10.5 miles - Shuffling like Fred Sanford Again

Last week, running in the evening, I felt fan-freakin-tastic doing 8 miles, 2 longer than I had planned.  So, I was really looking forward to getting out this week.  It has been a long week since then with a golf weekend/drunkfest, a couple late work nights, and a few family nights culminating with taking TheKids to the drive-in last night. 

I need to get my miles in and my schedule calls for a 10 miler this weekend.  Every other weekend, I'm running 2 miles longer than I had before.  During the 2 weeks in between, I'm supposed to get out 3 to 5 times for shorter distances.  During the past 8 days, I've golfed 3 times, played cornhole, pulled some weeds, and sat at my desk, but not ran once.  It's not that I'm not taking it seriously, it was just a bad week.

So, I had the time scheduled.  TheWife was onboard for kid duty.  The weather was going to be nice - warm but not too warm.  I had my route in my head.  Everything was lined up for a great run.

Let's just say it wasn't how I had envisioned it.

As I mentioned, we went to the drive-in last night.  Largely uneventful.  At 4:45 this morning, we were woken by the sound of TheGirl crying.  We walked into her room and found her bed, her pillow, her Minnie Mouse doll, and TheGirl herself covered in blood-red slime.  Took a second to realize it was the remnant of the cherry slushy she drank at the drive-in.  It was everywhere.

There must have been a TON of red foodcoloring in that slushy, because the puke was like ink.

OK, maybe not that bad.


TheWife took TheGirl to the shower and I cleaned the bed.  Thankfully, it was mostly contained in the bed.  At 6, we finally got back to bed.  At 7, TheBoy climbed into our bed as he does every day, so that was the end of my good sleep.

When I finally got out for my run, I had already done my usual warm-up ritual of stretching and the like.  The weather was beautiful, 70-something degrees.  I walked to the end of the block as I usually do, turned on my heart-rate monitor, and began running...

...in quicksand?

Did I gain 40lbs in the last 8 days?

Was I dragging an anchor?

Last week, I felt light and bouncy.  Today, I felt slow and plodding.  Just a chore to keep going.

I guess the long layoff hurt me.  And maybe the bad night of sleep.  And the fact this was the first thing in the morning and I really hadn't fueled or hydrated well.  And any other excuses I can think of.  Whatever it was, it was the polar opposite of how I felt last week.

It did get better.  I loosened up a bit, but not like it was a week ago.

My route today took me 1.8miles on the concrete back to that same trail as last week (Sarah - Yes, the lower Rouge).  Ran that all the way to the end, then back, about 5 miles in total on the trail, then back on the concrete to my starting point.  Then, a mile out and back in the opposite direction.  All together 10.5 miles.

Not sure on my exact time as I messed up my watch twice, but it was about an hour and forty minutes, less than 10 minute miles.  I might have to breakdown and actually use TheWife's GPS watch to figure out just how much slower I am on the trails than on the concrete.  It's worth losing some speed to save some wear and tear on my legs.

The last 2.5 miles on the concrete were pretty tough.  I wasn't expecting that following how well I felt last week.  I think I just ran out of steam.

No blisters.  No chafing.  My right foot and both knees are pretty sore.  My hamstrings are pissed off.  My right groin continues to be tight.  Overall, not as bad as the 8 miler two weeks ago, but much worse than the 8 miler last week.

So, I'm walking like Fred Sanford.

Still, it was the longest I've run in 5 years.  That counts for something, I think.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to get to the gym in the morning, but that will depend on the health of my household.  TheGirl has had a fever off and on today, peaking at 104, and now the TheWife might be coming down with something too.  If I get out, it will likely just be to ride the bike.

Back From the Dead

Hey, long time, no see.  Glad to have you back!

And, I feel terrible that I'm about to disappoint you.

It's been a week since my last run.  After my too-long-private-chafing adventure last week, I haven't been out since.  Not because I've been hurt.  Actually, the minor chafing didn't bother me at all the following couple days as I golfed, drank, and cornholed my way through the 20th Annual Mid-Michigan Drunkfest.  Complete with commemorative koozie, by the way.

Then, a couple late work nights and a couple nights playing with my neglected kids.  Get up early, you say?  No, I don't do morning runs other than my races.  Too often, they end in a potty emergency.

No running = limited material for writing about in a running blog.  Kind of problematic.

When I first started writing this blog, I had stockpiled a couple ideas for topics to talk about in the inevitable downtimes as I knew I would not get out 3 or 4 times per week.  I got about 700 words into one of them, about the origin of my running mantra, but then realized it would probably be boring to the vast majority of the world, except those who loved the TV show Lost.  If I ever publish a post called "Walkabout", you'll know I was either desparate for material or found a better angle to approach it from.

For any Lost-ophiles, here is a walk down memory lane:

"Don't tell me what I can't do!"

You are damn right, John Locke.


According to my very fluid training schedule, this weekend is my 10 mile training run.  As good as I felt last week, I am very much looking forward to getting out this weekend and clearing my head.  It's amazing how torturing your body can clear your mind.  Everything seems to make sense mid-run.  I've done some of my best thinking recently (I know, it's a small population to draw from) out on the road.  

I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm a Dumb@$$

I haven't run outside since last Friday's 8 miler.  I haven't ran period since Sunday's Miller Lite and soft pretzel fueled treadmill run.  With TheFamily gone tonight, it was a perfect opportunity to get out by myself.  Those chances do not come around too often.

I was in the office a bit late, then had to stop at Meijer on my way home.  By the time I was ready to go out, it was 8:13.  I figured I'd go out for 6 miles and be home just as it was getting dark.  Outside, I typically run around 8 to 9 minutes per mile, so I should be home by 9:10 at the latest.

As I was figuring out where to go, I thought of my knees and the concrete and how my neighbor refuses to run on concrete anymore.  It occurred to me that there is a gravel trail that starts a little more than 1.5 miles from my house, then comes back to a main road.  I'm thinking from point A to point B on the trail is about 3 miles, so I'll have 1.5 miles on concrete, then 3 miles on the gravel trail, then another 1.5 miles on the concrete on the way home.  I've never run this trail, but I drive by the various places it crosses the main roads all the time.

I pass the 1.5 mile mark at 12 minutes and change, so I'm making good time.  I turn onto the gravel trail just about 15 minutes in.

Then I run for a while on the gravel.  It's a very woodsy trail and feels very much like I'm somewhere up north.  Really, a nice change of pace from pounding down the concrete on main roads.  On a scale of 1-10, my seasonal allergies are about a 2 or 3 and I could definitely feel something change in my breathing as I got off the main road and got into the trees, fields, and such. Not terrible by any means.

Up to this point, I feel much, much better than I did last week.  I changed my gait slightly, shortening my stride.  The pounding on my feet and knees was noticibly less and I feel quicker, less plodding, than I did last week; however, I haven't passed a main road and the first one should be about a half mile, or 4 or 5 minutes since I got on the trail.  Something isn't right.

Periodically on the trail, there are little maps that show you where you are and the various landmarks along the trail.  I stop to study one for a few seconds.  At this point, I realize that I am a dumbass.

The trail does not run straight from West to East.  It runs to the southeast, away from my house.  I try to figure out in my head just how far I am going to go past the 6 miles I planned.

And, the sun is down.  It's going to get dark soon.

If things had gone according to my original (incorrect) plan, I would have somewhere between 1.5 and 2.0 miles to go after getting off the trail.  This should have taken me somewhere between 12 and 18 minutes depending on my distance and pace.  I first thought my run would take about 54 minutes and I'd be home around 9:10 just as it was getting pretty dark.

By the time I got to where I knew I had about 2 miles left, it was already VERY dark.  It was very overcast, so no moonlight to help.

It's not like I'm scared of the dark or afraid some boogie man if going to get me, it's just that I'm not wearing anything reflective so cars can't see me and it's hard to see things like cracks in the sidewalk.

About 1.5 miles from home, I caught my toe on uneven sidewalk squares and nearly bit it.  That would have been a pretty gnarly scrape on my knees and probably my hands and arms.  Fortunately, I was able to pull out of it before falling.   If it wasn't pitch black at this point and someone had seen this, it would have been a pretty good laugh.  For them.

I finished in complete darkness and stopped my watch.  It had taken 1:13.  19 minutes longer than it should have.  I just mapped it out on Mapmyrun.com.  I ran 7.9 miles.  Oops.

On the bright side, by changing my gait and incorporating an extra stretch before going out, my knees, ankles, achilles, and groin all feel pretty good.  Tomorrow might be a different story, but for now, those are not a problem.

Last time, I had a slight nipple chafe.  Thanks to

 

my nips were perfectly protected.  I'm sure you wanted to know that.

 

 

 

**********New injury alert************New injury alert******************

 

I did not escape my 7.9 mile excursion free of chafing.  A particular area somewhere between my knees and waist incurred some minor chafing.  In the shower afterwards, I felt a pretty good sting on the ol' undercarriage.

 

Yep, I chafed my taint.

 

My registered nurse mother is cringing while reading this and would prefer I call it by its proper name, the perineum, but that just isn't my style.

 

From http://wikiality.wikia.com/Taint:

 

"Taint is a term used to refer to the perineum (the region of the human body between the testicles and the anus). This term has no basis in medical terminology and is most often considered lewd and obscene. Taint is specific to males and females.
Originated when medical professionals were trying to find a suitable alternative to the term perineum. "Well, t'ain't part of the penis and t'aint part of the asshole..."

 

 

 

So now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

 

 



Open Letter to D-Bag Dog Owners

Dear Douche-Bag Dog Owner (DBDO),

It has come to my attention that your parents failed to teach you how to be a considerate human being.  I'm sure they meant to get around to it, but perhaps they were just too busy smoking crack or whoring around.  I get it.  It happens.

As  a frequent user of the parks and recreation facilities here in lovely Canton Township, both with my children and running by myself, your actions, or lack thereof, at first pissed me off.  Over time, as I've seen you repeat your inconsiderate and insenstive behavior over and over again, my feelings against you have grown stronger. 

But, that level of contempt is not healthy, nor is it productive.  Better to use this forum to teach you some manners.  Some common courtesy, if you will.  At the very least, point out to you that you are breaking the law and that you have better options.

I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some useful information in the hopes that you may one day graduate from DBDO to Considerate Dog Owner (CDO), like the handsome gentleman in the following picture.   His grace is matched only by his love of uneven facial hair.

















What is that, DBDO?   You want to know what behavior I am referring to?

Sorry about that.  Sometimes I get carried away.

One of the things that makes you a DBDO is your complete lack of respect for other people.  You take your large, ill-behaved dogs to the public parks and let them run off leash.  They acost other people.  They chase other dogs.  They shit in the park and you leave it there for people to step in.

Oh, you didn't know this was a problem?

Exhibit A - From the Canton Township website:

I'm guessing the problem is that this is just a "rule".  Inconsiderate people believe rules do not apply to them.

A higher level of authority are local ordinances.  Allow me to introduce Exhibit B.  This comes directly from the Canton Township book of ordinances, found online here: http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=13379



That says you have to have your mongrel on a leash.  That way, it doesn't come up to me and sniff my crotch.  Or corner my wife.  Or scare my kids.

Of course, you'd have to read the Township website to see Exhibit A and most people probably wouldn't know to look at local ordinances or that such a resource exists online. 

But you probably get mail.

The Township sends a monthly newsletter to everyone that lives here.  Just today, I received this in the mail.  I'm sure you did too.  Let's call it Exhibit C.

Canton FocusVolume 25, Issue 8 August 2013
http://www.canton-mi.org/government/publications.aspx?TabbedPanels1.showPanel (4)

OK.  Enough beating of a dead horse.  Weve established that it is douche-y to let your stupid dog harrass children, runners, and any other park-goer.  And illegal.

Where can a CDO take little Fifi to run free?  I wish such a place existed.

Oh wait.

How about here?

http://leisure.canton-mi.org/dog_park.aspx

You can let Fido do whatever he wants to do:  sniff crotches, pee on fences, bite other dogs, crap anywhere, etc...

So, please keep your dog on-leash at a park, or anywhere other people might be.  It's the right thing to do.

If your dog needs to run free, please consider using the park BUILT ESPECIALLY FOR THAT ONE SINGLE THING.

Thank you,

Your pal,

Brian Cam

Miller Lite Bottles and Soft Pretzels

Welcome to my first follower from a foreign country (Ohio), Beautiful Bob Woolley!

It has come to my attention that it is either difficult or impossible to become an official follower of this blog if you are reading it on your phone.  The little icon thingee you need to click apparently doesn't show up on screen.Not sure how to get around that, but we'll figure it out. 

Laptop/PC users report no problems.

How to Follow the Best Blog Ever

You asked a question?  I have an answer.

First things first.   Blogger/Blogspot is not the easiest, friendliest site on that interweb thingee.  So, it's perfectly understandable that you may have had a teensy weensy bit of trouble following me.

#2 -  I'm still playing with the format, so the features and widgets are subject to change.  I found one that should make this easier.

C - Congratulations to my first non-wife follower, Sarah Clay.  Sarah, a genuine No-Prize is on its way to your door right now!


Enough farting around.  Here it is:

Just click the icon, follow directions, and join the coolest club since the Dollar Shave Club.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI

Pain

I think Clubber Lang was prophetic when his expectation for the fight was PAIN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSPNQ82Sq4Ea

And, having done this once before, I should have remembered how much I usually hurt when I run on concrete for more than a few miles.  I sure do remember now.

Today, I did my first extended training run outside, covering 8 miles at a leisurely 9 minute mile pace.  In fact, it was exactly 1:12:00 when I stopped my heart rate monitor (8miles x 9 minutes = 1:12:00 for you non-math people).  My wind was just fine.  The pace was just right.

But my ankles, achilles, left knee, and right groin are a tad pissed.  And my nipples are chafed.

My neighbor, known here as RetiredCop, is in his 60's and still run/walks in Ultras (longer than a marathon).  Just a couple weeks ago, he did a 31-mile trail event in Wisconsin.  He has had a knee replacement and refuses to run on concrete anymore.  We have a few dirt roads somewhat near us that he'll run up and down a few times.  Or he does trails over by Northville Downs racetrack.  I'm thinking he is on to something.

I came home from work a bit early and went out before dinner for the 8 mile loop around the Township.  Weather was perfect - overcast and 70 degrees.  Thanks to finally having the right shoes, (Thank you again, manager lady at Novi Running Fit!) no blisters.  My right groin (Yes, talking about my groin) has been very tight pretty much every time I've ran for the last several months.  No amount of stretching has helped so far.  Somewhere between miles 4 and 5 my ankles started aching.  Shortly thereafter, my left knee started aching. 

Oh, almost forgot my nipples. 

After 6 miles, I started to get a tingle in my nipples.  I should have expected this as this has been a recurring problem since I started running.  Going out once or twice a week for 3 or 4 miles each is no problem, but once I ramp up my mileage, that old familiar feeling comes back.

I still have some of these from my last Half:

 

I will not forget again.  Don't want to end up like this guy:

Now, the kids are in bed, I'm writing this, and self-medicating with a couple delicious Leinies.

Overall, I'm happy with the results today.  I'm encouraged by how my wind held up.  I easily could have kept going.  Working up the rest of the distance shouldn't be terribly hard.

I just have to deal with some moderate, nagging pain and not get injured.

Can't wait for my knee replacement!

Tomorrow, I'll take TheBoy and TheGirl to the gym and give TheWife the morning off.  I'll probably stick to the bike and do my lifting instead of hitting the treadmill.  No need to push too hard in the first week.

Thanks for reading.  If you could, please follow this blog and feel free to give me some feedback.  Remember, candor is kindness.

Have a great weekend!

"Money, it's gotta be the shoes"

So, I bought new shoes.  Twice.

Let me back up.

After my bout with plantar fasciitis following the Freep marathon in 2008, my podiatrist recommended I try some motion control shoes.  For any non-runners out there, motion controls shoes are heavier, sturdier, clunkier, and in some cases, more expensive than regular running shoes. 

And, they are for heavier people.

When us non-skinny runners plant our feet, we have a tendency to over pronate, meaning our feet "roll" inwards.  The thicker sole on the shoe prevents the foot from rolling inward.

From January 2009 until now, I've only had 2 pairs of running shoes.  My first pair of motion control shoes were the Brooks Beast.

Then, I tried the New Balance version.  I forget the name.

 

 

 

Can't tell from the pics, but they weigh about twice as much as a normal shoe.  Clunky, but I haven't any any problems with my feet.  Except for some blistering when I run outside.

 

I know, I'm wearing them too long.  2 pairs in 4.5 years is too long.  Read my profile, I'm an Accountant and these things are $120-$140.

 

Anyway, I went to Running Fit in Northville.  I tried on several motion control shoes and I thought I'd go back to the Beast, but they didn't have a size 12.  So, I went to the Novi store and bought them, along with 2 new pairs of overpriced socks.

 

I tried them out at the gym and ran 6 miles on the treadmill.  And got blisters.

 

Damn it!

 

Went back to Running Fit and stood on some machine that measured how I distribute my weight across my feet.  Based on that reading and watching me walk, the AWESOME manager at Running Fit dialed down my prescription from a motion control shoe to a stability shoe.  Turns out, I've been using the wrong shoes for the past 4.5 years and getting blisters when running anything longer than a 5K.  Thanks, Podiatrist!

 

After some trial and error, I settled on the Mizuno Wave Inspire 9's.

 

 

They weigh half as much as the Beast.  And were $25 less.

 

Tried them out at the gym on Sunday.  6 miles on the treadmill and nary a blister. 

 

Tonight, I broke my indoor PR for the 5k by 2 seconds, now set at 23:30.

 

"Money, it's gotta be the shoes!"