First Month of Training

Completed my first month of training-> injury free. {Working up to a ½ marathon.}
But still find the LSD {see below} runs strange...I'm used to going the same speed every run. I do take in more of the surroundings and those 30 sec walking breaks are more acceptable.

start to finish

real estate signs

roadkill - i run faster

a westerly wind

frosty footprints of another runner

sunshine

Graph supplied by Breaking The Tape

LSD
NOT the hallucinogen. LSD is an abbreviation for "Long, Slow Distance," which refers to the practice of running longer distances at an "easy" pace rather than shorter ones to exhaustion. The slower pace allows the runner to go longer and, therefore (supposedly), gain more fitness. Runner's World Glossary

Born to Run

Just before I headed out for my morning run I received a news alert from CNN that Barbaro had been euthanized
Bravely, I scanned through Barbaros photo album at Sports Illustrated. Frozen moments in time of x-rays showing images of too many screws and plates setting a horse's leg, IV lines dangling from a sleek neck, and cloth slings holding a sculpted horse upright .
His injury was too cruel. Born/bred to run - this incredible animal was at last set free.
Ran my last mile just for Barbaro...

final odyssey
a soft muzzle tugs the rein ~
ears turn to his gate

Favorite Shirt

Now if it would only warm up... so I can wear it again.
100% polyester by Sporthill. It's cool and airy compared to regular cotton.
Race t-shirts, in most events, are 100% cotton - ok for winter layering but to hot in the summer.
Lately I've been forfeiting the shirt for a cheaper entry fee.
(A race I ran last year provided caps instead of shirts ~ kewl!)
Anyways, I would like to see more technical t-shirts available in upcoming races.

Foot Attention

My first and only encounter with plantar fasciitis will never be forgotten. So when I read a post from another runner with this condition I tread lightly and say a prayer to the runner Gods.
The plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue that stretches from your toes to your heal where it connects in three places to the heel bone. If it becomes aggravated - pain can occur. Especially in the morning when you attempt to walk away from your bed. (I remember having to walk about on my toes till after breakfast.)
To prevent any reoccurrence of this hurt. I wear cushioned shoes designed for High Arches and massage my feet deeply with oil. (Plus I have several foot roller bars.)
Right now I'm using Burt's Bees Vitamin E Body Oil - it's scented with lemon -> an energizing bonus.

Subject Spam

We swore. But the Spam still arrives, tantalizing us with their subject lines.

I expect running would be more effective. For sure doing a few squats like these everyday would be beneficial.
Squat video - keep an eye on the dog.

Spin

Bob Dylan is still kicking it. Uploaded Thunder On The Mountain for my run this morning. And what can I say; it's two-stepping rock-a-billy.
Shaved 20 seconds off my 1 mile TT!

"Thunder on the mountain, rolling like a drum, Going to sleep over there, that's where the music is coming from I don't need any guide, I already know the way."- Dylan

Run Faster With Long Legs?

As I tire in races my stride becomes longer. Psychologically, I think I am going further faster. Where is that finish line?
But studies show that athletes (I'm just a runner) shorten their stride as they speed up. They increase their cadence (foot step per minute.) They become a more efficient running machine.
In races, as diversion, I check out runners' strides; some step very high, others kick out behind. Some appear to have way more energy than me. I feel like a sloth... but often I beat them to the finish line.

"One of the most common mistakes novice runners make is over-striding, which is landing the foot fall too far in front of their center of gravity, actually reducing momentum and increasing chance of injury." - RGR

GALLOWAY confirms over striding can set yourself up for injury.
Knee pain -> stride to long?
Sore hamstrings -> stride to long?
Shin pain -> stride too long?

So my goal is to evaluate and then increase my cadence.
{I still need a new watch - any recommendations?}

Passwords

Like most working folks, I have the dilemma of way too many passwords to create and remember. I spotted this over at lifehacker {don't u just love that portal} another way to create the perfect password.
Mesh two easy words and create a fortress.
So if the two words are runner+kara - it would be rkuanrnaer. ~ kewl
BTW:
On my system at home I use a password storage device called AnyPassword. It's handy and fast but... of course, has a password to activate it.
Luckily, we don't need passwords to get into our runners!

Scenic Drive

Scenic Drive is a very long street, perfect for tallying the miles. Where else can you spot an old Ford Fairlane (in mint condition), a carving of a three foot spawning salmon and a port-a-potty on a front lawn! ( home improvements?)
Nice and flat, but a bus route - bummer.

"Only 8 percent of your worries are worth concerning yourself about. Ninety-two percent are pure fog with no substance at all."
Source: Lead the Field by Earl Nightingale

Benefits

I like the discipline of running. An arrangement I have with myself. Once executed, there is a beginning then the bonus of satisfaction on competition. My job does not offer this type of fulfillment. Like Jonathon Flaum so eloquently noted in his article exploring job satisfaction:
"We put in hours at work and we take home money, but this compensation is only the measurable, tangible by-product of work and far from its whole summation."
We apparently need more!
I started reading this amusing book: "blue jelly", all about a woman, heartbroken by a boyfriend, who turns to canning and preserving to put order and control back in her life. (Serious diversion.)
If you have ever done any canning or even watched someone in the process, you will note a methodical rhythm that must be followed if you want to succeed. From sterilizing the jars to even making the labels - an assembly with a reward -> homemade blueberry jam.
And I thought I was the only person who craved this type of orderly fulfillment
Fortunately, running does this for me. One step follows the next - to the next corner, next light, next bridge and so on - homeward bound.

Race Entry

I sent in my entry for Eugene's inaugural Marathon / Half Marathon event. And, for some reason I feel like a lemming heading straight for the cliff. Yikes
Feelings of self-doubt broadcast loudly from every mirror...
I know my spirit is willing and I have time to train - but will my body flounder?
The body does not always reply to my requests.
I have a ribbon of murky matter that convenes between body and mind - keeping them disengaged.
Perhaps accomplishing this goal of completing a half marathon will open a door.

Goal of completion
1) Upright
2) Smiling
3) Wanting to do it again

Spock: "On my planet "to rest" is to rest, to cease using energy. To me it is quite illogical to run up and down on green grass using energy instead of saving it."

Ref: Jeff Galloway
Logo: Eugene Marathon

Modus Operandi

Brrr

The lightly snow dusted street before me, the house and hot
coffee behind...Not so easy to step out for my run this morning.
I'm not used to these sub 30 temps we've been having lately.
Getting dressed is a chaotic mess.

Modus operandi
- Sports bra (gray) no underwire!
- Silk under vest (purple)
- Cotton long sleeve (white)
- Fleece pullover (blue) too short, my ass got cold.
- Cotton undies (pink)
- Nylon rad pants (blue)
- Gloves (synthetic) (green) from the "Jingle Bell Run."
- Nike headband ( black) fleece.
- Nylon socks (white) crew
- Calf socks (white) I call them chilblains which is a totally inaccurate depiction; but works for me.

Please warm-up soon ~

Get A Cool Watch

He ran 50 marathons in 50 days! And he shares some of his indulgences with the reader’s of WIRED.
(Yes – geeks are into fitness.)
Many of his tips gave me a chuckle. Like - GO LACELESS. How many times have you had to stop to do up your laces? And EAT JUNK – there’s something adorable about tossing down a chocolate bar every day and not gaining an ounce. But it was #7 that hit home.
GET A COOL WATCH.
My Velcro Timex must be about 6 years old…I’m now on the hunt for the perfect time piece. Unfortunately I have tiny wrists so many of the watches are just too BIG. But my desktop internet hunt continues as my mouth and face heal from a battery of brutal dental tortures.

To read the rest of this energic advice from long-distance runner Dean Karnazes -> See January’s WIRED

Inner Being

A toothache has the ability to connect you to your inner being - with every heartbeat.
Never stay in bed with a toothache - get up!
Running with a toothache adds yet another dimension (You're traveling to another dimension, a dimension not only of sight...)
to pain; a formless blur that inhabits you...
Let's say I was happy to get home and pop a Vicodin.

Training Wheels

Running and taking walking breaks {brakes} is like putting training wheels back on your bike!
I've never incorporated breaks into my runs. And I have nothing against walking - I do a lot of it. But mix and match...well it's going to take some getting used too.
Advantages:
- a chance to scrutinize the scenery/people more closely.
- felt more energetic at the completion of the run.
- used the break to walk backwards - resting the hamstrings.
- disrupts the boredom business.
- less bouncing.
- shoes last longer?
Disadvantages:
- takes longer to complete my run.
- had to keep an eye on my watch. I need one that goes "beep beep."
- have to adapt my playlist for slower beats.
- look like a weenie to the other runners zooming by me. After all this is "Track Town USA."

Scott Douglas--> "I was pleasantly surprised to find the first couple of walk breaks not all that disruptive. Still, it was weird, in part because while decelerating I was simultaneously telling myself to go into a fast walk, rather then the leisurely amble you might do at the end of a run. And, of course, doing this while averaging under 7:00 pace is an excellent way to draw stares."

I will give it an honest try on my long run days. If it enables me to complete a half-marathon still standing - carry-on!
~
Haven't registered yet ; )

Where You Live

I mapped out my next run using a nifty program set up at USATF. They have over 96,500 routes already marked out or you can create your own - where you live.
My route follows a paved path, some cement, which tags along the Willamette River. I've run parts of this path many times, but this is the first time I've actually calculated the mileage.
Some of the quality moments of this trail are the bridge spans. Here you are buffeted by river breezes as you stare out over the rapids - uplifts even the darkest days.
Retrace the path you run - where you live.

TT

I incorporated a TT in my 4 mile run today.
(As recommended by Jeff Galloway.)
TT does not stand for Table Tennis or Torpedo Tube - but Time Trial.

Mile One

Actually it's speed training. Think about going around in circles on a track - fast.
Whatever you call it, it serves two purposes:

• I can use the data to estimate how long it will take me to complete a half-marathon. (or any race)


• Use it to boost my performance -- if this is earthly possible.

"By pushing the limits you may learn more about yourself than in any other activity in life." - Jeff Galloway

He suggests not to go all out the first couple of times (no puking) but 8:50 was a tad disappointing...
Please grant me countenance - I know more important than running fast --> is the ability to continue running and that means NO injuries.

Gift From Nature

While walking my dog this morning, I came upon a single white feather in the mud. The feather was from a large White Heron. These birds appear in our back field during the rainy season, wading imperially through the rising puddles.
At one time they were almost extinct...

"Plume hunters in the late 1800s and early 1900s reduced North American populations by more than 95 percent."

I will treasure this small gift - from nature herself.

Start the New Year Right

We boycotted the new Run on One race this year as they changed the location from the banks of the Willamette River to a shopping Mall parking lot. So we ran along the river anyhow - which BTW is running pretty high right now. Then enjoyed a generous proportion of Okra hash browns for breakfast.
(Great hangover meal!) 

A memo from the Conservation International New Year's resolution list:
9) Drink more water from reusable glassware.
"The average American consumed more than 400 beverage bottles and cans in 2006."

I keep a Nalgene Water Bottle (sorry not glass) in the fridge and refill it daily. This provides easy access to cold water without having to run the tap. Once every couple of days I send it through the dishwasher to keep it super clean. 
{We are fortunate enough to have OK tasting tap water.}