FEBRUARY 2024 Monthly Running Challenge

polskagirl01 · February 9

@ContraryMaryMary I love that you "accidentally" signed up for a half marathon, and I'm glad you realized it before the race! Enjoy!

Question for the group: When you can't run/cycle/swim/etc, have you found any low-exertion activities that allow you to get your brain into that "zone" where you can more easily process & work through things?

Laurz9191 · February 9

@ContraryMaryMary Good luck in your unplanned half. That sounds like something I would do

. I'm sure it will be fun, even if you aren't at 100% in terms of race readiness due to your illness.

@polskagirl01 The only thing I can think of is mediation or yoga or just walking and maybe cleaning or yard work (weather allowing)....

@tarun_yadavA Good job on your 40 day streak. What about doing a 2.0 version during Lent as well. I am sure you can do it!

I decided I need to make time for more strength training, so I only ran 4km this morning as a warm up and then did some exercises I thought would be most helpful for running. I might have time for a run outside this evening during my son's soccer practice if I can talk myself into it. I usually take the weekend off to do stuff with the kids, so it would be nice to get another run in.

So far far 69.8/200km for February.

tarun_yadavA · February 9

polskagirl01 wrote: »

Question for the group: When you can't run/cycle/swim/etc, have you found any low-exertion activities that allow you to get your brain into that "zone" where you can more easily process & work through things?

@polskagirl01 I don't have one 😳.
Runs are so integral to not just my fitness, but mental health too (declutter, random run thoughts, process to-do lists).

tarun_yadavA · February 9

Laurz9191 wrote: »

@tarun_yadavA Good job on your 40 day streak. What about doing a 2.0 version during Lent as well. I am sure you can do it!

@Laurz9191 yeah... Ummm... No!
🤣
Thanks though... Can do the first 9 days of Lent!
First Guys' night due on Fri 23... 🍻🍻🍗🍗🍻🍻🍗🍗

quilteryoyo · February 9

Thanks you @Leigh_b .

Great running @kgirlhart . It's supposed to start raining here today.

@polskagirl01 I'm not sure this is what you are talking about, but I journal...everyday. It's what got me through when my husband was sick and then passed away. It's amazing what things came out of the end of the pen that I didn't realize were in my brain.

Great job with the strength training and use of your time @Laurz9191 . I'm sure the other soccer mom's will be jealous of your activity.

yirara · February 9

Global warming annoyance on a small scale: I used to get my tiny, yet hefty pollen allergy in March to April. I got it this week. No running as my head hurts too much. There goes my running goal for February.

emptydog · February 9

@quilteryoyo This has to be a tough time for you. My thoughts and prayers continue for you.

@Leigh_b

There is a little crazy in runners that only other runners can understand.

Amen!!

@chris_in_cal Great Casey Neistat video. I had never heard of him before. Thanks for posting that.

I ran at the lake this morning and it felt great to be there. It is unseasonably warm today and I hadn't been there in a long time.

2/1 - Neighborhood. 2.91 miles. 39F, cloudy.
2/2 - Neighborhood. 1.26 miles. 34F, cloudy.
2/3 - Neighborhood. 1.33 miles. 36F, sunny.
2/4 - Neighborhood. 1.09 miles. 41F, sunny. Nice day.
2/8 - Field House. 3.09 miles.
2/9 - Lakefront Park. 1.63 miles. 55F, Sunny, almost calm winds.

chris_in_cal · February 9

emptydog wrote: »

Great Casey Neistat video. I had never heard of him before. Thanks for posting that.

I just watched it again, now I am going to do my scheduled run today.

I have a heavily bandaged 6cm stiched up incision on my shoulder from Wednesday's surgery. I am awaiting lab results, but I am confident it'll be fine. Apparently, as Casey showed in his youtube, humans have the capacity to be resilient creatures. Why not me.

Laurz9191 · February 9

The run during soccer practice worked out more or less. The road to practice was closed due to flooding. My son and I didn’t think there could be “real” flooding because it hasn’t rained too much and tried to “run” to practice from a parking lot on the other cc side of the river. We ended up having the choice between swimming and going back and taking a big detour in the car. By the time we got to practice, we were very late, but I still had time for 10.3km

.

The road to nowhere.

80.1/200km for February.

@quilteryoyo Thinking of you! 🫶

polskagirl01 · February 9

Laurz9191 wrote: »

The run during soccer practice worked out more or less. The road to practice was closed due to flooding. My son and I didn’t think there could be “real” flooding because it hasn’t rained too much and tried to “run” to practice from a parking lot on the other cc side of the river. We ended up having the choice between swimming and going back and taking a big detour in the car. By the time we got to practice, we were very late, but I still had time for 10.3km .

The road to nowhere.

80.1/200km for February.

@quilteryoyo Thinking of you! 🫶

Oh no, that flooding looks bad. We've had so much rain here as well. I live up a hill, but the ground is very saturated. I was only out for a few minutes today. Afraid to step in the yard because it makes the mud worse.

quilteryoyo · February 9

Oh no @yirara . I hope you feel better soon.

Thank you @emptydog . Nice running.

@chris_in_cal I'm sure you will be okay too. I hope you get a good report later and hope the stitches don't hurt or bother you when you run.

Thank you @Laurz9191 . Sounds like you did great given the circumstances. That is some flooding for not that much rain!

quilteryoyo · February 9

1 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 2.00 miles - treadmill intervals
2 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - treadmill
3 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps
4 Feb - Walked 2.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps wun
5 Feb - Walked 2.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps wun
6 Feb - Walked 2.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps wun
7 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - treadmill - Funeral later
8 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps
9 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - treadmill

14.00/85.00 miles

Thanks for all the thoughts. I think the last three weeks finally caught up with me and I am just physically and emotionally exhausted today. At my mom's urging, I took a nap, on and off, from about 11:30 - 2:15. It helped, but I still didn't have the energy to do a lot, so went down for a walk on the treadmill. I'm counting on tomorrow being a better day.

kgirlhart · February 9

February Goal: 130 Miles

2/1: 6.02 miles
2/2: 3.25 miles
2/4: 11.11 miles
2/5: 3.12 miles
2/6: 6.02 miles
2/7: 6.52 miles
2/8: 6.02 miles
2/9: 6.05 miles

48.11/130 miles completed for February

I was not planning to run today, but there is rain in the forecast for tomorrow and Sunday. And it was perfect running weather. And I got my new shoes yesterday. So I decided to go ahead and run today. It wasn't my usual weekend long run, but I still ran 6 miles. The new shoes felt great too. It was a fun run. There was a man in a truck who pulled next to me at an intersection and said, "you are certainly well lit.". I said, "I don't want to get hit by a car." He chuckled and said "I don't think that will happen.". I also saw a skunk today. I have smelled them several times this week, but that was the first one I have seen in a while.

@quilteryoyo You do so much for others. I hope you are taking care of yourself as well.

The looked more gray in the house, and more blue outside.

Leigh_b · February 9

@tarun_yadavA - yes, I very much enjoyed the scenery...but not so much the hills. The elevation is much higher than what I am used to and I definitely felt that. Living in Michigan, I do not normally see mountains when I run. It is hilly where I live, but I am only at elevation 640' compared to Salt Lake City at 4,265' so the hills felt MUCH harder. I am back in Michigan now and will have a nice low elevation long run tomorrow morning

ContraryMaryMary · February 9

@polskagirl01, I swear by yoga. But if you want to exert a little more energy, try Pilates or barre for the burn.

chris_in_cal · February 10

The clouds parted so I got out to move around a bit.

February Running Goal: 13 runs,40 miles

Feb 2 -2.87 miles
Feb 4 -3.48 miles
Feb 9 -1.86 miles

Current: 3 runs, 8.21 miles

tarun_yadavA · February 10

Morning everyone!
Got in 5 Miles (at 09"25 pace).

@quilteryoyo hope you can relax/unwind this weekend.

@Leigh_b Hi! Nice to meet you! Welcome!
I'm Tarun. 43. From London.
Whereabouts in MI? I have been to New Buffalo; by the lake. Pretty!

Off to my Mother's for a few days... Not been since New year's day. And causing a little intra-sibling stink with my sister.
Will try *TRY* not to indulge in all the Haagen dasz and cookies and God knows what else she has lying about.

Anyways.
Have a nice weekend all.

SummerSkier · February 10

Happy Sat. SUpposed to be rainy all weekend but today is at least pretty warm so will try to sneak in a run.

@quilteryoyo what a hard few weeks you have had. Here's hoping the rest of the month is easier for you.
@kgirlhart hope the new shoes are fast for you. Love the shoe porn!
@Scott6255 sorry the Puma's did not feel right. I will admit the first run I did in mine they felt tight and they still feel "closer" to the ground than other shoes. Each style is so unique that it's hard for me to discount an entire brand
@polskagirl01 I am going to recommend a swedish relaxing massage. I had to change dentists in 2020 when my long time one retired and he gave me a recommendation for a new dentist which is much pricier but really good as far as I can tell with the one crown I had redone. ANyway they always offer massages while you are in the chair and I usually turn them down but then I though well I am paying extra anyway and had a wonderful 15 min foot massage while getting my teeth cleaned.It's hard to get those endorphins so I am going to say good sleep and massage
@tarun_yadavA good luck at Mom's. I totally get the sibling thing. Hope she is mobile now and not too many treats there.

too many great posts to comment on all sadly. Good luck CM on the half marathon this weekend. Please don't injure yourself!!!!

quilteryoyo · February 10

Thanks @kgirlhart ! Love the shoe porn and glad you had a great run in them. Hahaha about the man and the comment. I'm glad you are visible when you run. Are you one of those people who love the smell of skunk or think it is offensive? I'm on the "offensive" side of things, but know people who like it.

@chris_in_cal Getting out in the sun is good for the body and the soul....and healing.

Thanks @tarun_yadavA ! I hope you can enjoy your weekend at your mom's, dampen the sibling stink, and not overindulge too much. Does she have to have someone with her all the time? I take it your sister lives close by her?

Thanks @SummerSkier . I hope you are able to sneak in a good run between the rain showers. Me? I'm going to try to get the trash to the convenience center before it starts raining again. I haven't taken it off in over a month and my cans runneth over.

polskagirl01 · February 10

I might've been a bit ambitious in the seed order I just placed. This year there may be pumpkins and flowers EVERYWHERE 😁🌼🌻🪴🌺⚘🌿 (provided I don't kill them by mistake).
I mobilized the kids to help clean a bit, made lunch and then tried a cookie recipe (I reduced the artificial sweetener and it still jumps out too much in the taste, oh well). They have dried cranberries in them as well.

I am calling them "poop cookies" - just based on looks, they taste fine.

Leigh_b · February 10

2/3 - 3 miles
2/4 - 6 miles
2/6 - 2.55 miles
2/7 - 3.61 miles
2/8 ‐ 3.08 miles
2/10 - 8.02 miles - my longest run since September of last year. Felt good to be back home and on my familiar trails. Didn't have to use so much brain power to keep from getting lost. 😂
____________
26.26 miles

58 74 miles to go

@tarun_yadavA you are very familiar with American cities for someone in London. What brought you to New Buffalo Michigan? Very random place to visit, for sure. I live in Grand Rapids which is on the west side of the state - about an hour east of the lake - which sadly we only seem to visit when we have guests from out of town. 😕

martaindale · February 10

Feb total: 36.7 miles
YTD: 139.9/1200 miles

2/1: 4 miles
2/3: 10.2 miles
2/6: 9.5 miles
2/8: 3 miles
2/10: 10 miles

Struggle run this morning. I had 12 miles scheduled but had to cut it short. I think it was mostly the sudden shift in weather but it was rough. We have another rainy front blowing in and it's suddenly almost summer-like. 70F and 95% humidity after 50s feels like a sucker punch. After the halfway point I embraced walk breaks and shuffled back to my car.

martaindale · February 10

@chris_in_cal That video was great. It really captures the feeling of a running goal. I hope to get the feeling of victory at some point.

chris_in_cal · February 10

martaindale wrote: »

I hope to get the feeling of victory

You are already a capital "W" winner in my book.

For those who missed it, it's a good vid for us intrepid runners.

Sisyphus and the Impossibe Dream
by Casey Neistat

https://youtu.be/9IiTdSnmS7E?si=fU_F1jlj4JW3MglK

quilteryoyo · February 11

@polskagirl01 I hope you are able to use all of the seeds you ordered. I'm glad you liked the cookies. I'm not a fan of cranberries, so you can keep that recipe.

Great longer run @Leigh_b !

@martaindale I'm sorry your run was such a struggle today. Ten miles is nothing to sneeze at in those suddenly hot temperatures and high humidity.

Great video @chris_in_cal . I'm glad he had a family that supported him and love his mom dancing in her 90's.

quilteryoyo · February 11

1 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 2.00 miles - treadmill intervals
2 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - treadmill
3 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps
4 Feb - Walked 2.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps wun
5 Feb - Walked 2.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps wun
6 Feb - Walked 2.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps wun
7 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - treadmill - Funeral later
8 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway laps
9 Feb - Walked 1.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - treadmill
10 Feb - Walked 2.00 miles - Ran 0.00 miles - driveway and treadmill

16.00/85.00 miles

I slept good last night and have felt much better today. I had thought about a short run, but decided I wanted to be outside and the driveway was wet (slick) from rains overnight. I can walk on it, but not run safely. Rain was impending. I managed 1.3 miles before the rains hit again. I came in and finished on the treadmill to get to two miles.

Scott6255 · February 11

@Leigh_b small world... my wife is from Kalamazoo MI just south of you, and her mom still lives there 😊

ContraryMaryMary · February 11

I managed to successfully complete my half this morning in one of my slowest times ever for a half, but I was happy to run it and happy to get it done.

When I went to bed last night, I started sneezing and feared I was coming down with the head cold my daughters have just had. When I woke up I felt good, but I could feel a slight tingle in my nose. And yes I have got a silly head cold - technically that shouldn’t slow me down that much, but I decided to err on the side of caution even further and intentionally went for an easy day.

The start line is 2km from my house so I ran to the start for a warm-up, which was a good idea as it’s flat, and met a few friends from my running club. We all took off together, but they soon disappeared, and all finished well ahead of me, which is cool, because they were always faster runners than me anyway!

It’s a very hilly course, so I just took things easy, particularly the beginning where there is a nasty hill to start (aptly named heartbreak hill), I actually ran (walked) it a whole minute slower than I would take it on my usual morning run.

After about 5k I started to feel really good and picked things up to much nearer the pace I would have expected to average had I not taken a month off. That lasted for about 5k until I hit the second massive hill and after that climb I never quite got back to that easy running.

I walked up a lot of the ups which normally I would not so by the time I got to the last 2k, which is a very steep downhill, I had plenty of energy. I put my foot down and ran my second fastest time down that particular hill - clocking 4:52 for kilometre 21 (I’ve run this segment about 50 or more times)

So very happy to finish and get my medal but looking forward to building my fitness back up again to where I can run that whole event nonstop like I used to.

Scott6255 · February 11

Excellent job on running your unexpected HM @ContraryMaryMary!

tarun_yadavA · February 11

Good morning everyone!

Got in 7.5M (at 09"45).

@ContraryMaryMary - well done on your Half, and powering through despite having the sniffles!

@Leigh_b 48State road trip! Driving from Cleveland to Chicago, so stopped the night in New Buffalo.

@quilteryoyo @SummerSkier
Healthy eating going as expected lol.
I always complain that I eat cr-p when I come here.
My mother had ordered an online grocery delivery. She was all, "I got carrots and red peppers - as I know you like to snack on those".
Also my mother:

🤦
So ran a bit extra today!

Otherwise all good... Watching TV together last night was interesting. The shaded area of the Venn diagram between a 15 year old teenage boy, 43 year old man and 70-something woman (eek I should know this!) is very small indeed.
"I'm sure we can find something we can all watch together" (as my youngest wasn't here - a bit easier. As it could be bit more grown up in nature). So teenage wasn't particularly enthusiastic to begin with. He said, 'well I want to watch the new Ted sitcom'. So my mother agreed not quite knowing what it was. But then you kind of have to have seen the movie first. So on went the movie Ted... And she kept saying 'this is so silly', but chuckled away. Good sport - Gamely watched two episodes of the TV series after the finishing the movie, before deciding it wasn't for her and went to bed.
Otherwise all good here! ☺️

Have a lovely Sunday!

FEBRUARY 2024 Monthly Running Challenge

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