Don't Be a Stupid Runner

Don't be stupid. Specifically, don't be a stupid runner.

Trails covered with snow and ice? That's OK, I'm a tough trail runner. Heck, I'm an ULTRA runner! No problem. Yes, problem. You are stupid. You risk injury and will not gain that much fitness. You'll gain a little mental fortitude, but not enough to risk a real injury. How about hitting the roads that have already been cleared?  Or that treadmill?  Or just skip a day and recover so you'll consolidate all the gains you've made in your previous training efforts?

Too often I've made the stupid mistake of trying to be too much of a "real" "tough" "ultra" runner. I'm too old for that shit now.  I can't risk injury just to be tough. I prefer to be a wise runner.  I push it when it's feasible and I pull back when it's necessary. Older, wiser, smarter. Of course, even old dogs need to be reminded of the classic wisdom they have gained from past experiences. This past Saturday, we had about 3 inches of really crappy snow and ice on my local trails.  I could have done a road route...or gone to the gym...but I stubbornly went to the trails and stumbled through 10 tough miles. Mentally it made me tougher...but physically it beat the hell out of me. My knees were sore. I can't make stupid decisions like that when I only have 39 days until the Umstead 100 miler. Most of the hard training is behind me and I simply need to keep that endurance for the next 5 weeks. Sure, with spot-on training, I might be able to enhance my fitness just a bit...or completely blow it all up with a stupid injury. Better safe than sorry. I have one more race (60km on March 9), then basic "hold onto that fitness" type training until April 6. No room for mistakes. I'll do some long hikes (time on feet is important), and a few short progressive aerobic runs, but everything else is just easy efforts. I won't lose any measurable fitness and I might gain cognitive and emotional capacity to push through when it gets tough that night of April 6...and early morning of April 7. A rested body and mind are capable of extreme performance.

I think I survived this latest bout of stupidity. My knees only have a hint of soreness. I dodged a bullet. No more stupid runner hi-jinks for the next 39 days. I'd really like to race smartly too--so no stupid runner decisions for 40 days!

Races for 2013

I was just tinkering with my upcoming race schedule. I have no race the month of July (extra training for Howl at the Moon?), but it's pretty packed the rest of the year. So far, after two races, I have one DNF and one new PR. 50% success, 50% failure. Hmmmm...hope the rest of the year goes better!  Here's my current schedule for 2013 (also on side bar of this blog):

• ✔ Jan 26: Riddle Run 50
• Feb 9: KRR Fat Ass 28 (DNF)
• Mar 9: LBL 60K
• Apr 6: Umstead 100
• May 18: CRUD 8-Hour
• June 22: Cats & Dogs 5-Hour
• Aug 10: Howl 8-Hour
• Sept 15: Evergreen Lake Ultra
• Oct 12: Farmdale Ultra
• Oct 20: Redwoods Marathon
• Oct 26: Grand Canyon R2R2R
• Nov 9: McNotAgain 30 Miler
• Dec 29: Across the Years

Any thoughts? 

The Redwoods Marathon in October is dependent on my brother being ready for that race (~50% chance). The Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim run is dependent on Gregg and Jeff being fit and committed (~75% chance). I'm not doing that solo! The final race, Across the Years (24-48-72 hour) is a celebration of the year...if I'm healthy and uninjured. Would be a nice way to cap off the year and start 2014 with a bang.

Too much racing?  Too little? Not enough variety?

Faster Than Race Pace

How often do you run faster than your race pace? Never? Once per week? Twice a week? Whenever it seems right? Do you run faster than race pace every single day? That's me! Yesterday, today, tomorrow...it's all faster than race pace! Pretty impressive, eh? Maybe not.

Currently, I'm training for a 100-mile trail race. I hope to break 24 hours. I suppose you could say my target finish is 23 hours, 59 minutes. That would translate to a 14:23 pace. Yes, 14 minutes, 23 seconds per mile. Easy for one mile, not so easy for 100 miles. Still, that's my race pace. And I run faster than race pace every single day. Impressive? Smart? I should probably have at least one "run" per week that is slower than that pace...basically an easy walk. I'll walk during the 100 miler, so I should walk in training too. Currently, I walk all the hills on my regular runs. That's what I'll do during the race, so that's what I do in training for that race. Trying to simulate in training what you'll do during a race is smart. I should probably walk more in my training. I'm not sure what percentage of walking vs running I'll do during the full 100 miler, but it's at least 25% walking. Could be closer to 50%. I don't walk that much in my training. Time to ramp up my training to better simulate race day conditions...that means MORE walking! How often do people "ramp up their training" by slowing down? I only have 48 days left until the Umstead 100 race, so I better slow down...and really train smartly. No more "faster than race pace" every single day!

More walking equals better racing. That's my motto. Might not work for you if your race is a 5K or 10K, but it could work if you're planning an ultramarathon PR. Give walking a try. It's a great way to speed recovery, prevent injuries, maximize fat-burning, and still get time on your feet.

What Am I Giving Up for Lent?

Happy Mardi Gras everyone!

It's the best day of the year...time to get out all your sins before Lent begins. Growing up in the New Orleans area, this was a big holiday--including no school for 2 days! Not really celebrated in the Midwest. Most of my colleagues at work didn't even realize it was "Fat Tuesday" today--but they understood what it meant...and were looking forward to a trip to the bar after work. You are welcome.

Another thing that Mardi Gras means for many people? The last day before Lent. Time to indulge before giving up something for the Lenten season. A little too religious for me, but I always enjoy asking my Christian (particularly my Catholic) friends what they are giving up for Lent. Today, I got the usual responses: "Not sure"..."None of your business"...."What are YOU giving up?"

Since I don't officially follow Lent, I don't usually give up anything, but today I thought it might be "fun" to give up rest days. Yes, that's right, no more "rest days" from running for Chris. For the next 40 days I'll not skip a day of running! A mini-running streak to re-commit myself to the 100-mile training plan. Umstead 100 Miler is 53 days away. Maybe a 40-day run streak is just what my Umstead training needs. Guess my next rest day will be Easter Sunday.

So, what are you giving up for Lent? Long runs? Speed work? Recovery days? Races? An hour of sleep so you can get up earlier, double your training, build a massive aerobic engine, and slaughter your enemies at your next big race? It's all good. Pick something to change. Partying is over tonight...tomorrow begins a new training day!

UPDATE:  I lasted until day three. The mini run-streak is over. It was more mini than a streak. Geeez. That's sad.

Most Comfortable Road and Trail Shoe

I've been running for quite a few years, but recently I've come across two shoes that are truly different and extremely comfortable right out of the box. One is a road shoe, the other a trail shoe. Here are my picks for most comfortable road and trail shoes...

MOST COMFORTABLE ROAD SHOE

Skechers Go Run 2

I love the feel of this shoe on my foot! Almost like a comfy slipper. The stretchy upper is awesome. Lots of room in the toebox for your toes to spread out. Extremely flexible and lightweight. It has a slight heel to toe drop (4mm) that seems about right for me. Just enough cushioning to protect, but still feel the ground. I've only owned this shoe for 2 weeks, so maybe my proclamation of "most comfortable road shoe" is a bit premature...but that's how much I like this darn shoe!  For a fuller review, see Runblogger's review here. Pete was even involved with testing the shoe and suggesting refinements. the Skechers' team did a great job with this final product (the original Go Run had some issues, this one seems "perfect").

MOST COMFORTABLE TRAIL SHOE

Altra Superior

I have really grown to love the Altra shoe company. The notion of having a whole line of shoes that are zero drop is pretty cool. Plus, all of their lasts are anatomically correct--with nice wide toeboxes. That's what a foot needs!  My only complaint with my Altra Instinct was that it lacked flexibility...and it was a little heavy. Still, a nice shoe. When I got the Altra Superior, their newer trail shoe, I was pleasantly surprised by it's flexibility, traction, and comfort. Still a bit heavy, but not noticeable on the trails. What is noticeable is the extremely comfortable fit. They feel great whether you are walking or running (important for an ultra runner). As with all Altra shoes, the zero drop is great for trail running and staying close to the ground. The rock plate, which is flexible and removable, is a nice added feature. This shoe has a mixture of features that almost make it the perfect trail shoe: reasonable cushioning, nice traction, good rock plate, flexible forefoot, wide toebox, and zero drop (still wish it was a little lighter, but I'll make do). Not sure about that classic back "rudder" thingy...but it doesn't seem to interfere with anything, and it looks sort of cool. Sorta.

Here's the Super Bowl commercial for the Go Run 2 shoe...

Potential for 50 Miles at Howl

Each August, I try and reach 50 total miles in 8 hours at the Howl at the Moon race. It's never happened....yet. I have renewed optimism that I'm on the right track this year. I ran a 50-mile trail fat ass event on January 26 and finished in 9:49. That's 1 hour and 49 minutes too slow. Why my optimism based on that run? That run started at midnight, was unsupported (no aid stations), and had few other runners or spectators. In my mind, running at midnight on dark trails equates to 30 seconds per mile slower pace. OK, over 50 miles that's a 25 minute gain, now I'm only 1 hour 24 minutes off my needed pace for 50 miles in 8 hours. Aid station support is worth another 30 seconds per mile--now I'm only 59 minutes off my target pace. Throw in other runners and spectators in a major race setting, and I think I could be motivated to run another 30 seconds per mile quicker. Now I'm only 34 minutes off target!  Still a way to go, but I have 6 months to improve my endurance, stamina, and speed. I didn't push hard at my recent 50-mile event, so I have excess capacity to draw upon. This August, I'm confident 50 miles in 8 hours will be possible at the Howl at the Moon race!

Hoka Stinson Evo Shoe Review

I posted a few initial thoughts on the Hoka Stinson Evo shoe back in November when I first bought and ran in them. At that point, I wasn't sold on their utility. Now I've logged considerably more miles and done some serious long runs--including a 50-mile trail run--in these shoes. I feel more confident in providing a full review. Here goes...

PROs:
Highly cushioned
Protective
Speed lacing
Reasonable traction

CONs:
Expensive
Inflexible
Heavy
Slightly narrow (and runs short)
No ground feel
Tends to hold water and mud

Let's start with the negative aspects of this Hoka Stinson Evo shoe. As mentioned in my previous blog post, the shoes tend to run short. I had to order 1 full size larger. They are also a tad bit narrow in the forefoot, especially for someone like me that prefers a wide toebox so my toed can naturally splay out. Still, with the larger size, they run OK. I managed to finish a 50-mile trail run without blisters and no sense of the shoes being too tight. I wish they weren't as heavy as they are, but even with big 14oz moon boots on my feet, they don't feel that heavy. Must be a good balance of weight distribution in the shoe. I'd love them to weight a little less, but the weight isn't too annoying. One thing to be careful with is running in wet or muddy conditions--these shoes have an extremely wide foot print and will hold onto mud all around the edges--they can be extremely heavy when trail conditions are soggy or muddy! Finally, one last drawback is the very isolating feel you get with these shoes--they have very little ground feel. With the massive cushioning and inflexible sole, you are very isolated from the ground. I don't like not being able to sense the terrain I'm running across.  I suppose if you want lots of cushioning and protection, you have to give up proprioception. I worry that with the high stack height, combined with lower proprioception, may lead to more frequent false foot placements and possible twisted or sprained ankles. Hasn't happened to me, but I've read reports from others that complain about this "feature" of the shoe.

Geeez, with so many negatives, you'd think I'd toss these shoes in the trash! Not so. The high amount of cushioning is very protective on long runs and uneven hard ground. On my long runs, done at easy aerobic paces, I feel less aches and pains. I seem to recover quicker. I don't get blisters. I think the extra weight of the shoes, being lifted with every step, tires my legs a bit--but not enough to outweigh the benefit of feeling less beat up in my feet. THIS IS THE MAJOR ADVANTAGE OF THESE SHOES!  Your long runs will be more successful. You'll recover and be able to run again, maybe in different shoes, for your other runs. I get the feeling my feet are not "worked" as hard in these shoes--great for long runs, but not so great everyday. You want your feet to flex and strengthen on most runs. Strong feet are healthy feet. If I wore the Hokas on every run, I wouldn't enjoy my runs as much (feel too isolated from my environment) and I think my feet would weaken. But for long runs, they are awesome. I plan on using these in my next 100-mile race at Umstead. The speed lacing is nice and allows for quick adjustments. The traction is fine for most trails (although I would not want them for muddy conditions). The Hokas have filled a special niche for me--long runs. I still prefer my New Balance 1010s or Altra Superiors for shorter trail runs (less than 18 miles) and races, but any longer training runs are now tagged as "Hoka runs."

Bottom line, these shoes are highly cushioned and protective. If you can stand the lack of ground feel that accompanies the heavier and inflexible nature of these shoes, they may be perfect for long runs. My friends love them for every run they do. I'm keeping them for my "ultra" long runs and races. The price is steep, but they seem to hold up pretty well. My friend has broken 500 miles in his Stinson Evos, they are showing some wear, but still going strong.

If this shoe gets me through the Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run in April, they will be worth every penny I paid!  I'll let you know how that race goes.