Here is a chronical of my running during my trip to Peru in April and May 2009. It may not be as Exciting or exotic as you may think based on the subject. On the other hand, I don't want it to get too Exciting.
For more on Peru, see the old travel blog.
That travel blog will also help explain the sudden stop in my running (hint: it rhymes with food poisoning).
Tuesday, April 21
Eight miles in 2 loops of the golf course. See my separate post on my first run in Peru.
Wednesday, April 22
I did 3 loops for 9 miles total in 78 minutes. Each 2.8x mile loop was about the same: 24:4x. Not too bad. Don't like all the concrete on the sidewalks though.
Thursday, April 23
This time I got an early did 4 loops. Woohoo. The lap times got better with each one, and this is something I ususally try for. It's still a little discouraging that it's so difficult to run any faster. I guess I'm just an old fat bald guy who tries to run, and there's nothing I can do about it. So it wound up as 12 miles in 1:45.
Friday, April 24
Decided to try something new today. It appears that it may be possible to get up the mountain that the hotel is built into, but that the road is from the other side. I tried to find it by running around the mountain, and I think I did find it. I didn't go up, however, because it looked too dangerous - no sidewalks or any other place to run but the road. I did a bit more around the side of the golf course and headed back. Call is a slow 5.
Saturday, April 25
Waking up with nausea in the middle of the night? Diarrea in the morning? Not good omens for a long run. But it was now or never - I had to go. I suppose it could've been worse. It was certainly slow, but surprisingly steady, with most of the 2.85 mile lap times within a minute of each other - even the last few. It was getting very hot at the end, but I made it. Six of the loops and then extra on the mountain road. 20 in 3:02 or so.
Monday, April 27
I didn't feel well most of the weekend, but this morning wasn't so bad. I proceeded very slowly, however. I did some back and forth on the mountain road and then one loop around the golf course. 6 miles in 57 minutes or so.
Thursday, April 30
Finally feeling almost human, I went out and ran 2 miles on the mountain road. Slow, but at least I could run.
Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3
At 11,000 feet, running in Cusco would be a challenge. Especially for me, having just arrived and breathing heavily just while sitting around. And having just gotten over being deathly ill. So this wouldn't be my best running. In fact, all I did was shuffle around town, walking and running. You could hardly call it running at all, but I will. Call it a walk-run mile for each of the two days. Took the camera and some pics too.
Monday, May 4
I've heard that you need 3 weeks at altitude to begin to achieve positive training effects. I had 3 days. Did it help? Well, I did have an excellent run today - my best in Peru so far. But then maybe it was just that I hadn't done a serious run in a week. Anyway, 4 loops, 12 miles in 100 minutes. Pretty good going! Loop times were: 25:02, 24:00, 23:25, 22:27. The last two were PRs.
Tuesday, May 5
I was a little tired and just a bit sore. But I wanted another good run today. Too bad I had a later start and only had time for 9 miles instead of 12. I did it in 75.5 minutes, so I'm still doing well. Maybe 12 tomorrow. Two golf course loops of 24:24 and 23:17. For the last three I did the mountain road loop (about 2.5 miles) and some extra. All in all, things are looking up, running-wise.
Thursday, May 7
I did 11 miles in 90 1/2 minutes. Pretty good going. See separate post for more on this one. The 3 loops were: 24:11, 22:55, 22:50 and the last 2.5 was 19:17.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
My First in Peru
"Don't run there. They'll kidnap you." That was the word from two of my coworkers who had come here before me. Since being held for ransom is not being high on my list of life's enjoyable activities, I naturally took notice. I did some research and learned that there is a lot of crime in Lima, but mostly robberies and non-violent stuff. I talked to a runner who sat next to me on the plane, who had run here before with no problems, and who also said that the area around my hotel, the Hotel & Spa Golf Los Incas, is safe. Finally, I talked with the hotel folks, and they also said it was safe.
So armed with that information, and my own, "I don't not run" attitude, out I went for my first run this morning. It may not surprise you that the Hotel & Spa Golf Los Incas is near a golf course. It's actually built into a hillside overlooking the links. I can see the entire course from my 14th floor room.
The first thing I notice is the smog. Lima is on the coast, and is shielded by mountains to the east. It’s not unlike LA. And like LA, the smog is trapped by the surrounding mountains. Also like LA, but maybe more like Phoenix, it’s hot and dry here. It’s been in the 80s during the days and upper 60s and 70s at night. This morning it was probably well above 70. So that morning warmth is the second thing I notice.
I run down the hill to the road that loops around the golf course. I can’t see the course from here. It’s entirely walled in. Most of the neighborhoods on other side are walled in as well. So there isn’t much to see, other than the sidewalk, the road(s) and traffic, and some pedestrians. The pedestrians, surprisingly, include several other runners. And they don’t appear to be touristas either. This is good to see. I wave and say, buenas dias to the oncoming runners. Most respond in kind.
I only have to cross a couple streets during my loop around. I did run through one shopping area and around one traffic circle. I finish the loop in a bit over 26 minutes, so it must be about 3 miles – just about what I thought. I loop around again, and this time the traffic is much heavier. I do this one in 24 minutes, so it must be shorter than 3. I finish going back up the hill to the hotel, and then another couple miles going further up the hill from there before heading back down. I’m pretty hot and sweaty by the time I finish.
No kidnapping to report. In fact, it was pretty much an average old run, except for the pollution. I’m just happy to be able to run. Here's a link to the map of one loop:
Map
Later in the day I mentioned my running to some of my clients, and one lady told me about a race here in Lima. The conversation went like this:
Liliana (and/or others in the group): Do you run marathons?
Dan: Yes I do.
Liliana: There’s going to be a marathon here in Lima on the 3rd of May.
Dan: The 3rd of May? I’ll still be here. I’m going to do it. Are you?
Liliana: I may. Some of my friends are doing it. It is for, how do you say it? Women’s rights.
Dan: Do you have to be a woman to run it, or can men run too?
Liliana (and everyone else): Lots of raucous laughter. (I hadn’t intended it to be a joke.) Yes, men can run too. There are two categories: runners and those who aren’t serious runners.
Dan: Oh, you mean walkers? It takes a long time to walk a marathon.
Liliana: Yes, five kilometers is a long way.
Dan: Oh. You mean it’s one of those 5K marathons?
Liliana: Yes.
Dan (a little dejected): I guess I’ll probably run anyway.
This conversation could have happened in the U.S. 25 years ago – before everybody and their mother started running the 42.2K type marathons. It may be fun anyway. If I do run the race, you’ll hear about it.
So armed with that information, and my own, "I don't not run" attitude, out I went for my first run this morning. It may not surprise you that the Hotel & Spa Golf Los Incas is near a golf course. It's actually built into a hillside overlooking the links. I can see the entire course from my 14th floor room.
The first thing I notice is the smog. Lima is on the coast, and is shielded by mountains to the east. It’s not unlike LA. And like LA, the smog is trapped by the surrounding mountains. Also like LA, but maybe more like Phoenix, it’s hot and dry here. It’s been in the 80s during the days and upper 60s and 70s at night. This morning it was probably well above 70. So that morning warmth is the second thing I notice.
I run down the hill to the road that loops around the golf course. I can’t see the course from here. It’s entirely walled in. Most of the neighborhoods on other side are walled in as well. So there isn’t much to see, other than the sidewalk, the road(s) and traffic, and some pedestrians. The pedestrians, surprisingly, include several other runners. And they don’t appear to be touristas either. This is good to see. I wave and say, buenas dias to the oncoming runners. Most respond in kind.
I only have to cross a couple streets during my loop around. I did run through one shopping area and around one traffic circle. I finish the loop in a bit over 26 minutes, so it must be about 3 miles – just about what I thought. I loop around again, and this time the traffic is much heavier. I do this one in 24 minutes, so it must be shorter than 3. I finish going back up the hill to the hotel, and then another couple miles going further up the hill from there before heading back down. I’m pretty hot and sweaty by the time I finish.
No kidnapping to report. In fact, it was pretty much an average old run, except for the pollution. I’m just happy to be able to run. Here's a link to the map of one loop:
Map
Later in the day I mentioned my running to some of my clients, and one lady told me about a race here in Lima. The conversation went like this:
Liliana (and/or others in the group): Do you run marathons?
Dan: Yes I do.
Liliana: There’s going to be a marathon here in Lima on the 3rd of May.
Dan: The 3rd of May? I’ll still be here. I’m going to do it. Are you?
Liliana: I may. Some of my friends are doing it. It is for, how do you say it? Women’s rights.
Dan: Do you have to be a woman to run it, or can men run too?
Liliana (and everyone else): Lots of raucous laughter. (I hadn’t intended it to be a joke.) Yes, men can run too. There are two categories: runners and those who aren’t serious runners.
Dan: Oh, you mean walkers? It takes a long time to walk a marathon.
Liliana: Yes, five kilometers is a long way.
Dan: Oh. You mean it’s one of those 5K marathons?
Liliana: Yes.
Dan (a little dejected): I guess I’ll probably run anyway.
This conversation could have happened in the U.S. 25 years ago – before everybody and their mother started running the 42.2K type marathons. It may be fun anyway. If I do run the race, you’ll hear about it.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Twenty-Four
Yes, it's the number of hours in a day. It's also the number of hours that will be run for the NorthCoast 24-Hour Endurance Run that I (along with several others) have been working so hard on. And it's official now: our run is also the U.S. 24-hour run national championship. For more, see the website: www.northcoast24.org.
And twenty-four is at least one other thing: it's the number of miles I ran today. This is a big deal for me after such a terrible winter of running. I believe it's my longest run in about 6 months.
With temperatures rising from the upper 30s to the lower 40s as the sun came up, conditions were perfect for a nice long run. The Lester Rail Trail was as pretty as always. I did 4 6-mile loops.
It was slow, but steady - most miles were between 8:30 and 9. The last few were a struggle, but I made it intact. Very encouraging.
And twenty-four is at least one other thing: it's the number of miles I ran today. This is a big deal for me after such a terrible winter of running. I believe it's my longest run in about 6 months.
With temperatures rising from the upper 30s to the lower 40s as the sun came up, conditions were perfect for a nice long run. The Lester Rail Trail was as pretty as always. I did 4 6-mile loops.
It was slow, but steady - most miles were between 8:30 and 9. The last few were a struggle, but I made it intact. Very encouraging.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Week of April 12, 2009
Sunday
After yesterday's fairly long run, I had some grand plans of another one today. Didn't happen. I was EXTEMELY tired. Not sore, just tired. Almost sleeping on the run. I only made it 8 slow miles on Substation, followed by another 2 on the mill.
Tuesday
I was tired after yesterday's all-day trip to Amish country with Dave and Carol. So once again I had planned to do more, but wound up with only 10 very slow miles.
Wednesday
I was bound and determined that come hell or high water, I was gonna run 20 miles today. I took one step outside and realized that there was indeed high water - a cold rain. My favorite. So I stepped on the mill. And I done fairly good - 20 miles at a steady sub-8 pace (zero elevation). I didn't have to hold on too much and I even felt like I coulda done more.
Friday
20 minutes of old, tired running on a nice day at noon. Don't know why the old body's so tired today. Must be spring fever.
Saturday
24 on the Lester Rail Trail. See separate post.
After yesterday's fairly long run, I had some grand plans of another one today. Didn't happen. I was EXTEMELY tired. Not sore, just tired. Almost sleeping on the run. I only made it 8 slow miles on Substation, followed by another 2 on the mill.
Tuesday
I was tired after yesterday's all-day trip to Amish country with Dave and Carol. So once again I had planned to do more, but wound up with only 10 very slow miles.
Wednesday
I was bound and determined that come hell or high water, I was gonna run 20 miles today. I took one step outside and realized that there was indeed high water - a cold rain. My favorite. So I stepped on the mill. And I done fairly good - 20 miles at a steady sub-8 pace (zero elevation). I didn't have to hold on too much and I even felt like I coulda done more.
Friday
20 minutes of old, tired running on a nice day at noon. Don't know why the old body's so tired today. Must be spring fever.
Saturday
24 on the Lester Rail Trail. See separate post.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Week of April 5, 2009
Sunday: After all that travel... I didn't feel all that bad. I even woke up early. So I hit the old 16-mile route. I started off at a bit better than 8 1/2 minute pace, and managed to hold that most of the way. I did slow some for miles 11-14, but then picked it up once more. Splits were 67, 68, so I finished in 2:15, the best in a while. Nice Ohio morning, even though it was cool. Nice sunrise.
Wednesday: There's been snow and cold lately, so I haven't been running. This was to change today, as I planned a 20 miler. Since it was still cold and yucchy, I just got on the mill. Turned out that I started a bit late and ran out of time. Not that it was a stellar performance anyway: after starting well and even doing some 7:30 miles, I hit the wall at about 12. After that I was just limping through. I got to 18 before calling it quits. This was a little disappointing.
Thursday: Yes, of course I was tired and sore. But I did make it through my 6-mile course at 9-minute pace. I'll take it.
Friday: 3 tired miles on the mill. Nuthin much else goin on.
Saturday: I met Dave and Amy in the valley for our usual Saturday run that hasn't been so usual lately because I've been out so much. Today was back to normal - at least for today - I'll be out some more starting next week. It was good to get on the ole towpath once again. We also ran up to Brandywine falls and did the bike&hike trail and the old carriage trail. All of it was fairly slow but nice. I'm calling it 17 to make 60 for the week.
Wednesday: There's been snow and cold lately, so I haven't been running. This was to change today, as I planned a 20 miler. Since it was still cold and yucchy, I just got on the mill. Turned out that I started a bit late and ran out of time. Not that it was a stellar performance anyway: after starting well and even doing some 7:30 miles, I hit the wall at about 12. After that I was just limping through. I got to 18 before calling it quits. This was a little disappointing.
Thursday: Yes, of course I was tired and sore. But I did make it through my 6-mile course at 9-minute pace. I'll take it.
Friday: 3 tired miles on the mill. Nuthin much else goin on.
Saturday: I met Dave and Amy in the valley for our usual Saturday run that hasn't been so usual lately because I've been out so much. Today was back to normal - at least for today - I'll be out some more starting next week. It was good to get on the ole towpath once again. We also ran up to Brandywine falls and did the bike&hike trail and the old carriage trail. All of it was fairly slow but nice. I'm calling it 17 to make 60 for the week.
Wailua Falls! Slowly I Turn...
I still remember the old Three Stooges skit. Someone inadvertently says, “Niagara Falls”, and another person (Moe?) goes bonkers, saying, “Niagara Falls! Slowly I turn. Step by step. Inch by inch…” and then he beats the bejeebers out of the first guy. Come to think of it, this routine may be even be something that was old when the Stooges got hold of it. Maybe it’s from the Vaudeville days.
Wailua Falls is taller than Niagara, but has a teensy bit less water. There was some discussion about this in my guide-book, and that’s what got me thinking about the skit. It’s one of hundreds, or perhaps thousands here on Kauai. Some are bigger, some smaller. Wailua is famous because you can walk-up, paddle-up or drive-up to it. In fact, the road goes right up next to the top of the falls. And this, of course, is the object of today’s run.
I venture out into the early morning darkness from the Kauai Marriott and onto Rice Street. I’m immediately faced with a huge hill that will take me up into the town of Lihue. There isn’t much traffic this early, but I know it’ll be getting busier about the time I return. When I do see some cars coming towards me, I head onto the sidewalk, and bleccch, face-first into some rather strong cobwebs that had been strung across the path, between some bushes. Strangely, I’d had this exact same experience whilst running this same course last Sunday. Even though I was going the opposite direction, it seemed like it was this very same spot. Hey, maybe it was the very same spider. If so, I’ll bet he’s mighty P.O.’d by now.
I make my way through town and down a big hill just before Ma’alo, the road to the falls. Based on my measurements when I ran this course four years back, I know that it’s 3 miles to this point, and then it will be 4 more to the falls at the end. When I ran this way the other day, I got here in 26 ½ minutes. Today it is 25 ½.
Relative to the volume and intensity of my running before coming to Hawaii, I’ve been running my ‘Okole off since then. It’s been two whole weeks of running each day, including a pretty solid mid-distance effort at least every other day. This run will be a solid one if my ‘ole legs can continue to handle this pace.
Now I’m on dark, dark Ma’alo Road. There are no residences the entire way, just shrubs, trees and an occasional happy cow-in-paradise. I brandish my little flashlight to see where the heck I’m going. The initial big hill slows me down for the first mile, but then I manage to pick it up again.
After 3 dark miles, I see some lights. They are coming from pickup trucks driving slowly and shining flashlights into the bushes on the sides of the road. I don’t quite understand – are they hunters? I’ve heard it’s wild boar hunting season. If that’s what’s going on, is it legal to hunt with flashlights? I do my best to not look boarish, or boaring. But I do try to be seen, and I say, “morning” as I pass by. I hear some response from a couple of the trucks, but I can’t quite hear what it is. I keep running.
Finally I reach the falls at the end of the road in 59 ½ minutes – 2 faster than the other day. Oh, what measurement and motivation can do. It’s barely getting light at 6am, and I stop to admire the falls and stretch just a bit. The wild chickens-in-paradise, of which there are many, have started to crow. Other birds have started to sing their exotic songs. I reflect a bit that Debbie and I have been to six out of the seven inhabited Hawaiian Islands. Kauai is fantastically beautiful, and full of bountiful wonders like these falls. Yes, it definitely ranks in the top six.
Now it’s time to go back the way I came. Down, mostly, into town, and then down to the Marriott. I pass by the hunters again, and there are even more of them now. Many are parked, but some are still “patrolling”. As I pass by the mile markers, I can tell that I’m almost achieving “eight-ness”. That’s no small feat for me these days, especially on these tired legs.
Going back up the hill into town slows me down, but once again I’m able to recover. I stop to admire the wonderful sunrise. The sky is aglow with pastel colors – blue, pink and peach to name a few. Now it’s back down the hill to the Marriott. My legs sure do ache, but I’m getting there. I reach the hotel in 57 ½ minutes – pretty solid.
Time to pack and return home to Ohio. With thoughts, of course, of returning yet another time.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Hawaii - 2009
ICan'tBelieveILiveHere.com
That's the name of Rita and George's imaginary website. They may actually register it yet, and I hope they do. We had the honor to stay with Rita, George and Chessie (aka Kitty in Paradise) for the first couple nights of our 2009 trip. We didn't plan anything big - just a visit.
Unfortunately, Rita had experienced a death and an illness in her family. It was a tough time to be visiting. She was in the midst of planning to go back to Ohio the same evening that we'd be leaving for Kauai. George was recovering (well) from his knee surgery. In spite of this, we had a nice visit. Rita prepared some nice meals, and we took a grand walk along all of the Kameole beaches in Kihei. A highlight was seeing a whale breach just as we took a rest at the farthest point. George said he could hear the thing flop back into the water. Dinner that night was at Cafe Ole - a wonderful place that we'd been to before.
Rita and I had a very nice run before we had to go on Sunday morning. Sad to go, but it was on to Kauai, and Rita had things to do to get ready for her own trip.
Nualolo/Nualolo Cliffs/Awa-awapuhi Trail Hike
This was some hike. We'd been planning it for months, and it was everything we thought and hoped it would be, and more.
The early part was extremely muddy, and extremely downhill. It was more of a climb than a hike. A climb through mud. After 3.8 miles of thick, slippery muck, and nearly four hours of hiking, we reached the Lolo Vista viewpoint. It was indescribable. Such grandeur to look out upon the Na Pali coastline from the top of the cliffs. It might as well have been top of the world.
After backtracking a bit, the 2.1 mile Cliffs trail was fine, except for one eroded section where we had to literally hug the side of the cliff to get by. Treacherous doesn't begin to descibe the feeling of being inches away from a 2,000 foot drop.
The lookout from the end of the Awa-awapuhi Trail was the most spectacular yet. Simply fantastic. Then it was time to go back up for 3+ final miles of the 9.8. It was a steady uphill hike, not as steep as the climb down. But we were extremely tired and had to stop often.
We made it out alive. It took us over 9 hours - that's about 1 mile per hour - and we were exhausted as I ran down to get the car. What a day.
The Lady Adventurer and I were pretty durn sore for the next day or three.
Island Cars
This was our car rental company. Hertz, Avis, National, etc. are all available, but I decide to save some money with this outfit. I did probably save about $150, but what an experience. We wound up driving a complete wreck. It was so bad it was funny. The guy did tell us that we could swap it for a better one in a couple days, and that we did. Even then we had a problem with the newer car over-heating. I found the loose coolant cap and replaced it after filling it up, and then it was fine. So I guess it all worked out, and we still saved the money.
General Sightseeing
We've been checking out some of the same stuff we've seen on other trips, and also some new stuff, like a waterfall we'd never seen before. The same stuff included home-of-the-magic-dragon Hanalei area (although we'd never before walked that particular beach), Kilauea Lighthouse and Haena/Ke'e Beach. Ke'e beach gets my vote as the world's most beautiful. (Trunk Bay on St. John is second.) We walked it and gawked at the nearby Na Pali cliffs all along. We couldn't believe that we'd actually been on top of them a few days prior. Whenever I see those cliffs I'm always amazed that such an other-worldly place exists. We also saw a couple endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals sunning themselves on the beach there.
Timeshare Presentation
Yes, we'll listen for money. $100 in this case. It was at the Marriott's Waiohai in Poipu. We'd stayed there 24 years back, before it was leveled by a hurricane. Interesting to see, but timeshares don't make no sense at all to me, no matter how nice they are.
Our Marriott
Speaking of Marriotts, ours in Lihue is as nice as ever. We've got a fantastic view of the ocean from our 11th floor room. As nice a home away from home as you can get. Great gardens too. You should see them feed the koi.
Other Hikes
Nothing as big-time as that first big time hike described above, but we're doing other stuff as well. Lots of walking around the resort area, and then some other dirt trail hikes as well. One was the Kuilau Ridge Trail, which was near the middle of the island. The very middle is Mt. Waialeale, the wettest spot on the planet. We weren't far - the mountain was, as always, shrouded in clouds only a few miles to the west of our trail. But we stayed dry for this very scenic and relatively gentle hike. I think I speak for both myself and the Lady Adventurer in saying that we'd happily do this one again.
The Pihea Trail to Alakai Swamp sounded like it would be great hike. Unfortunately, it was raining and very cold (54F) as we started out. And then there was the muddy downhill slope. Not this again. The mud, combined with the cold rain forced us to turn back. The view of the Kalalau valley along the way was awesome as ever, even in the rain.
Just a couple miles back down the road, it was sunny again. We started on a Waimea Canyon hike. The trail descended deep into the canyon, and we turned back after a half hour or so. The best views were from the top, but at least we got a workout coming back up.
The Weather
In general, it never got hotter than about 76 or so. Never colder than about 68 (except at the start of the Pihea Trail in the rain at 4,000 feet. I think that Kauai is best in the summer - for a tropical island, it feels pretty cool in the winter and early spring. And we've had some on and off rain. One day Debbie and I started off on a walk from the resort amongst very bright sunshine and perfect blue skies. Wouldn't you know it? By the time we were about a mile away, a sudden rain storm drenched us. A Marriott coutesy shuttle came by and courteously picked our drowned-rat selves up.
Another experience was sitting down to watch the movie, "South Pacific" on the beach at our resort - they had set up a screen, loudspeakers, chairs, etc. The movie was filmed here 50 years ago, so it was appropriate. After some earlier rain, the skies were clear and there was a pretty sunset. Just after the credits came an airplane scene followed by the song, "Bloody Mary", and with that, the rain. In we went, saying we'll rent it and watch it in our dry basement.
Debbie was really pissed. "Where are all the %#$^* rainbows?" We'd been here a week and hadn't seen a single one. And we'd had plenty of rain AND sunshine, often both at the same time. Last I checked, those ARE the main ingredients. Finally we did see a nice bright one from our lanai. Then another the very next day in the Kalalau valley. Maybe they've been around all along and we just hadn't seen them.
Sunsets have not been overwhelmingly beautiful; it's often cloudy in the afternoons and evenings. The sunrises, however, have been sublime. The whole sky has been taking on watercolor/pastel hues, much to my enjoyment during my daily morning runs.
Allerton Garden
$45 each for a garden tour? And it was worth it? Yes, and yes. The Allerton Garden was truly beautiful, and Wendy the guide made it an experience to remember. It shows what an extremely rich guy who likes plants can do. Also included were some of the areas filmed in Jurassic Park - watch out for those raptors!
The Ends of the Earth
We all know it's Polihale, the wind-swept, sun-baked 17-mile beach on Kauai's western shore. Looking west from here, there's absolutely nothing but blue Pacific Ocean for thousands of miles. That wasn't totally true for us this time, since we weren't able to drive to where the road goes through the park - it was closed. So we were actually facing southwest, and could see Ni'ihou from here. But this stretch of sand feels like the end of the planet no matter what. You can walk for miles and hardly see a soul.
We pulled into a parking area and began putting lotion and otherwise getting ready for our beach walk. No other cars around. After I closed the trunk I asked Debbie if she had the keys. You can guess where this is going: car open, keys locked in the trunk. After much consternation, Debbie was able, with me prying the seat away, to reach behind the back seat and use a hiking pole to snare her key-containing purse.
After our beach walk and picnic, we had shave ice for the first time. Not bad stuff.
Restaurants
Duke's is great. Portofino is ok. Roy's, which we remember as the best Hawaii restaurant chain, was good but not as great as we remembered. Buffets at our Kukui's were very good, but too much. Gaylords in Kilohana was the best all-around. Our last day we went to the hole-in-the-wall Lihue BBQ, and it was really great. And it was also a fraction of the cost of the other joints.
All in all, we had a great time. As always. Time to start planning our next trip back!
That's the name of Rita and George's imaginary website. They may actually register it yet, and I hope they do. We had the honor to stay with Rita, George and Chessie (aka Kitty in Paradise) for the first couple nights of our 2009 trip. We didn't plan anything big - just a visit.
Unfortunately, Rita had experienced a death and an illness in her family. It was a tough time to be visiting. She was in the midst of planning to go back to Ohio the same evening that we'd be leaving for Kauai. George was recovering (well) from his knee surgery. In spite of this, we had a nice visit. Rita prepared some nice meals, and we took a grand walk along all of the Kameole beaches in Kihei. A highlight was seeing a whale breach just as we took a rest at the farthest point. George said he could hear the thing flop back into the water. Dinner that night was at Cafe Ole - a wonderful place that we'd been to before.
Rita and I had a very nice run before we had to go on Sunday morning. Sad to go, but it was on to Kauai, and Rita had things to do to get ready for her own trip.
Nualolo/Nualolo Cliffs/Awa-awapuhi Trail Hike
This was some hike. We'd been planning it for months, and it was everything we thought and hoped it would be, and more.
The early part was extremely muddy, and extremely downhill. It was more of a climb than a hike. A climb through mud. After 3.8 miles of thick, slippery muck, and nearly four hours of hiking, we reached the Lolo Vista viewpoint. It was indescribable. Such grandeur to look out upon the Na Pali coastline from the top of the cliffs. It might as well have been top of the world.
After backtracking a bit, the 2.1 mile Cliffs trail was fine, except for one eroded section where we had to literally hug the side of the cliff to get by. Treacherous doesn't begin to descibe the feeling of being inches away from a 2,000 foot drop.
The lookout from the end of the Awa-awapuhi Trail was the most spectacular yet. Simply fantastic. Then it was time to go back up for 3+ final miles of the 9.8. It was a steady uphill hike, not as steep as the climb down. But we were extremely tired and had to stop often.
We made it out alive. It took us over 9 hours - that's about 1 mile per hour - and we were exhausted as I ran down to get the car. What a day.
The Lady Adventurer and I were pretty durn sore for the next day or three.
Island Cars
This was our car rental company. Hertz, Avis, National, etc. are all available, but I decide to save some money with this outfit. I did probably save about $150, but what an experience. We wound up driving a complete wreck. It was so bad it was funny. The guy did tell us that we could swap it for a better one in a couple days, and that we did. Even then we had a problem with the newer car over-heating. I found the loose coolant cap and replaced it after filling it up, and then it was fine. So I guess it all worked out, and we still saved the money.
General Sightseeing
We've been checking out some of the same stuff we've seen on other trips, and also some new stuff, like a waterfall we'd never seen before. The same stuff included home-of-the-magic-dragon Hanalei area (although we'd never before walked that particular beach), Kilauea Lighthouse and Haena/Ke'e Beach. Ke'e beach gets my vote as the world's most beautiful. (Trunk Bay on St. John is second.) We walked it and gawked at the nearby Na Pali cliffs all along. We couldn't believe that we'd actually been on top of them a few days prior. Whenever I see those cliffs I'm always amazed that such an other-worldly place exists. We also saw a couple endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals sunning themselves on the beach there.
Timeshare Presentation
Yes, we'll listen for money. $100 in this case. It was at the Marriott's Waiohai in Poipu. We'd stayed there 24 years back, before it was leveled by a hurricane. Interesting to see, but timeshares don't make no sense at all to me, no matter how nice they are.
Our Marriott
Speaking of Marriotts, ours in Lihue is as nice as ever. We've got a fantastic view of the ocean from our 11th floor room. As nice a home away from home as you can get. Great gardens too. You should see them feed the koi.
Other Hikes
Nothing as big-time as that first big time hike described above, but we're doing other stuff as well. Lots of walking around the resort area, and then some other dirt trail hikes as well. One was the Kuilau Ridge Trail, which was near the middle of the island. The very middle is Mt. Waialeale, the wettest spot on the planet. We weren't far - the mountain was, as always, shrouded in clouds only a few miles to the west of our trail. But we stayed dry for this very scenic and relatively gentle hike. I think I speak for both myself and the Lady Adventurer in saying that we'd happily do this one again.
The Pihea Trail to Alakai Swamp sounded like it would be great hike. Unfortunately, it was raining and very cold (54F) as we started out. And then there was the muddy downhill slope. Not this again. The mud, combined with the cold rain forced us to turn back. The view of the Kalalau valley along the way was awesome as ever, even in the rain.
Just a couple miles back down the road, it was sunny again. We started on a Waimea Canyon hike. The trail descended deep into the canyon, and we turned back after a half hour or so. The best views were from the top, but at least we got a workout coming back up.
The Weather
In general, it never got hotter than about 76 or so. Never colder than about 68 (except at the start of the Pihea Trail in the rain at 4,000 feet. I think that Kauai is best in the summer - for a tropical island, it feels pretty cool in the winter and early spring. And we've had some on and off rain. One day Debbie and I started off on a walk from the resort amongst very bright sunshine and perfect blue skies. Wouldn't you know it? By the time we were about a mile away, a sudden rain storm drenched us. A Marriott coutesy shuttle came by and courteously picked our drowned-rat selves up.
Another experience was sitting down to watch the movie, "South Pacific" on the beach at our resort - they had set up a screen, loudspeakers, chairs, etc. The movie was filmed here 50 years ago, so it was appropriate. After some earlier rain, the skies were clear and there was a pretty sunset. Just after the credits came an airplane scene followed by the song, "Bloody Mary", and with that, the rain. In we went, saying we'll rent it and watch it in our dry basement.
Debbie was really pissed. "Where are all the %#$^* rainbows?" We'd been here a week and hadn't seen a single one. And we'd had plenty of rain AND sunshine, often both at the same time. Last I checked, those ARE the main ingredients. Finally we did see a nice bright one from our lanai. Then another the very next day in the Kalalau valley. Maybe they've been around all along and we just hadn't seen them.
Sunsets have not been overwhelmingly beautiful; it's often cloudy in the afternoons and evenings. The sunrises, however, have been sublime. The whole sky has been taking on watercolor/pastel hues, much to my enjoyment during my daily morning runs.
Allerton Garden
$45 each for a garden tour? And it was worth it? Yes, and yes. The Allerton Garden was truly beautiful, and Wendy the guide made it an experience to remember. It shows what an extremely rich guy who likes plants can do. Also included were some of the areas filmed in Jurassic Park - watch out for those raptors!
The Ends of the Earth
We all know it's Polihale, the wind-swept, sun-baked 17-mile beach on Kauai's western shore. Looking west from here, there's absolutely nothing but blue Pacific Ocean for thousands of miles. That wasn't totally true for us this time, since we weren't able to drive to where the road goes through the park - it was closed. So we were actually facing southwest, and could see Ni'ihou from here. But this stretch of sand feels like the end of the planet no matter what. You can walk for miles and hardly see a soul.
We pulled into a parking area and began putting lotion and otherwise getting ready for our beach walk. No other cars around. After I closed the trunk I asked Debbie if she had the keys. You can guess where this is going: car open, keys locked in the trunk. After much consternation, Debbie was able, with me prying the seat away, to reach behind the back seat and use a hiking pole to snare her key-containing purse.
After our beach walk and picnic, we had shave ice for the first time. Not bad stuff.
Restaurants
Duke's is great. Portofino is ok. Roy's, which we remember as the best Hawaii restaurant chain, was good but not as great as we remembered. Buffets at our Kukui's were very good, but too much. Gaylords in Kilohana was the best all-around. Our last day we went to the hole-in-the-wall Lihue BBQ, and it was really great. And it was also a fraction of the cost of the other joints.
All in all, we had a great time. As always. Time to start planning our next trip back!
Running in Paradise
I'll chronical all of my running in Hawaii here. It'll be two weeks worth of running, some descriptive and some not so much so.
Running in Hawaii is like so many other activities in Hawaii. A true pleasure. Yes, it's running in paradise. We spent the first two nights staying with our friends Rita and George on Maui, and then the next twelve nights in the Lihue area of Kauai.
Saturday, March 21
After the previous day's long trip, I didn't feel too awful. I'd planned to do this run with Rita (George is still recovering from knee surgery), but Rita needed to sleep in. So I went out alone. Rita and George live in Kihei. When we used to stay at a Maui hotel, we weren't too far down the road in Wailea. So that's the direction I ran. It was like old times - almost like going home again, to run past the old Renaissance hotel that's now being torn down. I also ran on the Wailea ocean path for a while and looked for whales. An easy 10 miles in about 90 minutes. Great stars. Beautiful sunrise.
Sunday, March 22
This time I did manage to run with Rita. I did 2 on my own first, but then the two of us ran towards Wailea once again. We started at 9.5 mpm pace, and then picked it up to 8.5 pace for the return. So once again it was 10 miles in 90 minutes, this time verified by Rita's gps. Great stars. Beautiful sunrise.
Monday, March 23
Now in Kauai, I thought I'd do this 14 mile run that I'd done several times last time I was here (2005). It takes me up Rice street, through downtown Lihue, and eventurally up a dark deserted road to Wailua falls. Only problem is that I got lost trying to find the dark road in the dark. I did another road instead, and then accidentally made a good sized loop and then returned to Nawiliwili. I also ran up by the local high school looking for a track, but there isn't one there. Still another beautiful run in paradise.
Tuesday, March 24
I didn't run in the morning, and wasn't going to run at all- we had this big time hike planned. See my separate post about the hike, but afterwards I had to run back down the road to our starting point to get the car whilst Debbie waited. After 10 extremely tough miles of hiking in 9 hours, it wasn't easy to run, but I managed. Call it 2 miles in 19 minutes.
Wednesday, March 25
Extremely sore and tired from the hike, I managed to drag myself out for some extremely slow miles around the nearby golf course. They're also building a lot around there, so it's pretty interesting. Another beautiful sunrise. 5 miles in fifty (50!) minutes.
Thursday, March 26
I felt a bit better, and I explored a new road today. Can't think of the name of it, but it is deserted for about 5 miles and winds west and south, more or less parallel with the main road. Also goes by the Menehune Fish Pond. It was pretty durn dark out there. I cut over to the main road (Nawiliwili) for the last few miles, and I picked it up pretty well on that downhill section, even managing to get to sub-8 pace for a measured mile. Altogether 9 in 79 minutes.
Friday, March 27
Another gorgeous sunrise, but then aren' they all? (the answer is yes). I just realized that I haven't missed a day of running here yet. And today I was up early for a company conference call (that wound up getting postponed) so I was out the door early. I did 16 miles at about 9 minute pace, mostly on that same deserted road as yesterday, and some over onto Kipu road. This was a pretty good medium-long run for me.
Saturday, March 28
I dragged myself out and did about 4 miles around the resort, airport and golf course. I'd forgotten that the roads do make this loop. It's not the prettiest whilst running by the airport however. I also did some extra unsuccessfully trying to get into the nearby stadium track.
Sunday, March 29
It was time. I'd done the run to Wailua Falls a couple times last time I was here, and dad-gum it if I wasn't going to do it again. I like this run - it's challenging and beautiful. I run three miles into and out of the town of Lihue. This isn't good when there's traffic, so this run is best on Sundays or very early. No traffic today. Just to the north of town, a road leads 4 miles further to the falls. The road is almost entirely deserted. And it's dark! The payoff at the falls is really cool - the falls are really big, and the road is right alongside. I made it to the falls in 61 and a half minutes. This was mostly uphill. Then it was back down to the resort, and this I did in 58 and a half, reaching home in exactly 2 hours. I was exausted, but it was a really nice run. I'll do it again, probably Tuesday.
Monday, March 30
A streak is a streak, so I dragged my weary bones out and did 2 very slow miles around the resort.
Tuesday, March 31
I had measured the nearby deserted road that I'd been putting so many miles upon, and it's 6 to the end where it meets the highway. So of course that's what I did today. It's amazing what measurement can do. Suddenly I was running much faster than I did before when I didn't know the distances. Well, maybe not that much faster. 53 1/2 minutes going out (and that's mostly uphill), and then 48 and a half minutes back down. Another great sunrise.
Wednesday, April 1
For some reason I decided to try that same route again. 12 miles two days in a row? Can that happen? You're asking the guy who once did the Tahoe Triple, but who's only a shadow of that former runner. But I did manage to do this run a second time. And faster too! 52 minutes out, and once again, 48 and a half back. The ole legs really took a beating on those hills, especially the down hills.
Thursday, April 2
Another easy day. I only ran to the end of the Nawiliwili pier, stopped to admire the sunrise (best yet) and then back for 2 miles total.
Friday, April 3
I did the 14-mile run to Wailua Falls once again. 1:57. I've written a little story about this run as a separate post.
Running in Hawaii is like so many other activities in Hawaii. A true pleasure. Yes, it's running in paradise. We spent the first two nights staying with our friends Rita and George on Maui, and then the next twelve nights in the Lihue area of Kauai.
Saturday, March 21
After the previous day's long trip, I didn't feel too awful. I'd planned to do this run with Rita (George is still recovering from knee surgery), but Rita needed to sleep in. So I went out alone. Rita and George live in Kihei. When we used to stay at a Maui hotel, we weren't too far down the road in Wailea. So that's the direction I ran. It was like old times - almost like going home again, to run past the old Renaissance hotel that's now being torn down. I also ran on the Wailea ocean path for a while and looked for whales. An easy 10 miles in about 90 minutes. Great stars. Beautiful sunrise.
Sunday, March 22
This time I did manage to run with Rita. I did 2 on my own first, but then the two of us ran towards Wailea once again. We started at 9.5 mpm pace, and then picked it up to 8.5 pace for the return. So once again it was 10 miles in 90 minutes, this time verified by Rita's gps. Great stars. Beautiful sunrise.
Monday, March 23
Now in Kauai, I thought I'd do this 14 mile run that I'd done several times last time I was here (2005). It takes me up Rice street, through downtown Lihue, and eventurally up a dark deserted road to Wailua falls. Only problem is that I got lost trying to find the dark road in the dark. I did another road instead, and then accidentally made a good sized loop and then returned to Nawiliwili. I also ran up by the local high school looking for a track, but there isn't one there. Still another beautiful run in paradise.
Tuesday, March 24
I didn't run in the morning, and wasn't going to run at all- we had this big time hike planned. See my separate post about the hike, but afterwards I had to run back down the road to our starting point to get the car whilst Debbie waited. After 10 extremely tough miles of hiking in 9 hours, it wasn't easy to run, but I managed. Call it 2 miles in 19 minutes.
Wednesday, March 25
Extremely sore and tired from the hike, I managed to drag myself out for some extremely slow miles around the nearby golf course. They're also building a lot around there, so it's pretty interesting. Another beautiful sunrise. 5 miles in fifty (50!) minutes.
Thursday, March 26
I felt a bit better, and I explored a new road today. Can't think of the name of it, but it is deserted for about 5 miles and winds west and south, more or less parallel with the main road. Also goes by the Menehune Fish Pond. It was pretty durn dark out there. I cut over to the main road (Nawiliwili) for the last few miles, and I picked it up pretty well on that downhill section, even managing to get to sub-8 pace for a measured mile. Altogether 9 in 79 minutes.
Friday, March 27
Another gorgeous sunrise, but then aren' they all? (the answer is yes). I just realized that I haven't missed a day of running here yet. And today I was up early for a company conference call (that wound up getting postponed) so I was out the door early. I did 16 miles at about 9 minute pace, mostly on that same deserted road as yesterday, and some over onto Kipu road. This was a pretty good medium-long run for me.
Saturday, March 28
I dragged myself out and did about 4 miles around the resort, airport and golf course. I'd forgotten that the roads do make this loop. It's not the prettiest whilst running by the airport however. I also did some extra unsuccessfully trying to get into the nearby stadium track.
Sunday, March 29
It was time. I'd done the run to Wailua Falls a couple times last time I was here, and dad-gum it if I wasn't going to do it again. I like this run - it's challenging and beautiful. I run three miles into and out of the town of Lihue. This isn't good when there's traffic, so this run is best on Sundays or very early. No traffic today. Just to the north of town, a road leads 4 miles further to the falls. The road is almost entirely deserted. And it's dark! The payoff at the falls is really cool - the falls are really big, and the road is right alongside. I made it to the falls in 61 and a half minutes. This was mostly uphill. Then it was back down to the resort, and this I did in 58 and a half, reaching home in exactly 2 hours. I was exausted, but it was a really nice run. I'll do it again, probably Tuesday.
Monday, March 30
A streak is a streak, so I dragged my weary bones out and did 2 very slow miles around the resort.
Tuesday, March 31
I had measured the nearby deserted road that I'd been putting so many miles upon, and it's 6 to the end where it meets the highway. So of course that's what I did today. It's amazing what measurement can do. Suddenly I was running much faster than I did before when I didn't know the distances. Well, maybe not that much faster. 53 1/2 minutes going out (and that's mostly uphill), and then 48 and a half minutes back down. Another great sunrise.
Wednesday, April 1
For some reason I decided to try that same route again. 12 miles two days in a row? Can that happen? You're asking the guy who once did the Tahoe Triple, but who's only a shadow of that former runner. But I did manage to do this run a second time. And faster too! 52 minutes out, and once again, 48 and a half back. The ole legs really took a beating on those hills, especially the down hills.
Thursday, April 2
Another easy day. I only ran to the end of the Nawiliwili pier, stopped to admire the sunrise (best yet) and then back for 2 miles total.
Friday, April 3
I did the 14-mile run to Wailua Falls once again. 1:57. I've written a little story about this run as a separate post.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
After Running 2 Miles in the Last 10 Days...
I decided I'd had it with sloth. It helped that I was finally starting to feel better. Yesterday I did my 6-mile course in 53 minutes, took a GU and some water, and then ran it again in 51 minutes. Felt like I was flying that second time. And that felt great. Yes, I'm a runner again. Albeit a slow one.
After yesterday's run Debbie and I hiked the Old Carriage Trail. This was our final preparation for the big-time hiking that we're planning for Kauai. Stay tuned for more on that topic.
Today I was tired, and it was tough to get out. But I did manage to drag myself out the door, even though the coffee had never really hit home this time. I wanted to get at least 8 in, so I did my 4-mile course in an extremely slow 38 1/2 minutes. Then, like yesterday, I did it a second time, this time in a faster 37 minutes. It was kinda like running through jello. But at least I was able to get in some real runs for two days in a row. Now I'm ready for vacation.
One more thing: The 24 hour run website is finally up and running. Lots going on. This is very exciting. www.northcoast24.org
After yesterday's run Debbie and I hiked the Old Carriage Trail. This was our final preparation for the big-time hiking that we're planning for Kauai. Stay tuned for more on that topic.
Today I was tired, and it was tough to get out. But I did manage to drag myself out the door, even though the coffee had never really hit home this time. I wanted to get at least 8 in, so I did my 4-mile course in an extremely slow 38 1/2 minutes. Then, like yesterday, I did it a second time, this time in a faster 37 minutes. It was kinda like running through jello. But at least I was able to get in some real runs for two days in a row. Now I'm ready for vacation.
One more thing: The 24 hour run website is finally up and running. Lots going on. This is very exciting. www.northcoast24.org
Monday, March 16, 2009
I Ran a Mile Today
My injuries continue to compound, causing me to take yet another week off. My fall was about a month ago, and I was starting to feel a bit better, when I somehow displaced a rib last week. Indescribable pain. I almost couldn't function as a human being at all. I somehow did manage to get to my downstairs office and do some actual work. But even that was nearly impossible.
About that rib. At least that's what the chiropractor (Dr. Lisa) told me. She said she relocated it to it's proper position, and voila, I'm better. Really. So she did do something right. Now I'm still sore, but I can actually bend a bit once again without too much excruciating pain. Thanks Dr. Lisa.
So I made up my mind to go out for a run today. I ran a mile, and felt so good that I turned back and did another one. I even broke 10-minute pace for the final 100 meters or so as I sprinted it in.
It feels great to be a runner once again.
About that rib. At least that's what the chiropractor (Dr. Lisa) told me. She said she relocated it to it's proper position, and voila, I'm better. Really. So she did do something right. Now I'm still sore, but I can actually bend a bit once again without too much excruciating pain. Thanks Dr. Lisa.
So I made up my mind to go out for a run today. I ran a mile, and felt so good that I turned back and did another one. I even broke 10-minute pace for the final 100 meters or so as I sprinted it in.
It feels great to be a runner once again.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Week of March 8, 2009
Sunday: Cold rain. Did I ever mention how much I hate it? I had it yesterday, and today I'd planned to run with Ladd, Marsha and company. I was in the car, driving through the 40F driving rainstorm when I turned back and jumped on the mill. There I did 9 x 1200 in about 5 minutes each. Not a pretty one, but at least I got something in. Got another cold - probably because of yesterday's run in the rain. Taking Zicam again.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Egads, it's March!
Not only is it March, but I've got a marathon in May. Not only do I have a marathon in May, but I've got a half in April. Not only do I have that half (and probably other series races), but I haven't been running more than 50 miles per week, and those have been super slow. I could go on.
So yes, egads is the operative word here. As in, Egads, I'd better start to train.
I hadn't done a 20 (or even 18) all year. Blame the maladies. And the lousy weather. So Monday, when temps were in the single digits, I stepped on the mill and did a lousy 20. It wasn't pretty. I took yesterday off. Duh.
I hadn't planned to do another long one anytime soon; probably 15 or so on Saturday with Dave and Amy. But this morning I awoke very early and decided to go for one again, this time outside.
It's always a good omen to be out the door before four. Don't ask why. It just is. I didn't make it today; it was about 4:15 or so. And it was stil cold - in the lower teens. But it was clear and the stars were pretty. I did my 16-mile course for 15, and then zigged and zagged in the nearby to make it up to 20. Those last 5 were quite a struggle. I even had to walk for a good part of the last one. So I'd have to say that this was even less pretty than Monday's run. Maybe it was because of getting out so late.
So now at least I'm doing long runs again. Maybe I should do *only* twenties from now on. I've got a streak of two going.
So yes, egads is the operative word here. As in, Egads, I'd better start to train.
I hadn't done a 20 (or even 18) all year. Blame the maladies. And the lousy weather. So Monday, when temps were in the single digits, I stepped on the mill and did a lousy 20. It wasn't pretty. I took yesterday off. Duh.
I hadn't planned to do another long one anytime soon; probably 15 or so on Saturday with Dave and Amy. But this morning I awoke very early and decided to go for one again, this time outside.
It's always a good omen to be out the door before four. Don't ask why. It just is. I didn't make it today; it was about 4:15 or so. And it was stil cold - in the lower teens. But it was clear and the stars were pretty. I did my 16-mile course for 15, and then zigged and zagged in the nearby to make it up to 20. Those last 5 were quite a struggle. I even had to walk for a good part of the last one. So I'd have to say that this was even less pretty than Monday's run. Maybe it was because of getting out so late.
So now at least I'm doing long runs again. Maybe I should do *only* twenties from now on. I've got a streak of two going.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Week of March 1, 2009
Monday: Took yesterday off to travel home. Today I stepped on the mill and banged out 20. First 20 in a long, long time. It wasn't pretty. Next time I'll try to do it outside.
Wednesday: Another 20 on the roads. See separate post (egads it's march).
Friday: It was a nice day. Temps were in the mid 50s. I hit the track for the first time this year. It was back to reality in a big hurry. I did 5 x 400, and never broke 90 seconds - I averaged 92. Being slow wasn't so bad, but the p___ was. It's so discouraging to know that I haven't really healed in any of the three areas (foot, back/leg, side) where I've been hurting. They weren't all that bad until this run, where I pushed myself a bit.
Saturday: I had thought about doing 2+ hours in the valley with Dave and Amy. The rain, continuing injuries and general lack of gumption made me quit after about an hour twenty. Dave and I did tackle some big-time hills going in and out of the valley within Brecksville reservation, so it was still a workout.
Wednesday: Another 20 on the roads. See separate post (egads it's march).
Friday: It was a nice day. Temps were in the mid 50s. I hit the track for the first time this year. It was back to reality in a big hurry. I did 5 x 400, and never broke 90 seconds - I averaged 92. Being slow wasn't so bad, but the p___ was. It's so discouraging to know that I haven't really healed in any of the three areas (foot, back/leg, side) where I've been hurting. They weren't all that bad until this run, where I pushed myself a bit.
Saturday: I had thought about doing 2+ hours in the valley with Dave and Amy. The rain, continuing injuries and general lack of gumption made me quit after about an hour twenty. Dave and I did tackle some big-time hills going in and out of the valley within Brecksville reservation, so it was still a workout.
Visiting Veronica (and Valerie)
Debbie and I drove through a driving rainstorm all the way through Pennsylvania. It subsided by the time we got to New Jersey, but Valerie's flight into Newark was nevertheless delayed 2 hours. Probably because they *thought* about rain that may or may not occur some day. We walked around Ikea whilst awaiting the flight. After we picked her up, we had to drive through NYC on I95 at 5pm to get to Veronica and Barry's. Lotso luck. We finally made it in around 7pm - 12 hours after we started out.
But that's when the fun began. It was Veronica's birthday (a big one!) weekend celebration, so after pizza, we had the scrumpti-delicious cake that Debbie had made and brought in the trunk. We watched Meed the Robinsons. Saturday we went to Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium, dinner and a little shopping. Then of course it was more cake, and also some cupcakes.
Sunday we dropped Val off at Newark (no traffic this time) and drove home. Great to see the girls. Lotso fun.
But that's when the fun began. It was Veronica's birthday (a big one!) weekend celebration, so after pizza, we had the scrumpti-delicious cake that Debbie had made and brought in the trunk. We watched Meed the Robinsons. Saturday we went to Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium, dinner and a little shopping. Then of course it was more cake, and also some cupcakes.
Sunday we dropped Val off at Newark (no traffic this time) and drove home. Great to see the girls. Lotso fun.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Week of February 22, 2009
Sunday: My cold, side, back, leg, foot, etc, etc, are all not too bad. I did 4 on the mill, and then hit the weights for some reps. First time since the fall. Those were tough with my side still hurting. But I got through them.
Monday: 6 on the mill. Last 3 were at sub-7 pace. Things are better still.
Monday night I ran 40 minutes with the Medina County Road Runners prior to the meeting. That was fun!
Wednesday: I had some time, so I ran a bit longer than usual: 13 miles. Decent route: Substation, Hamilton, Plum Creek, Sleepy Hollow, and back across 42. I was extremely slow - about 9 1/2 mpm. But at least I did get through it.
Thursday: Went out at noon and did 4 blisteringly fast miles - in 33 minutes. That is actually pretty decent for these days. I'll take it.
Friday: Didn't have much time, but I managed to bang out 3 quick miles on the mill before heading out for Connecticut.
Saturday: We were in the Courtyard, not Veronica's place, but I was able to find my usual route from the other side. This usual route is a 5-mile extremely hilly route through New England neighborhoods on East Rocks and West Rocks roads in Norwalk. I used to do two loops and call it 11 miles, including the route to and from the loop. This time it was a bit farther, and I also did some extra at the end after the two loops, so I'm calling it 15. And it was a good 15. Sunny and cool (about 37), it was almost perfect for a run. I did the first loop in 43 and a half, and then picked it up a bit to do the second loop in... 43 and a half (a few seconds faster).
Monday: 6 on the mill. Last 3 were at sub-7 pace. Things are better still.
Monday night I ran 40 minutes with the Medina County Road Runners prior to the meeting. That was fun!
Wednesday: I had some time, so I ran a bit longer than usual: 13 miles. Decent route: Substation, Hamilton, Plum Creek, Sleepy Hollow, and back across 42. I was extremely slow - about 9 1/2 mpm. But at least I did get through it.
Thursday: Went out at noon and did 4 blisteringly fast miles - in 33 minutes. That is actually pretty decent for these days. I'll take it.
Friday: Didn't have much time, but I managed to bang out 3 quick miles on the mill before heading out for Connecticut.
Saturday: We were in the Courtyard, not Veronica's place, but I was able to find my usual route from the other side. This usual route is a 5-mile extremely hilly route through New England neighborhoods on East Rocks and West Rocks roads in Norwalk. I used to do two loops and call it 11 miles, including the route to and from the loop. This time it was a bit farther, and I also did some extra at the end after the two loops, so I'm calling it 15. And it was a good 15. Sunny and cool (about 37), it was almost perfect for a run. I did the first loop in 43 and a half, and then picked it up a bit to do the second loop in... 43 and a half (a few seconds faster).
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Details About my Colonoscopy
Just kidding - I'll spare everyone. But I will say that the preparation was worse than the actual event. Juma Ikanga is credited with saying, "the will to win is nothing without the will to prepare." I could probably change that around somehow to fit my experience of yesterday, but I'll spare everyone.
Oh, just one more thing. The results were negative. Just like when I went in for that brainscan - the results were negative that time too.
All of which brings me to today's run in Broadview Heights with Amy and Dave. I had to explain that the back/leg problems made me forget about the foot problem, the rib problem (from the fall) made me forget about the leg/back problems and now preparing for the colonoscopy made me forget about the ole ribs. Not that those other problems have completely gone away, mind you - they're still there. Just not at the top of my brain's priorities..
It was the first time I had run, or done anything at all, for a week. And my side still hurts - it's just that I couldn't stand to not run any more. I managed to keep up for an hour twenty-five or so. Just happy to be able to run at all.
On top of everything else, I'm now fighting off a cold (using Zicam). Must've been one of the nurses. Really.
Oh, just one more thing. The results were negative. Just like when I went in for that brainscan - the results were negative that time too.
All of which brings me to today's run in Broadview Heights with Amy and Dave. I had to explain that the back/leg problems made me forget about the foot problem, the rib problem (from the fall) made me forget about the leg/back problems and now preparing for the colonoscopy made me forget about the ole ribs. Not that those other problems have completely gone away, mind you - they're still there. Just not at the top of my brain's priorities..
It was the first time I had run, or done anything at all, for a week. And my side still hurts - it's just that I couldn't stand to not run any more. I managed to keep up for an hour twenty-five or so. Just happy to be able to run at all.
On top of everything else, I'm now fighting off a cold (using Zicam). Must've been one of the nurses. Really.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Recovery (Maybe)
I know I said I would discontinue use of the "P" word (pain). But that was in relation to my foot and back problems. Now with my rib problems, I have bigger fish to fry.
I don't know if anything's broken, but it sure does hurt. It's funny that the nurse said I'd be in pain the next day (Monday), and on Monday I felt better. I had hope of a speedy recovery. For the early part of Tuesday I also felt better. But then the pain returned big-time yesterday afternoon and evening. Laying down to sleep last night was a real problem. Today I feel decent again. Of course the Aleve hasn't completely worn off yet.
I don't know if anything's broken, but it sure does hurt. It's funny that the nurse said I'd be in pain the next day (Monday), and on Monday I felt better. I had hope of a speedy recovery. For the early part of Tuesday I also felt better. But then the pain returned big-time yesterday afternoon and evening. Laying down to sleep last night was a real problem. Today I feel decent again. Of course the Aleve hasn't completely worn off yet.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Pride Goeth Before the Fall(s)
Another possible title might be, "Dan's Terrific but Terrible Tumble." I’ve taken a few, perhaps more than a few, memorable falls in my time. Today’s ranks up there with some of the best. Those others include, but are not limited to:
1) I was running down a grassy hill (ok, it was a grassy knoll) and onto a parking lot in the dark at Oakland Community College in Michigan. I caught my foot on a curb (who put that there?) and as I tried to roll with the fall, I couldn’t because my foot was still stuck. I semi-crushed my shoulder with a rotator-cuff injury that took a while to recover from. I also had a real lot of trouble getting up and getting home.
2) I was cutting through a small parking lot with a friend when I tripped and fell. I couldn’t figure out what did it until I found a plastic newspaper tie loop around both ankles. I didn’t get hurt, and I laughed a lot taking it off. I guess I caught it when one foot hit the ground, and it must have then stood up and caught the other foot, until both feet were inside the loop. What were the chances?
3) Also near OCC, I was running with a friend down a different hill that was covered with snow and ice. I landed on my butt, and slid for a mile or two. OK, it wasn’t quite that far, but it sure seemed like it. A real “Romancing the Stone” type moment. No injury – I’d landed on a soft spot.
4) Then there was the famous Maui incident. Far to the south, away from any civilization, I was running on a lonely, extremely dark road at about 5am. Heading up a hill, I was suddenly hit hard by something big that had been flying down the hill and right into me. I never saw the biker at all until after the impact. I was knocked down hard, but the biker fell harder. I got up and was in some pain, but it wasn’t too bad. The biker was almost incoherent, however. I helped him get up and onto his now crooked bike, asking all along if I should get help. He didn’t want any, and he continued crookedly on his way. Neither one of us had had any lights, and neither one of us had seen the other at all. Of course my reflective vest had been useless in this case. I sometimes wonder how that biker wound up.
Enough about the past. This morning I awoke extremely early, still being on European time. I plan to stay that way with my early calls next week. I was to meet Joe Jurczyk at Edgwater at 8:30, but had plenty of time before that, so why not go for an early run before meeting up with him? Light snow was falling, resulting in a dusting on the roads and lawns. I did my 11-mile loop at a steady sub-9-minute pace. That’s not bad for me these days. I even had time to do more before meeting Joe, but thought better of it.
Joe and I wanted to check out Edgewater as a possible site for the 24-hour run that we’re planning. He and Dan Fox had done so before, but I wanted to see it, and Joe didn’t seem to mind looking at it again. The snow was still falling, but still not accumulating too much as we started off on the lower .95 mile loop. We ran that loop once in each direction, taking still shots and videos as we went. We had to be cautious, as there were a few icy spots. I felt that that loop was a great option for our run.
Now it was time to check out the upper .67 mile loop. It was perhaps a ½ mile from our cars up the hill to the start of that loop. “Do you want to drive up?” asked Joe. “No” said I, “let’s just run up there.” That part of the asphalt trail turned out to be extremely icy. We had to run parts of it on the grass so that we could have any solid footing at all. The upper loop is a bit more scenic, more secluded, and partly sheltered from the wind. On the other hand, there was several twists and turns on the path, and at least one sharp turn. As nice as that upper loop is to run on, my preference for the event is the lower loop. But both are really great.
We’d seen what we wanted to see; time to quit. As we headed back down the hill on the asphalt trail, we passed a couple walking on the grass to avoid the ice and exchanged hellos. A couple seconds later, Joe went down. About a nanosecond later, I went down, hard! I’d been about 5 feet away and on a different patch of snow-covered ice. It’s amazing how many thoughts went through my head in such a short period of time. Here are some of them:
-Joe fell. Ha ha. (Something I’ve done since childhood is laugh at myself or others who fall down. I know that will strike many as mean-spirited, but it’s what all my friends did whilst playing baseball, football or basketball in our pre-teen and teen years. Don’t get me started on more falling stories from my more distant past. I am a little better about this now – I can usually catch myself from laughing out loud.)
-Dan Fell. Ha ha ha. (As noted, I do laugh at myself too.)
-Whoa. It hurts. It hurts a lot. All on my left side. Joe and the couple are asking if I’m ok.
-I’d better try to answer them. I don’t want them to be overly concerned. That would be the worst that could happen. I try to say that I’m ok, and I can hardly speak at all, making mostly only a pitiful wheezing sound.
-As the seconds pass, I am trying to say that I’m ok, and eventually I get that out. But it’s clearly not even remotely true. Breathing hurts too. I finally figure out that the wind was knocked out of me, and I say so in my wheezing voice.
-Joe was fine, but had stayed on the ground in sympathy. We got up and walked back, thanking the couple (the lady was a nurse – she said I’d be really sore tomorrow).
Hours later, my entire left side is still hurting. And I can feel the pain as I breathe deeply. So now I have yet another physical malady. Can’t wait until tomorrow when it may feel even worse.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
A Run Along the Thames
This time I’m staying within a few miles of Windsor. I toured the castle during a previous visit. Today I decided that it would be nice to run in that general direction. I had a lot of time - I didn’t need to be at the office until about 10am.
It was a clear, cool, frosty morning, and the temperature was showing nothing at all (that’s zero Celsius, by the way). It didn’t feel nearly as cold as yesterday when it had been +2C, but windy and rainy. Today’s widespread frost was actually quite slick in a couple spots. Most of the paths were fine though.
I made my way down to, and alongside of the M4 motorway, until I found a footbridge that would take me over. Once on the south side I kept heading west, until I found a road going south from there. It was slow going, partly because it was tough to see where I was headed the black asphalt footpaths. As it began to get lighter, I no longer had this excuse.
Still heading south on a different country road, I crossed a bridge that went over the river Thames. I went down the adjacent stairway and ran on the “Thames Path” for a bit before heading back up. It looked to be a great path, but it was muddy and flooded in spots from all the recent rain and snow. And I didn’t want to get my shoes muddy; I have to get them home in my suitcase. The river itself was extremely high – maybe at flood stage. It was flowing fast. If I return here, I’ll definitely do some more running on the Thames Path.
There was still more running to be done for this morning, however. I continued south and came to Windsor. I wanted to go over towards the town center and possibly catch a glimpse of the castle again. I started that way, but the traffic in that direction was getting heavier and I didn’t want to fight it. Besides, the road was now going partially alongside the Thames, and it was mostly scenic and relatively quiet. Continuing along the river, I eventually turned back after another mile or two.
Whilst running back toward my hotel I passed a guy with glasses and a backpack. I figured he was going to work, but to my surprise he began running and was almost keeping pace with me. I didn’t notice whether he had running shoes on, or whether he had been running before I passed him. This caused me to pick up my pace a bit – he shall not pass… He followed me for a mile or so to the next town, where I lost him, but then was passed by him as I was dithering around on a couple side streets. Turned out he was headed for the train station, and only just barely caught his train.
I crossed the bridge over the train and continued on my way. There would be one more area of interest: a small park that I hadn’t noticed in the darkness on the way out. With the sun now well above the horizon, I ran across and around the field, on the frosty grass and the partially frozen trails. I might come back here to run around here again as well.
I got back after about two hours, twenty minutes. I’ll call it 16, but it was possibly less – I was moving so slow. But it was a memorable one.
Here is the route:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/gb/datchet/752207560983
It was a clear, cool, frosty morning, and the temperature was showing nothing at all (that’s zero Celsius, by the way). It didn’t feel nearly as cold as yesterday when it had been +2C, but windy and rainy. Today’s widespread frost was actually quite slick in a couple spots. Most of the paths were fine though.
I made my way down to, and alongside of the M4 motorway, until I found a footbridge that would take me over. Once on the south side I kept heading west, until I found a road going south from there. It was slow going, partly because it was tough to see where I was headed the black asphalt footpaths. As it began to get lighter, I no longer had this excuse.
Still heading south on a different country road, I crossed a bridge that went over the river Thames. I went down the adjacent stairway and ran on the “Thames Path” for a bit before heading back up. It looked to be a great path, but it was muddy and flooded in spots from all the recent rain and snow. And I didn’t want to get my shoes muddy; I have to get them home in my suitcase. The river itself was extremely high – maybe at flood stage. It was flowing fast. If I return here, I’ll definitely do some more running on the Thames Path.
There was still more running to be done for this morning, however. I continued south and came to Windsor. I wanted to go over towards the town center and possibly catch a glimpse of the castle again. I started that way, but the traffic in that direction was getting heavier and I didn’t want to fight it. Besides, the road was now going partially alongside the Thames, and it was mostly scenic and relatively quiet. Continuing along the river, I eventually turned back after another mile or two.
Whilst running back toward my hotel I passed a guy with glasses and a backpack. I figured he was going to work, but to my surprise he began running and was almost keeping pace with me. I didn’t notice whether he had running shoes on, or whether he had been running before I passed him. This caused me to pick up my pace a bit – he shall not pass… He followed me for a mile or so to the next town, where I lost him, but then was passed by him as I was dithering around on a couple side streets. Turned out he was headed for the train station, and only just barely caught his train.
I crossed the bridge over the train and continued on my way. There would be one more area of interest: a small park that I hadn’t noticed in the darkness on the way out. With the sun now well above the horizon, I ran across and around the field, on the frosty grass and the partially frozen trails. I might come back here to run around here again as well.
I got back after about two hours, twenty minutes. I’ll call it 16, but it was possibly less – I was moving so slow. But it was a memorable one.
Here is the route:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/gb/datchet/752207560983
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