Rebound

I went out for a 42 minute run today. I'll call it 8 miles. We got about 8" of snow in Burlington, so the challenge was in finding clear terrain. I ended up doing loops of various little neighborhoods between work and Lake Champlain.

Usually I hate repetitive loops, twists and turns, but today was different because I felt great out there. The legs were good and rested, and my head was in the game. It helped that it was a clear, bluebird day, and the fresh layer of snow was still pristine, but I think the fact that I was three days removed from air travel helped me even more. I'm convinced that air travel shortens lifespans, but that's another story.

Anyway, I'm psyched with the run today. I have to get one longish run in this weekend, and then I'm off to China for 2 weeks. China means no real running, so I'm starting to get a little nervous about my marathon prep. Based on my schedule alone, I won't start training in earnest until mid-March. Who knows, maybe that will be a good thing.

Running = Running.

So, I finally got out on the road today after a 10 day haitus. Sure, during that time off I did a couple of extreme (read: scary, but cool) hikes in the Alta, UT backcountry, a skate-skiing jaunt, and lots of skiing at altitude, but none of those things are running. And today, I felt what that means.

(I should also mention that I spent 4 days in Vegas. I had one final redeeming Alta day after Vegas and before returning home, and I did my best to "knock the Vegas out of me," but I think Vegas damage stays with you.)

What I learned is that although cross-training activities will keep you fit during off-days/weeks/months, they really are no substitute for running. I eaked out 33 minutes today, and none of it was fun. I checked my watch way too often. I didn't add on an extra loop. It wasn't that I was in pain or fatigued, I was just out of it. It was an interesting observation to me -- Despite keeping (mostly) keeping up with on the exercise front, I lost an edge on the mental side of running.

Who knew you had to exercise your mind to run well?

Seaside Eleven

Sunday, we visited PR and his family and I stepped out for a run of 11.25 miles. I covered the distance in 1:40. I stopped at the turn-around for about 5 minutes to stretch and eat a Cliff Bar. My legs were sore from the previous day's, hilly trek. Yesterday's run was fairly tame, mostly flat, but the scenery was beautiful -- through sea side woods with some spectacular views of the ocean as well as some amazing real estate. It was a new run for me in a new place

I'm approaching this training a little differently. My body and my mind are different than they were nearly four years ago when I last trained for a 'thon. I'll walk a bit if I feel like it -- though not much, 30-40 second intervals to swig some Gatorade -- I'll stop for a bit at the turn around to charge up, stretch, whatever. I'm eating more when I run too -- I went out light yesterday, but I carried a pair of Cliff's, 24 ozs of Gatorade, and my cell phone.

I read Ultra Marathon Man by Dean Karnazes last fall, and while he's running ultras, that book really hammered home that you need to put in calories as you take them out. My ankle was killing me afterwards, and I jammed it up a bit while stepping off the road to let a car pass -- it sank in some soft pine needles. The injury is another thing I'm watching, and something that makes this training different. My ankle hurts, and my calf above the ankle hurts -- almost like there's a compensation injury brewing . . . I really focus on my stride and try to keep it the same on both legs, but a bio-mechanics expert I'm not. I'm going to do some stretching today of my legs and my ankle and hope to work it out.

A thing that was hammered home on yesterday's run was how important the in-between runs are. I noticed that in previous weeks I'm not as sore post-long-run when I do the weekday runs as I am today having missed the two short ones this past week. I missed them largely because of weather, so it's not like I was lazing, but it's important to run them. It's all about the process, embrace the process.

Finally, towards that end, I'm also going to try and write more about the process, and the details. We get a lot of visitors to this site, not just us, and I think that it will be interesting to see if they stick longer and comment more if we include more nitty-gritty and info-share. It might be cool to see the conversation expanded in the comments and help to make this thing even more useful than just a motivator -- it is web 2.0 after all.

South Shore Six, Sort Of

We went out and visited family this afternoon and I ducked out just after arrival for a quick trot through the scenic South Shore. The goal was to do 6, I got in about 5.5 in about 45. It was actually pretty hilly with some good climbs -- one in particular was quite long. My turnaround was a bridge over the North River -- it was beautiful. The sun was setting and the river was glass calm with just the tiniest eddies as the slack tide turned and the water was starting to flow back into the river.

I've got to do a half tomorrow . . . so, I'm going to map that route and kick it to bed. Sleep is one thing I've not been getting enough of in this training regimen, I'm eating well, not drinking very much booze, the running is working itself out but I'm not sleeping enough. I need to change that.

Not Exactly Alta

I did 6.12 miles today in a time that I'm not real sure about -- I need to get my stopwatch working again. Yesterday was one of the worst weather days that I remember in a long time so I nixed running in he torrential down pours.

Here's my course. Note the elevation changes that I endured, today -- not exactly Alta, but you get the picture. Yes, I started at 193 ft above sea level and I actually climbed all the way to 215 ft above sea level after dipping down to 144 ft. This is not for the faint of heart.



While the elevation is not that huge, I have to admit that there are times when I wonder why I feel that I'm working -- the elevation chart shows me some of the reason, there seem to be many false flats. That said, I'm not sure how accurate the elevation tracker is -- I actually finish beyond and above my house but the end elevation seems to be lower than my start. Finally, Mrs. A gave me a nice reflective harness for Valentine's Day that signifies to me that she wants me to be around a bit longer. I wore it out tonight at dusk/early evening, and it was comfortable, and very visible (I think).

High Altitude

I'm taking a break from running, but still getting some solid exercise in. The family and I are in Alta for a week, staying with Mrs. VTR's folks at their slopeside cabin. I was lucky to be able to combine a vacation with some work stuff that I'm doing in Vegas next week. It's nice when business and pleasure intersect in such a fun way.

Anyway, the place we're staying at is at 9,800 feet, so I'm doing high altitude training. We're hiking and skiing all day, and I'll be honest it's kicking my butt. My hope is that I'll be able to run like a crazy man when I get back closer to sea level next week. I'll see if I can post some pictures over the next few days. It's spectacular out here.

Quick post

The week is already getting away from me, so I'm checking in to document my training over the weekend. I had lots of pseudo-deep thoughts to accompany the post, but those will have to wait for another time.

I ran my local 10.5 mile loop (which I just found out was more like 10.8 -- nice!) on Saturday morning. There were two cool things about this run. First, I was running into a snow squal. When I started out it was a clear, calm day. By the time I was 30 minutes in, I could see white-out conditions on the mountain range above me, which happened to be right where I was heading. It was very cool knowing that I was out there doing the loop as a storm was closing in, that I would be running into the storm, and that it didn't matter at all. What mattered was getting the run in. I felt all hard core, albeit in a "I'm approaching 37 years old and not at all hard core" kind of way. Still, it felt good.

The second notable thing about the run was that I saw two moose (yes, moose) during the run. I was running along a not so well traveled section of road when a momma moose and her calf ambled out over the snowbank and into the road about 25 yards in front of me. They didn't even break stride to get over the four foot high banks. At first, I thought they were horses -- they were that big. They got into the road, loaped down the street for about 20 yards and then darted back into the woods and up a hill. I've never seen a moose in VT. It was awesome. My second thought after seeing the moose was, "I sure hope this Burton thing works out because I can never move away from this place." (My first thought was, "Holy sh*t!") I mean how can you beat being out for a run on a dirt road in the woods two miles from your house and seeing moose? It was awesome.

So, back to the run. I did the 10.8 in about 1:35, including three one minute walk breaks to get me through. On Sunday, I did a half hour snowshoe up a slope near my house and snowboarded down the trail. Now that was totally cool. I have to get more into the back country thing. Tonight, I played some really crappy, sloppy hockey, but it still counts as a workout. Tomorrow, I hope to get back on the running kick for probably a three miler before we head out to Alta on Wednesday.

Looking back on this post, I feel like I'm in a good spot. The variety of activities feels really good right now. The crazy snow we're getting up here doesn't hurt either.

(So much for my "quick post.")

Is That All?

So, I went out for my scheduled eight miler yesterday. I wasn't too amped about it, it was drizzling and cold, and I didn't go to bed early enough on Saturday night, but I went anyway.

As I ran along, it got rainier, and darker, and colder. I was soaked by three miles and considering turning around and just doing a 10K. I carried on. As I got to the point on the run that's about far from home as possible the weather went crazy. The rain poured down, the wind whipped, the sky got even darker and I was thinking to myself "OK, it's all good, I'm chalking up Karma Points for later."

Then, the next thing I knew, the sun broke through, the rain stopped and the wind calmed down. I started thinking to myself that the running karma points are pretty parsimoniously distributed if all I'm going to get out of them is that the back half of my run is dryer and less windy . . . is that all? Apparently that was all I was going to get. The rest of the run was pretty uneventful and I did it much more quickly than I did the first time I ran that distance (72 minutes, versus 88). Of my three long runs so far, I've run in a big snowfall and some funky, weird weather (yesterday was one of the weirdest weather days, ever -- rain, snow, thunder, wind. I'm looking forward to some nice spring days, that's for sure.

Slipping Away

I got out for 4 today. I had intended to go for 10K, but the day sort of slipped away from me. I cooked like a madman through the first part of the day and then a birthday party popped up that we knew about but had forgotten, so I hung out with Child Two and before I knew it it was 5 PM. It was snowy and sort of slippery but not too bad. There were many runners out at the same time and that was sort of cool. I passed a guy going in the opposite direction from him and followed his foot prints for about a mile or so. There were lots of other footprints and it was fun to compare the different stride lengths. I reeled in a guy today about 1.5 into my run and that felt pretty good. I don't know if he was one mile into a three, or 18 into a 20, but I moved by him pretty easily -- it's the little victories in life. Eight tomorrow . . .

Friday Trot

I got out this evening after a phone chat with VTR -- thanks for the call it was good to catch up. I was in my gear, ready to walk out the door and we joked about how VTR could be my excuse to bail, but it was my first day back after Sunday, it felt good and I was jonesing to get out. I went hard and did 3.2 in about 26. The footing was a bit tricky, but not bad. I ran past an accident -- there were police blocking the street and a couple of ambulances . . . I don't really know what happened but it was a big deal, obviously, since half the town's PD was on the scene.

A hard slog

I had no intention of running today, but I needed a jolt to keep my day rolling. Seeing some sun in the sky inspired me to suck it up and get out. I ran for 43:29 and figure it was somewhere around five miles, if that.

Half of the run was on an unplowed bike path, which made it tough going. I figure that tough is good at this stage. Imagine how much easier running this spring will be compared to plowing through such bad footing now. (At least that's what I tell myself.)

My main takeaway from today, though, wasn't about the benefits of training in slush. What stuck with me was the fact that I was out there, that I needed to be out there today. I think that after a long layoff, I've finally turned a corner. I'm into running again. A renewed running addiction is right around the corner. I hope.

Dreadmill

My lunchtime run plans were thwarted by the weather yesterday. We got about 12" of snow over the past 36 hours. I still wanted to do a couple of miles, so I hit the gym after work, and I can unequivically say that I hate the treadmill. My gym is kind of on the swanky side with solo TV's on every machine, top of the line equipment, heartrate monitors, the works. It didn't matter. Running and going nowhere is simply not my idea of fun.

I started with a plan to do 6 miles, but quickly realized I wouldn't make it that far and scaled back to a 5K. The only way I finished that distance was by turning off the tube, zoning out, and imagining past races. I put in an aggressive pace to get through the grind as quickly as possible, so I guess I'd chalk this up as a speed workout.

I definitely respect those who have to use the treadmill for training because it's not easy, but at the same time I think treadmillers are completely missing out on the best parts of the sport -- physically and mentally going somewhere. I'll take my snow and ice over climate control any day.

Later boys.

Viral training

Nope, this isn't a post about picking up one of the many illnesses that run through pre-school on a weekly basis. You've been there, so there's no need to waste space on that here.

This post is about the way that enthusiasm for running (or any exercise) can spread virally once you take the leap and call yourself a runner. Just tonight, I was talking to a friend of Mrs. VTR who knows I'm running the Vermont City Marathon in May. She will also be running the race (her first marathon), so we tend to trade training stories whenever we cross paths. Tonight, she called because she just signed up for the Run Vermont 13.1 Half Marathon Unplugged race in April. The funny thing is that I saw this race last week, but totally whimped out and didn't sign up. I had forgotten about it until she called. I just got off the site, and I'm now in and officially registered. The race is on April 5. Here's the link if anyone's interested:
http://www.runvermont.org/events/halfmarathon.html

As much time as we spend alone on the roads, we are part of a community of runners. The more I run, the more I learn about running, the more apt I am to identify myself as part of the club and feel connected to it. So, keep on running LDT-ers. Join the club.

Wet 5K

I ran 3.2 at lunch today. The weather looked bad, but it was actually mild. Roads/sidewalks were puddle-filled and slick, but I was glad to get the miles in. Felt good.

Endurance Event

Below is a sampling of the 2008 Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh, NC. Run two miles. Get a dozen donuts. Eat them all. Run back to the start/finish line. Do it in one hour or less. How exactly does one train for this?



I found this on a site that I've been following off an on for a while -- Big Arm Woman.

I need to get out today, but the weather is nasty . . .

Nullified

I did 5 on Saturday in about 42. I did 10.12 on Sunday in 90.

I was happy with both performances until about 10 PM last night when that crushing Pats loss just nullified my feelings of accomplishment. I seriously could not sleep post XLII . . . but I got in some great mileage.

Super 8

At least one thing about yesterday was super -- my 8 mile run in the afternoon. My training plan called for a 12 miler, but the day got away from me a bit, so I only had time for an hour. I did an out and back route from my house, and loved it. There's been a lot going on at work lately, so I used my time on the road to work things out. I got inspired, came up with a plan, and lost track of time. Very cool.

On the running/training side, it felt great to get in a longer run. I came in faster than I went out, and I felt pretty strong. Not as fast as I'd like to be, but I'm easing into the schedule and enjoying the process.

Here are the stats:
8 miles
1:09 hours (34:28 out, 33:35 back)
8:37 pace

Calling you out

So, it's the end of January when even the thought of slogging along in the cold sucks. This is the time that we need to be posting even the smallest victories over lethargy. LDT is about motivation through shared experiences. So, how about some posts?

Let's go LDT-ers. It's 2008, and we're 15 years removed from HC. It's time to put it into gear. I'm not going to be the guy who gets mistaken for Class of '83 this May...will you?