September 2022 Monthly Running Challenge

AlphaHowls · September 2022

@shanaber wrote: »

@AlphaHowls - so much to go wrong at once! I think that is the limit for the rest of the year ok? Also I hope none of those cars that were hit was yours and that everyone was ok. How do you manage to still run with a gout flair up? Most people can't even walk let alone run, but then we know you aren't 'most people'

No, not my vehicle. I was at home when the semi started his rampage. No serious injuries reported, just damage to vehicles.

Yes, it does hurt, depending on intensity of flair and if I caught early stages and can get some aleve or tylenol in me as well as packing in ice. Over time, I have learned that the pain really does not matter. Sharp pain, I pay attention to, try to figure it out. Dull, achy, burn, nagging pain...I just do not care anymore. I really do not know how to explain it, but I have spent last 7 years trying to figure out IBS triggers, gout triggers, headaches, body aches and just plain aging aches. If I can get one foot in front of the other, I might as well be moving. I spent way too much time being obese and unhappy to be sidelined anymore.

So, how do I manage? One foot in front of the other, some times are slower than others.

@eleanorhawkins
Ok that made me laugh!

@AlphaHowls dang, the Spanish would say you must have stared at a guy with only one eye (weird and random expression for those times everything seems to go wrong). Hugs!

AlphaHowls · September 2022

@shanaber wrote: »

Question for the month...
What exercises or stretches do you do specifically to help your running?
Do you do them because of a previous injury or to maybe prevent an injury?

I do a series of 4-5 PT exercises with bands as recommended by the therapist after I tore my hamstring. I was thinking about Scott's ankle and have been reading about the importance of keeping our ankles flexible as we get older so I might need to add in some exercises for that. Does anyone do anything there?

Wake up 4 am
bathroom
weigh
brush teeth
put on running clothes
devotional
check weather
walk to little rug on floor
Use roller on back and legs
hip thrusts
modified hip/leg stretches that help my hips and back
yoga poses:
Child and say my prayers
Cat, cow, cobra, downward dog
bear crawl one time around room
stop at stairs, stretch ankles 10x each (this keeps me tearing hamstring (learned in PT years ago)
Put on running shoes
Grab phone, ipod, ear buds, water belt
Grab my gum, maybe one piece of candy to put in my pocket.
Out the door about 40 minutes total

TMI, more information than you asked for, but there it is. Developed over time, learn this and that, a few injuries, listening to others, trying, refining...WIP

kgirlhart · September 2022

September Goal: 100 Miles

9/1: 6.02 miles
9/2: 2.11 miles
9/4: 10.02 miles
9/6: 5.31 miles
9/7: 5.33 miles
9/8: 5.41 miles
9/11: 11.02 miles
9/12: 2.02 miles
9/13: 5.51 miles
9/14: 5.52 miles
9/16: 5.51 miles

63.77/100 miles completed for September

I took yesterday as a rest day and didn't run. I did walk 2 miles at lunch. It was a little warm but not too bad. @quilteryoyo I don't really know why I don't like walking in the dark. I guess I just enjoy walking more when it is a pretty day.

Today I ran 5.5 miles. It was an uneventful run, but nice. Tomorrow we are going to Denton to visit our son and his girlfriend. I may try to get a short run in the morning, but I won't getbto do myong run on Sunday. I am planning to get a walk in after we get home and then run on Monday.

tarun_yadavA · September 2022

shanaber wrote: »

Question for the month...
What exercises or stretches do you do specifically to help your running?
Do you do them because of a previous injury or to maybe prevent an injury?

I do a series of 4-5 PT exercises with bands as recommended by the therapist after I tore my hamstring. I was thinking about Scott's ankle and have been reading about the importance of keeping our ankles flexible as we get older so I might need to add in some exercises for that. Does anyone do anything there?

@shanaber good question. I do the standard stretches before and after. Having a niggle in my right glute-hammy area. So, one I've taken to a lot recently, is bridging - lying on the floor and lifting pelvis up whilst raising each leg, stretched, one at a time. I think it's helping. And I'm trying not to run at pace anymore. But I feel it when Im trying to accelerate, so I try to keep the same pace throughout now. There's the odd "in a bad mood"/"p!ssed off" run I might forget it and just run and then I look and it's 8:30"-8:45".

eleanorhawkins · September 2022

Stretches: physio started me doing slow heel drops off a step after I wrecked my legs during my first HM so I kept that up along with general post-run stretches, then I like to put my legs up a wall for 5-10 minutes.
I do some yoga every day unless it's completely impossible, which provides some strengthening in disguise and plenty of stretching. I also try to do some mobility work.
Latest addition which seems good for ankles is one of those stability cushion things. For now I'm just wobbling about on it hahaha.

tarun_yadavA · September 2022

Morning all. Hope everybody has a lovely weekend.
(Three day weekend here [which I have mixed feelings about! ]) Today's 4.5

marisap2010 · September 2022

@7lenny7 Congrats on your race!
@polskagirl I’m glad you weren’t hurt when your bike crashed. Also, cute signs for your kids.
Awesome pictures @eleanorhawkins!
@quilteryoyo Your neighbor’s baby is very cute! Also, congratulations on your step-granddaughter’s baby!
Sounds like a great trip, @martaindale. The magnetic LEDs sound like a great idea. I also hate running with a headlamp and always end up with a mark across the forehead.
Good job keeping up your streak, @kgirlhart. I like your new shoes.
@tarun_yadavA A six mile queue! Wow, that is crazy.
@shanaber That is a lot for a running watch!
Great job on your run and your improved pace, @Teresa502!
@AlphaHowls First of all, congrats on 1600 days on the run! I’m sorry so much is going on this September.

This week has been kind of busy, but I managed as much running as I could. Monday I did 1.5 miles in Z1 for recovery after the 20 miles on Sunday. I worked late on Tuesday and then the girl I mentor begged me to help her fill out some college applications, so I helped her instead of running. Wednesday, I had a 3 mile tempo run. I worked really late on Thursday again, so the run was missed. Yesterday, I did a mixed interval run for 3.85 miles. I signed up for a virtual race (I pretty much just wanted the shirt) awhile back, and the packet came in the mail yesterday, so I counted yesterday’s run as my “race.”

I'm about to get out for a foundation run before I pick up hubby at the airport. Tomorrow will be 18 miles (of intervals...aren't tapers supposed to be easy?!).

September miles: 64.45

rps67 · September 2022

polskagirl01 wrote: »

ETA not running related, but I'm upping my parenting game here:

Those are the kids' guinea pigs. It's now been pointed out that 2 piggies have been left out. Guess I'll have to make more signs 😆

These are fantastic!! I need the one about not hogging the shampoo because I don't know how my kids manage to go through a whole bottle of shampoo in like a week. You don't have THAT much hair, child.

rps67 · September 2022

Just checking in with no new miles to report because my stupid Achilles is acting up. The first time I got into running years ago, I had the same issue. This time it's only on one foot rather than both, so I guess that's good. I did a short run of 2ish miles on Wednesday and when I run, it doesn't hurt, but then in the following days, my Achilles will be swollen and a little tender. We're going to King's Dominion again today, so I anticipate a lot of walking and I'm going to put KT tape on. It helped a lot the last time, but I'm just so annoyed that my body can't behave.

katharmonic · September 2022

@rps67 sorry about the Achilles issue. It is so frustrating to have that kind of nagging issue. Hope the tape helps.

@polskagirl01 love the guinea pig signs. Don't hog the shampoo, lol.

@marisap2010 love that shirt. You are doing great and it does seem like tapering should feel easier! I'm sure it will in the week before and then all your work will pay off!

@shanaber regarding stretching, I have gotten away from any regular stretching immediately before or after a run. Just out of the habit not running with a coach/group these days. But I do yoga once a week and in my strength training we do some ankle work fairly regularly. Mostly using a Bosu ball and doing single leg balancing and squats, etc. When I was doing a lot of hiking it was really important to work on ankle mobility and I think that work spared me a few sprained ankles. Lots of single leg deadlifts too and single leg yoga balance helps too.

It's getting repetitive for me to just report busy week, not much running. I did 7.25 miles this morning and only a couple of short runs during the week.

I have had some nagging shoulder pain and finally went to the ortho walk-in clinic and the PA thinks I probably have at least a small tear of one of the tendons. I'm going to start PT next week and will see the ortho doc the following week. In the meantime, the PA told me to knock it off with continuing to try to lift any weights. Only lower body for the time being.

Scott6255 · September 2022

Welcome back @Mari33a
@AlphaHowls congrats on 1600 day streak! With all that you have been going through, I know that one thing you can count on each day is a comfort to you.
@marisap2010 nice swag for your virtual race. And yeah, 18 miles is NOT part of your taper. That is usually a week (or two) before your race. When is the race?
@polskagirl01 those signs are very creative! I hope they work.
@shanaber regarding stretches: Before a run I will put IcyHot on my calves, then do about 15 minutes of foam rolling on hips, quads, calves, and back. Then do some scorpions, followed by some donkey kicks. Then a couple yoga poses (child pose, downward dog). Then some rocker squats. Then I get dressed and go outside. Do leg swings (front to back, then side to side). Calf raises and lunges, few high knees and butt kicks. Then I'm off. Takes about 30 minutes, so anything less than 4 or 5 miles just isn't worth all the prep time.

16 miles this morning. When I looked at this training plan, the first run that I was nervous about was the 16 miler. It lived up to expectation. It started out at 78F, 96% humidity, 73F dew point according to my phone, but it was cloudy, so that helped. The first 10 miles were good, at or near marathon pace. But after that it was a struggle. Had to basically walk/run the last 6 miles. Mostly because my stomach was cramping and my mouth felt like I was chewing aluminum foil. But glad I got it done.

polskagirl01 · September 2022

rps67 wrote: »

polskagirl01 wrote: »

ETA not running related, but I'm upping my parenting game here:

Those are the kids' guinea pigs. It's now been pointed out that 2 piggies have been left out. Guess I'll have to make more signs 😆

These are fantastic!! I need the one about not hogging the shampoo because I don't know how my kids manage to go through a whole bottle of shampoo in like a week. You don't have THAT much hair, child.

Seriously. Like if I can smell conditioner from down the hall outside the bathroom while you're showering, you're using too much!

Race Report: 10k in my little city in Silesia, Poland

Race was somewhat small (500 runners) and for some reason, not many of the girls from my running club signed up. Guys yes, but only 3 of us ladies. I had agreed to at least start the race with a girl who is normally faster than me, but she had a baby earlier this year and hasn't been running at all, and I've been how I've been all year, so we didn't know what to expect. Fortunately her husband ran with their stroller so we didn't have to worry about that! It turned out we both struggled, but our pace was similar and we stayed together to the end (well, until she pulled her child in before the finish line and I didn't wait).

One fun aspect of this race was that the women had a 4+ minute head start - the difference between the national 10k records for male vs female. So we got passed by a lot of men, but it also felt like we were further up in the pack the whole time than we really were. There's a prize for first finisher and sometimes it has been a woman. Not this time though, although it looked like one put up a good fight.

Being that this was our city and we had on our club shirts, there were people cheering us on who I actually knew, which was fun. The route was 2 laps of an out and back, so we got to see those people multiple times as well.

Ok, so my finishing time wasn't my worst ever, but it's depressingly slow compared to all of my other results. The girl I ran with (and yes we RAN all but about 45 seconds) logged it in Strava as a "walk" 😕 BUT HEY, I showed up and finished!

Our club won the prize for having the most participants (17), which means we actually beat the organizers' team 😆. Big trophy and 2 bags full of prizes, including mustard, spices and travel cups, that our club president is dividing up for everyone.

We also got 3rd place for a team of 5 - they take the best 5 finishers from the team (has to include 1 female) and combine their times, and it turns out that just showing up and running as part of a team with some fast guys, made me the first female from the club to finish and put me on that team of 5. So I got to stand on the podium with one of my teammates (the other 3 had gone home 😆) and got a gift certificate to Decathlon (which I've been avoiding because of their involvement in Russia, but if they're GIVING me money, I'll use it). That trophy will probably go to the fastest from the 5 of us. I took a picture of it 🙂
Moral of that story is, sometimes it's enough to just show up and run the race.

Pics:

The medals are cool - the coal cart spins around!

Prizes that are getting divided up among the 17 of us

Rest of my pics have other people in it and I'm not sure they want me putting them on the internet. But this pre-race club picture is probably fine for public sharing. There are a bunch of us missing though.

Embarrassing moment! At the start line, they're announcing some notable people who are racing - you know, people who have some great running accomplishments... and then the announcer says something about no Kenyans this year, but "We do have one American running today, <insert my name in drawn-out announcer voice>". I just laughed, but didn't admit to it being me 😆. It's so funny how this place is so different and yet reminds me so much of the small town I'm from in Pennsylvania.

marisap2010 · September 2022

@Scott6255 The race is two weeks from tomorrow. The 18 is less than the 20 miles of last week, but it isn’t so much the mileage as much as doing it with intervals that is a bit stressful at this point.

shanaber · September 2022

@marisap2010 - love that shirt!
@rps67 - I hope your achilles feels better soon!
@katharmonic - I can relate on the tendon tear having just come off all the PT and the potential for surgery. My shoulder still hurts, especially if I don't keep up with the exercises and stretches. I am trying not to baby it because I don't want to lose any range of motion. I hope PT takes care of it for you!
@Scott6255 - Hey you got it done even though it was hard! With that dew point I think I would have just turned around and gone home to run it another day.
@polskagirl01 - congratulations! Sounds like a fun and rewarding day! So funny about you being the honorary American runner 😊

Thanks all for the info on stretches and exercises. Some I already do but there are lots more to consider and possibly add to my rotation.

I took Hobbes out this morning for what I thought would be a short sleasy run. My body was feeling that deep down muscle tiredness but I really wanted to get something in. Hobbes was actually excited to go and wanted to run and run so it was fun. It was cloudy for most of the run with a cool breeze again. I did have an issue in the middle of the run with pain in my chest (breast bone area) that made me sit down for a few minutes. I think it was likely heartburn 🤷🏻‍♀️ I have not had it before so I really don't know. I did get a drink of water at the fountain shortly after and that helped and I was able to finish my run and it hasn't returned. The pelicans were back today and I got a couple of better pictures of them.

I love this one with the pelican standing out on the rock

tarun_yadavA · September 2022

Good morning everyone!
Hope everyone's having a good weekend!
Had to force myself - but got a run in!!

marisap2010 · September 2022

My allergies have decided to ramp into high gear yesterday and today, despite my daily Claritin. I felt awful last night and took Theraflu before bed. 5am rolled around, and I got up to run, but my head throbbed, and I was nauseous from the sinus meds. Of course, there is a high pollen alert this morning. I ended up doing a run and walk combo to get in 6 of the 18 miles. I’m going to try to get in another 6 tomorrow instead of the Z1 recovery planned following the 18 I was supposed to do. There is just no way I can keep going today with how bad I feel.

tarun_yadavA · September 2022

marisap2010 wrote: »

My allergies have decided to ramp into high gear yesterday and today, despite my daily Claritin. I felt awful last night and took Theraflu before bed. 5am rolled around, and I got up to run, but my head throbbed, and I was nauseous from the sinus meds. Of course, there is a high pollen alert this morning. I ended up doing a run and walk combo to get in 6 of the 18 miles. I’m going to try to get in another 6 tomorrow instead of the Z1 recovery planned following the 18 I was supposed to do. There is just no way I can keep going today with how bad I feel.

@marisap2010 Urgh. Sounds the worst. The loss of sleep is a killer for me... Hope you get better soon!

polskagirl01 · September 2022

marisap2010 wrote: »

My allergies have decided to ramp into high gear yesterday and today, despite my daily Claritin. I felt awful last night and took Theraflu before bed. 5am rolled around, and I got up to run, but my head throbbed, and I was nauseous from the sinus meds. Of course, there is a high pollen alert this morning. I ended up doing a run and walk combo to get in 6 of the 18 miles. I’m going to try to get in another 6 tomorrow instead of the Z1 recovery planned following the 18 I was supposed to do. There is just no way I can keep going today with how bad I feel.

I was just going to comment about the upcoming <18 miles of intervals> before I saw this, to say that with the 20 miles you've already done, and 2 weeks to go, you've done the training. Don't stress over this 18. You're going to do great!
Hugs on the allergies breaking through even the daily medication. That can really wipe you out.

Today's adventure

So yesterday when I was going into the bathroom at the race, I saw a lady who organized a charity race I'd done before. She had a shirt on with a cute little baby boy on it and said they were doing a benefit run for him - today (he has SMA). Just 4k this time, same place/route as the other race, basically in the middle of nowhere. So I politely said I'd see how I was feeling after the 10k 😆 But today after church my daughter said she'd go and do it too, as long as I stayed with her, and she was going to need to do a lot of walking. It was raining and I figured they'd have low turnout, and I was feeling just generally down and thought it might be good to go move a bit. So we dressed in matching outfits and went and did the 4k in 35:45. It was fun because the route was muddy and we didn't tiptoe around like others were doing, and also it was great to only be doing one lap around this time. We found someone's ID on the trail, and as we were picking it up, my daughter must've lost her race number, but we were on our own for timing anyway so it didn't matter. Lots of kids and non-runners were doing it, so our run/walk didn't bother anyone and we weren't last or anything. I didn't really realize that there was a whole festival with the race on the side though, and parking (and getting out of the parking situation without hitting the people who made their own spots after I parked) was super stressful, but we got in and out slowly but without incident.

All of the race numbers appeared to be personalized with kid drawings.

Is it bedtime yet?

yirara · September 2022

07.09 Wed 24°C 4.2km 38min
10.09 Sat 23°C 6.0km 54min
11.09 Sun 21°C 5.2km 45min
14.09 Wed 15°C 6.3km 60min
15.09 Thu 14°C 5.2km 43min
18.09 Sun 10°C 5.0km 43min

total: 31.92km

Well, interesting run. Got attacked by poorly trained dog on a long lead and my HR and pace were all over the place for the majority of the run. This should have been a slower run. Also I lost 2.5mins of this run because a rain droplet stopped my running app. Sigh.

Scott6255 · September 2022

@marisap2010 so sorry your allergies were acting up. Hope they clear up soon.
@polskagirl01 glad you got to run with your daughter.
@yirara that sucks about the dog attack! My HR would have been out of control too!

Did a 5 mile treadmill recovery run this afternoon. Felt pretty good.

September 2022 Monthly Running Challenge

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