31 October 2012

Cougar 10 trail run

What a nice weather surprise!

This morning I met Bryan Estes for the usual loop on Cougar Mountain and in spite of it looking horrid out the temperature was strangely warm and by the time we started running the rain had also let up some. Nice.

It was so warm Bryan started in just a short sleeve shirt with no gloves, etc. I wish I had too.

Running in the dark (and wet on slippery roots and leaves) is still something that I am not super comfortable with so we were not exactly racing along. That was okay though, we talked a TON. About all kinds of stuff from Lance Armstrong/doping to running long distances to family to how our wives feel when we do ridiculous stuff like this to you name it. Good times.

Half way in I was steaming up so with about three miles to go I stopped to take off my outer shirt and gloves.

So what does Martin do as soon as he removes his hand protection? He hits the deck.

I mean c'mon... I have fallen how many times while running? TOO MANY in my humble opinion. This time I scraped the knuckles on my left hand, my left knee, my right knee and my right elbow. Nice. Not.

I managed to recover and after a minute of walking was jogging again and then was able to run it in. Whew. Not a fast time in the end but whatever. I'm glad it was so balmy out! And that I didn't seriously hurt myself. The culprit this time was a big rock in the trail. Bryan jumped over it and I never saw it. Maybe I was gabbing too much.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:00 Am - banana, water
5:45 AM - gel
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food half a bottle w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 5:45 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather mid to upper 50s, wet, windy
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 7
Clothing Teko organic SIN3RGI Light Minicrew, Brooks Infinity Short III, Craft short sleeve undershirt, long sleeve active T, Polypropylene gloves, cycling cap
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30 October 2012

treadmill run

In theory having a treadmill in your house makes it so easy and convenient to use! Plus you get more sleep. In practice it will take some fine tuning...

Today was my first indoor run at our new house. I'm realizing the treadmill is the equivalent of the indoor trainer for a cyclist and you can do all kinds of things like intervals, hills, active recovery, you name it. I got the thing into position, got my towel and water bottle, my iPod, shut the (solid!) room door so as not to wake Shelley, GO.

Man do you get hot running in a small room! Within about 10 minutes I knew I was not going to last so hopped off to open a window.

ALARM.

Shit. Did I mention we have alarm sensors on our windows? Oh yes. We do.

In a word the alarm is piercing. Intensely so. I leapt away from the window, jumped over the still running treadmill, threw open the room door and ran down the hall to the alarm keypad to turn it off. So much for not waking up Shelley. :(

With the window finally wide open I got back on and resumed my run. Turns out one measly window is not enough and next time I'll need to open both and/or crank up a fan! By the end I felt like I was running in a sauna. Note to self: this might be good heat training. Except I was dripping sweat all over the house for what felt like ages after I stopped.

On the up side Shelley said she could barely hear me running.

Sleep  
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Workout Food water
Injuries  
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Time of Day 5:30 AM
Workout Type active recovery
Weather  
Course treadmill, 1% incline
Results  
Time 30 min
Distance 4 miles
Pace 7:30
Equipment Brooks Launch
Clothing  

28 October 2012

SCOTT Cougar Mountain 20 Mile trail run

No official results yet but I had to get this down on 'paper'.

Excellent weather, awesome trail conditions, a much faster field than last year for the SCOTT Cougar Mountain 20 Mile and I prepared by partying last night. Oops...

Cougar Mountain is right in my back yard and it has some of the most incredible trails. The Seattle Running Club (which I recently joined) puts on a trail run series in conjunction with Northwest Trail Runs out here and because cycling has always been my main focus I have only ever done the last/longest one. Today you had the option of running 50 km or 20 miles. I judiciously opted for the shorter distance. And by 'judicious' I mean strategic. And by 'strategic' I mean I was hoping to repeat my victory from last year. Plus racing 50 km just sounds HARD right now.

My good friend Todd Morse Tucker showed up today for his first 20 mile race. Nice.

Last night Shelley and I went to the BUMP! (photos coming soon) and it was a blast but it also meant I didn't hit the sheets until 1:00 AM. Luckily I at least limited myself to three beers all night. Still, when that alarm went off at 6... ouch. I ended up doing okay, here are the spoils of victory.

This is what you win at running races. #timetogetfat
Sure you can get your race number early if you pre-register but I didn't bother figuring there would be plenty of time the morning of the event. Check-in was supposed to be at 7, the race meeting at 7:30 and the you run at 8. No problem. Unless the people running check-in don't get set up until 7:30. Rats. Other than that everything went very smoothly. When I finally did get my number and jogged to the van to ditch my extra clothes (with 13 minutes to spare) I was a tiny bit agitated but I still get somewhat nervous for running races so it was okay.

ASIDE - as I was going back to the start I thought that if I were to paint with broad strokes I would say that bike racers are much better at pinning on numbers than running racers. But then as I looked around I saw some people that obviously knew what they were doing and so I had to redefine my thought and it seems that it's just the more recreational runner (and cyclists) that don't know how to pin on a number. Oh well, they'll learn. Maybe.

All right, I guess the race meeting was a bit long too... :( But at least they combined it with staging everyone so when the meeting was over we took off.

GO.

Wow... last year I was pretty much right up there with the leaders but not this year. Instantly about 20 people started leaving me in their dust. But today I was okay with that. :) One lesson I learned from last year was don't start so freaking fast! This time I kept it reasonable and hopefully I would not fade at the end. Last year I totally died and the last five (10?) miles were pathetic. And they hurt.

Todd and I were running together which was really cool. We chatted a bit and twice Todd scooted past some slower people and I had to play catch up. Way to go Todd. Unfortunately Todd and I separated a few miles into the race; I went a little faster on a longish descent and got a small gap.

Around the time I got to the first aid station (they were roughly at 5, 10 and 15 miles) I had caught this 50k runner with a pack. He didn't need to stop but I did so he suddenly had 100 meters on me. Funny how the brain works. Since I had caught him I did not want to let him go and after grabbing a bite of banana (there was no gel at the first aid station!) and topping off my bottle with Nuun I made a bit of an effort to reel him back in. It seems I was going a little faster on the climbs and he was already walking most of them but on the descent and especially on the flats he was pulling away from me. This being a rolling course we swapped the lead about three times and the last time as I jogged past him on a climb he said, "I sense a pattern..."

Before the 2nd aid station you charge down a monster descent all the way to Hwy 900 and this time I was determined not to let him catch me so I didn't put on the brakes quite so much. On the one hand I vividly recall last year when I tore down this hill and then was crushed as soon as I turned around to start the climb and on the other I felt like I was not going that fast. But what I was doing was sweating! It was not a cold day and I had on two shirts. Combine that with some humidity and you get soaked clothing.

02
[You also seem to get slicked down hair that is parted in the middle...]

As I got to the intersection where people coming back up turn off of the trail they had just come down I started to scan ahead to see if anyone in the 20 mile race was ahead of me. I was getting close to the bottom and had my hopes up when suddenly two guys were coming up the hill. Running no less. Looks like no win for me this year. :)

Then came another. And then came Eric Sach and then one more. Argh... I guess I had to resign myself to a top-10 finish today.

Since I had only eaten a bite of banana at the first aid station I grabbed two gels here and since my bottle was still mostly full I didn't bother to get any more fluids. Mistake.

I started up the hill and boy is it steep at the bottom... but I was running it! And darn it if I didn't run this entire climb. Nice. That's a first for me. But of course this hill is not the last climb and I started to slow down.

In the back of my mind I was hoping that I might be able to reel one of the guys ahead of me in but I couldn't really speed up so I had to rely on one of them slowing down. And guess what, about two or three miles later I spotted Eric up the trail. I guess I had a little left in me as I was able to increase the tempo just a fraction to hasten the catch but then I promptly fell in behind him as I was burning myself out.

This was nice. Sometimes company is great and today was one of those days. We chatted about stuff and ran. And the pace was not torrid.

Then the cramps hit me.

Man, I have only cramped twice while running and this was the second time. This first time was back in August on a long run in hot weather so what was going on here? It must have been staying out last night, the beer and not drinking enough. Elementary my dear Watson. And like a true competitor I never mentioned it to Eric. Instead I tried to rub my legs while walking (Eric was hiking the steeps and suddenly I didn't feel the need to run) and draining my bottle. But it was feeling like too little too late to tell you truth. I was touch and go with cramps the entire rest of the race; luckily they did not shut me down.

At the last aid station Eric - who had a hydration belt - just grabbed a bite and was off. I had to fill my bottle and then I gulped another two gels and took off after him. Again, having caught Eric in the first place I didn't want to let him go so pushed as much as I was able and managed to reel him back in. Slowly though.

I was perfectly content to run it in with Eric but when we turned right on the Red Town Trail I  suddenly gapped him just a little. Having no idea if this good feeling was going to last I opted to carry on and slowly pulled ahead.

The last two miles of this race are tough. First you chug up a brute of a climb that is at least .5 miles long and then it's some potent rollers (to me they were anyway, especially at this time on this day) to the finish. There are a couple of flatter sections but as usual, the flats just kill me and today I was having trouble keeping the speed up. In fact, twice I found myself walking on the flats for a few seconds just to pull it back together.

I have to admit I did look back once to see where Eric was and not seeing anyone it made it easier to walk. :)

The last flat section I recognized and managed to twist the throttle just a little so that I was actually running when I crossed the finish. Whew. About 20 minutes ago I had noticed that my GPS display went blank. Turns out it had run out of battery...?! Last night I set my GPS aside so I would not forget it and I can't believe that 12 hours of just sitting there in plain old watch mode drained it so much that it only lasted this long. Sucks.

After walking around a bit to cool down I could tell that I had worked hard. Whenever my stomach feels unsettled, I have had a hared workout. I had to chill for a bit before I could indulge in any recovery food. that gave me an excuse to walk to the van and change my clothes and as I headed back there was Todd. Awesome.

In terms of conditions I could not have asked for a better day. And had I not treated this race so casually I might have been able to break three hours. But I am NOT disappointed. it was so beautiful in the forest and the colors of the leaves was stellar and running with Todd and Eric is super fun. Hopefully next year I can make it to some of the shorter races - Cougar Mt is a fantastic place to run.
I took a chance today and wore some different shoes. Prior to today my longest run in these was 10 miles but I wanted to see how they felt on longer outings and they were okay! I was hoping the lighter weight would come in handy (it might have) and that the more aggressive tread would have better traction (it didn't really). Still, nice to know they worked which means I have more options.

Sleep 4.5 hours maybe?
Waking HR
Body Weight
Body Fat
Breakfast 6:15 AM - banana, almond butter, half of an avocado, 2 Perpetuem Solids, water
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food 1 bottle w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun, 2 bottles of Nuun, bite of banana, 4 gels
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day 8:10 AM
Workout Type race
Weather mid 50s, damp ground, dry skies, overcast, calm
Course Although it had poured yesterday the trails had drained very well and there were only a small number of muddy spots and if I had not hit my calf with my foot my legs would have been totally clean at the finish. This route is about 95% singletrack with the rest dirt/gravel road.
Results 1st - Masters
5th - Overall
official results
Time 3:05 and change
Distance 20 miles
Pace 9:16 ish
Equipment Brooks PureGrit, hand held bottle
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III, Craft short sleeve undershirt, short sleeve active T, Polypropylene gloves, Teko organic SIN3RGI Light Minicrew socks

26 October 2012

bike commute

Flat city. If your city has a population of two that is.

No sooner had I fixed one slow leak that I had milked home the last time I rode to work then I got another flat. As I was inspecting my tire it was pretty damn obvious that I need a new one what with two duct tape boots and numerous other slices here and there.

Did I replace it? Of course not.

RIDE IT DOWN TO THE THREADS I always say. And if you didn't know that I always say that now you do.

Sleep  
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Time of Day  
Workout Type  
Weather 45-50, overcast, light rain on the way home, calm
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Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing  

25 October 2012

core | Howe Street stairs

My new mantra: stop thinking about it and go do it

Lately I have felt like it's a monumental effort to go to the gym in the AM, get my shit sorted so I can run in the AM, you name it. And the funny thing is, I have way more energy in the morning than I do in the evening. Once I actually start whatever it is I have been putting off I feel fantastic. So what's my problem? I don't know.

Core was not easy today but like I said, it was good to do it and I felt great after. Need to remember that feeling...

Later in the afternoon I connected with an old friend for some stairy goodness. And what gooder place to go than Howe Street. None. But I forgot my Garmin...! Oh no, crisis! I didn't even have a regular watch on so I have no idea exactly how long I went and I didn't even count the flights. Taking a vacation from technology I guess. :)

I tried a new pair of shoes today, damn are they light. Not sure if I would ever go running in them? We'll see.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
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Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food stairs - large bottle w/2 scoops HEED
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:45 AM
stairs - 4:40 PM
Workout Type endurance
Weather stairs - 50, cloudy, dry, calm
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 18
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
Results  
Time stairs - 40 min?
Distance stairs - 9 or 10 flights?
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Green Silence
Clothing stairs - shorts, sleeveless active T, short sleeve active T, long sleeve active T
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24 October 2012

run commute

I got a text late last night from my faithful Cougar Mt buddy and he said he was bagging out on our usual Wednesday morning trail loop. Rats. So not wanting to tackle that trail in the dark all alone I opted for the run commute. It's about the same distance.

In the morning I felt pretty darn good! And when I got to the IMA I plunked my pack down on the scale and it said I had been carrying 14 lb.! I gave myself a little pat on the back for that effort.

The run home was slower, much slower. About half way there some guy popped out onto the sidewalk about 50' in front of me and so I figured I would try and close the gap. No dice. He just pulled away from me and all I could muster was a 7:30 pace. I was done.

Home. Shower. Dinner. Beer. Chocolate.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
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Workout Food water
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Time of Day  
Workout Type endurance
Weather  
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Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Launch, The North Face Angstrom 30
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III, Craft short sleeve undershirt, long sleeve active T, think gloves
Technorati Tags:

Open Letter to Pat McQuaid from Greg LeMond

This letter was posted on Greg LeMond's Facebook page earlier today. He asked for help in spreading the word. I'm happy to oblige him. Do I think that Greg was clean? Who knows. For sure I want to believe he was clean but I also wanted to believe Tyler and Floyd and even Lance. I do agree the UCI is messed up. BIG time. And knowing how hard it is for people to change (just look at all the professional cyclists that lied for all these years) I agree with Greg that the UCI leadership should go away. Far away. One thing though, I don't think you should forgo buying a USAC license, not entering local races isn't going to fix this problem. Still, as far as rants go, this is a pretty good one. Enjoy.

Can anyone help me out? I know this sounds kind of lame but I am not well versed in social marketing. I would like to send a message to everyone that really loves cycling. I do not use twitter and do not have an organized way of getting some of my own "rage" out. I want to tell the world of cycling to please join me in telling Pat McQuaid to f##k off and resign. I have never seen such an abuse of power in cycling's history- resign Pat if you love cycling. Resign even if you hate the sport.

Pat McQuaid, you know dam well what has been going on in cycling, and if you want to deny it, then even more reasons why those who love cycling need to demand that you resign.

I have a file with what I believe is well documented proof that will exonerate Paul.

Pat in my opinion you and Hein are the corrupt part of the sport. I do not want to include everyone at the UCI because I believe that there are many, maybe most that work at the UCI that are dedicated to cycling, they do it out of the love of the sport, but you and your buddy Hein have destroyed the sport.

Pat, I thought you loved cycling? At one time you did and if you did love cycling please dig deep inside and remember that part of your life- allow cycling to grow and flourish- please! It is time to walk away. Walk away if you love cycling.

As a reminder I just want to point out that you recently you accused me of being the cause of USADA's investigation against Lance Armstrong. Why would you be inclined to go straight to me as the "cause"? Why shoot the messenger every time?

Every time you do this I get more and more entrenched. I was in your country over the last two weeks and I asked someone that knows you if you were someone that could be rehabilitated. His answer was very quick and it was not good for you. No was the answer, no, no , no!

The problem for sport is not drugs but corruption. You are the epitome of the word corruption.

You can read all about Webster's definition of corruption. If you want I can re-post my attorney's response to your letter where you threaten to sue me for calling the UCI corrupt. FYI I want to officially reiterate to you and Hien that in my opinion the two of your represent the essence of corruption.

I would encourage anyone that loves cycling to donate and support Paul in his fight against the Pat and Hein and the UCI. Skip lunch and donate the amount that you would have spent towards that Sunday buffet towards changing the sport of cycling.

I donated money for Paul's defense, and I am willing to donate a lot more, but I would like to use it to lobby for dramatic change in cycling. The sport does not need Pat McQuaid or Hein Verbruggen- if this sport is going to change it is now. Not next year, not down the road, now! Now or never!

People that really care about cycling have the power to change cycling- change it now by voicing your thought and donating money towards Paul Kimmage's defense, ( Paul, I want to encourage you to not spend the money that has been donated to your defense fund on defending yourself in Switzerland. In my case, a USA citizen, I could care less if I lost the UCI's bogus lawsuit. Use the money to lobby for real change).

If people really want to clean the sport of cycling up all you have to do is put your money where your mouth is.

Don't buy a USA Cycling license. Give up racing for a year, just long enough to put the UCI and USA cycling out of business. We can then start from scratch and let the real lovers in cycling direct where and how the sport of cycling will go.

Please make a difference.

23 October 2012

treadmill run

Lame day...

I procrastinated away the gym in the AM and then kind of fell apart on my little run at lunch. Oh well.

I got on the treadmill thinking I would try for some speed but as I ramped up the pace it got harder and harder to breath and with about three minutes to go I had to back it down. I just didn't feel like pushing (and it was hard to get a lung full of air).

Sleep  
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Workout Food  
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Therapy  
Time of Day 12:30 PM
Workout Type tempo
Weather  
Course treadmill, 1% incline
Results  
Time 30 min
Distance  
Pace 5 min at 7:30, 5 min at 7:00, 15 min at 6:30, 1 min at 6:20, 1 min at 6:10, 3 min at 7:30
Equipment Brooks Launch
Clothing  

22 October 2012

core | bike commute

Man... today was my first wet ride in I don't know how long. Glad to get that shock to the system out of the way. :|

I almost didn't make it to the gym this morning. I found myself dorking around on the computer and talking myself into just five more minutes several times. Finally I RAN to the car and drove (too quickly) to the gym. Whew. Glad I made it.

For some reason all my core exercises were brutally hard today. Okay, that' just a slight exaggeration but man was I weak. And just 16 push-up?! I. Am. Not. Strong.

I am also not sleeping enough! By the time I get home I am just beat and so I hit the sack early but then I wake up at the completely stupid hour of 3:30 or something. Repeat. Kinda frustrating.

Sleep 5
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 6:00 AM
Workout Type  
Weather 40-45, calm, dry in the AM, rain in the PM
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 16
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing  

Rainbow Bingo at the Senior Center of West Seattle

What is Rainbow Bingo? It's FUN; that's what. Shelley and I got invited to this a few days ago and I will be back.

The evening was a fund raiser for the Senior Center of West Seattle. Turns out it's a pretty popular night and the West Seattle Blog had some details. Plus, we had the most entertaining caller ever and Jell-O shots(!), what's not to like? Nothing, that was rhetorical. Good times.

RainbowBingoHalloween

The caller was Seattle's own Effervescent Hostess Sylvia O'Stayformore who is a ton of fun and had this cute,little jingle she would sing before the start of each game.

Sylvia
[Sylvia was not wearing this outfit, I had to scrounge a photo off the Internet.]

And of course the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were there too... aren't' they everywhere? The answer seems to be yes.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are everywhere!

And trolls! Trolls were there too.

Trolls at Rainbow Bingo!

Tickets were a paltry $20 and extra game cards were just $1! Come to think of it, everything was cheap; beers were just $3, the Jell-O shots were just $1, 2-packs of cookies were also just $1, I mean c'mon. I was in heaven. At least as far as excess consumption goes.

I discovered you need to pay attention to play Bingo, who knew? I figured it was a slow moving game and you could drink yourself silly and still do okay. Not. The caller can make it as slow or as exciting as they want and Sylvia kept the pace hot. At one point I purchased another card (each card had six games) and playing 12 games at the same time was more than I could handle. Stress...!

I also discovered that dobbing is a blast. in fact, prior to this day I had no idea what dobbing or a dobber was. It's like this massive felt-tipped marker with a huge fluid reservoir and when you 'dob' (read: dab) your bingo card it colors the entire square. It was so much fun I found myself dobbing random bits of paper and even Shelley's card from time to time. One word: addicting.

Someone in our party had brought along all these troll dolls and they ended up being a hit with our table and with one of the Sisters. She kept coming over to cool her heels in the chair at the head of our table and would play with a troll doll or two. Sometimes she would make them dance on our table, sometimes on my shoulder and sometimes she would 69 them. Naughty Sister.

Did I mention the penalties? Oh yes, there were penalties... Turns out I was not the only person that had a hard time following the caller or who got excited about dobbing and there was more than one 'premature Bingo' on this night. As Sylvia said, "It happens..." Being premature got you a public spanking from one of the Sisters.

In addition to buying extra game cards and drinks and food, you could also buy raffle tickets. Sure you could get one or two but the cool thing to do was to order a 'Sister Measure'. That meant the Sisters would take a roll of raffle tickets and wrap them around certain parts of your body to 'measure' you. However many it took is how many you purchased. :) Hey, it was a fund raiser after all.

By the end of the evening I was spent! All the cheering, jingle singing (we all sang along with Sylvia), dobbing, eating and drinking wears you out.

Did we win? One person at our table won $125! And promptly gave half back to the Senior Center. It's what pretty much everyone was doing. Way to go.

20 October 2012

Tiger Mt Cottage Cheese Ass loop trail run

What. A. Great. Day.

Todd Morse Tucker and I connected for a lap around Tiger Mountain and the fall colors were BLAZING. Not only was it a visual treat, the trail surface was freaking ideal! It had rained the night before and the some the day before but not this day so everything was spongy, grippy but not slick.

The only hiccough was I said let's start at 7 and boy was it still really, really dark at 7... so we sat in the car until 7:15 and then took off.

The first hill always is tough and after jogging a few blocks to get out of Issaquah you go UP. We were all until we hit the hill and then as usual there was silence for next five minutes. :)

I started off feeling like dirt. Nothing like a few drinks [And Jell-O shots! It has been ages since I tried one of those] the night before and not much sleep to make you want to bust it up a mountain. I just tried to get stuck in and enjoy the scenery because the scenery was amazing.

Slowly I started to come around. By the time we hit the wall leading up to the second summit I was finally feeling much better and actually tried to run the last 100 kinda quick.

Up here it was blowing hard and the summit was socked in so with not much to see and not wanting to flirt with hypothermia we gulped a gel and scooted back into the woods. And the trails just kept getting better. This section is a lot of fun it did not disappoint today. We were bounding down over beds of pine needles and the traction was perfect. At one point I was just telling Todd to watch out as there were some tricky sections coming up when this guy - with earbuds firmly inserted - appears out of the overgrown trail coming up at us. I had just turned my head back around from talking to Todd and was kind of startled but this guy almost jumped out of his skin he was so surprised to see someone. We all had a good laugh.

I kept feeling better and better as we ran and had to ease up a bit for Todd on the last couple of risers. I also let myself go on one descent to see how it felt and it felt super! I was doing my best to keep the cadence up and for once I felt like my legs were handling the impact with no problems. Note to self - train descents in addition to ascents. It helps.

On the climb I felt slightly overdressed but then at the top I was glad I had two layers on. Incredibly, as we neared the car the sun came out and the sky turned blue but I was still fine. Better safe than sorry I suppose when it comes to clothing. I also made a concerted attempt to take small sips from my bottles all the time and almost managed to finish them both. I think that's a good habit to continue. I had one gel half way up, one at the top and one half way down. I recall needing two at the top once when I pushed myself but not today.

Our time was not fast by any means but it was such an enjoyable run overall and I had no agenda so it was all good. And I have never felt that comfortable on the last mile as today. That alone was almost worth it.

I have been lacing my shoes looser lately to see if it helps or if it makes a difference and today in spite of the descents it was fine. Good to know I don't have to reef them down.

Sleep 5
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 6:00 AM - banana, Clif Bar
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 2 bottles each w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun, 3 gels
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:15 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather low 40s to 50, partly cloudy, sun at the end, dry ski, damp trails
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 7
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III, Craft short sleeve undershirt, Patagonia Merino 1 Silkweight Crew, Patagonia gloves

18 October 2012

core | run commute home + Howe Street stairs

Okay, I got the core out of the way and then spent all day thinking about those darn Howe Street stairs!

I vividly recall one day about two years ago when I met some cycling teammates at the stairs. One of them was Justin Angle (who was just getting back into running after an injury) and he had run down to the stairs from his house. We then proceeded to complete 10 flights, half of them running, and then he ran home! At the time that seemed to me to be the epitome of studliness and it also seemed totally unfathomable.

Now I am starting to fathom it...!

For sure I did not run nearly as far each way as Justin did that day (5 miles each way) and I only did half the number of flights and I walked all of them today but it's coming. Slowly.

Walking the stairs actually felt better the more I did but I also realized that I was getting tired so quit after five. I had to walk two blocks after reaching the top of the last flight before I was able to ease back into a jog but once I got back down to 19th Ave. my pace started picking up. I realized after a bit that it was because this is ever so slightly downhill but it still felt good.

As I was running across the I-90 lid this guy fell in behind me. We passed an older Asian woman going for a walk in the other direction with her cane and she flashed us this big smile and took the time to give us TWO thumbs up. That was pretty cool.

Did I mention I had my The North Face Angstrom 30 pack on while running? That's starting to feel a little better too.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:45 AM
run - 5:00 PM
Workout Type run - endurance, strength
Weather upper to mid 50s, mostly cloudy, dry, calm
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 22
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment The North Face Angstrom 30, Brooks Launch
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III, Patagonia Capilene 1 Silkweight Stretch T-Shirt, short sleeve active T

17 October 2012

Cougar 10 | bike commute

Todd Morse Tucker and I met up at the Red Town Trail for our usual Wednesday morning 10-mile loop. Only problem is neither of us knows the route very well yet. Plus it was pitch black.

At least it wasn't foggy or raining too because we made more than one wrong turn.

The biggest detour was really only a few hundred meters but in the dark it felt much longer. The other detours were very short or just consisted of us standing at an intersection thinking about which way to go for a few seconds.

In the end it was a super fun run! The leaves are falling en masse and the ground is getting covered with all different colors. This week and next week should be the peak of this and it makes me want to get our here during the day as it's incredibly beautiful right now.

We got to the half way point about five minutes behind schedule and we reached '20-minute tree' about seven minutes behind schedule. But I managed to pick up the pace some from there and Todd didn't complain so we scooted home those last two miles. Nice.

My ride to work was - predictably - slow. :)

I think I have a new favorite route home, I head up Lake WA Blvd instead of staying down on Lakeshore and this way I get to avoid more cars. That's a plus in my book.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:00 AM - banana, water
5:30 AM - gel
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food run - bottle w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 5:45 AM
Workout Type run - endurance
Weather run - 50, dry, clear, calm
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment run - hand held bottle, Brooks Cascadia 7
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing run - Brooks Infinity Short III, Craft short sleeve undershirt, long sleeve active T, Patagonia gloves

16 October 2012

treadmill run | bike commute

Still a little congested and my eyes have been itching like crazy! Colds sure manifest themselves in interesting ways.

The goal today was to run twice and both of them fast but I sorta ran out of energy around noon and that plan was shelved big time. Oh well.

I started out on the treadmill feeling confident and the intent was to keep ramping up the speed all the way to the end but 20 minutes in I was sucking wind and the second five minutes at 6:00 were a real chore so with five left I backed it down and caught my breath. Sheesh. Hope I can do better next time.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day  
Workout Type run - tempo
Weather  
Course run - 5:30 AM
Results  
Time run - 30 min
Distance run - 4.5 miles
Pace run - 5 min at 7:30, 5 min at 7:00, 5 min at 6:30, 10 min at 6:00, 5 min at 7:00
Equipment run - Brooks Launch
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing  

15 October 2012

core | treadmill run

Got to the gym for the first time in several days and actually did the plank for the first time in MONTHS. And you know what? My leg lifts on the ball that I had to do because of all my scrapes and bruises are an excellent substitute. I won't say the plank was easy but it was not that difficult. Nice. I might just switch to the ball leg lifts for good.

At lunch I went down to the IMA and got on the treadmill for 30 minutes and I felt okay considering I was sick all weekend with a cold and did squat. I did forget my iPod though so had to stare at everyone else on the cardio machines to distract myself. Luckily it worked.

Today was also my first time taking the bus to and from work since moving to our new house and let me tell you, it takes significantly longer that it used to... Rats. First of all I have to take two buses/transfer and secondly the first bus only runs like every 20 or 30 minutes.

Oh well, I'm already getting up earlier, what's a few less minutes of sleep.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
run - 12:00 PM
Workout Type run - endurance
Weather  
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/2 x 30 sec leg lifts each leg
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 20
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
run - treadmill, 1% incline
Results  
Time run - 30 min
Distance run - 4.2 miles
Pace 7:00 min/mile the whole time
Equipment run - Brooks Launch
Clothing  

14 October 2012

2013 race schedule

Disclaimer: this is tentative...!

But what the heck, right? It's fun to put stuff out there because it serves as a motivator. So, with all the fanfare that is appropriate for a random nobody aspiring ultra runner like myself, here is Martin's 2013 list of races.

4 February - Orcas Island 50k
This is supposed to be a NW classic! I have hiked on trails around Mt Constitution/Moran State Park and it was beautiful. It's a pretty sloppy time of year but this is in the 'rain shadow' and February is usually nicer than January and March so you just get mentally ready for wet and go anyway.

16? March - Chuckanut 50k
The old web site for this event is down and knowing how busy Krissy Moehl is who knows when there will be a new site... or if I even get in. Last year was a special occasion for this event and they opened it up to many more people than usual. Normally it's a lottery and sells out pronto. I did this race last year for the first time on relatively short notice and had a stellar day. Here's hoping I can improve just a little.

20? April - Yakima Skyline Rim 50k
Lucca ran here this year and it looks like no other course out there. Words like 'stark' and 'exposed' only begin to describe it. It's also all up and down with pretty much zero flat. Not easy but it should be cool to do at least once in my life? And it is on the east side of the Cascades so probably dry and hopefully even warm.

15 June - Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic 50 Mile
Never heard of it, haven't been to MT since I was in my teens but this looks awesome. Justin Angle recommended it to me and it happens to be at a better spot on the calendar than the White River 50 Mile race which I really wanted to do but might have to postpone until the following year. The Bighorn runs sounds remote, super scenic and has lots of trail (meaning not much dirt or paved road). My only concern (other than the distance!) is that it's at elevation and I don't do so hot up in the clouds. One word: adventure!

24-25? August - Cascade Crest 100 Mile
Martin's big goal for 2013! I chose this event because it's 1) close to home meaning I can sleep in my own bed the night before and 2) it's a really honest 100 meaning it's NOT easy so it will help me prep for my ultimate goal. I hate that some of these events are such a crap shoot... this one also appears to be a lottery and you now have to qualify for it. Luckily qualifying just means completing a 50 mile or 100 mile event prior to starting so if I can finish the Bighorn race I'll be good to go. And you don't need to have the qualifying finish in hand to enter the lottery; whew. If I don't get into this I'm honestly not sure what I'll substitute.

What is my ultimate goal? it's to complete the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in 2014. That will be the year I turn 50.

Once again you need to qualify for UTMB just to be able to throw your name in the lottery. To qualify you need to accumulate 7 points in no more than three races during the prior year. Most 100 mile races are 4 points, most 50 mile races are 2 points and most 50k races are 1 point. There you have it, I need to successfully complete one of each in 2013.

The shift from racing bicycles to ultra running is more significant than I thought. Here are some things I have already learned and need to remind myself of constantly.

  • You can NOT race as often when you are running long distances as when you are cycling. Running breaks you down more and takes longer to recover from. Weekend races every week AND one (or two!) midweek series? Not.
  • Ultras are about keeping moving. You don't have to go fast but you need to get used to moving foreword even when it's not comfortable. I am starting to learn how to run slower but I have yet to learn how to keep going when it's not fun. And to clarify, for sure running is fun in general but if you have goals you have to push yourself a little or a lot and I need to hone my ability to push myself for sure.
  • Adversity is part of the game. When you do any physical activity for hours and hours shit will happen. You will hit a low spot, your stomach will not agree with what you are putting in it, you might get a blister, etc., etc. Making it to the finish in one piece is usually (hopefully) not just about gutting it out and damaging your body in the process but rather about managing the adversity as well as possible so you do NOT damage your body while making it to the finish. This means not turning off your brain while you run and not losing the ability to look at yourself objectively when things go south. It also means being prepared not only in terms of clothing, training and nutrition, but also in terms of a lack of general life stress and a healthy dose of motivation.

13 October 2012

Thanks to Amazon, I am rich.

I just got an email from Amazon today.

==========================================================
Dear Kindle Customer,

We have good news. You are entitled to a credit for some of your past e-book purchases as a result of legal settlements between several major e-book publishers and the Attorneys General of most U.S. states and territories, including yours. You do not need to do anything to receive this credit. We will contact you when the credit is applied to your Amazon.com account if the Court approves the settlements in February 2013.

Hachette, Harper Collins, and Simon & Schuster have settled an antitrust lawsuit about e-book prices. Under the proposed settlements, the publishers will provide funds for a credit that will be applied directly to your Amazon.com account. If the Court approves the settlements, the account credit will appear automatically and can be used to purchase Kindle books or print books. While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, the Attorneys General estimate that it will range from $0.30 to $1.32 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased between April 2010 and May 2012. Alternatively, you may request a check in the amount of your credit by following the instructions included in the formal notice of the settlements, set forth below. You can learn more about the settlements here: www.amazon.com/help/agencyebooksettlements

In addition to the account credit, the settlements impose limitations on the publishers’ ability to set e-book prices. We think these settlements are a big win for customers and look forward to lowering prices on more Kindle books in the future.

Thank you for being a Kindle customer.

The Amazon Kindle Team
==========================================================

You're welcome Amazon.

Looking back at my Kindle purchase history I have purchased exactly 20 items since I got my Kindle back in March of 2011 so that means I could potentially reap TWENTY SIX DOLLARS AND FORTY CENTS.

Most importantly, where oh where will I sock away all that cash?

Of only fleeting importance, what's the backstory about all the publishers that had to cough up this dough? Here is one hypothesis.

Publisher #1: "OMG, how do you spell cash cow? E-BOOK my brother. We better jack up the price so that people equate their value with a printed book."
Publisher #2: "Sounds good to me!"
Queue Mo Money Mo Problems.

Attorney General: "Not so fast guys..."

11 October 2012

run commute via Howe Street stairs

When I woke up I thought I'd try a slightly longer run home today and heck, why not throw in a few flights up the Howe Street stairs while I'm at it. Let's go!

Originally the plan was to do at least five flights, maybe even 10 (how quick we forget the pain) so I caught a ride in to work from Shelley. But, as the day wore on I started to get sick... You know the feeling, when the tickle in your throat turns into a real sore throat and by lunch time I was already sneezing and hating life with a headache on the horizon. What to do?

Knowing the weather this weekend was going to suck I gave it a shot anyway. I had that vaguely lightheaded feeling as I ran south but other than blowing my nose a lot and going a little slower than I wanted I did not feel as terrible as I thought I would. Until I got to the stairs that is. That's when I realized I was pretty empty.

Oh well, my intention had been to walk them anyway so I adjusted my goals to three flights and got busy. And who should I meet at the top of flight number one but an old friend Scott Gaudette. Scott was out getting in a quick run before the VP debate and was also doing three flights so we finished up together. Nice.

At the top I jogged south a bit with Scott and we chatted until he turned west and I turned east to go home. I tried to increase the pace a bit for these last couple of miles but I really was not able to. The only time I was when I was going downhill. :)

I wore my pack with a water bladder and it was fun to be able to drink but water weighs a lot! This is a route I'd like to try more often for sure.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 5:00 PM
Workout Type endurance/strength
Weather mid 50s, overcast, dry, calm
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Launch, The North Face Angstrom 30
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III, sleeveless active T, long sleeve active T
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10 October 2012

bike commute | treadmill run

Today was more of Martin trying to remember how to (learn how to?) run fast.

At lunch I hit the IMA for another go at the treadmill and was surprised that going a little faster than yesterday was manageable. I gave myself a little pat on the back for that.

Of course translating this 1) to road and 2) to longer runs will be a challenge but one baby step at a time thankyouverymuch.

My ride home was slow... funny how even a 30 minute run can take it out of you.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 12:00 PM
Workout Type run - tempo
Weather  
Course run - treadmill, 1% incline
Results  
Time run - 30 min
Distance run - 4.5 miles
Pace run - 5 min at 7:30, 5 min at 7:00, 15 min at 6:30, 5 min at 6:00
Equipment run - Brooks Launch
commute  - Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing  

Red Bull has so much money

We all know about Red Bull. They're the company that turned a somewhat oily, vaguely grapefruit-flavored drink with caffeine into a gazillion dollar enterprise.

Turns out the margin on flavored sugar water is pretty healthy and these guys have truckloads of cash to spend on whatever the hell they want. Like sponsoring pretty much every extreme activity under the sun. What's that you say? 'Every' is a bit of a stretch? In support of my claim I give you the Red Bull 400.

"If I fall down, I go 100 m backside."

This is a 400 m 'run' (or crawl depending on your fitness), up slopes that hit 45 degrees! Use of the handrail is encouraged lest you fall backwards.

Of course they sponsor motocross, mountain biking, BMX, etc., etc. but did you know they also sponsored Felix Baumgartner in his attempt to break the record for longest free fall of all time?

What's left to sponsor? Extreme eating?

Technorati Tags: ,

All caught up!

On 27 September, after about six weeks of inactivity I figured I would try to fill in the gaps. I just finished. Hooray for me.

Who cares? No one else. :)

09 October 2012

bike commute | treadmill run

First time on the treadmill in quite a while. The things you do to improve.

My goal here is to gain some speed without pounding myself into the ground. I hope it works. Interestingly, when I tried to run this fast on the road the other day I was absolutely hating it. Then again, now that I think about it, I was trying to run even faster that day.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 12:00 PM
Workout Type run - tempo
Weather  
Course run - treadmill, 1% incline
Results  
Time run - 30 min
Distance run - 4.2 miles
Pace run - 1 min walking, 4 min at 7:30, 20 min at 7:00, 4 min at 6:30, 1 min at 6:00
Equipment run - Brooks Launch
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing  

08 October 2012

bike commute

My legs felt surprisingly good after yesterday's run, gotta be happy about that.

Looking back I guess I was not able to go that hard yesterday hence my relative freshness today.

On the way home I dropped off my donation to FareStart for their annual gala auction. This is one cool charity.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day  
Workout Type active recovery
Weather upper 40s in the AM, upper 60s in the PM, sunny, dry, calm
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing  
Technorati Tags:

07 October 2012

Icicle Ridge trail run

Nice! Martin finally gets out to the Leavenworth/Icicle Creek area for a run as the Larches change colors.

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Was it beautiful? Yes.
Was it a nice day? Yes.
Was it an easy run? Absolutely not.
Did I get any sleep last night? Nope.

Recently I joined the Seattle Running Club and they have made it a goal to hit some incredible trails every year. I love it! Recently they have run down by Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens and today this. I'm only bummed I was not able to join them for all three of these outings. The original plan for today was to run the Enchantment Lakes loop but smoke from forest fires have closed one of the trailheads so no wanting to do an out-and-back we chose this route instead.

This route is a loop but you start about 2-3 miles down the road from where you finish so we all met at the finish and then loaded up two cars and shuttled to the start. It was pretty darn chilly out (40?) but I knew it was going to warm up pronto so tried not to overdo the layering. I was pretty close to getting it perfect thank goodness.

The group was about 10 people so guaranteed there would be different speeds and I'm really glad I had company. Turns out today my pace was just right for Todd Morse Tucker and Marlene Farrell. Nice. What I also thought would be nice was that the run appeared to be divided into quarters; a 5-mile warm up, a 5-mile climb, 5 miles through some alpine wilderness and then a 5-mile descent. I should have looked at the counter lines more closely...

The trail was dry! In the beginning we were running through about 1-2" of dust that had not seen any moisture for what I'm guessing was months. Down here the vegetation was these really pretty, and really big bushes with huge leaves. Here we are in the midst of them shedding the first layer of clothing.

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We ran through these plants, through rocks, through alpine meadows up to the top of the ridge.

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Where we had views like this.

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It turns out the 'traverse' along the ridge was really a ton of up and down with the ups being pretty severe as in we had to hike them all. On the elevation map below it looks like just two bumps along the top but each of those two bumps was a brute of an incline. One was so steep that Marlene checked her map to be sure we had to go this way. :)The last one had us climbing out of a north-facing snow field.

Once on the descent I thought, "Yes, now I can RUN." Not quite. First it was really, really steep so you had to watch your footing and then once we got into the trees it was so overgrown that you couldn't see where your feet were landing half the time so had to walk quite a bit here as well. It did slowly get more and more open and the last two miles of the descent were amazing. It was this gentle slope and soft surface and I was banking around corners like I was on skis. I almost felt like sticking out my arms the way little kids do when they pretend they are an airplane.

How did I feel? S L O W. Oh man, I tried to pick it up on those last two miles and was just barely able to do so. It seems this fall all I have been doing is running slowly and it's pretty obvious that I need to incorporate some strength stuff (hills, stairs, etc.) and some speed work. Oh well, I guess that will happen when I get motivated. :) I was also sucking wind. We did get up in elevation a bit and I noticed it.

But was it fun to be up in the mountains? YES. This is what I love to do and I'm so glad I'm fit enough to get out for 20 miles of incredible trails. The next step is to be fit enough to get out for 30.

Here are all the pictures.

Sleep 3
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:00 AM - 2 bananas, water
5:30 AM - large bottle w/3 scoops Perpetuem
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food right before run - PowerBar
run - bottle w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun, 1.5 l water, 4 gels, Hammer Bar, 3 Perpetuem Solids
Injuries My toes are a little sore from the descent but not so much that it became an issue.
Therapy  
Time of Day 8:15 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather 40 at the start, 70 by the finish, sunny, dry, calm
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Ultraspire Surge, Brooks Cascadia 7
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III, Patagonia Capilene 1 Silkweight Stretch T-Shirt, Patagonia Merino 1 Silkweight Crew, wind vest, Patagonia Capilene gloves, SmartWool hat

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