April 2021 Monthly Running Challenge

4/1 - 1.87 mile 30 min easy effort
4/2 - 1.84 mile 30 min easy effort
4/4 - 3.68 mile 60 min easy effort
4/5 - 2.22 mile 35 min easy effort
4/6 - 2.22 mile 35 min easy effort
4/7 - 1.68 mile 23 min stamina effort
4/8 - 2.22 mile 35 min easy effort
4/9 - 2.29 mile 35 min easy effort
4/11 - 4.32 mile 70 min easy effort
4/12 - 2.35 mile 35 min easy effort
4/13 - 2.34 mile 35 min easy effort

April total/goal miles: 27.03/50

I encountered another coyote today. It was jaunting down the trail in my direction until we both came into a clearing and noticed each other, at which point it diverted across the creek, stopping on the other side allowing us a chance to get a good look at each other. It was a larger one and was a beautiful specimen actually. I have noticed since the lockdown that they sound like a larger pack, and have hunted a little closer in to our neighborhood. Last fall they caught something just 2 doors back (across another street and in a park, probably a turkey as I have been hearing more turkeys over that way). The coyotes have never been a problem, and our city has always been on top of any issues if any wildlife populations in our area get out of hand (foxes had to be dealt with a few years ago and deer were allowed to be hunted with bow and arrow 2-3 years back). To date there have been no concerns about the coyotes, and no unusual reports of pets being attacked on anyone's property. I have to wonder how much longer until they have to do something since I have never run across them while on foot until this year, and have run across them twice while on foot in well traveled park trails in just the last couple of weeks.

Date.......Run............ Walk
4/1...... 0.00............ 2.25 - Treadmill
4/2.......2.25.............1.00 - Treadmill - easy
4/3.......0.00.............2.00 - Field and driveway
4/4......3.00..............1.00 - Driveway laps
4/5......0.00..............1.00 - driveway laps with Tippy and mowed the lawn for 1:46:49 (2.43 miles of walking)
4/6......2.70..............1.00 - Fast Finish Run 1 - on the road
4/7......0.00..............1.00 - Driveway laps with Tippy and mowed my mom's lawn (1:11:20)
4/8......2.25..............1.00 - Foundation run (easy pace) and warm up and cool down walks - driveway laps
4/9......2.50..............1.00 - Speed Play Run plus warm up and cool down walks
4/10....0.00..............1.00 - Walk on the driveway today
4/11....4.50..............1.00 - Treadmill session today - longest run post surgery - slow
4/12....0.00..............1.00 - Driveway walk then mowed my lawn
4/13....2.50..............1.00 - Treadmill Fast Finish Run and warm up/cool down walks

34.95/80 miles


Went to town and got the 2nd CoVID shot this morning. When I got back I went down for my run on the treadmill since it was raining and I awaiting the FEMA call back. Today's plan called for a Fast Finish Run - 25 minutes in Zone 2 (well, the plan actually calls for 5 min in zone 1 to begin with, but I can't run and keep my HR that low, so just go with Zone 2 for the entire time - under 152 bpm), followed by 5 minutes in Zone 3. The easy runs I did at 4.6 mph and the faster at 4.8 mph. That worked out pretty good for me, right now.

I almost had a disaster while running today. I got distracted, trying to pick up a piece of paper from out of the cup holder. I've done that a gazillion times, with no issues. Today, I stepped crooked, half of my right food landed on the side of the treadmill, the other half was on the tread, as was the other foot. I came so close to falling and I didn't have the safety device connected to my shirt. (Guess I'd better start doing that again.) Anyway, once I figured out what was happening, I was able to grab onto the hand rails and get off. But, in the process, I twisted really weird. I finished the run just fine, but can now feel it in my back and upper leg. I'm hoping it's just a little sore and some heat tonight is all it needs.

@quilteryoyo that's quite a saga with the FEMA call. Good grief. So glad it's finally taken care of. I'm sorry about your treadmill mishap! Hope you feel better after some heat. I have to say the first part of that I was very confused though because I somehow skipped the part where you said you were running on a treadmill - I was like cupholder? Paper? What is she doing?

Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
04/01/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 0.0
04/02/21 :::: 3.0 :::: 3.0
04/03/21 :::: 5.5 :::: 8.6
04/04/21 :::: 3.3 :::: 11.9
04/05/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 11.9
04/06/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 15.0
04/07/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 18.1
04/08/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 21.2
04/09/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 21.2
04/10/21 :::: 9.0 :::: 30.2
04/11/21 :::: 4.4 :::: 34.6
04/12/21 :::: 3.3 :::: 37.9
04/13/21 :::: 2.4 :::: 40.3

Gorgeous day but I just did a short run after work because that's all I had the energy for. I'm going to bed early and looking forward to a little less busy day tomorrow. I hope.

@WhatMeRunning I had a coyote run-in yesterday too!

We didn’t actually see them but heard them when we were trail running just after sundown. My husband and I ran the boardwalk at WC Johnson for the first time since Covid, plus some trails until it got too dark, then the paved path around the lake in the dark. We had planned 10k running plus two walking, actually got in about 4 miles running plus another mile walking, then decided we would rather pick up dinner before all the restaurants closed then do another couple miles.

It was nice to be back out on the boardwalk overlooking the wetland area. I’m just praying hard that the Brazilian and South African variants can’t escape the vaccine, because people around here are OVER social distancing. There was a high school ballgame at the other end of the park and a full crowd, no masks, shouting. In fact the shouting was hilarious because any time anyone did something on the field, from where we were in the woods it didn’t sound like a ballgame, it sounded more like the soundtrack from one of those movies where there’s a fast zombie apocalypse - you know the ones - one zombie gets into a crowd and within seconds everyone is screaming and running for their lives. I guess people really missed their sports because they were really screaming!

Anyway we were out in the deep woods in that time between sundown and last light, and listening to all the owls come up around us. Mostly barred owls which say “who, who, who cooks for you?” And suddenly there was a strange noise like someone making fun of the owls, and then a bunch of other voices doing the same, and we realized we were surrounded by coyotes! Not the first time, they live there along the river, but it always sort of makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up a little when you are down there with them in the dark. Later, back on the boardwalk, we passed a deer with two new babies and I tried not to root for one or the other side.

We were out that late because of something at home that delayed our run - we had temporary custody of an unexplained doggie! Late Saturday night a very friendly giant black Rottweiler wearing a studded leather collar with a rabies tag showed up and insisted he lived with us. Just one problem, the rabies tag had a vet’s number from Chattanooga! We have a cat who has no interest in sharing space with a giant dog, plus a raccoon nesting in the storage shed, so he couldn’t stay with us, but one neighbor agreed to put him up for the night and another neighbor provided food, and on Monday we called the place on the tag. The vet knew exactly which dog it was and who owned it, but had no clue why the dog would be in Memphis. So he had the owner call us. Turns out the owner’s brother had moved to Memphis and apparently the dog decided to live with him. He got pretty close, the brother is in an identical house one street over. So the brother came over and Zeus the dog was so delighted to see him! He is keeping Zeus. Bye Zeus, nice to have a happy ending.