Stalking 50

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I wear those shoes while kayaking, but have never run in them. I got injured trying to go to the PureFlow shoe - can't imagine what running in the Vibrams would do!

Hey, Michele! I've heard that VFFs are a poor substitute for honest-to-goodness barefooting, but closer to the real thing than most other substitutes. Still, the barefoot gurus out there warn that the lack of skin-to-ground contact means you lose the best guide for when you're pushing yourself beyond your limits. Better to stop when you scuff up the soles of your feet than press on with even as few as 3 mm of protection and thrash your metatarsals, muscles and connective tissue by overdoing it.

If it sounds like I'm trying to talk myself out of dropping $75 on a set of VFFs, you might be correct.

Yes, it probably does sound like you are trying to talk yourself out of dropping the $$ on the Vibrams. Your inner cheapskate and your gut feeling are trying to tell you something.

KathyK wrote:Yes, it probably does sound like you are trying to talk yourself out of dropping the $$ on the Vibrams. Your inner cheapskate and your gut feeling are trying to tell you something.

Yeah. That I'm cheap.

(And maybe a purist at heart? Nah. Cheap.)

Nike Lab Testing/Form Drills: About 30 minutes

On the indoor track in the NRSL lab, running a couple of dozen repeats of about 20 meters at a fairly decent clip (they were essentially short-distance stride-outs), concentrating on a natural form while landing in the right place, with the proper foot, etc. Trickier than it sounds.

I tested a number of different conditions, festooned with reflectors, and jogged back to the start after each repeat to keep the muscles warm and rhythm constant.

It was a fun session. Got my feet scanned by a different type of scanner (news flash: my feet still look funny) and I even got to see a computer animation of exactly how my foot touches down when I run barefoot. Very educational.

I always enjoy hearing about your sessions with Nike!

So does every building at Nike need a new name?????

KathyK wrote:I always enjoy hearing about your sessions with Nike!

I'm glad! This one was more interesting than others. I had more than two dozen little reflective balls glued (yes, glued) to various joints and anatomical landmarks so the high-speed cameras could digitize exactly how different footwear conditions affected different points up the kinetic chain. I felt quite festive.

Normally, I don't get a chance to look at what the cameras record -- it would take too much time -- and the analyst stands behind a bunch of computers and tells me whether I need to run the next cycle faster, or starting with a different foot, etc. But when they had me do a few repeats with no shoes at all, I just had to take a peek.

What I saw was interesting. I saw that my forefoot landed *just* before my heel touches down, and my toes lower as the weight shifts forward. I couldn't tell if I was landing in front of my center of gravity or not, but it did appear that my leg was slightly in front of my hips when my foot first made contact. Enough to qualify as overstriding? I don't think so, but I couldn't tell for sure.

Still, it was an interesting session. Usually, the only guide to technique is what happens to the soles of your feet, so this gave me something to think about the next time I head out barefoot.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:So does every building at Nike need a new name?????

Not quite, thank goodness.

But there is no longer a Lance Armstrong Fitness Center... or a Joe Paterno Child Development Center.

Tiger, on the other hand, still has a building. I guess infidelity and general jackassedness isn't enough to get booted.

Mark B wrote:

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:So does every building at Nike need a new name?????

Not quite, thank goodness.

But there is no longer a Lance Armstrong Fitness Center... or a Joe Paterno Child Development Center.

Tiger, on the other hand, still has a building. I guess infidelity and general jackassedness isn't enough to get booted.

As Dan Patrick said this morning, "Tiger only hurt himself and proved to be a jerk. But he didn't hurt others."

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:So does every building at Nike need a new name?????

Not quite, thank goodness.

But there is no longer a Lance Armstrong Fitness Center... or a Joe Paterno Child Development Center.

Tiger, on the other hand, still has a building. I guess infidelity and general jackassedness isn't enough to get booted.

As Dan Patrick said this morning, "Tiger only hurt himself and proved to be a jerk. But he didn't hurt others."

And considering the (ahem) golf club incident, Tiger may have taken a few lumps already....

Low HR Run: 60 minutes (5.24 miles)

Weather: Sunny and chilly. Started at 34, warming to 38. Gear: Testers (last run in them); tights, long-sleeved T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves (shed). Fuel: Post breakfast, tried PB&honey snack before. Carried water.

It's been a stressful week - disease is running rampant at work, which took out my two colleagues on the metro desk, which has left me in charge of 18 reporters and clerks and trying to make sure the news gets covered, papers planned and stories edited on my own. So to say I'm a little amped up is an understatement. I was hoping that I could make this morning run - my last in these testers - a nice, stress-reducing cruise. Bzzt. No dice.

Whether it's adrenaline, the cold weather, or the fast running I did yesterday at Nike, my legs wanted to go a LOT faster than my body did. I kept catching my HR swinging above 145 and having to walk it down to 132, only to find that my mile splits weren't that slow, even with walking. Huh? I discovered why when I got back. I kept surging to the 9s and even 8s! Sheesh. So much for running by feel, eh?

Anyway, I got it done. My legs are sore and a day off will be welcome tomorrow.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR 135.

Icy Low HR Run: 6.64 slippery miles

Weather: Freezing fog. 28 degrees, 98% humidity, a breeze. Gear: Altra Instinct 1.5s, tights, pants, singlet, long-sleeved T, pullover, jacket, hat, heavier gloves (about right). Fuel: Grape Nuts with rice milk, coffee before run. Carried water.

My training partner arrived back home last night after a week in Cancun, so I relished the chance to get him out running in the fog-and-freeze-fest that has been Vancouver this past week. I kept freezing on my runs lately -- cold and superhumid is far more unpleasant than supercold and dry -- so I tried adding a layer of clothing and stepping up to a thicker set of gloves.

I worried that I'd be overdressed, but it turned out that it was just about perfect for the penetrating cold.

What I couldn't prepare for was the fact that the fog had frozen to the pavement, leaving large patches of black ice. We almost cancelled the run after 30 seconds (my street was particularly icy), but we found it got better. Still, we had to take it slow and easy, our chatting occasionally being interrupted by a "Whup! Whoa! Watch out!" We stayed upright, though, so that's a win.

I'll be glad when this inversion layer dissipates, though. It's sunny and warm in the hills (as in, the 50s to near 60), while we're stuck around the freezing mark down here in the foggy lowlands.

The slow pace worked well for me. It ended up being a very low HR run, and it gave me a chance to work on reacquainting myself with my Atra Instincts. After two months testing Nike prototypes, the zero drops were a bit of a change... but not so much as to create a problem. In fact, this may have been my most comfortable run in them yet. Very encouraging.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 128

Addendum: When I was out running, I noticed that the big toe on my right foot was FREEZING. Even in shoes, that cold penetrates. So when I got home, I wasn't entirely surprised when I looked down and saw.... this:



Maybe, just maybe, I ought to get some new socks...

Barefoot Run: 1 mile

Weather: Sunny and chilly. 40 degrees in the sun, 36 in the shade. Gear: Bare feet, sweat pants, warmish stuff up top.

Alec needed to run a mile to play WoW later this afternoon, and the fog burned off, so I decided to join him as he ran laps around the block. I wanted to see what my bare feet could handle with relatively dry pavement. I enjoyed the parts with the sun-warmed asphalt more than the stuff that'd been in shadow all day, that's for sure.

Verdict: 36-40 is doable, though my toes are pretty cold right now. I think it really is a matter of acclimatization.

Walk: 3.86 miles

Weather: Sunny and chilly. 40 degrees.

Had to work today (got to love a one-day weekend), so I took advantage of the lack of fog/ice to head out for a walk along the Columbia River. Tried to keep the speed up, but I was a little slower than last week. Still, pushed it hard enough to have to shed my coat and do most of the last half of the walk in shirtsleeves.

My goal is to do my long run tomorrow, which I get the second day of my weekend off.

Hope you are able to get your long run in, Mark.

I have to admit that I'm a whip these days, and don't venture outside to run. I get cold when I ready about you and others doing your runs outside. I understand what you mean about that bone-chilling humid cold. That's the kind we often get around here in the winter..and I HATE it.

KathyK wrote:Hope you are able to get your long run in, Mark.

I have to admit that I'm a whip these days, and don't venture outside to run. I get cold when I ready about you and others doing your runs outside. I understand what you mean about that bone-chilling humid cold. That's the kind we often get around here in the winter..and I HATE it.

Heh. I suspect you meant "wimp," right? Cuz otherwise, I am going to gain a whole new type of respect for you!

Got the run in. It was still a humid cold, but at least it wasn't foggy. I will post it up soon.

Long Run: 14.31 miles

Weather: Mostly cloudy, cold, humid. 26-35 degrees. Gear: Altras, tights, pants (shed after 2.3 miles), singlet, long-sleeved T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves. Fuel: Breakfast, then Grape Nuts before run. Took two Gu, one PB granola bar packet, drank water.

It was cold but clear when I was getting ready for my longest run in more than a year, but I was hopeful that the sun would warm me up. Except, of course, a cloud deck came in just as I walked out the door. Brr. I wore a pair of wind pants over my tights, and was glad for them in the first couple of miles, but was cursing them after that. I stripped the pants off in a porta-potty and crammed them in a too-small pocket on the back of my jacket. My legs were chilled the rest of the run, but that was better than roasting. The temperature rose from the mid-20s to about 35 by the time I finished.

I tried to run easy and relaxed this morning, as much as I could in the pretty but chilly conditions, and my splits were fairly consistent throughout -- in the mid-10s, usually -- though my HR was over my normal target range. Oh well. Things got a little more ragged in the last couple of miles, as I climbed out from the greenway on fatigued legs, but that's to be expected.

This run felt easier than last week's 12-miler. I think I hit a better groove and did a better job fueling. I am looking forward to the end of this temperature inversion, though. I'd never thought I'd say I'm looking forward to 44 degrees and raining... but at this point, that sounds positively tropical!

Not that it wasn't pretty out there this morning, mind you...



Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 139

Note: Guess what happened after I got home? Yup. The sun came back out. Sheesh.

Barefoot Run: 3.1 miles

Weather: Overcast, cold. 33 degrees, 85% humidity. Gear: Bare feet - and extreme bundling everywhere else. Fuel: Post-breakfast.

Even though I went long yesterday, Wednesday is my time for barefooting, so I bundled up everything but my feet and headed out in the 33-degree weather. They have forecast freezing rain today, but it hadn't arrived yet, so the pavement was cold but dry.

The run went pretty well, though my HR was way too high. I blame the run yesterday, as well as the 750 pounds of clothing I had on from the ankles up. I had on tights, pants, a singlet, long-sleeved T, pullover, jacket and fleece vest, heavier gloves and even a stocking cap! The idea behind it is to get the rest of the body so warm that blood gets shunted to the feet for cooling.

The result? After a cold first lap, my feet got nice and comfortable. My body was cooking, and I felt like the Michelin man, but it did what it was supposed to do! Nifty. I'm not sure this would work on 34-degree wet pavement, however.

Average HR for the entire run: 145 (told you I was cheating it, but I did two two of the miles sub-10...)

Mark B wrote:

KathyK wrote:Hope you are able to get your long run in, Mark.

I have to admit that I'm a whip these days, and don't venture outside to run. I get cold when I ready about you and others doing your runs outside. I understand what you mean about that bone-chilling humid cold. That's the kind we often get around here in the winter..and I HATE it.

Heh. I suspect you meant "wimp," right? Cuz otherwise, I am going to gain a whole new type of respect for you!

Got the run in. It was still a humid cold, but at least it wasn't foggy. I will post it up soon.

Whooops...yes, I meant WIMP. Although, my husband might think otherwise because I nag him to exercise at least 3 times a week....

Nice long run. And the cold barefoot run? You are a crazy man!

KathyK wrote:

Mark B wrote:

KathyK wrote:Hope you are able to get your long run in, Mark.

I have to admit that I'm a whip these days, and don't venture outside to run. I get cold when I ready about you and others doing your runs outside. I understand what you mean about that bone-chilling humid cold. That's the kind we often get around here in the winter..and I HATE it.

Heh. I suspect you meant "wimp," right? Cuz otherwise, I am going to gain a whole new type of respect for you!

Got the run in. It was still a humid cold, but at least it wasn't foggy. I will post it up soon.

Whooops...yes, I meant WIMP. Although, my husband might think otherwise because I nag him to exercise at least 3 times a week....

Nice long run. And the cold barefoot run? You are a crazy man!

Way to keep hubby on the move, Kathy! Remember: It's not nagging, either. Clearly, you love him so much you want to keep him around as long as possible! He should take it as the compliment it is and get up and move-move-move!

Thanks on the long run, and the crazy comment, too. One of my neighbor's college-age daughters walked out to her car as I was passing by. I swear I saw her shake her head as I padded by...

We didn't end up with freezing rain, but it was 35 and raining for much of the afternoon. I'm pretty sure that going barefoot in those sorts of conditions would be a whole lot less comfortable than on dry pavement. Cold is one thing. Wet and cold is something else entirely.

Low HR Run: 61 minutes (5.14 miles)

Weather: Chilly, foggy. 36 degrees, 98% humidity. Gear: Altras, tights, long-sleeved T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves. Fuel: After breakfast. Carried water.

After yesterday's run, with its higher HR, I aimed to make this run as easy and relaxing as possible. I tried to keep my HR at my target, and I had mixed results... though it was better than other runs lately. I think I'm still working out the adrenaline from a challenging week last week at work (still having palpitations) as well as getting used to running in these zero-drop shoes. I'm liking them more now than when I first tried them. Maybe my time in those Nike testers, building up some miles, was a good aid.

It was damp and chilly, but not horribly so. Nice to not have to worry about black ice.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 132

Low HR Run: 90 minutes (7.65 miles)

Weather: Cool and rainy. 42 degrees. Gear: Altras, tights, T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves (shed after warmed up). Fuel: Post breakfast, had piece of sourdough bread with chocolate peanut butter on it before. Mmm...

A weather system has finally scrubbed out the last traces of a persistent inversion layer, so I was able to enjoy the freshest air I've breathed in a couple of weeks this morning. Of course, it was raining, but still.

I resolved to make this a true low HR run, walking whenever my HR touched 143, and not starting until it dropped to 132. As a result, my mile splits weren't exactly speedy, but that's okay. I've got plenty of time.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 134.

Way to keep your HR in check.

I've got another friend out in the north west who has also been complaining about the inversion thing and looking forward to it being gone. Not sure I understand what that is. But I'm glad for y'all's sake that it'll be gone.

And YES, you're right...I do nag Jack because I love him. I want us to enjoy a nice long retirement together. We have the lot at the coast, a house plan chosen, targeting our boat....but all of that hinges on us BOTH being around to enjoy it all!

KathyK wrote:Way to keep your HR in check.

I've got another friend out in the north west who has also been complaining about the inversion thing and looking forward to it being gone. Not sure I understand what that is. But I'm glad for y'all's sake that it'll be gone.

And YES, you're right...I do nag Jack because I love him. I want us to enjoy a nice long retirement together. We have the lot at the coast, a house plan chosen, targeting our boat....but all of that hinges on us BOTH being around to enjoy it all!

You are exactly right about your nagging, er, loving reminders. I read somewhere that people who are married tend to live longer than those who are single, probably due to that nagging factor. Case in point: When my dad was 64, he was feeling generally run down and achy. His chest was sore, but he thought he'd tweaked a rib or chest muscle while fixing something up onto the roof. My stepmom pressed him to get checked out. Good thing he did: He had a 95% blockage of a coronary artery... the exact same thing that killed his dad at the age of... wait for it... 64.* He got an angioplasty and a stent, felt great, and lived for another 13 years or so. So nag away!

The inversion layer is hard to explain. Essentially what happens is, a bubble of cold air gets trapped close to the ground. Calm air conditions prevent it from dissipating. So all the warm air goes up, and the cold air pools down. We had days when it was below freezing here at 200 feet.. and about 60 degrees at 2,000 feet. It's crazy. They were skiing in shorts at Mount Hood, and we were freezing our butts off down here in the muck. Yuck.

So when I said I'd happily trade 44 and rain for 28 and fog? I wasn't kidding. I was a little cold at the start of my run, but it felt great after a couple of miles.

*-So you can probably see that I don't run only for the fun of it.

Glad to see your body is holding up to the increased training load, Mark. And suffering through below freezing temps... Have to admit the image of you "shedding your pants after a few miles" is probably being wildly misinterpreted by my brain.

Tell Alec it's all about DotA, not WoW.