April 2020 Monthly Running Challenge

In case anyone is interested, Dona Jo Brand is having a 40% off sale on already sale items today. I just ordered two more skirts.

@Avidkeo OUCH! Not a problem I ever have apart from during HM races, so I don't really know what to suggest. Vaseline maybe? Might at least protect it a bit from the inevitable sting in the shower if nothing else...

ETA: thanks to all of you who commented earlier. You brought a few tears to my eyes. Got through the day without eating absolutely everything in the house (I think there's an orange left). Tomorrow's another day. My husband said he might go and see if he can buy me an easter egg tomorrow to cheer me up. I must be depressed!
Hal wants a 5k race simulation out of me tomorrow. At a pace of between 6:25 and 7:05 min/km. Umm yeah, he's an optimist but I can safely say in advance that's highly unlikely! The hill repeats I did on Wednesday were not much faster than that pace, and I struggled to keep that up for 400 metres at a time.
However, I might need to feel I've earned the promised easter egg if it ever materialises. And I want to try a recipe for caramelised onion and cheese tartlets with cheese pastry tomorrow. Maybe I'd better try!

4/3 – 3
4/4 – 3
4/7 – 3
4/9 – 2
4/10 – 3

14 of 40 miles

@noblsheep that is cool, good luck
@TheMrWobbly great Easter bunny meme
@PastorVincent your weather sounds like ours, it’s been 60s and 70s in the morning, today was 40
@kgirlhart glad to hear your Aunt’s test was negative woohoo
@Elise4270 I’m a so so gift buyer but I really do try to think about what the person would truly enjoy and perhaps not buy for themselves. If you DD is thinking about getting into the medical field that sounds like a great gift.
@eleanorhawkins I’m enjoying your Hal updates too
@shanaber it has rained so much here the past few months that my side yard that doesn’t get sun is still mud after 3 days or no rain, Macy has had 1,000 baths because she just lays in the mud in yard (under the trampoline there is no grass so it’s mud). Ugh
@Avidkeo sounds like you all are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Ouch on that chaffe
@quilteryoyo glad your cousin is improving, I’ve heard a lot of horrible things about the side effects of Chantix.
@katharmonic thanks, those silly dogs. We ran by this morning and it’s the first time ever they didn’t bark insane at us, they were like hey you’re our friend now ha ha
@LoveyChar beautiful rainbow picture
@rheddmobile sounds like your walk on the greenway was perfect
@eleanorhawkins don’t apologize, it’s a strange world to all of us right now and we all doing the best we can – I’m sorry about your great Aunt. I don’t think everyone realizes how hard this is for our young people, it’s scary for them, so much has changed and they have zero control. I think a lot of people are looking back at “colds” or other things they had a few months back wondering what it was now. I wouldn’t let a soul in my house to do a random test you just don’t know who it is.
@bearly63 I hear the new saying is April Distance bring May Existence

This virtual race is being put in by a local family here. They are trying to get all 50 states represented so since we are all over the world I thought I’d post here.

***Thank you so much to those who have signed up so far! We would love to get someone from all 50 states. Please share with your family and friends near and far***

The "Running from Rona" St. Jude Fundraiser Fun Run! Let’s get all 50 States! Please share!

Hi friends. I have organized a virtual fun run for all of us to beat the quarantine blues - complete with a gift of sweet medal for your donation in signing up!! Pick any distance! Whether you want to do a Family friendly 1 mile fun run, 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon etc! Just get out there, get moving and have fun! Remember Running is not cancelled! Please follow CDC guidelines for social distancing when running.

So here's the Details:

DATE: Any time in May (Medals will ship as soon as received near end of May)

DISTANCE: ANY - The main goal is just to get out and move while supporting kids fighting cancer!

PRICE: $20 Donation - Sign up Deadline April 30th to get medals ordered!

TO REGISTER:
Submit your donation via PayPal link https://paypal.me/pools/c/8o77w4PEtj or venmo @NinaLee0207 or you can mail a check to me - just message for my address! Please also email your shipping address to nina.m.lee@comcast.net (for medal)

Please comment or message if you have any questions!!

*** All proceeds will go to benefit the kids at St. Jude through mine and Kaitlyn’s fundraiser event.

*** NOT AN OFFICIAL RACE! Just for fun to support St. Jude***

Please share!

So many hugs to you all. You are all a bunch of strong and resilient people, and that serves you well in these challenging times. I hope it eases up for everyone soon.

Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
04/01/20 :::: 5.0 :::: 5.0
04/02/20 :::: 3.0 :::: 8.0
04/03/20 :::: 3.5 :::: 11.6
04/04/20 :::: 10.2 :::: 21.8
04/05/20 :::: 1.5 :::: 23.3
04/06/20 :::: 2.3 :::: 25.6
04/07/20 :::: 4.6 :::: 30.2
04/08/20 :::: 3.1 :::: 33.3
04/09/20 :::: 3.0 :::: 36.3
04/10/20 :::: 4.0 :::: 40.3

I woke up to snow this morning, which was not a welcome sight. I slept in a little extra and then I ended up spending more time working than I hoped, I had planned to take a little breather this afternoon, but got caught up in a couple of meetings and various other things that took longer than expected. But I was dressed and ready to run at any point! Finally I decided to get out and do a trail run. The park I went to has some pretty challenging trails, very rocky and difficult footing, with some steep areas, and lots of mud. It has some less challenging ones too but I somehow chose wrong at every opportunity and ended up on pretty much all the harder ones. It was slow going and more of hike for many parts of it, but it was a good mental health break. I had to really focus on where I was stepping and not breaking an ankle rather than all the other crap in the world. I only saw one other person the whole time I was out there. Even though I was cold and didn't really want to go out there, I ended up enjoying changing it up from my usual runs.

Saturday morning run report, short, politically correct, family friendly version: (see spoiler for the rude, not p/c or f/f version)
Hal called for a 5k 'race simulation' today + warm up and cool down. I didn't think I would be able to manage the pace range he was demanding on the 'rather-be-deadmill' but of course I was willing to give it a go and surprised myself.
1.5km warm up at a nice gentle jog, then 4x 100 metres hard, 100 metres easy, then 5k 'race' then 1km cool down jog. The warm up seemed to take forever, the 100m intervals felt challenging enough. The actual 'race' bit was HARD and made even harder by the fact that I was watching a video tour of a medieval castle town so my brain really thought I was running though very narrow, cobbled passageways! Fun in a way.
Got it done, legs are likely to be sore tomorrow. My exciting Saturday evening is going to consist of yoga for tired legs, a hot bath with Epson salts, a piña colada and a bit of easter egg. No regrets!

The weird and wonderful things my brain did this morning (warning, not suitable for sensitive readers or children!)
Sorry, back to p/c now! I must admit, as tough as it is feeling I am actually enjoying the variety Master Hal is bringing to my running. I have spent too long running more or less the same routes at more or less the same speed.

Rest day tomorrow, definitely much needed. Nothing but stretching.
Monday the plan calls for a 40 minute tempo run. Fun!

@skippygirlsmom I'd like to be a part of the virtual run!! I'll sign up next Friday for sure I get paid every other week and I have to make sure we have enough funds to get us through until next payday, lol. And then if you haven't yet, you'll be able to tick Wisconsin off the list.

Yesterday I wasn't really feeling it. I had plenty of energy, I just wanted to be a lazy sack of potatoes and sit on the couch after work. I mustered up some motivation and decided to go anyway. Especially after I noticed my dog's new custom running harness came in the mail. She'll be so much more comfortable, and she finally matches her big brother and I was super excited to use it and show them both off. Because, you know, running is a fashion show, right?
Well, it ended up being our fastest pace basically ever. We usually go 3-4 miles and average 10-11 minutes per mile. We did just over a 5k and our average pace was 9:37! Our FIRST 5k in under 30 minutes

A picture of my bestest running buddies just because

Oh wow! 22 pages already! No way I will be able to catch up at this moment, in the home stretch for this semester of school, 4 classes, last chapters of work and finals coming up. But, at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with that at least, then I get to find out what everyone else has been posting about: naps all day, endless Netflix binges, time to knit all day....

But for now, time to post my efforts this month, as meager as they may be. I decided to move my Virtual ASPCA "race" date to the week before the projected HM training start. I still plan to go ahead with that training, hopefully races in August will still be a go.

GOAL: Run 2-3 times a week, virtual 5K on May 23rd

Week 1: 3/31 - 4/5 - Did not run or walk. Had 2 runs the previous week which gave me 2 bad headaches each. Decided not to run this week, had planned to walk, but got stuck into homework and getting caught up in 1 class.

4/7 - Ran 1.51 miles
4/9 - Ran 2.01 miles (total run - 3.52 miles)
4/11 - Walked 3.2 miles (total walked - 3.2 miles)