Tim
Trip to the dentist this morning. On of my least favorite things to do.
Nice temps out, but I'm going to wait for DW to get in a run later this afternoon. Yard work now. Chainsaw and mulch time.
XT - hope ortho appointment went well. I'm having some nagging knee pain since my race. Same knee I had scoped a few years ago.
QOTD: (Borrowed from LB's second daily, yesterday): What is worst thing that you have ever experienced in a race that pretty much stopped you from completing it or almost stopped you from completing it? And looking back, what could you have done to correct the problem?
Heat and humidity. 2014 Sole Challenge 24 hour race, It was in the low 90's with high humidity. I go so overheated as in elevated pulse, nause and lightheaded. I sat in AS for a while and then in my car, with AC on, cooling off. I rested for a few hours before heading back out at a modified pace. When the night came, I felt great, and all the people who had stayed out in the heat were fading fast. I learned a lot that race, and when we had similar conditions last year, I really paced myself and did not have the same symptoms.
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
running under the BigSky
got a 3 mile hike/jog in yesterday evening with Tiny Elvis
going to be close to 90 today, so will strength train
qotd: Two years ago Elkhorn 50k, was in good shape with hopes of shaving 30 minutes off of my previous time. Was on track to do that with about 15 miles in, then it got hot- 90 degree hot and I suffered- at ~ mile 20 I bagged it (and had to walk out another 6 miles!!!).
I know I need heat training; I know the body will make adaptions, I just hate running in the heat and will do almost anything to avoid it.
2023 goal 2023 miles √
2022 goal- 2022 miles √
2021 goal- 2021 miles √
No run for me. The orthopod drained a few more quarts of fluid (exaggeration but it was a lot) from my left knee, put me on a week of prescription anti-inflammatories, compression sleeve, and requested I not run for 3 weeks. He does not think I have any new structural issues, just inflammatory response from some arthritis in the joint. Not sure if I will make it 3 weeks with no running but will definitely make it 2 weeks. So maybe shoot for 2.5 weeks. I knew I needed some downtime after this race regardless.
QOTD: I am still formulating my answers, but despite what I've written the past few days about the knee my DNF was a simple case of "I don't give a shit about this distance anymore today". Heat, physical stuff may have played into that mindset, but I really was not visualizing a finish almost the entire day.
In dog beers, I've only had one.
I'm just sitting in northern Wi chuckling a little as I have a sister that lives in Tucson who gets a little smug during the winter with an occasional phone call relating to the weather. Right now I'm at 62F with a cool north breeze and Tucson is 105F heading to 114F. Those temps are just insane, dry heat or not. How can anyone live out there??
Just a 6 mile paved bike trail run for me today. Perhaps some mt. biking towards dark in this PERFECT weather.
QOTD--Probably heat related without digging thru my mushy brain. Those bad events are buried away in a dark corner of the mush. No lessons to be learned from them as XT said, "it's just running".
Sue
The boys and I ran 5 this morning. I had a equipment failure, my bum bum (hair rubber band) was stretch out and my pony tail has hanging lose and falling out...to put this in perspective for you men it's like putting on a pair of shorts where the elastic has died.
QOTD: Heat...ran out of water...should have cooled down at the aid station and then set out again; not just gave up. That was when I was going for speed. An acquaintance did finish (she's fast) but later took herself to the emergency room which cost her $1,000 because she was dehydrated.
05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K
08/19/23 Marquette 50 dns 🙄
Got home this morning around 2 am from my ultra marathon work session. I was so tired I felt like I was driving drunk . Slept in a little bit.
Getting ready to head out with DW for a bike ride. Probably do about 22-23 miles. Might do a fast walk this evening for about 4-5 miles.
Queen - Just so you know. Elastic in your shorts dying for a guy results in other "things" bouncing around and "they" become very upset with that .
QOTD: Ankle issues. Had one ankle sprain where I should have stopped but didn't. Then at the first Call of The Wilds I sprained one so bad that I could barely hobble on it. That knocked me out of the race.
I've really suffered in the heat and there were a few times I know I was close to heat stroke and am sure I cooked a few brain cells. I just wasn't smart enough to stop. At the 2nd Call of The Wilds, which I finished, it was hot, hot, hot. I rolled into the last aid station severely overheated. The EMT that was there kept hovering over me as I kept dumping cool water over my head. DW was there as well and said I looked bad. I asked her if it was the worst she had ever seen me look and she said no, but then couldn't tell me when I had looked worse . Spent about 20 minutes cooling down then headed out, straight up a 25-30% grade that went on for about 3/4 of a mile with the sun at our backs. A couple of times going up that mountain I was praying for a bear to just eat me but it was too hot for them to come out . At the top someone had set up another aid station and had plenty of water so I could douse myself with it. Ended up finishing with a pretty good time and my stomach was even pretty settled.
Forgot to mention that a teen trail runner was killed in Alaska this past weekend during a trail race by a large black bear. Yes, Black Bear. Rather disconcerting to say the least. I guess I need to rethink my black bear concerns.
Nothing today, except working in some yoga. Bad night sleep and the day didn't improve from there. One of those days that bedtime can't come soon enough. Luckily, these kind of days are rare for me.
I saw this-what a terrible tragedy. And it's scary they described the bear as 'predatory' rather than 'defensive' behavior. I hadn't heard that before with black bears.
qotd: I don't have a good answer.
Are we there, yet?
Still trying to talk myself into running tonight.
qotd; I've had a number of races where heat has been an issue as well as some where my knee or hip have caused problems. Probably the worst, since I most likely could have continued in the other cases, was one of my NC 24 races. My knee had been bothering me during the race and I had stopped at the med tent earlier to have it looked at. This time when I stopped, after they were done looking at me and I got down off the table my knee had tightened up so much I couldn't place any weight on it at all. There was no question of continuing nor anything that could be done at that point. Since then PT has helped correct it.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
I saw that and ironically only a day or two prior I had watched several videos of animals that had joined or interrupted races included one where a black bear and two cubs wandered across the road between groups of runners.
Rarely are black bears predatory but it can happen. Had one around here a few years ago that was real agressive. I don't know if what I read was the full report or not, but it didn't sound like anyone seen it happen, so we don't know if he approached the bear or not.
Did 7 on Tues and 10 this morning (Wed). Two pretty good runs on the streets then a few middle miles in parks followed by the same few miles on the street back to the hotel. Still wonder if with the air pollution here whether running is a net positive or negative.
qotd: I have 2 dnf's due to injuries. Both times I probably shouldn't have started, but then I would have always wondered if I could have 'babyed', it so at least I know that answer.
2/17/24 - Forgotten Florida 100 Mile, Christmas, FL