Making a splash in the running world

No pictures this week (or maybe for a while). I began my transition from running to swimming for the surgery over the Winter months. I did run a slightly below average number of miles this week. But I took a couple of days off in order to meet with a swim coach in order to go at my new endeavor with the proper form. What I learned is that my form was really bad. I could swim some laps, but would drown a little bit each time. I'm not a lot better at the moment, but at least I understand why I'm drowning.

In all seriousness, I am now feeling the effects of the hyaluronic acid wearing off in my right knee. My left knee hurts quite a bit as well, but I'm going to let it ride until a couple of months post surgery (on my rt knee) when I'll have injections in both knees. The acid works so well that I should never have to have surgery in my left knee (knock wood).

I'm heading out to do a solid North Shore run this a.m. with my running buddy, Eric. Trails seem to be the best things for my knees. They rarely hurt when I'm bouncing off of uneven rocky surfaces.

One odd thing that happened while swimming was that I experienced another calf cramp. Normally I get those on long road runs. I was surprised and a bit disappointed that one would kick in while I was kicking in the H2O.

I hope to get in I hope to get in 12-14 more runs before the surgery. I also plan to emerge from the pool in the Spring with a buff swimmer's-build body that will enable an easy transition back to running and also add much-needed core strength. So maybe there will be a photo in 3-4 months.

Finally, I saw a movie this week called The Long Run, about an African woman in South Africa who is discovered and trained to run an ultra by a mono-maniacal German coach. While the running scenes were a little wrought (read not very believable), the general feel of the flick was really quite charming. I'll give it a tentative thumbs up (it ain't no Chariots of Fire). But I have seen worse...

Next week - transition week 2.

Something to read if the asteroid doesn't hit us tonight.

What an interesting week - perhaps only from a Proustian perspective, but oh, well. Due to the cold and darkness, a lot of my running was indoors. I did manage a couple of good road runs and a crappy (in terms of how I felt), yet stimulating(in terms of finding a new course) run this a.m. Good lord, I hope you are all still following me after that disjointed sentence. As I could've said, I felt like crap, but took a new route. I started down the blue course at Clinton, and as soon as I had a chance to access the shoreline, I popped off of the trail and ran along clay and sand mixture that lines the lake. It was pretty, quiet, and a little dirty. I also found an inlet that obviously hadn't had water in it for some time and traced the circumference of that as well before ending at a boat launching area. I plodded up the hill, and found myself back on the white trail. Even thought there had been a little wind when I began the run, there was a stillness that had fallen over the trail as I made my way back. It was interesting that there were plenty of cars in the lot, but I only saw one other person the whole time I ran - s woman with her two dogs right at the start of the run.

On Friday evening, I learned how two do two things. First, I finally took a few more tentative steps across that fabled bridge to the 21st Century, and installed a wireless router for my house (I'm using it to write in this blog right now). Second, I used a Red Box for the first time. Being one of the thousands who recently punted Netflix (that company's behavior really was similar to having your best friend kick you in the nuts and call you names), I had been using the library a lot recently, but did want to try Red Box. How cool. If you haven't tried it, go on line and give it a try. It'll hook you up with more titles (and shockingly genres like foreign) than you would expect. It'll also reserve movies, tell you which box has them, and give you directions (all for $1 or so). I recognize RB's shortcomings, but for quick easy entertainment, it is a viable option.

Finally - and this may be a bit esoteric - but I learned the difference between a clasp and a hasp...... anyone..... didn't think so. A hasp is a lockable clasp - like you might find on a shipping trunk, or a shed door. Ahh knowledge. It never gets tiresome.

Tucson Running

Mountain shot from a car in Tucson


So, while not doing the ultra-marathon last week, I did have a couple of good runs in Tucson. On Sunday afternoon, I did a slow 7 miler in the heat along a dried-up river bed. It was really a beautiful place to run, with a shrub and sand-filled depression 100-150 feet wide on one side, and parks and trails lining the other. I had a small bottle of Fiji water with me. Once I depleted its contents after the first mile, I popped into a park every couple of miles to refill it from fountains. The temp was pretty good, 80F+ or so, but the absolute lack of humidity parched me and dried out my lips almost immediately. I had on SPF 70, and I'm glad I did. I was still a bit red (but not burned) when the run ended.

The next morning I got up early and ran in much cooler temps for 4 miles. Even though my hosts at Maya Tea and I had splashed a bit too much tequila (fine tequila it was, too) down our throats the night before, I was still able to do a nice run at an 8:15-ish pace. There were a lot more runners out in the morning. The cyclists seem to favor the afternoons.

Since my return I have just done a couple of 3 mile runs. I'll probably do that again tomorrow and knock out a long run on Saturday. I'm trying to give my knees a bit of a reprieve. I went to my orthopedic doctor as soon as I got into town to have him take a look at my left knee. The bad news is that it also has a bit of osteo-arthritis settling in. The good news is that it is not at all in the same scope or scale as the OA in my right knee. So, if it hurts, I'll be able to get hyaluronic acid injections and not worry about it (possibly ever again).

I'll post more on Sunday.

Below is a picture of a pretty farmer's market in Tucson.

Answer to the 'Cliff Hanger' question

Old Train Depot Control Board


All week long I battled, not a decision to run (or not to run) the 50k, but rather a more personal physical battle against allergies and hay fever. I had some of the more amazing sneezing fits, stuffy noses, and post nasal drip (which migrated into my lungs) than I have ever experienced. Life was miserable. Any hope of recovering enough to do the 50 was put to rest on a 9 mi run on Tuesday and a 5 mile run on Thursday, both on the river trails, and both of which found me struggling to find the energy to keep pace with my running partners.

So after the Thursday run, I took a friend up on his offer to hang out at his place in Tucson for the weekend. I arrived early on Saturday, and immediately noticed my allergies ebbing a bit in the dry Arizona climate. My friend, Manish owns the storied Maya Tea Company - www.mayatea.com. His company also runs a bunch of farmers markets in the Tucson area. As a major fan of farmers markets, it didn't take a lot of arm-twisting to get me to go to the first one yesterday at the old Tuscon train station. In addition to the new farmers market there, the station houses an Amtrak facility, an excellent restaurant/gourmet store, and a fantastic art gallery called Obsidian.

In the evening I was invited to attend a Tucson Local Favorites event at a hotel in the mountains. A slew of excellent restaurants, food companies, and wineries (who knew just how many stunning wineries there are in AZ?) served their fare to an eager crowd of hundred of people in the hotel's ballroom.

Being a relatively new vegan, and a relatively long-term vegetarian, there wasn't a lot that I could sink my teeth into. However, the event was fun. It was good to see people coming out to learn more and support their local eateries.

This morning I'm heading off to Tucson's biggest farmers market. In the afternoon (lungs permitting) I plan to take a 6-10 mile run on a path that -follows along dried-up river bed.

I will try to get some pictures posted. The scenery here is spectacular. Saguaro cactus are everywhere. The desert-scape has some of the heartiest, and at the same time most delicate flora and fauna to be found. As a former transplanted Arizonan (I actually did attend kindergarten in Tucson 40 years ago), there is something about this place that gets down in your blood and makes you long for solitude as you find yourself drawn into the vast expanses of earth and sky.

Below: The little leave on this tree are about the width of a paperclip wire

Cliff-Hanger

Grasshopper eating an egg at the Hawks' Halloween Picnic
It was a lovely week, though a bit on the cool side. It began with the 18 miler last Sunday, and concluded with a 10 mile run yesterday. In between the two bookends, I managed a relatively paltry 9 miles. Still, though, the combo worked well. Only one day came and went where my legs just didn't feel quite up to task.

This past year I have kept myself motivated by trying to have no motivators other than my own will to improve. I have entered no races and trained for no specific event. I did do a fun run, Colleen's Sweaty Ass Run, in the Summer, but there was no fee, no race, no set distance; thus the only reward was internal and transitory.

With my knee surgery approaching, and with knee pain rearing up a bit on the longer runs, I thought it actually might be a good idea to knock out a 50K - an official 50K - as in I pay my fee, show up at an appointed hour and run the dang thing. And I had picked just the perfect race, the Blue Springs 50/50 coming up next weekend. I had a friend, my running buddy, Eric, who agreed to come along and pace if I needed it, and drive the car home. The course is soft, flat, and easy... But then, after a chat with a fellow Trail Hawk (who shall remain nameless), I have rethought my objectives. His comments dealt with the strain of any long run. I had been operating on the notion that my knee was already a mess, and that, since it couldn't get any worse, why not knock out a final pre-surgery long run? But after our conversation, I started to think the better of it. I guess I am grappling less with the physical side (I am fairly confident that everything will hold up), and much more with the spiritual side (I have really enjoyed running with no pressure, and even contemplating issues surrounding this fairly simple run, seem to intrude on the soulfulness of the long run).

I'm actually torn. I suppose next week's posting will let you know whether or not I ran the race. Wow, I rarely leave this post with a cliff-hanger:-)

Coyote Season

It has been months since I last encountered a coyote, but on Thursday I ran into a big one on Wakarusa near Overland (right off of the Free State High practice fields). The critter walked in front of me and then stopped in the bushes about 3 feet from where I ran by. I was clapping and yelling, but the coyote didn't seem to care at all. It freaked me out. I was super glad that a very out-of-place semi tractor trailer passed by on the road at the same time - bringing civilization into my run. I wanted as much noise as possible to keep the beast in check.

It is very disconcerting just how unafraid of people the coyotes are in my neck of the woods. They are beautiful animals when seen from a distance. Up close they look a bit like... well, ummm... wild dogs.

Heading out for a run shortly. More post manana.

Redemption

Salt marks on the side of my face

So after 'not feeling it' yesterday, I awoke this morning feeling somewhat better. After an oatmeal and some coffee I grabbed my hand held bottle a couple of gel shots and a Clif Bar and headed out. I didn't know how far I'd go, but I did have a route in mind. I first ran out to the Lecompton Interchange. Frome there I headed along the SLT path to Clinton. Rather than hitting the trails at the lake, I just headed into the state park along the roads. There were a couple of big hill, but at about mile 11 I felt so good that I barley gave them a passing thought. I did see two huge turkey vultures looking very vulturish at the top of a tree. One of the birds was sitting with its wings fully spread, taking in the sun. It was strangely beautiful.

I turned around at the final boat launch area. On my way back I ran up Bunker Hill and on the trails along its spine. The view of the lake was gorgeous, but I didn't stop to really take it in.

At mile 14.66, the wind was really coming out of the North pretty heavily. Normally that wouldn't have sucked except I was headed due North. For about 2 miles I really didn't enjoy the run. Also,here's a surprise, my knees hurt. I tried to ignore the pain and concentrate on how many extra endorphins must have been getting released. That actually worked for a bit. Miles 17 and 18 were smooth and relatively easy compared to the two that preceded them. But again, I was feeling the run in my knees. Doing most of the outing on hard surfaces wasn't as kind as the trails would have been.

I called the run at 18. I had done a pretty chilled out 9.5 min/mile pace, so setting a speed record wasn't an issue. All in all, it was a pleasurable outing. And it was a relief to knock out a decent distance after yesterday's bail.

Finally, I chose the pic above, because I lose monster amounts of salt when I run. I usually take salt caps with me (as I did today). I didn't put in a shot of my forehead that looks seriously salt encrusted. You'll just have to believe me. See you next week.