Training Supplement – July 20, 2016

I traveled to Chicago this weekend.  I ran on the Lakefront Trail and enjoyed the views.  I tested my new Brooks Ghosts on the trip and bought a heart rate monitor.  Along the way, I listened to some good podcasts – one that helped me get through a bad workout – and found another good running song.

Clothing & Gear

Shoes.  I got a new pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 19s this week.  I decided to keep them in the box for a while and run in the two new pairs of Brooks Ghosts I bought instead.  I packed the Brooks Ghosts 8s for my trip to Chicago and wore them 3 days in a row.  I liked them a lot.  Not more than the Wave Riders but I thought they were good light cushioned shoe.  I’m not as thrilled with the Ghost 9s but they may grow on me.

Heart Rate Monitors.  Garmin HRM-Run Heart Rate Monitor.  Walking up Michigan Avenue on Sunday, I saw a Garmin store across the street!  I walked in and bought the heart rate strap for my Garmin 630.  I’ve worn it twice now, but I don’t really understand the advanced features yet.  But DC Rainmaker’s review of the watch included commentary on them.

(My Complete Clothes & Gear Page.)

Nutrition & Hydration 

Electrolytes.  It’s been 70+ degrees and 70%+ humidity for all my runs this week.  In addition to fluid, I’ve been thinking about electrolyte replacement during my runs.  While I really like Liquid IV, it didn’t seem to agree with my GI tract during Wednesday’s tempo run and Saturday’s long run.  I’m going to try diluting it more but I wonder if I could be having an allergic-type relation to one or more of the ingredients.

Nutrition.  I traveled this week, which for me usually means over-eating.  I thought I did pretty well.  I didn’t necessarily eat the healthiest options but I didn’t go completely overboard, either.  Okay, maybe that’s not true because I had french fries every day.  In any event, when I came home I saw that my weight had spiked a little.

Routes

Aid.  I actually noticed this last week but forgot to include it in the supplement.  A local brewery posted a sign along the W&OD Trail directing users to their store for water, air, tools, restrooms, (and presumably beer.)  I can see potential problems but it would be nice if there were more signage on trails letting bikers (and runners) know about friendly businesses nearby.  I probably wouldn’t go there during a run, but I’ve used the bathroom in a coffee shop near the trail and paid it forward by buying something from their store later.

Hazards.  I deal with a lot of road hazards on my runs since there is a lot of construction in my neighborhood.  But, during my trip to Chicago, I encountered a funny one.  During my recovery run on Sunday, I saw a car drive onto the trail!  What was “funny” was that the driver had several opportunities to get the car back on the main road but didn’t take them.

 

Media & Motivation

Music.  “Coming Home,” by Diddy- Dirty Money & Skylar Grey.  Spotify Discovery delivered another good song for me this week.  I think this song resonated with me this week – even though it has deeper meaning – because I have family and childhood ties to Chicago, I just got back from San Diego where I grew up, and the New York City Marathon feels like home for me race-wise.

Podcasts.  “From Mediocre to Magnificent with Professional Runner Phoebe Wright,” by Runners Connect.  Sometimes, I think fate sends me to people or things I need just when I need them.  I had a terrible long run on Saturday but didn’t have much time to dwell on it since I had to rush to the airport.  I listened to this podcast and it had a lot of positive things to say about dealing with “failure”.

“Episode 62 – Suzy Favor Hamilton,” by Pace the Nation.  I also listened to this cast on my flight to Chicago.  Not only was the interview with Suzy Favor-Hamilton enlightening – I read about her troubles months ago but not from her side – but the discussion of Rule 40 was refreshing.  I liked that one of the hosts defended the rule which is unusual.  Honestly, I don’t know enough to have an opinion but the discussion led me to read a non-running related article or two about the controversy.

“Find a Balanced Running Life,” by Runner’s World.  The interview with Deena Kastor was entertaining.  Most runners recognize the iconic picture of her winning bronze at the 2004 Olympic Games, so it was nice to hear what was going through her head.  Moreover, I was surprised to hear a runner I know recount his running struggles and triumphs during the segment on stories from the 2016 Boston Marathon!

Motivation.  “Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.” –Teddy Roosevelt 

As mentioned above, I had a rough long run on Saturday.  I had to remind myself that sometimes I need to ignore pace and see success in whether I did the best I could in a workout.