Mileage Reporting 51th Week of 2012

[Sid]

11.5mi barefoot trail run.

Had a few nicks and scratches on the arch of my left foot from yesterday, trampling through the brush trying to get around all that gravel . Put some ointment and stuck a bandaid where I had pulled out a splinter that looked like it was trying to get infected.

Ground was a bit drier. It was supposed to be warmer today too, but I lucked out with some cloud cover. Saw four deer today! Bandaid came off about halfway. No trash cans in the woods, and there was fine sand on it, so I didn't want to stick it in my pocket. So I decide to carry it with me all the way out.

I checked out a bridge that goes to a housing development that's not too far from me. Thought perhaps I could take a shortcut to get to the preserve, instead of driving the 13 miles around get to the parking area. "No trespassing. Violators will be prosecuted". Sign on the bridge from the utility company. No shortcut for me. Though, I finally got to see the small river that runs through the preserve.

On the way back, I saw some empty plastic drink bottles scattered around the inclement weather shelter on the trail. Really? Too lazy to carry back some empty bottles?! What jerks!

No Boy Scouts today. Saw their cars on the way in, but they were gone by the time I got back. All in all another great run!

Edit: Oops, make that 51st Week! Cut & paste error.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

Sid, you've been putting up some impressive mileage and having a ton of fun on the trails. Well done! Thanks for sharing your adventures.

 

[RunningPirate]

4.33 Miles in 53:42. Slower time due to 1/3 mile of 10-ish % grade and wet pavement. Not sure if it was a light rain or a heavy fog, but the ground was wet and cold - also led to much more sensitive soles.

 

[RunningPirate]

On the way back, I saw some empty plastic drink bottles scattered around the inclement weather shelter on the trail. Really? Too lazy to carry back some empty bottles?! What jerks!

Yep - last year I was training to hike Half Dome. The trail I'd hike was 7.5 mi RT, so I'd do double hikes - go up come down, eat lunch, then up and down again. On the trail and at the peak, there was always trash - bottles and food wrappers mainly - so I started to carry a bag with me so I could pack it out. Invariably, I'd go up on the first run and clean things up and when I'd go up again, there'd be more trash. Considered springing for a garbage can just to put at the peak, but I figure it would have been stolen or thrown down the mountain. Jerks, indeed.

If I were more civic minded, I'd try to start an N+1 program where hikers would be asked to pick up at least one piece of trash more (+1) than what they brought in (N) - but it's easier to bitch about it on the internet

 

[scedastic]

Yep - last year I was training to hike Half Dome. The trail I'd hike was 7.5 mi RT, so I'd do double hikes - go up come down, eat lunch, then up and down again. On the trail and at the peak, there was always trash - bottles and food wrappers mainly - so I started to carry a bag with me so I could pack it out. Invariably, I'd go up on the first run and clean things up and when I'd go up again, there'd be more trash. Considered springing for a garbage can just to put at the peak, but I figure it would have been stolen or thrown down the mountain. Jerks, indeed.

If I were more civic minded, I'd try to start an N+1 program where hikers would be asked to pick up at least one piece of trash more (+1) than what they brought in (N) - but it's easier to bitch about it on the internet

it is amazing, isn't it, the places so remote that people will go, just to leave an empty water bottle or cliff bar wrapper? what ever are they thinking?

 

[RunningPirate]

it is amazing, isn't it, the places so remote that people will go, just to leave an empty water bottle or cliff bar wrapper? what ever are they thinking?

They're not - I think that's the issue...or, worse: They're thinking "Not my problem"

 

[Bare Lee]

Sunday afternoon.
5.8 mi/ 9.3 km running. 6.6 mi total, walking bits shod.
21 F / -6 C,
9 F / -13 C windchill.

It drizzled all day Saturday, melting a fair share of our snow, then sleeted Saturday night. Sunday the day's high of 34 F occurred a little after dawn. Looking at the forecast I saw the temps were supposed to drop throughout the day, so I considered running first thing, but wanted to get some work done. That was a mistake. Around 1pm the salt trucks came through and seasoned the streets. Just before my run, around 3:30pm, I took my daughter over to our new neighbor's to play with their daughter and tested the waters. Walking there and back, I didn't really feel the salt on the bottoms of my feet so I decided to give it a go. The neighbor looked at my bare feet and asked, "bare feet?" I said "ah, yah" wondering if it was worth explaining myself at that point. He noted my hesitancy and just replied, "ok," with a rising tone, to let me off the hook. I like this new neighbor already. His six-year-old daughter is quite precocious too, a good playmate for ours.

Anyway, running up our street a half hour later, towards the Fairgrounds, I stuck to the sidewalks, which were a mixture of icy, dry, crunchy, and salty patches. When it got really salty, like by the nursing home, I would bounce out onto the street and deal with its lesser salinity and greater post-slush crunchiness. On one section by the University of Minnesota campus, however, both the sidewalk and street were very well seasoned, and so I donned my Moc3 back-ups for the first time of the season. Wow, a lot easier to run shod, I must say. But so unsatisfying, just like using protection in certain other areas of recreation.

Once I had the Moc3s on, my feet warmed up quickly, got toasty even (amazing what 2mm of rubber can do for you), and so after I got to the State Fairgrounds, just beyond campus, to do my 1.7-mile loops, I toyed with the idea of leaving them on. It was pretty damn cold. But the streets and sidewalks inside the fairgrounds were either dry or glare ice, with no wetness anywhere, very little hard, crunchy snow, and best of all, no salt. I ended up putting on the Moc3s for my walking and brief stretching breaks. But the truth be told, these breaks were just as much warm-up-the-feet breaks as recovery ones, and I sometimes walked a bit more than I needed to to recover.

More than halfway through the first loop, I figured I mis' well exit the fairgrounds and just run fartleks, because it was kind of a hassle putting on the shoes and taking them off, kind of demotivating to have to brace my feet for the cold at the end of each break, and I was getting tired trying to keep my balance on the glare ice sections. I had to adopt a higher cadence and sunk my hips down a bit and felt a bit duck-like on my landings. But once I got out to the main road that serves as the border between St. Paul and the first-tier suburbs, I got on a sidewalk that was pure ice, like a skating rink. So I turned around and went back into the Fairgrounds. At least with the glare ice there's often a little of the rough asphalt texture poking through to offer the feet some purchase upon landing.

My pace during the loops was 9:12—not too bad considering the greater effort I had to spend not slipping on the ice. Today I can feel my balance muscles got a good workout. The overall pace was 9:41, due to the tougher navigation on the one-mile runs to and from the Fairgrounds. If I weren’t still a bit concerned about ITBS flaring up, I would’ve preferred to have done the whole run at a slower pace without the breaks, but I’m glad I got a better workout in, running at slight faster paces for a good bit of the way. Winter running really should just be a base-building phase, but I’m determined to get my pace down to 9mm before I allow myself to do continuous runs. The ITBS thread really put the fear of god in me. It can last for months and months apparently if you don’t take care of it right away.

Later today I’ll do my Front ST workout. Tuesday it’s supposed to be above freezing, and with most of the snow gone from the streets, conditions should be favorable for a purely barefoot experience once again. I’ll try to channel Sid happily running through the warm nature reserve.

I’m also happy that my total running mileage on the day was close to six miles. So I’m getting back up to decent mileage after stupidly trying to jump up to 10 miles too quickly after rehabbing my MCL. Since that 9.4-mile run a month ago I’ve been building up the mileage more slowly, learning to keep the ITBS at bay with slighter faster paces doing intervals:

9.4-mile run a month ago;
next day 3 mi – ITBS;
two days later, 3 miles—really bad ITBS;

then

3.5 miles--OK;
3.91 miles—slight ITBS,
3 miles--OK;
2.72 miles—slight ITBS;

then faster paces

4.2 miles, track intervals--OK;
4.39 miles, track intervals--OK;
5.24 miles, loops in Fairground--very slight ITB strain;
5.1 miles, loops in Fairground--OK;
and today 5.8 miles, loops in Fairground--OK.

The urge is to keep adding mileage, but maybe I should try to solidify my gains for the next few runs and not push my luck.

 

[Abide]

6 miles of trails on Sunday, quit early... and 4.5 miles this morning. I might add to that this afternoon. My motivation is severely waning this week and it just started.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

New PR for me! After a 3 week hiatus, I finally got out there today and did a 30-minute BF run. Despite the lag in running, I went the farthest ever in 30 minutes - about 2.2 miles, with a final running average pace of 13:56! Pretty good for me considering my last few runs were in the mid-15's to nearly 16 minute range. My walking warmup and cool down was also faster than usual at under 20 m/m, somewhere in the 19 range.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

oh and, the thread looks like it reads "fifty-firth week" lol

 

[NickW]

Um, did 2 barefoot miles on the dreadmill in our gym because of time constraints. I did speed training on it which felt really pretty good, although boring. The first mile was at a 10:40 pace and then I finished the second mile at an 8:20 pace. Hit 2 miles at exactly 19 minutes, so someone correct me if I am wrong on my paces. I do know that the last half a mile or so I was running at 8-8.5 mph (not sure what pace that is per mile and I'm too busy right now to figure it out). I am also starting back on an old workout of mine that I used to do several years ago (lost 20lbs back then really fast). Hoping to have the same results. Did about 45 minutes of ST (chest and tri's) right after the speed workout on the dreadmill. I am absolutely whipped and nearly dropped a 45lb dumbbell on my face on the decline bench at one point. Had to drop the dumbbell weight a couple times as my strength just didn't feel up to par today. I've been kinda sick all weekend though so I am sure that had a lot to do with it, still kinda am sick. Something going on with the stomach, not sure what. Oh well, ok, gotta get going to the post office now.

 

[Abide]

Another 4 miles this afternoon.

 

[NickW]

Um, did 2 barefoot miles on the dreadmill in our gym because of time constraints. I did speed training on it which felt really pretty good, although boring. The first mile was at a 10:40 pace and then I finished the second mile at an 8:20 pace. Hit 2 miles at exactly 19 minutes, so someone correct me if I am wrong on my paces. I do know that the last half a mile or so I was running at 8-8.5 mph (not sure what pace that is per mile and I'm too busy right now to figure it out). I am also starting back on an old workout of mine that I used to do several years ago (lost 20lbs back then really fast). Hoping to have the same results. Did about 45 minutes of ST (chest and tri's) right after the speed workout on the dreadmill. I am absolutely whipped and nearly dropped a 45lb dumbbell on my face on the decline bench at one point. Had to drop the dumbbell weight a couple times as my strength just didn't feel up to par today. I've been kinda sick all weekend though so I am sure that had a lot to do with it, still kinda am sick. Something going on with the stomach, not sure what. Oh well, ok, gotta get going to the post office now.

Ok I will not be doing anymore barefoot time on this treadmill. Ouch! The treadmill kept heating up every time I sped it up. Well, I have a small blister on one toe and then both feet feel like they are on fire now. Maybe I will use my Adams just on the short fast paced treadmill days...

 

[Sid]

7.7 miles on the trail. Out and back. Kept the pace up as I didn't want to get stuck in the dark. Finished right at sunset.
Got dark about 15min after.

 

[scedastic]

between 6 and 7 cootie miles. Came down with nasty cooties over the weekend, nasty attitude from mental exhaustion of the end of semester beginning of holiday pressure cooker, nasty emotional regulation from above issues. Attitude improved but cooties got worse.
Ran anyways so that my brain could get cleaned up. Body wasn't into it but tolerated the run, not the ST I had the hubris to try after that (pretty sight i was at the gym hacking up a lung trying to pick up free weights in between coughs and sneezes).

Found a way to motivate myself to run even with sick chilled body (38 degrees felt cold and it never does anymore so fever).
Told myself this was a 'loose rules' run; i could stop any time i wanted to (and needed to every mile or so to blow nose, but otherwise not), go any pace i wanted to, take walking breaks if i wanted, and could turn back at any time. It worked, got me going slowly, slowly, until I got used to the idea.

 

[scedastic]

Another 4 miles this afternoon.

see, you found your motivation, right?

 

[happysongbird]

Sunday: Swam 30 minutes again and was relieved to only get a little sick at the end, which quickly dissipated
Later rode the spinning bike alongside hubby while watching a movie for 70 minutes, finished the movie with buttered popcorn.

Monday: Needed to get the grocery shopping done, which involved everything Christmas, about 2 hours pushing heavy carts that stressed my knees while trying to turn them! I was seriously considering a long run today, but when I got home I needed to eat, and the wind picked up to
howling.
Decided to spend the last good daylight hour doing some yard work, though. Easier than running against the wind and actually quite refreshing.
Then, I finally got on the spinning bike for 75 minutes, which included several decent power intervals. Listened to an audio recording of the
book Guards, Guards! by Terry Prachett while I rode. My kids have read books by this author for years, and I was always laughing when they
read bits out loud, but could never quite get into reading them myself. But I decided to try the audio recordings. Highly diverting satire on just
about everything and it really helps to deal with the monotony of working on a machine.

 

[happysongbird]

between 6 and 7 cootie miles. Came down with nasty cooties over the weekend, nasty attitude from mental exhaustion of the end of semester beginning of holiday pressure cooker, nasty emotional regulation from above issues. Attitude improved but cooties got worse.
Ran anyways so that my brain could get cleaned up. Body wasn't into it but tolerated the run, not the ST I had the hubris to try after that (pretty sight i was at the gym hacking up a lung trying to pick up free weights in between coughs and sneezes).

Found a way to motivate myself to run even with sick chilled body (38 degrees felt cold and it never does anymore so fever).
Told myself this was a 'loose rules' run; i could stop any time i wanted to (and needed to every mile or so to blow nose, but otherwise not), go any pace i wanted to, take walking breaks if i wanted, and could turn back at any time. It worked, got me going slowly, slowly, until I got used to the idea.

Well, you should have helped air out the alveoli, anyway. !

 

[Barefooting Bob]

Sunday consisted of 2 miles to catch my 5 year old in his acting debut, he killed the role of a sheep, he was a Baaaahhhh A$$.

Monday: 3.82 miles around the neighbourhood being dragged by the dog, she is determined to get a rabbit or kill me first.

 

[RunningPirate]

Spent a bit under an hour at the gym playing with kettlebells. Dios mio - I'm already starting to feel sore and I wasn't doing any major amount of weight. Anyone else mess with these things? Good workout, though - a bit more interesting than the standard weight workout.