Nirodha sacca

If I had to choose between running and diving I'd dive too!  Enjoy the time with your Dad.

You can hit the training hard next week.

Same number since 2007.  

Anyway, I live in NE OH - so nowhere near where you will be, and I'll be in Chautauqua in case you want to swing north again.  Shannon lives right in the heart of Nashville (near Vanderbilt), so it probably would work out.  Tiny place, but hey, you guys aren't much older than them and used to floors and futons.

Nancy - Yep, it was definitely a nice excuse to take a day off.  

Mom - I think we're passing through Chicago again on our way back in August.  I'll be in touch.

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Well, we made it!  Actually, we made it 2 days ago, but I took yesterday as a day off from life, so I'm just getting around to this now.  

Since I'm a numbers guy, here's the rundown:  
2653mi driven
39hr30min driving time
~80gal gas (gotta fill the tank today)
8 states
1mi run

Yep.  All in all, a very, very pain-free trip.  The worst of it was the last 3hr of days 2 and 3, since Hamilton and I both seemed to find our limits at the same time and get restless.  He basically slept the entire way (until we got to the hotel; oh boy) and was amazing in the car.  I drove with the company of NPR while Aileen read and/or slept.  

The country is a pretty place, though driving through it always makes me appreciate the coasts and the planes that fly between them.  

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Pfitz 18/55 starts today.  It's a rest day.  My kind of plan.

Cool - if you take the Chicago route - then you will be close by - so we will plan on something.  Maybe I'll get lucky and you'll pass by right when I am attempting to finish that crazy Half IM I signed up for - I could certainly use the cheering squad.  Hope to see you!!!!! And Hammie, of course.

Mom - I believe we'll be taking the Chicago route.  I'll keep you posted.

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Wow, I've kind of neglected this thing, huh?  Been pretty busy, considering this is supposed to be a vacation.  We'll start with Hamilton...

Hamilton had a large (2") roundworm in his poop 2.5 weeks ago.  We took him in to the vet my family used for our dogs here in CA, spent a lot of money, got meds, went home with a happy puppy.  No worms spotted since (and his stool sample tested negative, though you need 3 over the course of 2-3 weeks to confirm negative, so it was kind of a waste to do it... according to my DVM brother).  

Over the last couple days, Hamilton has developed an increasingly frequent gag/hack/cough, which got really bad after a trip to the dog park yesterday.  He ended up regurgitating a chewed up stick and some leaves but had us pretty worried, so... back to the vet.  Two weeks after the worms, to the day.  I feel like we're terrible parents.  No confirmation of kennel cough - it could just be that his throat is irritated from the HUGE quantities of plant matter he's been eating while here - but we got cough suppressant and antibiotics as a precaution.  He's doing better but still coughy.  The hydrocodone has him pretty lazy, too.  Also, he's not allowed free reign of the backyard anymore, since the grass/plants/whatever are probably doing a number on his esophagus.  

In short, puppies are stupid but adorable, so I love him but hate him for freaking me out as he tries to find every way possible to kill himself.

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Oh, also, I'm pretty sure he's responsible for the eye infection my dad and I both have.  At least that one's almost cleared up and I no longer look like Quasimoto.  

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Running.  I'm not so sure about this Pfitz plan.  I'm gonna stick with it, but these workouts are absurd.  4 miles @ tempo during week 1?  8 miles @ MP during week 2?  Pfitz, plz.  I've only gotten through 75% of both workouts before feeling awful and throwing in the towel.  Trying not to get too discouraged about that.

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Lastly, Pokemon Go.  Due to the sheer volume of plump adolescents I've seen out, walking, getting some fresh air, I fully endorse this game.  Also, it's stupid fun and addicting, even for slightly plump adults.  I'm gonna guess Mark is already intimately familiar with it.  Possibly Mom, probably Wendy/Tim, too.

Keep me posted indeed - you can certainly detour north on 90 again, and depending on time, I might be back in CLE.

As for Pokemon Go, I'm all for it if it gets my daughter out walking for 5 miles+ and exploring her new city.  

Hope Hamilton is better = poor puppy!

Ugh. Ham's one high-maintenance pup! At least he's not accidentally swallowing rocks... yet.

Pokemon Go has definitely caught on at my house. Alec was out the door at 6:45 this morning searching the neighborhood while we were still in bed. He also needs to cover 10K to hatch a bunch of eggs he's gathered. Considering he's spent the previous part of his summer vacation horizontal on the sofa (watching YouTube) or floor (playing Overwatch on the PS4), we're very okay with this. (Though we're bringing up the notion of sunscreen to our highly pale child.)

We put the app on Alita's phone, and she went out with him last night.

Thanks for the thoughts, guys.  Hamilton's cough is less explosive and more akin to that of someone clearing phlegm at the end of an illness.  No uncontrollable hacking.  I stopped giving him the cough suppressant this morning - I think he's tired of being high off his rocker.  

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Anyone watching the Tour de France this year?  Holy excitement.  It's like we went into Bizarro world this year or something.  Don't want to spoil anything in case you're all catching up...  But definitely catch the last 10mi from yesterday and the last 5km of today.

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I may or may not be running my recovery runs as Poke-runs.  

It seems to be helping though, because I FINALLY NAILED A WORKOUT.  Today was a 4mi tempo run with goal pace ~6:53-7:00.  Splits were 6:55, 6:47, 6:52, 6:18.  The last mile was very slightly downhill and I was chasing down a kid running intervals.  I didn't catch him until he stopped - he was cruising around a 6:00 pace.  

Looking forward to Sunday's long run...  We'll be in Mono Lake (east of Yosemite) - sans Hamilton due to his possible contagiousness - so I'll be heading over to Tenaya Lake to run up to Clouds Rest and back.  I've got 14mi on the docket, and I think it's about 12-13mi round trip with over 3000' gain/loss.  Looking for around 3hr total time, since there will be a fair bit of hiking and scrambling involved.

I guess being on an organic, raw, plant-based, yard-based diet isn't suiting the pup's tummy.  Go find him a duck!  Maybe Mark could be his first duck.

The Pokemon craze reminds me of a Star Trek: TNG episode called "The Game" where almost all of the crew is immersed in this game and it almost cost them their ship and their very lives!!  Uh, it was one of the two episodes that Ashley Judd was in as young Wesley Crusher's love interest.  That episode first aired 25 years ago, this October.

Glad to hear your tempo run went better this week.  That long run sounds like a fun one!  Enjoy!


Oh, and glad to hear Hamilton is on the mend as well.

Oz - Yeah, no more hippie green nonsense for Hamilton.  My dog eats (processed) MEAT!  ...and corn, and whatever other crap is in his food.

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So, elevation is cruel.  Not that it completely ruined either run, though Saturday was a pretty pathetic 3.2mi (in 45 minutes).  That included 650' gain/loss with a starting elevation just shy of 8000', so I guess it's not too disastrous.  

Sunday's Yosemite run was a blast.  Felt good to just run by feel, push the body a little bit, and get lots of compliments on my shorts.  They're American flag patterned.  I met a shorts-twin on the trail and wish I had taken a photo with her.  Got lots of compliments on running that trail, too, since it's considered strenuous to just hike it.  According to signage, it was a little over 14mi round trip, but the Garmin clocked 12.5mi, so we'll go with that.  3200' gain/loss.  It was a doozy.  

Calves have been whining since yesterday, but my whole lower body pretty much revolted during the first mile of today's run.  Fortunately, all the kinks smoothed out and I was able to run a decent clip around the hilly lake for 8.1mi w/ 10x hill sprints towards the end.  

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Hamilton is better and was VERY EXCITED to see us last night.  Like, got-himself-put-in-time-out-twice excited.  Missed the little shit, though.

The Yosemite run sounds awesome.  Those are the kind of runs that make training fun.  And hill sprints after all that?  Impressive!

Oy, Hamilton. Pupper got bit by a dog at the dog beach today. We didn't notice and he didn't tell us (srs, I'm not sure he even knows he's got a wound). Fortunately it's not too deep, only about a half inch pocket just beneath the skin along his flank.

Another trip to the vet and more meds. At least he loves the vet office.

That's $500 in less than a month on this dog. I'm officially frustrated - due to the money - and saddened - feel like a terrible parent.

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Oh, running this week is alright. Today was hot and awful. Otherwise good.

Those dog parks can be tough - almost best to avoid and try to socialize Hamilton with another dog from parents you know.

That Yosemite run sounds like fun.  I ran there once so many years ago (like Shannon was 3 months old years ago) and I'd love to go back.  Now; however, I'm sure that I couldn't run a step up where you were.

Keep up the good work.

Remember, Mike, Hamilton is a pack dog and you and your lovely girlfriend are the pack leaders.  You do need to monitor the goings on in a dog park, much like parents watch kids on a playground.  Some dogs want to be the pack leader at the dog park, so you do need to make sure they play nice and if not, take Hamilton to a different area to get away from not properly socialized dogs.

A wagging tail doesn't always mean it's happy in any dog.

Oz - The weirdest part is that the dog we think got him had been playing with him 10 minutes prior and seems to have just turned and snapped while passing him.  No aggression, no posturing, ears weren't back, no bared teeth, no hackles, absolutely zero indicators.  We've definitely had to keep him separated from other dogs before, and we've left the park once or twice due to it, but this was kind of a freak thing.  

We're also still operating on the possibility that when he got tumbled (some decent waves yesterday) he may have landed on something that jabbed into him, since there's a fair bit of abrasion as well as the single puncture wound.  Vet couldn't confirm it was a definite bite, and my brother suggested that there'd probably be a second, if smaller, hole somewhere nearby, which there isn't.

Either way, definitely going back to a much more helicopter style of parenting.  Probably got a bit complacent with how good our experiences at dog parks have been on the whole.

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After about 4 hours, he's finally gotten used to his e-collar.  Thank God it's a rest day.

That Yosemite run sounds like a blast. What trail did you take?

Appreciate the subject change, Mark.  

I took the... uh... trail between Tenaya Lake and Clouds Rest.  Started at Sunrise (Lakes) trailhead and followed signs/memory to the summit.  

My legs definitely felt it on my run yesterday.  In addition to the heat, the legs were only maybe 50% recharged.  Blew up pretty early and shuffled the last 5 or so miles with a massively elevated HR.

More running, more ups and downs.  Nailed another tempo workout (9mi w/ 5mi @ ~6:50 average) and bombed a marathon pace workout (16 w/ 10 @ MP ---> 12 w/ 4 @ MP).  Mileage is building, but long runs are still daunting.  The weather isn't helping.  

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We leave Thursday.  Wish we were flying - not ready for another cross-country road trip.  But at least we have all our hotels planned, minus 1.

I feel pretty weird about going back.  Not sure if it's too much time off work - feeling aimless and frivolous - or knowing that I'm going back to a place that I still haven't settled in or what, but it's not really a pleasant feeling yet.  Kind of a mix of anxiety, glycogen depletion, and stress.

Mike MacLellan wrote:More running, more ups and downs.  Nailed another tempo workout (9mi w/ 5mi @ ~6:50 average) and bombed a marathon pace workout (16 w/ 10 @ MP ---> 12 w/ 4 @ MP).  Mileage is building, but long runs are still daunting.  The weather isn't helping.  

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We leave Thursday.  Wish we were flying - not ready for another cross-country road trip.  But at least we have all our hotels planned, minus 1.

I feel pretty weird about going back.  Not sure if it's too much time off work - feeling aimless and frivolous - or knowing that I'm going back to a place that I still haven't settled in or what, but it's not really a pleasant feeling yet.  Kind of a mix of anxiety, glycogen depletion, and stress.

Good runs, nonetheless.  I never much cared for tempo runs because I'm speed challenged, but pretty much enjoyed the long runs because that's what a marathon is.

If Virginia is where you have to be, then make lemonade and make the best of it.  Choose to be happy because I would imagine you're feelings about it are not going unnoticed.  Live in the moment like Hamilton does, just without all of the raw greenery.

I'm still alive.  Quick recap of the last couple weeks:

Our road trip was mostly successful.  We took 6 days to mosey across the country - as opposed to June's 4-day adventure - and got to see a bit more along the way.  Zion has changed quite a lot since I was last there 20 years ago... apparently you can't even drive up the main road any more.  That sucked.  At least we got to see parts of the park on the through-road and we avoided the monster boulder that fell onto it during flash floods a few days later.

Stopped in Denver for Aileen's APA conference.  She won an award, networked like a pro, and had a great time.  I corralled our "service animal" - hey, he technically does perform 2 service tasks for Aileen, even if he's still in the process of perfecting them - through check-in and successfully kept him away from a very frightening street person.  Sorry to all you Denver fans out there, but Denver's kind of a shitty city.  I know DC has a reputation for being shitty, but my experience in DC has been cake compared to the discomfort I felt all over downtown Denver.  

Our other fun stop was Chicago to visit my childhood neighbor.  She had another friend in town, so the four of us cruised Boystown and the surrounding area for an afternoon before grabbing dinner and enjoying a game night on her luxuriously large roof patio.  Good times had by all.

Overall, definitely a tough trip for me, as "summer vacation" had long since turned into a lifestyle, so the return to real life was daunting, but each day got better.  By our final day, I was actually antsy to get home - VA home - despite thoroughly enjoying the drive through eastern Ohio and PA.  Didn't get to meet up with Mom, as she was still in NY.  

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Biggest disappointment of returning home was finding that my PowerTap battery has died on me, so I'm without power readings on my bike until my Amazon order gets here next week.  Apparently watch batteries aren't Prime eligible.  

Second biggest disappointment is the weather.  Holy hell it's oppressive here.  My worst runs at home were in 85-90 degree weather with mild humidity.  It's been that warm - and more humid - within an hour of sunrise every day since I've been back.  Can't handle it.  I finally mustered up the... courage? stupidity? to run today and barely finished a 6 miler without walking.  Heat index 105 by the end.  Gross.  At least there's a stronger breeze on the bike.  

Otherwise, I'm actually pretty happy to be back.  I've got a great schedule for the fall and am looking forward to it.  Training will have to be adjusted, though...

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Which brings me to the last bit of this update.  Pfitz should be renamed "pffft" because that's what I think of this plan.  I've only hit 2/5 workouts and honestly don't understand how one is supposed to hit 16mi w/ 10mi @ MP just 6 weeks into a plan.  That's a workout that I'd typically reserve for my peak week, and even then it'd be 2x 5mi @ MP, not 10mi straight.  

So yeah, Pfitz has been cut.  My base is severely underdeveloped, my heat acclimation is horrendous, and my work schedule isn't going to allow 10 mile morning runs at least 2 days per week.  

Basically, from here til mid-Sept. it's mileage and drills.  Might through in a tempo if I get a nice cool morning, but otherwise, more miles.  Coming into peaking, we'll do some tempos, some hill workouts (there's a nice incline from 0-2.5mi of MCM), and an MP run or two.  

Might have to readjust my goal time, but I'm okay with this.  Some things are a bit more important than running, and one of them is trying to reconnect to my life here.  

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Oh, and that women's 10k was dirty.  Or a short course.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was both, actually.

Thanks for the mega-update! (You can post more often, you know..)

The trip sounds great, though it's too bad Denver didn't do it for you. We liked it okay, but we didn't spend much time downtown.

Humidity sucks! I cannot understand how people can manage to train in those conditions. Maybe, if you can get acclimated to it, it'll make anything else feel ridiculously easy -- like racing a marathon in the 30s? Otherwise, maybe you can find a treadmill in someplace with a/c? But I totally get ditching Pfftz at this point.

Sorry to have missed you guys this year.  

And I will try to remember to send you or attach here a bit of the plan I followed last summer.  Sort of like Pfitz light especially for the tempo and MP type runs.  I did finally do a 12 mile MP run, but it was closer to the end of training rather than the beginning.  CBus was in mid-October and I ran that 12 mile MP in mid-September - basically to make sure that the oppressive heat and humidity was either gone or I was finally used to it.  We have had the same weather here and I aborted my last longish run before my half IM next weekend.  I was just too tired and it was just too much.  No issue - I will indeed survive.

No worries about the heat and humidity - it will pass.  However, I remember when I lived in Delaware one summer that it was worse than the months I lived in Houston - lol.

Mom - No problem, I'll catch you another time.    Congrats on the HIM today!

Mark - Treadmill?  C'mon, man, have you forgotten who you're talking to?

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So this week started pretty gross (weather) and ended a fair bit better.  Still, motivation to run far kind of nonexistent, so I was stuck with 3 x 10 milers this week + a few rides (6hr total).  

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Personal life took a huge turn this week, too.  Kind of the reason behind not wanting to run much.  Kind of reeling a bit.

Mike MacLellan wrote:Personal life took a huge turn this week, too.  Kind of the reason behind not wanting to run much.  Kind of reeling a bit.

Oh-oh. Care to share?