January 2019 Monthly Running Challenge

Gym this morning before work and managed 1.4 miles on the treadmill taking my total to 4.2 miles!

No running planned until Thursday now (Zumba tomorrow and a rest day Wednesday).

Wow, I can't believe how much I miss over the weekend. I have been walking and running daily. I am still at very short distances but have managed 19 miles since January 1.

abowersgirl wrote: »

@PastorVincent thanks for the insight. I will be taking this one day at a time, i am just starting out and I have time to improve

@MobyCarp Wow! WTG! Nice collection.

@zeesparrow like I said to Vincent, i know I am starting out and you have to start somewhere, right?? It can be intimidating posting speed with so many great runners in the group..,but at the same time I would love to see the improvement over time and maybe come back to this years forum at the same time next year. I secretly love being new and just beginning, it's the most exciting part!!! Especially knowing the improvment will come

This reminds me it has been a while since I have reminded all of us...

Just a few humdrum recovery miles this morning. My legs were total garbage last night after my hilly long run in the morning + working a busy shift at work on my feet all afternoon. I was worried that this morning was going to be a horrendous slog, but after the first couple miles my legs shook out a bit and felt ok. I was pretty darn relieved when I checked my schedule and saw I "only" had to run 4 miles instead of 5 or 6 like I'd feared

Happy Monday!


January runs:
(12/31: NYE 4 mile race )
1/1: 8.2 trail miles
1/2: Rest day
1/3: 5 miles
1/4: 6.8 miles
1/5: 6 miles
1/6: 12 miles
1/7: 4 miles

January total miles: 42

----

2019 Races
March 24: Caesar Rodney Half Marathon (Goal: PR)
April 7: Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (Goal: Sub-75)
April 28: New Jersey Marathon (Goal: BQ)
July 6: Finger Lake Fifties 50k (Goal: Finish)

To all those runners who are constantly worrying that their pace isn't fast enough - Relax, slow down - concentrate on slowly building distance and improving your form - the speed will naturally build. Winter is considered to be the off season where you maintain - build your base fitness and then start working on improving when the days get longer/warmer. Once you get to where you can do 5 or 10k as an easy run ( your preferred distance ) then start to add in some short speed work sessions. This is where being part of a group really pays dividends for motivation and support.
Fartleks between street lights
Fast km and normal avg pace km = Real estate run Fast Block - Moderate Block etc.
Hit a track ( outdoor preferred - indoor if that's the only winter option) with a group and do some slow warm-up laps and then some fast lap sessions. Try to maintain a fairly steady pace - ie don't start so fast that you crash and burn out before your last lap. It's nice if the facility has a large clock that is easy to see, so you don't have to sneak a peek at your watch.
As an example ( based on 400m outdoor facility) 3 laps easy warm up and 2-3 easy between differant sets.
Lap Builder pyramid; 1 hard & 1 easy, 2H & 1E, 3H & 1E, 4H & 1E, 3H &1E, 2H &1E, 1H
Endurance 4 x 3H & 0.5E, 3 x 4H & 0.5E, 2 x 6H & 0.5E
Sprints; 6 x Sprint Straight away's and Easy through the corners
Cadence Builder. Like a sprint set but build cadence on the straight aways

Also if it's possible reverse the direction after each part to help the body/legs from getting a stress/overuse injury from constantly turning in one direction. This is even more important on Indoor tracks, also due to the tight corners needing more finesse, start the corner on the far outside lane and cut all the way down to the inside and then float back to the outside on exiting the corner to help round them out. This makes it a bit easier on the ankles, knees, hips etc.

Orphia wrote: »

@emmab0902 The incredible swimmer?

Yes she is - and very modest about her accomplishments. I would be standing on a podium screaming loudly if I good do half as good.

@Elise4270 That's just a minor road crack . Actually I don't think the temperate climates get the cracks the way we in North America with our Freeze/Thaw cycles and then extreme heat expansion bumps.

1.1.19: 10.5 @ 9:31/M (10.5) Long Run
1.3.19: 4.5 @ 8:39/M (15) Pace Run
1.4.19: 5.0 @ 9:18/M (20) Easy Run

1.6.19: 5.0 @ 9:38/M (25) Easy Run

Got home at 7am after an 11 hour flight home. Took a 4 hour nap, then took down all the Xmas decorations, cleaned up the mess and went out for a run at 5:45 last night. I didn’t want to run but didn’t want to skip it either. Ran slow since I was tired, my legs were heavy, and it was getting hard to see towards the end.

I’ve been eating about 600 calories a day in a deficit for two weeks now in order to drop my holiday gain (figure 600 gives me some error room with FitBit to lose 1lb a week). I have lost .4lbs. I weigh all my food, log it, and base my expenditure off my FitBit which I’ve always done in the past. Weight isn’t dropping nearly as much as previous weight losses. I know I’m in a deficit based on a lack of umph in my runs. It’s so frustrating to track, struggle, and feel the effects of calorie restriction but to see nothing budge on the scale or with loose clothes. IF anything, my pants are tighter around my hips and waist. I fly long-haul international flights 4-5 times a month so that doesn’t bother me and it’s not a female issue. Sorry for venting.

Goal is: 112.5 miles and a 5.5M run in 46:45 (8:30 Pace).

1-1 Rest
1-2 7k intervals
1-3 7k easy
1-4 Rest
1-5 7k slow
1-6 5.5k slow
1-7 7k easy

January Total: 33.5k
January Goal: 100k

Next year when you pop in here claiming your December 2019 mileage, what accomplishments will you have made?
Run at least 4 5k races.
Get under 30:00 and a PR for 5k.
Average at least 135k per month, which would put me over 1,000 miles for the year.

Run the Year Team: Five for Nineteen.

Waited for last night's freezing rain to melt a little before today's run. Probably 80 percent or so back physically from my little bout with the flu.

abowersgirl wrote: »

@PastorVincent thanks for the insight. I will be taking this one day at a time, i am just starting out and I have time to improve

@MobyCarp Wow! WTG! Nice collection.

@zeesparrow like I said to Vincent, i know I am starting out and you have to start somewhere, right?? It can be intimidating posting speed with so many great runners in the group..,but at the same time I would love to see the improvement over time and maybe come back to this years forum at the same time next year. I secretly love being new and just beginning, it's the most exciting part!!! Especially knowing the improvment will come

Definitely share and record your improvement! For comparison, last year I ran the St Jude 5k, my first race after I was able to the whole distance, in over 38 minutes - more than 12 minute miles. This year my time at the same race was under 28, 9 minute miles. I still have plenty of room to improve - the Grandmaster's winner, in my AG, was a 52 year old lady running 6 minute miles! I doubt that I can ever do that - she's much better built than I am. But who knows what the future will bring.

Some people never do get fast, and that's okay too. Every day you lace up your shoes is a victory. If you keep running consistently you will be shocked at what you can achieve.

I finally got started this year. It felt like I hadn't run in a year, but it was only a week. Here's to at least 4 more runs this week.

1/6 - 1.5
1/8 -
1/10 -
1/12 -
1/13 -

I'll be at 30 miles by the end of the day (still have to run home from work) so that puts me on track for my stretch goal. We will see how the glutes hold out as today was also heavy squat day.

@MobyCarp @PastorVincent thanks for the glove recommendations. I'm not sure if our running store actually carries gloves as it doesn't really get cold here, I'm just a cold wuss. Sub 60F and I start adding layers and I'll wear gloves up to about 70F.