Breaking Away

Mark B wrote:

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.

But if you end up on your feet, it really doesn't matter how graceful it may or may not look...my bet is that it's still more graceful than being sprawled on the ground.

KathyK wrote:

Mark B wrote:

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.

But if you end up on your feet, it really doesn't matter how graceful it may or may not look...my bet is that it's still more graceful than being sprawled on the ground.

That's true, I suppose. But just imagine what sort of contorted body they'll find if I actually do end up face-planting someday? I'm thinking it'll look something like that ski jumper in the "Agony of defeat" part of the intro to ABC's Wide World of Sports.



Yes, kids. This was in the days before ESPN.

Wow, my little trip down memory lane put absolutely EVERYBODY to sleep..



What with just about everybody else in the midst of taper madness, that's amazing.

Anyway, maybe this will spice things up. I got new wheels today!



Okay, so technically, they're not wheels.

But what they are, are pretty cool. They're Saucony Peregrine trail shoes. The have a 4 mm drop, decent protection, wild traction... and best of all, they fit my feet. Which is nice, because I had a devil of a time finding anything that didn't have a ton of blister-causing excess room. A sloppy fit in a trail shoe is a very bad thing, indeed.

It'll be fun to put these bad boys to the test.

Speaking about putting something to the test, check out this 1,000 frames per second video of Kilian Journet (click HERE, this site doesn't support Vimeo) having some fun in some incredibly wild conditions.

Mark B wrote:Speaking about putting something to the test, check out this 1,000 frames per second video of Kilian Journet (click HERE, this site doesn't support Vimeo) having some fun in some incredibly wild conditions.

Holy crap. I broke out into a nervous sweat just watching this guy. Amazing!

And I enjoyed the trip down memory lane...I watched 'Wide World of Sports' all the time back in the olden days, and always cringed during 'the agony of defeat'.

Enjoy your new kicks! I alternate between my Free Runs and my Kinvaras. They are both provide a different ride, but I like them both equally.

Now THAT guy climbs some mountains. Spent some time watching the other videos with him... Man. That'd be fun. For about a mile.

KathyK wrote:

Mark B wrote:Speaking about putting something to the test, check out this 1,000 frames per second video of Kilian Journet (click HERE, this site doesn't support Vimeo) having some fun in some incredibly wild conditions.

Holy crap. I broke out into a nervous sweat just watching this guy. Amazing!

And I enjoyed the trip down memory lane...I watched 'Wide World of Sports' all the time back in the olden days, and always cringed during 'the agony of defeat'.

Enjoy your new kicks! I alternate between my Free Runs and my Kinvaras. They are both provide a different ride, but I like them both equally.

Hey, Kathy! I still miss Wide World of Sports. I liked how they covered events that wouldn't normally get attention in the U.S. market, but alas, that sort of programming was flattened by the juggernaut of 24-hour cable TV. Now we get hours of reruns of "classic" SEC football games, endless chatter about back office dealings and breathless coverage of poker tournaments. *Sigh* Were's Jim McKay when we need him?

What also blows me away about that video is that there had be be someone carrying a camera on a steadicam rig, following him step-by-step over some of the precipices, managing to keep himself upright and his subject in the frame. Astounding.

If it were me with the camera, all you'd see are alternating views of sky, dirt, sky, dirt, sky, dirt and sky as I tumbled down the mountain after him.

Mike MacLellan wrote:Now THAT guy climbs some mountains. Spent some time watching the other videos with him... Man. That'd be fun. For about a mile.

I know, Mike, Can you believe it? Forget trails or switch-backs, this guy simply points his feet straight up (or down) the steepest section of a mountain and just goes. And going up or down, he's running. Dang! No wonder he won Western States and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc this year. He's incredibly strong.

I try to imagine bounding down slopes like that and I swear I can feel exactly where my tibia would snap.

Those shoes look very interesting to me. If they fit like the Kinvara and have a smilar weight that would be great. I have some trail shoes I really like other than the fact that they are just over 10 ounces. I am surprised you have to get them in a size that is as big as the store.

Jim Lentz wrote:Those shoes look very interesting to me. If they fit like the Kinvara and have a smilar weight that would be great. I have some trail shoes I really like other than the fact that they are just over 10 ounces. I am surprised you have to get them in a size that is as big as the store.

LOL, Jim! Thankfully, my feet aren't THAT big!

Saucony says the Peregrine is built on the same foot-form as the Kinvara, with a 4 mm heel-to-toe drop. They weigh in at 9.1 ounces, according to the company, though my kitchen scale says my shoes (size 10.5) is in the 10- to 11-ounce range. Still, for trail shoes with some protection, that's pretty light.

Sure, my Free 3.0s weigh just under 8 ounces, but they were not up to the task when I did a trail race in rugged conditions this June. I'm hoping the trade-off of weight for protection is worth it.

Thanks for the info, Mark. I thought they looked an awful lot like the Kinvara. I bought a pair of the Free 3.0 V3 and ran in them today.

Jim Lentz wrote:Thanks for the info, Mark. I thought they looked an awful lot like the Kinvara. I bought a pair of the Free 3.0 V3 and ran in them today.

How'd the v3s work for you? They look pretty similar to the v2s.

Mark B wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:Thanks for the info, Mark. I thought they looked an awful lot like the Kinvara. I bought a pair of the Free 3.0 V3 and ran in them today.

How'd the v3s work for you? They look pretty similar to the v2s.

I did 8 in them today and will likely try 12 tomorrow. They felt good and I may even do Chicago in them. It all depends how the shoes provided for pacing feel to me. I don't think they would care if I run in the Frees since they are still Nike shoes.

Jim Lentz wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:Thanks for the info, Mark. I thought they looked an awful lot like the Kinvara. I bought a pair of the Free 3.0 V3 and ran in them today.

How'd the v3s work for you? They look pretty similar to the v2s.

I did 8 in them today and will likely try 12 tomorrow. They felt good and I may even do Chicago in them. It all depends how the shoes provided for pacing feel to me. I don't think they would care if I run in the Frees since they are still Nike shoes.

I think they'd probably be fine with the Frees. Good luck on the pacing duties. Good pacers can be a marathoner's best friend.

Trail Run: 50 minutes (About 3.3 miles, if my Garmin is to be trusted)

Weather: Sunny and warm 72-76 degrees, 67% humidity. Gear: Saucony Peregrines, shorts, T. Fuel: Cereal, rice milk and coffee, homemade iskate. Carried water in Camebak. Two Endurolytes before.

I'd planned to run longer today but got distracted as I was getting ready. Probably just as well, given that I'm still a little sore after runs earlier this week. I headed out to an undeveloped park near my house that was giant mud bog earlier this summer. I'd just got my Peregrines yesterday and I wanted to take them for a spin. I figured slipping-and-sliding would be kind of fun.

As it turned out, the trail was in much better shape today. No bogs. My biggest challenge was dodging horse apples and brushing cobwebs out of my face. (Yes, I fancied myself a much older Kilian Journet as I dodged the poo. )

Still, it was a beautiful day, and it's nice to see that this option is still available for me. The fact that it's only a few minutes from home helps, too.

And yes, I did try to make iskate (that's the Tarahumara mix of chia seeds, water and lime juice). I must have a) not let the seeds soak long enough and b) put in too much lime juice because it was pretty nasty tasting. As for some huge mystical energy boost... well... I'm still waiting. Maybe I need to find a recipe.

Here's the course. The distance is pretty close... the elevation gain? Well, hard to say. It was pretty hilly in there.



The shoes felt fine. Very grippy but not heavy. I think it'll take me a little while to get used to the less-flexible sole, though.

Here are a few photos from the run:

Nice run, Mark. Here is a link for the recipe. Cool pictures!

Jim Lentz wrote:Nice run, Mark. Here is a link for the recipe. Cool pictures!

Thanks, Jim. I think I overdid the lime juice and totally neglected the sweetener. There was a bit of puckering involved when I tried to slurp it down.

Mark B wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:Nice run, Mark. Here is a link for the recipe. Cool pictures!

Thanks, Jim. I think I overdid the lime juice and totally neglected the sweetener. There was a bit of puckering involved when I tried to slurp it down.

This just in from the chia kitchen... success! Well, mostly.

10 ounces cold water
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 teaspoons powdered Gatorade mix (lemon lime)

I stirred the chia seeds into the water and let them soak for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Since the lime juice experiment went so poorly and I didn't have any honey, I tried some powdered Gatorade mix. I stirred in just enough to give it a pleasant (and only slightly artificial) taste, which for me worked out to 2 teaspoons.

Alita tried it and liked it, too. She said it reminded her a little of that bubble tea concoction that they sell.

I'll have to see what I can do with more natural flavor enhancers.

Mark B wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:Nice run, Mark. Here is a link for the recipe. Cool pictures!

Thanks, Jim. I think I overdid the lime juice and totally neglected the sweetener. There was a bit of puckering involved when I tried to slurp it down.

This just in from the chia kitchen... success! Well, mostly.

10 ounces cold water
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 teaspoons powdered Gatorade mix (lemon lime)

I stirred the chia seeds into the water and let them soak for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Since the lime juice experiment went so poorly and I didn't have any honey, I tried some powdered Gatorade mix. I stirred in just enough to give it a pleasant (and only slightly artificial) taste, which for me worked out to 2 teaspoons.

Alita tried it and liked it, too. She said it reminded her a little of that bubble tea concoction that they sell.

I'll have to see what I can do with more natural flavor enhancers.

The stuff can look gross, but tastes pretty good.

Trail Run: 15.7 miles

Weather: Overcast, threatened rain but never did, 58-66 degrees. Gear: Peregrines, shorts, T, hat, carried jacket. Fuel: Cereal w/rice milk, coffee, also chia fresca* before. Gu, granola bars, nuun on trail. Endurolytes before, every hour after.

I took a slightly different route on my trail run, pressing into unexplored territory before turning back. The shoes held up well, and I was delighted when I hit the rocky technical spot with dead legs in the last mile and was able to easily navigate what last week felt like torture. Woot!

But wow, are my legs dead. Glad I turned around when I did!

Here's the map and elevation profile. Ignore the estimated altitude change, though the profile is pretty accurate.



*Modified recipe: 10 ounces water, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 3/4 scoop of Gatorade. Pretty tasty.

Very nice trail run, Mark!

Jim Lentz wrote:Very nice trail run, Mark!

Hi Jim! Thanks. I was feeling it on that long downhill stretch, but that's kind of the point, isn't it?

One other interesting note. I seemed to have found a new mantra while I'm out there on the trails (and no, it's not "Pay attention, you knuclehead!").

It's "relax."

Keeping loose makes is so much easier to roll up and down the hills and deal with the in-trail obstacles as they arise. Once I tense up, it gets significantly more difficult. So I breathe, tell myself "relax..." and things start to flow again. Cool.

Recovery Run: About 4 miles

Weather: Clear, coolish, a breeze. 55-60 degrees. Gear: FR2s, shorts, T. Fuel: Cereal, rice milk and coffee for breakfast. Had "Chiarade" before, and two Endurolytes. Tried a Gu during the run.

Whew! That long trail run on Monday took a lot out of me. My legs were d-e-a-d this morning when I went out for one of those go-easy-as-far-as-you-feel runs, thinking I'd make it out to the llamas. I didn't even come close. I hit the two-mile mark and knew I needed to pull a U-turn. I ended up walking part of the way back, and even tried taking a Gu to see if it could spark some energy. Not so much. (And as far as chia's mystical energy-giving properties go, let's say I remain a skeptic.)

This has happened to me on a few of these first road runs after a big trail effort. I'm noticing that my gait feels totally different and odd on pavement, which suggests to me that I'm adapting to the more midfoot strike. Maybe I need to strap a Garmin on for one of these efforts, too. There's a chance that I might be going a lot faster than I should when I'm starting these road runs and just getting tired. Hard to tell.

I'll mostly rest tomorrow, except for some lab testing at Nike that'll essentially be a series of very short stride-outs, then I'll see how it goes Friday. I'm still trying to rejigger my schedule to move the long trail runs to Monday.

Strideouts: 30 x 50 feet @ about a 7/mi pace

Today is essentially a rest day, but I took advantage of an invitation to visit the Nike Sports Research Lab for another set of short repeats on their indoor track.

I ended up marked up with a Sharpie and festooned with magnets and reflectors as they studied -- well, actually, they never tell WHAT they're looking for, exactly. They only say they want to observe how a person's biomechanics change with different shoe conditions.

With me, at least, they also get the chance to be amused by watching runners try to maintain the proper cadence and speed while the world changes under their feet. These so-called "transition issues" can get pretty comical. After one shoe change this morning, everything went bass-ackwards and I ended up aborting the attempt because I knew I'd be landing on the wrong foot in the target zone.

It's been worse, though. One time when I was testing minimalist shoes, I actually forgot how to run for a second.

I could tell that I've been doing a lot of hill work and trail work lately... I had a devil of a time slowing down enough to hit the target time. My legs wanted to go sproing!-sproing!-sproing! once I was on something nice and flat and smooth.

Hey Mark like your pictures above.

Also what program are using to download the map and elevation of your runs? I like the way the second one shows the Topo, that second run looked like it was one hell of a run.

Mark B wrote:Speaking about putting something to the test, check out this 1,000 frames per second video of Kilian Journet (click HERE, this site doesn't support Vimeo) having some fun in some incredibly wild conditions.

This video was cool. Kilian is a stud!