Building A Better Bumblebee

Trail Run: 3.6 miles

Weather: Overcast, some rain, mild. 54° Gear: Testers, shorts, T, jacket, hat. Fuel: WARNING! WARNING! DO NOT EVER HAVE CHILI AND RICE BEFORE A RUN, EVER AGAIN! (So much acid!)

So, aside from the massive acid reflux, it was a good run. It was the first run in my new testers, and I ended up getting them pretty muddy. They're not trail shoes but they handled the terrain and mud pretty well, and were pretty comfy. So far so good.

Can't show the shoes, but the ankles got some nice racing stripes.



Hope Uncle Phil doesn't mind if I return his wheels a little dirty.

I also can feel the benefits of all that core work on the trails. Especially on climbs, I can feel my hips aligning and my flexors working better. Effort level is down, which is good.

I ran with Alita, and she wanted to practice a slow-and-steady pace, so that helped keep my HR down nicely, though I did grind it up the last hill before the car.

Walked first 5+ minutes, last 5 minutes. AverageHR: 123. Max 161

Longish Run: 8 miles

Weather: Overcast, a little rain. 48-52° Gear: Testers, shorts, T, jacket, hat.

Out for a longer run -- longest in quite a while, actually -- on the road. My last long attempt ended up with a tweaked kneecap, but that was six weeks ago. No knee issues today. Whew.

I originally targeted about six miles, then extended it to seven, then thought what the heck and went out to a section of country I haven't seen in a while and made it eight total. It was worth the extra effort, even if the return trip was a bit fatiguing.

My paces and heart rate was all over the place. Still trying to dial in an easy pace in these new shoes, and after all my rushing around at Nike over the past couple of weeks. My legs want to go faster! I'll take that as a good sign.

Walked first, last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 140

---

And, to add to the level of difficulty...

Sets of 3, 12-10-8 of:
-Modified side-leg lifts.
-Double-leg bridge "marching" while keeping pelvis steady.
-Supine leg lift, keeping my TA engaged and my pelvis aligned
-Prone leg lift, same as above
-Half-squat using theraband around knees.
-Side-step using theraband around knees.
-Single-leg heel raises.

Psoas stretches. (5-6 x 10 seconds left side, a few less on right side)

Wow, by the time I got to the last few squats, I was really feeling it. Oof.

"Easy" Run: 4.27 miles

Weather: Overcast, cool, breezy. 48° Gear: Testers, shorts, T, jacket.

I had hoped to make this a low heart rate run, but I could not convince my body to go along with the plan. My body, it seems, wanted to run even splits. At a pace out of the low HR range. Very irritating, and kind of not "easy."

I'm hoping that even flawed efforts like this help over time.

Walked first, last 5 minutes. Average HR: 133

Annd...

Sets of 3, 12-10-8 of:
-Modified side-leg lifts.
-Double-leg bridge "marching" while keeping pelvis steady.
-Supine leg lift, keeping my TA engaged and my pelvis aligned
-Prone leg lift, same as above
-Half-squat using theraband around knees.
-Side-step using theraband around knees.
-Single-leg heel raises.

Psoas stretches. (5-6 x 10 seconds left side, a few less on right side)

Yes they do - sometimes you just need to go with the flow.

Wow, Uncle Phil has been keeping you busy!  Lots of miles in the last few days.  I don't think a day or two of running outside of your low HR range is going to be to detrimental...as long as your knee holds up. 

Enjoy the new shoes...even if they are only on loan...and the longer, hopefully warmer, dryer days.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Yes they do - sometimes you just need to go with the flow.

Whew! Still, it feels so weird after forcing so much discipline on myself for so many years. But it's nice to know that it's still possible for me to run at a faster pace, even if it is challenging.

nkrichards wrote:Wow, Uncle Phil has been keeping you busy!  Lots of miles in the last few days.  I don't think a day or two of running outside of your low HR range is going to be to detrimental...as long as your knee holds up. 

Enjoy the new shoes...even if they are only on loan...and the longer, hopefully warmer, dryer days.

Yep! I was racking up those gift cards (that's the token of appreciation we get for heading down to Nike HQ to test) for an eventual trip the Nike Employee Store. We're needing to replace some worn-out gear and shoes, so it'll help. No tokens for the long-term wear tests, other than the chance to trash their shoes before they hit the market.

The downside is they want 25 miles per week in the shoes, which is a step up from what I was doing before my knee went wonky. It's better now, but I'm a little antsy trying to get the right type of miles in without risking injury. Good motivation to keep up with all the strength work.

Low HR Run: 8 miles

Weather: Cool, cloudy and breezy.45° Gear: Testers, light pants, long-sleeved T, jacket/vest, hat. Fuel: Handful of carrots before; 16 ounces nuun and 1 gu during.

Back out for a longer run, trying to hit the requested mileage in these testers. It shouldn't be too difficult in few weeks, but this ramp-up is a little challenging. I was crabby after Monday's 8-miler, so this time I took fluids and even allowed myself to take a gel when I felt the early start of bonk setting in. It helped.

I did a somewhat better job on keeping the intensity down, though I did have to walk my HR down a few times. My pace dropped considerably, from 11:15 in my first mile after my warm-up to 12:50 on the way back. Obviously some work needs to be done on the old aerobic system...

Noticing a slight wheeziness at times. I blame all those trees having sex in my respiratory system.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 138

Wow, you're really putting in the miles.  You take this shoe testing responsibility seriously.

Glad to hear you were able to maintain the HR that you wanted a bit better this time.  And that the knee is cooperating.

nkrichards wrote:Wow, you're really putting in the miles.  You take this shoe testing responsibility seriously.

Glad to hear you were able to maintain the HR that you wanted a bit better this time.  And that the knee is cooperating.

Hey, if I don't at least try to get the miles in, I don't get invited to do this sort of testing.

Besides, it's a good inducement for me to start the base building for the two things I've been wanting to do this year. I'll keep it at 25 for a number of weeks to settle in, then slowly build up from there.

Road/Trail Run:5.72 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy with two downpours. 48° Gear: Testers, shorts, T, jacket, hat.

Out with Alita on a Sunday run, and we decided to try running to the trailhead rather than driving. The whole thing went well - it was the longest Alita has gone in a while - but it all went a bit wacky when we got caught in a huge downpour in the woods. We got soaked and the trail got very muddy. The rain passed and we warmed up -- just in time to get caught by an even heavier shower about a quarter mile from home. We looked like drowned rats!





Keeping pace with Alita meant I kept my HR in a very good zone, even on trails, which is a good thing.

Walked first 5 minutes, cold hard rain cooled us down at the end. ;-)

Average HR: 122

Took a full rest day on Monday -- I felt totally wiped out -- to make up for my sudden jump in activity. It seemed to help, because  I felt the energy coming back Monday night. Whew!

Started off today with some strength work, which I've been less-than-diligent on the past week.

Sets of 3, 12-10-8 of:
-Modified side-leg lifts.
-Double-leg bridge "marching" while keeping pelvis steady.
-Supine leg lift, keeping my TA engaged and my pelvis aligned
-Prone leg lift, same as above
-Half-squat using theraband around knees.
-Side-step using theraband around knees.
-Single-leg heel raises.

Psoas stretches. (5-6 x 10 seconds left side, a few less on right side)

---

Walk: 4 miles

Weather: Sunny, breezy and 54° Gear: Testers

Decided to try out the testers for one of my lunchtime walks -- I need to get whatever miles I can in these babies -- and this was a good day for it. Deep blue sky, bright sun, cool breeze. Nice!

The walk was less nice. My body isn't getting along with this design as much as I'd hoped. Shoes weren't comfortable for walking in, and I developed a sore ankle. Still, I pushed my usual walk out a bit to reach the old Kaiser Shipyard, to get the maximum I can get away with during lunch.

Mile Repeats: 4.41 miles total

Weather: Sunny and cool. 38-42° Gear: Testers, tights, T, pullover, gloves (shed)

My body decided to do something different today as I headed out on my least favorite route: It decided to turn it into speed work! (Well, more like LT-level repeats, but still pretty speedy for me.)

After an easy but slightly faster warm-up mile, my body shifted into a higher-intensity mode. I went with it, deciding to let my HR rise up to 158 bpm. (20 bpm higher than my low HR target). I held it for a mile, walked my HR down to 130, then started up again. I did that three times.

My splits were 9:23 @ 150 avHR, 9:23@ 156 avHR, 9:33 @158 avHR (a bit of a hill), and my recovery times were 1:04, 1:10 and 1:34. I finished with a cooldown walk.

I was pleased with the consistent splits, especially since it felt like I was slowing down. Challenging but kind of fun.

I just might have to do this again.

Walked first, last 5. Average HR for run: 139 Max: 164

---

Walk: 2.5 miles

Weather: First shirt-sleeved day of 2016! Sunny, 61. Gorgeous.

Okay, I know I did a harder run this morning, but it was such a beautiful day that I couldn't help but go out on a lunchtime walk. I kept it nice and easy, though, trying to figure out how to walk in these shoes without irritating my ankles.

The weather was fantastic and the walk was good. I got some irritation after about three miles, but it didn't get worse.

You've irritated the ankles, but it's the kind that makes the ankles respond rather than flipping you off.  So, they must not be union ankles.

ounce wrote:You've irritated the ankles, but it's the kind that makes the ankles respond rather than flipping you off.  So, they must not be union ankles.

Or teenage ankles.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:You've irritated the ankles, but it's the kind that makes the ankles respond rather than flipping you off.  So, they must not be union ankles.

Or teenage ankles.

I guess that die was cast 10-12 years ago.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:You've irritated the ankles, but it's the kind that makes the ankles respond rather than flipping you off.  So, they must not be union ankles.

Or teenage ankles.

I guess that die was cast 10-12 years ago.

Almost 16, actually, if you count gestation.

Lowish HR Run: 8.27 miles

Weather: Sunny and warming rapidly. 54-62° Gear: Testers, shorts, T. (and that's it!) Fuel: Nuun in handheld.

This was a rough one. Maybe going longer the day after forcing the leg muscles to twitch faster isn't such a great idea.

It's a beautiful spring day, so I headed out into the country. My goal was to keep it on the easy side and enjoy it. I got to do that part of the run (though I did have to walk the HR down), but it started getting challenging after an hour or so. It really got challenging after I stopped to answer some text messages and tightened up. Oof. Getting going again was not fun.

Note to self: Don't just stand there like a dope; keep the watch going and walk.

Those last three miles were tough. But I got them done, so that's good, and I didn't injure myself, which is better.

We'll see how it all feels tomorrow. The fact that I'm at 32 miles in the past seven days *might* have something to do with this run being challenging, hm?

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 136

Hilly Run: 6.13 miles

Weather: Sunny and warm. 64-69° Gear: Testers, shorts, T. Fuel: Water in handheld, took S-Cap at 3 mi.

Alita's in bed with a nasty bug (what a way to start spring vacation, eh?), leaving me no choice but go solo as I racked up the last mandatory miles this week on the testers. I decided to try them out on my hilly route in the country near my house, since it was one route I never managed to do when I was doing my barefoot/sandals experiment. I need a bit more protection on the downhills.

Anyway, the run was very warm, and I had problems with a sloshy stomach. The sloshing eased up after I took an S-Cap, which was nice. I figured I was sweating so much I needed the extra electrolytes, anyway.

I ground slowly up the hills, deciding against walking and letting my HR even crack 150 if I was close to the top before easing down the other side. My ankles are on edge with these shoes and hammering would not have been a good idea.


Not for hammering! Go carts, maybe...


All in all, a decent run. I'm looking forward to getting out here again and extending the distance. This route gets better the farther out I go. But it looks pretty impressive even at 6.




Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR: 140, Max 157

OMG!  How were you able to survive after cracking 150?  Did I read that correctly????  150???????  Whew!  Glad you didn't warrant the lightning bolt of Southwest Airlines as I don't know if chewing gum or duct tape would put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

By the way, I'm glad you wrote about feeling the effects of the S!Cap kick in.  I feel it, as well.

Wow!  Lots of long, hard runs.  You're taking this seriously.  Hope the knee is still holding up. 

We're enjoying beautiful spring weather and I hear you've had a couple hot days as well.  Hope you've been able to get out and enjoy them.

nkrichards wrote:Wow!  Lots of long, hard runs.  You're taking this seriously.  Hope the knee is still holding up. 

We're enjoying beautiful spring weather and I hear you've had a couple hot days as well.  Hope you've been able to get out and enjoy them.

The poor thing is in SF where it's warm.

 

nkrichards wrote:Wow!  Lots of long, hard runs.  You're taking this seriously.  Hope the knee is still holding up. 

We're enjoying beautiful spring weather and I hear you've had a couple hot days as well.  Hope you've been able to get out and enjoy them.

The knee is doing great, Nancy, though my ankles aren't so wild about these testers I'm wearing. It's worse for walking than running, though, so I'm keeping at it to give them good input.

The warm weather is great! We hit a heatwave in SF earlier this week, and the warm weather followed us home. Weird for this early in the spring, but it's nice.

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Wow!  Lots of long, hard runs.  You're taking this seriously.  Hope the knee is still holding up. 

We're enjoying beautiful spring weather and I hear you've had a couple hot days as well.  Hope you've been able to get out and enjoy them.

The poor thing is in SF where it's warm.

Well, once we made it down there, yes. It actually cracked 90 near where we were on Wednesday, right on the ocean. Crazy!

ounce wrote: et seq.

Yes, yes, I know. I've been away. But I'm back!

Quick note on activity.

Monday: Travel day. Which included a six-hour delay after our plane was struck by lightning before it landed in Portland. They had to fly a crew in from Oakland (ironically, our destination airport) to inspect and, apparently, throw some tape on a horizontal stabilizer where the bolt left the plane and popped out a rivet.  

Tuesday: Spent most of the day at the California Academy of Sciences and the Steinhart Aquarium. Lots of walking and standing, though we didn't log anything but time on the feet. It's a great place. Finished up with an an fresco birthday dinner for Alita at a nice waterfront seafood restaurant.


Inside the Steinhart Aquarium. Well, technically, not quite *inside* but you get the idea.


View up into the indoor rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences.


The restaurant. We had a seat on the patio. Very civilized.


The birthday girl.

Wednesday: Spent most of the day at the San Francisco Zoo, with record high temperatures. We turned on Strava and logged about 4 miles total walking around.


The snow leopard wisely took to the shade.

Thursday: Our early enough to get a over-and-back walk on the Golden Gate Bridge (4 miles) with brilliant sun and some fun winds. Nearly blew the phone/camera out of my hands once. Yipes! Flew back. Quite uneventful.


Us before the walk. We were slightly more windblown four miles later. And I was on the uphill side of the photo.

Friday: Chilled on an unusually warm day.

Saturday: Six mile walk with Alita on a gorgeous (and slightly cooler) day.

Looks like a fun trip!  We'll call it a step back week and you can get back into those high mileage days this week.

Low HR Run (and walk): 5.1 miles

Weather: Overcast, cool, a touch of drizzle. Gear: Testers, shorts, T, jacket. Fuel: Pre-breakfast

Out with my training partner for the first time in months. He's been walking a bit but not running, so we did a lot of walking and jogging... and talking, since we needed to catch up. We ended up doing five miles at a very low HR.

The upside of this is that I plan to do a second run, mostly running, on the trails with Alita later today. This is new territory so I'm interested to see how it goes. Nevermind. Our six-mile walk yesterday was enough for the weekend.

Average HR for entire run: 105. Max HR: 139 (!)