My calves were killing me the last few miles of an eight mile run with my Dad in Shallotte Sunday. Running on the grass of people's front lawns by the road helped alleviate the pain a little. I told my Dad at the end of the run if he had wanted to go for a ninth mile he was on his own.
Training harder these days brings about a greater risk for injury as well as more attendant aches and pains. Its part of the process and the risk any runner takes when increasing their output. A well worn analogy in regards to over training and injury is a person reaching into a dark stove ... you know you've touched the flame when you feel your hand starting to burn.
But I've been using my massage rolling stick more not only on my calves but my hamstrings and IT bands. Also doing some light stretching most days.
Ran the five mile Brierwood loop Saturday bringing down the pace all the way to 6:04 the last mile. Digging in and gritting my teeth . Continuing to mix in some tempo and speed along with all the mileage... as most base building training plans I've read suggest doing.
Took Monday off. Try to do as little as possible on my feet or with my legs on days that I not only scheduled to take off... but that my body tells me I need a rest day as well
Today (Tuesday) and it was back to the Carolina Beach State Park... eleven miles total on the trails. Mentally putting together courses for Sunday's event with the WRRC. Last three with Patti who wants to run a ten mile race in April. Cloudy dreary, drizzly day... the woods are quiet and fairly still. The camp sites are deserted.
Reading Born to Run again... thought about trail running scenes in the book and my own trail running in the present as I galloped along the single track trail by the Intracoastal Waterway. Felt fortunate to have my own little paradise a mile or two from where I currently live. Not all of us do.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Friday, January 9, 2015
A Cold Winter Day
It's cold today. I put on long pants, three shirts, a beanie and a pair of gloves but when I ran into that north wind blowing it was cold. The sky was a solid murky gray with no hint of a sun about to breach her dominion any time soon. The only thing to do is to get moving and know that eventually my body will warm up some.
Plus when I got into the Carolina Beach State Park I was sheltered to an extent from the wind. The good thing about real cold days is that there are usually not many other people on the trails... which was the case today. In fact I only passed one person who was out walking their dog. We exchanged hellos.
I dropped down off the marked trail on top of Sugar Loaf hill and rambled along the Cape Fear River. There were small waves rippling from north west to south east across the water and towards the shoreline I was on. The wind off the river had an icy edge to it... but also made me feel acutely aware of my surroundings, and of the grip Mother Nature has on us on days like today. We are merely children beneath her breast.
Plus when I got into the Carolina Beach State Park I was sheltered to an extent from the wind. The good thing about real cold days is that there are usually not many other people on the trails... which was the case today. In fact I only passed one person who was out walking their dog. We exchanged hellos.
I dropped down off the marked trail on top of Sugar Loaf hill and rambled along the Cape Fear River. There were small waves rippling from north west to south east across the water and towards the shoreline I was on. The wind off the river had an icy edge to it... but also made me feel acutely aware of my surroundings, and of the grip Mother Nature has on us on days like today. We are merely children beneath her breast.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
The long run
Trying to stay vigilant with a weekly long run. Ran a half marathon this morning... first part of which was on the roads as I ran to the North End of Carolina Beach... then looped back around Snow's Cut Bridge and caught the trails by the Wildlife Boat Launch. Followed a narrow trail along the Intracoastal Waterway then merged with the State Park trail system. Been re -discovering the trails along the waterway the past few weeks... hadn't run them much over the course of the last few years (no particular reason). At a few points one has to be a bit more careful as a misstep could lead to a tumble down a steep sandy root strewn embankment and a roll into the water.
Sometimes I see egrets and herons perched on snags and downed trees that jut out into the gentle flowing waters. Or I catch site of a fisherman in a small boat.
Averaged a mid eight minute per mile pace sort of loping along and knocking out the miles. I tend to struggle a bit mentally on longer runs accumulating the mileage...or maybe more so just filling in the spaces in time that it takes to put down ten, fifteen, twenty miles. Physically its somewhat easier to deal with the increased fatigue and soreness in my legs, as well as in the upper body such as the neck and shoulders. But I tend to feel better as I get more and more of it knocked out especially as I get on the back side and in the last quarter of what I'm planning to do miles or time wise on a longer run.
Though there are those days when the miles and the time slip by almost imperceptibly like I'm floating through a pleasant dream in the midst of a deep slumber. Or like sitting comfortably in church as the preacher weaves thru his Sunday sermon and the voices of the choir fill the room with lilting melodies from well worn hymns.
But also I ultimately appreciate finishing longer runs because they do require a bit of extra work not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well.
A good friend once told me to work on my weaknesses. And in due time they can become strengths. Or if nothing else we fear attacking them a bit less than we did the week, month, or year before.
Sometimes I see egrets and herons perched on snags and downed trees that jut out into the gentle flowing waters. Or I catch site of a fisherman in a small boat.
Averaged a mid eight minute per mile pace sort of loping along and knocking out the miles. I tend to struggle a bit mentally on longer runs accumulating the mileage...or maybe more so just filling in the spaces in time that it takes to put down ten, fifteen, twenty miles. Physically its somewhat easier to deal with the increased fatigue and soreness in my legs, as well as in the upper body such as the neck and shoulders. But I tend to feel better as I get more and more of it knocked out especially as I get on the back side and in the last quarter of what I'm planning to do miles or time wise on a longer run.
Though there are those days when the miles and the time slip by almost imperceptibly like I'm floating through a pleasant dream in the midst of a deep slumber. Or like sitting comfortably in church as the preacher weaves thru his Sunday sermon and the voices of the choir fill the room with lilting melodies from well worn hymns.
But also I ultimately appreciate finishing longer runs because they do require a bit of extra work not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well.
A good friend once told me to work on my weaknesses. And in due time they can become strengths. Or if nothing else we fear attacking them a bit less than we did the week, month, or year before.
Monday, January 5, 2015
New Year
January. The miles are flowing. A lot of them back on the CB State Park trails, where the semi softness of the surfaces cushion the impact and force of every foot ball. I think I'd run just about every mile off road if I could. Taking the long view...
But I'm chalk full of contradictions so I went out a few days ago and put down a solid ten miler on the roads. And the short view of trying to pick up a little more speed on the asphalt. Plus its a different course that I hadn't run in several months. Was nice to reacquaint. I closed the last two miles @ 7 mins/ mile. Fluid and steady. Strong.
New Years Day and it was a meandering 12.7 mile run that took me into Kure Beach. I ran under a Happy New Years banner and past the detritus from the previous night's revelries. I'm the only one there. The solitude is pleasing to me. The views of the ocean are dazzling as always from my vantage running on the boardwalk. I decided to end the run running on the beach, up to the north end pier and back. I turned around literally under the pier. Was low tide so the sand was packed fairly firm where the ocean's waters had receded from.
More two a days. Late Saturday afternoon its a harder four miler on a familiar route which takes me on the inner island dirt roads... then ends with about one mile on the main road in Carolina Beach. I pictured it last Saturday as a scene in a race that's finishing on Lake Park Blvd... fans are lining both sides of the street... us racers follow behind a police car which leads us towards the lake and into the final turn before its one last sprint to the finish... the noise of it all is just one big swirling din in the womb of my mind.
All of which helped me finish my tempo run in a 6:08 mile as more rain began to fall... and the remaining light of the day faded into darker and darker shades of grey.
Happy New Years, here's to 2015.
But I'm chalk full of contradictions so I went out a few days ago and put down a solid ten miler on the roads. And the short view of trying to pick up a little more speed on the asphalt. Plus its a different course that I hadn't run in several months. Was nice to reacquaint. I closed the last two miles @ 7 mins/ mile. Fluid and steady. Strong.
New Years Day and it was a meandering 12.7 mile run that took me into Kure Beach. I ran under a Happy New Years banner and past the detritus from the previous night's revelries. I'm the only one there. The solitude is pleasing to me. The views of the ocean are dazzling as always from my vantage running on the boardwalk. I decided to end the run running on the beach, up to the north end pier and back. I turned around literally under the pier. Was low tide so the sand was packed fairly firm where the ocean's waters had receded from.
More two a days. Late Saturday afternoon its a harder four miler on a familiar route which takes me on the inner island dirt roads... then ends with about one mile on the main road in Carolina Beach. I pictured it last Saturday as a scene in a race that's finishing on Lake Park Blvd... fans are lining both sides of the street... us racers follow behind a police car which leads us towards the lake and into the final turn before its one last sprint to the finish... the noise of it all is just one big swirling din in the womb of my mind.
All of which helped me finish my tempo run in a 6:08 mile as more rain began to fall... and the remaining light of the day faded into darker and darker shades of grey.
Happy New Years, here's to 2015.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Xmas in Shallotte
Got some solid mileage down in Shallotte over the Christmas holiday. Seven mile harder run late afternoon Christmas Eve after some torrential rains finally let up. Legs were pretty dead at the beginning of the run but I was determined for reasons somewhat unknown to push the pace harder. At times I have to kind of wind my legs up like a coil... or pound thru the earlier miles when my legs feel sluggish and fatigued... to be able to get to where I can let it then unwind or uncoil pace wise and run faster like I want to.
Which did occur after a few miles and after I was forced due to a washed out road to detour my run. I think some days though... to return to said unknown reasons...I just need to feel the sensation of running faster and to work through the accompanying processes which correlate to and occur when running harder. IE changes in breathing, pulse, lactic acid build up. And mentally.. combatting or pushing through the VOICE that tells me to slow down, it hurts too much, you can't sustain this, etc, etc. Maybe I need to know that I can still do it.
Ran the five mile loop around the outer perimeter of Brierwood with my Dad Christmas morning. Told him at one point that I feel like through all the years of going to visit and running when there that I know almost every inch of this route. A car drove by us later in the run and a woman rolled down her window and said "Merry Christmas" I asked my Dad if he knew who it was but he didn't.
The next day we did nine miles on a course that took us into the back country roads of southern Brunswick County. The miles rolled by smooth like the puffy white clouds drifting high up in the clear winter sky. Later I went down to Ocean Isle Beach and put down another six miles as the big orangey yellow sun fell towards the western horizon. Took a short walk onto the beach at low tide... soaking in the immense swath of ocean after another blessed day of some good ol runnin'
Which did occur after a few miles and after I was forced due to a washed out road to detour my run. I think some days though... to return to said unknown reasons...I just need to feel the sensation of running faster and to work through the accompanying processes which correlate to and occur when running harder. IE changes in breathing, pulse, lactic acid build up. And mentally.. combatting or pushing through the VOICE that tells me to slow down, it hurts too much, you can't sustain this, etc, etc. Maybe I need to know that I can still do it.
Ran the five mile loop around the outer perimeter of Brierwood with my Dad Christmas morning. Told him at one point that I feel like through all the years of going to visit and running when there that I know almost every inch of this route. A car drove by us later in the run and a woman rolled down her window and said "Merry Christmas" I asked my Dad if he knew who it was but he didn't.
The next day we did nine miles on a course that took us into the back country roads of southern Brunswick County. The miles rolled by smooth like the puffy white clouds drifting high up in the clear winter sky. Later I went down to Ocean Isle Beach and put down another six miles as the big orangey yellow sun fell towards the western horizon. Took a short walk onto the beach at low tide... soaking in the immense swath of ocean after another blessed day of some good ol runnin'
Monday, December 22, 2014
December runs
Two a days again on Monday. Eight miles in the morning, mostly back in the CB State Park. Foggy, damp, chilly morning. Back in the woods the grey white of the sky is like a marshmellowy pillow lying gently atop the trees. At one point I lose myself to the cacophony from a large flock of birds that I cannot see. As I run I just listen to them and the gentle thwapping sound my shoes make on the pine needle and leaf covered trail.
The miles glide by like friendly guests at a dinner party. I may linger for a moment... but then its a seamless transition to the next.
Added some sprints in the grass by the CB Lake when I was done. Watched some shore birds first for a few moments. I knocked out another four plus miles later in the day, ending the run in a light shower... but beating the rain for the most part. Legs felt loose and fluid. I opened it up a little but not too much. No need to today. Last week I ran two a days twice and picked the pace up a good bit on the second, shorter runs. Pushed through some fatigue Friday.
Ran eight miles Saturday morning with my Dad in the western part of the city of Richmond. Followed a route that I had run the previous winter while up there and staying in the same hotel. Which led us to Deer Creek Park...a forested oasis in the midst of urban America. Recalled certain parts of the course as we ran... the narrow bridge over I-64, a steep half mile or so hill on the way back, the barking dogs behind a local vet's office. The labyrinth of gravel and dirt trails in the park. My Dad was real happy with the run afterwards.
We also had the fortuitous chance to see a hawk fly across the road with a squirrel in its talons.
Fifty miles week last week which is right where I want to be. Enjoying the process. Finding bits of peace and serenity inside the runs. Feeling grateful.
The miles glide by like friendly guests at a dinner party. I may linger for a moment... but then its a seamless transition to the next.
Added some sprints in the grass by the CB Lake when I was done. Watched some shore birds first for a few moments. I knocked out another four plus miles later in the day, ending the run in a light shower... but beating the rain for the most part. Legs felt loose and fluid. I opened it up a little but not too much. No need to today. Last week I ran two a days twice and picked the pace up a good bit on the second, shorter runs. Pushed through some fatigue Friday.
Ran eight miles Saturday morning with my Dad in the western part of the city of Richmond. Followed a route that I had run the previous winter while up there and staying in the same hotel. Which led us to Deer Creek Park...a forested oasis in the midst of urban America. Recalled certain parts of the course as we ran... the narrow bridge over I-64, a steep half mile or so hill on the way back, the barking dogs behind a local vet's office. The labyrinth of gravel and dirt trails in the park. My Dad was real happy with the run afterwards.
We also had the fortuitous chance to see a hawk fly across the road with a squirrel in its talons.
Fifty miles week last week which is right where I want to be. Enjoying the process. Finding bits of peace and serenity inside the runs. Feeling grateful.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
VQ
Ran a pretty good 5k race on Saturday. 18:38 chip time. Even paced miles; splits of 6:03, 6:03, 6:07. Last mile was back into a slight wind plus I had no one around me. But was able to push it pretty hard. Grade myself at about a B or B- for effort.
Feeling a stirring inside of me to get back more in tune with idea of a Vision Quest which I began last spring. Did culminate at least temporarily with the Iron Mountain fifty mile race
But now I'm longing to pick up her torch again and blaze forward into new adventures. Of which I can't seem to be able to articulate into words. Maybe that's alright though. Its basis anyhow lies in the physical action of running. The mind and spirit will follow.
Of course time will tell. For now the plan is to base build and get the weekly/ monthly mileage totals built back up some more. Also staying diligent with and adding to the ancillary work. Free weights and upper body work with pushups. The core work doing sit ups and planks + the myrtle routine after runs. And adding back in some leg work like lunges and squats.
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