August Runfessions- I’ve Got a Big One!
I know- August just sped past. That’s okay, because I’m ready for September! But first… it’s the last Friday of the month so it’s time to join Marcia for Runfessions! I only have one, but it’s a big topic- for me, at least. The other day I was listening to this episode of the Florida Trail Runners podcast with Chris Twiggs. Chris has completed the Hardrock 100 SIXTEEN times, as well as other ultras including Leadville and The Keys 100. In addition to describing his races, he also talked about how he employs Jeff Galloway’s run-walk method. Not just for ultras (everyone walks in 100 mile races) but for all distances. I’ve heard of Galloway’s run-walk method but never been interested in it. But this guy is obviously a badass- Hardrock is one of the hardest ultras in the country, and he’s completed it sixteen times- so I was curious enough to do a little further research. This article talks about Galloway’s running story, and says that he has a 2:16:35 marathon PR- using his run-walk method. REALLY??? How is that even possible? The article goes on to say that runners who employ run-walk have fewer injuries, and often faster race times, due to the fact that they’re able to run a little faster and hold onto that pace better during long efforts. Hmmmm. It’s still hard for me to wrap my head around. To me, walking is something you do when you’ve basically failed. Like if you’re too tired to keep running, then you walk, and it’s never a good thing. But I’ve never actually walked on purpose. Let’s be honest here. Things aren’t going that great for me. For whatever reason, I’ve been dealing with injuries ever since my daughter was born, and she’s now thirteen. Up until that time I had the “normal” amount of running injuries (something would come up every now and then) but since then, I’ve had one issue after another. I’ve tried strength training, yoga, running slower, working on my form, more strength training… and I’m still struggling. I need something different, but it’s still hard for me to wrap my head around a run-walk method. It just feels like I’m giving up on running somehow. Also, in the article, it says that a typical ratio is to run for four minutes and walk thirty seconds. That sounds…. really annoying. It seems like it would be hard to get into any kind of groove- you would constantly be switching back and forth. And how would I know when to run and walk? Can I even program my watch like that? (Can someone help me program my watch like that???) Galloway does say that everyone should pick a ratio that works for them- so the 4 minutes/30 seconds isn’t etched in stone (phew.) In the end, one sentence in the article finally jumped out at me: a triathlete coach who trains his runners in the run-walk method said, “It’s good for all of us to learn something new.” Well… maybe I can learn something new. I’m still having trouble getting used to the idea, but I’m going to try it. The worst that will happen is I don’t like it, and I can go back to just running. I know some people reading this use run-walk intervals. Do you plan the intervals in advance? What ratio do you use? How is it working for you? Please advise!
Books That Made Me Think
Recently I read two books that I can’t stop thinking about. To me, that’s the mark of a great book. Both these books were engrossing and well-written, but they also made me think, not just about the story, but about my own perspectives and limitations. The first one is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It was published in 2009 so I’m a little late to this party. The quote on the cover reads: ‘This could be one of the most important pieces of fiction since To Kill a Mockingbird… If you only read one book… let this be it.”-NPR.org Well! That sounds pretty important. I knew from the back cover that it’s about racial tension in the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi. I wasn’t sure it was going to tell me anything I didn’t already know, but my sister assured me that it’s a compelling story, so I decided to read it. Well, this book was so good. It’s not a thriller, but it’s still a page-turner. There were many times where I just couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what happened next. Although it’s fiction, the author grew up in Jackson and talks about her own experience in an epilogue entitled “Too Little, Too Late.” The thing that shocked me about this book was that these events took place in the 1960s. I was BORN in the 1960s. Not that I remember much (I was born in 1966) but I definitely remember the 1970s, and I’m sure things weren’t a whole lot better then. But I grew up in a wealthy, mostly white suburb of Chicago where the people were educated and progressive- and, to my eyes, racism didn’t exist. There were a few Black kids, but to single them out because of their skin color would have been just as ridiculous as discriminating against a kid with curly hair. You just didn’t do it- it would never have occurred to us. In retrospect, I think the adults around us were trying to raise us to be as “color blind” as possible. Maybe that was their solution to the racism in our country. I’m not sure it was the best approach (maybe a little more education on the subject would have been helpful) but I’m grateful for the attempt. Never before have I truly appreciated the privileges I enjoyed growing up. I remember writing an essay in seventh grade- I can’t remember the subject but somehow racism was involved. I wrote something like “In those days, people were racist.” On the day he passed our essays back, the teacher stood in front of the class, totally exasperated, and said “I’ve got news for you kids- racism STILL EXISTS.” It was the first time anyone ever told me that. Obviously, I’ve broadened my horizons since then, but the fact that I just read The Help and put two and two together- this was going on at the same time I was growing up in Highland Park, Illinois, completely oblivious- shows me how little I really understand racism in this country. The second book is The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels. In 1986, 24-year-old Brian returns from New York City to the small town in Ohio where he grew up- infected with AIDS. Not only is he grappling with the death of his lover and many friends and his own mortality, but the ignorance of the people in his town who shun him (including most of his own relatives.) It’s a sad, sad, sad book. Once again it’s fiction, but in the acknowledgments the author cites books, articles and documentaries he used in his research to write the story. And once again… I had to confront my own self-absorption and lack of empathy on this subject. I was in high school and college in the 1980s. Of course I knew about AIDS. I wasn’t living in a small town full of ignorant people! I knew that people (mostly gay men) got it from unprotected sex, or sharing needles, or blood transfusions. I knew that it was wrong and mean to say that AIDS was God’s punishment of the gay community. I didn’t personally know any gay people (or I should say, no one I knew at the time was openly gay) but I knew AIDS was a terrible thing. BUT! Reading this book made me think, really think for the first time, about how tragic it was, all these young men dying like that. Back when AIDS was a horrible health crisis (not that it’s not still horrible- but it’s more manageable now) I would have said it was sad- but did I ever, for one single minute, really think about what these people were going through and actually FEEL SAD for them? No. It’s fascinating to me that just now, at the age of 56, I’m starting to appreciate how enormously diverse our country is. If you grow up on Chicago’s North Shore, you can’t imagine what it’s like to be a gay man in New York City, or a Black person in the deep south, or to grow up in a small rural town in Ohio. Maybe that’s why our country is so divided- of course we’re not all going to see things the same way. I’m not saying I have any solutions here. But these books are at least helping me to see the problem more clearly. Thanks once again to Kim and Zenaida’s Tuesday Topic linkup! Have you read any great books lately?
Weekly Rundown- What a Ride!
Wow. I feel like I’ve lived a lifetime in the last seven days. Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the weekly rundown! Without further ado, let’s get into it. Sunday Zero workouts. We woke up very early, packed up my son’s car, and then started off on our adventure! This is our second year driving to Texas. We do it in two days, and- learning from last year’s experience- we decided to make the first day the longer day of driving. We started in Boca Raton, Florida, and made it all the way to Mississippi. Monday Woke up and hit the hotel gym, where I was excited by the selection of dumbbells. But first, I started with Marcia’s Cardio Barre Workout. There’s 10 minutes of lower body barre-type moves, and then 10 minutes of core. Then I did a total body strength session- squats and deadlifts with the 20 pound dumbbells (the heaviest ones I have at home are 15 pounds), and obviously lighter weights for biceps, triceps, and shoulder press. (Side note- boy are my triceps weak. Must work on that!) After that I felt totally ready to get back in the car for another day of driving. The second day of this trip is harder- you have to pass New Orleans (although we took a bypass route this time), Baton Rouge, and then Houston (which we had the pleasure of hitting during rush hour, arg.) I really wanted to get to Waco while it was still light, and we almost made it. We were treated to this sunset as we drove into town. Tuesday Okay, ouch. You know how, whenever you do anything new or increase your weights, it makes you really sore? Yep, I woke up with super sore legs, thanks to those 20 pound dumbbells. But it was my big day in Waco (my son was busy with school-related things) and I had plans to hit the trails. I talked about my trail runs in more detail here, but I basically had an epic adventure. Waco’s Cameron Park is apparently the second largest inner-city park, behind NYC’s Central Park (who knew?) It has an incredible trail system, so I used the AllTrails app to help navigate a trail that was so hilly and rocky, I had to alternate running and walking. Remember how I said my sister’s neighborhood was hilly? HA! Those were SLOPES! These were hills. Meanwhile my sore legs were screaming at me, and I still felt that tiny tug on my hamstring- but because I was constantly switching between running, power walking, and scrambling up and down, no one thing hurt for too long. The entire excursion took me 2 hours and 40 minutes, and I was exhausted at the end. But I loved it. I then cleaned myself off as best I could and changed clothes… …and then explored downtown Waco! It’s an odd combination of old, rundown buildings, and beautiful new upscale shops- thanks to Chip and Joanna Gaines of “Fixer Upper” fame. I walked around, shopped a little, and happened upon this… Where I bought my new favorite shirt. I also browsed in the “Magnolia Home” shop to get gifts for the family we were staying with. Super fun afternoon of shopping. Wednesday Once again, OUCH. Today my quads were SO SO SORE. Obviously I’m not used to all those hills! This was the day my son was moving into his apartment, but I had the morning to explore a different trail. Once again it was insanely difficult. and my quads were seriously screaming at me. But funnily enough, my hamstring pain was completely gone. Go figure! I found some flatter places off the trail to get in some good running, and this hike/run was a little over an hour and a half. Then, apartment move-in! But first, let’s look at the weather. I took this screenshot after my run/hike on Tuesday- yes, it was 95 degrees when I finished. Notice how the day we moved into my son’s apartment it was 103, and then the next day, the day I left, it cooled down by ten degrees (seriously?) Anyway, when we got to his apartment, the moving gods were smiling on us- we discovered he was on the FIRST FLOOR. This was significant because his building has three floors and no elevator. I think if I had to walk up and down three flights of stairs with heavy boxes in 103 degree heat I might have cried- or at least, my quads would have cried. As it was, it was no picnic. While we were moving in there was a group of girls moving into the third floor, and we kept seeing them climbing up and down. At one point one of them exclaimed, “You know, I really wouldn’t mind these stairs at ANY OTHER TIME.” Hee hee. We got him moved in and then went on an epic shopping trip to stock up on, oh… everything. I forgot how much you need when you’re moving into a new place. We had already moved a bunch of stuff from his roommate’s parents’ house (they generously donated a ton of kitchen equipment) but he needed groceries- a shower curtain- a blender-a floor lamp- etc. It’s amazing how many things you don’t think of ahead of time. By the time we were done with that I was ready to collapse, but my son and his roommate went over to the music building to practice at 10 pm (must be nice to be nineteen!). I slept on their couch that night, which, not surprisingly, did not help my sore muscles. Thursday Travel day! Have you ever noticed how traveling from one place to another seems to take all day, even when you fly? I flew out of the hilariously small Waco airport to Dallas, which is the polar opposite. The Dallas airport is so huge you take the Sky Rail to get from one terminal to another, and even
Trail Runs and Fun
This week my son and I drove his car to Waco, Texas, and I helped him move into his apartment (he’s now a sophomore at Baylor.) I’ve been to Waco two times before, and both times only saw the Baylor campus. This time I was determined to see the town of Waco! We arrived on Monday night, and my son spent the day on Tuesday preparing for an audition. So I had the day to myself, and I knew EXACTLY how I wanted to spend it. I love my Florida trail running, but the thing I wanted to do most was explore some different trails. I wanted woods and hills, something more challenging, Waco has an incredible trail system in Cameron Park. I got the All Trails app and found a “moderate” 5.9 mile trail. The app connected to Apple Maps, so I had directions from where I was staying directly to the trail head. It wasn’t part of the hike, but Jacob’s Ladder was right near the start, so I immediately took a detour to climb those steps. In this post I talked about my conflicting desires to seek out adventure while not doing anything to hurt myself, and there was a little debate about running or walking up Jacob’s Ladder. Well, even if I was in the greatest shape of my life, it really wasn’t a runnable situation. The steps were uneven heights- some were very high and others were shorter. If I tried to run up them I would either have re-strained my hamstring and/or tripped and fallen flat on my face. I was more than happy to walk up, and actually considered it a good warmup for my run. Oh, and the funny thing was, there weren’t any spectacular views from the top. It was just a staircase to go up and down. On to the trail! Since I had been run/walking after hurting my hamstring, I knew I wasn’t going to run the entire 5.9 mile trail. I figured I would run the easier parts and walk up any hills. Let’s just see how that worked out! The beginning was a lovely, mostly flat trail along the river. I ran and walked- there were a few areas that were hard to navigate because of rocks or roots, but generally it was easy running. And THEN… The trail branched off into the woods, and became very, very difficult. I don’t think most of it was runnable for even experienced trail runners- it definitely wasn’t for me. I quickly learned to run any parts that were possible, even if it was just for a minute, or ten steps. Then I would be climbing, descending, navigating very, very difficult footing… then back to another short burst of running. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about the All Trails app- I mean, I don’t want to be staring down at my phone while I’m out on a trail. But I also got into a rhythm with that. I realized I could put my phone in my belt, and the app would notify me anytime I went off course- which was about, oh, a hundred times. This was a HARD trail to navigate, and I was really glad I had the app to help me. A word about the weather- it was HOT. Hotter than Florida. Because the two days prior we had driven 20 hours, I didn’t get up super early, so I knew I would be out there in the heat. But I also knew that the trail was shaded (based on the reviews) and I had my hydration vest with water, so I figured I’d be fine. I was fine, but towards the end when I was back on the runnable section near the river I noticed that every time I ran, my heart rate spiked way up. I wasn’t actually checking my heart rate, I could just feel my heart hammering away. I was so fatigued at that point, I started to wonder if Waco was at a high altitude (no, that can’t be right!) and then I looked at the weather: Oh, that’s why. I’m used to the Florida heat, but my runs usually take place earlier in the morning when it’s in the low 80s. I finished hot, but happy! And I had “trail feet.” The next day, Wednesday, I headed out for Trail Adventure Part 2. This time I went to a smaller park closer to where I was staying. It wasn’t as spectacular as Cameron Park, but it was still really nice, and had several hiking options on All Trails. This time I picked a shorter one that was marked “easy” because I was hoping to do a little more running. Who rates these things, anyway? If anything, this trail was even more difficult than the one yesterday. In all fairness, it seemed like most of the reviewers were using it to mountain bike- but I still don’t see how it would be considered an “easy” trail. I did the same method as the day before, a run-walk. But after a while I was longing for just a nice, flat, place to RUN. I found a couple places to leave the trail and do just that. The app was very alarmed by this, and let me know repeatedly that I had gone off-route. But I had some pretty views. In the end I had mixed feelings about the All Trails app. For the second hike, I felt like I wouldn’t have been able to navigate without it. But that meant I was hiking with a phone in my hand. Then at one point I saw this: Oh! These trails are MARKED, which I hadn’t noticed because I was relying so heavily on the app. I wonder what the experience would have been like without All Trails. I would have had to research these trails the old fashioned way, study a map and then locate the markers. I think on