I've talked about this before, but think it may need a revisit. And that's cortisol. It's a stress hormone. And too much of it is a bad thing. And I'm fairly certain I've got too much of it, although I've not had my levels measured. How do I know this? You know those mood stress test cards, that measure the temperature of your skin and judge whether you're calm, or stressed? I have one, and it's ALWAYS black. Yes, always. And no, it's not broken. Anyone else can use it, and it turns, green, blue, red. Mine is ALWAYS black. So that's how I live my life. Rotating shiftwork, the running, and generally being worried about life does that to me. Also, even though I'm of a normal weight (about 165 lately), I'm still fat. My fat percentage is around 18%, and I have a spare tire, a muffin top. Even though I run a lot, it still doesn't go away. In fact, too much running likely increases my cortisol. No wonder I can't lose that spare tire. I eat relatively well, although relative is, well, relative. I also probably drink too much caffeine, and while I might need that because of my shiftwork, well, it's hard to give up. How can I reduce cortisol and become less stressed? Well, that would require me to be, basically someone else. I'm afraid it's my black cloud, for life.
Another Interesting Article
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 50k
Ok, I've got a running problem, yes, I fully admit it. Just 2 short weeks after the Wineglass Marathon, I ran the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 50k, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Well, I didn't run it, I walked it, to help pace a running friend in her first 100 mile race attempt. And, perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing, my right hamstring has still been complaining a bit, so the walking (instead of running) probably helped that a lot.
The drive to Oklahoma was about an 8 hour drive for us, but it would give us both a new state. The race itself was quite an experience, I was helping to crew her first 2 laps, then run the third lap with her. A lot of waiting, with occasional bouts of business, that's what crewing a 100 mile race is all about. I actually didn't start pacing until about 1 am in the morning. At that point, my friend was already 69 miles into the event, and relatively tired.
It was a beautiful night for a run. The moon was nearly full, the skies were clear, the winds were light, and temperatures were in the 50s. Overall, just wonderful. We walked most of the 31.8 miles, with occasional shuffling along the way. My friend had asked that try to talk about anything and everything that I could think of, so I did. In fact, I didn't stop talking until the last hour or so, simply because I had run out of things to say. 10:17:00 was my finishing time, and personal worst for a 50k, but I didn't care. Since I had registered, I got a shirt, a medal, and credit for another state, and more importantly, I got to help a friend complete her first 100 mile race. Priceless.
The drive to Oklahoma was about an 8 hour drive for us, but it would give us both a new state. The race itself was quite an experience, I was helping to crew her first 2 laps, then run the third lap with her. A lot of waiting, with occasional bouts of business, that's what crewing a 100 mile race is all about. I actually didn't start pacing until about 1 am in the morning. At that point, my friend was already 69 miles into the event, and relatively tired.
It was a beautiful night for a run. The moon was nearly full, the skies were clear, the winds were light, and temperatures were in the 50s. Overall, just wonderful. We walked most of the 31.8 miles, with occasional shuffling along the way. My friend had asked that try to talk about anything and everything that I could think of, so I did. In fact, I didn't stop talking until the last hour or so, simply because I had run out of things to say. 10:17:00 was my finishing time, and personal worst for a 50k, but I didn't care. Since I had registered, I got a shirt, a medal, and credit for another state, and more importantly, I got to help a friend complete her first 100 mile race. Priceless.
Monday, October 3, 2011
WineGlass Marathon
Just 2 short weeks after my 24 hour endurance run in Cleveland, Ohio, I ran the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, NY. This was originally my goal race for this year, but the 24 hour run usurped that. Since I was already registered, and would be in the area for a Bed and Breakfast weekend, I decided to run the race anyhow.
After the North Coast event, my right hamstring has been very tight, likely a result of the bad cramping that I experienced during the race. I've been trying to rehab it with stretches, but it really hasn't been getting better. Leading up to this race, even the couple of days beforehand, I was considering not running it. The fact that it would be raining with temperatures in the lower 40s and a 10 mph wind also made me doubt whether it was smart to run or not.
Race morning arrived, and indeed, it was a steady downpour, and very cold. Waiting at the starting line, feeling miserable and questioning my leg, I decided that I'd feel more upset with myself if I didn't run it. Once I started running, it actually wasn't that bad. I was soaked, water was running off the bill of my cap, but overall, I was warm enough. And yes, the right hamstring was twitchy, but overall, it wasn't that bad. In fact, the race was pretty fun!
The miles ticked off fast enough, and the course was beautiful! The trees were just starting to turn, and it was a really nice run. By about mile 18 though, the rain had stopped, but both of my legs felt like they wanted to cramp at any moment, yet I kept running. Perhaps all the wine I drank in the 3 days leading up to the race had something to do with that, ha. My finish time was pretty good, considering my recent 84 mile run just two weeks, ago, 4:05:18. And it felt good to be done. Another state, 10 total.
After the North Coast event, my right hamstring has been very tight, likely a result of the bad cramping that I experienced during the race. I've been trying to rehab it with stretches, but it really hasn't been getting better. Leading up to this race, even the couple of days beforehand, I was considering not running it. The fact that it would be raining with temperatures in the lower 40s and a 10 mph wind also made me doubt whether it was smart to run or not.
Race morning arrived, and indeed, it was a steady downpour, and very cold. Waiting at the starting line, feeling miserable and questioning my leg, I decided that I'd feel more upset with myself if I didn't run it. Once I started running, it actually wasn't that bad. I was soaked, water was running off the bill of my cap, but overall, I was warm enough. And yes, the right hamstring was twitchy, but overall, it wasn't that bad. In fact, the race was pretty fun!
The miles ticked off fast enough, and the course was beautiful! The trees were just starting to turn, and it was a really nice run. By about mile 18 though, the rain had stopped, but both of my legs felt like they wanted to cramp at any moment, yet I kept running. Perhaps all the wine I drank in the 3 days leading up to the race had something to do with that, ha. My finish time was pretty good, considering my recent 84 mile run just two weeks, ago, 4:05:18. And it felt good to be done. Another state, 10 total.
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