06.29.08

New Shoes :D

Posted in Uncategorized at 9:15 am by Tori

So, I finally found time and broke down (my body has been breaking down waaayyy before this!) and got NEW SHOES!!! the glory of a new pair of running shoes.

I find this is a significant purchase each and every single time.  It’s always new when you get there because the company’s are coming out with new and different styles and it’s always a wonderful experience.

I went with the newest version of the Asics Gel-Cumulus with the new lace-up, in hopes that this will help my too big toe-box issue I constantly run into with shoes [after about two weeks i'm having to pull the toe-box so tight to keep my foot from moving around that there is folding - it's just too wide].

The past two weeks my body has been aching and hating me - sure signs of needed new shoes.  I had intentions to get them last week and failed with late work hours never making it up to Chapel Hill. In a weird way, I was thankfully a little ill this past week and so did not run much, but Friday - ugh for the shoes and the run.

HOwever, as I write this post late out the door for church, I have my new running shoes on (I thought to just break them in a bit) and now am DYING to just get out and hit some ground.  I love the springy and cushion-y inspiring new feeling of brand new running shoes and just had to post about it.

Anyone else get this feeling?

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06.26.08

itchin!

Posted in Uncategorized at 6:35 pm by Brent

well, i still have another week of down time, but i am already reading, thinking and plotting about how to get faster. I went for a three mile run, and let’s just say the mind recovers more quickly than the body. i realize that my last post was a little negative, but rest assured that i am over the slight disappointment of the marathon and looking toward my next training block. though it has not been announced yet, i have read and heard rumors that the 2012 qualifying window will open in 2009, meaning i can try for a qualifier pre-residency. it might mean not running track (or at least not being track focused), so I will have to think hard about it. anyway, i am itching to get back, but i will enjoy another few days of fat week.

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06.23.08

getting the beat-down.

Posted in Uncategorized at 10:14 am by Brent

Another marathon, another disappointment. I guess 7 weeks (really 5 weeks before the taper) is not enough time to train for a fast marathon. I did run a decent 19 miles (1:44:35), but had nothing over the last 7 miles. This time, ambitious pacing was not to blame, rather dehydration and near-cramping legs (probably due to the dehydration). I ran overly conservative in the early going and at about 14 miles felt like a million bucks because of it. My breathing was always very steady and not too hard. Then slowly the monkey climbed on and I went 5:50, 5:53, 5:56 to mile 22. During mile 22 was a steep hill, which I felt like I crawled up, and I was starting to unravel. The “wall” in a marathon is unlike any torture I have ever experienced. Slowly you lose focus, you veer inexplicably, going downhill hurts worse than uphill…and on this day I started to get chills. Chills are not a good sign in such hot, dry conditions and they scared me. At mile 24, I stopped and walked for 20 seconds (my third such walking break of the day), fearing I was about to go down. I chugged down two cups of water and poured another on my head. I felt good enough to go 2 more miles and the crowds were loud and raucous enough to keep me going. I have never wanted not to be running more in my life than those last two miles of the race. It must have been a sad homestretch to watch as another guy, who was hurting even more, and I shuffled into finish not wanting any part of silly competition - this was survival, far more important. A sprint who have sent my quivering left hamstring into an inexorable cramping spasm.

So, what did I learn? Like I said, I am not sure I trained very effectively for this race, which I knew was a possibility beforehand. A longer build-up and higher mileage are necessary. Also, I think that during a marathon training phase, you must run at marathon pace as much as possible and not spend time running much faster than half marathon pace. The difficulty is not in the pace, rather the distance, and covering distance at pace is critical. I also learned that I might not be as good a marathoner as I am 5k-half-marathon, and I am ok with that if it is true.

Before I make this determination. I just want one more shot with proper build-up, better training, and could somebody give me some decent race day weather(75 degrees at finish - pretty hot for a marathon) and some people to run with (alone after 3 miles) for once!

The facts - there was a stiff headwind out of the west. the is course is point to point and heads WSW, so the head wind was pretty constant. temps around 70-75 for the race, sunny and dry. 5:30. 5:29(10:59), 5:24 (16:24), 5:32(21:56), 5:23 (27:19 5 miles), 5:25(32:44), next 2 in 11:19(44:04 8 miles) (during the 7th mile I had to stop bc I started to feel light headed and couldn’t catch my breath, a worrisome thing. I recovered and started running again), 5:28(49:32), 5:22(54:54 at 10), 5:34(1:00:29), 5:23(1:05:52), 5:30 (1:11:22), 5:22(1:16:45), 5:30(1:22:15), 5:31(1:27:47), 5:32(1:33:19), 5:41(1:39:01), 5:34 (1:44:35), 5:50(1:50:26 at 20 miles/5:31 pace), 5:53(1:56:20), 5:56(2:02:16), 6:08(2:08:24), 6:41(2:15:06), 6:14(2:21:21), last 1.2 7:32 - 2:28:53, 5:40 pace, 21st overall, a 3 minute PR but a 5-8 minute disappointment. ah well.

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06.21.08

On the treadmill in Cairo

Posted in Jeuland's Musings at 1:40 pm by Marc

Greetings from the sprawling city of Cairo! I have been relegated to running on the treadmill here as it is impossible to do so in the streets. If you have ever been to this city, you’ll understand. Crossing the street walking is hard enough! It’s like a real life version of frogger, which you can imagine is slightly more harrowing than a computer game. Alas, the treadmill’s not my favorite, but I think I will stick to it for a few more days.  There is something awful about having your pace be dictated by a brainless machine. You can never slow down or surge, unless you play with the speed and tilt, which I am way too lazy to do.

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06.18.08

more “why do you run?”

Posted in Uncategorized at 10:02 am by Joan

We’re having an organizational meeting in early July where we will chart our plans for the 2008 fall season (hopefully,  returning to Club XC nationals in December); we’ll also meet some prospective new members.  Here are two answers to my “Why do you run?” question on the CAC application … posted with permission:

from, Kevin Crosby:

As I mentioned previously, I am competitive. I love to compete. If it wasn’t for racing, I probably would not run near as much as I do. Almost as much as the competition, I have found some of my best friends through running, and I love the bonding that occurs on the easy days, the long days, and the days where you are running so hard you can’t speak a word to each other. Lastly, I love being outside. Running is a great excuse to be out for 2 hrs each day.

from Rebekah Potts:

The reason for my running depends on the day that this question is asked. Some days, I run because I need 45 min of time alone, or an hour to let the days events and problems slowly percolate through my head, thinking over them as I feel inclined. Some days, I run because I simply want to go where and when and however fast I want to, under the power of my own legs. Other days, I run because I want to feel the dirt of my favorite trail; I want to watch the trees blow by; I want to catch sight of deer running away from the sound of my running shoes; I want to fill my lungs with air that has not been re-circulated by enormous compressors and artificially chilled to 68 F. Often times, when I need motivation to go for a run on a rainy and cold day (or a hot, humid one), I run because I know that running will give me a sense of accomplishment, will satisfy my competitive drive, and will leave me feeling thankful and happy that I was able to complete the distance I set out to cover. I love the simple sensation of running, the people I get to run with, the strength and physical fitness that running provides.

To condense my reasons into one, overly-simplified sentence: I run both for what I gain from it, and for the joy of the actual run. And even more simply: I love to run.

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06.14.08

anachronism in the pool

Posted in Uncategorized at 10:38 am by Joan

Yesterday I decided to swim some laps in our club pool while my six year-old was happily swim teaming two lanes over. Halfway through laboring to reach my “36 lengths” goal, a broad-shouldered fella (something New Jersey-like made him a “fella” not a fellow or a gentleman or a guy) asked to share my lane. He looked like someone who could have made it all the way down the lane in three butterfly strokes, but in actuality he lumbered (can a swimmer lumber?). He swam lumberingly? Anyway, he was all over the lane and I had to hug the rope to dodge his sideways scissor-kick. Thinking quickly (ahhh, a flutter kick will help!), I asked him if he’d like a kick board as I was going to the lifeguard shack to get one for myself. “Sure, that’d be great,” he smiled. Well, now we were friends. Lap lane friends are a bit like airplane buddies. Of course I found out he was a runner. “Just finished a marathon last month,” he said. Is there anyone left who doesn’t run marathons? “What was your time?” 3:50. [I didn't share any of my stats. One marathon. 10 years ago. 2:54 Took a 5-minute nap at mile 25]. I just said, “What’s a big guy like you running marathons for?”

“I have to. It’s in my blood.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Ever heard of George Sheehan?”

“Sure. Why?”

“Well, he’s my grand father.”

“Get out! Seriously? Wow, you’re running royalty.”

“Yep. So you can see why I have to run.”

“Have you read his book, Running and Being?”

“No. Can’t say that I have”

And here is where I get the to whole point of this post. How can you be George Sheehan’s grandson and never read his book? How can you “run marathons” and not know of Running and Being? How can I be this old? How can I be this out-of-date? Perhaps Sheehan’s chapter on “suffering” doesn’t resonate with the modern running soul. Maybe if Sheehan had a chapter on the Garmin watch or on a fuel belt or on how to eat right for triathlons his grandson would read his book.

I did a few out-and-backs on my kickboard but I didn’t have the heart to make it to 36 lengths.

Oh, woe is ancient me!

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06.07.08

Summer heat

Posted in Jeuland's Musings, Uncategorized at 9:14 am by Marc

Greetings all, from Singapore!

I thought I was the unlucky one trying to slog out runs in the heat and humidity here until I checked the weather back home in Carrboro this weekend. Holy cow! I hope Brent passed on his long run (which by now at least is shorter), delaying it a few days until the worst heat passes. I tried one myself this morning and only lasted about 97 minutes. My attempt involved slowing considerably by the end of my run as the temperature climbed to around 82 with 90+% humidity at 9am.

I think I drank about 1 gallon of water and still felt dehydrated. These are the days I wish I were a camel.

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06.05.08

Anyone got 5 bucks?

Posted in Uncategorized at 8:18 pm by Rob

When I was in 8th grade, I had a string of bad luck to start the year.  I ran for, but was not nominated for student body president.   There were  3 of us, and I didn’t make the 2 person runoff.  3 days later, I lost by one vote for the oh-so prestigious position of band president.  Next came the school basketball tryouts, where I was left off of the roster.  Lastly, I played in an audition for the traveling group with our band and again lost out.  This all happened in the course of one or two weeks, and, even at my immature state then, all I could do was laugh about it and shrug it off.  My father noticed this and gave me 5 bucks.  He told me that he was not rewarding me for failure, but rather for the way I handled it.  Well, the year got much better after that (I actually ended up starting on the b-ball team which was the only thing of those 4 that I actually deserved), but I never forgot the gesture.  This year, I returned the favor, giving him 5 bucks when he had a string of bad luck.   I have made it sort of a family tradition, despite the fact that he had forgotten about it.

I am now finding myself in need of such a boost.  My ailing back has only gotten worse since that last race on April 26th.  I decreased my running to 45 miles a week, then to 24, and then to completely off around 2 weeks ago.  I began noticing left leg weakness, cramping, and constant turning of my left ankle on even smooth terrain.  I hit the pool around 1 month ago, and have been doing nothing but swimming now for 2 weeks.  I have seen a physical therapist, sports masseuse, and non-surgical back doc who ordered Xrays (normal) and an MRI.  The MRI showed a mild bulging of one of my discs and very mild impingement on the nerve.  This is good news.  The only problem is that my pain has gotten worse this week.  This wears on me, this almost constant pain.

The second tragic event of the spring for me happened last saturday night.  My 11-year old golden retriever Tucker died in our house.  He had cancer in his left elbow last year and had his leg taken off.  He was much better until one week ago when he started having trouble getting up.  He got better until Saturday when he again could not seem to get up.  We had friends over at the time, and I tried not to make a big deal out of it, but I was worried.  This company ended up being a blessing, because it gave him time at home for the last couple of hours.  I decided after they left to take him in because he started having labored breathing, but he suddenly just stopped breathing.  It was a blessing in some ways, because he was too old and frail to survive invasive tests and procedures, and I did not have to decide what to do at the last moment.  A true friend, he made the decision for me.  He defined an incredible chapter in my life in that he was my first dog, and I met my wife because of him when he was 3 months old.  He has seen us through med school in Georgia,  residencies in Wisconsin, and then the birth of our 2 kids here in Chapel Hill.  To say that it has left a void is an understatement.  Anyone who has had and lost a pet can understand this.

I apologize for the depressing tone to this post.  I promise that I remain optimistic about the future.  These setbacks are just that - setbacks.  They will not keep me from doing what I love.  I fully plan on running hard again in the future, and look forward to again joining this group.  I would not be getting water-logged in the pool every day if I did not believe in this.

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