[45] Short note about a long run

ORN:  This morning, I ran 10 big miles in 1:41'44".  That's a PR, and boy-howdy was it tough to achieve.  The plan called for a 10 mile tempo run at marathon race pace, which for me, according to the FIRST plan, is 9'19" per mile.  Hahahahahahahaha!  I busted my hump trying to run sub-10 miles until I ran out of juice somewhere around mile 8.5.  At that point, my legs turned into lead and lost all energy.  Then it was just a matter of getting back to my car before work started calling local hospitals. 

 

Not much else to say today except that it's my 15th wedding anniversary.  Yes, on this day in 1994, Wifey and I took the plunge.  Yeah, we're pretty awesome.

 

[47] Sleep-running around the track

ORN:  This morning, I ran 6x1200 intervals.  Since my heart wasn't in it, I had a tough time.  What helped me through was shutting down my brain, unplugging everything but the basic motor functions and the parts that helped me keep track of distance and pace.  Every other neuron was screaming "go back to bed!"  I consciously yanked out all non-essential, unhelpful processes, daydreaming the scene where Dave disassembled HAL9000's brain one module at a time in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  I persevered, though my pace was too slow and inconsistent.  [My target time per effort was 5'46".]  The total workout was 7.9 miles long and lasted 1:16'20".  Here are the splits:

1. 6'01"
2. 6'06"
3. 5'59"
4. 6'03"
5. 6'13" <-- bonk
6. 6'11"

You know me:  Mr. Claim Every Victory.  So at least I resisted the strong urges calling me back to bed.  At least I ran.  At least I showed up and did something.

 

Moving on. 

 

With less than seven weeks to go before the Chicago Marathon, I am finally starting to feel like I am going to be ready.  Let me be clear.  In less than seven weeks I will be ready; I'm not ready today.  That twenty on Sunday was brutal, which leads me to think that my remaining long runs will all be crucial [15, 20, 15, 20, then taper-time].  Looking ahead, I think I will be well-prepared for Chicago.  I may not run it in 4:20 as I fantasized about nine weeks ago, but I will finish well.  I will do better than last time.  That's what's important.

 

I had a good "running moment" last night.  Little One and I went to Seneca Park -- my running base-camp -- and hung out in the playground.  There, while getting a drink at the water fountain, I ran into a guy clearly coming off a long run.  He was shirtless, wearing a Garmin 405 on his wrist.  Like me, he was somewhat flabby around the middle but had legs like oak trees down below.  I could tell we were brothers of a sort -- co-sufferers -- so I asked him how he was doing, whether he was training for something, etc.  We chatted about our races run and yet to be run.  He gave me lots of encouragement about Chicago, saying I'll love it and that afterward I'll feel like I can do anything.  He was a nice guy. 

 

It's good to have these random encounters telling me everything is going to be OK. 

 

[49] This is groin to hurt

ORN: This morning, I ran 20 miles in 3:40'59". It was tough going from the first mile on account of some foot and ankle soreness that stayed with me the whole way through. It was one of only two downers on an otherwise pleasant, long run. The second downer sprung up around mile 10 when I noticed some chafing starting along my inner thighs. Great. I resigned myself to a full day of suffering after this bastard of a run was over and just kept going. I didn't have any way to help my feet [apart from stopping] nor did I have any way to address the friction downstairs [apart from stopping.] I made the best of it and enjoyed my run the best I could.

My route is one of my favorites. It's got hills and flats, urban blight and parkland, and plenty of water & bathroom stops. Plus, it goes through the bike trail that runs along I-64 behind Jim Porter's. That's a lovely stretch and a perfect place to pee.

As I said, I had problems from the beginning so I didn't even bother with checking my pace. My goal pace, according to the FIRST plan, was something like 9'45". Normally, that's a reasonable pace I can maintain for miles. Since it was only around 60° throughout most of my run, I should have been fine. But today was an off day. I just didn't have it in me. I did the best I could with what I had, stuck it out, and finished. That's my victory for the day.

By the way, I soaked in the tub after my run. When the water hit my purple, raw, inner thighs, I nearly sprang out of the water like Bugs Bunny used to do when he realized he was in a stew pot. Now I know what porn starlets feel like after a long, hard day at the office.

[52] The heat was hot

ORN:  This morning, the alarm went off at 5 AM, and I promptly reset it and went back to bed.  I couldn't help it.  I haven't been sleeping well lately, and I've been going to bed too late.  To punish myself, I ran on my lunch break.  I did six miles along the river with a four mile tempo segment at a target pace of 8'36" per mile.  But with the heat I could only manage an average 8'46" pace.  On the up-side, my final split was an impressive 8'27".  Not too shabby.  In spite of the heat, my running felt great today.  Were it 50° instead of 80°, I would have run crazy-fast today.  Running in 80° weather with 80% humidity and heavy wind is never a recipe for a PR, but today I was 13 seconds shy of running one.  The whole effort took me 55'22".

 

The moral of this story is to run in the morning during the summer, no matter how badly you feel.

 

Yesterday, I did 45 minutes on the stationary bike.  Were it not for DJ Nano dropping the beats, the boredom would have made me quit and go gorge myself on White Castles.  I suffered through the workout, and my intestines were saved.

 

Tomorrow, I cross train again.  On Sunday, I have 20 miles planned.  What I am really looking forward to this weekend, though, is going to the State Fair.  One of the reasons why I run is so I can do things like go eat State Fair food and drink State Fair beer and not gain too much weight.  I love fair food.  My 20-miler ought to buy me a ribeye sandwich smothered in grilled onions, a basket of fries, and a tall brewski.  Om nom nom nom.

 

[54] Abstaining from socks-talk for a while

ORN:  Way before the sun rose, I was up and running around the local track.  In total, I ran 7 1/2 miles in 1:11'41".  The FIRST plan called for a wacky interval workout.  After a 2K warm up, I ran a 1600, a 3200 (WTF?!?), and two 800s with long recoveries in between.  I cooled down with a nice, slow mile.  The 3200 was so tough I may have hallucinated my way through the last couple laps.  But as you can see here, apart from the last 800, my pacing was right where it needed to be.

1. 1600 -  7'53" actual -  7'50" target
2. 3200 - 15'54" actual - 15'52" target
3.  800 -  3'51" actual -  3'47" target
4.  800 -  3'56" actual -  3'47" target

To get me through the longer efforts, particularly the 3200, I chanted my target pace range to myself.  I don't know if helped, but it gave me something to do.  It also may have kept me from sliding off the track and into la-la land.  Toward the end of the 3200, I heard myself chanting, out loud, "Usain Bolt -- Usain Bolt -- Usain Bolt".  That's hilarious because I am light years away from his level of performance and I'm neither a sports freak nor one who invokes inspirational persons or entities during times of need.  Still, he's pretty awesome, and it helped.  This week he beat his own World Record in the 100 meters by a huge 0.11 seconds, so I've been Usain in the membrane.  [I know how lame that joke was to nine decimal places.]

 

I ran in my last pair of WrightSocks today -- the Coolmesh.  These are their lightest double-layer sock, and I was impressed.  The double-layer design is a smart one as far as reducing friction and the risk of blisters goes.  My complaints with their other double-layer models, like the Running II, have been with their thickness and how warm they get on warm days.  The Coolmesh socks had all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of those other socks.  In fact, I think I might run with this sock the rest of the week.  They might be my favorites of the bunch.  Good ventilation, snug fit, very comfortable, super dry -- this sock brought its A-game today.

 

As far as I am concerned, I am done with the WrightSock challenge on the Runners' Lounge.  Whew!  I might never mention socks in this blog again.  In summary, they seem to be a good company making good products at a good price.  Frankly, until recently, I never thought socks made that much of a difference in my running experience.  Early in my running career, I ran with whatever was on hand -- usually meaning cotton socks, but occasionally newspapers or beaver pelts.  Luckily, I never got any blisters from them though the newspaper ink made my feet dirty and the beavers were painfully reluctant to give up their pelts.  As time wore on, I got one -- then another -- pair of good but cheap running socks, and I felt a slight improvement with them.  Frankly, the improvement was so marginal, that I rarely went out and bought new pairs of running socks.  I'd wear ones that were given to me in race swag bags, or I'd get some if I had $10 left on a gift card.  But I'd never say to myself, "Aha, it's time, once again, to go to Ken Combs' and buy some running socks!  For mine are worn and need replacement." 

 

What I learned in the past couple weeks with the WrightSock challenge was that while a good or great sock may not lead to a life-changing run, a bad sock will almost certainly result in a bad run.  Whether through friction, warmth, or sogginess, bad socks can ruin a good day.  I'm a running sock consumer from now on.

 

[56] DNF

ORN: This morning, I ran 16.32 miles in 2:53'43". I had planned on running 18 miles, but I just didn't have it in me. I did the best I could. I could blame the DNF on the heat, which was over 80° as I passed the 15-mile mark, but the truth of the matter is that I was just done. Out of gas. Out of will. Out of whatever kept me moving past mile 10 or so. Unfortunately, that meant I had to walk the remaining mile-and-a-half or so to my front door. That was a downer, but it gave me time to cool down a little. There was a pleasant breeze for which I was very grateful. I confess I polluted my neighborhood with the sight of my fuzzy, pale, sweaty beer belly as I lifted my shirt to maximize my enjoyment of the breeze. Sorry everybody.

So "boo" to me for not finishing my planned run, but "yay" for me for getting up and doing what I did anyway. I'm celebrating the 16+ miles I did run and forgetting about the 2 miles I didn't.

I'm still doing the WrightSock challenge. Today's sock was the WrightSock SLT. I chose it because it was the thinnest, lightest sock of the bunch I had to test, and I knew I had a long, hot run ahead of me. Good thing I chose it, too. It was the perfect sock for the day. It was barely there. All it did was keep any rough parts of my shoe from rubbing my feet. There was a bit of a support section along the arch, but the sock was so light and thin, I doubt it did much. My feet were happy and mostly dry from start to finish. When I took them off after my run, they were downright soggy & nasty. I imagine if I wore cotton socks, my feet would be a mess of blisters right now. So, cheers to WrightSock.

I'm going to take it easy today. I'm pretty tired now.

[58] Good socks on the track

ORN:  What a workout!  This morning, I ran my planned 12x400 interval workout and totally nailed it.  Now as I write this, I feel fantastic.  It's bizarre.  It was a tough run, and the cool-down was downright uncomfortable.  But as I write this, I feel like $75 -- maybe $80!  Very seldom do I experience this sort of post-run euphoria.  [Is this runner's high?]  What a great way to start my day.  The whole run was 6 miles that I ran in 56'56".  Here's the splits.

1. 1'59.3"
2. 1'48.7"
3. 1'48.8"
4. 1'48.8"
5. 1'49.8"
6. 1'50.4"
7. 1'47.2"
8. 1'49.0"
9. 1'53.6"
10. 1'54.6"
11. 1'49.5"
12. 1'49.8"

My target was 1'51", so you can see that in all but a three instances, I beat that time.  I felt like I was running fast [duh] but not out of control.  I wasn't going all out, red-lining.  I felt like I could have gone, maybe, a teensy bit faster, but I wouldn't have enjoyed it much.  Honestly, I cannot believe how fast and consistent these splits are, especially toward the end.  I mean, these are 24-something 5K paces, which would be a monster PR for me if I could manage three miles at that intensity.  Great, great stuff.

 

When I saw that 1'53" and 1'54" in #9 and #10, I was certain that it meant I was near the bottom of my tank.  But then I rallied for two more stupendous efforts.  w00t!

 

I owe this performance either to my socks or to the great dinner I ate last night [huge Greek salad, grilled salmon, sauteed beets, and homemade bread].  This morning, my sock selection was the WrightSock SLX, and I couldn't have been happier with it.  They gave me the snug fit I've experienced with all the other WrightSock versions I've ran with, plus they gave me a little more support in the arches.  Another very comfortable sock.  If it was warmer this morning, though, they might have been a bit too warm.  They didn't seem to breathe as much as others I've tried.

[59] At least I ran today

ORN:  This morning, wearing a +1 headlamp of infinite nerdiness, I ran a lazy six miles in 1:00'21".  I was supposed to do a tempo run, but as I hobbled over, blearily, to turn off my 4:45 AM alarm, I considered what I saw as my two (2) choices.  One, I could run six miles at whatever-the-hell pace I wanted to run.  [The "damn the FIRST plan" option.]  Or, two, I could go back to bed.  [The "damn the Chicago Marathon" option.]  Bucking a recent trend, I chose in favor of actually running something instead of running nothing.  I'm glad I did, too, because it was a lovely, foggy morning under a bleak, quarter moon -- ideal weather for a leisurely run if you are a vampire.  The temperature was a reasonable 67°, and once again, I had the whole park to myself.  I finished with no aches, no pains, no nothing but a pleasant feeling of accomplishment.

 

But you are probably most curious to know about what socks I ran with.  Wonder no more, dear reader.  I ran in the WrightSock Cushioned DLX.  As I blearily slipped them over my feet at 4:47 AM, I worried because they felt thick, almost as thick as the Runner IIs I complained of recently.  Slipping my shoes over them, I confirmed they were, in fact, a tad on the thick side.  I feared they would soon be soggy with foot-sweat and rubbing my little piggies raw.  But I am happy to report my worries about the DLXs were unfounded.  They were as comfortable as one of those recliners with the built-in electric back massagers and a refrigerator in the armrest for your beer.  They were like Snuggies for my feet.  They felt awesome.  In fact, I completely forgot about them once I started running.  They didn't chafe, and they kept my feet bone dry.  What else can I say?  They are great socks.

 

Tomorrow, I plan to run my 12x400 intervals.  I intended to run them earlier in the week, but I was sick for a couple days with some sort of Victorian Novel Disease, the sort where I was forced to lay, sighing listlessly, on a chaise lounge in the solarium of my decrepit manor, wearing a threadbare, velvet dressing gown.  I'm grateful to be feeling better now, thus I have high hopes for doing both the 400s and an 18-miler on Sunday.  Fingers crossed.

 

[62] Hot socks on a Sunday morning

ORN: This morning, I ran 13.1 miles in 2:19'38". Since it was so hot and humid, even at 7 AM, I gave up any hope of running my target pace. I just wanted to get through it with as few walk breaks as possible. And no heat stroke. I claim success on all fronts. I ran from home to Cherokee Park for a short loop and back. Apart from the miserable heat, the run was fine up until the tenth mile or so when my feet started getting sore. I haven't been wearing my PF splint at night, so that was mostly my fault.

Regarding my socks, I wore the WrightSock Running II. I cannot give the sock the same glowing report that I gave the SLR I reviewed last time. This time, I experienced some hot spots on both big toes. I've never experienced that before, which makes me inclined to blame the socks. They were a little thicker than the SLRs, though still snug and comfortable. I worried they weren't the right socks for today's weather. Sure enough, a mile or two into the run, my feet started to feel too hot. But I can say they did a good job of keeping my feet dry. Come to think of it, it's kinda strange. On the one hand, they were good at keeping my feet dry. On the other, they were too thick, making my feet sweat more.

Whatever.

I am going to file these socks away for winter. They'll be good for colder days, not for summertime running.

[64] New socks in the morning

ORN: I had a fantastic run this morning. Running never ceases to amaze me. You know how my running and my attitude about running has been in the dumps lately? Well, yesterday, I sorta half-way resolved to man-up, run my plan, and quit whining. The attitude adjustment made all the difference. The result was dramatic. I woke with my alarm and didn't consider blowing it off. Before long, I was outside before sunrise, running underneath a large, bright moon whose light cast the encompassing woods in a pallid otherworldliness. I imagined I was running through a Gaiman-like dream country with strange creatures from old myths lurking out in the fog and in the shadows. A startled racoon [crap!] and a stalking bat [OMG!] helped me maintain that illusion.

Seriously. I normally don't mind the critter company, but these dudes freaked me way, way out. Probably because it was so dark.

But let's not forget the data. It was a planned six mile tempo run, 8'51" target pace, that I actually ran at an average 9'08" pace owing to the relentless hills of Cherokee Park. The whole workout ended up being 8.6 miles, which I ran in 1:20'58".

Can we talk about socks for a moment? I need to because I signed up for the WrightSock Challenge on The Runners' Lounge. Those good folks sent me a box containing six pairs of running socks and asked me to review them. Here's my loud-and-clear disclaimer: they sent me these for free. Take what I say about them with the appropriate grain of salt. I don't go easy on people just because they send me stuff, but you have a right to know and be skeptical.

Today, I ran in the WrightSock SLR. It's a lightweight, snug-fitting sock, especially comfortable in the arches. It gently hugs the area around my plantar fascia -- just what I need. Since they are thin, they sit comfortably underneath my Nike Frees. I've run in some Under Armor socks that were too thick, and that's not fun at all. Since the Nike Free upper is designed to be very sock-like, I don't need much sock to keep my feet happy. [I've tried running sockless in these shoes, and that doesn't work either. They are still shoes.] These socks perform their function well enough. While running, I tried to remember to check in with my feet to see how they were liking the new socks, but I forgot about them after a while. They were so comfortable and unobtrusive, I could hardly keep my attention focused on them. They didn't rub or bunch up anywhere. My feet were neither too hot nor overcrowded, and they stayed dry. Bottom line: these are comfortable, affordable socks [$7-9 or so] and worth trying.

[66] Falling down

ORN:  Today, ignoring every admonition against doing speed work in the heat of the day, I ran 6x800 intervals on my lunch break.  Totaling 6.2 miles in 57'59", it wasn't a bad effort.  I was off my target pace [7'34"], but since it was 75° with 85% humidity, I am calling today's workout a win.  Hey, lately, if I get out and run at all, I am calling it a win.  I'm in a bad place, training-wise, and it has everything to do with my mental game.  But that's for another paragraph.  You're curious about my splits.  Check it.

1. 03:47.0
2. 03:50.0
3. 03:49.0
4. 04:06.0
5. 04:04.0
6. 04:01.0

You can see where the heat started wearing on me.  After the third effort, I started withering.  From the fourth through the sixth, I would start strong for the first 400 meters or so, but then I'd fade fast.  Perhaps I was starting off too hot.  I dunno.  I didn't have any aches or pains; I just lacked oomph.  Again, the problem was between my ears rather than anything physical.

 

I have to get my head on straight about this running business.  Whereas my training for the Derby Marathon was 100% from start to finish, without a single missed mile or workout, this time I am having a tough time staying focused and motivated.  Maybe it's because the Chicago Marathon wasn't my idea.  The Derby Marathon was such a bust, I had resigned myself not to do one ever again.  But then my buddy said he wanted to run his first marathon with me, and I couldn't say no to that.  Still, although I am committed, and I will run Chicago come hell or high water, I confess my heart isn't in it.  That's hard.  You can't run 18-20 miles in training if your heart isn't in it.  Consequently, I've blown off almost all of my long runs, and I've had to force myself into the mid-week workouts.  I don't know what's going on.  The thrill isn't there, I guess.

 

I'll get back into it.  I have to.  Race day will come whether my head is in it or not.  I have to find my mojo soon, though.  Finding it by Friday would be nice, since I have planned an eight-mile tempo run. 

 

Swimming tomorrow; swimming Saturday. 

 

Thirteen miles on Sunday.

 

Rinse and repeat.

 

*sigh*

 

[68] Back from vacation

ORN:  I was on vacation last week in the Great Smoky Mountains, so that's why you've not had that special Viking flava in your feed lately.  The Missus, the Young 'Un, and I needed to get our annual fix of trees, bears, and country breakfasts.  Between monsoon squalls, I managed to run twice while abroad.  Not great, but I did what I could.  On Monday, I ran 7.5 miles in 1:15'19"; Friday, 5 miles in 47'39".  You'll note a few things about that sentence.  First, I love semicolons.  Second, almost a whole work week separated runs one and two.  Third, what happened the FIRST plan and all that speed work?  Let me explain.

 

Semicolons are great punctuation marks for appearing erudite but only if used correctly.  Fortunately, I married an English major, so I usually do OK with them.  Also, tossing around the word erudite helps you seem smart.

 

I didn't run nearly as much as I intended because of the rain we experienced last week.  Some people say, "Oh, my lousy vacation!  It rained constantly."  But they exaggerate, because in truth, it only rained once or twice when they had something planned.  Or maybe there were 15 minute squalls every day around lunch time.  Last week, Townsend, TN, where we camped, experienced about 40 billion inches of rain.  OK, my data might be a tad subjective, but when I say it rained nearly every day, that's what I mean.  It rained all night and most of the day about half the time.  Then, there would be an 8-12 hour stretch of dry weather, if not outright sun, that lulled us into a false sense of security.  "Ah," we said to ourselves, "we can dry out our camper and all our clothes."  Then, we'd drive off for a breakfast buffet only to watch another eight-hour deluge blow through and soak our crap once again.  Let me try to sum up the week with a few supporting details.

• Monday, I enjoyed a great, long, early morning run, watching the sun rise over the mountains on my way back.  I took it easy, speed-wise, since I was on vacation and just wanted to enjoy myself and my run.  It was a pleasure.  Townsend has excellent side walks along the main drag starting from where we camped and going for at least five miles.  Very runner/bicycle friendly.  Later that morning, it started to rain.
• Tuesday, rest day.  Went hiking after the rain stopped.  Then it rained some more.
• Wednesday, set my alarm with every intention of running five miles.  I awoke around 5:00 discouraged by the sound of a thrashing rainstorm and turned off the alarm.  We woke to a pleasant but soggy morning.  That afternoon, we got another soaking.
• On Thursday, again, I had every intention of running, but once again, a light-but-steady rain dissuaded me from getting out of my warm, mostly dry sleeping bag.  We went to Dollywood and enjoyed ourselves between squalls.
• Friday morning was calm but cloudy.  I took the chance, laced up my go-fasters, and hit the road to do an easy five.  Ten minutes into the run, the clouds burst.  Still, I ran the full five even though I was squishing through ankle-deep puddles on the way back.  I hoped my stuff would dry before my planned long run on Sunday.
• Saturday, rest day, and it was pretty nice.  We spent another day in Dollywood and enjoyed pleasant weather in Pigeon Forge.  With a low chance of precipitation in the forecast, I stupidly left my gear outside to dry.  When I came back, I discovered it had rained at some point in Townsend and my gear was just as soaked as I had left it the previous morning.  I poured water out of my Nikes. 
• Sunday, I planned on running but my shoes & clothes were still soaked, my discouragement was crippling, and my body was sore from sleeping in the camper for a week.  I wanted a hot bath, my own bed, and some dry clothes.  Instead, I had a four-and-a-half hour drive ahead of me in soggy clothes and a smelly car, so I decided not to run.  Blah.

All in all, it was a week of mixed success.  I failed to run according to the plan, but I did run.  A few years ago, I never ran on vacations.  I did no speed work, but I did run my two workouts seriously and as hard as I had energy for.  I could have done more and better, but that's almost always true.

 

Today, I needed rest so that's what I am doing.  Tomorrow, I gotta get back on the plan.