Stair Climbing

CROSSING THE DIVIDE...FROM RACING IN DESERTS AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKING ON THE ITALIAN ALPS...

I am heading to the Canadian Rockies this weekend...I cannot wait!  For months now I have been
visualizing mountains while I train in 90 degree heat in stairwells, on bridges, and in the landfill.  Training in "Flat as ze Pancake" Florida for a mountain race is not easy. Done with that!  The imagination can only take one so far sometimes...I need reality and it is just around the corner...Sunshine, Moose Mountain...Here I come! 

In the meantime, one more stair workout. My coach has me doing a ton of stair work.  I have worked out on stairs before...but that was 5 years ago...and nothing like this.  Did I mention 5 years ago?  I am 5 years older and these stairs are killing me...but man, I must be getting tougher!  What a great workout!  I am usually spent when I finish a session.

I get up at 3am to beat the Florida heat.  I am out the door by 4:30am.  I have to get down 2 Double Expressos, eat some food and catch up on the news before I leave the house.  I do a 1/2 hour power walk now to really warm up my calves and get me pumped up.  I then hit my highrise!  Here is a view of North Miami.  This is what 5am looks like...although some people I know are getting home at this time!

Even though it is early...it is still very hot in this stairwell....88.5 F.  You sweat like a pig during this workout.  I have 27 flights to work with...with my CP on the top floor.  The top floor is locked and so I can't waste time by sticking my head out the door to get some air.  It is cooler outside right now than inside...about 75 F with a breeze!  My CP has a towel to wipe off sweat....Gatorade...food...a notepad and pen to record interval times...insulated bottles with ice inside.. and spare clothing to change into when I leave.

There are 433 stairs going down...and 433 stairs going up.  I do this over and over and over again.  I  have calculated that I usually do about a mile in distance going up and down the stairwell with each workout I do at this point.

My coach plans on introducing weights soon to my routine.  I already have ankle weights and I also own a training vest where I can gradually increase the weight I carry on my torso from 1 to 20lbs.  Wearing the vest will be a real treat in the stairwell which is already like a sauna.

I try and watch my knees during this workout.  This staircase only has turns to one side and I am always turning the same way.  I try not to torque around the corners to avoid excess stress on my outer ankle, calf, knee and hip.  (I have to tell you about my hips one day...not good news)

After the workout I like to stretch a bit and this seems to help reduce the soreness.  I also like to keep flexible.  I have also incorporated push ups into my cool down and calf raises.  So far...so good! 

What next?  I have my eye on the Everest of Florida...I'll keep you posted!  By the way...here is sunrise in North Miami...another day in paradise!  (The summer humidity is a killer though!)  Time to head to the mountains...did I mention I am going to be in the Canadian Rockies this weekend? 
Whoo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!

Tire Pull

CROSSING THE DIVIDE...FROM RACING IN DESERTS AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKING ON THE ITALIAN ALPS...

Well, I appear to have made it through my cycle of injuries and I am back at it in preparation for the
Tor des Geants!  This is Thanks to my Coach Cal and my MDS friend Eric who both provided valuable advice.  I am also trying something new based on a blog post of a running friend of mine, Marshall Ulrich.  I headed out for a long weekend in Ocala National Forest in Florida and brought a tire with me to drag around.  If Marshall says this is the best form of sport-specific cross-training a runner can do, then I am in.

I stay at a cute little cabin in the middle of the woods called Bear Hollow.  It is owned by friends who allow us to use it as a training base.  At 6am  I dragged my cooler out to the side of the sandy road and set up a CP with water, food and electrolytes.  There is a 2 mile loop that circles out and back to the cabin.  I planned to run one loop with the tire, one without, one with the tire, one without and so on and do so for 5 hours.  This would have me done by 11 before the Florida summer heat really kicks in.

I loved pulling the tire!  The resistance it provides really feels good.  It really works on your mid-section, not to mention your calves, quads and glutes!

 

Dragging the tire is helping me to simulate running hills, which is what I need to do for my upcoming Alpine race.  As you know, Florida is flat as ze pancake!

It was a fantastic workout, and I did the same thing the following day for less time.  I was particularly happy that my calves responded well.  I was going to ditch the tire if I felt even the slightest twinge.  So now I am hooked.  I will incorporate this into my training plan for the next 81 days 15 hours and 16 minutes before the race starts!

 

 Even though I have a CP every 2 miles...later in the day when it hits 85 F or 90 F I like to throw on my Diablo.  From Desert racing I have learned the dangers of dehydration and like to sip every 5 minutes to keep hydrated.  I have learned exactly how much water my body needs every hour through extreme trial and error!

An even closer goal to look forward to is my upcoming trip to Calgary, Canada.  I am heading to the Rocky Mountains in 10 days...I am so looking forward to it!  I am going to go play in Banff and Sunshine, and maybe fit in a trip to Kimberley for some climbing.  It is going to be fantastic training and it will be wonderful to hook up again with family and friends!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

CROSSING THE DIVIDE...FROM RACING IN DESERTS AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKING ON THE ITALIAN ALPS...

It is time to post an update on how things are going in preparation for the Tor des Geants race in Italy this September. www.tordesgeants.it   I am going to highlight The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. (One of my favorite movies by the way.)  Of course I am going to start off with The Good, because one must always remain positive!

THE GOOD

FEBRUARY 1ST...Registered at 6am for the Tor des Geants.  There were only 550 spots up for grabs.  I managed to secure a place before the race sold out in 27 minutes!!!  Am I thrilled!  In just its third year, the TDG was filled to capacity, with 550 people on the waiting list.

Time to get down to business...I have about 1/2 a year...just over 6 months...to train for one of the toughest races in the world.  This is a huge departure for me.  I specialize in desert racing.  I have to get my brain wrapped around the fact that I am heading to the Italian Alps to do a 200 mile mountain race in 150 hours or less.  Wow!

FEBRUARY 15TH...I am looking at gear and have become an Ambassador for Ultimate Direction.  I am wearing their hydration vests and packs!  Fabulous! www.ultimatedirection.com

FEBRUARY 28TH...I am going to need some help!  I contacted two girls in Canada both of whom have done this race before...Leslie Gerein and Nicki Rehn.  They have been absolutely wonderful in answering all of the questions I have about the event....Gear, Training, Course, Travel and on and on.  Thank you girls!!!!

Coach Cal is on board to help me for this race.  He is the best!  I know I am in good hands working with Cal.  In my opinion, he is the most knowledgeable coach in the country when it comes to endurance.  He knows his craft inside and out and I am absolutely confident with him.  www.criticalspeed.com

MARCH 1ST...Booked hotel in host town of Courmayeur, Italy.  I am in a great place just steps away from the start of the race!

APRIL 12TH...Had surgery to repair the damage to my nose that has impeded my breathing for decades.  I had my deviated septum repaired and had excess tissue removed from within that was preventing me from getting in air.  I am happy to report that the surgery has been a complete success!  It may seem funny to read this, but I can actually breath in and out through my nose.  Something that everyone else takes for granted is something that I can now appreciate!  Sometimes I catch myself breathing through my nose...and I still pause and marvel that I can do this.  It is the simple things in life that can bring the most pleasure!

MAY 14TH...Booked hotel in Florence for my holiday after the race!  I am within spitting distance of all the major sights in town!  If I can't walk I can always use a wheelchair...which I have had to do in the past after some races.


THE BAD

Okay, now for the bad.  How is this for starters.  I am now living in Florida at sea level.  I am training for a high altitude race!  This is going to be a tough challenge to overcome.

Second, there are no mountains here!  There are really no hills here either, unless you count bridges and landfills.  Yup, you guessed it.  I am training on bridges and in the local landfill!  I am also working in stairs up and down a beachside highrise.  Add weights, tire dragging and a few other inventive tricks and there you have it...TDG here I come! 

Third, I am heading into a new age group and I have noticed that I am starting to break down.  I am having problems with my hips (I'll tell you about that in another post)  and my calves. 

I have been blessed as a runner to date, in that I have never really had any problems with running.  I love running, and running loves me.  The only thing I have really had to deal with are sprained ankles.  That has been it.  Period.  Now I am getting muscle pulls on a regular basis.  I am worried that my body may be going through some structural changes right now, and I am going to have to learn how to work through it and overcome it.  Look at this timeline of problems so far.

BEGINNING OF JANUARY...Pulled a muscle in my Right Hamstring

BEGINNING OF APRIL...Pulled a muscle in my Right Calf

MIDDLE OF APRIL....Missed training due to Nose Surgery

BEGINNING OF MAY...Pulled a muscle in my Left Calf



THE UGLY....

My 6 months to train for the Tor Des Geants is now whittled down to three months of training.  I have been feeling lately that I can't put one foot in front of the other without getting injured.

END OF MAY....Pulled the muscle in my Right Calf again.

Honestly, I have not really done any real running for two months.  TWO MONTHS.  Unbelievable.
I have another week before my Right Calf is good to go again, and so I have had to content myself with doing a lot of cross training.  I am hoping to get out this upcoming weekend to see how it feels to run an hour.  I will go from there.


SO NOW WHAT?

I am going to go hard for the next three months.  I have a training camp coming up in Canada at the end of June, early July, and I am going to go play in the mountains in Alberta and B.C.  I plan on hanging out in Banff and Kimberley...what fun!

I am going to do the very best that I can.  What more can one do?  I have to learn how to deal with these little problems now as they arise.  It is not the end of the world.  I will go to Italy, I will do this race, and I will give it the best that I have. 

I am also starting to look at this race as a training run.  It is preparing me a for a huge desert venture that I have planned for next year.  So, I have a year to figure out these little structural issues, address them and work them out.  These are simply little speed bumps in the roadrace of life.  Training is a lifestyle, it is like breathing and eating.  It is part of who I am and what I need to function.  This will be overcome and I will continue to run for as long as I am having fun!

ULTIMATE DIRECTION

CROSSING THE DIVIDE...FROM RACING IN DESERTS AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKING ON THE ITALIAN ALPS...


I am really thrilled to be an Ambassador for Ultimate Direction!  I have been using the Ultimate Direction hand bottle for years now.  I used the hand bottle when no one even knew what they were.  I had so many people ask me about it over the years because I use it every single time I run...every race I go to...and every country that I visit.

Now I am testing out the other new products that they have on the market.  I am super excited about the DIABLO! The easiest way to explain this is that it is like a camel bac but better!  I first saw it on a runner in a recent marathon.  I ran with him for a bit and asked him about it.  He raved about it...and turns out he was an ultrarunner too...having done some of the Racing the Planet events.

It is a sport vest shoulder harness system with a 96 ounce water bladder.  The bladder is cool because you don't have to screw on a top over an opening, but rather it folds up and sticks to itself, and then you seal it.  It is very cool!  Fast...no fuss...no muss...and easy to stuff ice into if need be. ( I love ice)  The pack has lots of storage and pockets ( I love pockets)  AND... the harness carries a 20 ounce bottle under the pack.  This means I don't have to use a handheld...which is important if you are in a race that requires that you use poles.

I am also trying out the GRIND 16.  It is a 16 L pack which has loads of features!  It holds a 96 oz water reservoir and there are pockets on the waistbelt which I love!  This pack is designed so that it can be used for running or biking which is great!

And finally, I have the SOLITAIRE HHS.  It is a waistpack that holds a 26 ounce water bottle.  What is cool is that it has a very roomy storage pocket on top which can hold anything you like to keep close at hand. ( Food, thermolytes, blistex etc.)  And the waistband also features little pockets.  Love it!

So I am testing all of this out and I will let you know how it works out...but I am very excited to have it as part my running and biking gear collection.  If you would like to check out their great gear you can visit the website... www.ultimatedirection.com

Tornado Watch...Really?!

CROSSING THE DIVIDE...FROM RACING IN DESERTS AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKING ON THE ITALIAN ALPS...

My alarm went off at 3:45 this morning.  I lay around for a few minutes and I gradually realized that it was pouring outside.  Was today's workout going to be a total washout?  It would all depend on whether this was just rain...or if it was a massive storm.  I don't mind going out in rain...but I avoid lightning at all costs.  I had a 3 hour run planned, so I would have to plan ahead.

I got up...had my coffee, and then checked out the weather forecast on the internet.  I usually check out a couple of sights to see if they are both saying the same thing.  This morning there was a weather alert...passing storms and a Tornado Watch!  High winds, driving rain, and the possibility of funnel clouds.  Great.  It looked like this storm would end soon, and then I would have two hours before the next storm came by.  This would mean I would just be out in the rain for an hour.  If there was serious lightning I could always dodge for cover under any of the nearby condos I pass along the way back.

I headed outside just before 7am.  It looked nice out!  It usually takes me about 25 minutes to jog to the beach.  The sun was rising above the ocean and not a funnel cloud to be seen!  I headed south down the beach.  What a beautiful day!  Running in the sand is a great workout, but I always have the mountains in my mind.  I keep thinking about the irony of training at sea level for a race in the alps.  Crazy.

Speaking of crazy.  I pass through a nude beach on my way down south.  At this time of day there were only a few people out.  I try to keep my eyes glued to the ground in front of me...but you know how that goes.  I saw a guy walking straight toward me and he had a sweatshirt on over a T shirt to keep warm in the early morning hours.  But he wasn't wearing any pants...go figure that one out!  I don't understand the attraction of nude sunbathing...but each to their own I guess.

The only obstacle along this route is that I have to go over a "hill" to cross the inlet.  This cat seemed to like being on camera!

I continued on down a tree-lined path.  So far I had passed Sunny Isles beach, Haulover Beach and was heading toward Bal Harbor.  Who knew there were so many separate beaches...and all of them with names.  Before I moved here I was familiar with Fort Lauderdale Beach and that was about it.  But there are hundreds and hundreds of named beaches.  I have run along many of them.

After an hour-and-a-half it was time to turn around and head back North.  Again, what a beautiful sight...and no storm seemed at hand.  They were supposed to be rolling in from the West but I didn't see anything coming. 

I am trying out a new watch for my upcoming race.  The Tor des Geants (www.tordesgeants.it) requires you to have an altimeter on you.  I have always worn a Timex Ironman watch...so it seemed like a no-brainer to buy the Timex with the altimeter.  I really like this watch.  It is simple to use, easy to read, seems to be pretty accurate...and was fairly cheap!

I crossed over the last bridge before home and decided that I really had to try out this new sports bar that has opened up on the water.  What a great place to hang out!  The only problem is finding the time...maybe in late September?  No, I had to get out before that...come on...a person has to have some kind of life apart from training!

My poor nose ran the entire time....it is really annoying.  I can't just blow it because it is still so sore and I have stitches.  So I have to very gently wipe it with my sleeve.  It is a little niggly problem that begins to grow on you...and you have to call into play your mental toughness to just ignore the constant drip, drip, drip. And I still can't breathe through it.  The smallest things can begin to drive you nutty when you are running.  But it is always good to be tested I guess.

But...when you live in Miami...how can anything bother one for long...Life is a beach here!

Post Op Workout

CROSSING THE DIVIDE...FROM RACING IN DESERTS AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKING ON THE ITALIAN ALPS...


It is forecast to be a nasty weekend with Thunderstorms and possibility of Tornadoes!  Nice weather to be heading out in to begin training again after my surgery!  I am supposed to work in a two hour ride today and a 3 hour run tomorrow. 

I was up at 4 am and hoped to squeeze my ride in between passing bands of storms.  What I am still getting used to here in Miami is that it can look absolutely miserable out...yet still be in the high 70's to low 80's.  In Canada when the skies are a mean gray and the winds are howling the temps are usually low and it is freezing out!

I headed to the workout mecca of Miami...Key Biscayne.  Athletes of all kinds gravitate here for many reasons.  First and foremost, it has the only hill in the area...the William Powell Bridge!  Cyclists power up and down on this and runners come out to train here.  You have Ironman athletes, triathletes, cyclists, marathon runners, joggers ... you name it...all slogging up and down the bridge!

One storm had just ended so I arrived here and prepared to get in my ride before the next storm started.  My plan was to bike to the end of the key and take some side roads to put in my two hours.  This ride was mainly to loosen up my muscles and tendons for tomorrow's run.

I passed Jim who was dragging a sled behind him weighed down with a tire.  He had a cop following along behind him getting video of him dragging the tire on his cellphone.  Hopefully this is not against the law!

My route took me past the Miame Seaquarium, which is a huge tourist draw, but just beyond that is my favorite stopping point...This Banyan Tree.  This particular tree is my favorite tree in Miami.  It is just magnificent!

Look at the branches, the trunks, the roots.  This tree is positively alive with personality...it is straight out of Lord of the Rings.  I love the roots...they are huge and snake their way along the ground.  I stop here every time I ride to admire this tree.










This bike is set up to memorialize three cyclists who have lost their lives riding along this route.  It is just horrible.  Their have just been some nasty accidents along here, and I am alway aware of that as I ride.  I just can't believe that there are some cyclists who will speed along here with earphones in...it is just not safe.

At the end of the Key, you can look out over the water and see Stiltsville.  This is actually what it is called.  There are 7 buildings here that just hover above the water, supported by stilts.  It looks like a mirage, because they just seem to float out there on water!  It really is amazing.

Once I turned around and got back to the bridge, I pushed up hard and this is what you can see from the top.  There is the Rusty Pelican Restaurant where you can grab some good eats, or you can continue on down the bridge and head toward downtown Miami.  It really is a spectacular view of the city.

At the bottom of the bridge I paused for a bit to watch the windsurfers play...I have got to try this someday.  You can rent these here, or try kayaking, jet skiing... you name it, they have it.  I talked to the owner of the shop here, and I am going to come back and try out the paddleboards.  It looks like a great workout for the abs!

Everything seemed to feel just fine following my two hour ride.  My nose is still running like a sieve though, which is very annoying.  It just seems to continually drip...I wonder when this is going to stop?  Tomorrow I am going to go for a 3 hour run and see how the legs are doing.  The days just keep ticking away toward the Tour des Geants...no rest until the end of September!

More Oxygen Please!

CROSSING THE DIVIDE...FROM RACING IN DESERTS AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKING ON THE ITALIAN ALPS...


The surgery is over with and I am feeling well enough now to write about it!  I went into the hospital at 9am on Thursday morning.  I was ushered into the pre-op area and had to change into one of those hideous hospital gowns that opens in the back...Yuck!  I lay down and Dr. Morse came to visit me.  He is well aware of my running and we always chit chat about training.  He was wearing his new pair of black Asics which he was happy to show off to me...nice! He went over the procedure and put me at ease about the surgery.

Next came the nurse with the IV.  She was really great about it and although the needle does hurt a bit going in...it is never too bad.  I am actually used to this part, having had to receive numerous IV's in the past due to dehydration issues in some of my desert races.  At least you don't get a penalty for getting an IV for surgery!  In some races you get a time penalty if you request or need an IV.

Then they add some medication to the IV bag to help make you sleepy.  I wanted to be awake heading into the operating room because I wanted the staff in there to get my picture before I was knocked out.  No such luck though.  It was lights out before I knew it!  I had my camera resting on my stomach though, and they managed to take a few pictures for me!

The surgery only took about an hour and I was in recovery before I knew it.  It took a couple more hours to get released and I headed home.  I probably slept on and off for the better part of the next 48 hours.  I was really out of it and medication always hits me hard.

I was supposed to be training again by Monday, but no such luck.  I was just really in some discomfort with my nose.  I felt like I had a severe case of the flu after being punched in the face.  I was slightly dizzy, my ears felt plugged, my nose was constantly dripping, my lips were dry and cracked, my throat was sore from where the breathing tube was during surgery, and my eyes felt really sensitive to the light.  God, I make a really bad patient don't I?!

Anyway, I did manage to make it through the whole ordeal, and can't wait to reap the benefits!  I am going to be able to breathe through my nose!!!  What a concept!  I am going to need every advantage for this race coming up in Italy.  Now onto the next challenge...how to acclimate for the high altitude in Italy coming from sea level in Florida.  I am working on something now and I will let you know the outcome!