Things That Go Bump in the Night

Namely....Me.

Sometimes it seems absurd the things we do in the name of our hobby. This week is a busy one for me, with work and my hobby. I have a lot of traveling to do so it has been difficult for me to get my runs in, especially considering that this is a high mileage week in my plan.

So after after landing back home at the Atlanta Airport my wife picked me up and the family went out for dinner. This gave me a good chance to not let work or running get in the way of family time and remind my daughter that daddy does indeed live here and he is not just some voice on the other end of the cell phone. After dinner we got home, gave my daughter a bath, then I read some books to her and she was off to sleep. That is when I became dumb.

I announced to my wife that I was going running; to which she replied, "What?" "Now!" and "How long, so I know when to send the search party?'

But I was resolve in my decision, so I affixed my headlamp and drove off to the deserted (I mean really deserted) trail. Now when I say that it was dark out, I don't want this to be taken for an understatement. It. Was. Dark. There are no lights on the trail. There are no lights nearby. There is no chance of lights penetrating the trees from houses, streetlamps, cars, moon, stars, or airplanes.

While starting out on my run I remembered the conversation I had with the salesperson at REI when I bought my headlamp:

Me(looking at a $19 headlamp): This one looks like what I need.
Salesperson: This $40 one puts out a lot more light.
Me: I like this one, it's light weight and I really only need it in the pre-dawn.
Salesperson: This $50 one is light weight and puts out more light.
Me: I understand you wanting to up-sell me, but really it's only dark for a little part of my run. And I really just want it so cars can see me.

Now we fastforward to a conversation I'm having with myself somewhere around mile 3:

Me: Wow....sure is dark out.
Me: Damn, I should have bought that $50 headlamp
Me: Ouch!...was that a branch?
Me: Damn, I should have bought that $50 headlamp

Me: What did I just step in?

Me: Damn, I should have bought that $50 headlamp

Me: What kind of animal makes that noise?
Me: Damn, I should have bought that $50 headlamp


The heck with the headlamp....I should have bought a treadmill.

Taper madness

As the support team for a Marathoner you are entering a very tricky period.
Your Marathoner has been training hard through the summer and into the fall in
preparation for the big day. The hard work is behind and TAPER MADNESS is ahead.



Marathon training is a stair-step type process where muscles are
broken down for several weeks and then an easier week is thrown in for recovery.
Finally three weeks before the Marathon, one last long run is completed and it’s
time for recovery. The last three weeks are a period of descending running
mileage. This period allows the body to more fully recover and rest in
preparation for the Big Day, it is called the Taper.



This all
sounds well and good, however, the Taper is a period of great anxiety for many
Marathoners (first-timers and veterans alike). Over the course of training for a
Marathon, an athlete becomes accustomed to running many miles each week and
constantly feeling the rush of endorphin driven highs and the persistent fatigue
and soreness of effort. The athlete becomes somewhat addicted to these emotions
and considers them normal.



The Tapering Marathoner will be
irritable, anxious, nervous, overly emotional, short-tempered, restless, tired,
cranky, depressed (even more than normal). Sounds like a great three weeks
doesn’t it? It is not unlike the addict going cold turkey. This is a span of
time where most Marathoners go a bit crazy. For most it passes after Marathon
day. Of course there are the post-marathon blues, but that’s the subject for
another day.



The first week is not too bad. It’s really like
most “easy weeks” following a twenty mile run. Recovery is critical and the
mileage is not dropping by a large amount. Nerves may begin to fray but the best
is yet to come – trust me!



During the first part of Taper
Madness you will hear about every small ache and pain and how it may be a broken
leg or torn ligament or some other traumatic injury. Every twinge becomes a
reason to think about postponing the marathon effort. Every sneeze, sniffle,
cough or pimple becomes a life-threatening virus or infection. Tight hammies,
inflamed ITB, tweaked Achilles, plantar fascitis, black toenails, bloody
nipples, chafing, and this is just during breakfast.



The second
week starts the deep depression. The tapering Marathoner starts to really miss
running. There are no more double-digit runs before the marathon for most. The
longest run for the next two weeks will be 8 miles. Just 8 miles, how many used
“just” and “8 miles” in the same sentence prior to training for the marathon.
The body is really starting to recover and therefore has more energy than
needed. Therefore, the Marathoner becomes restless. No “extra” running is
allowed. The tapering Marathoner can feel the fitness draining out of their
body. Ask them, they will tell you, they are getting slower every day! This is
not happening but the feelings are real. Physiologically, there is nothing but
positives from a 3 week taper prior to running a marathon, however, it feels
quite the opposite. This restlessness often becomes frustration and a very
short-tempered athlete. Understand that this frustration will be projected at
anyone and everyone within reach. It’s nothing personal; it’s the lack of
mileage talking.



So it’s now seven days before the Marathon. The
last 8 mile run is done and all that’s left is 3 easy short runs and the BIG
EVENT. For the first time Marathoner and some experienced folk, this week is
nothing but self-doubt and worry. “I’ll never make it. My foot hurts. My nose is
running. I’m not ready. My last 20 miler sucked, I’ll die out there. I’m getting
fat and slow. My shoes are dead, my shoes are too small, my shoes are too big,”
These are some of the things going through the mind of a Marathoner in their
last few days. Not to mention the nervous energy that is overflowing. Not to
mention that there may be a couple of extra pounds after cutting back on the
running for 3 weeks. Not to mention that the trips to the bathroom are
increasing geometrically as the hydration dance starts in earnest. Many find
concentrating on anything other than the upcoming race difficult. By the way,
Marathoners in the final days before a race often make poor babysitters.



Two nights before the marathon are critical to the marathoner.
This night is probably the last chance for a good nights sleep. The night before
is typically restless and worrisome (what if the alarm doesn’t go off). A
sleepless night preceding a marathon will not have a dramatic impact on chances
for success. Adrenaline will offset missing that night’s sleep and get the
Marathoner through the race. The morning of the marathon is all about getting
some food, using the bathroom and getting to the race. My suggestion, don’t get
in the way.



I am sure your marathoner appreciates all the
support they have received during the training program. The last few weeks are
critical to a successful marathon effort. Please understand that the emotional
wreck will disappear after the marathon. The Taper can be especially difficult
and frustrating for everyone. The good news, it ends with the race.



I hope this sheds some light on TAPER MADNESS. Sometimes insight
makes things a bit easier to understand. Of course, your experience may differ
greatly but I’ll bet it doesn’t.

This is a great little article on Taper Madness and something to remember for everyone in my life around December. Oh the Joys I have to look forward to...

Ian's Shoelace Site - Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot

A better way to tie a knot??? Click the title for the link.

I think most runners are somewhat obsessive about their shoelaces. Too Tight, too lose...should I retie before the run? I'll have to try this out and see if it helps.

The running has been going well. This week I have less mileage to do on Sunday, instead I have more during the week. It's a lot easier to spread it out like this, natch, but it also gives me an opportunity to not feel guilty about drinking this weekend.

17 miles so far for the week and 79 for the month.

Running Music

JAMES � ( Sit Down Lyrics )

I know that runners are not supposed to listen to music while running. You are supposed to be able to hear cars and bikes passing you, you are supposed to regulate your breathing and you are supposed to enjoy the silence. I know all of this and I try to mitigate the risks, but I still love the music. I run on a trail, so I don’t really have to worry about cars. I also use headphones that let in a lot of sound (which of course means I have to have regular headphones and running headphones). I keep the volume pretty low; to start with at least. And I don’t listen to music at all when I am traveling and have to run along a street in a different town. But I refuse to give up my music.

My music is my running partner. It helps me keep my mind off the boredom. It distracts me from my fatigue. Most importantly there is no gel, energy bar or sports drink that can give you the boost that a perfectly timed peppy song can.

On Sunday, I ran my first long run since coming back from my stress fracture. I started really early in the day, so the weather was perfect. I had planned to run only 8 miles but everything was going well, and I was so happy to be able to do the sport that I love that I continued on a little further before my turn around point. When I finally started to tire and bore during my return trip James’ Sit Down came on and it was all I could do not to sing aloud:

Those who feel the breath of sadness
Sit down next to me
Those who find they’re touched by madness
Sit down next to me
Those who find themselves ridiculous
Sit down next to me
Love, in fear, in hate, in tears

Today’s Mileage: 9.4 Week to date: 23 Month to date: 32

Milege

Today’s Mileage: 4.0 Week to date: 10 Month to date: 20

I Want to Run

I want run
I want to hide
I want to tear down these walls that hold us inside
-Where the Streets have No Name, U2
I got into running kind of late in life. Oh sure, I ran as a kid and even a bit in college, but it was more of a distraction than a hobby. But recently I have attacked running with gusto and it became a very important part of me. I ran in local races to give myself goals and to keep me motivated. Eventually, I decided to take on the ultimate goal: to run a marathon.
I attacked this goal with a little too much gusto. I downloaded a training schedule and stuck to it religiously. But the early mileage was less than my base and I felt it needed to be more challenging. So if my training schedule told me to run three miles, I thought, “Sure, I’ll do three, but I’ll do them on hills.” And so every time I had a low mileage run, I would do it on hilly terrain. While this concept might be sound for many runners…it is not recommended for those carrying around a few extra pounds. As you may have guessed, I injured myself and I was out of the Chicago Marathon with a stress fracture.

While this may sound like the end of a challenge, it was actually the beginning of my biggest challenge: surviving the next 9 weeks without running. I tried swimming and biking, and enjoyed them, but not as much as running. With running if you felt like a quick workout, you just left your house and came back 30 minuets later after running 4 miles. With biking or swimming there seemed like much more preparation, and to get a similar amount of exercise; it felt like it took longer. Traveling also had its problems. With running, just pack your shoes. Swimming or biking on the road often meant hoping a hotel had a pool where you had to do twice as many laps or worse: riding on a stationary bike.

Now that I can run again, I appreciate it more. I am having even a harder time pacing my come back. I want to put in that frequent high mileage right away. I will try to avoid hills in the beginning, and then when I introduce them, I will do so in moderation. But I missed it so much that I want to get back that lost time.

I will remember for a long time that first day back after my injury when I started very slowly to test my leg. I was not even paying attention to the music in my MP3 player; I didn’t even know I had turned it on because it started so soft. And then all at once I recognized a familiar guitar riff, then the words broke out, “I want to run…”

Well the Holiday Season is Over

The end of a 13-0 Season! 

You’ll note that my Holiday Season continues to Super Bowl Sunday. I never start my resolutions on the 1st of the year because they usually involve losing weight, getting in better shape or getting organized. You can’t do any of those things when College Football season is still going on (I had to go to the Sugar Bowl), then NFL gives us an excuse to get the neighbors together for a few beers. Frankly, I don’t think I should start the resolutions until after March Madness and St. Pat’s day; but you have to draw a line at some point…I think I’ll just take those days off.

Anyway, a lot has happened since I last posted. I used the excuse of the Holidays and work to be lazy about posting, but I’ll try to pick it up again. I won’t waste time talking about everything that happened; I’ll just flashback to it during the course of the year like a bad movie. I do think a mention of the Sugar Bowl is in order though. It has been a long time since we got the old Poker Club together for some Guy Time. We couldn’t get away for more than just 1 day and night because we have families and jobs and things that didn’t quite tie us down as much as the old days. It is funny how when you get a group of your best friends together things just seem to pick up where they left off. We keep in touch through phone and e mail and we often see each other from time to time, but none of that compares to spending time in a car or drinking on Bourbon St. It’s the little things then end up being the funniest, laughing so hard at our hung over fog on the way home or the ribbing we constantly give each other. We will have to try to get the gang together at least once every other year…hopefully to more BCS games.

The trip was a little bit of a blur with all the drinking we tried to cram into the short time that we had, but I do have memories of bumping into a lot of old friends that we went to school with; I think we could have held a fraternity alumni meeting. Then there was Pat O’s which is always a good time, but this is where the really hard drinking began, this is where things got hazy. The game was a good time, but the fact that it got a little too close near the end sobered us all up quickly. Then we went back to Bourbon St. for dinner and a little ‘sight seeing’ (see photo below).

All in all it was a great way to finish the football season, but I don’t think we can wait until next year to get together again.

Sight seeing on Bourbon St.