February

February was another hard hitting month of training on the mission to get stronger/faster. The month started with an epic 50k followed up by some rest before flipping the switch and training like a beast all over again. After much thought I drafted up a spring 50k training plan that featured time trial and speed building phases that took place this month. In an amazing development, cycling on the indoor trainer is not quite so lame anymore thanks to Sufferfest and I got time in on my road bike. The month would not have been complete without plenty of Jiu Jitsu, a little racquetball, and time in the pool.

41 hours from 30 Jan 2012 – 26 Feb 2012.  Periodization in practice: race week, recover week, and two build weeks. 

Not everything was awesome all month long. A few days were quite awful, after the 50k I came down with a sleep deprivation induced sinus infection. That is what happens when good food, rest, and sleep don’t get respect. The infection featured all out sensory deprivation and a bumping headache. It felt like a vacuum in my head and I could hear creaking and popping, my vision was blurry, hearing was muffled, smell was gone and taste muted with it. I was going mad but time and rest heals all and I came out of it. I have since better dialed in my nutrition timing and macronutrient intake and will be sleeping rather than living it up following big races.

Run 

The John Dick Memorial Crusty 50k was glorious and marked the completion of my base period. It also marked the beginning of Ice Age Trail 50k training. I am still in the discovery phase of this training and trying to get a handle on what I am capable of but it is a lot faster than 4 months ago. It appears embracing high mileage aerobic training has really paid off. It seems today’s half marathon pace is last year’s 10k pace and similarly today’s 10k pace is last year’s 5k pace. I am excited for the spring half marathon, 10k, and 50k races coming up. 

140 miles for the month with the majority of them long run and recovery miles.

Jiu Jitsu & Strength Training
During the taper Leading up to the 50k I did a lot of Jiu Jitsu. It kept me off my legs and I thought the metabolism changes and increase in testosterone from tearing up muscle might translate to a better performance race day. I have no clue if this theory is legitimate but it did not seem to hurt. I didn’t lift much at all on account of introducing intervals to running and swimming. I would like to get in chest and delt work as that seems to be the only area that does not overlap with everything else. I expect I will be spending more time on Jiu Jitsu and strength during recovery weeks from the run.

Swimming
The ridiculous gains concerning my swim have slowed but I continue to see improvement. Any ambitious expectations I had for improving my swim have been surpassed. I mixed up my sessions from tempo only to intervals, tempo, and distance efforts. The highlight of the month was cutting down my 3x 500m repeat pace to 2:00/100m which translates to a 32:00 mile swim. I imagine in a wetsuit this will be less than 30:00. I will continue putting in the hour at the pool a week I have been.

Biking
The Sufferfest videos for indoor cycling rock. I have them to thank for the 7 hours I put in on the bike this month.  No real plan here other than getting in two sessions a week.  I am looking forward to the spring and getting the bike outdoors for tempo sessions and the introduction of the long ride.

A cramped bike torture chamber.

Food 

As always, this month made possible by meat and vegetables.

Beef Tenderloin and salad with avocado and blueberries.

Thanks for reading.

Swim: Struggle to Proficiency

This is my story of how I learned to swim. A lifetime can be spent refining the swim and I still have much to learn and improve. I am by no means an authority on the swim but I want to share this story for aspiring triathletes challenged by the swim as I was a year ago.  It is possible to go from struggling in the water, unable to find a rhythm to mastering longer distances while gliding through the water.

Open water swim in Lake Superior last summer.  Final prep for a sprint triathlon, my first.

I found success swimming is built on a foundation of good stroke mechanics. Combine mechanics with a strong back / core / legs made possible by separate strength training and huge gains are possible with minimal training hours. Since I started swimming January of 2011 to today I have put in 40 hours at the pool and cut pace from 3:40/100m to 2:00/100m for a mile swim. Separately I studied video and read about swimming for 10 - 20 hours over the year. Work smarter not harder, right?

In January of 2011 I began swimming by tackling a 1500m in 55:14 or 3:40/100 m. At this point I realized I had long confused my ability to survive in the water with an ability to swim. This is a very noncompetitive pace and I hated every minute of it. My mechanics were horrible and I was not breathing right, I did not exhale completely forcing air into my stomach. I could not find a rhythm.  I muscled my 100m pace down to 2:40/100m for a much shorter 500 m with seven hours of if it feels good do it swimming and hated every minute that too. After that I got worse and went sideways and gave up swimming until mid summer.

 

All the gear needed for swimming.

My second attempt at swimming was done with the guidance of the Total Immersion Perpetual Motion Freestyle DVD. I did lots of drilling before attempting laps and focused on stroke count and efficiency. In six weeks and 15 hours in the pool I accomplished a 500m swim in 12:30 or 2:30/100m. The pace wasn't much better than self taught but I actually enjoyed swimming this time around as my mechanics were much more comfortable and I could breathe easy. After my sprint tri I gave up on swimming again until this January. I felt weak on longer distances because I had no strength. At the time I was doing endurance only work leading to muscle wasting and not enough testosterone. 

This January and February have been ridiculous. I suspect the combination of a lot of upper body strengthening from Jiu Jitsu / throwing big weights around, and the foundation of good stroke mechanics laid in the summer has led to huge gains. I have been swimming 1600m regularly and feeling strong doing it. At the beginning of January my pace was 2:35/100m for a mile swim and now after 10 hours at the pool it is 2:00/100m for a mile swim. These gains have far passed any ambitious goals or expectations I had. 

A wetsuit is the most expensive swim gear ever but swimming in cold water like Lake Michigan and Lake Superior makes it necessary.

Swimming is very nuanced for sure, hand position during any cycle of the stroke, head position relative to spine, rotation, breathing, kicking, etc... The Total Immersion DVD builds the stroke up one piece at a time and has lots of drills and accompanying theory for how and why to streamline and swim more efficiently/faster. At $30 it is not pocket change but it doesn't require financing either. Like all self coached things it takes patience and inner drive. I am sure there are similar swimming DVDs and learning materials that focus on mechanics that are comparable. What is important is that an intellectual pursuit and critical thought accompany the swim.

Spring 50k Training Plan

Dominating running from the 5k to the 50k, on the road and the trail, during the summer and winter doesn’t come easy. Hard work can get me some of the way there but it will also take rubbing some brain cells together to make the most of that hard work while avoiding illness, injury, and negative returns. Forcing adaptation and getting faster is an intricate balance of purposeful workouts, good nutrition, and rest. I don’t have room for stubborn routines and quotas that compromise this balance.

I laid a good foundation of strength and base miles down the last 4 months and now I am ready to push all my limits on the mission to get stronger faster. There is a nice spread of spring races on the horizon and I have strength and speed in me to realize before that time comes. I want the biggest return on investment and that is what planning is all about.

I still have Jiu Jitsu, biking, and swimming to fit in, and triathlons to compete in.  That is why every run I do has a purpose and no run is redundant. Call it adaptive training, what works today won’t work tomorrow. There are many different paths to getting faster and taking all of them lets me increase frequency and intensity and minimize fatigue. Every week features an interval, tempo, distance, and recovery effort. Every effort has so many nuances and variations they won’t even look or feel similar.

Spring 50k Training Plan.  This will be the third week.

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Intervals

Intervals are about a lot of pain and suffering in a short time, running fast to run fast. The pain meter reads 8 to 9 out of 10 most of this effort and 10 out of 10 by the end. This is about near maximum heart rate and being out of breath. I prefer distance intervals ranging anywhere from 200m to 1600m. Between is a rest interval, 400m most days, maybe I run it, maybe not. Once I feel recovered I hit it again in an attempt to turn out consistent efforts. Intervals take place on the road, on the trails, on the uphill, on the downhill, on the track, and on winding paths. Intervals are not always about hitting time or pace targets and can’t be when accounting for weather and terrain.

Tempo

Long intervals transition to short tempo seamlessly. Tempo is about moderate pain and suffering for the duration at a consistent but ultimately unsustainable effort. The pain meter reads from 7 to 8 out of 10 most of this effort, optionally culminating in 9 out of 10 by the end. Tempo starts at a moderate heart rate but quickly drifts up around 90% max heart rate. Some tempos are broken into multiple efforts with recovery intervals and some are one big effort. Tempo can cover any spread of distances and effort will vary accordingly. Tempo can and should take place anywhere, just like intervals and unless it is a time trial or road race pace doesn’t matter.

Long Run

The long run is about pushing total time and distance limits and exhausting calories at a comfortable sustainable effort without cardiac drift. The long run is about packing a lunch and bringing something to drink. The long run is a laboratory for trying new things and making mistakes so they are not made race day. The pain meter starts at 0 out of 10 but may find its way to 10 out of 10 hours later. The long run needs to take place under circumstances similar to race day. Not all long runs build distance, some build speed too, enter the progression run, a long run with a tempo thrown in. The long run isn’t about pace it is about running smart because weather and terrain have the greatest effect here out of all the runs.

Recovery

The recovery run is about running the day after a big effort when it feels better not to move. Effort is low, real low. The first mile is the hardest but as they roll by they get easier. By the end of the run the legs feel better than the start and the body will continue to adapt and grow stronger from the key run the day before. I like making this a social run and place it after the long run because the long run is my weakness.

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Anyone can get in a good workout. The other 20+ hours of the day are what will give me big gains in comparison. Lazing around, eating plenty of nutrient dense fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables and getting plenty of sleep means I can hit it harder more often and feel good doing it. Periodization, planned and impromptu means pushing to the limit some days and weeks and throttling back to recover others. Jiu Jitsu and strength training means I will have more testosterone and all its performance enhancing effects. This is some hard hitting, high volume training with a high risk of illness and injury so I will need to be very honest with myself and abilities every day.    

Thanks for reading.

John Dick Memorial 50k

I ran my first ultra this weekend at the Badgerland StridersJohn Dick Memorial 50k and it was glorious.  For all the preparations I took I was still unprepared for the actual experience.  For everything that went well there was plenty that did not, but being hardcore I pressed on.  In the end it was an awesome day with some awesome people.

Freeze thaw action leading up to the 2012 John Dick Memorial 50k left the course covered in thick ice.

The weather was downright balmy for February with this sunny day starting out just a touch below freezing and warming to high 30s (°F) later on.  The course started and ended at the DJ Mackie group picnic area in the Kettle Moraine Southern Forest, took place on snow mobile trails, consisted of five loops with an out and back leg, and featured 3159 ft of climbing/descent.  As the day progressed I became increasingly familiar with the course and enjoyed being able to spectate, and race at the same time.

Course map and race details from Garmin Connect.  Satellite reception was lost a couple times leading to a mile lost in the data.

My plan was to keep my heart rate solidly in the aerobic zone for greater than the first half and run it up into the anaerobic zone to finish the race if I had it in me.  I failed miserably in executing this plan.  I ran the first fifteen miles like it was a half marathon and exhausted my skeletal calories.  My legs were fresh from taper and I got caught up in competing.  The next nine miles I was mentally and physically exhausted grinding out miles in the aerobic zone.  Come the final six miles I found my second wind and finished strong in what felt like a 10k effort.

My lovely wife came out and ran three loops for close to 20 miles, the longest run of her life to date

At the course briefing the race director made it clear the course was predominately ice.  I thought I had experienced all the conditions I might encounter in my training leading up to the event and would be fine in my trail gloves.  Wrong, the race started and within the first mile I had lost traction and fell once.  It took an incredible amount of mental focus and physical effort to keep my balance by chopping my stride, high stepping, and weaving left and right to seek out the least ice.  As I spun my legs like a cartoon character and constantly slipped, better prepared runners effortlessly passed me by in their spikes.  Uphills were especially difficult to gain traction.  I will for sure be investing in some cross country spikes following this experience.

Some cross country spikes Ive been eyeing up.  Inov Oroc 280, Brooks Mach 13, Saucony Kilkinney XC4, and New Balance M700

Those first two laps were intense.  I had great focus and fought hard to maintain my place.  It was easy to let people go who passed with authority but I got caught up racing people that were in reach or running near my pace.  Everyone was real friendly wishing each other well and engaging in small talk.  On the second loop the woman who I think ended up winning asked me if my pack was heavy.  I replied that it was five pounds but at least it wasn't on my feet.  The pack slowed me down for sure but we are probably talking less than 1% of total effort.  I never did stop at the aid stations like others so it was probably a wash.  She eventually dropped me going up a large hill.  I kept her within 30 seconds until the third lap at that same hill where she disappeared for good.

Eating a Honey Stinger 20g protein bar and looking fatigued.  I ate two bars and drank  64 oz of Gatorade for a total of 1000 calories.

I made a point to attempt to eat a 390 calorie protein bar on the hour and consistently drink Gatorade during the event.  It was slipping and grinding up this hill eating that that my ambitious start caught up with me.  I made it halfway through my bar when I couldn't eat anymore and felt lifeless.  A little over two hours had passed, I had covered half the distance of the race and here I was falling apart.  My foot turnover fell, and my mind disengaged.  My heart rate dropped into the aerobic zone it belonged in and calorie burn was cut in half.  I kept finding myself on perilous portions of the trail I had actively avoided the previous laps.

A photo of the M.U.L.E. Camelbak I ran with much to the amusement of others.  At 2lbs empty it looks deceivingly big.  Gatorade and food added 4lbs.

Finishing out the third lap going into the aid station was the worst portion of the course with the thickest ice.  With my brain disengaged from the environment and my legs doing their own thing I was finding myself slipping a lot more and eventually fell hard.  It came as a surprise, I landed on my side and my knee and hip stung.  Thankfully no one was around because I coped by incoherently swearing.  This was the low point of the race for me.  I walked it off and began running again thankful to be finishing up the third lap.  

A little bit of snow provides Donna with the traction she needs with ice to  her right.

It was on the fourth lap that I had company again and it was nice to see people and make small talk.  The course was turning slushy and muddy in the sun changing the landscape.  I wished everyone well and was surprised to see some people passing me that I thought had passed me long ago.  They were stopping at their drop bag and I was not resulting in a game of leap frog.  The fourth lap grinded on and the eventual winner lapped me.  He was fun to watch, had a smile on his face, and offered words of encouragement to everyone in addition to running a very fast 3:30.  It was closing out the fourth lap that my mind began reawakening.  The woman that eventually took third passed me going up the hill that led to the aid station I had previously fell.  Thanks to her lead I safely navigated the landscape.

My beard served as a balaclava and was shaved off immediately following the race.

She stopped at the aide station where a man in yellow replaced her as my motivation.  There was a big downhill at the end of the fourth lap he passed me going into.  I followed behind him but felt a great blow to my pride.  No one out downhill races me.  I stayed with him for a while longer but lost him on some ice and uphills.  A little before the first big downhill of the final lap with six miles to go the third place woman passed me again.  She took the downhill like a professional.  I have never seen another runner open up like that.  I followed her lead, found my strength and foot turnover again and passed her near the end.  I think our mutual appreciation for the downhill made us friends.

Focus

She caught up on some uphills.  We made small talk, she asked if I was training for a mountain race with such a huge pack.  She said to pump my arms on the uphills, which I did, and it helped in a big way.  At this point my legs were feeling fresh again so I turned up my foot turnover and ran my heart back into the anaerobic zone.  Those early calories I had ate in the race were paying off.  I began passing in force and felt alive again.  I ran out of Gatorade with 3 miles to go and got hungry motivating me to push harder.

Early in the race expending too much effort.  The second half of the race took  half an hour longer but at the price of 1176 calories compared to 1827 calories expended in the first half.

That last loop out of the aid station into the finish was the most exciting.  The man in yellow must have pulled out of the aid station right behind me and was in pursuit.  I was surprised to see him behind me.  We talked a little and I saw we were going into the same downhill that had brought me shame the previous lap.  I opened up a lead and enjoyed the free speed that comes from a high turnover on a downhill.  I pushed real hard into the finish and the parking lot even after seeing him well behind me.  It felt good to finish strong.  Total time was 4:47:11 and while results have not been yet released I was told it was good for 20th place.

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The Badgerland Striders consistently put on well run quality events of great value ($10 preregistration). The events are organized by runners for runners and are well thought out as such. I must thank all the volunteers for the great job. My wife and I brought bison chili to the event and it was well received, I am happy to have been able to give back to the volunteers that make these events possible. I will also need to be on the other side of some races this year volunteering as well.

   

January and 50k training

January was a hard hitting month of tearing up muscle and growing veins with 50k training reining supreme, followed by Jiu Jitsu/strength training and topped off with swimming.  Equally important, it was fast paced in the kitchen with plenty of meat, vegetables, and fruits getting turned into delicious recovery food you wish your mom could make.  When the days were done I slept like a baby for 8-9 hours.  That is how the mission to get stronger/faster gets done.

37 hours from 1 Jan 2012 – 29 Jan 2012.  Periodization in practice with the first 3 weeks to wear me down and the fourth to build back up.

50k training

Milwaukee Art Museum pictured during a long run.

This weekend, 4 Feb 2012, is the John Dick memorial 50k primitive winter trail run.  Naturally I have gotten in all the winter trail running on packed snow I can since December.  Each week featured 3 runs with a long run Saturday, a recovery run Sunday, and a tempo or interval like session on Wednesday nights immediately followed by throwing big weights around with my legs.  Every workout served a distinct purpose because I am all about getting the maximum return on the least investment.  I started doing daily mile at the turn of the calendar year where all the boring details are kept.              

Lake Michigan freezing pictured during a long run.

Racquetball

Racquetball is so much like running that it does not qualify as cross training.  In fact I ran very fast 5k and 10k races on a regimen of racquetball and strength training in a different life.  I play these days whenever a friend calls me up because I am social and care like that.  Racquetball employs a full range of motion and will ruggedize your legs better than running can without a runaway heart rate.  I am sure the same holds true for things like basketball, soccer, etc…

Milwaukee River in Estabrook park pictured during a long run

Jiu Jitsu & Strength Training

Since my glorious return to fighting and throwing big weights around I have felt great.  My metabolism and testosterone has increased and is readily noticeable.  I have more energy and sleep better.  My endurance summer was cool but resulted in muscle wasting and too much estrogen.  I haven’t made time for Muay Thai this year but would like to fold it in.  I don’t think I will be quitting in the spring as planned, the benefits are too great.

Chicken and Shrimp spicy soup

Swimming

I have seen some ridiculous gains concerning my swim this month, the kind of gains that make me confident to sign up for the XTERRA and ½ Ironman races this summer.  I have been able to swim farther and faster than ever.  I attribute this to finally getting the breathing piece figured out and to all the strength training.  I swim a mile regularly and have cut from 41:44/mi to 34:23/mi.    

Biking

Venison Sweet Potato Stew made with venison stock

I got on the trainer for 10 minutes early in the month and decided this was not for me.  It was the most boring 10 minutes of the entire year and ranks worse than a treadmill.  I will hit the streets again in March and live vicariously through this hardcore cyclist until then.

Food

This month made possible by meat and vegetables.

Venison Rump Roast and Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Last week’s mission to get stronger/faster was made possible by this fine venison rump roast accompanied by apple cranberry orange honey relish, sweet potatoes, and salad.  The rump roast recipe is a combination of my turkey making prowess and roast experience.  My wife used her genius and some trial and error to adapt the scalloped sweet potato recipe from a flour and heavy cream laden version.  This meal is delicious after tearing up muscle all day, leads to a lightning fast recovery, and will have you back at it in no time.  Everything is real easy on the stomach as it is grain and dairy free.

mmm good, real good.

If you did not harvest and butcher a deer and have a full freezer of venison you can substitute beef bottom or top round.  The top round will be leaner and the bottom round less so.  The top round lends itself to under cooking better and makes delicious sliced roast beef.        

To make the Venison rump roast:

1 Venison Rump 3 – 5 lb

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tsp salt

1 Tsp pepper

2-3 strips bacon

¼ - ½ cup Honey

1 -2 Apples coarsely diced

1 Onion coarsely diced

2 cinnamon sticks

1 Cup water

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan.  Season the rump with salt and pepper.  Brown the meat on all sides about 2 minutes per side.  Place the rump in a crock pot and drizzle with honey.  Place the bacon strips on top of the rump.  To make the aromatics used in this roast add the water, cinnamon, coarsely diced apple, and onion to the frying pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the aromatics to the crock pot.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Alternatively use a covered roasting pan and an oven set between 225 - 275˚F.  Discard the aromatics when done.  Slice and serve with Cranberry relish (follows).

To make the Cranberry relish mix together:

1 Cup Honeycrisp Apple coarsely diced

1 Cup Cranberries minced

1 Cup Mandarin Orange slices

½ Cup Honey

Adjust ingredient portions and dicing coarseness to achieve desired balance of ingredients and texture.  The cranberry relish makes up fast.  Dice the apples coarsely.  Mince the cranberries finely using a food processor.  Mix all the ingredients together and use immediately or refrigerate for 2 hours for best results.  Walnuts would also make a good addition.

To make the scalloped sweet potatoes:

4 Sweet Potatoes
1 yellow onion diced
4 strips bacon
1¾  cup coconut cream
½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Preheat an oven to 375˚F.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Boil the potatoes for about 8-10min to soften and drain.  Make up the bacon strips how you like in a pan and dice when finished.  Drain some of the bacon from the pan (or not) and soften the onions for 2 minutes.  Add the coconut cream, salt, and pepper and heat on low for 5 additional minutes.  Working in layers place the sweet potatoes in an 11x17 pan followed by the onions and cream mixture and diced bacon followed by more sweet potatoes, etc… until ingredients are exhausted.   Place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 – 30 minutes until soft.  If you would like to brown the top, broil for the last 5min.

Dog Encounters

Last week I hit the bike path to get in my short duration high intensity run for the week because that is what I do to keep my 5k fast while training for 50k distances.  That and throw around big weights, go vertical, and all sort of strength training to build muscle in my legs and keep my testosterone levels jacked.   But this is not a post about flipping the switch and turning loose your inner beast on a mission to get stronger/faster, this is a post about what to do when while on that mission a big dog on the loose gets lit up by your headlamp standing sentry in your path on a cold winter night.

More intimidating than others for sure but all loose dogs should be given the same attention.  This dog appears alert but is not displaying signs of aggression.  Source.

Naturally this kind of shit upsets me.  Here I am trying to get my run on in a deserted place and now I have my own hound and a pitbull to manage.  Ignoring the situation is the dumbest thing to do.  If you become the attention of a loose dog that can fuck you up, you better give your full attention to that animal.  Keep running and the dogs prey drive will take over and he may come and bite/maul you.  Blame the dog all you want, but by running cowardice is exhibited, prey behavior mimicked and an action the dog may have not taken elicited.  Fact:  Humans cannot out sprint dogs that can eat you, not even Olympic sprinters.

Rabbits run from dogs because they are food.  You should not because you are a human, master of the dog.   You are on the top of the food chain, embrace it.  Source

So now that you have given the dog your attention and come to a stop, stand your ground, face the dog and confidently tell him no every time he advances.  If you are part of the pace crazed disposable income music loving crowd you will also feel a need to stop your Garmin and remove your ear buds in order to give your full attention.  Yours truly doesn’t run with music as it degrades my situational awareness but I am guilty of stopping my watch.  If the dog attempts to flank and get around you turn and always face the animal.

A buffalo standing his ground.  This is a shame because I would have liked to eat him.  Hopefully this never happens to you.  Source.

Sometimes encounters like this can end like two ships passing in the night but dogs are smart enough to take your back if you stupidly offer it up.  Continue to face the dog until it is out of range, as previously mentioned, redundancy equals importance.  Sometimes when enough time has passed the negligent owner might come around and take control of their animal and you can move on.  Sometimes after a few minutes the dog might lose interest and leave, or help may arrive.  This dance can last a while or escalate all too quickly, but avoid letting the dog into your personal space.

A Dalmatian showing aggression.  Lefty has a scar on his nose from a loose Dalmatian that got a hand jammed down his throat, flipped over, and a knee on his ribs until he cried uncle and ran away with his tail between his legs.  Source.

Dogs tend to give their intentions away through their body language but can flip quickly depending on how you respond, remain calm.  I have had one dog engage in stalking and bar his teeth the moment I encountered him.  In situations like these it makes sense to match the dog’s escalation with an escalation of your own by throwing things or picking up a stick to deliver a beating and getting ready to stomp him.  If you choose to carry a defensive tool, prepare to use it.  There is no need to escalate to violence when encountering a dopey tail wagging dog not showing any signs of aggression.

Defensive tools a runner might opt to carry but are not limited to include kinetic action devices, blades, bear mace, and Tasers.  Bare hands are sufficient for some.  The AR10 chaffed and cut into my 5k time so I do without these days.

The overall idea is to discourage and avoid a physical encounter but even my intimidating presence with my hound at my side has not been able to discourage all dogs from invading our personal space.  Balance is of utmost importance in all situations, especially these, do not get knocked down.  I prefer to maintain a side profile facing the animal with knees slightly bent in case I need to stomp the son of a bitch (proper English use).  Keep you tender fingers balled into fists so they don’t become dog sausages and track the dog with your arms and body.  Protect your face and neck.

A tail wagging friendly working dog.

Maybe the dog is playful and curious, maybe not but you will have to be the judge of that matter and decide what course of action to take.  If attacked, as a biped you can stomp and kick.  If you prefer a more personal touch you might want to control the neck, flip the dog by it limbs or tail, knee on stomach, choke, etc...  Stay on your feet and use your weight and long limbs to your advantage.  Take away the dogs footing/balance and he becomes much easier to manage.  This is all easier said than done but it is better to go down fighting than cowering.  Most dogs will give up when engaged.  Yes you may get bit but that is better than being mauled.

Nothing is more pathetic than people without enough sense to look after their own well being or defend themselves when attacked.  A cell phone does not qualify as proper mitigation.  After you place a call it only offers the possibility that someone will come to look for your body or send an ambulance after the fact.  The immediate situation remains.  Anyone can stand up for themselves.  A 100lb woman outweighs most dogs and has all the tools needed to dominate all but the most vicious of these animals as a human.  

A human capable of defending herself and her yip yap dog. 

In the few years I have had Lefty I have lost count of all the loose dogs we have come across.  Dogs are social and attract other dogs.  I imagine in a different time and place I could have easily grown my pack, as almost all of these dogs were very curious and friendly.  This was my third run in with this pit bull this month and his owner tends to be 1-3 minutes behind.  In two instances his owner eventually grabbed him and in one he left after a few minutes of being told no.  He seems friendly enough but Lefty is not, especially when in a leashed vs. unleashed situation.  I always take Lefty’s side in these matters and hold a 2-0 record in dog encounters turned violent.  A loose dog is just as liable to get his ass beat as it is to attack someone.    

I hope to never be on the business end of this

There is always the option put forth in the old joke about surviving a bear attack by being faster than the slowest person you are with too.  Or was that a metaphor for financial markets?  Probably a bad idea,  I don't know, read this for surviving bear attacks.

Meat and Potatoes

My past few weeks have been 10+ hour efforts packed full of hard hitting MMA, Strength training, swimming, and high mileage winter running.  It’s not easy tearing up muscle daily in a mission to get stronger/faster and is only made possible by eating the most nutrient rich food when I need it.  Keep the grains and processed food – I’m not interested in improving my swim by way of added buoyancy.  I’ll take some lean meat and vegetables for peak performance.

The meat and potatoes of improving athletic performance are killer workouts followed by recovery.   In recovery food comes first followed by rest.  The meat and potatoes of recovery food is, well, meat and potatoes.  Combined with some leafy greens the end result is the perfect blend of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. 

I have refueled on pretzels peanuts and ice cream in the past – it was stupid then and still is.  Obviously there was little protein for muscle rebuilding.  Less obvious is that after an intense effort blood PH is acidic, eating net acidic foods like grains or dairy does not help.  The body must cannibalize minerals from the bones and muscle to restore the PH to neutral.  That is why recovery foods should be a base PH like vegetables.

Meal prep in advance is the key to maximizing successful workouts.  That’s why I don’t leave the house to do a 20+ miler for 50k training if the fridge is all but empty except for beer, pickles, and Catsup.  The chuck roast I made Sunday has fueled 3 days of activity for my wife and me, a good return for minimal prep time with the only downside being the overall cook time.   

         

Ingredients for Beef Chuck Roast follow:

3-5lb Beef Chuck Roast (grass fed)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

½ cup chili powder

½Tbsp Salt

½ Tbsp pepper

1-2 Cups beef stock

3-4 medium potatoes diced

2 Carrots diced

2 cups Pearl onions peeled

2 cups Mushrooms whole

1/2 head garlic peeled, diced

6 dried cayenne peppers

Preheat the oven to 275˚F.  Add the olive oil to a frying pan and heat on low.  Mix the chili powder, salt, and pepper and roll the chuck roast in it taking up all the seasoning.  Brown the chuck roast on all sides in the frying pan about 2 minutes per side.  Add the chuck roast and beef stock to a roasting pan.  Cover and cook for 2-3 hours turning a couple times.  Remove the roasting pan from the oven and increase temperature to 325˚F.  Add the remaining ingredients to the roasting pan and cook covered for 1 more hour.  Enjoy.

My wife thought it would be better with tomatoes.  The whole mushrooms and pearl onions were what made it good for me.  Chuck roast isn’t exactly lean but I wanted practice with roasts before using my venison rump.  This roast was practice for greater things.

Butternut Squash Soup

Replacing grains with vegetables to include roots, and squash as my go to carbohydrate source has introduced some challenges in weekday meal preparation.  I don’t have the hour it takes to properly prepare and cook things like sweet potatoes, squash, and beets during the week.  Most meals take 15 to 30 minutes from start to finish and even that seems like an eternity after working out.  It makes sense to prepare some of these foods in advance.

I have had butternut squash in the house since Thanksgiving - truly amazing how long it keeps.  Butternut squash is alright on its own but tastes way better as a soup.  I also feel the same way about potatoes and make potato leek soup on occasion.  I make a lot of soup, it is what I do.  Soup is nutrient rich and good for recovery or fueling.  The best soup is made with homemade stock and this one started off with a whole chicken as usual.  Come winter stocks and soup are made weekly in my house.          

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients for Butternut squash soup follow:

1 Butternut Squash

3 Tbsp Butter

1 Large Onion

Fresh Ginger 1" x 3" piece

4-6 Cups Chicken Stock

Salt

Pepper

Prepare the chicken stock and butternut squash in advance.  To prepare the butternut squash preheat an oven to 350˚F.  Cut the squash in half length wise and seed.  Rub the exposed meaty part of the squash with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Cook in oven for 1 hour or until soft.  Let cool and spoon the meat out of the skin, discard the skin.  

To start the soup, melt the butter (olive oil to keep it dairy free) in a soup pot.  Skin, and dice the onion and skin and thinly slice the ginger.  Add the onion and ginger to the pot and cook until soft 8 – 10 minutes.  Add the Chicken stock and reserved butternut squash.  Heat through for 20 – 30 minutes.  Working in batches puree the soup in a blender, be careful with hot ingredients.

Serve with heavy cream (coconut cream to keep it dairy free) and garnish with parsley or chives.  The only green I had was mint so that is what I garnished with.  Toasted almond slivers or toasted squash seeds also make fine additions.  Refrigerates well and can be enjoyed all week.