RR's 100MileJournal

Knee Isn’t Having It

// February 2nd, 2012 // Comments Off on Knee Isn’t Having It // endurance, exercise, Mental Training, Progress, stretching, success, Ultra-marathon, Uncategorized

My knee felt fine yesterday (resting after 22 miles and a messed up knee) so I was feeling good about doing my 6.5 mile sprint.  I stretched at home, jogged out front to warm up and I didn’t get 20 yards when my knee made its point clear, “There will be no running today.”

I’m going to have to hit the running store and get “The Stick” which I’ve heard helps stretch muscles and a stuck facia really well.  I may be on “forced leave” for a few days.

Enter mental training.  I’ll do some visualizing of the race and my strong, healed body for some of the time that I would have run.

Not part of my plan and I knew that something might go “off”.  I’m not too worried.  Not my preference, particularly as next week will be tough to get out and run a long while but…I’m not worried.  Even the training is an endurance process not an event.

Thinking this way is progress for me.

I’m Kind of Feeling It!

// January 17th, 2012 // Comments Off on I’m Kind of Feeling It! // Uncategorized

Ok, another 13.5 today.  Tomorrow 12.  The higher milage is getting normal.

By the way, I’d have done the planned 14 but at a juncture where I could choose to make my route just that 1/2 mile longer I opted out.  I miscalculated how long it would take and realized that I had to really get myself moving so I wouldn’t be late for a doctor’s appointment.  I was late.  I don’t like that a bit.

A funny thing happened when I got there.  The secretary said, “I know you.  I know what you do {For a moment I was a bit freaked out. It sounded like a movie where some tall, handsome guy from upstate, NY was being stalked or something}.  I’ve been on your site.  I told…[the other secretary] that you’d be here.  You’re the guy who…” So my first “star” moment.  No autograph requested but I felt that I could open up a bit and explain what happened.  She was really cool and  all went well.

Anyway I guess I’m headed up to 16 miles next week.  Did I say I was feeling it?  It’s going to start getting laughable soon when I’m heading out for a 26 (marathon) mile jog on a Monday morning followed by a little 20 mile follow up.

Mugged…by Some Nutter Butters

// January 16th, 2012 // Comments Off on Mugged…by Some Nutter Butters // Uncategorized

Ok, I actually hadn’t planned on running yesterday (Sunday) but I didn’t plan on eating like a goober either. Saturday night I spied my old pals Nutter Butters in Walmart and well, 1/3 of the tray disappeared that night and I polished off the rest yesterday during Green Bay’s crushing defeat. Funny, I was “sober” (I don’t drink…can’t stomach it/don’t like the taste)and knew while I was eating that I didn’t really even want them. I even thought, “Eat them quicker or you’ll stop!”

Craziness!

My scammers got me to finish them off with speed and not a lot of pleasure. I’m not anti-partying; I just don’t like it when I party just because it’s supposed to be cool, fun or… But those Nutter Butters looked so good! Weight loss guru, Pat Barone, told me once that it’s the memory of the pleasure of that first bite that we’re trying to recreate again, and again. So, I got intoxicated (if even just a bit) when I saw that red-orange Nutter Butter offer of delight up on the shelf.

I was deceived. Instead I’m a bit sick to my stomach, $3 lighter and realizing, again, that it isn’t worth it!

Ronnie-boy, do what you know!

I know, I know!

Twisted Ankle

// January 14th, 2012 // Comments Off on Twisted Ankle // Uncategorized

Today’s run was pretty treacherous. Not because of the distance but because we had snow a couple days ago so the roads/sidewalks were a mess. Within 30 feet they were icy, rocky (ice chunks), un-shoveled and occasionally clear!

I ran 9.5 miles avoiding all of that crap and then running across a parking lot where I should’ve been safest, I twisted my ankle on a rut in the snow that I thought I could just run over! It was frozen-no give. What the…!

It’s good tomorrow is a rest day but…sheesh!

PS I haven’t done abs in 5 days and will have to tomorrow. The time investment required to run 100 miles is starting to hit me.

Run Done

// January 14th, 2012 // Comments Off on Run Done // Uncategorized

Up at 5. Out by 5:20.

Slipped and shuffled but did 10.5 miles.

Done is good.

Tomorrow I stretch–and watch the Packers.

Pissing Off My Scammer

// January 14th, 2012 // Comments Off on Pissing Off My Scammer // Uncategorized

I’m getting up tomorrow at 5am to do my 10.5 mile run at a 90% max pace. It’ll be cold, dark and early and…it’s just what I need to start facing my fears, demons and scams head-on. Who wants to run when their family is still asleep? I know I’m going to face great mental challenges all along my 100 mile journey. I’m planning to grow increasingly intimate with discomfort, the unpredictable and the less than optimal.

It’s 8:20pm. I’m going to read Durant’s History of Civilization and fall asleep. It’s been a long day and a long, challenging week.

A New Way to Scam Myself!

// January 13th, 2012 // Comments Off on A New Way to Scam Myself! // Uncategorized

I was just talking with a friend of mine, John–an endurance athlete from North Carolina, about my race and training.  He recently biked across North Carolina and is training with some of the best cyclists in the US for his ride across the US.

I was talking to him about my muscle soreness on my long runs and he reminded me of something that I’d forgotten.  During endurance events, our muscles cry out  (give the athlete pain) for sugar–now!   Let’s interrupt this message just so I can say that despite the fact that I don’t eat candy bars, if I did, I’d eat Snickers.

Well John continued by telling me that these super athletes recommend a couple of solutions to carry: Coca-Cola and Snickers (the little bite sized ones).  I’ll pass on the Coke but hey, I think I need to be more rigorous with my training and eat more Snickers!

Unreal.  I’m just about to go out for a run and I thought, “Maybe I should eat a candy bar now!”  HA!  Isn’t that incredible…and kind of predictable?  Oh, how quick I am to take the helpful and find a way to turn it into a pleasure fest!

OK, I’m off for my non-Snickers-packing run.

I hope I make it.

Me Chatting at Mile 12 of 14.5 on 1/10/12

// January 13th, 2012 // Comments Off on Me Chatting at Mile 12 of 14.5 on 1/10/12 // Uncategorized

Recovery Run, Rest-It’s Almost the Same Thing…

// January 13th, 2012 // Comments Off on Recovery Run, Rest-It’s Almost the Same Thing… // Uncategorized

My legs were still killing me today when my window to run was closing quickly.  I took yesterday off but am still sore so I contemplated another rest day trying to reason (foolishly) that I din’t need a recovery run (which is named that for a reason!) and that doing nothing was almost the same as running the 4 miles to stretch, flush out the lactic acid and get out and breathe.

I love that.  You should try that.  “Ahhh, going to my kid’s game…staying home and drinking in front of the tube…same thing, they’re both recreation…whatever!”

Anyway, I ran.  I’m sore.  I’m planning on running 10.5 tomorrow so long as sore is nothing more than taxed muscles.

This is craziness.

So Much for a Day Off

// January 12th, 2012 // Comments Off on So Much for a Day Off // Uncategorized

I was bummed out because I couldn’t do my long run on Monday (1/9) so I substituted that cardio/legs workout from Insanity–I thought it would essentially be a day off.

Holy Crow!  I woke up the next morning hobbling.  My thighs were smoked, my calves shot and my butt-OUCH!  Anyway, then yesterday I did my 14.5 mile run and was a mess by mile 8.  I finished decently but man…

Today I’d planned to do a hill workout (tough on legs/butt) but I am just now (10pm on 1/11) beginning to walk somewhat normally.  I’ll do a “recovery” run tomorrow of about 4 miles just to flush all of the lactic acid and then get a good stretch in.

Two things:

I’m nursing a really sore left hamstring.  I can feel it wanting to become an injury so I have to be very careful.  This training and this race (and this life) are long term events.

I’m training concurrently for the stair climb up the Corning Tower in Albany, NY.  I came in 7th last year and think I can do even better.  So I’ll be doing more varied workouts to work my thighs/short term anaerobic cardio endurance.

I bought compression pants.  I wasn’t sure about them but I think they do help.