Appalachian Trail Experience - Part 2

The trail has definitely pushed my legs to their limits and beyond.  I walked off the trail limping and completely drained and sore.  My intent today was to push myself to it's limits and I painfully succeeded.  I hiked a total of 24.9 miles in a little over 7 hours.  Not a great pace but, somewhat respectable.  I hiked through Michaux State Forest, more like mountains really.  There was very little flat ground and was given a number of opportunities to rock climb.  I knew starting out in the morning that the day would punish me but, I wasn't expecting the punishment to be so grueling.
For this hike I wore a pair of New Balance cross trainers.  I am upset with myself for not wearing my Vibram's but, I knew that I'd never finish the day if I wore them.  My feet were still really tender from the previous days of trekking in them or bare foot.  It was awkward for a while hiking in them.  It was a bit odd not being able to "connect" with the ground but, I was so thankful within the first hour when I came to a quarter mile of medium sized rocky part of the trail.  In my Vibram's it would have been a slow and careful navigation to avoid any real pain but, with the cross-trainers on I jogged.
My pace for the first half of the day was quite fast, around 5 mph.  For most hikers the average pace is between 1.5 to 2.5 mph for the given terrain and pack weight I had with me.  I remember passing other hikers along the path and hearing comments like, "What the f#ck?" "is he serious?" and one older gentleman told me to slow down.  I was too "in my own world" to give any recognition to my fellow hikers and just would simply wave, say hi and pass them quickly by veering off the trail to pass.  I wasn't waiting for anyone and was focused on my mission.  I had a long hike ahead of me and didn't really want to be hiking in the dark.  Little did I know my pace also was a hinderance.
The thing about keeping a quick pace in the mountains there are a lot of rough terrain to watch for, steep climbs and tough descents to manage.  I am lucky that I have been able to maintain quick foot speed since playing soccer in my youth and am a strong hill climber with the help of a couple years of cycling under my belt, descents though, I got no game.  I don't have a problem going downhill technically but, even though I am descend onto my midfoot the impact is still tremendous.   My knee started feeling the impact by late morning. I ignored the pain and kept pressing onward.  Big mistake.
By mid afternoon my knee had swollen and I was having trouble fully extending my leg.  I had a noticable limp and I wasn't even thinking of a quick pace.  I just wanted to get to the end of the trail to my pick up location.  I was hiking through the woods audibly chastising myself for my foolishness.  But, in that time as things slowed down.  I began to see things I don't normally see.  The wooded mountains began to form into the beauty they are known for.  I finally for the first time, saw this beauty.  My quick sprint like pace through the mountains the days before and even this morning had hid this artwork from me.  Now, I was viewing its' spendor through new eyes.
Though I was in pain and pretty uncomfortable I was still able to enjoy the remarkable landscape passing before me.  The rock formations that for centuries have been touched by only a limited number of souls.  A deer eating in an open section of oaks and maples.  Even a rattlesnake sunning itself on a rock formation exposed to the afternoon sun.  Most of this would have gone unnoticed if I hadn't been hurt.  The pain sucked but, was also a blessing.   It forced me to see hiking in a different light.  Much of what I do, I do as quickly as I can.  By slowing down I was able to savor the experience to embed a memory I'd hope to never forget.
My respect to those who trek out into the wild is at an all time high.  To expose oneself to nature and allow oneself to be vulnerable demands respect.
To the hikers who traverse the Appalachian Trail from start to finish I salute your endevours.  I am impressed not only by your physical abilities to do so but, by your resolve to endure all 2,180 miles of some of the East coasts roughest terrain.  To the hikers I passed by in a blur, good luck and I hope your journey is rewarding.  To the Marine I met in Boiling Springs, I admire your overcoming adversity and limitations to endure and push through.  

My First 5K

After the Chocolate Miracle 5K race exhaused in Hershey, PA

 I ran my first 5K race one week ago today.  I was a bit nervous.  How will I finish?  Will I bonk? Will I be able to hang with guys my age even or will I get passed by somebody I perceive to be more out of shape than me?  Ok, I was more nervous than I let on but, I'm happy to say according to the result boards at the race I did better than I thought.  I came in 69th, with an unofficial time of 24 minutes 21seconds making that my fastest 5K ever!  It was definitely an experience I want to repeat and will make some adjustments too.  Experience is absolutely the best way for me to learn.

The race benefited the Children's Miracle Network and took place in good ol' Hershey, PA.  Home of, yes you betcha, Hershey Chocolate.  I was fortunate enough to have my wife and boys with me to keep me company during the pre-race shuffle.  Otherwise I would have probably put my headphones in my ears and fallen asleep.  I had woken up at 4 o'clock to eat and get ready.  Packed the suburban by 5:15.  On the road by 5:30, to get there by 7 o'clock.  Race began at 8 o'clock.  I had plenty of time to register, pin my number (165) on and make sure I was hydrated.  It also gave me time to scope out the other runners.

There were a ton of people there of all ages.  I was a bit disappointed that I could only find one other runner in Vibram FiveFingers.  She ended up 3rd overall for the women.  It was easy to spot the cross country runners.  A group of guys in their late teens / early twenties congregated by a tree.  You could just see it in them they ran and were good at it.  I found out later just how good when they passed me half a mile from the turn around, most of ‘em chit chatting as they ran effortlessly.  By that time, I was doing everything I could just to stay breathing.  

There was a short ceremony right before the race, which I'm sad to say most of us missed cause the sound was so poor.  We all knew when to go though.  I tried starting as close to the beginning as I could...I hate being stuck in a crowd.  

After the half a mile we had thinned out pretty good.  I almost cried when I passed the first mile marker and a guy yelled my time as 7:13, I was shocked.  I normally run a static 8:50 - 9:10 mile.  I was cruising.  

The second mile I had lapsed into a +8 minute mile.  I could feel the heat finally hitting me.  The air was thick and made breathing a challenge.  I've always had difficulty breathing well in distance running.  I just don't feel I'm taking in enough oxygen.  Went to my doctors a while back and after a battery of tests, my lungs are healthy and work perfect.  It didn't feel like they were perfect the day of the race though. Then there was the distinct sound of someone coming up from behind me.

There is something to be said about hearing someone running behind you.  When you hear their heavy breathing and shoes hit the asphalt just over your shoulder that just pushes you.  I remember passing a guy and scaring the crap out of him cause he couldn't hear me coming.  He caught up with me after the race to talk about it.  He said he normally hears the footsteps of someone approaching but, never heard mine.  I told him it was the way I ran because of my shoes. My heels barely strike the ground.  I am a minimalist runner and wear Vibram FiveFingers which enable me to run naturally thus, quietly.  I think I talked to a dozen or so runners about my shoes that day. Most had questions of comfort and if I had any pain when I ran. “Nope,” I told them, “and I’ll never go back to standard shoes again.”

The last stretch of the run was the worst, it was a slight incline back to the starting line. Slight in reality but, at that point it felt like a mountain.  My legs were aching and because I was wearing a knee brace my right calf muscle was beginning to cramp.  ACL replacement back in ‘05 left my knee with little to no meniscus and I didn’t want to take any chances of potential injury.

I took my bandanna off, wrung it out and stuffed it in my waistband.  I was hot and couldn't get cool enough.  I was was tired, sore and felt like i couldn’t take a breath but, by the time I reached the last 200m I hit a zone.  

My body felt the finish line.  I was being pulled to it.  It was within my grasp.  I could feel my stride lengthen. My pace began to quicken. I felt weightless.  I passed two runners as I continued to gain momentum.  Two more runners behind me and I was in a full sprint.  I had run track in school, the 200m and 400m so I was in familiar territory but, had never done it after just running 3 miles.  Even so I drove through the finish line in full stride on the balls of my feet as fast as I could.  

I remember passing the clock and it reading 00:24:20.  I added another second just in case I missed something.  I was out of breath completely as I gave one of the girls waiting at the end of a tunnel they had set up, the tag off my bib.  That is how they kept track of our placing.  I was overjoyed with my time but, wanting to collapse.  I just had to keep moving though.  Soon, my wife and kids came to my rescue with a bottle of water and support.

We hung out and encouraged the other runners as they finished.  The boys and I ate the free bananas, cookies and other snacks they had available for us.  When it was all said and done I was quite proud of myself.  I hadn't thought I'd have had it in me. Though I didn't place in my age group, I had finally gotten back into a competitive environment.  

It’s a place I’ve missed.  I'm not overly competitive, mind you. I mean I've played sports with people who’s only thought was to win, some intense personalities there.  I will admit I do have a pretty competitive side to me but, not until I know I'm ready to compete and I'm not ready right now.  Maybe not ever but, just being in the environment was enough to give me that sensation of life you cant find elsewhere.  

I am already planning my next race in August, I think, and training for my 2nd Livestrong event on August 21st.  Click the link if you'd like to support the fight against cancer!!  And for that I'm going to need stamina and mental endurance, it will be a 100 mile bike ride through Montgomery county near Philadelphia, PA.  According to Livestrong website it is the most difficult course on their schedule, such a nice way to challenge the body.  Rode 70 miles last year, of course I'm gonna push myself this year.  It's what i enjoy.  It's what this sight is really about.  My journey to discover my boundaries and my limits.

This race showed me my limits aren't static and with the right motivation can be pushed even if only a little at a time. Next time, though I'm looking to beat 24 minutes, we'll see cause August is hot but, that's just another obstacle to overcome.

Staying Healthy by Staying Active

Over they years I've gone from a well toned 175 lb physique to a 235 lb "what the hell happened to me body."  I'm currently on my way back to my days of being toned again and I must say the road is quite rough.  Anybody who says getting a great body is easy is all out lying to you.  I too have sat watching the infomercials and thought wow, that looks like it would work.  I've even given a few of them a try but, the one thing I've discovered is that there comes a point in any work out routine where it becomes just that, routine.  I get bored and discouraged and say, "the hell with it, " and put the DVD or whatever aside and go channel surfing with a bag of popcorn. So how am I getting back to where I was so many years ago?  Three words, I stay active.

My entire fitness goal is to just stay active.  Whether it be cycling, running, hiking or mowing the lawn.  Though even that won't shed the 50 lbs of junk I put on over the years sitting behind a desk and being a slug.  I have had to change my dietary intake too. Though this wasn't as traumatic as I thought it would be. I have severely reduced my soda intake and drink primarily water.  I don't go overboard with my meals either.  For example, I eat a sensible breakfast keeping my fats down and eating a lot of egg whites and Cream of Wheat...with just honey.  I don't stay too strict only because I've found my body revolts and I get really agitated when I just eat what I consider nothing but healthy foods.  I know I could just grind through it but, first of all I'm not a paid athlete who makes a living off my athleticism, second, I enjoy eating & lastly, my family doesn't need to be put on a strict diet or suffer because of me.  I have a 4 and 5 year old, they like sausage and pancakes for breakfast.  Sure, my wife and I get lean sausage and make our pancakes from scratch to keep things fairly healthy but, I'm not going to go around life carrying around health food just in case we are out and they get hungry.  I'm just being realistic.  I think most diets fail because people start out full of gusto and realize that after 3 weeks they are eating the same foods over and over and their bodies revolts.

I know I don't eat as healthy as I could.  I choose to do this.  But, what I do do is make sure that I do eat as healthy as I can when I can.  I try not to eat fatty cut meats, I eat more vegetables and fruits, I cut back on drinking anything but, water, I limit my "snack" foods to special occasions.  Overall, I just discipline my intake.  It was a bit of a struggle at first but, I slowly integrated the way I eat over time and now don't have the cravings I used too.  I do admit though, whenever I ride for 50 miles or better I get a craving for pizza that is nearly impossible to shake.

Food was the first step to getting healthy, the second was the most difficult...exercising.  I had been inactive for so long I had forgotten what it was like to be active.  I struggled in the beginning and even gave up two or three times.  I initially began running but, a bad knee with hardly any meniscus kinda prevented me from being able to tolerate anything more than a 5K.  I switched to weight lifting, something I was quite into before, and went too hard too quick and ended up either hurting myself or getting sick.  I did a lot of reading and started barefoot running.  Between the technique and low impact I was able to running greater distances.  Though even after a year of doing so anything over 10 miles causes my knee to swell and ache for days.  My knee is just that bad.  Then a good friend got me into cycling.  I eased into it, only having a mountain bike.  Gradually I worked my milage up.  I was loaned an actual road bike and soon my milage soared.  I even, after only a couple of months, participated in my first biking event the 2010 Philly Livestrong.  I ended up riding 70 miles that day it was the most exhaustively satisfying exertion ever.

I relaxed over the winter, unable to ride in the snow.  I gained some of my weight back I had lost the year before but, came back with a vengence this year. I realized that even though I was eating better, my not being active didn't help me stay fit. I needed to be active and be active consistently. The best advice I've ever heard came from Matthew McConaughey, in an interview he had someone asked him how he kept his “sexy body,” his response was to sweat once a day, not worry about how far you run but, how long. His take on exercising is much the way a kid plays. He'll start out on a run and see a rock on the side of the road and stop and bust out a few reps of curls and presses before moving on. He just stays active. He says he doesn't use a gym but, whatever he finds around him. 

I've taken that philosophy and run with it with awesome results.  As soon as the weather broke I started running and cycling again.  I began incorporating body weight exercises into my weekly activities to strengthen my core and lessen the impact of long rides on my body.  I started hiking in the mountains to really get a great leg work out climbing hills and using different muscles than I use in my cycling.  I change things up.  I don't stick with any one thing too long.  My bike routes continually change.  I don't follow any pattern of exercise.  I wake up in the morning and decide then what I wanna do based on how my body feels.  Some days I do nothing, others I go for a 25 mile ride in the morning knowing I'll be baling hay in the afternoon and not think twice.  For those unfamiliar to baling hay, it is an extremely intense task of throwing 40 -50 lb hay bales from the ground onto a wagon, stack the hay and then unload the wagon into a barn.  It is estimated by Livestrong website to burn 11 calories a minute and we usually start baling around noon and finish up around 9 at night.  We eat a couple of times and take breaks to change wagons and such but, we never really stop moving.  The day is a pain and I'm glad it only happens a few times a year.  I have noticed that my energy levels have increase over the past two years and feel they will continue to do so as I get in better shape.

I can't say that the systems we see on TV don't work but, they don't work for me.  I have learned that just by staying active and not giving up on the things I enjoy, food, but, limiting them is allowing my body to become healthier by the week.  I think the biggest thing I could recommend is to be honest with yourself and start slow.  Like anything nothing will happen overnight so just take it easy but, maintain your persistence.

Living in Vibram Five Fingers

I'm not sure if they are the "new thing," or not but, I've been wearing Vibram Five Fingers for over a year and am absolutely in love with them.  It is difficult to describe the feeling of wearing Vibrams, I'm so accustomed to having them on it's un-natural to wear actual shoes.  I was never a barefoot kid growing up and was even more reliant on shoes in the years beyond being a carefree child.  I didn't even know what minimalism was until after I started wearing Vibrams.  Now I don't like not wearing them.

It all began when I started looking to loose weight.  My career had sat me behind a desk for a number of years and the hours increased, my single life style was replaced with a wife and two children and my time spent in the gym became extinct.  I was a regular at the gym, six days a week, it was my religion.  As happens to many priorities change and life gets restructured and our days of fitness are pushed aside.  The result for me was gaining about 50 lbs.  I went from a solid 185 lbs. to 235 lbs. at my heaviest.  I hadn't even realized it until after my position was eliminated in 2008 and I found myself at home, unemployed and running after a 2 & 3 year old. They kicked my butt.  I had never been one for endurance but, had never had problems being unable to "keep up."  Then there was the full length mirror my wife brought home one day and I saw what I had become.  I was shocked to say the least.

The weeks to come saw me lifting weights and changing my diet but, deep down I knew cardio was the only way I was going to actually loose what I had.  Well, being unemployed kept me from buying any fancy cardio equipment.  It was just me and my Nike's.  I realized running was my last choice.  I could do it whenever and where ever.  I wasn't bound by anything except my own body.  There was the tricky part.  I had ACL surgery in 2005 and had gone over 10 years on a torn ACL, actively gone.  My knees were pretty tore up because of the abuse I put them through so, I knew I was going to have to be very careful running.

I started slow, 1 mile here, 2 miles there, 5K around the block and found my wall.  5K was about as much as I run without actually having to put some TLC to my knees for a couple of days.  It was time to research.  I went through the internet with gusto and came upon Christopher McDougall's Born to Run and barefoot running.  I was intrigued, so much so that I had the book read within days.  I was hooked, I wanted to try this strange way of running that helped minimize injuries.  Soon after that I recieved my first pair of VFF's.  I went with the KSO's and haven't looked back since.

Today, they are my go to shoe.  I run in them, of course, but, also wear them much like one would wear their sneakers.  I have actually grown so accustomed to wearing them that wearing a regular shoe, even worse a boot, is uncomfortable.  It doesn't feel natural.  Lately, I've been wearing them on hikes.  It's been a struggle because I tend to choose some of the more difficult trails or just go off trail which tends to be a little hard on the feet.  But, like getting used to running in them I'm confident that I'll grow accustomed to the terrain.

Overall, I look forward to a long relationship with Vibram Five Fingers.  There are some downsides, I can't paint a perfect picture of the shoes.  I've had a huge problem of them coming apart.  It takes about 6 months of using them strictly for running before they begin to show signs of wear.  I've never gotten much of an answer from Vibram regarding the problem but, I've also never seen a shoe that stands up to the quality or feel of the Vibram's.  They are like wearing a second skin and am unsure that a competitor will trump their Ace's anytime soon.  Though I've only ever had one pair at any given time I know that soon I'll be purchasing a new pair and I'm having a difficult time determining just what to go with.  I just am keeping my fingers crossed on the structural integrity.