Mileage Reporting 2nd Week of 2013

Nice! I Just toss mine in :p. Was doing some cleaning in the garage yesterday to make room for my truck to work on the shocks (you'd think you wouldnt have to do cleaning in a 40x40 garage to fit one vehicle in...) and happened upon my bike. Should I put it up for the winter or leave it by the front. Hmmm. Cold... Ice... sounds like fun hopefully I'll get it out a few times in the winter.


I've already signed up for my May half and nervous too! Havent run that long in months... since September I think. Besides the mileage I hope my feet can toughen up to being bare by then!

FWIW, I signed up for a 1/2 mary in April, so hopefully, my re-launch next week will show that the injury has healed.

As for the bike, you can do this (yes, those are zip ties)
snowtires_660.jpg
 
whoa that's an interesting way to make snow tires. :D I have also seen people make their own studded tires.
 
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FWIW, I signed up for a 1/2 mary in April, so hopefully, my re-launch next week will show that the injury has healed.

As for the bike, you can do this (yes, those are zip ties)
Is that your bike? Where do you find snow like that in San Fran? I'm thinking my mountain bike would be a better option for me, IF I were to brave the cold for biking. It's worse biking that running because of creating your own breeze.
 
Laura, it almost sounds like you are getting wussified. :rolleyes:
I was born a "wuss." :p I'm probably tougher now than I've been in my life. But really, can you call a woman who has had 7 children without any drugs wussified? ;) I think maybe I'm just healing and taking a little break...:D
(healing from the frost nip on my feet, not childbirthing...)
 
0.63 miles on treadmill in vff's. Calf still hurts so called it quits before I really hurt it. Was feeling like just a minor muscle ache (sore muscle) the last couple days so I thought I'd see if it was really just sore muscles like it felt, but it steadily got worse the longer I was on the treadmill. Yup, injury not just a sore muscle. Dang. Finished off with ST (back and legs). Guess I'll just stick to ST for the next week or two and maybe the bike and see how I do.
 
Yesterday, Wednesday, nice lower-body ST workout. I have enough faith in my knees now that I'm able to push the squats a bit. Last week I tried 155 lbs, but that was still too much for more than a half squat. But yesterday I was OK adding 10 lbs to my base of 125 lbs for full squats, without feeling like I was straining anything. Next week I may try adding another 10 lbs to bring it up to 145. The goal would be to have it up to about 270, or 1.5 BW sometime in the future, following Abide's guidelines, and assuming I'm able to lose another 15-20 pounds this year. I'm holding the deadlifts steady at 225 until the squats catch up a bit more, then will continue the push there up to 2BW. I never like to push more than one thing in a single weights session.

Today's run broke from the recent fairgrounds loop routine. I had to take the car in to get the windshield replaced. After one of the snow storms in late December, a rock thrown up by a passing car's slush had cracked it. Then yesterday a cop handed my wife a citation for the crack. Two high school friends have an auto parts business near Como Lake, so I decided to get my run in earlier, while taking care of the crack. If the job wasn't going to take too long, I'd go jog around the lake while they were installing the new windshield. If it were going to take a while, I'd jog home, about four miles, and either jog back or get my brother to drive me there.

Turns out it only took an hour, so I just ran around the lake three times.

4.8 miles / 7.7 km running, 5.9 miles total.
36 F / 30 F windchill

My plan was to do relatively fast fartleks, in order to avoid ITB strain, so I decided to wear my Bare Access shoes again, to see what they felt like at faster paces. But the top of my foot was still sore from last week's run in them. I'm not used to wearing shoes with laces, and the upper had irritated my foot.

So I decided to try the Sketchers GoBionic shoes I also bought by mistake last fall. "GoBionic" has to be one of the stupidest names for a shoe, and I'm slightly ashamed to own a pair. Nonetheless, it's a very comfortable shoe for shuffling about at the park or zoo or shopping mall or something. They're kind of marshmallowy. So, like the Bare Access, they tend a bit towards the modern running shoe's cushiness and away from a proper minimal shoe's no-nonsense sole. But they're not as supportive as the Merrells.

Once running, I found myself heel-striking in the GoBionics, just as I had in the Bare Access, which I almost never do in the Moc3s. I tried to consciously up my cadence to see if that helped, and it did. But I'm quite lazy about form issues, and I was landing under my COG, so I just let myself heel-strike. Then, a bit later, I noticed my body had self-corrected and I was mid-foot landing.

Then, a bit later still, I took off my shoes. Ahhhhhhh. It felt so good that I stopped doing fartleks and ran a continuous lap around the lake, about 1.5 miles at 9mm pace. It was warm enough that my frost-nipped toes didn't evince any cold sensitivity. I guess I should've risked barefooting it earlier in the run, but the lake path was half dry, half moist, and I've become rather risk-adverse lately. Looks like I'm good to go at supra-freezing temps though, so that's good news.

On the farleks I was hovering between 8 and 8:30 mm pace, so the overall pace, including the barefoot lap, was 8:38 mm. More importantly, the somewhat faster paces and frequent stops to stretch seemed to clear me of all ITB strain in my right knee, except at the very end, so I walked the rest of the way back to the garage to pick up the car and drive home. Saturday I'll try to add another mile to the running total.

BTW, speaking of halfs, I've completely shut August's half mary out of my mind. If I manage to get up to 13-14 miles by then, fine, but if not, I'll be happy to bail and root for Dutchie and Dama on the sidelines. I'm doing my best to run without any expectations, just as I do with my weights. With this week's runs my insomnia has gone away, and that's the best prize of all. Gotta stay consistent and everything else will fall into place in its own time.
 
Hey 10 miles today---been forever it seems since I did a long run, even though I suspect it's only been a few weeks. It felt difficult. My legs, body, mind, soul all were dragging, even though it was a beautiful morning on the trail. I'll blame it on the crusty cold grooved ice snow stuff at the beginning. In any case, it miffed me just a bit that I could lose fitness for that kind of run so quickly. Ah well. Back on track.

1.5 mi again with the kids this evening, again in sandals. Didn't feel sore or tired legs for this, so maybe the 10 miler earlier wasn't the end of the world.
 
Is that your bike? Where do you find snow like that in San Fran? I'm thinking my mountain bike would be a better option for me...

No - not my bike. I peruse Bikeforums.net and I remember seeing that before. While we do get some snow in The Bay Area, it's typically more of a dusting on the mountaintops that are much higher than any of the hills in SF. The zip tie method - in my opinion, is for flat places that get snow - would not want to try ride a bike up or down a snowy icy hill, zip ties, or no. I believe that they make studded bicycle tires - the zip ties were used as a cheaper/easier method, if I recall...

IF I were to brave the cold for biking. It's worse biking that running because of creating your own breeze.

Oh, yes - the apparent wind. There have been times where I've worn rain gear for wind protection on cold (for me) mornings. On moderately chilly mornings, I can gut it out and be up to operating temp within 5 minutes, or so..how you dress makes a difference..
 
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Same as before: 10 mins on the rower (or as close as I can guess, the digital readout wasn't working on the rower I had, so I had to try and read the clock across the room) and about 30 mins of k'bells.

I find that as I get older, I tolerate other people less. So, like today: There are two rowing machines (the one where the digital readout works and the one I got) and there was some guy on the other one - he rowed for maybe 2 to 3 mins, did some pushups and left - he was there, maybe, a total of 5 minutes and just could not wait for this cat to leave? I mean, what right does he have to use the space and equipment in the gym that he pays a membership to, when he can clearly see that I'm there?

Maybe it's time to buy a cabin in the woods and start working on my manifesto...
 
9.1 miles trail. Been a long week, decided to go for a longer run and risk darkness on the trail. Made it back with scant minutes to spare. Nice run. Wind helped a bit when the trail ran west-east, and not so much the other way. Getting a bit warm. It's Jan and got into high 70s today. Forget summer, as I'm already dreading spring. Though, at least you folks in colder climates won't have to risk frostbite then.
 
9.1 miles trail. Been a long week, decided to go for a longer run and risk darkness on the trail. Made it back with scant minutes to spare. Nice run. Wind helped a bit when the trail ran west-east, and not so much the other way. Getting a bit warm. It's Jan and got into high 70s today. Forget summer, as I'm already dreading spring. Though, at least you folks in colder climates won't have to risk frostbite then.
dude, you're always just barely making it back before dark. Carry a headlamp (I put mine on my waist), just in case. Then you won't have to worry quite as much about making it back in time.
 
dude, you're always just barely making it back before dark. Carry a headlamp (I put mine on my waist), just in case. Then you won't have to worry quite as much about making it back in time.
I don't know if there's a headlamp large enough to illuminate the trail adequately. I wouldn't want to step on my buddy, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake! I stopped just a few feet short, and that was in broad daylight. Oh yeah, no rattling, didn't move at all. Looked like it tensed up a bit, ready to react if I dared to mess with it. So much for being "highly averse to human contact".
snake 12-24-12a.jpg
 
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In any case, it miffed me just a bit that I could lose fitness for that kind of run so quickly.
Glad to hear it's not just me. I'm still trying to get back to where I was at the end of July, but with each set-back (TOFP, MCL, ITBS, illness, frostnip), it's like I'm starting all over again. The good news is that I can usually get close to my previous stamina within a month or so of steady running, so barring any more set-backs, I should start building on last year's base by February sometime.
Forget summer, as I'm already dreading spring. Though, at least you folks in colder climates won't have to risk frostbite then.
Guess we all need to move out to the Bay Area, where the weather is always nearly perfect. Chances of getting hired at Berkeley are slim though, so I'm setting my sites on Colorado . . .
 
BTW, speaking of halfs, I've completely shut August's half mary out of my mind. If I manage to get up to 13-14 miles by then, fine, but if not, I'll be happy to bail and root for Dutchie and Dama on the sidelines. I'm doing my best to run without any expectations, just as I do with my weights.

Well, that's is just plain coo-coo talk, there is plenty of time for you to heal and "train" for the half. Stop talking nonsense now.
If I were you, and this is just me I would do a lighter lower body ST training and by that I mean using only your body weight. I think that all the heavy lifting is giving you all this injury crap, weel except for the frost nip.
There I said it!
As for me, I haven't sign up for the half yet and as far as miles go I have so far for this week about 15 mi.
 
Well yesterday I did 5.5 miles, went out in my minimalized komodosports, took em off after about a mile, and put em on the last mile. Temps were I think a couple degrees above freezing. My problem toes were borderline numb, they did loose some sensation for most of the run. I didn't get the arch cramps, but I mostly only ran at a 10mm pace or slower, and there were a few times I felt like the cramps were coming on, both in the VFFs and when I was bare.

I don't know if there's a headlamp large enough to illuminate the trail adequately. I wouldn't want to step on my buddy, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake! I stopped just a few feet short, and that was in broad daylight. Oh yeah, no rattling, didn't move at all. Looked like it tensed up a bit, ready to react if I dared to mess with it. So much for being "highly averse to human contact".
View attachment 1454

Do their eyes shine like many do at night? I love running at night but I've seemed to have lost my headlamp for the last couple months. :mad: Anyhow I think with my quite modest headlamp I can see critters better... during the summer a certain type of spider is always out on the road and I can see those buggers 50 foot away or more when there eyes shine back at me. But in all honesty 500+ lumens is pretty easy to get in headlamps now-a-days, especially if your willing to go Li-ion, and that will pretty much nuke your retinas up close and send most of the critters running.
 
1st run of the year yesterday. Long break, I couldn't take it anymore. Wife had a Dr. Appt. in the town south of home, so I went along and went for a run. Sunny and beautiful, 4.5 miles. Big emotional cloud lifted from my mind. Smooth warm pavement with walk breaks in the sharp gravel off to the side, occasional sand. Felt so good on the feet. Even enjoyed pulling goat head stickers out of my toes.

Unfortunately, not so good physically. My heel felt good during the run, but sore after, in the evening, and this morning. Classic PF symptoms. Thinking the Carlsbad marathon in two weeks is going to be a very long walk along the Pacific Coast Highway. Trying to switch my registration to the half, but not likely going to happen.
 
Well, that's is just plain coo-coo talk, there is plenty of time for you to heal and "train" for the half. Stop talking nonsense now.
If I were you, and this is just me I would do a lighter lower body ST training and by that I mean using only your body weight. I think that all the heavy lifting is giving you all this injury crap, well except for the frost nip.
There I said it!
As for me, I haven't sign up for the half yet and as far as miles go I have so far for this week about 15 mi.
I'm confused. Why aren't you replying with red ink within the quote?

Coo-coo ca-choo.

Of course, I appreciate your encouragement, and off course I can't possibly expect you to remember my injury and training history, but there's no correlation between the injuries and my lower back strength training. I only started doing (light) squats a month or two ago, and deadlifts last summer, I think. And even there the pounds I'm lifting are pretty light to moderate for a guy my size. I'm not really straining, even on the dead lifts (I'd have to be lifting 300 plus pounds for that). My progress with lifting has always been very gradual, as I appreciate very well the risk for injury that weight-lifting poses. I've never been seriously injured while lifting. I think I've pulled a muscle a bit a couple of times, when I was younger and overly exuberant, always my shoulder blade on dips and always within the first month of getting back into ti, but that's been about it.

Overall, I'm pretty sure strengthening my lower body supports my running. The irony is that I have failed to apply the relaxed gradualist approach I use in weight-lifting to my running. It just seems like I should be able to get up and go.

The MCL I still chalk up to a freak occurrence, but it might possibly be associated with not warming up properly after sitting in the car a lot while driving around running errands that day. In any case, it seems to be behind me, and is no longer a concern.

The ITB strains seem clearly to be caused by sudden jumps in mileage and/or insufficient recovery time and/or taking time off and resuming previous distances without building back up to them again more gradually, a mile per run, and/or running at slower, plodding paces. That is, it's caused by running. My method of taking stretching breaks and running faster paces seems to be working. But the two times it has flared up initially have both been times when I tried to up the mileage, so I'm determined to build up more slowly this time, and prepared to bail on any distance that seems to aggravate it. That's why I can't commit completely to August's half, because I can't be sure 13 miles is within my body's range. I'm pretty sure it is, but only time will tell. I'm definitely not going to run a half if I haven't been able to run 13-14 miles in "training," that is, on at least one of my weekly long runs. I'm not doing any race unless it's going to be fun and comfortable and at a distance I've already run.

In addition to the stretch breaks and faster paces, I've started doing static stretching and mobility exercises/dynamic stretching with ankle weights before my runs, and at the end of each ST session, and I think this helps a lot too. I've also got religious about stretching and rolling several times during the day outside of workouts, to keep things limber and loose. I think this is helping my running, and I know for sure it's also making me feel better in general.

So in sum, I feel pretty confident everything will fall into place with just a wee bit more patience this year. I'm even thinking about entering a 10k in a few weeks if my toes have healed enough and temps are favorable for barefoot running. It's also a question whether my ITB issue will be completely gone by then. It's a similar route to the one we'll be running August. Just have to make sure there's no salt on the road.

Good to hear from you, in any case, as always.

@ Whitelaw, Sorry to hear of the PF symptoms Rick, hope you heal up soon.
 
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