Thank You!

I wanted to post a quick "thank you" to everyone who has commented on TheTrailJogger.com, Twitter, Facebook, and DailyMile over the last year.

I created this blog to generate some accountability as I pursue my Three In Three Challenge goals. I was hoping that I would get a few readers that would help keep me honest and motivated along the way. With your support I have:

• Remained a non-smoker
• Lost over 30 pounds
• Increased my long runs from 0 miles to 20 miles

For running, see my year end report on DailyMile.

But I've received much more than that. The best part of the last year has been meeting (virtually) many wonderful and inspirational people from all over the world. I specifically appreciate those that have left comments and provided advice. I've listened to each and every one of them. Some suggestions I've adopted with great success.

L-Five Trail Run Report (11 Miles)

My long run was once again FANTASTIC!

I had no issues, with the exception of a stubbed toe about a quarter mile from the end of my run. Dough! I continue to practice ChiRunning with great success. I think I am finally ready to start increasing my training volume.

One of many beautiful spots along the Northshore Trail.

New Trail at Northshore

During my run today I noticed that DORBA is in the process of cutting a new portion of the trail. Heading north from the MADD shelter, it is located just at the top of the hill by the wood fence (I think some call this emu hill), about a half mile in from the MADD shelter. This is the current end of the one way trail where you can either keep running on a two way, or turn left, go down the hill, and head back to the MADD shelter.

The new portion runs off to the right, just under where I wrote "HERE!"
Click on the picture for a larger version.

Scott Jurek and ChiRunning

I came across this video showing good trail running form. His recommendations align with some of the key forms I have been practicing from ChiRunning, specifically keeping the spine tall, maintaining a neutral pelvis, and falling forward from the heels.

Thoughts?

L-Five Trail Run Report (8 Miles)

My long run yesterday was FANTASTIC!

I continue to practice ChiRunning with great success. I believe my new running technique will allow me to run injury-free. As a result, I am confident I will achieve my ultramarathon goal.

The Bamboo Forest on the Northshore Trail.

Week 22: My Fault

I have not excuses for my 1.1 pound weight gain last week. The gain is 100% my fault. I ate more than I burned. I could blame it on the break I took from running--less exercise so fewer calories burned. But the numbers don't lie--I gained because I ate more calories than I burned. Period.

So once again I find myself in a position where I need to get refocused. I've proven once again that I need to continue to count my calories and make sure I am eating less than I am burning, so I can continue to lose weight and eventually achieve my weight loss goal.

However, I've decided to take the next couple of weeks off from my diet so that I can throughly enjoy the holiday break. I will resume my diet in January.

No worries. I will get there.

Incredible Video

This has nothing to do with trail running, but it's worth seven minutes of your time...



What did you think?

Footprints In The Sand

I practiced ChiRunning technique on my last two runs, about four miles on Wednesday and about three miles yesterday. On these runs I headed for the "hilly" part of the Northshore Trail, northwest of MADD on Wednesday and south of Far Gate on Thursday. I was concerned that the inclines would bother my calf muscles like so many times in the past. But I had no problems on these two runs. None. My legs felt pain free for the first time in months! Actually, I've had no problems since I started practicing the ChiRunning technique!

I did an out and back on my run yesterday. During the return portion of my run I came across a short section of sand that I had run through on the out portion. As I approached the sand, I remembered a section in the ChiRunning book about running in sand. Basically, Danny Dreyer uses your footprints in the sand to teach you a light midfoot strike. You shouldn't see any small craters at the heel or at the toe (if you do, you are either heel striking or pushing off with your toe, both no-no's). As I approached the sand I stopped to examine my footprints. They looked like this...

My footprints in the sand.

Peaceful

Today I resumed my training and went to the Northshore Trail to practice my ChiRunning technique. My run was amazing. No pain. No calf muscle issues. No stiffness of any kind. This run gave me the confidence to believe that I can learn how to run injury-free. But that wasn't the best part.

My training plan called for a three mile run. However, when I returned to the Jeep I just couldn't bring myself to stop. So I ran another two miles. In hindsight, I'm really glad I did.

During the last two miles everything seemed to click. I felt like I was floating along the trail, my body fully in sync, working the way it was designed to work. It was beautiful. It was effortless. It was the first time that running truly felt... peaceful.

I've never felt so absolutely relaxed during or immediately following a run. I hope I can duplicate the same experience tomorrow.

Week 21: Still Losing Weight

I was pleased when I stepped on the scale this morning. I lost another 1.6 lbs. I was a little concerned this week because of my break from running. But I stuck with the plan, practiced portion control, and had another successful week.

I am still following the concepts I learned from Weight Watchers, except I am tracking my points on my own now instead of relying on the Weight Watchers website. For those of you looking for a weight loss program, I can say with confidence that the Weight Watchers program works, at least it has worked for me.

Onward!

Drinking The ChiRunning Kool-Aid

I have been plagued with calf muscle injuries. If I am going to achieve my ultramarathon goal, I realize that something needs to change, and I'm working on it. 

Danny Dreyer
ChiRunning Founder

I took a week off of running to heal from my latest calf muscle strain. During that time I researched running techniques and decided to try the ChiRunning method. The author promises an effortless, injury-free running experience. Sounds good to me. So I read the ChiRunning book front to back. 

After reading the book, on Thursday I went for a short half-mile practice run on the treadmill. I also video taped myself running so that I could analyze my form. The video taping was a good idea. I was able to quickly spot a few flaws in my form, including running with my head too far forward. Otherwise, I found the ChiRunning technique fairly simple to emulate.

26 Reasons to Run 26 Miles

Love it!

Running Injury-Free

I have added a new goal to my ultramarathon quest--to learn how to run injury-free!

I have been taking a break from running to heal from my most recent calf muscle injury (specifically, the top of my Achilles tendon). I don't particularly like sitting on the sidelines waiting for my body to heal. But I have used the time to research injury recovery and prevention.

Through my research I've identified a few areas that might be root causes of my calf muscle injuries.

Week 20: Weight Loss Celebration!

Every ten pounds I reward myself with a celebration day. During my celebration day all bets are off--I get to eat whatever I want. I usually reserve this day for eating the JUNK that I've refrained from in the previous weeks. Yesterday was my celebration day. I hit 30 pounds!

For my celebration day I indulged in chocolate chip cookie dough, sour cream and onion chips, and McDonald's french fries. And I loved every bit of it! I will say all three left a rather nasty aftertaste, but I enjoyed them as they went down.

Now, as of this morning, I am back to focusing on my weight loss goal.

Some Time Off

My calf muscle continues to bother me. Yesterday I decided to go for a small test run on the trail. About a mile into the run my calf muscle started to hurt. So I abandoned the trail and walked back to the Jeep on a flat paved path. I was also really tired during the run, a symptom of overtraining.

Rest and Recovery

I think my weekend 20-miler took more out of me than I originally though. I felt pretty good until my run on Tuesday. Then, my calf muscle started bothering me again. So I decided to back off the running until I recover.

Yesterday I went for a mountain bike ride. I know from past experience that mountain biking doesn't bother my calf muscles. I planned to ride again today, but I am tired. I've been working some strange hours on a project overseas, so that might be a factor. But more likely I am still recovering from my run and need more rest.

Sore Knees and Ankles

Update: I've solved my injury problems--see ChiRunning technique. 

I was able to get out for a trail run today, first since my 20-miler over the weekend. Yesterday my knees and ankles were sore--not injury sore, but just generally sore. I could feel it mostly when walking up or down stairs. My arms on the inside of my elbows (not sure what that part is called--you know, where the doctor takes blood) were also sore. I suspect these are areas I need to target for strength training. However, once I started running, the soreness went away.

Week 19: Not Happy with Weight Watchers

I wasn't very happy when I logged into Weight Watchers this morning. My displeasure didn't have anything to do with my weight--I lost weight again last week. Instead, my displeasure was with a significant change they made. They changed how Points are calculated.

L-Five Trail Run Report (20 Miles)

I had the pleasure today of trail running with Steve Barlow and Kay Scott, both fellow members of the North Texas Trail Runners. I ran with them about a month ago and enjoyed the company both times.

For most of the run I just tucked in behind them and tried to stay up. They spent most of the run today talking about their Ironman training. I have a lot of respect for people that train for multiple disciplines. I am just trying to get good at one!

Steve and Kay ahead of me on a sandy part of the Northshore Trail.

My run was excellent, the longest since I started my Three In Three Challenge, and a big mental and confidence booster for my next milestone race.

Too Damn Cold

I was planning to run the Fat Ass Turkey Trot with the North Texas Trail Runners this morning. We were scheduled to leave the MADD Shelter at the Northshore Trail around 7 am. However, when I awoke this morning it was cold... really cold. I know 28 degrees might not seem cold to some, but it's TOO DAMN COLD  for me! I decided to make a nice hot cup of coffee and play on my computer instead.

Early afternoon the temperature warmed to the mid 50's. Much better! So off I went to the trail. I decided to run from Far Gate so I could continue practicing for my next milestone race on the rougher terrain. I ran about two and a half miles in, turned around and ran back out to Far Gate.

Somewhere along the Northshore Trail.

I pushed my pace a little today, and I can feel it in my calf muscle. Must keep reminding myself that slow running is far better than no running!

Will probably rest tomorrow and then go for a nice long and slow run on Sunday.

Music To My Ears

My daughter asked me a question this morning that just about stopped my heart...

She asked if she could go trail running with me!!!

How exciting is that. My eight year old daughter wants to go trail running with her dad. Her request was like music to my ears! I suggested that we go for a trail WALK for starters. She has a tendency to get injured rather easily. She can get hurt just watching an episode of SpongeBob! She agreed and off we went!

We loaded up the Doodles and off we went to the Northshore Trail. We picked Far Gate because it has less traffic than the other parts of the trails, which works out better when I have the Doodles with me.

My daughter and the Doodles walking the Northshore Trail.

My Running Buddy

Today I started Week 2 of my half-marathon training program. Since my mileage is back down to shorter runs during the week and the weather has been so cool, I decided to add some company to my run--my Labradoodle, Tucker!

Tucker absolutely loves the trail. However, he has a tough time getting there. He gets so excited on the 2 mile drive from my house to the Far Gate trail head at Northshore Trail that he almost has a heart attack. He just can't help himself!

Week 18: I'm A Loser... Again!

I was pretty frustrated when I weighted in last week. But not this week. I am happy to report that I am a loser... again!

During Weeks 16 and 17 I really lost focus. I stopped keeping track of what I was eating and didn't really pay much attention to the quality of the food, either. As a result, I gained weight.

Last week I hit the bit reset button and started following the Weight Watchers program once again. And, the strangest thing happened. I lost weight! I lost 3.3 lbs total, which is more than I wanted to lose, but I am happy with making up a little ground.

When I updated my numbers on Weight Watchers this morning the system yelled at me...

"You lost weight! Keep making sure you’re losing weight the healthy way – sticking to the Good Health Guidelines, using up your daily POINTS Target, and focusing on nutritious Filling Foods."

I liked that message much better than the... "oops, you screwed up" type message I saw over the previous two weeks!

I know I just need to stay focused and follow the program. If I do, eventually I will achieve my weight loss goal.

L-Five Trail Run Report (13.1 Miles)

Today was my first long run since completing my 15K milestone race. I followed a taper for a couple of weeks preceding the race, and to be perfectly honest, I HATED the taper. I felt so restricted. But I knew it was necessary in order to allow my body to recover and build energy for the race.

Now that my first milestone race is out of the way, I've started training for my next milestone trail race. My training plan for today called for a six miles run. But to be honest, once I started running, I didn't want to stop.

Somewhere along the Northshore Trail.

Strength Training for Endurance (W2D1)

Per my training plan, yesterday I started (resumed) strength training for endurance. I am following a 12 week beginner strength and conditioning program intended to work the lower body, core, and upper body. I started the program during my last training round but stopped after the first three weeks.

The focus yesterday was on the lower body and included exercises such as the dumbell squat, bench step ups, and dumbell dead lift. I increased the weight used on each exercise from the last time I did this circuit. The goal is to increase the weight each lap so that you find the point of exhaustion, where you can't complete the full number of reps. In theory, if you exhaust the muscles in this way, they build back stronger.

After the lower body exercises the focus shifted to some upper body and finished with some core work including glute bridges, superman, and some ab crunches.

I will say the workout was good. And as I write this the next morning, I am a little sore. But I know the soreness is a good thing. It means that I stressed my body and that it will repair itself stronger than it was.

I need to stay with it.

My Half-Marathon Training Program

I recently completed my first milestone race, the Rockledge Rumble 15K. I felt I was 100% prepared for the event and completed the distance with ease. After some reflection, I updated my milestone trail races to reduce the amount of time to train for and complete my ultramarathon goal.

My next milestone race, the Cross Timbers Half-Marathon, is scheduled for February 19th, 2011. The Cross Timbers trail is known as the "toughest little trail in Texas" primarily due to its sometimes unrunnable hills and technical areas (rocks, tree roots, etc.). Over the last couple of days I have done a lot of research and thinking about the approach I want to take for this portion of my training. I decided that my training program should meet the following requirements:

1. Incorporate strength training.
2. Incorporate hill work.
3. Longest run to exceed half-marathon distance. 

Hal Higdon

For my 15K race I followed Hal Hidgon's Half Marathon Training Program. I felt the program worked well for me. The program helped me increase my mileage gradually and incorporated enough rest days to allow for proper recovery. So I've decided to once again follow one of Hal's training programs, this time the Novice 1 Marathon Training Program. However, I've made some changes to the program in order to accommodate my specific training needs and requirements:

Week 17: Not Surprised

I weighted in again this morning and didn't like what I saw. I wrote last week that I was surprised that I didn't gain more weight after all the left over chocolate I ate. But this week I will have to admit that I am not surprised that I gained weight again. I gained TWO WHOLE POUNDS. Ouch!

I was still tapering for my first milestone race and carbo-loading the last few days before the race. But bottom line, I wasn't tracking what I was eating, so I ate more calories than I burned. And the end result of that... I gained weight, again.

So, now that I've completed my first milestone race, it's time to get focused again. I need to hit the big reset button and get back to the disciplines that allowed me to lose my first 25 pounds. I know that the Weight Watchers approach works, as long as I actually follow it! And following it simply means tracking what I eat and stopping each day when I get to my allotted points. It's that simple. If I continue to follow the program, I will achieve my weight loss goal.

As I said last week, and as I will actually do this week... Reset, refocus, resume.

Updated Milestone Trail Races

I have posted an updated version of my milestone races.

In my first post I identified three goals that I plan to achieve over three years (my Three In Three Challenge). The third goal is to complete an ultramarathon. In July 2010, I broke down my ultramarathon goal into a series of milestones races, including a 15K in 2010, a 30K in 2011, and a 50K in 2012. I have now completed my first milestone race, the Rockledge Rumble 15K. The race was a BLAST!

As I write this post the day after running my first milestone race, I am realizing that my fitness level has improved at a much faster pace than I had anticipated. As a result, I think I can cut almost a year out of the process and shoot for the Rockledge Rumble 50K at the end of 2011.

With that in mind, I have decided on the following milestone trail races and distance goals for 2011.

1. Feb 2011--Cross Timbers Half Marathon (13.1 miles)
2. May 2011--The Ranch 30K (18.6 miles)
3. Aug 2011--Full Marathon (26.2 miles, location TBD)
4. Nov 2011--Rockledge Rumble 50K (31 miles)
   (my ultramarathon goal race!)

Now that I have my milestones set, I need to shift focus to developing training plans for each of the races. The combination of training plans will become my 2011 Annual Training Plan.

I need to ensure that the plan is well balanced, helps me build the mileage and endurance needed to comfortably complete each race, and allows for proper rest and recovery between each race.

If you have suggestions, please leave me a comment!

2010 Rockledge Rumble 15K Race Report

I have posted an updated list of my milestones races.

I am pleased to announce that I completed my first milestone race, the Rockledge Rumble 15K. Before I get into the race report I wanted to thank Tom Krull (the race director) for organizing such a well run event, and also all the volunteers that made it possible. Even more so, I want to thank America's Veterans, for which this event honors.

Here's a video from rockcrawler23 that shows the 15K race. After watching, scroll down for my race report.



I'm not really sure how to write a race report, so I will just ramble on for a bit about my experience today.

I'm Ready To Rumble

My first milestone race--the Rockledge Rumble--is just two days away. I went for my last tapering run yesterday and I felt great. No calf muscle problems. My legs felt strong and rested. My lungs are good. And my brain is very excited about participating in the first race since I started my Three In Three Challenge. I have successfully completed my training and I feel like I am ready.

On The Trail Again

On the trail again - just can't wait to get on the trail again.

Not exactly what Willie Nelson had in mind, but I was singing this modified version of his classic as I jogged the trail today. It was the first time back on the trail since I injured my calf muscle about a week ago. I was going to run yesterday but my calf was still a little sore. So I opted for another day of rest.

I took the pace nice and easy today. I ran a portion of the trail that has very few inclines or declines and slowed my pace further for the few that I did encounter. I went a little over 3 miles and my legs felt fine. An hour or two after I finished I could feel a little pressure in my calf muscle, but no pain. I am going to rest again tomorrow and then go for another slow and easy jog on Wednesday.

Week 16: Surprised!

This morning I feel like I got away with something. Over the last week I sorta let things go. I stopped running (because of my injury), I drank a few more beers than normal (instead of red wine), and I ate a TON of chocolate (left over from Halloween). I also stopped tracking my points with Weight Watchers. So I expected to see a big gain on the scale this week. However, when it was all said and done, I only gained a half a pound! I'll take it!

I will say I had a really fun eating week last week, and I know its much more fun eating that way. However, I also know that I will never get to my goal weight if I continue. So, I am refocusing on the Weight Watchers process and will begin tracking (and staying within) my daily points.

Reset. Refocus. Resume.

What do you do to stay on track with your goals?

Jogging The Dog(s)

I started jogging again today. My calf muscle was feeling OK this morning. No pain, but very stiff. So I decided to stay off the trails and just go for a run with the dogs around the neighborhood.

I started with Tucker, our Labradoodle, and ran the first lap. Tucker is the dog that I've taken on the trail recently. He tends to want to go a little faster than Mazie, our Goldendoodle. I probably should have started in the other order so I could get my slower jog in with Mazie and then pick up the pace a little with Tucker. But it worked out OK.

Not Ready

My calf muscle was feeling OK this morning so I decided to give it a test on the treadmill. I was only able to go about a mile at a very slow pace before it started hurting again. I'm clearly not ready to hit the trails yet.

I will give it a couple more days of the RICE treatment and then try the treadmill test again. If I can run a few miles without any issues on Saturday, I'll try a trail run on Sunday. Otherwise, I'll keep on resting it. Need to get it healed for my upcoming milestone race.

In hindsight, I think I know the root cause of my injury this time... going too fast. I was feeling great when I started my run on Tuesday, and as a result, I pushed my pace. I think my head and my heart are further along in my training than my body! So I will slow my pace back to what I know my body can handle and focus on gradually increasing my distance.

The speed will come later.

Have you experienced set backs in your training? If so, how did you deal with them?

Using RICE To Treat Injury

I injured my calf muscle yesterday during my run. Fortunately, I have enough experience with calf injuries to know exactly what to do about it. I also know what to do to avoid them, but for some reason, I don't pay any attention to that side of it. But that's for another post.

Anyway, I use RICE to treat my calf injuries. What is RICE you might ask? Well...

Week 15: A Small Loss

I only lost about a half a pound last week, but I'll take it. I was trying to transition off the Weight Watchers program. So I was eating most of the week based on how I felt, vs tracking the actual amounts. I am still happy with the 0.6 lbs loss.

This week I will resume tracking.

L-Five Trail Run Report (14.25 Miles)

My trail run today was my longest to date, just over 14 miles. Also, I had the distinct pleasure of running with a few other people from the North Texas Trail Runners club: Steve Barlow, Jay Teinert, and Kay Scott. I met a few other runners at the MADD shelter but didn't capture their names.

I am two weeks away from my first milestone race, the Rockledge Rumble 15K trail run. My run today was 4 miles further than the 15K distance, so I am more than ready and I am confident I will complete the race strong.

Somewhere along the Northshore Trail.

Almost Tapering

I had a good run today, a little over 7 miles. I wanted to see the starting line for my upcoming milestone race, the Rockledge Rumble 15K. So I asked my wife to drop me off at Rockledge Park, the furthest south east point of the Northshore Trail, and I started my run from there. I'm not really sure how they plan to route runners from the starting line to the trail, but I'll figure that out on race day.

I ran the trail until my wife was finished her errands. Then she met me at a road near the trail to give me a ride back home. If I didn't have to get back to work, I probably would have kept running. I'm at a point now where my available time, not my legs or my lungs, is becoming the limiting factor in my distance. I am pretty excited about that. The transformation is actually happening!

Map from dailymile.com

Bend Impossible

"Now bid me run, and I will strive with things impossible."

Running With Your Dog

I wanted to change it up a little bit for my trail run today, so I run with my dog, Tucker. We only went 2 miles as our test run. He did awesome! He stayed close the entire run and was very responsive. I will definately take him out on future runs.

Tucker, running on the Northshore Trail

Seven is Heaven

I absolutely loved my run today. I took a rest day on Monday and had to travel for business yesterday, so today was my first opportunity to run the trail this week. Of course, I headed out to the Northshore Trail.

I ended up running just over seven miles and it was almost heavenly! The temperature was in the mid-60's, there were very few people on the trail, my legs and lungs felt great, and my pace is still improving. And the best of all... STILL no injuries!!!

Week 14: A Weight Loss Milestone

I've now passed the half-way mark on my weight loss goal. Yes, I've lost a total of 26.6 lbs and have another 23 lbs to go. YA BABY!

I am definitely getting the hang of this weight loss thing. I seem to be getting a feel for how much to eat each day and I continue to make good decisions about what I put into my body. I am focused on fueling my body for endurance and I try to make every eating and drinking decision with that in mind.

I am also become more comfortable with eating at restaurants. I've become better at estimating the points in certain foods and only eat the quantity that I should, instead of finishing the entire plate of food.

Where do we go from here? I will just keep doing what I am doing. I've been told that the lbs become harder to burn as you get closer to your ideal weight. I'm not worried about it though... I will just remain focused. The pounds will come off, slowly and surely.

L-Five Trail Run Report (13.7 Miles)

I have now exceeded the half-marathon distance. I am going to have to rethink my milestone race plan because my distance is increasing at a faster rate than expected. Maybe I will shoot for the marathon distance for my winter race.

For now, here's my L-Five report for this week.

The "Concrete Bridge" on the Northshore Trail

Back At It

After taking a couple of days off to recover from my spider bite, I am back running on the trails. I really missed it!

Yesterday I ran about 6 miles, and I did about the same distance today. I did both days at a faster pace than previously, around 12 mpm or so, and both without injuries. I really think I've reached a turning point in my trailing. Hopefully now I can increase my mileage and remain injury free.

Here's a few pics from my run today on the Northshore Trail:

Bite Me!

Not the actual spider!

I was planning to rest yesterday but went running instead. During my run I was bit on the head by what I assume was a spider. It felt like someone drove a nail in the top of my head. I didn't actually see the little critter, but it hurt like a mother!

I finished my run and then headed back home. My head hurt a little last night, but I wasn't experiencing any other symptoms, so I just ignored it.

This morning when I awoke the left side of my neck is swollen, I have a headache, and I'm achy all over. I feel like I have the flu. I think I'll head to the doctor to get checked out.

By the way, I ran 7 miles yesterday on tired legs from my Sunday run. I'm definitely improving.

Week 13: Still On Track With Weight Loss

I lost weight again this week, only 0.2 lbs, but I'll take it. I was concerned about gaining because of eating out at restaurants during my business trip last week. But I guess I was able to balance it out with the adjustments I made the rest of the week.

I find that I am not using the Weight Watchers tracking as much as I did at the start, probably because I am developing a feel for the proper amount of food to eat and roughly keeping track of the points in my head. But I need to be careful to keep my eating under control. I am still making good decisions about the quality of the food I am eating and intend to continue.

I am on the boarder of losing 50% of my goal weight, or 25 lbs. When I think back over the first 25 lbs, they came off pretty easily. I am expecting the next 25 lbs to be a little more difficult to shed. But I will remain focused and achieve my goal.

L-Five Trail Run Report (12.5 Miles)

Something has definitely changed. My long run today was almost effortless. If I didn't have somewhere else to be (Cowboys game), I probably would have kept running!

I will expand on these below, but for now I will say that my legs were strong, my lungs did not bother me, I know I am in better shape than previously, and losing weight makes running easier. I've also found a running stride that feels natural and allows me to run injury free. So, all combined together, I ran further and faster than previously, and loved every minute of it!

Running through the bamboo forest along the Northshore Trail.

Trail Running Fitness Test (10:39)

About six weeks ago I tried to develop a way to measure my fitness level. I settled on a trail running fitness test that was intended to measure my fitness level by limiting my speed on a trail run based on a heart rate ceiling. However, after thinking about it quite a bit, the setup is quite complicated, and the variables that can affect the test are endless. I think a better measure is just to see how fast I can run a measured course. I expect as my fitness improves, so will my times.

So I carved out a new part of the Northshore Trail for my new trail running fitness test, from Murrell Park to the concrete bridge and back. The distance is about 2.4 miles.

Chicago Run

I am in Chicago on business and was able to get out for a run after work and before dinner tonight. I left from my hotel beside the Merchandise Mart and headed east along the river until I arrived at Lake Michigan. I ran around the area a little bit before heading to the north side of the channel and into the Navy Pier. Than I headed north for a while and zigzagged my way through town and back to my hotel.

Week 12: I'm Still A Loser

I weighted in this morning and was pleased with the result. I lost another 2.2 pounds, a little more than intended, but I won't argue with it. That brings me to about a half a pound away from 50% of my weight goal and the lowest weight I've seen on the scale in 20 years!

When I think about 25 lbs, and having another 25 lbs to go, I am very excited. I can't imaging running miles on the trail holding a 25 lb weight, let alone two 25 lb weights! I can already see how reducing the weight is lessening the impact on my body during my long runs. I also feel an increase in energy, probably a combination result of quitting smoking, improved nutrition, weight loss, and the ongoing exercise.

Revenge Run (12 Miles)

I had a great run yesterday, but it wasn't good enough. By that I mean that I could not get my failed run from last weekend out of my head. So I decided to run again today and to attempt the run I planned for last weekend.

I started at the MADD shelter along the Northshore Trail and jogged to Rockledge Park and back, about 12 miles round trip. I kept the pace slow, practiced my new foot strike, and walked up the hills, all so that I wouldn't injure my calf muscles again.

View of Northshore Trail from Rockledge Park