Building A Better Bumblebee

Never liked coffee, but I do like hot tea.  That doesn't help you much.  Oh well.  Last year, I did have a few hours exposure to hiccups that caused some GERD at the base of the esophagus that never went away.  Now, I take some private label Tums from time to time and it's managed.

So, why do you wear long pants in 48 degree weather for running?  Is it because I have more insulation than you or is it because it's the fastest way to keep your tootsies warm?

ounce wrote:Never liked coffee, but I do like hot tea.  That doesn't help you much.  Oh well.  Last year, I did have a few hours exposure to hiccups that caused some GERD at the base of the esophagus that never went away.  Now, I take some private label Tums from time to time and it's managed.

So, why do you wear long pants in 48 degree weather for running?  Is it because I have more insulation than you or is it because it's the fastest way to keep your tootsies warm?

Yup. That. Otherwise, I'd have been in shorts. Probably would have been just as well in them today, too.

I have some weird spasm/hiccough sort of problem off an on - it can lead to some unexpected regurgitation - and the whole esophagus has been irritated lately. I don't know if cutting the coffee will help, but it's probably the first thing the doc would tell me to do anyway, so I figured I might as well give it a shot.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:Never liked coffee, but I do like hot tea.  That doesn't help you much.  Oh well.  Last year, I did have a few hours exposure to hiccups that caused some GERD at the base of the esophagus that never went away.  Now, I take some private label Tums from time to time and it's managed.

So, why do you wear long pants in 48 degree weather for running?  Is it because I have more insulation than you or is it because it's the fastest way to keep your tootsies warm?

Yup. That. Otherwise, I'd have been in shorts. Probably would have been just as well in them today, too.

I have some weird spasm/hiccough sort of problem off an on - it can lead to some unexpected regurgitation - and the whole esophagus has been irritated lately. I don't know if cutting the coffee will help, but it's probably the first thing the doc would tell me to do anyway, so I figured I might as well give it a shot.

See?  I've been paying attention!

Back to your hamstring/lower back question.........

I was deficient in both areas and it likely led to some of my piriformis issues and was absolutely the culprit in my iliopsoas problem.  When you run, you work so much quad and ab that the backside (which I think you've experienced with the glute work) tends to get completely neglected and opens you up for more problems in the chain.

So, for me, the back extension machine (which again, you can simulate with a $10 exercise ball and a 10-15 lb dumbbell) is a really efficient way to work all of those things at once.  Like Mike and Michele say, master the technique before you add any weight, especially with the exercise ball because there's so much extra stabilizing going on. Here's a really good image of what it should look like, wall use included.

Does the girl come with the ball?

We actually have one of those balls around the house, I think... Hm. Might be worth the torture, though I can totally see the ball squirting out forward and me face-planting.

Day 2 completely caffeine free: The splitting headache is gone, thank goodness, and I feel less foggy than before. I can sense that I'm slightly more irritable and less patient, but I'm an editor - who's gonna notice the difference? One oddity: The past two mornings (I actually started dropping coffee after taking two swigs three days ago) I have not woken up feeling like I'd been ripped from the middle of the dream. I've felt.. refreshed? What an odd feeling, especially at 5:30 a.m.

Good the caffeine headache only lasted a day.  For my son, it was 10 days on Celebrex for getting over Excedrin PM.

I'm sure if you get Fluff to help with balancing you on the ball, that you'll be juuuuuuuuust fine!

ounce wrote:Good the caffeine headache only lasted a day.  For my son, it was 10 days on Celebrex for getting over Excedrin PM.

I'm sure if you get Fluff to help with balancing you on the ball, that you'll be juuuuuuuuust fine!

Yipes. On both counts.

mul21 wrote:Back to your hamstring/lower back question.........

I was deficient in both areas and it likely led to some of my piriformis issues and was absolutely the culprit in my iliopsoas problem.  When you run, you work so much quad and ab that the backside (which I think you've experienced with the glute work) tends to get completely neglected and opens you up for more problems in the chain.

So, for me, the back extension machine (which again, you can simulate with a $10 exercise ball and a 10-15 lb dumbbell) is a really efficient way to work all of those things at once.  Like Mike and Michele say, master the technique before you add any weight, especially with the exercise ball because there's so much extra stabilizing going on. Here's a really good image of what it should look like, wall use included.

Interesting conversation since I'm also weak in those areas.  Our core/strength routine includes back flys on the stability ball but I don't think they activate the abs and butt like this does.  The use of the wall would allow me to move the ball further back.  May have to try this.

Glad to hear the caffeine withdrawal symptoms are at least starting to fade...

nkrichards wrote:Interesting conversation since I'm also weak in those areas.  Our core/strength routine includes back flys on the stability ball but I don't think they activate the abs and butt like this does.  The use of the wall would allow me to move the ball further back.  May have to try this.

Glad to hear the caffeine withdrawal symptoms are at least starting to fade...

It's kind of intriguing to me, too. And I even found our exercise ball from where it got stashed during the Fluffpacolypse. So that's good. Except... I tweaked my lower back getting trash out from under the sink while doing a deep squat stretch (the risk of multitasking, I suppose), so I'm not *quite* ready to try that yet.

Caffeine withdrawal has gone surprisingly well. The headaches have faded into nonexistence 90 percent of the time, and it seems that my energy levels are more stable throughout the day. I have less of an urge to snack, which is interesting. Still waiting for the intestines to adapt to the lack of a daily jolt, but it's not stopped me up completely. Heck, my system processed food so fast (seriously fast transit time) that I wondered if I was getting all the nutrients out of it. I do feel a little better now, so... who knows?

Trails: 3.86 miles

Weather: Overcast, cool but dry. 46° Gear: Lone Peaks, shorts (!), long-sleeved T, jacket, hat.

Out with Alita for a trail session at Whipple Creek Park. She wanted to practice walking/running on varied terrain, and this park has that in spades. We ended up running most of the flats and non-technical (super muddy) downhills and walking up the bigger hills. This variety will help Alita get ready for her 6-hour trail run in June, and especially build leg strength. It kept my HR in a good lower-level zone, which will help me build endurance and eventually speed on rolling trails. It's a win-win.

It was a nice outing, and the main trails were in pretty good shape. Some of the single track was muddier, but that's good practice, too.

The weather was cloudy but dry, and our timing was good: It started raining just as we got in the car.

Walked first 5+, last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 124

Low HR Run: 90 minutes (7.23 miles)

Weather: Partly cloudy, cool. 45-48° Gear: Altra Instinct 1.5s, shorts(!), long-sleeved T, jacket/vest. Fuel: Banana before, carried water.

I decided to go a little longer today to complement the trail work I did yesterday. I'm thinking that longer steady-state efforts will dovetail nicely with the more variable ups-and-downs and varying surfaces in the woods.

It was as pretty day, but a little chilly at first. I skipped the hat and gloves and kind of regretted it, since a breeze made it feel cooler in the mostly shady first section of my run. The sun came out a bit about halfway in, so I was able to zip off my sleeves and enjoy the wind at my back.

The run almost ended quickly, with a flare-up of the tweaked back, but I gritted my teeth in the hopes the muscles would warm up and relax. After a bit, I felt the most teensy *pop* in what felt like my right SI joint and everything settled down nicely. Interesting.

I tried to keep my HR at least close to my target of 139 but ended up averaging a few bpm faster most miles... but at least it was consistent! Paces were about what I expected. Had to walk the HR down a few times.

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

I trust that your bride will be doing core and ankle exercises to strengthen up the non-leg muscles?

I think the ball will only come out from under you when something throws ball bearings on the floor.

CUE FLUFF.  Entrance stage left!

ounce wrote:I trust that your bride will be doing core and ankle exercises to strengthen up the non-leg muscles?

I think the ball will only come out from under you when something throws ball bearings on the floor.

CUE FLUFF.  Entrance stage left!

Yes, she'll be doing some of the classics.

As far as the ball goes, that's a relief. So it'll stay in place even after Fluff has used it to play with Crisco?

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I trust that your bride will be doing core and ankle exercises to strengthen up the non-leg muscles?

I think the ball will only come out from under you when something throws ball bearings on the floor.

CUE FLUFF.  Entrance stage left!

Yes, she'll be doing some of the classics.

As far as the ball goes, that's a relief. So it'll stay in place even after Fluff has used it to play with Crisco?

Absolutely!!!!!

By the way, I'm watching "Lucifer" on Fox (after X-Files).  It's really cute.

Strength: Core/Calfs/Arms

Dual and single-leg heel lifts (lost track, but more than 50 per leg in sets of 10)

Single-leg stance: 5 minutes each leg.

Pushups: 10, on toes, very wobbly. Noodle arms!

Mark B wrote:Strength: Core/Calfs/Arms

Dual and single-leg heel lifts (lost track, but more than 50 per leg in sets of 10)

Single-leg stance: 5 minutes each leg.

Pushups: 10, on toes, very wobbly. Noodle arms!

You'd drive a police officer batty by how stable your legs are, if you were ever given a field sobriety test.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Strength: Core/Calfs/Arms

Dual and single-leg heel lifts (lost track, but more than 50 per leg in sets of 10)

Single-leg stance: 5 minutes each leg.

Pushups: 10, on toes, very wobbly. Noodle arms!

You'd drive a police officer batty by how stable your legs are, if you were ever given a field sobriety test.

Well, that's one benefit of this sort of thing! (Note: This was a joke. Don't drink and drive, kids! -The Management)

One confession, however. I don't do all those minutes in perfect balance. I have to steady myself from time to time (less now than before), which is fine, since the point is more to strengthen the muscles than to build proprioception.

Walk: 2.6 miles

Weather: Low clouds, cool and breezy. 46°

Hours of torrential drizzle stopped just in time for me to head out for a lunchtime walk. I wish I'd had another layer; the breeze was pretty penetrating. I had a foot cramp (left foot, second metatarsal) just when I started, but it worked its way out after a few minutes and didn't bother me again.

My route is on the approach path to PDX, so it was fun watching the jets slowly fade into existence as they descended through the low clouds over the Columbia River.

Mark B wrote:Walk: 2.6 miles

Weather: Low clouds, cool and breezy. 46°

Hours of torrential drizzle stopped just in time for me to head out for a lunchtime walk. I wish I'd had another layer; the breeze was pretty penetrating. I had a foot cramp (left foot, second metatarsal) just when I started, but it worked its way out after a few minutes and didn't bother me again.

My route is on the approach path to PDX, so it was fun watching the jets slowly fade into existence as they descended through the low clouds over the Columbia River.

with no 'boom', I presume?  What a scoop that would've been!

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 2.6 miles

Weather: Low clouds, cool and breezy. 46°

Hours of torrential drizzle stopped just in time for me to head out for a lunchtime walk. I wish I'd had another layer; the breeze was pretty penetrating. I had a foot cramp (left foot, second metatarsal) just when I started, but it worked its way out after a few minutes and didn't bother me again.

My route is on the approach path to PDX, so it was fun watching the jets slowly fade into existence as they descended through the low clouds over the Columbia River.

with no 'boom', I presume?  What a scoop that would've been!

Considering the "boom" would have been into the Interstate 5 Bridge...


(I did not take this photo.)

... it would have definitely meant I would have had to cut my walk short. Those giant counterweights probably wouldn't take kindly to be pulled out of plumb. When we finally get that big earthquake they're talking about, those weights, towers and a good chunk of the bridge, if not all of it, will be going down. (Provided the bridge hasn't been replaced by then, of course.)

*-Those towers are so tall that they could drive liberty ships and baby flattops through them from the Kaiser Shipyard just upstream from where this photo was taken. Check out the size of the semis on the bridge for a sense of scale.

Wow, what great weather you were able to enjoy.  We often forget to get out and enjoy the sights and sounds that are part of our lives everyday...

nkrichards wrote:Wow, what great weather you were able to enjoy.  We often forget to get out and enjoy the sights and sounds that are part of our lives everyday...

The way this winter has been going, any non-gloomy day is a good one.

Barefoot: 3.1 miles with fast finish on wet asphalt

Weather: Overcast, cool. 47° Gear: Bare feet, shorts (!), T, jacket, gloves for a bit.

I dropped the amount of clothing this morning to see how it went. Glad I stuffed my gloves in my pockets, because I needed them after a mile or so, which meant my feet weren't warming up, either. After a mile, I'd warmed up enough to have all my digits exposed.

I kept a pretty steady pace/HR throughout, but felt like picking up the speed in the last lap, dropping into the 8s. I pushed a little harder in the last tenth of a mile, getting into the 7s. It felt good.

Average HR for entire run: 138. Max HR (during fast finish) 163

I'll settle for doing 10's or 11's.  But that's the target for next year!

So, uh, Mark, what do you think of me running (not racing) a 50K 10 weeks before a marathon (both with similar flat terrain), then reducing the mileage for recovery for 4 weeks, then race a 30K at 5 weeks before, then a 20 miler 3 weeks before, then taper?

As much as most programs don't call for running a marathon before the marathon for risk of injury, but I kinda think I need to run farther so a marathon isn't as big a deal.  (I haven't eaten much today, so that may be affecting my judgement)

Also, I've read some reviews on Altras and some people are disappointed with the build quality, due to the sides of the uppers blowing out at less than 100 miles.  This is on the trail shoes.