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The Last Long Run…

…before the Little Su 50k on the 13th, that is. Time to taper! I was so excited to get out and get it over with that I was up and out the door by 0500 on Saturday morning. While it’s been fun training for a long run this winter, actually scheduling the time to get the long training runs in has been an increasing challenge. Getting out as early a possible seems to work best, but inevitably it is also means starting in the dark and cold if anything else is to get done that day. I still have a long way to go to be a serious winter athelete (or at least one that doesn’t whine so much). Needless to say, I have a new appreciation for the fortitude of dog mushers. Wow.

To recap saturday’s run, (garmin data here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23591174) overall it was good and I made and effort to push harder than normal since the majority of the route was road surface. I managed to eek out a 10:00 min/mi pace for 24mi which I’m pretty happy with considering the weather, the amount of clothing I wore and the 15lbs my pack added.

My strategy training for the February run has been quite conservative in consideraion of the tendinitis that had been following me around in 2007 and 2008. I took it easy anticipating that running with extra weight from gear/food/water might start it up again, and thankfully the extra caution seems to have paid off. As for actually being able to run 31mi - 7 more than I’ve run this winter - it will be doable I think. The majority of the miles this season have been on hills and trails, and this race course is situated in the flat terrain of Point Mackenzie, where is is likely to be warmer than Fairbanks too (yay!). It must be bad luck to speculate about the weather in winter, but I can’t help it.

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Winter Run Log: 24 Jan, 2010

Winter, you are my nemisis. Why do you insist on being so cold when the distance is long?

I was planning on posting the gps data from the last few weekends, but when I grabbed the Garmin to upload the latest I realized the battery had died from my leaving the gps running, so I’ll have to do it tomorrow.

I’m still a couple of miles short of my target distance on the weekly long runs, but I’m not too far off. I feel like my body can run farther, but I’m taking it easy on my feet. It’s been so cold lately that the soles of my shoes and my inserts have been feeling more like ridgid planks of wood. Thankfully, the run I’m training for is south of here and likely to be much warmer (yay!).

I’ll post more with the gps data.

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Winter Training Update

Training has been going well as the winter progresses.  The weather has been quite mild and the temps have been dipping into the -20°f range for only a couple days at a time. Unfortunately, those couple of days seem to be landing more frequently on the weekends when I schedule my longs runs. Brrr! Saturday’s run was one of these days, and I opted to run up in the hills where the temps tend to be more mild, but it’s hard to stay up hi for a whole run, so there were inevitable stretches where the temps dipped down to -13°f at least. Coupled with some wind it was definitely the coldest I have felt on a run yet.

I still haven’t found a solution for face protection when the temps drop below -10. This seems to be the point where my nose and cheeks need help against freezing. Yesterday I had an OR balaclava (windproof fleece with neoprene face mask and mesh vent over the mouth) with me. Its mesh kept me breathing easily, unlike wool and fleece which usually freeze up with that much moisture passing through the fibers, but the mesh was absolutely fridgid against my skin and I caught myself a few times contorting my face in feeble attempts to not touch it. For this I was thankful my face was mostly covered because I’m sure that my facial contortions would have easily scared anyone who might have seen me. For the future I may try a neoprene facemask that is a little heavier and just cut a slit through the mouth so breathing is totally unobstructed.

Overall, the temps have been less of an issue as the season has progressed, as I’ve learned what to wear, and particularly since I’ve discovered Mountain Hardwear’s Polartec tights. Wow, talk about warm! They have been keeping my legs warm and toasty all by themselves - all the way down to -10. I’ve seen a similar version of these with windproof panels, but since there is rarely wind in Fairbanks I think I’ll wait to buy them. I’m curious to try them out though in the hope that they will eliminate the need to layer up on days colder than -10. Less layers = chafing it seems.

As the distances have increased I’ve realized my winter pack causes quite a bit of friction on my back so I’m in the market for a new one. I’m looking for something light but durable that can hold all my winter backup gear; a Primaloft jacket, hardshell pants, mittens, 2 pairs of socks, a balaclava + face mask, spare gloves, 2L of water, and food, WITH storage compartments on the waist and shoulder straps for easy access to Gu and food.

Initially I had decided the Millet Axiome Raid 20 fit the bill, but I gave up on it after trying, unsuccessfully, to find a seller in the US or any place to buy it in USD ($).

In its place, the Osprey Talon 22 is a more than suitable substitute with plenty of glowing reviews to be found. It is a little heavier than the Millet pack, but it also is 2L larger so I consider it a non-issue at this point. It promises a better ride, more convenient storage, and more a customizable configuration than what I’m currently using. Let’s hope this means no more lost skin on my back for the rest of the winter.

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Failure to Start

I have to admit that I couldn’t muster the intestinal fortitude to get my butt out to do my scheduled 16mi run this morning. The temps were low at -24deg(f) and I cleverly told myself that it would be smart to get to the grocery store early to beat the Thanksgiving crowd. A convincing persuasion that was easy to go along with.

I secretly hoped the temp would rise in the afternoon but it never really did. Tomorrow is another day and the forecast is supposed to be a little warmer.

It turns out that getting to the store early was a good idea, but no more wussing out on the run.

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Winter Run Log: 17 Nov 09, 5mi

I haven’t had a chance to post about this morning’s run until now. The temp may have been at -15 when I walked out the door but amazingly, I was overdressed. I swapped my usual poly midlayer out for a mid-weight wool half zip with a Polartec layer on top and felt overheated from the first climb. Wool is definitely warm and I’ll keep that in mind as the temps drop.

Since it was a short run today I didn’t take a pack and definitely felt the difference being able to move more freely. Feeling much lighter was pretty great too.

I’ll come back and edit this post later once I’ve uploaded the GPS data.

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Winter Run Log 15 Nov 09, 14.8mi

Distance: 14.80mi
Temp: -4.0°f to -6.0°f and fluctuating between high and low ground

Gear

• Wool knit cap
• Fleece ear band
• Base layer, wool lightweight long-sleeve knit (I/O Bio-Compatibles)
• Mid layer, poly (North Face Flight Series)
• Top layer, Polartec (Arcteryx)
• Pants, Polartec (Arcteryx)
• Socks, wool mid-weight hikers
• Shoes, Saucony ProGrid Xodus
• Gloves (Outdoor Reasearch, PL 400 Liners)
• Gaiters (Outdoor Research)

Hydration/Food

• Water bottle (Nathan Labs)
• Platypus Hydration Bladder
• GU x2
• Cytomax

Observations
Overall, this was a great long run and the first day I’ve trained with a full load in my pack. Since I’m preparing to run the Little Su it seemed like it was time to put together a packing list of things I’ll be running with for that race. Including water, the pack was about 20lbs and way heavier to run with in the snow than I had counted on.

The water situation was much more successful than last week. I didn’t have a chance to put together a wide mouth bottle with some insulation this week, so I went out with the same hand held bottle as last week.This time I stuck some hot hands in the bottle carrier pocket and I didn’t have an issue with freezing. I still plan on finding a better bottle for the cold. I also had 2L in a bladder and routed the drinking tube along my neck and down my shirt which keep the nozzle from freezing.

I switched to a larger pack (Arcteryx RT25) so I could carry 2L water, a Primaloft jacket, and cold weather mittens. I’m also carrying a space blanket, a headlamp, and extra pair of glove liners and socks. I have run with this pack over the past few years and am used to wearing it, but this was definitely more weight than I have run with in the past (except running with my ruck in the Army, but that doesn’t count).

The combination of clothing I wore today was really great. It was warm, but not too warm and wicked well. I’m beginning to notice that wool and Polartec seem to be the fabrics that work best. The poly mid-layer I was wearing held too much water and my sleeves froze solid a few times while I was out. I was still warm, but I wonder what would have happened if it would have been just 5 degrees colder.

The same thing happened with the gloves I was wearing, but amazingly, my hands stayed toasty warm. I normally have problems with poor circulation all the way out at my fingertips, but these gloves did great - even when they got sweaty and froze. These are definitely keepers for running - soft, breathable, and warm.

The biggest revelation of the run was that I didn’t need the balaclava. I had it with me in case my face started to really freeze, but to my surprise it didn’t - not even in sub-zero(f) temps and a small breeze. Maintaining an elevated heart rate was enough to keep it warm, but I’ll still be carrying it with me to be safe.

For Next Time

• Wool and/or Polartec layers only
• Work on reducing weight of gear

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Winter Run Log: 13 Nov 09, 5mi

Another 5 miles for today’s run. This week has been fairly easy. I’ve been hesitant to do longer distances on work days because the trails still don’t have quite enough snow to be comfortable, and the roads are a little too snowy to be safe. Despite that, I did follow some back roads today where I knew there would be little traffic. It all worked out for the best. Snow was falling and it was a little windy. The headlamp made the snowflakes look like bright, white, icy projectiles before they slapped my eyeballs. I ended up turning off the lamp and the predictability of the road surface was great.

Distance: 5.25mi
Temps: 13°f

Gear

• Wool knit cap
• Base layer, stretch capilene, short sleeve
• Top layer, Polartec
• Pants, Polartec (Arcteryx)
• Socks wool mid-weight hikers
• Shoes Saucony ProGrid Xodus
• Wool liners (Ibex)
• Head Lamp (Petzl Tikka XP²)

It was a good run. Tomorrow is a day off and Sunday will be 15mi on trails. The temps are supposed to drop down to -15 by then, so I’m curious to see how things go.

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Winter Run Log: 12 Nov 09, 5mi

This morning was wonderfully warm with about 2 inches of slippery new snow on the ground which made running a little more challenging. It would have been MUCH more enjoyable on skis but I need to do a little maintenance on mine before I do any training on them this year. Also, I need to work on becoming more graceful on them.

Distance: 5mi
Temps: 17°f

Gear

• Wool knit cap
• Base layer (capilene)
• Top layer, Northface poly (Flight Series)
• Pants, poly (Perl Izumi)
• Socks wool mid-weight hikers
• Shoes Saucony ProGrid Xodus
• Wool liners (Ibex)
• Head Lamp (Petzl Tikka XP²)

Observations
It was very slow going uphill with the new snow. Conditions were just right for sliding my feet effortlessly right out from under me.

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Winter Run Log: 10 Nov 09, 5mi

They were making snow out at the top of Birch Hill this morning and it was beautiful to watch it fly up into the air and fall back to the ground again in the orange glow of the lights along the slope.

Distance: About 5mi (the Garmin had some trouble locating satellites due to falling snow)
Temps: 0°f

Gear

• Wool knit cap
• Fleece neck gaiter
• Base layer (poly tank)
• Mid layer (capilene mid-weight zip)
• Top layer, polarttec fleece
• Leggings, mid-weight (capilene)
• Pants, Polartec (Arcteryx)
• Socks poly cushion heavy-weight hikers
• Shoes Saucony ProGrid Xodus
• Mid-weight mitten shells (Outdoor Research)
• Head Lamp (Petzl Tikka XP²)

Observations
This was a short comfortable run up the ridge to the top of Birch Hill and back. There was a only a little sliver of moonlight so I had a head lamp with me. There were a handful of other runners out this morning and it was very motivating to know I wasn’t the only one out there.

Next Time
This was a great combination of clothing for the temps. Wouldn’t change a thing.

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Winter Run Log: 08 Nov 09, 16.75mi

I’ve been fortunate enough to have made it all the way to winter this year without any injuries, and with one 50k under my belt I’ve set some short term goals, starting with the Little Su 50k this February. This will be the first year I’ve actually attempted to train through a winter here in Fairbanks and so I have a lot to learn about sweating in the cold - severe cold (sometimes dropping - to -40°f and colder!).

The temps are just now starting to drop below what is normally comfortable for me and so as I do my long training runs I’m trying different combinations of gear to determine what seems to work best and what definitely doesn’t work at all. I’m keeping a log here so I don’t forget.

Saturday’s Run
Distance: 16.75mi
Temp: 5.0°f to -5.0°f (I suspect it was colder through the lower areas along the Chena River, but these were the officially reported temps for the time of day)

Gear

• Wool knit cap
• Wool balaclava mid (IceBreaker)
• Base layer (capilene)
• Mid layer (capilene)
• Top layer polarttec (Arcteryx)
• Outerlayer windbreaker (Marmot)
• Pants Polartec (Arcteryx)
• Socks wool mid-weight hikers (Icebreaker)
• Shoes Saucony ProGrid Xodus
• Glove liners (Ibex)
• Mid-weight mitten shells (Outdoor Research)

Hydration/Nutrition

• Water bottle (Nathan Labs)
• Platypus Hydration System (bladder)
• GU
• water mixed with a nuun tablet, agave nectar and lime juice
• Probar

Observations
A number of things failed on this run, but the biggest was letting my water freeze. Around mile 5 my water bottle was beginning to get slushy and the hose of my hydration bladder was frozen right at the nozzle even though I had made a point to blow air back through the line each time I took a sip. I was expecting the water to freeze at some point, but certainly not as early as it did. Basically, I ran about 10 miles without water and really started to pay for it around mile 12 with my legs cramping up. This really could have been a show stopper, because everything that happened after that was a direct result of not being properly hydrated and If I could have kept moving I would have been in much better shape.

The last stretch on this run is a very long hill and I decided to start walk/run intervals to deal with the dehydration and cramping. Here I was close to the house and knew once I was at the top of the hill it would only be a short jog down the other side and home. At this point in the run my layers were fairly wet. I believe this was due to the jacket I had chosen as my outer shell (windstopper type) which didn’t breath well enough to wick the moisture from my under layers out to the open air. As soon as I stopped running, my layers started freezing, including my mittens. Within the span of about 10 minutes the walk/run turned into just walking the rest of the hill. Dehydration was slowing my pace immensely and my body temp was dropping too. The icy clothing wasn’t helping.

Thankfully, I was able to get back to the house under my own power and immediately started peeling the icy layers off me. This was when I actually realized just how frozen everything really was. My base layers were frozen to the inside my jacket (a definite sign moisture wasn’t wicking all the way out) and it took quite a bit of tugging to retrieve my arms from inside. The mitten shells were just as frozen and crunchy.

Free of my icy clothes, I grabbed some water and stood shaking uncontrollably (sign that body temp was too low) by the wood stove to start warming back up. I also grabbed the ProBar I had carried on the run to get some solid food in me, but it had frozen too hard to eat right away, so I stood there warming my hands and the ProBar until i could bite into it.

For Next Time

• Try keeping water drinkable by strategically placing hot hands (chemical heaters) at the base of the bladder where the hose connects and on the pouch on the outside of the water bottle. Wrap drinking tube of bladder in neoprene and route under clothing to insulate and keep warmer
• Choose a different outer layer for the next run.
• The balaclava goes in my pack until I really need it. They are great, but you’re making a commitment when you put one on, because it has to stay on until you’re in a warm enough location to take it off without the moisture in creates on your skin freezing. Depending on its design, it can also direct vapor from breathing/sweating up into your eyelashes where it freezes solid. I started with one on for this run and by the end it was totally iced up on the outside making breathing arduous.
• Find some goggles to run in. Frosty eyes are no fun.
• Carry paper towels in pocket. Pit stops are also no fun and time spent fishing in the pack is time spent getting cold

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