Running in Shorts on a Snowy Day

This is one of those crazy days that occur during springtime in Kansas. This morning I awoke to snow. The white stuff blanketed the ground, and it was still coming down. I was a bit depressed, because it was the second morning in a row that I had planned to do a long run where weather had thrown a wrench into my plans.

So, as I did yesterday (Saturday), I decided to wait it out and start when it melted off. That occurred by 12:45. The roads, while a bit wet in places, were not snowy. The temperature had improved enough that it was just on the verge of being t-shirt and shorts weather (as I mentioned, the weather in spring around here is an oddity).

I had gotten in a 10-ish mile run yesterday, and simply decided to do about the same or just slightly more today. I'm not a big fan of putting in much more than a 10K on roads normally, but with the trails soaked after a couple of days of rain and snow, there really was no choice.

So, I knocked out 11 miles - mainly on the South Lawrence Trafficway path - and passed only 2 people, cyclists, during the entirety of the run. Having the path to myself was probably the result of the Easter holiday, the time of day, and the damper snow puts on people's desire to venture outside. Still, it was a lovely way to spend a chunk of an unusual day.

Next weekend is the Rockin K trail marathon. I'll have a report about just how badly I do posted in the next 7-10 days. While I have been getting in over 1,500 miles a year, I feel woefully undertrained for the marathon. I've only had a couple of 20 mile runs in 2016. My weekly average had crept close to 40 miles. But, while I'm getting miles in, I'm not really stringing the miles together in runs that are much over 12mi-14mi. So I'll simply have to see what happens in the land past 20mi.

In any case, the Rockin K will be a good kickoff to a month that ends with the Heartland 50. So bookending the month with long runs seems (at least on paper) like a decent way to build into the summer... Hmmm...

Beautiful Feb weather and a 50th B-day trip to So. Cal

I want to take a moment and relate just how nice it is to be seated in my Kansas living room in late February writing this entry with my windows open. It is a lovely day that began for me at 5:30 AM as I arose to prepare for a Saturday long run. Today the run turned out to be a bit less long, but way more hilly than I had planned. A moderately-paced 20 miles on my beloved river trails had been my target for the weekend. When I noticed a post from a friend (who is also training for the same marathon and ultra that I am working on) stating that he was going to do a bunch of hilly loops today, I changed my plan. I mean, he's done the races before, so what do I know?

Anyway, a couple of hours and 13 - 14 miles later, I had gotten in a solid, challenging run. The last lap I'd even had a scary encounter with an unaccompanied pit-bull and his brown boxer buddy. Running into aggressive dogs is never fun, but if you're looking to make lemonade in this situation, it does make for a fast lap time.

In other news, I did a bit of running, and a whole lot of hiking in Joshua Tree last week. The place is always spectacular - whether you are there to climb, hike, run, bike, or simply experience the beauty where the Mojave Desert meets the Colorado Desert.

Taken from atop a mountain near Indian Cove

Mountaintop Panorama

More Indian Cove

From a hike near Split Rock

While in the Joshua Tree area, I also experienced a sound bath at the wonderful Integratron, located in the desert community of Landers. The sound bath occurs in the custom-built domed structure. A person plays extraordinary bowls for about 25 minutes, and then a relaxing music is softly pumped in. The whole thing lasts about an hour. It is oddly wonderful, and massively relaxing.

Afterward, we stopped in at an orchid farm. It was simply serendipity. We saw it on the way to the integration, and figured, why not? What we got was an incredible tour of a farm that supplies about 80,000 orchids (and 10,000 venus flytraps) each month to stores around the US.  We were the sole visitors, and got a prolonged tour of the facilities.

A Pano inside the Integratron

Pre sound bath with my friend, Roger Henry

Outside the Integratron

Orchids

The trip to J-Tree, and later a few days in Palm Springs was for my 50th birthday. I can't say enough great things about the experience, as well as the numerous friends who helped put it together.

Until next time, keep running.

Zen and the Art of Trail Running - stupid title, I know.

So I'm reading this at the moment: Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate: A Trip Through Death, Sex, Divorce, and Spiritual Celebrity in Search of the True Dharma. Great book. As much as I like Brad Warner, the Zen teacher/monk who wrote the series of books (of which this is the third), he's a hot and cold writer. This book, luckily for me, is hot. If you want Zen and diversion, read his first book, Hardcore Zen, and then read this one. Book 2, while good, is a bit, ummmm... dry and more technical. Warner is best when he's telling simple stories from his life and not relying too much on Buddhist theory to interpret them. 

Anyway, I just finished my 83rd straight day with a zazen sit. I'm neither proud,nor ashamed of that fact (even though my app, Insight Timer rewards me with stars for every 10 consecutive day period I complete). Rather, I do notice that practicing allows me to bring meditation and 'the now' more readily into my life. I am more aware of what is actually happening. I'm also much more aware of emotions. I notice them - where they come from, how they feel, from what point in my body do they seem to emanate, etc... It is very interesting to be able to really lock in, albeit briefly, from time to time.

I popped down to Huntsville, TX last weekend to help pace my buddy, Bill, in his attempt to break 24 hours in the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile race. I won't go into everything that happened - or maybe I will, but in a later post - but suffice it to say, Bill is a monster runner who crushed 24 hours. I ran the 60-80 mile leg with him. I can honestly say that I've never paced anyone faster at that point in an ultra marathon. I actually had to tell him to slow down and conserve some energy for later. He really just cruised through the course.

I returned home on Monday, and mainly ran on treadmills and did a couple of running rounds (2-3 mi) on a local disc golf course. Nothin major.

This morning I hit the Clinton North Shore trails at their western terminus. Another buddy, Mike, wanted to run Bunker Hill and then hit the trails. It was pretty cold, but beautiful. See the pic below, taken by Mike Miley at the top of Bunker Hill.

We ran up the hill and around the back side before hitting the trails. It was a lovely run that grew warmer as we progressed. The only negative moment for me was when I took my first ever actual rumble on the N. Shore trails. I missed a little root/stump in the trail and went flying. I got a quick calf cramp and a bloody knee as a result. But honestly, if I only have a fall once every 8-10 years on those trails, I'm good to go.

Once the cramp settled, we scooted back to the trail head. Mike, like the running machine that he is, ran on for one last assault of Bunker Hill. I decided not to tempt my calf to fire again, and simply drove home. All in all, a lovely way to spend a morning.

Il Fait Froid Aujourd'hui

Today, with the current temp reading 8F, is a good day for running... indoors. Yesterday, with AM temperatures hovering in the mid-teens, was a good day for running...outdoors. Basically single digits  are my limit.

Yesterday, for a change, a group of Trail Hawks met at the river trails and scampered through 1, 2, or 3 of the 10.4 mi. loops that the trails offer. One loop was my preference for the morning. I mean, I'll run when it is cold, but I'm not going to do a marathon in it. It was good to note that after running on the much more difficult Clinton North Shore Trails for the past month or so, I finished the river trails yesterday with what felt like a lot left in the tank.

Photo Credit - Bill Loats via a Selfie Stick (Bill was doing 30 miles in the cold yesterday). This pic was taken after we had finished a 10.4 mi. loop.

Interestingly enough (at least to me), this has been the winter of my discontent. I am content because my training is going well, with improvement in speed, strength, and distance. Defying all logic, I also seem to have been able to run my way out of separate long-term ankle and hamstring injuries. And that is with quite a bit of road workouts since the trails have been pretty muddy and unusable throughout much of the early winter. While I have been doing stretches taught to me by a physical therapist, undergone therapeutic massage, and cross-trained by biking and swimming, nothing really had seemed to work. I never even had a lessening of pain until one day both issues simply vanished.

Now, about a month out from real pain, I've been able to concentrate on other aspects of my running. Hill repeats and speed workouts are putting me in a position to really be fit when mid-late February rolls around and I begin adding distance in order to prepare for a trail marathon and a 50k race in April. Anyway, I feel very relaxed and confident in my training - likely due to the simple relief of being injury-free.

In other news, Ad Astra running hosted a lecture about running and literature last week. They asked me if I would bring some extra copies of RUN to sell. Of course! The lecture by Dan Kuhlman was fun and informative. The wine, beer, and hors d'oeuvres provided by Ad Astra were very much appreciated - I mean, when isn't booze and food a good thing? The store, which in its short life, has become an important part of the Lawrence running scene, was absolutely packed with runners. It is never surprising to note that runners seem to read a lot more than the general population. With all the time spent running and ruminating, the gravitational tug of the screen seems to be less strong than the pull of the page. Just run in a group of trail runners sometime, and you'll find that half of the conversation seems to be about what someone is reading. The other half of the conversation is, of course, reserved for talk about training or bodily functions. Some things never change...

A few of the books from the Running and Lit lecture

Copies of RUN for sale at Ad Astra's Running and Lit lecture

Photo credit - Gary Henry/Ad Astra Running

2015: A Disjointed Year in Review - top 10 lists included

As the end of 2015 nears, I find that I am reflecting less on both the past year as well as the upcoming days that will comprise 2016. The main thing I have taken from 2015 is an acquired appreciation of what is actually in front of me right now - this minute, this hour, today. As a newly-minted adherent of the 'now', I don't always succeed in the awareness that is required to live mindfully, but I do strive to do so whenever I think about it, which comes to 5-10 times each day.

So, in writing this, I'm going to take a look back at 2015, with an understanding that what is past is past. I am lucky to have been able to enjoy most the experiences I had. Below I'll look at books, movies and television, travel, and, of course, running.

Book of the year - IMHO

The best books I read in 2015:

1) Hardcore Zen - Brad Warner
2) The Portuguese: A Modern History - Barry Hatton
3) The Search for the King - Gore Vidal
4) Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell
5) Savage Harvest: A Tale of.... - Carl Hoffman
6) The Song of Achilles - Madeleine Miller
7) AWOL on the Appalachian Trail - David Miller
8) Jack Holmes and His Friend - Edmund White
9)The Sweet Life in Paris - David Leibovitz
10) 10% Happier - Dan Harris

Best Shows/Movies I saw this year (not in a particular order):

Note: this line is an addition to the post you are reading - added later in the day. The absolute best thing I saw in 2015 was Jimmy Chin's masterpiece of a documentary, Meru. If you haven't seen it, take any opportunity where it is available to view it. You will not regret one moment of your decision. And now onto my other favorite shows and movies of 2015:

1) Halt and Catch Fire (full season)
2) Louie - Season 4
3) The League - Season 6
4) The Way He Looks
5) Peep Show - Series 8
6) The Trip to Italy - Movie
7) Workaholics (all seasons)
8) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (all seasons)
9) Mozart in the Jungle - Season 1
10) Boys - Movie
11) Downton Abbey (season 5)

La Sagrada Familia - BCN

Best places visited:

1) Portugal - Lisbon, Cascais, and Belem just may be 3 of my favorite places on earth.
2) Barcelona - A beautiful place that everyone in the world has discovered. Overrun by tourists, but still magnificent.
3) Leadville, CO. - Stunning - very little to add.
4) Nederland/Boulder, CO. Every time I go back to Colorado I question why I don't live there.
5) Keystone, Breck, Frisco, CO (see remarks immediately above).

Continental Divide

Best Runs:

In a year where most of my running was limited to less than 15 mi at a time (due to hamstring and ankle issues), there were still some great excursions:

1) 6 miles run/jog on the Continental Divide. Super fun, and done after spending about 5 days in the area to acclimate to the altitude.
2) 5 miles along the lake in the rain - Geneva, Switzerland
3) Sub 8 min/mi 7.5 mi run in West Lawrence in August. Probably fastest training run of 2015.
4) Vinland area run with the Trailhawks - November
5) Run along the reservoir - Nederland, CO. October
6) Multiple runs in shorts and t-shirts in December (for crying out loud!?!)

Best running discoveries/products:

Hoka One One - Odyssey

While I've always been a fan of Mizuno, I had not tried the Wave Sayonara until this year. Honestly, the pair I purchased is one of my favorite road shoes ever. My other shoe discovery of the year was the Hoka One One Odyssey. I never liked my earlier Hoka purchase (Mafate trail shoes) which were heavy and clunky. But the Odyssey model is one of the lightest and most versatile shoes I own. In fact, I like them so much that I bought a second pair (more on that later). The final running product I discovered is the FlipBelt. A running buddy (Michael Miley) was wearing one. I had a gift certificate to a running store, so I went and purchased one the next day. The belt carries a good amount of items and is so comfortable that I forget I'm wearing it.

Mizuno - Wave Sayonara

2016:

I have no resolutions, just plans. In April, I am entered to run in the Rockin' K Marathon. It is supposed to be a tough little trail race. My plan is to keep long runs in the 15-20 ish mile range in Jan-Feb, then have a couple of longer runs in March before the race in the first week of April. I'll have a quick trip to the EU, but plan to increase my mileage in the second week of April before a taper prior to the Heartland 50K at the end of the month. I love the Heartland course, and am looking forward to getting to run on it again. I'm not keen that two major races occur in the same month, but if my training is on track, they should be doable (if not PR-able). While not trail shoes, I plan to run at least the second of the two races in the newest pair of Odysseys. They should be broken in and ready to go by that time (I'm only wearing the new pair 1-2 times /month in order not to tear up their soles on trails).

I plan to continue to keep my annual mileage in the 1,500 range. I also plan to take 20-40 minutes each day to sit and be mindful/meditate. Meditation coupled with daily workouts - running/biking/swimming - seems to positively affect my outlook and performance throughout the day. 

And, while I may have another post before the year end. This has been a decent (albeit brief) look back at 2015. 

Keep running.

SLT Paths Back Open For Business

The South Lawrence Trafficway path between Sixth Street and Clinton Parkway are now open and better than ever. The reopened section has three additional entrances. Going south from Sixth Street, the first appears to the west of Langston Hughes elementary school. The second entrance is where 15th St. and the SLT intersect. Continuing on the pathway and not cutting off on 15th St., runners and bikers will find themselves going under the street through a very nice long tunnel - the reverberations are fantastic should one choose to sing while running or biking through the tunnel as I did this morning. The final turn off comes at an unmarked, yet wide and paved street about a quarter-mile to the south of the 15th St. exit. Users of the pathway will recall that the street used to be a gravel road. It now runs from the South Lawrence Trafficway to George Williams Way behind Corpus Christi church. I hope to go back and take pictures for people to see sometime soon. This morning I took a lovely 9 mile run incorporating most of what I just wrote about. The new and improved paths are well worth checking out.

When One Accepts The Zone

This is been a tremendous week. I'm glad I have been able to recognize and experience it. 

I threw my best rounds of disc golf ever. -5 and -6 back to back rounds. Even though the rounds were done as running rounds, with quite a bit of wind, I was able to concentrate and found myself in something that I would describe as the zone. The picture above is of a friend, Philip. On that day he also threw his best round. So maybe there was something in the air or the water.

AM mist above the water on the river

I spent the last two days doing the 10 1/2 or 11 mile runs on the river trails. Since my hamstring and ankle injuries, I have not run good distances back to back. Everything went as well or slightly better than I would've expected. Again, I felt in the zone, and lucky to be able to experience the ever-changing beauty of these trails. I rarely really run with the camera. For once, I took some time and stopped to take photos and smell the proverbial roses.