Stalking 50

Did you check for the pots of gold?  I would wonder of the two runs assisted in clearing out some of the crap in your toe.  Circulation down there isn't the best.

ounce wrote:Did you check for the pots of gold?  I would wonder of the two runs assisted in clearing out some of the crap in your toe.  Circulation down there isn't the best.

The only gold was the color of sunlight. And yes, I might be circulating crap out of my foot. Thing is, I can't even figure out exactly what the tissue is between the tip of the toe and the end of it. It sure isn't muscle. Some sort of adipose tissue, maybe? Anyway, it's getting better, and that's a good thing.

Low HR Run: 3.26 miles

Weather: Overcast, cool. 48 degrees, 96% humidity. Gear: Instincts, shorts, long-sleeved T. Fuel: Almond butter on bread before run. (Mistake! Bad acid reflux. Nasty.) No water during.

Out for another short run this morning. The goal was to take it easy, but I had a difficult time achieving that. I couldn't find the right balance between what my legs wanted and what my body could deliver efficiently. As such, my HR kept popping up on me. Had to walk a couple of times -- and I should have done it more often.

Next time, I need to show better discipline.

The toe tolerated the run, though I could feel it again from time to time.

Note: This was the coolest morning in quite a while. I felt a little cold at first, despite a long-sleeved T. So much for summer.

Walked first and last 5. Average HR for entire run: 134

This is a legitimate question...Does 96% humidity at 48 degrees affect you?

We're getting a cold front on Saturday.  Morning lows on Monday-Wednesday are to be in the mid-50's if the clouds stay away.

Good that you're showing that toe who's boss!

ounce wrote:This is a legitimate question...Does 96% humidity at 48 degrees affect you?

We're getting a cold front on Saturday.  Morning lows on Monday-Wednesday are to be in the mid-50's if the clouds stay away.

Good that you're showing that toe who's boss!

Serious answer: Yes. Humidity makes cooler temperatures more penetrating, and you end up clammy. I often have to peel my running gear off like so much shrink wrap. That's more an irritation than anything -- but if you add wind into the mix, and it gets pretty annoying. Also, it does mean that you can't ignore hydration just because it's not hot.

Enjoy the cold front! You deserve it.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:This is a legitimate question...Does 96% humidity at 48 degrees affect you?

We're getting a cold front on Saturday.  Morning lows on Monday-Wednesday are to be in the mid-50's if the clouds stay away.

Good that you're showing that toe who's boss!

Serious answer: Yes. Humidity makes cooler temperatures more penetrating, and you end up clammy. I often have to peel my running gear off like so much shrink wrap. That's more an irritation than anything -- but if you add wind into the mix, and it gets pretty annoying. Also, it does mean that you can't ignore hydration just because it's not hot.

Enjoy the cold front! You deserve it.

I've probably said this before, but when the temps get below 60, humidity doesn't matter to most runners in Houston because we're so happy it's not in the 70's.  I will say that if there is low humidity and I'm trying to run fast, that all the heavier breathing  will dry the back of my throat if I go on long enough.

I may get the front of my shirt sweaty, but that's it.  Squishy shoes will be no more, once we get into the 60's.  Oh happy day.

That is my experience too Doug.  Yesterday morning it was 61F when I ran and 88% humidity - it felt fine, but if it had been in the 70s, I would have noticed it.

Just to be clear: I've run in hot 'n' humid (Southeast Asia, Midwest), hot 'n' dry (Northern California) and cool and clammy (Pacific Northwest), and "hot 'n' humid" is by far and away the worst.

I ran Chicago in 2008 where the temp was 87 (2007 was hotter).  I thought I would be able to handle it, since it was just a month earlier it was hot in Houston.

What I didn't take into account was that I would be running in the daylight, but I train in the dark with a 80+ degree heat index.  Huge difference.  That made me think how much better an overcast day would be for all marathons I run.

ounce wrote:I ran Chicago in 2008 where the temp was 87 (2007 was hotter).  I thought I would be able to handle it, since it was just a month earlier it was hot in Houston.

What I didn't take into account was that I would be running in the daylight, but I train in the dark with a 80+ degree heat index.  Huge difference.  That made me think how much better an overcast day would be for all marathons I run.

That's a good point. I think direct sun zaps me most of all. I could run in ridiculously hot (though dry) conditions in Northern California (90+), as long as I started late enough in the day to be in the shade of trees until the sun went down.

But 87 for a marathon? Ugh. I can imagine it at an ultra, but in a marathon - where time is so important? That's just horrible.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I ran Chicago in 2008 where the temp was 87 (2007 was hotter).  I thought I would be able to handle it, since it was just a month earlier it was hot in Houston.

What I didn't take into account was that I would be running in the daylight, but I train in the dark with a 80+ degree heat index.  Huge difference.  That made me think how much better an overcast day would be for all marathons I run.

That's a good point. I think direct sun zaps me most of all. I could run in ridiculously hot (though dry) conditions in Northern California (90+), as long as I started late enough in the day to be in the shade of trees until the sun went down.

But 87 for a marathon? Ugh. I can imagine it at an ultra, but in a marathon - where time is so important? That's just horrible.

I think that it can be cooler (in the 60s), and if it is sunny out, it still zaps you faster.  I think I also sweat more in sunny conditions, no matter what the temp.

Nick Morris wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I ran Chicago in 2008 where the temp was 87 (2007 was hotter).  I thought I would be able to handle it, since it was just a month earlier it was hot in Houston.

What I didn't take into account was that I would be running in the daylight, but I train in the dark with a 80+ degree heat index.  Huge difference.  That made me think how much better an overcast day would be for all marathons I run.

That's a good point. I think direct sun zaps me most of all. I could run in ridiculously hot (though dry) conditions in Northern California (90+), as long as I started late enough in the day to be in the shade of trees until the sun went down.

But 87 for a marathon? Ugh. I can imagine it at an ultra, but in a marathon - where time is so important? That's just horrible.

I think that it can be cooler (in the 60s), and if it is sunny out, it still zaps you faster.  I think I also sweat more in sunny conditions, no matter what the temp.

Oh, definitely. That's why I always groaned when I saw a forecast for clear and sunny (even if cool) skies for a spring marathon. Especially after training in vampire-friendly weather all winter, that first blast of sun was like a stake through the heart.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I ran Chicago in 2008 where the temp was 87 (2007 was hotter).  I thought I would be able to handle it, since it was just a month earlier it was hot in Houston.

What I didn't take into account was that I would be running in the daylight, but I train in the dark with a 80+ degree heat index.  Huge difference.  That made me think how much better an overcast day would be for all marathons I run.

That's a good point. I think direct sun zaps me most of all. I could run in ridiculously hot (though dry) conditions in Northern California (90+), as long as I started late enough in the day to be in the shade of trees until the sun went down.

But 87 for a marathon? Ugh. I can imagine it at an ultra, but in a marathon - where time is so important? That's just horrible.

No shit - remember it was 89F at Boston in 2012!

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I ran Chicago in 2008 where the temp was 87 (2007 was hotter).  I thought I would be able to handle it, since it was just a month earlier it was hot in Houston.

What I didn't take into account was that I would be running in the daylight, but I train in the dark with a 80+ degree heat index.  Huge difference.  That made me think how much better an overcast day would be for all marathons I run.

That's a good point. I think direct sun zaps me most of all. I could run in ridiculously hot (though dry) conditions in Northern California (90+), as long as I started late enough in the day to be in the shade of trees until the sun went down.

But 87 for a marathon? Ugh. I can imagine it at an ultra, but in a marathon - where time is so important? That's just horrible.

No shit - remember it was 89F at Boston in 2012!

Yeah, that's pretty much a worst-case scenario as far as weather goes. Even the Great Chicago Bake-Off might not have been as big a shock to people's systems as that.

Walk: 3 miles on the treadmill at various speeds and inclines

Weather: Warm and dry. Gear: Instincts, shorts, T. Fuel: Post-breakfast

I decided to try something a little different today: experimenting with different speeds and inclines on the treadmill. I can't seem to figure out how to walk faster on my own, so I thought setting a pace on a treadmill would force my body to learn how to move faster.

I started off with about a quarter mile at 3 mph, then I pushed it up to 4 mph -- a 15/mi pace -- and struggled to keep my legs moving fast enough to not get swept off the treadmill deck. Yipes! BUT.. I couldn't help but notice that my heart rate was floating along in the mid 120s for most of the time. So my aerobic system can handle walking fast, if I can teach my legs to do it. Good to know.

I tried to see if I could go faster than 4 mph, but I found myself starting to run, which was a weird sensation. (Hey! I'm actually running now, aren't I? Whoa.")

I did the higher speed walking until I finished two miles (the HR was starting to creep up), then I eased back to 3 mph (20/mi pace) to get my HR to settle and then punched up the incline to 12% for a quarter mile. That revved my HR pretty well, so I eased it back to 10%. I flattened the treadmill for the last quarter mile and punched the speed back up to 4 mph, just to see what my HR would do. I was happy to see it fall - not down as low as initially, but back into the acceptable range.

I'm thinking there might be some benefit to this sort of workout going forward, especially if I'm going to keep doing ultras. Walking fast and hiking steep hills are vital skills. The better I can get at it, the better I'll do.

Average HR for entire walk: 124

--

Edit to add: Oops! I forgot to mention one thing. I had to wind it down in a hurry because, when I was back at 4 mph on the flat after the incline, I got a cramp in my calf! I don't think I've *ever* had that happen before, though I've seen it happen to other people. Wow. That really gets your attention! I slowed the 'mill way down and walked until it relaxed. I forgot all about it -- until I stood up after making the post above.

4 miles an hour on the treadmill is tough to walk. I think the fastest I've ever walked on one was about 3.3 mph and it was brisk.  I could see how training yourself to walk may help with the ultras.
Nice picture of the rainbows. I've found that usually when there's one rainbow, if you look for it, you'll often see 2 or 3 at a time.  Very cool.  And glad to hear the toe is better.

Penelope wrote:4 miles an hour on the treadmill is tough to walk. I think the fastest I've ever walked on one was about 3.3 mph and it was brisk.  I could see how training yourself to walk may help with the ultras.
Nice picture of the rainbows. I've found that usually when there's one rainbow, if you look for it, you'll often see 2 or 3 at a time.  Very cool.  And glad to hear the toe is better.

Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I hadn't noticed that on rainbows - I'll have to look closer next time.

The toe is definitely getting better, but it's not fully healed yet. The bruising is pretty much gone, but if I roll the tip of my toe on the floor, it still hurts. Weird.

Glad you liked the photo. I got a couple more nice ones today that'll I'll post below.

Low HR Run: 5.36 miles

Weather: Beautiful! Sunny with patchy fog, cool. Gear: Instincts, shorts, T, jacket, hat, gloves. Fuel: Grape Nuts and coffee. Nothing during run.

I met up with a friend at the Salmon Creek Greenway and was treated to an absolutely gorgeous morning, with a rising sun, blue sky, pink clouds and patchy ground fog.



I got so excited getting out my iPhone to capture the moment that I got totally mixed up on my start/stop sequence on my Garmin - leaving it on while I stood there taking a photo, then shutting it off when I thought I was starting it back up again! I did the whole bass-ackward off-is-on, on-is-off thing a couple of times to tie shoelaces until I finally noticed well after the turnaround point that I'd only run .23 miles?!? D'oh!

So the distance and times shown are actually estimates (though pretty close, I think). I kept my HR in a good place most of the time, and the run felt more relaxed and natural than many of the runs I've had lately. Woot!

As I drove away, I looked back into the greenway ... and had to frantically pull the car over to capture one last image.



Wow.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. No idea about average HR.

Wow, I want to live there - just beautiful.

Love the pics, as always!  Hey, I thought of you yesterday...the rain was pelting down and there was a kid from the local HS XC team running up Madison Avenue shirtless and barefoot with his longish hair streaming behind him.  (the barefoot part is what reminded me of you).  He didn't seem fazed at all.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Wow, I want to live there - just beautiful.

Heh. It does have its moments, that's for sure. Come. Join us! There's plenty of room.

BTW, it was so amazing seeing the weather this weekend after last weekend's deluge. I feel sorry for the poor runners in a 100-miler last weekend who ended up hypothermic and defeated in that mess. Looking out the window this weekend must have been tough.

dot520 wrote:Love the pics, as always!  Hey, I thought of you yesterday...the rain was pelting down and there was a kid from the local HS XC team running up Madison Avenue shirtless and barefoot with his longish hair streaming behind him.  (the barefoot part is what reminded me of you).  He didn't seem fazed at all.

Thanks, Dot! And it's always good to be compared to a kid - even if it is only the bare feet!  

The great thing for that kid was, his shoes never got weighed down by water.

Barefoot Run: 3.1 miles

Weather: Chilly, with low clouds/fog. 39 degrees. Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T, pullover, hat, gloves. Fuel: Grape Nuts and coffee before. Nothing during.

Our first morning in the 30s, so how could I resist the temptation to go out for a few miles barefoot?

I've been hesitant to try barefoot since I creamed my big toe a few weeks ago, but it felt good enough to try out. The upside of doing laps around the block is I can quickly abort the run if something goes wrong.

The run went well. My feet were fine for the first lap (.33 miles) then started to feel the chill. They were pretty cold until well after a mile, when they warmed up a bit. I'd worn a warm top, hat and gloves up top to balance out the heat loss, and that helped. I made sure to *lift* my feet off the ground rather than push off to protect the tip of my toe. It's something you're supposed to do while barefooting, and this was a good reminder.

My HR was close to my target range but slipped up a bit in the last mile. My pace hovered right around a 10-minute mile.

Average HR for entire run: 139

Ah, those bonny, by-gone days of running in the 30's.  Brings back such memories.  Makes me remember that it takes an extra 5 minutes to get all the gear on, prior to running.

I wonder if the colder weather might have deadened that big tootsie...or even the lack of blood flow to that region?

Did it take a few minutes for the feet to warm up, post-run?

Brrr...We haven't been in the 30s yet.  Knowing how my body hates the cold, if I was running barefoot my feet would be frozen solid by the first quarter mile.  I still think that you barefooters (is that the right term??) are nuts.

Nick Morris wrote:Brrr...We haven't been in the 30s yet.  Knowing how my body hates the cold, if I was running barefoot my feet would be frozen solid by the first quarter mile.  I still think that you barefooters (is that the right term??) are nuts.

1/4 of mile nah don't think so scooter, less then an 1/8 of a mile for me! 

By the way Mark absolutely fantastic pictures!!! One of the reason we are thinking about moving back out west!