RTP Training Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.