Mileage Reporting 12th Week of 2013

[Spiderweb62]

Right. Pink Floyd's 7/4 "Money" might be easier to remember . . . but then the 4/4 solo section might screw you up . . .

And for even faster paces, you gotta do a speedy waltz: 1-2-1.

All's I remember from Captain Beefheart is:

Bat chain puller
Puller, puller

In any case, I'm only going to think of meter if it comes naturally. But I do enjoy the idea that the five-count breath cycle comes naturally for me right around the pace where my gait starts to feel really smooth and effortless, and also where my cadence starts to approach 180. Hopefully, I'm not too far out from when 9mm will be my aerobic pace, and I can run like that or faster all the time.

My breathing gives me the quarter note for my feet, so 4 steps for 1 inhale/exhale....And then my heartbeat goes in polyrythm at 3 beats every 4 steps

Anyway, today intervals, did 10x400m, and it is the first time I reach my 90% max heartbeat of 153, managed to squeeze a total of 8.2km (5.1mi). Soles are feeling better today, I guess this is due to the fact I did my intervals on grass

 

[Barefoot Dama]

My breathing gives me the quarter note for my feet, so 4 steps for 1 inhale/exhale....And then my heartbeat goes in polyrythm at 3 beats every 4 steps

Anyway, today intervals, did 10x400m, and it is the first time I reach my 90% max heartbeat of 153, managed to squeeze a total of 8.2km (5.1mi). Soles are feeling better today, I guess this is due to the fact I did my intervals on grass

Cheater

 

[happysongbird]

Ran an easy, long 9.5 miles all barefoot. Wind, sun, and rain. Enough rain that some places on sidewalks were slippery! The asphalt was quite varied, so I'm kind of proud of not just doing it, but feeling like I did it well. That is that I wasn't constantly struggling with wanting to get off the rough stuff, but just adjusted my pace and form. Plus, although me feet clearly sent the message that 9.5 was a good place to stop, they feel fine now. I did call for a ride, because it started to pour and I could tell I would get chilled even walking that last 1/2 mile home.

Also, seems to have been my day for comments:
1. junior high boys getting out of school "you aren't wearing shoes." Me "Nope" The group laughs as they pass.
2. middle age gentleman walking dog on greenbelt, obviously joking, "you forgot your shoes!" Me "but they aren't getting wet!" Him, laughing, "no, they aren't are they!"
3. vehicle full of construction workers, too far away to tell how old I am and way too excited to be off work for the day, so far away that they had to yell violently from a block away "You forgot your shoes, baby!" I didn't respond. Didn't want to shock them.

 

[Spiderweb62]

Also, seems to have been my day for comments:
1. junior high boys getting out of school "you aren't wearing shoes." Me "Nope" The group laughs as they pass.
2. middle age gentleman walking dog on greenbelt, obviously joking, "you forgot your shoes!" Me "but they aren't getting wet!" Him, laughing, "no, they aren't are they!"
3. vehicle full of construction workers, too far away to tell how old I am and way too excited to be off work for the day, so far away that they had to yell violently from a block away "You forgot your shoes, baby!" I didn't respond. Didn't want to shock them.

We don't seem to get too many here, even though sometimes people stare at my feet awkwardly. I guess being close to the beach, people are used to seeing barefoot people.

I like your response to the middle age man

 

[Go Barefoot]

The temps topped out at 44 degrees today with no wind at all. Ran 3.2 miles and my wife went with walking on the trail while I ran ahead and then looped back and met up with her. She said she was walking as fast as she could and did run some off and on. As I was nearing my halfway point I noticed a pain on the ball of my right foot like the start of a blister or something. Kept running and decided to check it at the turn around point. What I found was a small stone embedded in my foot and once I pulled it out it was as if I was just pulling out of the NASCAR pitstop with a new right tire. I have read other members posts about this happening but had never experienced it myself until today. Its quite anoying!

 

[scedastic]

Aren't you supposed to be concentrated on your swimming form/drills?

Not my fault. At the end of the pool in front of the lap lanes, the dude stretched thoroughly and elaborately for like 15 minutes. Then stood over my lane and asked if I would go scoot over to another lane so he could share with his student, so the speedos were staring at me, so to speak. I didn't giggle, just like I never giggle out loud about the one swim team type fella who practices on Monday nights in hot pink skin tight speedo type things.

 

[Bare Lee]

Wednesday afternoon
Back & Bottom Strength-training

Anticipating moving Sunday's 'long' run to Saturday this week, I rolled Saturday's 'Bottom' ST workout into yesterday's 'Back' ST workout, doing just the main exercises from both, like the deadlift, squat, bent-over rows, and a few others. I'm starting to feel gains with every workout now, now that I'm more consistent and working out for at least an hour each time. I'm also coming to trust my MCL enough that I'll probably up the max squat and deadlift by fifty pounds next Bottom ST session and see how that feels. Would be nice to get back up close to what I was doing before last fall's MCL sprain by mid-spring.

I have to mention again how much I'm digging the bent-over rows from plank position. Just place two dumbbells or kettlebells on the floor, grab the handles like you're about to do elevated push-ups (push-ups being the original plank exercise!), and then alternate lifting each hand/weight up to your torso, with a twist up at the shoulder at the end for greater height, while the opposite arm remains in support. Yesterday I did these as a sort of 'finishing' exercise, after first doing the heavy bent-over rows with the lat blaster/t-bar, then heavy dumbbell bent-over rows off the bench. Great stuff.

Not sure how to approach today's run. I'm really itching for a proper out-n-back, and it's technically the first day of spring, but I'll probably just play it safe and head up to the fairgrounds for my final back-n-forth of the winter season, to ensure that I can do the whole thing bare (and thus rack up more mileage for the nonexistent sub-freezing classification of the Winter Challenge) without having to worry about patches of moisture/slush .

Upper 30s forecast for Saturday's run .

 

[Larry]

I've missed a few morning runs lately, but my last few evenings have been spent running around the block barefoot with a giggling three year old perched on my shoulders.

Tonight she wanted to do two laps, so it ended up being just over 2.5km, with my wife jogging along with us. Good fun.

 

[Grizzly16]

Wee another 3 barefoot miles today at the end of an 8 miler. Finally getting my paws back in road worth shape.

 

[Barefoot Dama]

six miles today same track as yesterday different scenery since I ran on the other direction.

 

[scedastic]

30 min swim just before lap swim times ended. no run, late night working last night so slept through the 15 degree am temps with 15mph winds and 4-5 inches of snow on the ground on top of an ice layer from yesterday afternoon DURING THE LAST HALF OF MARCH. This kinda thing was cute in January. It ain't cute no more. The pool may have hours, but at least it's a haven.
BTW, I think swimming is indeed good exercise (duh, but sometimes it's hard to process it as upper body because you don't measure the weights, I guess); I haven't done weights all week, and my arms and shoulders are still feeling stronger. Abs, thighs and legs get worked as I struggle to learn butterfly and dolphin kicks. I find swimming to be an incredibly good compliment to running, and my legs are always looser for a swim. In fact, if I'm tight from my morning run, the swim loosens the legs up, no rolling no stretching.

 

[happysongbird]

BTW, I think swimming is indeed good exercise (duh, but sometimes it's hard to process it as upper body because you don't measure the weights, I guess); I haven't done weights all week, and my arms and shoulders are still feeling stronger. Abs, thighs and legs get worked as I struggle to learn butterfly and dolphin kicks. I find swimming to be an incredibly good compliment to running, and my legs are always looser for a swim. In fact, if I'm tight from my morning run, the swim loosens the legs up, no rolling no stretching.

told you so?

 

[Spiderweb62]

7.3km recovery run today....It's now 3 weeks that I run 4 days in a row, and I must say that my feet are happy it's friday !!!

Having said that, in the afternoon, all is back to normal, and I am ready to run again....Nevertheless, tomorrow is a day off before Sunday's long run

 

[Bare Lee]

Thursday afternoon
5.25 mi / 8.5 km
27 F / -3 C
21 F / -6 C windchill

Another fairgrounds back-n-forth, some wind, easy pace, legs a little heavy from the prior day's deadlifts and squats. Still, I wanted to run more but ran out of time--had to get to my daughter's kindergarten teacher conference at 5:45pm. Hopefully this was my last back-n-forth run of the season. I'll probably try an out-n-back to Como Lake on Saturday's run. It's been a while . . .

 

[happysongbird]

Got in 60 minutes on the spinning bike late in the evening last night; included some medium level power intervals. Still evaluating my feet from Wednesday's long run. They look fine, but there is one spot that feels a little odd. Can't tell if it is "normal" tenderness from increasing my rough surface exposure some, or if I've got some deeper blister-like separation of tissue. Not a bruised feeling and isn't slowing down my walking, so probably I'm overanalyzing...

 

[BFwillie_g]

hi again good people

I haven't had much online time beyod occassionally checking in from my phone. But I did get in a good 60km this week and today's run was a good one, 14km at ~5:40 min/km average pace, with some good climbs. Felt strong throughout, but the temps dropped dramatically and I was out there in shorts and a light jacket. I actually got panicky when my hands and knees started freezing up. Man, am I ever tired of this winter! grrrrr

edit: I do have a photo, lol

I spent most of the day picking up my new car:

 

[happysongbird]

And I get to report 40 minutes in my pool. Longest ever and no sea sickness! Middle Daughter says the real test is to take me out on a boat. If that is also better, I guess the Endless Pool folks could market their Fastlane as a cure for seasickness.

 

[Eryn]

Finally was able to run outside, the temps cracked the freezing mark. Ran in my minimal newbalnaces as there is still rocks and salt and gravel everywhere. Ran just over 4k with a friend who was dying by the 2k mark and thought it would be rude to leave her behind. Regardless a good start.

 

[Bare Lee]

Friday afternoon
Top (lats, shoulders, and forearm) ST workout.

Good pump. I’m back to my old max weights on the pull-downs, now that my left shoulder has been good for several weeks. I’m just to the point where my body is starting to come up a bit as I pull down. Another 20-lb increment and I’ll be ready to graduate to a proper pull-up bar, so I just bought this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TYCVKG/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

and will mount it tonight.

It’s taken a long time for my shoulder to get to this point! I’ve also been wanting to have a pull-up bar so that I can do hanging ab stuff:

With the shoulder feeling solid, I also did seated military presses for the first time in years. They're harder than standing military presses because you can't cheat and get that initial lift from your legs and 'core'. The shoulders seemed OK with the extra stress, but I didn’t push it. I did my mills again too. I’ll have to set aside some time sometime to learn how to do both hands simultaneously. It’s going to take more practice than I anticipated to learn how to coordinate both arms.

Finally, I put together another Indian club with plumbing supplies, similar to the one in the video below, to make a heavier club for a ‘mill cast’ exercise I came across on Pete Kemme’s excellent list of ‘functional fitness’ exercises (http://kemmefitness.com/exercises/):

.

The club is more expensive than my sand-filled wiffle bats, but it's neat because you can adjust the weight by putting smaller pipes inside or taking them out. I have a 2" pipe on the outside, and then can fit 1 1/2", 1", and 3/4" pipes inside. With all the tubes the club weighs about twice what the wiffle clubs do, close to 15 lbs. If I outgrow that I suppose I could throw in some ball bearings too.

Today temps are over freezing, so I think I'll go on my first proper out-n-back run in three or four moons, to Como Lake and back, one of my favorite mid-distance routes at just over seven miles. Even if I encounter a fair amount of moisture along the way, I should be able to do the whole thing comfortably bare, and the slight windchill should be a non-factor. I was debating trying a nine-miler today, but think it's probably best to get in another week of running in the 5-8 mile range before adding another mile to my max distance. I would like my current max distance of 8 miles to feel a little bit easier on a consistent basis before adding to it. It's kind of the opposite of the ultra spirit, but I really don't like running after I begin to fatigue. Bad things seem to happen that way.

 

[happysongbird]

I really don't like running after I begin to fatigue. Bad things seem to happen that way.

I agree. And it definitely decreases the fun factor!