Lucky number 13!

Posted by baselbutt on 3/20/2007 on baselbutt's blog | Groups: North Pole Marathon

A minor panic attack ensued when I got home from my four day trip to Death Valley this afternoon to find that the comfortable 17 day cushion I had before my departure for the North Pole had shrunk to a frighteningly not so distant 13 days... It looks like I had better sit down and make out a few lists.

As I mentioned in one of my Death Valley posts from the weekend (which were embarrassingly short and void of substance because my connection in Lone Pine was early '90s dial-up at best), Fenton's Creamery has generously loaned me the use of their deep freeze to round out my marathon training. -20 degrees BABY!!! I can't wait! (and maybe they'll throw in some ice cream while I'm in there..)

After sitting in my car all day during the drive back from Lone Pine (470 miles), my legs are a little tight but otherwise feel fine after the trauma I put them through this weekend. Assuming the weather/work cooperates with me and if I hit all of my markers for the key runs I have scheduled this week, I will be able to say that (physically) I am ready!

Since I didn't run today, I won't bore you with the musings of a runner who has nothing to log in his running journal. Let's just all chalk today up as a recovery day from two days of cruel and unusual punishment.

A few administrative notes!!!!
VOTE for your Powerbar idea by March 23rd!

GUESS my finishing time and win a Suunto T3 Fitness Computer!

PICK my tight and I'll send you some running socks!

To the folks who make up the 40% increase in registered members of the
YourRunning.com(munity) since my North Pole blogging adventure began (as well as to the folks who make up the base on which that 40% has grown), post a picture or story about your own running adventures and the Challenged Athletes Foundation will receive much needed funds from the folks at the Enthusiast Group!

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2 comments

TeePee says:

Bobby,

Just curious - how do you train in a deep freeze at an ice cream shop?
However you do it - best of luck and enjoy!

by TeePee on Tue, 2007-03-20 18:08

baselbutt says:

Excellent question... Hopefully my answer does it justice.. I'm taking a page from my Badwater playbook and applying the same logic to extreme cold that I applied to extreme heat in Death Valley last year.

The purpose of the freezer is not to train for the running part, but instead to train for the cold part. You've probably seen pieces on training for extreme heat in dry saunas (the purpose of which is not so much to get your aerobic engine primed, but rather to get your body used to just being HOT - REALLY HOT!).

My plan for the deep freeze is to measure the impact of extreme cold on breathing, my ability to consume fluids, my ability to generate heat through movement, lifespan of iPOD batteries, etc.... When I trained in the dry sauna last year, I would sit in the sauna for an hour or more doing nothing but drinking fluids (to train my body to increase the amount of fluid it could absorb). The deep freeze will basically serve the same purpose.

Hope this helps!

"if you run for yourself, you might let yourself down, but if you run for someone else, you'll never let them down..."

by baselbutt on Tue, 2007-03-20 20:03