So, I went for a super muddy run on the North Shore Trails this a.m. All the way I was thinking about a couple of items I neglected to add to the previous entry. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a movie that came out in the 1960's. If you've ever heard of the phrase - the book was better - it is apt in this case. Read the book. The movie is a real disappointment. Better movies about running and better movies about the Borstal system (ie 'Borstal Boy') are easy to find.
Secondly, the trails rock to run on at the moment. The experience is no unlike cross country skiing. At some points I moved forward by pushing my feet somewhat laterally in the mud. Brutal workout. Loads of fun.
I hope everyone has a great week.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Trail Hawks, Course Listings, Route/ Race Info
www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=433061
www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=433063
Above I posted a couple of routes I like taking from my house. You'll note how close I live to the Clinton North Shore Routes. Everyone seems to know those pretty well, so I won't post links to those routes. The routes above are a little light on the mileage. If you were to run these, the mileage is actually about a mile longer on each route. For the second route, there is a linear park that makes up a large portion of the run that doesn't show up on the map (it looks like I just run a few miles through back yards).
Great week of running. I started off with a hybrid of the first route listed above, that took me on an 11 mile jaunt. Easy peasy. The day was pretty, and the weather excellent. I loved every minute of it. I took Monday off, and just ran 3.5-6 miles/day the rest of the week. I finished with mileage in the mid thirties.
This morning I plan to head off to Clinton (drive), and knock out 10-15 k on the muddy (I'm sure) trails. My knee is saying 'hello,' but seems to be hanging in there.
This week I also joined the Trail Hawks. I now belong to three running clubs - Run Lawrence, The Trail Nerds, and the Hawks. The next Trail Hawks event is this:
Second Annual Coleen's Sweaty Ass Run
Sweaty Ass
Race date: July 29, 2011
Start time: 06:00 PM
Race distance: 0 km
Race details:
sweaty ass – Free night run on marked, wooded 5k course with one or two water cosssings. Run as many laps as you want from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Pot Luck self-service aid station set up in historic stone house at start/finish. No entry free, but we’re not averse to a tax-deductible donation or two. Proceeds shared with Kansas Dept. of Parks and Wildlife on whose land we run. NO COTTON SOCKS.
I am thinking of trying to knock out a night time 50 k (10 times around the course). No big pressure - I can bail every 3.1 miles if I'm not feeling it. If I'm in town, you will see me there.
Finally, our website goes live on June 1. It is really a nice piece of work. My vegan friends (I'm just a vegetarian) should find it useful. I'll post a link next week. In the KC area, our new little company is now in Green Acres, Market 3, all Whole Foods, most Hy-Vees, with a bunch of other stores adding the products shortly. I'll be at Nature's Pantry in Independence from 4-7 on Tuesday as we launch in that fantastic store (seriously great place for gluten-free and natural).
Here is a pic of me with my co-workers (I'm the ugly one in the center;-).
www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=433063
Above I posted a couple of routes I like taking from my house. You'll note how close I live to the Clinton North Shore Routes. Everyone seems to know those pretty well, so I won't post links to those routes. The routes above are a little light on the mileage. If you were to run these, the mileage is actually about a mile longer on each route. For the second route, there is a linear park that makes up a large portion of the run that doesn't show up on the map (it looks like I just run a few miles through back yards).
Great week of running. I started off with a hybrid of the first route listed above, that took me on an 11 mile jaunt. Easy peasy. The day was pretty, and the weather excellent. I loved every minute of it. I took Monday off, and just ran 3.5-6 miles/day the rest of the week. I finished with mileage in the mid thirties.
This morning I plan to head off to Clinton (drive), and knock out 10-15 k on the muddy (I'm sure) trails. My knee is saying 'hello,' but seems to be hanging in there.
This week I also joined the Trail Hawks. I now belong to three running clubs - Run Lawrence, The Trail Nerds, and the Hawks. The next Trail Hawks event is this:
Second Annual Coleen's Sweaty Ass Run
Sweaty Ass
Race date: July 29, 2011
Start time: 06:00 PM
Race distance: 0 km
Race details:
sweaty ass – Free night run on marked, wooded 5k course with one or two water cosssings. Run as many laps as you want from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Pot Luck self-service aid station set up in historic stone house at start/finish. No entry free, but we’re not averse to a tax-deductible donation or two. Proceeds shared with Kansas Dept. of Parks and Wildlife on whose land we run. NO COTTON SOCKS.
I am thinking of trying to knock out a night time 50 k (10 times around the course). No big pressure - I can bail every 3.1 miles if I'm not feeling it. If I'm in town, you will see me there.
Finally, our website goes live on June 1. It is really a nice piece of work. My vegan friends (I'm just a vegetarian) should find it useful. I'll post a link next week. In the KC area, our new little company is now in Green Acres, Market 3, all Whole Foods, most Hy-Vees, with a bunch of other stores adding the products shortly. I'll be at Nature's Pantry in Independence from 4-7 on Tuesday as we launch in that fantastic store (seriously great place for gluten-free and natural).
Here is a pic of me with my co-workers (I'm the ugly one in the center;-).
Monday, May 16, 2011
Pleasant Running and a Question
I got a message from last week's post from someone named Ryan who directed me to Podrunner. I'm going to check that out and get back to you, but I am looking forward to it. He also recommended AC/DC Live. Couldn't agree more. There is something great about those Aussies when you are running along and one of their tunes confronts your ears...
Great week of running. I did fewer miles, but every run was quality. In the middle of last week, I made the mistake of smacking tennis balls. Tennis used to be my main sport. But it s sooo hard on the knees. I felt the experience for a few days afterward. I may play on clay or grass in the future, but hard surface will have to be limited in order to preserve the joints for running.
On Saturday, the indomitable Eric Henry came over and we popped out to Clinton North Shore. We drove into the park (into the pay portion) so that we could catch the trails farther in. The Trail Hawks were holding their 50K race that morning. If I ever looked at race schedules, I probably would have signed up and done that, because the trails were in great shape, the weather was perfect, and the staff on hand seemed super nice. The two of us only did a few miles out and back, but did get to see parts of the trails that we had never run in previous training runs and races.
Sunday I only had time to squeeze in a quick 5-10 miler before heading to a brunch in the country. I realize that there is a lot of difference between 5 and 10 miles. But the options in this case are 5 miles with an insane hill, or 10 miles of relatively flat, and downhill running. Yesterday I opted for the 5 (a route I had never chosen because of the stupid hill). And, I can honestly say that I don't think that I would have expended any more energy running the 10 miles. Once I made it to the top of the hill, my heart rate felt nice and high. I always have a hard time getting it into a faster beat, but not yesterday. The final two miles of the run sailed by because everything felt easy after the hill. I do want to note here that I actually like running on courses with hills. I love hills. But there is a difference between hills and HILLS.
For the second week in a row, btw, Djokovic beat Nadal in a clay court final in straight sets. Seriously, the French is going to be quite a tourney.
Finally a question for ultra people. After reading Jessie's blog, I checked out Indi's for a race schedule. I'm thinking of the 50k in July. Any thoughts on how much training one really needs to do in order to accomplish a 50? I feel pretty confident up to about 18-20 miles at this point. How much time should I budget to get the extra miles under my belt in terms of 6 weeks out training?
Great week of running. I did fewer miles, but every run was quality. In the middle of last week, I made the mistake of smacking tennis balls. Tennis used to be my main sport. But it s sooo hard on the knees. I felt the experience for a few days afterward. I may play on clay or grass in the future, but hard surface will have to be limited in order to preserve the joints for running.
On Saturday, the indomitable Eric Henry came over and we popped out to Clinton North Shore. We drove into the park (into the pay portion) so that we could catch the trails farther in. The Trail Hawks were holding their 50K race that morning. If I ever looked at race schedules, I probably would have signed up and done that, because the trails were in great shape, the weather was perfect, and the staff on hand seemed super nice. The two of us only did a few miles out and back, but did get to see parts of the trails that we had never run in previous training runs and races.
Sunday I only had time to squeeze in a quick 5-10 miler before heading to a brunch in the country. I realize that there is a lot of difference between 5 and 10 miles. But the options in this case are 5 miles with an insane hill, or 10 miles of relatively flat, and downhill running. Yesterday I opted for the 5 (a route I had never chosen because of the stupid hill). And, I can honestly say that I don't think that I would have expended any more energy running the 10 miles. Once I made it to the top of the hill, my heart rate felt nice and high. I always have a hard time getting it into a faster beat, but not yesterday. The final two miles of the run sailed by because everything felt easy after the hill. I do want to note here that I actually like running on courses with hills. I love hills. But there is a difference between hills and HILLS.
For the second week in a row, btw, Djokovic beat Nadal in a clay court final in straight sets. Seriously, the French is going to be quite a tourney.
Finally a question for ultra people. After reading Jessie's blog, I checked out Indi's for a race schedule. I'm thinking of the 50k in July. Any thoughts on how much training one really needs to do in order to accomplish a 50? I feel pretty confident up to about 18-20 miles at this point. How much time should I budget to get the extra miles under my belt in terms of 6 weeks out training?
Monday, May 9, 2011
Readin', Robyn, and Runnin'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R2zbo--jPA
If you use the link above, you'll find a really great song to listen to while you run. I don't know why disco, and electronica-type tunes are so good to run to - maybe it's the solid beat without change... Anyway, it is a song entitled 'Call Your Girlfriend,' by Robyn. While I like all kinds of music, I usually run to either the afore-mentioned types of music, or something a bit harder than what I normally listen to. If anyone wants to post comments on artist they like to join them on a run, I'll try to write a bit more about it next week.
In other news, I found a book called The Runner's Literary Companion in a local used book store. I started to read it, and am thoroughly enjoying it. It is chock full of excerpt from novels, short stories, and poems. It you want to see more about it, you can go here http://www.amazon.com/Runners-Literary-Companion-Stories-Running/dp/B001G8WPOE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304944610&sr=8-1
Finally, I toned down the weekend runs to 7 miles each day. After a week of running almost every day (I took last Monday off), I was feeling every mile of the weekend runs. I wasn't sore, but I just wasn't feeling it either day. So on Sunday, I just slowed everything down. At a pace about 45 seconds slower than my normal training, I found that, while not loving every minute of it, that the run hit a comfortable note. I finished feeling good enough to do some lawn work and watch the amazing tennis final between Rafa and Novak Djokovic at the Mutua Madrid Open. Djokovic won in straight, but hard-fought sets. I can't wait for Roland Garros.
Until next week...
If you use the link above, you'll find a really great song to listen to while you run. I don't know why disco, and electronica-type tunes are so good to run to - maybe it's the solid beat without change... Anyway, it is a song entitled 'Call Your Girlfriend,' by Robyn. While I like all kinds of music, I usually run to either the afore-mentioned types of music, or something a bit harder than what I normally listen to. If anyone wants to post comments on artist they like to join them on a run, I'll try to write a bit more about it next week.
In other news, I found a book called The Runner's Literary Companion in a local used book store. I started to read it, and am thoroughly enjoying it. It is chock full of excerpt from novels, short stories, and poems. It you want to see more about it, you can go here http://www.amazon.com/Runners-Literary-Companion-Stories-Running/dp/B001G8WPOE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304944610&sr=8-1
Finally, I toned down the weekend runs to 7 miles each day. After a week of running almost every day (I took last Monday off), I was feeling every mile of the weekend runs. I wasn't sore, but I just wasn't feeling it either day. So on Sunday, I just slowed everything down. At a pace about 45 seconds slower than my normal training, I found that, while not loving every minute of it, that the run hit a comfortable note. I finished feeling good enough to do some lawn work and watch the amazing tennis final between Rafa and Novak Djokovic at the Mutua Madrid Open. Djokovic won in straight, but hard-fought sets. I can't wait for Roland Garros.
Until next week...
Monday, May 2, 2011
Congrats and ... wait for it...Running
First off, congratulations to Indi upon becoming a US citizen this past month. Her first marathon, her birthday, and her citizenship all occurred in the past 30 days. For those of you unfamiliar with her, Indi is a KC Trail Nerd/Mud Babe who writes a neat blog that I follow.
On to running - This past week marked my first 30 mile week since I started getting knee treatments. And, while I do still feel a twinge from time to time, for the most part, my knees are holding up pretty well. I am planning to run a couple of marathon-type races (or the shortest ultras I can find). But for now, I'm hoping to trade off low-mileage weeks (20-25 mi) with higher-mileage weeks (30-40 mi) and see how everything is holding up.
I'll give a quick plug for a movie called 'Punching the Clown.' Nice cerebral little flick, worth the investment of time.
Sorry for the short post. I'll try to have more later this week.
On to running - This past week marked my first 30 mile week since I started getting knee treatments. And, while I do still feel a twinge from time to time, for the most part, my knees are holding up pretty well. I am planning to run a couple of marathon-type races (or the shortest ultras I can find). But for now, I'm hoping to trade off low-mileage weeks (20-25 mi) with higher-mileage weeks (30-40 mi) and see how everything is holding up.
I'll give a quick plug for a movie called 'Punching the Clown.' Nice cerebral little flick, worth the investment of time.
Sorry for the short post. I'll try to have more later this week.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Running weekend
It was a pretty nice Saturday. I set out mid-morning for an easy 8 in the country. Since it was supposed to rain on Sunday, I wanted to get in a decent length run for Saturday. There were some clouds spitting a bit of intermittent rain. As I crunched along the gravel of Queens road heading into the country, I passed another runner coming toward me. I always find it odd when people come toward me on this run, because it means they have just ascended one of the steepest hills around. I don't mind hills, but this one is a monster. Other than that one runner, I would see no one else on my jaunt.
I did encounter a quick bout of pea-sized hail which surprised me. I also had one of my first run-ins with a dog (a pretty Weimereiner). Both of these incidents ended without injury. And, as usual, the run was really pretty.
So Sunday came around, and rather than the rain that had been predicted, it was beautiful. So I set out on a 9-ish mile run. I almost never do run more than 6 or 7miles back to back. but it was such a pleasant temperature with very little wind. I don't have anything to really report about the run other than to say it was a nice easy way to begin the week's mileage count. I am taking today off from running to make sure I don't overdo it on training.
In other news, the first week of the new job went well. The demo that Marisa and I did on Friday evening went better than any demo I have ever seen. I am not sure how many hundreds of vegan veggie burgers we sold, but I'd be shocked if it was less than 400 in the 2.75 hours we were there. It was an interesting experience - never having done a demo before - to meet with the end-use consumers and learn their reactions to the product. After all was said and done, both of us feel as though we made the right decision to take the positions running the Natural Product sales for the new company.
And finally, Rafael Nadal won the Barcelona Open yesterday. It set a record for most consecutive wins at two tournaments (Monte Carlo was the first). For the second week in a row, Rafa defeated David Ferrer in a final. Both are looking good for the French. It is going to be a good summer of tennis. Djokovic skipped the two tournaments, so we'll all have to wait to see how he looks on clay.
See you next week.
I did encounter a quick bout of pea-sized hail which surprised me. I also had one of my first run-ins with a dog (a pretty Weimereiner). Both of these incidents ended without injury. And, as usual, the run was really pretty.
So Sunday came around, and rather than the rain that had been predicted, it was beautiful. So I set out on a 9-ish mile run. I almost never do run more than 6 or 7miles back to back. but it was such a pleasant temperature with very little wind. I don't have anything to really report about the run other than to say it was a nice easy way to begin the week's mileage count. I am taking today off from running to make sure I don't overdo it on training.
In other news, the first week of the new job went well. The demo that Marisa and I did on Friday evening went better than any demo I have ever seen. I am not sure how many hundreds of vegan veggie burgers we sold, but I'd be shocked if it was less than 400 in the 2.75 hours we were there. It was an interesting experience - never having done a demo before - to meet with the end-use consumers and learn their reactions to the product. After all was said and done, both of us feel as though we made the right decision to take the positions running the Natural Product sales for the new company.
And finally, Rafael Nadal won the Barcelona Open yesterday. It set a record for most consecutive wins at two tournaments (Monte Carlo was the first). For the second week in a row, Rafa defeated David Ferrer in a final. Both are looking good for the French. It is going to be a good summer of tennis. Djokovic skipped the two tournaments, so we'll all have to wait to see how he looks on clay.
See you next week.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Vegan Veggie Burgers and Half Marathons....
Marisa on the field at the KS Half Marathon
So last week I said there'd be a big announcement. Well, here it is: After 17 years for me, and 7 years for my friend Marisa, we have switched jobs. The two of us have gone from selling more wheatgrass than anyone on the planet, to selling the best-tasting (IMHO) vegan veggie burgers on the planet. For all my readers in the Lawrence/KC metro area (and even Manhattan, KS), you can find the first great- tasting burgers in the frozen natural products section of a lot of stores in the area. Initially look for a yellow label that says 'The World's Best Veggie Burger.' In late May, the labels will change as a new addition will join the line - a Spicy Adzuki Bean Burger (also vegan).
If you want to try the World's Best Veggie Burger, stop by the Whole Foods at 91st and Metcalf between 4 and 7 pm this Friday, 4/22. You can have a sample and learn more about the burger(s).
Now onto running. My knee is all about the run again. I have had no issues, and have been able to knock out some serious mileage again. On Saturday I undertook my new favorite 8-10 miler that gets you out into the country fast. I was knocked out by the purples and greens I encountered as I kicked it along the gravel. It was one of those pure joy experiences.
The next day I got up early to wish Marisa's husband, Chris, luck in the KS Half Marathon. Chris isn't someone who really needs luck. Last year he placed in all but one of the races he entered. But I still turned up to bask in the reflected glory of a serious runner.
Chris Ford coming down the home stretch at the KS Half Marathon
As it turned out, he finished in a better time than last year and 21st overall, but just out of the medal category for his age. That made the experience a bit bittersweet. Still, it was some nice personal progress for Chris on a course that sure seemed more interesting than last year's.
Chris Ford hanging out after the race
I hope to see some people out at WF Market tomorrow night to try out the new burgers.
I'll have more to post next week.
Ciao.
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