The Running Thread—2023

@DopeyBadger can I pick your brain? Anyone else feel free to chime in as well!

I’m looking for a November half. I know you are experienced with the Madison marathon but have you ever run the half in the past? Wondering really if it’s fun or all business. I’m also considering the Good Life Halfsy in Lincoln, NE. Looks like a fun race but…..it’s Nebraska….in November. I can handle cold like I know Madison often is but the wind and I do not have a good relationship. 😡 So long story short is Madison a half you’d put on your short list? Thanks!
 
RuntheMouse said:
@DopeyBadger can I pick your brain? Anyone else feel free to chime in as well!

I’m looking for a November half. I know you are experienced with the Madison marathon but have you ever run the half in the past? Wondering really if it’s fun or all business. I’m also considering the Good Life Halfsy in Lincoln, NE. Looks like a fun race but…..it’s Nebraska….in November. I can handle cold like I know Madison often is but the wind and I do not have a good relationship. 😡 So long story short is Madison a half you’d put on your short list? Thanks!
Click to expand...

2019 - Madison HM Recap
2021 - 2021 Madison M Recap
2022 - 2022 Madison Marathon Recap

I’ve done the half once and the full three times. Temps are usually between 15-30F. The elevation gain is about 37-40 ft per mile. So it costs you about 4-7 sec/mile from a flat course. I do it because I race well in the cold, but would prefer from a time perspective if it were a touch flatter. There’s a challenging hill about 4-5 miles from the finish (pretty sure the HM does it as well). The race itself is well run and they usually have ample water stops. As far as spectators go, I’d put it at 3/10. It’s not in the middle of the no where, but you also don’t see a ton of people come out to support the race. Since I got in Disneyland I’ll probably be doing the HM this year.
 
DopeyBadger said:
2019 - Madison HM Recap
2021 - 2021 Madison M Recap
2022 - 2022 Madison Marathon Recap

I’ve done the half once and the full three times. Temps are usually between 15-30F. The elevation gain is about 37-40 ft per mile. So it costs you about 4-7 sec/mile from a flat course. I do it because I race well in the cold, but would prefer from a time perspective if it were a touch flatter. There’s a challenging hill about 4-5 miles from the finish (pretty sure the HM does it as well). The race itself is well run and they usually have ample water stops. As far as spectators go, I’d put it at 3/10. It’s not in the middle of the no where, but you also don’t see a ton of people come out to support the race. Since I got in Disneyland I’ll probably be doing the HM this year.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the info. I read your HM recap, 2021 recap and reread your 2022 recap. I also checked out the course maps and there is a lot of overlap so I got an idea of the hill placement and struggle areas. I’m glad I asked you as I’m not a fast runner by any means and with my HM PR at 2:30:23 I think I’m out of my league a bit. The race in NE seems a better fit for me right now. This might be a race for a different year for me though!

Thanks again for your time!
 


February
1,267 minutes run
1,140 minutes walked
12 strength training sessions
7 pounds lost

I made my triumphant return to the track this month for speed work (first time in approx 15 years?!?!) and managed to register for all three Disneyland races. My main focus is still Dopey 2024 and trying to get a proof of time.
 


February 2023 totals
Distance: 183.3km (114mi)
Average pace: 7m06s/km (11:26/mi)
YTD: 350km on 2023km

Crazy month, I did what I could… And the average pace includes a fair amount of “I forgot to stop my app at the end of my run and started shovelling the entrance”.
 
FEBRUARY 2023
Running: 108.2 miles
Weights: 7:30:28

Mileage was a lot less than what it should have been. I chose to pursue other interests and not run. I got some house projects completed, read nearly a book a day, cooked, baked and did my taxes before the deadline 😂

I took a week off of strength training before Princess Weekend. I wasn’t sure if I would attempt a PR, but wanted to be recovered enough if I did. I did attempt it and didn’t get it. Conditions were not ideal, went out 10 seconds too fast in the first mile and mentally blew up in mile 5. Still managed to finish in 53:26. My PR from 2/2021 is 53:07. So close!!!
 
February totals:
Swim - 26 miles
Bike - 250 miles
Run - 61 miles

A month of maintaining base fitness with a light training load and only one race. With nothing on my schedule until a week-long cycling ride across part of Europe in June, I expect March will be fairly light and focused on maintaining the base too.
 
February- 54.65 miles. I hate when I miss a whole number by that little but I forgot I couldn’t run today due to scheduling. I’m just glad to have a good February total in the books for once proving to myself that it can be done!

Not training for anything at the moment so March will be more of the same. Still struggling with diet and strength training so hopefully I get that on track.
 
Feb total: 113.7 miles
YTD: 213.7 miles

I started taking Pilates this month. I signed up for a Lagree studio near me, which uses the machine with all the cables and whatnot. It’s hard work and I have been sore after some of the classes, but I’m enjoying it. For the first time in a while, I am regularly doing some sort of strength training. Taking this week off from Pilates as I am going to shoot for a new HM PR this Saturday. The weather here has been stupid but we are getting a 2 day reprieve and it happens to fall over the weekend. So, I should have upper 40’s to mid 50’s during the race, which is prime running territory for me. Fingers crossed!
 
February Training Summary
Running Miles: 156.90 mi
Running Time: 30:16:45
Average Pace: 11:32/mi
Average HR: 142/min

Other
Walking: 9.87 mi
Rolling yearly running: 1,725.72 mi

Another month in the books. My tibialis continues to bother me, but I'm able to manage it through intervals and pace control. It's really wearing and the pacing limitations are frustrating. I told my PT I was ready to try giving it a couple of months off after my race this month, but surprisingly she didn't think there was any point to trying that since rest hasn't worked for this in the past. In addition to continuing to stick needles into my leg, she evaluated my gait to ensure nothing I was doing was contributing and suggested that at my age and running volume a strength program might be the next thing to try. I guess we'll see.

The good news is that I've peaked for my race at the end of the month. The bad news is that I have no idea how I'm going to approach the race. My typical approach is to train at my marathon paces and then dial the pacing back down and introduce intervals during the race. Well, my pace is already dialed back and I'm running intervals during training. I guess I'll try to slow down further and shorten the intervals? We'll see. Confidence is not high. Fingers crossed.
 
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