2014 ICY-8 Race Report

Let's start this race report with a bit of a backstory. The flu sucks and totally took me out of my normal training schedule. I missed a planned long run of 5 or 6 hours and missed pretty much all of my training for a good week or more. So I'm not too surprised that I didn't meet my primary goal today of 32 hours. Despite missing my goal, I'm still okay with that. Mostly.

I got up this morning at 0500, showered, dressed, and went on my merry way. I had done some prep work last night so I had pretty much everything ready to go. Just grabbed a few bags and I was out the door. I was surprised how easy it was and I'm glad I did it that way. I'll have to remember that for the future.

I made a pit stop at a local store for the bathroom which is pretty normal. However I bought a large bottle of water so I could have something warm to drink as I started and ended up wasting too much time in line checking out. Added to this, I managed to get behind a car going to the race that decided to drive slow. Dangerously slow. I'm talking 35 in a 55 and 25 in a 40. I mean, seriously? The roads were not icy and were completely clear and dry. There was no reason to go that slow and if you wanted to go that slow, you could have at least pulled over to let the ten cars behind you go by at a normal speed.

All of this added up to me getting to the race later than planned. I had enough time to get out of my car, drop my bags, check in, go to the bathroom, pin my bib on, fill up my water bottles, and start the race. I knew I was pressed for time when I had to finish getting dressed during the race brief. That was not my style and I was not happy but I dealt with it and carried on. I had everything I needed for my first loop so I wasn't too worried. Oh, side note, I saw Andy Jones Wilkins (aka AJW) at the check in table. I was going to tell him I knew a famous runner, Biddz , but I don't think he would have gotten the joke.

On my first loop, I went out too fast. My heart rate was too high and the incline right at the start wasn't helping. I did my best to slow down and keep things in the right zone but it was a lost cause. So I did my best and went with the flow. I made it to my halfway point right on time and came back. I finished my first long loop and felt good about things. I was still cold but not as freezing as I was at the start. My heart rate was still too high but the excitement of the start of the race had gone so I was feeling more in the groove.

I cruised into the aid station, dropped some stuff, grabbed some stuff, and was back out running in 20 seconds. I was so happy to make it in and out that fast that it took me a mile to realize I forgot my electrolytes. And thus I doomed myself to missing my goal. I had no backup plan in place for missing this essential item so I did what I could. I again made it to my halfway point on time and made my way back.

After my second long loop I again hit the aid station and I was again still on track with my time. But I was behind on my electrolytes for the last 8 miles so I knew I needed to get some before I left. And I did. But instead of going with my normal go-to Hammer Fizz, I went with Hammer Endurolytes. They worked fine but I don't know how much to take so I winged it based on what Coach said. I took 2 pills at the aid station and another two halfway through my third long loop. It helped but it wasn't enough. By the time I was halfway through my third loop, I was still within my time goal but I had to start walking because the cramps were fierce. Like bad enough to make me stop and stretch. During this third long loop I eventually had to do the math to determine if I had enough time to do a fourth long loop to meet my goal. It quickly became apparent I wouldn't have enough time so I did the math to see if I could do a short loop instead. As I figured it then, I had enough time to do a short loop and have 20 to 30 minutes to spare. I'd later find out my math was wrong.

I came back into the aid station a final time after my third long loop and quickly grabbed my Hammer Fizz. I had to ditch my fuel source and rinse the bottle but it was worth it. The Fizz helped and so did the iced tea I grabbed. I survived the final, short loop and my cramping lessened, though it didn't go away. My last two times in the aid station I spent maybe 2 minutes each time, maybe 3 minutes the last time. So all together, maybe 5 minutes in the aid station for three trips. Pretty good and I'm happy that I was able to save so much time there. Even though I'm not happy about forgetting my electrolytes the first time through.

Anyway, the last half of the third loop and all of the fourth loop were walking. And hobbling. The cramps sucked but I somehow found a way to mentally push through the pain and force myself to continue moving the last 8 or so miles. I think this was a success considering I wanted to quit a few times on that third loop, especially when I knew I wouldn't meet my goal. But I made myself start the fourth loop.

Another failure, beside the flu, the missed training, and the forgotten electrolytes, I also did some bad math. As I mentioned before, my math was good enough to determine a fourth long loop was out. But when I did the math for a short loop, I somehow did something wrong. So when I started my final, short loop, I got to a spot where I knew the mileage and I was suddenly moved from 30 minutes of wiggle room to 10 minutes short. I knew I was averaging 20 minute miles and I knew I had just shy of 5 miles to go. That's 100 minutes (or an hour and 40 minutes). But I only had 90 minutes left to do it in before time ran out. My maths be not so good.

The positive that came out of this was that somehow I found the mental strength to actually run. Not often and not far but I was moving faster than a walk. I think if I hadn't done this I would have had a minute or two cushion time instead of the 7 minutes I finished with. So I'd push myself about 20 paces or so then walk another 20 then run 20, etc. I could only manage it over a mile or two but it helped enough to increase my cushion and reduce my deficit. That was a win for me.

Another win was the complete lack of chafing. I lubed up after my shower and have no blisters or hot spots. Sure, I hurt, but nothing I didn't expect. I'd like to thank BodyGlide for making this possible. And I'd like to thank Smartwool socks, Altra Zero Drop shoes, and TStar by Biddz for making great products that reduced or eliminated any chafing. My toes and taint appreciate it.


Photos:
My shoes after 28+ miles of frozen then thawed mud and horse shit.

The look on my face after said 28+ miles. I'm pooped.

Weather:
Temps were 25F at the start and 50F at the finish. Winds were light. The sun was out. The trail was frozen solid the first two loops and then got muddy when it thawed. This meant the horse tracks and horse shit was frozen the first 4 hours. If you've never run on frozen horse tracks, I don't recommend it. It hurts.

Fluids and Fuel:
Took one serving of GenUCan half an hour before the race. Drank 2 liters of plain water for the first three loops. This is below normal and part of my electrolyte problem. Drank another serving of GenUCan on my second loop. Drank a mouthful of GenUCan on the third loop and ended up dumping the rest. I felt very full and heavy and didn't want anymore. I had one applesauce pouch at the end of the first loop, another at the end of the second loop, two more during the third loop, and one more during the fourth loop. I had two perogies after my second loop and two more after my third loop. On my fourth loop I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and a bottle of iced tea. I took two Hammer Endurolytes at the end of my second loop and two more halfway through my third loop. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite mixed with water and coffee followed by two more perogies and an iced latte on the way home. Dinner was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and broccoli.

Aches and Pains:
This is where the fun begins. The bottom of my feet hurt, mostly because of the frozen terrain the first four hours and my shoes didn't have a rock plate in them. I expected this. During my third loop I slipped, caught myself on a tree with my right arm but somehow pulled something in my left arm. It feels okay but not quite normal. My back hurt from wearing the hydration pack but I expected that. My calves, quads, hamstrings, and knees are stiff and sore. Mostly my right side. And my right hip hurts and is weak. I can lift my right leg but not very far.

Gear:
I wore shorts, pants, shorts, thermal shirt, short sleeve shirt, and Buff. I had two Buffs with me the whole time and used them together or one at a time as needed. I wore a vest for the first loop and the last loop. I wore a winter hat for the first two loops then switched to my Buff. I wore two pairs of gloves for the first loop, ditched one pair after my second loop, and grabbed a pair for my fourth loop. I wore my Nathan pack for the first three loops and carried my Amphipod handheld for my last three loops. I also carried my knife the entire race as well as my quaterback arm band.

Heart Rate:
From the start I knew I was way over my planned heart rate zones. The hill at the start didn't help and the excitement of the race got to me for the first loop. By the second loop I had calmed down some but then I began to tank in my third loop and by the fourth loop I was in the right zone but only when walking. I would repeatedly catch myself in the 170s.

Splits:
Loop 1 (8 miles) - 1:47:30 (AVG HR 159)
Loop 2 (8 miles) - 1:57:30 (AVG HR 167)
Loop 3 (8 miles) - 2:28:07 (AVG HR 158)
Loop 4 (4.7 miles) - 1:39:49 (AVG HR 149)
Finish (28.7 miles) - 7:53:17
MIN HR - 74
AVG HR - 158
MAX HR - 181
RHR - unknown

Frozen Ankles

Not quite the run I wanted to do but I did it. Having missed two runs over the weekend I was happy to go out and run but a half hour was just not how long I wanted to run. It did help my back feel a little better though so I guess that was good. And the temps were much nicer than before but still. Guess i should quit complaining.

So let me bitch about my back instead. For some unknown reason I wok up yesterday with a stiff back. It's usually caused by sleeping on it funny so I generally dismissed it. I had a massage yesterday which helped loosen things up but it still felt tight like I needed to crack it. Last night it hurt enough to wake me up because I couldn't get comfortable. But seeing as my bed is so damn soft, I'm not surprised by that either. So after tossing and turning for hours, I went out and laid down on the living room floor. I stretched, rolled, flexed, and generally tried not to make too much noise. Thankfully I missed the giant Lego mess and I eventually fell asleep. For a little bit. But the floor was cold so I went back to bed with an hour left before I needed to get up. After some more tossing and turning, I eventually got a few more winks of sleep before my alarm went off. Still hurts today but it's bearable. For now.

The run was, well, boring as all hell. I swapped the camera memory card, saw giant dog prints in the snow, and that was it. Pretty damn boring. But I didn't slip on the packed snow so I guess I should be happy.

Photo:
Trail conditions were pretty nice this morning.

Vine:
vine.co/v/Mu1F1u0mV5b

Weather:
Temps were a balmy 40F. Winds were light. Sky was mostly cloudy but there was some sun. Ground was covered in what was left of our three inches of snow.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was coffee. During the run I had a bottle of water. Recovery was oatmeal, yogurt, and more coffee.

Aches and Pains:
My back. Aside from that, my lungs were still on fire from the cold air and from the flu last week.

Gear:
No special gear but gaiters would have helped. My ankles got cold out there. Wore shorts, pants, thermal shirt, long sleeve shirt, vest, winter hat, balaclava, and gloves.

Heart Rate:
Left it at home so I don't know.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 13:48
Mile 2 - 17:19
Finish - 31:07
RHR - 55

Class 6 Felony

What a run. Never knew it until this weekend but wearing a mask in the state of Virginia is a Class 6 Felony. Oops. Hope they decide fix that because I wore two today! Well, one balaclava and a Buff that worked pretty much like a second mask. It was cold as shit out and I'm thinking I'm finally on board with getting a treadmill. But damn are they expensive!

Anyway, I plodded through the fluffy snow with my hands, nose, and toes frozen. They eventually thawed but my face was still damn cold the entire run. Had some wind (and wind chill) to deal with but I survived. Saw a ton of tracks, animal and human, so it was nice to know I wasn't alone out there.

Oh, and this was my first run post-flu.

Photos:
Swamp was pretty frozen.

I was pretty frozen.

Somebody wrote HARRY POTTER in the snow. Along with a few smiley faces.

Weather:
Temps were 16F when I started and warmed to 17F by the end. Winds were light at the start but picked up on the way back to more moderate 15mph to 20mph. Sun was out in full.

Fluids and Fuel:
Pretty much nothing. Had a dentist appointment before my run so I didn't eat breakfast. And I forgot about my spare applesauce in the car so I had no fuel on the run. I did have a bottle of plain water which eventually froze with half a mile to go. Drank most of it before it got to that point but it did make it interesting. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite mixed with water and rice milk.

Aches and Pains:
Chest was on fire from breathing the cold air and from not being able to breathe as well as normal thanks to last week's flu fight. Aside from that and the being cold part, the run was fairly normal. Did have some serious fatigue at the end but that was likely because of the lack of running and lack of fuel.

Gear:
Wore shorts, pants, shorts, thermal shirt, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, wind breaker shell, balaclava, winter hat, Buff, Altra Lone Peak shoes, and SmartWool socks. I also wore two pair of gloves. Thankfully the Buff, socks, and wind breaker saved my ass from freezing to death out there. I also took along my cell phone and knife.

Heart Rate:
Couldn't see it since I was wearing my snowboarding gloves which go way up my arm. But I'm pretty sure it was way too high.

Splits:
Mile 0.8 - 12:23 (AVG HR 142)
Mile 1 - 14:29 (AVG HR 150)
Mile 2 - 21:02 (AVG HR 157) (includes camera work)
Mile 3 - 14:59 (AVG HR 161)
Mile 4 - 14:54 (AVG HR 159)
Mile 0.8 - 12:19 (AVG HR 150)
Finish - 1:30:22
MIN HR - 76
AVG HR - 154
MAX HR - 180
RHR - 58

This Week Flu By

As I sit here recovering from my  bout with the flu, I thought I'd give a timeline of what happened and when.

Wednesday
Training Plan - 1:20 run with surges
Training Completed - 1:07 with surges

After a normal day of work and school, we continued on with our normal routine at night. Dinner, showers, homework, and bedtime. We had one minor outlier with my son William who suddenly had a fever. I say suddenly because we (my wife and I) didn't notice anything out of the ordinary earlier in the day. It wasn't until getting him ready for bed that we knew something was up.

So we took his temp and sure enough, a fever. With that in mind, I planned on taking him to the doctor in the morning. It wouldn't be that big of a deal since I was working late for the week and had already gotten my run in and was feeling okay if I missed my upper body workout the next day.

Thursday
Training Plan - Upper body workout
Training Completed - Nothing

With an even higher fever, it was a trip to the doctor for sure. After dosing him up with meds to bring the fever down some, my son and I headed to the local urgent care center in the morning. We stopped for some breakfast and coffee (for me) and then got checked out (for him). His strep and flu tests came back negative but we got an anti-biotic since one ear looked slightly inflamed. We came home and chilled out. I got some work done but nothing terribly major since I was constantly checking on him.

After having kids for a bit, you start to know them better than they know themselves. So when William didn't want to eat much, still had a fever through the day, and wanted to take naps instead of watching cartoons, I knew things weren't getting better. So it wasn't too much of a surprise that my wife took him to the pediatrician that night to get him checked out again. His flu test came back positive almost immediately so we stopped the anti-biotic and started the Tamiflu.

Friday
Training Plan - 2:15 run
Training Completed - Nothing

Friday was pretty much a repeat of Thursday but with fewer naps, a little more food, and a lower temperature. These were all good signs but he still wasn't fever free so that meant no school. Which meant I was again on nurse duty instead of getting a lot of work done. I was happy to see his fever come down and that he was eating a little more. I wasn't so happy to miss my workout but knew it the right thing to do. Not like I can just leave him home alone watching cartoons.

Another casualty of William getting sick was our planned couple's massage on Saturday. We knew he needed to be fever free for a day before being non-contagious so we knew that would likely come on Saturday. Which meant that my dad didn't really want to expose himself to the flu and we didn't blame him. So with us being out a sitter and still having a sick kid, we rescheduled the massage to a later date.

Saturday
Training Plan - 3:00 run
Training Completed - Nothing

With Friday's run in the toilet, I knew Saturday's would be too. So I asked my coach if I could shift some of the missed running time to Sunday to make up for it. I don't like to "make up" for missed runs because things usually go wrong and it sets the wrong mentality that I can make up for it. Thankfully he's on board with that too but agreed that I could change my Sunday run to 5:00 hours. With that being the plan and with getting approval from my wife, I was good to go with that.

The rest of the day was spent doing our usual errands and chores like getting groceries. William was feeling better and I had no symptoms other than I woke up with a tiny tickle in the back of my throat. That tickle would turn out to be more but I just thought I slept funny and my sinuses drained awkwardly enough to make me cough a bit more than normal. I went to bed Saturday night feeling just fine. Things were going great until about 2200. I took a pill that has a side-effect of giving you a mild headache unless you hydrate a little more than normal. I didn't so I thought the headache was normal.

It wasn't. The headache went away but came back at 2200 ten times worse. I tossed and turned until about 0100 and took my temperature. Yep, I had a fever. So I tossed and turned the rest of the night worrying about missing my run in the morning but feeling pretty certain that I had the flu.

Sunday
Training Plan - 1:30 run 5:00 run
Training Completed - Nothing

Sunday morning I woke up feeling much worse than the night before. I checked again and sure enough, I still had a fever. This along with a massive headache led me to believe I had the flu. I've learned to listen to my body and understand it enough to know when something is wrong and I'm generally right in diagnosing myself. So after suffering through a long morning trying to get my fever down I finally relented and let my wife take me to the same urgent care center I was at Thursday.

My flu test came back negative but I saw the same doctor and when he heard my son tested positive for the flu later in the day he decided I needed to be on Tamiflu too. So instead of aiming for 5 hours of running and about 20 miles on the trail, I ended up spending an extra 5 hours in bed and having somebody drive me 20+ miles to the doctor because I was too woozy to drive myself. I spent the rest of the day and night trying to rest and watch the playoff games.

Monday
Training Plan - Recovery
Training Completed - Sort of recovered

I was happy to see Denver going to the SuperBowl but not so happy to see the 49ers lose. Since the Steelers didn't make I had to pick somebody, right? Anyway, I felt a little better but got almost no sleep. I stayed up late watching a movie and trying to read but ended up with only a few hours of sleep sitting up in the recliner in the living room. Better than nothing but not as good as I needed. The day was spent resting more and making a trip for coffee. I was well enough to drive but still wasn't feeling too wonderful. My fever was down a bit but not where it needed to be.

Tuesday
Training Plan - 1:30 run
Training Completed - Nothing

I slept fairly well last night but woke up feeling exhausted. So even though I have a ton of work to do at work, I knew I needed another day to recover well enough to actually work coherently. So I called in sick with the intent to go back to work Wednesday. The kids have a snow day so it'll be a loud and busy house but I'm sure I can at least squeeze in a nap at some point.

With my son feeling better and on his last day of Tamiflu and with me feeling a little better and halfway through my Tamiflu, I'm hoping, really really hoping, that nobody else in the house gets sick. It sucks. It always sucks but this is worse than my usual man-cold that I get once a year or so. What really sealed the deal for me was the larger than normal headache and the fever. Usually I get more of a sinus headache when I get sinus infections or some bronchitis. This headache was much worse. And I never get a fever. So yes doctor, I'm pretty sure your test was wrong and I do/did have the flu.

Conclusion
I missed nearly eight hours of training and I'm okay with that. Even though I was really looking forward to a long run on Sunday I knew I had a valid reason to miss it. And I must be making progress in my training because I don't even feel bad about it. Maybe it was because I knew I was really sick and maybe it was because I knew I shouldn't feel guilty about it. And even though I had a brief moment of panic that my next race is a short two weeks away and that I probably wouldn't meet my goal, I'm okay with that too. Okay, not entirely okay, but at least 80% to 90% okay with it. Much more okay with it than I would under different circumstances.

Podcast - Mile 77 - Book Review

After a holiday hiatus, I'm back to delivering one of the cheapest, shortest, ultramarathon podcasts out there. So sit back while I regale you with a book review. Or two.

First up, we have The Dakota Cipher by William Dietrich. This historical fiction is about a wanna-be James Bond that works for Napoleon, Thomas Jefferson, and himself. The book was entertaining at times but not very well written. The main character, Ethan Gage, is written in such an over-the-top way that he's hard to see as a real person. Same goes for the name-dropping throughout the novel. Thankfully, one character, Pierre, saves the day.

Second, well, there is no second. I ran out of time to do a second review. But I did manage to screw up my own numbering system. This is actually Mile 77, not the Mile 76 I claim. It's not the first time I've done it but since I don't edit or do any post-production fancy-pants stuff, I just have to live with it. Which is actually harder than it sounds due to my OCD nature.

Anyway, that's it for now. If you're wondering what the surgery is that I'm alluding to in this episode, it's my vasectomy. You can read all about it here. Or you can read the book I reviewed in this episode. Just don't pay too much for it.

My New Mustache

Kinda wimped out a bit on today's run. Felt even more sluggish than I did yesterday. Pretty sure it was because I ate breakfast right before I went to run instead of waiting until I was finished. I'll try to fix that tomorrow.

Anyway, the rest of the run was fairly quiet. Saw only two other people on the trail walking a dog. The rest of the trip was foggy, chilly, and kinda boring.

Photo:
My new balaclava comes with a mustache.

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/hLU7H9AUiPv

Weather:
Temps were about 40F. Sky was overcast. Fog was dense. No wind. Very light rain.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was one egg, three bacon, two toast, and coffee. During the run I had a bottle of plain water. Recovery was hammer Recoverite.

Aches and Pains:
None.

Gear:
Two pair of shorts, pants, thermal top, long sleeve top, balaclava, and gloves. Also carried my knife and my voice recorder.

Heart Rate:
Managed to keep it within the plan for the first two miles then fell apart on my second surge. Struggled to keep it in the planned zones after that but did manage to actually surge when I needed to.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 12:40 (AVG HR 133)
Mile 2 - 12:39 (AVG HR 139)
Mile 3 - 13:17 (AVG HR 145)
Mile 4 - 13:53 (AVG HR 150)
Mile 5 - 14:56 (AVG HR 149)
Finish - 1:07:26
MIN HR - 80
AVG HR - 143
MAX HR - 171
RHR - 59

D-Mark Line

Despite eating rather poorly yesterday on my rest day and not sleeping very well last night, I somehow managed to have a nice training run. I really wanted to crawl back into bed but I knew if I did I likely wouldn't get out again until lunch time. So I poked along and eventually got ready to run and got my rear out the door.

Once on the trail, I was happy to see that most of the rain was light and stayed away until later in the afternoon. I hoofed it down to my planned turnaround point but decided to push things an extra half mile so I'd have a total of one extra mile on the run. Not that much of a big deal but my real goal was to see what was moving around down the trail. Turns out it was probably just a squirrel.

Along the way, I saw pretty much nothing of interest. Nope, wait, I forgot about the loose dogs. They saw me and ran back into the woods so it was really a non-event for me.

Photo:
This is the D-Mark line. Well, half of it. Kinda hard to see but it's a straight line that's cleared.

Weather:
Temps were about 45F at the start and maybe 50F by the end. Sky was overcast and rain was light. No wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Before the run I had a little coffee. During the run I had a bottle of plain water and an applesauce pouch around the second mile. Recovery was  bacon and cheese sandwich, oatmeal, and a latte.

Aches and Pains:
None really. Felt a little sluggish and winded even though my heart rate was low.

Gear:
Wore two pair of shorts, thermal shirt, short sleeve shirt, gloves, and headband. Carried my knife and that was it.

Heart Rate:
Felt like I was running higher than I actually was. Didn't really get out of Zone 2 until I turned around. Tried to push it the last two miles with an extra focus on the last mile.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 16:49 (AVG HR 127)
Mile 2 - 13:22 (AVG HR 133)
Mile 3 - 13:59 (AVG HR 139)
Mile 4 - 13:17 (AVG HR 143)
Mile 5 - 13:27 (AVG HR 142)
Mile 6 - 12:27 (AVG HR 146)
Mile 7 - 11:45 (AVG HR 152)
Finish - 1:35:08
MIN HR - 100
AVG HR - 140
MAX HR - 168
RHR - 60

DRHT Long Run

It sounds weird but I feel much better after getting in my long run today. I was behind on my mileage and my time for the week and over the last three days I had a total of 6 hours on the plan but only managed to get in an hour and a half. Well short of what I wanted and what I needed. So today I planned on a 4 hour stretch. And I nailed it. So I may be a bit short overall, I feel much better about this week.

So, the run. It started last night with what I can only hope will be a new tradition. As a family, we played two board games. I've become a big fan of Wil Wheaton's Tabletop YouTube channel and the kids have watched a few and enjoyed them. So we got Settlers of Catan Jr. for Christmas this year. And the kids like it. So do I. And my wife even seems to like it. So we played a round of that last night and then broke out Star Wars Monopoly. The kids stayed up late and we all had a good time. So last night I was a bit amped up because of all the fun. Which meant I didn't sleep well. So when I woke up at 0500 instead of 0600 to pee, I decided to just change and start my run an hour early.

So after stashing the new trail cams on the trail, I headed out for my run in the dark. It was colder than expected but my Buffs once again saved my ass from freezing. I meandered down the trail and ran into the sunrise. I piddled with the cameras when I got to them and then headed back to the car. By now the sun was up, I had stashed my headlamp, and I was feeling great. On the way back I got my lights, dropped some trash, took a dump, and kept on going. Once I got back to my car I headed back out in the other direction to get more time and squeaked out two more miles.

Along the way I had the shit scared out of me by a beaver and a turkey. I also saw, well, nobody and nothing the entire time. It wasn't until I was in my last two miles of the run that I saw other people (four people and two dogs). Pretty lonely out there today.


Picture:

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/hLahLJX3T9z

Weather:
Temps started at about 35F and eventually warmed to 40F or 45F by the end. It took an hour or so after sun up to really feel any difference though. And the ground was still semi-frozen even then. Sky was clear and the sun was out. No wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Drank a GenUCAN before the run and nothing else. During the run I had plain water in my hydration pack. I had just under two liters and drank most of it. I also had a bottle of Hammer Fizz at the two hour mark. I ate three applesauce pouches; one at two hours, one at three hours, and one at three and a half hours. I was starving by the end. Recovery was a veggie sub, mozzarella sticks, and a latte.

Aches and Pains:
No real pains to speak of other than a few sharp rocks that I stepped on. My left hamstring was getting tight towards the end but I think that was due to a lack of electrolytes and a lack of fluids.

Gear:
Wore two pair of shorts, gaiters, thermal shirt, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, two Buffs, and winter gloves. I had my hydration pack and my knife along with my phone.

Heart Rate:
Best success to date with the first two hours barely getting into upper Zone 2. Didn't go into Zone 3 until about 2 and a half hours. Started pushing the pace towards the end and eventually maxed out. No idea what my RHR was this morning though.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 12:50 (AVG HR 135)
Mile 2 - 13:27 (AVG HR 135)
Miles 3 and 4 - 33:52 (AVG HR 136) (includes gun range bypass and pee break)
Mile 5 - 13:50 (AVG HR 135)
Mile 6 - 13:45 (AVG HR 135)
Mile 7 - 16:30 (AVG HR 140) (includes aid station stop)
Mile 8 - 20:08 (AVG HR 127) (includes some dicking around with the trail cameras)
Mile 9 - 14:14 (AVG HR 144)
Mile 10 - 19:40 (AVG HR 137) (includes dropping a log)
Mile 11 - 14:33 (AVG HR 146)
Mile 12 - 16:23 (AVG HR 152) (includes gun range bypass)
Mile 13 - 13:34 (AVG HR 155)
Mile 14 - 15:41 (AVG HR 156)
Mile 15 - 13:31 (AVG HR 155)
Mile 16 - 12:31 (AVG HR 163)
Finish - 4:04:38
MIN HR - 86
AVG HR - 142
MAX HR - 180
RHR - Unknown

Does a Lumberjack Shit in the Woods?

Why of course he does. Where else is he going to take a dump? A real man doesn't need an outhouse.

Thankfully I didn't need to use leaves today because they were frozen. Just like the water drops on the leaves. And the rocks on the trail. And the mud on the trail. I've slipped in mud before but today was the first time I've slipped ON mud. Actually ran through the puddles because they were liquid and I knew I'd at least get some traction. Bizarre stuff this morning. Not including my doodie in the woods.

Let's see, found four shotgun shells this morning just off the trail. At a minimum it was littering, at most it was illegal hunting and trespassing. ::sigh:: Why are some people such idiots?

Anyway, the rest of the run was wet and cold. I shockingly was able to talk myself into running five more miles that I thought I would. I went out for what should have been a two plus hour run and quickly found myself fighting a gurgling belly and a cold rain. So, I ran a mile, turn around, and came back. I was totally planning on bailing out after just two miles but my belly needed some relief before that so I stopped to do my doodie duty. Once I started running again, I felt much better and somehow found myself warmed up enough to continue running. So I did. For another five miles. I was still short of my goal on time but I felt much better when I finished. Quitting after 7 miles is much easier on the soul than quitting after 2 miles. Plus, I was getting soaked and cold and didn't want to risk hypothermia. Today was one of those days where I was skirting the line between Bad Ass and Dumb Ass.

Photo:
After my run.

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/h3D9aOWDK96

Weather:
Temps were 32F during the run. No sun and lots of rain. No wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was half a coffee. During the run I had water and an applesauce pouch. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite mixed with some coffee and two slices of toast.

Aches and Pains:
Blister on my right heel didn't hurt at all. Everything else felt fine, just a bit sluggish.

Gear:
Wore shorts, pants, shorts, thermal top, long sleeve shirt, vest, winter hat, and gloves. Within the first half mile I had to put on both of my extra Buffs. Also wore my hydration pack and carried my knife.

Heart Rate:
Kinda gave up on keeping things in Zone 2 after the first few miles. Focused instead on keeping things fast enough to stay warm. Did try to push it a little harder over the last couple of miles.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:29 (AVG HR 147)
Mile 2 - 15:36 (AVG HR 152) (includes taking a dump)
Mile 3 - 14:28 (AVG HR 151)
Mile 4 - 14:03 (AVG HR 151) (includes pee break)
Mile 5 - 13:59 (AVG HR 152)
Mile 6 - 12:48 (AVG HR 160)
Mile 7 - 12:18 (AVG HR 161)
Finish - 1:34:44
MIN HR - 87
AVG HR - 153
MAX HR - 180
RHR - 59

The Sad State of Politics in King George, Virginia

Since I'm on a politics rant for today regarding the shunning of Ruby Brabo, why not add another one.Communication. Specifically, the lack of. A neighboring school lost a building in a fire and I had an idea I wanted to share. A possible solution to their problem that our County might be able to help with. So I shared that idea with my local leaders. Since I wasn't sure who was in charge of what, I shared with both the Board of Supervisors and the School Board. That's a total of ten people. Here they are along with their email addresses:

School Board

Dahlgren District - Ken Novell - knovell@kgcs.k12.va.us
James Madison District - Kristin Tolliver - ktolliver@kgcs.k12.va.us
James Monroe District - T. C. Collins - tcollins@kgcs.k12.va.us
Shiloh District - Mike Rose - mrose2@kgcs.k12.va.us
At-Large District - John Davis - jdavis@kgcs.k12.va.us

Board of Supervisors
Dahlgren District -Ruby Brabo - rubyb@co.kinggeorge.state.va.us
James Madison District -Joe Grzeika - jgrzeika@co.kinggeorge.state.va.us
James Monroe District -Jim Howard - jhoward@co.kinggeorge.state.va.us

Shiloh District -Cedell Brooks - cbfh98@verizon.net

At-Large District -Dale Sisson - sisson4kg@msn.com

So like I said, I sent them an email with my idea. All of those that responded were polite and professional about it. But not everyone responded. I got responses from:

• John Davis
• Dale Sisson
• Mike Rose
• Ruby Brabo
• Joe Grzeika

That's five people out of ten. Half of the people I sent a message to responded. To me, this is the primary source of the problem we have within our local government; nobody wants to communicate. I mean, come on people, let's move into the present where the Pony Express is a footrace and not the main communication line with the west coast. Let's move into the present where we hear about news before it's even on the news. Let's move into the present where people have cameras, video recorders, computers, telephones, and navigation systems in their pocket. Let's move into the present where communication is mandatory to move forward.

I fell the lack of communication coming from our leadership is the source of our problem. These old farts sitting on the board never had to talk about what they did in the past. Nobody came to the meetings so they never needed to worry about explaining why they did something. Well guess what, now everyone knows and they know as soon as you do it. So when one individual decides to openly communicate with the very citizens that voted them in, the rest of the group gets nervous and decides to ostracize them. Ever hear of the five monkeys and the banana on a ladder? Welcome to the paradigm of bad politics. Let's stop spraying cold water and work together to get the banana.

How Coke Can Destroy My Mood

When I was younger, my Dad and I would go to a local restaurant for dinner on a fairly regular basis. He would order wing dings and an iced tea and I would order a gyro. When the waitress would ask what I wanted to drink, the conversation would go something like this:

Waitress: What would you like to drink?

Me: A Coke.

Waitress: What kind of Coke?

Me: Mr. Pibb.

In this specific area, we called all soda "Coke" for some reason. Probably the same reason my wife called it "pop" when she grew up in Pittsburgh. So when I talk about Coke here, sometimes I'm referencing "soda" and sometimes the actual product "Coke."

Growing up, Coke wasn't a regular drink at home. That honor went to milk and Kool-Aid. But whenever I went out to eat, I drank a Coke. It was part of what made eating out so special. As I got older and spent more time with my Mom and step-father, I realized I didn't like Pepsi. I liked Pepsi products, but not Pepsi. I don't know why. It was just too sweet I think and Coke had just enough of a nice kick and acidity to make it more appealing. Plus that's what I usually had available to me when I went out to eat in my geographic area.

When I went to college in north-western Pennsylvania, I had to adjust. It was Pepsi territory which meant I had to switch to Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew to survive eating out. But it wasn't until I went home during a break in classes and saw the dentist that I realized what I was doing. I ended up getting a bit of Mountain Dew Mouth and had my first cavity. As a student with no parents to monitor me, I treated every meal as if it were a meal at a restaurant. So even though my meal plan covered milk, water, juice, or any number of other drinks, I almost always chose soda. After my freshman year, things got worse when there was a small dining hall in my dorm that was essentially a generic McDonalds. This would turn out to be the main source of my addiction for the coming years. It set a precedent that nearly every meal could be, and sometimes should be, accompanied by a soda.

After getting in the habit of drinking 30 to 60 ounces of Mountain Dew a day for years, I graduated college and moved on to adulthood. This meant that my habits changed little over time and were mostly governed by what I could afford. I wasn't on a meal plan that my parents paid for so water was cheaper to drink than Coke. But I still drank Coke. Fast forward a few years and I land a steady job. Coke becomes a part of my diet yet again for nearly every meal. I'd drink one for breakfast to wake up, one at lunch to wash it down, and another in the afternoon to keep going. The pattern of drinking was there, it was just modulating as time passed.

Fast forward another few years and I land an even steadier job with my current employer. Like many tech companies at the time, sodas were 25 cents per can. It was like being back in college again where I could almost, almost drink for free. I'd easily drink two to six cans of Coke a day for years. I was yet again reinforcing my bad habits without knowing it.

At some point in time I got sick with a sinus infection or the flu or bronchitis or something like that. I lost my appetite for a few days and, somehow, stopped drinking Coke for three days straight. I had a small streak started and I had quit cold turkey and best of all, my detox side affects were masked by my illness. So I took the opportunity and ran with it. For the next few years, I quit drinking Coke. Period.

Then ultra marathons entered my life and Coke was a staple at many aid stations. To make sure I wouldn't have a bad stomach during a race, I started drinking again. Not anywhere near the levels I had before but the pleasure of drinking had increased. So the one drink I'd have a month would feel like a week's worth of drinks all at once. Over time I would loosen my own personal restrictions on Coke consumption and a few times I would even train specifically with Coke as part of my drop bags or fluid consumption during training runs and races.

That's quite a lot of backstory on how Coke makes me depressed but I think it's important to put out there. I honestly feel, now, that Coke is addictive and can be detrimental to your life like alcohol or some other drug. However, I also feel that, like everything else out there, a little bit of something is okay. Too much of something isn't. So I try to put Coke and beer in the same category. You can have one, but remember that there will be some consequences if you drink it. With Coke, I'll get depressed. With beer, I can't drive.

That brings us to the depression piece of this post. The whole reason I'm writing this is to talk about the odd mental aspect of drinking Coke. A few years ago I realized that every time I drank a Coke, I felt great for a few hours. I felt refreshed, light on my feet, and maybe a little hyper. But for the next day, or two, or sometimes three, I'd feel down. Depressed. Blue. Sad. Whatever you want to call it, I just wasn't feeling good about anything. I'd be more irritable and grumpy with my family and co-workers. Any little thing would set me off. I wasn't depressed enough to be suicidal but I was depressed enough to struggle getting out of bed in the morning. It felt very much like a hangover but was more mental and less physical.

I have experimented with various types of Coke and nearly every one has the same result. The only exception I've found is Cheerwine. I never drank it when I lived in North Carolina, but tend to pick up a bottle when I feel like drinking soda. And even though I don't drink that much Coke, I can still taste the difference between a glass bottle, plastic bottle, a can, and from the fountain. But none of these various serving styles make a difference. I thought it could have been the corn syrup but the Mexican Coke with plain sugar still impacts me the same way. Even Diet Coke makes me wonky. And I don't think it's the caffeine because I drink coffee and tea and they don't do anything like this.

I know I don't eat as healthy as I could. But I am glad I stopped drinking so much Coke. I may once again wean myself off completely but I still have a six pack in the fridge calling my name. Begging me to get high all over again.

A Day at the Beach

Yup, I ran outside today in the "polar vortex" everyone is talking about. Personally, I don't think it was quite that bad but, I will admit, I did get cold. Apparently I ran with the wind for the first half which meant a strong headwind on the way back. Right when I was getting tired and sweaty and cold. So yeah, I got cold but not dangerously so. Best part of the run was getting a wave from the old lady walking her dog outside. And the funny look on her face as I kept trudging along. And the toys I found next to a Dora book titled "A Day at the Beach." I laughed and laughed.

The rest of the run was pretty uneventful. Although my eyes did freeze together once. And I did spill a little bit of water on my glove and it froze in seconds. Outside of that, it was a pretty typical day on the street.

Photo:
Me and Dora chilled outside for a bit.

Weather:
Temps were 10F to 15F. Winds were moderate making wind chills about -10F. The sun was out and I could feel it in a few spots but not many.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was two eggs, two vegan sausage patties, two waffles, yogurt, and coffee. During the run I had a bottle of plain water and a bottle of Hammer Fizz. I finished the Fizz and most of the water. Recovery was leftover pork chops and rice.

Aches and Pains:
Had some rubbing on my right heel from my pants zipper but not enough to worry about. Face was cold but again, not enough to worry about. Everything else was fine.

Gear:
Wore shorts, pants, another pair of pants, and another pair of shorts. Wore a thermal top, long sleeve top, and a wind breaker. Wore a winter hat, two pairs of gloves, a neck gaiter, and a balaclava. Didn't take my phone because I was worried it would freeze.

Heart Rate:
Didn't wear my monitor but I'm pretty sure my first two miles were in Zone 2 and the rest were Zone 3.

Splits:
Outbound - 36:43
Inbound - 36:10
Finish - 1:12:53
RHR - 61

Vasectomies and Ultrarunning

As the title suggests, this is going to be a touchy topic. So feel free to leave now. If you continue to read, you'll be graced with graphic descriptions of my own penis and testicles and a few mentions of my sex life. Hopefully I can keep the dick jokes to a minimum though. I would like to keep this as clinical and objective as possible. On a positive note, I won't be showing any pictures. So, with that said, let's move one.

Okay so this is going to be very TMI and graphic and, by the very nature of things, sexual. In the past I have always hesitated to disclose any specifics about my sex life because as far as I'm concerned that is private between my wife and myself. However I have decided to disclose a wee little bit, no pun intended, specifically about how my recent surgery affects me.

Now for those of you that do not know what a vasectomy is, it's where the vasa deferentia is transected, removed, truncated, capped, whatever you wanna call it. It's separated therefore live, active sperm is not introduced into the ejaculate and therefore the man is no longer capable of impregnating the woman. I know that's a whole lot of science and medicine and biology and big fancy words but it's the only way I can do this with a straight face. So anyway, it's not like a dog or cat or something like that where they are neutered. I still have my testicles, they still work, it's just some of the plumbing is no longer connected.

So having said all of that I don't necessarily want to make a big deal out of why I did it or how it will impact my sex life. What I really want to do is get into more of the running-related impact of having a vasectomy and how it will impact my life in that manner. I am NOT comfortable disclosing all the details of my sex life so we'll just leave it at my wife and I do not want to have any more children. After researching all the different alternatives to birth control, this was the most viable option. But before I get to far ahead, let's break things down into three main categories of discussion. First, there's the psychological baggage, then the social stigma, and finally the physical impact.

Psychological Baggage

For some men, many men, I don't think it's a big deal. You go, you get it done, and that's it. But for me it's a whole lot more. I'm not a big fan of doctors, not in the sense that I don't like doctors as much as I don't like going to the doctors. Or hospitals for that matter. And I think part of it stems from my mother and when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That really scared me away from hospitals. And I've always been afraid of death but for me to go to the doctor even when I'm sick is a big deal. It's just one of those mind sets that I have. So I tend to tell myself "let's give it another day another week and let's see if my body will heal itself." Not always the case obviously but that's kind of where my head is. So going for a vasectomy is a huge deal even though it's like 20 to 30 minutes of outpatient surgery. Along with that there's all the horror stories that I've read and seen pictures of and heard about where things went insanely wrong. That's not something I would suggest that you go out and look up beforehand but I know that there are risks just like driving down the road where anything can happen. Bad things do happen, can happen, will happen but statistically they're not that common so even though I know the numbers were on my side I still was not comfortable going. Along with that there's this philosophy that I have that I want my body to be whole. Almost like the Sikhs who don't believe in cutting their hair.  That's kind of how I feel. I mean, I'll obviously shave and cut my hair but that philosophy of being whole is more what I'm talking about.

Now I'm not saying that I'm not whole as a person but it's that mental aspect of wondering if I will be whole. Yes, there's a part of it that revolves around will I be a man and will I be able to function as a man but while I'm worried about the physical repercussions, I'm less worried about being a man than I am about being whole. Add to this mentality the question of what would happen if we ever did want another child. God forbid something bad happens to our two children, and there's no way having a third could ever replace one, but there's that thought in the back of your mind about how can we make another one if we go through with this? That's a lot of emotional weight to handle when your family lineage is something that's important. We're not exactly royal blood here and there's no lordship at stake, but there is still the family name and traditions to carry on. A big part of that, for me at least, is in the blood line of the family. Not that my adopted family members are any less a part of the family, they just aren't blood relatives. I don't know why that's important, but it is. And I do realize it makes me sound like some crazed Nazi when I say it.

Social Stigma

Very much like mental illness, there's a huge social stigma with vasectomies. HUGE. Part of it is the social stigma of sex and I think every country and culture has their own set of morals when it comes to things related to sex. I get that. But vasectomies seem to bear a bit more burden than other surgeries related to reproductive organs. For example, women who have a hysterectomy don't seem to have as many issues talking about it or dealing with it. At least not from my point of view. But when it comes to a mastectomy, that seems to draw some of the same stigma of a vasectomy. Maybe the social issues are related to more how people define themselves as male or female than anything else. I know it was some of my own problem with this surgery but I think it goes deeper for the culture we live in now.

Yes, biologically, I am defined as a male because of my genitals but I'm also socially defined as a male because of them. And while I'm okay with that, I think there needs to be some responsibility that comes with the power of defining who people are. So just because a woman has her breasts or uterus removed, doesn't mean she's any less of a woman. Same goes for a man. I mean, nobody would think of Lance Armstrong as anything but a man and yet he only has one testicle. Of course he carries his own stigma with drug use, but that's not what we're talking about here.

So while the rich and famous and the news outlets find it okay to talk about a woman braving a double mastectomy to reduce her odds of getting cancer, there isn't a damn thing out there about a dude getting a vasectomy to prevent future pregnancies. And there's barely anything about getting a colonoscopy to prevent prostate cancer. Is it because we, as men, see this kind of stuff as a weakness? Are we so wrapped up in our own machismo that we can't ask for help? I don't know what the answer is but I do know nobody wants to talk about getting their testicular tubes tied.

Physical Impact

This is where we get into the graphic part of the procedure. Even more so than before. So the pre-op part was fairly uneventful. There's a consult that takes place beforehand where you and your spouse can sit down with the doctor and discuss all the ins and outs of what's going to happen. Pretty standard office visit with no real surprises. The doctor should do a basic inspection and give you a good once-over to make sure you're suitable for surgery. They'll also probably give you a sheet that says you agree to this and so does your spouse.

After that comes the surgery visit itself. My doctor gave me some pain meds and an anti-anxiety pill to take before the operation. It helped but I think two beers and two shots would have made me even more numb to the pending procedure. Numb both to the physical trauma and the emotional trauma. Since I was on meds, this meant that I needed a chauffeur to take me to and from the doctor. Thankfully my wife was nice enough to see to this. While she won't admit it, I think in the back of her head she had a bit of perverse delight in seeing me go through this. I guess it was only fair since she's mother to two children.

Okay, the procedure itself took 20 minutes, maybe 30. That's from leaving the waiting room to being done. Once in the room, you strip from the waist down and wait with a piece of paper over you. I say paper because that's what it was. They may have called it a blanket or something else but it was a piece of freaking paper that would have dissolved like cheap toilet paper if it got wet. My feet were cold and I closed my eyes because I had no desire to see what was on the little table of torture.

Finally the nurse comes in and preps the area with Betadine. It's a little cold but not bad. It does smell a little funny and, as I found out later, is a dark liquid that's easily mistaken for blood or iodine. From there, the doctor came in and the pain came. It felt a bit like having your testicles wrapped up in a rubber band while the doctor pricks you with a needle to give you a local anesthetic. I'm not sure if it was a rubber band or a medical clamp or a freaking vise, but it was uncomfortable. From there he begins his poking and prodding. I was grimacing more than he expected so he asked if I could feel pain. I said yes so he gave me more local. At least I'm pretty sure he did since I felt another pinch and then didn't feel much more than pressure and tugging. From that moment through later in the afternoon, I could still feel pain but it was very mild. Not a sharp pain like getting kicked between the legs as much as a steady, dull ache of having a small child stand on your testicles all day. Or like you got karate chopped between the legs yesterday and it still hurts today.

At some point he said something about moving to the other side and I just continued to lay there with my eyes closed. I'd wiggle my toes or clench my hands but I did my best not to jump or jerk. While I wanted to make jokes I was too focused on surviving to come up with anything good. The nurse and doctor did comment on my "I Love Coitus" shirt. I figured it was fitting to wear it on such an occasion because, well, just because. Anyway, I was bearing down as I gave birth to this vasectomy and the doctor eventually says he's just stitching up and then he'll be done.

After that, he said his good-byes and the nurse gave me a little washcloth to clean up some of the Betadine. That's when I realized it looked like iodine. Once I got cleaned up a little with the washcloth from hell that left more lint than it cleaned up, I inspected the damage and asked the nurse about the incision. It was much higher than I expected which I was happy for since it meant I could see it and clean it. I was thinking it would be much lower on the scrotum or even underneath but instead it was more at the intersection of the shaft of the penis and the scrotum. Side note, it was also more off to one side than I expected. At about, let's say, 1 o'clock on the dial (assuming 12 was my toes and 6 was my nose).

After I cleaned up a little, I stood up and began to get dressed. That's when I noticed that the Betadine looked like blood. It took a second but I finally realized that if I had bled that much I would have been covered in it. Once I was dressed, I gingerly made my way back to the waiting room and my wife and we left. Since I skipped breakfast, we grabbed an early lunch and headed home.

The rest of the first day was spent wearing tight shorts, icing the impacted area, and watching Band of Brothers. Things hurt but not too bad. Well, just a tad too bad to just live with it. So I took pain meds on a regular basis and even managed a nap. The next day I made my first mistake. I continued to wear the tight shorts but felt restless and went to town to run errands and do Christmas shopping. Bad idea. I should have stayed on the couch. So by the third day I paid the price and stayed in bed a few extra hours. That seemed to help some but the dull ache is still there. I managed to live without meds until the weekend (about V+4 days) when I took some ibuprofen. That seemed to help with some of the swelling and pain but again, it's still there.

Now that I'm at V+6 days, I'm moving around much better, not icing, and only taking meds when I absolutely need it. My pain varies from 1 to 7 on the scale but it's mostly in direct relation to what I'm doing. Sitting, standing, and some walking is fine. I say some walking because I need to adjust myself for it to feel comfortable. Most of my pain comes from sitting or standing. That's when things move too much for comfort and I need move things around to get them settled. The tight shorts help some but not as much as I'd like. Loose pants help more than tight jeans.

There's also more bruising than I expected. I think if the doctor would have rummaged around anymore, I'd be as black as ebony. The stitches haven't fallen out yet and I've been periodically cleaning the incision with hydrogen peroxide. Those things are annoying because they catch on any sort of fabric in the area. Which means any sudden movements suddenly get your attention. And the swelling has continued to rise and fall for no apparent reason. Some days are better than others. They are incredibly tender and often get treated as if they were eggs being carried around for a high school home economics class. I've even shoved my kids away from my just to avoid any careless bumping.

Speaking of kids, I haven't really told either of them what happened. I had no idea how to broach the topic since neither are really at an age to understand all the reproductive parts of the body and what all the implications are. My daughter, age 9, knows some stuff and understands some stuff but is still very much a kid. My son, age 6, has no clue and, well, I'll just keep it that way for now.

Recovery
While my recovery isn't complete, I would feel remiss for not at least touching on the topic. I am down to almost no pain after about ten days. I've been able to run with no issues beyond my stitches occasionally catch on the fabric of my shorts. They've been doing that since the beginning but I trimmed one of the longer ones and that greatly reduced the number of instances where I was suddenly struck with pain.

Speaking of stitches, the incision is healing quite nicely. It doesn't look super pretty but looks a lot better than it did after a few days. I've been cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide periodically and carefully cleaning it in the shower. I feel no major scaring underneath the skin and the first, gross scab has come off. The much less gross scab is still present but is much smaller.

My bruising has also healed almost completely. It went form a small, almost invisible bruise to a larger bruise to black and blue to black, blue, and red to deep black. I also saw other bruises come and go in other areas that I didn't expect to bruise. Aside from the appearance of an old bruise, there's not nearly as much tenderness as before. I'm not shoving defending the area like Fort Knox any more.

Which brings me to my final point, tenderness in general. From the moment the doctor started, things were pretty sore and tender down there. I didn't want to touch anything. Moving my underwear hurt. Pants hurt. Everything hurt. I would have walked around naked if I thought it would have helped but I knew I'd eventually bump into my thigh and just set off another chain reaction of pain. While I still have moments where there's some residual pain, I'm happy to say that it's mostly gone know. Most of the pain comes from sudden movements, usually involved with standing or sitting. Running doesn't seem to count as I've been able to go short and long distances without any big issues. Maybe a minor readjustment here or there but that's it. It's the smash that usually gets me. Any pressure beyond moderate will make me recoil. That's fairly normal I think but things are more sensitive to touch than before. I guess what I'm saying is, before the vasectomy, I could handle moderate to strong pressure but now have a lower threshold for pain.

Other Reading

- The Effects of Various Types of Birth Control on Runners via Runners Connect - This article is focused mostly on the options of birth control available for women although condoms are mentioned. There are way more options out there than those listed in the article but it's a good place to start with the basics.

- Vasectomy via Jason Lytle's message board - This is more of a very short discussion on vasectomies and their potential impact on prostate cancer. Not really much information here.

- Bizarre Facts About Ultramarathoning via Men's Fitness - One brief mention of famed ultrarunner Marshall Ulrich getting a vasectomy. The comment felt a bit tongue and cheek so I'm not sure if it's true but if it is, he's the only elite ultrarunner that can be confirmed with having one. And then of course there's the questionable source itself.

- A Vasectomy and Riding a Bike...FUN!!! via Running Man Dave's blog - One of the better first-hand accounts of a vasectomy from an ultra runner I've read. Not a lot of details but enough to whet your appetite for more. If you're into that kind of thing.

- Facebook post via UltraRunner Podcast - Not sure if it's visible to everyone but it has a nice long list of fellow ultrarunners with a vasectomy. Best of all, the URP folks are a solid source of information about ultras.

Black Ice

Just a short run before my upper body workout today. Turns out I should have read my plan a little more closely. Damn. It was my first run since last week's sinus infection and surgery. It felt horrible and wonderful all at the same time. It was so nice to get outside and actually propel myself down the road but at the same time I was gasping and wheezing more than I wanted to.

The big news though was that I was able to run without pain. Well, without any major pain. Things are still sore from surgery but I was able to handle a couple of miles. I'm hoping I can bump back up to more "normal" mileage tomorrow without any issues. Today went well, not great, but well enough that I can hope for another good day tomorrow.

The next biggest news for today's run was the black ice. Damn stuff snuck up on me and I nearly lost it barely 10 steps down the road. Just as soon as the camber kicked in I took a step that was a bit too far and knew I was lucky to not lose it. From there on, things were sketchy here and there but I could pick out the good spots easily enough.

Photo:

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/h0gqnY61zEz

Weather:
Temps were about 32F. Sky was clear and sunny but there was some fog and fine mist from the cold air and ground meeting the sunrise. No wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Before the run I had half a coffee and a serving of Plain GenUCAN. Stuff tasted like ass but was bearable with some chocolate ZICO mixed in. During the run I had a half bottle of plain water. Recovery was an iced latte and then a veggie sub a couple hours later.

Aches and Pains:
The area impacted by the surgery hurt but I could stomach the pain well enough. Aside from that, things felt fine.

Gear:
Wore shorts, pants, and another pair of shorts to stay warm. Wore thermal shirt, long sleeve shirt, and winter hat and gloves. Also wore my Santa hat and neck gaiter. Wore sunglasses for a little bit but they fogged up too much so I put them in my pocket.

Heart Rate:
Started out okay but peaked way faster than I wanted. Guess sitting on my ass for a week will do that. But, I got back into the habit of checking my watch every few minutes to make sure I wasn't going too high. By the end of the run I was holding fairly steady at Zone 2.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 12:35 (AVG HR 147)
Mile 2 - 12:39 (AVG HR 146)
Finish - 25:15
MIN HR - 101
AVG HR - 146
MAX HR - 165
RHR - 65

Podcast - Mile 76 - Black Friday

Coming down off the high of having my first interview, I delve a bit into a man-crush on Ashland Dave. Oops. Don't tell his wife. Or mine. Anyway, from there I meander into the holidays with thoughts on shopping and allude to some big news. Too bad it isn't a major award.

Anyway, as usual, you can find the show on SoundCloud for a limited time. Only 20 percent off!

10 New Christmas Movies

In years past*, I've covered Christmas movies. My favorites; those I think are under-appreciated; even some really bizarre ones. So this year I thought I'd try something a little different: new movies. Not new as in "in the theater new," but new as in "this is the first time I've seen them new." I've also tossed in a movie I'm actively looking for but haven't found yet.

Yet To Be Watched:


The Man In The Santa Suit
Why this one? Because it had Gary Burghoff in it! That's all I need to know.

The Ten New Movies:

#10 - A Christmas Story 2
Oh dear God, please don't watch this movie. If you like the original, don't waste your time on this one. It's not worth it. If you're a fanatic of the original, then okay, go ahead and watch it. but be prepared, it's kind of the like Star Wars Holiday Special. You really only need to watch it once every decade or so.

#9 - Fred Claus
Only slightly better than the Christmas Story sequel, this is another movie that you can feel free to skip. The premise sounds interesting, the brother of Santa Claus, but the acting, plot, and the special effects just suck. There are a few stand-out scenes but they are sadly lost in the mire of everything else. And it's pretty rare when special effects take me out of a movie, but these were below even the SyFy Channel's requirements.

#8 -  Rise of the Guardians
Not necessarily a Christmas movie but it does star Santa Claus. And Jack Frost. And, line the Santa Claus series, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. It's billed as a kid's movie but there are a few scary parts in here. Not scary to me but I can see how a smaller kid would be afraid. As for the plot, meh, it's okay.

#7 - A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
I don't know what possessed these people to make this movie but it is Christmas related and it is funny. Not the best in the series but funny enough to keep you occupied. And the waffle robot is pretty cool. Maybe if I watched it in 3D I'd like it better. But probably not.

#6 - Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
While it doesn't come anywhere near touching the humor in Home Alone 1 or 2, it does a fair job of giving 3 and 4 a run for their money. The kids hated it but I kind of liked the old house and the actors. Even though it was yet again another new cast, they seemed to do a better job of handling the acting part of the movie.

#5 - Good Luck Jessie
Technically not a movie, this TV special is a cross-over between Good Luck Charlie and Jessie. Both are on the Disney Channel and both are shows that my daughter likes. Which is pretty much the only reason I watched the special. The best way I can describe the special (and the shows) is to call it generic. Yes, the jokes are funny, there's some drama, and even a little romance. But it's Disney. So you know what's going to happen. There are no big surprises or sad endings, it just is.


#4 - Trading Christmas
I stumbled onto this one when I thought I had recorded Pete's Christmas. I kept watching and watching waiting for it to repeat itself. Finally, after I was nearly halfway through, I realized it wasn't the right movie. A check of IMDB revealed it was something else. But I was invested enough into the thing that I couldn't delete it. Instead I finished watching it and was mildly surprised at how good it was. Sure, it was some sappy Hallmark movie, but at least it had a decent plot, decent acting, and a good ending. Better yet, my wife and daughter enjoyed it well enough to want to finish it too.

#3 - Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas
While based on the TV show Good Luck Charlie, this is actually much better than the crossover show. And it's more of a full-length movie. Certainly entertaining and as usual, lots of Disney values forced down your throat.

#2 - Pete's Christmas
Why this one? Because I didn't get to watch it. And I'm pissed about it. It sounded like a great cross between Groundhog Day and Christmas Day. But the stupid Hallmark Channel decided to not show it and instead it's on a blocked channel. Humbug! Thankfully I have a great wife and daughter looking out for me and they picked it up on DVD. Turns out, it was pretty good. Not as good as Groundhog Day but still enjoyable enough to keep me glued to my seat.

#1 - Surviving Christmas
This movie was so bad it was good. A rich guy basically rents a family to impress a girl. But this damn thing was so sloppy, so badly done, that it snuck up on you. It was almost like a car accident that you just had to watch to see what happened in the end. Now the actors are pretty good with James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate, and Ben Affleck, but the mom from Home Alone, Catherine O'Hara, is also in it. And be warned. You may never watch Home Alone the same way again. Let's just say there's a few scenes that show how well she hasn't aged.

*If you want to step back in time, here are some of my older posts on Christmas movies:

- http://tk42one.blogspot.com/2006/11/holiday-movie-guide-preview.html

- http://tk42one.blogspot.com/2006/12/holiday-movie-guide-part-i.html

- http://tk42one.blogspot.com/2006/12/holiday-movie-guide-part-ii.html

- http://tk42one.blogspot.com/2012/12/top-5-under-appreciated-christmas-movies.html

Jingle Jangle Jumble

Woke up this morning with a mild sinus infection. I thought I could feel that tickle yesterday when I woke up but it was hard to know for sure. Now I know for sure. Did my best to give my sinuses an enema in the shower when I was done with my run but it only worked a little bit.

Anyway, the first mile of my run was more like a warm up. I did a mile in one section of the trail and just wasn't feeling it. So I got in my car and drove to a different section of the trail and went back to my run. I got to the halfway point and the wind started to blow, then the rain, then more wind, then more rain. So glad I had my T-Star Running headband and arm sleeves. From when I started to when I finished, the temps dropped a good 15 degrees and that's without factoring in the rain and wind chill.

Anyway, as I cruised back to my car, I realized I was probably being a complete idiot running with a sinus infection. So I'll be sitting out my second run of the day. I figure I put in a decent effort this morning and a nap will likely be needed later today.

Along the run I nearly ran up on a deer. It was stopping for a bite to eat but didn't hear me in the rain. Guess I was running "tall and silent" like a good boy. Also spotted a cat way off in the distance but he moved on fast enough. Outside of that, no real animal sightings worth mentioning. Although I did see some horse tracks.

Photo:

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/hx20xdHDbHO

Weather:
Temps were 67F at the start and 53F at the end. Sky was overcast. Light to moderate rain for the last 3 miles. Light to moderate winds for the last 3 miles. Humidity was high at the start but didn't notice it once the rain started.

Fluids and Fuel:
Before the run I had a yogurt and half a coffee. I also tried one serving of chocolate GenUCAN. During the run I had just water. Recovery was a hot latte (I was cold) and a veggie sub (I was hungry).

Aches and Pains:
Stepped on a sharp rock with the ball of my right foot. Three times. In a row. In the same spot. My foot was not happy. Neither was I. Outside of that, things were just fuzzy and bleary from being sick.

Gear:
Wore two pair of shorts, short sleeve shirt, and my Nathan hydration pack. For the last 4 or 5 miles I put my arm sleeves and gloves on. Wore my headband the entire time but put it over my ears for the last few miles. Carried my knife and cell phone.

Heart Rate:
Heart rate seemed to be way low after I started to run. Felt like a struggle to get it above 130. In fact, I'd feel like I was above my zone and stop to walk only to look down and see I was well below my zone. Got into a groove with a few miles left to go and kept it in high gear around 155 until the end.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 15:29 (AVG HR 130) (includes pee break)
Mile 0.8 - 11:12 (AVG HR 132) (includes pee break)
Mile 3 - 13:54 (AVG HR 138)
Mile 4 - 15:31 (AVG HR 143) (include pee break)
Mile 5 - 12:42 (AVG HR 147)
Mile 6 - 16:23 (AVG HR 145)
Mile 7 - 12:34 (AVG HR 147)
Mile 0.8 - 9:47 (AVG HR 146)
Finish - 1:47:37
MIN HR - 91
AVG HR - 141
MAX HR - 167
RHR - 65

Revving the Engine Topless

Today was not a good day. But it turned out better than I expected. As the pile of things that needed to be done overwhelmed me, I knew I wouldn't be able to get my run in. So instead of the usual four hour block of free time I have before starting work late, I had two hours since I was opening and closing. But that two hours was reduced even more by parenting needs and technical issues. So I had just enough time to eat a lousy breakfast and start work in a lousy mood. As the morning wore on, things began a downward spiral. But I tried to keep a positive outlook and tried not to feel guilty about not meeting my plan for today. I had a short break for lunch and then was back at the grinder. Thankfully, late in the afternoon, I got a break long enough to squeeze in my run. So I ran.

I had 1:45 to kill which meant I would need to add some distance to my usual 8 mile route. I knew with that route I would finish in 1:30 so I did a short dog-leg down another road adding a good 10 to 20 minutes.

From there I got hot and stripped off my shirt. Thankfully the school bus full of kids had already passed me. Sadly a different bus would pass me two times without my shirt. I feel sorry for the kids. I didn't feel sorry for running shirtless. It was warm enough and I was sweaty. I was pale enough that I'm sure no hunter would confuse me for a deer but I still had my blaze orange shirt around my waist just in case. Little did I know that when I knotted the shirt around my waist that I'd promptly piss on the sleeves when I stopped for a bathroom break. Dumbass.

The good news I didn't have anybody steal my bottle. Guess hiding it a bit further from the road worked.On the way back, I noticed I met my time goal so I shifted gears, and began my recovery run. It lasted a mile and sucked more than my run. I mean, how on earth can anyone run with their heart rate that low?

In my recovery run mode, I spotted 10 deer across the road. They ran away which was probably good for the hunters since I heard plenty of shooting in the area the deer were headed.

A few more notes about today since it was not a normal day by any means. First, my breakfast was admittedly horrible. Tons of fat, grease, and all that good stuff. I'd easily say it was 1,500 to 2,000 calories. I had a small snack around noon. Not because I was hungry but because my brain said it was lunch time and I needed to put food in my mouth. I wasn't hungry. At all. In fact, I wasn't hungry until after my run which was around 4:30 or 5. In other words, I ate way too much for breakfast, skipped lunch, and had a healthy dinner.

Vine:



Photo:

Weather:
Temps were about 55F to 60F at the start but cooled a bit to maybe 50F by the end. Sky was mostly cloudy with a few rays of sun peaking through. Light wind that picked up a bit towards the end.

Fluids and Fuel:
As mentioned above, breakfast was bad. Two hash browns, two breakfast sandwiches, a latte, and a coffee. A snack around noon. During the run I had two apple sauces, one near the start and one at the midway point. Recovery was a beef, bean, and veggie stew. And a Coke because damn did it look too sexy to leave in my fridge.

Aches and Pains:
Noticed some very mild cramping in my left hamstring about 3 miles in. Pushed an extra gulp of fluids and it went away.

Gear:
Wore new underwear, shorts, long sleeve shirt, Buff, and gloves. The shirt was off for a good 60 to 90 minutes but went back on with about 2 miles to go. Took along my knife which worked great at cutting off a loose thread.

Heart Rate:
Resting heart rate was low this morning and started low during the run. Got into a rhythm of "revving" my pace. At first I aimed for 150 but kept hitting 160. So I decided to change things up and aim for 150 but slowly creep towards 160. Once I hit 160, I'd walk until I hit 140, then start all over again. It seemed to work fairly well and altered my pace outside of my normal pattern. Towards the end I was able to hold it at 150 much easier and it would take less time to drop to 140. On the recovery portion of things, I struggled to keep it below 130. I'd shuffle along as slow as I could imagine and within a few steps go from 125 to 135 to 145. So most of the last mile was walking. Not slow walking or speed walking, just walking with a purpose.

Splits:
Outbound - 1:07:05 (AVG HR 146) (about a mile longer than normal)
Inbound - 37:10 (AVG HR 151) (about a mile shorter than normal)
Recovery - 14:57 (AVG HR 131) (about a mile)
Finish - 1:59:13
MIN HR - 86
AVG HR - 146
MAX HR - 172
RHR - 59

I'm Not Alone

Alright this is going to be a test of the speech to text capability my phone to see how well it actually translates what I'm saying. So today's run was 7 miles and was an hour and a half. It was on the usual Rails to Trails. I saw two runners which is quite odd. Just as I was starting my second leg a guy pulled into the parking lot and he eventually caught up to me passed me. But he only did three miles on the section that I was doing 4 miles on so I felt pretty good in the end. The start of my run started pretty lousy and after I was ready to quit because I was cold, I was under dressed, and I was sweaty even though I was cold. So even though I was ready to quit, I somehow managed to push on. I finished up my four mile second leg and I was still short on time so I went out a half mile and came back which gave me the 10-15 minutes I need to meet my hour and a half time goal. Just as I turned around for my half mile out half mile back another runner came and she parked. She didn't quite catch up to me but I know she would have if we would have gone any further. She's a lot faster than I am just like everybody else.

Photo:
Basking in the sun after freezing the first two miles.

 
Vine:


Weather:
Temps were about 30 at the start and about 45 at the end. Sun was out in full. No humidity. No wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Before the run I had a little bit of coffee. During the run I had a bottle of plain water and a bottle of Hammer Fizz. And I had my applesauce. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite mixed with some coffee.

Aches and Pains:
The arch of my right foot hurt a little bit towards the end. Outside of that everything was fine.

Gear:
Wore two pairs of shorts, short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, gloves, and hat. Also took my knife.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 12:15 (AVG HR 136)
Mile 2 - 14:30 (AVG HR 140) (includes trail cam maintenance)
Mile 3 - 12:18 (AVG HR 144)
Mile 4 - 14:07 (AVG HR 143) (includes bathroom break)
Mile 5 - 12:45 (AVG HR 145)
Mile 6 - 12:33 (AVG HR 147)
Mile 7 - 11:46 (AVG HR 153)
Finish - 1:30:17
MIN HR - 72
AVG HR - 144
MAX HR - 166
RHR - 62