Getting My Groove Back...

It's super hard to establish a routine, but it's super easy to break one....especially when you travel.

Now, I need to qualify that statement a little bit because I travel a lot.  I don't tend to slack off when I'm on the road.  In fact, I am the queen of foreign country hotel gym treadmills if it isn't safe enough or convenient enough to run outside.  I make time when I'm on the road domestically.  I worked hard to create a routine, I'm darn determined to keep it.  Except when...

Vacation can be a tough one.  Especially a vacation with a schedule.  And even more so when the vacation is chock full of other physical activity like hiking and paddling.  It is SOOOOO hard to keep at the running routine when your legs are tired from a day of hiking, or your body is heavy from 2 hours of stand up paddling in stiff headwinds.  Not to mention, sleeping on an air mattress in a very cold tent, or drinking just a little too much wine the night before.  Those can hinder maintaining a routine too.

Did you catch that maybe I had those things happen last week on vacation?  Yeah.  My family traveled to Lake Mead, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Bearizona for 6 days of hiking, paddling and nature.  I had every intention of not letting down on my training schedule.  Every workout is important to achieving my goals.  But you know what they say about the best intentions.  I think I only ran twice last week.

Don't get me wrong.  I was not slacker.  I was still covering 6-10 miles a day, just a little differently. (I did run through Bryce Canyon City, UT and in Kingman, AZ, but that's only two).

However, those days off do make it difficult to right the ship and get back on track.  I'm finding I need to shift my training schedule around a little this week (maybe decreasing the intensity of my effort workouts) to allow my body to readjust back into my routine.  Well, that and the extreme heat warning we've got this week until Saturday night.  I'll be dragging myself out the door to get it done.

What gets you off track?  How do you get your groove back after?  Me, I have to thrust all my energy into getting one foot back in front of the other and just getting it done.  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  784.96 miles

Observations:  One advantage to shifting the routine for a week was that my left leg injuries were given a rest.  Frankly I've got no pain left in my calf.  I still get a bit sore in my foot tendons after a run, but not as bad.  Now, just to defeat the heat this week.

MARATHON TRAINING WEEK FOUR:

Monday - 6 mile repeats (switched to 5 miles treadmill....stiff and getting back into it)

Tuesday - 6 miles easy (shifted to Wednesday due to the 4th of July)

Wednesday - 5 miles hills (shifted to Thursday flat due to heat)

Thursday - Off (you know this didn't happen)

Friday - 3-4 miles easy

Saturday - 12 mile long run

Sunday - Off

Shoes, Glorious Shoes....

As a runner, there are few things in life more thrilling than opening a new pair of running shoes.  They are clean - unmarred by hundreds of miles on dirty roads or trails.  They smell fresh - not yet wreaking from all that sweat soaked into the liner.  Most of all, they feel like heaven on weary feet and are probably the single most important equipment investment you can make as a runner (to have a more enjoyable experience and avert the risk of injury). 

That first run in fresh shoes provides me that "ahhh" moment of relief after running too long in shoes that had broken down in the heel or blown out in the toe....especially since I stretch my shoes out to about 500-550 miles.  Why this post now?  We'll, I just got a new pair delivered today and I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing (at least in my head, because my shoes have been feeling really flat lately and not so comfortable).

The issue of running shoes tends to raise the most questions from novice runners who may ask - "just how long do running shoes last?" or "what kind of shoes do you wear?"

My sad, old shoes.

Answering the second question first, I'm a New Balance devotee....New Balance 1080 to be exact.  I've worn this shoe, in all it's various improvements, for years.  I go through 3-4 pairs a year, at about $140 a pop (ouch!!!!!).  Now, I'm also going to tell my runners it doesn't matter what shoe I wear, it only matters what shoe is right for you.

Every runner, whether new or experienced, should visit a specialized running store to buy the first good pair of shoes and then every couple years, at least, to ensure the shoe is still working for your gait (after all, we all change with age).  I advise new runners not to get caught up in buying the coolest looking shoe or the one that was on sale at the department store (unless you already know that it will work for your foot type, weight distribution, and gait).

My new, glorious shoes

Now back to the first question...how long should your running shoes last.  This actually depends on a couple factors - weight, gait, running surface.  A good rule of thumb is 300-500 miles, some brands or physical therapists will recommend no more than 400 miles.  After a couple pair, you should start to recognize how your shoes impact your run and body as they near the grave. 

Check out this 2016 article from Health, that I think addresses the issue well for most runners:  "3 Signs You Need a New Pair of Running Shoes."

So how do you keep track of the mileage on your shoes?  Well, here is a tried and true method (but it does require that you keep your running shoes for running only, and maintain other shoes for walking, gym workouts, etc):

• Keep a written running log/journal. Identify in your written log when you start wearing a new pair and log the miles and shoe feel after each run.  I do this electronically on MapMyRun rather than keeping a paper journal.  It has the same end result, but MapMyRun will send me email reminders throughout the life of a pair of shoes about how many miles I'm racking up.  Are there other methods you use to track the mileage on your shoes?

So, now that I've talked about how much I love a new pair of shoes, it's time to take that first run!  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  738.4 miles

Observations:  I'm still struggling with the left leg injuries.  When I feel that tell tale tingling of pain in my left foot that signals overuse, I've pulled back my workout.  I can't afford another turn in the boot.  I'm also unhappy with the calf tendon.  It was feeling better, but then during a HITT workout, it seemed to take a turn back in the wrong direction.  Let's see if the new shoes help out a bit.  If I could transplant my left leg, all would be hunky dory! (though I will admit that the heat is really sapping the energy).

MARATHON TRAINING WEEK TWO:

Monday - 6 miles interval (switched to 5 miles ladder - warmup, 400-800-1200-800-400 with a 400 recovery and cool down....it was hot as Hades at about 110)

Tuesday - 6 miles easy

Wednesday - 5 miles tempo

Thursday - Off

Friday - 3-4 miles easy

Saturday - 12

mile long run

Sunday - Off

It's Getting Hot Out Here...

It's summertime....well almost summertime.  Who really can tell the difference out here in the desert?  The calendar may still say it's spring, but with temperatures topping 100 degrees more often than not now, I'd say summer is in full swing.  (At least I say that now.  Wait until July and August when it's well over 110 most of the time).

Though it might be tempting, higher temperatures don't mean taking a break from running.  They just mean you have to run smarter.  So, in this post, I thought I'd talk about 4 things I currently love for my summer running.

But first, I want to recap an opportunity to roll with my homie this week - yep, Baby K (not so baby anymore) was back in the jogging stroller for a SW29 workout on Wednesday.  It's so rare that this little one is willing to sit in a stroller for a whole workout anymore, so I took advantage.

For days, Baby K had been asking to stay home from daycare with mama and do what I do during the day (though I'm pretty sure that didn't include wanting to do my work with me).  I finally let him stay home for a day with mama, to include a run, albeit one that was billed as an "endurance run".

So, I packed up the water bottles and snacks to stash in the stroller, put on breathable clothes for both of us, and strolled to the start...on what would be the HOTTEST day of the week (with a high of 105).  After slathering enough sunscreen on for a football team, we headed out for a four mile out and back.  (We were told to cut back to 30 minutes because of the heat, but I really had a bare minimum number of miles I needed for my mental plan).

I will tell you, it was a hot run.  Not only was it hot, I was pushing the jogging stroller for the first time in months.  The route seemed only to go up, and no matter how much water I drank, it didn't seem like enough. 

At the two mile mark, Baby K and I were completely on our own, with everybody else having turned back at least half a mile earlier.  It was a mental challenge to push through the waves of heat rolling over our bodies, oh and also that slight head wind on the way back that seemed to push back against the hood of the stroller creating more resistance. 

We finished, though it wasn't pretty.  Baby K has had his fill of running for a little while.  And, we even found more water to quench our thirst back at the finish.  All in all, it wasn't as bad with hind sight as it was while struggling through it.  That said, I'm going to stick to early morning runs or the treadmill on future days this hot.

Back to the things I'm loving right now (I am receiving no compensation for the rave reviews you'll see below).


Banana Boat Sport CoolZone sunscreen - Out here in the desert, the sun beats down like no where else.  Literally, it can feel like your skin is being seared.  That makes sunscreen an essential, especially with red hair and fair skin.  This sunscreen goes on easy and always cools the skin, so it feels awesome reapplying every 45-60 minutes.

SaltStick Fastchew Tabs in Tart Orange - During the hot summer months, as you're sweating buckets, replenishing electrolytes is almost as important as drinking plenty of water.  I used o take the type of salt or electrolyte tabs that you had to swallow with water.  Then I discovered these little gems.  So easy to take, not chalky, and they don't leave an awkward after taste.  Bonus, shortly after chewing a tab, I tend to feel my energy soar again. 

Fitletic Water Belt - Sure, there are lots of hydration options for every runner type.  For me, for summer runs 5-12 miles, I chose the Fitletic hydration belt.  It holds two water bottles (8 oz each) on parts of the waist that don't interrupt my running form, has loops for your mid-run nutrition, and tabs to hold your race bib.  My favorite part is the flat zipper compartment with a slot for your id and also large enough to hold an iPhone in a case, plus my roll of SaltStick tabs.

Skin Slick - This is a new addition to my running bag.  I've been a devotee of body glide for a long time, going through tubes and tubes every season.  Recently I discover the Skin Slick, which is a newer anti-chafe topical that comes in an aerosol can.  It's easy to apply, and you don't have to touch the skin.  Why is that important?  Well, I'll never forget the night before a race once when a good friend learned that her husband had borrowed her body glide for a race the week before....to glide up his private parts.  Yeah, there are just things that shouldn't be shared.  So, with the Skin Slick, you can share away and not have to worry about what body part was being treated.  Bonus - it seems to work just as well as body glide so far.

What are your summertime gear favorites?

Alright, it's time to prep my gear for tomorrow's long run (early enough in the morning to avoid the nasty heat).  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  637.48 miles

Observations:  I've still got soreness in my tendon that borders on pain.  It dissipates a bit once I get a mile or so into a run.  I'll be able to focus on healing it after Zooma half next weekend.

Recent Workouts:

Monday:  Easy Run

Tuesday:  mile warm up, 2 strength exercises, treadmill mile (repeat the exercises and treadmill mile for five rotations)

Wednesday:  Stroller Run

Thursday:  the gym was closed so I took the day off from my strength interval routine

Friday:  Stop, Drop & Roll with SW29, a blend of running and strength

Saturday:  Long Run (10 miles planned)

Sunday:  Easy Run