I haven't run in the past two days...I went to the forest with the dog with the intention of running, but the jacked up temps and humidity were a powerful dissuasion. Tomorrow is supposed to be 23 C, but the low in between should be 13C, so maybe a more comfortable jog is in my near future.
At any rate, weightlifting this evening went really well. My numbers are finally closer to what they used to be, still pitiful, but less so. The power cleans were perhaps a bit messy, and definitely not euphoric, but they were mentally solid. Other exercises such as the bench press and overhead press initially seem more fraught with danger, but the prospect of dropping something heavy on my face can't compare to ramming it against my larynx and knocking myself flat backwards, and then dropping it on my face.
However, I suppose I've gotten over most of that, or at least accepted it, and I can focus on the motion instead of its perils. If the past is any guide, however, the perils aren't done chirping. There will be waves of insecurity. If I'm lucky, I'll get some good numbers out of the crest until I'm tossed in the trough again.
As for running, I'm in a sandpit, but mainly literally.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Almost an ice bath:
Plugging up part of a koi pond, probably unnecessarily. Yeah, I'd thought about covering the screws on the bottom drain top plate before I put the water in, but the instructions said....blerg. And the instructions were probably fine; the bulkheads on the settlement tank are leaking, and probably not the drain at all except through the intended lumen. Just covering all bases.
Anyway, we've had great running weather this week, lows near zero, and so that water was frigid. The koi (yeah, they're in there already) didn't do much while I was in there; they were already on the other side of the pond and they're close to torpor. I have thought about a dip before because it would be so cool if they swam up to me while I was in there--but they don't extrapolate very well. They know my hands, and usually my voice, but the rest of me? Freakout!
Anyway, the water came up to my mid-thigh, and I lost feeling in my toes, but not before I used them to mush marine putty into the probably innocent screw wells. I wasn't sure my arms would be long enough, but I knew they would get cold and I really knew I really didn't want to put my face in there too.
Anyway, I haven't made much use of the awesome brisk weather. I can't believe how quickly it's turned, but I'm not complaining! Meanwhile, I am this close to completing a major project, and this week has been 12-14 hr days of pixel pushing and things are clicking together amazingly and I'm deep down the rabbit hole of synergy, obsession, and ingenious shortcutting, and TONIGHT's THE NIGHT! I'm sending it off no matter what. It is getting out of my hair at long last.
Anyway, eye strain made today's run interesting. When it comes to something not on a screen or not through lenses, my eyes don't play nice together, but usually I use one at a time, I think. Not sure. Today, however, was dueling (retinal) banjos. Which one is the real branch? I couldn't tell where anything was. I didn't fall, but I had a few good trips, and a bunch of smaller stumbles and faulty landings. We jogged (with a few short walks up the worst hills) for three hours and fifteen minutes and it felt crappy by the middle of the second loop, and mostly numb and dumb during the third.
Anyway, it was good practice. My eyes are going to be tired by the end of the race (experience) anyway, plus it's going to be dark when I start. And I really needed to step away from the computer screen for a bit. Does it show?
Anyway, we've had great running weather this week, lows near zero, and so that water was frigid. The koi (yeah, they're in there already) didn't do much while I was in there; they were already on the other side of the pond and they're close to torpor. I have thought about a dip before because it would be so cool if they swam up to me while I was in there--but they don't extrapolate very well. They know my hands, and usually my voice, but the rest of me? Freakout!
Anyway, the water came up to my mid-thigh, and I lost feeling in my toes, but not before I used them to mush marine putty into the probably innocent screw wells. I wasn't sure my arms would be long enough, but I knew they would get cold and I really knew I really didn't want to put my face in there too.
Anyway, I haven't made much use of the awesome brisk weather. I can't believe how quickly it's turned, but I'm not complaining! Meanwhile, I am this close to completing a major project, and this week has been 12-14 hr days of pixel pushing and things are clicking together amazingly and I'm deep down the rabbit hole of synergy, obsession, and ingenious shortcutting, and TONIGHT's THE NIGHT! I'm sending it off no matter what. It is getting out of my hair at long last.
Anyway, eye strain made today's run interesting. When it comes to something not on a screen or not through lenses, my eyes don't play nice together, but usually I use one at a time, I think. Not sure. Today, however, was dueling (retinal) banjos. Which one is the real branch? I couldn't tell where anything was. I didn't fall, but I had a few good trips, and a bunch of smaller stumbles and faulty landings. We jogged (with a few short walks up the worst hills) for three hours and fifteen minutes and it felt crappy by the middle of the second loop, and mostly numb and dumb during the third.
Anyway, it was good practice. My eyes are going to be tired by the end of the race (experience) anyway, plus it's going to be dark when I start. And I really needed to step away from the computer screen for a bit. Does it show?
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
~
Short walk, jog, and then weights.
And I think I've (re)cracked the code of the power clean: it's all in the wrists...at least for now, until I get hung up on something else.
And I think I've (re)cracked the code of the power clean: it's all in the wrists...at least for now, until I get hung up on something else.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
A lovely summer day
A few months late.
My husband, the dog, and I jogged (with a few walk breaks) for 3 hours and 10 minutes or so. I felt tired from yesterday's run, plus we ran in the afternoon when my energy levels were nice and low. Thus I'd invited an adequate amount of suckage, the whole point of back to back "long" runs.
However, the temps made things easier. 18C, sunny, not too humid...seriously top shelf stuff. If summer down here could throw in a day like that every so often, I wouldn't be so crabby.
And my husband saved my life! Probably! Either mine or the dog's. The weather was cool enough for the snakes to seek sunlight, and gotta hand it to copperhead cammo, it really blends in nicely with dried leaves and shadow-mottled sand. My eyesight isn't the best, I've said this before; I have stepped on a snake already here, but it was dead. This one would have been a pissed off and venomous number 2. But my husband was running ahead of me and he saw it and stopped in time! My hero! He coaxed it off the path with a really long branch. It didn't want to go.
There was a bit of snake-jumpiness after that, but I took the lead on the 2nd loop and picked up the pace a bit. Yeah!
And then my husband saved my life again on loop three. We ran up to two ladies pushing strollers, and one of them asked us "Is it ok that my dogs are loose?" Lady, please, what does my disdainful silence and cocked eyebrow tell you? There are plenty of signs in the park saying that all pets must be leashed. No exemptions for mommies. Don't plead for a "Sure, no problem" that will absolve you. However, my husband is polite, and he made small talk while I quietly tried to coax the loose dogs to run with us. Got "Mordecai" to go a few yards before he wussed out.
Without my husband's honeyed charm, these ladies might have hulked out on my ass, considering they were out pushing strollers in sand and over roots and debris, and probably a copperhead or two.
My husband, the dog, and I jogged (with a few walk breaks) for 3 hours and 10 minutes or so. I felt tired from yesterday's run, plus we ran in the afternoon when my energy levels were nice and low. Thus I'd invited an adequate amount of suckage, the whole point of back to back "long" runs.
However, the temps made things easier. 18C, sunny, not too humid...seriously top shelf stuff. If summer down here could throw in a day like that every so often, I wouldn't be so crabby.
And my husband saved my life! Probably! Either mine or the dog's. The weather was cool enough for the snakes to seek sunlight, and gotta hand it to copperhead cammo, it really blends in nicely with dried leaves and shadow-mottled sand. My eyesight isn't the best, I've said this before; I have stepped on a snake already here, but it was dead. This one would have been a pissed off and venomous number 2. But my husband was running ahead of me and he saw it and stopped in time! My hero! He coaxed it off the path with a really long branch. It didn't want to go.
There was a bit of snake-jumpiness after that, but I took the lead on the 2nd loop and picked up the pace a bit. Yeah!
And then my husband saved my life again on loop three. We ran up to two ladies pushing strollers, and one of them asked us "Is it ok that my dogs are loose?" Lady, please, what does my disdainful silence and cocked eyebrow tell you? There are plenty of signs in the park saying that all pets must be leashed. No exemptions for mommies. Don't plead for a "Sure, no problem" that will absolve you. However, my husband is polite, and he made small talk while I quietly tried to coax the loose dogs to run with us. Got "Mordecai" to go a few yards before he wussed out.
Without my husband's honeyed charm, these ladies might have hulked out on my ass, considering they were out pushing strollers in sand and over roots and debris, and probably a copperhead or two.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
~
"Train like a Dog", by Mackenzie Lobby, quotes a pro dog trainer, Jt Clough: "There's no bad time of day for them; they're always ready to go."
I suppose these are the same dogs that wake up their owners at 5:30 am, so I should count my blessings. Especially since my dog's reluctance to run is predictable: sleeping in is better, especially when one of the humans is likewise doing so. Whenever I leave before my husband, I haul an anchor out of the house. Ok, not really, but I have to employ enough honeyed coaxing to make me wonder if I need to pick the green M&Ms out of the candy bowl backstage. LOL
But today was one of those foggy days without incipient jacked-up heat. The humidity was uncomfortable, but there was no rush. My husband left to get a haircut, and we set out without issues. Average jog, 2 hr 15. We had one loose dog, but the owner earned a gold star: she apologized, ran out and withdrew her dog, and apologized. She was doing yardwork and accidentally left a gate open. I reassured her. I should have told her that she's the first dog owner I've met here who has behaved decently during this sort of thing. Accidents happen, but failing to run out and grab a loose dog is deliberate.
The rest of the day will be devoted to Art--that deadline is starting to loom, EEEEEEEE--eating, and resting for a 3+ hr jog tomorrow.
I suppose these are the same dogs that wake up their owners at 5:30 am, so I should count my blessings. Especially since my dog's reluctance to run is predictable: sleeping in is better, especially when one of the humans is likewise doing so. Whenever I leave before my husband, I haul an anchor out of the house. Ok, not really, but I have to employ enough honeyed coaxing to make me wonder if I need to pick the green M&Ms out of the candy bowl backstage. LOL
But today was one of those foggy days without incipient jacked-up heat. The humidity was uncomfortable, but there was no rush. My husband left to get a haircut, and we set out without issues. Average jog, 2 hr 15. We had one loose dog, but the owner earned a gold star: she apologized, ran out and withdrew her dog, and apologized. She was doing yardwork and accidentally left a gate open. I reassured her. I should have told her that she's the first dog owner I've met here who has behaved decently during this sort of thing. Accidents happen, but failing to run out and grab a loose dog is deliberate.
The rest of the day will be devoted to Art--that deadline is starting to loom, EEEEEEEE--eating, and resting for a 3+ hr jog tomorrow.
Friday, October 18, 2013
weights
squats (still front squats w/ clean)
deadlifts
delt raises (side, front, back)
clean and press
iron cross
pushups
pike situps
clamshells
I added the iron cross because there's something beguiling about that exercise...it screams my shortcomings yet whispers promises...
And I switched to pike situps because I'm bored of doing umpteen regular situps. I also narrowed my grip on the pushups because I'm bored of doing umpteen wide hand pushups.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
~
80 minute run, and then some cleans with light weight...still chasing that evaporating mass feeling~
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
ehhhh
Running? I put on my running clothes, but the dog didn't get pumped, unlike the water in the upper filtration unit of the koi palace...the waterfall has a leak. Didn't use quite enough silicone.
After that setback, at which point the temps seemed kind of too warm for comfortable running, I decided to get pumped myself. However, I quickly got reacquainted with an annoying back tightness. It's on my left side, and I've followed its journey: left achilles tightness => left hamstring tightness => left butt tightness => left back tightness. This has been going on for a while but I wasn't concerned because I've had past issues dissipate in a similar fashion. It hasn't affected running as far as I can tell, or life in general.
But that twinge really got in the way of lifting this morning. Even during delt flies. I quit, and then I reconsidered. Sometimes total rest is best, but I've never done anything that major to myself, and have found it best to keep active. So I cut back the weights and kept going.
This is an "opportunity" to work on form and go deeper. And I'll keep stretching.
After that setback, at which point the temps seemed kind of too warm for comfortable running, I decided to get pumped myself. However, I quickly got reacquainted with an annoying back tightness. It's on my left side, and I've followed its journey: left achilles tightness => left hamstring tightness => left butt tightness => left back tightness. This has been going on for a while but I wasn't concerned because I've had past issues dissipate in a similar fashion. It hasn't affected running as far as I can tell, or life in general.
But that twinge really got in the way of lifting this morning. Even during delt flies. I quit, and then I reconsidered. Sometimes total rest is best, but I've never done anything that major to myself, and have found it best to keep active. So I cut back the weights and kept going.
This is an "opportunity" to work on form and go deeper. And I'll keep stretching.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Guns at dusk
Great run tonight! I wasn't even going to run, but my husband put on his running clothes and, yep, t'was en famille. I figured that I would find out early on if I'd have problems keeping up.
However, I felt great! Was it the misty 18C and cool breeze? Was it the NO-Xplode (found a trial pack and realized just how much I've missed that stuff)? Was it the slightly tighter pair of running capris? I had craploads of bounce. We ran for just over two hours.
Training was going on nearby: lots of booms. And, as dusk approached, the trail became harder to see. The atmosphere became rather dramatic. My vision was a bit blurred anyway because of the haze, but things started to get pretty dim and sneaky. There were stretches where I honestly couldn't see what I was running over: quick steps, high feet, hope for the best! Near the end, I tripped soundly on what appeared to be a featureless sand trail. But I didn't fall.
We passed carrion (couldn't see what, but it stunk largely) and vultures--not this time, guys!
However, I felt great! Was it the misty 18C and cool breeze? Was it the NO-Xplode (found a trial pack and realized just how much I've missed that stuff)? Was it the slightly tighter pair of running capris? I had craploads of bounce. We ran for just over two hours.
Training was going on nearby: lots of booms. And, as dusk approached, the trail became harder to see. The atmosphere became rather dramatic. My vision was a bit blurred anyway because of the haze, but things started to get pretty dim and sneaky. There were stretches where I honestly couldn't see what I was running over: quick steps, high feet, hope for the best! Near the end, I tripped soundly on what appeared to be a featureless sand trail. But I didn't fall.
We passed carrion (couldn't see what, but it stunk largely) and vultures--not this time, guys!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
!!!
So I feel rather presumptuous posting twice in one day, especially since this is a running blog (mostly) and I barely jogged 15 minutes today, but too much pixel pushing has led me to sign not only myself but my husband (with his enthusiastic consent) up for an upcoming local ultra.
The people running the ultra I semi-crashed yesterday were sooo nice and friendly that I checked out their FB page, and found out that they're throwing another party next month. It's on the weekend before the one I was tentatively allotting to my next monster run, but bumping it up actually could work better in terms of fitting in with exams and studying.
It's on one of the many horse farms around here, and my first thought was that the "trails" would be torn up sand, like the bridle paths I run on regularly, but the pics look tight. Dirt, not sand, and well-packed and clear apart from a bit of grass, and relatively flat. Picture a utility road that a farm-only vehicle runs up and down a few times a day between fields = pure bliss. This is my favourite type of surface to run on, I think. I've really loosened up on army post semi-abandoned depot and training roads in the past. Gnarlier trails are more engaging, for sure, but they afford fewer opportunities to just stretch out and tune out. I'm really pumped. I'm going to hand off my brains and tune out and coast for hours. Won't even have to pick up my feet!! Shoot, I can tap into years of girly horse-loving prepubescent fantasies of being a Horse and galloping around with the wind ruffling my mane and all. That might kick in after mile 40. I get damn stupid after 30 or so...40 will be new terrain. I'm hoping for ultimate pain wrenching me from my body and lifting me into a new effervescent realm, leaving my ache-wracked corporal existence behind. I doubt this ever happens late in the game, but I keep hoping for it.
Anyway, it looks like I will be doing a race this year after all! I had been considering the Philly Marathon up until recently. 3rd time's the charm, eh? The first time, it was my very first marathon, and I bonked at mile 11. The second time, I bonked at mile 15, decided to chill, had beer in Manayunk (nobody else was stopping!), stopped for a few minutes to help a fallen runner, etc, and subsequently found out that my gluten intolerance was making the traditional pre-race pasta/carbathon a VERY bad idea. I was geared up to give Philly another go this year, but the problem is, running on roads kind of sucks here. I got a good route that has a nice shoulder most of the way...point is, I'm mostly on grass/sand/pine needles/horse poop/etc/???. * The last time I've run more than 5 miles straight on asphalt or concrete was in August during a few runs back home. This has benefits: I haven't had to buy new shoes this year. But it also means that I've become unused to impact. My doubts about a road marathon increased.
Instead, I started putting all my eggs into a January ultra basket that I'm actually still on the waitlist for and might not actually get to run. I'm cool with the uncertainty though. Plan B was picking another date and running for a long time on my own.
Sorry for the novel; I've regressed to a past habit of knocking out school essays with the help of EtOH. 30+ pages a night with some SoCo was a breeze. I'm actually not drunk, just at the better focus stage which I'm hoping to maintain for a couple more hours so I can lay down more "exquisite" line art. MAJOR LOLZ. Disclaimer, I'm presently illustrating a new edition of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, which means drawing Mr. Darcy, who has apparently been the alpha and omega of panty-dropping beguilement for two centuries (this year exactly)...a lesser hack artist such as myself has to resort to such props as digitally editing, driving trance tunes, a bit of booze, and the grounding fatigue of long runs to pull this off. He has got to be squeeeeeee. I've just clicked a new layer over a pic where Elizabeth meets him at Pemberley for the first time, when it's his last ditch attempt to be extra-charming to win her over and "look at my historic estate and all my shit, gurl". Time to lay some pipe. The evening has just begun in earnest.
Long story short, I've recently paid to cover 50 miles in one go next month!
* Talking about poop, I saw a choice specimen in the annex forest today with the dog. Nuggets alongside a bit of cloth. Dog owners will understand this.
The people running the ultra I semi-crashed yesterday were sooo nice and friendly that I checked out their FB page, and found out that they're throwing another party next month. It's on the weekend before the one I was tentatively allotting to my next monster run, but bumping it up actually could work better in terms of fitting in with exams and studying.
It's on one of the many horse farms around here, and my first thought was that the "trails" would be torn up sand, like the bridle paths I run on regularly, but the pics look tight. Dirt, not sand, and well-packed and clear apart from a bit of grass, and relatively flat. Picture a utility road that a farm-only vehicle runs up and down a few times a day between fields = pure bliss. This is my favourite type of surface to run on, I think. I've really loosened up on army post semi-abandoned depot and training roads in the past. Gnarlier trails are more engaging, for sure, but they afford fewer opportunities to just stretch out and tune out. I'm really pumped. I'm going to hand off my brains and tune out and coast for hours. Won't even have to pick up my feet!! Shoot, I can tap into years of girly horse-loving prepubescent fantasies of being a Horse and galloping around with the wind ruffling my mane and all. That might kick in after mile 40. I get damn stupid after 30 or so...40 will be new terrain. I'm hoping for ultimate pain wrenching me from my body and lifting me into a new effervescent realm, leaving my ache-wracked corporal existence behind. I doubt this ever happens late in the game, but I keep hoping for it.
Anyway, it looks like I will be doing a race this year after all! I had been considering the Philly Marathon up until recently. 3rd time's the charm, eh? The first time, it was my very first marathon, and I bonked at mile 11. The second time, I bonked at mile 15, decided to chill, had beer in Manayunk (nobody else was stopping!), stopped for a few minutes to help a fallen runner, etc, and subsequently found out that my gluten intolerance was making the traditional pre-race pasta/carbathon a VERY bad idea. I was geared up to give Philly another go this year, but the problem is, running on roads kind of sucks here. I got a good route that has a nice shoulder most of the way...point is, I'm mostly on grass/sand/pine needles/horse poop/etc/???. * The last time I've run more than 5 miles straight on asphalt or concrete was in August during a few runs back home. This has benefits: I haven't had to buy new shoes this year. But it also means that I've become unused to impact. My doubts about a road marathon increased.
Instead, I started putting all my eggs into a January ultra basket that I'm actually still on the waitlist for and might not actually get to run. I'm cool with the uncertainty though. Plan B was picking another date and running for a long time on my own.
Sorry for the novel; I've regressed to a past habit of knocking out school essays with the help of EtOH. 30+ pages a night with some SoCo was a breeze. I'm actually not drunk, just at the better focus stage which I'm hoping to maintain for a couple more hours so I can lay down more "exquisite" line art. MAJOR LOLZ. Disclaimer, I'm presently illustrating a new edition of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, which means drawing Mr. Darcy, who has apparently been the alpha and omega of panty-dropping beguilement for two centuries (this year exactly)...a lesser hack artist such as myself has to resort to such props as digitally editing, driving trance tunes, a bit of booze, and the grounding fatigue of long runs to pull this off. He has got to be squeeeeeee. I've just clicked a new layer over a pic where Elizabeth meets him at Pemberley for the first time, when it's his last ditch attempt to be extra-charming to win her over and "look at my historic estate and all my shit, gurl". Time to lay some pipe. The evening has just begun in earnest.
Long story short, I've recently paid to cover 50 miles in one go next month!
* Talking about poop, I saw a choice specimen in the annex forest today with the dog. Nuggets alongside a bit of cloth. Dog owners will understand this.
~
Easy short jog/walk in the forest--apart from being even slower than usual, I felt surprisingly fine. For a second or two at a time, I felt almost fresh, but then the dull fatigue quickly returned. But, overall, I'm in good shape, and I don't have any acute aches. Maybe tomorrow I'll do a normal run.
My favourite yoga pose helped a lot last night. I didn't bother lifting my legs, actually, but this was the most accurate visual I could find. I put a block under my butt, straightened and spread out my arms and legs--I also put my arms overhead and generally turned into a starfish--and chilled out. This helps my hip flexors loosen up more than anything else I've tried.
My favourite yoga pose helped a lot last night. I didn't bother lifting my legs, actually, but this was the most accurate visual I could find. I put a block under my butt, straightened and spread out my arms and legs--I also put my arms overhead and generally turned into a starfish--and chilled out. This helps my hip flexors loosen up more than anything else I've tried.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
The place I thought was the World of Hurt...wasn't
(so hard to get out the bathtub, and my husband offered to duct-tape my head to the side of it, but I've successfully resumed a terrestrial existence, and am now pounding this awesome salmon spread...)
Guess I didn't make my 2nd weight workout this week, but I ditched it for a good cause: Monster Run. Admittedly, it was sort of impromptu; I'd thought about doing it next week, but then I found out a couple of days ago that someone was throwing a Party today! Actually, a 25K and 50K in the forest.
I didn't feel up to "racing", or committing, or subjecting anyone longer than absolutely necessary to the copious amount of onions I ate last night. I figured that I would run opposite the runners and, if things went well, I could leach off the excitement for 4 laps, and then aim for a Monster Run later in the month.
It was only 15C when I set out at around 8:15, but humid...I didn't feel that great, except thankful that I hadn't committed to anything. I hit the forest and did a slightly shortened loop, skipping a section and substituting another to avoid congestion on a couple of narrow sections, and then I got into a groove. I didn't even walk up the worst hills as planned. It was super seeing so many other runners, and I wore out "good job," "looking good", etc (and, once, errrr, "good looking!", sorry, dude!).
My husband had talked about meeting me there with the dog, and I figured I'd meet them around the third lap or so. Finished it, no boys. But I was feeling good, and it was fun encouraging other runners so I kept going. I fully ran that fourth loop as well, apart from a few narrow sections where I stopped and stepped aside for the racers. By the end, I'd run 19-ish miles and I forget how many hours. 3:50ish, I think.
Hey, why not keep going?
The fifth loop was a new realm of sorts--I was starting to feel warm, but still surprisingly good and amazingly NOT clumsy. Walking up the two worst hills was a great break. The trails were emptier--most of the 25K people were done or on the final shorter loop. By this point, I was familiar with the two guys in the lead, but I couldn't figure out the rank for the women. Oh, well, I cheered everybody on.
I still had plenty of homemade gel (new recipe, molasses, honey, salt, whey powder and cranberry juice to cut the sweetness a bit), and the boys still hadn't shown up. Foremost in my mind, however, was my tentative plan to do six loops later in October. Slay 'em now.
Or at least slowly bore them to death. The wheels started to come off. Extra walk breaks. But I still wasn't feeling too bad. And then things royally crumbled. I'd been dealing with some stitches and a few aches and fatigue, and I was becoming increasingly aware of some chafing, but I suddenly got really tired. Full body drain. But, by this point, I felt pretty close to the runners still on the course, which helped. I met two guys, one on his last lap, the other on his 2nd last, and we stopped to talk for a minute. I congratulated them for being almost done, and they teased me for not signing up.
But I wasn't going to do the last, seventh loop. But then, I started thinking about how beneficial it would be to keep going for six hours at least. That wouldn't be my longest run time-wise, but since I'd mostly kept running, it would be close to my max distance (32ish miles, I think).
Finally, I met the boys at the very end of the six loop! By this point, I'd run about 28 miles. I had about a half-hour left of running at this point, so we set out again.
Then, about 15-20 minutes later, things really hit. FFFFFFFffffff...... This was a whole new level of running-related discomfort. I didn't just have a stitch, more like my whole abdomen was on fire. My abs were mutineers. My quads were torching police cars and my shoulders were hanging effigies, and even my ankles (shoot, I almost never think of those) were holding a magnifying lens over hapless ants. It was a devilish mess. I wonder if the elite athletes who race marathons feel that bad, or worse--kudos to them! I'm more of a wimp. I took one walk break after another; the slightest incline was a good enough excuse. Finally, with a few minutes left to go, that was it. No more. As far as I can tell, I'd traveled about thirty miles by this point. Definitely well over 29. Gotta say, 30 miles on trails is barely a distant relative to 30 miles on roads. It takes longer, and there's just so much more going on in terms of crappy footing and so forth. At least the impact is reduced.
Ending the push invited more demons to the fray. Walking was surprisingly sore. Like something was sucking the marrow out of my femurs, and something else was peeling my muscles off my core. I didn't walk the whole seventh loop; we still had to walk home, so my husband picked a shorter loop, and then we walked home. Total on my feet: 32-33 miles, I think, and about 7 hours. Yeah! I really got a lot out of it. A pleasant surprise was finding less sand in my shoes this week, thanks to less holey shoes. Even better was an increase in agility. I quasi-tripped/slipped umpteen times, but no real trips at all, much less a yard sale. I am thrilled with this because, up until recently, I started snagging my feet at about the two hour mark.
My stretching in the garage turned into a nap.
The plan is to do an even more monstrous run in November...hopefully the weather cooperates and lets me feel an easier gear. If I get into this race, I got to get used to being out there for a while (incidentally, I think I could hold my little bike headlight in my hand...wearing a headlamp makes me queasy). Meanwhile, I really got to do more situps and other core exercises that I'll likely end up substituting with more fun powerlifting stuff. There's a fair bit of abs in clean and press, isn't there? lol But, yeah, I wish I had more in the muscle bank. My legs were not much worse than expected, but it was crazy how my core hung me out to dry. I'm feeling rather betrayed.
Guess I didn't make my 2nd weight workout this week, but I ditched it for a good cause: Monster Run. Admittedly, it was sort of impromptu; I'd thought about doing it next week, but then I found out a couple of days ago that someone was throwing a Party today! Actually, a 25K and 50K in the forest.
I didn't feel up to "racing", or committing, or subjecting anyone longer than absolutely necessary to the copious amount of onions I ate last night. I figured that I would run opposite the runners and, if things went well, I could leach off the excitement for 4 laps, and then aim for a Monster Run later in the month.
It was only 15C when I set out at around 8:15, but humid...I didn't feel that great, except thankful that I hadn't committed to anything. I hit the forest and did a slightly shortened loop, skipping a section and substituting another to avoid congestion on a couple of narrow sections, and then I got into a groove. I didn't even walk up the worst hills as planned. It was super seeing so many other runners, and I wore out "good job," "looking good", etc (and, once, errrr, "good looking!", sorry, dude!).
My husband had talked about meeting me there with the dog, and I figured I'd meet them around the third lap or so. Finished it, no boys. But I was feeling good, and it was fun encouraging other runners so I kept going. I fully ran that fourth loop as well, apart from a few narrow sections where I stopped and stepped aside for the racers. By the end, I'd run 19-ish miles and I forget how many hours. 3:50ish, I think.
Hey, why not keep going?
The fifth loop was a new realm of sorts--I was starting to feel warm, but still surprisingly good and amazingly NOT clumsy. Walking up the two worst hills was a great break. The trails were emptier--most of the 25K people were done or on the final shorter loop. By this point, I was familiar with the two guys in the lead, but I couldn't figure out the rank for the women. Oh, well, I cheered everybody on.
I still had plenty of homemade gel (new recipe, molasses, honey, salt, whey powder and cranberry juice to cut the sweetness a bit), and the boys still hadn't shown up. Foremost in my mind, however, was my tentative plan to do six loops later in October. Slay 'em now.
Or at least slowly bore them to death. The wheels started to come off. Extra walk breaks. But I still wasn't feeling too bad. And then things royally crumbled. I'd been dealing with some stitches and a few aches and fatigue, and I was becoming increasingly aware of some chafing, but I suddenly got really tired. Full body drain. But, by this point, I felt pretty close to the runners still on the course, which helped. I met two guys, one on his last lap, the other on his 2nd last, and we stopped to talk for a minute. I congratulated them for being almost done, and they teased me for not signing up.
But I wasn't going to do the last, seventh loop. But then, I started thinking about how beneficial it would be to keep going for six hours at least. That wouldn't be my longest run time-wise, but since I'd mostly kept running, it would be close to my max distance (32ish miles, I think).
Finally, I met the boys at the very end of the six loop! By this point, I'd run about 28 miles. I had about a half-hour left of running at this point, so we set out again.
Then, about 15-20 minutes later, things really hit. FFFFFFFffffff...... This was a whole new level of running-related discomfort. I didn't just have a stitch, more like my whole abdomen was on fire. My abs were mutineers. My quads were torching police cars and my shoulders were hanging effigies, and even my ankles (shoot, I almost never think of those) were holding a magnifying lens over hapless ants. It was a devilish mess. I wonder if the elite athletes who race marathons feel that bad, or worse--kudos to them! I'm more of a wimp. I took one walk break after another; the slightest incline was a good enough excuse. Finally, with a few minutes left to go, that was it. No more. As far as I can tell, I'd traveled about thirty miles by this point. Definitely well over 29. Gotta say, 30 miles on trails is barely a distant relative to 30 miles on roads. It takes longer, and there's just so much more going on in terms of crappy footing and so forth. At least the impact is reduced.
Ending the push invited more demons to the fray. Walking was surprisingly sore. Like something was sucking the marrow out of my femurs, and something else was peeling my muscles off my core. I didn't walk the whole seventh loop; we still had to walk home, so my husband picked a shorter loop, and then we walked home. Total on my feet: 32-33 miles, I think, and about 7 hours. Yeah! I really got a lot out of it. A pleasant surprise was finding less sand in my shoes this week, thanks to less holey shoes. Even better was an increase in agility. I quasi-tripped/slipped umpteen times, but no real trips at all, much less a yard sale. I am thrilled with this because, up until recently, I started snagging my feet at about the two hour mark.
My stretching in the garage turned into a nap.
The plan is to do an even more monstrous run in November...hopefully the weather cooperates and lets me feel an easier gear. If I get into this race, I got to get used to being out there for a while (incidentally, I think I could hold my little bike headlight in my hand...wearing a headlamp makes me queasy). Meanwhile, I really got to do more situps and other core exercises that I'll likely end up substituting with more fun powerlifting stuff. There's a fair bit of abs in clean and press, isn't there? lol But, yeah, I wish I had more in the muscle bank. My legs were not much worse than expected, but it was crazy how my core hung me out to dry. I'm feeling rather betrayed.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Temperature drop!
Yesterday: walk
Today: 80ish min jog. It was discouraging to feel tired and sore despite the cool temps (just 15C or so), but I eventually felt emotionally better at least. A slightly different route today: the dog and I went into the forest and I made turns according to feel. Oh, let's not do all those roots today. Oh, let's not do that hill today. Oh, let's try out this little bit of trail now. Oh, let's not go back just yet.
Just a little bit longer.
Today: 80ish min jog. It was discouraging to feel tired and sore despite the cool temps (just 15C or so), but I eventually felt emotionally better at least. A slightly different route today: the dog and I went into the forest and I made turns according to feel. Oh, let's not do all those roots today. Oh, let's not do that hill today. Oh, let's try out this little bit of trail now. Oh, let's not go back just yet.
Just a little bit longer.
Monday, October 7, 2013
taking what I can get
This morning, 22 C but drizzling. Good enough for a run, not good
enough for an easy run, so I did a tempo run even though my legs are
still tired. It wasn't going to be easy no matter what, might as well
end it more quickly. 1 loop: 43:30ish. PB! LOL. Total run about
1:15. The dog slept in, btw.
Then, weights. Man, I've lost a lot of strength in a short amount of time. It's kind of depressing, but my focus has shifted anyway, and so must my workouts:
squats (still front squats w/ clean)
deadlifts
delt raises (side, front, back)
clean and press
pushups
situps
clamshells
If I can do this twice a week, on days when I do speedwork (just tempo runs), ca marche, even with lighter weights. Just trying to maintain ~
Then, weights. Man, I've lost a lot of strength in a short amount of time. It's kind of depressing, but my focus has shifted anyway, and so must my workouts:
squats (still front squats w/ clean)
deadlifts
delt raises (side, front, back)
clean and press
pushups
situps
clamshells
If I can do this twice a week, on days when I do speedwork (just tempo runs), ca marche, even with lighter weights. Just trying to maintain ~
Sunday, October 6, 2013
uhhhhh
1:50ish, including some walking. Not too hot (low-mid 20s) but very humid thanks to yesterday's chaleur. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty, and I knew that doing long-ish back to back runs would be a valuable mental workout, and so I suppose the sweatbox only added to the training stress and I would thank it later...uhhhhh.
But I got into the right mode. After so much discomfort for so long, it became acceptable, and I became a machine. Senseless and mechanical. For some reason, this is partly what attracts me to longer runs. It's kind of a trip.
At any rate, I really need to do longer runs if I get off the waitlist for my goal race. 3 + 2 hrs (and not even!) is a rather puny back-to-back. And I need to get back to my truly easy gear. It's kind of distressing that it isn't accessible at all, and I keep reminding myself that it's too warm here still, and that I had two easy 20+ milers during my trip home. Once the weather cooperates, I can jog again. The dirty truth is that, while I like running, I especially enjoy it when my breathing is just as easy as when I'm walking. I'm lazy.
And once I can run for longer, I can also figure out the shoe situation. This has become more of a concern. I've been running in Puma Faas, which might be kind of dumb on trails, but there are no loose rocks to bang up and I've quickly learned how not to land on roots. The Faas are comfy but rather holey and the sand gets in, but hasn't chafed...yet. However, I've started getting blisters between my toes, which I've never gotten before, and I'm pretty sure it's not a heat/moisture thing. My longest hot run was a marathon in about 30 C (no joke; fortunately it was an evening marathon so the 32 C at the start was the worst). That was a very lazy and absolutely drenched 4:01 without any blisters. I had a DNF trail ultra that I hung in for about six and a half hours, also drenched thanks to rain, and I don't remember any blisters from that either. My feet got bashed up because there were a lot of loose rocks and streams, usually both, but no blisters. I don't get them easily. But now I have a few, and I'm not sure that using bodyglide wouldn't just attract more sand. But I don't want to box my feet up!!!
But it would probably be more advantageous to wear shoes with a tread. LOL
But I got into the right mode. After so much discomfort for so long, it became acceptable, and I became a machine. Senseless and mechanical. For some reason, this is partly what attracts me to longer runs. It's kind of a trip.
At any rate, I really need to do longer runs if I get off the waitlist for my goal race. 3 + 2 hrs (and not even!) is a rather puny back-to-back. And I need to get back to my truly easy gear. It's kind of distressing that it isn't accessible at all, and I keep reminding myself that it's too warm here still, and that I had two easy 20+ milers during my trip home. Once the weather cooperates, I can jog again. The dirty truth is that, while I like running, I especially enjoy it when my breathing is just as easy as when I'm walking. I'm lazy.
And once I can run for longer, I can also figure out the shoe situation. This has become more of a concern. I've been running in Puma Faas, which might be kind of dumb on trails, but there are no loose rocks to bang up and I've quickly learned how not to land on roots. The Faas are comfy but rather holey and the sand gets in, but hasn't chafed...yet. However, I've started getting blisters between my toes, which I've never gotten before, and I'm pretty sure it's not a heat/moisture thing. My longest hot run was a marathon in about 30 C (no joke; fortunately it was an evening marathon so the 32 C at the start was the worst). That was a very lazy and absolutely drenched 4:01 without any blisters. I had a DNF trail ultra that I hung in for about six and a half hours, also drenched thanks to rain, and I don't remember any blisters from that either. My feet got bashed up because there were a lot of loose rocks and streams, usually both, but no blisters. I don't get them easily. But now I have a few, and I'm not sure that using bodyglide wouldn't just attract more sand. But I don't want to box my feet up!!!
But it would probably be more advantageous to wear shoes with a tread. LOL
Saturday, October 5, 2013
No wonder I feel like _____
I finished my run before noon, and it was 30 C already. Good thing the dog decided to sleep in, although I would've cut the run short if he'd been with me, which would have made me feel better. I did three loops, total 2:50 with the run over there: 52 minutes, 48 minutes, and 55 minutes. The second one was faster because I accepted that my breathing wasn't ever going to drop back down--I can't keep a truly easy effort when it's warm out. The last loop was brutal. There was a dark moment of increasing effort and despair, and I was working myself into a rather negative zone and failing to ditch abdominal cramps to boot...and then I decided to relax, to forget about pace, to forget about my expectations, to forget about feeling that I had to get anywhere at any time, and to see just how much time I would gain by walking uphills now and then. Answer: not very much.
Positives: I'm getting better at not tripping--first stumble wasn't until 2:16!--and also at remembering to lift my head/gaze whenever possible, because after a while I get sore from always looking down. Unfortunately, the two advances were linked in this case, but it was one of those sneaky barely visible roots. And I learned that when I get to that [verb] this [noun] point, when I'm sliding on sand and pine needles and/or tripping over junk and sometimes kicking it up against myself (fave move: hooking a branch on my heel and hitting myself in the back of the leg with it), I can stop to walk. And, no matter how hot and miserable things get, they could be worse (volcanoes, Death Valley, etc).
And without the Sun, there would be no Life.
Anyway, I'm banking on Tropical Depression Karen to blast this unreasonable weather to smithereens soon. You go, gurl!!!!!!
Positives: I'm getting better at not tripping--first stumble wasn't until 2:16!--and also at remembering to lift my head/gaze whenever possible, because after a while I get sore from always looking down. Unfortunately, the two advances were linked in this case, but it was one of those sneaky barely visible roots. And I learned that when I get to that [verb] this [noun] point, when I'm sliding on sand and pine needles and/or tripping over junk and sometimes kicking it up against myself (fave move: hooking a branch on my heel and hitting myself in the back of the leg with it), I can stop to walk. And, no matter how hot and miserable things get, they could be worse (volcanoes, Death Valley, etc).
And without the Sun, there would be no Life.
Anyway, I'm banking on Tropical Depression Karen to blast this unreasonable weather to smithereens soon. You go, gurl!!!!!!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
ehhhh
I must remember how wiped I am right now, in order to better put future whinging to shame.
More short sleep, just 3 hrs last night.
Calculated dehydration, in prep for a 3 hour exam. Mistakenly thought it was 3.5 hrs and somehow that last 1/2 hr is a killer without breaks. I've had longer exams, but with breaks.
3 hours in frigid air conditioning.
8 or whatever miles cycling home in 28-29 C, including up a 11 +% grade incline with groceries. A bunch of other hills too, but that one is my white whale. There are a few ways I can get around it: large detour, 45 mph narrow roads with lower but much longer uphills, or a dirt--actually sand--road. No thanks, although sometimes I do the detour which involves slightly wider roads that go up to 55 mph. It still has a significant climb, but also a thrilling descent...and then a longer slower climb back up which doesn't feel so good when it's hot out and I have groceries.
BUT I found a new trick this afternoon. It's hard to explain, and it's ugly, but I pump that mofo up the hill with extra glute and back action. I couldn't find a video but picture that guy in hightop sneakers and headphones and a too-short seat pumping his upper body going back and forth with each stroke. Yeah, it's disgusting, but it actually worked really well. I kept my cadence and didn't have to stand up. I suppose I'm compensating for cycling muscles that are underdeveloped. Whatever.
My passing whim of celebratory lifting is just that: passing, passed.
Man, I've been at home for an hour and still feel like blech. I must remember this when I'm feeling that, oh, it's about 1.3 degrees too warm out and I don't like spider webs, wah, wah, wah.
More short sleep, just 3 hrs last night.
Calculated dehydration, in prep for a 3 hour exam. Mistakenly thought it was 3.5 hrs and somehow that last 1/2 hr is a killer without breaks. I've had longer exams, but with breaks.
3 hours in frigid air conditioning.
8 or whatever miles cycling home in 28-29 C, including up a 11 +% grade incline with groceries. A bunch of other hills too, but that one is my white whale. There are a few ways I can get around it: large detour, 45 mph narrow roads with lower but much longer uphills, or a dirt--actually sand--road. No thanks, although sometimes I do the detour which involves slightly wider roads that go up to 55 mph. It still has a significant climb, but also a thrilling descent...and then a longer slower climb back up which doesn't feel so good when it's hot out and I have groceries.
BUT I found a new trick this afternoon. It's hard to explain, and it's ugly, but I pump that mofo up the hill with extra glute and back action. I couldn't find a video but picture that guy in hightop sneakers and headphones and a too-short seat pumping his upper body going back and forth with each stroke. Yeah, it's disgusting, but it actually worked really well. I kept my cadence and didn't have to stand up. I suppose I'm compensating for cycling muscles that are underdeveloped. Whatever.
My passing whim of celebratory lifting is just that: passing, passed.
Man, I've been at home for an hour and still feel like blech. I must remember this when I'm feeling that, oh, it's about 1.3 degrees too warm out and I don't like spider webs, wah, wah, wah.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
:(
Monday and Tuesday, just walked. I'm getting shafted on sleep again.
After my run Sunday, I mortared. Shouldn't have been a big deal except all that stooping and bending over made my back sore. And I got night sweats and aches that night, and ended up moving to another room so that I could attempt to starfish it out.
And then I was woken up by a ringwraith. It screamed its way past and riled up the dog. I couldn't go back to sleep until I heard its cries die in the distance, and confirmed that they were not renewed. Then I fell back into sleep into nightmares. I had no clue what sort of animal it was, but I figured it was some sort of owl because it was in the dark and seemed to be traveling more quickly than something on legs, plus the echoes of its hellion shrieks suggested a more lofty altitude. Later on, my husband looked it up. Gotta say that I'd already thought that barn owls were mondo creepy but this one raised the bar. Kudos!
And then Monday night, it was the frogs and/or bugs that exceeded themselves. They have recently revamped their chorus, and they reached a new pinnacle last night. I shut the windows but there was a persistent tone, an acute meep-meep-meep that chiseled deep within my skull. I couldn't escape it. I didn't wish to wear earplugs so I got my laptop and headphones and used tunes to block it out.
On the plus side, I've channeled lots of my angst into Leavenworth sculpting. This morning, I was splitting bricks--the solid kind, too--like a machine.
Before that, I had to run before I forgot how. But the weather has snuck up on me. I stepped outside, man, it's kind of warm, and went back in to check. 21C, humidex 25 or so. High of 30C, and pretty much that for the rest of the week. dafuq?
Not fair! After months of solid 30+ highs, without a break except for a few thunderstorms, we must move on as uniformly. It's October, no more 30 + C. Heck, 20 C is too much. When's this beautiful fall I keep hearing about? When will I finally get to run without sweat pooling and dripping off my chin? (I detest that; it feels like I'm drooling).
Anyway, we jogged and walked around for about an hour. I was going to do the full loop, but ended up skipping the bridle paths. The sand is deepest and softest there, torn up by hooves, and I just couldn't face it today. So I stuck to the firmer paths and managed to sink back into the relaxing sauna atmos. Not a run, just a pore-opening experience that'll do wonders for my complexion. Although my appeal is rather reduced by the apparent drooling, and overall stickiness. I came home to find not only thick spiderwebs but also a few embalmed bugs glued to my head. And the smell is even choicer, almost as attractive as this.
Edit: I forgot about the snake! We don't get to see them often. This one was black, about three feet long, and in a hurry to cross the path ahead of us and get out of the way. This was terribly exciting for my dog: a stick that MOVES ON ITS OWN?!!?!?!
After my run Sunday, I mortared. Shouldn't have been a big deal except all that stooping and bending over made my back sore. And I got night sweats and aches that night, and ended up moving to another room so that I could attempt to starfish it out.
And then I was woken up by a ringwraith. It screamed its way past and riled up the dog. I couldn't go back to sleep until I heard its cries die in the distance, and confirmed that they were not renewed. Then I fell back into sleep into nightmares. I had no clue what sort of animal it was, but I figured it was some sort of owl because it was in the dark and seemed to be traveling more quickly than something on legs, plus the echoes of its hellion shrieks suggested a more lofty altitude. Later on, my husband looked it up. Gotta say that I'd already thought that barn owls were mondo creepy but this one raised the bar. Kudos!
And then Monday night, it was the frogs and/or bugs that exceeded themselves. They have recently revamped their chorus, and they reached a new pinnacle last night. I shut the windows but there was a persistent tone, an acute meep-meep-meep that chiseled deep within my skull. I couldn't escape it. I didn't wish to wear earplugs so I got my laptop and headphones and used tunes to block it out.
On the plus side, I've channeled lots of my angst into Leavenworth sculpting. This morning, I was splitting bricks--the solid kind, too--like a machine.
Before that, I had to run before I forgot how. But the weather has snuck up on me. I stepped outside, man, it's kind of warm, and went back in to check. 21C, humidex 25 or so. High of 30C, and pretty much that for the rest of the week. dafuq?
Not fair! After months of solid 30+ highs, without a break except for a few thunderstorms, we must move on as uniformly. It's October, no more 30 + C. Heck, 20 C is too much. When's this beautiful fall I keep hearing about? When will I finally get to run without sweat pooling and dripping off my chin? (I detest that; it feels like I'm drooling).
Anyway, we jogged and walked around for about an hour. I was going to do the full loop, but ended up skipping the bridle paths. The sand is deepest and softest there, torn up by hooves, and I just couldn't face it today. So I stuck to the firmer paths and managed to sink back into the relaxing sauna atmos. Not a run, just a pore-opening experience that'll do wonders for my complexion. Although my appeal is rather reduced by the apparent drooling, and overall stickiness. I came home to find not only thick spiderwebs but also a few embalmed bugs glued to my head. And the smell is even choicer, almost as attractive as this.
Edit: I forgot about the snake! We don't get to see them often. This one was black, about three feet long, and in a hurry to cross the path ahead of us and get out of the way. This was terribly exciting for my dog: a stick that MOVES ON ITS OWN?!!?!?!
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