Running off the pork

The Long Run

Anybody who maintains a running blog and includes a long run in their training needs to write about the "Long Run."  I think it is in a code book somewhere.  And since today I ran my longest run to date of 14.4 miles I figured it was a good time to blog about it.

Mile 1:  "Nice day!  A bit cool at 6:20am which is good for what will probably be a 2+ hour run.  I wonder if I will run 10.8 or 14.4 miles?  I will just have to see how I feel at 10.8 miles."  I currently run a 3.6 section of our local canal and runs length is typically determined by the number of times I run this route.

Mile 2: "Hmm, I'm sweating and breathing hard, typical."

Mile 3:  "Running is never easy, even when I'm just knocking out a 3.6 mile run."

Mile 3.6: "One round down, at least two more to go."

Mile 5: "Don't give into tempo running, just run the distance."  I actually like running different tempos during my run because it relieves the monotony.

Mile 6: "Not feeling 14.4 miles today."

Mile 7.2: "Two laps down, now things get interesting."  I've only run over 10 miles 3 times, and all of these during a 3 week period just before my vacation.  I find 10.5 miles challenging, but not debilitating.  The one time I ran half-marathon distance (one of the 3 mentioned), I ran in minimalist shoes and had very serious leg cramping at the end of the run.

Mile 9:  "Why do I run?  I hate running!"

Mile 10.8:  "Three laps down, I will just start this final lap and see how it goes."

Mile 11.5: My long dead cousin Steve visits me and says,  "Why are you running?  You are a scientist."  I miss Steve, but now is not the time for these mental hallucinations.

Mile 12: "Oh, look I'm covered in sweat."  Seriously every inch of my clothing, except my amazing drymax socks.  I literally have a stream of sweat coming off of my baseball cap.  You could collect a glassful of sweat complete with urea in a couple of minutes.  Did you know urea was in your sweat?  It is actually responsible for your eyes stinging when sweat gets in them.  Now I hear my Grandma (also deceased) saying, "We don't perspire, we SWEAT!"

Mile 13: "I think I'm dying."

Mile 14: "Ugh, I'm still alive.  Please, stop the agony!  No, no, almost there, can't quit now, new distance record."

Post run report

So I finish.  I stretch, I sweat, I stretch, I sweat, I drink down the rest of my Gatorade.  I took my fuel belt and had both Gatorade and water for this run to deal with the sweat, including loss of electrolytes.  I figured this played a role in my post run cramps at the end of the aforementioned half-marathon.

I fell into my car (no, I climbed in).  I wondered if an officer of the law pulled me over if I would register positive on a breath analyzer machine for fatigue toxins?  Would I be arrested?  None of this happened and I managed to drive home.

I pulled into the garage (without hitting the garage door or beer fridge) and very gingerly drew my body out of the car.  I went to the beer fridge (because beer cures everything) and got another two bottles of Gatorade.  I sat at my table and pulled off my sweat soaked hat and shirt.  My feet were in great shape thanks to the Gel Cumulus shoes and Drymax socks!

Suddenly, I didn't feel so good, like emetic reflex not good.  I made it to the restroom only to have this first reflex be followed by a defecation reflex, a "Shut Up + Run" type experience.  "Hey! I bet I lost some weight!"  - talk about purging.

Feeling somewhat better I remembered reading about ice baths to help with the leg muscles post long run.  No way I was taking one of these, but I do have a pool, and it is cool in the morning.  So I climbed into the pool, sweat soaked run shorts still on.  I begged my wife, who was watering her plants in the backyard (including the tomatoes), to get me a towel please.   The pool actually felt wonderful.  I did have a moment of violent shivering as I super cooled, but eventually found equilibrium.  Finally, I felt well enough to go inside, shower, and start my day.

Culinary

Time to smoke some pork!

 

 First I needed to clean up the grill.  The shop vac is very handy for this.

 Some of the charcoal remaining from my last wood-fired pizzas.  After the pizza cooks, I cut off all oxygen flow and the wood carbonizes to become charcoal which I then make use of to start the next session with my Primo.

 My foot, no ulcerations from the run!

 

All cleaned up!

 

 

Above is the set-up.  The pork on the right, tray with water below the pork for moisture and drippings, and a stainless steel vent filled with layers of charcoal and applewood chips.  The smoke went well, never getting above 225 degrees Farenheit.  I wrapped both pieces of pork at about 150-160 degrees farenheit to help them hit 190.

Here is the small piece all done and sliced.  It was excellent!

 

Tomatoes

I mentioned that my wife grows a lot of tomatoes for me.



 



 







Tomato bush to the right, basil bush to the left (we make a lot of pesto), geraniums struggling for light in the back.  Our basil is completely voluntary from previous years.  We never have to plant any, it just keeps coming back every summer.  You can't see them, but there are a gazillion tomatoes in that bush of four plants.  There is a fifth volunteer Roma tomato plant behind these.

 





 

More volunteer tomatoes along the side yard along with some Nasturtiums.  My wife calls these "dog bottom tomatoes" because all of my family loves tomatoes.  The dogs eat them when they can, do their business on the side here and voila!

The Kimchee ready to eat!