Thoughts while sitting in the sun watching the kids play.

Took a few sublime moments this morning to sit outside in the sun and read a book -To the Edge, by a NY Times reporter who attempted (ran? not quite done with the story) the famous Badwater / Death Valley ultramarathon.  While sipping coffee, reading, watching the kids play, and eventually pretending to be a mean pirate with them, I had a moment of bliss followed by a moment of awareness:   I think I am more at the fringes of society then I like to admit.  Why do I embrace endurance sports, and dream of ridiculous races and runs?  Why was my early adulthood defined primarily by wilderness travel (hiking, rock climbing, etc.) Why do I still picture our family living in a cabin and me building the furniture and tinkering with the solar panels?  This is not to say I dislike the conventional aspects of my life, but I think the realization today is that running (and distance running in particular) feeds a part of myself that needs to be fed.  


Perhaps this is all a way of saying I want to be more like my younger brother, who has always lived exactly the distance from society that he chose.  He has had the courage to eat a very alternative diet for five years (raw/live food), live in a truly "off-the-grid" house for several years, and wait very patiently for  a full time job that allows him to be outside all day.  Hmmm.


As I mentioned yesterday, I'm toying with the idea of running another 50 miler, then perhaps taking it from there to run a 100 miler.  Talking now about family implications during a year that is already going to be busy and challenging.  Again, hmmm.  


Good workout planned tomorrow but I will be superstitious and not jinx it until it's done.


New Year's resolutions / fitness goals for 2011 to follow.



TODAY (Friday, December 31, 2010)
Core, tricep, shoulder workout
10 minute run (warmup)
2 sets: 10 Turkish get-ups DB, Laying tricep extension DB, 40 weighted arm circles
2 sets: 15 straight leg raises (front, L, R), 5x10sec superman, Overhead press DB, 20 Chair dips
2 sets: 8 knee-to-elbows, Tricep kickback DB, 3-way straight arm raise DB


YESTERDAY (Thursday, December 30): REST DAY

Long rambling post / feelin' great

Tuesday, December 21:
One hour of yoga outdoors in the warm sun.

    I think this is how yoga was meant to be practiced.


Wednesday, December 22:
Running speed intervals (warmup,  4 reps x 3 min high effort with 3 min easy, cooldown - total 4.5 miles),  using the fancy new GPS/HR watch as well as new lighter running shoes ("minimalist").

    This was a great run, with an interesting realization -- that I can run much faster than I thought at just above my lactate threshold.  This run set me off on a quest to understand and learn more about heart rate-based training - seeking advice from friends (see The Blog of Sean), and checking out a whole bunch of books out from the library.  Some, such as Tim Noakes Lore of Running, try to debunk the notion of a lactate "threshold," while others (such as Friel's Triathlete's Training Bible) give methods of calculating it.  Regardless, the useful concept seems to be identifying the highest effort or heart rate that is sustainable for 20-60 minutes (depending on level of training).  It is an ephemeral concept and a slippery number to pin down, as its noninvasive measurement depends on subjectively recognizing the point JUST BEFORE WHICH you are huffing and puffing and working so hard you will have to slow down in a few minutes.  It's nice in a way to tune in to your body and situational awareness so you recognize the state of being and clues to reaching "threshold" before you actually get there.  Alternately, you pin it to heart rate (though varies by exercise modality) and pay attention to the number.  Or both.

   So, I am off to incorporate some heart rate concepts into my training.  Just as interestingly, while at the library I discovered some very cool books on training, endurance racing, and barefoot running.  Expect quasi-reviews once they are read.


Thursday, December 23:
Rest day


Friday, December 24:
Run 12 miles, 1:51 (~9:15 pace)

   This was meant to be an 18 mile run - the first 12 with friends and the last 6 alone, but I stopped after the first segment because my knee hurt.  I realize that since I started this blog a year ago there have been only two or three months where injury didn't play prominently into my training (or posting):  January, and August-September.  My injuries from last winter (neck, left wrist, and left knee) have more or less healed up, although I still favor the ulnar side of the wrist during lifting.  A few months ago I twisted my right knee somehow, so that in combination with being somewhat tight to begin with, it has been bothering me on uphills and downhills.  (Fortunately this is an atypical year for me.  I attribute the injuries to two things: not enough cycling anymore, and incorporating new workout modalities in 2009-2010).  In any case, I ended this one early to avoid the all-too-familiar injury-reinjury cycle as well as the on-again off-again training that led to poor marathon performance in May.  My plan was to re-evaluate my commitment to the marathon and potentially scale back if the knee didn't recover soon.  On the plus side, this run was easy for me and I didn't feel tired at the end.  I missed out on the chance to push the last 6 miles at my own pace, but have completed enough long runs to not worry too much about it.

   On the nutrition front, we enjoyed a traditional Italian seafood dinner with shrimp, squid soup, red snapper, and anchovy pasta.  Aside from the pasta, this was the closest thing to a "Paleo" meal that I've had.  I have to admit it was a nice meal that didn't leave me unpleasantly stuffed afterwards.

Saturday, December  25:
One hour of yoga

   This was a new workout that emphasized slow, static movements with a focus on forward bends.  Not what I was expecting, but nice.

   Christmas has always been a very family-oriented time for me (not that this is unique!).  We enjoyed the true blessings of our family - in our own house in the morning, and my parents' house in the evening.  It was amazing to bring our own children to a dinner with people with whom we have been having dinner since I was only two years older than my oldest child.  It also brought an especially interesting perspective to the passage of time, and aging, to see an old childhood friend that I hadn't seen in fifteen years!  For me, that is a long time.  The reality is that I am a lucky man, with an incredible wife, three healthy and happy children, a brother as well as many siblings by marriage, and three sets of parents that I love.   The only downside to Christmas is in the overconsumption, in the form of a literal mountain of presents.  To reveal my own inconsistency, I enjoy giving and receiving presents, but as a family we seem unable to moderate!


Sunday, December 26:
Resistance training (pullups, pushups, biceps):
  Repeat x 6 sets:
    8 x 1 pullup and 2 pushups with bars
    bicep DB (1 & 4: standing curl; 2 & 5: concentration curl; 3 & 6: static curl)
  Bonus: 5 pullups, 10 pushups, bicep DB strip set

   This was a really fun workout, with good results in terms of soreness!  I have no idea if it is more effective to extend the number of pullups by doing many small sets vs. several moderate sets, but I certainly reached near-fatigue and got a good workout.


Monday, December 27:
Run to stadium (2.5 miles)
Stadiums (x10) with 5x10 pushups between

   This has become a nice weekly routine with a good friend of mine.  The run was really nice too, as I found myself cruising along at about an 8 minute per mile pace -- a pace that was previously my top-shape cruising speed (we're talking 8 years ago) but has eluded me for quite some time.  The way I felt during this quick warm up run made me think (hope?) that this pace is somehow intrinsic, and I just haven't been able to access it.  Perhaps with more speed training, mileage, and some luck with regards to injury I will attain or surpass this as a sustainable pace once more.  First things first, though, as I have a ways to go to get there.  Currently I think my own personal sustainable pace is closer to 8:55, but I haven't done a long run alone in quite a while to put this to the test.  Hmm.

   My knee barely hurt during the run or the stadiums, so my thoughts drifted back to the marathon after this run and workout.


Tuesday, December 28:
One hour of yoga (vigorous).

   Adding yoga to my training and life has been tremendous.  I started this in the fall of 2009 through p90x, and kept up with the yoga -- for a while nearly daily, now when I can manage and far less often than I would like.    This is the closest  to meditation and expansion of awareness I have come in years.   My core is stronger than ever, and my flexibility and balance are improving.  Yoga, as well as increased resistance training/lifting, are going to be lifelong changes.

Today (Wednesday, December 28th):

8 mile run - relaxed and hilly (for Gainesville)

   Ideal weather and conditions.  This was a test run in many ways.  If my knee hurt, I was planning on giving up on the marathon.  If not, I would commit and do it.  Well, it felt ok (not perfect), and I felt great after this run, so I am going to sign up for the race immediately after this overly lengthy blog post.  To my brother-in-law who is training away (we'll call him "Yosef"), I will see you there, my friend.  To my friend with whom I am scheming about future ultramarathons, let us make the the plans and enter the arena.

COMING SOON:

Future fitness goals and New Year's resolutions.

Stay tuned for the first anniversary post of  B.D.J. Runs.

Toys and Work

I've been enjoying the holiday season and gotten a few workout-related toys.  Since my previous running/cycling watch died a slow and miserable death (not so waterproof after 5-6 years!), I have been coveting one of the new GPS watches.  I got one, aided by a surprise customer appreciation sale at the running store.  For those who care, it is the Garmin Forerunner 410; for those who don't, suffice it to say it makes an excellent gadget and early Christmas present.

After about 6 years in Mizuno running shoes I am finally trying something else as well.  Although I have many friends who are into barefoot running for various reasons, I haven't made this leap myself.  I do like the idea of lightweight and minimalist footwear, having applied this strategy to hiking in the past (I hiked about 850 miles in running shoes with my wife in 1999, and haven't really used boots since, except in snow).  So, I went and got some Saucony Progrid Kinvara shoes after seeing a nice writeup in a magazine. They certainly are light and on the first trial run I stopped noticing them after a mile or so.  Definitely requires a lighter footfall with more form-consciousness, especially on pavement, but that probably isn't a bad thing.  Will see how they do and hopefully transition them into long runs soon (not sure about February marathon).  I've only ever used three shoe models before this: Brooks Beast (when I was heavier), Saucony Grid Omni (before they redesigned and ruined it), and Mizuno Wave series.

Anyway, toys and gear aside, it has been an intense week for me.  Since this is a blog about training and a primarily physical experience, I think it is fair to say that my job has been intense on physical as well as emotional and mental planes for the last several days.  I have been up for a good part of the night the past few nights, working intensely all day, and grabbing short naps and quick workouts in between.  I am finally emerging from this tunnel, which was unpleasant but not altogether bad (in fact the feeling of satisfaction resembles getting through a workout that was unexpectedly hellish).  The bottom line, though, is that I  experienced an almost altered state of consciousness while working at least in part to serve and take care of other people (patients, in my case).  Food for thought as I work on that elusive balance in life.

Recent workouts:

short runs

indoor bike

stadiums with dumbbells in hand (10 lbs each side)

Will provide more workout detail in the future.

Next long run planned for Christmas Eve - 18 miles.

Up all night; triangles

Today was a "2-a-day" kind of day (although the last two days were nowhere close, so I guess it averages out).  I think it's a fitting start to what is going to be a bit of a grueling weekend:  up all night at work tonight (Friday), home for a few hours Saturday morning, and then working from 2-10pm tomorrow.  An 18 mile run from 5-8 Sunday morning, then several family activities and a small semi-public speaking role Sunday evening.  If this isn't good training for a 24-hour race, I don't know what is!!!

In global news: I am happy with my overall fitness, but for two nagging issues: (1) right knee bothering me more and more; (2) can't seem to get to "race weight".  As for the first, this not the knee that was injured this spring -- that has healed -- but a flareup of a more chronic bit of pain.  It doesn't fit well with my training plan, which is to push hard for several training cycles with some rest in between.  At least it only hurts going uphill, so good thing I'm in Florida.  As for the second, I seem to lack the simple discipline to not eat the multiple sweets/donuts/etc. that seem to show up every day at work.  I think if it weren't for this I would have no problem.  Discipline, anyone?

Finally, the deep thoughts section:  I have often thought of life and satisfaction as related to the classic (?) triangle of mind, body, and spirit.  In fact I think I'm doing ok with the first two and even starting to develop the third.  But there is something missing, as this triangle is so inwardly focused.  Perhaps an outwardly focused triangle along the same lines would be friends/family, work/productivity, and personal/spiritual.  (Or in a more "primitive" sense: village, food, and personal/spiritual).  Food for thought during a long run -- in many ways the ultimate in combining the three elements of the inwardly focused triangle into one experience.

Today: Run 4 miles (am), lift - pullups (20 total), biceps (DB), triceps (DB, dips), pushups, ab/core, shoulder (DB)
Wed & Thu: nothing (blech)
Tues: run 4 miles
Mon: Stadiums

Been a long time / notebook change

Well, my friends, the thoughts haven't stopped coming even thought I haven't written them down for a while.  There has actually been a lot going on over the last few weeks.  I turned 35 ("halfway through," as an acquaintance told me -- I thought she meant life but it turns out she was only talking about the decade).  We traveled with family for Thanksgiving, and came back to a busy week at work.  As is often the case we feel behind on Christmas planning, shopping, and decorating before even having gotten started.  How does one stay sane in these crazy times?

Running.

My first training arc for the upcoming marathon is complete, with 12, 14, and 16 milers on subsequent wekeends.  My knee took a bit of a beating, although I attribute that to a single trail run more than anything else.  However, after a week of relative rest I felt pretty good running today.  In fact, I felt great since the weather was 65 and sunny in December!  I will do an 18 miler next weekend, rest a week, then push for several weeks into the 20-22 mile range.

My latest long-ish (16 mile) training run was with my brother in law Joe, on the McQueen Island Trail in Georgia (near Savannah).   This was an excellent run, with perfect weather (high 40's, dry and sunny), nice scenery, and a straight flat course that allowed one to concentrate on the conversation and the running.  The nice part for me was thinking back to a nearly identical run on the same trail exactly 9 years and 3 days prior - Thanksgiving weekend 2001, when we first started going to Savannah on a regular basis.  So much has changed, but so little has as well --  though for one thing I've slowed down quite a bit over nearly a decade!  As I mentioned in the last blog, my two little green notebooks span 12 years of running (and a few other activities).  Today I faced the inevitable and bought two new notebooks as close to the old ones as I could find.  I went through my monthly ritual of drawing columns for date, pulse, weight, activity, distance/time, and notes -- a new chapter, in running, or training, or life.

Making tentative plans with a friend to train for a 50 miler with the goal of bridging to 100 miler  in the next few years.  More later.

Workout Sampler since last post:
Yoga
Mixed lifting with 15 and 30 pound dumbbells I spotted in my mother-in-law's yard.
14 and 16 mile training run
Stadium work
Short runs.