Mileage reporting 21st week 2014

I slept in this morning and missed my chance to go surfing, so I decided on a short, sharp 6km run on the beach instead. I took off at a good pace and felt like I was flying along. I was considering how good those numbers were going to look on strava when the karma bus ran me over in spectacular fashion - my GPS watch decided to b0rk the data for the run. With this in mind, I made it out to my turnaround point and decided to run home at any old pace, which slowly turned into a gentle, uncaring lope. Truth be told, I felt quite flat, probably due to my basketball game from last night, and my injuries from the karma bus.
 
Jen,
even BL told you. machines are like orthotics. they control your movement and don't allow full range of motion. you're doing lots of work for less results.

Line,
cover up with light weight material. i wish i could help with more advice but i don't have much experience with burning. since the sun appears here in the Pacific NW only once a year i learned to just get tan slowly. stay out of the sun during it's peak. reading paleo blogs they say avoid veggie oils and food with high ratios of omega 6 as they lead to easier burning of your skin.
 
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Sunday - 50 shod miles. The last part of last week I worked at the Grand Canyon Ultras race. Thursday and Friday marking the course, a fifty mile loop course with a few out and backs. About 25 miles on foot the rest on a 4 wheeler. Saturday morning helping get the runners started and then setting up aid stations. Saturday afternoon I just filled in where ever I was needed. The RD insisted on me trying to get some rest, but too much going on. By evening most of the 50k and 50 mile finishers had come in and the 100 mile runners had started running there second lap. Got my gear organized and headed out cleaning the course about 2 hours after the last 100 mile runner at about midnight. Running on the rim of the Grand Canyon at night all alone was an unforgettable experience. At sunrise I caught a second wind and cleaned 3 miles of mellow course in 25 minutes. Oops, better back it off, I had a long way to go and I didn't want to catch the 100 mile runners yet. About 25 miles in I caught the last 100 mile runner. He dropped at the next aid station because of not making the cutoff time limit. I was back to running. Caught the next 100 mile runner at mile 30 and knew the last 20 miles would be pretty slow which was ok because it was getting hot. She had a very good walking pace and would stay ahead of me for most of the time. I didn't want to be on her heels the whole time which would have mentally frustrated her having the course sweeper behind her. That has happened to me on a trail half marathon that I attempted barefoot. I had the sweeper behind me until I finally put sandals on. So I would take extra time at the aid stations talking to the workers and refueling and extra time organizing flagging and strapping on signs. I would eventually catch up and check on her and then fall back, lurking like a creeper in the shadows. I know the girl from previous races, so I didn't creep her out too much. She gutted out and finished. I finished shortly after for an unofficial Grand Canyon Ultra 50 mile finish. Other than the lack of sleep, the best I have ever felt after 50 miles. Didn't take a single picture, but here is my friend's race report: http://www.fastcory.com/2014/05/grand-canyon-100-mile-race-report-2014.html

Monday - 3 barefoot recovery miles.

Rest of the week. I feel like running, but I am going to take it easy. Except for the ton of farm work I am behind on. Getting off the computer now.
 
They make special clothes out there that actually contain sunscreen - because the harmful rays still get through MOST "summer" clothing .

Also, I don't know what omegas are primarily in fish, but when cruisers start eating a lot of fish, they start to burn less and less.

Then some of us, like me, will burn no matter what.

I got my second sunburn of the day, at 6:00 P.M. the other day.

The range of time you are supposed to stay out of sun, is between 10-2.
 
Michael-

Machines act like orthotics? Perfect!

Only you knew that I have been wearing orthotics for the last couple of months - but you never got to hear the rest of the story. So now I'm going to tell everyone the story.

Due to zero exercise, sleep deprivation, anxiety attacks, etc., which are NOW under control, my musculoskeletal alignment went to crap because I was not able to exercise during that time, and the side effects of some of my meds shot my muscles to crap, too. So, my old imbalances came back full force. Over-supinated left foot, almost over-pronated right foot. Plantar fasciitis from HELL - worst I've ever had- in my left arch.

Thanks to a certain Barefoot Runner Society approved doctor's advice -which in my case turned out to be the best advice for my situation (though he turned out be a total @$$&#!& who I am turning in to the board)- I went in to a shoe store to get a certain type of shoe (to wear for just work), and ended up with orthotics.

I admit, I had all the biases that you all have, of course. I was highly skeptical and asked for finite, detailed explanations of everything (which I do with everything - for example, my doctors know I want an actual presentation, not just an answer). But I learned a lot of things about orthotics that I did not know, such as, the orthotics they gave me ACTUALLY CAUSE YOUR ARCH TO EXERCISE AS YOU WALK. So, it's not like a brace, it's like the arch has it's own creepy exercise machine.

They also use technology to assess your issue -they do this little digital image of your foot to assess your weight distribution and then choose from about 25 different orthotics, based upon that read-out.

They have you come back in after 30 days to RE-FIT the orthotic, they do another read-out, then change the orthotic based on the read-out. That way, they can see if there are any (over)-compensation patterns, etc. (And you can come back 30 days after that, and after that, and after that, until you get the perfect fit.)

The first pair was extremely confining and had a cupped heel and a steel rod through the middle of it, and everything - and I wore it with tenneshoes. I wore that pair for a month, though not as often as I was supposed to - only while I was at work. They expect people to build up to 16 hours a day, I only wore them about 4-5 hours a day.

I felt a significant difference within the first week. The PF died down significantly, I could actually walk without limping. My left foot stopped it's extreme over-supination. There were several other benefits, that I don't have time to list, because I want to get on to the point.

I had my PT (who happens to be barefoot friendly and knows Ray McClanahan) about my orthotics. She did a gait analysis. She said I needed to ditch the tenneshoes - so I got Skoras, which she totally approved of. When I got the Skoras, I also bought some more "Correct Toes" and started wearing those a couple days in addition to the orthotics. Anyway, she examined the orthotics and said they seemed to be causing me foot to supinate a little too much. However, since I did not originally start seeing her for my gait, she did not know how the orthotics had reigned in the extreme over-supination of my left foot. We talked about that and about how it is totally possible for the orthotics to take care of certain problems, but still not be the best orthotic.

I went back in for a re-fit of my orthotic after 30 days. I also asked to look at both the original foot imprint and the new one. It was amazingly different. The original one showed an erratic mess of pressure, both feet had their own distinct pressure patterns, and there were super dark spots everywhere, and there was little correspondence between both feet. The new imprint showed a MUCH MORE even distribution of weight, hardly any dark spots, and both feet looked more or less the same. I was amazed!

My next step was to switch to a different orthotic. I already knew they had an “exercise” version of their orthotic that was supposed to be worn only while exercising and it was a lot less confining. I TOLD them I wanted that type and that I wasn’t going to discuss it – they tried, but I smacked them down. The exercise version does not have any heel cupping – perfect! No steel rods in them - perfect! They are a super thin - perfect! They are way more flexible - perfect! So, I got those and wore them in my Skoras and started exercising around that time.

Since then, I have been able to start exercising regularly again and everything feels a lot more balanced then it ever has before. I am rotating between wearing my orthotics for a few hours, then my Correct Toes for a few hours, then just my Skoras, then going completely barefoot. On my days off, I rarely wear the orthotics at all. If I have to go too many days without exercising, I will wear the orthotics a bit longer, or more often for a day or two, to get my feet re-balanced.

Orthotics have proven to be a useful transition tool (not to be confused with a brace) for me.

I view exercise machines the exact same way. And not that anyone would ever ask me WHY I am using a machine instead of just free weights. But, if they did, they would learn that I am using the machines as a transition tool to free weights -just like I did with the orthotics.

OH, and while you are at it, ask Bare Lee about the rowing MACHINE that he used to happily use and actually get some benefit from.

So, suck it! :eek:



















 
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Roughly 45 minutes on the treadmill in my luna monos. Got interrupted about halfway through with an unplanned (on my part) phone interview. Now I have an in person one scheduled. Man I hope I hear on the other job before this interview. I dont really want this job but I am at point where I need to start bringing in money.
 
Man I hope I hear on the other job before this interview.
Depending on the industry, sometimes you can notify the other potential employer and let them know that another employer is interested in you. Sometimes, this encourages them to give you an interview, too. This is particularly true, if you are travelling out of town for the interview.
 
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Depending on the industry, sometimes you can notify the other potential employer and let them know that another employer is interested in you. Sometimes, this encourages them to give you an interview, too. This is particularly true, if you are travelling out of town for the interview.
Oh Ive already had the interview, background check, and drug test. It's a gov't thing (postal carrier) and they never work fast. I am waiting to hear when I start. I think... Been waiting 2 weeks now since the drug test and I don't do drugs so.... Have to wait on city of Portlands approval too which is slowing things down even more.
 
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Anything that helps correct your musculoskeletal alignment, will improve your gait, and therefore your running. Tah-dah! :)
 
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Nice 6 mile run at 5:15 am. 72 deg f. 73 %rh..
Heard a few roosters crow, Saw 2 ducks flying and some rabbits here and there.
I am still working on relaxing Toes, feet, ankles, calves, thighs and arms.
I am also working on smooth steady even gait.
 
Oh Ive already had the interview, background check, and drug test. It's a gov't thing (postal carrier) and they never work fast. I am waiting to hear when I start. I think... Been waiting 2 weeks now since the drug test and I don't do drugs so.... Have to wait on city of Portlands approval too which is slowing things down even more.
Could you take the, unwanted, other job for as long as it takes for the other one to materialise?
 
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This morning, 45 minutes on the spin bike. several afternoon hours of yard work, evening swim of 25 minutes without stopping. Would have gone 5 minutes more, but forgot I couldn't breathe underwater and choked myself, so called it quits.:eek:
 
Weights. Angled squat machine. Inner/outer thigh machine. PT exercises. Oh, and Roman Chair exercises - oh how I've missed you! If I could recommend one piece if exercise equipment, to everyone, it would be a Roman Chair. Wine\scotch exercises...lol.
 
Ran 5 miles yesterday and 3.25 this morning. Yesterday I received a used copy of Maffetone's The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing.

Interesting reading so far, although I stumbled across one glaring (at least to me it's glaring] error put in there as a statement of fact.

Phil Maffetone said:
High humidity can act much like a headwind. It is a physical barrier of water that you must work through. The increased effort raises your heart rate and results in a slower test.

Maffetone is talking about the MAF test and how conditions can affect it, but he's wrong with this statement of high humidity acting as a physical barrier. It's nothing of the sort. Water vapor, which is the gaseous form of water, is less dense than nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide which form most of our atmosphere. If water vapor weren't less dense, we wouldn't have the water cycle which gives us rain, since water vapor tends to rise because of being less dense and then it forms clouds and eventually rain. I imagine that the reason high humidity slows a person down doing a MAF test if because of less efficient cooling, as when it is humid, our sweat does not evaporate so quickly and we don't lose heat so quickly. If it weren't for that fact, if we were able to cool just as fast whether high humidity or low humidity, we would in fact be able to run faster if it were 70 degrees and 90% humidity than if it were 70 degrees and 10% humidity, because the air would be less dense at the higher humidity.