The Running Thread - 2020

I have no September totals. I wish I did. It’s been a bleep show around here the last 4-6 weeks and at one point I could barely bend my right leg because my knee hurt so bad.
I am now able to bend my knee because of my stretching routine. I still have knee pain when I run or ride my bike (tried both this week) but I am starting yoga to try and strengthen my core and flexibility. Hoping to be able to log some miles this month. My treadmill will hopefully be delivered in a week or so and if all I can do is walk then I walk. I wanted 1000+ miles this year and that’s not happening. I’m tired of these nagging injuries, really tired!

Great job to those of you who have been crushing it though. I am both excited for you and slightly jealous. I have three new pairs of sneakers waiting for mileage.
 
Sorry to hear about your miscarriage @Jules76126

I can certainly understand that. I'd say that despite the two training plans having nearly identical peak training time (about 5 hrs) having one spread out over 5 days vs 3 days might leave you feeling better throughout the process. In my personal experience (and from others I know), moving up from 3 to 4 or 5 days actually made running easier and not harder. Obviously time is a very personal thing. Some people can work in 20-30 min, others 45-60 min, and others 120-150 min on a weekday. I'd say be honest with yourself and choose a training plan you feel you can be consistent with. Because the ebbs and flows of the plan are intentional by the writer and you'll maximize gains by following what's written. So a well followed 3 day plan is better than an inconsistent 5 day plan. Since you don't have a committed race at the end of this training plan, then now is a great time to experiment with something new on the off chance it does indeed leave you feeling better throughout and more prepared. In the end, the most appropriate volume and paced training you can do in the absence of injury is likely to lead to the best long term outcome. But look at endurance training in the scope of years of effort rather than in the immediate impact.

From my work with training load calculations (which are not the end all be all but simply a tool for evaluating training), walking is about 1/4 of the load as easy running. So to receive a near equal training load value, you're looking at a 30 min easy run vs a 120 min walk. But, a 30 min walk beats a 0 min inactivity. Just something to consider as you move through your options.

I want to piggy back off of this, specifically the highlighted part. The first time I tried a plan that moved to more frequent runs I had huge breakthroughs and after a few weeks I totally adjusted mentally to the more frequent running. I can't speak for your outside life circumstances but even when I had a lot of added responsibilities the more frequent running just fell into a groove. It might just be my personality but I found it easier to commit to the certainty of 5 and 6 days of running to the randomness of 3 or 4.
 
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September 2020
running: 137.7 mi
--average pace: 11:44 min/mi
--total time: 26.92 h
This is the most mileage I've ever accumulated in a month, by about 2 miles.

walking: 52.2 mi
As @opusone said, with CRAW counting both running and walking, I'm paying more attention to getting in any extra walking that I can. I've never tracked this total before.

tennis: 11 h
About typical for during the pandemic. Currently, everyone is still playing outside. Some counties require masks during indoor play and some don't. I haven't tried it yet, but I am playing in a league soon that will require it. I got an athletic mask from UnderArmor.

I have an actual in-person marathon on my schedule: the Bucks County Marathon on Nov. 8. I had been marathon training already to hopefully do the Richmond Marathon Nov. 14, but that was pseudo-canceled. Fortunately, this new marathon fit in well.
 


I want to piggy back off of this, specifically the highlighted part. The first time I tried a plan that moved to more frequent runs I had huge breakthroughs and after a few weeks I totally adjusted mentally to the more frequent running. I can't speak for your outside life circumstances but even when I had a lot of added responsibilities the more frequent running just fell into a groove. It might just be my personality but I found it easier to commit to the certainty of 5 and 6 days of running to the randomness of 3 or 4.

For me when I only ran 3 days a week, mentally, it felt easier to skip a run...I don’t feel like running today, I’ll run tomorrow. Then, I don’t want to run back to back so now I’ll just skip this one and move on. Running more days a week, you don’t have as much flexibility to move a run so it seems easier to just suck it up and go, if that makes sense.

September miles: 71
Still figuring out what’s next without MW
 
Sept 2020
Running: 186.67mi (-108.06 M/M)
- pace 10:19
- avg distance 8.89 mi
- hr 139 bpm
1797.98 mi year total

Walking: 29.41 (+22.39 M/M)

Cycling: 54.84 (-48.53 M/M)

Slowly recovering from what I believe to be medial tibial stress syndrome. Probably from doing most of my miles this summer on concrete. Glad to be training for a real race, the Brazos Bend 100 in December. It was difficult to lose Dopey and MW after losing Star Wars, Paris and Wine and Dine.

Like others, I am enjoying my experience with the CRAW. Trying to fit in miles whenever I can to do my bit.
 


Monthly totals:

Running: 109
Walking: 105

As others have shared, being on a CRAW team has kept me motivated through the sadness of Dopey going virtual. I am excited to have a second month of running 100+ miles without ankle pain. My mileage starts building up now as I am going to commit to running Dopey virtually and then a (hopefully) an in-person marathon in February.
 

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