31 May 2013

core | cardio

What do you know, two short runs and my left ankle is tight and just a tiny bit sore. So I just did some easy cardio at lunch to try and work it out. That much felt fine.

Today was the first day after our vacation that I did my core routine again. It has been a LONG time. Too long. It's been so long that I forgot to do one exercise... oh well.

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again; I have trouble with all the maintenance (core work, stretching, PT/rehab) I have to do just to be able to do the stuff I want (run/ride). I frequently feel like I need to work out just to be able to work out. And it's hard to keep up. But then when I DO get out for a spectacular run or ride, for a few hours it's all worth it. I need to work remembering that I suppose.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
cardio - 12:00 PM
Workout Type active recovery
Weather  
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
plank 2 min, 1 min each side
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions I forgot to do these...
push-ups 16/14/12
cardio - elliptical trainer, 13 incline, 13 resistance
Results  
Time cardio - 32 min
Distance cardio - 3.9 miles
Pace low 140 rpm to start, upper 150s to finish
Equipment  
Clothing  

30 May 2013

Lake WA Blvd run | bike commute | Ravenna run

Once again I got sucked into my computer instead of just getting out there.

After getting up promptly when my alarm went off I headed down stairs to change. As I usually do I sat down to check email (read: surf YouTube, check cycling results, etc.) and suddenly I was dorking around way too long. I finally tore myself away from the keyboard.

Originally I had planned on hitting the Howe Street stairs this morning but by this time that was out of the question so I just went for a quick run along Lake WA Blvd from our house. Of course it was a beautiful morning and in spite of it being pretty early still there were several other people doing the same. That was cool to see.

With the improvement in weather conditions today I also rode my bike to work and went for a lunch run.

How did I feel after taking it easy yesterday? Like dirt. Still.

I feel so SLOW. Not sure if I need more rest or speed work or both.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day morning run - 6:00 AM
lunch run - 1:00 PM
Workout Type endurance
Weather mid 60s, sunny, calm, dry
Course both runs were pretty flat and I tried to stay on the grass/dirt as much as possible
Results  
Time morning run - 26:30
lunch run - 42:44
Distance morning run - 3.3 miles
lunch run - 5.4 miles
Pace morning run - 7:59
lunch run - 7:56
Equipment runs - Brooks Launch, Garmin Fenix
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing runs - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short

29 May 2013

Expresso exercise bike

I felt pretty dead today, no doubt due to my double workout yesterday that I must not be quite ready for... So I opted for the Expresso exercise bicycle and although the start of the workout was rough I resolved to keep the resistance low and just work on my cadence and managed to maintain 90 rpm for a longer effort so that's a plus.

I even took the bus to work instead of riding - but I guess it was a little damp in the AM.

Expresso_2013-05-29

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 12:00
Workout Type endurance
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time 42:32
Distance 13.5 miles
Pace 19.1 mph
Equipment Expresso exercise bicycle
Clothing  

28 May 2013

Howe Street stairs | bike commute | Fleet Feet run

First day of the full meal deal weekday workout since returning from my vacation and it was not easy.

I knew the stairs would be hard so just opted for 30 minutes and luckily I made that. It took a couple of flights for my legs to warm up (which I guess is normal) but I got pretty winded today so it's obvious I have been gone a long time. It also felt like it took me longer than usual to catch my breath after each runner.

Since my running has ben pain free and since I love company and since the rain was supposed to hold off this afternoon I figured why not show up for the Tuesday night run at Fleet Feet Sports. I guess it was the holiday weekend or something but there were only like 10 people total in attendance! Lucky for me the guys started slow and kept it slow.

Even so I was reduced to walking up the last bit of the Interlaken climb. And I had to stop for a couple of seconds to catch my breath at the top of Galer too. Then as we ran from Volunteer Park back to the store the front bunch was doing 6:45 and I could only manage 7:00 so they eased away from me.

On the up side Bradlaugh Robinson showed up and it was great to chat and catch up. Sounds like he is on the verge of ramping up his running some so there will be many more opportunities for company.

My commute was just slow and easy both directions. On the way to work I had my messenger bag STUFFED with food and it weighed a TON. Amazing how much harder that makes the hills.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food stairs - half of a large bottle w/2 scoops HEED
commute - water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day stairs - 5:30 AM
run - 6:00 PM
Workout Type stairs - strength
run - endurance
Weather stairs - mid 50s, dry, calm
run - upper 50s, dry, some wind
Course stairs - alternated walking with running one-at-a-time
run - summer loop (Volunteer Park, down Galer, through Interlaken, Arboretum loop, back the same way)
Results  
Time stairs - 31:36
Distance stairs - 9 flights (1.5 miles)
Pace stairs - 3:31/flight
Equipment stairs - Brooks Cascadia 8, Garmin Fenix
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
run - Brooks Launch, Garmin Fenix
Clothing stairs - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt
run - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Patagonia Capilene 1 Silkweight Stretch T-Shirt

26 May 2013

Cougar 14 trail run

Last night I got the following email from Bill Huggins.

"Joggy poo?"

Sure Bill, I'm in.

I assumed that because Bill had gone for a longer run yesterday that we were just going to do the standard Cougar 10 loop but no. Suddenly Daniel Paquette shows up and then a few miles in we drop down Wilderness Cliffs. Of course that means you get to climb back UP Wilderness Cliffs.

I think those guys put about five minutes into me just on this climb of which I had to walk most of.

No sooner do we get rolling again than I hear talk of doing the De Leo wall.

You can see where this is going.

Somewhere prior to De Leo Bill asked me how I was doing and at the time I felt like I was tired but not bonked. On De Leo I bonked.

Not only did I walk 100% of De Leo but I also had to walk a couple of times on the flats between the top and the car just to make it back. Oops.

The only up side to the day is my ankle was pain free. Well, I also didn't get cold. And I didn't fall down. Maybe it was not so bad after all.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:00 AM - Hammer Bar
5:30 AM - Hammer Gel
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food bottle w/2 scoops HEED, 1 tablet Nuun, 1 GU
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 6:10 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather upper 40s, light rain
Course  
Results  
Time 2:20:39
Distance 12.6 (14?) miles
Pace 11:04
Equipment Brooks PureGrit, Garmin Fenix, Ultimate Direction Fastdraw Plus
Clothing Teko organic SIN3RGI Light Minicrew, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Patagonia Capilene 1 Silkweight Stretch T-Shirt
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25 May 2013

100 Miles of Nowhere

This post could have many titles, here are a few.

"Pretender exposed!"

"What's that mushroom cloud over the Marymoor Velodrome? Looks like total thermonuclear meltdown."

"So you think you can keep up with Tom do you...?"

Here is the abbreviated version of what went down. Tom and I have participated in the 100 Miles of Nowhere for four straight years (#1, #2, #3, #4) so I figured, what's one more? For 30 miles everything went swimmingly. Between 30-35 miles things got pretty shaky. At 39 miles the wheels. Totally. Came. Off. I putted around the track a bit more in hopes the fitness gods would feel like it has been way too long since they had a hand in some divine intervention and to try and assuage my guilt about leaving Tom in the lurch but eventually I had to head home absolutely gutted as they say down under.

P1000360

Read on for the longer version.

Funny how tenacious faith is. Like my faith in my ability to ride 100 miles in four hours after all of the following.

  • Not riding a bicycle at race speeds since last August.
  • Not riding much at ALL since last August since I was now focusing on running.
  • Hurting my ankle on 2 February and not doing much of anything for the next two months.
  • Going on a two-week vacation just prior to this attempt during which my primary daily physical activity was carrying as much cheap, delicious wine to our apartment as I could carry. And using it to wash down mountains of bread and cheese.

It took just 90 minutes of riding at 25 mph to expose me for the pretender that I am.

I woke up nice and early, had a light breakfast and took my track bike down from the wall. The nice thing about track bikes is you can pretty much just put it in storage when the season is done and since it never gets dirty, you just air the tires and you're good to go. I got all deluxe and also cleaned and oiled the chain. At the last minute I recalled that Tom rode TT bars in 2012 so grabbed a set I had lying around and bolted them on. Perfect.

Ah the track...

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I had a great time racing here for all those years and swinging my leg over the railing while carrying my duffel bag in one hand and my bike in the other felt just like yesterday. I was a bit early so casually got all my shot sorted.

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Tom showed up a few minutes later.

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In short order we got busy. We naturally fell into two-lap pulls and that seemed fine. We also pretty naturally settled into a pace that was right around 25 mph. As anyone who has ever ridden at the Marymoor Velodrome knows, even on a 'calm' day there is a headwind on the finish straight but we more than made up for it on the back side and I was seeing 24-27 all the time.

The TT bars were a GOOD IDEA. It took a ton of stress off my back which is prone to crapping out on longer rides - especially when I can't change my position much. I bet they also made it easier for me to maintain this pace as long as I did. I don't recall how long we went last year before stopping but today we went 25 miles until I suggested we pit for a snack. Although I had a bottle in my jersey, it was not so easy to drink and I did not want to bonk or get dehydrated today.

In the infield we met a fellow trackie. Hey we said, how would you like to do a nice, long warm up? "Uh... I'm just here to do some flying 200s." Damn. Back out we went.

P1000352

During the next five miles I felt like my pulls were suffering a tad but not anything I was getting concerned about. In my head I had thought I would probably last fine until about 50 miles and then I might have to let Tom pull more than me. When I'm cycling fit we are similar riders in that we are both pretty big diesels so again I was not concerned with this slowing us down that much.

The dreaded fade sure crept up on me and all of a sudden I was struggling to pull even one lap at 25 mph. I think I lasted literally five laps of this and then Tom simply rode away from me.

Shit.

I had a sinking feeling but was not willing to throw in the towel just yet so went up track, slowed down, had a drink and let Tom lap me. When he did I slotted in behind him and off we went.

Tom pulled two laps, I pulled one lap, Tom pulled one more and then he rode away from me again. Things were not looking good.

I can't remember if I tried to join the train called Tom one more time or not but it was not long after this incident that I just stayed up track. I tried to gather myself but this did not feel like anything I could fix in time to help. What I needed was a few months of training and then a few more months of racing!

I drank some more but my speed was not going over 20 mph by this time. I even tried to slow down for a couple of laps to 18 in hopes that I would have a resurgence of strength [From where...?! Not sure what I was thinking.] but it did not happen. Looking down I thought I could at least complete 50 miles so set out on a lonely - although not nearly as lonely as Tom - journey. The second I hit 50 miles I rolled into the infield with my tail between my legs.

Finally, Tom pulled in.

He was all smiles and made a show of stretching to help me feel better.

P1000354

And then I went home. Ouch.

To his credit Tom got back out there and finished this ride! Did I mention that he rode at least 60 miles of it solo? Way to freaking go Tom. Here's proof.

Go Tom go!

And when a mutual friend asked how it went Tom just said, "Martin had to go home." How polite of him. If I'm still running this time next year I will have to ride rollers if I even want a chance. Sorry Tom.

Here are all the pictures and video.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:30 AM - Hammer Bar, some Perpetuem, tea
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food large bottle w/2.5 scoops Perpetuem, 1 shot of Hammer Gel
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:15 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather low 50s, cloudy, dry, light breeze
Course Marymoor Velodrome
Results DNF
Time 2:10:47
Distance 50 miles
Pace 23 mph
Equipment Raleigh Rush Hour Pro
Clothing knit shoe covers, knee warmers, bib shorts, Craft Active Extreme Short Sleeve Baselayer, short sleeve jersey, arm warmers, Polypropylene gloves, cap

24 May 2013

Expresso exercise bike

I have been depriving myself of sleep in epic proportions ever since we returned from Europe. The combination of the jetlag and me getting a cold right when we landed has been killer. Today is the first day I could even contemplate doing any physical activity at lunch.

Since I went running yesterday and since my ankle is not fully healed yet I opted for the indoor bike trainer. Say hello to Expresso fitness.

Expresso_2013-05-24

Whereas in the past I had been posting some respectable rides that was not the case today. I was tired, slow and felt pretty weak. Oh well, I just tried to keep the effort steady and not simply coast it in.

I think I finished about 3:00 behind my PR on this route today.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 12:00 PM
Workout Type endurance
Weather  
Course Camel Country
Results  
Time 34:50
Distance 10 miles
Pace 17.2 mph
Equipment Expresso exercise bicycle
Clothing  

23 May 2013

Cougar 10 trail run

Damn.

No sooner do I get back into town, fully jetlagged, than Bill Huggins gives me a shout saying we're getting the gang back together for a little Cougar Mountain run.

Go.

My longest run since my injury has been seven miles but I dove in with both feet. And luckily I survived unscathed. Tired, but unscathed. I didn't even fall down or anything. In addition to Bill it was great to see Justin Angle, Bryan Estes, Todd Morse Tucker and Bradlaugh Robinson again.

About 20 minutes in Justin said we were on a 1:24 pace. Obviously we slowed just a bit (thanks to several, very much appreciated by me, pee breaks) but I am very pleased with my ability to keep up as I figured 1:30 was all I was capable of today.

The hills were hard and I was running like a scared runner with an injury on the descents (which is exactly what I am). My eyes were SO focused on the trail and truth be told, this might be a take-away for me as I tended to star gaze while running previously. It could not hurt to concentrate a bit more I'm thinking.

Still, this was MOTIVATING.

Having recently increased the size of my Patagonia wardrobe it was the perfect day to test drive the Patagonia Nine Trails Jacket; it was fantastic! Slightly insulating, not too hot or suffocating and I could practically not tell I was even wearing it.

Sleep 4
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:00 AM - Hammer Bar
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 5:50 AM - Hammer Gel
run - bottle w/2 scoops HEED
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 6:00 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather upper 40s, light drizzle, calm
Course classic Cougar 10 loop
Results  
Time 1:25:59
Distance 8.7 (10?) miles
Pace 9:56
Equipment Brooks PureGrit, Garmin Fenix
Clothing Teko organic SIN3RGI Light Minicrew, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Patagonia Capilene 1 Silkweight Stretch T-Shirt, Patagonia Nine Trails Jacket
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21 May 2013

Nice waterfront + Castle Hill run

Today is our last day in Nice so I figured I better get in one more run.

I have been SO happy with my ankle, it has been pain-free during all my walks and runs which is pretty terrific. I'm also incredibly stoked with my shoe selection, the Brooks PureCadence 2 is like a slipper and although it does not provide a ton of support it seems to be just enough for me. At least for the distances I am running currently. It's also crazy light compared to my other shoes.

Castle Hill means, you guessed it, more stairs. Good times.

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I felt pretty slow on the stairs today, oh well. The views were amazing all morning long.

I was a bit tight/sore from all the walking yesterday. I also tried to bust it up a long flight of stairs and blew spectacularly... obviously I am not fit yet. Still, it's so much fun to run around here and especially on this Castle Hill.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 6:00 AM - orange, water
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 6:45 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather upper 50s, blue sky, dry, light breeze
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks PureCadence 2, Garmin Fenix
Clothing Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt

20 May 2013

Nice, France walk

This morning Shelley and I went for a walk. In the afternoon she felt like relaxing and felt like walking some more so today I decided to explore the perimeter of my new neighborhood some on foot.

Next to our apartment in the old downtown of Nice there is Castle Hill which I had already been up twice but it's so cool I went up again. Ten I dropped down to the port of Nice and went up the hill on the other side. I was hoping to make it to the top of the hill but did not find any obvious paths up there so eventually just turned around and took an intentionally circuitous route back home.

Of course it's beautiful here, c'mon! The architecture is so old and the streets so narrow and the gardens so beautiful.

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It was much fun to amble around with just shorts and sandals. Freedom!

Here are all the pictures and video. The wave break outside of the port was intense! Check this out.

19 May 2013

Nice waterfront + Castle Hill run | Cannes walk

What can I say, I'm in freaking Nice, France!

There happens to be an extremely cool hill right between the port of Nice and old/historic downtown of Nice called Castle Hill. There are loads of different sets of stairs that lead to the top so this was my destination. Then I ran down the waterfront for a bit and then because it was so damn cool I went back up the hill one more time.

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When I got back we took the train to Cannes (where the annual film festival was raging!) and walked around there.

SAM_0210

And my ankle? Pain free baby.

I felt fine today as did my left ankle! Running up stairs was pretty damn tough though and I had to take it slow. I can tell hills are on my training agenda... But, I'm still amazed that I am going sub 7:30 on the flats with so little training.

Here are all the pictures and video from Canes.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 7:30 AM
walk - 11:30 AM
Workout Type run - endurance
Weather run - upper 50s, blue sky, dry, light wind
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks PureCadence 2, Garmin Fenix
Clothing Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt
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15 May 2013

Chemin des Cretes trail run

Two firsts for me today.
  1. I went for a trail run in Corsica, France!
  2. I WENT FOR A TRAIL RUN. As in my first one since I botched my ankle.
Both were fantastic experiences.

There is a ridge above the town of Ajaccio (where we are staying) and yesterday on our hike I realized these trails were pure gold. So this morning I came back. It was SO worth it.

This time I climbed all the way to top of the ridge and then headed away from town. I felt like I could have gone much longer but this distance was already pushing it so turned around when I got to a logical spot.
Rest assured I was taking it very easy... Easy in terms of pace and easy in terms of watching where the hell I was putting my feet. Especially my left one. I would walk to eat and I would even walk most of the times I drank just so I would not take my eyes off of the trail surface. CAUTION WAS EXERCISED. I also walked the steepest ups and downs.

The trail was amazingly fun; the kind where you really want to let fly. I had to hold back for sure. But I'm really, really glad I went for it today.
I only brought one pair of running shoes with me and I am LOVING them. So comfy, so light. Not the best in terms of lateral support but an awesome race shoe I'm betting.

Sleep 4
Waking HR
Body Weight
Body Fat
Breakfast 5:30 AM - fruit juice
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food water, Hammer Recovery Bar
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day 6:15 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather low 60s, mostly cloudy, dry, calm
Course steep up, rolling/flat, steep down
Results
Time 1:24:52
Distance 8.5 miles
Pace 9:53 min/mile
Equipment Brooks PureCadence 2, Garmin Fenix, hand-held bottle
Clothing Brooks 5" Essential Run Short

Things I have learned while in Corsica.

With the first half of our French vacation wrapping up I thought it would be fun to note some of the things I have learned while in Corsica, France.

  • Tanning. It appears to be far more than a leisure activity here, more like a national obligation. Combine that with the already olive/brown skin of Corsicans and most everyone here looks like well done toast.
  • Parking. Just do it. In the four days we have been here, I have only seen one car with a parking ticket on the windshield and for the most part the police just don't appear to care what you do. You can park around corners, in the entrance to an alley, double park, park on the sidewalk, in crosswalks, even on top of traffic islands.
  • Scarves. You need to wear one. While at a café, Shelley and I saw a family of four ALL WITH SCARVES. The youngest son was perhaps four years old and just chewing on his but hey, he wasn't trying to take it off.
  • Wine. It's okay to have a glass at 11:00 AM. Ditto for beer.
  • The same goes for breakfast. What's the rush?
  • Scooters and motorcycles don't seem to be governed by the same traffic laws as automobiles. I constantly see them crossing the center line to pass cars, driving on sidewalks, passing on the right; it's pretty exciting to watch.
  • All caned beverages are served with a glass. Most also come with a straw.
  • Coffee is not served in gargantuan party cups, rather it comes in little 'coffee' cups [I know, is that name coincidental or what?!] or shot glasses. And people here take about the same amount of time to consume this quantity of coffee as most American's require to drain their Trenta beverage.
  • Did I mention that Corsica doesn't have the same obesity problem as America?
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14 May 2013

Ajaccio waterfront run | Sentier des Cretes hike

Oh happy day.

I went for my first outdoor run today since I laid waste to my left ankle. The result? If felt great. And kind of cool that my first outdoor run was in Corsica, France.

One thing this kind of vacation is good for is REST. I have been getting plenty. I've also been getting plenty of bread, cheese, pate, chocolate and wine which has not seemed to hurt my ankle any. :)

After breakfast Shelley and I went for a stroll in the hills just above the town and somehow I managed to turn my GPS off after just 30 minutes. Rats. The blue line is what my watch missed.

Ajaccio_hike

Although my ankle felt great on my run, my lungs did not. And I am right at sea level. Oh well. I can only go up from here.

While hiking I realized I have GOT to get back up here and run on these trails before we leave. the views are SO good and the trails super fun.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 7:00 AM
Workout Type testing the left ankle
Weather 65, sunny, dry, calm
Course flat, mostly pavement/sidewalk with some dirt path
Results  
Time run - 40:45
Distance run - 5.5 miles
Pace run - 7:28 min/mile
Equipment run - Brooks PureCadence 2, Garmin Fenix
Clothing run - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt
Technorati Tags: ,,

12 May 2013

Ajaccio waterfront walk

Shelley and took a stroll down the waterfront here in Ajaccio Corsica, France.

The weather has been brilliant.

Tanning seems like it is not so much a leisure activity as a duty here. Especially for women. Everyone looks like toast.

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08 May 2013

Social Media-Bane or Boon to Trail Running?

TrailRunner Blog Symposium Button photo blogsymposiumbutton.jpg

I would say that it's pretty impossible to refute the claim that social media is here to stay. If you have a child between the ages of 12-18, how are they communicating with their friends? My point exactly. Kids are Snapchatting, Instagraming and Twittering (Facebooking is already old news) while most adults are falling over themselves in an effort to keep up.

The current generation is growing up on social media and smartphones and once they become adults and the formative years are over, so is any hope of turning back the clock to a time before all this came to be.

Godspeed I say. Boon in other words. Big time.

What's the point of social media? The same reason people carry their cell phone in their hand 24/7; they want to be connected ALL THE TIME.

And it isn't just kids. Take a close look at most television advertisements these days; instead of listing their own website address they will list their Facebook page. Ditto for magazine ads. Can you think of any progressive company that does not have their own YouTube channel? I can't.

Running is no different. It seems pretty much every savvy race promoter has a Facebook page, posts to Twitter and instead of using traditional, static HTML sites employs blogs that have an RSS feed to automate the entire social network updating process.

Not to mention all savvy running stores like this one and this one are doing the same thing.

Why use social media at all? Because it works. People are abandoning tradition email in droves and instead are camping out on sites like Facebook and Twitter. And when is the last time anyone has given direct mail a second look before round filing it? You see what I mean. To be successful you need to reach people and if people are going to choose to stay connected via something other than what you used to use well then you better change ASAP or get left in the dust.

Not only are people camping out on social media sites and apps, they get notifications from the sources they select. In the age when choice ultra trail races sell out in a matter of hours, getting the word out quickly is a big service to runners. Ditto for last minute updates. Ditto for results or even live progress reports. Who doesn't like to follow the action when they can't participate themselves? I love it. Did I mention that people want to feel connected...?

Social media is also great for creating and fostering community and intimacy. Facebook Groups, Pinterest and picture and video sharing services all not only help people feel like they are members of an exclusive few because they have 'liked' or discovered it; pictures and video also help to tell your story. As tired as the expression is, a picture really does paint a thousand words. And video hundreds of thousands. Throw in a cool soundtrack and it might be millions.

That sense of community also helps to grow interest. How many things have you tried because your friend already did it? Or because they asked you to join them? Social networking today is like the Faberge Shampoo commercial from the 1970s.

What about living vicariously through others? Personally I'm just your average amateur endurance athlete who aspires to something more. Being able to 'follow' or read about or get updates on anyone faster than me is a huge thrill. Watching these amazing people post course records and move like I can't is a real inspiration!

it would be ludicrous for trail running not to jump on this band wagon.

How can giving people what they want the way they want it when they want it be a bane to trail running? That's rhetorical, it can't.

rehab | core | bike commute | treadmill run

First things first. I had an awesome run today. It was my longest and fastest by far since my ankle injury.

in fact, it was so awesome I am convinced the treadmill I was on malfunctioned. See below for more sensationalized details.

At the gym this morning I did my usual dynamic rehab and core. In spite of having a bit too much to drink last night and not getting enough sleep my workout was quite reasonable. Nice.

But I was pouring sweat for some reason. My gym really has very few fans come to think of it and I am hopping around a ton doing my rehab session so maybe it's just normal.

Core was average/normal as was my commute so let's talk treadmill run.

I felt AMAZING. So amazing that I am convinced the treadmill had me running downhill even though the display said I was on flat ground.

I started out at 7:30 thinking I would leave it there but it was so damn easy I started speeding up the pace every couple of minutes. AND THE EFFORT BARELY GOT ANY HARDER. So I just kept on going. The last 10 minutes I clicked the pace up every minute and the last three minutes I clicked it up every 30 seconds and I finished doing 5:30 for the last 60 seconds.

That pace should be quite hard for me but today it was just a moderate effort. I was absolutely floating along.

I have been doing lots of fast feet stuff in my rehab sessions and running stairs one at a time, could this be helping my foot speed? Some perhaps but this much?

I tried to adjust the incline up at first because it felt so easy and I got an error on the display. I tried eyeballing the belt to see if I was going downhill and it did not seem obvious but I felt like I was almost falling forward so who knows. The entire run the display said I was on flat ground. Maybe I just had a Chi Running moment. :)

Anyway, I am stoked. Time to run outdoors! Finally!

Sleep 5
Waking HR  
Body Weight 7:00 AM - 179 lb.
12:00 PM - 179 lb.
Body Fat 7
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day rehab - 5:30 AM
core - 6:00 AM
elliptical trainer - 12:00 PM
treadmill run - 12:20 PM
Workout Type strengthening
Weather 70, sunny the 2nd half of the day, dry, calm
Course
fast step ups 3 x 60 sec each leg
lateral step jumps 3 x 60 sec each leg
'L' step jumps 3 x 60 sec each leg
wobble disk 60 sec each leg
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
plank 2:00, 1:00 each side
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 30
push-ups 20/16/10
elliptical trainer - 13 incline, 13 resistance
treadmill - flat(?)
Results  
Time elliptical trainer - 20 min
treadmill - 30 min
Distance treadmill - 4.4 miles
Pace elliptical trainer - ramped up to 160 rpm pretty quick and held it there
treadmill - 6:49 (started at 7:30, finished at 5:30)
Equipment rehab/core - Brooks Green Silence
elliptical/treadmill - Brooks Launch
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

07 May 2013

exploring Colman Park | bike commute

I was hoping to do some stairs today but when I woke up I realized it was still too early and the cold I have is running me way down.

I thought, "Hey, I'll just not drive all the way to Howe Street and instead do something closer to home!" Right. I walked down to the Colman Park stairs and before I even got there I knew this venture was a lost cause.

But, it was a gorgeous morning out and still very comfy in terms of temperature so I figured I would at least keep walking and take a lap through the park since I have never done that before. It was worth it. Now I know a little more about my neighborhood.

On the upside I felt somewhat better on the ride to work and significantly better on the ride home. I'm hoping that tomorrow I can actually work out again.

Sleep 6
Waking HR
Body Weight 7:00 AM - 178 lb. (I weighed myself before breakfast for a change)
Body Fat 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food water
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day walk - 5:40 AM
Workout Type
Weather mid 70s, sunny the later half of the day, calm
Course
Results
Time
Distance
Pace
Equipment walk - Brooks Launch, Garmin fenix
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing
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06 May 2013

core | bike commute

Oh man... that tickle I had in my throat and ignored all of yesterday hit me like a load of bricks today. Funny how you can go from feeling mostly excellent to I-want-crawl-in-bed-and-stay-there-all-day in no time. It's only a cold but I have zero energy.

I was thinking I would go to the gym and realized super quick that was not going to fly. Somehow I still eeked out a core workout at home and then rode to and from work.

believe you me, those rides were slooooooow. And not really any fun at all. I think I have a fever.

And it was such a beautiful, hot day... that only compounded my headache on the way home. Suck. Normally I am the last person to complain about it being warm in Seattle. :)

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 6:00 AM
Workout Type  
Weather 80, sunny, dry, light breeze
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
plank 2:00, 1:00 each side
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 30
push-ups 20/16/12
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

05 May 2013

Snoqualmie Falls ride

Well, I was right yesterday when I said I felt like I felt a sore throat coming on. :( Last night it got worse. I tried to get plenty of sleep (which didn't really work) but luckily this morning it had abated some.

That was the only thing wrong with today however and it didn't spoil my outing.

Today I went on a great ride. The weather was great, the route was great, the company was great and my legs felt great. Pretty f'ing great all round if you ask me. Want proof? Just look at this smile.

P1000106

Today was the first day this year that I have started a ride with no leg/knee/arm warmers and I never even considered taking a vest along. God do I love days like this.

I cruised around for a few minutes before meeting my company at Leschi Starbucks and off we went. Today I was riding with John Phillips, Frank Hodge and Kelly Herrington. It the first time I had met Kelly and luckily it was easy to remember his name.

P1000108

Everyone was super compatible which is a big, fat bonus on bike rides. Kelly may not have been comfortable drafting very close so he was usually 10-20' off the back but he kept up totally fine. And was a very safe rider.

John took us a climb from West Lake Sammamish Way that I had not been on ages and was really nice and traffic-free. In fact, the first half of the ride was pretty much traffic-free now that I think about it... I guess early on a Sunday, especially on Cinco de Mayo (when you're going to be drinking a lot later) folks need their rest.

It was SO nice bombing down hills and not being even the slightest bit chilled. Love that.

We did the extra credit loop at the top of the falls and John introduced me to even more extra credit and yet another new road that I have never ridden.

On the way home I saw Edgardo Balansay headed out to Fall City on a ride of his own. Way to go Edgardo.

Today was one of those days where I could have gone even longer had there been time to do so. I rode within myself all day and I think a few things contributed to me feeling so stellar.

  • Today was my first day on my Ti Cycles Hyak, aka the 'race' bike. It's about seven pounds lighter than my fender bike and that is not insignificant.
  • I ate and drank all the time.
  • We never went too hard so I never had to dig myself out of any holes. You know, the kind of holes that are deep, filled with lactic acid and are devoid of any muscle glycogen.
  • Other than yesterday I have not been working out so hard lately.
  • I hydrated well last night.

All though I packed plenty of food I was surprised by how little I consumed? I felt like I was nibbling all the time but I guess I was wrong. The liquid food must have been sustaining me pretty well. I did notice that I didn't drink enough when I got home and went to the bathroom. Oops. But today it didn't affect me.

Here are all the pictures and video.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:30 AM - apple sauce, banana, 1 scoop protein powder, 2 scoops Perpetuem, pumpkin seeds
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food large bottle w/2 scoops Perpetuem, large bottle w/2 scoops HEED, half a bottle of water, Hammer Bar, 2 Perpetuem Solids
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:00 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather upper 50s to upper 70s, sun, dry, light breeze
Course  
Results  
Time 5:03
Distance 86 miles
Pace 18.1 mph
Equipment Ti Cycles Hyak, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing bib shorts, sleeveless undershirt, short sleeve jersey, cap
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04 May 2013

Howe Street stairs

I was determined to sleep in this morning and to this end I shut off my alarm. It didn't work. As usual, I was up at 4:30 AM and rolling over (and over and over) was not helping any. Luckily it's the first day of Giro d'Italia and you can watch it live on CyclingFans. Nice.

Since I'm going for a ride tomorrow it seemed appropriate that I do something on my feet today. And since I can't go for a proper run yet, stairs have turned into my go-to workout. I'm still only running stairs one step at a time because 1) I'm not supposed to subject my ankle to lots of impact yet and 2) running them two at a time is freaking hard! But even one at a time stairs are an excellent workout so no worries.

ASIDE - did reason #1 sound like an excuse there...? It kinda was.

I think today is the warmest and brightest stair session I have experienced in ages, perhaps years? Historically I would always do this workout in the winter (read: in the wet, in the cold and in the dark) as cross-training for cycling. Now it's serving not as cross-training but as regular old training! Change is inevitable.

Three fun things about today.

  1. I met David Mann on the stairs! Like me, he's a bicycle racer that is transitioning to running. He was out with some buddies from his gym doing a few flights. Go Dave!
  2. I think I found my favorite pair of road shoes today, the Brooks PureCadence 2! It was my first day wearing them and right away they felt perfect. They're very light, super comfy, and yet seem to have enough support. I'll find out for sure when I hit the road but today was awesome.
  3. I used my Garmin Foot Pod for the first time. It's a cadence and is primarily used when you run on a treadmill but outdoors it will still tell you what is going on. Stats are fun.

Okay, some more fun things about today.

  1. I started out feeling a bit heavy [Which I always seem to say about a stair workout... I don't think there is any other way I can start this kind of effort...] but then picked it up, kept it steady and ended posting my fastest pace yet! Yeah for me.
  2. There was a group of four guys out here today and I lapped them four times. At first they were faster than me on the way up but they would always take time to shoot the shit and fist bump and drink water every time they got to the top and to the bottom. It's amazing how quick you go if you just never stop.
  3. I have been told by my doctor and my PT that I should not go down stairs fast. Using this Foot Pod proves that I am not overdoing it.

One no so fun thing is that I feel like a sore throat is just around the corner... not enough sleep to fight this off I bet.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 6:30 AM - 2 small bananas w/almond butter, 16 oz. Kombucha
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food large bottle w/2 scoops HEED
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 9"10 AM
Workout Type strength, endurance
Weather mid 50s, sunny, dry
Course Howe Street stairs
Results  
Time 1:02:34
Distance 18 flights (3.05 miles)
Pace 3:29/flight
Equipment Brooks PureCadence 2, Garmin fenix
Clothing Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt

03 May 2013

rehab | core | bike commute

I did some more jumping around at the gym this morning. That's what you do when your ankle has healed enough that you don't need to do the static rehab anymore; now I jump up onto and off of steps always taking off of and landing on one foot. My routine sounds like, "tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap..." You get the idea.

It felt pretty good today! As in my ankle is healing up and getting stronger. Nice.

I followed up all the jumping around with my core routine and then rode my bike to work.

it was a brilliant day. absofuckinglutely fabulous. And this weekend is supposed to be even nicer (as in EIGHTY DEGREES!). I say bring it.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day gym - 5:30 AM
Workout Type rehab
Weather 70, sunny, dry, calm
Course
fast step ups 3 x 60 sec each leg
lateral step jumps 3 x 60 sec each leg
'L' step jumps 3 x 60 sec each leg
wobble disk 2:00 each leg
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
plank 2:00, 1:00 each side
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 30
push-ups 20/15/10
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing  

02 May 2013

Howe Street stairs | bike commute | cardio | treadmill run

Boom.

The big news is that I ran for TWENTY FIVE MINUTES on the treadmill today. With NO ANKLE PAIN. progress gentlemen, progress. All the rest is just ancillary.

I got to the stairs and 1) didn't feel very motivated and 2) was a bit foggy hung over so I opted to just walk them. I also go there kind of late so didn't have a ton of time so could only get in 30 min. What's interesting is that my pace was not that much slower than when I feel peppy. I guess I have my cruising pace and just sort of slot in when I get here.

At lunch I hit the IMA and again didn't have a ton of time so cut the elliptical trainer warm-up short and instead focused on the run. Today I dialed it up to a 7:26 pace and just kept it there. when I got close to 20 minutes (my original goal) I was feeling fine so just kept on going.

Yes, I have been told that pushing too much is dangerous and yes, I know that running until it hurts is bad but all of my recent runs have felt fine so I was confident. And today my confidence was not misplaced. I am so pumped that my ankle is healing up! Soon I will be able to run outside, I'm sure that will be a shock to the old fitness expectations...

Sleep 6
Waking HR
Body Weight 7:00 AM - 181 lb.
11:20 PM - 181 lb.
Body Fat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food stairs - large bottle w/2 scoops Heed
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day stairs - 5:40 AM
cardio - 11:20 AM
run - 11:40 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather stairs - upper 40s, dry, calm
Course elliptical trainer - 13 incline, 13 resistance
treadmill run - flat, 7:26
Results
Time elliptical trainer - 20 min
treadmill run - 25 min
Distance elliptical trainer - 2.6 miles
treadmill run - 3.4 miles
Pace stairs - 3:40/flight
Equipment stairs - Brooks Cascadia 8, Garmin fenix
elliptical trainer, treadmill run - Brooks Launch
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing stairs - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt
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