Finished another review.
Packit Gourmet makes some great food and I really enjoyed it.
Packit Gourmet Assorted Trail Meals
Monday, October 19, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Trail Running
Finding a Spot
I have been a runner on and off for the last 20 years or so. I hate running because it is rather boring and the older I got the more wear and tear it put on my body. The only up side to the whole thing was the conditioning it allowed me to carry out and the weight loss that it helped me with. In the end I always grew bored or got hurt and wound up burned out rather quickly.
I have seen people in the Sierras wearing a lumbar pack, running shoes and water bottle trot past me and head up the mountain at a faster pace than I could ever do. The idea of running instead of hiking began to intrigue me. I could never replace my slow leisurely hikes with a fast paced running trip, but maybe taking my running to a new place would be just what I needed to keep things fresh for me.
I have seen people in the Sierras wearing a lumbar pack, running shoes and water bottle trot past me and head up the mountain at a faster pace than I could ever do. The idea of running instead of hiking began to intrigue me. I could never replace my slow leisurely hikes with a fast paced running trip, but maybe taking my running to a new place would be just what I needed to keep things fresh for me.
A little searching around the net brought me www.Trailrunner.com. I think their History page is a great look into what trail running is as a sport. Trail running can be done up and down mountains or in urban areas. The key apparently is enjoying the trail experience while running. This made a lot of sense to me. I could enjoy being in the woods and run at the same time. Trail running would allow me to spend more time in a place I really like doing something that I needed to do for health and fitness reasons.
A couple of things made me consider trail running as an alternative to jogging or running around my neighborhood. The first is vehicular traffic. Running the in the morning or afternoon makes it damn near lethal at times to run anywhere near my house. It ruins a perfectly good run having to dodge cars by hopping into a ditch or someone’s front yard and also raises my blood pressure which is not one of my running goals.
The other thing that made it appealing to me was the large number of hiking areas near my home that would make great places to get off the hard top and run in some semblance of peace amongst the piney woods. I have Burroughs Park, W. Goodrich Jones State Forest, and the Sam Houston National Forest in close proximity to my home. The latter is more of a weekend destination, but the first two I can easily travel to before or after work for quick access to some great trails and solitude.
A couple of things made me consider trail running as an alternative to jogging or running around my neighborhood. The first is vehicular traffic. Running the in the morning or afternoon makes it damn near lethal at times to run anywhere near my house. It ruins a perfectly good run having to dodge cars by hopping into a ditch or someone’s front yard and also raises my blood pressure which is not one of my running goals.
The other thing that made it appealing to me was the large number of hiking areas near my home that would make great places to get off the hard top and run in some semblance of peace amongst the piney woods. I have Burroughs Park, W. Goodrich Jones State Forest, and the Sam Houston National Forest in close proximity to my home. The latter is more of a weekend destination, but the first two I can easily travel to before or after work for quick access to some great trails and solitude.
All of these areas offer up unpaved trails that are great for hiking and running, with the Sam Houston National Forest having the most uneven and challenging terrain. The other two areas offer rather flat, but scenic trails that are almost always sparsely populated with people at the best running times.
Now that I had made up my mind to start running again and running outdoors on trails, all I had to do was find out how to really get back into running in a manner that would let me improve my stamina, running ability, and keep me from burning out.
Now that I had made up my mind to start running again and running outdoors on trails, all I had to do was find out how to really get back into running in a manner that would let me improve my stamina, running ability, and keep me from burning out.
Learning How to Run
I have been given all sorts of advice on how to start a running program. Most of them always involved going out and running till I fell over and then getting out and doing it the next day until I built up some stamina. One of the more “official” sounding plans I was given was to start running 20 minutes a day and add 30 seconds to my running time every day after that.
After twenty straight days of running with no rest days and adding the coveted 30 seconds a day to my run, I was done. My lower back ached and stayed stiff. My knees ached, swelled up, and crackled when I walked. My feet hurt and were constantly sore to the point where I could hardly walk barefoot without limping.
I have been given all sorts of advice on how to start a running program. Most of them always involved going out and running till I fell over and then getting out and doing it the next day until I built up some stamina. One of the more “official” sounding plans I was given was to start running 20 minutes a day and add 30 seconds to my running time every day after that.
After twenty straight days of running with no rest days and adding the coveted 30 seconds a day to my run, I was done. My lower back ached and stayed stiff. My knees ached, swelled up, and crackled when I walked. My feet hurt and were constantly sore to the point where I could hardly walk barefoot without limping.
Now I saw results. I was running longer and longer and lost a beer gut in only twenty days, but my body was getting beat all to hell. I could not take much more and had stop running. This was typical of all my exercise plans for most of my life. I jumped into it way too soon and too hard and when my body gave out, so did my will to continue.
When I decided to get back into running and trail running to be more precise, I went to a close friend who runs marathons and triathelons and asked him the magic question; “How do I start running?”
When I decided to get back into running and trail running to be more precise, I went to a close friend who runs marathons and triathelons and asked him the magic question; “How do I start running?”
He advised me to go to www.coolrunning.com and find a plan or advice that suited me. I was not that thrilled to hear that he did not have a magic wand that would mystically fill me with running knowledge, but in the end his “find a way that suits you” remark was probably some damn good advice.
After poking around the site I ran across their Couch to 5K Running Plan. I had seen and toyed with the idea of using “interval training” before, but after reading through how the plan worked I was impressed. It was built around a gradual build up from fast walking to running and involved running/training every other day as opposed to every day. My big issue with this plan was that I had to keep track of how long each interval was and how many running/walking intervals there were in each run and this was distracting. I loved their plan and advice, but I needed a better way to implement it. A few test runs on the streets and on the trails convinced me that interval training would work for me, but I needed some more guidance.
Luckily for my weak mind I searched around Itunes till I came across a site that had podcasts designed for interval training and running. (www.podrunner.com). This site has different exercise podcasts, but most importantly to me, it has three different interval training podcast series for running. There is 9 week course (First Day to 5k) that is very similar to the on at www.coolrunning.com, but the beauty of the podcast is that I can run listen to the music on my ipod, and then the there is an audio cue telling me when to change from fast walk to running. There are also podcasts to allow runners to train for an 8k run or 10k run, but for me, 5k was enough.
Right now I am finishing up the 5k interval training for the second time. Last year I got side tracked by a hurricane, but this year I am using the podcast to run for 30 minutes at a time and I feel great. Most days see me outside on a trail, but on bad weather days I go inside on the treadmill to keep things going.
My combination of interval training to get to my running goal and running on trails has been great for me. One of the keys to interval training is to run every other day to allow my body to recover. Combined with the soft surface of the trails, my body is holding up much better than when I ran on streets and other hard surfaces. I also enjoy running past trees and seeing birds and other animals rather than dodging cars and dogs when I go for my runs.
Wrapping things up
After poking around the site I ran across their Couch to 5K Running Plan. I had seen and toyed with the idea of using “interval training” before, but after reading through how the plan worked I was impressed. It was built around a gradual build up from fast walking to running and involved running/training every other day as opposed to every day. My big issue with this plan was that I had to keep track of how long each interval was and how many running/walking intervals there were in each run and this was distracting. I loved their plan and advice, but I needed a better way to implement it. A few test runs on the streets and on the trails convinced me that interval training would work for me, but I needed some more guidance.
Luckily for my weak mind I searched around Itunes till I came across a site that had podcasts designed for interval training and running. (www.podrunner.com). This site has different exercise podcasts, but most importantly to me, it has three different interval training podcast series for running. There is 9 week course (First Day to 5k) that is very similar to the on at www.coolrunning.com, but the beauty of the podcast is that I can run listen to the music on my ipod, and then the there is an audio cue telling me when to change from fast walk to running. There are also podcasts to allow runners to train for an 8k run or 10k run, but for me, 5k was enough.
Right now I am finishing up the 5k interval training for the second time. Last year I got side tracked by a hurricane, but this year I am using the podcast to run for 30 minutes at a time and I feel great. Most days see me outside on a trail, but on bad weather days I go inside on the treadmill to keep things going.
My combination of interval training to get to my running goal and running on trails has been great for me. One of the keys to interval training is to run every other day to allow my body to recover. Combined with the soft surface of the trails, my body is holding up much better than when I ran on streets and other hard surfaces. I also enjoy running past trees and seeing birds and other animals rather than dodging cars and dogs when I go for my runs.
Wrapping things up
Just to wrap this up and let you find your own way, here are some websites that I have used while deciding how and what my approach to trail running would be.
Another helpful piece of advice that my running friends told me was to take the time to find the right shoes. I am not expert on shoe fitting, but they are very right. Taking the time to find the right shoe for you is going to go a long way towards making any attempt at running or trail running better for you.
Monday, July 6, 2009
North Wilderness Loop
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I took a hike on the North Wilderness Trail last week. It was a nice overcast day, but my camera/SD card went nuts. These are all the pics I have been able to salvage. It was great day.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Another Review
I am finally done.
No more gear to review, which is sad, but that means I can try and focus on writing some things for here.
So enjoy.
My last review, for now....
Benchmade Griptilian 551 Knife
No more gear to review, which is sad, but that means I can try and focus on writing some things for here.
So enjoy.
My last review, for now....
Benchmade Griptilian 551 Knife
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
More Gear
Okay folks, I have been a slacker, but here is a new start. Here are some links to great gear I just finished testing. Read and enjoy
Jacks 'R' Better Mt. Washington Under Quilt
Jacks 'R' Better Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock
Jacks 'R' Better 11' x 10' Cat Tarp
Montbell Permafrost Light Down Jacket
Jacks 'R' Better Mt. Washington Under Quilt
Jacks 'R' Better Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock
Jacks 'R' Better 11' x 10' Cat Tarp
Montbell Permafrost Light Down Jacket
Sunday, January 25, 2009
New Trail Foods
This place looks great, but I have never tried their meals. Anyone with some experience out there?
Packit Gourmet
Packit Gourmet
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