Hurdles

I’ve been ignoring the trails and hitting the roads during some of my recovery from the injuries runs. I have come to terms with the injury not being anything to do with my knees. I had my feet checked out to see if it was something with my shoes not fitting right. I found out for sure that my arches are not high or flat, so I’m not worried about the shoes. It is something like the ITB band that was aggravated from not enough stretching.

This weekend I put in a low 6 miles of running. Great.

The lack of any running is driving me a little crazy. I’m ready to get back out to the trails but know that I can’t do that. At least not until next week.

This week I managed to do some cross-training to keep up the fitness level. I swam laps at the pool one day and road my bike a couple times this weekend. Both times I was just doing road biking. Once through the neighborhood for about 6 miles. Then today I rode for 1 hour on a hilly area beside the highway.

Looking forward to next week when I test out my leg on the trail again.

Today I went out to the park to run a long run. About four miles into my first seven mile loop I blew out my knee. It was an injury that I feared was coming because of runner’s knee pain. I know that I hadn’t done enough cross training or strength training for the miles I was putting on my body.

I will take a couple weeks off running. Zero miles. I will spend that time partially on work stuff (in trial about 8 of those days) and riding my mountain bike, kayaking, and maybe some hiking.

It’s not the end of the world but it might push off the start of my fall running season. I planned to run a 60K in October but I’m not sure if I’ll be ready by then.

I love running. I’ve never understood anyone who runs and says they hate running. My only guess is that they are really what is termed a “jogger” and do it because they believe it to be good exercise. I don’t disagree but if I hated running then I’d find exercise that I didn’t hate.

But, I digress. I love running, but I don’t enjoy the heat. This presents a big problem in the 100 plus degree days of the Summer. Some people in my running club try to avoid it by running an hour later than they normally do. I’ve look at the thermostat and saw that the temperature usually doesn’t vary in a significant way. For instance, today the temperature at five was 96 and at six it was (you guessed it) 96. Even if I waited until now at 10:35pm, it is still an intolerable 90 degrees. Waiting one hour in the scorching hours of the day doesn’t cool off the temperature enough to make it worth it for me.

I get off work around 5. I like to run in the daylight. So I’m suck with running in the morning (when it is actually cooler) or running in the heat. I start work at 6ish in the morning so that’s out. It means that I am going to run in the heat.

I’ll explain in another post about how I deal with it. But basically I always go from work to my run. I hate breaking up my day with small amounts of time. So I go from waking up, to exercising, to home. None of that waking, working, home for an hour, working out, and then home again. It’s not consistent enough for me. That means I take a water bottle with whatever fluid in it to work along with my work out clothes. I also will take an endurolyte tablet IF I’m planning on running over 5 miles. Any distance under that doesn’t help me and actually is harmful.

Hopefully the heat will only last another couple months. But I’m reminded that it was in the mid seventies when I ran the Bandera 50K in January. Alas…

Every summer I start out hating running in the heat. I will stop and walk more. I’m much sweatier. I get exhausted far sooner than in cooler weather.

But I also learn that it’s not as bad as my mind makes it out to be. I think this is probably true for most runners.

Learn to embrace the heat a little. Consider it something of a training tool. If you can run a good run in 90 degree heat you are going to be doing great in the fall!

Also, what better excuse than the heat for a couple slower runs?

Last Sunday we celebrated the belated birthday of one runner and the actual birthday of another (nobody else knew it was his birthday) after the run. I found the celebration in the middle of my run, so I stopped and shared greetings with everyone while skipping the sparkly and cupcakes.

After I took off on my own I came to a bridge across a little feeder stream. I was shocked to find some 30ish year old guy laying prone across the bridge. On either side of the bridge there was a little tiny bit of unmanicured ground which I wasn’t going to jump down to if I didn’t have to.

Slowly I approached this man and saw his chest moving in his relaxed slumber. There was enough room that I could easily step over him.

EXCUSE ME!

Oh, I’m sorry…I didn’t want to bother you…

*Glares*

I just stepped over so I could continue on my run. You might move…

No! You step and walk on the ground.

At this point I turned around and started to leave. The guy had stood up and was wanting a confrontation. YOU GOD#$%@ RUNNERS THINK YOU RULE THE WORLD! echoes after me.

Geez. I don’t know why I have to have such odd experiences when I run, but it makes for pretty interesting stories so I shouldn’t complain.

It’s been a couple months and I still haven’t cured my minor case of runner’s knee. I have bought a knee strap that is starting to help along with supplements to help the joints. Regardless, it’s a little annoying when my knee acts up in the middle of a run. I think it’s starting to get better little by little.

Today I went to the park with Phillip to run the five mile loop. He was a little interested in doing the seven, but I was still a little sore from 20 yesterday. Unlike Norman, I actually wouldn’t mind running in the rain more often. The only annoyance (aside from the knee) was how bad the jeep trail was with mud. It was like running through quick sand as our feet would sink a couple inches into the ground. No doubt our footprints will be visible until the next hard rain. We finished the five in a decent time of about 38 minutes.

I had to take the day off running on Monday. I woke up Sunday night and had a bit of a bug upsetting my stomach. My hope is that this illness, which has passed, won’t affect my race this weekend. I’m running a 50K this weekend. It’s my next to last race in 07. My final one will be in the middle of November and it’s a 24 hour run.

Here’s for a healthy run to the finish.

Don’t worry about the shock headlines. The key to running is to always be smart. Is this advice that I always follow? No. But you shouldn’t be scared by events like what occurred at the Chicago Marathon.

Some days it might be too hot for you to run outside. If it is, don’t run outside. There isn’t any obligation to run. Your heart is impacted more with increased temperatures. Listen to what your body says and stop when you are over exerting yourself.

Most terrible injuries, or deaths, seem to occur when someone isn’t listening to what their body is telling them. If you aren’t a professional, you have no obligation to push yourself past your limit. Running is a fun, safe form of exercise if done properly.

I believe that when I was a child my mother would often scold me by saying that I would regret whatever bad thing I did later. Today, I ate a late lunch and then had a couple cupcakes which were being sold in some charity drive. I must admit that it made my stomach really happy at the time. It even gave 50 cents to charity! Later, unfortunately, it came back to haunt me as my stomach regretted it during my 7 mile run.

I made a bad mistake, but I think the mistake might have been running because those cupcakes were fantastic!

Yesterday I went out to the park with a friend for a run. There were scattered showers around the area but the park was really dry. After about a half mile we got to our first low-lying bridge and realized we couldn’t get across it. The creek was flooded because of the rain north of us. We walked around to see if the creek thinned out but couldn’t find anywhere that it got better.

Instead of turning around, we decided that we’d ford the overrun trail bridge. It was only about 30 or 40 feet long so we didn’t have to go too far.  We both took off our shoes and socks and took off across the bridge. It was a lot easier and more fun than we imagined.

Yesterday was a good day of running. Today was a really sucky day. It’s not good to run when it’s 95ish degrees. It’s really not good to run 6 some miles.

I went for a run yesterday and was cut off by a herd of boars. There was a big one that passed the trail right behind us. The others were running along beside us about 5 feet away. It was extra scary because there were about 5 or 6 babies with their mom. Nobody should get between a baby boar and it’s mother.

I don’t mind running in the rain because it’s a good way to keep cool. What do I care if I get a little wet? When it’s hot and humid I sweat my clothes wet anyhow.

Over at That’s Fit they offer some tips for running in the rain:

•  Wear a water-repellent top layer, like a rain coat, so the water doesn’t weight you down
• Avoid cotton shorts and cotton socks — neither are very comfortable when wet
• Waterproof your iPod with a zipper-top plastic baggy
• Wear old running shoes, unless yours are waterproof
• Wear sunglasses — you might look silly but it will keep the water from your eyes
• Don’t run too close to the road — you might get splashed by a car!

My thoughts are that you should:

1. Always wear gear that is good at wicking water. I wouldn’t wear something akin to a raincoat because it won’t breathe well. If you are going on a run in the rain expect to be wet. Just protect your skin from chafing and unnecessary blister by wearing the right gear.
2. Never wear cotton when you’re running. There is little that could be worse.
3. Wear shoes that get good traction in the rain and that you don’t mind getting wet. Old shoes are fine if they aren’t damaged or worn out. You don’t want to sacrifice your own foot for the sake of a shoe.
4. I like to wear a hat in the rain because that really helps to keep the water from my eyes.

Enjoy your rain runs, stay away from the lightening.

The only solace I can find is that it says “scattered” which means that maybe I can catch a pocket when there is a break from the rain to run.  Or, like yesterday, I can just run in the rain as long as there isn’t

lightening.

My advice would be to not try to outrun an approaching storm. The sky might be clear overhead but if you can see the gray skies and hear thunder in the distance — stay inside.

I tried to run a quick 3.5 mile run. I figured the onset of a storm would get me to run it quicker, and it did.

Unfortunately, I was about one mile into it when the rain started to pour down on me,  lightening was striking in the park, winds were knocking down tree branches (it’s disconcerting to find obstacles on a previously clear path you ran ten minutes before), and trails flooded with flowing streams.

Bad Curtis.

It sucks that I can’t run, but I am not going to risk being struck by lighting. If I had access to a treadmill I might run on it. I lieu of running, I am enjoying watching some TV and mentally preparing for the 50K this Saturday.

I don’t know what is wrong with me this weekend but I can’t run. I woke up this morning and went out to the park. My hope was that I would have a better run this yesterday.

Just to give you an idea of my pace, I typically will run a 7 mile trail in about 1:03 to 1:05. Yesterday, I had to stop and walk numerous times and finished in 1:18. That’s an extra minute or so for each mile! Not good…

Today I had the group to run with so I knew that my time might be a little better. There were about 7 who showed up to run. With the people there there was one other guy who is training for a 50K and he can beat me. Everyone else runs with a slower pace.

We took off and I turned onto the first little trail that goes for a 1/4 mile. Only one of my friends turned to run that with me. She and I made fun of the others for taking a short cut at the very beginning of the run. That put us about a tenth of a mile or more behind everyone. This meant that I didn’t see the other guy training for the rest of the run.

I was terribly weak on this run but not as bad as yesterday. I stopped to walk a couple times, yet I finished in 1:08. It wasn’t a good run but it wasn’t the worst. I need to shake out of this slump!

I was out running in the park today on my normal path. I started in the opposite direction because the signs said that there was a burn going on. These are just controlled fires to clear out the undergrowth so that the heat and careless park guests don’t do it in an uncontrolled fashion.

When I came to the end, I figured that I would have to run through some areas where there had been burns. Little did I know that I would be surrounded by smoke and fire. Most of it was on one side of the trail, but I certainly was breathing in an unhealthy amount of smoke. Then I saw about three deers cross the street as they were escaping the burn.

I’ll blame the smoke on how weak my run was today.

This morning I set off the park to meet a running friend for a long run. We planned to do 14 miles which is just a couple laps. I packed a jacket to wear, an extra bottle of water, water bottle to run with, GU, and a Clif bar. This is more than enough goodies for a not so long run.

I met up with Phillip and we took off around 8:15. I decided that I didn’t need any water or GU for the first lap. I did wear my long sleeved jacket because it was pretty chilly. It didn’t take long before I realized that the jacket was a mistake. That was mistake number one of the run.

We stayed together for most of the first lap. There weren’t any problems with the run except I was pretty out of breath. I took some allergy medication before I left because of congestion. The congestion didn’t go away during the first lap, so I was cramping and having breathing problems. Normally, I won’t stop, but I had to walk a couple times. Oh, I also had to stop to crest a tree that had fallen in the path. It was a little more than difficult to get over.

I finished the first lap in about an hour and 8 minutes. That isn’t too far off from my typical pace of 1:03 hours for 7 miles. I went to my car to grab my water, GU, and ate a little bit of a Clif bar. Phillip came over and was munching on a Girl Scout peanut butter cookie. He seemed to believe that was better tasting than the Clif Bar (he was right). I only ate about two bites of the bar because I knew that I wouldn’t need all that for seven more miles. I drank some water from my extra bottle. We took off on a different route.

Not even a mile into the second lap and Phillip hit a root. He was in front of me so I watched him tumble. He sprung back up and said everything was alright. After a mile, I opened the Gu and sucked it down. I packed it away (even the top) because I hate seeing those things on the trail. Even though I did this while running, it slowed me down enough that Phillip was gone.

To catch up with Phillip, I decided to cross the dam instead of running the extra distance to the bridges. This was certainly mistake number two. Because of all the moss and vegetation, it was difficult to see where the concrete steps were located and my foot was wetter for it. The last 3 miles of my run were finished with a soaking wet foot. I thought it was kind of fun but it made my legs heavier.

All in all, it took about 2 hours and 18 minutes for me to finish. That included my little break for a Clif Bar. I just wish that I felt better on that first lap and I would have done better — I think.

When you run, you have to be careful to avoid some of the wildlife. I hear that in California you can run into some bears. You certainly can in places in the North and in Colorado. In certain areas of Texas you might see a bobcat or a wolf. I am lucky enough to have a stupid Armadillo chase me.

I know that there are a plenty of bad excuses I have made to not run in my past. Today is a fairly common bad excuse: it was raining.

This is a bad excuse because really the rain shouldn’t stop me. I don’t mind a little bit of rain when I’m running as long as there is no lightening involved. The only major considerations are avoiding traffic. Drivers cannot be trusted to begin with but it’s really a poor idea to trust them when it’s raining outside. The other consideration, for me, is to have a nice warm drink to have when I get home.

After work today, I went and ran about 7 miles because I didn’t want to miss out on the last day of nice weather. Meteorologists are telling me that it’ll start to rain here (just in time to really muddy up the trails for the Rocky Raccoon 100 this weekend) tomorrow.

I felt a little guilty about worrying about a little rain when there are other runners about to battle what dogs can do multiple times better in Alaska. At least a few runners are going to be running the Iditarod Invitational in Anchorage, Alaska on the 24th of February. I can’t help but believing they are a little nuts but if it’s what makes them happy then I support them in it.

At least I don’t have to worry about an angry moose trampling me while I’m trying to drag my sled behind me even if a few rain drops are muddying my trails.

Today is a great day for me because I lost my first toenail running. I wasn’t able to do it at the ultracentric or White Rock Half Marathon or any of my long training runs but the treadmill got me.

I couldn’t be happier and I have the picture to prove the loss. I didn’t want to post it right here because most people don’t like gross feet (actually, the picture and injury aren’t too bad). If you’re curious then you know what to click.

That’s Fit wrote a couple articles about running today aimed at casual runners. One in particular concerned whether or not it’s safe to run in the cold. Of course, if you a properly bundled, it is perfectly safe. However, I think the larger point is whether it’s good for a new runner…

I don’t think it is because I don’t think it’s conducive for developing a long term passion for running. Running in the cold can be very uncomfortable and tiring, perhaps more so than in extreme heat.

I hate running on a treadmill, but I think that it’ll be better for some people. Just be aware of the fact that running in the cold might not kill you but you might not come home all that happy when your lungs feel frozen.

That said, I love running in the cold and you might too.

My biggest running weakness is stopping to walk. It doesn’t matter if I’m just going to run a quick two miles or a long 12 miles, I will stop and walk. I know that it’s a mental hurdle but it’s one that has been with me for a few years now. I’m not sure what the deal is because I used to always keep in motion and finish strong, but I don’t do that anymore.

Today was one of the first times that I have changed that with a really strong run. I did stop but it was only to retie my shoes. Not only did I finish the run strong but I went into my apartment workout center and ran another two miles on the treadmill.

When I started my run, I was a little frustrated with myself because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to run a long run. My goal was to make today my weekly long run, but I had to change for a few reasons. I started the run so late that it would be dark by the end, I didn’t dress properly with the cold coming at nightfall, and I realized my chest was more congested than I anticipated. Instead of a long run, I made it a fairly quick four miles. Then I ran two more on the treadmill.

I guess six miles and breaking a mental block isn’t too shabby.

I apologize on the fact that it’s been awhile since I’ve updated the blog. However, I’ve had a pretty strange week which sort of made it impossible to use the computer. Let’s go back to last weekend for a second and then we’ll end up with yesterday when I figured out that I’m a licensed attorney in Texas.

Last Saturday I went to a stupid wedding with a friend. It’s stupid only because it was her ex-boyfriend and they had a strange relationship. The wedding was on the biggest day for dressing up and going out you can find. You get to fall back with the time change and you can go out in your halloween outfit, but I was stuck at a wedding. I convinced my friend to at least go out to gamble in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma gambling really isn’t all that much fun with the whole no alcohol thing. This was alright because I have committed myself to preparing for the upcoming marathon. I ended up back at home around 1am and fell asleep. I woke up the next morning around 8am and went on an 11 mile run. My time for it was about 90 minutes which is good.

That evening I went to get take out at a really good Mexican food restaurant. You know they are really good because the take out bags are these huge bags that resemble bags from Banana Republic or something. As I was getting out of my car, I scratched the bag against my eye. It hurt for a second and then went away. The next morning it was terrible.

I found out that I scratched my cornea pretty bad. I’ve had to go to the eye doctor three times, I had to take one day off work, I’m putting eye drops in my eye all the time. It’s the worst thing ever. My eye is definitely getting better but the healing process is taking a little while. Because of this, I haven’t been able to run or use the computer or do many other things. I’ve forced myself to work even though it’s uncomfortable.

Yesterday I found out that I passed the Texas Bar exam!