Week 2, Day 7 by kingsolo at Garmin Connect - Details

Friday was a day of rest according to the training plan.

Saturday was a different story though. Friday we had a sitter for Gracie so we could attend a doula class. A doula is a person who helps out during labor. Maria & I had talked and thought it would be nice to have someone trained to help us through Garridee's birth. I got off work & got home & changed. Dropped Gracie off, and by the time we got to where the training was, we weren't able to get any dinner before the class started. They had light snacks, but not food. We thought the class would be about an hour... nope! We didn't get out until nearly 10:30pm! So we had to rush around & find somewhere that was still open to get something to eat. We ate, got back home & went to bed. Saturday morning, we woke up and the ladt who was keeping Gracie thought she had a stomach virus, so I had to go get her. We were busy all day Saturday, plus I had to work a shift for my unit's booster club serving Frito Pies at the base bazaar. Needless to say my 3 mile pace run was a wash.

I did get my long run in on Sunday though. Link is below. I need to get my mileages worked back out. I thought I hit my 6 mile turnaround... guess not.

Week 2, Day 7 by kingsolo at Garmin Connect - Details

Week 2, Day 4 by kingsolo at Garmin Connect - Details

Let's catch up, shall we.

Week 2

Day 1 - Stretch & strengthen. I got some good deep stretches in. I did push ups & situps, as well as some powerband exercises.

Day 2 - This was an odd day. I was supposed to do a 3 mile run. Instead, my unit has military PT (Physical Training) on Tuesdays. One of the guys ran us through an hour of college football type drills in the base gym, while alternating laps around the gym floor. It hurt a little.

Day 3 - The tightness has really set in from yesterday's workout. Think I actually pulled an oblique. Hurts to bend sideways so badly I want to smack someone! I was awakened at 12:00am by a pretty gnarly sinus headache... yes, I've been battling this stuff for close to 2 weeks now, honestly with no relief in sight! Got home, thinking I was going to run. Instead, relaxed. Headache finally went away around 8:00pm, just in time for bed!

Day 4 - Below is the link from this mornings run. Pretty tough run, especially the long uphill stretch as I was coming back in to Queidersbach. I haven't run that hill in a long time, and I see why. It's probably 1/2 - 3/4 mile stretch that is all a pretty decent incline grade. I powered through it, but my legs were on fire.

Week 2, Day 4 by kingsolo at Garmin Connect - Details

On a side note, I picked up new running shoes yesterday. The BX stopped carrying my Asics Gel Nimbus 11's. They upgraded to the Gel Nimbus 12's. I got them. They look hot like fire, but the verdict is still out on thier runability.

Week 1, Day 7 by kingsolo at Garmin Connect - Details

I'm back with a recount of the rest of the week.

Day 5 was a day of rest according to the training plan.

Day 6 was supposed to be a 3 miler. We had a baby shower that night that didn't let out until almost 11pm, so needless to say, I didn't get my run in.

I did get my run in this evening after church & Gracie's AWANA session. It was okay. Weather was turning bad toward the end, so had to cut it just a little short. I'm not happy with the pace... I'll blame it on being sick with sinus garbage, but ultimately it's just that I'm slow! :)

Click the link below for the details of my run!

Week 1, Day 7 by kingsolo at Garmin Connect - Details

Week 1, Day 4 by kingsolo at Garmin Connect - Details

Day 2 was a torrential downpour in Queidersbach, so I ran on the elliptical. I did just over an hour. It was supposed to be a 3 mile run, but I figured that I should go for a longer time since I was using a less intense form of running.

Day 3 was supposed to be interval sprints. I had to rush home form work & change the brakes on our van since they were grinding... can you believe that our 2006 Toyota van doesn't have a break wear indicator. No squeal, just straight to grind. Japaneese! My buddy Evan helped me change the brakes & since we hadn't gotten to hang out with the Osbornes since Ashley got back from the States, we stayed for dinner... yes, they invited us! So, guess I will try out intervals next week.


Here is Day 4.

Week 1, Day 4 by kingsolo at Garmin Connect - Details

Enjoy!

Back on the Wagon

Well, I have officially begun my training again. This time only a half marathon though. I think I might have a few folks at work interested in running a half marathon to be announced at a later date... But around the November time frame. Weather should still be "okay" to run in most parts of Europe. Think I'm leaning toward a run in Belgium.

Today was day 2... Rainy, so I ran on the elliptical. Got interval sprints tomorrow... Yea! We'll have to see how that treats me!

I am, once again, using a training plan from halhigdon.com. 12 week Intermediate Runner Half Marathon plan. See if I can beat my marathon half split time. Unfortunately, my buddy Taylor who ran the Paris Marathon with me will be deployed, so he won't be able to run this one... Sorry TR!

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The Remnants

Okay, I had a friend call my stone bruise in to question as an excuse! He was kidding, but when I took Gracie to the pool for her swim lesson today, the ball of my foot felt funny. I looked, & here's the remnant of my marathon injury! Maria said it has a green hue to it... The interweb, which is 100% truth, says that it was an extremely deep bruise that is almost healed... Just have the yellow stage to go! Woo hoo!

Doing some elliptical work tonight if we get home early enough. Is it bad that I'm kind of looking forward to it?




On a totally unrelated note - we're expecting our 2nd kid! :)

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Dear Paris, Thanks for the Stone Bruise!

34th Marathon de Paris - Apr 11th 2010 by kingsolo at Garmin Connect - Details

Click the link above to see my marathon run!

The weekend finally arrived! Maria, Gracie, Mandy, Taylor & myself all loaded up in to the Toyota & headed toward Paris on Friday at about 5:30 am. Yeah, a little early, but we wanted to have some of the day to get some sightseeing done.

We arrived in Paris, and it the traffic was crazy! I chose our hotel, the Elysee Ceramic, based on it's proximity to the finish line of the marathon.  It was in a great location for that, but the traffic getting there was ridiculous!  It took us over an hour once we got into Paris to get to the hotel.  Anywho, we got there & got settled in, after a slight run in with the lady at the counter & an additional 90 Euro for a pull-out mattress for Gracie.  You can actually see our room in this picture.  It's the top left room with the curved balcony railing.  We really didn't spend a whole lot of time in the room of course, but it was a typical European hotel room... small, hard beds with tiny, nearly non-existent, pillows, small bathrooms, etc.  At least it was clean.  The gentleman at the front desk that took over for the lady I had the run in with was AWESOME!  Such a helpful guy and actually saved us some money on the trip. 

The hotel sat on Avenue Wagram, just off the Place de Charles de Gaulle.  Even though we didn't spend a ton of time in the room, at least we had a decent view!  This is the view from our balcony, looking toward the Arc de Triomphe.  That's maybe 2 blocks from the Arc de Triomphe.  I saw maybe a dozen or so other runners staying in our hotel, so I guess the hotels near the finish line are pretty popular.

After getting some lunch at a brasserie near Taylor's hotel, we headed to the Metro (Paris Subway) and took off to the Marathon Expo.  Yeah, Taylor stayed at a different hotel, and we think that by the end of the trip, he was probably wishing he would have chosen to pay the few extra dollars to stay at the same hotel we stayed in.  It was quite a walk from his place to ours... maybe 10 or so blocks away.  The Marathon Expo was a mandatory stop to pick up our bibs and timing chips for the run.

The Expo was pretty large.  Tons of stuff to see as far as shoes and clothes and such.  We were constantly berrated by leaflet hander-outers, and to our surprise, all of the leaflets at an INTERNATIONAL MARATHON were in French.  Not one thing we were handed by the folks schlepping leaflets was in English... too bad too, as some of it looked pretty interesting.  So, in we go, picking up our bib packs with our bib & timing chip, then grabbed our swag bag with flyers, promo items, etc inside.  We shopped around a little bit, ran in to a co-worker & his wife, then back out into the streets of Paris we headed.

We went and toured the Arc de Triomph.  Taylor, Mandy & I climbed all the stairs to the observation platform on top... probably not the smartest thing to do a couple days before a run like we were about to endure, but hey, you only live once!  We enjoyed dinner on the Champs Elysee at a resturant named after Visuvius, the legendary volcano.  Afterward, we took the Metro over to Montparnasse tour, then went up to the 56th floor to watch the Eiffel Tower light up like a million Christmas tree lights had been turned on... it was pretty awesome looking!  After that, we headed back to the hotel for some sleep.

The next morning, we were up early & out in to the streets, looking for crepes & some sight seeing.  We stopped at a place called Le Fleme.  It was a pretty nice place... lots of purple velvet chairs & rock music pumping out of the speakers, even at 8am.  Though not my picture, you can get an idea of the place from this shot.  It was a very 1970's feel to the place.

After breakfast, we took off to the Louvre.  After that, Hard Rock for lunch, then Notre Dame Cathedral.  We were supposed to head back to the hotel & change after our tour of the Notre Dame to go to a ballet at the Paris Opera, but the show was cancelled.  It didn't say why, but I am a little glad it did.  We were on our feet all day.  We headed back toward the hotels and stopped on the Champs Elysee for dinner at a resturant called Georges V (George Saank).  It was pretty good... I had pasta to try to last minute carbo load.  The only bad thing about this place is they gave us shot glasses for water.  Everywhere we went, we ordered tap water so they brought it to us in pitchers or caraffes.  This place had the best water because it was ice cold, but you were constantly refilling your glass because they were so small!

The next morning, I woke up and began to prepare as best I could for what I was about to do to my body.  I showered, dressed, stretched & met Taylor in the lobby right around 10 or so after 8.  I don't think you can envision what 40,000 runners looks like, or what kind of mess they can make!  There were so many articles of clothes thrown on the ground, plastic parkas, energy gel packets, water bottles... you name it.  You really had to pay attention for the first mile to prevent from rolling your ankle on the left over garbage at the starting line.  If you break out a microscope, and look all the way in the back near the Arc de Triomphe, you still can't see Taylor or me!

This crowd stayed this packed for at least the first 2 miles or so.  You could move a little, well, after we crossed the starting line after about 25-30 minutes after the starting gun.  Yes, you read that right.  25-30 minutes AFTER the race began, my race began!  Crazy, but that's why they gave us timing chips.  See, there is the race clock, which begins as soon as the gun is sounded, and then there is your chip time, which is how long it takes you to go from the starting line to the finish line.  It's a little confusing, but at the same time, for a race this size, it's the only way.  Not to mention, it keeps people honest, since you have to cross all of the timing mats for your race time to be valid.

So, I ran.  And ran.  And ran.  And RAN!  Do me a favor.  Next time you have some spare time, drive 26.2 miles.  See exactly how far it is.  Use somewhere that you know, so you can get a good idea of how far this is.  It's a carazy distance!  Yeah, it sounds like it's a good distance, but when you can associate it with a trip to Walmart & back... 3 times, you really begin to be able to fathom how far this run actually was.  It wasn't all that bad though... I did meet some people.

Judith, bless her heart, was a 50 or 60 year old lady from Scotland.  She was running her first marathon.  We played "leap frog" until the last 5 miles of the race.  When we'd pass each other, we would make small talk, when we had the breath to do so!  Mostly, it was checking to make sure each other were still doing okay, and not dying on the course.  She finished her race, and beat my time in the process.  Her husband finished in 2:46!  Amazing!

I am going to go ahead & rat myself out.  I got beat by a rat!  Well, at least a little rat of a dog.  Yes, I got passed by a guy running with his Jack Russel Terrier!  I felt horrible after that one.  This little dog was not on a leash.  He would run up ahead of his owner by like 25-30 yards, sniff around the edge of the course, his owner would pass him, thne all of a sudden, this dog would race past everyone to get ahead of his owner again.  I am still amazed at what God has created & what his creation can do.  This little dog had legs about as long as a POPSICLE STICK & RAN A MARATHON!  Yeah, it wasn't so bad that I got beat by a 50-60 year old woman, but the dog, that's just a kick to the old nads!

I was a little disappointed by the organization of the race.  I had heard stories from some of the people here on base, but I had read online that the organizational "incompetence" had been fixed.  Let me assure anyone who may want to run Paris in the future, some of it was organized well, but the port-a-potty issue MUST be resolved!  I saw maybe 30 port-a-potties on the entire 26.2 mile course.  At the starting line, there was 1 port-a-potty for each time group.  There were easily 100+ people in line to use the single port-a-potty.  At the 2nd kilometer, basically not very far in to the race, people were stopping on the side of the road peeing on buildings.  I saw one guy making his own masterpiece (yes, drawing with his urine) on the side of the Louvre.  Okay, I understand that organizers did not provide enough facilities for the runners, but there was a Metro station not more than 50 yards from where the new "art work" was being deposited.  At least choose a building that is not of huge cultural significance.  It was a pretty sad state of affairs though, seeing grown people dropping their pants on the side of the road and doing their business.  I had to go once, but I was able to use a port-a-potty!  I'm a super slow runner, so by the time I had to go, around mile 16 or 17, the major crowds had thinned and I was able to pretty much walk right up to an available port-a-potty.

At about mile 21, I hit a rather large patch of cobblestones.  Paris is notorious for their cobblestone streets.  Well, on this particular stretch of cobbles, right as I was getting ready to get off the cobbles back onto normal paved street, there was a cobblestone that was quite crooked.  I caught it right on the ball of my left foot.  I felt it immediately.  I knew that it was going to be a stone bruise.  After that, I was pretty much slowed to a walk.  Every few hundred meters I could muster a stretch of running for a couple hundred meters, but that was about it.  Every step was pretty painful.

I finally finished with a total time of 5:46.  Not exactly what I wanted, but it's still an accomplishment for me.  I am glad I did it.  I learned alot about what the human body is capable of & what it can endure.  I learned a good bit about myself.  I will run another one before too long.  Maybe even May!

Au revoir, Paris, bojnour marathon finisher!

Just When You Thought It Was Over

I am tired of the snow! At least it has come on a decent day... Still working with the sore foot & some chafing from the worn out Under Armour. Guess it's God sayin to rest today. Hopefully back out on the road tomorrow?

***Update***
It did stop snowing... nothing stuck, it's just aggrivating, LOL!  Hopefully I will be back up on my ankle & over the chafing soon so I can get back out on the road.  I also did some internet searching, I think my foot issue is a stress fracture of the talus (or talas, not sure how it's spelled).


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Weekly Data Points

Here's the data for my first runs back on the road after the massive thaw out we had.

Count: 3 Activities
Distance: 25.22 mi
Avg Distance: 8.41 mi
Time: 04:53:25 h:m:s
Avg Time: 01:37:48 h:m:s
Elevation Gain: 4,486 ft
Avg Speed: 5.2 mph
Avg HR: 167 bpm
Calories: 4,793 C
Median Distance: 8.13 mi
Max Distance: 11.84 mi
Median Time: 01:33:38 h:m:s
Max Time: 02:22:38 h:m:s
Avg Elevation Gain: 1,495 ft
Median Elevation Gain: 1,493 ft
Max Elevation Gain: 2,085 ft
Elevation Loss: 4,650 ft
Avg Elevation Loss: 1,550 ft
Median Elevation Loss: 1,561 ft
Max Elevation Loss: 2,130 ft
Max Avg Speed: 5.5 mph
Max Speed: 12.1 mph
Max Avg HR: 173 bpm
Max HR: 185 bpm

It was a pretty good week of runs, though I did experience some pain... my left calf & foot still ache from my 13 miler where my GPS messed up, but I am handling it okay.  Hopefully back out on the road next week.

Enjoy!

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Feb 27th Run (Week 6, Run 70)

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Feb 27th Run (Week 6, Run 70)

Click the link above for my run from this morning.

Man, a half marathon is as long as it sounds! If you look at the track at the link above, you'll see it came out to 11.84, or something like that, miles. I had a GPS error. I looked down at my wrist and noticed that somehow the stop button got pressed. So, there is a bit of time & mileage that didn't get counted. I know it ran fine all the way out, so it was on the way back, around 8.9 miles... not exactly sure how long it was stopped though. I know I ran out 6.5 miles, so it should've come to 13ish miles total.

Worn my new shoes today.  Unfortunately, it looks like I may have to buy a new set of quick laces.  Quick laces are this bungee cord material with one of those plastic squeeze lock things to hold it tight.  It allows the shoe to be tight to the foot, but expand as your feet swell with the pounding of the pavement.  I wore the regular laces today and had to stop a couple times to retie my shoes.

I wore out my first pair of Under Armour compression shorts.  The material, I guess from the friction & constant washings, has began to pile.  It's no longer smooth, which caused some chafing today... not fun!

All that after working the overnight shift!

In case ya'll want a beautiful area to go walk through, the town of Steinalben is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!  It kept me pushing forward to see what else I'd get to discover!  Will definately have to go walk though this area & just take my time to enjoy the scenery one day as the weather gets better.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Feb 25th Run (Week 6, Run 69)

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Feb 25th Run (Week 6, Run 69)

Click the link above for my run from this morning.

I think I learned a few things on my run this morning:

- I think you can run too slow. I was running and my pace was way down, and my knee started hurting. I picked the pace up & the pain subsided. Weird, huh?

- I think I need a new pair of shoes. The outside edge of my left foot started hurting about mile 7. I checked when I got home & sure enough, the cushion on the sole has worn WAY down... like dangerously worn in my opinion. Wonder if this is what has been causing my knee pains.

- I think 8 miles for my second day back on the road was a little too ambitious. I had to walk a couple times, which really didn't bother me. My pace was still way slow, which I fully expect to last at least a little while longer while I strengthen up my legs from that dreaded elliptical machine.

All in all, not a bad day of running though!

Dwindling Time

45 days, 14 hours, 57 minutes, 45 seconds. My marathon experience is almost upon me!


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Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Feb 24th Run (Week 10, Run 68)

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Feb 24th Run (Week 10, Run 68)

Click the link above to see my run from this morning!

Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you, The Great Thaw!

Man, it was nice to get back out on the roads today. I have decided, I DISPISE the elliptical though. While I admit, it kept me in some kind of running shape, even doing hill repeats on the machine, I managed to lose 7 minutes off my goal pace. Got to kick it in to high gear now and get that time back for the big race... 9 more weeks of training to go until I suit up and jog my chunky body through the streets of Paris.

My route was pretty much all clear of ice, except for 2 spots. 1 is right around the bridge area where I turn right before entering Linden and is about 25-50 feet of mostly patchy ice. The other is on my uphill climb as I round the corner from the bridge. This one is the one that worries me. It's on a pretty steep incline and it's a pure sheet of ice, probably 7"-10" thick... may take awhile for that one to thaw. It's about 100', so the entire uphill portion. At least it's not the downhill portion of that hill too. That'd be treacherous.

I feel a little tingle in myright knee, the one I suspected I have Illiotibial Band Syndrome in, but there is no pain. Hopefully the time on the elliptical actually helped in that aspect. We'll see tomorrow when I run my 8 miler. That'll be out & around the church in Horbach & back. Hopefully this weekend I can go out with the camera and take pictures of my route out to 10 miles & back, so ya'll can see what I see. No such luck on the Paris one though... but hey, ya'll can always come for a visit and we'll head out there and you can see it first hand! LOL!

Enjoy!

A Special Day

I just wanted to let everyone know that today is World Cancer Day... Take time to do something for those you know who are battling this beast, beat their cancers, or something for the families of those who've lost loved ones to this horrible disease!


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Tuneage A.K.A. My Personal Marathon Soundtrack

Let me tell you, if there is one hurdle that is the hardest to cross, it's the mental barrier that comes along with knowing you are about to run 10, 15, 20+ miles.  People do things to help ease their minds, but some marathon organizers are all about removing extrernal helpers.

Case in point, in October of 2009, 2 people were disqualified from the Lakefront Marathon in Wisconsin due to iPod usage (or alleged usage), one of them being the fastest female finisher.  You can read the full story by clicking HERE.  While I get the fact that professional runners shouldn't be allowed to use iPods or other devices to help overcome the mental challenge, people, like myself and millions of others, are just out trying to prove something to ourselves, raise money for a charity, or just get in better shape.  I do not see the foul in taking the people's money for a road race, then hanging a DNF (Did Not Finish) tag by their name at the end of the race because some bystander or some company hired to take photos during the race find out that a casual runner used an iPod during their run.

The kicker is when you apply to run a marathon, most of the time you are categorized by your time, if you have an established PR (Personal Record).  These times are used to place you in the starting grids.  Obviously, they want people who are world-class athletes & runners in the front.  These people usually win big bucks every year by finishing races in the top positions & bonuses if they beat a marathons current record.  In a lot of cases, such as the Disney Marathon, to be placed in one of these forwards starting positions, you have to send in certified proof that you can run that fast, by way of a certificate of finish from a recognized, official prior marathon.  These people are professionals at punding pavement.  The people in the back of these gaggles of hundreds to tens of thousands of people are amatures... like me.  I just want to finish!  Who cares how, as long as it's on my own two feet and I pass through every check point required of me.  My final complaint is most marathons actually have bands set up across the course & the music can be heard across the entire route, so what's the big deal if I want MY style of music?

I guess I am willing to get a DNF if I decide to run in a marathon that doesn't allow iPods.  I have to have mine to run.  IT'S REQUIRED!  I wonder if I can get a doctor's note stating that I must have my iPod?  I need the music.  I have to have the constant thumping of some bass in my ears.  Basically, I want a wave of music hitting me while I run.  While the picture is not exactly what I had in mind, you get my drift!  (Such a great piece of art by the way!)  Go check out the artist's website HERE.  But, not just any music will do.  In fact, here's what is on my iPod that I run to now:

- AC/DC – Thunderstruck - Good song to get me pumped
- Barenaked Ladies – One Week - Reminds me of hanging with my brother while home on leave
- Beastie Boys – Intergalactic
- Beastie Boys – Sabotage - First song I ever timed myself running to to keep a pace
- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – You & Me & the Bottle Make 3 - Reminds me of my 21st B-day in - Vegas with some of the coolest guys ever!
- Black Eyed Peas – Pump It
- Britney Spears – Toxic – Armand Van Helden Remix edit - Reminds me of my wife... she says all BS's songs sound the same, and she is absolutely right!  This mix just has a great beat.
- Bush – Everything Zen - Helps me stride out a tough hill... seems to always hit when I need it
- Cake – The Distance - Come on... I'm running 26 miles here!
- Casting Crowns - Between the Alter & the Door - These Christian songs are scattered through to boost my spiritual energy,
- Casting Crowns - The Voice of Truth
- Chumbawamba – Tubthumping - Reminds me of my first military unit Christmas party!
- Coldplay - Speed of Sound - This was at the top of the charts when my daughter was born!
- Darius Rucker - All I Want (You to leave me is alone) - I'm a Hootie fan, his country music is good!
- Fall Out Boy – Dance, Dance - Reminds me of the music I listened to to help cut weight in Korea.
- Fall Out Boy - Thanks for the mmrs
- Family Force 5 - Kuntry Gentleman - Another Christain group that ROCKS YOUR FACE OFF!
- Fatboy Slim-The Rockafeller Skank
- Garbage – Only Happy When It Rains - Reminds me of hanging out with Steve in Idaho.
- Good Charlotte – lifestyles of the rich and famous
- Green Day – welcome to paradise (live) - Reminds me of college at PRCC.
- Green Day – American Idiot
- Guns ‘n Roses – It’s so easy - Reminds me of hanging with my cousins in Oak Grove WAYYY back in the day!
- Guns ‘n Roses – Welcome to the Jungle
- Guns ‘n Roses – You Could Be Mine
- Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl
- Harvey Danger – Flagpole Sitta - Another memory of being home on leave.
- Hawk Nelson - The Show - Another Christain hit!
- Kool & The Gang – Jungle Boogie
- Linkin Park – Faint
- Maroon 5 – Harder to Breathe
- Moby – James Bond Theme (Moby’s re-version)
- My Chemical Romance — I’m not okay (i promise)-rtb - Another remnant of my days in Korea.
- Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit - Reminds me of living at home with my mom & brother.
- OutKast – Hey Ya! - My wife loved this song!  Really reminds me of California.
- Survivor – Eye of the Tiger - Do I really need to expalin this one?
- Talking Heads – Burning Down The House
- The Killers – Mr Brightside - Reminds me of driving in my 1500 Daytona in Ocean Springs.
- The Killers – Somebody Told Me (Mylo Remix)
- The Offspring – Get a Job - Reminds me of my buddy Rob A.
- The White Stripes – Thinking About My Doorbell

There are a ton more songs on there.  Most of them have some trigger to a good memory to me.  One thing I read was that when you are hitting the mental wall in a marathon, DO NOT think about anything negative.  The fact that you are tired, that your legs feel like lead weights, that your muscles feel like fire ants are making a home in them, NOTHING NEGATIVE!  Hopefully these songs will trigger the memories I need to push through.  I recently found a set of CD's called MTV Mash Volumes 1-14.  They take several songs and DJ Mix them into tracks.  For example, in Volume 1, they mix Grease - You're the One That I Want with Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg's - The Next Episode.  Yeah, odd pairing, but makes for some awesome running tracks.  While not all of them are great for running, I think about 95% are useable.  The crazy mix up of songs keeps you guessing too.

I currently run with a First Generation iPod Touch.  Yeah, I know... it is bulky.  I may downsize, but for now, it's what I have& don't want to spend the money, or the time uploading more songs to it for that matter.  My biggest drawbacks about this iPod are pretty obvious.  It's size, a little bigger than a deck of playing cards; it's weight, about as much as a roll of quarters; it's cost, too much; and it's delicateness (if that's a word), I really have to make an effort to keep this thing safe.  The iPod performs well, I just have to be stupid crazy about protecting it. I'd hate for that thing to get wet on a rainy day run. I have found some tricks to help though.  If you are going to do any type of athletic type thing with this device, I want to caution you to buy another one.  I didn't buy this one with the purpose of using it while I ran.  I got an amazing deal on it in the Youngsan Electronics Market in Seoul while stationed in South Korea.  It was as much as a normal mp3 player when I got mine, plus, it was an insurance claim, so it's not like I paid for it... okay, I did through premiums... let me live my dreams guys!

I carry my iPod in a Belkin Arm Band.  This think is nice!  It's biggest feature is that it's adjustable, so if you have monster Hulk Hogan guns, o big fatty arms like mine were, it'll fit.  And when I say fit, not only does it not slide due to the texturing on the inside of the elastic arm band, it just down right feels good.  It's almost like a neoprene material... who knows, maybe it is.  Nonetheless, it fits like a dream.  While the picture isn't exactly like mine, it's a close enough representation.  Mine has a case for the iPod that is not made onto the band like the one in the picture.  I like the fact that I can remove my iPod from my arm if need be, without having to pull the armband off.  Additionally, the little headphone keeper is handy, though not as great as I though it'd be.  The bonus of this is there is 3M relfective material on the armband to help increase your visibility to drivers on night or early morning runs.  This armband IS NOT water proof!  I can't stress this enough!  That's why I like being able to remove the iPod.  Get it out of the heavy rain.  Why just heavy rain?

I put my iPod in a trusty Ziploc baggy!  I put it in so the baggy opening is at the bottom of the iPod.  This helps keep water from running down into the baggy.  It may get the baggy wet, but hopefully it will not get into the iPod itself.  To help with this, I usually put a twist or two on the baggy and fold it back over on top of itself.  With the baggy over the iPod, pulled tight across the front, I can still control the devise with the touch screen inputs.  Pretty handy.  I also turn the armband so the iPod is under my arm when the rain starts.  This adds one more layer of protection to my gear.

To get my tunes to my ears, not just any old head phone will do.  I need the soft earbuds cause wearing hard earbuds for 5 hours will probably make for a bloody mess, but I also have a condition to take into account.

"Hello, my name is Chris & I have SECS."

SECS, or Sweaty Ear Canal Syndrome, is what I have called my condition.  It's never a real condition until it has a name & an acronym!  Basically, I'm considered a cllydesdale runner... yeah, like the big old beefy Budweiser beer horses.  So, naturally, I sweat a lot... a lot doesn't even do it justice.  I sweat EVERYWHERE.  Hence, SECS... just like it sounds, I have sweaty ear canals.  It's not that my ear canals themselves sweat.  What happens is I sweat so much from my head, it fills my ears, seeping past my earbuds and will pool in my canals.  I know it's gross, but I never said my blog would be all perfume & roses!  This running blog is a gritty man thing!

I had to search for some special earbuds to run with.  I needed something that was going to stand up to the constant bombardment by my sweat.  What I found was a set of JVC Bi-Metals.  They sound great, JVC is known for their audio quality, and they are sealed for waterproofing.  Not to mention, they have interchangeable soft earbud pieces for comfort on a 26 mile run.  I wansn't looking for this feature, but these earbuds actually fit over the ear.  The cord wraps over the ear to support the weight of the earbud to take preassure off the opening of the ear canal.  I will probably have to put some Body Glide on the tops of my ears, just to make sure there will be no chaffing.  I haven't experienced any yet, but 26 miles is a different animal!

Now, go load up some tunes, lace up your running shoes & as my boy Jack Black says, melt your face off!

Poor Posting

Hey ya'll!  Sorry for the lengthy delay in posting.  If I can't show ya'll my runs, there is relaly no point in posting that I ran on the elliptical!  Kind of boring!  Well, here's what has happened since I have been away:

I hurt my back on Jan 16th Run, which I posted about.  I actually ran outside that day.

I was laid up from the 16th till the 26th letting my back heal.  I began easing back into the elliptical to test my back & by ITBS issue.  I am beginning to pick back up the durration of my elliptical runs.

Bonus was I found some awesome DJ mixes (MTV Mash-ups Vol 1-14) that I am loading up on to my iPod to run to!  LOL!  I found running on the elliptical is less monotonous if I slap on some TV shows.  I have been replaying episodes of Glee & Friday Night Lights... yeah, odd pairing I know, but it gets me through!

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Jan 16th Run (Week 13, Run 54)

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Jan 16th Run (Week 13, Run 54)

Click the link above for my run details!

Man it was great to get back out on the road again! It had been awhile. Bad news again today!

I got through my stretches and warm up and took off on my run. Everything was great until I got back. It was a little icey and I slipped a little on the trail, not sure if that added to what happened next. I did have to walk just over a half mile due to my knee... same issue that I think is ITBS.

I finished the run and walked back to the house, as was my norm, letting my heart rate drop a little and getting some water in me. I get back to the area in front of the garage and begin my cool down stretches. The norm, hamstring stretches, quadricep stretches, a little extra attention to my right knee, etc. When I go to do my back stretches, my lower back muscles sieze up. I litterally had to push myself up to get back upright. It was excruciating pain! So, needless to say, I'm hurt again and have to figure out how to get over this injury bug that is plaguing me!

One Step Closer

I went and picked up my running jersey from the post office today.  It looks so sharp... the picture doesn't do it justice.  Key features are 3 larger pockets across the back, they look like they will do fine to throw a few packs of sport beans in.  Additionally, the zipper on the front sips down to about my belly button so if I start to overheat, I can run the race J. Lo style!

Maria is going to help me modify it a little bit. We are going to figure out where to embroidier the names of the people I am running in memory & in honor of.  Any ideas?

Jan 12th Run (Week 13, Day 53)

I got off of the midshift this morning and had some stuff to do on base, so I went to the gym & got a run in on the elliptical.  Man, this snow is a real bummer for running.  I did see this afternoon that the bases running trails were cleaned off.  I guess they spray them with deicing liquid so we can run on them, it's just not done very often, kind of a last priority thing.

Hopefully I will be able to get back out on the roads soon.  Probably not tomorrow since they are calling for a major ice storm tonight.  Booooo!

Jan 7th Run (Week 14, Day 52)

Yep, no link today.  I woke up this morning to a fresh layer of icy snow on the sidewalks.  There's no way I can run with me trying to check out my knee on ice today.  So, I threw on some tunes, and ran on the elliptical in the Dog House.  Sorry, the Dog House is the first floor of our house here in Germany.  It's my area... all my uniforms, my bathroom, a spare bedroom, and our game room.  Basically, it's my area in case Maria ever gets mad at me, I can get away and she doesn't have to see me till she calms down.  Not to mention, with as much running as I have been doing, I didn't want to track my smelly clothes through the house!

I ran for 30 minutes today, granted there was no real impact on my knee to check it out 100%, but I am comfortable saying that I am at at least 80% right now.  It ffelt really good to run in just shorts & a short sleeve shirt today!  It's been awhile since I have been able to run with this little clothing!  I felt almost free!  Hahaha!

This will not count in my final tally for mileage & time.  I am only going to count the runs that I do out on the street for that.  I really think our elliptical console is unreliable as it said I only ran 1.4 miles today in 30 minutes!  That's extremely laughable since out on the road I am running 6 miles in an hour and I run 1.5 miles in around 12-13 minutes.

Hopefully I'll be able to get back out on the road on Saturday for my long run day.  I probably won't go the full 10 miles like I am supposed to, but I got to get caught back up to where I can do my LRDs.  Without those, April will be a flop.  I will probably just let me knee decide what Iam going to run on Saturday.  Wish me luck ya'll!

The IT Bands Have It

I think I have self diagnosed my knee issue that arose last week.  Basically, as a refresher, I felt a little pop & started getting pain as I ran up hills.  I did a pretty exhaustive search online and came up with what I think is my issue... say it with me now kids,

     Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ill-e-o-tib-e-al    ba-n-d    sin-dro-m-e)

In  a nut shell,

ITBS is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners. The iliotibial tract (iliotibial band) is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, moving from behind the femur to the front while walking. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed. 

That according to the experts at Wikipedia.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here ya go!

So, basically, it's a more severe form of Bursitis.  See the bursa that the line is pointing to above.  Well, you have these sacks of fluid where tendon or ligaments can rub against bones.  These sacks of fluid prevent chaffing of the tendons & legaments.  Something happens creating friction on the sack, which in turn causes swelling & inflamation of the bursa, also called, you guessed it, Bursitis.

For those of you who knew me at Korea, I had a bout of Bursitis in the same knee, though it was below the knee where the patellar tendon connects, that had me hobbling around base for a good month.  This one hasn't been as bad.  Not really sure what caused the bout in Korea, but this one I think was either caused by running on the ice, which is a crazy ballet style of running; or by taking the break then jumping back in to it running all out.  Not really sure, but could be both, who knows.

Anywho, I am going to attempt to run again tomorrow and see what it does.  Hopefully I won't be too far set back.

Weekly Data Points

For the data lovers.

Count: 2 Activities
Distance: 12.84 mi
Avg Distance: 6.42 mi
Time: 02:22:15 h:m:s
Avg Time: 01:11:07 h:m:s
Elevation Gain: 2,093 ft
Avg Speed: 5.4 mph
Avg HR: 161 bpm
Calories: 2,506 C
Median Distance: 6.42 mi
Max Distance: 7.47 mi
Median Time: 01:11:07 h:m:s
Max Time: 01:21:35 h:m:s
Avg Elevation Gain: 1,046 ft
Median Elevation Gain: 1,046 ft
Max Elevation Gain: 1,567 ft
Elevation Loss: 2,217 ft
Avg Elevation Loss: 1,109 ft
Median Elevation Loss: 1,109 ft
Max Elevation Loss: 1,620 ft
Max Avg Speed: 5.5 mph
Max Speed: 19.3 mph
Max Avg HR: 161 bpm
Max HR: 178 bpm
 
Enjoy!