April 2019 Monthly Running Challenge

@midwesterner85 - I can't imagine running back to back marathons like that right after running a 50k!

@7lenny7 - Hope you can make it through your race without pain or rein jury. Can you tape around your heel and achilles for some added support? Hobbes actually had a great road trip. We were surprised that the National Park was dog friendly even off the paved trails. You can even hike and camp with your dog in that park. He was also welcome in the UFO museum and into many of the historical sites in Los Alamos.

@simcon1 - this is a HM taper plan from Jeff Galloway that I have used before and worked well for me. Or you could run another long run and then take it easy the week before your race, but if you have run 10 you are likely just fine to run the HM.

I got in a make up long run today for the long run I missed out on on Saturday. I changed my intervals to 2 min run 30 sec walk and it worked well. I may increase the run interval just a little though - I don't feel like I was running enough. I also had a terrible upset stomach resulting in 3 bathroom stops. I think I may have been a little dehydrated from the drive yesterday - it's the only thing I can think of. I did take note not to run a long run on the same day as agility class. I was exhausted already and then to have to race around on the grass field with Hobbes was tough. He of course still had plenty of energy. Now though, he is crashed out on the couch 😁
Date........Miles.......Total
04/01......4.72........4.72 + Agility
04/02......0.00........4.72 + Strength Training
04/03......5.45......10.17 + Sport Dog
04/04......0.00......10.17
04/05......5.67......15.84 - with Drills and Strides
04/06......8.64......24.48 - 2mile wu, 4 miles tempo w/90sec rest, 2mile cd
04/07......3.50......27.98
04/08......4.75......32.73 + Agility
04/09......0.00......32.73 + Strength Training
04/10......6.67......39.40 + Sport Dog
04/11......0.00......39.40 + Strength Training
04/12......0.00......39.40 - Agility Trial
04/13......9.71......49.11
04/14......0.00......49.11 - On the road
04/15......3.76......54.87 - Tucson run
04/16......0.00......54.87
04/17......2.35......57.22 - Los Alamos
04/18......4.71......61.93 - Santa Fe Rails to Trails run
04/19......0.00......61.93
04/20......3.57......65.50 - Santa Fe Rails to Trails run revisited
04/21......0.00......65.50
04/22......9.83......75.33 - + Agility



02/03/19 - Surf City Half Marathon Deferred to 2020
05/11/19 - Santa Barbara Wine Country HM
09/15/19 - Jack and Jill Downhill HM - Boise
11/23/19 - USA Women's HM (lottery)
02/02/20 - Surf City Half Marathon

This morning I got out for my first run in almost 2 weeks. I had to name it 'the embrace the suck post-holiday run'. It wasn't raining when I left but (thank God!) something made me take my rain jacket. Just as my 5 minute warm up walk was coming to an end it started raining pretty hard. Switched on my Zombies Run, Strava and interval timer apps. Started to run. Well tried... legs apparently have no idea how to do that after walking around 100 miles in a week and not running for 12 days. After 2 or 3 minutes it dawned on me my music wasn't playing. Phone told me it was out of memory space while we were away and I had to fiddle with it. Obviously upset my music player. Stopped under the shelter in the supermarket carpark to fiddle again. Right, try again. By this time I was dodging puddles, getting splashed by passing cars and asking myself why on earth I even wanted to do this and considering turning round and going home. After about a mile (it's true what they say!) I missed avoiding a puddle and went in up to my ankle. At that point I realised I might as well just stop worrying about it. Splashed through a few puddles like a child and it started getting better. It was only when I was almost home I realised I'd run about half a mile further than I meant to. Once home and stripped of my wet clothes (everything down to my bra was soaked, so much for rain-proof jacket!) I discovered I had also forgotten how to stretch. Legs are pretty tight, the evil physio is going to have fun with me next week. Ahhh it feels good to have run again though!
I also decided this morning my phone is definitely smart and it also has a sadistic sense of humour. I set my music player to random shuffles to keep myself guessing. Today it decided to play 'sucker for pain' to me during that ugly first mile, followed by Aerosmith's 'hole in my soul' so I got to listen to Tyler asking "is it over?" repeatedly, then once I had embraced the suck and got into it it treated me to 'Titanium' and told me I was bulletproof and made of titanium. Then just to really round things off, the Zombies Run mission told me as I was finishing off that I had collected a packet of anti-depressants! Made me laugh out loud and get a mouthful of rain :-D

April goal: 40km. Run so far: 27.6km

eleanorhawkins wrote: »

This morning I got out for my first run in almost 2 weeks. I had to name it 'the embrace the suck post-holiday run'...

I also decided this morning my phone is definitely smart and it also has a sadistic sense of humour...

@eleanorhawkins Good job getting out for your post-holiday run. Love your phone's sense of timing. I love it when my music seems to be sending me a running message. On Sunday I was sitting in my car waiting for my friend to arrive to run, and it was kind of rainy and cold. The song on the radio begged me not to go out there, saying:
Stay with me, no, you don't need to run
Stay with me, my blood, you don't need to run

I did run anyway but I've been listening to that song on repeat ever since. (It's Twenty One Pilots, My Blood - the acoustic live version. So beautiful, even if he tries to talk me into not running).

simcon1 wrote: »

@hanlonsk Yay for the conveyor belt sushi recommendations! We had a place here in Seattle—Blue C Sushi—with about 5 stores, and it was a total favorite with my family. Then they all closed really abruptly in one day, and we were very bummed! We get to Portland a few times each year, though, so we’ll have to try these.

I have a busy week with some xcountry travel W-Sat so have been puzzling about my runs—so I got out for 5 miles this morning. It was a pretty sunrise, and I was glad to do the miles early, but it’s still more effort than I really like, to get moving while half asleep! Tomorrow I’ll need to work a long day, so it looks like I’ll do another early 5 miles before my flight on Wednesday morning. Zzzz...

I have an extra-ish week in my half marathon plan, which I’ve otherwise followed pretty closely, so I’m not quite sure what to do. It’s the Hal Higdon Novice 1, which calls for a longest run of 10 mi the weekend before the race. I did that this past Saturday, and the race is in two Sundays. The midweek plan has been pretty consistent, so I thought I’d stick with a version of that this week, same number of runs and distance on days that it works in my schedule. But I’m wondering what to do on the weekend? The temptation is to continue with the trajectory and do an 11-mile long run (the Novice 2 builds to 12 miles the week before the HM), but I don’t want to do anything really foolish after following the plan pretty closely. I’m still thinking.. but I think I would feel reassured to get a little closer to HM length before race day (my first HM, in case I haven’t mentioned that before, like a million times...!)

April goal: 70 mi

4/2 5 mi
4/4 5 mi
4/7 9 mi
4/9 5 mi
4/10 cross (30 min indoor rowing, etc)
4/11 5 mi
4/13 4.15 mi
4/14 cross (2 hours snowboarding)
4/16 5 mi
4/17 cross (10 mi easy biking)
4/18 5 mi
4/20 10 mi
4/22 5 mi

April total: 58.15 mi

2019 Races:
3/16 Kirkland Shamrock Run 5K
4/13 Mud & Chocolate 4.5 mi trail run
5/6 Vancouver BMO Half Marathon
5/12 The Color Run 5K
5/18 Your Canyon for a Day 35 mi Bike Tour, Yakima
8/11 Lake Union 10K?

I used Higdon’s plans as a model last year before running my first half, only I sort of accidentally ended up running an even earlier half than planned when I’d only finished 9 miles, and by the time I did my second was running 10-12 on weekends pretty regularly. Obviously bodies differ so you should listen to yours, but in my experience you probably don’t need to worry about a long taper before a half marathon so do what you want the weekend before. I’d probably do the 11 mile run - I know that I was surprised by how much of a mind game the last four miles were for me. But honestly, there’s nothing foolish about winging it at this point - you’ve done the work, now you’ve just got to be patient and get to that starting line! You got this!

7.3 miles this morning. Nothing notable. Just tried to keep it easy. Felt good. Didn't want to stop.

Nothing new on race day, right? Here's what I'll be using for the first time Saturday:

• Salomon Sense Max 2 trail shoes - my biggest risk of the day. I have been wearing them around the house since I bought them.
• Black Diamond Distance FLZ Trekking Poles - I've used a different pair trekking poles for running just once before, on my Zumbro DNF last year. My biggest concern is how to carry them when I'm not using them. My UD vest has loops to carry them, but in testing in my kitchen, my arms rub against the bottoms. I may have to rig up something different.
• TC Running arm sleeves - I've used sleeves before, but not this model. My other ones seem too tight. I doubt these will be a problem since I'm only using them for the first couple of hours anyway.
• North Face BTN running hat - upgraded model of the one I've been using. Should be fine.
• Goodr sunglasses - lighter than what I've been wearing. Easy to carry if I don't like them.

The forecast looks great. 35F to start, high of 54F, partly cloudy with just a slight chance of showers.

@hanlonsk I told my wife she can plan everything we do this weekend, other than on race day, but she like sushi too so I'll see if we can make our way there.

April goal: 85 miles

4/2: 5.07 miles
4/3: 4.63 miles
4/4: 5.05 miles
4/7: 8.41 miles
4/9: 5.04 miles
4/10 5.00 miles
4/11: 5.03 miles
4/14: 9.02 miles
4/16: 5.04 miles
4/17: 5.04 miles
4/18: 5.1 miles
4/21: 10.02 miles
4/23: 5.03 miles


77.48/85 miles completed

Today's run was a warm 5.03 miles. It was a pretty uneventful run. Kind of hot and humid and felt like summer. I have some new wireless earbuds and I am really liking them. It is really nice not getting tangled up in the cord. I also got some light up shoe strings for my birthday. Today was the first dark run I have done and I really liked them. They are more to make me noticeable to cars than to help me see, but they did help illuminate my path.







2019 races:
2/2/19: Catch the Groundhog Half Marathon - PR 2:15:17
5/18/19: Run for 57th AHC Half Marathon

Didn’t log 2 runs. Both 3 miles. One on Sunday and one on Monday. Both good. Not too hot yet. Just nice easy runs.
I got my new phone in, so I can actually start using strava again.

4/3: 3.1 miles
4/5: 3.3 miles
4/6: 7 miles
4/8: 4.3 miles
4/8: 2.1 miles
4/10: 2.4 miles
4/12: 7 miles
4/14: 2.4 miles
4/15: 5.2 miles
4/17: 3.6 miles
4/19: 7.1 miles
4/21: 3 miles
4/22: 3 miles

April total: 53.5 miles
April goal: 70 miles

2019 Races:

Piney Woods Trailfest 5k - 2/2/2019 29.23
Rodeo Run 10k - 2/23/2019 1:03.12
Run Houston! Minute Maid Park 10k - 3/23/2019 1:01.28
Brazos Bend 50 10k - 4/6/2019 1:15:33
El Chupacabra de Houston 10k (night trail run) - 8/2019
TWRC Run Wild Run Free 5k - 9/2019
10 for Texas 10 Miler - 10/2019 registered
Wine and Dine half marathon - 11/3/2019 registered

Run the Year 2019 - Team Five for Nineteen