March 2019 Monthly Running Challenge

@MobyCarp - Sorry to hear the news; that's just pure rotten luck.

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Took it easy today after yesterday's harder run that involved ten repeats of jogging down the only hill in the local area, and then sprinting back to the top. The hill is relatively short at just 1/3 mile, but has an elevation change of ~95 ft and contains an 8% grade at its steepest point, so it gives a decent enough workout. Wrapped around the hill repeats was the 3.5 mile run to get there, and then again to get back.

Normally at this point I'd be preparing for a Friday longer run, but I actually started to get sick yesterday and things didn't get much better today. Therefore, I think I'm going to call in sick tomorrow and take a rest day, which means I'm pretty much done for March now. I more than made my goal though, so I'm good with that.

01 - 14.13
04 - 13.59
05 - 13.36
06 - 13.45
07 - 10.29
08 - 16.08
11 - 15.66
12 - 10.55
14 - 11.94
15 - 18.53
18 - 15.66
19 - 10.98
20 - 14.55
21 - 13.16
22 - 18.18
25 - 15.63
26 - 12.23
27 - 13.89
28 - 11.93

Total: 263.79 / 200 miles

Date...........Run.......Walk.........Pushups
03/01........00M.......3.5M........30
03/02........20M.......0.0M........00
03/03........00M.......0.0M........00 *injury*
03/04........06M.......0.0M........00
03/05........04M.......1.0M........00
03/06........00M.......0.0M........25
03/07........11M.......0.0M........00
03/08........16M.......0.0M........00
03/09........09M.......0.0M........00
03/10........09M.......0.0M........00
03/11........00M.......3.5M........00
03/12........07M.......3.5M........00
03/13........11M.......3.5M........4x10
03/14........11M.......4.0M........0
03/15........00M.......3.5M........4x10
03/16........00M.......0.0M........00
03/17........11M.......0.0M........00
03/18........00M.......3.5M........00
03/19........06M.......3.5M........5x10
03/20........11M.......0.0M........0
03/21........00M.......3.5M........00
03/22........00M.......0.0M........3x15
03/23........26M.......0.0M........0
03/24........00M.......0.0M........0 Fire!
03/25........00M.......0.0M........3x15
03/26........07M.......0.0M........0
03/27........11M.......3.5M........0
03/28........11M.......2.8M........0

---MTD: 39.3 miles walking, 178 miles running, and 0KM resting


Upcoming Races
Steel Challange 5k - May 2019
Pittsburgh Marathon - May 2019
Glacier Ridge 50k Trail Race - May 2019

202? - Disney World Dopey! (if can raise funds)

2019 GOAL: Knock a full hour off my 50k time at Glacier Ridge.

Hill repeats for Kody & I tonight. A 2.4 mile warm up followed by running up and down a big hill 5 times. The hill was 0.4 miles with a gain of 100', for a 5% grade. Not really steep, but long. My plan was to run up the hill the first time at the same effort as my warm up, then increase the effort with each climb. I walked a very short time on the way down to let my HR settle, the ran the rest of the way down. No rest on the bottom, it was an immediate turn around and run back up.

The plan worked and my paces for the climbs were 10:22, 10:09, 10:01, 9:33, and 8:54. It was weird in that I felt better, though more fatigued, with each climb. I was quite pleased with the result. I finished with 8.5 miles on the night.

Rest day tomorrow then it's up early Saturday for what I hope to be my longest or at least second longest training run.

@MobyCarp I'm sad to hear your news as well. Glad you're being smart though.

I swam yesterday and cycled today instead of running. Wednesday's trail run used a lot of different muscles and one of my heels is particularly sore. I figure if I'm not walking normally, I shouldn't be running. Biking felt great though (until I stepped off the bike - yep, still sore all over). I don't have plans to run over the weekend due to work, so will try to take it easy. Next week is supposed to be another high mileage week. I like the way Hal Higdon has the 20-milers in his Intermediate & Advanced marathon plans arranged with lower mileage weeks in-between. I've made too many modifications and can't really say I'm technically following his plan, but this in particular seems to be working for me.

3/25 - 8 km dirt track run (350x2,4,6,4,2@5kP +recovery/warmup/cooldown)
3/26 - 10.1 km run
3/27 - 19.1 km trail run
3/28 - 1 hr leisurely swim
3/29 - 10.3 km bike, + upper-body weights & core

ALSO: They just released the route for the marathon I'm signed up for in my city in about 6 weeks... and FINALLY it looks like an awesome route. Just enough hills to keep the city's marathon reputation, but this year we also go around the historic district & castle, only ONE loop around the lake... alright, I'm excited.

Well, the last week of March appears to be a bit hairy for the MFP Running Challenge Crew. It looks like I will not be running again today - my hamstring is still a little tender and it looks like my free time will be used taking the cat back to the vet, as she didn't eat again this morning. The vet was able to eliminate a blockage as a suspect, which is a relief (she does like to eat things she shouldn't eat) but means we get to jump back on the Wheel 'o Testing to try and figure out what IS wrong. Or she just gets better on her own, which would be nice. I'd just like her to do it before I drop too much more cash on it - yesterday was not cheap.

We also got to spend a hot stack of cash on a plumber this morning - our fancy new (to us) on-demand water heater has been acting up, which meant the last time I was able to work out I was not able to take a hot shower afterward. Only tangentially related to running but very important. I do miss the days when we had a landlord to pay for stuff like this, but so it goes.

It looks like tomorrow is not going to be the day off that I'd hoped for, but I am still hoping on getting a run in if the hamstring decides to allow it, and if I can get out on Sunday as well I will just barely hit my stretch goal for the month. I've been pretty good on walking and stretching this week so I haven't been totally inactive, but I'd really like to hit the pavement for real.

3-1 Rest
3-2 10.5k easy
3-3 11k slow
3-4 10.5k recovery
3-5 Rest
3-6 7k slow
3-7 10.5k easy
3-8 Rest
3-9 11k easy
3-10 7k recovery
3-11 8.5k slow
3-12 Rest
3-13 7k slow
3-14 7k easy
3-15 Rest
3-16 7k easy
3-17 11k slow
3-18 7k recovery
3-19 Rest
3-20 7k easy
3-21 7k slow
3-22 Rest day
3-23 7k easy
3-24 8k slow
3-25 7k recovery
3-26 Rest
3-27 7k easy
3-28 Rest
3-29 7k slow

March Total: 166k
March Goal: 175k

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

Cloudy, cool, and drizzly today - nice day for running.

2019 Races:

4-13 Shine the Light 5K (Registered)
6-1 Freedom 5K (Will be off the schedule due to another commitment)
6-30 Strides for Starfish 5K