August 2019 Monthly Running Challenge

8/24: 6.3mi progressive run. 52:27. Started off slow and warming up at 9:00, ended at 6:59. Being at altitude yesterday sure made today feel easier. Hoping to be near race shape in a couple months when Fall season hits. Going to put in work.
Happy Saturday!

August total: 117.9mi

Got out a little earlier today, after driving out and feeding horses since my mom is out of town. I’m so used to the weather being a horror show that today it felt almost nice - high 80s with dewpoint 77. Hoping to get 10k but once again something intervened. My hip on the side away from my bad knee has been bothering me (I think I stride crooked and it puts stress on my hip) and today something in the outside of the hamstring on that side started cramping and giving off weird pains like it was out of kilter. Stopped immediately and walked, it stopped bothering me so I ran another mile with no issues, then it started again. It feels like a tendon issue, like something is just slightly out of alignment on that side between my knee and hip. No pain at all except when it does “the thing” when it feels like someone just stabbed me, and it seems to do the thing totally at random. I’m hoping it will be a weird one time occurrence and not bother me next time, fingers crossed this is not a permanent new weird problem, I already have enough weird problems. Anyway I got about 5.8 miles in, about half trails and half roads, before deciding that it was safer to get off the leg and see what it did next time.

I do like running trails. We saw a beautiful young buck, and a caterpillar which looked so much like a twig that I never would have believed it was a caterpillar except that he had chosen a bad spot to pretend to be a stick - he was sticking out from the top of one of the uprights on the boardwalk.

Got a new PB at Parkrun this morning at 34:42. Had to take a handful of short walk breaks but overall felt stronger. And no hip pain.

Laziness meant I went out a bit later than planned this morning and it was way too hot by the time I was done.

Have overshot my August goal now (this is all new to me!) so need to set a revised one. Might aim for 91 miles as my max monthly total so far has been 90 (last month). It’s very strange how quickly this has all happened for me. Started running in December last year and have gone up in total month by month from 30 odd miles in Jan up to 90 miles in July!

8/2: 3.1m
8/4: 13.2m (race, 2hr:12m)
8/7: 6.1m
8/11: 7.5m
8/14: 7.3m
8/16: 5.6m
8/19: 10.1m
8/21: 8.1m
8/23: 6.57m
8/25: 7.5m

75m of 70m - time for new target!

currently 35.7 miles with a 40 mile goal for August. Cooler temperatures this morning were terrific!

Yesterday, did 4.05 miles around town. Kept coming by home to check on ribs slow cooking on the grill (I don't have a smoker). This was my first attempt at ribs and did not cook them long enough. They were safe to eat, but still very tough and not "fall off the bone" soft. So if only I had run more miles...

Today, I planned to get up super early and run 20+ miles starting at 5am (next Sunday's marathon starts at 5am). So much for that... after snoozing for hours and sleeping in instead, I finally headed out. I didn't feel great before and definitely not for the first 2 miles. Despite taking a loperamide, I had to stop at a toilet in the park. Strangely, I felt a bit better after stopping. Not 100%, but good enough to get some more miles in. I had only brought my handheld, so I stopped by home a couple times to refill my bottle (and once in the park). But then at one point, I had gone out of town on a highway and ended up running out of water. Meanwhile, my insulin pump's cannula had come out from sweat and BG was rising slowly. I turned towards town thinking I would stop to refill water again and may be able to get some more miles before changing my pump. But then as I was on the way back, the clouds started coming in. It started to rain just as I got home and I decided to call it quits with 12.06 miles.

@Lazy_Bones_85 Yes, I've felt like that for months. I need to lose about 20 lbs. as well, my pace seems to be slowing over time, and it's frustrating. However, the pace could be because it is so hot and humid out this time of year. As for weight, I know what I need to do to lose, it's just tough when I'm running a lot of miles. I get rungry. I'm going to work on that, though, at some point pretty soon.

In terms of speed, I just need to be able to finish races. I'll never be fast enough to win marathons... there is always someone faster than me. Finishing still counts for my current goals to level up in the Marathon Maniacs and to get more states for 50 States club. Remember there is always someone faster... I tell myself I run for enjoyment. Some days are just more enjoyable than others.

Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
08/01/19 :::: 3.6 :::: 3.6
08/02/19 :::: 4.1 :::: 7.7
08/03/19 :::: 10.2 :::: 17.8
08/04/19 :::: 3.7 :::: 21.5
08/05/19 :::: 3.7 :::: 25.2
08/06/19 :::: 3.1 :::: 28.2
08/07/19 :::: 5.1 :::: 33.3
08/08/19 :::: 3.0 :::: 36.3
08/09/19 :::: 0.0 :::: 36.3
08/10/19 :::: 8.7 :::: 45.0
08/11/19 :::: 3.8 :::: 48.8
08/12/19 :::: 4.2 :::: 53.1
08/13/19 :::: 2.3 :::: 55.3
08/14/19 :::: 5.4 :::: 60.7
08/15/19 :::: 5.0 :::: 65.7
08/16/19 :::: 0.0 :::: 65.7
08/17/19 :::: 0.0 :::: 65.7
08/18/19 :::: 5.1 :::: 70.9
08/19/19 :::: 5.1 :::: 75.9
08/20/19 :::: 5.5 :::: 81.5
08/21/19 :::: 3.8 :::: 85.3
08/22/19 :::: 0.0 :::: 85.3
08/23/19 :::: 5.1 :::: 90.4
08/24/19 :::: 11.0 :::: 101.4
08/25/19 :::: 3.3 :::: 104.7

I went to yoga this morning in an attempt to get some zen before going to work for a while (in an attempt to get my *kitten* together). Neither attempt was as successful as I hoped, but both were better than nothing. I still needed to run and was happy when a friend texted that she was available all afternoon. I had planned for 5 miles but knew she would not want to do more than 3. I lost motivation after we stopped and decided that I really needed to get some groceries and go home to regroup before the whirlwind of the week hits. So it is what it is for today. At least it felt like it went quickly with all our catching up.

Good job this weekend everyone. Hope you all have a nice relaxing evening before this last week of August is upon us!

August goal: 100 miles

8/1: 6.30 miles
8/4: 11.06 miles
8/6: 6.27 miles
8/7: 6.26 miles
8/8: 6.42 miles
8/11: 10.21 miles
8/13: 6.26 miles
8/14: 6.26 miles
8/15: 6.27 miles
8/18: 10.11 miles
8/20: 6.26 miles
8/21: 6.26 miles
8/22: 6.26 miles
8/25: 10.31 miles

104.51/100 miles completed


I ran 10.31 miles this morning and hit my goal for August. It was a good run. It was already hot, but it is August and I'm trying not to complain so much about it. I am looking forward to fall though! I saw a few cottontails, but that was about it. Today is my dad's 82nd birthday, so we went to my sister's and had a birthday lunch/party for him. I ate lots of cake, but I figured that since I ran this morning it was all good. I have actually dropped a little below my maintenance range, so I've been trying to up the calories a bit to keep up with the running. Any excuse for cake and ice cream. lol

@emmamcgarity Congrats on the PB!







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

2020 races:
5/16/20: Run for 57th AHC Half Marathon

@emmamcgarity - congratulations!
@Lazy_Bones_85 - yes, I think we all have times where the weight doesn't cooperate and the runs feel sluggish. Hang in there this will pass too, especially with fall and cooler weather coming!

Hot, hot run today. Pretty much over 90F the entire time I was out. I had decided to do 3min run/30sec walk intervals and it was a good decision. I still had to stop and cool down a few times and my HR got really high for me (142). By the end I was doing more walking than running but still trying to run some. Unfortunately my workout appears to be stuck in the Strava app on my watch and will not sync to my phone. I really wanted to see the splits and how I did on my pace by mile and overall. I should be on track to hit my goal this next week! WhooHoo!

Date........Miles.......Total
08/01......0.00........0.00
08/02......4.28........4.28
08/03......0.00........4.28
08/04....11.14......15.42
08/05......1.62......17.04 - Recovery + Agility Class
08/06......4.15......21.19 - + Strength Training
08/07......8.46......29.65
08/08......0.00......29.65 - + Strength Training
08/09......0.00......29.65 - Seattle/Burlington
08/10......0.00......29.65 - Vancouver
08/11......0.00......29.65 - Burlington/Seattle
08/12......0.00......29.65 - Home
08/13......1.61......31.26 - + Strength Training
08/14......6.03......37.29
08/15......6.21......43.50
08/16......3.70......47.20 - + Strength Training
08/17......0.00......47.20
08/18......9.64......56.84
08/19......6.50......63.34 - + Agility Class
08/20......0.00......63.34 - + Strength Training (at home)
08/21......8.25......71.59
08/22......0.00......71.59 - + Strength Training (at home)
08/23......4.26......75.85
08/24......0.00......75.85
08/25....11.84......87.69



2019 Planned and Completed Races
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
02/02/20 - Surf City Half Marathon

We're having a rare hot bank holiday weekend in the UK which means even getting out there early, it was already too warm for me. Roll on autumn!

01 Aug - 1.8 miles (treadmill)
03 Aug - 6.2 miles (outside)
11 Aug - 6.2 miles (outside)
15 Aug - 1.8 miles (treadmill)
16 Aug - 1.9 miles (treadmill - getting faster though which seems to be helping!)
17 Aug - 4.5 miles (outside)
19 Aug - 1.75 miles (treadmill)
22 Aug - 1.8 miles (treadmill incline fun)
23 Aug - 7.5 miles (outside but it's warm again so it was a bit of a slog!)
26 Aug - 3.1 miles (outside)


36.55 miles/50 miles (Hmm 8 days to try and do 16.55 miles, that's a nice challenge for me I guess)

no long runs this weekend. out for the count with a massive sinus headache

Aug Goal-60 miles

8/2/19- 4.4
8/3/19-7.4
8/6/19-3.81
8/7/19-4.49
8/9/19-7.38
8/13/19-4.53
8/15/19- 4.12
8/18/19-8.30
8/21/19-4.05
8/23/19-4.05
8/25/19-5.48

So, the last two runs were not too terribly bad. My pace is getting better. I think the slight temp drop help, running at 78 vs 84 makes a difference. I'm looking forward Sept

[img][/img]