Running away from August! Onward into September!

[yellow]

So, here in the SLC, we've had two months in a row with record high average temps. This is the overall average for the month, including nighttime: 86.2 F for July and 82.7 F for August. I am sooooooo ready to have fewer than 27 days over 90 F.

That said, I had a lovely run this September morning on some beautiful trails that had been dampened (but not muddied) by a little rain last night. It was 57 F when I started. It was awesome, so awesome that I didn't mind the humidity. The rain also resulted in awakening the smells of the forest and good tracking surfaces (I do a lot of tracking and general naturalizing when I run).

Bring on the autumn weather pattern!

[skhill]

And in KY, after a hot and humid holiday weekend, it was a beautiful morning, low 60s with low humidity. My hurt calf is feeling much better, but I'm not pushing it. Just 4.5 miles this morning and it seems a lot of people in this part of town took advantage of holiday furniture sales, there were a lot of old couches and easy chairs sitting at the curb on this our garbage day. Also saw a rabbit darting out from a community garden.

Yes, bring on autumn! My favorite season (except for the raking).

[rocknrollgirl]

Not very nice here today, hot and humid. I had to run in the afternoon because we are back in school. It always takes me a good 4-6 weeks to adjust to afternoon workouts once school starts. So on that hot and humid afternoon note, I was a bit of a trudge, but I got it done.

[OakLeaf]

While we were in NJ taking care of my very infirm FIL I managed to get in two of the best runs I've ever had there, including one in the rain. (Also a nice yoga class at the studio around the corner.) I guess everyone was at the Shore for the long weekend, because there was hardly any traffic.

I'm exhausted. All yesterday in airports, TSA destroyed my hardshell suitcase, home last night, spent all day today marking roads for our upcoming bike tour, definitely need to run in the morning.

[yellow]

I was a bit of a trudge, but I got it done.
I should have trudged but ate cookies instead. I need to NOT buy boxes of cookies. :o

[rocknrollgirl]

Yellow, that may become a new quote hanging in my classroom. " I should have trudged, but at cookies instead"

[GLC1968]

We were scheduled to go backpacking this weekend, so I was kind of looking forward to a break from the long run this week. Now it looks like weather may thwart us, so I may be mapping out a 9 mile run anyway. Poo.

I did just officially sign up for another half in December, so it looks like this will be the winter of running for me. :)

[rocknrollgirl]

Trudge Day 2

Although I felt like poo during yesterday's run, it was slightly less of a trudge than Tuesday. I at least got in 10 sets of striders at the end. Tomorrow will be our long run on the trails. I hope I get some snap back. OY.

[skhill]

I took a roundabout route to the track today, and went past the private college's still-under-construction track complex on the way. It's looking beautiful. When it's done, there will be 8 full sized, less than 5 yr old running tracks in town, none of them open to the public. But the fence at this one looks like it will be climbable, don't know what security will be like though. Did my intervals on the short track at the old school closed at integration. It's better than nothing...

[yellow]

skhill, they built a beautiful track at the University of Utah here and I did run on it once this summer. It is HUGE! They have a few posted public hours but they are scarce. I'll probably just stick to the the local HS whenever I get back to doing track intervals (which I actually kind of like, in a sick sort of way).

I trudged up in the mountains after work today and while I was up there, it got really windy down in the valley (which is only 5-6 miles down canyon). I drove down the canyon into a giant dust bank. It was disgussssssting. I could smell the lake, too (the Great Salt Lake; it has a unique aroma that wafts over the city when we get those west winds). The run was just OK. My legs hurt this week. I had to walk a couple of the hills that I ran without problem last week. :(

As I was finishing my run, the front runners of the Wasatch Front 100 were coming up the same canyon. It was pretty hot today, and they looked a bit fried (this is about 60 miles in to the race). I gave a few friendly beeps as I drove past going down canyon. They will still be running when I go to bed tonight.

RnR, please note my new signature!

[rocknrollgirl]

Yellow......HA! How about we boldly trudge AND eat cookies!

We did our long run today. Less of a trudge than this week. The weather was perfection. We went to a local park and did loops. This time of year we do not dare set foot in the woods the chiggers and ticks are SO bad. So our local park ( which has some really nice trails), is a winter running spot. There is a 3 mile loop, mostly flat that is very wide that we can manage safely this time of year if we spray. So we did loops on that. We set up a "water stop" and hit that to fuel at the end of every loop.

We got in four loops. I ran the whole time, no walking. Happy with that. Our race is in three weeks so we will probably start to step it down after this.

[OakLeaf]

Mmmmmmm, cookies.

I did heart rate intervals today. Haven't really been doing much speedwork, but it felt good. I'm pretty well mentally exhausted and over-taxed, so I wanted a compressed workout.

I'm signed up for Columbus half in October, not as a goal race but just for the heck of it, but I'd like to at least not embarrass myself. It's not too late to get in a couple of longer runs before then ... I haven't been running much over 9.5 consistently.

[lph]

I don't usually post here because I'm not that much of a runner, though I'm gradually trying to get there.

But today I got myself a new mental prop. Running is pretty hard work to me, and I like using mental images and music to keep me focussed. And struggling up one of the small, steep hills on my semi-commute run I started thinking how these tough little hills where I feel slow and unfit are the ones that are actually making me strong, not the easy stretches where I just fly. And I got the image of loading a spring, like winding up something. Loading a spring is hard work, and you have to put in a steady effort rather than a short burst. But once it's loaded you can release all that energy later.

Works for me :-)

[GLC1968]

LPH, I like that image!

I did my 9 mile run on Saturday. Funny thing was, it felt better (and was faster) than my 8 mile run last week so I am definitely making progress. My DH just broke down and signed up for the half I'm doing in December. This is HUGE for him as 1) he is not a runner, 2) the longest he's ever run was 6 miles with me two years ago and 3) he is terrible at sticking to commitments to race or train. I sent him my training plan after modifying it a bit for him and hopefully, he'll stick with it.

Next weekend, I'll be in FL for my 10 mile run. I'm torn. I like the trail i'm planning to run on and the general flatness of the area...but I'm not looking forward to the heat and humidity.

[OakLeaf]

Be careful with that heat, GLC. Don't know what the temperatures have been up by you, but most of FL is still getting heat indexes in the mid to high 90s. Glad you have a nice place to run though ... IME what Florida lacks in brutal 20% grades, it more than makes up for in boring. :p

I just did a weetie little recovery run yesterday. My lack of speedwork was, ahem, apparent the next day. :rolleyes:. Yoga today, going for 11-ish tomorrow.

[yellow]

As I was trudging/plodding/attempting to run/hiking/running today, I had this image of myself as a tail-less Shamu, trying to swim through stale molasses. Or perhaps a 3-legged elephant trying to run through a mud bog. Pathetic with a capital P. I would really like to know where my strong, pain-free legs are. It was so discouraging that I began trying to convince myself that my life would be just fine without exercise. It was a whole lot of garbage--stomach hurt, back was cranky, legs really hurt, I had massive chub rub, ad nauseum. Yep, one of those days. The trail was in great shape (we got some rain over the weekend that really knocked the dust down) and I saw no one else out there. Lots of fall colors, too. So I guess it wasn't all bad :) I do think, however, that I left my mojo in Tahoe in mid-July. I wish I could coax it to come back to Utah. I know, wah.

lph, I have a similar image I use sometimes. I think of a string pulling me up (as in keeping my upper body stacked over my hips) and my legs being like a wind up toy; the more that string pulls, the longer my legs will stay "loaded" (keep going). I should have used that today but I think I was wallowing in my misery too much to think clearly :p

[lph]

As I was trudging/plodding/attempting to run/hiking/running today, I had this image of myself as a tail-less Shamu, trying to swim through stale molasses. Or perhaps a 3-legged elephant trying to run through a mud bog.

Nah, you were just loading the spring :D Wouldn't want to break the spring now, would you!

[skhill]

We're having a return of summer this week, yuck. 75F and humid at dawn; felt like I was running through sludge. I went through the university campus for the first time since classes started, and now I remember why I don't usually go there on school days. Even at 6:30 AM there was quite a bit of traffic and inattentive drivers.

[Veronica]

So happy we don't have the humidity (28%) , but it was 75 degrees when I ran at 5 this morning. The fore casted high is 95, I think it will go higher.

I think I've finally had a breakthrough. This morning's run did not feel like I was fighting with my body to propel it forward. The massage therapist at my chiro worked on my hips yesterday. It was pretty painful at the time and left me with some bruises. :D But my intervals today were faster and felt more fluid and graceful. I hope I can replicate it on my next run.

Veronica

[OakLeaf]

September heat wave.
I said I would do eleven.
Found my max heart rate.

[GLC1968]

Forecast high of 92 today (I'm still in Oregon), so I'm not looking forward to running. Inside is not an option since our treadmill is in the garage and it is decidedly hotter than 92 in there if the sun is out (south facing garage).

DH and I will be running together but we have to bowl first, so it'll be kind of late before we start. I'm hoping it will cool off fast enough to be worth the wait. We'll see....

[rocknrollgirl]

Sounds like we are all in the same boat this week. It was 87 degrees when we went out yesterday and the humidity was through the roof. Miserable, but we got it done. Tempo work. Fall can't get here soon enough for me.

[katluvr]

I ran today! Yes, I am trying to celebrate even the smallest effort. So last spring my lofty goal was possibly a 50k to celebrate my 50th b-day at the end of the year. But since I continue try and get the running bug back I am having to scale down my goal. Today I sent in the money for a trail 1/2 marathon mid Nov. That has been another goal of mine--to do a 1/2 but not on the road. I know I can do 13.1 miles. I know it won't be pretty or fast. This off road 1/2 is advertised as not technical and it's not one of the local Xterra races. So begins my "abbreviated" training plan!

Ran the 3.4 loop. It was hot (what is new). I didn't even look at time or pace, I am sure it was my usual slow speed--but who cares. I noted the "trudging" referral in the previous posts. I call it "slogging". Sometimes I feel like I am actually running but most of the time I think I am just doing a slow jog = slogging!

Hope to be posting more regularly now!

K

[katluvr]

Did my "long run" today = 5 miles. So I usually run with my Gamin, but lately I've been running with my iphone and the "map my run" app (well actually it map my ride but it does the same thing!). The GPS on my phone shows me running longer--I've noticed this since I KNOW the distances of my various routes. Today for the 5 miles (per Garmin) my iphone GPS had me at 5.3 Makes a big difference in my overall pace. I'm planning to stick with my Garmin reading as I have always used that for distance and pace. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. I know GPS can vary.

[skhill]

katluvr, I'm new to using a Garmin, and I've noticed a difference too. Not as dramatic a difference, but I was just using an online map to figure distances, after running. The Garmin figures it slightly shorter, more like 5.0 to 5.15. I trust the Garmin more-- it's proven accurate on the track.

Today was a cranky run, body and mind alike. Only went 3 miles or so. But a dramatic cold front's coming today, and I'll be needing to break out cool weather running gear this weekend. It could get down below 40F! I'm so excited! Now I need to remember where I put the mittens and hats.

[OakLeaf]

What a difference 25 degrees makes ....

The front came through yesterday. I'm really not ready for fall overall, but I sure wasn't ready for running in a heat index over 100 earlier this week, either (notice how I can't count syllables when my brain is cooked? :rolleyes:). Today I did 10.5 ... about 1:30/mile faster than the 11 the other day, at an average heart rate 21 bpm lower, on a slightly hillier route. Dang.

[kris7047th]

We had a cool day today barely making 60* and my ride felt nice. But just a few days ago here in SE Mich we had highs of 96*. Tomorrow we are to wake up to 40*. We call it Michigan weather .. lol

[rocknrollgirl]

I came in this morning to say Waaaaahhhhhh. Group hug please.

Yesterday I woke up with a scratchy throat. Blamed it on allergies ( that is my story and I am sticking to it). By the end of the day the discomfort had migrated downward. Left school with a frog throat.
Came home feeling like a weepy 5 year old that needed a nap or a time out, was VERY cranky to my DH, who just took it. I ended up in tears. He then gave me a time out:) Woke up this morning, throat feels better, but I sound awful. He just left to go do our long run on a beautiful fall morning. No running for me.:(((((

My race is in 2 weeks. POOOOO. I will see how I feel tomorrow. I know at this point that the hay is in the barn, but still. Poo.

And for heaven's sake I NEVER get sick, who gets a sore throat the second week of school? ( allergies, still sticking with that one) Sigh.

Ok, done whining now.

[Veronica]

I had a cold the second week of school this year. My kids (5th grade) love to hug me as they leave each day. Not all of them, but 4 or 5 everyday.

My classroom itself makes me ill. The humidity at my house is usually right around 28%. I live 1.2 driving miles from my school. The humidity in my classroom is 55%. It's gross. The air in my room just feels thick! I know that's not high compared to where some of you are. :D

Hope you feel better soon, RNRG!

Veronica

[rocknrollgirl]

Veronica,
just hearing that I am not alone in my fight against kid germs makes me feel better. Sorry that you too were stuck down. Truthfully, I am sitting here trying to imagine what 28% humidity feels like. In my head I guess I imagine San Fran to be cool and humid. I guess not! Your are right, 55% here is low, low, low.

Hey, at least the dust bunnies are going to get chased.

[Veronica]

We live halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento, with a couple of low mountain ranges in between. Totally different weather here, more Central Valley than coast!

Yeah, kids are just little germ factories. I've got a couple who are incessant washers and hand sanitizers, but most are not.

Veronica

[kris7047th]

I had a cold the second week of school this year. My kids (5th grade) love to hug me as they leave each day. Not all of them, but 4 or 5 everyday.

My classroom itself makes me ill. The humidity at my house is usually right around 28%. I live 1.2 driving miles from my school. The humidity in my classroom is 55%. It's gross. The air in my room just feels thick! I know that's not high compared to where some of you are. :D

Hope you feel better soon, RNRG!

Veronica
wOw .. your home humidity is very low. I have 5 tropical fish tanks in my bedroom for the past three years. Prior to having them there the humidity was low, wake up with congestion etc. Those symptoms have disappeared and I went 2 1/2 years without even a cold .. until I was scheduled to visit my daughter in S.C. .. yep caught a cold the week before (but it was very mild and gone just before leaving :0)

I suspect the reason isn't too low .. or too high but your constant daily change from one to the other. Your body is in constant adjustment mode and why you get sick easier. I would up the humidity in your home.

[skhill]

48F and breezy this morning, woohoo! It was a struggle at first to keep to a long run sort of pace, but after 3 miles I felt like I had settled in to a pace I could maintain all day. Went 8.5 miles, and could easily have kept going, but my hands and butt were numb from the cold, so I went home and warmed up. I love fall!

[OakLeaf]

I passed 1,000 miles for the year today.

I did a workout that was basically half of the one I was doing the day I got hurt a year and a half ago this week: 4 x mile @ half marathon pace or slightly faster, with 1 minute rest intervals. Half, only because it's the shape I'm in now, and I'm only looking at a non-goal half marathon at the moment. It felt so easy I almost decided to do more, but I'm pretty sure I'd pay for it tomorrow if I did, and I really didn't want to tear myself up at this point. There'll be plenty of time for sore in the spring. :p

[GLC1968]

Funny you all should be talking about humidity - I sure missed the west coast humidity today.

I did 3 miles per my plan on Friday here in FL and it was OK. It was at about 6 pm, so kinda hot but I had plenty of shade on my route. I didn't really get over-heated until about 2.5 miles, so it was survivable. Oddly enough, the humidity allowed me to run it comfortably without water where I always have a really dry mouth at home after 3 miles.

Today I did my long run - 10 miles. It felt like 20! Holy hell...it sucks running here. I was out there by 7:30 but it really didn't matter. 92F and 88% humidity. Half my route was in the sun without shade and I was seriously wilted. I parked in the middle, ran 2.5 miles in one direction and then turned around and then 2.5 miles in the other direction and back again. That allowed me to keep cold water at the car to cool off and resupply at the half-way point. I should have run it the other way around though because direction one was shadier than direction two (lesson learned for next time!). At 8 miles, I really wasn't sure I was going to finish and I started walking in the tiny shade spots to try and cool down a bit. Oddly enough, my overall pace pretty much matched the pace I do at home for long runs, even with all that walking. I was thinking it was running on flats vs hills, but really, I think it's running on an uninterrupted MUP vs running on sidewalks with lots of traffic lights.

I will say that I've never been so glad to be done with a run as I was today!

[Crankin]

Veronica, get a humidifier for your bedroom!

[GLC1968]

Did another 3.5 mile run here in FL. All this exercise down here on this trip has shown me that clearly my body is still capable of copious amounts of sweat! I am quite literally, dripping.

Weather forecast for Sunday's 11 mile run at home is 65F and dry. I can't wait (never thought I'd be saying that about a run!).

[katluvr]

Had an appt so I had to get up and moving on my day off. Headed out for my 6 mile run just before the sun rose fully over the horizon so not do hot and sunny. I think it is a bit less humid/muggy. We in FL savor any decrease in humidity and the cooler (although only slight) mornings. I felt pretty good, still slow, still with walk breaks, but felt a bit stronger and pace picked up just a tad bit.
Heading to Tennessee with my folks on Thursday. Not sure if I'll be able to escape for a run or not but packed the shoes and one running outfit. Sure would love a cool morning run (plus some hills :p)
K

[OakLeaf]

Still plenty humid here, but it's cooling off. I did a nice 12-miler today and didn't have too much trouble keeping the pace up. I'm starting to get some enthusiasm for the half next month.

[skhill]

I overslept this morning (can't believe the cats let their breakfast be late!) so I missed out on my run. It's supposed to rain this evening and tomorrow, too...

There's a plethora of races around here this weekend. In my city, there's a mud run (not interested), a cross-country 5K (with the rain, it will likely be a mud run too) and a road 5k. Seems like all the surrounding towns have 5ks Saturday too. I was considering the XC; it's the same course that hosted a NCAA race last weekend. But not in the rain!

[yellow]

Not a whole lot of running for me, but what I have done has been top notch in quality. I went to southern Utah to ride the White Rim with my buddy whose TE initials are SK :D and then we went over to Fruita, Colorado for a day of running around on the trails there. This is my buddy enjoying Steve's trail. I love running in beautiful places.

I might do an adventure run either this Sunday or next weekend, to the top of Kings Peak, the highest point in Utah. It will all depend on the chances for t-storms!

16704

[GLC1968]

Did 3 miles on Thursday on the treadmill before a really long day on my feet. Then on Friday, I ran outside with a coworker before leaving for the airport. Managed 3.5 miles before my feet screamed at me to stop. ;-)

Tomorrow is my next long run (11 miles) and the weather should be interesting. 58 F and 70% chance of rain.

[OakLeaf]

I did that fifth mile repeat today (along with the first four, again). I drove up to the farmers' market in the rain, and did the repeats on the nearby trail, so I had a nice flat place to run - just a very slight incline on the outbound direction. I ran pretty even splits, which made me happy.

[skhill]

It's a magnificent morning here, 51F with a cloudless sky when I went out running. I started with mittens on, then took them off, then put them back on, etc. 6 miles took me through part of the university campus, so I had the fun of effortlessly passing runners half my age. Also got passed by runners my age or older too. There were a lot of us out there before 7 am!

[OakLeaf]

I had a kind of insight yesterday. Or maybe a "duh" moment. About how to approach Columbus.

All along I'd been thinking I'd just show up and have a good time since it's neither a goal race nor part of a training plan.

But what it is, is an opportunity to hunt for my current limit without penalty. I can go out a little harder than I think is really wise. Maybe I set a PR. Maybe I blow up and have to jog or walk the last two or three miles, and learn what it feels like to approach blowing up. Either way, it's all good.

skhill, the mittens on/off is why I love my convertible gloves. http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodHI_90299.html I do find that I have to keep a finger hooked in the mitt so it doesn't flap around if I slip them off, but that's no big deal - my hands cool off and the one finger gets enough ventilation.

[GLC1968]

Hellish run yesterday. I managed the full 11 miles (more like 11.5 but I was too cold to walk at the end so I just kept running).

It started out nice - 58F and cloudy. It was windy (had to put my head-down and drive into the gusts on occasion) but it was at least dry and I was perfectly comfortable. At about mile 5, the rain came. Sideways, down pours, crazy gusts, branches and sticks banging into me....and I can only image what all those who saw me out thought about the crazy lady wearing only a t-shirt in this weather! I was seriously considering calling my husband to come pick me up (and bring a big towel) but when I was really critical about how I felt, I was just unhappy...I was not actually that cold. I kept going. Then at about mile 9 - I started to get really cold. My arms felt like ice blocks and I couldn't use my fingers at all. I was still soaked, my feet were sloshing and I was flat out miserable. If I thought I could have operated my phone, I would have dialed it in but since I couldn't, I figured it would be faster to just keep going.

Made it home, took a hot shower and then hobbled around all afternoon and into the evening. I was not prepared to have been running for 2 hours and 40 minutes and my legs/feet were not happy with me.

I guess that's what I get for complaining about the heat the previous week, huh?!

So for future reference, how would one dress for that kind of weather? A jacket would have been too warm for all but the last couple of miles, a light wool jersey would have been horribly water-logged. I should have worn my winter shoes (more water resistant) had I been planning ahead but I don't know how I should have dressed my upper body. Oh, my legs were fine - capri's were the right choice there...

[yellow]

Oh, GLC, sorry you had a nasty run. Hopefully you are feeling better today.


So for future reference, how would one dress for that kind of weather?

I have a super duper light rain jacket that I either stick in my pack (if I am going really far) or simply tie around my waist if I don't have a pack. It's not a full-on shell, but it has saved me more than once. I hatehatehate running in the rain (give me snow any day over rain!) but when I do (or know that there is a good chance that I could get caught in it), I will wear wool socks (they do very well when wet!) and usually a thin, short-sleeved wool t-shirt. If it's cold enough for a long sleeved wool shirt (again, very light), then it's usually snowing where I live :D I seem to do OK with the short sleeves and the light rain coat.

Here is the coat I have. Not cheap but I'd buy one again in a heartbeat. You might be able to find it on Amazon or something like that:

http://www.goreapparel.com/gore-running-wear-x-running-light-windstopper-active-shell-lady-jacket/JWLXRL,default,pd.html

I adore every single piece of Gore running wear that I own. They totally have it dialed. I absolutely love this jacket.

BUT! Your next run will be much better. I am sure of it!

[OakLeaf]

Ugh GLC. That sounds awful.

Personally when I started yesterday it was 57 and cloudy, and it stayed that way through my whole run, and I never so much as rolled down my arm warmers or felt my gloves were overly warm. You and I are on different planes when it comes to hypothermia... but I can't see running in those conditions without being able to add and remove at least a hat and probably an outer layer too. I'd start with a microweight wool base layer under a long sleeve technical top ... of which my favorite one is also long discontinued.

I did poke around the internets this morning looking for the jacket Yellow linked to and found a site (http://www.ratrace.com/28572/products/gore-womens-x-running-light-as-jacket.aspx) in the UK that still has them, but only in black (plus one XL in blue). Not for me, not in black, but just for reference, are they true to size? From Gore's US size chart it looks like I should take a medium, where I take a small in most tops.

[GLC1968]

Thanks Yellow and Oak. I have a local friend who is a Gore rep, so I'm going to send her that link and ask her if she knows of anywhere I can get myself one of those!

I was wearing a baseball style running hat which successfully kept the rain out of my eyes/face and I'm sure it kept me a bit warmer. I was also wearing wool socks (the only socks I ever wear running!), so at least my feet survived, despite the wet. I was worried about sloughing off all my skin, but they were fine once they dried out. Go wool!

Sounds like I now have a reason to buy more wool t's! I think I can handle wool t's and a light jacket until winter gets here. I'm ok with running in the rain, but typically if it's raining here, it's quite a bit colder than it was on Sunday and I think that's what threw me.

[rocknrollgirl]

Call me crazy, but I do not mind running in the rain at all. I have a super light wool l/s zip neck for days like that. Now that being said, I have not run 11.5 miles in rain like that. hmmm...

Well today was our last run before our race on Saturday. I really am going in just to finish. I am hoping for 4 hours, it is somewhere between 26 and 27k, so 16-17 miles, rough terrain, all single track. I will be trudging for sure and remaining of cookies.

Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl when you must!

I will report back after the race. Wish me luck. Please send good trail karma between 10am and 2pm est on Saturday.

[OakLeaf]

Good luck rnrgirl! Have fun!

[GLC1968]

Please send good trail karma between 10am and 2pm est on Saturday.

Trail happy karma coming your way. Have a good time and eat some cookies for me! ;-)

[yellow]

Ooooooo, RnR. Have a great race. I will carb up on some cookies for you this week :) TRUDGE ON!

Oak, the Gore jacket is true to size. I pretty much always wear a small and it is a small and fits perfectly. I also have this one, which I find too warm for running but I have worn it on colder, windy-er days when skate skiing. I luv it too.

http://www.goreapparel.com/gore-running-wear-essential-gore-tex-lady-jacket/JGESSY,default,pd.html?navid=xsellpdprp

Yeah, I have a sh!t ton of jackets. :o

As for running, I went for a run in the mountains after work this evening and someone flipped the autumn switch over the last day or so. Wow. Absolutely stunning colors--aspens, maples, mountain ash, all kinds of yellow and orange and red and green going on. I am tired and really needed a rest day (haven't had one in a week), but knowing it's supposed to rain (snow in the mts) tomorrow and figuring that it was probably pretty lovely up there, I just had to go. Didn't have my camera. Stupid move. I hope the weather coming in doesn't put out that fire of color--I want to go see it again over the weekend.

[GLC1968]

Yellow - I just ordered that one off Amazon (previous year, for cheap)! Good to hear that it's slightly heavier since I just discovered that I already have a super lightweight water resistant jacket from Nike that I've never worn. It would have been perfect for Sunday's conditions had I thought to bring it with me! duh. :o

Next run will be tonight...but late, so I'll probably have to treadmill it. Poo.

[skhill]

Today was going to be 7 miles, but at 3.5 a piece of sidewalk reached up and tripped me. It's not too bad, some road rash on my left forearm and right palm, and a massive bruise coming up on my left hip. It happened near a firehouse, so I walked over there and checked that I was only oozing a little blood, not dripping. Since nothing was broken, I ran on home from there (the cute young paramedic suggested I call someone for a ride but it was 6:30 am and that's not nice). Ended up running about 5 miles. I was expecting my hip to be barking on my bike ride to work a little later, but that was fine; it was the scraped palm that was an issue. I'm sure everything will be more sore tomorrow...

Earlier on, I'd run in to a team for the upcoming Bourbon Chase, out for a group run in their matching team shirts. It's a 200 mile relay, usually teams of 12. Pretty cool. Someday I hope to be able to be a last minute replacement for an injured runner-- that's the bargain way to participate!

[rocknrollgirl]

I hate to taper...just sayin'........

[yellow]

I hate to taper...just sayin'........

LOL! I love the taper. Usually when I get there I am so tired that I am ecstatic about the volume reduction. :p

skhill, hopefully you are feeling OK after that fall! I will never forget the time I fell years ago, on a sidewalk: I looked at the sidewalk pothole, told myself I would not step in it, and what do you think I did? Yep, stepped in it, and broke my foot (I knew better than to look at where I did NOT want to go)! I stick to falls on the trail now (generally softer). I haven't broken anything since the sidewalk incident (although I have torn a few things, but we won't talk about that).

I really wanted to go for a bike ride today but it was raining/snowing so I decided a run would be better. I went up high to try to get out of the rain and into all snow. The snow ended up stopping about 10 minutes in, so the rest of the run was slosh-splash-grin. The sun even peeked out a little. The trail was actually quite good, since it was mostly covered with leaves (and a little snow in places). Aaaaaaand I saw 0 people. Still lots of fall color. Quite a lovely evening, about 8 miles.

[skhill]

I hate to taper too.

Funny thing after my fall, my bruised hip doesn't hurt walking or on the bike, but only when running. I ran anyway today, but took it easy, just 6 miles.

My Garmin went screwy though, somehow missed about a quarter mile. The weird thing is that it happened around the spot where we had our neighborhood monthly street party last night. The only other time it's done this before was the morning after the August edition. I have no idea why.

[rocknrollgirl]

Well. I survived. It was brutal. The hardest race we have ever done. I told a friend last night that we pushed the limit and it pushed back.

17.2 miles. Of that 17.2 miles there was only about a mile total that was actually runable. The course was very hill and very technical. Rock, rocks and more rocks. For some reason, I was having trouble getting gels or anything else semi-solid down. I had a liter or sports drink in my pack and that went down fine. I managed two gels for 4.5 hours and lots of coke. I was not nauseous, they just would not go down. Probably because there was no zone 2. Does that make sense? We were pegged the entire time because of the terrain.

Anyhoo, I passed my hubs on his way back from AS#2, and we figured he was at that time, about 10 miles in, around 20 mins ahead. That was exactly what we thought. I figured by the time the race was over he would be 40 mins or so in front.

At 12 miles they took us up a wall, super steep. Right after that I lost my "stuff' for a bit. I was really loopy and stumbly, so I just stopped running ( which was laughable to begin with) and walked as fast as I could. I was so light headed I was paranoid about going down and cracking my skull.

At 14 miles I forced a gel and kept it down. Three miles to go. Hubs will be waiting, and I know he will take care of me when I get to the end. At 15 miles I am trudging up a hill and I look up and there is a guy in the middle of the trail with his hands on his knees bent over. Just finished barfing. I look again...My hubs! Oh nooooooo. He was a mess. He had been vomiting for 4 miles. Even water came right back up.

So now even though I felt like crap, I had to get him out. So I walked him the last two miles. I could see his quads just spasm in cramps. He had to sit down multiple times and put his head between his knees. Now I am 5'3" and he is 6'6" and 220 pounds. If he goes down I am screwed. I kept him going and we walked it out together. Got him across the finish line asked for medical and they replied, " medical?, we do not have medical. Search and rescue is here, maybe they can help."

WHAT? on a course like this no medical? So I got the search and rescue guys and they took his vitals and we got a coke down him. Got him cleaned up and changed. More coke and some water. Got clean clothes on, and got in the car and drove 2 hours home. I got some chicken soup down him last night and he rallied, polished off half a bag of chips and went to bed.

So we are both very sore today and tired, but no injuries, which is a miracle. It was the hardest race mentally I have ever done. I have never wanted to just stop before. Not in any adventure races or in both 1/2 irons. I think because you could not get into a pace and relax. It was exhausting. The North Face Challenge was tough, this was just brutal. Not doing this one again.

We have no idea what happened to him. He was fine until mile 12. I checked his hydration pack. He drank 1.5 liters of sports drink. He said he drank at the aid stations, took his S-caps for salt. No idea. He feels really bad about it, but I told him heck, it happens to everyone eventually. He is a big guy and has lots of surface area so it is harder for him with sweat loss than us smaller folks.

My goal today is to move enough to not freeze in place! And eat!

[Crankin]

That sounds just dangerous. I hope your husband feels better.
No medical help? I wonder what the sponsors were thinking? Definitely not about liability!

[katluvr]

RnR,
OMG!Wow!
Sorry it was so a rough race but congrats on not only finishing but helping your hubby!
Hope you feel better soon! (and your hubby!)
K

[yellow]

Wow, RnR. I thought about you a lot yesterday. I am glad everyone is OK now.

I wouldn't do that event again either.

I find myself getting a bit frustrated with the trail racing world lately. Seems like there is this notion that brutal and gnarly is somehow better, desirable even. Maybe for some folks, but I think most of us want to challenge ourselves but enjoy the experience, enjoy being out in nature, and enjoy meeting other people who love to do the same. Creating hellish courses and not providing adequate medical support is, to me, just not something that facilitates that. I get so tired of the thought/image/idea that something has to be super brutal and difficult in order for its participants to feel like badasses when they are done. I am sure that many folks who do events like this feel great when they finish and like they have accomplished something very difficult and that 99.9% of the people in the world will never do but, you know what? I'd rather go for a nice run on a trail that I can actually run and not finish the day feeling like I've been run over by a herd of stampeding bison. I just don't get this whole idea that you need to suffer greatly. Is it a "keeping up with the Joneses" kind of thing? The more suffering the better person you are? I see this a lot in some of the races I do, where I choose the shorter distance. At many of these events, there is a palpable vibe that since you didn't do the longest distance, you really aren't a real ultrarunner. To that I say bullsh!t. OK, I will stop now. Rant over.

Congratulations on finishing. Now eat some cookies and rest! :p

[rocknrollgirl]

Yellow,
I am glad that someone has finally said out loud what we have been feeling for a few years.

As far as the race yesterday, they ran us down steep hills for 3 miles only to turn us around and run us right back up. Not necessary, they did it just to increase the gnar factor. they tout this race as the toughest in the area. I agree, when challenge crosses over into absolute misery, count me out.

As far as the race attitude, yep we are getting that too. People around here treat me like I have like I have something wrong with me because I do not want to do a full IM. I trained for one last summer and pulled out with 4 weeks to go because I was miserable. If I never do one, does that make me less of a triathlete? Why does that have to be the end all and be all?

Same thing yesterday. All the runners that gasped in shock when I said I never want to run a marathon. My hubs and are trying to keep the training and racing in balance with a normal healthy life. This past year, we backed it down a notch and did the things that made us happy. We had zero injuries, went on 3 vacations and had a ton of fun. Not so crazy me thinks.

I am super happy for all of my endurance buddies. Will support in any way I can, but for right now, we are doing what we can handle.

If that makes me less of a badass, so be it. I am still a ninja!

And no cookies today. Today is about chips:)

[Veronica]

I didn't race at all this season because I wanted to have fun and racing wasn't fun. We had a blast on our vacation in Crested Butte and I'm loving mountain biking right now. I like doing things with Thom. It's all about finding that balance. Off to mountain bike Diablo...

Veronica


PS You're both bada$$es to me! :D

[rocknrollgirl]

I didn't race at all this season because I wanted to have fun and racing wasn't fun. We had a blast on our vacation in Crested Butte and I'm loving mountain biking right now. I like doing things with Thom. It's all about finding that balance. Off to mountain bike Diablo...

Veronica


PS You're both bada$$es to me! :D

My a$$ feels pretty bad right now:) AND I have a new mt bike on the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Crankin]

Ah, yes.
This is why I have never competed. At a certain point in my life, I think I would have done quite well, luckily, I had too many other things to do at that time. I feel this pressure at my gym, where the other people who take my boot camp class all compete, regularly, in triathalons and other running stuff. I help them with bike advice, but I steadfastly tell them I have no interest in joining them. Heck, we are all ninjas compared to the general population. I'm not against competition, but more the vibe that Rocknroll is describing.
Balance is good. Heck, I almost ruined my health at age 35, from teaching too many classes at the gym, so I kind of knew after that, that balance was the key for me.

[GLC1968]

RnR - I'm sorry that was so rough, but good for you for toughing it out (and helping your hubs!). Mental training is sometimes the best things we get out of these adventures!

I totally agree with you and the others about not wanting to 'go long' so to speak. I'm not even interested in a 1/2 Iron because at my speed, I'd be out there just too long for my liking. There are way too many other things I like to do with my life - I have zero desire to train for something like and IM or a marathon to the exclusion of all else. 1/2 marathons and OLY's are as long as I'll go. I'm fine with only feeling like a badass even if no one else ever thinks I am one! ;-)

I did think of you yesterday - I got dumped on again on my run (pouring rain, howling winds and about 59F) but this time I was prepared with the right clothing. I was 100% soaked through by the end (I think I weighed an additional 10 lbs!) but I wasn't freezing and I was only marginally miserable and only for the last 1/2 mile or so. I actually managed to do 12 miles 5 minutes faster than I ran the 11 miles last week!

[OakLeaf]

Oh, man RnR. You are a total bad@ss. But yeah, no medical, wtf? Glad you and hubby are okay.

I hear you on the one-upmanship. Me, I'm perfectly fine never contemplating anything longer than 26.2, and not doing even more than one or at most two of those a year. If that makes me a lazy dilettante, so be it. :p It sure seems like it does, in some crowds, but it really doesn't bother me. (Also, it's probably true that since AFAIK longer races are trail races, and I don't run trails at all, it's easy for me to say no.)

I got bogged down in racing and football today. :rolleyes: I don't really mind taking the day off, I've been running pretty hard the last couple of weeks and it's been really good. Hilly 32-mile weeks at an average right at 10mm. I got out for a little ride yesterday, so by rights I should run today, but ... MotoGP in the morning, Bengals vs Browns right now, and then it'll be too close to dark ... :rolleyes:

[GLC1968]

I'm in pain. Saturday's run really did a number on my bad foot. I don't know why Saturday - if 12 miles was just too far or if it was the fact that I did it a little faster than usual, but holy cow, I had a huge ball of swelling around the area where I had surgery yesterday. It looked like an alien had built a nest in my foot or something because it was so localized to just the one previously injured joint. Even my ankle, toes and forefoot were not swollen! I could barely walk at all on Sunday. I did ice and elevate it on Sunday evening but it didn't appear to help at all.

I was running for a shorter period of time than the previous week, too...so it wasn't that. There was no pain WHILE running, either. I'm just glad that this coming weekend is only 8 miles.

Today it's a little improved, but still quite sore and somewhat swollen. Luckily, my next run isn't scheduled until tomorrow so hopefully it'll recover by then.

[OakLeaf]

Ow GLC. That stinks. Hope it heals quick.

I did a pretty gnarly 12 miler today, up to the very top of the ridge and back around in a sort of lollipop route. There's a hill about a mile from my house that I don't often run in the returning direction because it's a lot to tackle on tired legs. Today, the hills I'd already done made that one feel like a blip. I sailed up it. Feeling good. :)