Author: RWD

TBD Spring Ultra Training: Week 1

I think I’m going to run Zumbro 50, but I’m not 100% certain yet. This is my first week back after my two-week hiatus, and it probably wasn’t super smart to jump right in with 42 miles, but I feel pretty good.

Monday: 6.2 mi, treadmill
Tuesday: 7.1 mi, road (Minnesota Point)
Wednesday: 6.6 mi, treadmill, strength
Thursday: 6.8 mi, treadmill, strength
Friday: 10 mi, paved trail/road (Lakewalk + London Rd)
Saturday: 5.3 mi, trail (Hartley Root Canal + Guardrail), strength
Sunday: strength
Total: 42 mi

I’m trying to reach 1700 miles for the year, and match last year’s total mileage for December, so that’s part of the reason I stupidly decided to ramp up my mileage. It’s not like I was inactive over my break, and I haven’t tried to run fast or do anything really hard, but it’s still probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done. Eh. I’m not worried about training perfectly.

The treadmill is so boring, even with Netflix on and my cats downstairs to watch me. I do my best to break things up by changing the speed or the elevation, but it’s still a frustrating slog.

I was glad to get outside for half my runs, even though I was cold. On Friday, I actually started out too warm and ended up having to slow down to a walk because I was overheated and feeling a little ill from it. Unfortunately, I got cold later on from the damp clothes, though my handwarmers kept me from getting truly cold. Friday’s run was my first double-digit mile run since Fall Back Blast, which I didn’t realize, but I really struggled at the end and had to add in a few walking breaks. The cumulative effects of higher mileage + cold + bulky clothes + ice and snow + headlamp were too much for me to handle. Learning experience. It wasn’t an awful run, but not one of my favorites.

My run on Saturday was much better. Hartley was beautiful, and it wasn’t too cold. I think I found a good layering option, and I had hand warmers again. I brought my headlamp along but didn’t take it out until the final mile, preferring to run along in the gloaming with just the waning ambient light on the snow showing the way. I’ve run those trails at Hartley so many times, I could almost do them blindfolded. I didn’t even feel chilled afterward! It was a nice way to end my running week.

I’m really trying to ensure I do some kind of strength training a few times a week. It’s easier to do when I’ve done a treadmill run, because I’m not chilled and I didn’t have to drive home from somewhere else. Even if I do just a few planks and pushups, it’s important to do something. Greater core and leg strength will be helpful with building endurance and stamina, and overall improved muscle mass will help with weight loss. I did not do any yoga this week due to my bruised knee (it doesn’t hurt to walk or go down stairs or do anything dynamic, but it hurts to kneel on it directly, of course), but I did planks and lunges and other circuit-training-style exercises. I’m trying to build up a lot of different ideas of exercises to do, so that I can do a lot, or a little, or mix things up to avoid getting bored.

That Old North Wind Should Begin to Blow

The white ravens have been released from the Citadel. Winter is here. I looked at the extended forecast and cried. The high on Christmas Day is -5 F. I took next week off from work and was looking forward to some long runs, but now I just feel despair.

Tuesday I was determined to run outside. Monday it was snowing hard enough that I decided against an outdoor run, but I want to get in as many outdoor runs as I can when it’s not frigid, so I resolved to make it up on Tuesday. It was in the mid-20s F so I figured it would be okay. I also thought it would be ok to leave my headlamp at home (I did wear my reflective vest). I headed down to Minnesota Point, because I knew it would be a relatively safe place to run. It’s not hilly (I’m always afraid I’m going to slip down a hill while running in winter, or slip off an uneven sidewalk into traffic) and I thought that it would be light enough from streetlights, house lights, and ambient lighting.

It wasn’t light enough, and I was constantly afraid that I was going to slip on black ice – so much so that I actually walked on clear spots in the sidewalk because I thought they were black ice, rather than pavement (since it was too dark to tell). Every time a car went by, its headlights cast everything out of their narrow beams into shadow, so I couldn’t see what I was traversing. Long stretches of sidewalk weren’t shoveled, so I ended up running in the street (which also had icy/snowy stretches).

The wind was brutal. It seemed to swirl around me and come at me from all sides, especially on the way back. I ran 7 miles and it went pretty slowly due to the sidewalk/road conditions and visibility issues, so I was out there for over an hour and a half (yeah, it really sucks to be a slow runner in winter), and for half that time, I was getting bombarded by icy winds. Even with Warm Skin slathered on my face, my cheeks were still frozen.

I couldn’t get warm when I got home. I was so cold I ended up having to take a shower after dinner, and then sat with a heating pad in my lap. Somehow I wasn’t able to generate enough heat to truly warm up on my own, even with cozy clothes, a bathrobe, and a blanket on. Someone suggested last year that I drink hot tea after a run, but I don’t have any tea, because I forgot about that suggestion. I did end up utilizing this suggestion yesterday at work when I was so cold at my desk (I sit by the window) that I was having trouble typing.

It’s only December and I’m already anxious about the cold weather to come. I mean, it’s been cold already, with little reprieve, since late October, but not cold. Not bone-chilling subzero Hoth-level cold. I’m worried about how long this cold snap is going to last. Weeks? Months? When will I see a temperature above freezing again? It feels like it was barely summer.

I’ll figure out how to cope, eventually, but right now all I want to do is whine and worry and wonder if it’s a mistake to try to run a spring ultra.

Off-Week #2

I’m finally over my cold (I think! I woke up feeling kinda crummy this morning) and had a much better week last week. I’m sad that my hiatus has come to an end, while at the same time looking forward to running today (maybe… see below).

Monday-Wednesday: Strength training
I did that same set of exercises from last week. Super boring. I also did yoga videos.

Thursday: Strength training
I finally found a new workout, one that focused more on legs (LOTS of lunges). It was a nice change although I found one of the exercises (pistol squats) basically impossible. My balance isn’t the best and neither is my flexibility. I found a video that gives a progression to follow in order to do them, so I’ll give that a try. I did a yoga video as well.

Friday: Strength training
I combined the two strength workouts together, which was good, although then I was kinda tired for yoga afterward.

Saturday: Hiking
I went for a 5 mile hike starting at Twin Ponds and heading southwest. I stopped short of the big climb, which probably would have been too icy to be worthwhile. It was a nice hike but I was really late to the high school hockey games I went to in the afternoon. Whoops.

Sunday: Hiking and skating
I went for another 5 mile hike, this time starting at Highland/Getchell and turning around at Haines Rd. I meant to do a longer hike, but I didn’t have time, since I knew I wanted to go skating, and then get home in time for dinner and then Star Wars. I brought out my trekking poles to test them out. It went ok, although they were kinda clumsy with my big gloves. I did like them for uphills and downhills but didn’t really know what to do on the flats. I know people carry them parallel to the ground sometimes, but with the big mittens, that would have been tricky. One of the poles snapped at the lock about half a mile from the end, so I need to get in touch with REI to get it replaced.

I went skating at Pike Lake again with my dad and my stepmother. My dad and I skated around a lot and practiced some hockey skills, while my stepmother was more cautious (she has had hip and back surgery) and skated back and forth with a walker (seriously! it was so funny) while she re-taught herself to skate.

I tripped while skating on one foot and went down hard on my knee. It didn’t feel great and still doesn’t feel fantastic today, although I still have a full range of motion. I will probably run today, since it is above freezing and by the end of the week it’s going to be horribly cold.

I did an ok job of fulfilling my plans for this break. I didn’t plan on getting sick, so that derailed some of my motivation. I didn’t make food at all, other than the food I made for a potluck at work. My weight fluctuates up and down within the same 2-3 lb range, so I can’t tell if I actually lost any weight or if I’m just on the low end of that swing, but I didn’t gain any weight. I hiked about 20 miles combined on the two weekends of my hiatus. Other than that, I didn’t get over that magical “10,000 step” threshold, but eh. I don’t care too much about that, especially since I still got in about an hour’s workout (or more) every day last week. I also didn’t do any planning for Zumbro 50. I’m still in play-it-by-ear mode. My work-life balance might be tipped in favor of work in Q1, so I’m not sure if I’ll have the time to get in all the running I’d like to. I plan to, but I don’t know what my workload will be.

I would without a doubt recommend a planned, extended break to any runner, whether fast or slow, experienced or novice. It felt great. Most of my minor injuries are gone (the callus on my foot is still there) and I had time to do other stuff and enjoy downtime. I also managed to avoid some cold and snowy days. I got outside on the trails and hiked, forgetting about pace (other than “I need to turn around after x time in order to get back for xyz event”) and trying to enjoy my surroundings (though icy conditions inhibited that to some extent). I hardly ever thought “I should be running.” That was the best part of all – a break with no guilt, frustration, or negativity associated with it.

Off-Week #1

I can’t say that I’m enjoying this off week as much as I’d have liked. I started feeling cold-like symptoms on Tuesday, and have been suffering through them ever since. So far, I haven’t been completely incapacitated by them (I did take a half day from work in order to get some extra sleep on Wednesday, but that was it so far), and I’m hoping I’m on the mend. I was a little concerned because I had the same progression of symptoms I had back in October, but I also didn’t attempt to run an ultramarathon in the rain, so I’m thinking I might be on the mend.

Here’s how my week went:

Monday: Strength training
I did several reps of a rather complicated combined strength move I found on the internet when searching for “exercises for runners dumbbells.” I also did some planks (3×20 seconds) and wall sits (3×60 seconds), and then I did a yoga video.

Tuesday: Strength training
I did a circuit workout I found on Self.com, which I had to modify slightly because I don’t have an exercise ball. Also I had to do box jumps onto the basement stairs because I don’t have anything else sturdy to jump on, which made me hesitant. I did a yoga video and then went out to a nice dinner and walked around Bentleyville with my family. It was like 12F and windy as heck.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: Nothing
I lazed around trying to recover from my cold. Oh, and watched some hockey Friday night. That got the heart pumping.

Saturday: Hiking
I decided on Friday night that as long as I didn’t feel worse when I woke up in the morning, I was going to go on a short hike. I almost didn’t go, but then after I ate lunch, I felt better, and went on a 4 mile hike.

It was cold, but manageable. I was worried about getting cold because I wouldn’t be running hard, but it wasn’t a problem. I made sure to wear my super warm gloves (which I need to clean now, thanks to the deluge of snot from my poor nose) but other than that, I wore what I normally wear to run when it’s cold-ish. (I wasn’t bundled up the way I was when it’s really cold, of course.)

I hiked the Superior Hiking Trail, starting at Martin Road and heading back to town this time. It was still fairly icy in spots, so I wasn’t able to enjoy the scenery the same way I thought I’d be able to, but I still stopped to take a few pictures and check out a few views. Since it was icy (and sometimes the ice was covered in a thin layer of snow, so sketchy), I never really felt the urge to run and didn’t worry too much about my pace. It was very relaxing! This section is okay – it has a really nice stretch along Amity Creek, but then it joins up with a gravel road, goes between two cemeteries (kind of a downer), and then ends up on the street for awhile before going into Hartley. I only went 2 miles in before turning around, so I didn’t get onto the street. While I hiked, I had “Life is a Cabaret” in my head, probably because I was by cemeteries and I want that song played at my funeral.

I did feel kinda chilled and tired when I got home and through the evening, so I was worried I’d get up and feel sicker, but I didn’t!

Sunday: Hiking and ice skating
I got up decently early and was actually out on the trail by a little after noon. It’s a lot less stressful to get out for a hike than it is to get out for a run. I don’t know why – maybe this will help me stop getting so anxious about runs, and stop procrastinating? Maybe?

I wanted to go to Ely’s Peak, but I suspected approaching it from the Beck’s Road trailhead would be treacherous, due to the steep rocky climbs. I ended up starting at the Magney-Snively trailhead (heads up: Skyline Drive is open to the trailhead, but closed directly after it), and after 3 miles, still had probably half a mile to go to Ely’s Peak, so I skipped it. I was only planning on 6 miles, and it would have probably added 25 minutes to my hike to actually “summit” the peak. So I turned around. This section is tough on the way to Ely’s Peak, lots of uphills, and my legs were definitely feeling it. There were a couple of icy or otherwise sketchy sections that forced me to slow down, and on the way back, I somehow was able to catch myself just before my tailbone hit the ground. Yikes.

I enjoyed a bit more challenging hike, even if at times I felt pretty tired from the effort. U had a song for this hike, too: I couldn’t get the Bloodhound Gang’s “Bad Touch” out of my head today, for some reason.

After I got home, had a latte, and took a shower to warm up, I drove out to Pike Lake, where my dad had cleared a rink on the lake behind his house. I didn’t get there until 4:30, when the sun was already almost gone, but we had a great time skating in the twilight for an hour. I brought a stick and a puck, but he forgot his down in the Cities, so we just skated around and had fun talking, and then looking at the stars with an app once it was late enough for the stars to come out.

I’m really hoping I didn’t overdo it during the weekend, because I’m hoping to get back to strength training during the week (and do more hiking & skating next weekend!), and also making some lunches for myself. I haven’t had the energy to make food or do any meal planning, but I do need to get to the grocery store for my work potluck (once I figure out what I’m making, ugh).

Fall Running Goals: 2017 Revisited

Fall ends very early in Duluth, so even though we’ve not reached the winter solstice, I’m ready to close the book on the season.

I won’t be setting any goals for “winter” (December-February), because I don’t really race then. I’ll set my year-long goals in January, and then do seasonal goals for spring, summer, and fall. I know some people need that next race on the calendar to get themselves psyched up, but I feel great about not having any running obligations, and I’m glad to have a break from race fees!

My fall running goals were as follows:

  1. Course personal best at WD50K.
    I didn’t finish, so I’m starting off well here.
  2. Set another marathon PR.
    I didn’t start the Birkie, so I didn’t set a marathon PR. I finished the Fall Back Blast in 15:55, a pace nearly a minute faster than my marathon PR pace from July.
  3. Run all the remaining segments of the Superior Hiking Trail between Duluth and Two Harbors.
    I completed all the segments except the long one from Lake County Demonstration Forest to Reeves Road. Bummer, but I didn’t have the time nor the energy for a 22 mile run, and couldn’t make it work to run with a friend and coordinate parking.
  4. Take 2 weeks off deliberately.
    In progress. I’m four days in and have a cold already. Huzzah.

That was a pretty poor showing (25%!), but at the same time, I still set an overall 50K PR, I ran a lot of fun new segments of the Superior Hiking Trail, and I am enjoying my time off during a really annoying cold snap. I had plenty to enjoy about my fall season, even if I didn’t achieve many of my goals. It’s about the journey, not the destination.

Lay Your Weary Head To Rest

Starting today, I’m taking a two week break from running.

I meant to do it starting yesterday, but it was 40 F and there’s cold weather in the forecast, so I didn’t want to waste what will probably be one of the last mild days of the year. I ran 8 miles on the Superior Hiking Trail starting at Martin Road and it was really frustrating – lots of ice, uneven frozen ground, and spots where the mud or grass was frozen, but I didn’t know, and then my foot would break through. It was a pretty tiring run, but I was glad to get out there just the same.

I set a goal at the beginning of the fall season to take 2 weeks off by choice. I meant to do it at the end of Wild Duluth, but because I DNF (and I took time off due to illness), I ran another race, and then I had 2 5Ks, so I had to push back the break until technically after the fall season (as I define it, it’s September-November, and then winter is December-February).

Physically, I can benefit from a break. The blister-turned-callus on my right heel might go away. The chafing on the middle of my back from my sports bra clasp can heal. In general, my knees, hips, and ankles can benefit from a break from the relentless pounding. My recent slower 5K times have indicated my body is fatigued.

Mentally, I really need a break. I’m a bit burned out. It’s dark out early. I have to wear layers. I always have smelly running clothes hanging in the bathroom. I’m tired of every route I run. I feel like I don’t have time to do anything but run. This isn’t actually true, but it feels true because of the early sundown.

I’ve got other stuff to do, though. Strength training, for example. That’s fallen by the wayside, and I’m going to need to work on both my core and leg strength for next year. I’ll work on my nutrition, too. I haven’t made dinner or a lunch for myself in weeks. I’m trying to lose weight, too (turns out you can gain weight even if you’re running marathons and ultra marathons! Ugh). I’m an overweight runner (technically an obese runner, if you go by BMI alone), it’s not a crime, but it’s also a hindrance to getting faster.

Running is completely off-limits, but walking and hiking are not. I’ll count hiking towards my total mileage during the year, since I do plenty of hiking during races, ha ha. I won’t count just regular old walking, because I already don’t, but I do need to increase the amount of walking I do during the day. My job is fairly sedentary, and I need something active to replace running.

I’ll do a lot of planning, too, at least for my next upcoming goal race (currently Zumbro 50, first time I’m admitting that “out loud,” but I’m not registered yet). I’ll get a training plan of some sort together so I at least have something to strive for once I’m back out on the roads/trails/treadmill on December 18th.

I’ve taken breaks before, but they’ve always come as the result of something outside of my control. Illness, injury, burnout, or scheduling issues have kept me off my feet for a few days or a few weeks at various points over the last couple years, but then I end up with a lot of guilt or anxiety about not running. Now I’m in control, and I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this break.

Race Report: Jingle Bell Run 5K 2017

Official Results:
Time: 31:41 (2:20 slower than my 2016 race)
Pace: 10:12
Placing:
Overall: 62/148

Watch Results:
Time: 31:47
Pace: 9:53
Distance: 3.21 mi
Heart Rate: N/A

Goals:
A: 29:59

Food:
What I ate the night before: Qdoba burrito bowl
What I ate on race day: nothing (I had the burrito bowl at like 10 PM so I wasn’t hungry)
What I carried with me: Nothing

Gear:
What I wore: hoodie, t-shirt, arm warmers, tights, buff (as headband)
Gadgets: GPS watch

Discussion: This race is confirmation that I need a break. It was even slower than last week! I do have some suspicions that the course was a bit long. Well, either the course was long, or the course last year was short. Either way, the turnaround was at the top of the first hill into Leif Erickson park, rather than at the base of the hill as it was last year. I really hope this course was long because otherwise my PR is invalid. Who cares, it’s not a world record. I’ll stick with it.

I didn’t run the day before the race (well, except for like 0.3 mi on a treadmill at my local running store – I bought a new pair of road shoes yesterday and tested them out with a quick run on the treadmill), but I had gone through a streak of running 10 days in a row. It wasn’t hard running, but I normally do not go that long without a rest day. I doubt it made a huge difference, although my hips were a bit sore by Wednesday or Thursday.

This morning I woke up and really didn’t want to get out of bed. I did manage to arrive in Canal Park in time to run just over a mile to warm up. The warm-up felt slow and my stride didn’t feel effortless. So, bad sign.

After I finished my warm-up, I met up with friends inside the Sports Garden. This is one of the nice perks of the event – an indoor place to gather beforehand. It was already like 32 F so I had decided to forgo gloves (last week my hands got really warm about 2 miles in), and I actually felt a little TOO warm even with only lighter layers on, after just a warm-up.

We were busy taking a picture when the race started – we thought we had more time, but as we were trying to move up in the starting line, we realized the race had already begun. I ended up being walkers again for the first 0.08 (by my watch) miles. Oh well.

I thought I was doing a pretty good job of running hard, but not too hard. This was my first time on this section of the Lakewalk since it was heavily damaged during a storm in October. It’s sad to see there’s still so much work to be done to restore parts of it. The path did have some rocks (and broken glass!) on it in spots, although I can’t say it affected my race trying to avoid the detritus. I just sucked.

I really thought I gave a more even, more sustained effort, but I guess I didn’t. I am tired, but last year I set my PR even though I had a cold (a cold that ended up knocking me for a loop the next couple of days, causing me to have to go home sick from an all-week work training in Edina). I’m frustrated that I’ve backslid so much on my speed, but it’s a learning experience. If I want to race middle distance races, I either have to do some occasional speedwork, or adopt a different attitude toward races.

I’m taking 2 weeks off from running now, starting tomorrow. Hooray!