I was working in a settled area of Southern Maine today. I don't like to run on the roads (no big surprise to anyone who knows me or reads this Blog regularly) and I couldn't think of any good trails in the area. Then I remembered the Standish rail trail. It's not really my kind of trail, too wide and flat and easy. But it is made of dirt and is out of the traffic. I hadn't run there in over a year. Several years back, I used to do speed work there regularly.
I changed clothes in the parking lot and started down the rough dirt road that leads to the rail trail. This road is rolling hills for over a mile before getting onto the flat fast rail bed trail. When I rounded the corner onto the trail I was surprised to find it had been leveled and paved. I was also surprised to see how many people were out running, walking, and biking the path. This is very different than I remembered it, but perhaps not in a bad way. When it was rough and washed out and remote feeling, I never saw many people using it. Strangely, the people I did see on the trail back then were kind of scary looking and acted like they were out there doing something they shouldn't be. Today, the people I saw were exercising and enjoying the fresh air. I also noticed today, that the name of the path has been changed to the "Sebago to the Sea Trail." I like the sound of it.
Out to the Windham parking area and back is about nine and a half miles. I decided I would go all the way to the Windham lot, but walk the last mile back to the car for eight and a half miles. I am trying to be very disciplined about following my training plan. I want to build up gradually and get faster and stronger without getting injured. In other words, I want to be smart about it. I hear you asking, "what's the big deal about an extra mile and a half?" and the answer is that I know myself, one day it's an unplanned extra mile or two and the next day it's an extra thirty followed by an unplanned week off. Give me an inch and I'll take a mile...or thirty. It's easy for me to run really long and really slow. I'm tired of being slow!
It was nice to check my watch at the mile marks and see I was right around eight minute pace. I don't see that on technical single track. It also felt good to stretch out my stride and get up on the balls of my feet. I am naturally a toe runner, but technical trails slow me down enough that I start rolling off my heel more. My lower back was spasming from the hard surface by the turn around point, but not unbearably. I need to build up my tolerance for pavement running anyway, because in the winter I am often forced out onto the roads.
I am not normally a proponent of pavement, but I have to say that this path has evolved into something very nice. I saw several elderly people at the Windham end, a few in wheelchairs and one with a rolling walker. They wouldn't have been able to use the trail a few years ago. I also saw many middle aged couples walking or jogging together, two men commuting home from work by bike, a group of power-walking women wearing business clothes, moms with strollers, and lots of dog walkers. I love the remote wooded dirt trails of Southern Maine, but they aren't appealing to everyone. My mother, who taught me every cliche I know, always said, "each to their own." It sure would be boring if we all had the same interests and preferences. Apparently, a paved bike path is what the Standish/Windham area needed.
This back country runner of the woods has to admit, I really enjoyed my paved bike path run today!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Loving the Long Run
I love a nice long run... when I'm feeling good that is. I set out for my long run yesterday and within the first mile I knew it wasn't going to be fun. I kept running anyway, hoping I would start feeling better, but my legs were dragging and my mind wasn't in it at all. I had a whole body fatigue that was making every step a struggle. I decided to call it quits at five miles. I told myself I would try again the next day, which was scheduled to be my weekly day off from running. I felt pretty crappy and unproductive the rest of the day. I pushed the fluids, took my vitamin C, ate a hearty dinner, and went to bed early.
This morning I woke up rearing to go! At the last minute, as I was running down the driveway, I decided to leave the Garmen behind in the mailbox. I find it an annoying distraction. I can't help but keep checking it to see my pace and how far I've run. It's a lot more fun for me to just daydream on the run and check the pace after I'm done. I know the trail mile landmarks well enough from past Garmen-assisted excursions to have a pretty accurate idea of distance.
During the run, the temperature rose into the low sixties and the sun made an unexpected appearance. The trails were clean and fast from my raking last week. I never heard or saw another person for the entire run. It was a perfect, effortless, joyous run in the woods. I'm glad I didn't force my way through it yesterday, hating every minute of it.
My new Montrail Mountain Masochists were waiting for me on the front porch when I got home! Yay! The ones I was wearing are on their last legs and I threw my extra pair in the trash last week. I love the less-is-more feel of these shoes, but they don't stand up to the abuse I put them through for very long. That's OK, the important thing is that they fit well and feel flexible and light on my feet. What's more, the woman's model comes in a wonderful baby blue that turns to a very nice brownish-gray after only a few short runs
!
!Monday, October 25, 2010
Training Overview
I've been back to a regular running routine for about five weeks now. Looking back, I first got out of that routine last Fall after running too many ultras in too short a time for me. I regained ground over the winter and then fractured a vertebra in my neck in a mountain bike accident in April. After the bike accident I never really found my groove again, mentally or physically. What finally worked for me was to just start getting out there and running regularly, whether I wanted to or not. After a mere two weeks it had become a habit again and I hated to think of missing a day.
In addition to six days of running, I have been doing three mountain bike rides of 1-3 hours and two weight training sessions each week. The weight training is tolerable. The mountain biking is an absolute joy. I love sharing this passion with Kevin. I can't describe how much fun we have riding the trails! My mouth hurts after we ride because I smile the entire time I am on the mountain bike.
Yes, my muscles feel it too. I use my core strength, my arms and shoulders, and all of my leg muscles. Kevin voiced surprise that I tired out before he did while riding at Bradbury yesterday, since "you can run a hundred miles." The truth is that on the mountain bike I have to work to get over those rocks and logs and big roots, while Kevin has enough skill to just roll or hop over very effortlessly. This gives my quads, glutes, and hamstrings a tough workout when we ride on rougher trails like they have at Bradbury. This hard work seems very complimentary to my running fitness. The mountain biking has also vastly improved my balance and coordination and my ability to read a trail and pick a good line. Those last items are very helpful with my trail running. I haven't been falling while trail running anywhere near as often as I used to!
In addition to six days of running, I have been doing three mountain bike rides of 1-3 hours and two weight training sessions each week. The weight training is tolerable. The mountain biking is an absolute joy. I love sharing this passion with Kevin. I can't describe how much fun we have riding the trails! My mouth hurts after we ride because I smile the entire time I am on the mountain bike.
Yes, my muscles feel it too. I use my core strength, my arms and shoulders, and all of my leg muscles. Kevin voiced surprise that I tired out before he did while riding at Bradbury yesterday, since "you can run a hundred miles." The truth is that on the mountain bike I have to work to get over those rocks and logs and big roots, while Kevin has enough skill to just roll or hop over very effortlessly. This gives my quads, glutes, and hamstrings a tough workout when we ride on rougher trails like they have at Bradbury. This hard work seems very complimentary to my running fitness. The mountain biking has also vastly improved my balance and coordination and my ability to read a trail and pick a good line. Those last items are very helpful with my trail running. I haven't been falling while trail running anywhere near as often as I used to!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Runnin' and Ridin' on Saturday
Saturday, I chased Kevin around the Ossipee River Trails for my morning run. I was just goofing around, having fun. I was taking pictures and directing Kevin, "ride over that ramp and I'll get a picture," and "ride down that hill and I'll take a video," and "I missed it, go back and do it again." He was a patient photo subject. I put in about 5 miles and never even noticed it.
Back home, we relaxed on the front porch for a while, wondering what was going on at the church, (it involved a lot of dressed up people and a farm tractor). Then we wondered what the heck was up with all the bubbles floating way up in the sky over the river. Kevin even got on his bike to chase down the origin of the bubbles. We never figured out the answer to either of those things. That's what we do when we relax on the porch, watch life go on around us and speculate. It's fun.
Next we both hopped on our bikes and went back down to the Ossipee River Trails. We rode for a few hours and enjoyed another great Fall day on the trails.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Chance Meeting on the Trail
Tuesday is now my cross train day and I have been getting out on the mountain bike on that day each week. This week while I was out riding, I unexpectedly met up with an old training partner running the single track Kevin and I built for mountain biking down near the Ossipee River. This runner, R, briefly took a break from road racing many years ago and raced mountain bikes for a while. A crash and serious injury during a race sent her back to running road races. We stopped face to face on the trail and she grabbed my handlebars and said sternly, "Be careful on that thing!" She went on to say that she recognized that these trails "had mountain biker written all over them." I admitted that Kevin and I had something to do with them. We made some small talk and then headed off in opposite directions.
It made me smile to meet up with this old friend on the trail. For the rest of my ride, I reminisced about the tough training we used to do together. R was faster than me at the races. I would always enthusiastically try to beat her and she would stubbornly hold me off each time we raced together. But in our workouts, she pushed me and encouraged me. We did workouts I would never even attempt these days... ladders, mile repeats, quarters, 800's, tempo runs on the track, all at a pace I couldn't even get close to now and with very short rest intervals. I was often light headed and nauseous near the end of those workouts. I vividly recall having tunnel vision during the last few quarter mile repeats on several occasions. I have never experienced that in a race or at any other time in my life. R was one tough ass runner and somehow she was able to bring out a toughness in me that I wouldn't have ever known was there.
When we finished on the track we would head down into the woods onto the snow mobile trails and fisherman's paths near the river for our cool down. We did this so no one would drive by and see how beat up we were from our workout. This was rough running with some bushwhacking involved. It gave us a good excuse to go really slow. These rough trails and informal paths are the same trails that are now the awesome Ossipee River Trails! As I rode it suddenly occurred to me that R is the one who showed me this beautiful area in the first place, so many years ago! Later, I showed Kevin, the trail building fanatic, and the result is this wonderful network of trails used by so many people in the community. Nice!
Near the end of my ride I came face to face with R again. She told me she hadn't been in these woods for many years. She was very impressed with the quality of the single track and wanted me to make sure I thanked Kevin for her. As she sprinted off down the trail she let out a big "Whooooo-hooooooo! This is awesome!!!" It made my day.
It made me smile to meet up with this old friend on the trail. For the rest of my ride, I reminisced about the tough training we used to do together. R was faster than me at the races. I would always enthusiastically try to beat her and she would stubbornly hold me off each time we raced together. But in our workouts, she pushed me and encouraged me. We did workouts I would never even attempt these days... ladders, mile repeats, quarters, 800's, tempo runs on the track, all at a pace I couldn't even get close to now and with very short rest intervals. I was often light headed and nauseous near the end of those workouts. I vividly recall having tunnel vision during the last few quarter mile repeats on several occasions. I have never experienced that in a race or at any other time in my life. R was one tough ass runner and somehow she was able to bring out a toughness in me that I wouldn't have ever known was there.
When we finished on the track we would head down into the woods onto the snow mobile trails and fisherman's paths near the river for our cool down. We did this so no one would drive by and see how beat up we were from our workout. This was rough running with some bushwhacking involved. It gave us a good excuse to go really slow. These rough trails and informal paths are the same trails that are now the awesome Ossipee River Trails! As I rode it suddenly occurred to me that R is the one who showed me this beautiful area in the first place, so many years ago! Later, I showed Kevin, the trail building fanatic, and the result is this wonderful network of trails used by so many people in the community. Nice!
Near the end of my ride I came face to face with R again. She told me she hadn't been in these woods for many years. She was very impressed with the quality of the single track and wanted me to make sure I thanked Kevin for her. As she sprinted off down the trail she let out a big "Whooooo-hooooooo! This is awesome!!!" It made my day.
Monday, October 18, 2010
It Happens
I came down with a bit of a cold over the weekend. I don't mind the congestion or scratchy throat so much, but I hate the sluggishness and nausea that is part of this particular cold. Today I was scheduled for a 14 mile run. I didn't feel up to it, but I forced myself out of the door and onto the trail anyway. Once I started running I felt pretty good. What a beautiful sunny Fall morning it was!
I ran on the nice Ossipee River single track and through the fairgrounds onto snow mobile trails. Then I crossed the South Hiram Road and entered the Durgintown woods. It was here that I just missed stepping into a pile of human poop and toilet paper. Why would someone do that right in the middle of the trail?
The Durgintown woods are very pretty. The footing was rough today because so many fallen leaves are on the ground hiding the rocks and roots. There is quite a bit of climbing and descending, but it is all very runnable. I continued on to the apple orchard then turned around and went back the same way. Suddenly I was back at the poop pile. I couldn't just leave it there. What if someone stepped in it, or worse, rode their bike through it? I'm a seasoned nurse. I handle disgusting bodily substances on a regular basis. I decided I was up to the task. I took two big sticks and did what had to be done. Remember I mentioned the nausea that seems to be a part of this cold I have? Well, as soon as I finished the task I bent over and dry heaved for about 5 minutes. So much for the seasoned nurse thing.
In closing...
Common Trail Etiquette
1. Carrying poop out in a bag is optimal (but not always practical.)
2. Burial is the next best thing.
3. Hole should be only 6-8 inches deep for the best composting.
4. Always go 200 feet from water, trail, or campsite.
5. Use leaves or pine cones to wipe. If you must use T.P. you should bag it and carry it out.
I ran on the nice Ossipee River single track and through the fairgrounds onto snow mobile trails. Then I crossed the South Hiram Road and entered the Durgintown woods. It was here that I just missed stepping into a pile of human poop and toilet paper. Why would someone do that right in the middle of the trail?
The Durgintown woods are very pretty. The footing was rough today because so many fallen leaves are on the ground hiding the rocks and roots. There is quite a bit of climbing and descending, but it is all very runnable. I continued on to the apple orchard then turned around and went back the same way. Suddenly I was back at the poop pile. I couldn't just leave it there. What if someone stepped in it, or worse, rode their bike through it? I'm a seasoned nurse. I handle disgusting bodily substances on a regular basis. I decided I was up to the task. I took two big sticks and did what had to be done. Remember I mentioned the nausea that seems to be a part of this cold I have? Well, as soon as I finished the task I bent over and dry heaved for about 5 minutes. So much for the seasoned nurse thing.
In closing...
Common Trail Etiquette
1. Carrying poop out in a bag is optimal (but not always practical.)
2. Burial is the next best thing.
3. Hole should be only 6-8 inches deep for the best composting.
4. Always go 200 feet from water, trail, or campsite.
5. Use leaves or pine cones to wipe. If you must use T.P. you should bag it and carry it out.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Running Gear
I get a kick out of reading about all the gear we runners buy. First we need expensive footwear to run "barefoot". Then expensive compression garments to help our muscles take all that barefoot running. Of course there is fashion to consider as well...skirts, wraps, buffs, fancy gaitors, sunglasses, flashy knee socks, etc. (I might buy a skirt myself after all that chafing at Vermont.) And let's not forget the gadgets. We need our GPS units to measure our runs to the exact milimeter (I have one myself) and special software to record and analyze our training. I could write a whole post dedicated to packs. I have way too many of them and none of them are right for me.
I guess all I really need is a pair of shoes that work for my running form. (I did the whole barefoot thing back in 1979 and ruptured a muscle in my foot. I'm not jumping on the bandwagon this time around.) I don't even need running clothes. I have been known to run after work in my dress clothes because I have forgotten my running clothes. (Hey, I might be the one who invented the running skirt!) Sometimes it's a little awkward feeling and it always draws a lot of looks, but I've put in many miles that way.
A few days ago I looked through my cold weather running clothes and realized that most of my tights are over ten years old and are coming apart at the seams. My long sleeved tops all have a permanent odor. I can't find any gloves (I tend to take them off when I get warm and tuck them under a rock to pick up later, then forget to pick them up.) I do have one hat that is fit to run in still. I think I am the only woman in the world who hates to shop, but it might be time to do some online shopping. Then again, I don't have an office job anymore and I have all those nice skirts and dress pants that are just hanging in the closet begging to be run in.
I guess all I really need is a pair of shoes that work for my running form. (I did the whole barefoot thing back in 1979 and ruptured a muscle in my foot. I'm not jumping on the bandwagon this time around.) I don't even need running clothes. I have been known to run after work in my dress clothes because I have forgotten my running clothes. (Hey, I might be the one who invented the running skirt!) Sometimes it's a little awkward feeling and it always draws a lot of looks, but I've put in many miles that way.
A few days ago I looked through my cold weather running clothes and realized that most of my tights are over ten years old and are coming apart at the seams. My long sleeved tops all have a permanent odor. I can't find any gloves (I tend to take them off when I get warm and tuck them under a rock to pick up later, then forget to pick them up.) I do have one hat that is fit to run in still. I think I am the only woman in the world who hates to shop, but it might be time to do some online shopping. Then again, I don't have an office job anymore and I have all those nice skirts and dress pants that are just hanging in the closet begging to be run in.
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