Last Run of the Year!!!!

I'm lying in bed (god, I love my laptop) having just showered after my massive final run of the year!!!!! 20 miles and I still feel pretty good. I've got a few bugs to work out, but all in all things went great.
Bug 1: Buy taller socks. I finally realized that the ankle injuries aren't from rocks in my shoe, but from my ankle rubbing against my shoe. Taller socks will take care of the pain, which is especially nice, because running the last 10 miles with the feeling that your shoes are about to cut your feet off at the ankles is not real pleasant.
Bug 2: Don't go out so strong. I did a pretty good job today, finishing the whole run with an average mile of 9:53, but I think it could have been better. I had a best mile of 9:03 and a worst of 11:33, if I could balance that out I might have even better times.
Bug 3: That amazing time was with quite a few breaks. Keeping in mind that at the end of the day it's the miles that count, I allowed myself a couple minutes in Golden Gate Park, almost 10 minutes at Crissy Field and another 5-10 at the Ferry Building. I'm sure without the breaks my times would have been slower. However, I always allow myself to walk through water stations, so maybe it all balances out in the end.
The great news is that there are no more shin splints. This was the longest run before San Diego and I'm virtually pain free. Shin pain that is. My thighs are screaming for a vacation and as for the chafing, you don't want to know where it is.

During my 20 miles I had a lot of time to think about what I had done over the past year. If New Year's Eve is not a time for retro/introspection then I don't know when is. Here's a short list of what I am most proud of accomplishing this year:
1. I ran a marathon before Lance Armstrong! Take that, you one-testicled freak!
2. I ran my first marathon!
3. We all trained together for an amazing Bay to Breakers!
4. Julie and I beat Jason Whitt in the Bay to Breakers!
5. I beat Jason Whitt in the Marathon!
6. I will be running the San Diego marathon only 6 weeks behind the schedule I had hoped to keep to. The Physical therapy has made me a better runner!
7. Julie was there with me hating all the way.
8. Two more people will run marathons this year because of our good example. Good luck Wayne and Amie!
9. I saw Dayton naked.
10. I'm still on my feet and pounding out the miles. I still need to evaluate the diet, but I haven't gained any weight over the past 4 months -- and that's quite an accomplishment for me!

The week in Review:
Distance: 39 miles
Average: 9:46
Overall Impression: Would Someone Tell Me How To Break The Endorphine Addiction? (WSTMHTBTEA?)

Squeezing a Few More Runs Out of 2006

Oh man, I stretch now. I stretch for days. Cross legged, spread eagle, sitting in a swing with my ankles over my head...oh wait. That wasn't stretching, that was our new sex swing...
Seriously, I feel like I haven't run in two months or something. And the IT Band is just as stiff, but I've noticced positive signs. Namely, it's stiffest in the beginning of the run. And everyone knows that pain in the beginning is much better than the end. Or the middle. Or any of those grey areas in between.
So, I've been running. Yes, you say. You've run. But how far?
I've run 9 miles in three days. Ooh, you say. Nine miles? Really?
Yep. In four runs. I look at last years schedule and realize I'm back exactly to square one, when I was doing two-a-days on wildcat Canyon Road. Two miles in the morning, and three miles at night. Since I'm too much of a wreck to string five miles together in one go, this is the quickest and safest way to get up to fifteen miles a week.
Since Don mentioned his goals for 2007, I thought I would list a few I've set for myself at the Nike + iPod website:
Goal 1: (Speed) Run 10 runs in four weeks under Avg 9:30/mile.
Accomplished thus far: 1
Goal 2: (Distance) Run 50 miles in four weeks.
Accomplished thus far: Roughly nine plus change.
Goal 3: (frequency) Um, dunno. Run More?! (to paraphrase the Violent Femmes: "Three, three, I forgot what three was for.")

Anyway, those are my specific goals for the month. Should be enough to give me a decent base, from which , hopefully in February, I can start training for a Half Marathon. After that, who knows? Maybe a few Iron Man triathalons and a whiskey sour. ;)
We're off on a long train to Vienna in two hours, so I won't be seeing/hearing from any of you for a few days. I wish you all a great New Year, and look forward to 2007. It sounds like everyone one of you (us) had a fantastic year. Looking at everyone's year-end assessments, and knowing everything Julie has done as well acccomplishment-wise, I'm amazed how much somebody can run, and drink, in one year. For a bunch of amateurs that is. I hereby pat us all on the back.

Switching

Hey everybody,
Just a heads up. I had to switch my Blogger account to the "NEW AND IMPROVED BLOGGER" for another blog I'm starting, which basically meant that all the blogs I've created were imported with me. It looks like, in order to post, you will have to make sure you are using the new blogger as well. It literally takes less than a minute to re-configure your acccount, and from what I've seen, the layouts and interfaces are actually better...So we've got that going for us. Just click on "Switch Now" on the log-in screen.
Sorry about the unannounced/undemocratic admin decision, won't happen again!

I'll post tonight about running. Looks like the legs are holding up enough to get a few miles in after all. Huzzah!

Drunkrunner Berkeley/Wisconsin Chapter!

Hey all,
This is an open question for the forum. It is my plan to get together another group to train for the Bay to Breakers this year - if your friends leave you, make new ones. That's my motto. I've been wondering what we should call each other. I hate to tarnish the memory of the Hayes Street Haters, and don't really have time to wait for the name to organically evolve as HSH did. Wayne will be raising money for LLS and will be needing a T-shirt. So, I was thinking of proposing, since Jason Kooiker will be joining, of calling the group Drunkrunners! Any objections? We could then post pictures of the Drunkrunners with their shots and hard core beers on a website and show up those SoCal Drunkrunner wussies (Just how does one spell that word?)! I would be happy to make commemorative shirts for those that can't be with us, complete with appropriate names! As your spiritual leader, I will be changing my name this year. Sixpack Chopra is so much more inspired than Altar Boy although...-- Oh, hey wait a minute, that's gross!
So the question is, do we take the group beyond cyberspace and start a chapter hear in Berkeley? Which would also mean Wisconsin as Wayne, my Dad and others will be coming from Wisco for the race. The sick irony being that my dad's plan is to quit drinking and use running as a substitute. This doesn't disallow a victory shot at the end of the race.

In other news, running is going really well. I've slowed a bit in the past few weeks, but I'm hoping that is just normal. I'm facing my 20 mile run this sunday. Yes, the last run of the year, and it's fucking 20 miles. It's a beautiful route though. I've run it, in shorter versions for the past two weeks. I'll head out over the back of Twin Peaks, then down 7th Avenue to Golden Gate Park I'll wander through the park from 7th Avenue to the other side at 25th Avenue. 25th leads to the Presidio where I follow the cliffs along the ocean to the Golden Gate Bridge. Sunday I will have to run at least 2 miles out on the bridge, which basically means crossing it, and then head back. Then it's down to Crissy Field for a run along the bay to the Embarcadero (a la our runs to Sausalito last year, only backwards) and then head up Market to end at the Happy Rainbow Flag in the Castro. I catch the bus there and gross out the Homo Heights Express with my sweaty smells -- I almost said sweaty balls, but then wasn't sure that would gross them all out -- and unkempt hair. It's a beautiful run and really leaves me with a sense of accomplishment. 20 miles should leave one with a sense of something shouldn't it?

I ran the 16 mile run with a 9:33 mile, but was only able to run the 18 mile in about 10:15 (I can't call it up right now). Today's 10 mile was in 10 minute miles, so I'm tired, but can't slow down. This is the big week. 39 miles, and I'm only 15 miles into it. I'll get it done and then the taper starts! I'm so psyched for the taper I can hardly wait.

Impressions will be logged when I finish the 20 miler!!! Wish me luck!
Your leader,
Sixpack Chopra

Wayne's year in review

On April 15 I topped the scale at 239 pounds, I looked at a 3 day old picture and said HOLY FUCK YOU ARE FAT. I tried running but my knees and lungs wouldn't stand for it. So I started out walking 1 mile a day. It wasn't until June that I could run a full mile. I never kept track of times and distance because I didn't feel the need. Now that my goal has changed I finally started to keep track, but I didn't start until December when I decided to run the Mad City marathon. So the only accomplishment I can shop this year is weight loss and that comes to a grand total of 58 pounds and that I'm actually in shape to train and I will accomplish my goal. I now know why Forest Gump ran to get over Jenny It's very therapeutic. I'm thinking of changing my name to Forest. That way when I hear someone yelling RUN FOREST RUN I'll know they are cheering me on. As for the drunken part I drank a lot until October when I was told to cut back, but I promise to ignore Doctors orders and drink more in 2007 and curse the name of Sixpack Chopra for starting this Marathon thing and forcing me to keep up with my little brother.

Don's 2006 in Review

This a bit early, but I was going to chime in today anyway, and since Dayton chimed with his year in review I felt it was time for me to do the same.
First things first, you may have recently noticed a name change. During an episode of the Colbert Report I was struck by enlightenment. While listening to the guru Deepak Chopra I realized that what we were in need of was a spiritual leader on our quest for leaner bodies and fatter livers. I introduce to you, lady and gentleman, your spiritual leader for the year 2007: Sixpack Chopra! I will be your spiritual leader for the coming year. As such, I encourage you all to praise me and or take my name in vain. Perhaps the mantra could be switched from: Fuck You Jason Whitt to Fuck You Sixpack Chopra. Whatever should bring you spiritual guidance and get you to the top of that next hill, or the bottom of that next bottle, that is what I am here for. You need not contribute finances to your guru, although it is not discouraged. You need not set up a shrine to your guru, again, not discouraged. You need not attend special services in order to praise him. Just know that whether you are downing tequila at a ridiculous pace, consuming ungodly quantities of 2-Buck Chuck, or simply going for a run, your Guru is with you. With the spirit of Sixpack Chopra beside us, we can all reach higher and perform better in the coming year.
Second: My runs. I didn't start keeping track of runs until August, which means I missed a full 7 months of stats, but here are the stats as I could assemble them.

Miles run since July 30, 2006: 283.79
Average Mile: 9:34
Best Run: 3 miles on Sept. 8. Average mile: 8:12
Worst Run: 1/10 mile on Aug. 20 Average mile: 14:48
Judging from these number over the last 4 months, I would guess I logged somewhere in excess of 600 miles this year, but I can't be too sure. With my Nike+ iPod with me I hope to log at least that in the coming year.

Goals for 2007: San Diego marathon on the January 21st. After a couple weeks off, I'll start training for the Bay to Breakers, as my family, and I mean the entire family, will be coming out to run it. I'm sticking with last years goal of finishing in under an hour. Wish me luck.
I also hope to do 3 marathons in 2007. If we are going to make it to Boston, I think I'm going to have to do at least that much.
Hypothetically, if I owned a Nike+Plus chip for my brand spanking new iPod Nano I would have hypothetically thrown down the gauntlet to see who would first reach 300 miles in 2007. I would hypothetically already have started, which would mean y'all have some catching up to do. As your spiritual leader I have confidence in you and know that you will not let me down.

2006 in Review

I'm getting ready to start a new running log for 2007, and thought I would look at 2006 to see how things totalled through today. It looks like I ran a total of 600.38 miles, over the course of about eight months solid running. I took just over a month off for the World Cup, and have been a hobbling wreck since the marathon (which has been well documented in past posts and doesn't need rehashing). My average speed for the year was 9.06 minutes per mile, which includes the whopper 11.222 average I logged during the marathon. My best race was the August Half Marathon, which came in at 1:48 for an 8.27 minute average. Good times.
I just unofficially checked my drinking log with my Do-It-yourself Liver Biopsy, and estimate that between the World Cup, turning thirty, my parents vacation, and the general state-of-affairs in Germany, I consumed 5 Billion units of alcohol. I'll try and increase that in 2007.
Which brings me to the Ipod + Nike.
I understand there are those of you out there that now own this device. I understand, also, that there are certain "Challenges" being given, certain proverbial gauntlets being thrown down. I can not say how much this thrills me, and I look forward to the many smaller races we are going to be running, in addition to the "Big One".
For those of you who don't know, the Nike + Ipod is the new running gizmo that the geniuses at Apple have designed. Microsoft tried to do something similar, but they were working exclusively with a group of Libyans who were only using used pinball machine parts. (No, Julie, you can't right-click with it. Why would you want to? Do you right click a toaster? A martini?)
It consists of a sensor, which is placed in or near the shoe, and a receiver that inserts into the iPod. It has a variety of settings that let you keep track of calories, distance, time, etc. It allows you to set goals, and it will tellyou if you beat them or not. Best of all, besides being an amazingly accurate pedometer, it automatically uploads your information onto a Nike Website every time you plug in your iPod. AND, from this very website you can track and challenge the progress of your friends...SO, hypothetically speaking, if I was in a different country than you four, we could still schedule a race between ourselves. Say a 5K some Saturday. Or, if someone is totally mad, they could set up a race to be the first one to 300 miles. Hypothetically speaking. Of course.

The Competition!!!!

Folks, we've got some competition out there!!!! I did a google search for "drunkrunners" yesterday. The good news is, our blog was the first thing on the list. The bad news is Number 2 was: Drunk Runners' Club! I think we need to have a talk with these people. I mean, they couldn't possibly be in competition with us. There website is terribly out of date, and I'm not saying anything, but they only seem to drink lite beer. What losers. He says from his high horse having just received a Maker's Mark Christmas Shaker, as his 2006 Maker's Mark Ambassador gift. Lite Beer!!! Psshaw!

On to the runs. Tuesday was a great 5 mile run. I have mapped out a great course that takes me up the monster of a hill from Glen Park that I have spoken of before, and ends with a block long street that is at least as steep as Marin St. in Berkeley. It kicks my ass, but I'm already getting better at it.

Today, 9 miles. I mapped out a new course. God, I love that USATF Course Mapping website. The course took me from here at home down to the mission to run the entire length of Valencia Street, then a short jog over to Glen Park and back up that beast of a hill, all the way up to the top of Twin Peaks and back down to home. The total course is a bit over 9 miles, but as I had troubles looking up due to the fog, and visibility was only about 100 yards, I hardly felt like I went anywhere. It was a nice comfortable run. My pace at 6 miles was 8:50, and I ended with an overall pace of 9:22. Not bad. Not Bad. I sure do wish I had kept some records in the last training set. I have no idea what I was averaging before. I'm pretty sure my goals before were to do 10-11 minute miles on the long runs. In which case I'm very happy with my present pace.

Week's Summary:
Distance: 14 miles
Average: 9:18
Overall Impression: Running In The Fog Is Like Running In A Hamster Ball Only Harder! (RITFILRIAHBOH)

7-Days A Week? Who is this Freak?

Running / Cross training 7 days a week is not a good idea. Nor can I even imagine it. :-) Seriously, even if you are training intensely there should be at least one day off. Your body needs the rest. You might even consider 2 days of rest in a row. You should find that the first week you do that your times will drop on your next run. For example, I ran 5 miles last week in 49 minutes. Today, after a 2 day rest, I ran the same run in 45 minutes. Most of that can be attributed to rest. So, take it easy and don't burn yourself out now. You've got 5 months of training to do. Enjoy the lighter load now.

Hope the snow doesn't all melt before the holiday, or that it comes back. It's always nice to have a white christmas. Me, I just throw some flour on the balcony and a log in the fire.

We are having a heat wave right now, but with the heat wave we also have rain and fog because of the snow. It's been seventy minus thirty for highs here. I have to do my three mile run tonight and it will be dark and raining, but atleast it won't be cold. congrats on the run Moose. I checked out the uw training and will think about it. A question, I have been training seven days a week trying to bring my times down. Run three days and a row machine or excercise bike with some weight training the other four. is this to much or is it good for me to do to get my times down. I have brought the time down to 9min 42sec, but I want to get closer to a nine minute mile. Any pointers would be appreciated. Still working on the drinking, but I really don't want the calories fom it right now.

The Results are In

Just got the race results back. I did better than I thought. 85th place overall and 12th in my Gender/Age group. Not bad, not bad. And my thighs are now back to normal, which means I can run today. It's supposed to be 5 miles, and it's wicked wet out there. Wish me luck.

Race Results: Hark The Herald Angels Run

Hark the Herald Angels Run!

Welcome back Dayton. We just ask that you leave enough wine and beer for the rest of us. Although, it doesn't seem to be in short supply here. The end of the semester/Christmas party in the department last night was started by a 10-Minute-Party in the office with Champagne. Then down the hall for some crappy chardonnay. After that a cocktail at the Macaroni Grill a la Gergo. God I love free drinks, and I think the hooker/ex-girlfriend was there again. Dinner at Pasta Pomodoro was accompanied by even more wine. This made for a mild hangover this morning as I got up to run a 12K run on Angel Island. The Hark the Herald Angels Run is a grueling course. They run a 12K for the 12 days of christmas and a 25K for the 25th of December, cute huh? Not so, if you thought the Hayes Street Hill was hard, how about a 12K that is more or lest uphill for the first 8K. Yes, it was 50 some minutes into the race before I was confident I wouldn't be seeing the upside of another hill. It was a beautiful run and I'll post pics as soon as I get them back (I bought a camera with film, because I forgot my digital at home.
The run was mostly trails, and pretty narrow trails at that. For much of the race, there wasn't room to pass anyone without a game of leapfrog. It was muddy, a la Jason Witt. Yes, I did indeed just use a la twice in the same posting. Oops, that was three times. I thought at mile 2 that I wasn't going to make it. My shins started getting tight, which I'm convinced now is shin splints, but I kept on going. After another mile the shins felt fine and I joined in with a woman who was drafting behind me. We each cursed the hills as we approached them, and cheered the downhill when we got there.
All in all, a great run.

The Run:
Distance: 7.45 miles
Time: 1:09:38
Pace: 9:20
Overall Impression: Take That Jason Whitt! (TTJW) -- Not as clever as FLAB-A-SLAB, but I'm working on it.


Also, an official calling out! Dayton, if you are going to be in Germany in October next year, then we should be running the Köln marathon together. It would also be a perfect time to be qualifying for Boston!!!!! Think about it!

so damn drunk

Welcome Shorthair!
That's great news that our ranks have again expanded, and I'm currently sending you warm weather thoughts from a relatively balmy Cologne. If they don't make it, it's because I've been taking down wine by the crate. And beer by the kegs. I have holes in my liver the size of silver dollars right now. My synapses are mis-firing, and to quote Jerry Seinfeld , "My Rods and Cones are all screeewed up!"
Needless to say, I haven't run at all, saving for the trips down six flights of stairs to grab wine out of the cellar. My knee, thoguh, is getting stronger all the time. I'm planning on starting in earnest on the seventeenth, when we start to have a normal life again. Will finally write up that Nike + iPod product review soon, I swear!

On the Definition of Cold

Seeing as how, some of y'all have never lived in a colder climate, I think with the addition of Shorthair we are going to have to redefine things.
First, Wisconsin is a unique climate. With an enormous lake to the East and the Canadian Tundra to the north, the great plains to the West and nothing in between, there's nothing to stop the wind. This is why, the annual average temparature in Wisconsin is: 50 degrees in the south (where Wayne lives) and 39 degrees in the north. All time low temperature? "the lowest temperature on record was minus 55 F, reported from Couderay on both February 2 and February 4, 1996." I was living in Wisconsin then and it was evil. Checkout this out for more info:Climate of Wisconsin! My favorite quote: "During more than one-half of the winters, temperatures fall to minus 40 F or lower, and almost every winter temperatures of minus 30 or colder are reported from northern stations. Summer temperatures above 90 average 2 to 4 days in northern counties and about 14 days in southern districts. During marked cool outbreaks in summer months, the central lowlands occasionally report freezing temperatures.

Comparative Average Temps:
Phoenix: 72.6
Köln: 50
San Francisco: 57.1
Houston: 67.9
Madison: 46.1

Yep, it's colder than a Witches Tit there.

So, when Wayne says it's 70 - 100 degrees outside, you should be thinking really friggin' nasty cold. I'm already shivering thinking it was 5 degrees yesterday, and it's only December. The nasty months are January and February.

Sending warm thoughts and a scarf to Wisco!

Flab-a-Slab

I know I have been the wayward Drunk Runner, but I have drunkenly staggered my way back to the pack. Speaking of weather, the Gulf Coast of Texas has officially entered the Fall/Winter season. No snow yet (and yes, miraculously enough it snowed here two Christmas' ago), but I wouldn't rule it out. I thought I would do a lot more running once it cooled down, but since we actually turned the heat on in the apartment, it has been very difficult to convince myself to leave this little cacoon.

Needless to say, my stats are down. Ugh! But, to prevent myself from falling into that trap of mine (See post from 10/13/2006), I have tried to put in at least 5-10 miles a week. However, fed up and in dispair about hearing back about job interviews gave me the fuel I needed to complete a 7.4 mile run last night. Yeehaw! This is the first time I have been able to break 7 miles, since my run in the Berkeley hills back in August. I realized that my problem in November trying to reach 7 mi. was because I wasn't slowing my pace down enough! Aha! (Chic little Ironman Running Watch is already on my Christmas list!) I had gotten all excited about completing 5 mi. runs with 8:30 min. averages that I didn't realize that it was preventing me from extending my distance. I don't know what it was about last night, but I just kept running (I was trying to extend the course I run now, so that I don't have to overlap the route). I find that I will push myself further if I run a route that I don't know the distance of (which has its pros and cons). I was just happy that I didn't have the same dog-chasing problem I encountered on Monday.

Thursday's Run:
Distance: 7.4
Time: 67.5
Pace: 9:06
Overall Impression: Floatin' like a butterfly and stingin' like a bee. (FLABASLAB) - sweet, that just spelled "flab-a-slab"!

The long of the short of it (I am never very concise) is that I am maintaining some similance of running. No marathon planned for the near future, but don't count me out. My Christmas list reads like a catalog out of RoadRunner.com! DJ - let me know about the Nike ipod business.

Cheers!

Cold weather

Last night I went for my two mile run, remember I'm just starting out on my training. At this time last year I weighed 240 lbs, I started running just to lose weight and now look at the punishment I'm going to put myself through. Back to last night temp was seventy minus sixty-five with a two below wind chill. I ran it in 20min 18sec. Right now I'm working on picking my times up through January before I start the training for the marathon. In fashion with ya'll I drank a beer when I finished. As for the running a marathon because my little brother ran one first, I can neither confirm or deny that.

Welcome Wayne to Drunk Runners!!!!

Wayne has been running for about the last year, and has taken the big leap and decided to run a marathon. I don't think he has any idea what he's gotten himself into, which is why he belongs here. After all, neither did any of us!!!
I secretly think he's decided to run the marathon because he can't stand that his little brother did it before he did. :-)
So, let's all show him our support and look forward to hearing stories of long runs through the blowing snowing tundra that can be the homeland. Yes, folks, he's back in Brooklyn, WI. The link is to a run I mapped from his house to New Glarus (Yes, it's named after a Swiss Canton). Check out the green. Just gives you an idea where he lives. Of course, it won't be so green as he does most of his training.
I'm looking forward to hearing the perspective he'll have for us. Especially tips on running in cold weather. Julie you are going to need those especially!!!!!
Everybody raise a glass and give Wayne a nice big Drunk Runners Prost!

Just starting

Hey all,
I'm the new comer Moose's brother Wayne. In my defense I was a little of my game (in the drinking department, I will work on that) when I was town to visit. I don't have anything to report, I have just decided to train for the Mad City Marathon and started a training schedule on Tuesday. I just wanterd to say hello.

14 Miles Down, Many To Go!

It's been one of those weeks folks. I just couldn't get it together. With my brother and sister here last week my running suffered a little bit. I went running with my brother in Golden Gate Park, he'll soon be a drunkrunner. Although, he's going to have to work on his drinking skills if he is going to keep up with us. Strange, he's the one that was drinking me literally under the table when I was 18. Where did that guy go? We do get older. I don't, but he sure has.
Speaking of older, I actually had to pull out my driver's license at Stammtisch on Friday when I told a guy, for the 3rd time, that I started studying German in college in 1989. It was quite the ego boost. He simply didn't believe I could be that old. Is running the fountain of youth? Perhaps.
But back to the run. Scenario: Golden Gate Park, brother, supposed to run 8 miles. Did the first 3 with Wayne, because it was all he could do to finish those, but he was a trooper and we ran it in about 11 minute miles. Then he was going to walk and I was going to run the next 5 around the lake. Big mistake. Much like Dayton once mentioned with slowing the pace cause ITB problems, quickening my pace from 11 minutes to 9 minutes did a number on those shins again. By the end of the first mile around the lake I was doing my quasimodo impersonation. I called it a day and went home with 4 miles instead of 8.
Saturday was a great 12 miles from my house to the Golden Gate Bridge around to Pier 39 where I met Wayne and Chris. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful run.
This week was another story. I had a sore throat and a lot to do on Tuesday, so I decided not to run. I began taking Emergen'C and zinc tablets. I think it worked, the sore throat never progressed beyond the stage where it was just something I could feel if I was thinking about it. However, it lasted all week, so I wanted to make sure I was getting better instead of worse, and thus cancelled Thursdays run as well.
Saturday -- Hangover. 'nuff said.
Sunday, I finally tackled the 14 mile run I was supposed to do Saturday. let me tell you folks, it was a long one. I ran from my house to Golden Gate Park, ran 6 miles in the park and then headed home. The tricky spots were Mile 1, which involves getting up over Twin Peaks and onto the back side of it in pursuit of the park. It includes a hill that makes Nimmitz look like a speed bump. Then it was pretty smooth sailing until mile 12 when I had to head home. basically the last 3 miles were uphill. Crazy stuff. Elevation change on the last two miles? 400 feet. Ladies and Gentleman, that's a positive 400 feet.
In the end, however, I survived. My time was a bit slow, but I'm giving myself the benefit of the doubt in that there was a week off and those 3 miles uphill worked me like that poor mule up on Brokeback. I'm back home and feeling great for having accomplished 14 miles for the first time in months.

Week's Summary:
Distance: 14 miles
Time: 2:21:20
Pace: 10:05
Overall Impression: Never Ran To The Park And Back Before, And I'm Feeling Cocky! (NRTTPABB,AIFC!)

Welcome Back Pacemaker!

The Pacemaker is back, just in time to make me feel guilty for postponing my run this morning. I woke up way tired and with a bit of a sore throat. Hoping some rest would help me recover I've decided to evaluate my status throughout the day and see how I feel at the end. If I'm up for it when I get home, I'll strap on the rubber and head out for the 5 miles I'm supposed to do.
Here's hoping Dayton is feeling better soon. I'd recommend that doctor. He'll help you get better faster, even if it is some voodoo medicine involving Fleischkaese and a scarf -- because all German remedies involve a scarf. Stretch, stretch, stretch, and never run more than is comfortable. Lots of ice might help too!!! I know it's become my wonder cure. Does it hurt? Put ice on it! That's the solution.

No run since the 12 miles on Saturday. I'm looking forward to the 14 miles this week. This will be the first time that I will run to Front Runners, do a run and then head home. Should be fun. Wish me luck!

Return of the Prodigal Son

Don's halfway there! Huzzah!
Hey glorious fellow runners:

I know I haven't posted in over a month. I haven't even made comments. But in my defense, I've been very, very drunk. As the Tramp pointed out: Being Drunk is half the equation.
My knee is getting stronger, but not many of the stretches for the IT Band have worked as well as I would like. Also, I'm not sure how to describe it, but the pain has -shifted- towards the back of my knee. I'm going to go see a doctor here pretty soon, since I'm gettin pretty stir crazy. I even had a sequence of dreams last night about running- One involved me only being able to skip, the other was like running in wet cement. Both were based upon an admittedly limited knowledge of those two endeavors, but they were still quite disconcerting. (Actually, I'm quite a good skipper, if I do say so myself.) Both also involved Don sitting in the top corner frame of the dream/screen shot in a semi-dissolved shot overlay, cackling maniacally and telling me how much faster he is than me.

I can't be having that.

Another week down

I'm 8 weeks in. That's halfway. I'm feeling good. Just ran another 12 on Saturday. I'll be bracing myself for the 14 on this coming Saturday.
My brother and sister were here this weekend. And we didn't get as much running time in as we had thought. Wayne went with me for my 8 mile run on Thursday, but as it turns out, it's not so easy running an 11 minute mile with him for 3 miles and then kicking it in at 9 minutes. So, I ended mile 4 so tight I was afraid to go on. That means only 4, not 8 miles, and a drop in 4 miles for the week. I'll make up for it, by not missing any more runs.
My 12 on Saturday was great. I had to meet Chris and Wayne at Pier 39, so I ran from home to the Golden Gate Bridge and then over to the Pier. It was a beautiful run. AGAIN, the first 4 miles were pretty tough. I'm having a hell of a time with shin stuff. I'm going to go to the doctor next week. I don't have time this week, with a big assignment due, but next week there is time. So, that will probably mean more PT. I think I'm addicted. :-)

I'm supposed to do a Fun Run the week after next, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to run a run on Angel Island. it's a 12k trail run. Looks cool.

Not much else to report. Missing you all out here in cyberspace!!!!!!!!

Stats:
Total Miles: 20.7
Overall Time: 194.28
Average Mile: 9.36
Overall Impression: Still Not Afraid To Amputate These Shins If Need Be (SNATATSINB)

Brokeback Prison Rape

Oh My God!!!!! I need to start writing the script for Prison Rape!

We were watching last night, of course, and the show was taking it's usual crazy turns. From an abusive childhood that has never been mentioned before, to a twice convicted felon striking a deal with a renegade FBI agent for information, it was a winning episode. In the middle of it all, a Kansas police chief is interviewing Prison Guard Bellick, and asks what he was doing in Kansas. He says, "You know, checking out the sites."
She says, "Let's be honest here. You're in Kansas. Now, we're both in law enforcement you can tell me the truth. I don't care if you were hooping it up with the boys. Or maybe you were going "Brokeback."" I just about dropped my knitting and spit out my Chablis while clutching my pearls.
Not only did the bitch steal my line, she made "Brokeback" a verb before I ever managed to, and I have more experience.

It's going to be a dry week for posts for me. Brother and sister in town, so won't be at the computer much. I will boast that I ran 5 miles today.

It was the tough 5 through Glen Park, basically half of it us up a pretty steep hill.

Final time: 45:06!!!!!!!
Average Mile: 9.02 minutes
Overall Impression: "You Boys Weren't Being Paid To Stem The Rose!" (YBWBPTSTR!)

Ain't nothin' gonna breaka my stride....

Almost to the end of another week here. Did two runs so far. Tuesday, 5miles, today 7 miles. Yes, it's official the weekend distance has crept its way to midweek.

The run on Tuesday was pretty good. Ran the Ohlone Greenway after Dayton crapped out whining something about his ITB blahblahblah.... So, it was by myself. Overall a pretty good run. Tight shins again, so not as pleasant feeling as I'd like. I have noticed that the shins do seem to coincide wih pace. If I'm trying to push it a bit they act up. I ran today with no problem. Maybe somewhere in there is the answer to the problem.

Today's run was gorgeous. I did the Glen Park Monster and kicked it's ass. I felt great the whole time, and clocked a 7 mile at 65:25. Not bad.

Sure wish I could have run with Dayton. I didn't get to say anything about how he couldn't quit me, or where he had left his tackle box, or nothing like that. Instead, I had to dodge a woman with flowers, almost having to dive into the bushes to avoid knocking her over.

Alas, Dayton has returned to Germany and it will be May before we meet again. How about we all go out for a jog in London before the wedding?

The stats:
Distance: 12.2 miles
Time: 109:30
Average: 8:57
Overall Impression: If I Can Keep On Keepin On, I Just May Do This Thing. I Swear! (IICKOKOIJMDTT.IS!)

Just Another Manic Run Day!

It's official. I will soon be renaming myself Sybil. My running life has come to resemble this famous 1976 made for TV movie starring Sally Fields and Joanne Woodward. One day, I'm feeling like it's all suicide and a waste of time. The next, I'm Lance Armstrong meets Will Shorter meets Joan Benoit Samuelson. And today was one of those days.
You'll remember that I was waylayed by delirium and dizzyness on Thursday due to the meds. So today, against Dr. advice, I decided to not take my meds before the run. Went to Golden Gate Park and ran 5 miles before the gay boys got there. 5-mile Split? 43:00. That's 8:36 a mile. WooHoo!!! It was a good run, but I must confess I still felt a little disoriented from the drugs. Kind of dizzy, kind of confused, but the legs felt strong, so I kept it going. The shin issue is still working itself out. I'm figuring out how to loosen it up while running instead of having to stop. It looks like we won't have to amputate after all.
Then I had a few minutes to cool off and get some fluids before we headed off to do it again. The second 5 seemed to go much slower than the first. After all, this time I was being passed by men on their first 5 miles not their last. The miles did slow down a bit, but after mile 2 I felt great. Like I could run for another 10. I didn't, but I felt like I could have. Times did slow on the last five, but I ended with an 8:46 mile average for the day, which I couldn't be happier about.
The real question for me is where are these times coming from? After all, I took two months off, and expected to have lost more fitness than this. In fact, the times I'm turning in now are faster than those we were doing during the 1/2 marathon training. I truly think the gels and the fuel belt are helping. There were a few runs last summer when I stopped sweating, which all say is a bad thing. So, the fact that I stay hydrated is surely helping. The 10 minute break in the middle is probably helping as well.
The times I've been putting in, put me on track for a 4:05 marathon in January. Cross your fingers. That means I'll only have to cut another 50 minutes off to qualify for Boston. Oh, you forgot we were trying to qualify for Boston didn't you!!!! Get your asses out there, we've got work to do!!!!

Weeks Results:
Total miles: 14.8
Total Time: 132 minutes
Average: 8:57/mile
Overall Impression: It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood And Sibyl's On A Roll! (IABDITNASOAR)

Yay!

I hereby second the motion to make Antonia blabideeblabla Henderlee an official Drunk Runner. For years of dedicated service watching the pacemaker kill himself on these various continents, I vote we honor her with membership among our clan!

Petition to get Tessa added as an Official Drunk Runner Supporter

With this blog I hereby suggest that Antonia (Can't remember all the middle names) Lee (soon to be Henderlee or Leehender) be officially added as a blog member! If the girl can ride by DJ's side and watch him barf, and if she can take amazing action shots at marathons then I believe she should be a full-fledged contributor to the blog (not just via the Pacemaker). All in favor, say "YAY!"

Dayton and his Snobby Euro Server

Jules - Your posts get tomorrow's date, because our snobby friend has set the server time for the Blog as Cologne time. Therefore, unless you are on psychotically early in the day, it get's tomorrow's date, because it's always tomorrow in Köln.

Keepin' on Keepin' on.

[For some reason, my posts get dated a day later than I write & post them. Can't figure it out, sorry!]

Here is a brief update of this week's runs so far.

Tuesday was a really good run. I couldn't feel my legs by the end, and I actually wish I had kept running. They weren't tired, I just couldn't feel them! I had a decent pace, just barely under 9 min/mile.

Time: 47:30
Distance: 5.3 mi
Overall Impression: Hmmm, what are those funny stick-like things? Are they attached to my torso? So they are. Run on! (H,WATFSLT? ATATMT? STA. RO!)

I planned Wednesday to be a shorter run, about 3 miles. Again, I ran a new route to check things out. Ended up running an extra half mile, which was fine with me. Pace was faster (just slightly faster than 8:30min/mile), which was good but could have been better. I probably would have been able to finish it a little faster had I not been "fogged" by the Mosquito Truck(by the way, this is EXACTLY what it looked like, bastards!).

That really can't be good for your lungs or respiratory system, can it? However, I have come to realize the wisdom of the Mosquito Truck.

See exhibit A).

God only knows whose blood ol' Drakul the Mosquito sucked! (Yeah, I know I need to change my fingernail polish. Thanks, Don.)

Time: 30
Distance: 3.5 mi
Overall Impression: Decent run but will probably have 3 headed babies someday. (DRBWPH3HBS).

Onto today's run. I set out with high hopes and dillusions of grandeur today. I had planned to run 7 miles for the first time since that glorious 9 mi. run in Berkeley. However, Gulf Coast weather had different plans for me. It looked like it was going to rain all day, but it never did. Humidity was high, breeze was non-existent. The short of the long of it was that I ran a course that I didn't know the exact distance. I even pushed it to get in an extra 0.5 mi. thinking that it would most certainly put me at 7miles. Nope. The barf-o-meter was on atomic red from about mile 3 onward. Stupid daylight savings! Sure I get an extra hour of sleep, but by the time it cools down sufficiently enough to run, it is 5:30 and there is only a half hour of light. Apparently Texans prize their freedom to not have streetlights, which makes it practically impossible to run without braking an ankle. Wow! I just managed to blame my crappy run on the weather, barfiness, and Texans in general. SWEET. I have just taken hatin' to a whole new level.

Running Conditions: 80 degrees. 81% humidity. Is it really almost mid-November????
Time: 60 mins.
Distance: 6.3mi
Overall Impression: Disappointing but better than nothing. (DBBTN)

I'm planning for at least another 5 miles before Sunday. That will put me at 20 for the week.
I need to find a plan on runner's world that I can actually understand. I need a mathematician to decypher all those cryptic formulas!

Well, I'm off to barf. Check in with you guys later! Enjoy your runs together next week!!!!

Poison Oak and a new Drug!

First, congrats to Hater for getting out and running. We're all behind you! I wish I could come down for the race in Houston, it sounds like a great one. 26 miles on a beach? What could be better. Alas, with a marathon in January, I'm not sure I would be ready in time for another one a month later. Someday.

My running is moving along. On Tuesday I ran a 5 mile run, up and over the Glen Park Monster and did it in record time:
Although I was able to run with poison oak, I found myself unable to run yesterday because of the drugs I was on. As I described the side-effects to JB, he said, "Sounds like something I'd take for recreation!" And yes, there were times when it was awesome.
You see, the Prednisone Side Effects can be quite interesting. At the Pet Shop Boys concert on Tuesday (Oh how I wish this Blog would let me tell you how awesome the show was) I was absolutely euphoric. It was something similar to what I imagine ecstasy with a touch of coke might feel like. I was wired for sound, dancing, screaming and had a great time. Then Wednesday morning I could hardly concentrate, and started going through waves of intense activity followed by waves of an inability to complete the simplest task. It was a crazy roller coaster. I saw the doctor and I have to taper off it, so I will have at least minor symptoms for the next week, but I'm hoping they'll be very minor. They were so severe I missed classes on Wednesday and Thursday. Thank God it's a 3-day weekend.
This all means that I missed my 7-mile run yesterday. I was a bit disappointed because this was the first run where Saturday moved to Thursday. It's a big milestone when your long run becomes the medium run, and now it's been postponed for a week. I'll do the 10 miles tomorrow that I'm supposed to do and can't wait to do it. This will be the first 10 miler in awhile. I think I'll attack it like I did the last long run. I'll go to FrontRunners and run 5 before everyone gets there and then run another 5 with the gang. This way it breaks it up and provides some company on the run.
I'll be looking for some kick ass times, and will beat Pacemaker into the ground on the Nimmitz on Tuesday. Look back here for announcements of the pounding taken!!!!!

What are you doing February 10th?

While trying to find a local running store that would help fit me for shoes, I came across a site posting Houston area races ;) (I know what you are thinking: it took me long enough!) Anyways, I was looking over the various options and saw this unusually challenging marathon/half-marathon.

Surfside Beach Marathon and Half Marathon

Wouldn't this be interesting? You are both more than welcome to stay with us :) :) :) We are just about 15 minutes from the beach.

Before I get too ahead of myself, here is a brief update on my running.

I have taken it outdoors, but I refuse to give up my title as "Treadmill Tramp." I just completed my third run outdoors (hey! I really have been busy.) It had been a week since I last run, but I went further than I had anticipated, given my shin splits and the fact that I twisted my knee playing fetch with the dog (lame, so lame - but I think it is the meniscus. It feels just like it felt when I tore it on the other knee years ago.) Anywho, the magic 20 mins. kicked in and the pain was bearable/hardly present for the rest of the run. The only challenge to these runs are the slanted sidewalks. No uphill or downhill, just F-L-A-T. I ran this same 5 mile course last week in a stunning 45 mins. Today, I was not so speedy, but I'll take what I can get at this point. I came in just under 50 mins. for the 5 miles and had a pleasant 1 mile walk home. However, I have already found that I am tiring of the scenery and might branch out and find a new route.

While looking for shoes I also discovered that there is a running group in my tiny ol' town. Who knew? They are the local chapter of the "Road Runners" - which I am pretty sure is not even close to as cool as the "Front Runners." I am considering checking them out after I buy my new shoes and get some more miles in. I don't wanna be the "slow girl" in the group ;)

Can running get any worse?

I've reached a new low. Everything I wrote last week about addiction? Scrap it. I was high. And clearly not on running. Only a blast of the worst green could have induced that crap. OK, I'm exagerating, but just take a listen to this weeks running.

Last Saturday I was in Indianapolis and had a great run. 9 miles on a chilly fall day. Not so cold I couldn't bear it, but not so warm that my long sleeves and long running tights were too much. It was gorgeous really. Sunny, a flat course that took me 4.5 miles from my hotel through the countryside and then back. Yes, we were about a mile from the edge of town, and this is a big town. Think being in a hotel in the Dahlem area of Berlin. I mean way the fuck out there. Which was really only a nice thing when I needed to go for the run. Anyway, it was gorgeous.

Then I was given two days off and relaxed a little bit. I mean, as much as I could. While in Indiana, we encountered Indiana's first Daylight savings time ever. They were all confused. I had only one problem with it. That being all the time changes. Friday night: 3 hours forward, from PST to EST. Saturday: Back One hour to CST. Sunday: back to Cal, which is another 3 hours back from the one on Saturday. Needless to say, yours truly was up at 4:30 a.m. Monday and couldn't figure out why. It took me a few days to recover.

Tuesday went for my run over Twin Peaks, 4 miles total, and had a pretty good run. Still having shin troubles at mile 2 and can't figure out how to get rid of them. I'm going to have to go back into therapy, I think. So I stretched and ran and had a great run, really. Record time of under 36 minutes. I was stoked.

Wednesday, my leg itched, but hadn't shaved in awhile so I was thinking that was not so strange. Thursday, I've developed serious rash on my right leg, i.e. curbside. I'm not sure exactly what it is and don't have time to go to the Tang center until Friday. So, I go to RSF and try to do the 4 I'm scheduled for. I then suffer the curse of the Physical Therapist. I occasionally run into my PT at the RSF. First off, Kudos to him for being the first "DR." to practice what he preaches. He's there stretching like a fiend. I stretch and then try to do the treadmill, and this has happened once before. I see him and I can't do it. A mile into my run and my shin is so tight I feel again like Quasimodo on some Foucauldian torture device. I give up at a mile and go home.

Today, I call the Tang Center at 8 a.m. and get an appointment for 1:15. The rash on my leg now measures 6"x5" and is "weeping." I think that's the technical term. Well, as it turns out, and I knew this, I'm incredibly allergic to Poison Oak. It also turns out that evidently, this run, which I've done no less that 100 times over the past 10 years, has some poison oak along it's course. It's the only explanation. I'm not thinking it's very plausible, but having had poison oak before and actually missed work as a result. Yes, it's that bad. I'm pretty sure Poison Oak, whereever I found it, is what I have.

To make a short story long. This week of running has sucked ass. I'm going to try again tomorrow with the gay boys and see what happens. I'm slated to do a 5K and there isn't one in the area, so I'll just try the 3 mile really fast. I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime here are the stats:

Total DIstance: 14 miles
Total Time: 129 minutes
Average: 9:15
Overall Impression: Don't Tell Them, But If They Don't Start Behavin' I'll Amputate (DTT,BITDSB'IA)

Update soon. And y'all owe some posts. What up Hater? Pacemaker? Don't leave me hangin' on this Marathon alone.

Question re: Addiction!

Pacemaker mentioned it might be interesting to discuss Running as an Addiction. Is it possible?

Dictionary.com defines addiction as: the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

Does this fit your profile? Do you feel like running would cause sever trauma? What is severe trauma?

My response:
There is evidence that suggests that excercise, i.e. running, stimulates the same areas of the brain that are stimulated by drug use and overeating, both of which are recognized addictions. Stimulating these areas through drug use and/or eating eventually causes the destruction of the receptors that trigger those "good feelings" in the brain. This leads to a Teufelskreis of stimulation and destruction, requiring more drugs/food to stimulate them again, destroying more receptors, etc.
Running on the other hand stimulates these receptors, but for some reason this stimulation creates more receptors. Therefore, following the Teufelskreis of drugs, we stimulate, create receptors, then stimulate, create, each time the stimulation is greater as there are more receptors. In the end, it seems it's possible to become more addicted to running than to drugs. With the receptors so easily stimulated, it seems one could become obsessed with stimulating them.

I know that when I haven't run in awhile it feels great to do so. The high lasts for quite sometime. It also feels really great to be on a roll. For example, 4 weeks without a missed run has me even more committed to fitting in the 9 mile run I will have to do in Indianapolis than I otherwise would have been.

My theory is that running is an addiction. It does effect my life. I go for 3 hour runs. When you do that, somethings got to give. It may not be missing work, but something else has to suffer. One could argue, as I sure as hell would, that that 3 hour run increases my quality of life, making it all that much better. But 3 hours on the trail, is three hours not spent chatting with my partner or reading for school. It's an organized addiction, one I can stop doing, but not without emotional and physical trauma. Gained weight, depression, longing for that runners high. All are consequences of suddenly stopping a running regimine.

What do y'all think? Is running an addiction? Are you addicted? Is it possible/necessary to break the addiction?

Brokeback Hardcore

I cannot tell a lie, last weeks runs were great. I didn't have any serious problems getting them done, unlike the last 3 months when I was hobbling like a gimp. Still a few problems with ship pain, but as these completely disappear after awhile I'm confident they are not shin splints.
My 8 mile run on Saturday was great. It was the same 8 mile we all once ran in Golden Gate Park. The 3 miles past the carousel and conservatory of flowers and then the 5 miles out to the beach and back. Because the Frontrunners don't have an 8-mile run, I ran the three before they all got there at 9 and then joined in for the 5-mile. I ran with a guy for the 5 and he drove me to exhaustion. I ended up finishing the whole thing in 73 minutes. That's just a hair over 9 minutes/mile and the first 3 averaged closer to 10. I felt great. The guy was a little odd, and certainly wasn't doing much to help my run. When he said to me, "Are you gonna run along the beach? Or are you going to stop?"
I responded, "I don't have a choice, I have to keep going."
His response was, "O, you always have a choice no one is making you do anything you don't want to do."
I felt like saying, "Listen Dude, the right answer is, 'Let's keep going, I can't quite you either!" I kept running and he stopped trying to convince me to stop running, even though I held my tongue. It was a beautiful day here in the city, one of those rare fall days that the midwest takes for granted. Sunny, but just a little cool. Just barely too cool for short sleeves at a cafe, but not quite cold enough for long sleeves. In a word: FABULOUS!!!!
That was all Saturday, and per instructions I haven't run since. Now problems have developed. Strangely, I think it's sympathy pains, my ITB is acting up on my left leg. It's the same one you may remember being a problem when we first started training. Or was that a longer time ago? I can't remember. Anyway, haven't had trouble with it in awhile. I'm going to massage it on the roller tonight and then maybe some ice. I hope it's better tomorrow. I have to do 4 miles.
And finally, I've crossed a line. A line I didn't know I was going to cross so soon. With the gift certificates from having raised money for Leukemia and Lymphoma ($75 to Sports Basement) I went shopping on Saturday. I bought a new pair of shorts, a box (Yes, a BOX of Gu), a Fuel Belt, and canister of Gu2O. I felt so hardcore. The cashier asked if I was running the Nike Women's Marathon the next day, I looked that hardcore. In addition to injuries in the race, my case of dehydration at the end, and the general dehydration after several runs has convinced me it's time to start running with some fluids. I should even speed up times, because muscle fatige won't set in so intensely. I'll look like a dork with my holster on my hips, but I will be a lean mean running machine.

That's all for now.

Week's Stats:

Total Miles: 18
Total Time: 164
Average/mile: 9.14 minutes
Overall Impression: I'm Doing Great And Hope To Hold On To The Euphoria During Those 40 Mile Weeks! (IDGAHTHOTTEDT40MW!)

Week in Review

I feel like I have a LOT to post, but the time is short today, so I PROMISE to make up for it tonight with something more substantial. First off, I know I tell him this in comments all the time, but Don's twenty miles has quickly become a glimmering beacon of hope for me on the horizon. Or to put it in one, simple word: My injury recovery won't let me run that far in a week for probably a month I figure.

BUT, as much direness one sees when researching ITBS on the internet, I can't help but come away with some positives (Hating is Julie's domain, after all;)):
1) Most of these people have problems walking. I can walk. Going down stairs is something else entirely, but I can walk.
2) Training starts (and ends) for them with single 500 meter sprints.
3) I was able to run 4.5 miles on Saturday before it started tightening and I stopped as a precautionary measure.

So, I'm still pulling back on the miles, but still trying to keep running. The last thing I want to do is make it chronic. BUT, (and I'm sure Don hears me here) going from a marathon to virtually zero miles is enough to drive anyone insane. I think I have an inkling of what post-partum depression is all about.

Having said all of that, the run on Saturday was absolutely beautiful. We found a tree and park-lined canal about a mile from us that leads out to the Green Belt near the stadium. We ran along it for a few miles, just soaking in the colors, the ducks, and quite a few rather big houses. I didn't any problems with the knee until we hit about four miles, and decided to call it off at 4.5.
I was just jogging ten minute miles, but I think running slower might contribute to the problems. According to a lot of the resources I found, ITBS flairs up due to shortening your stride, because it affects the knee more at impact and the relative position of the band along the side of the knee causes greater irritation.

Which means my worries were posibly well-founded that my late race leg problems were indeed probably brought on by my deciding to keep a pace a full 30 seconds per mile slower than what I was accustomed to running. Well, that and the fact I was STARVING by the noon start.

I can't wait to write my "Run as I Say, Not as I Did" marathon book.

It's all a moot point really. I just want to be healthy again! Wow, this post has gotten longer than I anticipated, and I have to install lighting in the bomb shelter, um I mean cellar. So I better go. I hereby rescind my promise to write more tonight, but will probably post after my next Blitzrun.

Kicking Ass and Taking My Own Name!

Hey all,
Just an update thus far this week. It seems a bit less work this week, the schedule calls for 18 miles instead of last weeks 21. Which, I'm happy for. The gams were a bit tired after last weeks 4 runs and umpteen flights of stairs moving boxes on Friday. I was worked like some two bit whore with too high heels.
so far this week it was a four mile run at home. Up and over Twin Peaks again. What a beautiful run. I can't tell you how much I love the challenge of it and the view from the top. It's a great one. Tuesday was a great day all around. I decided I was going to skip my only class, sent him an e-mail claiming I was ill and took the day off. Spent the day working at a coffee shop and then got a massage. (Yes working at a coffee shop is a day off for me.)
Yesterday called for a 6 mile run. I decided to give the Ohlone greenway another try and it worked well. I mapped out 3 miles and headed out the door. I ran a 25 minute 3 mile split, but then slowed it up on the way back to end with a 54 minute round trip. That's 9 minute miles for 6 miles. I'm in better shape than I thought. I was sure it would be a 10 minute mile. I'm still having some shin issues, but those should resolve when I have them removed.
Cross your fingers and root for me as I attempt 8 miles tomorrow. I'll let you know how I did.

Blitzpost

I realize I keep writing these short posts with little substance, but that sums up the running right now. Today was three good miles. It was a little bit faster than two days ago. I'm stretching like mad, and the IT Band is a LOT better.

This weekend there will be a reverse in strategy, and instead of running without a watch, I'm going to set a longer time-based goal and plod about however I see fit. We're shooting for 60 minutes, but we'll settle for 45. I'm sure something fun will happen, and if not, I'll make something up.

As to now, however: The Cologne nightlife, she beckons.

Achilles Kosmos

I'm putting a new link in for a column I've been reading about running/atheltic endeavors. The only caveat is that it is written in German, so some of you out there may not be able to read it. Check it out though, if you can.

2 Encouraging Miles!

Today's Run:

Distance: 2 Miles
Time: This is a week without watches (W.W.W.)
Overall Impression: Great! Recovery is Coming Along (G!RICA)

Tonight's run was a good one. I left my watch at home intentionally, deciding instead to focus on forcing myself to slow down. I figure I ran ten minute miles, but don't really care. I found a series of stretches for the IT band that, incidentally, I used to do in both football and gymnastics all the time anyway. Apparently coach wasn't a drunk idiot after all.
I think the problems that erupted on Friday were directly attributable to the fact that I was trying to break a land speed record only five days after the marathon, when land speed records clearly should be reserved for the sixth day. Then again, the pain didn't really kick in until after two miles anyway, so perhaps it has to do with distance as well. I'll tell you what...
I'm going to run 3 miles tomorrow with the same "no watch" policy, and let you know how it goes. If my leg breaks in two, then I owe you a Coke.

Look Over Your Shoulders, Ladies!

Well Mary and Nancy, don't count me out yet! I'm approaching fast behind you (ok, well probably not that fast, but I'm getting there. Not quite as fast as the crazy hill runner - by the way, Don, you are now officially a "ridge runner." Te he he.

I know, today's little five miles pales in comparison to the glow of Don's amazing week (which I am totally jealous of! - don't forget to head back out to Nimitz!!!!), but as I said, I am getting there. I guess I am most excited, because I had planned to only run 4 miles. I have been trying to increase my distance by a 1/2 mile every run. (I don't buy into those tried and true running plans that work successfully for 99.99% of the population. Nope, I like some good ol' fashion "ignant" running.) Around 1.5 mi I decided to see if I could make it to 4. Then at around 3 mi. I decided I would see if I couldn't do 4.5, and when I got to 4.5 I thought to myself, what is another 0.5, really? Of course, the pace wasn't anything to brag about, and had I run faster I probably wouldn't have managed the 5, but all in good time, my Pretties.

I think it's back in my blood! I could not, for the life of me, fall asleep last night. I am either suffering from "Restless Leg Syndrome" (Don, you have to have seen those commercials! Can you believe it is a really an illness???) or my legs were pissed at me for not having run yesterday. Well, I am sure my legs and I will rest well tonight. I hope to be logging more weekly miles in the near future.

Distance: 5mi
Time: 48.45
Overall Impression: Felt So Good I Wanna Do It Again! (FSGIWDIA!)

Run to Me!

It's Sunday afternoon and I should be working on a paper that will be presented at a conference in two weeks. Instead, I'm basing a little in the glow of a 21 mile week. Overall it went well.

Do y'all have regular "pain" or discomfort after a long run? I can't remember what normal feels like anymore. I did 7 miles today and it was a beautiful, but there was a point where both knees were hurthing, and so was my ankle but that's another story.

The week:
Tuesday four miles. Treadmill, uneventful.
Thursday six miles: Stretched and headed out the door and up into the Berkeley Fire Trails. It was my first time on the trails since the Jason Whitt incident and I have to say, they are 2000 times more pleasant when they aren't covered in crazy ass sloppy muddy mess. It was quite gorgeous up there. The goal of the run was 60 minutes. So I headed up hill and assumed downhill time would be faster than uphill. 35 minutes up hill took me about 1/2 mile past the beast hill where you have no choice but to walk (although I did struggle half way up it before giving up). I turned around and headed back comfortable in the knowledge that I'm starting to enjoy running hills. I can't explain it, but it's true.
Saturday four miles: In Golden Gate Park with the gay boys, ran with a gay minister who works at USF. His name was Donell. It was all a bit weird, but a beautiful run. I love the park.
Sunday seven miles: Left the house, walked for five minutes away from the house, then turned around and ran toward the house, past it and right on down into Glen Park. 2 miles away from home, the center of Glen Park is roughly 150 above sea level. Then it's uphill, and I mean uphill. Running to the top of Twin Peaks, takes 2 1/2 miles and is an 800 foot change in elevation. It's a great run. Challenging to say the least, but what a thrill to reach the top. Ran a flat mile at the top just to fill out the 7 and then headed home. It was gorgeous. That run always makes me appreciate living here in San Francisco. The challenging terrain and the view of downtown from the top just can't compare to anywhere else.

Overall:

Miles: 21
Time: 3:16:45
Overall Impression: Now I Know What It Means To Be An Addict! (NIKWIMTBAA)

reverse taper

It's amazing how many ways I've underestimated the marathon. There's always some little thing I either play down, or disregard. I don't mean to be disrespectful to the magical 26.2, but sometimes I just forget to give the whole undertaking its complete props. And every time I do, it comes back to bite me. Pretty hard.

I thought that having finished it, I would be in the clear from whatever problems could ever arise. (It's cute how I'm naive, isn't it?) I knew already that it basically takes as long to recover from a marathon as it does to taper for one. At least. I read a fantastic quote about recovery that actually said "You should never begin training for your next marathon until you've forgotten about your last one." That's probably true for fifty seven reasons. Anyway, it apparently true what they say about recovery. And that stuff about having a broken-down body? That's true too!

Of course, I found this out for myself the fun way. Well, I learned through the haze of the cold searing pain that acccompanied my early return to running. In fact, I wrote a song about it. Wanna hear about it? Here it goes...

I ran two miles on Wednesday without any problems. It was nice to get out. My legs felt tired, but I was going very easy on them. It was encouraging, and I was toying with the ideas of a 10k/half marathon on Saturday. It went so well, that after a day off, I scheduled a four miler. I got up, went out, and absolutely flew off the blocks. I was running an absolutely killer pace and everything felt great until I hit two miles, when the outside of my knee started to hurt like there were fifty daggers stabbed into it. I stopped and stretched, and was able to go again, albeit at a slower pacce. After another mile, I had to stop and stretch again, but not only was it hurting, it began tightening up. This meant that my pace was affected and had I not adjusted my right leg, then I would have begun running in small concentric circles. I would probably still be there today. I managed to get home with a short shuffle/jog pace, probably akin to Don's early Quasimoto school of gimpery. I then went upstairs and freaked out a bit, before calming down after my leg stoped bothering me.
The thing is, I knew it wasn't my knee, because the pain is actually on the outside of it, and a little lower. So I began doing some research (keep in mind, I have a special place in my heart for the Web MD hypochondriacs out there. By saying that, of course I mean I love to make fun of them. It always fascinates me how a hangnail turns terminal.) It didn't take long for me to ascertain that I have a problem with my Iliotibial Band. Basically, I've strained it good. This happens to roughly 300 percent of all runners at one point or another. The best news is that there are stretches for it, and once Don realigns my hips, then I shouldn't have any problems. I was hoping on running a 10K today, but decided to take it off and rest. I'm going to go out and do 3 miles really slow tomorrow, and see how these newfangled stretches work. There will be running, but there will be no heady sprints through the German heath. Not for a couple of weeks anyway. The reverse taper is officially underway!

Warning: I am about to get introspective on your asses!

Motivated by the ever growing weight of reponsibility as a member of a blog community (or perhaps the ever growing weight of my ass and thighs) I hit the treadmill today. If my running log does not deceive me, the last time I ran was September 9th. What the hell have I been thinking? (This is where I get introspective - fast forward if need be.)

How does a person go from running 20 miles a week to sitting on the couch cramming fistfuls of potato chips into his/her mouth for more than a month? This is my standard M.O.:

- work out hard
- get into good shape
- trick myself into thinking that it will last, regardless of what I eat or how much/little I exercise
- find myself starting from square 1

I have several theories. The first is that I am a glutten for punishment. I am a masochist, and I like to think I am a martyr. I like to complain about how sore I am. How hard it is. Boo hoo hoo. Poor Julie. I totally get that about myself (and yes, I have known this about myself for quite some time!) The second theory, I am just a lazy s.o.b. I get burnt out on running and can't keep it up. The third theory, I like to use stress about writing my dissertation and applying for jobs as an excuse (see: theory one), when in fact I manage to find plenty of time to watch crappy tv with potato chips in hand. I am sure there are plenty of other theories. The point is, this happens to me at least once or twice a year. Geez!

OK, you can start reading again. Here are the stats about my run:

Time: 29:40
Distance: 3 mi
Overall Impression: Really Stupidly Hard and I Want To Kick Myself In The Ass For Not Having Kept Running (RSHAIWTKMITAFNHKR)

The good news is that I am gonna do it tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that! By the way, while sitting here I am started to really feel the positive effects of the run. I am in a better mood than I have been for weeks. If my body had a Mentos commercial, it would be the "Endorphine Maker."

Learning to Walk!

The fascinating thing about physical therapy is that you realize how terribly most people move their way through the world. Think about it. Before my injury I considered myself a healthy, active, even athletic individual. Now I understand that I couldn’t even walk right.
After this week’s PT I’ve been given the instructions basically to do some situps and to walk like Pygmalion everywhere I go. My hips are so rotated the wrong way I’m afraid no one will say I have a nice butt when I get it where it’s supposed to be. Seriously, my hips were rotated forward about 10 degrees. What does this all mean?
1) The right knee no longer hurts. Everything is grand. I haven’t had any pain in quite some time. I continue to ice it as I think I am now addicted.
2) The left knee hurts, but is getting better. Did you know rotating a hip that is out of alignment could alleviate knee pain? Julie Andrews and I would make a great pair walking through campus. I almost feel as if I should put books on my head.
3) I’m still taking Aleve, just in case. You never know. If I spend a week without pain I’ll stop the Aleve, but in the meantime I’m not taking a major dose so I’m not concerned.
4) Running is becoming fun again. And on to the stories of the runs.

In week one of Marathon training there was a lot going on. The schedule called for 4 miles on Tuesday, One hour on Thursday, 4 miles on Saturday and 6 miles on Sunday. As my PT instructed me to build up miles slowly, I decided to cancel the 6 miles on Sunday, since I would be the wedding of a chef and a national wine rep. on Saturday night. In retrospect it was a very good idea. I think Dayton didn’t get his beer on Sunday because I had drunk them all at the bar before the reception. Oh wait, there were drinks with the groom before the wedding, too. Which reminds me! Never go to a catholic wedding with even the slightest buzz. No one needs you giggling in the back pew when the priest mentions “Lamb of God” for the 40th time.
Oh, the runs. TUESDAY: 4 miles. On the treadmill, RSF, no big deal. Enjoyable, although I’m starting to think Treadmills aren’t so good for you. I have more knee problems on one than off. THURSDAY: One hour. Started on the treadmill, again more leg and knee pain. After 20 minutes I packed it in and was headed to the shower. I couldn’t take the defeat yet again. Then, as I threw my sweat towel in the bin and headed toward the shower, something snapped. I just said to myself, using my inside voice, “Fuck You, Jason Whitt! You’re not going to beat me! I’m running hills.” So I did. I threw the towel in the bin and headed out the front door of the RSF, turned the stopwatch back on and headed up hill. When I reached the halfway point, somewhere up behind one of the dorms and near a parking lot for the Livermore Lab, I turned around and enjoyed a run back down the hill past the stadium, past the I-house, and right on back to the RSF. It was AWESOME! It felt so good to just be able to do it. When I got home my knee hurt, but no more than it had hurt during the months of running the Hayes St. Haters were doing. It was the level of pain I once considered normal. A level that I’m now hoping to eliminate completely. We’ll see!
SATURDAY’s run was not all that spectacular. Up over Twin Peaks, with a couple laps thrown in. It’s a nice 4-mile run with beautiful views, little traffic and lots of hills to create a challenge. My pace was just off 10 minutes, which didn’t make me too happy, but I’m trying to remember that I have some fitness to regain.
I’ve run again this week already. 4 miles on Tuesday again. Same comments about Treadmills apply. Really, I need to get some routes mapped through Berkeley for those days when I’m here for runs. My run was at least on the Treadmill that faces the Squash court. That gave me something to watch.
So before I sign off, just one more HUGE CONGRATULATIONS for Dayton finishing his first Marathon. And a challenge to both Julie and Dayton that the Boston Marathon is coming up in just 18 months!!! We’ve got 16 months in which to qualify!!

Running Summary:

Total Miles: 14
Total Time: 2:13:42
Overall Impression: We’re Back On Track, Folks! Drunk Runners Can’t Be Stopped! (WBONTF!DRCBS!)

Die Tone?

Just noticing that Dayton's bib for the race included his first name. How personal. Couldn't help but giggle at the thoughts of all those Germans, "Was ist das für einen Namen? Die-tone?"

Congrats again, big Guy!!

The Morning After the Race Before

I can honestly say that I did not get to drink a single beer last night. How disappointing is that? What kind of drunk runner am I? Where is that Kenyan in me? Tonight, I promise, there will be a showing of how we roll.
Why didn't I drink a beer? I was semi-comatose on our couch until nine. I couldn't really eat, so I couldn't really drink. I had the chills, and I was under a blanket. I think the word for it all is- glamorous.
Of course, when I went to bed, I could barely sleep, and at one point woke up completely drenched in sweat, to the point that my pillow and pretty much everything around me was soaking wet. Good times!

But on to the marathon.

We woke up relatively early because of the Japanese Grand Prix, and there are precious few opportunities for us Ferrari fans to cheer on Schumi anymore. We took it as a foreboding sign for the day when his engine blew up while he was comfortably leading with sixteen laps left, effectively ruining his chances for his last championship. Well I took it as a sign, Tessa was too distraught to take it as anything but the harsh, cruel bitch goddess that is reality.
Here are a couple of pics of me before the race. I particularly like the one of me looking over the balcony, peering into an uncertain future, but always pondering my position as the vanguard of so much silliness:


We got to the race a little early. After it occcured to us the night before that the free tickets for public transportaiton that we received would be useless since all of the trams and buses were shut down for the day, we hit upon the bright idea to take the train across town, which got us there with ample time. Which was good, because it took me forty five minutes to cross the starting line. God forbid we sat around for less than two hours :) I was in the very last starting group, and they were VERY diligent about keeping everything spaced out.
The course was beautiful, and the weather was unnaturally amazing. If anything, it was a little too warm for a noon start. I heard a lot of talk that it was 20 degrees in the sun, and there wasn't much shade. I think this contributed to some of my problmes later on in the race.
I intentionally took a slow pace, which might have caused more problems, because I think the shortened stride was impacting my calves harder, whicch really caused problems around mile 17. I sorted them out with some stretching, and got through the 20 mile barrier with relatively little problems. Then, around mile 22, I'm pretty sure I died six times and through some karmic mishap, was reincarnated into the very body I was trying to get out of. My calves were seizing up, and everytime I would stop to stretch them, the stretching would cause my knees to lock up, which made starting up again agony. I finally sat down on a small wall and just massaged the hell out of my legs. The next mile or so was really more of the same. I would stumble, lie down, and massage. I walked a lot, but it hurt more than running. I really wanted to quit. I was getting towards the end of my rope, when I finally found a stride that was tolerable. And I mean barely tolerable. It was the only way I could make my legs move forward without screaming. Which doesn't mean they didn't hurt like hell. They did.
But I ran the last 4.5 K without even pausing. I don't know anything about the crowd, I barely saw the cathedral. I could only look at the ground and block everything else out. Even when I crossed the last corner, I couldn't look at the finish line, because I was scared to get out of what little rhythm I established. Finally, when I got there, I'm pretty sure I started sobbing, but I had to catch myself, because the hysterics were getting in the way of my breathing. It wasn't from hurting, it was from relief, and more than a little pride.
I am, in many ways, more proud that I finished a bad race, than if I had cruised through it easily. A big part of training for, and doing this, was to prove to myself that I had the mental toughness to overcome obstacles, and the resolve to not give up. Maybe if conditions were better, maybe if I was better hydrated, I could have gotten closer to my first goal. Who cares. I knew when the wheels were falling off that time didn't matter anymore, and that's why I turned off my watch. But there were a lot of moments when things weren't going my way, and I finished anyway.
I don't think I could have done it without Tessa there though! She was amazing.
I can think of at least two imes when, seeing her unexpectedly, my energy levels soared and the subsequent few kilometers flew by. She was there to tell me it was okay if I walked the rest of the way, and she was the finish line waiting for me. This was team effort, and she rocked in so many ways. She actually had to show me on a map how she managed to get to so many different positions on the track in such short times, because I was growing increasingly suspicious of either witchcraft or quantum teleportation. Turns out, she's just smart about getting around town.
Anyway, there are too many impresions and litle things to tell right now, so I'll just post some more pics. Since it was in Cologne, you can bet there were some crazy people dressing up, and general fun had by all:

Marathon is Over. Reports Tomorrow.

I finished. It was slow and painful, but I remained within my third goal, barely (4:54:something_. I just had to check the time online, because I turned my watch off with 5k left in order to bolster morale.
I'll write more tomorrow, but right now I'm just trying to hydrate and get over the chills. Pizza should do the trick.
I couldn't have done this without your support, your posts, and your phone calls. My fellow drunk runners/hayes street haters have seen me get teary eyed about our friendship before, and I'm getting a little misty now, so I'm going to just leave this here until tomorrow and sit back and enjoy the view from the other side.

Training is Over. Marathon Tomorrow

The Beginners Marathon Training Plan, as offered by RunnersWorld.com, an infallible source of running goodness, requires the runner to run 347 miles from Day 1 to Day Five Billion. I ran almost all of them, excluding a very early recovery week, which I had to eliminate because of time constraints, and two runs which were dropped during the taper, because of scheduling mishaps. According to my running log, I ran just over 329 miles in the past fifteen-odd weeks.

Of course, the training really began back in January, when I bought a new pair of shoes and began running two-a-days on Wildcat Canyon Road until I realized short socks contibuted directly to profuse heel bleeding. Once that healed, I met Don, Julie, Katra, and Emily for an absolutely draining 4.5 mile run on the Ohlone. I think, if I remember correctly, I was hungover. I think also, now that I reflect back on that time, that I owe Don a couple of more breakfasts at Fat Apples. Anyway, as he has already mentioned, running through Spring really gave me a foundation for this training that was only partially negated by the extreme situations of the World Cup...

Anyway, as my postings go, this one isn't that much different, at least on a meta-level. I'm lying in bed, I just woke up, and my legs are...ok. They aren't that tired actually. I've found that the last few taper runs have really all been about keeping and finding my pace. Since my feet have been somewhat rejuvenated through rest, they just want to fly ahead of me. My job is to slow them down. There is a dangerous giddiness to that feeling, which is redoubled by its long absence through sheer exhaustion. I know tomorrow I won't feel this good. I know tomorrow I will probably cry. But I like to pretend that the fresh legs will keep me going. Which brings me to my three levels of goals, which are only loosely oriented around time:

Great Result: Finish without walking (4:15)
Totally Cool and I'm Happy With it Result: Walk some, but keep a mostly even pace. (4:30)
There is No Bad Result. I'm Here to Finish if I Walk the Whole Thing: (4:45-5:00)

Anyway, I went to the expo on Thursday to get my gear. I love marathon expos. They really try and foster a sense of community in the participants by asking all of us to blow equally huge wads of money on equally flimsy clothing. ("But it wicks! It wicks the sweat away!", you say.) Did that sound sarcastic? It was sincere. I think I identify through brand culture more now as a runner than when I was in junior high trying to get my mom to buy me Guess jeans. Which never worked.
Unfortunately, they ran out of Früh Kölsch jerseys, so I won't be receiving my free mini-keg of beer at the finish. That's okay though, I have much bigger plans than that, and 5 litres of beer won't even come close to cutting it.
It was actually not that easy to find the expo. The Cologne civic center is slightly larger than most German towns, so we ended up walking most of the way back home just to get around three of the buildings. Once inside though, we found everything pretty easily, especially after Tessa redirected me away from the Smart Car raffle and towards the things I actually needed to pick up. Like my number. (Speaking of which, I will go into detail later about all of the things included in the goodie bag. But Tessa was obviously most pleased with the single-serving box of Wheatabix. This somehow beat out a Sendung mit der Maus rainslicker. I'm only writing this because Tessa inadvertently called them "Wheatabricks", which is a far more apt name for the product than I could ever personally conjure up.)
Anyway, we got home and I've been doing my best not to leave the apartment since. I've labelled the six flights of stairs a health risk, and have decided to stay home and eat healthy food (there are much needed carbs and magnesium in banoffi pie.), while visualizing everything. I have the map downstairs in the living rom, and am trying to figure out the places most likely to cause the most pain. I also have printed out pace bands for my wrists that tell me my timed splits in that indecipherable mess of measurement, the kilometer.
I'll post my race number here later, so you can follow along or check up on my results if I'm too drunk or too dead to post by Monday. I think thats it for now.
Enjoy yourselves bitches. It's a celebration.

More Tapering

I know I have been bad about the posts (none for a week), but it is all part of the zen-like state I have reached in the last week before the marathon. I figure if I acheive something as easy as higher consciousness, then a marathon should be no problem. Running is going well. The times are levelling, and the legs are freshening. Nothing today, five tomorrow, and then two on Friday.
The posts will pick up either tomorrow or Friday, when I go to pick up my gear. Let's all think positive thoughts!

And they're Off!

I ran with the gay boys for the first time in a long time this weekend. It was awesome. I ended up running most of the way by myself, but it was nice to know that at least when someone passed me they were on my team. :-)
It turned out to be a great run. The first couple miles were a little fast, and I felt like I was struggling to finish the last half of the four mile run, but when I crossed the finish line I had actually completed the whole ordeal in 34:36 giving me an 8.67 minute mile. Not bad. I was very happy!!!!

Training for the next marathon begins tomorrow! I have found a perfect marathon and will begin the 16 week training program tomorrow. The race is the San Diego marathon on January 21. Mark your calendars. Steve and I will go down to visit a friend of our's there and I'll simply run the race with them there to cheer me on. I'm pretty excited about the Ultimate Marathon Plan, it really seems doable, especially since I'll be training for this one all by myself. I'll of course, keep all posted as to my goings.

I need some advice though. I've been contemplating the enormity of all of this training and racing, and we are going to be doing even more if we are going to run the Boston. I'm wondering if it wouldn't be a nicer experience to raise money for the bost marathon by taking donations for each marathon run. I haven't fully worked out details in my head, but here's a rough idea: People pledge 1 cent (or more) for each mile run during training and races until the Boston marathon. This means if we accomplish the 2008 marathon we are looking at about a $4.00 donation for each marathon. I figure to qualify it is going to take 3 marathons next year. Include the Boston marathon and each person donates $16. Whaddaya think? I'd probably want to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association or something like it. It just seemed so much more meaningful to run the Bay to Breakers raising money for LLS. I'd love to hear what ya'll think about this half baked plan.

Back in the Groove, I hope!

If there is a lesson for me to take away from the last two months it is this: Learn how to run, Stupid! As all of you know, I've been struggling with knee pain since I ran the race. In the past few weeks I've been able to run further, but not without severe ship pain in my left leg (not the same leg as the injury.) So, I says, "Doc, wassup? I fix one leg now the other hurts." He tells me that I run wrong. When I move my right heel kicks in - thus explaining all the nicks I've always had on my left ankle after running - and it means I don't push off right, putting more force on my left leg. So, now that the knees better we are working on my stance/running form.
Last night was the first try out of the new legs and everything went great. I ran 4 miles. Not a huge run, but he said to build up miles more gradually. I'll be following the Your Ultimate Marathon Plan at Runner's World for my training. And with the upcoming marathon schedule I've got a few weeks before I begin training in earnest. Which means I've got a little time to take off some weight. Did you know that each pound of weight accounts for 25 pounds of pressure on your knees when running? I figure I can lessen that pressure by at least 250 pounds. Here we go!!!

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 40 minutes
Overall Impression: No Shin Splints No Pain No Day But Today! (NSSNPNDBT!)

Taper-City

I am now fully into taper-mode. Even more so than scheduled. Basically, my schedule has been thrown out of whack and I've had to shift the distance runs, whcih mans a run during the week has fallen thorugh twicely. It's okay though. I think I needed those extra two days off, and I've already accumulated many more miles than they prescribed me by replacing a couple of recovery weekend runs with added long distance runs (which may be why my legs are D-E-D, dead).

Yesterday's Run

Distance: 13.16 miles
Time: 1:59:24
Overall Impression: Slower than last halfie, but overall pretty damn good. (STLHBOPDG)


I exploited Tessa's last misadventure with Germanwings to hit up the pharmacy at the airport on Saturday. I attacked them with both a barrage of questions about GI problems with running and demands for drugs to help it. I won't waste people's time explaining why there was a pharmacy at the airport. Just know that the Germans don't like to travel without condoms and skin care products. This is true of train stations as well, and probably true of former zeppelin stations.
After a bit of negotiating, I got a gel-like substance that I was supposed to take before running in order to negate the acidity in my esiphogous, and a liquid derived from various herbs and roots that I mix with water three times daily.
I was not encouraged.
See, Germany is a land of witch-doctors. They have this reputation of scientific know-how and of rational thought funded by Hegel's Dialectic Workshop. The thing is, they really went through the Enlightenment with both eyes closed and their hands covering their ears. Ask anyone. And most unfortunately, this extends to medicine. SO, most pharmacists skip real, modern, training and will regularly prescribe tings that are actually brewed in a kiln in their basement according to time-honored Celtic mumbo jumbo. Ask for aspirin, and you get moss. Regularly.
That was Saturday afternoon. I took everything as "prescribed", and hit the ground on Monday. I must say, I felt good. My legs were relatively fresh, and the burp-o-meter, although active early, left me mostly alone. Even the early problems were benign (i.e., no acid).
I kept an early 8:45 pace, which I intentionally slowed about halfway in due to the logic of the taper. Around ten miles in, I was hit by a few minor problems, but instead of burping up pure, firey, acid, I was burping up chalky gel-like medicine. I oddly preferred the chalk. By the end, I was pleased I clocked it in less than two hours. However, I was shocked yesterday about how tired I was throughout the day. I really thought I would just fly through the run like it was nothing, which really proves that running 18+ miles at a time makes one completely mentally ill.
Which brings us back to the witch doctors. I must say, I ran more relaxed than I have in weeks. This alone is a most important thing for me, because when I'm relaxed I can forget about the running and just coast. When I'm nervous, I'm constantly checking my body for updates in misery, and the time crawls along acccordingly. But I was really relaxed because the drops seemd to be working somewhat. My stomach felt fine. And the gel killed the acid, which meant I didn't have to stop to switch out my esophogous with a lead pipe. And thats a plus in itself. So, who knows? Maybe the witch doctors helped for once. Or maybe it is the first placebo that works in spite of the test subject's determination that it won't work.

Comeonayeahha.

The Burp-O-Meter

While giving some thought to Dayton's Burp-O-Meter I came across this passage in Ultra-Marathon Man, it describes the minutes after his first 50 mile race:
"On shaky legs, I stumbled to the finishers' tent and received a ribbon and a few handshakes and slaps on the back. Then I lumbered painfully to my car. When I plopped down on the leather seats [It's a Lexus LS 400], my legs went strangely cold. Something wasn't right. Then, without warning, the quadriceps and calf muscles of both legs seized in wicked cramps. My torso swung violently left, and then wildly back to the right. My legs were pegged to the floorboard, completely rigid.All ten toes were locked in place, forcefully curled against the soles of my shoes. My calf muscles were tight as baseballs, and my thighs were like solid planks of wood. The pain was mind-bending, pounding, entirely owning every drop of me.
Sweat poured down my face, and I screamed at the top of my lungs. Out of the corner if my eye I could see people casually strolling by my car, totally oblkvious of the situation inside. Apparently the seals that were so effective at keeping noise out were also pretty good at keeping noise in. There was nothing I could do but scream: other than the ability to open my mouth, I was completely immobilized. I yelled louder and louder and louder, but no one outside could tell that I was inside on the verge of blowing apart.
My sreaming was interrupted by a curious belch. Then came a few more burps. Something was rising up inside my stomach. Suddenly my mouth opened and projectile vomit began streaming out. I tried to tilt my head downward toward the floorboard, but I was completely incapable of altering the flow of things. I must have looked like Godzilla blowing fire into the air." - Karnazes, Dean. "Ultramarathon Man". New York : Tarcher / Penguin, 2005. 78-79.

Now, I'm hoping, as Julie said, that Dayton's Burp-O-Meter stops just below this. Anything short of that and I think we are in good shape. :-) I further offer this Abstract as reason not to worry. Basically all information I could find points to the fact that GI problems are unpredictible and not necessarily attached to running.

British Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol 22, Issue 2 71-74, Copyright © 1988 by British Association of Sport and Medicine

ORIGINAL ARTICLES


Gastrointestinal disturbances in marathon runners

C Riddoch and T Trinick
Division of Physical and Health Education, Queen's University, Belfast.

The purpose of this survey was to investigate the prevalence of running- induced gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances in marathon runners. A questionnaire was completed by 471 of the estimated 1,750 competitors in the 1986 Belfast City Marathon. Eighty-three per cent of respondents indicated that they occasionally or frequently suffered one or more GI disturbances during or immediately after running. The urge to have a bowel movement (53%) and diarrhoea (38%) were the most common symptoms, especially among female runners (74% and 68% respectively). Upper GI tract symptoms were experienced more by women than men (p less than 0.05) and more by younger runners than older runners (p less than 0.01). Women also suffered more lower GI tract symptoms than men (p less than 0.05) with younger runners showing a similar trend. Both upper and lower tract symptoms were more common during a "hard" run than an "easy" run (p less than 0.01) and were equally as common both during and after running. Of those runners who suffered GI disturbances, 72% thought that running was the cause and 29% believed their performance to be adversely affected. There was no consensus among sufferers as to the causes of symptoms and a wide variety of "remedies" were suggested. GI disturbances are common amongst long- distance runners and their aetiology is unknown. Medical practitioners should be aware of this when dealing with patients who run.