Michael: The Positives

Out running a jeep
Up and down a rocky jeep
Trail is quite a thrill.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

The week before I DNFed at the 100k, I came in 8th overall and won my age group in a 5k race in Manhattan Beach. That was a very fun and positive way to discover that I’ve been able to maintain a semblance of speed as I’m aging.

And it was the first year I did spadework without a treadmill or track, so I’m patting myself on the back for my improvised coaching plan. That plan consist of doing short sprints on Monday up and down an incline for between 30-60 seconds with unlimited rest in between repetitions. I figured by keeping the intervals short and the number of repetitions to 12 at the most, this would allow me to use a day that would normally be scheduled as a recovery day to get some speed/form work in without overtaxing my weekend weary legs.

On Friday I do a hybrid interval/ tempo run. The intervals are a ladder 6-5-4-3-2-1 minute pick ups with half the time of the run interval used as the rest interval. When I’m done, I turn around and do a 6k time trial back to the start. This allows me to condense two workouts into one day and one hour on the road.

So far so good. I’m enjoying myself and the workouts are working so I don’t see a need to change this format in the near future.

Michael: A Great Plan Poorly Executed

Jagged images
Slashed across the raven sky
With vibrant white strokes.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

I had a great plan for the Sycamore 100k and for the most part I followed it pretty well. But part of a great plan is to be able to intelligently adjust the plan for changing conditions and to improvise for situations that weren’t planned for. That’s where I have a lot of room for improvement.

The most significant error I made is when I started to get light headed due to dehydration. At first I tried to push through it because in the past when I’ve stopped I’ve DNFed. But on regular trail runs where I’ve briefly stopped to gather myself, it hasn’t panicked me. But I haven’t been able to apply this calm approach to race situations yet, and it’s cost me.

Next time out I plan on being pro-active and if I know it’s going to get hot for a significant portion of the race, I’ll employ a walk/jog strategy on difficult uphill sections and drink more.

In 50k or shorter races I’ve had success actually doing the opposite and pushing it hard to get significant miles out of the way before the heat sets in. But in 50 mile and over races, if it’s going to be hot, the heat’s going to be unavoidable for me, and I need to plan accordingly. That means I should’ve also taken in plenty of fluids at the race H.Q. at Sycamore and taken a massage stick and worked over my legs for a couple of minutes to both revive them and to give my stomach some time to absorb the extra fluids.

Walking during trail races has also been problematic for me as compared to other trail running adventures. The problem is that I view running during a race as a sign of failure. But I don’t have nearly the mental letdown when I walk during a difficult trail run or fastpack trip. To overcome this mental block I’m going to have to bite the bullet and incorporate walking as part of my strategy in my next long trail race and walk a few sections even if I don’t feel I need to at the moment.

I’m not going to give up on races over 50k. After 40 miles I was in the lead and for the most part my body felt great. I just need to pause for a moment when I run into difficulties and try to become a better, more relaxed problem solver.

Michael: Language Barrier

The instinctual
Fear and wonder of fire
Holds us in a trance.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Trying to learn two new languages at the same time is very frustrating, particularly if you’re already suppose to know one of those languages.

To prepare for a short trip to the states I’m trying to learn how to use a new notepad. In order to pay bills, for example, I’ve got to turn my pop up blocker off. The notepad is trying to explain to me, in what appears to be English, what I’m suppose to do, but it’s pretty clear at times that we’re not understanding each other.

Removing pop up blockers is suppose to be an easy three step process: 1. Open Internet Explorer on your desk top, 2. Under tools, go to internet options, and 3. Go to the privacy tab under pop ups. Sounds like a quick 5 minute process.

About an hour later I finally figured it out.

On my notepad screen is an icon for Explorer. I tap it and it opens to the Internet, but there’s no tool tab. What my computer was refusing to make clear to me, because it thought it must have been obvious, was that two rectangular icons to the left and two icons down, was a nice amber rectangle marked “desktop”. That’s what I was suppose to click on first.

I was told Explorer. I tapped it. If the damned computer really wanted me to tap desktop first I wish it would’ve said so in a language that was clear to me.  After bungling the first step way too many times, I was relieved that the following steps were rather quick and painless.

When I try to speak Spanish here, most of the people are at least appreciative enough to smile and try to understand me. But the computer just lets me sit there and stew. I suppose I should be grateful that it’s not laughing at me, at least not out loud.

Michael: R.A.T.s

This mid-day blanket
Of thick gray air calms the wind
With a heavy heat.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Last week while riding up a very steep hill I thought I must be really tired because it felt like I had a flat. Turns out I had a flat.

Fortunately, it was one of those small pin prick flats so I got home without having to change the tire. Not that I haven’t gotten fairly decent at quick roadside fixes, but this was my first flat in over a year living here and I’m now riding a bike with a brake and axle system (R.A.T.) I’ve never used before.

Like all boys with their new toys when I first got the bike I played with it a bit both for fun and to familiarize myself with the system, but then after months of no problem riding I just took it for granted that a flat wasn’t going to happen.

Will I learn from this and practice on a regular basis so I can ride stress free and be prepared in case I suffer a more debilitating rupture? I’m going to say yes and actually try to believe that’s the truth.

Michael: $27?

Close your eyes and feel
The tide of your breath moving
Over the still shores.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Ironically, after moving out of the country, this is the first election where I’ve felt strongly enough to make a political contribution to a U.S. politician.

I should have before. Their have been plenty of worthwhile candidates since I began voting in 76, though my favorites have always been eliminated before the California primary was held. This time I decided not to wait until the candidates got that far west.

I donated $27 to Bernie’s campaign. $27 seems like an odd amount, but if you go to his website that is one of the amounts you can click on. I don’t understand why that amount as opposed to $25, but some statistician must’ve come up with it. It does help explain why Bernie is always citing that number during the debates as his average campaign contribution.

Maybe since I now live in the Eastern time zone my political clock has been re-set, or maybe it’s one of those signs of aging things. At least being here in Panama I won’t be expected to do any canvassing.

Michael: Back to Church

Alone on the trail
With only the whispers of
Trees, water and birds.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Yesterday was my first trail run in two weeks. The last trail run I did before that was my DNF at the Sycamore 100. That failure left me pretty despondent and has me pondering whether I am an athlete that can compete over a wide variety of distances.

But yesterday wasn’t the day to figure out what went wrong and where I go from here. Yesterday was a day to run/hike the Quetzal; my church in Panama. Yesterday was the day to get back out there and experience the joys of moving over a difficult but beautiful trail and to stop moping and be grateful that I am fortunate enough to be alive and running.

Michael: Back in Panama

Back in Panama
The wind is now calm enough
To stand up outside.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Just like last year Luzmila, our landlord, picked us up from the airport in David to drive us in the dark to Volcan. Last year we we’re excited to move in. This year we’re looking forward to moving out.

But it’s not because we don’t love it here. Just the opposite. We’d like to buy the small empty lot next door to us and build a small home/studio there.

Moving here also doesn’t mean we feel Panama is a better place to live than the United States. Right now it just affords us a chance to build a home and work in a way that suits us and that we couldn’t do in the states. Living abroad is also an adventure that appeals to both of us.

Eventually, we both feel we’ll end up back in the states and who knows, Panama may not be our final international destination before we book our last flight home. But for now and more than likely the next few years, we’re happy to be in Panama and use it as our home base while we hopefully leap frog now and then back to the states and other strange and fascinating places.