I had to laugh at this one. I get this question a lot, especially by the folks at work that try to wrap their brains around running for three hours, riding for six, or swimming for two (not that I’ve done the last two this year, but it’s happened).
I don’t wear headphones. I don’t listen to music.
Except what’s playing on mental radio.
I agree with Frazz. I’ve got to hear what’s going on around me. And music is too much of a distraction.
Every time I run a race, I am reminded of why it’s a good idea to not wear headphones. Little islands unto themselves, runners with headphones take hard right turns with no warning so they can get a cup of water or get to the curb to tie their shoe. They cross center lines on the (open) road, not hearing the car on the other side, just so they can jog with a bit more space (even loud screams couldn’t get this guy’s attention).
I understand the desire to distract oneself from the discomfort and pain. I do wear them when I’m on a dreadmill or trainer. But never outside.
I must be one of the old diehards that this NY Times article is referring to.
I’m not a religious person, by any stretch of the imagination. But that doesn’t mean that I’m ignorant in the ways of the major religions.
I do accept that there are some things that are not ours to know.
Jim Vance posted an ESPN video documenting Ryan Shay’s life and the impact of his death on his family and community. One can’t help but be moved by it.
Especially rough is the pain and questioning of our friend’s death, which was just two weeks ago today. We were glad that Goddess was able to make it to Colorado to help the family attend to his wife and two lovely daughters, aged 3 and 5. Thoughts of him and his family helped me get through some tough moments during Saturday’s marathon.
We found out yesterday that she’s pregnant with their third child.
Ok, maybe not all 13.1 miles, but a good chunk of them.
This morning was the Tom King 1/2 Marathon in Nashville. As forecast, we got there just in time for the thunderstorms to roll in. At 7am, in a driving rain and occasional clap of thunder, Goddess started her very first 5K, which she smoked with a 39:24!
While she was running, I warmed up under the overhang of LP Field, which is where the Tennessee Titans play. I’m not a football fan, so I won’t insert any comments about whether they play or not. If you do, I’ll shrug, since it doesn’t mean anything to me.
Lots of warming up, lots of stretching, then a run inside the stadium to watch her finish. For both races, the finish line was on the east side 50-yard line, after entering the stadium on the northwest corner and then running the perimeter of the field. Quite a unique finish, with everyone’s sprint displayed on the Jumbotron. Here’s the view, with the final turn before the final 50 yards:
So at 8am we started the 1/2 marathon. A nasty start at that -> 48F, pouring rain and a good flash of lighting right before the gun went off, with the course turning into a 5-10mph wind after the first 1/2 mile. Good stuff! Starting off at a very comfortable 8:18 pace, I was right where I wanted to be, slowly warming up and then picking up the pace for a 1:45 finish, which needed a 8:00 average pace to pull off. That’s a pace I’m comfortable with for 10 miles on training runs, so I knew I’d have to push it a bit to go the full 13.1. But it’s a race, so isn’t that the idea?
I typically take several miles to warm up, often not feeling supple and smooth until the 5-6 mile range. Well, that never happened. For the next 10 miles, my average pace dropped a very even 5 seconds per mile, then I flattened out at a 9:02 average pace for the last 2.1 miles. I just never warmed up.
Before the start, I made the decision not to wear a jacket, since I heat up so quickly. So I was wearing an UnderArmour compression shirt under a long-sleeve technical running shirt. That wasn’t a bad decision, since I was pushing the arms up after mile 9 and was quite warm above the waist. Below the waist was where the train wreck occurred.
Down there I was wearing UnderArmour compression shorts under a pair of Nike running shorts. The quads were half-covered, but apparently not enough. I chose not to wear tights since I do heat up so quick; plus I didn’t want to deal with them soaking up water and making my legs heavier than my soaked shoes and socks (layered Injinji and Thorlo) would be.
For the first 8 miles, I wasn’t uncomfortable, but the legs were giving what they could (cue Scotty - “I’m giving it all I can, Captain”). At 8.1 miles, the fun began. The knee pain that cut short my run last Sunday reappeared. Luckily it wasn’t the stabbing pain that it was on Sunday, just an ache. Something to keep an eye on, so I pressed forward. Another mile or so down the path and I could feel both of my hamstrings start to tighten. Again, nothing significant, just something to keep an eye on. During these miles, my average pace was only dropping about 2 seconds/mile, so it wasn’t any significant discomfort.
As soon as the ache went away in my right knee, my left ITB started tightening up, which pulled on my left glute and made for a fun couple of strides. As fast as it appeared, it disappeared. And that’s when the right ITB pulled the same stunt. I tell you, I had a stinkin’ Rolodex of pains going on. The legs just spun the wheel and pulled whatever card showed. Fargin’ Bastages!
Like I said earlier, the goal was 1:45. Well, that slipped away. So I then hoped for a PR of faster than 1:49:38, which I set last October. That slipped away, so then I hoped to beat my January time of 1:55:46. Well, that slipped away, too. So then it was all out to come in under 2 hours. The trick was that I wasn’t sure what my time was. My Garmin turned off for about three-tenths of a mile between 9.5 and 10 miles, probably when I was pushing my sleeves up.
I snuck it in at 1:59:44. 60 of 91 in my A/G; 480 of 939 O/A. Here’s Goddess’ capture of me just yards out of the finish chute:
Afterwards I told Goddess that I was going to change my tagline of “Races are a celebration of me being fit” to “Races are proof I’m too stupid to give up“. Quite a bit of frustration there, especially since I’ve been very diligent about stretching, especially my glutes, on a daily basis. But as the day wore on, my normal over-analysis of every run made me realize that I just never warmed up during the race, even though I did a warm up and headed out at a good clip.
The Good -
- My Injinji. After first wearing them at my marathon last month and coming out completely unscathed, meaning absolutely no blisters at all, I bought another pair. Since my foot moved around so much during the marathon, I used the Injinji as a liner inside my Thorlos. Even with completely soaked feet, not so much as a hint of a blister today. Those socks ROCK!
- The fine gentlemen at the turn around point @ 6.21 miles. Runner’s choice of Michelob Ultra or Amber Bock. The bock for me, thank you. And since it was just an ounce or so, it didn’t impact my run. But it sure tasted good, even though it wasn’t even 9am yet.
The Bad -
Did you not just read my post above?
The Ugly -
- Not a single thing. Even the weather really wasn’t that bad. I don’t mind running in a driving rain. I just wish I had warmed up.
I’ll keep stretching and rolling and hopefully I’ll loosen up for the Country Music Marathon next month. But I’m not betting on it.
Looking forward to tomorrow. I’ll spend a few hours casting Wooly Buggers in front of a few browns and rainbows. I may even catch one.
(ohhhh, there’s a gazillion ways this post could go with a title like that, but we’ll stay on topic)
Today was my scheduled long run for the week. Not going to happen.
I sit here at the computer desk and look across the field. An unusual field of white for around here. I measured 7″ on the patio and had to put on boots to trek out to pick up the morning paper. The nearby weather station measured 6″.
This area is definitely not built or prepared for snow like this. But at least we have power. There’s enough water content in the snow that the short trek out for the paper soaked the bottom of my comfy pants. So any run would leave me with soaked shoes before the end of the block. And it’s 25 degrees.
The other option would be to find a plowed road and hope for the best.
Not gonna happen.
I have my doubts on the quality of the roads at the moment. I’ve seen a few cars go by, but those are the folks I don’t want to be near. I was driving home from work in it last night; the folks here definitely don’t know how to drive in it. I appreciate being cautious, but driving in a driving snow at 10mph, when visibility is still a mile or better, creates more of a hazard than driving faster.
Isn’t it funny how everyone says that the people in their area can’t drive in (insert weather phenomenon here). Or, (Insert city here) has the “worst drivers” in the world.
I can speak with first-hand knowledge that the world’s worst drivers are actually in Panama City, Panama. I’ve been in some pretty horrific traffic situations in Cairo, Boston, Seoul, LA, Atlanta, Venice and many other places in the world. But the Panamanians have y’all beat. Hands down.
Anyway, the smart thing to do today is shift schedules and do my normal Sunday catch-up on school work. The run will be there tomorrow. And the roads will be clearer.
I think this guy’s got the right idea about how the season’s being celebrated by the masses. Damn shame, too. Goddess and I shake our heads at the news coverage and the interviews with people. What really floored me was reading an article recently where a guy admitted that he took out a home equity line of credit just to fund this Christmas. Crazy! (I really wish I could find that link again).
Goddess and I have many reasons to be joyful throughout the year, so we look at Christmas as just another day; every day we wake up and fall asleep together is a great day.
She’s making the brine right now to soak the turkey that I’ll smoke tomorrow. I still don’t think that qualifies as an event, since it’s something we do a couple of times a year.
On another note, I just found out that I won this year’s game, so I’m quite pleased. It’s a game that is played throughout the year and the results aren’t known until the last couple of weeks of the year. It’s the tax game. And my game is to come as close to zero as possible. We came out only a Jackson away from that target, so that’s a win!
And in case you’re wondering, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a plus-Jackson or minus-Jackson. It’s just like trying to hit the bullseye. That’s right - no refund or payment is a complete win. That’s the target, but it is difficult to hit. Although one day I’d love to see a single-digit number.
We do wish each and every one of you a joyous season, whatever your beliefs. And here’s hoping that 2008 is a year in which you find joy and prosperity. So get out there and celebrate the real reasons for the season. I’m off to give Goddess a hug.
Absolutely freakin’ amazing. Some Hash House Harriers do what they do all the time, sending an ignorant township’s leaders into a tizzy. Instead of facing a felony conviction, they pay $4,000 as a plea bargain.
People have lost their paranoid, freakin’ minds.
Perhaps, using prosecutor Marc Ramia’s words, we should prosecute all fast food joints because the spreading of such food “creates a dangerous situation for the public, who are not aware of what the substance is.”
</rant>
Full text follows:
Flour-sprinkling joggers out of trouble
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Charges have been dropped against two siblings who inadvertently caused a bioterrorism scare when they sprinkled flour in a parking lot to mark a trail for their offbeat running club.
New Haven ophthalmologist Daniel Salchow, 36, and his sister, Dorothee, 31, who was visiting from Hamburg, Germany, had been charged with first-degree breach of peace, a felony.
The charges were dropped Thursday after Daniel Salchow agreed he and his sister would donate $4,000 to local charities. Prosecutors could reopen the case if the Salchows do the same thing again in the next 13 months.
Dorothee has returned to Germany and prosecutors agreed not to require her to appear in court.
The siblings set off the scare while organizing a run for a local chapter of the Hash House Harriers, a worldwide group that bills itself as a “drinking club with a running problem.”
“Hares” are given the task of marking a trail to direct runners, throwing in some dead ends and forks as challenges. In August, the Salchows decided to route runners through an IKEA furniture store parking lot.
Police fielded a call that someone was sprinkling powder on the ground. The store was evacuated and remained closed the rest of the night. The incident prompted a massive response from police in New Haven and surrounding towns.
Daniel Salchow biked back to IKEA when he heard there was a problem and told officers the powder was just flour, which he said he and his sister have sprinkled everywhere from New York to California without incident.
Daniel Salchow and his attorney, Michael Jefferson, said they were pleased with the resolution but still believe authorities overreacted.
“We felt all along it was an innocent activity,” Jefferson said.
Many fellow runners sent letters of protest over the Salchows’ arrest, but New Haven officials maintain their response was warranted.
Prosecutor Marc Ramia said in court Thursday that spreading such material “creates a dangerous situation for the public, who are not aware of what the substance is.”
Let me explain - I’m working a slow, slow night shift. So I’ve plugged in to EndurancePlanet.com to catch up on podcasts. The one I’m specifically listening to right now is from September 26th and relates to Race Shirt Etiquette. It’s an interesting one, since I’ve thought about whether or not I should wear my pullover from my DNF.
Anyway, at about 9:37 into the commentary, Ben brought up a point that got me to thinking about the start of my DNF. Ben states “…Never wear a shirt that is so old, thin and threadbare that you can see the color of your nipples or chest hair through it.” Good rule, don’tcha think?
So why did the rule immediately make me think about the guy at the start of my DNF, standing in the lake, just deep enough that his coin purse could get wet, in a Speedo that was so thin you could actually see the color of his ass hair?
What else does a movie need? Oh yeah, some funny writers, which they definitely took advantage of. I know there are some parents that now have to go home and explain a few phrases to their 7 and 8 year olds. Ummmm, that’s why it’s a PG-13 movie, folks. The ratings are there for a reason.
Best line of the movie? “It’s a robot. You know, like a super advanced robot. It’s probably Japanese.“
Oh, and I have a beef with Carmike theaters, who decided to show a full 30 minutes of commercials and trailers before starting the movie. Enough is enough. I pay to see the movie, not watch TV commercials and 15 trailers for movies that won’t be released until 2008.
