Ran a 10k in June (2 Viewers)

[gruecd]

Highs here all week in the 90s and humid, with overnight lows in the 70s. Ugh. Should be tons of fun for my first 60-mile week of the cycle. I was gonna run a 5K on Wednesday morning, but the forecast says 80° at 8 AM. Eff that.

And besides, I retired from 5Ks....

 

[Juxtatarot]

Sorry to read about all the disappointing runs this weekend although with the weather I guess it's not surprising.

I was a victim of the heat too. I decided to go on a long run yesterday. I'm not following a training schedule yet, so I wasn't sure how far when I set off, I'd just see how I felt. It was only the second long run I've been on since the marathon a month ago and the first time by myself. I've been kicking around the idea of doing all my long runs 15 seconds per mile faster this season than in the spring. I keep that pace OK but cut myself off after 13.1 miles -- the heat and humidity was too much. I was hoping for 17+. I wish I'd run longer and should have backed off the pace. Oh well. I'll make sure to run longer and slower next weekend.

Two days of rest for me now until my very first 5K on Wednesday. I'm doing the anti-MAC training program with no interval or fast tempo runs whatsoever. We'll see how that goes.

 

[the moops]

About to go for a 20 mile bike to work (not 20 miles away, but the route I will take is 20 miles). I am preparing for my two cycling races at the end of July. Like everywhere else, it is hot and humid. Not sure I am looking forward to it.

 

[pigskinliquors]

We got a gift from my parents, a jogging stroller, with a promise of a double coming at Christmas. Going to start to take the little guy out for runs in the stroller and start training for races with him instead! Should be fun

Some of my fondest moments with both of my daughters included long runs while pushing and listening to them. Giddy'up! Sorry about the race. I fully understand the profanity as visceral responses occur during battle. I liked your plan, and it will work in the future.

A few pics that I snapped on the trail yesterday: Ice Age Trail

Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!

2Young - more adventures for you! Way to hang tough. You HAVE to learn bilateral breathing ...

I'll disagree with this. No need to relearn everything just to get around some bloody bouys. The keys to getting this right are learning sighting and not swimming like Dory.

I agree with both of you for different reasons. I should have added to my RR that the reason they last minute swapped the course was due to the sun being directly east of the beach and rising. The out leg would have been into the teeth of the sun, the switch took the path into the sun too, but at about a 30 degree angle. I had a chance to look at the Garmin data. Without a draft, I did veer off course and the first lap was longer than the first. Using drafting and side siting of other swimmers, I was very tight to the course. I'm with Sand that there are lots of ways to site, without breathing bilaterally. However, not be able to breathe bilaterally crushed me in last week's tri when I was eating wave after wave in my face. If I could have even left side breathed every four strokes, it would have had a huge impact. I tried the whole bilateral thing for two months this winter. I drank about 40 gallons of pool water and monkey ###### my stroke and, honestly, just gave up so I could get a better workout in. I don't have an event with a swim until mid August (10 leg survival tri) so I should do some bilateral work in training swims. September's HIM is an out and back swim square in a bay on Lake Huron. If there are waves. it could make for a miserable 1/2 mile swim back into the wave if I am not able to breathe on the left.

I have also often tried to train for bilateral and truly suck at it. I like Sand's idea of training just left and just right breathing. Notes taken.

Crappy trail run yesterday. Got up and left home around 7:30, so by the time I got to the trail and got started, it was already 75° and humid. I was sleep-deprived and dehydrated going into it, so I should've just taken it easy, but I went way too fast the first half, averaging 8:43/mile for the first nine. Took a couple minutes to gather myself and then headed back, and it was a struggle the whole way. I walked anything that even vaguely resembled an uphill and just tried to run as many of the flats/downhills as I could. Had to stop completely a couple of times because I felt like I was going to pass out. Averaged 10:10 on the way back, for an overall average of 9:27 for the 18 miles.

Ironically, that's right where I wanted the average pace, but I definitely did it the hard way. I have such a hard time pacing myself on the technical stuff. Like 2Young suggested on Facebook, maybe a HRM would help, but like another friend said to me, I really just need to develop more feel for the trail and effort. Hopefully that's something that will come with more experience out there.

To put it in perspective, I weighed 211-212 before the run. During the run, I emptied a 70-oz hydration pack full of water and a 20-oz handheld of Gatorade. Also had a 32-oz bottle of Gatorade afterwards. That's 7.5 pounds of liquid. Weighed 206 when I got home.

7.5 lbs. is mucho-sucky!! Be careful out there.

Highs here all week in the 90s and humid, with overnight lows in the 70s. Ugh. Should be tons of fun for my first 60-mile week of the cycle. I was gonna run a 5K on Wednesday morning, but the forecast says 80° at 8 AM. Eff that.

And besides, I retired from 5Ks....

I wanted to make a snide comment on how nice it it that you are having cool weather(compared to here) but with you getting dangerously close to losing Clydesdale status (and gaining Kenyan status), I thought it best not to mention it. I'm glad I didn't say anything. _____________________________

My update:

I've been on the road for two straight weeks; a conference followed by teaching a Cruise Management Course on board a ship. I literally ate and drank constantly for the 15 days (my intake was quite impressive!), but did get quite a few workouts in. I think I only missed three days. I did quite a bit of cardio (mostly elliptical with some bike and swimming), abs (Ab Ripper X) every other day with lunges on off abs days, and lifted when I had the time (not nearly as heavy as I had been). I was shocked when I stepped on the scale today to see only an additional 4 pounds. I'm hoping to get at least 3 of them gone in the next weeks, prior to heading to WI and IA for RAGBRAI.

I'm also sore as hell today. Saturday (on board) I played in a dodge ball tournament, followed by climbing the ship's rock climbing wall three times, followed by a volleyball tournament and a basketball tournament. I am sore everywhere and am not looking forward to P90 later.

I hope everyone's well. I'll try to get caught up on what's been going on, but the 1,178 new messages in my e-mail in-box suggest that I need to concentrate efforts elsewhere.

 

[the moops]

but the 1,178 new messages in my e-mail in-box suggest that I need to concentrate efforts elsewhere.

ow

 

[gruecd]

I'm doing the anti-MAC training program with no interval or fast tempo runs whatsoever. We'll see how that goes.

Haha. Anti-MACTM.

 

[tri-man 47]

MAC - live and learn. At least you SandedTM the start!

gruecd - good that you were smart and backed off on the trail run. It is a trick to learn the pacing on those, and you'll obviously need to learn to do that!

2Young - Hey, what does Sand know about swimming, anyway? What I liked about bilateral training was that it allowed me to work on a balanced stroke. It feels awkward, as you know, but that emphasizes the fact that we don't work enough on that 'other' side. But I know how resistant you are to trying new things and putting in the effort to develop a useful skill, so don't worry about it. :reversepsychology:

liquors - interesting excursion, there!

--

Followed yesterday's 12 miles with 5 miles of focused hill training. Ran a hilly country road out and back and pushed all the hills hard. I timed the last two and was surprised to see 7:33/mile, even though I ran real easy after each of the hills. Now a bit of rest before Wednesday's 4.5 mile race.

 

[sho nuff]

Highs here all week in the 90s and humid, with overnight lows in the 70s. Ugh. Should be tons of fun for my first 60-mile week of the cycle. I was gonna run a 5K on Wednesday morning, but the forecast says 80° at 8 AM. Eff that.And besides, I retired from 5Ks....

So summer finally got there?I think today is the first in a while the forecast is not 100+.

 

[gruecd]

gruecd - good that you were smart and backed off on the trail run.

It wasn't by choice. I literally couldn't run anymore! I almost puked at the end. It was brutal.

 

[MAC_32]

MAC - live and learn. At least you SandedTM the start!

In the 6 weeks leading up to this race since I started posting in here I was using my Saturday morning run on the way to the gym as a recovery run. I'm thinking of changing that up and making that a hard run with my other hard run being something at the track on Tuesday. Then take the boy out for a long, slow run on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the stroller. The heat definitely got to me, but the more I think about it the more I think my lack of hard morning runs had more of an effect than anything. My legs just couldn't maintain the pace but that hard pace is usually done 12 hours later in the day.

 

[beer 302]

gruecd - good that you were smart and backed off on the trail run.

It wasn't by choice. I literally couldn't run anymore! I almost puked at the end. It was brutal.

Try harder next time, pfft

 

[jb1020]

Did not have it yesterday. Had plenty of fluids all weekend, did not snack Saturday night, and had my morning banana and berries a couple of hours before the race. It was hotter and muggier than I expected at 8 am, so that didn't help. There was plenty of eye candy, so that did help. 350ish people total and a pack of people that were running for sub 18 mins so I had people to run off of.Goal was to #1 get out in 5:45 - 5:50 #2 then get through 2 miles in under 12 mins then #3 go for it. I achieved goal #1 (5:47), took off fast and maintain which was what I was most concerned about not being a morning runner. The majority of the hills are between .5 and 1.5 miles and I feel like I made through all of them how I needed to in order to get 18 flat. I felt like I was cruising towards goal #2 but had a hard time keeping the legs churning once the hills ended around mile 1.5. This was confirmed when I saw the mile 2 times and crossed at 12:12. Ugh. I was at a cruising tempo, but just didn't feel like I was getting the leg stride I needed, and I didn't. There's a brief downhill followed by another one back up right after mile 2 and I saw this as my last opportunity to kick it into gear. I got my stride going downhill, but quickly realized on the way back up that I just didn't have it. Got passed by the only 2 people that did pass me and began to lose touch with the pack I was pacing. The last 3/4 mile is all downhill and while I killed this part last week I did not yesterday. Same problems as earlier, just could not get the stride I needed. All that and the race was 200 yards further than I thought it was! I thought the race started and finished at the gate to a park but actually there was a 100 yard sprint in and out of the park, which makes sense since the entrance is on a busy road. I probably ran the same route as Tuesday (18:30) in a shade under 19 mins but the added 200 meters took me up to 19:26. Definitely not the time I was looking for, but as I told my wife afterwards, I didn't have anything left - that was it - and my race plan was the right one. Oh well, dust myself off and try it again!I plan to get some redemption at a 5k later this year, but in the meantime I am adding a new goal. We got a gift from my parents, a jogging stroller, with a promise of a double coming at Christmas. Going to start to take the little guy out for runs in the stroller and start training for races with him instead! Should be fun

Not what you wanted...but great race for sticking with your plans.Some days it just does not work out (and yeah, the heat and the energy it took on the hills probably just sapped what you did have that day).And awesome on the stroller.

My double stroller is at home, dying to go out for a spin.

 

[Sand]

2Young - Hey, what does Sand know about swimming, anyway? What I liked about bilateral training was that it allowed me to work on a balanced stroke. It feels awkward, as you know, but that emphasizes the fact that we don't work enough on that 'other' side. But I know how resistant you are to trying new things and putting in the effort to develop a useful skill, so don't worry about it. :reversepsychology:

Wasn't trying to be harsh! Just offering an alternative since he drank most of the pool when he tried to learn bilateral. There are a few ways to skin that beast - just gotta find one that works.Got back from the beach - nice days down there. Between Saturday through today I've managed to run 8 miles, bike 52 (including that new power PR!), and swim 2500yds or so. And the swims were in the ocean, which was awesome. I purposely chose to swim along the sandbar out there so I'd get tossed around a bit. So much more fun than a pool swim. Oh, and I tried paddleboarding. Loads of fun, except for the cramped feet (trying to stay on) and torched triceps (from paddling).

 

[pigskinliquors]

gruecd - good that you were smart and backed off on the trail run.

It wasn't by choice. I literally couldn't run anymore! I almost puked at the end. It was brutal.

Try harder next time, pfft

And the swims were in the ocean, which was awesome. I purposely chose to swim along the sandbar out there so I'd get tossed around a bit. So much more fun than a pool swim.

I got in two ocean swims last week. Both were awesome, other than the large gulp of salt water. It did go nicely with the margaritas I had been drinking though __________________

P90ouch. I just did Chest and Back. This is the same workout that seemed effortless less than three weeks ago. It toasted me. I had decent strength through the first round (halfway point), but I couldn't control my breathing the second half and it kicked my ###.

 

[tri-man 47]

2Young - Hey, what does Sand know about swimming, anyway? What I liked about bilateral training was that it allowed me to work on a balanced stroke. It feels awkward, as you know, but that emphasizes the fact that we don't work enough on that 'other' side. But I know how resistant you are to trying new things and putting in the effort to develop a useful skill, so don't worry about it. :reversepsychology:

Wasn't trying to be harsh! Just offering an alternative since he drank most of the pool when he tried to learn bilateral. There are a few ways to skin that beast - just gotta find one that works.Got back from the beach - nice days down there. Between Saturday through today I've managed to run 8 miles, bike 52 (including that new power PR!), and swim 2500yds or so. And the swims were in the ocean, which was awesome. I purposely chose to swim along the sandbar out there so I'd get tossed around a bit. So much more fun than a pool swim. Oh, and I tried paddleboarding. Loads of fun, except for the cramped feet (trying to stay on) and torched triceps (from paddling).

You weren't harsh, you just had a different opinion. And obviously, you do know tons about swimming, aquaman. Great training while at the beach! That's why I love this vacation week of mine at the cottage ...a chance to vary the regular routines in a great setting. You didn't mention any pains during your run, so I hope that's a good sign.

 

[Sand]

2Young - Hey, what does Sand know about swimming, anyway? What I liked about bilateral training was that it allowed me to work on a balanced stroke. It feels awkward, as you know, but that emphasizes the fact that we don't work enough on that 'other' side. But I know how resistant you are to trying new things and putting in the effort to develop a useful skill, so don't worry about it. :reversepsychology:

Wasn't trying to be harsh! Just offering an alternative since he drank most of the pool when he tried to learn bilateral. There are a few ways to skin that beast - just gotta find one that works.Got back from the beach - nice days down there. Between Saturday through today I've managed to run 8 miles, bike 52 (including that new power PR!), and swim 2500yds or so. And the swims were in the ocean, which was awesome. I purposely chose to swim along the sandbar out there so I'd get tossed around a bit. So much more fun than a pool swim. Oh, and I tried paddleboarding. Loads of fun, except for the cramped feet (trying to stay on) and torched triceps (from paddling).

You weren't harsh, you just had a different opinion. And obviously, you do know tons about swimming, aquaman. Great training while at the beach! That's why I love this vacation week of mine at the cottage ...a chance to vary the regular routines in a great setting. You didn't mention any pains during your run, so I hope that's a good sign.

Running is all good. Despite being slower than dirt these days, I'm pain free and actually managed to get in 20 miles last week. That, frankly, is a lot for me considering the heat and the biking I've been doing. Hoping to average 20-25mpw this month. We'll see how that goes.

 

[2Young2BBald]

2Young - Hey, what does Sand know about swimming, anyway? What I liked about bilateral training was that it allowed me to work on a balanced stroke. It feels awkward, as you know, but that emphasizes the fact that we don't work enough on that 'other' side. But I know how resistant you are to trying new things and putting in the effort to develop a useful skill, so don't worry about it. :reversepsychology:

Wasn't trying to be harsh! Just offering an alternative since he drank most of the pool when he tried to learn bilateral. There are a few ways to skin that beast - just gotta find one that works.Got back from the beach - nice days down there. Between Saturday through today I've managed to run 8 miles, bike 52 (including that new power PR!), and swim 2500yds or so. And the swims were in the ocean, which was awesome. I purposely chose to swim along the sandbar out there so I'd get tossed around a bit. So much more fun than a pool swim. Oh, and I tried paddleboarding. Loads of fun, except for the cramped feet (trying to stay on) and torched triceps (from paddling).

You weren't harsh, you just had a different opinion. And obviously, you do know tons about swimming, aquaman. Great training while at the beach! That's why I love this vacation week of mine at the cottage ...a chance to vary the regular routines in a great setting. You didn't mention any pains during your run, so I hope that's a good sign.

FWIW, I didn't find it harsh either, just differing advice. TriMan, get your swim on more on vacation and come do the Sprint Tri at Tawas in Sept. while me, Wraith, Dexter, Turkish, Mark and Pete do 1/2 Iron events. There is rumor of an Edgar possibility and my wife and Mark's are begging the RD for a short course Du.

Took a last minute day off work today and rode 28 around town on the rode bike. I hadn't rode her in a while, so it was fun to putz and tune her up over coffee before riding. Stopped home for lunch and the slapped the kayak on the roof and headed out on the lake for 4 miles. Quickly stopped home for a bite and then off to Baseball Tournament Team practice. We split the kids into 2 teams and scrimmaged with coaches playing the open spots. Kind a cool lining up in the outfield with my son. For those on FB that saw the Rangers League Champs shots, this is the 7th baseball team and probably the 20th overall team I've coached my son and its out first championship. We've lost in the finals of 5 teams that I can remember. With him going into high school next year, I am cherishing every second as this will likely be the last chance I get to coach him. So I figure I did a full triathlon today of Bike/Kayak/Baseball and I am cooked (both literally from sunburn and figuratively fro major fatigue).

 

[gruecd]

10-miler on the roads tonight (8:17/mile) to follow up on yesterday's 18-mile trail debacle. Warm and humid, but I took it nice and easy, and while my legs were definitely tired, it wasn't too horribly bad. These back-to-back longer runs are one of the key components to most ultramarathon training plans. Eventually I'll work my way up from 18/10 to 28/18 or maybe even 30/15.

 

[prosopis]

I did 5.25 miles today. I went 3 miles at 9:41, 1 mile at 9:32, and one mile at 9:23. This is all being done on a treadmill as it is still way to hot in the afternoon when I get off work. I will do a street run Wednesday early am as it should only be in the 80s at 4:00am.

I really do love the desert and I would never move but the summer months are brutal for running.

I am still trying to do the swimming thing. I am happy if I can get from one end of the pool to the other with out touching the ground. My biggest problem is trying to breath when swimming. I cant seem to get a good breath of air with out water. I assume this will get better with practice.

Grue- I love the pics. Do you like the trails better then the streets? I would think trail running would be nicer/funner/more relaxing mentally. I love some of the desert trails out here in the winter.

 

[Sand]

Greeting, gents. I demurred on doing anything yesterday as it was 105 (heat index 115+). Yeesh. Anyway, came down to the beach today and did about 3 hours of good stuff - 35 miles riding, a 20 minute ocean swim, and a 3 mile run. Best part of the day was finally trying out the new bike (she's fast). Did a bit of a time trial in nasty wind - 24 mph average over 6.6 miles (22mph and 27mph on each half - wind was 15+mph). New 15 minute power PR of 288W. Not bad!

Have a good weekend, gents!

Details on the bike please.

I'll post a picture. It is used (i.e. new to me). It flies, though!

BnB - this is the new fastmobile. Got her used and shipped from Cali. Was pretty nervous about delivery, but other than cleaning her for 3 hours she was in the exact shape as advertised. One small scuff. Scored this bike for over half off the new price and it is a year old. Ultegra everything. Only thing I hated was the saddle - that came off after 100 yards. It moves very, very well (and most importantly it looks fast). I'm not done with it, by any means. I don't like the J-aerobars and have some ski bends on order. I need to twiddle with the back brake as I'm not getting anything out of it. This has center-pull brakes, which I've never worked on before. Got a 12-28 cassette coming - the 11-23 on there isn't nearly enough for the hills here. May need a new chain with the new cassette (the chain on this is a Wipperman - I'm now a big fan of these).Funny story - I go out tonight on a family ride, and this was the only bike in rideable condition. So we take off and the bike is rattling like mad. It was a rougher road, so I figure it was internal cabling - ####. I hate dealing with that, as it is almost impossible to stop. So I get home and switch cassettes so I can ride the roadie tomorrow with the PT wheel. This bike is 10 speed, the older ones are 9 speed. I missed the spacers I guess you need on a 10 speed cassette. So this thing was rattling all over the place as the cassette rings were free to move all over the bloody place. I'm shocked she changed gears at all!

The new fastmobile now joins the PBR-mobile. Great frame, great ride.

 

[Ned]

10-miler on the roads tonight (8:17/mile) to follow up on yesterday's 18-mile trail debacle. Warm and humid, but I took it nice and easy, and while my legs were definitely tired, it wasn't too horribly bad. These back-to-back longer runs are one of the key components to most ultramarathon training plans. Eventually I'll work my way up from 18/10 to 28/18 or maybe even 30/15.

Nice. Thanks for the trail pics too. I love that stuff. Ran 10 myself yesterday. Hammies were super crispy </sand> after Sunday's 5K. Humidity was off the charts after t-storms blew thru at 5am. Ended up at 9:26/147 and had to work way harder than usual.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Eventually I'll work my way up from 18/10 to 28/18 or maybe even 30/15.

That sounds brutal. Fun in its own way, but brutal.

 

[beer 302]

Eventually I'll work my way up from 18/10 to 28/18 or maybe even 30/15.

You sir, are nucking futz Glad to be along for the ride/Did 4 today. 72 degrees, 93% humidity at 4:10 am. New PR for me so happy with the run but I think I'm still sweating.

 

[MAC_32]

Got 4 in with the kid in the jogging stroller last night. I enjoyed it and it was about as hard as I imagined it'd be. My boy loved it but...2/3 of the way through he fell asleep! My wife said he didn't nap, but didn't think the jogging stroller would allow him to pass out then! Expected my back and shoulders to be more tender today, but they're not right now so as long as that holds up I'm going to get another 4 in with him tonight before we head to a party.

 

[Clayton Gray]

Hey all. I've been generally lurking in here for most of the year. It's been cool to read race reports, and the vibe in here is terrific. I'd like to give you some background on me and running and then ask some questions.

This will probably be kind of long. Sorry.

First off, my history as a runner: I ran the mile in 7th grade track. Not much of a fan of it, but I sure couldn't sprint. Hello all of the other slow kids.

And we're done. Sure, in the 28 years since, I've made a few feeble attempts at getting into shape and several times "decided to start running." In every case, however, my knees would usually start hurting and sometimes my shins would ache. I attributed this to the idea that running sucked and would just quit. A couple of years ago, I crossed the 200-pound barrier and decided that I didn't want to die a relatively young fatso. I improved my diet and started taking jiu-jitsu and MMA grappling with striking. The pounds did start to come off throughout 2011, but my cardio still lagged behind the average guy I trained with. My instructor said I should start running a couple days a week.

Ugh.

Well, I researched running this time and came up with the idea that my knee and shin problems were possibly due to having a long stride. I mentioned this to my wife, and she said she had noticed all year long that when warming up for class (she's there picking up my son, whose class is before mine) my stride was way longer than everyone else. What an epiphany.

So, since the end of December, I've been getting out there one to three times a week and have built up to three miles at a time. Zero pain, and my cardio is much improved. I'm at a clip of around 8:30/mi on shorter runs and 9:30/mi on my three-mile routes. I'm still not a big fan, but running no longer sucks.

I currently train jiu-jitsu on Mondays and Thursdays and MMA grappling on Tuesdays. These are fairly high-intensity workouts that last an hour and a half. I'll drink at least a liter of water throughout the session and still lose a two to four pounds of sweat. On Saturdays, I'm lifting weights for about 45 minutes doing one set per body part. In the last month or so, I have also averaged running twice a week (usually Wednesday and Sunday) for two or three miles per outing. I'm sleepy a lot, but I attribute that to an affinity for staying up late watching movies and MMA. Except for the sleepiness, I feel really good. Oh, and I'm down almost 30 pounds from my wake-up call of 202.

Now that I'm a runner no longer sedentary, I'm joining the real athletes at my gym for a Tough Mudder on October 13. This will be an 11-mile course with obstacles. That brings me to my questions.

Since I'm locked into my training on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, I would like to schedule running on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. That would make my weekly schedule as follows:

Mon - BJJ

Tue - grappling

Wed - running

Thu - BJJ

Fri - running

Sat - weights

Sun - running

I also looked for a "Beginner to Half-marathon" training guide and have come up with this following for my distances over the next 15 weeks (I'm already in the first week):

Week 01 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 02 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 03 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 04 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 05 -- Sun 4 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 06 -- Sun 5 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 07 -- Sun 6 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 08 -- Sun 7 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 09 -- Sun 4 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 10 -- Sun 8 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 11 -- Sun 9 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 12 -- Sun 6 miles / Wed 5 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 13 -- Sun 9 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 14 -- Sun 7 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 15 -- Sun 6 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri rest - race on Saturday

Question 1 - Since I'll be going 11 miles and not 13.1, should I decrease the mileage (I did change the long run in Week 11 from 10 to 9)?

Question 2 - Is the reasonable? Assuming I back off the late-night TV and get good sleep, can I expect to be able to handle the miles and the work in the gym?

Question 3 - The training guide I copied from had two rest days before the target race. I have jiu-jitsu on Thursday, so should I rest or run on Wednesday in Week 15?

Question 4 - Since my long runs are on Sunday, will my body revolt if I try to go 11 miles on a Saturday?

If you're still reading, thanks.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Kind a cool lining up in the outfield with my son. For those on FB that saw the Rangers League Champs shots, this is the 7th baseball team and probably the 20th overall team I've coached my son and its out first championship.

Awesome 2Y!!

Eventually I'll work my way up from 18/10 to 28/18 or maybe even 30/15.

Insane! I did a 24/10 as my biggest day for my ultra and thought that was nuts.

I did 5.25 miles today. I went 3 miles at 9:41, 1 mile at 9:32, and one mile at 9:23. This is all being done on a treadmill as it is still way to hot in the afternoon when I get off work. I will do a street run Wednesday early am as it should only be in the 80s at 4:00am.

I really do love the desert and I would never move but the summer months are brutal for running.

I am still trying to do the swimming thing. I am happy if I can get from one end of the pool to the other with out touching the ground. My biggest problem is trying to breath when swimming. I cant seem to get a good breath of air with out water. I assume this will get better with practice.

Grue- I love the pics. Do you like the trails better then the streets? I would think trail running would be nicer/funner/more relaxing mentally. I love some of the desert trails out here in the winter.

Pro: your heat trumps everyone else's heat. Be careful. Regarding swimming; keep at it. Breathing takes time and repetition. Work on going slow with good form = little effort. Relax and concentrate on expelling all your air while under water. Baby steps will get you there.

...this is the new fastmobile.

Sweet! I've been looking at Kestrel's on Bikesdirect for quite some time :jealous:

Got 4 in with the kid in the jogging stroller last night. I enjoyed it and it was about as hard as I imagined it'd be. My boy loved it but...2/3 of the way through he fell asleep! My wife said he didn't nap, but didn't think the jogging stroller would allow him to pass out then! Expected my back and shoulders to be more tender today, but they're not right now so as long as that holds up I'm going to get another 4 in with him tonight before we head to a party.

Too cool. Sleeping is a typical result on the jogging stroller. My girls would be all Chatty-Cathy for the first half of the run and entertain me, then I was often blessed with dead silence to end my runs. The tough part is getting them to stay asleep while you enjoy your post run beer _______________________

My update:

Most of my aches are gone today, and have been replaced with good aches from lifting yesterday. I had a terrible start to my desired weight loss, as a few buddies came over last night to welcome me back home. I was just starting Ab Ripper when they arrived (made it to Crunchy-Frog). I bagged the workout to carb load with them Today I'll start with Ab Ripper then do Plyo and hopefully .6 miles x3 intervals later.

 

[MAC_32]

Question 1 - Since I'll be going 11 miles and not 13.1, should I decrease the mileage (I did change the long run in Week 11 from 10 to 9)?Question 2 - Is the reasonable? Assuming I back off the late-night TV and get good sleep, can I expect to be able to handle the miles and the work in the gym?Question 3 - The training guide I copied from had two rest days before the target race. I have jiu-jitsu on Thursday, so should I rest or run on Wednesday in Week 15?Question 4 - Since my long runs are on Sunday, will my body revolt if I try to go 11 miles on a Saturday?If you're still reading, thanks.

#1 - I'm a guppy when it comes to distance training, but my general perception is that the additional miles will only be good for your training#2 - yes, however, you have to work in a rest day. If you plan to do a long run on Sunday then Saturday would be your best bet for a day off. Combine the Friday run and the Satruday weight lifting on Friday.#3 - You absolutely want to rest before a grueling race like this, take Thursday and Friday off the week of the event#4 - nope, just make sure you rest for a couple days beforehandHaving talked with others that have done tough mudder they said the hardest part was mentally getting through the middle portions. The race just beats you up. Since you do such high intensity training 3 times per week I'd look at even increasing the # of miles you run each week, but dial it back a notch in speed. You are going to need your legs (and head) to get through the 2nd part of the race. If your legs go halfway through the 2nd half will be miserable, even if you're an oxe with strength training.Oh, and WELCOME! I haven't been active in here for long but the tips and motivation have been invaluable. Expect tough love though. These guys are experienced and expect the same from others.

 

[pigskinliquors]

I'm down almost 30 pounds from my wake-up call of 202.



Now that I'm a runner.

Since I'm locked into my training on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, I would like to schedule running on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. That would make my weekly schedule as follows:

Mon - BJJ

Tue - grappling

Wed - running

Thu - BJJ

Fri - running

Sat - weights

Sun - running

I also looked for a "Beginner to Half-marathon" training guide and have come up with this following for my distances over the next 15 weeks (I'm already in the first week):

Week 01 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 02 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 03 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 04 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 05 -- Sun 4 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 06 -- Sun 5 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 07 -- Sun 6 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 08 -- Sun 7 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 09 -- Sun 4 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 10 -- Sun 8 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 11 -- Sun 9 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 12 -- Sun 6 miles / Wed 5 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 13 -- Sun 9 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 14 -- Sun 7 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 15 -- Sun 6 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri rest - race on Saturday

Question 1 - Since I'll be going 11 miles and not 13.1, should I decrease the mileage (I did change the long run in Week 11 from 10 to 9)?

Question 2 - Is the reasonable? Assuming I back off the late-night TV and get good sleep, can I expect to be able to handle the miles and the work in the gym?

Question 3 - The training guide I copied from had two rest days before the target race. I have jiu-jitsu on Thursday, so should I rest or run on Wednesday in Week 15?

Question 4 - Since my long runs are on Sunday, will my body revolt if I try to go 11 miles on a Saturday?

If you're still reading, thanks.

Awesome on all counts Clayton!! Your training schedule is quite impressive, and (as fixed above), you are a runner now. Most people cannot run 3 miles, let alone do the training you have been doing Treat working out like you do brushing your teeth = necessary to do every day for your health. I really like your 15 week schedule. I was always a three runs per week trainer with cross-training built in so I'm a fan. Some in here might want you to add a speed run as your third run each week, but for a Tough Mudder, I don't think you necessarily need to work on speed. Regarding your questions:

#1) You could certainly be able to complete the 11 with fewer miles, but getting up to 9 on your longest run is pretty critical IMHO. If you can get those miles in; do it!

#2) Your body will continue to adapt to be able to do more = you will be getting in better, and better shape. You will have more energy and be able to tell people how cool you are bc of the training you do.

#3) I would keep the run in on that last Wednesday, but skip the jiu-jitsu on Thursday.

#4) Your body will be ready to except the 11 mile challenge on a Saturday.

Stick to your plan. If you miss a workout no big deal. Skip a few and you'll get a ####load of HTFU's from this group. Post each workout in here to keep yourself honest. Lots of great dudes in this thread (why can't we get just one freaking dudette ) that will help keep you inline. Welcome to the thread, and welcome to a fit lifestyle!

 

[Sand]

Question 1 - Since I'll be going 11 miles and not 13.1, should I decrease the mileage (I did change the long run in Week 11 from 10 to 9)?Question 2 - Is the reasonable? Assuming I back off the late-night TV and get good sleep, can I expect to be able to handle the miles and the work in the gym?Question 3 - The training guide I copied from had two rest days before the target race. I have jiu-jitsu on Thursday, so should I rest or run on Wednesday in Week 15?Question 4 - Since my long runs are on Sunday, will my body revolt if I try to go 11 miles on a Saturday?If you're still reading, thanks.

#1 - I'm a guppy when it comes to distance training, but my general perception is that the additional miles will only be good for your training

This is true, and given that Clayton is doing obstacles in the middle of this run I'd just train for the 13.1 and not overthink this too much. The obstacles will add a lot of stress to this race that can't be adequately anticipated.

 

[beer 302]

http://www.halhigdon.com/training/

Using the Intermediate half training from this site Clayton, lot of different programs on there if you want to take a look but i think you're training program is solid as-is. Key is to just stick with it and keep posting in here, these guys will keep you on the path of righteousness

 

[IvanKaramazov]

So, since the end of December, I've been getting out there one to three times a week and have built up to three miles at a time. Zero pain, and my cardio is much improved. I'm at a clip of around 8:30/mi on shorter runs and 9:30/mi on my three-mile routes. I'm still not a big fan, but running no longer sucks.

I'm headed out for a while so I don't have time to comment on the rest (others have already answered your questions well). But the important thing is that the really hard part is behind you. Training up to 3-4 continuous, comfortable miles is tough. Adding mileage after that isn't necessarily easy, but each extra mile gets progressively easier as you go along. Congratulations.

 

[Clayton Gray]

Thanks, guys. Great to know my plan is reasonable. Will definitely post updates for the next 15 weeks. Actually looking forward to it.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Question 1 - Since I'll be going 11 miles and not 13.1, should I decrease the mileage (I did change the long run in Week 11 from 10 to 9)?Question 2 - Is the reasonable? Assuming I back off the late-night TV and get good sleep, can I expect to be able to handle the miles and the work in the gym?Question 3 - The training guide I copied from had two rest days before the target race. I have jiu-jitsu on Thursday, so should I rest or run on Wednesday in Week 15?Question 4 - Since my long runs are on Sunday, will my body revolt if I try to go 11 miles on a Saturday?If you're still reading, thanks.

#1 - I'm a guppy when it comes to distance training, but my general perception is that the additional miles will only be good for your training

This is true, and given that Clayton is doing obstacles in the middle of this run I'd just train for the 13.1 and not overthink this too much. The obstacles will add a lot of stress to this race that can't be adequately anticipated.

Some quick advice tag on, I'd do your weekly long runs on trails if you have the opportunity to do so. I know quite a few folks that have done Tough Mudders. The trail runners loved the event, the pavement runners hated it and wished they'd done some or more trail training. Strength wise, you other training should be enough to get you through. Hopefully, you have a couple of beasts on your Mudder Team for a couple of the team obstacles.

 

[gruecd]

Eventually I'll work my way up from 18/10 to 28/18 or maybe even 30/15.

Insane! I did a 24/10 as my biggest day for my ultra and thought that was nuts.

Those are back-to-back days (i.e., Saturday/Sunday), not all in one day. If you did both in one day, then it was nuts (says the guy who's doing a 6-person, 200-mile race next month)!

 

[sho nuff]

I'm down almost 30 pounds from my wake-up call of 202.



Now that I'm a runner.

Since I'm locked into my training on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, I would like to schedule running on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. That would make my weekly schedule as follows:

Mon - BJJ

Tue - grappling

Wed - running

Thu - BJJ

Fri - running

Sat - weights

Sun - running

I also looked for a "Beginner to Half-marathon" training guide and have come up with this following for my distances over the next 15 weeks (I'm already in the first week):

Week 01 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 02 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 03 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 04 -- Sun 3 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 05 -- Sun 4 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 06 -- Sun 5 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 07 -- Sun 6 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 08 -- Sun 7 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 09 -- Sun 4 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 4 miles

Week 10 -- Sun 8 miles / Wed 4 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 11 -- Sun 9 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 12 -- Sun 6 miles / Wed 5 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 13 -- Sun 9 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 5 miles

Week 14 -- Sun 7 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri 3 miles

Week 15 -- Sun 6 miles / Wed 3 miles / Fri rest - race on Saturday

Question 1 - Since I'll be going 11 miles and not 13.1, should I decrease the mileage (I did change the long run in Week 11 from 10 to 9)?

Question 2 - Is the reasonable? Assuming I back off the late-night TV and get good sleep, can I expect to be able to handle the miles and the work in the gym?

Question 3 - The training guide I copied from had two rest days before the target race. I have jiu-jitsu on Thursday, so should I rest or run on Wednesday in Week 15?

Question 4 - Since my long runs are on Sunday, will my body revolt if I try to go 11 miles on a Saturday?

If you're still reading, thanks.

Awesome on all counts Clayton!! Your training schedule is quite impressive, and (as fixed above), you are a runner now. Most people cannot run 3 miles, let alone do the training you have been doing Treat working out like you do brushing your teeth = necessary to do every day for your health. I really like your 15 week schedule. I was always a three runs per week trainer with cross-training built in so I'm a fan. Some in here might want you to add a speed run as your third run each week, but for a Tough Mudder, I don't think you necessarily need to work on speed. Regarding your questions:

#1) You could certainly be able to complete the 11 with fewer miles, but getting up to 9 on your longest run is pretty critical IMHO. If you can get those miles in; do it!

#2) Your body will continue to adapt to be able to do more = you will be getting in better, and better shape. You will have more energy and be able to tell people how cool you are bc of the training you do.

#3) I would keep the run in on that last Wednesday, but skip the jiu-jitsu on Thursday.

#4) Your body will be ready to except the 11 mile challenge on a Saturday.

Stick to your plan. If you miss a workout no big deal. Skip a few and you'll get a ####load of HTFU's from this group. Post each workout in here to keep yourself honest. Lots of great dudes in this thread (why can't we get just one freaking dudette ) that will help keep you inline. Welcome to the thread, and welcome to a fit lifestyle!

Pretty much agree with everything PSL said.

 

[tri-man 47]

TriMan, get your swim on more on vacation and come do the Sprint Tri at Tawas in Sept. while me, Wraith, Dexter, Turkish, Mark and Pete do 1/2 Iron events. There is rumor of an Edgar possibility and my wife and Mark's are begging the RD for a short course Du.

Well, after a year off from any swimming, I was able to do a comfortable 20 minute (1/2 mile+?) lake swim today. The sprint tri is only 500m (maybe 11 minutes). And looking at last year's results, first in my age group was over 1:30 since the serious racers were doing the 1/2-IM. I think I could shoot for 1:15-1:20 (or 1:14 to beat Mark's time ). Hmmm.....Prosopis - take it slow with the swim. As mentioned, focus on exhaling fully when the head is down, then rotate the upper body (not just the neck) to get the next breath.

Clayton - neat that you'll be doing a Mudder! I want to do one of those in the near future. An advantage you have for that event is the strength training and flexibility you gain from your other workouts. That will offset some of the newby-ness of the running. I agree on getting a rest day (or maybe use it for stretching/yoga to loosen up). When training heavily, the secret for me is a mid-day 15 minute nap. But that might just be old age ...

 

[sho nuff]

Compressed schedule today with plans all day with the kids.

Got in 4.5

.5 warmup

then 3 miles in 8:39, 8:36, 8:30

1 mile cool down

Will get some more work in at the pool this afternoon with the kids.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Eventually I'll work my way up from 18/10 to 28/18 or maybe even 30/15.

Insane! I did a 24/10 as my biggest day for my ultra and thought that was nuts.

Those are back-to-back days (i.e., Saturday/Sunday), not all in one day. If you did both in one day, then it was nuts (says the guy who's doing a 6-person, 200-mile race next month)!

Nope. That was a Sunday/Monday and it was HUGE mileage for me. For my marathons I always peaked around 40 miles per week. You doing 45 in two days in freakish to me. I also hardly EVER ran back to back days, as I ran only 3x per week. Those two days were brutal on my whole body, but great for my psyche on race day.

 

[BassNBrew]

Eventually I'll work my way up from 18/10 to 28/18 or maybe even 30/15.

Insane! I did a 24/10 as my biggest day for my ultra and thought that was nuts.

Those are back-to-back days (i.e., Saturday/Sunday), not all in one day. If you did both in one day, then it was nuts (says the guy who's doing a 6-person, 200-mile race next month)!

Nope. That was a Sunday/Monday and it was HUGE mileage for me. For my marathons I always peaked around 40 miles per week. You doing 45 in two days in freakish to me. I also hardly EVER ran back to back days, as I ran only 3x per week. Those two days were brutal on my whole body, but great for my psyche on race day.

I peaked at 3 hr Saturday, 6 hr Sunday. Both were on the trail runs. Surprisingly that didn't beat me up as much as my first 5 hour run. That said, I was only running 1-2 times during the week.

 

[MAC_32]

Carrying this over from the MyFitnessPal thread

Start running and punish yourself with more running whenever you cheat.If you hate running you'll correct your diet issues fast.I love food and beer so I run, a lot.

Have you ever mentioned this in the 10k thread? This explains a lot

Well played, 302. Before grue bursts a gasket when I post my runs over the next week I am going to a birthday party tonight, have 4th of July tomorrow, am in a wedding this weekend, and then going to another birthday party Sunday. Lots of food, lots of booze. So I will be running hard and often over the next week. I promise it will be brutal as all hell and I will try my best not to get injured

 

[IvanKaramazov]

So I followed up yesterday's tempo run with a 10 mile GA run today. I actually considered doing this one indoors, but it wasn't that hot (~80) and more importantly it was overcast, so I decided to go ahead and stay outside. The first six miles felt great, but then the sun came out and it's like I could feel my head cooking. I can't get over how big a difference the sun makes. This is a real disadvantage for us head-shavers. For four more miles though it was not that big a deal and I finished feeling relatively good, all things considered.

The good: Is there a better feeling in the world than pounding back a nearly-frozen bottle of Powerade after a hot, muggy 10-miler? No.

The bad: Now that my running clothes are getting soaked on a regular basis, I need to get more consistent with the body glide. My thighs are starting to get pretty chaffed.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Carrying this over from the MyFitnessPal thread

Start running and punish yourself with more running whenever you cheat.If you hate running you'll correct your diet issues fast.I love food and beer so I run, a lot.

Have you ever mentioned this in the 10k thread? This explains a lot

Well played, 302. Before grue bursts a gasket when I post my runs over the next week I am going to a birthday party tonight, have 4th of July tomorrow, am in a wedding this weekend, and then going to another birthday party Sunday. Lots of food, lots of booze. So I will be running hard and often over the next week. I promise it will be brutal as all hell and I will try my best not to get injured

I have a gal friend who is a body builder and she keeps telling me that 80% of what you look like is caused by what you eat/drink; and only 20% from how you workout. I'm proud to have 20% of me look great as I suck at the 80% ______________________________My update: I just had a GREAT workout which consisted of:.6 mile run [7:18 pace, AVE HR 148; Max HR 165]Ab Ripper X [16:05; HR would dip to 115'ish between each set and get to 130'ish during].6 mile run [7:14 pace; AVE HR 167; Max HR 174]Plyo X [59:00; HR maxed around 165; stayed above 130 for most].6 mile run [6:53 pace; AVE HR 174; Max HR 197] Total workout was right at 90 minutes and I ran between each set (transition). It felt good to actually "run" during that last interval. I think next time I'll do an extra interval before the brief plyo cool down; do the cool down; then run a 4th interval on dead, dead tired legs.

 

[MAC_32]

Carrying this over from the MyFitnessPal thread

Start running and punish yourself with more running whenever you cheat.If you hate running you'll correct your diet issues fast.I love food and beer so I run, a lot.

Have you ever mentioned this in the 10k thread? This explains a lot

Well played, 302. Before grue bursts a gasket when I post my runs over the next week I am going to a birthday party tonight, have 4th of July tomorrow, am in a wedding this weekend, and then going to another birthday party Sunday. Lots of food, lots of booze. So I will be running hard and often over the next week. I promise it will be brutal as all hell and I will try my best not to get injured

I have a gal friend who is a body builder and she keeps telling me that 80% of what you look like is caused by what you eat/drink; and only 20% from how you workout. I'm proud to have 20% of me look great as I suck at the 80% ______________________________My update: I just had a GREAT workout which consisted of:.6 mile run [7:18 pace, AVE HR 148; Max HR 165]Ab Ripper X [16:05; HR would dip to 115'ish between each set and get to 130'ish during].6 mile run [7:14 pace; AVE HR 167; Max HR 174]Plyo X [59:00; HR maxed around 165; stayed above 130 for most].6 mile run [6:53 pace; AVE HR 174; Max HR 197] Total workout was right at 90 minutes and I ran between each set (transition). It felt good to actually "run" during that last interval. I think next time I'll do an extra interval before the brief plyo cool down; do the cool down; then run a 4th interval on dead, dead tired legs.

Yep. I looked my best right before I met my now wife because I ate well, didn't drink much, AND exercised. My wife's friends and family aren't what I'd call - erm - health nuts. I've adapted and it's added an extra 5 lbs of bad weight, just had to make some adjustments so I don't go too overboard. Very strict diet at work and zero eating out during the week. My wife or I cook everything at home when we don't go out and the extent of our boxed and bagged food is what we have for the little guy, some popsicles to cure our night time sugar fix, and popcorn to take care of the salt fix. That way we don't have to worry about the intake at our social gatherings. I just make up for it on the road when we have busy weeks like this one!Way to rock that workout pigskin, I'm sure that last .6 miles was pure hell.

 

[2Young2BBald]

So I followed up yesterday's tempo run with a 10 mile GA run today. I actually considered doing this one indoors, but it wasn't that hot (~80) and more importantly it was overcast, so I decided to go ahead and stay outside. The first six miles felt great, but then the sun came out and it's like I could feel my head cooking. I can't get over how big a difference the sun makes. This is a real disadvantage for us head-shavers. For four more miles though it was not that big a deal and I finished feeling relatively good, all things considered.

The good: Is there a better feeling in the world than pounding back a nearly-frozen bottle of Powerade after a hot, muggy 10-miler? No.

The bad: Now that my running clothes are getting soaked on a regular basis, I need to get more consistent with the body glide. My thighs are starting to get pretty chaffed.

There really needs to be a special racing division for people with this disadvantage!!!

 

[Sand]

.6 mile run [6:53 pace; AVE HR 174; Max HR 197]

You and Wraith sittin' in a tree... 'cause y'all are both hummingbirds!

 

[Sand]

So I followed up yesterday's tempo run with a 10 mile GA run today. I actually considered doing this one indoors, but it wasn't that hot (~80) and more importantly it was overcast, so I decided to go ahead and stay outside. The first six miles felt great, but then the sun came out and it's like I could feel my head cooking. I can't get over how big a difference the sun makes. This is a real disadvantage for us head-shavers. For four more miles though it was not that big a deal and I finished feeling relatively good, all things considered.

The good: Is there a better feeling in the world than pounding back a nearly-frozen bottle of Powerade after a hot, muggy 10-miler? No.

The bad: Now that my running clothes are getting soaked on a regular basis, I need to get more consistent with the body glide. My thighs are starting to get pretty chaffed.

There really needs to be a special racing division for people with this disadvantage!!!

So now Gru gets a double handicap? "And now, let us present the champion of the under 40, Clydesdale, folically challenged division..."

 

[2Young2BBald]

So I followed up yesterday's tempo run with a 10 mile GA run today. I actually considered doing this one indoors, but it wasn't that hot (~80) and more importantly it was overcast, so I decided to go ahead and stay outside. The first six miles felt great, but then the sun came out and it's like I could feel my head cooking. I can't get over how big a difference the sun makes. This is a real disadvantage for us head-shavers. For four more miles though it was not that big a deal and I finished feeling relatively good, all things considered.

The good: Is there a better feeling in the world than pounding back a nearly-frozen bottle of Powerade after a hot, muggy 10-miler? No.

The bad: Now that my running clothes are getting soaked on a regular basis, I need to get more consistent with the body glide. My thighs are starting to get pretty chaffed.

There really needs to be a special racing division for people with this disadvantage!!!

So now Gru gets a double handicap? "And now, let us present the champion of the under 40, Clydesdale, folically challenged division..."

At least he'd be racing in a division with a legit handicap and not one that rewards racers for just being tall.

 

[sho nuff]

some popsicles to cure our night time sugar fix, and popcorn to take care of the salt fix.

Big fan of popsicles.Sugar free and low calorie.That and sugar free jello or pudding snacks are my night time sweet fix.Almonds, a little popcorn (I won't let myself eat that much of it...used to make a bag of microwave corn and devour the whole bag...now I let my wife make a bag and I take a small bowl of it, all bets are off tomorrow at the $1 movies with the kids).Anyway...those two and sunflower seeds are my salt fix.And I keep a bag of dove dark chocolate and allow myself to have one every now and then (usually with popcorn as chocolate and salt go so darn good together).

 

[pigskinliquors]

So I followed up yesterday's tempo run with a 10 mile GA run today. I actually considered doing this one indoors, but it wasn't that hot (~80) and more importantly it was overcast, so I decided to go ahead and stay outside. The first six miles felt great, but then the sun came out and it's like I could feel my head cooking. I can't get over how big a difference the sun makes. This is a real disadvantage for us head-shavers. For four more miles though it was not that big a deal and I finished feeling relatively good, all things considered.

The good: Is there a better feeling in the world than pounding back a nearly-frozen bottle of Powerade after a hot, muggy 10-miler? No.

The bad: Now that my running clothes are getting soaked on a regular basis, I need to get more consistent with the body glide. My thighs are starting to get pretty chaffed.

There really needs to be a special racing division for people with this disadvantage!!!

So now Gru gets a double handicap? "And now, let us present the champion of the under 40, Clydesdale, folically challenged division..."

At least he'd be racing in a division with a legit handicap and not one that rewards racers for just being tall.

Those long strides are really difficult to deal with. What about those with lots of hair? The lack of wind resistance has to be a HUGE handicap. I'd like to see a Hairy Clydesdale's division. Being bald is easily cured with a hat. Being hairy takes a lot of shaving.

 

[Sand]

At least he'd be racing in a division with a legit handicap and not one that rewards racers for just being tall.

Yeah, but bald = naturally aerodynamic and hydrodynamic.