Gordo Running

The long run.  It's a staple of any distance training plan.  The runner is building themselves up for that big goal race bit by bit.  As I'm writing this blog, I'm also using it as an opportunity to learn myself.  I'm not about to say that I'm an expert on, well, much of anything.  Writing a running blog when you're not an expert can be dangerous to the readers or it can be taken as a chance to learn.  I'm going for option #2, talking about my experiences while trying to learn and relaying what I learn. In today's research, I came across as article by Greg McMillan about the long run. In it, he admits that some of his views are a bit controversial.  However, at the end of the article, I read that the "controversial" parts of his article involve not ingesting tons of calories during the run.  Funny thing is, that matches perfectly with what I'm trying to do with this primal diet and training plan. In his article, McMillan specifies two type

I'm a bit overdue for a training update.  First I need to cover the fact that last weekend was not a good weekend for training continuity.  Let's look at it this way: Friday: weigh in 169.5 7 hour drive.  dinner was a Large Chick Fil A #4 with a frosted coffee Saturday: ran 11 miles, 4.9 of them as fast as I possibly could lunch and dinner was pizza and coke and 3 beers at the after party Sunday: breakfast was a latte and a blueberry muffin, dinner included a lot of rice and another 6 hour drive Monday: weigh in 173.6 So, the beach to bay relay took its toll on my weight at the very least.  I expect it to be back down under 170 pretty quickly though. (170.5 as of Thursday) It's been just over a month of eating primarily "primal."  I love Mark Sisson's 80% rule and I try and do at least 90%.  Meaning I strictly stick to the diet plan at least 90% of the time.  Obviously, this weekend was one of those exceptions that I'm willing to make.  I'm doing

Beach to Bay is a relay marathon that takes place every year on armed forces appreciation day in Corpus Christi.  Just as the name states, the races starts on the beach, with the first leg being roughly 3.5 miles in the sand.  I actually ran this leg in 2014 and 2015 and it's... good and bad.  The bad part is how early you have to get up.  The race starts at 7 am but... to get bused to the start line, you've got to be in place before 5.  So... very little sleep.  The tradeoff is the running the sun up on the beach.  How can you beat that?  The course curls back on itself so you can also see who's in the lead and how far back you are. Starting Line 2014 I learned a lesson my first year though.  The race is gun timed, not chip timed, so you have to make sure to move to the front at the start of the race so as to not spend most of your first leg picking through other runners and walkers. I don't honestly know much about legs 2-4 except the 3rd leg goes over the

A large part of my running experience has been defined by who I am running with.  When I first started out, running was all about the personal challenge.  Anne will note that there aren't very many smiley pictures of me in 2011-2013.  I was out there not only trying to better myself but also my fitness.  I was also asking and answering questions of myself.  So, on my long 3-4 hour solo runs I was doing it to prove it to myself that I could compete physically.  It was answering those questions that popped in my head during my whole athletic life.  All of those shortcomings, 4th places, and not making the team. "Am I good enough?"  "Why is that guy better than me?" I set out to prove "you know, I can beat physical challenges." I ran with training groups sporadically during that time.  My Group had a training team for the 2012 Air Force Marathon that met once a week for a couple months.  We broke up immediately after the race.  I helped some friends get r

As I've posted previously, I started my heart rate zone training on Monday.  For the next few months I will be only doing training in the aerobic zone.  Well, except for next weekend's Beach to Bay Relay 6th leg.  Don't worry guys, I'll still push it for that leg, after doing the 5th leg with Mila.  What I have discovered is how hard it is, at my fitness level, to keep my heart rate in range when the temperature goes up.  Both times I have tried to run 4 or more miles in 90+ heat, it ended up being disastrous.  Tuesday, I had an hour and fifteen minute run in the 93 degree heat.  I expected it to be slow, but I was hoping for six miles.  I ended up with 5 on the nose.  After the third mile, I ended up in a tough spot.  Walking, even as quickly as I could, ended up dropping my heart rate too much.  Conversely, jogging, even as slow as I possibly could (13:30ish), for more than 30 seconds would bump me above my range.  I ended up walking more than running. hmmm.... I wro

I guess my workout this morning doesn't really count.  I didn't take a picture to post, so it didn't happen, right?  I don't even know that I can write this entry!  I guess I'll try and push through. Today was my first day of base building for the Houston Marathon, taking place January 15, 2017.  My half marathon a couple weeks ago didn't go as planned so I can't sign up for the guaranteed slot the only registration open now.  I can sign up next month. Like I said, today was my first day of base building.  This year, I am trying something different.  As I wrote in my previous blog, my wife and I started the primal diet 3 weeks ago. Results have been good as I lost 8 pounds and got through that rough first week.  Don't worry, I won't put any before and after pics up.  Tied in with the diet is a new approach to training.  It is a Dr. Phil Maffetone-inspired, Mark Sisson-prescribed diet that focuses on the slow and low methodology.  Therefore, the fir

Hi.  I'm Chris.  This is me:  OK so that's maybe not the best pic to start off a running blog.  Here's another shot during the same run: Anyway, that's me running in the 2014 Carrabba's 1/2 marathon relay.  I recently did a practice "lecture" on running and its benefits.  I had to cut many parts of what I wanted to say, which had already been pared down considerably.  The presenter that followed me started talking about creative outlets, pointed right at me, and told me that I should start a running blog.  So.... here it is.  My first shot at a running blog.  I'm not 100% sure where I'll go with this just yet.  2016 has brought on a lot of changes.  One of the main ones is moving from San Antonio, Texas to San Angelo, Texas.  Sure it's only about 200 miles and the climate is very similar.  But it is a world apart in what I've found for running so far.  Granted, I have only been here for 3 weeks.  One of my challenges will be finding