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January 2023 Monthly Running Challenge
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@quilteryoyo wrote: »
Welcome @ptabibian ! Is that 500 miles on your ticker your goal for the year? You may already know this, since I don't know how much you are currently running, but don't increase your mileage too fast or you'll risk injury. Are you using a training plan to get ready for your half? Will this be your first? @Alphahowls gets up at 4 am, I think. Me? Nope. I am not a morning person.
Yes indeed! I get up at 4 AM to get started. Sure was nice during the week off that I did not have to get up some mornings. *sighs* Back into the grind tomorrow!
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I'm curious for those who run first thing in the morning. How long are you up before you run? I usually get up around 4:30 but it takes me about an hour to have a cup of coffee, use the restroom, put in my contacts and get dressed. I am not naturally a morning person, so it just takes me a while to wake up and get moving.4
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back to the grind here tomorrow also. Already set my alarm and plugged my flashers in since it will be dark for another month still.
@kgirlhart the same. I need an HOUR after I get up before I am mentally and physically able to go out the door to run. I am a morning person but my body needs that coffee and time awake.
I had 4 days off and I only managed to sleep in an extra hour for most of them. I still like to run early as the sun is coming up. Something about that sky.
Good question5 -
@martaindale Have you posted a link for us to track you yet?
Runner tracking doesn't seem to be up yet, but I will definitely post it as soon as I get it. I can't remember if I usually see it ahead of time or if it was something I usually get at the expo. Either way, would be Wednesday at the latest. I would love it if you guys followed along!I'm curious for those who run first thing in the morning. How long are you up before you run?
I need 45 mins to an hour too. The only exception is when I am squeezing in a 3 mile before I have to be at work. Those days it's up at 5:30, out the door by 5:45. Anything longer requires a bit of food and caffeine.3 -
@Fit2btied2016 Good job getting out there and doing something. Sometimes that's all we can do. I am glad you are feeling relief and hope it helps you move forward in healing.3
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Hi, my 2023 goals are to exercise more and portion control my food. I also want to do another 10k. I have been striving for 3 runs a week, which range from 2-3 miles each time.6
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@kgirlhart I'm a morning (empty stomach!?) runner too... I need about 90 mins.
Pint of water, Chai, drop my youngest at school, bathroom, log in to work... And then go.
(One of the reasons why I'm a bit iffy about running a full marathon. Aside from a couple of 'rogue' exceptions, literally everyone -virtual or known- is saying I need to eat something before long running. I would need to figure out how to make that work)4 -
tarun_yadavA wrote: »@kgirlhart I'm a morning (empty stomach!?) runner too... I need about 90 mins.
Pint of water, Chai, drop my youngest at school, bathroom, log in to work... And then go.
(One of the reasons why I'm a bit iffy about running a full marathon. Aside from a couple of 'rogue' exceptions, literally everyone -virtual or known- is saying I need to eat something before long running. I would need to figure out how to make that work)
I need an hour from alarm to out the door to run, too. In my case it's 2 mugs of coffee, something to eat if it'll be more than an hour or so, bathroom.
@tarun_yadavA start working on it now. You can train yourself, and especially your stomach, but it takes time and consistency and lots of experimenting. Start off really small, like with one bite of a banana or bite of toast or something, and very gradually work your way up. Having said that, you're fast and run on roads so you probably could do a marathon on a slice or two of toast first then a few gels during. OR come run trails and we'll teach you to run down hills with a slice of cake in one hand 😈
ETA: also, sorry but it's too late to be iffy about it, you have inadvertantly committed to it now and we're all witnesses! Go find a plan and a race :-p5 -
My goal is to walk and hike 1,000 miles like I do every year.
In addition to it, I finally want to run a 5k. I walk 5k, 10k, and half marathons and hike between 10-35 miles, but I have never run any of these distances. Because of my severe asthma, I have never tried to run.
I power walked 10.6 miles yesterday and then 4 miles on the treadmill today. I ran 1.5 of these miles today at a leisurely pace. And I felt okay doing so.
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Getting in a funk is understandable. I think the post-marathon blues are even worse when we don't get the results we wanted. Your running mojo will hopefully be back soon.marisap2010 wrote: »Happy New Year everyone! Sorry I keep going MIA. Ever since my marathon went poorly, I have been in such a running funk. I feel so much better (health-wise and mental health-wise) when I am running though, so I started following a 10K plan last week that has me running 3-4 times per week. I do have a goal of walking at least a mile on any non-running day to keep me moving. I really hope I will keep it up. I'm also trying to do Les Mills BodyCombat 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes.
@tarun_yadavA that sounds like a tough reset goal you're doing for January! "Go hard or go home" seems to be your style though, so I'm sure you can do it if you're determined. I'd imagine the first few weeks/days will be the toughest, until you get used to the new routine. We'll be cheering you on! Oh, and you're going to do a marathon. We know it, and you know it. 😁 The details like nutrition will be part of the process. Start small. Toast, fruit, etc... your body adapts to what you expect of it.
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Good morning everyone! 😊
Got my 'usual' 9K in@polskagirl01 - Haha. I am seriously contemplating it. I've got to 20 at good pace. Rest is mental I suppose.
@eleanorhawkins - bite of a banana sounds a good plan. Just scared of reflux-y responses further down the line.
Speaking of marathons... Good luck Sarah! @martaindale !!
Let us know how first one goes (that should be a nice gentle ease-in!)
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@tarun_yadavA I completely agree with the others about the marathon! We will definitely cheer you on!
I also used to have serious issues eating before running. This was a big problem in school because we didn’t have our running training until 2 pm and, I ate lunch every day, because I was hungry. Sometimes I REALLY regretted it while I was running but it did help me figure out what my body could (fruits, grains, yogurt) and couldn’t digest (things involving butter and oil - cookies = very bad). What about just experimenting with small amounts and see how your body reacts?
You weren’t the only one overdoing the holidays. I am also on a “hard reset“ hopefully for forever when it comes to alcohol, because I figure why not just not drink at all.
@marisap2010 I also had a bad marathon experience. Maybe it’s the reason I’ve only ever run one marathon. It was in 2005 in Paris and I was studying abroad here in Germany at the time and I was horribly undertrained but I did it anyway. The first half went fine, but the second half…. If I do run a marathon again (maybe next year or the year after), I will make sure I have prepared my body a bit better.
@martaindale I am also so excited for you and your races! I hope it is a great experience!
So today I got in my first run of the year. I was quite sore from going all out in my 10 k on New Year’s Eve and then having a last night of drinking, so I didn’t feel ready to run before. I got 15.1km in. It was a nice run and we are back to having winter again here after our one-day warm weather break, so lots of layers, hat, headband, but the sun did make an appearance
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Alright gang, looks like runner tracking is coming online. When I logged in I only see the 10k but the longer distances should be loading. My bib number across all 4 races is 21353 in case you need to input that somewhere.
https://track.rtrt.me/e/WDW-WDW-2023#/tracker/RUMCYTHD/focus
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Sounds like you did great @marisap2010 .
Welcome @Dawebberz1 . That sounds like a sound plan to reach your goals.
Welcome and nice workout @YvonneB01 . I hope your asthma allows you to meet your goal of running a 5K. It sounds like you have an excellent start toward that goal.
Nice run @tarun_yadavA .
@Laurz9191 Nice running. Good luck with your hard reset too.
Thanks for sharing the tracker @martaindale ! What time do the races start? Sounded like really early since you said you would be getting up at 2:30 am.1 -
@tarun_yadavA that's exactly why you start trying things and training your body now, while it doesn't matter if you *kitten* yourself 🤣
As a general rule before a run, fat is bad, fibre is bad, carbs are good. But again, it's very personal. I cannot tolerate ripe bananas before a run, they have to be a little on the green side still. At first it was a bit of banana, then dry toast... now I'm at the point where, unless I'm doing hard speedwork, I can stomach a couple of slices of peanut butter on multigrain toast or a bowl of oats, banana and greek yoghurt and not bat an eyelid.
I realised this morning that I should be officially in marathon training by now. I guess as I'm running regularly anyway I haven't ruined anything by not thinking about it yet, but I should probably make some kind of sensible plan to follow. Going to have to be creative due to a week-long hiking holiday right when my 20-miler would be scheduled on a generic plan for beginners. I'm not sure, options are move it forward a couple of weeks, though some argue I would 'peak too soon' or put it off a couple of weeks, but that wouldn't give me a decent taper... considering my only real goal is to make it round (fully expect to need around 6 hours, especially as friends who have run it tell me there are more hills than they let on) I guess I don't really need to worry about the peaking thing, and that week away will be a lot of time on feet, even if not running.6 -
@Laurz9191 hey, thanks for the tip! Glad I'm not the only one who's (instinctively, at least!) not into eating before running.
@eleanorhawkins - peanut butter toast? Ummm... Will try something less 'chunky' to start with.
Planning a long one on Sat - so may try a bite of banana, or a few grapes maybe to start with4 -
What happened to the Gatorade gel tabs? I like those for an energy boost. Not available anywhere right now? Discontinued?0
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I'm curious for those who run first thing in the morning. How long are you up before you run? I usually get up around 4:30 but it takes me about an hour to have a cup of coffee, use the restroom, put in my contacts and get dressed. I am not naturally a morning person, so it just takes me a while to wake up and get moving.
I get up at 4:00 am and out of the house and into the car by 4:15 am, drive to the city (sounds so fanciful) and meet friends for a 5:00 am run. I don't eat anything before the run. I sip some water on the drive but not a lot because there are very few public restrooms open at 5:00 am. No coffee for that same reason.5 -
@quilteryoyo Thanks for the welcome, I'm doing the 12 week beginner 5k plan through Garmin Connect (not the Garmin Coach one). I signed up for a 10k in May, so when this one is complete, I'm going to do a Garmin Coach 10k training plan for that.
Started week 2 with an easy run, it was a beautiful sunny day, but running in the snow is always more challenging. I just keep thinking how easy running will be in the spring, lol.
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SummerSkier wrote: »What happened to the Gatorade gel tabs? I like those for an energy boost. Not available anywhere right now? Discontinued?
Yep, those used to be my go-to. But haven't been able to find them in stores (or online) for probably a year or so. I switched to Honey Stinger Energy chews, or on occasion have used Scratch Lab Energy chews. They seem to work about the same.
@martaindale thanks for the tracking link. I'll try to stalk you when I can
I'm curious for those who run first thing in the morning. How long are you up before you run? I usually get up around 4:30 but it takes me about an hour to have a cup of coffee, use the restroom, put in my contacts and get dressed. I am not naturally a morning person, so it just takes me a while to wake up and get moving.
In the summer I get up around 3:30 or 4:00. Have coffee and small breakfast (peanut butter toast on weekdays, oatmeal, berries, and nuts on weekends for long runs). Get dressed, stretch, potty, etc. Takes me about an hour before I'm out the door.
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I'm a morning runner, up. Clothes on, drink of water and out the door. Takes me 15 minutes. I find if I faff around I end up not going. Basically I'm not willing to get up any earlier if I don't have to.
I used to always eat first - a banana - but got lazy and don't bother.
Back when I was doing long runs I would have porridge (oatmeal I think) about an hour before the run, and I eat jelly beans for energy! Been a long time now since I've done runs long enough to need them though5 -
@tarun_yadavA smooth peanut butter? Lol, not really, too fatty for many stomachs until trained to tolerate. I like marmite for shorter runs too, less energy though. I also have Nature Valley oat bars sometimes. Hell, at this rate I'll be snorting pizza for breakfast before ultras if I'm not careful. Maybe I don't want to be careful though O:-)
@Avidkeo you'll be back there soon! I'd forgotten about the jelly beans! I fuelled myfirst half with jelly babies. Though actually I do like to grab a handful of jelly sweets at aid stations towards the end of long mountain races, I use them to take my mind off the final climbs hahaha.
Pro tip though, especially for Tarun... do not, under any circumstances, grab a piece of chocolate coated wafer thing that's been sitting on a table in the sun for hours!
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8 miles this evening. Felt harder than yesterday, and was :30 / mile slower. Just couldn't find my breath.
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Love all of the discussion about eating or not eating before running. Since I had 2 hours between leaving the hotel and running when I did the 10 mile race, I had a "normal" breakfast of a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit from McDonalds and coffee. It had plenty of time to settle before starting to run. I do find that I do okay with peanut butter or peanut butter toast before running if I haven't eaten much all day and am hungry before heading out.
@JennieMaeK I need to look at those plans and see what they look like. I have been using Matt Fitzgerald's plans, which I like. Sounds like you are doing great!
You're doing great @Fit2btied2016 . Thanks for your kind words. BTW, I am using the ticker factory site, but I am having to reenter my choices on the tape and the icon each time. I used to not have to do that when I used the site a couple of years ago. I wouldn't have done the polar dip there either. So sad about the death.
@Scott6255 Some days are just harder for what ever reason.
I got my Holter Monitor put on this morning. I was told to try to not sweat, or sweat much, for the first 24 hours at least, so the tape will stay stuck. So, I just didn't even try to run today, but went out for a driveway walk this afternoon, with an eye to the sky. It kept getting darker and darker and about a mile in, Tippy came streaking by me, heading to the garage. About that time, the wind started howling and blowing leave up from the hill onto the driveway like a river, so I headed for the garage too. I finished my walk on the treadmill, slowing down as necessary to keep from sweating much (and taking off my t-shirt). Did a total of 2.25 miles today.
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So many newbies to the discussion! Yay!! Too many to call out all of yo but welcome to the group. Don't be shy jump right into the discussions, ask questions, etc...
@Scott6255 If this had been me I would have gone out immediately and purchased a lotto ticket with 836!OK, this must have been divine intervention today. When I started out I thought I would do an easy 10 miles. But around mile 4 I decided to turn left instead of right because it looked like it was about to rain. So ended up with 8.36 miles....at 8:36 pace....and finished at 8:36am!!! 😳
@SummerSkier and @martaindale - my husband and I have also not had covid (that we know of) or the flu and have a few friends and family who have not. We are pretty careful and wear a mask when we have to be inside with others. In LA they don't require masks but have made it pretty clear that you should wear one inside like at the musical we went to last week. Pretty much everyone had a mask on.
@kgirlhart - I need a good hour to get going and since I retired and get up later, sometimes especially when it is warm, it can be a real problem. I used to get up really early to get a run in before work, up at 4:30 and out by 5:30ish and sometimes if I had an early conference call I would run while on the call - only a problem if I had to talk 😁
I have also worked my way up to eating something before I run. I always used to run fasted until I was having serious energy issues and worked with a nutritionist. A banana or banana with nut butter or toast with nut butter and sliced banana are usually my go to. Before a race I would typically have toast if I was somewhere to get it or oatmeal (no milk) which I could always get at Starbucks or make instant in a hotel. Nutritionist also told me to have a bit of protein first thing. I don't care for eggs so it is typically a bit of a protein bar. I can't do anything dairy or chocolate before or during a run.
@Tarun_yadava - Definitely have you down for a marathon now 🤭
@SummerSkier - I really like the SKRATCH labs chews as well. Those and NUUN have been my go to for long runs since they did not cause me any stomach upset the way gels and gu's did.
@martaindale - can't wait to follow your race(s)! Have so much fun!!
I got a really good run in on the 1st. Walked to the trail ran about 3.5 miles and walked home. Yesterday I took Hobbes the Viszla out between the rain for another 3.5 mile walk. I hadn't slept well and wasn't feeling up to a run but it was good to get out. Today it has rained all day but I had planned it to be a strength training day which I have been neglecting so it was time to get back at it. There should be a pause in the rain tomorrow so have another run planned and more strength training on Thursday when the brunt of this next storm will hit us.
I don't have my yearly goals formalized yet and I could not find what I had for this last year although I know I wrote something. I do want to be much more consistent with running and strength training days and initially keep my runs short and work on basics, shorter walk intervals, improved pace, etc..7 -
Morning ladies (+Scott!) 😊
Thanks for all the peer pressure! Haha 😂
Wasn't feeling it today but got the usual in.
Planning a long run on Saturday. Gonna try a handful of grapes or a bite of a banana 20 mins before starting. And a gel - will use if it goes over 15M7 -
I am really impressed by all of the really really early morning runners out there! I don't know if I could do that! Respect! During the week I have to get the kids ready and bring them all to their respective places, before I can have my fun. Then I can go for a run, usually around 8:30 right when the sun is coming up (usually at this time of year it stays pretty grey out all day though). Then off to work it is, unshowered but with clean clothes on. On the weekend I could start running earlier.... Maybe in the spring.
So, I bought myself a new fitness watch last week and my watch has been telling me that I am overreaching, so I decided to "listen to my watch" and do a pretty short run today. I went to the gym to use the treadmill because it is really windy outside and I have run past so many fallen trees in the forest lately, I thought it would be a safer idea. So I got 5.5km in.
The most important race I have planned this year is a half marathon in Hanover at the end of May. I don't yet have a training plan that I am using. Do any of you have any recommendations for me? My goal is to be faster than the first (and only time) I ran it, all the way back in 2011! Kids and illness kept me from trying again after that. I think my time was around 1:57:00. Ideally I would like to aim for under 1:50:00 and see how close to that goal I can get. I am grateful for any help and suggestions!6 -
I made a mistake in my last post. My half marathon is at the end of March, not May (so I have 2.5 months). 3
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