I got up this morning, and headed off to Aikido class. Today’s workout lasted a little over an hour and was a little more strenuous than normal, or at least seemed that way. When I got home, I changed clothes, and jumped on the treadmill. Following a 1/2 mile brisk walk to warm up, I raised the speed to about 5 mph, and ran for 7 miles. Then I walked another 1/2 mile to cool down. Then I changed clothes again. I dragged my bike out, and rode 5.3 miles to the Burger King that my wife works at. I was riding into a head wind the whole way. I had lunch of a Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich value meal with a medium diet coke. Okay, I probably didn’t need the fries, but figuring all the calories I burned today, I think I can handle them. When it came time to ride home, the wind had shifted. Now instead of riding with a tail wind, I had the wind coming from the side. By the time I got near home, the wind had shifted a partial head wind. You can’t win! The last part of the ride was a ride up the hill. A nice little climb of about 400 feet. I am tired! I am going to go soak in the bath tub. Then I need to run off (actually drive) to the store to get stuff for dinner.
To the Edge: A Man, Death Valley, and the Mystery of Endurance by Kirk Johnson
SUMMARY: A very interesting book. Well written account, fun to read.
I read Dean Karnazes book (Ultramarathon Man), and I wanted to read other books about endurance running, and ultramarathons. One thing that I have found is that there aren’t very many autobiographical books from ultrarunners. But searching through Amazon, I found this book. The author was working a sports writer when he interviewed Lisa Smith, an ultrarunner. He was surprised to find the woman who had run the Badwater Ultramarathon was a normal person. If you are not familiar with the Badwater Ultramarathon, it is one of the most extreme ultramarathons in existance, if not the most extreme. The race is from the lowest point in Death Valley to the trailhead on Mt Whitney 135 miles away. It takes place in June or July, with the temperatures over 120 degrees.
After running a short ultramarathon, he talks his way into admitance to running in the Badwater. He says he only plans to run what he can, so that he can write about it. But soon his plans changes, and he decides to finish it. I have seen video of this specific race in the movie Running On The Sun. He does manage to finish the race. If you are interested in the Badwater Ultramarathon, or ultramarathons in general, I think you will enjoy this book.
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The running shoes I am using now are Nike Monarch II’s that I bought $50 at Dick’s Sporting Good. They are size 11s. I normally wear size 10.5 or 11s. But I have been getting a blisters on the sides of my big toes. I have also read that feet swell after running long distances. So I am thinking that I might want to get a pair size 11.5’s. I can go back to Dick’s and buy another pair of Nike Monarch II’s, or there are many walking/running stores in the area. There is one named Fleet Feet, that I saw a ton of shirts for at the Rochester Marathon. Supposedly they will put you on a treadmill, analyze your running, and also look at your feet, and tell you what kind of shoes are best for you. But my guess is the shoes will be more expensive. I don’t think I need a pair of $200 top of the line shoes. But if I get a pair of running shoes matched to my feet would I be more comfortable? I am not planning of winning any marathons, just finishing. And after I complete my goal of running a full marathon, I may just hang up my running shoes. Or maybe I will start training for an ultramarathon. I started traing for a marathon on whim while I was on the treadmill training to climb Mt. Rainier next year (something I have wanted to do for a long time). So, I don’t know. Maybe I will go to Fleet Feet, and see what they have to offer. If they point me to the $200 running shoes, I guess I can just leave, and buy another pair of $50 Nike’s.
The Extra Mile-One Woman’s Personal Journey To Ultrarunning Greatness by Pam Reed
SUMMARY: Overall I enjoyed the book, but it was a little slow in some spots, and she spent a little too much time on non-running topics.
After reading Dean Karnazes book (Ultramarathon Man), I was looking for other similar books to read. The was the first one I found and bought. Unfortunately it didn’t grab me as much as Dean’s book did. She talks a lot about her problems with anorexia. But the parts of the book describing her racing are very interesting. Especially her races in the Badwater Ultramarathon which she won her first two tries. If you are interested in reading an autobiography related to running, or especially ultrarunning, you will probably enjoy this book. From what I have found, there seem to be a very small number of running related autobiographies.
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I got a Snickers Marathon Energy Bar in the goody bag I got before the Rochester Marathon. I love Snickers Bars. They are my favorite candy bar. I don’t eat a lot of candy, but when I buy a candy bar, it is usually a Snickers Bar. I considered bring the Snickers Marathon Energy Bar with me when I ran the half marathon, but decided against it. Since I have never eaten one, I didn’t want to eat my first during a race. I brought some regular fun-size Snickers Bars long for the race instead.
Well I wanted to try the Snickers Marathon Energy Bar to see what it was like, so I ate it before my 7 mile training run today. It was horrible! Yuck! I am glad I didn’t bring it with me for the race. Thankfully it didn’t upset my stomach or anything. But I was sloshing water and diet pepsi around my mouth trying to get rid of the taste. I think I will stick with regular Snickers Bars thanks! At least I know that I don’t like them!