Concurrent Strength Training & Running 2015: Eight-Week Workout Cycle V

hey abide, tough luck on the race. i'm glad you had a blast and 80+ miles in the mountains is nothing to sneeze at. now, as someone who usually only has wide concrete paths, prairies, and chip-n-seal available with nose-bleeds only attainable on bridges over the interstate, my inquiring mind wants to know: what are the chances of someone adequately crazy being able to do leadville (or similar) without shoes? i seem to recall seeing that barefoot ted finished it once with a combination of some of his lunas and barefoot [apparently, his contract with VFFs must have lapsed at that point... :) ]. how would you rate the trails? i think DNEchris or someone else once proposed a scale consisting of:

* do-able
* suffer-able
* better be barefoot ken bob saxton
* [and maybe we should add: BFKB says "not worth it, yo!"]

i'm guessing "not worth it, yo!"?
 
hey abide, tough luck on the race. i'm glad you had a blast and 80+ miles in the mountains is nothing to sneeze at. now, as someone who usually only has wide concrete paths, prairies, and chip-n-seal available with nose-bleeds only attainable on bridges over the interstate, my inquiring mind wants to know: what are the chances of someone adequately crazy being able to do leadville (or similar) without shoes? i seem to recall seeing that barefoot ted finished it once with a combination of some of his lunas and barefoot [apparently, his contract with VFFs must have lapsed at that point... :) ]. how would you rate the trails? i think DNEchris or someone else once proposed a scale consisting of:

* do-able
* suffer-able
* better be barefoot ken bob saxton
* [and maybe we should add: BFKB says "not worth it, yo!"]

i'm guessing "not worth it, yo!"?

I think it would be impossible. I think someone crazy could probably run/walk the whole thing barefoot, but there is no way they could meet the cutoffs. There are too many sections of gravelly trail and road mixed in that would slow you down pretty significantly. On the other hand there are some great sections that you could run barefoot if you wanted to do a hybrid barefoot/luna race.

Barefoot Alex was out there pacing in his Luna's. He's a pretty die hard barefooter but resorted to sandals.
 
A beer half-marathon as a social event? That could well be enough of a temptation to get me to enter an event :)
Come to think of it that was what the New York Barefoot Running Festivals were about - I might already be trained up!

Ha that would be fun. Lower elevations are mandatory. Maybe a Europe meetup?
 
Thanks for the link.

When I first started traveling by bike, I just rode in swim shorts--cool and easy to wash. But as time went on, I broke with my low-tech aesthetic, and eventually geared up all around, starting with a proper Marin mountain bike I bought in Capetown, to handle African conditions. For shorts, I ended up with typical bike shorts with a chamois, and a hard saddle--much better than the gel saddle that came with the Marin over longer distances. Of course shorts and saddle are very personal, what works for one person may not work for another. I would usually put regular shorts or long pants over the cycling shorts when I went through towns and villages, especially in Muslim areas or anywhere where people dress conservatively.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I bought some Pearl Izumi Quest shorts (http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KT3XQM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00) but I didn't realize the chamois was synthetic and the padding around the privates seems a little excessive. So I'm going to try an upgrade to Sugoi RS Pro shorts, on closeout at REI. (Oh crap, now I see they're even cheaper on Amazon.) I usually put gym shorts over the bike shorts so that I have pockets and don't flaunt my beautiful middle-aged ass for free. I thought about getting the shorts that look like regular shorts but with chamois stitched in, but I figure my system works better because if the outer fabric wears out, you just need to go to Target or someplace and pick up another pair of cheap gym shorts.

So you're saying in CO nobody wears the tight cycling shorts?

I also got a handlebar mirror two days ago and that's been working out well. The turn signals I'm not sure about. It'll take a little Gerryrigging to make them work with my set-up. They're supposed to fit under the saddle, but the legs bump into it there, so it has to go on my rack somehow.

The reason I'm worried about the deads is because that "avoid everything" guy, RFL or RDF Fitness, reasoned that deads put a lot of sheering force on the knees during the initial leg drive. The second ortho seconded this idea, but it's hard to tell how much he was paying attention to what I was saying. Maybe he was just being agreeable and thankful that he had a patient that wasn't going to insist on doing everything he did before. He certainly endorsed the idea of giving up running. But he was also the most eager to perform surgery, so he may have lined up towards the more cautious/interventionist pole of the meniscus continuum. On the other end you have people like Dutchie and many others who keep on running and doing everything they did before, but with careful management.

I guess with the degenerative meniscus, you have to go with practice more than theory, find out what works, what's manageable, because the knees are never going to be 100% again but you can't simple do nothing. I'm giving up running because that's when the issue flared up the most. I have no proof that deadlifts aggravate my menisci, it was just from theory, so probably worth experimenting with.

With the SLDLs, I don't know if they are in fact any better for my knees than conventional DLs, but I do know they are killing me, in a good way. Really a great lift, but I kind of miss having a load goal for the Deadlift. I still would like to do a 400-pound single someday, and SLDLs aren't really conducive to singles. Just too much strain on the hammies and lower back. So the idea might be to keep in practice with 3 x 5 conventional deadlifts once a week, and then once in a great while test the singles. Once my left thumb heals up, I'll probably want to test singles on the presses once in a while too, maybe once a cycle.

Thanks for the waterproof shoe covers idea. Any brand recommendations?

No not specifically, I have gone through three pairs and all have ripped eventually. Are you planning on riding all winter? If so I would probably pick up a pair of the neoprene ones. It sucks to ride in wet and cold.

I should clarify, mountain bikers in CO riding casually don't wear tights. Races and roadies are a different story. Spandex are just way more accepted in the male population over here regardless of size or shape.

I understand about the deads and definitely think you should exercise caution. Although I am trying to figure out how deads would add any significant increase to sheering than squats? Maybe just the higher loads? That avoid guy also recommended not to overhead press too from what I remember, or do yoga. Funny though now anytime I get a slight tweak lifting I call it quits on that lift immediately for the day. I think that practice alone might mitigate the majority of injuries for me.

You know there are some lifters that do a SLDL as their conventional deadlift. Maybe you should consider modifying your technique a little to limit the knee bend. I'll try to find a YT for an example.
 
BTW, I have been considering doing higher rep half squats after my squatting sessions. Something like 1 x 20 or 2 x 10 after my actual squats. I was thinking it may help with the hill running and biking. I think I might give it a whirl to see what I think.
 
No not specifically, I have gone through three pairs and all have ripped eventually. Are you planning on riding all winter? If so I would probably pick up a pair of the neoprene ones. It sucks to ride in wet and cold.

I should clarify, mountain bikers in CO riding casually don't wear tights. Races and roadies are a different story. Spandex are just way more accepted in the male population over here regardless of size or shape.

I understand about the deads and definitely think you should exercise caution. Although I am trying to figure out how deads would add any significant increase to sheering than squats? Maybe just the higher loads? That avoid guy also recommended not to overhead press too from what I remember, or do yoga. Funny though now anytime I get a slight tweak lifting I call it quits on that lift immediately for the day. I think that practice alone might mitigate the majority of injuries for me.

You know there are some lifters that do a SLDL as their conventional deadlift. Maybe you should consider modifying your technique a little to limit the knee bend. I'll try to find a YT for an example.
Thanks again for the rec. I'll look into my options in another month or three. I've spent a fair amount over the last weeks just upgrading my basic set-up, so have to simmer down for a while.

I guess for mountain biking, you're not sitting in the saddle constantly, so there isn't as much need for cycling shorts. I can actually ride pretty well with regular shorts on my old, hard Record saddle, but it takes some time to get used to, and the cycling shorts are still more comfortable. I'm not a Euro-Spandex sort of guy, but it is nice to have a happy tush. I just tried my new Sugoi shorts while commuting. Way too much padding. Those are going back. I'm trying one more pair (http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LXU7TGY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00). I'm more of a minimalist when it comes to padding, and I hate thick gel saddles. My new Romin Expert Gel saddle has a little gel, but it's pretty negligible. I'm starting to settle into the new saddle. Today I'll go on a longer ride, and then maybe adjust the angle a bit, but otherwise, the split-crotch design has been fulfilling its promise; there's a lot less pressure on the pre-dick portion.

I tried conventional deads at 246 yesterday for a few reps, and they actually felt kind of weird. So I went back to SLDLs at the same weight. I think I'll keep the load there and build back up to where I was, in the 270s x 5, to make sure my lower back has had plenty of time to adapt. I like your risk-adverse approach. I've been doing that too. Yesterday, for example, my sore left thumb felt a little aggravated on the Overhead Press, so I skipped the Bench Press. Live for another day and all that.

As for knee bend, I think I bend the knees just enough to relieve pressure on the lower back. In any case, I'm just doing what feels most natural for me, not really thinking about what the ideal technique might be, beyond knowing that at least a little knee bend is probably best.

As I just wrote in my log, this cycle's experiment is sort of becoming one of giving more of a volume approach a try. After all my recent setbacks, I'm finally freed up enough mentally to let go of any immediate goals. So I've reduced weight on the SLDLs, Bench Press, and P Row. Now I may add a set to the Squat and Press, like I did in Cycle II, when I got the best results. But even for those lifts, I'm trying to keep things fairly easy, not really push it. It's a bit of a leap of faith, but I'm trying to trust consistency/frequency over intensity.
 
Thanks again for the rec. I'll look into my options in another month or three. I've spent a fair amount over the last weeks just upgrading my basic set-up, so have to simmer down for a while.

I guess for mountain biking, you're not sitting in the saddle constantly, so there isn't as much need for cycling shorts. I can actually ride pretty well with regular shorts on my old, hard Record saddle, but it takes some time to get used to, and the cycling shorts are still more comfortable. I'm not a Euro-Spandex sort of guy, but it is nice to have a happy tush. I just tried my new Sugoi shorts while commuting. Way too much padding. Those are going back. I'm trying one more pair (http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LXU7TGY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00). I'm more of a minimalist when it comes to padding, and I hate thick gel saddles. My new Romin Expert Pro saddle has a little gel, but it's pretty negligible. I'm starting to settle into the new saddle. Today I'll go on a longer ride, and then maybe adjust the angle a bit, but otherwise, the split-crotch design has been fulfilling its promise; there's a lot less pressure on the pre-dick portion.

I tried conventional deads at 246 yesterday for a few reps, and they actually felt kind of weird. So I went back to SLDLs at the same weight. I think I'll keep the load there and build back up to where I was, in the 270s x 5, to make sure my lower back has had plenty of time to adapt. I like your risk-adverse approach. I've been doing that too. Yesterday, for example, my sore left thumb felt a little aggravated on the Overhead Press, so I skipped the Bench Press. Live for another day and all that.

As for knee bend. I think I bend the knees just enough to relieve pressure on the lower back. In any case, I'm just doing what feels most natural for me, not really thinking about what the ideal technique might be, beyond knowing that at least a little knee bend is probably best.

As I just wrote in my log, this cycle's experiment is sort of becoming one of giving more of a volume approach a try. After all my recent setbacks, I'm finally freed up enough mentally to let go of any immediate goals. So I've reduced weight on the SLDLs, Bench Press, and P Row. Now I may add a set to the Squat and Press, like I did in Cycle II, when I got the best results. But even for those lifts, I'm trying to keep things fairly easy, not really push it. It's a bit of a leap of faith, but I'm trying to trust consistency over intensity.

Yeah I am the same here I like more of a firm seat and no cushioning. I actually angle my seat down so my ass bones are supporting my weight. Then I don't feel that kind of pressure. The main reason I don't wear normal cheap shorts is they often snag on the front of the seat when I go to sit down. This would be eliminated with spandex but like you I'm not comfortable with flaunting my goods. The shorts I posted ride up on the crotch a little better so it kind of eliminates this problem. The spandex underneath are more for a chafing resistance than anything.

I am going to start SLDL pretty regularly now. I think your right about it being a great back/hammy lift something that might be missing in my garage gym. The more I think about it too I think it might even help with hiking and walking speed too. As that is the primary motion.

Yeah consistency is something I have been missing. It'll be nice to get back into a real consistent lifting, running and biking routine. I think I am gonna drop racing till next year. Or maybe just do one or two short races.
 
Yeah I am the same here I like more of a firm seat and no cushioning. I actually angle my seat down so my ass bones are supporting my weight. Then I don't feel that kind of pressure. The main reason I don't wear normal cheap shorts is they often snag on the front of the seat when I go to sit down. This would be eliminated with spandex but like you I'm not comfortable with flaunting my goods. The shorts I posted ride up on the crotch a little better so it kind of eliminates this problem. The spandex underneath are more for a chafing resistance than anything.

I am going to start SLDL pretty regularly now. I think your right about it being a great back/hammy lift something that might be missing in my garage gym. The more I think about it too I think it might even help with hiking and walking speed too. As that is the primary motion.

Yeah consistency is something I have been missing. It'll be nice to get back into a real consistent lifting, running and biking routine. I think I am gonna drop racing till next year. Or maybe just do one or two short races.
Yah, after today's ride I will probably be angling the seat down a bit, like I did on my old one. At the bike shop, I asked the guy who was helping me to set the seat up standard, to get a feel for that and have that as my base to make adjustments off of. Here's the saddle I ended up getting btw: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftb/saddles/roadtriathlon-saddles/romin-expert-gel

Just to clarify: When I said conventional deads felt weird, I wasn't saying that SLDLs were superior, just that after a few months of not doing any conventional deads, I've gotten used to the SLDLs. I'm sure I could readapt to conventional deads, but I'm not sure I want to right now. In any case, it will be interesting to see what you think of the SLDLs. In some ways, it might make the most sense to do the extremes with the lower body lifts, like front squat and SLDLs, to really work the quads and hammies more in isolation, but I'm committed to the low-bar back squat, and I'm really not that concerned with quad development. Mostly I want a strong back. And with the shift to cycling, my quads will be getting more work anyway.

It's been fun to follow your racing. I imagine you're experiencing something of an emotional letdown now, have built up to Leadville for so long. It might be difficult to shift back into more of a workaday workout routine. Good luck!

Oh I forgot to answer: yes, I think I will be cycling throughout the winter, especially now that they make tires with studs in them. It's been sort of a Rip Van Winkle experience, getting acquainted with all the technological improvements over the 20 years since I last cycled regularly. Still, there's a chance I may switch to swimming over the winter. I'm a crap swimmer, so it would be nice to improve on that. On the other hand, a lot of lakes in central and southern Minnesota are becoming unswimmable, due to all the lawn, golf course, and farm runoff.
 
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No, although I think you mentioned it a while back. Looks interesting. Maybe next year with the kids . . .

Also, do you have the links still for the instructional videos you posted one or two years ago? I think it was an exchange between you, HappySongBird and Scedastic on the mileage forum. If I do follow up on my winter swimming notion, I think I'll first try to self-teach myself better technique, and then maybe have someone come in a critique me after I've been at it for a while. Some good instructional videos would be great.
 
BTW, I have been considering doing higher rep half squats after my squatting sessions. Something like 1 x 20 or 2 x 10 after my actual squats. I was thinking it may help with the hill running and biking. I think I might give it a whirl to see what I think.
Sorry, missed this.

Hmnn, I guess that makes sense to me, although I'm a little bit leery of the idea that lifting can have direct transfer to anything. You might be just as well off doing higher rep full squats, even though the ROM is much greater than in running and hiking.

As you know, I'm mentally incapable of performing higher rep lifts without temporarily losing my mind, but I think they would be excellent ST for endurance activities. Right now I'm enjoying my respite from 8-rep sets. Five reps is enough for me, I think.
 
Sorry, missed this.

Hmnn, I guess that makes sense to me, although I'm a little bit leery of the idea that lifting can have direct transfer to anything. You might be just as well off doing higher rep full squats, even though the ROM is much greater than in running and hiking.

As you know, I'm mentally incapable of performing higher rep lifts without temporarily losing my mind, but I think they would be excellent ST for endurance activities. Right now I'm enjoying my respite from 8-rep sets. Five reps is enough for me, I think.

Yeah I was just thinking I could use significantly higher weights by cheating the depth. I wonder too if it would lead to more comfort on the bar during a full depth squat? I'll try them out next week and report back.

Ha I thought at first it would be a let down but I need to catch up on a lot if little things I was neglecting for a while. Plus the 1000 lb total is calling! Or maybe the 700lbs DL & Sq. Then I'll give the shoulder a little more time to get back to full strength. You were right about the rehab it's getting better every week, but its a very slow process.

I got you about the DL'd too, SLDL are definitely an assistance lift but a very effective one. Good luck with the swimming! That was my best sport growing up but now days its just too complicated to get to the pool regularly. I think a pair of headphones would help immensely with the boredom in the pool though.
 
Yeah I was just thinking I could use significantly higher weights by cheating the depth. I wonder too if it would lead to more comfort on the bar during a full depth squat? I'll try them out next week and report back.

Ha I thought at first it would be a let down but I need to catch up on a lot if little things I was neglecting for a while. Plus the 1000 lb total is calling! Or maybe the 700lbs DL & Sq. Then I'll give the shoulder a little more time to get back to full strength. You were right about the rehab it's getting better every week, but its a very slow process.

I got you about the DL'd too, SLDL are definitely an assistance lift but a very effective one. Good luck with the swimming! That was my best sport growing up but now days its just too complicated to get to the pool regularly. I think a pair of headphones would help immensely with the boredom in the pool though.
One thing I read somewhere, maybe it was Rip, was that partial squats are actually harder on the knees, so be a little careful. My karate sensei in Japan did a lot of partial squats, and that guy was like a rock. It hurt just when he blocked a kick.

Yah, 1000lbs, I had almost forgotten. I wonder if my strategy should be to do conventional deadlift singles once in a while, to get me back on track with that goal. I could peg them to my squat loads at 1.25 times, or 5:4, to make sure I don't get carried away. Right now I've decided to peg my SLDL load to my squats at 1.1. So I'm back to using ratios again, and have also pegged the Bench Press to the OH Press at the 3:2 Iron Ratio. Mostly it's an excuse to keep the SLDL load low to make sure my lower back has plenty of time to adapt, and to keep my bench press low while I wait for my left thumb to heal, but also because it's kind of nice having the Squat and Overhead Press be the drivers and foci of my workout. After I get those two done, I kind of relax, knowing the biggest challenges of the workout are already are over. It's just hard to give equal value and attention to all six lifts. I'm thinking of upgrading the pulldowns to a point of emphasis too though, and maybe spend a little extra time on pullup eccentrics, as recommended several places, including a link Sid posted.

Anyway, good that you're ready to attack something else right away. I do think SLDLs will help you and maybe me get the DL loads up. The squats kind of take care of the missing leg drive phase, so perhaps I'll make just as much if not more progress subbing SLDLs in for conventional, and work the hammies, glutes, and lower back more. I do think the DLs put more sheering force on the knee than the squat, for the reasons the avoid guy gave. I can feel the pressure in my knees at the initial pull, so I think it's prudent to continue mostly with the SLDLs. I'm still trying to learn how to manage the meniscus issue. The other day in a hardware store both knees all-of-sudden felt unstable, so although I've adapted my lifting and am having success with cycling, the problem is still there, lurking, just waiting to flare-up if I become hasty.

It's funny to think about the concept of "assistance lift." The SLDLs are assistance simply because you can do more weight with a conventional deadlift, right? And maybe also because they're not really conducive to singles? But they fit the "main lift" criteria of being amenable to progressive overload over a long period of time, and targeting some of the prime movers as effectively as anything else, probably more so.

Yah, that's why I'm wondering if I'll really be able to commit to swimming. One, it's a hassle to drive or bike to a pool, and then you have to deal with the chlorine. Third, you have to stick to your lane, which seems kind of confining, although if I go early enough maybe there won't be many people there. Fourth, it's boring to do laps. And fifth, I've always preferred doing aerobic stuff outside. That's always been one of the best parts about running--it gets you out in the elements, and there's no element that can prevent it, even fresh snowfall or sub-zero (Fahrenheit) temps. It would be much cooler to live on a lake and go out for a swim. I suppose if and when I become a competent swimmer I could swim across one of the smaller lakes around here. But people have been getting sick lately.

Do they make waterproof walkmans and earbuds these days? Interesting.

Edit: like this?: http://smile.amazon.com/Sony-Walkman-NWZW273S-Waterproof-Swimming/dp/B00I05EFO4/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1440764113&sr=1-1&keywords=waterproof mp3
 
I've been doing a rough version of 531 again. It's kind of fun, or maybe relaxing to only have a few lifts to work each day. Still getting sore though...

Lee your getting pretty strong nice progress on everything!

BA we were supposed to remind you of something but it seems like your doing fine with what your doing.

Sid did you get your place set up?
 
BA we were supposed to remind you of something but it seems like your doing fine with what your doing.

yeah: to make sure i don't hurt myself. i've decided to be prudent and take a couple days off. i looked at my log and realized that during august, there were only 7 days that i didn't run. and 5 of those were my weekly religious holiday. that makes only 2 extra non-running days (though i ran twice on one day...). my august total was 299.5mi (+/- huge margin of error for GPSes), so i figured i should spend a couple of days focusing on eating and sleeping. tomorrow i will get back to running and do a moderate mileage week before cranking it back up starting next week.

and who knew? slow and steady wins the race... sunday, i decided to get up early and try to go for my longest run yet and force myself to stick to a plan. so i started out with 11 minute miles for the first 4 and then moved to 10 minute miles or so. it all worked well until i saw someone i knew and "had" to catch up to her. after a chat, i dropped back and resumed my 10-minute theory. the overall result was 31 miles on neither breakfast nor snacks, no walking breaks (except getting water from the drinking fountains; 2 minutes total), and no water until like after 3 hours or so. and i felt fine afterward and my legs/feet have been happy. usually, on the very long (i.e., for me to this point) runs i end up getting cold after i stop and my pinky and ring fingers get super chilled and stuff. but none of that this time. so i guess some combination of stretching out the length of my runs and then keeping the even/slow pace worked out. also, i felt like i could have kept going. how far, i don't know; but i had other things to do so i thought 5 hours was enough....
 
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I saw your long run posted on the ToR google sheet - that's some very impressive mileage for the month!
I find going really slow and easy tends to have a beneficial effect in all sorts of ways - especially in high heat and humidity!
 
I've been doing a rough version of 531 again. It's kind of fun, or maybe relaxing to only have a few lifts to work each day. Still getting sore though...

Lee your getting pretty strong nice progress on everything!

BA we were supposed to remind you of something but it seems like your doing fine with what your doing.

Sid did you get your place set up?
Thanks for the links Sid. The university pool is only a mile away, so there's a good chance I'll take the plunge, on snowy or sub-zero (F) days at least. I wonder if I can reserve a lane by the side . . . ?

Abide, yeah, consistency over the high frequency/full-body routine is working its magic. But curiously, I've also come to appreciate Wendler's approach, especially the start easy part, and possibly the deloading part too. I've deloaded both the SLDL and P Row recently, and there's something to that. I've also deloaded the Bench Press by once again linking it to my Press at a 3:2 ratio, to help with my sore thumb. Now I'm thinking of deloaded the squats 5-10 pounds, but I'm closing in on my old 1RM PR, as projected from my 5RM, so I think I will continue until I hit that at least. The Press should also be at my former 1RM PR by the end of this cycle. And I'll begin microloading the Pulldowns in earnest next week. So yeah, I'm loving the simplicity, micro-loading, and frequency, although just yesterday I wondered a bit about trying a two-day split routine again at some point. But for the moment, the mindless do-it-every-time rhythm is working.

I'm also getting better about letting the workout play out as a whole, which makes deloading certain lifts easier mentally. Instead of chasing specific load goals for each lift, it's more about how the entire workout or my whole body feels at the end. Squats still drive everything though, so it's hard not to push the load there a bit. And it would be nice to top 300 lbs 1RM by the end of the year, if my knee will allow it. Then it would be nice to top out somewhere around 350 sometime next year, after which I would probably call it a day and focus on bringing up some of the other lifts.

BA you're putting amazing mileage. Should kick ass on your race.

I'm also enjoying the inherent easiness of cycling. You really can just coast at an easy pace most of the time if you like, but I will probably do the opposite of BA and Chris and start pushing the pace a bit more when I have more confidence in my knee and my updated gear set-up is finalized. I think I'm more of a tempo pace sort of guy, for fitness purposes, although I appreciate the wonders of a purely aerobic pace too, and that was the way I traveled by bicycle, obviously. You can't do tempo for eight hours straight with a loaded bike, you have to stay aerobic most of the time, discounting hills/mountains of course. And if I were to go out everyday, as BA and Chris do, I would probably stay aerobic too.

I would like to get in more climbing, but the Twin Cities is relatively flat for the most part. Just a few places down by the river . . .
 
Yes, all set up.
Will post photos, after I repair the drywall.

Hope it wasn't on a bail?

yeah: to make sure i don't hurt myself. i've decided to be prudent and take a couple days off. i looked at my log and realized that during august, there were only 7 days that i didn't run. and 5 of those were my weekly religious holiday. that makes only 2 extra non-running days (though i ran twice on one day...). my august total was 299.5mi (+/- huge margin of error for GPSes), so i figured i should spend a couple of days focusing on eating and sleeping. tomorrow i will get back to running and do a moderate mileage week before cranking it back up starting next week.

and who knew? slow and steady wins the race... sunday, i decided to get up early and try to go for my longest run yet and force myself to stick to a plan. so i started out with 11 minute miles for the first 4 and then moved to 10 minute miles or so. it all worked well until i saw someone i knew and "had" to catch up to her. after a chat, i dropped back and resumed my 10-minute theory. the overall result was 31 miles on neither breakfast nor snacks, no walking breaks (except getting water from the drinking fountains; 2 minutes total), and no water until like after 3 hours or so. and i felt fine afterward and my legs/feet have been happy. usually, on the very long (i.e., for me to this point) runs i end up getting cold after i stop and my pinky and ring fingers get super chilled and stuff. but none of that this time. so i guess some combination of stretching out the length of my runs and then keeping the even/slow pace worked out. also, i felt like i could have kept going. how far, i don't know; but i had other things to do so i thought 5 hours was enough....

Interesting about the long slow runs, are you gonna run that pace at the 50?