De qué hablo cuando hablo de correr...

[Bierzo Baggie]

A billion photos from a million digital devices and everything has been seen.
A billion words from a million blogs and everything has been written.

Oh well,

Was in the bookshop the other day. I go there for the excellent jazz soundtracks they play in the background. Found the Spanish version of “What I talk about when I talk about running” and started to leaf through it.
Not that I particularly liked the version that I read in English (at least I thought I didn’t, unusually for me I read it in one sitting). Maybe it would sound better in dry Castilian prose.
In fact I don’t remember much about the book except that it consisted of short succinct sentences. That a great 21st century writer writes using short succinct sentences is particularly encouraging for those of us lacking in vocabulary and fancy wordcraft.
Like me. So I bought it. Again.
And that was that. It might have been a well invested 8 euros.
Or it might not.
Not that it matters much.

It crossed my mind to write my diary entries from now onwards in the style of Haruki Murakami.
But that might be. A bit pretentious.

4 runs in January. February will be better.

Next post: Wave Ascend v Wave Harrier. Pros and cons.

[Sweder]

I for one cannot wait. For the next. Instalment.
About to strap on my WH3s. Ascends lie gently weeping in the shadows.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Shoes. I’m starting to think more about them. For the last 10 years I’ve bought a new pair each year, alternating road shoes with off-road shoes. That Brian bloke at the shop normally chose them for me, so it didn’t involve much effort on my part. Before that I always used to buy Nike Air Pegasus. Trail shoes still hadn’t been invented.

Now with so many shoes to chose from I’m finding it all a bit bewildering. I’d been very happy with my Mizuno Wave Harriers and I’d flogged them to death but haven’t been able to find a replacement pair and didn’t want to buy over the internet. When I found a pair of Mizuno Wave Ascends for a knockdown price I bought them immediately. I actually thought they were a new model of the MWHs but now I realize that its a completely different shoe.

My first impression is that the shiny blue MWA is an out and out trail shoe and that the Harrier is more suited to English style fell terrain.

This Sunday morning I took my new trainers down the steep descent off Monte Pajariel. Here you drop 1000 feet rapidly and it used to take me about 8 minutes in road shoes. My old Harriers were amazing though. I suddenly discovered that I could get to the bottom in 6! The first time I thought my watch had stopped on the way but no, appropriate shoes can really make a big difference. So I was interested to see how the new Ascends handled in comparison.

The Harriers were light. I could feel the terrain beneath my toes. I suppose they were what you might call a “minimalist” shoe. The Ascends are light too ... but not quite as light and that’s probably why I fell over a couple of times the first time I used them. Without realizing it my feet were dragging closer to the ground and I was tripping over roots etc... My first Pajariel descent with the Ascends was better than expected though. They felt safe. My feet felt well protected and the MWAs seemed more “grippy” than the Harriers. The heels felt noticably harder but this means that on the the treacherously steep sections I can dig my heels in to slow me down. With the Harriers I was grabbing at trees!

The shoes felt good on the road too.

Stats: Pajariel descent. Road shoes 8 minutes. Harriers 6 minutes. Wave Ascends ....7 minutes!

Conclusion: The Ascends seem fine for trail and even sections of road. They may well slow me down on the technical sections. That might not actually be a bad thing.

Next test: To see how they respond on a more mountainous sort of terrain with rocks and snow and all that...

[Bierzo Baggie]

My first attmpt lasted 3 days.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Not so much a streak, more a sneaky midnight jog around the back garden in yer undies.
Not that we’ve got a back garden.

My problem is that there are 2 run-windows on mid-week days. One is at 7am and I’m hopeless at this time. It’s dark and cold outside, running before dawn doesn’t feel “natural” and I might be perceived as a lunatic by my neighbours. No, I would most definitely be perceived as a lunatic by my neighbours.

Then the maelstrom of daily routines make it impossible until the next realistic window when I finish work at 9:30 or 10pm. At this time it is also dark and cold but the neighbours wouldn’t assume that I was in the midst of a manic episode. They’d think I was training for the entrance tests to be an official fireman of the Spanish state. Or that I’d been drinking all afternoon. Or that I’d won the lottery. Abnormal behaviour late at night would be considered more normal in any case.

No, 10pm is fine, but hunger pangs and lack of self discipline normally deflect any lingering intentions.

Anyway, I want to be a streak runner.

[marathondan]

It sounds crazy, given your hectic schedule, but I'm hardly in a position to suggest you give up on your dreams for practical reasons. Would you include a few days of very short efforts, like the Ron Hill daily mile? If so, you might be able to fit those into the early morning after all. As I think MLCM will testify, if your kit is laid out, you can trick yourself into getting out the door before your brain has fully woken up. Sod the neighbours. And it won't be long before the sun is up at that time, and then there's the delight of running at dawn...

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Yes, but then I am mad.

[Sweder]

I managed to run every day in December, mostly because I has a couple of weeks off work. I'd probably agree re: pre-dawn running but, Two Oceans start aside, I have no experience of it.

[Bierzo Baggie]

3 attempts at steak running so far. The longest attempt lasted 4 days.
I'll tell you what, streak or no streak this could be my most prolific February in years.... still like the idea of some sort of run every day and trying to achieve that ain't doing me any harm

[Sweder]

3 attempts at steak running so far.

Steak running? I could certainly give that a go! Slurp!

[Bierzo Baggie]

3 attempts at steak running so far.

Steak running? I could certainly give that a go! Slurp!

Ha Ha Ha that was an unintentional typo...

Anyway,

February has consisted of several short streaks, none of them lasting longer than 4 days and without having to run before dawn. Found time where I could, which involved much improvisation.

And you know what? For the first time in several years I reckon I’ve topped 100k for the month (running only, I don’t include walking distances). I say “reckon” because my routes are time-based and distances are approximate. But I suspect that I under-estimate distance rather than over-estimate, so a productive month it has been indeed.

Streak running suits me. I am the man without a plan and the act of genuinely trying to run every day simplifies things. There’s no way I will ever run every day of course but by simply trying to I’ll probably trick myself into 3 or 4 runs a week.

The benefits have been obvious. I work better after a run and I smile more at my family.

More is less that’s what I say.

[glaconman]

The Prolific Bierzo Baggie. Unfortunately I often fall asleep at my desk.

[Bierzo Baggie]

The Prolific Bierzo Baggie. Unfortunately I often fall asleep at my desk.

Lucky sod, I'd love a nice desk to sleep on....

[glaconman]

The Prolific Bierzo Baggie. Unfortunately I often fall asleep at my desk.

Lucky sod, I'd love a nice desk to sleep on....

I've often thought about putting curtains around my desk so I can get under for a proper V40 nap.

When I worked at BT we used to have a room at the top of the building with long wooden beds were you could grab a few zzzzzzzzs. Those were the days.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

When I worked at BT we used to have a room at the top of the building with long wooden beds were you could grab a few zzzzzzzzs. Those were the days.

We have a large indoor terrace at work with about a dozen three-seater couches where you supposedly can sit and have lunch, hold informal meetings etc. At lunch times however you generally find all of them occupied by a dozen prone people all asleep.

Such is the down-trodden morale of the place at the moment that no-one takes offence and they are left in peace. I sometimes swap their shoes.

[Bierzo Baggie]

First race of the season, March 17th, 9 o'clock.
I'll be there I hope..

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Wow, looks fabulous BB. Make sure you are there!

[Antonio247]

It looks really tough. I''ve read it is 31 km long. Good luck with the weather and best of luck at the race, BB!

[Bierzo Baggie]

This is the race I almost miss every year but seem destined to run regardless of all possible obstacles. It’s too long and too early in the season to be honest. I'd prefer some shorter races to break myself in gently.

This year’s edition I’d not counted on either. The organizer, Lolo, a master of marketing, has billed the Alto Sil as a mini-Zegama. Trail runners and mountain freaks come from far and wide as if descending on a Spanish Woodstock. The elite use it as preparation for more lucrative events across Europe.

But this race, although not particularly “technical” can surprise. Last year England’s Tom Owens, a winner of the 3 peaks race and 2nd at Zegama was the hot favourite. I’d say he’d probably come here with a bit of warm weather training in mind and in the end he didn’t even make the podium. Maybe the 2012 Alto Sil snowfest took him by surprise. Maybe he was injured.

This year the 350 or so places were destined to fly in the blink of a wobbly monitor screen. Entry would depend on the speed of your internet connection. I had already decided not to enter the undignified ruck to sign up for a race that would probably leave me lame.

Then a week early an e-mail informed me that as I had completed the previous 4 editions I was one of the privileged few who could jump the virtual-queue.

Sod it.

So I’m in once again.
Recorded the previous races here here here and here (why can't I use the hyperlinks anymore?)

2009 http://www.runningcommentary.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=86&pid=16260#pid16260
2010 http://www.runningcommentary.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=1817&pid=19417#pid19417
2011 No race report for some reason..
2012 http://www.runningcommentary.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=2125&pid=22659#pid22659

And in 2012 I took my favourite ever race photo as we trudged upwards through the eery stillness.
They’re predicting snow again for this Sunday.

[Sweder]

Ah yes, the crazy river race with lovely grub at the end.
I hope your quads are up for those rapid descents this year.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Wow. No, WOW!