Las Vegas Weekend & Pre-Race Prep...

Where to begin, where to begin...  . .. .. where oh where... hey, how about this past Saturday? Good idea, Jim! (I'm talking to myself, aren't I.)

My good buddy, Craig, came along for the drive to Vegas - his cousin and wife were running the RnR Half Marathon race as well so we figured it would be a nice get together while up there. We hit the road at 6:45 Saturday morning and made great time - just one pit stop in Baker and we were crossing into Nevada by 9:45 AM. Plus, I had co-workers and friends that were running the race and I wanted to beat them to the Expo and have a cocktail in hand long before they arrived! The joke was on me because they flew in to McCarran Airport in Vegas instead. Curse their frequent flyer mileage!

10:45 AM and here I am inside of the Sands Expo Center connected to the Venetian...

"Hey look, it's almost 'Life sized'... "

I'm glad we arrived early as the crowds were huge and it appeared to be getting packed really fast - the totals for the full and half marathon race numbered over 44,000 registrants. We didn't get to do much looking around the Expo booths, but I'm not really big on that unless they're giving away handfuls of free energy gel - yes, I know... it's all about Me, Me, Me! Actually, I don't do so well with indoor crowds, so off we went and I found out later that my co-workers and friends that I was supposed to meet at the Expo ended up stuck at the airport for a while. Bummer! But I was starved and since I was still in Me-Me-Me mode, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then it was off to meet some fellow running Bloggers at Harrah's Carnaval Court. 

My favorite all-time runner and blogger, Janae (Hungry Runner Girl) and her equally awesome running husband, Billy. HRG is an incredible runner and a great inspiration - plus, she can out pace anyone on a dessert menu - she's a professional folks! Finally... people who understand that three meals a day should be followed by dessert! HRG organized the blogger get-together and it was fun meeting a lot of amazing bloggers with some serious talent. You know, I'm just glad Billy and a few of the other blogger's husbands were there because if I don't get a chance to talk exclusively about gear tech, cars, fishing, and beer, I become very sad. But as you can see in the pic, I'm a happy camper! Well, we were in the Ghirardelli ice cream shop, so there you go...

After the meet, I caught up with my buddy at the Venetian again... time for a little gambling and free beer. This is pre-race fueling, by the way. As cold as it was, it was also a nice day to be out and a good opportunity to grab a couple of quick pics of the view outdoors.

From the front entrance of the Venetian looking out toward the Mirage (f/3.5 @ ISO 1400)

I know, nothing original here, but look! It's starting to plume! (f/4 @ ISO 1600)

After some excessive pre-race fueling *cough* it was time to get some Chipotle! Hey, c'mon, I needed some serious carbs and I refused to walk away from the shortest Chipotle line I had ever seen in months. No picture, but I had the chicken burrito bowl and I instantly felt the surge of good carbs in my body... well, not really, but it was tasty. 

I was determined to get in a quick shake-out run on the treadmill after getting back to the hotel. After mulling it over for an hour or two, I abandoned the thought and convinced myself I was better off having dessert at Mr. Lucky's 24/7 Cafe at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino...

I sure do love this place - they have great coffee and they're open for 15 hours out of the day... . .. ... juuuust kidding! Being able to order dessert 24/7 is an awesome attraction. Rumor has it there may have been an apple pie a la mode and potato skins appetizer somewhere on that bill.

Well, no turning back now! Thankfully the race was scheduled for the following evening, so I had plenty of recovery time... . ..yessirreeee...  yep. You know what's funny? I wasn't too worried about the race - I was looking forward to enjoying myself and taking in the sights along the Strip. I think this was a really good approach for me and I knew I would be in my element as I prefer to run in the early evening (not exactly when it's dark out, but as opposed to an early morning run) - so tomorrow would be another day and it was time to hit the sack. 

Next up: Race Recap for the Zappos RnR Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon

Reflective-wear & "I Need Some Serious Chocolate Cake"

Just putting in a short nighttime run before I'm fully enveloped in tapering mode. (I found that I really dislike tapering. I thought I'd find some kind of reprieve in it, but it's like slow torture!)

Sorry for the blurry pic, but it was hastily shot as I wanted to get on the road - it was windy and cold and I felt like I was...  darn it! I forgot to put on my running gloves with the reflective piping and Under Armour logo - sheesh. It's very eye-catching and hard not to notice since your hands are moving back and forth. (I don't know what I was looking at, by the way... probably some car coming up the road so I could test something out...) Now, lately, I've started running with my Nathan reflective vest and have noticed drivers really do take note of me and make an effort to steer clear when they can (thank you!) - I got it on sale from REI about a month ago. It has a longer backside to it and has a lot of reflective material for some serious high visibility coverage! I'm a street runner so I need all the help I can get.

Speaking of seriousness, here's a quality meal that I'm quite positive I can eat every day for the rest of my life...

 . .. ..unless you offered me pizza, like from Grimaldi's... or something similar. I hate it when I sidetrack like that. Anyway, my wife is the consummate chef and tolerates my healthy eating from time to time - one of my favorites: salmon and seasoned asparagus (she's very awesome and I can prove it in the pic that follows)...

Yes, you know it! Talk about a treat! Okay, there's a longer story to this and it involves some broken egg shells that made the immediate use of several eggs a priority for the day. So there you have it. But awesome, nonetheless! That's some serious chocolate cake.

Three and a half days 'til the RnR Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon! Here's the Course Map - I'm excited that I'm going to be running a nighttime race and right there on the Strip of all places, and yet here I am wondering/worrying about my race time! You know, we always want to improve and always be progressively moving forward - but if I can just get it in my head that keeping to my training pace and finishing the race strong is still a very good thing! Besides, I almost forgot I'm running a local 1/2 marathon just a week after Las Vegas - the Holiday Half ...hmmm, don't know what I was thinkin'. Well, I doubt I'll be saving any energy for the following week's race, but hey, it's all about the running, right? And the scenery... don't forget the scenery (insert two thumbs up here).

Some New Running Digs... Asics (again)

I just picked them up today - a pair of Asics GT 2170. Notice the Nathan sensor holder for my Nike+ gizmo/iPod Nano? The first thing I did was slap that holder onto those laces!

I keep making the Snail's Pace employees put me through the paces on the pressure pad and treadmill, although this time they were on to me. I should have spaced my visits a little farther apart! I don't know what it is with me, but I just have to keep reaffirming my running gait/pronation-type so I can get it in my head that I'm running in the appropriate shoes.

What was different today (I'm usually pestering the Road Runner Sports folks) was that the Snail's Pace pro said I have a slightly more pronounced overpronation on my right foot strike, as opposed to my left - which appeared to be close to neutral, and also evidenced by the wear on my running shoes (I always bring them with me as evidence when I claim I'm both a supinator and an overpronator! ...well, that's not really how it is, but it's a great conversation starter). So this was the first time I've heard this - I'm used to hearing, "you're a moderate overpronator and you need this shoe because it's built to fix that and oh, by the way, that'll be $150 gabillion dollars." Instead, it was more like, "you're overdoing it with the (Asics) Kayanos - you just need slight to moderate support given all the other factors." A cheaper shoe, in other words, would do the trick.

My choices came down to the Asics GT 2160 or 2170, and the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11 or 12... the latter models being the 2012 model lineup. Okay, they're not that cheap, but better than paying the ransom for a more technical shoe than I needed. The noticeable difference between the Asics 2160 and the 2170 was how light the 2170 felt over the 2160 (different EVA material) - and the heel strike felt very comfortable, similar to the Brooks Adrenaline 11 and 12. In the end, I'm still an Asics fan so of course... well, you know how it turns out. It's Holiday Savings Month at Snail's Pace so that meant a $20 discount off my next pair of running shoes at Snail's Pace! Two words: Ya & hoo. I'm going to pick up the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 when I return - they felt great, too, but I need to ease into new things - plus, I don't want them to recognize me when I ask them to put me through the paces again!

Less than six days to the Zappos Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon! Probably not a good time to be substituting new shoes into the running lineup, but I'll bring these along as my backup pair. Always have to have a backup!

NYC Pictures & Random Things...

My apologies for the conspicuous absence of pics from my last post (I mean, who wants to see pics of worn out running shoes?!), but to make up for it you get to see some pictures I took during my New York trip earlier this month! ...wait, come back! You'll enjoy it.

First of all, this was a short trip for work and so it was just my co-worker (Al) and I...  Al's a good guy and he was tolerant of my sightseeing excursions - hey, I've never been to NYC before! I'll tell you, New York was a fun place to visit. The food, the people, the sights, sounds, and everything that makes NYC different from Los Angeles made for a great trip! Timing-wise we were off by a weekend because we arrived just two days after the ING NYC Marathon - a complete bummer as I would have liked to have taken a gander at the biggest marathon event in the World!

Now take note the only thing running related in this post has already been written in the above paragraph! And now for your viewing pleasure... by the way, please don't blame the camera... it's the photographer. I know, what are you going to do - all I had with me was a government-issued Panasonic Lumix camera. I try to be a light traveler, but this time, I sure wish I would've had access to my Nikon DSLR equipment. (Insert disgusted look on face here)

Hey, you can see the Manhattan Bridge! On our way to find Grimaldi's Pizzeria.

I know, it doesn't look like much, but they're using a coal brick oven for crying out loud! (The pizza was absolutely fantastic ...yes, we ate there TWICE.)

The NYC Apple Store - a glass box enclosure above ground; a huge store below street level with half of NY's population inside shopping... yikes, talk about a huge crowd. Claustrophobia would not do well down there.

The south entrance of Central Park - "The Pond" - the weather was terrific.

Some awesome Fall colors throughout Central Park. I would imagine October would be the BEST time to be there...

Not even a third of the way into the park... it's a HUGE park. Very huge.

I probably could have just called this the "Central Park Post"  ...hard to believe there's a city out there.

I have another picture of this posted previously - I just liked the quote so I thought I'd post it again. Hey, this IS a running blog!

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Resevoir - sure could've used a wide angle lens here...

One of the old pedestrian bridges that crosses the 86th Street Transverse

Yes, you know what's next...

That's a tall building... Rockefeller Center

The obligatory outdoor ice rink pic - it's a neat area and Times Square isn't too far away. 

North end of Times Square - Theater District

Times Square ...eleventy gabillion people were outside

Lots of lights... a whole lot. Reminds me of Vegas.

One World Trade Center construction (9/11 Memorial site) - everything about this memorial site is huge in scale - it's really something to be seen in person. 

South Pool Memorial - former site of South Tower

View from the South Pool border...

Reflection off of the future WTC Historical Museum

They were just minding their business when I came along... once this pic was snapped, a long line of visitors started lining up for their picture opportunity as well - sorry about that! 

Well that's it folks! A small sampling because I like to take a ton of pictures, but I'm going to spare you! I sure hope to return soon to this wonderful city. Maybe as a lucky lottery draw for the next NYC Marathon???

Back-to-back Running Days & Some Worn Out Shoes!

I trust everyone's Thanksgiving was plentiful, joyful, and close to what could only be described as an annual food coma. So much food, so little time. Well not really... this is a four day weekend for me so you'd better believe I'm hanging in there for seconds and thirds. I know, I'm horrible...

But hey! I had two runs on back-to-back days starting with Thanksgiving (I usually try not to do more than two days in a row in a single week) and I'll tell you - that Thanksgiving day run was really.. .. ...blah. I'm going to put that one in the top three worst-feeling runs of this year, and I'm not even including the Mammoth Lakes running sessions in any of those because let's face it, it's high altitude running! I think my body and mind was fixated on experiencing a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, ham, asparagus, green beans, salad, pumpkin pie overload. And yes, I had two servings of each. Yikes. ("Oh... so that's why he ran again on Friday.")

On the following day, however, it was a complete turnaround - it was a fantastic run complete with great weather. I did notice something about my prior run: same warm-up/stretch routine, however, I grabbed my older Asics Kayano-17 with almost 300 miles on them. (I had not run in them for nearly two months - gee, I wonder why?) Just a quarter mile into my run I could feel that something was off... "hey, why are both of my legs and knees starting to hurt?" Well heck, a better question is, why didn't I just turn around and grab any of my newer pair of shoes?! Laziness combined with a lapse in good judgement. I finished up a 10k run and instead of feeling great, I felt miserable. I reflected on a fellow blogger TheRunningFatGuy and a recent post of his about running shoes - why did I choose to put mileage on shoes that I knew were likely beyond their useful life? All righty then...  lesson learned. No, for real this time... honest.

My second follow-up at a quality 10k the next day was a winner! My trusty Asics Gel 3020 have a little over 250 miles on them and the difference was easy to feel. (I have a couple pair of those and the newer Gel 3030, and even though the 3030 is about an ounce lighter, I like the 3020 a bit better - don't know what the deal is with that.) I'm reminded of RFG's post and I can't help but think I, too, am experiencing a lesser mileage life out of the Asics Kayanos. Hmmm...  time to re-examine my footwear perhaps.

You know, a year ago today, when I really started pouring on the mileage, I never would have imagined I'd be talking like this about running - let alone writing about how I'm wearing out running shoes! What a turnaround, but that's a good thing.

Anyone getting some high mileage out of their choice of athletic shoes?

Pre-run Warm Up... & Gear Check (sort of)

You know what I dislike about late Fall? Cold weather and short days! Although I noticed that I tend to spend a lot more time doing my pre-run stretching nowadays - it's too darn cold outside to be doing any kind of stretching for any length of time, so I always do it indoors... and boy is it comfortable indoors! Here's five of the seven stretches that I always try to incorporate before running: 5 Injury-Prevention Stretches for Runners (Mike Clarke @ Active.com)

I'm way too impatient as you probably already know, but a solid ten to fifteen minutes of stretching can do a world of good for a workout - plus, I like to throw in jump roping to get the blood flowing as a pre-run warm up. I like the Lifeline Jump Rope (LifelineUSA.com) and have included jumping rope as an in-between circuit exercise for the past year. It's cheap, fast, and definitely gets you warmed up in a hurry when it's cold outside! See how happy I am?

I normally do three to four sets of 1-minute routines, averaging about 80 to 90 jumps per minute. If you've ever considered the addition of jumping rope into your workout regimen, try to avoid jumping on concrete or hard surfaces - you'll want to take it easy on the joints and the abuse adds up rather quickly. I usually pull out a rubber mat for this and they're relatively cheap at places like Costco and Sam's Club.

Also, other than the jump rope itself, here's another Gear Check item that I was introduced to by a fellow runner and sports PT that I frequently like to pester with eleventy gabillion questions whenever I get the opportunity:

I like these inserts and have tried plenty of different brands, but these seem to work very well for me. I have a couple hundred miles on my current set and have enjoyed a noticeable improvement in my right heel (pain-wise). I have low arches so the Blue Superfeet is the recommended insert. They're not cheap and run about $40 dollars... whenever I get a $10 cash back award from Sport Chalet or see a 20% sale at Dick's Sporting Goods, I'm all over that Superfeet display - I may have a couple spare pairs sitting in shoe boxes just waiting to be used!

Well today was 10.75 miles for me and it felt great! Great weather, not too warm (a benefit of late Fall you say?!), but I must say my legs felt like I was hauling weights into the first two miles. After that second mile, however, everything seemed to pick up just fine. This is my last long run before the Las Vegas 1/2... although I'm quite positive a 9 miler is in my near future on Sunday. I know, I know! Tapering is important!

Say, anyone else here use shoe inserts? What works for you? 

Someone stole my lead weights!

Four days of rest and some reasonable nutrition... hey, I never said anything about "stellar" nutrition in my game plan - proof of my food oddities and why no one likes to eat lunch with me:

Boring! My typical lunch of wheat bread with Columbus roasted herb turkey slices, Swiss cheese, Trader Joe's edamame hummus and broccoli sprouts, fat free yogurt, string cheese, and slices of a Cameo apple. Insane, isn't it? I swear, it has a yummy-ness factor of 8. Okay, maybe 7 and a variety factor of 8. (shrug)

So today I did a training run of 8.75 miles and it felt fantastic! That struggling feeling of having lead weights on my legs is gone for now. I don't know what the deal was, but after reading other running blogs and perusing a few running boards, the obvious had escaped me and I failed to realize that every runner can have their off days. A lot of them. There's just too many variables involved - and even though I want running to always be the energizing, open air bedazzling, and general outdoor escapism that it is - it can't always be a cup of Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend.  ... . ... eh, well, y'know I really do love that Thanksgiving Blend coffee... but anyway, I'm just saying that I need to mentally push aside the bad runs and always focus on the good ones. It doesn't help that I'm trying to recover as quickly as possible (bad knee, long story) - I have races coming up and I really want to do my best, if not improve my times. Which brings me to another topic...

I'm running the Zappos Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon in about two weeks - it's a night time race right on the Las Vegas Strip - "What?" you say... "On the Strip?!" - yes, awesome, isn't it? If I didn't get the killer deal on the rooms where I'm staying at, there's no way I could justify the mounting expenses. But you know what? It will be a unique experience. I mean, how often will I get the opportunity to run under the lights of Las Vegas? (not including criminal conduct and the like - kidding! Honest.) Besides, peer pressure from all my co-workers who are also running the race is just too much to bear! No way I can stand to listen to them when they return about how much fun it was! Curse their convincing attitudes.

Where the heck was I going with this?! Ah yes... so clearly, it's not possible to continually run a faster race with each and every outing - I'm going to concentrate on having a good time (I know, I've said that before) - there will be bands playing, the neon lights, the crowds... well, you know how much I love scenery on a run so I hope I take advantage of it and soak it all in. That doesn't mean I'm going to be a slouch and let everyone run past me! I just want to remain injury free and get my money's worth... scenic-wise that is! It's all about the sights. Okay, and the bling... a Rock 'n' Roll finisher medal would be nice. And the post party... yeah, that too. (Insert thumbs-up/smiley face here)

It's going to be chilly running the Strip at night - so my game plan involves my usual early morning/late evening running wear: a long sleeved tech-shirt, running gloves (Under Armour or Nike fleece) and a micro fleece headband (for the ears). I never have a problem with cold legs so I'm sticking with the running shorts... besides, I hate running in workout pants - yikes, how does anyone do that?! I'm afraid to touch anything metal after a run in fear of creating some kind of death-like static shock. Oh yes, just remembered... and I'm ditching the earphones. Gasp! Yeah, I know, but I want to hear all the bands along the route and besides - even though there'll be plenty of light on the course from the casinos, I just need to hear more around me when I'm running in the darkness, know what I mean?

What's your cold weather gear like? I saw this runner powering up a hill early this evening (it was chilly out, about 51 degrees) and she had on a tank top and running shorts. I'm a wimp, I can't stand cold hands and arms... what is it? Mind over matter?

New York Miscellaneous

Did I mention while in New York City last week, I put in a few miles on the treadmill at the Marriott we were staying at? Who in the world works out when they're traveling?! I'm tellin' you, I have a serious problem! But just to continue on with my last tirade about gyms having a thermostat problem - it sure got hot in there! And of course, the treadmills faced the tall glass dividers by the large lap pool in front of us, so it "looked" cooler than it really was... mind games, I tell you! Nice treadmills, however... sure wish I would've noted what brand it was because I'd buy one in a heartbeat!

So while taking a tour of Manhattan when my co-worker and I weren't working (*cough*) I came upon a neat scribe/engraving on a bench in Central Park...

I like that a lot. The bench was on a sidewalk that borders a portion of the course where the NYC Marathon passes through. Speaking of which... while dining at one of the local eateries in downtown Brooklyn, Grimaldi's Pizzeria to be exact, I saw a couple people there with ING/NYC Marathon shirts - we were in town just days after they ran their annual NYC 26.2 - I didn't realize this marathon receives over 100,000 applicants! Amazing... and awesome!  ING NYC Marathon.org

Wait a second! You let me get this far without posting a picture of pure pizza epic-ness from Grimaldi's?!

This was their "small" pizza dish with pepperoni, black olives, and ham. This was an amazing pizza and I doubt I'll ever forget it ...no, really... it was awesome - something about their cheese. Epic-ness indeed! Yes, I'm a pizza addict. I seriously don't know what to do with myself...

Since returning from NYC, I had a couple of back-to-back "blah" runs, and although I'm probably in denial - I mean, c'mon, I had a whole week of shoddy nutrition (with the exception of Grimaldi's... that was all good nutrition, believe me!) and Hefeweizen beer goodness - it was bound to catch up to me. At least that's what I think it was? (head scratch/shrug) Anyway, I believe I'm just a run or two away from springing back into a good running rhythm - it's a great feeling that I miss already - I'm not being too melodramatic, am I? Hey, good and bad days... what can you do.

"Say, anyone seen Jim lately?"

Sorry 'bout that! I've been so selfishly self-absorbed with my trip to New York - but now that I'm back, just a quick recap on my knee and other innocuous things:

Well, it's still there. The knee that is. But much, much better! I have a feeling though that I'm pushing things a bit fast - I really have to learn how to do two things right: 1) Being patient; 2) Listening to my body - especially the important moving parts, like joints. 

A couple Thursdays ago (I know! I haven't written since then!) I did a couple of back to back, easy treadmill runs of 5 miles each. Here's an idea of what our gym at work looks like:

Yes, it's usually that empty after work hours...

C'mon... with a name like that, it must be a healthy room to be in, right? They need to seriously get that A/C or thermostat fixed in there. Personally, I think it's some kind of management tool to keep us out of that gym!

So by Saturday, I was feeling pretty darn good about my knee so I powered out another 5 miles on the pavement with some hill work. Come Monday, the day before my trip to NY, I put on 8 miles of outdoor bliss and it was a great run... until about 7 and three-quarter miles into it, I could feel that persistent pain in my right knee again. Why do I do that to myself? 

I have to keep in mind that running on a treadmill (without an incline) and trying to heal can be successful, but that feeling of running pain-free can be overwhelming, but it isn't an open ended ticket to rush out and hit the pavement and hills. There's the impatient part. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself.

Anyway - for you gym folks... ever notice how hot it can get in a gym? I'm thinking 56 degrees is where the thermostat should be set. None of that sissy 70 degrees stuff - yeah, sure, for weight lifting that's fine, but the runners/spinning/rowing/elliptical people - we need a ginormous fan or some serious cold-factor kicking in through the vents!

"Ouch" ...not just another four letter word

It's been a near four days of rest since my last run (recovering from a knee injury - FYI in case you're not one of my two readers) and so I was determined to put in a solid 10K run tonight - and believe me, I was looking forward to 6.2 miles of running bliss! It was a little late, but the temps were relatively cool - still plenty of light but I knew I would be ending the run close to complete darkness. 

It was a fairly rough run to begin with - just some slight discomfort with the knee and feeling the burden of an easy-going lifestyle of the past week ...that was kind of a joke, but you know what I mean. By mile 5 it was pretty dark and for some reason, most of the street lights were out on my side of the street. As soon as I lit up the sidewalk with my small LED flashlight, I heard a loud male voice yell out "Ouch!" - almost as if it was coming from directly behind me... ...wait, that was me! Whew... but ouch. My knee is pretty much done as far as any upcoming marathon is concerned. I keep saying that, don't I?! I think I'm constantly trying to convince myself that it's for my own good and that I need to listen to what's going on with that knee... yet, I'm so fixated on running Malibu.

I read once from a marathoner that the biggest disaster he made was his unwillingness to readjust his goals prior to a race. "Seemingly small issues can have a major impact." Ultimately, the snowball effect takes over when we could have stopped that calamity just a short distance into it. So, time to scale down and rest. Then resume training for my upcoming Holiday Half in December. I can't say that I'm not disappointed, but as I mentioned before, it's all a learning process.

You know, I need to include more pictures because it's kind of boring without pictures in a post, isn't it?

So how's your walk/run/cycle/swim week coming along?

Nutrition for the road...

Lunchtime is usually an interesting bag of randomness around me - I always try to fit in some type of vegetable, fruit, or whole grains - plenty of room to work with! Although I'm heading out the door to get some more road miles on the bike and then a run later on, so some extra fuel couldn't hurt, right?

Who could resist Honey Crisp apples?? I mean, c'mon! They're awesome! And they're in season (although at $2.49 a pound, it takes some of the edge off of that awesomeness) and are in the ginormous category - they're pretty huge. Half a Honey Crisp is more than a full serving size. Ya-hoo.

But wait, there's more! Red grapes, too? You'd better believe it! Those red grapes go with practically anything... even pizza. ...hey, if they can put pineapple on pizza, then red grapes will do as well.

What?! Yes, I know... completely ridiculous, but I felt like dessert instead of lunch. So, topped with a quarter cup of non-fat, plain organic yogurt (Trader Joe's) and Quaker granola - now that's the shiznit of fruit bowls!

Hit the road today... cycling, that is! (Gear Check, too)

I was feeling restless so I did a quick safety inspection on my hybrid road bike (short frame mountain/road bike) and put a few miles in today. Ya-hoo!

Not quite as svelte as road racing tires, but these hybrid tires go up to 110 lbs as the recommended pressure - don't you ever get that feeling that something is going to explode?

Love those Bontrager wheel rims... they can sure take a beating! (yeah, I've taken my fair share of spills.)

My Trek 7.5 mountain/road hybrid, short frame bicycle, complete with a Polar CS200 cycling computer and  my trusty Topeak smartphone holder for the GPS function (pictured below).

Overall, a great ride and a nice workout for my knee!

Anyone else get a chance to hit the road today?

Gear Check: Nike+ Sports Kit and Other Choices!

Somewhere between the picture taking and the short walk to my parked truck after the Long Beach 1/2 Marathon, I lost my Nike+ receiver (the white plug-in pictured on the left side). I've had that thing for almost 16 months and you'd think I would've lost that gizmo much earlier given its size! Anyway, I looked high and low - that little sucker is gone! So I had to pick up another receiver, which meant buying the entire Nike+ Sports Kit ($29). Now I have 3 sensors... I guess I have a sensor for three different sets of shoes! Although come to think about it, I believe the iPod Nano only accepts up to two separate sensors. (shrug) Oh well... say, just a side note: the sensors are supposed to last about 1,000 miles of running, or one year of use - something like that. There's a CR2032 or CR2016 battery (I forget) that powers the sensor's microchip, but it's a non-replaceable battery. So once it goes, the sensor gets tossed. What I really hate is that you have to calibrate each new sensor for the most accurate measurement of your walk/runs when synced to the Nike+ receiver. I just wish those darn sensors had a removable/replaceable battery housing! (I'm still using my original sensor, by the way and sometimes swap out with my backup sensor on another set of shoes... I'm in full anticipation of hearing that low-battery warning for my original sensor!)

I really love my iPod Nano - when combined with the Nike+ Sports Kit, I've gotten a lot out of it as the pace feedback and music to supplement some portions of the run have certainly made it worth its weight in gold. Well, actually, it doesn't weigh all that much... in fact, it's hardly noticeable. I guess it wouldn't be worth too much on the gold market? But now I'm thinking about adding GPS to supplement or replace the sensor - I already do, in a way, by using an app on my smartphone called Cardio Trainer, and sometimes RunKeeper. I use the GPS function to trace my stored route after the run or cycling activity, plus it's a good measure to compare to the distance on my Nike+ sensor(s). Lately, I've been looking at the Nike+  TomTom GPS SportsWatch - it not only captures GPS data, but whenever a satellite signal is weak or lost (or when running on a treadmill) the TomTom SportsWatch links back to the Nike+ sensor and continues to track the sensor data. How cool is that?! The sad news is, it's not a media player, so if you want your tunes for the road, you'd still have to carry your iPod or similar media device.

Not to be outdone, have any of you seen this? MotoACTV SportsWatch

I see it as a direct competitor to Apple's iPod Nano with the Nike+ Sports Kit, and even against the Nike+ TomTom SportsWatch. Not only does the MotoACTV SportsWatch track GPS data, but like the iPod Nano, it has a built-in accelerometer as well, AND is an MP3 player! (Those of us with an iTunes library that includes music downloaded from first quarter 2010 and later, those iTunes music files will play on MotoACTV!) Another big plus: it's Wi-Fi enabled and can actually communicate with your smartphone - meaning you can accept texts and even answer your calls via the headphone's built-in microphone! (Very useful for when I'm on-call for work... hate missing those calls during a run!) You know, I happen to have a Motorola Droid phone and there's a free app that will allow the two devices to integrate wirelessly through Bluetooth and do oodles of things that one cannot possibly fathom! I'm so torn! And I'm used to the Nike+ Running website where all my walking/running activity has been stored (as glitch-ridden as the site is, it has its upside and is a great motivator and a great way to interact with other runners)... on the other hand, MotoACTV is launching its own workout site that will be similar to the Nike+ Running format - which I think is a good thing because it gets you involved and can be a very useful tool in training. But I'll tell you, it's just plain fun, too!

Did I mention I was looking at the Garmin 610 GPS SportsWatch, too?

So what kind of electronic gizmo do you use for your workouts? Media player? GPS? Smartphone? Just clothes, a good pair of shoes, and the wind in your face? Because that's good too! Less distraction. Mmhhm!

Being impatient and waiting to heal... they don't go well together!

Yesterday (Friday) was day 5 of rest for me - yikes, talk about feeling antsy to go for a run! My knee was feeling 95% - okay, maybe 90-ish percentile-wise, but I wasn't feeling any discomfort in the knee so I figured, hey, why not take it for spin? Sure...

So after finishing work, I went downstairs and hit the treadmill in our fabulous gym - which isn't too "fabulous" by the way, ever since the thermostat's been broken and it warms up to a balmy 84 degrees in there! But I was a desperate fool and wanted to run without any hills and zero incline. Just something flat, straightforward, without the need to jump a curb or sidewalk and to keep a steady, easy pace. Soooooo...  it was a nice success! I thought I was only going to be able to run a 5K, but my knee started to feel even better as I continued at my pace, and before I knew it, I was coming up to mile 5. What? Okayyy! I had 5 miles in my head the entire time! It's so difficult to lie about those things. What can I say... I really needed to run at least 5 and I would have powered out a 10K, but better judgement got the best of me and I decided that was enough of a trial run. But it sure felt great to do that!

After getting back home (and practically sitting on an ice block underneath my knee), I felt that darn pressure behind the patella again and I started to curse my poor judgement. Was this going to sidetrack me even more? Did I forestall the healing process? Pfffth! Quit yer whinin'! I woke up early today and my knee felt fine! Not too bad, but I do feel I should have used a bit more precaution, or at least stayed in taper-mode to give myself and my knee more time to get closer to 100%. I keep reading sports medicine journals about knee related injuries for runners/cyclists - it's always the same advice: wait until the injured site is pain-free, meaning 100%, before starting up any activity that may compromise the healing process. Sheesh, hey look, I was probably closer to 97% okay? I hate percentages...  they all lie!

So today will be my rest day - although I'm considering an easy walk for a couple miles. I'm incorrigible.

After all this, however, it also brings me to the realization that the Malibu International Marathon will be a no-go for me. I still have it in the back of my mind that I can do it, but I want to enjoy it - and not just to do it. I'm pretty bummed, but you know what? It's all part of the learning process! All-righty-then, no sad faces, just fun, fun, fun! Maybe I'll add a bicycle ride today instead...  ya-hoo!

"How's the knee, Jim?"

Hey, glad you asked! My knee is feeling much, much better! If I were to give a conservative estimate, using some kind of extrapolated formula, I'd say it was back to 80%. I have no idea how I came up with that percentage... all I know is, it certainly feels much better and seems to have improved much more quickly than I originally anticipated. As I mentioned before, it's not the first time I've had that injury (typical overuse injury to the knee, for those of you joining us late), but it sure seems to have healed on a hastened path. Hmmm... it's trying to lull me into a trap! Well to be safe I'm going to take it easy and wait until Friday before I attempt any walking or, dare I say? A run??

WOW, am I overly eager to get a run in! I was thinking today about how my thoughts are often preoccupied with how long of a run I was going to power out, or what route I was going to take for the day and what not. It's sort of an anticipatory thought process because I really look forward to some of these runs. Not all of them, but plenty of them. It's the training ones I tend to dread as I know a steep hill is usually waiting with my name all over it! Or the tempo training run... ughh... misery to my ears because all I hear over the music in my earphones is the sound of my heavy recovery breathing!

But for now, while I'm still recuperating, I'm looking forward to fitting in an active semi-long walk, and eventually a short and easy run. Say - depending on how I feel I may even try to work up a long run by Monday morning! Whoa there! Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves... I'll see how it goes the next few days. Although I sure am feeling restless! I'd better find something else to blog about!

And hey, check out the new poll on energy gels - sorry but it's all about the gels this time! I'll fit in a generic "energy supplement" poll somewhere down the line. Thanks to all two of my readers out there for participating!

Until next time...

Energy for the run… the science of Glycogen

Blah, blah, blah…  boring! Science, shmience. Take a gander through Google and see what comes up for “glycogen” – very interesting stuff! You see what happens when I get sidelined from my running? You get to read nonsense like this. Sorry! But leave a comment… it’ll make you feel better.

I’m actually a huge proponent of fueling the body for any level of endurance activity lasting 90 minutes or more. From personal experience, I know that my body needs the fuel during lengthy runs that require some hill work. However, I take in a reasonable nutritional diet that’s consistent with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan, so I know my glycogen reserves are there – I’ve powered out a good number of 15K runs without any energy gel supplements – this is something to be expected given the dietary intake is consistently sound and absent of any metabolic disorder. The point is, if you’re planning on putting yourself on track with a training regimen, and it involves endurance building, it’ll be a worthwhile effort to look at supplementing your glycogen reserves during the activity itself. Carbohydrate loading aside, I’m talking about forestalling glycogen debt for as long as possible during the endurance activity itself. If you’ve ever experienced “hitting the Wall” or what cyclists refer to as “bonking” then you’ll never forget that feeling. Extreme fatigue, loss of energy, and a near shut-down of any willingness to push on. It really sucks. But you get the idea and you know what? So much has been written about this topic that I’m going to just simply jump into what I wanted to say in the first place…

What’s your favorite energy supplement? Can you tell I'm a gel freak? It's sort of an acquired taste I suppose. It's not exactly something I would spread on a peanut butter sandwich, but the thought has sure crossed my mind - so now you know I'm over the edge! It's not pictured above, but I also like Hammer gels by Hammer Nutrition. You don't see any there because I used them all already! But my backup is the crowd favorite, GU (Tri-Berry ...so hard to resist!), and my recent find - Clif Stawberry and Clif Chocolate. Yikes! Delectable delight in a 1.2 oz package. I know - you're totally filled with disgust. Hey, it's not for everyone, but for me I can't seem to get enough of them.  

Say, here's something that's rarely addressed: Caffeine - many of these gels have caffeine added to them and some, like GU Strawberry & Banana and Clif Chocolate are clearly marked "NO Caffeine" - but "why?" you ask. After inquiring with fellow gel-junkies, the answer appeared to hover around "rate of absorption" into the body - according to The Journal of Applied Physiology (2008), caffeine serves as a positive catalyst in conjunction with carbohydrate consumption... I mean, let's face it, those gel packs - they're just a pack of sticky carbs (yummy for the tummy!) - meaning that the glycogen is replenished much more quickly during the endurance activity. So what's with the NO caffeine gels? Hey, not everyone wants the caffeine, or needs it. Why do they make decaf coffee? (Personally, I think that's a crime, but that's just me.)

If you decide to experiment and pick up some energy gels one day, just make sure to check the expiration date on those things. I noticed the Hammer Nutrition gels have a shorter shelf life while the others have a little over a year. It shouldn't matter much, with the exception of that greedy gel thief who bought out ALL of the remaining Clif Strawberry and Clif Vanilla flavors from Sport Chalet the other day! (Scoff!) Ehh, it's okay, I didn't like the Clif Vanilla flavor anyway. But I sure hope he/she grabbed a bunch of early expiration date packages!

Runner's Knee... or, "Hi, how are you? Me? I'm doing... horrible."

Okay, not to start off with a whining session - this is about shared experiences and you know what? I'm going to share my misery! (I'll try to tone it down a little...)

My knee is really aching today and I can't help but think this will sideline my runs for the next several days... maybe a week? Just reading my prior posts, it's not too hard to see where I went wrong: I went beyond the 10% mileage increase rule (too much, too soon) and I packed in a heavy dosage of hills (hard to avoid it, but still, I should have known better and there's always somewhere with flat terrain that I could drive to). Here's a good idea of what I'm experiencing now - Runner's World - Runner's Knee - not IT Band, but PFPS... and man oh man is it painful.

I keep reading about the two camps; one advocating the 10% increase rule, while the other says "hogwash!" ...I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that as of this writing, I'm in the "10%" camp.

Well, this isn't the first time I've experienced this injury and I'm sure it won't be the last. Live and learn - time to get some rest and heed the simple advice of RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

Say, any of you have any injuries to relate to? Please feel free to comment... and remember, I'm not a doctor... but I play one on TV.

More runs, more training… endurance building?

When I’m not training, I purely enjoy the runs for what they are – just the simple pleasure of letting the mind wander as I push onward to experience the world around me. “But, you’re going around the same part of the neighborhood all the time… how much experience of the world can you get out of that?!” Okay, I didn’t say it was a Worldly-type of experience, just of “the world” in general, all right?

When you think about it, it’s so simple, yet we subject ourselves to discomfort, exhaustion, and a mental challenge all at once. Hard to describe that as enjoyable, but at the end of it all, one can hardly deny the fulfillment of accomplishment. When I think about that experience, it takes very little motivation to get me out there for the longer runs. Once I get into the run, however, I’m always glad that I did it. During training, it’s different; I know that I have to do it – it’s something that requires discipline because I’m in it for the endurance building – to get my body to the point where I can sustain an ever-increasing amount of mileage. I certainly wish I had more discipline, because my self-motivation talks are not only depressing, but they’re totally lackluster in enthusiasm! So much for the mental challenge…

Anyway, as you can tell, I’m doing my runs as of late for training. No, I’m not in it for the speed (well, not necessarily, but close) – I’m in it for the distance. Endurance running will get me to the distance and I’ve been on the path for a while, I just have some doubts I can actually run 26.2 miles before 2011 is up. The prior week, my long run of 15 miles wasn’t too bad in retrospect. I bonked at the 13 mile mark and my body was stressed for energy (I had forgotten to pack an extra energy gel!). But I completed my trek and I was quickly in the recovery phase. This past week, I worked in two medium-distance runs of 9 miles each. I love those 15K runs – enough to stress your body and mind, but not enough to trample you into a hole! You can’t tell me there isn’t any sense of achievement when completing a 15K, especially for us new folks! I love it!

However, today (Sunday) was a tough day. It was once again my long run day and the goal was 17 miles. I had plenty of water standing by for the route I plotted around my home, and plenty of energy gels to go for three solid hours if need be (you’d better believe there’s a “need” in there!). The weather was chilly in the morning, but for the length of this run, I would be in good temps throughout the morning and so I didn’t need to worry about overheating – wore my sleeveless top and running shorts as usual, so I was comfortable as can be.

The particular route that I plotted included three long loops through the neighborhood, depending on which blocks I skipped or added, the distance could vary between 5.5 and 6.25 miles per loop. I tried my best to slow my pace to +1 minute on the race pace, to which ultimately I was only able to make at +30 seconds. This is really something I need to work at, consistency-wise, and I felt I was expending too much energy by the second loop. Now, these loops, they’re not quite flat. Actually they have some of the most vicious elevation climbs that no USTF official would ever sanction in a race! But it’s a way of effectively including hill training into my run, and finding a route without hills in my neighborhood is next to impossible!

And so, 11.6 miles into my run, I was still feeling strong. My body was feeling the weakness of pushing the distance, but I had no doubt I would have the energy to finish all 17 miles. With my last energy gel consumed, I had plenty of opportunity to make the best of it and I would end the run with my body just about ready to scream for more fuel. By mile 15.75… well, that was it. My right knee started to hurt from soreness – mostly toward the back of the knee, an ever so familiar feeling! The damage was done and I knew it was time to stop running. I walked a short distance and realized that this had the potential to sideline my training. I was a little over mile 16 by now – good thing I was close to home and it was pretty much all downhill from there, geographically speaking. Could I have kept running an easy downhill run to finish 17 miles? Certainly – I had the energy, my mind was set on it, and it was going to be an easy downhill run. My form, however, would have suffered and quite possibly, my injury would have become worse. An otherwise productive run would have turned into a disaster. I learned a simple lesson and it’s something I need to remember; no matter how much we fuel the body to go forward, it’s meaningless unless we gain from the endurance training that allows us to run unencumbered, without injury. I may as well have been trying for 50 miles. In any event, I lacked the physical training characteristic that comes from endurance building.

Time to take a closer look at how realistic my goals are (for the short term)…

Running your training schedule & the 10 percent rule...

A bit of a high mileage week - I decided to schedule my 5 mile run the day after my 8 miler last Wednesday as I didn't want to run the day before the 2011 4th Annual Randy Simmons 5K on Saturday. Where was I going with this... oh yes... sorry. I hadn't planned on running the 5K until a week ago, but I figured it's for a good cause and mentally, it's a huge boost to the mindset when running with others in a big crowd. You know, the last time I ran that 5K course at Elysian Park (Los Angeles) it was early 1991.

So here's what I'm doing - I would like to run a full marathon before the end of the year and I've been looking at the Malibu International Marathon (November 13, 2011) since mid-year. Staying on a training schedule has been challenging for me, especially with working in a half-marathon race the month before Malibu! Realistically, I should have been in the upper mileage arena the week before the Long Beach 1/2, but that would have wreaked havoc on tapering down for the race.

So what to do? For me, the answer was simple: run the Long Beach race the way I should be training for a 1/2. With four weeks between Long Beach and Malibu, I calculated I could bump my mileage by 22% for the weekend long run to keep myself on par with the Malibu race date. It should be noted that this goes against the common 10 percent rule. It is generally accepted that sports injuries can be prevented using this rule. It is essentially a limit on the amount of exercise that is increased in weekly training. In this case, as an example, a runner doing 20 miles in a week should increase their run no more than adding 2 miles for the week - this is also applicable to time-based running where if one runs a total of 2 hours in the week... well, you get the idea. It's not without some controversy, but I'm going to repeat something that I truly believe in: The 10 percent rule is simply a guideline - always, always listen to your body. Don't ignore the aches and pains of your body - especially if it seems persistent. Sports injury warning signs to pay attention to (well you have to because they're hard to ignore!) include swelling, joint pain, numbness/tingling in an impact area, reduced range of motion - especially in a joint. As I like to say, your body knows best!

With that simple unscheduled 5K addition, I went over the top so to speak. I still felt strong for my long run - so earlier tonight I set out for a 15 miler to get me into the endurance mindset and on a modified training schedule for Malibu. It was a good run, too, and around mile 5 I found that I was really enjoying myself. I felt I could easily run 18 miles! So guess what? No, I didn't run 18 miles - I bonked... hit the proverbial Wall as it were at the 13th mile. With two more miles to go, I struggled to keep proper form and to make headway on my ever-slowing pace. By mile 15 I was done and ready to hit Stop on my mileage/GPS tracker! And so here as I type this, I'm rested and content; my knees feel like they're in hasty recovery and my legs are feeling fine. Maybe I can do this marathon in 2011 after all...  I'll have to gauge my progress as the next two weekends still hold an endurance run at the end of each week. Another note: medically speaking (cardiac health-wise), the 35 mile per week training minimum before running a marathon is often a standard cited for post-marathon heart health for non-elite marathon participants. (I can see it on your faces now; who in the World runs over 35 miles per week?!) I believe it's equally important to keep realistic goals in mind - I'm not going to train beyond a 17 mile endurance run. But at the end of those 17 miles, I can't help but think to myself, "hold on a sec... 9.2 more miles to go???"

Well, there's always the 8-and-2 rule and that will get me to the 26.2 finish line! Let's talk about that 8-and-2 some time...

Gear Check: GPS Watches (Link)

Currently, I use a Nike+ iPod Nano for tracking my runs and/or the CardioSmart GPS app on my Droid phone. The Nike+ app on the iPod Nano is not GPS-based, but uses a foot pod-like sensor attached to the shoe and a receiver on the Nano for tracking steps taken during the walk/run. It's quite accurate when calibrated correctly and the entire package is very lightweight and "cumbersome" is not a word I would use to describe this setup. However, like all things that track human activities, it has it's shortfall at times - but if you're a GPS junkie, here's an informative link (dated August 25, 2011) that tests the various GPS walk/run devices that are currently on the market:

RunTheLine.com

I'm intrigued with the Nike+ Tom Tom GPS Sportswatch...  we'll see...

Post Half-Marathon Training...

48 hours after finishing a 1/2 marathon, I felt really anxious to get back on the pavement. As strong as I felt, I knew my knee just wasn't ready for a run. I could have gone for a nice walk, but I had spaghetti and meatballs waiting for me, so how could I put that off?! Hey, I have a well-disciplined eating schedule too, darn it! But seriously, I was feeling that charley horse spasm in the back of my knee - a very familiar feeling that would have been aggravated if I didn't listen to that nagging discomfort. It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. I didn't need to make it worse. Rest is good, and as the common running advice goes, "make your rest/recovery days equally as important as the runs themselves!" You see, I'm not running just to be running, because I do enjoy it - but I'm still in training for my next half-marathon. It just serves as a good reminder that 1) Listen to what your body is telling you - it knows best; and 2) Refer back to No. 1 ...no, just kidding, but I always wanted to say something like that. No. 2 is, give your body the time it needs to recuperate. Over-use injuries are very, very common - more common than people would imagine. But it's real and no one else will tell us except for our bodies. We need to be good listeners.

So now, or at least earlier this evening, three days post Long Beach, I decided to edit my training schedule just a bit and jump into my mid-week long run. Not too long, but I don't know what else to call it. My knee was feeling much, much better. That extra day of rest was well worth it! So I set out for my 8 mile run as soon as I arrived home from work...  ...well, it was 100 degrees outside so I held off for another hour and then did my run. It was still warm, but not nearly as bad as it was just an hour earlier. It got dark incredibly fast, but I had my reflective gear and a very small LED flashlight (I know, I didn't mention that in my earlier post, but remind me if you're interested in hearing about it... it's really not that exciting and it's an expensive piece of gear) - and so off I went. I imagined I was on the very same run as the Long Beach 1/2... I felt great and was able to power through all three of the dreaded "hills from Hell" - mentally, it seemed to work well for me to put myself into the Long Beach course for this run. Even though I knew I wasn't running 13.1 miles tonight, I felt that I could have run a Half by the seventh mile! A positive, mental attitude sure does wonders! It helped that I was feeling up to spec, too. A simple charley horse discomfort would've ended that in short order.

Up next: 5 miles on Friday... but I have a slight dilemma to deal with. Maybe there's another "edit" in my near future.

A helping hand... Anti-chafe products that people rarely talk about

I don't get it. What's the big secret? Maybe active enthusiasts have long since talked about it to death that no one has decided to resurrect the topic? (shrug)

I don't like blisters or soreness. Does anyone? Well here's a handy tip for us new folks - anti-chafe/anti-friction topical applications. They're absolutely worth their weight in gold, but actually aren't all that expensive. I used to get a lot of blisters on the bottom of my foot and also near the back of the ankle where it meets the heel of the shoe. Especially on the longer walks/runs. There are few things that will sideline your training as effectively as a bad blister. The best way to deal with them is to avoid them in the first place - so try this on for size:

 

My personal preference is the Asics Chafe Free - there's two versions of it, but the one pictured is the $15 variety and the one pictured next to it is the popular Body Glide (great for wetsuits and chamois-type bicycle shorts) for $9-$10. I prefer the Asics version because it goes on thick and dies just as quickly as the Body Glide - and that 1.5 oz, similar to the Body Glide 1.3 oz, lasts for a good number of applications - a little will go a long way. Just apply to the areas you experience friction/chafing, allow it to dry (under half a minute) and you'll experience a blister-free training session during those longer excursions.

A few co-workers have mentioned using 2 Toms Sport Shield and Blister Shield (usually available from specialty running and cycling stores), but I don't have any experience with their products - I do know they're priced relatively similar to the Asics Chafe Free product line. Just so you know, I use the Asics for my feet whereas the Body Glide is for when I'm wearing bicycle shorts for all my cycling activities. But, it works equally well for those long walking and running activities.

Did you find this relatively boring? You don't have to answer that... but I felt compelled to pass on this little bit of advice. So there!