Heat Wave is Making Me Feel All Washed Up

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

Mount Washington...The Hardest Race EVER!

Everyone...words, pictures, videos do not describe how difficult Mount Washington can be.  This thing is absolutley killer!!!!!!  I never thought running up a mountain could be so difficult. I thought it would be very challenging but challenging is a true understatement.  This thing is known to take the best runners and turn them into crippling piles of mush.

I was able to place 31st in a time of 1 hour 14 minutes and 51 seconds not too bad for my first time but I am very hungry to imporve upon my performance now that I know what to expect.

The race started off hard as the mountain is just one large hill and it never provides any form of comfort even from the very first incline.  They say the average percent grade of the course is 12 % with the devastating hairpin section at 16-18% for a long mile and a half and then the short finish that tops out at 22% . I think that the course's lowest grade is 12% and the average is slightly above that.

For the first two miles  I was mixing it up with the men of the top 10 and the pace and the hills did not feel too bad.  It was until I reached mile 2.5 that my calves just tightened up on me and I felt my legs were planks. It was difficult to push off the road and then began my big slow-down phase.

I went from 7-8 minute pace all the way to probably 14 minute pace as people started passing me breaking my spirits.

I didn't run the tangents of the mountain because I had no idea how crucial this can be.

I felt my biggest race mistake was wearing not supportive enough flats and not hydrating enough which probably led to my tight calves.  At the 3 mile mark I wanted to walk down but I knew that I had to keep pushing for the sake of myself and everyone that was waiting for me at the top.  I just dug deep and pushed on the tips of my toes.  I latched on with Kim Dobson the winner of the women as she was the one I hung out with the day earlier as we rode a free trip up to the top to see the course.  She was flying and I just latched on with her all the way up to the end of the tree line at 4 miles.  The moment I hit the rocky section, I had gained 4 thousand feet in 4 miles which was what killed me in this race.  The humidity of the clouds within the trees that sapped my energy had waned and the sun began to shine illuminating the view of the mountain range underfoot.   I had never seen such a beautiful sight in my life.  At this point in the race Kim had separated herself from me and I just wanted to finish at this point.  I had a second wind and was able to surge my snail pace to 8min miles again as I caught many people that had passed me earlier.  Then the hairpin caught me and I kept my place.  After all was said and done I hit that last incline with people screaming in my face and I stopped, asked myself if my calves would hold out for one last push and went for it.  I ran 1 hour 14 minutes and 52 seconds and placed 31st as the only runner not from Colorado, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to place as high.  I felt I represented Oklahoma well and I look forward to running this race next year as I know how difficult it was and how to train and race for it.

Mount Washington Bound

Yesterday Ashlee and myself walked all over Manhattan probably trekking around 20 miles as we just decided walking was more efficient than the subway!  It was a great day where we had a characature of ourselves drawn and we saw sights such as Grand Central Station, Times Square, Central Park and many of the big tourists traps well actually all of them.  It was a long 12 hour day in NYC but it was so much fun and I loved NYU and Greenwich Village and really the whole city is pretty splendid.


Today I met up with Matt Boley and ran out in Princeton out to the Princeton XC course out at the Windsor Fields.  It was great to see him again after a long and busy year and to notice the fact that he has great running aspirations.  We went out on a 70 minute excursion and it was a great time.  For my last run in New Jersey before I am shipped off to New Hampshire, I really enjoyed it and I am hopeful that I can potentially win this thing. Or.... at least finish!

I have studied the race videos and thought about my form while out on my runs for weeks and weeks and I truly feel I am ready.  This race is just the beginning and I am looking forward to the official start of something MAGICAL!  May this hill not be my last!

NEW JERSEY OR BUST!

So as many of you know...I am in New Jersey spending the week seeing the sights such as the Jersey Shore, NYC and home with my lovely gf Ashlee Prewitt.  I have run twice out of the three days here since being home but the amount of walking and playing on the beach is enough to exhaust anyone.


Today is Monday and I ran up the "Hill of Death" as I call it, a very steep grade of a hill that takes you up along a mountain ridge by one of the largest active rock quarries around.  The run is great and I hit the hills like a champion.  After the nice 1 hour 25 minute run, Ashlee and myself set our sights on Princeton to walk around the University and to see the sights of the campus.  Let me tell you, the weather here in NJ is perfect with temps in the 70's and clouds that block away the sun.  Saturday night had some mist which felt nice as I ran and I am so excited for the rest of the week!

For those Oklahomans, hold tight to those water bottles or maybe just come out to New Jersey for a weekend and enjoy the great weather and wonderful trails the state has to offer.

NEW JERSEY-HOME OF THE FIST PUMP AND THE SITUATION

Ashlee and myself have made it back to Princeton, New Jersey.

Yesterday was a great day as we rested, ate great pizza and chinese food, watched the Hangover 2 and began to get settled.

To scope things out, I went off into the downtown of Princeton and crossed right through the University.

I ran for about 82 minutes and probably about 13-14-15 or so miles.  THe cool rain and temps here remind me of Oregon which is a great relief from all the heat in Oklahoma.

This Hot Weather Drains Me!

So, All this running at 8am in 80-90 degree heat already is exhausting.  I step out the door and I am already sweating in the first few minutes of the run, what a bummer!  Today I set out into Hall Park and it was interesting to see some Baptist kids chanting and waving at the oncoming cars.  As I ran by in a purple blaze (I had purple nike shorts on), the group of kids began to do a slow clap for me and a chant "Go,Go,GO,GO GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO!" It was a great little boost as I felt I was in the midst of some big road race.  I headed out then across Rock Creek and onto the farm road sections out towards Franklin Road.  My pace was not fast just nice and relaxed because the heat can really take it out of you ad I am working a 10 hour shift today so there is no need to exhaust myself completely.

I managed to run for 68 minutes which tallies up to about 10.7 miles or so which is not too bad for my week so far.  If I did not feel sick to my stomach I probably would have made it a longer run.

Heading back home to New Jersey is almost in reach as Saturday is the official day we set off!

OU GOlf Course and some Hills In Two Days

Yesterday On Tuesday I ran at the OU golf course around 7pm as the heat of the day began to dwindle.  The run felt great considering I had perfect access to fresh water along the course and my footing was nice soft grass.  It was still pretty hot out there but I managed to get in 73 minutes of activity which was great for the day.  The golf course is closed on tuesdays so I had the whole course to myself and let me tell you it felt great to have something like that all for me.  My body has been a little tired as of late but I feel that I am building up for Mount Washington this week where next week I can maintain my fitness and then be ready to rock and roll.  There really is nothing like running on a golf course. I think running and golf courses go together quite well.  Just think about it: a golf course has water coolers at every whole, the footing is soft but firm enough for a fast turn-over, there are hills and quick turns, many courses have shade and OU has plenty of it, and golf courses are just fun.  I think that running on a golf course should be something more courses allow runners to do because there is nothing like it.

Wednesday was my "Lets get some hills in day".  I ran on East Lindsey all the way onto 60th ave out towards highway 9.  Because of all the severe heat, I decided to run as soon as I woke up at 8:30am.  I should have hydrated better with more gatorade because I went through my water reserves too quickly as my last two miles I had to pull back the 6:20 minute pace to the high 7's.  As my body begins to adjust to the heat of the Oklahoma summer, I am optimistic that I will feel better on runs and also be able to recover properly in this type of weather.

I was able to run 1 hour and 33 minutes which takes my weekly mileage out around 45 for the week in 4 days so I am averaging 11.25 miles a day or so and with only running 38 minutes on Sunday, my week should have me out around a 12 mile average which is around 84 miles for the week.

I need A Powerade!

So I went running just around the OU campus where there would be water and shade. I headed out the door around 9am and let me tell you it was already going to be a stinking HOT day.  I think it had to be in the upper 80's already as the temperature is forecasted for 100 today. My body feels a little tight from all the hill running and strength I have been gaining but I think it is going to pay off in the end. It was so hot that a nice powerade would have done the trick but of course when I really wanted one, there was nothing in sight.  I ran for 65 minutes and 10 miles which is not too bad for a hot Monday but I am certain my week will progress with better mileage.

After the run since I have an off day from work, I decided to watch videos, work on house work, explore my future career in Park Management and even Golf Course Design. I have spent numerous hours today compiling information on how to find the nice blend of park and golf course into the same facility.  Why not make a golf course that is not only playable but can be used and distinguished for other uses such as running trails/snow-shoeing or camping or even bird-watching.  I think this is what my thesis at graduate school will focus on is the recreational benefits of multi-use park designs within park and golf course structures.  I think there is so much money that flows into golf courses and not so much with State parks that why not be the one to blend the two together seamlessly. Why not refurbish an old course and rename it The Slopes at  (Blank) or The Park at (Blank) or Windy Trails or some name that embellishes the idea of the re-design.  Golf architecture is a very interesting field to explore and though I may not know everything that goes into the play of the golf course, I am sure I can learn with some heavy reading of some books I have ordered via Amazon.

Though I have graduated from college, it does not mean that my academic career ends here. Before I embark on the road to graduate school, I want to sharpen my knowledge on aspects of recreation that interest me the most.  May this knowledge help build me into a great manager of the outdoors in whatever realm I land myself into!

Happy Running!

39 minutes is all it takes To get to Work in 97 degree heat?

Yesterday after working a very busy LGA Cosmopolitan Member/Guest tournament I decided to relax at home. The only crucial problem was that my phone decided to explode into the dark abyss.  I am pretty sure that thing had a major heart attack or something because it is as dead as a doornail!!!

Anyway, I decided to run to work after I was all done with work because 1. We have gatorade and buckets full of fresh water, towels, and other refreshing goodies 2. I have no way besides email to contact anyone so I thought I would run to inform my manager and 3. I have never made the venture out to work and if  I ever was left to run, I would know where I stood with how long it would take to get there.

The run lasted a blistering 80 minutes and it really was a blast!

Lake Thunderbird Trails!!!!!!!

I am off to Run the Lake Thunderbird Trails today as a preparation run for Mount Washington!

There is nothing like running the trails of Lake Thunderbird!  I set out on the easy blue trails and hit Tony's Revenge and out onto the Gold trails which happen to be the most difficult.  The run was fun as I whipped around the winding sand and hard dirt trails throughout the various wooded sections and beach sections.  The heat of the day had not hit just yet so the training benefit was going to be maximum gain.  I pushed through Huffy hill and ran it 5 times to help tax my body.  I love the serenity I can find out in those trails of Lake Thunderbird where I can disappear from reality for awhile then shoot out of the trees and be back into civilization again.  On the Gold trail section, I ran sections such as "Quadzilla" the "Rollercoaster", "Dragon's Den" and many others.  The run was soooo much fun and I think the 1 hour and 30 minute run really helped to build some endurance for heading into Mount Washington.

I found my Check Book!

So I began my morning worried about finding my checkbook because it is that time of month to pay the rent.  I searched the whole condo then decided to go run.  I headed out on Cedar Lane and then off into Noble!  The heat of the day was just starting to rev up and I could feel that nitty gritty fatigue you get in your legs when precious salts are being flushed out of your system.

I ran for a total of 78 minutes and 30 seconds and the run was a lot of fun!


I have been looking at the various road racing circuits across the country as well as parks and golf courses. Today my state of focus is West Virginia.  West Virginia is truly one of those few rare wild states in America.  It has the most forests of any state and protected land.  What does that mean? Potential sweet parks and great running trails that ride along the Appalachians.  If I want to get more mountain and trail running experience, West Virginia seems like a likely place to check out.  Plus, they have some sweet state run golf courses located in a state resorts ( a nice place to work indeed).  I am going to continue looking into what West Virginia has to offer and maybe it is a place that is not so Hill-Billy afterall, then again, I could be totally wrong on that one.

Humid Days!

Today's run was a nice long run with Scotty D as we met out by the Hiland Milk plant and ran out towards the grass track at the OU airport.  We ran a couple loops and boy was it a humid day! Our singlets were getting soaked and I was looking for a water break so we headed to the OU Law school and ended up with the much needed AC and water.

It is always fun to spend a run catching up on the times and looking out on the future.
I feel like I have spent the week just sweating it out with these hot temps but the best part about this whole venture is that Mount Washington is only 17 days away!

The run lasted for an astounding 1 hour and 33 minutes! That is good for about 15-16 miles!


Tuesday's run was a night run!  I had a day off from work and rested the majority of the day.  I ran as the sun was going down out on ALameda and then turned onto 36th.  I then hit Rock Creek and ran out by the Camp Rock Creek-Christian camp.  THe weather was very muggy---like New Jersey summer muggy.  I ran some nice hills and a famous oak tree that sits alone in a cow pasture right before a large incline.  When your legs get tired you have to just keep pushing.  But what is strange about that saying is that my legs never really became all that tired.  I have not been running hills as much as I would like to but I ran up and down the undulations like they were little speed humps.  I think this summer is going to be filled with fun races and great memories this blog is going to keep up to date.

And now that I finally have working internet, well I can write away!