Thursday, December 24, 2009

in a fog

wednessday 16 miles . . .

thursday 16 miles . . .
6 x strides

the temperature has once again dropped and the ninja hoodie is making its grande reappearance. to this i say excellent. along with that is this amazing fog that lasts through much of the day. a thick wet fog that sits like so many transulent bubbles on my back, forearms, gloves. giving me this sense that i belong out here with the rest of the scenary soaked in a glorious mist. i love days like this.

i am nearing the end of my four weeks. i won't lie. i am weary. these days, after days, of running long miles has been quite wearisome. a change of pace next week will be nice. taking a day off will be nice. but still i must push through. two more days. 30 more miles. and then i did it!!

the strides felt great. i didn't hit any 21's like yesterday but on average they were faster, so i am improving. also within the strides themselves, i keep getting faster and faster.

coming out of one and turning the corner, i was startled by the ground moving around me in all directions. i looked more closely, they were birds. tiny, chubby, feather stuffed birds. they must have been all congregating in one area and my shoe broke them off. it was like stepping in puddle, the scattered clinging low to the ground.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

creatures in the dark

6 miles (or so i think) . . .

once again, i forgot to charge my garmin. this has become quite the ritual of hearing the beep to signify the low battery, leaving it on after the run, hoping and trying to remember to plug it in that night, and waking up the next morning with a sudden sting of horror realizing that i've forgotten. a system must be put in place. the idea: keep watch in the bathroom in my little container where my contact case and other toiletries are housed when it needs to be charged, that way, i'll see it there at night and remember to plug it in.

so the plan for this particular, exceedingly dark morning, was to run the mile to the high school and do laps around the track. this way i can hit the exact mileage i need to while getting the added bonus of running on a soft surface. this plan was working out great until i made it to said high school and squeezed through the little chained gate (a lame attempt at keeping unauthorized people out) and i noticed some trash cans knocked over close by. in the dark, i can make out two beady eyes, and a large black shadow creeping behind one of the cans. my mind quickly runs through all the possibilities of this unidentified animal . . . cat, nutria, raccoon, baby cougar with mama close by, black bear cub. i don't stick around long enough to put weight on any one of these theories. i squeeze back through the gate trying to keep an eye on the creature which is now carefully stepping closer towards me and run away, far away, to the grade school and run laps on the mulch path.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

should have switched days

friday, 10 miles . . .

saturday, 22 miles . . .

i went into saturday's run thinking that it would be glorious, easy, comfortable (as far as long runs go at any rate). the reason for this unprecedented confidence was because of friday's run. it was all those things and more. i was flowing, it was easy, i felt as though i could have run forever at an even faster pace, and in retrospect i suppose i should have. for some strange reason, the long run was the exact opposite and i can't for the life of me figure out the reason. although i did hit my goal pace (i was actually at 6:43 for about 90 percent of the time), it came with much difficulty. even though i took three gels perfectly spaced consuming water after each, i still felt weak, behind, i sense of urgency, of the pace just running away from me. i didn't even come close to the delirium of last week, it wasn't that death fatigue. it was more a constant pain that would shift from muscle to muscle, moving through from hips, to side, to shins, to thighs, and back to hips again.

this is super discouraging. i would think after three weeks of these big miles from a consistent base and training program with the exception of the s.n.s, which was probably a good thing for my body to recover, that this easy pace would all come easy. and maybe that is my problem, the trip up in my logic. running these big miles will not always feel easy no matter how far along i get because running is not easy. there is no coasting, no cruising, no going out with incredible ease. yes there will be moments. but i didn't take up this project because it would be easy. quite the opposite.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

ice capades

saturday, 10 mile . . .

surprisingly not sore at all from yesterday's long run!!! must have been all of that massage work.

started my run late again because i slept with my son again. i started going down the sidewalk, when i hit a patch of ice. even worse on the road. i turned around a headed towards the elementary school that has a nice little mulch path a little less than a third of a mile long (or rather short).

yes that's right. i spent the next hour doing approximately 28 laps around the play ground. there is a little rise and fall during this loop and it is rather beautiful there. but this was a bit ridiculous. this is as close as i will ever get to running on a treadmill. this takes considerably more mental toughness than one big loop. with a loop (even a there and back course) you have to run back home, there is no choice. with this, each lap is a choice.

the only thing keeping me going was the fact that this was the last run of the week and i needed to put in all ten to complete my mileage.

i use to think that there was something magical about this high number of weekly mileage, something heroic, epic, adventurous. but after this run, especially after this run, i realize that it is just a number which means that you are running even longer and even more. that running is just about consistency, going out there and getting your miles in, no matter what that means. and for an icy day that will be 28 laps around a play ground.

sunday, 12 miles . . .

baby woke me up 20 minutes before i actually needed to. i thought that i would take advantage of this and put in some extra miles to get a jump on the week. usually sunday running is so short because of church, i feel like i'm playing catch up all week, like i have no give in my miles.

i started going along my run and everything was fine. but it was dark. this always slows me down a little because i want to be careful. after the second mile i was quite a ways from my target pace--and i was going downhill. i picked up the pace, still headed downhill. finally at the end of this section i had hit my pace. this was a bit worrisome because most of the way back is either flat or uphill. little did i know this wasn't going to be the problem.

after i turned of the main road to hit up some more residential areas, i hit some pretty bad ice. and there was nothing i could do at that point. fortunately it was intermittent and i switched frequently back and forth between the sidewalk and the road depending on which was less icy. for a lot of the time i ran on this very slim section that was between the road and the sidewalk that never seemed to have ice.

i did pass one other runner near the end of the run. he looked like he was going pretty strong and he had quite the entourage of dogs with him. one in front, two behind. not that close to him. none of them leashed. but they must have been trained really well because they didn't even look at me.

so i'm going into the week with an extra four miles to play with. i'll have to use them wisely.

on the drive to church, i came to a sudden realization. i had run more miles last week than i had drove. epic.

Friday, December 11, 2009

delirium

22 miles . . .

last night my son got sick. really sick. so sick my wife gave the advice nurse a call. she thinks that it could be croup, which although it rhymes with poop, there is nothing else all that funny about it. they suggested one of us sleep with him just in case his coughing becomes so bad that we need to take him to the emergency room. since my wife needs to wake up with baby to feed her early in the morning, this job went to me.

it was actually great cuddling with my boy and comforting him all through the night. what wasn't good was sharing a twin size bed with him, having to curl up my legs so that my feet didn't dangle over the end of the bed, and waking up every hour or so to the poor little guy violently coughing.

we all woke up at 8:30. at which point i ate my pre-run meal of almond butter and jelly toast and a half of banana. then i fed the other three kids and got them dressed. wife and baby came out at around 9:30 so i didn't start my run until a little after 10.

this was actually pleasant in the sense that it was a bit warmer and at one point i thought that i had overdressed but i think it ended up getting colder. i ran out of gels and blocks (though i did finally order them), but i went to roth's the night before and picked up a cliff bar. i ate half at 7 miles and the other at 15. but this little bar, coupled with the late start, proved to be not enough fuel for such a long run.

the last couple of miles, i think i was in some sort of weird delirious state. by this time it was close to 1 in the afternoon. at one point as i was pushing up a hill talking to myself to provide motivation a guy walking across the street (four lanes of traffic mind you) looked over at me. i must have been talking so loud, he thought i was talking to him. turning became difficult and it took me a long time to distinguish between cars that were moving and ones that were parked.

when i made it home, motor skills were fuzzy, i felt light headed, flushed in the face, and nothing sounded good to eat, but i knew that i needed to. after a couple of meals and a shower, i felt better.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

recovery

tuesday, 15 miles . . .

wednesday, 15 miles . . .

thursday, 15 miles . . .

now this is the strange thing, all of the pains that i had as a result of saturday's long run have been slowly vanishing in the midst of these 15 mile days. this distance at this speed has become such a staple that my body is actually able to heal itself in these what would a year ago been considered back to back to back long runs.

there is however a monotony and a huge mental barrier to overcome. after an hour and forty minute run realizing that i have to wake up and the next day and do it all over again is a tough project for the psyche. it's best just to try and lie to yourself.

wednesday was exceptionally hard in this aspect. it was the coldest day yet and less than a mile into it i was already freezing despite my many layers. then it hit me hard, completely overwhelming me, tempting me to return to the warmth of home. you are going to be cold for the next hour and forty minutes. i tried surging uphills but still i stayed cold. when i got back home, i had not a drop of sweat.

Monday, December 7, 2009

a pain in my butt

sunday, 8 miles . . .

and quite literally. the long run on saturday had some pretty steep sections of downhill running, something that i don't do too often. this coupled with the long run and the total mileage from the week, caused a deep knot in my left butt cheek. it must of developed over the night as i was sleeping, what a cheap trick, because i didn't feel it at all on saturday.

and actually that whole left leg was pretty sore everywhere. mainly the butt and the calve. the first two miles was sheer utter misery. it filled me with doubts of myself. my running was clunky, a bit of a limp, and it just hurt so bad. i was tempted many times to just cut it short, but i knew that i would have to pay for it later on in the week. it didn't help that it was even colder, started earlier, and there was a vicious wind.

but some how, i kept going. and as i was clunking along, in terrible form, fortunately it was dark and no one was out to bear witness to this miserable creature, i noticed that i was getting faster and faster. things were working themselves out. i never really hit a rhythm. it never stopped hurting. but i did it. i ran it. and that's all i can say.

monday, 15 miles . . .

last night, i tried everything i could to work out that butt. stretches, using the stick, everything i could think of. i finally went to runner's world and a forum suggested using a tennis ball. so i went into the garage and hunted. success--which if you've seen my garage is an absolute miracle. so there i sat on the floor, rolling on the tennis ball and finally that beautiful, terribly terrific pain of working out a knot. i did this several times.

that made this morning's run significantly easier, though for the first mile i was still a little clunky. at least i'm healing and it's an injury that loosens up with a run instead of becoming worse. though downhill just kills.

plan on doing more work with the tennis ball. what funny tricks we learn.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

in the dog house

thursday, 15 miles . . .

friday, 11 miles . . .

i don't remember too much about these two runs other than the fact that it each day was colder than the previous and that i keep hitting my times. i've solved that inner thigh problem, thanks to the stick, and things are pretty much under control.

friday, i went in search of the christmas tree. deep into the woods my brother and i hiked looking for it. this year was a real beauty. ended up going a mile up and a mile back to the truck pulling the tree. didn't effect saturday's long run though, like i thought it might.

saturday, 19 miles . . .

i found this sight which has proven to be most helpful for the runner: http://www.usatf.org/routes/index.asp. you type in a city and different routes pop up. just for new ideas and the like. the endless effort to keep the running fresh. there was a nice little loop that i added to that i've never ran before, so i thought i would give it a try.

it was amazing. lazy country roads. rolling hills. large fields, some barren, some vineyards, all frosted over. old trees. old cars. old roads. train tracks. no trains. few cars. along the river. the shoulder wasn't that big at times but i had no problem running on the road. only once did i have to go through a ditch. no big deal.

the only real problem in all this is the tendency for those who live outside of the city limits to: 1) own dogs 2) have poor or no fences 3) leave said dogs unleashed.

encounter one . . . i heard a dog start barking and running towards me. this house had a long driveway. i was going downhill. i thought for a second. it was still early in the run. i felt good. i decided that i would outrun him. and the crazy thing, it worked!!!

encounter three and four . . . after the previous two encounters, i kept my eyes open to any and all dogs in the yards around me until i made it back into salem. i spotted an unchained unfenced german shepherd and a pit bull. yes, a pit bull. fortunately neither one of these dogs spotted me.

encounter two . . . dog starts to bark and he is close, too close to outrun even though i am on a steep down hill. so i stop and put out my hand. he stops barking after a few minutes. so i take a step down the road. he barks again, so i stop. now it becomes a ten minute game of red light green light except i'm going away from the light and losing equals teeth in my leg (or worse). a few cars pass me in this time and i stick out my thumb, hoping to hitchhike even 200m. no one stops. so i use the cars as cover and walk quickly as they pass (probably laughing the whole time). by this time i am completely cooled off, sweat freezing in the air.

i've looked up on a few websites and it seems like the answer is pepper spray. the thing is i really like this route and i'm not going to allow some back woods x-logger (i know making assumptions) who doesn't chain up his dog or even wake up when he is barking intermittently for ten minutes, stop me from doing it again.

other point of interest for this run . . . there was an older lady out running, right towards me. her legs looked like cooked, wet spaghetti noodles. i'm not sure how she did it but they would wobble in and out, like jelly fish tentacles before they struck the ground.

i hard push back uphill towards the end. but i did it. week one of base building is over and successful. two more to go. but for now i won't think of that. i'll just focus on what i've accomplished.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

and the weather just keeps dropping

15 miles . . .

frost over everything. a cold wind. a beautiful morning. clear blue sky. hood and jefferson dark in the distance. when the sun finally rose, i got to run straight into it for a few miles. it was amazing. a few times, i had to jump over or run around patches of ice on the sidewalk from night time watering. i had a couple of close calls and slips, but nothing bad.

i felt very weary at the end of this run. i have to order those gels on bloks. must do it tonight. 15 miles is too long to not refuel.

i ran the same course as yesterday but in reverse. it's funny how that completely transforms a route. though it felt the same. it took me until the eighth mile or so to get into a groove and then i had to go to the bathroom. the city is working on an on-ramp for the freeway and have abandoned one area, but left the port-a-potty. it was in the perfect place for me.

i wore my ninja hoodie again, keeping it on my lower jaw. i know that i probably look funny, but i don't care. it is so warm and breathable. besides if i can wear tights, i can wear anything.

really had to motivate myself at two points today. the first was just getting out of bed. so tired, so exhausted. i let all three vibrating alarms go off and then tacked on another 20 minutes or so of just laying in bed. fortunately i didn't fall back asleep.

the second time was right before that 8 mile hump. i just had to focus on my movement. telling, lying to myself, that i can do this, that it didn't hurt, that it was easy, that i can make, that i will make it. i tried every trick in the book and apparently it worked because i didn't stop or slow down.

it is such a mental thing, this running business. but the question is this: if your body wants to stop and your mind is telling you to stop and those two things are working against you, what keeps you going? is it your will? what is it when you even lose your will to run? what keeps those legs moving? it is something beyond that. maybe even outside of myself. many writers and runners have talked about the spiritual side of running. and since i am a christian, i believe that CHRIST infuses everything that i say, think, or do. which includes running.

maybe it is this. the spiritual that keeps us going. in fact, i know that's what it is for me.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

gels and crosswalks

15 miles . . .

today was much like yesterday but a few degrees cooler. that could be because my alarm actually woke me up and i was an hour earlier. far off fog clinging to the clouds instead of the earth. a mist that never quite turned into a rain. not cold enough for a frost but this weekend we are to get quite a winter blast. the ninja hoodie shall return!!!

i need to order some new gels and bloks, i'm down to my last one and i need to save it for friday's long run. so i didn't take in any calories once i started my run. i definitely felt it near the end and the chocolate milk afterwards felt great. i did take a couple drinks of water at the ten mile mark.

the first mile and half i felt great, strong, in control, thinking it would be an easy run. and then the same thing happened as yesterday. from that point on until just before the 8 mile mark, i was struggling and it was mostly down hill. and then something magically switched and it was easy. even the hills on the way back home were easy. i ended the run at a 6:43 pace.

i had to hit the bathroom at bush park. just before i got there, a parks employee opened the door and stood his bathroom closed sign up. he only took a couple minutes. but then i had to go the bathroom (which seems to take awhile at times). so by the time i started running again, i had cooled off quite a bit. the first 200m or so everything felt awkward and painful. that quickly passed and was replaced with a side stitch that fortunately i could breath out.

i like to watch people at crosswalks go ape on the button to cross the street. at first the push it once. then twice in a row. then they just attack it, repeated strikes. i think if i designed these i would have these attacks make the people wait longer. or maybe there could be a little voice that mocks them.

i have a lot on my mind today. couldn't sleep well last night, tossing and turning, looking at the time. i hate nights like this. i know that this sort of stress affects my running as it affects all areas of life. but the quote from runner's world that i get regularly said 'they say that you can't run away from your troubles. i say that you can.' this is what i clung to on this run. i would use it to center myself, calm myself, bring peace, pray. at it's hardest moments, i used it to motivate me in other areas of my life. if i can run 15 miles today at this pace and again tomorrow, then i am unstoppable. i can face anything in victory. i need not be afraid or be filled with anxiety.

sore quads at the moment. could be from holding screaming baby while doing lunges to stop the screaming.