The second day of the blogging challenge at Live Your Legend is to write about things people thank you for. During the first 30 seconds of thinking, one thing became readily apparent: Women express thanks exceedingly more than men do. Maybe there's a chance that it isn't a direct correlation. Maybe I just find myself helping more women than men. Or women may just be more polite in expressing thanks. The one exception I could think of was my Dad. My Dad thanks me for every favor or gift, either via text or phone call within a few days. Coincidentally, he has six sisters...
My Dad always thanks me for gifts I've given him over the years. He always thanks our clan when we show up for extended family parties or events. He knows how difficult those things can be at this point in our lives (although guilt is not beneath him when we're too busy). My wife always thanks me for helping out around the house and for giving her free time on the weekends now that we have a son. She always thanks me when we spend time with her family.
Although she doesn't say it, I can always tell my dog is thankful when I take her on walks, hikes, or feed her any type of food whatsoever.
Maybe an unintended effect of this was realizing just how little people say "thank you." I'm going to make a concerted effort to say "thank you" to those people who are helpful or kind more often.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Saturday, January 9, 2016
What makes you angry?
I read an interesting article today on a website called "Live Your Legend." It was founded by a man named Scott Dinsmore. I originally heard about his website through a Ted Talk and found it very intriguing. The goal of the website is to encourage and provide people with the tools to live the life they want. Be with the people you want. And more importantly, do the work you that you are passionate about. One of the first tools to to finding your passion was starting a blog (convenient). Write for 10-20 minutes with the idea that putting your thoughts out there will eventually help you tap into your subconscious. Worth a try.
The first topic to cover is what makes you angry. Something that really bothers you about the world. I have plenty but here are just a few…
1. Insurance companies. To me, they are one of the most nefarious sectors of the community. I understand that there are business principles that every company must operate under. Companies must be profitable and cannot conduct themselves like a charity. The bigger any company becomes, the more these giants become removed from the customer. Insurance companies are a simple concept: you pay a premium every month for life. In return, you are covered for ANY ailment, disaster, accident, etc. No caps on payouts. Deductibles are a joke. Why should have to pay a portion of what you are owed? To deter people from submitting claims. The whole system needs an overhaul.
2. Advertising. More specifically, I cannot stand television commercials. They annoy me to a much lesser degree than insurance companies and I also can't say that I'm totally immune to them. What REALLY bothers me is the inability to Fast Forward during "On Demand" shows, which now have commercials. When a one-hour show is almost 25% commercials. When any singular commercial set lasts longer than six minutes. I think it's getting out of hand.
3. The direction of the music industry. When fourteen-year-old girls are the only ones shopping on iTunes, you end up stuck going in One Direction.
4. The hypocrisy of the government. There are so many issues that they should be worried about fixing. Without spending too much time on a soap box, I think that a major sleight of hand is happening. Fixating on illegal immigration, taxes, and other common issues distracts everyone from the underlying issues affecting this country. When was the last time anything significant was accomplished by government (good or bad)?
5. Lobbying groups
6. Mystery and secrecy surrounding GMOs.
7. Sugar, salt, trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup in everything we eat.
8. The over-inflated costs of high school and college educations.
I'm sure there are many more. But these things exist in a low, consistent din in the background of each day. Now, what are some things I could do to change them?
The first topic to cover is what makes you angry. Something that really bothers you about the world. I have plenty but here are just a few…
1. Insurance companies. To me, they are one of the most nefarious sectors of the community. I understand that there are business principles that every company must operate under. Companies must be profitable and cannot conduct themselves like a charity. The bigger any company becomes, the more these giants become removed from the customer. Insurance companies are a simple concept: you pay a premium every month for life. In return, you are covered for ANY ailment, disaster, accident, etc. No caps on payouts. Deductibles are a joke. Why should have to pay a portion of what you are owed? To deter people from submitting claims. The whole system needs an overhaul.
2. Advertising. More specifically, I cannot stand television commercials. They annoy me to a much lesser degree than insurance companies and I also can't say that I'm totally immune to them. What REALLY bothers me is the inability to Fast Forward during "On Demand" shows, which now have commercials. When a one-hour show is almost 25% commercials. When any singular commercial set lasts longer than six minutes. I think it's getting out of hand.
3. The direction of the music industry. When fourteen-year-old girls are the only ones shopping on iTunes, you end up stuck going in One Direction.
4. The hypocrisy of the government. There are so many issues that they should be worried about fixing. Without spending too much time on a soap box, I think that a major sleight of hand is happening. Fixating on illegal immigration, taxes, and other common issues distracts everyone from the underlying issues affecting this country. When was the last time anything significant was accomplished by government (good or bad)?
5. Lobbying groups
6. Mystery and secrecy surrounding GMOs.
7. Sugar, salt, trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup in everything we eat.
8. The over-inflated costs of high school and college educations.
I'm sure there are many more. But these things exist in a low, consistent din in the background of each day. Now, what are some things I could do to change them?
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Changes
It's been four and a half years since my last post. So much has changed since then. My wife, Brigid, and I have been married for six and a half years. We got a yellow labrador (Guster) and she is now over four years old. Anyone who has or has had a lab knows the dichotomy of life with this canine. One minute she is greeting you at the front door, licking your face, or snuggled next to you on the couch. The next minute she's grabbed an entire chocolate cake off the countertop, deciphered child-proof locks on the garbage can, or chewed up expensive shoes. I suppose the good qualities outweigh the bad. Just barely.
I started a new job and have been there more than a few years now. I have since given up running after a snowboarding injury in ~2010 caused nagging ankle pain after every run. I had always lifted weights, without much organization or programming. About three years ago, I started lifting weights more frequently and with much more structure with my friend, Russ. I've made some great strides along the way. Interestingly, I had included some strength goals on this website and haven't viewed them in years. Surprisingly, I have accomplished all of them. What's even more surprising is looking at what my personal records were at that point. So many days we thought we weren't making progress. But like any endeavor, progress usually comes at a snail's pace.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes since my last post has been the birth of our son, Jack.
He's almost 16 months old and I can't seem to remember my life without him. We struggled to prepare ourselves for everything we would encounter these past 16 months, but nothing seems to prepare you. We read books, listen to parents and relatives offer sage advice, and discussed (sometimes argued) about how we would raise our baby. We threw out most of these learnings and just struggled to stay afloat for the first several months. Sleep became a luxury.Free time an even rarer commodity.But witnessing Jack laugh at something you did or try to repeat something you said is truly the best feeling in the world. My father used to teach us to hold our hands above our head when we were coughing to try and "open up" the airways. I never took the time to examine its validity, but I found myself subconsciously teaching Jack this trick when he would cough unexpectedly. It never even registered in my head until today when he raised his hands above his head all by himself without me asking him to. It made me reel…
Things are so much different than they were before. It was nice to have a glimpse into the past to see how far we've come. How different am I as a person? Am I better (or worse)? Either way, I think that is what I'm going to establish as this purpose of this slate:
A transcription of my attempt to become better as a human being--mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes since my last post has been the birth of our son, Jack.
Things are so much different than they were before. It was nice to have a glimpse into the past to see how far we've come. How different am I as a person? Am I better (or worse)? Either way, I think that is what I'm going to establish as this purpose of this slate:
A transcription of my attempt to become better as a human being--mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Dirty German 50K Race Report
The inaugural Dirty German 50K... So much to tell, so little time. I guess the beginning is the best place.
I started training for this race about 3-4 months ago. I searched the internet for 50K races and was surprised to find one so close to home. The website boasted almost 90% trails for the entire race, with the remaining portion to be run on paved bike trail. No roads, no traffic, no worries. It seemed like a good option and the entry fee was very cheap ($60). With this came a tech shirt and a cap and pint glass for finishers. Seemed like a good deal. Plus I would get a chance to explore PennyPack Park, a relatively huge park within the Fairmount Park System in the Northeastern section of the city.
My training plan was based solely on mileage. I sprinkled in a few 800m intervals and hill repeats throughout the training cycle, but by no means did this become regular practice. I tried to incorporated 1-2 days of strength training and participated in the CrossFit Open for several weeks, which usually took place on a Friday night. I began training in January tipping the scales at 205lbs, which is pretty heavy considering my past as a lightweight rower. I never did take a starting body fat percentage. I ended training in the week before tapering at 190 pounds and ~13% body fat. Not necessarily the optimal weight for someone to looking to run a 50K, but I'll take what I can get. Even though I had been feeling pretty slow in the weeks leading up to the taper, I attributed this to all the miles I had been accumulating. There were still some small glimpses into my true fitness improvement: 800m repeats consistently below 2:50 and closing in on 2:40. Three solid legs at the AOR relay at a fairly consistent speed. I took two days before the race to rest completely and it seemed it seemed to work well. My legs were fresh and almost jumpy the night before the race.
I woke up around 545AM on Sunday morning and felt well-rested. This is an anomaly. Typically for other races I have a hard time sleeping or I get to bed too late and only get 6 hours of sleep. I had laid out most of the gear I was planning on bringing to the race the night before: waist pack for a 20 oz bottle and some gels, tech hat, a few bandannas, Wave Precisions (with the MT-101s in the drop bag just in case), an extra shirt and socks, couple of granola bars, a bottle of Gatorade, and butterscotch Krimpets (you never know). I had spent the week caffeine free so as to give myself a little extra kick in the morning and to help move my digestive track along. It worked several times. When I got to the starting area, I found it wasn't nearly as congested as many other Philly races are. I picked up my race number without issue, used the restrooms once more (no lines), prepped myself and was ready to go for the start. Nobody seemed to know where I could leave my drop bag, so one of the registration folks offered to keep it behind her desk for me. After giving a quick list of instructions and last minute announcements, the gun went off.
There were three race distances offered today: 25K, 50K, and 50 miles. I would guess there were about 500 people at the starting line at most. The course quickly progressed into tight single-track, so the first 2-3 miles were pretty slow going. It opened up in various places where the trail made its way under bridges and ultimately the field thinned out pretty well by the time we hit the first aid station (AS1) at mile 3. I grabbed a Gatorade and kept moving. I had set my watch alarm to beep at 15 minute intervals to remind myself to drink water and I kept to this regimen pretty well. It was right about this point that I began chatting with another runner who was doing the 25K. The conversation made things much easier and eventually we picked up another girl from Washington DC. We were all moving along at a pretty decently clip. I really had no idea what the pace was, since the aid stations served as the only mile markers, but I felt light and strong. We shared the pacing responsibilities for the most part, but I found myself in front for a majority of the time. From AS1 to AS2 was approximately 4.5 miles. We rolled in at the farthest point from the starting line in good time. The course was essentially in a Figure 8 with AS1/AS3 in the middle and the start/finish area serving as an aid station as well. For those of us doing the 50K, we would complete two loops. I think it was about this point in the race that we picked up another two guys and I kept the group cruising along on the route back to AS1/AS3. I saw another runner up ahead of us and slowly started reeling him in. As we approached the rest area, things got real dicey. The runner ahead of us immediately made his way to the left, whereas we were given instructions to head right, followed by instructions to make another right. I voiced my concern to the group, but one of the guys asked if this was the 11.5 mile mark for the 50K and the response was "Yes!" Soon we found ourselves on the route back to AS2. It was hard to distinguish this at first, being all trail, but something didn't seem quite right. The two folks running the 25K gradually pulled away (I never did get their names) and our group shrunk to three, with two of us hoping to finish 50K. I felt queasy with confusion at this point and was getting very nervous that we were off course, but continued blindly forward. There seemed comfort in the fact that there were five of us in the same boat, which abated some of my anxiety. This came to a screeching halt when we turned a corner and found ourselves back at AS2 and saw the deflated looks on the two 25K runners who had arrived moments earlier and gave us the bad news. Turns out we should have followed the lone runner at AS1/AS3. I should have been furious, dejected, resentful, all of the above. But for some reason I seemed oddly unperturbed by the news. We had gone off course. Big deal. It didn't even matter that we were cruising along at sub 8:00 pace over some fairly technical terrain, through more creeks than anticipated and a course that was filled with mud from the past several days' worth of rain. I was at peace. The three other runners who had signed up for the 25K took the offer of a fellow spectator to drive them back to the start. I wasn't sure how things progressed from there. The other runner (I would later learn his name was Mike B.) and I decided we would press on and conquer. Never mind that we had gone 8 miles out of the way and would have to finish 40 miles to finish. It took us almost 45 minutes to realize that we could easily adjust our course and would allow us to come much closer to 50K, a revelation we were both ecstatic about. Even though we were feeling confident at the time we considered the 40 mile option, we slowed our pace considerably.
The rest of the race is history. Soreness and lethargy started creeping in around mile 18. I made a valiant effort to keep my fluid intake up and for the most part I was successful, nearly finishing my water bottle by the time we reached the next aid station and taking in some gatorade and pepsi as well. Even though I didn't feel the effects of bonking, I could have been more diligent about taking in food. I downed about 3 gels, a small handful of Cheez-Its and potato chips, and a quarter of a PB sandwich. Seems like a lot now that I'm writing it down, but Mike had downed at least two gels an hour for the duration of our run. He seemed a bit more fresh towards the finish, although he was complaining of some ankle pain. I think I would have finished much slower without him. There was a good sharing of the lead and I wanted to walk or rest too many times to count, but I trudged along because I didn't want to hold him up. I hope I did the same for him.
As we started our last mini-loop, we explained our dilemma to the race director, who graciously agreed to record our finishing time but admitted he couldn't give us an official place. I was OK with that. After a what seemed like seconds, we were off again. I caught sight of Brigid arriving just as we were headed out and stopped for a hot second to say hi. She was visibly shocked when I told her we still had eight miles left to cover and honestly it felt like an eternity. Now I am amazed at how much her reaction shook me at the time. It didn't really seem like eight miles was a lot but suddenly it felt like a whole different race. I tried to push it further back into the depths of my mind. Mike and I hit the trail and everything was a blur until we hit the final aid station before the finish. Grabbed some chips and some pepsi (like I was watching the Superbowl or something) and we peeled out. This was the darkest part of the race. I remembered from the first loop that out of nowhere we would emerge from the trail and into the final quarter mile of the race. The problem was that it seemed to lurk around EVERY turn. Mentally, I was scraping the bottom of the barrel and, like the ivory tower, there it was. I tried to pull my form together and make myself at least somewhat presentable for the final portion of the race. Mike and I crossed the finish line in an unofficial time of 5:19:43. It was sheer ecstasy.
I didn't feel as sore as I thought after the race. I felt bad that Brigid was waiting for so long at the finish area, so we split soon after I changed into some dry clothes. All in all, it was a good race. The weather could have been much worse, but I would have liked to see my result if we didn't hit that little hiccup in the middle of the race. One of the biggest changes I would make for next time (if there is a next time) is to cut some weight before the race. It seems the little aches and pains that creep up on me after 15-18 miles are a direct result of carrying 190 pounds over that long of a distance. There is simply no way around it. Mike was telling me he used to train as a power lifter at a solid 220, but dropped 40 pounds during his running training and the aches magically disappeared. I had a suspicion that this was the case, although I thought I could remedy it with increased strength training, which would help joints, bones, and tendons become much more durable. But it didn't work the way I thought it would. I'm pleased with the way things went, although I already started compiling a long list of things I would do differently.
Race start/finish.
I started training for this race about 3-4 months ago. I searched the internet for 50K races and was surprised to find one so close to home. The website boasted almost 90% trails for the entire race, with the remaining portion to be run on paved bike trail. No roads, no traffic, no worries. It seemed like a good option and the entry fee was very cheap ($60). With this came a tech shirt and a cap and pint glass for finishers. Seemed like a good deal. Plus I would get a chance to explore PennyPack Park, a relatively huge park within the Fairmount Park System in the Northeastern section of the city.
My training plan was based solely on mileage. I sprinkled in a few 800m intervals and hill repeats throughout the training cycle, but by no means did this become regular practice. I tried to incorporated 1-2 days of strength training and participated in the CrossFit Open for several weeks, which usually took place on a Friday night. I began training in January tipping the scales at 205lbs, which is pretty heavy considering my past as a lightweight rower. I never did take a starting body fat percentage. I ended training in the week before tapering at 190 pounds and ~13% body fat. Not necessarily the optimal weight for someone to looking to run a 50K, but I'll take what I can get. Even though I had been feeling pretty slow in the weeks leading up to the taper, I attributed this to all the miles I had been accumulating. There were still some small glimpses into my true fitness improvement: 800m repeats consistently below 2:50 and closing in on 2:40. Three solid legs at the AOR relay at a fairly consistent speed. I took two days before the race to rest completely and it seemed it seemed to work well. My legs were fresh and almost jumpy the night before the race.
I woke up around 545AM on Sunday morning and felt well-rested. This is an anomaly. Typically for other races I have a hard time sleeping or I get to bed too late and only get 6 hours of sleep. I had laid out most of the gear I was planning on bringing to the race the night before: waist pack for a 20 oz bottle and some gels, tech hat, a few bandannas, Wave Precisions (with the MT-101s in the drop bag just in case), an extra shirt and socks, couple of granola bars, a bottle of Gatorade, and butterscotch Krimpets (you never know). I had spent the week caffeine free so as to give myself a little extra kick in the morning and to help move my digestive track along. It worked several times. When I got to the starting area, I found it wasn't nearly as congested as many other Philly races are. I picked up my race number without issue, used the restrooms once more (no lines), prepped myself and was ready to go for the start. Nobody seemed to know where I could leave my drop bag, so one of the registration folks offered to keep it behind her desk for me. After giving a quick list of instructions and last minute announcements, the gun went off.
There were three race distances offered today: 25K, 50K, and 50 miles. I would guess there were about 500 people at the starting line at most. The course quickly progressed into tight single-track, so the first 2-3 miles were pretty slow going. It opened up in various places where the trail made its way under bridges and ultimately the field thinned out pretty well by the time we hit the first aid station (AS1) at mile 3. I grabbed a Gatorade and kept moving. I had set my watch alarm to beep at 15 minute intervals to remind myself to drink water and I kept to this regimen pretty well. It was right about this point that I began chatting with another runner who was doing the 25K. The conversation made things much easier and eventually we picked up another girl from Washington DC. We were all moving along at a pretty decently clip. I really had no idea what the pace was, since the aid stations served as the only mile markers, but I felt light and strong. We shared the pacing responsibilities for the most part, but I found myself in front for a majority of the time. From AS1 to AS2 was approximately 4.5 miles. We rolled in at the farthest point from the starting line in good time. The course was essentially in a Figure 8 with AS1/AS3 in the middle and the start/finish area serving as an aid station as well. For those of us doing the 50K, we would complete two loops. I think it was about this point in the race that we picked up another two guys and I kept the group cruising along on the route back to AS1/AS3. I saw another runner up ahead of us and slowly started reeling him in. As we approached the rest area, things got real dicey. The runner ahead of us immediately made his way to the left, whereas we were given instructions to head right, followed by instructions to make another right. I voiced my concern to the group, but one of the guys asked if this was the 11.5 mile mark for the 50K and the response was "Yes!" Soon we found ourselves on the route back to AS2. It was hard to distinguish this at first, being all trail, but something didn't seem quite right. The two folks running the 25K gradually pulled away (I never did get their names) and our group shrunk to three, with two of us hoping to finish 50K. I felt queasy with confusion at this point and was getting very nervous that we were off course, but continued blindly forward. There seemed comfort in the fact that there were five of us in the same boat, which abated some of my anxiety. This came to a screeching halt when we turned a corner and found ourselves back at AS2 and saw the deflated looks on the two 25K runners who had arrived moments earlier and gave us the bad news. Turns out we should have followed the lone runner at AS1/AS3. I should have been furious, dejected, resentful, all of the above. But for some reason I seemed oddly unperturbed by the news. We had gone off course. Big deal. It didn't even matter that we were cruising along at sub 8:00 pace over some fairly technical terrain, through more creeks than anticipated and a course that was filled with mud from the past several days' worth of rain. I was at peace. The three other runners who had signed up for the 25K took the offer of a fellow spectator to drive them back to the start. I wasn't sure how things progressed from there. The other runner (I would later learn his name was Mike B.) and I decided we would press on and conquer. Never mind that we had gone 8 miles out of the way and would have to finish 40 miles to finish. It took us almost 45 minutes to realize that we could easily adjust our course and would allow us to come much closer to 50K, a revelation we were both ecstatic about. Even though we were feeling confident at the time we considered the 40 mile option, we slowed our pace considerably.
The rest of the race is history. Soreness and lethargy started creeping in around mile 18. I made a valiant effort to keep my fluid intake up and for the most part I was successful, nearly finishing my water bottle by the time we reached the next aid station and taking in some gatorade and pepsi as well. Even though I didn't feel the effects of bonking, I could have been more diligent about taking in food. I downed about 3 gels, a small handful of Cheez-Its and potato chips, and a quarter of a PB sandwich. Seems like a lot now that I'm writing it down, but Mike had downed at least two gels an hour for the duration of our run. He seemed a bit more fresh towards the finish, although he was complaining of some ankle pain. I think I would have finished much slower without him. There was a good sharing of the lead and I wanted to walk or rest too many times to count, but I trudged along because I didn't want to hold him up. I hope I did the same for him.
As we started our last mini-loop, we explained our dilemma to the race director, who graciously agreed to record our finishing time but admitted he couldn't give us an official place. I was OK with that. After a what seemed like seconds, we were off again. I caught sight of Brigid arriving just as we were headed out and stopped for a hot second to say hi. She was visibly shocked when I told her we still had eight miles left to cover and honestly it felt like an eternity. Now I am amazed at how much her reaction shook me at the time. It didn't really seem like eight miles was a lot but suddenly it felt like a whole different race. I tried to push it further back into the depths of my mind. Mike and I hit the trail and everything was a blur until we hit the final aid station before the finish. Grabbed some chips and some pepsi (like I was watching the Superbowl or something) and we peeled out. This was the darkest part of the race. I remembered from the first loop that out of nowhere we would emerge from the trail and into the final quarter mile of the race. The problem was that it seemed to lurk around EVERY turn. Mentally, I was scraping the bottom of the barrel and, like the ivory tower, there it was. I tried to pull my form together and make myself at least somewhat presentable for the final portion of the race. Mike and I crossed the finish line in an unofficial time of 5:19:43. It was sheer ecstasy.
I didn't feel as sore as I thought after the race. I felt bad that Brigid was waiting for so long at the finish area, so we split soon after I changed into some dry clothes. All in all, it was a good race. The weather could have been much worse, but I would have liked to see my result if we didn't hit that little hiccup in the middle of the race. One of the biggest changes I would make for next time (if there is a next time) is to cut some weight before the race. It seems the little aches and pains that creep up on me after 15-18 miles are a direct result of carrying 190 pounds over that long of a distance. There is simply no way around it. Mike was telling me he used to train as a power lifter at a solid 220, but dropped 40 pounds during his running training and the aches magically disappeared. I had a suspicion that this was the case, although I thought I could remedy it with increased strength training, which would help joints, bones, and tendons become much more durable. But it didn't work the way I thought it would. I'm pleased with the way things went, although I already started compiling a long list of things I would do differently.
Race start/finish.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Taper
May 18th- An easy 5k today with the group: Erik, Minhong, Chris, Becky, and Laura. It was a pretty easy route, but I lagged behind to chat with some of the folks I don't get to talk to much. Erik and I went back and forth on the pros and cons of eating organic and the various ways big companies trick you into thinking their food is healthy. We could have went on for hours. The weather was great. Just a light drizzle to cool things off.
May 19th- Another easy day on the same 5k route as yesterday. Legs were feeling unexpectedly heavy, so I took it slow on the grass for the first two miles of the run. I must not have been running as slow as I expected, but decided to throw in some "easy" tempo work on the final mile home on Flat Rd. Felt like I was moving at 8:00 min pace, but it turned out to be 7:00 min. I could have held that pace for hours. Hopefully, that's a real good sign.
May 19th- Another easy day on the same 5k route as yesterday. Legs were feeling unexpectedly heavy, so I took it slow on the grass for the first two miles of the run. I must not have been running as slow as I expected, but decided to throw in some "easy" tempo work on the final mile home on Flat Rd. Felt like I was moving at 8:00 min pace, but it turned out to be 7:00 min. I could have held that pace for hours. Hopefully, that's a real good sign.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Das Cut
Somewhat easy loop with Brian at lunch today over to the Cut. I haven't gone straight up this route in a while, always looking to tag on a few extra miles and taking the long way up. There are arguments as to which route is harder, but taking it on straight up is definitely tough no matter how you slice it. You break into a long narrow valley about 3/4 mile long, with a looming hill in the distance. Staring this thing down is enough to get your heart rate up. The rain we got yesterday and today didn't help with traction on the early portion of the climb, and although the baseball-size rocks kept the mud to a minimum, they didn't help out my ankles at all.
I remember this route as one of my first runs with the lunch group when I started in Malvern a little over a year ago. I was still recovering from my ankle injury then and had lost a lot of fitness over the subsequent months. By the time I got to Malvern, I was in pretty bad shape and this run nearly broke me. I'm glad to say that now, while not much easier, it somehow doesn't seem as daunting as it once did. This just proves how perception can change over time and most of the reasons for not trying something in the first place is fear. Thrust yourself into the thick of things and pretty soon it becomes the norm, not leaving much room for doubt.
As an added bonus, Brian and I happened across a solo jogger heading in the opposite direction from us on the way back. As we got closer, I heard him yell out my name and quickly recognized him as my neighbor in Conshohocken. When we first moved in, I remembered he told me that he worked for JCI in Spring House, not far from where I worked. Now I'm wondering if his company doesn't do contract work for JNJ. I'll have to find out. Maybe I've just found myself another running partner.
About 5.5 miles. Untimed.
I remember this route as one of my first runs with the lunch group when I started in Malvern a little over a year ago. I was still recovering from my ankle injury then and had lost a lot of fitness over the subsequent months. By the time I got to Malvern, I was in pretty bad shape and this run nearly broke me. I'm glad to say that now, while not much easier, it somehow doesn't seem as daunting as it once did. This just proves how perception can change over time and most of the reasons for not trying something in the first place is fear. Thrust yourself into the thick of things and pretty soon it becomes the norm, not leaving much room for doubt.
As an added bonus, Brian and I happened across a solo jogger heading in the opposite direction from us on the way back. As we got closer, I heard him yell out my name and quickly recognized him as my neighbor in Conshohocken. When we first moved in, I remembered he told me that he worked for JCI in Spring House, not far from where I worked. Now I'm wondering if his company doesn't do contract work for JNJ. I'll have to find out. Maybe I've just found myself another running partner.
About 5.5 miles. Untimed.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Week of May 9th...
May 9th: Since I put off my run on Saturday, I had to pay for it today. I kept telling myself I was going to experiment with the Wave Precision shoes on a long run and somehow seemed to put it off constantly. I also told myself that I was going to experiment with a CamelBak while running and see if it was too cumbersome on the trails. Today seemed like a good opportunity for both. When I first got the Wave Precision shoes, I was a little apprehensive, especially after the first few weeks. My calves were consistently sore and it was taking me longer and longer to warm up. I've since realized that this is probably due to the frequently switch between the minimal sole MT-101s and the Precisions. Even when I was running consistently on trails with the MT-101s, I was still experiencing some soreness and tightness in my legs following a run. They were still a blast to run in and I didn't want to give them up so easily. However, running in the Precisions on a more frequent basis has correlated with stronger long runs. I also gave the Camelbak a try and after getting over the initial annoyance with the constant sloshing (the pack is a little bigger than I would like) it was actually good to run with. It's difficult to get used to drawing water from the tube, but I can't imagine I'll be tapping into anaerobic stores too frequently during the 50K. Game time decision on whether I'll use this or not.
The run itself was great. I did an identical run yesterday in about 1:44 and shaved off about 12 minutes during the run today. At several points in the run I came across mountain bikers and other runners, all headed down the same trails for sizable portions of the run, which gave me a little more motivation to crank my pace up. I felt good at the end too, turning it up an extra notch for the last 3/4 mile down Forbidden Drive.
May 10: My legs felt better than expected, although still a bit sluggish after the run yesterday. Paul and I tackled a quarry/Nature preserve loop. The rain over the past several weeks, along with the increase in temperature, has squeezed most of the running trails from all sides. Trail blazing becomes a key part of every run, at least for the leader. I'm always amazed at how fast these areas can grow in a week given the proper conditions. Paul said he was feeling slow today because of his recent spinal injection to help repair a lower herniated disc, but of course this still means that he was striding along 100 or so yards ahead of me. I wonder if this is a sign of his increased fitness, or the lack of mine. Bad thoughts to have during taper week.
May 11: Just an easy run at lunch with Becky and Raph. Raph is getting ready for the Pittsburgh marathon this weekend, following a self-devised training program that mirrors what Crossfit Endurance preaches. Intervals and moderate long runs done at tempo pace. I think his longest run was the week before the marathon at 16 miles. Last year he almost broke 3 hours with this type of training. If it works out for him, I might consider working more of this into a regular program. I think the harder effort during the longer run trains muscles not usually worked and leads to stronger finishes at the end of the effort.
4 mile Aegon loop. Untimed.
May 12: Decided to finally take part in one of those Wissahickon Wanderers informal trail races. It's funny how Thursdays in May can get so quickly overrun with things to do. And September Thursdays for that matter. I've got class tonight, somebody wants to play basketball, go to happy hour, etc. I've gotten use to the act of crossing running off my list of things to do by lunch time, because something always comes up to throw me off track by the time I get home. But not today. Their website says these races are 3-5 miles in length and I've gotten pretty adept in the past few months at navigating my way through the Wissahickon. For once, I won't be wondering how much farther it will take to cross the finish line...
I was wondering how much farther it would take to cross the finish line after the first mile. I must have some inability to pace myself during the early section of ANY race. The gun goes off, the faster runners shoot out towards the front and I foster some disillusioned notion that I can hang with the front runners. Happens most every time. The race started from Valley Green and immediately crossed the bridge and headed southeast. A steep hill or two on this section and the creek crossing in valley between the two. Some of the faster runners were tip-toe-ing through the creek, looking for the good rocks to land on and it made me chuckle. 3-4 inches deep at best, I plunged right through and some people stared at me like I had violated some trail runner etiquette, although I did hear several splashes from the several people behind me. The route crossed down over the bridge about a mile south of Valley Green and made the slow and steady way up the western side of the creek. It was a torturous climb as I was not fully recovered from the downhill yet. I stopped briefly at the top and a female runner behind me encouragingly urged me to keep my legs moving, which invoked a mixed response. On the one hand, I wanted to heed her advice. On the other hand, I wanted to tell her to mind her own business, if I could stop sucking air long enough to regurgitate any understandable words. I guess this is what I get for not having raced in such a long time. The remaining portion of the race carried me across the top of the trails thankfully, with some moderate climbs on routes I was not all too familiar with. But soon I came to the steep downhill I knew would bring me to the finish and almost instantaneously, my lungs opened up again. I caught another runner who had passed me on the previously mentioned climb, but gave way to a younger runner (maybe 15?) who was downright flying through this latter portion of the course. Good for him.
At the end of the day, it measured maybe 3.3 miles and I finished in 27:15. Not lightning fast, but I think it's as good as you're going to get with the climbs included today. I could lie to myself and say that the course was a bit long, but that's why they have races. Everyone is running the same distance. Next week I'll be tapering for the 50K, but hopefully I can squeeze in another of these races on the last Thursday of the month.
May 13: Just a strength day today. I fell off the Pullup regimen I was on a while back and wanted to get back into the swing of things. I kept the workout easy on the legs since this is supposed to be a taper week.
Bench Press 5 X 4 (195)
Pullups 7, 10, 6, 6, 10
Clean and Press 4 X 3 (120, 140, 140, 140)
Incline DB Press 4 X 5 (120)
Bicep Curls 3 X 10 (30)
Dips 3 X 10
May 14: An easy 5 mile loop through Conshohocken on a cloudy morning. Untimed, but I think it felt pretty fast. The decrease in mileage is definitely having a positive effect on the constant "heaviness" in my legs. Recently, I complained about the difficulty of running in Conshohocken if you hate running on congested streets and jagged, pedestrian filled sidewalks. I've managed to string together a few portions of a run together that allow me to get almost 3.5 out of the miles on grass or unpaved trail. Starting with a small loop around Sutcliffe Park, I can make my way down the SRT, with a mildly worn dirt path next to the main bike path, which stretches for about 1.5 miles. I could always lengthen this in either direction. A few weeks ago I managed to fore go instinct and venture up the tall hill under the Peco power lines that stretch from the river and almost up to Fayette Street. I hope anyone that catches me realizes I'm not causing any damage and not looking to vandalize anything. I worry about any effect of running under power lines, but I guess there is no real way to avoid them in today's society, short of moving to Maine. Untimed run and felt good. A wedding tonight for my high school friend Carrie. Probably the first time in years that all of my high school friends have been together. Should be a good time.
The run itself was great. I did an identical run yesterday in about 1:44 and shaved off about 12 minutes during the run today. At several points in the run I came across mountain bikers and other runners, all headed down the same trails for sizable portions of the run, which gave me a little more motivation to crank my pace up. I felt good at the end too, turning it up an extra notch for the last 3/4 mile down Forbidden Drive.
May 10: My legs felt better than expected, although still a bit sluggish after the run yesterday. Paul and I tackled a quarry/Nature preserve loop. The rain over the past several weeks, along with the increase in temperature, has squeezed most of the running trails from all sides. Trail blazing becomes a key part of every run, at least for the leader. I'm always amazed at how fast these areas can grow in a week given the proper conditions. Paul said he was feeling slow today because of his recent spinal injection to help repair a lower herniated disc, but of course this still means that he was striding along 100 or so yards ahead of me. I wonder if this is a sign of his increased fitness, or the lack of mine. Bad thoughts to have during taper week.
May 11: Just an easy run at lunch with Becky and Raph. Raph is getting ready for the Pittsburgh marathon this weekend, following a self-devised training program that mirrors what Crossfit Endurance preaches. Intervals and moderate long runs done at tempo pace. I think his longest run was the week before the marathon at 16 miles. Last year he almost broke 3 hours with this type of training. If it works out for him, I might consider working more of this into a regular program. I think the harder effort during the longer run trains muscles not usually worked and leads to stronger finishes at the end of the effort.
4 mile Aegon loop. Untimed.
May 12: Decided to finally take part in one of those Wissahickon Wanderers informal trail races. It's funny how Thursdays in May can get so quickly overrun with things to do. And September Thursdays for that matter. I've got class tonight, somebody wants to play basketball, go to happy hour, etc. I've gotten use to the act of crossing running off my list of things to do by lunch time, because something always comes up to throw me off track by the time I get home. But not today. Their website says these races are 3-5 miles in length and I've gotten pretty adept in the past few months at navigating my way through the Wissahickon. For once, I won't be wondering how much farther it will take to cross the finish line...
I was wondering how much farther it would take to cross the finish line after the first mile. I must have some inability to pace myself during the early section of ANY race. The gun goes off, the faster runners shoot out towards the front and I foster some disillusioned notion that I can hang with the front runners. Happens most every time. The race started from Valley Green and immediately crossed the bridge and headed southeast. A steep hill or two on this section and the creek crossing in valley between the two. Some of the faster runners were tip-toe-ing through the creek, looking for the good rocks to land on and it made me chuckle. 3-4 inches deep at best, I plunged right through and some people stared at me like I had violated some trail runner etiquette, although I did hear several splashes from the several people behind me. The route crossed down over the bridge about a mile south of Valley Green and made the slow and steady way up the western side of the creek. It was a torturous climb as I was not fully recovered from the downhill yet. I stopped briefly at the top and a female runner behind me encouragingly urged me to keep my legs moving, which invoked a mixed response. On the one hand, I wanted to heed her advice. On the other hand, I wanted to tell her to mind her own business, if I could stop sucking air long enough to regurgitate any understandable words. I guess this is what I get for not having raced in such a long time. The remaining portion of the race carried me across the top of the trails thankfully, with some moderate climbs on routes I was not all too familiar with. But soon I came to the steep downhill I knew would bring me to the finish and almost instantaneously, my lungs opened up again. I caught another runner who had passed me on the previously mentioned climb, but gave way to a younger runner (maybe 15?) who was downright flying through this latter portion of the course. Good for him.
At the end of the day, it measured maybe 3.3 miles and I finished in 27:15. Not lightning fast, but I think it's as good as you're going to get with the climbs included today. I could lie to myself and say that the course was a bit long, but that's why they have races. Everyone is running the same distance. Next week I'll be tapering for the 50K, but hopefully I can squeeze in another of these races on the last Thursday of the month.
May 13: Just a strength day today. I fell off the Pullup regimen I was on a while back and wanted to get back into the swing of things. I kept the workout easy on the legs since this is supposed to be a taper week.
Bench Press 5 X 4 (195)
Pullups 7, 10, 6, 6, 10
Clean and Press 4 X 3 (120, 140, 140, 140)
Incline DB Press 4 X 5 (120)
Bicep Curls 3 X 10 (30)
Dips 3 X 10
May 14: An easy 5 mile loop through Conshohocken on a cloudy morning. Untimed, but I think it felt pretty fast. The decrease in mileage is definitely having a positive effect on the constant "heaviness" in my legs. Recently, I complained about the difficulty of running in Conshohocken if you hate running on congested streets and jagged, pedestrian filled sidewalks. I've managed to string together a few portions of a run together that allow me to get almost 3.5 out of the miles on grass or unpaved trail. Starting with a small loop around Sutcliffe Park, I can make my way down the SRT, with a mildly worn dirt path next to the main bike path, which stretches for about 1.5 miles. I could always lengthen this in either direction. A few weeks ago I managed to fore go instinct and venture up the tall hill under the Peco power lines that stretch from the river and almost up to Fayette Street. I hope anyone that catches me realizes I'm not causing any damage and not looking to vandalize anything. I worry about any effect of running under power lines, but I guess there is no real way to avoid them in today's society, short of moving to Maine. Untimed run and felt good. A wedding tonight for my high school friend Carrie. Probably the first time in years that all of my high school friends have been together. Should be a good time.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Catch Up
Probably like a week's worth of workouts to record. Here goes...
May 1st: While the rest of Philadelphia was running Broad Street today, I was gearing up for another long run. Target today was somewhere in the vicinity of 15 miles. Going to be pretty tough to accumulate that many miles after AOR, but even though I was tired I wasn't feeling very sore. I dropped Brigid and her sister off at the starting line of the Broad Street Run and then headed home to get some housework done. They got back around 1230ish and I left promptly, having delayed long enough for the day. I could tell from the beginning that it wasn't going to be pretty. I started to feel somewhere sluggish on the SRT, took a few walking breaks and told myself the lethargy would pass. Eventually, I got into a slow, steady rhythm up Shawmont and into the park. After about 1-2 miles on trails, I quickly opted to finish this part of the route on Forbidden Drive. As soon as I descended toward the drive, I had to take another break on a park bench for a few minutes. At this point, I could feel some sharp pains in my right calf/shin area and didn't think any records needed to be broken today. I told myself I would finish the run, but half way down Barren Hill I ended up calling Brigid to come pick me up. Pretty miserable all together, and I was frustrated that I had to throw in the towel that close to home. But it wasn't worth any injury this close to the race. 11 miles total.
May 2nd: Rest day
May 3rd: Easy 5 miles today with Brian through the quarry and the nature preserve. We both admitted that the relay was still fresh in our legs, but he seemed to have a little more pop in his step that I did. Weather has been holding up great lately: Low 70s with no humidity. I guess we are going to get a spring season after all. 5.5 miles.
May 4th: Strength in the late afternoon.
Squats 4 X 3
Pullups 60 for the day
Bench Press 4 X 5
OH Squat 4 X 3 (95)
Incline DB Press
Cleans
Short run as soon as I got home. 2.7 miles through Conshy.
May 5th: Another easy 5 mile loop via Church Road and the Chester Valley Trail with Brian and Becky. Brian was a little more sluggish today than he seemed on Tuesday, although I think it was because Becky was pushing the pace. I've done this route several times with the group, but I think it's one of the remaining routes that I'm not too familiar with. It's all paved, with a 1-2 mile section on the paved CVT. A pretty nice route. 5.2 miles.
Later on in the day...some basketball with co-workers after work. ~2 hours
May 6th: Some more basketball in the PM.
May 7th: Unscheduled rest day.
May 8th: 10 miles in the Wissahickon, on the Northwestern loop of the four corners run. Great day, great weather, great run. Got off to a later start as usual, probably around 1145. But the weather was great and I was thankful for the crowded trails. Breaks up the run nicely to see other people out enjoying the park. I think it was a record day for mountain bikers. I tried the route in reverse in order to figure out my bearings on the meadow section adjacent to Northwestern Ave closer to Ridge Ave. I found a trail that was freshly bulldozed to keep runners and hikers off the grassy portions. The route didn't bring me quite exactly where I was hoping it would, but a few more times through here and I should have my bearings down. I used the MT-101s and my legs were feeling more sore than I would have thought. I'm going to make it a point to try the Wave Precisions tomorrow and a CamelBak and see how I feel with both.
May 1st: While the rest of Philadelphia was running Broad Street today, I was gearing up for another long run. Target today was somewhere in the vicinity of 15 miles. Going to be pretty tough to accumulate that many miles after AOR, but even though I was tired I wasn't feeling very sore. I dropped Brigid and her sister off at the starting line of the Broad Street Run and then headed home to get some housework done. They got back around 1230ish and I left promptly, having delayed long enough for the day. I could tell from the beginning that it wasn't going to be pretty. I started to feel somewhere sluggish on the SRT, took a few walking breaks and told myself the lethargy would pass. Eventually, I got into a slow, steady rhythm up Shawmont and into the park. After about 1-2 miles on trails, I quickly opted to finish this part of the route on Forbidden Drive. As soon as I descended toward the drive, I had to take another break on a park bench for a few minutes. At this point, I could feel some sharp pains in my right calf/shin area and didn't think any records needed to be broken today. I told myself I would finish the run, but half way down Barren Hill I ended up calling Brigid to come pick me up. Pretty miserable all together, and I was frustrated that I had to throw in the towel that close to home. But it wasn't worth any injury this close to the race. 11 miles total.
May 2nd: Rest day
May 3rd: Easy 5 miles today with Brian through the quarry and the nature preserve. We both admitted that the relay was still fresh in our legs, but he seemed to have a little more pop in his step that I did. Weather has been holding up great lately: Low 70s with no humidity. I guess we are going to get a spring season after all. 5.5 miles.
May 4th: Strength in the late afternoon.
Squats 4 X 3
Pullups 60 for the day
Bench Press 4 X 5
OH Squat 4 X 3 (95)
Incline DB Press
Cleans
Short run as soon as I got home. 2.7 miles through Conshy.
May 5th: Another easy 5 mile loop via Church Road and the Chester Valley Trail with Brian and Becky. Brian was a little more sluggish today than he seemed on Tuesday, although I think it was because Becky was pushing the pace. I've done this route several times with the group, but I think it's one of the remaining routes that I'm not too familiar with. It's all paved, with a 1-2 mile section on the paved CVT. A pretty nice route. 5.2 miles.
Later on in the day...some basketball with co-workers after work. ~2 hours
May 6th: Some more basketball in the PM.
May 7th: Unscheduled rest day.
May 8th: 10 miles in the Wissahickon, on the Northwestern loop of the four corners run. Great day, great weather, great run. Got off to a later start as usual, probably around 1145. But the weather was great and I was thankful for the crowded trails. Breaks up the run nicely to see other people out enjoying the park. I think it was a record day for mountain bikers. I tried the route in reverse in order to figure out my bearings on the meadow section adjacent to Northwestern Ave closer to Ridge Ave. I found a trail that was freshly bulldozed to keep runners and hikers off the grassy portions. The route didn't bring me quite exactly where I was hoping it would, but a few more times through here and I should have my bearings down. I used the MT-101s and my legs were feeling more sore than I would have thought. I'm going to make it a point to try the Wave Precisions tomorrow and a CamelBak and see how I feel with both.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
American Odyssey Relay Race Report
A few months ago, there was some chatter amongst the lunchtime running group about running this race. This was primarily the result of the surprisingly fast sell-out of entries into the Broad Street Run. This is the quintessential road race in Philadelphia, drawing something like 30,000 entries this year. The Centocor Running Club always puts out a team, but I think with the quick deadline, it was impossible to organize everything and get the results submitted in time. So talk shifted away from the Broad Street Run to the American Odyssey Relay.
The AOR is a 200 mile relay from Gettysburg to Washington D.C., traversing over mountains, through small neighborhoods, and along trails and canals. The route makes its way through Pennsyvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, before finishing along the Potomac in Washington D.C. Our team was part of the Corporate Men division, even though we had several females on our team. With 12 people, we each had to run three separate legs along the way, totaling 15-21 miles. We took two vans with 6 people each and leap-frogged the route down to DC. I was in the first van (the first runner, actually) with Paul, Laura, Evan (from McNeil), Frank, and Brian. My first leg was a 5.8 mile route through Gettysburg. The start was anti-climatic: the race organizer said some muffled words through a faulty bull horn all of a sudden we were off. It was windy and cool, but the wind was either at my back or cooling me off and the temperature was perfect. The course was well marked, but I still carried the printout of the directions with me so I would know how far to run on a particular road. The rest of the field got off to a slow start with the exception of myself and another young-looking runner. I sized him up as maybe a local cross-country athlete, but after the first mile I thought differently. I haven't raced a strict road race since the 2010 Broad Street Run and had no idea what pace felt like. I told Paul my PR for the 10K was somewhere around 6:20 pace and he calculated my leg times accordingly. I kept a steady pace (or so I thought) threw the back neighborhoods of Gettysburg and was pleased that the road signs were clearly visible. It was a winding, twisting course, which eventually finished with a long, straight stretch through the middle of downtown Gettysburg. Luckily, the course description had this marked as exactly 1 mile, so I took note of the time on my watch as I started it. I had to dodge several tourists and Civil Was re-enactors, navigate around a roundabout, before straining up the slight incline towards the finish at 6:30 pace. I had no idea I was hoofing it at this pace, because it didn't seem as hard as I thought. I wanted to save some gas for the later legs and was pleased at this result. In the end, Paul told me I finished within 2 seconds of my target finishing time: 39:10 for 5.8 miles.
I had underestimated the time we would be spending in the van. We meandered through Pennsylvania for the next 5 legs before meeting up with the other van at the T5. They would take over at the next transition point, but some of us had never met before so it would be good to say hello and give any tips we had learned. I was feeling sort of sluggish at this point, but Paul looked ready for his leg, a long and tortuous 6.7 stretch up an 1100 foot mountain. I wish I could say he had the same fervor at the finish. We made a few pit stops at the top of some of his steeper climbs to give him some motivation, although I'm not really sure it did him any good. He finished strong, but I'm sure the effort took a toll on him and we all hoped it wouldn't have an overwhelmingly negative effect.
It was about 5-6PM when our van finished our first legs and we decided it was time for dinner. We drove around Smithsburg, Maryland for a while and all we could find was a run down biker bar called "Chocolate Park Tavern" and an American Legion. The pizza place we found on Google was shut down and some rusted over cars sat in the front yard. I think we left skid marks on the driveway as we peeled outta there. Paul opted to drive with his wife who had volunteered in the race earlier, which proved to be a problem as our van headed back towards civilization in search of some safer grub. There was some miscommunication about where exactly we were headed (Paul chose to follow his iPhone instead) and ended with Paul begrudgingly following us to an Applebee's, which luckily stood at T10. We each ordered a beer and got our booth. On any other day, Applebee's would have sounded terrible, but it was our first real meal of the day and nothing looked better. Chips and Queso, Spinach Dip, and pasta lined the table and I couldn't help but think about how this was going to turn into glue in my colon. It's one of those little things I think most runners think about during the day. I didn't really have a chance to crap earlier in the day and it pretty much stuck in the back of my mind throughout the rest of the day. It was impossible to take in enough water and green vegetables to keep things regular and it took a couple of failed attempts before I was finally successful the next morning. But that's another story... The second van made their way into the restaurant as they waited for Becky to finish her leg and their eyes became wide with jealousy as they stared at our finished plates.
From that point we headed to our next transition area. After Paul's grueling leg and his nagging back injury, he wanted to head over to Boonsboro high school, which was serving as an oasis for runner's to eat, shower, and sleep through the night. Laura stayed with me and soon the other van arrived and we waited for Jen to pass through. I guess she had grossly underestimated her finishing time, because I was just starting off on a short warmup jog when I heard the screams of Becky and Laura rushing me back. Thankfully, I had stopped just over a ridge to tinker with my headlamp and hadn't made it out of earshot. I slid down the hill and frantically ripped off my warmup pants. Luckily, I was ready to run and flew down the hill that lead up to the transition area. The run itself was really dark. The were a few street lights that lined the early part of the run, but soon I was running along a ridge with a great view of the horizon. The first part of the run was pretty steep, but after 1.5-2 miles, it was all downhill and I was flying. I had some concerns about sore quads for the third leg, but I was feeling good and just kept cruising. I wouldn't say I was red lining, but definitely putting in some effort. I passed 6-7 people on this stretch, all of whom were nursing the downhill portions. The only thing that broke me out of my zone was a telephone call about 0.5 miles from the finish. I almost answered, but thought better of it and figured I was almost finished anyway. Turns out it was my van, trying to find out where on the course I was and if I had finished. THEY WERE STILL DRIVING! I saw them pull into the lot as I was coming through the finish and Frank hopped out, grabbed the wrist band and was on his way. Couldn't have planned it any better than that.
The next few hours were pretty blurry. It was after 10PM when I finished my second leg, but I had to tough it out in the van for Frank and Laura's leg before I could get to the high school to sleep. When we finally did make it, I was concentrating on sleeping so hard that it consumed my thoughts and actually kept me awake. I'm sure the hardwood basketball courts played a role as well. Everyone in the gym was extremely considerate and it was much quieter in there than I had expected, but when you are trying to fall asleep, every little sound becomes deafening. It was an uphill battle against an orchestra of snores, sleeping bag zippers, and cell phones alarms. I didn't realize how many people out there have iPhones. Every ring, alarm, or text message jolted me awake, thinking it was my own time to get up. In the end, I think I ended up getting 2-3 hours of interrupted sleep, before Frank came along and woke me up for good. Later, we joked around about whether I set an alarm or not and I guess I had just counted on someone else waking me up. Pretty good for all of us that they did.
I was extremely groggy for this last leg. It started out with Jen crossing the Potomac into West Virginia where I was waiting. It was crisp, almost chilly outside and all I had was shorts and a Tshirt. In hindsight, I was under-prepared for this race, thinking all the while it was going to be warm and comfortable. I never anticipated nighttime lows in the low 40s. I waited with no intention of warming up, thinking I would get enough warmup on the first mile. Jen exceeded her goal pace anyway and made her way into Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. After a quick U-turn, she handed off the bracelet, I made my way back up to the U-turn (traffic law), back across the bridge, down some steps and onto a gravel tow path that would be my home for 8.2 miles. I wore the MT-101s, wanting to give them a try in racing conditions. It turned out to be a bad decision. The ground was very uneven, with larger rocks and roots strewn about the path. Even with a powerful headlamp (which was starting to flicker, giving warning that the battery was almost dead) it was tough to see the ground more than 10 feet ahead, making each step precarious. The ground was also much harder than expected and soon my joints were feeling the impact. It might have been the lack of sleep, water, and vision, but for the moment I was focusing all my frustration on the shoes. I still managed with pass several people, before running into a few runners trekking in the other direction. This brought temporary panic into my mind, but soon realized that they were looking for another lost runner. Coincidentally, the lost runner happened to be from another JNJ team, who had made a right, instead of a left at the bottom of the stairs onto the tow path and ran almost 8.2 miles in the wrong direction. At the time, this was the least of my worries, as my target finishing time came and went and the end was nowhere in sight. I kept hoping to hear faint cheers and car horns in the distance, but couldn't make out much over the sound of my labored breathing. Finally, I saw the headlights in the distance and pushed out just a little harder for the finish. Paul told me (although I'm not sure how truthful he way after seeing the disappointed look on my face) that the course was actually 8.7 miles instead of 8.2, meaning my 66 minute finishing time was still good enough for ~7:30 pace. Not what I was hoping for, but still decent considering the conditions. I made straight for the van where I passed out for about 30 minutes during frank and Laura's leg, cursing under my breath that they sun was coming up just as I was finishing my run.
Now that my contribution was over, I was feeling much more lighthearted, almost to the aggravation of the rest of my van. It had been a tough race mentally, always knowing that there was another run ahead of you. I brought along my compression socks, which I think helped pretty well, but I still did a pore job of rehydrating after each leg. We followed along until Paul finished his leg and then headed to a diner in Gaithersburg, Md, before finally making our way down to DC for Jen's final leg. All in all, we did a great job, exceeding our target finishing time as a team by almost 30 minutes, giving us 2nd place in our division and 11th overall. Pretty good considering there were over 150 teams in attendance. Things got pretty bumpy at times, personalities clashed here and there, but overall it was a good race. After a few beers and barbecue at the finish, we hit the road. Maybe in a few weeks we'll decide if we're looking forward to it next year.
The starting photo. Everyone is looking at me and laughing because the race director is giving the signal for my group to start running.
Waiting for somebody to finish...
Mean looking Centocor Track Suits.
Escorting Jen C. to the finish line...
The finishing photo
The AOR is a 200 mile relay from Gettysburg to Washington D.C., traversing over mountains, through small neighborhoods, and along trails and canals. The route makes its way through Pennsyvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, before finishing along the Potomac in Washington D.C. Our team was part of the Corporate Men division, even though we had several females on our team. With 12 people, we each had to run three separate legs along the way, totaling 15-21 miles. We took two vans with 6 people each and leap-frogged the route down to DC. I was in the first van (the first runner, actually) with Paul, Laura, Evan (from McNeil), Frank, and Brian. My first leg was a 5.8 mile route through Gettysburg. The start was anti-climatic: the race organizer said some muffled words through a faulty bull horn all of a sudden we were off. It was windy and cool, but the wind was either at my back or cooling me off and the temperature was perfect. The course was well marked, but I still carried the printout of the directions with me so I would know how far to run on a particular road. The rest of the field got off to a slow start with the exception of myself and another young-looking runner. I sized him up as maybe a local cross-country athlete, but after the first mile I thought differently. I haven't raced a strict road race since the 2010 Broad Street Run and had no idea what pace felt like. I told Paul my PR for the 10K was somewhere around 6:20 pace and he calculated my leg times accordingly. I kept a steady pace (or so I thought) threw the back neighborhoods of Gettysburg and was pleased that the road signs were clearly visible. It was a winding, twisting course, which eventually finished with a long, straight stretch through the middle of downtown Gettysburg. Luckily, the course description had this marked as exactly 1 mile, so I took note of the time on my watch as I started it. I had to dodge several tourists and Civil Was re-enactors, navigate around a roundabout, before straining up the slight incline towards the finish at 6:30 pace. I had no idea I was hoofing it at this pace, because it didn't seem as hard as I thought. I wanted to save some gas for the later legs and was pleased at this result. In the end, Paul told me I finished within 2 seconds of my target finishing time: 39:10 for 5.8 miles.
I had underestimated the time we would be spending in the van. We meandered through Pennsylvania for the next 5 legs before meeting up with the other van at the T5. They would take over at the next transition point, but some of us had never met before so it would be good to say hello and give any tips we had learned. I was feeling sort of sluggish at this point, but Paul looked ready for his leg, a long and tortuous 6.7 stretch up an 1100 foot mountain. I wish I could say he had the same fervor at the finish. We made a few pit stops at the top of some of his steeper climbs to give him some motivation, although I'm not really sure it did him any good. He finished strong, but I'm sure the effort took a toll on him and we all hoped it wouldn't have an overwhelmingly negative effect.
It was about 5-6PM when our van finished our first legs and we decided it was time for dinner. We drove around Smithsburg, Maryland for a while and all we could find was a run down biker bar called "Chocolate Park Tavern" and an American Legion. The pizza place we found on Google was shut down and some rusted over cars sat in the front yard. I think we left skid marks on the driveway as we peeled outta there. Paul opted to drive with his wife who had volunteered in the race earlier, which proved to be a problem as our van headed back towards civilization in search of some safer grub. There was some miscommunication about where exactly we were headed (Paul chose to follow his iPhone instead) and ended with Paul begrudgingly following us to an Applebee's, which luckily stood at T10. We each ordered a beer and got our booth. On any other day, Applebee's would have sounded terrible, but it was our first real meal of the day and nothing looked better. Chips and Queso, Spinach Dip, and pasta lined the table and I couldn't help but think about how this was going to turn into glue in my colon. It's one of those little things I think most runners think about during the day. I didn't really have a chance to crap earlier in the day and it pretty much stuck in the back of my mind throughout the rest of the day. It was impossible to take in enough water and green vegetables to keep things regular and it took a couple of failed attempts before I was finally successful the next morning. But that's another story... The second van made their way into the restaurant as they waited for Becky to finish her leg and their eyes became wide with jealousy as they stared at our finished plates.
From that point we headed to our next transition area. After Paul's grueling leg and his nagging back injury, he wanted to head over to Boonsboro high school, which was serving as an oasis for runner's to eat, shower, and sleep through the night. Laura stayed with me and soon the other van arrived and we waited for Jen to pass through. I guess she had grossly underestimated her finishing time, because I was just starting off on a short warmup jog when I heard the screams of Becky and Laura rushing me back. Thankfully, I had stopped just over a ridge to tinker with my headlamp and hadn't made it out of earshot. I slid down the hill and frantically ripped off my warmup pants. Luckily, I was ready to run and flew down the hill that lead up to the transition area. The run itself was really dark. The were a few street lights that lined the early part of the run, but soon I was running along a ridge with a great view of the horizon. The first part of the run was pretty steep, but after 1.5-2 miles, it was all downhill and I was flying. I had some concerns about sore quads for the third leg, but I was feeling good and just kept cruising. I wouldn't say I was red lining, but definitely putting in some effort. I passed 6-7 people on this stretch, all of whom were nursing the downhill portions. The only thing that broke me out of my zone was a telephone call about 0.5 miles from the finish. I almost answered, but thought better of it and figured I was almost finished anyway. Turns out it was my van, trying to find out where on the course I was and if I had finished. THEY WERE STILL DRIVING! I saw them pull into the lot as I was coming through the finish and Frank hopped out, grabbed the wrist band and was on his way. Couldn't have planned it any better than that.
The next few hours were pretty blurry. It was after 10PM when I finished my second leg, but I had to tough it out in the van for Frank and Laura's leg before I could get to the high school to sleep. When we finally did make it, I was concentrating on sleeping so hard that it consumed my thoughts and actually kept me awake. I'm sure the hardwood basketball courts played a role as well. Everyone in the gym was extremely considerate and it was much quieter in there than I had expected, but when you are trying to fall asleep, every little sound becomes deafening. It was an uphill battle against an orchestra of snores, sleeping bag zippers, and cell phones alarms. I didn't realize how many people out there have iPhones. Every ring, alarm, or text message jolted me awake, thinking it was my own time to get up. In the end, I think I ended up getting 2-3 hours of interrupted sleep, before Frank came along and woke me up for good. Later, we joked around about whether I set an alarm or not and I guess I had just counted on someone else waking me up. Pretty good for all of us that they did.
I was extremely groggy for this last leg. It started out with Jen crossing the Potomac into West Virginia where I was waiting. It was crisp, almost chilly outside and all I had was shorts and a Tshirt. In hindsight, I was under-prepared for this race, thinking all the while it was going to be warm and comfortable. I never anticipated nighttime lows in the low 40s. I waited with no intention of warming up, thinking I would get enough warmup on the first mile. Jen exceeded her goal pace anyway and made her way into Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. After a quick U-turn, she handed off the bracelet, I made my way back up to the U-turn (traffic law), back across the bridge, down some steps and onto a gravel tow path that would be my home for 8.2 miles. I wore the MT-101s, wanting to give them a try in racing conditions. It turned out to be a bad decision. The ground was very uneven, with larger rocks and roots strewn about the path. Even with a powerful headlamp (which was starting to flicker, giving warning that the battery was almost dead) it was tough to see the ground more than 10 feet ahead, making each step precarious. The ground was also much harder than expected and soon my joints were feeling the impact. It might have been the lack of sleep, water, and vision, but for the moment I was focusing all my frustration on the shoes. I still managed with pass several people, before running into a few runners trekking in the other direction. This brought temporary panic into my mind, but soon realized that they were looking for another lost runner. Coincidentally, the lost runner happened to be from another JNJ team, who had made a right, instead of a left at the bottom of the stairs onto the tow path and ran almost 8.2 miles in the wrong direction. At the time, this was the least of my worries, as my target finishing time came and went and the end was nowhere in sight. I kept hoping to hear faint cheers and car horns in the distance, but couldn't make out much over the sound of my labored breathing. Finally, I saw the headlights in the distance and pushed out just a little harder for the finish. Paul told me (although I'm not sure how truthful he way after seeing the disappointed look on my face) that the course was actually 8.7 miles instead of 8.2, meaning my 66 minute finishing time was still good enough for ~7:30 pace. Not what I was hoping for, but still decent considering the conditions. I made straight for the van where I passed out for about 30 minutes during frank and Laura's leg, cursing under my breath that they sun was coming up just as I was finishing my run.
Now that my contribution was over, I was feeling much more lighthearted, almost to the aggravation of the rest of my van. It had been a tough race mentally, always knowing that there was another run ahead of you. I brought along my compression socks, which I think helped pretty well, but I still did a pore job of rehydrating after each leg. We followed along until Paul finished his leg and then headed to a diner in Gaithersburg, Md, before finally making our way down to DC for Jen's final leg. All in all, we did a great job, exceeding our target finishing time as a team by almost 30 minutes, giving us 2nd place in our division and 11th overall. Pretty good considering there were over 150 teams in attendance. Things got pretty bumpy at times, personalities clashed here and there, but overall it was a good race. After a few beers and barbecue at the finish, we hit the road. Maybe in a few weeks we'll decide if we're looking forward to it next year.
The starting photo. Everyone is looking at me and laughing because the race director is giving the signal for my group to start running.
Waiting for somebody to finish...
Mean looking Centocor Track Suits.
Escorting Jen C. to the finish line...
The finishing photo
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Told myself that 4-5 miles would be enough to get out the door, but turned that into a 7.5 mile Diamond Rock loop once I got the wheels going. It's always easier to persuade yourself out with an easy run. Grease the wheels and suddenly something longer doesn't seem out of the question. Storm clouds were looming all morning. In fact, the office area was dense with moisture... and the complaints of several coworkers. In timely fashion, the rain started with 10 minutes of the start of my run and soon turned into a heavy downpour. Thunder and lightning added to the ominous feeling of the run, but nothing would affect my slow and steady pace. I trudged up Howell Rd. with my eyes down to keep the rain out and slowly made it to the top. By the time I was out of the trails and on my way back down this same hill the sun was starting to peak out. It might seem weird to admit, but I'd prefer weather like this. I don't mind the wind and rain as it cools me off. And the sun shining at the finish of a decent run just compounds the high I already feel. Wouldn't have it any other way.
7.4 miles in 70 minutes
7.4 miles in 70 minutes
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Heavy Legs=Time for a Break
Today had to have been one of the slowest runs in a while. I'm sure that the miles and workouts racking up, in addition to the little water and food I had this morning, and the sudden increase in temperature outside all had something to do with it. I wasn't trying to push either, so I ended up walking up many of the steep trails I would otherwise press up. It was fairly uneventful, but I did take notice of the nighttime presence in the area. At the top of the Cut is a huge bonfire pit with a multitude of beer cans around it. The kicker is the 1970s style that has obviously been hauled up to the top of the hill manually. Access to this location is too treacherous for even a four-wheeling SUV. There are bonfire pits strew about at other locations along this 2-3 mile trail as well, maybe from dirt-biking outcasts who were deemed not cool enough to be included in the party.
6.5 miles in 78 minutes
Late afternoon
I'll be out of town this weekend for the AOR race to DC, so I wouldn't be able to participate in the final scheduled WOD at CBCF. Tonight was pretty much my only free night. The WOD for this week was unveiled two weeks ago so people had plenty of time to practice or at least lament over it.
AMRAP 7 minutes
3 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
3 Chest to bar Pull-ups
6 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
6 Chest to bar Pull-ups
9 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
9 Chest to bar Pull-ups
12 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
12 Chest to bar Pull-ups
15 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
15 Chest to bar Pull-ups
18 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
18 Chest to bar Pull-ups
* If you finish the round of 18 pullups and thrusters, continue with 21, 24, etc.
Again, no idea how I would do it this workout. It was especially hard since there was no one else around performing it and I had no other benchmarks to go by. I finished with 82 total reps (ie. finished the round of 15 thrusters and did 7 C2B pullups). I would have liked to reach 18, but it felt pretty tough.
Mike asked me if I wanted to stick around for the daily WOD that they were performing that day:
6.5 miles in 78 minutes
Late afternoon
I'll be out of town this weekend for the AOR race to DC, so I wouldn't be able to participate in the final scheduled WOD at CBCF. Tonight was pretty much my only free night. The WOD for this week was unveiled two weeks ago so people had plenty of time to practice or at least lament over it.
AMRAP 7 minutes
3 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
3 Chest to bar Pull-ups
6 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
6 Chest to bar Pull-ups
9 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
9 Chest to bar Pull-ups
12 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
12 Chest to bar Pull-ups
15 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
15 Chest to bar Pull-ups
18 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
18 Chest to bar Pull-ups
* If you finish the round of 18 pullups and thrusters, continue with 21, 24, etc.
Again, no idea how I would do it this workout. It was especially hard since there was no one else around performing it and I had no other benchmarks to go by. I finished with 82 total reps (ie. finished the round of 15 thrusters and did 7 C2B pullups). I would have liked to reach 18, but it felt pretty tough.
Mike asked me if I wanted to stick around for the daily WOD that they were performing that day:
Part I
For Time:
21 Deadlifts (225/150)
Run 4 CBCF laps (760 meters)
15 Deadlifts
Run 4 CBCF laps
9 Deadlifts
Run 4 CBCF laps
13:26
Part II
Tabata Hollow/Arch Holds
Was expecting to feel EXTREMELY wiped afterward, but I slept pretty well that night and didn't notice any lethargy. Tomorrow is a rest anyway.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Strength
Bench Press 5, 4, 2, 2, 1, 5X3
Load: 125, 155, 175, 185, 195, 210, 200, 200, 200, 200
Thrusters 3 x 5
Load: 120
Dips 3 X 10
Dumbbell curls 3 X 10
25lb
Chinups X 40
Workout comments: I'm pretty sore in the abs and hamstrings this morning. Walking around bit seems to loosen things up. I've fallen off my original intention of keeping my strength training up. I would normally have included squats today, but there is the final week of the Crossfit Open and the AOR this weekend. Honestly, I don't feel like being sore all week either, since it's going to be the highest volume of running to date as well. Plan for the week is to try and include as much protein as possible (both whey and natural) to keep muscle breakdown as minimal as possible. I will also attempt this weekend to see if it helps cut down on muscle soreness, both during and after the long run.
Load: 125, 155, 175, 185, 195, 210, 200, 200, 200, 200
Thrusters 3 x 5
Load: 120
Dips 3 X 10
Dumbbell curls 3 X 10
25lb
Chinups X 40
Workout comments: I'm pretty sore in the abs and hamstrings this morning. Walking around bit seems to loosen things up. I've fallen off my original intention of keeping my strength training up. I would normally have included squats today, but there is the final week of the Crossfit Open and the AOR this weekend. Honestly, I don't feel like being sore all week either, since it's going to be the highest volume of running to date as well. Plan for the week is to try and include as much protein as possible (both whey and natural) to keep muscle breakdown as minimal as possible. I will also attempt this weekend to see if it helps cut down on muscle soreness, both during and after the long run.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Another Long Run (sort of)
Brigid and I took her sister, Hannah, out for a longer run this afternoon. Brigid is helping her get ready for Broad Street this weekend. They were originally going to run the Kelly Drive loop, but I convinced them to join me on the trails. I was supposed to do 12 miles today, but thought if I did 8-9 miles on the trails, it would even out. As is always the case, the beginning was light and peppy, but I was surprised to find this was the case even for me. I was struggling last week on the Sunday run just moving along at a snail's pace on Forbidden Drive. The fact that I had some pop in my step was motivating.
We tried to take it easy on the steep uphills so as not to wear Hannah out, but she did surprisingly well. As we got further into the run, there were several opportunities to head back to the car on Forbidden Drive, but I kept pulling them back up into the trails. I remember how frustrating it can be to run tired and not know how much longer you have to go. I tried to give distance updates as best I could. One thing I did take away from the run is not to get between the arguments between two sisters. You'll never win.
8.5 miles. Untimed
We tried to take it easy on the steep uphills so as not to wear Hannah out, but she did surprisingly well. As we got further into the run, there were several opportunities to head back to the car on Forbidden Drive, but I kept pulling them back up into the trails. I remember how frustrating it can be to run tired and not know how much longer you have to go. I tried to give distance updates as best I could. One thing I did take away from the run is not to get between the arguments between two sisters. You'll never win.
8.5 miles. Untimed
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Wissahickon four corners
The miles are starting to rack up. This would be my second attempt at the four corners run. I decided to run the southern loop first. I thought it might give me a mental edge to run this part after I felt so horrible after running it last week. Brigid ran this first loop with me and it was definitely a boost, but I wish I could have finished after that. I was feeling surprisingly good, but I knew after last week that this feeling was fleeting.
I brought water with me and was sipping during the entire first loop. At the midpoint, I downed some choco espresso beans, and half of a Clif Protein Bar. After about 5 minutes I started back out on the second loop. My energy kept up a little longer than the previous week, although it didn't take long for the soreness and fatigue to set it. The BIG positive this week was that it wasn't pouring rain. While it was still cloudy during the first loop, I emerged from a pretty dense section of the trail and almost felt the sun punch me in the face. But in a good way. I instantly felt a wave of energy, and I'm sure it was both physical and mental. It carried me for the rest of the run, however slow it may have been.
I finished the first loop about 5 minutes slower than the week before, and the second loop about 15 minutes slower. Might route on the second loop was not exactly the same, but I'm sure if it would account for much.
On a side note, my feet are definitely shrinking. I think this is mostly due to the Vibrams and the MT101 minimalist shoes I have been wearing. They must be tightening up my arches considerably, because my shoe size is decreasing at an exponential rate. I'm finding that the dress shoes I own once fit me, but now are causing me some pain. It's like walking around in clown shoes all day. Will have to look into this.
21 miles in 4:14
I brought water with me and was sipping during the entire first loop. At the midpoint, I downed some choco espresso beans, and half of a Clif Protein Bar. After about 5 minutes I started back out on the second loop. My energy kept up a little longer than the previous week, although it didn't take long for the soreness and fatigue to set it. The BIG positive this week was that it wasn't pouring rain. While it was still cloudy during the first loop, I emerged from a pretty dense section of the trail and almost felt the sun punch me in the face. But in a good way. I instantly felt a wave of energy, and I'm sure it was both physical and mental. It carried me for the rest of the run, however slow it may have been.
I finished the first loop about 5 minutes slower than the week before, and the second loop about 15 minutes slower. Might route on the second loop was not exactly the same, but I'm sure if it would account for much.
On a side note, my feet are definitely shrinking. I think this is mostly due to the Vibrams and the MT101 minimalist shoes I have been wearing. They must be tightening up my arches considerably, because my shoe size is decreasing at an exponential rate. I'm finding that the dress shoes I own once fit me, but now are causing me some pain. It's like walking around in clown shoes all day. Will have to look into this.
21 miles in 4:14
Friday, April 22, 2011
Crossfit Open 11.5
Only one more Crossfit Open workout after this. I have mixed feelings about my performance so far. On the one hand, I haven't really done many Crossfit-type workouts in the past few months. I don't have access to an Olympic-sized bar, rings, or many of the other pieces of equipment that made up the majority of these workouts. On the other hand, I've tried to keep strength training a regular part of the programming for this 50K. This might be an overstatement, as I've really only done these weekly metcons, and maybe a strength workout from strengthvillain.com. I tried to cut back on these workouts, since they've left me feeling so sore and my running workouts have really suffered as a result. Still, some strength is better than no strength and it might be the reason for my better-than-expected 800m times recently.
Crossfit Open 11.5 workout:
AMRAP 20 minutes
5 Power Cleans (145)
10 T2B
15 Wall Ball (20, 10ft)
I finished 8 full rounds and managed to squeeze in a power clean before the clock ran out. I went in the first wave, and honestly think I might have done better if I was going against one of the other guys. Hard to say for sure. Power cleans became tough in the end, and all wall balls were unbroken. What really got me was the T2B. I had no idea how to get a steady rhythm going, and every time I tried to kip, it threw off my body position and I had to start over. Very frustrating. Many other people had the same problem.
Crossfit Open 11.5 workout:
AMRAP 20 minutes
5 Power Cleans (145)
10 T2B
15 Wall Ball (20, 10ft)
I finished 8 full rounds and managed to squeeze in a power clean before the clock ran out. I went in the first wave, and honestly think I might have done better if I was going against one of the other guys. Hard to say for sure. Power cleans became tough in the end, and all wall balls were unbroken. What really got me was the T2B. I had no idea how to get a steady rhythm going, and every time I tried to kip, it threw off my body position and I had to start over. Very frustrating. Many other people had the same problem.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Miles
Lunch run today with Becky, Raph, and Paul. The American Odyssey Relay is looming next week and it falls right in the middle of my training calendar. I rationalized that 20 miles in 24 hours at a decent race pace is equivalent to 20 miles in a single shot. Raph is also training for a marathon in Pittsburgh in a few weeks, so we are in a similar boat. His training follows more of a Crossfit Endurance type plan, although I don't think that's his intention. Last year he ran the marathon on minimal training in just over three hours. This year, I think he intends on repeating his plan from last year, perhaps with slightly more volume. He doesn't really include long runs in his training, rather he incorporates moderate distance runs done at tempo pace (10-14 miles) with some hill repeats and 800m intervals sprinkled throughout the week.
He has some background as either a track/cross country runner in high school and college, so I'm sure his rules don't apply to many others, but still interesting to see that he has had some success with this type of training. He is still accumulating 50+ miles per week, however. I'd like to try this type of training plan in the future, since it seems these longs runs just leave me feeling incredibly sore for days on end.
The run today was a 5 mile loop through the quarry and the nature preserve with the three of them. Raph and I added on a 3 mile loop down Flat Rd. and onto Lapp Rd at the end. Good weather, good run, but I was feeling the heaviness in my legs towards the end. I also found myself lagging behind the rest of the group during the early trail portion of the run, but convinced myself that I was running my own pace. Seems to work more for my mental confidence.
He has some background as either a track/cross country runner in high school and college, so I'm sure his rules don't apply to many others, but still interesting to see that he has had some success with this type of training. He is still accumulating 50+ miles per week, however. I'd like to try this type of training plan in the future, since it seems these longs runs just leave me feeling incredibly sore for days on end.
The run today was a 5 mile loop through the quarry and the nature preserve with the three of them. Raph and I added on a 3 mile loop down Flat Rd. and onto Lapp Rd at the end. Good weather, good run, but I was feeling the heaviness in my legs towards the end. I also found myself lagging behind the rest of the group during the early trail portion of the run, but convinced myself that I was running my own pace. Seems to work more for my mental confidence.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Night Run
The weather today spiked 85 degrees, as recorded on the thermometer in my car on the way home from work. I had enough time to stare at it while sitting in grid lock traffic on my ride home, now taking twice as long. After a few errands I swung by the Wissahickon for an easy run. The sun was setting and I noticed a sign posted on the Northwestern parking lot. Park closes at 9PM. I had an hour and only intended on 3-4 miles anyway. I was hoping to get at least the first half the run done on trails with the waning light behind me. I had to take some ginger steps, since I didn't bring my head lamp with me. I came across a group of mountain bikers with those REALLY powerful lamps that can pretty much light up the whole forest. I tried not to startle them by calling ahead, but I'm not sure if it really worked. I made my way down the hill and across Rex Ave to Forbidden Dr. I glanced back up the hill and always thought it was cool to see the lights of the bikers trekking up the hill in near darkness.
Now I had a bunch of street lamps to light my path and I picked up the pace on the 1.5 miles back to the Tree House. Can't really say for sure what the pace was exactly, since I didn't have my watch, but I would guess it was around 7:00-7:30 pace. I barely made it back to the parking lot above the Tree House (which was MUCH more precarious now that all sunlight had receded) in time to hear the intermittent siren of the park ranger rushing me out of the parking lot before he/she closed up for the night. Seems they jumped the gun a bit, since it was only 8:40 and the park closes at 9PM. I wondered if I could 4-wheel it out of there if they locked the gates.
Amazing how the warm weather can change your mood. I have run consistently this cold winter, through deep snow, mud, and frozen ground. The warm weather revitalizes everything, making an afternoon run or bike more enticing. Of course, I'll probably be singing a different too once the typical 90+ temperature and humidity season rolls around. There will definitely be more night runs once that happens.
Now I had a bunch of street lamps to light my path and I picked up the pace on the 1.5 miles back to the Tree House. Can't really say for sure what the pace was exactly, since I didn't have my watch, but I would guess it was around 7:00-7:30 pace. I barely made it back to the parking lot above the Tree House (which was MUCH more precarious now that all sunlight had receded) in time to hear the intermittent siren of the park ranger rushing me out of the parking lot before he/she closed up for the night. Seems they jumped the gun a bit, since it was only 8:40 and the park closes at 9PM. I wondered if I could 4-wheel it out of there if they locked the gates.
Amazing how the warm weather can change your mood. I have run consistently this cold winter, through deep snow, mud, and frozen ground. The warm weather revitalizes everything, making an afternoon run or bike more enticing. Of course, I'll probably be singing a different too once the typical 90+ temperature and humidity season rolls around. There will definitely be more night runs once that happens.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The triple incident
Today's workout called for eight miles. I brought my phone to gauge distance as best I could, but I still think it is falling a bit short. I don't really think I am running 11 minute miles. I mean c'mon. I'm not too familiar with the technology, but I'm pretty sure these phones and the Garmin devices use the same satellite. I don't know how one might get a better signal than the other, though. I guess it doesn't really matter. At this point a mile or two is just splitting hairs. I'm not really targeting any goal finishing time for this race anyway.
I was hoping for eight miles but it looks like I fell a mile short. Here is the summary. I was making my way through some overgrown trail that outlines the backyards of several homes, which on a route that is the prelude to the Cut. I had my headphones on and didn't notice the faint sound of danger until it was too late...dogs. A German Shepherd, and English Mastiff, and a pug. Despite the fear that was racing up my spine, I managed to let out a chuckle at this sight and told myself that there had to be some sort of invisible fence. In the back of my mind I kept thinking that German Shepherds don't have the best social personalities. I mean, they are trained to be police dogs and take down criminals...violently. I spotted the three of them from maybe a hundred yards away and kept up my pace, although keeping them in the corner of my eye. They kept advancing and I couldn't see anyone else in the backyard. Finally, they started crushing through the brush that made up the boundary between the yard and the trail. At this point, I think it's OK to admit that I $hit myself. I froze and the two bigger dogs circled me, barking and growling constantly, while the pug struggled to make it through the thick brush. The German Shepherd, while never making contact, was snapping at my wrist. After what seemed like forever, the owner finally came running out the back door, calling them all back and thankfully they obeyed. I didn't wait for any signal from her and took off down the remainder of the trail, unfortunately in the wrong direction I did miss the turn at the base of the cut and tried slogging through some marsh before giving up and turning around. I was a little hesitant to go back, but it was the only way and thankfully the dogs were back inside by now. The owner was standing out in the middle of the yard, staring at me and I wondered how many four-wheelers she has seen and cursed at while speeding by on this trail.
I took the long meandering route up the hill to add some miles onto the run. Lot of fallen logs to maneuver and I was rocking the Precisions, which have decent treads but not amazing ones. I nimbly bound over a waist-high log, planting one foot on top to carry me over, and the smooth bark-less trunk was too slick from the recent rain. It was like stepping on a sheet of ice. Luckily I had enough momentum carrying me forward so that I didn't land on the log and slow enough reaction time so that I didn't stick out my arm to brace my fall. I landed perfectly horizontal on the soft, rain-soaked ground-the remaining air in my lungs pushed out with a bellowing "Oooommf". I popped up, thankful that it hadn't turned out worse, and chuckled at the spill I had just taken.
I was dreading the notion that all bad things come in "3's," noticing the looming storm clouds over head I thought maybe this day would culminate in a lightning strike. Or at least a falling tree branch. The closest I came to fate was strong cloud of Christmas trees in the air. I thought maybe I had a brain tumor for a hot second, but rounded a corner and came across a few landscapers chugging a few beers next to recently fallen pine trees. Close call. I took Lapp Rd. home, up the hill on Tech Dr. and called it a day. Pretty good run.
I was hoping for eight miles but it looks like I fell a mile short. Here is the summary. I was making my way through some overgrown trail that outlines the backyards of several homes, which on a route that is the prelude to the Cut. I had my headphones on and didn't notice the faint sound of danger until it was too late...dogs. A German Shepherd, and English Mastiff, and a pug. Despite the fear that was racing up my spine, I managed to let out a chuckle at this sight and told myself that there had to be some sort of invisible fence. In the back of my mind I kept thinking that German Shepherds don't have the best social personalities. I mean, they are trained to be police dogs and take down criminals...violently. I spotted the three of them from maybe a hundred yards away and kept up my pace, although keeping them in the corner of my eye. They kept advancing and I couldn't see anyone else in the backyard. Finally, they started crushing through the brush that made up the boundary between the yard and the trail. At this point, I think it's OK to admit that I $hit myself. I froze and the two bigger dogs circled me, barking and growling constantly, while the pug struggled to make it through the thick brush. The German Shepherd, while never making contact, was snapping at my wrist. After what seemed like forever, the owner finally came running out the back door, calling them all back and thankfully they obeyed. I didn't wait for any signal from her and took off down the remainder of the trail, unfortunately in the wrong direction I did miss the turn at the base of the cut and tried slogging through some marsh before giving up and turning around. I was a little hesitant to go back, but it was the only way and thankfully the dogs were back inside by now. The owner was standing out in the middle of the yard, staring at me and I wondered how many four-wheelers she has seen and cursed at while speeding by on this trail.
I took the long meandering route up the hill to add some miles onto the run. Lot of fallen logs to maneuver and I was rocking the Precisions, which have decent treads but not amazing ones. I nimbly bound over a waist-high log, planting one foot on top to carry me over, and the smooth bark-less trunk was too slick from the recent rain. It was like stepping on a sheet of ice. Luckily I had enough momentum carrying me forward so that I didn't land on the log and slow enough reaction time so that I didn't stick out my arm to brace my fall. I landed perfectly horizontal on the soft, rain-soaked ground-the remaining air in my lungs pushed out with a bellowing "Oooommf". I popped up, thankful that it hadn't turned out worse, and chuckled at the spill I had just taken.
I was dreading the notion that all bad things come in "3's," noticing the looming storm clouds over head I thought maybe this day would culminate in a lightning strike. Or at least a falling tree branch. The closest I came to fate was strong cloud of Christmas trees in the air. I thought maybe I had a brain tumor for a hot second, but rounded a corner and came across a few landscapers chugging a few beers next to recently fallen pine trees. Close call. I took Lapp Rd. home, up the hill on Tech Dr. and called it a day. Pretty good run.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Rest Day
I was hoping to get in some weight training but was feeling pretty trashed this morning when I woke up. Pile on some prep work for a presentation tonight in class and lab work after class and I was just not feeling any gym time today. I was hoping to get in at least two strength sessions per week, but it has been tough to get in at least one.
I have a rudimentary training plan for the 50K in May that I have been following. I log my miles when I can and don't make too big a deal of it when I miss a day or cut a run short. As long as I hammer out those long runs on the weekend, I think I'll be just fine. Well this week was the first week that I really kept track of everything and realized I fell just short of the 50 mile mark. Not a staggering total by elite standards, but certainly the most miles I have ever run in one week. At least that I can remember. Running seems to come fairly easy now. I remember the days when I first graduated from college and needed an outlet to stay in shape. I had spent years running to cut weight for the rowing team, so this seemed like the best option. I only had one route that took me from my house down the Main St. towpath, up Ridge, down Domino Lane and home again. I finally branched out, but many of my runs remained a solo effort.
Today I have the luxury of running with a fairly large group at lunch whenever I want. In addition, there is a vast network of trails surrounding my work place and several huge trail networks near my house. My wife has been great about training for races with me and just running with me in general, so there is rarely even the need to run solo or bring headphones.
I think there are many reasons to love running. Some people are lucky and truly appreciate the act of running. Living in a picturesque location probably doesn't hurt. But then there are those people who probably just like the camaraderie of the sport. People who like to compete, who like to challenge themselves. I think I probably fall into this category. If it helps me get out the door, can I really complain?
I have a rudimentary training plan for the 50K in May that I have been following. I log my miles when I can and don't make too big a deal of it when I miss a day or cut a run short. As long as I hammer out those long runs on the weekend, I think I'll be just fine. Well this week was the first week that I really kept track of everything and realized I fell just short of the 50 mile mark. Not a staggering total by elite standards, but certainly the most miles I have ever run in one week. At least that I can remember. Running seems to come fairly easy now. I remember the days when I first graduated from college and needed an outlet to stay in shape. I had spent years running to cut weight for the rowing team, so this seemed like the best option. I only had one route that took me from my house down the Main St. towpath, up Ridge, down Domino Lane and home again. I finally branched out, but many of my runs remained a solo effort.
Today I have the luxury of running with a fairly large group at lunch whenever I want. In addition, there is a vast network of trails surrounding my work place and several huge trail networks near my house. My wife has been great about training for races with me and just running with me in general, so there is rarely even the need to run solo or bring headphones.
I think there are many reasons to love running. Some people are lucky and truly appreciate the act of running. Living in a picturesque location probably doesn't hurt. But then there are those people who probably just like the camaraderie of the sport. People who like to compete, who like to challenge themselves. I think I probably fall into this category. If it helps me get out the door, can I really complain?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Secondary long run
The run today was a struggle. After finishing the long run yesterday, I was feeling pretty sore and lethargic for a few hours afterwards. I refrained from taking any Ibuprofen or an ice bath to give my body a chance to develop some sort of natural response to the stresses of long runs. Plus, I wanted to remain in as close a state as possible for the run today. All that went out the window when Brig mentioned we were going to dinner for dad's birthday. I slipped on some compression socks that have been sitting in my drawer for years, unused. They worked like magic, or did a pretty good job as a placebo. After a few hours, I did notice any soreness anywhere. I spent the night sleeping in them and I think they rolled down a bit, because the lethargy and tight muscles were back when I woke up. Nothing severe, but enough to make me want to stay away from my sneakers all day.
I finally got some motivation around 2PM and headed down to the park. I had no intentions of making my way up into the trails, as I didn't think my legs would carry me that far. The 50K isn't really much of a mountain marathon either, so I'll keep my hill training reserved for Saturdays. It was a good thing, too, because I couldn't get out of first gear for the entire run. I brought some tunes and podcasts with me to drown out the little voice in my head that kept telling me to turn around and go home. It might have actually been mentally easier to head for the trails, instead of the out and back route I did on Forbidden Drive.
All this combined with the fact that I was only wearing a T shirt in 60 degree weather. I wouldn't normally think this would be a problem, but for some reason today I was really chilly. Looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Dinner was pork tenderloin, Caesar salad and a baked potato with Brig. I promptly passed out on the couch afterwards.
10 miles in 1:31
I finally got some motivation around 2PM and headed down to the park. I had no intentions of making my way up into the trails, as I didn't think my legs would carry me that far. The 50K isn't really much of a mountain marathon either, so I'll keep my hill training reserved for Saturdays. It was a good thing, too, because I couldn't get out of first gear for the entire run. I brought some tunes and podcasts with me to drown out the little voice in my head that kept telling me to turn around and go home. It might have actually been mentally easier to head for the trails, instead of the out and back route I did on Forbidden Drive.
All this combined with the fact that I was only wearing a T shirt in 60 degree weather. I wouldn't normally think this would be a problem, but for some reason today I was really chilly. Looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Dinner was pork tenderloin, Caesar salad and a baked potato with Brig. I promptly passed out on the couch afterwards.
10 miles in 1:31
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