What Comes Next

MAF Test: 6.2 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, cool, breezy. 39 degrees. Geat: Altras, tights, T, pullover, jacket (shed), hat (shed). Fuel: Oatmeal and coffee before. Water during.

I've noticed some improvements over the past week, so this seemed like a good time to put my perceptions to the test on the track. It's been a month since my last MAF test, and my training partner was out of town, so it seemed like a good time for it.

We're between storm systems this morning, so mostly lucked out on the weather. It was a little more breezy than I'd like, but it wasn't bad. I overdressed slightly, not knowing if I was going to get rained on (I didn't), so I did a mini strip tease as I warmed up. I got to a point to where my upper body was just slightly chilled - my legs were slightly too warm thanks to my heavy tights.  

The results were very encouraging. My first mile was 10:07, down from 10:34 last month and 10:42 the month before. Nice. My pace fell off pretty quickly but plateaued at about 10:40 for Miles 3-5. I know Maffetone pays attention to the first mile for his methods, but I suspect it might be more illuminating to see where the body levels out. It suggests what might be my body's true long-distance pace.

My HR wasn't quite on my 138 target, but it almost never is when I do a MAF test.

Here's the comparison for the last three MAF tests. Definitely moving in the right direction.



Walked the first 5 minutes, and then walked another lap after the run, though I accidentally turned off my Garmin when I finished Mile 6 and didn't record the cool down.

Average HR for entire run: 135

Mixed activity (mostly walking): About 3 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy between cloudbursts, 50. Also a half mile on the treadmill inside, testing out Luna Mono sandals.

This day did not go as scheduled. Bad weather (high winds, heavy rain) overnight convinced me to not do 14 miles early this morning -- and I couldn't figure out what to do when I'd gotten up. I tried to do a run on the treadmill to get at least something in, but I cut it off after a half mile when I burped stomach acid.

It was pretty frustrating. I've been having a difficult time getting my long run mileage to the distances I need, and it's starting to put a real damper on my motivation.    I hope to have more success next week.

(On the plus side, I did find out that the Luna Mono is indeed a plausible sandal for running, though not so great for fast walking at this point. It's probably as close as you can get to barefoot without being skin-to-ground.)

Later in the day, I suggested we go for a walk along Salmon Creek. We walked about 2.5 miles, enjoying the very wet scenery and the wildlife, which included four bald eagles, two great blue herons, a couple of egrets, geese, ducks, and a very industrious squirrel.

No wildlife photos, but here are a few scenics from a very pretty afternoon.







It was nice being able to stop and photograph things I normally appreciate only in passing. The water's not normally this high, but at least it didn't inundate the path like it does sometimes.

Barefoot Run: 3.1 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy between rain showers. Wet pavement. 38 degrees. Gear: Bare feet, lightweight pants, T, pullover, jacket.

After missing Monday's run and Tuesday's walk, I felt a HUGE imperative to get out there this morning before work, come hell or high water. Luckily, I had neither. It was a little chilly, but I warmed up after a few laps.

It's barefoot day, so I headed out on the wet pavement. The extra rest must have made my legs pretty fresh, because the effort level was comfortable and splits were fantastic. (10:05/121; 10:04/137; 10:03/138) Very, very nice!

Average HR for entire run: 127

Love the pics, envious! Sick of the sloppy dirty snow mounds and crazy humanoids. Props on your pace improvements.

Those pictures really make me want to live in the Pac NW someday.  Who knows.

fostever wrote:Love the pics, envious! Sick of the sloppy dirty snow mounds and crazy humanoids. Props on your pace improvements.

Hi, Steven! Yeah, after our unusually heavy snowfall earlier this month, I can see how long-lingering slush and snow-idiotified drivers could get old really quickly. Hope it thaws for you soon.

Thanks on the paces. I slumped a bit after my ultra last June (I'm thinking it may be related), so it's nice to see things moving in the right direction again.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Those pictures really make me want to live in the Pac NW someday.  Who knows.

You're always welcome, Michele. And thanks for pointing out that Runner's World link seeking tales of the DFL. I don't know if anything will come of it, but I noticed that my report has gotten 11 more views since I posted the link yesterday. As a writer, that's always nice to see.

Low HR Run: 4.5 miles

Weather: Overcast, rain, 45 degrees, a breeze. Gear: Altras, shorts, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat, gloves. Fuel: No fuel or fluid during.

A rainy run on one of my least favorite routes. It's mostly concrete sidewalks along busy streets, and it seems that there is a slight uphill incline for much of the way. It's just enough to make it irritating to keep my HR in check. Consequently, it's probably a good route for me to do.

It went pretty well. I think it's a little easier and faster, which is nice. It rained the whole time, but it was a Pacific Northwest light rain, so that means I got soaked more slowly that in, say, a downpour.

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

Hill Run: 6.41 miles

Weather: Chilly and damp, 40 degrees. Gear: Altras, pants (lighter than tights), long-sleeved T, jacket, gloves (shed). Fuel: GU Brew in handheld.

I extended the distance on my hilly route this morning. I'm trying to restrain midweek miles enough to help me get those long run miles built up sooner. It feels like I'm lagging in that department, and it's making me a little antsy.

One thing I enjoy about these hills is that they eliminate any concern about pace. My goal is to get as close to my low HR target as possible on everything but the steepest parts of the hills, when I let my HR go up from 138 to about 143 before I start to slow down. Once I crack 145-146, though, I usually have to slow down so much that it's faster and easier on my body to power hike. I did that several times today, but that's okay. I need to work the hiking muscles, too.

Here's the route and elevation chart.



This was the longest hill run I've done in a while. It was good to push it out, for psychological reasons as much as physiological. I'm getting a little faster, which is good, but now I need to get more distance. So today's run felt good. If all goes well, I'll do a medium run on Sunday and aim for 14 on Monday.

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

Low HR Run: 8.26 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, coldish. 34 degrees. Gear: Altras, tights, T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves. Fuel: Oatmeal and coffee before, nothing during.

A very nice medium-length run with a friend in the Salmon Creek Greenway. It was chilly but *exactly* chilly enough for my gear to do its job perfectly. Woot! No freezing, no broiling!

My legs felt good throughout the run, and I was very pleased to see my HR was mostly in the mid-130s. It meant a slower pace, but not all that much slower than usual. These are the sorts of times when having a training partner is prefect, because the conversation is enough of a distraction to keep me from over-focusing on every little detail of form and exertion. It's just comfortable cruising and pleasant surprises when I glanced down at my HR monitor. All in all, a very nice run.

I haven't posted splits and average HR numbers in a while, so here goes. Remember my target HR is 138.

Pace  -    HRAvg
13:34  -  116     warmup
10:29  -  133     downhill into greenway
10:45  -  137
10:57  -  137
11:11  -  133
12:02  -  136     starting climb out of greenway
12:10  -  138     rest of climb out of greenway
11:28  -  137
21:16  -  106     .26 mile walking cool-down[/td]

On tap for tomorrow: At least 14. Hope it goes as well as this run did.

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

ps. Whoa! I just looked to the left and saw this was my 4,000th post. Ah, memories.

Looks like some great terrain! Nice run

fostever wrote:Looks like some great terrain! Nice run

Thanks! As I build the distance on my hilly run, I hang a left at 199th Street and head almost all the way to the Columbia River. It's pretty much nothing but ups and downs as the road passes through a number of tributaries for Whipple Creek. Quite the roller coaster ride.

Long Run: 15.3 miles

Weather: Wet and cold. 42-44 degrees, constant rain, a little breezy. Gear: Altras, shorts, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat, gloves (on-off-on-off). Fuel: Granola bar at about 90 minutes in, then a Gu about 40 minutes later. E-cap at hour 1 and 2.

This run was a good gut-check. It was chilly and raining before I even started, and there was every indication it was going to stay that way the whole time. The temperature was in the mid-40s, which is tough to dress for when it's wet and/or windy. I decided to risk it with shorts and just a long-sleeved tech T under my jacket. I didn't end up hypothermic, but I was pretty chilled for some of the run - and for a while afterward.

The run itself started off pretty well. I had a good sense of the natural spring in my feet and lower legs, which was a great feeling. I used my low HR targets and had mixed success with that. I debated going 14 (my original plan) or 16, and I ended up splitting the difference. I'm glad I didn't try for another mile - I know I'm pushing these distances gains at an aggressive pace, and it was starting to show.

All in all, though, I'd say it was about as good as I could have hoped for given the conditions. I'm looking forward to spring -- and to getting back to the trails once a week. I'm starting to crave more variety. As you might notice in the map below, I was heading off in different loops and spurs, just to mix it up.



One last weather note: I got exceedingly wet When I got home, I was surprised to see that my toes had started to prune up in my shoes. And when I got in the shower? Well, let's just say there was one place I forgot to protect with BodyGlide. Just about had to peel myself off the ceiling. Yeowtch!   

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 139

I'll get pruned toes in August, when the humidity is high and the innersole separates from the shoe when you lift your foot up in a stride.

Question, O Runner of the ups and downs.  How do you judge how good your pace is when you go up and down a bunch in altitude?  Just run over the same course a bunch?  and how does that pace adjust for a flat course or even a hillier course?   

ounce wrote:I'll get pruned toes in August, when the humidity is high and the innersole separates from the shoe when you lift your foot up in a stride.

Question, O Runner of the ups and downs.  How do you judge how good your pace is when you go up and down a bunch in altitude?  Just run over the same course a bunch?  and how does that pace adjust for a flat course or even a hillier course?   

Wow. That's some impressive perspiration, fellah. Scary.

For me, hills are easy. Well, they're not *easy* -- but pacing is. I still follow my HR standards. I let the HR go as high as 143 (above my norm of 138) while climbing. I sometimes push the downhills and go faster, slightly revving the HR, but sometimes coast down and see how low I can get my HR to fall.

Barefoot Run: 3.1 miles

Weather: A few clouds with lots of sunshine. 37 degrees. Gear: Bare feet, pants, T, pullover (shed), jacket (shed), gloves (shed), hat (shed).

My bare feet must be getting used to colder pavement. I added some extra layers to balance out the fairly chilly conditions, but I quickly got uncomfortably warm and started tossing items as my lap around the block took me past the driveway. First the gloves, then the hat, then the jacket, then the pullover. If I'd gone longer, I might have even ditched the pants, though I was wearing shortish-shorts underneath that might have frightened the neighbors.

The run itself was good. The perceived exertion was higher in the first lap, but that improved as I warmed up. Had some gut issues that slowly resolved themselves, too. (Wish I could figure that issue out.) The pace was nice, though my HR in the second and third miles were a little higher than ideal - but not ridiculously out of whack.

Average HR for entire run: 139

Low HR Run: 4.66 miles in sandals

Weather: Annoyingly chilly and rainy outside. Balmy inside on the treadmill. 70 degrees. Gear: Luna Mono sandals, shorts, T.

I didn't feel like going out for another chilly run in the rain, so I opted for the treadmill -- and then decided to make use of the time and test out my new Luna Mono sandals. I've run a few steps in them but hadn't actually put them to the test.



I kept the treadmill at a low speed and worked to keep my HR low and see how I managed in them. I did fine for a while (they're sort of halfway between barefoot and zero-drop shoes, and not nearly as flappy as my other sandals) and was pretty pleased. That changed after the halfway mark when I repeatedly caught the front end of my right sandal on the treadmill belt and flexed it backward, tripping myself and teaching the cats some new vocabulary words.

I caught the right foot three times while running, despite more focused efforts of picking up my feet, and I'm glad I was on the treadmill, because I would have face-planted on a couple of those trips. Totally weird.  I also caught the front of my left sandal a few times during a cool-down walk, getting me pretty frustrated.

I discovered after I was done that my foot had worked its way backward on the sandal, to the point to where a half inch of my heel was protruding off the back.


(Hm, yes. That might be less than optimal, hm?)

I'm thinking that might have been the reason the front started trying to kill me. I've cranked down the heel strap in the hopes it keeps my foot where it belongs. I guess it might take some fiddling to get these dialed in perfectly.

Note: Just for kicks, I revved the treadmill up to a sub-7 pace to see how they felt at speed, and quickly turned it back to 7, then shortly turned it down in fear that I was going to catch the front of the sandal again, which would not have been pretty at that speed.

Walked first 5, last 7 (after the high-speed burst). Average HR for entire run: 133

Doesn't the strap bother you between your toes when you run?  Sandals with straps like that drive me nuts anyway and then to run in?  Not for this girl.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Doesn't the strap bother you between your toes when you run?  Sandals with straps like that drive me nuts anyway and then to run in?  Not for this girl.

Funny you mention that, Michele. The strap didn't bother me while I was running (I've worn flip-flops for ages, so it's a familiar sensation), but I did discover a blister on the inside edge of my big toe after the run. Crazy thing is, I didn't notice it until I saw it. It's not in a place that rubs on anything usually, so I'm going to leave it alone and see if it reabsorbs.

Oh, as far as wearing them for ages? Thanks to some recent scans of old photos, I have proof!



1986, in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Ag training for Peace Corps.



I blew out the black flip-flops at some point and picked up these nifty red ones, which is pretty much the standard issue for average folk in those parts. This photo was taken later the same year in a village in Northeast Thailand.

Low HR Run: 8.27 miles

Weather: Sunny, warming rapidly. 44-54 degrees. Gear: Altras, shorts, T, jacket. Fluid: Water only in handheld.

Today's run was a pleasant surprised. It looked early on that I'd be dealing with gray, chilly conditions, but the fog lifted a few minutes before I started my run and it warmed up quickly. (One benefit of procrastination!)

I was stiff and sore when I started, thanks to experimenting with the sandals on the treadmill yesterday, but I pressed on hoping I'd loosen up with a little distance. I did. I started to get a little fatigued after about a half hour, but I decided I really did want to see the llamas and pressed on. Once I crested Llama Ridge (only Larry was there, along with the Alpaca Posse), I just kept going and figured I might as well go to my normal turnaround point, four miles out.

I paused at the halfway point, listened to the birds and enjoyed the sun on my skin. Then I headed back. I could feel the fatigue in my legs, but they didn't really complain. Once I was done with the run and cool-down, I felt fantastic. I'm still basking in this post-run afterglow. Woot!

Quite unexpected but greatly appreciated.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 135

Love the photos!

We're still enveloped in fog but at least the temp is slightly above freezing.  I had grandkids this morning due to a 2 hour school delay because of the freezing fog.  Isn't this weather crazy...

Glad the run went well and the aches and pains disappeared.  

nkrichards wrote:Love the photos!

We're still enveloped in fog but at least the temp is slightly above freezing.  I had grandkids this morning due to a 2 hour school delay because of the freezing fog.  Isn't this weather crazy...

Glad the run went well and the aches and pains disappeared.  

Thanks, Nancy! Yes, the weather IS crazy this year. The National Weather Service had warned of possible snow on the valley floor this weekend (in March?!?), but they've since revised it to mere cold rain. I don't think you'll be so lucky - they're talking snow tomorrow. Hope you at least got a piece of what turned into a beautiful day today, once the fog burned off.

Low HR Run: 6.29 miles

Weather: Cold rain, with a bit of wind. 34 degrees. Gear: Altras, tights, rain/wind pants, T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves. Fuel: Oatmeal and coffee before. Nothing during.

Rainy, breezy and 34 degrees. Yeesh. If Ma Nature had any kindness, she'd at least have made it snow instead. I dressed in extra layers, based on predictions of 12 mph winds and wind chills into the 20s, and felt a little too warm at first when the winds failed to show up. I needn't have worried, because it got a bit breezier after I was good and wet. Extra layers were a good idea. The skin on my chest was cold to the touch even 15 minutes after I finished. Brr.

The run was challenging. My legs felt sluggish and flat - I have have overstretched before the run, and I was carrying a lot of clothing on me - and it took a long time before they warmed up to anything approaching comfortable. But still, my training partner's son is in the middle of evade-and-capture training out in the backwoods at some Army base in the South right now, so we didn't feel like we could complain much.

I hope my legs bounce back sufficiently to extend my long run tomorrow -- and I really hope the weather is at least a little more amenable.

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

The conditions I hate the most. Good job getting it done.

Dave Wolfe wrote:The conditions I hate the most. Good job getting it done.

Thanks, Dave. I'm with you on the whole "most hated" status. At least it's providing a much-needed supplement for our mountain snowpack.

Long Run: 18.38 miles

Weather: Much nicer than expected. Mostly sunny with one shower. 51-60 degrees. Gear: Altras, shorts, T, jacket and hat (stowed for most of the run) Camelbak. Fuel: Grape Nuts and coffee before. "Bear Naked" brand nut-fruit bar at 1:30 and 2:30 (~250cal/ea), Gu at 2:00 and 3:00. Endurolytes every 30 minutes. 64 ounces of nuun.

I've been pushing it pretty hard trying to get my long miles up to where they need to be, from 12 to 15 and now to 18. And for reasons that seemed to make sense at the time, I decided to start my 18-miler with the most hills I could find. I wanted to make it more trail-like, and change up the scenery. It also boosted the difficulty level of this run beyond what I probably should have done. I was quite slow and pretty uncomfortable. Oops.

At least the weather was nice! I'd expected steady rain and dressed for it. But still dry two miles out, I looked around and realized all the rain clouds were missing the area. Nice that I brought my Cambelbak; stowing the gear was easy. I pulled it back out when a heavy rain shower swept in, but that only lasted 20 minutes or so and I finished under sunny skies.

Here's the route and elevation profile:



Oof! Definitely time for a step back.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 137