I'm not ready to say I fear The Monkey but I am ready to say I respect it. My usual training run (a 1 mile loop) compares not to the wild elevation swings of Monkey. Nor does an out and back I tried at Iroquois Park yesterday an (a now obviously lame) attempt to mimic the monkey. The monkey (middle chart) will not be imitated.

"I once got busy in an Iroquois bathroom" -Humpty paraphrased (Digital Underground)

I went for a run today at 2:00 PM (Iroquois Park). Before beginning, I stopped at the Amphitheater bathroom. I found fat forty-somethings fornicating in the filth on the floor (that is alliteration, my friends). A quick "Sorry!" was released along with my surprised look before I shut the door and began belly laughing. They laughed from the other side too before boarding their awaiting TARC a short time later. I saw too much flesh and the images were still burned into my retinas as I blinked on the drive home, post-run.

Don't you just love when people are in love away from their friends, families, or partners. What do you think, was this planned adultery or just love at first site whilst busing?

Top Gun

I broke my rule of nothing below 8:00 for the month of August, during my last mile.

"He proceeded below the hard-deck, we were below for just a few seconds. I had the shot. There was no danger, so I took it."

"You took it, and broke a major rule of engagement."

Notes from training log after this evening's run:
Water after miles 3 & 6. overall this was faster than I wanted to go at this point in The Returning but legs felt okay other than soreness and I still took it easy on the downhills to avoid pounding/jarring of bones & joints. This was also in my "racing shoes" which are lighter b/c my training shoes are at work.

8:28
8:14
8:10
8:22
8:12
8:02
8:06
7:40

Low Carb Cancellation

"Smart Exercise" - Indeed! Based on a friend's recommendation, I bought this book and read it a year or two ago. I just re-read the mini-chapter on ketosis and carbohydrate loading to conclude a low carb diet is no bueno.

Plus I'm running again and had decided to resume carbs once running was again possible. My fourth try after 6 weeks off brought with it success. I was able to run 6 miles without stopping during lunch while the temperature climbed into the upper 80's.

As an after-thought, based on the information in this book I will likely never try the low-carb madness again -- though I did make it through induction (< 20 carbs/day) so I have that going for me.

Proceeding with Caution

Most importantly - I am running again!!!! In somewhat related news, I am re-starting week 3 of 100 push-up challenge tomorrow as well. I will also be running four miles tomorrow after my "rest day" today.

I ran 3 miles yesterday (though I said I wouldn't run before the 29th) just to get a feel for my capabilities and to see if my femur was healed/healing.

That was my first run of ANY distance in 6 weeks and it felt great to hit the streets again!

Here are the notes I entered in my running log:

11:17
8:33
8:02

I promised myself before I ran that I would do 3 miles MAX as I am "allowed" to start running on 7/29. During the run I felt winded during lap 2 and heavy limbed during 3rd lap. It was hot, I am out of shape (after 6 weeks of no running whatsoever) and I am on a carbohydrate restricted diet.

My plan is now to run every other day the first week with 4 miles each day and a long run of 8 on Sunday.

Speed work & 12 week program for the Flying Monkey begin on September 1, 2008 (no speed work before 1Sep2008)

Diet & 100 Update

I found this ACME Label Maker at http://www.acme.com/labelmaker/



I've nearly completed the first week of the low carb madness (successfully)...
Net Carbs:
day 1: 20
day 2: 14
day 3: 7
day 4: 17.25
day 5: 15
day 6: 20 (including a dinner at an Italian restaurant w/ friends and bakery baked birthday cupcakes)

I faltered in week 3 of the 100 challenge. I'll repeat week 3 next week. It is difficult!

Low Carbs, Low Reps

Okay - new goal created (below). Saturday morning I weighed in at 170. 170!! I weighed as little as 159 this year. Taking this much time off from running (due to femoral stress fracture) has taken its toll.

New goal - Fatty decided while on the scale that I would weigh 150 before my next marathon. I have decided to run The HHFMM as my next marathon. I will try to break 2:50 in Dallas and am updating my goal tracker post to reflect.

Why 150? I ran a 3:07:28 in Memphis in 2007 @ 163 lbs, pre-injury. By following the curve (about 0:58/lb) established by a weight/performance predictor I automatically get a 2:54:53 @ 150 lbs (thanks time calculator).

DANG - Here is the thing. As part of the Saturday decision I started a low carb diet I have historically mocked incessantly. I ate what I wanted Saturday and drank plenty (and caught a RiverBats game from a luxury suite) before the work began on Sunday.

DANGONIT - I have been unable to do the push-ups I used to do since low-carbing it. According to a certain book, I am supposed to eat < 20 carbs/day. I have lost a little weight in 3 days (and drank copious amounts of water to ensure it wasn't water weight). Am I losing muscle and not fat?!?!

I will try stay with the low carb diet as I resume running and hopefully train my body to use fats more easily and make my body an efficient fat-burning marathon beast.

Sunday - 20 net carbs
Monday - 14 net carbs
Today - 7 net carbs

...Feel free to stay tuned for this unscientific experiment as I continue to drive & work light-headed and begin training (July 29th) without carbs.