20km down!

Ooops, haven't updated in a while... again.

This past weekend, I ran the Dam to Dam 20k again with my brother. It went really well, considering we both hadn't trained for it like we should have. The longest run I had done was a 6-miler last Monday. I've been wearing my Merrell Pace Gloves and my Vibram Five Fingers exclusively for running since I got them. Of course, I haven't been running much, so that doesn't mean I've run in them a lot.

I was a bit weary, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and wear the Five Fingers for the 20k. It actually went really well. I was worried that my calves would seize up like they had done during my earlier practice runs. They actually did fine. I had zero problems with them. In fact, afterwards, it was my hip flexors and knees that were sore. That is normal for me. I had no abnormal or scary pain. Yay! We took the run easy and ended up at 2:24, which was more than a minute faster than my first D2D, even though we stopped for a bathroom break this time. My second D2D was longer due to an extended bathroom break :)  All in all, I think this speaks volumes to my current state of fitness. That I could even hold a slow pace for more than twice the distance I trained is satisfying. I'm happy.

So, today, I'm back to lifting. I created a plan for the next month or two based on Starting Strength. (I've had the 2nd edition, but recently sprang for the Kindle version of the 3rd edition. I also love his DVD companion to the book. I don't know how many times I've watched that!) I wanted to go back to the basics and focus on strength. A lot of the plans I've been doing do increase strength, but they are more focused on fat loss. This plan is pure strength. I will also make up a plan for kettlebells, which I will alternate with this. Also, I'll probably run once or twice a week when the weather is nice.

The first couple weeks have a lot of squats and deadlifts. Depending on how bored I get with this setup, I may drop the last two workouts. The idea is to do warm up sets and then three "sets across," which means to do them at the same weight. If you can't complete the three sets with good form, you drop back a bit next time (or stay the same?). If you do complete them with good form, you increase the weight next time.

June 8, 2012
Foam rolling
Back Squat - 2x5x45#, 4x65#, 2x75#, 3x5x80#
Overhead BB Press - 5x45#, 3x5x50#
Deadlift - 5x135#

I held the deadlift weight low because of an injury I got a week ago. I slammed my hand in a sliding closet door. Ouch! I bruised something deep in two of my fingers and it hurt like crazy. My grip has been affected and it is still sore when picking up heavy things, so I'm keeping the weights low until it is healed up.

That's it for now!

20k! The Dam to Dam is done!

It wasn't looking pretty this morning.  My brother and I left home at about 4:45am and it was looking ominous.  There was lightning in the distance and as we neared Des Moines, it started raining.

We waited in the throngs of runners (nearly 8000) for a spot on one of the dozens of school busses they had carrying us to the start line.  Eventually we got one and the ride took around 15-20 minutes to the side of the first dam.  Then we had a "1 mile scenic" walk to the starting line... and past the various pace signs that were all faster than we were planning to run.  We continued walking back to the Porta Potties.  What looked like a very long line only took 6 minutes.  My digestive system thanked me tremendously for helping it out at that point.

Then we dropped off our clothing bag with our jackets and made our way, still in the rain and wind, to the masses waaaay behind the start line.  After several minutes, we finally crossed the start line.  We were on our way!  (...at about 7:15am!  I think the actual start for the fast people was around 7:05am.)

Overall, the rain and wind wasn't too bad.  It was actually better than a hot, humid, and sunny day.  It didn't hail and there was no lightning once we got to the course.  We kept a rather steady pace, averaging 11:35min/mile over the course.  We finished in about 2:25 hours.  I'll take it!

We got a nice medal.  I'm going to display it proudly for a while, I think.  After finishing, it seems like not a big deal.  But, you know what... it is!  12.4 miles is nothing to sneeze at!  I could definitely do another half-marathon (which this basically was) but right now, a full doesn't look too attractive.  I'm starting to get sore in places and I'm rather tired, but over all, I feel surprisingly well.  I felt really good the whole race, too.

Before we left home, I had a small bowl of oatmeal, a cup of coffee, and a banana.  I had two "Just Plain" Gu gels on the course, which have some caffeine in them.  I had never tried that flavor, but it actually wasn't bad at all.  Along the way, I drank plenty of water and one cup of Powerade.  Afterwards, I skipped the beer. (Coors Light is rarely attractive to me, but at 9:30am after running that far, the thought of it made me feel like retching.)  I did grab a pork sandwich, a banana, and an apple.  That hit the spot. 

I wore my compression shorts and my shirt with the zippy pocket.  I wore my regular Saucony shoes and didn't have any blisters.  I also didn't have any of the issue with my foot that made me pause my training.  I couldn't be happier with the way my body handled it, really.  I noticed that my upper body didn't show any signs of tiredness until around mile ten or eleven.  I find it is really important for my upper body to hold good form, otherwise I get lots of aches and pains in my shoulders and back.  I think lifting has really helped strengthen my core and the rest of my body.

I'm really pleased that my brother came out to run with me.  We joked around, which made the miles past much quicker.  Wonderful time!  I think I'm already looking forward to next year!