Running to the races! 10/11/2009 to 10/18/2009

**Crankin** · 10-16-2009, 03:36 AM

I had a lot of trouble last winter, getting used to dressing for running as opposed to cycling. I was always too hot, until I sort of got the hang of it. Problem is, I hate being cold for the first part of a run. I get chilled.
On Wednesday, I saw the high school x country team training on my street. They were almost all wearing shorts, some wore singlets, a few had had gloves and long sleeved shirts on. It was about 43 out and cloudy and windy.
I absolutely would have hypothermia. It has to be 70 before I can wear sleeveless!

**OakLeaf** · 10-16-2009, 05:17 AM

I'm the same way. Colby, if I generated as much body heat as you do... well, I don't know, I just can't.

I'm already wearing a knit cap and wool top to sleep, and my wool socks come off for the shower ONLY. And it's maybe 63° in the bedroom, 65° in the rest of the house.

I don't wear sleeveless for anything athletic, but warmth isn't the reason - just old habits die hard on the bike, and I'm too flabby to wear only a long bra on a run or in the gym. I can run in short sleeves to about 60°F, shorts to 50° if it's sunny, but below that it falls off FAST. It's just beyond the point where I can generate enough body heat to keep up.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the health of my fascia? -> my body's ability to circulate warm fluids through my extremities? I'm really not making any progress on the trigger points in my calves, despite all kinds of experimentation with my feet plus digging at them every night with a Thera-Cane and several times a day with a Stick or knee (which Stick and knee really don't get deep enough, but just to be giving them some attention...). My quads, adductors and abductors stay nice and limber with the foam roller and foam ball - I do have trouble getting into the hammies, if it weren't for my LMT I wouldn't even know the TrPs are there - but my lower legs, fuhgeddaboudit.

**Crankin** · 10-16-2009, 08:33 AM

OK, I just came back from a run-walk, which was mostly a run. Considering it was my second run in about 10 weeks, I did OK. Three miles, and I ran most of it, including up the hill. It was 38 when I left, cloudy and windy. When I got back, it was 43 and the clouds had broken up just a little. I unzipped my outer layer (a Wild Roses light fleece jacket) after about a mile and that was fine until I starting running up the hill at the end, when I took it off and tied it around my waist. I had on my fleece headband, Smart Wool liners, a Terry wicking hoodie, and a sleeveless Craft base layer. Oh and wool socks.
I wasn't running very fast and in fact, did not wear my Garmin on purpose. But it felt good.
I do sweat a lot, but when it's cold, the sweat just seems to chill me.

**Urlea** · 10-16-2009, 08:43 AM

Ran the 5.7miles home after Jiu-Jitsu class last night in a fine rain/mist. The water on the sidewalks reflected the street lights, I could see my breath & the temp was perfect. It was a very enjoyable run.

Race day tomorrow. It has rained/snowed every day this week so the "filthy 5k" should be extra muddy! I'm going to wear my VFFs for this race to hopefully help with the footing.

Good luck to everyone else racing this weekend!

**Susan Otcenas** · 10-16-2009, 09:34 AM

I hope the Susan who showed up to run this morning is the same one who shows up this Sunday for the half marathon.

This morning's Susan felt like a rock star, and covered her usual 5 mile route 2 minutes faster than usual without even trying. This morning's Susan was dressed right, had no stomach issues, and was in good spirits.

Hopefully the slow & lumbering Susan stays home!

**OakLeaf** · 10-16-2009, 10:14 AM

Two-mile warmup jog, 6 x 100 m strides with 90 sec walking recovery, another mile jog to cool down.

Getting my nervous system prepped for a hard run, without doing enough to stress the muscles.

Ready as I'm going to be.

**Jolt** · 10-16-2009, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I wonder if it has anything to do with the health of my fascia? -> my body's ability to circulate warm fluids through my extremities? I'm really not making any progress on the trigger points in my calves, despite all kinds of experimentation with my feet plus digging at them every night with a Thera-Cane and several times a day with a Stick or knee (which Stick and knee really don't get deep enough, but just to be giving them some attention...). My quads, adductors and abductors stay nice and limber with the foam roller and foam ball - I do have trouble getting into the hammies, if it weren't for my LMT I wouldn't even know the TrPs are there - but my lower legs, fuhgeddaboudit.

I'm surprised you haven't made any headway on the calf TrPs--can you think of anything you might be doing that would make them keep coming back? As for the hamstrings, have you tried using a tennis ball or big high-bounce ball on a hard chair (sit on the chair, put the ball under your leg and roll it around)? That might work; I've done this for adductor magnus (right up near the top of it) and if it works for that it should work for the hamstrings too.

**OakLeaf** · 10-16-2009, 05:33 PM

As for what makes them keep coming back, take a look at the Morton's Foot thread...

But also, I know with trigger points anywhere else on my body, if they're not completely worked out, they'll knot right back up again, and the ones in my calves are like hickory nuts buried next to my leg bones, literally. If you've ever tried to crack a hickory nut, you know what I mean. (If you haven't, next time someone serves you hickories, don't even bother with a nutcracker, bring a BFH. Seriously.)

"The Stick" is just too flexible to do anything with them. The opposite knee is too big. If I brace myself against something and use all my upper body strength, I can budge them a bit with one of these, which is considerably stiffer than my Travel Stick. But I can't really get into them except by using the weight of my leg with the Thera-Cane as in Fig. 8 here. As for making them go someplace they'd be able to "come back" from, hasn't happened yet.

I can get the adductors with the foam roller. Deep in the biceps femoris, it's hard for me to balance on a small ball at the same time I've got enough weight on it to make a difference. I can kinda feel them, but not like my LMT makes me feel 'em.

**skhill** · 10-17-2009, 08:08 AM

Hope everyone's races went well today!

I got a new PR at my 10k today-- 58:22! This pacing thing is hard; the first mile was 8:50 then the second was 10:10, and then I found an older guy who was running at a speed I liked and stuck to him for a couple miles. That really helped, and so when he slowed down on a hill, I just kept on going. There were quite a few people who passed me early that I blew past in the last mile-- what fun! Oh, and for all everyone disses running in cotton, the first woman at the turn-around was in cotton sweatpants and hoody! I don't know if she won, but she sure had a good lead at 3 miles...

**OakLeaf** · 10-17-2009, 08:28 AM

Way to go skhill! Great time!

I'm packing up... Heading in before long to pick up my packet and shop the expo. Staying overnight just to cut down on the time involved in the morning (although I waited too long to get a hotel reservation downtown, so there will be a drive).

Bringing three wool tops of different weights, two pairs of tights, a pair of gloves that will probably do (but hoping to buy a better pair), two different caps.

And I did find a warm-up suit I won't miss, one of those awful shiny late '80s parachute nylon things.

Good luck today Urlea and all the rest of y'all tomorrow!

**Jolt** · 10-17-2009, 11:49 AM

No running for me yesterday or today--yesterday I swam a mile instead, today I hiked Mt. Wachusett. Good luck to everyone who has races coming up (and looking forward to race reports)!

**Susan Otcenas** · 10-17-2009, 12:45 PM

Congrats skhill! Great time!

Weather forecast calls for rain tomorrow. Bummer. But, I'll be out there splashing inthe puddles with 1500 other fantastic women. I can think of far worse ways to spend a rainy Sunday.

Susan

**Urlea** · 10-17-2009, 02:28 PM

DH was a sweetie & took some pics during my race today, I liked this one.

Good race, VFFs functioned well in the mud/marshy areas of the Filthy 5k. Not a PR for the 5k distance (26:04ish), but I did drop a little over 4 minutes off of my previous time at this event! Didn't get as muddy as I hoped to, I even slid down a hill on my bum, but the tu-tu ended up covering the swath of mud.

I will try harder next year.

Zia & Skhill- Nice job on the 10ks ladies!

**redrhodie** · 10-18-2009, 04:38 AM

Today Indigoiis' race is happening in my town. My plan was to go out and cheer her on, but with 45-mph wind gusts and torrential rain, I'm staying in! I'm still routing for you, Indi! Hope you make it--it's ugly out there!

**OakLeaf** · 10-18-2009, 08:36 AM

Nice job Urlea! I'm sure mud would add at least 2 minutes to my 5K time, probably more than that.

Indigo, good grief, rain and 45 mph wind?! Yeesh, hope you had fun anyhow!

I wore an orange lei today in honor of Urlea's pink tutu. Best I could do.

I underestimated the combination of training in the hills for a flat race, plus race day excitement. I was hoping for 2:05 and finished in 2:00:41. Don't know whether to be ecstatic or disgusted. Before I saw my chip time I was feeling pretty good that I didn't leave much out there on the course. But now that it's glaring me in the face, I think I probably could've found another 42 seconds in the first 5-6 miles. Grrr.

Report to follow.

Thread: Running to the races! 10/11/2009 to 10/18/2009

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