Trail Therapy

I met the Sunday group at Turkey Mountain, and gave thought to trying to run with them. I was dressed for a run, although I had not brought my water bottle. I had a cup of coffee in my Starbucks cup though. The group took off, and I walked with them for 100 yards or so, and when they took of running, I let them go. I would have slowed even the slower ones down, and they would have cut their run short on my account, and if I got into trouble, it would be irresponsible of me for even running at all, let alone messing up their runs.  
So I just walked. I have found all of the geocaches on Turkey Mountain, but I remembered my friend Yogi telling me there was another one that is not on geocaching.com, but on a new site called opencaching.com. A quick download of the app on iPhone, and the search was on.


It was such a nice morning to be out. The skies were partly cloudy--no breeze--and temps in the 30s. Perfect for a run (or walk.) During this time of year, you can see Downtown Tulsa as you approach the overlook. Turkey Mountain earns its name as Tulsa's Urban Wilderness.


Going slow has its benefits. I found a couple of new caves. Both of these will be used in the Barkley Book Fair later this year.


Does the sky get any bluer than this? Maybe in the mountains. The geocache I found was right here--well actually just to the right of this pic.


A couple of miles later, and I felt a small part of myself was healed. Sleeping in seemed good, but going outside was better.

MRI on knee happens next Thursday. The follow-up with my ortho-doc is the following Tuesday.

Slither with us!!!

There is no race like the Snake Run. Sure, there are other races on trails, but this one is different. Your finish time is whenever you want to call it. And how far you run is also up to you. There's more awesome snacks than you can imagine--and most all of your running friends are there. And, you'll see them all day as you pass each other by.

This race has it all. We have old guys....

We have trail brats.... (and they will beat you!)

We have RockStars!!!

We have crazy redheads....

And we have crazy redbeards!!!

(Above pictures provided by Beyond Ordinary Life Photography LLC)



Finish in the top three in the 3-Hour or 6-Hour Snake Run, and you'll earn the scariest trophy on your shelf.

Sign up by CLICKING HERE.

work stuff that's running related

I have not been running much, but I have been around it. My super-great friends at RunnersWorld are moved into their new huge multi-faceted store, and I have helped build some of their displays.
This has been fun--getting to hang out with friends and such. Plus--it's been some inside work on super cold days--BONUS!!


No, I did not move or create the signs. It involved wiring, and the extent of my electrical expertise is plugging an extension cord into a wall socket.


I do have some expertise in spending money at Lowe's and Home Depot though!!



These 2'x 8' shelves were a snap, but were heavy to move. We joked about them getting double-duty as coffins.

This was actually an unpopular post on Facebook. (There were a few peeps who were less than amused.)


Building the cash wrap was a huge challenge. I can't say I breezed through it. I actually have a bald spot on my head from scratching it and saying "hmmmmm."


The marble top had to be reused, as did the counter-top on the inside of the half round structure. I made the walls to fir the marble, before considering the curve of the counter-top. It was a tighter curve. (More head scratching here.) With some minor modifications and some good fortune, it all came together.


Weighing 10,000 lbs, it will never move. In case of a tornado, this would be a good shelter.


My plumbing skills also suck. The most skillful feat of plumbing on my resume is remembering to put the seat down, and I only get a C- on that.. Kathy had this vision of displays made out of galvanized steel pipes. (Could that be called a "pipe dream"?) I think she could have built all of these pipe displays herself, but I was eager to lend a hand. I was confident I could fit these pipes together and guarantee they would not leak.


Kathy wasted no time in filling these racks up.



Notice the metal trim on the edge of the plywood. That is steel shelf tracking, and Kathy thought it would look good along the edge of the wood. It DOES look good. The girl has the knack.


This series of projects was a great challenge, and I loved every bit of it.

Options for my knee

I had my Dr's appointment today. I like my doctor. He thinks running 100 miles is a bit crazy, but he was part of my inspiration to me doing my first marathon. He told me it sucked and he lost a few toenails, but the medal was so worth it. I believed him, and now--90 marathons later--I guess I am hooked. My doc has done a few shorter Tri's but now just does Crossfit. He has yet to get me hooked on that.

I knew going in that this first appointment was a formality. We chatted for a bit, I took a flue shot, had my blood pressure read, weighed (I am getting fatter), and he sent me upstairs to get an x-ray to rule out any fractures. I was happy this went well, and the bone pix were done. I expect to receive a call in the next few days from an orthopedic specialist who will poke and probe, and most likely send me for a MRI or some similar procedure.

Of course, I am weighing my options. I have never tried acupuncture. I cried like a baby getting my flu shot. I was boo-hooing so bad that I thought the tech was just gonna spare me the pain and she was leaving the room. Turns out, while I was crying big old tears, she had already given the shot and I didn't even notice. SO I got to thinking--maybe acupuncture would not be all that bad. I stopped at Barnes and Nobles and bought a book on it.
I had no idea you could do this yourself!! It takes about three weeks to have my needle kit shipped. Reading the article, it looks like I'll be using 30-40 needles. Plus, it'll be 6-8 weeks before I get the kit. And it seems a little fishy that they wanted me to mail the $465.00 in CASH??!? I dunno. I just don't have time to wait that long.

I am IMPATIENT!!! I want to run and NOW! I have been thinking about that treatment that Mr Miyagi gave Daniel LaRusso when that thug Johnny Lawrence dude cracked his knee with an illegal kick.
 
This seemed to work very well, as Daniel popped right up and kicked Johnny Lawrence so hard in the forehead it knocked him out. I did some Googling about Mr Miyagi's little trick. It's called Reiki. The following is copied from some obscure site I found. I hesitate sharing this because it may not be entirely factual--and you KNOW I never post anything on my blog that's not 100% true.

Just what was Mr. Miyagi doing when he healed Daniel’s leg in the Karate Kid movie? He was doing Reiki. Reiki is a Japanese healing technique that transfers energy from one person to another. It was started by Mikao Usui, and brought to America in the 1970’s. I know it all sounds hokey, pokey, but modern science has now proven that the transference of energy from one person to another exists. Science has also proven, that Reiki energy heals tissue and bone at certain frequencies. Reiki is almost like a laser, healing whatever needs to be healed. Reiki energy heals by flowing through the affected parts of the energy field and charging them with positive energy. It raises the vibratory level of the energy field in and around the physical body where the negative thoughts and feelings are lingering. This removes the negative energy. Reiki clears, straightens and heals the energy pathways, thus allowing the life force to flow in a healthy and natural way. Reiki is a special kind of life force that can only be channeled by someone that has been attuned. Everyone who legitimately practices Reiki, has been attuned or given the Reiki energy from someone who comes from a direct line of practitioners from Mikao Usui. Reiki symbols are used to increase power. They used to be handed down from reiki masters in secret, but since the explosion of reiki, you can find a lot of information on the internet and books. Reiki can never hurt the person giving it or the person receiving it. It is pure energy, thus it knows exactly where to go and what to do! Although Reiki energy is spiritual in nature, Reiki is not a religion, it is a healing technique.
How does a reiki treatment work? Reiki energy flows from the practitioners hands onto the client. The client is usually lying on a massage table, but treatments can also be given while the client is seated or even standing. The client remains fully clothed. The practitioner places their hands on or near the client’s body in a series of hand positions. Each position is held for a few minutes, depending on how much reiki the client needs at each position. The whole treatment lasts between 45 and 90 minutes. Feelings of deep relaxation are usually reported. People may also fee a calming, glowing radiance that flows through and surrounds them. Reiki encourages one to let go of all tension, anxiety, fear or other negative feelings. A state of peace and well-being is experienced. Some drift off to sleep or report floating outside their bodies or have visions and other mystical experiences. At the end of the treatment, one feels refreshed with a more positive, balanced outlook. Intense and miraculous healing has been reported for years, all over the world due to reiki. By now, most people know someone who performs Reiki or have had it done. I highly recommend adding reiki to your spa treatment or having it done as a solo treatment. Heal on and feel great Daniel-son.

This is encouaging, but I'm assuming this would not get me 100 miles at Prairie Spirit. I need a back-up plan. There are knee braces out there that might give some relief. I have one which is a neoprene/Velcro device that wraps around and then wraps around again. My leg above the brace spills over the top like an overfilled muffin. After running a mile or so, it starts to slip. Think underwear-creep. The scratch part of the Velcro then grabs to my hairy legs which is a lot like the fuzzy part of the Velcro. Not to fun. When I rip the brace off, the last two rips pull off a small rug of fur from my legs. Remember the 40 Year Old Virgin when he got part of his chest waxed? It hurts on the legs too. But this brace--the Mach 9 has my attention. It goes clear up the leg and connects to a pelvic harness, and ties into the shoe--so I am thinking it would not slip. The knee hinge is spring loaded, and the tension is adjustable. Since my stride with that leg is now 1.5 inches shorter, it could equal that out. I wonder if I could torch it up late in the run to catch that dude who was one-upping me in my age group? The Mach 9 has LOTS of pockets--even more than my cargo shorts! It has a Camelback Bladder option and also a refrigerated compartment for food (and maybe beer?) It also has a connecting ports for a Foley Catheter and a colostomy bag, which would  make aid stations virtually unneeded. There are so many great options but one concern is that the hoses for the waste evacuating applications look identical Camelback hose.  What happens if I get some of the tubes crossed in the middle of the night? Better pack some toothpaste and mouthwash.

Maybe I'll have some good news from the doc.

It's just me whining about my knee

I'm not running. It's my right knee, which has been an issue since September 21st of last year. Work had kept me from getting my long runs in, and I had the FlatRock 50K and Arkansas Traveller staring me in the face--so I ran 33 miles mostly on the Creek Turnpike trail. It was a good run. I felt good, ran a good pace, and proved to myself that I still had enough within me to finish another rocky hilly 50K, and that would work as a training run for the 100 the next week. Good plans. Or was it? The last 4-5 miles of my 33 mile training run, I noticed a slight twinge on the inside of my right knee, but I attributed it to the phenomena of mysterious ghost pains that crop up just before a big goal race.

I nervously ran FlatRock with no issues--other than a muddy course. Arkansas Traveller the next week seemed like a sure finish, but my pace was a little slower than I wanted, and we had a couple of very heavy rain showers which made an otherwise firm running surface a bit squishy, and I was in danger of missing the time cutoffs. But somehow I found my mojo and ran a spirited pace from miles 48-56 and actually got back in the game. Then around a half mile out from the turnaround running down a hill and stretching it out, I kicked a rock with my right foot, and took a few lunges trying to keep from falling. My second or third footfall I twisted the bum knee and it hurt like a mofo. If was a very muddy and uphill half mile, and I trudged that half mile in 16 minutes, giving back some of the time cushion I had earned. The writing was on the wall. I just KNEW I did not have 43 miles left in me, and my knee hurt. and despite being disgusted at the proposition of quitting, I took a ride out.

Since that time, I have become an on-again-off-again friend with Ibuprofen. I had my longest non-running streak in well--forever--or at least since I started running. I eased back into running but instead of averaging 40 miles per week, it has been more like 12-15 miles. My longest run has been 13 miles, and I have had an 18 mile day, but it has been a struggle. I LOVE the idea of running--running all day (and all night)-- but I am not able to do it. It has seemed like my knee pain has very slowly getting better, but it is not well. Last Saturday--by my own choosing, I ran 6.5 miles with my RW buddies, and then 10 miles on the trailz at Turkey--all with a careful gait and at a cautious pace. Saturday night, there was hell to pay. It actually felt like I had broke something. I have a friend who fractured her tibial plateau and I feared that was where my problem was. but maybe it's an inflamed tendon. So--the guy who was never injured and who hates going to the doctor is seeing the doc next Thursday. I suppose he'll refer me out and a MRI is most likely in my future. (Pics to follow.)

It is tough for me to just NOT RUN. I crave it. I like being outside going from here to there via dirt. I lead the TOTs slow group, and the RW Black Toenail Society ultra training group. Last Sunday, I led them to Post Oak, and sent them off and did not run. Last Tuesday, I met my group (well--just Jason) at Mohawk, and walked around while he ran. Yesterday, I walked part of the Snake Trail measuring for a course change for the race--and I mixed a little shuffling in. You knew I would. Maybe the doc will give me a magic Cortisone shot, or do a nifty outpatient cleanup of whatever needs fixed. I hope and pray. I have a 100 miler to run in March.

So now--I still am thinking about how to get my miles. When I get up out of a chair, I can barely take the first couple of steps. Then, my steps are short--it seems like I take a short step and a real shirt step. It takes me longer to walk from point A to point B, but hey--that's more time on your feet, right? read about friends running and read race reports or race strategies for Rocky Raccoon and plans to run Sake, Post Oak, Western States. How many miles of read race reports equals a mile of running? Can I line the text up in a lineal line and measure it in inches and convert that measurement to feet and then miles? My finger scrolls on the mouse as I read. One scroll of the finger is about an inch, so if I scroll 63,360 times, can I log a mile for my finger? Right now, I'd love to have the feel of a bad blister or a black toenail. Give me a reason to tie a bandanna on my head, or eat a chunk of potato rolled in salt. I need to be well and now would be good.

Bigger and better things ahead.

This is the new banner for Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd. I like it. It is a product of some Photoshop work--DOH! I guess it's a given that it's not an actual photograph.

I have some CO-RD help this year. Stormy Phillips and Susan "Melon" Westmoreland are teaming up with me to help in with parts of the race where they excel. And as always, I'll have the stellar help from one trail-babe Dana, my dear wifey--who keeps me focused and in line (if that's possible!) I also have Brian Hoover doing the timing and he does so much with the setting up sand packing up that he is a needed and permanent fixture in this race.

This race could not and will not be possible without LOTS of volunteers, and we have been so blessed with enough help to get the job done. This year, I want to see the race go up a notch or two to the next level--with more runners, volunteers, and awesomeness (some might say "epicness"!) My big-time dream is to see this race grow upwards of 500 runners, and have a shot at being a Western States qualifier--lofty goals, but it's a possibility.

It all started in 2008

6 HOUR LONG SNAKE RUN  (from 2008)

Come to Turkey Mountain SATURDAY for the....
6 HOUR LONG SNAKE RUN


This will be a timed run all on nice easy single track trails on the western portion of Turkey mountain.
The run will start at 9:00 am, and run until 3:00 pm. The course will run west from the upper parking lot following some of the trails used in the Turkey and TATURs race, then north onto the Snake Trail. These are some of the flattest and easiest trail on the mountain. We also have taken great pains to remove all of the larger snakes from the course.


(Actually, the snake trail gets its name because it winds around like a snake, not because of an infestation of slithery reptiles!) You will run approximately 2 miles out, and then return and run the trail in reverse to the start/finish area. There will be 2 aid stations, one at the start finish area at the upper parking lot, and one at the turnaround. You can run one out and back, run until you complete a marathon, a half, or a 50K if you're real fast. All starters will receive a long sleeve T-shirt with our TATUR mascot being hotly pursued by a vicious viper!

There will be a 1/4 mile out and back to be ran by choice during the last hour for those not able to complete a full 4 mile out-and-back circuit. The winner is the one who runs for 6 hours and covers the most miles.