Still in rest mode after my 27 miles on Saturday. Speaking of those miles, in my last post, I forgot to mention that 27 miles is the farthest I've ever run. And, the nearly 6 hours of running is the most amount of time I've ever run. Two PRs in one day. Groovy.
As I anticipated, my knee feels completely fine. My calf also felt a lot better today. I've been heating, foam rolling and stretching it quite a bit. Plus, we had dinner with Nate & Shannon tonight, and she offered to work on my calf. It wasn't the most relaxing massage I've ever had as Finley was being a 17-month old and climbing on top of me during it. But, my calf does feel a lot better. I probably could have run today, but I figured it couldn't hurt to rest for another day. Back at it tomorrow.
And now for some social commentary...
Has anyone seen the latest Asics TV ad? The one with the dude running in a M.C. Escher drawing and the white bubbles? Does that ad make you want to run? It makes no sense. And, even a scrawny runner guy like me could beat up the "runner" in the ad. I groan every time I see it. Asics should call the ad agency who did the Adidas "Runners, Yeah We're Different" campaign. Those guys got it. Great ads.
As I type, VH1 is on the tube...but surprisingly it's not a reality show. Currently, it's "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80's." Some of them are obvious, but I have to personally take exception with one: Midnight Oil. I guess "Beds are Burning" is their biggest hit:
But...they were a great band. Really great. I have all their albums (most on cassette), and I've seen them live twice. Awesome shows both times. Plus, the lead singer is a 7 foot bald guy! There's no way they're a one hit wonder. OK, no one cares about this but me. Here's some Midnight Oil:
Oh, and here's a true one hit wonder:
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Trail Monster Running IBMF10YAMWSDHA Fat Ass 50k
Only sick and crazy people would celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary by running 50k. Only really sick and really crazy people would run that 50k on trails in the toughest conditions ever seen: ice, snow, slush, mud, water and various evil combinations of those elements. That being said, those people must be pretty cool if so many people show up to run it with them. And, that was exactly the case on Saturday for the Trail Monster Running I've Been Married for 10 Years and My Wife Still Doesn't Have a Fat Ass 50k, or, more importantly, Ian and Emma's 10th Anniversary.
Despite a forecast of sun, the day started foggy and damp and got only moderately better for there. At least 20 of us showed up at Bradbury Mountain State Park to run the 4-mile loop Ian devised as many as 8 times. The loop itself is awesome. It's scenic. It's hilly. It's tough. It's fun. However, with the trail conditions on Saturday, it was really, really tough. I'm not sure I can describe how hard it actually was, not because I want to sound like a tough guy, but because really...it was that hard. At the end of each lap, I seriously questioned my sanity for running that, and then my sanity again for contemplating heading back out for another one.
Aside from survival, my goals for the day were to work on my fueling and hydrating strategies and to run at least 5 laps (20 miles) and hopefully 6. I was also trying Sustained Energy for the first time in hopes that it would help me keep my energy levels up, which I've had trouble with on any run over 2:30. In short, it worked great, and it didn't upset my stomach. I didn't even mind the taste. I also downed 3 Hammer Gels and a package of Clif Shot Bloks. And, each time through the "aid station," I grabbed some Pringles and Gatorade, along with a couple other random goodies. My energy never waned, so I successfully passed that test.
OK, onto the run. Even though I thought everyone would be together for the first lap, the group soon was strung out along the trail. We regrouped at the summit, but from there it was a big ol' jumble. Which was great. I got to run with a bunch of different people and and have some great conversations along the way, including a complete review of all the VH1 reality shows for Mindy. The better part of the first three laps were uneventful. The laps were taking longer than I had planned or hoped, but I was really trying to hold back and not burn myself out. I started the fourth lap with Stephen and Jamie and ran most of it with them...until suddenly I wasn't. About halfway through that lap, I was not feeling good. Nothing specific, just bad. I slowed down a bit, ran alone and just tried to regroup. I finished the lap and took a slightly longer break than I had been taking. Plus, I need to refill by hydration pack, which took longer than I had hoped. My brain was telling me to stop, but I headed out on the fifth lap anyway. I ran for a minute or two with Blaine, but I was going much slower than him, so I was soon on my own. I kept plodding along alone, until suddenly, I felt great. I mean, I felt really great. Along the nastiest, slushiest, most horrible part of the Tote Road, I decided that I was going to run the whole thing. I think I might have even said it out loud. The best part about this little episode was that got to deal with a "bad patch." Another learning experience. And you know what? Once the bad patch is over, I felt better than I did when I thought I was feeling good. I could get used to that.
Jamie and I headed out on lap #6 together. He announced his plan to take it easy for this lap and that sounded like a good plan to me. He has waaayyyy more ultra experience than I do, so I was hoping I could learn a bit from him about my pacing. We chatted the whole way, and it was a lot of fun. I was still feeling great when finished the lap, so I decided to push through my original goal of 6 laps and stick with my new goal of running the whole thing. Off we went on lap #7. Shortly into the lap, I could feel a pain in my right knee: the ole impinged infrapatellar fat pad—An old injury that flares up from time to time. When I get the pain, it goes from none to sharp, stabbing pain fairly quickly. After a short, break at the summit, I decided it would be best for me to cut it short. I cut loop 7 down to 3 miles by descending the Terrrace Trail and called it a day at 27 miles.
I was disappointed that my knee flared up, but not totally surprised. All the lateral movement caused by the all the slipping and sliding and all the stride adjustments due to the ice and snow, put strain on and highlight some muscular imbalance. Of course, I can't be disappointed about pushing through that many miles in those conditions. Huge boost of confidence for me. Plus, I'm certain I could have finished without the knee flare up. So, aside from the knee thing, a very successful day for me. In short, I learned a lot.
Mad props to all the folks that ran all 50k, especially Ian & Emma who finished smiling, holding hands and making it look easy. In fact, mad props to anyone who completed even just one lap in that mess.
Here's my unofficial numbers break down:
Lap 1: 48:37
Lap 2: 51:54
Lap 3: 50:06
Lap 4: 51:43
Lap 5: 51:28
Lap 6: 59:56
Lap 7 (3 miles): 43:51
Total Run Time: 5:57:35; 13:14 per mile
Total Time: 6:31:45 (Breaks were between 3 and 10 minutes.)
Today, my knee feels about 92%. A little twingy, but I'm not worried about it. However, my left calf is a little squacky. I didn't feel anything at all during the run or even last night, but it was a different story when I woke up this morning. It's tight, lumpy and feeling a little calf strainy. I've been heating, massaging and stretching today. When I've strained it in the past (multiple times), it's always happened during the run and has felt like I've been stabbed. So, I'm hoping this is much less serious. Fingers crossed.
Despite a forecast of sun, the day started foggy and damp and got only moderately better for there. At least 20 of us showed up at Bradbury Mountain State Park to run the 4-mile loop Ian devised as many as 8 times. The loop itself is awesome. It's scenic. It's hilly. It's tough. It's fun. However, with the trail conditions on Saturday, it was really, really tough. I'm not sure I can describe how hard it actually was, not because I want to sound like a tough guy, but because really...it was that hard. At the end of each lap, I seriously questioned my sanity for running that, and then my sanity again for contemplating heading back out for another one.
Aside from survival, my goals for the day were to work on my fueling and hydrating strategies and to run at least 5 laps (20 miles) and hopefully 6. I was also trying Sustained Energy for the first time in hopes that it would help me keep my energy levels up, which I've had trouble with on any run over 2:30. In short, it worked great, and it didn't upset my stomach. I didn't even mind the taste. I also downed 3 Hammer Gels and a package of Clif Shot Bloks. And, each time through the "aid station," I grabbed some Pringles and Gatorade, along with a couple other random goodies. My energy never waned, so I successfully passed that test.
OK, onto the run. Even though I thought everyone would be together for the first lap, the group soon was strung out along the trail. We regrouped at the summit, but from there it was a big ol' jumble. Which was great. I got to run with a bunch of different people and and have some great conversations along the way, including a complete review of all the VH1 reality shows for Mindy. The better part of the first three laps were uneventful. The laps were taking longer than I had planned or hoped, but I was really trying to hold back and not burn myself out. I started the fourth lap with Stephen and Jamie and ran most of it with them...until suddenly I wasn't. About halfway through that lap, I was not feeling good. Nothing specific, just bad. I slowed down a bit, ran alone and just tried to regroup. I finished the lap and took a slightly longer break than I had been taking. Plus, I need to refill by hydration pack, which took longer than I had hoped. My brain was telling me to stop, but I headed out on the fifth lap anyway. I ran for a minute or two with Blaine, but I was going much slower than him, so I was soon on my own. I kept plodding along alone, until suddenly, I felt great. I mean, I felt really great. Along the nastiest, slushiest, most horrible part of the Tote Road, I decided that I was going to run the whole thing. I think I might have even said it out loud. The best part about this little episode was that got to deal with a "bad patch." Another learning experience. And you know what? Once the bad patch is over, I felt better than I did when I thought I was feeling good. I could get used to that.
Jamie and I headed out on lap #6 together. He announced his plan to take it easy for this lap and that sounded like a good plan to me. He has waaayyyy more ultra experience than I do, so I was hoping I could learn a bit from him about my pacing. We chatted the whole way, and it was a lot of fun. I was still feeling great when finished the lap, so I decided to push through my original goal of 6 laps and stick with my new goal of running the whole thing. Off we went on lap #7. Shortly into the lap, I could feel a pain in my right knee: the ole impinged infrapatellar fat pad—An old injury that flares up from time to time. When I get the pain, it goes from none to sharp, stabbing pain fairly quickly. After a short, break at the summit, I decided it would be best for me to cut it short. I cut loop 7 down to 3 miles by descending the Terrrace Trail and called it a day at 27 miles.
I was disappointed that my knee flared up, but not totally surprised. All the lateral movement caused by the all the slipping and sliding and all the stride adjustments due to the ice and snow, put strain on and highlight some muscular imbalance. Of course, I can't be disappointed about pushing through that many miles in those conditions. Huge boost of confidence for me. Plus, I'm certain I could have finished without the knee flare up. So, aside from the knee thing, a very successful day for me. In short, I learned a lot.
Mad props to all the folks that ran all 50k, especially Ian & Emma who finished smiling, holding hands and making it look easy. In fact, mad props to anyone who completed even just one lap in that mess.
Here's my unofficial numbers break down:
Lap 1: 48:37
Lap 2: 51:54
Lap 3: 50:06
Lap 4: 51:43
Lap 5: 51:28
Lap 6: 59:56
Lap 7 (3 miles): 43:51
Total Run Time: 5:57:35; 13:14 per mile
Total Time: 6:31:45 (Breaks were between 3 and 10 minutes.)
Today, my knee feels about 92%. A little twingy, but I'm not worried about it. However, my left calf is a little squacky. I didn't feel anything at all during the run or even last night, but it was a different story when I woke up this morning. It's tight, lumpy and feeling a little calf strainy. I've been heating, massaging and stretching today. When I've strained it in the past (multiple times), it's always happened during the run and has felt like I've been stabbed. So, I'm hoping this is much less serious. Fingers crossed.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Bear Notch Road
Shootin' at the walls of heartache. BANG BANG
I spent a long time in the car today, and when that happens, I tend to listen to a lot of radio. When I get tired of thinking and/or being upset or can't get a consistent signal, I switch from listening to NPR to channel surfing. It pretty much always leads to amazing, varied and embarrassing (if anyone else was around to hear me singing) results. Unfortunately, you sometimes end up with "The Warrior" in your head when you go for a run.
Today, I found myself traveling eastbound on the Kancamagus Highway heading from from the greater Lin-Wood metropolitan area. As I walked out of my meeting, it started to rain. So, I called D and told her that I had decided to scrap my plan of running on the Lincoln Woods Trail in hopes of making it further east ahead of the rain. I told her I would give her a call to let her know my plans. Of course, after I made a stop for gas and a Gatorade...er...G, the rain had stopped. Unfortunately, as soon as you leave the big city, cell service completely ceases. I stopped at the Greeley Ponds Trail thinking it would be groovy, but no cell service. So, I kept driving. Eventually, I arrived at the perfect running spot: Bear Notch Road. But, still no cell service. Ah, screw it. She needs a little excitement in her life. I figured that Bear Notch Road gets enough snowmobile traffic that someone would eventually find me.
Since this blog is ostensibly about running, I guess I should mention the actual run. It was great. The snow was slushy, but pretty solidly packed. I ended up running in for about half an hour. The snowmobile trail sign denoted that I had covered 3.1 miles from my parking space, but I sincerely doubt it was that far. If so, I managed to run 3 miles, mostly uphill, in loose slushy snow at 10-minute pace. I know I'm a stud, but it felt too easy for it to be that. (If anyone knows for sure, I ran from the gate to the second snowmobile trail junction/forest service road. Just past the great outlook to Mt. Chocorua.) It took me about 3 minutes less on the way back. I felt pretty solid the whole way albeit a bit under-stretched (from 2 days of meetings) and under-fueled (from...well, just not eating enough). Besides, how could I not have a great run? A closed road in the mountains, with each step I felt like I was traveling deeper and deeper into the woods. Good stuff.
Once in the car, it still took me a while before I had cell service. When I did, I called D. She yelled at me.
I spent a long time in the car today, and when that happens, I tend to listen to a lot of radio. When I get tired of thinking and/or being upset or can't get a consistent signal, I switch from listening to NPR to channel surfing. It pretty much always leads to amazing, varied and embarrassing (if anyone else was around to hear me singing) results. Unfortunately, you sometimes end up with "The Warrior" in your head when you go for a run.
Today, I found myself traveling eastbound on the Kancamagus Highway heading from from the greater Lin-Wood metropolitan area. As I walked out of my meeting, it started to rain. So, I called D and told her that I had decided to scrap my plan of running on the Lincoln Woods Trail in hopes of making it further east ahead of the rain. I told her I would give her a call to let her know my plans. Of course, after I made a stop for gas and a Gatorade...er...G, the rain had stopped. Unfortunately, as soon as you leave the big city, cell service completely ceases. I stopped at the Greeley Ponds Trail thinking it would be groovy, but no cell service. So, I kept driving. Eventually, I arrived at the perfect running spot: Bear Notch Road. But, still no cell service. Ah, screw it. She needs a little excitement in her life. I figured that Bear Notch Road gets enough snowmobile traffic that someone would eventually find me.
Since this blog is ostensibly about running, I guess I should mention the actual run. It was great. The snow was slushy, but pretty solidly packed. I ended up running in for about half an hour. The snowmobile trail sign denoted that I had covered 3.1 miles from my parking space, but I sincerely doubt it was that far. If so, I managed to run 3 miles, mostly uphill, in loose slushy snow at 10-minute pace. I know I'm a stud, but it felt too easy for it to be that. (If anyone knows for sure, I ran from the gate to the second snowmobile trail junction/forest service road. Just past the great outlook to Mt. Chocorua.) It took me about 3 minutes less on the way back. I felt pretty solid the whole way albeit a bit under-stretched (from 2 days of meetings) and under-fueled (from...well, just not eating enough). Besides, how could I not have a great run? A closed road in the mountains, with each step I felt like I was traveling deeper and deeper into the woods. Good stuff.
Once in the car, it still took me a while before I had cell service. When I did, I called D. She yelled at me.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Log It and Call It a Day
Did the traditional not quite 5-mile Highland Green loop today. I didn't feel all that frisky. The wind was ridiculous. And I was feeling a bit pressed for time to get it done. Not exactly the perfect combination for a good run. And, it was meh. I just kind of went through the motions, finished it up and logged it. That was that. Miles under the belt, and that's a good thing.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Last Run of the Winter
I've decided that today was my last run of the winter. I know it's technically spring, but it was 21 degrees when we left our house for Bradbury today. And windy. It's was winter. This was the last time I'm going to run in the winter. All runs from this point on will be spring runs. It's not going to be wintry anymore when I go out to run. It's spring.
That being said, I'm OK with snow on the ground, which is a good thing because there's still plenty. The only good thing about it being cold was that the trails were firm. We headed out on the Snowmobile Trail to the familiar crunch of winter trail running. Since I last ran at Bradbury, a lot of snow has melted. Or, rather, transformed. Much more ice on the trails. However, along the field at 4 miles I did find a bit of mud to frolic in. Upon returning to the parking lot, we decided to stick to the plan and run a loop of the Fat Ass course. Running a lot of laps is going to be hard. That's all I'm going to say about that. I might bring an ice axe.
"On the way home," we stopped at Big Top Deli for lunch. Big Top delivered when we were in college. The Philly Cheese Steak was a Sunday morning (read, afternoon) staple. Not sure why I was thinking about Big Top this weekend.
That being said, I'm OK with snow on the ground, which is a good thing because there's still plenty. The only good thing about it being cold was that the trails were firm. We headed out on the Snowmobile Trail to the familiar crunch of winter trail running. Since I last ran at Bradbury, a lot of snow has melted. Or, rather, transformed. Much more ice on the trails. However, along the field at 4 miles I did find a bit of mud to frolic in. Upon returning to the parking lot, we decided to stick to the plan and run a loop of the Fat Ass course. Running a lot of laps is going to be hard. That's all I'm going to say about that. I might bring an ice axe.
"On the way home," we stopped at Big Top Deli for lunch. Big Top delivered when we were in college. The Philly Cheese Steak was a Sunday morning (read, afternoon) staple. Not sure why I was thinking about Big Top this weekend.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Meadows, Mountains and Beaches
Two good runs the last couple days. On Friday, I ran the Meadow Cross Road loop from our house. I've developed a love/hate relationship with this route.
The Love:
- It's a good distance: 7.8 miles.
- It's hilly
- The back roads, for the most part, offer nice views
The Hate:
- It's road. (duh)
- It's always windy. Sometimes in each direction.
- The finish is along a major thoroughfare through the strip mall zone. Yuk.
In any event, I felt good on the run, even though I ran a little faster than I should have/planned.
We had a few friends come visit this weekend, and we decided a trip to Morse Mountain was in order on Saturday. I took advantage of the time to get in a short run up and over Morse Mountain and then along the beach. The road still had a surprising amount of snow and ice on it, which made it much trickier then I had anticipated. Because it was a beautiful day, there were a number of people with the same idea, and I got a number of funny looks and comments as I ran past. Running along the beach was great as the tide was low. I ended up running just about 4 miles and finished just as everyone was arriving at the beach. D was nice enough to carry some extra clothes for me, so I wouldn't freeze as we walked along the beach. All in all a great day.
I tried another lacing configuration with my new shoes, and they definitely felt better. I'm still not 100% convinced, but they seem like they'll work well for shortish runs. I just don't think they'll be the right shoe for me for long distances.
The short run at Morse Mountain put me at 41 miles for the week. (It's much easier to get to 40 when you run 20 miles in one day.) Big week for me, and while I was a touch tired on my run on Saturday, I think I'm headed in the right direction.
Today? Um...well, we had a good time last night. Not so much this morning...or afternoon.
The Love:
- It's a good distance: 7.8 miles.
- It's hilly
- The back roads, for the most part, offer nice views
The Hate:
- It's road. (duh)
- It's always windy. Sometimes in each direction.
- The finish is along a major thoroughfare through the strip mall zone. Yuk.
In any event, I felt good on the run, even though I ran a little faster than I should have/planned.
We had a few friends come visit this weekend, and we decided a trip to Morse Mountain was in order on Saturday. I took advantage of the time to get in a short run up and over Morse Mountain and then along the beach. The road still had a surprising amount of snow and ice on it, which made it much trickier then I had anticipated. Because it was a beautiful day, there were a number of people with the same idea, and I got a number of funny looks and comments as I ran past. Running along the beach was great as the tide was low. I ended up running just about 4 miles and finished just as everyone was arriving at the beach. D was nice enough to carry some extra clothes for me, so I wouldn't freeze as we walked along the beach. All in all a great day.
I tried another lacing configuration with my new shoes, and they definitely felt better. I'm still not 100% convinced, but they seem like they'll work well for shortish runs. I just don't think they'll be the right shoe for me for long distances.
The short run at Morse Mountain put me at 41 miles for the week. (It's much easier to get to 40 when you run 20 miles in one day.) Big week for me, and while I was a touch tired on my run on Saturday, I think I'm headed in the right direction.
Today? Um...well, we had a good time last night. Not so much this morning...or afternoon.
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