How Much Discomfort Can I Tolerate?!

Wild Wild Wilderness Trail Race

Previous MonthRecent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesWill's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewYear View
Graph View
Next Month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2007200820092010201120122013
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

Eugene,OR,USA

Member Since:

Nov 09, 2007

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

  • 5k PR - 18:48 (7/04/08)
  • 8K PR - 33:46 (5/19/07, on trails)
  • 10k PR - I have not run a competitive 10K yet.
  • 12K PR - 50:10 (8/09/08)
  • 15K PR - 1:04:52 (3/22/08)
  • Marathon - Have run 1 trail marathon, (Grand Island) 3:55 (July 2007)
  • Ultra Marathons -
  • Farmdale 33.5 miles, 10/08 - 6:08
  • Riddle Run 28 Miles, 01/09 - 5:35 (run in 2-3 inches of snow)
  • Devil's Lake 50k, 07/09 - 6:22
  • Howl at the Moon 8 hour, 08/09 - 39.98 miles
  • North Country Trail Run 50 miles, 09/09 - 9:44
  • Farmdale 32 miles, 10/09 - 5:45
  • McNotAgain 30 Miles, 10/09 - 5:50
  • Red Rock Canyon Half, Las Vegas, 06/12 - 2:15


Short-Term Running Goals:

Keep running in the winter - 1st year in Eugene - fun!

Long-Term Running Goals:

Keep on Keeping on..

Personal:

Moved to Eugene in Autumn, 2012 - Track city USA!

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
143.500.0019.5510.50173.55
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.001.000.004.00

Weather - 68 degrees, sunny, humid.

Ran 4 easy miles this morning. My right foot loosens sufficiently to allow me to run, so that makes me happy.

During my down time I am icing and massaging the foot, don't know if it will help.

#290

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.001.504.50

Weather - 95 degrees, sunny, humid.

My foot felt more relaxed and about 50% better this morning, so I am happy that it is recovering rather than becoming worse.

Ran 4.5 miles in hot noon-time heat, the final 1.5 miles at a hard pace. My foot did not bother me during the run, but later in the afternoon I was on my feet for 3 hours painting the house and the heel became a bit sore.

After the run 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 35 minute walk home.

Icing the foot now...

#291

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.002.005.00

Weather - 80 degrees, clouds/rain, humid.

Very humid, but wet, so it felt good to be running in a mixture of rain/sweat. Ran 3 miles easy and 2 miles hard on the usual park/woods route.

My foot felt slightly better than yesterday, and it did not bother me during my run. After the run I took a hot bath and massaged the foot. When I finished the bath I placed my foot on a frozen water bottle and rolled it back and forth for 15 minutes. The massage/ice therapy appears to be having a good effect, because everyday the stiffness decreases.

I thought there was a good chance I was going to have to stop running by now, but it looks like this may not be a serious injury. I will hope for the best.

#292


Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.000.000.000.004.00

Weather - 73 degrees, raining.

4 easy miles in a steady rain. I have been feeling a bit of over-training syndrome for the past 2 weeks, but today I felt a bit of energy resurface. I will continue to run easy until I feel recovered.

I have noticed that my resting heart rate is above 60, which is about 7-10 beats faster than normal.

My foot seems to be recovering, today I hardly noticed any discomfort. I massaged and iced it, will continue to do so until it feels 100%.

#293

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
1.000.000.000.001.00

Weather - 62 degrees, night.

Easiest run of the year - 1 mile around my neighborhood with Maggie the dog. My foot is almost back to normal, so running only 1 mile will be good for it.

#294

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
1.000.000.000.001.00

Weather - 66 degrees, clear.

Ran 1 mile in the evening with Maggie the dog. It feels odd to have run so little the past two days, but tonight I was reminded why it is good to pull back occasionally - I could feel my body's increased strength because of the rest.

My foot feels pretty good, everyday is better than the last. 

#295

 

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.500.000.000.004.50

Weather - 68 degrees, sunny.

Returned to a more normal easy-distance, running 4.5 miles on the usual park/woods route. My foot was normal today, 100% healed, which is a relief. Being injured now, even though the race season is just about over for me, would have been an obvious blow to my fitness and enjoyment of daily running.

I am unable to run any hard workouts these days because my allergies are depleting my normal energy levels. I feel groggy and heavy while running, and my respiration is poor. So I have to plod along for the next 2 months, resting up for the winter base build and a new year of running.

After my run 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 35 minute walk home.

#296

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.000.005.500.007.50

Weather - 67 degrees, raining.

This was the first day since Door County where I felt energetic and healthy. I decided to run how I felt and did a 5 mile tempo run at 7:15 pace. It was raining so it was more exciting than usual. I hope my energy continues to be good during the next few weeks.

After the run I did 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 15 minute walk home.

#297

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.500.000.000.004.50

Weather - 64 degrees, sunny.

I woke at 4:30am due to my allergies, so I was dragging all day. Ran 4.5 easy miles in the afternoon which seemed more difficult than it should have been. 

#298

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

Weather -63 degrees, sunny.

Was planning to do some hills today, but my allergies did not allow me to get sufficient sleep last night, so I settled for 5 easy miles. 

#299

 

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.500.000.003.007.50

Weather - 73 degrees, humid, raining.

Running with allergies and asthma is a day to day roller coaster. Yesterday I was hoping run some hard hills, but lack of sleep due to allergies drained my energy so I ran 5 easy miles instead.

Today I was planning to run easy but when I got to the woods I started to feel a boost in energy, so I decided to do my favorite workout - hard loops on the trails. Although my respiration was only about 80% due to congestion, I was still able to run at a good speed, and finished with 4 intervals of 1200, 1200, 1600, 1200, and then ran 200m at top sprinting speed.

Now at home I feel great, energy high and my spirits are up. Tomorrow it may be back down into the dark valley of allergies, so I will enjoy this respite.

After the run 4 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 40 minute walk home.

#300

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.500.000.000.004.50

Weather - 75 degrees, raining.

4.5 easy miles, with 1 mile barefoot on the golf course.

Unfortunately I won't be able to run on the golf course any time soon because the course manager saw me running on his fairways in my bare feet and got pissed off. He came after me in his golf cart in the rain, flagged me down, and told me to get the hell off his course. I asked him if I could run 600 yards down the fairway to the cemetery because that was where my shoes were. He emphatically stated no. The only way off the course was to go onto a busy road with no sidewalks, so I decided to pay no heed to the man. If he wanted to chase me down in his cart, good luck to him, because I was determined to turn it into a race and I was confident he would feel like a fool for chasing a skinny barefoot runner in the rain. I took off running down the fairway without looking back. When I made the turn onto the fairway adjacent the cemetery I saw him driving his cart a few hundred yards away. He must have decided that chasing me down was not worth the effort. 

So the golf course is no longer a training option, but I did not run there very often anyways. I still have the park/woods route and the arboretum for my training runs.

After the run I did 4 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 35 minute walk home.

#301

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
20.000.000.000.0020.00

Weather - 76 degrees, cloudy, humid.

Wanted to go long this morning, so ended up running 3 hours around Urbana. I imagined myself running the 33 miler, so I kept the pace conservative and slow. I did run 7:30 pace at miles 5-7, but the other miles were between 8:30-9:15 pace. Running slow allowed me to not go over the edge, I actually felt pretty good at the 3 hour mark, other than my legs being tired.

I am still having trouble imagining myself running at the 5 hour mark. I realize there is a chance I will have to stop before finishing the race. That does not bother me, because what excites me is the chance to run as far as I can in a beautiful environment.

#302

Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.500.000.000.003.50

Weather - 74 degrees, hard rain. 

A hard rain fell this morning but that did not stop me from getting in my easy run. I ran through the flooded streets and the woods path was flowing like a creek, where I saw a box turtle enjoying itself, and a little further down the path a lone goose was standing still in the 2 inch deep water.

I was reminded of a run this past winter, when the rain was freezing and I was wearing shorts. That run toughened me up, and made today's run seem very pleasant in comparison.

My legs were not sore from yesterdays long run. I took a hot bath after because I was covered in mud. Knowing that the warm water would exaggerate any inflammation in my quads, I took a bottle of ice and rolled it over my thighs for 15 minutes after the bath, I think this helped reduce any soreness which may have occurred today.

I also slept well last night, about 10 hours, and my allergies did not bother me.

After the run I did 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 35 minute walk home.

#303

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.000.000.000.004.00

Weather - 64 degrees, cloudy. 

Nice and cool today, I took it easy and ran 4 miles. Felt good and seem to be reaching for another boost in fitness.

Tomorrow I am planning to run hill repeats at the arboretum, that should get me somewhat ready for the difficult 12k cross country race next weekend at Kickapoo. Last week I had to cancel the hills because I was feeling lethargic and not getting enough sleep due to allergies. This week I am catching up on sleep and feeling stronger. 

#304

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.500.000.004.007.50

Weather - 67 degrees, sunny.

Was not able to get out for a run until 5:00pm, and I was feeling sluggish and tired. I still wanted to try running some hills, so I jogged 1.5 miles to the arboretum and planned to do the usual hill workout -  100m at 5k pace to the base of the hill, 100m hard up the hill (regular form on odd repeats, bounding on even), and 250m downhill sprint. I knew it was going to be rough because the 1.5 mile warm up jog was taxing my respiration.

I was able to complete 12 hill reps, the first 3 were a strain on my lungs, but it became easier to breathe after each completed rep. I think I was able to complete 25 reps during my last hill workout, but 12 still seems decent considering I am nearing the end of my racing cycle.

After the run 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 15 minute walk home.

#305

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.500.000.000.005.50

Weather - 73 degrees, sunny.

5 easy miles today, with 1 mile barefoot in the grass. 

After the run 4 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 35 minute walk home.

#306

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.000.003.000.007.00

Weather - 82 degrees, sunny.

I ran 1.5 miles to the arboretum, then got into the workout - 400m run at 5k pace with a 200m recovery on dirt roads.  It was noon so the temperature was warm. I did not have water, but my body did a good job of keeping its temperature under control. I was able to run 12 x 400m, which is pretty good considering my allergies are making sure I am not at full strength. My effort was a bit softer than a normal interval workout, one reason being my low energy, another is that I am finished running fast for the year. I am trying to maintain my fitness, but I am letting the speed get away for now.

After the run 2 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 25 minute walk home.

Reading Benn's blog I discovered Dean has a new book out, today I got it at the library. I am looking forward to learning more about this amazing runner. 

#307

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.500.000.000.004.50

Weather - 73 degrees, sunny.

Ran an easy 4.5 miles in the park and woods. Felt like going longer, but knew it was wiser to feel fresh and relaxed at the end of the run. 

Maybe I will do a medium long run tomorrow, 10-12 miles. I will see how I feel.

#308

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
23.000.000.000.0023.00

Weather - 78 degrees, cloudy, raining.

What started out as a medium length run turned into a 3 1/2 hour long run. When I was nearing the 90 minute mark it started to rain, which kept me cool and refreshed, so I altered my plan and decided to run until I hit the wall.

I wanted to get a recent feel of the discomfort which the wall can inflict, so that when I run the ultra marathon next month I will be sure to keep the pace moderate and slow, especially for the first 15 miles.  

I tried to make todays pace reflect the pace which I will set for the race, which is about 9:00-9:15 per mile. A few of the miles I probably ran 8:30-8:45, but when I started to feel bad I made sure to slow down until recovering.

Last week I ran 3 hours, but todays run seemed so much more. Maybe it was the route, or the weather, but I seemed to hit more peaks and valleys today. At the 3 hour mark I felt punch drunk, which means that I lost some leg coordination. I felt like it would be easy to trip on a stone or root. I wasn't exactly staggering, but my leg strength began to slowly dwindle as the minutes pressed further forward.

I never did feel awful, I was in control the whole way, which gives me confidence. When I stopped I wasn't yet at the wall, but I could feel the death march commander creeping along the nearing horizon. I know that I am going to have a date with this taskmaster at the race, probably around mile 25-26, meaning I will have to suffer through 7 miles of agony. I can't wait....

After the run I walked 25 minutes, then plunged into a hot bath. Immediately after the bath I rolled an ice bottle on my legs for 20 minutes. They did not feel sore after this, just a bit fatigued, which is a good sign. Hopefully there will not be much soreness tomorrow.

#309



Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

Weather - 73 degrees, cloudy.

Just an easy 3 miles today. Legs felt good, no muscle soreness from yesterdays 23 miles. It feels good to be able to run 3.5 hours and have no bad effects the next day.

After the run 2 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 45 minute walk home.

#310

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.002.500.008.50

Weather - 80 degrees, sunny.

Decided it was time to buy new shoes, so I went to Body 'n Sole and bought 2 pair - Asics and Mizunos. 

Felt excited to run in new shoes, ended up going 8.5 miles. 2.25 miles were barefoot at the arboretum, then I ran a new route at the South Farms which I discovered on my 23 mile run a couple of days ago. The Mizuno's felt awesome. I was about 300 miles overdue for shoes, I am lucky my feet tolerated the old ones.

After the run 4 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 35 minute walk home.

#311

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.500.000.000.004.50

Weather - 82 degrees, sunny.

4.5 easy miles through the park and woods.

Wore my new Asics. The right shoe slips a bit on the heel, so I had to tie the laces further up the shoe, which then presses the top of the shoe into my foot. It is not perfect, but still usable. I will use the Asics for short easy runs and the Mizunos for longer, harder workouts. 

#312

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

Weather - 82 degrees, sunny.

3 easy miles at the arboretum. I found a new area at the arboretum where I can do strength exercises, so I will probably be doing more workouts than usual at the arboretum.

After the run 4 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 30 minute walk home.

#313

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.500.000.000.003.50

Weather - 83 degrees, sunny.

3.5 easy miles at the arboretum, followed by 3 sets of strength exercises and stretching. 

The 7.5 mile trail race at Kickapoo is this Sunday. My muscular fitness is good, but due to allergies my energy is never over 80%, and my respiration is always poor. Because of this I won't be trying to set any PR's at the race, rather, I am just going to enjoy running on the trails and try my best to run a hard pace.

#314

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

Weather - 82 degrees, sunny.

3 easy miles around town.

My competitive spirit wants to do well at the race this Sunday, but my allergies won't allow it. I can't run without getting tightness in my lungs, so I will try to be content with running middle of the pack.

One of my old college friends who lives near Farmdale will be going to the race next month to cheer me on in my quest to run 33 miles. After the race if I can still stand I will take him to lunch. I am sure I will be famished.

#315

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

Weather - 60 degrees, sunny.

3 easy miles. Nothing else to write about.

#316

Comments(1)
Race: Wild Wild Wilderness Trail Race (7.55 Miles) 00:01:00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.007.550.0010.55

Weather - 78 degrees, sunny, humid.

Ken W. asked me how I did after the race, and I responded "this is one to forget". During my warm up I felt well enough, noticing how strong my legs were. However, I was mindful that my allergies have been interrupting my sleep, the evening before the race I sat up from 2:00-5:00am.  I was also aware that I should be in rest mode at this point in the season, so I was not mentally ready to give a 100% effort, and I was satisfied to run at 80%.

That is how I started the race, leisurely and comfortable, passing the first mile in 7:25. I picked it up a bit, probably running 7:00 pace for miles 2 & 3. During mile 4 I experienced the awful sensation of having the body shut down. It felt similar to mile 19 in last years trail marathon, which I described as hitting the wall - pace slowing drastically, having no choice but to walk the uphills, and then the final insult of injuring my foot during the last 2 miles, which put me out of commission for 6 weeks.

However, hitting the wall at mile 4 seems ridiculous, so I knew that it was not caused by too much effort expended and a subsequent draining of glycogen, after all, I was running comfortably, giving only about 80% effort.

As I continued to slow down during mile 5, I recalled my first half marathon a few years ago. I ran it with Melinda, not racing, but rather just strolling along comfortably at 9:00 pace.When we hit mile 11 I felt the body shutting down, just like today. I could no longer keep pace with Melinda at 9:00/mile, and was struggling to run 10:00 pace. I wanted to desperately stop, but being my first half marathon, I stubbornly trudged along, finishing in an inglorious 2:07.

A few hours after the half marathon I was struck with symptoms of heat stroke - excess perspiration dripping from my face, the need to vomit, and the feeling that I was going to lose consciousness.  I iced myself in the tub to bring down the fire burning inside of my body, and was fortunately able to recover my normal body temperature.

By mile 6 in today's race I knew I was suffering from the first signs of heat exhaustion, which could possibly lead to heat stroke. I knew I had to take the final 1.5 miles easy to avoid a repeat of the half marathon. I slowed down to 9:30 pace and trudged along in misery, wanting desperately to walk. Perhaps I should have walked, but I was too stubborn and kept on with the wall-like death march. From the point in the race where my pace slowed I traded leads with Joe P., a friendly guy in his mid 20's. At Mingo I finished 6 minutes ahead of Joe, but today he was enjoying his revenge. I was actually surprised to be even with Joe with 800m to go, but he then started his final sprint to the finish, and all I could do was recall my 800m effort at the X-Terra race last month and wish for a better day. The last 800m was humbling, I was staggering like a drunk, and slowing to what felt like 10:00 pace. I was barely hanging on as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 runners passed me in a span of 10 seconds. During the final 100m one of the race volunteers observed my pathetic pace and said, "come on, you can go faster than that!" I tried to smile and instead went slower, going into the chute in 1:00.

Considering that I ran this same course in January in 59:00 in muddy slop, I feel kind of good that I almost equaled that performance with heat exhaustion.

And so my last short race of the season is a memorable one for the wrong reasons, but that is why running is an exciting sport, I never know how I will perform on any given day.

Next up is the Farmdale 33 miler in 3 weeks. I will run slow and easy leading up to the race, hoping to recover my confidence in my running fitness and ability.

#317

Comments(4)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.500.000.000.003.50

Weather - 72 degrees, sunny.

Was not sure how I was going to fare today. Felt weak and lethargic starting the run, but after a mile I felt normal. So the heat exhaustion symptoms did not set me back too much. 

After thinking about yesterdays race, and even the previous 5k, I have concluded that next year I should end my racing season when my allergies begin, which is early September. I will run all easy days until I feel normal, which is around the beginning of November. So I will have 2 months to recover from a long summer of training and racing. It seems like a good plan, as there is no point in trying to run hard when I can't sleep or breathe normally.

Maybe it is a mistake to run the Ultra, but I am already registered, and the most that can happen is I feel tired and sluggish, and stop before the finish line.

After running 2 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 25 minute walk home.

#318

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

Weather - 63 degrees, sunny.

3 easy miles around the neighborhood. 

#319

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
143.500.0019.5510.50173.55
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):
Recent Comments: