10 Miler Training - 8 Mile Long Run

Training continues! The race is now less than three weeks away. We hit a big milestone last Saturday with an 8-mile run in 68 minutes 7 seconds. My goal had been to get under 8:30 pace for the 10 miler, but now were are right at that pace for an 8 mile training run! This is very encouraging. Some of the old fitness from years of running is coming back, enough for a run I was really pleased with on Saturday. It was a 35 - 33 negative split. I was relaxed on the way out and pushing a little on the way back, especially in the last half mile. 

What this training run tells me is that sub-85 in 10 miles is possible without exerting maximum effort. It's time to raise the bar and take the next step. One thing I've learned from years of slow progress in high school is that improvement is often incremental and will only very occasionally come in big jumps. I also learned, over many races, that I do much better when running an even or negative split, and not coming out of the gates with guns blazing. 

With all that in mind, I'm planning to bring my target from 85 to 84-minute pace in the first half of the race, then see how things are feeling around mile 7. Doing my first half in 42 I think will keep my legs fresh, without going so slow as to throw out the possibility of running a time I can be really happy with, for my current level of fitness (which is very low compared to my youthful days). On my 8 miler, I was going out in 8:45 pace whereas 42 would be 8:24 pace. I think that's about right based on how I felt last Saturday.

Saturday's run was also in the high 20s, fairly windy, and snowing a little. Conditions are likely (though not guaranteed) to be friendlier on March 16th. 

Regrettably, it looks like the donut shirt is unlikely to make an appearance at this race, due to lag time in us getting the donut passports in the mail, as well as a delay after they are received. I will continue to sample race gear as we get closer.

Otherwise, 1.5 mile regular runs have been going well; I'm aiming to get at least one 3-miler in this week, too. It is a little strange jumping up all the way from 1.5 to 10. I would love do be doing 3 milers for my regular runs, 5 on Wednesday mornings and 10 on Saturdays, but time constraints currently make that untenable. That would mean 27 miles per week, which is still so little but it's significantly more than the 17 I put in last week. In high school, 40 mpw was normal, and in college it was 50. Qualifying for Boston would take 60-70 mpw. It's very simple: the more you run, the faster you get. Also, you can't run more (and thus get faster) if you're injured. This classic LetsRun article lays it out pretty nicely.

Until next time!

Alone 10 Items

The History Channel's Alone is a reality show where 10 survivalists are dropped off with their own camera equipment, clothing, a satellite phone, and 10 survival items of their choice (from a limited list of options). Aside from occasional medical checks, they are left alone. Last man standing wins.

And it has been a man every time so far, although a couple women have come extremely close to winning. 

One of the best known and in my mind the most legendary of the show's contestants is Roland Welker of Alaska. Do a little Googling and you'll get a sense of who this guy is; and watching him in Season 7 is quite the journey. Roland became the first contestant to reach 100 days in the wilderness, and earned a cool million dollars for his accomplishment.

This is all for context. One of the intriguing questions of the show is which 10 items different contestants choose to bring along. Assuming I took a couple years to learn how the heck to survive in the wilderness and live off the land, here are the 10 items I would envision taking along.

1. Fixed Blade Knife (Gerber Strongarm)

To me, a rock-solid fixed blade knife is among the most useful and hardest to improvise items out in the woods. This is also one of the few items on the list that I already have; it has been great on camping trips, which is the extent of my wilderness experience.

2. Ferro Rod (Uberleben)

Fire is essential, and the consensus most reliable way to make it happen in the wild is throwing sparks. No running out of lighter fluid, not running out of matches, no hours of agony making a bow drill or other ancient gizmo. Just good old tinder, kindling, fuel, and some sparks. Another item I already have.

3. Sleeping Bag (-30)

This is one that practically all the Alone contestants have used, and it makes sense. You have to be able to get warm and go to sleep.

4. Pot

This one I could picture people improvising out of wood, but then you're going to have so much more trouble cooking stuff over your fire when your vessel itself is flammable. Re-carving pots every few days as your old ones burn out does not sound appealing. A metal pot is an essential and incredibly useful simple tool for daily needs.

5. Axe

I have so little experience using an axe that I'm not sure what makes it necessary when you already have a saw and a knife as well, but everyone seems to think it's essential, not just on the show but across the pages of history. I guess you have to split a lot of wood when the only heat source is your fire.

6. Saw

And before you split that wood, you have to cut it down. Definitely the easiest manually-powered method that I know of.

7. Fishing Kit

In terms of actually obtaining food, this seems like a method worth trying. You want to be able to obtain calories from as many sources as possible so that if one dries up, others are still available. Fish have fat and protein, and that can keep you going.

8. Snare wire

Again, you want to give yourself a chance at meat however you can. Snares are a passive way to potentially obtain food for yourself, traps that can work for you even when you're not actively there.

9. Bow and arrows

One theory the show has promulgated is that large game is necessary for surviving the winter while outdoors in cold wilderness conditions. There simply aren't enough calories, fat, and protein available in the winter from smaller animals and from plants. Bow and arrows represent a clear path to obtaining big game. The show does not allow guns.

10. Paracord

This last item, with its seven smaller inner strands just seems like it would be useful for a variety of applications such as lashing, fishing line, clothing repair, hanging items, etc. 

There you have it! Again, this list assumes that my wilderness survival skills were at an expert level, as opposed to their novice level. I should also note that even if given the opportunity, I would not seek to participate in a show like this. The premise itself is warned against by God - "It is not good for man to be alone". As so many of the contestants discover, a good life does not consist of solo survival, but of serving one's neighbor. That's hard to do when you leave all your neighbors.

Finally, here's what I would bring if dropped into Alone tomorrow, with my current skills, and asked to see how many days I could make it:

1. Fixed Blade Knife

2. Fishing Kit

3. Pot

4. Sleeping Bag

5. Saw

6. Axe

7. Ferro Rod

8. Food Rations

9. Food Rations

10. Food Rations

The Road to 1,000: 100

 

For me, this is the epitome of what Iron Wolf represents. Simple, no gear, no frills: 1,000 burpees under a random highway in Brooklyn, NY. 

It has become a long-term goal of mine to complete a 1,000 burpee workout. For a while, I had 500 as the big ticket number in my mind. But then, in 2022, I threw down 400 on a whim late one evening. I just got into a groove and tried to see how far I could go. That remains my personal best. It also turned 500 into less of a compelling goal; that very evening I could have done 500 if I really wanted too, and off of not much training either.

But then there's 1,000. One thousand is a whole different story. That's four digits of burpees. Yesterday, I tried laying out what that might look like broken into sets, and the sheer volume sunk in a little bit: 

25, 25, 25, 25, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 25, 25, 25, 25.

Yeah. Those are burpees, not a step goal on my pedometer. Not meters run for some sprint workout.

Anyway, I'm making this post because in my burpee rebirth, I've hit the first milestone - a 100-burpee workout! I completed it by doing a downward ladder: 30,25,20,15,10. It was a lot. However, I'm excited to be back in the game and working my way up. 

I've also really appreciated the overall benefit that burpees can give for fitness. My target event right now is the 10-miler in March, and I feel in much better all-around fitness with the burpees there to supplement my fairly low mileage. 

We're on the road to 1,000! (No, not 1,000 factorial).

More Ten Miler Training - Getting Back to the Long Runs

 

The ten miler approaches, and - God be praised - training proceeds as scheduled. I've hit every planned run since Ash Wednesday, and we're coming up on the next big milestone: an 8-miler Saturday morning. 

My shoe purchase seems to have done the trick with my knee. The pain has faded out with a little extra cushion underfoot. Thank you, dear Lord Jesus! Now, I'm doing 1.5 miles most days during the work week (got in 3 Wednesday) and a "long" run Saturdays. It used to be that I thought of 7 or longer as "long" during high school. Then college came around and 10 or so meant long. Now, 4 means long for me - but not really mentally, just for my body. 

Anyway, the 8 miles Saturday will be a real life long run, and the 10 on the Saturday following is even bigger. I have not run even 7 miles since D.I.A.R.R.H.E.A.S. in 2022. So this is very exciting for me to be able to finally get back to those long runs. It's those longer efforts that I find to be most exciting, invigorating, and fulfilling when it comes to running. 

Sub-85 minutes still seems like a realistic goal, but I'll get a better sense of that with each passing week. Secretly, I'm hoping to smash 85 minutes and get close to 80, but it's really hard to say right now where I'm at for 10 miles. Last Saturday's 6.1-miler was completed in 56:03, or 9:12 pace, without particularly trying to push the envelope in terms of speed. That tells me that sub-9 is too easy a goal, but sub-8 pace would probably be reaching.

Another thought at the forefront of my mind has been racing gear. I'm all set with the big piece - footwear. Assuming the start is relatively cold, I'm planning to wear my very lightweight, breathable Hamilton Turkey Trot long-sleeve under another shirt. My hope is that the other shirt is the Butler County Donut Trail commemorative t-shirt, which my wife and I are on the verge of earning for our hours of painful toil eating donuts over the last year or two. I would love for this shirt to become a go-to for racing - I envision myself flying down the roads, passing guys in $250 Nikes and racing singlets, and making them double-take when they see my donut trail shirt. I will only race in it if I get the chance to try running in it at some point before the 16th of March. No need to introduce unknown variables directly before race day.

Until then, it's just consistent miles, 6 days a week.

Si vis pacem, para bellum.

 

We men who desire "mere easy peace," as Theodore Roosevelt put it, often forget this fact: Si vis pacem, para bellum.

In an evil, broken, fallen, dark, and crumbling world, there is only one thing to do if you want peace.

Prepare for war.

This truth penetrates so many facets of reality on earth.

You might imagine that the weightlessness of space would be wonderfully freeing for the human body. No longer pushing forever upward against gravity's pull, the body will blissfully float about, experiencing a euphoric state of existence. The astronaut will gleefully bounce from place to place with perfect tranquility and otherworldly vigor and strength.

Not so. The body, in fact, is designed to be in warfare against gravity. In the absence of this downward force, muscles atrophy, fluids cause congestion in the head, and overall health deteriorates. A sound body does not result from removing gravitational strain, but rather from fighting constantly against this strain. The experience of physical peace and well-being comes only from regular experiences of strain and struggle. On the contrary, when physical peace and idleness are directly pursued, they result in a weak, sick, and broken body.

If you want peace, prepare for war. Leisure is not, in fact, the pathway to peace. Rather, war is the pathway to peace. Be it war against gravity or spiritual war against the sinful flesh, the body thrives in the presence of war and atrophies in its absence. 

I believe there was a time when this saying was false, and our basic desire for peace could be met effortlessly. In Eden, if a man wanted peace, it was his - no struggle, no pain, not a tear to be shed in its pursuit. Peace was the way of the world, and our flesh was not naturally bound against it.

But in the valley of the shadow of death, that is not the case. We all want peace. Peace will come, at the last trumpet. But the valley is first a place of war, out of which comes peace. On both a small and a large scale, in both a physical and a spiritual sense, si vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace, prepare for war.

The Saucony Kinvara - Full Circle

In the early days of my middle / high school distance running career, I bought my first "serious" running shoe: the Brooks Ravenna 2 - in the color pictured below. The shoes were fine - I didn't get injured in them and life went on as I built up my runs from 2, to 3, to 4 miles. I remember my first 5 mile run, and the amazing realization of how far I could go.

But eventually, the time came for a new pair of shoes. At the time I was developing into a total shoehead, spending hours researching the latest and greatest models. So I already knew what shoe I wanted - and the priority was lightness. I wanted something light and fast - and that's exactly what the Kinvara 3 promised. My Dad and I went to Dick's Sporting Goods, and trying them on, I was amazed by the featherlike feel. We bought the pair - maybe $90 or so, and headed home.

I still remember my first run in those shoes (pictured at the top of the post). Leaving the park across from the high school where every cross country practice started, I was absolutely giddy with joy. I felt like I was flying, like nothing was on my feet. It's amazing what a difference that minimalist feel can make.

Now, more than 10 years have passed since I had that first run in my Kinvara 3s. I've raced nearly every distance from 400 meters through 50 miles. But the last two years have had almost no time for running. So I signed up for a 10-miler, and with only a little over a month to go, it was time to start training.

The problem, however, was my right knee. For close to a year now, every time I try to step up my physical activity, my right knee gets sore and tender. Basketball, volleyball, burpees, boxing, and of course running - my knee seems unprepared for all of it. So, with the need to get in some consistent running, I decided to demote the old Asics from running to casual-only status. Similar to those Ravenna 2s long ago, my Asics Venture 8s are good shoes, but heavy, with full-rubber coverage, aggressive lugs, and heavy uppers. And so, for the second time, I made the jump. The rebirth of my running career was about to begin - and in what other shoe but the Saucony Kinvara.

This time it was the Kinvara 14s. Saucony has largely stuck to their guns with the Kinvara line, keeping them lightweight and snappy. They have become more cushioned over the years (as you can see by comparing the two images), following the broader trend of the running world. But for the sake of my knee, I was ok sacrificing some of that minimalist feel. And boy, am I happy with my purchase. Like the Kinvaras of my youthful days, this edition has only a couple sparing patches of rubber for abrasion resistance and traction. I tried renforcing this with Shoe Goo, but it didn't stick. However, for me, the sacrifice is worth it - especially if I get a decent life out of this pair. Just $50 on Amazon doesn't hurt, either.

I have devolved into much less of a shoehead these days, recognizing the higher value in consistent training as opposed to finding just the right pair of shoes. I spent only about an hour in research for this purchase, as opposed to my old average of...... let's move on. Find something that looks good, and go for it, instead of researching it to death.

It was such a joy springing out for my first run in these new shoes. That almost-forgotten lightness and responsiveness was something special. Over a decade later, and the Kinvaras have helped to rekindle the joy of running. They will be on my feet for the 10 miler on March 16th, and God-willing for many more runs following, until my knee starts hurting again.

10 Miler Strategy

 

We are only a month away from the Lucky Leprechaun 10 Miler. After 5 months of dilly dallying, I am training hard and gearing up for the race. I will come into the Lucky Leprechaun, Lord-willing, with almost-daily runs, daily burpees, and a 4-miler, 6-miler, 8-miler, 10-miler, and 10-miler under my belt. The 4-miler is already in the books; this Saturday I'd like to do 6.

Strategy-wise, the general goal I set for myself several weeks ago was to go sub-85 minutes. My normal 1.5-mile runs tend to be in the 8:30-9:30 mile range. In a race environment, with a solid month of training under my belt, I think sub-85 would be a good solid goal for 10 miles. The long-term goal is sub-70.

In terms of race strategy, I'm currently of the mind that even-splitting on 85 pace is the way to go, and pressing a bit after mile 7 if things are feeling good. The course is essentially and out and back, with a fairly major hill in the middle of each half, as well as a downhill leading to the turnaround, followed by an uphill coming back. I'm going to apply my Flying Pig 2017 lesson of taking it real easy on the uphills so they don't throw me off, and I'll just keep hitting that Olympus hill on my normal run loop.

I would really love to hit 10 miles twice before the race, but wouldn't mind if I can just get it once. For something as long as 10, especially considering I haven't run that far since March 2022, it will be essential to get a feel for the distance once again. 

From there, I'd like to sign up for a fall race and keep the ball rolling with training over the summer, and see if we can get under 80 minutes. 

But, first we have to see how things go this March!

Lent 2024

 

Hilarious memes aside, today marks the beginning of the season of Lent, which will go on for a total of 46 days, concluding with Holy Saturday on March 30th. I'm going to try a little separation from the Rhythm of the Sword spreadsheet, focusing less on streak numbers and more on general preparedness. My theme for this Lent is twofold:

130 | Si vis pacem, para bellum.

27 | Do not be afraid. Christ is risen.

The two numbers refer to Psalms 130 and 27, which relate to the two phrases. The first is Latin for "If you want peace, prepare for war." To me, this has to do with preparedness, both in a spiritual sense and in a worldly sense. The second is of course about the hope of the resurrection of the dead, and the courage that this evokes in the Christian heart.

If you read long enough in this blog, you'll see that I struggle a lot to stick with periods of discipline like Lent. This time around, I'm operating on the theory that if my level of training is high enough, day in and day out, then at critical and difficult times I will fall to my level of training, and not collapse completely. I'm going to shape my Lenten habits to keep myself out of situations that cause collapse, and then train constantly and work ahead to keep from letting it all catch up with me. For instance, I'll go especially hard on grading, planning, and Psalms when time isn't tight, so that as deadlines approach, I am mentally prepared and practically on track. 

Perhaps the saying is true, that the battle is won not when confronted with the enemy, but in the days and weeks of preparation leading up to the encounter. Kipchoge doesn't dominate because of his tactical brilliance and heroic strength on race day, but because of his "very well preparation" as he put it. 

With that in mind, I'm going to stop writing this and start making progress on some tasks I want to avoid.

They who wait for the LORD...

 

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31 (ESV)

Sometimes I feel very keenly the encroachment of the manmade world upon the Lord God's good creation. This becomes especially apparent when running. I love to run in my neighborhood and especially my city parks, which preserve a taste of what the land once was. But it is a whole different experience to run on a wilderness path, touched so much less by the hands of men and yet preserved in all its wonder by the hands of God. 

In the heavenly city, we will run and not be weary. God will create a new heavens and a new earth, a new dwelling place for man to be with God. Here's how I imagine a 10-mile run in heaven.

We begin in a field of tall green grass, a smooth and soft dirt path stretching through the meadow up into the hills and mountains. Many-colored wildflowers drift in a lazy breeze as a cool wind breathes over the warm, Son-lit day. 

We run effortlessly along the path, talking now and then, breathing in the fragrance of the flowers and fields. Then up, up, into rolling hills and trees of mighty oak and aspen and birch. Radiance filters through the leaves in a thousand little islands and points, rippling light and bright shadow across our faces. Soon, we come to a clear, cool stream, and splash across its smooth bed, bare feet suddenly cooled by the running water. 

We have climbed high now, and the trees turn to pine and spruce. The forest opens, and we run along the mountainside; snow-patched rock rises to the right hand as a valley of heaven with a city of shining gold lays far below at our left. We turn up a switchback and find the river again; here, it cascades from the heights of the mountain in a cold, clear waterfall, and we run behind the falling stream as the spray throws rainbows through the mountain air. Finally, we reach the pinnacle, and find that it is a ridge, leading us from mountain to mountain. We run along the stony rim, high above the world, white clouds drifting beneath and winged creatures soaring above.

And we fly down the path, with the wind at our backs and wings on our heels. There is no pain, no age, no burning of the lungs. Only strength, and vigor, and endless joy. 

We fly, ever faster, until the rocks blur beneath our feet. The clouds open, the new earth is spread far below, and the end of the ridge approaches. Another mountain peak, and this with sheer sides plummeting from the heights. We approach the drop with no trepidation, but ever faster, until, at its very lip, we leap into the empty air.

We fall, free in the radiant void, then push mightily up against the rushing wind, unfurling eagles' wings upon our backs.

Finally we soar among the mountains, drifting ever down, down toward the city, until our feet at last come to rest upon pure gold before a great tree that grows beside the clear river.

Ten Miler Training Update

 

As it so often happens with me, my 10-Miler training ambitions far exceeded the reality of my preparation thus far. Six weeks out from the race, I have not run further than three miles (about two weeks ago) and have not performed burpees since the 27th of January. 

The Psalm and 0 Entertainment disciplines in Rhythm of the Sword have taken a higher priority for me, as I believe they should. But it would indeed be nice to have all three, and this has not come together thus far.

In six weeks' steady training, I can still probably gain enough fitness to feel ready at least for the 10 mile distance itself. To me, the best way forward would consist of the following training:

• Daily workouts of at least 60 burpees, peaking at 250 burpees
• Thrice-weekly runs, including two commutes to and from work, and a Saturday run
• Five Saturday long runs of, in order, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 miles

I know that this will be hard to pull off, but I would really like to try so that this race entry - paid and sealed months ago - doesn't go down as a wasted investment. I want to know not what I can do "from the couch", but coming off a quality training block. Since I haven't had that, then what can I do from 6 weeks' quality training and physical discipline? A little mini boot camp.

I think it is still possible to get under 85 minutes, but every passing week without significant physical activity makes this less and less likely. As always, the best time to begin is now.

Island of the World - Book Review

 

Short Review

Island of the World by Michael D. O'Brien is a work of historical fiction that follows its central character, Josip Lasta of Croatia, from his early childhood during World War II all the way into his old age in the early third millennium. It is an absolute masterpiece of literary achievement - in historical fiction, in Christian fiction, in 21st-century writing, you name it. It will take you into very darkest reaches of human suffering, and offer you the only true salve mankind has ever possessed for this suffering: our Lord Jesus Christ.

Long Review

I just finished reading Island of the World based on a glowing recommendation from an author for whom I already have a great deal of respect, Katie Schuermann of the Anthems of Zion trilogy. If you have glanced at reviews for this book at all, as I did, you may be a bit skeptical of the praise given to the novel. It is described as life-changing and incredibly powerful. It is framed as a masterpiece, a triumph, and so on and so forth.

It's all true.

I wonder if, every fifty years or so, the Lord raises up a Christian man to write a work of fiction to help guide the faithful and point them back to Christ, a burning candle amid all the darkness of this fallen and falling world. 

In the 1950s, it was Tolkien. In the 2000s, it was O'Brien.

To me, Island of the World is so good for three chief reasons.

First, it boldly and beautifully and masterfully tells the story of the greatest joys of human experience, and the very darkest depths of mankind. This is part of what makes the book so moving; it allows the reader to explore the darkest fears and the highest joys that mankind shares. I have never experienced emotional lows in a novel like I had with this book, nor had I experienced highs nearly as glorious.

Second, the novel explores this full range of human life with absolutely masterful storytelling. The book is beautifully written, engaging, well-researched, and life-like. The characters are three-dimensional and viscerally real. The story is beautifully paced and plotted. With O'Brien, you are in the hands of a master of his craft.

Third and most importantly, Island of the World is about Jesus Christ. The vast majority of fiction is going to find some solution to its deepest questions that comes from man. O'Brien knows the only true answer has already been given to us by God. This clarity of vision means that we are able to face the lowest points of the novel (for there are many), and our own fears and darkness. We are presented with the one solution that actually works: the crucifixion and resurrection of the Son of God.

Island of the World is a gift. It offers the gift of perspective, using human suffering to help the reader gain context for the difficulties of his own life. It offers the gift of wisdom, as O'Brien's firmly Scriptural approach leads to nuggets of insight into God and his place in the world, insight that sometimes causes the reader to physically lay down its pages and simply marvel for a moment. Finally, it offers the gift of love; that is, our Father in heaven.

For those who are curious, this is certainly an adult book and I would not recommend it to a child. Ideally, the reader would be a husband and a father, as I think this novel has the most to say men in this position like me. Finally, the author is Roman Catholic, and so the novel contains those theological issues that are part and parcel with the church of the pope. Despite this, O'Brien is clearly a genuine Christian with a clearer understanding than most regarding the centrality of the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, the Sacrament of the Altar, prayer, the Christian life, and much more.

I will probably not pick up this book again for a few years. Though it is finished, I continue to dwell on the events that unfolded within, which have impacted me and, in some small way, become part of me. This is a heavy read in every sense of the word, and it will be some time before I am ready to take it up again. Suffering, even second-hand, requires a little time to process. As does the blessed hope of everlasting life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

10/10