October 2020 Monthly Running Challange

eleanorhawkins wrote: »

It's a lot better today, doesn't seem to be leaking any more unless I press down hard on the nail, I think I just burst the blister with the clippers and it was the liquid inside that that was slowly escaping. At least it hasn't hurt today. More antibiotic slathering before bed. Maybe I will just do the distance for the virtual race tomorrow but not 'race' it. Who am I fooling?

kgirlhart wrote: »

@durhammfp I started using the Hal Higdon Novice 2 HM training plan when I trained for my first Half. I picked it because it has you running 4 days a week instead of 5 and that is what I do. The distance was less than I was already running though so I tweaked the mileage. But I stuck to the basic plan of 1 long run, 1 day of speed work and the other runs easy. That was actually advice given to me by @PastorVincent.

martaindale wrote: »

9.3/70 miles

10/2: 3.1 miles
10/3: 6.2 miles

Did my longest run in several months this morning. My body could definitely tell when I hit 4.5 miles and it started struggling a little but it felt nice to do a longer distance. I'm trying a new training plan and it adapts to your fitness. I guess the cooler weather perked my pace up too much because it adjusted and my runs are a little longer and the speed work is faster. I'm not sure I can do it, but I'm going to try and see what happens. After all, I can't really fail. Maybe I'll surprise myself!

rheddmobile wrote: »

quilteryoyo wrote: »

I don't think we had a monthly question in September. I'd like to propose that the following as a strictly selfish one to give me inspiration as I recover from surgery - hopefully this month. "What is the worst injury/medical issue that you have come back from and how did you do it?"

Yeah skip the following if you are squeamish about surgical details.

Ovarian torsion caused by a massive (benign) tumor which led to the death of the ovary. Did not have health insurance at the time so the hospital really wanted to pretend I didn’t have a problem - they sent me home with a torsion, saying that the ultrasound showed I had blood flow (found out later by reading this is not diagnostic of torsion) where I stayed for about a month in off and on blinding pain. At this time I developed diabetes for the first time, which is apparently pretty common for it to first emerge during a severe illness when stress causes a cortisol spike, blocking the effects of insulin. Anyway I felt as if I was starving, too exhausted to get out of bed, and scarfed down entire bags of candy at one sitting, yet lost 25 lbs in a month, because I wasn’t getting enough insulin to metabolize my food. Finally went back to the ER and literally threatened to kill myself if they didn’t do something, which got their attention - I had to have someone sit with me at all times from that point forward - but also got a compassionate doctor to call his personal friend who was a gyn to recommend I be admitted. Seriously that dude has a place in heaven. They took 2 days to get me stabilized enough to operate, found out the ovary was dead and necrotic and had a 11 cm tumor on it, and also oh by the way your bg was 270 the first time we saw you, we just didn’t bother mentioning it to anyone.

I definitely got to see the best and worst of the medical profession at that time! The ER doctor who claimed I didn’t have anything wrong with me is still an ER doctor. I have encountered him since when visiting the ER and he once again misdiagnosed me, saying my ruptured Baker’s cyst wasn’t ruptured because “they don’t do that.” When I eventually got into an ortho clinic they said it was the worst rupture they had ever seen of a Baker’s cyst. On the other hand once I got past the ER, the staff at the women’s hospital were amazing. My surgeon went out of his way to get my tumor out without having to convert to an open surgery - he was very proud of his ingenuity, he put the tumor in a baggie and drained it into the baggie, then brought it out without having to enlarge the incision.

And then once I was back in the care of normal, not women’s hospital professionals, they were Star-spangled morons again - like the endocrinologist who sent me home with a massive prescription for medication that lowers blood glucose, no advise and no monitor. And the hospital dietician who gave me a consult for my diabetes and recommended eating no more than “three carbs” per meal, with one carb defined as a baked potato, sweet potato, piece of pie, or whatever. I still have the chart she gave me and it’s horrifying in how inappropriate the advice is. I guess she was used to dealing with people who ate a certain way and weren’t willing to make changes, so she had dumbed everything down to the point of uselessness. I do remember that I asked if quinoa was better or worse for diabetics than other grains and she had never heard of it. It occurs to me now that possibly she had seen it written and never heard it out loud, and had no idea how it was pronounced. Fortunately I did my own reading, bought my own meter, and got my own blood sugar under control.

So, when I emerged from the hospital, I had a new diabetes diagnosis, lots of meds, a three inch incision on my belly, and instructions not to drive for at least two weeks. I also couldn’t see, because the sudden change in blood glucose had warped my corneas and my vision was temporarily very blurry. I was morbidly obese and had been so sick for so long that I couldn’t walk to my mailbox without getting winded. And I was d.o.n.e. Done with being sick all the time. So I sat down with my husband and had a talk about the bad habits we had and how I wasn’t going to be a part of them any more. I had previously lost 50 lbs twice before, and put it all back on both times due to gradually giving way to eating more like he did. I told him I wasn’t cooking junk for him, I wasn’t going out to eat junk, and I wasn’t going to be around it in my home. And I was going to start working out every day, and I didn’t expect him to complain about it. And having seen me nearly dead he was pretty scared and agreed to support me. And to be fair he has done exactly that ever since.

I was so weak when I started that walking around my block was exhausting. But I did it, the day after I got home. I started lifting cans and water bottles until I was strong enough to lift weights. I did research and started eating to the meter - testing my blood after every meal and adjusting my carbs accordingly to keep my blood sugar within normal range. At my first follow up appointment my doctor lowered my meds because I kept going low. By the second appointment he took me off everything but metformin, and called in the other doctors to show them how much weight I had lost and how he wished all patients were like me. I still had stitches at Christmas and my goal was to be no longer obese by my birthday in June. I made it, and started running shortly after. By December of that year I was normal weight and had run my first 5k.

So, when most people say couch to 5k, they didn’t literally start from the couch. I did. I could barely even walk short distances and was almost completely disabled by illness when I started. This short telling makes it sound like I was determined and put in a bunch of hard work, but I’m leaving out the parts where I cried and cursed my life and screamed things like “If I have to work out every day in order to eat I don’t know why it’s even worth it to be alive!” Yes, this is a real thing that happened. For months, while I was getting used to doing what I needed to do. No pie, ever - sugar substitutes taste like poison to me and even a small sliver will spike my blood glucose. No Coke, ever. I used to drink giant coke icees all the time, they were literally my favorite thing. And instead of playing video games all day (I make video games for a living so playing them is an occupational hazard) I didn’t have time, because I was running and lifting. And I really did hate it. But I did it, because when you need to do something or you will die, you just do it. Not being able to see really brought home to me that high blood glucose destroys the body. Reading about the high chance of stroke, heart attack, and amputation if I had uncontrolled diabetes, combined with the death that year of my dear friend from diabetes related causes, drove home the point. I had to change to live and I did it. But that first six months I hated every moment of every day.

I had to seek out new pleasures and new sources of pleasure to keep going. Now I love running, I love lifting, and I love the food I eat. I don’t fear going back to my old way of living because it seems terrible and I can’t imagine why I liked it at the time.

katharmonic wrote: »

@durhammfp here's some examples of basic speedwork sessions that my coach has us do on a cycle.

Hill repeats - just find a hill that takes a minute or so to run up to the top. Alternate running up halfway, jogging back down, run all the way up, jog back down, and keep alternating for between 15-30 minutes total.

Short intervals: e.g. 1 minute intervals with 1 minute recoveries between (jog or walk recovery) x 12 times. These can be done out and back or on a track you can keep looping around. Run as hard as you can sustain for 1 minute at a time, 12 times.

Long intervals: 5-7-3 minute intervals x 2 sets with 90 seconds recovery between.

hanlonsk wrote: »

Question of the month:
So, in terms of coming back from in a running perspective.... it is probably the origin story for the wonky ankle.
Now, because I think there are lessons to be learned from my stupidity, I’m including some additional details.... for the younger readers.... if you ever find yourself infatuated with a boy, and your brain ever goes thru any of the same thoughts mine did in part one of the story.... please run the other direction! Like in the literal, and figurative sense!

So, forgive the novel, but there are soooo many “do what I say not as I do” lessons. Promise not too much gore.

My best friend had been trying to get me to be a runner since we were in 7th grade. I was not being fooled by that craziness. But... at 25, and having gained 5-10 lbs a year since graduating high school, I realized I needed to do something. So I was doing C25K for the first of what has become dozens of times. And was making great progress on both the running and the weight loss.
Then one night, I was out doing chores (I was living with my fiancé at the time, and we had more dogs and horses than anyone should find logical.) and I failed at walking. I would love to say I stepped in a hole, but no, I don’t even think there was a low spot, I just failed at walking. But the ankle made noises I can’t even describe, and took all my air with me, and I hit the ground. I spent a few minutes not even convinced I was going to get up, and finally managed to do that. And THEN because of *insert red flag #1 for thoughts that indicate a bad situation here* ... knowing it was in my best interests to hobble around and finish the chores, than come inside without them having been finished.... that is what I did. (Chores took about 30 minutes longer than they should have, and no, somebody never came out to look for me.)
Then, because we had his friends coming over, I knew there wasn’t time to get it looked at, and as I was supposed to be the lovely little housewife, I literally duck taped a ziplock bag of ice to my ankle, and proceeded to be the lady of the house. *insert red flag #2 here*.
This all happened on a Friday, and we lived in a small town, and so, since my only choice the next morning would have involved an ER, and I knew that we didn’t have enough money for that, due to somebody’s spending habits (not due to actual income) *insert red flag #3 here*.... I waited clear until Monday to get it looked at.

So, hobble into doc, with vet wrap on the ankle. They X-ray it, not broken, apparently. I get told that I sprained it badly enough that I would have been better off to have broken it. And RE-WRAP THE VET WRAP I came in with.... tell me to use crutches for two weeks.... and send me on my way.... no follow up, no pt, no protection, no nothing..... I have since learned this is not at all what’s should have happened.
And let’s just say I still really couldn’t walk on it after two weeks, but that’s what the doc said, so that is what I did. It eventually got better seeming, and I dabbled in and out of running, falling off the wagon many times. But over the next several years, if I did something dumb, or stepped off a sidewalk wrong, it would swell up pretty good. Didn’t think anything of it. Would go away after a couple of days.

Then... I got talked into training for a half marathon. Originally by my boss, who later backed out, but not before best friend was convinced we were going to do it. I did pretty well until I started to get into 8-10 mile runs. Then it kinda got swollen, and didn’t go away. This was in February. I knew that’s if I got it looked at I would get told to stop running. So, rather than run AGAINST medical advice... I just didn’t seek any, until after the half marathon in June. (Perhaps logical, but not smart.) and then I started with more small town not awesome medical advice. So, even after half marathon. Spent 6 months with essentially “don’t run” type advice, and an ankle that was not only swollen but “clicking” and aching when I walked or ran....

Was actually the personal trainer I found to help with my lifting (since without running, my lifting was progressing faster than my form could keep up.). Anyways, it was the lifting coach who expressed far more concern with the instability, weakness, swelling, etc he saw in the ankle, than anyone else had. Recommended me to an actual orthopedic doctor, and GOOD physical therapist.
And we made progress.... I was back up to 5-9 mile runs.... and then work moved me. And I fell off the wagon. And got fluffy. And now I’m on round 3 of building back mileage, and going back to physical therapy, because despite knowing dozens of pt exercises to help with wonky ankle.... I apparently require some of the manual manipulation, and other anti inflammatory voodoo that I can’t seem to do to myself.

So,I’m on like round 500 of my running come back. But I just keep trying. Down 15 ish lbs this time. So, doing better than if I didn’t try again.

But I’m also not married anymore.... and based on the above story... I consider that to be an important recovery or “comeback” to my self and self confidence, sort of thing, also.

No running today, still a bit gimpy from pt... and had adulting to do. So, we will try again tomorrow.

Edited to add the PS- I am game for run the world...I can hopefully be a less flakey helper going forward, but no promises.... but sounds like a fun idea. And wyoming isn’t on the way to anywhere so, no offense taken if the path comes no where close.

Avidkeo wrote: »

@TheMrWobbly I'm definitely in!!!

8m in New Plymouth, New Zealand so that gives us 2 kiwi towns (I'm just assuming @ContraryMaryMary is in!)

eleanorhawkins wrote: »

The main thing I like about the Hal app is you tell it which days you want to run and it adapts the plans to that. So as long as you always run on the same days it's great. No flexibility though.
So, dunno if anyone believed me when I said I wouldn't race my virtual race this morning. Cause oh boy did I race it. Apparently dodgy toenails lead to PRs galore! I had never expected to run a sub 30 minute 5k (28:53), or a 61:13 10k, even less so during a solo virtual race. The high hasn't worn off yet :-)
Whoever said the Galloway (run-walk-run) method isn't running can look at those numbers and go take a hike! 😂

durhammfp wrote: »

katharmonic wrote: »

@durhammfp here's some examples of basic speedwork sessions that my coach has us do on a cycle.

Hill repeats - just find a hill that takes a minute or so to run up to the top. Alternate running up halfway, jogging back down, run all the way up, jog back down, and keep alternating for between 15-30 minutes total.

Short intervals: e.g. 1 minute intervals with 1 minute recoveries between (jog or walk recovery) x 12 times. These can be done out and back or on a track you can keep looping around. Run as hard as you can sustain for 1 minute at a time, 12 times.

Long intervals: 5-7-3 minute intervals x 2 sets with 90 seconds recovery between.

I am putting these in my back pocket. Thanks! So for your long intervals you mean 5 minutes hard, 90 sec recovery, 7 minutes hard, 90 sec recovery, 3 minutes hard, 90 sec recovery, then do it again. Right?