Category: Running

LET’S RUN A HALF MARATHON

I signed up a half marathon at the end of the month. It’s on an abanandoned highway and goes through two pitch-black tunnels. I’m not exactly in half-marathon shape (my PR was in 2018 at about two hours and 20 minutes), but I haven’t… stopped… running.

The plan for this month is to just get used to moving for two and a half hours. I’ve done a lot of hour long runs, and a few 1.5 hour runs, but I’m just gonna try walking for two hours here and there, just to get the bones and feet and back used to the movement. Not looking for fast, just don’t wanna be dead by the end of 13.1 miles.

ADVENTURES IN PALMERTON, PA

For some reason I just love the energy in this area. It’s maybe not the most sceneic, but I love it. There’s a four mile loop up along the side of the mountain here, and it’s a crusher, but I love it so much. Only a few hundred feet of single track, but it’s worth it to me.

POLITICS ON THE TRAILS

Running around Leaser Lake is not enjoyable. It’s a lot of soft grass, and there’s really only two nice single track sections, and the one just sorta.. stops. It’s weird.

But it’s sort of a mindless run, a healthy four mile jaunt, and the scenery really isn’t so bad. The loop is sometimes nice to run into some random people and their dogs, which is always fun.

Not pictured are the two road signs with Patriot Front stickers on ’em. Fuck off, white power assholes. This is exactly why trail running is political, because non-white people don’t get the luxury of “leaving politics out of it.”

CAMILLE HERRON IS EPIC

Camille Herron (41) ran 270.5 miles in 48 hours.

“Herron, 41 of Oklahoma City, ran for 148 miles the first day and 122.5 miles in the second day, averaging a pace of 10 minutes, 39 seconds per mile, according to her Instagram account.”

The Oklahoman

The most I ever ran in one day was 18 miles, while I was training for the Queens Marathon. That was about a week or two before COVID shut everything down, just three years ago.

I’ll say this – running 18 miles was magical.

It doesn’t hurt less, you just enjoy it more.

Sort of this theme of “seek discomfort.”

I’m not saying starve yourself and run for 48 hours.

For me, it’s running in the rain. Or running hills. Running in the cold and the dark.

That’s the discomfort that I love. And damn, running for 48 hours? That’s amazing. Not sure I’m ready for that, but I know I can run for two hours.

WINTER SEEKERS

Found this clip awhile on Instagram (of course), but finally dug it up and found it on the real internet, for everyone with a web browser to see!

Yeah, I know it’s just shilling for Nike running shoes (which I own two pairs of these days), but I think it’s fun, and lively, and adventerous, which is why I love running so much in the first place.

Fuck the big corporate races, or the booze drenched events that seem to be all my region cares about (please, do we need more brewery runs??!) – give me running adventures down alleys and around cities.

RUNNING IN THE SEVENTIES

Saw a recent Twitter thread from Jimmy Watkins / Running Punks.

Note: I’ll be so happy when someday I can say “saw a great post from so and so’s blog” instead of Twitter, but hey, we’ll get there.

Anyways, Jimmy / Running Punks was not feeling great mentally, be he went out for a run and had this amazing interaction with an older runner.

The part that really got me was this:

“We had a great chat. He was 73 years old, and we ran 10km in 59 minutes together. The route we took was one I take nearly every day.”

In my peak fitness a few years ago I ran a 10K in about 54 minutes or so, and that’s in my early 40s. I hope and dream that I’m able to run a sub hour 10K by the time I’m in my 70s.

But seriously – read that thread (here) while Twitter is still operational.

OBJECTS IN MOTION

In 2020 I think I ran about 1100 miles. Late last year I stopped even syncing to Strava. I’m still running, just doing my best to have less technical items to deal with. All my runs are logged in my watch, then to the Fitness app. Whatever. No one gets to see them, no comparing my heart rate to someone else.

Thinking how I wish I wrote big blog posts for some of my epic runs and races. Something to scroll through here on my blog, rather than just a bunch of numbers and metrics. Sort of like how looking at a playlist on Spotify doesn’t have the same pizzaz as a CD booklet or gate fold.

RACING THE SETTING SUN

I was in search of a new camera today. I’ve been pining for a “new toy” for a bit. Been looking online, tried visiting a small camera shop today (it wasn’t there anymore), and hit two BestBuy stores and their presentation was horrific. If I do end up buying something, I’m ordering from a reputable camera dealer online, thanks.

That said, after all that driving around, I took the woods. It was late afternoon, but I figured I could beat the sunset on my normal route, and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

It was in the 50s today, but as the sun went down, it seemed like a layer of fog or mist rolled in. There was a chill in the air, and it felt like magic.

Almost 1000′ of climbing, some gorgeous views, and made it back to the car just as the sun set. A damn good day.

ROUND AND ROUND

I keep watching as Twitter implodes, and seeing Facebook further incinerate its relationship with legit news, and realizing that I’m not jumping to another social media network. I mean, I’m just tapped out.

It’s wild that the boomers latched onto Facebook as hard as they did, which makes sense since so many of their kids got tired of their racist, xenophobic shit, and got tired of hearing how they paid for college working a 12 hour a week summer job, but still… I just can’t imagine being 60 something and going, “you know what? I want to spend more time on a computer.”

So I keep optimizing (read: spending) for adventure. Bikes, more running gear, gas in the car to head to the hills. Even though I have to drive through some sketchy traffic to get to the park pictured above, it’s very worth it. A paved one mile loop with no cars? Sign me up.

Life is here, in front of me, and that’s just fine.

RIVER RAMBLING

The day started at 5:30am, as I had to get to a friend’s house, then up to the Delaware Water Gap for the 10th running of the River Ramble.

The weather report said there was a 7% chance of rain by 9am, but there was a light rain pretty much the entire time. And it was also like 65F, with 90% humidty.

Like, train all summer with the dreadful humidity then reap the rewards during races in the Fall when the humidity is supposed to be gone, but the air was thick and heavy. I was supposed to run the 10K route, but I knew at mile one I’d only be doing the 5K.

My pace went up at each mile (11:26 > 11:07 > 10:14), and averaged a 140bpm rate, so I was happy with all that.

Finished in 32:13, which is a 10:23/mile pace, which I’ll take since I haven’t ran that pace consistently in any of my running this year! I guess my slow mileage has paid off.