Monthly totals:
Miles run: 259.0 miles (5.1 more miles than December)
Days run: 31 out of 31 (it’s a run streak! Currently at 201 days)
Calories burned during run: 35,800 kcal (that’s 10.2 lb if 3500 kcal = 1 lb)
Run time: 48 hr 47 min (94 min per day average)
This is the most I’ve ever run, in any January, according to my records. (It is highly unlikely I ran more in years not listed since I’m running more now than I was before 2018.)
Monthly averages and superlatives:
Average speed per mile: 11:34 per mile (same average speed as December)
This pace is still considerably slower than what used to be very easy for me, in 2014, I averaged 11:00/mile in January. (2016 data are from before TomTom watch and I’m not sure what happened to the data, its not showing up on the Garmin site. Assume it is as slow as or slower than 2017, because it was.) If I was running so slow compared to 2014 in 2015 and 2016, one would think I would have realized I had a thyroid problem and gone to the doctor much earlier. Hindsight is 20/20, and at that point my brain was clearly in the midst of a hypothyroidism/possibly also anemia crisis and I just was not thinking clearly.
My long term goal is to get back to 10-11 minutes per mile easy pace, which is what I used to run at all the time before 2015. I’m getting older, but I’m also doing speed work and strength training, two things I never did until 2017.
Average stride rate: 160 steps per minute (1 spm fewer than December)
Average heart rate during run: 151 beats per minute (3 bpm more than December)
Longest run: January 2 – 17 miles
Shortest run: January 3 – 5 miles.
Fastest run: January 17 – 9:43/mile, 7.2 miles (5 miles at tempo pace)
Slowest run (not counting hill runs): January 3, 13:01/mile.
Fastest mile: January 17 – Mile 6 at 8:52.
Fastest strides: January 17 – strides: 167 per min
Slowest strides (not counting hill repeats): January 3 – 152 per minute.
Total ascent:12,145 ft. (up 854 ft. from December)
Non-run monthly stats:
Total distance (running + walking): 308.8 miles (up 5.7 from December.)
Average distance per day: 9.96 miles (up 0.19 from December)
Total steps: 578,670 steps
Average steps per day: 18,666 (up 275 from December)
Average resting heart rate: 60 bpm (up1 bpm from December)
Lowest resting heart rate: January 3 – 53 bpm (down 1 bpm from lowest in December)
Highest resting heart rate: January 6, 25, and 31 – 65 bpm (up 1 bpm from the highest in December.)
January monthly thoughts:
1.) I thought it would be fun to include data from past Januaries, for comparison.
My record keeping is not stellar until more recent years, so I’m working with what I have. Apparently I used to run without meticulously writing down every run from about 2001 to 2010(ish), then I started recording runs semi-regularly mid-2010 to 2013. I got a GPS watch in 2013, but I did not start logging every run until around 2015/2016. There’s something I love about not knowing exactly how many miles or how often I was running, just running for the sake of running, but I also love about being able to see what I did last year compared to this year. Both have value. I also realized that I would log how many laps I swam in 2010 and it makes me sad that I’m not swimming laps now. Hopefully swimming will become part of my exercise life once again sometime in 2021. I’m optimistic that there is a future out there where I swim laps again (and still run, I used to do both and think that life still exists for me.)
Again, I’m not laser focused on using any of these data to obsess over and try to improve… 2014 was before weight gain, before thyroid cancer, before multiple surgeries. It was 7 years ago now and of course I was running differently then than I am now. That’s all ok.
2.) I’m starting the year off strong at 58 miles/week. This is probably too many, but I like to run, and I like long runs.
Speed is about the same as last month. I had a couple good tempo runs, but I think I’ve backed down on the number of faster workouts compared to November/December.
It is January and has been cold most of the month, and I find it harder to do those tougher workouts when it is cold and windy.
3.) Speaking of cold days… I somehow managed to make it through a month of cold runs with only one treadmill run (freezing rain, which is a lot harder to run in than freezing temperature or medium temperature rain).
I’ve spent most of this month with my face feeling numb for part (or all) of the run. It has gone from being shocking and uncomfortable to a familiar feeling on most runs.
I’m not sure if I’m cold adapting or becoming more of a masochist (I don’t think distance runners are masochists, but learning to be comfortable with the fact that you will be uncomfortable for long periods of time is an important endurance running lesson, I guess this is just more of that.)
I did fall down on January 31st, navigating snow and ice covered steps(no rail, it was part of a short cutthrough at a local park). I landed on my hip and it is slightly bruised, but could have been much worse.
4.) My right hamstring started the year off as slightly sore immediately after that 17 mile run on January 2nd. I think I just did too much. (17 miles came after a fast 8 mile run on the treadmill and weight lifting the day before. Will not do that again.)
My left hamstring, on the other hand, has been spasming (one short involuntary muscle contraction, and then it’s fine) ever since about 1 mile into the first run after that January 2nd 17 mile run. Not every day, and only usually once (although some runs up to 3 times), almost always within the first 10-15 minutes, usually about 3 minutes in. I have no idea what is causing it, and it went away for a week, came back very briefly at the end of January beginning of Feb, and seems to be gone again. It might be my increased efforts at strength training are overloading the muscle, it could be it just needs to “loosen up” as I get started (it did it once on the treadmill indoors. It’s not causing any problems running on it, but was weird this month nonetheless.
5.) I clearly do not need races on the calendar to train like I’m preparing for a marathon. I haven’t talked myself into or out of running a solo marathon again this spring… possibly that’s just too much pressure on my body for not a real race. But I also love long runs. The only time I think I ran only to prepare for a race was when I got talked into a half marathon in 2002, shortly after I started running. After that 1st half marathon, I just run, race or no race.
6.) Weight is still up!
I’m honestly not sure what is going on. I have been tracking calories for months, reducing calorie intake, I’ve increased my running, and the weight doesn’t appear to want to come off.
My first thought (and concern) is that I still have hypothyroidism despite 2.5 years of trying to get to the right hormone level. This is certainly a possibility but I really hope it is not the case because hypothyroidism disrupts so many things in my body! I still have afternoon fatigue, but I can kind of combat it with lots of caffeine now, which hasn’t always been the case. My hair is still falling out in abnormal amounts on a daily basis. Maybe I do have mild hypothyroidism. Fun fact: endocrinologists often treat by TSH even though it is not always a good indication of actual thyroid hormone levels or function.
My second thought is my estrogen levels are abnormal (possibly caused by hypothyroidism?). I sincerely hope this is not the case because I don’t want to deal with anemia or fibroids ever again, and that was most likely fueled by high estrogen levels which were caused by hypothyroidism. It could be even though I stopped taking Lupron Depot 6 months ago, my hormones haven’t completely stabilized and are running amok. My anxiety levels, which can indicate a high amount of estrogen, seem to be in check, everything is copacetic, so hopefully estrogen is ok.
My third (and hopefully correct) thought is that my weight has always fluctuated a lot from day to day, and would stay up three weeks out of four. I also physically do a lot of things that cause inflammation (muscle inflammation), running, etc. and if I’m slightly hypo, that always makes me retain water. Let’s say it is a combination of mild hypothyroidism causing a slow metabolism, and a month long of muscle inflammation from working out more.
It could be the weight won’t start to come off until I get my BMR up from where it is now. Hopefully the consistent weight lifting I am doing will help with that. It is possible only a thyroid medication adjustment will do that for me. I’m going to keep being consistent with running, lifting weights, and eating a reasonable amount of calories. The weight will either come off or it won’t. I feel like I’m eating an adequate amount most days, but late January, early February, my body told me I wasn’t eating enough so I overate calories a couple days.
Long runs and weight lifting clearly take a lot out of me, undereating calories can make the afternoon fatigue much worse, so I’m trying to keep it all in balance and still reach my weight loss goals. It will be slow.
I’m not too worried about not losing weight, but, the goal is to get back down to low 150s because I feel like the extra weight is putting a lot more extra pressure on my knees (family history of osteoarthritis in the knees means I do not want extra weight on my knees), and the potential for problems since a lot of the Lupron Depot (low estrogen) weight went to my midsection and I don’t want this much visceral fat around my internal organs. I just don’t. I probably still appear lean, but those are the two reasons to lose some of the fat I gained in 2020.
Checking in with my New Year, New Running Goals.
1.) I have not had a Covid vaccine yet. I’m a fairly healthy person under 65, so it will be a while yet for me. I do have a family member who got the first dose of the Moderna vaccine yesterday, Feb 3, so that’s something, I guess.
2.) I haven’t signed up for any races yet, so I guess I’m doing good on waiting until I’m vaccinated!
3.) I haven’t run with other people (won’t do until vaccinated or later).
4.) I have not started swimming again (won’t do until vaccinated or later, or summer outside pools are accessible).
5.) I have been more consistent with my weight training! I’ve done so well this month! See New Year New Running Goals 2021 for what a normal “Big Strength Training Session” is for me. I did 11 this month, about once every three days.
6.) Start stretching – I did start stretching this month… not until January 19th, but I’m trying. 7 days in January, and that’s pretty good. First stretch made me feel like I lost all of my flexibility, but by the second day stretching, some has been regained already.
7.) I have not done any cross training (does strength training count?). Have I mentioned I want to swim but not until I’m vaccinated? I want to swim laps again so much.
On January 31st we got a lot of snow and there was a lot of trekking across the snow to get to runable sections. I guess that counts as “hiking” and could be cross training (in the middle of a run).
Weight, weight fluctuate
Current thyroid medication: 137.5 mcg levothyroxine (T4) daily, 10 mcg liothyronine (T3) split up into 5 mcg twice a day (started August 11, 2020).
Current weight: 163.8 lb (that’s 0.5 lb. higher than end of December)
Weight January 1, 2021: 163.3 lb
Weight change since Jan 1, 2021: +0.5 lb
Previous month: December 2020
Next month: February 2021
Running with a thyroid problem 