Building A Better Bumblebee

Mark B wrote:Birthday Shoes Run: 5,300 meters (3.29 miles)

Weather: Overcast, scattered light rain. 53° Gear: Bare feet, shorts, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat.

Out to celebrate my birthday with my traditional "birthday shoes" run. I didn't want to take the time to do 5.3 miles (and I don't think my bare feet are up to that distance), so I opted for 5.3 kilometers. I even switched my Garmin over to metric to make sure I got it just right! It was drizzly much of the time, but the temperature played along and rose to 53 degrees while I was out there.

I love it when a plan comes together.

The run itself was good. I didn't do it low HR style, but by feel. My legs wanted to go in the low to mid-10s, so I obliged.

Average HR: 146. Max: 158 (I think that was a strap error)

Nice birthday tradition...sounds like it was a fun run.

Hope you took the time for some additional birthday celebration time with family...

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Birthday Shoes Run: 5,300 meters (3.29 miles)

Weather: Overcast, scattered light rain. 53° Gear: Bare feet, shorts, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat.

Out to celebrate my birthday with my traditional "birthday shoes" run. I didn't want to take the time to do 5.3 miles (and I don't think my bare feet are up to that distance), so I opted for 5.3 kilometers. I even switched my Garmin over to metric to make sure I got it just right! It was drizzly much of the time, but the temperature played along and rose to 53 degrees while I was out there.

I love it when a plan comes together.

The run itself was good. I didn't do it low HR style, but by feel. My legs wanted to go in the low to mid-10s, so I obliged.

Average HR: 146. Max: 158 (I think that was a strap error)

Nice birthday tradition...sounds like it was a fun run.

Hope you took the time for some additional birthday celebration time with family...

Thanks, Nancy! It was fun, and a nice way to remind folks about the possibilities of barefoot running. (Or remind them how goofy I am...)

Yes, I went out for a nice walk in the rain with Alita, whose broken fifth metatarsal is knitting nicely but is still 6-8 weeks from running.

We also made chili colorado in our crock pot (yum!) and had a tasty dessert afterward. A nice low-key birthday.

Sounds like a good birthday to me.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Sounds like a good birthday to me.

Very good! Thanks.

Trail Run: 3.68 miles (ish)

Weather: Overcast, cool, damp. 52° Gear: Lone Peaks, shorts, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat.

Back to the local forest, but this time with a different plan. I wanted to run what I'm calling the "Five Gates Circuit" -- which takes you to each of the park's entrances. Not all of them have gates, but hey..

It's a good route because it has a lot of climbs out from the stream level of the park up to the entrances. I ran almost all the way, except for one larger hill that required a bit of walking to keep from spiking my HR too much. Still, I was working a bit more than usual for a lot of the run, trying to practice recharging on the downhill stretches. It worked pretty well.

We're ending the rainiest October on record here in Vancouver, but the trails in the woods are still quite passable. A local park user volunteer group and the Washington Trails Association has done some amazing work over the past couple of years establishing some nice all-weather trails. No more shoe-sucking bogs! At least, if you stay on the main trails.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 139. Max HR 164.

XT: Core and Calves

12-10-8 of:
-Modified side-leg lifts.
-Double-leg bridge "marching" while keeping pelvis steady.
-Single-leg bridge dip, each side.
-Supine leg lift, keeping TA engaged and pelvis aligned
-Prone leg lift, same as above
-Half-squat using theraband around knees.
-Side-step using theraband around knees.
-Ankle flexion using theraband.
-Double-leg heel raises.
-Single-leg heel raises.

Standing Psoas stretches. (5-6 x 10 seconds left side, a few less on right side)

(Ooof. I passed on the single-leg squats today. My legs felt too wobbly for them.)

Walk: 2 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild. 59°

Feeling fatigued, but I went out anyway for an easy walk at lunch. I made it shorter than usual, though, and kept it easy.

Seems like it'd be unwise to push it at this point.

Mark B wrote:Walk: 2 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild. 59°

Feeling fatigued, but I went out anyway for an easy walk at lunch. I made it shorter than usual, though, and kept it easy.

Seems like it'd be unwise to push it at this point.

 Hope the fatigue is related to the jump back into training and not some sort of bug!!  Either way an easy walk was probably a good choice.  We've got some nicer weather in the forecast.  Hope you're feeling energetic enough to enjoy it.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 2 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild. 59°

Feeling fatigued, but I went out anyway for an easy walk at lunch. I made it shorter than usual, though, and kept it easy.

Seems like it'd be unwise to push it at this point.

 Hope the fatigue is related to the jump back into training and not some sort of bug!!  Either way an easy walk was probably a good choice.  We've got some nicer weather in the forecast.  Hope you're feeling energetic enough to enjoy it.

Well, I skipped today (missing out on some beautiful weather), but I'm planning on getting out there tomorrow.

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 2 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild. 59°

Feeling fatigued, but I went out anyway for an easy walk at lunch. I made it shorter than usual, though, and kept it easy.

Seems like it'd be unwise to push it at this point.

 Hope the fatigue is related to the jump back into training and not some sort of bug!!  Either way an easy walk was probably a good choice.  We've got some nicer weather in the forecast.  Hope you're feeling energetic enough to enjoy it.

Well, I skipped today (missing out on some beautiful weather), but I'm planning on getting out there tomorrow.

Better get out there early...we have rain in the forecast later in the day!

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 2 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild. 59°

Feeling fatigued, but I went out anyway for an easy walk at lunch. I made it shorter than usual, though, and kept it easy.

Seems like it'd be unwise to push it at this point.

 Hope the fatigue is related to the jump back into training and not some sort of bug!!  Either way an easy walk was probably a good choice.  We've got some nicer weather in the forecast.  Hope you're feeling energetic enough to enjoy it.

Well, I skipped today (missing out on some beautiful weather), but I'm planning on getting out there tomorrow.

Better get out there early...we have rain in the forecast later in the day!

Or... not.

I went back to bed after dropping Alec off at school at 6:30 a.m., and finally got moving (slowly) several hours later... just in time for Alec to text me saying he was sick at school and need to come home. Derp. 

I have a headache now that ibuprofen isn't touching, so I'm thinking I'm fighting off the same thing. Whee!

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 2 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild. 59°

Feeling fatigued, but I went out anyway for an easy walk at lunch. I made it shorter than usual, though, and kept it easy.

Seems like it'd be unwise to push it at this point.

 Hope the fatigue is related to the jump back into training and not some sort of bug!!  Either way an easy walk was probably a good choice.  We've got some nicer weather in the forecast.  Hope you're feeling energetic enough to enjoy it.

Well, I skipped today (missing out on some beautiful weather), but I'm planning on getting out there tomorrow.

Better get out there early...we have rain in the forecast later in the day!

Or... not.

I went back to bed after dropping Alec off at school at 6:30 a.m., and finally got moving (slowly) several hours later... just in time for Alec to text me saying he was sick at school and need to come home. Derp. 

I have a headache now that ibuprofen isn't touching, so I'm thinking I'm fighting off the same thing. Whee!

That doesn't sound good at all!  Hope you and Alec fare better than Alita did!!

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 2 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild. 59°

Feeling fatigued, but I went out anyway for an easy walk at lunch. I made it shorter than usual, though, and kept it easy.

Seems like it'd be unwise to push it at this point.

 Hope the fatigue is related to the jump back into training and not some sort of bug!!  Either way an easy walk was probably a good choice.  We've got some nicer weather in the forecast.  Hope you're feeling energetic enough to enjoy it.

Well, I skipped today (missing out on some beautiful weather), but I'm planning on getting out there tomorrow.

Better get out there early...we have rain in the forecast later in the day!

Or... not.

I went back to bed after dropping Alec off at school at 6:30 a.m., and finally got moving (slowly) several hours later... just in time for Alec to text me saying he was sick at school and need to come home. Derp. 

I have a headache now that ibuprofen isn't touching, so I'm thinking I'm fighting off the same thing. Whee!

That doesn't sound good at all!  Hope you and Alec fare better than Alita did!!

It looks like we did. Alec had a low-grade fever, headache and a run-down feeling, so he laid low this weekend. It seems to have passed now. I had a headache off and on but no other symptoms other than being a little more tired than usual. The doctor did ask him to come in Friday and they diagnosed a viral infection.

Oops. Forgot to post a walk from yesterday, so I'll do a twofer this morning.

Sunday Walk: 3.1 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, mild. About 60 degrees. Gear: Altra Instincts

It was a nice, dry afternoon, so Alita and I decided to go for a walk. It was her longest since breaking her foot (and spraining her ankle), and it was good to see that she isn't limping any more from the sprain. The break hasn't really bothered her at all, but she's being good knowing that the bone is still knitting itself back together again.


---

Low HR Run: 4.21 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, mild. 61° (In November?!) Gear: Topos, shorts, T.

Opted for the roads today, on the hunch that I need to work on rebuilding my aerobic capacity -- which benefits from lower-intensity continuous runs. I need to get that base going again if I hope to help Alita get to where she wants to be next year.

The effort level felt higher even though I did a passable job of keeping my HR down. The falloff between miles was pretty spectacular, which proved point. I'd thought about doing more, but I"m now confident that this was the right amount for right now.

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

Good to hear that you and Alec survived the bug with only minor symptoms...

And even better to hear that you...and Alita...are both back out walking/running again.  It's beautiful weather on this side of the mountain.  I assume you're enjoying a bit of the same over there.

nkrichards wrote:Good to hear that you and Alec survived the bug with only minor symptoms...

And even better to hear that you...and Alita...are both back out walking/running again.  It's beautiful weather on this side of the mountain.  I assume you're enjoying a bit of the same over there.

I'm trying to take advantage of it when I can. 

To wit:


Walk: 2.2 miles

Weather: Mostly cloudy, mild. 62°

Out for a walk at lunch, taking advantage of some dry weather. I kept it easy and tried to relax a bit. I'm sporting a few aches and pains after wrestling a frog-clogged pump out of our water feature a couple of days ago. Icky.

The walk went well. Glad I didn't try to push it out farther.

Barefoot Run: 3.1 miles on dry asphalt

Weather: Sunny, mild. 61° Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T.

Felt a little off this morning, so I opted to do some barefoot laps around the block. I figured it'd be good ground myself while staying close enough to home to be able to pull the plug if my body objected too much.

The first mile was a little less comfortable, but I warmed up. I tried to keep my HR in check, with some success early on, but my legs were locked into a pace that didn't want to slow down. Oh well.

The run felt good, and the distance felt right for where I am right now. Just trying to put the pieces back together.

Average HR for entire run: 141

I'm headed to Atlanta for the winter - can you send a little rain?  I understand that Texas is claiming it all and the rest of the SE hasn't had much.  In fact, there are some significant wildfire in the No GA mountains and the sad part is that some may have been deliberately set.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I'm headed to Atlanta for the winter - can you send a little rain?  I understand that Texas is claiming it all and the rest of the SE hasn't had much.  In fact, there are some significant wildfire in the No GA mountains and the sad part is that some may have been deliberately set.

Yipes! I was just seeing something to that effect. Yes, I'll be happy to try to send rain your way.

Unfortunately, I think we're looking at a La Niña this year, which means wet conditions up here and dry conditions to the south. But perhaps that'll be wrong.

Mark B wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I'm headed to Atlanta for the winter - can you send a little rain?  I understand that Texas is claiming it all and the rest of the SE hasn't had much.  In fact, there are some significant wildfire in the No GA mountains and the sad part is that some may have been deliberately set.

Yipes! I was just seeing something to that effect. Yes, I'll be happy to try to send rain your way.

Unfortunately, I think we're looking at a La Niña this year, which means wet conditions up here and dry conditions to the south. But perhaps that'll be wrong.

Don't do it, Mark!!!!  Atlanta has ice storms and she'll be too happy, except when she mentions how Georgia drivers can't drive worth a crap in it.

Otherwise, yes, we're about 14 inches to the good for the year, but short 7 since September 1.  I think the SE is supposed to be a bit colder for this winter.  It's a push for Texas.

Mark B wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I'm headed to Atlanta for the winter - can you send a little rain?  I understand that Texas is claiming it all and the rest of the SE hasn't had much.  In fact, there are some significant wildfire in the No GA mountains and the sad part is that some may have been deliberately set.

Yipes! I was just seeing something to that effect. Yes, I'll be happy to try to send rain your way.

Unfortunately, I think we're looking at a La Niña this year, which means wet conditions up here and dry conditions to the south. But perhaps that'll be wrong.

You can send the western Oregon/Washington rain to Atlanta but we're not sharing our Central Oregon rain.  We already have to share with the spotted frog and don't have any to spare!

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I'm headed to Atlanta for the winter - can you send a little rain?  I understand that Texas is claiming it all and the rest of the SE hasn't had much.  In fact, there are some significant wildfire in the No GA mountains and the sad part is that some may have been deliberately set.

Yipes! I was just seeing something to that effect. Yes, I'll be happy to try to send rain your way.

Unfortunately, I think we're looking at a La Niña this year, which means wet conditions up here and dry conditions to the south. But perhaps that'll be wrong.

Don't do it, Mark!!!!  Atlanta has ice storms and she'll be too happy, except when she mentions how Georgia drivers can't drive worth a crap in it.

Otherwise, yes, we're about 14 inches to the good for the year, but short 7 since September 1.  I think the SE is supposed to be a bit colder for this winter.  It's a push for Texas.

Oh, I don't know, Ounce. We have been getting an awful lot of rain this fall. We could spare some. 

I've seen some forecasters talking about a higher-than-usual chance of low elevation snow in my area after the beginning of the year. It'll be interesting to see if that plays out. We haven't had an extended freeze here for a couple of years. 

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I'm headed to Atlanta for the winter - can you send a little rain?  I understand that Texas is claiming it all and the rest of the SE hasn't had much.  In fact, there are some significant wildfire in the No GA mountains and the sad part is that some may have been deliberately set.

Yipes! I was just seeing something to that effect. Yes, I'll be happy to try to send rain your way.

Unfortunately, I think we're looking at a La Niña this year, which means wet conditions up here and dry conditions to the south. But perhaps that'll be wrong.

You can send the western Oregon/Washington rain to Atlanta but we're not sharing our Central Oregon rain.  We already have to share with the spotted frog and don't have any to spare!

I figured most of your Central Oregon irrigation water came from snowpack, but okay. We won't ship it all east. Sorry, Michele.

Trail Run: 4.01 miles

Weather: Overcast, a little misty. 55° Gear: Lone Peaks, shorts, T, jacket, hat. 

Back to the woods on a rainy morning. I managed to avoid any significant rainfall but got plenty wet from the knees down thanks to puddles and mud.

I've been scouting out routes within out local 300-acre wood, and this time was no different. I took a direct line from my normal parking area to hook up with a trail that loops on either side of a ridge. I wanted to gauge distance and relative difficulty. I ran the loop clockwise, turned around and ran it the other way. It got harder to keep my HR reined in as the run progressed, but that's fitness more than terrain.

The run worked out to almost exactly 4 miles by my Garmin (though GPS correction made it 4.29 on the map). I'm imaging this will be a go-to route once Alita and I start getting ready for our big adventures next year.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 130.

So, there's this thing I haven't mentioned yet.

Alita and I have signed up for a trail race. No, not the 12-hour loop-de-loop we're planning on doing in June. Another one.

One that has 3,000 feet of climbing in 15 miles.

It's called the Smith Rock Ascent. And it's in one of the coolest places in Central Oregon, Smith Rock State Park.



The race itself starts in the heart of the park but quickly heads up that cliff-like area you see on the right and then up quite a bit more to the summit of Gray Butte in the background, offering a great view of the region -- not to mention a whale of a workout. You get the 3,000 feet in the 7.5 miles up, with a downhill scamper on the way back.

Here's a view of the course:



And the elevation profile:


I have wanted to do this race for years and decided that I needed to stop putting it off. I asked Alita if she wanted to do it to, and she said yes. Then she looked at the elevation change, took a big gulp, and then asked what she needed to do to build her leg and knee strength. She's already started doing incline walks on the treadmill as her broken fifth metatarsal continues to knit.

It's put on by the same group that does the Mount Hood 50, so we know it's going to be a quality event. And coming a month or so before the 12-hour event, it'll make those loop-de-loops feel like running downhill.

Mark B wrote:So, there's this thing I haven't mentioned yet.

Alita and I have signed up for a trail race. No, not the 12-hour loop-de-loop we're planning on doing in June. Another one.

One that has 3,000 feet of climbing in 15 miles.

It's called the Smith Rock Ascent. And it's in one of the coolest places in Central Oregon, Smith Rock State Park.



The race itself starts in the heart of the park but quickly heads up that cliff-like area you see on the right and then up quite a bit more to the summit of Gray Butte in the background, offering a great view of the region -- not to mention a whale of a workout. You get the 3,000 feet in the 7.5 miles up, with a downhill scamper on the way back.

Here's a view of the course:



And the elevation profile:


I have wanted to do this race for years and decided that I needed to stop putting it off. I asked Alita if she wanted to do it to, and she said yes. Then she looked at the elevation change, took a big gulp, and then asked what she needed to do to build her leg and knee strength. She's already started doing incline walks on the treadmill as her broken fifth metatarsal continues to knit.

It's put on by the same group that does the Mount Hood 50, so we know it's going to be a quality event. And coming a month or so before the 12-hour event, it'll make those loop-de-loops feel like running downhill.

Yes, one of the coolest places in Central Oregon.  Let me know if you want a place to stay.  We have one end of the house set up for guests.  Two bedrooms...in case Alec comes along...and a full bath.  You are more than welcome to use it.  We're less than half an hours drive from the park.

I've been on most if not all of those trails.  I've hiked the 4 mile route numerous times.  Strained my hamstring while Boston training on the first few miles of the 15 mile route.  And most of the rest of the course...including the 50K course...I've seen from horseback.

Exciting to see Alita willing to accept the challenge.  Have you registered yet?