Perspective

So, this morning my Son and I were completing some errands and he asks me when he is going to run his first 5k. I told him we may have to wait until the Fall, since it is so hot outside. Then, I told him we may be able to find a 5k road race. He immediately looked at me all puzzled and said, "Why would I want to run on the road?". I just laughed when he asked that question. Looks like he has the trail runner gene.

"It's just running"

The running is definitely getting better, even with the heat. Although, last night, I went on a tempo run for an hour and only managed a 7:10 pace for the 6 miles of tempo. Instead of relying on pace, I used my heart rate to dictate the effort. Either the heat has slowed me down or I have gotten a lot slower. During my marathon training, my tempo pace was 6:25 at the same heart rate. Oh well...

During a hilly trail run earlier this week, I was so zoned out that I didn't even notice when I was running uphill until near the end of my run, mainly, because my heart rate didn't fluctuate that much on the climbs. I'll chalk that one up to a zen run.

Knowing I am pacing Olga at Hardrock next week has also provided a lot of motivation. I've been giving 110% during every workout, whether it's in the gym, on the treadmill, or on the trail. The one thing that always keeps me going when I want to let up or quit a particular workout is my desire to be at my best in Silverton. I rationalize that I need to suffer as much now so I won't have to suffer as much later. Nonetheless, I know I will still suffer later. While we all have our physical and genetic limitations, I'm beginning to believe the difference may be mental toughness. I don't, especially, like some of my workouts, specifically, the weight training. But, I know it provides great benefits, considering the terrain of the San Juan Mountains. Two months ago, if someone would have told me I would be doing five sets of squats lifting 200 pounds in each set, doing fifteen reps each, I would have said, "I can't!". But, now I know "I can!". I'm also focused on dropping a few pounds for the remainder of the Summer to allow me to better handle the heat and run a little faster. Regardless, it's all about balance. There are many things occurring in all areas of my life that could cause me to change my running plans. And, I'm ok with that. I've said it before, "it's just running...".

Yes!

Just read this on the National Weather Service website for Austin, Texas. Woohoo! Looks like it's time to go outside and go for a run!!!

"THE HEAT INDEX WILL REACH 100 TO NEAR 110 IN THE AFTERNOONS ANDEARLY EVENING...AS TEMPERATURES CLIMB TO BETWEEN THE UPPER 90STO NEAR 105.

TRY TO AVOID OUTDOOR ACTIVITY DURING THE AFTERNOON. IF YOU MUST BEOUTSIDE...WEAR LIGHT COLORED AND LIGHT WEIGHT CLOTHING AND BE SURETO DRINK MORE WATER THAN YOU THINK YOU NEED TO STAY HYDRATED. ALSOCHECK ON THE ELDERLY AND MAKE SURE PETS HAVE SHADE AND PLENTY OFWATER."

Satisfied

I began my run this past weekend with great anticipation. I'd been looking forward to it for almost two weeks. Slowly, I have become accustomed to the heat of another Texas Summer. And, for some reason, this time around, the heat has been my nemesis. Maybe, it's the lackadasical nature of running in the mountains where I can get away with far less hydration and calories. But now, I must endure the heat, embrace it, and learn to enjoy it. With only two hours into my run, I have quenched my thirst with the temperatures quickly rising past 95 degrees. I have started late for a weekend run and will not finish until almost 3pm.

The 80 ounces of fluids that have passed my lips are a distant occurrence to my body. It will take me almost another hour to reach my water cache and my bottles are now empty. I've gone to the extent of taking the tops off and letting every last drop fall into my mouth. The sun will be at its highest arc today. It's officially the Summer Soltice. I contemplate my decision on whether to turn back and be home within 20 minutes into the refreshing coolness of my apartment, or continue forward to the one- gallon plastic jug of rock solid, frozen water I placed under a tree just a few hours earlier. I continue onward knowing I will suffer until I reach my destination. The thoughts flowing freely through my mind at the moment seem eerily similar to forging onward in a race when the mind is screaming that it has had enough and wants to quit. But, I know, eventually, I will rejoice in my decision to continue and would have lamented a premature end to my run. At this point, I have to put total faith in the outcome and continue.

By the time I reached my water cache, the frozen jug had completely melted and, thankfully, still held faint remnants of the once solid mass. While only cool to the lips, it was refreshing, nonetheless. I would finish my run that day and was satisfied with my decision to continue. There came a point during my run that day where I stopped listening to my iPod. It seems when I need all my energy reserves to finish a difficult run, I cannot tolerate the passive task of listening to music. Instead, I find great solace in listening to my footfalls on the trail, the rhythym of each breath, and the occassional wisps of the wind as it passes through the trees. It's as if I must rely on some native, long forgotten need to return to the basics of running to fuel my spirit. I finish in the heat of the day as temperatures hover around 100 degrees. But, I don't notice the heat. Instead, I revel in the satisfaction of completing a run that just a few hours earlier seemed almost impossible.

Bring on the Heat!

Today, my boss came by my desk and told me to "go home!". Who am I to argue with that? After running a few quick errands, I made the decision to squeeze in a short trail run before picking up my son at a day camp. It was very humid outside, thanks to the big thunderstorm that rolled into Austin last night. Initially, I had planned on running for an hour, or so. It was definitely warm, but I decided to have a good attitude about it and will myself into thinking it really wasn't that warm.

Eventually, I made it to a key intersection where I could either turn towards home or go the opposite direction towards what I considered a point of no return and add over an hour to the run. I decided for the later and pressed on. I walked with a purpose up every hill, gave my best effort on the flats, and enjoyed the shady parts and downhills to their fullest. I only had two bottles with me and ran out of water befor the two hour mark. I was getting cooked. I sat down in a nice creek, and while the water wasn't as cold as I would have preferred, it definitely helped. I walked through the creek for several hundred yards afterwards to where the trail crossed the water. I pressed on and finished out the run. Two hours and fifteen minutes later for what was supposed to be an one hour run. Thankfully, I live on the trail, so it wasn't very far to my place after I finished.

I checked the weather on the computer when I got inside and discovered it was 96 degrees with a heat index of 104 degrees. Wow! It's been a long time since I've ran in those conditions. I plan on taking advantage of the heat this Summer and not avoid it. I consider the heat one of my weakness. And, similar to those days back when I was a scratch golfer, you don't spend your time practicing all the shots you're good at to become better. Instead, one focuses on their weak shots. When I was in high school, I used to practice in all weather conditions, sans lightning. During the conference championship, it paid off, because it rained most of the day, and I ended up winning the tournament because I was confident in my ability to make the shots I needed, even with wet grips. And, that's why I'm running in the heat. Trying to get better at something I feel is one of my running weaknesses. Peace!

What "Altitude" is it?

I had a very enjoyable run yesterday, even though the temperature was 96 degrees when I began and, eventually, climbed to 99 degrees. Before the end of my 3+ hour run, it had cooled off to 91 degrees. This year, I have decided to do my best to not complain about the heat as Summer approaches Central Texas. I need the experience of running in the heat to become a better runner. And, one thing that I have never heard discussed has to do with the benefits of running in the heat for us flatlanders.

I have a previous background in aviation and was a flight instructor for a few years. During this time of the year, due to the high air temperatures, one thing I always would drill into my students’ heads was something call “Density Altitude”. Simply put, Density Altitude is Pressure Altitude adjusted for non-standard air temperatures. Standard Pressure is equivalent to 29.92 inches of Mercury (Hg) and standard air temperature equals 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). A decrease in standard pressure and any increase in air temperature and/or humidity will cause a decrease in air density (number of molecules per given volume of air). This directly impacts the performance of the aircraft via reduced lift (wings and propeller(s)) and power production (engine and propeller thrust). In essence, the Density Altitude, which can simply be thought of as air density, is very important to aviators. If the pressure is lower than 29.92 and/or the air temperature is above 59 degrees, the Density Altitude will be higher than the physical altitude. An example would be yesterday when I was running. Based on the atmospheric conditions, the Density Altitude was over 4,000 feet, based on a true elevation of ~900 feet. If Density Altitude has a direct impact on aircraft performance, could it not have a direct physiologic impact to the human body, whereby I was getting an altitude benefit from training in the heat? Basically, if the air density is lower, my body should have to work harder to deliver the same amount of oxygen molecules throughout my body. Just some thoughts. Maybe, it’s a flawed hypothesis, but one I’ve thought about since I began running.

For now, I plan on embracing the heat, instead of avoiding it!

Is this Heaven? No, it's Idaho.

I was a little nervous about this past weekend. Mainly, because I knew it would be my last opportunity to get in a long training run before pacing Olga at Hardrock. And, it would be the most elevation gain/loss I’ve ever attempted in one run. Besides a nasty case of macerated feet, I came away unscathed. Time to give Drymax an honest try. And, while my main purpose was to hang out with Olga and learn how she operates before I pace her at Hardrock, I discovered, basically, no new secrets. She powerwalks flat sections so quickly that she slowly drops me. In response, I have to run back up to her to keep up with her fanatical pace. Rinse and repeat. It defies the laws of physics how she can go so fast at a walk. Of course, other well-known ultra runners attest to her abilities, too. She attacks climbs with a resolve that would make a mountain goat jealous. Hey! Wait a minute! She is a goat--a Wasatch Speedgoat! The only thing slowing her down on the descents was her sprained ankle. Lucky for me, I was able to keep up because, while I could have bombed one continuous 4+ mile descent. I don’t think I would have fared well doing that later in the race where I knew a 3,000+ foot descent awaited starting at mile 43. And, she wastes no time at aid stations. Get in, get out, and keep moving forward! And, let’s be completely open here. She did not taper before this race. Another 80 mile week before the race with lots of elevation gain and descent. And, she finished the last 10 miles solidly. So focused that nothing would have stopped her from making the finish line. It was a pleasure to watch. I had a lot of fun that day on the course. Besides my macerated feet, which was attritubed from standing in cold streams, I felt awesome afterwards. The race course was incredibly beautiful and made more so by getting to spend the time with Olga.


And, what a difference a day makes! On Sunday, as we left Pocatello, it was raining. As if the course wasn’t challenging enough, rain would have made the course much more difficult due to the terrain, which was open and exposed in many areas. Basically, we had perfect course conditions. And, while there were sections in the later miles with lots of snow, it could have been a lot worse. Four weeks earlier, the trails were covered in snow within a mile of the start/finish.

We drove to the Wasatch Mountains on Sunday and Olga took me up to Brighton. It was a very enjoyable drive going up Big Cottonwood Canyon. The creek along the highway was raging and the Aspens were completely leafed out. When we reached Brighton, however, Winter still had its grips on the area. The Aspens were still dormant and the slopes at the base of the mountain were still covered in snow. Olga found the aid station that is used for mile 75 at the Wasatch 100—a small A-frame building that she said was often referred to as the “morgue”. I think it brought back lots of memories for her as she walked up the steps she had difficulty walking up in 2005. She peeked through the window while I stood at the base of the stairs. Our plan was to go on a hike up there, but that wasn’t going to happen due to the amount of snow on the ground.

We decided to drive back down the canyon to find a trailhead. Eventually, we found a suitable spot and began our hike with an immediate climb out of the canyon. We ascended over 2,000 feet within a few miles into an open basin before, eventually, turning around. The light rain led to bright sunshine by the time our hike ended. We had forgotten to take water with us, but the snowmelt streams provided all we could ever want. We came to the conclusion that people in the Salt Lake area are totally spoiled with the Wasatch at their doorstep. I can’t imagine having such close access to so many mountain trails. I’m getting excited about July in Silverton. More mountains for this flatlander to enjoy.