Training Supplement – August 3, 2016

Hello, August! Only a few more weeks of hot weather running. I’m retreating to the treadmill for workouts on days above 80 degrees. I was very excited to drink from the new water fountain on the Mount Vernon Trail. I listened to some good podcasts and started reading The Science of Running.

In my haste to post on Wednesday morning, I realized the next day that some content wasn’t included!  Somehow, I didn’t save my most recent draft on WordPress and published a previous version.  I didn’t go through and edit everything I’d changed but I added the sections I’d written on trying UCAN’s hydration product, the Runners World podcast on Team RWB, and the August edition of that magazine.

Clothing & Gear

Shoes.  I gave up on the Brooks Ghost 9.  In the end, I thought the ride was a little flat and it never fit well in the forefoot.  I could never get my Speedlaces snug or loose enough.  I’m enjoying the Brooks Ghost 8s, though.  I wish I’d tried them earlier.

Foot Pods. Garmin Foot Pod.  I decided to retreat to the treadmill for runs on days over 80 degrees after another miserable recovery run.  Unfortunately, at some point, I lost my Garmin footpod and had to buy a new one.  Despite having an internal accelerometer, the Garmin 630 has not measured my pace very accurately on the treadmill.  I’ve been wearing it on my runs and hopefully, it’ll automatically calibrate and give more accurate readings on future treadmill runs.

Nutrition & Hydration

Electolytes.  I mixed up some Generation UCAN Hydrate for one of my recovery runs.  I didn’t like the sports drink so I took a sip before heading out the door.  It tasted very bland.  I decided to run without it but when I came back from my run, I tried it again and it was more flavorful.  Perhaps I didn’t mixed it very well.  Still, I prefer the flavor of Nuun or LiquidIV, and both of those products have more sodium.  LiquidIV has more potassium but Nuun is about the same.

Pre-Workout Nutrition.  I continued to struggle with GI problems this week.  It’s frustrating because as a newer runner, I had these issues and worked hard to blow past them.  Now, I feel like I’m dealing with them anew.  I’m wondering if I should eat the good stuff at lunch and put myself on a bland diet of rice and a little protein for dinner.

Routes

Water Fountains.  The highlight of my long run on Monday had to be when I drank from the water fountain near National Airport for the first time!  The upper 7 miles of the Mount Vernon Trail had been without a single water fountain until one was installed this winter.

I’m sure there were people wondering why I was taking a picture of a water fountain.

Hazards.  As I finished my run this morning, I noticed the stretch of sidewalk I wrote about last week was closed!  It looked like workman were fixing the drains.  Maybe they’ll repair the sidewalk when they’re done!

Media & Motivation

Music.  “Demons,” by Imagine Dragons.  I ran a 6 mile tempo run on the treadmill on Saturday.  I relied on my tunes to get through it, including this song.

Books.  “The Science of Running,” by Steve Magness.  I finally started reading The Science of Running.  It’s very dense and I imagine I’ll have to share my thoughts on the book over several posts since I only made it through about 60 pages.  The first part of the book is on what causes fatigue, the feedback the brain uses to determine fatigue, and what the brain does in response.  “…[T]he brain ensured the exhaustion occurred at the finish line and not before”.  There was a lot of discussion on running in heat and how the brain anticipates when the body’s core temperature will get too high and starts to shut things down early.

Podcasts.”Team Red, White and Blue,” The Runner’s World Show.  I really enjoyed this episode.  I’ve seen Team RWB runners at races but didn’t really know what they were about.  I assumed the group was only for active military or veterans, so I was surprised to hear that they encourage civilians to join the club.

Magazines.  I started a subscription to Runner’s World.  The August issue had a helpful guide to sports bras, “Support Group: Best Sports Bras for Every Size.”  There was also some tips on summer running in Jeff Galloway’s column.  I also enjoyed an article by Frank Shorter on his second place finish at the 1976 Olympic marathon.

Motivation.  “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

I ran my slowest long run in two years this week.  It wasn’t demoralizing though.  Unlike other runs this week, I didn’t feel the need to stop and that felt like progress..