Kayaked about 5 hours with several delays to toss the hook. The wife and I were shutout. Great day to get on the mighty Oconomowoc River and power our way up to Loew Lake. Saw one person the stretch up and 34 on the way back. Plus about 10 humans in line. I thought we started late. No matter twern’t no Grizz left anyway.
I did sneak in 12.1 kilometers at 5:20pm. It was difficult the first half, but I loosened up the last half and got it in the bank to get in a 50 mile week. Been some time since I pulled that feat off. Ten minute miles is laying it down now-a-days. The days of be good or be gone are a distant memory. I think the main reason to getting out is to insure the parts still work. My hip/back issue the past six months is not as bothersome now. I gave up trying stretch it, get to the pain area, and strengthen the area. Apparently all that did was aggravate the hell out of it. Another example of just let stuff take care of itself. Kind of like the PF. I still wear the inserts when I’m in street shoes. Otherwise I just walk around now, or throw another folded in half shoe liner in when I run and let it work out. I tinker around with how much stuff I’ll throw in the shoes for a run. Just sitting out on the porch here with dog and I have red, yellow, blue, and black ones laying around and drying up. Good times. So psyched to get back to work tomorrow.
So another thought about training and not getting into Big’s. Maybe I’ll finally do that swan song 100 miler. Either an official one or the fictitious Commando 100. Again...not a guy who likes to go longer than 50 miles. Ten hours is plenty long. Thirty hours just seems like unnecessary punishment. Not sure why people get fired up to do them. That is a long way on foot. Hats off to those who can consistently pull them off.
Anyway, time to watch the Rockford Files. Good to have a bit of levity once-in-a-while.
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Saturday, July 6, 2019
If I can go that distance
I could get used to these 4 day weekends. Get some runs in, a bit of kayaking and fishing, do the stuff needed, and general walkabout. I am getting close. I can smell the inside of the old work truck I'll own with cool stuff inside it. Stuff like old ball hats, gloves, and lures. Maybe even an emergency camping set-up. Stopped in where the Wife works today to pick up ice cream and a chicken sandwich. She's thinking fishing later today so I may have to blow off a chore or two. As long as I finish weeding the garden later I'm good with that.
I did 3 x 6k in 50 minute segments today. Loop 1 road 42:54, Loop 2 trail 43:58, and Loop 3 road 41:56 in the pouring rain. I was going to go farther, but have to save some juice. The trail loop needed effort. One could easily slide back to 8:00 minute 1k splits and leave a scant 2:00 before the next segment. I recognized some work needs done here. The deer flies were terrible, even with a Penn State stocking cap and my trusted hoodie. They were bouncing off me they were so thick. Even getting under my glasses and occasionally getting in behind the neck. Worse than a German Shepherd on a rib roast bad. So I opted for the road the last loop. Good thing because it poured and with glasses on it is tedious. Hated it! Weather is always the equalizer. In the future fantasy world where one ambles along strong as bull, one seldom considers how ponderous weather can be. I was drenched anyway after running the first two loops.
Running slow is hard work. For one it makes you slower. For two it takes forever to cover a few miles. For three you have to do an incredible amount of it to possibly make any endurance gains. All I'm slowly accomplishing is trying to get used to mastering the time continuum. Can I vacuum pack time? The beatings will continue until morale improves. Who trains like this for a race they will probably never get in?
Reading other blogs, apparently I'm supposed to be resting quite a bit. Look I get it. Let your body absorb the training. That's probably great advice for people who actually can get somewhere in running. Thing is when you are only a running bum, all that nonsense means little. Pile it high if you can. Figure out the stuff that goes along with it along the way. I figured out today I am currently way over my head for a backyard ultra. Not sure how to overcome some of the cards I have in this hand, but if I can stay reasonably consistent, ramp up a bit of mileage, and have a few key workouts, maybe I won't be another bum from the neighborhood if I get in.
I did 3 x 6k in 50 minute segments today. Loop 1 road 42:54, Loop 2 trail 43:58, and Loop 3 road 41:56 in the pouring rain. I was going to go farther, but have to save some juice. The trail loop needed effort. One could easily slide back to 8:00 minute 1k splits and leave a scant 2:00 before the next segment. I recognized some work needs done here. The deer flies were terrible, even with a Penn State stocking cap and my trusted hoodie. They were bouncing off me they were so thick. Even getting under my glasses and occasionally getting in behind the neck. Worse than a German Shepherd on a rib roast bad. So I opted for the road the last loop. Good thing because it poured and with glasses on it is tedious. Hated it! Weather is always the equalizer. In the future fantasy world where one ambles along strong as bull, one seldom considers how ponderous weather can be. I was drenched anyway after running the first two loops.
Running slow is hard work. For one it makes you slower. For two it takes forever to cover a few miles. For three you have to do an incredible amount of it to possibly make any endurance gains. All I'm slowly accomplishing is trying to get used to mastering the time continuum. Can I vacuum pack time? The beatings will continue until morale improves. Who trains like this for a race they will probably never get in?
Reading other blogs, apparently I'm supposed to be resting quite a bit. Look I get it. Let your body absorb the training. That's probably great advice for people who actually can get somewhere in running. Thing is when you are only a running bum, all that nonsense means little. Pile it high if you can. Figure out the stuff that goes along with it along the way. I figured out today I am currently way over my head for a backyard ultra. Not sure how to overcome some of the cards I have in this hand, but if I can stay reasonably consistent, ramp up a bit of mileage, and have a few key workouts, maybe I won't be another bum from the neighborhood if I get in.
Friday, July 5, 2019
I will be your night in shining armor
A bit of banter this week amongst a few fellow runners about a possible on-the-fly 100 miler. I was told to put it together and a few hardy folks would show up. My ambition is there, but I'm more of a let's start here and end here. All the stuff in between is on you. But hey, maybe that is all that's required. I had my Ice Age Trail book out (Thanks Dean!) and there are a lot of options. Of course a date would need selected. Let me know you finished over the weekend and I'll put a list together of finishers. I could come up with some sort of hand out afterwards...or not. The thought is in my head. There is at least one other reason to do it, but I have to massage the brain a bit and see if I'm worthy to be trusted with the notion. I do know people would show and people would go about as far as they wanted. Some would indeed finish. As is typical, I'm sure a few other hardy folks would be out supporting and checking out the small band of knuckleheads. It would be in the latter part of 2019.
So the idea of Big's wasn't released from the brain. It takes on activity outside of my normal list of things I do or do not particularly want to do. Most reading this know the typical crap, but if you are new to life and life past 50 years old it is along the lines of laundry, fishing, work, grocery shopping, work, mowing grass, work, weeding the garden, walk dog, work, grocery shopping, work, painting projects, burn stuff, fishing, work. A true master can select the one item that is on the like to do list. Of course I didn't list running because you already know running is sorta what this blog is about most times. My big brain told me as I laid in bed at 11:00pm putting up with the fireworks, that here are some great ideas on how to consider training for Big's. In no particular order:
-Consider doing 12 hours at Robert's event witch is a flat 1 mile trail loop on 8/31. Aim for 50 miles. Run 5 miles the first two loops and 4 miles the last 10 loops. Any extra time left on the hour I wait until the next hour starts.
-Consider doing all of Tina and Angela's What the Funk 80k through the night on 8/10. Practice covering the distance with power jogging and emotional rescue walking.
-Actually practice 4.167 mile loops every hour as the race has on select weekends.
-Randomly practice 3.5 mile loops in 50 minute bites during the work week to mimic process. Best when wife leaves for work at 3:45am days. I could squeeze in 4 circuits in 3:10 before work.
-Occasionally risk confrontation by wife by making use of middle of the night can't sleep and putting shoes on and running a 4.167 mile circuit.
Looks like work to me, but it helped me go back to sleep around midnight.
So the idea of Big's wasn't released from the brain. It takes on activity outside of my normal list of things I do or do not particularly want to do. Most reading this know the typical crap, but if you are new to life and life past 50 years old it is along the lines of laundry, fishing, work, grocery shopping, work, mowing grass, work, weeding the garden, walk dog, work, grocery shopping, work, painting projects, burn stuff, fishing, work. A true master can select the one item that is on the like to do list. Of course I didn't list running because you already know running is sorta what this blog is about most times. My big brain told me as I laid in bed at 11:00pm putting up with the fireworks, that here are some great ideas on how to consider training for Big's. In no particular order:
-Consider doing 12 hours at Robert's event witch is a flat 1 mile trail loop on 8/31. Aim for 50 miles. Run 5 miles the first two loops and 4 miles the last 10 loops. Any extra time left on the hour I wait until the next hour starts.
-Consider doing all of Tina and Angela's What the Funk 80k through the night on 8/10. Practice covering the distance with power jogging and emotional rescue walking.
-Actually practice 4.167 mile loops every hour as the race has on select weekends.
-Randomly practice 3.5 mile loops in 50 minute bites during the work week to mimic process. Best when wife leaves for work at 3:45am days. I could squeeze in 4 circuits in 3:10 before work.
-Occasionally risk confrontation by wife by making use of middle of the night can't sleep and putting shoes on and running a 4.167 mile circuit.
Looks like work to me, but it helped me go back to sleep around midnight.
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Fort Nuts
I remembered that I am about 17th on the wait list for Big's Backyard on October 19th. I've averaged about 150 miles the past few months. I better start looking to double that mileage. Did I say double mileage? Is that by Fort Nuts? I check in regularly and there is a lot of movement on the list. The true runners. The ones winning other Backyard events for Golden Tickets into Big's are being added to the race. I'm just hoping to dumb into this thing. Having said that, I best be prepared to stumble bum around for a long time. I'm not someone with a resume that smacks of "distance king." I have finished a total of one 100 miler. I'm hoping this is something different. Most of us want to believe we are special is some unforeseen way at something. I signed up for this thing so if I get in I better be able to save face. My goal would be to go as long as I could. Not sure how that will play out at 58 years old, but for now it sounds better than doing any fast running. Is that by Fort Nuts as well?
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