Category: Run

Big News/Run/Lost/Prayers

Big News

My lovely wife of (great God, has it really been that long? I may have to cut back on her meds) years, after three years of steady progress – 30 minutes of fitness a day, every day, and eating good, all day, every day – has pulled the lever, sent a registration to the Hartford Marathon, and is going to go 26.2 this October.

The only question I have is by how much she’s going to beat my marathon PR.

I’m trying to get her to blog about her experience, which is as likely to be as different from mine as night is from day. What I have in passion, she has in sheer will and dedication, so I have no doubt that each and every run in her training plan will get executed.

The upside for me? No more feeling guilty about sleeping in on Saturdays, as she’s using Saturday morning for her long run. Hot dog.

Run

Johnny Klink and I hit the road at lunch again today. The plan was a quick three-ish to the top of the Bulkey Bridge at NAVSTA Newport, but we hit the top of the bridge feeling good, feeling spring, and decided to make a quick loop instead of an out’n’back. Finished up with 4 miles at 8:20, fastest I’ve gone in a long while.

Feet didn’t freeze up on the ride home, which is huge. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been heeding my dad’s advice (I can remember it from the time I was about 8 and started running with him on) “Run on your toes!” I’m also trying to “chi”, based on what little I know from thumbing through the book at Barnes and Noble, and run circles with my feet. It seems to be working – I’ve been sore in my calves, but haven’t had the terrible morning foot pain in a couple of weeks.

Lost

AND, today was so nice that I had little option but to play two.

On the way home from work, I stopped at Burlingame State Park, just down the road from Susie’s and David’s Shelter Harbor, and did the Yellow Trail on the mountain bike.

It would have been a perfect ride, except for:

  1. Freakin’ Flat tires – luckily I had (a) spare tube and a pump; and
  2. About two miles of wrong turn

I suppose that’s not much to complain about. Weather was gorgeous. The loop around the lake’s great, at least running it counter-clockwise. The Northeast section of the trail is somewhat technical – lots of babies’ heads, roots, and more slickrock than Rhode Island, land of sod farms, is supposed to have. All sketchy stuff to do with a front tire that’s rapidly losing air.

Once you get about top-dead-center (North being top), the ride gets sweet for an XC loving guy like me – long stretches of smooth-ish singletrack, swoopy turns, and finally shifting into the big ring and flying, flying, flying! This is why I love the bike.

Prayers

Sorry to end on a downer, but there’s a couple of things to keep in your thoughts. First, Fat Cyclist’s wife is having a terrible battle with breast cancer. I cannot do anything but hope that he and his wife find strength to deal with this, and peace to accept whatever the world has to offer. I’ll quote Elden (I think that’s his name) here, on stress management:

When you’re riding hard, that’s all you can do.When you’re in the red zone, all you can think about is turning the cranks. When you’re riding down technical, exposed, twisty singletrack, that’s all you can pay attention to. Essentially, riding a bicycle can be fully absorbing – a vacation from everything.

Lastly, I am passing thoughts of find hope and peace for some friends to whom I wish I were closer.

Why I Love Trail Running


Why I Love Trail Running

Originally uploaded by billjank.

So, I’m not doing too terrible with running in April. It’s still not great – I’ll probably only hit about 30 miles for the month, but I haven’t had any foot issues, which is absolutely excellent. AND, I’ve bee riding the bike a bunch.

I snuck in a trail run at Arcadia ahead of the rain this evening. I’ve always loved the trail run, and am starting to get spoiled now that I’ve realized I don’t have to go out of my way to get in some good stumps, rocks, and mud.

My “usual” trail is just off of IH-95. You can, indeed, hear the freeway from the trail. If ever there’s been a case for the iPod during running, this is it. Start up the music, listen to the woman say “Beginning Workout”, and I may as well be miles into a wilderness area.

Nike+, by the way, works like a champ on the trail. One of the drawbacks of trail running has always been that mileage is a guess at best, especially during the summer when the foliage plays havoc with GPS. I’ve ran through puddles, run through mud, run through snow – whatever. Even though I’m using a velcro pocket on non-Nike+ shoes, I haven’t had any problems with weather and the foot-mounted transmitter.

Anyway, the grody picture above – on the way back, I was feeling my oats, and started trying to hurdle the fallen trees. It was exhilarating. I’d done a loop, cut across from the I-95 trail to the North-South trail to head back to the car. North-South is way more rocky than the I-95 trail, so I spent a decent amount of time hiking instead of running. But, when I could run, I RAN – flat out, flying. About a half-mile from the car, I headed up, up and – crap. Caught my left toe, smacked my left shin, and face-planted into the decaying leaves.

Hopped up, shook it out, and headed back to the car with a smile on my face. Nothing quite like feeling alive.

So, I’m breaking out the Scotch again

A couple of years back, I decided I was going to see what all the fuss was about and buy a decent bottle of single malt scotch. Nothing crazy expensive, just something that was recommended by a friend.

I didn’t like it, at all. Like trying to drink rubbing alcohol filtered through half-burnt wood. Blech.

But the Great State of Connecticut has driven me back to the bottle.

See, we made the unforgivable sin of using our mailing address in Connecticut when we filed our 2003 tax return, ’cause in April 2004, when we filed, we were living in Connecticut.

Somehow, that triggered the computers in the Department of Revenue Services a week or so ago, and we got a notice requesting that we pay a couple grand in tax, penalty, and interest, or provide documentation that we were not, in fact, idiots who couldn’t figure out how to file a state tax return. The fact that we filed a Partial Year Resident Connecticut tax return for Tax Year 2004 listing details of the move didn’t seem to have any bearing on the case.

So, I spent this evening digging through the final half-packed boxes of paperwork from the move (which coincided with not only a job change but also a birth), looking for evidence to substantiate our position that we aren’t idiots or criminals. I copied, typed up a nice letter explaining that “No, we aren’t idiots or criminals”, copied everything again, and have the package ready, labeled, and stamped to take down to the post office to get sent certified mail within the 30 day deadline given to us by the state.

Based on prior experience with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, I estimate that I have at least three more rounds of correspondence with them before they agree that we are neither idiots or criminals. Unfortunately, this time I do not have Navy Legal Services on my side, nor a set of official Active Duty Military orders sending me to Connecticut. No, we came here on our own volition, which likely is a check box on the “Is the filer an Idiot?” worksheet that the fine folks at the Department of Revenue Services are completing with respect to our case.

It’s not that I’ve got any objection to paying taxes. In fact, I’m actually happy to have moved to a state that charges an extortionate income tax (Connecticut) instead of a state that charges an extortionate sales tax (Texas). In Connecticut, I’ve at least got an annual reminder of what I pay for the privilege of living here, whereas with Texas I kind of had to guess. But the schools are good, the roads are decent, and the state parks are phenomenal here, so honestly, I don’t mind paying what’s due the state.

I do mind being retroactively billed under the assumption that I am a criminal or an idiot, though.

Stupid Taxes.

Oh, and I did run today – two whole miles! Yippie! The boy and I did 4+ on River Road on Saturday.

Dude

So, the postscript to yesterday was that there is also a pretty decent bruise/scrape on my upper arm. Good stuff.

I was stood up for the lunch run by everyone else. Klink claimed that he got out of a meeting late – right, he’s got “meetings” and other “work” that he claims must get “done.”

The deep bruise on the left thigh is, indeed a deep bruise. I could feel every step.

Beautiful day, indeed. The run felt good, and since there was nobody to hold me back (ha!) I went 4 and a half. Good, good run.

So, now, I’m chillin’ in Cleveland – wait, Columbus. Cannot wait to run in the morning. There’s a thunderstorm rolling through, and I’d forgotten how much I loved midwestern storms.

Tonight – wings and beer and a good night’s sleep.

Good Weekend, Good Monday

The cool thing? This post represents 11 miles, which is huge. The not-so-cool-thing? 7 days since I was last on a bike. The completely uncool thing? I cannot recall the last time I swam.

Friday

Three-ish miles on the cliffwalk with guys from work. There’s two guys on my team here at the lab. Both only a year or two out of school, both pretty fit in the rock-climber/gymnast anerobic kind of fitness, both novices as runners. Given that I’m in shape in the sense that “round” is a shape and need to get back on the wagon (not that it’s gone that far down the road), I figured I’d try to recruit these guys as running partners.

We hit the CliffWalk after work – three miles from First Beach down to Ruggles and back. Good times, good times. Jon, a EE (pronounced “Double E”, so it is proper to use ‘a’ instead of ‘an’) has a thing for jumping onto and over stuff, which is fun to watch. Weather was pretty crummy, 40’s, grey, and windy, so the walk was pretty deserted.

Saturday

That morning, I took the kids to swim class at the Y. My wife had headed down there a bit earlier, and the plan was to leave my car at the Y while we went and hunted the wily and dangerous Easter Egg. The hunt was successful – eggs were found by both boys, and no fists were thrown. Lunch and a nap for the youngest followed, and I set off to retrieve the car.

It was a bit odd doing the home-to-Y run, as I’m used to doing it the other way. But, it was nice, being that it’s downhill from our house to the Y. I think I’ll miss the Y after global warming washes it away, but it’ll be awful nice having the beach just down the street instead of a couple of miles away.

I stopped at the coffee shop as I jogged through downtown. A buddy of mine was fixing the front door (he’s a friend of the owner’s, and hangs out ther on Saturdays). I helped; we chatted. A doorknob was replaced, free coffee was offered, and I finished the jog down Route 1.

Funny postscript – sitting in church the next morning, another transplanted southerner by way of the Navy (my oldest’s got a crush on his daughter. As in the kind of 7 year old crush where the boy just wants desparately to be noticed by the girl and doesn’t realize that the girl just really isn’t that into dinosaurs or bugs) turned around before the service started, and said “Hey, I saw you running yesterday.”

“Yeah?” I answered.

He continued “Yeah, I was just heading out; we were getting ready to send off some folks who found new jobs, and I was on my way out to get ice and…” he just kind of trailed off here, in that weird kind of limbo that folks get in the south when talking about booze in the presence of the Lord. “uh, stuff”.

“Cool,” I said. “Good sendoff?”

“Yeah,” he said, happy to have someone else who speaks his language.

Monday

I’ve finally picked up running at lunchtime again. Jon B. went along again, and we added Jon K, my running buddy from last summer.

Something is in the air, for sure, ’cause for the first time in 3 springs here, there was literally no room to turn around in the men’s room/locker room in the basement of my building while we were dressing to head out. Crowded, crowded.

On the road, the day was phenomenal. Not too windy, not too cold. Which isn’t to say it was perfect – mid 40’s and on the verge of being blustry. There were a couple of legs of the run that still felt like a winter run, but there were a couple that were amazing. Jon B. ended up walking the last mile, but that’s OK. Jon K. and I offered to walk with, ’cause we’re both seriously out of shape, but B. waved us on. Only took once, ’cause it just felt good to be out.

Postscript

I think my ankle problems are a stride-related thing. I’ve gone back to being a heel striker, and I’m not sure if it’s a shoes thing, or a lazyness thing, or what. Regardless, I’m starting to wonder if maybe I shouldn’t try a pair of motion control shoes once I wear these out, or end up in too much pain to keep running again.

I’m also playing with my gait – picking back up on the “run on your toes” mantra. I watched a couple of other runners over the last couple of days, and the guys who were passing me never seemed to be touching their heels to the pavement at all, but running on the balls of their feet. Thinking about soccer last Sunday, it struck me that most of that running was ball-of-foot based. Sprinting and turning fast. Not a lot of heel there, and I felt fine Monday and Tuesday of last week.

I tried it a bit on Saturday and today, but am not sure if it’s going to take. I can only go about a quarter to a half of a mile that way. May have to look into Pose/Chi, ’cause I think that there may be the need for a total rebuild of my stride here.

Last gasp of winter

Following up on not having run:

Well, I ran on the way home. I blew off the soup supper at the church to do it (much like i bailed early on Lent this afternoon by snarfing down a chicken burrito), but I stopped at Arcadia (south) for a quick 5k on the trails.

It was fabulous.

The snow’s about all gone, and for the most part, the trail had firmed up. There was one section where the runoff was still fierce, and my shoes were completely and totally soaked at the 1K mark. No blisters – these Vasque trail runners are every bit as great as the folks at EMS claimed they would be. Plus, they shed water pretty quickly, and the virbram soles grab rock like a frat boy grabs drunk chicks.

I ran a new section of trail – a little bit closer to IH-95, but better – more singletracky, but less rocky at the same time. Can’t wait to try it on the bike.

About 500m in, I started wondering if the cottonwood were starting early this spring, but then realized that (A) I was surrounded by oak, and (B) it was snowing. Rock on – gentle snow in early spring.

The snow got decently intense while I ran – collecting on my fleece top and on the evergreens, but not really at all on the ground. I pushed on, having the fantasy I’ve always had running in the snow, pretending that the snowflakes were stars, and I was riding in the Millenium Falcon through hyperspace.

The run ended too soon – mud on my legs, and socks dripping. At home, my lovely wife had spaghetti (Barilla Super Pasta! extra protein and vitamins) and meatballs waiting. Two happy boys, a bath, and some bedtime stories later, and life is good.

Seals

Last week was my first double-digit mile week since January. I’m still walking.

I ran from the office at lunch yesterday. The run was good, but chilly. A pair of gloves was all I needed, though.

Huh. Nothing really coming out on the writing front, which is kind of a shame. I had an amazing run about two weeks ago – the first trip back to Arcadia in a long while, and I’ve been musing over it for a while, trying to figure out how to phrase the thoughts.

Essentially, what I’ve been postulating is that adversity is crucial to fully forming a human – that we’ve evolved in such a way that we do not truly function unless we are under stress. The Garden of Eden origin story tends to support this – Adam and Eve living in paradise couldn’t handle life with everything provided for them, and were forced out of the Garden.

But it’s not coming. Sorry. Spring is in the air, and it’s tough to think about adversity when there are daffodils sticking their heads out of the ground.

D’oh – Added later

So, I forgot to mention why this post was titled “Seals”.

As I’m coming back to the office after the run, I meet another runner in the basement shower of my building. We chitchat a bit about the day’s workouts, and he asked me if I saw the seals. “Nope.”

Unbeknownst to me, apparently there’s a gaggle of seals that congregate on some rocks outside of the Navy Station chow hall at low tide. Yesterday, low tide was about 11:30, so I missed the seals. It should be about 12:30 today, so I’m hoping to catch the seals during lunch. It’ll mean extending what should be 3 miles to about 4, but hey – how many people get to see seals during their lunchtime run?

Equinox

If you aren’t a regular listener, let me put in a plug for Garrison Kellior’s “Writer’s Almanac” (Available as a podcast, so you don’t have an excuse not to listen). This morning’s pean to spring was absolutely wonderful, so good that it would have brought a smile even to Jon’s face, equaled only by a national body dedicated to tracking blood donations.

But, somehow, with the equinox, it seems like things are evening out in my fitness life. The legs are feeling good, the death rattle that’s been in my lungs since the fruit of my loins brought pestilence into my home a couple of weeks ago is down to a minor inconvenience, and I feel that I’ve bested nature once again by surviving a New England winter.

Oh, and I’m running again without feeling like crap.

With a new car, I’ve been looking for little tips and tricks to reduce the mileage I drive. One of the upshots of this is that I’ve found some additional access points for Arcadia State Park, literally right off of the shortest route home. AND, yesterday, I stopped into EMS at lunch, and saw a pair of Vasque trail-runners for 30% off of 30% off. Sweet – $90 shoes for $40. I know I’ve pooh-poohed specific trail-runners in the past, but I figured that in the worst case, I could use them when hiking with the cub scouts.

So, on the way home, I stopped to crank out three on the North-South trail. There was still pretty good snow/slush pack in the forest from the storm at the end of last week, and the portion of the forest I was in was rockier than where I usually ride. So, I slogged up hill and slipped down dale – and life was good. Never before have I been so happy with running 10 minute miles.

Today – vendor meeting in the AM, offsite, and a stop by Gym 109 on the way back to the office. 3 miles on NAVSTA, holding back to keep the HR down (and hopefully the stress on the legs down). Sunny, but mid-30’s and mildly windy (as opposed to just breezy). Good run – the last mile was with the wind, so I was nice and toasty when I came back into the gym. The wind was from the north, so I was tempted just to sit in the sun in the lee of the gym and soak up rays when I finished. Ahhhh, spring.

Anyway, ladies and germs, that’s my little bit of life. Not perfect, but nothing at all to complain about. Next time I’m whining, remind me that “this, too, shall pass.”

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CRN, or the Blogging Runner’s Recreation, being a discourse of ROADS, WOODED TRAILS, RUNNERS & RUNNING

(With Apologies to Isaac Walton)

Just wanted to make a quick post. I was a slacker today – I think I pulled a muscle in my chest while coughing – it’s been hurting to raise my arm above my head for the last few days. So, I blew off heading to the gym/pool. And, it was too snowy/melty to bike today.

But tomorrow, I’m out to begin the road to Wellville – baked up some Matisse and Jack’s bars today (Yummy cranberry) thanks to Jeff’s recommendation. They’re tasty, but I think they’re going to take a little bit of liquid to chase down on the bike. I think they’re going to end up as breakfast – bar, fruit, and coffee, maybe yogurt to hit about 500 cal to get me started.

Anyway, I really wanted to do some cross-promotion here. As I’ve mentioned, I do some (not enough, I know Mark – the beatings are improving morale, though :) work for Complete Running. I finally broke out of that writing slump with what I think is a pretty decent bit on my plans for comeback.

Anyway, it’s a plug. The folks there put out consistently good information, and have done wonders to connect running bloggers. While I’m not svelte or fast, the support network that Mark and Aaron set up way back when (When? Spring 2004 is when. way back in the dark ages) has kept me running for the last three years, my longest period under 175 since I was in high school. The RBF has meant a lot to me, and these are the people who have made it happen. I’m just happy they let me rant once in a while.

In the mean time, it’s off to bed – lights out before 11 has been doing wonders for me mentally.

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