December 2019 Monthly Running Challenge

12-1 7k easy
12-2 7k slow

December Total: 14k
December Goal: 135k

January Total: 131k
February Total: 159.5k
March Total: 183k
April Total: 126k
May Total: 128k
June Total: 161.5k
July Total: 151k
August Total: 133k
September Total: 135k
October Total: 115k
November Total: 155k

2019 Total through November: 1,578k / 978.36m

Monthly average: 143.45k

Next year when you pop in here claiming your December 2019 mileage, what accomplishments will you have made?
Run at least 4 5k races. Completed 8-31
Get under 30:00 and a PR for 5k. Nope...
Average at least 135k per month, which would put me over 1,000 miles for the year.

Run the Year Team: Five for Nineteen - Completed 9-28

Drizzly and mid 30s F today, with a little breeze out of the north. I had hoped my outer garments would have dried out from yesterday, but...

2020 goals:

Continue a 5k regimen.
Train better.


4-13 Shine the Light 5K - 31:12 chip time; First Place male 65 and older
6-30 Strides for Starfish 5K - 31:34 chip time; 31/77 overall; second male 65 and older (no official category)
7-27 Solon Home Days 5K - 31:11 chip time; 95/141 overall; 4/6 age group (male)
8-31 Race for Freedom 5k - 31:39 chip time; 32:00 Garmin time; Third Place male 60 and older
10-13 Haunted Hustle 5k - 31:22 chip time; 47/74 overall; First Place male 60 and older

December Goal – 100 miles

Dec 2 – 5.11 miles

The temp read 37F this morning and it was spitting snow and windy so the real feel temp was 25F. It didn’t feel too bad when the wind was at my back but then when I would turn around I could definitely tell that I was running into it. My legs were still sore from 20 miles on the trails on Saturday so I took it slow and easy.

Thanks @noblsheep!

I am in for 75 miles with 100 as a stretch goal. I need 93.25 to hit 1000 for the year. My original year goal was 1500 until the stress fracture kept me out from running much early in the year. I will be back later to post progress and respond to the questions...

In the meantime Welcome to all the Newbies and returnees!!

Hello everyone,

Dec Miles:

Dec 1 3.7
Dec 2 5.10

Went kind of MIA for November. It was a crazy but fun month with lots of travel and in between getting work done.
I did manage to make my monthly mile goal, plus some. So very happy with that despite not being here 3 weekends in a row!

So for Dec, I will put up a goal of 100 again and hope to be able to make it.
I'm not training for any race or anything and just enjoying getting out to run. For awhile there I was getting too obsessed with numbers and would get discouraged if my pace wasn't getting faster etc. despite doing tempo, speed, long slow, etc. Right now as Forrest Gump would say, "I just felt like running"

Monthly Q: I generally pick local in state races. There are many to choose here so that's a plus. I would though like to do a destination race some day..

Where am I and where am I going? Was in a bad place personally at the beginning of the year. With therapy and other things (running one of them) have gotten to a better place and hope to stay here and work on improving in the future. Probably plan out my races in a couple weeks once I know the money situation after all the Christmas stuff...

which brings to gift question:
I usually get more for my son then anyone else. I did get a new running vest and shirt and some boots for myself.
Still need to find/get something for hubby. He asks me what I want, and i have to remind him that well you know I run. So running things. LOL.

Welcome to all the new members, congrats to all the racers and your accomplishments! Those injured, rest up and heal fast.

Good afternoon, everyone!

I did the upgrade on my phone and LOVE it. I donated the 7 to my daughter and now I can do family sharing. She had a super cheap droid before and it was very difficult to track her usage and monitor her browsing... Now, I don't even need to physically hold her phone!

So I ran Sunday a week ago, then had visitors Monday and Tuesday of last week, then left for Nashville Wednesday morning, did the family thing, and the whole family went on this absolutely stunning hike. I count that as time on my feet with a tiny bit of running. I also raced my sister up this giant hill. If she were motivated, she would be a decent runner, I think.

Got home late late late Saturday night, spent yesterday on the Christmas tree and trying to put life back together, and started our routine back today. I am happy to be back at home and back at work but I am astonished at how a slight change in routine or taking a few days off from running can impact the will to get back at it. I am completely exhausted at the moment though, so will hopefully feel much better in time to run tomorrow evening.

Congrats to everyone on their miles, races, recoveries, new goals, etc. You are all so truly inspiring and it makes my heart full to be in this group.

For December, I am going to stick with two short runs + 1 long run each week.

Tracking this only so I can finish the year. I’m heading in to hospital on Friday for surgery to reduce my risk of breast cancer. Double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction - will be unable to run for around 12 weeks they say. Going to see if I can squeeze in one more run and two gym classes before I go. Maybe 15miles for December - we shall see...

I’m not sure if I will stay on here while I’m recovering. Think I might get too sad about not being able to join in! But, then again, I will have plenty of time on my hands for reading... wish you all a fabulous month x

December total: 6.3m

November total: 44.8m
October total: 64.1m
September total: 82.2m
August total: 85m
July total: 90.1m
June total: 86.1m
May total: 67.6m
April total: 71.5m
March total: 42.9m
February total: 30.2m
January total: 31.7m

5 miles on Sunday. Moderate temperatures but the wind off the lake at Shelby Farms was brutal! We were under a wind advisory most of the day, supposedly it was 42 but with wind chill under 30 F and winds gusting up to 30 mph. Brrr!

The run felt tough because a) I hate the cold and b) I’ve been trying to deadlift a little heavier. For most of this year I’ve been doing my major leg lifts at bodyweight since progressive lifting was exacerbating my leg injuries, but since things seem to be going okay I’ve been getting back into increasing weight. Up to 170 lbs Saturday and my leg muscles felt tired.

Running in the cold makes me soooo hungry afterwards!

Shelby Farms has started the holiday village stuff. It doesn’t open until after the park proper closes at sundown, then they chase everybody out so the ticketed people can come in. But all the lights were on already when we were running at dusk, and we saw two camels looking at us from inside a tent as we ran by. We patted the carriage horse, who is an elderly white Percheron / Tennessee Walker cross. He’s pleasant and seems in good health although he has one crazy-looking corrective shoe, probably trying to fix whatever happened to him during his past gaited career. There’s also a skating rink with “glice” which seems to be a snap together plastic imitation ice. I used to rollerblade but have never ice skated so my husband and I are planning to try it. There used to be a skating rink at the local mall when I was growing up, but I was too awkward and ashamed of messing up in public to ever go, and now both the mall and the rink are long gone. There are some benefits to being over 50, I could care less what people think of me now! Wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self not to be such a self-conscious nitwit and miss out on so many experiences.

The bison were out, which isn’t unusual, but what was unusual is that the baby was right up next to the fence! He usually stays at the back with all the adults between him and any people. His momma was right there with him, and the largest, blackest bull was all the way across the pasture but staring right at us like “Try anything and you’ll see how fast I can move!” My husband and I have been playing Planet Zoo, which has bison and baby bisons, so it was fun to go home and look at the computer ones and see how they compare to the real thing. The game’s animals are brilliantly done. But a real live baby bison is still the cutest! He had the biggest, wettest, butterscotch colored snuffle nose. When he lies down he becomes just a brown mud colored lump in the grass, like a largish anthill.

Goal: 30 miles

12/2 - Ran 2.02 miles (2.02 done, 27.98 miles remaining)

Man, it was cold! 27F per the school's sign as I finished up, but in my mind, it was colder. Dunno why, though. And I thought, felt like I was s l o w. Like, slower than I usually am. Turns out, I wasn't.