Category: running

Well that went poorly…

I don’t feel the sickness yet, but it’s in the post. That’s for sure. I’m in the junkie limbo at the moment. Too ill to sleep. Too tired to stay awake, but the sickness is on its way. Sweat, chills, nausea. Pain and craving. A need like nothing else I’ve ever known will soon take hold of me. It’s on its way. ~ Mark Renton

Headed down to Boulder early this morning to join Bob, Thomas and Zack for a 12-mile circumnavigation of South Boulder and Bear Peaks. This was supposed to be about a 3 hour adventure but ended up being more like 5 hours (for me). Yuck. Not even sure how long we were out or how far we went but I do know I ran out of water and ended up with heat exhaustion or something. Not the best run of my career.

From the onset, I was sweating profusely (as I am known to do) but felt I had packed enough food and water to make the full loop. We bushwhacked up to the Bastille trail then down into Eldorado Canyon. If you have never been to Eldo, it is worth the trip. Lots of spectacular cliffs and people climbing and whatnot.

Once we reached the canyon floor, we headed up, up, up to Walker Ranch then up some more to the north trailhead. From there we started up a “private” road (thinking this would lead us to our ultimate destination more quickly given our experience the last time we tried this route) and were about a half mile from where we needed to be when confronted by homeowners who explained that we needed to head back the way we came. Ugh. So back we went.

Surprisingly, a few minutes later we were offered a ride by the same person who had turned us back. We gladly accepted and were driven to the top of Flagstaff to jump on a trail that would eventually lead us to near where we intended to go in the first place.

By this point, I was rationing water fairly aggressively and started not feeling particularly well but soldiered on down Bear Canyon to Mesa Trail. Once we hit Mesa, all hell broke loose with my body and its ability to keep anything resembling a steady pace. I told the other guys to go on and quickly feel behind as I walked the majority of the way back down to the trailhead.

In a word, I felt pretty shitty and quickly grabbed some spare water from my truck and then plopped down in the creek to try to cool off and soak. I wasn’t particularly hungry (not a good sign) but thought a Jamba Juice might do the trick so I drove to Superior (the nearest Jamba location) and checked movie times since that was going to be my next goal. The closer I got to the store, the less I felt going to a movie was going to be a good idea so I decided to head straight home after getting my fix.

While placing my order, I started feeling REALLY sick and woozy so rushed over to some seats they have in the store to sit down. I put my had down on the counter and tried to not get sick. The woman who took my order brought my card over to me (I had abandoned it in my rush to sit down) and I suspect she thought I was wickedly hungover or a junkie or something then just a short time later, one of the other staff members came over to bring me my order, ask if I was okay and offer to bring me a damp towel. Super cool. I had broken out in a crazy sweat and had goosebumps at this point. Then my hands went numb. Oh joy.

After drinking some of the cold, tasty beverage, I started to feel a bit better and decided it was time to hit the road. I asked for some water then started driving back home up Coal Creek Canyon. After awhile, I decided that I probably should pull over because I was just feeling worse and worse. Once I started seeing double, I immediately pulled over to take a nap. I rolled down the windows and climbed into the back seat to see if a little rest would help things out. Then I started puking.

So I threw up a little, then a lot, then rested for at least an hour. Not even sure. I didn’t call Rach to tell her what was going on because I didn’t have a signal when I pulled over but she called after awhile to see if everything was okay. She had offered to come get me when I was down in Superior but at that point I was feeling okay so I didn’t take her up on it. In retrospect, that would have been prudent.

I rested for a bit longer and was feeling better so I headed on up the hill. After about a mile, I started feeling sick again but there wasn’t anywhere to pull over. So I fought it for as long as I could and then fortunately a pull out appeared and I took it. I threw up a few more times and then called Rach to meet me in Pinecliffe which was only a couple of miles up the road. By the time I made it to Pinecliffe, I was feeling much better and so I just kept driving. I passed Rach going the other way at the end of our road and she turned around to see if I needed help. At this point, I felt well enough to make it the remaining 3 miles to our house. Rach is so awesome to come help me out.

Once I got home, I took a shower, drank a bunch of water and rested for a bit. I am feeling a lot better now but am pretty sure my temp is still up a bit. I have been whacking down popsicles and water and am now starting to feel a bit hungry. May try some actual food in a bit.

So the moral of this story (or lesson anyway) is to always bring more than you think you will need and start your runs that have the potential to get warm early, early in the morning. Especially if you are a Stu who is inclined toward excessive temperatures and requiring way more water than your average bear.

I think I’ll take tomorrow off. And probably Tuesday as well.

~stubert.

[edit]: And my back is killing me after moving 2-tons of pellets twice on Thursday.

Fast is not my middle name…

The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do. ~ Walter Bagehot

Two good training runs this week. One missed day (thought I had it off on the ole schedule). Feeling generally okay. Not super but not too bad.

On Tuesday, I did some LT training down in Boulder and quickly discovered how hard a 3:30 marathon is going to be. I am just not that fast yet. Getting there for sure, but I was totally maxed out for 4 out of 8 miles and whew… Rolling sub 8s all day is going to be a challenge. I am pretty sure I am up to it but need to put in some focused training to get my leg speed up and get to the point where I can spin those splits over and over. It was warm as well, which never helps me. I did take a dip in the creek after the run, which was nice. Motionbased stats.

Yesterday, I went out for a slow 10-mile trail run. Really the goal was to keep my heartrate down and for the most part, I succeeded. I had to walk the steepest section in the Park but still managed about 9 miles in just over an hour and a half. I felt okay for most of the run. My legs seemed to burn a bit more quickly than I had hoped but that’s how it goes sometimes. It was a beautiful day up in the high country and nice to just get out for awhile. I am definitely noticing that I am able to maintain higher speeds with less effort so I suppose that means I am doing something right. Whee! Here are the stats for any nerds out there.

Also, did I mention that I saw a bobcat on the way home from Ward the other day? Pretty cool. Only the second one I have seen up here. Well, it was closer to Ward but there you go.

Today I’m hoping to cajole Pete into coming out for a slow 5-miler and then to talk my sweet Rach into going to see a movie. Then we’ll rush home before all the Labor Day Weekend drunkards get out on the roads. To quote the Beastie Boys, “If you’re drivin’ don’t drink, and if you’re drinkin’ don’t drive.” Pretty simple, really.

And on one final, political note… Palin quite possibly may be the worst VP pick in history. From the environment, to energy policy, to science… she has it all wrong and zero experience and an ongoing abuse of power/ethics investigation to boot. I am baffled by this selection. We’ll see what happens but I don’t really see how this helps McCain at all. Fine by me. Here’s a great analysis of her credentials if you are interested.

~stubert.

Flow like water…

Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We are not the only experiment. ~ R. Buckminster Fuller

Thunder rumbled in the distance as I pulled on my Sauconys for a slow 13-mile run. I headed southeast, down the Beav, cautiously eyeing the dark bank of clouds building ominously to the north. My steps were punctuated by intermittent claps of thunder and I quickly adjusted my plans to stay closer to home, and in the confines of the forest. My 13-mile road run was abandoned for the trails and easier access to a rapid escape route.

I headed uphill, running strongly and timing my breathing with my cadence. My goal was not a fast pace or even splits but to keep my legs turning over as if driven by a metronome. Tick, tick, tick. The miles slipped by and I soon gained access to the woods along a hidden single track.

This trail, fast but technical, led me downhill through Aspen groves, whispering encouragement as I focused on staying fluid while negotiating tight, rocky sections. The old mining trail is punctuated by large, flat stones placed into a pseudo-flagstone path. Navigating these at speed can be a challenge and as rain began to fall, the task required even more attention.

Thunder built in intensity along with the rain but actual lightning strikes seemed few and far between and when timed, were miles away. I reached the lowest elevation of the day’s adventure and headed up the steepest sections in an increasingly soggy state. Rain turned to sleet as I ran through a section dubbed “Funky Boss” then quickly to rain again as I passed “The Flume”. I sped along in the steady patter of raindrops and quickly reached the summit and the “Tupperware” trail. This new section of singletrack drops quickly downhill to a more frequented artery in this part of Roosevelt National Forest.

Temperatures dropped to the point where a jacket seemed prudent so I donned my Marmot shell and ran back uphill toward today’s second summit. Though soaked, the light cover provided the comfort required and I was quickly able to stow it back in my belt and run on, feeling strong and fit. As the clouds lifted and rain turned to a light drizzle I headed back downhill, towards home.

Geek link.

~stubert.

Did I mention I can’t deal with heat?

If you can’t take the heat, try moving away from the radiator. ~ Anon (probably some jackass named “stubert”

No wonder I felt like crap today. I was supposed to have a nice, steady, aerobic run but that plan went out the window and I just kinda suffered for about 2 hours on the Mesa Trail. Always a fan of changing plans (seems like I had a conversation with myself about this at one point), I started with the tentative goal of doing the whole Trail (out/back) which would have been about 13 miles. After passing NCAR, I tossed that horrendous idea out the window and decided to just go with the scheduled 10-mile.

I couldn’t figure out what was going on but experienced the same sort of high heartrate as Tuesday. I was soaked with sweat and had a tough time running a lot of the hills without really spiking. When I got back to the car, the temp said 96 degrees. Yikes. In any event, I finished and didn’t cry so I am chalking this one up in the “Tie” column.

~stubert.

Heat and Stus do not mix…

I’m Mr. Heat Blister, I’m Mister Hundred and One. ~ Heat Miser

It is amazing how intolerant of heat I am. Yesterday, I was in Boulder and my run got delayed until around noon. It definitely wasn’t what I would consider “hot” down there but I suffered a bit nonetheless. Maybe I had just prepared myself for an easier time but my heartrate was through the roof all day. I must admit, I was having a hard time not running too fast (which contributed for sure) but my heartrate in general was just a lot higher than normal.

This could all be attributed to lots of different issues – from base fatigue to the physiology of how one’s body keeps cool. I am guessing it is a combination of factors. My sleep patterns have been a bit screwed up of late (getting to bed a lot later than normal) and I have been training more consistently as well. I am sure both these have contributed to my current state (which isn’t bad, mind you). Those items, coupled with my heart having to work harder to push blood closer to the surface of my skin in order to cool me off in warmer temps is probably what did it.

In any event, I had a fairly hectic morning then finally got out for an 8-mile loop around central Boulder. I am able to maintain increased speeds on flat roads (which is nice) and aside from the overheating, felt okay. My legs were turning over well and so I worked on form and then did some strides at the end. All in all, a pretty good run.

On Sunday, I did a 13-mile loop up by my place and tried to keep a steady pace of 8:45-9:30 pacing. I spun the loop in just under 2-hours, which is averaging about 9-minute miles. This was supposed to be an aerobic endeavor but trying to keep that steady pace up hills at altitude definitely pushed me up into “going too hard” territory on a few occasions. I may just switch to heartrate training or something to ensure that I don’t overdo it.

Tomorrow, I have a 10-miler scheduled and will be down in Boulder again. Might jump on some trails down there just for kicks or run their awesome network of bike paths. I’ll try to get out earlier this time so as to not get stuck in the heat. Anyone up for a run?

~stubert.