How fast am I, really.?

I have been thinking lately, how fast am I, really. How far can I push myself? Can I run a 7min pace and maintain it for a 5K? Could I run a 6min pace and would that be as fast as I could go? How long can I really maintain any given pace? Can I do it for a full marathon distance, 50K, 100M? Does the weather, temperature, humidity, and time of day affect my body's peak performance capabilities.I am sure that the summer is not optimum for performance testing, but when else am I going to get to test how well will my body perform under stresses that I can't control. I have to know how far my body is willing to go and when my mind will decide to turn it off.  It is always the mind that quits before the body. Will I be able to master full control over both and achieve what I now think is not possible.  Sure anybody can PR in optimum conditions, and complete control over most aspects of everything. I want to know that any day, any race, and conditions I will be able to PR, or match my best with no excuses. There should be no condition, no terrain, no equipment, no excuses for a poor performance. I want to be able to have my performance speak to the fact that I've done my best no matter what endurance competition I choose to enter. Sure there will be times that I didn't put up the numbers that I think I should have put up, but at least it should have been my best. Won't you join me on this new journey I have chosen. I will be updating the progress weekly here.

Really It's Been a Year Already?!

I have been running for one whole year. Today marks the day that I officially logged my first tracked run, and to me makes this the anniversary of my running.  When I started out on this journey it was not to become a runner, marathoner, or ultrarunner. It was to because I wanted something more, something better, and I thought that something would be fulfilled in our nations armed services.  You can read about that part of my journey in my first post here and a follow up post here.  Something changed as I started to run and became better, and started to push myself further than I thought. I realized that I already had what I was looking for. I was what I needed and running gave me the confidence I needed to believe in ME again.

When I started out the goal was to lose weight to join the military, and I looked something like this.

 

After a year of running and positive lifestyles changes. I now look like this.

That is around a sixty pound difference, and that isn't the only thing that has changed. My equipment, goals, running, and nutrition have all changed throughout this past year.  I started by just wanting or needing to run a mile straight without  stopping and doing it under 12 minutes. Now I am trying to get my mile to be  7 minutes or less. I started running in what ever I had that would fit and be comfortable, now my gear is taking over many different location in the bedroom and other various locations around the house. The one reason that I know today is my one year of activity is because of  an app for my iPhone. That app is Runkeeper and its corresponding website Runkeeper.com 

As of this mornings run the stats for my first year of my new me are as follows:

349 total activities, the majority being run, along with walking and cycling.

782 miles, I wish it could have been closer to 1000.

118,480 calories burned. which equals approximately 34 pounds lost in just these activities.

Not too bad for my first year considering my first run logged with runkeeper looked something like this. You can click the picture to see it in my runkeeper profile.

 

Today's anniversary  run looks like this. You can click this one too.

 This is quite an improvement over my first one, but this isn't the best that I have got. I know that I can go further and faster. Especially if I am to make my goal of a sub 4hr marathon. Speaking of races, when I started I had no aspirations of racing. I have now done a 10K with a PR of 52:59, a 5K with a PR of 24:02, and am working toward a sub 4 hr marathon. These are just the races I have currently in the works. I am looking at a couple different 50K races along with either a 50M or 100M next year. I was hoping to be able to get my BQ this year, but injuries have set back my training this spring and I don't feel that I am quite ready for a 3hr  marathon, but you never know what will happen on race day. My Boston goal isn't until 2013 but why not try to make it sooner. 

All I know is that this past year has went by so fast, and I can't believe that it really has come and gone. I went from being overweight, out of shape, and dis-connected with my life and family. To being active, a more healthy weight, confidant with me, and enjoying my wife, children, and life again. Running and the obsessive part of my personality has made this possible, along with the support of my beautiful and caring wife Anne. So here's to crushing goals, making new ones, and many more years of the same. You truly can do anything you think that you can do.

- A

Running with the J.

When I started out running last year, my then 3yr J, became intrigued with my running and wanted to go out running with me. At first I wasn't sure how or if we could, I always told him maybe tomorrow or one day soon. At the time I was doing my running in the morning before he would wake up so he would always ask if I went for a run when I got back. I always felt bad about the situation because he wanted to go soooo badly. So, on one of the warmer fall evenings after I got home from work I told him that we could go for a run together.  His face lit  up as he darted off to get his "running shoes" which were just a pair of regular tennis shoes. Shortly after I started running he began calling his shoes his "running shoes" and still does today. He was ecstatic, to say the least.

Being new to all of this myself I had no idea on what to expect or even how to approach the situation when we got out on the road.  I started with the basics, warm-up stretches, out for the run, and cool down. He was so excited that I had some problems keeping him calm long enough to a least go through the motions.  He just wanted to GO!! I can't really blame him, his energy is infectious and I wanted to go too.  I had planned on a short down the street and back with us walking some of the time. J had other plans and insisted on running where I ran in the morning.  It ended up being a .5 mile route, and he ran the whole time at a solid 11:48 pace.  I thought that this would be a good warm up for me for some activity later that evening, but turned out to be the evening activity for me.  When we finished he wanted to go again, however I couldn't.

We went out a few more times after the first, and he always wants to go faster and longer. J is now four and recently my wife found a pair of boys running shoes on sale that would fit him. They ended up being a little big for him, but not for long. We went out for a run in his new running shoes a few weeks later, along the way he started chattering about his side hurting. He was breathing pretty hard, but didn't want to stop. I knew what the problem was and I tried to instruct him on taking bigger and slow breaths. I was using exaggerated mouth  movements to help demonstrate what he needed to do.  He caught on fast, and we finished our run, it was just under .75 miles and we managed to maintain a pace of 10:21. 

J loves to go out for a run and the last time we went out I glanced back to see him doing the exaggerated mouth movements to slow down his breathing.  I can't wait to go out again. It is good times.

-A

The Long Training Run Review - Epic Fail or Not

I am not sure how to classify today's long training run. I personally feel like it is an epic fail, based on the fact that I failed to complete my pre-determined route. However there were circumstances out of my control which led to the decision to stop the run with 2.1 miles left in the route. Here are the details which led to the unfortunate death of my training of my long training route.

Everything started out very promising, there was a light sprinkle of rain and it was about 66 degrees F, perfect for running, the rain would stop around mile 1.  The legs felt strong with no pain or muscle cramping, however I was questioning my decision not to wear my compression shorts for the run. A decision which will haunt my thoughts throughout this run. It was an interesting start with many animals bounding for cover as I passed, along with an accident of some sorts being attended to. I am not really sure what happened with the autos but they were trying to get is loaded and moved. That was around mile 3 when it started to rain again, it felt good. Actually, everything was feeling good, my cadence, pace, and body were all going along much better than expected. Then the unexpected, the road that I was using for my route today was in the beginning stages of resurfacing. Not that big of a deal you would think, but it was like running on thousands of jumbo pencils no footfall was the same. This surface started to irritate something in my left foot, and soon the right knee started to chime in along with the chaffing which was starting to become more noticeable. This was the story for the next two miles, and then I hit the turning point to head back. It was smooth running until the 9.5 mile mark and the hungries hit me. I started to hit the Chomps pretty hard to try and contain the empty feeling, but it would not be sated. At mile 11 I was forced to stop, my arms and fingers turned to pins and needles, legs got weak, my balance went, and I think that I may have blacked out for a couple paces. Can't be sure on the last one. Having never encountered anything like this before I decided to walk the rest of the way home. I did manage to get another .7 miles in three separate runs during my depressing walk home to finish. Wish I knew what happened a mile 11, everything after that was pretty normal. The runs felt like I was on tired legs, which they were, and the walking didn't hurt. With the exception of my pride.

I can't help but think that if I had worn the compression shorts that I might have made it back home, or at least eliminated the chaffing. This leaves me with a problem as to how to place this effort. I am totally upset that I didn't finish and had to walk, but on the other hand I maintained a good pace on a much more challenging route than I normally would attempt. I know that I should not discount the achievement of a quality run of 11 miles in a good time, but I still didn't finish what I started and that really bothers me.  I will let you decide which way I should go. Epic fail or quality run with a schooling.

HELP, How Do You Guys Do It?!!?..

I have to hand it to all of you who BI, DUAL, or TRI I don't know how you do it. As it stands now those of you who do any of the a previously mentioned activities have complete respect. Just thinking about what it must take in training alone boggles my mind. I thought that I might like to try a multi-sport race, but now I am not too sure. I know that in the end when I decide that doing something along these lines is for me it will only be a matter of time before I am pondering what I did before I started doing them. 

However, that is then and this is now, I just purchased a bike mainly ride back and forth to work to offset fuel costs, and to do a little cross training to supplement my running. I am now having a problem trying to figure out how to make my current running program and the new cycling I will be doing during the week co-exist.  It is not my plan to start doing duals or to start training for a tri, but knowing that I will be riding five days a week and running  five days a week while training for a marathon this fall and a 50K or two this winter I am just wondering what everyone else does to work it all in. 

I will be riding approximately 3 miles to and from work Monday to Friday, and my current run schedule is Sunday, Tuesday - Thursday, and Saturday. I am in the process of adding miles to my running, as it stands now I am doing around 20 miles and building. I want to be closer to the 30 - 50 mile a week range by the end of the summer.

I am looking for some insight as to how to get both of these routines to mesh with out detracting from the other. Any thoughts or anecdotes from when you first started will be greatly appreciated. 

Andrew

The Week in Running - May 15

How the week started out. That glow isn't the sun.

May 15 - 2.88mi.

I set out to go out for 3hours today. The race yesterday did more damage than previously thought, and I found out that I can not run while holding a water bottle. I will have to figure out some thing else for carrying hydration on my long runs. Really this was a disappointment, the water bottle pretty much ruined this one.

2.88mi./28:53 /10:02 pace

May 16 - off

May 17 - Long and Slow
What a great morning for a run! It was cool, foggy, and wet. I need to have more runs like this, relatively pain free nice and even pace. I may be on the repair and soon I will be able to move forward with more of my goals.


5.24mi/ 48:16/ 9:12 pace

May 18 - Interval/Fartlek

Good run. Didn't push too hard just let my body lead. Felt pretty good for speed work. It could be a little better though.

2.69mi/ 22:44 / 8:27 pace

May 19- Easy Run & Short run with J

This felt great today. I wish I had the time to do another 6 miles or more. What a great way to start the day.
Took 4 year son J out for a quick run after work, he ran the whole time pacing me!

6.11mi/ 53:58/  8:50 pace
.72mi/ 7:25/ 10:21 pace

May 20 - Day off

May 21 - Quick easy run


Felt great. Every thing was smooth and felt really easy. I think that I am turning the corner on my injuries, finally.


2.59mi/ 20:37/ 7:58pace

Weeks total:

20.2 mi/9:08 avg. pace

How my week ended. What a nice change.

Injinji toe sock review

The toe sock by Injinji is a rather unique sock.  One with a style you will remember from the 80's. Although they are funny looking they do serve their pourpose, and are quite comfortable. With that being said these are not the socks you want to be grabbing and trying to put on in the darkness of 5:30 in the morning.

Here is what Injinji has to say about the Performance Toesock:

"The original weight performance toesock is engineered to separate your toes with a CoolMax moisture wicking fiber that we blend with durable Nylon and Lycra to create a thin, anti-friction membrane that is light and breathable. Seamless in construction, the Performance Toesock forms to every contour of your foot. This allows for the true restriction free and natural movement from your heel to five toes.  This design encourages healthy circulation and eliminates skin on skin contact between your toes to prevent blisters."

I would have to say that I agree with pretty much all of this statement. I was pretty sure that I might have an issue with the individual toe sockets. I thought that they would become bothersome, and at first they were. After a minute or so I forgot that the socks even had a compartment for each of my toes. Even though they are closer in thickness to a regular sock, I noticed my feet were still pretty cool. I used these for my 5K and my feet stayed cool and comfortable throughout the whole race. They even kept my feet dry after walking though some seriously wet grass. I really like these socks, but I am not sure how they will handle in the heat of summer due to their thickness.  I can tell already that these are going to be my go to sock during the winter months, or I will have to try one of their lighter models.

The one thing that I did notice about these socks is that they stay put, and give your feet a feeling of security that you don't normally get from other socks. Which helps keep your foot where it should be in your shoe without feeling restrictive. Along with not moving around the toe sleeves stop the bunching of the socks, too. This is one of the major selling points for me and a definite plus since I don't like sliding around in my shoes, or having my sock rove around into strange locations on my foot.  If you can get past the feeling of something in between your toes I would recommend giving the Injinji Toesock a try they are worth the money and have proven to be good alternative to your normal sock.

I went and bought a bike

This past Sunday I went and bought a bike mainly for transportation to and from work to offset the cost of driving my truck, and to work a little cross training for my running. I haven't ridden in twenty years, and what they say is true, you never forget how to ride a bike.

That doesn't mean that I wasn't absolutely terrified when I took it out for a quick spin before the weather got worse. Not that it was all that great to begin with, but that is neither here nor there. Back to the very brief ride, if you can call it that. It was only about 2 miles, and I was lucky to get that far. Seeing how I almost didn't even get out of the driveway. That was just about the hardest part, besides turning that is. I was pretty sure that I was going to turn and have the wheels slide right out from under me. Much to my surprise I didn't wipe out or have any other kind of major incident. It all went kind of smooth and actually felt pretty good. I am looking forward to riding and sharing my experiences with all of you. Hopefully it will be both enjoyable and entertaining.

Joe Kelly’s Commandments for Runners

Joe Kelly’s Commandments, I read these today on Finishing is Winning.  I thought that these were excellent so I have posted them here for you. Hope you enjoy these as much as I have. I have highlighted the ones I especially liked.

 

1. Don’t be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner, not even other whiners.

2. Walking out the door is often the toughest part of a run.

3. Don’t make running your life. Make it part of your life.

4. During group training runs, don’t let anyone run alone. 

5. Keep promises, especially ones made to yourself. 

6. When doing group runs, start on time no matter who’s missing.

7. The faster you are the less you should talk about your times. 

8. Keep a quarter in your pocket. One day you’ll need to call for a ride. 

9. Don’t compare yourself to other runners.

10. All runners are equal, some are just faster than others.

11. Keep in mind that the later in the day it gets, the more likely it is that you won’t run. 

12. For a change of pace, get driven out and then run back.

13. If it was easy, everybody would be a runner. 

14. When standing in starting lines, remind yourself how fortunate you are to be there. 

15. Getting out of shape is much easier than getting into shape.

16. A bad day of running still beats a good day at work.

17. Talk like a runner. “Singlets” are worn on warm days. “Tank tops” are worn to the beach.

18. Don’t talk about your running injuries. People don’t want to hear about your sore knee or black toe. 

19. Don’t always run alone.

20. Don’t always run with people.

21. Approach running as if the quality of your life depended on it. 

22. No matter how slow you run it is still faster than someone sitting on a couch.

23. Keep in mind that the harder you run during training, the luckier you’ll get during racing.

24. Races aren’t just for those who can run fast.

25. There are no shortcuts to running excellence.

26. The best runs sometimes come on days when you didn’t feel like running.

27. Be modest after a race, especially if you have reason to brag.

28. If you say, “Let’s run this race together,” then you must stay with that person no matter how slow.

29. Think twice before agreeing to run with someone during a race.

30. There is nothing boring about running.  There are, however, boring people who run.

31. Look at hills as opportunities to pass people.

32. Distance running is like cod liver oil. At first it makes you feel awful, then it makes you feel better.

33. Never throw away the instructions to your running watch.

34. Don’t try to outrun dogs.

35. Don’t trust runners who show up at races claiming to be tired, out of share, or not feeling well.

36. Don’t wait for perfect weather. If you do, you won’t run very often. 

37. When tempted to stop being a runner, make a list of the reasons you started. 

38. Never run alongside very old or very young racers. They get all of the applause.

39. Without goals, training has no purpose.

40. During training runs, let the slowest runner in the group set the pace.

41. The first year in a new age group offers the best opportunity for trophies. 

42. Go for broke, but be prepared to be broken.

43. Spend more time running on the roads than sitting on the couch.

44. Make progress in your training, but progress at your own rate. 

45. “Winning” means different things to different people.

46. Unless you make your living as a runner, don’t take running too seriously.

47. Runners who never fail are runners who never try anything great.

48. Never tell a runner that he or she doesn’t look good in tights.

49. Never confuse the Ben-Gay tube with the toothpaste tube.

50. Never apologize for doing the best you can.

51. Preventing running injuries is easier than curing them. 

52. Running is simple. Don’t make it complicated.

53. Running is always enjoyable. Sometimes, though, the joy doesn’t come until the end of the run. 

5K Red Dress run/walk

We had thunder storms all night last night so I wasn't sure what to expect for this mornings race. This was to be my first 5K, and it was kind of last minute. I decided about a week ago I was going to run in this race.The race is to support the efforts of

the Heart Truth, for woman's heart  health and heart disease awareness. Hence the whole red dress theme. Apparently you are supposed to wear a red dress, and or something red to run the race in. I have neither, so I ended up running in a bright orange singlet. As you can see in the picture to the right, that is me with the littlest boy before the race. 

I arrived at the registration table at a little after 8:00, I for some reason always end up being way early for these things. This time I just wanted to make sure that I got a shirt since I didn't pre-register. Gotta have the shirt, that way there is proof you were there.

I was slightly more anxious about this race than I was about the 10K earlier this year. I am not sure why, but it might have been me adding extra pressure to PR this race. Which is silly because since this is the only 5K I have done it was going to be a PR for a race no matter what time I finished. The race was set to kick off at 9:00 AM, and they had us lining up for the start with basic race instructions with plenty of time for us to be off.

9:00 and the race commenced, after a weave or two to get out in space.  I was at some kind of pace; much faster than I had planned on, but it felt good so I went with it.  I had no idea how fast I was running until I hit the .5mi mark and the nice lady in my phone told me I had just run .5 mi in 3:30.  This was definitely new territory for me I had no idea if I could maintain this pace or not throughout, but I knew that I couldn't slow down either, I tried, it felt wrong.  By now the clouds were burning off and the sun was starting to shine. Somewhere around the mile mark a friend of mine's son blew by me giving me a little motivation to try and keep up with the pace.(he would go on to take 1st in his age group).

Finishing strong

By the turnaround point I was regretting my decision to leave my skull cap in the truck as the sweat was starting to get in my eyes and become bothersome. No more time to waste on that I was over half way done and need to concentrate on getting to the finish. A little past mile 2 I got passed by an older gentleman who I thought was either stalking me or using me as a pacer. Sometime between this point and mile 2.5 my shoe came untied, I thought about stopping to tie it.  With that nano second thought process over with I passed the older gentleman who passed me and heard him say "Good job" in doing so as I turned on the speed for the final couple tenths thinking that I could beat the goal I had set for myself at the onset of the race. I was too late, I always second guess what I am capable of doing, but I finished strong.

It was over, I had done it, completed another race.  I finished in 24:02 officially, 2 seconds off of what I had decided was to be an acceptable finish for me. All in all it was a good time and I am very pleased with my performance. I have another 5K coming up in a few weeks I will have to see if I can improve on my time then.

Week of May 8

May 8 - regular run

This was my first full run in the Brooks Green Silence. Good pace felt pretty good.

2.88mi./23:30/8:10 pace

May 8 - nice afternoon run

Was feeling kinda bad, thought that a run might help. It didn't. It was nice in the park though.

1.42mi./12:05/8:30 pace

May 9 - off

May 10 - Pace run

It felt great to get a good solid run in with out pain. Nice even and fast.

3.33mi / 26:58/ 8.05 pace

May 11 - minimal shoe training

Man was that ever a hot run. I now remember why I run at 5:30 in the morning. This was way faster than I thought I could sustain for that distance.

1.94mi/ 15:18 / 7:52 pace

May 12- Just a run

What a nice easy run. I forgot how nice it is to just go out and run. It is great to enjoy my surroundings and the lightening in the neighboring county.

6.24mi/ 57:41/ 9:14 pace

May 13 - Day off

May 14 - Race Day - Red Dress 5K

What a fun race. Good weather, good people, good time. Will have more in the race report.

3.1mi/ 24:02/ 7:42 pace

Weeks total:

18.9 mi/8:15 avg. pace

SOCKS,SOCKS, and more SOCKS

It has gotten hot here in Ohio, and all of a sudden too I might add. So I have had no real adjustment period for my body to acclimate itself to the change. One thing I hadn't counted on needing to adjust to was the fact that my feet were like they were on fire.  I hadn't noticed this phenomenon last year, but I have been forced to run at different times than I normally would so the issue has presented itself.  Not only that, my feet are getting so hot that it is becoming a distraction during my runs.  Something that I definitely don't need as I train for my marathon this fall and various other smaller races throughout the summer.

This being noted, and knowing that it is only going to get hotter I came to the conclusion that I needed to get to the bottom of this before it ruins my whole summer of running.  The first cause of my hot foot issue I thought was that I have been running in a more minimal style of shoe and that my foot was absorbing more of the road heat.  There is nothing I can do about absorption of road heat so on to the next part of this equation. My socks: Were they the main cause?  Did they contribute to the problem?  Was there a better sock out there. I had to find out, and I needed to find out fast.

After a stopping by a few other blogs that I follow I came to the conclusion that there were better socks out there, and they could help me with my problem. I have been using regular cotton style socks which were supposed to be for running. They worked fine throughout the cool months, but were now becoming an issue.  They state that they wick moisture to keep your feet cool and dry during activity.  This is true to an extent, but the sheer volume of material just adds to problem. While they provide plenty of cushion and support for my foot, they also add  insulating heat retention.  Besides they were causing my foot to be cramped in my Brooks Green Silence.

Of the plethora of sock company and styles out there I settled on three to start with. They were the  Injinji - The original performance Toesock, Drymax - Hyper thin running sock, and WrightSock - Running II. All of the socks models I purchased were thinner than my normal socks, with some form of moisture wicking builtinto the fabric.  Each offer something different as far as features are concerned; two are dual layer socks, one has individual toe sleeves (think gloves for your feet), and breathable vents to maintain cooler foot temperatures (yea!).  I am not sure which of these feature will make a difference, but I sure am gonna have fun trying to figure it out.

My Runner's Legs Came.

but when they got delivered they must of forgot to ship my runner's body with them. Maybe they were just fooling around and sent out the undersized model of the legs that I ordered thinking I wouldn't notice.

Not cool... not cool at all.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I got the pleasure of running in shorts for the first time this year. After my run my wife and I both noticed that my legs seemed to be really little in comparison to the rest of me. This got me thinking, if I have runner's legs. Then just exactly happened to the runner's body that is supposed to go with them. The only thing I could figure is that since it hasn't shown up yet I must not be doing enough to get it here. Or it could be that I am not doing enough of the right things. I guess that it will come when the time is right. I just hope it hurries up and makes its mind up on when to show up.  I am tired of looking like a bird or possibly a giraffe I don't know which.

The good thing is I now know that it will come, and that this isn't to be viewed as a failure or disappointment.  More or less it should be a motivator to keep me moving forward toward the goals that I have already set to achieve. Even if they change regularly and swing to opposite sides of the spectrum. At least they are there, and as soon as one gets taken down I always manage to have a new one show up. Maybe some day soon my runner's body will get shipped, if they ever come off back order.

New Stuff...WoooHooo

I love getting packages from any courier service that will deliver here to the house.  Which is all of them, UPS, USPS, and Fed Ex.

This  particular package contained my new socks from Injinji, Wrightsock, and Drymax. Also included are my new compression shorts from 2XU.   All products which will be reviewed once I have had the chance to put them through the paces.  The only thing that would make this better is if  this box just randomly showed up and was full of new gear for me to test and review for free.  Oh well, may be some day I will be popular enough to get cool stuff for free, but this is now and I had to pay for all of the new stuff I have been getting. Last week I got shipments of GU and clothing, and prior to that I received shoes and clothes again. This can only mean one thing. I am going to have to get busy writing some reviews, and I am going to have to find the time to get all of this stuff tested too. Well at least I will not be able to say that I have nothing to do, and I should be able to keep busy at night for some time to come.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's day to all Mother's out there everywhere in the world!!!  With out you nothing would get done... at least not right anyway.  I want to take this time to say how thankful I am for my mom and wife. My mother has given me the tools to succeed, and has taught me the right way to be a man and husband. Through all of the lessons learned, and discipline received throughout the  years it has helped make me who I am today.

For my wife and mother of my three wonderful boys, I could not do this alone. You make everyday exquisite and beautiful. You take the time to do everything for everyone and nothing for yourself. I thank you for making sure the we are taken care of, and wish I could find more was to take care of you. We would not function properly if you weren't here to help make everything from boo-boos to dinner  and everything in between right.

I just wanted to make sure that I took the time to thank the people who make it possible for most of us husbands, and fathers to have hobbies, food, and interests that need extra time to pursue.

THANK YOU MOTHER'S EVERYWHERE!!!!!!

Everyday that you are in our lives should be looked at as Mother's day.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

Week of May 1

May 1 - 13.1 mi 12.90 Long training run

I thought that I had over dressed for today's run. I am not glad that I decided to keep the tights on because, it rained from mile 5 through mile 9. It was a pretty good soaking too. Thank goodness for the smart people who come up with all these technical super fabrics. Good solid run although had I known that I was that close to what I wanted in mileage I would have run the 5 minutes to make it official. The storm and the valley I was running in knocked out the GPS for a few segments.

12.9mi./1:56:30 /9:02 pace

May 2 - off

May 3 - off

May 4 - minimal shoe training

Pretty cold this morning, got to try out my new Boston pants from Saucony. Review will be along once I get a little more time in them. Decent run pretty stiff from my run Sunday and the two recovery days. Looking forward to tomorrows run.

.92mi/ 7:27 / 8:06 pace

May 5- Just a run

Average run, need to get some rest. Hamstring got the better of me today.

1.89mi/ 16:29/ 8:40 pace

May 6 - Day off

May 7 - Just a run  one more rest day

Weeks total:

15.7 mi/8:36 avg. pace

GU energy gel

I have written about GU before, but have not done a formal review of the individual products that I have used. This is the first of many more that I have planned to write. My experience with energy gels has been short, but I am certain that I can't imagine my training with out them now. I first heard of energy gels while doing research on what it takes and what to expect when you are training to become an ultra-runner. It made me curious, but figured that it must be a product special to racing. Also, there was not a whole lot of information on how or when to use an energy gel. I understood that it was a liquid of sorts with the necessary carbohydrates and vitamins to prolong your strength and glycogen stores during a race or heavy activity.

It wasn't until I was registering for my first marathon that I finally had a name of a product to actually do some real research on the elusive energy gel. The name of the product that was to be distributed during the race was called GU. I Googled the website and found a local retailer where I purchased my first packets of GU energy gel along with a variety of their other products. Before I get into this review to far I need to give those of you a little background on this endurance sport staple.

Here is a small snippet from their about page:

"From 1991 until today, athletes the world over have come to the same conclusion: GU works. Our Berkeley-based sports nutrition company started with our original GU Energy Gel, a revolutionary and more effective method to keep athletes fueled during exercise. Since then, GU has continued to improve the recipe, incorporating the latest scientific research into its products. In 2001, GU Electrolyte Brew (formerly Gu₂o) was launched as the perfect hydration companion to GU Energy Gel. 2008 saw the introduction of Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gel, followed by Chomps Energy Chews and GU Recovery Brew in 2009. Every product is formulated to further GU’s mission: to help athletes go faster and longer than ever before. "

I have found that GU's mission has proven to be true for me. GU has made me go faster by allowing me to get the nutrients I need to make the extra effort easier to put up. It has made it easier for me to go longer by having caffeine in most flavors to help me focus on the task at hand. The caffeine actually does have this effect for me as most of my runs start before 6 in the morning. I really didn't think that it would make that big of a difference, but it did a great job and I can tell when I take the ones without caffeine and probably should have used one with. As for flavors all of the GU flavors have been very good. The chocolate tastes like chocolate, the berry flavors, which have turned out to be my favorite taste like they should too. All of the gels have a similar consistency with the exception being the two chocolate flavors, chocolate outrage and mint chocolate. These are both a little bit thicker than the others. Over all I would have to say that I have benefited from the use of this great product.  It may not be for everyone, but those of you who are looking for a way to fuel yourself during your runs or other activities GU is the best gel I have found so far.

Reebok Zig Pulse II review

Reebok Zigtech Zig pulse II

I purchased this shoe as a means to relieve some of the stresses that were causing me problems in my knees and plantar areas.  Reebok claims that the unique sole design and material allows for more energy transfer and less impact stress.  This is a statement from their website:

  ZigTech
A unique bottom unit features a special lightweight foam that is engineered into an innovative, geometric, zig-zag shape. Cushion your landings with materials designed to help reduce muscle fatigue on your shins and leave your legs feeling fresher.

 At first blush it would seem that the statements were true and your energy was being transferred more efficiently and your legs seem fresher.

However, the longer you run in them the less you feel the "energy transfer", and if you run in cold or wet conditions the soles turn into cement blocks and lose traction very easily. My theory to this is the lack of any real grip producing material where you need it to be. There are rubber inserts located only on the furthest most point of the heal and two thin strips on the ridges of the forefoot wave pattern. You may be thinking that this sounds adequate for normal and everyday walking or running activity. The placement would be where your foot contacts the ground  during  foot strikes and in theory should be enough for most activities.  However, serious runners must not have been included in the testing of this running designated shoe. I began to notice significant wear to the heal and forefoot after only about 40 miles, and the traction surfaces were smooth and useless after 100.  I had put not quite 200 miles on the shoes and the inside heel on my right foot had failed, no longer supporting my foot and causing injury to my knee, hamstring, and IT band which I am currently rehabbing. I would not recommend this shoe for anyone who is anything more than a recreational runner or gym trainer. 

Respect the Distance... my longest run to date

Today I set out to run my longest run ever. The mileage was to be 13.1mi and I was hoping for around 1:45:00 or less for the time. When I awoke this morning it was 50'ish and had rained recently. I threw on my compression tights, shorts, a singlet and headed off. I almost immediately began to doubt my decision to include the tights as it warmed up fairly quick.  By mile 3 I was struggling to find a decent rhythm, the hamstring was not liking the incline, and I felt like this was the first time I had ever run. As the next few miles ticked by I tried to focus on just maintaining a consistent pace not really caring how I did it. All the while, I was trying to convince myself that this was worth the undoubted pain I was to endure after and the fact someone might talk some smack about me only doing 5 miles so I trudged on with the distance.

Today I also chose to try a new fueling cycle for my long runs. It was to be  a Jet Blackberry GU, half a pack of Strawberry Chomps which I would eat more like hard candy, and a Cherry Lime Roctane.  The first 2/3's of this equation worked out okay, but when it was time for the extra boost around mile 9 cherry lime was not the correct flavor choice. It burned as soon as it hit my throat, a side effect I had not yet experienced. Which made it hard to focus and threw off my breathing until I could manage to get it all down and recover. Funny that those are all the reasons I choose to use Roctane to prevent. By mile 10 it had started to kick in and I felt a little bit of relief from the exhaustion that had started to set in since I was not only fighting with the distance, but was also trying to deal with being wet and cold since it had rained from mile 5 through mile 8.5. It wasn't quite a full fledged downpour but it wasn't just a light spritzing.  It had been enough that I was thoroughly soaked even though it hadn't quite made it into my socks... yet. By mile 11 I was wet but felt dry, socks were soaked and my feet were starting ache, and I had become discouraged to the point that I decided to just finish up the run.

Had I known at this point in my run that the storm had caused the GPS of my phone to fade in and out I would have put in a little bit more effort. Like five minutes worth to make my distance. I thought I was around 12 miles when actually I was closer to 12.5 when the nice lady in my runkeeper app let me know that I had just passed 12.o miles. I am now considering looking into a backup GPS unit to use with my iPhone.

Although I didn't meet any of  my goals today. I feel pretty good about what I did accomplish. I ran 12.90 miles and I managed to do it in a respectable time of 1:56:30.  Which makes my average pace for today's run 9:01. This pace is well above what I want to be running at but almost 20 second better than my you will not run slower than this pace of 9:20. I definitely feel like I have taken the correct steps toward making my goal of a sub 3 hour marathon so I can qualify for Boston. I know that the Akron Marathon isn't until September, but it feels like it is going to be next weekend and  I am not going to be prepared.  Next, Sunday I will make it further and I will be faster.