Getting Back Into the Groove

Oh my goodness - staying with my training schedule is really hard with a new internship and class! I don't know how people do it without falling over! Early mornings seem too early, evenings seem too warm (mostly) and require more energy than I feel I have! I just had to whine a bit. I've been rather successful with keeping to how many times I run per week (3), but my duration each time is not steady.

Here's the schedule I've been trying to follow, thanks to Emily's magic computer training schedule maker.

2010-07-20: 0:16 fast 0:32 interval 0:48 easy
2010-07-27: 0:22 fast 0:44 interval 1:06 easy
2010-08-03: 0:24 fast 0:48 interval 1:12 easy
2010-08-10: 0:27 fast 0:53 interval 1:20 easy
2010-08-17: 0:21 fast 0:43 interval 1:04 easy
2010-08-24: 0:29 fast 0:58 interval 1:28 easy
2010-08-31: 0:32 fast 1:04 interval 1:36 easy
2010-09-07: 0:35 fast 1:11 interval 1:46 easy
2010-09-14: 0:39 fast 1:18 interval 1:57 easy
2010-09-21: 0:31 fast 1:02 interval 1:33 easy

Since I haven't been referring to it right before each run, I've ended up either running short or long for what I was doing that day. Not a good idea! I thought maybe posting it might help me stay in line.

Then there's my running again in conventional shoes. I'm waiting for my order for Bikila's to show up in early August. I sold my Sprints due to them being a little too thin for me, and I returned the Treks due to them being a little too small. My Brooks Women's Adrenaline GTS 10 were shoes I was totally in love with when I bought them, but since then have made my everyday shoes minimalist shoes, and in comparison, they feel large and heavy on my feet.

Also, here's the list of aches I have when running in conventional shoes that I don't have running in FiveFingers: knees, lower back, shoulders, bunion/toe joints.

In comparison, here's what doesn't work for me and the FiveFingers - aching feet after long runs.

At least it's localized!

Anyway - I'll contain my frustration. It's important for me to stay running and stay active, despite my schedule and the demands upon it. Now it's time to finally go to a Weight Watcher's meeting (first for nearly a month!) to try to get some control over what I'm putting into my body. It's sort of a mental reset.

Evening Run with Conventional Shoes

I managed to injure my right heel during my trail run enough to convince me to wear my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10 for a "fast" run last night. This was my first real run after my race and hiking, back in my neighborhood.

I've decided to consider trading in my FiveFinger Sprints due to the fact that they don't keep stuff out, and they are really thin compared to other options. I think my feet need a little more protection than they've been getting. However, in my old (still close to new) traditional shoes, my feet definitely felt burdened. The plus side is the bruise on my heel didn't hurt, the downside was my feet felt hot and sweaty, heavy, and I felt two inches taller and out of touch with the ground.

The run itself felt pretty intense. It was 20 minutes long, and as intense as I could muster considering it was the end of a work day, on very little sleep. It was also warm - which really, in Seattle, is warm for an evening, but not unbearable. I can see why some people choose to run in the mornings at crazy early hours before work, vs. doing it in the evening when they get home.

My pace for the 21:45 run was 10:19, which is not my best, but also, I intentionally tackled some hills. I could have probably pushed my heart rate farther, however, I just wasn't in the mood, and even an hour after dinner, wasn't quite digested enough to do so.

I look forward to scoping out new FiveFingers and to my heel healing.

Trail Running Ridiculousness

What do I know about trail running?

1. Trails are involved.
2. Running is involved.

That's simple, right? Find a trail and run on it.

Thanks to my scuba diving training I've developed a keen sense of how any sport can be disastrous given particular circumstances. Running, at least, you're in the open air and should have a pretty good supply of air to breathe, however, there are other factors that can impact your health and well-being. Upon first telling my father-in-law my plans to just run in the suburban neighborhood in Westchester Co, NY, he let me know of a recent coyote problem in the area.

Coyotes.

Luckily, I haven't had any encounters with coyotes in the neighborhood. I didn't bother to think of the coyotes when I decided on driving out to Saxon Woods this morning to do a long run. In fact, I didn't bother to look beyond the Google Map or GPS on the car to see what kind of running conditions I would encounter. I was honestly expecting more of a shady city park, not wilderness and gravel/dirt trails.

This did not bode well for my choice of travel running shoes (Vibram FiveFingers Sprint) which have a very scant amount of protection on the bottom. At least my choice of heart rate monitor was well suited for the trek (Garmin Forerunner 405CX).

It turned out that the trails were not as well marked as I would have liked, and that the trails themselves were pretty rocky, both with imported gravel and the natural rocky terrain of the region. It was BEAUTIFUL on this sunny day, with many chipmunks scampering about and songbirds singing. There were only a few people on the trail, making it rather lonely - and as I got deeper into the trail, it occurred to me that maybe I was fresh meat for a coyote. Alarmist, sure - but I realized I don't know how to deal with wildlife, let alone, spot and avoid poison ivy. And did I smell a skunk? I'm pretty sure I smelled a skunk. This was enough to get me to turn around about 10-12 minutes into my run.

It all would have worked out well, too, if it wasn't for a fork in the road that I somehow missed on the way in. I ended up taking the wrong fork in the basically correct direction, leading to a bit of panic calmed by the fact that I really was surrounded by civilization (a nearby highway could be heard). This is where my Garmin 405CX comes in handy. You see, I can switch to the GPS mode and it will help me get back home. It's a wrist compass, and was basically accurate in getting me back to my starting point. To say the least, I only ran for about 15-20 out of my 45 minutes in the woods. What I basically know about survival is to not over exert myself, and to conserve resources to get out of the jam.

I was relieved to get to the car in short order - basically navigating through natural navigation, supplemented by my compass. It's good to recognize your surroundings on the way in to help you on the way out.

I think I may want to go to a trail running clinic. There is so much in Washington State to hike and run in, and it seems a waste to do all my running just in the neighborhood.

Who wants to be my buddy? (Another good safety measure, btw!)

Mt. Si and FiveFinger Treks

My friend and bad/good exercise influence Emily was in town for the weekend, which meant saucy* happenings abounded amidst barbecues and typical Northwest weather.

Emily was one of the first FiveFingers enthusiasts that I met, and this past weekend she showed me her newest acquisition,Vibram Fivefinger KSO Trek. Since we had planned on hiking during her trip, we ended up doing a pre-hike shopping trip wherein I bought my own pair of treks.

Interesting to note, the store we bought them at (REI) had most of their selection of FiveFingers obliterated - only the Treks were available due to high demand. Crazy! Luckily, they had them in my size, and we headed, late, to Mt. Si, where we did the 8 mile, round trip hike, burning more than 2000 calories each, and exiting the mountain ravenous, tired, and a little beaten up.

I loved the feeling of the ground and the rocks, and the rugged soles of the Treks served me well those first 4 miles up, and I couldn't help but run up the trail a bit. Looking out for sharp rocks and watching my footing was a bit distracting, but I may learn to compensate for my insecurity over time. :) My toes were definitely sore by the time we were three miles down the mountain, and the last mile was really rough. At one point I stumbled as my hips through ankles were starting to complain, and I don't know if it's my improved fitness, or if the Treks gave me cat-like reflexes, but I did not faceplant, but instead, deftly caught myself on both feet, not even dirtying my hands. Truly remarkable.

It's now Thursday - and the hike was on Monday - and my calves are STILL aching, while my hips and thighs are a little more tempered. It was a wonderfully brutal experience, and I look forward to taking the Treks out for another hike or trail run sometime in the near future.

*sauciness comes from letting me/me taking the liberty to update your Facebook ustatus updates. Offer not available in all cities.