Okay, so I’ve likely ranted about a whole lot of issues here, but this is a rant covering the last few weeks. Read at your own risk. Rants in no particular temporal order.
Rant On:
No, I do not care for a lap full of red wine.
Archive for the 'lumpy's wisdom' Category
And now, the next installment of my reverse-engineering of How to run 50 marathons in 50 days.
In the Wired piece the Perfect Human it is written:
9. GET USED TO IT
If you’re going to explore the boundaries of human endurance, you’ll have to learn to adapt to more and more pain. To prepare for the searing heat of the Badwater race, Karnazes went on 30-mile jogs wearing a ski parka over a wool sweater. He trained himself to urinate while running. He got so he could go out and run a marathon on any given day – no mileage buildup or tapering required. This training made the extreme seem ordinary and made the impossible seem the next logical step. Eventually, when he grew accustomed to the pain, it stopped hurting. “There is magic in misery,” he says.
Yup. Get used to it. (Oh, and EWE!–not that I haven’t done that myself at least once before .) I should listen to my own advice and get over The Debacle .
But seriously, I have to give this one two thumbs up. As some of you know, The Lumpy used to study Aikido quite seriously. I’ve fallen from that path , but I’m alway reminded of one night on the way to the dojo …An older student came up to me on the way in, and was joking with me about being sore. And thusly resulted one of my axioms, quotes of Lumpy, rules to live buy, and it is summed up by “9. GET USED TO IT”:
The pain never really goes away. You just get used to it.
-The Lumpy
Yes, loyal readers, I am STILL dwelling on the debacle that was the 2007 Paris Marathon. And, I think, with damn good reason! The organizers of the 2007 Paris Marathon failed miserably to provide a safe course and protect the participants. IMO. Here’s what should happen when you run a marathon in above average/expected temperatures and the course runs out of water:
THE RACE DIRECTORS STOP THE RACE!
For example:
Runner dies, 300 treated as heat ravages Chicago Marathon
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) — Organizers shut down the course four hours after the start of Sunday’s Chicago Marathon because of 88-degree heat and sweltering humidity that left one runner dead and sent at least 49 to area hospitals. Another 250 were treated at the site.
(snip)
The Chicago race was run in record temperatures, topping the mark of 84 degrees in 1979.
(snip)
Runners were diverted to the starting area, where they were provided with medical attention and cooling misters. Shortages of water and energy drinks were reported along the 26.2-mile route.Race director Carey Pinkowski said organizers were concerned that emergency medical personnel wouldn’t be able to keep up with heat-related injuries.
“We’re seeing a lot of our participants slowing,” Pinkowski said. “It was a contingency plan we had in place and we decided to implement as a precautionary measure.“
Yeah, this is what I’m talking about…
Continue reading ‘Yeah, what was the Paris Marathon thinking?’
Feh! … Sally, as she noted earlier , has spoken highly of Frontenac State Park . She’s been there at least once before, running with DAWG, and so I was looking forward to it. Then I got a bit wembley . In the end we ran ended up at Frontenac. We ran. We walked. We climbed. We stepped … We persevered. It felt horrible and it felt great. Well, except for the blisters I enjoyed ended up with…
Yeah, I just liked that phrase as a title for this post.
For reference, here is the elevation profile from the GPS data for the Paris Marathon 2007:
Looks to me like it isn’t really all that much more “difficult” than The Big Woods Half .
But now I’m looking at that 13.1 mile mark and thinking about Paris 2007 …
Continue reading ‘Before y’all throw a hissy fit, just hear me out.’
And now, the next installment of my nit-picking of How to run 50 marathons in 50 days.
In the Wired piece the Perfect Human it is written:
8. LEARN TO LOVE KRAZY GLUE
If something goes wrong - and it inevitably will - it’s usually with Karnazes’ feet. In races and on training runs, he has battled giant, foot-devouring blisters. A surprisingly effective treatment: Krazy Glue. Pop the blister, slather the wound with the super-adhesive, and voilà - your foot is ready to take a beating again. The glue acts as a kind of indestructible second skin and has helped Karnazes finish competitions he wouldn’t have otherwise. (Officially, Krazy Glue recommends avoiding all contact with skin.)
This one seems especially pertinent, given the toenails that are in need of reattachment. Let’s be a little more scientific about this one, however. Krazy Glue is the brand name for a “super glue” made from cyanoacrylate . And, while Krazy Glue does not recommend it’s product for treating wounds, the are definite medical uses for cyanoacrylate as wound closures. I guess Karnazes is just too cheap to get any of the medically approved versions . Oh well.
So, Toots, you can save your toenail now!!!
And now, the next–and horribly delayed–installment of my reflection upon How to run 50 marathons in 50 days.
In the Wired piece the Perfect Human they write:
7. GET A COOL WATCH
Karnazes wears a souped-up Timex that monitors his speed, distance, calories burned, and elevation, all of which is critical for deciding when to order the next pizza while in the midst of a 200-mile trek. Besides letting him order a pie on the run, his cell phone uses specialized GPS software to broadcast his location to the Internet for all to see. It’s fun to follow his icon rolling across the digital landscape, but it’s also useful when Karnazes disappears into the night. If he ever pushes himself too hard and collapses, his people can locate him. And fans would know something was wrong if his signal landed on top of a hospital icon.
Oh…if there is one of these that is strikingly apt for the Lumpy, it is this one. Being the Über-Geek that I am, I loves me some gadgetry. And so, I managed to snag a Garmin Forerunner 301 at an REI Scratch & Dent Sale last year. And I snagged it for some stupid low price. Hah!
Point is, I find this to be a valuable training tool. As one who has pace issues, it helps me maintain a constant pace. Also, when we’re trailing running, it is excellent for really keeping track of miles. Sure, it isn’t the best wrist GPS around. But did I mention how little I paid for it?
However, you need to keep my axiom in mind:
Technology is good; more technology is better. Sometimes.
-Lumpy, sometime in the past
Get a cool watch and use it as the fantastic training tool that it can be. But it is just a tool. In the end, it all comes down to you.
But get a cool watch! Now!
And now, the next installment of my deconstruction of How to run 50 marathons in 50 days.
In the Wired piece the Perfect Human they write:
6. SHOW YOUR BODY WHO’S BOSS
“The human body has limitations,” Karnazes says. “The human spirit is boundless.” Your mind, in other words, is your most important muscle. As a running buddy told him: “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!! What a ride!”
Yeah. This time around I agree.
And now, the next installment of my mutilation of How to run 50 marathons in 50 days.
Um…”5. CUT BACK ON SLEEP”
No!
Dumb ass.
’nuff said.
Yes.
76 days.
The North Face still has not responded.
The North Face Watch continues.
And The North Face Sux.
