Breaking Away

Sorta-long hill run: 11 miles, 1,101 feet climbing, 2,202 total elevation change.

Weather: Partly sunny, mild. 60-64 degrees, 72-48% humidity. Gear: FR2s, shorts, T. Fuel: Cereal, toast and coffee. One Gu on run. Carried handheld with nuun.

Today's run was all about conservation. Well, it was kind of about climbing a lot of hills. And it was also about managing going down all those hills (which, for the record, is harder than climbing). And it was about stretching the distance about as far as I've ever taken a true midweek run. All after a fairly unsatisfying run on Wednesday, when I pooped out after a mile or so.

To say I was a little nervous starting out was an understatement. But the upside of that nervousness is that it made me cautious - not in terms of distance, or hills, but in terms of intensity. I knew I could only pull this off if I could read my body well enough to find a pace I knew I could sustain through a very hilly route. As you can see on the elevation profile below, blindly charging up the first hill would be a decidedly bad idea....



See? All about conservation. And hills.

My approach must have been the right one, because the run went well. I was good for my confidence - if not in my total fitness, at least in terms of my being able to set a strategy, read my body and respond appropriately.

Ken Mello wrote:While I agree that there are some positives to running flat all the time, there are some real negatives too. Definitely some muscles not getting worked on a regular basis. And when you travel to races where there ARE hills, you're in trouble. When we went to the mountains in New Mexico this summer, the hills were KILLING me. I used to have great hill fitness, living in Vermont, so when I ran flat it felt super easy. The opposite is not true - running flat makes hills feel harder.

Even running in cul-de-sac city, I see those same animals every day. This morning I saw a raccoon and an armadillo within the first quarter mile. The other day I saw a fox, and I see deer almost every day. Just because there are lots of houses here, the animals havent gone away. And i didnt even mention the scorpion that was in my house a few weeks ago.....

Ah, scorpions. Reminds me of a time in Peace Corps when... (I'll spare you the boring story.)

I hear you about hills, Ken. While I could never avoid hills completely in my running, it's only been lately when I've purposefully sought them out. The course I ran today was almost the hilliest possible from my house without doing actual hill repeats (which I detest). It was a big shock to the system, but I think it's made me a lot stronger than I was before. All things being equal, I'd rather be strong than fast.

I guess if you really missed hills, or needed them, there's the option of the 12% grade on the treadmill. But that sounds even less fun than hill repeats.

Joel H wrote:+1 on both parts Ken...running on flat then going to hills is SO MUCH HARDER than the reverse. I too saw 3 armadillo this morning, one which nearly ran right in front of me because it has such terrible eyesight.


Mark - Me hardcore? I guess but my wife has said "crazy" a few times about my running addition, but I am just doing what I have to do for something I love doing and that is to run. You do the same thing so we are in the same boat...and I believe your wife has called you "crazy" a time or two as well.

I have never seen an armadillo, so I envy you both! And yes, Joel. You are hardcore, which pretty much means you're a little loony, too. I'd welcome you to the club, but we've both been members for some time now.

C-r-e-a-a-a-k-k-k-k!!!

Wow, are my legs unhappy with me this morning. Very stiff.

Which leaves me wondering... what was more responsible: the uphills, or the downhills? Hm...

Mark B wrote:C-r-e-a-a-a-k-k-k-k!!!

Wow, are my legs unhappy with me this morning. Very stiff.

Which leaves me wondering... what was more responsible: the uphills, or the downhills? Hm...

Your butt and your calves are angry about the ups, your feet and your quads are displeased with the downs. So, in summary, both! I remember not being able to walk right for about 2 weeks after my 1st marathon since I did all my training on flats and St. Louis is pretty hilly. I got beat up coming and going!

You're old

Jim Lentz wrote:You're old

LOL

mul21 wrote:

Mark B wrote:C-r-e-a-a-a-k-k-k-k!!!

Wow, are my legs unhappy with me this morning. Very stiff.

Which leaves me wondering... what was more responsible: the uphills, or the downhills? Hm...

Your butt and your calves are angry about the ups, your feet and your quads are displeased with the downs. So, in summary, both! I remember not being able to walk right for about 2 weeks after my 1st marathon since I did all my training on flats and St. Louis is pretty hilly. I got beat up coming and going!

That sounds about right, Jim. I think this is a great route. I'm looking forward to when my body agrees.

Jim Lentz wrote:You're old

Hey, I heard that.

Mike MacLellan wrote:
LOL

And to you, kid, just remember: When your years are doubled, look as good you will not.

Mark B wrote:And to you, kid, just remember: When your years are doubled, look as good you will not.

Hahahahaha

[img][/img]

John Kilpatrick wrote:

Mark B wrote:And to you, kid, just remember: When your years are doubled, look as good you will not.

Hahahahaha

Hey! How'd you find my driver's license picture, John?

For the record, I have started doing a better job of dealing with that pesky ear hair.

Trail Run: 13.72 miles, the hard way

Weather: Sunny, mild. 60s. Gear: FR2s, shorts, T. Fuel: Post breakfast. Ate granola bar, two Gu, 2 endurolytes before, 2 during. Carried water in Camelbak.

This was a challenging run. First, because I had to cram in a long run on a school day with a 2-hour late start; Second, because I rolled my ankle about a 3/10 of a mile in. It hurt like hell, and it felt like a total catastrophe... until the initial pain subsided and I realized I could walk on it.

Okay, then... I said to myself, let's see what happens.

What happened is I took a left turn where I took a right last week and climbed directly up the biggest hill of the entire 30-mile Wildwood Trail. I mixed uphill running with power hiking, and I could feel my ankle doing okay. I crested the hill, went a little bit farther down the other side, came back up and down to that original fork in the trail. Then I headed out four miles, turned around and came back. The total distance was about 13.72 miles. The elevation gain is anybody's guess (certainly not the 6,000-feet the Garmin says) but definitely more than 1,000 feet.

Feet and ankles were starting to hurt toward the end. (I'm looking forward to trying this in something other than Frees). Unfortunately, the most technically challenging part of the trail is the very start and end, with lots of knobby rocks and dappled sunlight just trying to screw you up.

I survived, though, and ended up with 3 hours of running. Not bad for a Monday.

The map and elevation chart. The numbers are off, but the profile is right.



I made it home in time to jump in the shower, stuff down a bean burrito and still meet Alec at the bus stop. Success!

But wow, am I pooped!

Some nice hills there, Mark. Soon I'm going to be turning to see you right on my heels on K2...

And post-run bean burrito sounds SO FRIGGIN' GOOD right now.

Mike MacLellan wrote:Some nice hills there, Mark. Soon I'm going to be turning to see you right on my heels on K2...

And post-run bean burrito sounds SO FRIGGIN' GOOD right now.

Hm. I'd keep my eyes on the trail in front of me, if I were you. It's getting easier, but I'm still blown away at how fast some other runners are navigating those trails. It rained a little a day or so ago, so the dirt was dark, and it was a lot more difficult spotting the incoming rock knobs. I don't think I ever concentrated so hard on footing as I did yesterday.

Oh, and that ankle roll? While it happened in a rocky section, it wasn't because of bad footing. I actually saw it happen. My foot went forward, twisted IN THE AIR of its own accord and then touched down on the edge, which made an ankle roll inevitable. (What. Is. Up. With. That?) There was nanosecond when I was able to fully contemplate my fate but not do anything about it. Scary.

I'm a little sore this morning, but not horribly so; maybe I can chalk this one up to experience. At any rate, I know I need to be far more paranoid about foot strike than I ever thought.

Mark B wrote:
Oh, and that ankle roll? While it happened in a rocky section, it wasn't because of bad footing. I actually saw it happen. My foot went forward, twisted IN THE AIR of its own accord and then touched down on the edge, which made an ankle roll inevitable. (What. Is. Up. With. That?) There was nanosecond when I was able to fully contemplate my fate but not do anything about it. Scary.

I've done that before. At the time I thought it was because I was fatigued even though I agree that it isn't normal. I used to have a lot of problems rolling my ankles on the trails until I started doing ankle specific strengthening. Balancing and working a wobble board back and forth at different angles. Tecumseh is right around the corner. Are you getting excited yet? I am!

T Miller wrote:

Mark B wrote:
Oh, and that ankle roll? While it happened in a rocky section, it wasn't because of bad footing. I actually saw it happen. My foot went forward, twisted IN THE AIR of its own accord and then touched down on the edge, which made an ankle roll inevitable. (What. Is. Up. With. That?) There was nanosecond when I was able to fully contemplate my fate but not do anything about it. Scary.

I've done that before. At the time I thought it was because I was fatigued even though I agree that it isn't normal. I used to have a lot of problems rolling my ankles on the trails until I started doing ankle specific strengthening. Balancing and working a wobble board back and forth at different angles. Tecumseh is right around the corner. Are you getting excited yet? I am!

I don't have a wobble board, but I practice standing on one foot, stork-style. Not as dynamic, but it probably helps. I could see how a wobble board or bosu could help a lot in that area.

I'm getting a little nervous about Tecumseh, actually. I need to build up these weekend runs, pronto! Thanks to my ankle sprain earlier this summer, I'm barely up to 14 miles.

You'll be fine - Tecumseh isn't until December. As for navigating the trails, I'm not nearly the trail runner that I was in my late 20s/early 30s - some of that fear comes with age, I'm afraid.

Mark B wrote:It's getting easier, but I'm still blown away at how fast some other runners are navigating those trails.

+1. The guy I ran with on Saturday, while much slower than me on the flats and just about even going uphill (until ~2hrs in, then he slowed down), absolutely demolished me going downhill. I was taking some HUGE risks to keep up with him and was still getting gapped. Craziness.

I hope your feet and ankles heal and you can keep safely building up mileage before Tecumseh. I know it's important for everyone to work on balance, and I'm not saying you're old, it's just a fact that people fall and balance is something we neglect.

Julie wrote:I hope your feet and ankles heal and you can keep safely building up mileage before Tecumseh. I know it's important for everyone to work on balance, and I'm not saying you're old, it's just a fact that people fall and balance is something we neglect.

I'm glad Julie isn't saying you are old. Cuz if you're old, then I'm ancient.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:You'll be fine - Tecumseh isn't until December. As for navigating the trails, I'm not nearly the trail runner that I was in my late 20s/early 30s - some of that fear comes with age, I'm afraid.

Hi Michele! I've been looking at the calendar, and it looks like there's time to get in maybe two 20-milers between now and then, and maybe more, depending on how my body reacts.

As for the caution of age (or, the full development of the prefrontal cortex), I think a little caution/fear is a good thing, if it shifts more mind into sharper focus and spurs you to run mindfully. The days of cruising along in a sort of self-hypnosis are over. I started taking gels yesterday just to keep my focus sharp. Now I know why all those extreme sports kids down Mountain Dew!

I think it's telling that the last two times I rolled my ankle, I had just started my run. Clearly, I need to get my head in the game right away.

Mike MacLellan wrote:

Mark B wrote:It's getting easier, but I'm still blown away at how fast some other runners are navigating those trails.

+1. The guy I ran with on Saturday, while much slower than me on the flats and just about even going uphill (until ~2hrs in, then he slowed down), absolutely demolished me going downhill. I was taking some HUGE risks to keep up with him and was still getting gapped. Craziness.

I guess that comes with practice. I think confidence plays a huge role (as does ankle strength and proprioception) in the ability to fly downhill. Give it time, and he won't gap you any more.

Julie wrote:I hope your feet and ankles heal and you can keep safely building up mileage before Tecumseh. I know it's important for everyone to work on balance, and I'm not saying you're old, it's just a fact that people fall and balance is something we neglect.

So what are you saying, Julie, that I need to get one of those LifeAlert systems for my runs? "Help! I've fallen 5 miles up the hill, and I can't get up!"

You're right, though. Road running doesn't require much in the way of balance. When I go back to the roads, I get so locked into repetitive motion that it feels like even swerving from the road to the shoulder is risky... but on the trails, I'm slaloming all over the place. It may be more risky, but it's a lot more fun.

KathyK wrote:

Julie wrote:I hope your feet and ankles heal and you can keep safely building up mileage before Tecumseh. I know it's important for everyone to work on balance, and I'm not saying you're old, it's just a fact that people fall and balance is something we neglect.

I'm glad Julie isn't saying you are old. Cuz if you're old, then I'm ancient.

"Youth is wasted on the young."
-George Bernard Shaw

No, no, no, you're not old. But I have heard this from my mom about people needing to work on balance (probably especially since she works in a nursing home where people fall all the time!)


For all my nursing home working years, you have to be at least 86 to be old in my mind. My grandma is 85 and doesn't seem old.

Julie wrote:No, no, no, you're not old. But I have heard this from my mom about people needing to work on balance (probably especially since she works in a nursing home where people fall all the time!)


For all my nursing home working years, you have to be at least 86 to be old in my mind. My grandma is 85 and doesn't seem old.

Heh. Don't worry. I'm not offended. Though I must note that putting a denial that somebody is old in the same paragraph as a reference to people in a nursing home where people fall all the time might send an, er, mixed message.



One weird extra thought: Some of my trail running friends nearly brag about the amount of skin they've left on the ground after taking a tumble (or two, or three) during a run. I have never fallen on a trail, though a couple of roots and rocks have sent me flying... but I always land on my feet. Now, if I could just learn to land on the BOTTOM of my feet, I'll be golden.

I've fallen a few times in my 20's but yeah I shouldn't have brought up the nursing home resident thing.

There really is an art to falling. We had to practice two classes when I took ice skating as a PE class in college. That might have helped me this summer when I tripped on the sidewalk running. Who knows.

Easy run: About 3.5 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, mild, muggy. 58 degrees, 90% humidity. Gear: FR2s, shorts, T. Fuel: Cereal, rice milk, toast and coffee about an hour before. Carried no water.

This was a recovery run after Monday's long run. The feet and legs were reluctant to go at first and didn't loosen up that much, but that may have been because I was distracted by gastric problems. Slosh! Slosh! Slosh! Yipes. I also was seriously pressed for time. It looks like I'm not going to be able to cram a pre-work run on days like this unless I go back to the predawn patrol.

There was about 131 feet of climbing, which is pretty much the minimum I can do around my house unless I drive to the track.

Julie wrote:I've fallen a few times in my 20's but yeah I shouldn't have brought up the nursing home resident thing.

There really is an art to falling. We had to practice two classes when I took ice skating as a PE class in college. That might have helped me this summer when I tripped on the sidewalk running. Who knows.

I've studied karate and was a downhill skier (back when it was more affordable), so that might help me maintain my center of gravity. I've caught my toe on a few things (including the rail on a treadmill) but I seem to make what feels like a spectacular midair correction and end up on my feet. It doesn't feel very graceful, though, and I'm sure it looks even less so.