Stalking 50

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:So if I ordered a 62 degree morning, how long would it take to get delivered?

To you? Oh, I'd say about four months.

Do you take a check or is it COD?

Tell you what, if you ship us a sunny 60-degree day -- as the high -- when we're wallowing in gloom here come February, we'll call it even.

Nick Morris wrote:Looks like things are coming back after your 50 miler.  Some pretty decent runs, even with the humidity.

Hey Nick! It's getting there, little by little. Today's run (see below) was a little disappointing, but I really shouldn't be surprised. After all, my legs *were* screaming at me both during and after that little 50-mile jaunt in the mountains. I suppose it'll take a little time to get back in their good graces.

Trail Run: 4.24 miles

Weather: Overcast, clearing and warming quickly. 61-69 degrees, 90% humidity. Gear: Altra Superiors, shorts, T. Fuel: Regular breakfast before, bread/cheese snack before, gu during. Nuun in handheld.

This is my first Monday flying solo this school year, so I felt obligated to head out to the trail - if for no other reason than to kill some time. I decided to head to Forest Park but start from a different trailhead, exploring a section of the Wildwood Trail that I had not run before.

The trail was nice and the forest was, as usual, gorgeous.







Unfortunately, my body wasn't entirely on board with this run. I made it just over two miles out before starting to sweat heavily and feeling like I was about to bonk and deciding it was time to turn around. A Gu kept me from crashing, but it didn't really get me to feeling good. Ever since, I've been craving stone ground corn/bean chips. Go figure.

My legs started out enjoying the run, but they quickly fatigued. That probably has something to do with the run I did yesterday. Back-to-backs are a bit harder than most. Still, I'll have to go back and explore more, when I'm feeling more peppy.


Here's the map/elevation profile. There were some ups and downs (I never had to walk them, however, which was a nice sign), but I can't fathom that there was quite that much elevation gain/loss in that run. I blame forest interference on this one.



Average HR for entire run: 137

---

Postscript: I didn't have any bean chips at home, so I kept trying different food combinations to try and resolve the craving. No luck, until I finally tried spoonfuls of dark chocolate peanut butter dipped in Grape Nuts. Mmm. Better.

Mark,

It's been a while since I've had time to stop by.  Looks like things are coming along nicely considering the beating you gave yourself on your 50 miler.  Looks like you're taking things slowly and really listening to your body which is smart at this point.

Interesting how life changes when school starts.  The three granddaughters live just down the road so we see them often during summer.  The youngest started kindergarten yesterday.  The most important thing she learned on her first day was that you are not supposed to whistle during class.

nkrichards wrote:Mark,

It's been a while since I've had time to stop by.  Looks like things are coming along nicely considering the beating you gave yourself on your 50 miler.  Looks like you're taking things slowly and really listening to your body which is smart at this point.

Interesting how life changes when school starts.  The three granddaughters live just down the road so we see them often during summer.  The youngest started kindergarten yesterday.  The most important thing she learned on her first day was that you are not supposed to whistle during class.

Hey, Nancy! Thanks for stopping by! Are you done with harvest yet?

I've been doing my best to behave myself and not run myself into the ground. Let me tell you: it's not easy. My ego keeps going "Well, phuh! What's the problem? You can run FIFTY MILES, for heaven's sake! Don't pay any heed to that overtraining nonsense!"

Luckily, my ego is a poor debater, and the wiser part of my psyche - the part that remembers what it feels like to be seriously overtrained - tells it to shut up. Not that it's easy, though. Part of me still wants to heat out for a 5-hour trail run shortly after doing a 50. Heck! I see the elites do it ...

Anyway....

So exiting to see a kindergartener start! Alec started seventh grade and likes it so far -- his favorite class is math at the moment, which amazes both his parents, who aren't exactly gifted in that area.

Good advice from the teacher on no whistling. Alec developed a tic where he'd pop his lips - he has some issues in that department - and he got the entire class doing it at one point. The poor teacher ended up teaching a different grade the next year.

Barefoot Run: 3.1 miles

Weather: Sunny, warm, humid. 66-70 degrees, 88% humidity. Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T. Fuel: Yogurt/cereal and coffee.  No fluids on run

Had to squeeze this run in between getting Alec to school, grocery shopping and getting off to work. Consequently, I was feeling seriously hyped up. The energy boost was fun, but it jacked my heart rate before the run. I couldn't get it below 70.

Interestingly, it didn't seem to make much of a difference on the run. I ran well into the 9s - as fast as 9:29 - with an average HR that didn't touch my target of 138 until the final mile. That, while running in direct sun on a warm and very muggy morning. Go figure.

One twist: I did only simple stretching (squatting, and a quad stretch) before starting out, leaving stretches of my hips until after the run. I've always wondered if I've tended toward overstretching, so this will serve as a little test.

Average HR on entire run: 135

--

Postscript: I thought this run was a little speedy - first time I remember going sub-30 for the 3.1 miles at a low heart rate - so I checked my records. My hunch was right: this was the fastest I've run at a low HR in my neighborhood, and I did it several beats below my target. That was a pleasant surprise.

Walk: 2.2 miles

Weather: Sunny and very warm. 87 degrees. (37% humidity)

Headed out for a lunchtime walk along the Columbia River. It's shaping up to be one of the warmest days of the year, and it was well on its way when I was out there. It was slightly muggy but not oppressive. Good thing. I was wearing my office clothes, and I'm damp enough as it is ...

I guess your body is manufacturing another overdrive gear for your transmission.

ounce wrote:I guess your body is manufacturing another overdrive gear for your transmission.

Possible. I sure wouldn't mind if it did! We'll have to see what happens.

Low HR Run: 6.31 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild but humid. 61 degrees, 92% humidity. Gear: Instincts, shorts, T. Fuel: Grape Nuts and coffee for breakfast. Carried nuun in handheld. Took E-Cap before, one S-Cap during.

An evening shift, so I headed out mid-morning. I was astounded to see my heart rate fall to 51 (!) while standing there on the sidewalk before I started. Very nice to see, and it kept me motivated to keep my HR at or below my target.

I had pretty good success keeping my HR in the right spot, and I barely noticed how muggy it was. The E-Cap (Endurolytes) before and S-Cap during probably helped. I had planned to do 5 or 6 miles but toyed with the idea of going 7 until remembering that - especially at this point - less is more. Probably a good idea, because my pace fell off quite a bit in that last mile.

Note: I also kept my pre-run stretch limited to a squat, toe-touch and quad stretch. Being slightly tighter in the hips seemed to make it easier to keep my form. Intriguing. I did more of my hip and piriformis stretches afterward.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 131

Barefoot Run: 3.45 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild, a little muggy. 65 degrees, 87% humidity. Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T. Fuel: After breakfast. No water during. (One E-cap before.)

I've been trying to balance restlessness with restraint, so I decided to go barefoot today as a way of limiting my mileage. My legs weren't sure at the outset but they warmed up to the task and proved willing to go along when the soles of my feet started craving something more stimulating than the moderate asphalt of my neighborhood.

I headed out to the main street that passes my neighborhood that's got some notably pointier pavement (not full chip seal, but partway there) and alternated between that surface and a smooth concrete sidewalk. It was what my feet wanted and my form needed. Nothing like *having* to run lightly. I noticed my heart rate sneaking up on some of those rough sessions -- until I realized I was holding my breath over the pointy bits! Oops. Breathing helped me relax, which helped with the landing.

I walked about 0.2 miles at the end of the run as a cool down.

Average HR for entire run: 129

I've found that breathing does a lot for the body.  Good that you've made that connection. 

ounce wrote:I've found that breathing does a lot for the body.  Good that you've made that connection. 

Yeah, funny that ...

Low HR Run: 4.4 miles

Weather: Overcast, misty, mild. 61 degrees, 96% humidity. Gear: Instincts, shorts, T, hat. Fuel: Grape Nuts and coffee before, a little water during.

I must have ground my left foot into the floor at work last night, because I woke up with sore ankle tendons this morning. I decided to give it a try, anyway, but knew I should keep it easy and relatively short.

It turns out, my body already had that plan in mind. It had no interest in speed. I poked along at a fairly slow pace with a heart rate well below my target of 138. I debated distance while I was out there and decided to turn around about two miles out. It wasn't a particularly enjoyable run but it wasn't horrible, either, and I noticed that my form seemed pretty good and my stride felt smooth. That was nice to notice. And the ankle didn't bother me one bit.

There was a light mist during much of the run -- just enough to dampen the pavement and mist up my glasses. It's my first time running in anything like rain for quite a while, and it felt pretty good. I'm sure I'll get plenty more of it over the next many months.

Walked first 5 minutes and last 8:30. Did most of my stretching after the run.

Average HR for entire run: 124

Funny when it comes down to it, the body ultimately tells you how fast you are going to run.  Do you think that your left foot was sore, because you ran barefoot?

Nick Morris wrote:Funny when it comes down to it, the body ultimately tells you how fast you are going to run.  Do you think that your left foot was sore, because you ran barefoot?

Hey, Nick! I don't think going barefoot an extra day was responsible. It was what I did at work yesterday.

Y'see, I have a bad habit of trying to "anchor" myself while sitting at my desk. I think it's sort of a sensory-seeking thing (which might also explain why I like running on pointy things without shoes) that helps me focus, but it's not without some side effects.

There was a time when I'd wrap my right foot around the leg of a chair, python-like, and I ended up with tendonitis in that ankle. I caught myself yesterday driving my left foot into the floor. I stopped myself, but it was too late. Hence, the irritated ankle muscles.

Ah, that reminds me of "Animal House" and the line "THANK YOU, SIR.  MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?!"

ounce wrote:Ah, that reminds me of "Animal House" and the line "THANK YOU, SIR.  MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?!"

Well, they did film that movie where I went to school (Eugene, Ore.) and where I worked for a time (Cottage Grove, Ore.).

That looks like a great place to run Mark!

Jim Lentz wrote:That looks like a great place to run Mark!

Hi, Jim! Thanks for the visit. Yes, I'm pretty lucky to have a trail system like Forest Park's so close. The trail I was on -- the Wildwood Trail -- stretches for 30 miles, from one end of the park to the other. There are many other sub-trails, as well, which means I've barely scratched the surface of what's there. Most of the trail is heavily shaded this time of year, so it stays green a lot longer than other places around here.

If you feel like browsing, a local magazine devoted a whole issue recently to the place: Insider's Guide to Forest Park.

I was going to head out to the trail today, but I just couldn't get myself out there. I didn't really feel the burning desire to hit the dirt - or even run - today. And doing it because I felt I "had" to when I didn't seemed unwise. So I lazed around on my day off, hanging out with the cats, reading a Dean Karzanes book (somewhat entertaining, but I'm glad I got it used), and trying not to feel guilty.

That sort of ennui is affecting my thoughts about what I want to do next, as well. I've talked about the Lake Sonoma 50-miler, which still sounds intriguing, but I'm also considering dropping down to the 50K distance, too. Maybe those take less out of you, letting me do them more often? I know I was still feeling pretty strong 31 miles into Mount Hood.

I don't know I want to do, but I know that it really doesn't matter too much at this point, either.

I think I need to let things develop naturally and see where it takes me.

Hmmm, I'm not surprised that hanging out with cats will leave you feeling that way.

You just need a mouse to chase...

Michael Enright wrote:Hmmm, I'm not surprised that hanging out with cats will leave you feeling that way.

You just need a mouse to chase...

 

Mark B wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:That looks like a great place to run Mark!

Hi, Jim! Thanks for the visit. Yes, I'm pretty lucky to have a trail system like Forest Park's so close. The trail I was on -- the Wildwood Trail -- stretches for 30 miles, from one end of the park to the other. There are many other sub-trails, as well, which means I've barely scratched the surface of what's there. Most of the trail is heavily shaded this time of year, so it stays green a lot longer than other places around here.

If you feel like browsing, a local magazine devoted a whole issue recently to the place: Insider's Guide to Forest Park.

Thanks for the link Mark. I could get lost running in that place, both literally and figuratively.

Jim Lentz wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:That looks like a great place to run Mark!

Hi, Jim! Thanks for the visit. Yes, I'm pretty lucky to have a trail system like Forest Park's so close. The trail I was on -- the Wildwood Trail -- stretches for 30 miles, from one end of the park to the other. There are many other sub-trails, as well, which means I've barely scratched the surface of what's there. Most of the trail is heavily shaded this time of year, so it stays green a lot longer than other places around here.

If you feel like browsing, a local magazine devoted a whole issue recently to the place: Insider's Guide to Forest Park.

Thanks for the link Mark. I could get lost running in that place, both literally and figuratively.

Most definitely, Jim! Even trying to stay on the main trail - the Wildwood Trail - can be a little tricky sometimes. But getting lost every once in a while is part of the fun of trail running, right?

Well, it looks like there's a reason I've felt vaguely crappy for past couple of days. I fighting some kind of bug.

That's a relief! I was getting worried I'd blundered into overtraining somehow. But nah, it's a bug. Others at work have had it.

It's a weird one, though. It feels a lot like a hangover, without the fun the night before.    

So I'll take it easy for a few days and let it pass. My body could probably use a little step-back at this point.