Wipeout~

Wipeout~

Unfortunately, I was not able to run any while at the book conference!  These conferences, where I speak often take so much energy out of me.  Just be “on” all the time to talk to folks who like my books and want to talk.  It’s exhausting. 

This morning, I drove home and was able to ease into the day, but I was still tired.  So, honoring the saying to listen to your body, I didn’t cross-train or exercise at all.

 

Tomorrow, I’ll get back to the running, but for today, I’ll rest.  Sometimes, I call this an emergency rest day!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Grinding it out~

This week has been several days of small mileage runs.  I did do a 10-mile run on the trail that went pretty well.

The next few days, I’m traveling to a book conference in Columbia, MS.  I’m taking my running gear with me and hope to get some runs in while I’m down there. 

So far, the training is going along pretty well.  However, the weather is beginning to heat up here in late April.  That means that the heat and the humidity will begin to be more of a part of the runs than before.

The simple fact is acclamation to the heat will help the situation and that mean running in the heat of the day just to get ready.

It’s going to get hot!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Soft path / hard path~

The difference in running on a hard asphalt road and a soft, pine straw dirt path is the difference between night and day.  Still, the different surfaces make for a different experience.

Running in my neighborhood, everything is organized in blocks and lines.  The houses are the blocks.  The lines are the curves of the edge of the street or sidewalk.  The trees are organized into landscaping themes that only the human mind could design. 

The street itself is, for the most part, a smooth platform that does not give at all when my feet hit the asphalt.  Only my shoes’ rubber heel gives a little bit to my weight. 

Above me, the sky is designed, too.  The trees don’t grow in the middle of the street, so the sky is open and the sun can shine down creating a heat strip along the street that radiates up.   When you see steam coming up off the pavement after a cool rain on a warm day, you get the same sensation of a steam bath.

The dirt trail is just the opposite.  The first thing is that the path is like a dangerous ribbon.  Roots, rocks and little ditches cross the path at uneven and haphazard intervals.  That’s why time is suspended along the dirt trail because you’re always looking 10 feet ahead to see where you’re going to place your next three steps.  Plenty of times toward the end of the run, I’ve caught a root or a rock and fallen and rolled.  You have to stay awake on the trail.

Overhead, the spring’s tree canopy is beginning to block out the light.  There is an eerie green tint to everything on the ground early in the morning when only the sky’s light is reflecting through the leaves.  Later in the day, when the sun is shining down on the trees, the light seems to warm up a bit.

Still, it’s get kind of spooky along the trail when you’re running along and the only thing you hear is your own breathing.  Then, a rustle of leaves or a twig snap not to far behind you sends your head around to see what made the sound.  That’s when you really trip over a root, when you’re distracted.

If it sounds like I enjoy the dirt trail more than the asphalt, I admit that I do.  There is a calming effect on my soul when I’m in the woods.  It’s nature’s balm on modern society where the path is in constant evolution.  A tree has fallen across the trail or water is rushing across the path after the rain the night before.  It’s constantly changing and demands attention.

Perhaps my weekly trek into the woods is a calming therapy to my busy work and family schedules.  It’s a little respite adventure that is never the same because the trail is constantly in motion and is ever changing.  Just to see what’s new along the path is fun.  Just trying to navigate your way around is also an adventure.  It’s never the same.

I like that.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

More miles~

The miles continue to pile up.  With today’s 8-miler completed, the total mileage for this week is 44.5 miles run.  This week was considered a hard week since my long trail run really pumped the mileage up.

I think I had some residual fatigue left over the days following that long trail run.  The day after, I had a scheduled rest day, but the following two days were a 6-mile and 8-mile run. 

This what is interesting about the body’s way of recovering from long runs and the training schedule.  Even though I was somewhat rested to run those 6 and 8 milers, my legs were still a bit sore.  Not hurt, but just sore.  So when I ran, the muscles were put under a bit of stress while running on a smooth, paved road, not the broken, rooted, uneven ground and rocky trail. 

This must have been a good way to do a recovery run because my legs do feel a bit stronger.  That’s a good thing.  Runner’s World just published a special issue on trail running.  This issue has cool myths to debunk and articles on exotic locals to run.

An interesting over all theme of the articles were the need for a strong core.  The core is the middle body area where the legs hang off of and the upper body sets on top of, the pelvic and abdominal area.

  

Tomorrow is a strength-training and swimming day.  I try to do this once a week just as a cross-training technique.

Then, I rest… sweet rest!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

18.5 miles, hydration vest= awesome~

Today, I had a day off from work.  I had scheduled an 18-mile trail run on my favorite dirt trail.  Here’s how it went down.

My new hydration vest would be tested today to see if it would be useful during the ultra marathon during July.  It was fully loaded with 70 oz. of NUUN flavored water in the bladder, two Honey Zinger energy wafers and two GU gels.

The extra weight of the 70 oz. of water didn’t affect the way the hydration vest rode on my back.  It felt comfortable and did not chafe.

NUUN is an electrolyte fizzy tablet that you drop into your water bottle/bladder.  It really does replace the electrolytes that you’re using up as you run. Then, your muscles won’t cramp.  The Honey Zinger wafers and GU gels were for nutrition.  I would be running approximately three and a half hours, so I would need to replenish my nourishment with these two nutrition sources.

For those of you who are confused about what an energy gel or wafer do, think of the cleanest burning energy source you can think of.  Maybe jet fuel is a good example.  Like a jet engine that needs pure fuel to burn clean, energy gels provide high sugar content with very little protein or fat in them.  Since I’m running, I’m burning more calories and need to replace that energy source with something else.  Energy gels provide that pure high calorie burn I’ll need to get me through today’s course.

The plan was to take zips of water as much as possible just to stay hydrated.  Then, I would “eat” a gel or wafer every forty-five minutes. 

The sun was just peaking through the trees as I started the run.  It was around 7:00 a.m.  The run started off as usual, alone.  The guy who said he might meet me didn’t show.  But that’s normal for younger men in their twenties who would rather sleep in and not have to get up.  That’s OK, I was like that at that age.

I made my way around the course, through mud, flooded trails and rocky climbs. It had rained the day before, so there was standing water in some places, streaming water in others.

The hydration pack worked as promised.  I was able to easily sip water through the straw as often as I wanted without taking my eyes off the trail.  You are always on the lookout for exposed roots and rocks that will send you for a face plant… a bad fall.

Also, as I ran and sipped water, the pack grew continually lighter.  Once, because the volume in the bladder had diminished, I had to cinch up the straps a bit to make the pack a little tighter on my back.

Every forty-five minutes, I took on something to eat, stuffing the GU or Honey Zinger package down into one of the vest’s pockets.  As it happened, I never ran out of energy or grew really tired.  Granted, the muscles grew a little fatigued, but they were warmed up and running. 

My leg muscles never cramped because of the continued sipping of the NUUN water.

I had heard from an ultra-marathon friend that if you power walked up the little hills or sharp inclines, that you could reduce the energy expended and save stress on the legs muscles and not to get tired too often.  This is a way to pace throughout the course.  Today, experimented with this technique.  Whenever a hill came along on the course, I slowed a bit and went into a fast walk with my arms pumping to help my body move along.  This really seemed to help because I did not tire as easily while going up the hill.

Up and down the hills, flats and gulley’s I ran and walked.  I finished the 18.5 miles in 3:27.  I wasn’t going for any time record, but I thought it was interesting that two weeks before, I had finished a 16-mile run in 3:20.  So, I think the power walking technique really worked.

The hydration vest was a huge success and a welcomed addition to my gear.  Of the 70 oz. of water that I had on board, I drank 50 oz. with 20 oz. to spare.  On a longer course, I’ll need to drink more water more often. 

The nutrition that I ate kept me going and tasted pretty good.

All in all, except for a couple of tired and sore legs, I think the day went well.  I’ve learned a lot about my body and mental state of mind while on the course.  Today’s run pushed me a great deal, but that is what training is all about.  My body will recover and grow stronger.

Tomorrow is a rest day, thankfully.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Cool new gear~

I wanted to share with you a piece of cool gear that I’m trying out as I train for my first ultra marathon, the Nathan HPL #020 Hydration Vest.  I ran in this vest today on a short little 5-miler just to test it out.  Here’s what I found out.

Pictured above, the vest has a 2 liter bladder (70 ounces) to fill up with water to keep hydrated while on the run.  You can see the drinking tube exiting the pack on the back and looping forward to clip onto the chest strap.  The nipple on the tube is a “bite tube” that releases the water when pressed down on with your teeth.  Then you suck the water out just like a straw in a soft drink.

The vest also features a zippered compartment on the back for extra stuff you may need on those long trail runs.  I’ve put a small first aid kit and a bandana in there as an emergency kit.

There are front pockets on the vest that hold gel packets, wafers or energy bars.  The pockets are easily opened by a press lock or zipper.  All of the pockets are easy to get to and have plenty of room for a iphone or an ipod.

The most unique thing about this little vest is the adjustment strap on the side of the vest.  There are two straps per side.  Each has its own adjustable buckle that lets you cinch up the strap to form fit on your body.  It’s a comfortable fit that works with the contours of the body.

As I ran, I felt the pack on me, but it did not move around.  That means no chafing!  The pack fit me like a glove and was in no way cumbersome.  I felt quite at ease with it on.  The back of the vest, the part that contains the water bladder, did not ride up on my shoulders nor did it pull down on my neck.  Granted, I only had 20 oz. of water in the bladder on this test run, but it did feel that the weight was evenly distributed along my shoulders and back.

It may be a different story when I put in the full 70 oz. this week for my long trail run, but I don’t think it will be any different.

This vest gives me the opportunity to take gear with me in a comfortable way that running short pockets and water bottle belt packs could not.  I’m beginning to feel a little more confident about going on long lonely runs now that I know I can take nutrition and hydration with me.

I’ll write more about this vest when I go on my long 18-mile trail run tomorrow.  But, for now, I’m thinking this vest is just what I needed to get me through the long miles ahead.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

A Creative Life

Jane Yolen is a veteran children’s book writer and is the 2012 recipient of the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion awarded annually for distinguished contributions in the field of children’s literature.  The medallion was the highlight of the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival that attended this past week.

All of this has much to do with running, so bare with me!

Her message to me in conversations and in her medallion acceptance address is to simply show up.  Put another way, sit down in the chair and write… or butt in chair- BIC! 

My interpretation of these words is that for a life of writing and running, there are times during the day for each.  Personally, I’m a morning person, so I have high levels of energy and focus at that time of the day.  Haggling with myself on whether or not to run in the cool of the morning or sitting down and throwing all that energy into my writing and illustrating projects is a personal struggle.

The choice is obvious- the morning time is gold for creativity, my stock in trade.  I’ll use running as a tool to clear my head and get the juices flowing again… later in the day, say early afternoon.

Now, back to Jane.  To write on a daily basis is her job.  For me, drawing and writing on a daily basis is my job.  To write and draw consistently is the challenge.  With all of life’s requirements with family, business and friends, the choice of how to prioritize them can be confusing.

As in planning a training schedule with a particular event in mind, a schedule of writing and drawing everyday is needed.  Put another way, simply plan and then show up.  It’s not always easy, but there it is.

Life lessons come at us in so many directions.  I’m happy to have been reminded of the hard work that goes into running and writing by a new friend, Jane Yolen.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

A runner's balanced life~

This week has been a travel week.  I took my running gear with me to the USM Children’s Book Festival to try to get in some running in between sessions or early in the morning.

Many of you know that when I’m not running, I’m a children’s picture book author / illustrator.   To be able to meet and network with so many authors, illustrators, publishers and librarians is such a rare, golden treat, I simply must make hay while the sun shines.  So, I spent most of my waking hours talking over breakfast, lunch and dinner, during the presentations and walking to the bookstore about e-books, library funding and hilarious children’s books.

This has absolutely nothing to do with running, except the fact that this travel and conference kept me from running and was a bit of a bump in the road to my training. 

However, one important fact stands out.  Balance.  When one takes on the three to four month training for these long distance endurance races, one must have balance in one’s life.  This week was balance time.  I had to mix (and balance) my work life and family life with my running life.  Don’t we have to do that every week, anyway?

To not run for three days is something of a blessing because it gave my body a chance to rest and repair.  I did a lot of walking while on the campus of USM, but it wasn’t running.  Still, I’m OK with that.  When I get back to my schedule tomorrow, I think I’ll feel a little stiff in the joints, but it will quickly come back to me.

To successfully balance a running life with the other facets of life is the true goal of the runner.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

A softer trail~

After a rest day on Sunday, I began this “easy” week with a run on the mountain bike trail, 9.5 miles.  I’m happy to say that I PR’d the trail… by 20 seconds!

How can one run for an 1:32 for almost two times in a row?  It was a great day to run.  Early in the morning and cool, the path had dried up to just soft dirt.  This was like running on marshmallows compared to the torrential rain and mud last week. 

It seemed eerily peaceful along the path this time.  All the fallen trees had been cleared away and the path was clean.  It ran fast.

The next day, I ran in the neighborhood.  A little short 5-miler that seemed much easier now than in the past.

I’m traveling to a book conference the remainder of the week, so it will get a little tougher to get a run in.  I’m taking my gear with me anyway.  Hopefully, I can carve out some time for a run.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Muddy trails~

This week’s running schedule has one glaring day of a very hard run.  A couple of days ago, I did a 16 mile run “double-loop” course through the mountain bike trail.  It had been raining for a whole day, but I thought I would go ahead and get the run in.

The trail was muddy, places in the low lying bottom land were flooded and the air was cold.  However, once I the path switch backed me up the hill, the water had drained off and the wind picked up.  The air was cooler and I shivered.

Three hours and change later, I emerged from the woods, exhausted, but happy!  I had completed my long run for the week.  The remaining days of the week would be easy by comparison.

And they were.  Easy days of running along sun lit neighborhood streets and the Ridgeland Recreational Trail were a welcome change.

The mountain bike trail continues to fascinate me.  That 16-mile run was the hardest one yet.  Who knows, the Big Butts 50k may be similar.  Better to train in bad conditions and get used to it that be surprised at the event itself.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Training program established

These past couple of days, I designed a training schedule based on research on RunnersWorld.com and some other internet ultra marathon training sites.  The training includes two days a week of rest separated by 3-4 days of running.

Here is how the 17 week schedule breaks down in abstract:

Day 1            5 miles

Day 2            7 miles

Day 3            5 miles

Day 4              Rest

Day 5            16 up to 24 miles

Day 6            10 miles

Day 7             Rest/Cross train; strength training and swimming

Whew!  This looks more like a lifestyle change than a training program!  There are “hard” weeks and there are “easy” weeks of effort thrown in the mix to make it interesting.

I’ll muddle through it all somehow…

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.