Friday, September 23, 2011
Changing...directions or something
I have decided to change my focus a little. Instead of trying for a specific distance on a run, I am trying to just think about 'running'...just getting out on the road or trail on a consistent basis. So for now at least my goal will be to just get out at least 3 days a week. I went out yesterday on my usual short evening loop...it was kind of fun - not worrying about anything other than the act of running. I plan to get out on the trail - the Hansville Greenway trail - on Sunday. The rainy season will be upon us soon and it might be the last opportunity to run it without slogging through the mud. I am struggling against thinking about/planning/training for any specific event and just working toward consistency.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
OMG that was hard!!!!
Way back in April I made plans to do the Roots/Rocks 50K on September 4th. Since my training has been so spotty and my recovery from long or hard runs so poor I decided to give it a pass and try for the Poulsbo marathon instead. When I was looking at doing the 50K I took a vacation day for the 6th, knowing I would need some rest afterward. Because I wasn't doing the race I decided to get a long trail run in instead.
I chose a loop around the Gray Wolf River canyon, a few miles upriver from where I did my birthday run last year. 16.8 miles on the map. The map showed part of the loop as "primitive trail" so I decided to make that my start, since I would be tired at the end and it might be more difficult to follow a less developed trail. I needn't have worried about that, since it was just as well defined and maintained as all the rest.
I started out from the Slab Camp trailhead on the Deer Ridge trail, westbound toward Deer Park. Looking at trail information at the trailhead: almost 2300 feet of elevation gain, steep (35% grade in places), no water available... Perfect (I thought)! I started climbing almost from the start and yes it was very steep in some places; no switchbacks, just continuous climbing up to the ridge; the 2300' comes in the first 3 miles or so. Along the way I picked up a squadron of very annoying big black flies circling around me - not biting but just buzzing circles around me. I tried outrunning them but with the climbing and the fact that a nine minute mile seems "fast" to me nowadays - no luck there. As I got up onto the ridge and the trail leveled out a breeze picked up which helped get rid of them - either that or they just got tired of laughing at this slow old guy on their trail.
Cruising along the ridge I realized how far below me the river was, meaning the next section would be all down hill. At the 4.5 mile point I turned onto the trail to Three Forks and discovered just how steep - it was even steeper the the first part of the Deer Ridge, with lots of switchbacks. I figured I could make up some time after the slow up-climb of the previous section so I tried to use gravity to my advantage. After a couple of miles though my quads demanded I slow down so it became a slow jog. Near the bottom I met an older woman with a full pack headed up...I felt sorry for her, knowing what she was going to be carrying that pack up.
All the way down the 4.3 miles from the Deer Ridge Trail to Three Forks and during the 10 minutes or so I spent there eating a PBJ I had this fantasy that once I got to the Gray Wolf River trail that it would be like the section I know down around Two Mile and Cliff camps; just gently rolling as it follows the river and that I could make up some time... HAH!! Almost as soon I crossed the Graywolf the trail started climbing again, topping out at least a thousand feet or more above the river (so much I couldn't even hear the river after a while), and then back down to the river at Camp Tony, total of 4.9 miles for that leg.
That just left 3.1 miles from Camp Tony back to the trail head, and more climbing... This section, along Slide Creek, is more like the Gray Wolf Trail lower down - rolling through the woods. But it is also 940 feet of more climbing back to the trailhead. Luckily not as steep but still pretty much continuously uphill.
What I liked about this "run": first that I actually completed it! It was very tough - I certainly didn't set any speed records but I managed to go the whole distance; Second - it is really beautiful! The views of the mountains and valleys, with some snow still up on the peaks, from the Deer Ridge trail alone are worth it (you can get the views the easy way by driving to Deer Park and taking the trail in the opposite direction and skip the climbing). I like that after I while I noticed that I wasn't talking to myself, thinking about what I was going to write in this blog, blah, blah, blah...and just experiencing the trail and the run. I loved how rejuvenating just a small handful of ripe red huckleberries can be, and the icy cold of the stream I soaked my feet in at the trailhead before I changed into riding clothes to head home on my motorcycle.
I'm glad I took the counterclockwise direction - that steep downhill on the Deer Ridge trail would have been really, really tough after climbing on the Graywolf trail only to climb again from Three Forks toward Deer Park.... Maybe that should be a goal - work toward being in good enough condition that I could feel comfortable attempting it in a clockwise rotation.... Hmmm...maybe next year!
I chose a loop around the Gray Wolf River canyon, a few miles upriver from where I did my birthday run last year. 16.8 miles on the map. The map showed part of the loop as "primitive trail" so I decided to make that my start, since I would be tired at the end and it might be more difficult to follow a less developed trail. I needn't have worried about that, since it was just as well defined and maintained as all the rest.
I started out from the Slab Camp trailhead on the Deer Ridge trail, westbound toward Deer Park. Looking at trail information at the trailhead: almost 2300 feet of elevation gain, steep (35% grade in places), no water available... Perfect (I thought)! I started climbing almost from the start and yes it was very steep in some places; no switchbacks, just continuous climbing up to the ridge; the 2300' comes in the first 3 miles or so. Along the way I picked up a squadron of very annoying big black flies circling around me - not biting but just buzzing circles around me. I tried outrunning them but with the climbing and the fact that a nine minute mile seems "fast" to me nowadays - no luck there. As I got up onto the ridge and the trail leveled out a breeze picked up which helped get rid of them - either that or they just got tired of laughing at this slow old guy on their trail.
Cruising along the ridge I realized how far below me the river was, meaning the next section would be all down hill. At the 4.5 mile point I turned onto the trail to Three Forks and discovered just how steep - it was even steeper the the first part of the Deer Ridge, with lots of switchbacks. I figured I could make up some time after the slow up-climb of the previous section so I tried to use gravity to my advantage. After a couple of miles though my quads demanded I slow down so it became a slow jog. Near the bottom I met an older woman with a full pack headed up...I felt sorry for her, knowing what she was going to be carrying that pack up.
All the way down the 4.3 miles from the Deer Ridge Trail to Three Forks and during the 10 minutes or so I spent there eating a PBJ I had this fantasy that once I got to the Gray Wolf River trail that it would be like the section I know down around Two Mile and Cliff camps; just gently rolling as it follows the river and that I could make up some time... HAH!! Almost as soon I crossed the Graywolf the trail started climbing again, topping out at least a thousand feet or more above the river (so much I couldn't even hear the river after a while), and then back down to the river at Camp Tony, total of 4.9 miles for that leg.
That just left 3.1 miles from Camp Tony back to the trail head, and more climbing... This section, along Slide Creek, is more like the Gray Wolf Trail lower down - rolling through the woods. But it is also 940 feet of more climbing back to the trailhead. Luckily not as steep but still pretty much continuously uphill.
What I liked about this "run": first that I actually completed it! It was very tough - I certainly didn't set any speed records but I managed to go the whole distance; Second - it is really beautiful! The views of the mountains and valleys, with some snow still up on the peaks, from the Deer Ridge trail alone are worth it (you can get the views the easy way by driving to Deer Park and taking the trail in the opposite direction and skip the climbing). I like that after I while I noticed that I wasn't talking to myself, thinking about what I was going to write in this blog, blah, blah, blah...and just experiencing the trail and the run. I loved how rejuvenating just a small handful of ripe red huckleberries can be, and the icy cold of the stream I soaked my feet in at the trailhead before I changed into riding clothes to head home on my motorcycle.
I'm glad I took the counterclockwise direction - that steep downhill on the Deer Ridge trail would have been really, really tough after climbing on the Graywolf trail only to climb again from Three Forks toward Deer Park.... Maybe that should be a goal - work toward being in good enough condition that I could feel comfortable attempting it in a clockwise rotation.... Hmmm...maybe next year!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Ankles....
I waited until Wednesday (well...actually 4am Thursday morning) to try running on my ankle. I had done some walking and my usual Wednesday cross training routine, and had it lasered (I love low powered laser therapy and highly recommend it!) I worked late Wednesday night (7pm to 3:30am) and rather than try to snooze for an hour or two to be back to work at 6, I went for a run in the streets of Everett; 5.39 miles according to mapmyrun. Started out slow and picked up as I warmed up. Even did some 1 block hill repeats on some fairly steep sections in the Port Gardner area. Other than my right lower leg feeling heavy I had no real problems. My leg has felt like that off and on since I mangled it (just a little...) in a motorcycle accident in 1972 so I don't attribute that to what happened last Saturday. I plan on going out for 11 tomorrow morning so hopefully all is well. I REALLY need to get 3 or 4 good long runs in before the Poulsbo marathon October 16!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Well Hell.....
Just when I was thinking I was getting a handle on my recovery - sleeping more, eating better... I sprained my right ankle. I was riding my motorcycle into my garage and caught the toe of my boot on a concrete lip on the entrance to the garage. As I rolled forward it pulled my foot down (heel on the footpeg) and hyperextended my ankle. It didn't hurt much then, but it sure hurts now. I iced it almost immediately to prevent swelling so hopefully I will be running again later in the week. I am hoping to get 4 good long runs in over the next 6 weeks to be ready for the Poulsbo marathon October 16 so I was planning to do 11 today. Oh well - pleny of R.I.C.E and ibuprofen and I should be running by Wednesday or Thursday and doing my 11+ on Sunday...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
I am still having trouble recovering...
I did a relatively light circuit (cut my weights down by 10 pounds or so in each exercise) on Wednesday morning then went for an easy five miles that afternoon. The workout and the run both felt good and went well, but I didn't get off work til 10:30 that night, and got to bed after midnight. When I got up at 3:40am my legs cramped so bad I thought I was going to miss my ferry - I had to almost crawl down the stairs and spent 10 minutes massaging my quads to get the cramps to ease up enough that I could get ready for work. I'm sure the lack of quality sleep is the biggect culprit but I can't help but cut back on my training. I was planning to do a 50K on Labor day weekend (Roots Rocks 50K in Port Gamble) but that is iffy at best now. After Wednesday's run I went for a 2.5 mile run/walk on a trail with my 9 year old son (he is a great training partner!!) on Thursday and a 9 miler with him on Saturday , legs still tired and heavy today. I'm thinking I will skip the 50K and put my energy into getting ready for the Poulsbo marathon (Oct 16) and Doppler 50K (Nov 20). Instead of the 50K on Sept 4 I think I will head up to the Buckhorn wilderness and do a 17 mile trail run - I love adventure runs on trails I have never been on before!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Long time away...
So I haven't been training much...not nearly as much as I think I should be able to. Between work (50+ hour work weeks) my commute (3 hours or so a day - 65 miles and and a ferry ride) and having a family and a life, training time can be rather limited. The biggest problem is, IMO, limited sleep time and its impact on my recovery. I get up at 3:35 am and usually don't get to bed before 10. Combine that with my age and recovering from even a moderate workout is slow and difficult. I did a circuit workout on Friday and on Sunday I am still achy and sore. My calves ache and twitch....
I am going to try a few things:
restarting a low-dose asprin regimen
increasing my protein intake
experimenting with vitamins, supplements and such
using a little more will power to get to bed earlier
ice baths after long or hard workouts
I like to drink a whey protein shake before bed - I find I feel a bit more rested in the mornings when I do, compared to when I don't have it. I used to drink "Hot Stuff" in the mornings to sort jump start my metabolism...I think I will go back to that, even though it makes me think about sex more (maybe that isn't a bad thing....)
My overall goal is to get more long runs in..as of now it is difficult for me to get a quality long run in more than once every 2 - 3 weeks, and I have a rather ambitious (for me anyway) goal and training plan:
Roots Rocks 50K Sept 4 2011
Poulsbo Marathon Oct 16 2011
Doppler 50K November 10 2011
Lumberjack Endurance run 100mi april 14 2012
Cascade Crest 100mi August 25 2012
H.U.R.T. January 2013
There are a couple of 50 milers I would like to squeeze in there, plus I would prefer to find a 100 in January 2013 that is a little closer to home so I can save my $$$ for a trip to Death Valley (I am always optomistic...) that July.
I am going to try a few things:
restarting a low-dose asprin regimen
increasing my protein intake
experimenting with vitamins, supplements and such
using a little more will power to get to bed earlier
ice baths after long or hard workouts
I like to drink a whey protein shake before bed - I find I feel a bit more rested in the mornings when I do, compared to when I don't have it. I used to drink "Hot Stuff" in the mornings to sort jump start my metabolism...I think I will go back to that, even though it makes me think about sex more (maybe that isn't a bad thing....)
My overall goal is to get more long runs in..as of now it is difficult for me to get a quality long run in more than once every 2 - 3 weeks, and I have a rather ambitious (for me anyway) goal and training plan:
Roots Rocks 50K Sept 4 2011
Poulsbo Marathon Oct 16 2011
Doppler 50K November 10 2011
Lumberjack Endurance run 100mi april 14 2012
Cascade Crest 100mi August 25 2012
H.U.R.T. January 2013
There are a couple of 50 milers I would like to squeeze in there, plus I would prefer to find a 100 in January 2013 that is a little closer to home so I can save my $$$ for a trip to Death Valley (I am always optomistic...) that July.
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