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Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Fman99 Jan 31 2021 05:50 PM

Finished January with a 13.5 mile run this morning in brutally cold temperatures, started at 7:30 AM with just 5F of mercury a'showin. As of now, my deferred April 2020 marathon in Delaware is scheduled to happen in real life, last Sunday in April. I'm officially in training mode now. Ended up with 122.2 miles for January. Healthy all the way around, which is nice.

metsmarathon Feb 01 2021 07:57 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

i finished up the month with 114.5 miles, good for my 5th straight month topping the century mark. feeling pretty good overall, though its more work getting the running in. my knee feels just a little tight at times, but i think that's really so much more from sitting around all day than it is from the running. or at least the sitting doesn't help at all. i'm automatically registered for the annual spring lake five, hopefully happening in may, but who knows. there's no officially-on races in real life right now for me, at least that i'm aware of. if your race is on, good on you! actually, that's not true.... the new jersey marathon is on, for october. i'm still toying with the idea. i feel good about the running part of it, but am leery of the time commitment. i figure i have time to decide one way or the other.

metsmarathon Feb 28 2021 08:23 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

finished a short february with 101.4 miles. barely made it, as on friday my soleus decided to start barking. but i took it easy enough today to run the 6 i needed to clear the century mark for the 6th consecutive month. i think the gravelly wet roads are making me overextend on my toe-offs, or some such nonsense, which might've been the trigger. that or all the running. but taking it easy today helped, and i feel better after. gonna take it easy for the start of march. and i'm tempted to sign up for a virtual half marathon for the end of the month. we shall see.

Fman99 Mar 01 2021 04:08 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Very nice! I am in the ramp up to my next marathon. Sixteen miles yesterday to put me at 120 for February. March will be more of the same as my taper kicks in Easter weekend. Feel great, nothing hurts, nothing out of whack.

Fman99 Apr 27 2021 08:25 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

I put up a real stinker of a 26.2 mile race this past weekend. Finished the Gettysburg Marathon in 4:20:43, the 16th fastest of the 18 times I've completed this difference. Was on a sub 4 hour pace for 17 miles before the wheels came right off. Combination of 1) a hilly 13.1 mile course that was run twice - so I knew exactly how much I had left to do, plus 2) a day that got steadily warmer and muggier, and 3) a very stiff back due to arthritis and a pair of shoes that never did give me great support on my long training runs that were all on pavement, but mostly 4) a nagging lack of confidence in my own ability to maintain my pace. I'm not sure that I will attempt this distance again. I wouldn't mind finishing a marathon in 4:15 and averaging a 9:15/mile pace if it was intentional and steady. But a race where I spend 90 minutes completing the last 7 miles because I have to walk half of the time is just no fun.

metsmarathon Apr 27 2021 09:44 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

that sucks. sorry to hear. although, you did run a 4:20 marathon. nothing to, uh, blow smoke about. my own running took a bit of a hiccup of late. failed to run 100 miles in march because my slight calf pull from het end of february kept threatening me. ultimately, i forced myself to take a few weeks off leaving me with 78 miles for march, and only 36 so far in april. though it was only about 3 weeks off, i feel like i lost so much fitness. not sure why, other than the lingering covid pandemic has kept me being mostly a shut-in. probably because also the past four months i'm eating like shit. but i'm back on the horse, and feeling strong, from a not-pulling-the-calf-again standpoint. just put in 6 fairly hard miles today with something of a speedwork bent to it. obviously, having had most of my winter running be easy runs is affecting the speed too. i did have a bit of a what now kind of moment this weekend where, after running 6 easy miles, and doing some yardwork and baseball coaching, the next day for whatever reason the lingering arthritis in my foot got somewhat shouty. but after not running yesterday, it was aces today. so... not sure what that was all about. i'm feeling pretty good, voluminous complaints notwithstanding, and should likely be able to threaten another 100-mile month again in may, schedule permitting. in the meantime, i'm going to actively force myself not to think about trying to hit 50 for this month. its certainly achievable. but right now, i'm not sure trying to hit any number is wise, as compared to just running what feels good and right. hitting a number is why i missed march and april, so let's see if i'm smart enough to not repeat that error! my usual end-of-may 5-miler is canceled again this year, but maybe other races will start opening up in the summer, and i can get back to running with aggression once more.

Fman99 Apr 28 2021 05:50 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

that sucks. sorry to hear. although, you did run a 4:20 marathon. nothing to, uh, blow smoke about. Thanks man. As time passes and my perspective change I will become more proud of that. The short term stings a bit. I'm rethinking my goals as well. Maybe I train for a half marathon this fall -- I did it once, the one spring/fall between the beginning of 2013 and Covid that I did not run a 26.2 mile race, in the spring of 2017, I trained up for a half and set a PR of 1:39:19 at Buffalo. Maybe I find a 13.1 mile training plan with some speed work and/or intervals and try to beat that time. There's a half in Philly in November and I've run it before and enjoyed it, and I have a place to stay in the city as my cousin lives in the north suburbs. While I've run many half marathons (my next race at that distance will be my 60th), I've rarely trained for them as my base normally allows me to just fall out of bed and run them. It'd also allow me to run this fall's local races that were pushed out from earlier months -- the "Mountain Goat" ten miler, Syracuse's best local race, was moved from the first Sunday in May to Sunday October 24th, and the Boilermaker 15k (Utica) moved from July to October 10th -- without impacting a full marathon schedule.

The Hot Corner Apr 30 2021 09:08 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Sorry to say that my running days came to an end last fall. I kept having more trouble with my knees, particularly the left. I had to walk more and run less. Then one day I woke up with pain in my left knee. I couldn't straighten my knee and I had very limited movement. Every time I took a step there was a crackling noise like someone eating celery. After 3-4 days the pain went away, but the limited range of motion persisted as did the noise. I had to wear a brace for support most of the time. I was afraid I had torm a meniscus or done some kind of damage. I saw a local orthopedist who took Xrays and tortured me a bit, before telling me I had degenerative arthritis. He gave me a steroid injection in the left knee and told me no more running or jumping. He gave me some range of motion exercises to do and scheduled a follow up a month later. My range of motion was quickly restored, but the crackling noise persisted for 7-8 weeks. So now I wear a brace when I do my brisk walks (2-4 miles at 4.1 or 4.2 mph pace). If I over do it, my knee will start making noise again for a few days. So unfortunately, I was once (from age 49 to 60) a runner. Now I am a walker. somewhat surprisingly I now weigh 5-6 pounds less than when I ran, but then again I haven't done any heavy lifting for 13 months and I have grow a little soft.

Fman99 May 01 2021 04:25 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Sorry to hear that, man

Fman99 May 01 2021 06:33 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

April numbers: 107 miles run, and 42.7 miles biked.

Fman99 Jun 01 2021 08:19 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

May numbers were good -- 111.5 miles run and another 73.7 miles biked, 185.2 total. I expect to be over 200 total miles combined each of the next 3-4 months, now that bike weather has arrived. My schedule also opens up more on weekdays once school ends and my kids don't need rides home from practice each day.

metsmarathon Jun 01 2021 09:29 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

i'm back in the century club with 102 miles in may. April had a soft 44 as i got back to running again. calf and everything is feeling pretty good, though when i run more i remind myself to stretch my hip. especially after running for speed. it's more of a maintenance thing than anything else. turns out, it was probably a good thing that the spring lake 5 was cancelled. we tried running 5 miles along the jersey shore this past weekend, and barely got a mile in on saturday. torrential cold winds and a damn gale running down the coast. not fun. it would have been a memorable race had it happened, but maybe not in a good way. did another unmotivated mile on sunday. monday started to feel like running weather again, so we got 5 in then. and i'm back to thinking about races coming back.... the best news is that there's a new running shop like 2 miles from my house - first one in the dang county! i expect to be stopping in every three months.

Fman99 Jul 04 2021 05:43 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

June - 109.2 miles run and another 39 miles biked. Lower back has been bothering me a bit of late. Running on pavement seems to exacerbate it. I've been seeking out more local trails and time on the canal path, which is easier on my body.

metsmarathon Jul 08 2021 07:52 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

100-degree days kept me just shy of 100 miles for June, at 97.4 it was tempting to try to push to reach the century mark, but then i remembered how that can be a bad idea, and decided not to. also, i know i'm unlikely to hit it in august when we go on vacation, so i'm ok with missing by a little so i'm not overly stressing about a magical mile mark. overall the body feels good, running-wise. looking forward to getting back on the 100-mile saddle this month.

Fman99 Aug 04 2021 11:48 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Just eked out another 100 mile month with 102.8 miles for July, plus 44 more on my bike. Lower back perpetually grouchy now on any pavement running I do.

metsmarathon Aug 04 2021 06:52 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

100.6 in July. Likely not hitting the century mark in august. Too much vacation in the way. I don't mind. Not too much at least

Fman99 Sep 01 2021 06:23 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Numbers are down a bit, due to a busy family schedule and some damned hot weather. Still banged out 93.3 miles running and another 54.4 miles on my bike in August.

metsmarathon Sep 02 2021 09:34 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

only 85 miles in august. skipped nearly a week of running on vacation in acadia, otherwise i would've surely hit the century mark. oh well. with the fall looking, the running should be easier, though the scheduling should become much, much trickier as kid sports pick up steam. we shall see.

Fman99 Sep 02 2021 07:51 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

We're the last two men standing in this thread, it would seem.

The Hot Corner Sep 02 2021 08:46 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

My orthopedist told me no more running. So my son is now the runner in the family. He averages 20-25 miles a week. This past Saturday, he was running a 15K race and stepped on a tree root when passing another runner and blew out his left ankle. Luckily Xrays showed no fractures, but the orthopedist said he has an awful lot of tendon and ligament damage. He's in a walking boot for minimum of 6 weeks. It could have been worse, his right ankle already has a metal rod and 3 screws in it from a previous compound fracture. I told him that he may want to consider slowing down and taking it a little easier in the future, or he may not be able to walk when he's my age.

metsmarathon Sep 03 2021 06:10 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

=Fman99 post_id=76391 time=1630633919 user_id=86] We're the last two men standing in this thread, it would seem.

if we're just standing around, we're doing it wrong!



later this month, minimm starts running cross country for his middle school. 6th grade. so there's hope for the future.

Fman99 Sep 03 2021 06:14 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

The Hot Corner wrote: My orthopedist told me no more running. So my son is now the runner in the family. He averages 20-25 miles a week. This past Saturday, he was running a 15K race and stepped on a tree root when passing another runner and blew out his left ankle. Luckily Xrays showed no fractures, but the orthopedist said he has an awful lot of tendon and ligament damage. He's in a walking boot for minimum of 6 weeks. It could have been worse, his right ankle already has a metal rod and 3 screws in it from a previous compound fracture. I told him that he may want to consider slowing down and taking it a little easier in the future, or he may not be able to walk when he's my age. That sucks. I have been running more trails recently, my lower back gets super ornery from running on pavement. Going to be tricky this winter when pavement is the only option left to me (not counting the dreadmill of course).

TransMonk Sep 03 2021 09:00 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

I made the full switch from running to cycling this year. I just had too many nagging little injuries from running. I'm glad I took it up for the years I did it, though.

Fman99 Oct 04 2021 01:55 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Numbers a bit down for September due to a work trip and a weekend where I was on call and didn't get one of my two typical long runs in. But, still, 89.2 miles run and 31.7 miles biked. Also got my first pair of Hokas (Rincon 3 model), very soft and helping my lower back not get so cranky after long pavement runs. They are squishy and weird but they're working so I'm going with it.

metsmarathon Oct 08 2021 01:02 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

114 miles of running - and 6.5 miles of bike riding! - in september for me. got myself a new bike - my first new bike in decades, just in time for all the trails to get frighteningly covered in leaves. but i'm excited nevertheless. pretty cool Trek Marlin 6 with a sick red-to-dark-gray fade paintjob. i ordered it in january. supply chain finally caught up. sigh. even better, my local running store, which just openend in late may, finally has Asics in stock, and just in time for my old shoes to hit the magic 300-mile mark. i'll be heading there after work today to get some new kicks. oh. and minimm has been killing it in XC. he had his second race of the season yesterday. the course is about 1.6 miles long (it's at least 1.5 miles). he clocked an 11:13 yesterday, good for something between a 7:10 and 7:30 mile. him and two other boys are practically in a dead heat as fastest in the grade. not bad at all! aaaand then he had soccer practice for an hour and a half, and was running all over the place there too.

Fman99 Oct 31 2021 05:02 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

This morning's 8 miler around Green Lakes State Park and on the Erie Canal tow path put me at 102 miles run for October, along with 29 miles biked and a few elliptical/spin workouts as well. Feeling good. Hokas are doing wonders for my cranky old man back.

metsmarathon Nov 02 2021 06:35 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

100.3 miles for me in october. finished the month with some very tired legs. ran 10x200m repeats on thursday, averaging about a 5:30 pace. legs have been cement ever since. I like to think i'm training for a fast 5k at the end of the month. but really, i'll be running it with a 7-year old. so it might not be quite sub-22 like i hope. (i may run a pretend 5k in my mind as well, if i can't find a convenient additional 5k to run)

Fman99 Dec 02 2021 12:15 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Just a tick down from last month, with 97.5 miles run in November. A couple of weeknight gigs in place of short runs made the difference.

metsmarathon Dec 03 2021 12:24 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

101.8 miles in november, including a 31:30 with my 7-year old, µmmR, at the local 5k turkey trot. he totally killed it. started out pretty fast, took short walk breaks when needed, and started up quickly each time. and then a 22:40 the day later in the cold, after thanksgiving. i'm both happy and annoyed with that time - i felt like i should've gone faster - it's a minute slower than last year, but it was a cold morning, and i started out by gulping cold cold air and spent seemingly the whole first mile trying to catch my breath. either that or i'm just not in better shape. whichever. both are probably true. trying to keep my 100ish mile streak going in the winter. we'll see... we've decided to run a half marathon in april, so at least i actually have something to specifically train for, so that helps with the motivation. just gotta figure out the right training plan.

Johnny Lunchbucket Dec 03 2021 01:36 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

you're right 3 1sts, 2 2nds, and 1 3rd

Fman99 Dec 31 2021 05:36 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

I ran a 5k a few weeks ago. I was just over 24 minutes. I'm a far cry from where I was a few years ago when I ran a 21:30 on the same course. A few extra pounds and a bit more effort catching my breath. Since I'm not running today, I can tell you that in December I ran 87 miles and also spent 2.5 hours on my spin bike over a half dozen workouts. Totals for 2021 are 363 miles biked and 1267 miles run for a total of 1630 miles covered.

Frayed Knot Dec 31 2021 11:04 AM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Zero running miles for me this year, but I'm hoping to double that output in 2022. otoh, 3,033 on the bike.

metsmarathon Jan 01 2022 09:28 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

105.6 miles in December, finishing the year with 1145. Only a few miles of biking for the year. I'll have to work on that. Goal for the coming year is to run a 1:45 half, and log 1200 miles. The half goal will take some work, but I'm looking forward to having the actual goal for motivation. I've got a training plan sketched out that should support it. Only question is can I handle the effort plus the high mileage.

Fman99 Jan 02 2022 05:49 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

Yeah, I am signed up for a couple of half marathons, one in February and one in March. I'm a far cry from my PR days and paces (1:39:19, Buffalo, 2017) and I think even a 1:45 pace would be tough right now. I did run a 1:44:47 in the fall of 2020 but that was quite a hard push for me that day. My two halfs from 2021 were a 1:46 and a 1:48.

metsmarathon Jan 02 2022 09:29 PM Re: Run Through the Jungle: Running 2021 thread

i'm shooting for about a minute and a half off my PR, which doesn't sound all that bad. it should be a flat fast course, too, so decent chance i can meet my goal. my half pr always felt a little soft, i guess, in that it was never a race that i specifically trained for; only a race that i ran during my training. so we'll see what i can do. my training plan is heavy on the speedwork, so i think i'll like that part of it. or break as a result. whichever. but it doesn't feel all that out of reach. plus, damn, i'm itching to run distance. i'd love to convince myself i can run another marathon, and while i'm reaasonably certain that, physically, i can, no doubt, i really just don't see where the time is coming from right now. but a half is surely doable. and with the base i've been building... well... 2021 was more mileage than last year's 1083, which put the past two years likely in my top three all time (certainly since i've been tracking) i think focusing my efforts a little more on a dedicated training plan should reap dividends. or at least... i'll see just how far i can push. and then look for something in the fall to re-set my sights on if i manage to succeed.