The Running Thread - 2019

[Baloo in MI]

ATYQOTD: I am able to run right from my house for miles. I have several connecting trails in my neighborhood that would allow me to run as far as I can - which right now is not very far...

ATTQOTD: I usually run without water if less than an hour. Beyond that I will carry a water bottle unless I was going real long distance. Then I switch to my hydration vest and add tailwind. For me the vest was a game changer in that I could run hands free and still ahve everything I need.

 

[BikeFan]

Re: electrolytes and need... I live and train outdoors in FL, where running in summer can be genuinely dangerous due to extreme heat and humidity. I eat a pretty low-sodium diet because I just really don't like the taste of salt, and was using plain water on my hot runs because I didn't think I needed anything more as a slow recreational runner. I mentioned during my annual physical how awful I was feeling for days after long runs and my doc pointed out that I was likely very low in electrolytes - blood test results bore that out. It wasn't cramping or lacking energy that I was experiencing - it was heart palpitations, chills with sweat suddenly stopping, tunnel vision, dizziness and nausea, and then days of feeling like utter crud. Adding more salt to my daily diet and using Nuun for every run, and the day before long runs, made a HUGE difference. But I'm always hesitant to talk about my hydration strategy when others ask because I'd guess my particular needs are at the extreme end of the continuum. I definitely don't need to use much, or any, electrolyte replacement in more normal weather.

This is a good reminder that we're all unique as runners, and ultimately we shouldn't worry about tailoring our training to what works for us as individuals. The conventional wisdom of running is a good starting point, but runners shouldn't be afraid to tinker with their training, hydration, etc. to find what works best for them. Experience can be a great teacher. Glad you've found something that helps you recover much better.

 

[TheHamm]

January Summary
47 miles
12:09 average pace

Again for no good reason, it bothers me that the distance is not a multiple of 10, but at least it is prime number?
Last January I ran only 29 miles and did not have a kid with pneumonia, a polar vortex, and a case of pink eye and the associated virus keeping me down so I will take this as improvement even if it is not my best effort. Also, I got to run my first half marathon, I am thrilled that I completed it which I would not have imagined last January.
If I think about my year as a whole, February is historically the month that gets me down with lack of sunlight coupled with end of fiscal year stuff at work, and unpredictable weather. So, my target for this month is to sustain what I had going in January, minus the illnesses running through the family.

 

[huggybuff]

Miles in January: 34

Runs: 21

Everything is going great so far! Got the 5k Sunday and we’ll be starting the HM plan in a couple of weeks. Just gotta keep swimming.

 

[DopeyBadger]

January Training Summary
Running duration = 0 hours
Running mileage = 0 miles
Indoor Cycling duration = 26:41 hours (new PR)
Indoor Cycling mileage = 449.8 miles (new PR)
Indoor Cycling average power = 150 watts
80 Day Obsession = 21:53 hours
Total Training Time = 48:34 hours (new PR)

January was a decent month for me. Spent the most time in a month training than I have thus far in my life. Granted cycling + 80DO is different than running from a stress standpoint. When evaluated in terms of calories burned, then Jan 2019 is most like March 2017 when I ran for 34:23 hours and 244 miles. So still a significant amount of training, but not quite to the same level as I was doing in most months in 2017/2018. Still preparing myself for a return to running in mid-February. Continuing to hope this new balance for me of cycling, running, and strength work will continue to progress me in the direction I want to be heading. I've been spending a lot of time with training load calculations and determined yesterday that if I don't back off in June-August from the training, then I'll likely peak too early for the Disney Marathon in Jan 2020. So, I'm happy to have crunched the numbers on that so that I don't end up grinding myself into the ground again. Looking forward to having some minimal running miles to add to February's summary.

 

[KevM]

January Summary:

Running Miles: 125.10
Avg pace: 10’12”
Biking Miles:30.78
Swimming Meters: 243.84

2019 Miles: 125.10/1,500 miles goal for 2019 (8.34% done, on target)

 

[Slogger]

January totals:

Runs: 21
Miles: 153.1
Duration 25 hours, 25 minutes
Average Pace: 9:58 per mile

Strength/conditioning workouts at gym: 6

 

[rteetz]

January

48.6 miles

I’ve gotten my workouts from shoveling snow instead. It’s been far too cold for me to go outside and run and I needed some time off too.

 

[amazingact21]

I’ve gotten my workouts from shoveling snow instead.

I counted yesterday's snow shoveling as a strength workout, too.

 

[Dis5150]

January miles - 25.91, which included a half marathon. I need to get my butt in gear so I will be ready for Star Wars!

 

[huskies90]

January miles = 123 - which included completing and recovering from my first marathon.

 

[sky13]

January totals for me:
85 km ran over 20 runs, including one 10k distance
13 km walked over 3 walks (this only includes the fast walks, doesn't include my slow leisurely walks of over a mile that follow most of my runs)
Easily the furthest distances I've covered since about April 2017!

So now I have some goals for the year:
- Hit 1 hour 10 minutes for a 10k (best 10k was around 1 hour 12 minutes, current 10k speed is around 1 hour 17 minutes, current 5k speed is around 34-35 minutes on a good day).
- Run a half marathon - looking at my local races I think this will most likely be in June.
- Further long term goals are a Disney challenge (5/10/half is definitely doable as I've done this before, would love to do Dopey but this might be a step too much at the moment), and a marathon. No concrete plans for these yet though!

Trying to lose some weight too. I know you can't outrun a bad diet, but at the moment I'm covering about 3 miles a day (either running or walking) in addition to all the walking I do on a regular work day, so hopefully this will help! And just got a shiny new wifi scale which I'm rather excited about!

The problem with this though is that I now feel guilty and out of sorts when I take a rest day! Is it OK to just go for long walks (2-3 miles) at a fairly leisurely pace on rest days, or should I just rest completely?

 

[Guidman]

January
120.13 miles
7:48 avg pace

Hoping the 20 miles I had to do on a treadmill are the only ones for the year.

 

[KevM]

The problem with this though is that I now feel guilty and out of sorts when I take a rest day! Is it OK to just go for long walks (2-3 miles) at a fairly leisurely pace on rest days, or should I just rest completely?

Long leisurely walks are perfect on rest days. Most rest days should ideally be active rest days. So instead of just sitting around doing nothing, active rest is doing light easy things like a leisurely walk.

I’m sure @DopeyBadger or someone else can go into the specifics in much more detail.

 

[michigandergirl]

January miles: 76.25 - that's about 3.5 miles short of what it should (had to shorten my Wed run this week because I forgot to set my alarm ).

 

[Kazrak]

January totals:
20.1 miles, 4:30 running time. A bit low because I took the first two weeks off due to WDW trip.

 

[AntimonyER]

January
Distance: 52.9 miles
Pace: 7:49/mi

Not too bad considering from Jan 1-Jan 19 I had one run for 2.3 miles due to injury/healing.

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

I got a few outdoor runs in during January (don’t have mileage handy) but the past couple weeks have been impossible between snow and brutal cold. I wish we could magically remove the snow from the sidewalks but keep it on the grass because I like having some but I don’t feel comfortable running outside when it’s snowy and icy. But I am itching to get back out! We’re supposed to have a warmer (but of course rainy too) weekend, so we’ll see what that does to the sidewalks. It’s probably going to be a mess.

 

[jennamfeo]

January Miles: 57.2
Not a ton but that included Dopey, so still a huge accomplishment!

My first training plan of 2019 started this week and ~of course~ I got a sinus cold, so I am already behind and feeling bad about it. I have a goal of doing an Olympic Triathlon in 6 weeks, but I don't know if I will be ready for it so I might drop to the Sprint. We shall see if I start to feel better this weekend and how much time I can get on my bike!

 

[avondale]

January 2019

running: 126.9 miles
tennis: 10 hours

The running is a new personal high for one month, by about 4 miles. I would have to go back to last September to get a comparable amount in a month. My marathon training is ramping up.

Tennis: the new season is ramping up, but I've had two matches postponed already due to weather. (We don't play outside - the weather issue is driving safely to the facilities.)