May 2019 Monthly Running Challenge

You guys are amazing. I love the race reports, good and bad, they give me hope. I thought I might start some walking and took a chance on ditching the crutches yesterday evening to class. Probably not the best idea. Eh, oh well. I’ll try the bike trainer.

Guess I should look up Phelps time and see if it makes me feel better. 😉

ETA Well no that didn’t help. 25-26 minutes? Poor? Crap. My best is 24:44 and that’s debatable since the GPS dropped and i have no idea if the course was short even though sanctioned. That’s a fair time for someone just starting out running, Olympian or not. Don’t give up Mikey.

o/

In for 120 km I think.

But for now I'm just gonna hobble around a bit. I don't recommend sitting in a car for 12 hours the day after a half marathon.

May goal: 75 miles

5/1: 5.04 miles
5/2: 2.19 miles
5/7: 4.60 miles


11.83/75 miles completed

I had a nice run this morning. I tried to just take it easy and ended up with 4.6 miles. I could feel a little tenderness in the tendon about halfway through the run. Not really pain and not enough to make me stop. Just enough to remind me to take it easy. I felt really good after the run and I'm feeling pretty good about the HM in less than two weeks. It was really humid this morning. I hope it won't be like that on the 18th. But there is a good chance it will be. Right now there is about a 30% chance of rain that day, but we're still 12 days out so I will wait until a few days before the race to worry too much about the weather. It is supposed to be rainy in the morning tomorrow. I am debating practicing running in the rain or running at lunch when it is hotter to acclimate to the heat. It will probably depend on if it is stormy or just rainy.

@mbaker566 Sorry to hear about the breakup. The pictures from the run are awesome though and the dogs look really happy.





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

So did 7miles today at MP. That is like resting right? Ops

Next race is in just a few days! 50k Trail Ultramarathon!

Date...........Run.......Walk
05/01........00M.......2.5M *tapering*
05/02........00M.......4.0M *tapering*
05/03........00M.......0.0M *tapering*
05/04........03M.......0.0M Pittsburgh 5k
05/05........26M.......0.0M Pittsburgh Marathon
05/06........00M.......0.0M *tapering*
05/07........07M.......0.0M *tapering*



---MTD: 6.5 miles walking, 36.3 miles running, and 0KM resting

Upcoming Races
Glacier Ridge 50k Trail Race - May 2019
Hell Have No Hurry 50k Trail Race - June 2019
Howl at the Moon - Nighttime 5k - August 2019

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

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

Hello Crazy Running Peeps!

I have been absent from MFP and this group because of sheer exhaustion from my insane running weekend. I finished the Mittens Challenge!!! Not fast & not pretty. But I did it! I only lost three toenails and the ability to walk downstairs. Oh, I also lost the ability to step up into the bathtub this morning. My husband had to help me lift my leg. 😂

But I gained a pair of super snazzy mittens!! So, worth it! They will come in handy this summer in Texas



Race report thingy:

My crazy running group left Austin TX for Chicago on Friday afternoon. Rented a rental car and drove a few hours to Kenosha Wisconsin just in time for packet pick up. Slept in shared hotel rooms and woke up at pre-dawn to make it to the 38 degree start line. After the recent Texas heat, 38 degrees was HEAVEN!!!

The 2 people I ran with the 1st day were crazy fast and on their 20+ marathon. I was toast by mile 15 because I was trying to keep up with them. I ended up walk:running (and then walk:kind-of shambling) the rest of the race.

I also had to make a 10 minute pit stop at mile 18 because my college-aged daughter called me 4 times in a row. I finally picked up thinking something was very wrong... illlness, death, etc. No, she has a big cockroach in her kitchen. 🙄

Anyway, I was trying to take the second half very easy because I had to get up and do this crazy thing again the next day. I met some awesome people at the back of the pack. The guy who came in after me was running his 200th marathon. Amazing!!!!

I finished with just enough time to “run” 1/2 mile back to the hotel and take a shower before late check out. I finally got to sit down when I got in car to Kalamazoo Michigan (thank god I didn’t have to drive).

Got to Kalamazoo, checked into the hotel, ate dinner, crashed, woke up at 4:30 am for early morning packet pick-up.

I decided to run the 2nd marathon with a friend who runs slower (3:1 walk run intervals). I was super stiff and sore at this point. My only goal was to stay ahead of the sweepers.

My friend’s foot started hurting and I dropped her off at the medical tent at mile 6. I continued with walk run intervals for the rest of the race. The course was HILLY!!! I used to hear runners talk about how hard running down hills were during a marathon but I really didn’t understand until then. Ouch!!!!

I finished the second race 1 minute slower than the first: 5 hours 38 minutes. This so so weird! I wasn’t running for time and I approached both races so differently. I ended up with almost the same time both days.

After the race, I looked and felt so wreaked that a race volunteer in a golf cart gave me a ride to the car. I’ve never been so greatfull for anything in my entire life.

So, after shower and nights sleep, we drove back to Chicago the next day. We went sightseeing in Chicago for a few hours and then took a late red-eye flight back to Texas.

I had 3 meetings this morning so I had to be at work by 8am after going to bed at 2am. I am finally home and utterly exhausted.

Oh! And I met my running mileage goal for the month!!!!

May Goal = 55 miles / miles completed = 55 miles

Lots of personal and just basic life issues have put me in kind of a funk the last several days. And with that, I have been pretty lazy in responding / commenting on all the amazing racers on an individual basis. I want you all to know that I think y'all are ALL Superstars and I respect the hell out you!

It’s gonna be a super wet week. I skipped my Sunday run because my hip was sore and I was tired. Went out Monday for 5 miles and I could feel that skipped run! Took almost 2 miles just to shake the soreness and settle into a comfortable pace. I need to make sure I make time for a few miles on the weekend after my long runs on Friday. Definitely makes a difference.

My daughter had her first summer swim meet on Saturday. She did well and really put in a good effort. Several more to come over the next couple of months.

5/1: 4.1 miles
5/3: 7 miles
5/6: 5 miles

May total: 16.1 miles
May 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

Achilles’ tendon still sucks. Walked 6.5 miles and ran several intervals totalling maybe a mile... and my ankle is letting me know that little bit of running was too much.

I saw my regular doctor for a1c and thyroid check yesterday and took the opportunity to consult her about my ankle, and she was of the opinion that an ortho probably wouldn’t be able to offer much that I’m not already doing. It’s obvious there’s no major tear and as far as microtears I would just be told to ease off for a while. She did warn me that Achilles’ tendons take forever to rehab, which I was already noticing. Her prescription was to run as long as it seems to be getting better, and stop if it seems to be getting worse.

I really want to run again. Soon. Even the tiny bit of running I did today made my glucose control so much better for my evening meal.

We crossed the bridge where we saw three snakes last week, only saw two snakes. Then we saw a Cooper’s hawk, and a pair of great blue herons. Just beautiful.