Recovery Week

The (lower) legs were pretty sore from the mountain marathon / Bergmarathon on July 5, and that for quite a while. Still, time to continue training - and blogging it.

• July 8: on the bike - 00:53:34 - 13.82 km - avg. HR 106 - TE 1.5
  Cross-training like that was very nice, I'm doing something this way, getting a low training effect for once, and still not abusing my legs.


• 7/11: running again - 00:50:30 - 8.44 km - avg. HR 138 - TE 2.5
  Running early in the morning to stay out of the heat (and to get in training before almost everything else), and it seems to have been very nice and easy. The legs are still a little heavy, but almost back to normal; I do wonder, though, if the heart rate is low because I'm doing better or because of some effect of overtraining...


• 7/12: biking - 01:09:05 - 20.78 km - avg. HR 109 - TE 1.4another nice and easy ride, not least, to keep doing something
  7/13: and back to running yet again - 01:22:57 - 13.89 km - avg. HR 148 - TE 3.3Looking, and feeling, good.

I am starting to think I really ought to find another event to train towards, and soon ;-)

Back in Austria, In the Alps

Last Thursday, went to Altmünster (in Upper Austria, quite close to Salzburg) to our apartment there, with my dad. A change of scenery to something more like what people would think of when thinking of Austria, and a chance to get in some mountain training…

With all that was and is to be done to get organized again and ready for the next escapade, having just come back from Latvia, and not knowing what will be next, there's lots of errands to run.
Just before leaving, I checked the plant pots in the greenhouse, for example, to see which of last year's chile peppers did, after all, survive over-wintering. (Actually, quite a few did, and quite a few for which I would not have expected it.)

Training has been rather less consistent, with days passing in a rush and me not noticing some times when two days pass without any sports (except for re-arranging my book cases or the like, which actually does have some likeness to weight lifting…).

Still, there where some nice runs.

June 14, for example. To the north of Parndorf:


View Larger Map

Time: 03:13:25; 30.39 km; avg. speed 6.4 min/km; avg. HR 154 bpm; TE 4.2
Ascent/descent: 112 / 105 m

Or yesterday, at the Traunsee/Altmünster:


View Larger Map

Time: 02:09:20; 16.93 km (?; I think the leaf cover on forested passages disturbed the GPS-POD quite a bit at times); avg. speed 7.6 min/km; avg. HR 152 bpm; TE 4.5
Ascent/descent: 522 / 514 m. Yep, I'm in the mountains now.

Today, it's 14 days to the Bergmarathon.
And I'm going to hell… the Höllengebirge ("Hell Mountains").

Getting back there

My sojourn in Latvia is, slowly but steadily, drawing to a close...

Health and Running

The cold that prevented me from running in the Riga Marathon is still with me, but losing its grip on me ever more. So, I'm getting back into running - and actually, except for its effect, feeling better than I had before the forced time-out. I'd certainly like to be in top shape for Stockholm...

University and "my work"

Yesterday, I had the written Spanish test (oral will be early in June). No idea how it went ;-) Still, shouldn't I get to East Asia, I'll enjoy going on with that.
Russian test will be on Monday, and it will certainly not go all that well... and I don't care quite that much; I want to learn more of the language, but now it just didn't work out well enough.

Considering how things are going in the world - oil hitting $135 a barrel, food becoming ever more expensive - I feel that I really need to get back into and on with my sustainability/positive ecology work. This had recently been in a time-out too, as school in Latvia also winds down, and lots of work have had to be done.

Work - Teaching and Jobs

In that context:
Yesterday I also signed the paper that the school needs to make the end of my teaching there official. Sounds like I could easily go on, but "No, thank you..."

The Latvian phrase used in that amused me a lot, though: atbriivot mani no darba - translating it literally, it would be "free me from that work"... I certainly did not hate the teaching, but I do feel like I'm being set free. At least until it gets essential that I find my next job...

Recently, I saw a sort-of prediction that the present generation will have 10-14 different jobs during their lifetime. It depends on how I count, but I think I'm at job number 5 or 6 already (and that's counting them so as to get a lower number).

Tough luck - Riga's off

Riga Marathon would be tomorrow.

Except, three days ago my throat started scratching again, since two days ago it's quite a serious cold. So, even though I hate having to do that, I'll leave it be and rather not run (or run, but only for training, not in the marathon).
Before I go crazy and try to run anyway, I'm rather saying that now already. That way, it's off my back, official, out of mind... Reminds me of why I dislike such events. - It makes it necessary that everything is all good at exactly that time, as if you couldn't have a bad day, run into trouble, or some such...

There's still Stockholm, which was a lot more costly and somewhat difficult to organize, so I'll switch my sights to that now.

The end of the week (yes, those same days I started getting sick) was the Students' Research Conference at the Pedagogical and Psychological Faculty:
Presentations of the research done for the course in Academic Writing, and by students from other places (Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey - and I'm forgetting something). Quite nice as an introduction to what scientific conferences are like, very nice socially.
Finally, I could give a presentation again... I still love doing that, and apparently it shows (feedback was typically along the lines of "there's a good presenter" - I'm not totally happy with how it went, of course ;-)

So, I've been getting my credits for several things - those same things credit points for which seemed rather unsure - and will also be getting the second semester of research writing done.

Next up, Spanish test: next week already; Russian, the week after.
This second week from now is also the last week of teaching; and on the weekend, it's over to Stockholm for the marathon there. I seriously hope not to run into trouble with that, but to run in it!!!

Training Update

In two weeks, the Riga Marathon is on...

4/29: On sick leave from school because of my sore throat, just went out for a walk to take some pictures and get some fresh air while not having to talk... and to record it so I could have it in the training analysis and see what it does:
Well, I suppose it was some 8 km (didn't measure the indoors parts), two hours, an average HR 0f 98, and a training effect of 1.3.
(I think I recently measured my HR while working on the PC and lying in bed and it got a similar training effect ;-)

5/1/2008: Parkour Jam session
I did not do too much - or so it seemed in comparison - but some muscles were pretty sore the next day(s). Parkour does that to you... it's much less like running, more like strength training, plus climbing, crawling, jumping.
Time recorded: 2:24.37,9 - then the memory was full because I had not deleted recent data.
HR avg: 122 - values between 44 (that's because the belt often lost signal) and 204 (that's when I was really doing something).
Training Effect: 2.3 - "maintaining"

5/2/2008: 01:01.02,5 - 9.62 km - 6'21 min/km - HR avg. 153 - TE 3.2

5/4/2008: 01:55.15,9 - 18.81 km - 6'08 min/km - HR avg. 162 - TE 4.1

Training this week:

04/23/2008 - 01:19.39,0 - 13.06 km - 6'06 min/km - 159 HR avg. - TE 4.5
A bit too quick, at least HR-wise, but nice. Shin not a problem anymore; quite cold wind, also not a problem (I'm used to more). Not sure if the distance is correct - even more so than usually: About two-thirds into the run, the FootPOD's battery gave out (it had flashed the low-level warning before, but then stopped doing that…)

04/25/2008 - 01:07.42,0 - 11.39 km - 5'57 min/km - 158 HR avg. - TE 4.5
Thepretty high training effect seems to become a constant companion; I don't much like it. Seem to be developing a slightly sore throat (maybe the cold of the Italian girl I spoke to was a bit too effective in spreading?!).

04/27/2008 - 01:16.53,0 - 11.76 km - 6'32 min/km - 162 HR avg. - TE 5
Okay, I overdid it. Vienna City Marathon is today, so I felt an obligation to go running even though my sore throat has gotten quite a bit worse. At least, that's the only obvious problem (nothing with shins or knees), but swallowing currently hurts. And judging by HR and TE, I am not at the best of my health…
Had I been in Vienna, once again I would not have participated in the marathon there, after all.
Riga Marathon is in three weeks; I hope I'll be up to speed again, by then.

Recent (Non-)Training

Having talked about being efficient at running, my calf muscle had started hurting a bit more recently. So, during the time my parents were visiting, I took some time off.
Time off from running per se, anyways - we walked for miles every day, after all.

Yesterday...
04/21/2008 - 01:03.52,3 - 10.21 km - 6'15 min/km - 150 HR avg. - TE 3.5
... I went running again and it seems that there is something amiss, but not much at all. So, I hope it's just a slight strain from running a lot and on variable surfaces, but not a real shin splints-type problem (taking weeks off would take me past the marathons, but of course I also wouldn't go running if I were hurt).

04/16 run

A quick run in the morning to have done some training even this day - afterwards, I was off to the airport to pick up my parents...

01:02.22,9 - 10.44 km - 5'59 min/km - 156 HR avg. TE 4.2
Not quite as high a training effect as with the runs below, although speed and average heart rate were similarly high. And still, a TE which should be lower - then again, I'll not be doing quite as much now, so it should be quite all right.

4/14 run

00:55.22,9 - 9.32 km - 5'57 min/km - 156 HR avg. - TE 4.4
Just a quick nice run, but seems like it was quite hard (after-effects of the day before?)

Still a major problem of mine - though I'm not sure I'd necessarily call it a problem: I'm just going rather too fast on those short runs. Then again, their quality counts, and it's probably better this way. As long as rest days follow, at least.

TNF Cooper's Hill

that is: The North Face's "Cooper's Hill" trail running shoes

I'll admit that a shoe with a color called Habanero Orange immediately holds some attraction for me.

(http://www.chilicult.com/ is my other website… there's a reason for it. It's still only in German, though!).

Moreover, a shoe made for racing in mud and the like… everybody can do sunshine, I like my running in the storm.

Now, as you can see from my prior post today, the weather was just right for that.

Results:

• You should be rather biomechanically efficient if you ever get onto asphalt. Cushioning is not that shoe's thing. - But then, that's exactly what it's not made for. If you can choose between a swampy ditch beside the road, and the hardtop of the road, the decision is easy ;)


• On slick grass, up, down and traversing inclines, on trails, in mud, the shoes grip is perfect. The wet sand seemed a problem, but that was only when the entire ground gave way, and even then the shoes bite.


• Slick rocks seem a bit more troublesome, but as soon as there is a little roughness - no pro', bro'.


• One mystery to me is why the Cooper's Hill didn't get a waterproof liner.
  They are nicely airy, so they may be great for mountain running (I intend to - probably - use them for the Bergmarathon). With enough water around, your feet will get wet, though.
  My assumption is that the designers didn't go for a Gore-Tex liner because the way these are supposed to be used, you'd get water in from the top, anyways. That way, the better breathability may be more of an advantage.


• Interestingly, the shoes didn't get nearly as noticeably muddy as I feared they would. Strange statement, I know, but I wouldn't want to have to wash them every time (and with that color, noticeable comes easy).


• Their light weight, tread, and general profile really makes the Cooper's Hill be built for racing. I was quite amazed how nimble and fast they move.

All in all, thus, a highly specialized shoe. Not recommendable for all-purpose use, but highly advisable to get it if you want to use it for what it's made for: running on mud, slick trails, wet grass... For that, it's fast, and it truly grips beautifully.

In this time of cheap stuff for everything, mobile phones that take pictures and navigation devices that make phone calls, I actually appreciate finding something that's well made to serve a specific purpose. I'm still going to try them for parkour, I think…



Two notes to wrap this up:

• I got my pair from http://www.runningwarehouse.com/. Good service, good advice, which brings me to Point 2:


• these shoes are cut large, going half-size smaller than with normal running shoes really is advisable.

And a P.S.:
This is another one of those cases where an excellent product is really hard to get. The orange model cannot be found in Europe even through special orders, and The North Face's products "cannot" be shipped from the USA to Europe by most companies - TNF says you should go to your local dealer. And there you won't get what you want. What kind of sales policy is that, exactly?

Disclaimer:
I don't get any money from TNF or any stores, and I'm not affiliated with them except as a customer. I may be open to sponsoring, but I'll certainly keep on saying it how I think it is.

playing in the mud

Another one of those times where I started with the decision not to go running. After all, it was raining quite heavily, and I had my running in a downpour already, earlier this week.
Then again, I had not done training yesterday.

So, I re-interpreted things slightly:
Rain, wet ground? Well, I had checked out the trails on Zakusala ("rabbit island," which the TV tower is on), and where I pretty much started my longish running in Riga. Those trails look a lot like the ones I always run on in Austria, and a lot like real trails.
Not to forget that, with the TNF Cooper's Hill shoes, I have a new pair of shoes which is explicitly made for running on muddy tracks.

So, I decided to play in the rain. ...

04/13/2008 - 01:15.10,0 - 11.89 km - 6'19 min/km - 157 HR avg. - TE 4.5
(Rather like speedwork plus breaks - running plus stops for photography. Without those, the average pace was around 5'30 min/km.)

Well, actually there was not all that much mud, and the rain stopped about five minutes before I set out. Still, there was slick grass, puddles, wet sand, gravelly trails, ups and downs… It was beautiful.

I just wish my academic work could be as immediately gratifying. Things there take longer to develop and mature, let alone to produce tangible results.

4/11 run

01:45.10,0 - 17.22 km - 6'06 min/km - 151 HR avg. - TE 3.9
Started out expecting cold - it had been rather cool - ended up running in very nice weather, sunshine.

in a rush

Wow. Finding a little time to write again, so it's time for an update.

Campus Europae

First of all: I've been invited to participate in the meeting of Campus Europae's PR committee.

I just checked the hits one gets when googling it, and found that blog posts of mine already came up on the third page, a link to the company whose software is apparently used is on the first page... Looks like a lot needed to be done.

It's a strange issue.
On the one hand, this program is excellent.
Not that there were no problems with universities and bureaucracy - I still don't know how many ECTS I'll eventually manage to get, let alone how much will really, usefully count towards my present studies. The international experience in an expanded Europe, however, could be worth more than the degree itself. Well, almost.
On the other hand, if you just want to quickly finish your normal degree - especially now that study programs everywhere are (being) changed to the bachelor as first degree, and therefore (should) take less time - going abroad is not the best idea for that...

How much and how long I'll be able to contribute is a question, too. Not least since I am, and things are, going ahead with the applications for China and Japan, some of which would lead me out of teacher training studies, and therefore away from (Campus) Europ(a)e.

Time accelerates

Less than a week until my parents (and so-called aunt) are coming for a visit. Looking forward to seeing them in person again, showing them some of Riga, chatting, discussing plans...
They'll also be taking some of my stuff back: books, winter clothes. At least, although it's far from the +20 Celsius in Austria, it has started to look like the winter stuff really won't be needed anymore. I'm not so sure which books to keep with me and which to send home, though.

What's more on my mind, though:
I'll be allowed to take some time off from teaching for my parents' visit.
At the beginning of May, I'll take time off for the Campus Europae meeting.
Which, as I forgot to mention above, will be in Portugal!
Mid-May, there is a students' conference which is part of a course (actually, the one which the quarrel with LU was about...), and I need to take some time off. And that's followed immediately by the Riga Marathon, the monday after which I'll rather not go to school, either.

So, in the end, it looks as if I should start counting the exact number of lessons my pupils and I will still be having until school ends with the end of May. And, thus, it seems like the end of my stay here - in June - will approach in a blur. Not too many tests I'll be taking, but still some - and if I don't, finally, start to sit down and really study for the language courses, it won't go nearly as well as it could and should.
Still, that's life!

Oh yes, and today - if I'm not totally mistaken - it's 50 days to Stockholm Marathon!
Also rushing towards me...

Last training session:
04/08/2008 - 01:41.24,9 - 17.2 km - 5'54 min/km - 157 HR avg. - TE 4.6
Haven't been doing too much, sports-wise, recently. So, and because I simply wanted to, I let myself run freely, not trying to keep within a certain HR or pace range. Actually, it was a nice change...

... and on

Now, one more class to teach today, and then let's see what I'll make of this evening.

I asked one girl I rather like (that may be an understatement, but I am rather reserved - except when I'm not) if she had plans for the weekend. I had started thinking that not asking may be the one thing I might later regret...
Well, she does have plans, and it may be better this way (there is a reason I didn't ask her a long time ago). I've been saying that I have "sus.y" as a lover - which is how I often abbreviate sustainability... and "she" seems to be a possessive one, too.

Still, better a life goal than just drifting along distractedly. I have also, always, thought that most people party hard not out of enjoyment, but to let the simple sensual experience make them forget that they don't really know what they are here for. An extreme view? Yes, of course.

I won't go torture others with that opinion, however. It's how I see it, and acting accordingly is the right thing for me. Doesn't have to be so for you. I do wonder, though, why drinking and partying is, all in all, so easily supported whereas deep thinking is seen as strange. Stupid world.

Training Update 04/06/2008

04/03/2008 - 01:00.01,0 - 10.06 km - 5'58 min/km - 152 avg. HR - TE 3.8
04/04/2008 - 01:24.47,9 - 14.15 km - 6'00 min/km - 150 avg. HR - TE 3.5
04/05/2008 - 01:18.49,9 - 12.81 km - 6'09 min/km - 148 avg. HR - TE 3.5

Seasons of Running

First of all, something I'd been wanting to say for a while:
Outdoors - in my opinion: real - running brings back to experiencing the cycle of the seasons in a way that, otherwise, only gardening can in this age of virtual, passive adventures.

Last Sunday, I ran the same track as the Sunday before, for the largest part.
However, just those two weeks ago, it was a run in snowstorms, with just a bit of sunshine here and there, employing the winter clothing.
The later Sunday, one week ago, I hardly recognized the streets as the same because all the run was in sun and warm temperatures, with the light clothing.

Two days ago, I think I may have caused a light accident.
At least, as I was running on the walkway along the side of a busy street, a car braked a little too slow and bumped into the truck in front of it. I had been getting so many stares, with the all-black, tight clothing, sports glasses, ... I wouldn't be surprised if the driver had been staring at me.
Certainly, I got a girl honking the horn (or letting the driver do so - it was a taxi and she was on the second seat) and waving at me ;-)

Lately, I have been feeling as if I didn't quite know whether the running was fun or a chore.
Certainly, my lazy side is telling me that I needed to do too many other things to go out running, and that maybe I should just stay in. Once I go out, however, it's nice to be moving.
I still am unsure whether it's fun or work, but I sure do enjoy it. Yesterday, for example, I just wanted to go for a short run, and I feel that's all it was - but it still was more than one hour.
It's definitely come to the point that it's a part of my life.

Honestly, I think I do need to check for periodization - I may need to take it slower for a little while. Mainly, however, I think it's just that the marathons are drawing closer. It's less than 50 days to Riga Marathon, already (I missed mentioning that mark before), so these trials of mine are looming larger.

The end is near...

... after all, the second half of the second semester has started.
June would only be for "individual work" and tests (and most tests are scheduled for May, actually).

I finally managed to finish and hand in the work which was to be done for my two to three (maybe four) courses at the Pedagogical Faculty, only to be told that I could only get fewer credits for this semester's course, since I don't participate in the classes.
Now, I'm waiting to hear that my writing did not follow the conventions and was therefore not acceptable, and that my lesson plans (required for "Teaching Practice") were also not as they are supposed to be. Of course, it was all done as we had decided by e-mail - or so I would have thought, but it seems not to be so.
So, I'm picking a fight... and don't really want to have too much to do with this department and that work anymore.

Well, not quite right because the writing is part of my work on parkour, and I want to get that finished to the point of being a manuscript, and to get that published - now even more so. Yet alone, to get back to writing on my work beyond that.

If only I could find a breakthrough into the world of academia. Finally.Certainly, I won't if I can't get writing done for which I have at least some data.

On the upside, I was just informed that my application for a lectureship in China will be sent to the universities there for their decision, and the call for applications for the scholarship for studying in Japan (Monbukagakusho) is now open. One further step, and another possibility to go for.

Since yesterday, I'm living with a roommate again, and it looks like it will work out alright. Sure, less quiet, rather less sleep, but not so different from before - and lower rent to pay.

Let's see if I can take the next steps in the next few months, here in Latvia and back in Austria.

Latest training:
03/30/2008 - 02:17.56,9 - 22.95 km - 6'01 min/km - 151 HR avg. - TE 3.5
04/01/2008 - 00:57.10,0 - 10.01 km - 5'43 min/km - 153 Hr avg. - TE 3.8

Funky Week

Yesterday, the forecast for this weekend (up to +11C) still sounded rather like a bad joke.

Today, it seems like the return of winter was only just a farewell, to remind us of what it was like and would have been supposed to be like, and how nice it is to see the snow disappearing quickly.

For today's run, I could finally make do with just my Insulator tights and top, and a Buff as headwear. No gloves, no Windstopper shirt.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm without my garden this year, or because I am an ecologist, after all, but I've been noticing the first (willow's) flowers, how tree buds have been getting bigger, all those signs of spring, pretty intensely.

Recently, I got spare parts for the Boa lacing of my older shoes using that system. With the hiking shoes, it was surprisingly simple to install; the running shoes required some "surgery" (cutting, sewing, gluing…) to replace the laces.

I went running with those older shoes again. There were no problems, so I guess it worked out all right. It's rather uplifting; I would have hated having to throw away those shoes while they are still good enough, even if I already have new ones.

3/27/2008 - 01:01.47,0 - 9.94 km - 6'13 min/km - 157 HR avg. - TE 4.1,
sloughing through lots of snow
3/28/2008 - 00:58.58,9 - 9.77 km - 6'02 min/km - 150 HR avg. - TE 3.4
comparatively little snow left, very nice conditions

Work-wise, I finally put up (and have, therefore) the first results of the survey (via questionnaire) of traceurs I did, and I also put up a figure with results of the discourse analysis into media reporting and traceurs' definitions of parkour and freerunning.

Runs-in-the-Snow

View It in/as Google Map(s)

Still not sure about the FootPOD on the new shoes, but it says 30 km, Google Maps says the track drawn in is 29. So, it sounds rather trustworthy to me.
Once I've been out more, it gets better since I'm more interested in being able to compare my training on different days than in getting exact numbers.

In a similar - "how do I use Training Effect, EPOC, HR best?"-way - I keep on getting the EPOC peak during the first about 45 min, when I'm still going rather faster than is good. Hence, my short runs wind up having the same training effect, according to Suunto Training Manager, than such long ones. Which shows again, that you still have to think yourself while using the data you get as guideline. - Which is actually how I hope that it stays, for I don't want a computer program telling me how it thinks I should design my training (even if the way I am doing it does not conform to standard advice).

Well, with today's run I have broken through the 3-hour (and the 30 km) mark:
03/23/2008 - 03:03.01,0 - 30.57 km - 5'59 min/km - 152 HR avg. - TE 3.4

Certainly something I don't want to do every Sunday (yet ;-)
Nice to see that it has become possible with relatively few problems (some itching and kvetching here and there), and in conditions which were rather interesting... I got some rays of sun, but mainly it was like running in a blizzard (though the wind wasn’t too strong, at least not compared to what I'm used to from back home).

In the morning (when it was still sunny and didn't have snow), I hadn't felt like going out because of all the work that still needs to get done.

I got some more of my work to advance a little, too - especially the analysis of basic data from my survey of traceurs (people who practice parkour).

I had felt that I was once again (well: still) eating rather too much, especially of nuts and chocolate and such things, probably out of the sheer feeling of busy-ness, of having just too much to do. Then again, looking at how much I have been doing, especially with the running training, I am burning a lot of energy...

Play, New Shoes, and Work

White powdery snow glistening,
sun breaking through clouds,
letting snowflakes glitter…

Okay, there was some slush, too, and by the time I went out, and the time I was soon-to-be back, clouds had the TV tower on Zakusala disappear into themselves.

Still, you notice the bad sides, and focus on the great, and such a run is truly enjoyable. - Playing in the snow, again.

03/21/2008 - 02:10.42,0 - 21.62 km - 6'03 min/km - 151 HR avg. - TE 3.4

Today was particularly interesting because I was using my new The North Face Ultra 104 shoes for the first time.

And immediately, it ended up being a 20-km run - quite a sign of faith into the shoes' fit. Well, it turned out to be justified: I'll need to play around with the lacing a bit more to get the best fit, but the tread and sole construction are excellent for Riga's condition. Which is mainly roads, but quite a lot of cobblestone and just plain broken-up asphalt, so that the medium cushioning plus protection from sharp edges, and good grip on various surfaces that these shoes do provide is much called-for.

Using the Suunto FootPOD on new shoes for the first time, I thought it would provide readings which are off quite a bit.

In fact, for the first part of the run, I wanted to stop sooner because my heart rate was rather high (between 155 and 160 is something I consider quite high by now? - quite a change from how it used to be!), and the speed displayed seemed rather too high as well (and I couldn't get myself to go slower - I guess it's the new shoes fault ;-)

Well, in the end I went on, the distance seems about what it should really have been, so I guess I was going faster (and the HR average is good, nonetheless).

Where work is concerned, I still haven't managed to friggin' sit down and study languages, though I finally move towards the attitude that it's not (only, my) work, but a privilege to be in a position where I can (well: could) study languages.
My text on parkour (and data for it) are progressing, however.
And my websites are being developed further; there are good things to come...

Spring has sprung

I did see some snow fall today, although it's officially the beginning of spring. Looks to be getting rather nicer, though.


This start of spring certainly is good, for it starts with the school having spring break.
I know, I know, the only reason anybody would want to become a teacher...

I am finally asking about getting credit for language courses/classes I am now taking (and should finally go to, again - ahem) here in Latvia, for subjects I am not currently studying but thinking of taking.
Should I not make it to East Asia - and even if I did, but wanted to go on with teacher training studies as well - I'll need to decide how to go on, after all. I wouldn't want to have to sit in any more classes where I'm learning things that I'd be more qualified to teach than the lecturer..

Getting on with work

I am full of ideas for work, i.e. articles to write. I really "only" need to manage to finally make a habit and daily work (rather than a matter of inspiration and muse's kisses) out of writing. I'm getting there, and I wonder if that's the next thing I should start writing into this blog.

Anybody need a (virtual) writing partner to keep one another working? - That's something blogs, even if that is not conducive to getting a wide readership for them, are very good for, in my opinion.




With the training and trainig logs, it works rather nicely, at least.

I got both of my new pairs of running shoes recently, too. They fit, look to be good (and look good, I think), and so I can hardly wait to try them out. Probably won't do so today, nonetheless. I've not been sleeping quite enough, and don't want to overdo it.
Writing some more and sitting down for language study would be something I should rather do.

Last time, yesterday morning:
3/19/2008 - 01:13.50,0 - 10.45 km - 7'04 min/km - 147 avg. HR - TE 3.3

Sunday = Long Run

Well, I'm not yet at a point where this would really be like a logical equation, but it's getting more common.
And today, I also went out for my run relatively early in the morning. (Relative for me, for most students and even many Latvians, it's not early in the morning but in the middle of the night…)



The weather news is saying that it should be around freezing, but it certainly isn't below and didn't feel bad, although there was some of the usual Riga rain drizzle and even snow flurries.

One discovery from the path I took: If I wanted to run to "Parkour Academy" at the Olympic Sports Center, or back from there, it wouldn't be too much of a problem.
Later today, I found out that part of my route today is the track for the Riga Marathon (which makes three laps on the same route - booooooring).

The details:
03/16/2008 - 02:21.14,0 - 21.49 km - 6'34 min/km - 149 avg. HR - TE 3.3

• Interesting: I finally checked, and Google Maps says that the track I drew in there were about 23 km long - 1.5 km difference to the FootPOD; different, but not too badly.
• Even more interesting: It seems that I'm much better at pacing myself during much longer runs than I am during those more common, shorter ones. At least, if I understand correctly that the training effect calculation of Suunto Training Manager relies on heart rate, duration, and heart rate variability, and my TE is typically lower during those long runs (and it used not to be so), I'd assume that the reason must lie with heart rate variability (R-R values).

Whatever. It's just support for my training planning - or rather, not planning but going by intuition - anyways.

Training Recap, and Thoughts on Training Tech

Haven't been keeping this up-to-date, so here comes a list:

• 3/05/08 - 00:41.29,9 - 6.63 km - 6'16 min/km - 159 avg. HR - TE 3.8
  (fartlek - speed interval training)
• 3/07/08 - 00:44.41,4 - 6.77 km - 6'36 min/km - 156 avg. HR - TE 3.9
• 3/08/08 - 01:33.57,0 - 110 avg. HR - TE 2.4 (Parkour)
• 3/09/08 - 01:36.57,9 - 14.38 km - 6'45 min/km - 150 avg. HR - TE 3.6
• 3/11/08 - 00:55.54,0 - 8.57 km - 6'31 min/km - 153 avg. HR - TE 3.7
• 3/13/08 - 00:54.31,9 - 8.55 km - 6'23 min/km - 151 avg. HR - TE 3.7
• 3/14/08 - 00:56.26,0 - 8.64 km - 6'32 min/km - 151 avg. HR - TE 3.4

I set my max. HR lower than it had been before, consequently the training effect the software calculates is higher than it would have been... I'm still only using it as guideline, and happy as long as it stays below 4 ("highly improving"), let alone 5 ("overreaching"), at which point more recovery would be essential.

Read up on stretching (there was an article in the New York Times):
It's probably no good for avoiding injuries, which it's usually said to be good for.
Being stiffer, a runner is more efficient.

Two points:
So, I guess there is good reason for running tights (I've been using CW-X ones for a long time now). They provide the stiffness.
Physically, however, I'll rather be flexible and nimble. Even in running, if you misstep, it helps; for parkour, martial arts and the like it's a precondition.

Where my older/current shoes' boa lacing is concerned, I got lucky:
My order for replacement parts didn't get through, so I contacted them by e-mail...
The result: the company got some feedback, I'm getting replacement parts for free.
Very sweet.

Suunto - their t6 is the training analysis system I've been using, where the TE (training effect) numbers come from... - is still up to the game, after all:

We have known for a while now that an updated model (t6c) will be coming out this spring. (In the current lineup, the t6 is still presented as the top model, but it does not include the real-time calculation of training effect that the supposed next-best, the t4, can do.)
So far, it sounded as if you would have to get the new model if you wanted the new, real top model.

Now, however, Suunto Helpdesk came through and said that there will also be a firmware update for the old model t6, to effectively turn it into a t6c.

So, there's just the Wearlink-like HR belt to buy, if wanted (and that truly is a replacement part). I wonder how they'll implement the new functions, which they are not saying yet, but it sounds good....

Yeah, sports technology is a strange thing:

On the one hand, I don't like being quite such a geek, especially when it comes to outdoor sports I do (and promote) in part as being active instead of consumptive lifestyles, where you do something for yourself, get to know your immediate environment better, and at the same time reduce your impact on the world.

On the other hand, collecting a decent range of data on what you are doing and how you are doing is motivational and helpful for getting the most out of the training without overdoing it.

In fact, I think that the "internal" data - heart rate, especially - and the possible "external" data - especially geographical, with GPS and the like - can be very supportive of our understanding of where we live, how we are a part of our environment...

Oh my...

If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes.
That's been today's motto: sunshine and snowstorm followed one another within minutes. Temps are around freezing, but it still seems more spring-like than wintry.

While I was running, it was pretty nice.
03/04/2008 - 00:57.50,0 - 8.91 km - 6'29 min/km avg. - 156 HR avg - TE 3.7
Had HR spiking towards the end, but also coming down quite a bit, and rather quickly. Still, without that, the training effect would have been quite a bit lower (3.2, probably). Shows how strange that is, though it seems not to be anything more than strange...

My daily-wear shoes (also with the boa lacing system) have decided to empathize with my running shoes. The lacing wire of one of them has ripped.
I am getting new running shoes, as it's necessary, and am still wondering about whether to get a second pair for mountain running and parkour (I don't really want to spend - since I don't really have - the money, but then again...). So, super glue will be on again.

Advice for the traveler:
If you don't want to suddenly need new shoes, get a pair that's made in traditional, or at least less-modern ways, definitely with shoe laces, and bring a replacement pair of laces.

The new call for applications for Austria's one (yes: one) spot in the JET programme to work as Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Japan is out again, as I just discovered. It's also for working at a place I'd like to get to.

This program is at least half-responsible for my studying teacher training, because I applied before and they didn't even want to talk with me. Since then, I think I have become a much stronger candidate. I'm intent on making my way to East Asia, finally, too.
Still, I don't think I'll apply for it. I couldn't afford to go to Austria for the interview - provided I even got that far this time around - and it would set me all too strongly on a course to going on as teacher, but I finally want to publish as a researcher again, before too much time passes in which I haven't managed to get anything written and published (and actually, rather too much time has already passed like that...).
There is still another possibility for going to Japan the applications for which I'm waiting for (it should be soon), which would fit better both considering time frames and considering my plans. Or so I'm telling myself, for, then again....

Half Marathon Run

View as Google Map

03/02/2008 - 02:16.19,9 - 20.36 km - 6'42 min/km avg. - 150 HR avg. - TE 3.5
(and there, I set my max. HR lower than it had recently been, and lower than the parkour training would make it be set automatically.
Which - PK training, that is, was the day before, again: 1 hour 38 min. of it ;-)

So, I guess I will probably need 4:30 to 5 hours for a marathon, but judging by how I am feeling today, I could probably both do Riga and Stockholm Marathon... We'll see about that.

Training 02/29/2008

00:58.03,9 - 8.97 km - 6'28 min/km - HR avg. 152 - TE 3.2

One dog barking stupidly, one guy shouting something out a car travelling at at least 60 km/h at least 30 meters away, hence even more stupidly... With the humans, I keep wondering how many of those who laugh would last through a run.

Too many runs of the same effect, probably, but I'm still more concerned about getting in my mileage, keeping a constant pace, and seeing that my heart rate does not get any sudden peaks (which, recently, has not happened anymore).

2/28/2008

Running: 00:58.55,9 - 9.71 km - 6'04 min/km - HR avg. 153 - TE 3.5

Looking to replace most of my shoes. Having received an old pair from home (as I wanted), I had to realize that replacements are becoming necessary... the stitched-together pair (which is the most recent I bought) is still holding up nice, but a single pair of running shoes won't cut it.

That night, I was a bad student again, not going to my lectures.
Shopped around for shoes, and did some shopping for food to treat myself to a nice break instead.

It was necessary, for some things are nearly freaking me out. - Another month in Latvia is as good as over, there are not so many more to go, and I would feel as if I failed if I didn't manage to finish some writing I wanted to get done here. Part of it is also needed for a course I want to finish here, and it and something else (my writing on "The Ecology of Happiness," of course) would be a chance for taking another small step towards an academic career.
And that remains - or now, is even more strongly - my first priority, not the teacher training... So much, again, for Austria's constant stating that "we needed more academics." For the OECD statistics which say that there were too few, yes; in practice, there are not many decent opportunities. Finding work abroad isn't all that easy, either. Well, anyways...

I did, however, register for the Riga Marathon. Doesn't necessarily mean that I'll actually participate in it; I'll decide that on the spot. Would be nice, though.

Running 2/26/2008

00:56.00,0 - 9.63 km - 5'49 min/km - HR avg. 150 - TE 3.1

Trying to get back to making quick, separate posts about this...

Where to next?

All right.
This week, I managed to send off the two applications for going to China next academic year (Lektoratsprogramm der Österreich-Kooperation, a chance to work abroad as lecturer in a German studies department, and the CSC - Chinese Government Scholarship program, EU window).
Normally, I'd not even mention a thing like that. That way, at least there'd be fewer people who know that there might have been something if it doesn't work out... and there are always tons of possible reasons for a negative reply...

Next up, an application for studying in Japan, next year.

As always, trying to psychologically protect myself, I have also been working on Plan B, some travel dreams I realize I could very well do on a sabbatical should I get to work as teacher:


View Larger Map

I must admit, though, that the present experience has led me to realize that I would not dislike to work as teacher and do research "on the side," but I would still very much prefer to work as academic (doing research and teaching at university).

With the applications that are now current, I guess some things will be decided soon enough.

At least, Plan A (work/study in East Asia, finally gaining knowledge and experience there, and getting on the track to an academic career again) is good, and Plan B (continuing with teacher training studies, going abroad again with Campus Europae, financing research through that) is equally as good.

I just wouldn't want to go from teaching and studying to only being a teacher training student (and always wanting to ask the professors if they ever tried out what they suggest we should do once we are teachers).

There is another realization, too: Things work out like I thought they should. Teaching at school, I want to get into research; analyzing and writing about data, I'd much rather have another class.

Sitting down to study languages is still not my strong suit, though. Even though - and probably, even because - I am pretty good at acquiring languages.

Running:
02/22/2008 - 00:44.55,9 - 7.38 km - 6'05 min/km - 152 HR avg. - TE 3.3
02/23/2008 - 00:31.18,0 - 5.31 km - 5'54 min/km - 152 HR avg. - TE 3.1
(had a very strange encounter I don't want to talk about during this run,
that's why it was so short)
02/24/2008 - 01:17.09,9 - 12.59 km - 6'08 min/km - 153 HR avg. - TE 3.4

Time's a friend? - 30th birthday today

"You should pick one."
"What?"
"A birthday."
"What for?"
"In this short brutal life, you gotta seize any opportunity you can to celebrate."
(Max and Logan, beginning of S1 E04 of "Dark Angel")

It was not only the last total lunar eclipse for some years, which we didn't get to see in Riga because it was both foggy and cloudy, it's also my 30th. birthday today…

I let two of my classes write their test today anyway (they didn't even know). Judging by a first glance, the one did very well, the others didn't do too well. And for once, it should absolutely be the ones who don't listen who also had quite some trouble. I so don't understand what they think they are doing…
My 11th. grade class had known about my birthday for a while, and we celebrated:

I can tell that I am getting old… What shows it is that I have actually come to appreciate when somebody tells me that I look younger than my age ;-)

Russian class went nicely, though I don't know about next week's test for last semester I will be taking… studying would be a good idea (that possible part about my pupils I understand, but constantly chatting in class?). Otherwise, however, I have not been going to most classes this week. I needed the time out, and focused on getting my applications for - hopefully, possibly - going to China next academic year finished. I should be at that point, and sending them off, tomorrow…

On the issue of endurance:
100 days to go until the Stockholm Marathon takes place.

Training:
2/17 - 00:56.53,9 - 9.43 km - 6'02 min/km - HR avg. 149 - TE 3.1
2/19 - 00:43.43,0 - 7.12 km - 6'08 min/km - HR avg. 151 - TE 3.2
2/21 - 00:57.02,0 - 9.61 km - 5'56 min/km - HR avg. 152 - TE 3.4
Yep, I managed to squeeze in some time today. Had missed my training time yesterday, and wanted to make up for it today. At least in some things, I need to be and remain consistent. I'd want to also get there with more of my language studies, but alas… And some things, a birthday doesn't change at all.

"... maybe I should pick a birthday, just to have something to celebrate in this short, brutal life. ... Yesterday. Yeah. Born yesterday. And the best part is, I have a whole year not to think about it."
Max, at the end of the episode mentioned above. Mirrors my feelings about it.

The week in review, or something like that

A bit past 4 p.m., and I have to draw the curtains - because otherwise, I'd not be able to see the computer screen at all, the sun is shining so brightly.

Soon after coming here, the time of sunlight declined dramatically, and what felt not so long ago, it was pretty dark at around this time. I used to go out running at 4 o'clock, in the dark.
Still, when I last wrote, it was also rather warm, spring was in the air, I found the first green buds, and willow flowers about to open. Then, it rained quite a lot but was warm. Now, since two days ago, it's either sunshine in blue skies with dark clouds, or snow storms, and pretty cold again. (Then again, it's like that almost all over Europe right now…)

At least, I did not let the strange weather keep me from my running.

• Last Saturday, parkour training was on again: 02/09/2008 - 01:32.17 - HR avg. 144 - TE 3.4
• 02/10/2008 - 00:35.07,9 - 5.67 km - 6'12 min/km - HR avg. 154 - TE 3.3
• 02/11/2008 - 00:45.00,9 - 7.16 km - 6'17 min/km - HR avg. 148 - TE 2.9
• 02/12/2008 - 00:45.30,9 - 7.72 km - 5'54 min/km - HR avg. 150 - TE 3.1
• 02/15/2008 - 01:12.13,0 - 11.59 km - 6'14 min/km - HR avg. 150 - TE 3.2
• Today, parkour again: 02/16/2008 - 01:29.00 - HR avg. 116 - TE 2

Met a gymnast from Austria at today's training… Quite interesting, how I can tell since when I have been here, but not how long. I am able to tell (to the day - because of a countdown on my notebook) how many more days I'll be here, however. And it's quite few, considering how quickly time is passing, and how much I still need and/or want to get done. Sort of freaks me out…

This week, without teaching, I had at least been able to work in a more relaxed way. At least theoretically. In fact, I am not so sure it helped me:

At the start of yesterday's run, I lost the FootPOD (speed & distance sensor). Where I heard something suspicious, and saw that it had dropped off, was not actually where I had lost it. Fortunately, checking how much of a distance had been recorded, I found it. After some adjustment, it stayed on, and the run - in spite of the cold and some breezes of snow, and even some stupid teenagers who have to laugh at me (because of the running tights, no doubt) - was very enjoyable.
Running that circle passing over the Daugava twice, I keep wondering what it will be like to run in the mountains and view the Traunsee like that (during the Bergmarathon at the beginning of July)…

One of these days, I helped a school colleague with his letter of recommendation (the translation to English, that is). I had promised, so I did - and there, I still haven't managed to get all my own letters of recommendation together. It is all but impossible to get in touch with most of the people who are the right ones for that (except one - hat tip to Prof. Schrittesser here: Thank you!) … Then, in an attempt to get my computer files organized, I managed to delete some of the writing necessary for one of my applications for going to China. So, yesterday was spent re-writing those. Great. At least, things are coming along, and I should be able to finish all of that soon, well within time. Which probably means that I will just barely make it. Still, this is the single most important thing on my to-do list right now.

However, I still have more, especially for school (teaching) and for university, that needs to be done. This week, I kept on not wanting to go to various lectures because I'm all stressed out about it. (Usually, I did still go.)

Thursday, I finally did something touristy again - went (with a teacher and some pupils) to the Mencendorfa nams (Mentzendorf House), a nicely renovated old house of Riga, which formerly belonged to - well, guess what - the Mentzendorf family. Among other things, they were the official country representatives for the Swiss chocolate makes Lindt and Sprüngli…

Oh, yes: And I may, but should "as soon as possible" (quoting my teacher there) write the test for last semester's Russian course. I still feel so unprepared for it… and I still need to get some things written for other (pedagogy) courses of last semester, and this, and that, and I certainly could find some more ideas, oh yes, that, and something else,….. et cetera….. and so on….
My (informal?) life motto, more and more: "There is no rest for the wicked."

RIP: Running Shoes; Second Semester, now really real

My running shoes' BOA lacing system ripped yesterday, succumbing to the strain put on it by the FootPOD (they use a special lacing like it's mainly used on snowboard shoes, with wires and a wheel instead of laces and a knot you make - the wire got frayed...).
They'll not actually rest in peace, though, for I've macgyvered the lacing and some additional support for it and the POD (my speed and distance sensor). Knew there was an effect and a reason to watching too much MacGyver all my teen years (yup, I'm of that generation).

Last run (where that happened):
02/08/2008 - 01:02.38,9 - 9.71 km - 6'27 min/km - HR avg. 147

It would be less than 100 days to the Riga Marathon, but I still haven't decided about running in it. It's rather too close to Stockholm, and I've not been doing quite as much recently as I should. And then, I am now officially on the list of starters at this year's (20.) Bergmarathon (mountain marathon) around the Traunsee...

This was the first week of both teaching at school and studies at university of my second semester in Riga.
I will indeed do just about as little as I've ever done at a university during this semester, but it still promises to be challenging:

• Quite a lot of (research) writing for one course, and of course the writing I wanted to get done anyways;
• Russian - first class, our teacher was (again) not here, there would have been only three students there, and in the end was only one girl and I, and what we did - got to do - was the pre-test I walked away from at the beginning of last semester because I was always only guessing. There was still a lot of guesswork, but this time around I did do it from beginning to end;
• Spanish - I can still stammer a lot, read texts quite a bit more advanced than we are usually reading for this course, am in the most advanced course, and notice that I have forgotten a whole lot of the grammar. It already seems to have been a good choice, though. I like it a lot, remember that I like the language and - interest in chile peppers and all - wanted to also make it back to Spain and South America, and finally to Mexico...
• Two literature courses - I rather enjoy them, as it turns out, they'll finish rather earlier than most courses (which I'll appreciate), and I'm quite certain I'll get them counted towards my studies. I'll really be all but finished with literature courses, though...
• ... and most of the courses I can take are in the evening or even at night.

Yes, this is what counts as "doing little" for me. And I still want to repeat my Chinese, and maybe sometimes go to classes here just to see what the teaching is like in other places.

Now. - Next week is very nice: Project week at school, and I didn't get around to suggesting a project - at least for the pupils. My project, therefore, will be to get on with my writing and research, and to submit (most of) the two applications which are due soon-ish.

Both of these applications - I'll finally say it - are for different chances for going to China for the next academic year.

That would be great for language learning and cultural experience, excellent for my research, and not at all bad for teacher training studies.

Well, that last one, it wouldn't be, "officially-speaking." University of Vienna has finally started thinking about offering teacher training for Chinese language, but it's still earlier than in planning stage. So, Chinese wouldn't count towards my teacher training studies, but I am also registered as a student of Chinese because I want to become able to teach it.... that's one of the points why things are quite complicated... because I'm studying languages to study and get certification as (high school) teacher for them, and also studying Chinese so that I would not - since Austria does not have them, officially - be a Chinese language school teacher, but certified as a teacher and proficient in Chinese, and therefore able and qualified to teach it, nonetheless. (If I ever get to that point.)
Of course, it could all go differently, they don't pick me, and I go on in Austria. Or they pick me, I go on that way, and get into an academic career in sustainability, after all.

Hmm

Still don't quite know about some things which should be easy, but at least found that I do still remember quite some Spanish... wish I remembered Chinese like that, though. I almost do, but only almost...
Decisions, decisions.

At least, I finally finished the questionnaire for traceurs, posted its announcement on just two main boards, and already got a nice number of responses. Even if it still does not make a career of it, I love being able to go on with - there's a reason I keep on referring to it this way - my work.