Today's Long Run into a Wall

Cock a Doodle Doo

I got up pretty early today to run 14 miles. For the past few weeks, I've been getting up when Norman gets up to pee. Norman is our almost two year old Choc lab and my running partner. He gets up right around 4am, and I started running at that time to be able to finish in time for work, and also because it's peaceful and the air is cool.

The plan for today was to get the miles in and to also do some REAL hillwork. I've been practicing hills to try to get ready for Pasadena. There's a pretty decent mountain in central Phoenix called Camelback, and the streets near this mountain are the best bet around for building hill strength and experience. So the route I built has some mild rollers for the first three miles, then a flat stretch where I extended to about 7 miles. Then the ascent.

I've been eyeballing Tatum Blvd. going North for the past year as a hill challenge. I've only ever flirted with the very bottom 1/4 mile, but today, I was determined to crest the beast. Tatum goes up about one mile at a pretty decent grade before it flattens, then MacDonald goes East into a 1/2 mile mega-incline. This was tough, but I slowed my pace and got into my hill-chug "I Think I Can, I Think I Can" mode and turned around at the 9.1 mile mark. I had been thinking about the reward of the downhill after slugging through this uphill, and my pace was almost instantly fast.

Crap. Now I'm going to have scary clown dreams tonight

But what I didn't count on was that I would get tired of going downhill!???!!! WTF! I had planned to glide down to the 11 mile mark and push back home for the last three miles (mostly slightly downhill) while keeping a 9:00/mile pace. I ate a GU somewhere between 7 and 8, and had had most of my water, but I knew a couple of abandoned houses along the route where I could refill. But all of that was not on my mind, as my quads and hammys started complaining, and I began hearing the internal "WALK" chant. I had hit the wall and still had 2.5 miles to go.

The Wall is a phenomenon in running when a person 'runs out of gas'. Technically, when we exercise, our bodies use oxygen to burn (oxidize) fats and other ready sources to meet our energy demands. But if we create too much of a demand by going too fast or too far (or both), our bodies build up lactic acid in the muscles (which feels sore) and we can't get enough energy to keep going because we can't get enough oxygen into our cells to burn stuff to create energy, so our brain tells us to stop or at least walk. If you've run in longer distance races, you have seen people walking with droopy shoulders, heads down, and legs dragging zombie-like. They have 'hit the wall'. The strange thing is that after a short walk, we usually feel like we can run again. But once we start to run, out bodies immediately revolt, and we have to walk. In races, it is a sad helpless thing to see (and experience). On Saturday mornings, it just looks like some guy out there running for the first time in his life. Graphically, it looks a lot like this:

Those spikes are me walking

I pushed myself, chastised myself, and eventually resigned, happy that I had at least finished my goal distance and the gone up the Tatum beast. As for the Wall, I've been told that its good to hit it once in a while. Maybe its one of those 'know your enemy' things. As Norman and I pulled up to the driveway a little more than 2 hours after starting, I had the feeling that I knew this 'Wall' character a lot better, and I hope he leaves me alone and goes off to bother someone else for a while.

Sedona T'Storm Run and Hide

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.....

On Vacation (?)

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.

It's Getting Hot Here in Phoenix

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.....

Today's Run

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.

Aqualung My Friend - Jethro Tull

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!!