7 inches and 6 miles

Some runners are just "die-hard", "hard-core", or just plain tough. A great show of this sort of fortitude was on display Saturday morning. While most of the throng of RunnersWorld runners stayed in the warmth of their homes, and off the dangerous icy streets, a few came out for their assigned miles....not because they had do, but because the thought of frolicking through the snow sounded FUN!

Five of our practically famous group, Faster than Oprah, donned multiple layers, and charged headlong into their "easy" 6 miler. Tom W, always on the cutting edge of high tech winter sportswear, was raring to go this balmy 25 degree morning.

Mitch seems happy despite the 7 inches of snow we were about to plow through. Hat--check. Gloves--check. Water bottle--check. Spirits in water bottle to keep it from freezing--oops!

Always the encourager, Lisa looks like she knows the fun in store for the day's run.

The plan was to run the loop around Zink Lake, and then take the Midland valley Trail to 15th Street and then back to Go. The river path to 11th Street was pretty good, having been scraped of ice and snow sometime in the past 24 hours. The bridge at 11th Street was a mess, but most of the group hopped over and ran on the car-side of the bridge and it was easy going. The westside trail was almost unmolested snow. Our group had the luxury of being middle-of-the-pack, and therefore had a little trench in the powdery snow to run in. The wooden bridge on the west trail was a repeat of the RINY run, with a nice powder/packed powder consistency.

Tom R speeds across the pedestrian bridge. This was the only place where the wind was much of an issue. This surface was also the slickest we encountered on the run. Tom, Lisa, and I had "screw shoes" and had excellent traction in the snow and icy patches, but there was a little skid action on this bridge.

Tom, Lisa, and I wait for Eddie, who helps with another group. Surprisingly enough, the water fountain on the west side was turned on and working. Not surprising, it delivered cold water.


The Midland Valley Trail was a winter wonderland. It was postcard pretty, if you like all this d*@&%#!#!ed snow.

Tom carbo-loads after his run.

TZ eats to keep pace with Tom. But on Saturday mornings, after our run, the real treat comes. A lot of us have been hitting the Blue Dome Diner at 2nd and Elgin.The prices are reasonable, the potatoes and bacon are excellent, and the french toast is a good option as are the pancakes.Join us! Oprah would approve.

This Saturday we are scheduled to run 6 miles. The route is pretty simple. At this point in time, it is anyone's guess what it will be like. Fun perhaps, if you like adventure. We are meeting Saturday at 7:45 am at Veteran's Park.

Go North on River Parks Trail and cross river at 11th, then go south on trail to the pedestrian bridge. Take the pedestrian bridge and continue to follow trail to 15th Street. Turn left on 15th, another left on Boston, and return to Veterans’ Park.

I know it's a frequently traveled route, and hey, it's just a short run comparatively speaking, but if you muster the strength to climb out of the warm bed and get it done, you will be a stronger runner for it. Soon enough we will have picture perfect Saturday mornings, and this darn cold weather will be a distant and still not-so-fond memory. But for now, embrace it....let it make you stronger!

A few people have asked me recently about "screw shoes". Lisa's email referred to them in the title "To Screw, or Not to Screw", a title that was a sure attention grabber to say the least. :-)) <~~!TZ with his double chin. The pic to the right is what the finished product looks like, and believe me, they do work great especially on ice. Look at my shoes Saturday morning. I'm sure I'll have mine on. Matt Carpenter, mountain-runner extraordinaire, has an insightful article on this creation on his website. Pay special attention to the length of the screws. Those over an inch long can lead to some uncomfortable foot issues, if you catch my drift.

Of course, if you want to spend MORE than $1.00 (the approximate cost of 20 or so hex screws at Home Depot) and want something more "name-brand", you can by a set of Yak Trax online or at RunnersWorld.

Does it seem like this is just a recap of the email? Well, this is more for the guys who like less reading and more pictures. And besides, I am bored, have insomnia, and am trying to figure out how to get a pic of Oprah worked into one of the pictures. Hmmm...

And about the coffee--YES, I do bleed coffee when cut. And yes, the 5-hour Energy Drinks ROCK. Any potential corporate execs out there reading this. (Sponsorship $$$ --hint hint!)

Stretching? Rarely. But there is one stretch I sometimes do after a good run, especially on a hot day. I come home, open the refrigerator door, and reach wayyyy back to the back of the top shelf, trying to not knock over the milk or orange juice, and snag that last beer. I usually follow that stretch with a series of 12 ounce curls. Oh, don't act surprised, Miss O. It's all good carbs.

Well, FTO-ers, it's almost 1:00 am, and I am outa here. Providing the city officials don't impose marshal law, I'll see you all on Saturday morning.

TZ--OUT.

12 miles, light rain, done!

FTO was well represented Saturday morning as we moved further into our quest to conquer the marathon. Braving the rain were Arena, Dede, Erin, Felix, K2, Janeen, Julienne, Lisa, Lynette, Mitch, and TZ who had some story about getting up early, and being late because of hitting some boundary having to do with a bathroom issue. TMI if you ask me. We were Tom-less as Tom R was at the fire station, and Tom W must be planning a long run Sunday. Lisa said she thought Fast Robert and Jon may have been there, and if they were, well here's your mention. No pix for you!

Our group leaders were scrambling this am....what with TZ being late and Lisa getting her out-of-the-chute pee out of the way.She was hustling to catch up as she blew by me. I was finishing my cup-o-joe and walked most of the 1st mile whilst taking pics of the hundreds of RW runners.

I hope everyone read Lisa's last email, cuz getting all wet on a long run is a recipe for chafing in the netherlands. Bodyglide can be your friend. I plan to post her advice to this blog along with some tasteful photos in the next week or so.

My endeavor at catching up eventually paid off, as I caught up with Lynette. I had met her at the Jingle Bell run, and it was great to see her running with the group today. My BAD....I either did not take her picture, or it escaped the upload from my card. Hmmph!But here she is with her daughter, and her little doggie.

I knew I was catching K2 from about a mile away.K2 is possibly the 2nd most recognizable runner in the whole RW group.

Janeen made the turn at the base of Turkey Mountain and was flying down the trail when she passed me.

Eight miles of pushing the pace finally paid off as I caught the group of Erin, Felix, Mitch, and Julienne.Having a water stop helped my cause as well. Where's Julienne? Oops!Here ya go. Yes, it was for most of the run, but on the return running north, the wind was at our back, the rain slackened, and A lot of runners were shedding layers. I ran most of the way back with Erin, who at half my age is twice my speed. But I kept up and between gasps of air on my part, we chatted all the way back to Veteran's Park.

A quick head count showed we were about 3 heads short, so I headed out to find them (mostly because I wanted some more miles, greedy mileage ho that I am.)Dede and K2 were finishing up. And Arena was about a half mile behind. All accounted for!

Now, time for more important matters....breakfast. We have been in this Blue Dome Diner routine, a literal hole-in-the-wall joint on 2nd at Elgin downtown. Luv it! Best bacon ever, big omelets, pancakes that are bigger than the plates, and awesome french toast!Gotta have my coffee! One quirky thing about Blue Dome is the coffee cups. I have never had the same style of cup twice. I thought for a long time that there were no two cups alike in the house. One time you'll get a little dainty tea cup, and sometimes you get one that could be used as a wash basin. But this day, Jason and Lisa got matching cups.Awwww--isn't that sweet!

More blog stuff later as I search for pictures worth to accompany Lisa's chafing dissertation.

a good turnout on a rainy Saturday

Twas a wee bit of rain in the air Saturday for our run. Last week, that would have been the final nail in our coffin given the 12 degree temps. This past week though saw warmer temps and the end of 3 weeks of snow from that wonderful white Christmas that everyone goes gaga over. bah humbug and good riddance to the snow. The rain gave way to the above sign, the auxiliary rain sign. The nicer permanent sign was kept safe and dry, and this one made of the finest bio-degradable recycled paper sufficed and will be reused on rain days.

Lisa goes over the directions for the day with Erin and Tom W. No, that's not ice but rather rain droplets on Tom's jacket.


Arena returned after being gone last week.

Her attire was a common sight on this drizzly morning.

While most fashionaires sported hefty leaf bags, or 30 gallon trash bags, Arena models a 10 gallon kitchen bag.

A newcomer to our group, Dede gets advice from Tom W. Dede has ran a 1/2 recently and is gunning for the full in OKC. Welcome to our fold, Dede!

Team FTO early in the run. Left to right: Arena, Dede, Tom W, Tom R in the blue, Mitch right behind him, and Erin just out of the frame. We're not only faster than Oprah, but also faster that Joe W of the Tredici group! :-P

Enjoying the sweet 1/2 mile downhill on Terwilleger Blvd.

Tom W catches up on the daily news.

A strange piece of work....and a lion family.

The babes of FTO, after the run.

We had a good turnout at Veteran's Park, with eight showing up despite the rain. A couple of our group, Jon and Ken S, bypassed the Vet's park run and went to the Post Oak Lodge to run trails with the T-Tots. I managed to snag a pic from Ken's Facebook--proof that he was there. Missed ya, K2, but glad you had fun in the mud!

Everyone wins if you collect all the flags!

Greetings runners!

Congrats to all four of us (including Ken and I) who were there last Saturday to brave the cold. With the large snow flakes it was easy to forget about the frigid air and fantasize about being in a snow globe.

Although we are only scheduled for 6 miles this Saturday, the route will be hilly and the route has a few turns that if not reviewed or if you don't stick with someone that knows where they are going, there are opportunities to get in a few bonus miles or even delete some on accident. So while I won't have you collect flags at check points to prove you did this entire run, I highly suggest you review the map this time along with the directions that I will bring printed out for you.

As discussed in more detail last week, the short runs are also as good to practice your Gu, shot blocks, sports beans, etc to see what you can keep in your stomach without upset and what works best for you. Have fun with it!

For those of you have stayed out of the loop thus far and think it's too late to get ready....it is not. There are a lot of marathon training schedules that are 16 weeks long, and a few that are 14 weeks. Right now, we are 14 weeks out to OKC. You can jump in, run 6 miles with us today, and next week when we go 12, you could shorten your run a little if you need to, say to 9-10 miles, and by the next long day 2 weeks later, you could up it to the 14, or at least 12. After just a few Saturdays, you'd be right on track. Please call Ken (814-6433), or email him at trail_zombie@yahoo.com, or comment here on this blog. Let us know how we can help you!


Here is the routefor Saturday:

Go North on Boulder to 15th St.

Right on 15thSt.

Right on Utica. **(pay attention here! and see map so you understand when you read this on Saturday am) **

Just South of 21st St. veer to the Right on Troost and almost immediately turn Right on 22nd St.

Go South (Left) on St. Louis,

back North on Terwilleger (yes is it seems odd to go south then north, it is actually NW and you are on 26th Pl for a few ft or so)

Before you get to 21st street, turn Left into Woodard park follow the road through Woodward Park.

Turn Right on Peoria

Right on 20th St.,

Left on St. Louis

Take a short Right on 19th Street and run the loop around Swan Lake

Go back to 19th and turn West (Right) on 19th St.

Turn Right on Cincinnati and when it crosses the trail turn Left and follow the trail to 18th.

Turn Right on 18th and return to Veteran's Park.

Six mile route: www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/ok/tulsa/392125973448266785



You are receiving this email since you signed up for the RunnersWorld Tulsa OKC marathon training group. If you do not wish to receive my emails, just email me back and let me know. Thanks!





See you all Saturday!


The weather is no longer an excuse.




Lisa

PS. A note from Ken aka TZ. After the scheduled run, I am going over to run some trails at Post Oak Lodge. It may still be a little muddy, but the trails are scenic and fun. Anyone wanna join me? I am open to leaving right after the run, or grabbing some breakfast first....either way.

Arctic Smarctic!

Our fearless group ventured out onto the frozen tundra for 10 miles last Saturday. The weather prognosticators foretold of temps of zero or below, with arctic temps...yeah yeah yeah yada yada yada. It was cold, but only 12ish degrees, and only when running north did we even feel the wind. As stated in the previous email, proper layering made the run bearable. Above, Lisa distributes the directions for the run. Newcomer Erin, to her right, listens in. We had Mitch (on the right), Erin, Tom Robinson, Felix, Me (TZ) and Ken Saveth aka K2 representing the now famous FTO group.K2 and Ms. O were bundled up and ready for anything. As cold as it was, most peeps worked up a soaking sweat after our ten miles. Heavy coats plus running is too much!
Waterstop #1 was not as welcome a sight as it is during the summer. It was a chance to regroup and let our legs know everything was gonna be okay. Notice Tom's glow-stickish jacket. No way to miss it! But I think most would admit, it was a much more desirable outfit than the one he wore last week.

Somewhere near the Center of the Universe, there was a likeness of K2 painted on some sort of metal box. Very eerie indeed. Seriously, could this be Ken's long lost twin?

For those of you in our group, or in other groups visiting this blog, who have stayed snuggled up under the covers these past few cold Saturday mornings...please do not think it is too late to get back into your marathon training. Next week is a cut back week, with our group only going 6 miles. There are over 20 in our group, and a few of those have not yet made it out on a Saturday to run with us. I know most are poroably getting their miles in on the dreadmill or running laps around their living room. But, we'd like to meet you!! Shoot me or Lisa an email and let us know how things are going.

Til next week, keep your miles up and pray for some warm weather!

Run? Seriously? In this?


Alright here's the word on the street...we are still meeting at Veteran's Park at 7:45 this Saturday to run 10 miles. This is a huge milestone for many of you! And the only way you might get it done is with friends. And misery loves company so come on out and get it done!

Some words of wisdom:
FUEL! Once you get up to around 10 miles or so we need to start thinking about refueling while on the course. Typically you want about 100 calories after about 6-8 miles. First of all you should be eating something however little it might be before you start. Then like I said, after about 6-8 miles something to keep you going. Some ideas are sports gels, sports (jelly belly) beans, shot blocks (no they do not contain alcohol) are the most common. These are available at RunnersWorld. My personal favorite is chocolate outrage Gu. This is about 100 calories and is about the consistency and flavor of brownie batter. You really need to take it with water. Another idea would be bite size candy bars. Keep in mind you have to carry this on you while you are running so don't bring a sub sandwich. We need to start training with different things now and you can also start experiencing on shorter runs so you will know what will work when we get to the longer runs.

Do not forget to drink your water when you are running in the cold even if you are not thirsty because you are still sweating and need to replenish that fluid.

After you finish a run, you should eat something (~ 50 grams of carbohydrates or more) within 30 minutes. This will help with recovery. My favorite after run recovery item is chocolate milk. Excellent source of protein and carbs!

Enough advice for now, here is the route:

Saturday's route for all groups starts with a 6 mile loop that includes a mixture of roads and some on the Midland Valley Trail. The first half mile is pretty hilly, and that will get our bodies warmed up for the rest of the run, which isn't very hilly. The route has been scouted out, and although there are a few patches of snow and ice here and there, the route is pretty easily runnable for most of the way.

Here are the directions for the 6 mile loop:

Head east on 21st and turn right on Boston Avenue. Turn left on 26th and then turn left on the trail. Follow the trail to 3rd Street and turn left. Turn right on Greenwood and left on Archer. Turn left at Boston and cross over the tracks, passing the Center of the Universe. Turn left on 1st Street, right on Cincinnati, right on 3rd, and left on Boston. Turn right on 18th and return to Veterans' Park. AND...

Here are the scheduled distances for all the groups:

Beginner Half: 6 miles. You are finished after the 6 mile loop.

Advanced Half: 8 miles. After the loop run on the River Parks Trail to the pedestrian bridge and back to add 2 miles.

Beginner Full: 10 miles. After the loop run on the River Parks Trail to about 41st and back to add 4 miles.

Intermediate Full, Zurich Marathon: 12 miles. After the loop run on the River Parks Trail to Hwy 44 and back to add 6 miles.

Advanced Full: 14 miles. After the loop run south on the River Parks Trail to where the construction begins (around 58th St) and back to add 8 miles.

If you run the first 6 and it just sucks and you get to cold, dont feel bad if you just go home. You got out and did something. We will probably go warm up with a hot breakfast after we are done if you would like to join us.


And if you wish to stop getting my emails, just let me know. Thanks!

See you Saturday am. You may not recognize me under all the layers of clothes but just look for the FASTER THEN OPRAH sign. Bundle up!

Lisa

Run? Seriously? In this?
Alright here's the word on the street...we are still meeting at Veteran's Park at 7:45 this Saturday to run 10 miles. This is a huge milestone for many of you! And the only way you might get it done is with friends. And misery loves company so come on out and get it done!

Some words of wisdom:
FUEL! Once you get up to around 10 miles or so we need to start thinking about refueling while on the course. Typically you want about 100 calories after about 6-8 miles. First of all you should be eating something however little it might be before you start. Then like I said, after about 6-8 miles something to keep you going. Some ideas are sports gels, sports (jelly belly) beans, shot blocks (no they do not contain alcohol) are the most common. These are available at RunnersWorld. My personal favorite is chocolate outrage Gu. This is about 100 calories and is about the consistency and flavor of brownie batter. You really need to take it with water. Another idea would be bite size candy bars. Keep in mind you have to carry this on you while you are running so don't bring a sub sandwich. We need to start training with different things now and you can also start experiencing on shorter runs so you will know what will work when we get to the longer runs.

Do not forget to drink your water when you are running in the cold even if you are not thirsty because you are still sweating and need to replenish that fluid.

After you finish a run, you should eat something (~ 50 grams of carbohydrates or more) within 30 minutes. This will help with recovery. My favorite after run recovery item is chocolate milk. Excellent source of protein and carbs!

--------------

Enough advice for now, here is the route:

Saturday's route for all groups starts with a 6 mile loop that includes a mixture of roads and some on the Midland Valley Trail. The first half mile is pretty hilly, and that will get our bodies warmed up for the rest of the run, which isn't very hilly. The route has been scouted out, and although there are a few patches of snow and ice here and there, the route is pretty easily runnable for most of the way.

Here are the directions for the 6 mile loop:

Head east on 21st and turn right on Boston Avenue. Turn left on 26th and then turn left on the trail. Follow the trail to 3rd Street and turn left. Turn right on Greenwood and left on Archer. Turn left at Boston and cross over the tracks, passing the Center of the Universe. Turn left on 1st Street, right on Cincinnati, right on 3rd, and left on Boston. Turn right on 18th and return to Veterans' Park. AND...

Here are the scheduled distances for all the groups:

Beginner Half: 6 miles. You are finished after the 6 mile loop.

Advanced Half: 8 miles. After the loop run on the River Parks Trail to the pedestrian bridge and back to add 2 miles.

Beginner Full: 10 miles. After the loop run on the River Parks Trail to about 41st and back to add 4 miles.

Intermediate Full, Zurich Marathon: 12 miles. After the loop run on the River Parks Trail to Hwy 44 and back to add 6 miles.

Advanced Full: 14 miles. After the loop run south on the River Parks Trail to where the construction begins (around 58th St) and back to add 8 miles.

If you run the first 6 and it just sucks and you get to cold, dont feel bad if you just go home. You got out and did something. We will probably go warm up with a hot breakfast after we are done if you would like to join us.

Also, if you are new and you need to get ahold of me, my number is (918) 520-4344 and Ken's is (918) 814-6433.

And if you wish to stop getting my emails, just let me know. Thanks!

See you Saturday am. You may not recognize me under all the layers of clothes but just look for the FASTER THEN OPRAH sign. Bundle up!

Lisa

Ok, fearless FTO runners. How was your Saturday run? Did you freeze your buttocks off? Or did you stay snuggled up under the covers? This session has had more than a fair amount of !#@&%/#@!! cold weather, and the long range forecast shows nothing but more of the same. At this point, what do we do? Wait for it to warm up before getting serious about putting in the training? Each week we go without getting our runs in makes it easier to blow it off the next day, the next week. My advise is to layer up, and get out the door. Someone once said, "There's no such thing as bad weather....just bad clothing." (Sounds like that was someone in the retail clothing business....might have been Coach Kathy?) But truly, with the proper layers, a hat, and gloves, you will be warm and toasty once you get running. You will be so glad you did when your friends and family marvel at how crazy (dedicated) you are for running while it's in the teens!

While you were getting your miles in, Lisa and Ken were in the MOUNTAINS of Arkansas doing what is surely the HARDEST marathon in the world. (or at least in this part of the United States!) The Athens/Big Fork Marathon is all on trails, and goes out over 8 mountains and back. Sixteen climbs totaling over 9,200 vertical feet. Below is a graph of the elevation profile.
Neither Ken or Lisa qualified for Boston at this event. It is said, a good predictor of your finish time at this trail marathon is to DOUBLE your typical road marathon time. That held true to form. If we were working an 8 hour day Saturday, we would have got a little overtime!If you think I look like crap here....well thanks. I felt like crap as well. Truly, in this race, any kind of finish is a huge victory!

On a serious note, if you are in our group, and have not been out yet to any of our runs, or have missed a few due to the holidays, cold weather, or just lie getting in the way, it is not to late to jump on board and get your training under way. If running a marathon this spring is maybe a little bigger bite than you should have bitten, you could always prepare for a half, and use that as a springboard to a full later in the year. Running has been such a great part of mine and Lisa's lives that we want all of you to enjoy it with us!