Good run, bad communication

Run: 8 miles
Time: 1:25:57
Temp: 73 and cloudy. Very nice.
Quality: 8/10

First, I'm thinking that my communication skills need some help. Brice and I didn't connect for the run today and I'm 99% certain that it was from me communicating poorly. Brice will soon learn something that my wife has known for years, I'm an idiot.

Bright side is that I hooked up with Matt Teusink, my chiropractor. He's interested in doing the RnR and, judging from how he did today, I'm thinking that he'll be able to tackle it with ease. Just like Brice, Matt has a Garmin. Does everyone but me have one of those things? Needless to say that running along side him and his toy did nothing to quiet the gadget demons in my head. They WANT a Garmin. Will I have to enter some techno 12 step program? Maybe I'll be in the room next to David Duchovny recovering from sex addiction. PS, David, we're guys; sex addiction is part and parcel with being a guy.

Oh, and if you run with a chiropractor in a small town where he's helped people for over 17 years, you better be prepared for a lot of waving hand and quick hellos. He knows EVERYONE.

Anyway, the run went well. Matt was great company and I'm hoping that I can hook him up with Brice next time around. Speaking of next time folks, over the next 4 weeks my blogs will be coming from Laguna, New Jersey, New York, and Chicago. If anything, expect better pictures with my endless ramblings.

Now get back to enjoying your Labor Day weekend!

Steeple Chase

Run: 4.5 miles
Time: didn't turn on the watch. doh
Temp: 77 and humid
Quality: 7/10



In case you didn't hear, we had a storm that knocked over tons of trees (who knew we had trees in the desert?), knocked out power, flooded everything, etc. Anyway, my run this morning evidenced that there had been a lot of moving water over the streets. I ran through mud, streets turned into creeks, I even had to avoid a large group of cacti that had been uprooted. It was not your typical run and it was very fun.

The rack!!!

Run: treadmill-stair-stepper-thingy

Time: 30:00

Temp: I was inside

Quality: 7/10

Every once and a while I can't commit to a full run with warm-up, warm-down, etc. When this happens, I use the machine I call "the rack."

It's an evil device filled with paradox: You work hard, but you don't go anywhere; It's low impact, but your legs are wobbly when you get off; It's cool and indoor, but you sweat profusely.

My biggest issue with it is that I'm forced to watch Mary's Deloitte screen saver flash up over and over and over and over and over with their mission and values. Gag. Which brings up a little sidebar for us: why do all fortune 500 companies have the EXACT SAME mission and values? How can we take them seriously when their Mission is to be the industry standard, and their values are Teamwork, Diversity, Integrity, Excellence. Double gag. Some very intelligent and highly paid people probably did a week long "off-site" meeting to create those. Nice work guys.

Long story short (too late) I did 30 minutes on that rack and it's better than not doing anything at all. I'll try for 5 tomorrow. Until then...Get back to work.

Cold in the Heat

Run: 3 miles
Time: wayyyyy slow
Temp: 74 (we had a big storm last night and it cooled things down)
Quality: 2/10

I currently have a cold and feel all achy and stuffy, etc., but I still pulled myself out of bed after repeated abuse of the snooze button on the alarm. The perils of getting up late usually revolve around waking up the kids. I was just about to make my escape out the door when I heard a faint, "Daaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddyyyyyyyy." DOH!! It was Reese and, of course, he wanted daddy to take him on the run, which is normally not a big deal, but I felt like crap.

When he goes on runs with me he likes to be a steam engine. Notice the "headlight" that he gets to wear. And he also likes me to tell him homespun stories about "Reese the Cabforward" and his adventures on the Island of Sodor. Yep, creating and then telling a story to a heavy 5 year old as you climb a hill is NOT easy. Anyway, it was fun and I love having him out there...when I feel better.

I'm predicting that I will not run again until Thursday.

Now get back to work.

Long Run Preparation

Run: 8 Miles

Time: 1:24:27

Pace: about 10:28

Quality: 8/10

Another rule not to be broken for long runs is as follows: be conservative with the meal the night before a long run. So let me ask you: Is Paella with Andoullie Sausage, Saffron, Lobster, Mussels, Shrimp, Clams, and hot sauce a conservative meal? I didn't think so either, but it was sooooo good.

By all rights my run should have had an emergency stop at a restroom, but everything went very well. Not only was the run good, but also I must report that the CamelBak is still getting very high marks from me. Go buy one!

Run Preparation Observation:

10 years ago a long run would entail me cruising out of bed sometime in the AM, strapping on shoes, and running. Sure there'd be some electrolytes I'd put together and I'd probably put on some stuff to keep me from Chafing, but not much more. The definately would not be stretching, warm-ups, ice, or any undue prep of any kind.

Now I start the night before and I prep more than I do for a week long business trip. There's the stretching, drinks, the right shirt, shorts, and socks. Then when I get up in the morning there are more stretches and a 0.6 mile walk to warm-up before I run. When the run is over I walk for another 0.8 mile cool down. After I get home I pop some Advil and Glucosamine, and I also wrap the knee with ice to keep it from swelling. The ice is probably the most important part. Icing the joints HELPS!! Try it if you are experiencing any pain. The things we do to keep our tired bodies out on the asphalt. We're idiots.

Now get back to work!

Bad run

Run: 4 miles up Palisades

Time: who knows, but it was slooooowwww

Temp: 77

Quality: 3/10

You know it's going to be a bad run when the alarm goes off and you feel like you only got 2 hours of sleep. I was a bad boy and watched the Olympics late last night, but congrats to the USA Men's Beach Volleyball team. They fought hard with Brazil, and held on to win in 3 sets. Anyway, back to running. From the first step of my run today my legs felt like they were tied to two 90 pound bags of cement. I barely caught an elderly man walking his dog. To my defense, he seemed to be a spry gentleman and he was pushing himself...who am I kidding. I was sucking wind. Oh well, I guess you have to experience the bad runs to know what the good runs feel like. Yes?

Now get back to work! And have a great weekend.

Hydration Belt vs. Camelbak

Run: 5.5
Time: 55:11
Temp: 77
Quality: 7/10
Weight: 191

Yeeeeehaw, I finally started to drop a little weight again. I stepped on the scales a the doctor's office and found the needle to be tickling 191 (just a little under if we want to be more precise...and i do). I'm hoping to be at or below 185 for the marathon.

Anyway, I decided to kick the tires on a new purchase of mine, a Camelbak Hydration Pack. Eric recommended that I use a Camelbak 50 0z. hydration pack over the old hydration belt that I've been using. So I thought I'd give it a try on a 5.5 mile run. A word to the wise, NEVER try new running stuff on your long run. NEVER. All I have to say about the Camelbak is WOW! I'm so used to clipping on a belt that is sooooooo tight that you feel like you took it would be a better fit on a Cabbage Patch Kid. When you put the Camelbak on, it's like nothing is there. It felt great. No rubbing, limited sloshing, and, most importantly, you can breathe when you are wearing this thing. A quick note: you definitely need to burp the air out of it and get the sternum clip to stop it from bouncing all over the place, but that's no big deal. In short, Runners dump your belts and try a pack today!