Training Supplement – August 1, 2017

 

I did a lot of treadmill running this month.  I also traveled to Austin, TX and ran on their Butler Trail.  I bought two light-weight tanks for summer running in Washington, D.C.  Through a podcast, I got a reminder that “Just because you’re fit doesn’t mean you’re healthy.”  I’m not happy with the news that Apple is retiring the iPod.  I also tried a new caffeine-delivery product.

Clothing & Gear

Tops – Singlets.  Lululemon Long Distance Tank ($48).  I purchased two of these singlets after a friend raved about how light-weight hers was.  Plus, I have a half-dozen mesh tank tops from Nike that I love for summer running in Washington, D.C. but are starting to show signs of wear.  When I tried it on in the store, I didn’t think I’d like the cut around the waist – I tend to like a slimmer fit – but I thought I’d give it a try.

I wore one of the shirts on a 70 degree morning with 80% humidity.  The fabric was feather light and comfortable.  I was sweating profusely but the shirt wicked the water away.  I did notice some dripping from the bottom of the shirt, though.

Shoes.  Mizuno Wave Rider 20 ($119.95).  I haven’t had any issues with the new model of this shoe so I purchased another pair to get me through the next month or two.

(My Complete Clothes & Gear Page.)

Nutrition & Hydration

Pre-workout Nutrition.  Coffee Bar.  I’d been looking forward to trying this bar that I got a while ago in a StrideBox.  Eating my coffee in the morning sounded intriguing.  I had the caramel macchiato flavor.  Initially, I thought it tasted like chewing coffee grounds.  The texture is that fine.  But, then, I bit into some of the nuts and got a hint of the caramel flavor and I liked it more.  I didn’t feel a caffeine kick from it, though.  The website says each bar is one cup of coffee.  The product is everything free – no gluten, no GMOs, vegan, and organic.  Between this product, Run Gum, Go Cubes, and caffeinated gels; there are a lot of ways for runner’s to get their caffeine fix.

Runner’s World Box.  Once again, I thought the contents of my Runner’s World Box was a strange mixture of items.

It was heavy on detergent and stain removal, which I welcomed since my sweaty running clothes are stinking up the joint.  I already own a pair of the Feetures socks and love them. I’m looking forward to trying the Gatorade energy gel and KT Tape if I develop an injury.  The chick pea snacks and pancakes were the random items.

Routes

Sights.  I was on travel to Austin, Texas in mid-July.  I ran around Lady Bird Lake (part of the Colorado River) on the Butler Trail for two of my runs.

The north side of the river was mostly packed dirt and hard to follow in parts.  The south side was much easier to follow and had a section of concrete decking that offered an amazing view of the city.  And, I was happily surprised by how many water fountains there were.  Unlike here in D.C. where they are spaces miles apart, it seemed like I was passing an oasis every quarter to half mile.  The trail isn’t very long, though, and got a little crowded in parts.  I was glad I did my long run before leaving home.

Treadmills.  I ran a lot of miles on the treadmill these past two weeks.  When I was out of town for work, I ran on a treadmill that faced a wall.  But, it had lots of media choices to keep me occupied.

In contrast, the treadmills at my gym don’t have any internet, television, or music options.  But, they look out to other people working out.  I think I prefer people watching and listening to my own music or podcasts.

Media & Motivation

Music. “Hall of Fame,” The Script feat. will.i.am.  I struggled with motivation early in this marathon cycle.  This song reminded me think about possibility.

(My “Songs of the Week” playlist on Spotify.)

Podcasts. “Episode 552 – Specialization, Generalization, and Individualization,” by Magness and Marcus on Coaching.  I don’t listen to this podcast regularly since the focus tends to be on high school and college coaching but since I’d caught up on all my can’t miss show, I listened to this one on my flight home from Austin, Texas.  I liked the point they made at around the 10 minute mark about general vs. specific training.  I enjoy being fit enough to race at lots of different distances.

“Episode 63: The Runner’s Heart,” by the Runner’s World Show.  “Just because you’re fit doesn’t mean you’re healthy.”  I listened intently to this episode because I have a heart condition – mitral valve prolapse, also known as a “heart murmur”.  I’ve been seeing a cardiologist for a while now.  Each time, I wonder if some of the abnormalities in my exams are related to my underlying heart conditions and which are related to running.  This podcast gave me some valuable information to consider in advance of my next visit to the doctor.

News.  “Goodbye iPod, and Thanks for All the Tunes,” by Wired.  The iPod is going away!  This was sad news for someone who runs almost every step to music and podcasts.  Yes, I can just listen to these media through my phone.  But, that means stopping when I want to change between the two.  And investing quality headphones for volume control.  Thankfully, I have two iPod Shuffles and Nanos in various states of operability that I can use until I figure out what I’m going to do.

Motivation. “If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way not to win.” – Carl Lewis

I’m not sure when or why it happened, but I’m afraid of running too fast during workouts.  So, I’ve been working on improving confidence in my speed endurance these past two weeks.