Theme of the month: I have surgery, it goes well, and I have to take some time off my running to heal.

Monthly totals:

Miles run: 178.6 miles (36.9 fewer miles than June)

Days run: 24 out of 30 (my run streak came to an end at 160 days – January 29^th – July 7^th)

Calories burned during run: 23,500 kcal (that’s 6.7 lb if 3500 kcal = 1 lb)

Run time: 36 hr 39 min (71 min per day average)

Monthly averages and superlatives:

Average speed per mile: 12:18 per mile (16 sec per mile slower than June)

Average stride rate: 158 steps per minute (1 spm less than June)

Average heart rate during run: 142 beats per minute (4 bpm faster than June)

Longest run: July 31 – 11 miles.

Shortest run: July 29 – 3.1 miles. 

Fastest run: July 28 – 11:30/mile, 8 miles

Slowest run (not counting hill runs): July 20, 12:54/mile.

Fastest mile: July 28 – Mile 8 at 10:13 of a total 8 miles

Fastest strides: July 2, 22, and 28 – strides: 161 per min

Slowest strides (not counting hill runs):  July 24 – 152 per minute.

Total ascent: 6,917 ft (down 2,777 ft from June)

Non-run monthly stats:

Total distance (running + walking): 241.5 miles (down 9.7 miles from June)

Average distance per day: 7.8 miles (0.6 less than June)

Total steps: 474,720 steps

Average steps per day: 15,313 (down 819 from June) 

Average resting heart rate: 60 bpm (down 4 bpm from June)

Lowest resting heart rate: July 8 – 51 bpm (down 8 bpm from lowest in June – this was the day of the surgery, so looks like hopped up on drugs = very low HR)

Highest resting heart rate:  July 24– 67 bpm (down 4 bpm from the highest in June)

July monthly thoughts:

1.)  I had my fibroid surgery this month, which I wrote a little about here.  The surgery went really well, they were able to remove the entire fibroid without laparoscopy or an emergency hysterectomy. 

2.)  Surgery meant 1 week with no running, this time I waited a full week (except on day 6, I kind of did a 4 min walk, 1 min slow jog interval, but really, I tried my best to wait – intervals helped keep my brain more focused and less bored with walking).

3.)  Surgery also meant a 160 day run streak came to end.  I know some people that can go years or decades with run streaks.  My suspicion is, most of those people don’t have uterus related problems, but what do I know?

4.)  This month was hot, and once my surgery was over and I was able to get back to running, I was running very conservatively (slow) to not stress my healing body too much.  So, I’m not surprised my speed and distance is pretty low this month.

5.)  My Lupron Depot induced hot flashes have returned, with a vengeance.  Hot flashes in July >>> hot flashes in April.  Is this affecting my running?  Not sure.

6.)  My weight is staying around 157-160ish this month.  That is fine.  I’m hoping some weight will come off once the Lupron Depot is out of my system. I’m writing this a few weeks later, and my weight is still up, but I still haven’t had a “cycle” yet, so I have no idea what is going on, the Lupron Depot which is supposed to be gone in a month is possibly still keeping my estrogen low and causing water weight (a separate issue from low estrogen), it’s possible I’ve gained some “real” weight that I will probably try to get rid of. 

I’m at a healthy weight, I’m enjoying running, so I’m not “worried” about my weight, just motivated to get a few pounds off.

7.)  50 mile per week average goal for 2020 update

As of August 1, 2020, my weekly average was: 48.13 miles, total of 1,471.32 miles.

To meet that goal (if I decide to keep up with high mileage), I will need to run 1,143 miles in 152 days, or 52.64 miles a week or about 7.5 miles a day. 

8.) 100K feet ascent in 2020 goal

As of August 1, 2020, I am at 59,583 ft. 

That means 40,417 ft. to go in 5 months.  This is much more doable than 50 miles per week goal.

Current thyroid medication: 150 mcg levothyroxine (T4) daily, 10 mcg liothyronine (T3) split up into 5 mcg twice a day (started August 16, 2019). 

Current weight:  158.5 lb  (that’s 3.2 lower than end of June) 

Weight January 1, 2020: 151.0 lb

Weight change since Jan 1, 2020: + 7.5 lb

Previous month: June 2020

Next month: August 2020