Self fulfilling prophecy

Distance: 8mi

Miles to go: 1347

Take It And Run is at the bottom.  But read the story first.

OK… so maybe 30 miles in 4 days was a bit much…

Other than I’m REEEEALLY tired…  I didn’t feel that bad.

But there I was, toodling down the trail in the pre-dawn darkness.  Alone, as usual.  One group too fast, the other not quite fast enough.  And I was thinking to myself… “man… it’s really cold and dark.  Like “advanced” dark.  I sure hope I don’t step on something because I can’t see…”  *crack*

Did I mention that this was an out and back route?  Did I mention it was 8 miles?  Did I mention that I was at the FOUR FRICKIN MILE MARK???

Image via Wikipedia

After much oath swearing, cursing and hobbling, I managed to shake the majority of it off and limp back to the parking lot, and I’m relatively certain my ankle will be servicable again in a few days.  But GOOD GAWD that hurt.  It’s not the first time this has happened (try 5th or 6th) and I really don’t have any idea how to prevent it.  I try to be careful but anything short of hauling a 1000 watt flood light down the trail leaves me just slightly vulnerable, and as weak as my ankles are, that’s all it takes.

I’m sure that if I had come home immediately and elevated my foot, it would feel even better.  But as it was, I had to choke down a mouthful of Tylenol and hop in a car for an eight hour drive.  Result?  One painfully puffy ankle.

I’m going to bed.  I’m taking tomorrow completely off and may run a little on Saturday IF my ankle feels better and IF I get a return email from a group I tried to contact here (Oklahoma) about a group run.  If not, I will run on Sunday if I get a chance before we head back home.  If not, I’ll write off the weekend and just wait til I get home.  Time changes in Missouri this weekend so it should be light again when we run… for a while.

Note to self:  From now on when running in Neverland… Think happy thoughts, Peter Pan!  Think Hapy Thawts!!

And since this is Take it and Run Thursday, one of the thoughts that made me giggle (in a sad way) on the way back was that I have discovered which superpower I would really like to have… Levitation.  After my sob story, it should be pretty obvious why…!

Urban running

Distance: 11mi

Miles to go: 1355

I run on “streets” all the time but the route I picked for my run home trip was, for the most part, unexplored by me.  This was, in a word, stoopid…  Old, dilapidated sidewalks, if any existed at all, narrow roads, grumpy drivers, bad mufflers, etc.  It was lovely.  All that coupled with monster hills and rush hour traffic?  Perfect.

I ran 10.5 miles on Sunday so an extra half mile didn’t seem like that big a deal, and I don’t think it was.  The big deal… was the hills.  Six BIG ones.  The 10 miles on Saturday was dead flat.  I’m REALLY tired.  The last mile is a big hill, followed by some rollers (read: steep little hills).  I was very happy to see my driveway.

But… I did it!  This has been a goal of mine for a long time and it’s one I’m proud to check it off the list.  I know… running 10 miles to your house doesn’t seem like much of a goal after you run a marathon, but the hills on this course make it daunting.  That and there are some barriers (highways, urban areas) that make it much more difficult.  One thing I discovered is that running urban takes a lot more concentration that toodling down a trail.  Especially at rush hour.

It’s 8:00 and I’m ready for bed…!

Shame on me

Overslept this morning (alarm time had been changed) so I missed the group run.  Been grumpy ever since.  There are only two things that really make me grumpy anymore.  The first is when I have to travel and can’t be with my family.  The second is missing my group runs for ANY reason. Even though I usually end up running alone anyway due to the odd pace I’m running right now, I still love group runs.  Running alone doesn’t hold the magic it used to.

So I decided to punish/reward myself for my indiscretion this afternoon by running my longest run so far this year.  I’m going to run from my work to my house.  The route I have chosen is just a hair over 14 miles.  This is a big run for me.  The longest one since my marathon last year.  There are several big hills on the route, which should be a challenge.  I plan on running smooth and easy.  I will keep an overall time but will mostly just monitor my breathing.  If I start wheezing (more than normal) I’ll back off.  The goal here is to run the miles.  I could care less how long it takes.  I’m not training for anything except my next run.

Don’t stop now!!!

Distance: 10mi

Miles to go: 1366

We talked today on the run about the feeling of “finding the next gear” while we were running.  That point in your training where you realize that you have more in you than you thought.  Where you find yourself running with people that, six months ago, you thought you had no business running with.  When you go out for a run and just cruise through it but run much faster than you thought and think “I could have run that faster”.

It never happens when you want it to, and we all agreed that the best way to get that feeling was to just keep training.  For everyone but me, the season is now over.  There are a few local community runs but the triathlon and marathon season is pretty much over (in this area).  Since I never had a season this year and I’m just now hitting the above mentioned point where, like today, instead of tiring out at mile 8, I found a gear and ran my last two miles at under an 8 minute pace.

The problem with this, for me, is that everyone else is starting to think about backing off for the season.  Cross training and even taking some time off.  Dang it!  I just got going!  Don’t stop!  I don’t want to run in the cold and dark of winter by myself!!!  I actually want to INCREASE my mileage and add more biking in as well.  Heck, I’m even looking for a swim coach so I can start training for triathlons!  …and they want to take it easy…  Wussies…

and another thing…

Distance: 5.8mi (we’ll round up to 6…)

Miles to go: 1376

Just a quicky on the run today.  Since I wimped out this morning I had to make sure I got some miles in.  Not a bad run, medium pace, controlled, average.  All good words to describe it.  Mostly trail with one big hill on the road.  One bold but slightly nervous young buck standing on the trail until I was within feet of him.  I thought he might charge me for a second, but I think my wheezing finally drove him off.

It did dawn on me during the run today that my ankles and knees didn’t hurt.  Funny thing… it stopped right after I got my new shoes… hmm… imagine that.

My own personal demons

This weeks TIART from Runner’s Lounge hits particularly close to home with me.  It’s about weight management and running.

Image via Wikipedia

To say that I have the “anti-runner” metabolism and body type would be fairly accurate (think: Gimli in running shoes).  I can and have always been able to lose a pound a week (if I run 40 miles or more), my problem is that I can do nothing and eat nothing and gain 5 pounds a week.  Unfortunately, over time I have “done nothing” more than I have run 40 mile weeks.  Like the 10 YEARS I spent on the couch with a bad back.

The net result has been a slow, steady weight gain and roller coaster weight gain/loss unless I maintain very consistent training schedule.  Things like injuries are a double whammy for me because I have to recover from the injury and then re-lose the weight I gained while I was not exercising.

I think the best thing I can offer is to dispell a few myths:

1. Running, even with a balanced diet, absolutely DOES NOT equal guaranteed weight loss.  And any weight you lose must be continually beaten back by continued running or it will come RIGHT BACK ON.  The problem is, in order to run AND feel good, you HAVE to increase your intake or you will feel sick and weak and tired all the time.  Which is not conducive to more running.
2. There is NO goofy formula, dietary supplement or magic stick you can shake at your “diet” that will replace, healthy, balanced diets.
3. There is a reason the word “diet” has the word “die” in it.  The only way to guarantee that any diet works is to stay on it until you die.  Never “diet” again.  Just change your lifestyle (run) and eating habits (lay off the McDonalds and eat a piece of fruit instead).  Eat what you like (within reason) and try new, healthy things from time to time
4. Yes, beer is mostly water.  No, that does not mean it can SUBSTITUTE for water.  Nice try…  You have to drink more water than you ever thought you could… and then have another glass.  Every. day.
5. For soda (yes, even “die”t soda… see #4.  Just because it says “Coke Zero” doesn’t mean it has no impact on you.
6. Sacrificing yourself to the pizza gods by swearing later loyalty only to raw veggies DOES NOT HELP.  Moderation and consistency… Not binge and starve.
7. Nobody said this was easy.  If they did, you have my permission to kill them.
8. “Six Pack” should refer to your abs, not your after workout carbo load.  Otherwise your abs end up looking more like a keg.
9. Putting anything in your body you can’t pronounce or spell without looking at the label is probably NOT going to help.
10. YES, you HAVE to cut back and moderate.  NO, there are NO SHORTCUTS.  …and you can never stop.

Dabigleap training weather curve…

Image by Gadget Virtuoso via Flickr

100+ degrees- I run only to save my own life or chase down a refrigerated beer truck.

90+ degrees- I “might” run to save the life of another.  But usually I only run when it’s this hot to get from the house to the pool, thereby breaking every pool rule in the process.  Unless it’s raining… Then subtract 20 degrees.

80+ degrees- I run, slowly.  Only enough to maintain my goals for mileage.  If it’s raining here I will run until it stops raining.

70+ degrees- Getting closer to optimal conditions.  I might even add a few miles just for fun.  Rain makes no difference here.

60+ degrees- I could run all day.  Rain, shine… don’t care.  Love it.

50+ degrees- Optimal conditions for me.  Run my best times here in training.  Not digging rain so much at this point but I can still tolerate it.

40+ degrees- Still great running weather but I hate having to layer up.  I usually run PR’s here because I’m in a hurry to get someplace warmer.  Rain here just pisses me off.  30-50 degrees and rain= misery, especially on a long run.

30+ degrees- Still not bad running weather.  I feel like a real, dedicated runner here because I am usually pretty much alone on the trail.  Rain here, however, is usually terminal for my runs.  I will only run races in these conditions… because I paid for it and want to get my money’s worth.  But I won’t like it.

20+ degrees- As crazy as it sounds, I like running in the cold.  As long as it’s not windy…  Here, for me, layers start to pay off and I can run in layers without overheating.  I am usually alone at this point on the trail.  As for precipitation, if it’s snowing…?  KEWL!  I love running during a snowfall.  If it’s raining?  That’s just crazy talk…

Anything under 20 degrees?  That’s what treadmills and gyms are for…  There is a reason they call it “off” season.

Most miserable conditions run in to date?

Heat- 104 degrees and 96% humidity, ZERO wind (summer, 07).  Also why they make treadmills…  That was stupid.  I could smell my brain cooking.

Cold- 29 degrees and RAIN (not snow… RAIN), 20mph winds.  One of my first organized runs in spring of 06.  I was cold for a week.

Weather- 63 degrees, severe thunderstorm warning, hail, 40+ mile an hour wind gusts, tree limbs falling… It was glorious.  With every new addition (I kept waiting for the tornado warning sirens) I laughed harder.  When you are 4 miles into a 7 mile run, the only thing you can do is keep running (and say “ow” a lot as the hail hits you).  We got a special bead from the beadmaster for that one.

My running preferences seem to be sliding away from heat and more towards cold.  I can always layer up more… But there are only so many layers an old, fat guy can (legally) take off…  And besides, it scares the children to see the Michelin Man jiggling at them down the trail.  Keep it covered, says I…

A decision made for me.

Distance: 4mi

Miles to go: 1382

Wind…  Lotsandlotsandlots of wind…  I swear at one point I was running backwards.

Image via Wikipedia

We are on the cusp of a pretty strong cold front moving out of the plains at us.  The rain held off (until tomorrow morning when it’s cold and I’m running in it… of course) and the temps were OK (I did get chilled a bit on the drive home), but the wind was brutal.  No biggie though.  Any run is a good one!

So I am reading about all the wonderful times had by those who went to the triathlon club championships and I am trying to decide what I should do, fitness wise, in the coming year when I flip to a summary by our fearless leader, Mark Livesay, and he mentions that next years championship will be held in conjunction with the Redman Triathlon, September 19, in Oklahoma…

For those who don’t know, I grew up in Oklahoma…

Looks like I found my direction for ‘09!

It may not seem like much motivation.  It’s just a race in a place I used to live… So?  Well, I look at it this way…  My family is there so I will get to see them as well as do the race.  This makes it easier to justify the trip (read: expense) and my family will have something to do as well.  Since I can combine what I’m sure will be my new obsession with a family trip… maybe I can do it with less guilt?

Weak…  I know…

But still, to be able to go back home and do a club championship race and maybe have my extended family there would be really cool.  I really like the club and would love to help support them by actually DOING a triathlon or two.  And to do it in my own back yard would be special to me.

Now I just gotta find somebody to teach an old, fat guy how to swim…

Distance: 8mi

Miles to go: 1386

Marathoners, you know that tiny bit of a letdown you get when you are running a course where the half marathoners run with you to a point and then split off?  You are in a huge pack of people and then you come to that turn where you go right and they go left and suddenly you are alone?  It’s both depressing (I still have a long way to go…) and exciting (I still have a long way to go!) at the same time, for me anyway.

I was reminded of this, although not in such a brutal way, this morning.  I had settled in behind a pack of about 10 runners and was just cruching the miles and listening to them talk about this past weekend’s races, etc.  I knew most of them and had assumed I would be with them until the end.  Then we made a turn (ok… I made a turn) to follow on to the longest route.  I looked up and I was completely alone in the dark.  Startled, but undeterred, I vowed to follow up with them later to hear the rest of the story and trudged off into the last few miles alone.  I learned that, although I am getting faster,  I am still the slowest of the “A”, or longest, route runners.  This was emphasized by the fact that by the time I got back to the start of our run, the parking lot was EMPTY… heh!  All the honking I had heard on the way down the last hill wasn’t frustrated drivers, it was all the people who had already finished and were heading to coffee prompting me to hurry the hell up…

In search of a plan…

Distance: 4mi

Miles to go: 1394

So I got hit by this huge tide of inspiration as I reflected on this day when nearly 100% of the people I know that run in Columbia were doing battle with themselves, the elements, the miles, inner demons and the competition.  Locally, on Saturday we had a 5K that was won with a blistering 15:26 time.  Not one of our runners, but still, that’s lightning!  Also this weekend we had a trail run called Rock Bridge Revenge.  This sick and twisted little run brought out some of our best, once again with lightning fast times and strong support.  Then there was the Triathlon Club National Championships in Vegas.  Our local club, CMC, was defending back to back championships against the likes of the L.A. Tri Club and other HUGE clubs around the nation.  It took other clubs bringing in sandbaggers (pros) to bring CMC down but we still finished a strong second.  It seems the revenge plotting has already started for next year.  Maybe I can be a part of it?  And then finally, my friends running the Columbus Marathon were awesome.

Awash in all this motivation and ashamed of the fact that I wasn’t a part of any of it, I strapped my shoes on and went for a solace run.  As usual, the miles washed away the downer I was feeling and gave me time to think.  Since this was an off day (usually), I took it easy and just cruised down a favorite trail.

I have options.  I can run trails.  I can start multisport training (read: learn to swim).  I can jack the mileage back up and run another marathon. I can increase my speed work and set some short race goals (sub 21 5K, sub 45 10K, etc.).  I guess I just don’t know what direction to go.  I can’t (realistically) do all of it.  Mostly due to time and money constraints.  So I’m going to have to specialize.  I guess I just need to take the rest of the year and decide what to do.  It’s fun to be at this point.  Especially since my base is already around the half marathon distance I have something to work with.  But which way to go…