Earlier this year I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural Leatherwood Mountains Ultra Run 50k. While it would turn out to be the toughest 50k I've ever done, it would also be one of the more fun races I've done too. I went down early to help one of the race directors mark the course and got a bit of a sneak peak of the trails and the weather. Heavy rain made the course extremely muddy but that was part of what made it so much fun. The constant elevation change made it hard as hell.
During the pre-race dinner, the organizers had Jennifer Pharr Davis speak about her adventures on the Appalachian Trial (AT) as a thru-hiker, as a Fastest Known Time (FKT) record holder, and as a wife and mother. Through all of her words, the message that came through the strongest for me was about trail magic and about how she was just a normal person.
All too often we idolize our heros and put them on pedestals and worship the ground they walk on. I'm just as guilty of doing this as anybody else. Long ago I was a constant fan of the author R. A. Salvatore. I followed every move he made and hung on his every word. When I met him and had drinks with him (in a group, not just the two of us), the magic he had over me diminished. I came to realize that he was just a normal guy that wrote books. Books that a lot of people loved, sure, but still, he put his underwear on just like everyone else.
Meeting Jenn Pharr Davis wasn't quite the same. As she gave her speech and hung around taking pictures and signing books, I realized she was just a normal everyday person. It was more in what she did and how she acted that gave it away. But for some reason it wasn't a big shock to me. I felt comfortable around her. Well, as comfortable as I can be around attractive women, but you get the idea. She felt like a friend that I'd known but never met. Almost like a second-hand shirt. It feels like you've worn it forever even though it's your first time. So even though she's a hero of sorts in the hiking and running community, she came across as just a normal person.
She spoke a little about trail magic during our dinner but it didn't really stick. It wasn't until she signed my book and I had time to read it that I realized her message was more than just words. There was something ethereal about trail magic that you couldn't really put your hands on. Something that was there but not seen. As I got most of the way through her book, I realized that when she saw God or had something "magical" happen, that to me, that was why I "chased the dragon" by doing ultras.
In a sense, you get this high from doing these extreme events and for her, she described it as trail magic. Although sometimes trail magic simply meant that somebody left a stash of food or goodies for thru-hikers, in the end, it was this magical moment where strangers helped you accomplish your dream. For me, those strangers are the aid station workers at races. They help me reach that dream of finishing my race and somewhere in between the aid stations, I hope to find that other type of trail magic where I feel in touch with myself and nature.
That's a lot of blabber about my feelings toward the author and her book, so I'll move into the content itself. At first glance you may mistake this book as an account of Jenn's FKT on the AT. It isn't. It's about one of her many thru-hikes on the AT and the adventures she has along the way. Some were good, some were bad, but in the end, she emerged from the other end of the AT as a new person. The trail had transformed her as it does many others. Her language is great and she's clearly educated. She uses normal words you'd encounter in any conversation and doesn't treat you like a dummy or like a genius.
There are no pictures but each chapter starts with a map of the route she's taking. Each chapter is also dedicated to a particular section of the trail and she moves from south to north toward her ultimate finish line. She takes a few breaks here and there which I found educational because I just assumed thru-hikers never left the trail until they finished. Jenn talks about her relationship with herself, with others, with nature, and with God. But she doesn't get "preachy" when she talks about God. She does make it clear that she's a Christian but she doesn't rub it in your face or make you feel bad for not going to church.
In the end, Jenn Pharr Davis reaches the end of the trail. She writes well enough that you feel like a piece of you made the entire journey with her. It's a great story for anyone interested in the Appalachian Trail, thru-hiking, hiking, ultra running, or what it's like to be a woman alone in the woods. Educational, entertaining, and well worth the time to read it.
Licensed to teach English and History in the state of Virginia. Full time #housespouse. I'm just trying to live a happy life. I read, I run, I write, and I do other goofy stuff.
Thursday, October 03, 2013
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Riding vs. Running
Introduction
My history of running and riding bikes is rooted deeply in my childhood. Like all children, I enjoyed playing. As I've gotten older, I still have that love of playing but the games I play differ now. Instead of chasing lightning bugs around my back yard, I play chicken with cars on the road. I know we can never go back to those wonderful memories of childhood, but we can certainly reminisce about how innocent we all were.
Learning to Ride
My first bike accident occurred when I was in elementary school. I'm not sure how old I was exactly but I know I was old enough to know how to ride a bike but not quite experienced enough to ride with only one hand on the handlebar. I was practicing that "expert" skill in my neighborhood, going down a gradual hill. With a curve. As a novice one-handed rider, I wasn't aware that curves would pose a problem. I became acutely aware of this fact when I steered too hard and flipped over the front of my bike. After I regained consciousness, the story my dad tells me is that he heard me scream at our house. I was only a tenth of a mile away, so that's feasible. But he also says he was cutting the grass when he heard me. I'm not sure I screamed loud enough for him to hear me over the lawn mower, but I have to take his word for it. I don't really remember much. I remember the bike sitting on top of me. I remember my legs were tangled in the peddles and the frame. I remember my head hurt. I remember my dad was there in what felt like an instant. I remember my dad taking me home and worrying over me while trying to finish the yard work. I remember him checking on me repeatedly to make sure I didn't fall asleep.
My last bike accident was about eight years ago. I had gotten my bike out of storage and began riding it around my front yard. My daughter, still an infant, was in her playpen while my wife was doing something outside. I was riding around like a hot shot, attempted to a high-speed slide, hit the front brakes instead, and nearly flipped myself into the playpen with my daughter. Thankfully only my ego got bruised that day. I only have mild flare-ups when my wife reminds me not to be an idiot on my bike.
I've had other run-ins in the past on my bike. Many are too boring or too vague to recount in any detail. One that does stick out is the time I was nearly run over when I was racing my dad in his car. I was racing my dad back to his mother's house in a tiny town in central Nebraska when I crossed through an intersection. I was so excited that I beat my dad until I got a serious scolding about stopping at stop signs and that I was nearly run over by a car going through the intersection. He told me if he hadn't run the stop sign, I wouldn't have made it.
Despite these harrowing tales of my misadventures on two wheels, I've also had some wonderful ones. My favorites are exploring new areas as if I were some sort of modern version of Lewis or Clark. When I was old enough I could ride to other neighborhoods. Or ride around the Boy Scout Jamboree. Or, my favorite, ride down the road, trespass, and discover an abandoned cabin in the woods. A cabin I would love to go back to some day but I now fear it's used by local meth dealers or pot farmers. Or maybe a serial killer. But most likely it's home to my arch-enemy, the snake. Clearly I won't be going back soon.
Loving to Run
When it comes to running, I don't really remember my first fall. Or my second. I'm not even sure I can remember my last fall. I've had quite a few "good" falls since I've picked up trail running as an adult, but again, none that are really worth mentioning. They usually involve me tripping, falling, and looking like a complete doofus. Thankfully I've never been hurt too badly to require my father to hover over me like a nurse. Although, now that I think about it, as a toddler I did nearly lose my earlobe to a sharp corner shelf. I guess even as a baby I was prone to accidents.
My running "career" has recently been reborn. Like all things in life, I'm discovering that life really can be a circle. My first foray into moving quickly over a distance further than the nearest bathroom was again in elementary school. I played basketball for the local recreation department and, other than one single play, hated it. I moved to soccer which I enjoyed for years. I was never talented enough to be the best but I was capable at keeping up with the other average players. My love of soccer ebbed and flowed like all things do with a kid but I stuck with it until high school. I played for a year and hated it. Everyone on the team was much better than I was and they were also older. Factor in my social awkwardness and a strong dislike for my coach and I was done after my freshman year.
Thankfully I had a math teacher that was, well, a dwarf. Seriously, he was. Think of a dwarf from Lord of the Rings, make him a little taller, a little thinner, and with a shorter beard. That was my math teacher. Turns out he was also the cross country coach for the high school. And thus began my love of running. My serious love of running. A love that would ebb and flow like my desire to play soccer, but take note. I never loved soccer. In fact, I've never really loved any sport except for cross country. It is truly unique in that you run for yourself as well as your team. It is both an individual sport and a team sport.
Like most athletic endeavors I attempted, I was an average runner in high school. Our school ran a 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) course about once a week and I'd typically place in the middle of our small team. We had a few runners that would place under 18 minutes and even a few girls that would place under 20 minutes. I never went below 21 minutes. But I enjoyed myself. Our team was an eclectic group of popular kids, head bangers, and snobby girls. Some of us were fast, some were slow, but most were average.
It would take me decades to realize that despite how average I was, I was unique on that team. We all came with our own problems, our own demons and running helped us deal with and defeat them. So even though I was teased because I got lost on our home course just because I was following a cute exchange student, I was still treated like family. Years later, after suffering through new demons and new baggage, I would eventually take up running again.
At first I was doing it for the free therapy. But after a few trips to various doctors, it quickly became a way to stay healthy while I cleared my head. In 2008 I entered my first race after getting back into my shoes and placed in my age group. I got a trophy. I was hooked. After a few years of making a fool of myself, I began to take running a little more seriously. I studied the sport, I found ways to improve my times and myself, and best of all, I fell in love with the ultramarathon.
I completed my first ultra on a wing and a prayer. Or spit and bailing twine. I somehow survived the punishing course and my innermost demons and came out the other side a better person. That same process would occur over and over again. Like an expert blacksmith or sword maker, I'd continue to put myself in the fire of an ultra, get hammered, and become stronger and sharper.
Beginning To Rant
You may be wondering right about now what in the world the point of this history lesson may be. Well, it's a bit of a rant on how runners and riders (or cyclists if you prefer) are treated on the road. As I've taken up more running, I've also taken up more riding. Specifically, I bought a new bike and didn't want to waste the money replacing my old one so I decided to save gas money and ride my bike for a coffee. Plus it made me feel better about getting a calorie-laden iced latte with caramel-vanilla flavor and skim milk. The bottom line is, I'm on the road more on two wheels this year than I have been in the past ten. Maybe twenty.
What I've noticed is that most drivers are completely oblivious to you, regardless of you being on two feet or two wheels. I learned years ago as I took up running again that the brighter the clothes were, the less likely you were to get run over. And while people, including fellow runners, typically chuckle at my outfits, I think the joke is on them. I may look like a roll of Lifesavers on crack but I'll be damned if the asshole that runs me over is going to have a valid excuse for not seeing me. My general rule of thumb is, if you can't see me, then you're blind and shouldn't be driving.
I've carried that same rule into my riding habits this year but they've done little to help. No, I haven't been run over or hit, but the close calls are incredibly more common. As a runner, I typically move at about a 12 minute per mile pace. That's roughly five miles per hour (5 mph). As a rider, I move at about twelve miles per hour (12 mph). Regardless of how I move, I'm always going to go slower than the slowest car on the road. This means that any impact is going to hurt. And if I'm lucky, I'll feel that pain. If I'm not lucky, my life will end before my brain registers that it went through a glass windshield.
As a runner, I feel directly connected to the road I'm running on. It doesn't matter if it's paved or gravel, I feel like I'm one with the environment around me. I don't run with headphones in anymore and when I do listen to music, it's on my phone and through the speakers, not headphones. I want to hear that car coming in front or behind before I see it. When I ride, I don't feel as connected with the world around me and I don't listen to any music. I've tried. But it just doesn't work. Turns out that when you go above a certain speed, the wind makes too much noise going through the hair in your ears. So I have to compensate my loss of hearing with my sight. This means I'm spending half my time looking in the tiny, dentist-like mirror attached to my helmet to see what's behind me. My eyes get tired and I frequently cringe, but it has helped.
The road I live on now had no yellow line until this year. It still has no white line on the edges and still barely holds two cars going by in opposite directions. The speed limit is 45 mph and it connects two major roads in the county. Those roads have all the lines they need and the speed limit is 55 mph. Not to mention the increase in traffic seen by major roads. I've run and ridden on all of these roads, plus the ones in between. Paved and gravel, slow and fast, busy and deserted, I've done it all. They're all the same in how they treat runners and riders.
Maybe a Conclusion
As with any unscientific analysis, there's a large margin for error. Plus there's always an exception. So what I have to say can't really be considered scientific or even objective. It's simply my opinion based on the patterns I've seen in my experiences running and riding in the area I live in.
Waving
What I've learned is that when you run on the road, roughly 60% to 80% of drivers will wave to you. The more rural the road and the slower the speed limit, the greater the percentage of waving. When the speed limit is 55 mph, I get 10% of drivers to wave. When the speed limit is 25 mph, I get nearly 100% of drivers to wave. School bus drivers wave 95% of the time, regardless of the speed limit. The biggest exception to this percentage I noticed was after the Boston Marathon bombings when everyone waved at me when I ran for the next two weeks. It felt nice but it also felt like they were fair-weather friends.
When I ride, roughly 10% to 20% of drivers wave to you. As with running, the more rural or the slower the speed limit the higher the percentage. Same goes for bus drivers. I think I know why the percentages are so skewed but you'll need to wait a bit for that.
Safety
As I've already said, I wear bright colors when I run and when I ride. I'm also constantly looking for a place to bail out should the need arise. Even when I run, I've hopped into the ditch, or even over it, to remove myself from what could or would be a dangerous scenario. This could mean I'm directly in danger or it could mean that I would be placing the drivers in danger. Usually this happens when I'm running and two cars approach in both directions and based on their trajectory would pass each other right where I happen to be. By removing myself from the road and the general area, they no longer need to worry about me and can simply go on their way. I'm also hesitant and extra cautious around blind curves. I generally use my ears to listen for cars but sometimes look for headlights if I'm running at night. If I do run at night, I wear a headlamp and enough flashing lights to look like a low flying airplane attached to a helicopter.
I do not ride at night. Mostly because my bike does not have a headlight or taillight as required by law. I do follow the same general rules for safety though but take things a bit to the extreme as well. When crossing lanes of traffic I look about eight times instead of the usual three or four. I also wear a helmet, though not required by law. I have a brain and I choose to use it. Not wearing a helmet is just plain stupid. As stated before, I do have a rear view mirror on my helmet to help me see the traffic coming behind me. As with running, I'll follow my instincts and leave the roadway if I feel I am in danger or if the drivers around me would be in danger.
Legality
The legal rules for runners, or pedestrians if you like, and cyclists differ by country, state, and even locality. For me, the rules of Virginia and common sense apply. When I run, I stay on the left side of the road. As in, I run against traffic. There are times when I run on the right side of the road or even on a sidewalk, but generally I stick to the left side of the road.
When I ride, I ride as far right as I can. This usually means that thin ribbon of pavement that's between the white line and the grass but sometimes it means I'm taking up half a lane of traffic because the road is so narrow. As required by common sense and the Commonwealth of Virginia, I follow all traffic rules as if I were a motorized vehicle. This means I stop at stop signs, wait to cross through traffic, and signal my turns. Okay, I'm not always signalling my turn but I don't always signal when I drive either. At least I'm trying to follow the rules.
Demeanor
This is where things get tough. I'm a driver. Have been since I was 15 and 8 months. My first experience driving was in my driveway and an empty parking lot. My first real taste of driving though was in the middle of Texas on Interstate 10. I've learned a lot and do my best to not be a dumb ass, an asshole, or just plain stupid. Like most people, it took time for me to get there.
What makes this hard is that I've learned that when I run, most drivers are pretty nice. Even when I'm running without a shirt and my chest hair is matted, my ass smells like, well, ass, and my shorts are so tight you can see how I've shrunk from prunes to grapes. Even when I'm looking like death warmed over, drivers treat me quite well. I've had a few odd encounters where people slow down and stare at me funny, but looks don't really bother me anymore. They used to, but once I decided I was brave enough to run shirtless, they funny looks slide right off my hairy back.
I know that didn't sound like it was hard but it is. Because when I ride, most drivers are complete assholes. Why not dicks? Because while many of them are dicks, nearly all are assholes with dicks inside. Yes, there are exceptions. There are drivers that actually follow the laws and wait until it's safe to pass me. There are drivers that wave to me or, even better, give me a friendly honk. Sounds funny, but I do believe I can tell the difference between a "have a nice day" honk and a "go fuck yourself" honk. The bottom line is, as a cyclist, I have to treat every single car out there like it's going to run me over and not even care.
As a driver, and this is harder still, I've learned that I'm one of those assholes. All too often I find myself flying down some back country road and I suddenly need to stand on the brake to avoid a cyclist. I've become more aware of this since I've started riding but it's still a work in progress. I don't want to be an asshole. I'm not sure I could face my peers, be they runners or riders, if I hit somebody riding a bike. Oddly enough, I don't really worry about hitting a runner.
The End, Really
So where does this leave me? Educated. Like growing up with allergies and having kids with allergies, an education can save a life. My daughter recently showed her classmates her new talking Epi-Pen. Many of them, even though they're all nearly ten, were afraid of it. Seriously afraid of it. But I was so proud of her for sharing with them a vital part of her life. She was the brave one to get up and tell them that if she has nuts, she could die without this shot. She's not even ten and she's changing lives.
I hope I can change your life by giving you this essay as an education. I won't presume to be brave in sharing my story. If I feel brave about anything, it's sharing the road with drivers that shouldn't really be out there. Drivers that are assholes. Drivers that aren't assholes. Drivers like you and I that may be listening to the radio, talking to their kid, or daydreaming about winning the lottery. As a driver myself, I have to constantly force myself to think like a runner and a rider to keep from making a fatal mistake. It's a constant battle that I don't win very often. As a runner and a rider, I have to constantly think that the next car that passes me could be my last. A simple sneeze or bump in the road and I could be gone.
We're all people out there. Think about your parents, siblings, or children. Friends, family, or co-workers. Surely you know of one that runs. Or one that rides a bike. Take a moment or two and ask them what it's really like out there on the road. Ask them what they've seen, heard, or experienced themselves. Ask them if I'm wrong. Sadly, I bet I'm not.
Further Reading:
Virginia State Bike Laws - http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-laws.asp
Cyclists Reflect on Sharing Spaces with Drivers - http://wydaily.com/2013/09/17/cyclists-motorists-often-occupy-same-spaces/
My history of running and riding bikes is rooted deeply in my childhood. Like all children, I enjoyed playing. As I've gotten older, I still have that love of playing but the games I play differ now. Instead of chasing lightning bugs around my back yard, I play chicken with cars on the road. I know we can never go back to those wonderful memories of childhood, but we can certainly reminisce about how innocent we all were.
Learning to Ride
My first bike accident occurred when I was in elementary school. I'm not sure how old I was exactly but I know I was old enough to know how to ride a bike but not quite experienced enough to ride with only one hand on the handlebar. I was practicing that "expert" skill in my neighborhood, going down a gradual hill. With a curve. As a novice one-handed rider, I wasn't aware that curves would pose a problem. I became acutely aware of this fact when I steered too hard and flipped over the front of my bike. After I regained consciousness, the story my dad tells me is that he heard me scream at our house. I was only a tenth of a mile away, so that's feasible. But he also says he was cutting the grass when he heard me. I'm not sure I screamed loud enough for him to hear me over the lawn mower, but I have to take his word for it. I don't really remember much. I remember the bike sitting on top of me. I remember my legs were tangled in the peddles and the frame. I remember my head hurt. I remember my dad was there in what felt like an instant. I remember my dad taking me home and worrying over me while trying to finish the yard work. I remember him checking on me repeatedly to make sure I didn't fall asleep.
My last bike accident was about eight years ago. I had gotten my bike out of storage and began riding it around my front yard. My daughter, still an infant, was in her playpen while my wife was doing something outside. I was riding around like a hot shot, attempted to a high-speed slide, hit the front brakes instead, and nearly flipped myself into the playpen with my daughter. Thankfully only my ego got bruised that day. I only have mild flare-ups when my wife reminds me not to be an idiot on my bike.
I've had other run-ins in the past on my bike. Many are too boring or too vague to recount in any detail. One that does stick out is the time I was nearly run over when I was racing my dad in his car. I was racing my dad back to his mother's house in a tiny town in central Nebraska when I crossed through an intersection. I was so excited that I beat my dad until I got a serious scolding about stopping at stop signs and that I was nearly run over by a car going through the intersection. He told me if he hadn't run the stop sign, I wouldn't have made it.
Despite these harrowing tales of my misadventures on two wheels, I've also had some wonderful ones. My favorites are exploring new areas as if I were some sort of modern version of Lewis or Clark. When I was old enough I could ride to other neighborhoods. Or ride around the Boy Scout Jamboree. Or, my favorite, ride down the road, trespass, and discover an abandoned cabin in the woods. A cabin I would love to go back to some day but I now fear it's used by local meth dealers or pot farmers. Or maybe a serial killer. But most likely it's home to my arch-enemy, the snake. Clearly I won't be going back soon.
Loving to Run
When it comes to running, I don't really remember my first fall. Or my second. I'm not even sure I can remember my last fall. I've had quite a few "good" falls since I've picked up trail running as an adult, but again, none that are really worth mentioning. They usually involve me tripping, falling, and looking like a complete doofus. Thankfully I've never been hurt too badly to require my father to hover over me like a nurse. Although, now that I think about it, as a toddler I did nearly lose my earlobe to a sharp corner shelf. I guess even as a baby I was prone to accidents.
My running "career" has recently been reborn. Like all things in life, I'm discovering that life really can be a circle. My first foray into moving quickly over a distance further than the nearest bathroom was again in elementary school. I played basketball for the local recreation department and, other than one single play, hated it. I moved to soccer which I enjoyed for years. I was never talented enough to be the best but I was capable at keeping up with the other average players. My love of soccer ebbed and flowed like all things do with a kid but I stuck with it until high school. I played for a year and hated it. Everyone on the team was much better than I was and they were also older. Factor in my social awkwardness and a strong dislike for my coach and I was done after my freshman year.
Thankfully I had a math teacher that was, well, a dwarf. Seriously, he was. Think of a dwarf from Lord of the Rings, make him a little taller, a little thinner, and with a shorter beard. That was my math teacher. Turns out he was also the cross country coach for the high school. And thus began my love of running. My serious love of running. A love that would ebb and flow like my desire to play soccer, but take note. I never loved soccer. In fact, I've never really loved any sport except for cross country. It is truly unique in that you run for yourself as well as your team. It is both an individual sport and a team sport.
Like most athletic endeavors I attempted, I was an average runner in high school. Our school ran a 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) course about once a week and I'd typically place in the middle of our small team. We had a few runners that would place under 18 minutes and even a few girls that would place under 20 minutes. I never went below 21 minutes. But I enjoyed myself. Our team was an eclectic group of popular kids, head bangers, and snobby girls. Some of us were fast, some were slow, but most were average.
It would take me decades to realize that despite how average I was, I was unique on that team. We all came with our own problems, our own demons and running helped us deal with and defeat them. So even though I was teased because I got lost on our home course just because I was following a cute exchange student, I was still treated like family. Years later, after suffering through new demons and new baggage, I would eventually take up running again.
At first I was doing it for the free therapy. But after a few trips to various doctors, it quickly became a way to stay healthy while I cleared my head. In 2008 I entered my first race after getting back into my shoes and placed in my age group. I got a trophy. I was hooked. After a few years of making a fool of myself, I began to take running a little more seriously. I studied the sport, I found ways to improve my times and myself, and best of all, I fell in love with the ultramarathon.
I completed my first ultra on a wing and a prayer. Or spit and bailing twine. I somehow survived the punishing course and my innermost demons and came out the other side a better person. That same process would occur over and over again. Like an expert blacksmith or sword maker, I'd continue to put myself in the fire of an ultra, get hammered, and become stronger and sharper.
Beginning To Rant
You may be wondering right about now what in the world the point of this history lesson may be. Well, it's a bit of a rant on how runners and riders (or cyclists if you prefer) are treated on the road. As I've taken up more running, I've also taken up more riding. Specifically, I bought a new bike and didn't want to waste the money replacing my old one so I decided to save gas money and ride my bike for a coffee. Plus it made me feel better about getting a calorie-laden iced latte with caramel-vanilla flavor and skim milk. The bottom line is, I'm on the road more on two wheels this year than I have been in the past ten. Maybe twenty.
What I've noticed is that most drivers are completely oblivious to you, regardless of you being on two feet or two wheels. I learned years ago as I took up running again that the brighter the clothes were, the less likely you were to get run over. And while people, including fellow runners, typically chuckle at my outfits, I think the joke is on them. I may look like a roll of Lifesavers on crack but I'll be damned if the asshole that runs me over is going to have a valid excuse for not seeing me. My general rule of thumb is, if you can't see me, then you're blind and shouldn't be driving.
I've carried that same rule into my riding habits this year but they've done little to help. No, I haven't been run over or hit, but the close calls are incredibly more common. As a runner, I typically move at about a 12 minute per mile pace. That's roughly five miles per hour (5 mph). As a rider, I move at about twelve miles per hour (12 mph). Regardless of how I move, I'm always going to go slower than the slowest car on the road. This means that any impact is going to hurt. And if I'm lucky, I'll feel that pain. If I'm not lucky, my life will end before my brain registers that it went through a glass windshield.
As a runner, I feel directly connected to the road I'm running on. It doesn't matter if it's paved or gravel, I feel like I'm one with the environment around me. I don't run with headphones in anymore and when I do listen to music, it's on my phone and through the speakers, not headphones. I want to hear that car coming in front or behind before I see it. When I ride, I don't feel as connected with the world around me and I don't listen to any music. I've tried. But it just doesn't work. Turns out that when you go above a certain speed, the wind makes too much noise going through the hair in your ears. So I have to compensate my loss of hearing with my sight. This means I'm spending half my time looking in the tiny, dentist-like mirror attached to my helmet to see what's behind me. My eyes get tired and I frequently cringe, but it has helped.
The road I live on now had no yellow line until this year. It still has no white line on the edges and still barely holds two cars going by in opposite directions. The speed limit is 45 mph and it connects two major roads in the county. Those roads have all the lines they need and the speed limit is 55 mph. Not to mention the increase in traffic seen by major roads. I've run and ridden on all of these roads, plus the ones in between. Paved and gravel, slow and fast, busy and deserted, I've done it all. They're all the same in how they treat runners and riders.
Maybe a Conclusion
As with any unscientific analysis, there's a large margin for error. Plus there's always an exception. So what I have to say can't really be considered scientific or even objective. It's simply my opinion based on the patterns I've seen in my experiences running and riding in the area I live in.
Waving
What I've learned is that when you run on the road, roughly 60% to 80% of drivers will wave to you. The more rural the road and the slower the speed limit, the greater the percentage of waving. When the speed limit is 55 mph, I get 10% of drivers to wave. When the speed limit is 25 mph, I get nearly 100% of drivers to wave. School bus drivers wave 95% of the time, regardless of the speed limit. The biggest exception to this percentage I noticed was after the Boston Marathon bombings when everyone waved at me when I ran for the next two weeks. It felt nice but it also felt like they were fair-weather friends.
When I ride, roughly 10% to 20% of drivers wave to you. As with running, the more rural or the slower the speed limit the higher the percentage. Same goes for bus drivers. I think I know why the percentages are so skewed but you'll need to wait a bit for that.
Safety
As I've already said, I wear bright colors when I run and when I ride. I'm also constantly looking for a place to bail out should the need arise. Even when I run, I've hopped into the ditch, or even over it, to remove myself from what could or would be a dangerous scenario. This could mean I'm directly in danger or it could mean that I would be placing the drivers in danger. Usually this happens when I'm running and two cars approach in both directions and based on their trajectory would pass each other right where I happen to be. By removing myself from the road and the general area, they no longer need to worry about me and can simply go on their way. I'm also hesitant and extra cautious around blind curves. I generally use my ears to listen for cars but sometimes look for headlights if I'm running at night. If I do run at night, I wear a headlamp and enough flashing lights to look like a low flying airplane attached to a helicopter.
I do not ride at night. Mostly because my bike does not have a headlight or taillight as required by law. I do follow the same general rules for safety though but take things a bit to the extreme as well. When crossing lanes of traffic I look about eight times instead of the usual three or four. I also wear a helmet, though not required by law. I have a brain and I choose to use it. Not wearing a helmet is just plain stupid. As stated before, I do have a rear view mirror on my helmet to help me see the traffic coming behind me. As with running, I'll follow my instincts and leave the roadway if I feel I am in danger or if the drivers around me would be in danger.
Legality
The legal rules for runners, or pedestrians if you like, and cyclists differ by country, state, and even locality. For me, the rules of Virginia and common sense apply. When I run, I stay on the left side of the road. As in, I run against traffic. There are times when I run on the right side of the road or even on a sidewalk, but generally I stick to the left side of the road.
When I ride, I ride as far right as I can. This usually means that thin ribbon of pavement that's between the white line and the grass but sometimes it means I'm taking up half a lane of traffic because the road is so narrow. As required by common sense and the Commonwealth of Virginia, I follow all traffic rules as if I were a motorized vehicle. This means I stop at stop signs, wait to cross through traffic, and signal my turns. Okay, I'm not always signalling my turn but I don't always signal when I drive either. At least I'm trying to follow the rules.
Demeanor
This is where things get tough. I'm a driver. Have been since I was 15 and 8 months. My first experience driving was in my driveway and an empty parking lot. My first real taste of driving though was in the middle of Texas on Interstate 10. I've learned a lot and do my best to not be a dumb ass, an asshole, or just plain stupid. Like most people, it took time for me to get there.
What makes this hard is that I've learned that when I run, most drivers are pretty nice. Even when I'm running without a shirt and my chest hair is matted, my ass smells like, well, ass, and my shorts are so tight you can see how I've shrunk from prunes to grapes. Even when I'm looking like death warmed over, drivers treat me quite well. I've had a few odd encounters where people slow down and stare at me funny, but looks don't really bother me anymore. They used to, but once I decided I was brave enough to run shirtless, they funny looks slide right off my hairy back.
I know that didn't sound like it was hard but it is. Because when I ride, most drivers are complete assholes. Why not dicks? Because while many of them are dicks, nearly all are assholes with dicks inside. Yes, there are exceptions. There are drivers that actually follow the laws and wait until it's safe to pass me. There are drivers that wave to me or, even better, give me a friendly honk. Sounds funny, but I do believe I can tell the difference between a "have a nice day" honk and a "go fuck yourself" honk. The bottom line is, as a cyclist, I have to treat every single car out there like it's going to run me over and not even care.
As a driver, and this is harder still, I've learned that I'm one of those assholes. All too often I find myself flying down some back country road and I suddenly need to stand on the brake to avoid a cyclist. I've become more aware of this since I've started riding but it's still a work in progress. I don't want to be an asshole. I'm not sure I could face my peers, be they runners or riders, if I hit somebody riding a bike. Oddly enough, I don't really worry about hitting a runner.
The End, Really
So where does this leave me? Educated. Like growing up with allergies and having kids with allergies, an education can save a life. My daughter recently showed her classmates her new talking Epi-Pen. Many of them, even though they're all nearly ten, were afraid of it. Seriously afraid of it. But I was so proud of her for sharing with them a vital part of her life. She was the brave one to get up and tell them that if she has nuts, she could die without this shot. She's not even ten and she's changing lives.
I hope I can change your life by giving you this essay as an education. I won't presume to be brave in sharing my story. If I feel brave about anything, it's sharing the road with drivers that shouldn't really be out there. Drivers that are assholes. Drivers that aren't assholes. Drivers like you and I that may be listening to the radio, talking to their kid, or daydreaming about winning the lottery. As a driver myself, I have to constantly force myself to think like a runner and a rider to keep from making a fatal mistake. It's a constant battle that I don't win very often. As a runner and a rider, I have to constantly think that the next car that passes me could be my last. A simple sneeze or bump in the road and I could be gone.
We're all people out there. Think about your parents, siblings, or children. Friends, family, or co-workers. Surely you know of one that runs. Or one that rides a bike. Take a moment or two and ask them what it's really like out there on the road. Ask them what they've seen, heard, or experienced themselves. Ask them if I'm wrong. Sadly, I bet I'm not.
Further Reading:
Virginia State Bike Laws - http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-laws.asp
Cyclists Reflect on Sharing Spaces with Drivers - http://wydaily.com/2013/09/17/cyclists-motorists-often-occupy-same-spaces/
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Beep Beep Motherfucker
This was an annoying run this morning. I tried to do it like I was told but with 15 minutes left I realized I made a mistake. Instead of setting my interval timer to 17 minutes in Zone 2 and 3 minutes in Zone 3, I set it to 17 hours in Zone 2 and who knows how long in Zone 3. Which means I pretty much ran in Zone 2 the entire time. Or at least I tried to. The damn watch kept beeping at me and pissing me off. Too high, too low, gah!
Anyway, I know I got my heart rate up a few times. Once I moved a railroad tie, once I desperately swatted at a horsefly, and once I desperately tried to run away from a horsefly. Guess it was better than nothing.
I'm sure there was other stuff that I should mention but that was the core of the run.
Weather:
Temps were about 60F to 65F. Sun was out. Barely any wind in the trees. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt and coffee. During the run I had a bottle of plain water, a bottle of Hammer Fizz, and a small packet of applesauce. Recovery was a burger wrap, cheese, and iced latte.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt, thankfully. Although the beeping watch was a pain in the ass.
Gear:
No special gear. I did carry a stick for half of the run to knock down the spider webs.
Experiment:
Took my small pepper spray and it was fine.
Splits:
Section 1 Outbound - 9:26 (AVG HR 140)
Section 1 Inbound - 10:53 (AVG HR 143)
Section 2 Outbound - 33:36 (AVG HR 147)
Section 2 Inbound - 31:10 (AVG HR 143)
Finish - 1:25:06
AVG HR - 144
MAX HR - 176
MIN HR - 85
Anyway, I know I got my heart rate up a few times. Once I moved a railroad tie, once I desperately swatted at a horsefly, and once I desperately tried to run away from a horsefly. Guess it was better than nothing.
I'm sure there was other stuff that I should mention but that was the core of the run.
Weather:
Temps were about 60F to 65F. Sun was out. Barely any wind in the trees. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt and coffee. During the run I had a bottle of plain water, a bottle of Hammer Fizz, and a small packet of applesauce. Recovery was a burger wrap, cheese, and iced latte.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt, thankfully. Although the beeping watch was a pain in the ass.
Gear:
No special gear. I did carry a stick for half of the run to knock down the spider webs.
Experiment:
Took my small pepper spray and it was fine.
Splits:
Section 1 Outbound - 9:26 (AVG HR 140)
Section 1 Inbound - 10:53 (AVG HR 143)
Section 2 Outbound - 33:36 (AVG HR 147)
Section 2 Inbound - 31:10 (AVG HR 143)
Finish - 1:25:06
AVG HR - 144
MAX HR - 176
MIN HR - 85
Monday, September 23, 2013
Podcast - Mile 69 - Changes Abound
After an up and down couple of weeks, I finally started seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. As I headed out on a nicely brisk and dusty run, I started to feel better about my training and about myself. Which translates into a more positive and upbeat episode. And before you ask, yes, that's me being positive and upbeat. Sorry, I'm not the cheerleader type.
The big change lately though has been the weather. Winter is coming and fall is here. The sun is changing times on me and the weather is getting nice and cool. Best of all though, the smell of old, musty leaves is wafting through the air.
And that's pretty much it. Aside from the bizarre things I see along the way. Like an Elvis playing card. Or a crushed smoke detector. You get the idea.
You can change the channel to listen on Podbean, or even download it directly here. You can also change to SoundCloud which is where most of my focus will be.
The big change lately though has been the weather. Winter is coming and fall is here. The sun is changing times on me and the weather is getting nice and cool. Best of all though, the smell of old, musty leaves is wafting through the air.
And that's pretty much it. Aside from the bizarre things I see along the way. Like an Elvis playing card. Or a crushed smoke detector. You get the idea.
You can change the channel to listen on Podbean, or even download it directly here. You can also change to SoundCloud which is where most of my focus will be.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Review - Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald
It's been ages since I've done a book review so I'm a bit rusty. I've talked about books I've read in my podcast but that's always been a bit of a glance at a book and not a review. So, let's break out the WD-40 and see if my gears still work.
First off, the cover is fairly appealing with both front and back covers showing thin and muscular athletes. Kind of like that ideal Greek Adonis look that everyone strives to achieve. But so few of us actually do. The content itself is broken down into lots of mumbo-jumbo science followed by some recipes and some exercises. The recipes and exercises are all things that can easily be found online and don't really add too much to the value of the book. And the section on what professional athletes eat is a bit daunting as it just reminds you that you're not an elite athlete no matter how much granola you eat.
The real heart of the book, for me at least, is a reminder of what really works when it comes to dieting. And using the word "diet" is part of the problem. It's not so much a diet like Garfield thinks, it's diet as in what you eat. Let me explain it another way. To be healthy, you need to exercise and eat right. To eat right, you need to eat the right foods in the right amounts. Take salt for example. Too much salt is just as dangerous as not enough. So cutting out salt isn't the answer, the answer is moderating how much salt you consume so it's the right amount.
But that doesn't mean you need to eat like a devout foodie and be a snob. Like Alan Alda said, "in all things moderation, including moderation." So eating that brownie isn't the best thing to eat but hey, you need to let loose every now and then. If you don't splurge too much, you'll be fine.
Anyway, back to the book. This is pretty much the meat of what Fitzgerald talks about. Eat healthy foods, eat healthy portions, and exercise. But it's the "race weight" formulas he gives that make things a little interesting. I really did enjoy how it made me sit down and figure out what my "ideal racing weight" should be. It was a tangible goal. It wasn't like I sat down on New Year's Eve and said "I want to lose weight." No, instead it was more like "okay, your current weight and lean body mass is this, your ideal weight and lean body mass is this, then you need to lose this amount to reach the ideal race weight."
That was awesome. It gave me a concrete goal to aim for, something I put in a spreadsheet and measure, and it felt reasonable. The formula didn't tell me to lose the 50 pounds I wanted to lose, it told me to lose just 16 pounds. Much more reasonable and it felt more within my reach.
And there were other parts of the book like that. Things Fitzgerald said that made sense. Scientific studies that were done on various runners, swimmers, cyclists, and more that proved his various points. When to eat, what to eat, even what macro-nutrients to pay attention to. Things were all good in this arena and he makes valid points throughout.
But. Yes, everyone, I had a big but just waiting there. This book isn't really designed for beginners. For average people looking to better themselves. For normal people like me that are bigger than they should be. This book is designed more for the athlete that can place in their age group or can perform better than half of the others out there. Thankfully there wasn't a condescending tone in the book, it was just implied. Buried deep down, it was there. Or maybe I just read too much between the lines and don't feel comfortable with myself. Either way, I still think this book is for those looking for that extra edge to put them on the podium or at the top of their game. Especially those that have plateaued and can't seem to squeeze another minute off their time.
My bottom line is the book is good. But not for me. I like the goal it gave me and that kept me motivated for awhile. But once the book delved into the nuances of food, appetite, and scientific data, I got bored. I know I eat like crap and I know this book won't help me. Unless I eat it to curb my appetite.
First off, the cover is fairly appealing with both front and back covers showing thin and muscular athletes. Kind of like that ideal Greek Adonis look that everyone strives to achieve. But so few of us actually do. The content itself is broken down into lots of mumbo-jumbo science followed by some recipes and some exercises. The recipes and exercises are all things that can easily be found online and don't really add too much to the value of the book. And the section on what professional athletes eat is a bit daunting as it just reminds you that you're not an elite athlete no matter how much granola you eat.
The real heart of the book, for me at least, is a reminder of what really works when it comes to dieting. And using the word "diet" is part of the problem. It's not so much a diet like Garfield thinks, it's diet as in what you eat. Let me explain it another way. To be healthy, you need to exercise and eat right. To eat right, you need to eat the right foods in the right amounts. Take salt for example. Too much salt is just as dangerous as not enough. So cutting out salt isn't the answer, the answer is moderating how much salt you consume so it's the right amount.
But that doesn't mean you need to eat like a devout foodie and be a snob. Like Alan Alda said, "in all things moderation, including moderation." So eating that brownie isn't the best thing to eat but hey, you need to let loose every now and then. If you don't splurge too much, you'll be fine.
Anyway, back to the book. This is pretty much the meat of what Fitzgerald talks about. Eat healthy foods, eat healthy portions, and exercise. But it's the "race weight" formulas he gives that make things a little interesting. I really did enjoy how it made me sit down and figure out what my "ideal racing weight" should be. It was a tangible goal. It wasn't like I sat down on New Year's Eve and said "I want to lose weight." No, instead it was more like "okay, your current weight and lean body mass is this, your ideal weight and lean body mass is this, then you need to lose this amount to reach the ideal race weight."
That was awesome. It gave me a concrete goal to aim for, something I put in a spreadsheet and measure, and it felt reasonable. The formula didn't tell me to lose the 50 pounds I wanted to lose, it told me to lose just 16 pounds. Much more reasonable and it felt more within my reach.
And there were other parts of the book like that. Things Fitzgerald said that made sense. Scientific studies that were done on various runners, swimmers, cyclists, and more that proved his various points. When to eat, what to eat, even what macro-nutrients to pay attention to. Things were all good in this arena and he makes valid points throughout.
But. Yes, everyone, I had a big but just waiting there. This book isn't really designed for beginners. For average people looking to better themselves. For normal people like me that are bigger than they should be. This book is designed more for the athlete that can place in their age group or can perform better than half of the others out there. Thankfully there wasn't a condescending tone in the book, it was just implied. Buried deep down, it was there. Or maybe I just read too much between the lines and don't feel comfortable with myself. Either way, I still think this book is for those looking for that extra edge to put them on the podium or at the top of their game. Especially those that have plateaued and can't seem to squeeze another minute off their time.
My bottom line is the book is good. But not for me. I like the goal it gave me and that kept me motivated for awhile. But once the book delved into the nuances of food, appetite, and scientific data, I got bored. I know I eat like crap and I know this book won't help me. Unless I eat it to curb my appetite.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Sneaker
Was going on my run and as I headed down what is my usual 8-mile route, I decided to take a small detour and head down a different road. I ended up in a fairly unknown section of road, saw a few deer, and saw a rear boundary marker for one of the county's mysteries, Pear Mount Farm. I never expected to see the deer or the sign for Pear Mount.
Aside from the new views and the odd signs, the run was okay. The road was super dry and dusty so I had sock lines when I finished but over all, the conditions were just about perfect. Maybe just a hair chilly but pretty darn good.
Photos:
The sun was just coming over the tree tops as I started.
The unexpected sign.
The unexpected sneaker.
Some cow porn for my mother.
Weather:
Temps were about 50F in the shade and 55F in the sun. Towards the end I could feel the road warming up. Sun was out in full but the start was a big hazy with fog. Humidity was low. Very light breeze.
Fluids and Fuel:
Pre-run was a little iced coffee and yogurt. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and half a bottle of plain water. Way less fluids than I'm used to but it felt fine. Recovery was a breakfast burrito, two eggs, and the rest of my coffee.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt until about Mile 2 when my shins started to ache a bit. After a half mile things cleared up.
Gear:
Wore arm sleeves, gloves, winter hat, and an extra pair of shorts. Took the gloves off around the halfway point. Hands got chilly but eventually warmed up. Also took along my recorder for a podcast show and that was it.
Experiment:
Took my phone and the large pepper spray. Both fit nicely in my pocket.
Splits:
Outbound - 40:14 (AVG HR 140)
Inbound - 40:27 (AVG HR 146)
Finish - 1:20:41
AVG HR - 143
MAX HR - 172
MIN HR - 77
Aside from the new views and the odd signs, the run was okay. The road was super dry and dusty so I had sock lines when I finished but over all, the conditions were just about perfect. Maybe just a hair chilly but pretty darn good.
Photos:
The sun was just coming over the tree tops as I started.
The unexpected sign.
The unexpected sneaker.
Some cow porn for my mother.
Weather:
Temps were about 50F in the shade and 55F in the sun. Towards the end I could feel the road warming up. Sun was out in full but the start was a big hazy with fog. Humidity was low. Very light breeze.
Fluids and Fuel:
Pre-run was a little iced coffee and yogurt. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and half a bottle of plain water. Way less fluids than I'm used to but it felt fine. Recovery was a breakfast burrito, two eggs, and the rest of my coffee.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt until about Mile 2 when my shins started to ache a bit. After a half mile things cleared up.
Gear:
Wore arm sleeves, gloves, winter hat, and an extra pair of shorts. Took the gloves off around the halfway point. Hands got chilly but eventually warmed up. Also took along my recorder for a podcast show and that was it.
Experiment:
Took my phone and the large pepper spray. Both fit nicely in my pocket.
Splits:
Outbound - 40:14 (AVG HR 140)
Inbound - 40:27 (AVG HR 146)
Finish - 1:20:41
AVG HR - 143
MAX HR - 172
MIN HR - 77
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Rock Plate
Super duper run today. Not quite super awesome but pretty damn fine. I think some naked ladies and money on the trees would have made it better but aside from that, it was about as perfect as I could ask for. The weather was a huge factor as it's finally creeping into fall, my favorite season. Mostly because my birthday is in October but also because it means cooler weather, the kids are back in school, and the holidays are coming. Which means presents. And more presents.
The run was fairly uneventful, big surprise, but I did take advantage of the easy pace to move branches off the trail, swap out SD cards in my trail cameras, and gander about. Well, I looked around a little bit. Most of the time I was distracted by listening to podcasts (The Park Run Show and Mission Log) and trying to NOT think about my pace and instead DO think about my form and stride. Once I warmed up after a couple of miles, I felt like I was really in the groove. The last two miles felt really nice and I almost, almost felt like I was floating along down the trail. With half a mile left, I picked up the pace for my "three minute push" and brought my pace down to a 10 minute average pace (instead of a 12 minute average I expect on the trail). And that 10 minute pace was probably faster than that because I pushed hard for three minutes then backed off the gas for the last two minutes until I stopped the clock. I didn't back off a lot but it felt more like a normal pace.
Anyway, along the way I saw a heron, plenty of squirrels and small birds, and a large hawk. I'm pretty sure I heard some deer but I never saw any. And seeing as I avoided Snake Alley this morning, I'm glad I didn't see any snakes.
Photo:
This used to be a swamp. It also used to be home to the White Tower of Isengard. It fell over a year or two ago so now it just looks empty.
Weather:
Temps were about 55F to 60F. Partly cloudy sky. Light to moderate breeze. It was pretty breezy in the open so in the forest is was dialed down a bit. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Pre-run was yogurt, breakfast burrito, and half an iced coffee. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and half a bottle of plain water. Recovery was an iced latte.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt during the run. My back felt stiff when I was stretching after I finished. I did step on some sharp rocks here and there but that's expected on the gravel trail. Everything else felt fine.
Gear:
Wore a winter beanie for a mile or so. Wore my gloves the entire time. Wore two shorts, partly to stay warm and partly for the extra pockets. Forgot STRETCH so my phone ended up in my pocket. It worked out just fine. I also tested out the rock plates in my shoes. They seemed to work okay but I'm not sure if I'll use them or not. They felt funny when I walked in them, especially in the heel. Almost like I had rocks in my shoe. But running they felt fine.
Experiment:
Carried my large pepper spray. Didn't have any issues.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 13:23 (AVG HR 137) (a little long in distance and time since I started it early then stopped to grab my gloves and bottles)
Mile 2 - 16:22 (AVG HR 138) (spent the extra time swapping out the SD card)
Mile 3 - 20:08 (AVG HR 142) (this was really closer to 2 miles due to my turn around point)
Mile 4 - 11:55 (AVG HR 153)
Mile 5 - 11:23 (AVG HR 159)
Finish - 1:13:12
AVG HR - 145
PEAK HR - 177
MIN HR - 109
The run was fairly uneventful, big surprise, but I did take advantage of the easy pace to move branches off the trail, swap out SD cards in my trail cameras, and gander about. Well, I looked around a little bit. Most of the time I was distracted by listening to podcasts (The Park Run Show and Mission Log) and trying to NOT think about my pace and instead DO think about my form and stride. Once I warmed up after a couple of miles, I felt like I was really in the groove. The last two miles felt really nice and I almost, almost felt like I was floating along down the trail. With half a mile left, I picked up the pace for my "three minute push" and brought my pace down to a 10 minute average pace (instead of a 12 minute average I expect on the trail). And that 10 minute pace was probably faster than that because I pushed hard for three minutes then backed off the gas for the last two minutes until I stopped the clock. I didn't back off a lot but it felt more like a normal pace.
Anyway, along the way I saw a heron, plenty of squirrels and small birds, and a large hawk. I'm pretty sure I heard some deer but I never saw any. And seeing as I avoided Snake Alley this morning, I'm glad I didn't see any snakes.
Photo:
This used to be a swamp. It also used to be home to the White Tower of Isengard. It fell over a year or two ago so now it just looks empty.
Weather:
Temps were about 55F to 60F. Partly cloudy sky. Light to moderate breeze. It was pretty breezy in the open so in the forest is was dialed down a bit. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Pre-run was yogurt, breakfast burrito, and half an iced coffee. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and half a bottle of plain water. Recovery was an iced latte.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt during the run. My back felt stiff when I was stretching after I finished. I did step on some sharp rocks here and there but that's expected on the gravel trail. Everything else felt fine.
Gear:
Wore a winter beanie for a mile or so. Wore my gloves the entire time. Wore two shorts, partly to stay warm and partly for the extra pockets. Forgot STRETCH so my phone ended up in my pocket. It worked out just fine. I also tested out the rock plates in my shoes. They seemed to work okay but I'm not sure if I'll use them or not. They felt funny when I walked in them, especially in the heel. Almost like I had rocks in my shoe. But running they felt fine.
Experiment:
Carried my large pepper spray. Didn't have any issues.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 13:23 (AVG HR 137) (a little long in distance and time since I started it early then stopped to grab my gloves and bottles)
Mile 2 - 16:22 (AVG HR 138) (spent the extra time swapping out the SD card)
Mile 3 - 20:08 (AVG HR 142) (this was really closer to 2 miles due to my turn around point)
Mile 4 - 11:55 (AVG HR 153)
Mile 5 - 11:23 (AVG HR 159)
Finish - 1:13:12
AVG HR - 145
PEAK HR - 177
MIN HR - 109
Monday, September 16, 2013
Podcast - Mile 68 - Spider Man
In this episode I babble while I have a free run. Thanks to my new coach I got the chance to enjoy a run. Not that I don't enjoy running but sometimes it feels like work. So this run was all about reconnecting myself with the joy of running. And I did my best. Aside from spider webs and bugs, I did fairly well. Try not to laugh as I eat a bug or spider web during the show.
I start at the beach and head uphill as I go inland. There were some tough climbs but I survived. I knew what was coming and knew where the trail leveled out and where I'd be walking. I just wish I had the stamina to go faster.
Along the way I swear about spider webs, talk about Downton Abbey and the spoiler I read in the paper, swear some more about spider webs, and talk about The Big Bang Theory. And, you guessed it, swear some more about spider webs.
So if you want to get stuck in my web of babbling, you can find Peter Parker on Podbean, download the web directly from here, or listen on your phone as you run from spiders on SoundCloud.
I start at the beach and head uphill as I go inland. There were some tough climbs but I survived. I knew what was coming and knew where the trail leveled out and where I'd be walking. I just wish I had the stamina to go faster.
Along the way I swear about spider webs, talk about Downton Abbey and the spoiler I read in the paper, swear some more about spider webs, and talk about The Big Bang Theory. And, you guessed it, swear some more about spider webs.
So if you want to get stuck in my web of babbling, you can find Peter Parker on Podbean, download the web directly from here, or listen on your phone as you run from spiders on SoundCloud.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Oops, forgot to publish one!
Coach gave me a free run today. I say "gave" because it felt like a gift. A reminder to go out and enjoy myself. The spider webs and horse flies did their best to keep things angry but I managed to avoid a huge spider and even killed three horse flies. So I guess I had it coming.
Anyway, things went okay. I wanted to go faster but I knew I needed to do just what Coach told me and dial things back a bit and have fun. So no HRM and even though I wore a watch, I didn't use it as a time keeper. Instead I started RunKeeper on my phone then tucked it away to ignore it. I checked it halfway through and then again near the end. I wanted to keep things close to the 1:05 in the plan but didn't want to pay attention to how far I went. And I'm glad I didn't. I was a bit depressed when I saw I barely went three miles. Way slower than I wanted but I feel like I accomplished what was in the plan. I recorded a podcast, took some pictures, and posted a Vine. And took plenty of walking breaks. And a few stopping breaks to kill horse flies. And a few stopping breaks to wipe the spiderwebs off my face. So all in all, not too bad of a workout.
Photos:
The shape of the beach always changes.
This was the massive spider I avoided (thankfully). I'm sure I'll have nightmares about it tonight. Hard to tell, but it was easily the size of a quarter.
Weather:
Temps were about 80F to 85F. Humidity was high. Sun was out but the sky was mostly cloudy. There was a breeze but I only felt it on the river bank.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt with granola and some iced coffee. During the run I had just water. Recovery was a breakfast sandwich and an iced latte.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt but my back is a bit tight. I think I've been sitting too much at work. Some foam rolling should held that.
Gear:
Took my hydration pack today to give the hands a rest. This means I also took along some toilet paper, Body Glide, and chap stick. Also took my voice recorder. Aside from that, nothing else special.
Experiment:
Took my knife and cell phone. Both rode easily in the hydration pack without any issues.
Splits:
Finish - 55:27
Anyway, things went okay. I wanted to go faster but I knew I needed to do just what Coach told me and dial things back a bit and have fun. So no HRM and even though I wore a watch, I didn't use it as a time keeper. Instead I started RunKeeper on my phone then tucked it away to ignore it. I checked it halfway through and then again near the end. I wanted to keep things close to the 1:05 in the plan but didn't want to pay attention to how far I went. And I'm glad I didn't. I was a bit depressed when I saw I barely went three miles. Way slower than I wanted but I feel like I accomplished what was in the plan. I recorded a podcast, took some pictures, and posted a Vine. And took plenty of walking breaks. And a few stopping breaks to kill horse flies. And a few stopping breaks to wipe the spiderwebs off my face. So all in all, not too bad of a workout.
Photos:
The shape of the beach always changes.
This was the massive spider I avoided (thankfully). I'm sure I'll have nightmares about it tonight. Hard to tell, but it was easily the size of a quarter.
Weather:
Temps were about 80F to 85F. Humidity was high. Sun was out but the sky was mostly cloudy. There was a breeze but I only felt it on the river bank.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt with granola and some iced coffee. During the run I had just water. Recovery was a breakfast sandwich and an iced latte.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt but my back is a bit tight. I think I've been sitting too much at work. Some foam rolling should held that.
Gear:
Took my hydration pack today to give the hands a rest. This means I also took along some toilet paper, Body Glide, and chap stick. Also took my voice recorder. Aside from that, nothing else special.
Experiment:
Took my knife and cell phone. Both rode easily in the hydration pack without any issues.
Splits:
Finish - 55:27
Snakes in the Road
Run
I kind of enjoyed fartleks today. Am I sick or something? I set up my intervals last night (since my fancy new watch DATA can do that stuff) at 10 minutes and 1 minute. My plan was to run 10 minutes easy and 1 minute fast. As I got into the groove, I aimed for 10 minutes at around 130 to 150 on the HRM and 1 minute above 150. After my minute was up, I walked to bring things back under 130. The plan worked pretty well so I stuck to it through about 5 or 6 intervals. Didn't really have much trouble and my Star Trek podcast kept me distracted so I just listened for the watch to beep at me. I still took regular walking breaks but they were just as needed and not on any set time or with any set plan.
Outside of the fartlek portion, the workout wasn't exactly what I had hoped for with the scenery. I passed a bunch of dead bugs and critters that I'd just as soon never see again. Saw a giant wasp that was dead. Saw a squished praying mantis. And I saw three dead snakes. Two were fairly small but one was about 5 or 6 feet long and clearly a copperhead. Even though I knew it was dead, I kept my eyes on it and went as far around it as I could. And it still scared me. I'm such a ninny sometimes.
Beyond that, had plenty of nice folks out waving to me and giving me plenty of space as a pedestrian. I have a longer blog post brewing about that.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F to 80F. Humidity was moderate to high. Slight breeze. Sun was out but it was a bit hazy.
Fluids and Fuel:
Pre-run was half an iced coffee. During the run I had a bottle of plain water. I finished it with a good 15 minutes to go and just ran the last part dry. No real recovery as I went straight into a bike ride.
Aches and Pains:
My right foot kept falling asleep. I stretched it out a few times and after a few walking breaks it went back to normal. My calves felt tight during the fast minutes but I just attributed that to me flying over the pavement like The Flash.
Gear:
No special gear but I did wear my cycle jersey because I was going for a ride later.
Experiment:
Wore my phone in STRETCH and carried my small pepper spray. Both rode just fine.
Splits:
Outbound - 25:05 (AVG HR 142)
Inbound - 35:48 (AVG HR 151) (slightly longer return section)
Finish - 1:00:54
Ride
You guessed it, a ride to Sheetz for an iced latte. And an iced tea for later. I made a quick change after my fartlek workout to jump on my bike and head to my local gas station/coffee shop. The ride was fairly slow and steady, I wasn't in any mood to push my pace or anything. It was an easy way to cool off and chill out.
Even though I had passed the big dead snake twice on foot and once on my bike, my last time going by I couldn't NOT look at it. I tried to ignore the dead thing but I couldn't resist the urge to make sure it was actually dead and didn't chase me as I rode by the last time. Can you tell I hate snakes?
I was chased by a small dog for a few feet. I rode past a driveway and heard two dogs barking at me, one large and one small. The big ones don't really bother me that much unless they're in a pack. The small ones scare me because I know they tend to bite and they're too damn small to easily kick. Well, he chased me into the road and from the looks of things realized the cars were bigger than him so he quickly left me alone and went home.
Outside of that, I had some nice drivers and some asshole drivers. I was pleasantly surprised by the nice ones that waited to pass me until it was safe and ever gave me a little honk that was clearly a "have a nice day" honk not a "go fuck yourself" honk. Just like my run, I've got a blog post brewing about this.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F to 80F. Humidity was moderate to high. Slight breeze. Sun was out but it was a bit hazy.
Fluids and Fuel:
Had a bottle of Hammer Fizz for the first half. Second half was just a sip or two of my iced latte. Recovery was Hammer Perpeteum, two eggs, and yogurt.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Carried my phone in my cycle jersey and added my knife to hold my cards. Still had my small pepper spray. Everything rode just fine.
Splits:
Outbound - 19:03 (AVG HR 149)
Inbound - 15:01 (AVG HR 140)
Finish - 34:04
I kind of enjoyed fartleks today. Am I sick or something? I set up my intervals last night (since my fancy new watch DATA can do that stuff) at 10 minutes and 1 minute. My plan was to run 10 minutes easy and 1 minute fast. As I got into the groove, I aimed for 10 minutes at around 130 to 150 on the HRM and 1 minute above 150. After my minute was up, I walked to bring things back under 130. The plan worked pretty well so I stuck to it through about 5 or 6 intervals. Didn't really have much trouble and my Star Trek podcast kept me distracted so I just listened for the watch to beep at me. I still took regular walking breaks but they were just as needed and not on any set time or with any set plan.
Outside of the fartlek portion, the workout wasn't exactly what I had hoped for with the scenery. I passed a bunch of dead bugs and critters that I'd just as soon never see again. Saw a giant wasp that was dead. Saw a squished praying mantis. And I saw three dead snakes. Two were fairly small but one was about 5 or 6 feet long and clearly a copperhead. Even though I knew it was dead, I kept my eyes on it and went as far around it as I could. And it still scared me. I'm such a ninny sometimes.
Beyond that, had plenty of nice folks out waving to me and giving me plenty of space as a pedestrian. I have a longer blog post brewing about that.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F to 80F. Humidity was moderate to high. Slight breeze. Sun was out but it was a bit hazy.
Fluids and Fuel:
Pre-run was half an iced coffee. During the run I had a bottle of plain water. I finished it with a good 15 minutes to go and just ran the last part dry. No real recovery as I went straight into a bike ride.
Aches and Pains:
My right foot kept falling asleep. I stretched it out a few times and after a few walking breaks it went back to normal. My calves felt tight during the fast minutes but I just attributed that to me flying over the pavement like The Flash.
Gear:
No special gear but I did wear my cycle jersey because I was going for a ride later.
Experiment:
Wore my phone in STRETCH and carried my small pepper spray. Both rode just fine.
Splits:
Outbound - 25:05 (AVG HR 142)
Inbound - 35:48 (AVG HR 151) (slightly longer return section)
Finish - 1:00:54
Ride
You guessed it, a ride to Sheetz for an iced latte. And an iced tea for later. I made a quick change after my fartlek workout to jump on my bike and head to my local gas station/coffee shop. The ride was fairly slow and steady, I wasn't in any mood to push my pace or anything. It was an easy way to cool off and chill out.
Even though I had passed the big dead snake twice on foot and once on my bike, my last time going by I couldn't NOT look at it. I tried to ignore the dead thing but I couldn't resist the urge to make sure it was actually dead and didn't chase me as I rode by the last time. Can you tell I hate snakes?
I was chased by a small dog for a few feet. I rode past a driveway and heard two dogs barking at me, one large and one small. The big ones don't really bother me that much unless they're in a pack. The small ones scare me because I know they tend to bite and they're too damn small to easily kick. Well, he chased me into the road and from the looks of things realized the cars were bigger than him so he quickly left me alone and went home.
Outside of that, I had some nice drivers and some asshole drivers. I was pleasantly surprised by the nice ones that waited to pass me until it was safe and ever gave me a little honk that was clearly a "have a nice day" honk not a "go fuck yourself" honk. Just like my run, I've got a blog post brewing about this.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F to 80F. Humidity was moderate to high. Slight breeze. Sun was out but it was a bit hazy.
Fluids and Fuel:
Had a bottle of Hammer Fizz for the first half. Second half was just a sip or two of my iced latte. Recovery was Hammer Perpeteum, two eggs, and yogurt.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Carried my phone in my cycle jersey and added my knife to hold my cards. Still had my small pepper spray. Everything rode just fine.
Splits:
Outbound - 19:03 (AVG HR 149)
Inbound - 15:01 (AVG HR 140)
Finish - 34:04
Monday, September 09, 2013
Podcast - Mile 67 - Labor Pains
My in-laws came to visit over the holidays and I promptly ran out the door. Not because I was trying to be rude but because I needed to get my workout in. At least I was able to start my weekend off right with a good run. I just wish I could continue the tradition on a more regular basis.
Anyway, the majority of the show is about a few updates in life, one of them being everyone going back to school. My wife (a teacher) and my kids are now back in school and that means I get the house to myself during the day which means that I get some peace and quite. Not that they were terribly loud this past summer but it's still nice to be able to keep the door open and not hear screaming voices.
Another update is my new coach, Coach Jeff, who will be beating my fat ass into submission for at least the next six months. It's still too soon to tell how well it will work but so far I'm satisfied. The big thing is that I just need somebody to get me moving and so far he's done that.
In other news, I may or may not be doing a guest spot on Ashland Dave's Running In the Center of the Universe podcast. We haven't finalized any details yet but the seed has been planted. However it works out, I'd like to get him on my show at least once. Maybe if I get him talking enough he'll slow down so I can keep up.
And that's about it. Lots of news being birthed in this show so you can go directly to Podbean for the delivery or do it at home on your own. No doula needed. And if you're feeling adventurous, you can even do it on the side of the road through SoundCloud.
Anyway, the majority of the show is about a few updates in life, one of them being everyone going back to school. My wife (a teacher) and my kids are now back in school and that means I get the house to myself during the day which means that I get some peace and quite. Not that they were terribly loud this past summer but it's still nice to be able to keep the door open and not hear screaming voices.
Another update is my new coach, Coach Jeff, who will be beating my fat ass into submission for at least the next six months. It's still too soon to tell how well it will work but so far I'm satisfied. The big thing is that I just need somebody to get me moving and so far he's done that.
In other news, I may or may not be doing a guest spot on Ashland Dave's Running In the Center of the Universe podcast. We haven't finalized any details yet but the seed has been planted. However it works out, I'd like to get him on my show at least once. Maybe if I get him talking enough he'll slow down so I can keep up.
And that's about it. Lots of news being birthed in this show so you can go directly to Podbean for the delivery or do it at home on your own. No doula needed. And if you're feeling adventurous, you can even do it on the side of the road through SoundCloud.
Thursday, September 05, 2013
Forced Death March
I think Coachprs worked some sort of voodoo magic on me while I slept last night. I woke up feeling fairly well rested but pissed off. Seems my lovely wife decided to tickle my foot instead of giving me a kiss. Clearly I have done something to offend the goddess. Anyway, once out of bed, I felt pretty good and not nearly as tired as I normally am for a school day. I hustled everyone off to school and then ran to pick up my car.
Last night was an anomaly of sorts in that we went to town on a weeknight. The kids had check-up appointments with the doctor so it was a bit of a rush to get to town, see the doctor, chow down some dinner, and rush home by bedtime. We made it but in the rush we forgot my car was at the school where I left it before our trip started.
So this morning I was forced, sort of, to run to get it. I was offered a ride from my wife but I knew my car would be a good source of motivation and it fit right in with my planned 1:15 run. Now if I could only stay in that damn Zone 2, I'd be all set. I'm pretty sure I was running in Zone 3 and Zone 4 for most of the run. After a good 3 miles though I felt nice and cozy with my pace and I could breathe easily so I just kept plugging away despite not making it into the elusive Zone 2.
So going to get my car made it a bit of a forced march. The death portion came early as I saw a dead bird in the ditch. A small one. Which made it kind of odd that I even noticed it. I also saw a dead skunk, dead fox, and a dead raccoon. Thankfully the people I saw were all alive. Nearly on my front doorstep was another runner who quickly outpaced me to their stopping point. I also saw a walker and a cyclist. Plus a couple of kids waiting for the bus.
Weather:
Temps were about 65F. Sun was out but a lot of the route was shaded. Light breeze. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was an iced coffee. During the run I had two bottles of plain water. I didn't drink as much as I normally do due to the lower temps but I went through a lot of the water because I'd spit it out. Not sure why. Recovery was a couple of egg sandwiches, an iced latte, and a yogurt.
Aches and Pains:
My right foot fell asleep after a couple of miles. Once I took an extended walk break it woke up. The ball of my left foot started to develop a hot spot but it seems fine now. The small of my back on the left side feels a little tight but nothing too bad.
Gear:
Had to drag along my car keys and license, which I almost forgot, and that was about it.
Experiment:
Since I was headed to school, I left the weaponry at home and just took my phone. It traveled well in STRETCH.
Splits:
AVG HR - 155
Peak HR - 188
Min HR - 95
Finish - 1:11:01
Last night was an anomaly of sorts in that we went to town on a weeknight. The kids had check-up appointments with the doctor so it was a bit of a rush to get to town, see the doctor, chow down some dinner, and rush home by bedtime. We made it but in the rush we forgot my car was at the school where I left it before our trip started.
So this morning I was forced, sort of, to run to get it. I was offered a ride from my wife but I knew my car would be a good source of motivation and it fit right in with my planned 1:15 run. Now if I could only stay in that damn Zone 2, I'd be all set. I'm pretty sure I was running in Zone 3 and Zone 4 for most of the run. After a good 3 miles though I felt nice and cozy with my pace and I could breathe easily so I just kept plugging away despite not making it into the elusive Zone 2.
So going to get my car made it a bit of a forced march. The death portion came early as I saw a dead bird in the ditch. A small one. Which made it kind of odd that I even noticed it. I also saw a dead skunk, dead fox, and a dead raccoon. Thankfully the people I saw were all alive. Nearly on my front doorstep was another runner who quickly outpaced me to their stopping point. I also saw a walker and a cyclist. Plus a couple of kids waiting for the bus.
Weather:
Temps were about 65F. Sun was out but a lot of the route was shaded. Light breeze. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was an iced coffee. During the run I had two bottles of plain water. I didn't drink as much as I normally do due to the lower temps but I went through a lot of the water because I'd spit it out. Not sure why. Recovery was a couple of egg sandwiches, an iced latte, and a yogurt.
Aches and Pains:
My right foot fell asleep after a couple of miles. Once I took an extended walk break it woke up. The ball of my left foot started to develop a hot spot but it seems fine now. The small of my back on the left side feels a little tight but nothing too bad.
Gear:
Had to drag along my car keys and license, which I almost forgot, and that was about it.
Experiment:
Since I was headed to school, I left the weaponry at home and just took my phone. It traveled well in STRETCH.
Splits:
AVG HR - 155
Peak HR - 188
Min HR - 95
Finish - 1:11:01
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
A Spoon
Did my 40 minutes of chest work, got my crap together, then headed out on the bike. I wasn't in a super big rush and only tried to push the pace when I got onto the busier road. I ran over two VDOT measuring devices, saw two dead snakes, nearly had two heart attacks because of the dead snakes, saw a screwdriver, and saw a metal spoon. Oh, and the 1 Leg veteran that I see on occasion at the local Sheetz.
Beyond that, the ride was fairly sedate. I did manage to work up enough of a sweat that I could feel it trickling down my ass crack. But then again, that could have been the chest workout from earlier in the morning.
Photo:
I figure only the Star Wars fans will get why I took this picture.
Weather:
Temps were a cool 65F to 70F. No humidity. Light breeze. Sun was out in full.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was iced coffee and yogurt. During the ride I had a bottle of plain water and a little bit of an iced latte. Didn't really drink too much on the ride since I was cooler than normal.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.
Gear:
Nothing terribly special with gear. Did wear DATA and had to tighten it a bit since it kept slipping a bit.
Experiment:
Took my knife to hold my cards and that was it. Rode just fine in my jersey pocket.
Splits:
Outbound - 17:37 (AVG HR 143)
Aid Station - 6:07 (AVG HR 119)
Inbound - 16:00 (AVG HR 137)
Finish - 33:37 (39:44 total time)
Beyond that, the ride was fairly sedate. I did manage to work up enough of a sweat that I could feel it trickling down my ass crack. But then again, that could have been the chest workout from earlier in the morning.
Photo:
I figure only the Star Wars fans will get why I took this picture.
Weather:
Temps were a cool 65F to 70F. No humidity. Light breeze. Sun was out in full.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was iced coffee and yogurt. During the ride I had a bottle of plain water and a little bit of an iced latte. Didn't really drink too much on the ride since I was cooler than normal.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.
Gear:
Nothing terribly special with gear. Did wear DATA and had to tighten it a bit since it kept slipping a bit.
Experiment:
Took my knife to hold my cards and that was it. Rode just fine in my jersey pocket.
Splits:
Outbound - 17:37 (AVG HR 143)
Aid Station - 6:07 (AVG HR 119)
Inbound - 16:00 (AVG HR 137)
Finish - 33:37 (39:44 total time)
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Ooomph
Ooomph. I had none. At least not this morning. I had everything all planned out and ready to go and then totally bailed before I even got halfway through. No idea why but I just needed to call it quits. So instead of the full 1:15 on the plan, I barely reached 30 minutes. Not how I wanted to start my week but at least I got out of bed this morning. It was a real struggle to break the gravitational hold it had on my fat rear end but my wife helped. A half-naked woman giving you a kiss and a smack on the head will certainly get you moving in the morning. Especially when you know that more smacks will be coming if you don't move smartly.
The run itself was fairly uneventful. Had plenty of cars on the road now that school is back in session. Got plenty of friendly waves. Outside of that, it was boring.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Humidity was moderate. Sun was out. Light breeze.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was half an iced coffee and yogurt. During the run I had a bottle of plain water. Recovery was an iced latte and oatmeal.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt. Legs felt a little tight, but nothing major.
Gear:
Wore my new heart rate monitor and watch. I don't have a name for it yet. One didn't come to me while I ran so I guess I'll just have to think of one while I write this. I think DATA will work just fine. It has lots of bells and whistles, I'm watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, and it gives me extra data that I didn't have before. Seems fitting.
Experiment:
Carried my cell phone in STRETCH and my small pepper spray. Both were just fine.
Splits:
Outbound - 13:36
Inbound - 12:15
Finish - 25:52
AVG HR - 141
Peak HR - 161
Min HR - 106
The run itself was fairly uneventful. Had plenty of cars on the road now that school is back in session. Got plenty of friendly waves. Outside of that, it was boring.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Humidity was moderate. Sun was out. Light breeze.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was half an iced coffee and yogurt. During the run I had a bottle of plain water. Recovery was an iced latte and oatmeal.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt. Legs felt a little tight, but nothing major.
Gear:
Wore my new heart rate monitor and watch. I don't have a name for it yet. One didn't come to me while I ran so I guess I'll just have to think of one while I write this. I think DATA will work just fine. It has lots of bells and whistles, I'm watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, and it gives me extra data that I didn't have before. Seems fitting.
Experiment:
Carried my cell phone in STRETCH and my small pepper spray. Both were just fine.
Splits:
Outbound - 13:36
Inbound - 12:15
Finish - 25:52
AVG HR - 141
Peak HR - 161
Min HR - 106
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
A Garden Update
Haven't talked about my garden in awhile so I thought it would be a perfect time to give a little update.
Pretty much everything is dead.
Yup, I have a pretty good green thumb, but only when I don't use it. If I just let things grow on their own they appear to do quite well. When I decide to intervene, things die.
As you can see here, in July I was doing great by doing nothing.
A few weeks later I started noticing a large increase in stink bugs. I read something online that said you could use a soapy solution to keep them off. Well, it turns out Simple Green doesn't count as a soapy solution. Even when it's watered down. How do I know? Because this is what was left after I removed the dead stuff.
While there is some hope for the tomato plants to maybe, just maybe produce something before winter, I don't think it's going to happen. It's been a mild summer which makes me think it's going to be a harsh winter. Or at least a winter is coming sooner than normal. Oh well. Lesson learned.
Pretty much everything is dead.
Yup, I have a pretty good green thumb, but only when I don't use it. If I just let things grow on their own they appear to do quite well. When I decide to intervene, things die.
As you can see here, in July I was doing great by doing nothing.
A few weeks later I started noticing a large increase in stink bugs. I read something online that said you could use a soapy solution to keep them off. Well, it turns out Simple Green doesn't count as a soapy solution. Even when it's watered down. How do I know? Because this is what was left after I removed the dead stuff.
While there is some hope for the tomato plants to maybe, just maybe produce something before winter, I don't think it's going to happen. It's been a mild summer which makes me think it's going to be a harsh winter. Or at least a winter is coming sooner than normal. Oh well. Lesson learned.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Buzz Buzz
A nice, slow, easy run. Still trying to get the hang of the whole "Zone" thing but I think a heart rate monitor will eventually get me there. Just need to get one. Keeping in mind that I needed to be in Zone 2, I did my best to start off slower than normal. Maybe I went too slow I don't know but I felt sluggish. As usual. Once I got to my turn around point, I did a little fiddling with the trail camera which cost me a few extra minutes. I think in the end it helped as it did a bit of a reset on my internal pace calculator. Once I started up again, I felt more at ease with my pace and a little smoother in my stride.
Horse flies were crazy this morning. Not sure if it was the recent rain or my red hat. I know they like the color blue but man they liked me this morning. And they kept buzzing my legs for some reasons which is really odd since they tend to buzz my head and neck. And I found one tick on me when I finished. He was dealt with.
Vine:
Photos:
The trail looked a little darker than this due to the clouds.
Some crazy looking dude growing. I hear he's a fun guy.
Weather:
Temps were about 77F. Humidity was moderate to high. Partly cloudy with a few sprinkles that never quite reached me through the tree canopy.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was half an iced coffee. During the run I had two bottles of plain water. Recovery was a breakfast scramble, yogurt, and the rest of my coffee.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt. I did take a funny step when I stepped on a sharp rock but I recovered easily enough.
Gear:
No special gear. I used some natural cedar oil to keep the bugs off my legs but I'm not sure if it worked.
Experiment:
Carried my large pepper spray and my cell phone. Had no issues with either of them.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 14:33
Mile 2 - 14:41
Mile 3 - 22:33 (includes several minutes repositioning the trail camera)
Mile 4 - 14:00 (includes pee break)
Mile 5 - 12:35
Finish - 1:18:24
Horse flies were crazy this morning. Not sure if it was the recent rain or my red hat. I know they like the color blue but man they liked me this morning. And they kept buzzing my legs for some reasons which is really odd since they tend to buzz my head and neck. And I found one tick on me when I finished. He was dealt with.
Vine:
Photos:
The trail looked a little darker than this due to the clouds.
Some crazy looking dude growing. I hear he's a fun guy.
Weather:
Temps were about 77F. Humidity was moderate to high. Partly cloudy with a few sprinkles that never quite reached me through the tree canopy.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was half an iced coffee. During the run I had two bottles of plain water. Recovery was a breakfast scramble, yogurt, and the rest of my coffee.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt. I did take a funny step when I stepped on a sharp rock but I recovered easily enough.
Gear:
No special gear. I used some natural cedar oil to keep the bugs off my legs but I'm not sure if it worked.
Experiment:
Carried my large pepper spray and my cell phone. Had no issues with either of them.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 14:33
Mile 2 - 14:41
Mile 3 - 22:33 (includes several minutes repositioning the trail camera)
Mile 4 - 14:00 (includes pee break)
Mile 5 - 12:35
Finish - 1:18:24
Monday, August 26, 2013
Podcast - Mile 66 - No Sex, Just Divorce
What in the hell does that title mean? It means that I won't talk about sex in my podcast. Or in my blog. At least not my sex life. Believe it or not, I do have boundaries. Want to talk about sex? No problem. But don't expect me to talk about what I did in bed last night.
And the divorce part is really the meat of this podcast. I get into the history of how divorce impacted my life and what it means to me. Granted, I can't go into all sorts of details because there just isn't the time in one mile. But I cover some of the highlights that were at the top of my mind when I recorded. The topic has been on the front burner lately because of therapy and I'm glad I'm working through it. Although I don't always feel like there's anything to work through. Because of my age at the time of my parent's divorce, I've never really felt like it happened to me. It's always felt like it happened to some other kid and I just took over his life a few years later.
Anyway, if you're feeling happy, this is a great episode to listen to to bring you down a bit. If you're feeling sad, hopefully this doesn't send you over the edge. It's more deep than dark. You can listen to the episode on Podbean or download it directly here. I'm also considering a move to SoundCloud so if you have their app, you can listen there as well.
And the divorce part is really the meat of this podcast. I get into the history of how divorce impacted my life and what it means to me. Granted, I can't go into all sorts of details because there just isn't the time in one mile. But I cover some of the highlights that were at the top of my mind when I recorded. The topic has been on the front burner lately because of therapy and I'm glad I'm working through it. Although I don't always feel like there's anything to work through. Because of my age at the time of my parent's divorce, I've never really felt like it happened to me. It's always felt like it happened to some other kid and I just took over his life a few years later.
Anyway, if you're feeling happy, this is a great episode to listen to to bring you down a bit. If you're feeling sad, hopefully this doesn't send you over the edge. It's more deep than dark. You can listen to the episode on Podbean or download it directly here. I'm also considering a move to SoundCloud so if you have their app, you can listen there as well.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Rita Run and Ride
Run
Yep, got overheated again. Should have pushed to do this all in the morning when it was super nice but due to the usual family obligations, I had to push things back to this afternoon. Which ended up working out but man, the temps were higher than I had hoped for.
Aside from the heat, I was feeling sluggish and crampy pretty much the entire time. I didn't feel dehydrated but that may have been a factor. I didn't get quite as overheated as the other day but I think I knew it was coming so I just slowed down earlier to prevent it.
Most interesting of all was the reaction I got from the cars passing by. Nearly all of them would wave or give me plenty of room as they passed. Nearly the complete opposite of how my bike ride went. Really starting to understand why cyclists have an attitude to those driving cars. Bunch of wankers.
On a side note, I saw an extraordinary number of StrawBEERita cans. Based on the numbers I saw, the area drinkers prefer the strawberry flavor over the regular margarita flavor four to one.
Photos:
Some of the pretty flowers on the route.
First floor is nearly done.
StrawBEERita!
Weather:
Temps were about 80F to 85F. Humidity was moderate to high. Sun was out in full. Light and cool breeze.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt and iced coffee. Lunch was a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and iced tea. Had half a Coke on the ride home. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and a bottle of plain water. Should have used ice in both of them.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt but I felt stiff and sore in the legs. Felt a little like concrete shoes but not quite.
Gear:
No special gear but I ran shirtless.
Experiment:
Wore my phone in STRETCH and it worked fine. Carried my knife in my shorts and had no issues.
Splits:
Outbound - 33:16
Inbound - 33:03
Finish - 1:06:20
Transition - 10:09
Bike
The ride was much easier than the run. Going fast helped cool me down. It also gave me a bit of a break and I could rehydrate and get back to a more balanced feeling. Still felt sluggish but did my best to stay steady and just ride.
Tried to do the planned 95 rpm but could only max out around 80 rpm. Even going down hill in a low gear it was hard to go much higher than that.
Vine:
Weather:
Temps were about 80F to 85F. Humidity was moderate to high. Sun was out in full. Light and cool breeze.
Fluids and Fuel:
During the ride I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and a bottle of plain water. Finished all of the Fizz but only half of the water. Recovery was some yard work followed by a dinner of sushi (California style with brown rice) and rice.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt until the last 20 minutes or so when my left hip started to flare up for some reason. Outside of that, things felt fine, just tired.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Carried my phone and my knife in my jersey and had no issues.
Splits:
Finish - 1:00:42
Yep, got overheated again. Should have pushed to do this all in the morning when it was super nice but due to the usual family obligations, I had to push things back to this afternoon. Which ended up working out but man, the temps were higher than I had hoped for.
Aside from the heat, I was feeling sluggish and crampy pretty much the entire time. I didn't feel dehydrated but that may have been a factor. I didn't get quite as overheated as the other day but I think I knew it was coming so I just slowed down earlier to prevent it.
Most interesting of all was the reaction I got from the cars passing by. Nearly all of them would wave or give me plenty of room as they passed. Nearly the complete opposite of how my bike ride went. Really starting to understand why cyclists have an attitude to those driving cars. Bunch of wankers.
On a side note, I saw an extraordinary number of StrawBEERita cans. Based on the numbers I saw, the area drinkers prefer the strawberry flavor over the regular margarita flavor four to one.
Photos:
Some of the pretty flowers on the route.
StrawBEERita!
Weather:
Temps were about 80F to 85F. Humidity was moderate to high. Sun was out in full. Light and cool breeze.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt and iced coffee. Lunch was a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and iced tea. Had half a Coke on the ride home. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and a bottle of plain water. Should have used ice in both of them.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt but I felt stiff and sore in the legs. Felt a little like concrete shoes but not quite.
Gear:
No special gear but I ran shirtless.
Experiment:
Wore my phone in STRETCH and it worked fine. Carried my knife in my shorts and had no issues.
Splits:
Outbound - 33:16
Inbound - 33:03
Finish - 1:06:20
Transition - 10:09
Bike
The ride was much easier than the run. Going fast helped cool me down. It also gave me a bit of a break and I could rehydrate and get back to a more balanced feeling. Still felt sluggish but did my best to stay steady and just ride.
Tried to do the planned 95 rpm but could only max out around 80 rpm. Even going down hill in a low gear it was hard to go much higher than that.
Vine:
Weather:
Temps were about 80F to 85F. Humidity was moderate to high. Sun was out in full. Light and cool breeze.
Fluids and Fuel:
During the ride I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and a bottle of plain water. Finished all of the Fizz but only half of the water. Recovery was some yard work followed by a dinner of sushi (California style with brown rice) and rice.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt until the last 20 minutes or so when my left hip started to flare up for some reason. Outside of that, things felt fine, just tired.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Carried my phone and my knife in my jersey and had no issues.
Splits:
Finish - 1:00:42
Thursday, August 22, 2013
There Will Be Blood
This was tougher than expected. And slower. I had 1:15 on the plan for Zone 2 (yeah, still learning what that means to me - I'm sure I'll get it but I wasn't too worried about it today). I managed to hit my turn around pretty close to my halfway point but then crashed and burned with half a mile left. Haven't run in the heat that much this summer and haven't run this long on a regular basis so I have plenty of excuses why my fat ass couldn't go as fast as I wanted to. But I'm happy to have finished in one piece.
The run itself would end up being tougher than I first thought. Tough enough to make me a little nervous when I saw the blood. But more on that later. Outside of the blood, the run was mostly hot and humid. Saw a lizard just chilling in the middle of the road and when I ran back the other way I'm pretty sure he was squished to hell. I felt bad for the guy, but only a little. I'm not a big lizard fan.
Vine:
Photos:
A new house going up.
The last photo that will ever be taken of this lizard. Poor guy didn't last long.
Weather:
Temps were 85F to 90F. Humidity was moderate to high. Sun was out in full. No wind.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, an egg, yogurt, and iced coffee. Had a glass of orange juice a couple hours after that. Had a mini-lunch of chips, cheese, and ham about an hour before the run. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz with a little ice and a bottle of plain water with no ice. Finished both. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite with a little milk and chocolate ZICO.
Aches and Pains:
Now we get to the scary part. The run hurt like I expected it to. I was hot, tired, stiff, and sore. That was all normal. The outbound leg went okay but on the way back I started to chafe a little. It gradually got worse but wasn't bad enough to make me walk or hobble. The last two miles or so I felt a little better energy-wise and picked up the pace a little but with about half a mile left I crashed and started to overheat. I got hot enough to get goosebumps. When I took my shorts off I saw blood where a man never wants to see blood. Turns out it wasn't too bloody but I had indeed chafed more than I thought I did. Hoping the A+D ointment clears things up.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Carried my phone in STRETCH and a knife in my shorts. Both rode well with no issues.
Splits:
Outbound - 37:56
Inbound - 40:27
Finish - 1:18:24
The run itself would end up being tougher than I first thought. Tough enough to make me a little nervous when I saw the blood. But more on that later. Outside of the blood, the run was mostly hot and humid. Saw a lizard just chilling in the middle of the road and when I ran back the other way I'm pretty sure he was squished to hell. I felt bad for the guy, but only a little. I'm not a big lizard fan.
Vine:
Photos:
A new house going up.
The last photo that will ever be taken of this lizard. Poor guy didn't last long.
Weather:
Temps were 85F to 90F. Humidity was moderate to high. Sun was out in full. No wind.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, an egg, yogurt, and iced coffee. Had a glass of orange juice a couple hours after that. Had a mini-lunch of chips, cheese, and ham about an hour before the run. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz with a little ice and a bottle of plain water with no ice. Finished both. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite with a little milk and chocolate ZICO.
Aches and Pains:
Now we get to the scary part. The run hurt like I expected it to. I was hot, tired, stiff, and sore. That was all normal. The outbound leg went okay but on the way back I started to chafe a little. It gradually got worse but wasn't bad enough to make me walk or hobble. The last two miles or so I felt a little better energy-wise and picked up the pace a little but with about half a mile left I crashed and started to overheat. I got hot enough to get goosebumps. When I took my shorts off I saw blood where a man never wants to see blood. Turns out it wasn't too bloody but I had indeed chafed more than I thought I did. Hoping the A+D ointment clears things up.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Carried my phone in STRETCH and a knife in my shorts. Both rode well with no issues.
Splits:
Outbound - 37:56
Inbound - 40:27
Finish - 1:18:24
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
A Missed Tree
Not exactly an easy run but it was a nosy run. Saw the construction signs up this morning for some road work and I knew I needed to see what was happening. And since I didn't get my trail run in this morning since my wife needed help with her bulletin board (yes, I'm a teacher spouse), I knew I'd get a chance to actually see the work. So that's what I did. Went to be nosy and see what work they were doing.
Turns out they were just trimming the trees. I was bummed. Partly because I was hoping they would work on the ditch on both sides since they're pretty intense (like nearly 4 feet deep in some sections). I was also partly bummed because they didn't even trim the entire road. In fact, they turned around before the bottom of the hill where I ran past a branch hanging on a phone line. Um, guys? You missed a tree here.
Vine:
Photo:
I'm a lumberjack and I totally have saw-envy. I could really have fun with one of these.
Weather:
Temps were about 85F. Humidity was high. Partly cloudy sky but I was in the sun the entire time. Light wind.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, yogurt, and iced coffee. I had a snack of an iced latte and an apple fritter a few hours before the run. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite and leftover roast with rice and green beans. And a few marshmallows for dessert.
Aches and Pains:
Felt sluggish and tired but nothing really hurt. I pushed it hard up the first hill to get out of the work crew's way. I could feel the extra effort on the way back as I struggled to make it up the hill.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Wore my phone in STRETCH. Stashed my knife in my shorts. Everything rode well.
Splits:
Outbound - 21:40
Inbound - 21:56
Finish - 43:37
Turns out they were just trimming the trees. I was bummed. Partly because I was hoping they would work on the ditch on both sides since they're pretty intense (like nearly 4 feet deep in some sections). I was also partly bummed because they didn't even trim the entire road. In fact, they turned around before the bottom of the hill where I ran past a branch hanging on a phone line. Um, guys? You missed a tree here.
Vine:
Photo:
I'm a lumberjack and I totally have saw-envy. I could really have fun with one of these.
Weather:
Temps were about 85F. Humidity was high. Partly cloudy sky but I was in the sun the entire time. Light wind.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, yogurt, and iced coffee. I had a snack of an iced latte and an apple fritter a few hours before the run. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite and leftover roast with rice and green beans. And a few marshmallows for dessert.
Aches and Pains:
Felt sluggish and tired but nothing really hurt. I pushed it hard up the first hill to get out of the work crew's way. I could feel the extra effort on the way back as I struggled to make it up the hill.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Wore my phone in STRETCH. Stashed my knife in my shorts. Everything rode well.
Splits:
Outbound - 21:40
Inbound - 21:56
Finish - 43:37
Asking For Help
I'm slowly getting better at asking for help. Slowly. I still hate doing it and I'm not sure why. Maybe I see it as a sign of weakness. Maybe I see it as a failure in my upbringing. I don't know. It's just hard. I want to do everything the best that I can and I want to do it myself. I want to be in control. I think I'm the best. Well, at some things at least. So asking for help with something is hard.
The really sad part is that typically when I ask for help, and I get help, I feel so much better. So much less stress to worry about. So much less weight to carry around. I don't have that extra burden of whatever that monkey on my back is. Or was. Sometimes I enjoy that ability to not worry about the problem. The dishes. The laundry. The oil change. Whatever it is, it's nice to just sit back and relax and know that it's getting done. Granted, I don't always relax because my "I gotta be in control" voice flares up and screams "NO! THAT'S NOT HOW YOU LOAD THE DISHWASHER!!!!!!"
But I also know that that's a stupid thing to think. In the case of the dishwasher, my wife is capable of loading and unloading the thing. She may not do it the way I want it done but that doesn't mean it won't work. Hell, even I forget and do it the "wrong" way sometimes.
Anyway, the point of this is, I need help. No, not right now. Well, I do, but this isn't a red flag I'm throwing up asking everyone to call me. What I'm getting at is I need help. I'm getting help. I will get help. I have gotten help. And the help, well, it helps. So if you're out there cracking under the pressure of something that's too much for you to handle, don't be afraid to reach out and ask somebody to help. It could be something small like picking up your newspaper in the morning or something big like paying off your credit card debt. Whatever it is, don't be afraid. Just sit down, ask, and see what happens. Hopefully you'll only need to ask for help once before somebody says yes. But if you do need to ask more than one person before finding somebody willing to help out, don't feel bad about that either. Sometimes people have too much of their own shit to worry about.
The really sad part is that typically when I ask for help, and I get help, I feel so much better. So much less stress to worry about. So much less weight to carry around. I don't have that extra burden of whatever that monkey on my back is. Or was. Sometimes I enjoy that ability to not worry about the problem. The dishes. The laundry. The oil change. Whatever it is, it's nice to just sit back and relax and know that it's getting done. Granted, I don't always relax because my "I gotta be in control" voice flares up and screams "NO! THAT'S NOT HOW YOU LOAD THE DISHWASHER!!!!!!"
But I also know that that's a stupid thing to think. In the case of the dishwasher, my wife is capable of loading and unloading the thing. She may not do it the way I want it done but that doesn't mean it won't work. Hell, even I forget and do it the "wrong" way sometimes.
Anyway, the point of this is, I need help. No, not right now. Well, I do, but this isn't a red flag I'm throwing up asking everyone to call me. What I'm getting at is I need help. I'm getting help. I will get help. I have gotten help. And the help, well, it helps. So if you're out there cracking under the pressure of something that's too much for you to handle, don't be afraid to reach out and ask somebody to help. It could be something small like picking up your newspaper in the morning or something big like paying off your credit card debt. Whatever it is, don't be afraid. Just sit down, ask, and see what happens. Hopefully you'll only need to ask for help once before somebody says yes. But if you do need to ask more than one person before finding somebody willing to help out, don't feel bad about that either. Sometimes people have too much of their own shit to worry about.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Podcast - Mile 65 - Dead Fucking Last
In the ultrarunning world, the letters DFL tend to stand for Dead Fucking Last. Or Dead Freaking Last if you're trying to polite. As you get more comfortable in this niche of runners, you'll learn other things like DNS (Did Not Start), DNF (Did Not Finish), and even DFL > DNF > DNS (as in finishing last is better than not finishing and not finishing is better than not starting). Well for me, it was DFL. And as I said in my race report, I got exactly what I deserved. I didn't train like I should have and it showed. But at least I finished.
In other news, I got to meet Ashland Dave in person. And while I wanted to do some sort of appearance on his show or better yet, do an interview with him, I was (big surprise) barely able to work up enough gumption to just say hello. But I'm glad I did and I'm glad we had the opportunity to chat a little bit.
So there you have it. You can be the last one to listen to it on Podbean, or you download the Caboose yourself here.
In other news, I got to meet Ashland Dave in person. And while I wanted to do some sort of appearance on his show or better yet, do an interview with him, I was (big surprise) barely able to work up enough gumption to just say hello. But I'm glad I did and I'm glad we had the opportunity to chat a little bit.
So there you have it. You can be the last one to listen to it on Podbean, or you download the Caboose yourself here.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Legs
Leg 1
Decided to ride my bike to my trail run in an attempt to add some mileage to the legs without tearing them up completely. The ride was pretty uneventful but I did give a thumbs-up to the two ladies running on the other side of the road.
Photos:
This is the old haunted mansion that I rode past. Kind of a landmark in the area.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Light wind. Mostly cloudy. Light humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt and iced coffee. Drank about half a bottle of plain water. With so little fuel, I'm starting to wonder if I'm turning into Biddz .
Aches and Pains:
None.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my large pepper spray. Rode well.
Splits:
Finish - 45:35
Leg 2
Felt pretty decent during the run. The weather was nice and it wasn't too sunny. Saw a cyclist at the start and that was it. Had to do some engineering but I managed to swap out the SD cards on both trail cameras.
Photos:
Today's view of the trail.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. It was windy but you couldn't feel it in the trees. Mostly cloudy with some sun. Light humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Had a bottle of plain water.
Aches and Pains:
None but I could feel a lot of the gravel I ran on since I was in my thinner trail shoes.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my large pepper spray. Rode well.
Splits:
Transition - 7:30
Mile 1 - 12:53 (includes pee break)
Mile 2 - 13:38
Mile 3 - 15:15 (includes SD card swap)
Mile 4 - 12:13
Finish - 53:59
Leg 3
The last leg of the workout was the hardest. I was feeling the lack of fuel and there was a serious headwind on the way back. Strong enough to make it difficult to pedal downhill sometimes.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Heavy headwind. Mostly cloudy with some sun. Light humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Finished my Hammer Fizz and had more water. Had a few sips of my iced latte. Recovery was, not so good. Pretty much just the iced latte until a few hours later when I managed to score some McDonald's.
Aches and Pains:
None but my legs were pretty thrashed.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my large pepper spray. Rode well.
Splits:
Finish - 1:05:33 (includes a few minutes getting my iced latte)
And this is what I did when I got home.
Decided to ride my bike to my trail run in an attempt to add some mileage to the legs without tearing them up completely. The ride was pretty uneventful but I did give a thumbs-up to the two ladies running on the other side of the road.
Photos:
This is the old haunted mansion that I rode past. Kind of a landmark in the area.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Light wind. Mostly cloudy. Light humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt and iced coffee. Drank about half a bottle of plain water. With so little fuel, I'm starting to wonder if I'm turning into Biddz .
Aches and Pains:
None.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my large pepper spray. Rode well.
Splits:
Finish - 45:35
Leg 2
Felt pretty decent during the run. The weather was nice and it wasn't too sunny. Saw a cyclist at the start and that was it. Had to do some engineering but I managed to swap out the SD cards on both trail cameras.
Photos:
Today's view of the trail.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. It was windy but you couldn't feel it in the trees. Mostly cloudy with some sun. Light humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Had a bottle of plain water.
Aches and Pains:
None but I could feel a lot of the gravel I ran on since I was in my thinner trail shoes.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my large pepper spray. Rode well.
Splits:
Transition - 7:30
Mile 1 - 12:53 (includes pee break)
Mile 2 - 13:38
Mile 3 - 15:15 (includes SD card swap)
Mile 4 - 12:13
Finish - 53:59
Leg 3
The last leg of the workout was the hardest. I was feeling the lack of fuel and there was a serious headwind on the way back. Strong enough to make it difficult to pedal downhill sometimes.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Heavy headwind. Mostly cloudy with some sun. Light humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Finished my Hammer Fizz and had more water. Had a few sips of my iced latte. Recovery was, not so good. Pretty much just the iced latte until a few hours later when I managed to score some McDonald's.
Aches and Pains:
None but my legs were pretty thrashed.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my large pepper spray. Rode well.
Splits:
Finish - 1:05:33 (includes a few minutes getting my iced latte)
And this is what I did when I got home.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Ali Run
Just a nice afternoon run to get the juices going. I managed to remember my squats and pushups before I started my run so I was happy to get those out of the way first. They seem to be a little bit harder after a run.
During the run I think I managed to see all of two cars go by me. Guess the other end of the street isn't as busy. Or maybe it's because I ran down a gravel road that's rarely used. Anyway, the peace and quiet was nice. I was tempted a few times to turn on my music but instead enjoyed the sounds of my heavy breathing and shuffling stride.
I tinkered with a Vine video, watched butterflies float around the road, and killed a horse fly that decided to bite me on my knee. Felt like a damn needle. Hope my smack felt like a damn brick. And the Vine didn't upload so it was lost in the ether. Oh well.
Aside from the horse fly, the run as pretty nice. I even managed to push it up nearly every hill. Not that they were large or anything but they were big enough to make me work.
Photos:
This is one side of the swamp I ran past. Very pretty.
And this is a tiny lizard I nearly stepped on. Oddly enough, he didn't scare me. He's hard to see but he's right in the middle of the picture.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F to 80F. Sun was out. Light breeze. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, donut, and iced latte (it was a cheat day). During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and most of a bottle of plain water. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite and a salad with salmon and edamame.
Aches and Pains:
None really. For the most part I felt like I was floating along.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my .380 and ID. I keep forgetting that the lower pocket bounces too much for the gun. The upper pocket worked great.
Splits:
Outbound - 32:13
Inbound - 31:07
Finish - 1:03:20
During the run I think I managed to see all of two cars go by me. Guess the other end of the street isn't as busy. Or maybe it's because I ran down a gravel road that's rarely used. Anyway, the peace and quiet was nice. I was tempted a few times to turn on my music but instead enjoyed the sounds of my heavy breathing and shuffling stride.
I tinkered with a Vine video, watched butterflies float around the road, and killed a horse fly that decided to bite me on my knee. Felt like a damn needle. Hope my smack felt like a damn brick. And the Vine didn't upload so it was lost in the ether. Oh well.
Aside from the horse fly, the run as pretty nice. I even managed to push it up nearly every hill. Not that they were large or anything but they were big enough to make me work.
Photos:
This is one side of the swamp I ran past. Very pretty.
And this is a tiny lizard I nearly stepped on. Oddly enough, he didn't scare me. He's hard to see but he's right in the middle of the picture.
Weather:
Temps were about 75F to 80F. Sun was out. Light breeze. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, donut, and iced latte (it was a cheat day). During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and most of a bottle of plain water. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite and a salad with salmon and edamame.
Aches and Pains:
None really. For the most part I felt like I was floating along.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my .380 and ID. I keep forgetting that the lower pocket bounces too much for the gun. The upper pocket worked great.
Splits:
Outbound - 32:13
Inbound - 31:07
Finish - 1:03:20
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Combined
Testing out a bit of a new format. Since today's run and bike were pretty much the same workout, I'm just lumping them into one entry. Deal with it.
Run
Just a short run since I knew I'd be out on my bike right after. Nothing too exciting but I did stop to take some photos. Weather was super-awesome. Run itself was fairly tepid? Boring? Un-exciting? I don't know, it was what it was.
Let's see, what else, oh, I saw the scary dog my wife has seen before. The big dog that's been seen gnawing on a dead possum. It's the first time I've seen him but he just sat there in his yard looking content to chill in the sun. The dogs on the other side of the creek though were a bit more excited about me going by. They didn't chase me but made it known I was too close to their territory. Figures that the small dogs are the scarier ones.
Photos:
Saw these pretty flowers along the way.
That's a beer bottle floating in the creek. Or maybe it's just stuck in the mud.
I don't know why, but I'm quickly becoming obsessed with taking a picture of this damn crooked tree.
Weather:
Temps were about 75. Sun was out. Light breeze. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was two eggs, three slices of bacon, two slices of toast, yogurt, and iced coffee. I had to get up early and I didn't like it. During the run I had a bottle of plain water. No recovery since I rolled right into my bike.
Aches and Pains:
Felt a little stiff and sore but that's about it.
Gear:
Took my recorder to do a podcast.
Experiment:
Took my phone in STRETCH. Took my large pepper spray. Bounced around a bit more than I wanted thanks to my decision to wear my cycle jersey. I did pull it out when the dogs started barking but never used it.
Splits:
Outbound - 14:53 (not quite accurate since I started late)
Inbound - 15:38
Finish - 30:31
Bike
Today's ride was a pretty normal ride. Got to pedal my fat ass to the local gas station/coffee shop so I can get some sugary goodness disguised as a latte. Along the way I had a nice image in my little rear view mirror of an 18-wheeler drifting over my line as traffic was coming the other way in the other lane. Thankfully the trucker was nice enough to bully over the other driver and give me plenty of room. More room than some of the other butt-head drivers out there. It's amazing the difference in reactions I get as a runner compared to a cyclist.
I also got the usual amount of stares and bizarre looks as I was doing my stuff at Sheetz. Maybe it was some crazy bike dude locking up his bike, maybe it was some crazy bike dude in super-tight shorts inside, or maybe it was some crazy bike dude pouring his iced latte into his water bottle. Who knows.
Anyway, that was pretty much it for the ride. I did manage to safely pass a broken-down truck on the shoulder and safely pass a local pedestrian on his way home with some food from CVS (since he's been kicked out of Sheetz for panhandling).
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Sun was out in full. Wind was light on the way out and a little stronger on the way back. Humidity was low.
Fluids and Fuel:
Had a bottle of Hammer Fizz on the way out and nothing on the way back. Recovery was homemade chili, Hammer Recoverite, and an iced latte.
Aches and Pains:
Legs felt sore but that was about it.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my knife, phone, and large pepper spray. All worked fine.
Splits:
Outbound - 17:22
Aid Station - 8:52
Inbound - 16:25
Finish - 33:49 (42:41 total time)
Run
Just a short run since I knew I'd be out on my bike right after. Nothing too exciting but I did stop to take some photos. Weather was super-awesome. Run itself was fairly tepid? Boring? Un-exciting? I don't know, it was what it was.
Let's see, what else, oh, I saw the scary dog my wife has seen before. The big dog that's been seen gnawing on a dead possum. It's the first time I've seen him but he just sat there in his yard looking content to chill in the sun. The dogs on the other side of the creek though were a bit more excited about me going by. They didn't chase me but made it known I was too close to their territory. Figures that the small dogs are the scarier ones.
Photos:
Saw these pretty flowers along the way.
That's a beer bottle floating in the creek. Or maybe it's just stuck in the mud.
I don't know why, but I'm quickly becoming obsessed with taking a picture of this damn crooked tree.
Weather:
Temps were about 75. Sun was out. Light breeze. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was two eggs, three slices of bacon, two slices of toast, yogurt, and iced coffee. I had to get up early and I didn't like it. During the run I had a bottle of plain water. No recovery since I rolled right into my bike.
Aches and Pains:
Felt a little stiff and sore but that's about it.
Gear:
Took my recorder to do a podcast.
Experiment:
Took my phone in STRETCH. Took my large pepper spray. Bounced around a bit more than I wanted thanks to my decision to wear my cycle jersey. I did pull it out when the dogs started barking but never used it.
Splits:
Outbound - 14:53 (not quite accurate since I started late)
Inbound - 15:38
Finish - 30:31
Bike
Today's ride was a pretty normal ride. Got to pedal my fat ass to the local gas station/coffee shop so I can get some sugary goodness disguised as a latte. Along the way I had a nice image in my little rear view mirror of an 18-wheeler drifting over my line as traffic was coming the other way in the other lane. Thankfully the trucker was nice enough to bully over the other driver and give me plenty of room. More room than some of the other butt-head drivers out there. It's amazing the difference in reactions I get as a runner compared to a cyclist.
I also got the usual amount of stares and bizarre looks as I was doing my stuff at Sheetz. Maybe it was some crazy bike dude locking up his bike, maybe it was some crazy bike dude in super-tight shorts inside, or maybe it was some crazy bike dude pouring his iced latte into his water bottle. Who knows.
Anyway, that was pretty much it for the ride. I did manage to safely pass a broken-down truck on the shoulder and safely pass a local pedestrian on his way home with some food from CVS (since he's been kicked out of Sheetz for panhandling).
Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Sun was out in full. Wind was light on the way out and a little stronger on the way back. Humidity was low.
Fluids and Fuel:
Had a bottle of Hammer Fizz on the way out and nothing on the way back. Recovery was homemade chili, Hammer Recoverite, and an iced latte.
Aches and Pains:
Legs felt sore but that was about it.
Gear:
No special gear.
Experiment:
Took my knife, phone, and large pepper spray. All worked fine.
Splits:
Outbound - 17:22
Aid Station - 8:52
Inbound - 16:25
Finish - 33:49 (42:41 total time)
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