A few photos from this past week

Wow. Well after my little research on the feasibility of the Superior 100 things actually may happen! I don't know whether to be excited or scared! Nothing is 100% yet but the ball is rolling in the right direction and the people I would want there most will be there if it all works out which is pretty cool and of course very important to me. Sure hope this is go as far as logistics and of course injury free training, a huge thanks to those of you who jumped forward and are talking like this WILL happen! Freaks me out!

Anyway, so I ramped up the mileage this past week and am back up to where I should be but I've got more speed work under my belt. I've been feeling good too and injuries are staying away. Got out for a real nice 13 miles on Saturday and popped it off very comfortably at 7 minute miles which was nice. That's kind of my go to having fun, not working hard, just go run pace. Got a few nice photos as well.

Would love to write more but I'm just too tired right now, enjoy:

Canal towpath

Bullock Bridge

Canal towpath

Bullock Bridge

In the red means the Severn Way footpath will be flooded 

Cool caves revealed from this clear cut for development

Oh SHIT! Goose attack!!!!

After the goose attack not sure how to interpret this

Footpath to Wilden

Superior Ultra? Could it even happen?

So today I was being unproductive as always (well lately at least!) during the little one's nap looking at logistics of doing the Superior 100 Ultra race up on the Superior Hiking Trail.

The race start is at 8am Friday Sept. 6 at Gooseberry Falls and I would hope to finish within 30 hours, so about 2pm Saturday in Lutsen.

Lodging needed for family spectating would be in Two Harbors Thursday and Friday night. Figure anyone involved could stay in Duluth Saturday post race, Lutsen is too expensive as it looks like they only have condo type rentals which would be cool for the weekend but would hurt the wallet! 

Any suckers willing to pace me or work as a crew throughout the race could camp with me if they wanted Thursday at Gooseberry and sleep as needed in cars on Friday night during the race. Essentially you're on your own during the race if you are willing to help me out! "Helping me out" is a broad term that could include making sure I'm eating and drinking enough at 3am or running with me for a while. However I do prefer to do these things self supported if possible but any distance over 50 miles is new territory to me and having a bit of back up is most likely a good idea, but this is a topic all on it's own! We wouldn't need to camp Thursday but could save some hotel money.

So looking at the grand scheme of it all it would be a costly weekend; between travel up north, hotels, food, race entry fee it adds up pretty quick! What happened to the days where everyone slept in their cars!? 

So the 100 miler would be a spendy endeavor, maybe a bit cheaper if I looked at the 50 miler which would only take up Saturday but still have hotels. Plus I wouldn't need any support so that makes any one willing to help life easier or at least much more comfortable!

So just a few thoughts on that for fun, I don't think it will happen, well at least not just yet! Running has been going well, injuries are staying away, and I'm feeling pretty good which is nice.   

Injuries, plans, and beer!

First of all Happy Mother's Day to my Mom!

And like that I'm ok and surprisingly both injuries, the odd knee thing and my foot issues have disappeared. Can't complain about that. Running injuries are curious monsters. Not starting the Malvern Ultra was a good decision.

Started focusing on the Wyre Forest Half Marathon now. I figure that since I have no big long races until fall I'll focus on this with a specific half marathon program then start building my mileage for the longer distance. The race is about 8 weeks away I think. Half marathon training is about 50 miles per week anyway, just more speed work, tempo work, and less long runs. So the speed work will do me good anyway and besides that it's fun to go fast! It seems like a good thing I guess.

A few photos up which is a little better than my ramblings. Have yet to find the time to play with Lightroom and make 'em nice though!

So I usually run with a SPIbelt to carry my phone in the summer when I wear shorts. I busted out my shorts last week and I couldn't find my SPIbelt for whatever reason, daughter hid it? I hid it? No idea. So I bought a new one the other day while at work. The old one had a crusty salty zipper anyway so I really needed a new one, but I hated to spend the money when the one I've got isn't broke. At work I was looking at the label for some odd reason and the photos caught my attention. I've got a pretty silly sense of humor so I'll let you look at the photo below and deduce the humor in the stick man below! Hint, it's orange and seemingly erect!

So after my morning run today I rolled in about 0615 after 8 miles easy. Beautiful morning out, a few leftover drunks here and there stumbling around. I began my morning routine and my phone oddly buzzed. It happened to be my friend Britta from MN. She was in AZ visiting her sister who just got her Phd. Of course she was hanging out with our friend Ryan from Flagstaff and yes they were at the bar sending me Viber messages (8 hour time change). I really miss those folks. I've got such good memories and have had such good times with them. So as they toasted me with Tecates while we all wished we were together enjoying a beer I decided to join them and cracked open a Sierra Nevada at 0635 and indeed joined them. We all had a laugh and we went on with our days or night!

  

Alright I'm on the road to recovery. I've still been taking it easy but out running my foot is pretty good. Post run a bit of pain so still in the ice routine just in case.

I ended up working in place of the Malverns Ultra which wasn't all bad since I enjoy my job. I was a bit bummed about not doing the race but as I said it was for the better. I think this bit of a setback will refresh my head bit too just as long as I can keep away any more injuries!

Anyway maybe this crap could help! Got it as a sample from work, funniest thing is that beta alanine does give you a tingly feeling. I like how they market the side effect, I'll let you read the label below to find it! Things like this scare me so I may eat it for fun some morning!

I'll try to get some more photos up. With the light early now I may be able to capture some more to look at! I just need to remember to grab my camera.

Back on my feet

After a five days off my foot seems better which is a relief. Been stretching. rolling, icing, ibuprofening, elevating as I can. Today got out for 4 miles to see how it is and I ran with no pain. Post run it was still there though. I think it's being caused by my calf. I've been running on my mid to fore foot pretty diligently and had been feeling some calf soreness so I'm guessing that was the cause so I'm going to work on my calves some more to loosen them up and maybe lay off the technique change so much.

Dropped out of the Malverns Ultra due to the foot. I still could do it I think but I'm not all that confident in my long run fitness anyway so maybe this foot thing was a sign. Oh well, I'm over it and now I'll focus more on the long term.

After five mornings off I was tempting to throw in the towel on this running thing! Sure was relaxing reading in the mornings!

Just can't win this year

Well in my last post I mentioned some odd foot pain I had. I wasn't too worried about it until now. On Thursday I awoke at my normal time, 5am, and headed out the door. It was a nice morning for running and was feeling good actually. Good for the first time in a while.

Then about 3 miles into a 10 miler my foot flared up in pain so bad I had to stop! I tried to massage and stretch whatever was wrong with it out but I couldn't free it. The outside of my right foot had an intense pain that would not go away.

So I turned around and walked for a while trying not to put any pressure on it. The tried running which only made it worse. Then I finally perfected an odd "run on my big toe" jog which helped get me home a bit quicker. So my 6 miles took an hour.

So it's ice, massage, rest, elevation, ibuprofen for me and my foot. No idea what is wrong. I think Malvern Ultra is out of the question next weekend.

Moving along

Well the running is dribbling along. I feel ok but not great and managed to put in 45 miles last week which was nice. Intended on doing 15 Saturday and then 25 on Sunday but Sunday never happened. So, the Malverns Ultra is in 10 days and I have absolutely NO IDEA how I will feel or run, if I'll finish or drop out. I almost feel as if I should drop out now and not even start. Hmmm. Not really sure.

In other news the body weight stuff I've been doing is trucking right along. I've progressed from headstands in late January to now doing handstand push ups which is pretty bad ass. All the other exercises are going well too. A little hesitant about pistol squats due to my right knee so I've been holding off. I have been able to do them in the past though!

The injury count comes and goes, life as a runner! The right knee gets better with massage and ice so that has been the routine (trying to be consistent with this). Out of no where after wearing flip flops the other day the side of my right foot feels odd. Muscle spasm in my upper back from sleeping on it wrong. All items listed I can run with little or no discomfort. Anyway, minor bumps in the road.

Upped my food intake after monitoring my calories. I had been down way too much. I'd been so focused at feeding and chasing around my daughter that I'd forget to feed myself! So new focus is eat more. I was playing with a high fat low carb diet (150g of carbs/day) for a few days for fun but I lost patience. I do not need to lose weight, I run fine on a normal healthy diet, and I graze all day so I don't really get crashes. I eat a pretty low carb diet in general anyway. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Racing. I am the worst at planning ahead for these things. Some people have things planned a year in advance! I may have a race or two in mind but nothing like I would like to have. I was asked to run in the UK Masters Championship Relays next month but I had to work. Would have been fun to do a short 5km on a flat course to see how I'd do! Oh well. Looking ahead at summer: Wyre Forest Half Marathon (July), Danny Dash, Stretton Skyline (Sept), Longmynd Hike (Oct), Beacons Ultra (Nov). Pretty much everything I've done before. I'd love to fit in a 5km, 10km, or road half marathon just to see what time I can do too.

Also was toying with the idea of one of the Superior Ultras this September. I'd like to get back to MN to see my family and our daughter flies for free until Oct, so if I could work it out that we happen to be in town over the weekend of Sept 7th it may happen? Big maybe I guess. Logistically we'd need rooms to rent north of Duluth, a ride, among other things but I'd consider the 100 miler if it all worked out. I'd love to have my family there not only to help as a crew but for fun. But the big thing would be a family and little one with the patience to watch/manage a 50 or 100 mile race!

Uh oh, the little one is up from her nap, got to go!