January 2020 Monthly Running Challenge

Avidkeo · January 2020

Hello. My name is Kim, and I have a problem.

I just bought 2 pairs of shoes - asics Gel Kayano 25s and New Balance 860s. Both were very good prices - the NB ones were 100, down from 280!

And I have another pair I'm picking up next week.

I think im sorted for the rest of the year now haha. Even if the NB turn out to be duds, but then I have 30 days to return them if that's the case.

This morning I went for a wonderful run along the river, only 5.2k. I plan on a 10k long run tomorrow.

___________________________
Jan - goal 120k
Jan 1 - 2.1k
Jan 2 - 3k
Jan 3 - 6k
Jan 4 - 3k
Jan 5 - 9k
Jan 6 - 6.3k
Jan 7 - 2.3k
Jan 8 - 8.3k
Jan 9 - 3k
Jan 10 - 7k
Jan 11 - 4k
Jan 12 - 2k
Jan 13 - 5.5k
Jan 14 - 3k
Jan 15 - 7.6k
Jan 16 - 3k
Jan 17 - 4.5k
Jan 18 - 7.2k
Jan 19 - 3.4k
Jan 20 - 2k
Jan 21 - 5.2k
Total: 97. 4
Run streak - 32 days

emmamcgarity · January 2020

I think goals can change, too. My original goal was just to run a 5k. Then it was to improve my time at Parkrun. Then to race and get a 30 minute or less 5k. That involved training for longer distances for me. The time training made me wonder what my potential is.

The Runners Association here in Houston has a series of races. Members earn points for their run clubs by running or volunteering in those races. My run club also selects one of these races each season to be eligible for reimbursement for part of your entry fee. In the Fall, these series of races build in distance to act as “warm up” races for the marathon. I’m still a fairly new runner but am finding it interesting to learn about how different runners select races. I think I’d like to run a half marathon at some point. I’m not sure if I’d like to commit to a full marathon. But I’m enjoying learning more about the running community in my area as well as the different views of members in this thread.

Aquarian · January 2020

Jan 1 2.5 kms (treadmill)
Jan 2 2.5 kms (treadmill)
Jan 4 2.5 kms (jogged fully instead of walking in between, so yay. And not treadmill)
Jan 5 2.7 kms on the treadmill.
Jan 6 3 kms on the treadmill.
Jan 7 3 kms (treadmill)
Jan 8 3.7 kms road - jogging with a bit of walking, still super happy as overall speed has improved a bit 😊
Jan 9 3kms on treadmill. But my time has improved ever so slightly.
Jan 11 3.5 km treadmill, improved time
Jan 12 4.27 km treadmill
Jan 13 3.2 km treadmill
Jan 14 3.3 km treadmill
Jan 15 3km on the road
Jan 17 4km treadmill
Jan 18 5 km on treadmill
Jan 20 4 km on treadmill

Total so far 53.17 km

quilteryoyo · January 2020

Today was an XT/walk day. I didn't have a lot of time, so did a 2 mile walk on the treadmill.

PastorVincent · January 2020

10 miles today and it was way warmer! 26F! I mean that is approaching freezing!

mbaker566 · January 2020

Re: marathons
Not everyone needs to run one. It is a huge accomplishment. But training can also take over your life. I like halves because they can be challenging but training is not so overwhelming.
I feel a call to longer races but suck at training for them.
I think it's related to people who think slow runners aren't real runners too. Because i don't run my 5k in under 30min, I've been told I'm not a real runner. Also, my marathon time, I'm not a real runner.
If you run, you're a runner. Even if you never do anything but tie on your shoes and go for a run around the block.

TheMrWobbly · January 2020

You are what you consider yourself to be. Anyone elses definition is irrelevant.

I see a few subtle brags going into the posts when discussing what is a runner. If I may just say, good on you! It is about time we shouted our successes as they are victories for us and we should be allowed to enjoy them. I like to see more of them. Come on, let's hear what made you proud of yourself...

marisap2010 · January 2020

Everyone has different running goals, and whether you run one mile or one hundred, it doesn’t matter. You are doing more than what most people are doing.

I have run every distance up to marathon. I think over time my goals have changed, and I think this marathon in March will be my last, at least for awhile. I want to focus on strength and speed, and so my mileage will drop significantly after March as I make adjustments. I’ll still be a runner, just with different goals. Maybe I’ll work on a sub 25 5k.

6 miles on Sunday, even though it was broken up due to being on call.

1 mile yesterday followed by weights

SlytherinSnakeQueen · January 2020

I'm so close! Two more days like today and I can reach my goal. Here's 3 more miles.

Tramboman · January 2020

1-1 8k slow + resistance bands
1-2 7k slow + yoga
1-3 rest + resistance bands
1-4 7k slow + yoga
1-5 8k slow
1-6 7k easy + resistance bands
1-7 rest + yoga
1-8 7k slow + resistance bands
1-9 7k slow + yoga
1-10 rest + resistance bands
1-11 5k slow + yoga
1-12 7k slow
1-13 7k slow + resistance bands
1-14 rest + yoga
1-15 7k easy + resistance bands
1-16 7k easy + yoga
1-17 7k slow + resistance bands
1-18 rest + yoga
1-19 7k slow
1-20 7k slow + resistance bands
1-21 rest + yoga

January Total: 105k
January Goal: 135k

Scheduled rest day today. Cold and light snow again today, so rest is good. Yoga is gradually loosening up my hips and legs, but my lower back remains tight.

Next year when you pop in here claiming your December 2020 mileage, what accomplishments will you have made?

Return to a good running weight of 175 lbs
Run at least 4 5k races
Get a 5k PR
Average at least 138k per month, to meet my Run the Year pledge of 1,020 miles

Run the Year Team: Pavement Pounders

johnisrunning · January 2020

1/1 - Skipped
1/2 - 4 miles
1/3 - Weights
1/4 - 5.5 miles
1/5 - 11.32 miles
23.82 miles for the week (20.82 in January)

1/6 - Rest
1/7 - 3.15 miles
1/8 - Skipped
1/9 - 5 miles
1/10 - Weights
1/11 - 13.27 miles
1/12 - 4 miles
25.42 miles for the week

1/13 - Rest
1/14 - 2.59 miles
1/15 - Skipped
1/16 - 6.42 miles
1/17 - Core work
1/18 - 11.08 miles
1/19 - 4 miles
24.09 miles for the week

1/20 - Weights
1/21 - 4 miles (35:50, 8:58/mile)
4 miles for the week so far.

Another four in the bank.

January To-Date / Goal = 74.33 / 105

janejellyroll · January 2020

Yes, I've done marathons and they're really hard, but I think putting in the training to do a 15 minute 5k would be incredibly difficult. Training for speed is a challenge too.

There are all sorts of ways to challenge yourself with running!

1/1: 1.5m
1/2: 3m
1/3: 2m
1/4: 3m
1/5: 3.5m
1/6: 2.5m
1/7: 3.25m
1/8: 4m
1/9: 3m
1/10: 2.25m
1/11: 3m
1/12: 5.75m
1/13: .75m
1/16: 3.5m
1/17: 3.5m
1/18: 5m
1/19: 6m
1/20: 2.25m
1/21: 3.5m

I really told myself I was going to run outside today, but when I got up and looked outside . . . nah, it was another treadmill day. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow/Thursday, so I'm thinking maybe then.

greenolivetree · January 2020

I'm 500 posts behind and don't know where to find my last post but I don't have much to report so I'll just retype what I've done. LOL

Jan 1 - 4.25 mile run
Jan 4 - 2.33 mile run
Jan 10 - 5k run
Jan 12 - 1.75 mile (treadmill) run

So I haven't ran in 8 days and I haven't really done any other "official" exercise either. My fitbit weekly steps from last week were lowest I've had in over 6 months I'm sure. I have not been lazy however. I just got really wrapped up into a huge reorganizing my house project and painting a room to be my home office. So I got lots of activity emptying a room and painting and sorting through stuff and emptying and refilling closets..... I've climbed up and down my step ladder 1000 times I'm sure. But I really need to get back running before this turns into a huge setback where I can't run a mile again :-/ It has also been too cold to walk my dogs and too cold for my husband to want to take walks so it's kinda been a good time I guess for me to just work around the house. Spring will be here soon enough and my whole schedule will change with working from home. But again, I'm not interesting in starting over running so I need to at least get on the treadmill.

kgirlhart · January 2020

No run for me today. My feet were so tired and achy after Sunday's long run that I decided to give them an extra day of rest. My left ankle was still feeling a little cranky yesterday which is what really prompted this rest day, but so far today it is feeling good. I have ordered new shoes. They should be here tomorrow. I haven't decided if I should run tomorrow morning in an older pair (I have a retired pair with only 307 miles on them, my current pair has 460) or just take another rest day and wait until I get my new shoes. I would just run after the shoes get here, but my mail doesn't come before lunch and in the afternoon I have bell choir at 5 and I missed it last week so I don't know what I will do. I usually run on Sunday, Tues, Wed, and Thurs, but maybe this week I'll just skip Tuesday and run Sun, Thurs and Fri. I should still be on track to hit my goal if I do that.

Re: Running a marathon as the ultimate goal of a "real" runner. I'm in the "not ever planning to run a marathon" camp. I don't think that one has to run a marathon to be a runner. I'm not planning to run one and honestly I don't really want to run one. Sure there is a part of me that would like to be able to say I had run one, but not enough to want to actually train for it. I like running half marathons. They are challenging, but not overwhelming. Currently I run 3 weekday mornings for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. That will usually get me around 6-ish miles. On Sunday I do a long run. I usually have about 2 hours for it and I usually run between 8-12 miles and most often just run 10 miles which takes me about an hour and 50 minutes. I have on occasion run a little over 13 and that will take a little longer. I don't really want to run any longer than that because as much as I love running, I also have other things to do. But the fact that I run about 28-30 miles per week and spend 5-5.5 hours a week running is what makes me a runner. I would consider myself a runner if I ran less hours and less miles. Just getting out the door and running consistently is what makes me a runner. At this point in my life my goal is to run as much as I enjoy it and to always be in Half Marathon shape. I may not be a marathoner, but that is ok with me. I am a runner and I am a half marathoner because as they say, "I'm only half crazy." I hope that no one feels like they aren't a real runner if they don't run marathons or ultras or halfs or any races. Get out the door and run (or stay in and hit the treadmill), and you will be a runner.

mbaker566 · January 2020

2 runs
saturday i had to spend shoveling the heavy icy snow. so i considered it a cross training day

sunday, the temperature dropped per usual for this race, and i ran at the zoo with my late husband's friends. it was cold, there was still some ice. it was very crowded with people who don't normally run/race. there was a new course and there were more hills than usual. Garmin said only 63ft of elevation change. i call bs. the first mile was trying to get out of the crowd. the next 2 never felt good. i knew i wasn't going to break any PRs so i tried not to push too hard. the polar bears were out. penguins too. finished slow at 34:56. last year was nearly 2 min faster. i decided to join my friends at the local diner instead of poking around the zoo.

yesterday. i put it off. from sunday's rough run i was nervous. i was getting in my head. at first, i considered going to the track to make it easy but i really didn't want to. then i considered going to a gym and doing the treadmill...it's starting to get icy and unsafe out. but meh, people.
then i considered all the different trails. went with my normal trail. i was told they usually plow.
speed demon needed to be tricked into the car. she kept trying to hide under the furniture. but once we got to the trailhead, she again ripped the fabric of the car door. sigh. i had my yaktrax on just in case. the trail started off plowed. and then it wasn't. it was up to my shins. lost my traxs. managed to get them back on. passed the plow. they were working on getting gates open. lost my traxs again. stopped to tie my shoes and the plow caught up to me. one plow guy had a trax in his hand and asked if i wanted it. the other one said he had accidentally plowed the other one away. i told him to toss em. no reason to keep them if they won't stay on. crossed county lines and they had already plowed. it was a bit icy. speed demon slipped a few times and learned to listen when i told her to slow down. we managed to stay upright. there were walking breaks. we didn't break any land speed records. there were dogs off leash

but overall it was a nice quiet run. on the way back the trail was plowed too which was nice. so 8 miles done.

hamsterwheel6 · January 2020

Went away for the weekend and am so behind in posts! Congrats and hugs to all for races, injuries.

Biltmore was fantastic! The NC mountains are something else. We hiked in Pisgah National Forest and on the Biltmore Estate itself. Breathtaking. And Downton Abbey was quite impressive

Didn't run but did get those couple hikes in.

Back at it today. Debated on going outside vs the dreadmill as it was 25F/Windchill 18F. For us that is cold. And if anyone knows me I don't do cold.
However running in cold is different. I told myself, the coldest you have run in has been 30F feels 25F. So this is doable. Right? And besides I wanted to feel like a bada$$ for running in the teens! LOL
I layered up and was dressed perfectly, Felt great, and did 10K.

Re; Marathon running. I currently do not have a desire. HM yes, and for me that was the challenge and I did it. Now I want to do another and for me the challenge will be to beat my last time.
I still do 5K and 10K and races in between, and all of them are challenging. My last 5 miler course was tough because of the hills and that was for sure worth it, to be able to finish it. Finishing any distance race is awesome.
Anyone who runs is a runner. Totally. Any distance. Any time.

Cheers!

hamsterwheel6 · January 2020

I do have a question about races for those that do them..

Do you usually do the same races each year, or do you try to different ones? And based on what...
Just curious as I'm planning my schedule.

PastorVincent · January 2020

Yes...

I tend to do the same few major races because they give me fixed points to compare my progress and condition. For example if I know last year I ran RACE and did TIME and this year I was like TIME+MUCH_MORE then I can say I did poorly and investigate why. Is my fitness less? Was it conditions? Something else? If I did it in around the same time or better, than I can probably be sure I am still on a good fitness track.

Obviously injury, weather, and such need to be accounted for.

Also, I have done poorly run races and they suck, so I like to go to races I know are run well.

PastorVincent · January 2020

Well done!

PastorVincent · January 2020

I have YakTracks but have yet to use them. I usually use my trailshoes and fine. Your story makes me think I am making a good call. Hmmm.

polskagirl01 · January 2020

My answer is kind of "yes" as well.
If I liked the race before and it's convenient and well-organized (and fun!) then I'll do it again. But I also like to try new things and look for new challenges. There's the trail series that I just love, so I try to make that a priority each year. Mostly it's a question of fitting my schedule and training.

hamsterwheel6 · January 2020

@PastorVincent Thanks. I channeled your last run in 9F, and thought well this is much warmer than that! As for the races.. makes complete sense to be able to compare times, fitness etc.

@polskagirl01 For convenience yes, totally. Why I'm debating doing some of the same ones this year with one or two added ones - like that 5 miler, and they are all local. Never had done the course so it was new. And they are all local.
There is one HM that I want to do, but it's a big race ($$) I've never really done a big one (and it's in SC) - the biggest I did was the HM last year which was "only" 700 or so racers.

Good thoughts...

janejellyroll · January 2020

I have some races that I do year-after-year, because I really enjoy them. If I do a race and just kind of enjoy it, I typically won't do it again and I try to try some new races every year.

T1DCarnivoreRunner · January 2020

I typically do new marathons because I am trying to complete 50 states. Exception: I will do Chicago again because my race lottery luck is the worst ever. I ran Chicago for charity in 2019 and still put in for the 2020 lottery because I never get drawn for anything ever anyway. Miraculously, I got drawn for Chicago 2020. I still have never been drawn for anything else ever and likely never will, but keep putting in for lotteries on world majors (except Boston has no lottery), Leadville 100, and a few others. Anyway, I will run Chicago for a 2nd time this year. Otherwise, no repeats.

hamsterwheel6 · January 2020

@janejellyroll Yes. I really did enjoy my last HM, so maybe I will just do that one again. But then again there are some others here locally I want to try. I can't do them all, haha. I wish.

@T1DCarnivoreRunner I'll say it again. You are amazing. BTW, have you done one in NC yet? If so which did you do?

kimlight2 · January 2020

I tend to panic in crowds and in unfamiliar places so I tend to stick to the same races. I may try a new one if I am comfortable in the location or if I know the crowd will be small but that may only be once a year.

hamsterwheel6 · January 2020

It can get stressful for sure and probably something I should think about too! Thanks

LoveyChar · January 2020

Not complaining, I love my boy. However, I was looking forward to a good, hard long run tonight by myself after hubby got home from work. Now hubby informs me that he is buried in work and won't be home until much later, which means if I want to run, I need to suck it up and clean us both up for a run, get the stroller out of the garage, little guy in it and just be grateful to get 3.2 in today (which I will be). If I get lucky, he'll fall asleep and I can run longer. I have pent up energy from no run/no exercise yesterday. Oh well, it is what it is... I'm irritated, not with hubby, not really with anyone actually...just irritated and I need to run it off, I guess.

mbaker566 · January 2020

both.
i have ones that mean something or are well run and i try to do every year
this year i am trying to do more of the canicross races because it's good for me and speed demon.
and my schedule. i work saturdays so i try to race sundays. one of my race buddies also works saturdays. if it's a new race, it's nice to race with someone. but....if i get up to the ultra, which is what i'm going for....that i took one of the earlier races in the year to train for. so if something happens i still have all year to keep training.

mine didn't have a strap across the top. this seems like it might have been useful. these just fit snugged around the bottom edge of the shoe.

username301 · January 2020

I did eat and drink badly from Thursday-Sunday and did no exercise. It was great.

Some strength training yesterday and back at the cardio today. 7k done with no interval which I think is the longest I have run without a walk break.

At the start of the year Feb's main goal was to do 10k without interval so I am well on the way.

Jan Goal:

1. Ttl 130km...............................69km
2. Long run10 miles...................16k ✔
3. 17 runs....................................9
4. Help someone C25K.....run 3 - 1.30-2/1 (3.1k)
5. Strength training x14.............7

January 2020 Monthly Running Challenge

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