It's a yearly ritual of mine, or so it would seem. Coming to Auburn to recruit, you ask? Well yes, but no, that's a given. Every year, I run into Chik-Fil-A Guy. Many years ago (four?), I interviewed the creme-del-a creme of Auburn Software Engineering. This kid had a 4.0 GPA, was an Eagle Scout, had all other kinds of leadership, and was talked highly of by faculty. And best of all, he wasn't a pompous ass. My interview with this kid lasted about five minutes, after which I told him he was going to Houston, and I wanted to give him the rest of our time to interview me. He said, "Well, I do have a few questions", and flipped to the second sheet of his notepad; it was covered, every line, with questions for me!
So I passed my interview and the wonder-kid came to Houston and was offered a job with UTC. UTC has traditionally had high standards for our new hires, and this was the first candidate that I knew, without a doubt, would get an offer. For some reason, I really wanted this kid to come work for us, I guess he was someone I thought I would like to work with. He had interned at Chik-Fil-A (gotta program those chicken fryers you know) and had family near Atlanta, so even though it was a long shot, he seemed torn up about whether to accept our offer or that of the chicken people. He could have been stringing us along, acting like he was interested in us while secretly knowing he was destined for chicken, but this kid didn't strike me as being that way. After some time he informed UTC that he would not be taking the offer. He was a breast man, a chicken breast man, and our offers of riches via Texas Tea just wasn't enough.
I've interviewed a lot of people over the years. There are no doubt people that I interviewed, that we ended up hiring, who I wouldn't know if they walked into me. For some reason though, the ordeal of Chicken Boy kind of seared his image into my brain, just like Chik-fil-A sears the juices into their tasty, tasty breasts. And like clock work, every year at recruiting, I come across the Wonder Kid, Chicken Boy. As I was parking on Tuesday, I looked up and what did I see, not five feet from my car, than a flock of three chicken people, with one being, you guessed it, the Wonder Kid! I just kind of laughed. This is strange, weird, bizarre, aligning of the planets kind of thing, but seriously, every year, the Wonder Kid is there. I'm sure he doesn't remember me; I, after all, don't really remember the people I interview and subsequently spurned on campus, so that just kind of makes it all the more funny. Had I not parked at that moment, the streak would have ended, because I saw no Chicken People the rest of the time. Did fate intervene? Was it coincidence that I had eaten Chik-fil-A that very afternoon?!?! Who knows. Weird stuff.
What does this have to do with running? Nothing. Deep moral story? Nope. Philosophical comment, as this blog is found of, coming any moment? Nope. Just the story of the Wonder Kid, the man they called Chicken Boy.
So with that out for all of posterity to remember, a quick run down. A little bit of exercise yesterday, a good bit of walking today, and lots of stretching and sticking of my foot into the hotel ice bucket. All in all I think the foot is healing, but it is slow business. I'll run Saturday morning, and perhaps Tuesday, then that might just be it.
Other than recruiting and doing stuff for my main job, I brought several things to pass the time. I have my personal laptop (for fantasy football) and I purchased five magazines to read. Runner's World (of course), the Economist (excellent news/economy/politics magazine, but certainly not light reading), and three personal finance kind of magazines. I also brought along my unfinished Michael Chabon novel and a GRE study guide. What? Scandal! GRE study guide? Well yes. I've talked about maybe possibly one-day soon going back, so after looking at UofH's web site, it's pretty clear I'd have to take the GRE. It's been a while since the noodle had to do school work, so I thought I'd get a study guide just to see how hard it would be. I haven't started it yet, but I might get to it this weekend.
The part of me that might like to teach one day is making strange waves while being back at my college campus with a GRE book in tow. We'll see where this goes, but for now, it literally goes to Skipperville for a few days before returning. I might want to get on that GRE guide though, because if my real job depends on my recruiting success, I might be fired. Right now, we've only got two or three people to talk to next week! Last year was our best year ever, but this year, the famine is upon us.
Later. I'm going to go wee some sweet tea now; way too much at the BBQ place today!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Recruit - Join Up
Greeting from Auburn, AL, the lovliest village on the plains! I flew out this morning for four days of recruiting, two days in Skipperville, five more days of recruiting, and then the Chicago Marathon; obviously, I'm loaded down with luggage. The trip is a bit of a boondoggle in that we don't have enough activity to consume all those days, but with Career Fair and interviews so close together, it's better to just stay here and work when not recruiting. Or just sleep in!
At the end of last week I was battling away with my Plantar thanks to softball and a day of caring for the kids of Conroe via the United Way. I decided though that I should run Saturday morning as it would be my last Chicago HoustonFIT group run and if I'm destined to hurt during Chicago, I should get used to it now!
Saturday morning's weather was nothing short of wonderful; cool and low humidity. Our eleven mile route was an out and back to Coach Patty's rest stop (the Patty Wagon) in the scenic Rose Garden area of River Oaks. I have come to judge my speed by how how long I stay up with Larry, who usually runs these things a bit faster than me. By the time we came to the Wagon, he was only about 50 yards ahead, so I felt like I was making good time; the weather certainly helped. Interestingly, my heart rate, despite this seeming increase in speed, hung out in the high 150s and low 160s, which is a bit low for most Saturday runs. My pace to the Wagon was 10:17/mile.
I didn't stop while going to the Wagon, and only planned to stay there for a couple of minutes. However, a certina captivating canine prevented that. An escaped Jack Russel Terrier had taken a liking to the Wagon and its food (ummmm, peanut butter!), and there was consensus to hold the little pooch and give it's owner a call. There was much milling about of runners in an effort to offer help to Patty; much dog was being talked (oogggy, booggy, booo; that's a gooooood lil' doggy, yezzz it izzzz!). There were getting to be too many cooks in the kitchen, so after a total stop time of about six minutes, off I went. Turns out the dog's owner showed up, but apparently wasn't too happy about being roused at 6:30AM.
On the return trip my heart rate monitor strap came off (user error), so I don't know how high the ticker got. As with last week, I decided to step up the last bit, and ended up running in with an older fellow who introduced himself as Maurice (I'm not sure, but let's assume he's Italian, it will help your inner voice speak the next bit). After cursory discussions of running, Maurice and I did what men do in such lulls in conversation, we discussed the weather. I commented how it was "about time" we had some good weather. Maurice countered with "No my friend, the hot weather makes us stronger and makes us better appreciate days like today." I suppose "about time" is a past looking statement, somewhat pessimistic maybe, while Maurice was simply letting the hot days drift away while welcoming the coming cool. I think Maurice was right and had a healthy perspective; you've got to let past injuries, hot days, and other such maladies pass, and enjoy what's to come. If you stop doing that, then you'll probably stop running.
Days like Saturday, where you feel good, the weather is good, and the group dynamic is good, serve as a kind of vindication of sorts; it really makes it worth it. Actually, on the run back from the Wagon, I thought to myself that the day was so good that those people unwilling to give up a little bit of Friday and Saturday, and who miss runs like this, they are really missing out. A good group run on the weekend is honest exercise; simple, effective, and fun. It was a great way to wrap up the training season, and begin my taper.
This is getting long, and I suspect I'll have time to blog daily over the next couple of weeks, so bye for now. Next time -> What does Hags bring with him to kill down time while recruiting!
At the end of last week I was battling away with my Plantar thanks to softball and a day of caring for the kids of Conroe via the United Way. I decided though that I should run Saturday morning as it would be my last Chicago HoustonFIT group run and if I'm destined to hurt during Chicago, I should get used to it now!
Saturday morning's weather was nothing short of wonderful; cool and low humidity. Our eleven mile route was an out and back to Coach Patty's rest stop (the Patty Wagon) in the scenic Rose Garden area of River Oaks. I have come to judge my speed by how how long I stay up with Larry, who usually runs these things a bit faster than me. By the time we came to the Wagon, he was only about 50 yards ahead, so I felt like I was making good time; the weather certainly helped. Interestingly, my heart rate, despite this seeming increase in speed, hung out in the high 150s and low 160s, which is a bit low for most Saturday runs. My pace to the Wagon was 10:17/mile.
I didn't stop while going to the Wagon, and only planned to stay there for a couple of minutes. However, a certina captivating canine prevented that. An escaped Jack Russel Terrier had taken a liking to the Wagon and its food (ummmm, peanut butter!), and there was consensus to hold the little pooch and give it's owner a call. There was much milling about of runners in an effort to offer help to Patty; much dog was being talked (oogggy, booggy, booo; that's a gooooood lil' doggy, yezzz it izzzz!). There were getting to be too many cooks in the kitchen, so after a total stop time of about six minutes, off I went. Turns out the dog's owner showed up, but apparently wasn't too happy about being roused at 6:30AM.
On the return trip my heart rate monitor strap came off (user error), so I don't know how high the ticker got. As with last week, I decided to step up the last bit, and ended up running in with an older fellow who introduced himself as Maurice (I'm not sure, but let's assume he's Italian, it will help your inner voice speak the next bit). After cursory discussions of running, Maurice and I did what men do in such lulls in conversation, we discussed the weather. I commented how it was "about time" we had some good weather. Maurice countered with "No my friend, the hot weather makes us stronger and makes us better appreciate days like today." I suppose "about time" is a past looking statement, somewhat pessimistic maybe, while Maurice was simply letting the hot days drift away while welcoming the coming cool. I think Maurice was right and had a healthy perspective; you've got to let past injuries, hot days, and other such maladies pass, and enjoy what's to come. If you stop doing that, then you'll probably stop running.
Days like Saturday, where you feel good, the weather is good, and the group dynamic is good, serve as a kind of vindication of sorts; it really makes it worth it. Actually, on the run back from the Wagon, I thought to myself that the day was so good that those people unwilling to give up a little bit of Friday and Saturday, and who miss runs like this, they are really missing out. A good group run on the weekend is honest exercise; simple, effective, and fun. It was a great way to wrap up the training season, and begin my taper.
This is getting long, and I suspect I'll have time to blog daily over the next couple of weeks, so bye for now. Next time -> What does Hags bring with him to kill down time while recruiting!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Run Down
Back in early July, I posted a list of seven things I wanted to do "differently" during this training season; here's a link -> http://beating-oprah.blogspot.com/2007/07/sympathetic-leg.html
In short the list, and the outcomes, are as follows:
In short the list, and the outcomes, are as follows:
- Accelerade - I tried this during runs on the premise of improved endurance via nutrition. I didn't notice much (any) of a gain, and the stuff was really a bit sweet for my taste. I did turn on to Honey Stinger as an energy source at one point, but after trying GU again, I don't think my body has much of a preference. Though Accelerade doesn't sit well with me during runs, I do use it as my recovery beverage.
- Endurolytes - Tried them early on then largely stopped. I still try to take them before and after a long run, but it's a chore to take them during. As I've never had big cramping problems, this was largely to keep my stomach and axillary systems that rely on electrolytes happy. I plan to take a few along the way at Chicago.
- Glucosamine - No excuse here. I just haven't gotten them into my daily pill regiment. I will start though.
- Increase my mileage - HA! As if! Too broken up, though one week I did get into the low 30's with four runs; probably one of the more "full" weeks of my running life.
- Run at a heavier weight so I'll have more strength - This one's easy, though I am about four pounds heavier than I wanted to be. Surprisingly, some studies have shown that if your aerobic capacity stays the same, but you put on a little heft, you don't lose any endurance. Maybe the added muscle will help my legs stay stronger? Regardless, being at a slightly heavier weight definitely makes me happier (more of a running/regular life balance) as I had to be very precise to get down to my traditional running weight.
- New shoes to help my knee - Done. Mizuno have completely silenced the knee pain, though not without me wondering if the shoes have shifted the burden elsewhere, thus the foot and hammy pain. This shouldn't happen, as stability shoes should help plantar fasciitis. Also, my left heel has always been apt to hurt some, and the hammy was hurting prior to the shoes, so I give the shoes a pass, and credit for doing good things.
- Tag along with the 4:15 pace group on race day - I meant to write 4:30 I think! I might consider starting with the 4:15 and falling back to 4:30 if need be, but from my past experience I don't think that will work well. Anyway, I have never ran with a pace group, but I will this time.
So there you go, the run down on the seven things I said I would try this training season. Other than the glucosamine, I think I gave everything a game try. The mileage one could have been better, but the injuries have sabotaged that one. I would like to get healthier so I could give three to four weekly runs a good try, but the running cycle is nothing if not busy in the future; may be hard to get well. More later. Chao.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
One Week To Go
Key Words: Thamus, Boot, Wrap It Up
Word Count: 638
My foot felt OK come Sunday morning, so I went with the usual bike "Tour de Bayou" (a 45 minute trek around Buffalo Bayou) complete with a set of jumps on some speed hills (they are not speed bumps, much too big) just to give the legs a final challenge. Then, back and biceps workout at the apartment, and my prescribed day of cross training was complete.
On Monday morning I went to the apartment gym to ride the bike for a while; all was well. After work, I debated whether to run, but seeing as we had softball, I opted for another stint on the bike. Things went pretty foul at that point, as my left hammy (the leg with the foot problem) was not happy. Much stretching ensued, and off I went to softball.
It was a big night for the softball team. We lost a game last week (gasp!), and would had a chance to restate our normal dominance over the league. Unlike week one, I had a couple of Shiners before the game, and thus pretty much pitched lights out. I had three or four strikeouts (most against girls, but hey, better than last week), but unfortunately the shortstop from game two, Thamus (who names there kid that?), ripped three doubles in three at bats (the kid can run; most were singles he made into doubles). Our defense was stellar again, but the bats struggled. This week, unlike last week, my bat was amongst the dead; I went 1-3 with a walk. We won the first game 10-0, but in the second game I came to bat with the bases loaded twice, and went o-2, with one double play, one infield pop-out, but did at least manage to let a run score during a squirrelly play where the Ump's though the other team got a triple play. My team picked me up though, and batted in three runs in the final inning for a one run victory; 3-1 on the season.
My health after those games is simply put, pretty bad. My leg went all haywire, with all kinds of foot/hammy pain. Jon mentioned using a frozen water bottle on the foot so I've been administering ice to the sole of my foot since Monday night (including work; screw it, I gotta get healthy). I have a foot brace on order (should be here tomorrow) to help my plantar fascia stay limber while I sleep. Why the brace you ask? People sleep with their foot pointed down, thus allowing the Achilles and plantar fascia to tighten as they have no tension on them. In the morning, you walk on the tense fascia and they get very irritated (thus the traditional "morning pain" of plantar fasciitis). This is a problem not due to the pain, but since this irritation guarantees a daily irritation of the fascia, thus slowing/preventing healing. The boot is a commonly prescribed treatment for the problem, so hopefully I am being proactive in a positive way.
I'm not sure how much more running or cross training I will be doing before Chicago. Better to be healthy and untrained than trained and unhealthy; eight days of rest helped, but didn't alleviate the problem. After Chicago, I'm going to my doctor to make sure I don't have a heel spur on the foot, which would probably mean a more extended break from running.
Believe it or not it is almost time to wrap up this blog! I leave for Auburn then Chicago in a week! Over the next few posts I'll wrap things up, discuss what I've learned, and where we go from here.
Keep those fascia loose people!
Word Count: 638
My foot felt OK come Sunday morning, so I went with the usual bike "Tour de Bayou" (a 45 minute trek around Buffalo Bayou) complete with a set of jumps on some speed hills (they are not speed bumps, much too big) just to give the legs a final challenge. Then, back and biceps workout at the apartment, and my prescribed day of cross training was complete.
On Monday morning I went to the apartment gym to ride the bike for a while; all was well. After work, I debated whether to run, but seeing as we had softball, I opted for another stint on the bike. Things went pretty foul at that point, as my left hammy (the leg with the foot problem) was not happy. Much stretching ensued, and off I went to softball.
It was a big night for the softball team. We lost a game last week (gasp!), and would had a chance to restate our normal dominance over the league. Unlike week one, I had a couple of Shiners before the game, and thus pretty much pitched lights out. I had three or four strikeouts (most against girls, but hey, better than last week), but unfortunately the shortstop from game two, Thamus (who names there kid that?), ripped three doubles in three at bats (the kid can run; most were singles he made into doubles). Our defense was stellar again, but the bats struggled. This week, unlike last week, my bat was amongst the dead; I went 1-3 with a walk. We won the first game 10-0, but in the second game I came to bat with the bases loaded twice, and went o-2, with one double play, one infield pop-out, but did at least manage to let a run score during a squirrelly play where the Ump's though the other team got a triple play. My team picked me up though, and batted in three runs in the final inning for a one run victory; 3-1 on the season.
My health after those games is simply put, pretty bad. My leg went all haywire, with all kinds of foot/hammy pain. Jon mentioned using a frozen water bottle on the foot so I've been administering ice to the sole of my foot since Monday night (including work; screw it, I gotta get healthy). I have a foot brace on order (should be here tomorrow) to help my plantar fascia stay limber while I sleep. Why the brace you ask? People sleep with their foot pointed down, thus allowing the Achilles and plantar fascia to tighten as they have no tension on them. In the morning, you walk on the tense fascia and they get very irritated (thus the traditional "morning pain" of plantar fasciitis). This is a problem not due to the pain, but since this irritation guarantees a daily irritation of the fascia, thus slowing/preventing healing. The boot is a commonly prescribed treatment for the problem, so hopefully I am being proactive in a positive way.
I'm not sure how much more running or cross training I will be doing before Chicago. Better to be healthy and untrained than trained and unhealthy; eight days of rest helped, but didn't alleviate the problem. After Chicago, I'm going to my doctor to make sure I don't have a heel spur on the foot, which would probably mean a more extended break from running.
Believe it or not it is almost time to wrap up this blog! I leave for Auburn then Chicago in a week! Over the next few posts I'll wrap things up, discuss what I've learned, and where we go from here.
Keep those fascia loose people!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Diet Coke During a Run
Key Words: 10.7 miles, Keith Rant, Alaska Picture
Word Count: 790
This is very cool. A quick, real time slideshow of the photos people are uploading to blogs; make sure you check it out: http://play.blogger.com/
Today was the 21 miler for Chicago Marathoners. As I'm a bit more hurt than normal, 21 was not to be, so I started my day with the Yellow Fever. Lot's of familiar faces, talked to a few, and made it through the run in 1:26:30. About 10:45 pace, which is good, though my heart was humming along in the low 170s. I thought about trying to bring that down, but as it was a day of moderate distance, I didn't bother. With those eight miles complete, I took a left turn for the Memorial Loop, as I wanted to get into double digits. The only noteworthy part was the last mile; I decided to pick up the pace and ran it in 9:40. Considering the distance I had ran, I was pleased. My heart was thumping along above 180 though, so I was clearly working in a place I could not have stayed for long. Total of about 10.7 or so miles today.
As for my plantar fasciitis, my foot kind of felt like jell-o at the start, not good. I suppose the fascia were stretching out, and at some point, the foot quieted down. I drank my post run recovery drink, took my ice bath, had my breakfast jack an hour after I left the park ... hopefully I am doing the right things to recover well (and the Shiner for the football games, key).
Now, the part you love, a good old fashioned Keith Rant!!!
When I got back to my car, the seminar had started. I limped over in search of Yellows (are we going to Ottos? was the question on my mind), and caught a bit of the nutrition topic of the day. If I had to go back to school for something completely different, I would choose nutrition. I truly geek off the stuff; I can't get enough! There's so much we can learn about what we stick in our faces, but yet there's so much the average person doesn't even know.
Anyway, two things came up. The first was recovery nutrition. The speaker said you need something right after the run, and I totally agree. Only in training for Chicago have I bought into this idea, but those first 30 minutes after the run are key. You need a carb to protein ratio of 4:1, and you can certainly get that, like I do, from Accelerade. You can also get it from chocolate milk if you freeze it, leave it in your car, and have it right after the run. If you don't do this post run, then start. You then need more food about an hour later. With that in you, you've set your body up with the nuts and bolts to heal.
Then, she did it. She stumbled upon a topic that I put into the "Why don't people have common sense" bin of nutritional misinformation. She said how it was important to hydrate during the week (true), and how you should avoid caffeine in doing so. Good lord, can we please kill this now! Truly, caffeine is a diuretic, but it is a mild one. People see "diuretic" and think they should stay away. If you spend juuuuust a bit of common sense time on this (or read anything reputable about it), you'll realize that you gain much more water than you wee out as a result of such a mild diuretic. Also, if you're immune to caffeine like your's truly (Diet Coke, you have numbed me to the world!), the effect is even less. This is a horrible thing to perpetuate because some people just don't like to drink plain old, tasteless water. They don't have too. Drink black tea, drink Coke (Diet, even better), green tea, drink coffee for goodness sake; it all helps to hydrate you. There's certainly nothing wrong with scarfing down 20 oz. of water the night before a run to make sure your tank is topped off, but water need not be the linchpin in your hydration plans.
There. I let the anger out! I feel better now. Auburn plays Miss. State today. As the Bulldogs are, shall we say, the laughing stock of the SEC West, we need a win. Then the Florida game. Lot's 'o football today!
Word Count: 790
This is very cool. A quick, real time slideshow of the photos people are uploading to blogs; make sure you check it out: http://play.blogger.com/
Today was the 21 miler for Chicago Marathoners. As I'm a bit more hurt than normal, 21 was not to be, so I started my day with the Yellow Fever. Lot's of familiar faces, talked to a few, and made it through the run in 1:26:30. About 10:45 pace, which is good, though my heart was humming along in the low 170s. I thought about trying to bring that down, but as it was a day of moderate distance, I didn't bother. With those eight miles complete, I took a left turn for the Memorial Loop, as I wanted to get into double digits. The only noteworthy part was the last mile; I decided to pick up the pace and ran it in 9:40. Considering the distance I had ran, I was pleased. My heart was thumping along above 180 though, so I was clearly working in a place I could not have stayed for long. Total of about 10.7 or so miles today.
As for my plantar fasciitis, my foot kind of felt like jell-o at the start, not good. I suppose the fascia were stretching out, and at some point, the foot quieted down. I drank my post run recovery drink, took my ice bath, had my breakfast jack an hour after I left the park ... hopefully I am doing the right things to recover well (and the Shiner for the football games, key).
Now, the part you love, a good old fashioned Keith Rant!!!
When I got back to my car, the seminar had started. I limped over in search of Yellows (are we going to Ottos? was the question on my mind), and caught a bit of the nutrition topic of the day. If I had to go back to school for something completely different, I would choose nutrition. I truly geek off the stuff; I can't get enough! There's so much we can learn about what we stick in our faces, but yet there's so much the average person doesn't even know.
Anyway, two things came up. The first was recovery nutrition. The speaker said you need something right after the run, and I totally agree. Only in training for Chicago have I bought into this idea, but those first 30 minutes after the run are key. You need a carb to protein ratio of 4:1, and you can certainly get that, like I do, from Accelerade. You can also get it from chocolate milk if you freeze it, leave it in your car, and have it right after the run. If you don't do this post run, then start. You then need more food about an hour later. With that in you, you've set your body up with the nuts and bolts to heal.
Then, she did it. She stumbled upon a topic that I put into the "Why don't people have common sense" bin of nutritional misinformation. She said how it was important to hydrate during the week (true), and how you should avoid caffeine in doing so. Good lord, can we please kill this now! Truly, caffeine is a diuretic, but it is a mild one. People see "diuretic" and think they should stay away. If you spend juuuuust a bit of common sense time on this (or read anything reputable about it), you'll realize that you gain much more water than you wee out as a result of such a mild diuretic. Also, if you're immune to caffeine like your's truly (Diet Coke, you have numbed me to the world!), the effect is even less. This is a horrible thing to perpetuate because some people just don't like to drink plain old, tasteless water. They don't have too. Drink black tea, drink Coke (Diet, even better), green tea, drink coffee for goodness sake; it all helps to hydrate you. There's certainly nothing wrong with scarfing down 20 oz. of water the night before a run to make sure your tank is topped off, but water need not be the linchpin in your hydration plans.
There. I let the anger out! I feel better now. Auburn plays Miss. State today. As the Bulldogs are, shall we say, the laughing stock of the SEC West, we need a win. Then the Florida game. Lot's 'o football today!
Real quick. Race poster from Alaska, and a certain orange clad runner that appears a couple of times ...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Orange and Blue
Key Words: Overslept, IT Guy, War Mizuno
Word Count: 464
With Humble Humberto churning to our East, today was a good day. 89 degrees or so in the afternoon, but either Humberto or the front that passed seem to have cleared the humidity from the air. I came home with intentions to run with Felix. If you're wondering whether you can wake up at 6:16 for Felix's 6:30 Finish Strong run, and still make from my apt, I found out the answer is yes; I overslept my afterwork nap just a bit!
Small group, with Felix at the store but not running (I think he's prepping for a 50 miler in addition to Chicago). So Coach Robert led a group of about eight of us for a tempo run. Larry was talking about "running easy", and the notion was infectious; I quickly thought "two easy, at most one hard, then finish easy". When we got to the track, Larry got confused and initially went right instead of left, and we were separated. Dave, the older gent of the Thursday crew, came trotting up. Though I thought he would just head off, we started talking, comparing injuries, talked computers (he used to be some kind of IT guy), and next thing I knew I had ran the next two miles fairly hard; 9:03 and 8:45, with both miles feeling pretty comfortable. We both stopped for water, and Dave headed out for one more loop, while I headed back to the store. Total time for the 3.9 miles was 36:59. The plantar fasciitis afflicted heel felt OK, but it's still not healthy. I have resigned myself to trying to control the problem until after Chicago, when I will give it time to heal. My left hammy was a bit angry, but physically, things went better than I expected.
I ran in my new shoes today; the orange and blue, War Eagle inspired Mizuno Wave 7. They felt nothing short of wonderful. They strike me as the bastard lovechild of a New Balance 767 and a Mizuno Wave 6; stable and firm, yet springy and forgiving. Perhaps my old shoes were just getting to many miles (202), perhaps Mizuno wear out fast, or perhaps these are just more supple. Regardless, they felt much better than my current Wave 6s. As these shoes will carry me through Chicago, I've written a song to honor them:
War Mizuno, fly down the road,
ever to conquer, never to yield
War Mizuno, fearless and true,
run on you orange and blue
GO! GO! GO!
On to vict'ry, strike a winning pose,
give 'em hell, give 'em hell,
finish strong and yell, HEY
War Mizuno, beat Oprah,
power of 26.2!
:)
Word Count: 464
With Humble Humberto churning to our East, today was a good day. 89 degrees or so in the afternoon, but either Humberto or the front that passed seem to have cleared the humidity from the air. I came home with intentions to run with Felix. If you're wondering whether you can wake up at 6:16 for Felix's 6:30 Finish Strong run, and still make from my apt, I found out the answer is yes; I overslept my afterwork nap just a bit!
Small group, with Felix at the store but not running (I think he's prepping for a 50 miler in addition to Chicago). So Coach Robert led a group of about eight of us for a tempo run. Larry was talking about "running easy", and the notion was infectious; I quickly thought "two easy, at most one hard, then finish easy". When we got to the track, Larry got confused and initially went right instead of left, and we were separated. Dave, the older gent of the Thursday crew, came trotting up. Though I thought he would just head off, we started talking, comparing injuries, talked computers (he used to be some kind of IT guy), and next thing I knew I had ran the next two miles fairly hard; 9:03 and 8:45, with both miles feeling pretty comfortable. We both stopped for water, and Dave headed out for one more loop, while I headed back to the store. Total time for the 3.9 miles was 36:59. The plantar fasciitis afflicted heel felt OK, but it's still not healthy. I have resigned myself to trying to control the problem until after Chicago, when I will give it time to heal. My left hammy was a bit angry, but physically, things went better than I expected.
I ran in my new shoes today; the orange and blue, War Eagle inspired Mizuno Wave 7. They felt nothing short of wonderful. They strike me as the bastard lovechild of a New Balance 767 and a Mizuno Wave 6; stable and firm, yet springy and forgiving. Perhaps my old shoes were just getting to many miles (202), perhaps Mizuno wear out fast, or perhaps these are just more supple. Regardless, they felt much better than my current Wave 6s. As these shoes will carry me through Chicago, I've written a song to honor them:
War Mizuno, fly down the road,
ever to conquer, never to yield
War Mizuno, fearless and true,
run on you orange and blue
GO! GO! GO!
On to vict'ry, strike a winning pose,
give 'em hell, give 'em hell,
finish strong and yell, HEY
War Mizuno, beat Oprah,
power of 26.2!
:)
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Repetition
As softball is concerned, normally, I pitch. Here's how I ply my trade:
The Backspin Pitch – Unlike most pitchers, I choose to pitch with my hand on top of the ball, imparting backspin instead of topspin. My reasoning is it makes the pitch look different to the batter, in spin and flight, and thus makes the batter a little uncomfortable. As I have good control of this pitch, I use it about 85% of the time.
The Severe Backspin Pitch (aka, The Nasty) – This pitch is identical in grip to the Backspin, but instead of simply letting the ball come out of my hand, I snap my wrist towards home plate, imparting vicious backspin to the ball. This creates a different visual effect, and it encourages the ball to fall straight down at the end of its flight. If I'm not pitching a standard backspin, I'm most likely throwing the Nasty.
The Knuckleball – Here, I put my hand in a traditional, under-the-ball position, but unlike most such pitches, I hold the ball with the tips of my fingers, pushing the ball off the tips at the end of the pitching motion. The value of this pitch is it has little or no spin, thus it looks quite different from the backspin variety. A knuckleball preceded by two to three backspin pitches will look quite bizarre, and again, hopefully make the batter uncomfortable.
The Curveball – Here, you make a circle with your thumb and index finger, placing the circle on the outside of the ball, with your remaining fingers underneath. Pitch with a normal, underhanded toss, but at the end of your arm swing, roll your hand such that the ring moves towards the top of the ball. This produces, a cool visual effect, with the ball screwing through the air, and moving right to left. Used rarely, and then only in Men's leagues against lefties.
The Standard – This pitch, you guessed, is the standard underhanded toss. Used rarely, and then usually in men's leagues. If you want more fly balls, pitch this. If you want more ground balls, use backspin.
All these pitches, and for what? The value of a pitcher in softball is indeed questioned by many. While it is true that most athletic people will have some aptitude for tossing a ball, there are many cases where a batter will willingly walk if given the opportunity. Particularly in Co-Ed, where men get two bases for a walk, pitching strikes is key. But is there any value to using different pitches, or is my job simply to be an "accuracy monkey"?
While this is a question for the ages, and somewhat rhetorical, it is clear that I wasn't even an accuracy monkey on Monday when our new Co-Ed league kicked off. I walked the first batter (both men) of the first and second inning, and was rarely comfortable pitching in that first game. In the last inning, I realized I wasn't holding the ball correct, made an adjustment, and Yahtzee!, I could pitch again. This being my first league in four months, the lack of repetition had made me quite pedestrian.
Does the same hold for running? I think not, in many respects. I think long runs, particularly for experienced runners, are mental exercises, not physical. While you need your brain to get a fresh reminder of the challenge of distance running, your body has long since wired itself to be up to the task. Although tou need to work your aerobic and lactic acid thresholds, these can be maintained with shorter runs or other activities.
This is good because I haven't ran since last Wednesday! I've real biked, fake biked, worked out, and played softball, but no running. I would have ran speed work yesterday, but the imminent threat of rain (which never materialized) scared me off. Today was more threat of rain (thanks Humberto!); more biking and lifting was all I could do.
My fascia are at least getting a rest, and I've been eating good for the last few days with some surprisingly quick and positive results; maybe I won't be as tubby as I thought when it comes time to run Chicago. The dress shoe inserts, though causing some initial awkwardness and back pain, do help the fascia as well; hopefully they will be fully healed when it next comes time to run.
The Backspin Pitch – Unlike most pitchers, I choose to pitch with my hand on top of the ball, imparting backspin instead of topspin. My reasoning is it makes the pitch look different to the batter, in spin and flight, and thus makes the batter a little uncomfortable. As I have good control of this pitch, I use it about 85% of the time.
The Severe Backspin Pitch (aka, The Nasty) – This pitch is identical in grip to the Backspin, but instead of simply letting the ball come out of my hand, I snap my wrist towards home plate, imparting vicious backspin to the ball. This creates a different visual effect, and it encourages the ball to fall straight down at the end of its flight. If I'm not pitching a standard backspin, I'm most likely throwing the Nasty.
The Knuckleball – Here, I put my hand in a traditional, under-the-ball position, but unlike most such pitches, I hold the ball with the tips of my fingers, pushing the ball off the tips at the end of the pitching motion. The value of this pitch is it has little or no spin, thus it looks quite different from the backspin variety. A knuckleball preceded by two to three backspin pitches will look quite bizarre, and again, hopefully make the batter uncomfortable.
The Curveball – Here, you make a circle with your thumb and index finger, placing the circle on the outside of the ball, with your remaining fingers underneath. Pitch with a normal, underhanded toss, but at the end of your arm swing, roll your hand such that the ring moves towards the top of the ball. This produces, a cool visual effect, with the ball screwing through the air, and moving right to left. Used rarely, and then only in Men's leagues against lefties.
The Standard – This pitch, you guessed, is the standard underhanded toss. Used rarely, and then usually in men's leagues. If you want more fly balls, pitch this. If you want more ground balls, use backspin.
All these pitches, and for what? The value of a pitcher in softball is indeed questioned by many. While it is true that most athletic people will have some aptitude for tossing a ball, there are many cases where a batter will willingly walk if given the opportunity. Particularly in Co-Ed, where men get two bases for a walk, pitching strikes is key. But is there any value to using different pitches, or is my job simply to be an "accuracy monkey"?
While this is a question for the ages, and somewhat rhetorical, it is clear that I wasn't even an accuracy monkey on Monday when our new Co-Ed league kicked off. I walked the first batter (both men) of the first and second inning, and was rarely comfortable pitching in that first game. In the last inning, I realized I wasn't holding the ball correct, made an adjustment, and Yahtzee!, I could pitch again. This being my first league in four months, the lack of repetition had made me quite pedestrian.
Does the same hold for running? I think not, in many respects. I think long runs, particularly for experienced runners, are mental exercises, not physical. While you need your brain to get a fresh reminder of the challenge of distance running, your body has long since wired itself to be up to the task. Although tou need to work your aerobic and lactic acid thresholds, these can be maintained with shorter runs or other activities.
This is good because I haven't ran since last Wednesday! I've real biked, fake biked, worked out, and played softball, but no running. I would have ran speed work yesterday, but the imminent threat of rain (which never materialized) scared me off. Today was more threat of rain (thanks Humberto!); more biking and lifting was all I could do.
My fascia are at least getting a rest, and I've been eating good for the last few days with some surprisingly quick and positive results; maybe I won't be as tubby as I thought when it comes time to run Chicago. The dress shoe inserts, though causing some initial awkwardness and back pain, do help the fascia as well; hopefully they will be fully healed when it next comes time to run.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
About Fascia
Key Words: Fascia, Ice Baths, The Little Pains
Word Count: 422
My angry left heel and hamstring continued from Wednesday into Thursday. I decided that unless it improved considerably, I would not run on Saturday. In short, no improvement, so I didn't run.
My problem is, I'm fairly certain, plantar fasciitis. I've mentioned this heel pain before, and it's been with me, at least after long runs, for most of the Spring/Summer. I'm sure I could have ran through the pain, but I decided instead of limping through 13 miles and then next week's training, I would rest up and go hard after next week's workouts. Next weekend calls for the famous HoustonFIT 21 miler, which I will not do, but I do plan to give 13-15 miles a shot.
So instead of running, I spent a decent amount of time on the stationary bike, and even dodged the rain today for long enough to get my real bike out (though, the last five minutes were in a decent downpour). I also did a back/bicep workout routine today, and have committed to trying to eat better for the next two weeks so I can drop a few pounds (I'm about five pounds heftier than I wanted to be for Chicago, and hey, those pounds do weigh on the old plantar fascia).
I hope my surprising fascia flare up will ultimately be a good thing. After years of post run knee pain, I switched to stability shoes and seem to have control of that problem now. I'm hoping to be able to say the same about this foot problem in the near future. I've purchased some inserts for my dress shoes, and have noted that this foot pain started the week after I DID NOT take my now usual ice bath after a long run; me thinks I'll start that tradition up again, just in case. In short, I've started to notice that doing the little things (improved shoes, ice baths, foot inserts, protein powder) could stop some minor, but cumulative injuries. The tough part is being dedicated enough to stick to the little things that stop the little pains.
For this coming week, I'm toying with running tomorrow morning, but I may opt for the bike instead. I certainly want to do some kind of interval run (Tuesday's speed work) and a tempo run, before Saturday's long run. After Saturday, I'll be on the downhill slope.
Chicago Marathon, four weeks from today!
Word Count: 422
My angry left heel and hamstring continued from Wednesday into Thursday. I decided that unless it improved considerably, I would not run on Saturday. In short, no improvement, so I didn't run.
My problem is, I'm fairly certain, plantar fasciitis. I've mentioned this heel pain before, and it's been with me, at least after long runs, for most of the Spring/Summer. I'm sure I could have ran through the pain, but I decided instead of limping through 13 miles and then next week's training, I would rest up and go hard after next week's workouts. Next weekend calls for the famous HoustonFIT 21 miler, which I will not do, but I do plan to give 13-15 miles a shot.
So instead of running, I spent a decent amount of time on the stationary bike, and even dodged the rain today for long enough to get my real bike out (though, the last five minutes were in a decent downpour). I also did a back/bicep workout routine today, and have committed to trying to eat better for the next two weeks so I can drop a few pounds (I'm about five pounds heftier than I wanted to be for Chicago, and hey, those pounds do weigh on the old plantar fascia).
I hope my surprising fascia flare up will ultimately be a good thing. After years of post run knee pain, I switched to stability shoes and seem to have control of that problem now. I'm hoping to be able to say the same about this foot problem in the near future. I've purchased some inserts for my dress shoes, and have noted that this foot pain started the week after I DID NOT take my now usual ice bath after a long run; me thinks I'll start that tradition up again, just in case. In short, I've started to notice that doing the little things (improved shoes, ice baths, foot inserts, protein powder) could stop some minor, but cumulative injuries. The tough part is being dedicated enough to stick to the little things that stop the little pains.
For this coming week, I'm toying with running tomorrow morning, but I may opt for the bike instead. I certainly want to do some kind of interval run (Tuesday's speed work) and a tempo run, before Saturday's long run. After Saturday, I'll be on the downhill slope.
Chicago Marathon, four weeks from today!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Felix vs Felix
Key Words: Sore Heel, Sore Hamstring, Marine-like Barking
Word Count: 361
My left heel is sore. My left hamstring is sore. Sigh, I'm a left-sided wreck. The heel pain has been with me for many months, but the hammy joining in is frustrating. Still, today was the last day to run before Saturday morning, and I needed three miles to make the weekly mendoza line of 20 miles. So off I went to Memorial for a 1 mile easy, 1 mile hard, 1 mile easy tempo run. As I remembered, tempo runs after speed work is rough, but I ground out the hard mile in 8:50. The painful bits held up OK, but I can certainly use the next two days off. As I was coming back to my car, I was surrounded by the pitter-pat of rain .... three runs in a row with precipitation!
The coach of my main, Houston Marathon running group, the Yellow Fever, is Felix Lugo. Lately, a certain Felix the hurricane has been making the news. Though hurricane Felix has left us now, I though I would do a comparison, and declare a winner:
So there you have it, the winner of Felix vs Felix is Coach Felix. Besides, Hurricane Felix probably wasn't even nasty enough to have it's name retired (the Hall of Fame for hurricanes). Molinas for margs tomorrow, I'll have one for you!
Word Count: 361
My left heel is sore. My left hamstring is sore. Sigh, I'm a left-sided wreck. The heel pain has been with me for many months, but the hammy joining in is frustrating. Still, today was the last day to run before Saturday morning, and I needed three miles to make the weekly mendoza line of 20 miles. So off I went to Memorial for a 1 mile easy, 1 mile hard, 1 mile easy tempo run. As I remembered, tempo runs after speed work is rough, but I ground out the hard mile in 8:50. The painful bits held up OK, but I can certainly use the next two days off. As I was coming back to my car, I was surrounded by the pitter-pat of rain .... three runs in a row with precipitation!
The coach of my main, Houston Marathon running group, the Yellow Fever, is Felix Lugo. Lately, a certain Felix the hurricane has been making the news. Though hurricane Felix has left us now, I though I would do a comparison, and declare a winner:
- Coach Felix is famous for running marathons with the US flag. Hurricane Felix is famous for ravaging Central America. Global warming makes hurricanes a dime a dozen, it makes running with a flag a chore, advantage Coach Felix.
- Coach Felix is known to blow up if you don't run with water. Hurricane Felix is famous because it blew up over warm water. I've ran in rain too much lately, water sucks, it's a draw.
- Coach Felix is a portly fellow. Hurricane Felix was a portly hurricane. Girth doesn't help runners, it helps a hurricane wreak havoc, advantage Hurricane Felix.
- Coach Felix scares newbie runners with his Marine-like barking. Hurricane Felix scared Nicaraguans to run for their lives. Run for fun, not for need, advantage Coach Felix.
So there you have it, the winner of Felix vs Felix is Coach Felix. Besides, Hurricane Felix probably wasn't even nasty enough to have it's name retired (the Hall of Fame for hurricanes). Molinas for margs tomorrow, I'll have one for you!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Calculations
Key Words: Yasso, McMillan, Magic Mile
Word Count: 601
The rain let up just enough to start speed work today. Four repeats of 1200m hard with 400m wasy. With my heart rate monitor strapped on, I arrived (albeit late; stupid work) to start the fun. My times were 5:48, 5:43, 5:55, and 3:55. Wow! 3:55, in 1200m?!? Not exactly, try, 800m. As I was about to start the last repeat, it started raining lightly. By the middle of the second lap, it was raining with impunity. After Saturday's drenching, I was in no mental shape to continue in the precipitation, so I speed up and completed a final 800. Lazy, sure. Bad excuse, yep. Does it matter, naw, I don't think so. On the heart rate front, my watch dutifully recorded my ticker topping out at 186. It's looking more and more like somewhere around 190 is my limit. There's a Fall Marathon group social Thursday after work, so I have to try and find time to still do a tempo run with those festivities. If it ain't a Friday, 'tis best to put socializing over running. On to predictions for the future!
There are three main ways to predict your time in an event (without including past performance, which is so lame and like 1990's to do). I thought I would cover those, and how they say I should be running the upcoming marathon.
Yasso 800s - As I've stated, do 10 repeats of 400m hard followed by 400m easy. I think I can easily crank out ten of these bad boys in under 4:15 per hard repeat (4 minutes, 15 seconds), so, the theory goes, I should be able to run a marathon in around 4 hours and 15 minutes. I break this one, as I've clearly been able to do this before, but have never come close to its prediction.
McMillan Running - This online resource is frequently talked about, and perhaps it's speed calculator is the most frequently used by runners: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm. My recent times at distance are as follows: 5k, 24:40, 1/2 marathon, 2:05. Those times lead to marathon predictions of 4:00 and 4:24 respectively. Nope, broke both of them, though the 4:24 is getting in the ballpark.
Jeff Galloway's Magic Mile - Simple, take your best time in the mile, multiply that by 1.3, and that should give you your per mile pace in a hard ran marathon. If I assume my best mile is 7:45 (conservative, but I rarely run a mile for all out speed), I get a marathon time of 4:24. If I take my most recent mile best (8:03 from a few days ago), I get 4:34. This one is simple, and it's half-marathon version (1.2 times your mile best) seems reasonably accurate.
I'll admit I have a great, deep seeded fear of not breaking 5 hours in a marathon. The truth is, if I'm honest with myself, that will happen on day; I'm only a calf cramp away after all! I suppose though, that 800 lb gorilla in the room gives me motivation, and keeps me honest with my training. These calculations really don't tell me anything I don't know. If I run good, and am smart, I should be able to keep things under 5 hours. If I run the race of my life, I just might be able to break 4:30!
Stay dry, drink good beer, and set your fantasy teams early; NFL starts in two days!
Word Count: 601
The rain let up just enough to start speed work today. Four repeats of 1200m hard with 400m wasy. With my heart rate monitor strapped on, I arrived (albeit late; stupid work) to start the fun. My times were 5:48, 5:43, 5:55, and 3:55. Wow! 3:55, in 1200m?!? Not exactly, try, 800m. As I was about to start the last repeat, it started raining lightly. By the middle of the second lap, it was raining with impunity. After Saturday's drenching, I was in no mental shape to continue in the precipitation, so I speed up and completed a final 800. Lazy, sure. Bad excuse, yep. Does it matter, naw, I don't think so. On the heart rate front, my watch dutifully recorded my ticker topping out at 186. It's looking more and more like somewhere around 190 is my limit. There's a Fall Marathon group social Thursday after work, so I have to try and find time to still do a tempo run with those festivities. If it ain't a Friday, 'tis best to put socializing over running. On to predictions for the future!
There are three main ways to predict your time in an event (without including past performance, which is so lame and like 1990's to do). I thought I would cover those, and how they say I should be running the upcoming marathon.
Yasso 800s - As I've stated, do 10 repeats of 400m hard followed by 400m easy. I think I can easily crank out ten of these bad boys in under 4:15 per hard repeat (4 minutes, 15 seconds), so, the theory goes, I should be able to run a marathon in around 4 hours and 15 minutes. I break this one, as I've clearly been able to do this before, but have never come close to its prediction.
McMillan Running - This online resource is frequently talked about, and perhaps it's speed calculator is the most frequently used by runners: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm. My recent times at distance are as follows: 5k, 24:40, 1/2 marathon, 2:05. Those times lead to marathon predictions of 4:00 and 4:24 respectively. Nope, broke both of them, though the 4:24 is getting in the ballpark.
Jeff Galloway's Magic Mile - Simple, take your best time in the mile, multiply that by 1.3, and that should give you your per mile pace in a hard ran marathon. If I assume my best mile is 7:45 (conservative, but I rarely run a mile for all out speed), I get a marathon time of 4:24. If I take my most recent mile best (8:03 from a few days ago), I get 4:34. This one is simple, and it's half-marathon version (1.2 times your mile best) seems reasonably accurate.
I'll admit I have a great, deep seeded fear of not breaking 5 hours in a marathon. The truth is, if I'm honest with myself, that will happen on day; I'm only a calf cramp away after all! I suppose though, that 800 lb gorilla in the room gives me motivation, and keeps me honest with my training. These calculations really don't tell me anything I don't know. If I run good, and am smart, I should be able to keep things under 5 hours. If I run the race of my life, I just might be able to break 4:30!
Stay dry, drink good beer, and set your fantasy teams early; NFL starts in two days!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Labor Report
Key Words: State of the Union
Word Count: 'Bout 900
Happy Labor Day! Naturally, it's raining here, so no running so far today). As it has has been many moons since I had a non-running topic, here's a quasi-state of the union address on this lazy Labor Day.
Automobile
My car turned two last week, celebrating it's birthday on the same day as Andy. Only 22,500 miles and that's with two trips home (3000) and one "run from the 'cane" (2500), so on a weekly basis, I don't put many miles on the car. I suspect my car pooling situation will hold at least through the end of this year, so no reason to think I won't make it to the four year mark with my warranty intact (4y/50000m). I suppose I should start thinking about whether to extend the warranty, as I think I can get that cheaper if I do it earlier ....
Stock Market
The stock market is a mess, but I think it might be stabilizing a bit. George W's statement that the government should come up with ways to bail out people unable to pay their mortgages has/will make the markets happy. Also, the Fed said they are ready to jump in and save the economy if the housing market drags us into a recession. This housing woe scares Wall Street because they are afraid it will make people be unable to, or scared to spend money. "Buying stuff" is about 70% of our economy, so it's smart for them to be scared. My personal opinion is that the market will go sideways, up and down but ending near where it is, until we figure out just how bad this mortgage problem is. I've taken my "play money" out of the market and put it into my money market account at GMAC Bank.
Work
I'm a bit angered by work at the moment. The basic reason I didn't go somewhere this weekend is because it is bad for planners (that's what I am!) to be out this time of year, because next week we start presenting out budgets to the Upstream presidents (they find oil, they're important). Though I think it's a bad time to be out, my boss was in training the first three days of the week and on vacation the last two! Another guy I work with, who is key to this process, was on vacation Thursday and Friday. I don't begrudge either of them personally; I'm glad they took the days off. This comes down to my HATING when work interferes with my right to take vacation. It angers me when people say "I couldn't take vacation at this or that time because I was too busy", but yet I've let that happen here. For a good part of today, I actually need to log in to work and finish up some stuff ... and then get to bed early so I can be at work for my 7AM meeting! I'm glad to have a good job, still, "Me Keith Mad!" is the mantra of the moment for work.
Literary Fulfillment
I purchased Michael Chabon's new novel, "The Yiddish Policeman's Union", and need to start it soon. Chabon is one hell of a writer and the first one whose work I always get and read.
Cell Phone Service
I'm disappointed with Verizon. The call quality is, in my opinion, inferior to Cingular. Also, though they were quick to fix this, they've already charged me a late fee! And I can't tell what features I do/don't have from the bill. Chaos. Nice phone though (it's got like, the longest battery ever made in it, it won't die), and I am saving a little bit over Cingular.
Money in the Bank
I was on a "cash quest" to save $62.50 out of my monthly, fixed expenses. I failed, but I'm happy all in all. Storage unit, NetFlix, and Comcast saved me $44.50 plus whatever monthly savings I get from Verizon (maybe up to $8) over Cingular. I never made the switch from cable internet to DSL, and now that fantasy football has started, I doubt I will.
My Next Job
I've been thinking I might like to try my hand at teaching one day. I think I have the disposition to teach, and I think I would get a certain amount of fulfillment from it. The question becomes where, when, and how. Ultimately, I would need a Master's degree to do any teaching. With a Masters, I could teach at most any Junior College, and could be an adjunct (aka, temporary) professor for certain classes at a four year joint. With a PhD, I could actually teach for real! While at the XOM I could get the Masters and potentially then go on (outside of the XOM, I would think) and get the doctorate. Going back to school would certainly be a distraction, and while that might be good, it causes a bit of caution. I would won't to make sure I'm doing this because I want to, and not just as a way to shake things up. Going to school while working would be a "helluva shake up", so I had best want to do it if I pursue it.
Well, there you have it, a mental dump on this most rainy of Labor Days. The marathon is just over one month away, and while I can make no predictions as to my finishing time, I am slowly starting to think that I'm rounding into running shape (still need to lose about four pounds ... BEEFCAKE!). Later.
Word Count: 'Bout 900
Happy Labor Day! Naturally, it's raining here, so no running so far today). As it has has been many moons since I had a non-running topic, here's a quasi-state of the union address on this lazy Labor Day.
Automobile
My car turned two last week, celebrating it's birthday on the same day as Andy. Only 22,500 miles and that's with two trips home (3000) and one "run from the 'cane" (2500), so on a weekly basis, I don't put many miles on the car. I suspect my car pooling situation will hold at least through the end of this year, so no reason to think I won't make it to the four year mark with my warranty intact (4y/50000m). I suppose I should start thinking about whether to extend the warranty, as I think I can get that cheaper if I do it earlier ....
Stock Market
The stock market is a mess, but I think it might be stabilizing a bit. George W's statement that the government should come up with ways to bail out people unable to pay their mortgages has/will make the markets happy. Also, the Fed said they are ready to jump in and save the economy if the housing market drags us into a recession. This housing woe scares Wall Street because they are afraid it will make people be unable to, or scared to spend money. "Buying stuff" is about 70% of our economy, so it's smart for them to be scared. My personal opinion is that the market will go sideways, up and down but ending near where it is, until we figure out just how bad this mortgage problem is. I've taken my "play money" out of the market and put it into my money market account at GMAC Bank.
Work
I'm a bit angered by work at the moment. The basic reason I didn't go somewhere this weekend is because it is bad for planners (that's what I am!) to be out this time of year, because next week we start presenting out budgets to the Upstream presidents (they find oil, they're important). Though I think it's a bad time to be out, my boss was in training the first three days of the week and on vacation the last two! Another guy I work with, who is key to this process, was on vacation Thursday and Friday. I don't begrudge either of them personally; I'm glad they took the days off. This comes down to my HATING when work interferes with my right to take vacation. It angers me when people say "I couldn't take vacation at this or that time because I was too busy", but yet I've let that happen here. For a good part of today, I actually need to log in to work and finish up some stuff ... and then get to bed early so I can be at work for my 7AM meeting! I'm glad to have a good job, still, "Me Keith Mad!" is the mantra of the moment for work.
Literary Fulfillment
I purchased Michael Chabon's new novel, "The Yiddish Policeman's Union", and need to start it soon. Chabon is one hell of a writer and the first one whose work I always get and read.
Cell Phone Service
I'm disappointed with Verizon. The call quality is, in my opinion, inferior to Cingular. Also, though they were quick to fix this, they've already charged me a late fee! And I can't tell what features I do/don't have from the bill. Chaos. Nice phone though (it's got like, the longest battery ever made in it, it won't die), and I am saving a little bit over Cingular.
Money in the Bank
I was on a "cash quest" to save $62.50 out of my monthly, fixed expenses. I failed, but I'm happy all in all. Storage unit, NetFlix, and Comcast saved me $44.50 plus whatever monthly savings I get from Verizon (maybe up to $8) over Cingular. I never made the switch from cable internet to DSL, and now that fantasy football has started, I doubt I will.
My Next Job
I've been thinking I might like to try my hand at teaching one day. I think I have the disposition to teach, and I think I would get a certain amount of fulfillment from it. The question becomes where, when, and how. Ultimately, I would need a Master's degree to do any teaching. With a Masters, I could teach at most any Junior College, and could be an adjunct (aka, temporary) professor for certain classes at a four year joint. With a PhD, I could actually teach for real! While at the XOM I could get the Masters and potentially then go on (outside of the XOM, I would think) and get the doctorate. Going back to school would certainly be a distraction, and while that might be good, it causes a bit of caution. I would won't to make sure I'm doing this because I want to, and not just as a way to shake things up. Going to school while working would be a "helluva shake up", so I had best want to do it if I pursue it.
Well, there you have it, a mental dump on this most rainy of Labor Days. The marathon is just over one month away, and while I can make no predictions as to my finishing time, I am slowly starting to think that I'm rounding into running shape (still need to lose about four pounds ... BEEFCAKE!). Later.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Maasten Up
Key Words: Keith FIT, Sponge Bob Singlets, Maastened
Word Count: 995
Today was, per the schedule, an 11 miler for Chicago and a 12 miler for other HoustonFIT Fall groups, so Patty (she was absent, no Patty Wagon with oranges and water!) setup a 11.88 mile route that we could all run. Small group, as it's a holiday weekend.
I wanted to run this from the heart! No, not with passion, but with a beats per minute limit. The 18 miler seems to have exposed that if my heart is working at 166 or so BPM, that I'm probably working too hard for long distance (13+) mile running. Also, using my recent numbers (see my last post), 80% of my max working heart rate would be around 157 to 166. So I set out to keep the ticker at or under 160.
The goal of my heart rate training is to fine a zone that I can work aerobically in for a long time. The point of long running is, after all, aerobic workout. Successful runners spend about 80% of their miles at a slow speed; that's about the closest thing to universal advice you find in running. So it makes sense that these long runs should be in this slow, aerobic zone. Unfortunately, in the current weather conditions this means running reeeal slow miles. Here's where you buy in or take a pass: minutes per mile are fairly pointless. If I take my best runs from this Summer, even short ones, it seems likely that I will not break five hours in Chicago. Though that would be fine, I don't really believe that, because (hopefully) the conditions in Chicago will be more conducive to easier running. So instead of fixating on pace, I am choosing to fixate on improving my bodies aerobic capacity. I'm buying in that if I make my heart and lungs stronger, that when I get better weather, I'll be able to run faster.
Of course, there is more to running than aerobic capacity. There are two more things really: lactic acid threshold, and VO2 Max. If you only trained in this slow, aerobic zone, guess what, you'd turn into a real slow runner! You have to do more than that; tempo and speed work come in there. Tempo runs push you body into it a zone where it is producing lactic acid at a rate close or in excess of its ability to remove it. This is, perhaps, the greatest threat to distance runners. Your muscles will shut down if drenched in acid; you have to work below this threshold. Therefore, by putting your body at this limit, you hope to improve the limit over time, and thus be able to run faster without a deluge of acid. Speed running makes your body use copious amounts of oxygen because you are going very fast over a decent distance (not a sprint though, because when you truly sprint, your body doesn't use oxygen for running). Your VO2 Max (the amount of oxygen you can use) is, unfortunately, limited by genetics :( However, "they" say you can improve your base level, even if you fit, by about 5 - 10%. Speed training does this.
The above, slow runs in the aerobic zone, speed work at a quick pace, and tempo work is, not surprisingly given its success, the basic USA FIT workout plan. The one thing that I think it lacks is running at marathon pace. That pace is between tempo and aerobic (I call it a fast aerobic), and I think you need some miles in at this speed, not for physiological reasons, but for psychological ones; you need to know what it feels like. That's why I think the recovery runs should be run at marathon pace. There you have it, Keith FIT. My Yellow Group will wear Sponge Bob singlets.
So I'm buying in. After two years of "running", I'm going to start training. Jon and I got into a discussion about this after this mornings run. I think I'm a successful distacne runner in that I'm speedy at short distance, a lil' better than average in the half, and, well, at least I've finished three marathons. However, I may have done that in spite of my training. Well, that's obviously not fully true, but what I mean to convey is that if I train "better", I might have more success. It's easy to keep doing the same old things, but as I've said many times, if you want different results, you have to train differently. It may be as simple as running a little slower on Saturday, and making sure I am religious about tempo, speed, and recovery runs.
As for this morning's run, it was fine. I kept the heart rate where I wanted, and ran about 10:45 - 11:00 minutes miles, maybe a bit faster. It's worth noting that in today's cooler weather, I was able to run about as fast as the 18 miler, but my heart stayed lower. This makes sense, but I wanted to see it happen! A first though, it rained on this run. A lot! As some folks in the South say, I was quite "maastened". Hydration over the last four miles was as simple as looking up and opening your mouth over the last four miles. I cannot remember a run prior to this one where it really rained like this. Other than my shoes getting full of water, it wasn't so bad really. Thankfully the lightening stayed away until I got near the park. Who knows where I would have holed up had that started, and I'm not sure how Jon would have found me (I think I'll start running with a cell phone!).
Adios. Have a good Labor Day!
Word Count: 995
Today was, per the schedule, an 11 miler for Chicago and a 12 miler for other HoustonFIT Fall groups, so Patty (she was absent, no Patty Wagon with oranges and water!) setup a 11.88 mile route that we could all run. Small group, as it's a holiday weekend.
I wanted to run this from the heart! No, not with passion, but with a beats per minute limit. The 18 miler seems to have exposed that if my heart is working at 166 or so BPM, that I'm probably working too hard for long distance (13+) mile running. Also, using my recent numbers (see my last post), 80% of my max working heart rate would be around 157 to 166. So I set out to keep the ticker at or under 160.
The goal of my heart rate training is to fine a zone that I can work aerobically in for a long time. The point of long running is, after all, aerobic workout. Successful runners spend about 80% of their miles at a slow speed; that's about the closest thing to universal advice you find in running. So it makes sense that these long runs should be in this slow, aerobic zone. Unfortunately, in the current weather conditions this means running reeeal slow miles. Here's where you buy in or take a pass: minutes per mile are fairly pointless. If I take my best runs from this Summer, even short ones, it seems likely that I will not break five hours in Chicago. Though that would be fine, I don't really believe that, because (hopefully) the conditions in Chicago will be more conducive to easier running. So instead of fixating on pace, I am choosing to fixate on improving my bodies aerobic capacity. I'm buying in that if I make my heart and lungs stronger, that when I get better weather, I'll be able to run faster.
Of course, there is more to running than aerobic capacity. There are two more things really: lactic acid threshold, and VO2 Max. If you only trained in this slow, aerobic zone, guess what, you'd turn into a real slow runner! You have to do more than that; tempo and speed work come in there. Tempo runs push you body into it a zone where it is producing lactic acid at a rate close or in excess of its ability to remove it. This is, perhaps, the greatest threat to distance runners. Your muscles will shut down if drenched in acid; you have to work below this threshold. Therefore, by putting your body at this limit, you hope to improve the limit over time, and thus be able to run faster without a deluge of acid. Speed running makes your body use copious amounts of oxygen because you are going very fast over a decent distance (not a sprint though, because when you truly sprint, your body doesn't use oxygen for running). Your VO2 Max (the amount of oxygen you can use) is, unfortunately, limited by genetics :( However, "they" say you can improve your base level, even if you fit, by about 5 - 10%. Speed training does this.
The above, slow runs in the aerobic zone, speed work at a quick pace, and tempo work is, not surprisingly given its success, the basic USA FIT workout plan. The one thing that I think it lacks is running at marathon pace. That pace is between tempo and aerobic (I call it a fast aerobic), and I think you need some miles in at this speed, not for physiological reasons, but for psychological ones; you need to know what it feels like. That's why I think the recovery runs should be run at marathon pace. There you have it, Keith FIT. My Yellow Group will wear Sponge Bob singlets.
So I'm buying in. After two years of "running", I'm going to start training. Jon and I got into a discussion about this after this mornings run. I think I'm a successful distacne runner in that I'm speedy at short distance, a lil' better than average in the half, and, well, at least I've finished three marathons. However, I may have done that in spite of my training. Well, that's obviously not fully true, but what I mean to convey is that if I train "better", I might have more success. It's easy to keep doing the same old things, but as I've said many times, if you want different results, you have to train differently. It may be as simple as running a little slower on Saturday, and making sure I am religious about tempo, speed, and recovery runs.
As for this morning's run, it was fine. I kept the heart rate where I wanted, and ran about 10:45 - 11:00 minutes miles, maybe a bit faster. It's worth noting that in today's cooler weather, I was able to run about as fast as the 18 miler, but my heart stayed lower. This makes sense, but I wanted to see it happen! A first though, it rained on this run. A lot! As some folks in the South say, I was quite "maastened". Hydration over the last four miles was as simple as looking up and opening your mouth over the last four miles. I cannot remember a run prior to this one where it really rained like this. Other than my shoes getting full of water, it wasn't so bad really. Thankfully the lightening stayed away until I got near the park. Who knows where I would have holed up had that started, and I'm not sure how Jon would have found me (I think I'll start running with a cell phone!).
Adios. Have a good Labor Day!
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