Sometimes you just want to get outside. You want to get outside so bad that nothing will stop you. Wind? Meh. Cold? Whatever. Sixty-five degree water? I'm tough. Overhead waves and washing machine surf? Poseidon's got nothing on me.
Deciding to brave those particular conditions on a paddleboard and without a wetsuit is at best foolhardy and at worst a recipe for hypothermia.
Wading into the waves, it didn't seem all that bad; a little cold but whatever. I'm standing on the board so I'm relatively safe. Getting past the first break of sloppy 2-3 foot closers was a little difficult but nothing was going to stop Ryan and me from getting out the bigger swells that lied ahead.
When the first overhead roller hits your board in just the wrong way and sends you flailing into the surf; that's when the enveloping chill of the winter waters permeates every inch of your uninsulated body. Shock. Adrenaline. A hint of panic.
Then the next one hits. Same feeling. The same shock.
We get back on our boards and try our best to make our egos and pride overpower the surf. The ocean doesn't care. It's having fun sending us flying back into the water. After 10 or 15 minutes we wave our white flags and try to ride whatever we can on our knees for the one hundred fifty yard journey back to shore, dry clothes and hot drinks.
It was worth a shot and we'll be back another day when the Atlantic is feeling more forgiving. In the meantime we'll choose our battles better be better prepared. We were just happy to be outside doing something.
This cough I've developed needs to go the hell away by then.
Cheers!
Showing posts with label orlando. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orlando. Show all posts
1.22.2013
1.17.2013
Plush.
The other morning, I planned on going for a nice little run before the sun came up. I thought to myself, "I'll wear my Vibrams today! I haven't worn these in forever." Twenty minutes into that run I quickly realized why I don't run in those shoes. My feet were throbbing with each footfall and my legs felt like hell. My calves are still screaming at me three days later. This from a run that I typically do in a hazy stupor in the mornings.
These fucking things.
Vibrams (and barefoot style running shoes for that matter) have next to zero cushioning. I weigh over 200lbs. I'm running on concrete. This is a recipe for nothing but pain! As a relatively seasoned runner, I know better than to wear these on hard surfaces. I just wanted to re-live the novelty, I guess. My thoughts afterwards were with those that buy these threadbare shoes in the hopes of immediate improvement and being a minimalist runner.
There's a long drawn out story behind the barefoot and minimalist running movement, but the jist is this: the less armor your feet have, the stronger they will become and the more natural your stride will be. This is great, if you're running on dirt or trails or any surface that otherwise wouldn't cause stress fractures in your feet if you pounded your 205lb frame on it over 10,000 times over the course of an hour (sorry, projecting here). The muscles in your feet and legs don't go from weak to strong without some sort of transition. Minimalist shoes are not transitional by any means. I could write 5 more paragraphs on the mechanics of it but I know how long the internet's attention span is (still with me?).
That being said, I think barefoot and minimalist shoes (Vibram, Inov8, Altra, etc.) are great for things such as soft surface running, TRX training, CrossFit, and weightlifting. They are very responsive shoes and provide a good deal of lateral support for your feet and legs.
My point is this: Bare human feet were never meant to run on concrete or asphalt for long periods of time. This is why we have cushioning in our shoes and in running shoes especially. Some people require more cushioning. Some people require less. One of the most important things you can do as a runner is determine your running mechanics and get an appropriate shoe to suit it. Find a knowledgeable runner to do this, not a shoe salesman. You'll get a shoe regardless, but you'll find much happier running days in one that is best for how you run.
Cheers!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
These fucking things.
Vibrams (and barefoot style running shoes for that matter) have next to zero cushioning. I weigh over 200lbs. I'm running on concrete. This is a recipe for nothing but pain! As a relatively seasoned runner, I know better than to wear these on hard surfaces. I just wanted to re-live the novelty, I guess. My thoughts afterwards were with those that buy these threadbare shoes in the hopes of immediate improvement and being a minimalist runner.
There's a long drawn out story behind the barefoot and minimalist running movement, but the jist is this: the less armor your feet have, the stronger they will become and the more natural your stride will be. This is great, if you're running on dirt or trails or any surface that otherwise wouldn't cause stress fractures in your feet if you pounded your 205lb frame on it over 10,000 times over the course of an hour (sorry, projecting here). The muscles in your feet and legs don't go from weak to strong without some sort of transition. Minimalist shoes are not transitional by any means. I could write 5 more paragraphs on the mechanics of it but I know how long the internet's attention span is (still with me?).
That being said, I think barefoot and minimalist shoes (Vibram, Inov8, Altra, etc.) are great for things such as soft surface running, TRX training, CrossFit, and weightlifting. They are very responsive shoes and provide a good deal of lateral support for your feet and legs.
My point is this: Bare human feet were never meant to run on concrete or asphalt for long periods of time. This is why we have cushioning in our shoes and in running shoes especially. Some people require more cushioning. Some people require less. One of the most important things you can do as a runner is determine your running mechanics and get an appropriate shoe to suit it. Find a knowledgeable runner to do this, not a shoe salesman. You'll get a shoe regardless, but you'll find much happier running days in one that is best for how you run.
Cheers!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
1.12.2013
Habit
A half second of thoughts from Mile 4 traversing beautiful Lake Maitland on a foggy and flat Saturday morning...
Get your grip.
Square the blade.
Extend the arms.
Twist forward.
Get it vertical.
Reach, dammit, reach.
Catch quiet.
Lean in.
Exhale.
Power down.
Drive the paddle.
Blade to the feet.
Don't pass the heels.
Power off.
Break the wrist.
Twist the blade clean.
Glide forward.
Get upright.
Feather to the front.
Breathe in.
Do it again.
Do it better.
Do it til you're done.
We all talk to ourselves in the middle of long training sessions. What do you say to yourself?
Cheers!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Get your grip.
Square the blade.
Extend the arms.
Twist forward.
Get it vertical.
Reach, dammit, reach.
Catch quiet.
Lean in.
Exhale.
Power down.
Drive the paddle.
Blade to the feet.
Don't pass the heels.
Power off.
Break the wrist.
Twist the blade clean.
Glide forward.
Get upright.
Feather to the front.
Breathe in.
Do it again.
Do it better.
Do it til you're done.
We all talk to ourselves in the middle of long training sessions. What do you say to yourself?
Cheers!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Winter Park, FL
11.16.2010
The Road to the OUC Half Marathon (Orlando, FL - 12/4/10)
On December 4th, the City of Orlando will host the 35th running of the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) Half Marathon and 5k. There's an expected 3,500 runners participating in the event this year, which is absolutely huge considering the popularity of other running events in the area. By comparison, the Lake Baldwin Half Marathon run just this past weekend (November 13, 2010) had only 267 finishers. Needless to say, there's going to be a fun turnout. This years OUC 13.1 will be produced by Track Shack, who has a long history in the Orlando area's running community and always make sure races go off without a hitch. If you're interested in signing up for the half marathon or the 5k you can do so at SignMeUp.
My Race History:
This will be my first time running this particular race and am absolutely looking forward to it. Training up to this race has been going very smoothly so far and I'm not forseeing too many issues involving the distance or the course. The wild card here is going to be the weather. As the good state of Florida tends to do in early December, it can either be a chilly and brisk race morning or it can be unseasonably warm and muggy, making for a sweatfest. Personally I'm hoping for my favorite raceday weather: cool, brisk, and cloudy.
Geography:
The course here is flat as expected and rolls through a many of the old-style neighborhoods that surround downtown Orlando. This will include brick roads, so staying aware of where your feet land will be a priority during the race. There will be a lot of shade on this course thankfully, especially in the later miles when the sun will be higher in the sky Looking at the course map, there's already a feature on this course that will cause me a little concern and that's the abundance of really long straightaways. We're talking straights that range between a mile and 2.5 miles it looks like. If it's a little hilly this usually isn't an issue. For me, looking straight down 2.5 miles of flat road feels psychologically difficult. The road that never ends! Feeling like there's going to be a lot of distracting myself through miles 4, 5, and 6 on this one.
My Race History:
This will be my first time running this particular race and am absolutely looking forward to it. Training up to this race has been going very smoothly so far and I'm not forseeing too many issues involving the distance or the course. The wild card here is going to be the weather. As the good state of Florida tends to do in early December, it can either be a chilly and brisk race morning or it can be unseasonably warm and muggy, making for a sweatfest. Personally I'm hoping for my favorite raceday weather: cool, brisk, and cloudy.
Geography:
The course here is flat as expected and rolls through a many of the old-style neighborhoods that surround downtown Orlando. This will include brick roads, so staying aware of where your feet land will be a priority during the race. There will be a lot of shade on this course thankfully, especially in the later miles when the sun will be higher in the sky Looking at the course map, there's already a feature on this course that will cause me a little concern and that's the abundance of really long straightaways. We're talking straights that range between a mile and 2.5 miles it looks like. If it's a little hilly this usually isn't an issue. For me, looking straight down 2.5 miles of flat road feels psychologically difficult. The road that never ends! Feeling like there's going to be a lot of distracting myself through miles 4, 5, and 6 on this one.
Straightaways. For freaking miles.
PDF course map here.
Goal Setting:
This is by no means an A race. It's more of a distance test than anything. My PR for the half marathon is a little below 1:32 right now and I'm nowhere near that type of fitness currently. Holding a 7:30/mi pace for 13.1 mi seems to be a hard effort within my abilities and would put me at a 1:38:15 finishing time. I'll go ahead and range it out and say that a sub - 1:40:00 would make me happy at the end of the day.
Weapon of Choice:
Going to go with my new best friend, the Brooks Launch. These puppies haven't let me down yet and are more than enough shoe to get through a half mary.
I laugh at your straightaways.
Last Year's Swag:
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