Faster Than Your Couch!
Good Morning,
Well, if you are in my area, you won't have to look far to find the snow - again. It's snowing, and unfortunately, the snow is accumulating, not just flurries like last night. Oh well, I'll call it mental toughness training, just what I need now.
I did a night run yesterday, it was great. Set out at sunset and ran into the night. It was my first time on those very technical single track trails with a headlamp. I found, once again, that I'll need a better lamp for more night runs. My little Petzl puts out just 43 lumens (with new batteries, I guess - mine were kind of used and gave even less light. Note to self: Always put in new batteries before a run when the kids have been playing with the lamp before!), which is enough for dirt roads, but not enough for rocky, steep, difficult trails. It hides the rocks, so that you just run over tricky spots without thinking much of it, but sooner or later, this will lead to a fall or a twisted ankle. I rolled my ankle on a rock, but it's not serious, and just feels a little puffy today.
After the run, I found the first tick of the season on me - picked up in 30+-degree weather, with still some ice patches on the trails! Saw it immediately when I got back to the car, it was crawling on my wrist, so no danger, but it sure was a wake-up call, reminding me to use repellant!!
Today, it's Animal Show (farm animals and local wild animals) with the kids, then a nice run, probably in the snow, planning on around 10 miles.
Good luck to our racers!
QOTD: pass.
Run for fun.
Pete
The pooch and I had another nice 8 mile trail run. It was a warm spring like morning and we got rained on a bit. We saw a pair of eagles and one screamed at us. I am guessing it was a territorial thing and we were encroaching on their turf.
QOTD: Pass
TrailTromper
Tallahassee, Florida
Morning folks! Doing a little yard work this morning. I need to remove a bunch of lilacs so we can expand our vegetable garden a bit. After that's done, I'll be heading out for a two hour run, in the foothills.
FYTC (or anyone else really) are ticks mainly an eastern problem? I've never heard of anyone affected out here in utah, or when I lived in Arizona.
QOTD: pass
Trail and Ultra Running User Group
running under the BigSky
morning everyone, first morning I've felt at least like I can be counted with the living for awhile. somehow I managed to have two full bouts of influenza (one in early Jan, the other last week)- doc said it's possible the flu shot never took hold and that there had several folks that tested neg for influenza A/B that were fully symptomatic????? regardless, another week of running shot
I might try a easy 3 miler this afternoon or maybe a light strength routine or maybe nothing, we'll see
we have ticks in Montana (and Wyoming)- lots of them!, thus far no evidence of the smaller deer ticks that carry Lyme disease- we do get several people very year that come down w/ other tick ailments though- Rocky Mtn spotted fever, CO tick fever, etc
2023 goal 2023 miles √
2022 goal- 2022 miles √
2021 goal- 2021 miles √
Ultra Cowboy
Got some Hills in last night. Nothing too strenuous but I did 500 feet of climbing in the first 2 miles without any real respiratory distress. Finished up with 5 miles total...
The race I'm looking at has about 10 BIG climbs of 500-600 feet each. The winning time last year was 5:21 so I'm thinking I'd be 8 hours plus....and potentially DFL...
QOTD: Have you ever gone into a race where you weren't sure about your ability to finish and have you been more often pleasantly surprised or had your fears realized?
WYBMADIITY
Save
Hi everyone. Flew home yesteray, then slept for 12 hours - it was great!!! By the way first time I flew in an Airbus A380, that plane is BIG.
Got up early today and did 11 dark miles. I forgot about the time switch while I was away and it stayed dark, but I was able to see a little so not too bad.
Today I'm doing some work on the deck in the back yard, so my back will get a workout. Does that count as cross training?
BTW, we're suppose to get up to about 80 today, so I don't expect to have any "show me the snow" moments.
tbd.
Tim
Good afternoon. SRD yesterday, and today did 10 miles on the treadmill. It's a new distance record for me and the machine. Freezing rain and wind outside, but I was still going to the trail. Unfortunately, when my truck wouldn't start, because I left an interior light on last all nigh, it was a sign to stay inside. DW will be home soon, and I can jump start my vehicle.
Couch - Enjoy the night running. I use 2 lights on really technical stuff. I've found, the second source of light helps to keep shadows down and shows off the rocks and roots better. I wear one light on the chest strap of my pack, and hold the second one in my hand. You gonna kick some ass at Hyner this year!
TT - Amazing the different weather you have and you're only an hour south of me.
Birdwell - Yard work is cross training.
mtwarden - Sorry you got a new bug. Hope you feel 100% soon.
Rocky - Don't underestimate yourself, you'll be fine.
Sandy - We were on a plane next to an Airbus, and the guy in the window seat said "we're gonna need a bigger boat". It made our 737 look very tiny. Enjoy the deck work, and the warm weather.
QOTD: Every race I will have some feeling of being under prepared, but usually feel that I will finish.
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
About 18 miles this morning on the Pinhoti trail with a fun group. Apparently it is getting warm enough that I need to reevaluate my hydration and salt intake, just when I thought I had it figured out. My wrists started swelling and I was feeling overheated from around mile 15 on. Otherwise it was a great run though.
qotd: I was really confident about my 50k in February, right up until the morning of... then I was convinced I could never run 31 miles... I had only run up to 18 in training... what was I thinking! But by the time I hit the first aid station I knew I could do it. And I ended up doing much better then I expected.
Pinhoti 100: Finished :D
Endless trails
Afternoon folks.
20 trail miles for me today, first time I've been in the 20's since Sept. The new pair of Pure Grits
performed well, and I tried First Edurance liquid shot instead of GU, taste was nasty but it worked
well.
FTYC: Trail Runner mag just did a review of headlamps, it might be on thier website.
QOTD: I was pleased with last race, trail marathon, even though I could've used a few more longer training runs.
I. Hate. Snow!!!! Ok, I don't really hate it, but for some reason I'm truely tired of the weather that we've been having here in central PA this year.
I was planning a long run on some new trails with Jame this morning after work. Unfortunately life can get in the way of the best plans and we decided to cancel. In retrospect it was probably best because I did something to my left calf muscle and now it's stiff and sore. Still I was going to come home from work , sleep several hours, and then go for a few mile run/walk on the mountain. When I woke up what was coming down? You guessed it, fluffy white stuff turning into a sloppy mess when it lands . Oh well, such is life. Now it looks like I'll just do a hour on the bike trainer and try to motivate the teenager to utilize the ellpitical. Sometimes trying to motivate a teenager is like like talking to a tree. You can yell and scream at it to move but it just doesn't respond.
FTYC - A tick? really? This early? I guess now I'll have to treat some of my cold weather gear with permetherin. Congradulations on night run. I sense that your mind is made up and I see you signing up for the Oil Creek 100 miler next weekend.
TT - I know we have eagles here in my area but I never get to see any. I'm hoping to be able to find some.
Birdwell - Yard work would be nice instead of shoveling snow. As far as the ticks go I think that it may be too dry of a climate where you live for them. Not sure about that, just my assumption.
Warden - Sorry to hear about your bouts with the flu. The dirty little secret about the flu shots are that they have a very low rate of success. It's why I don't think that employers should be able to mandate them, even for people who work in the medical field.
Rocky - Embrace the DFL. Last year I tried for one in a event that I was doing with my wife. Unfortunately neither she nor the other participants cooperated, and about 6-8 people finished after me. For some reason I was look forward to being the last male finisher, but another runner was also hiking the course with his wife and they were slightly slower then us. As I told my wife it's starting that counts.
Sandy - If working on the deck leaves you sore, then it's cross training. Oh, when your finished, fell free to drop by my house, mine needs a good scrubbing . I can provide directions and you will get to see snow!
AT - Was the 10 miles on the treadmill punishment for leaving the light on? Are you registered for Hyner?
Lynde - I recently realized the same thing. That I need to adjust my fluid and nutrition with even just minor changes in the temp.
Jon - Was the 20 mile in snow or has it clear out up by this time?
QOTD: Since I haven't been running long I don't have much experience with this, but last year I was dissapointed with my first race and my fears of being undertrained were realized. Now this year I jumped up from the 25k version to the 50k version and I'm questioning my training again, so maybe I will end up DFL.
Eat to run, Run to eat
19.3 total this morning.
0.7 with Weston the dog, then 6.2 on the trails in Clayton Park with HATR. 7:00 AM, 41 *F .In the middle of the run we all did five hill sprints up a hilly farmers field. Kept up with the group for a change instead of falling to the back out of sight wondering which way they all went.
Continued running solo in Clayton park for another 12.3. The weather was turning colder, and the single long sleeve shirt I had was just barely enough by the end at 37 *F with light snow flurries. Backed off to Long run pace, about 14m/m. Ran a route I came up with that hit all the trails in the park, with very few repeats, almost exactly 7 miles. After I did that I was trying to do it backwards, but being followed closely by a young woman and her bulldog, since the bulldog was just pulling her along. I stopped to let them pass and now he was worried that I was behind them. I had to turn off my planned route to get away from them. At the end I was ahead of two bikers, and pulled away from them on the hill climbs. Found a bit of new life in the tired legs and power climbed the hills and ran the flats. AT was a bit sore to really do the down hills quickly, but it felt great to have a strong finish.
QOTD: I was about 50% certain that I would DNF the Mountain Madness 50K last September by timing out, but I just made it.
Stone Mill 50m 11/16/13 12:42
Febapple Frozen 50k 2/22/14 9:20:55
DIrty German 50m 5/18/14 12:06:16
Dang Couch! You've got me checking and feeling them crawling on me.
I hadn't thought about ticks yet and it's a lot warmer down here. I did not treat my shoes or check for them last weekend.
I didn't find any just now so maybe I got lucky.
Ben (wish I had trails close enough to run them daily and post here)
About 18 miles this morning on the Pinhoti trail with a fun group.
Cool !!! What part of the Pinhoti trail did you do? I had the pleasure of doing the 100 miler last November. Really enjoyed it, but it took a long time for my ankles to recover. As in... I'm just now getting fully back to normal. Those holes, roots and rocks hiding under the fallen leaves did me in I think. LOL.
Yeah, I think I'm gonna be sore. I had to rip up half the boards in the deck so I could get at what is underneath. Then once I fixed the underneath part, I had to put it back together again. My back kind of cramped up on me near the end so I'll do the last few boards tomorrow. I’ll also add, the new composite stuff is really heavy.
BTW, I've got two words for your scrubbing............
power washer. (What did you think I was going to say???? )
I had a good run today - 30 miles on the Centennial Trail (Black Hills 100 course). It's mostly clear of snow, and it was around 40 today. They were a little off on the forecast of 60's, but at least my hydration pack lasted the whole way. Felt a couple raindrops in the last mile and now it's snowing like mad outside. That just worked out too well.
I tried out my new Saucony Xodus 4 trail shoes and am so happy to have found a pair that should work well for the 100. I was beginning to feel like Goldilocks - the Brooks Adreneline ASR's were too soft, the Vasque Mindbenders too hard, and these are just right! I'm going on Amazon right now to order another pair. I feel a twinge of guilt bypassing our local running shop, but they are $50 free shipping. I'm getting two pairs for less than one pair retail.