Groovus Interruptus

Not to sound like a broken record but winter training can be challenging. The colder temps, grey days, and less sunlight can lead to motivational challenges. It is nothing new but Winter has become a sort of Groundhog period for me. I lament each year yet somehow find ways to get the workouts done. 

After the Snowy Owl 10 miler and some short recovery time, I started to look forward to the upcoming race season. Sometimes simply visualizing competing in races and events can motivate me to lace up and get the workouts done. After all, I do enjoy working out but sometimes, it is like going down a slide. Climbing up the ladder brings nervous anticipation and once at the top, I sometimes need a little push. 

One of my goals for the new year was to add more strength training into my routine. To that end, I subscribed to the NPR Life-kit Newsletter which offers advice and inspiration for exercise and healthy living. Following the science, I added a strength training routine into my weekly workout schedule. I also added in weekly yoga to compliment all my running and biking workouts. I was rolling along pretty good, running trails a few times a week, doing cycling workouts on my trainer in Zwift, and getting in some consistent strength training. I was getting into the groove nicely!

Just as I was getting into the groove, Mother Nature decided to intervene. Our area got a big snow and ice storm that put a damper on doing anything outside. Roads and sidewalks were impassable so I was confined to indoor Zwift workouts. That was not so bad but I had to be imaginative to stay motivated to ride the trainer every day. I was doing pretty well until I had a little disaster. 

After spending a Saturday afternoon driving all over town looking for a nice metal shovel to remove the several inch thick coating of ice around my car, I finally asked friend if I could borrow a shovel from him. Jackpot, he loaned me a real nice flat blade metal shovel with a fiberglass handle. It was the perfect tool. As someone who enjoys removing snow, I got right to it. I was making mad progress when all the sudden, I slipped and fell on the ice. When I fell, I hyper extended my shoulder and found myself in the worst pain I have felt in a very long time. Was it worse then when I broke my clavicle in a bike crash during Ironman Louisville in 2015? Maybe. Was it more painful when I had a chest tube inserted with no anesthetic (including rib spreader)? Maybe so. It hurt so bad and I was now on the ground, lying in the fetal position on the thick ice. My phone had fallen out of my pocket but thankfully I was able to retrieve it and call my wife who sprang into action to rescue me from the ice and take me to the ER at VCU Health. 

I was in immense pain. As I waited in the ER, I was moaning in pain. I felt like a child but could not stop moaning. As I waited for intake and triage, then x-ray, then treatment, I started to shiver and shake. Was it from the cold or something else, I am not sure. I tried to keep myself calm with deep breaths which helped. I also thought of my brother John. He had been through so much and was always able to endure. I tried to visualize the end state of being treated and the pain going away which helped me not totally freak out.  

After what seemed like a very long time, I was wheeled into a room and given IV medications which helped relieve the pain. The doctor then manipulated my humorous bone back in the shoulder socket. I felt instant relief. It was really uncanny how quickly the pain subsided after the manipulation. I was released not long after that with a sling and prescription for some meds and physical therapy. All told, I was in the ER for about 5 hours. Not terrible at all really. But wow, the pain, it was intense. 

Since that ordeal last Saturday evening, I have had a follow up and have my first Physical Therapy appointment scheduled for next Monday. I still can't drive and do certain things like tie my shoes. Melissa is stuck doing all the daily chores and taking care of me but each day I am doing a little better. I am hoping to get back in the groove but have adjusted by expectations for spring races. My A race for the year is not until September so I have lots or time. I am hopeful that I can race a trail race that I am signed up for in March but I will have to wait and see how PT goes. 

Be careful out there folks. A simple slip and fall can be disastrous. Thankfully I have Melissa to take care of me. Looking forward to getting back in the groove, maybe in March. 

Let the Games Begin! Snowy Owl 10 Mile Race Repot

Sunrise at York River Stare Park

2026 is now officially in full swing. For the last few years, I have been making the Snowy Owl 10 Mile trail race my kickoff race to get the year rolling. Snowy Owl is produced by Happy Cat Fitness, a small local race company that puts on wonderful, friendly events in and around the Williamsburg area. This race takes place at the beautiful York River State Park which offers hiking and biking trails for all abilities. Happy Cat races accommodate runners and hikers so there is something for everyone at his race with a generous 4 hour cutoff. 

Last year I had a PR at this race so going in, I wanted to be competitive but did not think I would be up for another PR effort. Here is a snap of me at the starting line (red shirt and blue visor). 

This race is mostly on single track mountain bike trails which means nothing is flat and there are numerous roots, rocks, leaves, and technical up and downs to navigate. It is custom made for me as I am 'Rudy the Rabbit' (old movie reference) and enjoy the challenge of scurrying through the trees and doing my best not to fall on my butt. 

After some wide open double-track at the start, the race quickly moves on to the technical single track I so love. My goal this year was to not go out too fast. I did a little better than last year in that respect but it did not take long for me to get annoyed with running on other racer's heels so I put in some efforts to get around some folks so I could better navigate the trails. I prefer to make my own mistakes and not rely on other people's lines. 

The race was pretty uneventful which is desirable. I did not stumble, I did not fall. There were a few moments when I questioned my sanity and wondered why I bother running at all. Tempo efforts can do that to a person. But I persevered and tried to keep the gas pedal down. In the end, my finishing time was good enough for second in the 50-59 age group. Whoo hoo!

I was happy with the race and enjoyed meeting up with my friend Tyler who also has been doing this race each year. He calls it the "Holiday Humbler". 

The day after the race, I was appropriately sore and somewhat tired. Since I did not have to go to work on Monday (that's a story for another day), I slept in a bit and then went to one of my favorite parks for a recovery walk in the woods. It was quiet and peaceful and I saw a number of cool woodpeckers on my walk along the creek. 

A few miles walking in the woods does a body good. And it is good for my overall well being. The park was quiet and I only saw a few people with their dogs so I got to contemplate my navel and take in some wildlife. 

So far, 2026 is off to a great start!

Winter is Here!

Last week I mentioned that Winter was coming so it was time to brush off some tricks I use to stay motivated throughout the Winter. I set my sights on some big goals and filled in my skeleton plan. Now this week, Winter is definitely here in RVA in the form of light snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. 

Just look at the dreariness as seen from my balcony. 

Thankfully, I enjoy riding my trainer in the winter which is what I did this morning. I had a spirited solo ride on Zwift where effort is gamified in the form of timed sprints and climbs as well as the one of the best motivators, "Social Facilitation." 

Screenshot from Zwift

I first learned about Social Facilitation in a Social Psychology class at Roanoke College back in the late 80s. I found it all fascinating. From what I remember, competing with people who are like you and maybe slightly more proficient (faster, stronger, better at violin, etc) can often increase overall performance. I would argue it is more fun too. At least for me.  

Here is a brief overview of the concept of "Social Facilitation" and who coined the term. This is an AI result but it ain't too shabby. Another day, another dollar! Enjoy. 

The first significant paper on social facilitation is widely attributed to Norman Triplett in 1898, where he observed cyclists rode faster with others and conducted experiments showing children reeled fishing lines quicker in pairs than alone, establishing that the presence of others affects performance, even if sometimes impairing it, laying groundwork for later theories by Zajonc (1965) and others. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Key Details of Triplett's Work (1898):

• Observation: He noticed competitive cyclists performed better when riding with others (pacing/shelter) compared to cycling alone.

• Experiment: He designed a lab study where children wound fishing reels, finding they often performed faster when working alongside another child (co-action) than when by themselves.

• Early Insights: Triplett noted that while many improved, some children worked slower or showed no difference, hinting at the complexity of the phenomenon, which later researchers like Robert Zajonc would expand upon with drive theory. [2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8]

Later Developments:

• Zajonc's Drive Theory (1965): Robert B. Zajonc's article in *Science* proposed the mere presence of others increases arousal (drive), enhancing performance on simple tasks (dominant responses) but hindering complex ones.

• Other Theories: Subsequent research explored cognitive factors like evaluation apprehension (concern about being judged) and attention. [2, 7, 9, 10]

In essence, Triplett's 1898 work, though observational and experimental, stands as the foundational paper, marking the birth of social psychology and its study of social facilitation. [2, 5]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/social-facilitation

[2] https://acs.ist.psu.edu/misc/dirk-files/Papers/AppraisalTheory/Social%20facilitation%20as%20challenge%20and%20threat.htm

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n7zODMZf00

[4] https://www.thoughtco.com/social-facilitation-4769111

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Triplett

[6] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-25608-x

[7] https://docs.rwu.edu/fcas_fp/219/

[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3CEPdR3rUo

[9] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.149.3681.269

[10] https://psycnet.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/1089-2699.5.3.163

Winter is Coming

Winter is coming, that's for sure. Winter can be challenging for those of us who enjoy spending time exercising outdoors. In case you did not know, I fall into that category. I am the kind of person that needs recess every 2 hours at the minimum. Otherwise, I get easily bored, distracted, and generally less happy than when I get fresh air, elevate my heart rate, and explore the great outdoors. 

For me, my acceptance of the freezing cold weather, shorter days, and biting wind often depends on my attitude. If I have epic activities scheduled, I seem to have more energy to mitigate the cold grip of winter that can easily cause exercise paralysis. Let's face it, it is much more comfortable to simply stay indoors, eat comfort foods, binge some TV, and maybe try to spend some time on a creative project that does not involve gloves, hats, buffs and the delicate balance between being properly dressed, under dressed or over dressed. 

As I get older, the cold seems to be more daunting. One thing I do to fight back is to commit to some big hairy goals, make the intention to properly prepare for the events, and to remind myself of the Swedish saying: "Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder," which translates to "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing". It is a common proverb that encourages people to dress appropriately for the conditions so they can go outside regardless of the weather, and it is often taught to children from a young age.

As I mentioned, part of my process for staying active in the winter is committing to big goals and building a training schedule based on successfully attaining said goals. Also, I thought it would be fun to bring back my Blog for a while in oder to stay more connected to my intentions. 

So, here we go, what's on tap for next year? These are some of my big hairy goals. I have committed to some of these events already. Before I dive in too deep, I am going to be continuing my recovery from the November 15th RVA marathon and start preparing my body to take on these adventures. 

Date	Event/Activity	Type	Distance/Notes	Location
January 4	Snowy Owl 10 Miler	Trail Run/Hike	10 Miles	York River State Park
March 21	Dogwood Dell Ultramarathons	Trail Run	10 Mile Loop	Twin Lakes State Park
March 30 -April 9	Great Smoky Mountains AT	Backpacking	Week Long	AT/Smokies
April 11	James River Trail Runs	Trail Run	50K - also options to drop back to 50k or even just 10 miler	James River State Park
May 8	Cap2Cap with Bill	Long Bike	110 miles	RVA
May 10 - May 17	Trail Days	Festival/Backpacking	Multi-Day 40 to 50 miles	South Hosten Parking to Damascus
June 20	Night Train Ultra	Trail Run	Half Marathon	High Bridge Trail State Park
Jun 28	High Bridge Time Trial	Gravel Time Trial	19 miles	High Bridge Trail State Park
July 12	Seven Bends Acqua Blaze	Run and Paddle	7 mile (4 run/3 paddle)	Seven Bends State Park
September 12	Odyssey Trail Running Rampage	Trail Run	50K	Douthat State Park
TBA	Vermont Long Trail	Backpacking	Multi-Day	Vermont
October 3	High Bridge Half Marathon	Run	13.1 Miles	High Bridge Trail State Park
October 4	Pocahontas Trailfest	Trail Run	10K	Pocahontas State Park