Feeling your Run

Hello Everyone,

Well yesterday was a rest day on the training schedule, but did I rest... No way.  I did an Insanity workout, "Max Recovery"  I want to know just what part of that workout was for recovery because that was pretty intense.

On schedule for today, 5 mile run, and it looks to be a beautiful first day of summer, so I am looking forward to a nice easy 5.

Which leads to the title of today's blog. Feeling your Run.

I was wondering how many people actually take the time during their run to actually enjoy the run and the world around them?  

I know most of the time when I am running I am way to focused on just getting the run done more than actually enjoying being out and being able to run or sometime I focus too much on my breathing, my posture, my turnover rate, or how I am landing on my feet.  I tend to over think these things instead of just letting them happen naturally.  So I wind up missing out on enjoying the feeling of my run and the things around me during my run.

I love running and being outdoors, it really doesn't matter what the conditions are outside I would rather be outside than in.  So running really fits with me.

Recently I have been going out for my runs with the intent on just enjoying the time outdoors and taking in all that the run has to offer.  It has been a little tough making that change, since I seems to keep falling into the old habit of focusing on the mechanics of how I am running.

I hope you all take the time to enjoy your runs today.



 

Easy day of running

Well today is a light day on the running schedule, an easy 3 miles on a nice sunny 78 degree day here in Philly.

Not much else going on today, just the normal work stuff.

One thing I want to bring up is a product that I came across yesterday that seems very interesting.  EnergyBits http://www.energybits.com/

This really seems like a great product, so I am just wondering if anyone has had a chance to try this product out with your training and what your results have been.

I order a couple sample packs to give it a try, hopefully they will arrive quickly so I can try them out on my next long training run this weekend.

My review will come once I am able to give it a try.

Anyway, there are 4 different formulas, Energybits, Recoverybits, Vitalitybits, and Skinnybits.  All these contain Chlorella and Spirulina algae and are loaded with 40 nutrients.

Check them out and let me know what you think.

Well that is all for today.

Good Running Everyone.  

Treadmill vs Road Running

I am constantly asked why I run outside on the road when I could run on the treadmill in a nice controlled environment?  Why do I torture myself with running in the hot, cold, rain, and snow?  Why not just run on a treadmill?

Well for me there is not comparison to running outdoors on the road.  I really love to run outside, and can't stand to be stuck running on a treadmill.  The joy of the scenery, the people you see, the wildlife, the wind blowing in your face, and the sounds that you hear.  So what if every one in a while you get a little rain or snow in your face, or you have to add a few layers to run in the cold or remove a few to run in the heat.  It always beats being stuck on a treadmill going nowhere looking at the same old things, even with a TV it just gets so darn boring running on a treadmill.  

Don't get me wrong I started running on a treadmill, that lasted about a month, once I got up to 3 miles I just couldn't take it and had to venture outside.   Luckily I work with a bunch of runners so they helped me make the transition and showed me some good places to start running.

That was 5 years ago now, amazing how time goes by so quickly, seems like only the other day I was running in my 1st marathon.   Now 5 years later and I have completed 4 marathons, 5 half marathons 2 10 mile broad street runs and a countless number of 10K and 5K races.

I love running, the feeling I get during the run and after the run is pure joy.  There are days that I just don't feel like running but I get out there and do it anyway, and afterward I am happy that I did it.  I truly feel energized after a nice run, not the long runs, a nice easy 3 - 5 mile run really gets the juices flowing and get me pumped up for the day.

Let me know what your thoughts are.

Have a great day all.



 

Week 2 of 18 Marathon training

Today starts week 2 marathon training.  Still a light week, longest run 9 miles on Saturday.

So I have been doing this smoothie thing since January, I purchased a Nutri-Bullet and almost every day I replace one meal with a smoothie drink.

My recipe is usually a variation of these ingredients

Fruits
Banana, Pineapple, Mango, Apple, Pear, Avocado
Greens
Spinach, Kale, Spring Lettuce Mix
Add-ins
Wheat Grass powder
Agave Nectar
Cashews, Almonds or Flax Seeds

So I usually a use a couple combinations of different fruits (lately it has been 1/2 cup Mango, 1/2 cup Pineapple, and 1 Banana with a big handful of some greens, a scoop of Wheat grass powder, a teaspoon of Agave Nectar and a bunch of nuts or seeds.  Oh yeah and about a cup of water to help make it easier to drink.  I tried using Strawberries and Blackberries but the Nutri-Bullet didn't break down the seeds very well  and I wasn't too fond of the way it felt drinking it with the seeds so I don't do Strawberries or Blackberries.

I usually have this smoothie after I do my run or workout, helps with replenishing nutrients and liquid and the will be my meal for that part of the day.  Surprisingly this will keep me satisfied until next meal time.

I think this has really been helpful with my recover after a run and keeping my weight in check.

Well that is all for now

Have a great day everyone.

Weekend with no races

Well I didn't have any races this weekend but did a 8 mile training run on Saturday and then some time in the sun at poolside.

Sunday was just an easy day, did some shopping for the week and then back to sun at poolside.  

Week 2 of marathon training starts tomorrow, still short runs bu the long one will be coming soon enough.  

Nothing much to discuss this weekend.  

Hope you all had a great weekend and for all the fathers a Happy Father's Day. 

Adding Insanity as part of your workout routine

So as I mentioned earlier, I started my 18 week marathon training this week and I have decided to add Shawn T's Insanity DVD training series into my weekly routine.  I actually started doing the Insanity training a couple weeks ago, just two days a week since I was still in training for a 1/2 marathon, doing more seemed like a bit too much.  So I started with just 2 days a week on my days that I didn't  have to run.  So in total I have done 7 Insanity workout so far.  I have to say that I can already feel a difference, my core feels stronger and firmer, crazy you might think, but I really can feel the difference. 

So now I am thinking, how can I fit more of these Insanity workouts into my routine.  Maybe I can get out an run early in the morning and then do Insanity later in the day. That could work, but I will need to be careful not to over do it.  

There are 2 sets of DVDs in this Insanity pack, a 60 day workout challenge.  I started with doing the fit test at home when I first got the DVDs, now I thought this would be pretty easy seeing how I run a lot, I thought I was in pretty good shape, boy was I wrong.  Just doing the fit test I was soaked with sweat and out of breath, that my friends is a workout in an of its self.  

So you work your way through the 1st set of 4 DVDs over the 1st 30 days and they are tough, but just when you think they are starting to get easier, you bump up to the 2nd set.  Which all start Max, like the 1st set wasn't intense enough now we are stepping up to MAX.   

Oh Yeah, there are 2 DVDs that say Recovery, don't be fooled by this bad boys, there is nothing recovery about them.  You are working your butt off just as hard. 

One thing I recommend, make sure to have some good Training Shoes, don't try doing this workout with the same shoes you use for running.  There is a lot of jumping and you really need to have the support of some good training shoes.  Also make sure to have some towels handy and plenty of water.  

Well that is all I have for today. 

Have a great day and get out there an run. 

  

New Running Shoes

Hello All,

My new Nike Free 3.0 shoes have arrived.   I custom designed the colors so it took a couple extra weeks to get them delivered, but worth the wait I think. :)

I have been running in Nike shoes for a while now at least 3 years. I just recently started running with the Nike Free style of shoes forcing me to run more on my mid-foot instead of the heal strike runner I used to be.  I find that this type of running has helped me to increase my speed and causing less fatigue on my knees.
It definitely takes a bit of a transition period to get used to the mid-foot strike running, since you are using your calf muscle a lot more.  I would say it took me a couple of weeks of shorter runs to get used to this new style, and I still feel next day soreness in my calves after a longer run (10+ miles). In general I think this type of mid-foot strike running has been very helpful with my running.

I recently read "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen" by Christopher McDougall.   I thought this was a very good book and it helped me to understand more about mid-foot / barefoot running.  I highly recommend this book for any runner.

Have a great day everyone. 

Running and Hills

This brings to mind the hills in the ODDyssey Half I ran this past weekend.  It was between mile 2 and 3 that I started going down a long winding hill taking it pretty easy, when the thought occurred to me that at some point I am going to have to come back up this hill :( .  After that I didn't pay it much mind, just focused on running and listening to my music. Then as I pass the last water station at mile 12 it pops back into my head that hill, and as luck would have it, it made it's reappearance shortly after that water station. Turns out it was the last half mile of the race that this hill came back to kick me in the butt, it seemed twice as long and steep this time around.  I try to train for hills but living in South Jersey it is hard, since it is a pretty flat area and I despise running on a treadmill.  I work in Philly so during my weekday runs I go to a park near the office that has quite a few hills that I can train on.  

Found this online and figured I would share it, as we have all probably had this very same thought at sometime during our running.

18 Week Marathon training starts today

I am registered for the Atlantic City Marathon coming up on October 13th 2013.  So my 18 week Hal Higdon training program starts today.

Following the Intermediate 1 training guide, seems like a pretty good plan of attack.  Going to be mixing in some Insanity DVD training sessions 2 to 3 times a week to build up my core strength.  

Marathon Training Schedule: Intermediate 1

Date Week  Mon Tue         Wed         Thu         Fri Sat           Sun

6/10   1      Cross 3 m run 5 m run 3 m run Rest 5 m pace 8 run

6/17   2      Cross 3 m run 5 m run 3 m run Rest 5 m run 9 run

6/24   3      Cross 3 m run 5 m run 3 m run Rest 5 m pace 6 run

7/1     4      Cross 3 m run 6 m run 3 m run Rest 6 m pace 11 run

7/8     5      Cross 3 m run 6 m run 3 m run Rest 6 m run 12 run

7/15   6      Cross 3 m run 5 m run 3 m run Rest 6 m pace 9 run

7/22   7      Cross 4 m run 7 m run 4 m run Rest 7 m pace 14 run

7/29   8      Cross 4 m run 7 m run 4 m run Rest  7 m run 15 run

8/5     9      Cross 4 m run 5 m run 4 m run Rest Rest          Half Marathon
8/12  10     Cross 4 m run 8 m run 4 m run Rest 8 m pace 17 run

8/19  11     Cross 5 m run 8 m run 5 m run Rest 8 m run 18 run

8/26  12     Cross 5 m run 5 m run 5 m run Rest 8 m pace 13 run

9/2    13     Cross 5 m run 8 m run 5 m run Rest 5 m pace 20 run

9/9    14     Cross 5 m run 5 m run 5 m run Rest 8 m run 12 run

9/16  15     Cross 5 m run 8 m run 5 m run Rest 5 m pace 20 run

9/23  16     Cross 5 m run 6 m run 5 m run Rest 4 m pace 12 run

9/30  17     Cross 4 m run 5 m run 4 m run Rest 3 m run 8 run

10/7  18     Cross 3 m run 4 m run Rest        Rest 2 m run Marathon

My goal is to finish this marathon in 3:30:00 or less, this will get me a qualifying time for Boston.  

In the meantime I have a couple other Halves coming up so I will be able to get a feel for my race times. 

Well that is all for today, have a great day everyone. 

Oddyssey Half Marathon finish

So Sunday June 9th 2013, ran the Oddyssey Half marathon.  Interesting run to say the least.  Runners were encouraged to wear costumes for the race.  So and a group of my friends decided to run in German attire.  The 4 girls that I work with and run with on occasion decided to wear German Oktoberfest Beer Maid outfits while I wore the classic German lederhosen outfit.  Quite an interesting and fun run with all the different costumes.  Also along the way there were bands playing music and game stations with chances to win prizes.  One such prize was 30,000 dollars.  So needless to say my finish time was a little bit slower than normal as I stopped at each game station to get my chance to win the money.  I finished with a time of 2:19:12, I am happy with that, had I not stop I probably could have finished under 2 hours, but I had a fun day.