Sunday, April 26, 2015

Return of the cold feet

Distance 67.6km [total: minimalist 329.1km: Barefoot 7295.4km] Week17 (13th - 26th Apr)


Monday (14th) A short 5km run around the lower half of the lake. Now the darker evenings are here the chill comes in much quicker. A chilly breeze blew across the lake so it was good to get way from the open stretches and onto the side roads that were more sheltered.

Friday (17th) I did my run today as it was going to warmer today than the weekend. It saw me running 10km from Grange to West beach. I put in a good effort

Saturday (18th) I intended to run today but it was one of those days when you internal voice tells you to take it easy. The ankles were a bit stiff from Fridays run so I started off slowly, there was a gusty wind blowing in my face. I ran about 500m the the voice came and said 'this is too hard today and you should rest up'. I felt frustrated but I listened. I decided to walk to Henley beach instead. I turned around and let the wind push me down the beach. When I go there a bit of a crowd had gathered to watch a photo shoot of the Mayor along with others dressed in period uniforms from different countries standing in the water with the backdrop of a stormy looking sky. On the way back I did feel like I should have a short sprint so I ran for 1km at a fast pace. I felt so much better after that.

Sunday (19th) My usual lake circuit on a nice morning.  8.2km

Monday (20th) A short gentle 4km run on a chilly breezy day. Parking by the river and doing the short run to West Beach holiday park. There were a couple of places where I noticed glass on the path and it looked fairly fresh. A smashed bottle probably from the weekend. I took care but managed to pick up a small sharp piece in the foot. I was able to grab it and pull it out which was lucky

Wednesday (22nd) A 10km run on the foreshore path from Grange to West Beach and back.
It looks like the hopes of having an Indian summer have faded with all the forecasts showing temperatures of below 20C. It seems like we have gone from summer to winter in just a couple of weeks, no gentle calm autumnal days.

Thursday (23rd) As I had run yesterday as well I didn't want to run on the same route so I did a 8.2km loop of the lake. It was a good run in the fading light. I keep my eyes peeled looking out for discarded fishing hooks in the areas when I know people set up for fishing.

Today is ANZAC (25th) day so many people are up before dawn waiting for the sunrise so they can commemorate the Gallipoli landing on it's 100th year anniversary. I worry a bit that it is being manipulated by the very people who are responsible for starting the wars in the first place. It is better to reflect in your own space and running is a good space to reflect in.
Today was a low calorie day so I began my run on an empty stomach. It is always hard at the beginning before the body has to realise that it has no carbs to burn so it must use fat instead.
I started off slow and had the wind behind me as I ran north along the beach which helped, by half way I felt better and the return journey back into the wind wasn't too bad. I took my t-shirt off to brave the cold wind. Distance today 13km.

Bright sunshine greeted  my short run around the lake today (26th), that's not to say it wasn't cold, it was. The southerly breeze was behind me on the way out but as I reached the halfway point and began to gradually turn around the wind was blowing at me and it was cold. The ground was cold and my feel started to feel a bit numb. They always feel more sensitive when they are cold than when the ground is warmer. I still sweat even in the cold weather. The distance was 8.2km

Neil

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Evening closes in again

Distance 38.2km [total: minimalist 329.1km: Barefoot 7227.8km] Week4 (6th - 12th Apr)

The running is feeling good again. The back rehab is going well, it's not perfect but it is getting there.
Monday was a day off for Easter break. Far from being a day of warm autumn weather, the rain came down and strong winds whipped the trees back and forth, snapping the shrub outside my flat so now there is one remaining piece that can be salvaged.
The weather improved by mid week and on Wednesday I did a good 12km run from Grange to Barcoo. I am now back to finishing the run in dusk, a small amount of light remaining.
I had a bit of a run against a guy who I saw at the boat ramp. I thought I could catch him easily but he did put up a fight and I couldn't gain ground on him. I think if he had carried on for another few kilometres then I would have worn him down.
Thursday saw me on a short easy 5km run around the lower part of the lake and it's little artificial canals. I kept a more careful look out for discarded fish hooks this time around. They would be quite difficult to spot though.
Saturday was my low calorie day so I got up and missed out on breakfast and went for my run instead. The weather was just perfect, part sunny and about 20C. The tide was out and lots of sand to run on. It takes some adjustment to run with no carbohydrate fuel. You have to start slowly and keep to a pace that is going to use fat as the fuel which means a pace midway in the aerobic band. Even so it takes around 6km before I lose the hungry, weak feeling and start to liven up. I ran 13km from Grange to Semaphore. For lunch I had a small serving of oats, milk and half an apple. Then at the end of the day scrambled egg and tomato.
Sunday, back to eating as a normal day. I woke up and had some breakfast  then shortly after there was a power outage that lasted a good part of the day. The power company was replacing insulators on the power poles and it didn't look like a quick job. Lucky I'd just finished my tea and toast.
We had some early morning rain but by the time I got to the lake it had mostly dried. A good run today, I felt like I had plenty of energy. The low cal days seem to give the body a bit of a kick the following day. I did the 8.2km run putting in some good sustained bursts. My t-shirt was soaked by the time I got back. I have to bring a spare for my gym visit or I'd probably get banned.
At the gym I did some chins, bench press, light deadlifts, sit ups followed by lots of stretching.
A good morning of exercise. 

Neil

Monday, April 6, 2015

A Long Gap

Distance 97km [total: minimalist 329.1km: Barefoot 7189.6km] Week4 (1st - 5th Apr)

A long gap in between my postings on my running log. The gap was caused by a reduction in my running volumes due to a persistent wrongly diagnosed injury.
For over a year now I have been running with a sore ankle which I have traced to a nerve impingement in my back.
My back has been weak ever since I first injured it over 24 years ago so it needs to be carefully managed. Certain weight training exercises cause issues and it seems like an ever growing list. Squats, Calf raises with weight on the shoulders, shoulder press, weighted rows. I think the problem occurs when I place the back into a vulnerable position, putting too much of a curve into the low back rather than maintaining it in a more straight neutral position.
For the last month I have been doing a series of short exercises to combat sciatica and taking glucosamine tablets and it seems to be doing the trick.
The distances are going up and the weakness around the ankles is fading away which is great.



1st to 22nd Mar. This period I spend with minimal running as I worked on getting my back fixed up. I began the course of glucosamine tablets to strengthen the cartilage in case it has been weakened by the sciatica. I was averaging around 10km per week so, in total around 30km in this period.

Mon (23rd Mar) 4km. A short run around the lake on my own as my running buddy called it off due to the chance of rain. It will be fine I said, the rain has missed us. That was a little optimistic I must admit, it was windy and the clouds were racing rapidly across the sky. About half way around I could feel the rain blowing from clouds in the distance. Then the wind really picked up and the rain lashed down. I find running with the wild weather invigorating, after all I was warm from the running and it was only a short run so I wasn't going to run out of energy as I fought against the wind.
Wed (25th Mar) 10km. Run from Grange to West Beach and back 

Sat (28th Mar) 13km. A run from Grange to Semaphore. only the second time I have done this so far this year and what was once an easy run for me is much harder without the distance in my legs. I came back along the road and grassy back areas behind the houses by the beach before going back onto the beach again. I felt quite exhausted as I had been on food fasting day on the Friday and only had a light breakfast today so my energy levels were low. 

Sun (29th Mar) 8.2km A good run around the lake on a calm morning with the only incident being the fish hook. At about the halfway point I picked up what I assumed was a thorn or a 3 cornered jack seed, usually a brief kick of the heel to the ground can dislodge it. This time it clung on so I would have to stop and brush it off, I stopped to take a look and saw some metal sticking out of my heel. I had stood on a discarded fish hook and it was longed in my heel. I had to sit on the ground and waggle it around for a while to get it to the position it had come in at so I could get the barb out without it snapping off. I pulled it out and threw it in the water, only a little amount of blood so I carried on running. Very annoying that lazy people can't dispose of fishing items properly rather than leave them lying around. 

Mon 30th Mar 10km A windy run today as the strong breeze switched around to a blustery south westerly. Unwisely i went on the run without my sunglasses as it wasn't bright but they are equally useful for keeping sand out of the eyes. At west beach the sand blows over the road on these windy days so as I ran along this stretch the sand was in my mouth, eyes, ears and hair. Even the next day I still had sand in my ears. 


Thurs 2nd Apr saw a 11km from Grange to Barcoo boat ramp, outbound on the beach and back along the road. A perfect autumn day, a bit breezy on the beach but on the way back with the wind behind me it was perfect.

Sat (4th Apr) I ran a short 7km, relaxed on the run down the beach then faster on the way back along the Esplanade as I chased other runners.

Sun (5th Apr) Easter Sunday and we also came off Summer Time, gaining an extra hour.
I met up with David, Cathy and their friend Sarah at Henley Beach. David and I ran a quite quick barefoot 7km while the girls ran a shorter 3km wearing their Pace Gloves. There was a light southerly breeze which became a tailwind on the way back. We ran at a brisk pace but still at a talking speed. The ground actually felt warmer than the air temperature probably due to the sun. The run back along the beach on the soft dry sand was great on the feet, almost like running on cotton wool. After the run we sat at one of the Henley cafe's, I had a coffee while the others, who hadn't had eaten yet ordered the big breakfasts.

 

Neil