Exploration

One of the many things that I enjoy about running is the opportunity to explore.  I feel like running and biking are two of the best ways to really explore your surroundings.  Biking allows you to cover more ground, have fewer aches and pains at the end of the day, and overall feel slightly more civilized.  However, the beauty of exploring on the run is that you don't need any special gear and you can do it anywhere.  You can run on-road or off-road and you can go places you may not make it with a bike.  If you are reasonably fit, you would be amazed at how much ground you can cover without even realizing it.  There is an incredible freedom in stepping out of the door without a direction or a goal (especially in a new place) and literally just going wherever the road takes you.  I have been fortunate in my life and career to have opportunities to travel all over the world.  Before I was a runner, I would often head out on walks from wherever I was staying and explore wherever city I was in and would often spend many hours exploring.  Once I started becoming a little more serious about running, I realized that the boundaries for my adventures could expand if I was on the run (and I could still be logging my long runs while I was traveling).  Sometimes I would find myself headed down some dusty dirt road to nowhere, while other times I was thrust into the middle of the city, dodging cars and people.  The cool thing is that either way I was there seeing things that I haven't seen before and experiencing a place in a way that I wouldn't be able to from the inside of a taxi cab or tour bus.  Sometimes, the people I was traveling with or my friends and family at home would express concern that I was off running around in unfamiliar places.  They would worry that it might be unsafe or people might hurt me, but what I have found though, is pretty much the opposite.  For the most part, people everywhere are pretty nice.  At worst they might be rude, but most are curious/friendly and the rest are indifferent.  Runners are pretty much non-threatening and as long as you act friendly/naïve 99% of the time you will be fine (in the other 1%, just run like hell).  And pretty much the same can be said for running the streets and trails around my house.  The great thing about this exploration is that it doesn't have to be in far off places.  Too many times you hear about people that always run the same route in the same direction every day.  It can be amazing what you discover in your own back yard it you just veer a little off of your normal path and open yourself up to an adventure.  Don't worry about how far it will be or where the next water fountain will be.  Rely in the fact that you are fit enough to cover whatever distance you want and that it is okay to bonk or get dehydrated - it is all part of the adventure!

Attitude and Altitude

Attitude:

After my recent success at embracing the crapiness of yoga, I thought I would try to apply this “life lesson” to other activities I dislike. One such activity is running in the heat. Sara sometimes teases me about the fact that I come back from pretty much every run during the summer totally defeated and declaring “that was the worst run ever!” Even though I say that every day, I pretty much mean that every day. I DESPISE running in the heat. Living in Houston, this means that I despise portions of almost every day for about a 4-6 month period every year. Certainly room for improvement there... Which brings me to Altitude.

Altitude:

One thing Houston is decidedly lacking is altitude. I live in an area of town known as “The Heights,” which means that while the rest of the city is about 20ft above sea level, I live in the rarefied air up at about 40ft above sea level. This is fine as long as you never want to run anywhere other than at sea level or never want to be even remotely competitive if you race anywhere else. Not that I have any delusions of being competitive, but sometimes I get frustrated by the idea that people that live in higher elevations are essentially getting some aerobic benefit “for free.” They get to be inherently fitter than me just by living somewhere. It is like a free performance enhancing drug….that is legal (and don’t we all want to be able to be faster without working at it)! That makes me jealous. But then I read this; an article from the New York Times that expounds on the benefit of training in the heat and compares that to altitude training. Stop the presses! If there is one thing Houston does have it is HEAT (just ask anyone that has ever lived here or visited between the months of May-September). It turns out that many of the physiological responses to altitude and heat are similar. You can get some of the benefits from training in the heat, and maybe even slightly better benefits. And then it occurred to me: Stop dwelling on how much you hate running in the heat and how bad your performance is….. and think of it like altitude training! There are runners in other places that spend every spare weekend headed for the high country trying to get in altitude training, but for 5 months of the year I get a free unlimited supply of heat (fake altitude) right outside my door. It is funny how that one mental association (heat = altitude) has changed my outlook on summer running. After 7 years of dreading summers and complaining about my crappy runs in the heat, I now find myself looking forward to my runs in the heat. It may not be quite the same or come with the majestic views of snow-capped peaks, but it isn’t all bad either. And, I think it really gets to the heart of what it is to be a runner in a big flat city (an urban flatlander)…. The idea that the “mountains” are here, we just have to use a little creativity to see them!

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why The Oatmeal Runs Long Distances

Absolutely every person who has ever run a half marathon or longer has, at some point, been asked why they run.  A casual browse of the internet will lead you to any number of blog posts and articles on this subject.  Some are profound and well thought out, some are witty, some are trite, some are sarcastic, some are rude or elitist, but most of them touch on a few similar points and ultimately start to blend together a little (not to take away from them - many are great articles, they just tend to blur together).
Well, recently, a friend of mine sent me a link to what has to be one of the most memorable and creative versions of the "why I run" story.  It is funny, sincere, and all around fantastic.  It comes to us by way of The Oatmeal (turns out he is an ultrarunner - which makes him even more great).  The article is entitled :

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances

Go check it out.  It is AWESOME!

Sagely Advice on How to Crew an Ultrarunner from Pam Smith

Here is just about the most awesome, funny, and on-point advice I have ever heard for people who are crewing an ultrarunner (especially in hot conditions).  It comes from the incredible Pam Smith's (recent winner of Western States 100) Western States 100 race report on iRunFar.  This was what Pam told her race crew:

"treat me like a Porn Star: keep me wet, keep me lubed, and keep me excited."

(it must have worked, because she really nailed it that day....)
Now, how can you not love this sport!

Surfside Bridge

 

I am dedicating the first of my Summits of Houston posts to the Surfside Bridge.  The surfside bridge is probably my favorite "hill" in the Houston area.  It is one of the longest and most sustained climbs you can get (which isn't saying much) and it has some pretty great views of the Gulf of Mexico from the top.  The bridge has a nice shoulder for almost the entire way, so you don't feel to cramped with the cars. It only takes about an hour to get there from downtown, which really isn't that bad.  There is a nice gas station at the bottom of the bridge that has restrooms and a good selection of options for refueling and rehydrating.  And, the best part is....when you are done you can walk over to Surfside beach and go for a dip in the ocean!

Stats:
Elevation: around 75 feet of gain and loss
Distance: about .75 miles to go from one side to the other
Average grade: around 3.5% (no too steep, but enough that you feel it)

This means that 1 lap of the bridge (over and back) nets you about 150 feet of climb (and 150 feet of descent).  So in 7 laps you can pick up 10.5 miles and around 1000 feet of vertical.

Location:
On Hwy 332 in between Freeport and Surfside Beach (about 1 hour south of Houston off of Hwy 288). 

View Larger Map

Summits of Houston

Like the title of the blog says, "The hills are here, we just have to use a little creativity to see them."  Believe it or not, there are places in and around Houston where creative and eager runners can find a little vertical.  So, I am dedicating this section of the blog to places around town (and relatively nearby) where you can put some elevation into your run.

Look for posts tagged with "Summits of Houston" by clicking on the Summits of Houston link at the top of the page...... I will be gradually updating this section as I can.

Rob Krar and the unknown

One of the great things that I love about ultra running is the discovery of pushing your body and mind to places you have never been before and to places you sometimes aren't even sure you can go.  I feel like in most other sports by the time a competition comes there has been so much practice and repetition that you enter the game not worrying about if you will finish, but much more concerned with how you will perform.  However, with ultras, the distances can be so vast and the terrain and conditions so difficult that even veteran runners are often unsure if they will finish, let alone how well they will perform.  There is something magical to me about this act of discovery.  It is exciting to step to the line of a new race or new distance not knowing what to expect.  Another benefit of the fact that every race has an element of unknown is the fact that it leads to more competition and a more level playing field.  The unknown makes it hard for one individual to dominate the sport.  There are a number of elites that consistently perform well, but there are not really any "superstars" that are head and shoulders better than the competition.  A wonderful reminder of this discovery of the unknown happened just this weekend when Rob Krar, a man who had never run 100 miles before, got second place in the Western States 100 (the premier, and arguably one of the most competitive 100 milers in the world).  He had a strong running background and has done some amazing things, but never having attempted the distance before, was able to outrun many of the best runners in the world and ultimately discover what he was capable of.  There are not many sports where this could have happened.  Certainly not in most professional sports could a relatively unknown person who has never competed in that event before earn a podium spot at one of the biggest competitions.  It is this act of discovery where we push past what we know and begin to explore what is possible and the knowledge that each of us have some hidden potential that I really love about this sport.

Want to know more about Mr Krar?  Here is a good article over on iRunFar:
http://www.irunfar.com/2013/06/rob-krar-in-pursuit-of-speed-smarts-but-not-superstition.html