Category: Blog Page 16 of 20

End of the Thanksgiving weekend 2018

On November 25, 2018

It’s Sunday, and it’s back to work tomorrow. The Thanksgiving break was a nice time to binge on some Netflix (The Evolution of Us) and study a company structure (Perficient), but I was also able to maintain my running routine. The weather was mostly cooperative with some wintery stuff on the way the next few days.

Philo2018-11-25

As I crested a hill this morning, the view struck me that the miles of farmland and grid of roads as far as the eye could see were organized by generations before me, who had dedicated time and money into their construction.

While these roads have seen plenty of farm machinery and rural traffic, they have also been my running tracks for the past 6 years. The majority of the over 10,000 miles and the few thousand days have been on these country roads. I supposed, in a way, I have some of the best-maintained running routes around.

I am grateful for well-maintained county roads and limited traffic.

You don’t look like a runner

By Jerry Schotz

On November 20, 2018

In Blog

When you think of someone running outdoors, you may picture an image like the one above. Good looking slender people with nice looking clothes/gear and a smile on their face

Do you have to wear the cool gear to be a real runner?

While traveling last weekend, I had just returned to the hotel at the end of a 9-mile run in the snow (temp@24, w/c@15) and got some odd looks from two young runners just heading out. They were dressed in their “cool gear” and I… well… I’m a utilitarian (warm, dry, safe) and not all that interested in style over functionality.

I’m an early morning runner, and it’s usually dark when I start out, and it is lighter when I return. They looked at me with my flashlight, reflective vest, pepper spray, water bottle, running belt, hood was drawn up, an old pair of gloves, and insulated wind pants. Maybe they thought I was homeless?

I was about to tell them to be careful on the river path when they quickly exited toward the street for an in-town run. Good for them. It did make me wonder if I should get more of the fashionable gear.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried several of the well-known items from socks on up and have found some non-running gear that provided better results. When I speak of results, I mean warm torso, staying dry longer, no blisters or chaffing, comfortable after a few hours of movement, warm face, fingers, and toes, etc. Runner’s World has a neat little what-to-wear tool you may want to check out for some suggestions. This runner has posted her tips on a blog as well, very helpful.

Mississippi River Run

By Jerry Schotz

On November 20, 2018

In Blog

Moline111718

I spent the weekend in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and explored a few running routes along the Mississippi River each morning. The weather was cold and wet which makes exploring new routes a little more challenging.

Moline111818

I do enjoy the exploration even if it can be a little intimidating when you don’t know the surroundings very well. The fresh snow covering the path added to the difficulty.

I commend the city of Moline for having these dedicated trails that appear to be well maintained except for some snow removal on the low-traffic portions.

Running along the river did remind me of the few times I’ve found routes along the Mississippi in the Memphis area. The river is a little bit narrower on the Northwest side of Illinois than it is a few hundred miles south in Tennessee.

Why run?

By Jerry Schotz

On November 15, 2018

In Blog

Photo by Snapwire on Pexels.com

I’ve had these questions asked in various ways.

Why do you run?
Why don’t you run races?

You know, there is this 5k here or this 10k there or this half-marathon, marathon, etc. Or the “you should” statements come out frequently along the same lines. Other questions that baffle the non-runners include:

Why would you run if no one is chasing you?
What is your motivation to run every day?

It’s sort of comical now after all these years and I usually answer with something like “running is my time,” “it’s what I like to do to stay healthy,” “I like to eat a lot.” These are all elements of running for me, but not all. There are books about getting in the “flow” when running and there are times I can relate to that, but most days, not so much.

I do find running provides health maintenance, but I’ve really come to the point where my morning is more of a meditation, learning, and me-time which I just happen to do while running 8+ miles. That 1.5-hour slot opens my day, and I would miss it terribly if I couldn’t exercise to start my day. The nice thing is I don’t hurt or have any real recovery time needed to do this routine.

I was reading today about folks who do like real runs and racing. I was reading about people who do 100-mile runs in 12+ hours. Wow, that pace and endurance must require a lot of training, and that’s cool for them. I do think about this kind of running from time to time, I’m just not sure that’s where I want my running to take me.

I do like to run in new places, new cities, parks, etc. When the surroundings are new, the miles seem to go by so quickly and with less effort.

Low Traction Running

By Jerry Schotz

On November 15, 2018

In Blog

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

This morning (Nov 15) was our first significant snow. I’m estimating 1-2 inches was on the unclear roads in the country. I have forgotten how much additional work it is to run when each step is on loose snow!

Post-run2018-11-14 Before the first mile was complete, I could feel the additional energy drain. I have had to break out my heavier winter gear the last few days due to the cold wind chill (as seen on the right). Today the temperature was in the upper 20’s with the wind in the upper teens making it a bit more bearable.

I wear layers of clothing always trying to get the proper temperature where I stay warm but not sweat excessively as to cause a chill as I deal with the wind changes. My outer layer is a lightweight coat I found at Farm and Fleet in the raincoat section. It is very water resistant and blocks the wind well. Today I had three layers under the coat and insulated wind pants, hat, gloves, and scarf. I stayed warm but a little too warm while running with the wind. I can unzip the coat about half-way down and close the gap using the velcro tabs thus allowing some airflow.

The first 4 miles it was still snowing and blowing from the North, but as I rounded the route West toward home, the snow had let up, and the rising sun was brightening the pathway. The strain from running with such poor traction had me drinking water by mile 5, which is unusual in such cool weather.

Run 2018-11-15 I was able to complete my 8+ miles at a slow pace, but it was a good workout, and I’m very grateful to be able to get out there and run even if the conditions are a little rough.

My feet were a little wet from the snow melt, but they weren’t too cold or uncomfortable.

Stay warm, run strong!