Send in the Clowns - BAC 10K Challenge

Abhainn

Your a bit of a horse KC
Tough 10 miler Sat then long flight then 5 x 1.2k on Wed in those conditions

Krusty_Clown

Abhainn wrote: »

Your a bit of a horse KC
Tough 10 miler Sat then long flight then 5 x 1.2k on Wed in those conditions

Just trying to stick to the plan Joe, though I have massaged the plan to allow for the travel. I'm skipping the planned 17 miles w/ 12 miles at PMP this weekend, in favour of a 21 mile trail run and am hoping to do the national half next weekend at PMP instead. Hoping to find a nice national park with trails to do the long run this weekend. Might as well get some enjoyment out of this trip! I've run 30 miles around this crappy town already, and feel like I know every square inch of concrete.

TheRoadRunner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Just trying to stick to the plan Joe, though I have massaged the plan to allow for the travel. I'm skipping the planned 17 miles w/ 12 miles at PMP this weekend, in favour of a 21 mile trail run and am hoping to do the national half next weekend at PMP instead. Hoping to find a nice national park with trails to do the long run this weekend. Might as well get some enjoyment out of this trip! I've run 30 miles around this crappy town already, and feel like I know every square inch of concrete.

see my post in the main forum about the golden gate park. Savage park. Not too sure of how big a lap you would get though

TheRoadRunner

Just looking at your last gamin connectblink and you're quite close to santa Cruz as well. Did a great run there a few years ago that took in college campus and boardwalk. I'm a huge lostboys fan so really enjoyed it.

Killerz

Nice work on making the most of the situation, krusty. Maybe the speedy work as a result of the fear of the mexicans et al is a secret training revelation that just hasnt been tapped yet? Maybe you're onto something?

Krusty_Clown

Thursday evening: The last 5 miles of the day's 15 mile run
The problem with running in the US is you get 100m from your hotel or house, and you hit a crossroads, which has exits from a freeway or highway. After running 100m you need to stop at the lights, press the button, and wait 5 minutes for the pedestrian light. Then there's the concrete. So much concrete. Even the tarmac is 50% concrete. It's no wonder there are so many slow runners in American marathons. Between the stop/start nature of a typical training run, the constant pounding of hard concrete, the cinnamon rolls, maple syrup litre-sized sports drinks and over enthusiastic portions, it's no wonder that completing a marathon over here is considered a massive achievement. The odds are pancake-stacked against you. You have to run 75 miles a week just to break even on calorie counts. This run brought me a little closer to break-even point.

Summary: 5 miles in 38 mins, @7:36/mile, HR=121

Krusty_Clown

Friday morning: 10 mile easy run
Well, the 3 hours of sleep per night finally caught up with me. I hit the Coyote Creek Trail at 7am, and within 4 miles I was crushed and deflated. Legs didn't want to move. Had to stop and take a break. Thankfully, within a mile or two, things were back to normal, and I was able to push-on. Ended up running along-side some petroleum plants, followed by makeshift homes beside the creek, made from plants, branches and leaves, then some small farms on stolen forgotten land. You have to admire the Mexicans resourcefulness. They have absolutely nothing, but still they manage to be self-sufficient, on a healthy diet. Very few fat Mexicans around these parts. Towards the end of the run, I found some new trails heading in different directions, so potentially some more areas to explore next week. They do entail running through an under-pass with lots of homeless hombres, but it's probably ok during daylight (I'm told that if you stay quiet, you don't wake 'em).

On the way back, I ran through some skunk musk, and it was all I could smell when I was having my shower. The spores just stick to you. Really awful.

Summary: 10 miles in 1:16, @7:39/mile, HR=125

TheRoadRunner

I'll be honest, you're not selling your current location as a potential warm weather camp to me

Krusty_Clown

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

I'll be honest, you're not selling your current location as a potential warm weather camp to me

Lol. Pretty it ain't. A runner's paradise? No, not that either. And the food? Pretty crap, to be honest. It's biggest selling point is that it's 45 minutes drive from San Francisco. Speaking of...

Krusty_Clown

Today: 10k+ recovery run over the Golden Gate Bridge
Wide awake from 6am, I still enjoyed a lazy morning, and eventually followed the advice of TheRoadRunner, Cabaal and Caprica, and headed to San Francisco in the early afternoon, after watching the Golden Gate Bridge web cam, looking for signs that the fog might be lifting.. Great to get out of Milpitas, even though a 45 minute trip took over two hours because of the California traffic.

Parked up at the Sports Basement, just off Presidio (totally awesome running store) and headed along the sidewalk towards the on-ramp for the bridge. Unfortunately the boardwalk on the west side is closed, so all the pedestrian traffic is like, you know.. a total bummer.. OK, enough of the Americanisms. You could see the fog 200m from where the bridge started. A wondetful experience heading over the bridge, but more from a touristy perspective. Running 200m overhead of a group of kite-surfers is a rare experience, and one that i'll not like get to experience again. Except that I let the memory on my Garmin fill up, and I don't have any tracklogs for the last couple of runs, so I'll have to do it all again sometime. Anyone know how to use one of these Garmin-thingies? Krusty lose brain, oh-oh..

Spent the next few hours in San Francisco (an amazing city), before heading back over the Bay Bridge, homewards towards Milpitas. I've been to SF twice before, and each time I like this city more and more. If I was forced to live in the US, it'd have to be San Francisco or Chicago. A couple of piccies.
Summary: 6.4 miles in 52 mins, @8:07/mile, HR=119

Krusty_Clown

Afternoon: 10 trail miles in Joseph E Grant Park
As I headed up the mountain towards the park, I watched the thermometer in the car climb and by the time I got to the car-park it was reading 95' Fahrenheit (35'C), but I had applied a couple of layers of sun-screen and figured I'd brought plenty of liquids. I figured a nice easy 21 miles on the trails would be a nice comfortable long run. Haha.. How wrong was I.. While following the trails on the map wasn't a big problem, I wish I had paid a little more attention to the contour lines.

A colleague in work had warned me about the California mountains teeming with rattle-snakes and mountain lions, but figured he was taking the mick out of the Paddy, until I saw this and this in the car-park. I determined to keep my eyes peeled on the trail ahead and avoid any trails with lots of vegetation. I headed up the Verba Buena Trail, and left my water in the car, with the plan to return to it for water after 6 or 7 miles. Massive error of judgement! Within the first mile, sweat was pouring out of me like a river. After 1.5 miles, I stopped sweating. Uh-oh.. I kept on going, cos it was just so good to be away from the neon lights, the concrete and the fast food chains. The views were amazing and the area was teeming with life. Red-tailed Hawks, prairie dogs, squirrels, crickets and butterflies, but thankfully no rattle-snakes. Or at least none that I could see.

After two miles (and 1,000 feet) things levelled out a little, and the running became slightly easier, but the heat came crashing, like waves. After three miles I was getting dehydration headaches, so I took the emergency gel that I had stashed in my pocket. Soon I hit a trail junction that would take me back to the car by the Los Huecos trail (which you can see in this youtube video) and started the descent back down to the car-park. Beautiful views and easier running, but I still needed to take an occasional break to let the body cool down. Eventually I made it back to the car and spent the next 30 minutes drinking most of the liquids I had brought with me.

At this stage, with just a single bottle of water (which I brought with me this time), I reckoned I could complete out the 10 miles, but that was it. anything else would be risky. So I chased a few of the other low-lying trails, and then happened across this guy, asleep on the trail. It didn't look like a rattle-snake, but to be honest, I've no feckin idea what a rattle-snake looks like. I threw a few stones at it, to see if I could get it to move off of the trail, but it wasn't budging. So in the end the snake won the battle of nerves and I turned back. Followed another couple of low lying trails before heading back to the car and turning the AC onto full blast. It was great to do it, and it was beautifully scenic (some more picture here), ut next time I'd invest in some kinf of camel-back. Hitting these trails at that temperature without water is just... silly..

Summary: 10 miles in 1:35 @9:13/mile

Krusty_Clown

Yesterday Evening: 5 Miles in Shoreline Mountain View
Headed back to the hotel and washed off that California dust, and headed back out, this time to Shoreline in Mountain View. Unfortunately darkness had arrived, so I meandered around some of the trails at an easy pace, trying to pick out the holes in the ground, while also hoping that snakes avoid the low-land areas.
Summary: 5.24 miles in 40 mins, @7:37/mile, HR=~134

jlang

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Today: 10k+ recovery run over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Summary: 6.4 miles in 52 mins, @8:07/mile, HR=119

Must make some of the concrete running worthwhile. I guess that's the type of run that explains why Garmin Connect lets you turn off elevation correction?

Emer911

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Afternoon: 10 trail miles in Joseph E Grant Park
As I headed up the mountain towards the park, I watched the thermometer in the car climb and by the time I got to the car-park it was reading 95' Fahrenheit (35'C), but I had applied a couple of layers of sun-screen and figured I'd brought plenty of liquids. I figured a nice easy 21 miles on the trails would be a nice comfortable long run. Haha.. How wrong was I.. While following the trails on the map wasn't a big problem, I wish I had paid a little more attention to the contour lines.

A colleague in work had warned me about the California mountains teeming with rattle-snakes and mountain lions, but figured he was taking the mick out of the Paddy, until I saw this and this in the car-park. I determined to keep my eyes peeled on the trail ahead and avoid any trails with lots of vegetation. I headed up the Verba Buena Trail, and left my water in the car, with the plan to return to it for water after 6 or 7 miles. Massive error of judgement! Within the first mile, sweat was pouring out of me like a river. After 1.5 miles, I stopped sweating. Uh-oh.. I kept on going, cos it was just so good to be away from the neon lights, the concrete and the fast food chains. The views were amazing and the area was teeming with life. Red-tailed Hawks, prairie dogs, squirrels, crickets and butterflies, but thankfully no rattle-snakes. Or at least none that I could see.

After two miles (and 1,000 feet) things levelled out a little, and the running became slightly easier, but the heat came crashing, like waves. After three miles I was getting dehydration headaches, so I took the emergency gel that I had stashed in my pocket. Soon I hit a trail junction that would take me back to the car by the Los Huecos trail (which you can see in this youtube video) and started the descent back down to the car-park. Beautiful views and easier running, but I still needed to take an occasional break to let the body cool down. Eventually I made it back to the car and spent the next 30 minutes drinking most of the liquids I had brought with me.

At this stage, with just a single bottle of water (which I brought with me this time), I reckoned I could complete out the 10 miles, but that was it. anything else would be risky. So I chased a few of the other low-lying trails, and then happened across this guy, asleep on the trail. It didn't look like a rattle-snake, but to be honest, I've no feckin idea what a rattle-snake looks like. I threw a few stones at it, to see if I could get it to move off of the trail, but it wasn't budging. So in the end the snake won the battle of nerves and I turned back. Followed another couple of low lying trails before heading back to the car and turning the AC onto full blast. It was great to do it, and it was beautifully scenic (some more picture here), ut next time I'd invest in some kinf of camel-back. Hitting these trails at that temperature without water is just... silly..

Summary: 10 miles in 1:35 @9:13/mile

Snakes, mountain lions, sunstroke and killing yourself with dehydration.... That's it, I'm going with you next time!

Krusty_Clown

jlang wrote: »

Must make some of the concrete running worthwhile. I guess that's the type of run that explains why Garmin Connect lets you turn off elevation correction?

I hadn't really noticed. It makes a massive difference on this run! I guess their Geo-data doesn't take into account man-made structures!

Krusty_Clown

This morning: 10k easy run on the Coyote Creek Trail
It's bloody typical. I've one more day here, and suddenly I'm acclimatized to the time-zone, just before I have to head home. Alarm woke me at 7am, and I'd have happily stayed in bed for another 90 minutes. Instead I begrudgingly put on my running shoes and headed back to a different stretch of Coyote Creek. All these different trails sound great, but in reality, they're only a small step above running loops around the strip malls and Silicon Valley buildings. Every one of them is identical. Loose gravel on the path, scrub to either side, chicken wire fences and industrial offices just beyond. The occasional concrete underpass and bad smells throughout. I'm looking forward to home, with it's wind and rain, and hills, and grass. Grass.. The only grass in California is groomed to perfection (by Mexicans), sprinkled by day and by night, and usually secured behind a fence. What I wouldn't do for a little patch of grass to run on.. How we take what we have for granted.

It's going to be a tough week to keep the mileage up, as I have a work dinner tomorrow evening, and will lose all of Thursday to travel (6:30am Wednesday to 10am Thursday), easy run on Friday and hopefully the national half on Saturday (though it's beginning to sound a bit foolish). But I suppose after two 70+ mile weeks, it's not the worst thing in the world to have a down week.

Summary: 6.2 miles in 47 mins, @7:35/mile, HR=120 ?! Must have been sleep-running.

TheRoadRunner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

What I wouldn't do for a little patch of grass to run on.. How we take what we have for granted.

I'll remind you of this quote next time you are giving out about Corkagh park

pgmcpq

Just been catching up here. Brilliant stuff !! Joseph O'Conner has a book "Sweet Liberty" which is required reading for Irish people heading to the US. You really should write the the running version. SF is a great city (not so sure about Chicago).

For the record - I don't think that was a rattle snake ... and anyway I'm sure it would be fine .

Krusty_Clown

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

I'll remind you of this quote next time you are giving out about Corkagh park

I did say a 'little' patch of grass. Corkagh Park is a very 'big' patch of grass.

Krusty_Clown

pgmcpq wrote: »

For the record - I don't think that was a rattle snake ... and anyway I'm sure it would be fine .

Based on my subsequent google-izing, I reckon it's a King snake, which is harmless to humans. But at the time (without my snake entomology book at hand!), it might as well have been the deadliest snake on the planet, to a humble Leprecian like myself. St Patrick has a lot to answer for. We're just not well versed on our snake species.

gerard65

Just catching up on your log. Had to laugh at the 'Rattle-snake' issue. Have you never watch a cowboy movie, that was not a rattle-snake. Has television thought you nothing.:D

Krusty_Clown

gerard65 wrote: »

Just catching up on your log. Had to laugh at the 'Rattle-snake' issue. Have you never watch a cowboy movie, that was not a rattle-snake. Has television thought you nothing.:D

Even knowing it's not a rattle-snake, would you go up and tickle it under the chin and give it's belly a bit of a rub? Didn't think so..

Krusty_Clown

This morning (being Wednesday morning): 10 mile early run
Had a meal with the work crowd planned, so had to get the only run of the day ticked off pretty early. A nice 10 miles along a couple of stretches of the creek. You do meet a couple of other runners early in the morning along these stretches (though none of them are foolish enough to run in the evening) and it's good to see the tradition of a wave and a smile is alive and well on these chance encounters. Last run on this side of the Atlantic until a couple of days before the marathon in Chicago (which I'll be passing through in a few hours time). Looking forward to some sunny Irish weather.

Summary: 10 miles in 1:12, @7:13/mile, HR=132

ManFromAtlantis

good stuff krusty.
no point in heading over with a load of silage making machinery so.
ps keep the garmin on for your return flight. does wonders for your average training times/distances.

Krusty_Clown

Wednesday: 5,532 Mile Easy Run
I took ManFromAtlantis' advice, and left my Garmin switched on for my return flights. I've now moved to the top of the 2011 running table. Catch me now, Bazman and Mr Bubendorfer!

Summary: 5,531.87 miles, in 20:05, @275miles/hour, HR=131.

ecoli

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Wednesday: 5,532 Mile Easy Run
I took ManFromAtlantis' advice, and left my Garmin switched on for my return flights. I've now moved to the top of the 2011 running table. Catch me now, Bazman and Mr Bubendorfer!

Summary: 5,531.87 miles, in 20:05, @275miles/hour, HR=131.

I reckon thats more recovery than easy, Slacking off tut tut:D

Krusty_Clown

Yesterday: 10 Mile easy run
After yesterday's easy 5k miles, I arrived home at 10am, and promptly climbed into bed, planning a quick snooze. I slept a little longer than planned, and as I headed out for my 10 mile run, I bid my neighbour a good morning, and was surprised by the confused look on his face. Right, it's 7pm. Not all the wires are connected in my brain at the moment. Still, great to hit one of my favourite 10 mile hilly routes. Felt very tired but that's to be expected. Hoping it'll be ok for tomorrow's race.

My plan for tomorrow is to run the race at planned marathon pace (6:11/mile) seeing as I missed my pmp session last week due to my work trip. If I feel good (unlikely, I'm wrecked at the moment) I'll try and pick it up to 6:08/mile with the plan to just nip in under 1:20 for the 13 miles. So fingers crossed for a nice comfortable run-out.

Summary: 10 miles in 1:16, @7:39/mile, HR=135

Krusty_Clown

Today: 6 Mile easy lunch-time run with strides
One of those nice easy runs, where the miles just tick off, in a blur. Great to be running on the old turf again (at least until next week, by which time I'll be bored of it again). Chucked in a few strides for good measure.
Summary: 6 miles in 46 mins, @7:45/mile, Hr=127

Pronator

Good luck tomorrow KC. Might see you at the lakes next Saturday, work permitting :-(

Krusty_Clown

Pronator wrote: »

Good luck tomorrow KC. Might see you at the lakes next Saturday, work permitting :-(

Sh1te. Did I sign up for that too?! I'll have to do a long run one of these days!