Starting with a brief recap around road concerns, but then onto “off road” stuff. Latest road work yielded yet another new pound-miles record – upped the ante to 176 by suiting up with twenty pounds and sweating out 8.8 miles on a steamy Sunday morning. That made the week’s tally fifty miles à phew!
On the travel front I swung over to the local AAA office at lunch to score an International Driver’s Permit. My brother-in-law suggested this to help ensure we would be able to wheel about Reunion in our rental car. I kid myself that I am an experienced traveler, but I had never heard of this before Jeff mentioned it. Confess I am unconvinced of the IDP’s true value, but it is rather painless to secure one. You just need to fill out a form and get a photograph taken, which my local AAA accommodated for the bargain price of $21 ($15 for the permit, $6 for the photographs which they snapped right there) and ten minutes of my time.
Unlike a passport, where you have to wait several weeks to get the goods, I walked out in possession of my brand new IDP. The intent is to support your driver’s license (which you also need to carry along) with this document, which simply has some boiler plate language in a bunch of foreign tongues (including Arabic, Greek and Chinese) and basically states that you are allowed to drive in your own country. I suppose the merit lies with the IDP’s expiration after one year – securing an IDP validates that you really have been granted permission to drive in your home country.
The other news is that I received a phone call from Dexcom today. They received the form I sent in to inquire about a Continuous Glucose Monitor. We talked for some time and the representative answered a lot of questions I had, mainly around the device’s perceived durability. The conclusion was to move forward and although it will be expensive I am excited to try the latest technology for monitoring blood sugars. Hopefully I will soon be able to share how effective the CGM is for keeping tabs on my blood sugars during long runs…potentially a HUGE improvement!
A final "ultra" physical endeavor before joining AARP...
Monday, August 8, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Three-ring Circus?
Relieved to be back from the week’s longest jaunt and coherent, so no worries that I’ve been a bad parent! Ventured 14.6 miles this morning with the hand weights (only six pounds) strapped on, so I am pleased to have this under my belt. This raised the week’s pound-mileage figure to 486, the most so far and I still have another eight to ten miles tomorrow. If only psychological, running with the weights on is helping my mind set for Reunion.
Thinking of Reunion has been embraced by Jeff, who is proving to be a travel planner extraordinaire and has already booked all lodging for when we will both be on the island. He also plotted way points for my ultra-run and frankly it is a bit intimidating. The launching pad will be from the idyllic village of Cilaos at about 4,000 above sea level. We proceed from here to the very top of the island at Piton des Neiges, or “snow peak” at 8,150 feet above sea level. This is where the ascent is 3,667 in 3.1 miles that I discussed back in The Hills Are Alive entry.
The good news/bad news is that this was one of the spectacular hikes I wanted to do, described as a difficult and challenging trek in my guide. Although it will be very cool to reach the top of the island, integrating that into the ultra-marathon reinforces these events are much more than simple endurance. As the Finger Lakes Fifties taught me, preparation needs to extend way beyond an ability to run far.
I guess the funny thing is how worried I was about which hikes I would be able to squeeze in during the limited stay, and it seems my ultra will cover them all! The most alluring part of Reunion is its rugged interior, comprised of the three Cirques (oddly, this translates as “circus” but I have no idea why?): Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie. The eroding cones of extinct shield volcanoes, the cirques encompass a sparsely populated and wildly beautiful area. The few settlements here were originally populated by runaway slaves, marrons (or maroons) and are so remote that several are only accessible by foot or helicopter even today and many of the locals have never seen the ocean…despite living less than 10 km away (as the crow flies)!
The ultra spans all three cirques, so if it doesn’t kill me I should be able to get some terrific pictures! But running along all these trails pitched as challenging hikes (some of the drop offs are spectacular, to say the least) gives one pause. It’s a good thing you only turn fifty once…
Of course the attraction of foreign travel is quite exciting, especially because Kim has been sharing her Italian adventures via e-mail all week. Even though I have miles to run before I climb on an airplane for Reunion, it is finally close enough to be invigorated. I’ve already shared the link to the Volcano Cottage where Jeff and I will park our first night on the island, but here’s the web site for night #2 at the southern tip of Reunion, in Rougail Mangue.
I’ve not abdicated the travel planning completely to Jeff and already scored our rental wheels for the trip (which wasn’t easy, the ultra-marathon is apparently a big draw and things are disappearing fast – Jeff tried to get us a place to stay in Cilaos the night before the race began and everything was gone). Started picking places for myself once Jeff departs, and I am excited to be spending two nights at Gandalf Safari Camp – click on 'Next Page' at the bottom to check out the cool rooms! Bring 'er on...
Thinking of Reunion has been embraced by Jeff, who is proving to be a travel planner extraordinaire and has already booked all lodging for when we will both be on the island. He also plotted way points for my ultra-run and frankly it is a bit intimidating. The launching pad will be from the idyllic village of Cilaos at about 4,000 above sea level. We proceed from here to the very top of the island at Piton des Neiges, or “snow peak” at 8,150 feet above sea level. This is where the ascent is 3,667 in 3.1 miles that I discussed back in The Hills Are Alive entry.
The good news/bad news is that this was one of the spectacular hikes I wanted to do, described as a difficult and challenging trek in my guide. Although it will be very cool to reach the top of the island, integrating that into the ultra-marathon reinforces these events are much more than simple endurance. As the Finger Lakes Fifties taught me, preparation needs to extend way beyond an ability to run far.
I guess the funny thing is how worried I was about which hikes I would be able to squeeze in during the limited stay, and it seems my ultra will cover them all! The most alluring part of Reunion is its rugged interior, comprised of the three Cirques (oddly, this translates as “circus” but I have no idea why?): Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie. The eroding cones of extinct shield volcanoes, the cirques encompass a sparsely populated and wildly beautiful area. The few settlements here were originally populated by runaway slaves, marrons (or maroons) and are so remote that several are only accessible by foot or helicopter even today and many of the locals have never seen the ocean…despite living less than 10 km away (as the crow flies)!
The ultra spans all three cirques, so if it doesn’t kill me I should be able to get some terrific pictures! But running along all these trails pitched as challenging hikes (some of the drop offs are spectacular, to say the least) gives one pause. It’s a good thing you only turn fifty once…
Of course the attraction of foreign travel is quite exciting, especially because Kim has been sharing her Italian adventures via e-mail all week. Even though I have miles to run before I climb on an airplane for Reunion, it is finally close enough to be invigorated. I’ve already shared the link to the Volcano Cottage where Jeff and I will park our first night on the island, but here’s the web site for night #2 at the southern tip of Reunion, in Rougail Mangue.
I’ve not abdicated the travel planning completely to Jeff and already scored our rental wheels for the trip (which wasn’t easy, the ultra-marathon is apparently a big draw and things are disappearing fast – Jeff tried to get us a place to stay in Cilaos the night before the race began and everything was gone). Started picking places for myself once Jeff departs, and I am excited to be spending two nights at Gandalf Safari Camp – click on 'Next Page' at the bottom to check out the cool rooms! Bring 'er on...
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Rack ‘em Up
Many reasons to rack up bonus mileage during the mid-week sessions. As previously noted, because it is only myself and my daughter for a bit I am reluctant to embark upon a really long training run. Have an eighteen miler on the books for Saturday, but I still get tense that diabetic complications will surface during these challenges despite the clean record thus far (some diabetics suffer seizures or convulsions as a result of such intense effort). So I’ve been out on the road bright and early the last three days and chalked up 26.5 miles versus 20 planned.
Whacking back the 18 mile run to 12 should greatly alleviate my anxiety, but Mother Nature is another factor potentially restricting how much running is permitted over the weekend à tropical storm Emily is threatening, and though she appears poised to strike little more than a glancing blow at the moment, you never know…
Escalating distances has not implied dismissing weight for these runs. This morning I set another personal pound-miles record by strapping on twenty pounds for the 8.5 miles covered (total = 170). Even attacked the few hills in the neighborhood, so believe me I will be ready for bed tonight! Last week’s accumulated pound-mileage “weighed in” at 466 and I’ve already amassed 398 with two runs remaining to pile some more on. I hope this delivers results because I’m investing a lot of energy into the project.
Forgot to mention that I completed and mailed in the paperwork to inquire about a Continuous Glucose Monitor. A bit nervous because you basically relay your insurance coverage to Dexcom, the manufacturer of the device…implying some serious cost. I’ll cross my fingers and hope for a speedy response as time is growing short before Reunion!
Whacking back the 18 mile run to 12 should greatly alleviate my anxiety, but Mother Nature is another factor potentially restricting how much running is permitted over the weekend à tropical storm Emily is threatening, and though she appears poised to strike little more than a glancing blow at the moment, you never know…
Escalating distances has not implied dismissing weight for these runs. This morning I set another personal pound-miles record by strapping on twenty pounds for the 8.5 miles covered (total = 170). Even attacked the few hills in the neighborhood, so believe me I will be ready for bed tonight! Last week’s accumulated pound-mileage “weighed in” at 466 and I’ve already amassed 398 with two runs remaining to pile some more on. I hope this delivers results because I’m investing a lot of energy into the project.
Forgot to mention that I completed and mailed in the paperwork to inquire about a Continuous Glucose Monitor. A bit nervous because you basically relay your insurance coverage to Dexcom, the manufacturer of the device…implying some serious cost. I’ll cross my fingers and hope for a speedy response as time is growing short before Reunion!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Cool!
Weather definitely makes a difference. Perhaps this malaise which has gripped me lately might simply be attributed to summer, because this morning’s run was pretty sweet. Only four miles on the program, but I want to rack some bonus up today and tomorrow (Eric heads back to Phoenix tomorrow and since it will just be me and Spencer I don’t want to get into trouble on a long run and leave her stranded at home…Kim doesn’t return from Italy until next Wednesday). Even totally suited up with the full extra twenty-six pounds I trotted six miles this morning at a good clip.
Don’t get me wrong, I struggled at times trying to attack the wee hills, but the pain derived from focused exertion rather than a general feeling of ennui. It was pleasantly cool and I suspect that element played into the positive feeling. Whatever the driver, I am thankful. Right now I’m feeling the impact of running briskly while toting the additional tonnage, but it is more refreshing than weary…fingers crossed I can hang on to that vibe!
Don’t get me wrong, I struggled at times trying to attack the wee hills, but the pain derived from focused exertion rather than a general feeling of ennui. It was pleasantly cool and I suspect that element played into the positive feeling. Whatever the driver, I am thankful. Right now I’m feeling the impact of running briskly while toting the additional tonnage, but it is more refreshing than weary…fingers crossed I can hang on to that vibe!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
A Sticker Dilemma
My streak of running without pausing to walk for a stretch was snapped yesterday. There were a few extenuating circumstances, however. Saturday mornings have been reserved for the week’s long haul, but the schedule was turned upside down because I do happen to have a life beyond running. Friday was our wedding anniversary, so Kim and I enjoyed a wonderful evening of walking about downtown Wilmington and popping in here and there for appetizers. This alone would have justified forfeiting the usual Saturday morning run, but there’s a lot going on at the moment.
Not only is Eric back for a visit from Phoenix, but Kim took off for a trip to Italy on Saturday – an unexpected opportunity that came her way at a terrific price. Saturday morning I dropped Spencer off at the local PetSmart (where she volunteers at a pet adoption service for several hours every other week) and then took Kim to the airport. Ate lunch while waiting for Spencer’s shift to end and returned home mid-afternoon.
It was blistering hot outside, but I decided it had cooled sufficiently to head out around 5PM. The schedule had nine miles and I suited up with sixteen pounds of extra weight, praying that heat exhaustion wouldn’t do me in. This dovetailed with Eric and Spencer’s evening agenda as they began preparing a sushi dinner when I took off!
Even towards evening, the run was sweltering, but I had selected a route offering some shade so it was bearable. Around mile seven I made a turn back towards home and headed north on Carolina Beach Road, tired by this point and now completely exposed to the sun. I needed to cross over this busy road and was disappointed for about a half mile as I kept looking over my shoulder to see whether there was any break in traffic. Alas, each time I looked back and focused (there was a constant stream of sweat blurring my vision), the view always included a fresh gang of vehicles motoring along.
To complicate matters, there was a painful prick in my ankle which I knew was a sticker I had picked up. Before we moved to Texas back in 2004 I was unfamiliar with “stickers,” though my cousin (who had lived there for ten years) had forewarned me of these painful bastards. Stickers are weeds which seem to thrive in sandy soil and sport burrs that hurt like the dickens. I was discouraged to realize this plague persists in North Carolina and is a constant nemesis for running – after most of my runs I have to endure the slow process of prying these little villains out of my shoelaces. The sole amusement stickers provide is when I am running through weedy areas in Ohio, because I laugh at the instinctive need to scan for stickers before remembering they aren’t in Ohio.
Between the futility of identifying an opening in the traffic and the annoyance from the sticker, I decided to stop, remove the sticker and wait to make it over to the other side. Good thing I did, because there was a red splotch on my sock where the sticker was lodged and it was decidedly easier facing the proper direction to evaluate traffic. Both sides of the street were the “sunny” side, but I certainly didn’t click my heels and break into song! What I did do was walk for a bit as the combination of heat and weight had made me a bit unsteady. Fortunately I was only two miles from home and made it back in time for a tasty meal thanks to Spencer and Eric.
Wrapping up this challenging run yesterday evening didn’t set me up for a successful run this morning. Since I wasn’t strapping on the vest, I had hoped an unencumbered feeling of ‘weightlessness’ would invigorate the pace, but I felt tired from the start. Eric, Spencer and I had stayed up late playing cards and I didn’t set off until 8:15AM, so I had also forfeited cooler weather, probably another culprit for the sluggish feeling. I still trotted twelve miles for a 45+ mile week…the final push continues.
Not only is Eric back for a visit from Phoenix, but Kim took off for a trip to Italy on Saturday – an unexpected opportunity that came her way at a terrific price. Saturday morning I dropped Spencer off at the local PetSmart (where she volunteers at a pet adoption service for several hours every other week) and then took Kim to the airport. Ate lunch while waiting for Spencer’s shift to end and returned home mid-afternoon.
It was blistering hot outside, but I decided it had cooled sufficiently to head out around 5PM. The schedule had nine miles and I suited up with sixteen pounds of extra weight, praying that heat exhaustion wouldn’t do me in. This dovetailed with Eric and Spencer’s evening agenda as they began preparing a sushi dinner when I took off!
Even towards evening, the run was sweltering, but I had selected a route offering some shade so it was bearable. Around mile seven I made a turn back towards home and headed north on Carolina Beach Road, tired by this point and now completely exposed to the sun. I needed to cross over this busy road and was disappointed for about a half mile as I kept looking over my shoulder to see whether there was any break in traffic. Alas, each time I looked back and focused (there was a constant stream of sweat blurring my vision), the view always included a fresh gang of vehicles motoring along.
To complicate matters, there was a painful prick in my ankle which I knew was a sticker I had picked up. Before we moved to Texas back in 2004 I was unfamiliar with “stickers,” though my cousin (who had lived there for ten years) had forewarned me of these painful bastards. Stickers are weeds which seem to thrive in sandy soil and sport burrs that hurt like the dickens. I was discouraged to realize this plague persists in North Carolina and is a constant nemesis for running – after most of my runs I have to endure the slow process of prying these little villains out of my shoelaces. The sole amusement stickers provide is when I am running through weedy areas in Ohio, because I laugh at the instinctive need to scan for stickers before remembering they aren’t in Ohio.
Between the futility of identifying an opening in the traffic and the annoyance from the sticker, I decided to stop, remove the sticker and wait to make it over to the other side. Good thing I did, because there was a red splotch on my sock where the sticker was lodged and it was decidedly easier facing the proper direction to evaluate traffic. Both sides of the street were the “sunny” side, but I certainly didn’t click my heels and break into song! What I did do was walk for a bit as the combination of heat and weight had made me a bit unsteady. Fortunately I was only two miles from home and made it back in time for a tasty meal thanks to Spencer and Eric.
Do I look like a ‘Transformer’? I can load the vest up to twenty pounds, the hand weights are three pounds apiece.
Unsuccessfully attempting to pose like a Transformer, lol!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
In the Dark
Not certain how far I ran yesterday morning. Only eight miles were on the schedule, but I felt good and it wasn’t stinking hot so I started off on a twelve mile circuit. Of course I was beginning early enough to be sure I could complete the run and still shower before sitting down to work, which meant it was dark outside. I guess this was the reason why I suspected myself of not properly kicking off the Sports Watch.
If you’ve been following this blog you know I rarely peek at my watch while running, and I was chagrined to see it wasn’t tracking anything when I got back home. The run went well but I was starting to flag near the end so I took a shortcut and created a unique path, meaning no previous run to look up for distance + elevation gain statistics. Of course I used to estimate distance before the sports watch anyway, so a conservative estimate is eleven miles. Still annoying since the estimate around elevation gain is a bit more uncertain.
Hopefully the energy levels are rebounding, because I did manage to run the entire time…and any circuit beyond ten miles without walking a bit has become a rare occurrence lately. This potentially encouraging news is followed by another solid run this morning…albeit I was still in the dark!
I was confronted by the failure of my sports watch again, but this time the feedback was immediate. When I tried to switch on the tracking mode for my run it displayed LOW power, making it apparent that it had never STOPPED tracking from yesterday! Although the tracking screen had disappeared and there was no response to my attempts at both stopping and re-setting, the dang device was still expending energy to plot GPS points while sitting on my desk ever since the previous morning. At least this absolves me from guilt for the failure --- rather than my bungling set-up in the dark, the device has obviously been possessed by some gremlin…hopefully temporarily.
Knowing that I was proceeding without the benefit of being tracked, I followed familiar paths and grunted out just shy of nine miles with sixteen pounds of additional weight strapped on. Another pound-miles record rung up for a single run with 141 the new maximum. Even burdened I managed to run the whole time and even picked up the pace towards the end since I didn’t feel weary.
Let’s hope this trend holds up --- I could be kidding myself but running with the extra weight already feels as though it is building up muscle. Even if true, it is only my personal theory that this equates to improved hill-climbing ability, but we’ll continue with the experiment.
If you’ve been following this blog you know I rarely peek at my watch while running, and I was chagrined to see it wasn’t tracking anything when I got back home. The run went well but I was starting to flag near the end so I took a shortcut and created a unique path, meaning no previous run to look up for distance + elevation gain statistics. Of course I used to estimate distance before the sports watch anyway, so a conservative estimate is eleven miles. Still annoying since the estimate around elevation gain is a bit more uncertain.
Hopefully the energy levels are rebounding, because I did manage to run the entire time…and any circuit beyond ten miles without walking a bit has become a rare occurrence lately. This potentially encouraging news is followed by another solid run this morning…albeit I was still in the dark!
I was confronted by the failure of my sports watch again, but this time the feedback was immediate. When I tried to switch on the tracking mode for my run it displayed LOW power, making it apparent that it had never STOPPED tracking from yesterday! Although the tracking screen had disappeared and there was no response to my attempts at both stopping and re-setting, the dang device was still expending energy to plot GPS points while sitting on my desk ever since the previous morning. At least this absolves me from guilt for the failure --- rather than my bungling set-up in the dark, the device has obviously been possessed by some gremlin…hopefully temporarily.
Knowing that I was proceeding without the benefit of being tracked, I followed familiar paths and grunted out just shy of nine miles with sixteen pounds of additional weight strapped on. Another pound-miles record rung up for a single run with 141 the new maximum. Even burdened I managed to run the whole time and even picked up the pace towards the end since I didn’t feel weary.
Let’s hope this trend holds up --- I could be kidding myself but running with the extra weight already feels as though it is building up muscle. Even if true, it is only my personal theory that this equates to improved hill-climbing ability, but we’ll continue with the experiment.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Full Load
Just a quick update on running and Reunion. On the running front, circumstance torpedoed Sunday’s plan, though no big deal as I am inclined to focus on staying rested as opposed to satisfying the weekly mileage prescription right now. My daughter had a baby-sitting appointment and got picked up late, so I didn’t start until 11:30AM and since it reached 110 with the heat index this was clearly not the ideal starting time. I slugged out 6.5 miles (8 were scheduled) but it was just too hot.
I figure the intensity of this run probably equated it with eight miles from a heart rate perspective, which brings to mind an interesting point in the evolution of my running program. Way back last summer I purchased a heart rate monitor and began using that as a tool. Though initially excited about its potential to help with training, experience suggested limited application (this could be due to my ignorance about how to best utilize it). Believe I discontinued using the monitor after the half marathon and haven’t looked back…curious how I’ve moved on and forgotten all about this.
Sunday’s run was without any weights due to the heat, but since Tuesdays are the short program (always four miles) and I took off at 6AM, the full load got heaped on my body this morning. Let me tell you, running with an extra 26 pounds gets noticed, but I ran a strong pace and even aimed at a few hills for 4.5 miles. I was little beyond a puddle of panting sweat at the end, but enthused that I registered the biggest pound-miles trot thus far at 117 (= 26 pounds * 4.5 miles).
But all the blab here seems to be around running when I am beginning to get excited about Reunion! The uplifting news is that my brother-in-law Jeff (my hiking companion from Kalalau) is officially on board and will rendezvous with me in Paris – we are on the same flight to Reunion after that. He will have to leave a few days before me, but I am relieved having somebody nearby when I run the ultra-marathon.
Jeff seems to have been smitten by Reunion like me and it is a blessing that he is diving in and doing most of the grunt work to assemble an itinerary. I am grateful Jeff is coming along because my bandwidth to cobble together arrangements is compromised by this crazy running schedule. Jeff has already made reservations for us at Le Gite du Volcan, or “the Volcano Cottage” and we will head straight for the volcano after arriving to hike it first thing the next morning! Looks like we will be completing a lot of hikes prior to the race, so no doubt I’ll be well rested for the ultra… J
But Jeff is also poring over my running route in search of the few aid stations he might be able to reach with our rental car to check on how I'm faring (and whether I need to punt!). The ultra path twists through a mountainous section of the island known as the Cirques. One of the cirques is Mafate and Jeff passed along a beautiful mountain biking video shot along these trails à Mafate by Bike
I will likely be running some of these trails you see in the clip --- please enjoy and hopefully you may begin to understand why I fell in love with this destination...
I figure the intensity of this run probably equated it with eight miles from a heart rate perspective, which brings to mind an interesting point in the evolution of my running program. Way back last summer I purchased a heart rate monitor and began using that as a tool. Though initially excited about its potential to help with training, experience suggested limited application (this could be due to my ignorance about how to best utilize it). Believe I discontinued using the monitor after the half marathon and haven’t looked back…curious how I’ve moved on and forgotten all about this.
Sunday’s run was without any weights due to the heat, but since Tuesdays are the short program (always four miles) and I took off at 6AM, the full load got heaped on my body this morning. Let me tell you, running with an extra 26 pounds gets noticed, but I ran a strong pace and even aimed at a few hills for 4.5 miles. I was little beyond a puddle of panting sweat at the end, but enthused that I registered the biggest pound-miles trot thus far at 117 (= 26 pounds * 4.5 miles).
But all the blab here seems to be around running when I am beginning to get excited about Reunion! The uplifting news is that my brother-in-law Jeff (my hiking companion from Kalalau) is officially on board and will rendezvous with me in Paris – we are on the same flight to Reunion after that. He will have to leave a few days before me, but I am relieved having somebody nearby when I run the ultra-marathon.
Jeff seems to have been smitten by Reunion like me and it is a blessing that he is diving in and doing most of the grunt work to assemble an itinerary. I am grateful Jeff is coming along because my bandwidth to cobble together arrangements is compromised by this crazy running schedule. Jeff has already made reservations for us at Le Gite du Volcan, or “the Volcano Cottage” and we will head straight for the volcano after arriving to hike it first thing the next morning! Looks like we will be completing a lot of hikes prior to the race, so no doubt I’ll be well rested for the ultra… J
But Jeff is also poring over my running route in search of the few aid stations he might be able to reach with our rental car to check on how I'm faring (and whether I need to punt!). The ultra path twists through a mountainous section of the island known as the Cirques. One of the cirques is Mafate and Jeff passed along a beautiful mountain biking video shot along these trails à Mafate by Bike
I will likely be running some of these trails you see in the clip --- please enjoy and hopefully you may begin to understand why I fell in love with this destination...
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