Kilt anyone?

On the track, on the court or kicking back on a Saturday with a beer in hand, the Spartan is the ultimate in UK comfort. Built for manly exertions, the Spartan has more style than you've got energy.
Detailed Description

American made breathable nylon with contrasting side stripes and waistband.

Pants suck. And so do shorts. The Spartan Utilikilt is built to take all the sweat, aggression and action you can give it. Half kilt, half boxing shorts (with some basketball styling thrown in), if the Spartan isn't the most comfortable, breathable, most active thing you've ever worn, then you must be dead below the waist.

* The Spartan is the only Utilikilt to feature an elastic waistband, keeping it tight and in place as you show off your basketball moves or shove down "just one more" cheeseburger.
* The Spartan's Marsupial Pouch pocket keeps your keys and wallet comfortably below your boys as you sweat to the eighties. The pouch is one big pocket, easily accessed from either side and built to hold more cargo than you'd expect.
* Leg Striping on both sides of the Spartan adds to its sporty feel.


Link

I need to get a pair of these and then find a highland games 5K race!!!! ;)

Sore Legs and friends at work

I have sore legs still from my hilly 5k PR on Saturday; my shins are killing me!

Anyway, I was talking to some guys at work and they were giving me a bad time about running. There was also a comment on my "per mile" speed and the fact that I finished well back in the pack. Then I came across this quite by Lynn David Newton:

Given that running is a lifestyle choice, for most of us one that is pursued at least in part for health reasons, in most cases it's better to keep doing it slowly than to stop doing it entirely. The numbers we produce relative to *someone else's* effort are
unimportant.

--
Lynn David Newton

Thanks Lynn for putting it in perspective. Great quote that will be added to my "motivation" wall.

Eel Pout Out 5K Run

I got up yesterday morning, packed the car, and headed for Walker for the Eel Pout Out 5k Run. I was out the door by 6:20 and on the interstate by 6:40. I was tired! I got home from the UND hockey game around midnight. Paige was waiting for me with my Valentine's day gift (a large print by a Russian Artist; VERY nice!). So I only had about 4 hours of sleep when I dragged myself out the door with my duffle bags.

It was a nice morning drive to Walker. No deer or other events to report, just a nice sunrise and lots of beautiful land. Arrived at the race, registered, collected tee-shirt, and returned to the car for 30 minutes of quiet thought before I switched coats and started pacing, then a warm-up, and finally time to get to the line. I realized that I cannot hear the instructions from the back of the pack. So I slipped into the spectator area, made my way to the front, listened to the instructions, and then raced to the back of the pack before the start.

Started my watch about 2-4 seconds after the official start when I crossed the line (this will be important later). First block was up-hill, then we turned and started downhill. Most of the first 3/4 mile was downhill towards the lake. Great starting pace! First mile was around 10:00, even with a 20 second stop to re-tie a shoe. But my mind was screaming two things: "too fast!" and "remember, it is a circular course; you will have to climb back up to finish!"

In the center of town, we turned on the main street and begin to parallel the lake. about two blocks down was the town park and we ran by the Eel Pout Festival main encampment on the shore with all the ice houses out on the lake. We ended up paralleling the shore for about a mile. There was an aid station near the end of the shore run. Then we turned around, crossed the highway, and started back towards town. This was the toughest leg. We were running along the side of the highway. The shoulder was asphalt, but it was covered with dried salt, sand, and debris from the snow clearing of the highway. There was also oncoming traffic, and the entire 1/2 mile was slightly uphill. There had been a small "pack" at the rear, including a couple of runners that were doing the run/walk, passing me on the run and then being passed during the walks. But after the aid station, I was not passed again, and during this stretch, I opened up a large lead on those behind me. Legs were tired, but I continued on. Even though I went out too fast, I probably had the best stamina of the penguins. I was able to push on at an 11:00 minute per mile pace when others were slowing and struggling more. And I was able to will myself forward also, when others were giving into fatigue. I still have lots of work before my May marathon, but my conditioning is showing and I am pleased with this "level check" on my progress.

We got back to town, and turned off the highway. The next two blocks were along a "service road". Basically, it was a snow packed gravel road uphill. Then we were back on regular city streets, but it was still uphill and they were snowy/slushy. This was my slowest quarter mile splits of the race.

I got to the last block in front of the school with the finish line at the end. My watch beeped 34:00. I was thinking that my PR in a 5k (on a FLAT Fargo course) was 34:20 and I knew I was not going to break it. I gave what I had, crossed the line, took my "number-slip" (no popsicle sticks here) and stopped my watch at 34:40. I glanced back, but the next closest runner was not yet in sight. I grabbed a drink and started walking to get cool down my legs and go go turn in my slip.

Now the interesting part. I figure there was 2-5 seconds different between my watch and "official time." (4-7 seconds short at the start and 2-3 seconds long at the end; I started when I crossed the start line and didn't stop immediately on finish). But my "official" time was 32:30?

Official Results:

Finished 102 of 109 (8 of 9 in age group) at 32:30.

Other Observations:

Overall winner was 18:29. This is at least two minutes slower than the average finishing time for the "summer" 5K's I ran in Fargo in 2006. At least part of that difference is due to cold, footing, and hills. That factors in to make me feel even better about my PR.

Age group winner was 22:05.


Aftermath:

I changed clothes, clapped for all the winners, grabbed an extra gatoraide for Cooper, and headed for the car. When I was on the highway towards Grand Forks to get Cooper, I opened up my briefcase and got my running book out. Turns out my 5K PR was 34:57 and I beat it by 17 seconds (or 2:27 if I believe the official clock).

I spent the trip out there and back listening to Neal Bascomb's book "The Perfect Mile" on my iPod. It was an interesting listen and I will devote an entire post to the book after I finish it!

I drove to Grand Forks, picked up Cooper at his cousin's house, and drove home. Cooper slept all the way home; I dozed for a couple of hours after arriving home and we were both in bed before Paige got home from work.

Legs are sore today, but I am happy with my results.

Run Club and Eel Pout Out Run

Scheels Run Club last night: I did a bit over 6 miles. I was happy with my pace and the legs felt good. It was a bit windy and colder than I planned for; I wish I would have had my UnderArmor Fleece as my mid layer rather than the Nike Duo-Dry pullover I was wearing. I was a bit cold on some of the "up-wind" legs and felt tightness in my thighs and back. I wa)s frost covered when I finished.

Unexpected change of plans for the weekend. Cooper is going to Grandma and Grandpa's tonight while I go watch UND hockey. That means I am going to get up early and go run the Eel Pout Out in Walker. I was thinking I would have to skip it, but things fell in place.

It will be a bit hectic; 160 miles round trip to Grand Forks for hockey tonight; home around 11:30pm. 120 miles to Walker (need to leave home around 6:30am). Run the race. Then about 150 miles to Grand Forks to get Cooper and 80 miles home. (total of 350 miles tomorrow; 510 for the two days).

The MDRA annual lists it as a 5mile race, but the website says 5K. I guess I will show up and follow the pack and maybe run the course twice if it is too short for my training plan. :)

Marathon Training: Week 4

Plan 26miles,

Actual 20.78miles

Tues 3.59
Wed No run due to medical procedures (schedule 5miles)
Thurs 4.08
Sat 4.08
Sunday 9.04 (scheduled 10miles)

Sunday showed the toll that weather, doctor's visits, and poor eating have had on my training. My legs were dead, and I walked the last 3/4 mile in. . .

Better here than in a race; now I know I need to focus on my training and get back on path. I am also going to do more Galloway walk/run on my long runs and watch my early pace to allow me to cover the plan distances.

Run long and taper!

Health scare

After much debate, I decided to write about this. I think the main reason is that "men don't talk about things like this. . ." Mothers and daughters have discussion about OB-GYN visits, but my knowledge came mostly from the movie "Fletch" ("using the whole hand, doc?")

Saturday, December 16th, I noticed blood in my urine. I had a red "clot-like" glob (for lack of a better term) and a dark brown color. Searches of WebMD and Mayo Clinic said seek doctor ASAP. Many of the searches listed cancer (prostate, bladder, kidney) as a possibility. I went into the doctor on Sunday and tests confirmed there was blood in the urine. I was given antibiotics for a possible bladder infection (rare in men) and told that the urine sample would be cultured and it would take 3 days for results.

Within a couple of days, I was back to feeling normal and stopped worrying about it. Then, in mid-January, the blood was back. I scheduled an appointment with my regular doctor. It was a few days until I could get in and by the time I got there, my urine test was negative for blood. I had no pain in my kidneys, bladder, or groin area. Because I was over 35 and did not have family medical history due to my adoption, the doctor decided to order more tests. An ultrasound and a Urologist consult were scheduled.

The ultrasound found some "shadows" on my left kidney, but the operators would not say anything. So it was a long week's wait for the appointment to review the results with the Urologist.

The Urologist reviewed the ultrasound with me. The "shadows" were two small kidney stones that were much too small to worry about or need to treat. The kidney's looked good.

The doc then performed a Cystoscopy:

Cystoscopy is a test that allows your doctor to look at the interior lining of the bladder and the urethra. The cystoscope is a thin, lighted viewing instrument that is inserted into the urethra and advanced into the bladder.

WebMd Link

Liquid is injected into the bladder and then the scope is moved around to view the bladder. The good news: my bladder looked great and kidney function was normal. The bad news; it was very discomforting and the effects lasted for about 12 hours (discomfort, trouble urinating, pain while urinating, etc.).

I then had an examination of my testes and a rectal digital exam of my prostrate. Turns out, the prostrate is the one thing down there you do like to be told is "very small." Everything was normal and good.

The doc thinks I had a small kidney stone with a sharp edge that scratched the urethea while being passed. I had no discomfort from the stone directly, no stones in my bladder, and no need for worry. I was told to follow up with my regular doc and sent on my way.

Felt great to get a clear bill of health. Oh yeah, on all the visits they also took my blood pressure and I was told that was looking good also. It has dropped quite a bit since I started running from the top edge of normal into a good range.

So I am cleared again for the marathon. Just need some warm days so I can train easier. Last night, I ran 4 miles in -5* with windchill again! With all the layers, it feels more like a waddle than a run. . .

Motivation

I run with music about 50% of the time, the other half I spend sorting out my thoughts. I have learned two things about motivation:

1) I need to focus on something. When I have been focused on an upcoming race, I run the miles. When I don't have a race upcoming (most of December), my motivation to get out and run is much lower. When racing, I am usually struggling to beat the time cutoffs and not finish last. But the motivation of working towards something keeps me running.

2) Outdoor running is better for motivation. I do loops or out-and-backs. Some days, around mile one or two, my legs feel dead. If I am two miles from the car (and training for a race), it is easier to keep going. And, by the finish I usually feel better. But on a treadmill, it is too easy to hit pause/stop and get off.

Saturday is a great example of this. When I run on treadmills, I feel discomfort in my legs and knees. It is boring! But most importantly, it is also hard to stay motivated.

Finally, I am a klutz. The fact is, I can let my mind wander on a running path without problems. But on a treadmill, letting my mind wander is sure recipe for a fall! I have stepped off the side and/or fallen of the back of a treadmill. . . Sometimes, letting my mind wander is a tool to purge myself of de-motivating thoughts. I cannot do this on a treadmill but am learning how to do this in outside running (see this post where I talk about changing focus to stride to get my mind off cold and discomfort!)

Eating poorly

I need to do a better job of watching what I am eating. My fiber and carbs are down; my protein is up. I definitely felt it in my legs on Saturday. I MUST get more rice, pasta, and whole wheat in my diet. I ran much better when I was doing that, and weight loss was better. So that is my focus for this week!

Marathon Training: Week 3

Plan was for 23 miles, actual was about 13 miles. Two huge problems; sore shoulder/back and Cold! It was too cold to run outside (run club was canceled again; windchills below -20*; air temp between -4 and -21* for the last 5 days) and I hate treadmills. Saturday was planned for six, but I only got in two miles. Dead legs and tired of running on treadmill. I postponed Sunday's six miles until today; but I think they will have to be on a treadmill anyway. Good news is I should be outside tomorrow and it will be in the +20*'s for this weekend!

Here is the poor numbers:

Wed 5.12miles
Fri 6miles
Sat 2miles

Total 13.12 miles

Total 3 weeks 63.55miles

Cold!!!!

I did five miles in the cold last night. Temp was -2 with about a 12mph wind. Around 3.25 miles, I was miserable. My back is still sore and falling on the ice Sunday night has not helped any. . . Legs were cold and knees were starting to protest a bit. . . Then an interesting thing happened. I focused on my stride; pictured myself running free and efficient. I wish I could say I kept it up for the remaining 1.75 miles, but my focus is not that good. But I did keep it up for extended periods of time and during those periods, nothing hurt, nothing was cold, I felt great. Each footfall was wonderful.

Tonight's forecast: 3* with 20mph wind. This weekend is treadmill time, with the highs below zero.