Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Muscular fatigue is in your head

I recently read a series of articles that discuss the relationship between fatigue and neuronal action in the brain.  In this episode, I present a quick synopsis of these articles for your listening pleasure.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Photos from the Drumstick Dash and Around Rochester

I just plugged my phone into my computer (as a distraction from grading) and have decided to put up photos fromt the Drumstick Dash and from my recent experiences with crazy amounts of Canadian Geese around Silver Lake.

The geese on Silver Lake

Geese in the field across the street from the lake...

Dead Squirrel that I kept passing on my sprints around Goose Egg Park.

Morning of the Drumstick Dash... Gorgeous.

I thought this was oddly fitting before the Drumstick Dash.  In retrospect, I can't tell if its a guy or gal... oh well.  Still kinda cool looking.
Silver Lake itself stays largely ice free in parts due to a hydro-electric/coal power plant that is attached to the Silver Lake Dam (hence the reason for the "lake") because of this, a large number of Canadian Geese have turned it into a permanent home.  The major drawback of this is the immense amount of goose poo on the trails (VERY SLIPPERY) and the loud honking that accompanies them.

The photos of the Dash (the last two) were of the sunrise over Lake Harriet that morning... beautiful.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Perception and Rails to Trails Half Pics

Another episode is posted.  In this one, I chat about perception and how its all literally in your mind. A little on color vision, taste, touch/pain and lousy french canadian accents.

Additionally, I finally put my phone pics onto my computer:

The start of the race was clogged

The entrance to the tunnel

Return trip was much less crowded

Farmland in western Wisconsin

The cows that provided the pungent dairy-air

Monday, November 7, 2011

Rails to Trails Race Report

Another podcast episode is up.

In summary, it was windy and smelled like cows for much of the race. The race was uphill until the tunnel, steeply downhill (3.5% grade?) through the wet and dark tunnel (I used my iPhone as a light for the descent) to the flats and the turn around (no longer smelling like cows). Then the return. I was encouraged by the people running around me to keep at the same pace leading me to finish strongly with a new PR of 1:57:14!

For those who are counting, thats a whopping 17 minutes faster than my previous 13 miler (in October) and a full 31 minutes faster than my last (first) Half (in June)!

Photos will be up as soon as I attach my phone to the computer.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Podcast updates, Training updates and Race Report.

So that I keep something semi-recent on here:

I've put up another two podcasts; one last week on Respiration and what I understand to be a discussion of VO2 Max and one (last night) talking about my Halloween race and a few other bits of thought regarding running as a whole.

As another bit of an update, I broke the century mark for the month of October! To be honest, I barely made it (100.5 miles) but I was sill happy with my result overall especially since I bested my previous result by a total of 94 miles in the month of May. I'm guessing that October will probably be my most extensive workload until January or so...

Otherwise, my 5k results: clock time of 24:43; watch time of 24:14. I was hoping for a 25:00 time or so, so in general I'm happy with it.

So looking at the goals I've set for myself on the side; I've checked one off my list!!!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Cardiovascular System and Running

I put a new podcast up (linked above) that I recorded yesterday but haven't been able to put on the server until now.  The application I normally use is not working with my newly updated system (OSX Lion). So I did it by hand and am now passively looking at a different podcast manager. Until I get it figured out, I'll have to do it by hand and wait for iTunes to ping the server.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

I am a packmule

I put up a new podcast looking at my exploration into biomechanics/physics and running.  Really not  as much science as there is thought in this one. Still should be interesting to some.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Photos from the woodsy








Selected photos from the Muscle Milk Woodsy. Included are a few mile markers, the winner's plaques, the marine group and the crazy steep hills.  The blur is just evidence that I was running... or the fact that I was using my iPhone's crappy camera.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Muscle Milk Woodsy Report

I put up another podcast with my report of the Musclemilk Woodsy.  All in all a nice race.  Very hilly course which lead me to find out that I'm lousy at running hills.  I finished at a decent time but could have done better-- still not too shabby for a training run/race. Photos will follow once they're off of my phone.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Two new episodes!!!

Check them out on iTunes. Both have more of a physiological nature to them.  One on muscles of the lower leg and one on fatigue.  Hopefully you enjoy!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Post Travel Episode

I put up another episode of Med City Andy earlier today.

I found out that I wouldn't be able to run in the Zoom Yah Yah-- need to have run a marathon previously.  I could ask for a waiver, but I don't really want to kick someone out who is technically qualified for it when I'm technically not.

So I'm either going to be looking for a different marathon (possibly the "Lost Dutchman" in Arizona?) or a different one in the first quarter of the year.

By the way the website that I briefly mentioned is http://medcityandy.netau.net
Not much of a site as of yet.. more a place holder than anything else. I may do other things with it but I don't know as of yet.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Traveling and Running

As a bit of info, I'm going to be on the road for the next 12-13 days as I trek eastward to visit relatives in New Hampshire/Massachusetts then in DC. My wife and I are planning on road tripping it, visiting Niagara Falls (from the Canada side!) before getting to northern Mass. All this means is that my podcasting is going to be haphazard at best (in all honesty I don't know if I'm going to be taking my computer or not... and without my computer I can't really post anything. It also means that I'm going to be having to play around so that I can get my miles in as well as having a vacation-- either running on different days, at different times or just plain improvising. So it may be an interesting journey.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Hydration II and a Head Cold

MedCity Andy clarifies some aspects of his hydration experiment and continues with a a discussion of how a head cold forced him to take it easy...

Monday, July 18, 2011

Reading and Running: Podcast Episode 8

In this episode, Med City Andy discusses three books (related to running) that he has recently read and would recommend. These include Born to Run, Running for Mortals and Galloway's Book on Running.
 If you are a beginning runner, I would strongly recommend Running for Mortals due to the personality of the book, the descriptions of the trials and tribulations of running and the simple, no-nonsense approach to beginning running. Galloway's Book on Running is a more technical based learn to run manual (and it reads more like a manual)-- it is very informative none the less.  Born to Run weaves an excellent story of a tribe of running people from the Copper Canyon region of central Mexico while talking about the author's experiences learning to run with a more natural style. Preachy at times, the book still is a good, quick read and is worthy of some of the hype that surrounds it.



Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathelets and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Superathletes-Greatest-Vintage/dp/0307279189/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311037161&sr=1-1

Running for Mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield
http://www.amazon.com/Running-Mortals-Commonsense-Plan-Changing/dp/1594863253/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311037118&sr=1-1

Galloway's Book on Running by Jeff Galloway
http://www.amazon.com/Galloways-Book-Running-Jeff-Galloway/dp/093607003X

Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Muscle Milk Woodsy

I was attracted to click on the link because of the odd and potentially double entendre based name of the race-- and I registered because it fit into my half training program. All in all, it looks like it should be fun-- a true trail race on a minimally groomed trail that lasts 8.9 miles.  I'm pretty excited!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Running in Northern Minnesota

I released another podcast a few days ago but haven't really had an opportunity to update the blog. Well, here it is. In this most recent podcast, I talk about my experiences running in northern Minnesota at my in-law's cabin. To this point, its the closest that I've come to trail running, so I opine a short while on that entire idea. All in all, I had a good time running up north, it was different but still nice. During the podcast I also discuss Minnesota culture and the idea about going "Up North."

On a side note, I've converted my podcasts to mp3 format from m4a. My reasoning behind this transition has largely due to the incompatibility of mp3 format with a variety of devices and m4a being an Apple specific format.  All in all, the m4a makes a prettier format but I really don't need the chapter markers and enhanced options that it provides.

Once again, if you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please put them in the comments.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Training MedCity Andy Style

Another podcast episode is up.  In this one I describe how I come across my training plans, how I determined what I should do during the time between structured plans and how I the training plans have changed how I've thought about running.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Podcast Episode # 4!

I've put up and recorded episode number 4 of the MedCity Andy Podcast! In this episode I talk about what I use as motivation for going running-- not why I run but what helps me run: the music/podcasts I listen to and how I have determined to keep going.

I've also decided that I'm definitely going to run the half marathon in November (I should really sign up for it) and that I'd like to do at least one longer race between now and then. I figure that I'll either find a 10k or do the TC 10 Miler in October and one other race between now and October-- aside from the WWFoR Zen10K that I've committed to. This will leave me plenty of time to train for and run a full marathon in either January or March (maybe February depending on my schedule in the spring).

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The joys of dailymile

I've started to get hooked on the entire aspect that is the "daily mile." I don't know why I've gotten so caught up in it, but it has quickly become something that I enjoy looking at and checking up on- similarly to the way that I enjoy checking my twitter feed and all of that jazz. There's something reassuring about the idea that there is a whole community of runners (slow, middle of the pack or otherwise) that are going through the same trials and tribulations that I am with my running. Its even more exciting to know that there are so many runners that are also so willing to offer a helping hand and give advice about this that and the other. All in all, I'm a big fan of the entire thing.  I've also got my wife to sign up and track her swimming -- she is not a runner in any way shape or form in the same way that I am not a swimmer (I'm a sinker). Very exciting stuff!

Please, I encourage you to join the dailymile if you haven't as of yet and if you have, I invite you to be my friend.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Running the trails in Rochester

A few things in this entry:
1) A new podcast episode is up! Find it on iTunes (search for medcity) or you can click on the link above to directly download it.

2) Since I was talking about the trails in Rochester on the podcast I figured that I would put up some photos so that all of you would be able to see the beauty that I'm able to run upon on a daily (or 4/7 weekly) basis. Please excuse the photos, they were all actually taken via phone on the run (no stopping).
 The bridge over Cascade Creek.

 Both of the previous are of the trail.
The railroad crossing.  Its quite frightening to go under while a trail is there.  I try to avoid the trains as much as possible-- they're quite loud and make the bridge seem like it will break.

Friday, June 10, 2011

iTunes Approval!

My podcast was approved by iTunes! If you'd like to listen to my podcast, please go ahead and subscribe. Write a review. Be nice!
Med City Andy on iTunes

Otherwise, you can follow my podcast by linking to the feed:
http://medcityandy.netau.net/podcast.xml

You can also follow me on dailymile: Dailymile

Monday, June 6, 2011

Podcast Episode #2

My second episode of the podcast looks at my running of the Minneapolis Half Marathon yesterday! I completed the race and achieved my goal. I am quite proud of my accomplishment and can say that if I can run a half marathon so can you! In the episode, I  go over my thoughts about the race, before, during and after the race and a little about the rest of my experience with the Minneapolis Half Marathon. After that I go into my plans (or lack there of) for the rest of the summer. Right now, I plan on recovering from the run (which I am doing nicely so far) and possibly do a 5k with a friend of mine later on in June/July. Otherwise I don't have anything on the docket until much later. If anyone is running a race within a few hours drive of Rochester and would like someone to run with, leave me a comment and I'll be glad to go with you (or cheer you on) if I can.

Friday, June 3, 2011

A hot and humid day

Well it seems like summer is once again rearing its ugly humid and sticky head here in the Med City. As I have said before, I'm not that big of a fan of summer. Sure I like the sunshine and the flowers but the humidity is awful and the high temperatures are not pleasant-- especially for running!

Today I did a 2 miler, I took it out too fast-- probably proof that my taper is actually working, but then I took it back in a reasonable speed for me. I wasn't very happy with the run but I was satisfied. The worst aspect of the whole thing was that I sweat like I had been running for twice the distance! I know-- gross, but its the truth and one of the facts of being a stocky guy built for cold and blustery winters rather than the hot and humid summer.

They've made the forecast for my race even better! Only 78° as a high on Sunday with dew points in the low 50s!!!

Thats all for now.

Until next time,
-Med City Andy

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Debut of Med City Andy

In this podcast, MedCity Andy describes his motivation for podcasting, a brief history of his running and physical activities that have lead him to where he is and the half-marathon he plans on running this weekend. He also opines for a short bit on the tools he uses while training and plugs the Slow Runners Club, a podcast he listens to while running, doing yard work and while commuting.

This podcast is a view into the ruminations, ramblings and rants of an admittedly stocky fellow who has randomly decided to take up the sport of running.