Two Weeks Ending 12.16.12

There was a period of no running and some heavy lifting and then there was last Saturday.

Saturday - 10 miles, Luna Sandals - foot was a little tweaky and I called it a day at 10 miles

Sunday -  6 miles

Monday - 8 miles, NB MT 101, it was cold!

Tuesday - AM Gym - Bench / Squat, PM - 4 miles, NB MT 110

Wednesday - 30 min Stairs

Thursday - 0 - crazy day at work and then daughter was throwing up in the evening

Friday - AM Gym - Press / Dead, PM - 4 miles

Saturday - 14 miles, 10 miles Luna Sandals / 4 miles BF - This was a really nice run

Sunday - 0 - I woke up today and my left foot was bothering me just enough to not push things but not so much as to worry me.

Total - 46 miles and 30 min stairs

I've been easing back into things after taking nearly two weeks off to try and let my left foot right itself.  I'm pleased with the progress and will try to get in an actual speed workout in tomorrow after work.  I'm continuing to make progress with my lifting and have started to turn my sights to a 300 lb Dead.


The Beer of This Post - New Belgium Lips of Faith Biere de Garde

I've Been Off

I'm currently wrapping up my longest break from running in probably a year or more.  I decided to take a break when my left foot just refused to stop bothering me.  I tried running in shoes for a week but even that extreme measure wasn't enough.  I was really starting to worry that I had obtained a stress fracture at some point but things seem to be nearly 100% after a little over a week off.  I plan to get back to running tomorrow and jump right back into things.  I'll probably scratch Bandera 100k from my schedule and make Cowtown 50k my next race.

One benefit of not running was that I was able to get in 4 lifting sessions.  I am finally getting comfortable with deadlifts and am really starting to increase the weight that I am lifting.

Beer of the Post - Deep Ellum IPA

A Week in Shoes and Sandals

I failed to mention an unusual occurrence in yesterdays post - I ran every mile last week in some form of footwear.  That is the first time that this has happened since I lived back in the DC area and started the transition to barefoot / minimalist running.  The pain in my left foot necessitated this and it was rather refreshing.  I'm by no means a barefoot zealot or purist.  I view barefoot running as a tool that has made me a better runner.  I'll be back running barefoot as soon as my foot will allow me and I won't be falling in love with shoes anytime soon.  However, Doom  does have a love affair with shoes and this is probably the song he would dedicate to them:

Week Ending 11.25.12

Monday - AM - Gym: bench, press, squat, deads, PM - 4 miles, MT 101

Tuesday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 4 miles, MT 101

Wednesday - 30 min stairs

Thursday - 0 - Family, food, fun, etc

Friday - 10 miles, MT 110

Saturday - 10 miles, Luna Sandals

Sunday - 4 miles, MT 101

Total - 32 miles plus 1 hr stairs

My left foot and calf are still bothering me, more so the foot at this point.  I tweaked this foot way back in October on a fishing trip.  I slipped on a rock crossing a river and wedged my foot between two other rocks and it never felt totally right after that.  Then I proceeded to kick the crap out of a rock with that same foot at the Rockledge Rumble 50k.  I keep trying to convince myself that it is a soft tissue or ligament injury but the specter of a stress fracture is starting to creep into my mind.

I'm trying to clear my mind with a NOLA Hopitoulas IPA.

Thinking about 2013

There is no denying that I got pretty burnt out training for the Cactus Rose 100.  I really lost my desire to run and just drifted into haphazardly running once the decision was made to not run the CR 100.  I also lost my focus on diet and started eating pretty unhealthy.  I really think the long stretch of no racing leading up to CR 100 is what resulted in my burnout and I'm going to try and race more often in 2013.  I'm currently leaning towards this:

Bandera 100k - Jan 12 (very tentative)
Cowtown 50k - Feb 24
Grasslands 50 - March 23
Hells Hills 50 - April 6
Grand Canyon R2R2R  - May ?? (very very tentative)
El Scorcho 50k - July ??
Silver Rush 50 - July 14
Capt'n Karl's 60k Series - August and September (probably just 1 of the 3)
Leadville 100 - August 17 (very very very tentative)
Cactus Rose 100 - Oct 26
Rockledge Rumble 50k - Nov ??

That should keep my busy but maybe I'll get burnt out from racing too much!

No featured beer in this post but a few featured beers

Week Ending 11.18.12

Monday - 4 miles

Tuesday - 30 min stairs

Wednesday - 30 min stairs

Thursday - 0

Friday - 4 miles

Saturday - Too much beer and football

Sunday - 8 miles

Total - 16 miles plus 1 hr stairs

A nice easy recovery week.  Recovery from the 50k? eh, not so much but my left calf did feel like it was beat with a baseball bat for most of the week.  I'm now turning my training focus to the Grasslands 50 mile.  I've got two DNFs to show for my past years efforts leading up to this race.  It is an albatross on my running resume - kind of like a turd in a waste treatment pond (I guess it could be worse).  Anyway, worthless runner or not, I'm going to finish this year, unless I am injured or sick or it is too hot or.....

The featured beer of this post is Das Underkind! a sour saison from Jester King.

Rockledge Rumble 50k - Total Wreckage

This past weekend was the Rockledge Rumble 50k and by far my worst race experience to date.  There really isn't a lot to say.  I kicked the crap out of a rock around mile 6 and spectacularly laid out on the trail. I could never really get back into things after that an my left calf kept cramping up, which was incredibly frustrating.  I was thinking that 5:30 would be a solid time and that 6:00 would be my fall back time (the course record is around 4:30 - I think).

I finally had enough around 20 miles, laid down on a bench, watched clouds race by and enjoyed the roar of 50 mph winds.  I laid there for about 20 minutes contemplating dropping before finally deciding to finish what I started.

Everybody is Blogging!

I haven’t been overly motivated to blog as of late and seeing as how not many of the bloggers that I follow were blogging, there seemed to be no urgency to blog. However, that has recently changed and pretty much everyone that I read is blogging again! BG broke off a BF marathon, Doom is in love with shoes... again

Runner with an Appetite set a new PR at the MCM, The Ale Runner has your pumpkin beer covered, and JScott is always blogging.

I have not really been doing anything note worthy but do have a 50k coming up. I’ve been pretty unmotivated since pulling out of Cactus Rose and have just kind of been cruising along clipping off 40-50 mile weeks. I did manage to recently get in one 27 mile run and some shorter runs in the 16 – 20 mile range. I’ve also been grinding out a couple of hours of stairs each week and hitting the gym for heavy lifting. However, I don’t really have a good feeling for where this has put me physically and I am not expecting a powerful performance at this upcoming 50k.

 I have been drinking some great beer, and always, try to drink local!

I love this version of Little Talks

Week Ending 9.30.12

Monday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 4 miles

Tuesday - 1 hour stairs

Wednesday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 4 miles

Thursday - 6 miles

Friday - 16 miles, NB 110, Rowlett Creek Preserve

Saturday - 4 miles - Wanted to get in more than that but it was pouring down rain and 4 miles was more than enough.

Sunday - 6 miles

Total - 40 miles plus 2 hours stairs

Pretty lack luster of a week but it felt good to get out and do something each day after taking off two days last week.  I'll probably push the miles out to 60+ and still try to get in a couple of hours of stairs this coming week.  So Doom reminded me this week that we had talked about doing the R2R2R in the spring of '13.  Well, that is closer than it seems and now is the time to start planning for '13.  I am leaning towards Grasslands 50 in March, Hells Hills 50 in April (WS Qualifier), R2R2R in May, El Scorcho 50k in July, Leadville 100 (travel for R2R2R might make this unlikely - so probably only one of these two), and Cactus Rose 100.

Week Ending 9.23.12 - A Reset

Monday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - Gym - Press, Bench, Squat, Dead

Tuesday - AM - 1 hour stairs, PM - 4 miles

Wednesday - AM - 6 miles, PM - 6 miles

Thursday - 1 hour stairs

Friday - Off

Saturday - Off

Sunday - 12 miles, NB 110, Rowlett Creek Preserve

Total - 28 miles plus 2.5 hours stairs

Car Parked in the Woods?

I did something to my left foot while fishing in Oklahoma but didn't think anything of it until it was still bothering me on Thursday.  I slipped in a creek, stepped awkwardly on a rock and ended up with deep bruise or something.  So I decided to take a couple of days off this week, given that there is no race looming.  Things felt fine on my run this afternoon but it was hot as hell and I am tired of running in the heat!

Life Calls - No Cactus Rose 100

There are things in life that are bigger than races and once such event has come calling on the same weekend as Cactus Rose 100.  I will not be at this years race but plan to be there next year....

Rack 'Em, I'm Done

I've decided to step away from the gym and take a break from lifting until after Cactus Rose 100.  I've been very pleased with my the progress I made in the gym.  I'm lifting more than ever and feel that my core is stronger than it has ever been.  I'll be grinding out the miles over the next few weeks and will probably even hit some triples.

Attacked!

I got attacked by a dog tonight and, needless to say, my run got cut short.  Luckily the dog managed to rip my shorts up pretty good but some how was able to avoid actually biting me.  The owner was holding a leash in his hand but for some reason the dog wasn't on it....

Anyway, that gives me a bit of extra time this evening to enjoy a nice brew

Grinding

I have not had much time for posting b/w work and trying to squeeze the last few drops out of the summer with the family. I've been grinding the training and am up to 12 days without an off day.  The kids are back on their school schedule of going to bed at 7:00ish and I'll probably have some time to post.

Cheers

A Little California Running

I've been here and there this week but did manage to squeeze in a couple of runs and one of those was in beautiful San Diego.  I got in about 12 miles in two hours?  I don't run with my Garmin anymore but have the splits memorized on all my local trails and the numbers just pile up in my head and I know exactly how far I have run at the end of each run.  I know the two hours is accurate but I am guessing on the 12 miles based on a review of maps and a sense of effort put out.

Anyway, a few pics:

Weekending 8.5.12

Monday - AM - 30 min stairs, Lunch - Gym - Bench / Squat / Pullups, PM - 4 miles

Tuesday - 27 miles North Shore Trail, MT110 - This was a nice run but it got hot very fast! I was looking for 32 miles but had to cut things short after I ran out of water and temps got above 100.  I miscalculated the splits for the last portion of the run and missed a water fountain that I needed for refilling.  Then the next water source was shut off!  I finally admitted defeat, doubled back and then cut the trail to get back to a water fountain.  I was done by that point and walked the last 1.5 miles back to my car.

Wednesday - 4 miles - Legs felt really good after yesterdays long run.

Thursday - 45 min stairs / Pullups

Friday - 30 min stairs / Gym - Press / Deads / Pullups

Saturday - 0 - Couldn't get out of bed and had a lot of family stuff going on.

Sunday - 6 miles, Luna Sandals - Quick run in 100+ heat

Total - 41 miles plus 1.75 hrs of stairs

I was glad to get in a legit long run finally and will get another long run in at the Colorado Bend 60k this coming weekend.  My legs really didn't seem to be fazed by the long run on Tuesday but maybe walking the last 1.5 miles while chugging water helped speed up the recovery.  I plan to get in at least one double North Shore run in September and that should be good for about 42ish miles.  I'll need to stash some water and gels at the northern end of the trail b/c the access to water is tricky and not reliable.  I could carry a pack but have really grown to hate having to keep up with extra stuff.

No Tejas Trails 300

I was planning on going for the Tejas Trails 300 starting with Cactus Ross 100 but it won't be in '12 / '13. Rocky Raccoon is the 3rd and final leg of the 300 and it is now officially sold out and the wait list looks to be over 100 already!  I guess I could put my name on the wait list but I would rather just move on and make different plans.  I'll have a beer and think about my plans.

Keeping it Real

I still do most all of my runs barefoot, unless otherwise noted.  Just saying...

Also, drink local

Week Ending 7.29.12

Monday - AM - 45 min stairs, Lunch - Gym, PM - 4 miles

Tuesday - AM - 45 min stairs, PM - 6 miles

Wednesday - 45 min stairs

Thursday - AM - 6 miles, PM - Knee injury

Friday - 0

Saturday - 12 miles - Knee responded nicely but did get a little tight towards end and I shut the run down.  What seemed really bad on Friday turned out to be a false alarm.  I've never had knee pain that intense but it seemed to fade almost as fast as it started.

Sunday - 0 - Knee was still a little off feeling from the Saturday run.

Total - 28 miles plus 2.5 hours of stairs

I felt really good this week and was going to do another 6 - 8 miles on Thursday evening but tweaked my knee at a church event for the kids.  The little guy some how managed to dive bomb himself into my knee just perfectly and I crumpled to the floor.  Then I could hardly walk on Friday and feared the worse.  However, things were totally different come Saturday and I was able to get in 12 miles.

Knee!!

What a major bummer.... My best hope is that things are not as bad as they appear.

Week Ending 7.22.12

Monday - 0

Tuesday - Gym - Bench / Pullups / Bike

Wednesday - 45 min stairs - hamstring a bit tight

Thursday - 4 miles - hamstring still tight

Friday - 0

Saturday - 0

Sunday - 12 miles, Rowlett Creek Preserve, Luna Sandals - hamstring felt much better

Total - 16 miles and 45 min stairs

This ended up being an unplanned down week but I figure it is better to get the hamstring right than keep pushing it.  A few extra miles now won't make any difference come October but a lingering hamstring issue could really set me back.  The extra rest seemed to really help and everything felt good yesterday and I was able to get in a solid gym session today (deads, press, pullups) and then 45 min of stairs.

I've added the Capt'n Karl's Colorado Bend 60k to my schedule and will probably also be adding the Rough Creek 40 mile.  I will take both of these as glorified training runs with the main focus being to continue to refine everything for Cactus Rose 100. 

Welcome Go Long, Get Strong Readers

I apologize to anyone who has accidentally found their way over here by clicking around on Go Long, Get Strong. This blog probably isn't what you are looking for or what anyone is looking for!  But I will take a few seconds to talk about my current lifting strategy.

I'm currently following the Greyskull LP (2x5, 1x5+) 2 day a week fat burn routine.  I do bench and squat on Monday and press and deads on Friday.  I then do pullups 4 or 5 days a week and typically do a wide, narrow, reverse rotation.  I've been steadily adding to my lifts and have been pleased with my progress so far.

The Strongest Man in the World

This article is a great read for anyone interested in people doing more than is thought possible:

“I see guys accomplish things that are just blowing my mind”

But most American schools have long since replaced their free weights with machines. “It’s a national disgrace,” Arthur Drechsler, of USA Weightlifting, told me. “If you want to fight childhood obesity or increase fitness, no sport can transform you as much as weight lifting—look at Tommy Kono. And it’s one of the safest things you can do. We don’t have spinal-cord injuries. We don’t have head injuries. They just don’t happen. But weight lifting is not part of the public schools.”

By the time his back was straight, his eyes were burning and blood was streaming from his nose, into his mouth and down his chin. But the lift was good.

I have no interest in being a strongman but I believe that we share the same drive.  We all want to find where our outer limits lay, how far out we can push that limit, and what might be on the other side.

El Scorcho 50k

I heard about El Scorcho through a buddy and Doom and I decided to give it a go.  I signed up but really didn’t put much thought or planning into it after that and was basically just taking it as long training run.  I’ve been pretty consistent in my training over the past couple of months but have not really cranked up the volume. 

I’ve put a good bit of training time into stair climbing and you can see some of my thoughts on that here.  I’ve also been trying to get in some more focused gym sessions to add some strength to my lower body and try to maintain some kind of upper body strength.  I knew that I had lost a good bit of strength during the process of dropping from 240 down to 199 and that I would only lose more as I try to get down to around 180 for Cactus Rose.

I could tell that the combo of stair climbing, weight lifting, and trail running was taking a bit of a toll on my legs.  I didn’t plan a taper and figured that just backing off a tad and taking a day or two off would be plenty for a 50k.  The only thing that kind of worried me heading into the race was that I strained my left hamstring during a lifting session 8 days prior to the race.  My longest run b/w that strain and the race was 8 miles and my hamstring tightened up during that run but I was able to walk if off and finish the run on a strong note.  This one nagging concern would ultimately be my main problem during the race. 

Doom and I discussed some logistics via text msg during the week and he had mapped out a plan to finish the race in just under 5:00 hrs.  That seemed reasonable to me and I figured that I would just fall in behind him and try to keep up.  Doom also had some thoughts on adjusting sleep patterns but I wasn’t planning on altering anything.  If my hamstring was a nagging concern, then staying up all night was a major concern but I figured that I would just wing it.  Doom was eventually talked out of his plans by the legends on The List and we would both start the race about equally rested.

From this End to the Other

I decided to use the metroplex train system to get out to Ft Worth because I didn’t want to have to make the 60ish mile drive back home after the race.  It was decided that my wife and kids would make the early morning drive out to see me finish and drive us back home.  Doom, his wife, and dad picked me up at the train station in Ft Worth at about 9:30 pm and we were setting up camp at the Start/Finish line about 4 hours after I left my house.  

Union Station - Are You Sure Y'all Are Open?

We milled around, talked to a few people, used the port-o-john, and just tried to kill 2 hours until the race started.  It was also discovered during this time that Doom forgot his Garmin and that his master pacing plan to get us to the finish line in under 5:00 hours was now out the window!  This didn’t faze me but I could tell that Doom was bit unnerved by this.

Later There Were People Here

Then at midnight we were off and racing.  I was a bit worried that running a 5k loop 10 times would get old but the course was pretty interesting and they had aid stations setup frequently enough that something was always going on.  We made it through the 1^st loop and saw that we were just slightly behind sub-5:00 hr pace and picked things up on the next few loops.  We cruised through 20k pretty effortlessly and were right on the pace – without a Garmin!  

Then we started the 5^th loop and things started to come undone.  It was now 2:00 am, which is really late for me, and my hamstring started to tighten up pretty quickly.  This was really aggravating because I had kind of let my guard down and decided around the 3^rd loop that the hamstring wasn’t going to be an issue and that taking a week off from lifting was all that I needed.  Things went downhill pretty fast and I finally had to tell Doom that I needed to walk for a bit.  This was pretty deflating and I felt bad b/c Doom was running a really strong race and was right on pace for his goal time.  He stopped and walked with me for a bit and then we picked up the pace and started running.  We continued this routine for the remainder of the 5^th loop and most of the 6^th until my hamstring finally loosened up. 

However, Doom started having his own issues by the time my hamstring loosened up and he needed to walk a bit and his paced was slowed to a shuffle.  I was really starting to feel good about halfway through the 7^th loop but I wasn’t about to leave Doom when he could have easily left me earlier in the race.  We came up with the mantra that the 8^th loop would be easy because the 9^th loop was the final loop of the race and the 10^th loop would be our victory lap.  Doom soured on this after a bit (even though it was his brain child!) and I could tell that he was really starting to suffer on the 9^th loop. 

We cruised into our make shift aid station and Doom took a seat and had the look on his face of a runner that wasn’t getting back up.  I was a bit concerned but knew he was really tough and wouldn’t take a DNF.  I went ahead and started the 10^th loop without him and told him to just catch up with me.  I walked for a bit expecting him to catch up with me but decided to go ahead and run it on in after about 5 minutes of walking.  I was constantly passing people on this last lap and I was in rather high spirits but no one else seemed to be much for talking (go figure!).  

King of DNF Confused by Finisher Award Process

 

I made it back around to the Start/Finish line and received some fancy hardware - this was all rather confusing to the King of the DNF.  I waited with Doom’s dad and wife for him to finish and then shot off a quick text to my wife and she informed me they were still about an hour away.  I didn’t mind the wait and enjoyed hanging out and cheering on the 80ish runners that finished after me.

This was a great very well run race and I will for sure be back next year.  This is a very fast course and I plan to really focus on training for this race.  I think something in the area of 4:30 – 4:45 should be attainable for someone with my limited running skills.  


And a huge thanks to Doom, his wife, and his dad for all their hospitality!

Oh Noz Doom!

My Phone Tells Me Funny Stuff

I Got Up Early for This?!

It Is Pointy!

Yea!

Week Ending 7.15.12

Monday - 45 min stairs

Tuesday - 6 miles

Wednesday - 45 min stairs

Thursday - 4 miles

Friday - 0

Saturday PM/Sunday AM - El Scorcho 50k  - This race was a lot of fun and I will write up a bit more on it later in the week.  Major thanks to Doom, his wife, and Dad for all their hospitality - picking me up at the train station, dropping me off to get my packet, sending updates to my wife, offering up beer, etc.  Also, thanks to my amazing wife and family for getting up before the sun to make the drive out to pick me up.

Grilling Up Some Recovery

Total - 41 miles plus 1.5 hours of stairs

I wanted to front load this week a bit more but things were pretty hectic and there just wasn't time to turn any days into doubles. I basically took El Scorcho as the 1st longer run of my Cactus Rose 100 training.  I plan to get in one 30+ mile run every couple of weeks from here on out and will try to average 100+ mpw for September.

I didn't do any lifting this week but will be back in the gym tomorrow.  I had some issues with my hamstring during El Scorcho and I am pretty sure that is related to lifting.  I tweaked my hamstring a couple of weeks ago but it never bothered me on any training runs, other than just being tight.  I want to ensure there isn't a repeat at Cactus Rose and I will probably cut my lifting off about a month before the race.

Week Ending 7.8.12

Monday - 30 min stairs AM, Gym - bench / squat PM

Tuesday - 45 min stairs

Wednesday - 12 miles, MT 110, Rowlett Creek Preserve

Thursday - 7 miles, MT 110, Rowlett Creek Preserve 

Friday - Gym - Press / Dead

Saturday - My legs were trashed from the dead lifts on Friday and I put off my 20 mile run until the evening and then it stormed in the evening.  Oh well, we got in a nice day at the pool and a delicious lunch before the storms rolled in.

Sunday - 8 miles

Total - 27 miles and 1.25 hours of stairs.

Another less than impressive week of running.  I've had a really nice rhythm going the last few weeks but have not turned that into higher mileage.  My legs have felt really strong on my runs and the stairs are getting easier and easier.  I'm not too worried about things right now and will be pretty satisfied with my progress, if I can hammer out a couple of 70 or 80 mile weeks as we head into August.  I am going to try and get in at least 1 double North Shore for about 40 miles in August and maybe something cool away from the heat of Texas.
 

Finding a Line

For me, it seems that running is all about rhythm and that rhythm can be elusive at times.  Right now I seem to be falling into a nice rhythm but have a 50k race coming up next weekend.  I know from experience, that a taper is probably the wise thing to do at this point but that would totally wreck my rhythm.  I have almost no interest in this race other than the fact that I will get to see some friends. I am sure I will regret not tapering around mile 20 or so but I want to keep the ball rolling and maintain that line that is heading towards Cactus Rose 100.

Also, if I can justify the need to over carbo load via beer this week, since I am not tapering!

Like a Fine Wine

Greater Things are Still to be Done

I am unapologetic in my love of this country and I think the best is still to come.  I'll be a proud American until the day He calls me home. God bless America.

Hat tip to Instapundit - Image from instapundit.com

Got in a great 12 miles today, as well.

Not Much to Report

I find that sometimes blogging is enjoyable and other times it is tiresome.  The main purpose of this blog is basically to track my training and training has been pretty average this past week.  I need to start kicking things out beyond average at some point this summer.

Final Update - Life is Good

I didn't get 100 miles in 4 days and I didn't even come close but life is good.

I unknowingly trashed myself on that Friday afternoon run, not my legs, but the rest of my body.  I guess I was a lot more dehydrated and closer to heat exhaustion than I realized.  My alarm went off on Saturday morning and I rolled out of bed and went to go urinate but there was very little and it was really dark.... hmmm, not good.  I had a big glass of water and laid back down for a few and then got up and headed out to the North Shore Trail.  I still hadn't urinated again but figured hydrating on the 45 min drive out there would be more than enough to set me straight.

Long story short, 20 miles on a fantastic trail but not one single piss stop.  My legs felt fine and I was cruising along pretty effortless and was thinking that a double crossing, with the new trail that has been cut, would give me a solid 40 miles and put me back within striking distance for the 100 miles.  However, things really went downhill as I covered the last 2 miles heading back to my car.  It finally dawned on me that I hadn't really urinated properly since before my run the day before and I could tell that pushing through another 20 miles in near 100 degree heat would not be a wise decision.  By the time I finally made it to my car, I walked most of the last mile, I had trouble opening my car door and just wanted to lay down.  I got in my car and headed for home but had to stop a couple of times to let my head clear and just pull it together, it was actually pretty scary.

The good - I got in 50 solid miles in 3 days (I know, I know, chump change), I have a new found respect for the Texas heat, I enjoyed a lot of great beer.  The bad - I ran that whole 50 miles in shoes! (MT110)  Outside of racing, that is the longest I have gone without running barefoot in nearly 2 years.  I rectified that this morning with a 6 mile BF run and life is good.

Day 2 Update - Off in the Ditch

Well... you knew it was coming and here it is - 8 miles today. This is pretty hard to swallow b/c my legs felt great but I made a fatal decision by running a new trail today.  I ended up working today and that wasn't part of my plan and that kind of threw things off for the rest of the day.  I headed out to St. Paul, Texas on the shore of Lake Lavon (about 6 miles from my home base) to run the Trinity Trail but that trail head was over grown.  I figured it best not to run in waist high grass and weeds given that it is tick, snake, and spider season.  So I  headed up to Lucas, Tx to jump on the trail there and that was a much better access point.  The trail was really nice but it was about 90% exposed to the full sun of a nearly cloudless 100 degree day.  I made it 4 miles down trail and decided it was just too hot and turned for the return trip.  The heat and spiders! holy cow there were spider everywhere!! got the best of me and I called it a day upon returning to my car.

I would guess that I was pretty close to heat exhaustion by the time I reached my car.  I stood around for a few minutes drinking water and trying to pull it together but decided that staying alive was more important than logging 20ish miles in full sun and 100 degrees.  I've have since cooled down, mowed the lawn (glad that is out of the way) and had a nice steak and beer with some crazy good home grown tomatoes that the Money hooked me up with (not cash money but my buddy the Money)

The forecast is no better for tomorrow but I will be able to get out early.  I going to hit up the North Shore Trail and a lot of that is shaded.  That should allow me to run a good portion of the day and then I will be heading out to the Flying Saucer for beers with some friends.

Day 1 Update - 4 Days 100 Miles?

I got in a solid 22 miles today and I am pretty happy with that considering how hot it was.  I underestimated the heat and ran out of water and decided to head to the house and not risk over doing it on the 1st day.  Plus, I had this waiting for me:

Four Days - 100 Miles?

What is this 100 miles you speak of?  Well, let me tell  you about it.  One day I was at work and I was working very hard, as I often do at work, and I came across an article about Western States 100.  At this time I was about 240 lbs and considered running 2 miles to be a very serious accomplishment, worthy of celebrating - by feeling really good about myself and having several beers.  I gazed out across the expanse of the internet at this article in slack jaw astonishment.  People who ran 100 miles in one day?!?!  Right then and there, I knew that was something that I wanted to do.

I am yet to officially toe the line at a 100 mile race and I have not accomplished the 100 mile training week either.  I was registered for the Cajun Coyote 100 but officially dropped to the 100k several days before the race and then promptly DNFed at 20 miles (ankle injury).  I have logged training weeks in the 80s numerous times but have never been able to make that final push to 100 miles.

Why 100 miles? Well the 100 mile race is obviously self explanatory.  The 100 mile training week is probably harder to grasp b/c lots of people run and finish 100 mile races and never log a 100 mile training week. However, this is something that has been nagging at me and I would have a lot more confidence heading into a 100 mile race knowing that I have actually covered 100 miles in a training week.  Why? Who knows.

Anyway, I have a somewhat free schedule over the next 4 days and will attempt to log a 100 miles.  Do I expect any physical benefit from this? Well, actually, no.  In fact, probably the opposite and that is why I would actually bet on myself to not reach 100 miles.  I would give myself about a 30% chance to accomplish this.  Reasons why? 1. I have to mow the yard on one of those days; 2. I am naturally inclined to be lazy; 3. Beer; 4. Exactly!

I will officially start my clock at 12:01 am tonight and let it run until 11:59 pm Sunday.  I will be officially inspired by Guy on a Buffalo!

Week Endidng 6.17.12

Monday - AM - 30 min stairs, Lunch - Gym - Squat/Bench, PM - 4 miles

Tuesday - 5 miles - 1 mile warmup, 4x800, 1 mile cool down - This was a disaster from the start. I some how lost time b/w when my alarm went off and when I actually arrived at the track.  I was planning on doing 8x800@3:00 min but when I pulled up to the track I noticed that it was later than I thought and I didn't have time for that.  I also forgot my watch and wouldn't be able to pace myself.  So I just ran the 4 as fast as I could and nearly vomited all over myself on the last one. 

Wednesday - AM - 45 min stairs, PM - 4 miles - Rained out once again.  I was looking for 8 but hail and a tornado chased me back to the house! The tornado was on the other side of the lake near Leonard but that was still too close for comfort (I may have not seen the actual tornado but certainly saw what I thought was one and an EF-0 was confirmed by NOAA in the vicinity). 

Thursday - 45 min stairs

Friday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - Gym - Press/Deadlift

Saturday - 20 miles Rowlett Creek Preserve

Sunday - 0 - Fathers day activities and a great time was had by all.

Target - 40 miles

Actual - 33 miles plus 2.5 hrs of stairs.

My perception is that this was a solid week.  However, I am still having a hard time of mentally combining timed workouts for stairs with runs measured in distance.  I should probably figure out a 100 mile training schedule based on time and go that route.  This coming week should be a lot of fun and I am aiming for 60 miles.  I will then try to keep the ball rolling with another solid week next week and then I would be due a down week and that will also be the week before El Scorcho 50k.  I can't seem to muster up any enthusiasm for ES and will just take it as a training run.  I will probably even try to do a double on that day to get a 40 miles day in.

Wow

From Anton's blog and posted without comment.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Stairs

There are no mountains to be found around me and very few hills.  I am lucky that my house is located in a community that has a "trail" - it is a paved bike path - that runs around the community and that we actually have some nice elevation change.  However, most of the elevation change is of the gentle rolling hill type with the biggest hill not being that big.  Think the hill you run up after you leave Damnation at Rocky Raccoon and bottom out before heading up towards the interstate for that left turn - that hill.

So how would one prepare for the hills of the Cactus Rose course or - let us get crazy - the Western States Course or Leadville or Hardrock..... my head is spinning now.  Anyway, let us just focus on Cactus Rose at this point.  This is a hilly course and certainly nothing crazy but something that a flat lander needs to prepare for.  That brings us to stairs.  The inside of buildings. The area that few people venture with no sun and no wind.  A stagnate, stale, lifeless world that most avoid by taking the elevator.

I have access to a building that is roughly 730 ft tall and the stairs go almost to the tippy top but not all the way.  However, they do go several floors below ground for the parking garage, so I think taking credit for 730 ft is legit.  I typically power hike this stairwell in about 13 minutes and then work my way back down by descending 10 - 15 flights and then running back up for 5 - 10 flights.  I am currently repeating this for a 30 - 45 min workout 4 days a week.  I plan to work up to about 2 hours once a week and doing the 30 - 45 min workout the other 3 days. 

I figure this probably gets me 1,400 feet of vertical in a 30 min workout and close to 2,000 in 45 min.  That number seems like a lot to me but it certainly jives with what I see being reported on blogs of people who run lots of vert in the mountains.  The Cactus Rose course has 1,824 feet of ascent for each 25 mile loop and I am hoping that the countless hours spent in the stairwell this summer pay off when I toe the starting line in October.

Week Ending 6.10.12 - Vacation from my Vacation

Monday - AM - 30 min Stairs, Lunch - Gym, PM - 4 miles - I over did everything and would pay for it the rest of the week.  Obviously my legs felt great from the break and I totally trashed them during the stair session and that was a bit confusing to me but who am I to argue with my body.

Tuesday - 45 min Stairs - Legs felt like tree stumps

Wednesday - AM - 30 min stairs, Lunch - Gym, PM - Rain out - I tried to run but the wife shut me down b/c she claimed there was "too much lightening!"

Thursday - AM - 4 miles, PM - 6 mile float, MT101 - Legs still felt very heavy and left me wondering why I took time off from running on my vacation?

Friday - AM - 45 min stairs,  Lunch - Gym - Dead legs theme continues

Saturday - 0 - I am so not an ultra runner

Sunday - 7 miles RCP (a few pics of it in this post), MT110 - It was about 92 and my legs were still heavy but I seemed to finally get a kick towards the end of this run.

Target - 50 miles
Actual - 17 miles + 2.5 hours stairs

So that really sucked.  I expected to come back from my break on fire and really turn out a solid week.  No such luck, I obviously was overzealous early on and trashed my legs and then never gave them proper time to recover and ended up totally spent by Saturday.  The smarter thing to do would have been to take Thursday and/or Friday off and not skip the Saturday long run but I kept thinking, "Hey! I haven't run for 10 days! I am sure I just need some more time on my feet to shake off the rust"

Oh well, I have managed 17 miles in 17 days... that my friend is the very definition of ultra running.

The Return

So I have, very reluctantly, returned from my vacation.... I was totally born to be a bum.  However, as with all bums, I would be a much better bum with some lotto winnings. Since there are no lotto winnings and the wife insist that I maintain my current job, we have returned to the great and mighty Texas.  I like Texas and all but would much rather split my time between the beach and the mountains.

I took over 10 days off from running, lifting, etc. Basically, we went to the beach, we ate, we relaxed, we enjoyed life.  I did start to feel lazy towards the end but not lazy enough to get out and run.  But, but, but you are supposed to be an ultra runner and love to run!!! I do love to run but I also love to relax.  I would for sure be putting in big mileage weeks, if all I had to do was go to the beach and pool and have a few beers.  I have found that, for whatever reason, running on vacation feels like a chore.  However, it never feels that way any other time of the year and, in fact, is a major release and something that I look forward to the rest of the time.

I got back to things yesterday with 30 min of stairs, a visit to the gym, and 4 miles.  Today I got in 45 min of stairs.  I am aiming for 50 miles and 2 hours of stairs this week.  I have a couple of big weeks on tap after that with a training run on the El Scorch course and a trip to the Cactus Rose course on tap.

Gone Fishing and Return of Leg

Bam! The Obligatory is officially on vacation.  I was surprised that my legs made an appearance on my run yesterday and I was able to get in a decently hard workout.  I did 2 mile warmup, 3 mile float 30/1:00 w/ 30 @ mile/1:00 @ 10k, 1 mile cool down.  I have also gotten in 1 hour of stairs and one gym session this week but that will probably be it.

I used to always dream about how much running I was going to do on vacation but the miles never seemed to materialize.  I have realized that I tend to go into full on bum mode and not do much of anything as my schedule frees up.  Oh, there will be fishing, drinking, fraternizing, gorging, sunning and just general all around good times had but probably little running.  Maybe things would be different if we were heading to the mountains, but the thought of running aimlessly on mile after mile of pancake flat barrier island... just isn't overly appealing. 

The Deadlift and The Squat are for Real!

I have been struggling to find the best way to incorporate some kind of strength training into my routine, esp. stuff that focuses on the core and lower body.  I have tried P90x and variations of different CrossFit workouts and the one common theme seemed to be lots of time in the gym and or doing the workout.  I know that maintaining a strong core and lower body are essential to maintaining proper form when running high mileage and are a good way to keep injures such as ITBs at bay.

Maybe my efforts are misguided and the time that I am wasting at this point trying to fine tune some kind of a workout program could be better spent running.  I like to think that they are not and that maybe I have found something that requires less time in the gym and provides better bang for that time.  I am talking about the Greyskull LP method that is from JP over at Strengthvillian.  I am in my 2nd week of doing the two day a week workout and all those muscles in my core and legs that I thought I was working using those other workouts, well, not so much.  I am in and out of the gym in no time now and do two lifts per session.  The bench and press don't really phase me b/c I have always done those but the deadlift and squat are kicking my arse.  My posterior chain had basically ceased to exist over the years and my upper legs, esp. the top half of my hamstring and my rear end are crazy sore.  This has made running a bit of slog and I was only able to manage 27 miles plus 2.5 hours of stairs last week.

While I am not super happy about the reduced mileage right now, I am convinced that this will pay off in the long run.  I will be able to free up time for running by only going to the gym twice a week and spending less time there during each visit, thus making it possible to do on my lunch break.  My goal is to continue to slowly shed pounds, while adding strength and mileage.

199.5

I typically weigh-in at the gym on Mondays and only on Mondays.  Our weight fluctuates from day-to-day and during the day, so there really is no good reason to weigh-in everyday.  Well anyway, I weighed myself before my run this morning and tipped the scales at 199.5.  I have not been below 200 since probably way back in high school.  I got down as low as 201 in grad school right before getting married.  I was working two jobs, taking 15 hours in grad school (ha! take that counselor - I got a good tongue lashing about how you should only take 9-12 hrs in grad school before the next semester), and trying to help plan a wedding.  Then from that point it was a slow steady climb until I topped out around 240 a couple of years ago.

2000 Mile Club

I see that BG has crossed over into the 2000 BF Mile Club.  I don't know what my official barefoot mileage is at but I would guess in the 2,500 mile range?  I did 2,400ish miles last year and about half of that was BF.  I don't have a total for the year before, but I did a lot of BF running as I was a new convert.  I am not great at tracking my mileage, esp. if I am not training for a race.  Part of the reason that I started this blog was to have a better log of my mileage and that I heard that having a blog decreases your chances of DNFing.  I know that BF Rick is blowing it out with something like 20,000+ plus BF miles.  Then obviously BF Ken and the other old timers have lots of miles.  I am not sure where Jason is at but he does  have some kind of strange fascination with better writing and I hope he never stumbles on this mess of a blog.  The point of this rambling is that the 2,000 Barefoot Mile club is pretty exclusive and way to go BG!

Week Ending 5.13.12 - Blogging is Hard! Yo!

Monday - AM - Gym, PM - 4 miles

Tuesday - 45 min stairs

Wednesday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 6 miles

Thursday - AM - 6 miles (2 mile warmup, 2 mile Float 30/30, MT 110, 2 mile cool down), PM - 4 miles

Friday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - Gym

Saturday - 0 - Ugh, GI issues

Sunday - 10 miles

Total - 30 miles plus 1.75 hours stairs.

The total is obviously chump nickles without a Saturday long run but overall it was a solid week.  There really was nothing I could do about Saturday as GI issues chased me back to the house before even getting down the block.  This actually started on Friday night and lingered into Sunday, fun times. I continue to refine my diet and gym time and am down to 203.  

As always, I continue to think of all kinds of things to blog about and then when I get some free time... I typically go to sleep!

Week Ending 5.6.12

Monday - 18 miles, MT 110, Town Lake - Austin, TX

Tuesday - 4 miles AM, MT 110, Town Lake - Austin, TX
                13 mile PM, MT 110, Town Lake - Austin, TX

Wednesday - 0 miles

Thursday - 6 miles, MT 101

Friday - 4 miles

Saturday - 5 miles

Sunday - 6 miles

Total - 56 miles
Weight - 206

Nice easy week of running.  I always enjoy getting out on the trails, even if they are as tame as Town Lake.  I wanted to get out and run the Cactus Rose 100 course but my schedule was just too tight on this trip.  I was able to catch lunch with Jim and Doom and it seems like they are up to no good with talk of some kind of podcast....

I am already down 6 lbs since starting a new diet and adding more focused lifting to my routine.  That puts me on pace to lose 9-10 lbs in May (started towards the end of June) and would probably have me down to around 200.  If you do the math, I'm 6'4, so that kind of weight loss isn't advisable over the long term.  I would like to get down close to 180 before really ramping up the running in July and August.  Then I won't have to worry about trying to lose weight between the Texas summer heat and trying to run up near 100 mpw.   

This coming week marks my "official" start of Cactus Rose training.  I used this last year to train for Cajun Coyote and I felt like it prepared me for the race and kept me healthy.  However, I did injury my ankle a couple of weeks before CC at a local 50k and that ultimately resulted in a DNF at CC.  I plan to use that same plan again but will add in 2 - 4 hours of stairs a week and will probably run more miles than the plan calls for.  I would like to average 100 mpw for September before starting my taper.

Wisdom

Proverbs, 2 My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding —
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God. 

Things That Suck #2

# 2 because this was first. Not that there was any planned order to these post.

It is simple.  Recycle or use a garbage can.  That simple.

Picture Taken on Local Trail by This Blog

Litter burns me up to no end, but regardless of my opinion on it, the senseless destruction of our planet goes on unabated.  We have a few billion years left to finish destroying this place before the sun does it for us.

Super Moon? Gets a Frank in my book

Oh yeah, I've gotten in 50 miles this week and will probably add another 6 - 8 tomorrow to wrap up things.

Austin, TX - A Rerun

I made a return trip to Austin, TX the official minimalist running mecca of the world according to this blog. I really wanted to get out to the Hill Country State Natural Area and run the Cactus Rose 100 course but my schedule was really tight and I was limited to running in the evenings and mornings on the trails in downtown.  I managed to grind out 35 miles over two days and the legs responded nicely but then I got in zero yesterday because of my schedule, travel, and the fact that I was greeted home by a vomiting son.  The little guy seems to being doing better today but I will skip my Thursday speedwork, since I usually bring him and the daughter out to the track with me.  I will get in some miles tonight and might do my speedwork on Saturday morning in lieu of a long run and then I will officially start into my Cactus Rose training plan next week.

Week Ending 4.29.12

Well this week pretty much went off in the ditch from here on with only 30 min of stairs on Friday. Obviously I would have liked to have run more than 16 miles but I am not overly concerned with the lack of mileage at this point.  I told myself that I was basically going to take a "break" and just run whatever felt good until I started seriously training for Cactus Rose 100.  Running zero miles, sleeping late, and taking naps is what felt good this weekend.

I started a new diet and have been doing P90x and that combo has most certainly resulted in my overall lack of energy.  I have been really impressed with the diet after only two weeks and will stick with that for a while but will most likely scrap the P90x here shortly.  I think weight / circuit training is a vital part of any workout regime, even an ultra running training regime.  I am going to take a bit of what I like from P90x, CrossFit and a few other things that I like and do a full body workout twice a week from here on out.  I will then drop that to one day a week or even shelf it when the mileage gets high in August and September.

16 miles and Tired

This hasn't been the greatest week of running and in fact it has been pretty crappy.  Well, I guess it hasn't been so bad as the running itself has been fine but my schedule has been pretty crazy.  I have been very tired (or lazy but who is counting) this week and have not been hitting any legit morning workouts.  However, I did manage to get going this morning but now the wife is sick and I am on kid duty.  Luckily we had swimming lessons this afternoon and everyone is exhausted and already in bed.

Monday - 30 min stairs

Tuesday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 6 miles

Wednesday - Gym and 4 miles

Thursday - 6 miles

I will try to get in some decent miles over the weekend and my schedule should allow for a few big days early next week.

I am only slightly better at fishing than I am at running!

Week Ending 4.22.12

Monday - 11 miles

Tuesday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 4 miles, NB MT 101

Wednesday - 30 min stairs

Thursday - 4 miles

Friday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 6 miles

Saturday - 7 miles speedwork, NB MT 110 (6x800 w/ 400 rec, 1 mile warmup, 1.5 mile cool down)

Sunday - 4 miles

Target - 50 miles
Actual - 36 miles plus 1.5 hours stairs

I tweaked my hamstring in the gym this week and thought that it was all good but the speedwork on Saturday seemed to aggravate it.  I got in 4 miles tonight just to warm it up for some stretching and rolling and that seemed to really help.

I had just randomly jotted down 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 miles in my training log and figured that would be a good build up before officially shifting to my 100 mile training. I also told myself that I wasn't going to push things and was just going to run whatever felt good and that resulted in 31.5, 32, and 36 miles plus some stairs.  I will try to hit 55 - 60 miles this week but won't push too hard.

Consistency and Volume

One common theme among the top runners at the 50 mile and up distances seems to be consistency and volume. That makes perfect sense and really shouldn’t be a revelation of any significance. First there was the Summer of George and now there will be the Summer of Consistency and Volume. I don’t think that this will make me a top runner but I feel like this is the path to take to try and finish closer to the front. Consistency and volume plus losing another 20ish pounds and I should be golden.

And I promptly kick off the Summer of Consistency and Volume by tweaking my hamstring while doing some goblet squats… good thing this is only the spring. I did manage to maintain consistency this week but have not been pushing the volume because of the hammy.

4.18.12 - 30 min stairs plus lifting (goblet squat day...)

4.19.12 - 4 miles (no speedwork b/c of tight hamstring)

4.20.12 - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 6 miles (hamstring feeling almost normal)

Stars

4.17.12 - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 4 miles, tempo, NB MT 101

Just an awesome evening to run. Cool with a sky full of brilliant stars.

Self-loathing?

I tend to get around the ultra running blogosphere a good bit and a common theme seems to be self-loathing. Not all the time, but it seems to pop up here and there enough that I have noticed it. I've been thinking about doing an more in depth post about that but have never put it together. I'm pretty good at thinking about things to blog about but not very good at actually blogging about them.

Anyway,

4.16.12 - 11 miles

Week Ending 4.15.12

Monday - AM - Gym, PM - 4 miles

Tuesday - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 6 miles

Wednesday - AM - Gym, PM - 4 miles

Thursday - AM - 4 miles, PM - 6 miles speedwork, NB MT 110

Friday - 30 min stairs

Saturday - Sleeping late + Double kids birthday parties + family visiting = no running

Sunday - 8 miles, pushed the jogging stroller with kids for last 4 miles. I wanted to get in a longer run but it was raining in the morning.

Target - 30 miles
Actual - 32 miles plus 1 hour stairs

Another week of running whatever felt good. I am going to start bumping things up again and will aim for 50 miles this week.

Endeavour - The Beer

Wow! Endeavor by the Saint Arnold brewing company is one of the best beers that I have had in a really long time. I am not a huge fan of IPAs and this is a double IPA but it is very well done. Very nice.

4.12.12 - AM - 4 miles, PM - 6 miles speedwork (1 mile warmup, 5x800 w/ 400 rec, 1.5 cool down or 1.25 cool down, if you count the first 400 of that as the final recovery)

I am really digging speedwork and I can already tell that this will help with the mental side of running. My father in-law and son tagged along today and they had a fun time messing around. Who ever knew that a big field with a black oval in it could be so entertaining but the daughter was upset that she was not able to attend today. I did cheat a bit when I stopped for about 3 min to empty a huge turd out of the sons pants... but it was all good.

P90x? Ehhh

4.11.12 - AM - Gym, PM - 4 miles

I have been hitting the gym some here as of late and doing some P90x with a buddy of mine. I have considered doing P90x or crossfit or some variation of the two for a while now but always end up just doing whatever when I hit the gym. My buddy, The Money, has been talking up P90x and I decided to meet up with him and give it a try. I am for sure sore but I am not certain that this is something that I will continue to do. I think I might settle on meeting up with him twice a week to do the Back / Chest day and the Legs day. That will still give me 3 days a week to hit the stairs and then my evening and weekend runs.

A Return to Consistency?

4.10.12 - AM - 30 min stairs, PM - 6 miles

Week Ending 4.8.12

Monday - 11 miles, Rowlett Creek Prserve, NB MT110

Tuesday - Gym

Wednesday - 30 min stairs

Thursday - AM - 6 miles, PM - 4.5 miles speedwork (1 mile warmup, 4x800 w/ 400 rec, .5 mile cool down)

Friday - 30 mins stairs

Saturday - 6 miles

Sunday - 4 miles

Target - 30 miles
Actual - 31.5 plus 1 hour stairs

I wasn't really aiming for anything this week other than to ease back into running. I know that there will be plenty of high mileage weeks to come this summer and am just kind of enjoying some easy running right now. I will bump things up slowly over the next few weeks before starting to buckle down on Cactus Rose training.

4.9.12 - AM - Gym, PM - 4 Miles

Three Days

"Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." - John 2:19

Friday / Saturday

4.6.12 - 30 min stairs

4.7.12 - 6 miles

Just easing back into things this week and will probably finish the week off with another shortish run tomorrow.

Intro to Speed

4.5.12 - 6 miles AM, 4.5 miles PM Speedwork, NB 110

I have never really done traditional speedwork. I have done intervals on the trail but have never gone out to the track and done structured speedwork. When I say that I am not a real runner, well, I mean that I am not a real runner. I am not one of those "oh, I'm not a real runner" types that ran college track and can do a sub 3:00 marathon without thinking about it.

So this afternoon the kids and I headed over to a local track (about 2 miles away and I will probably jog over when I don't have the kids with me) for a bit of running. I brought a bag full of balls for them to kick and throw around but they mostly just ran or pretended to be my crew and get my water for me and what not. I did a 1 mile warmup and then 4X800 w/ 400 recovery and then .5 mile cool down. I am going to stick with the once a week speedwork for a couple of months and see how things go.

This Really Aggravates Me to No End!

Maybe it shouldn't but it does. Maybe Anton has turned down expert medical attention. Regardless, this does really aggravate me:

Early in the afternoon I'm sitting in the hotel lobby, idly ultrasounding my gimpy shin,

How many other athletes that rank as one of the best in their sport do self treatment after fighting an injury for months? Could you imagine a star NFL WR having to self treat an injury? What about the starting shortstop for the Yankees? Maybe Anton has been offered to be flown around the country and treated by the best of the best and turned it down... but I find that hard to imagine. It is just very frustrating to see the lack of support for the top American ultra runners.

I guess the reality is that ultra running is still a fringe sport that doesn't command much attention in the way of sponsors. However, I think this is starting to slowly change with TNF Endurance Challenge and Championship and Run Rabbit Run 100 (man I really want to do that race one day! Steamboat is just about my favorite place on earth).

Anyway, here is to Anton getting over that shin injury and mad money coming to ultra running, you know, without ultra running selling out!

Itching to Double

4.4.12 - 30 min stairs - I'm itching to get out and run tonight but I have a speed workout planned for tomorrow and want fresh legs. No running yesterday because of the crazy weather. FWD now has the total at 16 tornadoes.

From the 4.4.12 AM AFD FWD

APRIL 3RD TORNADO OUTBREAK/
SURVEY TEAMS WILL BE HEADING OUT EARLY TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE THAT
OCCURRED ACROSS NORTH TEXAS YESTERDAY FROM THE TORNADIC
SUPERCELLS. APPROXIMATELY 11-13 AREAS OF DAMAGE HAVE BEEN REPORTED
AND WILL BE SURVEYED TODAY AND ON THURSDAY IF NEEDED. IT IS
UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME EXACTLY HOW MANY TORNADOES THERE WERE AND THE
SURVEY TEAMS TODAY WILL BE WORKING TO DETERMINE A MORE CONCRETE
NUMBER. INFORMATION ABOUT THE SURVEYS WILL BE DISSEMINATED
THROUGHOUT THE DAY THROUGH OUR WEBPAGE AND FACEBOOK PAGE AS THE
SURVEY TEAMS INVESTIGATE THE DAMAGE. A MORE COMPLETE WRITE-UP WILL
LIKELY NOT BE ISSUED UNTIL LATE THIS EVENING.

AT THIS TIME YESTERDAY...ALL EVIDENCE WAS SUGGESTING THE EVENT
WOULD BE A FAIRLY TYPICAL SPRING SEVERE WEATHER DAY ACROSS
NORTH TEXAS. IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT A LINE OF SEVERE STORMS
WOULD FORM AROUND MIDDAY AND MOVE EAST ACROSS PART OF THE REGION.
THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES WAS DISCUSSED BUT IT WAS THE MESOSCALE
FEATURES THAT PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN WHAT ENDED UP BEING AN
OUTBREAK ACROSS NORTH TEXAS. IT APPEARS AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM
STORMS OVER OKLAHOMA EARLY TUESDAY MORNING ENDED UP BEING A KEY
PLAYER IN ENHANCING THE TORNADO THREAT. THIS OUTFLOW BOUNDARY PUSHED
SOUTH ACROSS THE RED RIVER YESTERDAY MORNING AND REACHED THE
INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR BEFORE STALLING. DISCRETE SUPERCELLS MANAGED
TO FORM AHEAD OF THE DEVELOPING LINE OF STORMS. AS THESE SUPERCELLS
MOVED NORTH AND CROSSED THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY...THEY ENTERED AN
ENVIRONMENT WITH INCREASED LOW LEVEL SHEAR DUE TO EASTERLY SURFACE
WINDS. IT WAS ALSO NOTED BY LOCAL REAL TIME MODELING THAT THE SURFACE
TO 3KM CAPE WAS VERY HIGH IN THE AREAS WHERE THE TORNADOES OCCURRED.
A LINK BETWEEN INCREASED LOW LEVEL CAPE AND TORNADOES HAS BEEN FOUND
IN PREVIOUS RESEARCH. MORE IN DEPTH STUDY AND ANALYSIS WILL LIKELY
BE DONE ON THIS DAY IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THIS WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE
OF HOW SMALL MESOSCALE FEATURES CAN QUICKLY CHANGE THE STORM
ENVIRONMENT ON ANY GIVEN DAY WHEN SEVERE WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED.
UNFORTUNATELY IT IS STILL VERY DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE
MODELS TO RESOLVE THESE SMALL MESOSCALE FEATURES...AND IT IS WHY WE
URGE EVERYONE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE WEATHER ON DAYS WHEN SEVERE
WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

Rowlett Creek Preserve - 11 miles

4.2.12 - 11 miles - Rowlett Creek Preserve, NB 110