Set out with the 3:25 pacer, just to moderate my pace expectation. Left him behind about 1000m in, and worked at keeping it 7:30 or slower for the early part of the race. Lots of runners passed me in the first two miles. My HR monitor wasn't reading accurately at first, but seemed to get a decent connection by about 2 miles; after that I watched both pace and HR.

After 2 miles, I passed more than I was passed, but mostly ran in solitude while accompanied by other runners. (Some had earphones, emphasizing the solitary nature of my run.) Wanted to use the port-a-pot at mile 6, but there was only one and someone was waiting. Kept running. Sometimes I'd start to pass someone, then see my pace was faster than target. The mantra was, "Too soon to work this hard. Back off." Really wanted that port-a-pot by 10.5 miles, and none were in sight; the next cluster was right before the halfway mat. Lost perhaps 1:15 to 1:25 there, but it was worth it.

Came out of the port-a-pot feeling energetic, and had trouble finding marathon pace again. Had to slow myself down several times. The only hill of the route started just past mile 14; I found myself running a 7:05 pace at one point going up that hill. Nope, gotta slow down. I did better after the steep part, on the long gradual incline, and settled in to a Garmin pace around 7:25 most of the time. After mile 15, I let myself creep faster when it felt good, but didn't worry about having to stay fast.

Sure enough, there was the wall. Or perhaps it was the Wall Lite, in this case. At mile 20, I noticed rain drops hitting puddles. Just before mile 21, there was a Citgo station; I told a spectator the sign lied, because there was more than a mile left. And of course, after mile 22 it was psychologically long and physically more work to run the same pace. They psychology was helped by the fact that from time to time I would pass someone who was wearing down more than I did.

The psychological low point was just before mile 22. I rounded a hairpin turn, and I'm on a boring straight street right beside railroad tracks. OMG, that looks like Beacon Street from mile 22 to mile 25. Fortunately, there wasn't even a mile of that; then the course went onto a very pleasant bike path for a couple miles, right when I most needed the mental relief. Less than a mile of forever and a day winding through residential streets, and then onto the part of the course I had previewed. At that point, I smell the finish line. Get to mile 25, and I know I can BQ even if I walk the rest of the way. Get onto Bridge Street, and on that bridge from yesterday's pictures I know I'm going to break 3:20 and PR. I start to yell back at spectators. "I'm going to bring it in!" Then, on Market Street, "PR and negative split!" And I made sure I rang the PR bell; my sister took a picture, then the pro asked me to ring it again so he could get a picture.

Stopped Garmin at 3:18:04. Official net time was 3:18:02. I was second in my age group, turns out a few seconds behind a runner I know and would like to recruit for my club. He thanked me for helping him pace his race.

I was 134th of 1674 runners overall, and 2nd of 43 in my age group. (3rd ran 3:25, 4th 3:31, so it's not like there weren't any decent runners there.) I beat the stricter 2020 BQ standard by 31:58. I am not afraid of missing the cutoff for Boston 2020.

The race medal is made of glass. It's quite pretty, but not very photogenic. Best I thought of was a shot showing that it's clear:



Because it rained, I didn't take any real time course or action shots. Online information says top 3 in each age group get an engraved stemmed wine glass, and age group awards will be mailed. That is perfect for me; I didn't want to hang around in wet clothes with temperatures in the mid-50s waiting for an awards ceremony. Got the post race stretching courtesy of Guthrie (the marathon title sponsor), then back to the hotel for a hot shower. The next couple weeks will tell how easy or tough recovery will be, but I feel better physically after Wineglass the same day than I did after Boston the same day.

I declare my September goals satisfied. I beat the nominal mileage goal on the last day of the month. I ran Oak Tree well, winning my age group. I ran PG XC #1 and the USATF Masters 5K XC without getting injured. I ran Wineglass easy in perfect weather, allowing for a possible easy recovery in October; and I need to wait till mid-October to see just how easy that recovery will be.

I may take a day or two to decide on October goals.

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) finished in 3:28:43
April 29, 2018 USATF Masters 10K (James Joyce Ramble, Dedham, MA) finished in 41:33
May 20, 2018 Lilac 10K (Rochester, NY) finished in 42:21
May 26, 2018 Sunset House 5K (Rochester, NY) finished in 20:12
June 3, 2018 USATF Masters Half Marathon (Ann Arbor, MI) finished in 1:34:42
June 9, 2018 Ontario Summit Trail Half Marathon (Naples, NY) DNS - injury
June 17, 2018 Medved 5K to Cure ALS (Rochester, NY) short course, 18:04 for ~2.9 miles
June 30, 2018 Charlie's Old Goat Trail Run 5 mile (Victor, NY) 4.89 miles by Garmin, 43:15
July 14, 2018 Shoreline Half Marathon (Hamlin, NY) finished in 1:45:54
July 28, 2018 Battle at Bristol 10K (Naples, NY) survived in 1:28:33
August 1, 2018 IEXC 5K #1 (Rochester, NY) finished in 22:17
August 8, 2018 IEXC 5K #2 (Rochester, NY) finished in 22:10
August 15, 2018 Pound the Ground 10K (Mendon, NY) finished in 43:11
August 22, 2018 IEXC 5K #3 (Rochester, NY) finished in 21:59
August 29, 2018 IEXC 5K #4 (Rochester NY) finished in 22:00
August 29, 2018 IEXC TDP 1 mile (Rochester, NY) finished in 6:07
August 29, 2018 IEXC TDP 400m (Rochester, NY) finished in 1:14
September 2, 2018 Oak Tree Half Marathon (Geneseo, NY) finished in 1:36:41
September 9, 2018 Pete Glavin XC #1 5K (Newark, NY) 2.9 miles finished in 20:50.9
September 23, 2018 USATF Masters XC 5K (Buffalo, NY) finished in 20:03
September 30, 2018 Wineglass Marathon (Bath, NY to Corning, NY) finished in 3:18:02, PR with negative splits
October 7, 2018 Pete Glavin XC #2 6K (Akron Falls, NY, probable DNS)
October 21, 2018 Pete Glavin XC #3 6K (Mendon, NY)
November 4, 2018 Pete Glavin XC #4 6K (Trumansburg, NY)
November 11, 2018 Syracuse Half Marathon (Syracuse, NY)
November 18, 2018 Pete Glavin XC #5 6K (Syracuse, NY)

2019 Races:
April 15, 2019 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA to Boston, MA)

KKHKISHZKH wrote: »

KKHKISHZKH wrote: »

KKHKISHZKH wrote: »

KKHKISHZKH wrote: »

I'm in with a low goal of 25 miles/40 km

Just 9 miles/15 km so far
(1x5k and 1x10k)

Only another 5 miles to add.
Total so far: 14 miles.

I have some work to do this week!

Another 1x3 miles and 2x1 mile to add.
Total so far: 19 miles.
6 to go!

4 more to add. So I'm 2 miles short of my goal. Boooo!
I'll be trying again in Oct!

Today I got to run 12.66 long, chilly, slow miles, including miles 17 through 26+ of the Twin Cities Marathon route, which is next weekend! Wow. At the beginning of the year my big goal for 2018 was running the 5K during the TCM weekend. Now I’ve run two 5Ks and one half marathon, and will be running the 10K next weekend and wishing I’d at least entered the lottery for the 10 miler, but so it goes.

The run was very pretty - the cities are really lovely this time of year. The first half was along the river and then across St. Paul through the Mac Groveland/Summit Avenue neighborhood, which is full of colleges and big fancy mansions. I moved here to go to Macalester and lived in this area for my first few years here, but I haven't been over in those parts in ages and got a little bit turned around when I left the river. Thankfully I only went a couple blocks out of the way before figuring out what I'd done, and managed to get my mojo back for the long, but pretty, run down Summit Ave to the Capital.

I could imagine how good it feels when running the marathon to top that last hill and see the capital building peeking into view - it really is breathtaking. The 10K route is an out-and-back from the capital covering about half of the route I ran today, so I got a nice preview.

I didn't see many runners today and those I did see were mostly male, for whatever reason. I'm guessing it was too chilly for the more casual runners, and anyone running TCM would be tapering. Not sure why I saw so many fewer women than usual, though. /shrug. A couple of drops landed on me just before the end of the run and then the sky opened up while my husband was driving me home, so my timing was pretty good.

My watch battery died right after I ended the run, which was frustrating. I'd turned off the HRM but it doesn't appear to be making much difference. Of course I did pull up Maps to check where I was and then couldn't get it to close for a little bit, which I think ate up about 10% of my battery in just a few minutes. Still, being able to check where I am without having my phone on me is part of the benefit of the watch! I think my next option is to look into headphones with their own storage and battery. Or upgrade to the Apple Watch 4...

Overall, September has been a good month for running. For the first time all year I’m not really looking to do more of anything than I’m doing right now - I PRed my weekly mileage at 26.06 miles, and although I do plan on increasing that one week next month, I’m not really itching to run more or longer than I’m doing right now. I’m a little nervous about winter coming and what that will mean for running, and just want to enjoy the rest of the season as best I can.

Finally, I debuted my newest bit of running gear today and am quite happy with them (sleeves). This was my second run with the water belt and I liked it enough I’m thinking about using it for the half later in the month instead of relying on the hydration stations. We’ll see.


Feeling like a super-hero!

@MobyCarp: Way to rock it!
@KKHKISHZKH: You can do it - you’re so close!

See you all over in October!

SEPTEMBER MILES:
9/1 Sa - recovery day
9/2 Su - 1:48:13 - 9.01 long
9/3 Mo - lifted heavy things, but not too heavy
9/4 Tu - 0:55:04 - 5.15 tempo
9/5 We - lifted heavy things, but not too heavy
9/6 Th - rest
9/7 Fr - 0:45:10 - 4.12 easy
9/8 Sa - rest
9/9 Su - 2:27:30 - 13.23 City of Lakes Half Marathon
9/10 Mo - rest
9/11 Tu - 0:20:01 - 1.95 easy, lifted heavy things
9/12 We - 1:07:22 - 6.22 HRC: Platform Year 5 Virtual 9 3/4K
9/13 Th - lifted heavy things
9/14 Fr - 0:40:00 - 3.76 easy
9/15 Sa - 0:20:00 - 1.40 treadmill, lifted heavy things
9/16 Su - rest
9/17 Mo - lifted heavy things
9/18 Tu - 1:12:27 - 6.72 tempo
9/19 We - 44:56 - 4.17 easy-medium (perceived effort)
9/20 Th - rest
9/21 Fr - 0:20:04 - 2.07 speed, lifted heavy things
9/22 Sa - rest
9/23 Su - 2:01:08 - 10.63 long
9/24 Mo - 0:46:17 - 4.18 easy-medium (perceived effort)
9/25 Tu - rest
9/26 We - 0:20:08 - 2.02 speed, lifted heavy things
9/27 Th - 0:53:50 - 5.17 tempo
9/28 Fr - 0:21:09 - 2.02 easy, lifted heavy things
9/29 Sa - rest
9/30 Su - 2:29:44 - 12.66 long

September Total: 94.48/85 miles
Marathon miles: 23/26
Lakes circumnavigated: 7

Races!
July 4: Red, White and Boom! 5K Chip time: 0:32:20
August 25: Glo Run Night Race 5K Chip time: 0:30:40
September 8: Helen Gold 10K DNS - trip postponed
September 9: City of Lakes Half Marathon Net time: 2:28:25
October 6: Twin Cities Marathon Weekend 10K
October 21: Mankato Half Marathon
November 4: Kowalski's Strive 10 Miler
November 24: Moustache Run 10K or Half (leaning 10K)
December 8: Reindeer Run 10k or 15k (leaning 15K)

@shanaber I can retire in 5 years with a 70% pension from my present employer and with the pension I have on hold from my previous employer it would give me close to 100% income and zero employment taxes - ie Canada Pension Plan, Unemployment insurance, Pension deductions etc. Also I would be in a slightly lower tax bracket so actually come out ahead financially when you do all the math.
My problem is I get very bored if I don't have some activity/work to keep me occupied and boredom equals mindless eating = trouble. Also a person can only do so much volunteer work before they reach burnout.
Sorry to read about the diagnosis for Hobbes. A precious member of your family.

5km Easy Sunday Morning Run Club. -9C so a chilly morning.
Managed to stay with my friend Dianne until we hit the climb on the return where I slowed to a Turtle like pace and she kept on flying. After topping out and recovering managed to get a good sprint finish in.