Altitude Running...Is it really advantageous?

A sorry sight to see right now would be me at my computer typing this blog. I have "nose tampons" in my nostrils due to allergies and the fact that my nose is so raw from wiping it. My eyes are swollen and red as though I have just sobbing hysterically. I am sporting my not so matchy-matchy running attire, which is in NO WAY close to glamorous, as anyone who has run with me before can attest. I would be the poster child for Nike "Just DON'T do it"...

Checking my iPhone weather before my run is a habit and it said 78 degrees. An upgrade that would be advantageous with this feature here in the Midwest would be to list the wind gusts in mph. Perhaps the humidity? Anyway, 2:30pm seemed as good of a time as any to take a two year old out in the stroller so he could sleep and I could get my twelve 30 second hill repeats done. I put about a liter of Opcon-A in my eyes, used the restroom, and gathered my running gear (iPod, Garmin, and Nike shades). My shades use to look fairly nice until my two year thought they'd look better with little bits chewed off the nose piece. (Darn kids, can't have anything nice...) I laced up my shoes one foot at a time just like Paula Radcliffe does and strapped the semi-tired, 30 pound two year old into the running stroller.

Once my Garmin synced to the satellites we were off...and every direction I ran was literally into the wind-HARD WIND. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? I have to do hill repeats with a stroller in THIS? Sparing you the details of a wind blown two mile warmup and cool down, once I got to the hill to do repeats, I made note of the wind direction. YES-right directly into it for the repeats! Of course! Newton's 15th Law...the one they don't teach in school or science class. "An object that runs into high wind gusts will do so in every direction regardless of how slow or fast they are going or how much they weigh in grams".

Needless to say the repeats weren't easy and at about number seven, as the thought of quitting was heavy on the skull, I had a scientific idea pop into my brain. ("LIGHT BULB" said Gru from Despicable Me) Truthfully I can't believe someone hasn't researched this conclusion before. Does altitude running truly have an advantage over running in 20-30 mph wind gusts in the Midwest while pushing a 30 pound child in a running stroller? I think more research needs to be done with regards to this hypothesis.

I can assure you I was puffing harder during my warm up and cool down dealing with the wind than many of my six mile repeat workouts run at 5:40 pace. Seriously, I think elite athletes need to be open to considering this type of training. Especially the sprinters who use those parachute contraptions to work on their speed-NO NEED HERE! Just grab a stroller with a 30 pound child in the Midwest and head on out. It will give you the workout of your life!

So when I got back I was curious as to what the wind gusts were measuring since inside, before I started my run, the trees didn't look like they were blowing too hard. Below was the measurement from the KCCI website:

I can assure those of you who have never been to this part of the country, it is a rarity not to have wind gusts of some amount to measure. I truly feel like I am onto something here with this potential training plan. Question is, when will it catch on? And after thinking about it for a bit while typing this blog, maybe its better that it doesn't catch on? Then I can have the advantage?

World Record or World Best?

So between 2006-2008, I spent more time running than I have in the last few years. I am currently building up again to my 100-110 mile days so I can get back to racing competitively. During the span of my running career, which began when I was 13, I have followed many women who are currently 15-30 minutes faster than my marathon PR. After reading many of their training plans, I realize we aren't too different. Many of them run in excess of 100 miles a week, collected prize money, have children, and they also lace up their shoes one at a time like I do. One woman in particular does have something I am roughly 30 minutes off pace to claim; a World Record! Can you name her?

If you said Paula Radcliffe, you are correct. So perhaps her 100 mile week is more like 130 miles, her race checks total more like $150,000 not $5000, she has two children versus four, BUT the lacing up one shoe at a time is still exactly the SAME as yours truly! BUT I admire her and all she has accomplished and will tell you, though I have not walked much less run a mile in her shoes, I want to fight for her.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/8778319/Paula-Radcliffes-world-record-set-at-2003-London-Marathon-no-longer-valid.html


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/olympics/3864177/Paula-Radcliffe-bids-to-keep-marathon-world-record.html

After reading the above articles, I too am on board with the marathon majors! "Race directors from the events that make up the World Marathon Majors, including Boston, London and New York, and the Association of International Marathons, which represents more than 300 races across the world, have warned that they will refuse to accept the IAAF decision." (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/olympics/3864177/Paula-Radcliffe-bids-to-keep-marathon-world-record.html) This decision is to only allow women to claim a World Record if done in a women's only race NOT a mixed race with men.

WHAT??? In the probability lessons I learned in Mr. Luke's math class back in ninth grade, the IAAF ruling this past January would seem to indicate that women have far less of a probability of setting WR than men, due to the fact that most road races are mixed! So to me this means that now ALL road racing events, when a woman could potentially set a World Record, would need to have a separate start for women. This ends up being extra work for racing organizers of all race sizes.

So if Paula can run with the men setting a blistering pace of 2:15 end time result, she can't keep her World Record but can have the "World Best" title instead according to the IAAF. Clearly she has the ability to race that pace if her body can run that fast! Even with a mountain lion chasing her, if she can not keep a 2:15 pace, she won't run a 2:15 marathon and inevitably be taken down.

I would think with this ruling, the use of pacers for major events needs to be eliminated. "Rabbits", as they call them in the track races, would no longer be permitted to participate and this will cause such a mess in going back now to determine WR etc. Come on IAAF... I hope you do the right thing and reinstate Paula's 2:15 WR for the marathon, she ran it and quite frankly DESERVES every bit of each nanosecond even IF she was able to keep pace with two men!

She is planning to meet in Monaco soon for talks to plead her case. GO PAULA!  My opinion is of the point; regardless of gender, if capable of running a particular pace during a race, does it matter who you are running with or against or rather who/what may be chasing you? Seriously IAAF...curious as to how you'd feel if your World Record especially in the marathon that you worked so hard for was taken away and replaced with "World Best"? Is it me or is that still almost saying the same thing? World Best/World Record...potato/potato?

I have to go for a run to hammer out my disgust for this ruling and the length of time its taking them to allow this to go on!

I LOVE My Vacuum!

Well after a week of house drama, we FINALLY closed on our new home a week after scheduled. I still have some sanity, fingernails, and stomach rugae left to show for it and I figured it was time to update my blog.

My vacuum...my closest family and friends know that I truly have an addiction to vacuuming along with vacuums themselves since before the age of eight. I have yet to find a recovery group for this strange addition-perhaps that TLC special could feature me; but really its not that exciting and viewers may use that as a time to refill their drinks and empty their bladders. I have used ALL kinds of vacuums in my mid-range (its not long but not really too short either) life span. I also have received vacuum cleaners for two major holidays-Christmas 2011 and Mother's Day 1999. Truly, I am fine with this and I know it goes against the rules for men as to giving women appliances for major holidays. While waiting to close on this home I am now in, I was also waiting for major appliances to arrive as they were on order to be delivered. This gave us time to "camp" in our new house. We had to refill coolers with ice daily and use a toaster as well as the Cuisinart Electric Skillet for four and a half days. My one "old reliable" appliance was my vacuum!

I have owned four vacuums myself but have used countless others. For Mother's Day 1999 I received a Tri-Star. This is the door-to-door salesman vacuum which comes complete with a four figure price-tag and five attachments. I still have it which I now use it for car clean up and until last Christmas, it was my main squeeze of a vacuum. It will be hard to part with this gem someday. This past Christmas, I received the Shark Navigator with the Lift-Away. I have used the Lift Away option but prefer to keep it all attached and use the main suction brush on the stairs as it has better suction in my opinion. I have tried the coveted Dyson. Just was not as impressed with it as I hoped I would be, though it is still a good machine. I have read reviews and then of course with the machines I have used lately including a Eureka upright, the Shark has been most impressive to me.

Now I could go ON and ON about my preference with vacuums and how well they clean etc. Ultimately it is up to the end user. I will leave you with this, my favorite tool attachment for the vacuum of any type is the crevice tool. It just does my OCD good to know I was able to get into the tiniest of spaces and suck out the dirt. After a good vacuuming, which I like to do once a day, it feels good to get in a run! YEA!!! I was able to get in a run after a two week hiatus. It was an easy three miler but it felt good to get out and stretch out the legs with my iPod and Garmin giving me my mile splits. I probably ran a pace that was too fast but I didn't care, I was glad to be moved, finally closed, and have my major appliances finally arrive. Life is good and I am getting my gait on for a BIG half marathon this fall!