November 2021 Monthly Running Challenge

johnisrunning · November 2021

Woke up sluggish, unsure if I was going to do a quality session or another easy run. My Garmin said I was fully recovered, but I didn't start off feeling that way, so I opted for the easy run, dreading the thought of lugging another 7 miles.

The first mile was a little leggy, but the weather was perfect and I clocked in at 8:34, on target to run those 7 miles in an hour. Then, a funny thing happened. While managing my heart rate, my second mile clocked in at 8:04. As I fell into the rhythm, I started to feel really good. The third mile came in at 8:09, still at an easy heart rate.

I decided that this could be a quality session after all and ran a 5K at tempo heart rate and, despite some initial struggle in the legs, finished the 3.1 miles in 21:10 (which is 46 seconds slower than my PR, even though this was a tempo run and not even close to an all-out effort).

What a roller coaster. Definitely earned a rest day tomorrow.

11/1- 4 miles
11/2- 7.8 miles (1:00:34, 7:46/mile)

November To-Date: 11.8 miles
November Target: 158 miles
Percentage Complete: 7.47%
On Pace?: 1.27 miles ahead of pace

SummerSkier · November 2021

Nov 2. 6. Total 11 of 150. Weather still wonderful.

CarsonSurfs · November 2021

5 glorious miles getting lost on the forbidden Apple trails.

5 out of 165 complete. It's going to be a close one with November travel.

martaindale · November 2021

Nov total: 2.2/70 miles

11/2: 2.2 miles

It was another lovely morning, low 50's dark and clear with a little fog over the open fields. This is my real taper week leading up to the HM this weekend so just a couple of easy miles this morning. It is nice to have these shorter runs before work and feel like I have so much time to wake up and get ready to leave the house. But, like someone mentioned last month it feels weird to only run 2 miles. Seems like I barely get warmed up. I am getting excited for my race!

Scott6255 · November 2021

Oh @martaindale that fall sounded painful! I'm glad your rock climbing trained you to fall. Hope it gets better quickly.

My first race shirt was the Houston Half Marathon in 2015 (I have donated most of my race shirts so no pic). I ended up with a 2:01:45 finish. I remember being upset that I didn't break 2 hrs, because I had to stop and use the port-a-potty around the 6.5mile mark. I have since trained my bladder to hold it during a race (even my marathon). Now I run a HM (at least) almost every weekend, and my PR is just under 1:50.

RunsOnEspresso · November 2021

WhatMeRunning wrote: »

I haven't had a chance to check the shirts today, but I am pretty sure I donated every last one of them a couple years back with the mindset that any sentiment was better and longer kept in the medals (which have been in storage). I had a habit of wearing the race shirts I liked as regular casual shirts. So I never kept them with the intention of having around for a long time.

Not every race I've done has a medal. But I only keep shirts that either have meaning to me or tech ones that I like.

katharmonic · November 2021

@martaindale sounds like you are so ready for your race! Exciting!

Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
11/01/21 :::: 1.0 :::: 1.0
11/02/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 4.1

I screwed up the time schedule of run group tonight, because it has changed due to our coach taking a new job. So I showed up an hour before the actual time. As it turned out, coach was there with a walk to run group so I saw and talked to him a little bit as I headed out to just do a run on my own (because I didn't want to come back in an hour). He asked me if I wanted to know the workout, and I really didn't intend to do it on my own so I just said yes to humor him. The workout was an inverted ladder of 4-3-2-1-1-2-3-4 minute intervals. Seeing my skepticism, he said why don't you just take off the 4's on each end. Or just do your regular run. I jogged off non-committally but he got in my head

So I ended up doing it. I did 3-2-1-1-2-3-4 and then 4 sprints of varying guesses for distance. I saw him again as I was finishing up and he was pretty pleased with himself for motivating (guilting) me into doing it. I have to say I felt really good that I did.

kgirlhart · November 2021

November Goal: 100 Miles

11/2: 4.03 miles

4.03/100 miles completed for November

Today the plan called for a HM pace run of 4 miles in 35 minutes at a pace of 8:38. That pace would have me finishing in 1 hr 53 minutes which is not my goal. I am hoping for 2 hrs 6 minutes. I think that is what has annoyed me most about the Run with Hal app. The paces are really off and I have checked my settings to make sure I didn't enter an incorrect goal time. For Saturday the plan has me running the race in 2 hrs 4 minutes at a pace of 9:28, almost a minute slower than the training "race pace".

Anyway, I ran 4 miles today, but it took me 41 minutes and my pace was 10:09. So it was a little slower than race pace, but I am ok with that. I would rather run easy now and save my energy for Saturday. I usually run on Wednesday, but tomorrow is an extra rest day so I guess I will just do some yoga and hopefully get a walk in.

2021 Races:
4/24/21: Run For The Children 10K PR 55:46:28.
11/6/21: Run For 57th AHC Half Marathon

rheddmobile · November 2021

In for November! I haven’t read anything, gotta go back and catch up.

No mileage goal, goal is to do three runs a week, long run at least 10k, plus speed/hills, and trails.

Today we tackled Chuckalissa again and got a new PR on the loop. I am proud of myself, I ran all the downhills which I had thought would be impossible for me! I ran them very slowly and walked some of the steeper uphills so my legs would be fresh and not wobbly, but I actually ran every step of the downhill parts and did not die! Now I just gotta work on my stamina, but that will come in time. I’m a few pounds heavier than I like to be, plus haven’t been doing really long runs in a while.

The race at Chuckalissa, should we decide to do it, is next April, and it’s a choice of one or two loops, 7k or 14k. I looked at the results from last year and there’s a local lady who is my running doppelgänger - same age and we usually come in within seconds of each other in races. She did the short run, and her pace at the Chuckalissa race was 14 something minute miles, closer to 15 than 14. Our mile pace today was 15:55, and that was with walking some and going very slow and easy. I feel like for a race, in good shape, I could make that easy. So for the first time I feel like it might be possible to do this course and get a result which I would be happy with. To give an idea of how tough this is compared to the usual flat terrain around here, my grade adjusted pace was under 12 minutes! Nothing compared to really technical trails, but far more technical than most of what we have here which are dirt trails you could easily drive a golf cart on.

BTW my husband says it’s too technical for him to ever be interested in racing it, but he will gladly cheer me on from the finish line. So we’ll see!

SummerSkier · November 2021

johnisrunning wrote: »

Woke up sluggish, unsure if I was going to do a quality session or another easy run. My Garmin said I was fully recovered, but I didn't start off feeling that way, so I opted for the easy run, dreading the thought of lugging another 7 miles.

The first mile was a little leggy, but the weather was perfect and I clocked in at 8:34, on target to run those 7 miles in an hour. Then, a funny thing happened. While managing my heart rate, my second mile clocked in at 8:04. As I fell into the rhythm, I started to feel really good. The third mile came in at 8:09, still at an easy heart rate.

I decided that this could be a quality session after all and ran a 5K at tempo heart rate and, despite some initial struggle in the legs, finished the 3.1 miles in 21:10 (which is 46 seconds slower than my PR, even though this was a tempo run and not even close to an all-out effort).

What a roller coaster. Definitely earned a rest day tomorrow.

I am the same way. Normally I don't feel comfortable with pace until 3 miles are under my belt. My pace is nowhere near yours but I have been known to do a 10K with the first half all over 10:30 splits and the 2nd half all under 9:45 splits. But I think it's nice to just adjust as I go and not force it.

Tramboman · November 2021

11-1 7k easy
11-2 7k easy
11-3 7k slow

November Total: 21k
November Goal: 180k

Partly cloudy, low 30s F, with a tiny breeze from the south. Saw the first two snowflakes of the year (two is all I saw). Wooden footbridges were icy, so I dodged them.
Conversations with my legs (continued): I normally read for about half an hour after I go to bed; it helps to relax my mind. Often when I read, I will put my knees up, with my feet flat on the mattress. That seems to ease my legs as well. Last night while I was reading, my legs asked me what time it was. I said it was 10:00 p.m. They responded, "No it's not -- it's CHARLEY HORSE time!!!" Both legs, along the inside of the thighs from the groin to the knee. I don't have a high threshold for pain, and these hurt so much I was almost nauseous. I've suffered with them for years, but I finally learned how to deal with them -- by putting my legs out straight and doing a leg lift, the pain almost magically went away.
I share for two reasons: first, if you suffer from charley horses, try the leg lift and see if it gives you relief; and second, the running I was doing all summer was not nearly long or hard enough to keep my legs in shape. I guess an old dog CAN learn new things (eventually).

When you pop in here claiming your December 2021 mileage, what accomplishments will you have made?

PUT THE FUN BACK IN THE RUN!
Return to a good running weight of 175 lbs (second attempt)

2021 Races:

6/26 Direction Up 5k, Solon, OH 31:48 chip; 31:59 Garmin; 53d overall; 2d male 65 and over
7/17 Run of the Ox 5k, Mantua, OH 32:19 Garmin; 44th overall; 3d place male 60 and over

RunsOnEspresso · November 2021

Felt great to do strides today! I haven't done any speedwork since July when I gave into the heat.

3 miles warm up, drills then 6x100. 4.15 miles total.

November total 7.15

mshawski · November 2021

November mileage:
R: 7/60

11/1 - 3
11/3 - 4

Total shoe mileage: 78.5

Edit: I just signed up for my first race in 11 years. It's a 4 mile Santa's Toy Trot. They had me at "long sleeved race hoodie".

Edit edit: Oh no, apparently it's a very hilly course. Guess I know what I need to work on for the next month...

rheddmobile · November 2021

@martaindale Glad you weren’t hurt worse! I always try to catch myself and end up with skinned palms - and of course might break a wrist someday, it’s a dumb thing to do. My husband, who was an Airborne ranger, instinctively rolls, which isn’t always the greatest idea ever - he ended up with a huge gash on his back once from rolling over a sharp rock!

Re: race shirts. My first one is from the 2017 West Cancer Fight On 5k. My husband and I ran it together and he wore his shirt all the time and then he stole mine and still wears it. Which is okay, because I was still overweight then and have lost a shirt size since then. It’s a cool shirt, dark gray with an abstract blue and green pattern.

Last year during the pandemic I don’t think I put on a shirt that wasn’t a race shirt. If they gave out race pants I wouldn’t need to buy clothes! Probably my favorite is the 2018 St Jude shirt, which is a long sleeved tech shirt with thumb holes which for some reason is also the most windproof and quickest drying shirt ever. I see other runners wearing it all the time because it’s such a good shirt.

SummerSkier · November 2021

Nov 1 5.03
Nov 2 8.23 (added a sprint lunchtime workout due to impending weather)
Nov 3 5.15 (snuck in before it just started pouring cold rain)
*********
Nov to date:18.41 miles against 250
RTY left to go 265.95 (4.585 reqd daily to come in end of year at 2021)

was thinking about getting my booster shot this week but I hate to miss running. Unlike others not sure I could run with a fever. Maybe I can time it to a horrid weather day.

polskagirl01 · November 2021

Stopped by to check in and realized I was way behind (busy long weekend) and it's a new month.

I met my goal for October with 178 km, and am staying in the 100-mile club this month, too.

Today I went on a little mountain adventure. Or maybe it's more in the big adventure category for me. Short version: HM distance and more than a kilometer of elevation. Beautiful views at the top!
Long description and pics:

To save driving time, I parked at the last parking lot on the other side from my actual goal mountain, and had to cross up and over a small mountain pass, then down into a little tourist town in the valley, before heading up the big one. Despite all of the potential fall hazards on the trails, I somehow managed to trip on nothing on the sidewalk going through the town, and landed on hands/hip/leg. My new tights definitely pass the hitting-the-pavement test. Hands and hip didn't really hurt until I was driving home, hours later. And I don't think anyone saw me 😆

You know it's going to be crazy when you see a ski lift going up next to your path and then disappearing, with your destination nowhere in sight. And it was pretty steep, for the next 4-ish kilometers. One step at a time. Totally worth it to see the views at the top - mountains in every direction, and amazing weather for November. But it was windy and I got cold quickly, so headed for the lodge. They were just about to close to go down the mountain for a family emergency, but I got a hot tea and a lovely Polish sandwich - big thick bread slathered with smalec (basically lard with pork crispies in it) and topped with slices of pickles (that I affectionately call "rancid" because they are made differently and the first time I had them I thought they had gone bad, except they're supposed to taste that way and now I love them) and some sort of hard cheese, before they sent everyone out to the partially enclosed porch with just an electric kettle and some water, and locked the doors. I was getting cold, so ate quickly, switched some of my layers to get dry stuff inside, and started back down. Going down was definitely more fun, but wasn't always runnable because of roots, rocks, mud, wet leaves on top of wet rocks, steepness, etc. Going back up through the pass the second time was rough, but one step at a time and before I knew it, I was on my way back down and heading towards the car.
Daylight is definitely getting shorter - I had the sun in my eyes on both the morning drive there, and the afternoon drive back. I'm also going to have to figure into my mountain plans that depending on which side you're on, you might lose sunlight even earlier.

Uggh, pictures aren't uploading right...

Lake in the far right is where I ran that hilly half marathon last month

katharmonic · November 2021

Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
11/01/21 :::: 1.0 :::: 1.0
11/02/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 4.1
11/03/21 :::: 3.2 :::: 7.3

I've been having some trouble sleeping and last night was not good. So it was a long and exhausting day. I met a friend to run at 5 pm and I feel like a zombie but got it done. Hopefully tonight will be better.

@polskagirl01 that sounds like a major mountain adventure! I would try that sandwich but it sounds like it might be an acquired taste

Glad you had fun.

marisap2010 · November 2021

@martaindale and @polskagirl01 Sorry to hear about your falls, but glad you are both ok! @polskagirl01, your pictures are so pretty!

I think the oldest race shirt I have is from the 2012 Rock n Roll Savannah (which came up on my memories as 9 years ago today, actually). My friend and I ran it without really knowing how to train. My time was 2:34. When I ran the next year, I shaved off 12 minutes because I actually followed some sort of plan. 😁

Today was run 1/16 from my Garmin plan for the month. It was short - 20 minutes at 11:13-12:13, plus warmup and cooldown.

Training runs completed: 1/16
Miles completed: 2.31

shanaber · November 2021

Tramboman wrote: »

Conversations with my legs (continued): I normally read for about half an hour after I go to bed; it helps to relax my mind. Often when I read, I will put my knees up, with my feet flat on the mattress. That seems to ease my legs as well. Last night while I was reading, my legs asked me what time it was. I said it was 10:00 p.m. They responded, "No it's not -- it's CHARLEY HORSE time!!!" Both legs, along the inside of the thighs from the groin to the knee. I don't have a high threshold for pain, and these hurt so much I was almost nauseous. I've suffered with them for years, but I finally learned how to deal with them -- by putting my legs out straight and doing a leg lift, the pain almost magically went away.
I share for two reasons: first, if you suffer from charley horses, try the leg lift and see if it gives you relief; and second, the running I was doing all summer was not nearly long or hard enough to keep my legs in shape. I guess an old dog CAN learn new things (eventually).

@Tramboman - I have also suffered with cramps in my legs, calves, hamstrings, you name it, I have had it likely many times. I have also found that the leg lifts help. The other thing that has really made a difference for me to hold them at bay generally is magnesium. I take 400 mg Magnesium (oxide). before I go to bed at night and it has significantly reduced the number of times I have problems.
@rheddmobile - I love the St Jude shirts too. They really seem to have quality shirts that fit properly.
@SummerSkier - I had my booster and had very mild reaction this time around. Just a sore, itchy arm and I think the itchy was from the bandaid - I react to the adhesive. Of course all of our reactions are individual so your results will vary.
@polskagirl01 - your hike looks awesome! Sorry about the fall but so glad it wasn't too bad.

No run for me yet and tomorrow morning I have a bone density test early. May try to get out for something afterwards but we have lots of people coming for various house related work. The house pictures were taken on Monday and are up on the websites. It is in 'Coming Soon' status until we move back to our house on Monday. There are just a few pieces of furniture left to dispose of and I am hoping to just put them up for free.

While we were gone for the last couple of days I did get out for a hike in the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve - one of my favorite places, with our friends and their pup. This morning we took the pups again for a couple of good walks before getting in the car to drive home, so much traffic!

Hobbes was so happy to see his friend Molly!

After our hike we visited this tiny town and discovered a wonderful glassworks and a winery! We sat outside and enjoyed tasting their wines that were surprisingly good!

polskagirl01 · November 2021

Found my oldest race shirt. It was from my third race, a night 10k in the city where I lived in February 2017. It was VERY COLD - I think that's the year all of the water was frozen solid in the cups at the halfway point. I got a PR by 2 minutes at the time, but since then I've slowly improved and have taken another 8+ minutes off of that.

It's a cool shirt.

As of yesterday, I've made it to 3 YEARS in my streak of monthly half-marathon distance runs!

November 2021 Monthly Running Challenge

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