Week 4- Quad Cities Half Marathon

Sunday June 30, 2017

 

As I enter the last full week of July, I can honestly say I am tired of the humidity and so is my body. The first 3 weeks of training have been productive but I’m starting to feel the fatigue of summer setting in. Coming into training I knew what to expect since this isn’t my first summer in Phoenix, but can we ever truly be 100% ready for this?

Here is a look at how the week came together including a review on some new earbuds!

 

Monday– easy run

What an entrance to the 4th week… rain! We finally got a good amount of rain in our area on Sunday evening as well as Monday morning. It rained steady for the first mile which felt good as temperatures dropped to the mid 70’s. Then the rain stopped and it felt miserable almost as if we were running inside of a sauna.

I put in 6 miles and my legs felt like rubber. My foot was also giving me some issues. I’m wearing the new insoles as mentioned last week and although its early in the testing phase, it may be part of the issue? I struggled this morning.. aside from the horrible humidity I just feel wore down and tired. In the end, it wasn’t pretty but completed and I can walk away feeling a sense of accomplishment.

 

Tuesday– Track day or “Sauna Day”

 

 

83 degrees with 79% humidity… this equates to 91 degrees!
This was an extremely tough day at the oval office! I did not hit my target and was a little suspect of hitting it the day before but thought I’d give it a go. Well, as it turns out my 2 x 1 milers were tough to sustain the pace that I was hoping to achieve. I did push and get faster on the 2nd but it took everything I had. I ended with an 800 and 400 to complete the workout. The 400 came on the heels of Carrie who helped convince me to run one hard one.. .thanks Carrie it helped having you out there.

After the run my phone said 87 degrees and 79% humidity which comes out to 102 degrees! No wonder I was struggling. When I got home, I weighed myself (I weighed before I left) and I lost 3 lbs of sweat! I definitely need to put back the fluids.. thankfully its over but a feeling of accomplishment is what it’s all about!

 

Thursday– Easy run (Treadmill)

I put miles on the treadmill this morning for several reasons… To ease the pounding on my left foot and to get out of the heat. I want to have fresher legs heading into my long runs and the treadmill provides less stress on the body while giving me the miles. I think the treadmill will be a good break once a week. The run went well but I was experimenting with my Garmin and put in on the indoor function. With this function it actually calculated my distance but it was not accurate. The treadmill said I ran 4 miles while Garmin had me at 3.54 miles.. that’s a huge discrepancy! Nonetheless, I got an easy 4 in and followed up with a nice long stretch and roll and off to work!

 

Saturday– Long run

Woke up Saturday morning feeling ready as ever… I had 10 miles on the dock and flat grounds along the Western Canal Path. I decided to drive to the YMCA in Tempe for my OB (out and back) route. I started just before 5am and had my hydration and new earbuds… review alert! Let me digress for a bit. A few weeks ago, my Beats wireless earbuds stopped working with the functions on the cord that control the volume and playlist went kaput! Then part of the cover came right off the cord shortly before heading out for my long run last weekend. I ran with it but lets just say that when you’re running, the last thing you need is to mess with your music and have to stop.

Let me preface this by saying I only wear music on my long runs and on some short easy runs, but rarely so I refrain from wearing it altogether. Don’t get me wrong, music is a great motivator but I believe we need to listen to our bodies especially on the easy and recovery runs when it’s about leg turnover vs. trying to pump ourselves up for a fast run while listening to your favorite hits.

After last weekends long run, I went on a quest to replace my Beats. After visiting a few stores, I  came across Yurbuds which are part of JBL, a very reputable audio company. I wanted to find some less expensive earbuds and switch back to the wired vs. wireless for an increase sound output.

 

 

These looked sharp and it was on sale for under $25! a nice price point. Best of all it said it was “guaranteed” to never fall out of your ears! Their patented TwistLock design sounded intriguing and worth a shot. Sound to good to be true for a product under $25? Sure, I was skeptical and after scouring the shelves full of earphones and earbuds, I decided to go with the Yurbuds Inspire 300 in black.

Wow! let me say that these earbuds lived up to the hype! It was very comfortable from the get go and even though the sound may not be as crisp as the more expensive earphones/earbuds and headphones on the market, these put out very good sound with a little more bass to it which I like vs. high treble tones. Plus they have a cool feature called QuikClik, a tangle-free magnet that holds the earbuds together… no more tangling cords!

 

Bye bye tangled cords!

 

 

Check out this review on youtube… click HERE

This morning, I did my 10 miler with them on and they did not fall out, shift, or irritate me one bit. The silicone cover over the earbuds is solid and even after sweating a ton on my run, these guys stayed in! I also have to commend Yurbuds for their customer service as stated by above review. If your earbuds (they come in 2 sizes) don’t fit to your ears, simply call them and they will send out a size that fits you FREE!  I did just that and I should be receiving a new size next week! So far this was a great buy and I didn’t have to spend too much on it. If there was one thing I would have liked on this model, it would be a volume control. You have to move up to the Inspire 400’s which have a slightly different build with the controls near your neck… reviews were mixed on these. So there you have it, if you’re in the market for a new set of earbuds I strongly recommend the Yurbuds Inspire 300!

As for the long run… In a nutshell it went better than last week. I hit my mark and had a very good run. I needed this boost not only physically, but also mentally to give me some confidence heading into a cutback week and a 5K race next weekend.

I felt tired afterwards but not beat up like the hills last week. After the run, I headed off to the gym for a short strength training workout and a nice roll and stretch routine.

 

Sunday– Recovery run

Sunday morning was nothing but breathing the thick air of humidity.. YUCK! Low 80’s but 70% humidity which is just thick air and not fun running in it. Luckily, I was just doing my recovery run following the long run. Nothing to write home about, good turnover and running on tired legs which is beneficial during the latter stages of a race when I can recall these moments into action.

Overall, a good week and now I can use the upcoming week as a cutback week as I do a 5K race next weekend. I’m excited about it and hope to run an honest race and put in a good effort.

Also, this morning Carrie took part in a local 3K race which is put on by our friend Flash who was also Carrie’s Cross Country Coach at Gateway. It’s a challenging cross-country course here in Ahwatukee that Flash sets up a few times in the summer that involves a sandy wash, hills, and rolling grass hills. This was Carries day, she won the overall females division and came home with a basket of goodies which included a pair of movie tix, organic treats, gift cert to Sole Sports all wrapped up in a popcorn bin.. Great race Carrie!

 

 

There you have it.. 4 weeks of training behind me and that much closer to Quad cities! I can’t wait until then when the lows are typically in the 50’s and possibly 40’s, that I truly welcome!

Week 3- Quad Cities Half Marathon

Sunday July 23, 2017

 

A little different format for my blog.. I decided to break it down day by day. I’ll also provide some insight to my new insoles by Enertor that arrived earlier in the week and how they have been working out.

Here is how week 3 played out…

Monday– easy run

I mapped out a new route that Carrie and I ran together, I had 6 on the dock while she had 12. I’ve been trying to run a flatter course on Monday’s in prep for my track workouts on Tuesday. This just helps my legs stay a little fresher knowing I’ll be pushing it in 24 hours. This mornings route was nice.

On our way out we noticed how relatively cool the temperature felt. It was 78 degrees with 76% humidity. Standing still it felt like a chill in the air when we have been used to mid to upper 80’s and even some 90’s as we pound the pavement. It didn’t take long until I was drenched in sweat and by runs end, it looked like I had been in the pool!

Tuesday– 2 x 1K and 2 x 800
76 degrees, 78% humidity

Well, this one doesn’t seem like much on paper. For me, I’m trying to incorporate more of the speed workouts and this morning was a good test. Carrie volunteered to come out and help pace me if I wanted and I definitely welcomed it.

I had targets for each workout and the morning was extremely sticky. There was virtually no breeze so the air was stagnate. As I got underway, Carrie was on my right and we kept the pace for where I wanted to be. The K’s were tough but I felt relaxed and in control. The same for the 800’s but I was tiring on the last 300M or so. I picked it up on the last 100M. I know that I have a good kick and even if I was slow at certain points of my run, I always close out strong!

It was nice to have Carrie out there acting as pacer. I will return the favor this weekend on her 20 miler but on the bike of course :).

 

 

Thursday- Easy run

Ran this morning with my sis n law Michelle, Carrie ran a little too but she was meeting her friend Susan for their longer run. The run felt sluggish, perhaps from Tuesdays tough track workout.

I also received my shipment of the Enertor insoles which I looked into as a result of Carrie and some of her feedback from very good runners who have sworn to have helped eliminate some of their foot pain. I didn’t have a chance to wear them for Thursdays run but wore it to work to get a feel of them and it felt comfortable.

 

 

Saturday- 10 mile Long run

This was not as productive as I had hoped. Compared to last weeks 9 miler which was on flat grounds by design, this mornings run was hilly which I wanted. From the moment I got up to the first mile, I just felt off my game. My pace was decent but I was having a hard time keeping it. As the hills approached, I would initiate a good response and keep a nice steady pace. It was 87 degrees with 47-50% humidity so sticky as usual so I knew the hr would rise quickly.

I was also paying attention to my new Enertor insoles which I was wearing for the first time on a run. I wore them at work yesterday to get a feel for them and at the time they felt good. Any time you introduce a new insole its going to feel foreign which it did yesterday. This morning I was feeling pain around mile 3 more on the heels of my foot, especially on the left one which is my troubled foot. Typically I get pain on the lateral portion of the foot so the new insoles which are raised a bit in the heel affected me to some degree.

Its way to early to say whether or not the new insoles are going to be a benefit. The fact that I wore them for 6.5 miles before switching them out for the original insoles to break them in is a good first run. I’ll continue to wear them on most runs to allow my feet to get used to them and provide a more thorough review.

Overall, the run was descent and I had a few good climbs that I managed to run what I thought was smart and not try and bolt to the top and waste energy only to lose it on the flats or downs.

Afterwards, I stretched, rolled, and did a quick strength training routine and had a good breakfast! :).

 

 

Sunday- Recovery run

This is a run I look forward to for one simple reason…pace is out the window. I like it in that this is purely based on getting my legs turning over after a hard long run day prior. The first mile was very slow and I felt the residual effects from the long run. It was good to shake out yesterdays run. I had to get out very early this morning as I was on bike duty to help provide hydration for Carrie who had 20 miles on the slate with some speed workouts in between. She had a great workout despite the awful mugginess of July!

 

         

 

On the Coaching front… Lane, Meredith, and Anne are in their groove and getting in some good base building. Lane has been getting his base in as he looks ahead in the distance to Arizona RNR Half in January. Meredith is enjoying some good training in Flagstaff and Indiana as she continues building her training plan for the big Ironman AZ in November. And Anne is back from a much needed vacation and getting back to form as she will be starting her Half Marathon training for Ventura in just one week!

That wraps it up for another week!

Week 2- Quad Cities Half Marathon

Sunday July 16, 2017

 

 

 

I hate to sound like a broken record but the heat is on. It’s my 22nd summer of running in Phoenix and it always feels like the first. On a positive note, I am running more by effort vs. pace which is by design. I have stressed to my athletes that we have to modify our workouts as the typical runner can see their average pace slow by 10-15 seconds or more during the summer.

It has been spot on with me as I am running about 15 seconds slower. Naturally my heart rate increases quicker in the heat which is human anatomy 101 right? But a lot of us force the square piece into a round hole and try to run quicker than we need to and thus have a crappy run and feel totally beat up in the end. For me, I’m waiting for my body to feel like I’m coming out of a slingshot when the weather starts to cool off in October (less than 3 months!) and I’m running quicker at the same effort… that is the equalizer!

The body is holding up and the workouts on the road and in the gym are going very well. I’ve settled into a nice routine and making sure my strength training is productive. In terms of my nutrition, I’m not gorging myself on food but being careful on portion size. I’ve even stopped buying ice cream during the training phase which I love as a dessert. Instead, I’ve started eating fruit sorbet and being careful to not overindulge :).

I’m also keeping to my regular sleeping schedule…early to bed early to rise. It may sound funny that I’m in bed before most people think about sleeping, but I’m also training and letting my body get the rest to rebuild.  I’m being more thoughtful and giving back to myself which is what I need at this point. I love training and I also respect the work that it takes to live that lifestyle. You have to be all in or its going to be a struggle… I’m all in!

This weeks runs have been good overall but difficult with the increasing humidity. My speed workout of 800’s and 400’s went well. I was tired but felt in control for the workout and finished strong. I ran with Michelle on Thursday for my easy run which felt a tick slower and more effort. The morning was very humid and I may have gotten a bug overnight which made me feel a step or two off. It was nice running with Michelle as we covered some hills along the way.

The weekend run consisted of a long run and recovery run. The long run was on Saturday and I got underway at 4:45am at Kiwanis park. I wanted some new scenery and I was watching my friend Paul do a 5K race which I stepped in for about a mile to help pace him.

My long run went well and I was pleased with my effort. No stops for extra hydration and ran with my Nathan packs. The pain on the bottom of my left foot was there which I expected it would creep in but I didn’t stop and finished well. I then watched Paul run a good effort race under some extreme humidity which zaps your energy levels so much quicker. He ran well and had a strong finish.

Here we are with about a mile to go and where I peeled off to meet him at the finish line! Great finish Paul!

 

 

After my long run I did feel beat up and got light-headed and was having a hard time recovering and spent the afternoon trying to nap and get back to feeling well. To complete the week, I finished with a recovery run just to keep the legs moving. I was very slow but as we know, it’s not about pace after a hard run, it’s all about quality and good turnover to flush the system out. Afterwards, I went to the gym and did my strength training, rolling, core, and stretching routine.

I was able to catch Carrie coming home midway through her 18 miler to get some hydration. She’s having a great Marathon training and said today was the worse day in terms of humidity. I would have to agree… 58% humidity is by far the worse day of summer and looking to climb! Good run Carrie!

 

 

Week 1- Quad Cities Half Marathon and an Elite Runner!

Sunday July 9, 2017

 

 

I kicked off another training session at the beginning of this week.. The Quad Cities Half Marathon in September to be exact. The four core cities that make up the Quad Cities are…Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline in Illinois. I’m not very familiar with the area. The last time we were near the Quad Cities was when we did The Bix 7 mile race some 8-10 years ago.

Before I get to the Quad Cities, I have to train. There in lies the real challenge…training during summer in Phoenix is not ideal, but the rewards in racing in a city that will be 35-40 degrees cooler will feel much better! I kept telling myself this as I did my 8 miler on Saturday when the temperature at 4:45am was 95!. These grueling morning runs in 90+ degrees are both physically and mentally challenging. As crazy as it sounds, I am embracing these “suck” days to put myself into great position for a great race in September!

Speaking of racing, Carrie and I  got a good taste of the heat on the 4th of July when we took part in the Arizona Road Racers 4 mile race. This is always a tough race and that extra mile when you’re used to racing a 5K seems so far, but we both thought as hot as it was with temps hovering 90 degrees we have seen summers where this race was far more humid and unbearable.

For those of you who have not had the “pleasure” of visiting Phoenix in the summer, it is like turning on the blow dryer and trying to breathe the hot air as you get your run in!

In terms of training, my first week of training went pretty well. After the race, I put in a few easy runs and a long run Saturday. My long run this weekend vs. last weekend was definitely different. Last weekend I purposefully ran on a flat course and the temperature was in the upper 70’s to 80… This Saturday I strategically chose a hilly course that mimics the hill I will race on. As mentioned earlier, it was 95 degrees and sweltering before the sun came up. My HR quickly climbed as the heat has that effect on the body and made it tough to run comfortably. But I had a good run and did my strength training at the gym.

I ended the week with an easy run out at the canals near the Sole Sports in Scottsdale. We got up extra early at 3:30am to get out the door just after 4am. Carrie had a 16 miler that she was running with some speed and wanted to be out with some of her friends. I did 4 miles and brought her hybrid bike to help Carrie with the rest of her long run. It was a nasty morning.. muggy and hot. I was just getting some leg turnover after Saturday’s long run and felt surprisingly good :).

Carrie had a great run and finished strong with some speed miles…total miles was 16.5 and she was happy! It was great to see some of our friends who run this route on the weekends, although the canal is not as busy as it normally is, you can tell who the diehards are!

 

 

 

Another part of this blog is about our recent hosting of an Elite Professional Runner. Yes, we hosted an Elite by the name of Neely Spence Gracey, a very talented runner and extremely down to earth and easy-going person. Neely is an 8 time NCAA DII Champion and in 2016 ran her first Marathon at Boston then later placed 2nd for an American in the New York City Marathon that November.

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We were so thrilled to have her stay at our home and it was such a great surprise. Carrie’s friend Kerry who is also a very talented runner and Duathlete, has some connections to the Elite circuit and has hosted several athlete’s of her own. She reached out to Carrie and I to see if we would be able to have Neely stay for a day, we couldn’t believe it and graciously accepted!

When we met Neely, it was as if we all were already friends. She is extremely approachable and easy-going and the three of us quickly struck up a conversation. Yes, the conversation was virtually all about running which Neely didn’t mind and neither did we :). This was a special treat for Carrie who follows Neely on social media and also met her in a previous race.

Having another female runner… a Pro runner to be exact was extremely inspiring to her and I. Carrie and I follow a lot of athletes mainly through the races we watch or online and have come to appreciate the hard work and discipline it takes to be the best.

It was a fun evening of talking at dinner then watching track of course which was being televised that evening and hearing Neely talk about how she knows the other athletes as if it were a friend close to us.. pretty cool stuff.

The following morning which was Friday, Neely and Carrie and her friend Kara all went for an early morning run. I was on the bike acting as hydration and camera support :). For 10 miles, it was such an uplifting experience to hear how the other side of the running world lives.

 

 

Thank you Neely for taking time to share a part of your world with a couple of running geeks! And thank you Kerry for this wonderful opportunity to host.

There you have it! A good first week of training and more hot weather under my belt. I know the payoff will be worth it when we race in Moline in 11 weeks! Looking at historical averages for the month in Moline on race day… a cool 49-50 degrees with highs in the mid to upper 60’s!

 

 

The heat goes on!

Sunday July 2, 2017

 

 

June is behind us and July is where the humidity will start to settle in. After a very hot June, which saw a full week of heat advisories, what do we have to look forward to? I’m hoping cooler temps and some monsoon thunderstorms!

Even though running has been difficult at times with the heat, this week wasn’t too bad towards the end of the week as our highs dropped below 110 cooling off the mornings to upper 70’s. After 22 years in Phoenix and a handful of years in Tucson one would think I would be used to this heat but really, can you ever get used to 110+??

As I head into a summer of training, I am happy to report that the 4 weeks since my last Half Marathon has gone very well. Flashback to early June when I made a pact to get in quality strength training, eat better, and keep up with my stretching.

☑ Strength training– I have been keeping up with my 4 day a week trips to the gym and getting in some good strength training.

☑ Diet– Overall, I’m not overindulging or getting into the “junk” as much as I have in the past which says a lot. As a result, I have lost 1-2 lbs and more aware of what goes in. Always a work in progress, but feeling good about the choices and quantity of what I am having.

☑ Stretching– One of the first things I do in the morning as I wake up is grab the foam roller and do some rolling along with stretching for a few minutes. On run days, I will follow-up with a full 10 minute session to cooldown the muscles. Sometimes I will do another stretch session in the evening. As a result, I have kept my back from the nagging pain that normally sets in after my runs.

As you can tell, I have seen a positive impact on my running and well-being. So, I am about to embark on another 12 week Half Marathon training. I still look forward to my weekly regimen as I did decades ago when I would lay out my training in advance and look forward to the hard workouts.

Tomorrow begins the first day of training for my September Half Marathon in the Quad Cities Marathon/Half Marathon. Carrie will be racing the Marathon distance and is already building up her mileage too. I’m excited about the upcoming race and it will be my last Half Marathon as a 47-year-old by almost 3 weeks. More importantly, the drive is still there and as I’m always looking to “reinvent” the wheel and run more efficiently!

I’ve also made some changes on the Coaching front and after July 6th, I will be taking a break from Coaching the Thursday Track group. Its been in existence for nearly a full year, and in that time we have only missed two or three workouts. I am focusing my attention on training/coaching and allowing myself to have the time to do so. I love the group and I have made new friends along the way. I have seen seasoned runners improve their times on and off the track as well as the beginners take shape and gain so much confidence.

I have been able to watch every single person grow into a faster and much more confident runner over this period… this is a testament to their hard work and consistency no matter the weather. Knowing I bring value to the group has been the best reward for me and I am greatly appreciated for the opportunity. I hope they keep making it a part of their weekly regimen! Thanks PR’s (Pete’s Runners)… I am forever grateful!

To everyone out there, enjoy the upcoming 4th of July holiday!