June 28th, 2009

Today was special. Great run at Haw Ridge. (more on that in a bit) But most important, a wonderful day with a friend, sharing, expressing giving and being tight. Great blessings are not things you can touch, they are the people who touch your soul.. and you theirs too..

Haw Ridge:

I was not too sure what to expect and given i love to sleep did not get to the running place until around 11am. The goal regardless was to try a run in the super hot super wet conditions of Haw Ridge as part of my training for the race in October. On Saturday, the day before, I got shut down from the heat. The course in Bent Creek was more demanding with most of the run up hill on single track or fire roads. However, plenty of water and not as wet as Tenn. air.

What i learned was the track is super soft. I had tons of spring power with little or no impact to my knees or feet. The speed was amazing and the energy left over after 2 hours of running no water and nothing to eat was amazing.

I managed my vitamin intake a bit different. The night before i had tons of protein, rice and water. During the drive down took a couple of Iprofin, some vitamin B and then some general for old people type vitamins. When i arrived a couple of hours later i added scaps to the list of items, two pills. I should have taken them a bit earlier given they got my stomich upset a bit.

Most of the run was around the forest park. I got lost a few times which added miles and a bit of concern because that is one place you can get lost for a few hours if you try hard.

My future goal is to return in two weeks and do the loop twice minus the getting lost part. This should mean a 3.5 hour run or about 19 miles.. see what happens. One thing for sure is it was a great place to run on single track.

June 22nd, 2009

Since my last post the big news is a great right foot. After tons of work, patience and love the right foot is almost perfect. I get a bit of pain in the foot around mile 20 but not much and nothing like it was about a month ago.

I have started to post my logs on "www.therunninglog.com" because it gives me better faster information then a spreadsheet which i never seemed to keep up todate. I also get to watch other runners throughout the east coast.

So far the weekly numbers are staying in the low 80 miles per week group. This is in line with my goal. I hope to push the number to 90 miles for July. Given the heat and lack of water this will be a big challenge.

My plan on dealing with the big numbers is more carbs with rice and pasta as a primary source. I will be drinking more smoothes as well as a product called "Revive" which is a natural liquid that the body seems to get more from then anything else liquid. I am also taking large amounts of sugar in a liquid form (2 cups) around mile 12 which is helping a bunch. The body is storing about 90 minutes of sugar in the muscles and when it runs out i run out. The brain giving in is the biggest point. I become lazy and not willing to push once the brain runs out of sugar. Keeping the body full of the stuff is key and it just requires me being far more professional about my running.

I have also ordered a product for O2 help from 1stendurance.com The product will help in several ways with my body and its use of O2. I also expect that it will help with speed issues. Right now I find myself not moving as fast the first half because i dont want to run out of energy during the second half. This is kind crazy and I need to pickup the speed at the start.. with the ending times rather solid.

My good runs are the shorter runs. I love to do a short 13 mile run on shunt-in that is so wonderful. The run is mostly single track and kicks my butt for the first few miles all up hill but then it drops. I can assure you there are tougher runs on this single track and i intend on adding them to my diet of running during July.

The new 875 NB shoes are great for running and i think played a very big role in my foot doing so well. On the other hand the shoe falls apart faster then any shoe i have ever owned. The shoe does very well in single track runs but the single track conditions eat up the stability of the shoe.

Overall I am very happy. My body is doing well through a natural form of eating like a horse instead of taking all sorts of strange man made things in order to get the numbers I need. The good race results will depend on learning how to keep the blood full of sugar.. .. if for no other reason then to keep my brain motivated.

The only challenge and a strange mix that I have added is short track runs. I find myself on my rest days running around the track a few times moving as fast as the body will move. The only problem with this is I threw a muscle that connects my hip to my butt. The result was flying in the air and landing on my hands and body. Looked great but did very little damage to me.

Thats all for now.

June 6th, 2009

The last few days I have been posting my times.. and some important left brain details in an online runners log.. it has been fun.. (the runnerslog) .. is the name i think. The best part about that addition to my running is it gives the left brain something to do.. so far i have been running as far as i think i should.. and not really keeping track of details..

Thanks to my friend Davy Crocket the log is now an important tool to my running and training.

This week will see my total for the week above 85.. at least.. or there abouts. My average during June needs to be in the high 80s.. with each month adding another 10 miles.. so by the time of the race i should be doing 115 miles a week with no problem.

Today the foot did great.. but the blood was a mess. Ok I am stupid. I go out and run in the heat with no water.. except dirty streams.. which i drink out of.. and no food..nothing.. so by the time i get to mile 15 i am a total mess.. the body is weak on blood sugar... way to weak.. but understand this issue and challenge... so tomorrow i hope to leave some food near the trail 5000 point.. where it meets the 479 fire road... the shunt-in trail crosses this..

I love the single track runs. I love them. They are so at peace with me.. just wish my body could go more.. but.. without the blood in balance i am fucked.. so just got to figure that one out.. not sure why some days i am doing super well.. and other days i am doing so poor..

So, some food.. something for the body.. i might make a peanut butter and jelly sand... and leave it someplace safe.. along with something that is carb loaded liquid.. then keep going.. i hate having things on me or carry anything..

I think i did about 23 miles.. because i went up the trail futher then before.. well at any time.. i made it to the bitch switch backs from total hell.. they dont switch for much.. based on the map.. but are key for the 50 mile run i hope to do up there in august..

what do i hope to do sunday.. ? Good question.. I am off to help a friend.. and I have no idea what my legs will do tonight.. some nights they hurt so much.. they scream with pain.. I lack protein and amino acids is my guess.. shit.. more money i have to spend..

so how is the body? shit.. for my age i am kicking ass.. super kicking my ass.. the body is getting very strong.. very good.. and a bit lighter ever week.. i am very happy what all this means to me as a person..

enjoy..

http://www.newbalance.com/events/ambassadors/roster/akrupicka.php

tony.. you are right.. the human race.. a good part of the american human race is not pushing themselves.. at all..