Well, here I am, a little less than two weeks away from running my first 50k - on Saturday, October 24th I will be running the Surf The Murph 50k. I signed up for this race about 4 weeks ago and knew it would be a compressed training plan. That said, I got in somewhat of a routine for my normal runs and managed to fit in a 17 mile run (5 weeks out) and a 22 mile run (4 weeks out) before dropping the idea of one more long run while dealing with a head cold followed by stomach flu.
But I feel strong physically and more importantly, mentally. Just knowing I completed a trail marathon on a somewhat tougher course than what Surf the Murph will be run on, makes me feel confident.
My strategy for this race is to take it easy in the early portion, especially on the hills. After I get through the hills again on the second lap, then I can see if I want to (or even can) kick it in a little bit. But if I'm able to just run a consistent race and feel reasonably well afterward, then I will consider it a success. A key component of this strategy will be eating real food. That made such a difference while running Curnow versus chugging gels like I did during my pre-Curnow long runs. My stomach felt great the entire time.
Gear:
I went ahead and bought another pair of Hoka Mafate Speeds. I have liked this shoe despite a few others telling me that they did not. The reason I bought another pair is that some of the traction has worn away on my first pair and I feel like I may need it for the race.
I also just picked up a pair of Injinji toe socks. I seem to have the blister thing under control, except for a couple spots between my toes. So I thought I would give these socks a try and see if they help.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Friday, September 18, 2015
What's Next?
Since completing the Curnow Marathon back in July, I've been kept busy in a number of ways and have yet to run another race. And actually, have not been running as consistently as I would like. But getting two kids ready and dropped off at college as well as following another kid's lacrosse team progress will do that to you!
Now that Labor Day weekend has come and gone and we are beginning to see some signs of the beautiful fall weather that Minnesota is known for, I am more determined than ever to continue on my running program and keep my fitness levels high. One of my more recent revelations is that I am about 250 miles away from running 1000 miles for the calendar year. While this may be easily achieved by more seasoned runners, I have not come within 500 miles of this milestone in my life! So goal #1 for the remainder of the year is to run consistently and smash through that barrier.
Next on my list is to find a few local races to run during the fall months. With that in mind, I just signed up for my first 50k trail race on October 24th. It's called Surf the Murph and is held in Murphy-Hanrehan Park in Savage, MN. I have come up with a fairly compact training plan since the race is just over 5 weeks away. Thankfully it should be more of a ramping back up effort than building from scratch.
Other races I am considering in the coming months:
Frozen Otter (64 or 32 miles) - January 2016
Trail Mix 50k - April 2016
Superior Spring Trail 50k - May 2016
Grandma's Marathon - June 2016
Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon - July 2016
Superior Fall Trail 50m - August 2016
This list is a bit aggressive and I may not be able to run them all. Time will tell. The only one of the above races I have run is the Curnow Marathon. I would like to take another shot at it and see if I can improve my time.
Now that Labor Day weekend has come and gone and we are beginning to see some signs of the beautiful fall weather that Minnesota is known for, I am more determined than ever to continue on my running program and keep my fitness levels high. One of my more recent revelations is that I am about 250 miles away from running 1000 miles for the calendar year. While this may be easily achieved by more seasoned runners, I have not come within 500 miles of this milestone in my life! So goal #1 for the remainder of the year is to run consistently and smash through that barrier.
Next on my list is to find a few local races to run during the fall months. With that in mind, I just signed up for my first 50k trail race on October 24th. It's called Surf the Murph and is held in Murphy-Hanrehan Park in Savage, MN. I have come up with a fairly compact training plan since the race is just over 5 weeks away. Thankfully it should be more of a ramping back up effort than building from scratch.
Other races I am considering in the coming months:
Frozen Otter (64 or 32 miles) - January 2016
Trail Mix 50k - April 2016
Superior Spring Trail 50k - May 2016
Grandma's Marathon - June 2016
Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon - July 2016
Superior Fall Trail 50m - August 2016
This list is a bit aggressive and I may not be able to run them all. Time will tell. The only one of the above races I have run is the Curnow Marathon. I would like to take another shot at it and see if I can improve my time.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon Race Notes
On Saturday, July 11th, 2015 I ran the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon.
I drove up to Cloquet on Friday, the 10th and got checked into my hotel. Then I headed over to The Jack to watch my friend's band rehearse for a couple hours. We grabbed dinner afterward at a local Mexican place. I tried to be careful about what I ordered and ended up getting the fish tacos. They turned out to be the perfect choice - not too heavy or greasy and tasted great!
Shortly after dinner I headed back to my hotel and took some time to organize things for the morning. At this point, I didn't really feel race jitters. I was more concerned with oversleeping and missing the race altogether! I ended up setting five alarms on my phone and one on my computer. I watched a little TV and then called it a night. It wasn't the soundest sleep, but it felt good. I woke up with my first alarm at 3:20, snoozed once and hopped out of bed. Then I made some coffee and oatmeal to help wake up my body and started getting dressed. By 4:15, I was ready to roll. Since the hotel wouldn't do a checkout later than noon, I took everything with me and headed to Carlton.
Once I found a parking spot where I wouldn't get towed, I grabbed my hydration pack and drop bag and walked over to the Munger Trail parking lot - a couple blocks away. Not sure what to expect, I was pleased to see three school buses parked and waiting for runners. I got into the first one and found a seat. Not 30 seconds later, friends Stu and Jay climbed aboard and sat immediately behind me. I spent the next 30 minutes or so catching up with the guys and gleaning any helpful tips that I could. The guy I shared my seat with had run the Curnow 12 times and told me that if I remember nothing else to "pick your feet up". That seemed reasonable.
Once we arrived at the race start next door to the Duluth Zoo, we grabbed a picnic table, signed in at the registration table and met up with the rest of our crew. It was great seeing so many friends both old and new. After sharing some bug spray and taking care of a few last minute items, we were ready to go. The trail from the start is nice and wide and brings you up to the top of Spirit Mountain in what seemed to me to be a nice, gradual ascent. The view from there was great!
After reaching the top of Spirit Mountain, we ran some rolling hills and down into a valley and out again a couple of times. My memory of this part of the course is a little fuzzy for some reason. Probably due to the time Jay and I spent catching up along the way. It's funny how much can happen in the timespan of twenty-five years! We had plenty of talking to do. I do recall that I was working hard to stay on top of my pace and felt pretty good holding tight between 12-13 minutes/mile. This might seem like a pretty slow pace, but it was intentional as I knew what was ahead. During a larger chunk of this time we were on a large loop that brought us to the Seven Bridges AS. Leading up to this point, I had grazed at the aid stations and refilled my hydration bladder at every other. As we would be heading onto the power lines soon after this AS, I made sure to fill my pack again and topped it off with ice. I also ate some salted watermelon, bananas and chips and swigged it down with PowerAid and ginger ale.
After reading as much as I could about the power lines, I ultimately was not surprised by anything I found. The first hill was quite muddy and steep, but after that the remaining ups and downs were fairly dry and I was able to keep my footing pretty well. Here's a shot of that first hill:
The power lines were tough. After climbing several more hills of varying length and grades, we headed into the woods for a bit and then hit Purgatory - a smaller section of power line with two very tough hills. After that we were brought into the Grand Portage AS where I took some time to refill the water bladder and eat some more fruit.
After refueling, I began a slow climb into Jay Cooke. I was at the tail end of a group of other runners that were hiking this section for the most part. During the uphills, I was fine hiking, but once it leveled off a bit, I decided to pass this group and continue on my way to the next aid station. While much of this section looked familiar from my training run on Father's Day, I was slightly confused as it seemed we were running the wrong direction. But I kept following the trail markers and signs and soon enough took a left and was led into Peterson's aid station. Of all the aid stations, I think this was one of my favorites. There was a group of about 30 spectators cheering each runner as they came in and the volunteers were tremendous as usual. I had decided to move through this one more efficiently so I could stay ahead of the folks I had passed. So I grabbed more salted watermelon, chips, ginger ale and coke, refilled by hydration pack and hit the trail.
Coming out of Peterson's the trail took me down into and out of Gill Creek. This was a pretty tough part of the course - not super technical, but the hills and switchbacks were draining. After that, the course went out onto the paved Munger Trail for a bit. While the smooth, level bike path was nice in some respects, it also felt hot and hard. I was glad to veer back onto dirt trail as I headed toward the Forbay AS. Coming into Forbay, I noticed a spectator with a funny grin on her face and realized that must be Jay's wife as she had 6 pb&j sandwiches in her hand. Jay had called ahead and requested these and I even asked for one for myself. So I introduced myself, grabbed a sandwich, thanked her and hit the tables. Jeff Rock was working this AS and snapping pics the whole while I was there. He also was very helpful, asking questions, recommending S-Caps (I took two) and offering general advice about what the remaining course was like. At one point during my stop at Forbay, I noticed swelling in both hands and showed Jeff my "sausage fingers". He told me to just keep clenching and unclenching my fists to keep the fluids moving.
I don't remember anything too specific about the trail leading out of Forbay, other than running across the new spillway built after the floods of 2012 destroyed the old one. It was very hot and dry running in this first portion of the trail out of the AS, but then we were back in the woods on the Carlton Trail (I believe) which led us along to the last aid station right before the famous swinging bridge.
After re-fueling and topping off my water I took off down the trail to tackle the last 3.4 miles to the finish. I snapped the picture above right before crossing the bridge. As I ran across, I realized with each step that I was making the bridge bounce slightly and it seemed to make some of the tourists uncomfortable. What can you do?
This last section of the race course was not especially hilly, but it made up for it with its rocks and roots. Normally, I might have tried running/hopping along on a trail like this, but in my fatigued state decided it would be much safer to power hike and keep my skull intact. The scenery in this section was beautiful as the trail wound along parallel to the St. Louis River. Besides the rocks and roots, there was one fun little rock ledge to cross and then some rocky steps to descend, but nothing too bad. As I left Forbay, I realized I had a shot at finishing under 7 hours, but by this point knew that wouldn't be the case. I kept chugging along and finally found some runnable trail which led me up to the Munger Trail again. At this point, I knew it wasn't far to the finish and ran into a couple runners that I had seen on the trail coming back to cheer their friends on. So I picked up the pace and was able to run in at a decent clip (decent after having run for 7 hours). It felt great to cross that finish line, have the Curnow medallion draped over my head and know that I was done.
Overall, I was really happy with how the race went. Leading up to the race, I was confident that I could run the distance, but not sure what the power lines and other hills would do to me. In the end, my plan to go easy during the early part of the race proved to be a good one. I was able to finish the race in a time that was faster than expected and I had no stomach issues whatsoever.
Miscellaneous Notes:
I drove up to Cloquet on Friday, the 10th and got checked into my hotel. Then I headed over to The Jack to watch my friend's band rehearse for a couple hours. We grabbed dinner afterward at a local Mexican place. I tried to be careful about what I ordered and ended up getting the fish tacos. They turned out to be the perfect choice - not too heavy or greasy and tasted great!
Shortly after dinner I headed back to my hotel and took some time to organize things for the morning. At this point, I didn't really feel race jitters. I was more concerned with oversleeping and missing the race altogether! I ended up setting five alarms on my phone and one on my computer. I watched a little TV and then called it a night. It wasn't the soundest sleep, but it felt good. I woke up with my first alarm at 3:20, snoozed once and hopped out of bed. Then I made some coffee and oatmeal to help wake up my body and started getting dressed. By 4:15, I was ready to roll. Since the hotel wouldn't do a checkout later than noon, I took everything with me and headed to Carlton.
Once I found a parking spot where I wouldn't get towed, I grabbed my hydration pack and drop bag and walked over to the Munger Trail parking lot - a couple blocks away. Not sure what to expect, I was pleased to see three school buses parked and waiting for runners. I got into the first one and found a seat. Not 30 seconds later, friends Stu and Jay climbed aboard and sat immediately behind me. I spent the next 30 minutes or so catching up with the guys and gleaning any helpful tips that I could. The guy I shared my seat with had run the Curnow 12 times and told me that if I remember nothing else to "pick your feet up". That seemed reasonable.
Once we arrived at the race start next door to the Duluth Zoo, we grabbed a picnic table, signed in at the registration table and met up with the rest of our crew. It was great seeing so many friends both old and new. After sharing some bug spray and taking care of a few last minute items, we were ready to go. The trail from the start is nice and wide and brings you up to the top of Spirit Mountain in what seemed to me to be a nice, gradual ascent. The view from there was great!
After reaching the top of Spirit Mountain, we ran some rolling hills and down into a valley and out again a couple of times. My memory of this part of the course is a little fuzzy for some reason. Probably due to the time Jay and I spent catching up along the way. It's funny how much can happen in the timespan of twenty-five years! We had plenty of talking to do. I do recall that I was working hard to stay on top of my pace and felt pretty good holding tight between 12-13 minutes/mile. This might seem like a pretty slow pace, but it was intentional as I knew what was ahead. During a larger chunk of this time we were on a large loop that brought us to the Seven Bridges AS. Leading up to this point, I had grazed at the aid stations and refilled my hydration bladder at every other. As we would be heading onto the power lines soon after this AS, I made sure to fill my pack again and topped it off with ice. I also ate some salted watermelon, bananas and chips and swigged it down with PowerAid and ginger ale.
After reading as much as I could about the power lines, I ultimately was not surprised by anything I found. The first hill was quite muddy and steep, but after that the remaining ups and downs were fairly dry and I was able to keep my footing pretty well. Here's a shot of that first hill:
The power lines were tough. After climbing several more hills of varying length and grades, we headed into the woods for a bit and then hit Purgatory - a smaller section of power line with two very tough hills. After that we were brought into the Grand Portage AS where I took some time to refill the water bladder and eat some more fruit.
After refueling, I began a slow climb into Jay Cooke. I was at the tail end of a group of other runners that were hiking this section for the most part. During the uphills, I was fine hiking, but once it leveled off a bit, I decided to pass this group and continue on my way to the next aid station. While much of this section looked familiar from my training run on Father's Day, I was slightly confused as it seemed we were running the wrong direction. But I kept following the trail markers and signs and soon enough took a left and was led into Peterson's aid station. Of all the aid stations, I think this was one of my favorites. There was a group of about 30 spectators cheering each runner as they came in and the volunteers were tremendous as usual. I had decided to move through this one more efficiently so I could stay ahead of the folks I had passed. So I grabbed more salted watermelon, chips, ginger ale and coke, refilled by hydration pack and hit the trail.
Coming out of Peterson's the trail took me down into and out of Gill Creek. This was a pretty tough part of the course - not super technical, but the hills and switchbacks were draining. After that, the course went out onto the paved Munger Trail for a bit. While the smooth, level bike path was nice in some respects, it also felt hot and hard. I was glad to veer back onto dirt trail as I headed toward the Forbay AS. Coming into Forbay, I noticed a spectator with a funny grin on her face and realized that must be Jay's wife as she had 6 pb&j sandwiches in her hand. Jay had called ahead and requested these and I even asked for one for myself. So I introduced myself, grabbed a sandwich, thanked her and hit the tables. Jeff Rock was working this AS and snapping pics the whole while I was there. He also was very helpful, asking questions, recommending S-Caps (I took two) and offering general advice about what the remaining course was like. At one point during my stop at Forbay, I noticed swelling in both hands and showed Jeff my "sausage fingers". He told me to just keep clenching and unclenching my fists to keep the fluids moving.
I don't remember anything too specific about the trail leading out of Forbay, other than running across the new spillway built after the floods of 2012 destroyed the old one. It was very hot and dry running in this first portion of the trail out of the AS, but then we were back in the woods on the Carlton Trail (I believe) which led us along to the last aid station right before the famous swinging bridge.
After re-fueling and topping off my water I took off down the trail to tackle the last 3.4 miles to the finish. I snapped the picture above right before crossing the bridge. As I ran across, I realized with each step that I was making the bridge bounce slightly and it seemed to make some of the tourists uncomfortable. What can you do?
This last section of the race course was not especially hilly, but it made up for it with its rocks and roots. Normally, I might have tried running/hopping along on a trail like this, but in my fatigued state decided it would be much safer to power hike and keep my skull intact. The scenery in this section was beautiful as the trail wound along parallel to the St. Louis River. Besides the rocks and roots, there was one fun little rock ledge to cross and then some rocky steps to descend, but nothing too bad. As I left Forbay, I realized I had a shot at finishing under 7 hours, but by this point knew that wouldn't be the case. I kept chugging along and finally found some runnable trail which led me up to the Munger Trail again. At this point, I knew it wasn't far to the finish and ran into a couple runners that I had seen on the trail coming back to cheer their friends on. So I picked up the pace and was able to run in at a decent clip (decent after having run for 7 hours). It felt great to cross that finish line, have the Curnow medallion draped over my head and know that I was done.
Overall, I was really happy with how the race went. Leading up to the race, I was confident that I could run the distance, but not sure what the power lines and other hills would do to me. In the end, my plan to go easy during the early part of the race proved to be a good one. I was able to finish the race in a time that was faster than expected and I had no stomach issues whatsoever.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- Eating real food was key to keeping my stomach happy. Salted watermelon (which I've never liked before), bananas and potato chips were my mainstays during the race. I also drank PowerAid, ginger ale, some coke and also water.
- At the Forbay AS, I took two S-Caps. I was a little apprehensive since I hadn't tried them before and didn't want anything to mess up my stomach, but it was so hot and I really wanted to avoid cramping. So I took them and had no problems either way.
- I ended up not using anything from my drop bag. I considered changing socks, but in the interest of time decided not to. In the end I had one small blister on one toe on my left foot. Other than that, my feet were in great shape afterwards thanks to the combo of my Hokas and SmartWool socks.
Pictures
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| The view from on top of Spirit Mountain |
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| Running a ridgeline trail with dropoffs on both sides |
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| Fond Du Lac AS with creek bed in the background |
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| More Fond Du Lac AS |
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| Power Lines!!! |
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| On top of a power line trail |
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| Going up a steep, muddy trail |
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| Mud! I stepped in a deep hole with both feet. What can you do? I ran through the next creek that I encountered to rinse off a bit. |
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| A long view of the power line trail. |
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| Not sure what body of water this is. Was thinking Thomson Reservoir. |
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| After the main power line section, you run through some woods and then...more power lines. The last two power line hills are known as Purgatory. |
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| Game face |
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| I was never so glad to see the swinging bridge. Can't be long now! |
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| This last section was the rootiest, rockiest of any of the previous sections and made for slow going. I hiked most of it, ran when I felt I could do so safely and was able to run it in to the finish once the trail improved. |
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| Ahhh, it felt good to sit down! |
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| Finishers medallion |
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| and, the shirt. |
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Countdown to Curnow
Well, the Countdown to Curnow is really on now! I've got just under three weeks until the race. About ten days ago, my wife suggested that we drive up to the Duluth area for the day on Father's Day so that I could run on the Superior Hiking Trail - part of which makes up the Curnow Marathon race course. Have I mentioned what an awesome wife I have? I was super pumped to get this opportunity.
On Sunday, June 21st, we got a slightly later start than planned. But that didn't matter - I was just excited to have the opportunity! My plan was to start at the headquarters of Jay Cooke State Park, run out as far as time would allow and then return. Due to our slightly later start, I was able to make it just over 7.5 miles out from the park hq and then ran back.
From park headquarters, I ran up the paved Forbay Trail just under a mile to where it joins the Munger Trail. The Munger is a paved bike trail that now extends nearly to Hinckley MN and all the way to Duluth. From there, I followed the Munger for almost three miles to the Palkie Road Trailhead and jumped on the dirt Oak Trail that led me to the SHT. Once off the pavement, I had enough time to run for about 4 more miles. The path took me through the relatively smooth forest of the state park and then became more hilly (mainly downhill on the way out) as I neared Mission Creek. Along the way I came across a handful of switchbacks and man-made log stair steps intended to make the descent easier. Near my turnaround point, I took a wrong turn and ran up a different trail for about .5 mile - but I realized what I had done and it was no big deal.
On the way back, I first had to deal with ascending the hills I had run down on the way out.This was no small task and caused my pace to slow considerably. I also consumed more water during this stretch - probably more than I realized. Once I crossed back into the state park boundaries, things started to level off somewhat. After another couple miles I was back out on the Munger trail with just over 3 miles remaining. Dang, it felt hot on that pavement! With about 2 miles remaining, I realized I had run out of water and boy, was I thirsty! This was a problem. At that point, I started to walk a bit and then alternated walking and running back into the park headquarters area. All told, I covered just over 15 miles in about 3 hours and 22 minutes. I didn't really care about the time or distance, frankly. I was just really glad to be able to experience this trail before running a race on it.
Once I had had a chance to cool off and drink some water at the park hq, I met my family and we headed to Gordy's Hi-Hat in Cloquet for a late lunch before hitting the road to home.
A few things I learned:
On Sunday, June 21st, we got a slightly later start than planned. But that didn't matter - I was just excited to have the opportunity! My plan was to start at the headquarters of Jay Cooke State Park, run out as far as time would allow and then return. Due to our slightly later start, I was able to make it just over 7.5 miles out from the park hq and then ran back.
From park headquarters, I ran up the paved Forbay Trail just under a mile to where it joins the Munger Trail. The Munger is a paved bike trail that now extends nearly to Hinckley MN and all the way to Duluth. From there, I followed the Munger for almost three miles to the Palkie Road Trailhead and jumped on the dirt Oak Trail that led me to the SHT. Once off the pavement, I had enough time to run for about 4 more miles. The path took me through the relatively smooth forest of the state park and then became more hilly (mainly downhill on the way out) as I neared Mission Creek. Along the way I came across a handful of switchbacks and man-made log stair steps intended to make the descent easier. Near my turnaround point, I took a wrong turn and ran up a different trail for about .5 mile - but I realized what I had done and it was no big deal.
On the way back, I first had to deal with ascending the hills I had run down on the way out.This was no small task and caused my pace to slow considerably. I also consumed more water during this stretch - probably more than I realized. Once I crossed back into the state park boundaries, things started to level off somewhat. After another couple miles I was back out on the Munger trail with just over 3 miles remaining. Dang, it felt hot on that pavement! With about 2 miles remaining, I realized I had run out of water and boy, was I thirsty! This was a problem. At that point, I started to walk a bit and then alternated walking and running back into the park headquarters area. All told, I covered just over 15 miles in about 3 hours and 22 minutes. I didn't really care about the time or distance, frankly. I was just really glad to be able to experience this trail before running a race on it.
Once I had had a chance to cool off and drink some water at the park hq, I met my family and we headed to Gordy's Hi-Hat in Cloquet for a late lunch before hitting the road to home.
A few things I learned:
- It's much more hilly in this area than where I normally train - I need to switch things up a bit and run the hills in Stillwater more while training.
- Aid stations will be very welcome during this race. On Sunday, I (obviously) was running self-supported. I carried 70 ounces of water in a hydration pack and one 16 oz bottle of water. Normally this would have been enough, but it was warm and I was working pretty hard on those hills.
- I cannot survive on gels alone (I did eat one mini clif bar)! I started to have some stomach cramping issues near the end of the run. I plan to keep the gels to a minimum and incorporate more real food like bananas, chips, melons, etc. Also electrolyte replacement drinks. I did dump a heed disk into the bottle, but could have used more.
- It's beautiful out there! I can't wait to go back!
Here are a few pictures from the run:
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| My first SHT trail marker - on the Forbay Trail. |
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| I ran on the same path that the Voyageurs used when they first came to this area. |
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| Stream crossing |
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| Bear print! There are a few black bears in the area. |
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| Looking down a power line clearing. |
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| The first stone bridge I encountered - 1/2 mile from my turnaround point. |
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| Another stone bridge. I think these are part of the "seven bridges". |
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| Goofball just glad to be out on the trail and loving it! |
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| Thought this looked cool. |
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Training Update
This will be a fairly lengthy post as it has been awhile since my last one. So what's been going on? A lot!
My training has continued to progress pretty well. I have been able to be consistent with my mileage (thanks to Stu and his regular mileage challenges!) and have also been able to bump up my longest runs to just over 20 miles. Since my last post I have run several long runs in the mid to upper teens and my most recent one was just over 20 miles. I also have been able to recover well from these longer runs. Currently, I am averaging somewhere between 40-45 miles per week.
As far as weight loss, I have continued making progress on that front too. As of about 2 weeks ago, I eclipsed the 25 pounds lost mark. I've been hovering just under 30 pounds lost most recently. I need to stay on top of it as I'd really like to hit my goal weight of 200 pounds. Only 17-18 more to go!
I recently added to my growing equipment collection by adding both a hydration pack, another pair of shoes and good socks.
First off, I purchased a Nathan hydration pack with a 70 oz bladder.
I ran over twenty miles with it and loved it. The pack wasn't too warm, didn't bounce or chafe and has enough extra room for sunscreen, gels, and a few first aid items.
At about the same time, I found a great deal on a pair of Hoka shoes. I picked the Hoka Mafate Speeds and really liked the way they felt. For the uninitiated, Hoka shoes go the opposite direction of the minimalist "toe" shoes that were all the rage a few years back. These things have serious cushion, which my feet really appreciate!
I ran 8 miles in them the next day just to try them out and ended up with bloody blisters on both heels! The Hokas come up a little higher on my ankle and heel than normal running shoes and combined with bad socks, left me with some pretty gnarly blisters. I haven't let that stop me and was able to continue training in my regular shoes while the blisters healed somewhat. In the interim, I made my way to REI and picked up two pairs of socks - one pair of SmartWool's PhD running socks and one pair of WrightSock's Coolmesh II socks. The WrightSock's are dual-layer and have a "no blister" guarantee. I ran with the SmartWool socks and the Hoka's this week and while I felt slight irritation on my heels, the blisters did not worsen and no new ones formed. I really like these SmartWool socks! You might be thinking, "how can you wear wool socks???". Well, these aren't your grandma's wool socks. These are ultra-thin, merino wool that help your feet to breath and keep you blister free as well.
I am now just over a month away from the Curnow trail marathon (July 11, 2015) and am beginning to plan for the remaining weeks of training and tapering. This should be fun! #KeepRunning
My training has continued to progress pretty well. I have been able to be consistent with my mileage (thanks to Stu and his regular mileage challenges!) and have also been able to bump up my longest runs to just over 20 miles. Since my last post I have run several long runs in the mid to upper teens and my most recent one was just over 20 miles. I also have been able to recover well from these longer runs. Currently, I am averaging somewhere between 40-45 miles per week.
As far as weight loss, I have continued making progress on that front too. As of about 2 weeks ago, I eclipsed the 25 pounds lost mark. I've been hovering just under 30 pounds lost most recently. I need to stay on top of it as I'd really like to hit my goal weight of 200 pounds. Only 17-18 more to go!
I recently added to my growing equipment collection by adding both a hydration pack, another pair of shoes and good socks.
First off, I purchased a Nathan hydration pack with a 70 oz bladder.
I ran over twenty miles with it and loved it. The pack wasn't too warm, didn't bounce or chafe and has enough extra room for sunscreen, gels, and a few first aid items.
At about the same time, I found a great deal on a pair of Hoka shoes. I picked the Hoka Mafate Speeds and really liked the way they felt. For the uninitiated, Hoka shoes go the opposite direction of the minimalist "toe" shoes that were all the rage a few years back. These things have serious cushion, which my feet really appreciate!
I ran 8 miles in them the next day just to try them out and ended up with bloody blisters on both heels! The Hokas come up a little higher on my ankle and heel than normal running shoes and combined with bad socks, left me with some pretty gnarly blisters. I haven't let that stop me and was able to continue training in my regular shoes while the blisters healed somewhat. In the interim, I made my way to REI and picked up two pairs of socks - one pair of SmartWool's PhD running socks and one pair of WrightSock's Coolmesh II socks. The WrightSock's are dual-layer and have a "no blister" guarantee. I ran with the SmartWool socks and the Hoka's this week and while I felt slight irritation on my heels, the blisters did not worsen and no new ones formed. I really like these SmartWool socks! You might be thinking, "how can you wear wool socks???". Well, these aren't your grandma's wool socks. These are ultra-thin, merino wool that help your feet to breath and keep you blister free as well.
I am now just over a month away from the Curnow trail marathon (July 11, 2015) and am beginning to plan for the remaining weeks of training and tapering. This should be fun! #KeepRunning
Monday, April 20, 2015
April Update
It's been too long between posts, so I thought I should add something. Training has been going well. I joined a miles challenge with a group of runners I've known for quite awhile. I picked the 150 mile level - the challenge ran from the last week of February to the 1st of April. Despite not running too much while on vacation in Florida, I was able to eclipse 200 miles during that timeframe. I ran more miles and more consistently than I ever have. Additionally, my long runs got longer and I managed to get out for a couple 14+ mile runs.
Once the challenge ended I began a stretch of three weeks where I wasn't able to get my long runs in for a variety of reasons. I've still been able to run during the week and have pretty much switched over to morning runs.
Besides running, I've been incorporating a number of strength-related exercises into my routine:
Once the challenge ended I began a stretch of three weeks where I wasn't able to get my long runs in for a variety of reasons. I've still been able to run during the week and have pretty much switched over to morning runs.
Besides running, I've been incorporating a number of strength-related exercises into my routine:
- body-weight squats
- balancing on one foot
- situps
- pushups
So far, these have been helping. I feel I'm building strength in my legs and have seen my pace increase. I haven't been able to run these paces for quite some time. Now I'm looking to add some variety into these routines and will look to add some single leg squats and lunges into the routine.
This past weekend I was up north in the area where my July race will be run but wasn't able to get out for a run - too many fun things going on. So I will either look to get up there again between now and the race or I will just concentrate on my miles closer to home and finding more trails to run on down here. That's about it for now, thanks for reading.
Monday, March 2, 2015
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