March 2022 Monthly Running Challenge
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@marisap2010 I have Matt's book and love his approach.0
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It is nice to hear that so many of you also love being alone at home. I am one of 5 kids, so I have rarely ever been alone. When I was a kid I LOVED the rare hour or 2 that I had the house to myself. Now, I probably enjoy it even more!
@quilteryoyo It is absolutely not sad that 3.3 miles is your longest run of the year! Everyone goes through ups and downs with running. Despite not running much, you have stayed active and hopefully will find the joy in it again.
I second finding a training plan and counting it back now for your December race. Your target is really the beginning of that training plan, not the race day. It’s good to know at what point you need to be ready to truly start training. When I do races at the end of the year, I usually account for not doing much running around thanksgiving and Christmas so will build in a couple of weeks “off”. Usually I do a some of the runs for that week but not all, then just repeat the full week following that.
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@katharmonic Oh, no!! So sorry you had to cancel your vacation.
@shanaber I agree, lets all find a place with year round perfect running weather!! Where does year round 40’s-50’s in the morning and highs in the 70’s exist? That’s my perfect.
@avidkeo Congrats on making your March goal! Those pictures are amazing. Hiking down is just the worst. I got hiking poles and that helped so much, but a steep downhill will still have me a little achy afterwards.
@marisap2010 I haven’t read Fitzgerald but would love to hear what you think when you do. I love learning about all these different approaches to training. This year I am incorporating a couple of new plans into my training in an effort to mix it up.1 -
quilteryoyo wrote: »@marisap2010 I have Matt's book and love his approach.
What about it appeals to you? Haven't read it myself.1 -
@teresa502 That race sounds like a fun event and I love that it's a trail race. I love running trails! Even with the crazy wind and rain, seems like your group had a good time. I agree with your annoyances - some people are kind of oblivious to what is going on around them.2
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@Teresa502 That sounds like such a fun race! I used to have family in Mt. Pleasant.1
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@Teresa502 glad you and your group had a good time at the 50K!
@Avidkeo congrats on your conquering your mountain. Those are truly awesome pictures!
@katharmonic sorry your trip got cancelled 😣
@martaindale I agree with you about alone time. Whenever my wife goes out of town I feel guilty for feeling downright giddy, but that is just who I am. I enjoy my alone time!
@marisap2010 I have heard about the 80/20 rule for many years, and many times have tried to put it into practice. But after a few runs I completely forget about it. I need to get it tattooed on my eyeball (that's a thing kids do now, right)
7 miles this evening (or is it afternoon now?? I'm so confused). First 'caught in the rain' run if the year. Big heavy drops started right at mile 2 and continued until the end. But it was 75F so it felt good.
It was a slow run, but that was the plan.
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@Teresa502 That race sounds like so much fun - for a relay team. Too bad you had such nasty weather to begin with. I'm glad they adjusted the route to be closer to a true 5K. Your list of annoying things really are annoying. Why do people think it is okay to completely block the trail walking when there is a race going on. I had to yell coming through to a group of ladies that were blocking the route once and they looked at me like I was the rudest person ever.
Glad you had a nice peaceful morning run @martaindale. Thanks for your support and the suggestion about the race and training too. As for the book, I liked the way he was scientific, or at least seemed to be, with his analysis of running and why he feels that easy running most of the time is the way to go. He advocates running by your HR, which I try to do, but some days it's just high from the get go. On those days, I go by feel, which he doesn't like. I do like his training plans. I'm sure I would have done much better on my HM had I actually followed the plan closer than I did.3 -
3-1 - 1.0 mile walk on the driveway
3-2 - 1.0 mile walk - 2.50 mile run out the road
3-3 - 2.0 mile walk in the neighbor's field looking for cows
3-4 - 1.0 mile walk - 1.8 mile run on the driveway
3-5 - 1.0 mile walk - 2.75 mile run out the road
3-6 - 1.0 mile walk in the neighbor's field
3-7 - 1.0 mile walk - 2.0 mile run out the road
3-8 - 1.0 mile walk on the driveway
3-9 - 1.0 mile walk on the treadmill
3-10 - 1.0 mile walk on the driveway
3-11 - 2.0 mile Wun on the driveway
3-12 - 1.0 mile walk on the treadmill
3-13 - 1.20 mile walk - 3.30 mile run on the treadmill
3-14 = 1.00 mile walk on the driveway
28.55 miles/60 mile goal
I worked at daycare today with 9 two and three year old's. I'll just say that Monday after the time change is almost as bad as a full moon. It was a struggle for everyone today, kids and teachers, but we made it through. I was tired and hungry when I got home at 6, so went out and did a driveway walk, no running, before coming in and finding something to eat.4 -
@Avidkeo those pictures are amazing. Looks so beautiful and congrats on achieving your goal!
@Teresa502 that race event sounds like a ton of fun. I would love doing that with a team. Maybe not in wind and rain, but good for you guys in sticking that out and having fun.
@martaindale enjoy your alone time! Too bad you couldn't go on spring break but take advantage of the time to do what you want to do without a teenager in the house
Thank you, @shanaber, @quilteryoyo, @teresa502, @marisap2010, @martaindale, and @Scott6255. I feel like I do nothing but whine these days, but things seem to be piling on. My boyfriend continues to have heart issues and they planned a stent procedure for this thursday but it sounds like that's off now to try beta blockers first instead. It's frustrating because he feels bad and wanted to get this done and be on the other side of it, and now it's all vague again. The stress of his health, the disappointment of not being on vacation and the continued work stress are kind of doing me in. This morning my back started acting up again and it was really painful this afternoon when I walked Stella. I feel a little better after putting heat on it, and I sat in the sauna at the gym and did some stretching and used the theragun. I didn't try to run. I'll see how things are tomorrow.7 -
March Goal: 100 Miles
3/1: 5.15 miles
3/2: 5.16 miles
3/3: 5.16 miles
3/4: 2.02 miles
3/5: 1.61 miles
3/6: 8.10 miles
3/7: 2.02 miles
3/8: 5.60 miles
3/9: 5.15 miles
3/10: 5.15 miles
3/11: 1.51 miles
3/12: 2.03 miles
3/13: 10.10 miles
3/14: 2.02 miles
59.78/100 miles completed for March
Just two miles today. It was a little chilly, but not too cold. Mostly it was just still windy.
@Teresa502 That race sounds like lots of fun.
@katharmonic I'm sorry your vacation was canceled and your back is acting up. Hope things start looking up soon.
@avidkeo Wow! Beautiful hike!
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Just a little 5k run yesterday but overall a successful one! I was looking at my data after running and noticed that it was the fastest I had run this Strava segment since Dec 29 when I was still waiting for my cardio appointment. At that time I tried running a “normal pace” 5k and my heart did a thing in the last third of a mile. Yesterday I ran basically the same apart from a tiny walk break to take my jacket off and stow it, and my heart rate data was almost identical except for the blowout. So I have finally gotten my meds reduced to the point that I can get my heart rate up where I need it to run a 9:40 minute mile comfortably without it going into tachycardia. Now, that is quite a bit slower than my FAST pace used to be, but it’s good to be running a normal pace instead of having to concentrate on slowing down all the time. I feel confident that my speed will increase as I get back to doing some longer runs and hopefully lose a few pounds.So in case anyone is interested in the details, this is what my heart rate data looks like when my heart goes into supraventricular tachycardia. I log walking and running miles together on Strava (meanwhile my husband is tracking just the run on his phone, so I can keep track of distance run) and don’t bother starting a new “run” separate from my warm up and cool down walks, so this represents a half mile walk, 5k run, followed by walking with a second running interval of about half a mile.
You can see my heart rate climb quickly once I start running, gradually climb during the run, then shoot up like a rocket towards the end of the run. Strava stopped collecting heart rate data once it got too high so it appears to plateau. When I stopped running and did a valsalva maneuver it dropped quickly, and I ran about a half mile to see if my heart was back to normal or if it would shoot up again. You can see it behaves normally during the second run interval. But then it never really drops to walking levels during the recovery walk.
This is the data from Dec 29 when my heart went into SVT.
So, the data from yesterday when my heart behaved normally. You can see it never shoots up, and it also drops better during the recovery walk. The dip in the middle of the run is where I stowed my jacket. It also climbs to a respectable but still under control 158 during my finishing sprint up a hill.
Strava is annoying to compare data from two different runs on, since it uses a different scale depending on what the numbers are, so I took these into an art program overlaid them, and squished one until the scales matched. You can see that the numbers during the 5k run. are pretty much identical except for the runaway svt. Also when overlaid like this you can see my heart is much less stressed and recovers better during the walk.
So, it looks like on one-eighth pill I can get my heart rate up to a comfortable level and not have runaway svt! Yay!
Oh! I almost forgot to mention the news! Momma raccoon and the two from last year who I assume are girls (female raccoons frequently stay together for several years while the boys are driven off) have driven the three boys out of the storeroom completely. There was a little mini war going on, it sounded like! Also momma was notably obese. So I knew what to expect and a couple of days ago, I started hearing little squeaks and chitters from the storeroom. We have new babies in there! At this age they are blind and deaf like newborn kittens, and they make a noise like “Bree Bree Bree!”5 -
@Avidkeo - congratulations on conquering that mountain! What an awesome view to be rewarded with at thee top! Going down like that is my worst nightmare and I thinking having hiking poles helps. That just sucks that thee soles of your hiking boots came off. I guess the good side of that is now you can go buy some new ones! I hope your knees feel better!
@marisap2010 - I 2nd using Fitzgerald's 80/20 methodology. He has specifics about keeping your training mostly easy, the 80%, and the rest at race pace or pushing your goal to build speed. Like
@quilteryoyo mentioned it is based on HR and keeping your HR in a specific range and truly easy.
@Teresa502 - that race sounds like so much fun! I also have those same complaints with road races and have told some people, that if they want to walk fine, keep to the right and signal when you plan to start walking. Nothing like having someone stop suddenly to a walk right in from of you.
@katharmonic - it sounds to me like you need to take a self-care day. Take a day off and do what you want to do, go to a spa, get a massage, take yourself to breakfast or lunch. Don't look at emails or texts. I really hope your bf can get his heart issues addressed. I think I would be pushing the cardiologist for specifics about why they changed the treatment plan.
I got out for a short run this morning thinking it would be a great one like Saturdays. It was beautiful out and perfect temperature. Unfortunately my arm decided to be a problem again and started aching and throbbing so I walked and ran when I felt I could and tried to focus on stepping lightly on my feet. I am finding when I focus on that my form is so much better and while initially it made my legs tired I realize it is probably because I have let my form get sloppy. Had agility class tonight too and broke down and took some Tylenol before class. I haven't taken anymore a few days now not even to sleep but I don't think I could have gone otherwise.
I had my PM check today with the cardiologist and I was really curious what my max HR was as recorded by the PM. It never got above 140 in the last 6 mos which tells me my watch is not accurate. Apparently I spend the majority of time, 60%, in the 50-60 bpm range, 30% of the time between 60 and 80 bpm and less than 10% above 80 with only 1% in the 120-140 bpm range! Not sure how I would correlate training zones given that information.3 -
3/1 – 6.51 miles
3/3 – 6.01 miles
3/4 – 4.08 miles
3/7 – 5.06 miles
3/9 – 4.68 miles
3/12 – 15.59 miles
3/14 – 5.02 miles
Total – 46.96/100 miles
I got in a 5-mile run after work yesterday. It was 65F and sunny. I had packed a long-sleeve shirt and wished I had the foresight to have also packed a short-sleeve one because long sleeve was definitely too warm.
@quilteryoyo – keeping up with 9 2 and 3-year olds seems like a workout in itself!
I hope your back problem is short-lived @katharomnic. Sorry about your BF’s delay and lack of direction in treatment. Most of really do take our health for granted until we hear about what others are dealing with. I need to practice more moments of gratitude. I agree with @shanaber – you need a self-indulgence day.
Glad you have dialed you medicine in @rheddmobile and that you are back to running your happy pace. Cute about the racoons kicking the boys out and now babies!
Interesting about your PM data @shanaber. Sorry about your shoulder continuing to hurt.
I know we are always joking about jogging vs. running on here. I read an article this morning about how a bourbon company purposefully used a jogging program, instead of a running program, to engage bartenders to get healthy during the pandemic. Here is the article if anyone wants to read: https://outsideonline.com/health/running/culture-running/people/knob-creek-jogging-club/?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=206789776&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9DFpIadOYPmt1_sJEN89QbCF-VgQqmTcoh7HTD1-d1860g_lbKOJ9ib_O4EGbe_WhcyR2QIo8xyyLZJozczTgHFxkmMTF9VnGJK09Ca6EzUVFWEMo&utm_content=206789774&utm_source=hs_email
I also saw some headlines about the Barkley Marathon and the poor guy who was so disoriented that he was found in town talking to a trash can and the sheriff had to give him a ride back to the start/finish line which I think I read was only a mile or so away.
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Big hugs to you @katharmonic . That's a lot to deal with. Sorry they have changed their mind about the stent. Just curious as to whether you have gotten a second opinion of that and if he had a heart cath. The reason I am asking is that when dad was in the hospital with his heart several years ago one cardiologist thought we could try medicine and the other thought open heart surgery was the way to go. I talked to a doctor friend of dad's and he said that you have to realize that a surgeon is going to want to do surgery and a cardiologist who doesn't do surgery is not going to recommend it. We decided if there were blockages, which we knew there were, that the medicine wasn't going to get rid of them, just maybe help the blood flow around it better. We went with open heart surgery and were glad we did. If he could see a heart surgeon, maybe you would feel better about the medicine if he agreed that was the way to go. I hope your back is feeling better today and you can get in a run today.
@rheddmobile I'm glad you have your meds dialed in and are able to run as you want to. You are doing great. Love that the momma raccoon has another litter of babies. We will be waiting for the first pictures you can get.
@shanaber That would be hard to correlate HR running zones with the pacemaker. I guess you have to go by feel. Is it hard to run when your HR stays low, or does your body adjust? I hope your arm feels better today.1 -
martaindale wrote: »Did we ever have a monthly question for March? If not, I have one.
Do you like to listen to music when you run? And if so what are some of your favorite running songs?
I don’t listen to music, or anything else, when I run. I used to. Back then I mostly used a Spotify playlist with songs in a 170’s bpm range (something like that). After a while I just got tired of it. I do the same in my car though too. I listen to music sometimes, then not for a while. When I was young my dad would drive in silence and I always thought it was weird, but now that I’m older, I get it.
Way behind, playing catch-up, but have to comment. I seem to have reached the age where I have to turn the car radio down to see where I'm going...
I like music when I'm running alone, but have been through phases of prefering podcasts. I liked the zombie run app when I started, but eventually realised I'd stopping paying attention to the story and it was just background noise.
At the moment I have a playlist via spotify of a load of 90s rock and various random other stuff I just like. I also seem to have a subconscious sense of humour because in the middle of tough runs something like 'I'm just a sucker for pain' will pop up and make me lol.5 -
@rheddmobile - we must have posted at similar times yesterday because I didn't see yours. Yay for new babies! What happens to the brothers though?? Do they stay nearby or head off on their own to find a new territory and mates?
So glad you are able to adjust the medicine and still get your heart to behave properly. I asked my PM tech yesterday about svt and afib. I got a lesson on the different chambers of the heart and how they talk to each other and what happens with each of those. He talked about the causes (they aren't completely sure) and fixes (medication mostly and some surgical procedures (ablation)) too. It was really interesting and also found out that pacemakers don't help.
@quilteryoyo - my body has adjusted, mostly. Before the PM my goal was to get my HR up to the mid 120's if I could. Over time that became more and more difficult if not impossible and then running became really hard because my muscles weren't getting enough oxygen to support their needs. With the PM that I have it is supposed to 'learn' my requirements over time and for the most part it works well. Sometimes it won't recognize the demand quickly enough, initially on a run or sometimes it kicks in too much too soon. It is also interesting that it 'paces' the upper chambers the majority of the time and the lower chambers only under demand. I find it fascinating that they can pull all that information from 6 months of recording and be able to see how it is functioning over that time in detail. Sure wish I could just pull the HR data from it to my phone for my workouts!5 -
3-1 - 1.0 mile walk on the driveway
3-2 - 1.0 mile walk - 2.50 mile run out the road
3-3 - 2.0 mile walk in the neighbor's field looking for cows
3-4 - 1.0 mile walk - 1.8 mile run on the driveway
3-5 - 1.0 mile walk - 2.75 mile run out the road
3-6 - 1.0 mile walk in the neighbor's field
3-7 - 1.0 mile walk - 2.0 mile run out the road
3-8 - 1.0 mile walk on the driveway
3-9 - 1.0 mile walk on the treadmill
3-10 - 1.0 mile walk on the driveway
3-11 - 2.0 mile Wun on the driveway
3-12 - 1.0 mile walk on the treadmill
3-13 - 1.20 mile walk - 3.30 mile run on the treadmill
3-14 - 1.00 mile walk on the driveway
3-15 - 2.00 mile wun on the driveway
30.55 miles/60 mile goal
I had intended to run today, but I wasn't feeling it, so went for a wun instead. I'm glad I did because my breathing was off again. A two mile wun in the driveway was plenty today.
That's interesting @shanaber. I didn't realize before the pacemaker that your heart rate didn't go above the 120's. Mine averaged 149 today with a max of 178 for my wun. Interestingly, my HR went down during most of the slow running segments and was higher when I was walking. I'm glad I have the Holter Monitor on. I hope it is showing something that will explain what is going on. I'm with you on the PM data. It would be nice to have a way for you to monitor what it is doing, esp. if you aren't feeling well.
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March Goal: 100 Miles
3/1: 5.15 miles
3/2: 5.16 miles
3/3: 5.16 miles
3/4: 2.02 miles
3/5: 1.61 miles
3/6: 8.10 miles
3/7: 2.02 miles
3/8: 5.60 miles
3/9: 5.15 miles
3/10: 5.15 miles
3/11: 1.51 miles
3/12: 2.03 miles
3/13: 10.10 miles
3/14: 2.02 miles
3/15: 5.05 miles
64.83/100 miles completed for March
I ran 5 miles this morning. It was really nice. The temperature was around 45°F and there was some wind, but not as bad as the last couple of days. The sky was dark, but clear. There were lots of stars and a really bright, kind of lopsided moon. I was hoping to see the deer at the park but I didn't. I did see a fox though so that was cool.
@rheddmobile Glad you are getting the medicine adjusted and I love hearing about your racoon family.
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@Teresa502 thst sounds like a fun race!
@rheddmobile I’m glad to hear that you are adjusting to the meds and able to run at a better pace. Thanks for including the Strava detail. Very interesting.
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My oldest daughter came over to dinner tonight with the baby (almost 2 year old baby) after stopping by the optometrist to pick up glasses. Apparently the preschool did a vision screening and baby failed miserably. We now think that her speech delays are likely related to her eyesight. So now we just have to fingers out how to negotiate with her to actually wear her glasses. Eventually she gave in and kept the glasses on.
My daughter and I went out for a walk and a run after dinner was over. We walked 1.59 miles then ran 2.15 miles. If felt good to run together. And I’m sure it was a good stress reliever for her after wrangling the baby.
7.75 of 20 miles for March complete6 -
@emmamcgarity I'm glad you got a diagnosis for your granddaughter. I feel for you trying to get her to keep glasses on. We have a couple of kids at daycare who wear glasses, one had them before he was one. They do get used to them, but it takes a bit. I hope they help with her speech too. Nice job with the walk and run after dinner.
Sounds like a wonderful time for a run @kgirlhart . Foxes are cool critters.3 -
3/1 – 6.51 miles
3/3 – 6.01 miles
3/4 – 4.08 miles
3/7 – 5.06 miles
3/9 – 4.68 miles
3/12 – 15.59 miles
3/14 – 5.02 miles
3/16 – 5.14
Total – 52.10/100 miles
For the first time in a long time, I felt good with this morning’s run. Just felt like I had a little more energy and wasn’t dragging.
I had to laugh at your turning down the radio to see where you are going comment @eleanorhawkins. Reminded me of my friend’s comment when we were running this morning. We were on a quiet street when a car pulled out quickly from a STOP sign and sped off down the street. I laughed and said “he” must have been late for work. My friend commented about all the gas that he just used in pulling out so quickly. ….we are turning into our parents… Have you seen the Progressive Insurance commercials?
@emmamcgarity – So glad that your grandbaby had her vision problems diagnosed and glasses prescribed but I can’t imagine doing that battle with a 2-year old! A walk and run was just what you both needed!
@polskagirl01 – Missing you but I’m guessing that you have your hands full with the humanitarian efforts. Praying for all.
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I just had to post this inspiring story... just in case anyone was feeling too old to keep running!
I also have a friend I used to work with (about the same age as me) who started running about the same time I did. She is amazing - made it to Boston, ran the London and Tokyo marathons and just completed her first 50k along the American River! She was the oldest of all the competitors (male or female). She is such an inspiration to me! I will never be able to match her speed or accomplishments but it shows me just what we are capable of! I have to get this arm diagnosed and healed so I can get back to it in earnest!
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March Goal: 100 Miles
3/1: 5.15 miles
3/2: 5.16 miles
3/3: 5.16 miles
3/4: 2.02 miles
3/5: 1.61 miles
3/6: 8.10 miles
3/7: 2.02 miles
3/8: 5.60 miles
3/9: 5.15 miles
3/10: 5.15 miles
3/11: 1.51 miles
3/12: 2.03 miles
3/13: 10.10 miles
3/14: 2.02 miles
3/15: 5.05 miles
3/16: 6.02 miles
69.85/100 miles completed for March
I ran 6 miles this morning. It was a good run. It was pretty uneventful. I didn't see any critters, but the moon was bright and it was a really nice morning and I felt great. It was a bit chilly, but not windy and it was great weather for running. I ran a little extra this morning. We are going to Austin this weekend to see our daughter. I hope to get some runs in to keep up my streak, but I doubt I will be able to get any long runs.
@shanaber What a great story. Thanks for sharing it.
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March total: 31.9/75 Miles
3/2: 2.1 miles
3/4: 4.2 miles
3/6: 3.1 miles
3/7: 2 miles
3/9: 5 miles
3/11: 3.1 miles
3/12: 4 miles, 2.2 miles
3/14: 3.1 miles
3/16: 3.1 miles
Uneventful but pleasant run in the wee hours this morning. The moon is so close to full and super bright. Really pretty!
Has anyone seen the legislation moving through right now about getting rid of daylight savings time nationwide? I know some folks here have mentioned struggling with dark mornings. What do y'all think about this? The latest sunrise we would get in Houston would be around 830am. That's pretty late but it would also mean that it wouldn't be dark before I leave work, so that's a plus. And, more dark runs for me!!3 -
Inspirational story @shanaber.
6 treadmill miles this evening. I have come to realize that running on the treadmill is physical therapy for me. Every time I run outside, the next day my shins / Achilles hurt terribly. But after a treadmill run, hardly anything. So I will try to do that at least twice a week, maybe only run outside on the weekend. See how it goes. 5 -
My 80/20 Running book came yesterday, so I spent some of my lunch break reading. So far, the info it provides seems pretty sound, so I think I am going to go through one of the 5K plans to test it out, and if I see progress, I’ll incorporate into my marathon training.
Apparently, most people’s “easy” runs are actually moderately-hard. Tonight I had to run slow enough to hold a conversation, so I tried saying the alphabet as I went along. Turns out, even that was too fast when I looked at my heart rate after. When I start the plan next week, I’ll program the runs into my Garmin with a focus on HR so it will notify me to slow down. This is going to be tough to get used to!
Someone in my local women’s running group gave me a free race entry to a 10.5K in early April, so that was exciting. I also have my “Quarter marathon” this weekend.6 -
3/1 – 6.51 miles
3/3 – 6.01 miles
3/4 – 4.08 miles
3/7 – 5.06 miles
3/9 – 4.68 miles
3/12 – 15.59 miles
3/14 – 5.02 miles
3/16 – 5.14 miles
3/17 – 5.20 miles
Total – 57.3/100 miles
The moon was beautiful this morning peeking through the clouds. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
@martaindale – I did see an article about the Sunshine Protection Act. The Senate approved making daylight saving time permanent yesterday. I also read that the director of Vanderbilt Sleep Division argues that daylight savings time makes it harder to be alert in the morning. I don’t know about that but I do know the older I get, the harder time my body has adjusting to the time changes.
Interesting about the treadmill @Scott6255 – I guess it has more “give” than the pavement.
Keep us posted about your 80/20 experiment @marisap2010!
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