Long Time Gone II - Mid-October to Thanksgiving

Then it got bad. I found out that one of my students is has a mass in his brain; so deep and so large it is impossibly inoperable. He’s handling it well, and has recently started aggressive chemo. But it is very scary.

When I found out that news, I hadn’t run in weeks since the Hudy 14k. But after hearing it I needed a release, and my stress eating was starting to show (several nights my dinner consisted of a pint of Greaters and 2 cans of Diet Dew). So I laced up my shoes and went for a run. And I have got to say, I’ve never outright cried on a run before. I’ve had my eyes tear up from wind or cold, but never had I bawled whilst running.

I don’t know what to do, I wonder if I’m more frightened then the student or his classmates. I’ve been beating myself up over this too much, and the worst part is that fact that there’s nothing I can do. The sense of helplessness that cancer brings, is something ‘younger me’ didn’t comprehend when my grandmother went through it all those years ago. We’ve met with him, he’s visited school, and I’ve even had the class Skype with him during class after his first day of chemo. Even without the knowledge from being briefed by his mom and the hospital staff; I know this kid, this 13 year old kid has a very long, very hard road ahead of himself.

That being said, I haven’t been on my blog lately, and have spent just as little time on Dailymile. I hope to get back into things, just as I’ve gotten back into the running. It’s odd, the things that serve as catalysts in our lives.

Tomorrow I run in a 5k fundraiser for my own school. I'd like to run a fast time, but I'm happy just getting back into it. Hopefully, I post a race result sometime sooner than 4 months.

Long Time Gone - July to mid-October

I’ve figured out why I post so rarely. I spend too much time fussing over the poetic imagery, writing style, and quality of the work. I write as though I’m trying to write an essay for Lit class, but with out the deadlines of a taken course, so there’s no pressure to ever actually produce. I look in my folder and have 5 “starts” of posts, but none finished. So until I can find a way to manage my time, the posts will be more of outlines. I’d rather have regular short posts than irregular long ones. Perhaps there will be some humor and some broad vocabulary thrown in, but I won’t be going out of my way to make it happen, at least not for now.

So let me catch you up to (my mediocre) speed.

On the Fourth of July I set out to beat the PR of 26:00 I set at the same race a year before. The day was muggy and overcast. I started out a little too strong, lagged a little in the middle, but played catch-up games all along the course. Ultimately I did set a new PR by over 20 seconds. And I placed second in my weight division, got a medal and wore it almost all day (except for when my son insisted on wearing it). Yea me!

Flash forward a few weeks.

My training was going great. My long runs had reached double digits, I was getting in decent speedwork, and I had a decent plan for working my runs into the schedule of my upcoming school year.

End of August I registered for a Thursday night 5k, The Fox and The Hound 5k. It was a risk, being after a long day of school and the night before another long day of school, I knew would be tough. Nonetheless I had a great time, made it a point to run negative splits, and ran a great race. I really wish I had more time to stick around for the after-party, it was a dusk party on the “Purple People” bridge. Can’t wait til next year when I can run it with someone I know.

Then I ran a 5k for our local zoo. Holy Hills! It was rough, but I really enjoyed it, and got to meet one of my Dailymile friends.

Then...then...things got busy.

On September 14th my daughter, Cassandra, was born. It was glorious, it was wonderful, it was utterly exhausting.

On September 17th I woke up to run the Hudelpohl 14k, it was a hilly run through Cincinnati during Oktoberfest, so I ran in lederhosen. Yes, lederhosen, all 14k, it was a blast. I took it a little easy on the course because I was in costume, I haven't had a good week of running since Aug, and I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be physically useless the rest of the weekend (I do have a toddler, a newborn, and a post-partum wife at home). When I crossed the line, I really felt like I had more than enough gas in the tank. Despite that, the 1:21:36 was enough to put me at 8th place in my weightclass. The after party was a little packed and disorganized, though I'm sure it'll be fixed for next year. This will definitely be a regular on my race schedule. I was also glad that, my Dailymile friend, Peggy was able to find me after the race to chat, since she blew by me around mile 5.

Then it took a turn for the worse. On top of the whole newborn thing, I then pulled a groin muscle. Between those two, running time was drastically cut. Then school was really starting to get to me.

Then, my wife’s incision turned out to be infected. After only two days back to school my wife had to be admitted to the ER and ended up there for about 5 days. I ended up having to drive back and forth to the hospital when I wasn’t taking care of my two kids to pick up bags of breastmilk so I can feed my daughter (because she couldn’t stay at the hospital with my wife). After it was all said and done, my wife is fine now and back home.

That Which Ails Me

Note: So as I began writing this, I realized that I was beginning to grow a little longwinded. So I edited it down, and then realized that most people could care less about the details/storytelling, and decided to put it in list form. So here we have a bulleted list for those of you who are just interested in the short version. Or for those of you more interested in the “storytime” version (with adjectives and such) skip on down to the medium version.

Short Version

A little while ago a friend from the DailyMile and I were trading messages about injuries, which started as a suggestion to avoid prolonged overuse of certain OTC medication. At one point she asked me what were my past injuries. I laughed when I thought about how long it would take to list them all, so I decided to make a blog post devoted to all of my major injuries.

I’ll be omitting the smaller less significant injuries that I incurred early in my life. Like the time I was 5 and stepped on a nail (of course that one was clearly just included, but others like it will be left out).

Spring 98: tore all the tendons in my left ankle

Fall 98: severed my left ACL and tore my LCL, MCL, and meniscus; knee reconstruction and rehab

Winter/Spring 03: sprained and slightly tore my rotator cuffs

Spring 04: severed my left ACL; knee reconstruction and rehab

Spring 06: separated my left A-C joint

Fall 07: severely tore my right ACL; knee reconstruction and rehab

Winter/Spring 08: separated my right A-C joint

Summer 10: developed Plantar Fasciitis

I’m not sharing this to brag about toughness, nor for a pity-party; but because it feels good to just list them all out. Granted, these are simply the major ones, the more debilitating ones. I’ve had my fair share of broken noses, fingers, concussions, black eyes, etc, but these were the big ones. These are the hurdles I’ve fought for over a decade, and I know I’ll probably have more in the future, but I’m feeling like these major ones are in the past.

Medium Version

A little while ago a friend from the DailyMile and I were trading messages about injuries, which started as a suggestion to avoid prolonged overuse of certain OTC medication. At one point she asked me what were my past injuries. I laughed when I thought about how long it would take to list them all, so I decided to make a blog post devoted to all of my major injuries.

I’ll be omitting the smaller less significant injuries that I incurred early in my life. Like the time I was 5 and stepped on a nail (of course that one was clearly just included, but others like it will be left out).

My first real injury took place in the Spring of the end of my sophomore year. It was a May practice for just the defensive line and linebackers. At the end we went out to the track and began running sprints (in the style of “Up and Down the River”). I tripped over a break in the pavement and ripped all the tendons that run through my left ankle, leaving me cast-bound for the next 8 weeks (on a side-note: I used this time to get my bench press up to 315lbs).

I got back on my feet, had a pretty good junior season until the last play of the last game of the season. The other team was down by 6 and had the ball mid-field with 4^th and 15 to go. As the QB dropped back for a Hail Mary I broke through the C-G gap. I was sprinting full steam when the FB chop blocked my knees, particularly the left one. After 3min of lying very, very still and stopping the game; I got up and walked off the field, refusing any assistance (yeah, I’ve always been stubborn). I’ll never forget the feeling when my knee bent backwards as I was walking to the sideline. The next morning the doctor was convinced it was only a sprain since I walked off the field, but went ahead with the MRI. Turns out I had completely severed my ACL and tore my LCL, MCL, and meniscus. After an extensive surgery and 6mos of rehab (and an addiction to pain killers) I was moved to Center on the offensive line and told to hunt and kill linebackers (side-note: I used that time to get my bench press up to 365lbs).

Flash forward to my 3^rd year of college; and in my quest to bench twice my bodyweight I reached 425lbs (and weighed 205). Three weeks later I went for an even 440lbs causing me to sprain and slightly tear both rotator cuffs. No surgery after that one, just TLC and a permanent avoidance of seriously heavy weight (to this day, the most I’ve ever attempted was 375lbs).

The next spring (my first of two senior years) I was simply kneeling on the ground and felt a snap in my left knee. I had blown out my left ACL (again). My doctor explained to me that it had been weak for some time and all it took was a little too much pressure in a certain direction. Another reconstruction and 6 more months of rehab.

Jump two more Springs and I’m playing backyard football against some jerks who were getting a little too aggressive and carried away hitting the little guys on my team. I tackled their RB (who had a big mouth and kept stiff arming my teammates in the throat) into the ground so hard I broke two of his ribs and separated my left A-C joint (above where the clavicle meets the rotator cuff). This left me unable to lift my arm for two weeks and had to miss the first 3 weeks of the rugby season (but it was worth it).

A year and a half later in the Fall of ’07 the day before the first day of school, I blew out my right knee at rugby practice. Not tackling, not rucking, not mauling, scrumming or even running the ball; instead I did it by running sprints. A funny step and bam, my knee buckles and I’m on the ground. I spent the next few months teaching out of a wheel chair (I got really good at wheelies). I used that Winter to lift weights and get psyched up for the Spring rugby season. I got so enthused that I separated my right A-C joint lifting weights (I’m sure the boxing didn’t help).

Flash forward to the Summer of 2010, I’m running for the sake of running; and loving it. I had just gotten over a severe case of shin splints (through patience and a pair of actual running shoes), and was building up miles. Probably a little too much too soon, not to mention too fast. By early August I was noticing a sharp stabbing pain in my right heel, after a little bit of research I found out it was Plantar Fasciitis. Took a few weeks off, and went back at it to no avail. Spent the Fall and Winter researching natural running form, shoes, and training programs and started back up in February building my form from scratch; and so far so good.

I’m not sharing this to brag about toughness, nor for a pity-party; but because it feels good to just list them all out. Granted, these are simply the major ones, the more debilitating ones. I’ve had my fair share of broken noses, fingers, concussions, black eyes, etc, but these were the big ones. These are the hurdles I’ve fought for over a decade, and I know I’ll probably have more in the future, but I’m feeling like these major ones are in the past.

Finding My Form and Losing My Breath

Before I begin, I can’t help but wonder if anyone clicked the link in my last post, titled “Hanes”. And I also have to wonder if anyone appreciated what he or she found. Perhaps I can set up a poll on this page addressing those questions, but I’m sure my laziness will prevent that from happening.

Upward and onward.

So this past Thursday I went for a run. Nothing new, I know. However, this run was different than most. First off, I was planning on running that morning with my sister (who I’ve been trying to get into running with me), but she bailed. Then my wife wanted to take our son to the park as I ran. Then on the ride out, we got a call from my friends to let us know that their (first) baby was on the way. So we then rushed to the hospital. We were there for most of the rest of the day, and I got to “bro support” my friend who has very little baby experience (much less baby girls). So after avoiding all of the fast food that was settled on by everyone else, we finally got out to the park at about 8pm. The park has a blacktopped 2mile loop that is very well maintained and very, very flat. I slipped into my shorts, laced up my Kinvaras, and handed my phone and keys to my wife. Taking off I noticed it was much cooler this time of day (I say day because it was still broad daylight out). I felt that I was moving at a pretty brisk pace (despite knowing that I planned on running 4miles), and was worried that I was going to burn out. Which has been my problem before running too fast at the beginning and having nothing left before the end. But I noticed that my legs felt great (even though they had been sore all day from my leg lift two days prior), and my form felt graceful.

Yes, I said graceful.

I have never felt graceful when running before (which doesn’t mean I didn’t look like a lumbering 3 legged bear, but we’re talking “feel” here). So I didn’t want to slow down. However my goal to run either “negative” or “even” splits had not changed, so when I passed my wife at the playground and she yelled out 17min, I knew that keeping an 8:30 pace for an additional 2 miles, when 4 miles is the longest distance I’ve ever ran at one time, was going to be difficult. But, for some reason, I didn’t feel tired. My legs weren’t burning up, my heart wasn’t pounding out of my chest, and my lungs didn’t feel like they were on the verge of implosion. Perhaps my new “gracefulness” was more efficient, and allowing me to run faster for longer, or perhaps it was partly that, coupled with the aforementioned cooler air and flat terrain. None-the-less, that run felt very empowering, in the middle of powerlifting no less. I’m looking forward to when I return running to priority one and push lifting back to second fiddle; I’m hoping this is a sign of big gains this summer.

I'm Not a Skinny Runner

As I’ve said before, I’m not a skinny guy in a big guy’s body. I am a heavyweight trying to run. And, as usual, I’ve done my duty. I’ve waken up early, I’ve suffered heat and humidity, I’ve scheduled around real life, and I’ve pushed when I didn’t want to. I have kept to my training and put in my miles. I have run 2 races (27:31 and 27:03) Though not as well as I’d like, but they’re done.

I planned on running another 5k this weekend (6/11/11, but we’ll talk about that later), one on July 4^th, and a smattering of 5ks until the Thanksgiving day 10k. This plan gives me a 3 week window between this weekend and the Edgewood Fourth of July race. As I promised myself, a few blog posts ago, I was going to use that time to get back into the weight room.

Because as much as I’ve accomplished in my running, I’ve lost so much in strength. This morning I weighed myself (226), checked my bodyfat percentage (17%, but the device might not be entirely accurate, it’s pretty cheap), and most importantly I dressed down to my Hanes and looked in the mirror (don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not that vain, this doesn’t happen very often). I wasn’t surprised with what I say, though I wasn’t entirely happy either. Well, for the past few weeks my pants were getting looser and I’m 2-3 holes deeper into my belt, which has felt great. Now that I was thoroughly examining my torso, my “feelings” were confirmed; I am significantly leaner, and my abs are growing more visible (yeah, I know: I’m awesome!). Then I looked a little farther south, the legs. As always, they were lean, tan (-er than most men), and hairy. However, my quadriceps did seem slightly smaller than usual, but don’t worry my calves are still freakishly large. Then I took a deep breath and looked up top…then I took a long sigh. My chest, shoulders, and arms have shrunk. Now, I won’t be misconstrued as a runner anytime soon, but I’m losing that bulk that has always been me. Even when I was down in weight for fights, I still had plenty of meat up top. Now, while my upper body may be leaner, my arms are down to 14.5inches (Update: turns out there is an inch of blank tape before the numbers start, so I'm only down to 15.5inches; which still is less than I am usually)! Not quite my style.

I know that on race day, I’m a middle to back of the pack kinda runner. Now while I’d like to change that to ‘frontal’ middle, I know that I’ll never be front-runner. And I’m fine with that, because I have (and plan on in the future) taken consolation in the fact that I’m one of the biggest guys at the finish line. Not the most muscular guy in the race, but usually one of the first heavyweights to cross the line. If I’m no longer that proud mix of muscles and speed, then I’m just some heavy guy running behind skinny guys. I will never be a skinny guy, and that’s fine, I don’t want to be a skinny guy. If nothing else my girth was a good excuse, but it’s not just that. I like being strong. So I have less than a month until the Edgewood 5k, which is where I plan on breaking my PR (26:00). I’m going to devote a good chunk of these next 2-3 weeks powerlifting. And even if I don’t return to my former size, I at least want most of my strength back.

Back to this weekend. The Redlegs 5k. I do still want to run this (if for no other reason, I want the Reds technical t-shirt), but I heard the weather is going to be stormy and I’d like to scrape it in favor of an early start on my weightlifting. It’s going to be difficult intermixing the powerlifting and the run training, and phasing from the emphasis on lifting to running halfway between here and Independence Day. Wish me luck in accomplishing both.

The Highs and Woes

Note: The first part of this post might sound redundant to the Dailymilers who follow this, but I can’t help but share

The Highs

I was in class yesterday morning (and this morning, as I write this) for certification in the city of Edgewood, KY. Many moons ago, back when I was in college. I used to work for the public works dept. in Edgewood. The majority of the work I did was grounds keeping. And Edgewood is beautiful (though not as beautiful as when I worked there, but whatever). Dudley road runs from one end of the city to the other, with subtle slopes throughout, with the killer hills at the ends (avoidable, unless you want them), well kept sidewalks, and intermittent shade. The really amazing thing about this town is how considerate the drivers are to runners. Often, I would reach an intersection slowing to a ‘run in place’ speed to wait for a car to pass, only to be waved on by the driver. As if saying, “why should you wait, you’re bettering yourself, I’m just driving. Go ahead.”

What’s funny is that all those years ago I was working in Edgewood, in the heat wondering why runners bothered to run. Today I completely understand. It was a gorgeous day and the run felt amazing, I probably could have run all day. I ran from the clock tower (it served as my timepiece, since I can’t wear a watch) in Presidents Park down Dudley with the intention of turning around once I reached Freedom Park. However, when I got there I just kept going. Not because a dog was chasing me, not because I was behind a good looking girl, but because my legs felt good and I was really enjoying myself. So I kept going until I reached Woodrun Court. Not knowing how far I’ve gone, or how long I was gone, I just felt it was time to turn around (probably because I was nearing the end of the road, i.e. the hill). Amazingly the run back felt even better, even though it was more uphill. I stopped when I returned to the clock tower reaching it I learned that I had ran for 37min, which was cool and all, but I had no idea how far I had run. I clocked it on my iPhone on the drive back and it registered a 1.81mi, which doubled is 3.6mi. Nice long easy run at a 10:00ish min/mile pace and not once did I have to stop to walk. Not bad considering it didn’t feel the least bit difficult.

I felt so free, no watch, no iPod, no ponytail. I recently decided to start running with my hair loose, and I couldn’t be happier (I grow my hair out for two years at a time to donate). So long as I move at a steady pace and don’t have a strong tailwind the hair stays out of my face, it’s at the perfect length. Now, I’m no Anton Krupicka, but I know the flapping hair caught some eyes at last week’s race. Not to mention I may have been the only runner in Edgewood without an iPod, and I seem to be the only runner on DM without a Garmin.

The Woes

Went home, showered, loaded an old bike my brother gave me into the bed of my truck and brought it to the local cycle shop. My goal was to have it tuned up and ride it for the duration of the summer, just to get an idea as to whether riding was for me. Then if I liked it, then maybe I’d be willing to shell out the cash for a decent entry level one next Spring.

When I got to the shop, the employee took a look at the bike and informed me that in order to straighten the rim, replace the tires, replace the brakes, retune the shifters, and so on, it would most definitely be better to buy a new bike. Now, I really don’t think that he was out to put down the bike simply to make a sale (because I had the same feeling before I even brought it in), but that doesn’t mean I like the answer. Oh well, so much for outdoor biking, looks like I’m stuck at the bike in the gym and swimming for my cross-training; at least for now that is.

Even Newer Kicks

I recently posted how much I love my $7 water shoes. What’s not to love: they were $7, they’re stark white, they’re light weight, there’s no giant heel, and…they’re $7. Well after about 20 miles the sole (at roughly the ball of my feet) was starting to look excessively worn. Granted I’m sure I’ll be able to get at least 100 miles out of them, but I realized that they were going to have a short life expectancy (did I mention they were only $7).

So on Saturday my wife and I were shopping for our friends’ baby showers (yes, I meant plural; apparently babies are the new black) and right next door was a Dicks Sporting Goods (what do you know, you drive a little out of the way to the right Babies R Us, and it just happens). I asked her if I could go in and just try on a few shoes, just to find out the right size, just in case I can find a great price online, you know, just in case. After I tried on a bunch I jotted down the sizes on a set of Saucony Kinvaras (yes, I insist on saying Kinvaras. It is Kinvara, but there are two of them in a pair) I liked and a set of Merrell Trail Gloves I liked. Then she told me I could buy a pair.

I was dumbfounded, I in all honesty, never expected that to happen. She was pushing me towards the Trail Gloves, even though they were the more expensive pair. Probably because she assumed I’d humbly lean away from them because of their price, that and the fact that I raved about them so much after my running class.

After (too) much deliberation, and a few laps around the store (all the while getting funny looks from the other patrons, but who’s going to say something to the 230lb man in tiny shoes). I decided on the Kinvaras. Granted I love the Trail Gloves, and actually like them better, but I know I’m not ready to really rack up miles on a shoe with so little shock absorption. And I wanted a shoe that I could wear in a race the following weekend. So again the rational part of me; the part that told me to take time off during injury, the part that me to research gait and stride, the part that kept me from getting overzealous and overtraining, that part told me to wait on the Trail Gloves. (So yes, I still want them, Merrell feel free to send me a trial pair.)

So I went with the Kinvaras. But before I could make it to the register my wife stopped me and made me put the shoes back. I could get a pair, but not of the neon orange variety. Despite my protests and my argument that I’d be safer in the brighter shoes, I walked out with the green on white pair.

That day was a Saturday, my long run day. So how better to try them out then to run farther than I had since my injury. I went to the (pretty flat) park near my house and churned out 3.4 miles at a quick pace, and felt great afterward.

Was it the flat park or the beautiful day that made me run so quick and easy? Was it the shoes or the placebo effect of the shoes? I doubt it. It was probably just the excitement of both the shoes and the day.

They were light, very light. I didn’t feel myself heel striking, well maybe for a little when I was distracted and lazy. I was surprised as to how small the toe box was. I had gotten used to the roominess of my water shoes. I think this may have contributed to the muscle fatigue in my shins, because I found myself fighting against the upper of the shoe. There was much more cushioning, so I experimented with my footfalls; landing flat, landing on the outside, etc. to see if I could still feel the difference. And I could (yea), so the cushion does not dull my sense of the ground.

Though I do think I’d have run faster if the shoes were bright orange.

Dailymile

I recently joined an online website runners can use to track their miles, speeds, etc. I quickly found out that this website, Dailymile (DM), was actually more of a social network than a tracking database.

I was first introduced to DM through reading about it on other bloggers’ sites. When I first heard of it, I was apprehensive to sign up, due to the fact that I’m not really much of a runner, and didn’t want to be the guy who didn’t belong. I don’t actually recall exactly why I decided to go ahead and create an account, but I’m very glad I did. It has served not just as a visual reminder of how much I’ve run, and how much more I ought to run, but has served as an external reminder. Several of my Dailymile “friends” sent me posts and “motivations” to get me going. I’ve met a lot of nice people on the site, and have received quite a few insights and laughs.

Not to mention, that after I began acquiring friends, on DM, my blog followers grew exponentially (you’re not the only one reading anymore honey, so you can stop pretending that you were in the first place). One in particular, Jillian, convinced me to not give up on my blog posts (which was becoming a possibility), so thank you very much for letting me think what I have to say is worth reading.

The Problem With Packing It On

Late-April

Any rookie lifter can tell you “you can’t cut weight and powerlift at the same time.” And yet, I (and almost every other lifter out there at least once or twice) find myself breaking Rule #4 of lifting.

I’m trying to cut weight for running. Even a lean (which I’m not) 240lbs is a lot of pounds per inch on my feet and joints. So I decided that I could knock it down to 215-220lbs, near my old fighting weight. And for those of you out there who don’t think 25lbs is a lot of extra to run on, try running with 25lbs of gear on your back next time out.

But then something strange happened, just as I was starting the new diet and upping my activity I noticed something… I was making huge gains. And I had been making gains for a few months, but my squat was jumping 30-60lbs a week, I was starting to max out the machines.

Being the addict I am, I just couldn’t quit. After 3 weeks my clothes were looser in some places, yet I had trouble fitting into my suit jacket (which was fine because I looked enormous in the vest alone). However, my body was still taking a pounding every time I ran, because I had only lost 1.5lbs.

The meathead within told me that running can wait, and that I need to get bigger now. But the rational adult within realized that if I was going to take this running thing seriously (like I promised myself) then I would have to put lifting on the back burner until after I can make some serious running gains. (especially when my free time for workouts is limited). I have a pretty packed race schedule through mid-June. As of now I plan on focusing solely on running, then I have a 3.5 week hiatus before the Edgewood Fourth of July 5k Race. Last year I set my current PR at the Edgewood 5k, and this year I plan on breaking it there. So perhaps I’ll spend that first week of my hiatus on muscle building and just rest the legs.

None the less, it still sucks walking into the gym to run on the treadmill and/or cycle and/or swim and walking past all those weights. Hearing them call to me “Michael, Michael, come over here, lift us, get huge…”

New Kicks

Note: though this may be my first post since March, I've actually been writing these on paper and just been lackadaisical in typing them up.

As much as I’d like to be in the market for new running shoes, my wife reminds me that with a toddler and one on the way we need to tighten our budget. So my conundrum of whether to purchase a set of Merrell Trail Gloves, Saucony Kinvaras, or New Balance Minimus Trails has been sorted out for me.

However, I have found a temporary solution. I’ve read in several places that water shoes are a decent alternative to a low profile running shoe. Found a pair at the local Warmart, and thought for $7 I could give them a try.

At first I was a little worried about the complete lack of padding, so my first few miles I ran very slow and very gingerly. As a matter of fact on my first run in them I only wore them for a ½ mile before changing into my other running shoes, afraid that I might go too fast too soon on cushion-less shoes (which in retrospect was probably wiser than plowing through the new feelings in my feet).

Granted, it took a few miles to get used to the complete lack of arch support, but I think that alone has really strengthened my feet. I love the instant feedback I now get through my feet. I can tell with complete certainty where and when my foot is landing, which part of my foot I’m favoring, and whether my heel strikes before or after the rest of my foot. Of it all, they have drastically improved my stride, I now regularly land under my center of gravity (until I get tired, lazy, or distracted).

And to answer the million dollar question, has it helped or hurt my Plantar Fasciitis? Answer: my foot seems strangely ambivalent. The pain is still there yet distant, and still only in the mornings when I wake up and at the end of a long day in dress shoes (another pair of shoes I’d love to replace). But it’s not popping up as I run, or if there is a nagging there it tends to go away after a half mile.

Best of all, these shoes are great for lifting, especially on leg day. They really change the way I do things, particularly my leg press form (yes, there is a form to leg press). At first it was hard adjusting to the lack of padding, but balance, strength, and form gained was all worth it. I’m now doing much more weight in lunges and with better form. YEA for the $7 shoes from Walmart.

Time It Takes to Post

Perhaps I should put a little more effort into posting these blog posts. Perhaps that would be the case if I actually had a few followers.

Cliche Explanation of Inspiration

I suppose I’m far enough along in the entries of my blog that I am supposed to explain why I decided to make the switch from all of my other athletics to running. I suppose it seems a little cliché to write this (it does feel the most Doogie Howser of all my posts thus far), but for some reason I want to write it, perhaps so that I can re-inspire myself.

During the fall-winter of 2009 I put on weight, a lot more than my usual winter padding. Perhaps it was stress, perhaps it was because I quit rugby to focus more on grad school, perhaps it was because my son was on solid foods and I ate off his plate. Irregardless, I put on more than usual and was up to 265, and was severely lacking in the muscle mass department. So in February of 2010 I got back into the gym, and this time I spent more time running than on the free weights, I had decided that the higher priority was to lose weight first then worry about lifting cars off the ground. After getting up to 1.5 miles at a time I started developing serious shin splints. So I decided, “since I am serious about this losing weight thing, I ought to spend more than $30 on a pair of workout shoes.” So I went to my local shoe store (Bob Ronker’s Running Spot) and bought a nice pair of Nikes. There they assessed my old shoe and informed me that I was sub-pronating.

Being a fan of research (I know; I’m weird. Did I mention that I teach history?) I started looking into running form. I requested a running DVD from the library and accidentally got the book “Born to Run” by Chris McDougall. The day before I was about to return it, I caught an interview of McDougall on the Colbert Report (yes, I know it’s not actual news) and decided it might be worth a skim. Once I started the book, I found myself enthralled. Not only did I find the content interesting, but I found the style of writing to be gripping (which is actually most people’s complaint about the book, I loved how he practically wrote his passion into his work especially how passionately he researched the topics and included the “dry stuff” [again: I’m weird about research]) and despite his romanticizing of the Tarahumara people I loved this invigorated approach to his falling in love with a topic (I wish my students wrote with such enthusiasm). The book spoke to me, and it said “Go Run.” His passion sparked my passion, I hadn’t fallen for a non-fiction work since I was 19. I was outright into “running,” not necessarily barefoot (yet, that’s a lot of weight on your feet when you weigh as much as me), but I wanted to run, and I wanted to run an Ultra then and there. But knew that I would have to work up to it. I quickly lost 35 pounds. I was running 4 to 6 nights a week, increasing my distance each time. But I wasn’t exactly improving my form, just running harder, running the way I was taught during football. After creating a PR of 26min flat in a 5k (best in my weight class, by the way) I felt amazing, and was ready to sign up for 10k. Within a week, during a 4.5 mile run, I would start to feel the effects of PF. After that I started to take time off of running, and vowed that when I started again I would do it right. Over time I began to get the other message of the book: running form. Since then I’ve devoted a lot of time to working on form and even worked out a sechedule to start back up in a slow, gradual process (I think that my eagerness to rack on mile is what over did it). So, slowly but surely this heavy weight runner will run right.

Problem Solved

If you’ve been following along (I mean the one subscriber who probably isn’t even reading this) you may remember my problem with avoiding the free-weight region of the gym. And like a fly to water (or more like a junkie to smack) I found myself doing an intense shoulder workout, complete with grunts and weight belt. As punishment I found myself popping my AC joint in my right shoulder as pressed up a 95lb dumbbell. So, to solve my problem, I now cannot lift upper body even if I tried. As much as I appreciate the appropriate godsmack, it does make driving a stick shift rather difficult.

Let's Try Swimming

In attempts to boost my cardio without upping my distance (I’ll be honest with you, I still haven’t ran more than .75 miles consecutively, I’ve been breaking it up into ¼ mile stretches with long walking breaks in between), for fear of the accursed Plantar Fasciitis coming back, I’ve been trying to cross-train. Since I was sidelined last August with PF I’ve been apprehensive to do any considerable distance until it’s all but dissipated, which has left me rather limited. I’ve been spending time on elliptical machine, the stationary bike, and my old friend the Stairmaster in addition to the treadmill. Until I can overcome my unfounded fear of cycling classes (no really, I don’t know why they scare me, it makes no sense) I am stuck in a very limited routine, and will have to hold off on my goal of a triathlon. So this week I decided to use that warm indoor pool that is almost always empty at my gym. I thought to myself, “I used to love swimming as a kid, and I was really really good at it,” and I was. I would spend hours in the pool, and not just diving and playing, but doing laps. As a kid in Boston, my uncle would swim with me out to the buoys and back, then when we moved to KY I would swim across the nearby lake (until my Ma heard about another kid who had an unfortunate incident with a box turtle [I still maintain that the story was a fabricated attempt to keep me from getting filthy with lake water]). So there I was, ready to swim. I had allotted myself half and hour to do laps (I figured I’d start out small) before having to shower and get to work. Eleven minutes (and 3.5 laps) later, I was gasping for air, practically drowning from all the water I’d ingested, and about 2 BPM away from a coronary. Apparently during my swim-less adolescence I had forgotten how to swim (thanks Ma). After conferring with some of my friends they assured me that it’s okay. They told me that it’s normal to have to relearn how to swim, that my body just isn’t built the way it was back then, and that since I’m heavier (and not the buoyant weight of too much extra fat) my lower half is dragging more than it did years ago. I think that they are full of it. Olympic swimmers have nearly zero buoyant weight and proper form doesn’t change with size. Then after talking with some more “frank” people they told me that it is my fault (what I had thought all along). Turns out that I was turning my head the wrong way when free styling (they think it was a result of me somehow combining different forms together in attempts to remember how to swim). Since then I’ve tried to correct myself and made it to eleven laps. Turns out swimming is just plain exhaustive, it leaves me (almost) as much out breath as MMA, but with fewer opportunities to breath. I’m still a long way off from triathlon distances (which is moot because of the cycling), but at least now I have another means of working out. Slowly but surely (and maybe even surly) this Heavyweight will be a runner.

Winter vs Will Power

It is winter here in the greater Cincinnati area which means slush; snow, ice, wind, but mostly slush. This has forced me indoors for my training. Now, originally I’m from Boston, MA so the cold doesn’t bother me, and I often complain about my fellow Northern Kentuckians being unable to deal with inclement weather, but I find myself unable to run outdoors for three reasons:

One, you can’t go for more than a quarter-mile in Northern KY without running into a steep hill, and I want to run not play Slip-&-Slide.

Two, as high of a tolerance as I have for the bitter chill (I tend to sport shorts year-round, and before I got married the thermostat was set to 58° all winter) there’s one thing I cannot tolerate cold wet feet. I don’t mind wet feet, or cold feet, but I cannot stand cold wet feet.

Three, I was hopping to start experimenting with barefoot running; which further exacerbates reasons one and two.

So, winter, again places me in the gym. Which isn’t so much a complaint as a concern. You see; I feel very at home in the gym almost too at home. Back in college (pre-parenthood, pre-marriage, pre-career) I spent nearly as much time working out as I did anything else: studying, partying, hanging-out, etc. This was a time in my life when I was bench pressing twice my body weight, lifting the back end of my truck up off the ground, moving furniture for friends (that was somewhat of a crowd favorite). I wasn’t that big, but I was strong and I felt powerful, and it felt great. Since then, I’ve been back in the gym for brief 3-9 month surges of commitment before life pulls me back out. And during those stints of lifting, I fall in to that same passion of my college days; the power and joy of hoisting ridiculous amounts of weight in the air. However, now I’ve dedicated myself to the serious attempt of becoming a runner. Making weight-lifting a distraction to that goal. When you have precious little time to devote to fitness, it’s easy for a (ex-)weight lifter to spend all of that time working his different muscle groups. So after much self-bargaining I allow myself light lifts for my upper-body on running days, and once a week I do an intense leg lift that leaves me incapacitated for 2 days. But I still miss it; especially since all of the cardio equipment at my gym is located on a balcony that overlooks the weight equipment. So now I am forced to watch people lift weights while I run on a treadmill (my least favorite method of running). While I know that I made the right choice, I still have that desire to skip the run and get a great lift in (everyday). It’s like being married your wife taking you to the Victoria Secret Runway Show (not that I’ve experienced that, but I imagine the feeling is comparable). So I suppose a more apt title for this entry would be “Winter and Weight-Lifting vs Will Power.”

Running Class

I’ve come to agree with the statement that all athletics need coaching. For years I thought it was only for team sports (more so that everyone got along and did their job), but it’s become obvious that you need know someone who knows more about their niche than any human should. Not knowing any serious runners (besides one of my students, and he’d make it a point to embarrass me) I decided to seek one out. So a few weeks ago I signed up for a running class at the tri-state’s running shop/headquarters Bob Roncker’s Running Spot, mostly because it was free but also because I was actually free that morning.

The session was two parts: Technique, Drills, Exercises, and Stretches followed by them Filming us run (this part excited and scared me). Granted, none of the information or materials were new to me (I am a research fanatic) it was great to experience the lessons first person. Nothing replaces a actual teacher. Seeing the drills, doing them, then being told whether or not they were being done right is far and away better than trying to grasp them from a book or YouTube video. Later when we ran, there was a little warm up, but the instructor had/did something that I never would have considered. He had a little electronic metronome, and set it to 180bpm (an “ideal” pace for a short efficient stride). Once we got going it actually began to sink in, and the cadence felt natural (a little quick, but good). I did well on tape, but I think that was because I knew I was being watched (another reason why I should run with a partner, but that’s another story), and I wish I could maintain that on a longer distance.

Partly why this class was free was because it was being put on by New Balance and Merrell. They brought samples of their minimalist shoes for all of the class participants to try on, and even run around in. I wasn’t too big a fan of the NB Minimus Trails, the area between the arch and the “toe knuckles” was too tight, even when I went two sizes up (causing everything else to feel loose). I did however like the Merrell Trail Gloves, they fit perfectly snug with a wide-open toe box (freedom I’ve grown to love in my few laps barefoot on the football field) and there was just enough tightness around the arch to make it feel almost like support, without being intrusive (I especially like how when I stand still flat footed, I can feel the sag in the arch, telling me that the arch isn’t doing the work, it’s just helping the muscles in my feet do the work). Once I have to foot strength to run with zero padding (and the money to blow on even more shoes, unless Merrell is reading this and wants to send me some) the Merrells are the shoe for me.

Why Is a Heavy Guy Blogging About His Running

Clearly I am not a guru when it comes to running; my distances are short, my times are too long, and my form is sad. I often look like a three legged bear limping back to the car. Yet here I am, telling all of my followers (and those would be my wife and…oh wait, that’s it) about my running trials and tribulations. Well as I waded through the ocean of running blogs I found several I liked; articulate, helpful, inspiring, and so on (Runblogger is my current favorite). But I’ve yet to find any worth reading from about a heavy runner or any directed towards a heavy audience, so I decided to start my own. If people (big or small) find this and can get something out of it, then great. But even if my wife is my only subscriber (and I doubt she actually reads them) I will continue to web-log away. If for no other reason, it will serve as my own inspiration, my accountability to myself. But I can hope; maybe I’ll start a new trend turning uber-competitive stocky ex-ruggers/fighters/powerlifters into distance runners, maybe I’ll lead the way inspiring overweight people to not quit after the initial struggle, or maybe I’ll get all kinds of free stuff from running companies trying to tap into a new market (that would be great, for all you companies out there).