86 minute run in the heat of the hills out on 36th NE street. All I have to say is I wished I ran earlier than 9am. It was blistering hot and if Camp Rock Creek was not there, I would have been struggling to make it back. It is so hard to run fast in 100 degree heat like what we have in Oklahoma! I felt like I was running up Mount Washington again but in much warmer and sunnier conditions. My legs were sapped of all the energy I had at the beginning of the run and I paid for it by runs end.
Now that I have finished Mount Washington. I have my eyes set on a different race in Hawaii, The Xterra World Trail Championships where top 3 gets you prize money from 750 dollars to 2000 dollars! That is more than enough to pay for the whole trip! I think this would be a great experience to run with the best again and run through the sets of Jurassic Park and 50 First Dates to name a few. The race is in the beginning of December and I think I am going to look into it!
I have spent my day off looking at everything the Xterra World Trail Championships have to offer and I think this would be an amazing chance to run against Max King my idol and to win some prize money. There is only one 15 percent grade in the race which I have seen much worse at Mount Washington. The heat of the race would play into my favor and the fact that the course allows for faster sections will help play into my advantage of my quick foot-speed. I would love to test myself and shoot for the prize money since 2,000/1,000 or 750 dollars does not sound so bad at all! We shall see!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Trails never Fail!
Ashlee went into work later so I waited around until she left around 10am. It was then my time to prepare for a hot run. This has been my first Oklahoma summer and I can already see why people say it can be so stinky around here. Yes it can be really hot but if you run early enough in the day and avoid 90-100 degree temperatures, the running is not so bad. Remember, running in 80 degrees in Norman actually feels really nice because with the strong breezes and the dry conditions the run feels effortless.
Today though, I caught myself in 90 degree temperatures from the get go. I headed to Sutton Wilderness and made sure I was hydrated throughout. Each lap through the trails I would grab some water at the local water fountain then continue my next lap. 3.5 laps and then it was time to head back. Whizzing through the trails is always fun and getting some clay dirt on my Pumas is also a blast because it shows I am a rugged trail/mountain runner. I was able to run 6:30's in this heat with the slightest of ease and that is a great accomplishment. I am acclimating to the heat nicely and now my training is coming together. I am due for a new pair of training shoes and I am thinking that a pair of some nike lunar shoes might be on the agenda to try out. One of the best things about having a running store as your sponsor is that I can head to the store and can get instant feed-back about new shoes that will specifically work for my feet. They have a new treadmill that analyzes your foot-strike on the footpad of the treadmill and it can tell you your maximum foot pressure-the higher the more force you are getting back from eat foot-strike and whether your foot is controlled from pronation. So I think A Lunar Elite is in store for me next. I better order the thing before all of them are gone since RunningWarehouse has a sale! Off I go!
72 minutes---12 miles
Today though, I caught myself in 90 degree temperatures from the get go. I headed to Sutton Wilderness and made sure I was hydrated throughout. Each lap through the trails I would grab some water at the local water fountain then continue my next lap. 3.5 laps and then it was time to head back. Whizzing through the trails is always fun and getting some clay dirt on my Pumas is also a blast because it shows I am a rugged trail/mountain runner. I was able to run 6:30's in this heat with the slightest of ease and that is a great accomplishment. I am acclimating to the heat nicely and now my training is coming together. I am due for a new pair of training shoes and I am thinking that a pair of some nike lunar shoes might be on the agenda to try out. One of the best things about having a running store as your sponsor is that I can head to the store and can get instant feed-back about new shoes that will specifically work for my feet. They have a new treadmill that analyzes your foot-strike on the footpad of the treadmill and it can tell you your maximum foot pressure-the higher the more force you are getting back from eat foot-strike and whether your foot is controlled from pronation. So I think A Lunar Elite is in store for me next. I better order the thing before all of them are gone since RunningWarehouse has a sale! Off I go!
72 minutes---12 miles
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
On the Roads--Rabid Dog and Baby Armadillo and Rain!
Monday,I ran in the evening and did the Summit Lakes long loop. The day was feeling cooler and I was able to run at a decent clip though the effort was very relaxed. The run was pretty simple and I felt great. 60 minutes on the roads and I was happy with another run in the books.
Today I headed out towards the hills of Noble and caught a battle with the same rabid pittbull/bulldog mix that took a bite out of my leg almost a year and a half ago. I was just running down 48th street minding my own business as from the distance I see the dog blitzing across the farm's property like a blitzkrieg. I knew it would be only mere seconds before I met the dog face to face. I prepared myself as the dog bounded my way. I kept running and as the dog neared my back-side I yelled at the dog and kicked its nose. I found that last time the nose method was successful in stopping the dog's aggression. This time one kick sealed the deal as the rabid dog fled.
OH MY GOD...it was a baby ARMADILLO!!!!!!!!!! My first real sighting of a real up close and personal armadillo. Let me be the one to tell you that armadillos are so cute. The thing slinked across the road and I thought to myself how cool could that be to see my first armadillo. The rain had subsided as I began my run though it helped to mask the 100 degree heat we have had the last week. Running in the 70's proved ideal.
Anyway, quite a bit of excitement for a few hours!
I was able to track 83 minutes and 14 miles of work!
Today I headed out towards the hills of Noble and caught a battle with the same rabid pittbull/bulldog mix that took a bite out of my leg almost a year and a half ago. I was just running down 48th street minding my own business as from the distance I see the dog blitzing across the farm's property like a blitzkrieg. I knew it would be only mere seconds before I met the dog face to face. I prepared myself as the dog bounded my way. I kept running and as the dog neared my back-side I yelled at the dog and kicked its nose. I found that last time the nose method was successful in stopping the dog's aggression. This time one kick sealed the deal as the rabid dog fled.
OH MY GOD...it was a baby ARMADILLO!!!!!!!!!! My first real sighting of a real up close and personal armadillo. Let me be the one to tell you that armadillos are so cute. The thing slinked across the road and I thought to myself how cool could that be to see my first armadillo. The rain had subsided as I began my run though it helped to mask the 100 degree heat we have had the last week. Running in the 70's proved ideal.
Anyway, quite a bit of excitement for a few hours!
I was able to track 83 minutes and 14 miles of work!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Run To the Trails Golf course=NO WATER!
Last Night I thought I would run across town to the Trails Golf Club. The heat of the day was beginning to subside as I trotted from 12th to Far western Norman. By the time I had made it to the Trails golf club, I was thirsty and I was almost at my time to turn around. And so my midnight preview of the course and the search for water began. I rummaged the course looking for an available water cooler because golf courses usually have that kind of stuff and I was shocked to see that the water coolers were missing from their stands. So, the Trails takes there water coolers in at night GREAT, I though to myself. Now I was 45 minutes into the run and I needed water because of this Oklahoma heat. Angry at the Trails club, I ran back towards the OU campus knowing I was reaching my limitations. I pushed and pushed until I made it back to the apartment in I hour and 27 minutes. The moment I reached the door I felt dizzy and light-headed. Water has never tasted so good before that moment. I was exhausted and I spent the rest of my few hours awake hydrating and suffering from stomach cramps.
Lesson: Never run to the Trails Golf Club at night because they have no water.
Well, Lesson learned!
Lesson: Never run to the Trails Golf Club at night because they have no water.
Well, Lesson learned!
Friday, June 24, 2011
OU XC trails=Looking for shade--Didn't Find it!
There are some very hot temperatures here in Norman, Oklahoma this week where the highs hover around 100 or so. With my work schedule having me work mostly evenings, I have to run in the morning but even trying to beat the heat at that point in the morning can be difficult around here. I thought that shade would help me out so I planned a route out to the OU XC course hidden away off of Highway 9.
I laced up the shoes and headed out around 8:30am after chugging water and the ceremonial poptart I was out the door. The heat was not all that bad to begin with but once I neared the trailhead into the course, I started feeling it. The heat of 86-90 at 8 in the morning can be very daunting for running effectively. I pushed up the little inclines of the course and trotted up and down the barren clay surface. After 2 loops of each a mile a piece or so, I was in desperate need of water. I made the effort to push 2 more loops as the sweat was glistening on my body and the heat of the sun began to bake me like some fresh oatmeal cookies.
After the two loops, I was 47 minutes into the run so I headed for a water spicket at this huge church on the other side of Highway 9 maybe about half a mile from the trailhead. I crawled to the spicket and began to pour the cold water all over my head and body.
At this point I just wanted to finish the run and finish I did in 79 minutes and about 12 miles of effort. The heat really makes training difficult as I am highly considering somewhere that is much cooler than here to live at in the near future.
It is times like this I wish I lived in the mountains!
I laced up the shoes and headed out around 8:30am after chugging water and the ceremonial poptart I was out the door. The heat was not all that bad to begin with but once I neared the trailhead into the course, I started feeling it. The heat of 86-90 at 8 in the morning can be very daunting for running effectively. I pushed up the little inclines of the course and trotted up and down the barren clay surface. After 2 loops of each a mile a piece or so, I was in desperate need of water. I made the effort to push 2 more loops as the sweat was glistening on my body and the heat of the sun began to bake me like some fresh oatmeal cookies.
After the two loops, I was 47 minutes into the run so I headed for a water spicket at this huge church on the other side of Highway 9 maybe about half a mile from the trailhead. I crawled to the spicket and began to pour the cold water all over my head and body.
At this point I just wanted to finish the run and finish I did in 79 minutes and about 12 miles of effort. The heat really makes training difficult as I am highly considering somewhere that is much cooler than here to live at in the near future.
It is times like this I wish I lived in the mountains!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Roasting on the hills
Today I went out to run by the hills of Norman and by 9am the heat was already brutal. Coming from running in New Hampshire, Oklahoma does not seem like such a nice place for the morning training run. I feel like I almost have to run at 6 or 7 to stand the chance of getting some quality efforts in before the heat just melts me. I ran out on Robinson and by 45 minutes, I was in high demand for some water. I ended my run short of 75 minutes and finished at 67 minutes so that I could refuel. I ran 10.5 miles today and let me tell you the way my legs felt in terms of fatigue was the exact same outcome as the Mount Washington Road Race. I am about to email and link up with Parks departments at accredited Universities so I can forward the Graduate school process and I am also looking into brand sponsorship with my running. Now that I am on the scene for distance running and mountain running, I am looking forward to proving my worth and hopefully gaining some deals.
I am currently looking into brands such as
Gore Running
Craft
Karhu
Inov8
Montrail
and a few others
I hope as I begin to race more and more my level of exposure will give me something special. But for now, being a part of the OK runner squad is fine with me!
I am currently looking into brands such as
Gore Running
Craft
Karhu
Inov8
Montrail
and a few others
I hope as I begin to race more and more my level of exposure will give me something special. But for now, being a part of the OK runner squad is fine with me!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Running with Scott
I ran with Scott yesterday and it was a good time. We jogged around OU and then hit the track for 2 miles of 200m repeats. We hit around 31-33 a repeat in my heavy Puma trainers so I would say I am in decent speed shape. Though the day after my arms are a little sore. I am going to go run soon before the heat of the day gets me. Overall, I ran about 1 hour and 40 minutes of total time out and about 14.5 miles.
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