Before...

Hilly trails

Ran some new trails at the dam - more hilly than I expected. I did come by some mountain bikers...note the descriptor there - MOUNTAIN bikers. They were in the right place. The trail was around the high power lines, but was more hilly than I expected. It took over 50 minutes to run 4 miles, and they were hard miles. I took a little break at the 2 mile mark to look at the river bank, and try to get my bearings about where I was in relation to the highway, and then had to pause a few more times to adjust water bottles and my MP3 player.

Okay, draw a picture in your head with me. I'm trouncing through the woods like a madman - shirtless, with water bottles hanging from my waist, wearing shorts that are so bright yellow they'd make Ray Charles squint. I'm singing along happily with my MP3 player - a mixture of offensive rap, Gaelic punk/metal, and Airborne Ranger/USMC Jody calls. Running in the woods is a very surreal experience for me: it engages parts of my brain that don't always get used. I'm listening to the music, singing along, trying to keep up my speed on hills and descents, keeping my eyes darting looking for firm or tenuous footing, watching for roots and snakes at ground level, and spider webs and branches above, and tripping briers at all heights. I'm also trying to watch ahead of me on the trail for bikers that may or may not see me. I'm breathing heavy and sweating - heaving out air and letting my day get lost in the brambles. I'm not caring about distance too much, or getting lost - if I get 'lost' I'll get found. No phone, no pager, no other voices but mine. My mind always races - I can feel my eyes jerking around in the sockets as they survey the surroundings. It feels like I'm a part of this environment, yet still just visiting it. I'm feeling the ground scrub brush against my ankles right above my socks and I think of the tick I picked up a few days ago (will I get another one), but it doesn't slow me down, or diminish my desire to keep pushing onward. The trail is a series of switchbacks and I'm lacing back over the same acreage again and again, albeit at different angles. Out of the corner of my eye every few turns I catch some movement, but when I try to focus on the area, it's gone, or I just don't see it. Pounding along, up the steep hills and letting my legs roll down the other side of the hills. At the next turn I see the movement again - gone again. How do my legs feel - tired, how about my feet - taxed, how's my breathing - hard, but consistent - - drink - keep pushing.

There's the movement again, but this time I catch it; I'm close enough this time - only about 20 yards away - 2 deer! They're running, but I'm running in the same direction - they speed up, I speed up... Walt Whitman rushes into my brain with the ticks, and snakes, and bible verses, and a DI chanting to 'run me some more' - "I sound my barbaric YAWP!" - and I do. I scream, I howl, I bellow at and with the deer as my pace quickens. My mind is flooded with the sounds around me, and smell of the trail, and the images of Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society. He's YAWPING at a student - YAWP!!!! like a barbarian, not a student! I yawp. I see the images of Conner McCloed and Ramirez on the beach in "Highlander"- I see them sprinting against each other in the spirit of the moment. I still see the deer - they are pulling away from me. I remember Rocky and Apollo running down the beach at full steam and I hear the music . My eyes are still darting to the trail for footing and safety - I'm watching the deer leave me as I bank into a turn, still churning hard on the inside and out. My mind starts to come down, my body catches up and I'm thinking of a report I read about the endurance/construction of animals and humans, how most of the runners in nature are sprinters - lighting fast, but short lived; how man is the only animal that runs for a reason other than survival, and we do it for insanely long distances. The deer were out of sight quickly - all of this happened in less than 40 seconds - but somewhere, they were panting. Watching for the next 'something' to make them run again - I was still going....a runner.

I continued my run, and said a prayer of thanks that I was able to be out there.

hills

Ran hill repeats with Steph at the dam. We did 12 hill sprints and it was horrible hot. Good thing about hills and speed workouts is that they go pretty fast.

Rest day tomorrow.

Hot n' hilly

4 mile trail run tonight and the heat and hills were murderous. Took nearly 45 minutes and I didn't stop for breaks...just had to slow down so much for the steep climbs and high temp.

Leftovers

Here's the leftovers from my run tonight. 4 empty 10 oz bottles of gatorade, 2 empty packs of Gu (choc, and orange), and 1 tri jersey weighing 20 lbs extra from all the sweat. The heat and humidity is rough. I ran the rails to trails route tonight.

10 miles in about 1:34:00

Good run, now I'm gonna go find a protein shake and some dinner.

Belated reports

Running is relaxing - that's a blessing that I'd have never anticipated. It calms my nerves, and takes my mind off of much of what's going on around me. I'd have never guessed I get therapy from a pair of Asics.

Monday (7-21-08), I ran by myself at the dam...kind of late. I had to run late to give the sun time to go down. It was still incredibly hot, and humid. It was one of the most interesting runs I've done in a while. I've commented a few times on the interesting/odd people I see when out running, and the commentary that runs through my head when I see them. I learned that sometimes, I'm on the other end of that spectrum. I wanted to run a longer distance since Steph wasn't with me. so I decided I'd run from the West Point end of the dam (through the woods/trails) all the way to the Lanett end, then turn back and run the roads and all inclusive loops. I started about 7:30, so I figured the shade of the woods would be nice, and by the time I made the turn, it would probably be too dark to be off the roads (snakes, etc.). The trail runs are always nice and challenging - challenging footing, lots of hills, numerous switchbacks and ditches...I love it. And it's private...usually. I've never seen ANYONE on the trails while running, but this run, I passed 3 other runners. Admittedly, they were spaced out like they were a family out for a run - no more than about 40 meters apart, but still - they were on the trail with me. I came out of the woods, and I think I startled some of the people fishing from the bank. I crossed the dam and headed for my stashed water bottle. I'd worn my fuel belt with all four bottles and had been hitting them pretty regular in the heat. I'd planned to drink and refill at the Lanett end. I stopped and took off my jersey because I'd forgotten to lube my nipples (yes, I just used the phrase 'lube my nipples'), and two guys walked past me - obviously not from the area. The looked middle eastern, which made the ensuing comment all the more interesting. There I stand: shirtless, drenched in sweat, panting, with four bottle strung around my waist, and trying to refill them when one of guys walks past me and says:

"You look like a suicide boomb-er"

Yes, I spelled it just like he pronounced it. I agreed with him and went on my way, but it hit me that I was the on a different end of the observation that I'd known to be in the past. (chuckling all the way).

8.9 miles --- I hate missing a distance by 1/10s like that.

Didn't get to run Tues, or wed, thursday or friday due to work schedules.

Saturday (7-26-08) - me and Steph went to columbus and ran 6 miles on the riverwalk. That was a great run. It rained on us lightly the whole way and the scenery from the 0 mile marker to bull creek was great. I'll want to run that again, and maybe go a little farther.

Early Sunday run

Steph and I just got back from an early 3 miler (early, because we don't usually get up until 8:30 or later on Sundy - - then ruuussshh to get to church on time).

It was a little tough after the speed work yesterday morning.

breakdown:

mile 1: 9:12
mile 2: 8:37
mile 3: 7:21

total 25:10