Return to The Potawatomi

Diving more seriously into my harebrained idea of completing a half-marathon on the Poto in under 2 hours, I manned up and made the trek out there today for a practice run. Being my first real run in two weeks, it took some time to wake the legs back up. And it was one hell of a wake up call.

I’m always gripped with nervousness en route to the Poto. Is it because I perceive it as the only somewhat technical and challenging trail in the area? Compared to my regular haunts, it is a complete step up. Elevation, terrain changes, miles upon miles of rocks. A few miles into the trail, though, and I recognize that it’s all worth it. It’s also among the most scenic runs I’ve found within driving distance of Detroit – and I’m looking forward to a handful of return trips over the next few months (and probably into the winter).

The good news: I took it slow today. Mild run for 8 minutes, walk for 2 minutes. Walked all hills. Stopped to take pictures when necessary. I wore FiveFingers, which I personally think are a ballsy idea for such a rocky trail (as evidenced by the three inch bruise on the bottom of my left foot). All this said, I still did the loop only slightly slower than my racing pace from the last time I did the trail half marathon. Hopefully, slapping some New Balance 790s onto my feet next time for a little rock protection, cutting out the walks and holding a nice, brisk pace will help me reach my goal.

Also, and somewhat tangential: I forgot how much it sucks running with a Camelback. I noted today there are various “watering” stations along the route – basically a spot to pull up well water. I think if I run with powdered Accelerade in one bottle I can keep refilling and mixing the other. We’ll try that next time.

Iron Nate?

My wife’s first words when I told her I registered: “you’re gonna die!”.

It has been a great feeling cross training, and the benefits have been immediately apparent in my running. I’m getting outside more, stressing the knee less, and feeling my overall fitness increase markedly.

Inspired by a former classmate who just finished a full Iron Man, and trying to make good on a promise I made to myself years ago, I’ve finally set the date for my first Triathlon.

The biking and the running aren’t a concern – and I’m pretty sure I could tough out the combination with just a few months’ training. It’s the swimming I’m most concerned about. Hopefully, with the better part of a year to build up, I should be fine. Guess we’ll see!

I’ll likely try a sprint tri and an olympic distance earlier on next season, just to understand more how it operates. This will remain my training goal for the next year, though. Not sure how doing a specific 50k falls into the training, but I’m sure it’ll all fall into place eventually. The goal has been and will always be to spend as much time outside as possible and to enjoy every minute of it. Having plunked down a hefty $200 registration fee should really force me to get off my ass and make it happen.

New York Times: Wiggling Their Toes at the Shoe Giants

TODD BYERS was among more than 20,000 people running the San Francisco Marathon last month. Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, he might have blended in with the other runners, except for one glaring difference: he was barefoot. Even in anything-goes San Francisco, his lack of footwear prompted curious stares. His photo was snapped, and he heard one runner grumble, “I just don’t want the guy without shoes to beat me.”

+Wiggling Their Toes at the Shoe Giants