Woke up from the sound of the garage door closing… kid left the house to go somewhere… not a big deal. Got an email from the REI that someone bought a pair of spikes tracking for hiking boots. Eeek!!! Kiddo must have gone hiking in the woods, so I am going to be a worried mess until she gets back.
Ah, don’t be worried about me. I know how hard it is. I have climbed Pike’s Peak before, and I saw the suffering when I watched the race. We would go out 10-14 days ahead of time to acclimatize and spend time at other high peaks, it really worked for my husband last time. The thing about Pike’s Peak is that it sounds like most people don’t even run the majority of the race, it’s just too difficult, which is why the times are unbelievably slow. One thing I have always been able to do is hike uphill very quickly, so if I can go out there early and get acclimatized, it will be helpful. When I was looking at the runners last year, though I thought they were going to all be supermen/women, I noticed that many didn’t look any fitter than me, actually. But I’m not going to be winning any age categories, just finishing (if I can)!
Great job, dmd and C3Baker. Your race sounds fun, dmd - and your run sounds terrifying, C3Baker!
We had moderate amounts of sleet here this morning, but by 8 there was nothing to speak of, so I took the dogs for a walk, had some breakfast and then decided I had no excuse to not run. Only got a bit over 5, but again hit some hills in my neighborhood to build some stamina for the spring. I’ve been fighting this cold all week, so breathing continues to be difficult and my HR is high. Hopefully I’ll be over it soon.
I drink a lot of water now - I’m much better than I used to be. I have numerous water bottles and I am constantly refilling it at work - that also helps me with getting my 250 steps in every hour!
2 hours XC skiing. Now I have blisters on both of my heels. I think my technique changed after the lesson and I found a hot spot on my boots. Ugh! But I skiied better so there’s that lol!
Happy but pooped. Nothing better than great snow and a good day of skiing.
@deb922 – skiing sounds great! I remember being deliciously tired after a day of skiing. You’ll sleep well tonight!
@C3Baker – echoing the terrifying comments and wondering what was “virtual” about it? I’m sure I missed a post. Sounds pretty real to me. I’d have been very afraid of wiping out on the ice.
re: water – I try to drink whatever they tell you is the target amount (8 glasses?) but mix it up with seltzer and herbal tea. Now I’m trying to drink a half glass before a run which seems to help.
Did 7 miles this morning so at least I have a 25 mile week going in to the half marathon next Sunday. I don’t think I’ve really trained enough or accurately for it. Just hoping to keep a steady pace then if I have anything left at Mile 10, increase a little.
I’m jealous of all of you who are getting outside to run! The weather here has been totally uncooperative for riding outside. Rain, snow, very cold temperatures or a combination of just bad conditions. Either the road surfaces are not safe for riding, trails are so wet that bike tires would rut them and cause damage or the weather is so cold that even if I went out on the trails, the thought of attempting to clean my cross or mt bike to get the muck off is just not happening. And the snow we’ve gotten has been totally inadequate for XC skiing. So I’m stuck inside for riding doing wattage intervals which is beginning to cause brain damage from the monotony.
There may be some relief in sight though. Are you listening ohio, this could lead to some suggestions for some more stuff for you to buy :D. As many of you know, I use a Wahoo Kickr for my indoor cycling training. It provides software controlled wattage based training and I’ve been using Trainer Road web based software to structure my rides. The software enables me to pick a packaged training program based on my needs, objectives and stage of the training year and then after doing a provided FTP test, the program will control the resistance on the Kickr to provide the correct wattage levels for each training ride and the segments of each ride based on my individualized wattage/ftp metrics. Pretty neat except the user interface is nothing more than a moving graph of each ride showing where I am in the ride segment sequencing and various of my performance metrics at the moment. Therein lies the causation of the psychosis that sets in. Well, I just picked up a relatively cheap ANT+ adapter for my laptop that will enable me to connect to a different program called Zwift. Zwift allows you to pick the type of training ride you want to do and then puts you on an actual road course with other riders. Zwift uses the ANT+ connection to match the Kickr’s resistance levels to the ride topography, speed and my ability level. It’s a virtual reality group ride. A subscription to Zwift is only $10/month, a lot cheaper than my health insurance co-pay for out-patient psychotherapy. Gonna give it a try today.
On another note, I had been lusting after this beautiful stainless steel Olympic weight lifting bar to replace my existing bar. What’s wrong with my old bar you might ask? Nothing. It’s perfectly serviceable for my needs. But I had convinced myself that it was inadequate. Weight lifting bars are made of steel but since bare steel rusts, most bars are coated with zinc to prevent the rusting. Over time, the zinc gets very scratched up and marred from regular use. Weight lifting bars have a grip surface, called knurling, etched into them. The pattern and depth of the knurling varies from bar model to model to get a particular desired grip characteristic and feel often tied into the type of lifting you do and the desired grip characteristics for that type of lifting. However, the zinc coating alters the feel of the knurling design from its original design because the coating sits on top of the knurling and somewhat fills it in, rounds it off or blunts it. The usual solution for purists is to get a bare steel bar but then you are stuck with PIA maintence to prevent corrosion on the untreated steel. And then along came stainless steel bars. No coatings, no corrosion. The knurling is in its naked unaltered splendor. The bars are cosmetically beautiful with no coating to get marred and feel great in the hands. Notwithstanding this, I had resisted the urge to get one because it really was a wholely unnecessary luxury. In the aftermath of the events of the last week, the viewing, the funeral, I decided to buy one anyway. I used it last night for the first time. Such a pretty bar, feels so good in my hands … I could wax poetic about its virtues but my wife has enough concerns about my mental health from the indoor cycling; she doesn’t need more to be concerned about because of my expressions of lust for my weight lifting bar. ;).
My kids love Zwift.
I was going to ask you that, lol. Figured if anyone with a connection to this forum had an opinion on it, they would!
Michael- my family references an old Seinfeld episode regarding my mental health. Jerry suggests that George needs a full time team of psychiatrists in Vienna working round the clock studying him 24/7. They suggest that I need something similar!
Zwift- my daughter in particular relies on it for hour or so training rides. She likes the social interaction and regards it as another form of social media. The rides sound interesting.
Your new equipment sounds nice. Yes, we do get excited about our new toys…
My family tends to understand my mental health “issues” surrounding running (well, maybe not so much my doctor son-in-law), but my co-workers don’t quite get it. I think I’m carrying the 250 steps an hour thing a little too far. Last night I had to plan when I took my seat at the basketball game based on getting the steps in before I sat down and then being able to be up at halftime for the next hour. Ugh. (it worked)
My legs are tired from yesterday’s run and all I need to do today is 3 miles, but I’m sure not out there yet!
63 days till spring. 
Michael, go for it. If the new bar makes you happy, get it and use it in good health.
@abasket - love your optimism!! It is 24 degrees outside. We are going for a walk on the trail near the area where we are looking at a piece of land. Will have to bundle up! Baby kid returned in one piece from her hike, so phew. I noticed that she completely expropriated my Lulu puffy hoodies. Shopping time!
Ran my five mile long run for the week.
I had a moral dilemma while running. It was a rainy morning, a little cool, more drizzly than hard rain. Not many people out. I passed two young dogs, small goldens, sitting under some trees. They had collars. I spoke to them, but didn’t see an owner nearby, They didn’t try to follow me, just remained seated under the trees.
I ran another half mile down the road and then decided I should have stopped and checked out those puppies. Were they pups who had escaped from their yard? Having second thoughts in the rain? Was the owner nearby? Maybe he stopped to take a whiz by the trees? Or were these two dogs dumped? My neighborhood isn’t that rural any more, but dogs do get dumped out here. So I ran back, thinking what I would do if they were still there or nearby. I didn’t have a phone on me, but could ring the doorbell of a neighbor I knew well who lived near the spot. I could bring the dogs home and put them in my back yard (less than a mile). I could run the dogs back to their home if it was nearby.
The dogs were gone. I was relieved. There had been a truck driving slowly by; maybe the dogs belonged to the driver and he scooped them up. Maybe they just ran back home.
I am an inveterate cat rescuer, but never brought a dog home. My neighborhood is full of dog owners who are usually out walking their dogs Sunday morning, but weren’t out yet due to the rain. We do have a few online lost pet bulletin boards where I live, largely kept up by the dog walkers.
It’s the “seventh day,” so that means rest, right? Ha ha!
Just finished a leisurely breakfast after church. Will likely get in a bike ride and/or a walk on the beach a little later.
That’s a tough one Lizardly. The fact that they didn’t follow you and if they didn’t seem distraught probably means they knew where they were or were close to their home or owner??
Lizardly- hopefully their owner picked them up. It’s a tough call.
Got out and did 3.1 miles. Overdressed, but got it done. The sun even came out for a few minutes.
Agree with abasket - I would have checked their collars for any owner info.
You all have so inspired me to get off my behind and get moving. Past few days, I have been socializing (read, overeating and cocktailing) and not working out. It is so easy to fall off. But today, back in the saddle and heading up to Mt. Baldy to snowhike. I am snowstarved!! I know that sounds illogical to many who are waiting for yours to melt but sunshine daily gets boring esp during winter. Plus, I need to change up from Stairmaster.
Congrats to all on your racing, I’m jelly, running makes my teeth rattle lol
^^Awesome! Enjoy the hike.