Red Mosquito

Biff Pocoroba wrote:Just did my annual 10k but this one was in the rain.
I was in the last heat to get started before it was delayed, we got ushered into a parking garage almost immediately. Waited it out about half an hour but it rained the whole time. Once you're soaked you're soaked so while didn't get any worse it did feel like I did the race in a wet bathing suit. Of course my socks were saturated; haven't been that anxious to take off my shoes & socks in a good while. The finishing area was a sloshy, muddy mess. I did a lot more walking than running than usual on the course but I finished. I've got a dozen or so of the t-shirts but this one I felt like a I earned.

Nice job, every mile counts.

My town's five mile road race was a few weeks ago. Unfortunately it was pouring like a mother fucker but thankfully it stopped before the gun went off. An additional note, my street is blocked off due to the race so I had to take my own two legs to the starting line, of course I ran there but I was pretty soaked when I strolled in to the corral. I was drying a bit until the first water station, guy in front of me turned right in to the course and his water went square in my face. I just said "thanks" and figured what the hell, ran through every sprinkler on the course and dumped every cup of water I got over my head... it was humid as hell.

After party was at one of the local breweries about a mile or so away so I got a good jog in to there, little over two miles home from there were a tad slower with a belly full of beer. Still drenched when I got home and I agree, it felt damn good to take my shoes and socks off.

Today was twelve miles per Higdon for half prep. Decided to take a new route for 50% of it, tons of hills and a few miles of trail; thought it was a good idea to give my legs a bit of a jolt since I have no idea what Pottstown will be like next Saturday.

I'm taking the summer off from running. We took our annual trip to Door County, Wis. and it was incredibly hard not to run up there, but I feel like I need a total reset. I've kinda realized that I've lost the joy of running recently and it's just become a numbers game to me. I took my "bad" races ridiculously hard and my wife made the comment, "I remember when running was fun for you."

I've modified my diet and started doing yoga with the wife to make sure I won't become a blubbery mess during my break. Yoga is fucking hard.

turned2black wrote:I'm taking the summer off from running. We took our annual trip to Door County, Wis. and it was incredibly hard not to run up there, but I feel like I need a total reset. I've kinda realized that I've lost the joy of running recently and it's just become a numbers game to me. I took my "bad" races ridiculously hard and my wife made the comment, "I remember when running was fun for you."

I've modified my diet and started doing yoga with the wife to make sure I won't become a blubbery mess during my break. Yoga is fucking hard.

Being able to acknowledge that the joy has been sapped from an activity that truly brought positivity is a pretty important step. Good luck man, running will always be there, you just want to bring your well-being along for the trip. I did a Bikram yoga session when I was last in Beverly Hills, I really enjoyed it.

Race on Saturday was an inaugural event that happened to coincide with the town's bicentennial. I do believe they got close to selling out so around 500 runners, I must say that I have enjoyed the smaller races much more than the larger events; nothing on the calendar for the rest of the year though. I didn't do myself any favors enjoying a bunch of beers the evening before but nothing monstrously detrimental I'd say, hit most of the water stations and felt pretty good most of the way. I could feel the dehydration taking a bit of a toll after ten miles or so but I kept pretty close to my planned pace all race long. Shaved six minutes off my best (last) race last year so I feel I'm in a good spot to continue and improve. Running a half is always humbling when I have thoughts of longer distances beforehand, that being said I'd like to alter my exercise schedule a bit to include more miles and see where that takes me.

Ran twice at my mom's place in the mountains. One of them turned into 24 miles with 10,000 feet in elevation change. I ran up the road to the ski lodge and had my wife meet me at the top. But in the end, I decided it would be pretty silly not to enjoy the 12 downhill after putting in the work up. Did another 10 on a cross country ski trail the morning I left for home.

Legs feel solid despite the long break, although I have gained 5 pounds.

Sucks to come back to 110 degrees after spending almost a month in Wisconsin and the mountains of New Mexico.

Some dumb fuck with a huge truck and an American flag (who also doesn't understand proper flag etiquette) screamed "Fag!" at me on my run this morning.

I'll never understand the psychology of people who seem to resent other people for exercising. They are trying better themselves and get healthy. It's basically the equivalent of hating someone for reading books.

maybe it was just the short shorts?

I do love me some 70s-style running gear. Short shorts and a rolled up red bandana as a headband.

Dinner wife party

For the record, I stopped wearing the fishnet half-shirt while running.

Solid run up to the TV towers and back at South Mountain this morning. As usual, just when I start feeling crappy about my running, I string some runs together that bring some hope.

turned2black wrote:Solid run up to the TV towers and back at South Mountain this morning. As usual, just when I start feeling crappy about my running, I string some runs together that bring some hope.

Perhaps it's that freedom to just run without some sort of comparative...


My Wednesday loop I decided to run toward the sunrise, figured it isn't something to take for granted and it's pretty nice to run as early as I have been.

Also started using Strava, which is nice to see my Garmin info all displayed out including maps. I'm still working on what my real comfortable pace v race pace is but the miles have felt good... also knowing the clock is ticking toward a marathon is one hell of a motivator.

oasisfan35 wrote:

turned2black wrote:Solid run up to the TV towers and back at South Mountain this morning. As usual, just when I start feeling crappy about my running, I string some runs together that bring some hope.

Perhaps it's that freedom to just run without some sort of comparative...


My Wednesday loop I decided to run toward the sunrise, figured it isn't something to take for granted and it's pretty nice to run as early as I have been.

Also started using Strava, which is nice to see my Garmin info all displayed out including maps. I'm still working on what my real comfortable pace v race pace is but the miles have felt good... also knowing the clock is ticking toward a marathon is one hell of a motivator.

Strava is pretty great. I may use it this winter to see if I can claim some FKTs on a few of my favorite trails.

10 miles in 80 minutes. It was 90 degrees and kinda humid (for PHX at least) at 5:30 this morning and my legs were still pretty toasty from the run up to the TV Towers and back. Ugh.

turned2black wrote:10 miles in 80 minutes. It was 90 degrees and kinda humid (for PHX at least) at 5:30 this morning and my legs were still pretty toasty from the run up to the TV Towers and back. Ugh.

The humidity has been pretty crazy here even at 4:30 am. That being said I'm sure it was a few things together that made me feel like I was going to vomit as soon as I stopped yesterday morning... solid run.

turned2black wrote:

oasisfan35 wrote:

turned2black wrote:Solid run up to the TV towers and back at South Mountain this morning. As usual, just when I start feeling crappy about my running, I string some runs together that bring some hope.

Perhaps it's that freedom to just run without some sort of comparative...


My Wednesday loop I decided to run toward the sunrise, figured it isn't something to take for granted and it's pretty nice to run as early as I have been.

Also started using Strava, which is nice to see my Garmin info all displayed out including maps. I'm still working on what my real comfortable pace v race pace is but the miles have felt good... also knowing the clock is ticking toward a marathon is one hell of a motivator.

Strava is pretty great. I may use it this winter to see if I can claim some FKTs on a few of my favorite trails.

Let me know if you do utilize Strava, one thing I've found is that running is quite the solo affair.

Spent the better part of two hours searching for a dog that got loose while I was at my local shelter on Sunday; supposed to be a cross-training day and I did pedal in the morning but I felt traversing a bunch of woods and hopping the fence to check out the transfer station was a suitable effort for running some more miles... pup did not turn up

Marathon training has felt pretty good, looking forward to getting a bike helmet this weekend to log some cycling miles on cross day.

10 miles in 79 minutes. 100+ degree run. Not all that fun.

oasisfan35 wrote:Let me know if you do utilize Strava, one thing I've found is that running is quite the solo affair.

It'll be in the winter. I want to have a decent shot at some FKTs.

turned2black wrote:For the record, I stopped wearing the fishnet half-shirt while running.

Heh

turned2black wrote:Solid run up to the TV towers and back at South Mountain this morning. As usual, just when I start feeling crappy about my running, I string some runs together that bring some hope.

these are also feelings that I enjoy

I did 14 miles on the treadmill yesterday and have been running every other day for about 2 weeks now. I'm gonna do 3 races in the next 6 months or so. The Tucson Marathon, Across the Years 24-hour race and the Bataan Death March on the White Sands Missile Range.

Good luck man

Schedule has been going quite well with running four out of seven days... until this week, this week has been utterly atrocious and I have a feeling it is the weather getting to me. I've also forgotten my hat, Garmin has lost satellite and other shit so hoping just an off week. You probably could have rung a few cups of sweat out of my clothes on Wednesday morning when I got back.