I've been wanting to make a post like this for a while, and what better time than going into the holiday gift-giving season? I'm a voracious reader and have enjoyed a lot of books about running, or books of particular interest to those who endure. Here is a list of some books I have greatly enjoyed, along with Amazon links so you can find out more.
Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance, by Alex Hutchinson. This book comprehensively explores all facets of human athletic endurance, both mental and physical. It is fascinating.
Off Course: Inside the Mad, Muddy World of Obstacle Course Racing, by Erin Beresini. This is both a history of the sport of OCR as well as a very cool personal story of the author's quest to complete the first ever Spartan Ultra Beast while recovering from severe tendonitis.
Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Cave On Earth, by James M. Tabor. Climbing Everest gets all the attention, but could you do it backwards? In the dark? With the very real risk of drowning? And what happens if you fall into a chasm and can't be lifted out?
Breaking BUD/S: How Regular Guys Can Become Navy SEALS, by D.H. Xavier. Some of the language in this book is problematic (anti-gay slurs), but the meat of it is good: what does it take to get through BUD/S and be one of the most elite warriors in the world? Surprise, it's mostly mental.
The Long Walk, by Stephen King. The only novel on my list, it's a dystopian story about 100 teenagers participating in the ultimate endurance event where only the last man (kid) standing lives.
Iron War: Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and the Greatest Race Ever Run, by Matt Fitzgerald. The amazing tale of the most badass Ironman World Championship of all time.
The Comeback: Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France, by Daniel de Vise. Learn more about the Tour in general and the greatest non-doping cyclist of all time in particular.
Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder, by Arnold Schwarzenegger. You will learn the value of work ethic. When everyone else would do 10 reps, Arnold would do 12.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Race Recap: Frosty 5K
Frosty 5K 12/8/18 Cedar Falls, IA
Weather: 20 degrees, cloudy, calm winds
Terrain: roads and recreation trails
Terrain: roads and recreation trails
Distance: 5K
I decided to attempt a 5K PR to finish out a great 2018 season. The last time I'd attempted to PR at 5K was in spring 2007, so you can plainly see that I'm not exactly built for speed, but I had an ambitious goal of running in under 30 minutes and I wanted to see if I could do it. Most of my athletic endeavors are "hey, let's see if I can do ____," so this fit right in. The race had packet pickup optional the day before so I took advantage of that, and realized there are no timing devices or numbers on the bibs. My achievement, whatever it was, would be solely personal.
Before the race we were welcome to hang out in a local mega-church, which was warm and had plenty of space to hang coats, so I wouldn't have to schlep my car keys on the run. The rag-tag group of maybe 150 racers went out and got underway. The roads would be open to traffic but this didn't end up being a problem. We only spent the first mile and the last half mile on public roads, and there were hardly any cars (cops directed traffic at intersections, which helped immensely). There were lightly rolling hills but nothing that I couldn't easily run. Focused on pushing the pace the entire time and trying to stay relaxed with my breathing, and it worked well. There were no mile markers but I knew I was on pace the entire time. Fortunately I am very familiar with the area in this local race.
Crossed the finish line in 29:21, well under my 30-minute goal. Got a medal, too! The post-race spread in the church was delightful. Cookies, cupcakes and bagels, along with cocoa and coffee. Having a warm place to stretch makes a difference.
Before the race we were welcome to hang out in a local mega-church, which was warm and had plenty of space to hang coats, so I wouldn't have to schlep my car keys on the run. The rag-tag group of maybe 150 racers went out and got underway. The roads would be open to traffic but this didn't end up being a problem. We only spent the first mile and the last half mile on public roads, and there were hardly any cars (cops directed traffic at intersections, which helped immensely). There were lightly rolling hills but nothing that I couldn't easily run. Focused on pushing the pace the entire time and trying to stay relaxed with my breathing, and it worked well. There were no mile markers but I knew I was on pace the entire time. Fortunately I am very familiar with the area in this local race.
Crossed the finish line in 29:21, well under my 30-minute goal. Got a medal, too! The post-race spread in the church was delightful. Cookies, cupcakes and bagels, along with cocoa and coffee. Having a warm place to stretch makes a difference.
Pros:
-Indoor pre- and post-race. For a winter race this is an incredible plus.
-Lots of little surprising perks. Most of this was because of the Holiday Hoopla event it's affiliated with, but there were door prizes and a photo booth (and Santa pics).
-Finisher medal for a 5K. Yes please.
-Lots of little surprising perks. Most of this was because of the Holiday Hoopla event it's affiliated with, but there were door prizes and a photo booth (and Santa pics).
-Finisher medal for a 5K. Yes please.
Cons:
-Bare bones. If you are the sort who needs a water stop for a 5K, bring your own. Fortunately I didn't require water or a bathroom, although there was a public restroom at the halfway point.
-No timing. I was surprised by this, since it was put on by a company with "timing" in its name.
-Shirt is enormous. I got a medium and am swimming in it. On the plus side, the sleeves are long enough for gangly me.
-No timing. I was surprised by this, since it was put on by a company with "timing" in its name.
-Shirt is enormous. I got a medium and am swimming in it. On the plus side, the sleeves are long enough for gangly me.
Race Grade: B+. Cute little minimalist race with nice unique perks.
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Off-Season? More Like AWE-Season, Amiright?!
As in "awesome!" AM I RIGHT?
Okay, so maybe it's not awesome for everyone. But I love me a good off-season. I always make a list and formulate my goals for both the off-season and the next year in general. First, define "off-season." This is the time in the winter when races are either none, or few and far between. For me this year, this is December through April. I have two races in this time set up: the first is a 5K road race that I will be doing this upcoming Saturday. The second (well, and third) are the Abominable Snow Race, where I will do both the long and short courses on the same day.
My off-season goals are both specific and general, and are as follows:
1) run this upcoming 5K as quickly as possible, ideally in under 30 minutes (which would be about a 3-minute PR over the last time I seriously attempted a 5K, which to be fair was almost 12 years ago)
2) continue to develop my cardio endurance and speed, building on the foundation I have established. To that end, I plan to run approximately a half-marathon distance every other week. In the words of RuPaul, if you STAY ready, you ain't got to GET ready. My goal for 2019 is to go under 2:20 for an official half marathon. I'm about 9 minutes away from that right now.
3) develop grip strength. To that end, I am participating in the December Dead Hang challenge that I saw on Instagram. On December 1, I did a 1-minute hang. Today, 1:10. You add 10 seconds a day the entire month until the last day is a ridiculous 6 minutes, which will definitely not go flawlessly. But no matter how many sections I need to break it into, it will help my grip immensely.
4) improve flexibility. Now that my weird collarbone injury is getting better, I can actually participate in hot yoga again, and I am pleased to report that not only did I not lose any flexibility in my off time, I have improved it. I want to continue this trend until by the end of 2019 I can do "an ugly split." This is the 2019 goal I am least confident about achieving.
5) go from 2 chin-ups to 4. This would be just great.
Note that these goals are all actually objectives. They are actions that I can take that will directly create a positive outcome. Off-season is a fantastic opportunity to shore up your weaknesses, and you should seize it! If you have to take workouts indoors due to weather, so be it. Find binge-worthy shows and specials on Netflix and get on that treadmill, gurrrl. Or boy.
Okay, so maybe it's not awesome for everyone. But I love me a good off-season. I always make a list and formulate my goals for both the off-season and the next year in general. First, define "off-season." This is the time in the winter when races are either none, or few and far between. For me this year, this is December through April. I have two races in this time set up: the first is a 5K road race that I will be doing this upcoming Saturday. The second (well, and third) are the Abominable Snow Race, where I will do both the long and short courses on the same day.
My off-season goals are both specific and general, and are as follows:
1) run this upcoming 5K as quickly as possible, ideally in under 30 minutes (which would be about a 3-minute PR over the last time I seriously attempted a 5K, which to be fair was almost 12 years ago)
2) continue to develop my cardio endurance and speed, building on the foundation I have established. To that end, I plan to run approximately a half-marathon distance every other week. In the words of RuPaul, if you STAY ready, you ain't got to GET ready. My goal for 2019 is to go under 2:20 for an official half marathon. I'm about 9 minutes away from that right now.
3) develop grip strength. To that end, I am participating in the December Dead Hang challenge that I saw on Instagram. On December 1, I did a 1-minute hang. Today, 1:10. You add 10 seconds a day the entire month until the last day is a ridiculous 6 minutes, which will definitely not go flawlessly. But no matter how many sections I need to break it into, it will help my grip immensely.
4) improve flexibility. Now that my weird collarbone injury is getting better, I can actually participate in hot yoga again, and I am pleased to report that not only did I not lose any flexibility in my off time, I have improved it. I want to continue this trend until by the end of 2019 I can do "an ugly split." This is the 2019 goal I am least confident about achieving.
5) go from 2 chin-ups to 4. This would be just great.
Note that these goals are all actually objectives. They are actions that I can take that will directly create a positive outcome. Off-season is a fantastic opportunity to shore up your weaknesses, and you should seize it! If you have to take workouts indoors due to weather, so be it. Find binge-worthy shows and specials on Netflix and get on that treadmill, gurrrl. Or boy.
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