To Infinity and Beyond - Becoming a Better DopeyBadger (Comments Welcome)

[DopeyBadger]

5 Weeks to go until Princess and 14 weeks remain in Spring Season - Week 4/18





1/16/23-1/22/23
Tues (1/17): 60 min @ Easy (Treadmill)
Wed (1/18): 5 sets of (30s + 30s + 120s) (GP-5:42, AP-5:50)
Thurs (1/19): 45 min @ Easy (Treadmill)
Fri (1/20): 8 miles @ Moderate on Jack/Jill (8:06 min/mile, 138 bpm)
Sat (1/21): 2x40s R + 4x1mile T + 2x0.66mile T + 2x40s R (GP-6:37, AP-6:46)
+ LIIFT4-Chest/Tri
Sun (1/22): 6.5 miles @ Easy (8:58 min/mile, 127 bpm) + LIIFT4-Back/Biceps & Shoulders

Total Run Miles - 45.0 miles
Total Run Time - 6:19 hours
Total Strength Time - 1:18 hours
Total Training Time - 7:38 hours


Tuesday

Steph was in Vegas for a few days for a conference. So it was solo Dad time. MIL was willing to stay after I got home from work for one of the three nights. The plan originally had the hard workout on Wednesday, and the weather looked good, so I kept it on Wednesday. Which meant Tuesday and Thursday were on the treadmill. Nothing really to note.




Wednesday

Conditions - Overcast clouds, Wind 11mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 35°F + 30°F; FL - 27°F
End: Temp+Dew = 34°F + 30°F; FL - 27°F

Some snow decided to show up in the forecast and was threatening to hit around 6:00pm which would have been in the middle of my run. So I left work a few hours early to try and get the run in before the weather turned. I wore shorts and a long sleeve. I was comfortable.







I believe the workout was originally scheduled to be 4 reps, and the longer rep was suppose to be around 90 sec. I decided to increase it to 5 reps, and the longer rep to 120 seconds. Around 120 seconds of R pace is near the max, and I was curious to see how that would play out in this workout structure. The goal was 5:42 pace, and I did the five 120 sec reps in 5:50, 5:51, 5:49, 5:52, and 5:59. Not as fast as I was aiming for, but decent none the less. The recovery between was fairly consistent at 3:30, 3:31, 3:35, and 3:43. I'm pleased with the final result.




Thursday

I did 45 min on the treadmill. I had planned to do 60 min, but I had an absolutely horrible side stitch starting at around 37-39 min. I tried to power through, but then once I made it to 45 min I really questioned whether powering through was the right long term choice. It was a horrible feeling, but thankfully when I stopped running it pretty much dissipated. Think I just had an air bubble in my intestine that was working its way through.




Friday

Conditions - Overcast clouds, Wind 4mph to 8mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 26°F + 22°F; FL - 22°F
End: Temp+Dew = 26°F + 21°F; FL - 22°F

Steph was back home, and I was headed back outside. I had originally planned on 9 miles, but I got home late from work and the family was waiting for me for dinner. So I cut the run short by a mile. The goal was moderate paced effort and decided to do it on the Jack/Jill course.





I felt really good during the run. I wore the old Next% (about 600 miles on them at this point) and while they're not in good shape for hard or long runs, it really highlights the difference from the Alphafly which I've been running in more consistently since I decided they aren't my race day shoe. The Next% just really feel lighter and I like the transition during the foot strike. Between how the Alphafly felt on Sunday at 13F and how the Next% felt in comparison at a similar temp to other recent runs, I'm really wondering if the Alphafly were more of an issue in the November M than I originally gave thought to. With that said, the past is in the past.

The run felt good. Body felt quick and the turnover was good. Based on GAP, the pace was consistent. HR spiked near the end of the run, and I think that was because the tightness of my watch was cutting off the circulation a touch.



Saturday

Conditions - Mist, Wind 8mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 23°F + 21°F; FL - 13°F
End: Temp+Dew = 22°F + 20°F; FL - 13°F

Hard Saturday workout. I was aiming for 6 x 1 mile at T. But as I alluded to in the Friday run, the Alphafly just did not feel good at this temperature. They felt like bricks, or running in kleenex boxes. Just not helping me at all.






I knew right away the Alphafly were going to be an issue when the first R rep came in the 6:20s. Just weren't helping me at all, and if anything they felt like maybe they were holding me back. The goal for the T reps was 6:37 pace, and I did the first four 1 mile reps in 6:43, 6:46, 6:42, and 6:50. I was fine with the 6:40s, but the 6:50 was possibly a bit too slow to be comfortable with. I decided to keep an eye on the 5th rep and pull the plug if it drifted too far. It started out alright, but when I got to 0.66 miles it had drifted and so I stopped. I questioned doing the sixth rep, but wanted to give it a go. Decided to try and maintain 6:37 pace for as long as I could, and then pull the plug when the pace fell off. I was holding on through 0.5 miles, and then somewhere after that the pace fell and I stopped at 0.62 miles. The last two R reps also reaffirm the issues I was having. Alas, it happens sometimes. Still got 5 weeks until Princess, and several weeks after that before race day. So I'm not worried.

I did the LIIFT4-Chest/Tri afterwards.



Sunday

Conditions - Mist, Wind 1mph to 3mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 24°F + 22°F; FL - 24°F
End: Temp+Dew = 25°F + 22°F; FL - 24°F

Easy Sunday run. It was snowing lightly out, and there were some spots with snow covered roads. But for the most part it was clear. It was a great day out there. The temps felt great, the winds were low, and it felt awesome. Body felt great despite the results of the run the day prior.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Maui (Cosplay) - Creating the Hook - Part 2

Part 1

Alright, let's wrap this hook up. We left off with the hook being painted with the base paint. Next up was the addition of the LEDs. I had planned on using a similar LED system to what I used for the Scarlet Witch headdress. But I found the depth of the battery holder for the CR2023 batteries was just a bit deeper than I wanted it to be. So I found an alternative on Adafruit (link). This is barely more expensive than the battery holder alone I found on Amazon. The benefit of these is that two of the connections (to the battery) are already done, and there is an on/off switch. Very helpful additions. This means I now only need to make the + and - connection to the LED itself. I'm using LEDs from this cheap kit (link). I tested out a few colors and decided on Warm White, because it seems to be the best for allowing the natural bone color, but has the benefit of being one of the brightest LEDs in the kit. The Scarlet Witch headdress used red LEDs and it wasn't as bright as we had hoped.

With the battery, the holder, and the warm white LED chosen, the next step was connecting everything up.





I am certainly no soldering pro. This is only my second time (after the Scarlet Witch project). I'm using the following items:

Heat Shrink Tubing
Wire Stripper
Helping Hand
Solder Tip Cleaner
Solder Iron

I think that's everything. Alright, so I had ten of the battery holders and did some playing around to figure out a configuration that would cover most of the hook in light. I ended up cutting most of the wires rather short because for this use I was going to have them in a high density and didn't need to reach far places (except for one). So for the process:

1) I pulled apart the two wires to make them easier to work with down almost to the base of the battery pack.
2) I cut the wire using the wire stripper.
3) I stripped each of the two wires with the wire stripper to about 8-12mm. This gave me enough room to attach the battery wire to the LED.
4) I checked the warm white LED on a standalone battery to confirm it worked.
5) I put the LED on one side of the helping hand, and the battery pack on the other side.
6) For the first attempt at doing one of these, I confirmed which wire went to which LED lead by turning the battery on and then touching each of the two wires to each of the two leads. I wrote down the short and long connection so I knew which way I should be going for future hookups.
7) I placed one piece of heat shrink tubing on one wire.
8) I made sure I was wearing my ventilator, and had a light fan blowing in my working area.
9) Using the solder iron at setting two, I placed the tip of the iron onto the solder over the connection between the LED lead and wire. When the solder solidified in the desired location, then I would pull back both the iron and solder.
10) I moved the heat shrink tubing over the solder location, and then used a lighter flame on it to shrink it around the area.
11) I placed a second piece of heat shrink tubing on the second wire of the battery pack. I ALMOST forgot to do this several times. I could have added both pieces at the same time back at #7, but then I risked the second one shrinking before I wanted it to. I was working in a pretty small area with these two wires.
12) Repeat #9 with the second lead and second wire.
13) Repeat #10.
14) Place a CR2032 (or two CR2016) battery into the holder and turn it on. Verify the light is working.

Thankfully I was 10/10 on this project and every light turned on successffully.

I played around with the hook a little bit and determined that adding some steel wire to it might help it hold its shape a bit better. I used some thin, but strong 16 gauge galvanized steel wire. I placed it in two directions imbedded within the foam.



I also found two really strong horizontal bar magnets that I found at Home Depot. I carved out some of the foam to make the connection between them stronger. These magnets would allow me to go hands-free at times. Then I placed the lights in strategic places to maximize the light.



And an up close of two of the LED systems.



Next up was verifying that everything was working to this point. I turned on all the lights and we were good to go. The CR2023 batteries with a single LED bulb should give me about 5-6 hours of light. That should be sufficient time from leaving the hotel to finishing the Princess HM. Next up was testing the strength of the magnet.

I placed the one magnet inside the hook, and the other inside the back pocket of my Lululemon olive green Surge 10" running shorts. In testing, the magnet held when I was stationary, when I pretended to run, and when I jumped in place. So I jumped on the treadmill to test what would happen when running at pace. I decided to do the pace test in a step-wise manner. So I started at 1mph, and worked my way up. On the first trial, I got to 3 mph, but the hook was hitting my back leg too much. So I changed the direction of the hook by changing the direction of the magnet inside my shorts. This reversed the connection on the hook. The second time I got to 3mph and everything was fine, but as soon as I hit 4mph, the hook fell off and shot off the back of the treadmill. So for the third test I changed the placement of the magnet to try and balance it more with an even distribution of weight across the hook. But during the third test, when I got to 4mph the battery fell out, shot out the back, and then the treadmill tried to eat the hook. I quickly pulled the emergency stop cord. The hook was slightly damaged, but all things considered was ok. The treadmill was too. But it was very clear that I couldn't get past 3 mph. Given I might be running as fast as 8.5 mph, I was no where close with the magnet idea. And given I almost wrecked the hook and the treadmill, I decided it was time to abandon the magnets. I ran a fourth time up to 8.5 mph with just carrying it. Honestly, the hook is pretty light. So I think I can probably run with it the whole time and it only be a minor nuisance.

But there are two issues. The balance of the hook is slightly off. So when I'm running, I'll probably hold it more towards the middle than at the actual handle. This makes it easier to carry. Then when doing pictures or when around spectators I can switch to the slightly more uncomfortable handle. Second and more troublesome was that I weakened the foam area around where the magnet was going to go to make the connection stronger. Now no magnet, but the foam is still weak. And without the magnet, it really starts to fold in on itself. So I filled in the area where that magnet was going to go with a new piece of 4mm foam with a 16 gauge steel wire stuck through it, and then on the opposite side of the hook I put several small pieces of steel wire and then a 2mm piece of foam over that. The hope is that the steel wire will resist some of the movement and shore up that location. I haven't retested it yet, but I'm hopeful these additions will help strengthen it.

Next, I turned on the lights and noted where the dark spots were. I added some Liquitex Basics Red Oxide Acrylic paint to those locations because then they would be dark either way. I looked at Maui's hook for inspiration, but then I also wanted to draw some matching elements with the singlet I made. So I took some designs from that and recreated them on the hook.



Lastly, I took a piece of brown suede I found at Michael's and used it as rope for the handle. I attached a piece of velcro to the hook and the suede and then wrapped it around. I used velcro, because I need to be able to access the insides when desired. So the wrap job needs to be removable.





Then I turned on the hook and enjoyed the light show.





Overall I'm pleased with the final product. It's about everything that I set out for it to be. It's light weight, it lights up, and it is a decent size. The magnets did not work. I might try and come up with a holder idea to wear (something simple), but that remains to be seen. But overall, I call this another successful project from idea in my head to final product. I'm excited to see what the combination of the singlet and hook look like together.

Finished

 

[WillRunForPizza]

That looks amazing! I would never have guessed that some foam, paint, and LED lights (and a lot of work) could turn into that!

 

[DopeyBadger]

That looks amazing! I would never have guessed that some foam, paint, and LED lights (and a lot of work) could turn into that!

Thanks! It’s probably easier to tell in person that it is foam. Especially when in motion. But I’m pleased to go from no step by step directions to making something like this. It’s pretty fun to tinker and troubleshoot these things. And I’m definitely getting faster with each passing project.

 

[DopeyBadger]

4 Weeks to go until Princess and 13 weeks remain in Spring Season - Week 5/18



1/23/23-1/29/23
Tues (1/24): 4x30s + 8x90s + 4x30s @ R (GP-5:42, AP-5:47)
Wed (1/25): 6.5 miles @ Easy (SOG)
Thurs (1/26): 2x40s R + 2 mile T + 2x1 mile T + 2 mile T + 2x40s R (GP-6:37, AP-6:40)
Fri (1/27): 6.5 miles @ Easy (SOG)
Sat (1/28): 8 miles @ Long Run on Jack/Jill (Some SOG) + LIIFT4-Chest/Tri
Sun (1/29): 13 miles @ Easy Long Run on Jack/Jill in Snow + LIIFT4-Back/Biceps & Shoulders

Total Run Miles - 52.7 miles
Total Run Time - 7:36 hours
Total Strength Time - 1:20 hours
Total Training Time - 8:56 hours


Tuesday
Conditions - Scattered clouds, Wind 2mph to 3mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 28°F + 25°F; FL - 28°F
End: Temp+Dew = 27°F + 24°F; FL - 28°F

The final exclusive R workout of the training plan. Not quite THE peak workout of the Daniels R workouts (12x400m), but a decently difficult workout in its own right.

4x30s + 8x90s + 4x30s @ R (GP-5:42)








Took the first rep to get in the groove. But after that one I started to feel good again. Did the first four 30s reps in (6:17, 5:26, 5:32, 5:37). Then it was time to attack the 90s reps. The goal was around 5:42 pace. I did them in 5:40, 5:52, 5:43, 5:51, 5:49, 5:52, 5:59, and 5:41. I really dug in hard on that last rep after the 5:59 and it paid off with the 5:41. I wrapped up the 30s reps with 5:56, 5:39, 5:41, and 5:32. The final average pace was 5:47, which was only a hair off the goal. I went back and compared that to an April 2017 workout (12x400m). I averaged that April 2017 workout close to 5:40-5:42, but the big difference was the rest time between the 400m (or 90s) reps. In 2017, I had RIs of 2:37-2:50. This 2023 workout had RIs of around 90s. So about 70-90 sec less rest in this week's workout, and yet the pacing was similar. So I'm pretty happy about that. Good workout and a good end to R paced work.



Wednesday

Conditions - Mist, Wind 7mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 31°F + 28°F; FL - 24°F
End: Temp+Dew = 30°F + 28°F; FL - 24°F

Snow was the theme for the week. I don't really remember anything specific about the workout itself, but according to my notes there was some snow on the ground. HR was low (123 bpm) and pace was easy (9:22).




Thursday

Conditions - Overcast clouds, Wind 5mph to 9mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 24°F + 20°F; FL - 17°F
End: Temp+Dew = 23°F + 19°F; FL - 17°F

Despite my struggles with T pace in this training cycle thus far, I felt it was time to bump up the distance from 1 mile reps to 2 mile reps.

2x40s R + 2 mile T + 2x1 mile T + 2 mile T + 2x40s R (GP-6:37)





Temps weren't much higher than when the Alphaflys felt dead. But they were alive and well today. The first two R reps were a bit rough, but it takes me a bit to get going. But my body was ready to attack the T pace intervals. I felt good during the first mile (6:36) and was able to maintain that pace through the second mile (6:39). I'm not going to complain about that. The instant pace graph also shows that the pace was fairly consistent through the whole two miles as well. Next up was a set of 2 x 1 mile. I started off way too hot on the first mile rep (in the low 6:00s) and really slowed down in the second half to finish at 6:32. I took a reduced RI, and then headed out for the second single mile rep. Again, started off way too hot (low 6s) and then faded at the end of the rep to finish at 6:38. Took another reduced length RI, and then attacked the final two mile rep. I didn't want to suffer the same fate as the two one mile reps. So I intentionally tried to start off slower. It was a success because around the 0.5 mile mark I was running around 6:52 pace. I took it up a notch and finished off the first mile at 6:48. Maybe a tad slower than intended, but that just means I saved everything for the second mile. According to the instant pace graph I was holding pace around 6:40s, but then a car was giving me some grief for the last 0.25 mile. They didn't appear to know where they were going but they kept slowing down in my path. They weren't being malicious. So it slowed me down and I finished at 6:49 pace for the second mile. So all in all I kept the average pace right at about 6:40 pace. A very good showing. I definitely felt stronger in this one and the body responded well to the training.

The last two R reps were 6:26 and 5:45 pace. Then I just cool down paced it home. HR responded well to the end of training and I was doing 8:40s pace at a HR of 126 bpm (about 20 bpm lower than M Tempo).



Friday

Conditions - Overcast clouds, Wind 7mph to 14mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 25°F + 20°F; FL - 17°F
End: Temp+Dew = 23°F + 18°F; FL - 17°F

More snow. Don't remember anything specific though. Easy run (9:25) at easy HR (125 bpm).




Saturday

Conditions - Overcast clouds, Wind 2mph to 2mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 14°F + 8°F; FL - 14°F
End: Temp+Dew = 15°F + 9°F; FL - 14°F

Forecasted for even more snow mid-day today and tomorrow. I was scheduled for 8 mile at LR pace today and then 18 miles at easier LR pace tomorrow. I woke up early today to beat the start of the snow. I was aiming for around 7:44 pace, but there was a little snow on the ground. I decided to do the Jack/Jill route because the hills tend to have the "clearest" road.





A strong run throughout even through the lightly snow covered roads. Body felt good. Ended up averaging 7:46 pace with little issue.

Afterwards, I did LIIFT4-Chest/Tri.


Sunday

Conditions - Overcast clouds, Wind 9mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 14°F + 10°F; FL - 2°F
End: Temp+Dew = 16°F + 11°F; FL - 2°F

We were forecasted to get 3-5 inches. When I checked before I went to bed (when I thought the snow was suppose to end) we had maybe 1-3 inches. Woke up and started to get ready. Took a peak out the window and said, ummm that doesn't look like 3-5 inches... Looks like we got something more like 9-11 inches. So even if I wanted to get the run started sooner, no way was I even going to be able to walk to the street. The snow from the plow was hip high. So Steph and I headed outside and was shoveling snow for 60-90 min. Finally got everything cleaned up and then headed inside to get ready to run. I decided to remain flexible about the duration and pace of the run. I was scheduled for 18 miles (2.5 hrs) and 8:26 pace. But the roads were almost 100% snow covered, and in some places there was still a few inches or so. It was a trudge.





I felt like I was getting more comfortable as the run was going along. I couldn't do my normal Jack/Jill route because the bike path was hip high snow covered. The laps were around 4.4 miles, and then I would stop and drink my entire water bottle, and then get going again. The first lap was alright. The downhills weren't too bad, but the poor traction made the uphills quite tough. A lot of choppy steps since my feet were slipping. I was actually quite surprised how quick I was running in the conditions. Then I figured, well if you're doing this in the snow you must be drifting higher in the HR department. But nope, that wasn't the case either. HR was staying in the high 120s/ low 130s. So I just kept riding it. Finished the 2nd loop (8.8 miles total) and asked myself if I wanted another. Certainly tired in new places, but I felt alright to go for another. Finished the third loop and knew I could finish a fourth lap if I had to, but I didn't feel the need to push it. I was sore in new places and since it was slippery I felt more vulnerable with each step. So I called it after the third lap (13.2 miles and just under 2 hrs). Ended at 8:34 pace as well (only about 8 sec/mile slower than scheduled).

I was sitting on the couch typing up this recap having not done the LIIFT4 workout for the day. I could skip it because I did 60-90 min of snow shoveling this morning. But then Steph was saying something similar about her being tired and she implied she wasn't going to do her workouts for the day. I convinced her to do her workouts because she had mentioned to me earlier in the week to hold her accountable. So as she was downstairs I felt like if I'm convincing her she has to do her workouts, that I should suck it up and head down for mine as well. So about 3.5 hrs of activity already on the day, and then add in another 45 min of lifting. I completed the back/biceps and then shoulders workouts.

Good week overall. Not in as good as fitness as this point in Princess training last year, but I'm in a good place. Next week is a step back with only two hard workouts but we really get into a more meaty Daniels I workout. Not much time left before Princess!

 

[DopeyBadger]

3 Weeks to go until Princess and 12 weeks remain in Spring Season - Week 6/18




1/30/23-2/5/23
Tues (1/31): 6 miles @ Easy (Ice)
Wed (2/1): 5 x 4 min @ Hard on Uphill
Thurs (2/2): 6.5 miles @ Easy
Fri (2/3): 9 miles @ Easy at 7.2 mph (Treadmill)
Sat (2/4): 3 + 2 + 1 mile @ T + LIIFT4-Chest/Tri
Sun (2/5): 6.5 miles @ Easy + LIIFT4-Back/Biceps & Shoulders

Total Run Miles - 47.4 miles
Total Run Time - 6:54 hours
Total Strength Time - 1:00 hours
Total Training Time - 7:54 hours



Tuesday

Conditions - Few clouds, Wind 3mph to 8mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 5°F + -3°F; FL - -1°F
End: Temp+Dew = 3°F + -4°F; FL - -1°F

Good thing the hard workout this week was scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday, because fast running wasn't happening today. The road was covered in a nice slick ice. So it was a slow go out there. For the first time that I can remember in a while my raynaud's flared up during the run. I've had issues off and on with driving, but it flared badly during the run. I could tell around mile 3 that my hand was getting numb and cold. I got home and my hand was discolored and cold. It hurt quite a bit and I did my best to warm it up. After about 20-30 min I started to get better feeling back and blood rushed back in. Not a pleasant feeling at all. My hand was tingling for a while afterwards.




Wednesday

Conditions - Broken clouds, Wind 3mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 21°F + 11°F; FL - 16°F
End: Temp+Dew = 17°F + 11°F; FL - 16°F

I had a hard Daniels I paced workout on the books. But Mother Nature had other plans. My normal flat circle route for doing speed work was mostly covered with ice. There was a stretch of hill that was mostly clean. So I pivoted and made the workout into a 5 x 4 min uphill at a hard effort. I was hoping for something around a GAP of 6:07. I made this hill a Strava segment some time ago and knew the GAP was around +30 seconds. Additionally, a local runner had stolen my course record (4:30) with his 4:20 back in October. So I aimed this workout towards taking the CR back.





The first rep felt really clean. I was pushing pretty hard and finished at 6:56 pace, which I thought was around 6:26 pace. Not fast enough, but good. The RI was going to be longer than desired just because I had to run down the hill and I wasn't going to be able to run down in a "rest" as quickly as I ran up it. Got back down and started up again. I could tell I was running faster about 1/4 of the way through and decided I would try and make it to the end of the segment for a new CR. I finished the second rep at 6:46 pace (GAP 6:20) and then continued on to the segment marker which was about 17-20 seconds away. I didn't know exactly what my time was, but I felt like I probably got under 4:20 (I did 4:17). The third rep I was feeling good again and pushed for the CR again. I hit the 4 min mark at 6:45 pace (GAP 6:19) and then pushed for a 4:17 segment again (didn't know at the time). I pushed again on the fourth rep, but I was feeling it and didn't feel as quick. I pushed hard at the end of the 4 min rep and wrapped up at 6:49 pace (6:22 GAP). I wasn't done yet though. I wanted a 5th rep and I wanted to attack it. I pushed really hard and was flying at the 1/4 mark. I made it to the 4 min mark and knew I was further along at 6:40 pace (6:15 GAP). I hit the end of the segment at 4:15 with a new CR.




Overall the average for the uphills was GAP of 6:19. So a little slower than intended, but I'm pretty happy with running that fast on an uphill. So I finished the workout feeling satisfied.



Thursday

Conditions - Scattered clouds, Wind 15mph to 30mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 16°F + 11°F; FL - 3°F
End: Temp+Dew = 12°F + -2°F; FL - 3°F

Another easy cold run, and another run in with a cold left hand. I didn't have any issues on Wednesday. I tried picking the pace up a bit to see if that helped to no avail. I got in the house and my left hand was in bad shape again. It finally came back after 10-20 min, but it was a pretty painful period of time. The tingly feeling didn't last as long as it did on Tuesday.


Friday

My left hand sent me some warning shots on Tues/Thurs. So with another cold run in the forecast, I didn't want to risk it. I needed to heed the warning my hand was giving me. So I headed to the treadmill, even though I really really didn't want to. I set the treadmill for 7.2 mph and just settled in.



Saturday

Conditions - Broken clouds, Wind 8mph to 17mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 31°F + 23°F; FL - 24°F
End: Temp+Dew = 31°F + 24°F; FL - 24°F

Temps were cold in the morning, but I waited until the afternoon when the temp increased. It brought with it some stiffer wind, but I'll take it. I really wanted to challenge myself on this one. So I scheduled myself for 3+2+2 on Daniels T pace. Three miles represents about the max of a single rep (20 min). I wanted to back those up with a set of 2 mile reps as well.





The goal was to aim for 6:37 pace. I tried to relax as much as possible. I kept reminding myself to breathe. Took some deep nose breaths as well. Hit the second mile at 6:37 and was ecstatic. Let's go!!! I kept the pedal down and kept pushing and pushing. Wrapped up the third mile in 6:38 and while I was happy it was over, I felt like I could have kept going if needed. I scheduled myself a 5 min break, but around 3.5 min felt reasonably recovered and headed back to the start line for a 2 mile rep. I locked in and headed out. I did the first mile in 6:35. I feel like at some point during the second mile I saw the average pace was in the 6:40s for the whole 2 mile rep and I tried to push even harder. I got the pace average down to 6:39 (6:42 second mile) and was satisfied. Alright, decision time. Do I go for 2 more miles? No. I want one more. But I want it to be fast. Really challenging. I started to psyche myself up. This is it. DIG. DIIIIGGGGG. Lots of self talk, and I think a neighbor was passed and might have had a chuckle my way. No matter. I was locked in. I blasted off and was going quick. The adrenaline was flowing so high that I didn't even feel like I was trying. I knew I was going quick. I saw I was in the 6:20s and just kept trying to stay angry and psyched up. I rounded the corner towards the finish and wrapped up at 6:28 pace. LET'S GO! Total average was 6:37. That 3 mile rep was about 20:35 5k pace. Officially speaking that would be a 3rd fastest, and unofficially a 6th-10th fastest (might be a few training runs not on the list). Needless to say, it was a fast one. I looked back at some runs in 2017 spring and winter, and this was about 6-10 sec/mile slower than peak fitness levels. So I'm in a really good place and pleased with this workout.

I did LIIFT4 when I got back home.



Sunday

Conditions - Broken clouds, Wind 7mph to 14mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 33°F + 27°F; FL - 27°F
End: Temp+Dew = 33°F + 26°F; FL - 27°F

Back to solo Dad for a bit as Steph is in Vegas again. I sent G off to a birthday party, and then I did my workouts mid-day. Another easy day. I actually felt pretty good.

I did LIIFT4 afterwards.

Six weeks into the training plan, and I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm at. I'm starting to feel stronger and finding that next gear. Next week is going to be the peak before Princess. Not an easy week from a training standpoint, and not an easy week being on solo duty until Thursday. But I'll find a way to fit everything in.

 

[azrivest]

Those seagulls made me laugh

Congrats on the segment record! A true local legend

 

[kps7795]

3 Weeks to go until Princess and 12 weeks remain in Spring Season - Week 6/18

View attachment 737538


1/30/23-2/5/23
Tues (1/31): 6 miles @ Easy (Ice)
Wed (2/1): 5 x 4 min @ Hard on Uphill
Thurs (2/2): 6.5 miles @ Easy
Fri (2/3): 9 miles @ Easy at 7.2 mph (Treadmill)
Sat (2/4): 3 + 2 + 1 mile @ T + LIIFT4-Chest/Tri
Sun (2/5): 6.5 miles @ Easy + LIIFT4-Back/Biceps & Shoulders

Total Run Miles - 47.4 miles
Total Run Time - 6:54 hours
Total Strength Time - 1:00 hours
Total Training Time - 7:54 hours



Tuesday

Conditions - Few clouds, Wind 3mph to 8mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 5°F + -3°F; FL - -1°F
End: Temp+Dew = 3°F + -4°F; FL - -1°F

Good thing the hard workout this week was scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday, because fast running wasn't happening today. The road was covered in a nice slick ice. So it was a slow go out there. For the first time that I can remember in a while my raynaud's flared up during the run. I've had issues off and on with driving, but it flared badly during the run. I could tell around mile 3 that my hand was getting numb and cold. I got home and my hand was discolored and cold. It hurt quite a bit and I did my best to warm it up. After about 20-30 min I started to get better feeling back and blood rushed back in. Not a pleasant feeling at all. My hand was tingling for a while afterwards.




Wednesday

Conditions - Broken clouds, Wind 3mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 21°F + 11°F; FL - 16°F
End: Temp+Dew = 17°F + 11°F; FL - 16°F

I had a hard Daniels I paced workout on the books. But Mother Nature had other plans. My normal flat circle route for doing speed work was mostly covered with ice. There was a stretch of hill that was mostly clean. So I pivoted and made the workout into a 5 x 4 min uphill at a hard effort. I was hoping for something around a GAP of 6:07. I made this hill a Strava segment some time ago and knew the GAP was around +30 seconds. Additionally, a local runner had stolen my course record (4:30) with his 4:20 back in October. So I aimed this workout towards taking the CR back.

View attachment 737536

View attachment 737535

The first rep felt really clean. I was pushing pretty hard and finished at 6:56 pace, which I thought was around 6:26 pace. Not fast enough, but good. The RI was going to be longer than desired just because I had to run down the hill and I wasn't going to be able to run down in a "rest" as quickly as I ran up it. Got back down and started up again. I could tell I was running faster about 1/4 of the way through and decided I would try and make it to the end of the segment for a new CR. I finished the second rep at 6:46 pace (GAP 6:20) and then continued on to the segment marker which was about 17-20 seconds away. I didn't know exactly what my time was, but I felt like I probably got under 4:20 (I did 4:17). The third rep I was feeling good again and pushed for the CR again. I hit the 4 min mark at 6:45 pace (GAP 6:19) and then pushed for a 4:17 segment again (didn't know at the time). I pushed again on the fourth rep, but I was feeling it and didn't feel as quick. I pushed hard at the end of the 4 min rep and wrapped up at 6:49 pace (6:22 GAP). I wasn't done yet though. I wanted a 5th rep and I wanted to attack it. I pushed really hard and was flying at the 1/4 mark. I made it to the 4 min mark and knew I was further along at 6:40 pace (6:15 GAP). I hit the end of the segment at 4:15 with a new CR.


View attachment 737537

Overall the average for the uphills was GAP of 6:19. So a little slower than intended, but I'm pretty happy with running that fast on an uphill. So I finished the workout feeling satisfied.



Thursday

Conditions - Scattered clouds, Wind 15mph to 30mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 16°F + 11°F; FL - 3°F
End: Temp+Dew = 12°F + -2°F; FL - 3°F

Another easy cold run, and another run in with a cold left hand. I didn't have any issues on Wednesday. I tried picking the pace up a bit to see if that helped to no avail. I got in the house and my left hand was in bad shape again. It finally came back after 10-20 min, but it was a pretty painful period of time. The tingly feeling didn't last as long as it did on Tuesday.


Friday

My left hand sent me some warning shots on Tues/Thurs. So with another cold run in the forecast, I didn't want to risk it. I needed to heed the warning my hand was giving me. So I headed to the treadmill, even though I really really didn't want to. I set the treadmill for 7.2 mph and just settled in.



Saturday

Conditions - Broken clouds, Wind 8mph to 17mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 31°F + 23°F; FL - 24°F
End: Temp+Dew = 31°F + 24°F; FL - 24°F

Temps were cold in the morning, but I waited until the afternoon when the temp increased. It brought with it some stiffer wind, but I'll take it. I really wanted to challenge myself on this one. So I scheduled myself for 3+2+2 on Daniels T pace. Three miles represents about the max of a single rep (20 min). I wanted to back those up with a set of 2 mile reps as well.

View attachment 737540

View attachment 737539

The goal was to aim for 6:37 pace. I tried to relax as much as possible. I kept reminding myself to breathe. Took some deep nose breaths as well. Hit the second mile at 6:37 and was ecstatic. Let's go!!! I kept the pedal down and kept pushing and pushing. Wrapped up the third mile in 6:38 and while I was happy it was over, I felt like I could have kept going if needed. I scheduled myself a 5 min break, but around 3.5 min felt reasonably recovered and headed back to the start line for a 2 mile rep. I locked in and headed out. I did the first mile in 6:35. I feel like at some point during the second mile I saw the average pace was in the 6:40s for the whole 2 mile rep and I tried to push even harder. I got the pace average down to 6:39 (6:42 second mile) and was satisfied. Alright, decision time. Do I go for 2 more miles? No. I want one more. But I want it to be fast. Really challenging. I started to psyche myself up. This is it. DIG. DIIIIGGGGG. Lots of self talk, and I think a neighbor was passed and might have had a chuckle my way. No matter. I was locked in. I blasted off and was going quick. The adrenaline was flowing so high that I didn't even feel like I was trying. I knew I was going quick. I saw I was in the 6:20s and just kept trying to stay angry and psyched up. I rounded the corner towards the finish and wrapped up at 6:28 pace. LET'S GO! Total average was 6:37. That 3 mile rep was about 20:35 5k pace. Officially speaking that would be a 3rd fastest, and unofficially a 6th-10th fastest (might be a few training runs not on the list). Needless to say, it was a fast one. I looked back at some runs in 2017 spring and winter, and this was about 6-10 sec/mile slower than peak fitness levels. So I'm in a really good place and pleased with this workout.

I did LIIFT4 when I got back home.



Sunday

Conditions - Broken clouds, Wind 7mph to 14mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 33°F + 27°F; FL - 27°F
End: Temp+Dew = 33°F + 26°F; FL - 27°F

Back to solo Dad for a bit as Steph is in Vegas again. I sent G off to a birthday party, and then I did my workouts mid-day. Another easy day. I actually felt pretty good.

I did LIIFT4 afterwards.

Six weeks into the training plan, and I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm at. I'm starting to feel stronger and finding that next gear. Next week is going to be the peak before Princess. Not an easy week from a training standpoint, and not an easy week being on solo duty until Thursday. But I'll find a way to fit everything in.

How is your hand feeling now? That sounds terrible. I hope that it's feeling better.

 

[avondale]

Curious if you were wearing gloves during your Raynaud's attacks?

I got a good Raynaud's attack on my Wednesday run this past week. It was an hour, but it went from Sun up and sunny to Sun down and dark, and it seemed like the temperature just plummeted. Like you, after I got home, it was a good 20 min or so of pain for the fingers to warm up (both hands). I had not worn gloves - normally it was a temperature I'd be ok with.

I was actually wondering if it was the finger tips getting cold that precipitated the attack. After dark, I hold a knuckle light in each hand, so my fingers wrap into a fist, but the thumb is outside and on top and can really get cold. On the next day, I tried wearing gel finger cots (like finger caps that you wear over an injury on your finger tip) on both thumbs. But I don't think those insulate very much, LOL. I don't like wearing gloves because it makes me feel overly hot because of covering the back of my hands and wrists. Ah, well.

 

[DopeyBadger]

How is your hand feeling now? That sounds terrible. I hope that it's feeling better.

It resolved Tuesday night, and then not long after the run was done on Thursday. Although as I'm typing right now, my right hand has been dealing with an attack for about 90 min since driving my car. It happens.

Curious if you were wearing gloves during your Raynaud's attacks?

Glove with a wind proof mitten overlay. When I drive I've got a specialty pair of Raynaud's gloves from one of the Nordic countries that really reduced the attacks from driving. Still happen, but far less often than it used to.

I was actually wondering if it was the finger tips getting cold that precipitated the attack. After dark, I hold a knuckle light in each hand, so my fingers wrap into a fist, but the thumb is outside and on top and can really get cold. On the next day, I tried wearing gel finger cots (like finger caps that you wear over an injury on your finger tip) on both thumbs. But I don't think those insulate very much, LOL. I don't like wearing gloves because it makes me feel overly hot because of covering the back of my hands and wrists. Ah, well.

I start wearing gloves at about 50F. I switch to the heavier glove/mitten around 30F or so. While I'd like to avoid sweaty hands, I'll take that over having a Raynaud's attack. Especially ones like I had last week which were pretty painful. Not like the driving ones.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Maui: Finished

Here is the finished product for the Maui singlet and hook. The level of detail in the singlet exceeded what it showed it was capable of in the online 3-D designer. So I'm very pleased with the final product from Owayo. They really are the best singlets I own.

 

[FFigawi]

Looks stunning!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Looks stunning!

Thanks!

 

[DopeyBadger]

2 Weeks to go until Princess and 11 weeks remain in Spring Season - Week 7/18



2/6/23-2/12/23
Tues (2/7): 7 x 3 min @ I (GP-6:06, AP-6:04)
Wed (2/8): 60 min @ Easy (Treadmill)
Thurs (2/9): 4 x 10 min @ HM Tempo (set at 9 mph) (Treadmill)
Fri (2/10): 6.5 miles @ Easy (SOG and Ice)
Sat (2/11):10 miles @ Long Run on Jack/Jill (GP-7:44, AP-7:42) + LIIFT4-Chest/Tri
Sun (2/12): 15 miles @ Moderate + 3 miles @ FF on Jack/Jill + LIIFT4-Back/Biceps & Shoulders

Total Run Miles - 61.4 miles
Total Run Time - 8:18 hours
Total Strength Time - 1:05 hours
Total Training Time - 9:23 hours


Tuesday

This was a busy and tough week. Unfortunately, Steph's grandmother passed away without much notice on Monday morning. It wasn't completely unexpected given her health condition, but wasn't something we were anticipating. It was difficult on Steph because she was in Vegas for a work conference.

In addition, my brother went to the hospital on Monday as well with a ruptured appendix. Haven't heard yet, but he should be released from the hospital today.

And it was G's birthday this week.

And FedEx was jerking me around on the arrival of my singlets. I was starting to get worried they were lost since they arrived in Madison on Monday. Weren't delivered on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. If they were truly lost I probably wouldn't have been able to get a reorder from Germany to arrive in time. But thankfully they arrived on Friday afternoon.

So between being a solo Dad, not being able to rely on Steph's mom as much (for obvious reasons), a funeral, several birthday parties, singlet stress, and peak week for Princess, it was a busy week. But let's get to the running.

Conditions - Broken clouds, Wind 9mph to 17mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 38°F + 31°F; FL - 31°F
End: Temp+Dew = 39°F + 30°F; FL - 31°F

I really wanted to attack this workout. A 3 min Daniels I workout with reduced rest intervals.





The workout went really well. The goal was to be around 6:07 pace and I did them in 6:08, 6:03, 6:05, 5:57, 6:06, 6:05, and 6:02. The RI ended up being around 2:30 for each as part of my looped route.





Wednesday

Treadmill run after I was done with work. I ran easy for 60 min.





Thursday

It snowed a lot (5-6 inches) and it wasn't conducive to running. I picked up Steph from the airport. I considered postponing the hard workout to Friday, but suspected that the snow would melt and refreeze into ice. So I decided to do a hard workout on the treadmill instead. I ended up doing 4 x 10 min at 9 mph (6:39). It was tough but doable.




Friday

I ran outside, but got no GPS data. I did my normal easy route. It was covered in snow and ice.





Saturday

Conditions - Clear sky, Wind 8mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 21°F + 16°F; FL - 11°F
End: Temp+Dew = 22°F + 17°F; FL - 11°F

G had two birthday parties today (family and friends), and so I had to run relatively early to finish in time.

I decided to do 10 miles at LR pace on the Jack/Jill route.





The run felt good and smooth. Not much trouble throughout the run. The HRvPace is near the best I've ever converted at.

I did LIIFT4 afterwards.


Sunday

Conditions - Few clouds, Wind 6mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 27°F + 20°F; FL - 20°F
End: Temp+Dew = 37°F + 25°F; FL - 20°F

I was aiming for something between 18-20 miles.





The pace was super easy. After I finished 15 miles at 8:05 pace, I decided to do a kick finish for the last 3 miles. I averaged 7:09 pace (7:05-ish GAP) with a pretty good effort level.

Good week overall from a running perspective, but happy to put most of this week behind me from a personal perspective. My body is in a good place.

Steph and I have decided we will try for the runDisney Disneyland weekend. But if I don't get two 5k registrations for G and I, then I won't register for anything else. Then we'll just to go Disneyland a different weekend. We considered an October Disney Wish cruise, but the cost of the Disneyland trip made more sense. Plus, I'm prone to motion sickness, and honestly I'm not sure given the cost it's worth the risk for me at this time. So we'll see how Disneyland registration goes on Tuesday.

 

[nancipants]

We considered an October Disney Wish cruise, but the cost of the Disneyland trip made more sense. Plus, I'm prone to motion sickness, and honestly I'm not sure given the cost it's worth the risk for me at this time. So we'll see how Disneyland registration goes on Tuesday.

Have you been on a cruise before? If you have any questions, I have answers. And for what it’s worth, I’m super prone to motion sickness but only get sick on cruises in really rough weather. Even then meclizine tablets help a bunch.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Have you been on a cruise before? If you have any questions, I have answers. And for what it’s worth, I’m super prone to motion sickness but only get sick on cruises in really rough weather. Even then meclizine tablets help a bunch.

Not since I was a kid. The plan had been for Steph and family to go on the cruise without me first to determine if it was something they really liked. Then I'd risk it for the second trip. But then the timing of the October trip didn't work with anyone else, so we priced it out for us three. It was going to be about $2000 per day for the 2.5 days of actual "vacation". We priced out a Disneyland trip and it was $1300-1400 per day which is comparable to our Disney World trips. So that's a reason we're leaning towards DL this time around. I'll be sure to reach out though if things pivot.

 

[DopeyBadger]

2023 Princess Weekend Weather Watch

Let's see how good the long range forecast is for this one.

For comparison, last year was T+D 128, 125, and 121 respectively.

2/24/23 (5k 5:00-7:00), 2/25/23 (10k 5:00-6:00), 2/26/23 (HM 5:00-7:00)

2/13/23: 5k- T+D 125, 10k- T+D 119, HM- T+D 120

 

[nancipants]

It was nice and cold this morning. Too bad that probably won't stick.

 

[DopeyBadger]

It was nice and cold this morning. Too bad that probably won't stick.

I can hold out hope for a one off blast of cool air, but expect it will be much the same as last year based on this long range. Not what I’d wish for, but I can work with it.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Sorry to hear about Steph's grandmother passing away. Even when it's somewhat expected, it's still never easy.

Congratulations on getting into Disneyland race weekend. It's my "home" park as it were so I'm quite excited to be able to run there again. While the now temporary cancelation of Disneyland races wound up playing an unexpected part in me taking on the marathon, I'm very excited to return to the place where it all began. And maybe I'll finally get to run through Galaxy's Edge. I hope. I really hope.