Week 12 Highlight Video: JUMP!
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Injuries, and NSAIDS and Ice Baths, Oh My!
Injuries, and NSAIDS and Ice Baths, Oh My!
by Tina Bond
Like many of you, I’ve had my fair share of running related injuries. Believe it or not, most of my injuries have been preventable, but I didn’t discover that until I started training for my first marathon. I’ve taken days and months to recover from certain injuries. In this installment, I am going to share with you some of the injuries I have had and what I’ve done to get better.
BLACK TOE:
One of my very first running injuries was the dreaded black toe!! When I got the black toe I learned that one of the causes was running long distance. This wasn’t the case for me because I wasn’t running long distance at that point. My problem was that I was running in shoes that were my regular size. I read more about shoe size and decided to go a full size bigger with my running shoes. Some people consider black toe or losing toenails in general a badge of honor. I considered it a great time improve my toenail painting skills.
SOLUTION: Get bigger shoes!
KNEE PAIN:
Yes, this is my knee. I believe this was during marathon training.
I am sure a lot of you have had knee pain of some sort or another along your journey! I’ve had pain in both my knees, but at different times. The first time I had knee pain I was training for my first half and the pain was in my right knee. I didn’t know what was wrong, so I went to a sports doctor and he told me I had patellofemoral syndrome (PFS). He said that my knee cap moved while I was running which caused the pain. He suggested leg strengthening exercises and rest till I got better. For this injury I did rest, but failed to do the leg exercises (bad girl), but oddly enough this ailment went away on its own and I haven’t had any problems with it since.
The problem with my left knee has been the toughest injury to heal and to deal with. This injury happened when I was training for my back to back race (the Dumbo Double Dare) coupled with training for my first marathon. This pain was much worse than the PFS. It got so bad that it hurt just to walk. I did not go to the doctor for this one, but I self diagnosed it to be my IT band. I started doing leg exercises (clam shells, squats, wall squats, leg lifts, planks, etc.) and I do think it helped, but by race day I still wasn’t healed so I had a very difficult time running a portion of the marathon. The other reason why this has taken so long to heal is because I ran a half marathon 2 weeks after the full, then the Glass Slipper Challenge about 4 weeks after that. Not my smartest move, but I finished all three races!
SOLUTION: Rest, Ice, Doctor Visits and Strength and Core Exercises
BLISTERS:
This one was a particularly bad one. I didn’t pop it.
Blisters are the biggest pain in the… foot or toe!! When I very first started long distance running I got blisters all the time. I tried everything: mole skin, special socks, Body Glide, Vaseline, draining and not draining the blisters. Over time, I guess because I just started running more, I got fewer and fewer blisters. However, the best thing that worked for me was lathering up my feet with Skin Strong. Before all of my long runs (anything 10 or more) before I put my socks and shoes on I sit down with a tube of Skin Strong and put that stuff all over my toes and anywhere that I routinely get blisters. Ever since I started doing that, I don’t get blisters anymore.
SOLUTION: Don’t pop it, lather it!
CUTS AND SCRAPES:
This is what happens when you run without a head lamp. Owee!!
Who in the heck injures their hands while running? This girl does! It’s easy to do actually, but I do not recommend it! All you have to do is go running when it is dark outside, without a head lamp, run down the street without street lights and find the one piece of the road that is sticking up and trip on it! Voila, scuffed and scraped hand! I was a mess! I was 4 miles into a 10 mile run when this happened and I said to myself ‘don’t be a wussy! Get up and keep going.’ So that’s what I did. It hurt really bad and I could tell it was bleeding because it was sticky (and I took a picture of it with my phone). It was throbbing with pain. I got to mile 8 when I ran into Jim and showed him what happened. He told me to go home immediately and clean up my hand. Can’t argue with the hubby, so that’s what I did.
SOLUTION: When something like that happens, just go home and clean up your hands! Since it was dark I couldn’t tell how bad it really was. Repeat to yourself “You are not a wussy.”
BATHROOM BREAKS:
One of the port a potties in my neighborhood. I try to avoid these at all costs, but they do come in handy in an emergency.
Ok, this one isn’t really an injury, per se, but it can really put a kink in your run. I know where all the bathrooms are in my neighborhood. Obviously I can always run home if I am close, but when I am not, there is a bathroom at the golf club house so long as it is open. I am also very lucky because my neighborhood is still under construction and you know what that means! PORT A POTTIES!! I absolutely hate using port a potties, but when nature calls it’s either that or a shrub (and shrubs don’t have TP or sometimes hand sanitizer-BONUS!).
I’m going to keep it real for a minute here. There were times when I first started running that I had to run home to use the bathroom because I just had to GO! I tried to figure out what was causing my need to go to the bathroom and found out it was these oatmeal bars with sorbitol in them. Turns out sorbitol gives me the runs on my runs. Needless to say I do not eat sorbitol anymore. Even after figuring that out, I still had problems on my longer runs. I watched what I ate, but nothing seemed to be working so I started drinking black decaf coffee with a little sugar to help get things going in the mornings. This has worked out the best, but I have to make sure I watch what I eat the night before. No cheese or anything else that could cause me to bind up.
Now, some people will say that drinking coffee is bad for you before a run, but I get up at least an hour before I run to have my coffee. I have to so that it goes through my system so I am not running to the port a potty 6 miles in. I’ve also heard that people will take Immodium before a run. Personally, I’d much rather drink a cup of coffee than intentionally bind myself up before a run.
SOLUTION: No sorbitol or cheese and a cup of decaf in the morning! Better out than in I always say!
ANKLE PAIN:
Yet another injury that occurred while I was training for Dumbo and the marathon. This is another injury that I went to the doctor for because I was so paranoid about not being able to run the marathon. I was relieved when the doctor told me that there wasn’t anything seriously wrong, but he told me no running for a week. Oh, the agony! So by the 7th day I decided to go for a run, but I over did it by running too fast my first time back out. Went back to the doctor and he told me not to run for another 2 weeks! In total I was out due to this injury for a whole month!
SOLUTION: Rest when the doctor tells you to rest and don’t go out there trying to break any speed records your first run back out after being on the IR (Injured Reserve). You can be out for 2 weeks due to injury, illness or rest and not lose any fitness! (I read that in Runners World.)
NSAIDS
I wanted to mention NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) because I have read a lot of articles and information regarding these. As an athlete it is recommended that you do not take aspirin, Advil, or Ibuprofen,etc. immediately before or after a run or race. Sure, it is fine to take Ibuprofen days before or after a run, but never during.
The problem with NSAIDS is they are thought to be harmful to kidney function if taken before, during or after a race or training run. NSAIDS may cause an electrolyte imbalance which can lead to reduced blood flow to the kidneys. It can also interfere with the hormones that regulate salt retention in your body, which is why it is important to drink electrolytes when you run. This information was taken from the Disney Princess Half Event Guide.
SOLUTION: Try to refrain from taking anything, but if you have to take something take Tylenol.
ICE BATH:
No, I did not pee my pants! This is me in a cold bath. Once you get in there it’s not so bad.
Nobody likes the idea of plunging into a bath full of ice water after a long run. The good news is you don’t have to! You just have to jump into an empty bath tub, then fill it cold water past your hips and sit in it for 15-20 minutes! That probably doesn’t sound appealing either, but I’ve done experiments on myself after long runs with and without an ice bath and I always feel so much better after a cold bath! Even after running 18 miles, that cold bath is a welcome feeling because I know it’ll make me feel better after! Even Jeff Galloway recommends cold baths!
SOLUTION: Refer to it as a ‘cold bath’. It may not be as ‘badass’ as an ice bath, but it’s much more tolerable and works just as well!
These are just some of the issues I had while training. Your solutions may be different
These are the kinds of mosquitoes we have in Florida. Luckily I survived this bite.
than mine. I just wanted to show you that things like blisters can go away on their own the more you run, and some things (like IT band issues) take more time to heal. I do not recommend anyone ‘self diagnosing’ injuries. We are all guilty of doing that. If you have a serious issue you should absolutely go see your doctor.
Tina lives in Orlando with her husband and fellow Moon Jogger, Jim. When she’s not jet setting across the country with her job or running, or training for a race, or recovering from a race, she enjoys reading, photography, movies, music and going to Disney!!
Posted in choosing running shoes, Guest Post, Moon Joggers, Running, running for health, Running in Florida, Tina Bond
Tagged black toe, blisters, knee pain, running, running injuries
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The Hills Are Alive
Meandering thoughts from the trail: The Hills Are Alive
By Sheila Dawe
In the 23 km mountain race, Kusam Klimb I truly have to face my fears.
I learned a long time ago when I was the president of a walking club and hosting many different walks that one never said, “This is the last hill”. It is very similar to “you are almost there”. Really these qualified statements depend on your perspective as to their validity. I find that unless you can see the finish, then these statements will feel true. Most people, no matter how tired and sore, can find the energy to get it done when they can see their final goal. Perspective also affects how different people see hills; be it whether they call a given stretch a hill, or whether they find the up or the down harder.
In 2002 when walking a 64 km ultra with my mom and a friend I heard both state conflicting comments about hills. This was their first time doing the Great Walk, while for me it was my 5th time. As we climbed the first very long hill (16 km), mom stated, “Hills are only tough in the going up, I love going down.” Several hours later, after we started going down a fairly steep grade (10%) Maria groaned “No, the up is easy; it is the down that is really hard.” I smiled to myself as we were only on the first hill and I knew that there were many more difficult ones to come, something for both of them to love and hate.
My newest challenge this year to celebrate turning 50. I will race 50 miles on Saturday followed by 50 km on Sunday.
For me going down hills is difficult. I will never forget the most difficult time I had which was at my first 100 km event in Lethbridge, Alberta. I participated in this only 7 months post my fall down stairs and torn tendon. Because of the condition I was in, I chose to walk the whole thing. Walking may seem easy, but when walking long distances, even walking can hurt. Lost Souls is a 53 km loop with nearly 40 hills and 3600 feet elevation loss/gain per each lap. Due to bad knees, poor shoe choice, and inexperience I found that I had such painful toenails that my second lap I had to do every downhill backwards. The majority of this was in the dark, which helped as I wasn’t aware of how scary some of these hills were with drop offs on one side of me. Backwards hills worked in that I was still able to get it done, just not as fast as I may have hoped for. But in the end, especially with your first in a given distance, it really is truly about completing the distance. I was proud of persevering and finding a way to get the hills done.
This year I discovered Galloway intervals and started to use them on my Sunday trail long run day. My weekend includes two long run days: Saturday on the road (marathon program) and Sunday on trails (10 to 18 miles). I used to approach Sunday, which is pretty much all hills, with the attitude of walk when I need to and run when I can; it is all about gaining endurance for my ultras. After trying out Galloway’s at a half marathon in Seattle I decided to give it a try on my Sunday’s runs. I started doing a 1 min run and 1 min walk. I decided that I will do this at all times despite if I am on a steep uphill, downhill or flat. The result of this is I have ended up running some very steep uphills and now my perspective has changed; some of the other hills now don’t seem so steep anymore. I am also shocked that my times are turning out to be much faster than when I ran longer intervals but walked the up hills.
One of many hills in Lethbridge Lost Souls, where I will complete a 100 miler in September.
Four of my races this year will be very hilly, well three of them are actually in the mountains and scare me quite a bit. I don’t expect to be able to run up the big hills in a long race, but I do expect to be able to run down. Now I agree with both mom and Maria…hills are both hard up and down. But the more one works at them, hopefully the better I will get on the hills. I have done a lot of studying on how to run downhill. I try to be as free and confident as possible, I try to think of Tom Petty’s song “Free falling”. My chiropractor suggested that tightening my gluteus muscles when I run downhill will delay fatiguing the quadriceps. To do this I use the visualization of doing the exercise bridges.
I was recently talking to a young runner who just moved to our town. She was asking if there were any flat areas in our town to run. Not really, it is pretty hilly where I live. I feel that this is a bit of a blessing as I know that it makes me stronger and uses a variety of muscles. I heard once that running a marathon on a pure flat course is actually very difficult due to not changing the stride resulting in quicker fatigue. May you all be able to conquer your hills, be them up or down, and find the adventure in getting out and enjoying the foot miles.
Last year’s Kusam Klimb, I love when we get into the snow near the summit.
Here are some of the hilly events that I must train for:
June 21, Kusam Klimb 23 km – 5000 feet loss/gain
August 16, Squamish 50 mile – 11000 feet loss/gain
August 17, Squamish 50 km – 9000 feet loss/gain
September 5, Lost Souls 100 mile – 10800 feet loss/gain
Better get back out there and hit the hills.
Biography: Sheila being 49 years old, single, with no kids has the perfect lifestyle for becoming an obsessive runner. Her 77 year old mother, Catherine Campbell (another Moon Jogger) moved in next door to her in 2000. After cheering Sheila on at multiple marathons, Catherine finally caught the running bug. Sheila taught her to run in 2009 and this year is very significant as Sheila is training Catherine to complete her first ever half marathon. Sheila works for the Government of Canada as a fish health technician but longs for the day when she can retire and dedicate even more time to her passion…running.
Posted in Guest Post, Lessons learned from running, Meandering Thoughts from the Trail, Moon Joggers, Pictures of Runners, Places to Run, Running, Sheila Dawe, Ultra Marathon Runner
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SLEEP
Rocking on the Roads: “Sleep”
by Hector Romo-Parra
When I started running I was caring more and more about my food income and my training schedule; however at some point I was not improving at all… there was something missed. At that time I used to go to bed very late even if I needed to wake up next day very early, sleeping 3 or 4 hours per night. One day somehow, I found an article about sleep deprivation and its relation to body mass index and obesity, but also its relation to diabetes and many other health problems; “EUREKA! This might be the point”.
“Today, more than 30% in the US of adult men
and women between the ages of 30 and 64 years
report sleeping less than 6 hours per night 1”
In fact, I started to care about the time and quality of my sleep (years later I was oversleeping, but that is another story that you can read here). People close to me were surprised but also concerned because I was not in bed later that 21:00 hrs during weeks and midnight over weekends. I started to be more disciplined and this new schedule helped me in two scenarios, from one side I improved my running with less injuries; from the other side I reduced weight faster and increased muscles mass; I was surprise how important is the sleep as important is the food-income and the training per se. Getting ample sleep is one component of the training but also recovery cycle that is indispensable and, despite that we can reduce it, we can not quit. That’s why I decided to have a short read along the impact of sleep and health.
“In Western societies, where chronic sleep restriction is common and food is widely available, changes in appetite regulatory hormones with sleep curtailment may contribute to obesity… Leptin and ghrelin are involved in appetite regulation and energy expenditure. Leptin inhibits appetite and increases energy expenditure, while ghrelin has the opposite affects. Sleep restriction is associated with lower leptin and higher ghrelin levels and is thus likely to increase hunger and appetite 2,3”
Here are my 10 top facts about sleep:
1. Adequate sleep would reduce the possibilities of acquiring several diseases, for instance: diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, disturbances in blood pressure, diabetes, etc.
2. Short sleep duration (<7h) in young, healthy men is associated with decreased leptin levels, increased ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite 2
3. There is substantial evidence in support of an association between long sleep (>8 h) and increased morbidity and mortality 4
4. Sleep deprivation is a risk to human health and safety through its effects on brain function, which include increased lapses of attention, deficits in cognition and memory, and involuntary sleep onsets 5.
5. Getting enough sleep also prevents impairments of our immune system 5
6. During sleep time the body releases the “human growth hormone” which has been implicated in muscle and soft tissue recovery 6
7. Sleep deprivation reduces the ability to store glycogen by your body, and we all know how important is to have this reserve during races!.
8. “The amount of human sleep contributes to the maintenance of fat-free body mass at times of decreased energy intake. Lack of sufficient sleep may compromise the efficacy of typical dietary interventions for weight loss and related metabolic risk reduction” 7
9. In general sleep deprivation decreases endurance performance.
10. Sleep restriction increases the proinflammatory enzymes levels (cytokine) 8
Extra: During sleep there is a high possibility to start dreaming and dreams have inspired writers, poets, musicians and painters, Then why not to give it a chance?
Héctor is a runner during mornings and a Neurophysiologist during days. He lives in Germany and he runs for two motivations: his 4 year old Son who is living in Mexico and to raise funds for “The Myasthenia Gravis Association” since he has been diagnosed with this disease.
“Move yourself for the one that can not move” support us: http://www.justgiving.com/Hector-Romo-Parra
Resources
1. Knutson KL Spiegel, K, Penev, P, Van, E. The Metabolic Consequences of Sleep Deprivation. Sleep Med Rev. 2007 June ; 11(3): 163–178.
2. Taheri S1, Lin L, Austin D, Young T, Mignot E. Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index. PLoS Med. 2004 Dec;1(3)
3. Spiegel K1, Tasali E, Penev P, Van Cauter E. Brief communication: Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite. Ann Intern Med. 2004 Dec 7;141(11):846-50.
4 .Kripke DF, Garfinkel L, Wingard DL, Klauber MR, Marler MR. Mortality associated with sleep duration and insomnia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2002;59:131–6.
5. Dinges DF, Douglas SD, Hamarman S, Zaugg L, Kapoor S. Sleep deprivation and human immune function. Adv Neuroimmunol. 1995;5(2):97-110.
6. Redwine L1, Hauger RL, Gillin JC, Irwin M. Effects of sleep and sleep deprivation on interleukin-6, growth hormone, cortisol, and melatonin levels in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000 Oct;85(10):3597-603.
7. Nedeltcheva AV1, Kilkus JM, Imperial J, Schoeller DA, Penev PD. Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Oct 5;153(7):435-41
8. Abedelmalek S1, Souissi N, Chtourou H, Denguezli M, Aouichaoui C, Ajina M, Aloui A, Dogui M, Haddouk S, Tabka Z. Effects of partial sleep deprivation on proinflammatory cytokines, growth hormone, and steroid hormone concentrations during repeated brief sprint interval exercise. Chronobiol Int. 2013 May;30(4):502-9.
Image source: http://www.archive.org/stream/moderntendencies00taftiala#page/n171/mode/2up
Posted in Guest Post, Hector Romo Parra, Jogging, Lessons learned from running, Moon Joggers, Rocking on the Roads, Running
Tagged facts about sleep, getting enough sleep, health, running, sleep, sleep deprivation
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Week 10 Highlights! Happy St. Patty’s!
Posted in having fun running, Jogging, Moon Joggers, online running group, Running, Weekly Results
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You Are Your Competition
Back Of The Pack- You Are Your Competition
by Amber Hadigan
I subscribe to several running sites where people ask for assistance with running questions and issues. I have noticed on several sites that people, mostly women, will talk a lot about how they do not compare, how they cannot run fast or far, and want to quit or are so upset with themselves because they can’t run a 6 or 8 or even 10 minute mile. They rant and lament and cry.
These are the people I want to dedicate this post to. I want to tell you that I understand, but you are looking at it the wrong way. There are always going to be people who can run faster than you. There are always people who can run farther than you.
I recently saw a post in one running group from a woman who was told that, because she was tall, she could not be a distance runner. Because of what someone said to her, she was considering giving up running, something she loves. From one comment from one uninformed person. I wrote to her, saying that it should not matter what anyone else thinks or says. If you love it, do it. You may not be the best, but you will be doing it from a place of passion deep inside your heart. That is what matters.
We live in a society that expect us to be perfect, to never be slow, need time, or to make a mistake. Women are supposed to be beautiful, demure, and and yet be able to hold a job, raise kids, and run a household without any assistance or stress. When we examine what is expected of us, we know it is wrong, yet we continue to compare ourselves to to this crazy ideal.
This is the lesson: in running, as in most things in life, you are not competing against anyone else. The only person you have to be better than is yourself. When I look at myself, I think of where I was a year ago. I was a couch potato and weighed over 200 pounds. I started running in May as a way to lose weight and deal with stress. So, if I compare myself to where I was at this time last year, I have gone from nothing to being able to run 10 miles at a time, and I have lost almost 20 pounds! I have more energy and my clothes fit better.
When I run a race, I always finish in the last third of the pack. I have seen so many people bemoan the fact that they are at the end of the race, or almost get swept up because the course has a time limit. Here is what these people need to remember: you are out there, doing something good and pure, and you are beating every single person sitting on the couch!
With two-thirds of the American adult population being overweight or obese, and most of them not exercising at all, there are millions of people you are passing just by virtue of being out, running or walking. To put yourself out there, to challenge yourself, is more than most people do.
So to all you people who cry that you aren’t good enough, you are perfect just the way you are. If you walk instead of run, walk. If you run slowly, listen to what your body is capable of doing. You aren’t going to be able to run an 8 minute mile if you have never before run in your life. Be proud of what you can do. Quit comparing yourself to others. The only one worth comparing yourself to is who you were yesterday. If you are further along than you were a day, week, month, or year before, you are a winner, even if you never finish first in your age group in a race.
We spend so much time and energy lamenting what we cannot do. Channel that energy into something positive, and be proud of what you can do. Take pride in what you have accomplished, because getting up off the couch and walking a mile is more than most people do. And if it is more than you previously have done, you have won.
Let us take back our pride in our abilities. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to have the love and the desire to make yourself better. Run with pride!
Amber Hadigan currently lives in Hyde Park, NY with her husband John and her two cats, Sobe and Scrappy. Originally from Wisconsin, she has lived in many different states. Now settled, she spends her time working, freelance writing, and writing and performing folk music. A runner as a child, she began running again in May 2013 and has rediscovered the peace and joy running gives her.
Posted in Amber Hadigan, Guest Post, Jogging, Lessons learned from running, Moon Joggers, Running
Tagged competition, running
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Voyage to Venus Week 9 Video!
Posted in Jogging, Moon Joggers, online running group, Pictures of Runners, Places to Run, Running, Running Video
Tagged a runner, runner, running video
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Run For Life – More Ramblings!
More Ramblings!!!!
by Perry Newburn
Running, for me, has to be fun and enjoyable – I know, I sound like a broken record but most people wouldn’t do it and carry on with it if it wasn’t. I have been asked the question many times – “ what sort of distances should I do if I’m just starting out?” My first comment is always – “ the first few times you go outit should pretty much feel as though you’ve done nothing.” You wake up the next morning with no soreness. In the past when I’ve gone out for a run after a lengthy break I’ve felt great and pushed the distance a bit. However I’ve woken up the next morning very sore and with no motivation to do it again and hence another long break. It doesn’t matter so much now as that is what I train for and expect a bit of pain and I can now work with it. It also doesn’t matter whether there are a lot of walk breaks in those first few runs but these will decrease as time goes on – its important to learn to read the body as early as possible. So to start with its about keeping it going, keeping the enjoyment in there and loving the outdoors. Its also important to not worry about what others are doing as you are doing this for YOU. I have mentioned before that it took me a long time to join a running group as they were “ runners “ and I “ wasn’t”. It took a while to change this mindset. As mentioned in my last blog it is important to set goals for ourselves and learn from them as this helps keep the motivation going and gives us something to strive for.
Another thing that will happen to all of us at various stages is loosing our “ mojo”. This of course will vary from person to person and sometimes it is hard to find the reason why. I have found , in the past month or so that my “ mojo “ has wained a bit and I was struggling to find the reason. However their have been a few factors ; I have been doing the same runs each week for the last 2 – 3 years without much variation, my shoes have covered to many miles/kms ( up to 2000 kms each pair) and this was causing some soreness in my legs so was getting wary of injuries; with the goal of USA pushed out ( due to circumstances) 5 months to Sept/Oct there had become nothing to aim for in the foreseeable future; and the winds we have had to put up with was wearing me down a bit – didn’t stop me from getting out there though but did come close a couple of times. So with these what have I done about them . Firstly I have 2 new pairs of shoes and boy did I notice the difference straight away. Secondly I have varied where I have been running in the last few weeks and this has helped immensely in the mental state. Thirdly I have also varied my training a bit – with getting in the big mileage weeks I have found my speed was starting to drop ( not that I was fast in the first place!!). So I am now putting in a bit of speed work into my weekly routine. And fourthly I am putting some different runs into the 5 monthly build up to the USA. These are: hopefully on the 29th March – to the 30th March ( I will have these dates confirmed this week) I will be doing a 24 hr run around our local athletics track with the goal of reaching 200 kms and using this as the launch of the USA run with also the hope of raising a bit more money towards it. This will also make the run very real form now ; I am going to run a local marathon in about 4 weeks but keeping this as a fun one – the goal of a 3hr 20 marathon is booked for June.
With these all now in place there has been no problems with “ mojo” and the running has been enjoyable – yes FUN. There can be a number of other reasons why a mojo can disappear such as work pressures, family pressures and so forth.. Just learn to work through it and it wont last forever.
Just to give you an idea of my training for the next couple of weeks – here it is:
Monday – 6am – 12 km slow run
10 am – 20 kms ( 5 km at 4 min 50 pace)
Tuesday – 6am – 12 km
10 am – 20 km ( 5 km at 4.50 pace)
Wednesday – 6am – 12 km
10am – 26 km( 10 km in 48 mins)
Thursday – 6am – 12 km
10am – 21 km
Friday – 6am – 12 km
915 – 25 km
Saturday – 35 km ( averaging 515 pace)
Sunday – 21 km recovery – sometimes I will do a 2nd run of 10 km and aim for about 47 mins.
The reason the runs during the week are broken up is that I have to be back home to get my high special needs boy up and changed and dropped off the school by 930am ( hes in his last year at school).
If anyone has any ideas on what they would like me to write about from my perspective please let me know. And keep on having fun everyone. corperry.new@xtra.co.nz
Perry Newburn is an ultra-marathon runner from New Zealand and the current leader of Moon Joggers. At the time of this post he has already logged 5,247 miles for the year and has plans to complete even more before the year is through. Next year, to celebrate his 60th birthday, Perry plans to break the master’s record and run across America in 50 days. That is an average of 58 miles per day! To follow Perry on his journey and to support him along with way, check out his blog at Perry’s Run: America in 50 Days.
Posted in Guest Post, Jogging, Moon Joggers, New Zealand Runner, Perry Newburn
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Actif Epica: 2014 – The Journey
Sole Running: Tales from the Trails
Actif Epica: 2014
The Journey
By Bob Nicol
What started as such a promising day with my sights on a most epic adventure quickly turned into my worst nightmare. Yes this was Actif Epica 2014, my second year running this fantastic event. Last year was hard, cold and at times some very deep snow…..and of course 120 plus km of winter running over unforgiving terrain. I completed it last year, even 2 hours faster than I originally anticipated, this year my goal was to run it faster. I wanted to shave another hour off of my time and not get lost like last year, but it was not to be, my first official ultra of the year went wrong……so wrong.
I should have heeded the signs that this event was not going to go as planned, as things started to go askew the night before at the official gear check. My usual meticulous organization skills (I say this tongue in cheek) were showing flaws in it’s usually dent free armor as two pieces of my mandatory gear were not in my pack and I would have to check in again in the morning (not a big deal but a small annoyance). This was just the beginning of course, as my usual race routine was totally thrown out the window to my total dismay. Let me elaborate with a few examples, I got sleep the night before (actually more than 2 hours), I did not have to fight with my fluid bladder to get it into my pack and actually be able to get water out of it without having to redo it 2 or 3 times and strangely enough I was able to grab a relaxing shower and a full cup of coffee prior to exiting the house. I know you are probably scratching your head and wondering why these are bad things, but honestly unless my pre-race ritual is full of total and utter chaos I find things go wrong on race day very quickly, and true to form they did.
I am not going to lie to you; I was so looking forward to this race. I was running (well at least starting) the race with my lovely wife of almost 19 years, I was determined to start my 2014 long distance racing season with a good strong finish to a tough race and of course I was planning to have a whole lot of fun doing it. This is the type of event that you need a good attitude going into it, because so many things can go wrong that you just can’t control no matter how hard you try.
It was an early start for sure, we had to be up by 3:45am to do any last minute preparations and get on the road to pick up one of crazy running friends for 4:30 prior to getting to the scheduled pick up location for 5:00 am. This was just the start from here we needed to board a bus and travel 75 minutes (or approximately 75 km as the crow flies) south to the town of St. Malo in Southern Manitoba. This was where the race officially started and where my miss-adventure would begin.
The runners getting ready to run and last minute instructions
The run started at 7:00 am sharp with the runners getting across the start line an hour before the bikers, most years we need that grace time to get as far ahead as possible before they bomb past us like we are standing still…….not so this year. With the deep snow to contend with the bikers had less of an advantage as the extra-curricular activity of the bike push took precedent and gave the runners a bit more of cushion. In fact I was running a slower pace this year also due to the snow and I got an additional 4 to 5 km farther this year prior to the first bike passing me, can we say “SCORE”….yes I knew you could. All was going fairly well, the perfect running conditions for my mukluks were holding, just cold enough.
The only issue was traction, with the snow being dryer than normal (yeah I know that doesn’t make sense does it) this year and a defined icy hard pack below due to the cold temps I had to ensure that my foot placement was careful and deliberate. No mistakes or room for error. To best understand this, try running on a sheet of plexi-glass that is covered with 12 to 36 inches of soap flakes (the only thing I could think of that would relate), let’s just say traction is non-existent.
A photo from the middle of the race on the Crow Wing Trail
Things were going well as I was picking up valuable speed and distance and even with a more deliberately slower pace than last year (less walking the deep snow and more running), I was ahead of my time by a good 30 minutes. Not too shabby for being only about 20km into a 120km run. My smile was growing as I was getting closer and closer to Check Point One: St. Pierre Jolys, a modest 26km into the race. This is where it all started to fall apart; two bikers who were ahead of me on the trail went down hard as their tires slipped out from underneath them in a big heap. My first thought was to slow down and be extra careful with footing as it was obviously not good…..then it happened. I was leaning to the left to stay on the hard pack and my right knee decided the other way was the right way to go and I heard that sound as a runner that you do not want to hear ever…….*pop*!!!!! I knew my day was done, but my heart did not want to relinquish. I hobbled the last 6 km to the check point……cursing all the way hoping that it was just a temporary thing.
A few test runs resulted in sharp pain and a slightly swollen knee by the time I pulled the pin and call it a day. With 90 plus km to go there was no way I could hobble my way through the deep snow to come. Sometimes you just need to know when to shut it down and live to fight another day.
…….And another day I will fight…….in the words of the Immortal Terminator T-800 Series, “I’ll be back!”
May your soles be bared to the ground……..
……Happy Running
Bob is a barefoot runner from Canada who has been lucky enough to discover the passion of running. From running 5 km around his neighborhood with his faithful husky Hazel to running 100 mile Ultra-marathons over nasty terrain, Bob runs with a smile and an encouraging spirit. You can also follow his ramblings at Canadian Running Magazine Online (http://runningmagazine.ca/blogs/bare-my-soles/ ) and his personal blog, http://winnipegbarefootrunners.blogspot.ca/.
Run Strong, Run Hard, Run Happy and Run Free……………….
Posted in Bob Nicol, Guest Post, Moon Joggers, Places to Run, Running, Running Barefoot, Sole Running Tales From The Trails, Ultra Marathon Runner, Winter Running
Tagged barefoot running, winter running, winter ultra
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