my new toy, and our first run

blog for events on 31JUL09

T convinced me that it would be OK for me to get a Garmin 305, so after some shopping around, i bought one through Amazon.com. Since i saved so much $$ (almost 45%!!!) i had it shipped express, and got it last evening. A quick glance through the instruction book, and then plugged it in to charge overnight. the device only requires 3 hours to charge, but what the heck.

got up this morning, ate a bagel with creamed cheese, drank a cuppa coffee, and got ready to go. of course, as soon as i pulled into the little parking area it began to POUR. i strapped on the HRM, switched my watch to the right, and fastened the 305 to my left wrist. off i went.

the trail shoots up pretty quickly, and soon i could feel my heart trying desperately to pound its way out of my chest. a glance at the 305 read 90bpm.

really. 90. hmmmm....i smell a rat!

turns out that i had the strap too low, and the signal was false. once i fixed that, the heart rate shot right up to around 160-170-180!!! range. ah. sometimes too much information is a BAD thing....

on i ran.

rain, rain, rain.

run, run, run.

passed 6 hikers headed the other way. they were soaked, as was i, but they didn't have smiles on their faces (nor stars upon thars). all had biggie packs that had rain jackets, and wore heavy boots. i was very happy that i had chosen my Adidas for the run. they shed water very quickly, and don't get heavy or soggy when wet. I only walked a few times, and for a short distance. i had adjusted the heart rate upper limit to alarm at 160. i should have kept it at 180 because the flippin thing was CONSTANTLY alarming. (i made that change later, back at the ranch).

when i got to the shelter, the turn-around point for the day, i sucked down an espresso Clif gel-pack-gu-thing, and had a few good chugs of water. my experience with Clif Shots has been mixed. the first time was on the LT with Weeb. No worries what so ever. Felt great afterward. So i tried one again, before an afterwork run last fall. about 5 minutes into the run i began to experience severe abdominal cramps. less than 2 minutes after that i was fertilizing the forest. wow. explosive. because of that experience, i was reluctant to try it again, but though that it would be a good thing to do just the same. i brought along TP in my butt pack, so i should be ok....turns out that it wasn't a problem AT ALL.

on the return trip i didn't bother to try to side step the puddles and the mud. ran right through them. it was a blast, and the backs of my legs were covered. joy! i managed to catch and re-pass 3 hikers. the trail had become a river of mud with scattered rocks, roots, and puddles. lets say that it took 3 days for my shoes, packed with newspaper, to dry out.

all in all a great run. one thing of note, though, is that my nipples were killing me. i didn't realize it until i was in the shower, using my scrubbie (the blue one with the knot!) that i realized that they were flippin' ON FIRE! i need lamisil (sp?) NOW. but we don't have any. the pain subsided, but then came back. oh well. i think that i will use my brown under-armor shirt under my running shirt next time, and see how that goes.

alright. enough for now. thank you for tuning in.

and a HUGE thank you to T for letting me and encouraging me to do this. I love ya, babe! +1, me

test posting from email

While at work, I am wondering how to post to this blog from my main google account rather than logging out from it and then back in to bhandweeb and then BACK into my real account.

All of the posts on blogger have been BOGUS, so I had to submit my own question. I wonder how long it will take for that to happen….

On the running front, I didn’t run last night. Not a step. I am in a bad mood, and in a funk, and can’t be ‘bothered’ to get out there and run. Given that, I am SO glad that I haven’t purchased the garmin yet. What a flippin waste of $$ that would be.

I think that I will concentrate on ‘cross training’ this week in the form of digging more dirt. I am seriously considering NOT participating in the ChaD half. Big time not. That is just the way I feel today. And have for quite a while, actually.

Funk.

Let’s see if this works.

F.U.N.K.

Haven't Run in

far too long. had planned to run friday, but TLW needed help finding a cake plate, so i went home to help with that. then M needed a ride to work. then we (TLW and I) got into one of those nasty, stupid arguements that starts with a little merit and then rapidly devolves into something that leaves you wondering if you have a place to sleep.
i do.
w.h.e.w.
T and B are off to a birthday party, and i am getting out of work in about half an hour. i will try to squeeze in a run before they get home. i don't want to be out doing something i like if T isn't able to do something that she wants to do. i hate that guilty feeling.
anyone else have that?

man about town

posting a day late.
decided not to run on the dreadmill yesterday, and instead headed to Wilder and the Hazen Trail. I have run that as an out and back several times, and kind of use it as a measuring stick to see how i am doing. lately my progress has been fairly flat, as my times haven't improved as much as i would like them to. i attribute this, though, to the inconsistencies on which they are run; before/after work, before/after dinner. sleep/no sleep. easy to explain slower times when there are so many variables....
today i decided to just cruise, not push too hard, and to NOT WALK on the two spots where i usually walk. let's just see what happens, eh?
the afternoon was muggy, and i was late leaving work, so i was already revved up. as I ran, i thought about Z, his grandmother, how he (Z) treats T, etc. i also thought about the upcoming half, and should i really do it or not. my legs felt light and quick. i ran up the two major inclines without much difficulty, and didn't walk. not walking the first part, by Neptune, was easy! cruised. totally felt the stride, though it wasn't all that FAST, it was consistent. i was digging it. got to the second 'walk', just beyond Uranus, and didn't feel the desire there, either. slick rocks ahead, so i had to slow a bit, but didn't walk. i felt great!

I chugged up the rise to Saturn, and turned the corner for the last stretch before the turn around. I was feeling so good that i thought i would alter my plan. if i could get there within 15 minutes, i would run out to RT5 and back to the truck along rt5 instead of returning on the hazen trail (usual route).

I made it in 14:20!!!! great, now i have to run MORE. and on pavement. ick.

so i did. ran back, only walked 3 times, for less than 100 yards total. i really didn't like it, and wished that i had just decided to do TWO loops on the Hazen. next time i will.

running on RT5 is tough because it is heavily traveled and there isn't much room on the side to run along. I managed, of course, and got back to the truck dripping wet in 43:32. 7k total, so that works out to be about 6:12 per K or 9:50 per mile. since i wasn't shooting for speed, i am not overly upset about the time. iiwii.

daily total 7k
MTD 48.6
i WILL squeeze in some longer runs soon, so that i might just make at lease 75% of my goal. i can see a 10k on saturday, prolly 5k tomorrow.

despite the weather warning

I loaded the stroller (gotta name that thing....) and B, and off we went to do the little 2.3 miles in Wilder. Right before we left there was an announcement on TV that there is a tornado warning in effect for an area just north of us, where some of our friends live.
So we went for the run anyway. B fell asleep within 100 yards of walking, so i was left wishing that I had brought my headphones. But i did take a moment to reflect on a story that I read on another blog about a horrible accident in CA. (link to follow when i can find it again).

So i just ran up to DBS and then back to the truck. Saw 2 of the VA docs running, too. Cool.

Seth sent this picture of the aftermath. Just hail. Trees were down, too, but he didn't get any pics of that. Hmm..


Today's total=3.7k
Month to date=41.6/100

negative split!!!!

i went to logyourrun.com and mapped out what i thought to be a relatively flat 10k near home to do after work today. quick stop at home to grab my water bottle carrier, change my clothes, and say hi to T, then out to the parking spot for the run. MP3 loaded with new tunes, NUUN in one bottle, water in the other, and off I went.
Side note about the bottle carrier. LLBEAN lists it as "Double Daily Walker Pack". And a walker pack it is. waaaay too much up and down floppy-floppiness for it to be comfortable. Perhaps if i tightened the belt it would work better, but I have read reviews of other belts that left the wearer feeling uncomfortable. I will try it, but I don't have a good outlook. Also of note: mix NUUN half strength. the bubbles make me gassy, and i thought i was gonna puke after i drank it. no untoward events, though. whew. my time will come, i am sure, before the end of the summer.
Come to find out, the road ISN'T as flat as it seems. When riding in a car, it is fairly flat, except for the part right before the turn around. I expected that. What i didn't expect were the other hills. but that's ok.
Weather held overcast, and the run was uneventful. I pushed the last mile, but fell short (waaaay short) of my 48 minute goal.
Time was 50:37:39.
Out was something like 26:31
Back was actually 24:06
Good benchmark, no?
Saw 5 cyclists on the way back, which was nice.
Playlist:
First 5 songs of Metallica's Black album.
First 8 tracks of DJ Irene's Photosynthesis album. (Not for the 'sensitive' listener)


Daily total=10k
Month to date=37.9/100

Mt. Ascutney Challenge 2009

file this under "what the h$#^ was i THINKING?".

but then again, i had a blast, and can't wait to do it again.

those of you out West will easily laugh at our hills here in New England, but what they lack in height, they make up for in roots, mud, and rocks.

Saturday night we had one DOOZY of a rain/lightening/thunder/wind storm, and i was half-hoping that the race would be postponed. Sunday dawned bright and sunny, almost no clouds in the sky, and with a light breeze. Perfect racing weather.
T and B woke up and were ready to join me in this, my latest hair-brained idea. The ride was enjoyable, and we had no trouble finding the location. Cars lined the road on both sides, but we found a good spot not too far from the park's entrance. T/B waited in the car while I got my packet and their ticket for the road up the mtn. I was disappointed in the packet....no swag at all. Hammer Nutrition was a sponsor, and i kinda wanted a sample bar or something. mebbe even a sticker for my nalgene collection. nada.
i hung out with my 'crew' for a while longer, then sent them off to the top. i milled around the start area, found a sunny dry spot under a huge white pine and stretched. turned my music up and 'meditated' to DJ Sasha.
an announcement was made for all 'mountain goats' to come get their t-shirts, and i was surprised and impressed at the number of goats. i would say close to 125.
we lined up for the start around 950, and listened to the pre-race briefing, during which we were told that we had a record turn out. nice. fun to be part of that sort of thing, ya know?

at 1000, we were off. i started in the back of the pack, figuring that i would just run this at my own pace, and try not to get caught up in the rush.

++++note to self: before doing something like this again,
DO A ROUTE RECON!!!++++

the road is paved, and i hate pavement. thunk, thunk, thunk. no need to think, think, think. good thing that it became OK to use headphones....
i kept looking for the 1 mile mark, thinking that i could do a 10 minute mile pace up the hill, giving me a 40-45 minute time (insert riotous laughter here). Eleven minutes, no marker, just lots of sweat and heavy breathing.
twelve minutes. maybe i missed it while wiping my eyes.
thirteen minutes.....wait. what is that little brown sign? Mile Marker One. yep. just under 14 mins for the first mile. man, this is going to be a LONG morning....

++++note to self: ummm...WATER!++++

i foolishly thought the following about water: nah, it is only 4 miles. nah, it is morning, how hot will i get? nah, i have @ least 1.5 liters in the car/backpack. nah, i haven't run with my bottle belt, so races aren't a good time to try new things, so...nah.

well, i shoulda brought flippin water. there was water at some point, mile 1.5 i think, and it was refreshing for a little while, but not as much as i needed.

I alternated between running and walking, making a VERY SLOW fartlek out of it. When i stopped running, it was for cardio-vascular reasons, not muscular fatigue. this was interesting to note.....i will have to work on cardio (bleck). i expected the trail running portion to start at mile 2, but it didn't come until mile 2.3ish. it was a mental thing at that point....i just wanted to get off the tar!
we turned off the road in a group of about 7 runners. i took off the tunes so that i could here runners wanting to pass me, which kinda bummed me out. nothing like a little Cyprus Hill or Disturbed to kick you in the butt!

The first part of the trail was downhill, which was a bummer. you KNOW you are going to pay for it, especially since the finish is at the TOP. several muddy streams, rocky scrambles, and rooted switchbacks later, we figured we were near the .75 miles to go mark. 4 of us broke away a bit and ran. i made it my goal NOT to lose this group, as about 6 runners had passed us on the trail already. I managed to keep up, and with about .25 miles left, i moved to the front and kept running. seems I had a bit more left in me than i thought, and the last quarter mile flew by. i did help that i had been on this part of the trail last fall. I passed 4 people in this last part, and managed to get across the finish line in just under an hour and ten minutes.
from the official results: 1:06:46 Gene 40 M 552 Hartford VT.

It was fantastic seeing B and T at the finish. Really made it all worth while. Turns out that they had a nice walk up, and B saw a snake. he kept talking about it all day.

Thanks for bearing with me through this recap. Next lesson learned is to bring a camera. Mebbe Santa will bring me one!

Daily total=6.5k
Month to date 27.9/100

pre-race jitters

even though i am participating and not competing in the race tomorrow, i am feeling a bit anxious about the whole thing.
why did i sign up for it? i mean, UP Mt. Ascutney??!! umm....yep. i haven't trained hills at all (or anything ELSE, for that matter), so what makes me think that i can survive a 4 mile run up a mtn? dunno. no guts, no glory, i guess.
that, and i will have something to write about in here.

so i am getting ready to get my stuff ready. it is 2100, i just finished a mug of weak coffee, the back yard is flooding (yes, it is raining. BIG surprise), and T, B, and M aren't home yet. just Riley and I. and sox. and raja. the other cat is under Ft. Tank.

ok, off to gather things and make ready for the AM. thanks for stopping by. full race report tomorrow!

dreadmill

so yesterday the weather was crappy so i squeeeeezed in a dreadmill run before coming home.
do they count? yep.

hill interval, level middle something, turned out to be not all that hard. shoulda done more. will do more next time.

7/8 total 4k
month to date 21.4/100

attempted distraction

while the drama unfolds in the kitchen.....

the recap of the Saturday evening 5 mile run is as follows.........

I got a hair across my butt early in the afternoon that i didn't want to go to fireworks in Woodstock, and grace provided me the out that i wanted.
So I drove to the PO and started to run toward Glenn Rd. Not liking the idea of running on pavement for so long, i went anyway.
At one mile, i was 10 seconds better than what i thought i would be. Got to the bank in 7:50. Nice, but i was concerned that i wouldn't be able to keep the pace for the whole run.

A little breezy, so i doffed my hat as a crossed into NH. The river was (and still IS) high because of the rains that we have had (and continue to have).
I wasn't sure about the next step, but i kinda jumped outside of my 'box' and took a quick right after the bridge, laughing at the 'State Property Keep Out' sign(s). I am SUCH a rebel...
Interesting things being stored back there. I wonder if he EPA knows that they are so close to the RIVER. Anyway, i kept on running, wondering, too, if i was going to get jumpe by some homeless dude. Jut turned up the tunes and kept on huffing along.
Emerged just past Un-dun, looked for the MELD grafitti, but didn't see it. must have been running too fast. (ha).
made it to the turn around point in good form, but feeling a bit tired in the knees. Drive on, drive on.
Walked a little at this point, from the projects to PP, then along the flat by the turn-around. Stayed along the road now, as darkness was setting in.
Bargained with myself that I would jog through town, then sprint the bridge, jog to the RR bridge, walk to the intersection, jog to the cemetary, sprint the cemetary, jog to the bottom of the hill, then sprint the rest of the way to the PO.
and that is what i did. darkness fell at P/C, and it was tough to judge the lay of the pavement. thank goodness that approaching headlights cast shadows on the hills/valleys, and i manged not to twist my ankles!
a quick cool down around the parking lot, then off to the house for a quick shower and ice.
i put ice around my left knee, which felt REALLY good. I should have done BOTH knees, but didn't. on sunday i could feel the stiffness and some pain in my right knee when ascending stairs....
lesson learned=ice.
will try to go longer next week; this coming Sunday i will be participating in the Mt. Ascutney Hill climb. 4 miles up the mtn. half on trails, half on the road. should be a HOOT!!!

Running on pavement

I started running trails for a few reasons. One is the perceived solitude that it offers. I have only met other people out there on rare occasions, and that suits me just fine.

but lately i have had to run on pavement, both for time reasons and for logistics; difficult to run with B in the stroller if i am not on tar.

so that's what we did last night.

Datamann to DBS and back.

Today (7/7) 3.7k with stoller. easy rate at around 9/mile.
MTD 17.4/100

Where is July going?

starting this on the 7th, which is (gasp) a WEEK into the month.
what about goals? i have em.
ambition? some.
desire? yes.
they just have to line up better.

7/4
ran at 2030, since the rests of the fam went to fireworks in Woodstock. Ran from the PO to glenn rd and back. iced my L knee afterward, and my R knee has been bothering me since. shoulda done that one, too. separate post for that run.

7/4 total = 8.4k
monthly total = 8.4/100

7/5
walked around DBS grounds with B-man, probably totalling a mile (1.6k). pushed the stroller up a hill, so we'll count it!

7/5 total = 1.6k
monthly total = 10/100

7/6
woke up early and ran from Datamann with Riley. easy run, didn't keep track of time.

7/6 total = 3.7k
monthly total = 13.7/100

thinking about running a race this weekend (sunday). more on that later. at work now, and have to go to the little RN's room....

peace, YO!