Back running with sore back and legs

I had a week of low mileage due to travel, with some of those miles on a treadmill. Now I am back running and have added ice to the mix. These combine into a recipe for muscle fatigue and the leg and back muscles are sore!

I also am not sleeping very weell. I am waking up between 5:30 and 6am and cannot get back to sleep. This is even true on mornings that I can/should sleep in and mornings after I have been up a bit late the night before. I also have not been tired or looking for a nap any afternoon in over a week. Not sure what is up.

Maybe I am just getting old. . .

Poor week of training

I spent the week in Austin, TX for work. Temps ranged from about 38* to 85* which was much warmer than home. That said, I only got two runs in for about 7 miles.

1) I hate running on the road when I don't know where I am running.

2) I hate running from hotels that are not near parks, trails, or running paths. I don't feel safe on the streets with traffic and not know where I am going.

3) I hate running where I don't feel safe and know what kind of neighborhoods I am running through.

4) I hate being in meetings all day and then running after dark with the above conditions.

I will get runs in tomorrow and Sunday at home and then get back to my normal mileage next week.

The strangest thing about this is I love running in the dark at home where I know I am going. . . But on the road, I am afraid of getting lost, hitting a tree branch (happened this week!), getting hit by a car, etc.

Worst and Best 5k Ever!

I ran the Jingle Bell run this morning in -10* windchill. Officially, it was my worst 5k ever; unofficially, it was my best 5k ever. How does this happen? I had an emergancy at work that got me to the race late. I ended up starting 18 minutes late and meeting the winner coming back during the first quarter mile. I ran most of the race about 1K behind the sweeper, but a well painted course and a couple of volunteers that stayed out in the cold made it great. Official time was 53:12, unofficial on my GPS was 34:57 (and 3.2 miles!) for a PR (personal record).

Friends and family donated $220 for me to run and the total even took in almost $20,000 v. $4,200 last year. The money goes to Arthritis research.

I saw an older lady that had to walk with a crutch. Her fingers were twisted from the disease. When she sat down on a chair, one foot remained in the air because she could not bend her knee enough for her foot to reach the ground. Thanks to all who supported me; I ran because I could!

Tired Legs

I am on my third day of "vacation" and I am running a 5k in the morning. Training calendar calls for a 3mile short run, but my legs do not feel in the mood. I need to decide in the next 20 minutes or so, if I am going to go home and get the run in before I have to pick up the son from daycare.

BTW, I ate poorly this week; wonder if that made this worse?

Gumping

Tonight, I had my mp3 player loaded with music on "shuffle" instead of the podcasts I have been listening to for the last month or so. After I got back to Scheels and was talking with other run club members, two runners said they saw me running and I was "looking good!" They saw me around the 3.2 mile mark of a 5.31 mile run. There was 15 minutes in there when I felt great and don't remember my feet touching the ground. I have about 130 songs in the player on shuffle, but had an "almost perfect" section of music:

Springsteen -- Born to Run
Browne -- Running on Empty
McLean -- American Pie

I was truely "Gumping" -- that wonderful feeling where you feel like you can run forever while hearing "running on, running on empty, running on, running blind, running into the sun but I am running behind. I don't even know what I'm hoping to find. . ."

It was a great feeling and suddenly it felt like the first mile instead of the fourth, and it felt like about 558 instead of 3*. The shoes felt new, the darkness was replaced with sun, and the streets and cars were replaced with a meadow. Perhaps it was just endorphins, but it felt COOL!

Long long time ago, I remember how the music used to make me smile. . . ;)

Cold!!!!!

We had a visitor on Tuesday night, so I ended up doing my miles on Wednesday morning. It was around 2* with a 20 mile per hour north wind. I found a park route that avoided the wind as much as possible and I ended up with a full-face baclava. The biggest problem was my wire framed sunglasses froze to my face and were giving me a horrible headache. So I ran most of the time with them in my left glove covered hand.

I also had problems with an untied shoelace. No way to tie them with a glove on. Skin froze without glove. I was able to get one shoe tied and the glove back on and was able to feel my fingers again by the end of the run. . .

Tonight was again about 3*, but the wind was not there and I was able to run with the baclava off my face and the jacket unzipped 1/4 of the way. . .

Wondering what January and February will have in store for me!

Thanksgiving

We traveled to my parents for the holiday. We arrived Wednesday night around 7:30pm and I got Paige and Cooper fed for supper, the car unpacked, and then changed into my running clothes for an evening 4.3mile run. After the run, I had a salad and a baked potato and then went to bed.

Thanksgiving day started with a 4.4 mile run, breakfast, and a shower. After the big meal, I loaded Cooper and two of his cousins into a vehicle for a trip to the park. It was about 35* and overcast but we played on the swings, climbing bars and slides for about 40 minutes. Then it was back to the house for a quick nap and a drive home.

Jumped on the scale this morning and I lost 1.5# over the holiday. Given that we did not bring home any sugary leftovers, the opening half of the holidays has gone fine. I felt happy with what I ate, and did not gain weight. Still have Christmas parties and holiday to survive, but I am feeling pretty good!

Milestone -- 4 months running

This week was the four month anniversary of my starting to run:

Miles = 318
Time : 76 hours, 58 minutes
Calories 50,754

I have ran one pair of shoes into retirement and working on pairs two and three. I have dropped 6 inches off both my chest and waist; none of my suits fit me. My resting heart rate and blood pressure have both dropped. My arms and legs are starting to look good; my torso still has fat that needs to be run off. . .

This morning I ran at a sustained pace for 90 minutes. That is something I could not have honestly dreamed about 4 months ago.

My 8 month anniversary will come during the midst of marathon training and the one year anniversary will hopefully come after my first completed marathon and in the first week of training for my second marathon.

Run long and taper!

Vet's Day 8K

Very cold and windy at start. Temp was in the 20's and wind made it colder. This was billed as a "European-style" cross country and the course did not disappoint. Race registration suggested "trail shoes or spikes" and I wore trail shoes; I am glad I did. Much of the course runs through a park that has been created as part of the Grand Forks Flood control project after the 1997 flood that forced the evacuation of over 95% of the city. The starting line was at the top of a small but steep hill that was very near the site of the first apartment Paige and I shared 17 years ago. After a whort ceremony to honor Vetern's Day, we were lined up for the start. Course was out and back. Starting line was immediately down the hill, then along the bottom for about 50 yards and then turned and came back up the hill, across a road, and back down the hill. We then ran along the river through the brush. Ground was marshy and very uneven; I was glod for the vibram soles in my trail shoes. We crossed a dirt road and there was an area of grass on both sides that had been "mulch-seeded" with the green paper mulch and grass seed. I noticed one set of deer tracks crossing the line of run. At about the 1.25 mile mark, there was a short downhill that was VERY steep. I used trees and walking sideways to make my way down. Then we ran again along the river until we made it to the park entrance, near where our good friend Pete grew up. There we ran up the dike and started along the top.

I heard a loud "That's my dad, go dad!" at this point. Cooper was parked with Grandma and Grandpa on the street on the "dry-side" of the dike. He was proud of me and it gave me a much needed burst of energy and, more importantly, encouragement that carried me through the rest of the race.

After about 1/4 mile along the top of the dike, we ran down the dry side in the area that was posted "For public sledding". We then ran along the bottom through what used to be part of the old Lincoln Park Golf course, across the street from another friend's (Greg Norby) childhood home. Then it was back up the dike to run along the top. We ran for another 1/4 mile and reached the turnaround point.

As mentioned, the course was out and back. I won't do a play-by=play of recovering the route, but there were a few hilights. On the down section off the "sledding hill" portion of the dyke, two young ladies decided to lay down and roll down the hill for fun; it gave a laugh to everyone.

The "STEEP" hill I went down earlier now had to be gone up. About 78 runners had gone down and 71 had gone back up by the time I got there; the ground was all torn up and I had to struggle for hand-holds of grass and brush to help myself get up.

I almost fell twice. I caught my toe on a fist sized rock and stumbled. Then I got back to the rough, marshy ground. It too all my focus on the ground 2-3 feet in front of me to get through this. I even slowed down; I just wanted to get through with both ankles and knees intact so I could finish the last 1/2 mile of the race. I almost twisted an ankle once, and struggled the entire section to find a place to set my feet down that was solid. I also picked up 6-8 cockle burrs, three of which were on my ankle right above the shoe and poking through my sock with every step. I had to stop and pull them off my ankle, then remove my glove to get them off my gloves. . . The rest rode to the finish. My mom said one guy had about 60, so I guess I got off fairly easy.

I ran with a group of women most of the race. I was behind them through the first part, caught, passed, and opened up a lead on the dyke top where the running was fast, and then lost much of that gap when I slowed down in the marsh. I opened up again in the last 1/2 mile into the finish.

I was hoping to run 59:59 or better. Mom said the early runners were talking about how tough the course was after they finished. I won't use that as an excuse, but I will use it as a reason to be happy with my 1:01:40 and 72nd place.

Sent mom and Cooper home in my car and I ran the .89 miles back to their house for a couple of bagels, some Gatorade, and a shower.

Off to Vet's day 8K

I am leaving tomorrow afternoon for a race in Grand Forks. Cooper is looking forward to staying at Grandma and Grandpa's and seeing his dad run. I am looking forward to not finishing last. . . ;)

Actually, every step is a win. I am buying years and capacity to spend with Cooper in the outdoors in pursuit of our passions! Makes it priceless.

I will post results Saturday evening or Sunday.

Sporthill Running Clothing

Scheels' Running Club tonight had in the SportHill rep (TJ) to talk about their clothing. I owned one 1/4zip shirt and liked it, but had not looked closely at the rest of their line. Boy, was I missing some great running clothing!

1) Pursuit II top -- Front material (3SP) is windproof to 35mph. TJ used a windmeter and a blow-dryer to demonstrate. The output from the blowdryer measured about 37mph, he then put the front cloth of the jacket between the blow-dryer and the windmeter. The new measurement was between 0.6 and 1.4mph; the tiny blades of the windmeter barely moved. This is a soft and comfortable fabric that blocks the wind, but allows freedom of movement. the back of the two-tone jacket is a wicking and breathable material that is less windproof to prevent over-heating.

2) XC Pant -- Same great windstopping material (3SP). A pair of these came home with me and I will report more after I run in them! They are a soft pant that is designed to fit slightly loose, and provide warmth for Zone 3 (0* to 40*) running and XC skiing.

3) 3SP Mitten -- Again, a "thin" and comfortable mitten that is made with the wind-stopping 3SP fabric. I have to admit, I looked at these gloves two weeks ago and thought they would not be warm enough. Now that I have seen how the 3SP fabric performs, I added a pair to my running bag.

There are alot of great styles in the SportHill line. Check them out for yourself. I was surprised and pleased with what I found and I expect I will be adding more pieces to help me stay warm this winter.

Overheating

I have been COLD the last couple of weeks. I have been wearing more clothes, turning up the heat at home and in the office, and generally shivering alot. Last Saturday, I had a good run; last Sunday I had a horrible run. Tonight I cut way back on the amount of clothes I was wearing. Results:

1) I was cold at times during the run.

2) I had my best run in two months. Pace was fast, heart rate was low.

Lesson: We are all human and discussion of wearing too much clothes applies to all of us. This is a lesson I wish I would have listened to and learned rather than having a run like Sunday that left me sick for almost 24 hours and helped trigger my first migraine in over a year.

Buckeye Outdoors

I have seen a couple of references to Buckeye Outdoors so I decided to check it out. It is a very cool and free online web community for runners that allows me to post my training plan and training log. It then provides code that I can paste into my blog template to show the three tables on the right of my blog below my profile: Upcoming Races, My Workouts, and Workout Totals. There is even a link that you can click on to go see my full plan and log. I will be posting less about my own running workouts and more about what I am learning about running, reading about running, etc. The "ORN's" (obligatory running notes) will now be in the side boxes for the one or two members of my family that cares, but the posts will be TRY to be more informative.

Ed Bradley , dead of Luekemia at age 65

I just found out that Ed Bradley has passed away:

Ed Bradley, the longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent who passed away Thursday, was all those things and more. But he had one more quality few journalists have: He was cool.

Bradley was one of the first African-American journalists to break into the top tier of broadcast journalism. For that, and for his many other accomplishments, he will be long remembered.

But it’s hard not to also think of him as one of the coolest news guys who ever graced our TV screens.

Link

He was much more than Cool. He was wounded in Cambodia, he had the only TV interview of Tim McVeigh, he won 19 emmys, and was a champion of truth and justice. I will miss him.

It is especially hard to hear of this passing was due to Leukemia. My father died of Leukemia 37 years ago. It is a disease that I would like to see defeated. I plan on running a marathon in the next 18 months to raise money for Luekemia research via Team in training; I just need to fit it into my work and current travel schedule. At that time, you will be hearing alot from me about donations. But do what I am doing; write a check "in memory of Ed" and mail it tonight. It's the cool thing to do.

Late run and thinking

I got a late run in last night (4miles) and had some time to think. I think overheating and dehydration are the cause of my problems on Sunday. My body is doing some strange things with temperature regulation. I have been cold for the last two months. So, I responded by overdressing on Sunday and my heart rate was way too high for most of the run and I was miserable. Last night I was cold for most of the run and my heartrate was fine and the run felt great. I am as surprised as anyone, but I can now crank out a four mile run and not feel anything wrong in my legs the next morning. No stiffness, no soreness, no discomfort during night. It is amazing. I wonder how it will feel when I hit my weight goal???

Lance's NYC Marathon

This was Armstrong’s first marathon, and he said the 26.2-mile race, particularly those final eight miles, was the “hardest physical thing” he has ever done.

His dark green shirt was soaked with sweat, his gait, stiff. He said his calves felt like someone was squeezing them, hard. His shin splints were also flaring up again.

“That’s when I started to feel helpless,” Armstrong said after the race, as he was driven back to his hotel across from Central Park. “‘I thought, ‘Uh-oh, maybe I should have trained a little harder for this. I think I’m in trouble.”

-----

Armstrong said he wasn’t thinking about the time. He just wanted it to end.

“I was so tired, I just didn’t care,” he said.

His exhaustion showed. At the finish, he doubled over. After his news conference at the New York Athletic Club, he limped out of the room.

Earlier, Armstrong had said that he could possibly have run a sub-2:30 if he had trained, but now he was quite sure that another marathon was out of the question. Nothing in cycling ever came close to three hours of activity at this level, he said.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said that I’ve never felt this bad, ever,” he said. “My legs are killing me. My back doesn’t feel that great, either. I’m really suffering.”

When he arrived at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Armstrong crawled out of the van, looking stunned as he walked through the lobby and into an elevator. He got off on the floor where the spa is located.

“Which way to the hot tub?” he said, as the spa’s door closed behind him.

Link

You have to respect the distance. . .

Great article

This might explain yesterday:

It happens to most runners - that dreaded heart rate spike during what was supposed to be a long, slow effort. You’ve reigned in your speed, you’ve kept hydrated and cool, you’ve even switched your running tunes from raucous Van Halen to relaxing Mozart, just to keep that adrenaline rush at bay. But now your heart rate is racing and you’ve strayed outside your recommended heart rate”zones” for your training session.

So what went wrong?

While running can do wonders for the cardiovascular system, it can also cause involved muscle groups to dramatically tighten. And this often includes vital inspiratory and expiratory muscles surrounding the ribcage, as well as the upper back, shoulders, and neck. So while a tight or non-relaxed running posture might result in a trip to your massage therapist for a post-run rubdown, it will also invariably result in short and shallow breathing. To compound the problem, most runners have not been taught how to properly breathe in any activity, including running. In such a scenario, this “tight torso/shallow breathing” causes limited air intake and results in less oxygen availability for working muscles, which means the heart has to pump more of your subpar-oxgyenated blood at a faster rate in order for you to maintain your seemingly relaxed pace.

And Voila - you’re now working at 90-95% of maximum intensity, when your running program tells you to be at 70-75%.

So rather than focuses on deep, diaphragmatic breathing, relaxed head, neck and shoulders, and loose arms, many runners will simply stop and walk. When the heart rate comes back down, they begin running again, and eventually repeat the cycle. This not only ignores the root of the problem, but it turns what was supposed to be a purely aerobic run into an interval session, which trains the aerobic/anaerobic systems to work like a roller coaster. Sure…intervals should be a basic part of any training program, but not a part of a long endurance training session!

What’s the solution to the problem? Endurance athletes, and especially runners, need to intensely focus on breathing and relaxation drills, then apply these drill concepts to their long run.

Link

Thanks Ben for the tips and reminders. This "rings true" and helps me to explain and understand what went wrong. Saturday night, my heart rate was low and comfortable. Sunday it was out of control. I never felt comfortable, I was fighting myself and I paid the price for it. . .

Weekend runs

Friday, I got a quick afternoon run in (3miles) before I picked up Cooper from pre-school and took him to a UND hockey game. Saturday, I got a late 4 mile run in. Sunday was beautiful (62* and sunny). I got in 7.5 miles but didn't feel real good. Heart rate was way to high, I was actually overheated and a bit dehydrated. I paid for it by not feeling very good last night and then I woke up with my first Migrane in over a year. Finished the week around 27 miles.

This week should be more challenging with travel midweek and a race on Saturday. Stay-tuned for reports.

Another cool run. . .

It was about 20* and dark at the start of my run tonight. I did get 4 miles in and actually finished a bit overheated, even with my jacket zipped open. The main difference was that we finally seem to have caught a break from the wind.

Forecast is for warming including temps near 60* by Sunday in time for my long run. I may get a November run in shorts in!

2007 Plan

I have already posted my 2007 Goals. Paige, Cooper and I went out for supper after trick-or-treating and Paige and I discussed them. "11) Help Paige run a 5K" -- was a surprise to her, but she did not object and agreed to support me in all of them.

I then sat down with Hal Higdon's Marathon training book and my 2007 Training Calendar (a Moleskine!) and plotted in my training plan, taking into account meetings, travel for work, holidays, family vacations, etc. Cooper's birthday is the first week of tapering, so the party plans should help to get my mind off the reduction in mileage. I read through Hal's entire book, underlining heavily and making notes in the margin for things I need to learn. As I go forward, I will make lists and laminated cards that I can use so I make sure I implement all the tips to make the most of my marathon experience.

I then planned the rest of this year. I have a busy two months ahead of me with two races, three trips for work, and the holidays. Plus, I need to sneak in some vacation during this time. It doesn't help that I have a four-year-old and both my wife and I work in retail related jobs. Paige recently added a second job, so she is low senority in both places for getting holiday time off. So, I have to have a plan for Cooper while I run in addition to figuring out when and where I can run. Throw in the uncertainity of weather, and it is shaping up for a schedule that I will have to be flexible and adjust as needed.

But then again, that's what makes life fun!

Wind testing shoes

A good friend showed me how to test jackets and pants for wind resistance: hold your hand inside the fabric and blow hard on the outside and see if you can feel it come through. Great idea; that's how I selected my wind pants and jacket and I can tell you after running twice this week with windchills in the teens, it works. But I never thought to do it with my shoes. . .

I purchased two new pairs of shoes in Oct. and I have been working on breaking them in for running. I wore one pair on Monday for general walking. The minute I got outside in the wind, my toes were instantly frozen. The mesh over the toebox looks like these will be a great shoe for summer running; but for now, they are banished to the treadmill.

Like work and life, it is always the thousands of details that you have to learn and remember!

Cold night, nice run

Temp was down to 24* and windchill was down to 12* when I finally got my run in. I had the trails to myself. I enjoyed the chance to gather my thoughts and watch the moon play hide and seek in the clouds. It was a good run, although my heart monitor says it is time to increase my pace a bit. . .

ORN -- 4.17 miles.

Down 5%

Body fat that is. . . Another postive effect of my running. Speaking of which, I am waiting for Paige to come home so I can go for a run. It is 28* outside with a 14mph wind and windchills around 16*; should be a fun run!

2007 Goals

1) Target Weight 164#
2) Finish Fargo Marathon
3) Finish Outerbanks Marathon
4) Finish Beardsley Half-Marathon
5) Run 29:59 5K
6) Scout Twin Cities Marathon
7) Scout Grandma's Marathon
8) Add track/speed work in 3rd Quarter.
9) Stock up on some really cool "Pre" t-shirts
10) Help Cooper run 5 kids races.
11) Help Paige run a 5K

-46 is good news

-46* is COLD!!! Good thing the windchill was not that low last night! -46 pounds is good news. My Saturday weigh in was 246, which is down 46# from my June 17th weight of 292 and down 86# from my all-time high of 332.

I am now in my 16th week of my running program and getting my runs in has become second nature; I don't feel comfortable if I don't sneak one into my schedule. I am now consistently at 20 to 25 miles per week. My pace has not picked up much, but I am running at the right heart rate and building endurance. I started not being able to jog for two full minutes; now I can go four to six miles easily without a walk break. I am eating better and I now feel changes in my body; I am training it to be a fat burning machine!

This effort is opening up new opportunities for activities for my photography and art and opening up new possibilities for activities with my son. It is worth every second of it.

26*, 30-40mph wind and snow; good run

Ran last night around 7:30pm in falling snow and a strong north wind. Run felt surprisingly good. My wind shell jacket and pants were up to the challenge and I was actually a bit warm towards the end. Falling snow made for a quiet night and I basically had the greenway trails to myself.

Came home to a warm shower, a chance to tuck Cooper into bed with a kiss, and a bowl of pasta, a pork chop, and some raw carrots. Only thing to make it less than perfect is the Vikings play, but I am repressing that nicely. . .

Rain and Snow tonight

Forecast is for a "Winter storm warning" tonight; or at least some rain and snow. I was listening to the weather last night and I almost went for a second run last night (55*; great evening!!!). But I was really tired and went home and went to bed early. So, instead I am looking at the weather reports and wondering when I can get a run in tonight and also get the pumpkins carved and other things done. . .

23+ miles last week. I am going to walk around in a new pair of shoes today to break them in as my Saucny Grid 3D's are pushing 250+ miles. . .

Saturday's run

A 7.5mile morning run along the river this morning. Started a bit cold by warmed up to be a nice day. Legs felt kinda dead in the last 1.5 miles and the muscles around my left knee hurt a bit.

Off for a short run this morning (3-4 miles).

ORN's (obligiatory running notes

10/19 -- 6.16 miles-- I ran about two miles, then went into run club and listened to a review of Asics clothing and shoes. Then did another 4+ miles with the run club.

10/21 -- I was on call for work, so I could not run outside where I would be away from my phone and ability to respond to calls. So I did 4 miles on the treadmill.

10/23 -- Greenway, 4.68 miles, nice fall evening.

10/24 -- Greenway for another 3.87 miles, again, nice evening.

10/26 -- Greenway 4.31 miles. It was afternoon and turned out to be alot warmer than I thought and I was overdressed. I was trying to do a pace run, but ended up going out too fast and had dead legs in the second half of the run. Not real happy with either my pace or heart rate.

I decided and mapped out my marathon plan for spring. I am using one of Hal Higdon's 18 week plans. I will modify it a bit because my current mileage is higher than he has us running for the first couple of weeks, so I will up the mileage to my weekly average until the plan exceeds that and then build with the plan.

Gotta run! ;)

Marathon fueling

"Determining your total calorie needs

Step 1: Determine running calorie expenditure per mile
0.63 x body weight (pounds)

Step 2: Determine goal race pace or how many miles per hour you'll cover
Example: An eight-minute miler will cover 7.5 miles/hour

Step 3: Calculate hourly expenditure based on goal race pace
Example: An eight-minute miler would multiply 7.5 by the figure from step 1.

Step 4: Determine hourly calorie replacement needs
0.3 x the figure from step 3 (Note: Research shows runners can physically absorb about 30 percent of what they expend.)"

Link

Interesting. . .

See Kim Mueller's full article for some applied case studies.

Carbo Loading Down Under

"The Western Australia
Carbo-Loading Method

1. During the pre-race week, eat normally while training lightly until the day before a longer race.
2. On the morning of the day before the race, perform a very brief, very high-intensity workout.
3. Consume 12 g of carbs per lb. of body weight over the next 24 hours."

Link

Going to try this. Also be aware of this note:

"The Western Australia carbo-loading strategy works best if preceded by a proper taper -- that is, by several days of reduced training whose purpose is to render your body rested, regenerated, and race-ready."

Good luck!

Workout for building vo2Max

"The best way to do this would be to alternate short intervals run at vVO2max with short 'floats' (jogging recoveries) at perhaps half of vVO2max. Keeping the hard intervals short would delay fatigue by preventing acid buildup in the muscles from getting out of hand. Keeping the floats short would prevent oxygen consumption from falling very far before hard work resumed.

The workout format she settled on was highly unorthodox, consisting of 30-second bursts at vVO2max separated by 30-second floats and repeated to failure (that is, until vVO2max can no longer be sustained for 30 seconds). In testing this format Billat found that some runners were able to amass more than 18 total minutes at VO2max, almost one third of it occurring during their jogging recoveries! A group of moderately fit runners increased their VO2max by 10% (that's huge) in just 8-10 weeks when they added twice weekly 30-30 sessions to their training.

The only question is, how do you determine your vVO2max? The only sure way is to perform a graded exercise test in a laboratory environment. But you can get a close approximation simply by running a six-minute time trial on a track. Divide the total distance you run in six minutes by 12 to get the distance covered per 30 seconds. Suppose you run 1,720 meters in your six-minute time trial. 1/12 of this distance is 143 meters. This is roughly how far you should run your hard 30-second intervals in your 30-30 workouts. Here are some other guidelines:

* Warm up with 10 minutes of easy jogging
* Set the countdown timer on your watch for 30 seconds and reset it immediately at the beginning and end of each interval
* Run 30 seconds at your vVO2max (control your pace by trying to cover exactly 1/12 of the distance you covered in your six-minute time trial)
* Jog 30 seconds at roughly half vVO2max
* Repeat this process until you can no longer cover the designated distance at vVO2max (16-24 intervals are the norm)
* Cool down with 10 minutes of easy jogging
* Do this workout once a week for four to six weeks beginning right after you've completed your winter/spring base building. (Expect to see the number of intervals you're able to complete gradually increase from session to session; expect to see your pace increase gradually as well)
* After four to six weeks, switch to a 60-60 format for four to six weeks
* After another four to six weeks, switch to a format of five, three-minute intervals at vVO2max with three-minute jogging recoveries for four to six weeks"

Link

Great article by Matt Fitzgerald. Be sure to check out his book Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners (Rodale, 2005).

Running Podcasts

I have joined the iPod generation and started listing to podcasts. I have found "running" podcasts and love them! The podcasts are basically radio shows by runners for runners. Like everything else, including blogs, they range from boring to fantastic. Here is short review of a few of them:

1) Phedippidations by Steve Runner. (http://www.steverunner.com/

I love this one. Steve is a self-identified" middle of the pack runner. His broadcasts are always interesting, he mixes in interviews, mp3 comments listeners have sent in, and even some music. Most podcasts are approx 55 minutes. The archives have 67 podcasts and Steve has been consistent at releasing 1 per week.

2) http://www.irunningradio.com/

I definately enjoyed these and recommend iRunningRadio. Content is good; duration is good. Jim Reimann communicates well to beginning and average runners that are looking to improve and enjoy running. Jim is joined by his wife Bonnie and other guests as topics dictate. I especially recommend the shows on "Best Running Movies" and "iPod Running Lists" iRunningRadio has published 29 podcasts since November 2005. I would love to see them more often, but my guess is Jim is spending most of his time these days on his podcast on Fantasy Football. . .

3) Runner's World http://www.runnersworld.com/marathon/archive.html

Good Information from great sources (Amby Burfoot on Long Runs!!). That said, the average length is 7 minutes including intro and exit songs. There have been 9 episodes this fall focused on the fall marathon season. I really hope they will continue and expand their podcasts, but we will have to wait and see. . .

4) Competitor's Radio http://www.competitorradio.com/archive.php

I have only listened to 2 or 3 podcasts here. The interview of AJ Acosta is fantastic! Same with the interview of Bill Rogers. Duration is good. I don't honestly know enough about them to rate them on frequency of podcasts. The show is also wider than just running. A lot of the shows in the archives are interviews of cycling or triatheletes, and focus on topics other than running.

5) Run Cast Weekly http://www.runcastweekly.com/podcast.htm

I will put this one here without a recomendation. Topics list looks good, but the last posted podcast is August 29, 2006. I will post updates here when I have had a chance to listen to them.

I plan on putting up a permeanent sidebar with links for these.

Twilight run

It was a chilly October night, with the smell of leaves strong on the air. The rain had stopped, remaining was a few puddles to jump. I ran into the night with a peace and a solitiude that amazes me. 3 months ago, I could not run 1/5 of a mile; now I ran 3.1 miles with little perceived effort and I felt great. I probably could have used a bit more for "wind barrier", but overall I had a great time.

I got home and Cooper asked "how far did you run daddy?" When I said "3 miles", he responded "Wow, cool!!!!" Warmed my heart.

Speed advice?

Situation: I am still overweight (about 80 to 90# above where I want to be for running), and I am slow (race = 12 min/mile; training = 14:20 or so per mile). It is also getting ready for snow to fly. I am running my first marathon in May of 2007 and if I continue losing weight at the rate I have done for the last 90 days, I will be at target weight next July/August.

My current thinking is that I continue with endurance and mileage work and not worry about speed. I feel this will lower my risk of injury and help me with my marathon goals in the long term. This does mean that I am looking at a 5:50 to 6:20 time for my first marathon. I will start adding speed work in the spring when I can get on outdoor tracks and my weight is down lower.

I am open to advice on this; please chime in with emails and comments!

Thanks.

Recovery Sunday

Legs felt sore this morning from yesterday's run. Then I had to go into the office for a couple of hours to work on a problem. Still, I felt like a good run would help. Bundled Paige and Cooper in the car and set off for the greenway. Cooper rode his bike, Paige walked, and I took off jogging. Ended up covering over three miles at a slow pace (3.23miles, 45:24), and I felt great. The legs stretched out well and felt fine. I actually had my first hammy pain yesterday (verry little, but enough to feel and be scared!) Today, it felt 100% normal.

I also found a running track with public access for speed work that is about a mile from our place. So that will factor into my training plans for speedwork.

Woops, buried the lead -- I ran in shorts in the setting sun on what may be the last warm day of the fall. . .

Semi-Long Run

This maybe the last warm and sunny Saturday of the year. Still a bit windy and crisp, but overall a fun run (7.26miles; 1:45:15). Heart rate started slipping up into a higher zone too much in the second half of the run, but I felt good and enjoyed myself.

Legs felt a bit sore last night, but overall it was a nice endurance run with no complaints on my part. . .

Saucny Grid 3D shoe's went over 200 miles. I purchased another pair last week and I will start using them this week after they are "broken in."

Live long and prosper

This is from Hal Higdon's book Master Running (Rodale Press, 2005, p. 61)

Fitness Category	Exercise Calories Burned	Miles per Week	Risk Factor	Extra Years Life
Unfit	0	0	1.0	0
Somewhat Fit	500	5	0.80	2
More Fit	1000	00	0.50	6
Still More Fit	2000	20	0.350	8
Superfit	3500	35	0.25	9

"The . . . chart is based not on the work or words of any one scientist, but rather on coversations with many of them. In five categories, it suggest how many calories a week you need to burn through exercise which could include running, to lower your risk factor of dying young and thus extending the length of your life." (Higdon p.61)

Cold Run II

Air temp was about 44* around 1pm to day when I set out. Sun was bright and warm, but there was still some snow on the ground from Wednesday's storm and a 35 to 40mph North wind kept things chilly and challenging. Despite the conditions, I did 4.33 miles.

I realize I also posted an article on "fat burning" that said run in an aerobic range rather than anerobic. Today, my heart rate was too high. I did not feel that short of breath, and was still able to sing from time to time. But my heart rate monitor said I was too fast and to intense for the best benefits.

Going to fast on endurance runs increases the chances of injury and does not help with fat burning. I will need to watch this, especially to see what the effect of temperature will have on getting the right pace for my winter runs.

Losing Fat

Myths:

There are secret shortcuts; 5 minute per day, three time per week exercises and magic pills that can burn fat. Fact: there is no medicaly evidence that any of them work, and there is clear medical evidence that some of the drugs are VERY dangerous. Unfortunately, you put the fat on one gram at a time and you will have to burn it off the same way. . .

Walking is enough. Here is the great deception. If you are sedentary, walking has many immediate health benefits. But is does not burn fat. It simply does not get your heart rate fast enough. Running is still the best exercise for most people to get their heart rates in the right zone to burn fat.

Faster and farther is better. Nope. The goal is to stay in the right heart rate zone for a longer time. Actually, running too fast is counter-productive. You can do Run/Walk of various paces and intervals, as long as you keep your heart in the target range of 65% to 75% of your max heart rate.

What works to burn fat:

Running for at least 45 minutes. when you start running, you body is burning 80% carbs and only about 20% fat. At fifteen minutes, you start increasing the amount of fat you are burning. At 30 minutes, the ratio is 50/50. By 45 minutes, you are burning mostly fat. (See David L. Costill "A Scientific Approach to Distance Running") (see also Jeff Galloway, Galloway's Book on Running, 2nd Edition Shelter Publications, 2002, pp.237-8 & p29)

Aerobic exercise is key. "Fast anaerobic exercise burns sugar; slow aerobic exercise burns fat. Fat in the muscle cells can be burned only when there's an adequate supply of oxygen. This is aerobic exercise; exertion that is done at an easy-enough pace so that the blood can provide all of the oxygen needed by the muscles. As soon as you increase the pace beyond your current capacity . . . the muscles can't get enough oxygen to burn fat and so they shift back to the readily available by inefficient energy source, glycogen." (Galloway p. 238) Stated another way: "at 40percent VO2max (an easy job), fats supply about 50percent of muscle energy in a typical trained runner. At 80 percent VO2max (a comfortably brisk run), fats supply only 5 percent of muscle energy." (Matt Fitzgerald, Performance Nutrition for Runners, Rodale press, 2006, p. 12)

Keep it going; it is a lifestyle change. By regular exercise over 45 minutes. . ."you show your body that you're serious about endurance. It responds by converting the formerly sugar-burning cells into fat burners. The minimum necessary is one session longer than 45 minutes per week, but the process is accelerated by exercising for more than 90 minutes once every two weeks. . . ."To maintain the capacity of your expanding fat furnace, you'll need at least two other 30-minute sessions a week. If each of these can be increased to at least 45 minutes, you'll improve the adaptation. As always, it's better to slow down from the beginni9ng of exercise so that you'll fell better, be more motivated to continue, and go further." (Galloway, p.239) 2x per week for 45 minutes or more, and one long run every two weeks of at least 90 minutes. Most half-marathon programs will provide this benefit.

If that wasn't good enough: "Running regularly for more than 45 minutes at a time(even with walk breaks) trains our exercising muscle cells to be fat burners at all times of the night and day. After months of regular distance running, you will have transformed a cast number of running muscle cells into fat burners that prefer fat as a fuel, even when you are sitting around all day or asleep at night.: (Galloway p. 237)

Finally, eating every 2-3 hours maintains a higher rate of metabolism and burns fat. (see Galloway p. 236)

Should anyone listen to me?

Reasons no:

1) I am seriously overweight and have not seriously run or workout for the last 20 years.

2) I am slow. I get passed by people with strollers. I am usually the last to finish. When I finish a 5k, I have to tell the finisher that I really did only 5k because they are ready to register me as placing 20th on the 10K.

3) I have no degree or college courses in health, nutrition, medicine, exercise, etc.

4) I have made every mistake possible.

Reasons yes:

1) On 7/14/06, I was 292 pounds and could not run for 30 seconds. On 10/13/2006, I am 252 pounds, and can run over 4 miles wihtout a walk break and long distances of 12 miles. I have lsot 6" on my waist and 4" off my coat size.

2) I read a lot. My educational, work, and social success (trivial pursuit games) has been due to the fact that I read and organize a lot of data on topics that interest me. For the last 90 days, that has been running. I have read and learned from some of the best books on the topic.

3) Its the internet -- check me out to see if I am right!

Anyway, this should tell you a bit more about me so you can assess what I write.

Have fun running!

Eating bad???

I read lots of statements about good eating v. poor eating, but of course, despite my size, thought they didn't apply to me. I have never "felt bad" when I was eating less than perfect, and I had not realized the postive effects of my change to better eating because they came at the same time as I started running. Well, this week proved me wrong!

I had some upgrades at work, so I have been doing long hours and overnighters. The weekend was very disruptive to my schedule. This week, I ended up cancelling my vacation and working to make sure the problems were resolved. Also, I had not been available for the last grocery store trip and didn't leave a list, so I was out of fresh fruit at home. I was tired, stressed, and ended up eating poor, especially on all-day Monday and lunch Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon I finally got away for a treadmill run. I only got in about 2.5 miles and felt like crap. Wednesday, I left work early, went and bought some fruit and veggies and got a nap. By Thursday night, I felt MUCH better and my run showed it.

OK, I admit that this is probably an admission that I am both human and stubborn. But I now see the light! Salads and fruit with a lot less salt, fat, and meat.

Cold Run I

Had a cold run for run club on Thursday night. Air temp was around 34* with 25 to 30mph wind, pushing the wind chill down below freezing. The snow from Wednesday's storms had mostly melted and the pavement wsa dry, so it could have been worse for my first cold weather run.

Run itself felt ok, but lots of things went wrong. Left my heart monitor strap at home, then my GPS started flashing "low battery". It died before the first mile. So I was running a route that I knew the distance and estimating the time. (ORN: 4.16 miles, 54mins approx). I put on a kick the last quarter mile and overall felt very good.

Exercise now to cut dementia risk

"Exercising for half an hour at least twice a week during midlife can significantly cut a person's risk of dementia later, say researchers.

People in their late 40s and early 50s who do this could reduce their risk of dementia by about 50%, according to a study reported in Lancet Neurology.

Those who are genetically prone to Alzheimer's disease could see a reduction of about 60%, it adds.

The Swedish team said the findings had large disease prevention implications.

'If an individual adopts an active lifestyle in youth and at midlife, this may increase their probability of enjoying both physically and cognitively vital years in later life,' they said."

link

Walking 'not enough to get fit'

"A team from Canada's University of Alberta compared a 10,000-step exercise programme with a more traditional fitness regime of moderate intensity.

Researchers found improvements in fitness levels were significantly higher in the second group.

They told an American College of Sports Medicine meeting that gentle exercise was not enough to get fit.

Lead researcher Dr Vicki Harber said: 'Generally, low-intensity activity such as walking alone is not likely to give anybody marked health benefits compared to programmes that occasionally elevate the intensity.'

Dr Harber and her colleagues were concerned there was too much focus on simply getting people to take exercise, rather than on its intensity."

Link

Thar be hills here -- Oktoberfest 5K/10K

Oktoberfest is a GREAT 5K cross country course that followes both a golf course and the hills around it with great views of Lake Lida. 10K is twice around. All runners get a beer stein and the crowd is great.

1) I ended up running only the 5k. I intended to run the 10k, but the sleep deprivation of the week got to me.

2) I placed second in my age group and got a ribbon. I have to deeply thank EVERYONE that is my age that slept in and allowed me to my win.

3) There were hills! Oh boy, there were hills. Some uphills and downhills were too steep to run. Much of the course was uneven and even sloped side-to-side, which I really dislike running on.

4) Course was dry and windy. A wet course would have been hard to deal with!

5) Overheard: "This is not a ourse that you want to wory about time, unless you are comparing year to year. . ."

6) Overheard: "If I was a local cross-country coach, I would make my team run this course for training. Those that don't drop out will be ready for anything because this is WAY tougher than they will ever see in a race.

7) Heart rate was REALLY high for as slow as I was running. Maybe those hills were a bit tough. . . :)

I really did enjoy the race. I will definately run it again. I strongly recommend it to anyone not in my age group.

Off to Oktoberfest

I am off to Pelican Rapids to run the Oktoberfest. Last couple of days have been a bit of a downer with lots of late hours at work and now Paige has to work today. So, I am off by myself. But the lure of the "beerstein" for every participant is too strong. :)

I might wimp and switch to the 5k during the ride out. . . But I will run. Not for a PR, not because of the forcast for 22mph wind, but for the pure joy of it!

Scheels Run Club

3.75mile at about 14:00 pace. Again, probably one of the last warm days of the year to run in shorts with sun. Felt nice. Full moon rising as I finished. . .

Fall greenway

It rained most of the afternoon. I got home early and was hoping to get in a run, but Paige was not home and Cooper and I had to wait for her. So when I got out to run, the sun started coming out and the first part of the run was warm sun, even if the air was only 51*. I decided to do 6 miles instead of 4. Got to the half way point and the sun started going down, it started clouding up again and threatening rain, and the wind picked up. My hands and body were cold! I ran negative splits, but those were mostly to keep warm. Overall felt good and a nice warm shower should restore me fully. Heart rate was not as good as last night, but the pace/warmth issue had a lot to do with that!

ORM -- 6.18 miles at 13:42 pace.

Recovery/Endurance run

4.34 miles. I ran in shorts and SS shirt for the first time in a couple of weeks; although the sun was setting, it was a warm evening. Ran by a couple of parks and two schools. Football and soccer practices were going on as I ran past. The golf course was actually empty, but it was a great route to run.

Felt great during the run. Pacing was exactly right; kept my heart rate in zone 3 which is my focus for burning fat and building endurance. I would be happy with runs like this every day!

Maris 61 in 61 -- 10K: Updated race report

Full report to follow, but to the left is the course route. Time was 1:16:45, about 2 minutes above my "best goal," but a new PR. More to follow when I get back from a family reunion.

Ok, here is a longer report:

1) Course rates a "D". All Concrete, much of it on sidewalks, with no trees, windbreaks, shade, etc.

2) Start was poorly handled. No clear markers and not enough pre-warning. I ended up boxed in by "walking strollers" and was at least 20 yards behind the nearest runner when I got free.

3) Aid stations -- cups too small, water only, only at 1.2 miles and 3 miles of the 10K. Given that the 1.2 mile aid station was passed again around mile 5 on the way back in, it simply closed too early.

4) Mile 2 and 5 were crossing of a busy intersection. Going out, there was one young lady with an infant left alone at the corner. On the way back in, she was gone and not replaced. It was a mistake to leave here there alone.

5) No medals, only the first 600 get shirts and packets. I pre-registered, but I heard a fair amount of grumbling. . . Also, packet had more "drug" promo's than runner interesting stuff. Meritcare has fantastic Sports Medicine divisions, but the bag had advertisments for "Sanofi Aventis" (whatever that is. . .) but nothing on local sports medicine services.

6) Packet pick-up is day of race only, even though the "fundraising" and silent auctions were open for 3 days and should have allowed avoidance of traffic with early packet pick-up.

7) No food, water, or medical attention at finish. Had to walk 2-3 blocks and cross a major traffic road to get back to aid station. Totally unacceptable. Stay away if they cannot figure this out!!!!

9) Map did not clearly show location of start or finish. No banners or other easy ways to identify. My family was confused about where to go. . . Packet did not even have a map.

10) Mile 4 went by Famous Daves and smell of lunch preperation probably cost me ton's of emotional energy, motivation, and at least 2 minutes off my time. . . OK, this is the one thing that was probably not something that can/should be fixed.

Overall, it is a good group of people, a good cause, but in desperate need to some "runners" input in the planning. Without major changes, especially at finish line, I will not run this again.

ORN only -- Run Club

No time for much detail. Ran 4.16 miles in "taper" or slow speed at Run Club tonight. Air was cold, but rain held off. Felt good. Ready for race on Saturday and more to come.

Furstration-- partially fixed. . .

It was a long weekend at the office. I was doing a systems upgrade and had multiple problems that could not have been anticipated or avoided. But it still meant that I worked alot more hours than I planned and did not get a Sunday run in.

Yesterday, I screwed up eating and Paige had to work. So it got to be dark, I was REALLY hungry, I still had work to do at the office, and Cooper was falling asleep in my lap while I was trying to get the work done. No run.

Also, I have been sore in my sides (oblique muscles) due to lengthening of my stride as I have picked up speed and hills.

This all amounts to a large level of frustration and worry with no outlett. Add in some more work related angst, and I was ready for a run. I had a great chance to slip out of work early and get a run in, and it evaporated (replaced my more work stress and frustration).

So, I dropped Cooper off at a drop-in day care for an hour and went for a run. I went to a park near our place and ran once around the park on the grass. It turned out to be only 0.8mile. Given that I wanted about four miles, I decided against five loops and branched the second loop out into the neighborhoods, returning to finish in the park. Very little side pain.

Then it was back to pick up Coop-a-loop and off to Buffalo Wild Wings where he ate very well (growing boy), and I had a nice salad. We watched a bit of the Mn Twins game on the big screen and then home for PJ's and bed.

Nice night.

Paige is right; I do need to do some core strengthening with weights and perhaps a balance ball to avoid the back and side pain. . . Working on a plan for that AFTER I get back from a one-day trip to Denver for work, the race Saturday, the family reunion this weekend, and finish the upgrade at work.

#349

One of the things I felt the Fargo Marathon lost was the great starting location on top of the new Main Ave bridge, when it moved the start/finish lines to the Fargodome in 2006. I guess I was not alone, as the Marathon put on "Bridge Bash 2006!" to kick of the registration for the 2007 marathon. Top male and female runners in the 2.62mile race (10% of a marathon) got free entry into the marathon. There were also a bunch of doorprizes and a nice course.

I was bib #349. As usual, I went out too fast. I also put my Garmin 305 display into the wrong mode and nothing there made sense! Took me quite a few glances and almost a 1/4 mile to figure it out. But I settled down in the middle sections and ran my race. There were people around me that had a faster running pace, but had more and longer walk breaks. So we passed each other about 5-6 times in the first 2.25miles. But around 2.25, I picked up the pace and the body responded. There were also a couple of downhill portions and I let the stride go forward. I basically blew past quite a few people that had passed me between 0.75 and 2 miles, but were now fading. I actually had a kick!!!. And you know what? I still left some in the tank; downpayment towards future speed needs.

Why I run?

I have become deeply introspective on this issue since a good friend asked me two weeks ago over lunch on why I had started running, changed my diet, and dropped 30+ pounds and counting. I did not really have an answer. . . There was no large health scare or single event. Perhaps it was simply my subconcious outsmarting my concious mind that was in denial.

There is no doubt that there are health benefits to my current exercise regime (Hal Higdon's book lists it as high as 7-10 year increase in life expentency). I probably always knew that, but I was also in denial about the truth. My dad died at age 39 (when I was three years old). At some level, maybe I just thought I wouldn't live long anyway. Last year, I was 39 and Cooper was 3; now that he is 4, I am looking forward to doing with Cooper, all the fun things I enjoyed in my youth. Sailing, canoeing, backpacking, running trails to get great pictures, etc.. There was so much life I had closed myself off from; now I want to live as much of it as I can.

This month's "Outside" magazine has WAY to many deep stories about friendship, growing older, and loss. I read part of one story this morning in which a bunch of friends that had grown up working in Outward Bound were returning to a river for a "manweek." One of the friends is caught being introspective and discusses that he is 37 and both his father (cancer) and his grandfather (heart) died at age 50. He seriously thinks he has 13 years left. . .

It is amazing that I am even typing this because my denial mechanisms are usually so tightly trained that no hint of thinking any of this would ever even cross my own concousness, more or less be something that I would publicly admit.

I was also struck by Hal Higdon's book on Master Running. He goes through all the long term studies to come up with the 7-10 year claim above. He sums up his view by writing:

"In all honesty, winning another gold medal hardly motivates me anymore. I'd like my wife and myself to live long enough to see our grandchildren graduted from college and happily married. So I run as many days as I comfortably can and fill in the spots between with other forms of exercise. . . "

Hal Higdon, "Master Running", p.63

"Be concerned with adding life to your years."

Dr. George Sheehan

"The strenuous life tastes better."

Willaim James

Perhaps the only true answer is:

I run because I can!

and I now realize how precious it is that I keep it this way! Sheehan is right; It is not only adding years to my life; it is adding life to those years.

Sore hip, cold weather, and long hours (am I getting old?)

My left hip has been sore most of this week. More of a "tired" soreness and definately not a "strain/sprain/pull" soreness. But it is still sore and with 50*'s and rain and wind and working long hours, I am a bit grumpy. I wonder if it is just me getting old, or what. . .

Please feel free to comment at will. . . (especially my wife!)

LCD (Long Cold Distance)

Scheels running club tonight. Temperature started about 58* and was dropping. It started drizzling before the start and progressed to a steady cold rain. My GPS took a long time to synch up with satelites; I stood in the rain and got cold! It asked if I had "moved hundreds of miles since my last use?" Austin to Fargo qualifies; it was literally "North by Northwest." The cold rain meant the GPS would not maintain its satellite lock. I reran the same route as last week. When I finished, the GPS said I had done 33 miles(rather than the 4.17 it measured last week). Manual calculation of pace suggests the 4.17 is correct, I certainly was not turning 43 second miles that the GPS claimed. :)

Very cold and wet when done. I bit of problems keeping my wet shoes tied and a bit of stiffness in my left hip. Shoes are on the new shoe dryer so they are ready for tomorrow and I am hoping that the rain stops in time for a nice evening run before I have to head into the office for an all-night install.

Other running note. Forcast is for 50*'s and rain on Saturday afternoon, but the "Bridge Bash" 2.62 mile fun run/walk looks like it will be fun and worth checking out.

LSD in Austin

Had a nice day, but a late start. I arrived in Austin after 11pm Sunday night and was late getting to sleep after cab to hotel, check-in, unpacking, etc. Then a breakfast meeting (fruit and granola) before the run. Training plan had me psyched for a 12mile LSD. I was planning on running around "Town Lake". The lake is ringed by parks and greenways with primarily gravel running trails. I started below the Congress Street bridge and headed east towards the dam and a "clockwise" path around the lake.

Initial weather was great (overcast and 70's). Trail had multiple water fountains and promised a great experience. But around mile four, there were a few things that I would have avoided if I had known more. The first is the bridge over the dam; the pedestrian path is too narrow. The traffic feels really close. The railing seems low, the bridge is very high over the lake, and the drop is into the dam rather than water. I don't like heights and was uncomfortable most of the way across.

South side of the lake does not have trails complete trails on the east end; about half the distance was on the sidewalk along Riverside Dr. That meant that the path was concrete rather than gravel and there were no water fountains. The sun came out, it started to warm up, and the number of hills and the hardness of the trail made this section of the run much harder.

After I got back into the park area and the gravel trail along the river, I came across a large (10-12 coolers) water station for runners maintained by RunTex, the largest local running store. It was much appreciated, although it was much later than I needed. I continued on, but I felt the sun's intensity, developed a pain in my side that would not go away (it was not a stich, more of an oblique muscle strain). Around 9.25 miles, I really lost the ability to maintain a run for extended periods of time and decided to cut run short. I did a run 2/walk 2 back to RunTex's coolers and stopped the clock at 2:27:54 and 9.64 miles.

I then exited the park, crossed the street, and entered the RunTex store where I bought tee's for Cooper and myself. Then it was a mile walk back to the hotel.

The ice machine was across the hall from my room and I decided to try an ice bath to see if it improved recovery. It was very cold! Then, to my horror, there was no hot water and I could not take a shower to warm up. I ended up getting as warm as I could and then headed out for a late lunch. Walked about another mile or so and had a great lunch at a Chinese Noodle Shop. Back to the hotel for a quick nap and then a walk to a cocktail reception and supper for the conference.

I did call it an early night and tried to get to sleep early. I say tried because the errors of the day caught up with me and I did not sleep well. I started with heavy chills and ended up sleeping in my sweat pants and a LS running shirt. I also did not sleep well and the morning came early.

Tuesday AM I canned the scheduled recovery run and spent a half hour in the hot tub before breakfast and a full day of meetings. Tuesday evening was supper and a visit to Antoine's for a special performance by The Sharks. Their lead singer was some guy named "Dennis Quaid" and their set included a couple of Jerry Lee Lewis songs, although he played piano in the movie and played guitar at Antoine's. . . ;) Actually, Dennis and the band were very good and it was an enjoyable time. The only real problem I had was during his final song (Wild Thing). I kept waiting for him to do his brother Randy's verse ("Wild thing, you make my butt sting. You walk everything!"). But the "Major League" references were not included and Dennis and band delivered a very good, albeit traditional rendition of the song.

I was a bit torn; I was promised a chance to go back stage and meet Dennis (got my picture taken too!). But the theater next to the hotel was advertising "One night only: Jimmy Buffet." I was tempted to follow the parrot heads to the scalpers and ditch the "Sharks" for "Fins" and "a lost shaker of salt. . . "

Wednesday morning started with an early morning 2.5 mile run before a long day at the conference and flights home. Missed my first connection and again, did not get in until midnight and took a while to wind down.

Cooper loved his RunTex tee and I am glad to be home.

Runing in Austin:

Pros:

* Most of trail is gravel.

* Great scenery with lake, waterfowl, and a wide tree variety (cottonwoods to oaks, to pines to palms to even bamboo).

* Mile markers and maps

* Lots of runners, running groups.

* RunTex and their cooler support.

* No bugs! The Congress Ave bridge is home to a HUGE bat colony and despite lots of water for breeding, the bats eat enough bugs that I saw no misquitos!


Cons:

* Texas sun and heat.

* "Washed concrete." I had one running book that described concerte as "the worst surface to run on because it is crushed rock and very hard." "Washed concrete" where waterpressure is used while the concrete is setting to expose whole rocks. It looks real nice, but it is basically washing the crushed rock away to expose rock rock. It is harder than just concrete. The Austin trails replace gravel with "washed concrete on some hills and other areas highly prone to erosion. Also, the sidewalk along Riverside Dr on the SE shore of the lake is either concrete or "washed concrete". It is a hard surface that makes parts of the run very hard.

* Inconsistent water fountains. You need to know and plan your route so the fountains are where you need them. for my route, I ran past many early on when I did not yet need water, and then when I needed water, I did not see a fountain for a couple of miles.

* In one section of the trail, I noticed a BUNCH of these little white plastic signs zip-tied to plants and vines. I looked closer and it said "Beware -- this is poison ivy!" Yikes!

Off to Austin

I am off tomorrow to the capital of Texas for a conference. The airfares was significantly cheaper to fly in Sunday than Monday, so although the first event isn't until 6:30pm Monday, I am flying in Sunday evening. That means a chance to do my long run Monday morning in the heat of Texas. Stay tuned!

Dunton Locks County Park Trail Run

Alternatively known as "fun day with ducks!" Based on Kate Havelin's "Minnesota Running Trails" book, I decided to run Dunton Locks today. Despite the claim on page 129 that there are "A few pleasant inclines", I found the hills to be quite steep. But they were also quite beautiful and I enjoyed my time, even if I had to carefully walk down some hills to avoid bad slips on the ground slick with last night'a rain. It is a very peaceful place and I certainly enjoyed the runs. I ended up doing about 4 miles on the new trail shoes and they felt very good. Ankle was tight, toe box had room, didn't grip my instep too tight and had a good grip on the ground. Relaxing day.

Definately needed it when I found out the Notre Dame football score; wanted to turn around and go run some more. . .

Scheels Running Club

Quick 4.17 mile run at Scheels Run Club tonight. The Running Club forms at the Scheels Sports Store on 45th Ave in Fargo for a 6:15 run every Thursday evening. Maps, stories , and refreshment are provided. Anyway, my mind and my body were on disconnect. I ran alot of splits at a 13:14 to 13:28 pace instead of the 14:30 I was looking for. My feet would just not slow down. Then, I was supposed to be doing intervals at Run17 mins, walk1, Run18, walk 1, etc. Instead, I realized I was about 22-23 minutes in the run and I had not taken a walk break yet. HRM confirmed that I worked my heart and body faster than I intended; especially in the heat. Oh well. . .

Run in the park

Just a quick spin around the parks (3.37 miles @13:28 pace) Up to around 150 miles on my shoes and time to start looking for a new pair so they are broken in before this pair hits 300.

Wide Left

I watched the Vikings hold on for a win when the Redskins could not hit a field goal. Then I went for a run. It was a bit chilly, but the legs felt good and I had no foot pain. I definately bruised the tendon on my left foot that goes to the big toe, but as long as I am careful when I put my shoe on and off, it has been pretty good.

Ended up with a 4.23 mile loop through the area in about an hour. Heart rate was solid in the zone that I wanted, pacing felt nice. Only issue is the hands were cold and the legs, despite the tights, never really got that warm. . . Makes me worry what kind of wimp I am going to be when the snow flies.

Last night, ran on treadmill (6 miles, around 90 minutes). Got miles in, but legs felt a bit dead.

From Kitchen to the Wild in 30 Seconds - New York Times

From the NYT:

"Access to dirt trails — not just bicycle lanes or sidewalks — is a priority for so many runners like Mr. Adcock that housing developers are increasingly carving miles of paths through the wild to attract them. The trend is most pronounced in areas with acres of open land and sprawling new planned communities. But some crowded towns are finding ways to incorporate trails, hoping to lure the booming number of off-road runners and other trail users.

“For years, developers had been developing golf courses as though it were the only way to sell houses,” said Ed McMahon, the senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute, a development research group in Washington. “But the vast majority of buyers do not play golf.”

“Now we’re seeing an explosion of trail systems in new communities,” Mr. McMahon said, “because developers are starting to catch on to what prospective homebuyers want.”

Trails are the No. 1 amenity potential homeowners cite when asked what they would like to see in a new community, ahead of public parks and outdoor pools, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Trails were cited by 57 percent of prospective buyers in a 2004 survey by the association. “All of the evidence we have suggests that demademand for trails is increasing,” said Gopal Ahluwalia, the vice president for research at the builders’ group."

Link (may require registration)

Yup, looking for that AND the ability to add a photography studio and art studio. . .

Looking forward to Fall

With a 46* morning this week, I also saw the first fallen leaves. I have purchased a pair of CW-X tights and started planning for gloves and long sleeves.

With the fall upcoming, I have plans for a good daypack/hydration pack and trail shoes that will allow me to run trails with my camera and get some shots of the fall foliage. I have a week vacation in October and hope to spend it on the run.

Stay tuned: I will post maps and run reports here with links to the pictures on my photoblog.

BTW, that's "Fall", I do enough falling but I don't look forward to it. . .

Runner's addiction?

Ok, I felt good tonight so I stretched my "5k jog" a bit. . .

I was also looking at my plan book / running log and realized that I skipped a whole week in there and had to adjust my schedule because I was doing Level 1 week 9 workouts instead of week 8. Since it did not kill me, I will skip week 8 and do week 10 twice!

Then, I am looking through my plan and I am thinking that I have too many races in October because I am having problems slipping in long runs. . .

Where did this thinking come from? Is this the same mind that was stuck on a couch only 3 months ago?


OBN -- 6 miles slow. Week was 16.97 miles with a PR in a 5k race (36:26 chip timing).

Stupid things I did this weekend

Regardless of how many John Bingham books and articles I read ("I am slow, I am a penguin, I need to stop caring about what other's think and run my race. . .") , I still do stupid things!

I go out too fast, I am more worried about the pace of someone else than my own pace. I am embarassed to be seen running slow.

The latest; got tricked into a bad decision on clothes.

OK, Friday afternoon around 5pm, pull into a parking space near the finish line of the Dick Beardsley 1/2 Marathon/5K and get ready to run the course. There are lots of runners in town doing their last taper runs and three, blond, high-school girls com jogging past in shorts and cotton short-sleeved tee's. So I decide I must be macho! I put the long sleeve shirt back in the bag, pull out the short sleeves, and unzip the pants and take off. I get about two blocks up the road and I want to turn back for more clothes! I ignored it because I was tough! About the end of the first mile, I am in the sun and among the downtown buildings and the shorts and top feel good! Then, I turn a corner and the breeze from the lake hits me, along with the major shivers.

Moral, I am a whimp. I am forty, over-weight, and don't care what other's think about me; especially young blonds. I love my CW-X tights and will wear enough clothes to stay warm. I promise to remember this until I forget it again and get distracted into thinking that running in 33* rain in shorts and a singlet makes me a "real runner." Perhaps this old dog can't learn. . .

Technology notes

1) New software. I found out that the software that comes with the Garmin 305 is VERY inaccurate when it comes to estimating calories burned. It also has some other problems, and it will not let you edit the route if the GPS has problems. So I found SportTracks and it seems to work very well!

2) I am going to start embedding GPS generated maps in my blog posts from the software. The example to the right is last Sunday's 10mile LSD. I also added a map for the Beardsley 5k route.

Beardsley 5k Race Report

Race Report (5K):

Course -- Great. Fairly straight, but rarely level. Their were no "killer" hills, but there was also little level ground. The hills were not something I ever really noticed when I drove the course, but they did slightly affect pacing. Lines were VERY "professionally" painted. It is not often that you find a small local race in which the lines are painted by the man who has run the 4th fasted marathon in US history and your name is annouced by a world record holder as you cross the line.

Support -- Great. Everything from a couple of bands to an elderly couple that "self-volunteered" to dress up in Leiderhosen and play an accordion on their front walk. Crowd cheered well.

Pack -- Large and friendly. Lots of runners, but I never felt "hemmed" in.

Weather -- Good. It was 46* at race time and did not warm up that much. Little problems with overheating.

5k race -- It was advertised as a run/walk, but it was a run. 260 of the 341 finishers finished in under 36:00. There were only a couple of stollers. This was my third 5k (1 previous run, 1 worked). My quick take is the pack, as a whole, was much faster but the race was slower. The other two 5k's were in the warmth of July, but the winner was between 16:05 and 16:10; here first place was at least 0:30 slower. And it sounds like there was a gap between first and second; second and third. The thought just occured to me that all the colleges are in session and at least two runners that I know that could have won this race are probably unable to run.

Spaghetti feed -- Call me picky, but I like lots of mushrooms in a non-meat sauce. I also like thick and soft bread instead of thin toast. Turnout was nice, it was spaghetti, it was reasonably priced, and it did it's job. Coversation was good.

Talk and Guest -- Doug Kurtis filled in for Greta Weis and did a fine job. Doug started by mentioning that it was tough to go on after Dick. This is true, especially in the town that has adopted Dick as its own. I think even most celebrities and politicians would not be happy with that line-up. That said, Doug did fine and the question and answer section was good.

Personal support -- My cousin Chris was there for the race. I also ran into other friends from Fargo (Leah, Steve & Tiffiny, Brian). And, of course, Paige and Cooper were there with my bag and hugs.

Personal Race -- I just finished the 7th week of my running program and I have only been working on endurance; no speed training. I am still very slow. I was uncertain of what I could run and knew I would be happy with anything 41:59 or better. On Friday night, I wrote down in my notebook 37:12. Thought I was crazy at the time, but that is what I felt "compelled" to write. Paige asked me on the way to the race and after a pause, I told here the same time. My stopwatch, (which I started when I started to move forward) read 37:01 when I stopped it at the finish! Chip time was 36:26, a new PR! My heart-rate monitor says I pushed it well, but I probably had a bit more in the tank and I did not give a real intense kick. So I definately have faster times in me. Overall, I was very pleased with the time and felt very good.

Trail run?

I need to sneak in a run today and tomorrow. I am going to bring my suitbag and my running shorts/shoes and try to sneak away and get a run in before it gets dark and is time to leave for home. I am already a bit antsy and jumpy and know that I need something to take the edge off so I can sleep each night. . .

Stay tuned.

Last quick thought -- Mom and Dad have a room at the Holiday Inn. Perhaps they can get a late check-out and I can change/shower there!

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Good -- Ran 10 miles on Sunday. Felt really good. Carried two 7.5oz bottles of water with me. Stopped around the 6 mile mark and refilled them with gatorade. Heart rate was in the zone! Felt pretty good. Went grocery shopping on the way home to keep the legs stretched out with walking. Then went to Rollag (Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion) and lots of walkig in the afternoon. Heading back to the car, the busses were full so I even jogged the 3/4 mile back with my camera backpack on and arrived BEFORE the bus.

Bad -- Or at least not great -- ran 2 miles on Monday morning with more grocery shopping and then made breakfast for Mom, Dad, Jamie, Eric, and all the boys (Paige refused to eat my breakfast. . .). Second mile splits were slower than the first mile; my legs were tired. Heart rate was actually low, but the legs just refused to turn over at pace. Not sore, not painful, just slow. Felt like I was maintaining pace, and then looked down at GPS and I was slooooow. Picked it up, got to pace, felt OK, looked down two minutes later and I was slooooow. Just could not force my legs to stay at pace. Goal of day was recovery miles at a slow pace, but I could not even keep that pace up. . .

Ugly -- After the Run on Monday, I did some shopping, drove about an hour, did a quick photo shoot, and then drove home. On the drive home, my left foot really started aching. It is better without a shoe and I can massage it out. But with a shoe on, it is pretty sore to walk on. I have a race this week and I am a bit paranoid about injury. I have felt great up to now in my new running plan; I don't want to miss any time or spend the next couple of months in pain and recovery.

Rough schedule this week with the funeral, the race, and trying to get everything else done. I will keep you informed.

Week schedule

Sat -- R10W1 x 3

Sun -- 10 miles with R10W1 (also will be walking quite a bit and trying hard to get in protein/carbs for recovery)

Mon -- R13W1R14W1

Tues -- R13W1R14W1 and/or XT

Wed -- Funeral -- Rest day

Thurs -- Running Club -- 2-3 slow miles at R13W1 -- light lifting.

Fri -- Vacation Day -- Jog 5k and learn course

Sat -- Dick Beardsley 5k Race in Detroit Lakes, MN

I hate elipticals

Maybe I am just weird. Maybe I am just a klutz. Or maybe I am just really really uncoordinated. I don't like elipticals. I swear, my knees hurt worse after a couple of minutes on these than after an hour of running.

Ok, here is where I get off track. I used to umpire baseball. One of the wonderful things in baseball is the Balk rule. And one of the more wonderful parts of the balk rule is the part that says the pitcher must come to a discernable stop. In MLB rules, a "change of direction" is not considered a discernable stope; in NCAA college rules it is. So umpire manuals (and umpire/coach chats -- you know, the friendly exchange of views that usually result in ejections, dirt kicking, hat throwing, "spraying" while swearing, etc.) frequently discuss if a change of direction is a stop.

Elipticals seem to have the same discussion: "There is no impact because their is no stop." While, I will tell you that my body (and weight) is moving forward and then there is a change of direction. It may not be an "impact", but the range of motion definately is not comfortable to my knees.

Give me either a bike or a treadmill any day. Save me from the elipticals and I will be a happy runner!

JMHO

YMMV

IRDKWATSLCMIJPTHTSTEHFSM



The last one means: "I really don't know what all these stupid letter combos mean, I just put them here to stop the elipical huggers from spamming me!"

Running with MP3 player

I was an early adopter of MP3 players, although I have never owned an iPod. I just like having either music or a book-on-tape on the airplane, running through car sound system while driving, etc. Anyway, point is, I like my MP3 player!

But I have noticed in the last week or so that I run with it less outside. Especially when I am on running/bike paths and not on roads, I like to just experience the sound of the road, rather than music.

Now, I am sure I will go through cycles with this. But if you would have asked me 2 months ago to predict, I am sure I would have said I would "almost always" take the MP3 player. Just another prediction that would have been wrong.

Update on "I Hate NIke"

I have moved to a thinner polypro sock (happens to be from Nike). The shoes (Nike 360Air) feel better although the construction of the foot seems tigheter around my midfoot than the Saucany's. I measure a "normal" or "D" width, but shoes vary. It looks to me like the shape of the last is a bit more narrow on the Nike's than my other shoes. In the short term, this probably means this is the last pair of Nike running shoes for a while. I will try them next year as I get closer to my target weight, but right now, I think this is my last pair of Nike running shoes. I will still have one pair of Nike Free's and Nike cross-trainers, but my main running shoes and trail shoes will be other brands.

A Crick in the Neck: What's the Story?

Just found this:

"The pain in the neck version is mostly from a sprained ligament. Here's how it happens. You fall asleep with your neck bent to the side more than usual (like on a fat pillow while lying on the sofa watching a movie). The position gradually stretches your neck muscles then begins to stretch the ligaments in your neck (specifically the capsular ligament and annular ligament). If you stay in the position long enough, you will sprain the ligament. A ligament sprain is a tear in the tissue ranging from mild to severe. Whenever you sprain a ligament, you will evoke an inflammatory response: the tissue swells and is painful. The swelling makes it difficult to move and the heightened sensitivity to motion from the inflammatory agents makes a normal motion, like turning your head, painful."

Link

Exactly -- I always thought it was muscle cramps and I just needed more potassium. But I am on the boomerang beginning of the second two week cycle in the last 4 weeks and I need to get a permanent solution. The full article has some good ideas for treatment.

BTW -- The entire blog from the Austin Sports Center is very good!

Run tonight

4.16 miles at about a 14:30 pace with negative splits. Felt good, legs were loose. Did a run10, walk1 and the weather held; no rain. Although, it felt like I was running into the wind no matter which way I turned. Gotta love ND!!!!

Back on course

Talked to Paige's sister and we think Sunday night was probably just a normal old virus and not a problem with boinking or the calorie deficit.

Ran again last night and it felt great!

2.33 miles at 14:21 and 13:55 in a run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute repeat 3 times. Heart rate was solid in the 73 to 77% of max during run segments and dropping back into the 60's during walk.

Other that my wife calling during the second walk break, it went well. I was trying to answer the phone, change the speed on the treadmill and press the lap button on my watch at the same time. She didn't get the point that I was not going to try to call daycare; I needed her to so I could finish the run!!!! ;) Oh well, in 60 days she will be at this point of the training plan and we will see how she handles clerical work in the middle of a workout.

Gotta go to running club!

Stupid and not Running

Ok, I read the section of every running book I could find on avoiding injuries. I went out and found the best shoes, etc. I was going to make my return to running healthy and problem free.

Sunday morning I ran 8+ miles (bit distracted -- see "Running sad") My heart rate monitor says I put myself in a 2200 or so calorie deficit. Didn't feel like eating much when I got home for emotional reasons (see "running sad" above), although I did eat about 1200 calories. I did hydrate ok and downed a liter of gatorade and some water. Around 9pm, I got the shakes, a fever, a headache, and the chills. Got about 900 calories into me and went to bed. Didn't sleep too well until after 8am Monday and spent most of the day sleeping. Had bagels/Peanut butter and fruit throughout the day and a bowl of pasta last night and slept overnight pretty good.

So now, I am reading about recovery and getting some professional advice on how to do a better job of eating after long runs to avoid my body getting really mad at me and trying to kill the few remaining brain cells that survived my college years. I also need to be aware of my mood and enlist my wifes help in forcing me to eat on days I don't feel like it.

I flipped Monday's light 30 min run and Tuesday's rest day on the schedule so I am back on training plan. But I now know what distances I am going to have to start making allowances for in training plan. I admit that running 8 miles was impossible to consider two months ago. Now, my body can do it, but I need to have a plan to recover from it before I continue to push harder.

Running Sad

My cousin, Kelly James Heyer, was the cabin stweard of Delta/Comair flight 5191 that crashed this morning in Lexington, KY. So I got a slow and sad start to my day for running my LSD (long, slow distance). Starting at 10am instead of 8am meant that the weather was warmer by about 10-12*. My heart was also heavy, so it was a long run lost in my thoughts.

At one point, another song about a plane crash came on my mp3 player ("American Pie") and I was running negative splits while tears were running down my face. I always try to pretend I am the stoiac one, but I am not. It was a good thing I had that part of the trail to myself so I did not have to explain to others. . .

Then around mile 7, I came out of a cloud to realize that there were butterflies all over the place. At my Grandma's funeral a couple of years ago, the pastor talked about the butterflies as a sign of God's promise and love and told us to watch for butterflies. Today I saw the butterflies! We still have a lot of grieving to do. . . but I know that I will alos remember, with joy, how Kelly's smile was infectious. How he touched everyone around him. The way he attacked life with a laugh and a shrug. It was too short of a time, but the butterflies are a promise of a life to come and I know his love and light is not lost; just moved on. . .