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Short version:  I did 16 miles (8w & 8r), this morning, at a 15:33 overall pace, 1st half pace 15:11, 2nd half pace, 15:55.  4 hours 38 minutes or so.  The clouds contributed by hiding the sun for most of the period.  It was 73 degrees at the start (4:35 a.m.) and 79 degrees (83 degree heat index) at 9 a.m.  I never had to put on my sunglasses.

About mile 10, I had to tell the body that "It's just finishing up a mile, then we walk.  Okay?" 

This time, finally, I remembered to bring some S!Caps with me.  I took one at 10.25 miles. Then, I took two at mile 11.25 because I was getting confused that my pace (15:20) was my total distance ran (with 5 miles still to run).  Clarity returned and I was good to the end.  I took one after the run, while still outside.

Chafing was kept to a minimum.  While this run is not a stellar run, it's the first 8/8 run in 22 days since the RBC donation and that's reason to celebrate.

This was the first run wearing the Injinji socks and another pair on top of them.  I'll be doing the 2 pair running at the race, so it'll keep the dirt and dust to a minimum.  I could feel one of my toes swelling in the socks, which was a weird feeling. 

At the end of the run, I could tell my core temperature was up, which is going to be interesting when it gets sunnier, ergo, hotter, and the distances longer.  Oiy!  My socks were soaked, too.

16 miles, 4:08:50, 15:33 avg pace, 137 avg cadence, 0.76 m avg stride length,1st half pace 15:11 2nd half pace 15:55
1. 16:50, 117 spm, 82 sl
2. 13:39, 161 spm, 73 sl
3. 16:43, 118 spm, 82 sl
4. 13:36, 162 spm, 73 sl
5. 16:52, 118 spm, 81 sl
6. 13:19, 158 spm, 76 sl
7. 17:15, 119 spm, 78 sl
8. 13:09, 163 spm, 75 sl
9. 16:57, 118 spm, 80 sl
10. 13:19, 163 spm, 74 sl
11. 18:00, 119 spm, 75 sl
12. 13:54, 157 spm, 74 sl
13. 18:10, 120 spm, 74 sl
14. 14:17, 161 spm, 70 sl
15. 17:52, 121 spm, 75 sl
16. 14:53, 162 spm, 67 sl

Overall, I was pleased, but the biggest factor were the clouds hiding the sun.  The 3 water fountains on the route were spread a few miles apart and welcoming, especially the one in the mall with A/C, a bathroom, and a chilled water fountain.

The RBCs are still having an effect, but doing 8 & 8 after 22 days was good to feel.

Nice effort with nice results!  Looks like progress to me...

nkrichards wrote:Nice effort with nice results!  Looks like progress to me...

Much obliged, ma'am.  Knowing (or maybe hoping) that future times should be no worse than yesterday's times until the taper period begins after Labor Day, can be an encouraging thought.  It will get hotter and I will produce more RBCs.  Maybe that coupled with increased stamina will help me go longer over the next 90-100 days...plus being injury free.

-30-
I have a couple of thoughts on yesterday's run. 

• There were only a couple of miles where my feet seemed to be getting sore, around miles 11-13.
  
• I drank more water on the return half.  Indeed, my stomach was getting a little worked up over the water I was consuming in the last mile.  It was more of a sip, many times, during mile 16.  At that realization, I slowed my water sipping, which I felt was more preventative of not getting thirsty than actually needing the water.
  
• As I went through the day, yesterday, I seemed fatigued more or longer than usual.  This is something I will be monitoring related to hydration, food intake, and electrolyte intake.
  
• My favorite compression shorts performed well, as usual, regarding chafing.  That plus Nancy's Chamois Butt'r worked well.
  
• Today, I received a new pair of compression shorts that I hope will be as good as my favorites.  The new pair is made by CW-X.  The seams are in a different area in the crotch area than my not favorite pair.  I'll find out on Monday how things go with the new pair.
  
• You may remember that during a walking mile, I bent my arms at the elbow and began swinging them, which increased my cadence, hence my walking speed.  I tried that again yesterday, and I started going faster.  So, I haven't lost that at all.  That may rate a "meh" but knowing that I can go faster by just swinging my arms when I walk is like a "The Fast and The Furious" car flipping on the NOS system and rocketing down the road.  In a month, I'm going back to that.
  

Going to lift weights, tomorrow.  Thanks for putting up with me.

I did lift weights, this morning.  I worked on a couple of upper body things, but mostly did leg extensions, leg press, adductor/abductor, leg lifts, and a couple of yoga poses.  I also worked on my hand grip some by gripping a 2 pound ball (hand over ball).  I've been working on my grip strength for a couple of years, when I carry groceries in plastic bags.  I've gotten to where I can carry 21 pounds in one hand by hooking a plastic bag of milk (7 pounds) on two fingers (index and middle), then another gallon of milk on the next two fingers (ring and pinky), then a 3rd gallon of milk on middle and ring.

Before I started that, I could just carry 1 gallon of milk on 3 fingers.  But my thumb is the weak link, hence holding the ball to strengthen it.  My right hand isn't as strong as my left, due to the right hand unlocks the door, but I'm working on it.

Tomorrow will be a 'just run' day.  Monday, I'm pondering doing 12/12.  This will require more preparation on Sunday, as I will need to bring some food with me to keep me from becoming loonier than usual.   But I'll get to make some flour tortillas for it and slab on it some honey coated peanut butter!  I wonder how sticky/messy honey coated peanuts would be?

My Garmin won't be able to record the whole event, so I'll bring that 'lipstick' battery to charge up the watch.  This might give me the opportunity to do a 'walk 15 minutes/run 15 minutes' for about 6 miles.  My garmin can't work and charge at the same time, but it can always give me the time of day.

It'll also be the first use for the camelbak...although I probably should run with it tomorrow as a test drive.

Thanks for your time.

Bad news on the Camelbak:  It didn't fit.  After looking at REI (where I bought it) and Running Warehouse, it would seem all of them would be too small around the chest.  And that's not something to fit too small.

So I guess on Sunday evening, I'll have to drop food along my routes and hope none of the nighttime critters want some of what I'll be eating.  Using the Camelbak as a food mule was the main reason for wearing one.  I do have a Fuel Belt that I can use for the lipstick battery to recharge the watch.  There are enough water fountains on the route that I can refill my 21 oz bottle.  In theory, I could do my final long w/r (20/20) in early September around water fountains from Downtown to 23 miles to the west in pretty much a fairly straight shot.

I'll take the Camelbak to REI for a refund.  That's one nice thing about REI is that it can be returned any ol' time.  I bought the thing in Nov 2015 and just opened it today.

ounce wrote:Bad news on the Camelbak:  It didn't fit.  After looking at REI (where I bought it) and Running Warehouse, it would seem all of them would be too small around the chest.  And that's not something to fit too small.

So I guess on Sunday evening, I'll have to drop food along my routes and hope none of the nighttime critters want some of what I'll be eating.  Using the Camelbak as a food mule was the main reason for wearing one.  I do have a Fuel Belt that I can use for the lipstick battery to recharge the watch.  There are enough water fountains on the route that I can refill my 21 oz bottle.  In theory, I could do my final long w/r (20/20) in early September around water fountains from Downtown to 23 miles to the west in pretty much a fairly straight shot.

I'll take the Camelbak to REI for a refund.  That's one nice thing about REI is that it can be returned any ol' time.  I bought the thing in Nov 2015 and just opened it today.

I can't imagine that REI wouldn't stock a Camelbak that would fit you!  There are lots of larger runners out there.  Hope you can find something that works...it seems like a much better plan than stashing food along the route.  I guess we all do what we need to do to get the job done.

Stay safe out there and utilize those water fountains...

Curses on the Camelbak! I have that same problem with those new hydration vests. It drives me crazy. When you're at REI, I'd suggest talking to one of their people to see if there's something else that might work. Maybe a pack for hiking would do it for you? Worth trying, anyway.

You're making great progress on your long run/walks. It's nice getting the RBCs back, isn't it? (Since I'm on the DL, maybe I ought to donate soon. It's been a while.)

nkrichards wrote:

ounce wrote:Bad news on the Camelbak:  It didn't fit.  After looking at REI (where I bought it) and Running Warehouse, it would seem all of them would be too small around the chest.  And that's not something to fit too small.

So I guess on Sunday evening, I'll have to drop food along my routes and hope none of the nighttime critters want some of what I'll be eating.  Using the Camelbak as a food mule was the main reason for wearing one.  I do have a Fuel Belt that I can use for the lipstick battery to recharge the watch.  There are enough water fountains on the route that I can refill my 21 oz bottle.  In theory, I could do my final long w/r (20/20) in early September around water fountains from Downtown to 23 miles to the west in pretty much a fairly straight shot.

I'll take the Camelbak to REI for a refund.  That's one nice thing about REI is that it can be returned any ol' time.  I bought the thing in Nov 2015 and just opened it today.

I can't imagine that REI wouldn't stock a Camelbak that would fit you!  There are lots of larger runners out there.  Hope you can find something that works...it seems like a much better plan than stashing food along the route.  I guess we all do what we need to do to get the job done.

Stay safe out there and utilize those water fountains...

REI probably has something, or Mark's suggestion about getting a day pack.  That might be a little too much weight, though.  I'll just have to check.  Regardless, this is just a training-only issue.  I won't need a Camelbak for the race.

I will stay safe.

Mark B wrote:Curses on the Camelbak! I have that same problem with those new hydration vests. It drives me crazy. When you're at REI, I'd suggest talking to one of their people to see if there's something else that might work. Maybe a pack for hiking would do it for you? Worth trying, anyway.

You're making great progress on your long run/walks. It's nice getting the RBCs back, isn't it? (Since I'm on the DL, maybe I ought to donate soon. It's been a while.)

Thanks, Mark.  I'm disappointed that I can't run farther than 2 miles, at the moment. 

Yeah, it's good replenishing the RBCs.  For you, though, I still wouldn't do whole blood.  I'd recommend doing just platelets, just plasma, or a platelets/plasma combination.  It takes me 90 minutes from door to door of which 65 minutes is the actual time from needle stick to band-aid.

Monday is supposed to be 78 at sunrise and high 80's by 11 a.m.  Tack on 10 degrees for the humidity.

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

ounce wrote:Bad news on the Camelbak:  It didn't fit.  After looking at REI (where I bought it) and Running Warehouse, it would seem all of them would be too small around the chest.  And that's not something to fit too small.

So I guess on Sunday evening, I'll have to drop food along my routes and hope none of the nighttime critters want some of what I'll be eating.  Using the Camelbak as a food mule was the main reason for wearing one.  I do have a Fuel Belt that I can use for the lipstick battery to recharge the watch.  There are enough water fountains on the route that I can refill my 21 oz bottle.  In theory, I could do my final long w/r (20/20) in early September around water fountains from Downtown to 23 miles to the west in pretty much a fairly straight shot.

I'll take the Camelbak to REI for a refund.  That's one nice thing about REI is that it can be returned any ol' time.  I bought the thing in Nov 2015 and just opened it today.

I can't imagine that REI wouldn't stock a Camelbak that would fit you!  There are lots of larger runners out there.  Hope you can find something that works...it seems like a much better plan than stashing food along the route.  I guess we all do what we need to do to get the job done.

Stay safe out there and utilize those water fountains...

REI probably has something, or Mark's suggestion about getting a day pack.  That might be a little too much weight, though.  I'll just have to check.  Regardless, this is just a training-only issue.  I won't need a Camelbak for the race.

I will stay safe.

Mark B wrote:Curses on the Camelbak! I have that same problem with those new hydration vests. It drives me crazy. When you're at REI, I'd suggest talking to one of their people to see if there's something else that might work. Maybe a pack for hiking would do it for you? Worth trying, anyway.

You're making great progress on your long run/walks. It's nice getting the RBCs back, isn't it? (Since I'm on the DL, maybe I ought to donate soon. It's been a while.)

Thanks, Mark.  I'm disappointed that I can't run farther than 2 miles, at the moment. 

Yeah, it's good replenishing the RBCs.  For you, though, I still wouldn't do whole blood.  I'd recommend doing just platelets, just plasma, or a platelets/plasma combination.  It takes me 90 minutes from door to door of which 65 minutes is the actual time from needle stick to band-aid.

Monday is supposed to be 78 at sunrise and high 80's by 11 a.m.  Tack on 10 degrees for the humidity.

Well, we went ahead and did whole blood, anyway. The beds for platelets were taken. But maybe we'll do that in the future. It seems a little creepier running every drop of blood out of my body, through a machine, then back again than just opening up a vein and catching a bagful of the stuff. 

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Yeah, it's good replenishing the RBCs.  For you, though, I still wouldn't do whole blood.  I'd recommend doing just platelets, just plasma, or a platelets/plasma combination.  It takes me 90 minutes from door to door of which 65 minutes is the actual time from needle stick to band-aid.

Monday is supposed to be 78 at sunrise and high 80's by 11 a.m.  Tack on 10 degrees for the humidity.

Well, we went ahead and did whole blood, anyway. The beds for platelets were taken. But maybe we'll do that in the future. It seems a little creepier running every drop of blood out of my body, through a machine, then back again than just opening up a vein and catching a bagful of the stuff. 

I often feel guilty that I can't donate blood...I tried several times pre-cardiac event and they weren't successful getting a usable amount.  I guess my veins roll when they try to insert the needle and the blood flows so slowly that they can't fill the bag.  After several attempts they thanked me for my effort and asked me not to come back.  I often have to have an anesthesiologist take blood for even simple tests as a lot of the regular techs can't get the needle in the vein...

As far as those running conditions Doug...I'm glad I don't live in Houston.  I don't think I'd be a runner if I did!  That takes some dedication...stay safe out there.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

ounce wrote:Bad news on the Camelbak:  It didn't fit.  After looking at REI (where I bought it) and Running Warehouse, it would seem all of them would be too small around the chest.  And that's not something to fit too small.

So I guess on Sunday evening, I'll have to drop food along my routes and hope none of the nighttime critters want some of what I'll be eating.  Using the Camelbak as a food mule was the main reason for wearing one.  I do have a Fuel Belt that I can use for the lipstick battery to recharge the watch.  There are enough water fountains on the route that I can refill my 21 oz bottle.  In theory, I could do my final long w/r (20/20) in early September around water fountains from Downtown to 23 miles to the west in pretty much a fairly straight shot.

I'll take the Camelbak to REI for a refund.  That's one nice thing about REI is that it can be returned any ol' time.  I bought the thing in Nov 2015 and just opened it today.

I can't imagine that REI wouldn't stock a Camelbak that would fit you!  There are lots of larger runners out there.  Hope you can find something that works...it seems like a much better plan than stashing food along the route.  I guess we all do what we need to do to get the job done.

Stay safe out there and utilize those water fountains...

REI probably has something, or Mark's suggestion about getting a day pack.  That might be a little too much weight, though.  I'll just have to check.  Regardless, this is just a training-only issue.  I won't need a Camelbak for the race.

I will stay safe.

Mark B wrote:Curses on the Camelbak! I have that same problem with those new hydration vests. It drives me crazy. When you're at REI, I'd suggest talking to one of their people to see if there's something else that might work. Maybe a pack for hiking would do it for you? Worth trying, anyway.

You're making great progress on your long run/walks. It's nice getting the RBCs back, isn't it? (Since I'm on the DL, maybe I ought to donate soon. It's been a while.)

Thanks, Mark.  I'm disappointed that I can't run farther than 2 miles, at the moment. 

Yeah, it's good replenishing the RBCs.  For you, though, I still wouldn't do whole blood.  I'd recommend doing just platelets, just plasma, or a platelets/plasma combination.  It takes me 90 minutes from door to door of which 65 minutes is the actual time from needle stick to band-aid.

Monday is supposed to be 78 at sunrise and high 80's by 11 a.m.  Tack on 10 degrees for the humidity.

Well, we went ahead and did whole blood, anyway. The beds for platelets were taken. But maybe we'll do that in the future. It seems a little creepier running every drop of blood out of my body, through a machine, then back again than just opening up a vein and catching a bagful of the stuff. 

Silly boy!  You're not going through dialysis to cleanse what Portland weirdness crosses the river or sticks to the car.

The trick is finding the pace to squeeze just enough with each cycle to keep the machine from beeping its head off.  It's a different squeeze than whole blood squeezing of that ball.  It took me 25 years to figure that one out.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Yeah, it's good replenishing the RBCs.  For you, though, I still wouldn't do whole blood.  I'd recommend doing just platelets, just plasma, or a platelets/plasma combination.  It takes me 90 minutes from door to door of which 65 minutes is the actual time from needle stick to band-aid.

Monday is supposed to be 78 at sunrise and high 80's by 11 a.m.  Tack on 10 degrees for the humidity.

Well, we went ahead and did whole blood, anyway. The beds for platelets were taken. But maybe we'll do that in the future. It seems a little creepier running every drop of blood out of my body, through a machine, then back again than just opening up a vein and catching a bagful of the stuff. 

I often feel guilty that I can't donate blood...I tried several times pre-cardiac event and they weren't successful getting a usable amount.  I guess my veins roll when they try to insert the needle and the blood flows so slowly that they can't fill the bag.  After several attempts they thanked me for my effort and asked me not to come back.  I often have to have an anesthesiologist take blood for even simple tests as a lot of the regular techs can't get the needle in the vein...

As far as those running conditions Doug...I'm glad I don't live in Houston.  I don't think I'd be a runner if I did!  That takes some dedication...stay safe out there.

Nah, no need to feel guilty about it, Nancy.  You tried multiple times and it didn't work.  They're just grateful that you tried so many times. 

As far as blood for lab work, did they mention that you should drink a bunch of water before the draw, so it plumps up the vein?  Some veins roll more than others...mostly in people with a whole lot of fat in their arms.

If push comes to shove, ask if the lab can use an ultrasound machine to draw the blood.  That's a one 'n done stick to draw blood.

-30-

I don't know why, but this morning around 3 I woke up and had a fit with balance.  I also had a knot in my stomach.  So, I assumed the position to pay homage to the porcelain god.  I then broke out in a cold sweat.  THEN I barfed.  Not much there, but I did it.  I repeated that twice within that hour as the dry heaves.  Got back to sleep at 5 with my balance 80% returned.  I guess it may have been some blueberries.

Anyway, I was fine when I woke up at 7 and proceeded to execute the day as normal with no problems.  As a result, I'm not going to do the 12/12 tomorrow morning.  No point in tempting fate.  Instead, I'll do a 6/6 in the morning.  The 12/12 wasn't schedule to be done until July 10, any way.

I'm peachy, now, and figured it was just a bug...a quick bug.

Thanks for stopping by!

This morning it was 77 degrees with a dewpoint of 75.  There was a slight breeze, so that took a lot of the thickness out of the air.

Today's idea was to do a 6w/6r.  Instead of going west and having true pancake flat and 100% sidewalks, I went east through Memorial Park until I hit 6 miles.  For as almost flat (from a Houston perspective) as the 6 to the east is, it probably was enough to disrupt the legs from executing 6/6.  I ended up doing 7w/5r.  It might could be that I wasn't 100% from Sunday morning's bug, but I'm not going to claim it.

I'll load up the numbers, when I upload it into Garmin. 

One test I did, related to food, was to drop off two of the peanut butter tortillas in a spot and try them out, after finishing.  I wanted to see how close to room temperature they were and how they ate because the tortillas were going to be the 'halftime' meal for the 12/12 event, next week. 

The questions to answer were:
1.  Are they easy to get out of the baggie?  Yes.
2.  Was it a chore to chew them up?  Almost.  I rolled the ends towards the center (like a spring roll), instead of an open ended tortilla where the peanut butter could ooze out.  This caused me having a big bite to chew, then coupled with the dry nature of peanut butter, and it took all of the saliva I could muster to keep my mouth from being dried out.
So, I'll have to work on tweaking the execution.  Having a bottle of water could've helped.
3.  Could just a plain tortilla work?  Absolutely.  In fact, I may reduce the lard and replace it with butter for some flavor.
4.  Were they still cold after finishing?  After 3 hours, they were cool, but pliable.

I used my new compression shorts for this 12 mile w/r and they performed very well, along with Nancy's Chamois Butt'r.  No chafing to report.  The shorts don't fit exactly like I would like and they're more expensive than I want to spend, but I wasn't sore from chafing, so that'll have to account for something.

Otherwise, the body seemed to do well.  Some of Sunday's bug mmmmmight have been an issue, but it was minimal.  Maybe enough to keep me from doing it all as a 6/6.

The total time for the 12 miles was 3 hours and 10 minutes.

I'm trying to keep out of my mind that it's going to be real frickin' hot on race day (it's an 8 a.m. starting time) and the goal of doing 20/20 for the first 40 miles (all in the daylight) could be interesting.  Sigh.  Whelp, I'll keep trudging along.  The alternative was going to Arizona at the end of October where there are creek washes, actual, real live hills, and possibly 95 degrees, like it was last year.  At least, I'll be 1,000 miles closer to home.

Just like in life, for as bad as your situation might be, there's always somebody worse off.  Thanks for stopping by.

I might actually consider running long if I knew peanut butter was involved.  I love peanut butter and I'm having fun experimenting with some of the other nut butters.  The key is leaving off the sugary jam that usually goes with it!

Glad that the "bug" was short lived and you made it out for nice outing the next day.

nkrichards wrote:I might actually consider running long if I knew peanut butter was involved.  I love peanut butter and I'm having fun experimenting with some of the other nut butters.  The key is leaving off the sugary jam that usually goes with it!

Glad that the "bug" was short lived and you made it out for nice outing the next day.

I had the honey peanut butter after the BB50 in April, so I thought of it as a 'halftime' food in a run.  But it sure is dry.  I might need to 'smear' the tortilla with it rather than a non-measuring teaspoon of the peanut butter.  As we know, this is why we try different things during training runs.

Yes, I'm fully healed, Nancy.  Thanks.

-30-

This morning, it was 77 degrees again with a dewpoint of 73 and a south wind of 1 mph.  The schedule called for a 7w/7r, which would mark the first time in a couple of weeks where I did something on Monday AND Wednesday.  I approached this morning's run with some apprehension because Monday I couldn't do a 6/6 and here I am going two miles further.

Well, I figured out a route going through Memorial Park, so I can utilize the 'rolling' terrain, rather than the pancake flat terrain of suburbia.  Cadence was 121 for walking and 163 for running.

14:01 miles, 7 walk & 7 run, 3:38:32, 15:36 avg pace, 136 avg cadence, 0.76 m avg stride length
1.  16:36, 118 spm, 82 sl
2.  13:43, 162 spm, 72 sl
3.  16:54, 119 spm, 80 sl
4.  13:51, 158 spm, 74 sl
5.  19:38, 105 spm, 78 sl (forgot to stop watch at water break)
6.  13:54, 161 spm, 72 sl
7.  16:51, 118 spm, 81 sl
8.  13:29, 159 spm, 75 sl
9.  17:02, 119 spm, 79 sl
10. 13:51, 162 spm, 72 sl
11. 18:02, 117 spm, 76 sl
12. 13:46, 162 spm, 72 sl
13. 17:15, 118 spm, 79 sl
14. 13:43, 162 spm, 72 sl

Nobody was more surprised about me running the 7 miles than I AND with all sub-14 mile splits, to boot.  Even with catching a rock or root and splatting on the ground during mile 4's 13:51 time.  I ended up with two bruises, one on the right forearm up near the elbow and the other on the lateral right knee at the lateral collateral ligament.  As you can see, I continued the run.  I didn't even know about the bruise on the knee until this evening when I was poking around the minimal scrapes I received on the front of the knee.

Pace on this run was a little faster than Monday's 7w/5r.

I again wore two pairs of socks, an Injinji pair and a regular pair.  My feet sure are awfully wet after a run.  Makes me think that during the race that I'll have to change socks a couple of times out of necessity and not from being proactive.  I don't notice the feet being wet during the run, nor do I have any discomfort during the run.  The book "Fixing Your Feet" mentions maceration which is where parts of the outer skin of the foot separates from the foot due to shearing and/or the feet being wet.

Mark, did you ever wear two pairs of socks?

I imagine Monday's run and Wednesday's run is good from an overall standpoint of training and informing the body that this ain't the usual marathon training.  This week, I have 14w/12r for a total of 26 miles.  I think Friday is supposed to be 6/6, but I'd have to check.

Thanks for y'alls input.

Update on yesterday's run: 
1.  The bruise on my right knee was not an issue after being mostly still while sleeping.
2.  Prior to the run, I had bacon 'n eggs.  That did have a positive effect on the run, but I can't quantify how much or for how long.
3.  I brought along 5 S!Caps with me and consumed 3 of them at miles 6, 9, and 12.  The last 2 I consumed after the run, although I didn't have to do that.

The schedule for today was 8w/8r.  Obviously, the author of this schedule had higher expectations when the schedule was created for me in the cool A/C.  I was, "Well, let's give it a try.  I've already gone 26 miles in two runs, maybe another 16 wasn't a bad idea.

In reality, I was able to go 7 as 6w/1r.  In fact, the last half mile of the walk was done at a pure pedestrian cadence of 108, instead of Michele's mall walker's cadence of 121.

I'll venture a guess that I was wore out for the week.  It could be that I may need to adjust the schedule to have a run only twice a week, say a Monday and a Thursday.  It would give me an extra day of rest prior to each run because the runs are only going to get longer and longer.

Monday, I have a 12/12 on the schedule.  Won't THAT be a hoot!  I have to say the high temps here in town have not been no more than 1 or 2 degrees higher than seasonal, which is 93 degrees.  So, the heat index or 'feels like' temp with the humidity is between 100-106.

I'll make some more flour tortillas, this weekend, and maybe include a bag with some cantaloupe at the halfway point.

I'm continuing to do foot research regarding blisters, taping, powder, etc.  I'll seriously consider what I need to do as if I was running a 100 mile race, so I can maybe hedge against foot pain in the later miles of my 105K.  I believe it's called 'over-engineering.'

Y'all have a nice weekend.

ounce wrote:The schedule for today was 8w/8r.  Obviously, the author of this schedule had higher expectations when the schedule was created for me in the cool A/C.  I was, "Well, let's give it a try.  I've already gone 26 miles in two runs, maybe another 16 wasn't a bad idea.

In reality, I was able to go 7 as 6w/1r.  In fact, the last half mile of the walk was done at a pure pedestrian cadence of 108, instead of Michele's mall walker's cadence of 121.

I'll venture a guess that I was wore out for the week.  It could be that I may need to adjust the schedule to have a run only twice a week, say a Monday and a Thursday.  It would give me an extra day of rest prior to each run because the runs are only going to get longer and longer.

Monday, I have a 12/12 on the schedule.  Won't THAT be a hoot!  I have to say the high temps here in town have not been no more than 1 or 2 degrees higher than seasonal, which is 93 degrees.  So, the heat index or 'feels like' temp with the humidity is between 100-106.

I'll make some more flour tortillas, this weekend, and maybe include a bag with some cantaloupe at the halfway point.

I'm continuing to do foot research regarding blisters, taping, powder, etc.  I'll seriously consider what I need to do as if I was running a 100 mile race, so I can maybe hedge against foot pain in the later miles of my 105K.  I believe it's called 'over-engineering.'

Y'all have a nice weekend.

Keep at it!

I've heard there's some sort of dry siliconish sort of substance that can help prevent blisters that might help?

Not envying your running conditions lately.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:The schedule for today was 8w/8r.  Obviously, the author of this schedule had higher expectations when the schedule was created for me in the cool A/C.  I was, "Well, let's give it a try.  I've already gone 26 miles in two runs, maybe another 16 wasn't a bad idea.

In reality, I was able to go 7 as 6w/1r.  In fact, the last half mile of the walk was done at a pure pedestrian cadence of 108, instead of Michele's mall walker's cadence of 121.

I'll venture a guess that I was wore out for the week.  It could be that I may need to adjust the schedule to have a run only twice a week, say a Monday and a Thursday.  It would give me an extra day of rest prior to each run because the runs are only going to get longer and longer.

Monday, I have a 12/12 on the schedule.  Won't THAT be a hoot!  I have to say the high temps here in town have not been no more than 1 or 2 degrees higher than seasonal, which is 93 degrees.  So, the heat index or 'feels like' temp with the humidity is between 100-106.

I'll make some more flour tortillas, this weekend, and maybe include a bag with some cantaloupe at the halfway point.

I'm continuing to do foot research regarding blisters, taping, powder, etc.  I'll seriously consider what I need to do as if I was running a 100 mile race, so I can maybe hedge against foot pain in the later miles of my 105K.  I believe it's called 'over-engineering.'

Y'all have a nice weekend.

Keep at it!

I've heard there's some sort of dry siliconish sort of substance that can help prevent blisters that might help?

Not envying your running conditions lately.

+1 on the running conditions.  You know you're making it awfully hard to complain about having to bike or run in 80 degree weather and 22% humidity with a heat index of...80!  I want to whine but even I can't feel sorry for myself when I realize the conditions you're running in.

Good to hear you're listening to your body and doing what it can...not what the training schedule says.  Sometimes out bodies aren't on the same page as the training schedule and we have to respect that.  You're out there and making progress and that's what counts!

Stay safe...

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:The schedule for today was 8w/8r.  Obviously, the author of this schedule had higher expectations when the schedule was created for me in the cool A/C.  I was, "Well, let's give it a try.  I've already gone 26 miles in two runs, maybe another 16 wasn't a bad idea.

In reality, I was able to go 7 as 6w/1r.  In fact, the last half mile of the walk was done at a pure pedestrian cadence of 108, instead of Michele's mall walker's cadence of 121.

I'll venture a guess that I was wore out for the week.  It could be that I may need to adjust the schedule to have a run only twice a week, say a Monday and a Thursday.  It would give me an extra day of rest prior to each run because the runs are only going to get longer and longer.

Monday, I have a 12/12 on the schedule.  Won't THAT be a hoot!  I have to say the high temps here in town have not been no more than 1 or 2 degrees higher than seasonal, which is 93 degrees.  So, the heat index or 'feels like' temp with the humidity is between 100-106.

I'll make some more flour tortillas, this weekend, and maybe include a bag with some cantaloupe at the halfway point.

I'm continuing to do foot research regarding blisters, taping, powder, etc.  I'll seriously consider what I need to do as if I was running a 100 mile race, so I can maybe hedge against foot pain in the later miles of my 105K.  I believe it's called 'over-engineering.'

Y'all have a nice weekend.

Keep at it!

I've heard there's some sort of dry siliconish sort of substance that can help prevent blisters that might help?

Not envying your running conditions lately.

+1 on the running conditions.  You know you're making it awfully hard to complain about having to bike or run in 80 degree weather and 22% humidity with a heat index of...80!  I want to whine but even I can't feel sorry for myself when I realize the conditions you're running in.

Good to hear you're listening to your body and doing what it can...not what the training schedule says.  Sometimes out bodies aren't on the same page as the training schedule and we have to respect that.  You're out there and making progress and that's what counts!

Stay safe...

Mark, I've heard that Drymax socks are good, but I haven't heard if they should be worn solely on the feet or if they can be worn over injunji's.  I was given 3 pairs of injinji lightweight ultra-thin cushioning socks.  I wear a pair of those under another pair of regular running socks.  12 miles will make the socks sopping wet.

As I get into the longer distances, I'll find out how my feet handle the wetness.  I REALLY do want to have a plan in place for my feet and blister protection, because if the feet are happy, then I figure that's EUUUUUUUGE.  I'm reading that Fixing Your Feet book, as if it's a college course and my major is Feet.

Nancy, we all do what we can do.  I admire your being able to fit farming in (tongue in cheek) to your activities.  Clearly, you're able to fit it all in and that's really admirable.  I just hope you'll be able to win the family 1st corn of the season again, this year.

I am making progress and I'm not hurting, except for the left heel every now and then.  But the PF loosens up, after a couple of strides.  The new compression shorts seem to be working well, which is a really big thing to have controlled.

I am the author of my plan, by the way.  The only thing that's not panning out is my ability to run two miles concurrently.  I don't know why and I have thought to put 2 run miles together at the start of a w/r, but I haven't arrived at the point to where that's a necessity, yet.

But I appreciate y'alls comments.

I'll tell you, right now, today, it's not the miles that are daunting, it's the time in the daylight that is daunting.  BUT I have a good plan for hydration and a working hypothesis on feet.

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:The schedule for today was 8w/8r.  Obviously, the author of this schedule had higher expectations when the schedule was created for me in the cool A/C.  I was, "Well, let's give it a try.  I've already gone 26 miles in two runs, maybe another 16 wasn't a bad idea.

In reality, I was able to go 7 as 6w/1r.  In fact, the last half mile of the walk was done at a pure pedestrian cadence of 108, instead of Michele's mall walker's cadence of 121.

I'll venture a guess that I was wore out for the week.  It could be that I may need to adjust the schedule to have a run only twice a week, say a Monday and a Thursday.  It would give me an extra day of rest prior to each run because the runs are only going to get longer and longer.

Monday, I have a 12/12 on the schedule.  Won't THAT be a hoot!  I have to say the high temps here in town have not been no more than 1 or 2 degrees higher than seasonal, which is 93 degrees.  So, the heat index or 'feels like' temp with the humidity is between 100-106.

I'll make some more flour tortillas, this weekend, and maybe include a bag with some cantaloupe at the halfway point.

I'm continuing to do foot research regarding blisters, taping, powder, etc.  I'll seriously consider what I need to do as if I was running a 100 mile race, so I can maybe hedge against foot pain in the later miles of my 105K.  I believe it's called 'over-engineering.'

Y'all have a nice weekend.

Keep at it!

I've heard there's some sort of dry siliconish sort of substance that can help prevent blisters that might help?

Not envying your running conditions lately.

+1 on the running conditions.  You know you're making it awfully hard to complain about having to bike or run in 80 degree weather and 22% humidity with a heat index of...80!  I want to whine but even I can't feel sorry for myself when I realize the conditions you're running in.

Good to hear you're listening to your body and doing what it can...not what the training schedule says.  Sometimes out bodies aren't on the same page as the training schedule and we have to respect that.  You're out there and making progress and that's what counts!

Stay safe...

Mark, I've heard that Drymax socks are good, but I haven't heard if they should be worn solely on the feet or if they can be worn over injunji's.  I was given 3 pairs of injinji lightweight ultra-thin cushioning socks.  I wear a pair of those under another pair of regular running socks.  12 miles will make the socks sopping wet.

As I get into the longer distances, I'll find out how my feet handle the wetness.  I REALLY do want to have a plan in place for my feet and blister protection, because if the feet are happy, then I figure that's EUUUUUUUGE.  I'm reading that Fixing Your Feet book, as if it's a college course and my major is Feet.

Nancy, we all do what we can do.  I admire your being able to fit farming in (tongue in cheek) to your activities.  Clearly, you're able to fit it all in and that's really admirable.  I just hope you'll be able to win the family 1st corn of the season again, this year.

I am making progress and I'm not hurting, except for the left heel every now and then.  But the PF loosens up, after a couple of strides.  The new compression shorts seem to be working well, which is a really big thing to have controlled.

I am the author of my plan, by the way.  The only thing that's not panning out is my ability to run two miles concurrently.  I don't know why and I have thought to put 2 run miles together at the start of a w/r, but I haven't arrived at the point to where that's a necessity, yet.

But I appreciate y'alls comments.

I'll tell you, right now, today, it's not the miles that are daunting, it's the time in the daylight that is daunting.  BUT I have a good plan for hydration and a working hypothesis on feet.

Okay, I think I found the product. It's used by a friend of mine who likes to walk/run 24-hour races.

It's called BlisterShield by 2Toms.

My friend swears by it. Maybe it'll help you.

Looking at the website, it's ingredient is PTFE, which is the slippery part in the product Engo, an adhesive to the shoe and the slippery side to the sock. https://goengo.com/

The blister prevention chapter is really interesting.  It's clear to me the moisture from wearing two pairs of socks is not a 'whole' race method.  However, it might be a 22 mile solution (1 lap at 7IL).  Then, I dry my feet and change socks after each loop.  This would be the best scenario.  Each pair of socks DOES provide a layer between shear areas and the injinjis provides a layer of protection for each toe.

I will keep the 2Toms website high on the list of products to reach for.  Thanks, Mark.

Sad to say that Gary's corn is looking significantly better than ours this summer.  Our winning streak may be over soon.  Of course we have a few more weeks so if Gary's horses just happened to get out and get into his garden...

Have to let the youngins win every now and then.  Maybe bring Augie to Gary's and let him spook the horses!

-30-

This morning was the 12w/12r.  It was 71 degrees or about 6 degrees lower due to some overnight rain.  It was 71 at midnight and when I looked at it at 3:30 a.m.  The plan was to run 6 miles west, turn off the Garmin and charge it until I return to my neighborhood, then run east 6 and back with the watch on.  I stashed a half gallon of water with 2 tortillas and some S!Caps for the 2nd half.

There were many things to evaluate on this 24 mile journey.  Hydration, chafing, how far could I run of the 12, blisters, finishing, pace, socks, and weather.

I did finish by walking 14 miles and ran 10.  Ohhhh, the bottoms of my feet were sore the last 5 miles.  In fact, I haven't stood on them for about 90 minutes, now.

I received 1 blister on my right pinky toe's 2nd joint as it rubbed against the shoe.  At the end of mile 17, I pulled the shoe off and adjusted the sock.  I was wearing the injinji's under a pair of regular running socks.  It helped.  Right now, there's no fluid under the blister.  After I got home, I sat in a warm water tub with epsom salt in the water.  I don't know if that did anything or not, but the book did mention soaking the feet in epsom salt.  I just did it with the legs, too.

Chafing - I wore the new pair of compression shorts and am happy to report those shorts, coupled with Chamois Butt'r on my prior chafing spots left me with zero chafing.  This is a HUGE relief, except for the fact that they cost $60.

Pace wasn't too bad, as I was able to hold the 163 cadence until I was just too tired to continue running at mile 19, I think.  Walking pace was pedestrian for miles 20 to 22, then 121 spm for 23 and 24.

Hydration was the biggest thing to review and I came up with a new plan for today.  In the past few weeks, I have based the hydration plan on a January marathon.  As these distances get longer and it gets hotter, that plan was proving inadequate because I was beginning to get dehydrated.  The biggest change was that yesterday, I drank 3 quarts of water between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Outside of those times, I drank a quart of water. 

At the halfway point of the run (12 miles), I had a half gallon of water stashed with 5 S!Caps and 2 plain flour tortillas.  The 5 S!Caps were to augment the 4 S!Caps I had available for the first 12 miles.  I probably peed 6-8 times during the whole run, which was good for today.  I only consumed 3 or 4 S!Caps out of the 9 available.  I used a bottle for the first 12 miles, as usual, and no bottle for the last 12 due to access to water fountains for the last 12 (actually the middle 6 of that 12).

The last time I peed was just before mile 20, where it was yellow.  What usually happened prior to today was no peeing after the first 6 miles!  So the Sunday drinking was the basis for keeping me hydrated, today.  Once I got home, I was still peeing.  So, I'm on the right track.

The weather was cooler than expected.  At 10:30, it was clouding over an a light shower started at Memorial Park.  The sun was blocked!  So, the hot 'n humid I was expecting was only warm 'n humid.  There was even a cool breeze for a few yards.

This training, though, is not preparing me for even the easiest inclines, soft dirt, and the need to raise the legs to walk, rather than walking on a sidewalk.  But I know just getting out there and doing 24 miles is a very nice accomplishment with 12 weeks to go.

nkrichards wrote:Sad to say that Gary's corn is looking significantly better than ours this summer.  Our winning streak may be over soon.  Of course we have a few more weeks so if Gary's horses just happened to get out and get into his garden...

Easy solution, Nancy: Just post a sign saying "ECLIPSE VIEWING AREA" in Gary's cornfield. If you advertise it, they will come. 

ounce wrote:Have to let the youngins win every now and then.  Maybe bring Augie to Gary's and let him spook the horses!

-30-

This morning was the 12w/12r.  It was 71 degrees or about 6 degrees lower due to some overnight rain.  It was 71 at midnight and when I looked at it at 3:30 a.m.  The plan was to run 6 miles west, turn off the Garmin and charge it until I return to my neighborhood, then run east 6 and back with the watch on.  I stashed a half gallon of water with 2 tortillas and some S!Caps for the 2nd half.

There were many things to evaluate on this 24 mile journey.  Hydration, chafing, how far could I run of the 12, blisters, finishing, pace, socks, and weather.

I did finish by walking 14 miles and ran 10.  Ohhhh, the bottoms of my feet were sore the last 5 miles.  In fact, I haven't stood on them for about 90 minutes, now.

I received 1 blister on my right pinky toe's 2nd joint as it rubbed against the shoe.  At the end of mile 17, I pulled the shoe off and adjusted the sock.  I was wearing the injinji's under a pair of regular running socks.  It helped.  Right now, there's no fluid under the blister.  After I got home, I sat in a warm water tub with epsom salt in the water.  I don't know if that did anything or not, but the book did mention soaking the feet in epsom salt.  I just did it with the legs, too.

Chafing - I wore the new pair of compression shorts and am happy to report those shorts, coupled with Chamois Butt'r on my prior chafing spots left me with zero chafing.  This is a HUGE relief, except for the fact that they cost $60.

Pace wasn't too bad, as I was able to hold the 163 cadence until I was just too tired to continue running at mile 19, I think.  Walking pace was pedestrian for miles 20 to 22, then 121 spm for 23 and 24.

Hydration was the biggest thing to review and I came up with a new plan for today.  In the past few weeks, I have based the hydration plan on a January marathon.  As these distances get longer and it gets hotter, that plan was proving inadequate because I was beginning to get dehydrated.  The biggest change was that yesterday, I drank 3 quarts of water between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Outside of those times, I drank a quart of water. 

At the halfway point of the run (12 miles), I had a half gallon of water stashed with 5 S!Caps and 2 plain flour tortillas.  The 5 S!Caps were to augment the 4 S!Caps I had available for the first 12 miles.  I probably peed 6-8 times during the whole run, which was good for today.  I only consumed 3 or 4 S!Caps out of the 9 available.  I used a bottle for the first 12 miles, as usual, and no bottle for the last 12 due to access to water fountains for the last 12 (actually the middle 6 of that 12).

The last time I peed was just before mile 20, where it was yellow.  What usually happened prior to today was no peeing after the first 6 miles!  So the Sunday drinking was the basis for keeping me hydrated, today.  Once I got home, I was still peeing.  So, I'm on the right track.

The weather was cooler than expected.  At 10:30, it was clouding over an a light shower started at Memorial Park.  The sun was blocked!  So, the hot 'n humid I was expecting was only warm 'n humid.  There was even a cool breeze for a few yards.

This training, though, is not preparing me for even the easiest inclines, soft dirt, and the need to raise the legs to walk, rather than walking on a sidewalk.  But I know just getting out there and doing 24 miles is a very nice accomplishment with 12 weeks to go.

Nicely done, Ounce, though if you're getting rubbing on your pinkie toe from your shoe, there isn't much that can be done to save you from blisters in that spot. Can you find a shoe that doesn't rub there? That sort of prevention could help a lot.