Author: RWD

Mangled Up In Tangled Up Knots

In an effort to improve my flexibility and to add some additional strength training, I am trying to do yoga.

I am really not good at it. My friend, who is a yoga teacher, said “No one is bad at yoga,” when I told her that. I disagree, I think that’s something they teach you at yoga teacher school to make clumsy stiffs keep coming back to classes.

I am bad at yoga partially because I have a bad attitude about it. I am not into the more spiritual aspects of it, and I find some of the terminology a little too new-agey for my taste. I do find the relaxation portions at the end very beneficial, but I don’t know about “lifting the heart” and “shining.” I am not still not sure what the yogi meant there.

I am also bad at yoga because my flexibility is probably the worst it has ever been. So, a good reason to do it, and I do feel slightly better even after only a few sessions.

I am practicing this yoga in the privacy of my own home, using Chromecast to show free YouTube yoga videos on my television. There are several downsides to this. First of all, there’s no one to correct my form, so I’m just doing everything wrong. There’s also no one to notice if I am taking a longer time to get into poses, so I get behind. I actually turned off the first video I tried yesterday because it was too fast to follow. I don’t have a yoga mat either, so I use a towel, which is not ideal. I don’t get any traction, and it doesn’t provide much padding. It’s just slightly better than lying on a wood floor. I feel like a yoga mat is like a gateway drug into retreats and public Ommming and inner peace, but I might have to get one anyway if I keep this up.

To choose which regimens to follow, I used the scientific practice of Googling “Yoga for Runners.” Once I have found a few I am certain I like, I’ll post some links, but I am still testing out some channels. I may try some non-running related ones that focus on the body overall, not just the legs, and maybe a few that are a little longer (the ones I have tried are around 20 minutes and some of that is jabbering at the beginning and end.)

I haven’t replaced my super-fancy strength workout of push-ups and sit-ups, I am still doing that irregularly, but it’s too basic, and doesn’t address my flexibility issues. I am not sure if yoga will actually make me a better runner, but it will help me recover better, I hope.

PP5M Training: Week 3

Apparently last week was so boring I didn’t want to write about it.

Breakdown:
Monday: 4 mi (road)
Tuesday: 4.9 mi (trail)
Wednesday: 3.5 mi (road, tempo)
Thursday: OFF
Friday: 4.2 mi (road)
Saturday: 7.1 mi (trail)
Sunday: 3.4 mi (trail)
Total: 27.1 mi

I wanted to get up to 30 miles last week, but I didn’t, thanks to Wednesday and Sunday. Wednesday was really misty so I had to cobble together a safer route, as I already discussed.

Both Saturday and Sunday were terrible. Saturday I drove out to Jay Cooke State Park to check out that section of the Superior Hiking Trail. I got a year’s state park pass for $25, which is a bargain! I am sure I’ll get my money’s worth this year. It’s good until July 1st of next year.

People were swarming the swinging bridge, but I was heading out the opposite way, ready for some nice technical trail action. It turned out to be paved the entire 3.5 miles I ran out. It turned back into trail just as I was turning around, which was annoying, but there was no point in going any further. I wasn’t dressed for running (I had shorts on, which are fine for intermittent running, but kept bunching and riding up when I was running, and I hadn’t put on anything to prevent chafing, so I had to run kind of bow-legged at times while trying to adjust them.) and I was wearing my hydration pack (bladder empty, but a full sports drink tucked in). I also just didn’t feel like running. I could not get my feet and legs moving for the first three miles or so. I ended up with a respectable 16:49 average time, I guess… but considering I was running on paved, mostly flat terrain, I should have been about a minute faster. I can probably attribute some of that to the shorts. The pack didn’t bother me much.

Since Saturday was supposed to be my “cross-training” day and ended up being my long run day, I set off on Sunday in search of some real hiking action. My plan was to park at the SHT lot near Ely’s Peak and head south. I drove all the way there and the lot was closed and the temporary lot was overflowing with cars. My car really sucks and isn’t exactly secure, so I didn’t feel comfortable leaving it on the road. I ended up driving back to the Magney-Snively parking lot near Spirit Mountain and decided to try out the Spirit Mountain section of the trail.

It started off nicely.

Then I came across a trail detour. It turned out to be straight uphill, followed by a mile along the road to the Spirit Mountain Chalet. I made it about half a mile up the road, in the direct sun, with the pavement radiating heat, looking like a bedraggled hitchhiker, before I decided to forget about trying to hit any specific mileage goal, turned around, and hoofed it back down the road to the cover of the spur trail.

It was kind of a disappointing week of training. I felt ok, but my motivation was lacking for some reason. I’m chalking it up to a bad week and putting it behind me.

Another Tempo Attempt

Well, I tried another tempo run.

I thought overall it went more smoothly. During my warm-up jog, I mentally calculated the paces I wanted to hit and the distances I’d cover at each pace. I know the tempo run is supposed to be this smooth progression, but I’m not quite there yet. I figured I’d just plot a best-fit line between those paces and see what happened.

I started my run on UMD’s campus, and it was misting out, but as I got to the bottom of the hill on St. Marie and Woodland, the mist became dense and difficult to see through, and I had to change my route. I didn’t feel comfortable crossing Woodland or Arrowhead Road in the mist, even with traffic lights. One right turner not paying attention could take me out. I ended up turning around on Woodland once I reached Arrowhead and heading back to campus, and I finished the tempo run on the paths and sidewalks around campus.

I felt pretty terrible during the run. The moisture content of the air was a factor, certainly, but the big problem was my legs. They just didn’t want to run faster. I assume this is my own fault for not taking it easier on Tuesday’s trail run. A longer warmup might have helped, but my calves felt like they were going to either stop working or start cramping for almost the entire run, including the warm-up and cool-down.

I can’t decide if I’ve actually improved or not.

Here’s my first attempt at a tempo run:
Tempo1

And here’s this week’s attempt:
Tempo2

I definitely made a more gradual progression this week, but I also started at a faster pace. (There’s a weird spike where I was speeding up but my watch hadn’t caught up yet, so I overshot on the pace.) I figured it would take me about 1.5 miles to do a 20 minute progression, and I figured I’d shoot for five 0.3 mile intervals at 13:00, 12:40, 12:20, 12:00, and 11:40 paces, or thereabouts. I tried and I did a so-so job, overshooting and then undershooting the pace. (I also forgot to use the lap feature on my watch to separate the warm-up and cool-down from the tempo portion of the run, so I didn’t get the split information I wanted.)

I really don’t think I’m going to get very good at this unless I do these runs on completely flat ground, and I see little value in that when I look at my long-term goals. I don’t plan on running solely on flat ground. I think there’s still value in this form of speedwork (though I prefer intervals and hill repeats) and I’ll stick to the program, but it’s going to take me a long time to be able to settle into an exact pace that I want.

Summer Gear Wish List

I’m trying not to go overboard on gadgets and gear and trying to stick to what I need to improve and accomplish my goals, but I’ve let some of my wants go by the wayside lately and now this list is getting a little long.

High priority:
2 new sports bras
Head lamp
Handheld water bottle

I must purchase the head lamp in the next couple weeks, in order to have it in time for my solstice plans. The hand-held is something I could probably get away with avoiding forever, but I need to get used to it, I need an easy spot to put my keys, and it’s going to get warm soon (I hope) so I’ll need water/whatever on longer runs for safety’s sake. I got tired of hauling my Powerade out of my hydration backpack on my last long trail run.

My favorite sports bra is falling apart, and the one I bought to replace it is terrible. I’m eventually going to do a review on it because it is so bad in so many ways.

Medium priority:
New hose for my hydration backpack
Second pair of running shoes
Running shorts that actually work for me
Body Glide

Obviously the Body Glide and the shorts go hand in hand. I don’t run in shorts currently because I’m always finding them riding up, bunching up, and causing all kinds of discomfort. I want to find a pair of shorts that I like. They must stay in place and not cause chafing. I will stick to capris and full-length tights if I can’t find a pair of shorts that I don’t have to constantly keep digging out of my crotch. Too much information, I know, but sorry. My thighs touch and probably always will, they make shorts a problem. Hence the Body Glide.

I would like a second pair of running shoes for a couple of reasons. First, because people say it’s a good thing to alternate shoes (prevents injury or something), and while that might be shoe manufacturer propaganda, I’ve bought into it, I guess. Second, because it gives me an option if my shoes are wet or muddy from the previous day’s run. Third, because I am still trying out options for shoes and want to see what’s right for me. Fourth, because I might want to swap them out during a race or super long training run if I’m having problems or my feet are soaked or something. Fifth, because I won’t have to break in new shoes as quickly, and I won’t have to run in crappy worn out shoes while I’m breaking the shoes in, as long as I space out my new shoe purchases.

Too many gross things have happened to the hose and mouthpiece to my hydration backpack for me to ever feel like it’s truly clean, which is one of the top reasons I don’t actually fill the bladder in it. The other reason is I need to clean the bladder. Nothing gross happened to that, it just has the usual deposits left behind by water.

Low priority:
New hydration backpack

I don’t really need a new hydration backpack, the one I currently have is adequate, but the newer ones are so convenient! Mine has one big pocket and no storage in the straps, so I can’t get easy access to anything, I have to take the pack off to reach the pocket. I’d like something that I can use more efficiently.

This is an annoying amount of stuff, and doesn’t include a list of stuff I need for fall as I start mapping out my fall races. The good news is I’m entering my final 6 months as a student, and I’ll only be part-time this fall and thus working more, so my finances should open up a bit. The bad news is I still don’t want to be a conspicuous consumer of a wasteful amount of running products. (Owning 2 hydration backpacks is probably conspicuous consumption.)

My goal is to be thoughtful and patient about purchasing new running stuff. Except about socks, I don’t need to think too hard about buying extra socks. But beyond socks, I shouldn’t be buying running stuff just to buy it, I should be buying gear that lasts a long time and serves a true purpose, and I should put some research into what I’m getting. Now, off to Google “best headlamps for running.”

PP5M Training: Week 2

I find it somewhat ironic that I mentioned what a big baby I am about not running places I am not expressly permitted access to, and the very next day got escorted off a golf course for running on it. It was kind of embarrassing. I figured since the golf course went through the backyard of the resort where we were staying, it might be ok. It was not. I should have known.

So, here’s what I did.
Monday: 4 miles (road)
Tuesday: 4.6 miles (trail, Superior Hiking Trail off Martin Rd)

It was nice.
Wednesday: 4.4 miles, 400 repeats (road)
Thursday: 4.5 miles, road
Friday: rest
Saturday: 4.6 miles (paved trail)
Sunday: 5.8 miles (trail, 3 loops around Bagley)
Total: 28 miles (includes warmup and cooldown for most runs)

I used my cross-training day (Saturday) for running yet again (well, last weekend it was more hike than run), as I don’t have any cross-training activity I like. If I had been less lazy, we were only about 10 miles from Mille Lacs Kathio State Park, and I could have done a nice trail run/hike, but I got up late on Saturday and didn’t want to inconvenience anyone while they waited for me to slog through a training run. I ran the 5.8 miles on Sunday after a 2 hour car ride, so I’ll just applaud myself for getting off my butt even though riding in a car for more than half an hour makes me sluggish.

I was a little concerned I was overdoing it this week. Since last week’s rest day was Wednesday, I ran 8 days in a row instead of 6. I wanted to get back on track with the plan, and I knew I wouldn’t have much time on Friday for a run since I had to work, pack for our weekend trip, and clean the kitchen (I had a baking disaster the night before and only cleaned up the bare minimum) before we left. There wasn’t going to be time for running. Sunday and Monday I was still sore from my Saturday hike and was a bit worried I was overdoing it, but come Tuesday I felt fine, and Wednesday my legs felt great and ready for speed.

I ate a lot of sugar this weekend and I don’t think I did a very good job hydrating, but nothing so horrible it will throw me off for this week. I have a tempo run, a 6 mile long run, and I plan on getting out to the trails again for my cross-training on Saturday and for one of my weekday runs. My sore legs early last week are a sign I need more time on trails.

Uneven Intervals

Wednesday was the hottest day of the week, so naturally that was the day I had speed work on the schedule. I was supposed to do 8×400.

I don’t do intervals at the track, because I am self-conscious about track workouts. I’m not fast, so I would feel a little silly about running repeats around a track at an 11:00 pace. I would probably do my speedwork on a track if it wasn’t for the other reason I’m self-conscious about track workouts. Even though I know people all over the place use local high school tracks for their workouts, I’m always afraid I’d be kicked off for trespassing or something. I don’t like to be places where it’s not explicitly clear I am allowed to be, specifically when I’m working out and already a little self-conscious.

My other choices are to do speedwork on the treadmill or to keep an eye on my watch and do it on the road. I don’t think speed work on the treadmill is helpful to me at this point, as I need to regulate my pace myself. So I did it on the road. I actually drove to school and parked in the parking lot there, since it’s much flatter than the area around my home. I felt dumb driving 2 miles to run on sidewalks, but I did it anyway. I warmed up for 0.85 miles. I know this because I used the lap button on my watch! Eureka!

I’m glad I used the lap button because now I know how fast I really run these intervals. I ran each 400m (well, a quarter mile actually, although I am sure my watch could be switched to metric) and then slowed way way down to recover for 0.1 mile. The plan called for a 5K pace for the repeats, and my plan was to run a little bit faster than that, because I want a faster 5K pace and I want my current 5K pace to be my 5 mile pace. That may be wishful thinking but the plan I had was to run at around an 11:00 pace.

The results were: 10:48, 10:51, 10:46, 10:11, 10:19, 11:02, 11:26, 10:32, 10:44. Yes, I realize that I did 9 400s instead of 8. My counting skills need improvement.

The first 3 intervals were very consistent, but too fast. I knew they were too fast and tried to slow them down, so the pace graph has these big spikes and then a ski-jump shaped drop-off where I tried to slow down. I am really not doing myself any favors by running these intervals too quickly, and I have got to figure out how to back off the pace slowly. A few times I looked like I slowed down a little too much and was down in the lower 11s/high 12s, but that didn’t occur often. I need to find a flatter spot, too, because while the hills were fairly gentle, the intervals were unintentionally spaced so that many of them were downhill, which inflated my speed and hindered my braking. I also need to find a route that doesn’t have a dead raccoon decomposing along the side. The smell was not pleasant.

I have improved with these repeats somewhat, because I am no longer going out too hard and then running out of gas, as I was before. At least the slowdown is intentional now. I just need to work on consistency and evenness of pace for the next set, in two weeks. Oh, and accurately counting.

The Sound of Silence

I am trying to run as many workouts as I can without headphones and music. Yesterday that was a pretty easy decision, because it was misty and threatening rain at any moment. My phone isn’t waterproof and I don’t have anywhere to stow it.

I don’t run with headphones for a few reasons:

1. I don’t want music to be a crutch during races.
I need to be able to keep sane during races, long or short, without requiring music. I have to be able to self-motivate. Many races don’t allow headphones, and other races I plan on running in the future might not have data access (I do have a regular old MP3 player but I only use it on planes) or might last longer than the battery life on my phone. If I rely on music during training and its not available come race day, I’m at a disadvantage.

2. I don’t like the carry more than I need to.
I don’t want to wear an arm band, and since it’s warm now, I can’t just shove my phone up my sleeve. This means carrying it. If I purchased either an arm band or a top with a nice zippered pocket, it would be easier, but it’s still added weight I don’t need.

3. It’s safer.
I can hear cars, animals, other people, etc. I also don’t wear down the battery on my phone in case of emergency. (This is also a reason I got a GPS watch, I didn’t want to use my phone for tracking and wear down the battery. I still of course carry my phone with me on trail runs in case of emergency.)

4. I can use it as a treat if I need motivation.
If I’m struggling to find the will to get my butt off the couch and run, I’ll pop in my headphones. I like using music as a motivational tool rather than as a requirement for running. I do use music every time I do hill workouts, since it’s the workout for which I need the most pumping up.

5. Nature is a superior soundtrack.
I rarely use music on trail runs (unless I need motivation). I enjoy the quiet on trails, and I like hearing bird calls. I also enjoy scaring myself thinking a bear is coming. Wheeee! I also need to listen for other runners so I can be ready to step to the side and let them pass (it’s a nice way to get a little break!)

I had a great run yesterday, running by feel. I didn’t want to be a slave to my watch, so after my warmup (2/3 mile, I’d planned on 1/2 mile, but during stretching my right hamstring did something weird and I had to walk it off) I covered my watch with my sleeve and ran based on effort. I didn’t walk any hills, running up them at a controlled pace instead, and focused on staying alert during downhills and flat sections. I tend to get complacent on flat sections and run more slowly than I should, only realizing it when I peek at my watch. I need to get that in check without my watch. I did a good job keeping my average heart rate down (120, 134, 139, 139) but not so fabulous on pace (18:39, 17:16, 16:40, 13:34), although a lot of it was uphill. (Guess which split was the downhill?) I’ve got to reduce my dependence on my watch (during the run), just like I’m trying to reduce my dependence on music.