All-in a basket

Here's a post about my recent Middlebear run Tuesday and philosophy on running from my other blog, Poker Cats.

2/25/07

Course: Briarcliff
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Temp: 60 degrees
Time: 23 minutes
Gear: SST(ATL),shorts, APA3

Notes: I started out to CVS but I still had some kind of strain in my upper right leg. It actually went away later as I ran, I didn't have lots of time for a regular course, so I ran around the neighborhood. LOTS of category 1 and 2 hills up to Briarcliff, so this may be the source of new routes.

2/24/07

Course: Middlebear (H Loop)
Time: 5 p.m.
Temp: 60 degrees
Time: 5 minutes (DNF)
Gear: SST(FTP),shorts, APA3

Notes: Started out and inner thighs seemed very sluggish for the first time so I did not push it. Later on I tried to run down at 10th Street but felt the same, so I decided to call it a day.

2/23/07

Course: Middlebear (K)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Temp: 64 degrees
Time: 49:14
Gear: SST(El Paso), shorts, APA3

Notes: Slower going than pvs day but felt like the running was very steady and consistent. I wonder if I'm going to be putting away the CFLSTs for the season...

2/22/07

Course: Middlebear (K)
Time: 5:24 p.m.
Temp: 68 degrees
Time: 44:51 (CR)
Gear: SST('Stars), shorts, APA3

Notes: Slight pain in the rolling side of right foot on start up but settled down during run. Was passed by bogey near Freedom Park path/North Avenue and he gained as much as a 50-second lead on me at Lakeshore. But he seemed to have some kind of problem, I caught up with him at M1, he passed me and then I dropped him permanently at M2. Also passed a rabbit at section 2 of L3. My fastest run of this course.

2/21/07

Course: Middlebear (H Loop)
Time: 5 p.m.
Temp: 64 degrees
Time: 61:44
Gear: SST(Carolina), shorts, APA3

Notes: I was glad to get this one under the belt, since two of my last three outings were really poor. But I had the carbs (5 beers from the home poker game last night), the sleep and the warmup (came off of 5-6 hours of lugging boxes and cleaning up my old apartment).

I was a little sluggish coming up Mpx but I attacked section 4 of L1 and also experimented with bursts of running on section 4 of L3. It was really cruise control, as this was one of the few times that I was running with my entire foot contacting the ground on each strike.

By Surin's, traded waves with a girl who looked like a dark-haired version of Morgan Fairchild. Totally awesome.

2/20/07

Course: Piedmont (Dog Park/Argonne/Va-Hi post office)
Time: 4 p.m.
Temp: 54 degrees
Time: 50 minutes
Gear: SST(Nike green), shorts, APA3

Notes: Still not much gas in my legs but I pretty much was better after the first 10 minutes. At the very end I felt my pace back although my legs were tired.

2/19/07 (Day 50)

Course: Middlebear (H Loop)
Time: 4:04 p.m.
Temp: 48 degrees
Time: 17 minutes (partially completed)
Gear: SST(Ptree 04), shorts, APA3

Notes: No gas in my legs, by the middle of Freedom Park I was pretty much done for. I think this was in part to the short amount of sleep I had (5 hours) the night before and the 12 hour shift I just came off of...

The day marked my 50th day in a row of running...

2/18/06

Course: Freedom Park
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Temp: 48 degrees
Time: 17 minutes
Gear: CFLST, SST(UNLV), shorts, T-shirt

Notes: Short run to play frisbee in the park and at the same time not feeling guilty about breaking a streak of 48 consecutive days of running. On the way back, about 8 p.m. or so, I totally stepped on a shoelace and fell, hands first, both kneecaps touching the ground. Not pretty, but at least it was dark and there weren't people around.

2/17/06

Course: Middlebear (H-Loop)
Time: 4:04 p.m.
Temp: 44 degrees
Time: 68 minutes
Gear: CFLST, SST(Jr. League 10K, 2004), shorts, APA3

Notes: My ankles felt sore near M1 and M2. Otherwise pretty solid run. Slow going, though.

2/16/07

Course: Middlebear (K)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Temp: 44 degrees
Time: 47:41
Gear: CFLST, SST('Stars), shorts, APA3

Notes: Just a steady run through it all. Dropped a wounded rabbit at the Viper Tube.

2/15/07

Course: Middlebear (H Loop)
Time: 5 p.m.
Temp: 40 degrees
Time: 63:33
Gear: CF windbreaker, CFLST, SST(El Paso), shorts, APA3.

Notes: Not sure why I did it, but attacked all the way on just about every hill, from Mpx to M1, M2 and full burn up sections 1 and 2 of L1. Saw Sherri as I was going up L3.

2/14/07

Course: Manuel's (HP)
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Temp: 38-40 degrees
Gear: Insport windbreaker, CFLST, SST(NPT04),shorts, APA3
Time: 46:23

Notes: Very windy. Without the shell, hands pretty cold. But the running went really well, possibly because of the six bottles of beer I had the night before plus the nine hours of sleep I had...

2/13/07

Course: Manuel's (HP)
Time: 4:22 p.m.
Temp: 56 degrees
Time: 48:18
Gear: SST(AP),shorts,APA3

Notes: No gas in my calves going up but coming back from Manuel's I felt pretty good.

2/12/07

Course: Middlebear (HL)
Time: 4:10 p.m.
Temp: 64 degrees
Time: 64 min
Gear: SST(ATL), shorts, APA3

Notes: Just really worn out, maybe it was from 5 hours of sleep the night before. Weather was awesome. When I was climbing the top of L3, these three college girls were coming from the other direction over the top of the hill. It was heaven.

2/11/07

Course: Manuel's (H-M)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Temp: 57 degrees
Time: 47:14
Gear: SST('Stars), shorts, APA3

Notes: I should stretch my calves first. They were tight up to Manuel's, but then they didn't seem to mind the downhill stretch. Stopped off at my apartment, didn't want to do the rest of the course, but later I was glad that I did. Saw an old card at "The Flop" section -- the Queen of Spades.

2/10/07

Course: Manuel's (H)
Time: 9:50 p.m.
Temp: 40 degrees
Time: 45 min
Gear: CFLST, SST(El Paso), shorts, APA3

Notes: I spent about four hours moving prvsly and had a nice rib eye for dinner. Still, I couldn't break a streak of 40 days of consecutive running. And, the weather was far too nice.
I think running downhill first really helped my legs warm up. The run was easy.

2/9/07

Course: Middlebear + H Loop
Time: 4 p.m.
Temp: 50 degrees
Time: 65 minutes
Gear: CFLST, SST(Bally's), shorts, APA3

Notes: I'm not sure I want to do this length every day, but it was a nice addition to the course. Was nice that the weather was nice.

2/8/07

Course: Manuel's
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Temp: 50 degrees
Time: 44:46
Gear: SST, shorts, APA3

Notes: The weather was gorgeous but I was really tired and couldn't get out right away. Once I did, I felt really good about the run, probably one of the better times that I've done so recently. I didn't try to push it at the end, just tried to maintain a decent pace.

2/7/07

Course: Middlebear (K)
Time: 4:51 p.m.
Temp: 60 degrees
Time: 49:14
Gear: SST(NPT06), shorts, APA3

Notes: Just pretty much cruised along. Lots of runners out because of the nice weather. Bogey caught up with me near Little Five intersection and developed a 1-minute plus lead. But I took L3 first.

1/6/07

Course: Manuel's
Time: 5:38 p.m.
Temp: 57 degrees
Time: 44:49
Gear: SST(FTP),shorts, APA3

Notes: Amazing weather. I felt like my ankle muscles were having a hard time up the gradual hill and the muscle near my left shin was locking up but became better after i received a few cell calls.

2/05/07

Course: Manuel's
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Temp: 42 degrees
Time: 46:18
Gear: Nike windbreaker, CFLST, SST(Patagonia),shorts, APA3

Notes: It got dark quickly after the start of the run. The three layers were good, felt it wasn't necessary to open it up at the end. Stopped on way back to save table at Taco Mac for trivia at 33:00 mark.

2/4/07

Course: Middlebear (K)
Time: 4 p.m.
Temp: 48 degrees
Time: 47:04
Gear: Wicking LST (Seattle 1/2, 1998), shorts, APA3.

Notes: I started out about a minute and a half ahead of pace in the first mile, making it about 8:00 or so. I felt like my calves were giving me trouble up L2 and L3 but then I really opened it up in the last mile along the PATH.

2/3/07

Course: Middlebear (K)
Time: 4 p.m.
Temp: 45 degrees
Time: 48:41
Gear: CFLST, SST(Vegas), shorts, APA3

Notes: Felt really good today, although first half of course was not sure that a chili dog for lunch was the way to go. Quickly passed rabbit on first half of Mpx.

2/2/07

Course: Middlebear (K)
Time: 2:50 p.m.
Temp: 46 degrees
Time: 50:47
Gear: CFLST, SST(NPT03),shorts, APA3

Notes: No gas in the legs. Stopped and ate half cookie at Flying Biscuit.

Milestone

Don't know how it happened, since I've been cookie loading the past two days, but the scale today said I'd dropped 18 pounds since I went on my running kick in October. Previously I had been stuck on 16 pounds for a while.

I am not going to embark on a diet of Golden Oreos, but I've felt really good the last two days after I've eaten them. Maybe they've been filling the tanks in my calf muscles?

2/1/07

Course: Middlebear (K)
Time: 2:50 p.m.
Temp: 41 degrees (misty)
Time: 48:41
Gear: CFLST,SST(Bisc),Shorts, APA3

Notes: Cruised through entire course. Wonder if it is cookie-loading, plus 10 hours of sleep the night before. Caught a tug part-way up L2, but passed him as he was having trouble riding up the hill.

The weather, the weather

Looks like the weather won't be any better than it is right now -- about 35 degrees and rainy. Maybe I should just knock out the run right now...