Keeping Pace

Keeping Pace

Archives for July 2008

Resting in the park

by 2 Comments

Ronin was already on his leash when my phone rang. It was Wendy, returning my call to say that she had not done her run yet. From the sound of her voice, I could tell that she needed to get out for a bit. I agreed to run with her as long as she was okay with having Ronin along.

It was a win for both all of us. Instead of running in the neighborhood, I picked her up and we drove to a nearby park. The scenery would be better and we even started out with a group of TNTers who just happen to be there for the weekly “buddy run.”

IMG_0486.JPG

We ran along the trail for a total 2 miles. We stopped at each and every drinking faucet along the way to allow Ronin to fuel up. He was tiring out, but managed to make it to the half way point. This was where a local Music in the Park event was going on.

We hung around a bit as Ronin caught his breath. He was one tuckered dog when we arrived. After some water and being ordered to Stay in Down position, he perked up. We enjoyed great music and mingling with a whole lot of people (including Wendy’s husband and 3 sons, in the meantime.

By the time we left, Ronin was getting restless. He could smell the excitement in the air. He could also smell people’s dinner. We bid farewell and were soon on our way once more. We were back to the trail, revisiting the drinking faucets along the way, and enjoying the cool evening air.

In no time, we were back at the van and heading home to grab a bit to eat. And we ALL felt a whole lot better.

Dog Training

by 4 Comments

Ronin gets rewarded for a job well done.jpg

As you may know, Ronin did well in his level one dog training class. He worked hard to please me and made me proud to be on the other end of his leash. Because of my plans to Buddy Run with him, I invested in the level two training class, which started last night.

Ronin was full of enthusiasm when he arrived at class. Unfortunately, he was not as eager to please me as he was to meet and greet his new classmates. The new instructor introduced himself before we had even made it over to the group.

Taking Ronin’s leash from me, he began asking a serious of questions:
How old is he?
How did he do in Level One?
Does he know not to pull on the leash?
Does he know not to stick his nose in people’s zipper areas?
Does he know not to jump?

With each question came a correction as Ronin was reminded of all the things that he *had* known and had conveniently left in the van with his doggie manners. *sigh*

Back in control of Ronin’s leash, and armed with a stronger technique for correcting Ronin’s rediscovered errant ways, the class began. I’d been warned that he is the strictest of all the instructors. I had no idea that we, the trainers/owners, would be robotted into answering in unison each question that was asked.

The first of many Q & A series went something like this:
Instructor: On a Walk On Okay, are your dogs allowed to walk ahead of you?
Class: Yes.
Instructor: Are they allowed to pull?
Class: No.
Instructor: If the metal clasp is not hanging straight down, are they pulling?
Class: Yes.
Instructor: Do you need to correct for that?
Class: Yes.
Instructor: How quickly?
Class: Immediately.
Instructor: Okay, let’s go.

Class proceeded and both Ronin and I were better behaved by the end of it. I went home and had the last of my merlot.

Long Run Pep Talk

by 3 Comments

On Tuesday, after our hill repeats, the “team” took over Pedro’s restaurant for a pep talk on the “long run.”

IMG_0462.JPG

My attendance was more for bonding with my teammates than anything else.

It was round table discussion, lead by one of the coaches. Topics such as laying out your clothing the night before, knowing the climate where you are running, what to (and not to) eat the night before, and the morning of, and what to bring on the run. Also mentioned, was skin protection from chaffing, blisters, elimination issues/planning, and post run measures to aid in recovery.

The experience runners shared what worked for them, as well as what didn’t. It was evident that everyone was different. For example, a glass of wine helps one runner relax the night before, but causes dehydration for another. Similarly polarized was the use of coffee or dairy products on the morning of the long run. One person’s routine was another person’s taboo.

The talk was entertaining, the food was good, and the company was great.

Potty Training

by

If you got a glimpse of the comments from my last post, you’ll see a little nudge from my Big Sis. “Quit whining and just run,” she says. *sigh* and then the lecturing begins. “Really, you shouldn’t…” *roll eyes* Big Sis’ comments have always been a mixed bag for me. They are the product many years of experience, paired with a whole lot of love for me. Even though her comments aren’t always well taken, I know the fact that they are well meaning to be true. My sister loves me, and I love her.

Still, I can’t resist jabbing back a little bit. II began my reply with, “Am I going to have to block your comments from my site?” Of course, I was joking. I went on to affirm, “I meant to point out that if you don’t do the preventative measures like ice baths, foam rolling, recovery drink/meals, stretching, cross-training the next day, etc….you will pay for it.” Then, came the jab. I prodded her a bit, “Sound familiar?”

After my punchy explanation, I went on to the real reason for my grumpiness. I wrote, “And what’s up with that potty comment.” Indeed, I knew exactly why she had made included “get there early enough to use the potty” in her comment. Only weeks ago I had written about being late to the long run and falling behind the group. Then there was the post where I mentioned needing a bio-break during my solo time trial. *another sigh* Can’t we just forget about that?

IMG_0476.JPG

Apparently, I am sensitive about the whole pee thing. Especially given a recent experience that comes later in this post. It isn’t just Big Sis who has noticed my short comings. Last weekend, Lil Sis casually mentioned that she, AND HER FRIEND, wondered how many times I had to stop during my half-marathon to go potty. Huh? Okay, I did duck into the bushes to pee when Lil Sis and I were out running together. Haven’t we all had to do that at one time or another. I can think of many a running blog where elimination issues have been discussed, but my family only reads *my* blog. I therefore had reservations about writing about my latest experience on this very topic.

[pause to think]

[Read more…]

T-time

by

Tonight’s track workout should be interesting given the amount of residual soreness that I am experiencing. My quads are fried.

Although I would normally embrace the challenge, the thought of hill repeats is not at all appealing to me right now. In preparation, I am doing my best to move around, inflict pain through self massage (via foam rolling and needing my leg like a mound of pizza dough), do the dynamic stretching taught in our TNT workouts, and Rx (ibuprofen & arnica). I almost forgot hydration. Hang on; I’ll be right back. *head up the stairs for “good” water by the executive offices*

You may find it puzzling why a 12.4 mile trail run at an easy pace was more damaging than a 13.1 mile race. It is true that the trail “run” was seriously hard with ascents and descents that sometimes lead to expletives spewing from my mouth. This type of language is typically reserved for driving only. “Sweetness and light” folks; that is my attempted impression. Let me clue you in to some other possible etiologies for my severe case of DOMS.

The list of “Should haves”:
Stretching post run: Didn’t happen.
Recovery drink: Didn’t happen. I did enjoy the post-run soup, and snacks provided by PCTR.
Ice bath: Didn’t happen. Apparently, ice melts when mixed with warm water.
Ibuprofen: Didn’t happen. The ibuprofen was down stairs and I just wanted to take a nap.
Foam rolling: Didn’t happen. Again, I just wanted a nap.
Nap: Didn’t happen either. I just lay there with my eyes closed.

On Sunday morning, I got out of bed and nearly fell to the ground in shock. OUCH! By this point, I was unable to manage any of the the foam roller self-massage techniques, and stretching was futile. I tried to institute some of the recommended treatments but had very little success in the movement category. It is true; I have developed quite a talent maneuvering the stairs (crawling up the stairs on four extremities, or 3, if coffee is in my hand) during bouts of extreme soreness. I suspect that my limited movement did not aid my recovery. Even the dogs’ walks were cut short.

On Monday, I attempted to use my foam roller again. The pain felt worse than on Sunday, by the way, and I was not very successful in my attempts to “roll” out the muscle soreness. I did start my intake of ibuprofen, but I was not successful in doing any cross training. I blame this on work, even though I could have gone to the gym after my extra long work day.

As of 2 pm today, the soreness is finally starting to resolve. I’ve got 4 more hours until T-time.

Content Protected Using Blog Protector By: PcDrome.