November 2021 Monthly Running Challenge

Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
11/01/21 :::: 1.0 :::: 1.0
11/02/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 4.1
11/03/21 :::: 3.2 :::: 7.3
11/04/21 :::: 2.1 :::: 9.4
11/05/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 9.4
11/06/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 9.4
11/07/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 9.4
11/08/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 12.6
11/09/21 :::: 1.8 :::: 14.3
11/10/21 :::: 3.0 :::: 17.3
11/11/21 :::: 3.3 :::: 20.6
11/12/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 20.6
11/13/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 23.7
11/14/21 :::: 13.2 :::: 36.9
11/15/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 36.9
11/16/21 :::: 3.0 :::: 39.9
11/17/21 :::: 2.2 :::: 42.0
11/18/21 :::: 6.1 :::: 48.1
11/19/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 48.1
11/20/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 48.1
11/21/21 :::: 4.1 :::: 52.2
11/22/21 :::: 2.3 :::: 54.5
11/23/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 54.5
11/24/21 :::: 3.2 :::: 57.7
11/25/21 :::: 3.2 :::: 60.8

I did an unsanctioned turkey trot with a few friends this morning and then went to the Turkey Burn class at the gym. It was a tough class with 4 different stations that had 3 exercises each. Each station was 8 minutes long and you had to do as many rounds as possible during that time. One of the hardest was doing sandbag burpees, as if I didn't hate regular burpees enough.

After that I mostly have been relaxing, took a nice nap, and then took the dog out for a long walk. Now I'm getting ready to eat back a lot of those calories.

Did my little 15-minute weight machine routine today, and 2 km on the treadmill. Felt really good. Now I'll take a nap to balance things out.

@skippygirlsmom I hope you are enjoying your time with Skip - alone. I totally understand how you feel. Sometimes, you just need some alone time with the ones you love.

@Teresa502 Sorry the booster got you down. Glad you are feeling better now.

@rheddmobile So sorry to hear about your ER visit and how awful it was. I pray that you are doing better and this is a one time event. I feel so bad for that family and everyone who was in the ER that day. It's crazy how "bad" they have become.

@martaindale Sounds like you found a great place for speed work. You are doing great. Hope you are enjoying your time in the hill country.

@WhatMeRunning What the doctor told you is scary.

@kgirlhart Your encounter with the cat is funny...and scary. Glad you and it were both okay in the end.

@shanaber Sorry the free shoes aren't you favorite, but, they were free! I like the color. Hobbes and Beaux are too cute. Glad neither of you were hurt in the fall. I think that is what we are all exercising for this month.

@Tramboman You are doing great. Have your legs gotten used to the idea of running everyday? Black squirrels? Is that the norm in your area. Most here are grey. My red fox jumped across my driveway right in front of my car the other day, then I saw a coyote zooming across the neighbor's field at the end of my driveway. That same day, mom almost got run over by two deer who ran across my driveway right in front of her as she was walking up here to take care of Tippy when I was at work. It's that time of year, I guess. Hahaha about Thanksgiving food and wine not being good running fuel. It is good sleeping fuel though.

Glad to see you are on the run @AlphaHowls . I was just thinking that I hadn't see a post from you lately. Hope all is going as well as it can be at this point.

@Scott6255 Running in those winds on Thanksgiving......I'm sure you did get a good workout. I would have opted for the treadmill cuz I'm a wimp.

@polskagirl01 I'm glad your DH is feeling some better and that you aren't having any pains from the kidney stone. I know what you mean about thinking every "normal" feeling isn't normal. That happened when I knew I had the aneurysm. It's hard to not have those thoughts. I hope the stone passes without pain. Polar Bear Club - you're a beast. Is it every week?

My back is still not allowing me to run much. It's better, but not normal. I did walk 5K yesterday on the treadmill. I'm beginning to really need some exercise for my mental stability. Walking one mile isn't really doing it. I'm going to try running a mile today and see how it goes.

You all are doing great and I am thankful for each and every one of you. Your friendship and support mean more to me than you will ever know.

I did get in a treadmill run today to test out the back. I walked half a mile warm up and cool down and ran a mile at 4.5 mph. It felt ok. I did feel a bit of a twinge while running, so it's probably good that I stopped at 1 mile today. I also did the exercises the chiropractor wants me to do. I find that the "bird dog" pose "hurts" my back, but only when I raise my left leg. I say hurt, but it isn't a stabbing pain, more like a dull ache. Hopefully, I'll be okay in the morning. If so, I may try for a little bit of a longer run and see what happens. I really need to burn more than 140 calories, or fewer, when I exercise. The calorie intake certainly isn't waning these days.

11-1 7k easy
11-2 7k easy
11-3 7k slow
11-4 4k slow
11-5 7k sleasy (between slow and easy)
11-6 7k measy (between moderate and easy)
11-7 7k measy
11-8 7k sleasy
11-9 7k measy
11-10 7k sleasy
11-11 11k slow
11-12 7k sleasy
11-13 7k slow
11-14 7k slow
11-15 7k slow
11-16 7k slow
11-17 7k sleasy
11-18 5k treadmill
11-19 7k sleasy
11-20 7k slow
11-21 7k easy
11-22 7k slow
11-23 7k easy
11-24 7k sleasy
11-25 4k easy
11-26 4k slow
11-27 7k slow

November Total: 182k
November Goal: 180k

Cloudy, low 30s F, with just a little wind. The geese were flying around; the squirrels were back out foraging; and I even saw a small flock of robins.

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

@polskagirl01 The red squirrels are so cute! I love their fluffy ears! We also have the grey ones and when we were in DC I remember seeing a lot of black ones that are quite a bit smaller than the ones we have in TX.

@shanaber I also think of the movie The Holiday every time I hear about Santa Anna winds. I’m not sure I knew they were a thing until I watched that movie.

@SummerSkier Sounds like a nice challenge you have set up for yourself. I know where most of the mile and half mile markers are in my neighborhood but quarters are a little tougher. Doing shorter speed work in the past has usually meant paying more attention to my watch than I really like while running.

Glad to hear everyone enjoyed their holiday. We did not do a traditional Thanksgiving this year because no one in my family loves the traditional food and it’s a lot of work for me if no one is dying to eat it. Maybe next year things will work out better to have the whole family together. This year it was just the 3 of us plus a friend from work that doesn’t have any family in town. I have made some delicious food this week and plenty of dessert!

Nov total: 65.4/70 miles

11/2: 2.2 miles
11/3: 3.1 miles
11/5: 2.1 miles
11/7: 14 miles
11/10: 2.2 miles
11/14: 3.5 miles
11/15: 3.5 miles
11/17: 4.8 miles
11/18: 3.1 miles
11/20: 7 miles
11/22: 4.1 miles
11/23: 4.5 miles
11/25: 3.3 miles
11/26: 8 miles

Thanksgiving day I had a short easy run. Like a couple others mentioned the winds were crazy ahead of a cold front. Why does it always feel like 20 mph winds are in your face on uphills and behind you on downs? Like an 8-10% grade hill isn’t hard enough without a stiff wind in your face!? I ran this without my phone and the GPS tracking was nonsensical, estimating over 8 miles and then 35 when I “corrected” it in strava, so I just deleted the run and put in a manual entry. At least I had it plotted out before I took off because I was really running blind. I don’t know the distances very well out here yet and I’m still trying to explore some different routes to figure out what I like.

I moved my Long run to Friday because the weather today is lows in the low 40s and rainy all day long. Generally, I like running in the rain, and I like running in the cold, but I’m not sure I want to run in the cold rain. It was beautiful yesterday and my husband needed to run as well, so we went to a part of the neighborhood he hasn’t run much and did the first 4 miles together and then I wrapped up the second 4 alone. His pace is significantly slower than mine, and that works out well for me here, because I think if I tried to do my long runs at their usual pace, the hills would really kill me. Running with him forced me to slow down significantly, and I actually felt pretty fresh at the end of the 8 mile run. Compared to my home neighborhood, there are very few runners here. Even with what seems like pretty minimal efforts, my husband and I are gaining placement in the all time Strava time records because there are so few people that run out here! Also, despite there being very few runners, drivers out here seem really considerate and actually veer to the other side of the road to make sure that I know that they see me and they are nowhere close to hitting me.

Date :::: Miles :::: Cumulative
11/01/21 :::: 1.0 :::: 1.0
11/02/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 4.1
11/03/21 :::: 3.2 :::: 7.3
11/04/21 :::: 2.1 :::: 9.4
11/05/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 9.4
11/06/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 9.4
11/07/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 9.4
11/08/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 12.6
11/09/21 :::: 1.8 :::: 14.3
11/10/21 :::: 3.0 :::: 17.3
11/11/21 :::: 3.3 :::: 20.6
11/12/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 20.6
11/13/21 :::: 3.1 :::: 23.7
11/14/21 :::: 13.2 :::: 36.9
11/15/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 36.9
11/16/21 :::: 3.0 :::: 39.9
11/17/21 :::: 2.2 :::: 42.0
11/18/21 :::: 6.1 :::: 48.1
11/19/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 48.1
11/20/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 48.1
11/21/21 :::: 4.1 :::: 52.2
11/22/21 :::: 2.3 :::: 54.5
11/23/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 54.5
11/24/21 :::: 3.2 :::: 57.7
11/25/21 :::: 3.2 :::: 60.8
11/26/21 :::: 0.0 :::: 60.8
11/27/21 :::: 5.1 :::: 65.9

It was cold this morning and I didn't think about the paved trails having snow/ice on them so I didn't wear my trail shoes. I am not yet winter run ready! Fortunately the sun was quickly melting most of the light snow cover so conditions quickly improved. My mood about running in the cold and wind, however, did not improve too much so I cut it short. I was just not feeling this as a long run day.

Re: black squirrels. I remember the first time I saw a black one, I was visiting my aunt in Ontario, and it was sitting right outside my window. I thought I was losing my mind and went and got my cousin, shouting, “There’s a black squirrel outside!” He was like, “And?” All of their squirrels are black. It seems to be mostly a northern thing. Ours in Memphis are gray except for at Overton park, where strangely they are red with tufted ears. Since that park is near the (very old) zoo I wonder if they were deliberately introduced at some point. The zoo did all kinds of crazy things back in 1913 or so, such as introducing red foxes to the park.

On a related subject, our albino raccoon has relatives! I looked them up, and it seems it’s a stable mutation which is recessive, and causes albinism when the animal has two genes, but causes color dilution when the animal has only one gene. So where there are white raccoons, there are likely to be blonde and cinnamon raccoons around somewhere. On Thanksgiving, a giant momma raccoon and one tiny baby showed up and both were blonde, white with light brown markings. Momma was extremely shy and hid under the neighbor’s deck when I tried to get a photo but hopefully we will see them again. The albino one has been visiting regularly.

Running related - can’t even reach the cardio office for an appointment until Monday. Trying hard not to freak out at the thought of something being wrong with my heart. I have new running shoes! Fortunately I have the inspiration of @quilteryoyo and @shanaber to remind me that even if something is seriously wrong, it’s possible to fix it and move forward and run again. Planning to go out for a walk today and keep an eye on it, see if it stays within range at a brisk walk. I think I probably have lupus-related myocarditis or pericarditis which has happened in the past, since my feet have petichiae and my chest feels wrong in the particular way it has in the past with myocarditis. Also, my platelets were low at the ER which usually means vasculitis for me.

28 Nov. Fabulous weather after such a dank, chilly, gloomy rainy day yesterday. 104.5 miles left to go for Run the Year. My streak of under 10 min pace is now at 38 miles. I pushed today to get 2 of them under 9 so I have 114 total miles with an 8 in front for the year. 2 more days left in Nov. 179 miles complete out of 150 goal. Maybe next month I will try making a ticker.