eDive Polar Plunge

This started with an email from a friend.  Someone "challenged" me to a skinny dip in an icy pond.  For charity, in February. Payback, I suspect.

Please note...I am a 'land based' or 'terrestrial' creature.  It doesn't say 'swimmer' in the subject line above.  When the polar ice caps melt, I am safely at Elevation +800 ft above sea level.  My day job often involves designing flood protection structures, which means keeping things *DRY*.  Even if Nature meant otherwise.  Sorry Nature.

So dear readers, I did it. Tentatively....Cautiously.  In my duck feet Vibrams.  Waded in to about waist deep.  Body said...."Get the hell out, now. Adult beverages are waiting."

Maybe next year I will have the courage of Super Dave and Missey.  Holding hands and jumping in like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  "Would you make a jump like that if you didn't have to?....Are you crazy the fall will probably kill ya..."  I wanna know which of you was Paul Newman, and which was Robert Redford??

Made the KWQC 6 pm news....look at about minute 16...

I'll be back. Thanks to Dave Cooney, Marnee, Chris and all from Muscatine for the invite.  Thanks to Monsanto to the worthy donation to Junior Achievement.

Great to see the turnout from the QC running community.  Smiling Cindy, Gary,  Missey, Dave, Debbie, Butch, Rich, too many to mention. Pictures below.

" Bow your heads for the men's prayer...
I am a man, but I can change.
If I have to, I guess..."
-Red Green


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

duncan callahan's strength training

One of those much faster, much younger ultra guys.  He posted his strength training regime on his blog.  (Link here fixed now....) Duncan Callahan won Leadville a couple years back, plus a lot of other races.

The routines include alot of core strength, stability ball, lunges, medicine ball.

This sounds somewhat familiar. Interesting and comforting to know my good friend who advises me on such matters is not (completely) nuts.

-Larry

Yoga Larry

The fitness director at the Y shouts to me in the pool "I hear you are taking yoga!"

No, I am not Yoga Larry.  I am QCRunner.  The nice lady sports chiro calls me something else, the nice lady spin instructor yet another thing.   Fortunately good things.

QCRunner thinks he might become a better runner if he becomes a bit more flexible.  My new (to me) road bike has seat higher than handle bars.  Hmmm.

The last few weeks, the dear wife and I have been going with Leadville Pacer Scott and his wife Beth on Monday nights to 90 plus minutes of sheer fun.

I am hugely inflexible.  Was the kid picked last in gym class. I would rather run tens of miles than try "down dog" or "warrior 2."  But I sorta feel that increasing flexibility and stretching is gonna improve the run and bike. It's a bet made by some of the better ultra runners.

So Yoga Larry, I am drinking your Koolaid.

-Larry

Running Times - Medicine Ball Exercises

One wise lady running partner gave me the mag subscription.  Another wise lady running partner will probably make sure this ends up in my life somewhere.
-Larry

"If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t."

From the NY Times.   Michael Pollan's book “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual.”  Some of my favorite quotes.  Aspire to comply, achievement as often as possible.

“If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”
"Feel free to use the gas-station restroom, but never get your fuel from the same place your car does.”
"There is nothing wrong with special occasion foods, as long as every day is not a special occasion."

Also known for "Never eat what Grandma wouldn't recognize."  As our household includes Suzanne's 88 year old Grandmother, that one is easy to test.

-Larry

how to fall

From Trail Runner...

TUCK AND ROLL
"My husband Randy and I were running together at the Mountain Mist 50K in Huntsville, Alabama, on a trail section with a fair number of roots and rocks, when Randy suddenly tripped, tucked, rolled and was back on his feet like he never missed a step," says Kristine Whorton. "None of the other racers near us had to stop or slow down; instead we all applauded, and Randy was thankful for his automatic reaction and only minor abrasions."

I have seen one of these tuck and roll Star Trek style moves executed by one of my training partners.  She barely missed a stride, and was back up before I knew what happened.  Remain convinced that trail runs help agility.  Although I still have a hard time with crazy jump over bench plyo moves recommended by friend.

-Larry

brief update - duck feet meet circle track

The company I work for designed the Muscatine Y, and that 1/16 of a mile indoor circle track.  It's BANKED, which kinda goes against modern thinking in athletic facility design. I give the retired architect responsible grief every time I see him playing basketball at lunch.  "We hired an expert", he says.  On the flip side, I would be grateful to be retired and healthy enough to play basketball at noon.

The duck feet Vibram KSO's worked out well on the indoor track -2.5 miles in about 15:45.  No troubles.  Who can argue with a personal best in the dead of winter?  Figure I lost 10-15 secs running in the outside lane passing people.

Feeling remarkably well and pain free this winter season.  Intensity of training higher than previous years, although run miles remain about same.  I don't know whether to credit good luck, training or footwear.  Intensified strength training and deep water running have been on the agenda for the past year for the most part.

The Vibram experiment continues, although limited exposure to indoor running for winter.  Maybe 25% of run volume. No tread KSO's are not winter icy run friendly.  Getting many high miles out of conventional trail shoes; all pairs have well over 500 miles each and continue climbing. Breakdown of cushioning less concern than in past.

-Larry