In case you ever wonder what I’m thinking about

That’s gonna leave a mark

So this morning I got up and decided that instead of just a run, I needed something more to my workout. A friend of mine is doing the P90x workout regime and burned me a few of the DVDs at my request. I’ve been running a lot, but not much else, and I know I need to get my plyometrics and core work going. Upper body is included in that as well, I should add. I am aware that my arms are looking a bit, well, feminine.
Anyways, I did the plyometrics video since it’s probably one of the areas that’ll be most directly beneficial to my running regime. Let me tell you folks, that p90x is no joke. The guy is totally cheesy, but I’m in decent shape (albeit not necessarily for plyo stuff these days) and I was just about dead at the end. Next up: core synergistics. I don’t anticipate being able to laugh or breathe very easily after that one.

Knee Tracking

Well, even though I had an idea for a topic, Hope beat me to it today yet again. Apparently she’s having knee problems. Knee tracking issues are super common in women. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do about it. Advil/rest/ice if you have inflammation works, but generally, this is not a problem that can be fixed easily. Really, this is where medicine makes me mad. Doctors act as if everything is routine, but we really don’t have solutions or treatments for so many common injuries. Really, what we need is prevention, but unless we get every woman to strengthen her quads evenly (that’s generally one of many causes of knee tracking issues – imbalance between inner and outer quad muscles) there’s not much that can be done. Treatment-wise, you have to just be patient. The problem, however is complex. If you rest, you are less active, you will likely gain weight, confounding your problem. Also, your surrounding muscles aren’t getting any stronger, so even though you hurt less, you’ll hurt again when you start up again. My best solution for this is just to go slow. That doesn’t mean the intensity of the workout, but rather start out with a lighter workout that usual and gradually build it up. I’ve seen this work pretty well for lots of people. Really the goal is to stay just this side of pain so you’re strengthening muscles but not hurting yourself.

Das güt

I finally had a good run this morning. Not that I hadn’t had pretty good runs, but today I felt good the entire time. I credit this feeling to the increase in my weekly mileage back up past 20 miles (28.1 last week). It was cold this morning. You east coasters still won’t have sympathy for me considering that you’ve been in sub 20 (and sub 15) degree weather for the past few weeks. Nevertheless, it was 32 this morning at the start of my run. I think no matter where you are 32 is considered cold. That’s Fahrenheit for all you jokesters out there. Anyway, it was so cold I really almost didn’t get out of bed this morning. I was definitely awake, but why would I get up when my bed with down comforter was so warm compared to the air in my 55 degree room (i really need to take advantage of the heat in the house). I did finally get myself up and around. Starting out in shorts, t-shirt, arm warmers, and gloves, by two miles I was down to t-shirt and shorts with gloves stuffed in my shorts and arm warmers rolled in my fists. Bolstered by the fact that most of the fast folks were either getting ready for marathons/half marathons this weekend, or recovering from races last weekend, I was one of the fast ones today. Averaging 7:48/mile, I some how did not collapse when I finished. Now it is time for a little nap, a little heater, a little breakfast and then I’l be ready for school. Have a good day!!

Blog-off – Bad Weather

Ok, so Hope tried to throw me a zinger today but then left the door wide open for me to actually write about something.  In case you weren’t sure, snow days are few and far between in California.  Luckily Hope didn’t ask “how’s your snow day going?” She asked what the weather was like.  Thank goodness, although i probably could have finagled my way out of that.  

The weather here is, well, not bad compared to what the east is getting hit with.  We had a cool day today (high of 52) and will have a chilly night (low 32).  Even though I don’t think this is so bad, you should see all the true southern californians.  I went for a run today and when I left the temperature was 41.  I was wearing shorts a shirt and had gloves on for the first two miles.  Everyone else looked like they were snowmen. I haven’t seen this many insulated jackets since I was in Rome and it was snowing in florence.  Actually, there weren’t many insulated jackets in Italy.  I was tempted to even stop and ask people why they thought it was so cold, but for fear of being slapped on my cold cheeks, I restrained.  

The only guy out exercising that was dressed in a similar manner to me was a guy of about 67 years, running slightly hunched (probably from being older and not from running).  He was wearing a long sleeve shirt, shorts, and gloves.  As I passed him (it was downhill) he turned and said “you’re passing a 2:21 marathoner.”  I simply nodded in acknoledgement and kept running, but it did make me feel at least slightly accomplished even though this guy hadn’t run 2:21 for at least 20 years.  I also didn’t mention the 2:49 marathoner I’ve run with, well behind, always behind.  And that’s how you write about the weather in socal.

Blog-off – Your end of year list

Like many people, I have a few things I’d like to get done before 2008 shuts its doors and 2009 is open for business.  In the spirit of productivity (something you may note that did not happen yesterday in my case) tonight’s blog-off topic is your list of things, projects, etc. to complete before 2009 opens it’s eyes in a little less than two weeks.

I have quite a bit on my plate, so realistically, I’ve had to adjust some schedules.  My biggest task is finding papers and finalizing my thesis project, which most of you should know has changed drastically from the original topic (and eventually PI).  I may not have this complete, but I’m gonna try my darndest to get close.  I was at school looking for papers today and will be doing the same tomorrow and probably saturday morning.  I need to get this done for a lot of reasons including getting the hell out of Cal Poly, but it also applies to my financial situation as I need an approved GS-101 (graduate program contract) to get a tuition waiver as a TA for winter quarter due to the ridiculous budget cuts (Fee waivers for TAs are less than a percent of the total budget, so what do you say we cut something bigger, like the salaries of the presidents?).  

On a much less important note, I have a book that Allison gave me and that has been floating around for like a year.  I have restarted it and am hellbent on finishing it, maybe even as early as Sunday.  Yep, friday book reports may be coming to this blog as well and as a matter of fact, I have a book i will be finishing tomorrow.

Finally, I need to review/study correlations and regressions.  I am taking advanced biometrics, and not having taken Cal Poly’s Biometrics class (basically biologically oriented statistics), I need to get myself in gear to play pro ball with a professor that really knows his stats and with students that have a very thorough stats background.  This I’ve started too and really I just need to look at regressions that are nonlinear and then probably review the linear stuff one more time.

Aside from those big ticket items above, I’d like to get some sort of training plan set for 2009 as well as plan race dates.  This gets especially hairy considering my running has dropped off considerably with the early darkness and my inability to get up at 5AM as of late.  Apparently I am part bear and my body really wants to hibernate.  

Ok, so what’s on your end of year list? 

Falmouth Race Recap

Probably the best way to do this is just to go mile to mile with my thoughts and feelings. Al and I drove out from bourne, about a 20 min drive early that morning (5AM) to avoid any traffic because as with many coastal towns, there’s really only one way in and out, and nowhere near the total number of folks in the race (10,000) could be staying in Falmouth.
We shuttled out to the start line in woods hole at 8:15 with Jeff nervous that they’d already closed off all the roads. We made it to the start line no problem and hung out for about an hour and a half until the 10 AM race start. We attempted to watch the elite start, but got in trouble and sent to our start corral by no less than 3 race officials. After a quick bathroom stop, we got in our corrals with the other cattle and soon we were off.

Mile 1: Like in any race this large, the start was darn slow, but we were towards the front of the corral, things spread out within a minute or so. Jeff told me not to wait for he and Courtney, and as my goal time was a monte per mile faster than theirs, I obliged and took off at a comfortable feeling pace in the cool shade, not worrying about my pace and the fact that the first mile was mostly uphill.
Split: 7:23
Avg Heartrate: 161 (82% of max)

Mile 2: I started to get into a rhythm but I also felt a bit of a burn in my legs. That first mile had been a bit too quick especially with the hills. Mile 2 is also mostly uphill, but does have some downhill, all of it steep. I’m still feeling mostly good, though the way I’m breathing and any muscle burn is something to be concerned about this early in the race.
Split: 7:58
Avg heartrate: 173 (88% of max)

Mile 3/4: after mile 2 we pretty much emerge from the tree cover and are in direct sunlight. I know I’m going to suffer for blazing that first mile and the heat isn’t helping one bit. I decide that there will be no walking until mile 4, buy do slow my pace down a bit as I’m still breathing a little too hard. I walk through two water stations during mile 4 and pour the water down the back of my neck to prevent from overheating. I take my Gu at the beginning of mile 4 instead of at the end to try and prevent a serious bonk.
Splits: 8:36/9:11 – overall I’m still only a minute slower than goal after 4 miles.
Avg heartrates:170 (80%)162 (83%)

Mile 5: I suffer through mile 5 walking through a few water stations to try and get my engine to run on all cylinders, but my legs feel fairly blown out. I know the end is coming, so I try and rev myself up mentally to build miles 6 and 7.
Split: 9:42 (goodbye goal, hello pride)
Avg HR: 163 (83%)

Mile 6: I start feeling a bit better, bit just can’t get my legs going. My turnover has sucked for the pas few miles and my strides are way too short. I rally through with little to no walking thanks to Andy and a little Sweet Caroline.
Split: 9:19 (stride length is 9 in. Shorter than mile 1)
Avg HR: 168 (86%)

Mile 7: the last mile always passes by quickly and this one especially. I work on building through the mile
And try to accelerate up heartbreak hill and carry that into to final downhill and through the finish. It mostly works as I pass folks left and right across the finish.
Split: 8:44
Avg HR: 174 (89%)

Final official time: 1:01:57
Watch time: 1:01:49

+’s: nutrition mostly worked (but I need to eat beforehand), no pain, learned the course, no serious bonn.
-’s: missed goal healthily, splits were wacky bad, allowed stride to shorten too much too quickly, unconteolled first mile pace.

Overall I must admit, I had a ball. I think that my overall performance would have been much better had I not been training for a triathlon and as a result decreasing my running mileage to accomodate the increase in cycling and swimming. Also I was training to peak a week later (for the tri) so I really didn’t rest until the 2 days before the race.
I did have a ball and there’s always next year to correct my mistakes.