No Time To Be Injured

Ah, isn't it just like life to aim straight for my nuts when I'm not paying attention?

So yeah, I sprained my ankle this past Saturday and I wish I could say it was doing something worth mentioning. I wasn't running or thwarting a terrorist attack or anything else that would make a cool story. No, I was getting off a trampoline. Not jumping on the trampoline (although I actually still can do a back flip). Getting off. Like, just stepping down. And it popped. How I have no idea, since one could question the very existence of ligaments after all the crap I did to them in high school, but I definitely sprained something. But I did what a good athletic trainer should do and immediately went into R.I.C.E. mode for the rest of the say. Oh and did I mention that this was a day after I barefoot-kicked the corner of the fridge door extremely hard and bruised an extensor tendon severely enough to cause me to limp for 48 hours afterwards? My bad for leaving that part out. Oh and I might as well mention the stomach bug that had me wiped all day Sunday as well.

Well my Memorial Day weekend was hosed and I was already behind schedule just one week into my training plan but whatever. Shit happens. I figured I'd just move my trail run from Sunday to Tuesday and get right back to it. (Ugh, if everything was that easy.) I woke up this morning, saw that the weather was super nice, taped up my own ankle (very nicely too if I may say so), popped two Tylenol, and headed out. And proceeded to crap out after the first four miles. I mean I was whipped. I don't know if it was the temperature or the horrible holiday diet or an altered stride or maybe my Sunday illness hanging about, but I could not keep my heart rate down for anything. I'm pretty sure it wasn't my foot or ankle as neither bothered me too much. I even tore off the tape after the first half mile or so, and as long as I stayed on my toes and kept my right ankle from going into full, quick dorsiflexion, everything felt fine. No, I don't know what it was but running was brutal today. So I walked way more than last time. But I guess I need to get used to a run/walk mix if I'm to complete a 50K. I just hope come October that I don't start feeling the need to rest until my last 12.5 mi lap.

And I made another wrong turn. (sigh) Hey, at least it was at a different spot this time.

link to today's run

Anyway, enjoy some of the pics I took during my frequent "holy crap, my heart is about to explode" sessions.

Jump Strong, Fly Swift, Land Soft

There are a lot of recurring themes in the world of running because, after all, there's just so much you can talk about when it comes to such a basic human mechanic. Oh sure, you could go on about things like form or injuries and take days discussing the variety of each. But like music or photography or anything else, you've likely seen it all when you boil it all down. That doesn't necessarily make it any less interesting of course. Anyway before I digress...

One of the topics you will see popping up in running magazines a few times each year is the idea of coming up with some sort of motivational word or phrase to use while you're running. More specifically, it needs to be something that will help push you through that wall when you find yourself worn out and ready to quit. To crack over the head of The Beast when he's breathing down your neck, threatening to put a 50 lb lead boot up your b-hole. Something short, simple, and easy to remember even when you're fuzzy headed and hating the fact that we weren't born with something on our feet to assist our movement, such as flat-proof wheels. And rockets. With lasers.

"So OK," I thought. I'll come up with something. I'm clever enough, sure. And like I said before, I can talk my own ass off anyway, so it's not a huge stretch to be my own motivator. But it certainly wasn't going to be some dorky cliche that you'd find on an elementary school wall poster like "You can do it!" or "Just keep going!" Ugh. Save that crap for the folks who still think tribal or butterfly tattoos make you look cool and edgy. No, I needed something personal. Something that told a story while at the same time giving an obvious nod to running. Typical, Jason. Overthinking damn near everything. Even my high school basketball coach used to sit me down after I'd screw up and tell me, "Jas, you're a smart kid. But you have to stop thinking so much and just play!"

Alright, you probably guessed what I came up with when you saw the title of this post. The short version - Strong-Swift-Soft - is what I usually repeat to myself when I get tired and my feet aren't coming off the ground as high or fast as they should be. I also have it printed on my YikesID bracelet in case looking at it is required. (So far it hasn't been.) "So what does it mean and where did it come from?" I'm glad you asked!

I got it from a few places. First thing, it described my new running form and how I was trying to convert from a heel striker to a midfoot runner. Shorten the stride, bend the knees, land softly and quietly on the forefoot. (I've since switched to more of a midfoot strike.) Save your knees and shins from all that pain you used to get from running any distance over 3 miles. Soft, soft, soft. Be a light and smooth running ninja. And great googly mooly that word - soft - helped me a ton. I can't count how many times in those first few months when I'd get tired and go back to my old CLOMP CLOMP stride, pausing each time to grit my teeth and force myself to pick my freaking heels back up off the ground. And even though that running form is now as natural to me as breathing, I still sometimes have to remind myself that being tired isn't an excuse to be lazy. Also, because of that crappy summer I had last year, I know now that we all fall at some point. But it's not the fall that we need to concern ourselves with. It's how we land that counts.

OK, "strong" and "swift." Well there isn't really anything special behind the former. To attack that next hill, to fight that Texas Panhandle wind, to push yourself just one more agonizing mile you have to be strong and get yourself airborne. See your goal and get ready to jump. And once you're up and out there, you have to fly. Fly swift, fly fast, and be thankful that you're afforded the ability to do so because in a sky full of people only some want to fly. (Isn't that crazy?)

So that's it. Now it's your turn to come up with something. And if it has anything to do with butterflies, I'll hunt you down and slap you.

What Goes Through My Head While Running - Part 1

1. My butt and hips are sore. This means two things: 1) I'm using the correct technique to climb hills, and 2) the days of my flat ass are numbered.

2. Losing 10 lbs would be a big help. (Sigh) Time to cut back on the cherry pie with vanilla ice cream.

3. Drink more water. 34 oz in 100 min isn't enough. It has to be the hydration vest because I always drink enough when I'm carrying a hand bottle.

4. Take a salt pill. It's only going to get hotter over the next several weeks, and I don't want to cramp and then strain something after I stubbornly keep going.

5. Sunscreen. I'm usually pretty good about remembering it too, just not this time.

6. Cyclists suck. Their bikes tear up the trails and I just know I'm going to get run over by one going the opposite direction. And because of them I have to keep checking behind to make sure one isn't riding up on me.

7. Holy crap, there are a lot of lizards. And turkeys. But thankfully I didn’t run into any wild hogs.

8. My new Saucony Peregrines have some sick traction. Not a single slip the entire run.

9. After reading Relentless Forward Progress by Bryon Powell, I've decided to go without any supplemental calories on any run that’s shorter than 2 hours. And I’ll be damned, I never felt like I was about to crash from lack of energy, so why in the heck was I sucking down all those GU gels last year?

10. I really need to look over a map of the place. I went out hoping I’d remember where I’d been in the past and pretty much got lucky with the distance. But subsequent runs are going to be longer and I really need to know what trails to take so that I don’t end up always having to repeat stuff.

We All Have To Start Somewhere

Even though I have a modest aerobic base to build upon, I was reminded (for the third time) this morning how tough and how awesome trail running is compared to level street running. It's a serious business, this stuff. But let me stop and back up a little bit so that you can understand where this came from and where I'm going with it.

Last summer was a tough one for me, and at that time I needed something to put my physical and emotional energy into. I can't remember exactly what made me choose long distance running, as I think I'd set out to just "tone up" by spending time at the gym. I'd given short distances - 5K, 5 mi - a shot a few years prior, and done moderately well for an inexperienced guy in his mid-30s, but I soon burned out and just gave it up. Now in high school I was a hurdler and sprint relay guy, and was often heard saying, "If it takes more than a minute to finish, I'm not going to run it." So I'm not sure what made me decide now to go longer. Maybe it's just an age thing. You know, like some adults out of nowhere start listening to country, jazz, or classical music. Actually, it was probably my purchase of some Vibram Bikila FiveFingers and the Harvard barefoot running article that did it. And of course my interest quickly became a borderline obsession once I read Born to Run by Chris McDougall. From then on, I was determined to run right and run long.

So fast forward a few months and I'm slated to run two significant races: the Rock and Roll half in San Antonio (Nov) and Palo Duro Canyon 20K (Oct). (There were a few shorter distances I had registered for but I had to scratch from those due to a very untimely stress fracture in my foot. Yeah, yeah. TMTS. I know that now.) Anyway, that latter race was my first true trail run and I ran a respectable 9:39 pace. But to this day I can't recall any other physical task in my life that was harder than that run. My legs and feet went from tired to aching to exhausted to pain and then finally an almost numb feeling. I was covered in dirt and body salts and could barely walk after I crossed the finish line. But for the first time in a long time, I felt as if I had beaten back "The Beast" that often whispers in our ear that we're weak and inadequate. That we're not capable or worthy when things look ugly or maybe even impossible.

It was awesome. And I was hooked.

I didn't get to go back out there until this past April when Lone Star Runners Club hosted a 9 miler. This time I was in worse shape than last, so I held back and ran a slower pace and didn't feel as worn out at the finish. As a matter of fact, I felt pretty darn good. Maybe it's because I knew something about the course or that I was a tad more strategic on this attempt. Still, it was far from easy and - for the second time - I was reminded that THIS CRAP IS NO JOKE. But the difficulty scales right along with the enjoyment, thank you very much. I'm never lulled into that monotony daze I get while running roads, catching "runners are such idiots" looks from pretentious pricks as they drive by in their stupid Hummers, blowing acrid cigarette smoke from their cracked windows.

So there you are. A short story made long. I've now been out to the canyon three times to run some fairly technical trails and come away loving it more each time. One thing I appreciated this time though that I somehow missed during the previous two trips was how fortunate I am to live so close to something like Palo Duro Canyon. It's no Rocky Mountains or Washington forest, but I tell you what. It's just as freaking cool it it's own way, and I plan on taking weekly advantage of my access to it. I mean just click on that panorama picture that I took this morning and tell me that doesn't look like it'd be fun to run. And that's just one aspect of the place. There are plenty of trees and hills and rocks and cactus and wildlife and the SMELL. Oh man, the sage and juniper and sumac and mesquite all blended together is way easier to breathe than the shit smell you encounter running past city drainage ditches and port-a-pots. Just sayin'.

Well that's it for now. I'll post again once I get the mental list I made while running all straightened out. It's going to be a heck of a summer, that's for sure.

Here We Go

I'm going to give this a shot.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to talk and tell stories and offer an opinion on pretty much everything. I'm smart enough to know though that most of what I have to say is really only interesting to one person - me. And yes, that means I sometimes talk to myself. (OK, I do it a lot. I'm not crazy though, I promise.) So yeah, I'm going to see if I can maintain a blog despite the lack of calling. I'm going to see if I can wrangle the miriad of thoughts that go through my head at any given moment and send them screaming across the internet where they can be glossed over and frowned upon and generally poked fun at by dozens of people who probably don't give a shit about what I have to say in the first place. Fun!

What's kept me from doing this for such a long time is the same thing (I'm assuming) lots of others have asked themselves when considering a blog - what in the world am I going to blog about? Is there anything I can discuss or weigh in on that hasn't already been brought up by a hundred others already? And done so in a more clever, comprehensive manner than I'd ever be capable of? No and no, I choose to trudge on anyway and blog about...(drumroll)...running. To be more specific, I'm going to try and share my thoughts and experiences as I spend the next four months training for a 50K. And of course, given my nature, I'll probably post about other stuff too.

Let the blathering begin.