Just a quick posting today since I had such a long one yesterday.
First, I would encourage you to check out Jason’s race report from the Richmond Marathon over at his site Jason’s Running Diary . This was his first marathon and it sounded like it went pretty well.
I was getting my logistics squared away for the Green Valley Turkey Trot next Thursday (getting directions from Google maps, thinking about the time of the race, driving distance, etc) and discovered that it is not a 5K but in fact a nice 5 mile run. That makes me pretty happy because it’ll give me a shot at breaking my time from the Zoo Zoom. A 5K would have been nice so I could test my speed a little more, but 5 miles will give me a bigger appetite come Thanksgiving dinner later in the day.
My right leg is feeling better today. It’s still a little tender, but I think it should be just fine for running tonight. While my quads were hurting the afternoon after the race, my right calf really didn’t start hurting until Monday morning. But it got better throughout the day and this morning it was just the slightest bit tight. I think some light stretching after my warm up tonight before the actual run will take care of any lingering tightness.
The lesson from this minor injury is to get to the race earlier next week so I have plenty of time to jog a little, stretch thoroughly and then jog to keep my muscles loose before the race. That’s probably even truer when it’s cold outside. All things considered, I count myself lucky to have only a slight twinge of my right quad and calf. At this point, I’m about 90% and I think that the running will actually help the healing. No worries here.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Zoo Zoom 2007 Race Report
As promised, below is my race report for the Baltimore Zoo Zoom 2007.
The race was slated to begin at 8 AM at the Maryland Zoo, which is in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. While the park is very nice, it’s in a bad part of Baltimore and can be a dangerous place at night. However, at 8 AM on a Sunday all the crazies are still asleep.
Packet pickup for the race was being held the day before at Falls Road Running in Mt. Washington. It coincided with the huge post-marathon tent sale, so I made a little trip of it. I picked up my race packet, which included a nice long-sleeved t-shirt and some information about the zoo, etc. There is an adopt-an-animal program where for $20 you can adopt your choice of a zoo animal (like a lion or an arctic fox, etc). I think I might do that as part of Annie’s Christmas gift for something different.
Anyway, while I was there, I bought a new pair of running shorts to replace the two pair from Target that I absolutely hated (see my previous post from last Wednesday). I got these shorts at 40% off and they’re New Balance, so they’re great quality. I also bought a Brooks long-sleeved running shirt for 20% off. I have a ¾ length shirt that I bought at the Baltimore Marathon’s Health and Fitness Expo back in October, but it’s a little thinner than I am comfortable with wearing when it’s below 50 degrees. My new short is thicker, but still a technical shirt, so it breathes well. I also bought two Clif Bars: Chocolate Brownie for Annie and Blueberry Crisp for me.
So, Sunday morning I woke up around 6:45 to give myself plenty of time to wake up and get dressed, etc before leaving for the zoo. I spent a good deal of time the night before getting my stuff together and thinking about what I wanted to wear for the cold weather. I’m glad I did so much research because I ended up being just right for the run.
I ended up wearing shorts and my long sleeved shirt, along with a fleece to the race. It was hovering around 35 degrees at that point, so I was worried I’d be too cold. But I got there a little late because I got all the way to my car in the parking garage only to realize I had forgotten my race bib on the couch. So I went back up and got it and then headed out. I parked and got situated by about 7:45 AM, which was about 15 minutes later than I had aimed for initially. I put on my gloves that I had gotten in the Baltimore Running Festival race pack, along with a knit toboggan to cover my ears. Of all the warm clothing I wore, I think the hat made me feel the warmest since it kept my ears warm and my head covered.
As soon as I walked into the zoo, race volunteers were calling for people to line up and get ready to go. I didn’t have a good chance to warm up my muscles, so I was concerned about injuring myself like I did after the Run to Cooperstown back in July. I stretched as best I could and before I knew it, the horn sounded and we were off!
The course wound through the park for about 2.5 miles I estimate, before going through the zoo. I estimate because there weren’t any mile markers on the course so aside from my stopwatch on my watch and the assumption that I was running around 9:00 min miles, I had no idea how far I was from the end. I hope they fix that for next year’s race.
After what I guess was about a mile, we hit a water station, however it was so early in the race, I wasn’t thirsty and didn’t stop, thinking that I’d hit the next one, which I assumed would be around 3 miles or so. Wrong! That was the only stop on the entire course! If this race had been in August, people would have been in danger. As it was 38 degrees, it wasn’t so bad, but still annoying not to have anything to drink. I had even brought my own water bottle of Gatorade but had left it in the Jeep because I figured they’d have at least two water stations on a 5 mile course.
I enjoyed the course itself. It was very hilly by my standards and offered a lot of nice scenery to take my mind off the burning in my quads from the hills. I stuck to a basic strategy throughout the race: pick up the speed a little on the straight and level portions, slow down and take smaller strides on the hills, and let my momentum carry me down the down slopes without losing control of my pace and risking injury. It seemed to work fairly well, although I think I could have pushed the level running a tad more. However, the short strides really helped my hill running. There was one hill that nearly killed me and I had to stop and walk for about 20 seconds before starting down again, but that was the toughest part of the course, I think.
The second half of the course wound through the Maryland Zoo, which was cool. We ran through the “Africa” section, although most of the paddocks were empty and the animals had been brought inside. I guess it doesn’t get down to 38 degrees in too many parts of Africa. We did run past the cheetah, however, which was cool. He looked really confused at all the possible prey running past him for no good reason. We also ran by the penguin habitat. They were just looking at us with confused looks as well. After we ran through Africa, I could hear this woman behind me complaining to everyone about how crappy the race was. I could tell from her tone that she was a real experienced runner (know-it-all complaining voice “I could put a 5K together with this many people running without any problems!” etc). She was pissed too, because apparently she had run the wrong way at one point on the course, which cost her a bunch of time. She was cursing up a storm too, which while I support (I curse up a storm when I’m angry too), she was doing it around parents running with their kids, which I do not condone. In the end, it’s just a 5-mile race through a zoo so lighten up and shut your mouth. Honestly. Don’t ruin it for everyone else because you were born with your head up your ass.
I can understand being angry about the lack of water, signage, and knowledgeable volunteers, but just suck it up and shut up. Run your race and try to enjoy yourself. She sped past me and went off cursing and complaining, presumably to the finish line where she undoubtedly bitched out someone else. When you get that angry about a hobby, it’s time to take a step back and relax. Isn’t this supposed to be fun?
Before long, I could hear people cheering and knew I was getting close to the finish line. It snuck up on me, actually, as I got into the zone of progressively catching up to runners in front of me. Some of them I just couldn’t catch, of course, but the exercise helped to pass the miles. I gave a good kick to the finish and crossed in 45:58 according to the clock, but my watch said 45:45, which I accept as more accurate since I was in the back of the starting pack and assumed the starting line (again, no starting line was delineated) to be about 25 yards in front of me. That works out to about a 9:09 pace, which is pretty good for not knowing where I was on the course or how fast I was running at any given mile.
Afterwards, they were giving out water so I took two bottles and made my way to swag tent. They had bagels, cheese, donuts and bananas available. They also had this energy drink from Coke available. It was carbonated and had some berry flavor to it, but it tasted horrible and I threw my can away. Don Pablo’s was a sponsor of the race and was hading out free nachos with either cheese or chili sauce along with Amstel Light beer. I got myself some nachos with cheese but no beer since it would have made me feel gross. After resting for about 15 minutes and watching other people cross the finish line, I headed back to the Jeep.
Overall, this was not a bad race. I liked the course and the weather worked out well. I think mid-November is a good time for a wintry race because the chances of bad weather are fairly even (as compared with December or later). It was a pretty well attended race, although I think it was bigger in years past. This year, 435 people participated. I also liked the nachos at the end. However, the lack of a clearly marked course, lack of mileage signs, and only one water station on the course were major detractors. Next year I think I will have to make sure those problems have been fixed before I register to run it again.
So, with my clock time of 45:58, I came in 201st place out of 435, which puts me in the 46th percentile. Better than 50% is always a plus for me. I finished 13th of the 30 men in my age division, putting me in the 42nd percentile there.
I’m pleased with that result since it was my longest race to date and I had no idea what my pace was. Perhaps if I had known, I could have picked it up at certain spots. But I’m happy to have gotten solidly under the 10:00 min mark.
My next race is next Thursday at the Green Valley North Turkey Trot, where I plan to break out my long sleeved shirt, gloves and toboggan again and try to break 26 minutes!
For now, I am resting, as my calves and quads are sore today. They should be fine by tomorrow so I can get back to the gym without any interruption.
The race was slated to begin at 8 AM at the Maryland Zoo, which is in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. While the park is very nice, it’s in a bad part of Baltimore and can be a dangerous place at night. However, at 8 AM on a Sunday all the crazies are still asleep.
Packet pickup for the race was being held the day before at Falls Road Running in Mt. Washington. It coincided with the huge post-marathon tent sale, so I made a little trip of it. I picked up my race packet, which included a nice long-sleeved t-shirt and some information about the zoo, etc. There is an adopt-an-animal program where for $20 you can adopt your choice of a zoo animal (like a lion or an arctic fox, etc). I think I might do that as part of Annie’s Christmas gift for something different.
Anyway, while I was there, I bought a new pair of running shorts to replace the two pair from Target that I absolutely hated (see my previous post from last Wednesday). I got these shorts at 40% off and they’re New Balance, so they’re great quality. I also bought a Brooks long-sleeved running shirt for 20% off. I have a ¾ length shirt that I bought at the Baltimore Marathon’s Health and Fitness Expo back in October, but it’s a little thinner than I am comfortable with wearing when it’s below 50 degrees. My new short is thicker, but still a technical shirt, so it breathes well. I also bought two Clif Bars: Chocolate Brownie for Annie and Blueberry Crisp for me.
So, Sunday morning I woke up around 6:45 to give myself plenty of time to wake up and get dressed, etc before leaving for the zoo. I spent a good deal of time the night before getting my stuff together and thinking about what I wanted to wear for the cold weather. I’m glad I did so much research because I ended up being just right for the run.
I ended up wearing shorts and my long sleeved shirt, along with a fleece to the race. It was hovering around 35 degrees at that point, so I was worried I’d be too cold. But I got there a little late because I got all the way to my car in the parking garage only to realize I had forgotten my race bib on the couch. So I went back up and got it and then headed out. I parked and got situated by about 7:45 AM, which was about 15 minutes later than I had aimed for initially. I put on my gloves that I had gotten in the Baltimore Running Festival race pack, along with a knit toboggan to cover my ears. Of all the warm clothing I wore, I think the hat made me feel the warmest since it kept my ears warm and my head covered.
As soon as I walked into the zoo, race volunteers were calling for people to line up and get ready to go. I didn’t have a good chance to warm up my muscles, so I was concerned about injuring myself like I did after the Run to Cooperstown back in July. I stretched as best I could and before I knew it, the horn sounded and we were off!
The course wound through the park for about 2.5 miles I estimate, before going through the zoo. I estimate because there weren’t any mile markers on the course so aside from my stopwatch on my watch and the assumption that I was running around 9:00 min miles, I had no idea how far I was from the end. I hope they fix that for next year’s race.
After what I guess was about a mile, we hit a water station, however it was so early in the race, I wasn’t thirsty and didn’t stop, thinking that I’d hit the next one, which I assumed would be around 3 miles or so. Wrong! That was the only stop on the entire course! If this race had been in August, people would have been in danger. As it was 38 degrees, it wasn’t so bad, but still annoying not to have anything to drink. I had even brought my own water bottle of Gatorade but had left it in the Jeep because I figured they’d have at least two water stations on a 5 mile course.
I enjoyed the course itself. It was very hilly by my standards and offered a lot of nice scenery to take my mind off the burning in my quads from the hills. I stuck to a basic strategy throughout the race: pick up the speed a little on the straight and level portions, slow down and take smaller strides on the hills, and let my momentum carry me down the down slopes without losing control of my pace and risking injury. It seemed to work fairly well, although I think I could have pushed the level running a tad more. However, the short strides really helped my hill running. There was one hill that nearly killed me and I had to stop and walk for about 20 seconds before starting down again, but that was the toughest part of the course, I think.
The second half of the course wound through the Maryland Zoo, which was cool. We ran through the “Africa” section, although most of the paddocks were empty and the animals had been brought inside. I guess it doesn’t get down to 38 degrees in too many parts of Africa. We did run past the cheetah, however, which was cool. He looked really confused at all the possible prey running past him for no good reason. We also ran by the penguin habitat. They were just looking at us with confused looks as well. After we ran through Africa, I could hear this woman behind me complaining to everyone about how crappy the race was. I could tell from her tone that she was a real experienced runner (know-it-all complaining voice “I could put a 5K together with this many people running without any problems!” etc). She was pissed too, because apparently she had run the wrong way at one point on the course, which cost her a bunch of time. She was cursing up a storm too, which while I support (I curse up a storm when I’m angry too), she was doing it around parents running with their kids, which I do not condone. In the end, it’s just a 5-mile race through a zoo so lighten up and shut your mouth. Honestly. Don’t ruin it for everyone else because you were born with your head up your ass.
I can understand being angry about the lack of water, signage, and knowledgeable volunteers, but just suck it up and shut up. Run your race and try to enjoy yourself. She sped past me and went off cursing and complaining, presumably to the finish line where she undoubtedly bitched out someone else. When you get that angry about a hobby, it’s time to take a step back and relax. Isn’t this supposed to be fun?
Before long, I could hear people cheering and knew I was getting close to the finish line. It snuck up on me, actually, as I got into the zone of progressively catching up to runners in front of me. Some of them I just couldn’t catch, of course, but the exercise helped to pass the miles. I gave a good kick to the finish and crossed in 45:58 according to the clock, but my watch said 45:45, which I accept as more accurate since I was in the back of the starting pack and assumed the starting line (again, no starting line was delineated) to be about 25 yards in front of me. That works out to about a 9:09 pace, which is pretty good for not knowing where I was on the course or how fast I was running at any given mile.
Afterwards, they were giving out water so I took two bottles and made my way to swag tent. They had bagels, cheese, donuts and bananas available. They also had this energy drink from Coke available. It was carbonated and had some berry flavor to it, but it tasted horrible and I threw my can away. Don Pablo’s was a sponsor of the race and was hading out free nachos with either cheese or chili sauce along with Amstel Light beer. I got myself some nachos with cheese but no beer since it would have made me feel gross. After resting for about 15 minutes and watching other people cross the finish line, I headed back to the Jeep.
Overall, this was not a bad race. I liked the course and the weather worked out well. I think mid-November is a good time for a wintry race because the chances of bad weather are fairly even (as compared with December or later). It was a pretty well attended race, although I think it was bigger in years past. This year, 435 people participated. I also liked the nachos at the end. However, the lack of a clearly marked course, lack of mileage signs, and only one water station on the course were major detractors. Next year I think I will have to make sure those problems have been fixed before I register to run it again.
So, with my clock time of 45:58, I came in 201st place out of 435, which puts me in the 46th percentile. Better than 50% is always a plus for me. I finished 13th of the 30 men in my age division, putting me in the 42nd percentile there.
I’m pleased with that result since it was my longest race to date and I had no idea what my pace was. Perhaps if I had known, I could have picked it up at certain spots. But I’m happy to have gotten solidly under the 10:00 min mark.
My next race is next Thursday at the Green Valley North Turkey Trot, where I plan to break out my long sleeved shirt, gloves and toboggan again and try to break 26 minutes!
For now, I am resting, as my calves and quads are sore today. They should be fine by tomorrow so I can get back to the gym without any interruption.
Preparing the Race Report
Since the Zoo Zoom was yesterday morning, and I used most of my Sunday to watch my Redskins squander a lead to the lowly and yet still obnoxious Eagles, I did not sit down to write a race report yesterday.
Monday being the beast of a day that it is, my morning was quickly swallowed up by work. However, the afternoon is looking a little better, although still busy. I think I will take some time to construct a race report and try to have it up by mid-afternoon.
In the meantime, I've posted an essay by Dean Karnazes about the marathon and the fight every runner has against it. I originally saw this over at Jason's Running Diary . I have a link to his site on my toolbar, and I heartily encourage you to check it out. He ran his first marathon (Richmond) this weekend and I am awaiting his race report, which will be much better than mine, even though at one point I did run by a cheetah and penguins.
THE MARATHON
The Marathon is not about running, it is about salvation. We spend so much of our lives doubting ourselves, thinking we’re not good enough, not strong enough, not made of the right stuff. The Marathon is an opportunity for redemption. “Opportunity,” because the outcome is uncertain. “Opportunity,” because it is up to you, and only you, to make it happen. There is no luck involved in finishing a marathon, the ingredients required to tackle this formidable challenge are straightforward: commitment, sacrifice, grit, and raw determination. Plain and simple.
So you set about in your training to prepare your body for the rigors of running 26.2 miles. You train like crazy, dedicating yourself wholeheartedly to the challenge ahead, pouring everything you’ve got into it. But you know the Marathon will ask for more. In the dark recesses of you mind, a gloomy voice is saying, you can’t. You do your best to ignore this self-doubt, but the voice doesn’t go away.
The Marathon shakes you to the core. It deconstructs your very essence, stripping away all your protective barriers and exposing your inner soul. At a time when you are most vulnerable, the Marathon shows no pity. The Marathon tells you it will hurt you, that it will leave you demoralized and defeated in a lifeless heap on the roadside. The Marathon tells you that it can’t be done, not by you. “Ha!” it torments you, “In your dreams.”
You fight back, however, and stand courageously at that starting line, nervously awaiting the gun to go off. When it does, you put your head down and charge off into the abyss with the knowledge that you either paid your dues, or skimped along the way. There is no lying to yourself, the Marathon sees right through excuses, shortcuts and self-transgressions.
All goes well for the first half. But slowly, step by step, the pain mounts, while the intensity of the endeavor amplifies. You remain steadfast, knowing that you did not skimp, that you did not take shortcuts along the way, that every footstep was earnedthrough months of diligent preparation. Still, with each wearing thrust forward, that little nagging inclination of self-doubt progressively advances toward the surface of your awareness.
Then, at mile twenty, the voice looms louder than ever. It hurts so bad you want to stop. You must stop. But you don’t stop. This time, you ignore the voice, you tune out the naysayers who tell you you’re not good enough, and you listen only to the passion in your heart. This burning desire tells you to keep moving forward. To continue putting one foot boldly in front of the other, and don’t stop. Courage comes in many forms, today you will have the courage to keep trying, to not give up, no matter how dire things become. And dire they do become. At the 26 mile mark, you can barley see the course any longer, your vision is faltering as you teeter on the edge of consciousness.
And then, suddenly before you, looms the finish line. Tears stream down your face as you cover those final few steps. Now you are finally able to answer back to that nagging, pervasive voice with a resounding: Oh yes I can!
You burst across that finish line and are liberated from the prison of self-doubt and limitations that have forever held you captive. You have learned more about yourself in the past 26.2 miles than you have known in a previous lifetime, now you are freed from the chains that bind. Even if you can’t move for a week, you have never been so free.
As you are being carried away from the finish line, wrapped in a flimsy mylar blanket, barely able to raise your head, you are at peace. That daunting adversary that, as a runner, has haunted you for an entire lifetime is now your liberator, your fondest ally. You have done what few will ever do—you have done what you thought you could never do—and it is the most glorious, unforgettable awakening ever. You are, a Marathoner, and you will wear this distinction not on the lapel of your clothing, but in your heart, for the rest of your life.
Hell yeah Dean. Hell yeah.
Monday being the beast of a day that it is, my morning was quickly swallowed up by work. However, the afternoon is looking a little better, although still busy. I think I will take some time to construct a race report and try to have it up by mid-afternoon.
In the meantime, I've posted an essay by Dean Karnazes about the marathon and the fight every runner has against it. I originally saw this over at Jason's Running Diary . I have a link to his site on my toolbar, and I heartily encourage you to check it out. He ran his first marathon (Richmond) this weekend and I am awaiting his race report, which will be much better than mine, even though at one point I did run by a cheetah and penguins.
THE MARATHON
The Marathon is not about running, it is about salvation. We spend so much of our lives doubting ourselves, thinking we’re not good enough, not strong enough, not made of the right stuff. The Marathon is an opportunity for redemption. “Opportunity,” because the outcome is uncertain. “Opportunity,” because it is up to you, and only you, to make it happen. There is no luck involved in finishing a marathon, the ingredients required to tackle this formidable challenge are straightforward: commitment, sacrifice, grit, and raw determination. Plain and simple.
So you set about in your training to prepare your body for the rigors of running 26.2 miles. You train like crazy, dedicating yourself wholeheartedly to the challenge ahead, pouring everything you’ve got into it. But you know the Marathon will ask for more. In the dark recesses of you mind, a gloomy voice is saying, you can’t. You do your best to ignore this self-doubt, but the voice doesn’t go away.
The Marathon shakes you to the core. It deconstructs your very essence, stripping away all your protective barriers and exposing your inner soul. At a time when you are most vulnerable, the Marathon shows no pity. The Marathon tells you it will hurt you, that it will leave you demoralized and defeated in a lifeless heap on the roadside. The Marathon tells you that it can’t be done, not by you. “Ha!” it torments you, “In your dreams.”
You fight back, however, and stand courageously at that starting line, nervously awaiting the gun to go off. When it does, you put your head down and charge off into the abyss with the knowledge that you either paid your dues, or skimped along the way. There is no lying to yourself, the Marathon sees right through excuses, shortcuts and self-transgressions.
All goes well for the first half. But slowly, step by step, the pain mounts, while the intensity of the endeavor amplifies. You remain steadfast, knowing that you did not skimp, that you did not take shortcuts along the way, that every footstep was earnedthrough months of diligent preparation. Still, with each wearing thrust forward, that little nagging inclination of self-doubt progressively advances toward the surface of your awareness.
Then, at mile twenty, the voice looms louder than ever. It hurts so bad you want to stop. You must stop. But you don’t stop. This time, you ignore the voice, you tune out the naysayers who tell you you’re not good enough, and you listen only to the passion in your heart. This burning desire tells you to keep moving forward. To continue putting one foot boldly in front of the other, and don’t stop. Courage comes in many forms, today you will have the courage to keep trying, to not give up, no matter how dire things become. And dire they do become. At the 26 mile mark, you can barley see the course any longer, your vision is faltering as you teeter on the edge of consciousness.
And then, suddenly before you, looms the finish line. Tears stream down your face as you cover those final few steps. Now you are finally able to answer back to that nagging, pervasive voice with a resounding: Oh yes I can!
You burst across that finish line and are liberated from the prison of self-doubt and limitations that have forever held you captive. You have learned more about yourself in the past 26.2 miles than you have known in a previous lifetime, now you are freed from the chains that bind. Even if you can’t move for a week, you have never been so free.
As you are being carried away from the finish line, wrapped in a flimsy mylar blanket, barely able to raise your head, you are at peace. That daunting adversary that, as a runner, has haunted you for an entire lifetime is now your liberator, your fondest ally. You have done what few will ever do—you have done what you thought you could never do—and it is the most glorious, unforgettable awakening ever. You are, a Marathoner, and you will wear this distinction not on the lapel of your clothing, but in your heart, for the rest of your life.
Hell yeah Dean. Hell yeah.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Worst Shorts Ever
As I have gotten more and more serious about my running over the past four months or so, I have made incremental improvements to the gear I use or wear. For example, I started out running in simple training shoes, which were no good. So I upgraded to Addidas and then later to my current shoes, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7. I have only had a few blisters here and there as a result of this investment. I also used to drink just water on my runs. Now I make my own Gatorade most nights, giving my body the salts it needs while saving the expense of buying the stuff each night. And I recently started using gel shots on my long runs to better fuel myself.
This has also been the case with my running shorts. I started out with simple mesh shorts but quickly found they would be tough to run in for long distances. I bought a nice pair of running shorts at Target back in July that have been awesome. In fact, they are the shorts I normally run in now. I recently went back to Target to try to find a couple more pairs of these awesome shorts, only to find that they weren’t being made any longer for the season. I bought two pairs of another style of running short instead. These have a lining in them similar to underwear, which I was skeptical about at first but am fine with now. I hadn’t worn them yet until last night. That’s when I discovered that they are the worst running shorts ever made. Ever.
For one thing, they have no pockets. Are you just supposed to carry everything in your hands? I’m not sure what would make someone design shorts without pockets. What possible logic could they be using? Secondly, the drawstring on the shorts is connected. In other words, rather than one string around your wait, it’s actually a looped string. As a result, it’s almost impossible to tie the shorts tight enough to prevent them from gradually slipping down as you run. This is a very bad thing, particularly when one is at the gym. I had to stop not once, not twice, but three times to retie the shorts during my run to make them tight enough. Again, what is the point of that? Why not just make the drawstring have two ends so you can tie them like the other 90% drawstrings in the world?
So, I will be taking the shorts back to Target this weekend hopefully. Falls Road Running Store is having a post marathon sale on Saturday so I may go out there and get real running shorts made by people who use their frontal lobes on a regular basis.
This was in addition to the burning and cramping that plagued my right leg through the first 2 miles of the run. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper through the first half of the run. However, after reaching a point where I was relatively sure that my shorts wouldn’t fall down mid-stride and had gotten some Gatorade in me, my leg loosened up a little and the rest of the run was just fine. Still, I hate having those crappy runs where your legs feel like they weigh 300 pounds and everything is either hurting or feels tired.
Tonight I am doing a tempo run (of sorts), and those always feel good. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I’m running faster and feel stronger, or that they’re shorter than my usual runs so I know I’ll be done sooner. Regardless, I think tonight will feel better. I forgot to post my theoretical schedule for this week on Monday, so here it is:
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Easy, 4.50 miles
Wednesday: Tempo, 3 miles
Thursday: Easy 4.50 miles
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Easy 4.50 miles
Sunday: ZOO ZOOM 2007, 5 miles
Total: 21.50 miles
I also said in yesterday’s post that I would be doing 9 miles for my long run this weekend. Obviously, with the race on Sunday, I won’t be doing a long run this week. I’ll hit 9 miles next weekend. As a result, my weekly mileage for this week will be lower than usual.
This has also been the case with my running shorts. I started out with simple mesh shorts but quickly found they would be tough to run in for long distances. I bought a nice pair of running shorts at Target back in July that have been awesome. In fact, they are the shorts I normally run in now. I recently went back to Target to try to find a couple more pairs of these awesome shorts, only to find that they weren’t being made any longer for the season. I bought two pairs of another style of running short instead. These have a lining in them similar to underwear, which I was skeptical about at first but am fine with now. I hadn’t worn them yet until last night. That’s when I discovered that they are the worst running shorts ever made. Ever.
For one thing, they have no pockets. Are you just supposed to carry everything in your hands? I’m not sure what would make someone design shorts without pockets. What possible logic could they be using? Secondly, the drawstring on the shorts is connected. In other words, rather than one string around your wait, it’s actually a looped string. As a result, it’s almost impossible to tie the shorts tight enough to prevent them from gradually slipping down as you run. This is a very bad thing, particularly when one is at the gym. I had to stop not once, not twice, but three times to retie the shorts during my run to make them tight enough. Again, what is the point of that? Why not just make the drawstring have two ends so you can tie them like the other 90% drawstrings in the world?
So, I will be taking the shorts back to Target this weekend hopefully. Falls Road Running Store is having a post marathon sale on Saturday so I may go out there and get real running shorts made by people who use their frontal lobes on a regular basis.
This was in addition to the burning and cramping that plagued my right leg through the first 2 miles of the run. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper through the first half of the run. However, after reaching a point where I was relatively sure that my shorts wouldn’t fall down mid-stride and had gotten some Gatorade in me, my leg loosened up a little and the rest of the run was just fine. Still, I hate having those crappy runs where your legs feel like they weigh 300 pounds and everything is either hurting or feels tired.
Tonight I am doing a tempo run (of sorts), and those always feel good. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I’m running faster and feel stronger, or that they’re shorter than my usual runs so I know I’ll be done sooner. Regardless, I think tonight will feel better. I forgot to post my theoretical schedule for this week on Monday, so here it is:
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Easy, 4.50 miles
Wednesday: Tempo, 3 miles
Thursday: Easy 4.50 miles
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Easy 4.50 miles
Sunday: ZOO ZOOM 2007, 5 miles
Total: 21.50 miles
I also said in yesterday’s post that I would be doing 9 miles for my long run this weekend. Obviously, with the race on Sunday, I won’t be doing a long run this week. I’ll hit 9 miles next weekend. As a result, my weekly mileage for this week will be lower than usual.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Another Week, Another Chance
Another week has begun and with it, another chance to maybe run every day that I want to. Last week I got close, but fell short for a variety of reasons. This week I feel pretty positive. Work has quieted down considerably and I don’t forsee having to work really late any night this week. In fact, I am going to leave at 5 today rather than 5:30-5:45 because I got so much crap done today. Yes, I am that awesome.
Seriously though, with quarter-end over, the huge project done, and Thanksgiving just two weeks away, things here are busy, but not as hellish as they were a month ago. That means more time for the gym in the evening and a better chance at running when I want to.
Yesterday was my day off from running since Sunday was my long run, and that worked out well because I had to go to the second alumni council meeting for my prep school. That meant I missed the afternoon of work and didn’t get back until around 7:30, by which time I was exhausted from driving 90 minutes each way. Tonight I will go right after work and do an easy 4.5 miles. This weekend I will bump up the mileage to 9 miles for my long run too. I’m inching closer to that 10 mile mark, which is intimidating. Not only that, but the treadmills at the gym only allow you to put 95 minutes into the machine, which means that eventually the combination of distance and lack of speed will demand that I either reset the treadmill, or finally get my ass outside. We’ll see how that works out.
Only 4 days until the Zoo Zoom 2007! I’m excited to run a longer distance race, even if it is only 5 miles. Ideally I’d like to increase the length of my aces as I increase the length of my overall running leading up to the National Half. I don’t think that’s going to be possible though, as 8K’s and 10K’s are hard to come by, especially in the winter months. The race on Sunday should be fun, though pretty cold from the looks of the forecast.
After that I have a little over a week off before hitting the road again for the Green Valley North Turkey Trot. Yes, this is replacing the YMCA Bel Air Turkey Trot, mainly because it’s closer to Baltimore and will be easier to run, logistics-wise. It’s at 9 AM, which should put me in WV for Thanksgiving dinner around 12:30 or so. I’m excited to run a race on Thanksgiving because it will stoke my appetite so I can eat even more pumpkin pie and creamed corn, among other things.
After that, I am debating whether to run the Celtic Solstice 5 miler in December. It all depends on work and how I feel and if I feel like running in the bitter cold again. So it really depends on how these next two races go.
Tomorrow I will write a little bit on the latest Phedippidations podcast and the recent decision by USATF (is that the right acronym?) to ban headphone and mp3 players at their approved races. For now, I’m off to the gym!
Seriously though, with quarter-end over, the huge project done, and Thanksgiving just two weeks away, things here are busy, but not as hellish as they were a month ago. That means more time for the gym in the evening and a better chance at running when I want to.
Yesterday was my day off from running since Sunday was my long run, and that worked out well because I had to go to the second alumni council meeting for my prep school. That meant I missed the afternoon of work and didn’t get back until around 7:30, by which time I was exhausted from driving 90 minutes each way. Tonight I will go right after work and do an easy 4.5 miles. This weekend I will bump up the mileage to 9 miles for my long run too. I’m inching closer to that 10 mile mark, which is intimidating. Not only that, but the treadmills at the gym only allow you to put 95 minutes into the machine, which means that eventually the combination of distance and lack of speed will demand that I either reset the treadmill, or finally get my ass outside. We’ll see how that works out.
Only 4 days until the Zoo Zoom 2007! I’m excited to run a longer distance race, even if it is only 5 miles. Ideally I’d like to increase the length of my aces as I increase the length of my overall running leading up to the National Half. I don’t think that’s going to be possible though, as 8K’s and 10K’s are hard to come by, especially in the winter months. The race on Sunday should be fun, though pretty cold from the looks of the forecast.
After that I have a little over a week off before hitting the road again for the Green Valley North Turkey Trot. Yes, this is replacing the YMCA Bel Air Turkey Trot, mainly because it’s closer to Baltimore and will be easier to run, logistics-wise. It’s at 9 AM, which should put me in WV for Thanksgiving dinner around 12:30 or so. I’m excited to run a race on Thanksgiving because it will stoke my appetite so I can eat even more pumpkin pie and creamed corn, among other things.
After that, I am debating whether to run the Celtic Solstice 5 miler in December. It all depends on work and how I feel and if I feel like running in the bitter cold again. So it really depends on how these next two races go.
Tomorrow I will write a little bit on the latest Phedippidations podcast and the recent decision by USATF (is that the right acronym?) to ban headphone and mp3 players at their approved races. For now, I’m off to the gym!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Gels are Disgusting and yet, Awesome
So earlier today I wrote that forces had conspired against me to prevent me from running on Friday and Saturday. Friday I fully intended to go home and get to the gym but Annie called me at work and wanted to go shopping. Being the accomadative fiance that I am, I agreed so long as she stopped by my apartment and got my Banana Republic gift card that I have been waiting to use for about 6 months now. So we went to the mall instead of to the gym and I got a nice new pair of dark brown pants for casual Fridays.
Saturday I woke up with every intention of getting to the gym at some point. Annie was working on young artist applications and stuff for her graduate assistanship, so I had practically the whole afternoon to myself. I went to the REI store in Timonium and bought myself an awesome new North Face fleece, a pair of running socks made for men's shoe sizes 12-15 (I wear size 14!), the Clif Bar seasonal flavor (Spiced Pumpkin is excellent) and three Clif Shots (Razz, Vanilla and Apple Pie flavors). These were my first Clif Shots and I was a little hesitant to buy them for the simple reason that I don't honestly feel that mt running necessitates them. This despite the fact that I am running 8 miles for my long runs, which demands more of a refueling effort than Gatorade now. When I hear people say they took a gel at mile 20, something inside me thinks, "You're barely running 8 miles. YOu don't need to use gels yet." Nevermind that the person had already taken a gel at mile 8 an hour before.
Anyway, on my way back into Baltimore I also drove over to the Maryland Zoo to see where I'd have to go for the Zoo Zoom next Sunday. After making it to the Zoo, I got lost trying to get back to the highway before making it back home. I got home around 3, ate some lunch and watched some of the Navy-Notre Dame game. Any time I can see Notre Dame lose is a good time for me. The gym closes at 4 on the weekends so I was going to go down to the workout room in our apartment building around 5 after I had had time to digest. 5 PM rolls around and I get down there only to find both treadmills occupied. I was meeting Annie at 6:45, so I really didn't have time to wait around and thus, my attempts at running were foiled.
Today I got up early because of the time change and got to the gym around 10 AM. I decided to employ a simple fueling strategy for my run today. About 15 minutes before leaving for the gym, I ate a Vanilla Crisp Power Bar. When I was running, I waited until I had run about an hour (mile 6...slow yes, but easily calculated) before trying the Razz gel shot. After managing to dry my hands enough to tear the foil, I just went for it and squeezed the whole thing in my mouth best I could. It tasted like rasberry flavored energy goop, which is exactly what it is. I forced it down and chased it with a couple swigs of Gatorade. This basic strategy helped tremendously! I had a comfortable time getting to mile 5 and only started to get tired between mile 5 and 6, and even then I wasn't hurting...just mildly uncomfortable. It took about 10-15 minutes for the gel to fully kick in but it helped keep the cramps from my abdomen and took all the burning out of my legs. When I got to 8 miles, I felt that I could ahve gone for 10 if I had to. I felt worlds better than I have the past 2 weeks when I've run 8 miles. That coupled with a conscious effort to drink plenty of water after the run probably helped me feel normal today. My legs are tired, but that's par for the course.
So, I am going to stick with that simple fueling strategy for my long runs from now on. Power Bar before, one gel every hour or so afterwards.
And finally, the Redskins pulled out a victory over the lowly Jets today, which made me quite happy. They have little chance at winning the NFC East so long as the Cowboys are around, but you never know. One bad Cowboys game and the Redskins are rulers of the division! It could happen!
Saturday I woke up with every intention of getting to the gym at some point. Annie was working on young artist applications and stuff for her graduate assistanship, so I had practically the whole afternoon to myself. I went to the REI store in Timonium and bought myself an awesome new North Face fleece, a pair of running socks made for men's shoe sizes 12-15 (I wear size 14!), the Clif Bar seasonal flavor (Spiced Pumpkin is excellent) and three Clif Shots (Razz, Vanilla and Apple Pie flavors). These were my first Clif Shots and I was a little hesitant to buy them for the simple reason that I don't honestly feel that mt running necessitates them. This despite the fact that I am running 8 miles for my long runs, which demands more of a refueling effort than Gatorade now. When I hear people say they took a gel at mile 20, something inside me thinks, "You're barely running 8 miles. YOu don't need to use gels yet." Nevermind that the person had already taken a gel at mile 8 an hour before.
Anyway, on my way back into Baltimore I also drove over to the Maryland Zoo to see where I'd have to go for the Zoo Zoom next Sunday. After making it to the Zoo, I got lost trying to get back to the highway before making it back home. I got home around 3, ate some lunch and watched some of the Navy-Notre Dame game. Any time I can see Notre Dame lose is a good time for me. The gym closes at 4 on the weekends so I was going to go down to the workout room in our apartment building around 5 after I had had time to digest. 5 PM rolls around and I get down there only to find both treadmills occupied. I was meeting Annie at 6:45, so I really didn't have time to wait around and thus, my attempts at running were foiled.
Today I got up early because of the time change and got to the gym around 10 AM. I decided to employ a simple fueling strategy for my run today. About 15 minutes before leaving for the gym, I ate a Vanilla Crisp Power Bar. When I was running, I waited until I had run about an hour (mile 6...slow yes, but easily calculated) before trying the Razz gel shot. After managing to dry my hands enough to tear the foil, I just went for it and squeezed the whole thing in my mouth best I could. It tasted like rasberry flavored energy goop, which is exactly what it is. I forced it down and chased it with a couple swigs of Gatorade. This basic strategy helped tremendously! I had a comfortable time getting to mile 5 and only started to get tired between mile 5 and 6, and even then I wasn't hurting...just mildly uncomfortable. It took about 10-15 minutes for the gel to fully kick in but it helped keep the cramps from my abdomen and took all the burning out of my legs. When I got to 8 miles, I felt that I could ahve gone for 10 if I had to. I felt worlds better than I have the past 2 weeks when I've run 8 miles. That coupled with a conscious effort to drink plenty of water after the run probably helped me feel normal today. My legs are tired, but that's par for the course.
So, I am going to stick with that simple fueling strategy for my long runs from now on. Power Bar before, one gel every hour or so afterwards.
And finally, the Redskins pulled out a victory over the lowly Jets today, which made me quite happy. They have little chance at winning the NFC East so long as the Cowboys are around, but you never know. One bad Cowboys game and the Redskins are rulers of the division! It could happen!
On my Way Out the Door
Quick note before I head out to my long run for the week.
First, after patiently waiting for some of my Running Blogs of Note to post updates over the past few weeks, I've grown tired and have removed some of them. If you don't update your blog, then really you're taking up valuable space on my awesome toolbar. I've added a new blog, however, called Boston or Bust that I would encourage the 2 people who read this blog to check out.
Secondly, I watched the Olympic marathon trials yesterday and was saddened by Ryan Shay's sudden death on the course. His tragic story made me think back to a story I read in Men's Journal several months ago about a condition that is endemic to athletes that involves the natural enlarging of the heart that comes with greater endurance. Basically, the wall of the heart get thick enough that it's too hard to pump blood and the heart stops, killing you instantly. There is another condition, which I have actually, where your heart's electrical currents don't work properly and causes your heart to skip beats. If that happens enough times in succession, your heart might stop. This is what happened to FloJo years back after she ran a race and dropped dead on the track.
Unfortunatley, she didn't know she had the tachycardia. If you know, you can take steps as I have to prevent the skipped beats.
Anyway, I will be interested to see what caused an elite athlete in better shape than 99% of the population to drop dead.
Lastly, forces consipred against me to keep me out of the gym on Friday and Saturday. I'll talk about that more when I post after my long run. For now, I'm off to get 8 miles in before the morning ends.
First, after patiently waiting for some of my Running Blogs of Note to post updates over the past few weeks, I've grown tired and have removed some of them. If you don't update your blog, then really you're taking up valuable space on my awesome toolbar. I've added a new blog, however, called Boston or Bust that I would encourage the 2 people who read this blog to check out.
Secondly, I watched the Olympic marathon trials yesterday and was saddened by Ryan Shay's sudden death on the course. His tragic story made me think back to a story I read in Men's Journal several months ago about a condition that is endemic to athletes that involves the natural enlarging of the heart that comes with greater endurance. Basically, the wall of the heart get thick enough that it's too hard to pump blood and the heart stops, killing you instantly. There is another condition, which I have actually, where your heart's electrical currents don't work properly and causes your heart to skip beats. If that happens enough times in succession, your heart might stop. This is what happened to FloJo years back after she ran a race and dropped dead on the track.
Unfortunatley, she didn't know she had the tachycardia. If you know, you can take steps as I have to prevent the skipped beats.
Anyway, I will be interested to see what caused an elite athlete in better shape than 99% of the population to drop dead.
Lastly, forces consipred against me to keep me out of the gym on Friday and Saturday. I'll talk about that more when I post after my long run. For now, I'm off to get 8 miles in before the morning ends.
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