The Original Live Journal Runners Club

Race Report: Wildcat Canyon Half Marathon

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:54:50 GMT

X-posted in my own journal.

Last Saturday I ran the Wildcat Canyon Half Marathon, a hilly trail run in El Sobrante, just north of Berkeley, California.

This was my first half marathon. I've run plenty of full marathons, lotsa 5Ks and 10Ks, but never a half.

This one was very rural. The start line was next to a small farm, and some of the runners were saying hello to the baby goats and chickens before the race.

To give you all an idea just how rural this race was, the start was the crowd of several hundred runners sprinting about twenty yards before we all had to slow down to a walk in order to get through a single-file cattle gate. Yes, one runner at a time. Kind of an anti-climatic start. :)

After a short run on a trail, we hit the first hill, and it was a doozy. I'm no stranger to hills, having conquered nasty hills in various Ragnar Relays and the infamous Oakland Marathon, so the first hill wasn't too big a deal. It did go on for some time though, and I managed to run up the whole way.

I don't usually do trail runs. Well, not real trail runs anyways, the kind where you really go through the backwoods. Navigating a road where your foot can hit at differing angles did a number on my pace, but I managed all right for the first three miles.

Then shortly before mile four I rolled my left ankle a bit. Not seriously, but enough to slow me down just a smidge for the rest of the run. We ran through the woods and along a concrete road for a short while before doing a quick loop-de-loop and hitting yet another hill.

Only this was a killer hill. At some points it was literally as steep as a trolley street. Looking up the hill I could see that for at least half a mile virtually everyone was walking the hill. I tried to keep up with run-walks, but I succumbed to walking the steepest parts.

Uphill was tiring, but the downhills were also treacherous. Some of the declines were very steep, as steep as the climbs, and people had to tread lightly or walk altogether in order to avoid a quickened pace known as rolling down the hill. The steep up-and-down continued for quite some time, and I ended up getting far more tired out than I had anticipated.

There were other obstacles. Part of the course was heavily wooded, and we had to run down a thin trail in which you could only run single-file. Also at one point we had to stop in order to climb over some rocks and hop a creek. We also ran through some cow fields. And by run through I don't mean we ran by cow fields, but through them! Right by cows who stood and watched us go by. No fence or any barriers between us and them

The uphill climbs did give us some beautiful views of the Bay Area. We got a panoramic view of San Francisco and the bay, as well as a gorgeous view of a lake. Many runners stopped to take pictures with their smartphones.

I finished the run quite tired and thirsty, even though the weather had been very mild. I don't believe I have ever run a race with those kinds of elevation changes. My time was embarrassing, but only slightly so because of the brutal course. I am running another half in San Francisco next month, and I have a feeling I'll really do much better with that one!

Ode to the Iliotibial Tract

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:44:23 GMT

Yesterday I ran one of the toughest footraces I've ever run. (Race report tomorrow.) That feat inspired me to write this poem:

O' IT Band, O' IT Band,
Right now life just ain't that grand.
You're too tight, you're too sore,
Makes it hard to run out the door.

Run real fast, up a hill,
Back down again, what a thrill!
But then my hips throb and ache,
Knee stiffens up, it's hard to take.

Stretching, resting, hit the foam roller,
Pain so bad it makes me smolder.
How this helps, I don't know,
Guess my PT will make more dough.

What's next for me I cannot tell,
With my iliotib... whatever the hell!

Training Week Ending May 18-19, 2013

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:11:50 GMT

Greetings, runners! Please tell us about your past training week and upcoming goals

**This is a weekly thread maintained by myself, posted every weekend. Runners of all ages and abilities are encouraged to use it to document their training and goals. Feedback is also encouraged, which helps keep a sense of community - thanks!

Should I Run?

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:09:14 GMT

I am scheduled to run the Cleveland Half Marathon this Sunday. I've run it before. About a week and a half ago, I developed pain in the bottom of my foot, sort of towards the outside of the foot and in the middle, not on the heel. Anyway, I have not run much since. I attempted a final long run a week ago but had to stop after 8 miles because my foot hurt too much. I have not run since, but I can tell that the pain is still there, and I am not confident that I can run 13 miles without the pain coming back. I am scared that if I try to do the race, I will have to stop several miles into it and be stranded or have to find some kind of ride back to the start line.

Certainly I plan to take some time off of running to let this thing heal. But what should I do about this race? Should I still go for it and give myself permission to quit if it hurts too badly? Is it foolish to run the risk of doing further damage just to complete a stupid race that I've already done? What would you do?

running mileage?

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:05:25 GMT

Does it matter how much you break up your mileage? For example, right now I'm running about 15 miles a week, three days a week- Sun- 4, Wed- 6, Fri-5. I have more time to do longer runs now since my daughter is in preschool. In the summer I'll have less time and will probably take her with me. Will I be able to do, say 3 miles three days in a row and then one 6 mile run? Does it really matter how mileage is broken up? I know I'm at low mileage (I've been coming back from a 2 month injury from last December and have been increasing really slowly), but still, I don't want to do the wrong thing.

Training Week Ending May 11-12, 2013

Sun, 12 May 2013 15:26:49 GMT

back on the road

Sun, 12 May 2013 00:25:46 GMT

A friend of mine randomly called me this dreary, rainy morning as I sat on my couch playing Sudoku on my phone. We each ran to the elementary school and met up for a nice run. When we split up again so we could each run back to our homes I thought I was going to be miserable, instead I was able to run almost the entire way without stopping. I just mapped the route and am satisfied with the 5.5 mile total :) I loved getting caught in a little shower on the run back too!

Getting excited for my first 12k next weekend as well. I've been out of the running world for too long, glad to be back :)

2013 New Jersey Marathon race report

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:49:10 GMT

New Jersey Marathon (and half-marathon)
5 May 2013
Oceanport, NJ

Pre-race: good stuff. Email updates were great, especially with concern about what the race would be like with the shoreline still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.

Expo: great. No lines! I arrived fairly late, having just flown in that afternoon, so I guess a lot of people went early. I'm not a shopping person, so I can't really comment on the quality of the merchandise.

Swag: a long-sleeved tech shirt. Woot! And in red, no less (my favorite colour). Plus a clear gear bag if you wanted to check anything on race day. No random crap in the bag, which for me is a win ("why are you giving me random crap I'm going to throw away?"), but possibly sad to those who like all those things.

Race day, pre-race: the Expo and start line are both at Monmouth Park, a horse racetrack, so we could stay inside where it was warm. Lines for the mens wasn't too bad. 20 minutes before race start, I headed out. Lots of portapotties, so in 5 mins, I had one last pit stop, and then it was into the corrals. Super easy to find, lots of space to be in. Waves were maybe 60 seconds apart.

The course: the first 5 or so miles is spaghetti through local streets. If you hate turns, this is not for you, but I find turns early on to be nice -- it breaks up the monotony. Fewer turns to get out to 12, at which point, it's essentially one long out-and-back. The turn-around is somewhere 18 or 19, and the finish is along the water. On a road, not the boardwalk (which is gone, sadly).

There were a few sketchy parts of the course -- broken pavement, weird re-routings -- but 1, hey, dude, Sandy, the fact that the race even happened is pretty awesome; and 2, anywhere there was anything weird, there were volunteers saying every 5 seconds, "watch your step" or "look out, broken pavement" or the like. Major props.

Post-race amenities, I don't know what that was like: I skipped it all.

I was staying at the flagship hotel (Sheraton Eastontown), and the operations for the shuttle busses (a bunch of school busses) to get back was poorly organized. That was the only downside. It's not a good way to end a race by walking unnecessary blocks and being cold. That's the only blip on this production.

Finisher medal is pretty sweet -- it's articulated, so imagine a circle with a spinny disc in the middle. And it's big. I thought Hartford had a big medal, but nope, this is slightly larger than that.

---

Me, I had a terrible race. :) Alas. It was my 3rd marathon (first was 2011 Cape Cod, MA, in 5:01; second was 2012 Hartford, CT, in 4:19). I was hoping to beat 4:19 by a bit -- 4:15, maaaybe 4:10. Instead, my brain never really engaged (I sadly started coming down with a bug Friday); my R knee blew out around mile 12 (hadn't been bothering me all season, but when does it start bothering me? Taper week.); I slammed into the wall at mile 21. Good times.

But I finished, and despite having a terrible race, I have this huge feeling of accomplishment. A friend at my running club put it best: "in some ways, it's the hardest ones -- not the ones where you beat your PR -- the ones where you're puking up at the end, that mean the most."

Next marathon: Disney, Jan 2014. Looking forward to it. :)

Lower leg pain! :(

Mon, 06 May 2013 14:42:04 GMT

Hi guys,

I am about 2 months into preparing from my first half marathon and for the past 2 weeks i've been experiencing a lot of pain in my lower legs. Particularly when I am going up/down the staircase!

It's really affecting my training and was wondering had any ideas on what it might be and how to best fix it?

Thank you!

Training Week Ending May 04-05, 2013

Sun, 05 May 2013 15:46:32 GMT

Advice for the rookie?

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:58:54 GMT

I am doing my first race Saturday, the Run to Home Base 9K in Boston. Any advice for the rookie? Specifically, do I need to worry about getting lost on the course, winding up in the wrong wave, etc.? I am a little directionally challenged :).

Ow!

Thu, 02 May 2013 02:10:13 GMT

I have my first war wound of the season. I seem to have chafed the entire inside of my thigh with my boxers. Ow!

This is good in a way, because I would have run too ambitiously for my own good.

It hurts like a dickens, but hey, it's kind of a badge of Honour's. Why be ashamed, right? Every rash, every blister, every bloody nipple is a sign that motion has occurred, right? Yay me!

Still, ow! Here's to Body Glide and Band-Aids

Talk about a beer run! Ever think about trying something like this?

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:07:41 GMT

From Draft Magazine:

Two men undertake quest to run and drink 100 beers in one week

Last week, Robert Scanlon and Kevin DiVerde decided to drink 100 beers while completing a series of running challenges, such as a beer mile or a two-hour run.

“I have had to stop running from injuries before, from tiredness, from sickness, etc.” said Robert. “But never had I had to stop running because I was getting too drunk.”

Until last week, that is. In this Q+A, Robert shares his motivation, tips and words of caution.

So what exactly did you do?

I ended up having just over a hundred beers in under a week all while running every day. It started at 12:00AM Monday and ended Saturday night.

Whose idea was this?

I did this with my friend Kevin DiVerde. We are both in the Iowa State Running Club together. It didn’t start with the goal of drinking 100 beers. At Iowa State University, we have a weeklong party called VEISHEA (which is a celebration of the original colleges at ISU). To celebrate in our own way, several of our friends decided to create a list of challenges combining beer and running to be completed throughout the week. These included beer miles, beer runs, etc. By Wednesday, I started to realize the sheer number of beers I had drank and decided to shoot for the 100 mark.

How did prepare for this?

As I didn’t plan for actually doing it, I had very little preparation except for being an avid runner that enjoys the taste of beer.

What kind of beer did you drink?

It started at 12:00am Monday morning with a Shiner Bock – a pretty tasty one to kick-start the week, but after that the quality of beer quickly declined (i.e.Keystone, Busch Light, Rolling Rock) due to the monetary consequences of buying 100 beers.

What were your running workouts?

Most days, it was just casual runs around an hour long, but we did throw in a beer mile on an indoor track (12 laps to the mile, a beer every other lap, completed in 15 minutes). And a beer run where you had to drink a beer for every mile ran.

What was the biggest challenge?

By far, waking up the next morning and forcing yourself to run again no matter how bad your headache. A close second was staying hydrated. When consuming massive quantities of a diuretic and running all the time, your body really starts to crave water.

Was there a point you didn’t think you could finish? What kept you going?

Friday, I wasn’t sure if I could finish. The last thing I wanted to think about was running or drinking more beer. What kept me going was a beautiful run through the countryside that cleared my mind and helped me feel a lot better!

What do you do when you aren’t drinking 101 beers a week?

When I’m not consuming 101 beers a week, I am a more competitive runner and less of a binge drinker. I do lots of harder workouts and enter track races throughout the area. The Friday before this all started, I ran a big 5k, so this was a good way to relax before really getting into training again.

Any advice to others?

If you’re going to attempt the feat, be careful. Running while intoxicated obviously poses dangers, especially if you are near traffic. Also, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate (the non-beer type).

Anything else you’d like to add?

One of the best stories that came out of this whole experience was our last run on Saturday. My friend Kevin and I decided to do an easy 7 miler in the afternoon around town. It was a beautiful day, and all the VEISHEA party goers were out enjoying the great weather and partying on their front lawns. Within a mile of our run, we had a guy toss us a beer, and after that, more and more people started tossing us beers as we ran along. We ended up making signs that said “Running for Beer” and people loved it! We ran for over two hours until I decided it was time to head back home. It was on this run I realized I had drank my 101st beer!

Personally I would never try something like this. Would you? I am kinda wondering if these guys shouldn't think about a 12 step program. For drinking, not for running!

http://draftmag.com/beerrunner/quest/

Training Week Ending Apr 27-28, 2013

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:39:16 GMT

Blue Ridge Marathon 4/20/2013

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:29:06 GMT

This was a marathon to remember but first before I begin the story I want to say that my heart goes out to the people affected by the Boston marathon bombing. What a tragedy. All runners running the Blue Ridge Marathon received a blue bracelet and the message said "Running for Boston".

The Blue Marathon was my 15th marathon in 15 different states. My goal is to run a marathon in every state but that is just an extra benefit of traveling the United States with the family and creating some awesome memories. The Blue Ridge marathon goes down in the books for me. Rated as the toughest road marathon in America really added a twist to running a marathon. Flat course? No way. How about running over some mountains. The 2013 course included 3,620 feet of total elevation gain and 7,234 feet of total elevation change (Last minute course change added another 200 feet). Kind of gives new meaning to runner's high.

The journey began a couple of months earlier with some intense hill training and long runs. Luckily I pretty much stayed injury free during the training. Longest training run was 20 miles which i did two weeks before the marathon. On Friday morning the family and I started the trek from Franklin, TN. to Roanoke, VA. Only about a 7 hour drive which was not too bad. We arrived around 6:00 pm, checked into the Cambria Suite hotel and then headed downtown for packet pickup. The Blue Ridge marathon is relatively a small race with about 450 runners for the full and about twice that many for the half so no wait for packet pickup. The shirt was awesome!

Packet pick-up and nice shirt

The family and I grabbed dinner and then headed back to the hotel to get some ZZZZ's. Before I knew it the alarm clock was going off and it was time to get up. This is my quiet time while everyone is still asleep to slowly start getting into the zone.

Marathon start time was at 7:35am. There where roughly 430 full marathoners and about 795 half marathoners. The entire marathon was televised by the local news station so there was a helicopter flying overhead and some news cameras along the course. No gun for the start just someone yelling go. Now I will preface this marathon as here goes one heck of a run.

Start line

Course Video. Pretty awesome to watch.

Mile 1 and 2 was basically running through the city and heading to Roanoke mountain. Then the uphill climb began. I was feeling pretty good.The half marathon broke off at mile 3. Mile 3 - 7 was a run to the top of Roanoke mountain. It was awesome! The view was great and I love a test of strength and this was it. Well running 4 miles up a mountain is not too bad but knowing you have a full marathon to run adds to the excitement. I made it the top and was stoked. The down hill was miserable on my knees. I was hoping to gain some time back from going uphill on the down hill but I was a little worried to go too fast in fear of popping a knee or something. It was pretty steep going downhill from mile 7 to 10. Mile 9 ran along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Next stop Mill Mountain. Not as bad as Roanoke mountain but still a test of strength. At mile 13 I reached the top of Mill Mountain where a huge metal star sat. The star has been there since 1940 and lights up at night. Really beautiful from the valley.

Star

Mile 13 to 15 was brutal for me since it was again pretty steep going down and my knees where starting to feel it. After mile 15 to 16 I ran along the Roanoke River Greenway which was a little flat. My feet did not know what to do on a flat surface. My family was there cheering for me right before mile 16 which was awesome. I needed the pick-me-up.

Me in the green shirt

Family cheering me on and classic turn around move

At mile 16 the course started the third and final climb to mile 19. I did not stop running until I reached mile 19. At this point the final climb had sapped my strength and I had to walk the final incline about 100 feet which sucked. So close. The next couple of miles was downhill and completely was wearing my knees out. At mile 22 I ran past the hotel we stayed at and the family was there cheering me on. Again the boost was nice. From here the course changed a little because a bridge was flooded and the new course added a additional 200 feet of elevation change. I was laughing all the way.

Final time: 4:26:51 Not bad considering the elevation change. Placed 175 out of 430 runners.

Finish line

Daughter and I at the finish line

Nice shirt

The family that puts up with my crazy marathon running goal and manages to have a good time. Thanks guys!

Night picture of the star

So next stop along the journey should be the New York City marathon. I should be a guaranteed entry through the lottery and will find out tomorrow.

Race Report: Ultra Man - So Cal Ragnar Relay 2013!

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:14:24 GMT

X-posted in my own journal.

This past weekend I was one of six runners for the Ragnar Relay ultra team 6 Shades of Ragnar. Six runners and one driver and 194 miles put in over a period of more than 24 hours!

(Skip the next paragraph if you already know what a Ragnar Relay and a Ragnar ultra team is.)

The Ragnar Relay is a long distance relay of around 200 miles. Normal teams have 12 runners who run three legs of 2 to 9 miles apiece and get about the course in two passenger vans. It takes more than 24 hours to complete this course. (Friday morning until Saturday.) First six runners are in one van, last six runners in the other. While one van's runners are running, the other runners rest and eat. An ultra team is only six runners, each of whom run 6 legs apiece. (Two legs at a time to make one super leg.) That's the kind of team I was on for the So Cal Ragnar Relay this past weekend!

First leg: Crazy from the heat

My first leg was the shortest leg I would run, a measly 6.3 miles. But that was through the dreaded Los Angeles heat. It was oven hot, the kind of heat that makes the air feel heavy.

I had run part of this course before, and I have run through this kind of heat before. (In last year's So Cal Ragnar.) The first mile and a half was uphill. I've had worse hills, (And would hit gnarly hills even worse than this one later in the race,) but the heat was making things extra tough. I did fine up the hill, and the rest of the course would've been a breeze, but no breeze = no breeze. I brought my water bottle with me, but I went through two bottles and was still dried out. Right after this leg I downed three bottles of water and a bottle of Gatorade.

I wasn't the heat's only victim though. My teammate Michele also nearly melted under this So Cal sun, and a few of my other teammates got fairly cooked as well.

My Ultra Team

I found this ultra team by posting on the Ragnar Facebook page. That's where my team Captain and thee indefatigable runner James found me. He lives in San Diego with his wife and our van driver Montana. The rest of my crew was another Jeff, a tall and fast guy who pounded out his legs. He was friends with everyone and I had to tune out my name because people kept saying his name and I had to keep reminding myself they weren't talking to/about me. Leah was our iron woman, being as she had the most total miles to run, a smidge more than 40 miles! I was also happy that my teammate Michele was there, because she's vegan, and it was nice to know there was another non-flesh eater on the team. (I'm a vegetarian. Yeah, yeah, I know, not as hardcore as vegan!)

Ed was our marathon ninja, the fastest guy on the team, and a man who can't remember how many marathons he's run. ("Errrm..." was his answer when I asked.) He was also a runner in last week's Boston marathon, and had finished the marathon well before the two bombs went off. He was still in the vicinity when they went off however and tried to help out, being as he's a physician. Our driver was the eternally peppy Montana, wife of Captain James, who not only drove the entire time, but was still jumping and cheering and rocking the cowbell when the rest of us were walking around like zombies. She's also a professional photographer, and was snapping pictures the whole time.

This was one of the best teams I've ever been on. Everyone was very supportive with van stops and water support, and even cheering me on and telling me what a good job I was doing when I was hitting the wall on my last leg. Each and every teammate hit their legs with unprecedented drive, through pressure-coooker heat, tightening calves, sleep and food deprivation, and multiple blisters; Every last runner pile drived through their miles and never once came close to quitting. (Though we did grouse about the hills and heat though. Just a bit!)

Second Leg: Not a half-marathon since it's not 13.1 miles

My second leg was a middle-of-the-night 13.3 trot, just a smidge over a Pikermi distance.

Despite the extra-long distance, I did quite well on the first half of this run. It was dark and it was cool. Perfect running weather! I breezed through the first six miles at a really decent pace.

Then came yet another hill, and this one was a doozy! A runner whom I chatted with on my first leg warned me about this one: A mile and a half uphill is not really the way to put it. This was upmountain! It was similar to one of the infamous Wasatch Back hills where you really feel like you're conquering a mountain.

I ran a slower but steady pace up this daunting hill. I do all right on hills, because I even out my pace. This is where I get the most kills. (Passing runners.) I was grateful for the night and cool air however. I imagined what it would be like to hit that hill in the heat.

After the hill I proceeded at a good pace. I finished up with a good stride. Even though it was more than twice as long as my first leg, I felt I did far better on this second leg. And I did something else that I wasn't expecting: I got twenty kills! For being the slowest runner on the team, that's a pretty good kill rate.

What it's like to be on an ultra team...

With a regular Ragnar Relay team you get the chance to rest, lay down in the grass and sleep, and even sit down in a restaurant while the other van is out running. You can't do that with an ultra team. One of your van's runners is always on the move, so you have to keep moving as well. Any restaurant stops are for food to go. And sleep is relegated to very short cat naps in the van. No time to stretch out in a sleeping bag! With a normal team you also miss a good deal of the course. An ultra team hits every single exchange, and you see the whole course.

I ran a total of a smidge more than 28 miles, but I had the second least amount of mileage. Iron woman Leah ran a total of just more than 40 miles, (Wow!) and Marathon Ninja Ed ran a total of around 39 miles. Because the legs are so long runner support is even more critical, especially when you're on a course with street-melting heat and killer hills. That also means less time for everyone to rest or stop for supplies.

Overall the experience is much more intense than being on a regular Ragnar team: Longer legs, much more of a physical and emotional challenge, and constantly on the move.

Third Leg - Another Killer Hill

My last leg was 8.5 miles on Saturday, starting in the mid-morning when the sun was heating things up again. This time it was near-ish to the ocean and we were nearing San Diego, so the heat wasn't nearly as intense.

I did all right in the first half. I was feeling the effects of sleep deprivation and the previous 19+ miles I had already run, but only just so. I roller-coasted up and down small hills through the first half.

And then came, the hill...

It was much like the mountainside in the second leg, only it seemingly stretched on towards infinity. On and on it went, very steep and going on for what seemed like forever. The more I ran, the more it just kept stretching into the sky! This is when I took a much hated walking break, which I loathe doing, but I was hitting the wall and it wasn't time to be a hero. I wanted to keep up a good pace for my own pride and for the sake of my waiting team, but I also didn't want to crumple into a heap and have to be dragged off of the course.

Starting and stopping this devil incline portion of this leg only lasted a mile and a half, like all of the other killer hills on my runs. (Why are they killer inclines always a mile and a half? Any geologist out there want to weigh in?) It evened out and there were no more significant inclines as I trotted to the finish and completed my last leg.

I waned a bit when I first came into the exchange, but quickly recovered after downing some water, Gatorade, and a couple of small bags of chips. (Salt!) 28.1 miles of running done.

Running in the Aftermath of the Boston Marathon

My next running goal had been to run a Ragnar on an ultra team. Less than a week before this big race and the next step in my running goals the Boston Marathon was attacked.

Several friends of mine called me right after the attack, because they knew I ran marathons but they did not know if I had been at that race. Everyone else asked me how I felt about running in a big race so soon after the Boston attack.

I was not worried about the Ragnar Relay being attacked. The Boston Marathon is the Super Bowl of marathons in the US, but the Ragnar Relay is really only well-known amongst running geeks. But tribute signs were everywhere for the town of Boston: Signs, t-shirts and Boston Red Sox caps were everywhere. The effect of the bombing really made people more determined to run in this race and races all over the place, not less.

Which makes me wonder what the hell they thought they were going to accomplish by attacking a marathon in the first place. It makes absolutely no sense.

So Cal Ragnar

I love the So Cal Ragnar for it's challenging course, and the awesome teams I've been on. It was my first Ragnar back in 2011, and I had a blast on my friend Kiki's team last year. An Ultra team is a very unique experience, and one of my most memorable races.

Yeah, I gotta do this ultra thing again!

My teammate Leah is all jazzed to be up at 4 in the morning!

No, really, we're just close friends! The view from the back of the car.

Teammate Ed chalks down more kills. (Passed runners.)

Teammate Leah charging into an exchange!

Runners Michele and the other Jeff filling up a water bottle. The heat on the first day was intense!

Our transport.

A Ragnar tradition: Tagging another team's van. Michele commiting temporary vandalism!

Ed and team Captain James talking as we wait at an exchange.

Waiting for Captain James to arrive at a major exchange.
From left to right: Iron woman Leah, fellow non-carnivore
Michele, (With small devil horns,) driver and team photographer
Montana, and the other white Jeff.

vibram sale

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:30:36 GMT

I'm mostly a lurker around here, but I know there are fans of Vibrams around so I thought of this community when I got the email. Vibrams are on sale on 6pm.com.

http://www.6pm.com/vibram-fivefingers-shoes~6?utm_source=et&utm_medium=email&utm_term=6pm_130420_massmail_row1_1col1image_image1&utm_campaign=6pm_130420_massmail

Posted via LiveJournal app for Android.

Sesamoiditis

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:37:35 GMT

Again can be caused by injury or arthritis.

There are two tiny bones that rest beneath the great toe metatarsalphalangeal joint, these are embedded in the tendons that flex the toe (pull the toe down). The pain is on the bottom of the joint and is aggravated when you put your weight onto them.

As with hallux rigidus, uphill running usually makes things worse. to Orthotic treatment can also be helpful. This is special soles where they cut a hole in the insole directly beneath the painful little bones that are no bigger than two little beans. If ice and medication are unsuccessful, occasionally a steroid injection and/or a rest period with casting may be necessary.

Sometimes toe injuries can be greatly helped by the use of Rocktape sports tape and i personally have bought this and used it for many small aches and pains during running and in competition.

The good news is that many people do experience when running at some time and don't have to give up, especially if they have run before and start away again after a few years. Where the mind and the leg muscles are prepared to go the feet say wait until i am ready…………A real pain.

Boston tribute tee from Adidas

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 03:47:21 GMT

Have any of you guys seen this yet?

I have been trying to order one all day but they are currently out of my size. They are making more but this is a limited edition.

Keep On Running - 5K For Boston

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:24:41 GMT

I figured that I wasn't the only runner who would want to do something in solidarity with and honour of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, the runners and their supporters, and everyone who has helped since. And so I have created a Facebook Event - a worldwide 5K to be run on Saturday 15th June, at 2:50 Boston time. For more info follow the link below.

Keep On Running - 5K For Boston

Please pass this on to anyone you know who may be interested.

Favorite race shirt day?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:12:43 GMT

I think in memory of the Boston explosions, there ought to be a day say Friday, where we wear our favorite race/running shirts

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:31:16 GMT

Two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:47:27 GMT

At least two are dead, and 22 injured. It's not clear whether or not they were bombs, but it is looking likely.

More here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-22160978

Horrific. Horrific.

slight, nagging pain long after injury. advice?

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 03:25:27 GMT

I'm hoping for a bit of advice.

I started running early spring of 2012. By last fall I was up to about 20ish miles a week. In late November I was sick for two weeks and didn't run. When I felt better I started running without starting slow- I ran 6 miles one day and 8 two days later. Towards the middle of that 8 mile run the inside of my leg/calf was hurting, but I was 4 miles out and had to run back home. Afterwards the pain was still bad so I took a few days off. When I went to run again the pain was back before I'd run a half mile. I took a week and a half off but then when I went to run, the pain was still there. I was concerned and wanted it to get better, so I ended up taking six or seven weeks off of running entirely.

I started back running this February, super slowly, doing one minute on, one minute off and increasing over the weeks. It's been about a month now that I've been running three miles three times a week. I still feel like the inside of my leg- it's a couple inches above my ankle, I was thinking it was posterior shin splints- still feels a bit tender sometimes. I've been stopping to walk for 10 seconds or stopping to roll my ankle a couple times during my runs usually, which helps I think.

I want to start increasing, and have very slightly, but I'm just wondering what people think about this tenderness or intermittent pain I'm still having. From a lot of googleing I determined it was posterior shin splints and that I was overpronating. I got different shoes and superfeet inserts, which I think have helped. I’m just wondering if I’m imagining this pain- I mean, by now it’s four months since the initial injury I had. Do you think I should just push through it and tell my leg to “’suck it up” or am I just not going to be able to get back to where I was before? Has anyone experienced an injury that stuck around, mildly, like this?

Training Week Ending Apr 13-14, 2013

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:53:47 GMT