Training Supplement – March 16, 2017

Bought some socks at the 2017 Rock ‘n’ Roll DC expo.  Encountered the construction detour on the Mount Vernon Trail.  Saw Runner’s World came out with a “runner box”.  Listened to a few podcasts.

Clothing & Gear

Socks.  Balega Second Skin Fit, Balega Enduro, and  Balega Natural Fiber Performance.  I’m a huge fan of the Balega Moving Comfort sock but on some days wish they were a little lighter.  So, when I saw the Balega booth at the 2017 Rock ‘n’ Roll DC expo, I bought a few pairs that seemed thinner.

I’ve had a chance to wear them all.  The Second Skin Fit and Enduro socks felt light-weight and acted as a thin liner between foot and shoe.  The Second Skin was a softer fabric than the Enduro, so I preferred it of the two.  The Natural Fiber Performance sock felt similar to the Moving Comfort.  It’s mohair, so I thought it would feel warmer but it felt about the same.  It’s very comfortable.

(My Complete Clothes & Gear Page.)

Nutrition & Hydration

Pre-workout Nutrition.  Honey Stinger Wildflower Honey Waffle.  Realizing I needed more calories before the 2017 Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon, I weeded through my Stridebox stash and went with this product.  I haven’t done the research but I wonder about the nutritional value of these waffles.  They’re delicious but there doesn’t seem to be much substance to them.  In retrospect, I’m not sue if it was a good pre-race snack.

Stridebox.  This month’s Stridebox had some good stuff.  I’m looking forward to trying all of these products, (Well, maybe not the blister shields), but the JimmyBar! most of all.

This week, I noticed Runner’s World has a box – RWBox.  I’m wondering if this might be a better product since, presumably, Runner’s World editors would have the inside scoop on new products.  I might have to try it…

Routes

Construction.  This month, construction started on the parking lot next to Roosevelt Island, which serves as the connector between the Mount Vernon Trail and the Custis Trail and Key Bridge.  The south part of the trail was now a patch of soft bark.  When I went through it the first time, it was dry and fine to run on.  The second time, it had rained the day before and the stretch was a little messy.  I ran by the “Intersection of Doom” on Monday and noticed it looked like the north part of the trail is also re-routed.

 

 

 

Media & Motivation

Music. “Good Feeling,” by Flo Rida.  Every time I put together a playlist for a race, I think about deleting this song because I don’t get a good feeling during the later stages of the event.  But, it keeps making the cut.

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

Podcasts.  “Eating Disorders and Running,” by The Runner’s World Show.  This episode focused on three female runners talking about their eating disorders.  I wondered it it was an intentional juxtaposition since last week’s show featured a “fat runner”.  One of them was Rachel Schulist and I remembered seeing the picture she talked about.  The most touching part for me was when she mentioned how her coach reminded her how miserable she was in that body.

“Decoding Sleep,” by Runner’s Connect.  I struggled with sleep late last year.  I felt vindicated when the interviewee, Luke Gupta, said going to sleep later can be a solution for sleep problems since that’s what helped me!  He also talked about racing the same time of day when you train.  I wondered if one of the reasons I run better at the New York City Marathon vs. the Boston Marathon had to do with the earlier start.  On a sad note, I saw on Twitter than the host, Tina Muir, is moving on from the show.

“The Price is Right,” by Pace the Nation.  This was a great episode – and not just because I was mentioned in it for attending the show’s happy hour.  Guest Brian Knight and his crew at Swim Bike Run Photography do a great job editing the photos.  (The cover photo for this website is an example of his work.)  I earned an appreciation for how they get such great shots.  I bought some of their competitor’s pictures this week, and I could tell the difference.  I also laughed out loud at the end of the show when Joanna said, “The Wizards?” in response to a kid missing a big meet to attend a basketball game because I had the same thought.

Motivation.  “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” – Benjamin Franklin

I ran a half marathon in tough conditions this past weekend.  It’s hard to stay excited and motivated to finish a run in situations where you feel defeated before you begin.  And, that’s where persistence comes in.

What motivates you to run though tough conditions?
What makes a good race photograph for you?