Tis the Season

Autumn in Seattle:

A perfect morning for a run! The temperature was a cool 58 degrees - on the edge for running shorts and a tech T-shirt but I was comfortable as I started the run straight from the car. No time to get chilled, and running kept the core temperature up from there.


another 5 degrees and I would have switched from shorts to tights. I love this cool weather - the trail is much less crowded and you can't overheat as easily when you are being water-cooled!
   

Testing the Water - Running again

Knee Issues turn into Non-Issues

After last years busy schedule I slacked off running due in part to knee pain. I was seriously looking at hanging up the Brookes and moving over to Clip-ins. This was a big change for me. If you've followed the blog for any period of time you know my love for running is immense. I get a lot out of it, mentally, physically and spiritually. I half way resigned myself to running 5Ks every week or so and making due with a half hour of my favorite pastime.

Time heals all wounds

Apparently my knees needed rest. The time I let my running slack off allowed for some healing as I have now resumed a moderate level of running. At work we have a program challenging employees to complete two months of exercise. If you perform an average of 30 minutes a day over the course of the program you are rewarded with $100.00 amazon gift certificates - being a "Prime" member this was a great incentive and serves as motivation, but having recently returned to running I am wary that I might overdue. 

Appease the Knees

The knee issues seemed to be the result of running downhill without providing them with enough isolation. and as my favorite local route, (right outside my door) has a bunch of hills, I need to be very careful of the stride impact. 

The downhill stride is much different from running uphill or on level ground, the force of gravity is pulling you to go faster and your stride which on level ground is attempting to sustain your speed now must resisting this pull. The force of impact is now directed opposite of the force you normally exert. Maintaining the same technique you would use for level running will cause large increases in impact force to the knees.   

Reduce the Force and Expand Impact Area 

Reduce the force by increasing the pace - not the speed. Shortening your stride reduces the overall impact by increasing the amount of steps over a given distance - each step must absorb less of the overall energy.

Expanding the impact area is more complex. move the strike further up the foot - mid foot at a minimum, keep your heel off the pavement, running downhill with heel-strike is a recipe for disaster. Lean forward slightly - yes it's counter intuitive you are trying to control speed so you lean back, but leaning back again focuses the impact of your body directly on the knees. If you lean forward slightly more of the impact force is absorbed across the spine and hips dividing the overall impact many times.

What your Coach Never Told You about Running!

Sometimes as we progress through life we experience issues that can scare the bejeebers out of us. One of these happened while running last week. First off - What a wonderful run! 9:30 pace for a 10K, and No knee pain! I was a happy runner! At least until I went home.

Must SEE a DOCTOR! SEE a DOCTOR Right NOW! 

This is all well and good but when I got home I experienced something I had never experienced before and it scared me silly - Blood in the urine! Yes, it is very, VERY disconcerting when the toilet bowl is RED, not a pink, but a bright deep angry red. Did I mention being scared?

I waited for my wife to get home and consulted her. She thought my assessment was quite valid and apropos. She went with me to the doc's office.

Doctors are not omniscient, and doing some research on your own can help ease the tension of a mind running through all sorts of dreadful diagnosis Since blood in the urine is determined by exclusion - ruling out what might cause it - Doctors are careful to make sure it is NOT the worst things ( bladder, prostate, or kidney cancers) or something easy to diagnose, like an infection. If all the blood tests come back negative, then an ultrasound will be scheduled. That's where I'm at now - no sign of infection. No signs of prostate issues. So they are going to look at the bladder itself. I'm thinking they are not going to find anything. Three days out and I am back to normal but I will go through the ultrasound just to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's  

Running on an empty stomach - good. Running on an empty bladder? Not so much!

Raise your hand if you go to the bathroom and empty your bladder before running. We all do. Who wants to run when you got to go? It appears that a study was performed by a british Naval surgeon named Blacklock. Cpt Blacklock was wanting to know why some of the cadets were having this malady. Using a cytoscope, he saw that the bladders of the men were all bruised and bleeding. This was caused by running on an empty bladder. the issue does not present itself on a half filled bladder. 

So how does this help us? I will still empty my bladder before running, or else I won't be able to run as far - We are not talking about 50yd dashes, we are talking miles and miles. I am hoping that this does not happen often - this was the first time for me and hopefully the last. But not to worry If it happens again, I now have the knowledge not to freak out. And if you read this, hopefully you will too!

Autumn Returns

And with it, the rain :D

It's been some time since my last post, the preceding time has been filled with wonderful life changes. I have achieved my weight loss goals and have found new passions to engage and bring fulfillment to my life. First off I have found the most wonderful woman in the world who found my ways not too annoying and agreed to marry me. I live for her!

Zumba is still a passion of mine, but running still is the place I go for healing, meditative exercise. I find the peace of distance and repetition as wondrous as ever and hope to get back to the "hours" of running before my present knee predicament.

If you've read my blog for more than a couple of post you know I like distance, a good run is an hour or better. After starting biking in the summers and going through my knoee surgery I thought I could just pick up where I left off, running 10Ks as my "meat and potatoes" run. Apparently this is not the most prudent method for returning to active running and my knee informed me in no uncertain terms that I was overdoing it. Sin I was well into Zumba, Biking and my new soul-mate I let running slide to the back burner.

Over the past couple of weeks I've made an effort to return to my pedestrian ways and run - with the rainy season starting up again I felt compelled to embrace the spritz. I've started out at half the distance of my normal 10K - running a 5 k from my door out and back. Here's the course:

One thing I noticed was that last year when looking at pace/heart rate I was at 11:31/mi @154 now I'm at 10:00/mi @ 155.

Another bummer was that my Garmin Forerunner 305's battery had seen it's better days and would only last 15 minutes - I emailed Garmin service after seeing prices for that model were in the $300.00 range ( I bought mine at a Best Buy back in 2009. You can tell that there is demand for a product when the price stays solid for that long. My warranty was long gone, but they offered to exchange it for a flat rate $75.00. I jumped on it and received it back just last week.

So now lets see if I can build back up to more "normal" distances. I'm going to try to go slow, but the addictive call of the endorphin is a powerful thing.

Running and Tech Part 3

Gear that Gets You Going


Runkeeper v2.9 Review

Anyone with an  iPhone or Android based phone can attest to their "swiss army knife-iferousness" they can call, surf,  play, snap, and many other one syllable verbs. After getting a Sprint HTC Evo last may I found that there is one application no Android ( or iPhone) should be without. This lil app is called Runkeeper. It sounds simple enough, but the wealth of information the app coaxes out of your smartphone is awesome.


Activity Type


Activity Type is where you set Runkeeper's calculations for your workout - there are many activities to choose from that set Runkeeper up to accurately calculate the amount of work done ( i.e. 30 miles of biking burns less calories than 30 miles of running)

Routes


Google Maps, Google maps that you can draw on, Google maps that you can draw on that save the drawings and tell you how far you've drawn. Is this cool or what? Everybody has their old comfy routes that they know like the back of their hands, why not document them so you can share them with others? I've found this feature useful now I can tell friends that want to go running with me exactly what they are in for. 




 
Real Time Data and Feedback


Real time data, without having to look at your device. This is a nice feature and in Runkeeper it is VERY configurable - You get to choose the audio data and when you hear it. Pace, speed and distance can be provided at the specific interval; you choose if you want to hear it every 10 minutes or every 2 miles. On a personal note, I really like hearing the cues, I have mine set for every 5 minutes. Runkeeper delivers them seemlessly - it will operate transparently with any other audio you have running.  The info is nice and allows you to focus on the activity, not checking your watch every moment or so. Depending on the speaker phone power of your device, you may be able to hear the cues without too much difficulty while doing other activities as well. It's pretty much a non-issue, but can be an issue if you keep it in your pocket on bike rides


The Website

From the webpage, all the information is at your fingertips, a very nice way to show pace and elevation. Breaking out the split times in mile intervals is helpful in building consistency and seeing the effects of adjustments you make during your run.


I did not have a heart meter for this review, but I am looking into them - heart rate is a very important stat in training.


Social

Runkeeper does one thing well - it is an awesome app for measuring fitness progress, but even smarter than that, they leverage the 200 ton gorilla that is Facebook to increase their networks reach and leave the "social" to the experts, but you can also link directly to your friends within a feature called Street Team.

The folks at Runkeeper realize that everyone is social on twitter and facebook - you can choose  to let built in connectors post your activities to  the social networks.

Runkeeper was not satisfied just to let you tell folks what you have done, they want you to be able to tell them what you are doing, right now without having to fumble for your keyboard on a long run

This is so techy-cool, your friends can track you live, They will see if you fall down a well, Lassie is now redundant

Well, Doesn't That Just Frost You!

Knee pain is a quirky, stupid, and aggravating thing!
Sometimes the waiting game doesn't pay off, some times it does. This time it turned out to be the waiting game that paid off. I waited until the pain was a memory and started again, first 4 miles, no pain. 6 miles, no pain. Another 6 miles and a little warning pain. ARRRG!

Frosted Flakes fortified with Essential Insights!

Then came the fateful Sunday morning, I wanted to get a run in before church, it was a foggy, icy, frosty, cold November morning. You could tell the sun had grudgingly rose by the slightly less dark 50 meter circle of world the fog permitted you to see. The thermometer in my truck read 27 but the ashpalt running trail appeared only slightly damp I'd have to test it, but the path did not look to slick. I was running a 5 mile course Auburn to Kent and back. The start of a run in always a time to check out your body - before I get started I usually stretch out Achilles, but since I'm not going too fast I let the beginning of the run serve as warm up. The trail is not slick at all, but I notice white patches of frost in the distance. there is no chance of  measurable precipitation, but the occasional flake falls through the fog, condensing in the 500-1000 feet of fog above my head. I hit the white patches of trail carefully, not too slippery. I see other prints in the frost trail off ahead of me. I wasn't the first one out? wow, early runner! At least there's only one set of prints, I feel like less of a slacker. Crossing the train tracks just past 277th  I exercise extreme caution, the hardened rubber plates dividing the track are slick!

The run feels good, but I'm starting to feel the tell tale twinge in my right knee as I'm crossing the green river bridge - I'm being really careful as the bridge was covered in a thick coasting of frost. The frost is pretty much covering the trail - I take this time to critique the preceding runners tracks - great form, straight steps, but the stride is way long, either he's 8'5" or he's setting himself up for problems, or he's sprinting the whole way.
I reach the turn around at Willis and head back. My knee is telling me it's hurting, but not to intensely. as I look back across the path to the now two sets of tracks in the frost. My stride is an easy 8-10 inches shorter, then EUREKA!!!!!!

You Run Like a Penguin!

My stride may be perfect for maintaining the proper cadence ( 180 steps per minute) but I'm running like a PENGUIN! I just figured out why the inside on my right knee is hurting - GAS PEDAL FOOT! While you are driving, your right heel tends to sit between your brake pedal and the accelerator but the top of your foot rests off at an angle - over time that becomes an accustomed rest position for the foot, and when you are running, if you maintain that position the end of your right stride puts additional pressure on the front inside of your knee joint.

The rest of the run I concentrated on the now unnatural feel of straight in line footfalls, it felt wierd, but NO MORE PAIN!

Back in the Saddle Again

And so it ends...



The chapter of my life dedicated to meniscus pain that kept me from running. Today I ran a half marathon - at an easy 12 minute/mile pace but nonetheless I feel that the act of completing the long run puts me back into the "runners" mode. I will go back to 10ks for the forseeable future with another 1/2 here or there as the situation requires. This is happening at the perfect time of year. Summer is winding down, even though it fitfully just begun. Cooler temps will allow for more afternoon runs, cloudy/rainy days will obviate the need for sunscreen

I have started to feel the delicious stiffness and soreness of calf and Achilles: the good soreness, where you know that a mile down the road it will be a memory - until you stop again! Today  I will rest-day it tomorrow I will do a 10k and see if it feels as short as I remember :)

Three after Eight

A Matter of Time
 
"Two weeks" is what the doctor said, "You could be running two weeks after the procedure" I take Dr. Hunter at his word but a couple of days before I hit the magic mark I dump my Harley on my ankle. Ouch. well, it's just a minor thing, I limp for a week and get over it. the next week was too busy to even try to get in any running so we are out 4 weeks after the procedure - TWO MONTHS since I've ran. I am burning up for a run and a free Saturday could not happen at a better time.

Vacationing in Lovely Nirvana 

The morning of the run I knew it would be a hot day, so I hit interurban at 7:00am. I'm not sure how my knee would react to running, so I plan to run my short run - a 10k. the run starts off easy, I forgot my heart meter strap, but wore the Garmin anyway. I can turn around at the first notion of pain and if it's too bad I can walk back. A mile into the run I am reliving all the pleasure that I had been missing these two months now. In the back of my head the dreaded 4 mile pain is looming large in my mind, but it never starts at mile two, mile three I would start to feel the beginnings of the pain, and I was so focused on it that I think I was imagining it - by 3.25 my imagination was in check, I definately would have felt something, but all I felt was my stupid ankle that hurt a bit but did not worsen as the run progressed. I decided at the 10K turn around point that I would extend the run to my "medium" run of 8 miles since there was no sign of knee pain. At mile 4 I felt nothing but satisfaction that there was no pain. I prayed thanksgiving that God could put such awesome surgeons in my life. I was looking at stretching the run into a 1/2 marathon, but at mile 6 I considered that might be overdoing it, especially since I had only hydrated with two cups of coffee, and the heat of what would be a 90 degree day was starting to climb quickly. Mile 7 convinced me that 13 was too optimistic but that is fine, 8 miles was heaven, I AM BACK! Bliss has been recaptured.

Diversions in Hades
 


Then comes the next morning, on waking I notice that my legs are quite stiff, as I start to get out of bed I set my feet on the floor *ow* I try to raise myself out of bed *#%€£¥* I can't put any weight on the leg - the knee is screaming, and even hopping on the other leg hurts it. Ok, hit the bathroom, go downstairs, get food and down 800mgs of ibuprofen, sit with icepack and watch the morning news. I attempt to get up again and the knee is still screaming, "ok, time for stronger measures" I grab the vicodin and hope for some relief. A little, but more ice is needed. This went on for the rest of the day the next morning I head into work and limp all day, but the limp gets slightly better as the day progresses. More ice in the afternoon, and by the next day the limp is almost gone, I call the doc and he says that 8 miles was a bit much, he doesn't think any more damage is done and rest ice and ibu should help. A scary couple of days but I am still jubilant that running 8 miles was a possibility again. Fast-forward 1 week and I star over, this time with a little more moderation - 3 miles around a track, my pace is decidedly faster than normal, but I'm feeling good, after about 30 minutes I'm done and heading home to ice and ibuprofen. The next day ( today, actually) I'm feeling good, tonight I will go for 5 and see how that works... Wish me luck!

Now Don't Jump the Gun!

OK! Swelling is going down quick! 4 days out of surgery I HAVE A KNEECAP! my limp is almost gone and I'm feeling very spunky. Thursday I may try my elliptical and if all goes well I may run Saturday morning. I will most likely run at a high school track so I can stop if I start to feel pain. This may be a bit quick but I'm feeling EXCELLENT. An icepack on my knee is taking care of residual swelling and tomorrow I won't wear an ACE bandage. I have refrained from taking ibuprofen, but if I could I know the swelling would be gone.

RUNNING! I am SO mentally ready, I think it is setting my mind  on only one goal, if I do 16 laps at the high school track, I will be at four miles. I should start to feel pain if the meniscus isn't the issue. Of course if the meniscus isn't the issue the pain will only be minor.
However if I do regain a slight bit of composure I may opt for a bike ride Friday. That will be much less impactful on my knee.

Healing and Waiting

It's getting better all the time....


Surgery on Friday was great. Annette came and visited me during the preop wait - which was awesome because my surgeon, Dr. Hunter, was running late - sometimes stuff happens, and if he needs to take more time with a procedure ahead of me, I am sure he would do the same for me if needed. Annette showed me pictures of the "Warrior Dash" she participated in, looked like fun, I have a couple of friends that did it, the next one I will be up for.

I am now (according to Dr. Hunter's estimate) 12 days away from running. I NEED TO RUN, I cannot state it more clearly, my mind is frazzled and nothing would help it more than miles and miles and miles (and miles and miles)

A Slide =(
Oy, I should have known, my discipline has been nil. I've eaten and gained - fully dressed i'm tipping the scales at 236 and I am sure that even with my celphone, my clothing does not weigh 16 pounds. Running will not address this, it's all discipline and self control. Running may make it easier to get rid of, but I need to get my mind right  food /= comfort. Only being right with yourself brings comfort, and sometimes to get there you need to be uncomfortable - so be it. I'm not ready for any type of relationship but no one want a fat pig for a boyfriend.

Waiting for the Knife

Meniscus tear *or* Clean up on aisle KNEE

So I have arraigned for surgery - it happens Friday, an arthroscopic procedure to trim away the torn meniscus and get me back in the run again.  So far biking hasn't aggravated it at all, and walking is no issue - even Dance Central on my 360 is fine, it's just running : /

I have been able to keep some exercise going, but I want, no I NEED to run and the prognosis is that two weeks after the surgery I will.

Running Through the Pain

My Knee is Bringing Me to My Knees!

For the psat couple of months I have developed a pain in my knee that debilitates after a certain distance - I ran through the pain today and completed my first 10k in a couple of months, but I need to get something done about it. Biking is fun and all, but I live to run.

Although I busted my lower femur in tae kwon do, I have had no issues with it and that is not where the pain resides. Looking at the diagram above the pain is coming from the left side top of the tibia or the miniscus The pain does not start immediately, it happens slowly after about 4 miles I become aware of it, then at five miles it is a constant thrum at mile six I am wanting to stop. once I stop and walk the pain is gone, but it returns quickly if I begin to run again. I made it the whole 10K and thats what I was praying for, now it's time to go to the doctor and get something done about it

UPDATE: the doctor recommended an MRI which revealed a torn meniscus, and the orthopedic surgeon said it's a simple procedure - I should be running again in two weeks after the procedure... I CAN"T WAIT!!!

It's been a while...

Changes are not always good, but how you deal with them can be.

April 2nd my wife passed away from cancer - specifically Glioblastoma Multiform. This was a race we could not win. This was a race that we needed all our strength to finish. Cancer is evil, but it taught me what love means, what family means, and what is important in life. I am blessed to have faith - this gift is more powerful than most people can imagine and has saved me from despair.

During this time, my ability to fit running into my life has been somewhat constrained. Running has been a large part of my life for the last year or so. It is my tool for dealing with stress. During the final phase of my wife's cancer, I was blessed with inner strength, I was not able to run much at all, that's OK, I was there for my wife as I should be and looking back, in that time I found the truest love of all, I found it in caring for someone I love - caring beyond my own ability and growing in love that is beyond any I have felt before. I thank the Lord for my 26 years with Evi and know that now she stands before God and is singing with the saints.

Running into the new year

Start it off right.

My return to sanity began on Christmas Eve with a much needed half marathon, no real worry about speed, just time to run and run and run.


NOTE: this was two runs - a 5 mile run earlier in the week, and my Half-M on Christmas Eve - I forgot to reset the Garmin between runs (doh!)

It was slow, cathartic, exultant, and so needed! You can't replace the feeling that endorphins bring at the end of a frazzling week!
My employer provides for a block of time off between Christmas and New Years Day, I used this time to great effect. After that run I had a few days of being busy, but I tried to use the morning times to recharge my base. , I've been very busy at work and home life presents lots of challenges, so it was nice to be able to string together a few 10Km runs. I ended up doing a little over 31 miles in total, which was very theraputic. Although maintaining an aerobic heart rate was not in the cards. for the majority of them, I was in close proximity for a few.

http://runkeeper.com/user/samstratton/activity/21628350
http://runkeeper.com/user/samstratton/activity/21670320
http://runkeeper.com/user/samstratton/activity/21702642
http://runkeeper.com/user/samstratton/activity/21743901

I took new years eve off to rest up for a group run that never materialized on new years day, so I went and dropped another 10K into the books

http://runkeeper.com/user/samstratton/activity/21935716

No need for a resolution about running, it's like saying "I resolve to breathe this year." Runnning is more therapy than fitness now. The rates for this therapist is quite reasonable.

Running, in the Rain; a Guide

How you too can find yourself looking forward to those gray, cloudy, drizzly days

So, you're reading this blog thinking "this guy is whacked, I'm not going out there in the rain!" Ask yourself this: Why not? The answers will always feel like excuses - go on, try it, answer the question... see, it feels like an excuse doesn't it?

Now that we've gotten past that, lets talk about what you can do to make running in the rain your favorite pastime.

Course 

The location for your run can really impact your state of mind. if you are constantly dodging puddles, leaping lakes, and mucking through mud the run will not be too fun - usually paved trails with good drainage work best. I find that level areas provide the best meditative runs, hills provide more challenge. It is also good to find a purpose built trail, especially during prolonged heavy rains - running along side a road can get you soaked as some drivers tend to view the combination of standing water and you as a great temptation. 

Weather

If there are electrical storms in the area it's probably best to wait! I tend to prefer a heavy drizzle to a hard rain, but there are times when either are exhilarating. No matter the intensity, rain acts as an "acoustic wash" providing a level of white noise that is great for contemplation or just getting lost in the moment. The world is a different place outside in the rain - it's serene.

Clothing

If there is one thing that can ruin running in the rain it is cotton. Cotton is the abrasive sponge of the textile industry. If you are dry it's nice and soft, but get it wet and after a mile you'll have chafing that will scream COTTON! to you when jump in the shower. "Tech fabric" is a glorified name for polyester. This is not to be confused with those lime green leisure suits from the '70s. Tech fabric is light and soft, it's only joy in life is to suck moisture off your skin and keep it away. Tech fabric is definitely one of the main keys that turned me into a rain runner. I can be in a complete downpour soaking me from head to toe, but as soon as the rain's intensity abates - I'm dry. Tech clothing from shirts to socks helps keep you dry ( tech socks are awesome for channeling moisture from feet to prevent blisters) and does not cling - no wet T-shirt contests here! One article of clothing really helps in the rain: a baseball cap. You can keep your eyes out of the rain or turn it around to get a good spritz - it is nice keeping the eyes dry on the long runs - on windy days glasses are advisable too.

"Dress as if the temperature was twenty degrees warmer, if it's raining go for 10 degrees" - Eric Sach

How much to wear?  

Temperature is a funny thing - Just standing around in 50 degree weather (Fahrenheit) in shorts and a T shirt is a bit cold. Trust me though, when you are running it is enough.Eric Sach of The Balanced Athlete summed up gear choice quite succinctly "If it's dry out dress as if the temperature was twenty degrees warmer, if it's raining 10 degrees"  The following are rough guidelines, they work well for me, but people are different. 

50 and above

The shorts and Tshirt work up until around 70 degrees, above that I'd switch to a singlet top. 

40 - 50

I'd keep the tshirt, but either put a long sleeve shirt underneath or move to long pants. Long pants and heavy rain make for added weight though, try tights - seriously... guys too (these are awesome for warmth and wicking)

33-40 

Don the long pants/tights and layered long-sleeve/Tshirt combo. ear muffs are optional. Gloves too are optional, but after the first mile, your hands do warm up considerably.

Under 30

You will need to add gloves - but also you'll be running in the snow - so get some traction devices for your shoes and BE CAREFUL one slip and you might take a few months before you can run again!

Do yourself a favor - if you haven't tried it, give it a shot - Go run in the rain and let me know what you think.

Recovery

Post marathon training is now just running - I'm in need of more discipline. Although my distance is good, my pace is too fast and my runs too infrequent. Too fast of a pace is do-able, but there's a price to pay - small injuries tend to crop up when you are out of the MAF (Maximum Aerobic Function) mode. In my two runs since the marathon I've had a night and day difference; The first run was aerobic and slow 11 miles, the second was non-aerobic and fast and longer 13.4 the difference in mileage was small, the difference in pace was large now I'm sporting a sore foot.

This run was relaxed - nice and easy. The pace was slow, but definately a jog. I was not sore after this run, I was ready to run the next day.

Unfortunately life happens and I needed to wait two days to run again. So when I had my chance on Sunday AM to be out of church I ran with The Balanced Athlete on their Sunday AM group run. I brought the camera along and grabbed a few shots...

The group started out at The Balanced Athlete in the Landing at Renton and because it was a glorious sunny day we ran up the Maple Valley Trail. Some did 4 miles, some did 8. I and a few others decided a half marathon would be a good Sunday morning run. The Maple Valley Trail follows the Cedar River for the most part and one of the first portions is a walkway along the bank - the water is just about up to the walkway so you really feel close to the water - makes for some nice cool breezes and wonderful views, the cedar is a quick river that provides a great view from benches along side the path. Sitting and looking was not on the agenda and we proceeded up the river. On the outskirts of the city core, the trail becomes more "woodsy" for a while and the shade is quite nice.

Eric and the crew: Job well done

Righted - but sitting on the wheel lock

The Maple Valley Trail is frequented by a lot of bikers, of late there has been a speed limit imposed on the trail due to a fatal collision between a cyclist and a pedestrian. The City added in a portable radar speed wagon. that at sometime previous a group of folks decided to tip over. the TBA crew would have none of that and righted the hapless machine - no small feat as the low center of gravity and weight from the battery box really provided a nice upper-body workout! Once the detector was righted the crew continued on up the trail.
The rest of the run was uneventful, sunny and warm. I had my Amphipod belt so water was not an issue - it worked out nicely, but I may get some more bottles and a gel bottle for longer runs

Gollum runs a marathon

Road Trip!

The day started with the sunrise, which normally most Washingtonians are blissfully unaware of. Today was different, not a cloud was to be seen. The burning ball of hydrogen spewed it's radiation indiscriminately striking all around with intense illumination. The sunscreen so cavalierly tossed in the closet last September  would be called upon today.

The preparation for the race was hap-hazard, but complete. Little did I realize I would be so ill prepared for the sunniest day of the year so far. The race started informally - no chips here, my right calf bears a hastily scrawled "281" that is my race number. 

Race materials

• Sprint HTC EVO 4G for remote tracking via Google Lattitude
• Garmin Forerunner 305 Onboard telemetry
• 16GB Ipod Nano with Nike+ system
• Amphipod hydration belt (20 oz)
• Strawberry CHOMPS electrolyte/carbohydrate supplement

The race began  heading the wrong way - we needed to head south into Auburn before turning and heading north. the race for the most part followed the interurban trail which is a nicely maintained asphalt trail. The course for the most part is very level. My friend John and his son Jordan showed up at the beginning to cheer me on and followed for a couple of miles cheering me on from their car. The route crossed streets but it mostly followed the green river so a slight decline in elevation over time was to be expected - only two small hills that are over quickly, though with both past the 19 mile point, they were less than welcome. :D

When the race did leave the trail, it went thick into industrial Tukwila/Seattle and then through the urban residential suburbs of Southpark, back to urban industrial west Seattle and then the final 3 miles running up Alki for the finish on one of the most picturesque beaches in Seattle.

twenty miles is the halfway point in a marathon 

The solitude of running can be a great thing, but it can also make your mind your own worst enemy. especially when you start running out of energy.  Having run the race I can say there is incredible truth to the axiom the that twenty miles is the halfway point in a marathon as I felt that all I had was sucked out of me at that point. I was walking and running, my pulse was completely reactive - two minutes of slow jogging at 5 mph would send my pulse to the other side of 150 and walking would only drop it to my target rate. I was using the CHOMPS as Eric Sach had instructed  - bitten in two and allowed to melt in your cheeks. when I noticed my mouth getting dry I'd hit the Amphipod bottles. although after twenty miles I was drinking enough to noticeably "slosh" while running. from 20-23 miles was my low point but was buoyed y the return of my wife and friends who offered water and support , I started to pick back up at 24 only to be admonished a couple of short hills once I hit the each, I pushed and started running again - at that point a great realization hit me - you have it in you if you think you do, you don't if you don't. I started running and did not stop - another entrant was running along side me now - she was doing 22 miles to prep for another marathon, we talked as we ran. I was surprised that I could do either but the camaraderie helped me continue - a shared goal is easier to achieve. My wife and friends were there waiting for me, cheering me on and helping me celebrate a goal achieved. 26.2 miles is a long way, much longer than I thought and something that would have been impossible to do without friends

People who made this accomplishment possible:

First and Foremost Evi Stratton, my wife of 26 years who has supported my wacky desire to run during any weather.

John and Dorsey Marx ( and Jordy too) who have been the best of friends and running partners

Dean Krippaehne for turning me on to "Born to Run" and being once of the motivators to this obsession.

Eric Sach for selling me a pair of shoes and giving me far more in knowledge and guidance than a large pile of shoes would cost.

Tanna Kilgallon for constant motivation and support and advice on running and marathons
The Whole Gang at Nike+ for the monthly competitions that made me strive to do better 
and "TheRapture" from Hardocp.com forums who enlightened me to the world of Maximum Aerobic Function training

The Marathon is on!

Woohoo! track my progress in the map to the right - the race starts at 7:30am, so as you are drinking your morning coffee, watch me run - and as an added benefit you now know where to send the oxygen.

I'm hoping this new-fangled technology works.

Sunday AM, Running with a New Group of Friends

Sabbath from the Sabbath



This last week has been busy, the Mrs. has had medical issues ( she's back home now and doing much better!) and work has been turned up a notch. Running last week was held to a minimum and I could feel it in my head. Stress was starting to take over. I rarely miss church on Sunday, but with the week being so full I thought to pull a "vacation day".

I knew my day off needed to include running, that was the whole point of the day; Relax, stretch the legs out and do some serious endorphin generation. The question was where to run? My favorite running store, The Balanced Athlete, has free group runs many times a week. One of these runs just happens to fall on Sunday morning. I woke up early Sunday and decided to see if running with a group is different from running solo.

I'm kind of apprehensive about group runs as I'm not too competitive but I don't want to hold the group back - well, it turns out I needn't be concerned. The group runs are comprised of folks with many different types of runners, slow, fast, short distance, long haul. No matter the ability, all are welcome.

I had not logged a run Friday or Saturday, I was itching to put some miles on. I wanted to stay with the group distance wise. It turns out we were spread apart a lot. I was not the longest but I was not the shortest either, I was pretty close to the slowest, although this was definitely NOT a MAF run.



The heart rate was high, but maintainable, I did not hydrate properly, Eric Sach admonished "Next time bring a bottle, and if the run is over an hour a gel would help out to, it will make the run more enjoyable". Word to the wise is sufficient! But all in all it was enjoyable, and much needed. The run ended back at the store and we all went across the street to Cafe Felice for various morning beverages. A great morning meeting new people and creating a goodly quantity of endorphins!

To Kill a Headset - or - This earBuds for You

Clouds, rain, rain, RAIN, SUUUUN! clouds, rain, rain RAIN!

What a run! I lived up to the domain name today - the term "gully-washer" is apropos.

As I started out I thought I would miss the worst of it - it was looking dark to the south, so I figured I'd head north for the first 1/2 of the run, then turn south after the fatty cumulus had scooted through. Little did I know what was on the horizon to the northeast - the cumulus' kid brother was blowing over just as I finished mile 2. It started sprinkling as I crossed the Green river, then started raining in earnest. I hit Willis at 2.6 miles into the run and turned to head back south, into the thick of this cell. Once I turned, the mild northerly wind that until then had been soaking my back, was now drenching my front - and doing a lovely job of it. There was no hail, but the rain was hard and big. I took my Garmin watch off and tucked its watchband into the waistband of my shorts so that my shirt would protect it from the brunt of the storm. I continued running, listening to a new audio book from Audible.com called "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" which is a very quirky-cool read. I noticed that the volume started to diminish until it was a whisper. I thought I had shorted out the Ipod. I had not, or at least the internal speaker worked well. My earbuds were toast - at least my Ipod was OK I unplugged and moved on.

The rain stops and sunshine starts - I take this moment to shed my t-shirt and wring it out. I put it back on wishing I could ring my shorts out as well, but discretion is the better part of valor and I decided against that. The sun felt awesome! I did note that my shorts stayed soaked for the rest of the run - afterwards I found the beginnings of road rash on my thighs. As I pass back by my truck (5.6 miles) the warm sun is starting to hide and a cloud to the north appears to be chasing me south. I keep going and find that I am outrunning the squall! Except... I'll have to run back through it to get to my truck... Well... it'll blow over by then.

I head down to 15th ST SW just south of the Supermall (8.2 miles) and turn to head back. The sky to the northeast is dark, and you can see the rain falling from the clouds, heavily. The rain starts as I hit Main Street in Auburn (9.1 miles) There's not a lot of it at the start, but the drops are huge. by the time I get to 15th ST NW it is coming down very nicely, not so much the big drops anymore - this is the medium sized soaker-hose rain that is typical of mid-squall. Up ahead I see that the view is obscured by rain, looks like I will hit the tail end of the squall as I end the run - the rain starts pounding, so much so that my tech gear - made to wick away moisture is now pasted to my body. as I finish the rain lets up slightly but I am a drowned rat! luckily I keep a tarp in the truck, under the back seat. I spread it out and hop in, start up the truck and immediately turn the heater on high-defrost. I am wet.