March 2020 Monthly Running Challenge

Hey look, it’s March already! As I mentioned one of the last times I posted, I lost a lot of time in February to anxiety and food poisoning. So it goes. I managed to just barely log more running hours in February than January thanks to a lovely 5k-ish while visiting Madison last weekend, but was down on lifting, moderate cardio, and mobility.

So my main goal for March is to try not to get sick or injured AGAIN. That will definitely help my second goal, which is to have my best month of the year in all four of my tracked fitness categories. For running specifically, I’m also going to aim for an arbitrary goal of 37 miles, to commemorate turning 37 this month.

So far I’m off to an okay start: two runs so far this month, one 1.56 miles to the gym, and one 3.38 mile lake loop earlier today. The lake loop should have been closer to 4 miles but I ended up walking the last .6 because I was dumb and didn’t cut my toenails or wear toe socks so ended up with a bloody toe. Oh well - at least I (and half the population of the city, it seemed like) got to enjoy some absolutely lovely low 50s weather.

March Miles: 4.94/37

@rheddmobile Yeah, I’m sure it was plain old flu. But it was scary to get sick with so much anxiety going around. And I couldn’t even get an appointment to see a doctor! Their best advice to me was to call really early the next day and try for better luck.

So I did start feeling better and this morning thought I was ok to take my dog for a run to the dog park (3 miles round trip). About a mile in I had to stop, my lungs were burning. Guess I wasn’t as healed as I thought. I walk/ran after that. Glad I got out, but now I know I’ll be taking it easy for a while.

I’m also thinking my half marathon race may be canceled because of the coronavirus. Wouldn’t surprise me at this point.

3/7: About 2.25 miles

I am enjoying living vicariously through all of you and your runs!

I got the call yesterday from the doctor re my MRI results – he left a long message. Short version – stress fracture due to “bone insufficiency” in my femur. Will heal in 8 weeks and need to get another bone density scan. I almost feel like he called the wrong person. But I meet with him on Tuesday where I will confirm it all. I do have osteopenia but my scan a year ago showed it had slowed down and I am being really consistent with vitamin D with K, and focusing on weight bearing exercises yada yada.

So….I want to heal properly, prevent future issues and not gain back on my 18 pounds of hard earned weight loss. All without running. A helluva challenge. That will be the focus of my convo on Tuesday. Until then, I guess its slow walking, maybe cycling, maybe elliptical. And a vodka soda with extra lime ! Cheers to the weekend y’all 🍸

I am guessing that they will be canceling the CAP 10K race here in ATX since they just cancelled SXSW. Hopefully just a postponement. I really hope that they don't cancel UT Austin Graduation in May. That will bum me out.

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March - Goal 65 miles,unless I’m sidelined
Race: Cap 10K ATX - April 5th

3/1 -7 miles - ouch😆
3/2 -Yoga
3/3 -Strength training/cycle
3/4 – Cardio Medley – Rower,Stairstepper,Bike,Elliptical
3/5 – 6 mile walk
3/6 – Strength/PT circuit, cycle
3/7 – 2.7 mile walk/ Power Yoga

__________________________
Total Run/Walk Mileage: 15.7

@LoveyChar Pizza, wine and cake sounds like a win, win, win to me

@polskagirl01 Congrats on your PR and your son's 1st. Sounds like a fun race!

@quilteryoyo Walking is relaxing and maybe will help you catch up on sleep, which is so so important. Hope you sleep well tonight.

@katarina005 Your body is telling you to rest....listen to it. You are not a loser....just a "tired runner".

50% done for this month.

Goal was to finish the races I registered for. Last weekend was the Little Rock Half Marathon (completed) and today was the Snickers Marathon (completed).

Next is Shamrock Marathon in 2 weeks and the Go! St. Louis Half Marathon in 3 weeks. *I work next weekend, so no race.

Race Report: Florence Forth 10K, Durham, NC, USA, 7 March 2020

First, I am so glad y'all are here. I participated much more with this challenge in January but just needed to cut my social media time (in all areas); however, I wanted to come back and tell you about this race.

This was my second race, and my first 10K. My first race was a 5K last December. I have been running since Sept 2019.

I originally signed up for this particular race because the timing would just about coincide with the end of my b210K ZenLabs training. I was calling it pretty tight and am just barely finishing up that app now. (The most I had run before this race was 5.84 miles.) Another reason I wanted to run this race is b/c it is in downtown Durham NC and I can literally walk to the start line in about 10-12 minutes or so, and walk back home when it is done. What I did NOT know: This particular race is the NC state championship 10k for the USATF, whatever that means. It sounds intimidating to me. That fact, and the fact that the cut-off time is 90 minutes instead of 2 hours (like some of the other 10Ks around here) kinda psyched me out.

Woke up very early this morning and fixed myself my first cup of coffee in about a week. That, and my nerves, smacked me wide awake at 6 AM. After taking care of my morning, ahem, routine (another reason to hit the coffee first thing) I took a walk and got to the starting area around 7:20 AM. Lineup was at 7:45. Start was at 8:00 AM.

Fortunately it was pretty cool, about 38°F, which I love. I've found that I overheat very easily so I raced without a hat and just a thin shirt. That worked out well for me and probably helped my time.

It was pretty crowded, I think, for Durham. Apparently about 1100 runners/walkers registered although a little over 200 did not show or at least they did not have times. Most of the USATF restrictions applied (no dogs, skateboards, etc) but baby strollers were allowed if they started at the back. Corrals were kind of informal and there were no pacers. That 1100 included both walkers and runners, 5K and 10K. Both races started at the same time and ran over the same course for a little over 2 miles before they split. Up until the split we were all running/walking together.

Bright cool, and sunny on a "rolling but fast" course as they say. Everyone was so cheerful. This race felt very different than the 5K I was in last December. That race was clearly organized and managed by a huge company and felt very corporate. This race, OTOH, had a local nonprofit as its focus. I'm not sure if that is why it felt so different, and frankly better. There were many volunteers along the course to cheer us on. That was nice.

Man I was so intimidated. Partly my nerves came because I really have just been training with these C2Whatever apps. I have never used a watch, or had a trainer, or trained with a class or group. So I just do not know how to do some things--like holding a consistent pace. Though I have read as much as possible, and try to learn that way. My breathing I think is pretty consistent and rhythmic, for example, and I think that helps.

The first 4 miles I held pretty steady, and then I got to the second (and last) water/Powerade station . It was on the rolling part of the course, up from the steepest hill. And I thought, well I will just walk through the water station... which I did, a bit. And then I ran the next mile a little more slowly... and then mile six was walk/run/walk/run/walkwalkwalk/run/walkwalk... you get the picture.

Last week I plugged my 5K race time into a race time predictor and it said I should be able to run a 10K at a 9:41 pace which would put my time at just about an hour. Since I was not wearing a watch today, I had really no good sense of time (stupid of me I know) but was pretty sure I had blown that hour deadline so I just started walking more and more. Until...

Coming up to the last bend around towards the finish line, literally the finish line was less than a quarter of a mile away, a total stranger ran past me, saw me walking, looked straight into my eyes, and said, in the most authentic, genuine, caring way, "I have faith in you. I know you can do this." Well, then I had to run, so I ran. And as I turned the corner there was a marching band playing and I could hear the voices of my friends cheering me on, then I knew I could not stop running. Then I heard the announcer say, "get ready for a 10K sprint"** so I sprinted, and damn it if I did not come in just under an hour.

Final pace: 9:40. I beat the calculator by one whole second, lol.

**But the announcer never actually said "get ready for a 10K sprint." What he said was "get ready for a kid's cape sprint"...superhero capes being the theme of the run today. I had just misheard him. Lucky me.

My superhero is the woman who said she had faith in me. I have no idea who she was and I am ashamed to say I was so involved in talking with my friends at the finish line that I did not try to find her. But she really, truly, made my day.