Trail Tripping

Pepper was whining to see what the trails looked like today. So we headed out to O'Neil Woods.  The trails are in a transition period - mostly snow and ice.  A few sections of ankle deep mud, warm and gooey.

We ran the 1.8 mile trail in about 30 minuets that included a poop stop, pictures and two falls - by me, not Pepper.  Nothing broke or hurt.  Laughter ensued.

Pepper wasn't impressed with my performance - she always seemed to be waiting for me??  So, I got the message and we headed to Hampton Hills to hit the 3.2 mile Adams Run trail. This trail was in the same general shape as the other.  We ran it in about 44 minuets.  It's amazing how far mud will splash up your shorts.

 Another gorgeous day in the parks of North East Ohio.


We also stopped by the Great Blue Heron Nesting area on Bath road.  They were impressive.  All the nests of all the trees seemed to have a Heron in it.  The picture doesn't  do it justice.  You'll have to check it out yourself.

Neither I nor Pepper chased down any of the giant birds - though she really did want to - probably taste like Bald Eagle, I would think.

UNDEFEATED

Yes, I remain undefeated.  I have finished 1st in every race I have run barefoot.  1st in the barefoot class that is.  Now I can add the Shamrock 15k to my growing list of awesome barefoot races.  I was the only barefoot runner today.  If a runner were to pick the perfect day for a road race, this would be it.  It was sunny.  We ran roads that wind through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  The roads were dry and the temp between 40 and 43 deg F.

As the first run of the first year, I  found it helpful to follow BFJ's three rules.  And I did so for the most part.  1.) I was a gentleman.  I certainly wasn't rushing past anyone.  Most of the people I passed were willing to chat for a bit, so I did, and then moved ahead with respect.  2.) The beginning of the race always has runners finding their pace, so it's inevitable you get some passing.  After the first mile or so, everyone seemed to stabilize in their positions.  It was at the end that I was overtaken by various runners (women mostly).  I couldn't hold them back.  Secretly, I think racers that pass me at the end think to themselves, "I can't let a barefoot runner beat me!"  If I give other runners motivation, that's kind of cool.  3.)  Work is for chumps, therefore, by nature, I don't work too hard.

Another good race put on by the SARC.  We had three water stations.  Everyone gave encouragement.  And a chicken soup at the end.

Pain Speed and Pleasure

Pain
As you may notice from my week(ness) log, I've bee lazy resting this week . . . for my upcoming race this weekend - The Shamrock 5k & 15k - yea, that's it.  Seriously, my feet were a little sore after my 12 mile run last Saturday.  I've been plagued with a condition that I thought was a drinking injury (the disease of Kings - let's call it the King Krippler), since my last race New Years Eve.  However, King Krippler usually clears up after a week or two and since I've been fighting it for two months now, I'm sure there's some other reason.  After consulting many other sources, my conclusion is TFP - top of the foot pain.  This is an issue Barefoot Ken Bob warns newbies about.  Am I still a newbie?  I've been running since August of 2009 - ages ago.  I've logged 400 miles!!  Why is this still happening to me?  Though I may have logged 400 miles - a cool number - I think I've been pushing it just a bit.  The first time it happened was my first race - the CF 5K in September.  Then in the GNYER, I was hit again.  Some sources blame it on the vff's, believe it or not.  They say if you tighten them too much they can lead to TFP.  I don't know, but I've been keeping them loose ever since I read that and, I was barefoot in the CF 5k.  I wore the vff's in the GNYER 'cuz I was a scardiecat.  I think that my race excitement/enthusiasm is probably to blame.  It's funny, I'm sure every runner has begun his racing career shooting out of the gate like a bat out of hell (though, don't bats like warm temps?).  And every veteran warns that you should start your race slow and if possible finish with a negative split.  Well, I guess I am a newbie after all.  Kind of cool - calling me a newbie at my age.  I don't feel new.  On the other hand, running has brought new life to . . . um . . . my life.

Speed
I ran my fastest yesterday.  I wanted to try to run a short distance as quick as possible - I think they call this speed work.  So, sans shoes and The Pooper, I ran my 2.4 mile "Quickie" on the streets of Cuyahoga Falls.  It was my fastest run ever at an 8.5 min/mi pace.  I've never gone flat out like that before - yes, you are supposed to laugh at the "flat out" part- but I'm happy with the result.  I had not broke 9 min/mi previously.  The very first Run of My Life in August '09 on the same trek, was at 15.6 min/mi - I took 3 walking breaks.  Yesterday, it was a gorgeous day of sun and 36 degrees.  The pavement was warm and the spectating kids stared.  I love it when normally outspoken kids can't find anything to say - but you know they want to.  That look of befuddlement is priceless.

Pleasure
Today I took the Pooper on a 5.66 mile to Glen Trail, crossed Front Street to hit Gorge Trail then back.  It was awesome, muddy, crunchy snow, sunny beautiful, slow, and most of all fun.

Here are some post run pics:

Because Barefoot Josh is so enamored with foot pics.  This is a post run cooldown pic.

The blister is old and from a previous run.

Kind of out of focus - I don't seem to have the ankle flexibility as does BFJ.

The Pooper on her snow perch for a post run cool down.

February 0 and 2

Two races scheduled, two canceled.  The Dirty Dog 10k was canceled by the race directors - due to weather.  The Oil Creek 50k by me - due to weather.  The OC 50k took place yesterday, but without me.  I was really looking forward to my ultra debut, but didn't want to drive 2.5 hours each way for what would have ended up as a 10 mi hike in knee high snow.  It was pretty, as I heard from the race director of the Oil Creek 100, however, I'm not sure anyone completed the entire run.  That's OK, as it's an FA.  But I really wanted to give the distance a go.  So now I look forward the the Covered Bridge FA.  Here's to hoping the weather will improve next month.

To relieve my disappointment, Pepper and I ran a slow 12.2 miles on city streets.  The roads were pretty clear.  It was overcast as a light snow fell.  31 deg F.  I developed some small cuts/blisters on my feet from the vff's.  This could be due to my ungainly gate.  Or, it could be the cold and wet weakening the skin, eventually leading to a blister.  These abrasions occurred on the side of my feet at the base of the big toe.  This is a new development.  I wonder if the vff's are wearing.  Or did I have them too loose?  Barefoot would have been better, or maybe a pair of sandals -  I need to get busy making my first pair of huraches like Barefoot Ted.

Today is a rest day, So here's to looking forward to a new month of warmth.  I love the snow, but I miss running the trails.

Go Canada Hockey!
Don't the Americans have enough already?

Aqua Man

My run on ice trails Tuesday was an excercise in frustration - as well as a strain on the groin muscles not to mention the tiny foot and ankle muscles.  I ran to the 'rent-in-law's' house and back for a 13.1 miler - Cuyahoga Falls to Kent and back.  The trip took me through CF streets to Water Works Park, then the Kelsey Trail into Kent and then a few Kent streets.  It was my slowest run ever at 13.4 min/mi.  Am I getting slower?

Well, the trail was well traveled and therefore packed by previous walkers.  But the thaw the weekend before created a glaze that turned to glass by Tuesdays freeze.  Footing was treacherous!  In my vff sprints, I had absolutely no traction.  I became downtrodden with the expectation of my upcoming ultra debut dissolving to disaster.  I knew I had to make a change.

Should I get a pair of Galosh Barefoot One Finger's as reviewed by Barefoot Josh?  Should I forsake the ultra trail challenge for the comfort of a warm bed and a dog at my feet (and the Mrs of course - but not at my feet)? What to do?

I decided to go to wally world to see what they had.  Got a pair of $7 Auqa Socks.  Ok, so I overpaid by $2 - what are you going to do.  It beats the vff kso treks at $140.  The aqua socks (AQS) had a little bit of traction - substantially more than the vff sprints. I thought they might work on the ice.

So today, the Pooper & I headed out for redemption on the Kelsey trail.  An out and back 5.8 miler from the homestead on the icy cruelness that brought me down two days before.  Pepper of couse is right at home no matter what he conditions.  She's a real trooper.  Nothing phases her.

Since we got an inch of new white stuff and temps ranged into the 34 deg F area, the conditions were completely different than those on Tuesday.  So, the planned test of the new foot coffins was not as scientifically similar to my previous disaster as I had hopped.   The AQS's held up well though.  They are light, flexible and a little sloppy.  I think they preform better than the vff sports on slippery surfaces.  Note to self - Choose races that don't have multiple feet of snow in the forecast.

I felt as if I was warping through the hour long run at speeds I've never attained before.  This wasn't the case.  I finished with a. 11min/mi avg.  Disappointing, given the confidence I felt on the run.  The cool thing is that I can look forward to much better preformances.  I know I'm better than that!!!

Oil Creek FA 50k this Saturday??  It will be interesting.

Sunday Sun

Posted on Monday - a day late.  Forgive my tardieness.
It was a beautiful day here in North East Ohio - sun and 40 deg F.  It was a terrible day in Orlando (Cavs lost).

Here are some shots, and click on the pictures to get the full benefit.  For some, you may have to hit Ctrl- to reduce the size:

The High Bridge?  Yes, it's very high!

The High Bridge Trail and old railroad telephone poles and the Pooper sniffing out a mole - didn't catch it

The Gorge Dam

The Cuyahoga Falls power station site and a goose - didn't catch it - power station now removed

The Glen Trail & my running view of the Pooper

The view from the new High Bridge looking upstream of the Cuyahoga River.  The Sheraton Suites Hotel is in the background.

Not to confuse you, but this is a foot bridge across the Cuyahoga.  The blue bridge in the first picture above is a vehicular bridge that carries the traffic of State Street across the Cuyahoga, and the trail that leads to it is called "High Bridge Trail."  By all immpressions, it is a very high bridge, and that's why I thought it was called High Bridge Trail, but apparently not.  The picture to the left is a foot bridge that occupies the R.O.W. of Prospect Ave. crossing the southern section of Front Street.  It's a newly constructed portion of the "High Bridge Glen Trail," which is an old name for the park that was in the area in the 1880's to early 1900's.  The old park had a roller coaster, dance hall, Ferris wheel, and foot bridge that was in the same location and must have been called "High Bridge" since it was suspended 90' above the river.  The park was closed and the public lost the view when industry moved in.  When the park opened last year - sans roller coaster and Ferris wheel, damn penny pinchers - with this new foot bridge, it made this spectacular view of the river and falls available to the public once again.  I am sure the ODNR will soon be pestered with requests to kayak this run.

So Pepper and I had an excellent 5.9 mi run of the trails.  Glen trail starts less than a mile from my house.  I am very lucky.  My time was slow, but it's partly due to taking all the pictures.  On a day like this, it's important to stop and take it all in.

Mush Massage

Mush Massage

Winter running can be tricky.  It felt like a spring day in North East Ohio with the temperature at 36 deg F, dry roads and a big ball of fire in the sky.  When you get to the busy streets though, you have to move to the sidewalk.  Manny people shovel, and many people don't.  The sidewalks that weren't shoveled have had plenty of foot traffic leaving a compacted snow base.  The footing was loose due to the temp, but not un-runnable.  The cool thing was that the snow provided a very cleansing foot massage.  Very nice for the tootsies that have been cooped up in Vibrams the last few weeks.  It was like running on very course sand, less abrasive, and loose, but your feet find the stability of the ground quickly.  Near the end of my run, I started looking for these sidewalks, and skipped the streets.

Movie Review

I viewed the movie "Food Inc." yesterday.  I highly recommend it.  Many of the ideas are covered in Michael Pollans' "The Omnivore's Dilemma," but there are some new stories too.  It's nice to see a face to the story(ies).  Check it out from the library.  You may have to wait because it seems to be very popular.  The encouraging thought is that we can vote for change to the current establishment - three times a day!

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bfjo