Out and Backer Vs. Looper

A friend and I are both on Nike+ and so I get to see the GPS immage of his runs on a regular basis.  I also search Strava for bike and run route ideas.  It was while looking at lines on a map that it suddenly occurred to me that not everyone likes to run loop runs and that apparently some people actually run out  and back on purpose.

My friend typically does the same trail everyday and I've even run it with him.  It is a nice trail and in the urban area he lives in, it gives him a chance to see a bit of nature and get away from traffic.  Yet when I see his run route I feel a bit sad for him.

I tend to go out of my way so that at least part of my run isn't an out and back.  I only do an out and back when...

1. A loop would be a pain to pull off because of traffic, running by open sewage or near a middle school (trust me, stay away from middle schools)
2. The view or trail is so amazing that it can't be beat
3. I'm scared of getting lost

So I typically run loops.  I have loops that are 5K, 10K, 8 Mile and 13 miles.  I have a couple 5 mile loops which I really like.  I think one of my super powers is being able to go running, go in a sort of random exploring loop and have it end up being the distance or time that I need.  

If I only did out and backs, I wouldn't need this super power.  And who doesn't want to use their super power.

Yet my superpower does have its limits.  When my girls are on their bikes, I tend to run out and back.  That way I can always make the run shorter than I planned.  Also, I hide stuff along the trail and pick it up on the way home.  They are also really motivated by a destination.  And so we go out and back.  Kind of boring but it works.  

Now my challenge is to introduce them to the power of loops and hopefully they also have a super power that will be discovered as they explore the great world on feet and bike.

My Supirior Thoughts on Triathlete Supriority Complex

There are two extremes within the Triathlon Community - "That Guy" and "Jaded Guy".  I used "guy" but that guy can also be a girl.

These two groups are at war and if you read Slowtwitch,com and BeginnerTriathlete.com you will pretty soon be able to identify them in the wild.  Let me warn you, be careful approaching either group in the wild because it may zap not only your time but energy.

As any good scientist (okay, person pretending to be a scientist) it is important to observe not only appearance, and sounds, but behavior and social patterns.  

THAT GUY

The easiest way to identify "That Guy" is to first look at what they are wearing.  If they are in a business or social setting most likely they are wearing three or more of the following items:

• Exercise Sunglasses
• Compression Socks
• Garmin or other watch with GPS functions
• Heart rate monitor
• Finisher shirt, socks, jacket or hat
• You may only see the top of the ribbon of their finishers medal if they are wearing a jacket

When you spot "That Guy" training you will also notice the following:

• Wearing compression socks
• Wearing race suit
• When biking will have aero helmet
• All clothing choices will accentuate the Ironman Tattoo
• When the pace increases, there is a good chance they will stop for an equipment problem.
• They will be using about 3 items of technology at any given time.

"That Guy" will liberally sprinkle, "During Ironman...." into nearly every conversation but will tend to omit actual race times.    They refer to professional triathletes using their nicknames. They will also talk about VO2, Watts, and paces without being too specific.

JADED GUY

Jaded guy is a bit harder to identify because they are working very hard to appear as normal as possible.  Just like "That Guy" they want people to identify them as "hardcore" but don't want any similarities to the the brands and methods of "That Guy".

You may need to observe them a bit longer but they do the following to mark their identity:

• Well groomed tan lines - they make sure the lines on the legs, arms and sunglasses are well defined.
• Jeans, t-shirt and flip flops - one item will be European
• If they have a race shirt on, it will be from 1987 or earlier.
• Water bottle on Tri bike will be between the forearms
• They will be using at least 4 zip ties
• They always wear bibs when on the bike
• They will spend a significant amount of time doing subtle stretching
• They may walk with discomfort due to running in old shoes and riding vintage bikes.
• They show up to races late, bring minimal gear and push other peoples bikes to the side.
• They will also be letting out a sort of hissing sound every time "That Guy" walks by.]
• They will not be wearing a watch, bike computer or logging any of their training.

You probably won't be able to engage Jaded Guy in a conversation but if you overhear them talking with another of their species, you will most likely hear them ridiculing  That Guy, talking about Lance Armstrong, complaining about rolling resistance of tires, and complaining about drafting. 

ME?
I notice that depending on the day, I'm kind of both, not necessarily because of choice but because I'm cheap.  I train in shirts that I get at races.  So, on a typical day to the pool, run or bike, I'll have on some sort of race shirt on.  If wearing a hat it will have the IM logo on it.  I use a GPS and use my Iphone to log my running miles.  I will use Strava only when I think I have a chance to win.

I have a great bike and really expensive bike shoes that I bought on Craigslist.  I'd love to have a power meeter and have thought about wearing my HR monitor at night to see what my heart rate dips to.

Yet I also prefer independent and smaller races and try to keep things simple.  I don't have a tattoo and don't plan on getting one.  I try not to talk about triathlon with random people.

One thing that I do believe is that triathlon has room for all sorts of people and I hope more people get involved.

I recently was reminded about the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) which deals with how we explain others behavior and our own behavior.  When we evaluate our own behavior we tend to accept situational or environmental explanations.  For example, when I miss a day of training, I will attribute it to having a lot of work, family needs and lack of sleep.  When another person misses their training, I will tend to blame their behavior on character and personality.  So they are lazy, unmotivated, ignorant, or just plain stupid.

The good thing about knowing the the FAE is that I can be a bit more forgiving to people that are toward the polar extremes on the GUY continuum (wow that sounds fancy).

I was tested in this area as a beginner triathlon class came to the pool during my swim this morning.  One of the guys was wearing a one piece tri suit and another was wearing board shorts.  I immediately felt superior and wished I could point them out to another cynical person but no one was around.  I left the pool and sat in the steam room for a few minutes and the FAE came to mind, I guess I just don't know why they are doing what they are doing and I'd probably benefit from giving the benefit of doubt rather than treating them poorly.

I'm better off if I don't judge.  At least races bring us together for a short time.

Shirt Free Club

I was that guy in high school and college that would always hope for "shirts" rather than "skins" when playing sports.  It wasn't that I was prude, I'm just svelte, okay skinny, and didn't need to prove that I didn't have chest hair.

Yet I spent hours without a shirt because I worked at summer camps and was the Waterfront Director for years.  I spent my summers wearing a swim suit and no shirt and will have skin cancer as my proof. 

I'm fine in the pool or beach without a shirt but out in "public" just isn't my style. 

So, this week I was running and had even looked at the weather when choosing shorts and long sleeve top.  I headed out on my run and was surprised by two things, first it was sunny and second it was warm.  These are things that shock us in the Pacific North West.  I instantly regretted not wearing sunglasses and about seven minutes later, I regretted wearing a long sleeve top.  For the next mile, I tried to push sleeves up and get comfortable but eventually I gave up.

In a move that would have been more fun to watch than do, while still running, I took off my top, forgot to take off my headphones, tangled everything, untangled things, tied the shirt around my waist, tangled my headphones, and eventually recovered and kept running.

The good news, it felt great.  Nice and cool and I felt like a vitamin D magnet.  The bad news, I wasn't preoccupied with being perceived as skinny. 

The good news is that now that I'm in my forties, I care but not that much.  I'm more focused on my comfort than that of strangers and so I'll wear things I'd never wear as a teen. 

I don't think I'll make it a habit to run without a shirt, or to start mowing the lawn without a shirt, or barbequing without a shirt or all the other things the the Shirt Free Club does.  Yet, I think I'm one step closer to becoming a member.

I'm Effortlessly Gross

Those of you that have followed the blog for some time will know that one of my conundrums in life and have posted on is snot rockets and when I should teach my girls this amazing skill.  I still haven't taught them, mostly because I like being married, and I haven't spent much time thinking about it. 

One of my super powers is that I can do some really annoying or disgusting things subconsciously. I click pens, pop my gum, crack my wrists (not knuckles but wrists) and a whole host of things that my other people have told me that I do but I don't realize that I'm doing it.

Today I was running on my local trail that goes in front of a restaurant.  This restaurant is located precisely so people can spend money on food and drinks and have a nice view of the Columbia river.  The multipurpose trail is the only thing between the civilized patrons and the river.

I tend to stare toward the restaurant was I run by because I like food and there are some windows in which I can see my reflection and I like to see what I look like when I run.

Today as I ran by looking hungry and trying to see if I look manly in my running tights, I caught my reflection as I launched a snot rocket.  I disgusted myself and I can only imagine how the people in the restaurant felt.

I effortlessly was gross.  Now I'm a bit paranoid because I wonder what other things I've learned to do from triathlon that is really gross.

Help!

The Buckle - Why Am I So Motivated By It?

If I finish the LeadmanTri 250 in under 11 hours I will get a shinny belt buckle.

For some reason this is providing a bunch of motivation for me right now.

Here is the coveted item:

Here is what I think I have to do to "Earn with guts" the buckle.

5K Swim (3.1 miles for those in USA) - 1:23:20
T1 - 4:00 Minutes
200K Bike (138 miles for...) - 8:07:59
T2 - 4 Minutes
20K Run (13.64 miles) - 1:46:51

Total Time - 10:59:03

So here is the pacing
Swim - 1:40
Bike - 18 MPH
Run:  7:50

Wow, it will take guts, luck and some work.

I waffle between thinking maybe, no, yes and I'll try, maybe not.

But I really want the buckle and I don't want to compete in rodeo which is really the only other way to get a cool buckle so I'm going to go for it!

Any ideas on going faster?  Help!

Accepting The Pain

I'm currently finishing up Chris McCormack's book "I'm Here to Win".  I've had it for a while and quit reading it because I didn't relate that much to the dueling and tactics he was talking about.  Yet I picked it up and started reading again and liked what he said about pain.

He knew pain would show up and when it came, he greated it like an old friend and kept going.

I like triathlon but the start of a race is my time of acceptance.  I know that at some point I will suffer and I accept it. 

My race for 2013 will be LeadmanTri 250.  I'm not worried about the race based on how hard it may be, I just know that I want to race faster than I've done in the past and I know that it will be painful.

I know I can do IM distance being undertrained and if I go slow enough, I can avoid a lot of pain, but I don't want to go slow.  That means training that hurts and racing that hurts more.

I accept.  I look forward to quite a few meetings with pain this year, and will treat the relationship with respect and determination.

Afraid of the Dark

When I was a kid, I was really scared of the dark.  I remember a really creapy row of houses near my parents house that would teriffy me as a kid and I would race through that area.  It was dark and I'd run or ride my bike as fast as I could to get into light and near "safe" houses.

It was kind of ironic that when my wife and I bought our first home, it was on this street.  It didn't occur to me that I bought a piece of terror until the first time I left our house at night and I could picture a frigtened kid racing down the street in a panic.

I recently didn't get a chance to run until about 8:00 PM.  I was in the mountains of Idaho for work and I typically just run down a country road and down a seldome used path.  It was pitch black and I didn't have a light but I was feeling kind of cocky and proud at my ability to run in the dark an not be afraid.

I ran about 1/4 mile before I saw this dark grey animal race infront of me.  I think it was a deer but I wasn't sure if the deer was running from me or from some other animal.  Earlier in the day I had seen about 30 elk in our field and I started to wonder whether wolves and mountain lions had also seen this tasty herd.

At this point, my heart was racing and I was paranoid.  So I turned around an ran a .22 mile loop around the buildings for the next 36:04.  It was one of the longer 4.5 miles that I've run and a lot of the run was in the dark but at least I didn't need to look over my shoulder the whole time.

The good news is that while I've changed quite a bit in the last 30+ years, some things are still the same.  I run faster when I'm scared and I still get scared.

The groove

First of all, I love the word groove.  I'm not sure whether it is because of the music I was exposed to in the 70's but I like it.

You will notice as you follow this blog or look at my training log on beginnertriathlete.com that I tend to get in the grove for a while and then get out of it. 

Blog entries tends to start a few weeks after the grove starts and end a few weeks before the groove sputters to an end. 

My groove creators are -

1. Great weather
2. An upcoming race
3. Training with people
4. New gear
5. Finishing workouts in bad weather

My grove busters are -

1. Travel
2. Work stress
3. Sickness/Injury
4. Finishing Ironmans
5. Sick Family
6. Darkness!

So, I've been running and now have my bike set-up for winter training.  I have the Sufferfest videos loaded onto an old laptop and a goal in mind. 

I do have some travel coming up and darkness is here for the next several months but...I think for now, I'm getting in the grove and ready to stay for a while!

I'm that person

I tend to have a just do it attitude yet this has been one of the lowest years of training motivation for me.  I love to exercise and I feel, think and am generally a nicer person when I am training.  This year's training has been horrible.  I could list off a bunch of reasons (excuses) but I won't bore you with those or allow them to hold be back.

Here is the reality - I have 81 days until Ironman Canada and for this year I have trained for:
Bike - 165 Miles
Run - 103.42 Miles
Swim - 29000 Yards (16.57 Miles)

What this means is that I have barely trained the equivalent of a IM event and it took me 6 months.

This makes me want to quit because I am nowhere near where I intended to be at this point.  However, today I choose to train.

I have 81 days to get to the beach in the best shape possible.  My plan is to be patient, positive and persistent in my training (I love alliteration).  It is hard not to start going crazy and panic training but I can't afford to be injured so my new focus is also a "p" - pacing.

I could also use your encouragement.

Which comes first?

I've had a pretty dismal winter of training.  I'm not injured but just can't seem to get a rhythm going.  I think I may be on a bit of a down cycle.  Work and life have been invasive into my training and I just haven't broken out of it.

I keep sleeping through workouts and skipping runs during lunch.  It is so hard to get going knowing I have such a long way to just get to the place I want to be.

I guess one step at a time and sooner than later, my motivation and inspiration will catch up.

So I ran today.  That is good.

Nod, Smile, Glare, Ignore

I am socially awkward because of two major life impacting things that were out of my control.

First, I grew up in Japan where people are polite and bow.

Second, I then moved to Nebraska where people tend to be like Golden Retrievers and are ready to be friends just because you both are wearing red sweatshirts with the letter "N" on them. 

Now I live in the Northwest and spend most of my time interacting with people from Washington and Oregon.  While we are no means like people from the other coast, people here tend to not be quite as friendly or polite. 

So, my awkwardness really shows when I run because I tend to do several things that when combined together come accross as creepy.

1.  I smile
2.  I make eye contact
3.  I nod

It is at this point that people either non, smile, glare, or ignore me.  They rarely say anything and I don't look over my shoulder to see if they are staring in disbelief. However, I imagine them shaking their head and wondering whether I'm evil or just weird. 

I have discovered two trains of thought that make me feel better.  I try to imagine them either thinking that I am the most fluid effortless runner they have ever seen or that they just can't get over how great my calves look. 

So, I keep running, awkwardly doing steps 1-3 and then doing this strange run in which I try to look like I'm floating while simultaniously flexing my calves.

See you on the trail and just smile back!

Feeling sick in the pool

I'm swimming at a new 24 hour fitness now which is a bit closer to my house and the pool is a bit nicer, except for one thing.  The one thing I don't like about the pool is probably the one thing that 80% of the other people who use it really like.  It is the hot water that pours into the pool from a certain vent in the deep end.

This vent really doesn't spew its evil purpose until about 5:45 AM.  By this time, I've been swimming for a while and am really warmed up when the torture begins.  I've gone past this part of the pool quite a few times already without a problem so I'm kind of surprised by the sudden nausea.

There is something unpleasant about going from cool to hot water while swimming.  Maybe it is just a reaction because I've been warned about what hot (or warmer) water in a pool can be from.  So maybe my nausea is just because my mind assumes I'm swimming through a huge cloud of pee.

So, after about 10 minutes, the little vent stops the madness, after a few more minutes, the pool returns to more of a consent temp and I get my swim back together.

Why am I sharing this?  I'm not really sure...you tell me.

Run Like a Dog or Cat

During today's run I saw a dog running.  It was retrieving a ball and what I noticed was that it ran just as fast for the ball as it did bringing it back.  It also ran like crazy each time the owner did a fake throw.  It ran in circles all around as if to shout, "throw the ball so I can run more!"

Also during today's run (in the rain) I saw a cat sitting in the doorway.  It look annoyed by the rain and by the fact that it would need to eventually run. 

Dogs run for joy, cats run because they have to.

I think I'm more dog than cat.  There are a bunch of other ways to exercise, get outdoors, wear spandex than running.  I just like to run.

Maybe I don't get all slobbery getting ready to run in the rain but I'm glad I was reminded today that I run because it is fun, not because I have to.

Arachnophobia vs MissAPerfectTrailrunophbia

I've always had a fear of spiders.  I'm glad there is a very nice term for my terror because it makes me feel more normal. 

Sit back and I'll share my childhood fear...I grew up in Japan, not the city part but the country part in Chiba Ken which is a ways from Tokyo.  Why I give you this accurate geographical description (from a kids perspective since we moved when I was 11) is that most people don't think of spiders when they think of Japan, but we had some scary ones. 

I spent a lot of time in woods as a kid and always hated to bust through a web.  I'd hope I'd picked an abandoned web and do my best to get the stringy mess out of my hair.  Typically about 8:42 seconds later when I'd finally calmed down, I'd suddenly see the venomous beast sitting on my shoulder ready to kill me.  I'd then do this sort of ancient fight dance and try to get rid of the spider without actually touching it.

So, today I had the choice of running along streets on sidewalks and nice bike trails or including my favorite local trail section to my run.  It sounds like an easy choice...not this time a year when the trail is a den of spiders.  There are spiders everywhere this time of year, especially in the woods. 

And so...I ran the wooded section today.  I would rather deal with spiders than not be able to run the woods on a perfect day.  I had to stop and avoid some really large spiders and I did catch a web in the hair.  I'm still looking for that spider but it was totally worth it.

Chuck (+1) --- Fear (0)

Perfect Boise Run

All week long I have been looking out my hotel window at the cross on top of Table Rock.  I climbed table rock several years ago and really enjoyed the hike. 

So today, my Beginner Triathlete training plan commanded me to do a 1:20 run with some sustained efforts.  It was the perfect excuse to do the Table Rock trail.

I ran along the Boise River Greenbelt and a trail that took me to the old Idaho State Penitentiary.  From this point, it was about 1.5 miles up.  It is about a 900 ft climb to the top which isn't too bad but it is steep.

I was rewarded with this view when I got to the top.

Here is a picture of the cross - sorry, it really isn't sideways but for some reason I like the ability to make it vertical.

I made it to the top in 35 minutes (3.5 miles) and then finished my run by going along the Boise river.  I feel really lucky to be able to do such a great run on such a perfect morning.

I came back for more suffering

I did Boise 70.3 earlier this summer and suffered on the run.  That phrase could be used for practically any triathlon that I've done.

So today I had a chance to run in Boise again and decided to run that route again just to experience it again.  The run is along the Boise river and it was about 97 degrees when I started the run.  From my hotel it ended up being 6.74 miles and I noticed a couple things.

First, I could have used an aid station today, maybe two. 
Second, I didn't remember too much about the course but I remembered exactly there my girls and wife met me during the race.
Finally, I didn't seem to be having as much fun as the people floating down the river.  It was great to see families and groups of friends on inner tubes and cheap rafts floating down the crystal clear river.

I did have a nice run and started to feel the pull to race Boise 70.3 again.  Hmm...

The sweet smell of summer

For those of you that have followed this blog for long, it is already apparent to you that spelling isn't my strong suit.  I remember a teacher in the 6th grade trying to inspire me through competition.  I really worked hard but sat down on the first word.

I mention this because this blog entry was almost titled the sweat smell of summer which could also have been a great blog subject.  However, I'm just happy today because my run smelled perfect.

The black berries are out and I had miles of that warm sweat smell that you only know about if you live in a place being taken over by black berries.  Every once in a while I just reach out and grab a berry and I have all the race nutrition I need, especially if I eat a buggy one.

As I ran along the river and the small late summer beaches along the Columbia river I smelled sunscreen and then as I finished my run through the neighborhood, I started smelling grills and roasting meat.

What a great run, I love summer! 

How long before I quit blabbing about my knee?

I felt the first pang in my right knee during the run during Pacific Crest Long Course (70.3).  I was about 8 miles in and an hour into my run.  I later learned it was IT band related.

Since that point, nearly every log entry includes how I feel about my knee.  My knee was the focus at Vineman and I should have taken pictures of my knee as it carried me well through that race.

I've now run a bunch without knee problems.  Sure, I've been getting very personal with my foam roller and "The stick".  I also wear my IT band strap on my knee about 1/2 the time so it's not like my knee isn't a focus...but...

I think it's time I stop ending every run entry in my log with, "knee felt great".  I need a new closing line but I'm not sure I can pull it off since my "Knee Jerk, Knee Report" is kind of natural.

However, I will do my best to focus on something else, hopefully more interesting and funny.

On a side note, I just loaded my next 26 week plan which focuses on the Olympic distance.  Not that that is my goal for 2012, but it just kind of felt like a good way to spend the next 1/2 year before ramping back up to IM distance.  

It still is a bunch of exercise but most weeks is about 8-10 hours and will give me a chance to work on some speed. 

Back in the saddle (or shoes)

Started training again today.  Not sure exactly what I'm training for but I really missed the routine over the past week.  The 1 week recovery was harder than tapering in certain ways because I depend on training to help me think and process so I feel much better today.

I only ran 4.3 miles and will be looking for some sort of rhythm now that my season goals are pretty much done.  I have an Olympic in a month that I want to be fast at and another duathlon in the fall.  Other than that, just more swim, bike and run. 

Feeling twitchy

Ignorance is bliss.  I like the word bliss and think it should be used more.  What is your goal for today?  Bliss!

So I was on a blissful 5 mile run in Idaho which is one of my favorite.  I love this run because of the views, and how quiet it is.  Just me on dirt climbing and going down hills.  This is the only run that my wife and I have ever named and we call it "Take 5". 

So I started out at 5:00 PM and it was in the high 80's.  Perfect weather and I'm tapering so I just took things easy.  Within 1/4 of a mile, all the houses and people are gone and it is just me on a dusty road.  I run without music because it is just so nice to hear the woods, animals and my gasping.

I had gone about two miles when I remembered something from this past weekend.  Let me digress...

I got two calls, both left voice-mails  and were about the same thing.  My wife called to let me know that a Mountain Lion was spotted walking from our side of the street to between our neighbors house.  The second call was from our neighbors letting me know of the same lion. 

We live in the city, and Mountain Lions are supposed to be wary of people.  You noticed that I carefully referred to the creature as a Mountain Lion rather than Cougar.  The main reason for that is that cities are known for their Cougars in the tacky connotations and I didn't want my few remaining readers to think I was trying to be clever.  I am talking about a large lion which can pounce and go for the jugular, not the other kind that does the same thing but is easily avoided.

So I'm running in the woods, by myself, and I remember that there was a Mountain Lion near our house, in the city, in non-mountain lion area.  However, I'm now running in what zoologists refer to as "native habitat" for lions.  It is at this point of my run that I become twitchy.

I reacted to everything, whether it was a twig breaking, grass moving, or phantom lions appearing in the trees.  I couldn't decide whether to scan the trees or the shadows.  I just kind of ran along trying to do everything.

The run ended, I was surprisingly in a blissful state given my twitchy run.  We'll see how I feel mowing my lawn.