Running Through Phoenix

Saturday Morning Long Runs

2012-01-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

I love running my long slow runs (LSR) on Saturday morning, preferably at an early early early hour. Yesterday, I took off at 5:30 for a seven mile run. Not the longest distance, but I am slowly ramping up, sticking to the ten percent rule. The ten percent rule is a common running rule of thumb which states that we should not increase our weekly total distance run by more than 10% of the prior week, or we risk injury. My plan asked me to run 4 of these seven miles at my long slow pace of 10:00min/mile or more, and the last three at a tempo pace of 9:15. I pretty much nailed it and felt good the whole way.

This typical Saturday route starts out with a half mile uphill, then levels out on the canal for more distance than most people need. The Phoenix canal system goes for miles and miles East and West, mostly in one mile segments divided by major cross streets that are designed to scare the living shit out of scampering runners. Since I almost always do an out and back route, the run ends on that same half mile going downhill, which really helps with pacing and the psychological delayed-gratification feeling of finishing fast.

I am also monitoring my Heart Rate (HR) again because I'm trying to identify zones of running effort. If your telescope is strong enough to see the graph above, you can see a HR of low to mid 140's for the first 4 miles then up to around 160 for the last three miles. These zones are different for different people depending on a lot of factors. My 160 will almost never be the same as your 160. Without going into too much detail, these numbers can be used to identify zones of perceived effort. They can be used for a lot more than that, but I'm sticking to perceived effort for now. For me right now in my life, a HR below 150 is an easy rate where I can continue for a long time and hold a conversation with another person (real or imagined) or a 1 year old labrador retriever. On a percentage scale, 100% is my all out run-for-your-life can't do anything but get away from the Boogieman, and 60% is my conversational long run pace. So I would say that the 160 was probably near the 80-85% zone. I could maybe continue at that pace for about 5 miles or so. The more I track HR, the more accurate and precise these measures will become, until I cross-over into data overload and then I put it away for a while.

RUN!

These Heart rate zones can change over time based on fitness, so it's a good idea for me to wear the HR monitor, at least periodically, for overall accountability and to track changes in my overall running fitness. I'm a huge fan of the Garmin running GPS systems, and I use the Garmin Forerunner 305 with the Garmin HR monitor bra-strap.

"I would be very interested in testing and positively reviewing a brand new Garmin Forerunner 910XT multi-sport trainer", he gratuitously asserted to the Google digital marketing Venus FlyTrap.

Beautiful! Just beautiful!!

I've scheduled a race every month this year, mostly races I've run in the past. but there are a few new venues on the list, and I'm looking forward to competing against Jeph, my younger virtual training partner. I am also continuing to hold to the sweets-free January challenge. I've lost nearly ten pounds of blubber, and I do believe it's making a real difference. My wife is joining me, but she is considering a one day a month cheat-day. I thought about it, but know that one day of cheating will end up with me seeing June on the calendar from a back booth at Arby's.

Bring It!

FYTO 5K is next weekend. Are you registered? RTP has somehow gained another follower, welcome to sporadic randomness!

No Sweets January

2012-01-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

No caption as per orders of US Secret Service

I snuck in a new year resolution to abstain completely from sweets for the month of January, and so far, have been successful. We had relatives in town last week and there were many prime opportunities to have dessert, but I used the Nancy Reagan slogan and kept to my fast. As a result of the plan, I have not been eating anything past 6:30pm, have been eating more healthful foods, and by adding on an increased running plan, I have dropped 8 pounds of my planned eventual 25.

I got a really nice email of support from a friend and fellow JMU alumni (Go Dukes!) in Colorado who has been sweets-free for a long time. He claims that it has resulted in much faster running times, more energy, and an overall healthier life. We share the same experience that moderation just doesn't work for us. It's all or nothing. People told me that there would likely be withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, irritability, etc., but I haven't really felt any of that. Kinda nice. To reiterate, I am sweets-free, not sugar free. It is pretty difficult to go sugar-free, though I am avoiding all the obvious sugary foods. I am also avoiding foods heavy in white flour and other sugar producing carbs. The idea is to eliminate sweets, be reasonable with other foods including eating healthy whenever possible, and to follow a running plan with set running goals. In 2012, I want to break 25:00 in the 5K distance, and 2:00 in the 1/2 marathon distance, and I'd like to drop about 20-25 pounds along the way. He doesn't know it, but Georgia Snail has been a pretty big influence. He dropped a bunch of weight, is running a rigorous running plan, and is a MUCH better runner than he was a year ago.

These kids told the bicycle pacers, "you're almost there!"

What an inspiring blast it was yesterday to see the AZ RnR marathoners go by right in our neighborhood. We live right near mile 10 on the marathon course, and met up with friends and neighbors to watch the racers. It was amazing to see the variety of athletes and to yell words of encouragement. We saw the wheelchair racers, the elite men and women, Adam, EMZ, Demi, and a few other friends. Great job to all who raced yesterday.

Trisha Miller, eventual winner in women's division

"It's aboooouuut this big"

Front Running Men

2012 RTP Goals

2012-01-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

2011 was a great year, due largely to the birth of our daughter Amelia. She is now almost 5 months old and ~~defining childhood obesity~~ thriving in a spiritually positive household. I have also been a nomad at work, Principalling at four different sites while our new school has been constructed. Now it's done and we move in this week and hopefully return to some sense of normalcy. Blogging has slowed down considerably for want of subject matter, but its definitely time to update the old resolution list and goal set for the year ahead.

January Challenge: My buddy Chris and I decided to set a 30 day challenge to jump start 2012. So, we are going to go these next 30 days sugar-free. No processed/refined sugars such as candy, cake, ice cream, soda, cookies, etc. Easy on the sugary fruits and veggies but okay in moderation. Also watch the high sugar producing carbs such as bagels and other foods heavy in white flour. Also, no sugar substitutes such as diet foods or even stevia. No sugar means no sugar. In addition, we are going to run everyday for these 30 days, but the usual 'non-running' days are limited to two miles slow. All will be logged in Myfitnesspal and Daily mile for accountability purposes. Penalties for cheating have not been formally established, but will likely include public humiliation involving a canal run with running bra and VERY short shorty shorts with a brown stain in the back. We will announce this if needed so you can be there to witness/photograph.

Follow a running plan for fitness and to set new PR's in the 5K and half marathon distances. My ultimate goal is to run a sub-25 minute 5K and to run a sub 2:00 half marathon. Not sure if I can make both of those this year. The plan will include running my long runs much longer and much slower, and running my short runs a bit longer and much faster. There will also be some speed/track work as the base gets built.

Run some trails

Race schedule: FYTO and SYTO 5K's, Runner's Den 10K, Pats' Run, ARR Summer Series 5K's, Some kind of race in Central Coast California while we are on vacation there, Grasshopper Bridge 5K, Cactus Cha Cha 7 mile trail run, ARR T'Giving Day Classic, Fiesta Bowl 1/2 marathon. I also need to work in a 1/2 marathon earlier in the year, but I haven't picked one out yet.

Ride the bike to school. Easier now that I will be at one site.

Enjoy family and friends

That's pretty much it. Not thrilling, but on the other hand, I'm just amazed to be setting goals like this and the see the progress I have made in the past three years. Thanks to all the Loyal RTP followers, and even to the lurkers though you are just plain creepy.

Got any experience with sugar-free? What can I expect? Late night DT's and hallucinogenic dreams about Willy Wonka? Or a much more mild withdrawal and the typical dreams about Oompa Loompas?

Everyman's Dream

Runner's Den Fiesta Bowl 1/2 Marathon Race Report

2011-12-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

Chip Time: 2:10:57
Garmin: 2:11:01
New Personal Record!

For one of the first times in a race, I put a little extra focus on tangents (and choosing a mute taxi driver that would scurry me to the ten mile mark), and finished the race at exactly 13.1 miles on the Garmin. Actually it was 13.11, but I didn't stop it until after all the paparazzi had taken their gratuitous photos of me for the tabloids. Seriously, nice job on keeping mile splits even with the course. And I set a Personal Record for the Half marathon distance by 9 minutes and 19 seconds!

This is the third time I have run this race, and I am a big fan. All the events that are put on by Runners Den are well organized, popular, and full of good spirit. There were 1,082 half marathoners and a huge number of 5K'ers. They started the 1/2 M people at 7:30 and the 5K about 15 minutes later so there was no overlap. I was in line to hit the porta-potty as the gun went off but no worries, I just walked up to the start line and started. My goal was to run this at 10 min/mile pace and I hit it at 9:59, though I watched a 9:45 overall average slip away in miles 10-13.

9:58 9:53 9:43
31 minute 5K

9:41 9:53 10:18
61 minute 10K

9:44 9:47 9:44
some time in the bank

10:21 10:11 10:21 10:21
withdrawals from the bank
9:30 for the kick

I was pretty sure I could do this based on my runs lately, and I was glad that I didn't completely flop in the last few miles. My water and Gu plan seemed to work pretty good. I never had to stop at an aide station. You can see the walk in mile 6 for a Gu, and again in mile 9, then something curious happened which I had never noticed before in a race. As I ran up on small groups, I found myself almost automatically falling into pace with them, and I found that they were running slower than my plan, though I doubt I would have noticed if it weren't for the Garmin. I think my mind was trying to distract me and convince me that the slower pace was what I had been running. So lesson learned --~~new underwear every day no matter what~~ follow the pacer whether it is strapped to my wrist or holding a sign. I plan to keep putting in long runs on the weekend to build endurance. I think I could easily run a sub 2:10 with some steady work. And sub 2:00 is the goal for this coming year.

Speaking of pacers, I was chatting with the 2:07 pacer prior to start and thought I would go out with them and fall back later in the race, but she said she was going to try to run 9:35's and then make water station stops and slow as the race progressed. That style does not jive with RTP, so I left them alone and ran alone.

I had to get back to the homestead after finishing, so I left pretty quick. But not before grabbing a free Chocolate Muscle Milk Lite. Yuck fuckity yuck!!! SUAR, what are you endorsing?? A lot like chocolate Peptol Bismo might taste. Anyway, I did have my traditional post race chicken parmesan sub sandwich and Metro Mint Peppermint water. Love that stuff. And besides two serious toe tip blisters, I'm in good shape. Thanks Runner's Den for a well-organized event!

Goober? Non!

2011-11-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

Peanut* Crops Fail, peanut* butter** prices rise by at least 40%. American beastiality practice took a sharp hit this quarter in response to failed peanut* crops this past Fall. Citing an almost 40% price rise for this aphrodiasiac-turned-sandwich spread, sexual deviant Thladius Rickover claims, "Things just aren't the same out in our barnyard these days. The stock is barely interested in me as it is. Now take away the only reward they get for their unsavory tasks, and you really have to make it an 'FTD moment' on your own. I just don't know", he says looking off into the distance where the cluck-clucks gobble gobbles from a neighbors turkey farm can just be heard.

Photo taken just before I crammed my face into this jar

After a run, I crave protein. I almost always rely on a PBJ*. But* now that my favorite foodstuff is pushing $7 per jar, I may have to switch up and try some of the other nut** butters* that we can get at the specialty counter, or look for alternative sources such as tofu and eggs. Eggs make me nervous for all the cholesterol, not to mention the cooking and guilt for not cleaning up after myself. And I eat tofu almost 5 times per week in my lunch salad. Chocolate milk? I hear and read lots about that and will work it in to the rotation. I'm wary of protein powders. Each have their positives and negatives, but all have their expense and ersatz nature.

What do you eat/drink after a workout? Any response to the rise in price?

*nut... he he he

** butt..... he he

Product Review: Hot Wheels Mega Garage

2011-11-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

The elevator really works!

The folks at Mattel have done it again. Depleting the cardboard honeycomb mines of Southeast Tunesia to package this toy which will be used for about three days. Then Norman, The Destroyer lab, will chew and crap it to pieces, and it will finally sit in a landfill for the next 500 years as historians scratch their heads with holographic head scratchers and marvel at the acres of plastic. And yes, in this scenario, a Native American stands at the edge of the dump, and a single tear runs down his cheek. But for now.... Awesome! Happy birthday Harrison.

About as Native American as I am Eskimo

Just some catch up. Last weekend I headed out to the desert to meet up with a complete stranger named Janette and hike with her through the night for about 15 miles. Oh, and this was one of six days in the year when it was supposed to rain. I got out there Saturday later in the afternoon and hung out with Stephanie, who claims to be friends with Lauren. But I can recognize a squatter simply by meeting one and squatting with them for a few hours. We squatted around in Lauren and Janette's camp and talked about lots of things, then Janette showed up for a transition. We did some math and determined that I would begin my pace loop sometime between 2 and 3am. So off to sleep I went and woke up to get back to the start at 1:30am. It was raining. At 1:30am. Night. This is the Javelina Jundred.

While waiting, I met up with some friends I had not seen in a long time and even saw some names on the race roster that I knew and will be catching up with them soon. Lauren had a tough time of it and had to stop, but my runner was still out there somewhere. Finally at around 4am, a race official told me she had dropped at Jackass Junction (sic) along with ten or so other racers and were waiting for a shuttle to get back to base. That was my cue to skeedaddle, narrowly avoiding a Navy Seal-like training experience. Watching those people cross the line after 101 miles made me ~~want to do this Javelina Jundred thing next year~~ get home to a warm dry bed. And I got home just in time for the family to wake up. Cock a doodle doo.

I am starting to work on my New Year resolution list, which will likely include guidance towards running goals. 2011 has been a banner year for lots of reasons, but my running has definitely taken a back seat in these last few months. I want to increase my dedication to this past time in 2012 and reach some milestones that have been unattainable so far. I may even go to a coach, at least to give Nitmos something to rant about. Sure, I realize that coaches are for pros, but how can I ever hope to compete at the professional or olympic level if I don't have a coach? The only runner I know of at that level who is coachless is Ryan Hall, but he has that whole "Jesus Christ" thing going for him. Did you know that if your purchase a 2012 Ram Truck it will manufacture and assemble a log cabin for you in only one day? True. I've been running on Saturday mornings with a running group comprised of people who work in my school district, though everyone is welcome. We go for about 45 minutes starting near the Biltmore area in Phoenix and drink coffee afterwards. (Blog author wipes mouth and rises a bit shakey from vomiting these random thoughts out to you reader monkeys) ( I was told by a highly reliable source that calling you names would increase my roster of reader monkeys and I've always wanted 60-70 monkeys).

I went out today this morning for the Thanksgiving 5K/10 miler put on by the Arizona Road Racers. They always put on terrific events. There were lots of people there. I had originally planned to run ten miles, but my wife and kids wanted to come along so I deferred to the 5K, and ran it at an average 28 minutes. There were lots of walkers and I haven't been running much lately, so I took it easy. I have to stop this post now because I think I just burned off another calorie and I feel lightheaded. And now, a three day crescendo of gluttony!

RTP Training Report

2011-11-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

Been pretty much caught up with this little one

Amelia

I really miss running regularly and blogging, but I haven't been doing much else except building on my Tootsie Roll fetish, and that topic has already been corraled, cornered, and covered. I was able to meet up with Adam and Lauren yesterday for lunch, and it was nice to catch up with both and hear the real story behind Adam's dismal failure in Savannah -- (Penn State letdown).

I will be pacing a 5 hour loop tonight for the Javelina Jundred endurance race, and I'll post about that tomorrow. Aren't you thrilled? You aren't even reading this!

2011 Cactus Cha Cha Race Report

2011-10-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Chip Time: 1:19 (pace 11:27)
Distance: 7 miles
Location: White Tank Regional Mountain Preserve Competitive Track, West Phoenix

What a beautiful venue. someone should take photographs of it.

Thanks so much to the organizers and volunteers who all helped to make this a smooth fun event. There were something like 600 or 700 people out there and about 1/2 of them ran the 3 mile children's bunny course while the other half ran the 7 mile adult black diamond Wildcat course. I chose the later because that is just who I am. I had listed "trail run/race" as one of my new year resolutions, so this fit the bill perfectly for that. Having never run in a trail race before, I selected my skimpiest sluttiest RTP outfit to hopefully disguise my novice status.

Dirty Girl

This race was started "because we just like to run". There is no special charity or person that the funds are dedicated to, so the price stays cheap. I headed out the door this morning at about 5:45 to make the drive to the West side of Phoenix and made it to the starting area in about 30 minutes. The race didn't start until 7:30, so there was plenty of time to hit the PJ. Since I had chicken wings and 2 slices of pizza last night, this was a priority. Sorry for the defilement beautiful Arizona desert. The 3 milers started at 7:15, and we started at 7:30 without much fanfare. I did the first couple of miles conservatively at about 11:00, then we went uphill on a singletrack, so even if I could have gone faster, we were in a soul train of 11:15'ers. The ups and downs reminded me of several other Maricopa county trails. Mostly sandy and flat with some rocks thrown in just enough to prevent you from looking up. There were some mandatory walks due to traffic on the singletrack, and some mandatory walks due to low endurance on my part, especially for varying paces. That almost never happens on my street running, but in this trail race we were bouncing up and down the pace zone throughout.

After the race was over, I chatted for a while with Nathan, owner of the soon to open Tortoise and the Hare running store in Glendale. Nathan was there as a volunteer and let me just say the volunteers were great at each aide station. This seems like it would be a fun race to join the volunteers, and that might be on next year's resolution list.

Today actually had a 7 mile run on my 'break 4:30' training schedule and my pace is supposed to be 11:23 LSR. Trail running is supposed to be slower than street running, so success. Also, I feel injury free and was able to hack out several good sized lungers that have been loitering in my bronchial passages for the past week.

Check out this race next year if you are looking for a trail run or something different to do around the beginning of Oct.

Review of the Garmin Forerunner 305

2011-09-18T14:36:00.002-07:00

THE Garmin 305 Forerunner

There are quite a few opportunities for TWSS in this post, so I'm just putting this one here at the start and you can cut and paste it anywhere you like (twss). I've been running with a Garmin Forerunner 305 gps device since January of 2009, and I love it. This ubiquitous gizmo is seen on the wrists of runners all over the map (Redundant? Only if you know what ubiquitous means, and even then, it's still an ok sentence. Certainly good enough for this blog).

The 305 ('ole Red) is worn on the wrist like a watch. Like a toaster-watch. Seriously, it's bigger than most watches but fits well for most people. It catches gps satellite signals so that it can track your exact location, your speed, your distance, the exact route you are taking, and combines that data into a few other useful displays like pace and time spent running. The 305 usually comes with a heart rate monitor strap which is worn around the chest, and you can also get a cadence sensor for your bike data and a foot pod to measure running data indoors (treadmill). The auxiliaries connect wirelessly to the main 305 and add to your information overload.

The 305 itself holds about 50 workouts and then it starts writing over the oldest workouts, so most people download their information into one or more of several online and/or pc-based applications. I use Garmin Training Center which is loaded on my laptop and also Daily Mile which is an online social running/workout network. After I download my workout, I simply delete the data from the 305 to keep it clear and to stay in routine. I used to load workouts into the Runners World online log but stopped because I wasn't using that information in any useful way.

The 305 has a multitude of functions and display options, and it really comes down to what I want to see while I'm out running, because I can get all the other information when I return home. The 305 collects everything, but only displays up to 12 fields (between three separate screens) on the unit itself. Those 12 fields are found on three screens that I can toggle between, and the fewer displays per screen the larger the data displays --one data display per screen is large, but with four, it has to divide the screen into four so the data displays are smaller. This only matters when you are gasping and wheezing and trying to see how fast you are accelerating after running off of a cliff. *

Most of the time, I like to see current pace and average pace. Almost all of my routes are pre-planned, so distance is known, and time is not ever important for me. I'm a pace junkie and that is that. So screen one is pace and average pace.

Screen two has three fields for lap pace, distance, and average pace. I use this screen when doing speed work and only really look at lap pace.

Screen three is a repeat of screen two, but distance is the top display. I look at this when I'm running without a pre-planned route or when I go off route.

The 305 also has a feature called virtual runner which allows me to set a pace in the computer and run against that pace. The 305 displays a skinny 20 year old Kenyan on roller skates racing against a pudgy stooped 45 year old running through mud. Guess who is who?

I love the free software "Garmin Training Center" that comes with it. It tracks all my runs and allows me to compare runs to each other. Garmin also has an online semi-social site called Garmin Connect which maps and keeps data and shares it with others. Meh. Not so much. For PC users, there is Sporttracks, which is the penultimate online tracking software. You can re-live your runs in 3D and see all sorts of other kinky cool data collusions. I'm an Apple user, so I don't get to play with that, but someday....... I can picture one lonely nerd in the back cubicle at Sportracks working to try to build a digital bridge for the Apple users. Give it up buddy, you'll never make it.

Some of the drawbacks:

It is not waterproof, but does claim water resistance. Though after some heavy duty sweating, the sound of the beeps has diminished considerably and sometimes I need to clean the contacts on the back so it will connect to the cable. There is a waterproof version which can be used for swimming, and perhaps is more resistant to sweat. Salt from sweat is corrosive on most materials over time, so it may be a once every five years investment to get the latest version. Garmin is now moving a 610 version for $350 that has a touch screen but otherwise all the same features of the 305. $350?? Seriously??!? You can find a 305 with HRM for well under $150, and around the holidays for $99. That can't be beat.
PIRNIG --problem in runner, not in Garmin. If you accidently press start and stop buttons on the 305, it will start and stop. It doesn't recognize accidental button pushes, or whether a runner forgets to restart the unit after ~~shitting in the bushes stopping at Dunkin~~ waiting, pissed off, at a traffic light.
It's ok to let data drive most decisions, but a natural or 'naked' run is nice once in a while. That is a run without electronics or route or speed or anything else besides you and your 3" shorty-shorts. And running shoes. Barefoot running causes cancer and melodramatic heel spurs in everyone who even tries it just once.

I really love my Garmin, and recommend it for everyone who likes to keep track of their running and set goals for improvement.

Do you use a Garmin? What data fields do you use? What online or PC-based application(s) do you use?

RTP Rating:

Cake = it's great and I highly recommend this product. Keep your fingers away from my mouth.

* A despondent physics student jumps off a bridge, and falls for three seconds before hitting the water. How fast is he going when he hits the water?

Approximating g as 10 m/s², he will gain 10 m/s of speed each second. After one second, his velocity is 10 m/s, after two seconds it is 20 m/s, and on impact, after falling for three seconds, he is moving at 30 m/s.

Product Review: Tempeh

2011-09-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Tempeh: The healthful option

Tempeh (pronounced Tempeh) is a mixture of fermented whole soybeans, barley, oats, and other healthful ingredients formed into a cake and used in a variety of culinary creations. This is a staple food in Indonesia which is not located in the United States. Internet sources describe Indonesia as a series of islands near Asia riddled with sex slave industry and Tempeh factories. I imagine most people read about the variety of Tempeh uses, then actually cook and eat one and never look back. Tempeh is pretty nasty stuff.

The texture: mostly firm. You definitely need to slice it with a knife. Sort of like cheese, sort of like head cheese.

The aroma: Sort of like....mmmm... kinda........put some ~~chicken~~ pigeon in a crock pot and add some of that foo foo near-beer Nitmos likes and a pretty good dollop of dog shit. Simmer on low for a few hours and ~~your kitchen~~ your neighbor's kitchen will smell like Tempeh I think.

What it looks like: A bit like a veggie burger with some blue cheese dark spots.

Care: Keep it refrigerated or, better yet, in your neighbor's trash, or ultimately, leave it at that hippy over-priced grocery store you found it in. It's in the cooler near where Nitmos can be found smuggling Summer Shandy under his girly blue parka.

Taste: See 'Aroma' and go no further.

The Brand: Trader Joes 3 grain Tempeh (BTW, it is inexpensive, likely because of capital economics)

Today's Plate: Sliced into cubes and scrambled with three chicken eggs. Finished with two shakes of the ginger/wasabi sauce bottle. Ice water, a nose clip, and a 75 pound labrador retriever volunteer at the ready.

Knives ready in case any of this actually goes into my mouth

Nutritional benefits: Well yes, there is this. Tempeh is high in fiber, high in protein and "Tempeh is a great choice for people who have difficulty digesting plant-based high-protein foods like beans and legumes or soy foods such as tofu. The process of fermentation makes the soybeans softer, since enzymes produced by the mould predigests a large portion of the basic nutrients. The Rhizopus moulds produce an enzyme phytase which breaks down phytates, thereby increasing the absorption of minerals such as zinc, iron and calcium. The fermentation process greatly reduces the oligosaccharides that make beans hard to digest for some people. Studies have shown tempeh to be essentially non-flatulent and producing no more gas than non-legume food."
http://www.tempeh.info/health/tempehhealth.php

RTP Rating:

Cow pie = not on your life, but it's sometimes fun to watch others interact with this.

Home Surgery

2011-08-25T13:41:00.002-07:00

Cut carefully! And fucking sterilize everything!!

Fifteen years ago this summer, I made a final decision to fully explore a lump that had been on my scalp since childhood. The lump came and went over the years, sometimes feeling like a little pimple, and sometimes like a lima bean. I didn't know it at the time, but I had a sebaceous cyst growing there. On that fateful evening, I put a bic lighter to a box cutter razor, opened the bottle of rubbing alcohol, turned all the lights on in my bathroom, and made Junior the cat stay outside. A few careful incisions later and out popped a white bean-looking thing that really felt like a piece of plastic. I first thought that it was a plastic bb that my brother had shot at me during our summer war games. Not able to stop myself, I opened the little thing up, and a bunch of waxy white stuff came out. Then I noticed the blood streaming down my face, so I put the cyst aside and went about the business of cleaning and sanitizing my scalp. I thought I could see my skull, but have since learned that there are several layers of membrane before the actual skull comes into view. I believe I was below the skin but above the periosteum --- I'd say medial to those two layers.

From Wikipedia: another excellent source of medical information!

A small dent still can be felt on my head, but I think I mostly got away with it, and it surely emboldened me to try other surgical procedures, mostly on myself. And that brings me to my main point for this posting: Don't play with your belly button too much!

A veritable flight of naval germs

About 5 years ago, I noticed a large ball of lint in my belly button and started to remove it when I noticed a pretty big deposit of waxy linty disgustingly hairy crud and began to use several tools to extract it including tweezers, the cap of a ball point pen, and whatever else was around. Something ..... happened. Not sure how to explain it, but there was a feeling of release and mild discomfort (still makes me queasy. I'm not worried about you because the only people still reading are morbid or SUAR). Within a few days, my belly button went from inny to outy. I went to the doctor for something unrelated and casually mentioned that I thought I had a hernia. The doctor checked (thoroughly!!) and said that I didn't have A hernia, I had three. Two inguinal and one unbilical. No, I didn't operate on myself for this, but there are many Youtube videos that take you through it step by step. That surgery was done, and I removed the stitches myself, then found out that they were supposed to dissolve on their own. So I made another visit to have my handiwork reviewed. The doctor told me to leave it alone, and I did. Mostly.

a lot easier to ruin than you might think

Nowadays, I dabble in hanging toenails, toe blister easement, and an occasional ear canal reaming, but the thrill of actual surgery is a thing of the past. A phase. Have you ever taken a surgical situation into your own hands? What is your sterilization procedure? Do you think that Youtube videos give us all the necessary information to conduct our own surgeries? Write back soon!

Fall/Winter Race Schedule

2011-08-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe I'm thinking about this since it was 116 degrees outside today. My truck battery died, and I only ventured outside once or twice to let the dog pee. But I'm encouraged by reports from other runners in cooler parts of the US. SUAR is biking with arm warmers, something I never would use here in Phoenix.

Having a few races scheduled gives me motivation to run above my comfort zone and try for improved performance. I have one race scheduled each month through January which matches our budget just right and keeps me accountable.

September is always set to the Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K. This will be the 4th time I have run this race. It's my first ever venue and I love the course. It's pretty flat, and has some grassy sections near the end. I pushed Harrison in his stroller for the first three, and then he/I got too heavy/unwilling. Amelia, of course, is still too small to push, but hopefully the family will be out there to cheer me on at the finish. I've had a mental block for 5K's this whole year. My training runs are sometimes much faster than my 5K PR, but I have not been able to put together a PR effort in an actual race. This is my last attempt this year, so I plan to achieve the goal of a sub 28:00 and a PR.

One of my running new year resolutions was to run in at least one trail race, so I signed up for the Cactus Cha Cha in October. This seven mile race is out in the White Tank mountains and is well-rated by many of my running friends. We shall see. Seven to eight miles is my favorite distance because I get really warmed up, but it isn't so long that I might die out on the course.

November will be the first time I run on Thanksgiving day. Arizona Road Racers is putting on their Thanksgiving Day classic, a ten mile run out at Peoria sports complex. ARR always puts on a great event, and I'll be able to eat an entire Costco pumpkin pie that afternoon.

December is another favorite race -- the Fiesta Bowl Half-Marathon in Scottsdale. The last two times I've run this, I had to wear gloves and a "Fuck-you I'm a gangsta!" scalp hat. This is a fun event with about 500-600 runners, and there is a possibility that Adam The Boring Runner will be pacing me to a PR. I have a C goal of finishing in 130 minutes, a B goal of finishing faster than that, and an A goal of finishing sub 2 hours.

The plan for January is to get a free entry into the RnR PF Chang's Marathon. I have some connections through work that will hopefully bear out. If not, trusty ARR sponsors a January up/down marathon for less than 50 bucks, and I'm pretty sure that it's pants-optional.

The RTP has been a bit dry lately in content and frequency. Baby Amelia is taking a lot of our time and even though she is sleeping really well so far, the rest of the family is not, so my motivation level is just not there. God is that kid cute!! I just can't wait to be in running events with them.

The Stork is En Route....... Has Arrived

2011-08-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

We are scheduled to have our baby girl Tuesday morning. "We?" you say?? That's right, WE. Maria carries and gestates the child, and Maria pushes her out when told to do so, but it is I that has to hold a leg, I that has to give ice chips-- sometimes having to go out to the hallway for more, and I that has to scrounge around for meals while she is laid up in the hospital.

We go twice tomorrow for some chemical gel that ripens the cervix. Google or Wikipedia it if you need to, but DO NOT Youtube it. You have been warned. Then we go back Tuesday morning for another chemical that launches the whole labor process.......

Maybe I'll go for that "Blogger of the Year" award next year. Baby Amelia is born!

Amelia Juliet Geyer: 0-5 female division

She was born Tuesday at 11:56am. 8 pounds even, 20.5 inches. Mom and baby are doing great! I have lots more photos, but they are of other mommies giving birth or pretending to have other ailments. Thank you trusty "Resident" badge! It's amazing what can be generated from the internet and a decent printer.

Maria went through it sans drugs, just like with Harrison. She is a MACHINE!! She kept saying that she would call for the needle if it got too bad, but suddenly Amelia was out and in her arms. I think she gets a race medal for that. It's kind of like the runner at mile 22 thinking about walking, but deciding to run a little slower instead and see what happens and then the runner lays down on the pavement and someone crams in a Ford transmission and pulls it out while a "Resident" snaps photos and says, "Gross, is that the... GROSS OMFG GROSS!!!!"

Well, they come home today, so time to sweep up all the pizza boxes and get ready. Tales from the road coming shortly as soon as I start running again.

Improved Blood

2011-07-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

This is what you will see if you suspect someone is out there and you try to peek thru the peephole. Have you never seen a slasher movie??

I signed up for a life insurance policy in February of 2008 and was ordered to undergo a health screening including a questionnaire, blood sample, and pap smear (they should NOT be allowed to do that!)

When the numbers came back, I went into a mild panic and began a running regimen. I had already made a life decision to never eat McDonalds again. I won't even pee in their bathroom.

It's always a clown in the park isn't it

Fast forward to this summer. My doctor had asked me to come in for a physical, so last Friday I headed over to the office for another questionnaire, blood sample, and a procedure similar to the pap smear but without the 2008 raised eyebrows, exclamation of WTF??!?, and forehead-slapping chart-consulting epiphany "she's a he...
a manchild!" Even so, will that really tell you something about my overall health? Apologies indeed! Sir, you are a cad!!

Running has helped. Take a look at the comparison:

My weight has gone from 217 during that exam to 196 today.
This is a move in the right direction. Still not the numbers and weight I want, but good solid progress. I asked the doctor if I should cut out bacon cheeseburgers and he said no to just exercise more. He barely got the sentence out before I screeched into the parking lot at Chicago Hamburger Co. So.... more races, more early morning runs. As Suzanne and I were standing in the street in front of my house early this morning sweating buckets, we were chatting about the time this past winter when we ran in 25 degree weather. We vowed to connect the dots and keep running until it gets to be 25 degrees outside again. And now, to further randomize this posting:

Nesting

2011-07-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you IKEA for your mind-numbing illustration-only instructions

We are about four weeks away from welcoming our newest member to the family. Mr. Stork should arrive sometime around the 14th or 15th of August, and we have been busy converting this house from a three person abode into a four person home (not counting the 72 lb. dogshit machine). Some of you have been asking about names. We aren't announcing but we are considering Suar, Jamoosha, and possibly Nitmosa though it's so tough to pin down the pronunciation on that last one (long O sounds like a drink in Okinawa, short O sounds like a monster in Okinawa ---a very small squeeky monster).

So the conversion of the office, computer room/storage room was necessary and daunting to say the least. I have made two big trips to Goodwill, numerous trips to the dumpster, and assembled the mommy chair, crib, and dresser/changing table, hung the flowery curtain, and painted the room pink. I can't believe how much stuff we had.

She will have to sleep on that until I can get the energy to finish the crib

Look carefully and you can see the faint outline image of the little old lady who was strangled in this room

We are also in the process of teaching our son to use the potty. Holy Moses! He likes the movie Cars (hates the band which is a shame since I like them a lot and they have recently reformed), so we set up his bathroom like a Pixar museum with milestone prizes taped to the mirror. So far, he just sits there on the throne for a half hour or so playing games on the iPad until we get tired and get him down and he promptly lets loose.

The diecast cars for a tinkle and the DVD for a deuce

Playing Mr. Giggle and Caveman Bowling on the ipad

Running has been going fairly well lately. I have been running three to four times per week including a track speed session on Thursdays. It's been hot (duh), so that has slowed my pace a bit, but I'm injury free and feeling good about keeping this base. I ran in the Arizona Road Racers Summer Series 5K yesterday morning and had a hard time keeping my paces according to plan, and finished over a minute slower than the target. Oh well. The main road to South Tempe was closed, the line to the six* porta potties was enormous and I was not able to line up with my pace group, and I left my inhaler back in the car. Meh, wtf. My summer race season is now closed --the next race is in late September, and my goal is to maintain a base through the remaining summer and get our daughter situated in her barracks.

* really there were only five since one was so badly desecrated that only the most iron-stomached runners could have used it. Most of us took one look and turned back to the line for a do-over clemency pass for the next open door.

Thursday at the Track

2011-07-14T18:36:00.001-07:00

Just moving a few things into your closet

Met Adam the Boring Runner out at Camelback High School for some early morning track speed work. I ran out to the track from home as a warm up since it is only about 2 miles away. We searched the perimeter of the school and then found a service entrance that led up to the athletic fields.

Adam had decided to run 800 meter repeats and I wanted to try some 400 meter repeats (with 200 meter jogs in between) at a prescribed pace (9:00) to see how well I could stick to that pace. Because I'm relatively new to running, I have a difficult time running at a prescribed pace and/or knowing what that pace 'feels like', so this is good practice.

I did a warm up 200 on the track and then spent the next 30 minutes running and looking at my Garmin like it was suddenly going to pop up the winning Powerball numbers. My splits were 9:11, 8:53, 8:40, 8:42 rest rest rest, 8:39, 8:47, 8:42, 8:07. Faster than 9:00 for sure, and a bit up and down, and I finished feeling like I could have done more and happy that I was in the ballpark of my pace. Last week, when I finished, I realized that my paces varied by a lot and I was really beat. So this week I wanted to run closer to 9:00 (my 5K pace) and see if I could finish and still stand up. Mission somewhat accomplished, but some of my running buddies are saying that my 5K pace should be faster at around 8:30 to 8:40.

This Saturday is race #4 in the Arizona Road Racers Summer Series. A 5K through Kiwanis park in Tempe that I last ran two years ago finishing in 32:43 with mile splits of 10:00, 10:54, 11:09, and the last .1 in 10:29. I looked at the walk breaks and I took 3 out of 4 of them going DOWNHILL! I think I can improve on this and will try for a PR 5K this Saturday. My best all time 5K is (and you know this from studying my blog) 28:07 which is a 9:03 average pace. I remember having trouble in the second and third mile of that race, so my strategy is to go out the first mile at about 9:15 and get the time back in mile 2 and 3 and finish in the 27's. Also, just before the race starts, I plan to inject a nervous system boosting bolus combination of heroin and cocaine known on the streets as a 'speedball'. Just a little.... aboooouuut that much. And then I'll quit again. Really.

I see people with jobs and families

Ladder Workout

2011-07-07T16:23:00.001-07:00

Got him out of his shirt in the first five minutes. Easy street!

I got up at 4:20 this morning (surely Jamoosh was ready for lunch by then) to make the drive out to East valley and met Adam for a track workout. We like to meet up a few times per year to run, drink coffee, and look through back issues of GQ sniffing the cologne samples. We met at a middle school track and he basically did his workout while I did mine.

We embraced, played a quick game of pattycake, and set off for some 5K pace work. I had the idea to run 400/800/1200/1600 and then back down again with 400 rest laps in between. Adam talked me out of the 1200s and that was fine with me. I know there are no rules in running, but the suggestion is to run the back side of the ladder a bit faster than the front side. Hmmmmm. Here are the numbers:
400 8:34
800 8:29
1600 9:34
800 8:52
400 7:54

I also wore the HR monitor and was surprised at how low my HR stayed despite the heaving lungs and inability to talk. My overall average was 154 bpm and my average on the run splits was 164 bpm. That's not outrageous for me. Two years ago, when I wore the monitor all the time, I was getting up to about 180 bpm. It was very hot and humid this morning, which may have had the impact of making it feel like a tougher run than it really was --whatever the eff that means! Hmmmmm again.

You can't just 'help yourself' to mommy's weed!

We chatted a bit about discipline. I know that I don't run according to a plan and have trouble adhering to a schedule, and that may be a big opportunity for me. I'd like to start planning pace and distance and sticking to the plan to build improvement. I'm a head case when it comes to running and I really believe the recorded paces tell the tale. That mile was definitely tough, but what was my plan? At the start, Adam asked about 5K times and suggested that I run the splits at about 9:15 based on that. Well you can see what I thought about that! Is that why I ran the mile at a full minute/mile slower? And what about that "I'm almost finished" final 400? I think it's possible that if I trained according to plan, instead of throwing myself around the route willy-nilly, I may see improved overall running. I have today to use as a baseline, and will be able to establish a plan for the next workout, so that is the silver lining.

This was a tough workout. I'm not really sore muscularly, but I know I got some cardio work done and that feels good. We also talked about getting some S. Mountain hill work in on the weekends. I'm down for that!

Post-Swimming lesson Einsteins with daddy!

Pre Ladder Workout

2011-07-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm going to get up at 4:45am tomorrow and drive out to Gilbert to meet Adam the Boring Runner for a speed track workout. I'm looking forward to hanging out with Adam ~~and maybe getting some free coaching,~~ but I'm a bit worried about the workout itself. I haven't done speed work in a long time, and it feels like I'm on the night before an early morning colonoscopy procedure.

Adam asked what kind of workout I was planning and I cooly replied that I would be doing a ladder drill of 400/800/1200/1600/1200/800/400 with 400 cool downs in between. No response from Adam as I'm sure he immediately went to his CPR manual to brush up on methods for cardiac arrest revival. Hey pal, just be sure to use Listerine, that's all I ask.

In the past, I've done Yasso 800's and some strides and quite a bit of Tempo running, but never a progression run and certainly never a ladder, so this may very well induce vomiting or at least generate several new index labels for the RTP blog. I spent two weeks at a much higher elevation trail running, and I'm interested to see what that does for the ole VO2. I'll be strapping on my HR monitor to see how close I am to the red line. Wish me luck!

Sedona T'Storm Run and Hide

2011-07-03T14:59:00.002-07:00

From our Sedona vacation home where we are on vacation in Sedona. Sedona Sedona Sedona.

Saw the clouds approaching and thought, 'not too many chances to do this'. So I ~~ran through Safeway in a cowboy hat and a jockstrap~~ headed out for rainy thunderstorm run on the trails of West Sedona. Are you f'ing sick of hearing about my vacation in Sedona? Me too, and I'm here.

Headed out with Norman on a familiar trail, and ran into rain streams--

See the little Sedona waterfall?

No real clue how to align Sedona photos in Blogger

Norman shit one regular time, then the thunder started and he began some righteous metaphorical shitting

Norman in Sedona

Some cool blooming. These century yuccas throw awesome yellow flowers as soon as there is a drop of H2O on the ground

A plant in Sedona

Got off the trail trying to navigate the front side of Sugarloaf, ~~so I built a fire and drank my urine~~ but found our way back soon after. It would be pretty embarrassing to have to be rescued from a trail called Sugarloaf. Going back to Phoenix tomorrow with a new appreciation for trail running and hiking. Sedona Sedona Sedoan Sedona Sedona.....

Powerbar Energy Blasts Review

2011-07-02T18:24:00.001-07:00

I'm leading, SUAR is in third place back there. Yep, stopped to crap.

Mmmmmmmmm good. PowerBar has hit a home run with these yummy little energy chews. I used the 2 for 1 coupon in last months Runners World to buy these. I only use gels on long runs of eight miles or more, and I only use other energy products like these chews before a long run, and then not very often.

So the other day I ate a pack before a five mile trail run thinking that the trails have been beating me up and I would benefit from a little extra energy. These are seriously yummy and hit my sugar peptide just right. I ate them about 30 minutes prior to the workout and felt....... the same when I finally hit the trail. It was hard to tell if I was feeling chemically energized or energized from the trail run itself. I don't know, my high/low energy reference points are when I haven't had coffee in the morning and when little Jeffrey goes 'up periscope'.

But it doesn't matter because these are really good and relatively inexpensive. As for the 'squirt in your mouth' effect, I think I ate them too fast to notice. Nutritionally, these little guys are pretty solid and are positively endorsed by Josh Cox among others. Here's the breakdown:

45 grams of carbs, lots of sugar, and Black carrot juice for color. WTF? Black carrots??? Off to Google we go------

Keepin it clean for this family blog

Carrots originated in the Afghanistan region about 5,000 years ago. Though not a robust crop choice here in the West, black carrots proliferate in Asia and the Baltic states, and are becoming more popular in modern restaurants. The chemical composition makes for an ideal red coloring, and you can read a lot more here at the carrot museum online. I swear!

Post #150!!! Thanks for following!

RTP Rating for PowerBar Raspberry Energy Blasts:
Cake = it's great and I highly recommend this product. Keep your fingers away from my mouth.

Running in Red Dirt

2011-07-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Layers of natural red dirt, unnatural skin tone, and baby seal skin compression

Gross story but true: Due to a miscalculation on laundry needs, I had to re-use one of my socks for yesterday's run. How I went 'odd' on my sock count remains a mystery. What on Earth would you use one sock for?? Oh yeah...

Can you tell which sock has already been used?

These past two weeks have been a nice getaway for me and the family. We have spent time running, hiking, eating, sleeping, ~~watching and speculating on the Casey Anthony trial~~, sending our hound in for surgery, and, of course, channeling the vortex. As for running, I've stuck mainly to the trails. They are so much fun to run, and the roads here are filled with angry old people driving around in their 5,000 pound Buicks.

As you may know, Sedona is high desert and covered with red dirt. You can't really tell from the photo, but all my running gear is now reddish brown. Cool. I ran last night with Norman on the famously technical "Teacup/Soldiers Pass Trail", which winds through coffee pot canyon for about 3 miles. I extended the distance by running on a jeep trail and surprised a group of German sightseers (some interesting spelling history on that term). There was a mom and dad and a 10'ish year old in the back of one of those pink jeeps taking photos of a prickly pear cactus like they had captured shooter #2 in the Kennedy assassination (you don't really believe in that single-shooter bullshit do you?). We ran up behind them and they started shouting "Hasselhoff Hasselhoff!!! mein gott ach du leiben mein kampf hes gott un giganta weinershnitzel!!!" or something like that. They were all amazed that we were running through the desert.

These trails and roads go up and down pretty steeply and require muscles that don't get used ever, so I've been sore. Also, Sedona is about 4,000 feet higher than Phoenix, so there is the whole 'lack of oxygen' thing going on. Trail running is different. Paces just seem to go out the window, and the usual hypnotic road mileage is instead one photo-inspiring (but not enough to actually bring a camera-inspiring) John Wayne movie scene after another. We go back to Phoenix on Monday and the heat, but really it's only 118 or so right now, so not too bad.

2011 SYTO 5K Virtual Race Report

2011-06-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Time: 29:18 pace 9:27

Location: Sedona Arizona High School track (Home of the Scorpions)

My witness

I really wanted to be down in Phoenix for the 2nd annual Sweat Your Thorns Off 5K to ~~ensure that Adam is not cheating and is fully clothed~~ run with friends, but this vacation is too necessary for my health and sanity. So I decided to run it virtually along with many of the other thousands of participants. We got up early and headed over to the track. I didn't know if it would be open and the backup plan was to run the race on the trails just to the West of where we are staying. The crime rate in Sedona must be low because the entire field was wide open. There was plenty for Harrison to do while I huffed around in circles. He played in the sand pits, jumped on the mats, and spray painted "Fuck you Principal Skinner" on the front door of the school.

The temperature was about 75 or 80 degrees when I started and the track is new, cushiony, and otherwise yields no excuses.

stretch like this daddy

We stretched a bit and then I started. I ran the first mile at just under 9 minutes, the second at a plodding 9:45, the third somewhere in between, and the final .1 at about 8:00. There was nobody else on the track. The salient question is, "Did I Sweat?" Yes indeed. I always sweat and today was no exception. I have to say that I hope I never have to run a race on a track again. It was really boring, and I had to consult the Garmin to check distance because I have trouble counting to 12. Not much else to report for this race, so here are some gratuitous photos of my 3.5 year old.

Thanks Adam and everyone else who helped organize this event (Lauren, were you the cornstarch girl again?).

Challenging Technical Climb

2011-06-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

I went out this morning to attempt the summit of a local Sedona peak. I wanted to attempt this rigorous climb without all the spikes, ropes, oxygen, and other apparatus that separates novice climbers from pros like myself. The name of the mountain?

Teacup, as in K2 Teacup

Th entire route was about 3.5 miles, and most of it was spent gaping at the scenery. In addition to the Teacup trail, I navigated the daunting Sugarloaf path. There is almost no one out there early, and the trail was mostly in the shade. These trails meander up and down and there is a spike to the summit that takes about ten minutes at an easy climb. The views are spectacular of course. I ran some, walked some, and stopped to pick some magic mushrooms to slip into Harrison's juice.

summit views

coffee pot

You really can't lose your way; there are cairns about every 30-40 feet that look like this:

If you still insist on losing your way, then go die quietly away from the trail where you won't bother the rest of us. This trail kinda reminded me of Southeast Utah: lot's of red dirt, rocky trails, slickrock runoffs, and Mormon girls showing their ankles to passing hikers.

I was thinking about using this route for the SYTO 5K this Saturday, but there is also a track down the road. Hmmmmm, flat, measured and fenced from predators vs. hilly/rocky and possibly Grizzlies........

On Vacation (?)

2011-06-22T19:48:00.001-07:00

We drove up to the Sedona house on Sunday for couple of weeks, and Norman the dog finally decided that his neck problem needed to manifest itself in a big way. He looked like Stallone and Mike Tyson teamed up to pummel his jaw. He was so swollen and infected in his neck area that the vet said he would only have lived another three days or so.

Someone please fill this radar dish with hotdogs.

Norman

We submitted him to their surgical care and they found foreign objects lodged in his tonsil area. He chews on everything so it wasn't a total surprise. One of the objects was a piece of blue plastic and the other two were barbed seeds of some sort. They installed drainage tubes for the abscess and packed the area with antiseptic. So that has kind of thrown a damper on things but he is on heavy duty antibiotics now and is mending rapidly. The vet said that he is not allowed to run, jump, splash, or do anything else you would normally do her in the northern AZ area (he is already trying to do all of those things and trying to yank out his tubes and stitches). Crap. There are really beautiful trails that start out right at the top of our street. If you ever need a vet in Sedona, we have a great one.

from the patio

Coffee Pot in the distance

some crappy weeds that I need to get poisoned and bulldozed

Feeeeeeeeeeeel the crystals glowing in your vortex (twss)

I'll go out tomorrow and take some photos from a runner's perspective. Everything here is super hilly so the Garmin will have some elevation recording to do, and I'll be running the SYTO 5K from here on Saturday so there will not be a 5K PR this weekend, but I will be running it at temps 15 degrees cooler than Phx! Who cares about that because we all know Adam is going to win his precious little race again because Adam always gets whatever Adam wants! My route will incorporate some roads and some trails and did I say hills?? At elevation??? Enough excuses, you get the idea.

Accelerade Review

2011-06-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

That's the culprit on the left

I bought a canister of Accelerade sports recovery powder and have now had 5 RTP servings. Yuckity yuckfuckingyuck it tastes awful. I have the lemon lime flavor and I mix a half scoop into about 32 oz's of water which is about 4 times diluted. I can't even imagine full strength. When I run, I sweat like Klinger on a Texas rooftop, and like the idea of replacing salts in my system, but I am hesitant to take salt pills. I'm not sure if I sweat enough to warrant the pills. This powder gives me one more excuse to drink water so that's my option.

Here is the nutritional information which you can also read without the aid of a telescope on the website:

Quite a bit of sugar, but it's definitely offset by the Potassium and Sodium, and the sugars miiiiiight be the 'good kind of sugar'. Magnesium isn't listed but somehow you get 30%. Someone in the know can hopefully supply a better analysis.

And now the nitty gritty:

It kinda tastes like when you chew a vitamin. No no.... it kinda tastes like when you fill your mouth with tempera paint powder and then chew a vitamin. No wait, I have it now. It tastes like when you chew a vitamin and chase it with tempera paint and then bite either end off of a pigeon embryo. Yes, that's it! Maybe not that bad, but without a doubt you are not drinking Gatorade. Hopefully someone else can give better information about the nutrition. For instance, is sucrose a bad thing? It's the first ingredient listed. WTF is sucrose? I know it's table sugar, but is that bad? They include yellow and blue food dyes to make that green color most people associate with Martian squeezings. Do I feel better and more recovered after I drink it? Who the hell knows. I usually drink quite a bit of water and then coffee after a morning run, and sometimes a coconut water or choc milk after an especially long run. This stuff might be helping, but I'm not sure. The can cost $23 which comes out to about 38 cents per serving if you are following the 1 scoop per 12 ounce suggestion. With the RTP dillution, it comes out to about 8 to 10 cents per serving which should please some of the cheapskate runners out there.

Overall RTP Rating:

Fig Newton = it's good for you and tastes ok, but who really wants it? Survival food.

A New Age Bracket

2011-06-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

I turned 45 on Monday. Yep, 6/6/66. Now I'm in this 45-49 age bracket which is full of mid-life crisis-enduring speed demons intent on retaining/regaining their youth of 20 years ago *. Thankfully this is a passing phase and most men move on into acceptance by about age 73 or 74. And this cohort conveniently lies on the boundary where a fast race time equals an assured 'fountain of youth' return to a time when everything looked like a Prefontaine movie, while a plodding ass-strained limp through mile two of a community 5K fun run can be tossed away with a casual, "All these kids with their flashy smiles and bandanas!! I couldn't get a rhythm going and the damn music is melting my ears!"

Seattle's Prefontaine Building. Thanks for nothing Google!

I'll tell you what else has been melting some ears - the sound of me yelling "I'm rich!!" Generous relatives sent me $150 in Roadrunner Sports gift cards. I think they want me to run myself into the ground so I'll stop impregnating Maria. I perused merchandise obsessively online, then headed over yesterday to claim my looty. Within a few minutes of entering the store, I figured out that they do not carry nearly as much stuff in the store as they advertise online, and the employees are hopelessly tuned to the beginning runner. Samples of parlay (as overheard)....
"you have a slight pronation on the left that is causing you to push that foot further out as you run. It may result in strained running and injury. I recommend these pronation-reducing inserts" Hey Dr. Scholl, stop screwing around with people! or check out this priceless bon mot "I've been running nearly three years so I decided to get a job here and eventually run in my first marathon"

My salesperson received free one on one coaching by yours truly: I helped her locate the Scape sunscreen, identify its purpose, and discern that there is no difference except there are two types of packaging. I also helped her understand that the lip balm is not a child-sized sunscreen container, but meant to be applied to the area that surrounds a persons bubble gum hole. She then showed me the two racks that hold visors. I patiently showed her that one rack holds nothing but full hats while the other is reserved for the visors. I didn't see the Asics visor that was advertised on the website, so I asked her, and she said that she was pretty sure Asics only makes shoes. I met up with Suzanne right then (she was buying winter close-out stuff) and the sales person wandered away, I'm sure she went to read Teen Beat or Twitter or some such crap. I found an RRS visor, some RRS shorts, and settled on the el cheapo Nathan 10 oz handheld. It was between that one and the Fuel Belt, and have you seen the Fuel Belt 10 oz? POS. So is the Nathan, but the gift cards were burning my ass and triggering all my purchase peptides. I also got 6 packs of Gu, some running socks, some Accelerade and went past the $150 mark without breathing hard. I had to put back the Salt Stick tabs because I was over my limit. Holy batshit running stuff is expensive.

So tomorrow morning is ARR Summer Series race #2 on what looks like a flat course as seen on satellite. My PR for a 5K is 27:30, but it was run at the FYTO 5K in January. There were several things wrong with that race: Garmin only measured 3.03 miles, it was Directed and WON by Adam, my calf blew up in the last quarter mile, and Adam was the Director and WON the fucking race. So tomorrow I want to try for a sub 27:00 which is 8:41/mile. I'm going to try a warm up 3/4 mile pre-race, and also be a bit more awake than usual for the first mile (coffee and race atmosphere). I want to hold 8:50 for the first two miles and drop the hammer in mile three. I've prepped today by only eating hint-o-lime Tostidos( I would pay extra for Tostidos that were dripping with lime powder. Don't you just love that one chip in the bag that got stuck on the conveyor belt and was sprayed with lime chemical for 45 minutes? I want a whole bag of those!) and drinking expired Cytomax. I also pinned my race bib with only three pins a la Nitmos (2 diagonal and one smack in the middle, all three under the shirt ninja-style!!!), and I'll sleep in the park tonight a la Runlaur. If none of that works, then I'll claim my social security and refuse to vote for anything that doesn't directly benefit my senior living community.

* To be fair, it is also almost exclusively comprised of men and women who have been running most of their lives and have worked hard to get to this level. Almost all of the people out running at 6:30am in sanctioned races are serious runners.

What Time Is It?

2011-06-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

Those bells remind me of....

Cupcakes. There are three times for me to run: When I want to run, when I don't want to run, and 5:15 am. My brain thinks about running differently at different times of the day, and if I listen to my brain, all kinds of trouble comes my way. So I need to run when I can, and the most open time of day is early morning. It's optimal for weather, open schedule, and empty streets. It is not optimal for mental preparation. All I want to do at 5am is sip coffee, watch SportsCenter, and critically review yesterday's Daily Mile submissions (No effing way could Adam have run that fast!!). My brain craves running at around 2:30 in the afternoon and again at about 8pm. Neither of those times ever fit into my schedule. I go out early anyway and feel fine after about ten minutes of learning how to run all over again.

This year, I set a goal to run with a partner and/or group. Suzanne has been meeting me for most of the morning runs. We used to run almost the same and she was edging ahead of me on just over half of the runs, but lately she has been plagued by cardio, calvio, and other legio problems. Plus I have been pushing myself a bit and I'm faster than I was 6 months ago. The past few mornings, we have started at my driveway, but I pull away after the first half mile of warm up and run at my pace. I finish a few minutes ahead of her which gives me a chance to ~~pee in her gas tank~~ get water and pop a nitro pill. Afterwards we talk about gardening and European economics (will their outdated shadow pricing policy ever come around to the 21st century? Dirty-footed peasants!) So while we don't trot along together at a 7 minute pace chatting like Paris and Nicole, we do retain our commitment and accountability - and that is partner running. Running with a group has not happened consistently, though we have gone out a few times with the Runners Den group. They go out each Saturday at 6:00am and run in a variety of distances and pace groups. Good times, and I'm going to go with them more often.

This summer we plan to stay around Phoenix most of the time with one vacation planned to the metaphysical crystaline hills of Sedona. We got a great deal on a house up there (eff R double E), so there will be a couple of weeks of creekside runs with Norman the dog (and others from the valley who invite themselves up) and some cooler weather. The rest of the time will be spent trying to force the geometry of our office/computer room into a nursery. Baby girl coming in August and we still don't have a name picked out. I like Nitmos, but Maria wants to 'keep thinking about it'. The nursery is little room in an already little house, and I'm not sure how we are going to make it work without me setting up camping gear in the back yard.

I enter the 45-49 age bracket Monday which means increased head-shaking shame when looking at race results. Those guys are fast. There are almost always 3-4 guys from that bracket in the top five, and usually many more in the top 20. Inspiring!

Are you signed up for the SYTO 5K? Get your info in to Adam, we need some fast runners this year to replace the current champ. There will be shared loot giveaways for those who show up in person and a heck of a good time!

Don't Forget....

2011-05-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

To lube. Dang it. And also Mother's Day..Don't forget Mother's Day. Mother's Day Mother's Day Mother's Day (go now to Walgreens and get a fucking card....... ooohhhh a new Man vs. Wild episode!!) Went out for a long slow run this morning and didn't apply Sport Glide to my saddle area. Redness, soreness, abrasion, you get the idea. I've been responsible about using this product for anything over 6 miles for about two years now. Goes on dry, doesn't crumble, keeps the red out.

How does RTP use Sport Glide? First off, he doesn't on May 7, 2011. But he does other days. For those of you imagining some kind of soft focus, slinky music-laced, R-rated slow motion scene, let me assure you it's so much more than that. Think "Ghost" and you are halfway there. Body Glide has a lot of competitors but I haven't tried them. I've received two sticks of this stuff free from blogger contests. I suppose I'll have to buy some eventually and maybe I'll try some of the other stuff. Jamoosh extolls Anti-Monkey Butt, Adam likes Muellers (I think), and SUAR is loyal to to Astro Glide (I imagine) (link too disturbing to post).

This Glide stick I'm working on now is a combo formula that includes sunscreen??? (His fingers paused over the keyboard wondering whether to go on. And like the fat girl on prom night, he decides 'go all the way!!'). Sunscreen?? For there???!!!!????? Why would I need to slather my juncque and neighboring region with sunscreen? I have a few ideas from that one website, but it sure doesn't involve a ten mile run on the canal. Is it for those who run shirt-free? Without a shirt, there is no chance of chaffage!! Unless...

Yeah, that would do it.

Lessons learned: Lube up for long runs. Don't spend too much time scanning images on Google for topics like this.

RTP Rating for Sport Glide:

Cake = it's great and I highly recommend this product. Keep your fingers away from my mouth.

WWJD?

2011-04-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

That's right, what would Jeff do? I have a ~~marijuana~~ marathon (thanks Adam!!) maintenance plan of running long on Saturday mornings alternating with 6 miles, 8, 10, then 7 miles, 9, 11, then back to 6 and start over. The idea is to build up to a base of 20-25 miles per week and also build up the mid week runs to include a rotation of tempo, strides, and hill work. Then around September, ~~I'll fall in love and move out to the Hamptons~~ I will begin a plan that will take me to the starting line for AZ RnR in January ready to break 2:03:02 once and for all, and on a certified course!

So the decision today was whether to run 6 miles or 8. My running partner is still suffering from plantar, asthma, and puddingslow, but we had agreed to run our long runs at 10:45 to 11:15 pace NO MATTER WHAT. It keeps us aerobic, injury free, and trains our bodies to be out on the road for a loooonnnnnggggg time -kinda like a marathon. Running faster only teases my brain into thinking I'm better than I am and results in a finish line disappointment and possibly erectile dysfunction.* Partner went six and I ran 8, but I went fast during three of the miles including the last mile. Most plans would wag a naughty finger at me and say:

Quite simply, Jeff is an idiot

Higdon: No-no-no, stay at your prescribed pace.
Jeff: Shoot, I was feeling good and wanted to stretch it out a bit. And I'm not hurt!
Higdon: Not hurt this time, hows that toe?
Me: welllllll, a little black but that's cool right?
Higdon: Cool rhymes with fool son. Follow my plan and I'll get you across the finish line healthy and happy.
Me: Ok Mr. Higdon, I'll do it!
Higdon: Let me see your hand.
Me: What?
Higdon: Your hand boy. Let me see it!!
Me: This hand? Oh lookie, my fingers were crossed. ha ha
Higdon: (scowling. shakes head and wanders off to Country Buffet because it's almost 4pm)

Marathon training plans are designed from experience, research, and are set to help people cross the finish line feeling happy, healthy, and accomplished. So don't fuck with it Jeff! We are pros who have run for years, usually professionally and Olympically, we've interviewed thousands of runners, and analyzed stats and research, and we really do know what we're talking about. Well Mr. Professional, I'd like to introduce to you to Mr. Ego. Ego has been around for 44 years and also knows what he (it? id?) is talking about. Ego can bring Jeff's credit card (my counselor told me to watch out for third person disassociation shit like this) out in flash, drive him to run into injury, and generally cause havoc that would make a New York Dolls concert seem like a Scottsdale 85 and older tea party.

lovely, just lovely

I ran faster than my plan allowed. Sue me. No, sue someone else who has money and make up challenging scenarios for me to spend the money in a limited time.

I feel like I'm at a turning point in this quest to be in better physical shape. I'm losing a bit of weight and feeling stronger than I was two years ago about the running, but I remain reluctant to decide whether to go faster and risk mid-run lung ejection or stay at these speeds and feel like I'm getting medium workouts. At what point does a person, can a person, should a person, upgrade to a faster plan?

* possibly, just possibly, but maybe it was the Thai food

2011 Pat's Run Race Report

2011-04-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

2011 Pat's Run 4.2 mile race Tempe, Arizona

That's a PR!

This was the third time in three years I have run in this event and I've gotten faster each year. The top finishers:

20:33!! HS!

Average age of these finishers is 29! I'm kind of a stats nut, and I really love looking at ages and times of some of these runners. There were six 89 year olds who smashed my time, and plenty others who finished. That's inspiring. I have a buddy from Florence, AZ who is a skinny young fast runner and he finished in less than two minutes ahead of me. I haven't had a chance to talk to him, but either I'm getting faster, or he has a broken leg.

I was thinking during the last mile about ~~dragons and cheerleaders~~ whether I could have gone faster, and the answer was no. My paces were off from my plan and mostly positive splits instead of my usual negative splits, but I really believe that even if I were able to reverse that, my total time would have been the same. The hill in the third mile was a surprise to me. I had forgotten it thinking only about the hill on Curry road in mile 2. I ate that hill alive but burped it back up on the hill in mile 3. I was feeling pretty gassed at that point and wasn't able to throw down a turbo in the last .3 when we enter the stadium (Lauren, I was doing the gasping thing again! How embarrassing) With about 30,000 runners, you can imagine that it was difficult at times to stay on a planned path. This is supposed to be a fun run, and so I only pepper sprayed one or two "people" who decided to walk right in front of me.

Hey! Good times and nothing more about this lest I draw too much attention away from the folks running that little huckleberry in Boston on Monday. Tear it up Beth!

Smell This... Does This Smell Bad??

2011-04-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

Ran this morning 6 miles in 58 minutes w/Norman. He almost got a duck!! It was a nice run without incident. Plantar is talking bit on the left but no big worries. Calves fine, pulmonary fine.

Not dead dead, just dead drunk.... AGAIN!

Got home for my typical weekend post-run coconut water and had two big gulps before realizing something was.... wrong with the stuff. Not 'dead mouse' wrong, more like a dying mouse had taken a swim in the can before crawling off somewhere else to die --possibly in a Golden Arches product. A couple of small gags later, I was past it and moving forward in my morning recovering with water and coffee.

Pat's Run is coming up next weekend. 4.2 miles around Tempe with about 25,000 other meatheads. There are a few choices for approaching a run like this: Race, commemorate, socialize, other.

RTP's Strategy choices for Pat's Run 2011:

!. Go for a PR. Last year was 38:33 which is a 9:12 avg. pace. Uugggh, that's a fast time to beat, but doable. I was heavy into a 'roid phase this time last year, but this year I'm a better runner.

2. Run for fun with Harrison in stroller and finish in exactly 42 minutes to honor Officer Tillman. (option 2.1 is to handicap race against Adam and his man-child)

3. Run for fun then run 4 more miles after to get a long slow run in for the weekend. Fuck that I can tell you right now.

No matter what, this is a fun time each year and I'm looking forward to it. I'm definitely one of those runners who loves the atmosphere of a foot race of any type. I love the pre-race rituals and the waiting in the corrals, and all the post-race analysis. I don't care that I'm slower than most, I still can't believe that I can run at all. It's been a good Spring for me. Not as many miles as I has planned, but I'm healthy and heading into the Phoenix summer with a base that will carry me into the start of Marathon training in late August.

Dangling Thought: Will Nitmos ever admit it?

It's Getting Hot Here in Phoenix

2011-04-02T13:13:00.001-07:00

Went out for a 5 mile run with Suzanne and Norman the 8 month old no-nut nut-job choc lab spazoid.

We started by walking since Suzanne is still suffering from plantar faciitis and was also having pulmonary challenges. Our plan was to go 5 miles and we nailed the distance. The pace was on the slow side, but we both finished with negative splits and feeling healthy. I know from past experience that plantar- like most of my stripper girlfriends-- is a bitch while you have it and then it's gone seemingly overnight when it finally decides to leave. Hopefully hers leaves soon and isn't replaced by ITBS, patellar tendonitis, or air-conditioned lazy bones. I have some interesting little aches and pains going but nothing to really claim as an injury right now. I attribute it to inconsistent mileage and poor attitude. He doesn't really know it, but Georgia Snail is my current running/fitness hero, and of course SUAR.

So we left at about 7:45 and the sun was up and blazing. I had put on sunscreen (I'm nearly transparent-complected, so I need to wear spf 'aluminum siding') and a water belt. Most runs under 7 miles lately have been without water but today I was glad I brought it. This summer, I'm determined to try a handheld water system. It seems convenient and all the cool kids are doing it.

So we went through the run mostly without incident. Norman didn't have to crap in the street, but he did slow down towards the end. It's obvious that he will not be able to make it on daylight or long Phoenix runs in the summer. Poor pooch, he loves to go out.

Our normal route crosses some major roads and we usually have to wait for traffic. Sometimes that is a blessing and sometimes I wish I was still running. The good part is that I'm getting better at hitting paces and holding them. This is a skill that either comes naturally or with a lot of running and help from the Garmin 305 (that's me). I'm still a big fan of the Garmin and almost never run without it. I love the data and the running log, and being noticed in the coffee shop afterwards --
Her: "Your a runner?"
Me: "Yep.......... uhhhh you missed that contraction in your opening line"
Her: "I do that sometimes you sexy runner beast!"
Me: "Are you a runner too?" Brilliant Jeff Brilliant!! This is gonna be good! Keep it going...
Her: "No, just an EMT trying to resuscitate you because you inhaled muffin crumbs and started choking and then dreamt up this little dialog. Are you like 50??"
Me: "Damn"

Thermometer now at 95 in the shade in mid-afternoon. Air conditioner on. Here we go again.....

ARR South Mountain 20K Race Report

2011-03-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

2:10 on the Garmin 2:12 chip time. Mmmm, last place in my division. Must work hills into routine. Automatic PR because I've never gone this distance in a race. This 20K is an out and back through the hills of South Mountain in Phoenix. You can get a better idea of the elevation with this--

Reminds me of........ except for that growth in the cleave

And the beauty of the course here:

I haven't been putting in that many miles lately and definitely no hill work, so I was not thinking about setting any records. I wanted to make this race within my long slow run range of around 11:00 minute miles. My overall average pace was 10:23 so I'm happy. The hill work was kicking my butt, but it's nice to know that I recovered some time on the downhills.

Mile 1: 9:40

Mile 2: 11:00 up up up

Mile 3: 10:26

Mile 4: 9:20 nice downhills

Mile 5: 9:28

Mile 6: 10:09

Mile 7: 10:59 back up again

Mile 8: 11:43

Mile 9: 12:09 ouch!

Mile 10: 12:15 more ouchy!!

Mile 11: 9:40 glide and stride

Mile 12: 9:59 I said glide and STRIDE!

Final .4: 9:16 that's better

Look at my 15 foot shadow

Typical ARR race starting zone. Well organized, friendly, and efficient.

Then we got a little testy didn't we? This 6 year old and his daddy came by me already past the turnaround and on course to finish in under 2 hours. It took me a while, but I had forgotten that there was a 6:30 start for those who thought they might not finish. Better luck when you get a bit older kid, maybe you'll be able to join the big leagues!

Hey Jimmy! An extra hour?? Growing up as a cheater will not get you very far.

Got to the turnaround and I hadn't really consulted the Garmin prior to that.

Apparently it's ok to pee next to the cone?

I was surprised to see that I was in range of my goal, but I knew that I had some major uphills to run before the final 2 miles of downhills. These were tough! Made it to the final downhills and ran it in. Nice race ARR!

Oh, and we had an ultrasound Tuesday: Girl!!

Long Run Today

2011-03-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

I got in a solid 10 miles this morning, and it felt really good to have all systems working. No bronchial troubles, no calf issues, and only a minor plantar irritation. The weather was perfect and the route is familiar with a slight rise for the first half and a slight downhill trend in the second half. After yesterday's run, I thought I might have a good run today and that's what it was.

Some of those stops were traffic stops, and some were rests, but overall pace is right where it needs to be for a 4:30 marathon pace training plan. I ran the first 7 miles alone then Suzanne jumped in for the last three and drove the pace in that last fraction. My first three miles were too fast but felt effortless so I just went with it.

Suzanne's plantar is still bothering her and she is wondering what to do for the ARR 20K next weekend. I know what I'm doing: ~~Getting a sassy haircut~~ ~~playing submarine in the bathtub~~ running a very hilly 20K race on South Mountain. I'm a little nervous about the hills. Typically in Phoenix, runners need to seek hills to get that type of workout (or watch hill running videos). South Mountain is a beautiful area and especially this time of year when everything is blooming. Part of me thinks that I won't notice that as I stagger in a forward direction gasping for breath on those hills.

No need for a pre-race report other than to say that I will continue to run this week and see about finishing in less than 130 minutes.

Today's Run

2011-03-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to post about a run for a while. Sometimes this Running Blog is about anything but running. I went out this morning with Suzanne, my awesome running partner. She has been suffering from plantar faciitis, and I got over a bad bronchitis this past week, so running has taken a back seat to healing. We took a short run on Wednesday and decided on a faster 5 miles today. The plan is to run long tomorrow and run medium this coming week in preparation for the ARR South Mountain Classic 20K a week from tomorrow. We started off walking and also walked a bit at the 2.5 mile turnaround. Sometime around mile 3.5 she let me go ahead and I turned it on for a strong finish. I was sub 9:00 for a while and finished the mile at 9:15, and had a nice short kick at the end sub 9:00. Felt good to get the lungs open and at full capacity.

You can see the walks and the traffic stops crossing Camelback road. The weather right now in Phoenix is perfect for morning runs and my body feels good again.

Norman the spastic Choc Lab puppy was not in the equation today --he got neutered yesterday and is wearing a surgical collar which is actually nice because he can't dig holes deeper than 2 feet now. We think we'll leave it on and use him as a biological roto-tiller.

Sore nuts?? No nuts!!

We also got the garden in this week and have a nice little plot started. Lots of pepper and tomato varieties, along with all the herbs we usually grow. Mmmmmmmmm, tomato sandwiches!

That back row is for medical purposes only.

The 2011 Northern Virginia Bronchitis 1/2 Marathon Race Report

2011-03-03T07:15:00.001-07:00

I'm losing my breath just walking from the kitchen to the living room. Got to the doctor yesterday and I'm on all kinds of meds. The only running I'm doing these days is in my Oxycodone-fueled dreams. Like last night:

I was in my old neighborhood where I grew up in Virginia. I was running in a 1/2 M and it was through the golf course. Something interrupted the race for me and I had to do some other work somewhere else for a while, and then I was back in the race and running pretty fast and easy. But I was mentally wrestling with the idea that I had 'taken a break' in the race and would it be ok to 'extrapolate' a finish time based on the last 5 or 6 miles when I resumed running. Hey, it's my dream so wtf. Finish time was 2:07, a new PR and my first race in Virginia -and with hills. Oh, and negative splits. Recovery has been eventless since it was just a dream, but today I will take it extra easy and drink plenty of fluids and continue my medicine regimen.

Aqualung My Friend - Jethro Tull

2011-02-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

In the spirit and admiration of EMZ. This has been a frustrating week. I've had bronchial troubles for the past three weeks and finally got in to see the doctor on Tuesday. When he finally found my prostate, he said it was 'just perfect' but my urine is still 'on the bitter side of normal'. I have really been thinking of switching to a board certified MD, but this Craig's List thing is so cheap!

Got some inhaler thing and advice to 'get some rest', so this has been a major step down week in running. I'll go out this morning for a 'long run' of only six miles. Shuffling through the streets, asking people, What's the matter with you boy?

So I cough, and my shoes atrophy, and I cough. I signed up for a 20K in late March at South Mountain. This is a new distance for me which means ~~automatic PR~~ practically nothing in the 2011 scheme of establishing a base. I have to say that I am more than mildly interested in trying some barefoot miles this Spring. More on that later. (He said moron!)

Out the door I go on a long slow run with a teenage labrador retriever. Ciao!!

Don't Throw Out That B.O.B. Yet...

2011-02-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that the stork will be doing a fly-over our house sometime around August 21. Harrison will have a brother or sister (that's right, only one more: alas, my dream of Maria having triplets still goes unfulfilled). Now everyone can stop spending so much attention on Adam and get it back to RTP -the true center of the universe. The ultrasound did not go through on the scanner, so just believe me -there's a baaaabaaay the size of a key lime.

So the BOB running stroller, which has been SSOOOOO abandoned by our 3YO will have another round of neighborhood 5Ks and 5 milers. I love running with the stroller, and am really excited about two ~~tax deductions~~ kids being raised in a family of runners. But we aren't telling people until her parents come in 2 weeks, so ssshhhhhhhhh!

Face It RTP: You're Not an Olympian

2011-02-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

During today's run, I came to the bold conclusion that I will most likely never compete at the Olympic level in running. I'm 44 years old, 25 pounds overweight, slow, and what I know about Greece could fit into an ant's rectum: I like feta and olives.... they have statues.... dungeons and dragons theology......and there was a hazy booze fueled 4.5 years on Greek row at James Madison University --that's pretty much it. I think if I lived at one of the training facilities and had time to devote my entire day to serious running, maybe, but most likely not even then. So now....... Acceptance.

There was a British study about rabbits and stress levels. They measured the physical stress of rabbits and found that they lived their lives at a cardio-fear threshold that would kill most of us humans. The hypothesis was that the constant 24 hour threat of hawks and owls was causing the stress, and indeed, the measurements showed a spike during a hunt, followed by a measurable relaxation whenever a bird of prey caught one of the rabbits. The rabbit was serene for the first time in its life because it didn't have to be afraid anymore. It had been caught. I'm caught, but I'm not relaxed. My calf is really killing me. Today it's the right calf. Meh.

Had a nice run with Johnson today out a scenic high rent area in Phx known as Arcadia and into the shopping/tourist center of Scottsdale. WHY are you buying turquoise Kokopeli's???
8 miles total and slow due to injury. This weekend as opposed to last weekend, the calf muscle did not work itself out. It went numb and stiff (tws.... never mind). Cardio is very good, and besides my usual black toenail conditions, everything else is in good shape. I suppose this is as good a time as any to be injured. No major races scheduled in the next couple of months. Rolling, stretching, warm-up, wheedling, and blogging are the components of my recovery plan, and there is a possible trip through the HMO land of horrors to eventually see a third-rate cash-only sports 'doctor' who will likely tell me that I need to choose lower intensity/impact aerobic activity. No. Save your breath, and I'm saving my cash, No.

I Went a Little Bit Longer Today

2011-02-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Twss I know I know. Got out a bit late this morning with running partner Suzanne. We had a front yard conference to discuss distance, pace, and future plans for races. We are pretty well committed to completing our long runs on Saturday mornings, and we are in agreement to keep the pace on the slower side: aerobic, conversational, train your body to burn fat, blah blah blah. So the long run pace for "Break 4:30" is 11:00ish, and we wanted to stay between 10:30 and 11:00. We finished at an overall 10:32 for 8 miles. Nice target shooting. The miles went by pretty effortlessly until about mile 6 when my calf started to really bother me. It tends to cramp in one particular spot deep in the outside gastroc. muscle. I've been wearing calf compression sleeves and running low mileages. The pain site was giving me warning signs at about mile 5, but I decided to see what 'running through it' would do. Is it not possible that not ALL Sports medicine doctors are right??

This jackass has two right legs.

I got to mile 6 and thought I would have to stop, but kept going and amazingly, I ran through the pain and the muscle relaxed again. Love my CEP compression sleeves! So at this point, Suzanne was giving me subtle reminders to keep the pace 'on pace' through the last mile, because I was starting to speed up. Part of our plan for long slow runs is to keep the pace steady throughout the run. Not happening. Not with this ego. Healthy finish and a couple of cold Coconut waters later, the workout was complete and another happy longish run is in the books.

That's us toward the back on the left. Love Changs!!

We got together with Adam and his wife and baby and Lauren last night for an almost free dinner at PF Chang's in Scottsdale. We had been trying to arrange a blogger meet-up for a few weeks, and even though some of us had to cancel, we still were able to make it and had a great time catching up and nerding our heads off about running. Sorry Tiffany! And Hayden unabashedly crunched his cyanide molar and slept through the whole thing. It looks a lot like I will be trying some trail running this spring. There are several good locations around town and I'm looking forward to the scenery, getting my dog Norman some exercise, and adding variety to my runs.

Suzanne brought me a Choc/Mint Gu to try and I may have a new favorite. Outstanding flavor, and no crappy aftertaste. I'm a big fan of Gu, and I can easily live with 4 of their flavors, unlike some of the other brands where I'm limited to one or maybe two flavors. Go Gu, you are the best!

Anyone got ideas about what the F is going on with my calf(s)? I'd sure like to know. Thanks for reading!

Review of CEP Calf Compression Sleeves

2011-01-30T07:44:00.001-07:00

Ever had that fantasy dream that you are invisible and can sneak into the girl's locker room? Then you see SUAR's shoes under a stall door and you wake up in a cold sweat clutching blankie?

Picked up a pair of these compression sleeves in hopes that they would help with my calf problems. CEP, a German company, claims that they are good for athletes of all types and markets a few different styles customized to running, tri, walking, skiing, etc. Just what "CEP" stands for, I can't figure. Compression Exercise Products? Something with "Enters"? Who knows for sure. Maybe Heinrich, but he ain't sayin. I got the "All Sport Sleeves" which seemed to be just what I needed.

Heinrich tapping a kidney

I went out for a short slow run this morning due to the recent return of the hurtful calf. I've been dealing with a recurring calf strain for abut 3 years now, though its been quiet for the last 10 months or so. I also just picked up a new pair of Brooks Glycerin shoes at 20% off thanks to Runners Den and Books, though no thanks to Adam who was only able to score me a free Brooks bandana at the Expo.

You can guess where that bandana ended up. I have used (and will continue to use) the foam roller, the Stick roller, all kinds of stretches, extended sleep, and cheese binging to help alleviate the calf problem. These are my latest attempt to try to control the problem while continuing to run. I was measured at Runners Den (size 44! centimeters) which translates to size IV in CEP language and 14 inches in Arizona. 14 inches... 14 innnnnnnches. Speaking of language, the package includes six languages besides English. What a review this is turning out to be!

I have to say I really like them. They fit really nice. Snug and comfy throughout the hour. I felt like they were doing what they are supposed to do. And a true test of effectiveness; I felt my calf pain, but it was mild and did not increase with speed (I ran 1/2 mile of the almost 5 miles at 7:00). I'll go again tomorrow morning and finish the review.

Ok. That was a nice run with my friend Suzanne. And, though bit slow, we ran pretty much at training pace. The last mile was fast and the last fraction of a mile was blazing. And no calf problems. I could feel lefty a little bit, but not a pain, just a reminder. So, in the end, my claim is that these sleeves work great and are helping me get out on the road when I might otherwise be recuperating on the couch.

Overall RTP Rating:
Cake = it's great and I highly recommend this product. Keep your fingers away from my mouth.

2011 Runners Den Pancake Fun Run

2011-01-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

4.21 miles in 41:50. Still nursing a left calf strain but it's feeling better and I ran the last quarter mile at 8:41.

This photo about sums it up

This fun run was designed by Runners Den to be a limited opportunity fun run for post RnR AZ runners or the first 250 people who emailed in. There was a waiting list of about that many, so there is definitely an interest.

The route is familiar to all who run with the RD running groups on Wed evenings or Sat mornings. An out and back from the store and along the canal with views of the Biltmore.

This guy is getting heavy!!

Sally Meyerhoff was there just standing around so I chatted her up and got this photo:

World Class runner Sally Meyerhoff touching me

Later, I took this photo of Sally SLAMMING Log Cabin syrup

Sally: eyes wild, incoherent growling speech, and hands and jaw a blur as she lays out a stack of flapjacks

Good buddy Lauren was there serving pancakes, curiously without a hairnet.

The Brooks Cavalcade of Curiosity Van was still in town and was set up for free gait analysis and there were shoes to try on along with 20% off of all Brooks gear. Good deal.

Daddy wishes his errrr... feet were that big

I love you little guy!

Trader Joe's: Joe Joe's

2011-01-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

Monkey See, Monkey Eat

These cookies are pretty damn good. Notice the "All Natural" claim on the top of the box. The only ingredient I didn't recognize as a common pantry baking item is Soy Lecithin. After reading about this compound, I feel ok in my spirit that it won't hurt me.

The flavor of choice is chocolate, though I am partial to the vanilla, and during the December holidays peppermint comes to town and my brain goes to junkietown for a few days.

For the review to be complete, these need to be compared to Oreos - the penultimate daddy late night Sportscenter milk dipping cookie. (Hey, I've completed many penultras!) This cookie stands next to The Big Daddy in our family photo of sugar treats, but only as a healthy, though clearly subordinate, little brother. For the bilateral cookie casements, these two are equal. But the filling tells a different tale. Oreos have a cream center --dare I say Centre??-- that has a positive sugary snap and a perfect grainy grind against the teeth and tongue. Joe Joe's in comparison have a smooth creamy filling that lacks but is still a notch above ok. Jamoosh and Viper, if you were stuck with only American convenience store grade O'Fool beer would you abide and partake, or subside on your bank of IPA memories and tap water----- self-said pariahs with growler size holes in your hearts? Adam, I won't ask you, you MGD64 whore! I can't speak for Oreo ingredients. I'm sure Oreos also have chemicals that make me eat entire sleeves on the drive home from the market, but my treatment program doesn't allow me to even shop in that aisle. My browser is fire-walled from searching, and does it matter? No. The Oreo is better.

In the end, I give this product a high RTP rating and urge you to practice moderation.

Cake = it's great and I highly recommend this product. Keep your fingers away from my mouth.

2011 RnR AZ Marathon 1/2 Marathon DNR

2011-01-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

I've been nursing a left calf strain all week and a slight twinge in the right calf. My calves are my Achilles. I've been injured there multiple times over the past three years; probably the same injury.

Harrison at ASU Kids Rock

So, being on the fence all week about the race itself was a bit unnerving, and I was pretty much committed to NOT racing until I got to Kids Rock and the Expo today and got caught up in all the energy. My photo opportunities were good, but I didn't take advantage. I saw Adam The ~~Boning~~ Boring Runner working in the Brooks booth, and Lauren from When I Get a Little Run Run Run working the Runners Den Asics booth. I had HJG with me and he was a great sport even though I had him in the BOB stroller for over 2 hours! I didn't want to push his budding patience. His only problem was when we had to share an elevator. NOT COOL people!

So, the decision was to strap on the Asics this morning and run the 1/2 at about a 9:50 pace. I would have been running with Suzanne, my running partner. What would the calf do???

At the 2am Norman the choc lab potty time, my calf was talking to me in an angry voice and I made the decision to not run. This morning's stumble to the coffee maker confirmed the decision. Bummer but I know that I would have hurt myself more and possibly would have had to ride the golf cart of shame. Got up early anyway and drove two friends down to the metro station so they could ride the train to the start line, and they are still running now. Hope you guys are having a good run and enjoying the scenery.

Meanwhile, Norman, HJG, and Mrs. RTP made our way through our neighborhood to catch the elites.

Fuck you calf, I'm ready to cheer!

The course passed about 1/2 mile north of our house. It was overcast and about 50 degrees --perfect. After watching the wheelchair racers go by

Maybe not PC, but that is a cool ride!!

we had a short wait and then the elite men came by in a flash. Awesome!!

Hey Josh! Meb!! It's me, Running Through Phoenix!!!

A bit more of a wait and the first women came by just flying

No photos, but Sally's ass is spectacular!

and then there started the amazing field of fast runners men and women. This was truly fun to watch and made me wish I was out there. I am determined to work this calf back into 20-25 mile weeks and build endurance this year. Had some fun tweets with Lauren and Adam this morning. I guarantee we will be running some trail races and possibly some bi/tri crap this year. I am posted for the Runners Den pancake fun run next weekend, which is designed to be a fun recovery run for those who did the RnR today. Just got a tweet from Suzanne who finished in 2:12!! Great job to all the runners, rollers, and walkers who got out there today!

To Race or Not To Race

2011-01-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

Just a shorty today. I strained my left calf muscle on a short slow run earlier this week and have been limping a bit. It's still tight. RnR AZ is scheduled for Sunday. I'm doubtful about my chances of being healthy enough to do it. Crap. I'm not so down about this, but it is kind of a bummer. I have had this calf problem it seems each of the three years I have been running, but it's been a while since it has flared up. I have been running with good form, but the morning the injury occurred, I was running with Norman the choc lab puppy and he was tugging and pulling and twisting and turning. Anyway.....

FYTO 5K Race Report

2011-01-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

27:29 PR!!

I was wondering about how my legs would do in this event. I have been running short distance lately but have been going fast, so I thought with the cool air, there would be a good chance of a PR. Got out there early and stood in shivering circles with Kim, my neighbor, and Suzanne, my running friend. It's a little bit awkward for me sometimes to meet bloggers in person. "Hey, You're Running Through Phoenix right?" "Hey, I loved your post with the bathroom photo ha ha-- gross!" "Hey, let's hook up!" Being an online hunk of meat is one thing but I'm just Jeff today folks and can we just have a little 5K fun without all the gushing adoration?? You would think SUAR had stepped into the room.

Lauren had gone out the prior day with some ~~police confiscated smack~~ corn starch (I believe she uses Brooks corn starch) to mark the course. 5K (or 7.67 miles) is a typical fun race distance, and many of us are familiar enough with the route around the North end of the zoo along the canal. An 'Out and Back' let's us see who is in first place and who is drafting waiting for a chance to break the lead. As it turns out, the Race Director grabbed the lead at the halfway point and actually finished first overall. Hmmmm. Hmmmm indeed.....

I had a chance to review the video surveillance from a nearby business which told the tale. Our race director, let's call him Adam, can be seen in no less than 4 modes of alternate transportation including a hand-crank wheelchair, a Segway, on the back of a mountainbiker, and in a full scuba suit!

It was this last outfit that illegally gave him the lead. Emerging from the canal, he quickly stripped down to his whitey tighties scaring the other two front runners. Quickly grabbing the lead, The Director sprinted through the finish line and up to the top of the podium. Fun run my butt.

Someone call Batman!!

Well, we got cool medals, nice schwagg, superb cranberry bread, and fellowship at Starbucks, though my group had to ditch the post race coffee. Sweat 'em off, freeze 'em off, we don't care. We just hate thorns and want them all gone and we will keep running until our mission is complete.

If you are looking to join us, we will surely be continuing the tradition of the Sweat Your Thorns Off Summer 5K here in Phoenix. Stay posted. RTP now has 50 followers. Amazing!! As promised, there will be a contest shortly with cool prizes to reward your patience with this blog.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2011-01-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

Heard every version of this vomitous xmas song about 25 times this season. But dang, it was cold this morning.

It's 6:45 outside!!

32 according to the thermometer, and not Celsius like Andrew from Canada reports-- Fahrenheit! Mrs. G went out for her run with the neighbor first and reported that the cold was not so bad. And I did get to try out my new Under Armor running gloves, Under Armor skull cap, and Under Armor running shirt under my one long sleeve shirt. Hey Under Armor --some free stuff? I went four miles with my running partner Suzanne, but she has been feeling under the weather ever since inhaling incense at the local Catholic church.

Stems and Seeds

We hit the road and I could tell right away something was up with the partner. She usually has the lead and drags me, and this time I was the pace engine. We kept it fairly slow but got faster each mile-I went ahead in the last mile and got 8:54 which feels really good lately. Suzanne was 20 seconds or so behind me and put in a heck of a run for someone with TB.

If anyone were to conclude that we are wimps in Phoenix, well just remember that eight months out of the year we have to plan life-saving hydration plans just to go get the mail. Cold is cold, and I like running in it.

Getting out of a heated bed, dressing for cold, and getting a preview from the dog walk is not fun, but once I get going, it's nice and I feel stronger than I usually feel on a run. A big goal lately has been to run injury-free, and that seems to be a developing pattern. Runs like this one inspire me to keep going and go a long way towards running mojo --that elusive ethereal humor that randomly throws me a burst of running energy and motivation and (just as randomly) abandons me at the ice cream case of my local Safeway. Fucker! I didn't mean it, come back!!! I love you!!!! That's my pookie, come here. Let's get Chinese and watch a Netflix. (Mojo make up sex edited)

Ok, Blog milestone minute: RTP has 49 followers. 50 will spark a contest. So, if you have been thinking of becoming a follower, why not do so today? If you are thinking about dropping me like the soap bar in the gas station bathroom, hold on a bit longer. For God's sake, just hold it a bit longer..........

2010: A Look Back

2011-01-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

Jamoosh and Nitmos, you have accidentally selected a "Goal Review" posting. Carefully click the back button on your browser to return to the page(s) you were on before.

I began running in September of 2008 using a couch to 5K program and walking a lot of those 3 mile training runs. The main idea was to get in shape to better enjoy my life and especially my son who was getting ready to turn one.

I'm too young to run, what's your excuse daddy??

I was 218 pounds, had medium bad cholesterol, worse blood pressure and was looking ahead to 43 years old. I wanted to do something about it. So I started running and joined a local group that ran on Saturday mornings. There I met Lauren who introduced me to the blogging world. Several blogging awards and book tours later, and I find myself at the end of my second year of recorded running. In January 2009, I ran 22 miles including a 2:39 1/2 marathon. My paces were somewhere in the 11:00 range on average. I ran just over 300 miles in 2009. In 2010, I ran 586 miles and shaved a minute off of my pace average.

I also set some 2010 running goals:

1. Eat better, more healthful food (healthy food is food that isn't sick) in my daily diet. This really means eating a regular healthful breakfast and eating more frequently with smaller portions. And not eating after 7pm.
Not completed. Some improvements, but still an undisciplined hodgepodge of half-hearted attempts to improve the diet. Goal stands for 2011.

2. I would also like to switch from coffee to green tea and other teas. No more coffee.
Ha ha haaaaaaaa haaa ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaa, cough cough gagging and choking, ha bwaa bwaa ha ha haaa. I think I actually doubled my caffeine intake this year. 2011 goal is to not let this habit slide into Spice Smoke, Ecstasy, Meth, or tennis.

3. Include a genuine warm-up, cool-down, and post run stretch session into each run.
Define "warm-up". I think it's there. I actually think I warm up until the end of the run then rationalize my way out of the cool down. Cool down and post run stretch mostly fail unless you count entering data into Garmin Connect/Daily mile while slapping down goal #2. Goal stands, though I remain skeptical.

4. Run on a plan. This means utilizing several different run types each week: long, tempo, interval, and speed, etc.. Also, at least one run per week will be a natural run with no electronic gizmos, no time, speed, distance, route plan --just run for fun. Strict adherence to 10% rule!
Mostly not completed! I utilized plans, but never 'to the end'. I did mix in different types of runs, and actually ran twice 'naked' (no electronics and no shorts) in the year, but nowhere close to once per week. I do realize though that I enjoy the data and will not attempt that same frequency. My 2011 goal is to run 4 times per week with one of the runs being a 'long run'. Some naked running (No Garmin), and some trail running with the hound.

Norman the Hound

5. Build in cross-training including bike spinning.
Hmmmmmm. Spun 2 or 3 times, swam 5 or 6 times. Would like to build in the swimming this year. I really like it and it feels like it's good for me. And I think I could keep up with SUAR in the pool if I were in a kayak.

6. Find and develop a running partner/group.
Runners Den Sat mornings, and Suzanne. Ok, I'm calling this one good. Keep it going for 2011.

7. Volunteer at a race (at least one).
Runners Den 5 and 5, February --Done! Will repeat this goal in 2011.

8. Health permitting, complete a marathon.
June 6 San Diego RnR --Done! Perhaps never again, at least no plans for 26.2 in 2011. We'll see how it goes.

9. Health permitting, complete a stride and ride or similar biathlon event.
Nope. Who writes these goals?? Jeesh!!

10. Continue to blog and be thankful for followers.
Got it. Not as regular as I would like, but better than the previous year. Thanks to the 49 Followers for continued loyalty! And lurkers---- you are just creepy! I truly enjoy the online friendships and also the laughs. We are a unified lot and I get most of my fitness support from you. And I've been able to meet up with several of you and have become pretty good friends. Thanks Adam.

11. Spend more time with my son. Can always improve, but we are pretty tight and he still runs with me from time to time (Tempe Arbor Day 5K). This is a standing goal as long as I remain on this side of the dirt.

Happy New Year!!

Daddy Brick Workout

2010-12-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Pre-Plan Preparation: Share DNA with someone else, and shelter the resulting infant/toddler in your same domicile. "Experiment" with parenting strategies. Know that it is NOT ok to revise any strategies in the middle of the night, but that you inevitably will --all to the merriment of your child and the bulging database of your local CPS department. Begin a health-conscious exercise plan such as an 18 week marathon plan. Ready?? Here we go!

In this workout, Brick refers to the feeling in your head as you contemplate hitting the road for a morning run following the nighttime sleep patterns of a 2.5 year old.

The workout is presented in Steps hereforward so that you may monitor your progress vs. the sub-tasks required to get to your terminal goal.

Step One: Throw half a bagel in the trash and begin to put your exhausted toddler to bed at ____pm. Repeat 29 times between 8pm and 9:15pm and believe me it will be a progressive part of the workout as you deplete all of your verbal reasoning skills over the 90 minutes. '29' attempts is a good starting point. Many more experienced fathers can get up to 50 --start slow. Gu and water at the 'end' of this stage.

Step Two: Sneak into bed with your spouse. In this stage we have some important DO NOTS:

DO NOT:

Flush the toilet
Pee directly into the water
make any noise while brushing teeth
rustle the sheets
turn on any lights within one mile of the house
have 'relations' with spouse. Silly!! You stopped doing that long ago and besides, it's what got you into this in the first place

DO have a little water. But do it quietly. Sleep quietly.

Step Three: Wake up at 1am. Your child is done sleeping for the night but wants you to come sleep with him in his bed, or go watch tv, or sleep in the living room, or make pancakes. He will be very pursuasive. Don't do it under any circumstances. Talk him into going back to sleep. Failure at step 3 is actually a success. It's 1 am and technically the next day. Congratulations, you have made it through a Daddy Brick workout. Get ready to build a house.

Jamoosh-Tagged

2010-12-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Jamoosh, a shameless Houstonian late night fast-running beer connoisseur, tagged me to respond to a list of survey questions. I'm doing it now, because you don't want to be on this guy's bad side:

1. What are you most proud of accomplishing in 2010?

This was fun to think about, unlike item #5. The honorable mention is that my parents bought HJG a tricycle for his birthday and he would have nothing to do with it. Mrs. and I helped him learn to ride and now he loves it. So, helping him learn to ride his trike. The most proud accomplishment this year also features my 3 YO. More often than not on our walks these days, he breaks into an 11 minute mile stride and calls over his shoulder, "I'm running daddy! I'm running!" Yes toddler yes, but 35 yards does not a marathon make. Nevertheless, this is clear evidence that we are raising him in a healthy environment of physical fitness. Now in 2011, my inner Santini says, we need to work on his slight pronation problem, get in some speed work (ladders?), and get the nutrition plan nailed down once and for all.

2. What are your running goals for 2011?

Healthy regular non-competitive running for enjoyment and exercise. Some of my regular races. Running with a partner/group(s), some trail running. Lose 10 more lbs.

3. What is your favorite race?
The Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K. My first race ever and I've been progressively faster 3 years in a row. About 2,000 people line up for this and many are fast, most are mid-pack. Beautiful weather, great organization, easy in and out (twss).

4. What is your favorite holiday guilty pleasure?

For food: Trader Joes chile Thai Lime Cashews. Hell, any cashews! Otherwise, staying up late with wifey and watching classic movies.

5. What was your most embarrassing running moment?

Took wrong turn in SYTO 5K 2010 and ended up running almost 4 miles extra before finding the course again. It was a group of friends so I didn't say anything. Will definitely redeem myself at the FYTO 5K 2011.

Tagging..... Suzanne, Andrew, and Feet Meet Street (Nitmos?!! You read this far??).

Thanks LML.

2010 Fiesta Bowl 1/2 Marathon Report

2010-12-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

2:20:35 chip time
2:20:18 on the Garmin (and 13.28 miles on the Garmin -boo!)
Missed first overall by 1:06 and change.

Missed the PR by 11 seconds and averaged about 10:34 per mile which is what was planned. Also planned to finish strong and healthy. Success!

299?? Yep, I'm crazy!!

This was designed by Lauren and I to be a training run/Gallowalk with average miles in the 10:30 range. We kept it there and sort of gradually got faster as the miles ticked off. Each time we noticed the Garmin starting to swell (is that what she said?) we backed off to our planned speed.

Back home now and started to feel worse health-wise, so I headed over to the local urgent care and got a car full of meds. Hard to believe I could run a 1/2 marathon in the morning and have upper respiratory problems in the afternoon. My 3YO has been sick to his stomach and napping all day, so Mrs. G has had a really challenging day.

Ahhhh Runners World is here. What BS do you have for me this month? Can't wait to read your food guide you simps!!

The event was hosted by Runners Den, a local Phoenix running store, and RacePlace events did the timing and bib stuff. It was well organized and because its so small (1061 total 1/2 mary runners), getting there and around was a cinch. We congregated near the start, waited for the Star Spangled Banner --which I don't think they did??!? and we were off right on time. 5 minutes later, the 5K started but I never saw any of them. Water stations were staffed with plenty of friendly volunteers and gave out H2O and Gu drink and Gu Gingerbread at one point. Most of the race was spent in the same group and we only noticed the pace sets break up in the last mile or so. As for hills, what do we in Phoenix know about hills? There really aren't any to speak of, some gentle rises, but flat as a pancake mostly.

I will likely do this again next year. I really like the distance, the small field size, the organization, and the local feel of this race.

Pre-Race Report Fiesta Bowl 1/2 Marathon

2010-12-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Image blurred to protect identity??

This will be (notice the font change? I knew you would!!) the second running of this event for me. I showed up last year with high hopes of coming in first place overall, but 2:22 is just not fast enough no matter how you slice and dice it. I limped through the last couple of miles with a hammy cramp and an asthmatic wheeze that would make Darth Vader retire.

It's a low-key 1/2 marathon, a simple route, I ran it with Runlaur,and for all that I vowed to run it again this year. And it has snuck up on me. But I've been training for the January Marathon, so I feel like I'm as ready as I can be. I've had a head full of cold for the past week or so and have not felt good, but I'm on Bactrin, tea, and medical marijuana -thanks Arizona voters! Runlaur and I have promised to keep it slow and steady as a training run. I don't know why, but it seems that whenever we run, we push each other into faster paces than planned. so tomorrow, we will likely set course records. Weather is supposed to be perfect and I'm bib number 299 for whatever that's worth. And I got my new shoes today. Very springy and new.

This past Thursday marked the first time in the plan, and the first time in my wretched running life, I have attempted Yasso 800's. The Yasso 800 is an interval plan that calls for a warm up, followed by sets of 800 meter Tempo runs and 400 meter cool down runs. The theory is that the time used to complete the tempo 800 can be used determine marathon finishing time. Thus, 4 minutes 27 seconds to run 800 meters should equal 4 hour 27 minute marathon. We did 4 sets of these, and the target pace for the tempo was 4:27. Nailed it, but it was not easy. I have my doubts Bart!

look at those nursing home cool downs!

I did get the news while running that the stork finally came for Adam and Tiffany! So cool and I'm proud to be a friend. Hayden is cute, Adam is funny, Tiffany is the most patient spouse on the planet --we all know that. Now can we please get the center of attention back to me??!? Congrats to the Ricklef's!! :)

I've enjoyed reading your blogs lately. You really are a creative bunch and I appreciate your style and humor. I do have a running partner who could use a few followers and maybe some fellowship. If nothing else, she needs support for choosing me as a running partner. Her name is Suzanne, but I call her Johnson. Join her at http://suzannejohnson81.blogspot.com/

Purchasing Power

2010-12-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

I love registering for a race. And this marks the first time it has been free which is really nice for something that costs $130.

The promo code is a one time deal Adam!

This RnR marathing has gotten out of control. $130??!? I got a perk for Principaling at one of the schools that participates in Kids Rock. This fun kids event is sponsored by Phoenix Children's Hospital and each year, thousands of kids ~~pull groin muscles, shoot snot rockets at 5:30am and wear compression lederhosen~~ run a mile or three each week until they get 25 miles. Then they get to go on Saturday of RnR weekend and run the final mile of the course and get their picture taken with Ryan Hall, Meb, Darth Vader, and all the other elites out there. The kids get a big kick out of it and are inspired to exercise. I usually go with them which means getting out of bed at 4:30 the day before the race and riding a yellow bus down to Tempe with 75 nervous 4th graders. We have a code: "~~You get lost, you better stay lost!!~~ everyone stay together and follow our sign." This year, I plan to show off a bit and let my kids know that I'm running the next day and ~~trying to come in first place~~ break 5:00. Hopefully they will be impressed. In any case, this counts as volunteering and its a heck of a good time!

Sorry about the negativity in the last post. I found out today that I may have a sinus infection. I'm not convinced. I went to one of those minute clinics and the nurse was a royal beeotch. And after waiting over 1 hour for the one patient ahead of me who I am sure was having a Whipple surgery. Anyway, she wrote a scrip for some antibiotics and I may fill it tomorrow. She told me to stop taking the over the counter stuff so what now??? My head is stuffed and snuffly and I have been snoring so bad my 3 year old swatted me in the face. I need relief. I tried a netty pot and nearly drowned. I just can't get the hang of that damn thing. Who has ideas for clearing my sinusy head?

I have a four miler scheduled tomorrow with 4 strides. And on Thursday, I have 6 miles of Yasso 800's (4:27'ers). Going to Scottsdale Community College to do those with Johnson and maybe Runlaur. Hopefully, they are able to come over for dinner afterwards. This weekend is supposed to be 18 miles, but I'm running in the Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon and it is damn sure going to count as an 18 miler. I also am going to buy new sneaks Friday. I'll probably go with the same Nimbus 12's but a size longer to see if my toes heal.

Happy hump day!!

Second Thoughts Part Deux

2010-11-26T15:59:00.001-07:00

'Second Thoughts' would be a good blog title for a speed runner. For me today, it's how I'm feeling about the whole 'run 26.2 miles' thing. Had a rough morning and quit the run. 10 completed out of 16 and then called my spouse to pick me up in a car and drive me home.

Yesterday....
Drove 3.5 hours to my parents house and ate a lot of food, then drove 3.5 hours home last night.
Then puppy piddled on the bed for no good reason so we slept with no blankie, and the 3 year old woke us up at 4.
Got him back to sleep and the puppy woke me up at 4:45. Ate some toast before the run at 8am, but didn't Gu on the run.

Today (anything prior to 5am is NOT today).....
Got the 'fuck this fuckering fucker fuckle of a canal!!' blues
Got tired of my ipod
I've been on allergy medicine for the last three weeks (hey!! another 3!!!!) which has had a negative impact on my cardio and has brought a drastic increase in my snot-rocket production.
My running partner is now 'injured' (I think it's fake and a juvenile call for sympathy) and couldn't join me
The weather is PERFECT right now in Phoenix (for balance--I'm not ALL bitch you know).

So, I crapped out on a long run. Not the end of the world, but most authorities would say that the long run is THE run to not miss.

So I have a 4 mile run scheduled this weekend to 'recover' from the long run. I'm always wary of junk miles, so I know adding another 6 mile run doesn't get me a 16 miler. A 16 is a 16 and may not be sliced, diced, or otherwise subdivided. Move on.

Thinking back to the reasons I started running ---- I want to be one of those guys who goes through the front door at 7:15 am on a 60 degree day and cracks off 5 miles. Big smile and an easy shower then oatmeal and my vitamins. And repeat about 3 or 4 times per week and get skinny and get tired of all the money.... Not the guy who checks his Garmin like a twitching spastic, has lost all left foot toenails, has to do laundry mid-week for all the stanky tech-fabric, lives by a training plan that sends me out the door at 5am in the cold, reads Runners World (actually, I mostly just read the celebrity junket on the back page and complain to my poor wife about the inconsistent advice from issue to issue), talks about running to anyone who will listen, ad nauseum.

I want my 44 year old bag of fatty bones to be in shape to enjoy my three year old, yet I find myself soaking in an ice bath, drinking a coconut water, and pleading for a half hour of rest. So maybe I'm admitting that long distance isn't for me. Maybe organized races aren't for me. Maybe I'm some kind of 10-12 mile a week guy. SUAR says to sleep on it. Betcha I wouldn't need to quit on 16 hours of sleep right now.

The Old Sucky Three's

2010-11-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

Maybe its the three post I started a week ago that took my mojo......

Triathlon Ironman AZ weekend and I'm not in it.... AGAIN!
Puppy is shitting about 3 times per day in the yard
3 day work week --nice unless you are the Principal
HJG turned 3, that's a good thing, BUT.....
3 cupcakes yesterday
3 pieces of pizza
3 b-day cinnamon rolls
1 kids juice (yeah that's one but have you ever had one?? It's a three)
3 cups of coffee
3 big handfuls of potato chips...

A pattern, albeit a touch contrived, is emerging. My 12 mile (12/4 =3 --SEE!!???!!!) run this morning was sucky and my 14 miler last weekend was sucky. The time this morning wasn't so bad, but I never got into a rhythm and never felt good about the run. I'm blaming my intake from yesterday. Bad goes in, bad goes out. The 12 miler 3 weeks ago was done in about the same time as this morning's run, but felt so much stronger.

Second Thoughts

2010-11-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

I've had a plan (since June) to run the AZ RNR marathon in January 2011. I have a free entry and have been training in a Runners World "break 4:30" plan. The plan calls for 4 runs per week including a long run on the weekend. The past three long runs have not been fun at all.
To make matters worse, I had 16 scheduled today and quit at the 10 mile mark. I had no mojo and no desire. The run itself wasn't horrible, just not fun; not enjoyable. So around mile 7, I started thinking about quitting and calling my wife to pick me up (this eventually happened), and I fought the shame and guilt for three more miles and then threw in the towel. Fuck.

Futuro Recovery Compression Socks

2010-11-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have heard about these from more than a few runners. Legs that go over 10 miles or so usually need extra care the rest of that day and sometimes the next. It's called that 'recovery', and proper care will help prevent injury and get us out on the road for the next run.

But I've always blanched at the prices of these socks. recently, someone wrote about the diabetic anti-embolism socks sold at the local drugstores. It was Viper in one form or another, the huaracha wearing cheapskate --but he puts in serious miles and so should know about recovery. I don't know about your town, but here in Maricopa county, you can't swing an immigrant hater without hitting a Walgreens or CVS, or one under construction. We received a $5 coupon via email to CVS and off I went yesterday after a 15 mile run.

I spent 30-45 minutes sitting in the aisle trying to figure out what to buy. They have hip high, but I knew from past court appearances that wouldn't be a good idea.

They had 'up to the knee and these seemed like the ones I had seen at marathon expos. Usually for $60. The $35 price tag on the ones in the store beat that, but my mind began to wander over to the $8 ace bandages.

What is the purpose of the socks and how do they aid in recovery? Simple mild compression of the lower legs creates additional pressure in the cells, veins, and arteries which facilitates faster oxygen delivery and waste (lactic acid) removal. The research suggests that this is especially good for recovery post-run but is also useful during the run as it delays soreness and fatigue. And they look so damn spiffy! But I want function, then form. What about those Ace bandages?

I looked at the 6" Ace bandages. These could be quickly wrapped around the calf area without going through all the pelvic gyrations, grunting, and hopping around on one foot the compression socks require to put on (hey, just like constipation!). The degree of compression can be controlled by the user -just wrap tighter or looser, and they can be used in a variety of other McGuiver household applications. The best part is that they cost $8.00. I flunked economics a few times during college and couldn't shake the "I've got a coupon" idea, and so spent $15 extra to get the socks. Besides, I wanted to try them first, and then possibly do a comparison against the Ace wraps. I ended up choosing the calf length Futuro brand. With these, I'd be way ahead of the technology!

Then there was the awkward few minutes of measurement to determine my size -just between medium and large of course, so I went medium which seemed to be right. This is a bit gross I know, but I also tried on the pair in the torn package to be sure. They had obviously been tried by more than a few embolism sufferers but I had to be sure. I also saw a peg full of "moderate" compression but there was no indication that moderate meant MORE or LESS compression. Leaders of Futuro take note and please provide clarification.

Ohhhh, sexy!

I got them home and worked them on to my achy legs and waited for the miracle. Hmmmm, ~~feels just like pantyhose~~ ~~feels just like I would imagine pantyhose feel~~ ~~once my leg brushed up against a hot woman's pantyhose-clad leg while we were having energetic sex, and I recalled that feeling~~ my wife said they had the same material texture as old-lady pantyhose.

Receptacle End

Heck, I don't know. I wore them for a few hours, much to the amusement of my spouse. I didn't notice any extra oxygen delivery or lactic acid removal. And today, I feel pretty much like I ran 15 miles yesterday. I'll use them post long runs for a while because it sure didn't hurt anything, and I may try them during a run because I'm almost shameless in fashion. And I really do want to try Ace bandages to see if the focused compression makes a difference.

RTP Rating:

Cupcake = pretty good product, take it for what it is worth, leaves me wanting MORE

Sport Beans Yeccchhhh!

2010-11-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

I got a pack of these in some shwag bag recently and they sat on my dresser top for a while until the other day. I took them to eat on the way to a hill repeat workout with Runlaur. Sport Beans are manufactured by Jelly Belly, a dubious name in sports at best, and this endorsement by Kevin Bacon does little to improve the rep. Really?? Mr. Bacon? (Really it's Brad Seng, an amazing Ironman athlete, 9:12 at Kona in 2006, I seriously doubt he has ever ingested one of these)

Kevin Bacon??

The purple package contained about 8 or 10 grape flavored jelly beans and I could definitely feel the grainy crunch of sugar crystals in each bite and also the ersatz grape 'berry' flavor. Grapes are technically berries along with melons and tomatoes but there all resemblance stops.

The website includes a link to published research, a foray sure to be more amusing than a trip through the Comedy Channel lineup. Example: "In addition, the athletes completed the time trials with the highest average "power outputs" with Sport Beans Energizing Jelly Beans."

I can live with that

Power Outputs from beans should only be used as material in The Boring Runner Blog and SUAR's blog, but here it is in this Sweet Home Alabama of a blog.

Hey, no more time wasted on these disgusting sugary little rabbit turds. I'll never buy them.

RTP Product Rating:

Cow pie = not on your life, but it's sometimes fun to watch others interact with this

Running Dream

2010-11-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

I got your 'blunt' right here!

I think running dreams are ~~God~~ good for me. They are always positive: I'm fast, in the lead, no-effort cardio, and Adam is waiting, ineffectively-clenched, in a porta-potty line a couple of miles back. No threat from that speedy rabbit!

I had one the other night where I was running through the streets where I grew up in ~~Vagina~~ Virginia. I slipped off of the hilly roads and onto some of the paths and forest trails I was familiar with, and just kept going. In the dream I was thinking that I could keep running forever but it would soon be ~~dad~~ dark.

Hey all you Sigmund Freuds out there, pick on your own sub-conscience!

There were some other runners out there, but none as strong and in good form. There are three basic steps to interpreting dreams:

First, try to recall the details and scope and sequence of the dream
Second, listen very closely to the initial impression/meaning you take from the recall
Third, share with someone else for feedback
~~Fourth, get your butt to Houston for xmas~~

The second step is most revealing and is usually the correct analysis no matter how silly it seems at the time. My step two revealed that I like running but I'm trying to 'capture' running for automaticity. I want to be able to call myself a runner, and be viewed as a runner, but not really put in the effort or risk the injuries and 768/788 Age Group place markings. In other words, I'm a real runner acting like a poser. Or more accurately, trying to avoid becoming a poser.

please wake me before I go any further

I do like running but can't stand it for the 5 minutes or so just before my feet meet the street. Once I get going, I'm good and turn into the runner that I am. A bit on the slow side to be sure, but improving and staying within my means. And also injury free for the past year or so which I attribute to improved form and better shoes. Thanks Lauren -when are you coming home??

I've said it before, and I don't mean to sound like a sad sack, but I am not supposed to be able to go out the door and run for 5 miles. It's just not me. I think about military personnel overseas in battle, about people with terminal illness, people with injuries, my aging body, my blogging friends, etc., and in the end, it's just the 'I can be healthy' mantra that makes me go out the door. Running never occurs like it does in the dream, but sometime after miles 1 and two, I get into a rhythm, look down at the Garmin, and think, "I've just run 2 miles how fast? And three or 10 more shouldn't be a problem today" Now that's a dream come true.

Running With Norman/Johnson

2010-11-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

I marked "Finding a Running Partner" in my 2010 list of New Years Resolutions, and scored big this week with a human version who runs just about my pace and a future canine version who runs four minute miles in circles while peeing, barking, and self-fellating.

Norman prefers Asics

Norman has a while before he is road-ready. We are working on leash skills and basic commands, and it is best to start a dog slowly in running. The good news is that he is willing and of the correct breed for partner running. I can't wait!

Meanwhile, I made contact with an old friend who has been running for a few years and is experienced in the 1/2 Marathon distance. We ran hills this past week and 12 miles this morning. Johnson has a great sense of humor and we work in the same industry so we have lots to ~~complain~~ talk about. Johnson has read my blog but is not really interested (love it!). Johnson is already registered for the PF Chang 1/2 in January but is slowly being influenced by my wheedling to run the full.

Running with a partner makes a big difference for me. The 12 miles this morning were a lot more fun with someone to talk to, and it wasn't a problem when I went ahead for the last 3 miles. We still met up for coffee after and also met up with Artman Chris who went 40 minutes today.

I do love my solitude, and its necessary for certain training segments, but I also really like running in a pack. I have 27 miles on tap this week with 15 next Saturday. Form has been good and my paces are a little faster than the plan calls for, but it feels natural so I am going with it. Have a great rest of your weekend, and good running!

Special vibes out to Adam who is going for a PR in San Antonio this coming weekend and SUAR who is trying to heal a stress-fractured hip in time to break all the public-defecation laws in Massachusetts on April 18.

10 Boring Miles

2010-10-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

I got up early and drove out to Gilbert, a Phx suburb to the East. Who decides the names for all the suburb communities? They all sound like Shakespeare wrote them while under the influence: Stratford Fountains, Buggering Coven, Our Boxes are Bigger. I finally found Ashland Village and parked in front of Adam, The Boring Runner's house.

We were running together, not on the same path, but with the same finishing time and agreed to meet up at his house afterwards for coffee, pool time, and Parcheesi. We both rounded the corners onto his street at the same time and ran it in together. Adam claims his run was "shitty" but mine was good even though I did goof my math at one turnaround which resulted in a total run distance of just under ten miles.

I ran out of his subdivision and south along the canal. The scenery was typical South East Phoenix: bedroom communities, shopping malls, and Pima cotton fields. It really is beautiful out there. New development mixed with established agriculture and rural life. I passed a couple of blue tick hounds guarding a farm equipment yard and they were hoarse from barking (presumably) since Tuesday. On the way back, their barks were strong again. I can only assume they had received their weekly food and water rations.

I will also say that the canals out there are much nicer to run on than the canals in central Phoenix. The canal path was paved for about the first two miles then transitioned onto smooth dirt with very little canting. Almost no other runners out there, and I can't decide if that's good or bad. It depends o the day I suppose and yesterday there were just the right number of other people. If Sartre was right, and hell is other people, then yesterday was a bit of heaven. The weather was a cool 65 degrees and I felt strong all the way.

I've been concentrating on good form including a 180 cadence. I'm not wearing a metronome, but I do think about turnover and not slouching into a slow rhythm. After my run this past Sunday, I was extra cautious about my lean and did not have the back problems again. My scheduled pace was 11:08, but I ran at just over 10. Slower than I have been going lately, (I just can't make myself run in the 11's). I need to keep my LSR's at a slower pace, especially as I increase mileage. I have my first 20 miler from this plan in 5 weeks. Adam and I agreed that running too slow can cause gait issues and other related problems, so that's my justification.

We stood around in the pool for a while icing our feet, and Adam sloshed his Sony mp3 player around in the pool and and showed how it still worked (he was a little pushy but I didn't buy one), and then I made my way back home. It was nice to see some different land, spend some time with a neat running friend, and I hope to do it again sometime soon.

Friday Night Repast

2010-10-15T18:38:00.003-07:00

East meets West this evening in the G's household. 5 pee em saw the smiling exit of Mrs. which left RTP Jr. and I to fend for ourselves in the culinary world.

After a digging episode in the garden which can only be described as 'brown', we cleaned up and began the inventory of available edibles in the kitchen. Foregoing matronal advice to 'please eat some of the leftovers', we narrowed our choices down to three: leftovers, re-grilled leftovers, and carb loading for tomorrow's 9 miler. It's a sure bet whenever taters are involved and from there we set forth.

The food network dot commies suggest baking in the oven for almost two hours at a temperature that would cause the sun to flinch. Out of the question! Smiling like a mongoloid, I vaguely remembered a time or two during my undergrad days when we would prepare potatoes in our dorm room coffee pot, and once or twice in the RA's microwave oven. Hell, we have a microwave oven right there, and it even has a potato button. Jackpot! "Say you're once..... twice...... three tiiiiiiiiiiimes a potato, and I loooooooove you!" If one spud is good, three will be better. So, fork poke all three and into the microparticulator. Potato button once --not done. Two times --not done. Three times..... tasty fish!!

Now to split, top, and present. And here is where I honestly made an effort to use leftovers, but not the stew she had in mind. What goes good on a nightshade tuber? About anything it turns out. A whack of butter each, a generous pinch of sodium chloride each, and what have we here? Prepared horseradish... hmmmm sounds spicy, so take it easy with amounts---oops. Now here is something interesting hiding behind the ketchup bottles! Mango chutney. Looks like jelly with stuff in it and not a lot left in the jar. Damn the torpedos --all of it!!!! I'm eating leftovers!!! A little dancing in the kitchen with my boy. What kind of funky monkey cocaine is this here in the spice rack?? Garam Marsala?? WTF???!??? WTF indeed.. on it goes, and it comes out of the jar faster than I thought it would. Now a little knife smearing and a blog photo op. And the moment you have been waiting for...

It was .... different. Not bad, a little harsh on the tummy here about 15 minutes later which may also be caused by the forced switch of TV programming. HJG just has to watch that little bald-headed Canadian ef'er named Caillou. Watch yourselves parents to be. This program will make you want to claw your eyes out and stuff them into your earholes.

The sweetness in the chutney harmonized well with the horseradish bite, and was together a nice counterpoint to the Indian spice. The underlying creamy butter made a valiant attempt to pacify the battlefield, but, severely out-gunned, surrendered before the meal was halfway consumed. My developing gastro-distress brings to mind the punchline to an apropos old joke: "C'mon ice cream!!"

Actually, I think it's time now for a little Father Brioschi. Then some ice cream. Vanilla in a bowl with a spoon. Nighty night!

$100 Fitness giveaway contest on SUAR

Gooder Form Running

2010-10-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

Completely stripped then realized it was just shoes and socks time. Embarrassing!

I was at Runners Den last night for a class called Good Form Running. The idea for this class originated out of a running store in Michigan, and one of the founding philosophers, Nathan, is now working here in Phoenix. Nate is a decent guy and a really fast runner and is teaching this 4 step plan for free to whoever signs up for the class. I knew it would be a serious class when I saw that Nathan was wearing his Vibrams. Sadly, I am short on photos because it was difficult to remain inconspicuous about the camera. I got a glare or two from the other ten participants and decided that it would have to be described in text and through Google images.

Most shots look like this: bank surveillance system quality.

Because I obsessively read about and discuss running, I was at least aware of all four tenets of the program, but it was nice to hear rationale behind each. Anyone can go to the website and get most of the information, but there are in-class examples and explanations that make it comprehensible of there is any doubt.

I knew Jamoosh was in this somehow! Barefoot!!

We introduced ourselves one at a time, our running history, sexual orientation, and any running injury information. Kiiiinnnnda like an AA meeting without the coffee and warts.

New to running and a bit sassy. I got her number.

As said, there were 11 of us, including one middle school kid with her mom who was trying to improve her form to compete in cross country. We went outside and Nathan video-filmed each of us running a short ten yard stretch once in shoes, and once barefoot. He explained that barefoot running naturally puts most people into a near-perfect form.

He was not advocating barefoot running except as a spot-check once in a while. Nathan took us through the four points that would help our overall running experience.

Good posture head to feet (as in Kenyan style), cadence --180 foot strikes per minute, lean -gravity is our friend, and mid-foot strike -keeps the doctor away. Model and explanation for each, a bit of guided practice, and an invitation to join RD for the Saturday 6:30am group runs and/or the Wednesday 6pm group runs to run with Nathan and practice the form.

I like these kinds of gatherings and learning more about running injury-free. If you read my post from this past weekend, you know that when I tried the form, I was suddenly conversational in my seventh mile and maintaining a sub-10 pace. That has never happened. Looking forward to running with my team this weekend and trying these techniques again. Take care!!

Off topic, I bought a 3 hour maid service for Mrs. for mother's day, and we are finally using it today. God bless the woman who has to clean my shower.

A Slight Change in Plan

2010-10-14T15:31:00.001-07:00

Looks flat, it's not.

I'm running on a pirated version of the Runner's World 'Break 4:30' marathon training plan. Thanks to a local area fellow runner and blogger not named Adam or Lauren. The plans I have used in the past have really only included changes in distance as the M date approaches. This plan ups the distance but also incorporates hill work, Yassos, and a variety of speeds --all in a 4 run per week 16 week program that will spit me out on the starting line of the PF Chang's Rock n Roll AZ on Jan 16, 2011. I have my doubts about a sub 4:30, but ~~dumber~~ stranger things have happened. So far, the training is going well.

I'm in week #4 and I had 4 miles of hills scheduled this morning. Got 'er done. The plan asks me to find the hilliest course possible and try to maintain even pace on the ups as well as the downs. Not so even on the paces. I kept a fairly even sub 10 on the ups, and was much faster on the downs, and slowed as the miles progressed.

When I stopped at the crest of the final hill to photo journal for this blog, I tripped the stop button on my 305 and ended up not recording the final .21 of my route. I hate when that happens. Trust me, I finished the run and am not still up there.

The course of choice is the famous Curry Hills section of town over by ASU. Lauren, Adam, and I trampled this earth a few months back and the memories were fresh. The distance is nearly perfect for hill repeats and there is a park with water and bathrooms at one end of the route. And plenty of other runners and Ironman trainees out there for inspiration.

The hill rises from 1160 to almost 1275 feet in about a 1/4 mile, and back down again in a short .78 miles total. Then the idea is to turn around at the stop light and go back over. I did this twice for a three mile run, took a little walk break and then went up a bit past the top and back to the beginning for four total. This is a good workout and awakened a cardio-vascular me that I wasn't sure existed. Nearly barfed. Much different than the flat canals and neighborhood routes that have been my norm.

Looking South toward Tempe

I have hills once per week for the next 6 weeks then I start doing Yasso 800's instead of hills. This plan is cool and the variety is motivating.

Tonight I go to the Runners Den for a Good Form running class. They will video me twice and offer suggestions for improving my stride, cadence, and overall running form. Look for a blog post in the next couple of days.

Seven

2010-10-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

Got a nice LSR of seven miles in this morning. I've been meeting up with locals at the Runners Den running store. They form up on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. And as it is really starting to cool off here in Phoenix, my times are improving. I've run seven miles each Saturday for the past 4 weeks, and have gotten faster each time. According to plan, I'm supposed to be at 11:18, but I'm just a little over 10 and comfortable.

Nathan from Runners Den leads the group, and runs back and forth about 50 miles each Saturday checking on his runners. We range in speed from super fast to beginner slow, but he somehow finds time to spend with each of us. We start at the store and run out East on the canal system for about 1 hour to 1.5 hours. It's nice that we can leave keys and stuff locked in the store and come back to ice water, bathrooms, and talk about our runs with others. Afterwards today, a few of us went out to a local coffee shop and overpaid for java and eggs. Adam and his lovely expecting wife were there, along with Lauren and her secret sweetie, and Chris who recently has gotten back into running and has a new pair of Landreth Asics and a nifty water belt. We ate, drank, laughed and cried, and embraced as lovers do for about two hours. I love Saturday mornings after a run!

Nathan was telling me this morning about a free class offered by Runners Den that analyzes gait, posture, turnover, etc. and includes two videos of both shoed and barefoot running to get a better idea of how to improve. I'm going to attend the next possible class to get better perspective ---Adam has been coaching me to skip/run while singing NKon the B:

3..2...1...... POUT!

Girls, where would boys be without girls to love
You know that I’d be with you girls,
Where would boys be without girls to love - sweet love

I'm no 'advanced' runner, but I have my doubts about this strategy and probably will stop the practice here in a few weeks if I don't see significant improvement. It sure is embarrassing and would be really rough I think if he weren't having me wear a bicycle helmet which prevents people from stoning my head directly but doesn't protect my bare mid-drift.

I've been enjoying my plan so far --thanks Demi. Looking forward to a 1/2 in December and full M's in Jan and Feb next year.

10 Random Things...

2010-09-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Adrienne at The Non Race Runner to write a list of ten random things about me. I think this string is pretty much spent, but here goes....

1. I love doing my own yard work. (Not yours)
2. I like to hunt for deer and elk and was actually successful last year in the archery Bull elk hunt.
3. I'm a little under 200 pounds now, but wrestled in the 112 weight class in high school my sophomore year.
4. I grew up living near a lake in Virginia and spent about three summers swimming 1 mile each night.
5. I want to backpack through Southeast Asia before I die.
6. I would rather eat breakfast out than any other meal. Earlier the better.
7. I often fantasize about winning a 250 million dollar lottery. I NEVER play.
8. I really can't stand Facebook.
9. I'm a Principal in a K-8 school.
10. I have a healthy fear of sharks, and watch every shark show available on TV. Shark week on Discovery is my porn.

Not sure who else could be tagged. If you are interested (we sure are), then consider yourself tagged.

Happy week!!

Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K Race Report

2010-09-25T12:16:00.001-07:00

Goal: Fun and Healthy and Sub-30.

Garmin: 28:22
Official Chip: 28:19 PR!!

Just edged out this slowpoke in light blue

Made my goals, and had to work pretty hard to get there. The air was hotter than I expected and the sun was Arizona all the way, so that sapped my energy quite a bit. Got up early and we made our way down to the start area. Got all set up with bib and chip and then off to porta-potty. The line stretched down to Tucson and the sides of the 4 porta-potties were actually bulging with waste-product. I made my way into the desert to contribute to the water table and then ran my 1/4 mile warm up. Not sure if it warmed me up, but my HR was up and I felt good. Had a few sips of H2O and a Tri-berry GU. A little more water, the preliminary announcements and Star Spangled Banner, and we were off. I had lined up very near the front to be away from the walkers, and

Spit your Skoal juice in here boy!

found myself swept into a speed that was not in my plan.
First mile: 8:41 and I was feeling it. A bit too fast.
Second mile felt groovy. My cardio was up for sure, but form and output were fine, so I was going with it. Got to the 2 mile marker, had a sip of water, began to choke a bit and walked for 20 yards or so while the crowd sang Aqualung.
Mile Two: 8:46 fading a little??

My daddy is a fast runner

Got into mile 3 and was starting to do the embarrassing heavy breathing.

Got to the grass section at 2.5 and had to walk again. ugghhh. But I was going tunnel vision and was thinking that it would be tough for the EMT's to resuscitate me, so I saved you taxpayers a little extra today. Got back into my glide and finished strong with nothing left in the tank.
Mile 3: 9:37, last .16 8:06. Coulda-woulda-shoulda. What if I just slowed down instead of walking in mile 3? What if it were a bit cooler? What if I didn't take water? What if I didn't spend my early 20's sitting on a couch eating Pizza Hut, watching Hong Kong Fooey and doing bong hits?

Ahhhhh, now some nice coffee and a weekend to relax, 'cept for my seven miler tomorrow. September has been good for running. I wonder if I could go sub 26??????

Grasshopper Bridge 5K Pre-Race Report

2010-09-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

This will be my third running of The Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K. It was the first organized race I ever ran in and was a big part of what hooked me into running.

First year, I ran 36:25 pushing the little almost one year old. Last year, I ran 30 even (my current PR for 5K) pushing the almost 2 year old. This year he won't have much to do with his stroller so he will get to spectate along with his mommy. My goal is to have fun and come in under 30 minutes. I plan to run a 1/2 to 3/4 mile warm up about 30 minutes before the start time with some strides as recommended by coach Adam. No Nathan belt, no hat, ~~no GU~~ one GU, maybe one water grab at mile 2 maybe not, and try to hold 9 as long as I can and speed up if at all possible in the last mile. My mantra for the race? Glide.

Helen aka Pat

I am also going to line up closer to the front to try to be ahead of the militant walkers. You know the types: "lets get seven friends and intertwine our arms in solidarity of Helen. Helen couldn't be here today, and we are walking in her shoes for her. Helen can't even leave her house today because..... (dramatic music crescendo) Helen can't dump!!! Helen ate cheese all week and bound herself up, then tried laxatives. But she hates ersatz flavored lax, so she substituted M&M's which further impacted her colon. Then she tried a more serious approach, the tried and true 'sit on the pot until it happens'. And she has been there since Thursday. And we love Helen, and fuck you runners who think you need to pass us because you should know that Helen is sitting there right now on the throne red-faced with sweat pouring down her forehead grunting and squirming (ass cheeks completely numb) and possibly causing internal micro-tears from the pressure. WE WALK FOR HELEN!!

This 5K usually has about 1,000 entrants and is a fun family race with lots of different abilities from slow walkers to 15 minute jackrabbits. Straight, gay, tranny, and Adam.

Standard pre-race equipment check, but notice the sparity this time. No Nathan belt, no hat, medium shirt instead of large. Regular shorts --chickened out on the compression shorts (plenty of time girls, plenty of time), Black, yes BLACK, socks. This fat cat is set on sub 30.

New Bling for 39.3

2010-09-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

Heavy Metal!

Maybe not much to some of you, but an amazing feat for me. I didn't even know there was such a thing and here it was in the mail like a negative vortex alternative universe ashtray.

Yeah, I rocked the 1/2 marathon in Phoenix in January, then rocked my first full marathon in San Diego in June. I have enjoyed these events overall but still feel like I'm trying to make up for the last 25 years of couch 'tatering, pizza eating, tv watching, I'll do it tomorrow behavior. Now I have to drag my butt out the door to run in the morning and its not as easy as it might have been when I was younger. That said, I'm glad to be doing it now and my body is getting stronger and skinnier too.

This is post #101 for RTP. RTP now has 46 followers and my email is starting to become more active with real people. As opposed to scam artists from other continents and sexy porn.

The other great thing about this choice in lifestyle is that my 2.5 almost three year old son is growing up in a household of healthy behavior. To be honest, this is the main reason I got into running. I can't stand the idea of not being able to play with him and run around in the park or make it up the stairs to the nosebleed section of the stadium. And how cool would it be for him to tell friends at school that he spent his weekend at a race with his parents!

Want a chance to win some socks/beer glass/Nuun tabs? Go over to http://mcmmama.blogspot.com/2010/09/wright-running-socks-review-1000-mile.html

Runner's Den Group Run #1

2010-09-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

Got up this morning for my four miler and met Brian over at Runner's Den for their first Saturday morning group run. The intent is to provide group training for the January RnR marathon, but it is casual and open to whoever wants to join. Any distance and any pace is welcome. The store employees let us keep our keys and personal stuff there at the store, and there was ice water, juice, and donuts for after the run. They meet and start out from the store at 6:30 and there are a couple of mid-week runs also. As the groups start to become more regular, the store will be raffling running goodies to those who show up consistently.

America's Got Talent

Runner's Den is known to most Phoenix area runners. The staff is knowledgeable, helpful, the inventory covers most needs, and they will order whatever is not in stock. Lauren is still on the payroll, but only works as a backup now that she is engineering and setting PRs.

There were about 10-12 runners this morning and they set out in a group.

Bryan is new to running so we stayed behind and watched the group start to spread out.

Bryan

Not sure what pace groups they ended up with or what distances, but I was first back to the store after 4 miles. One of the store employees was right behind me-- I think he went 10 miles in the time it took me to go four, and that really killed the buzz of my 1st place happy dance. Bryan needed a slow pace and we ran together, but he let me go after 2, and I was able to run my fourth mile at 9:30 and getting faster. My long runs are scheduled for Sundays and so far I like an easy Sat run.

Next Sat is the Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K, and I am hoping to finish sub 30:00. I need to have nice strong runs on Tuesday and Thursday this week and it should happen.