Evolving Through Running

We're Going Streaking...

2012-02-27T07:15:00.001-08:00

I am a creature of habit.

True of many aspects of my life, but especially true of exercising.

I’m best about working out and training, and most effective, once I get into a groove where it feels wrong not getting something done. A groove where I no longer try to figure out how I’m going to fit in a workout, but take it as a given that I will workout and I start revising the rest of my day accordingly. There’s always the risk of taking this to extremes and getting the dreaded overuse injury, but when managed properly this type of routine is where I find myself most centered, both physically and mentally. It’s even better when I don’t really realize it has happened.

When I went to pull my data off my Garmin after yesterday’s 20-mile run, I took a close look back through my recent training for the first time in several weeks. In the middle of January the whole family made our pilgrimage to Orlando for some Disney/Universal goodness, complete with lots of calories and little exercise, with the exception of 6,000 laps around the parks and competitive line-standing. It was a much-needed break from real-life, personally and professionally. Immediately after returning from that trip I signed up for a 50k in May, and realized that my cross-training based workout routine needed to shift towards the running side of the scale, and I needed to ramp up the mileage if I wasn’t going to be left for dead somewhere on the beaches of North Carolina mid-50k.

It started innocently with a 5-mile run on January 19. Since that point, including this morning’s trip to the gym, I’ve gone 40 straight days of either running, cycling, swimming, lifting, or the occasional day of doing some combination of these activities. I don’t have the data to substantiate it, but I’m about 99% certain that’s the longest streak of exercise/training I’ve done in close to 20 years. The best part about it is I didn’t even realize I had been that consistent until my friend Excel let me know. Here are the actual stats from the last 40 days:

Running: 21 runs, 169.31 miles

Cycling: 5 rides, 97.92 miles

Swimming: 4 swims, 4750 meters

Lifting: 12 trips to the gym

Mixing in activities other than just running has been the key to this steady progress. Nothing feels repetitive right now, and (knock on wood until my knuckles bleed) I feel pretty healthy. I have a half-marathon coming up in 3 weeks, which will be my first official half-marathon ever. I’m running it with my best friend who paced me through the last 8 miles of the MCM back in November, so we’re just planning to have a good time and I’m not looking to ‘race’ it. Regardless of what I do, assuming I finish, it will be a PR. My plan is to do nothing the day before the race, so that will definitely mark the end of this streak, if it doesn’t already end before then.

I’m happy with this consistency, but would like to be getting to the pool more often. I’m also doing some comparison shopping between trainers for my bike, so I can get some more miles on the bike without being dependent on getting out for a full-blown ride. However, like all things cycling, this represents a pretty serious dollar investment, so it may have to wait a while.

On top of this, I’m trying to drop about 7 pounds to get down to what I think is my ideal race weight before the 50k in May, but that’s a story for another blog post. My experience has been that it’s hard to drop weight while in the middle of a training cycle, and this time is proving to be no exception. We’ll see how it goes.

An Unexpected Blog Reader

2012-02-23T04:41:00.000-08:00

When I launch my mindless chatter into blogger-world with a simple click of the ‘publish’ button, I don’t often give much thought to who might stumble upon it. I assume it will mostly be folks like myself, with a shared interest in running and fitness, and a shared sense of purpose around self-improvement while avoiding injury. Perhaps someone will find my words amusing …. maybe informative … hopefully not annoying. I often entertain myself …. perhaps more than I do others …. definitely more than I entertain my wife. For some odd reason she sticks around, for which I am eternally grateful.

Recently I posted a review of PureFit nutrition bars, where I tried to give a useful assessment of the bars without getting bogged down in the details. In this review I mentioned my experience eating Balance Bars around the 10-mile mark of my long runs throughout training for my first marathon. In the review I wrote the following “Worked great for a while, but after enough long runs I got to the point where I couldn’t stand the sight of Balance Bars.” This was much less a commentary on Balance Bars than a case of too-much-of-a-good-thing, where even something you like can get tired after too much repetition. Probably more of a Pavlovian response where my brain started equating balance bars with the medieval beating I was putting on my legs. Regardless, these words were launched into the cyber world and I didn’t give them much more thought.

However, last Monday I received an unexpected email from the woman who handles PR for Balance Bar who had read my post. It was a very nice email expressing her disappointment that I had grown weary of Balance Bars, but pointing to several new product lines and flavors that they had launched that I might find more appealing based on my use of the bars as a mid-run fueling option. She also offered to send me some samples to try, asking if I had any preferences for lines/flavors, and asked that I provide some feedback. After Igot over the initial shock that she had found the post and taken the time to write, the whole thing left me with a huge grin on my face. I’ve gotten on my customer-service soapbox many times on this blog, and I’m someone that values the customer experience extremely highly, so the fact that she was reaching out when I hadn’t ever attempted any contact or provided any direct feedback to Balance Bar was just too cool. Maybe not my most eloquent way to describe the experience, but for lack of a better word I’m sticking with ‘too cool’. As an aside, it also made me realize what a massive PR headache the rise of social media must be. So many venues for sharing unfiltered opinions – fair or not. Trying to monitor and address all the chatter must be maddening.

I wrote her back letting her know I’d love to give them another try and would happily share my thoughts via the blog. I gave her a couple flavors that sounded good and looked forward to receiving a few bars in the mail. Two days later the following showed up at my door:

36 Balance Bars in 18 different flavors/types. Awesome.

I’ll be giving the full collection a test-drive over the course of the next few months of training. This past weekend I tried the Balance Bar Bare – Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter bar at mile 20 of a 30 mile bike ride. It was very, very tasty. In fact, it was tasty enough that I’d have one of these as a snack pretty much any time – workout or not. It was, however, pretty tough/crunchy and pretty dry, so I don’t know if I’d recommend it as an eat-as-you-run option in the middle of a long run. It was great, however, for a short water/snack break in the middle of a long ride. If this first bar is any indication, I may be rekindling my prior relationship with Balance Bars and training. Reunited and it feels so good.

I’ll keep sprinkling in reviews as I work through the various flavors in ‘Project Balance Bar’.

Sherry Arnold - Rest In Peace

2012-02-11T13:52:00.000-08:00

The details of my workout today are unimportant. The reason for them, and the shared sense of purpose driving them today is what really matters:

I ran today because she no longer can. After having overcome cancer she deserves the freedom of running far more than I do.

I hope that Sherry has found peace, and I wish peace for all those coping with the injustice of her absence.

PureFit Nutrition Bar Review - Healthapalooza

2012-02-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

I am not a health-focused eater. I am health-conscious, but not health-focused.

Feels good to get that off my chest. The truth shall set you free.

That’s not to say that I don’t try to stick to healthy options when they’re presented, but if I’m choosing between a bowl of oatmeal and sneaking a bowl of my kids’ sugar cereal in the morning, then the Froot Loops better be nervous.

Also, I’ve never really subscribed to any particular style of diet like vegan, or gluten-free, or vegetarian. Always like to keep my bacon options open.

I am, however, constantly searching for new or better ways to fuel for training. Long runs, long rides, etc. I used to bring along a Balance Bar for any run of at least 14 miles, and would eat the bar around mile 10. Worked great for a while, but after enough long runs I got to the point where I couldn’t stand the sight of Balance Bars. They never messed with my stomach, but I just couldn't bear trying to force another one down my throat. Since then I’ve gone through a variety of options, most recently settling on Marathon bars.

I don’t typically struggle with any stomach issues when training, which is ironic since my stomach can be very touchy any time I’m doing anything but training, but my stomach trainwreck during my last marathon has left me a bit gun-shy when it comes to fueling. When the good folks at PureFit offered to let me try out their nutrition bars I figured I’d give it a shot. Perhaps they were the magic fuel for which I had been searching.

They sent along 5 flavors to try, all of which sounded promising: Chocolate Brownie, Almond Crunch, Berry Almond Crunch, Granola Crunch, and Peanut Butter Crunch. Whole lotta crunchin’ going on.

When they say all-natural they aren’t kidding. These things are gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, vegan, and kosher. Basically all the things that I am not. I was mildly afraid that my body might freeze-up completely from the shock of so much healthy. Perhaps these bars could finally erase the recent nutritional armageddon commonly referred to as the Christmas holiday season.

I started with the Peanut Butter Crunch flavor, eating half a bar about 30 minutes before a morning 6-mile run. Half to say it was actually pretty good – admittedly much better than I expected. With all the ‘free’ labels it wasn’t exactly packed with flavor, but for someone looking for a seriously healthy fueling option, this is not a bad way to go. I had no stomach issues on the run, and ate the other half once I finished running before moving back to my regularly scheduled questionable eating habits the rest of the day. Each bar packs 18g of Protein, so it’s a nice recovery option as well as a fueling option. Here’s the full nutrition info for the Almond Crunch flavor:

Over the course of the next couple weeks I went through all the bars, highlighted by eating one at the 15-mile mark of a 30-mile bike ride, and eating another at the 10-mile mark of a 14-mile run. I didn’t find any of them to have a great deal of flavor, but that wasn’t a big consideration for me, as long as they didn’t taste like I was eating my shoe. If I had to pick a favorite I’d go with Almond Crunch. My least favorite, in terms of expectations based on the named flavor would be Chocolate Brownie. It didn’t taste bad, but I’ve known a lot of Chocolate Brownies in my day, and there wasn’t a lot of Chocolate or Brownie going on with that bar. Admittedly I ate that one at mile 15 of the 30-mile ride, and not even Willy Wonka could have picked out something that would have made me happy at that particular moment. I’ve got a long way to go before anyone will confuse me with a cyclist.

Bottom line - these seem like a highly healthy and stomach-friendly option for fueling before, during, or after training. One thing to consider is that they are all pretty dry, so it's a good idea to have some water along to wash them down if you're eating while training. I find that to be true of most any of the nutrition bars I've tried while running, so that's not unique to PureFit. Hopefully my body hasn't gotten too used to this healthy-eating. May need to give it a shock to snap it back to reality. Is that Taco Bell I smell?

11 Random Things

2012-01-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

I’m a little late to the party on this, as I’ve seen a bunch of 11-things posts recently, but Morgan, in the midst of her triumphant comeback from a stress fracture, has tagged me to unleash some randomness, so here goes:

I’m not textbook ambidextrous, but I have a strange mix of things I do with each hand. I write left handed, shoot a basketball right handed, throw a ball (football, baseball etc.) left handed, golf right handed, swing a bat left handed, bowl left handed, etc. etc.
Some of the above activities I can do with either hand, like writing, and I often have to pause when doing something after not having done it for a while to figure out what hand I use
My favorite color is green, to the point that several years ago I had to make a concerted effort to not buy any more green clothes since that was about 80% of what I owned. It’s not easy being green.
I am a morning person, and love the peace and solitude of the early morning. Unfortunately, I’m not good about going to bed at a decent hour, so morning training gets painful towards the end of the week.
I’m not a big drinker (fortunately got that out of my system in college), but I love a good Stout. Recently discovered Total Wine and it’s collection of craft beers, and two craft beer stores recently opened near my house. This has not worked out well for my wallet.
I’m deeply envious of those who can create original art. I have some artistic skill, and can ‘copy’ a picture pretty well, but don’t have the natural ability to create something from nothing.
I really like to cook, but only if I’m not pressed for time. I’m very slow and precise in the kitchen, which is good for a weekend meal, but not for our crazy weekday evenings. I can grill with the best of them.
I enjoy landscaping, but struggle to find the time to do major projects anymore. Just one more excuse to get outside.
After having lived in Minnesota for three winters before moving to North Carolina, I no longer have any use for winter. Sunny and warm … I like it sunny and warm.
I grew up playing soccer up until college, and would have played in college but suffered a bad injury my senior year in high school that was the end of my career, but I don’t enjoy watching soccer, and actually find it pretty boring. Kinda like golf I guess. Like to play, bored watching.
I’m not a fan of reality TV. I get embarrassed and uncomfortable for people who are embarrassing themselves, which is about 99% of reality TV. I can’t even watch the American Idol shows devoted to all the bad auditions – way too negative for me.

Morgan's Questions for the Tagged:

What is the last thing you took a picture of? (I'm keeping this one, could be interesting.) This crazy dragon/knight lego display outside the lego store in Downtown Disney, Orlando. Just got back from a great trip to FL with the family.

What finally made you decide to write your blog? I was looking through running blogs after being injured at the end of my first marathon, trying to figure out what I was doing wrong, and felt like I should add to the conversation rather than just reading

If you had to listen to one song on repeat for the rest of your life, what would it be? U2 – Bad, the live version from the ‘Wide Awake in America’ album. Thousands of miles and hours later I still like listening to this when I run.

What's one item on your 'bucket list'? I’ve never actually put together a formal bucket list, but completing an Ironman would be the most recent addition. Not sure when or how, but I can see this in my future.

If you could be on any TV show, which would it be? Mythbusters – just looks like fun.

If you could start your own race, what distance would it be? 101 miles

What would you name said race? Just Beyond Crazy

If you were forced to eat like something other than how you eat now, which would you choose?(Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo, Pescetarian, Kosher, Cannibal, etc...)Something involving seafood. Is there a diet that is all seafood? I’m not very diet knowledgeable. If not, then I’d like to subsist solely on chocolate-covered pretzels.

If you could rid the world of one social application, which would it be? I’d be inclined to say Facebook since so many people share things there that they really shouldn't share, but my wife got her job thanks to Facebook, so I have to let it slide

If you could choose just one person to train with for a training cycle who would it be? I guess I’d go with Ryan Hall, since you assume you’d get better by training with one of the best. For pure entertainment, probably Jay Mohr. I listen to his podcast on my long runs and have to stop sometimes in fits of laughter.

If you were a guest at our wedding what would you bring as a gift based on what you know about Spike and I? (Ha ha, this could get very interesting...) Since you two are probably the most supportive spectators around, I’d have to set you up with this monster (hard to go wrong with the description includes the phrases "Earthquake Maker", "Deafening", and "Thundering Power":

Most of the folks I would tag to pay this forward have already been tagged, or already posted on this topic, so I’ll just ask that if you haven’t done this and have survived reading through mine, you’ll do a similar post on your site. Let me know and I’ll update this post with a link to your list.

So Much for No Plans

2012-01-19T04:49:00.000-08:00

2012 started with no races on the books other than a half-marathon in DC in March that admittedly is more an excuse to get back to DC for some quality drinking time with one of my best friends. I’ve been happily bouncing between running, cycling, swimming, and lifting, with no real targets other than maintaining some base fitness and not getting hurt. Possibly/hopefully even lose a few pounds along the way. With a few innocent mouse clicks, that all changed quickly.

I’m now part of a 12-man relay team that will be running the Palmetto 200 in April in (hopefully fairly warm) South Carolina. Signing up for this got me thinking about getting a little more serious with the running part of my fitness routine, since I don’t want to let my team down and be the “slow guy”. Still, this relay didn’t put me into full training-plan mode. Then I talked to a running friend at work, and found myself signing up for the OBX 50k on May 5. First-ever staging of the event. Only 35 runners. Suddenly things have gotten much more serious.

This will be my first foray into the great unknown beyond 26.2 miles. One might think that when making the move out to 30 miles you might want to keep things fairly simple. Well … I did keep things flat, but the interesting thing about this run is its 1.6 miles on the road, followed by 29.4 miles on the beach. Subsequent research has indicated that 30 minutes of running on sand feels like about an hour of running on pavement. Perhaps I should have done some of that research before I signed up.

I’ve now shifted my mentality back to that of a runner, and am working on a training plan focused primarily on running, with cycling, swimming, etc. still included but truly used as cross-training alternatives rather than equal-time pursuits. Not really sure how to simulate the running on sand part of the training. Time to find some good trails nearby with loose soil. I’m envisioning the whole new kind of sore I’ll be facing after finishing this one, and I’m glad I’ve got a jumbo-sized dispenser of Biofreeze already purchased.

Game on.

Money Where My Mouth Is

2011-12-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

A lot of money.

A lot more than I planned.

A lot more than I imagined.

As is often the case with me, I know what I’m supposed to do, but don’t always put that knowledge into practice. When it comes to marathon training, this is especially true for cross-training. I lift and do core work 2-3 times a week, but that’s a force of habit from before I decided to try running marathons. I’ve ended up at the orthopedist after each of my three marathons, for three different reasons. I know I need to be cross-training to work complimentary muscles, create balance, and counter the repetitive-use issues that I get from running, running, running. My obstacles, or more accurately excuses, have been that I don’t have a pool available to me beyond the summer, I don’t own a decent bike, and I really, really dislike riding the stationary bike. My wallet and I have addressed these excuses, so now things get interesting.

Swimming – I went straight from the parking lot of my orthopedist to a local Lifetime Fitness with multiple pools and signed a contract. I don’t love distance swimming, but I’m learning to like it. So far I get there a couple times a week and usually do something between 1000 and 1500 meters. I swam swim-team for 10 summers as a kid so I have a decent stroke, but I’m unlearning a lot of my sprint habits and learning a stroke and cadence more conducive to extended sessions in the pool. I know I’ll never ‘enjoy’ swimming like I do running, but it’s growing on me and it’s a nice way to burn off some steam after the kids are in bed, since the pool is open 24 hours. The swimming (so far) hasn’t required a big $ investment … cycling, on the other hand….

Cycling – After far too much research, and a bad case of sticker shock, I invested in a Scott CR1 Team road bike 2 weeks ago and am now officially menacing the highways of NC. I didn’t realize how much bikes can cost, and this has made my investment in running, which before I thought was fairly high, look like a drop in the bucket. The upside is that having invested the dollars is more than enough impetus to get me to invest the time to get a proper return on the investment. So far I’ve only done a few long rides, but I really enjoy getting out on the roads and exploring. Too soon to tell if it’s helping my running, or helping me avoid too much running and thus stay healthy, but it’s a fun alternative. Buying a new bike in December is probably not the best timing, but the weather has been pretty mild this winter which is nice. It’s also made it very easy to come up with a wish-list for Santa. Maybe too easy.

Right now I’m not officially training for anything, just mixing things up and trying to stay healthy. With my run this morning I passed 1,000 miles for the year, which wasn’t a goal or target of mine, but is a nice little milestone. Considering I lost all of January, half of February, and all of November to injury I’m glad to have been able to get that many miles completed. The only race on my calendar right now is a half-marathon in DC on St. Patrick’s Day for which I’m not planning to specifically train. I’m planning to spend some time over the holiday break figuring out what I want to do in 2012. I’ve got all the ‘raw materials’ now for a triathlon, but not sure I want to head down that road … yet. The lure of an Ultramarathon is still very strong, and I think that might be where I end up sometime next year. For now I’m enjoying not being on a specific plan, but once the new year rolls around I know I’ll be yearning for some structure.

Since my blog posts have been far too sporadic lately, I probably won’t get another post up before Christmas and/or New Years, so Happy (and Healthy) Holidays to everyone. If you see me on the road on my bike please take pity on me and give me a wide berth. My technique has a long way to go to catch up to my intentions.

Runner. Present Tense.

2011-11-26T07:16:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will be 4 weeks since the Marine Corps Marathon, and would have marked 4 weeks with no running. Two weeks out from the race I ended up at the orthopedist (yet again) to see if my calf/shin pain was the dreaded stress-fracture. The overall soreness from the race had passed after about 4-5 days, but my calf/shin issues lingered. Not sharp or shooting pain, but definitely not feeling right. The good news was the x-rays showed no damage, so I got the maddening advice of “if it hurts don’t do it”. I went straight from the doctor’s office to a nearby gym with a pool and signed up so I could get some cross-training going and hopefully not lose all my fitness. I’ve stuck to a good mix of swimming, stationary cycling, and lifting, but badly missed my old friend running.

Yesterday was a study in holiday-induced sloth. My inlaws had been visiting for 5 days, and rolled out of town around lunchtime. After a gluttonous mound of leftovers for lunch, all my good intentions gave way to lying on the couch alternately reading a book and watching TV. Finally, around 3:30, I snapped out of my coma and decided it was time to test my leg. The doctor had said probably 4-6 weeks of rest would be advisable, and I was within shouting distance of 4 weeks, so I needed to roll the dice. I wasn’t very optimistic based on past experience returning from an injury, but my leg was feeling much better, so I went through my stretching routine, laced up the Nimbii, and gave it a shot. The first step is always the worst, so I braced myself for the pain, took the step, and …. nothing. No pain. No tightness. No worries.

I kept myself in check and did an easy 3-mile run, but overall my legs felt good. Definitely felt like I hadn’t run in a month and my calf is a little tight/sore this morning, but knocking on all things wood I think I may be over the hurdle. By the halfway mark in the run my brain had already shifted from inspecting every aspect of every step to thinking about what my next race might be. I’m shutting that thinking down now as well until I’m sure my leg is back in business. I’m meeting a friend from work for a bike ride around lunchtime today, which should be interesting. I’m borrowing his Fuji Cyclocross bike, with the intent of seeing if I might want to invest in a road bike or tri bike to further force myself to cross train and break the constant running that seems to leave me broken. I haven’t gone on a bike ride of any distance in probably 20 years, so I’m anticipating a whole world of sore tomorrow.

Sore is good. Sore is my friend.

Marine Corps Marathon Recap – Death by Chocolate Gu

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Before:

Cold. Really, really cold. Cold and snowy at the Expo on Saturday. Car encased in ice at 4:45AM when trying to head to the starting line. Huddling in the Metro station at the Pentagon with hundreds of my closest friends all trying to avoid the inevitable escalator into the 25 degrees and wind outdoors. Icy walk to the runner’s village and on to the starting corrals. My wife’s youngest sister was running the race too, so we made the chilly adventure together before the race. Although it sounds bad, it was all pretty funny.

Knowing you’re just one of thousands getting your cold on makes it a lot less painful. Some pre-race stretching, music blasting, paratroopers landing about 30 feet from us (very cool), quick words from Drew Carey, and off we go.

The During:

My goal for this race was a 3:34, so I fell in with the 3:35 pace group right from the start. The pace was fast and the space was tight. Quite a jump from a 2,000 runner race to a 35,000 runner race. I truly felt like I was racing and pushing, rather than simply running. I thought the number of people would mean a slow first couple miles, but I was wrong. The first roughly 9 miles of this course are hilly, and we were taking full advantage of the downhills. I glanced at my Garmin a couple time during the first few miles and we were running well under 8:00/mile pace for several stretches. Mile 4 was the fastest of the race, with a 7:35 pace. It was one of 7 miles run under an 8:00/mile pace.

Miles 1-10 .... faster and hillier than I expected

My left calf/shin felt pretty rough for the first couple miles in the cold, but settled into a dull ache around the 2 mile mark. I ran without music partly because I wanted to soak in the crowd and the atmosphere, but also because the pack was so tight I needed to concentrate pretty hard to not trip someone or be tripped. Found that for the first half of the race I didn’t really miss the music. By about a mile in the cold wasn’t even noticeable anymore.

Spectator support along the course was outstanding, which was impressive considering how cold it was. Lots of funny signs, and lots of cowbell. For the first 10 miles I was feeling good – holding pace, hydrating properly, and finding relatively few aches and pains. My family, my wife’s parents, and my wife’s sister’s family were waiting for us around the 10 mile mark.

Feeling strong at mile 10 ... apparently stiff-arming an imaginary tackler

Always an energy boost to spot my family. Normally I swap out Fuel Belt bottles with them around the halfway mark, but today was just running by and waving. I knew I would need every minute to have a shot at my goal.

Miles 10-17 - still feeling strong, until ....

Miles 10-17 were fairly uneventful. I generally felt good, but I was feeling the pace. I hadn’t gone more than 12 miles at my goal pace before, and my legs could tell. One of my best childhood friends, and the best man from my wedding, was meeting me somewhere around miles 18-19 with a fresh set of Fuel Belt bottles, so at mile 17 I ate a Chocolate Gu and chased it with the last of my water. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Within about 5 minutes of eating the Gu my stomach decided to do a backflip. I’ve never had any trouble with gels or Gu in the past, but for some reason my stomach wanted nothing to do with that Gu.

My friend joined me around mile 18, and by that time I was feeling like puking was inevitable. I was already getting pretty tired, and my guts going nuts was killing my confidence. The rest of the race was a struggle with my stomach. I had to stop and walk around mile 20 for the first time to either settle my stomach or make myself puke. I’d end up walking 2 or 3 more times over the next few miles thanks to my guts. I didn’t end up throwing up, but might have been better off if I did. My friend was a HUGE help keeping me going during this stretch. Haven’t seen the pictures yet, but I’m imagining I was a few different shades of green. Mile 20 was run/walked at a 9:08 pace. I was never able to get back to my target pace from that point forward.

Miles 17-26.2 ... Houston, we have a problem

With my stomach jacked up, I couldn’t get any more gels down, and was having trouble getting any liquids down as well. With no gels and very little fluids for the last 9 miles of the race I knew what might be coming, and sure enough around mile 24 my right quad seized up for the first time. I ran through it as best I could, but when it balled up the second time I had to stop and stretch it out. I had to do this 3 more times over the last 2.2 miles. I’ve never had any issues with cramping before, so this was new territory for me. Again, my friend was a huge help since he gave me something to hold onto while I tried to get my leg loose. At this point 3:34 was a lost cause, since I had lost the 3:35 pace group when I first had to walk around mile 19. 3:45 still seemed like a possibility, so that became my new ad-hoc goal.

The final climb to Iwo Jima

The finish of the race is a long gradual uphill, followed by an abrupt steep uphill as you approach the finish and the Iwo Jima Memorial. My buddy peeled off the course just as we hit the steep part, giving me one last psych-up speech and letting me enjoy the finish on my own. I pushed as much as my quad would let me, and happily crossed the finish. Official finish time: 3:45:26.

Yards from the finish - my pacer friend Brandon peeling off in all blue

The After:

The Marines don’t mess around with post-race organization. We were quickly shuffled through medals, space-blankets, post-race photo at the Iwo Jima memorial, bag of food/drink, and on to the crazy long walk to the bag drop area. I’m not sure how far the walk actually was, but it felt like another half-marathon. Stepping down off the curb onto the street my quad cramped again. When I got my drop bag I sat on some stairs to change into some warm clothes. Trying to pull on my compression socks my quad cramped again. Pulling on the other sock my foot cramped. I was so tired at this point I just had to laugh. Despite the cramping, I was done, life was good. My stomach was still a trainwreck, but I managed to drink half a bottle of Gatorade, which I desperately needed. Aside from my quad being sore/tight, and my calf/shin issue from before the race screaming at me, my legs felt pretty good. IT Bands were ok, and no hip issues.

My stomach never really recovered on Sunday, so the celebration dinner of burgers and beers became half a burger and most of one beer. I made up for it the following night, however. Looking back at the race I’m happy with my time, and really enjoyed the ‘big race’ experience. I’ll always wonder what I might have been able to do without the stomach and cramp issues, but I’m pleased with myself for pushing through those issues. I was right on pace through mile 19, with mile 19 run at 8:09. The worst of the miles was 22 when I fell to a 10:09 pace and desperately needed/wanted to throw up. Mile 23 I was able to push back to an 8:41 pace, but when my quad started cramping during mile 24 the pace dropped again. Despite the cramping and stretch breaks miles 24, 25, and 26 were 9:22, 9:58, and 9:53. My Garmin distance showed 26.57 miles for the race, and the last .57 miles were at a painful 8:54 pace. There was definitely nothing left in the tank once I crossed the line.

A week later all of the race-related soreness is gone, and my legs feel pretty good. The calf/shin issue is still lingering, however. I’m planning to do no running for 3 weeks total, and start some light cycling at the 2 week mark to see how my leg feels. If things aren’t responding at 3 weeks I’ll be paying another visit to my orthopedist. Would really like to get through one of these without visiting a physical therapist. I’m not sure what’s next for me in 2012, but there will definitely be something going on the calendar. For now I’m just focused on healing, and rehydrating …. one beer at a time.

Ooh-rah

2011-10-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

Survived the MCM. 3:45:25 finish time. Didn't hit my goal time, but not for lack of trying. 9 minute PR, so no complaints here. Recap coming soon. Stomach then quad decided to make it interesting for the last 8 miles. Stomach was so screwy I couldn't even enjoy my post-race celebration beverage on race day. However, in the spirit of finishing what I started, I'm 'refueling' properly tonight:

Congrats to all that ran the MCM, and a huge thanks to all the volunteers and spectators on a very chilly Sunday in DC.

Big thank-you to all the support I got and continue to get via twitter, Facebook, etc. The running community it truly a remarkable support group. You've all made a great experience even better.

Happy Halloween .... and Cheers!

Clear Eyes. Full Heart. Can't Lose.

2011-10-27T04:47:00.000-07:00

The time has come. Three short days until my only race of the year – the Marine Corps Marathon. I’ve been officially training for this one for 36 weeks now. I managed to stay healthy through the bulk of those weeks, yet I find myself dealing with a calf/shin issue in my left leg that is forcing me to skip my final training run today. Lots of ice massage and ibuprofen these last few days hoping for the pain to let up a bit. I don’t think it’s anything serious, but it’s seriously annoying and will be seriously trying my nerves on Sunday morning. Not going to let it rain on my parade, however. Come Sunday AM I will be drinking in the energy and setting out to try and lay down another marathon PR. If you’re going to do it, you may as well try and do it a little better every time.

As soon as I finished my first marathon last year I knew I’d be doing more than one, and I knew that sometime along the way I’d be running the MCM. I spent the bulk of my youth in Northern Virginia just a short drive from the start of this race. My father was in the Navy, so the military draw is strong. Something about this race just speaks to me. I don’t like crowds, yet I can’t wait to get swallowed up by the thousands of runners moving from the same point A to the same point B. Bring it on.

Lots has transpired in those 36 weeks, some good, some bad … such is life. The constant has been running, and it never fails to focus my mind and improve my mood. No matter how warm that bed may have been, or how ugly the weather may be, I always feel better after a run. Better about life, and better about myself.

I know there are an abundance of fellow bloggers who will be in DC running this race as well, and I’m hoping to stumble upon and meet some of them on Saturday at the Expo, or Sunday before/during/after the race. Even if I don’t, I’ll draw energy from just knowing they’re out there gutting it out with me. We’ve all put in the time, and we all understand the lure of the marathon. I hope I have my wits about me enough around mile 22 to spot the recently-engaged Morgan cheering us on. The story of her proposal is guaranteed to brighten your day. After all her struggles with running injuries she still goes and cheers for others to chase their running dreams. Her spirit is inspiring. She is a better runner, and a better person, than I.

For those keeping score at home, I’ll be wearing bib# 11782. I’ll also be wearing a frighteningly bright green tech shirt during the race. I brought my daughter along with me to buy my latest pair of running shoes, and asked her to pick out a shirt for me for the race. Probably should have narrowed down the color choices before I set her loose. The truth is, it could be pink mesh with sequins and I’d still wear it if my daughter picked it out for me. Fully wrapped around her finger … guilty as charged.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend in any race, at any distance. I'll be cheering for you with every shared step.

Fortnight to Semper Fi

2011-10-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Two short weeks until the Marine Corps Marathon. 14 days left for fine-tuning and incessantly checking weather.com. 14 days to figure out where I’m supposed to go and when I’m supposed to be there. 2 weeks to prepare myself for more than 15 times as many runners as I’ve ever run a marathon with.

This morning was 14 miles of hilly trails, and it wasn’t pretty. Not especially bad, but my legs were very heavy and dull. Had this been race day, it wouldn’t have been very enjoyable. I’ve had a mild calf strain for a couple months now, and for some reason it really flared up this week. I was concerned about this morning’s run, but the one upside to the run was my calf felt much better than expected. Not great – but better than I thought it would.

I think this morning’s run proved that although my mind isn’t crazy about it, my body may just need a nice taper to be ready to go on 10/30. It was a beautiful morning, perfect temps, beautiful sunrise … but my body was having none of it. Sometimes you’re the windshield …..

On the professional front, after completing my sixth interview (my company is nothing if not thorough) I was offered a new position in my company on Tuesday. Haven’t let anyone other than my current boss know at this point, but I’m very excited to head in a new direction in my career. Major departure from what I’ve done for the last 20 years. A chance to switch back into learning mode rather than continuing to apply the same knowledge over and over again. Old dog …. meet new tricks.

Checked on the MCM website to try and start working out race day logistics, and discovered in the FAQ, contrary to what I had been told, that iPods are in fact allowed during the race, but not encouraged. Now I have a decision to make – go with the tunes or soak in the crowds sans music. I think I may bring it along with me in case I need a little jolt later in the race, but try to go without for the bulk of the race. Depends on the weather as well – don’t want to fry another one during a downpour. That was an expensive lesson to learn.

I think the most important thing for me to do in the next two weeks may be getting some sleep. Still not getting enough for my mind and body to recover every day. I don’t seem to be applying this lesson-learned very well.

The End is Near

2011-10-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

2011 has been a roller coaster year for me and my family. Turmoil in areas we least expected, and calm seas where trouble has historically emerged. Health issues, job issues, etc., we’ve been burning stress for fuel far more that ever wanted or expected. In the last couple months we’ve taken some steps to try and get back in control, and we may be at the tipping point for the better. Professionally my wife and I are both proactively working to change our situations. Health-wise, a string of bad news has been followed by relative quiet, and no health news is good health news right now. As for running, after running my first 2 marathons in 2010, the only race on my schedule for 2011 is the Marine Corps Marathon, which I’ll be running 23 short days from now. 2011 has been a long road figuratively and literally, but hopefully by the time I cross the finish line in DC at the end of the month we will have crossed the finish line in other areas of our lives as well.

After starting off the year bonding with my orthopedist and therapist again, and spending most of January and February on the sidelines trying to get healthy enough for training, I got started on 36 week plan to build a solid base back up, and then train hard to try and cut another 20 minutes off my marathon time. I’m in the 33^rd week of that journey, and although you never know what race day is going to have in store for you, I’ve done everything I intended to do in that plan to get me ready to race. There have been pains and setbacks along the way, but I’ve managed them with as much common sense as I can muster, and kept them all from forcing me to shut things down. Unfortunately I lost my training partner along the way – he’s still alive, and I didn’t actually lose him … I know where he is – but he developed a calf issue and had to defer his entry. After adding tempo/speed work to my training for marathon 2, I’ve embraced hills and trails for this one, and actually enjoy the hilly long runs now more than the flat ones. Go figure.

July, August, and September were strong training months. Hot …. but strong. 21 runs in July for 143.38 miles, 19 runs in August for 146.11 miles, and 19 runs in September for 131.79 miles. Not as much speed work as I would have liked, but more hill work than I had planned. I’m hoping the hills are building more quad strength for me, which in turn will stabilize my knees more so I’m not running this race with any braces. So far so good.

I’m starting to get excited for the MCM. I’m not a huge fan of crowds, so this should be a pretty wild experience, as I’ll be surrounded by a crowd for hours and hours, all heading for the same place. This is one of a very short list of marathons that have specific meaning for me and are ones I want to do before I find another pursuit to rob me of sleep and beat my body into submission. Just need to stay healthy for 3 more weeks. The end is near …

Still Plugging Away

2011-09-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

How has it been so long since I’ve posted to the blog? Perhaps my ‘surfacing’ claims were a bitpremature. Despite continuing to try andfit 10 pounds of life into a 5-pound capacity calendar, I’ve stuck like glue tomy training plan. Midway through week 11of the plan, with 6 weeks to go until the Marine Corps Marathon. Crossed over 750 miles running for the yearthis week, and I’m mostly still holding together. My right knee is giving me some attitude,which wouldn’t be overly alarming except that’s the knee that unraveled 2 weeksout from my last marathon, so I’m paying very close attention to what it’strying to tell me.

Knocked out a great 21-mile training run this pastSunday. Decided to really test myfitness, and ran it on the path used for the Umstead Ultra, which is a12.5-mile loop that the runners do either 4 times for the 50-miler, or 8 timesfor the 100. This is a path known forhills, both the long gradual rolling kind, and the steep, abrupt,bikers-stop-to-walk kind. My long-runtraining partner is on IR with a calf injury, so I was going this onealone. I ended up falling in step with aguy for about 7 of the middle miles, who I learned was training for his 5^th100-miler. Very interesting talking tohim about his path from non-runner to ultra-runner. Have to admit I’m intrigued by the notion ofan Ultra, but I’m staying 100% focused on MCM and trying everything I can thinkof to stay healthy – or at least my version of healthy.

Another cool development that came out of the drunken fiascothat was our Fantasy Football draft is that one of my best friends growing up,and the best man from my wedding, is going to meet me at mile 20 of themarathon and run with me to the finish. He ran his one and only marathon at the MCM about 8 years ago, and stilldoes some running and shorter racing. Should be a good time, and we may have to sample an adult beverage ortwo for proper recovery.

Hoping to get back into more frequent blog updates as wemove into the Fall. I’m way out of theloop as far as blog reading goes, but eagerly looking forward to catching up.

Surfacing

2011-08-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

Ascending slowly from the depths of this Summer’s ocean of stress. This past week was the notification week for the layoffs at my job. Fortunately my job was not impacted. Doesn’t lessen my workload, and actually increases it based on the reduced headcount, but considering the alternative I have no complaints. One less thing to worry about in the short term.

Running has been going well for the most part, but my lack of sleep and pace of work has caught up with me, and I’m seeing it in my training. I’m getting the miles done, but seeing little to no improvement in pacing, etc. I know I’m shortchanging my body in terms of recovery, and I’m trying to make rest a priority moving forward. I like sleep … sleep is my friend … and I miss my friend.

After a disappointing 16-mile run last Sunday, I decided to challenge my legs with an 18-miler on a hilly local trail. It was hot, it was challenging, and it was just what I needed. Didn’t worry about pacing, just focused on attacking the hills. Mission accomplished. The best part of the run was around the 10 mile mark, when my legs were getting angry and my brain was trying to convince me the humidity wasn’t the equivalent of running underwater. A bike passes me on the left, followed by another right behind it. Nothing unusual with all the bikes on this course, but right behind the bikes, moving just as fast, comes a woman who may be the picture accompanying the definition of runner in the dictionary. She moved past me like I was running backwards, a blur of compression socks, ponytails, and effortless speed. I’ve made a (brief) career of getting chicked on a regular and prolific basis, but this took things to a whole new level. It was an amazing thing to behold. Sadly the inspiration didn’t make the next 8 miles any less hilly, but it was inspiring nonetheless.

I’m weeks behind on blog reading, and pretty out of the loop with running in general, but hoping to catch up soon. I can only assume we’ve progressed beyond barefoot running, but I’m a little scared to find out what body part we’re now supposed to use for running.

And Still I Run

2011-07-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

This has not been a ‘Summer to remember’ in the Evolving family world. Abundant stress and pressure in our professional lives has spilled over into our personal lives, and it’s just not much fun. Just do a Google search on ‘Biggest layoffs IT’, and you’ll see the main source of stress. I’m averaging about 4 hours of sleep a night, and my family is going on our beach vacation next week without me. And still … I run.

Training is going very well ... a nice oasis of something I can control in a boiling sea of things which largely force me to react. My usual repertoire of injuries is mostly contained, and I’m in a nice groove where I’m disappointed and antsy when the plan tells me not to run. Currently in the middle of week 3, and week 4 kicks off with a 14-mile long run that I’ll be tackling at my new hilly running destination that I’ve come to love/hate. Looking forward to sweating out some worry.

I’ve been horribly out of the loop with blogging, both in terms of reading and posting, so I hope all is going well with all my virtual friends. Hopefully some sanity will creep back into my world soon. Until then, I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.

110th of 111 Males In My First 5k ... The Perfect Race

2011-07-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

Prior to Saturday morning, I had never run any sort of race other than a Marathon. Didn’t run track in high school. Never managed to sign up for a 5k, or a 10k, or any flavor of metric racing. Nothing against the metric system … I loves me some Canada … just never made it happen before I started marathon training, and hadn’t worked it into my training plans despite my best intentions.

I had visions of my first 5k being a stunning discovery of my inner Prefontaine – tearing through the course with fabulous short shorts … a blur of sideburns and 70’s mustache. Unleashing my inner racer, versus my inner survivor that emerges by the time I've dragged myself 26.2 miles from the start of what seemed like a good idea at the time. My first 5k did not exactly align with this vision. It was much, much better.

Those that subject themselves to my blog on a regular basis will recall the virtual 5k that my son and I completed a couple weeks back. From that experience my son expressed an interest in running a real-life 5k, and on Saturday that became a reality at the DennysChallenge 5k.

Contrary to its name, the DennysChallenge did not involve copious amounts of bacon. No Maple Bacon Sundaes. No bacon of any kind. Not even a stray pig. Really a missed opportunity to find out if in fact everything is better with bacon.

Actually, the race is a memorial race for a man named Denny who lost his fight with melanoma in 2009, and near the end of his life challenged everyone in the room to a fifty mile race. Last year there were 132 runners. This year there were 221. The event was very well organized and everyone seemed to have a good time. Kind of a cool feature was awarding prizes to the first 16 finishers, since they collectively covered the 50 miles that Denny had challenged his friends and family to race.

The boy and I got up bright and early, and did some pre-race fueling together – bagel with peanut butter and honey. I stretched and he teetered on the edge of awake and asleep, we got decked out in our matching shirts, sweatbands, and disoriented early-morning expressions, and off we headed to the race. We checked in, chatted up anybody who would listen, and soon we were off.

We started out running, which lasted about 3 minutes, then we alternated walking and running for the first mile. Fair to say my son is not a natural athlete with a great deal of stamina, so by the end of the first mile he was already hurting. There weren’t a lot of volunteers on the course, but the cool thing is that every one of them called him out by number shouting encouragement and telling him how great he was doing and what a good thing he was doing supporting the cause. He got a little embarrassed with the attention, but it gave him a little shot of energy every time it happened, which was so great to experience.

Mile 2 was actually surprisingly hilly, so the running decreased and the walking increased. He apologized once for going so slow, and I explained that it wasn’t about where we finished, it was about being there helping fund the fight against cancer, and about the two of us doing something together that was good for us and for others. That really sunk in, because he didn’t complain or apologize again.

Mile 3.1 was mostly walking, and unfortunately we were far enough behind that we didn’t really see any other people, which I think would have helped keep his spirits up. My wife and daughter were waiting near the finish taking pictures and cheering, so we ran the last .2 miles to the finish line. Our finish time was around 52 minutes, but the best part of the finish was him telling me how much fun he had, and that when he gets older he’d like to do a Half Marathon. It makes me proud to know that he probably wouldn’t even know about Half and Full Marathons if I hadn’t started training for and running them, so my example is fueling a interest in my kids. That’s better fuel for my training than any Gu could ever provide.

Overall a great way to spend a Saturday morning, and next time out we’ll be going to get three matching shirts, since my daughter wants to be a part of the action now. Happy Dad.

17 Weeks of Semper Fi

2011-07-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

With the first step of a humid, mid-tempo, fairly unremarkable 10 mile run on Sunday, my training for the Marine Corps Marathon is officially underway. I am so looking forward to both the race itself and the many weeks of training. With so many stressful variables swirling around in my life right now, running is one of the few things where I feel I am in control. Injuries may come along that knock me down for a bit, but I make the plan, I execute against the plan, and I drag myself across the start and finish lines on October 30^th.

I am definitely in better shape going into this training plan that I have been for the prior two marathons. I put together a 19-week base-building plan, and with the exception of one week of no-running to deal with an ankle issue, I stuck to the plan. I completed 379.29 out of 407 planned miles, and kept up with upper-body lifting 3x weekly, and lifting legs (mostly) weekly. Most of my nagging injuries (calf, hip, ITBand) have gone into hiding, but I am dealing with some recurrent soreness/tightness with my left groin that I’m monitoring. Not any true pain, but it’s letting me know that it is not entirely happy.

As for the next 17 weeks, the key will be finding the intersection of what I know I need to do and what I actually put into practice. For example, I know I need to x-train, particularly with some bike training to hit my quads where running doesn’t seem to do much work for me. However, I’m doing a lousy job of this so far. Bad runner …. bad. I know I need to hit the gym and include core work, and I’ve been really good about doing this as much as 3x a week so far.

Other ‘need to do’ items:

Need to stretch – before and after runs, and on non-running days
Need to ice bath after any run longer than a half-marathon
Need to drop 5 pounds – gotta get more lean – cut down on amount of weight when lifting (and amount of food when eating)
Need to include more speedwork in my mid-week runs – this was a big positive training for M2
Need to slow my pace on my long runs
Need to stay diligent about mid-foot strike form at all speeds
Need to work more hills into my collection of running paths
Need to do more long runs without my iPod – no earphones allowed at MCM – pretty sure Marine snipers take you out if you get caught
Need to continue fine-tuning my hydration/fuel plan – didn’t execute on this terribly well in my last marathon and my stomach wasn’t pleased with me by the end of the race
Need to sign up for some races between now and MCM – 5k, 10k, Half … something
Need to get more sleep – I’m very bad about doing this, and I know I need to get better. Find myself dragging by Thursday afternoon after consecutive days of 5AM runs.

The list goes on and on. I’m pretty good about most of these things, and I’m pretty good about knowing what I need to do. It’s all about the execution.

In other news, following the great success of the ‘Sweat Your Thorns Off’ 5k (and the great comments I got – all of which are greatly appreciated), my son and I will be running a real-life 5k this Saturday morning. We went and got matching C9 Technical shirts at Target last weekend, and he’s been ‘training’ all week. I don’t think any course records are in jeopardy, but it should be a lot of fun.

Sweating Our Thorns Off - Virtual 5K With My Boy

2011-06-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a race doesn’t go as we planned. Sometimes race day brings unexpected twists. Sometimes the strategy and goals go out the window. Usually this is not considered a good thing. This morning it was a great thing.

For this morning’s ‘Sweat Your Thorns Off’ Virtual 5K, I had planned to give it a real go and see what kind of time I could pull off. I’ve never run a 5K, so I could combine a strong tempo run with another running first. As I was finishing my pre-run stretching, I was explaining a virtual-race to my kids. When I finished explaining, my son asked the last question I would have expected … “Can I run?”. This is one of those questions that regardless of circumstance or consequence, the answer is simply “Yes”. Thus, today my son and I did our first Virtual 5K together. Since I had already printed off my race bib, we made a couple quick adjustments and printed one off for my son.

All smiles prior to any thorn sweating

A quick drink of water and we were off.

Game faces on .... or we need more fiber in our diets

We did not set any land-speed records, and we’re not anticipating any sponsorships based on our results. The first mile was equal parts run and walk, and the rest was mostly walk with a sprinkling of run thrown in. The boy was definitely struggling, and around mile 2 I could tell he was regretting his decision to come along, but he never said it out loud, and he kept marching on. I was having a great time. Even if there wasn’t a whole lot of running, it was still a ‘run’ with my son, and those are still a rare treat.

I couldn’t talk my daughter in to coming with us, but I have a feeling she’ll come around in the not too distant future. We put her in charge of race photos, and even let her use the ‘real’ camera, so she was loving life. She also surprised us by creating a finish-line for us while we were out running. Boston’s finish line has nothing on ours.

BAA - she is available for finish-line consulting

A great way to start the weekend. Everything else is just icing on the cake. A big thank-you to Adam @ 'The Boring Runner' for organizing the race and getting my boy and me out on the road together.

Horseflies and Handgrenades .... and My Father

2011-06-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

Apparently we are under attack.

While we foolishly concentrate our attention on mosquitos with their West Nile virus, and deer ticks with their Lyme disease, and lions, and tigers, and bears, the horse flies have been silently building a squadron of terror, patiently waiting for the perfect time to unleash holy hell on the running paths of the world. It would appear the time is now.

My last three longish runs on my familiar trails have been marked by repeated strafings from these aerial demons. They are large, and they are many. And, at least on the trails of NC, they are pissed. I haven’t been bitten yet, but it only seems like a matter of time. May be time to invest in some sweat-proof bug spray. I recall from swimming at lakes as a kid that horse fly bites are no joke. I’m hoping the conflict doesn’t continue to escalate, or you may find me rolling down the trails in a giant hamster ball by the end of the summer.

As for the hand-grenades, we’ve had a series of short, severe thunderstorms over the last couple weeks in the area, and the trees have taken a beating. Last night we were poised for another blast, but it was mostly just an abundance of wind. Net result is this morning’s trail run was as much about dodging branches and debris as it was about knocking out the miles. We could use some rain, but ideally more of a sustained storm than a Chuck Norris roundhouse-kick of wind/rain/pain.

Despite the kamikaze flies and the obstacle course of dismembered tree parts, this morning’s run was a thing of beauty. Great weather, and someone had replaced my regular legs with Folger’s instant legs that were ready to rock. Had planned on a nice steady 10-miler somewhere around 9:00 pace, but my legs were feeling so good that after 5 miles around 8:30 pace, I decided to step it up and throw in a 5k somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00 pace. I may have slightly overestimated how good I was feeling, but I got through the next 3 miles at 7:51, 7:34, and 7:32, then closed it out with 2 miles at 9:00. I was put-a-fork-in-me done by the 10 mile mark, but it was a great way to start the day. I have a slight groin pull/strain that has been acting up over the last couple weeks that I may need to dial down my training a bit to get healed, so this will probably be my last tempo run for a week or two. Considering it wasn’t intended to be a tempo run, I’m happy with the results.

Today being Father’s Day, I find myself less focused on my own role as a dad, and thinking more about my own father. I’m blessed to have two healthy parents who have always been incredibly supportive and influential in my life. My dad has always been an important person in my life, and as I’ve gotten older I consider him one of my best friends. So many of my interests are a reflection of his. My passion for home-improvement and woodworking are born of hours watching him build and/or fix anything and everything. I’ve yet to see anything home-related that he can’t do. I drove a ’65 Mustang in college that he rebuilt himself. We bought the house we live in now in foreclosure and badly in need of far too much work. My dad showed up and he and I spend two solid weeks redoing everything in the house with the exception of the kitchen cabinets. Neither of us will ever set any speed records for project completion, but the finished product rarely disappoints. He is one of the best fishermen I have ever seen, and the majority of my favorite memories as a child revolve around fishing. Thanks to him I enjoy and have moderate skill at fishing, and I’m now able to share that with my own kids. This past year, I had the unique pleasure of seeing a reversal of the usual pattern, when my interest in running sparked his interest in walking to get back in shape and lose some weight, which culminated in our both finishing the Outer Banks Marathon in November (me running the full, and my Dad walking the half). One of the best days of my life, and another great memory shared with my dad.

He is by no means perfect, but who is? It’s the imperfections that make us all unique, good or bad. My wife often comments how much I remind her of my dad, and I take that as a compliment. He was career Navy, but passed up several promotions so we could stay in Northern Virginia and my sister and I could go to good schools. As a senior in high school I had scholarship offers for soccer, and an ROTC scholarship. One fateful collision towards the end of my senior soccer season resulted in a gruesome shoulder dislocation, and I would never again play another game of soccer. The athletic scholarships disappeared, and when I got to college I was unable to complete the ROTC physical test while I was rehabbing my arm, so the ROTC scholarship was in jeopardy. Without missing a beat my parents stepped in and offered to pay for my tuition, all four years, and insisted that I drop the ROTC scholarship and end the drama. I own them both a great deal, and hope that I am carrying on their legacy as a parent.

Happy Father’s Day to my father, and all the dads out there. Hug and be hugged as much as you can today. You’ve earned it.

Blogjam

2011-06-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

Having a hard time finding time to spend in the blog world lately. Reading, writing, etc. - all of it is just out of reach. Work is soul-crushingly intense right now. Impending layoffs, poor quarterly results, and survival-mode instincts make for a pressure-cooker climate. More stressful than any time I can remember. Compounded with some bad health news for a family member, the blood pressure is not in a good place.

Thankfully running/training has been going well. Still trying to adjust to the sudden onset of Summer, but I've been sweating out some of the stress, which is therapeutic. Logged my first week of 30+ miles last week and my body held up as well as can be expected. Started the week with 9 miles (almost) at target marathon pace (8:15/mile versus marathon target of 8:09), and it felt good. Exhausting, but good. After an injury stalled start to the year, I've finally crossed 300 miles for the year, and I feel like I've got a solid base going for the start of official marathon training in July. Injury is not an option .... "ain't got time to bleed".

Unofficially I'd like to find some sort of race to do in June. This would be my first foray into anything other than a Marathon, and I'd like to diversify a bit. Ideally I'd try a half-marathon at my target full-marathon pace, but I haven't found anything reasonably nearby in this timeframe. I'll keep looking.

Back to work .... deep breaths ...... serenity now.

Heatmiser ... You Don't Scare Me

2011-05-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

I have tremendous respect for hot weather, born from some bad/stupid experiences, but I am not afraid of the heat.

Raleigh jumped from temperate-Spring to surface-of-the-sun hot in the blink of an eye. We hit 94 today with swamp-like humidity, and I'm definitely not adjusted yet. My wife is out of town for a few days, so my early-morning run became an after-the-kids-are-at-school run, and the heat was wilting. It added about 30 seconds a mile to my usual non-pushing pace, and I was dragging by the end. Not really a complaint, more just an observation.

I like running in the heat. I like to sweat. I'll get acclimated, but for now the heat has me on the ropes. A worthy opponent, but I'll start gaining ground soon.

I felt a little tweak/twinge in my right hip after my 9-mile run on Sunday, so I actually listened to my body and skipped my run on Tuesday to let myself recover. A year ago that's something I never would have done. Despite what my wife and kids say, apparently I am able to learn something new. No hip issues in my run this morning. Sometimes being a better runner has nothing to do with what your Garmin tells you.

Me No Pace Good and I've Been Twittered

2011-05-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

I readily admit that pacing, and being able to 'feel' my pace, is not something I'm very good at. I've been working at it, and thought I was getting better, so I decided to test myself a bit last night. Running has been going pretty well for me lately since the week off to rest my ankle. It still gets a little sore, but the pain hasn't returned. I suspect I've got a little tendinitis going on, but feeding it ice seems to be keeping it happy. Left calf and shin are generally grumpy these days, but I'm opting to strangle them with compression sleeves and not listen to them. Something always seems to hurt, so the wheel-o-hurt seems to have settled on lower left leg right now. All part of the joy of running/aging.

I had to do a late-night run yesterday, so I decided to try a tempo run for the 5 miles on the plan. Planned to go-out with a moderate pace for the first mile, then do 3 miles at around marathon target pace (shooting for 8:00/mile), then slow things down again for the last mile. Since it was dark anyhow, I decided not to look at my Garmin throughout, and just listen for the beeps at the mile-marks to know when to hit the gas or the brakes.

Net result - I still suck at pacing. It ended up being a really good run, but way faster than it should have been. I'm still anticipating ankle pain every time I step with my left leg, so I think that is screwing with my ability to just 'feel the run', but other than that I don't really have an excuse. Pacing for the run:

Mile 1 - 9:04
Mile 2 - 7:46
Mile 3 - 7:32
Mile 4 - 7:20
Mile 5 - 8:23

Too fast starting with the first step of mile 2. Oh well - I do pretty well with this if I'm checking the Garmin, and I have no problem looking at that thing every 10 seconds. If I paid all that money for it I want to get everything out of it I can. I'm a slave to the machines.

9 mile long run on the plan for Sunday, and I'm returning to the path where my knee unraveled before my last marathon. Not typically superstitious, but I'm a little nervous about running there again. Hopefully uneventful.

Thanks to my desire to follow along with Emz and her 100-mile treadmill ownage, I have been officially sucked into the world of Twitter. For someone that spends most of his life working on computers for a networking company, I'm pretty slow on the uptake for social media. Have to admit Twitter is pretty amusing, and seems to have more momentum than Facebook these days. Also nice to be limited to only a couple sentences worth of characters if I just don't have anything blogworthy to say. If you want to find me in Twitterland I'm @EvolvingThruRun. If I say anything embarrassing, or more embarrassing than usual, it's all Emz's fault.

Best of luck to all running races this weekend, especially the folks getting after it in Fargo. Mind over Miles.

Date Night aka Seafood Coma

2011-05-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

This week has been a mixed bag. Can't seem to get the personal and professional world on the same page.

This week was pretty good on the personal front, highlighted by no more kidney stones, and a successful return to the world of running. Apparently the week off did a body good. Got through two runs without any recurrence of the mysterious ankle pain. Maybe it was ankle stones. Don't want to think about how exactly those got passed.

On the professional front, this was a rough week. Our company announced impending layoffs, along with a timeline that takes them all the way through the summer. Talk about a dark cloud of stress hanging over everyone for days on end. No fun. This recession can kiss my arse.

Tonight, however, should be an epic display of my dining prowess. Tonight is a rare date night with the lovely and talented Mrs. Evolving. That alone is cause for much rejoicing, but we're talking dinner and a movie, and the dinner is a 'Seafood Extravaganza' with some good friends from the neighborhood. Words can not express the depths of my love for seafood. I get a little lightheaded just thinking about it. I could happily grill a Spongebob-kebab, follow that with a plate of fried Squidward, and still have room for some Patrick bisque. To pick a favorite from the world of seafood would unnecessarily diminish the glory of any item. Seafood's dial goes to 11. Tonight's menu:

I've already apologized in advance to the folks who will be sitting with us for the display they are about to witness. Apologies also to King Neptune and the Little Mermaid.

Ankle Bones and Kidney Stones

2011-05-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I do the right thing. Sometimes I let my brain win out over my body. Sometimes, when my wonky legs start talking, I actually listen.

Today marks one week without running. Self-imposed exile to hopefully stop some slowly building ankle pain from reaching full crescendo. Thanks to the comments from my last post regarding my shin/ankle issues, I removed my head from my rear and shut things down. I’m 6 months out from my next marathon, so doing something stupid now that would continue to bother me for the next 6 months would be foolish. Fairly typical for me, but foolish nonetheless.

I can’t really tell if the time off has helped or not. The ankle still feels a little ‘off’, but not especially painful. I don’t know that ‘rest’ is exactly the right term for it, since I spent countless hours hauling 25 cubic yards of mulch all over the place trying to make our yard presentable. More accurately, 25 cubic yards of mulch were delivered. I think I managed to get through about 15 this weekend. I’m trying to do a true rest-day today, staying off my feet as much as possible. Tentative plan is to try a short run tomorrow morning and see what happens. I’m itching to get back to running, but dreading the possibility of no progress in the healing once I really test it out.

As a fun activity to pass the time while not running, my body decided to focus its efforts Thursday on moving a kidney stone from inside my body to the outside world. Fly … be free. This is the fourth fun-filled episode of kidney stones I’ve dealt with, but the first in nearly 7 years. Made for a long day, but thankfully I birthed that little bugger Thursday night, so the pain didn’t linger beyond the 10ish hours on Thursday. Called my doctor in the midst of the stone-party to schedule an appointment, and they were kind enough to fit me into the schedule 8 days later. Where’s the love? Went to see a different doctor on Friday, and the xray didn’t show any more lurking in my kidney, so I think I’m safe for a little while. Ahh … the wonders of the human body as we get older. A fine wine I am not.

Weather in NC is crazy beautiful today. If the run goes well tomorrow I’m looking forward to some sunny, cool, early morning Spring runs. Much love.

Couldn’t close this out without a mention of the 100+ treadmill miles in 24 hours that Emz threw down in her charity run for the Sojourner Center on Friday/Saturday. You can still donate to the cause HERE, and I hope you will. Such a good cause …. Such a good person.

RUN EMZ (Throwback Training Tunes - Emz Edition)

2011-05-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

Not much that I could say today that would be more important, meaningful, or physically impressive than what Emily will be undertaking less than 24 hours from now. For the few that don’t already know about this, starting at 6AM Friday morning she’s doing a 24-hour treadmill run to raise money for the Sojourner Center, which supports victims of domestic violence.

Check out her blog today for a news story about the run. Yes, she is a TV star as well as a running star. If you have the means, please make a donation as well. Great person, great cause.

‘The Stairs’ – INXS (1991) Today’s only entry to the Throwback Tunes is a longtime favorite of mine from one of my favorite bands. As far as training songs go, this one has a long, slow, building intro, followed by some surprisingly thought-inspiring lyrics. Originally written about living in a busy city, I think it says a lot about human interaction, and our desire to find our place in the world. It’s a great song for starting out a run, or for when you need some inspiration during a run on a slightly deeper level than a driving bass-line or catchy guitars. There are several lyrics in here that I think apply well to what Emz is doing, and really anybody that tries to connect with and help other people, and in turn helps themself. My favorite verse, and one that I’ve borrowed from in the past for a blog title:

Climbing as we fall
We dare to hold on to our fate
And steal away our destiny
To catch ourselves with quiet grace

Go Emily! 24 hours of making the world a better place.

You’ve freaking got this.

Hmmm ... That Doesn't Feel Quite Right

2011-05-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

The good news is that I got my first double-digit mileage run since November completed on Saturday, and it was great. Actually only planned on 8-9 miles, but ran in a new place with a friend of mine who will also be running MCM (a rare non-solo run for me), and when all was done we had done 10.02 miles at 9:00 pace. The run felt good, and the pace felt a little slow, which is a good sign.

However, a nagging soreness on the lower interior of my left shin has progressed to a little more than nagging, and when I did 4 miles on Sunday there was actually some accompanying pain on the interior of my left ankle for about .5 miles in the middle of the run.

Thus, I find myself at a bit of a crossroads. I don't think this is something terribly serious, but despite my repertoire of injuries to draw upon for self-diagnosis, this isn't something I've experienced before. I'm supposed to run 4/6/4 miles on Tues/Wed/Thurs, but I've already decided to skip the Tuesday run and lift legs (just quads, nothing weight-bearing on the ankle) instead. I'll probably give the Wednesday run a go, but I'll just see how it feels Wednesday AM. I don't want to get myself injured again, but I'm also in a great groove with the training where I find myself craving it.

Me and my frah-gee-lay legs.

Throwback Training Tunes vol. 10 - U2, Rush, Foo Fighters

2011-04-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Continuing the construction of a ‘Running Tunes’ playlist featuring at least one song from each of the last 20 years of the 20^th century. Today’s additions to the playlist include songs from 1985, 1987, and 1997. I’ve got several others currently being ‘auditioned’ on my training runs, but I’m always looking for more suggestions, so don’t be shy about passing them along in the comments.

Here’s the list as of the last update (click on song titles for links to videos):

’Ceremony’ - New Order (1981)

’Don’t Change’ – INXS (1982)

’Heartbreak Beat’ – Psychedelic Furs (1987)

‘Rain in the Summertime’ – The Alarm (1987)

‘Mandinka’ – Sinead O’Connor (1987)

‘Crash’ – The Primitives (1988)

‘Don’t Look Back’ – Fine Young Cannibals (1988)

’Always Saturday’ – Guadalcanal Diary (1989)

’Slide’ – Flesh for Lulu (1989)

’Head Like a Hole’ - Nine Inch Nails (1989)

’Forgotten Years’ – Midnight Oil (1989)

’Stone Cold Yesterday’ – The Connells (1990)

’Rush’ - Big Audio Dynamite II (1990)

’Mama Said Knock You Out’ - LL Cool J (1990)

’Three Strange Days’ – School of Fish (1991)

’Enter Sandman’ – Metallica (1991)

’Rearviewmirror’ – Pearl Jam (1993)

’A Murder of One’ - Counting Crows (1993)

’Looking Through Patient Eyes’ - PM Dawn (1993)

’She’ – Green Day (1994)

’Machinehead’ – Bush (1994)

And for today’s additions:

’Bad(Live)’ from Wide Awake in America – U2 (1985) This song, or more accurately this version of this song, is one of my all-time favorite songs. Not just for running, but for any reason. I literally wore this tape out when I originally bought it based just on listening to this one song. This is a staple of most any running playlist I make, and usually is the first song I listen to since it has a nice slow build which goes nicely with the start of a run as my body decides which parts are going to mock me over the next several miles. I’m not that crazy about the studio version of this song from the Unforgettable Fire album, but this live version has an energy and emotion that somehow never gets old for me. There are days when the intro and first few verses still give me the chills, after hundreds of listenings. U2 at their finest.

’Time Stand Still’ – Rush (1987) Rush is a highly underrated band in the grand scheme of things. Geddy Lee has an unusual voice, and there are lots of people who really don’t like their music, and probably even more that have never heard of them. I wasn’t a big fan of theirs back when they were big, but I’ve grown to appreciate their music and their influence on others bands more as time has passed. This is a great song for running, with some pretty poignant lyrics that are more meaningful to me now than they ever could have been back in the late 80s. “Summer’s going fast, nights growing colder. Children growing up, old friends growing older. Freeze this moment a little bit longer. Make each sensation a little bit stronger”. I can certainly relate to that sentiment.

‘Everlong’ – Foo Fighters (1997) Can’t have a training playlist without some Foo. This isn’t my favorite Foo Fighters song (that would be DOA for those keeping score at home), but it is a great song for some energy while working out. I’m partial to the studio version as a running song, but I really like the acoustic version of this as well that has appeared on a couple of Foo Fighters albums. This is one of my favorite bands, so I have to resist the urge to add more and more of their songs. This song will definitely get you fired up, and I never seem to get tired of it regardless of how many times I hear it. Pointless trivia – lead singer Dave Grohl attended and dropped-out of the same high school that my wife attended. To my knowledge she was not to blame.

Addicted to Foo

2011-04-27T04:52:00.000-07:00

There’s a certain special, specific disappointment that comes with buying an album that you really want/hope/need to be good, and finding that it just doesn’t live up to your expectations. It’s a whole different kind of buyer’s remorse, since musical tastes vary so widely, and are uniquely personal. The disappointment can linger for months or years until the next album is released.

Conversely, there is a special kind of happiness that comes from listening to a new album and finding that it exceeds your expectations from the very first note. When the second listening is even better than the first, and songs get stuck in your brain to the point that you can’t wait to listen again, and again, and again.

Since buying the new Foo Fighters album ‘Wasting Light’ on iTunes, I’ve been nothing but happy when my iPod is pumping the music into my ears while I lay down the training miles. This whole album just works for me on several different levels, and it’s been years since I’ve been so happy with an album purchase.

Since I really only listen to my iPod at the gym or while running, I’m usually not only deciding if I like a song, but also if it works as a ‘running song’. Pretty subjective, but you just know a ‘running song’ when you hear one. This thing is full of great running songs, but the one that keeps getting played every time out is ‘These Days’. HIGHLY recommended as an addition to your running playlist. I can listen to it over and over again kind of like ‘Everlong’. I liked it the first time I heard it, but starting with the second listen this song has woven itself into my brain. Slow intro (single guitar, single voice) until the drums kick in around the 40 second mark (a little like the intro of 'The Pretender' for the Foo fans out there) ... great lyrics, great chorus .... ear joy ..... take a listen ....

Foo Fighters - ‘These Days’ (Wasting Light)

If loving Foo is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

I Love Track. Tracky, track, track.

2011-04-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

One of the dozens* of upsides to visiting my wife’s family in Northern VA is the chance to do a track workout at my old high school. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, trying to run on a track in Cary is about as easy as trying to drop in on the President for an impromptu visit in the Oval Office. There is apparently no more valuable resource in the state of North Carolina than a running track. If the attack dogs don’t get you, the snipers will.

I had no idea how much I enjoyed speedwork on the track until I gave it a shot training for my last marathon. Maybe I like it so much because I can’t really do it on a regular basis. My running forbidden-fruit.

Hit the track Tuesday for some half-mile repeats and generally my wonky legs held up well. 1.5 years after purchase I finally looked at the Garmin manual, and actually used the interval training mode, which worked great. Pacing is not a strength of mine overall, but my paces were surprisingly consistent for the half-miles. The quarter-mile recoveries were progressively slower, which was part of the plan. Here’s the data:

Pleased with that performance based on where I am in my training cycle. I’ve got a lot of endurance to recapture after my injury downtime, but I’m feeling good overall. Just gotta stay healthy.

*in case they are reading this

The Largeness of Memories

2011-04-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

"Time and memory are true artists; they remold reality nearer to the heart's desire."
- John Dewey

Many years ago, in my early teens, I started running for exercise. Not in pursuit of any racing goals, but rather to perform better on the soccer fields. Many of these runs were around a lake near my house. At the end of a lap around the lake I was usually wiped out. I recall the first time I finished two laps around the lake, and felt like I had circled the globe. I never pushed beyond two laps, but the accomplishment remained happily filed away in my long-run memories.

We’re currently in Northern Virginia visiting my wife’s parents while my kids are on spring break. They live just a few miles from that lake where my love of running started to take shape. Faced with a 7-mile run this morning, I decided to head back to the lake. Based on my memories, I assumed the lake path had to be around 2.5 miles, so I figured I was looking at 3 laps. Once I got underway, the memories came back. The canopy of trees is much thicker, and many of the houses, like many of my body parts, have not aged particularly well. However, the path is vividly familiar and felt good under my feet. My mind wandered as the Foo Fighters growled in my ears, and before I knew it I was finishing the first lap. I glanced at my Garmin to see how the stats were looking, and didn’t make it past the distance number. 1.46 miles. Huh?

How could the path that seemed so daunting when I was young and ‘fit’ only be 1.46 miles long? 5 laps of the lake later I finished up my 7-mile run. I felt a little sad that circling the lake twice so many years ago, which had seemed so Herculean at the time, was actually less than a 5k. Time and memory had built that youthful run to a glorious length in my mind, and a cold, windy unremarkable training run had muddied that memory with the cruel yardstick of reality.

Not too long ago my mind would have rapidly extrapolated this experience and began to challenge the largeness of many other memories from my younger years. The vastness of the Grand Canyon and the Badlands, the majesty of the Grand Tetons, the glory of goals scored long ago, the seemingly endless fights to land countless ‘lunker’ fish. Time, however, has also taught me to value and enjoy these memories rather than question and diminish them. Just let them be, and draw on them fondly.

I will not reshape the past when there is nothing to be gained. I will grip furiously to the largeness of my memories. I will allow the perception of how things were be the unwavering reality of how things are, and how they should be. I will conspire freely with time to shape great into greater.

The Return of Throwback Training Tunes

2011-04-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

Also know by the working title …. Throwback Training Tunes 2: Electric Boogaloo

Last year I launched an ambitious plan for building a new running-playlist when my assorted collections of songs on my iPod had gotten a little stale. The plan was to build a collection of at least one song from each year for 1980 – 1999. Sadly, I failed to complete the task. My own version of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony …. If Shubert had lazily taken a collection of already-finished music, assembled a mixture of musicians, and had them play the songs for him in any sequence, at any time, and in any place he wanted. Yeah …. so …. not like the Unfinished Symphony …. at all.

This time I’m looking for help from all my blogging friends. Especially those with fond memories of Members Only, and Swatches, and Trapper-Keepers, and acid-wash jeans …. You get the idea. I’m looking to you SUAR, BDD, Emz, Chris K., Kovas, Candice, Slomohusky. You’ve all given great feedback when I had this rolling before, and I’d love some suggestions.

Here’s an excerpt from the beginning of the Throwback Training Tunes project …

“I think it’s time for a bit of running-song archaeology, but not just some random search for long-lost running songs. Rather, I’m going to challenge myself a bit and try to come up with an honest-to-goodness running song from each of the last 20 years of the 20th century. I figure this will give me a reason to dig back through the mound of old CDs that I haven’t listened to in years to see if I can find some forgotten tunes that still have some mileage in them. Also hope it may introduce some of you to some songs you may have never heard, or may have forgotten about.

My criteria for a good running song is entirely subjective, so attempting to describe it is fairly futile. It’s one of those things where you listen to it a couple times, and you just know it needs to join the playlist. I’ll test-drive anything I post about with at least two runs, and even try to link to a video or audio clip of the song. If nothing else the videos should be good for a laugh. Remember, this was the days when the music was the sell, and the artist wasn’t always meant to be seen. Very different than today’s music world. I’ll also try to share some memories or factoids regarding the tunes if there are any to be had.”

Originally I had a rule that none of the songs could already be on an existing playlist, but I’m throwing that rule out. Anything goes. Additionally, since I got some great comments with additional suggestions for songs, I’m looking for input from the blogging world. Send me your suggestions and I’ll give them a listen. Ideally I need ideas for the ‘missing’ years, but I’m open to anything from 1980 – 1999. What makes your ears happy while your feet are screaming? What fuels your run?

Here is what the list looked like after the last update:

’Ceremony’ - New Order (1981) – New Order is a very black or white group with most people. They either like them or have no interest in them. I fall into the ‘like them’ camp, but I find my feelings about their individual songs are somewhat black or white. I either really like a song, or just don’t care for it. Not much gray area. This is one of their top 5 for me, and until I started putting this list together I never realized or considered what a great running song this is for me. The first song on any of my playlists is a critical position for me. It needs to have a good intro, a nice gradual build, and ideally be something that matches the general mood as the sun is just starting to rise. Gets the brain working, the blood pumping, and sets the tone for the miles ahead. I had never found a first-song that could match the live version of Bad by U2 from the Wide Awake in America Album, which I never seem to get tired of despite having listened to it enough that it is tattoed on my eardrums. I think I may have finally found a worthy foe with this one. The history of this song is pretty interesting, and a bit tragic, with the end of Joy Division and the start of New Order, but it’s one of the first songs from New Order, and arguably one of their best. There are several versions of this song available, some by other artists (Joy Division, Radiohead, etc.), and a few different versions by New Order. I’d recommend the version from the New Order – Singles album.

’Don’t Change’ – INXS (1982) – I’m a big INXS fan, and have had lots of their songs in and out of playlist rotation while running over the years. Since I’m such a fan, I had to work very hard to separate putting them on my iPod because I like them versus having them there because I consider them good ‘running songs’. In a nice bit of serendipity, it turns out that probably my favorite INXS song of them all also turns out to be a great running song on its own merit. I’ve listened to this song on every run since I started this exercise, and still like it as much as the first time. Definitely gets the blood pumping.

’Heartbreak Beat’ – Psychedelic Furs (1987) – Most well known for ‘Pretty In Pink’, the Furs actually have a lot of good songs out there, and I’d highly recommend their greatest hits album. This song has a great chorus, and an interesting mix of instruments, and is good for a pick-me-up during a long training run.

‘Rain in the Summertime’ – The Alarm (1987) – Really like the Alarm, a great band from Wales that was unfortunate enough to continually get crushed under the weight of U2. They’ve got a number of good running songs, and the live versions of their songs (especially from the ‘Electric Folklore’ album) are packed with energy both from the band and the audience. This link is for the studio version of ‘Rain in the Summertime’, one of their bigger hits. Major bonus points for the abundance of hair in the video. These guys had to keep touring to cover their hairspray bills.

‘Mandinka’ – Sinead O’Connor (1987) – Unfortunately Sinead O’Conner didn’t do a lot during her career to make people like her as a person. Controversial and unapologetic, but she was definitely talented. This is the first song of hers I ever heard, and I still like it as much today as I did 20+ years ago. Great beat, great chorus, excellent song for running. She had considerably less concern with haircare products than the boys from The Alarm.

‘Crash’ – The Primitives (1988) – This song had a bit of a resurgence when it was remixed for the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack, but I much prefer the original version from ’88. The newer version is heavily overproduced, and loses some of the basic appeal of the original. Unfortunately none of their other songs seemed to live up to the promise of ‘Crash’, but this song still rocks.

‘Don’t Look Back’ – Fine Young Cannibals (1988) – Not really sure what it is about this song, and didn’t have high hopes for this being good for running, but for some odd reason it really works for me. Fair to say the lead singer for FYC has an unusual voice, but this is a good song with a good beat and chorus. Not one of my strongest recommendations on a relative basis, but I’ve listened to it on several runs, and it hasn’t gotten tired yet.

’Always Saturday’ – Guadalcanal Diary (1989) – I have to laugh at the irony of songs like this one. When alternative music was moving more and more into the mainstream in the late 80s, bands like Guadalcanal Diary would put out albums of their normal disenfranchised music, but they would typically include one pop-ish tune in the hopes of it becoming popular, so they could then wallow in the irony of one of their songs going mainstream, and put out a smarmy, sarcastic video where they basically mocked anyone that would like the song. The irony is that 20+ years later, the only songs of theirs that are worth listening to, and are even remembered, are usually the pop songs that they included due to their disdain for mainstream music listeners. Whatever the motivation behind the song, this one is a nice diversion during a run. Kinda laid-back, with lyrics that make you think of lazy weekends. Craptastic and bizarre video as well, which doesn’t do the song any favors with first-time listeners.

Slide – Flesh for Lulu (1989) – This was a favorite band during the college years, that had two great albums (‘Long Live the New Flesh’ & ‘Plastic Fantastic’), and then faded away. Saw these guys in concert at a small club in D.C. and it was probably the best live show I’ve ever seen. This is a GREAT song for getting you pumped up during a run. I like a lot of their songs, but this is definitely the best of the bunch for a running playlist. This one appears to be fairly hard to find, but I would HIGHLY recommend it. Couldn’t find a video for this one, but while looking for a video discovered that this was on the soundtrack for the movie ‘Uncle Buck’ with John Candy. Not an association I would have come up with in a million years.

Head Like a Hole - Nine Inch Nails (1989) – Angry, angry song, from an angry, angry band … but sometimes you need a little angry. Never really been a bit fan of NIN, but this song gets the blood pumping. Similar effect during a run as the handful of Eminem songs that seem to pop up on many of the running playlists that folks post.

Forgotten Years – Midnight Oil (1989) – These guys made a living off of being political and preachy with their music, and I like several of their songs, but I found the ultra-political angle a little tiring after a while. This song is from the ‘Blue Sky Mining’ album, which I recall really liking during college. This song is a little preachy as well, but it’s a positive message and is set to some really good music. Strong chorus that’s really helpful when the legs are getting a bit weary. And who doesn’t love any song from a giant bald man?

Stone Cold Yesterday – The Connells (1990) – This may be the band that I’ve seen in concert more times than any other. LOVED this band during college. Interestingly, interesting to me anyhow, these guys are from right here in Raleigh, and the lead singer worked in the UNC music department for a while. I think they may still be making music, but the band lineup has changed several times, so I don’t really know what they would sound like today. This is the title track from the ‘Stone Cold Yesterday’ album, which has a great guitar-driven sound and a strong chorus. This one seems hard to find as well, which is a shame. I’d highly recommend checking out any of their first 5 albums, especially ‘Fun & Games’.

Rush - Big Audio Dynamite II (1990) – How to describe this song? The more I listen to it, it’s kind of a cross between the Clash and an alternative incarnation of the Black Eyed Peas. I know, that’s a hard picture to paint in your mind. You’ve probably heard this song at some point in time, and may not realize it. Just a fun, quirky song with lots of changes in beat and pacing that takes your mind off the running at hand for a while.

Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J (1990) - I actually bought this cassette when it came out in ’90, and listened to it in my big yellow Sports Walkman while jogging back in the day. Pulled this down off of iTunes and give it a try on a couple runs, and found that it still holds up pretty well. Brings back good memories for me, so that’s always a plus, but memories aside it has a good fired-up factor which is helpful on a tough run. Definitely worth a listen. Hope you like it.

Three Strange Days – School of Fish (1991) – This song was a happy rediscovery for me. Brings back some good college roadtrip memories. The driving guitar and drums that kick in soon after the intro definitely kick up the energy while banging out the miles. A bit of ear-GU, if you will. Great song from an OK album, but really the only album they put out that held any interest for me. Every once in a while this song gets some random airplay, so you may have heard it before.

Enter Sandman – Metallica (1991) – The popularity of this song marked a sad era for many a headbanger. This song, and the black album, took Metallica into the mainstream, and suddenly everyone knew who they were. My college roommate was a big Metallica fan, so I had heard songs from Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning, etc. more than I would have ever wanted long before the Black album arrived. Most of their stuff was way too headbanger for me, unless I was having one of those days that needed a soundtrack of anger. The black album was metal for the masses, and it definitely found an audience. Enter Sandman has a great combo of guitar and drums that works great for a training run. So far it’s a welcome addition to the playlist, but I’ve heard this song so many times I think I may get tired of it pretty quickly. Time will tell.

Rearviewmirror – Pearl Jam (1993) – I was a big fan of Pearl Jam back when they were hugely popular, but by their 4th album I found that most of their stuff had gone in a different direction than the sound I really liked. They have quite a few songs that make for good running music, but this song has a combination of sound and lyrics that really bring a wave of energy. “I gather speed, from you f-ing with me” …. Gotta love that lyric. Note of caution – running in full grunge apparel, although stylish and rebellious, is not recommended.

A Murder of One - Counting Crows (1993) – The Crows’ first album was a thing of beauty from beginning to end, and this song is a GREAT running song from the second the drums and guitars kick in after a brief intro. Amazing that such a strong debut album could be followed up by so many craptacular efforts. Tried to see these guys in concert in Florida right after this album came out, but Adam Duritz was so stoned that they couldn’t even manage to go on stage. I suppose that’s considered cool if you’re a rock star, but not so cool for those who were foolish enough to buy tickets.

Looking Through Patient Eyes - PM Dawn (1993) – I’m guessing you didn’t see this one coming. Stumbled across this disc while digging through the old collection, and threw this song on the iPod with no real expectations, other than remembering I liked it when it originally came out. Surprisingly, I find it works for me as a running song. Mellows out the middle miles of a run nicely with a smooth sound. Not really sure what ever became of these guys, but this disc was pretty big back in the day.

She – Green Day (1994) – A song that got greatly overshadowed by the other hugely-successful and ultimately overplayed songs from the Dookie album. Starts out with a nice quiet buildup to the typical Green Day energy you would expect. Kind of a short song, but still good for passing the time while training.

Machinehead – Bush (1994) – One of several very popular songs from Bush’s most popular album, Sixteen Stone. The intro to this song is one of those sports-arena staples that you’ll hear during timeouts or breaks in the action. The driving beat in this one is great for a pick-me-up during a run. Not really sure exactly what the lyrics are supposed to mean … but sometimes it's less about the lyrics and more about the energy.

I’ve got some Van Halen, U2, Foo Fighters, Rush, and Beastie Boys currently getting a test-drive in the iPod. What else should I add? Bring the noise.

Happiness Is ....

2011-04-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

A warm puppy (for those who remember Peanuts) ...

New running shoes (since new legs apparently still aren't an option) ...

A little bit of both ...

Life is good.

Training Update and Tempo 10k

2011-04-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

Two more weeks of training in the books (technically in the spreadsheet) and things are progressing nicely. I hit all my goals for running and lifting, and have not picked up any new ailments to add to the sad, long list. My right Achilles is still giving me some attitude, but nothing that concerns me. Otherwise my legs don’t feel a day over 80.

Totals for weeks 5 & 6:

Running (Goal – follow the training plan, or else!)

Week 5: Plan (5 runs, 17 miles total) … Actual (5 runs, 19.45 miles total)

Week6: Plan (5 runs, 18 miles total) ….. Actual (5 runs, 21.21 miles total)

Lifting – Upper Body (Goal – 3 days a week)

Week 5: 4 days

Week 6: 3 day

Lifting – Legs (Goal – 1 day a week)

Week 5: 1 day

Week 6: 1 day

Abs/Core (Goal – 3 days a week)

Week 5: 3 days

Week 6: 3 days

I’m officially giving myself a gold star for the last two weeks. Maybe I can print this out and talk my wife into hanging it on the refrigerator. Enough with the kids’ report cards and art projects. Haven’t they gotten jobs yet?

I will readily admit I’m fighting the urge to add more miles to the long runs. This mileage-buildup plan is ultra-conservative, and I miss the double-digit mileage runs. However, I recognize that my legs are composed of a mix of eggshells, fine china, and balsa wood, so I follow the plan. However, within the constraints of the allowed distance, I needed to add a little speed work to see how my fitness is progressing, and test the ghosts of injuries past. Headed out on Sunday morning, for the start of training week 7, with a plan of running a tempo 10k, looking for an average pace better than 8:00/mile, and looking for progressively faster negative splits for each mile. Controlling my pace is not a strength of mine, so this would be an interesting test.

Net result – much goodness. Overall average pace for the 6.22 miles was 7:49/mile. Splits for the full miles:

The run felt pretty great. The pace was surprisingly easy throughout, and I had plenty of gas left at the end. My right Achilles was a little tight at the beginning, but loosened up well. My right knee felt a little tight from the injury in my last marathon, so I may need to up the leg lifting to twice a week to see if that helps. I suspect it’s mostly in my head, but I don’t want to deal with that injury and the cho-pat strap again. Overall I’m happy with my training progress so far. There’s still the small matter of keeping that pace going for 20 more miles, but I’m convinced that will come. Plenty of time, and plenty of will.

Noticed that my shins were getting sore after running in one pair of my Gel Nimbus, so I added up the mileage and had crossed 340 miles, which is about as far as I can stretch a pair before my legs go Mel Gibson on me. I’m not exactly the lightest runner in the world, and my shoes pay the price. Ordered a new pair of Gel Nimbus and I’m eagerly awaiting their arrival. I like the Pearl Izumis so much I thought about ordering another pair of them instead, but I need some more long runs in the PIs before I’m completely sold.

"My Run" - My Thoughts

2011-04-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

Met up with an old work friend and his wife last night for dinner and to watch the one-night event screening of the movie ‘My Run’. For those not familiar with the story, it focuses on Terry Hitchcock who loses his wife to breast cancer, raises his 3 kids as a single father, and decides to run from St. Paul to Atlanta just prior to the Atlanta Olympic games to raise awareness of the issues that single parents face. To accomplish this he sets out to run 75 marathons on 75 consecutive days covering 2,000+ miles. An ambitious plan to say the least, but even more ambitious considering he is over 50, out-of-shape, has high blood pressure, and is not a runner.

This was a very emotional, remarkable film. Although the marathon of marathons is the central point of the story, I wouldn’t call this a ‘running movie’. I’ve watched ‘Running the Sahara’ and ‘Spirit of the Marathon’, which are definitely running movies and left me feeling inspired to get out and keep training and running. This movie is definitely inspirational, but not about running – more about life. The running is shown for what it is – a way to create a platform for Terry to get his message out about single parent families. He says several times during the movie and the Q&A afterwards that there was nothing fun about the running. He wasn’t properly trained and he makes no pretense otherwise. The run takes a massive toll on him physically, nearly killing him and leaving his body broken in several places. They don’t glamorize the mega-marathon, and that’s not the intent. This movie is about setting a goal, sometimes one that folks would call ‘crazy’, and giving every ounce of what you have to achieve it. This man pushed himself to a place that few would even consider going, achieved his goal, spread the message he wanted to teach, and recaptured a bit of his life and his relationship with his family along the way.

The movie itself is extremely well done, and very compelling. There are touching points throughout, both in terms of crushing sorrow and uplifting human connection. The first 10-15 minutes are heart-wrenching. Since most of the movies I see are ones to which I take my kids, the first part of the movie that deals with the loss of his wife reminded me a little of the opening sequence from Pixar’s ‘Up’. By no means do I mean to trivialize the loss his family endured by trying to equate it with a cartoon, but the emotion it invokes is very similar. When Terry’s wife passes away, there wasn’t a dry eye in the theater, mine included. However, it is that sorrow, and the manner in which it is conveyed, that makes the rest of the movie so inspiring.

Just as impressive as what Terry accomplishes is the dedication that his oldest son shows by staying with him throughout the entire run, through difficulties both physical and emotional. I don’t think there are many 20-year-olds that would have done what he did. Heroes aren’t always those most visible.

I would highly recommend seeing this movie if the chance presents itself. You certainly don’t need to be a runner to be touched by this story. We’ve all been touched by cancer, dealt with tremendous loss, felt helpless or hopeless at some point, and this is a story that shows how one man worked through all these things to do something extraordinary in the spirit of helping others. Hopefully it inspires others to find their own personal marathon.

A Movie? On a Weeknight? I'm Out of Control

2011-03-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

Meeting up with an old co-worker of mine and his wife tonight for dinner, beers, and this ....

I've been very impressed with the way they've advertised this and gotten the message out in unconventional ways, and it looks pretty interesting, so I'm going to give it a go. The guy I'm meeting for dinner started training for Tris about the same time I started training for marathons, so it should be a meal full of swim/bike/run talk. I suspect by the time we're done I'll have visions of bikes in my head. I've always got the possibility of moving into Tris in the back of my head, and I don't think it will take much of a push for it to become more than just a thought.

As for running, I need to invest in a headlamp for my early-morning and late-night runs. I have one that I have used a couple of times, but it's actually a light I bought for fishing (also early-morning, late-night), and using it running is similar to tying a car headlight to my head with a rope and a prayer. I do a lot of my running on the cart paths at a nearby golf course, but they're doing an overhaul of the course and the assorted machines are busting up the paths. After nearly stepping in a hole about a foot deep in the middle of the path a few nights ago, I've decided a light is pretty urgent. I can hurt myself well enough on flat trails in the middle of the day. Throw in darkness and potholes and I'm an emergency room waiting to happen.

Anybody have any suggestions based on personal experience? Recently saw a blogger suggestion for the Princeton Tec Quad Headlamp, which looks pretty good but gets mixed reviews on Amazon due to some plastic parts wearing out. Any others that folks would recommend?

Swimming for Japan

2011-03-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

The swimathon that my kids put together over the weekend to raise money for disaster relief in Japan was a big success. We started with a ‘carb-loading’ lunch for them (spaghetti noodles with butter and parmesan), then headed to the pool to do good for the world.

They started off strong and enthusiastic, and stuck with it until they reached their goal of 100 laps. Mom and dad chipped in for a few laps when the team got a little tired, but they rallied with a late charge and finished strong. The bickering factor was low, which is a big measure of ‘success’ for a family event these days. Everyone slept very well that night, so we’re thinking we may need to come up with more reasons to swim to wear out the kids on the weekend. They raised a total of $240 for the Red Cross, and we’re very proud. Hopefully building the foundation for a life of helping others.

In completely unrelated news, my wife and I actually went out on a date without the monkeys Saturday night, which included the movie The Lincoln Lawyer. Two big thumbs up. We’ve been pretty disappointed with many of the movies we’ve seen lately, but this one was really, really good. I had forgotten that Matthew McConaughey can actually act after all the horrible movies he’s done over the last few years. This one and The Fighter are the two movies we’ve seen fairly recently that are worth your while.

The weather over the weekend was ugly, but I managed to get in my two planned runs – 3 miles on Saturday and 6 miles on Sunday. I wasn’t feeling it when I headed out on Sunday, but I thought of several fellow bloggers who are dealing with injuries right now and would kill to be able to run, gave my brain a kick in the ass, and got after it. Really good run with very little pain at an 8:15 pace. Maybe my legs are finally deciding to play nice with the rest of my body.

My Kids Save the World

2011-03-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

Ok - perhaps a slight exaggeration.

I will readily admit that sometimes my kids drive me nuts. Conversely, I’m sure I drive them nuts as well. I know I drive my wife nuts. Ah .. the circle of life.

However, my kids both have big hearts and a strong desire to do good for the world, and they actually act on that desire to help in ways that make me very proud. With all of the coverage of the tragedy in Japan, they recently came to me and my wife wanting to know how they could help. We suggested they think of how they could use the abundance of activities to which we cart them on a daily basis to raise funds to send for relief. My son starts a twice-weekly swimming clinic this weekend, so after some creative and highly complex alternative ideas, they settled on raising money via a ‘swimathon’. They would contact friends and family and ask them to pledge a per-lap amount, up to 100 laps, and then donate the collected money to the Red Cross. Sounded like a good plan to us, so we gave them some ideas of how to spread the word and set them loose on the interwebs.

In less than a week they’ve managed to pull together a collective sponsorship of $2.00 per lap, so if they hit their 100 lap goal they will have raised $200 to help Japan recover from the devastation of the earthquake/tsunami. In their world a lap is the same as the length of the pool. When I get back to swimming for cross-training this summer I think I’ll do laps in their world.

The swimathon is tomorrow, and I’ll be in charge of the photography for the ‘event’. I love that they wanted to do this, and I really love that they acted on it and will follow through and make it happen. I could learn a little something from them about turning good intentions into reality.

Running Blog? Really? Are You Sure?

2011-03-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

Just looked at my training plan and realized I’m already in the 5^th week of my mileage-buildup plan, and I seem to have forgotten to blog about my running. Not that my tumors, and Mr. Mom adventures, and fancy new shirts aren’t all riveting, but I need to get back to some training logging and blogging to hold myself accountable.

With the exception of not making it to the gym much during week 2 while my wife was out of town, I’ve stuck to the plan fairly well. My right hip, right knee, left calf, and feet have all been pretty cooperative. I’ve got some tenderness in my right Achilles over the last couple weeks, but it’s been manageable so far with a little ice and my good friend Advil. I set goals around running, lifting (upper body), lifting (legs), and abs/core work. Here’s how it’s gone so far:

Running (Goal – follow the training plan)

Week 1: Plan (4 runs, 14 miles total) ….. Actual (4 runs, 16.12 miles total)

Week2: Plan (4 runs, 15 miles total) ….. Actual (4 runs, 14.57 miles total)

Week 3: Plan (4 runs, 16 miles total) ….. Actual (3 runs, 13.09 miles total)

Week 4: Plan (4 runs, 12 miles total) ….. Actual (4 runs, 15.34 miles total)

In week 3 I substituted 40 minutes on the stationary bike on the meanest setting I could tolerate to try and get a little cross-training in the mix. Didn’t really enjoy it much. Fresh air is my friend.

Lifting – Upper Body (Goal – 3 days a week)

Week 1: 2 days

Week 2: 1 day

Week 3: 3 days

Week 4: 3 days

Lifting – Legs (Goal – 1 day a week)

Week 1: 1 day

Week 2: 1 day

Week 3: 1 day

Week 4: 1 day

Also did lunges and my hip Physical Therapy routine on separate days in weeks 1, 3, and 4.

Abs/Core (Goal – 3 days a week)

Week 1: 2 days

Week 2: 1 day

Week 3: 2 days

Week 4: 3 days

No gold-star for hitting all my goals, but I’ve made a decent run at it. I’m having a hard time keeping my run distances as short as the plan dictates, but I’m not willing to risk another injury, so I’ll stick with the schedule. I’ve been focusing on form, and haven’t really worried about my pace. Looking at the stats it looks like I’m averaging around a 9-minute mile. I need to slow that down a bit and teach myself how to hold good form at a slower pace.

Now that the weather is warming up I’m looking forward to getting my sweat on. Let's see what you've got Mother Nature..

And you shall have Izumis, crafted from the finest Pearl

2011-03-18T05:04:00.000-07:00

Like many other runners, I likes me some new gear. While training for my first marathon I may have gotten a little out of control buying new running ‘stuff’. The downside was the associated price tag, and the property damage every time the mailman tried to cram my credit card bill into the mailbox. Fortunately, I’ve successfully rehabbed from my buying frenzy, and I emerged with a good set of gear that I liked, and seemed to do the job for me. Having not bought much gear in a long time, when I do get something new now it’s like Christmas morning. If the new gear is free, then it’s Christmas morning at the Sheen house. Crazy good times.

My good friends at Outside PR recently took on the role of Santa Claus, and sent me a package loaded with running-gear goodness from Pearl Izumi. Inside were Infinity running tights (a new category in the gear collection), an Infinity In-R-Cool long-sleeve shirt, and a pair of Pearl Izumi Syncrofloat IV running shoes.

Bricks sold separately

Pearl Izumi Synchrofloat IV

I’ve been a faithful wearer of Asics Gel Nimbus shoes for at least the past 6 years. Before that I tried several different brands, but once I got the Asics I never looked back. Admittedly, the models from the other brands weren’t their top-of-the-line models, so perhaps it was an apples to bananas comparison, but the Asics did the trick so I stuck with them. My only complaint had been that the toebox seemed to get narrower as they released new models, but the newest Nimbus 12 addressed this issue with a larger toe-box. Admittedly, I was slightly reluctant to try something new, especially with my recent history of Plantar Fasciitis, but in the interest of science I gave the Syncrofloats a go. So far so good.

Money, it's gotta be the shoes

I swapped out the insoles with my trusty Superfeet Green insoles, as I do now for all my shoes, but otherwise they are unmodified from the box. They actually feel very similar to the Gel Nimbus in terms of arch location and toebox sizing. According to the specs they are lighter than the Gel Nimbus, but I’m not fine-tuned enough to really tell the difference. They feel a little less cushioned that the Nimbus, although I’m still breaking them in so they’re a little stiff, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’m still trying to train myself to consistently run with a midfoot strike, and I get better feedback from these shoes as my foot strikes letting me know if I’m hitting midfoot or the dreaded heel.

They’re very well vented and comfortable, and work well with my mostly neutral gait. I’ve not noticed any issues with rubbing, or hotspots, and have had no hints of blisters. My longest run in them has only been 5 miles, so I’ll see if increased mileage changes anything. They run a little smaller than Asics, so I went a half-size larger than my Asics, and the fit is just right. I’ve officially added them to my usually 2-shoe rotation, and I would definitely recommend them as a good training option based on my limited experience with them.

I’ll post periodic updates once they’re fully broken-in and are being worn on longer runs. Based on the name I have to assume these also give me the ability to walk on water. Like speedy little foot-boats. I haven't tried this yet since I don't want to give away the secret and spoil my advantage. Figure I'll wait until the last couple miles of my next marathon and take a short-cut across a lake, or the Potomac River. This will no-doubt be my finest hour.

Pearl Izumi In-R-Cool LS Shirt

This was truly an unexpected surprise. I’ve got a bunch of short-sleeve technical shirts, but only 2 long-sleeve technical shirts. If the temp is 40 or above I’ll typically just go with a short sleeve shirt, and below 40 I’ll wear a short-sleeve technical shirt with a fleece shell over it. I love to sweat when I work out, but I want to earn the sweat through work, rather than being dressed too warmly. This shirt fills a nice gap as the weather warms up, but the early mornings are still a little chilly.

New shirt, new shoes, same old busted legs

I can say without a doubt this is the nicest running shirt I now own. The material is super light and crazy soft, and wicks sweat extremely well. It’s got all kinds of fancy mesh panels that keep the air flowing well, and stop you from overheating. In the pictures I intentionally wore this on a day that was too warm for it (around 60 degrees) to see how it would do with wicking and keeping me cool, and it was truly impressive. I kinda lucked out with this shirt in that the fit is almost like it’s tailor-made for me. I need to stay away from the Guinness and/or chocolate-covered pretzels or this shirt may not be looking too good wrapped around my girth. Perhaps I could call it compression-gear at that point.

What the ladies see right before they Chick me

My wife and my daughter both commented on how much they like the shirt, which is a rare double-compliment on anything that I wear. I’ll add that I think it looks good too, but that’s about as valuable as Donald Trump’s opinion on hairstyles. This shirt keeps me warm before and at the start of a run, and keeps me cool during and after, and looks/feels good throughout. I like it so much that I’m actually following the care-instructions to try and keep it alive as long as possible, which is not the way I usually operate. Bull in a China shop with my laundry habits. Shirt stink … me wash … dryer hot … grrr.

If you’re looking for a new workout shirt, and don’t mind investing a few dollars, I would highly recommend giving Pearl Izumi a try.

Yes, we are perfectly synchronized at all times. Just how we roll.

Pearl Izumi Infinity Running Tights

I’ve worn the tights a few times, but unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of me wearing them, so I’m going to hold off on posting a review just yet. What fun is posting a running-tights review if I can’t subject you to pictures of me wearing them? The first couple runs I wore shorts over them, but after reading another blog post mocking guys who wear shorts over their tights, I gave in and ran without the shorts. Have to admit I felt a little naked out there. Different, however, from the times I’ve actually run naked. Ah college ….. good times, good times.

Runs In the Family

2011-03-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

What a difference a week can make.

This time last week I was anxiously awaiting biopsy results and wanting the seemingly endless weekend to come to an end. Tonight I’m exhausted after a full weekend of landscaping, geocaching, volunteering at the Interfaith Food Shuttle, enjoying an adult beverage or two, and of course running. The weather this weekend was ridiculously nice here in NC. Warm temps and the time change have resulted in a serious case of Spring fever in the Evolving household. This time I’m sad to see the weekend come to a close.

This time last year I was a week away from my first marathon. Sometimes that seems like a long, long time ago, and other times it seems like just last week. This year I’m slowly working through a long, slow, deliberate buildup to a Fall marathon. Although I miss the regular abuse of the long training runs, the more relaxed approach gives me a chance to do this:

Yes, today was the first time both of my kids have ever run with me. Yes, I was fueled by a mixture of happiness, confusion, and a fear that it was part of a cruel practical joke. I loved every step. The kids did about 1.5 miles with me, and then I coasted through another 3 sunny miles. It was as close to a perfect run as I may have ever come.

The shirt and shoes are some new Pearl Izumi gear that my good friends from Outside PR have been kind enough to let me try. They also sent me some running tights to keep my fragile legs warm on cold winter mornings.

I’m working on a review for all the gear. So far I'll say if I were a student-athlete at BYU and loved the shirt any more I would risk being kicked off the team. It would so be worth it.

Benign is Divine

2011-03-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

That sound you hear is me exhaling after holding my breath for 5 days.

Got the call from my endocrinologist today letting me know that the tumor on my thyroid is non-cancerous. This means yearly monitoring to see what’s going on in my neck, but that beats the heck out of the alternatives. Still wondering why I have this little critter growing inside me, but in following the theme of the blog I’m choosing to believe I’m rapidly evolving. No doubt this mutation will soon reveal some sort of X-Men superpower which I’ll put to use to fight crime and rid the world of villany. I’ve already got the running tights, so it’s all finally coming together.

I am humbled and deeply moved by the comments I received when posting about this last week. The fact that so many people who I know mainly through exchanges of blog posts, comments, and the occasional email would express such concern and reassurance is truly remarkable. I started this blog mostly as a way to figure out how to stop falling apart from running, but it has become so much more meaningful than that in terms of what I put into it, and more importantly, what I get out of it. I thank you all for your support, and it won’t be forgotten when Thyroid Man is protecting you all from the evils of the world. Ok …. maybe the superhero name still needs a little work.

Wind Knocked Out

2011-03-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Survived the 5 days alone with the kids, with no bloodshed or significant drama to mention. Mrs. Evolving returned last night, and sanity has been restored. The highlight of the weekend was my son, who is more inclined to play video games than do anything outdoors, asking if he could come along with me on my Sunday run. I needed to do 4 miles, so he ran the first approximately 1.2 miles, and I dropped him at a friend's house and knocked out the rest of the run. I think it's the first time anyone from my family has ever joined me on a run, so it was a pretty big deal. Hopefully it will become a habit, but I know not to push it. We'll see if he invites himself this weekend.

As for the blog title, a mild sore throat about 3 weeks ago has evolved into an ultrasound revealing a tumor on my thyroid, with a biopsy this morning and most likely results from pathology on Monday. I'm a bit numb right now thinking of the possibilities. 2011 has not gotten off to a very good start. Should be an anxiety-filled weekend. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it head-on. Running, and blogging, will be a big part of coping, so I figured I'd lay it out here from the start. I have no intention of missing the Marine Corps Marathon, so I'm taking a cue from the marines ..... Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.

Wait ..... You're Leaving for How Long?!?!

2011-02-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

Ummm ..... this could get ugly.

Mrs. Evolving boards a plane tomorrow AM for a 5 day business trip to Florida. That leaves yours-truly at the mercy of my 2 monkeys, and their little dog. Basketball, swimming, a birthday party, jazz, piano, school, meals, dr. appt, etc., etc., all left in my spectacularly incompetent hands. Should look something like this within the first 10 minutes:

Will she return to a well-oiled familial machine, or something from the pages of Lord of the Flies? It's a coin toss right now.

Thankfully there are no cameras rolling.

Semper (freaking) Fi - Marine Corps Marathon

2011-02-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

Enough with the ‘TBD’ in the list of upcoming races. Time to get serious about running again.

As of 12:03 Eastern today I am officially registered for the Marine Corps Marathon on October 30^th. Oo-rah! Game face on? You bet:

The Eye of the ..... Lemur?

This one has been on my to-do list long before I ever got serious about the possibility of running a marathon. I grew up in a military family (Navy), spent the bulk of my youth living in the suburbs of DC, and have always felt the pull of this race. The two marathons I’ve run have both been smaller affairs (less than 3,000 runners), and I want the experience of a big ‘event’ race. I’m only planning to do one marathon this year, and this is the one.

Last marathon I kept my goals to myself until the last minute, but not this time. I’m putting them out there for the blogging world to see, and counting on my blog friends for virtual accountability and kicks in the ass as I move through my training:

Marathon 1 (3/21/10): 4:14:07

Marathon 2 (11/14/10): 3:54:22

Marathon 3 Goal (10/30/11): 3:34:00

Yep – I want to cut another 20 minutes off my PR. By my calculation that’s an 8:09 pace (yikes), so I’ve got a lot of work to do. Gotta stay healthy ….. gotta stay healthy …. gotta stay healthy.

As of this past Sunday I’ve already started ‘training’. For my last race I used the training plan from marathontraining.com, and I was generally happy with the results. I did get injured in the last 2 weeks of training, but I think I know what lead to that injury. This time around I’m going back to marathontraining.com, but in addition to the 17 week training plan, I’m also doing the 19-week ‘mileage buildup schedule’, for a total of 36 weeks of training, which started 4 days ago. Here’s the buildup schedule:

Click to Enlarge

I’m planning to follow this pretty much as-is. I’d like to add a half-marathon around the time this 19-week plan finishes, but that’s July in the South, so the options are VERY limited. If anyone has any suggestions for a June/July/early August half-marathon reasonably close to Raleigh North Carolina please let me know.

The marathon training schedule looks like this:

Again ... Click to Enlarge (that's what she said)

Last time I followed this exactly as written, including a longest long-run of 23 miles. I think this was a major contributor to my injury. I didn’t get hurt on that run, but I think it pushed me to the point where I was primed for an injury, and wasn’t able to effectively recover from that run while still following the training plan. This time around none of my long runs will exceed 20 miles. I’ll also be focusing on slowing down during these long runs. I worked on revising my stride to be more mid-foot during my last training, but I’ve found that I have a hard time slowing down while maintaining this new form. When I try to slow down, I revert to a heel strike. I’m trying to solve this riddle during the buildup plan so I can do a better job with this during the race training. I run my long runs too close to my marathon pace, and it stresses my sadly fragile body too much.

The other thing that contributed to my injury was not sticking with lower-body weight training during race training. For whatever reason, my right leg get out-of-balance strength-wise when I run regularly. I knew this from M1, knew I should be lifting legs during M2 training, but I didn’t stick with it, and I paid the price. This time, in addition to periodic lunges and hip PT exercises, I WILL lift legs at least once a week for the full 36 weeks. No excuse for not doing it. I’ll be tracking that on the blog as well, and encourage abundant virtual abuse if I start slacking.

I need to drop some weight that I accumulated while broken-down after the last race, and I’ve started working on that as well. Carrying even a little extra weight makes my knees and feet unhappy while training.

Feels good to be back on a plan, and running with a purpose, even if the race is a long way in the distance. This should be fun.

Put this week out of its misery

2011-02-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

Seriously, somebody please put a bullet in this week.

Work blows, and personal life blows, and now they've put their wonder-twin powers together ..... form of: a sore throat and headache.

However, it's currently 76 degrees in Raleigh, in the middle of February, and I'm choosing to focus entirely on that while sticking my fingers in my ears and repeatedly saying "La, la, la, la, la, ...."

Assuming that I have not contracted the plague, or monkey pox, or Bieber fever, I shall run on Sunday, and it shall be glorious. I shant be denied. Yes ... my week has been so bad that I'm reduced to using words like "shall" and "shant". Maybe it's mad-cow disease.

Planning for Training for Training for Marathon

2011-02-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

The time has come to get back into running mode.

Healing mode has been ok, and mostly successful. I got back out and ran on Sunday, and the ailments were mostly cooperative. The weather is starting to warm up, and I’ve hibernated long enough. I need a goal. I need a target. I need my Garmin and iPod and RoadID. I love the smell of Biofreeze in the morning.

I don’t have any races officially planned yet for 2011, but that should change shortly. I also haven’t chosen a training plan yet for my Fall marathon, but that’s in the works too. I’ve got some new gear patiently waiting to be thrown into action. Right now I’m backwards planning from a most-likely October race to figure out my strategy. This time around, I’m going to put together a fairly regimented base-building training plan, which will then lead directly into a roughly 18-week marathon training plan. If I’m doing the math right in my head, that means I probably need to get started before the end of February.

I’m also starting to think about some goals for Marathon 3. M1 was old-school, bare-bones, Rocky running around in the snowy mountains in Russia training. M2 was try-new-things, mix in some tempo work, cross-train (far too little), sweat-till-you -bleed training. Unfortunately I screwed up my knee pretty badly a couple weeks out from M2, but the training still seemed to have worked as I was able to knock twenty minutes off my M1 time. I know I want to knock more time off for M3, but I REALLY want to minimize my injuries this time around. Tired of hurting. Need to strike that delicate balance between pushing and breaking. Thus far I’m not very good at it.

The weather here is begging me to get out and run this weekend.

If I get my plans pulled together, I’ll be running with purpose. Good stuff.

Imma go run

2011-02-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

I’ve been a good boy. I haven’t run in 11 days, as planned, and have focused on leg/knee/hip strengthening exercises, low-impact x-training (bike, elliptical), and core strength training. Also doing my PT stretches every day, and working on my left calf to try and reverse some tenderness that popped up during my last run.

Sunday I’m planning to strap on the shoes again and see how my legs have responded to the running break.

Work has owned me for the last couple weeks, so I’m feeling the need for some running since it is my equilibrium-balancing tool. Lifting and cross-training are good, but nothing beats a good run for me.

My waistline could use a run as well, as my eating habits have been pathetic for the last month or so. Calories-in is kicking the crap out of calories-out. On Super Bowl Sunday I think the food I ate outweighed the Packers’ offensive line. Damn you Rotelle and Velveeta.

"Get in mah belly" *

* My wife got me an iPad for Christmas, and I’ve been trying to justify this extravagance by finding a use beyond mindless hours flinging Angry Birds at piles of rocks and sticks. The best I’ve come up with so far is drawing stick figures …. poorly.

Seven Deadly Evolving Secrets

2011-02-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

There are some secrets too unthinkable to be revealed. Too remarkable to comprehend. These are not those secrets.

Kittee, from Running Half Crazy, has tagged me with the ‘Stylish Blogger Award’. I’ve been called many things, but stylish is rarely on the list. Nonetheless, I would like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the original members of Menudo, and of course Chuck Norris.

According to the laws of the Stylish, I am obliged to share 7 things about myself. Here they are, in no particular order of stylishness:

I’m not ambidextrous by the strict definition of the word, but I write left handed, shoot a basketball right handed, throw a baseball/football left handed, golf right handed, bowl left handed, throw a Frisbee right-handed. Sadly, I do none of these things exceptionally well. I clap equally well with both hands.
I owe a debt of gratitude (or a debt of kick-in-the-pants) to my wife’s youngest sister and her husband for pushing me out of the nest and into the world of running marathons. I had never really considered running one until they ran one together and encouraged me to give it a try. Despite my injuries and setbacks I’m grateful for the inspiration. I’m hoping someday we can get our schedules in synch and run one together.
I’ve never been in a Turkish prison (but I enjoy quoting movies, even indirectly, much to the chagrin of my wife)
I am generally a fairly stoic individual, yet acts of kindness or perseverance through extreme adversity can reduce me to tears. It doesn’t even have to be something epic or monumental – for example, I tear up watching ‘Extreme Home Makeover’. I do this while eating nails and drinking motor oil to maintain my ‘manly’ equilibrium.
I’ve been to 46 of the 50 U.S. states. My father was in the Navy, and after college I worked in management consulting for 15 years travelling almost every week. I’m a cowboy … on a steel horse I ride.
I am deeply envious of those who can draw/paint well. I’m a fairly capable artist, if I’m duplicating somebody else’s work, but I’ve never been able to draw something well as my own creation ... yet.
I'm a fairly private and introverted person ... and yet I write a blog. I don't mind being the center of attention on occasion, especially if it includes embarrassing my kids somehow, but I definitely don't seek it out. Despite this introversion, I was Daddy Warbucks in my 3rd-grade play of Annie, and Prince Charming in my 6th-grade production of Cinderella. Even I don't understand me much of the time.

I don't think there are many out there that haven't already gotten this award, or some version of this award, but if there are, consider yourself tagged. Didn't your mothers teach you it's good to share?

The Runner's Numb

2011-02-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

We’ve all heard of the ‘Runner’s High’. We know of it, we seek it, and occasionally we reach it. I’ve been there a few times, and it’s a beautiful thing.

Describing it is difficult, especially to someone that doesn’t run. I defer to Pink Floyd for a lyric that captures it well:

“There’s no sensation to compare with this, suspended animation, a state of bliss”

Well said Mr. Floyd, or as we friends like to call him … Pink.

Injuries have become an unfortunate recurring theme in my marathon routine, and they have recalibrated the ‘high’ I seek when running. It’s actually now something that I think of as the ‘Runner’s Numb’. Fleeting running moments when nothing hurts, nothing aches, each step isn’t analyzed for issues. When my body declares a momentary truce and the sailing is smooth. Over the course of the last year or so this sensation has become increasingly rare. I’m rehabbing from a variety of leg issues right now, so it would seem this wouldn’t be the ideal ‘Numb Season’. Sunday didn’t agree.

My run started off with the usual tightness and soreness in my hip, knee, and feet, plus some tenderness in my left calf, which is a new present to me from my lower body. No sharp pain, so I kept going. I picked a loop just over 4 miles – technically longer than I should be running right now, but still within reason. At about the 3 mile mark it all clicked. The head bone connected to the foot bone, and nothing in between put up any resistance. There was even a good song on the iPod. Sweet, glorious numbness.

By the time I finished the assorted parts were angry again, but the memory from mile 3 burrowed into my brain and reminded me how it could feel. How it should feel. Much like the one good golf shot that gets you back on the course the next time despite the hundred bad ones you sprayed all over the course.

I’m backing off a little on the running to stay focused on my therapy and recovery, but it’s much easier to do this when you know you could run but make the choice to limit the running. I will not fall into the trap of running more than I should now and breaking down again. I’m not looking at a race until November, so I need to be patient. Yes, I’m trying to convince myself of this as I type. Sure hope it’s working.

Sending out some strong mojo to Chris over at BQ or Die for his marathon this weekend. I’m pulling hard for the BQ, since the alternative would significantly cut down on his blog postings, and would be messy for the race clean-up crew. You stay classy San Diego.

CSN Stores - Online Shopping Mecca

2011-01-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

There's online shopping, and then there's online shopping on steroids .... aka CSN Stores. You've probably read about CSN Stores on other blogs, and a few months back I did a giveaway on this blog for a CSN Stores gift certificate. Apparently I didn't scare them away the first time, so we're teaming up again. This time, however, I'll be ordering something for myself (or more likely for Mrs. Evolving), and posting a review of the product and the whole shopping experience. Hopefully I can manage to not get injured in the process of ordering or using the mystery product, but the betting odds point to me headed back to physical therapy.

So what is this CSN Stores? CSN Stores is an online conglomeration of over 200 stores/sites offering an incredibly broad range of products. The stores represented include luggage.com, allmodern.com, cookware.com, and bedroomfurniture.com. You can find everything from power tools, to Herman Miller chairs, to great cookware, all from the comfort of your own couch, which you can then replace with a new couch from CSN Stores. The online-shopping circle-of-life if you will.

Like this ... but with credit cards

Speaking of Herman Miller chairs, many years ago a coworker of mine, due to a chronic back condition, was issued a Herman Miller chair. He worked from home on Fridays, so I asked if I could borrow his chair on Fridays. Holy comfy. It was like work was giving my butt a hug. If one could fashion a chair out of clouds and sunshine it would have a Herman Miller label on it. Sadly, the other four days of the week I had to return to my chair made from thorn-bushes and broken dreams, only to count the hours until sweet Friday came around again.

Using the ‘Search’ feature on CSN Stores is a sight to behold. Search on ‘cooking’ and you’ll be met with 6,391 items. Perhaps you’ll be interested in a cookware set, or a new set of knives, or something both functional and sensible. Not me. I’m picturing this guy hooked up to the back of my truck with enough burgers and brats to fill Lambeau

I’d be dreaming up reasons to tailgate. Jury duty …. Fire up the tailgate grill. Parent-teacher conference …. Bubba Burgers for everyone. Sunday morning mass … never good to pray on an empty stomach. The possibilities are endless.

Perhaps you find yourself dealing with an injury or two. A search on ‘physical therapy’ returns 3,262 results. Most of my therapy sessions consist of painful stretching, followed by painful strength exercises, followed by some part of my body being subjected to electrical current. However, per my CSN search, apparently this falls into the category of Physical Therapy as well.

At least now I have a goal behind my assorted breakdowns. One day they’ll take me to the room where this thing lives, and it will be glorious.

What item will I choose for my review? Not entirely sure. Maybe something running related, or maybe something cooking related. There are almost too many possibilities. Maybe I’ll get something to help with my impending return to the world of Yoga. A search of ‘Yoga’ returns a bountiful 365 items. I’m a bit intrigued by these:

I haven’t read the description or the reviews, but clearly they allow you to do yoga on the wall, or suspended from the ceiling. Imma be getting my Namaste on Spiderman-style.

Check out CSN Stores the next time you find yourself doing some cyber-shopping. You’ll be amazed at what you can find.

Disclosure: I was asked by CSN Stores to include the hyperlink to the “Herman Miller” keyword as part of their promotion, in return for a CSN credit that I will use to order and then review a product. My lust for Herman Miller chairs is genuine, as is the fact that they are way out of my price range. Butt comfort is cruel that way. Anybody that subjects themselves to my blog on a regular basis knows that customer service is a BIG DEAL to me, so I’ll pass along my ongoing experience with CSN Stores without bias based not only on the product, but the overall shopping experience.

Chai Tea and Tai Chi

2011-01-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

Serenity now.

2011 has gotten off to a stressful start for a variety of reasons, and my hip issues have left me largely without my main personal recalibration tool, running. Actually, injuries continue to add to the overall fog of stress that permeates my personal landscape these days. I was hopeful that some time off during the holidays would cause the stresses to pack their bags and head for warmer climates, but instead they seem to have quietly rehearsed and choreographed their efforts, and met me with a Youtube-caliber stress flash-mob to start the new year. Time to fight back. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Chai Tea is something I’ve discovered in the past couple years, and it seems to have a stress-relieving effect on me. Not in a cheesy ‘International Coffee Moment’ kind of way, but more in a ‘forcing me to hit pause on my day for a couple minutes’ way. Even just a couple minutes of processing can make a world of difference in my personal and professional effectiveness. BIG fan of the Big Train brand Chai Tea, which I order from Amazon in the ‘Rodeo Clown Drum’ size container and keep in my office at work. I’ve never been a fan of hot drinks, so I was thoroughly surprised to find I like this stuff. Worth a try if you’re not a coffee drinker, which I am not. Juan Valdez and I have just never really hit it off.

I’ve never tried Tai Chi, but I thought it fit today’s motto and made for a catchy title. I have, however, tried Yoga, and I’m planning to give it another shot. I had added yoga to my routine as part of training for my last marathon, since I am brutally lacking in flexibility and thought it might help ward off injuries. Ironically, just when I was getting going with it, I had to stop because of the Plantar Fasciitis in both of my feet that was badly agitated by the calf stretching inherent in yoga. The PF hasn’t really gone away, but I think it’s minimized enough now to give yoga another shot. I’m going to ease into this slowly, to see how my hip responds, and hopefully make this a significant part of my routine while I’m not training for a specific race, and figure out how to make this a x-training activity when I do start actively training again.

I'm confident that one day I too will be able to bend over and touch my waist.

Running - Present Tense

2011-01-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

Saturday. Stretched like it was my job, threw on some serious layers, brushed the cobwebs off the Garmin, and went for a run. No big deal to some, but this was my first run since the Outer Banks Marathon on 11/14. Big deal for me.

Started off stepping gingerly and cautiously, but by the end it was all coming back to me. The start of the long road to race-ready.

This was a test-drive run for numerous reasons. First try running on my right knee since the knee-brace/tourniquet episode at the marathon. First try running on my right hip since it started complaining all the time. First try for the new iPod. First try after some minor surgery over the holidays. Generally speaking I was encouraged by the run. My knee felt a little off, but I know I need to do a lot of strength work on my knee and plan to step up the lower-body weights until the end of February. My hip was definitely tight and sore, but no sharp pain, and it felt like it was loosening up around the time I finished. I only went 2.5 miles, which was probably a little longer than I should have gone, but it really felt good to be back outside running again.

Sticking to my plan to focus on weight-training and cross-training until the end of February, and then start running more regularly. I'll probably shoot for 3 short runs a week until March, but won't push the timetable until I feel like I've done my time in the gym getting the strength up in my hip and knee. Not training for a race right now, so no need to ramp up the running and risk a setback.

Nice to actually write about running again. Healing and dealing.

Didn't See That Coming

2011-01-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

Third PT session this morning for my wonky hip, and since I've still got some soreness and tightness I figured it would be the usual routine, add some more stretches and strength moves to the routine, and go back again in about a week. Wrong.

Measured my progress in flexibility and strength (both were pretty good), did 10 min on the elliptical, ran through some lateral testing on a slide board (a sorry display of lack of coordination, but no pain), did some electrical stim on my hip, and then was asked the fairly innocuous question ... "What would you think of trying some running this weekend?"

My reaction was initially stunned silence, followed by a reaction that I would assume closely resembles asking Charlie Sheen "What would you think of inviting some porn stars to this party?". Giddyup.

I made sure we were on the same page with the definition of a short run (2-3 miles in this case), and what was acceptable in terms of sore versus pain. Net result ... tomorrow I will be attempting my first run since this:

Yep - I haven't done any running of any sort since my marathon in November, 2+ months ago. I had assumed I wouldn't be running again until mid-February at best. I don't want to get my hopes up, since this might just make my hip mad. The idea is to step up the activity since I have no sharp pain, and see if the activity resolves some of the lingering soreness/tightness. Only one way to find out.

Cautiously optimistic.

Under Pressure

2011-01-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

Great, great song. David Bowie and Queen working together to create a masterpiece, only to be sampled and forever soiled by the no talent ass-clown known as Vanilla Ice. In the interest of full disclosure I do recall dancing to “Ice, Ice Baby” during my college days, perhaps under the influence of an adult beverage or two. Oh the humanity.

However, the title above is not intended to pay homage to early-80s music. Rather, it is in reference to the wonders of sports compression, and CEP Compression Socks in particular. Most everyone, at some point in their life, has suffered an injury calling for the tried-and-true treatment regimen of RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). My history of sports injuries is unfortunately very lengthy, so I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting the art of RICE. However, until 2-3 years ago, I hadn’t yet been fully introduced to compression wear. That would change with my ill-advised unretiring from soccer in early 2009.

Starting from the age of around 7 in sunny California, I spent far too many hours on soccer fields. I was no Pele, but I was big and very fast, and was a physical defender that quickly learned how to use that big/fast combination to my advantage. Finesse was definitely not a big part of my game, which unfortunately meant that injuries (to myself and others … but mostly to myself) played a fairly major role. I appeared destined to play in college, until a traumatic full-speed tumble resulted in a grizzly shoulder dislocation that effectively ended my career in my senior year of High School. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Fast forward approximately 20 years, and I agreed to help a neighbor’s indoor men’s team fill a roster spot in a local league for one night. I hadn’t participated in an organized sport since that fateful day in High School, but like Sugar Ray Leonard, Michal Jordan, and Brett Favre (minus the sexual harassment and questionable photography/emailing habits) I would rise from the ashes of retirement to reclaim my onfield glory. Cutting to the chase, midway through the second half I pull my hamstring and go gently back into that good night of retirement. Within a couple days, however, I’m itching to get back to my regular running routine. The answer? Compression shorts. They worked wonders keeping my muscles warm and keeping the soreness to a minimum, and within about a week I was back running mostly pain-free again, and was hooked as a firm believer in the wonders of sports compression wear.

I’ve worn compression shorts on pretty much every run since the hamstring pull, and I feel a bit naked running without them. About a month into training for my first marathon, I strained my left calf. In addition to The Stick, Biofreeze, Foam Rollers, etc., I once again turned to the world of compression wear to get me back running again. This time it was calf compression sleeves by 2XU, which I wore every day during the rest of the marathon training, and wore during the race:

Training for my second marathon was all about being open-minded and trying new things to train better and hopefully stay injury-free. This also was the time I started this blog, and started following an abundance of running blogs. After reading dozens of positive reviews of compression socks, and seeing more and more people wearing them while out on my training runs, I thought I’d better jump on the train and see what all the fuss was about. Thanks to the good people at sportscompression.com, I was able to test drive a pair of CEP Run & Recover Compression Socks during the later stages of my training. I was left wishing I had gotten my hands on these much, much sooner. Two BIG thumbs up.

Rather than attempt to create the illusion that I have some personal scientific insight into the benefits of sports compression, I give you the following cut-and-paste from sportscompression.com:

Compression can and will:

reduce muscle vibration and micro trauma to muscle tissues
hold any ligaments and joint in line for improved efficiency
bring more oxygen and nutrients to any injured area
flush out lactic acid and waste in the blood stream
keep out swelling in any joint
help increase joint stability
reduce over-pronation when running
Dramatically reduce your risk of blood clots from traveling

Injuries compression is key in helping with:

Achilles injury
Shin Splints
Calf Cramps
Plantar Fasciitis
Ankle swelling
Torn muscles
Varicose Veins
Blood Clots
Ankle injuries
Fatigue

I only had one opportunity to wear the socks during a run, which was a short 5-mile outing, but they performed well and felt good during the run. The main use I got from these was after my last half-dozen or so long runs, after a ‘refreshing’ ice-bath, I’d put these on my legs and head for the couch for some well-earned recovery time. I’d wear them for a couple hours until my legs regained feeling from the ice-bath (yes, I’m resisting the urge for a lame “Ice, Ice baby” pun), take a quick shower, then put these back on for another 2-4 hours while going through my usual weekend routine. These feel great on your calves and ankles, but the biggest added bonus for me was serious compression on my feet, which provided huge relief for the Plantar Fasciitis I had (and still have to some extent) in both of my feet. Compression from toe to knee really feels great after a long run, and really cut down on soreness the following day. I had none of the calf issues/strains from my first marathon training during my second training plan, and I think the socks helped make this happen.

Finally, after I finished the second marathon I put these guys on for the ~4-hour ride home, and was pleasantly surprised that I had little discomfort on the ride, and had no issues with cramping in my lower legs. My quads were an entirely different story, but the socks couldn’t do anything about them. Damn quads.

These CEP socks are very well made, and don’t seem to have lost any of their compression strength since the first time I wore them. They are made by medi, which is the leading manufacturer of medical compression items, so they come with a wealth of knowledge and research behind their products. Added bonus … they’re based right here in my home state of North Carolina. That really has no bearing on how well they work, but I like to see Tarheels making quality products and helping us runners make it to the starting line and the finish line.

Basically, these socks really feel great, and I truly think they help me, which can be just as important as any medical/technical research into their measurable impact. My new friends at sportscompression.com, who were kind enough to provide me these socks for evaluation, have also been kind enough to pass along a code for a 15% discount to anybody placing an order on www.sportscompression.com. Just use the code BLOG15 when placing an order to receive the discount. There’s a link to the site on my blog sidebar as well. Check out the all the compression products they offer and get yourself some pressure today. Your legs will thank you.

Bad-Ass, and Not in the Good Way

2011-01-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

Interesting feedback from my last post about my posterior pain from Piriformis Syndrome. Apparently I’m one of the few runners who haven’t either dealt with this in the past, or aren’t currently dealing with some form of this issue. It’s the Voldemort of the running world. The injury-that-shall-not-be-named. I’m now part of the secret society. I even learned the secret ass-shake.

Had my first PT session yesterday to try to get the buns working again. The therapist said it doesn’t present itself as decidedly as some cases of Piriformis he’s seen, but I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. God forbid I ever came up with an easy to diagnose and easy to correct ailment. Hip strength on my right side was decidedly less than my left side, which is not surprising based on my issues. Did a little electrical stim, and went through a series of stretches I’ll be doing 2x daily for a week, at which time I’ll do another PT session and hopefully add some strengthening to the stretching. I got his blessing to do some low-impact work at the gym (bike, elliptical, etc.) as long as it’s not hurting, so I’m going to drag my sedentary self to the gym this weekend and test out the leg. Hopefully the gym is still there. It’s been a long time.

Assuming I get my assorted ailments sorted out, I’m debating what to do over the next few months when I’m not marathon training. I’ll pick back up with heavier weightlifting, which I tend to greatly reduce during a training cycle, especially in the last 2 months of the cycle. Having lifted pretty regularly for about 25 years, with some periods of pseudo-bodybuilding, I can put on muscle pretty quickly, which adds to the general unhappiness of my legs when I’m training and they have to haul around the extra weight. At the very least I’ll focus on more core and lower-body weight training, to try and get some balance back between the major leg muscles. Glutes and quads are way behind the hamstrings these days is terms of strength. I’m giving P90X some pretty serious thought, but I’ve heard from several people how brutal it is, so I’ll need to get my legs fairly healed before I dive into that. Maybe I’ll just find a monastery in the side of a hill and train to be a superhero. Maybe just become a Ninja. So many possibilities.

Run swiftly my friends.

New Year - New Pain in the Arse

2011-01-04T05:31:00.000-08:00

Literally. New pain in the ass.

Why no new posts about running in so long? Can’t post about it if you’re not doing it. My two main goals in my second marathon were to go under 4 hours, and not end up back in physical therapy. One out of two aint bad.

As I progressed in my self-directed therapy to get my knee back in working shape, I was noticing increasing soreness on a daily basis in my right hip. More accurately, I was having issues with my right butt cheek. Most accurately, now I not only am a pain in the ass, I have a pain in the ass.

Spent some quality time with my favorite orthopedist today, and it appears I’ve added piriformis syndrome to my collection of running ailments. A true pain in the ass in more ways than one, and it means I get to spend more quality time with my therapist buddy Jeff trying to get humpty dumpty back together again. I had considered another Spring marathon this year, but instead I’m going to focus on properly rehabbing my assorted leg issues, cross-training and weight training my legs throughout January and February, easing back gradually into running, and hopefully be back building a mileage base again by March as the weather warms up. Not going to let it get me down. I shall return.

Thanks to my ailments I got my lazy on in a big way to close out the year. One major upside to being out of a training cycle while on holiday vacation is lots and lots of sleep. It’s a whole different world when you’re well-rested. I haven’t gotten up before 5AM in nearly 2 months, and I’m not complaining.

In a strange twist of fate I managed to win the fantasy football title in my rookie season. I don’t think the rest of the folks in the league are very amused by this, since this is their 11^th year as a league. Apparently I earned some cosmic karma points by dragging my liquor-logged self out for my running workout the morning after the draft/drink/drunk day back in September. I owe a fair share of the glory to Jeri at JerBear Shares, whose undying confidence in Greg Jennings and the Green Bay Packers convinced me not to trade him after a rough start to the season, and he was a stud down the stretch. Another plus for the running blog world – fantasy football mojo.

I’ve been badly out of the loop in the blog world, not just in terms of posting but in terms of following. Non-cyber life got a little too hectic as the year came to a close, but I’m looking forward to catching up on my virtual friends. Planning to live vicariously through the Spring marathoners, and try to get out and spectate/volunteer at a couple of the Spring races.

Run swiftly my friends.

No Run for You

2010-12-06T06:57:00.000-08:00

I am still in my self-imposed exile from running as I work on strengthening my knee and resting my feet. Also finally dealing with some medical issues that I had been postponing out of concern that they would derail my marathon training. I definitely miss running, but not as much as I thought I would, which leads me to believe my need from some downtime was both physical and mental. Looking forward to starting the new year strong and getting back into training for some yet-to-be-decided event.

Work and life have been a bit crazy, so I've fallen far behind in terms of blog posting, and following other blogs. On the few occasions that I can reflect on this past year, where I went from never doing any race, to having completed two marathons, I try to track the tools and techniques that truly contributed to this marathon push.

Garmin - a necessary evil for me to track mileage and pace as I move along. I'm a data junkie at work, so this is right up my alley.

FuelBelt - I'm a creature of habit with running, so this allows me to fuel at my own rate and hopefully stay ahead of dehydration when it hits 100 degrees with 800% humidity in the Carolinas.

Superfeet green insoles - Kept my Plantar Fasciitis largely under control. Use them in all my shoes now.

Compression gear - started with compression shorts to help support a pulled hamstring. Added 2XU calf compression sleeves for my training for my first marathon to deal with a strained left calf. Added CEP compression socks for the last month of training for marathon 2. The socks are great for recovery after a long run, and the fact that they squeeze your feet too really seems to help with the PF issues. Added bonus in that my whole family thinks I look like a dork wearing them, which, although this is mostly correct, makes it more fun to wear them around the house.

iPod - my little musical friend. Sadly, the screen on my Nano fell victim to a major downpour while in the middle of a training run, but it still works and was there for just about every mile, including the races. Hoping to get a new one for Christmas so I can see what I'm picking to listen to.

Accelerade, Ultragen, Gu, Hammer gels - None of these things are very tasty, but they all do seem to work. Haven't had any issues with cramping other than a minor hamstring twinge around mile 23 of my first marathon. Wish these things were a little cheaper, especially the Ultragen.

Tempo runs, mid-foot strike form - Added tempo runs for M2 training, and worked on mid-foot strike during the training for M2. The tempo runs really helped to recalibrate my normal running speed at a faster pace than during M1 training. I'm still working on the mid-foot strike, but being able to do this during M2 really helped my knee to make it to the finish

Lots of other things I could list, but these were the most important and/or helpful of the bunch.

Finally, if someone approaches you to join a Fantasy Football league after you haven't watched football for about 10 years and have very little free time, run away as fast as you can. My personality is such that I am way too analytical about the whole thing, and devote way too much time to it. It's been mostly fun, but much more work than I would have expected.

Run swiftly my friends...