Lewis & Clark

Report:
As a favor to one of the Wellness Directors at the local YMCA, I went out to scout some trails for a future race. Once I cleared all the hurdles with property owners, land leasers, hunting parties, etc., I made my way into uncharted territories today. The trails are primarily used by dirt bikes for races, scrambles, or whatever it is they call it. Which means most of the trails are single track. There is a main fire road down the middle of the property but the majority of what I ran on was single track dirt. Although after three days of rain, it was mostly wet dirt with plenty of puddles and mud mixed in. The trail itself was a combination of flat, hilly, and insanely steep. Obstacles included rocks, roots, puddles, deep trenches, spider webs, and one turtle. Somehow I didn't fall but I did have three major slips. One was running downhill too fast at the start and I had to catch myself with my hand. The second was while I was walking and not paying attention to what I was doing. The third was coming out of a deep puddle (to my knees) and trying to power up a short hill. Turns out the hill was so slick I ended up running in place for a few paces. Literally running in place. Like a cartoon.

Outside of that, the worst was the spiderwebs. And the steep hills, which thankfully there were only a few of. After that, it was just challenging in many different ways. From terrain to navigation to fluids and fuel. But I made it through. Getting lost for nearly an hour (about 3 or 4 miles) didn't bother me too much. I knew the trail would eventually spit me out somewhere on or near the fire road. And if it came to a worse-case scenario, I had enough supplies to blaze to the nearest river/road/house. And in an emergency, I had my phone/rape whistle/space blanket.

Overall, it was tough going. I lost motivation and at one point finally told myself that I was lost and just wanted out. I had a few false moments of hope when I saw a clearing that I thought was the road only to have it turn out to be a swamp. No moments of panic except for a few seconds when a deer made a much louder than normal dash for cover. I literally put my fists up like I was going to fight off a bear. Dumb ass.

There were a few moments when I thought of Lauren (http://laurenontherun.blogspot.com/) and how she always takes photos during her runs. In an effort to mimic some of her style, I took photos here and there. I just don't look as happy as she does when I run.

Weather:
Temps were 65F to 67F. There was a breeze off the river but I only felt it at the very start and finish of the run. Under the canopy it was a bit warmer and more humid due to the rain from the last three days and the lack of evaporation. Sun was out with a few clouds. Overall humidity was low but, like the wind, only noticed it at the start/finish.

Fluids and Fuel:
Had my hydration pack with 1.5L of plain water, of which I drank about half a liter. Had one bottle of Hammer Fizz, drank all of it. Had one bottle of Hammer Perpeteum, drank about 3/4s of it. I rotated drinking between the three types of drinks. If I felt extra thirsty, I'd drink more Fizz. If I felt sluggish, I'd drink more Perpeteum. If I felt just plain thirsty, I'd drink water. Took one Hammer Gel around mile 5 since I had no idea where I was or how much further I'd be going. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite mixed with chocolate ZICO.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really to speak of. Just felt slow at certain points, likely due to low fuel levels.

Gear:
Took my Salomon hydration pack loaded to the gills with gear for a long run. Never knew what I'd need but figured it would be safer to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Took my phone for the GPS, camera, and emergencies. Turns out I also checked my work schedule to make sure I would arrive on time (I did). Started to run but turned back after a few paces to spray my legs with bug spray. Thankfully I found only one tick and I found him before he got any closer to the no-no zone.

Codename - Lewis & Clark
While at times I felt like Lewis and Clark off exploring the wilderness, most of the time I thought about other things. Like the Barkley Marathons and blazing trails. Like how much skinnier the trails were than the ones at HAT. Like how similar but easier these hills were than those at HAT. Like how much I wanted to get out of the woods but also how much I needed to not panic because I was lost.

Splits:
Splits are from RunKeeper and may not be correct.
Mile 1 - 18:10
Mile 2 - 15:30
Mile 3 - 19:19 (includes bathroom break)
Mile 4 - 19:44
Mile 5 - 16:04
Mile 6 - 16:03
Finish - 1:46:19

I've got a bad feeling about this

Report:
Just a short run to get something on the books even though I didn't feel like it. It wasn't a pleasant run but it's still done. Biggest fight was getting out the door and I eventually had to tell myself out loud "don't be such a pussy, just go." It apparently worked. But I still aborted the mission early. Keep reading to see why.

Weather:
Temps were 65F or so, very little wind, no sun, and a constant drizzle. Thankfully it was light.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was water and yogurt. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz which I drank about 75% of. Recovery was eggs, breakfast burrito, and iced coffee.

Aches and Pains:
None to speak of. Felt a bit like a hangover run near the end but I didn't drink that much last night.

Gear:
This is why I quit early. I thought about doing my 5 mile route but opted for the shorter 3 mile route before I even made it out the door. Once I started down the road I was about half a mile from home when I realized I had forgotten two key pieces of equipment. My RoadID and my lucky charm. The RoadID isn't that big of a deal but I've become a bit OCD about my lucky charm. Turns out more OCD than I thought I was. Once I realized it was gone I was able to quell the looming panic but also quickly decided to not run the entire route. But I did do some good out there by moving a box turtle to the side of the road and forcing myself to run to the top of the hill. So at least I got my hill workout in for the week. But I was constantly looking around waiting for the hammer of doom to fall on me like a nail.

Codename - I've got a bad feeling about this
Yeah. Turns out I'm pretty damn OCD. I don't have to count to 100 before entering a room or drive around the block 5 times before I leave the house. But I guess I do have some issues.

Splits:
Outbound - 13:12
Inbound - 13:37
Finish - 26:49

Chance Part II

I took some photos that were supposed to be part of my Chance post but couldn't get them to show in my post that I made through my tablet. So I'm dropping them here for your visual pleasure. You can read about the rest of the run in the link above.

The local farm had a sign out announcing the arrival of a filly. No idea if it's a human or horse though.

Have you played the MacGuffin Game? If not, you should.

Finally, the farm tractor (it looked like a sprayer to me) that had very tall tires.

Podcast - Mile 30 - Reintroductions and a Review

I start out with some introductions should any of you be new to the podcast. Hopefully it gives you an idea of who I am and what I'm about and why I podcast. If it doesn't help, well, tough shit. I'm doing this more for me than for you.

But don't get me wrong, I'd still love to hear from any listeners out there.

Anyway, this episode covers Myke Cole's Control Point novel. While he's a novice author, he comes out swinging with a unique premise and an almost never-ending flow of action. As the jacket describes the book, it's like a cross between X-Men and Blackhawk Down.

Download or view on Podbean.

I miss you

Report:
Today's run was long, hard, hairy, smelly, and fun. Kind of like me in bed. Wakka wakka wakka!

But seriously, it was nice to be able to get this run in with my lack of running this week and my mother in town for the weekend and Mother's Day all wrapped into one. So I took the opportunity and ran with it. Literally.

I started out early this morning and ran from my house to the local YMCA. The weather was nice and cool to start but warmed up enough after a mile that I could strip off my arm sleeves. Once I got to the YMCA I was warm enough to take off my gloves. I got there a bit too early but I wasn't sure about my pace and timing and how fast I could get in and out of Sheetz (a local gas station - kind of like 7-Eleven) so I was okay with the big cushion. I registered for the Domestic Violence 5k at the Y, ran into a fellow runner (Wayne) I met a few weeks back, and just chilled out.

Once the race started I just took it easy and ran. I wasn't in any rush to win a prize despite the small field. There were plenty of walkers but also plenty of speedy runners so I settled into the middle of the pack. I was surprised to come across the one mile mark so fast and could feel some sluggishness settle in just before mile 2. My pace was a bit slower but I managed to keep at it through mile 3 before picking it up just a hair. Not only did I manage to run the entire 3 miles without a single walking break (very rare for my fat ass) but I also managed to snag an unofficial PR. I don't know the final results yet but I think I shaved off about 20 seconds.

After the race, I chilled out a few minutes before heading back home. Nothing terribly exciting on the way home so no amazing stories to share.

Weather:
Temps started around 55F and warmed to about 65F or 70F. There was a nice cool breeze blowing around 5 to 10 mph. The sun was out the entire time. Humidity was low.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was water. I started my run with two bottles, one with Hammer Perpeteum and one with Hammer Fizz. I took a Hammer Gel around mile 4 when I got to Sheetz. I had finished my bottle of Fizz by then and refilled it with another bottle of Fizz. I had about half my Perpeteum left by then. Once at the YMCA, I didn't take anything before the race. After the race, I ate half a slice of a blueberry bagel with butter and cream cheese on it. I also refilled both bottles with some water and added more Fizz to one of them before heading back to Sheetz. At Sheetz I grabbed more water and topped both off before heading home. This watered down the solution for both the Fizz and Perpeteum but it wasn't too bad. Plus it let me make it home the last 4 miles. Before I left Sheetz I also had another Hammer Gel. My recovery was Hammer Recoverite followed by chocolate ZICO.

Aches and Pains:
My knees started to hurt around mile 10 or 11. Outside of that, things felt pretty good.

Gear:
I ran with no special gear but did take some extra "stuff" just to make sure I could make it. First, I had money. Some was for the race registration and some was for fluids at Sheetz. Second, I had my iPod. I listened to a lot of podcasts but kept things safe by only having one ear bud in at a time. Next, I had gels. I stuffed a few in my handhelds' pockets and one in my shorts. Also had a small stick of Body Glide. And I had my arm sleeves and gloves which I eventually ditched, I also ditched my shirt for the last 4 miles. And I had a Mini Fizz on me too. I'll explain more about that in another week or two when I show you how to make one.

Codename - I miss you
Catherine , if you're still out there, shoot me an email. I'd love to catch up.

Splits:
These splits are going to be confusing, so read the details.
Home to Sheetz - 41:26
Sheetz Aid Station - 3:54
Sheetz to YMCA - 15:36
YMCA Pre-Race - 32:03
Race Mile 1 - 9:48 (a bit faster than expected)
Race Mile 2 - 10:13 (slowing down a bit)
Race Mile 3 - 10:18
Race Total - 31:09 (unofficial 5k PR)
YMCA Post-Race - 15:14
YMCA to Sheetz - 18:15
Sheetz Aid Station - 3:24
Sheetz to Home - 41:34
Total Time - 3:22:37 (an adjusted time of 2:35:20 for just the running portion)

**UPDATE**
Official results are in and I scored a 3rd place in my age group as well as a time of 31:08. This is a new PR, beating my old one of  31:10 from 10/10/2010.

Chance

Report:
Managed to get out for a lunch run today. Finished up with work early and left my son with my mom (she's in town for the weekend). The run went well but I had a few chance surprises along the way. More on that later. Overall the run was nice and the weather was awesome. Wind picked up a bit more than I wanted but the temps were cool and the sun was out.

Weather:
Temps were about 65F to 70F. Humidity was low. Sun was out in full. Wind was 5mph to 20mph.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt, coffee, burrito, and oatmeal. During the run I had two Hammer Gels (one at mile 1 and the other at mile 4) and two bottles (one with ice water and one with Hammer Fizz). Recovery was a bottle of chocolate ZICO followed by leftover meatloaf and potatoes.

Aches and Pains:
Stepped on a few sharp rocks but otherwise felt good. Got a little winded at the end but figured that was due to lack of training.

Gear:
Ran with my iPod so I could listen to some podcasts. Took some pictures on my phone.

Codename - Chance
Right out of the gates, I chanced upon a dead baby turtle. A mile or so later it was a bike rider on a gravel road. Then a die in the road. Like the kind used in Vegas (I had a 5). Then a farm tractor with giant tires. Then a green snake (the little fucker damn near gave me a heart attack and damn near got stepped on). Then a dead baby mouse. Phew!

Splits:
Outbound - 45:59
Inbound - 46:05
Finish - 1:32:04

Acting Out

At a recent work function, I was "given" the opportunity to social with my peers. While it may surprise those of you that don't know me, I'm actually fairly anti-social. I'm by far more comfortable communicating online and through means other than being face to face. So when my boss said I was going to go to this function, I agreed, but was hesitant.

Turns out, I had fun. As the photo shows, I felt much more comfortable around my peers. Even those I rarely meet or speak to. So when I acted out during the photo shoot, I felt in control and comfortable doing so. Afterwords though, I felt like a bit of an attention whore. I got everyone to look at me, laugh at me, and pay attention to me. But why? To make sure they all knew that I still worked with them? To make sure they liked me?

I don't know. But I felt great when I did it and felt good when I was at the function. I didn't feel out of place and only had one or two awkward moments instead of a solid two or three hours of awkward moments. I had more confidence than I normally do and I'm not sure if it was because I've been so far removed from the workplace by working at home or if it was because I'm becoming more confident due to my running. Maybe it's both but I'd like to think it's mostly because of my running. I've learned so much more by running, not just about running but also about myself.

So, while I wrap up this post about self-discovery and acting out at work, feel free to have a good laugh at my expense.

Honeysuckle

Report:
Went to work early so I could run during an early lunch so I could make it to all my meetings today. The weather and overall mood of the run was great. Not the best but pretty damn great. Sun was out, cool breeze was blowing, and I was in a good mood before I even started my run. Which means by the end of my run I was overflowing with good vibes.

As for general excitement during the run, biggest accomplishment was being able to run about 70% of the first hill and 100% of the second hill. That went a long way to making me feel great. Second tidbit of excitement was on the last tenth of a mile or so I managed to pass some people out walking. Always feels good to pass people and I used it as a bit of motivation to finish strong.

Beyond that, fairly boring but pleasant run.

Weather:
Temps were about 65F at the start but warmed to about 70F by the end. Was warm enough to ditch my shirt by the end of the first mile. Humidity was moderate but not really noticeable due to the wind. Wind was cool and about 15mph.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt, water, oatmeal, and a bean and cheese burrito (these last two are from Wegmans). Had some minor burping from the burrito during the run but no more than maybe 5 burps and this was after 2 hours of digesting. During the run I had two bottles of Hammer Fizz, one was Lemon-Lime and one was Mango. Thankfully the Mango flavor was a sample because I didn't much like it. In fact I dumped nearly all of it on the way back. I finished nearly all of the other bottle though. recovery was Hammer Recoverite followed by an iced coffee.

Aches and Pains:
None. Yay!

Gear:
Took my phone to take pictures and to listen to some music. Don't know why but I felt like listening to some Edward Sharpe (aka Alexander) and the Magnetic Zeros.

Codename - Honeysuckle
When I was a kid, I learned from another kid in the neighborhood that you could get just a smidgen of honey out of a honeysuckle plant; specifically the flower. Haven't dared to try it since then but on today's run I ran down the road next to an empty field and suddenly smelled the blossoms. It hung there almost like a cloud so I had to stop and enjoy the moment.

Splits:
Outbound - 20:41
Inbound - 18:28
Finish - 39:09 (current PR for this route is 38:44 making this my second fastest)

Podcast - Mile 29 - Relentless Forward Shuffling

"Relentless Forward Shuffling" is a poor play on words in reference to Bryon Powell's Relentless Forward Progress book on ultra-running. As you can tell from most of this episode, I'm doing the death shuffle in my run (if you could call it that). But at least I was moving forward.

And be happy this is a podcast as I come upon a snake and freak out like a little girl. Can you hear the tension and fear in my voice? Yeah. I fear snakes that much.

Download or view on Podbean.

The Yard

Report:
Today's run was brought to you by the power of DailyMile. Specifically Karyl-Lynne T. , her friend Jenny, Biddi , and Michele S.  Without them, I likely would have struggled through a much shorter run. Instead I pulled 12 miles and felt pretty good at the end. I did break on cardinal rule but so far there seems to be no ill effects.

I stashed some water at the Mile 4 parking lot (along with some baby wipes and gels) then headed to the rendezvous point at Mile 0. Biddi arrived shortly after me and we chatted a bit waiting for Melli H. After a bit we decided she wouldn't be joining us so we headed out. As usual some people had to pee right away and some of people waited a bit. Scary part was I expected KL and Michele to be way behind us but I think they sandbagged a bit when they were talking about their pace. Why do I think they sandbagged? Because when I stopped to pee, I had to rush because they were right behind us!

Don't get me wrong, I didn't expect to leave them in the dust but man, they were hauling out there today. Jenny and Biddi kept a pretty solid gap on me the first 4 miles or so. They waited for me to catch up and refill my bottles before we took off again. They pulled away but not quite as fast as the first leg. At the turn-around we chilled, chatted, then decided to head back and catch up to KL and Michele and run with them back to the turn around point. Turns out they weren't that far behind us. Maybe a quarter mile. So we all posed for a picture (you're welcome - I zipped up my shirt) then headed back.

On the way back I was able to keep up with Biddi and Jenny and did a fair job of keeping their gap to a much smaller gap. Jenny took a spill around mile 7 or so but came out okay. Just a small scrape on her leg. Guess it really does look worse than it feels. Another pit stop at mile 8 and then we were headed back to the cars. The ladies put a nice gap on me as I stopped to take some pictures and that was it.


They left and I hung around until KL and Michele came in a few minutes later. In fact as Biddi was leaving the parking lot I could see them about a half mile or so down the trail. They say they walked the last two miles but they must have been sandbagging again. Or maybe they walk faster than I run (which is certainly possible).

Overall, I felt good. Fueling and hydration were nearly spot on. The company was great. Lots of chatting and lots of alone time.

Weather:
Temps started around 60F but warmed to about 70F. Mostly overcast eyes but some sun later in the run. Humidity started about 100% (not rain but seriously heavy condensation) but dropped a bit to maybe 60%.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was iced coffee, yogurt, and one cinnamon roll. During the run I had my hydration pack with 1.5 liters of plain water and drank maybe 200 mL. I also had a bottle of Hammer Perpeteum which I finished up around mile 10. And I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz which I refilled with more Fizz every 4 miles. Recovery was a bottle of beer (the one cardinal rule I broke, having a beer even though I didn't run a half marathon). I also had a bottle of Hammer Recoverite.

Aches and Pains:
Developed a side stitch around mile 9 or 10 which was odd. It passed after a quarter mile or so. Other than that, the only other issue I had was when I went to "flick" a stick off the trail and misjudged the distance and instead "kicked" it. Ouch.

Gear:
Ran in my Salomon hydration pack loaded to the gills. Even though I didn't drink all my water, I figure it'll be good training. No other special gear.

Codename - The Yard
Turns out, my run was just my warm up. I figured I could "bribe" my way to a relaxing afternoon of doing laundry by getting my wife a Cherry Coke but instead I ended up getting her a Cherry Coke then coming home to yard work. But it worked out. We got more flower beds cleaned up, more mulch spread out, and more plans made for eve more yard work.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:49
Mile 2 - 13:06 (includes pee break)
Mile 3 - 10:55
Mile 4 - 11:28
Aid Station - 1:58
Mile 5 - 10:14
Mile 6 - 10:46
Turn Around - 3:31
Turn Around - 4:03
Chit Chat - 8:12
Mile 7 - 10:30
Mile 8 - 13:48 (includes refills)
Mile 9 - 10:39
Mile 10 - 10:53
Mile 11 - 12:28
Mile 12 - 11:35 (includes taking photos)
Finish - 2:35:01

Steam Punk

Report:
Went out for a run during lunch and got a good bitch-slap for my effort. I know I didn't like it but I think I needed it. I thought it was warm a few weeks ago but today came out and said "up yours!" and proceeded to prove to me that today was not only warmer but also more humid. And the sad part is it's a mild day today compared to what we'll see later this summer.

Anyway, along my run today I saw some odd things. First, a dead snake. A small one mind you but still creepy. A few miles later I did my Heisman Trophy dance/jump when I thought I saw a much bigger snake. Turns out it was just a crack in the road. I also saw a dead baby turtle. While not as scary as a snake, it's just as creepy. Then I saw a deer (alive) take off into the woods. Made me slow to a walk to watch and then promptly jump when a huge turkey takes off just a few feet from where the deer was.

Outside of the wildlife, it was a fairly normal run. Had to deal with some hydration and heating issues but I survived. And got a refresher in running in the heat.

Weather:
Temps were about 80F to 85F with humidity around 50% to 60%. Skies were mostly clear and there was a light breeze around 10mph.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a new type of burrito from Wegmans, yogurt, and iced coffee. Pre-run fuel was a Hammer Gel (Raspberry - which gave me some acid reflux, heartburn, and burping). During the run I had a bottle of plain water and a bottle of Hammer Fizz. I had about 5 ice cubes in both bottles and they lasted about halfway through the run (and made an awful clunking noise along the way). I stashed my Fizz bottle around mile 1.5 instead of my usual spot around mile 2 and promptly had to ration my water until I got back to it. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite in the shower followed by left over hamburger and some shredded mini wheat things.

Aches and Pains:
Around mile 4 I started to get the chills which I've learned is my body's way of telling me I'm overheated. I slowed down on the return leg and still struggled to keep a solid pace going. My biggest saving grace was the shade from the trees and the light breeze. No other real pains.

Gear:
Ditched my shirt around mile 1.5. Took my phone to snap a picture along the way (of the hill at the turn-around point for this route). No other special gear.

Codename - Steam Punk
It was steamy out today. And I felt it because I ran like a punk. I thought I knew what I could handle but Mother Nature was kind enough to remind me of a few things. Like stash the water, not the electrolyte drink. Like wear sunscreen if it's hot. Like don't bother wearing a shirt if it's hot. Like don't be a punk ass bitch when it's hot outside.

Splits:
Outbound - 34:22 (went out way too fast)
Inbound - 37:43 (suffered through the heat)
Finish - 1:12:06

Podcast - Mile 28 - The Meadows

I was on "patrol" on our local rail trail making sure everything was where it needed to be. I carefully skirted my mental issues but hint at seeking therapy. I'll keep you posted on that one. I also not-so-carefully skirt a tree and screw up my thumb. Thankfully it happened before I started recording so you don't hear me whine and whimper like a baby.

And I still have yet to figure out if it's the church, the cemetery, or something else that makes me feel "spiritual" at the far end of the trail. Oh, and I have diarrhea of the mouth too so feel free to ignore me as usual.


Download or view on Podbean.

Taking a Stand

Report:
Since I went to work early I opted for a lunch run today. Had a bit of extra time so I decided to push my boundaries a bit and take an older route just to see if I could manage it. Turns out I could handle it. Better than expected.

The run itself was pretty ho-hum. Went slow and steady on my outbound leg without too much excitement. Stashed one of my bottles around the 25% mark and carried on with my other bottle. I wasn't sure how I'd handle less fluid than normal but I figured if I was going to push my distance boundary a bit, I might as well push my fluid boundary as well. Turns out my fluids were just about spot on. I thought I'd come in with my bottles bone dry but with some conservation and an attempt to only drink when I'm thirsty, but I came in with a solid mouthful or two left over.

On my inbound leg I suddenly had the "groove" settle over me and it felt awesome. So without thinking too hard I pushed just a smidgen while I felt good. I didn't pick up my pace too much, maybe 5 or 10%, but tried to just run in the groove. I knew once I thought too hard about what I was doing I'd lose it. So with very little thinking I just kept going. It lasted a solid 3 miles or so and felt great. The last mile wasn't quite in the groove but I was on the edge of it enough to ride the wave a bit to the end.

Weather:
Temps were about 50F to 55F. Skies were cloudy with the sun peeking out once or twice. Felt a bit humid but nothing too terrible. Winds were light around 10mph.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was breakfast burritos, hash browns, and an iced latte. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Perpeteum, a bottle of Hammer Fizz, and one Hammer Gel. I took the Gel around mile 4 and finished nearly all of my fluids. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite followed by chocolate ZICO and some left over meatloaf and green beans.

Aches and Pains:
My lower back pain goes away during the run but I felt stiff and sore after this past weekend. I spent both days, for a total of maybe 10 hours or so, working in the yard. Lots of chainsaw work, driving the tractor, tossing wood in the chipper, hauling around a chain, etc. Aside from that, things felt fine. But I did make sure to stretch after my run.

Gear:
No special gear today. Took my phone for photos and safety and that was it.

Codename - Taking a Stand
Felt good about getting help last week. Will go again this week. Hope I see progress over time. But over all, I'm glad I could take a stand and stand up to my own fears. A tree stand left behind inspired the name for today's run.

Splits:
Outbound - 45:58
Inbound - 43:58
Finish - 1:29:57 (a new PR for this route by about a minute)

Yet another DRHT run

Report:
Went out for an easy run before a work party today and felt pretty good during the run. I didn't have a set pace I was aiming for, just time on my feet and miles on the trail. Along the way I saw some interesting things. First, some angry Canadian Geese. Second, a Clapper Rail (an odd looking bird that looks like a Kiwi). Third, beaver sign! Oh, those horrid beasts. Beavers. Grrrr.

Anyway, I trotted down the trail, took plenty of pictures, and had a decent time enjoying the trail and the weather. Most interesting though was finding the DailyMile magnet I placed for Michele S. (or somebody else) to find! I placed it on a bench near mile marker 6 a few weeks back and when I checked on it later, it was gone. Thinking it washed away or something I had given up on it and decided it was lost. Until today! I found it at mile marker 11 and was so happy to see it again. So I placed it on the trail for somebody to find and move. Let the games begin! Hmm, guess I should come up with some rules for the game.

The rest of my run was great but I had a bit of a creepy encounter when I made it to the Y to take my shower. My local Y has shower stalls so you can scrub your kibbles, bits, and udders in private. The other YMCAs in the area have communal showers, just like those you dreaded in high school. So as I started to get wet in the shower today the dude next to me LEANS THE FUCK OVER AND POINTS AT MY LEG!!! DUDE!! That's my junk down there! Don't lean over into my personal space and point. I mean, I'm self-conscious enough about my size, I don't need some dude pointing at anything in the general area. No sir! After that, I scrubbed as efficiently as possible. I got clean, but I did it like I was taking a freaking Navy shower. In, out, done. I didn't care that he was polite and just asking about my tattoo. I didn't care that he was talking about something that he heard on the radio. I didn't care about anything but getting the hell out of there.

Phew!

Weather:
Temps were 50F to 55F. Winds were heavy, about 20 mph with gusts around 30 mph, but being in the trees kept most of it off me. Sun was out and nice.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was nothing but water. I had one bottle of Hammer Fizz, which I finished most of. I had one bottle of hammer Perpeteum, which I finished all of. Recovery was chocolate ZICO mixed with Hammer Recoverite.

Aches and Pains:
Not really any to speak of. My lower back has been tight for a good week or two but I think it's because I've slacked off on stretching after my runs. So I made sure I stretched after I finished today.

Gear:
Wore my vest which eventually came off after a mile or so. Winter hat and gloves stayed on. Arm sleeves were great. Also ran with my cell phone to take pictures and my voice recorder to record a podcast episode.

Codename - The DailyMile MacGuffin Game
See my blog post for the rules.

Splits:
First half mile - 7:52
Mile 1 - 12:49
Mile 2 - 13:14
Mile 3 - 12:28
Mile 4 - 11:48
Last half mile - 5:38
Finish - 1:03:51 (a solid 6 minutes slower than my best time but I was taking pictures and meandering as I felt like it)

The DailyMile MacGuffin Game

It's like geocaching and running all mixed into one.

The object of the game though is to take the "flag" or "cache" or "treasure" or "MacGuffin" and move it.

Rules are pretty simple.

First, you can only find or move the MacGuffin on a run. Runs can be on the trail, on the road, or both. But it must one single run. You can't find the MacGuffin on today's run and place it somewhere on tomorrow's run.

Second, the MacGuffin needs to be placed on a man-made object. This may be difficult on trail runs and exceptions can be made. But it you think about it, it'll be hard to find the MacGuffin if there are a thousand trees to look at. And looking at trees is sometimes dangerous on trail runs. So try to place it on a man-made object.

Third, tell people when and where you find the MacGuffin. You don't need to tell us where you hide it, but tell us when you find it. This should draw out the person that hid it originally and drive some discussion. Might even make friends.

Finally, the MacGuffin can be anything you want it to be. Personally, I have two out in the wild. The one I found and moved today was a small DailyMile magnet. The other one I have hidden off my road is a larger DailyMile sticker that I've attached with a pushpin.

So, those are the rules. If you have any questions, let me know. In the meantime, have fun!

Barkley Bypass

Report:
Went out to inspect the @friendsdrht trail to see all the new changes after last weekend's work party came through. Saw a ton of new benches up and the new signs/cross-bucks at the road crossing were up too. Outside of that, I didn't see many changes. Oh, except for the new gun range bypass, but I'll get to that in a moment.

As I started my run I headed from the parking lot to the 8.5 mile marker and came across two other runners out with their three dogs. All was good, we exchanged pleasantries, the dogs barked, etc. I turned around and passed them again after they turned around too. Then it was off to the 6.0 mile marker. I shortly debated turning around at the 6.5 mile marker but kept on going. I knew I had left a DailyMile sticker in that area between mile 6.5 and mile 6.0 the week before. I had forgotten to mention it to Michele S. but wanted to check on it before I mentioned it again. Turns out, it was gone. I looked to see if it was on the ground or had blown away but it was nowhere to be seen. I have no idea where it went. Maybe somebody else is playing the game?

The big change was the gun range bypass. Our volunteer group has hacked and slashed a new bypass but it is not even close to being runnable. It's passable on foot but isn't clearly marked and has quite a few logs and undergrowth to tread through and over. It was a bit easier on the elevation gains but was a bit longer too.

Weather:
Temps started out around 40F but quickly warmed up to 55F. Sky was clear with a few wispy clouds. There was a light breeze but not very noticeable in the trees.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was breakfast burritos, a little iced latte, and water. The burritos were downed right before the run and they did pretty good in my gut. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and a bottle of plain water. I finished the Fizz but had half a bottle of plain water left. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite and the rest of my iced latte.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt but my back has been stiff lately. I think I'm not stretching enough after my runs.

Gear:
Wore my Saucony jacket today over top of my UnderArmour thermal shirt. Also wore long pants, winter hat, and gloves. Hat and gloves came off and went back on several times. Also took my cell phone and took a lot of pictures of the new work projects.


Codename - Barkley Bypass
Today's run went through the new bypass around the gun range. The idea, from what I understand, is to make the climb easier. For those in the know, one section of the bypass is the gravel access road. That hasn't changed. The other section is single-track trail. Only about half of this section has changed. Between the gravel road and the bridge over the creek is the area where the new bypass trail is located. It is not bike or runner friendly at the moment but it looks like it's been started and blazed. It's also not clearly marked in some sections, so just look for the cleared brush, hacked trees, and white ribbon. It's not as steep as the original bypass but it is longer (about a tenth of a mile longer). Here's the original bypass. And here's the new bypass. Note that on the original bypass I went from west to east while I went east to west on the new bypass. You'll also see that the new bypass isn't as straight as the original but does have a much more gradual elevation change.

Splits:
My splits were all jacked up so I'm just posting the total time (which is much slower than normal because I stopped to take pictures of a lot of stuff.
Finish - 1:17:57

Gay, Bi, Curious?

Report:
Wild weather dominated today's run. Had to deal with heat, cold, sun, clouds, winds, and even some rain. Didn't know what to expect but I felt like a smart ultra runner. I was prepared.

Debated going out this morning but I honestly chickened out a bit after loading the family into the truck to start their day. Damn was it cold! My little booty shorts didn't cover enough, not even with my RUEZ undies on. So I went to work early and got some stuff done. Thankfully I did because my boss sprang a surprise meeting on us first thing and thankfully I was ready to go. But it also meant I'd have to wait until after lunch to go run. So I did. And it was at least a little warmer.

During the run I didn't see too much exciting beyond the weather. Same old junk on the road, next to the road, and around the hood. Once you run a route a few times, you start to know it's little intricacies. Today was like that. I knew what hills were coming, where to push, where to hold back, and where to glide.

Despite my knowledge of the route though, I fucked with myself. As I left the house, I debated do 8 miles. Then debated 6 miles. Finally I settled on 5 miles. As I chugged down the road on my 5 mile route, I began wondering if I should run to the swamp, chill out, then run back. I hated to wimp out with just a few miles so I decided to do the whole route. Then I really messed with my own head and got to the swamp and walked. And walked. I decided to walk to the turnaround point. This would give me a solid section of walking/power-hiking to make my body cool off some. The idea was to see if I could force myself to run after a prolonged break like that. So at the turn-around point, I began running. And ran damn near the whole route back. If it wasn't for the rain, I think I could have made it. But when I saw the steady deluge coming down the road straight for me, I decided it was time to hide the electronics in the plastic bag before they got soaked. Aside from that section of walking, I ran the whole return trip. In fact, after the walking break, I tried to pick up the pace some. Mostly because I wanted to get out of the rain but partly because I wanted to push myself.

Mission accomplished. I messed with my own head, did the whole route, walked some, ran some, ran faster than normal, and in the end, felt pretty good.

Weather:
Temps were about 50F but it felt like it swung between 45F and 65F out there. The sun came out at times but never for very long. Rain was a very light sprinkle until the last mile when it became steady but still light enough to be bearable. Wind varied from none to 15mph.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt, eggs, a bagel, and coffee. Pre-run snack was four Oreos. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Perpeteum which I finished about 90% of. I also had my hydration pack with plain water. Finished about half of that, so maybe half a liter. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite mixed with milk and water followed by a piece of cornbread and coffee.

Aches and Pains:
My left shin had a few pains here and there. As did both ankles. Knees and everything else felt line.

Gear:
Wore my hydration pack with all my gear. Also wore my Brooks vest and long sleeve thermal top. Only shorts on the bottom.

Codename - Gay, Bi, Curious?
The weather just couldn't make up it's mind today. The sun would come out and I'd get overheated. Then the wind would pick up and I'd freeze. I'd take my winter hat off, put it back on, take it off again and take my gloves off, then put both back on. Mother Nature just couldn't decide if I was a Bottom or a Top. Funny because I've always thought of myself as a Bear.

Splits:
Outbound Run - 22:40
Outbound Walk - 11:23
Inbound Run 1 - 7:02
Inbound Run 2 - 20:16
Finish - 1:01:22

Podcast - Mile 27 - Post HAT Run 50k

This is the real Mile 27. Ignore all other imposters. As usual, I have nothing worthwhile to say. But at least I'm getting it out there. I play a game in this one where I try to find a DailyMile sticker that a fellow runner and I have been moving around on each other. We live near each other so it's a nice little gimmick to get me out the door.


I also do some birthday math, lament at my lack of time and skill at being a novelist, and spot a unicorn. Then I delve into the dark side of soda as I talk about how my depression is often onset by drinking Coke. Can you tell the difference between Coke from a can, from a plastic bottle, from a glass bottle, and from the fountain? I can.


Download or view on Podbean.

Knobby Tires

Report:
Went out today to look for Michele S.'s lost car key. Turns out an email was waiting for me when I finished and it looks like somebody else may have found it earlier. Good news.

As for the run itself, it was pretty uneventful. Not! I started at mile 4, walked to mile 4.5, ran back to mile 4, and continued to repeat the alternating run/walk for each half mile section of trail. Add to that, I damn near froze my hands off for the first mile or two. Thankfully I found some gloves in my gym bag after the first mile and wore them for the rest of the run. By the end, I had to pull down my arm sleeves because it was getting warm. I also managed to find a Hammer Gel top, Accel gel top, Coke can, beer can, and even a large soda cup from McDonalds. All of which I hiked out to the trail head and put in my trashcan. The only thing I left behind was the used condom and wrapper.

The big excitement though came from the hunter. I ran the leg from mile 2.5 to 2.0, went to the bathroom, then turned around to walk from mile 2.0 to 2.5. Right before the mile 2.0 marker is a cross over road where property owners can get from one side of the property to the other. So as I was walking back I saw a hunter in full camo walking on this cross over road. Casually walking across the road. Didn't look at me or acknowledge my presence in any way. Totally scared the shit out of me. The first half a second I thought it was Bigfoot or Knobby or something but it was just a guy walking across the trail. He kept walking and I kept walking. Thankfully I didn't die of a heart attack.

Beyond that, things were pretty sedate. Very cool to see the sun rise and the mist float around in the early morning hours.

Weather:
Temps started at 50F but ended up at 65F. Sun was out. No breeze that I could feel. Some humidity from yesterday's rain.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was water. During the run I had my hydration pack with water. Drank maybe 12 to 16 ounces. Recovery was an iced latte and breakfast burritos.

Aches and Pains:
None really. My hands were cold for the first mile but warmed up fine after I put gloves on. My arms were fine until about mile 3 when I got warm and pulled my sleeves down.

Gear:
Had my Salomon hydration pack with various stuff stashed in it. Nothing terribly exciting.

Codename - Knobby Tires
I mentioned the hunter made me think of Bigfoot or Knobby. Do some research about Knobby and you'll see he's been spotted in the area of Shelby, NC (where I used to live). And no, I didn't tell him to "git!" As for the tires, well, it looks like the trail is yet again being used by ATVs when it shouldn't be. Saw some skid marks near mile marker 4 and some new side trails in the area of mile marker 3.

Splits:
Mile 0.5 - 10:50
Mile 1 - 7:15
Mile 1.5 - 10:35
Mile 2 - 5:29
Mile 2.5 - 10:16
Mile 3 - 5:42
Mile 3.5 - 11:07
Mile 4 - 5:38
Mile 4.5 - 11:08
Mile 5 - 5:32
Finish - 1:23:36

Young DJ In The House

While our daughter is likely too young to know what "DJ" actually means, she did a stellar job talking to our local radio DJ. In fact, she and her brother apparently made quite the impression when they met him in person last weekend. But I guess I should back up even before that so we can start from the beginning.

Way back in the late 80s/early 90s, there was a local radio station that went by the name Q96 The Heat. The call-sign and channel was WGRQ and 95.9 FM. Over time they changed formats, owner, etc. and became the WGRQ/95.9 station that airs today. So this channel has been around my childhood for sometime and has long been a steady stream of music in my car over the years (all the way back to when I didn't have a car).

Anyway, they did a local/on-site broadcast last weekend where the morning DJ, Dave Adler, met my wife and kids. The kids were apparently on the radio and were quite the comedy act. I missed the show but through luck and planning, managed to catch the second act this week. Turns out my wife gave the phone to my daughter who called the station one morning.

What you hear here is the end result. I've also included the music videos as well just so you can finish the song.

Dead Dog Leg

Report:
After this morning's luke-warm bike, I went out for a much warmer run. Warm enough that I went topless. I'm now getting a better understanding of why guys like to go out and run without their shirt. First, it's functional and keeps you cool. Second, it makes you look cool. Well, for most guys fit enough to look cool, for fatties like me, it just makes us look like a beached whale grew some hair and decided to run down the road. And finally, third, it's functional. I know, I already said that, but I can't imagine how I survived running in the heat with shirts on in the past. No wonder I was so damned hot. But don't worry ladies, I'm working on becoming hawt.

Today's run was warm but not insanely hot. I did get overheated and had to reel myself back in a bit (which is why my inbound split is slightly slower). I powered hard up the first hill and felt good doing it, started to overheat and slow down on the return leg, and could only go up the other side of the hill in low gear for half of it before taking a break.

What does a hawt lumberjack look like? Like this:

Source

Okay, okay, here's a hawt lumberjack for you ladies:

Source



Weather:
Temps were about 70F, sky was mostly clear but still some clouds, and the humidity was on the low end of things. Winds were about 10 mph with a few gusts around 20 mph. There was a headwind going out and a tailwind coming back. Pollen count was high.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was coffee, yogurt, oatmeal, eggs, and toast. I took nothing before the run. During the run I had two bottles, one with plain water and one with Hammer Fizz. I put 4 ice cubes in each and they lasted until about the halfway point. Fluids stayed cold through the end of the run. Recovery was chocolate ZICO followed by a meal of leftover spaghetti with meat sauce.

Aches and Pains:
My right knee was feeling off but appears to have warmed up after a mile or so. The last mile or so I could feel my feet getting hot. Outside of that, no other discomfort beyond the heat.

Gear:
No special gear but I did take my iPod.

Codename - Dead Dog Leg
Ran by a dead (and very squished) snake at the bottom of the hill. Ick. The barking dog on the corner (aka Cujo) didn't even lift his head as I ran by. Passed a couple out walking with a giant stroller and when I turned around they were gone. No sign of them. Cooled off my legs with cold water like a "pro" and it helped a little. The cold water felt better on my head and my big ass gut.

Splits:
Outbound - 19:46
Inbound - 20:00
Finish - 39:46

Podcast - Mile 26.2 - The Marathon Episode

This was initially Mile 27 but seeing as I had nothing to talk about, I decided to make it Mile 26.2. Pretty lame but it fits seeing as it's short and the usual rambling diatribe.

Download or view on Podbean.

The Heat Is On

Report:
Hot run today but I knew it was coming. Wanted to snag a few more miles before tomorrow's long run and wouldn't you know it, I can't do math. Turns out I only needed one more mile plus 13 tomorrow to meet my weekly goal. Instead I did 6 today and hope to do 10+ tomorrow. Gah. Such a dunce sometimes.

Anyway, today's run was mostly an exercise in heat training with a side dish of deep thought. Trying to figure out if I need to put on my false front tomorrow and be the carefree Lumberjack or if I should go deep and dark. After 6 miles and a cold shower, I still don't know which way I'm going. Guess I get to play it by ear tomorrow.

Nothing terribly exciting today other than I went half naked from the start. Since I knew it would be warm out, I went topless but gave myself a good coating in sunblock. Well, I gave my natural sweater a coating at least. Saw lots of people out driving, got waves from most of the drivers, and even got a few odd looks from those sitting on their porches watching the hairy fat guy run down their road. Glad I can give people something to talk about at dinner tonight.

Weather:
Temps were easily 75F, maybe closer to 80F. Humidity was moderate. Winds were light. Sky was clear and sunny.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was eggs, toast, yogurt, and coffee. Lunch was three slices of Hawaiian pizza with water. Before the run I took a small hit of Hammer Gel. During the run I had two bottles of Hammer Fizz. Recovery after the run was chocolate ZICO followed by a cold shower to cool down. After that I had another coffee and some Belvita cracker-cookies. I'll have a full dinner later.

Aches and Pains:
Had an odd, sharp pain in my left ankle at about the halfway mark. Had to stop and walk a few steps before running again. Pain went away, no known cause. Beyond that, I could tell by later in the run I was getting a little overheated. Not too bad but I could feel it creeping up. I was also fighting some stomach distress. Turns out Hawaiians like to relax and take things easy, not go run. Or at least Hawaiian pizza doesn't like to run. Aside from the bloat and the ankle, everything else felt fine.

Gear:
No special gear beyond my Mission sunblock. Going to be making friends with that spray can all summer long.

Codename - The Heat Is On
Yep, summer is here. I'm sure we'll get some cool days or even cool mornings but we might as well declare that summer has arrived. In a few weeks, I fully expect the humidity to rear its ugly head. Unlike the video though, I don't expect to see any sax in my future.

Splits:
Outbound - 32:14
Inbound - 33:21 (a full minute slower, likely due to the heat)
Finish - 1:05:36 (oddly enough, my second fastest time but still nearly a minute slower than my PR for this route)

Trail Run - Long Arm of the Law

Report:
Went out on "patrol" today on the @friendsdrht. It's been awhile since I've been on the trail and it was nice to get back. Even if it was to get a bead on how things looked in regards to litter and trespassers. Apparently there have been some people using the trail for all the wrong reasons so we're attempting to increase the amount of traffic in the area. As for today's run, I didn't see much. There were some deer, and only one beer can outside of the normal littering "zone." So all in all, it was pretty quiet.

For those in the area, I parked at Caledon and ran down 218 to pick up the trail. Running on 218 was hairy at best. I thought Butler Road was scary but 218 is by far worse. Bad enough that I cut through the field on my way back to save myself from jumping in the ditch for the millionth time to avoid getting my ass ran over. Apparently people don't drive 45 on that road.

Worst part of the run was when I went to pick up the beer can. I braced myself with one hand on a branch while I reached with the other hand. The branch broke and I caught myself on the tree trunk. With my thumb. While bending my thumbnail back. Needless to say, it hurt. And bled. And while I wanted to cry uncle and go back home, I kept going. After all, it's just a thumb, right?

Weather:
Temps were around 45F to 50F. Skies were overcast. Wind was moderate at about 15 to 20 mph.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt and oatmeal with coffee. During the run I had a bottle of Hamemr Fizz and my hydration pack of plain water. I drank about half a bottle of the Fizz and maybe half a liter of plain water. Recovery was chocolate ZICO.

Aches and Pains:
No real pain during the run other than my thumb. The bleeding stopped and it hasn't turned colors yet but it still throbs.

Gear:
Wore my Salomon hydration pack again and packed along my voice recorder and my camera. Wore my arm sleeves and gloves to stay warm but it wasn't sunny enough to need my sunglasses.

Codename - Long Arm of the Law
While I hold no legal authority to enforce the laws regarding the trail, I do have permission to be on the trail. Which is more than I can say about those that are illegally using the trail for other reasons. And by the way, I bet you didn't know that I have a degree in Criminal Justice and actually know what alligatoring means in an arson investigation.

Splits:
Outbound - 9:56
Mile 2 - 14:23
Mile 3 - 13:08
Mile 4 - 14:13
Mile 5 - 13:03
Inbound - 7:00
Finish - 1:11:47

Today's Run - Cloudy and Rocky

Report:
Wow. I crushed my PR for this route today. By like two and a half minutes. Pretty damn awesome over a 5 mile stretch of gravel road. All in all, I wasn't sure what to expect going out today. I didn't really want to go but I eventually convinced myself that I needed to get some miles in and it would be better than eating lunch. What? A fat guy can't starve himself every now and then? I promise I'll make up for it later by eating crappy food.

Okay, okay, I skipped most of the crappy food and just snagged some ham, cheese, hard boiled egg, and some of these Belvita cracker/cookie things. Anyway, the run went well despite some hardships. The gravel road has apparently been graded or raked or something because I hit more stingers (pointy rocks) today than I have in the past year of running period. Ouch. But I made it through. And on top of that, I was passed by several cars and not all slowed to avoid making more of a dust cloud than needed. Which means I only had a few times of obscured vision and rough breathing.

Outside of that, it was just another run full of deep thoughts and heavy breathing.

Weather:
Temps were about 55F to 60F. The sun was out for nearly all of the run but there were some clouds in the sky. Wind was light, maybe 5 to 10 mph. Humidity was just about zero, which was interesting in the first mile as my shorts were stuck to my legs from static.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was oatmeal, yogurt, coffee, toast, and eggs. I took a PowerBar gel before the run. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz and a bottle of plain water. I finished almost all of both bottles. Recovery was chocolate ZICO followed by ham, cheese, a hard boiled egg, and Belvita crackers (or cookies). And another chocolate ZICO since my Keurig appears to have died and refuses to make me coffee.

Aches and Pains:
My right hamstring was tight later in the run but was otherwise fine. Rocks were the worst of the run but nothing too terrible.

Gear:
Started my run with a short-sleeved shirt and gloves but eventually stripped them off around mile 3. Also wore my iPod shuffle.

Codename - Cloudy and Rocky
Sometimes the path you travel is painful and sometimes difficult to see where you are going. But eventually it will smooth out and the way will become clear.

Splits:
Outbound - 27:37 (includes a pee break)
Inbound - 26:47
Finish - 54:24 (new PR by about 2:30)

Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon - Hospital Hill

What follows is a breakdown of the "dreaded" Hospital Hill. Located next to the Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, VA, this stretch of road is featured in both the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon (MCHH) and the VA Runner Blue & Gray Half Marathon (VARBAG). In both races, the hill appears to be daunting at first glance. But after spending some time on it, it's not really all that bad. Here's how you break it down into sizable chunks.

The first hurdle to getting over this hill is mental. And it's the biggest hurdle. My first time through the MCHH, this hill was all I could hear form those around me. Sure, the course is flat. Ugh, that hill is huge. But that's the only hill. Yeah. Right. Turns out the course isn't flat. At all. And it turns out the hill is certainly huge to some but isn't that bad. You see, the hill psyches you out before you even get there. You run by it and see it waiting for you, lurking there on the side street, just waiting to gobble you up.

The second hurdle is learning how to break it down into runnable portions. Bite-sized pieces if you will. The first portion is the section of road leading up to the hill. It's really nothing to think about but this is a great place to take a short walking break before you run up the hill. Catch your breath, grab some water, maybe a little fuel, and then get ready to rocket up the hill.

The second portion of the hill is really Part A of the hill itself. It starts easy around a curve and ends at the first cross-street on your right. This is easily runnable if you take your time, shorten your stride, and use your arms. When you see the cross-street on your right, take a short walk break.

Once you pass beyond the side street, you've moved into Part B. Start running again. This section is a little flatter but don't be fooled and go faster. When you get to the next side street at the stop sign, take another walking break.

On the other side of the intersection, you'll enter Part C. This part is steeper. If you need to, walk a few sections here. Walk to the fire hydrant. Or the power pole. Or the next crack in the road. Whatever mental or physical trick you need to get you there. This is the hardest section of the hill so be prepared to walk or run slower. And don't panic. You're almost there. Once you get to the next cross-street on your right, take another walking break.

Not too long though because you're now in Part D. This slowly curves around and is no steeper than the first two sections so run it nice and slow. There should be a water station at the top, so take your time and power through to the traffic light. Once you get to the light at Cowan, you've made it to the top of Hospital Hill. That's it, just four parts. Easy, hard, or somewhere in between, you've done it.

The third hurdle is to know what lies beyond the hill. In this case, Cowan Boulevard. A series of hills that will chew you up and spit you out if you aren't ready for them. Now these hills are really just some short rollers but they offer quite a challenge as they come right after Hospital Hill and in the final miles of the half marathon. So just when you've had enough, just when you think you're almost done, Cowan appears to smack your ass. But like Hospital Hill, you can't let it sneak up on you. Save some gas for these hills. They're short. It won't take long. And once you're over the Interstate, you're home free. Stretch out those legs until you hit the finish line. You can tackle these hills with a little planning and the knowledge that you've just dominated Hospital Hill.

The last hurdle is nearly as hard as the first. Having fun and learning to love the hill. I've done this hill three times in races and hated it every time. I've done it five times in training and hated it too, but by the third trip up, I learned to dislike it strongly. By my last trip, I had a mutual respect for the hill. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. It was manageable but not a killer. With time, I'll eventually learn to love the hill. But until then, I'll work at getting over it. After all, it's just a hill.

* Updated on 2013-05-17 to fix spelling errors.

My Lumberjack Brethren

As seen on my run last week, some of my Lumberjack brothers removed some trees from our road. They were scary trees. Scary enough that I would subconsciously duck when I drove past them because I was afraid they would fall on me. Same thing when I ran by the trees.

Weekend Kayak - Water Logged

Report:
So my wife and I took our kayaks out for their inaugural trip. We went from the City Dock in Fredericksburg to the Little Falls Dock. It wasn't quite a straight trip since we sent upstream about a mile before heading back downstream. So from the City Dock to the Little Falls Dock was only about 4 miles but with the up and back portion, it ended up with a total of about 6 miles. For those locals out there, we went upstream and went around Brown's Island, the island that is under the old Route 3 bridge (William Street).

Various portions were very shallow, especially upstream from the City Dock. Even bottomed out in a few sections. But aside from that, it gradually got deeper and deeper. Saw lots of birds, from egrets/cranes to bald eagles to ducks to geese. Saw lots of turtles. Saw lots of fishermen. Saw only a few kayaks but plenty of boats, some going fast, some going slow. Saw lots of pilings along the edges of the river and even a few that looked like old man-made harbors or ports. Some place for old ships to moor. Old enough that I could see square nails.

Weather:
Temps were about 60F to 70F. Winds were from the west at 10 to 15 mph so it made things even harder going upstream. Skies were clear. Water temp was likely around 50F. Some portions were cloudy, some clear enough to see the bottom.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was oatmeal, coffee, and yogurt. During the kayak trip, I drank a bottle of Hammer Perpeteum with some Hammer Gel mixed in. I also drank about half a bottle of Hammer Fizz. I ate two Jolly Rancher candies and felt guilty about it. Post-kayak meal was salad, two hard boiled eggs, and left over hash browns.

Aches and Pains:
About two minutes into the trip I smacked my finger on the side of my kayak. Hurt on and off for a while. My neck hurt when I got out of the kayak, but I'm not used to sitting and rowing for so long.

Gear:
My blue Emotion Comet Kayak has been dubbed WATER LOG. Since I have a tendency to swamp my kayak and since I'm the Lumberjack, I figured it was a fitting name. My wife called her red kayak RED ROSS although I wanted to call it HEAVY FLO. Also had my paddle, life jacket, safety rope, river map, dry bag full of camera and clothes, water bottles, etc. One side note, my Smartwool socks worked great inside my New Balance Minimus shoes. Even after they got a little wet.

Codename - Water Logged
My original name for my kayak was going to be "The Lumberjack" but I didn't really like it. As I drove to town, the perfect name dawned on me. After all, don't lumberjacks put logs in the river to float them down to the sawmill?

PS - You can see the route here. It's classified as a swimming route but that's just because DailyMile wouldn't let me upload a GPX for rowing.

http://www.dailymile.com/routes/1087570-swimming-route

Saturday's Run - If you like it, follow it

Report:
Today's run is brought to you by the word "flexibility." Not the "sexy bendy" kind of flexible, the "go with the flow" kind of flexible. I put in 14 miles this week which nicely over my planned mileage of 10. My 11 LSD run for the weekend was going to be on the trails but then my wife and I hashed out some scheduling items around our errands and I ended up with something a wee bit better.

Hospital Hill.

For those of you that have run the Blue and Gray Half or the Marine Corps Historic Half, you know what hill I'm talking about. So today I ran up Hospital Hill 5 times. And back down 5 times. And before and after my hill repeats, I ran to and from the local YMCA. Just happened to be about 2 miles for the warm-up and cool-down. So in the end, it all worked out great. I had a nice jog to and from my workout session and put in a decent effort on the hill repeats. And while I would have been more than happy to pull a turn-around to follow the cute girl down the hill, I stuck to my plan. Along the way, I learned to break the hill down into sections that are easily runnable and over time I even managed to feel comfortable going up and down.

One other side note for you locals, I managed to give the Belmont Ferry Farm Trail a test drive. Saw it on my way out and ran part of it on my way back and it was nice. Certainly safer than running on Butler Road.

Weather:
Temps were about 60F near the start but warmed to a nice 65F. There was a decent breeze blowing, maybe 10 to 15mph. Not really noticeable going uphill but noticeable going downhill. Sun was out and the sky was clear.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was toast, eggs, yogurt, and coffee. During the run I had my Salomon hydration pack full of water (1.5 L), a small flask with water, and a bottle of Hammer Perpeteum with Hammer Gel mixed in. After each hill repeat, I would take a swig of the Perpeteum. I'd drink my water as needed. And the small flask of water I put half a Hammer Fizz tablet in after my last repeat to drink. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite mixed with chocolate ZICO. Post-run meal was a salmon club, baguette, and iced tea from Panera.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt as I ran but the 2 miles to the hill helped warm me up. My outgoing pace was faster than I wanted but part of that was running on fear since Butler road is a bit hairy for pedestrians. My right hamstring was tight after the run and the medial side of my right knee was hurting too but again, nothing too major.

Gear:
Wore my Salomon hydration pack and loved it even more on this run than my first run. I did not like how hard (actually impossible) it was to reach the side pockets on the bottom (under the arms). Outside of that, it held my fuel bottle, my small flask, my cell phone, my iPod Shuffle, my EpiPen, baby wipes, ID, a small BodyGlide, Hammer Fizz tube, and a few other things. And it didn't feel heavy at all.

Codename - If you like it, follow it
After getting a glowing smile from the lady going the other way, I suddenly began to create shirts in my head. Like "if you like it" on the front and "follow it" on the back. Or "stop staring" on the bottom of the back. You get the idea.

Mile Splits:
Mile splits are from RunKeeper and may not be accurate.
Mile 1 - 9:47
Mile 2 - 11:10
Mile 3 - 12:19
Mile 4 - 11:49
Mile 5 - 10:17
Mile 6 - 12:40
Mile 7 - 11:13
Mile 8 - 12:47
Mile 9 - 9:55
Mile 10 - 11:36
Mile 11 - 10:40

Splits:
YMCA to Hospital Hill - 25:39
Up Hill 1 - 8:03
Down Hill 1 - 7:13
Up Hill 2 - 8:03
Down Hill 2 - 6:59
Up Hill 3 - 8:31
Down Hill 3 - 6:43
Up Hill 4 - 7:49
Down Hill 4 - 8:54
Up Hill 5 - 7:19
Down Hill 5 - 6:37
Hospital Hill to YMCA - 28:16
Finish - 2:10:11

Cross Training

This past weekend, the entire family chipped in a bit of time to freshen up the front yard. We ended up splitting and replanting some day lilies the week before which left us with a not-so-pretty looking section under the trees. So this past Sunday I spent pretty much all day moving mulch around, cutting the grass, and killing bugs. Along the way I killed a small snake and a nasty yet resilient spider. One thing Reddit has taught me is to always confirm your kill.

Anyway, after a solid day of slogging around and sweating my buns off, I feel like I accomplished something. And along the way I got some nice cross-training in. Here's the end result:

Yesterday's Run - Lackadaisical

Report:
Just a short run today with the group at the Y. I've been neglecting them (and everything else) lately because of tax season but thankfully the end is near. Just a few more days of struggling to keep my sanity.

Today's run was easy and low key. Primary purpose was to give my new hydration pack a test drive. So far, I like it. It fits a bit tighter than my Nathan but doesn't slosh around nearly as much. And with all the gadgets and gizmos and zippers and doodads, I think I'll have enough to keep me busy for awhile.

Anyway, slow run, no pressure, just adding some miles and testing new gear.

Weather:
Temps were 50F to 55F with low humidity and a slight breeze. Cloudy skies and a bit chillier than expected.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was oatmeal, eggs, toast, yogurt, and coffee. During the run, I had my Salomon hydration pack loaded with 1.5 L of water, nothing else. Recovery was chocolate ZICO. Lunch was a salad followed by a dessert of 2 cupcakes.

Aches and Pains:
None really, just felt mentally unmotivated and physically sluggish.

Gear:
Tested my new Salomon hydration pack, the Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab 5. Initial impressions are positive. Just need to put more miles on it to figure it all out and then I think it'll eventually replace my old Nathan HPL 020.

Codename - Lackadaisical
That word pretty much sums up how I felt during today's run. Kind of like "ho-hum, just do 3 miles and go take a shower." Meh.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:25
Mile 2 - 10:46
Mile 3 - 10:51
Finish - 33:08

Yesterday's Run - I'm a Lumberjack and I'm okay

Report:
Just an easy run to cook off some extra energy. I spent my morning in court for the first time. Well, technically I've been to court once for a tour and once for an "indoctrination" speech for new drivers. Since then, it's been a good 15 years since I've set foot in a court room. And this is the first time I've gone for any legal matter involving me. No, I wasn't in trouble. I saw a reckless driver, called the police, they didn't find him in time to pull him over. Since all they had was my word against his, they couldn't really do much. So I filed a civil complaint (or citizen's warrant if you prefer) against the driver. Which means I got to stand before a judge this morning and testify to what I saw the young man do. As expected, the charge was reduced and he had to pay a fine. Which is fine with me. He was punished for his deeds and it felt like the punishment fit the crime. I wasn't asking for him to be raked over the coals but I also didn't want him to walk away without anything.

After shaking in my boots before the judge I made the mistake of amping up even more with another coffee on the way home. Needless to say when I went for my run I felt like I was on fire. I wasn't really and didn't feel like I was moving that fast but my mind was flying down the road like a jet. There's other things on my mind too but the court room drama was front and center.

Along the way I saw some VDOT workers cutting down trees that have been teetering on the side of the road for some time. Feel much safer knowing they're gone. I mean, I even felt nervous running under the trees. Sometimes I'd duck when I drove under them, just waiting for them to fall over. So that was fun seeing my Lumberjack brethren taking a saw to a tree. Outside of that, the run was pretty sedate. Although I did see a fellow pedestrian. That was cool.

Weather:
Temps were about 65F with a light wind. Mostly cloudy and even though the humidity felt low, there was a slight sprinkle of rain for the last half mile.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was coffee before court and an iced latte and breakfast burritos after court. Prior to the run I had a shot of Hammer Gel. During the run I had two bottles of Hammer Fizz. Recovery was chocolate ZICO followed by some Hammer Whey (mixed with coffee, ice, and ZICO) after my shower. Side note, the chocolate Whey isn't as good as the vanilla Whey (and the vanilla smells better too).

Aches and Pains:
My left ankle was stiff and sore this morning but everything felt okay during and after the run. My right hamstring was a little tight in the shower but nothing too terrible. I think it will continue to be a nagging ache for some time.

Gear:
I went shirtless from the start today and I'm glad I did. I was also thinking in advance and used some Mission sun block on my head, shoulders, and arms before going out. I also took my phone so I could take pictures of my Lumberjack buddies.

Codename - I'm a Lumberjack and I'm okay
The fact that I specifically ran this route just to take a picture of some guys cutting down a tree should prove that I'm freaking crazy and you should never run with me.

Splits:
Outbound - 20:55
Inbound - 20:08
Finish - 41:04 (2 and a half minute PR for this route)

Yesterday's Run - Bouncy Bouncy

Report:
Nice day for a lunchtime run so I bolted out the door as soon as I could. Spent this morning crawling back into bed and I have yet again proven that my body has a clock inside of it. I don't know why, but if I look at a clock, tell myself how long I want to sleep, and go to sleep, I will wake up a few minutes (or seconds) before the end of that time. Yet again I did it this morning. I have no idea why or how it happens but it freaks me out when it does. I mean, it's like my body is telling me something.

Anyway, since work is hectic (to put it mildly) and I didn't want to freeze my tiddly-winks off this morning, I waited until lunch. Out the door I went and enjoyed the cool, crisp air. And oh how nice it was. Warmed up just enough that after a little more than a mile I was able to ditch my shirt and run topless. Much to the chagrin of my neighbors I'm sure.

Best part of the run? Finding the DailyMile sticker that Michele S. hid along the way. As I carried along to it's new hiding spot, I began to think of how much this was like geocaching. But for runners. Only on DailyMile. So then I started thinking about how I could carry other little tidbits of treasure around and leave them for people to find. Hmm. I think I'll stick with stickers for the moment. Oh, and just so you know, I did cheat a little bit last week. I drove the kids one morning and looked for the sticker while I was driving. But I didn't see it. I don't know how I missed it, but I did. So when I found it today, I was pleasantly surprised and didn't feel so guilty looking for it from my car. Although I did feel a bit blind because I missed it. Sheesh.

Outside of that, the run was pretty sedate. Except for traffic. I had to jump over the ditch at the other dead man's curve since two cars were going by in opposite directions. No problem with that but then I nearly got clipped at the end of the road where I turn around. It's a blind corner for both parties and thankfully we both slowed way the hell down when we saw each other. And that was it. Farm animals, wood smoke, and skulking critters in the leaves. The usual for a run on a country road.

Weather:
Temps were about 65F but it felt cooler because of the light winds which were around 5 or 10 mph. Humidity was low and the sun was out.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was oatmeal, yogurt, coffee, water, toast, and eggs. Pre-lunch was just water. During the run I had two bottles of Hammer Fizz. Recovery was chocolate ZICO. Lunch was salad with leftover taco meat and corn with a dessert of two cupcakes (my daughter turned 8 yesterday).

Aches and Pains:
My left ankle hurt on and off through most of the run. Right hamstring hurt before and after the run but not much during the run. Outside of that, things felt fine.

Gear:
No fancy gear.

Codename - Bouncy Bouncy
As I started my run I spotted a kid jumping on a trampoline. If I knew him or his family, I would have asked if I could have a turn. Instead I avoided being the possibility of arrest and just kept running.

Splits:
Outbound - 33:31
Inbound - 34:51 (included a little extra time to hide the DailyMile sticker)
Finish - 1:08:22