July 2021 Monthly Running Challenge

Working on catching up on the thread.

@katharmonic That ladder on Wednesday sounds really hard. I would have much preferred the 2 min recovery on the way back up. I'm sure that was the point though - to work harder at the end. Brutal.

@sweetdaisy13 I'm impressed that you kept running after falling into the stinging nettle.

@ContraryMaryMary I think you made a great decision to cut the 800m repeats short on Thursday. When I nap that much, I know it was really needed.

@Scott6255 I'm impressed you ran 7 miles when you weren't feeling well.

@WhatMeRunning I hope the rest is all your foot needed. (Hopefully, I'll read about it as I continue to work through the next few pages. )

@skippygirlsmom I would guess that 8am meeting wasn't well attended, since the notice wasn't sent out until 9 the night before. I would have been tempted to pretend I didn't see the e-mail in time.

@Teresa502 You mentioned carrying water to prevent dehydration. I'm not sure I can carry anything in my hand while running. I really want to/need to get a hydration vest or belt. I know that people have asked for recommendations before, but if you have any suggestions, I would appreciate it. Also, can't believe people carry their bikes from rim to rim at the Grand Canyon. I would think that would be extremely difficult. I still need to go enter my runs into the RTW event - probably about a month behind. That won't be 191miles, but it should help some.

@polskagirl01 I applaud you for turning around and running up a hill instead of the flat stretch home. I almost always opt for fewer hills. LOL Sorry you felt ill, but glad you were feeling better the next day.

@kgirlhart Nice new shoes and that dog it so cute. I hope he made it home safely too.

7-1 2.1 miles running and 1.0 mile walking (Hill Repeats after cutting cedars for almost 1.5 hours)
7-2 0.0 miles running but 1.0 mile walking on treadmill (also played doubles tennis this morning)
7-3 9.0 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (easy pace, but not an easy run)
7-4 0.0 miles running, 1.0 mile walking laps on the driveway
7-5 2.3 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (also played doubles tennis for almost 2 hours, outdoors)
7-6 0.0 miles running, 1.0 mile walking
7-7 1.0 mile running, 1.0 mile walking (fast mile)
7-8 2.6 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (Hill Repeats - 6 months post surgery)
7-9 0.0 mile running, 1.0 mile walking (hot and humid)
7-10 7.0 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (easy pace, very humid)
7-11 0.0 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (rest day)
7-12 2.8 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (tempo run)
7-13 2.1 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (Recovery run)
7-14 2.6 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (Foundation Run)
7-15 3.0 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (Short Interval Run)
7-16 0.0 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (Doubles tennis, mowed my lawn, trimmed mom's, and walked)
7-17 5.0 miles running, 1.0 mile walking ("Long run" cut short)
7-18 0.0 miles running, 1.0 mile walking (keeping the streak alive)

MT = 39.5/70 miles running: 18.0/31miles walking

I didn't have time to post last night because my mom and I made a trip to my niece's in the afternoon to see her mother-in-law and the babies. We didn't get home until 9 pm.

Anyway, after all of the yardwork in the heat on Friday, I was seriously considering just doing a one mile walk yesterday, on the treadmill. When I tried to call my mom, her house phone wasn't working. I was able to get her on her cell, but the signal isn't good. I needed to talk to her about going to my niece's, so decided to go for a short run and stop to talk to her in person. It was almost 10am before I got out the door. It was 76F and 88% humidity. The temp really didn't feel awful, but that humidity! Anyway, I stopped at mom's after 1.2 miles, which felt really good, btw. Two sets of neighbor's stopped while I was there. I didn't want to be rude and just leave, so wound up with about a 45 minutes break.

I started running again. Since I had taken the long break, I decided to run 3 miles and see how that felt. I was still feeling pretty good, so decided to continue and try to get in 5 or 6. The beginning of mile 4 was up the biggest hill, so I faded fast, even though I walked it. I had to stop at the top to stretch out my calf. I continued on. My legs felt okay, but the humidity was getting to me, so I decided to stop at 5 miles. Glad I did. I was pretty pleased with my splits - the first 3 miles and mile 5 were between 12:43 and 12:49 min/mile. Mile 4 was 13:14 min/mile.

Today, I considered running the 5 miles I didn't do yesterday - my plan called for a 10 mile easy run yesterday. I decided, or at least hope, that skipping that long run and just going on with the rest of the plan will be okay. We'll see next week, when I'm supposed to run 11 miles. Anyway, I opted to walk a mile on the treadmill this morning for my rest day - to keep my streak going.

I'm finally all caught up on the thread, in case you didn't notice. Hopefully, I won't get that far behind again anytime soon. This was just a really busy week.

Congrats on your race @sweetdaisy13!

Welcome to the new and returning members.

@quilteryoyo you are so diligent in catching up and replying to everyone. It's much appreciated. Don't worry about not getting your long run in this week. Just keep on as you planned from here. You worked hard and won't lose out from cutting short that run.

I can't seem to find a way to carry water that works for me. I have a soft handheld and I use it reluctantly. I have a few waistbelts that I have had mixed success with. My most recent one is a flop, one bottle constantly falls out and it's infuriating. I have been reluctant to use a vest because I think it will feel so hot. I should try it though. I hate all the others so maybe it's not worse.

@WhatMeRunning I think we should all be reminded we love our body parts and what they do for us, even when they are acting up and causing us pain. Hope giving it a little extra TLC will get it back on track

Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
07/01/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 0.0
07/02/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 0.0
07/03/21 :::: 3.4 :::: 3.4
07/04/21 :::: 6.4 :::: 9.8
07/05/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 12.9
07/06/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 12.9
07/07/21 :::: 5.1 :::: 18.0
07/08/21 :::: 1.8 :::: 19.8
07/09/21 :::: 3.3 :::: 23.1
07/10/21 :::: 13.1 :::: 36.2
07/11/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 36.2
07/12/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 36.2
07/13/21 :::: 2.0 :::: 38.2
07/14/21 :::: 5.7 :::: 43.9
07/15/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 47.0
07/16/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 50.1
07/17/21 :::: 6.1 :::: 56.2
07/18/21 :::: 2.0 :::: 58.2

It was a rainy and miserable morning, and my mood matched. I wallowed around for most of the morning and finally forced myself to take Stella out for a walk. I ended up running with her as well, on some very wet and muddy trails. It definitely helped to get out of the house and get moving. I did a not very used trail (probably because of the danger do not enter this trail signs, which are just a scare tactic that the state is not maintaining this trail) that I love that is tricky and full of rocks and roots and now mud - and just enjoyed splashing through the quiet woods trying not to fall while Stella wandered along with me. We saw a deer and her fawn and only a couple of people.

7/1 18.27 miles, Saucony Cohesion 10, 1158 Days on the run, 340 days HM+ streak, Chasing Rainbows
7/2 18.18 miles, Mizuno Wave Rider 22 This was the sticky UGH bug run, gnat clouds!
7/3 18.43 miles, 1160 Days on the run, 342 days HM+ streak, Running partner E
7/4 19.22 miles
7/5 18.21 miles
7/6 18.48 miles
7/7 29.33 miles
7/8 13.41 miles, 1165 Days on the run, 347 days HM+ streak
7/9 13.58 miles, Anniversary: 6 years on MFP!
7/10 18.28 miles, Running Partner A, last mile crazy lap as thunderstorm caught me
7/11 13.5 miles, half crazy laps due to area storms
7/11 1.39 Crazy laps to push over 200.28 miles
7/12 13.66 miles
7/13 18.24 miles, 1170 Days on the run, 352 days HM+ streak, Running Partner A, rain around mile 13, humid gnat clouds and baby cows!
7/14 13.56 miles, Skunks! Gnat Clouds! W/o ipod, Morning Chorus @448
7/15 13.34 miles w/o ipod
7/16 13.52 miles
7/17 18.33 miles, Running Partner A&E
7/18 13.27 miles, 1175 Days on the run, 357 days HM+ streak

Here's my new favorite hydration vest (Ultimate Direction brand). I'm wearing it in my profilepicture.

Well it looks like my running test results yesterday came back slightly negative. While I did not feel any "pain" when first getting up and walking around this morning, it did feel more sensitive than the last few days. So I guess it's just walking for probably a few weeks.

I will check out that yoga pose @shanaber, a quick search came up with a few results like standing toe pose, toe squat and some compilation yoga exercises for plantar fasciitis. I'll be researching those and adding them into my routine.

@julieannegannon I have been on keto since starting to run again in March this year. All running sucked at first, but probably would have sucked even if not being keto.

All new runners need to spend a lot of time running only at conversational pace doing "base building" to get that muscle adaptation going in your mitochondria to adapt to burning more fat for fuel. As a keto runner you will adapt to that faster than a non-keto runner, but even so you should still do a long period of base training. I would suggest 6 months minimum, but I know you have some race plans already in mind.

As for my experiences running on keto, the only limitation it has given me is fast paced running at the top end of Zone 4, and has made Zone 5 practically out of reach (You shouldn't be running in those zones as a new runner, you really need to focus on base building first). The reason for that is simply that the initial 10 or so pound water weight loss is from your glycogen stores. For high intensity efforts your muscles will tap into your glycogen first for fuel, which you are now carrying less of.

Keto can be an excellent option for endurance runners as it essentially removes "the dreaded wall" from concern, yet at the same time means you aren't running a half marathon at a true HM race pace either. You're left running in an aerobic effort zone, but through the combination of diet and exercise you are using fat for fuel so with enough training and strength you can just keep going as long as you physically can. Non-keto runners can get the same benefit, but they must go through the training to obtain the muscle adaptations to train their muscles to get a higher ratio fuel from fat. The muscles will always prefer getting it from an easier source, so unless you are keto your must train a lot harder to get that fat adaptation.

rheddmobile wrote: »

julieannegannon wrote: »

Thanks all for welcoming me to the group! I have a current issue right now on diet. I’m on a keto diet and I’m considering switching to a high carb diet. I don’t know if it’s because I just started running but I have been experiencing constant burning in my legs and I was wondering if it’s the diet I am on. I like the keto diet because I never feel hunger and I am very energetic. But if it’s undermining my efforts to be a runner. It would be nice to become MFP friends with some of you who will open up their diary to me to get more learned on fueling my body. I down loaded information on eating for a runner. Keep in mind I went on the keto diet was to lose weight but I am currently on maintenance and I went on keto because I was close to becoming diabetic. Both my parents were diabetic but if running with a high carb diet keeps my sugar low then I will eat high carbs. Thank you in advance for responding to this inquiry.

There’s a lot of ground between keto and high carb. I’m a diabetic controlled by diet and exercise, and I eat moderate carbs (about 150 g / day or 45 g / meal) planning them around my exercise. I test blood glucose frequently and have found that I can sometimes eat up to 90g net carbs at one sitting without a blood sugar spike following a long run! I also fuel my runs by eating an orange before and gummies during any run longer than 90 minutes.

However, we have had keto runners who were members of the group. One who I haven’t seen posting in a while was quite a successful endurance runner with sponsorships and all that. Keto can be excellent for ultra runners because unlike a non-keto adapted runner, who has to stay ahead of their blood sugar and digestion, a keto runner can keep going as long as they have some fat stores. We also have @T1DCarnivoreRunner who is a fully carnivore runner, doesn’t eat any plant matter besides a few spices, and is a type 1 diabetic. There are many ways to fuel successfully as a runner!

If you enjoy keto then there’s no reason to stop. Most likely the burning is just you getting used to running and will pass. However, you can try eating a few quick carbs (such as an orange, or a gummy) before a run and see if it helps you feel better. In general studies have found that exercise requiring quick maximal efforts are best powered by carbs, while endurance isn’t affected as much.

Thanks for the tag. @julieannegannon The burning is probably due to either just being new to running (i.e. muscles are not ready for that) or electrolytes. Or lactic acid if you are going too fast. The only suggestion without more details is to increase sodium. I don't know about you, but I sweat at 1,085mg/l. For sodium, that means I add 1,100 mg/l to water.

BTW, Zach Bitter, the 100 mile world record holder, is keto / mostly carnivore. But he races high. The key to that method is to first apend the several months to adapt / cause changes in skeletal muscle mitochondria to increase your crossover point. Then can use strategic carbs during races.

New here! Going to try the ticker. Fingers crossed!

I'm adding the mileage I logged at my gym, Orangetheory fitness in July (so far).