Book, Running, and (oddly) Books

I've been writing a lot lately.  Not a lot here, though, so it probably seems as if I haven't been writing to anyone who reads this blog.  I even wrote a long entry that I had planned to post here, but opted instead to let it hang in the purgatory of the 'written but unpublished' section of my account.

As many of my friends know, I've been working on a book for the past year.  It is coming along nicely.  But it takes up quite a bit of time.  And time that I spend writing this blog is really time I could also spend working on the book.

The book, as some of my friends know, is a story about running.  It is a work of fiction.  I hope to have it completed sometime in the next 6 months (definitely by the end of the year).  And for now, that is all I'll say about it.

I just wanted to let anyone who might follow this blog know the reason for the sporadic nature of my recent posts.

In terms of running, my life has been pretty good until very recently.  I have been doing 30-40 miles each week, and, for the most part, really enjoying the runs.  Over the past couple of weeks, however, I started to feel some pain in my knee.  Never a good sign.  On a recent 12-ish mile run, I torqued it several times in mud.  With 5 miles left to go on my return, I knew something was not good.  I walked about a quarter mile and then thought fuck it.  If it is ruined, it is ruined. And I hobbled the rest of the way home at a 10-ish min/mile pace.

I made an appointment with my sports doc for Tuesday.  And other than walking around NYC, and a bit of swimming and biking, I took the week off from running.  Yesterday I popped out for an easy three.  I ran the entire distance with a non-traditional (for me) front foot strike (I am normally mid foot).  I felt little to no pain.  Today I plan to try 3-5 miles and see how it goes.  I am keeping my Tuesday appointment regardless of the outcome of my run.  I am hopeful that my knee was just telling me it wanted a little change in mileage every now and then; and that I shouldn't continually go bigger without taking some breaks.

In other news:  I finally finished the Electric Koolaid Acid Test (oddly, a book I had never read).  I bought a Camus book I had never read, and plan to take that with me to Geneva and Paris as fitting Summer reading. And I picked up John Irving's, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Kindle edition (to read right now).  A quick note regarding that.  Every day Kindle has a sub $2 deal on 4 or more books. The deal is only for 24 hours.  You either buy then or you miss it. Usually the offerings are crap (at least for my taste).  But once or twice a week, there is something really good. You can get on their daily email list and see for yourself.  Write me if you want a link.

I'll try to have more sometime soon.

Running and Some Irish Culture

I've been doing a lot of writing lately.  Not on this blog, as you will have noticed.  Instead, I have been spending a considerable amount of time engaged in creative writing.  I hope to have something out late this year, or early next.  I have a particular project where the more I write, the farther away the conclusion recedes.  Luckily, I enjoy writing, so having a receding conclusion is less distressing than having a receding hairline or an expanding waistline.  Anyway, while I've been working on writings of a more creative nature, I am worried that I have turned this blog into a bit more of a phone-it-in kind of experience for the readers.  While blogs invariably are the last refuge of the self-involved solipsist, I do want my blog to offer insights and encouragement to others on at least a moderately frequent basis.  So, in the coming weeks I will try a bit harder to bring something meaningful into this space.  It may not be today, in this posting, but I will try.  Otherwise this blog may start to live up to its heretofore ironic name.

The weather this week kicked me around as it alternately raised and then dashed my hopes.  Several times I went out with too little clothing for going into the wind, and to much clothing for running with it - all in the same run.  So I would begin feeling the bite of the wind and frost, with cheeks and chin chilly, and feet and fingers frozen.  I'd return feeling as if my clothes we a portable sweat saturated sauna.  I'd enter my house and tear the garments from my body as if the sweat-soaked togs were covered in acid (I'm trying to say that sweating in hot clothes sucks a lot more than sweating in lighter clothing).

I dd have one day where I was able to run in a long-sleeve top and shorts.  Nice, but it was a day I had planned initially to take off, so my run was only 5k-ish rather than 15k-ish.  Whatever.  If you can't stand the vagaries of Kansas winter weather, you should move.  I'm thinking Tucson, seriously (just kidding, but maybe, seriously).

Anyway... for mixed media, it was Irish week at casa Allen.  Movies were The Wind that Shakes the Barley, and Borstal Boy.  Reading, was the brilliant book, At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill.  Irish history from the late 1800's on (and actually well before that but...) is a terrible tale.  Nothing you read or watch is ever going to end well.   You go in knowing that fact up front.  But it is a fascinating period.  I had seen both movies and read the book before (as well as Brendan Behan's book that became the movie, Borstal Boy).  But all three are so well done that a week of Irish immersion seemed both a treat and a respite from present day inanities.

This is, sadly, not a trail week for me.  It will be all road all the time for the next 5-7 days.  Until my next post, don't put off a run or a workout that you'll regret not doing later on.  How's that for a double-negative awkward final piece of encouragement?

Another week of running

I was able to crank out 41 miles last week.  It was a beautiful week for running, and I tool advantage of it.  As the weekend drew near, I figured I'd go long on Sat, and then do a shorter recovery run on Sun.  But Saturday was really a bit colder than I envisioned for a long run.  So I bundled up and played 18 holes of disc golf with some friends.

When this morning dawned, I knew I was going to be out in it.  At 10 am, I geared up and popped out the door.  It was an incredible morning, with light wind out of the south.  I wasn't feeling too good, but I ran.

The reason I wasn't feeling fantastic could be the result of altered diet before the run.  I had read that you could do protein before a workout.  I never do because I have also heard that doing protein before or during a run can kind of make you sick.  But I woke this morning, brewed some Yirgacheffe coffee (oddly from the town of Yirgachefe, Ethiopia - normally spelled with just one 'f'' - but don't get me started on all of the bs that surrounds that coffee, though it is good) and a Boulder Bar then waited a couple of hours before heading out the door - just to make sure the protein was digested.

While I enjoyed almost all of the run, I did get hit periodically with waves of nausea. It was very odd, because I am not a runner who normally experiences any type of stomach upset.  I did manage to finish the 12 mile jaunt without losing any of my breakfast.  I will, however, stick to carbs in front of, and protein in back of the workouts.  Life lesson learned.

More Miles

I am finally back on track with training (specifically) and running (in general).  Training for what, you might inquire.  Well, that is complicated. I'm always training, but unlike most runners who train for a specific event or race, I almost never have a race or event in mind.  Instead, I have a fitness level in mind.  Could I go out today and run a marathon?, is the first stage.  Could I go out and run a trail marathon?, is the second.  The answer to the first is yes, but not well.  The answer to the second is maybe, but definitively not well.  So,  judging my fitness by my own internal standards - really not calculable on a watch or GPS device - I still have some serious work to do.

In getting that going, this week I will be back up over 40 miles for the first time in at least a couple of fortnights.  I calculate my weekly mileage between Saturday and Friday.  And last Saturday the city was recovering from some wetness.  I had gone on trail runs the weekend before.  Both experiences left me looking, to a casual observer, as if I collected mud for a living.  So this past Saturday, I vowed to steer clear of mud for once.  I popped out to the levee and did a pleasant 10 miler.  It was a little bit boring, because the levee is the very definition of flat.  It is actually that kind of flat where no matter how far you run, you simply cannot detect progress.  Yet the day was stunningly beautiful, and I kind of mentally checked out and just ran on auto-pilot with the expansive fields on one side, and the trees and river on the other.

Sunday I awoke, got dressed for running, and took off.  I felt great as I ran, until 200 yards into the run, the wind hit me in the face and I turned around and went home.  I waited the rest of the day for the gusts to die down, but they never did.  I just couldn't see myself putting in 10-12 mi in that kind of wind.  I did an indoor workout - one that was as hard as I could make it, took a sauna, and then put the windy day behind me.

Monday was gorgeous.  I decided to take a slightly longer lunch than normal, and popped out for another 10 mile run.  I had the SLT trail completely to myself except for a lone cyclist who showed up right as I was attempting to lose some water weight behind a tree at the western end of the trail.  It was truly weird timing.  I finished the run strongly and was able to knock out the rest of the day's work with ease.  I plan to do the same run for the next 2-3 days before taking a day off.

Less about running - I spent the weekend watching the new Netflix series (all 13 hours released so far), House of Cards.  It is a remarkably fun show, and not the kind to which I normally gravitate.  Once I had finished that, I finally set my sights on the illustrious Downton Abbey.  Now DA, may just be a show that will earn its creator a place in Heaven (or at least a place in a loftier caste).  The writing is wonderful, the setting, stunning, and the costumes non-pareil.  If you haven't seen it, you should treat yourself to an episode or two. I believe you will be hooked.

More next week.

Mots - Mabe Bon, Maybe Non

I saw Calexico last night. What a fun band!  The opening act, a band called Bahamas, was also fantastic.  Originally, I had tickets to see Morrissey.  But as the week wore on and he seemed to be getting sicker and sicker in the pages of the paper, all bets were off.  The evening was a total blast.  I ran into friends of all types – some I hadn’t seen in a while, one who’s moving to Oregon shortly, a former trainer of mine, a musician acquaintance, etc…  Anyway, if you haven’t seen or heard Calexico, you should at least try them out on Spotify.

The week in running was less successful. The long run I had planned for Saturday fizzled. I had a headache before the run even started, and then felt an asthma attack coming on within the first mile.  I slid right out the back of the pack and slowed down to keep the wheezes at bay.  I managed to get in between 4-5 miles, but it was about half of what I had planned.  Today I waited until the warmest part of the day and popped out to the trails again, this time in shorts and a long sleeve shirt.  I only wanted to do 5-6 miles which turned out to be a good workout because the trails had turned to mud.  My shoes continuously picked up a pound or two every hundred yards.  Parts of the trail looked like the muddy old battlefieldf pics from WWI.  I still managed to crank out 5 miles and enjoyed the heck out of the run.  I don’t like running in mud.  But since there was nothing that could be done about it, I thought I might as well try to enjoy it.

I got a bit of swimming in this week as well.  I’ve really taken to hitting the pool whenever it gets too cold outside.  I’ll run in frigid conditions sometimes, but if there is an option like the pool, I’ll opt for it on a pretty regular basis.  It is either a sign of aging, or good sense (I'm not sure which).

Finally: If you have Netflix and are looking for a good movie, check out Nate and Margaret.  It is one of the best little movies I’ve seen in some time.  It follows the friendship of a kind of awkward gay college student and a 52 year old aspiring comedienne who lives in the apartment next door.   It doesn’t sound promising, but it will surprise you as you laugh and cry your way through it.

Until next time: Nonne descendite adulteri

Faster and Longer In Good Weather

Following a pretty light week, I put in another, um, pretty light week.  Last week's light week wasn't purely intentional.  I knocked out a 10 mile trail run on Saturday (I count running weeks as Sat-Fri).  I had every intention of putting in a good 40-ish week.  But I'll be honest:  this year I've gotten kind of tired of running in the cold. Oh, I'll go out and do it.  But I'm just as likely to replace a run with a swim or an indoor session on the bike, NordicTrack, or rower.  And, this past week,that's what I did.

Ultimately, I got in a couple of swims while knocking out only 20 miles in runs (including Saturday's).  The most interesting run of the week happened around 4:45 on Friday afternoon. I had my GPS watch on for some reason (I like it, but rarely wear it, because it makes running stressful).  I took off and thought, why not  push it for a 5K?  So I did.  I ran the fastest 5K I've run in quite some time.  I felt good at the end, but a little gassed.

On Saturday morning, I awoke and vowed to have a good running week - 30-40 miles.  I popped out to the river, and moved easily through 8.75 miles (according to my GPS).  I had been worried that I'd do a crap run after kicking through a 5K the night before, but there was no need to worry.

Later in the day, at the home of friends, over bowls of chips and dips, and a few margaritas, I watched KU play OU.  I left feeling as though I'd just let my training down.  Instead of blowing it off to being foolish,I decided another workout was in order.  I hit the pool and did about 2/3 mile before calling it a night.

This morning when I woke up, I knew it was going to warm up.  Even though it was a bit dark, blustery, and rainy, there was a warm up on the way.  I threw on a sleeveless tech shirt, a long-sleeve shirt over it, tights, and shoes and socks, and then headed back to the river.  And, to be honest, today I felt the run.  After a fast run, a decent run, and a good swim (not to mention the margaritas), my legs and core were a bit overcooked.  But to me, to go out and do the run when I'm really not feeling it, makes for a great training session if I can just go do it.  So I just did it.  I enjoyed the air, the mud, the wind, the discussion of the French forces in Mali on NPR, and the simple freedom to be in nature on my favorite trails with almost no one else around.

I did run into Coleen and Ricki on a training run.  We were headed in the opposite direction, but paused to talk about an upcoming 100 mile race that some of Coleen's protoges are doing next week. Otherwise, I saw no one.  It was simply too muddy to bike, and most runners do the 3(ish) and 5 mile routes on the trails rather than the full distance.

On Saturday's run I wore my Mizuno trail shoes.  Almost all of my shoes are Mizunos of some sort now.  I have come to love the brand over the past three years.  For today's run, I pulled out my old Brooks Cascadias.  I'm not nearly as fond of them.  But since they have a much lower tread profile than my Mizunos, I figured they'd pick up less mud (even though that would technically give me less traction).  The Brooks worked fine.  I've been a little critical of the Cascadias over the past couple of years.  But they have held up pretty well.  Still, though, if I'm just heading out the door to run trails, I will always opt first for Mizunos.  Just to give you an idea, my road shoes are 4 pairs Mizunos, and 1 pair Nike, and a minimal pair by Merrell.

Since we are supposed to hit 68F manana, I'm sure that I'll be out somewhere.  I'm thinking the 7.5 Lecompton Interchange run might be the ticket.  And shorts (also by Mizuno) will be in order!

A nice, but very light week

After the trip to the Bay Area and the jaunt across the GG Bridge, I actually had a pretty short mileage week.  I only put in 20-ish.  I did other workouts, but couldn't find the gumption to get out in the cold and put one foot in front of the other.  But, for once, I decided not to beat myself up about it.  Instead, I put in a few miles and waited until Saturday morning to head out for a longer distance.

At 7:30 on Saturday I showed up at the Corps lot at Clinton.  Including me, there we only three of us.  We took off at a pretty good clip.  The weather was on the line between needing gloves and going hands to the wind.  Two of us opted to leave the gloves behind.  Gary wore his though, because I heard somewhere that he is a former victim of frostbite.

The run was 10 miles at a good clip.  When it ended I felt great, and still do today (athough it is a bit chilly, so I may do an alternate workout;-)