Term Limits?

Mark B wrote:Looking good - especially that last mile being the fastest of them all. That'll help you.

I hope your lung-ripping, heart-searing experience with speedwork doesn't put you off on it. (I like Nancy's imagery!) I've heard of people working into it by going to a track and racing the straights and walking the curves. So that's about 100 yards on, 100 yards off. Nothing wrong with that, especially if that's what you need. Longer repeats can come when your body is ready.

Oh and good job on those 2:10 quarters. That's way faster than your normal training pace. Well done!

Thanks, Mark.  Yeah, that last mile was really nice.

I'll still have to obtain another image, as Nancy's is not one in my frame of reference.  I'll still do the speedwork and figure out some way to increase the ease, while maintaining the pace. 

I'll be going out to Brazos Bend (BB) for a 13 mile run.  My target time will be below 2:49, 13 minute pace.  It'll be around 65 degrees.  The park just re-opened on November 7 for non-overnight use, as a result of Hurricane Harvey.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Looking good - especially that last mile being the fastest of them all. That'll help you.

I hope your lung-ripping, heart-searing experience with speedwork doesn't put you off on it. (I like Nancy's imagery!) I've heard of people working into it by going to a track and racing the straights and walking the curves. So that's about 100 yards on, 100 yards off. Nothing wrong with that, especially if that's what you need. Longer repeats can come when your body is ready.

Oh and good job on those 2:10 quarters. That's way faster than your normal training pace. Well done!

Thanks, Mark.  Yeah, that last mile was really nice.

I'll still have to obtain another image, as Nancy's is not one in my frame of reference.  I'll still do the speedwork and figure out some way to increase the ease, while maintaining the pace. 

I'll be going out to Brazos Bend (BB) for a 13 mile run.  My target time will be below 2:49, 13 minute pace.  It'll be around 65 degrees.  The park just re-opened on November 7 for non-overnight use, as a result of Hurricane Harvey.

I don't know if imagery can help, but this might help. Start off at a speed you can maintain all the way through the repeat. If you're slowing at the end, you've gone out too fast. The next time, start out a little slower. It's okay to be breathing hard at the end, though. Just not collapsing on the pavement.

Have fun at Brazos Bend. Hope Harvey didn't rip up the trails too much.

Friday didn't go well at Brazos Bend.  I didn't get hurt or anything, but it was about 72 degrees at sun up.  I managed to eek out 3 miles when I realized that I was having to raise my leg up higher to avoid the 'rock icebergs' (small rocks that are unmovable and can cause face planting), which was draining energy faster than I wanted.  Curses!

So, I walked 4 miles working on lifting my leg about a foot off the ground, as much as possible, so I can begin to adjust the leg muscles for trails.  This 'ah-ha!' moment is causing me to adjust my time goal for the trail marathon on December 8 or whenever it is.  I still plan on giving it a good effort.

As far as the Park, itself, it's very apparent that water was high in lots of the park.  The plate showing the high water level was 4 feet higher than the 2016 flood and 6 feet above the top of my head.  But you could see on the trunks of all of the trees where the water line was because it was brown.  I was standing on a levee diving two sections of a lake and the water line was 6 feet above my head, standing on the levee.

It made me wonder what the alligators do during a flood.  Rest on a tree limb?  Stay on the bottom of the lake?  Take over the Park Office?  But the trails are fine, except for just a couple of miles on the northeast end, near the Brazos River.

On the plus side of Friday, I got my oil changed.

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Oh, this wacky weather we have down here.  Saturday, it was 84 degrees and today it was 65.  This morning, it was 42 degrees!!  I was going to run 8, but revised that to the Devil's Loop because I wanted to work on lifting my legs higher for the trails at BB.  I didn't know how pissed the legs would be with this new thing added.

It turned out the legs didn't get pissed.  It also turned out that bring me cold weather and I can go faster!  REALLY FASTER!!  I almost was super fast.  Not Mark's version of super fast, but my version.

The cadence was set at 163 going and 164 coming back.

6.63 miles, 1:21:40, 12:19 avg pace (no shit!), 163 avg cadence, 0.80 m avg stride length
1.  12:45, 162 spm, 78 sl
2.  12:30, 162 spm, 79 sl
3.  12:11, 162 spm, 81 sl
4.  12:17, 163 spm, 80 sl
5.  12:18, 162 spm, 81 sl
6.  12:06, 164 spm, 81 sl
7.  11:55 pace, 161 spm, 84 sl

Holy crap!  Sure is nice to see these splits.  I'm not saying that this is the new standard, just what can happen when cold weather is in place.  Bringing up my legs a little higher wasn't much of an issue.  I think bringing the legs up did help some, because I pretty much never dragged my heel during the run.  The right knee, which typically whines after a run, hasn't been whining today.

Wednesday's low is to be around 54 degrees, which for this Fall's type of weather is downright average.  The plan is to run 20 miles, which will be the start of a short taper for the December 9 trail marathon.  I'll run the 20 in town, here.  

thanks for your time.

Woot! Those are some nice speedy paces! Gotta love the cooler temperatures. Well done.

Lifting the foot a bit more may have helped speed you along a little bit, too. I like the fact that normally sore parts weren't whining afterward. That bodes well.

And that's some serious water level. An alligator up a tree would be quite a sight, but who knows?

Mark B wrote:Woot! Those are some nice speedy paces! Gotta love the cooler temperatures. Well done.

Lifting the foot a bit more may have helped speed you along a little bit, too. I like the fact that normally sore parts weren't whining afterward. That bodes well.

And that's some serious water level. An alligator up a tree would be quite a sight, but who knows?  

Thanks, Mr. C. Lam Shell.

So, why would lifting the foot have possibly helped the speed?  It seems like an inefficient act.

As far as the gators, I would've asked one of the Park Rangers, but they were busy helping other people.

6 miles.  Disappointed.  Seems my ability to run long after a 'fast' run two days prior is suspect.  Hrumph!

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Woot! Those are some nice speedy paces! Gotta love the cooler temperatures. Well done.

Lifting the foot a bit more may have helped speed you along a little bit, too. I like the fact that normally sore parts weren't whining afterward. That bodes well.

And that's some serious water level. An alligator up a tree would be quite a sight, but who knows?  

Thanks, Mr. C. Lam Shell.

So, why would lifting the foot have possibly helped the speed?  It seems like an inefficient act.

As far as the gators, I would've asked one of the Park Rangers, but they were busy helping other people.

Lifting engages your hip flexors and shifts your center of gravity forward, which essentially means your body is falling forward more as you move, which means you engage your butt and lower leg muscles and gain more momentum. I'm probably not explaining it very well, but that's the general idea. It gives your body more time to lunge/fall forward before your foot lands, and that makes you move faster.

Thanks.  The Chi running leans one forward, so maybe it'll help that, too.

Thanks.  The Chi running leans one forward, so maybe it'll help that, too.

ounce wrote:Thanks.  The Chi running leans one forward, so maybe it'll help that, too.

It probably will. Anything that improves the form will likely result in speedier, easier running. I'm learning that as my hindquarters start to come on line, and my body figures out how to use 'em.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:Thanks.  The Chi running leans one forward, so maybe it'll help that, too.

It probably will. Anything that improves the form will likely result in speedier, easier running. I'm learning that as my hindquarters start to come on line, and my body figures out how to use 'em.

Thanks, I'll keep it up. 

This week is week 1 of a 2 week taper.  I overslept, this morning, so I wasn't able to run 14 or so.  Truth be told, I was laying on my good ear so when the alarm went off, I couldn't hear it.  I have used two alarms and it looks like I'll have to, again.

I'll run in the morning.

Today is 3 months from when Harvey was visiting our little hamlet.  It was a great thing that Harvey wasn't a wind AND rain hurricane.  If the power had been out for most of the city, oh man, what a colossal catastrophe THAT would've been.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:Thanks.  The Chi running leans one forward, so maybe it'll help that, too.

It probably will. Anything that improves the form will likely result in speedier, easier running. I'm learning that as my hindquarters start to come on line, and my body figures out how to use 'em.

Thanks, I'll keep it up. 

This week is week 1 of a 2 week taper.  I overslept, this morning, so I wasn't able to run 14 or so.  Truth be told, I was laying on my good ear so when the alarm went off, I couldn't hear it.  I have used two alarms and it looks like I'll have to, again.

I'll run in the morning.

Today is 3 months from when Harvey was visiting our little hamlet.  It was a great thing that Harvey wasn't a wind AND rain hurricane.  If the power had been out for most of the city, oh man, what a colossal catastrophe THAT would've been.

Seems like the water was a pretty sufficient catastrophe for you folk. Losing power would be like gilding the lily -- then crushing it under the heel of a boot.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:Thanks.  The Chi running leans one forward, so maybe it'll help that, too.

It probably will. Anything that improves the form will likely result in speedier, easier running. I'm learning that as my hindquarters start to come on line, and my body figures out how to use 'em.

Thanks, I'll keep it up. 

This week is week 1 of a 2 week taper.  I overslept, this morning, so I wasn't able to run 14 or so.  Truth be told, I was laying on my good ear so when the alarm went off, I couldn't hear it.  I have used two alarms and it looks like I'll have to, again.

I'll run in the morning.

Today is 3 months from when Harvey was visiting our little hamlet.  It was a great thing that Harvey wasn't a wind AND rain hurricane.  If the power had been out for most of the city, oh man, what a colossal catastrophe THAT would've been.

Seems like the water was a pretty sufficient catastrophe for you folk. Losing power would be like gilding the lily -- then crushing it under the heel of a boot.

Oh, yes, it was more than sufficient and it was fairly uniform in coverage.  I received 24 inches or so, but wasn't located near a major bayou, creek, or river, where the real flooding happened.  Wind would've softened up the trees prior to landfall, then when the hurricane passed by with Category 1 or 2 or 3 winds from the other direction...snap or smash and the power poles with them and some transmission lines.

It would not have been a Puerto Rico type destruction of the grid, but enough.

Hurricane season ends November 30.

-30-

It was 51 degrees, this morning.  While our Fall has been +10 degrees over seasonal (seasonal for today is a high of 69), it's not 90 and the humidity is drier, by Houston standards.  So, that makes it nicer along with the Astros winning.  The town is still on a high.  The weekend of Dec 9 is supposed to be much c-c-colder.  Even some word called 'freeze' is being thrown about.

The idea was to run 12 miles, this morning.  I needed a distance that's fun for me and the 12 is it.  The run goes along Buffalo Bayou, near downtown.  Lots of mountains of sand and dirt along this trail that weren't there before Harvey.  I wanted to run a 13:15 avg pace, which would require some concentration and stamina.  There are some ups and downs, which I needed.  163 is the cadence.

12 miles, 2:37:19, 13:07 avg pace, 162 avg cadence, 0.76 m avg stride length, 1st half pace 13:10, 2nd half pace 13:04

1.  13:18, 163 spm, 74 sl
2.  13:07, 163 spm, 75 sl
3.  13:09, 162 spm, 75 sl
4.  13:21, 163 spm, 74 sl
5.  13:05, 162 spm, 76 sl
6.  13:10, 162 spm, 75 sl
7.  12:59, 161 spm, 77 sl
8.  12:40, 162 spm, 78 sl
9.  12:51, 162 spm, 77 sl
10. 13:04, 162 spm, 76 sl
11. 13:18, 162 spm, 75 sl
12. 13:16, 161 spm, 75 sl

The first 4 miles were tenuous due to some shin discomfort on the lateral side of both legs.  It settled down for the rest of the run.  Miles 7, 8, and 9 were done around people, so I was more motivated to keep the pace up.  Miles 10-12 were about equal to the first 3, but my upper hamstrings and fanny muscles were talking to me, along with the hip flexors.  All the result of higher stepping.

But, the pace was really good overall.  

This wasn't a MP + x pace, rather MP - 15 or 30 pace.  Part of the reason for running the trail marathon at BB on December 9 is to see what pace works for January.  I'd like to run the Houston marathon faster than 13:40/pace...ANYTHING under 6 hours (13:45).

So, I'll keep plugging away at it.  Thanks for stopping by.

This morning, I did some parking garage work.  It was 51 degrees with a calm wind.  I pushed myself some on the 1.25 mile to and from the garage by running the first mile in 12:42 and the comeback mile in 12:25.  I did two loops of the garage.  It was a little faster than before, but a gate was open which allowed me to not crawl through the gate.

I'm trying to change my focus or motivation to be somewhat more dogged and lessen the affects of cautionary thinking. 

This is tricky because I'll be running the BB trail marathon 5 or 6 weeks before Houston.  I'm not timid about running the race.  I should heal up fine.  Heck, if I had known in June that I would healthy enough, I would've ran a 30K as a normal warm up race closer to Houston.  But I could get into the marathon for about half of the price of the 30K, thanks to volunteering last year and using the credit this year.

My objective for BB is 6 hours or better.  This IS a trial run for Houston.  I'll gladly accept a 6:13, as I think some of the stops at aid stations might accumulate some time, even though I won't dawdle.  After the 1st of 2 loops, I'll stop at my chair to suck on a Vespa.

Right now, the weather for the race is supposed to be really, really nice.  For example, today's low temp is supposed to be next Thursday's high temp.  Next Saturday's race day temp range starts at 36 degrees with a high of 54.  With highs below 60 for three days tells me it's going to be cold, no matter how much shifting the temp ranges from Thursday to Sunday.  Can't ask for much better.  With the trees around and the lower Winter angle of the sun, I don't see the temp from 7:30 - 1:30 feeling warmer than 50.

With the much cooler temps, the motivation will be there to muddle through in the final miles, just to avert getting overly chilled.  Temps in the 40's will be two layers, if there's not much wind (<10 mph).  Maybe gloves (throw down variety) and a head covering of some sort.  Shorts.  Dry cleaning bag for additional warmth.  Smartwool socks!

Please remind me of some things I should remember to wear.  I'll be wearing injinji's under the smartwools and wearing my Peregrine trail shoes.  My feet should be happy.

It looks like you've got the clothing dialed in. You'll be a little chilled at the start, but you'll warm up pretty quick. The lower temperatures will make it easier for you to push the pace a little bit, too, since you won't have to worry about overheating. Woot! I bet you're going to have fun.

Good job, by the way, on both the longer run and the garage hill work. Good pacing, and good decision to sit caution to the side a little. That's how you teach your body that it's not about to die when it feels a little discomfort. It's not that it makes pushing it any easier, but it teaches you how to handle it better.

Good luck out there!

Well, it's past the point of being cautious.  Things have been going well, even though whining still occurs.  If nothing else, the Dec 9 BB trail marathon will tell me how the mind reacts to the body in hours 5 to the finish line.

Thanks, Mark.  Much obliged.

-30-

I've crawfished on wearing the Smartwool socks for the race because wearing wool running socks with another pair in a trail shoe that's built to keep water to a minimum is overkill, especially with no below freezing weather and no wind.

This morning, I went out and had the Devil's Loop on my mind (6.66 miles).  It was 51 degrees.  This run is atypical for the schedule that I've been doing, this fall.  I'm running 6.66 the day after doing parking garage work.  I'm expecting lots of moaning and groaning from the legs.  Short of sharp pain, it's wasting its time.

6.63 miles, 1:27:36, 13:13 avg pace, 163 avg cadence, 0.75 m avg stride length, 1st half pace 13:10, 2nd half pace 13:16.
1.  13:03, 163 spm, 76 sl
2.  13:13, 163 spm, 75 sl
3.  13:19, 162 spm, 74 sl
4.  13:09, 163 spm, 75 sl
5.  13:31, 163 spm, 73 sl
6.  13:08, 162 spm, 76 sl
7.  13:06 pace, 163 spm, 75 sl

Whew.  This run was something different over the same dirt.  Before miles 1, 2, and 2-1/2, the question popped up, "You're sure feeling the muscles from running that garage, yesterday.  Don't you think you should not screw things up and turnaround and walk back?"

The muscles were whining in my fanny and upper hamstring.  I was lifting the legs a little bit in order to handle the trail at Brazos Bend.  These were back to back runs, which isn't the norm and 8 days before the race, to boot.

But I had to do it.  I had to do it.  I feel like I'm playing catch up in getting ready for January, regarding long and quality time on my feet.  This is a big reason for racing, next Saturday.  A rehearsal.

So, I didn't stop.  In fact, the remaining 5.63 miles of the run was done in a mindset of the last 5.63 of Houston, except just not as tired as the real thing.  Still on used muscles, though.  I know I'll be slower and more tired then, but I had to train the brain to continue moving.  "Ultreya" would be our snow trekkie's word.  I want to be able to transfer the training to next Saturday's race.

This run was satisfying and probably validated that I've been babying myself too long, but on the flip side, I'm not hurt.  There were a few times where stopping was wanted, but I kept going.  I'm pleased as punch about the outcome.  Now, I'll scale back some, sleep, and heal up for next Saturday.  And I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks for stopping by.

Good job hanging in there, Doug. Training on dead legs is one of those *fun* aspects that suck when you're doing it but help quite a lot come race day.

Mark B wrote:Good job hanging in there, Doug. Training on dead legs is one of those *fun* aspects that suck when you're doing it but help quite a lot come race day.

Moochus graceeus, senor.  Just a few days, now.

Forecast temps have warmed for Saturday for somewhere around 40 in the morning at 64 for a high.  That kind of temp range will produce 'just normal January marathon weather' clothing, i.e. 1 layer and short sleeves.

This morning it was 64 degrees.  There was a lot of trash in the lines (debris in the muscle cells) and it was difficult to go.  I ran 1.5 and walked 1.5.  Tomorrow, I'll do it again and the temp will be the same, as well.  Our first of two cold fronts arrives late morning Tuesday and will drop temps 25 degrees.

68 is an average high and 47 is around the average low.

I've edited and bolded a couple of spots from this morning's Forecast Discussion from NWS:

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
403 AM CST Tue Dec 5 2017

.DISCUSSION...

Yesterday there was a tweet that jokingly referred to yesterday as
the last day of summer for us, and in some ways, it`s hard to say
that`s wrong. A cold front will sweep through the area today,
bringing a line of showers and storms with it. Considerably colder
and drier air will surge in on gusty northerly winds behind the
front. Except for very near the coast,which may reach the mid-70s
before the front chops things down, our warm temperatures of recent
days are done. Much, perhaps all of the area will fail to reach
50 degrees tomorrow, and we may not see 60 degrees again until Saturday.
Look for only a few spots in the coastal southwest to breach
70 early next week.

Cold front blew through around 10:15, yesterday morning.  Prior to that, I chugged about 3 miles in 68 degree weather.  The temperature has been sliding a little bit at a time since the passage.  Why, it's dropped 9 degrees since midnight and is currently 43 degrees and breezy.

No running, today, but might run 2 or so in the morning.  I have a massage during the late morning, tomorrow, as well.  Then I'll go get my bib.  Not 666, rather 515 as I had no avenue to obtain 666.

Here's the local forecast, which should be a living image, showing updates forever...yes, FOREVER!

Well, that forecast doesn't look too bad. Crossing my fingers for lower humidity.

Mark B wrote:Well, that forecast doesn't look too bad. Crossing my fingers for lower humidity.

BOY, 39 degrees with a 10 mph NW wind is COLD!  And that's in street clothes, too!  Jiminy Cricket!

Yeah, Saturday's temps with the sun will be fine.  With the axis of the earth in Winter mode, the high temp will be between 1 and 2 p.m.  That'll give a +3 degrees/hour change, so when I finish, it'll be the afternoon high.  Although with the trees, it'll still be comfortable and maybe only break 60 in a couple of spots inside the Park.  I'm glad I won't be running into the night.  Sunset is 5:22 p.m.

We've had some persistent light rain overrunning the cold air, courtesy of the Pacific Jet Stream, that's dropped an inch over two days, plus an inch last weekend.  That should suck in to the trails nicely enough to eliminate my dust trails for the benefit of the people behind me.

Two things that I find distasteful about local TV news.  1)  Over-selling the first tropical storm of the season.  2)  Over-selling the possibility of snow in Houston, itself.  It is snowing 50 miles north and west.  And might even snow along the coast.  But the hype machine is in full Trump mode that makes it seem the small chance is a snowpocalypse. 

It has been very cool and rainy since Tuesday.  Right now, it's 33 degrees and today's high was 42.  It was 81 on Monday.  But the forecast for Saturday has been tweaked a bit cooler with 36-58, instead of 42-62 and still sunny with NW winds 5-10.

I think I'll go out and run a couple of miles in the 'cold' so I can loosen up and such, plus renew my appreciation for the cooler weather that heretofore has avoided Houston.

I might have to wear 2 shirts, after all.  Might put the short sleeve under the long sleeve, so I can whip it off after the first of 2 loops.  Or do 1 short sleeve and wear a dry cleaning bag to keep in the heat.

I'm looking forward to the race and hope I can do the distance.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Well, that forecast doesn't look too bad. Crossing my fingers for lower humidity.

BOY, 39 degrees with a 10 mph NW wind is COLD!  And that's in street clothes, too!  Jiminy Cricket!

Yes, Doug. That's why people who live in more northern latitudes have these things called "coats."

That said, I'm impressed with the temperature swings you folks get in the other part of the country. We're having a bit of a cooler snap ourselves, with a bit of frost, but it's so dry that there's absolutely no chance of snow. (Our cold and dry is, unfortunately, caused by the same conditions that are creating the horrific Santa Ana winds and insanely low -- single digit -- humidities in Southern California. Hence the fires.)

I think you'll be great for your race. As long as you've got the right gear -- which means layers -- you'll be great. Don't trust the dry cleaner bags too much, though. They don't breathe. If you're not very careful, you'll end up soaked with sweat and chilled from the inside out. Better to have a couple of wicking layers to keep your temperature stable without getting damp and clammy.

Whoa! Snow!!

I hope you went out and frolicked in it.

I see from the Houston Chronicle that it stuck in some areas. Did you get any accumulation?