Chasing the High

Long steamy run today, 16miler through the hills of West Plaza, 80 degrees at 5:30 AM, 76% Humidity, stagnant and moist. It would be pretty comparable if you just ran on a treadmill in a sauna . No ipod again today, stupid new "Sony performance earphones" wouldn't stay in my ears and drove me crazy for the first mile. I've gotten to where I almost prefer not having music anyway. I believe you run more efficiently listening to the symphony of your body, the tempo of your pace, the rhythm of your breathing, the sloshing of your feet hitting the ground. It can be very lonely at times, left to meander through your thoughts during a tough long stretch, but also therapeutic. There are a lot of natural sounds that you miss when you have music blasting in your ears.

Much of my recent daily diet has consisted of hill training in preparation for Psycho Wyco, July 11. The course has roughly 9,000 feet of incline over 15 miles. Today I decided that there is definitely a chemical release of endorphins that happens in the brain immediately upon cresting a large climb, or I should say, series of long climbs, since the West Plaza loop contains no fewer than 8 steep ascents. You're keeping steady tempo, pressing forward, straining to keep form, gasping for every last bit of breath available, your legs throbbing with lactate acid as you push for the summit, every muscle tightening and straining to propel yourself upward. Right as you begin to crest the hill, there is an elation that washes straight from your eyeballs down through your core, your body wants to collapse but you hold form and jog out the pain as you slowly recover to pace. A sensation of complete exhaustion hits and then a release of dopamine directly into your central cortex. The high only last for a few seconds, but it's an addictive sensation that can only be experienced by pushing the bodies limits. Much like a junkie chases the high of a drug, a runner chases the high of a great run. "The trials of miles, miles of trials"

KC Hospital Hill Half-Marathon *New PR

After driving the hilly course the day before and waking up to heavy winds the morning of the race, I really wasn't expecting to come away with a PR. I went out fast, first mile was 6:18. We hit a long steep hill at mile 2 that was a rude awakening of what laid ahead. I continued to press hard and finally got settled in around mile 4. I hit the 10k marker in 43min. The headwinds were brutal all the way out South, through mile 7. I got into a nice rhythm and made up some ground down Brookside and knew I had a chance to PR. I had spent the majority of the race on the heals of another runner, always trying to match his speed, sometimes running shoulder to shoulder. As we hit Broadway and started to pick off defeated warriors one by one, I finally passed my unknown competitor. This is where all the late hills on my long runs really paid off. I decided to hold my final kick till after the the steep ascent at Wyandotte Street. However, the hill was steep but shorter than I anticipated and I flew right up it. If I hadn't hesitated I think I would've run sub1:30. I ran the last mile all-out in 6:10, and nearly trampled a person in my path. Final result, 1:31.23 / 6:59 pace overall. At the end of the race the runner whose back I had stared at for over 10 miles, gave me a smirk of complete exhaustion, we bumped fists, no words were spoken, only a slight acknowledgment for the shared brotherhood of pain and determination. It was an exciting finish for such a tough course.

I waited with Nate for Angie and Heather to cross the line. While we waited a girl jumped down from a large concrete planter she was sitting on after finishing the 10k race. When she landed she snapped her leg, a severe stress fracture on the front of her shin. She let out a blood curdling scream and everyone dashed to get the paramedics. Whoa, talk about a bad way to end a race. OUCH!!

Mental Toughness

“Aerobic efficiency is built on consistency”. This has been the goal this summer, to stay consistent and build volume. I try to create mental walls for myself each week. One goal has been to complete at least 30miles by each Wednesday, in any fashion necessary. This usually means running twice a day on Tuesdays & Wednesdays. By Wednesday evening, the work is done and I feel a great sense of satisfaction, knowing Thursday is a well deserved rest day. This type of dedication requires a lot of mental strength, which is something I’ve had to work on as the miles have added up. It’s the same mental strength that is required to dig deep when the pain is telling your body to give up. The mental toughness required to endure running 26.2 miles at a given speed. It’s a variable every bit as important as each long run and interval set, yet an attribute even more challenging to strengthen.

There are days when the last thing I want to do is go out and run 8 miles, especially when I ran 6 hard that morning. But I make myself do it, and I’ve broken through mental barriers, the once impossible has now become possible with every new goal accomplished. I believe every runner, whether elite or novice, wakes up questioning the task at hand. It’s so easy to rollover and hit snooze on the alarm clock. It’s plain and simple, running is hard! It’s the simplest form of raw endurance, yet, to achieve ‘personal bests’ takes extremely hard work and devout dedication. Get up, slip on your running shoes and “keep your appointments with yourself”.

Mileage – May 2009
5/25/2009 — 5/31/2009: 56.9 Miles (7:20:43hrs)
5/18/2009 — 5/24/2009: 64.3 Miles (8:42:48hrs)
5/11/2009 — 5/17/2009: 39.3 Miles (5:18:06hrs)
5/04/2009 — 5/10/2009: 50.1 Miles (6:38:10hrs)

Total: 232.6 Miles (30:48:56hrs)

Memorial Weekend

Angie and I camped out at Clinton Lake, near Lawrence KS for two nights. We had a chance to do some great trail running. Here are some notes from my Journal:
5/24
Clinton State Park North Shore Trails with Angie. Muddy and rutty, our first time on the trails, we took our time to get our bearings on the traversing white and blue marked trail loops
5/24 PM
When I saw that the trail crossed over right next to our camp grounds I couldn't wait for a second run. Angie was sacked out and decided to take a nap. I was flying, bare-chested and loving it. I ran out 30 minutes and turned back, crossing through mile check points 3 & 7. I know I was keeping at least 8min pace but I'll low ball and say total 5mi since I didn't have on the Garmin. Thank goodness for my trail shoes having a solid mid foot and toe guards for sharp rocks, I almost biffed it several times.
5/25
From our camp site we went a different direction from my previous evenings run. Angie was right on my heels the whole time. I was running shirtless and collecting all the nights pre-strung cobwebs that crisscrossed the trails. We ran right up on a skunk that scurried into the bush and pointed his back at us as we whizzed by. I thought for sure he was going to spray us, but we lucked out

Upcoming Races

KC Hospital Hill Half-Marathon – June 6
Psycho Wyco 15mi Trail Race – July 11

Shoe Review - Nike Lunar Racer

I did my first trial run in my new Nike Lunar racers this morning. I pushed a hard 9 miles that consisted of lots of hilly asphalt and concrete but also a few grassy trails. I believe Nike has nailed the winning combo here for ultra light and super cushy, two things typically not found in a single shoe. I’m always on the lookout for a minimal, lightweight, neutral, smooth, retro, everyday trainer (that's a mouthful). I’ve recently burnt through 2 pairs of Asics Gel Speedstar 3’s, a killer shoe, but being a natural gear head, I had to check out this new Lunar foam sole and simple design. The shoe runs a bit snug, similar to a flat. I wear a size 10 in Speedstars & Hyperspeeds. I almost went with a 10.5 but decided on the 10. I can’t believe how cushy they are given the weight, it’s insane. Their almost as plush as a standard trainer. I did try on the Lunar ‘Trainer’ as well, but it just looked too wide and felt beefy with all the extra fabric, unnecessary in this shoe given that it has the same sole, unless of course you need the extra support. I plan to put the racer in rotation as an everyday trainer, and I might continue to use Hyperspeeds for racing, given that the Nike is almost too cushy, still unbelievable to me at 5.5oz’s. If you hold one shoe in your hand and close your eyes, you almost can’t feel the weight, similar to a plastic bottle. No doubt these would be great for 26.2. Only time will tell the durability…stay tuned.