Cool August Mornings Are Cool

I know a lot of people don’t like the crazy weather we’re having in Michigan this summer.   Temps in the low-70s one day and mid-90s the next.  Days of rain and then weeks of no rain.  But when it’s 56 degrees on my run in August I will not complain. This morning was just about as close as you’ll get to perfect running weather in August.  Cool temp, low humidity, slight breeze, clear skies.  I hope it stays, but I know it’s Michigan so I’m not counting on it.

Pushing The Eaglet Out of the Nest

Ashland University Eagles are ready to fly

My oldest son, Scott, left this week for his first year of college.  Talk about mixed emotions!  I’m sad to think about not having him here to talk to, shoot hoops with, play catch with and laugh with.  But I’m also very excited for him to experience the variety of opportunities available at Ashland University and beyond.

On Friday night there was a “Farewell Dinner” available for freshman and their parents.  Nothing fancy, just hot dogs and hamburgers, but it was a chance to have some final conversations before the parents told their kids they loved them and to not miss class.  At dinner the president of AU made a few remarks.  He told a brief story to the crowd of about 800 people.  He said that when an baby eagle is born the parents bring food back to the nest until they think the eaglet is ready to survive on its own.  Then they push the baby out of the nest and it flys away.   

There certainly is a part of me that wanted to keep Scott in the nest and protect him from the world.  But that’s not what he needs.  He needs to fly and learn how to survive on his own. 

I’m not sure if eagle parents let their baby eaglets come back to the nest after they push them out or not.  But we will certainly be waiting with open wings when Scott wants to come home for a visit.

(So what does this post have to do with running?  Well, as I ran this morning my mind kept thinking about all the things I hope and pray for Scott. So to me it fits.  Does that count?)

An Hour Makes a Difference

Most mornings I’m out the door for my run about 6:15AM.  Even on the hottest days, the humidity is not bad at that time of day.  The past two days I’ve been home helping my oldest son pack for his first year of college (that will be a different post) so my schedule is different.  I’ve actually slept in the last two days so I didn’t run until almost 7:30AM. What a difference.  The humidity was noticibly higher. The same 3 mile run I usually do left me soaking wet.  Both hot runs were good and I felt like I really accomplished something but I think I’ll stick to the early morning weather as much as possible.

Online Log or “Old School”??

Old fashioned paper and pencil logs worked just fine.

I’m torn.  I’ve posted before about the great online running logs available so now that I’m running again after my little layoff, I planned to start tracking my progress online.  The Runner’s World site has been my log of choice for the last few years.  But for some reason, the last few days I’ve been seriously considering going “Old School” and grabbing a notebook and pen.  There’s something appealing about having an old fashioned running log like I used back in the 80’s and 90’s.  Something tangible that I can pick up and read no matter what room I’m in.  Somewhere that I can easily add notes even a few days after my run without logging into a site and clicking through screens to get to the one I need.  But on the flip side, the RW log has great tools like maps, graphs, and distance/pace calculators. It even tracks how many miles I put on my shoes!

I figure I have the rest of this week to decide because by next week I should be back to running 4-5 days a week and increasing my miles so I’ll want to start tracking. 

So, help me out here.  Does anyone out there still use a pen and paper for their running log?  Will I be the only throw-back writing if I go that way?  Or are the online tools really just too great to pass up?

Vote now!

Morning or Evening?

Runners are either morning runners or evening runners.  I don’t believe you can be both.  At least I can’t.  If my schedule doesn’t allow for a morning run that day is shot.  Even if I have time later that evening (like tonight) I just can’t get out there.  For some reason it doesn’t feel right.  I’m not sure why but the whole experience just feels messed up in the evening.  Part of it might be that there’s too much traffic and activity in evenings compared to early morning.   Or because I’m tired from working all day or I don’t want to run on a full stomach after a late dinner.  Maybe hardcore marathoners that need to log 40+ miles a day are doing two-a-days but my bet is middle-of-the-pack runners like me pick a time of day and stick to it.

Am I correct?

Chocolate Milk? Yes, Chocolate Milk!

Hersey's syrup and cold milk - A post-run favorite.

Are you confused by all the Sport drinks on the market?  It’s not easy to sort through the dozens of brightly-packaged, attractive labels on the shelf that promise endurance, performance, or fast recovery.  Depending on your workout, the correct hydration can be very important.  Especially your post-run drink.  A number of experts say that taking protein and carbs quickly after a run can reduce muscle damage.  And an often recommended post-run drink is good old fashioned chocolate milk.  That’s right, cold cow juice and Hersey’s syrup.  Who knew?  I tried it a few times last year after long runs while training for a marathon.  Then I forgot about it until I read an article in the July Runner’s World comparing drink options.  It also mentions chocolate milk as a good post-run option so I mixed a drink today after my 1.5 miles (yes, I’m being cautious).  And it tasted great!  So, go “old school” and mix some chocolate milk after your next run. In fact, just the anticipation may give you a little lift during your run!

One Mile Never Felt So Good

After a six week layoff, this morning’s mile run felt great.  In fact I know I’ll quickly get to the point that I’ll want to start doubling my mileage overnight.  But, I’m really going to take my own (and other people’s) advice and not increase more than ten percent at a time.  Well, maybe I can stretch that in the beginning and take some larger jumps than that. (Cautiously).

Getting Started (Again)

Six weeks ago a ten mile run was easy.  Yesterday I had to walk after about a half-mile.   My legs hurt, I was breathing heavy, and my shoulder hurt.  That’s because about six weeks ago I had shoulder surgery and couldn’t run since.  I  knew that long layoff would take its toll but I didn’t think it would be that bad.  I ran the half-mile then walked a few minutes then ran and walked some more.  I hate to admit but I felt silly walking.  I kept thinking “I’m a RUNNER, I shouldn’t be walking”.  But I guess I need to accept that at age 51 my body needs more exercise to maintain a level of fitness than it did at age 31.   

My doctor and therapist said I could start running again and it wouldn’t damage anything in my shoulder so the pain surprised me.  Apparently it was just the sore muscles and ligaments hurting from the jarring.    

So, I’m back running (sort of) and will try to be smart about building my mileage back up.  The last thing I want is an injury due to adding miles to quickly.  So, we’ll see if I have more patience at age 51 than I had at age 31.

Wish me luck.

One of the Summer’s Best Races

If you are a runner in Michigan you’ve probably heard of the July 4th race in Frankenmuth.  Maybe you’ve never heard it called the Volfslaufe, because many people can’t pronounce it.  Over the last 34 years the Volkslaufe (German for “The People’s Race” as in Volkswagon- “The People’s Wagon/Car”) has grown to be one of the best races in the state.  I have probably run it nearly 20 times and each time the field is large but manageable, the course is scenic, the aid stations and support are great.  The entire city welcomes the runners and the race route is lined with spectators young and old.  

One of the coolest features of this small town race is the announcer at the finish line calling off names and times as middle-of-the-pack runners trot across through the chute.

If you haven’t run the Volkslaufe be sure to mark your calendar for next year. It’s always on July 4th(unless that’s a Sunday like 2010, then it runs on Saturday so you won’t miss Sunday church) with a spaghetti dinner and fireworks the night before.

Here’s a link.  Check it out.

http://www.volkslaufe.org/

Text Updates Let You Track Your Racer

Maybe this is old news to some of you, but I just learned about text message updates of racers.  A friend of mine running the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Half (see previous post) signed me up through www.competitor.com” so I could get text message update of her progress.  It was very cool.  I was in Michigan and got a text on my cell when she crossed the starting line, then one with her 5k time, another at 10k, then 9 miles and another with her final time.  Definitely not the same as watching from the sidelines, but it was exciting to track her pace.  I found myself checking my cell much like a spectator scanning the crowd of runners to pick out a friend as the field runs by. 

I’m not sure how many races are offering this feature but if you are entered in a race that uses it defintiely add your friends and family.  They’ll enjoy it and you will know you have fans cheering for you even if you can’t see them along the