We didn't get to the park until about 8 last night. I kind of sabotaged my run unintentionally through what I ate/or didn't eat today. I didn't eat my scheduled snacks, and for lunch, I ate a box of Mac n' Cheese. I didn't put enough calories in my system, and what was there probably wasn't the best running fare. I had planned on doing at least 4 with Steph, and probably to push on to 6 - I didn't want to pull another 8 or 10 mile night because I'm still a little concerned about pushing so far on Tuesday night. When we got out there, it had just rained so it was ultra-humid. I was about shot by a little past 2 miles - my legs had nothing in them. I decided to stop @ 3.5 miles to avoid hurting myself, and hopefully have something left for my Sat run. I plan to do 6 or 8 Saturday - depending on how I feel and the heat.
disappointing
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
8-16-07 Late-Short-Fast
Schedules got in the way yesterday, so we decided to run a little short since we would be starting so late. We didn't get to even leave the house until 9:30 last night. We decided we'd only run 2 miles, but we would run them pretty quickly. I took a flashlight, and it was full dark when we got out of the car. There were 2 sheriff's cars parked at the gate to the dam when we got there with their blue lights flashing - we've always kind of wondered if they objected to us being there as late as we have been some times. We're often running long after the park is posted as closed. I figured that if they were going to say anything about it, it would be tonight. We started our walk/warm-up and were about half way through the walk when the sheriff pulled up beside us - but all he wanted to know is if that was our car parked in the lot. Once he was sure it was our vehicle, he left. I guess we've become somewhat of a fixture on the side of the road later in the evening, and he probably knows we're not up to anything objectionable.
We ran the 2 miles pretty quickly, and I sprinted the last quarter to get a little more of a sweat going. Looking forward to going about 5 or 6 miles on Friday night.
We ran the 2 miles pretty quickly, and I sprinted the last quarter to get a little more of a sweat going. Looking forward to going about 5 or 6 miles on Friday night.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
8-14-07 Late and Long
I'm noticing a pretty direct correlation between the kind of day I have at work, and how far I want to run - not necessarily a good thing. I count last night's run as a milestone, but also as a mental failure. I've read (and to an extent I believe) that a large part of running is mental - you have to will yourself to do things, and sometimes you have to will yourself to NOT do things - that's where I fell off last night.
I had a pretty labored day at work on Tuesday, and by 4pm, I was fantasizing about being on the road running the day off. We left the house about 7:30pm (after dinner) for our run. Steph and I took separate cars because I knew I'd be out there longer than she would want to wait for me (probably the only really good idea of the evening). We had planned on the routine that has become our norm - we would run together for 2 miles, and she would turn back, and I'd continue on to wherever I was going to go. As we ran, she asked how far I was going to run tonight - I answered that I wasn't really sure, but it would be at least 6 miles. It's worth noting that my schedule was to only run 5, but again, bad day=longer miles. We separated at 2 miles, and I picked up my pace after I turned on the music. I was happily plodding along, and singing when I noticed a group of about 6 people in their 70's walking off of one of the closed off roads. They were carrying 5 gallon buckets, and large stones. I toned down a bit, and as I got close, I noticed one of the gentlemen mouthing something to me, so I pulled out my earphones to hear what he was saying - nothing of consequence, but I didn't want to ignore them and be rude. I took the route by the boat ramps, which makes the entrance-to-entrance route 4 miles. When I got to the West Point entrance, I still wanted more run time, so I decided that I'd just turn up HWY 29, and run into West Point, then maybe I'd run to the house and have Steph take me back to the Jeep. Running back to the Jeep on this route would have only added about another 2 miles to the route, but I didn't want to run past a certain area with a dog in the yard. I realized after I was past the point of no return, that I really didn't have enough daylight to undertake this route. Every sound turned into paranoia of a pack of yard dogs coming my way. I got into West Point after is was dark, and it was REALLY dark on my road as I got closer to my house.
I had taken the precaution to put Body-Glide on my thighs, knees, and underarms. I was wearing a wicking shirt that did a good job of keeping me dry (which was probably a lifesaver). I could have used some Body-Glide on my nipples - they got a little sore on the last few miles, luckily there was no real damage, and they didn't burn too much in the shower. When I mapped the route later, it came out to 10.5 miles. I probably should not have done that kind of distance after my 10 mile run on Saturday. I was exhausted when I got home, and famished. I chugged Gatorade, and ate a couple of pieces of fruit while I waited for Steph to take me back to get the Jeep. Luckily Steph hadn't begun to get worried because she knew I was planning on going longer tonight
After we got the Jeep and I was getting ready for my shower, I saw the extent of the damage I'd done. Aside from being exhausted, my body was worn pretty well. My face felt like it was covered in dirt and grime. When I took off my left shoe, it looked like someone had been murdered - half my sock was drenched in blood. I hadn't felt anything, but two of my toes had rubbed against the edge of the adjacent toe-nails and worn holes in my toes. The inside of my left shoe was soaked in blood and it had just started to seep out of the seam on the lower side of the shoe. I've had problems in the past with my left foot bleeding, so I wasn't surprised at the blood - just the volume of it. Steph gasped so loudly when she saw my foot covered in blood that I could hear it behind me. When I took off my right shoe the sock had blood on it as well, but not NEARLY as much as the left one - same issue, rubbing toenails. I put band aids on after the shower and washing away all the blood. I'll need to wrap my toes in tape to prevent in the future. I've got the corners filed off of my toenails, but those toes tend to rub together anyway.
I should have shut myself down at 8 miles - no more.
The shower felt really good, and I slept like a stone. I'll need to give some serious consideration to what I'm going to do on Thursday - I probably should not run very far on Thursday. I've now down about 23 miles in 3 days (with one day off), so I should probably go a little easier. I don't' need do another 8+ day until at least Saturday, but I also need to plan on a lighter week next week in prep for the Midnight Express.
I had a pretty labored day at work on Tuesday, and by 4pm, I was fantasizing about being on the road running the day off. We left the house about 7:30pm (after dinner) for our run. Steph and I took separate cars because I knew I'd be out there longer than she would want to wait for me (probably the only really good idea of the evening). We had planned on the routine that has become our norm - we would run together for 2 miles, and she would turn back, and I'd continue on to wherever I was going to go. As we ran, she asked how far I was going to run tonight - I answered that I wasn't really sure, but it would be at least 6 miles. It's worth noting that my schedule was to only run 5, but again, bad day=longer miles. We separated at 2 miles, and I picked up my pace after I turned on the music. I was happily plodding along, and singing when I noticed a group of about 6 people in their 70's walking off of one of the closed off roads. They were carrying 5 gallon buckets, and large stones. I toned down a bit, and as I got close, I noticed one of the gentlemen mouthing something to me, so I pulled out my earphones to hear what he was saying - nothing of consequence, but I didn't want to ignore them and be rude. I took the route by the boat ramps, which makes the entrance-to-entrance route 4 miles. When I got to the West Point entrance, I still wanted more run time, so I decided that I'd just turn up HWY 29, and run into West Point, then maybe I'd run to the house and have Steph take me back to the Jeep. Running back to the Jeep on this route would have only added about another 2 miles to the route, but I didn't want to run past a certain area with a dog in the yard. I realized after I was past the point of no return, that I really didn't have enough daylight to undertake this route. Every sound turned into paranoia of a pack of yard dogs coming my way. I got into West Point after is was dark, and it was REALLY dark on my road as I got closer to my house.
I had taken the precaution to put Body-Glide on my thighs, knees, and underarms. I was wearing a wicking shirt that did a good job of keeping me dry (which was probably a lifesaver). I could have used some Body-Glide on my nipples - they got a little sore on the last few miles, luckily there was no real damage, and they didn't burn too much in the shower. When I mapped the route later, it came out to 10.5 miles. I probably should not have done that kind of distance after my 10 mile run on Saturday. I was exhausted when I got home, and famished. I chugged Gatorade, and ate a couple of pieces of fruit while I waited for Steph to take me back to get the Jeep. Luckily Steph hadn't begun to get worried because she knew I was planning on going longer tonight
After we got the Jeep and I was getting ready for my shower, I saw the extent of the damage I'd done. Aside from being exhausted, my body was worn pretty well. My face felt like it was covered in dirt and grime. When I took off my left shoe, it looked like someone had been murdered - half my sock was drenched in blood. I hadn't felt anything, but two of my toes had rubbed against the edge of the adjacent toe-nails and worn holes in my toes. The inside of my left shoe was soaked in blood and it had just started to seep out of the seam on the lower side of the shoe. I've had problems in the past with my left foot bleeding, so I wasn't surprised at the blood - just the volume of it. Steph gasped so loudly when she saw my foot covered in blood that I could hear it behind me. When I took off my right shoe the sock had blood on it as well, but not NEARLY as much as the left one - same issue, rubbing toenails. I put band aids on after the shower and washing away all the blood. I'll need to wrap my toes in tape to prevent in the future. I've got the corners filed off of my toenails, but those toes tend to rub together anyway.
I should have shut myself down at 8 miles - no more.
The shower felt really good, and I slept like a stone. I'll need to give some serious consideration to what I'm going to do on Thursday - I probably should not run very far on Thursday. I've now down about 23 miles in 3 days (with one day off), so I should probably go a little easier. I don't' need do another 8+ day until at least Saturday, but I also need to plan on a lighter week next week in prep for the Midnight Express.
Monday, August 13, 2007
8-13-07 Early and short
We ran @ 5:15 this morning. Mornings suck. I was planning on doing 4 miles with Steph, but we cut it short to 3 miles due to time, and being horribly tired.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
8-11-07 New RECORD!!
After the run last night, I wasn't sure what to expect today. We got up early and I ate a spoonful of peanut butter so I'd have some food in me. We were running by 6:45am - figuring we could beat the sun up, and avoid a lot of the 100+ temps, and also be done with the run for the rest of the day/weekend. I had planned on going 8 miles (this was going to be the record distance for me), so Steph and I had taken separate vehicles again so she would not have to wait around after her 4 miles for me to run another 4 miles. We separated at the 2 mile turnaround (not NEARLY as many bugs this morning), and I booted up the MP3 player and ran onward. There was nobody on the roads at the early hour - plenty of boats on the water, but nobody on the roads. I had figured on an extra 2 laps around the boat ramp area to add 1.6 miles to the full park route - this would put me at 8 miles. When I got the West Point entrance it was still not hot, the sun was still low in the sky which provided a lot of shadows - so I just made a left and continued up Hwy 29 towards Lagrange, GA. I figured I'd shoot for 10 miles. Ten miles has been kind of an 'out-there' goal. I want to get myself to 30 miles per week, with at least 10 of those on one Saturday run. I thought that if I ran for 3 more songs (averaging about 3-4 minutes each) that I would be at about a mile from the park entrance. I did that, and then found a marked road to use as my turnaround (for mapping purposes upon my return). I turned around at Langford Rd. and ran back. I passed a couple of guys on racing bicycles on Hwy 29, and a little car traffic. I did have to slow down a little on some of the more intense hills on the way back, but it was a great run.
Here's the route:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1218552
When I was coming back to the starting point I passed a family on bicycles just unloading and heading off on a ride, and I thought how glad I was to be finishing up my run around 9am instead of starting - the sun was already up and starting to heat things up considerably.
I was famished after I returned, and the sub I had for lunch was greatly enjoyed. Doing 10 miles on a training run confirmed that with a little more time/work, I could be ready for a half-marathon. I still think I'm going to plan on running the Victory Junction Half Marathon in December of 2008.
Here's the route:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1218552
When I was coming back to the starting point I passed a family on bicycles just unloading and heading off on a ride, and I thought how glad I was to be finishing up my run around 9am instead of starting - the sun was already up and starting to heat things up considerably.
I was famished after I returned, and the sub I had for lunch was greatly enjoyed. Doing 10 miles on a training run confirmed that with a little more time/work, I could be ready for a half-marathon. I still think I'm going to plan on running the Victory Junction Half Marathon in December of 2008.
8-10-7 Panic Run
I was scheduled to go 6 miles tonight. Steph and I got to the dam late (heat again), and had planned to run 2 miles together, then I would run on a mile further and turn around - it didn't work out that way.
By the time we started running, it had already started to get a little darker. Steph hates running in the dark (especially alone -- understandable). When we parted ways @ 2 miles it looked like she would be getting back to the vehicles after it was full dark. We'd taken separate rides so she wouldn't have to wait around for me to finish more miles. We also hit a huge swarm of bugs just before we separated, we were both trying to run and swat both our hands in front of our faces to keep them off of us - horrible experience. We separated and I knew the park had already closed both gates over the dam. After I'd run about a quarter mile past the her turnaround my imagination started running loose - my wife alone, running in the dark, in a remote area, tired from the run and distracted by swarms of gnats. I could run through all the worst scenarios - I turned back at the 2.5 mile mark (.5 mile early), and sped up to just under a full sprint trying to catch up with her. I probably covered the next 1.5 miles in about 14 minutes. I ran at speed until my body just wouldn't let me anymore. I'd seen the vehicle that inspired all of these thoughts, and realized it was a park maintenance vehicle, and they were supposed to be there after dark, but my adrenaline kept me moving pretty fast even after that. After I had to stop, I walked on, and ran again once I got my breath back. I ran into Steph on the last leg of her cool down walk.
Moral of the story: we won't be running separated after dark anymore.
I didn't get my planned mileage in, but I did get a good sprint workout.
By the time we started running, it had already started to get a little darker. Steph hates running in the dark (especially alone -- understandable). When we parted ways @ 2 miles it looked like she would be getting back to the vehicles after it was full dark. We'd taken separate rides so she wouldn't have to wait around for me to finish more miles. We also hit a huge swarm of bugs just before we separated, we were both trying to run and swat both our hands in front of our faces to keep them off of us - horrible experience. We separated and I knew the park had already closed both gates over the dam. After I'd run about a quarter mile past the her turnaround my imagination started running loose - my wife alone, running in the dark, in a remote area, tired from the run and distracted by swarms of gnats. I could run through all the worst scenarios - I turned back at the 2.5 mile mark (.5 mile early), and sped up to just under a full sprint trying to catch up with her. I probably covered the next 1.5 miles in about 14 minutes. I ran at speed until my body just wouldn't let me anymore. I'd seen the vehicle that inspired all of these thoughts, and realized it was a park maintenance vehicle, and they were supposed to be there after dark, but my adrenaline kept me moving pretty fast even after that. After I had to stop, I walked on, and ran again once I got my breath back. I ran into Steph on the last leg of her cool down walk.
Moral of the story: we won't be running separated after dark anymore.
I didn't get my planned mileage in, but I did get a good sprint workout.
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