Things that go Wrong when you're Away

So I didn't get to the gym last night. I was about to go down (I promise I really was) when my mobile rang. It was my wife, calling to tell me that the air conditioner had gone out, the DVR was refusing to connect to the backend server (I built my own DVR last year using MythTV under linux) and that "my son" was being a monster. For some reason, whenever I go to Dallas on a business trip, something like this happens. Last time I got caught in a freak hailstorm halfway there and my windshield wiper got busted up. The time before that, Nancy's car died the day I left and she had to ride the bus every day. At least this time it's easily fixed. The A/C guy is coming to look at it tomorrow and Gavin is obviously just missing his dad. I think the DVR just needs the modem and router to be recycled and it'll be fine.

Back in my world, the office I'm visiting is really nice. It is on Lake Carolyn and I took advantage of the surroundings at lunch and took a nice stroll along the waterways. I found a bench by the water, ate my lunch there and read my book. I'm reading "The Perfect Mile" which is the story of three athletes - Roger Bannister, John Landry and Wes Santee - striving to break the four minute mile in the 1950s. It is beautifully written and weaves the story in and out of their contrasting backgrounds, taking in their differing circumstances, motivations and the world to which they belonged. It is both humorous and poignant, an echo of a bygone era.

And yes - I did manage to get to the gym tonight. I needed to as well - if I traveled for business more often, I'd be as big as a house.

Let Loose in the Big City

I'm in Dallas for the rest of the week for work. Right now I'm sitting here in my hotel room putting off going downstairs to the gym. I really need to because I made an absolute pig of myself at the chinese and mongolian barbecue down the road. I think the owners were fearing financial ruin every time I went back to the buffet line.

But there's something lonely about getting a table for one at a restaurant, especially when your family is 200 miles away. It never used to bother me but I kinda miss them. I've been married for nearly 10 years - you'd think I would be glad of any opportunity to get away for a while. Maybe I just love my wife - is that weird?

And talking of weird, I hate to start conspiracy theories but the guy sitting a couple of tables down from me looked exactly like Saddam Hussein. If he hadn't been executed several years ago, I might have stepped outside and called a tip line.

Let's get back to more familiar ground - the pushup challenge. It's getting harder but still manageable. Glad I got them out of the way before I went out though.

Week 3 day 2
Plan : 27, 19, 19, 15, at least 25
Actual : 27, 19, 19, 15, 30

Ok, I can't put it off any longer, I'd better go down. At least I brought a book with me to read on the elliptical.

How Far can you Run in 12 hours?

I'm in!!! Just mailed off my check for the Timber Knoll 12 hour all-night run. The race is in three weeks time and coincides with full moon - it starts at 7pm and finishes at 7am the next morning. Another slightly different format - there is no set distance, it's however many 8.5 mile loops of Pedernales Falls State Park you can manage in the 12 hours. The course is all technical trail and I've heard a lot of good things about this series. I have a goal in mind but I'm keeping it to myself until after the race.

A change in road shoes?

Pushup Challenge : Week 3 day 1
Plan : 25, 17, 17, 15, at least 25
Actual : 25, 17, 17, 15, 30

Ok, I noticed the difference in the number of pushups this morning - it's quite a step-up from week 2, but I'm still hanging in there.

Had some good running this weekend. Didn't get a great turnout for the office running group yesterday (no real surprise), but I still managed to go out fast with both the 5k and 10k groups. It was very humid and not that easy (I chose a real hilly course) so I was glad to be done. I think I may shortly be in the market for a change in road shoes though - after many years of running happily in Reebok Premier Roads, they have suddenly started giving me blisters on the instep. Doesn't happen with my trail shoes, just the road ones. I wonder if running trail has subtly changed my foot shape and/or size. Maybe I should just start taping them (my feet, that is, not the shoes :-)). Any suggestions?

Then this morning I had a fun run at Ken's. The first half was pretty slow, but Joe broke free and took off just before the switchbacks. I took off after him and we hammered the second half of the loop. There's one big climb just after the scenic overlook that goes straight up the ridge. I have adopted that hill as my nemesis and make a point of running it hard each time. It's a really tough hill and my legs are like rubber for quite a while afterward, but it's a good workout.

I've made some ravioli for supper tonight - rolled out some pasta dough to make shells (bought one of these some time ago which makes the process super easy) and stuffed them with a ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, chive, basil and egg white combination. I have a marinara sauce simmering away on the stove, some fajita chicken ready to grill up, and some French country bread just out of the oven. The house smells fantastic.

Sourdough Waffles and Pushups

Now what in the world could possibly bring together sourdough waffles and pushups into a coherent and intelligent blog posting? Well, nothing. But if some vaguely entertaining incoherent rambling will satisfy you then read on.

First up, tonight marked the end of week 2 of the pushup challenge, and that meant it was time for another exhaustion test - how many pushups could I do in a row? A few weeks ago I managed 31 good form pushups and I thought I'd made some good progress since then, so I was looking forward to seeing how far I'd come. Well, I managed 60(!!!!) which keeps me well on track going into week 3. A hundred still seems a long way off though.

And on the flip side, it's Friday night which means it's time for the sourdough starter to rise from the dead (well, the fridge) and feed. Took it out, proofed it with a cup of flour and a cup of warm water and left it to reactivate. Last weekend I cobbled together a simple recipe for sourdough waffles which I really enjoyed, so I'm going to write it down before I forget it - and what better place to keep it than right here.

Ingredients
2 cups proofed sourdough starter (left overnight to activate)
1 extra large egg
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp baking soda

Pour 2 cups of starter (make sure to leave enough behind for next time) into a bowl, add in the egg, oil, sugar and baking soda and stir well.

Cover loosely and let sit for 20-30 minutes

Heat your waffle iron and use the waffle batter as directed by your manufacturer (I have a Belgian waffle maker and this batch makes about 3 lots of waffles).

Serve with syrup, yogurt, strawberries or whatever floats your boat.

And finally, I downloaded a new song for the jukebox - "Sittin' at a Bar" by Rehab. Heard it on the radio while driving home last night and liked it. Don't really know why - if I did it would probably explain a lot :-)

Pushup Challenge : week 2 day 3

Plan : 15, 15, 12, 12, at least 15
Actual : 15, 15, 12, 12, 20

Finished out week 2 of the pushup challenge tonight and I'm still going strong. There is another exhaustion test coming up to determine which track to follow into week 3, so bring it on.

I am taking a training class at the SAS institute today and for the rest of the week. The class doesn't start until 9 - a great chance for a lie-in. So naturally I got up early to go run Walnut Creek with Clea. I'm glad I did because it was one of those days when running just felt so easy. I wore my El Scorcho singlet for the first time and it felt really good. I drove home feeling exhilarated and glowing, and had time to enjoy a nice long shower before heading out to my class.

What a great way to start the day.

The Day After

Pushup Challenge: Week 2 Day 2
Plan : 16, 13, 11, 11, at least 15
Actual : 16, 13, 11, 11, 20

Struggled a little on the pushup challenge this evening and only managed 20 on the final set. Maybe that's because I woke up this morning with a stuffy head and a scratchy throat, which oddly enough made me feel a lot better about my run on Saturday night. Just looked at the results page and I finished in 5:36:43, which was good for 41st place (out of 92 finishers). Not as bad as I thought. It was very difficult on the night to figure out how you were doing as you'd sometimes be passed by runners who were a loop or two behind you. I am also getting a bad case of "runner's nostalgia" and remembering parts of the course I really enjoyed, like the stretch along the Trinity River with the Fort Worth skyline in the background, all illuminated by a beautiful full moon. Yeah, I think I'm gonna run this sucker again next year.

I've mapped out a route for my marathon relay group at work to do our first run together this weekend - I'm going to run it tomorrow after work to look for likely spots to drop water. We have enough people for at least a couple of teams, with abilities ranging from slow walkers to 40 minute 10kers. I'll set the 10k folks out at 6:30am and the 5kers at 7:30am. That way I can go out with both groups and make sure everyone gets back ok. The route is one big loop, so I can always double back and play sweep. I guess my pre-season starts here.

Update : I just realized this is blog posting number 50. Gavin has gone to bed for crimes against parents, so I will go have some "cookies and cream" ice cream to celebrate. Yummy.

Running into the Night at El Scorcho

Ryan Valdez and Jason Costantino have created a really unique race up at Fort Worth's Trinity Park - the El Scorcho 25/50k. I just wish I could have given it the performance it deserved. As the name suggests, the event takes place in July - the hottest time of the year in Texas - and starts at midnight. As per the website, the course is a mixture of crushed limestone, asphalt, concrete sidewalk, some foot bridges and a basketball court. It is a kind of pseudo-trail run, very similar to Brushy Creek. As such, it attracted a good number of road runners. The park is very pretty with some lovely views of the downtown Fort Worth skyline. The race packet was also very nice, with a great technical singlet, a finisher's medal and a "sheriff's badge" for the 50k finishers.

Nancy, Gavin and I drove up to Fort Worth on Saturday evening for the midnight start, and set up the "shark tent" for Gavin (and Nancy) to sleep in. A lot of folks commented on the tent and came over to ask us about it (I swear I could have sold a bunch of them).

The 50k was run over ten 5k loops (yes, 10, count them - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 loops). I have to say that the organization was spot on - everything was running smoothly, which was an amazing achievement since this race is only in its second year, and has grown up really quickly (they sold out with 400 runners this year). The volunteers and spectators were very enthusiastic and vocal. They had to be because 10 loops was a very tough mental challenge to overcome ("oh, I'll only be through this aid station another 9 times"), and I had to dig deep into my mental bag of tricks. Having said that, the positive side was that you got to come back through the start/finish area 10 times, see your loved ones and get cheered on by the large number of spectators (and serenaded by a very humorous group of beer drinkers).

Just before midnight the call came out for the 50kers to line up, so I grabbed my headlamp and handheld and headed over to the start line where I had one of the more bizarre conversations in recent history. A guy turned to me out of the blue and asked "so what's your lactate threshold?" I tried to think of something to say back, but I needn't have bothered because he really just wanted to tell me that his was basically his maximum heart rate and that he was going to smoke the course. A series of "ahhs", "wows" and "ooohs" seemed to satisfy him because he then turned around to a girl the other side of him and repeated the same conversation.

Maybe that factored into my thinking, because when the gun went off I got sucked into a fast pace and ended up running the first 5k in 24 minutes. I'm not sure what the temperature or humidity was (it didn't seem that hot), but by the end of the first loop I was drenched. I scaled back on the second loop, but still passed through the 10k mark in around 49 minutes. However, I had started to notice that something was not quite right as I was getting really bad stomach cramps. I have never had these in a race before and wasn't sure why I was getting them now. Everything else seemed fine at this point so I just blocked them out, but things swiftly started to go downhill.

After the second loop, I stopped peeing. This was not a good sign. I was drinking lots of fluids - alternating between water and nuun, and taking sports beans and salt sticks, but I began to get the idea that maybe the sports beans were causing the stomach cramps (I really don't think they were) and started to scale back on them. By loop 5 I was beginning to get concerned over this. I was very aware of hyponatremia (one of the reasons I refuse to take NSAIDS) and especially concerned when I started getting a dull ache from the kidney region. I checked off the warning signs. Lightheadedness - no, nausea and vomiting - no, finger swelling - no (I kept sliding my wedding ring around to check). Still, I felt I needed some salt but the salt sticks didn't seem to be working, and there wasn't much at the aid stations apart from gu. Thankfully, around loop 6 one of the aid stations got a big container of pretzels, and the other a good supply of oranges and bananas. I went straight for the pretzels and I think that saved me (it certainly took care of the kidney pain), but the stomach cramps and lack of peeing were still a concern. I spent a good portion of loop 6 fantasizing about a porta-potty (hard as it is for me to admit that :-)), but when I found one that didn't help. Finally, around loop 7 I took the decision that this was a training run, things did not feel right, so I would use the rest of the run to practice my power walking. This was frustrating because I was not breathing hard and my legs still felt fresh. I asked myself a number of times if I was just being lazy, but I stand by the decision. I've been picking up tips from Gabe and Henry, both excellent powerwalkers, and I used this time to practice some of the things they'd told me. From time to time I would alternate with running (which sometimes provided some relief from the stomach issues), but for the most part this was good.

As I was beginning loop 8, I passed a guy who was obviously struggling. I stopped and waited for him, and asked if he was ok. He said that he too was unable to pee, had been having trouble keeping things down and his legs were just about done. He was taking regular s-caps but that didn't seem to be working. It was his first ultra, so I spent a few minutes with him, let him talk through his issues and gave him some encouraging words. He was a loop behind me, so I told him all the mental tricks I'd used to see myself through the prospect of another 4 loops.

One thing I noticed was that each loop seemed to go by quicker than the one before it. Maybe it's because by the second half I had everything mapped out - my landmarks and such like. By the time I got to loop 10, I tried to figure out what my finishing time might be only to find my Garmin had died (yes, it was that kind of night), so I resolved to run it in from the final aid station to the finish line. Surprisingly I found that the running was easy and my legs felt good. I don't have the official times yet, but I think the race clock was at 5:29 when I crossed the finish line.

I got my medal and chatted a while with one of the volunteers, and as I wandered off I heard someone call out, "is that Welshrunner?" I turned around and there was Ryan. I congratulated him on putting together a great race and we talked about some of the races we'd signed up to do over the winter. We're both signed up for the San Antonio marathon, the Bandera 100k and the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler. I think we're both at the same place going into these (50 miles is our longest distance), so maybe we can run a portion of them together.

So that was my race. Why did I have these problems? Was I dehydrated? If so, how? I drank my entire supply of pedialyte when I got back to the tent and that soon cured the peeing problem. I have no after effects whatsoever, and very minimal soreness, though the stomach issues still remain. I suspect I picked up some kind of virus as I was feeling a little under the weather yesterday too. Maybe that's all it was. I also wonder if I started taking in too many fluids, as I seemed to empty my handheld between each aid station for the majority of the loops. I also have to take into account the fact that this is my off season, and I did virtually zero training for this race. That is about to change as I'm moving back into pre-season mode, but may have been a factor. Enough wondering - I'm just going to chalk it up to a bad day and forget about it.

Postscript and other Thoughts
I bumped into my "struggling friend" from loop 8 in the carpark after the race. He had finished and thanked me for helping him through a down spot.

Every time I run a trail race in road shoes, they end up wrecked. As this was my only pair of "active" road shoes, I may be looking for a new pair this week.

Will I run it again next year? Maybe. I feel as if I have unfinished business with this race.

I felt energized driving home......for the first 30 miles or so, and then I gladly let Nancy take over and promptly fell asleep.

Preparing for El Scorcho

Pushup Challenge: Week 2 Day 1
Plan : 12, 12, 9, 7, at least 10
Actual : 12, 12, 9, 7, 32

Since I will be running most of the night I figured I'd get the pushup challenge out of the way this morning. Today's schedule looked to be easier than the last one, and it probably would have been if it hadn't been for my little boy sitting on my back for the first two sets. Now that makes a good 35lb difference that my arms are feeling right now.

The "son of the bitch" sourdough starter was at work again as I used it to make waffles for breakfast. Took it out of the fridge last night and proofed it. Success - they were delicious - very light and airy.

Right now I am sitting here alternating between gatorade and water in preparation for the 50k tonight. The race starts at midnight and it's going to be hot and sweaty so I need to be well hydrated. Quite why I scheduled a 50k race in the middle of my off-season I'm not sure (other than it sounded like fun and probably will be). We plan on leaving for Fort Worth around 5pm so at least I get a chance to take a nap this afternoon. Especially since we got an early wakeup call this morning as 6 hot air balloons were taking off from the school near our house. They set the dog barking like crazy but Gavin was delighted.

I am currently reading "The Best of Mystery" - a compilation of 63 short stories from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. I am only 1/3 of the way through, but it's turning out to be a real hidden gem. Every story so far has been really good - just the right blend of suspense and twist. Standouts for me include Avram Davidson's "The Cost of Kent Castwell", Lawrence Block's "Pseudo Identity", Robert Colby's creepy "Voice in the Night" and the darkly comic "Never Shake a Family Tree" by Donald Westlake. There are several other compilations in the same series which I may have to check out.

Pushup Challenge : week 1 day 3

Plan : 15, 13, 10, 10, at least 15
Actual : 15, 13, 10, 10, 30

Got home late tonight and nearly forgot about the pushup challenge, but just finished off tonight's set to round out the first week. Managed a good 30 on the final set and felt much stronger. Maybe it's all in my head (or due to the alcohol I consumed tonight) since I'm only a week into it, but I think I can already tell a difference. If you add up all those sets, that's 78 pushups I did tonight!!!

This program is also spreading like the plague. I've now got my office mate started on it, and when I got home tonight my wife confessed she'd just finished week 1 day 1 (she managed a pretty impressive 20 "man pushups" on the initial test).

The reason I was home late was that I was out hobnobbing at a Central Texas user group meeting at Dona Emilia's downtown restaurant. Had a good time with a friendly bunch of folks and drank a goodly number of mojitos. Dang those things go down easy. For somebody as suspicious of authority as I am, I'm becoming increasingly corporate. I'm also a lot more outgoing than I used to be - how my younger self would laugh if he could see me now.

And speaking of corporate, I attended the "health and fitness" committee meeting the other day. It turns out they don't want me to assemble and coach a team to compete for the Governor's Cup, they expect me to assemble and coach a team to WIN the Governor's cup. They figure if myself and two other guys can nail down the long legs at a 6:45 average pace, we'll be well on track. Dang, I'd better start hitting the track - my best 10k hovers around the 45 minute mark and I'd have to cut a good 3 minutes off that to get close. Still, I've come up with a pretty aggressive and varied training program (including an 8 mile run on part of the old "Sweaty Twenty" course), so who knows.

And of course, if you know me you know that I often have trouble keeping my mouth shut. I suggested all kinds of ideas at the committee meeting and seem to have acquired a bad habit of creating work for myself.

That's why I try to steer clear of committee meetings.

Pushup Challenge : week 1 day 2

Plan : 12, 12, 10, 10, at least 10
Actual : 12, 12, 10, 10, 25

Well today was week one, day number two of the pushup challenge. I kept on top of the schedule and was happy to manage 5 more on the final set than I did last time. The hundred still seems a long way off though. Congratulations to my pal Jeff for a strong start to his pushup challenge. Anyone else out there doing this?

I've been co-opted onto the "health and fitness" committee at work, and have been given the task of assembling and coaching a team of runners to compete for the Governor's Cup at the Silicon Labs Austin marathon relay. Going to my first committee meeting tomorrow morning, so should be interesting. Guess that's yet another race to add to the calendar.

Unfortunately the trip to the Guadalupe mountains looks like it's off. I will be up in Dallas until the Friday evening before labor day, and may need to be back there directly after (I have a lot of deadlines coming up). Plus I have coaching commitments with Round Rock Fit, and that Saturday is the first real chance to meet up with my group. It turns out my buddy busted up his ankle again last night and may not be able to make it either. He is also no longer planning on running the Cactus Rose 100, which is a bloody shame since I once said that if he didn't run it then I would. Fortunately I think I may have found another buddy who needs a pacer, so that may be my "out".

And speaking of ankles, mine is fine. I tried out some different trail shoes last Saturday - Vasque Velocities - and I loved them. They were very comfortable and I felt like I could run a long way in them. Enough to tempt me away from the Montrail Hardrocks? We'll see.

It's all Greek to Me

So I used the "son of the bitch" starter tonight to make the crust for my sourdough Greek pizza. Here's a photo of the pie before it went into the oven. Making the dough was very simple - 1.5 cups starter, 1.5 cups flour, some olive oil and a pinch of salt. No commercial yeast was used anywhere. I mixed everything together and then kneaded it by hand, shaped it into a ball and let it sit covered for about an hour (I'm thinking all this kneading is excellent practice for the pushup challenge - bakers must have arms like Hercules). Then I pressed the dough out, tossed and spun it into shape and rubbed it with extra virgin olive oil. The toppings were mushroom, red onion, grilled chicken and spinach, with mozzarella and feta. I did not use any tomato sauce. Popped it into a 450F oven for 15 minutes and hey presto.

Here it is resting on the peel before slicing. It made the house smell delicious and brought back really good memories of our time in Greece.

I gave the remainder of the starter another feed and it's bubbling away very vigorously at the moment - a healthy sign. I was going to refrigerate it, but I'm thinking I may proof it again in the morning and make some more bread tomorrow night. I am so happy I finally managed to cultivate it.

For those of you who are interested in trying it yourself, there are many resources for sourdough starters on the internet but I found success with this one (it's also one of the easiest). The pizza dough recipe I got here. The rest of the pizza came out of my own head. For general bread information, you couldn't find a better place to start than here (hint : their pita bread recipe is excellent). Happy baking.

Pushup Challenge : week 1 day 1

Plan : 10, 10, 8, 6, at least 7
Actual : 10, 10, 8, 6, 20

Started out the pushup challenge this morning after my run. I know at least a few of you have told me you're going to do it too, so let me know how you're getting on and we can pull each other through. I plan on making my pushup days Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Everything felt pretty good this morning, but I know the program ramps up pretty quickly so we'll see how it goes.

Yesterday was the memorial run for Rick Gastelum, a club member and ultrarunner who died in a flash flood during a night run on the greenbelt a year ago. About 10 of us met up at the hill of life and ran to spyglass where we met up with another group, making about 25 people in total. We all ran/walked to the spot Rick's body was found. It is a secluded place off the main trail, and some club members had erected a memorial - a large cross with his name and a photo. It was very moving. I never knew Rick, but I wish I had - many people spoke about him with a lot of affection.

I fell in with Ryan and Carl for much of this run. They are both really strong runners and we pushed a good pace throughout. Carl is another Welsh guy I met on a Saturday morning run a few months back, and I know Ryan from the Rocky Hill Ranch race. I managed to get in a good 14 miles, which I was happy with and was not tempted to go back for more.

Then this morning I was supposed to meet up with some folks to do a hilly road run at 5am, but I overslept and missed it - whoops. I did show up for the trail portion of the run at 7am and got a lot of stick for my non-appearance. We did a double Ken's loop and it was hot, humid and still. Did the second loop with Gabe and Henry and we had a good time - it was the last big weekend of running for both of them before the Headlands 100, which looks like a really nice race. Maybe one for next year?

In completely unrelated news, I made a loaf of "son of the bitch" bread last night from my sourdough starter. This starter has been a lot more successful than my other one, and the bread was very flavorful. I reproofed the rest of the starter and fed it some more this morning to make pizza dough for tonight. The remainder will be fed again and refrigerated. I will post pictures later.

And finally, a quick mention of cricket, the official summer sport of us Brits. I've been listening to the England v South Africa test match on the internet. Just when we thought England were coasting to victory, the South African batsmen put up a real fight to save the game. This is good test match cricket, and I like the South Africans - they have some interesting characters.

Can you Push it?

No, not very well. I've always been pretty crap at pushups, so when I came across this website the other day I got real interested. I just did the initial test and surprisingly managed 31 good form pushups before collapsing in a pathetic pile of twitching arms. The plan has a schedule of three workouts a week for six weeks, building up to executing 100 pushups in one go. Sounds simple enough and it's quite the online craze at the moment. I will start week 1 on Sunday and see how bad I really am. Anyone else fancy giving it a go?

Running plans for the weekend include a memorial run for a club member who died on a stormy night on the greenbelt a year ago, and a hilly road run followed by an equally hilly trail run on Sunday. Then the week after it's the El Scorcho 50k. Happy trails everyone.

The Stash

Ooooh it's just like Christmas. Now why, you ask yourself, is this crazy boy taking pictures of shoes and socks? Well, this is all the stuff I ordered at the weekend (artfully arranged). Everything arrived today and we spent a happy half hour or so trying on various combinations of socks and shoes while Gavin played with the empty boxes. In a weird moment of "role reversal", Nancy had the cheek to ask me why I have so many shoes!!! I have packed all the running socks away in the Montrail box so I know where they are. Have to guard against those socknappers.

The great sourdough experiment has hit a small snag - the "bitch" became contaminated and started smelling like old socks, so out she went. All is not lost though as I started another batch when I noticed she was doing poorly and it seems to be going much better. The "son of the bitch" is still eating well and looks (and smells) a lot healthier. Let's hope that's not famous last words.

I ran with my buddy tonight and we talked about a trip to run the Guadalupe mountains we've been planning for labor day weekend. I hope we get to go because it sounds like a lot of fun. Nancy is looking forward to it too, and we may plan on taking a few days extra and taking in the Davis mountains and the Carlsbad caverns while we're out there.

On the Road Again

So I'm going to be a coach with Round Rock Fit again this year, though I'm probably not going to run the Austin marathon (it's only a week after the Rocky Raccoon 100). I've been thinking about it for a while, and finally decided to go for it. It will force me to keep up the road side of my running, help maintain my pace for the flatter trail races and it's something I've enjoyed doing for the past few years. It's very rewarding to help people reach their goals.

Meanwhile, back on the trail I returned to the scene of the crime early Monday morning and ran the same Walnut Creek route that clobbered my ankle the other week. No such problems this time, just a nice relaxing run.

And my only other newsworthy item - I got some new songs for the jukebox. "Sad Sad City" by Ghostland Observatory and "I Will Possess your Heart" by Death Cab for Cutie. Pretty boring week, huh?

The Sock Crusade

I ran Ken's loop this morning and the ankle felt a lot better. I still babied it on the majority of the trail, but it felt much stronger and I was a lot more confident in trusting it. However, I have discovered a very worrying situation - my running socks are being kidnapped. Yes that's right, innocent wicking foot servants are being systematically and ruthlessly taken from my sock drawer never to return. I have yet to receive a ransom note, but what else could it possibly be? I struggled to find a pair to run in this morning and I have no idea where they have all gone.

For years I did all my road running in Ultimax Ironman socks and loved them - zero blisters. But I have discovered that some corrosive element inherent in trail running makes these beloved old warriors very brittle and I have torn at least three pair in the last few months. So I have been experimenting with Injinji Tetrasoks (the ones with the toes) instead. I have heard a lot of good things about them but I don't know if I like them or not, so this morning I browsed the Running Warehouse (one of my favorite online running stores) and bought a selection of different types of sock to try out. The great sock experiment - I will let you know how it goes.

And while I was browsing, I found a great deal on trail shoes at the Sierra Trading Post. Their Montrail Hardrocks and Vasque Velocity shoes were on closeout, there was an extra 20% off for July 4th weekend, and I found a coupon for an additional 15% off that. Result - I ended up with two pairs of really good trail shoes for around $90. I've been running in Hardrocks for a while, but I've been wanting to try out the Vasque Velocities for less technical trail, so I will get to play with them too.

And finally, some good news from the great sourdough experiment - the bitch is bubbling. I didn't expect to find any activity so soon, but took a peek this morning and those lovely little yeast seem to be having a burp party. Not getting too carried away in case it's a false fermentation, but I'm very hopeful of success.

Growing a new pet

"Walking the new pet" while enjoying another yeast-based product

Late last year I started experimenting with making a Sourdough starter from scratch. Basically the idea was to create an environment that is conducive to capturing wild yeast and then helping it grow and multiply. Once alive and thriving, the starter can be fed and used as a sponge for making sourdough breads, pizza crusts, pancakes etc etc. It's amazing that "starter" cultures have lived and been maintained for hundreds of years. My prior efforts failed when we went to the UK for three weeks over Christmas and forgot all about it.

So today I decided to try again. The initial "recipe" is simple enough - 1 cup of bread flour and 1 cup of warm water. Store in a plastic or glass container in a warm place (do not use metal containers or cutlery). Every day for about the first week throw out half the mixture and add back in 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of flour. I have dubbed this process "feeding the bitch" (it's just like having a pet). If I've done it right, after 2 or 3 days I should start to see a lot of bubbles and notice a pleasant, sour, "beer-like" smell. At that point I will move it to the fridge and feed it once a week until it's needed (I'll cover the "proofing" process if I ever get there).

This is a picture of the starter just after mixing - the surface is pretty smooth with no signs of activity. Hopefully that will soon change. I'm going to store it loosely covered on the kitchen bar and see what happens. Nancy says I can't keep referring to my new pet as "the bitch", so any suggestions for another name are welcome.

And finally, after posting yesterday's blog entry which highlighted the cultural, intellectual and historical significance of the Welsh, I came across this. I think I need some more wine :-)

Born on the 4th of July

Three score and ten years ago today (divided by two) I was born. Yep, today is officially half my allotted time. And because of that, Americans all over this Nation will be setting off fireworks and getting drunk in celebration. Well, I suppose they are also celebrating the small matter of American Independence as well. An interesting and little-known fact is that without the Welsh there may not be an America or a Constitution. Seventeen signatories of the Declaration of Independence were of Welsh heritage, including Presidents Thomas Jefferson (a fluent Welsh speaker) and John Adams. Indeed, halfway up the steps of the Washington monument is a stone that reads

Fy Iaith, Fy Ngwlad, Fy Nghenedl
Wales
Cymry am Byth

Translated from the Welsh it reads: "My Language, My Land, My Countrymen - Wales for Ever". It is the only inscription on the monument other than times, dates, architects and "Laus Deo" ("Praise be to God" in Latin). Why is it there? Who knows, but apparently the mystery will be explored in Dan Brown's new novel (and Da Vinci Code followup) "The Solomon Key". No doubt it was the Cardiff branch of the Knight's Templar!!!


Roughly 1% of the US population are of Welsh descent - a stealthy invasion perhaps, but we'll have you all drinking Welsh beer soon.

Anyway, back to modern day US-based Welshies. I started off my 35th birthday with a run on the Greenbelt with some friends. I did an easy-paced 15 miles to test out my ankle. Some people went on to do more, some did less, but that was just about right for me. It went fine and I enjoyed talking rugby with Gordon, but the ankle's still not right and I was very careful with it. It stiffened up after the run, and right now I am feeling every day of those 35 years.

Still, I managed to get home in time to watch the Nathan's famous hot dog eating contest on ESPN. The "sport" of competitive eating - absolutely gross to watch, but congratulations to Joey Chestnut who successfully defended his title (59 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, and the first to consume an extra 5 in a tiebreak "eat off").

Wouldn't like to be stuck in a locked room with any of them after that!!!