Running With Pre

I had a bout with poison ivy. I am on my second to last day of steroids that were prescribed to clear it up. I always find it kind of fun to be on steroids (legally) and work out. They freak some people out, I guess, but they always make me feel great. With this week's heat and humidity, they probably did factor into a few good runs.

On Monday I popped out early for a 4 mile pre-work run. About 2.7 miles into the run, I did something I have only done once or twice before: I stopped and started walking. I was drenched in sweat and sucking wind. My arm with the poison ivy was stinging. In short, I was miserable. I walked about a quarter of a mile and then jogged at a ridiculously slow pace back to my house. By Tuesday, with some help from my running friend, Pre (short for prednisone... who were you thinking I meant?), I was able to knock out an even longer run at a good clip.

But, with the heat, running this week wasn't all that fun until this weekend. I got asked by the Trail Nerds to be one of the leaders for the North Shore Clinton Saturday run at 7 a.m. I said I'd do it, but I wasn't going to do the 23 miler due to the heat. I was thinking more along the lines of an 8-12 mile run. I called my buddy, Eric, and asked if he wanted to come along. Eric is a fine runner who has been taking the summer off, for the most part. But he's someone who can take time off and then go do ten miles. It is a bit ridiculous, but he's always game for a challenge.

So yesterday, Eric and I met at Clinton. We saw a couple of other Trail Hawk / Nerd type vehicles in the lot, but no one else showed up by 7:10, so we set off on what was a really pleasant run. Eric ran in front waving a stick in a spastic manner to clear the path of spiderwebs. For the most part it worked. I stopped paying attention at one point (I was mainly looking down for copperheads (see pvs post)), and ran face first through a massive web. But after a momentary freak out, I forged ahead. We hit Land's End, turned around, and finished the run without incident.

A short note on Clinton North Shore: The trails are absolutely perfect to run on in hot conditions. The canopy truly keeps the sunlight out, and the heat down. There isn't much one can do about the humidity. But, if you feel that you have missed your window in the early a.m. for a cooler temperature run, you can always head out to Clinton and enjoy a trot amid fauna and foliage.

So today, the second part of my nice weekend of running happened. My non-running buddy, Doug, biked over to my house and met me at 7 a.m. I had wanted to do a shorter, more intense run on the country roads near my house. Doug had offered to bike over and keep me company. Basically it would just add some easy miles to his morning ride. So we set off. On the way north of 6th Street on Folks Road in Lawrence, I showed him Lawrence's cool nature park that no one ever uses. I run in it periodically to add about a 1.5 mi. round-trip distance to some runs I do. But the park is almost always empty. Kids don't even go there to make out or drink or whatever. I can't figure out why it is so under-utilized. Anyway, Doug, I think, thought that the park was pretty cool as well. I'm hoping he takes his family there sometime to explore.

After the detour on the park trails, we cruised along Peterson for a few hundred yards and saw a deer crossing the road before heading north again down the hill by Martin Park. The hill is a blast to go down. And, at the bottom you are treated to a farm that has llamas or alpacas on one side of the street, and one that has really pretty goats and geese on the other. The road then traverses a stream and winds along the base of the hills, with woods to the south and corn fields on the north. This morning there were hundreds of bag worms hanging by single silken threads over the little road. It was remarkably pretty. It was also pretty sultry. I sweated through every pore.

We turned back south on Queens Rd (1000 rd in the county), and attacked the brutal hill that marks the city limits. The rest of the run was through the western burbs of Lawrence. We had a coffee at my house before Doug continued on his way.

What was nice about the weekend was that I had two successive days of running with friends. I do so much solitary running that it is always a nice change to have someone along. And two runs in a row; well that's just about unheard of.

Equipment update - I love the Nathan hydration pack. I used it again yesterday. No leaking. No chafing. The reservoir is super easy to clean. All in all, a great little pack.

And finally, congrats to all of the Lawrence Trail Hawks who hung in there during the storms this weekend to complete the Lunar Trek races. Impressive.

New Equipment

After the big run last weekend, I did a short run the next day and then took Monday off before going for a higher mileage Tuesday. On Tuesday I also ordered Vega's Sport Protein Powder. I tried some after a workout today (it arrived too late to use after any other runs this week), and can report that it tastes good, and has a nice texture. No animal products are used either, so it is a guilt-free recharge.

I also checked into better hydration packs. I had been running with a kind of sketchy bike pack from Trek. It leaked, was hard to clean and fill, but felt ok on runs. So other than soaking my Blackberry, it was hanging in there. But I had looked on line and also visited Gary Gribbles about getting a Nathan pack. And so, on Friday, I did. I paid a little more to get it from GG's, but for a few extra dollars, I was supporting a local business - and one that I really like.

I had planned to knock out a marathon on Saturday. But after waking to a temperature above 70F, I decided to cut it in half. I did load up the Nathan with some GU electrolyte product, a couple of shots, and a Cliff Bar before setting off. It was a nice day, but it was hot. I hit my favorite country road. I had 'interactions' with four dogs in the first couple of miles, and then things settled down. When I got to Clinton I took a turn into the free area and popped down the hill overlooking the lake. I used that as my turnaround point. I was pretty sweaty, but everything in the Nathan was dry. It was good to note.

Nothing else to really report this week. It should be a few days of short runs due to the heat. If I lose my mind I'll head out on Friday to do the Lunar Trek. If not, I'll stay here and enjoy the heat-induced torpor.

Snakes on the Plains!!

This was an interesting week for running. After the three hour jaunt in the rain and lightning last weekend, I did do a short run (3 mi)on Sunday before taking a workout pass on Monday. I had set a pretty quick tempo on the long run, and my quads felt it for the next couple of days.

I did a 5 miler on Tuesday, a couple of miles on Wednesday before my 6 a.m. cross training group, and then got a Garmin Forerunner 210 from my friend Kurt. The Garmin is pretty awesome for ease-of-use. It tracks pace, time, distance, and has a heart rate monitor and chest strap that come with it. I tested it out on a run that I had always figured at 6.2 miles on the following Thursday morning. I found that I am pretty good at measuring some distances. I was within 20 yards by my estimates. I found out later on a shorter run, that what I had always thought of as a 2 miler was, in fact, a 2.4 miler. I love the device, and knew I was going to give it a real workout for a trail run on Saturday.

Here's a link to a pic of the 210 - http://www.amazon.com/Forerunner-Heart-Rate-Monitor-Garmin/dp/B0049JA4RC

So Saturday rolled around, and I met up with Gary and Mark, a couple of runners from the Lawrence Trail Hawks - www.lawrencetrailhawks.com I had never run with the guys before, and had only recently joined them (in addition to the Trail Nerds and Run Lawrence). The three of us set off around 6 a.m. Within the first 100 yards, Gary had an encounter with a monster copperhead (see pic above if you want to know what one looks like). I was following him, and almost did something that rhymes with 'hiss' in my shorts.

The encounter over, we ran on. The goal for the day for Mark and me was 22-23 miles. Gary, who is training for 100k and 100 mi races was looking to put in 35+ miles. When Mark and I arrived, Gary had already put in 6. The day was gorgeous, if a bit hot, and the trails were in good shape. After a few miles we encountered the same woman I had met on the trails the week before. She mentioned that the were copperheads in the trail in front of us. Gary lead, keeping a close eye on the ground. I was next in line seriously doing the same thing. After a quarter mile, Mark (running third) screamed like a frightened child, and demonstrated what a four foot vertical leap looks like. Apparently both Gary and I had missed the copperheads. I had missed them so badly that I managed to step on both of them. The tow snakes ended up slithering off of the trail right in front of Mark as my shoes did little damage to them. To end the discussion of snakes, we did encounter one more little copperhead in the last couple of miles of our run. It was just hanging out on the trail. While we were looking at it, Mark walked up beside me, and I didn't know he was there. I heard a rustling of leaves and nearly jumped out of my skin thinking that there was another serpent next to my foot.

It is amazing just how often I have run those trails and never ever seen a snake. If I hadn't been with other people who are mindful of them, I could have easily taken the run still without seeing a snake. Here's some quick info: Copperheads are rarely deadly. If you get bitten it is going to suck, but you'll probably survive. And, like deer, where there is one, there is usually another. The little buggers like to hang out in pairs. They aren't too aggressive, so don't worry about being attacked by one. Just be mindful. Leave them alone, and they will do likewise.

So on we went with our run. We took the white route all the way to its conclusion, ran up Bunker Hill in order to add a mile, and then took the white trail back. The heat became a bit of our enemy as we returned. Each of us felt it at different times during the run. For me, at about 20.5 miles, I wanted the run to end. I was out of calories to ingest. I was also seriously low on water. My hydration backpack had some serious issues all day. It leaked irregularly, soaked my shoes as water poured out the bottom, disabled my Blackberry for the rest of the day (it dried out late), and basically sucked as a required safety device for the run. I'm getting a new one this week.

Recovery from the run was surprisingly swift. I think the extra mileage coupled with a slightly slower pace (these guys go a little slower because they are training for monster distances, and seem to go at the pace they will run these races) made for a quick turnaround. When I went for my recovery run this a.m., I felt no after-effects or discomfort.

All in all, it was a beautiful run with a couple of great new trail-running buddies.

Every Step I've Ever Taken....

Every step I've ever taken... Every footfall on concrete, asphalt, sand, dirt, mud, grass and gravel led up to today's run.

I'll be honest, I haven't posted in a couple of weeks because I've been battling some of the worst depression I've ever experienced (and I've experienced a lot of depression). I couldn't break free of it day or night. And nights have been the worst, with panic attacks and dark thoughts. I tried to run my way through it, even adding miles to kick out more endorphins, but to no avail. Over the couple of days, however, my subconscious, coupled with as many natural remedies as I could think of (hibiscus, hawthorn, and possibly meditation), seem to have pushed back at the edges of the darkness. My dreaming mind seems to point to a type of PTSD caused by my previous work environment as being the root cause. I don't know if that is true, but over the past day or two I have felt more at ease, and more myself.

In the throes of the mental and physical agony that kick in when depression descends, I have been planning to knock out a 50K ultra. Most people who know my running habits know that I don't care if I'm in a race or running a distance by myself. I just like to do the distance. I kind of have my eye on the Lunar Trek in July, but haven't made up my mind whether or not to enter. I have done a few long runs on the roads, but not on the gravel/dirt that make up the racing surface. I had thought to do a night training run with the Trail Hawks last night, but was simply too tired to do it when evening descended.

All during the past week I had promised myself that if I didn't do the night run with the Hawks, I would get up early and knock out three hours on Clinton North Shore. And while I like trail running, I am not someone who kills himself to go monster distances on trails. I've done a couple of 2.5 ish hour runs on trails. But if I'm going to put in the time, I'd rather do it on gravel country roads.

But this morning at 7 a.m., with rain and lightning coming down, I said 'screw it' (or something that is sort of like 'screw it'), put on my water pack at the trail head and ran into the darkness. And it was really seriously dark and scary for about 45 minutes of the run. My mind played out weird wild hog and mountain lion scenarios (I may have seen one later in the run, but I'm not going to open that can of worms on this posting). Finally the clouds lightened. I could see the trail. I had settled into a rhythm that was comfortable. I alternated between the white and blue courses because I was only going for time, and not distance. It was really beautiful.

I only passed one runner in the three hours on the trails; a 30-something woman with a mid-sized black dog. The two were cruising along in the opposite direction. With the darkness and the rain, I didn't want to creep her out (because the encounter startled me, not having expected to run into anyone else)I smiled and said the most pleasant 'hello' that I could muster and cruised on.

The last hour of the run was slightly difficult. I tripped once and was really worried that my hamstrings would seize up (that happens to me sometimes on longer runs). I also felt a couple of smaller blisters forming on my right foot, but ran through that issue.

I finished the run in 3 hours to the minute (about an hour and a half ago). On the way home I had the thought that every step I've ever taken had led me to that run. And now that I'm done writing, it occurs to me that every step I take leads me to whatever run I do on any day. Today's run will lead to Monday's (I am taking tomorrow off), Monday's to Tuesday's, and so on. It is a continuum. Some components might seem more important, but they are all simply parts of a wonderful journey that I need to find a way to enjoy.

I'll post more soon.

Year's Longest Run to Date

After returning from Monterey (see pvs post), I took Saturday off from running. I pulled out my trusty aluminum/carbon Specialized Sequoia and went for a short ride. I wasn't really feeling it - having returned home at 3:30 in the a.m. the night before after a seriously delayed flight at LAX.

So after sleeping off and on Saturday, I awoke Sunday and decided to knock out my normal weekly long run (10 ish miles). I grabbed a water bottle and a Cliff Shot and headed out the door. I noted that I was still a little tired, but the weather was incredible, and the tunes on my MP3 were groovy. At about 4.5 miles into the run, I realized I was going to be joining some of the Ironmen - the triathlon seemed to be happening on (or next to) a portion of my route. That was kind of cool. I got to see some of the top dogs of the sport cruise by on their bikes. A traffic cop shouted that I was looking good. And I must've been, because I felt great. It has been a while since I've had a wave of euphoria sweep over me during a run.

At the 8 mile mark, with two miles left to go, I decided to add an additional 6 miles to the run. Rather than making a final turn toward home, I simply kept going. My breathing stayed even and my energy was high (although I did wish that I had brought another energy shot with me). I had a slight pain in my left knee (usually my right one is the problem), but I pushed it aside.

Even with the wind directly in my face for the final two miles, the run was significantly easier than many I have done this year. It is so odd how a body works. I can be fit and rested and have terrible runs. I can be hungover (not a normal occurrence) and have a great run. I can never tell how it will turn out until I'm in the middle of it.

And so goes the story of my longest run so far in 2011. I plan to do a couple of training runs with the Trail Hawks because I am eyeing the Lunar run. If anyone has done that, please let me know what your experience was like.

Monterey Bay

I ran along this beach yesterday.


Monterey, CA is a wonderful place. It actually may join the pantheon of top 10 places I've been to in the US. It certainly is one of the best places I've run. The Monterey Bay Recreation Trail is an absolute joy to run on. Whichever way I have run, I have had wonderful encounters with nature and the fun of seeing a lot of people using the trail.

Yesterday I ran up the bay by natural dunes and under a canopy created by towering trees. I ran back by cutting through the dunes (where permitted) to the beach, and then along the shore. I didn't think it could get better...

Until this morning when I took off uphill in the other direction toward Cannery Row. Wow, what a run. The coast transitioned from beach to rugged and rocky. Harbor seals lolled about on the ocean rocks and crags below me. After a few miles I came upon a promontory, and thought that would be a great place to turn around. But first I thought I'd stop and take in the sight. And I am thrilled that I did, because as I stepped to the edge and looked down, I got to see a sea-otter laying on its back in the waves dining on some unfortunate fish. It was such a stereotypical pose for the animal that it was hard to believe it was real. But it was. No one was around to share the experience, but I can chalk up one more remarkable thing I've seen due to running.

Below is a pic of the marina - if you really needed me to tell you that...

Trail Runs and Core Work

Odd week of running... Over the Memorial Day weekend, I popped some trails. The Clinton North Shore - about which I wrote last week - was fun but muddy. The next day I did a nine miler on the Kansas River trails. The trails there were bone-dry due to the sandy ground. I was able to really make good time on the run.

The rest of the week I did shorter runs around my neighborhood as well as the 6 a.m. neighborhood workout on the soccer field on Wednesday. The workout is pretty great. It really works the core. I always finish it drenched in sweat, and have a bit of mid-section muscle pain the next day (which informs me that I had a good workout). I live in a pretty active neighborhood, so no one really has much of a leg up over the others who attend.

On Sat, my running buddy, Eric, and I decided to hit the North Shore again. I had been feeling a bit run down during the week, I think as a result of having stacked two long runs back to back the previous weekend. We weren't even doing a particularly long run. But it was hot and I bonked after a few miles. We ran/walked back to the car. One great thing that happened on the run is that we ran into my monster trail running friend, Kurt. The three of us stood in front of the map at Land's End, and he explained the various trail distances, as well as how to run a marathon on the trails. I was thrilled to finally get all of that figured out.

So I did take yesterday off from the running gig. I biked instead. Lawrence is loaded with cyclists and runners in my area of town right now because the 1/2 Ironman is next weekend. Eric and I saw a bunch of them on Sat when we were running (luckily they don't seem to use the trails), and I passed (and was passed) by a passel of them on my ride yesterday.

My fav running song this week... Killbilly's - Shame the Devil; catchy and fun.

Finally - I am so happy that NOvak Djokovic is coming into form in tennis' top echelon. But the Roger/Rafa final yesterday reminded me just how much special the R&R we have had over the past few years really is.

Finally Finally. I also found out that a co-worker's father used to run with Frank Shorter - pretty cool.

Til Next week. Stay hydrated and run on soft surfaces.