Training Supplement – October 1, 2018

Watching Eliud Kipchoge set a new world record at the Berlin Marathon was thrilling!  Qualifying for the Boston Marathon got a little harder. Two podcasts I listened to addressed the lack of female coaches.  And, I bought some more comfortable armbands.

Clothing & Gear

Arm bands.  My Amphipod ArmPod SmartView moved around a bit on my arm during my runs and the Velcro caused some chaffing.  I tried some armbands that might be more comfortable.

Bondi Band Armbands.   I purchased this years ago but it still held up.  The phone is loaded from the top and a fabric flap goes over the phone.  It has a small hole on the top for a headphone jack.  It comes in a variety of patterns and colors.

Muv365 Armbands.  Available for purchase through Amazon, this fabric armband is longer than the Bondi Band I have.  At 6” x 4”, the flap fully fits over my Samsung S8 in its Otterbox without straining.  It also accommodates wired headphones and comes in a number of stylish options.

E Tronic Edge Phone Armband Sleeves.  This armband closes on the side with Velcro.  It’s the same size as the Muv365 but the side loading design led to more difficulty getting my phone into the sleeve.  Also, there isn’t a hole for cords so it can only be used for wireless headphones.

Anti-Chaffing.  SweatWELLth Friction Free Anti-Chafing Spray.  To address the chaffing issue, I tried a product I received in a recent RunnerBox.  I sprayed the product all over my upper body before my last long run but I still had hot spots during my post run shower.

(My Complete Clothes & Gear Page.)

Nutrition & Hydration

Post-workout Nutrition.  Gu Recovery Brew.  I found some old packets of this post-workout recovery drink.  The packet goes with 16 ounces of water but it doesn’t incorporate as well as some other products I’ve tried.  But, the chocolate smoothie flavor might be the tastiest – probably because the base is dry milk.  The packet has 240 calories, 46g carbohydrate, 8g protein, and 2g fat.

Routes

Hazards.  Flooding on the W&OD Trail at Wilson Boulevard.  This section of the W&OD Trail floods after most heavy rains.  The solution is cross at the road but since there isn’t a signal but I decided to ignore “turn around, don’t drown” and ran through the high water.

Construction. Arlington Memorial Bridge Rehabilitation.  Work has started to repair the Memorial Bridge.  As part of that work, a section of the Mount Vernon Trail near Lady Bird Johnson Park was paved.  I wonder if someday a car will mistakenly drive onto the path.

“VDOT Finalized Plans for W&OD Trail Bridge Over Lee Highway,” ArlNow.  I don’t run west of Arlington Country on the W&OD Trail very often but I’m still very interested in how this project progresses.

Media & Motivation

Music. “Chandelier,” Sia.  For years, this was my marathon finish line song but I’m playing it sooner in my playlist for the 2018 New York City Marathon.

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

Podcasts.  “Episode 30 with Lauren Fleshman,” The Morning Shakeout.  This was a wide-ranging interview.  There was a discussion about the lack of women coaches in running (12:00).  But, there were two parts that really struck a chord with me.  The first was when she addressed retiring from the sport (24:10).  I drew parallels with changes I’ve made in my career lately.  The other was when she talked about collegiality among other elite female runners (45:20).

“Episode 626: Angela Dunn is Proving that a Good Coach Isn’t Defined by Gender,” Diz Runs.  Although I disagreed when the guest said runners can’t coach themselves, she redeemed herself when – talking about the difficulty she encountered finding a coaching position – she said, “You get to a certain point in your life where you know exactly what you want and you don’t want to settle” (26:55).  That statement fit my current mindset perfectly.

News.  Eliud Kipchoge Crushes Marathon World Record in Berlin, Runner’s World.  The headline said it all.  I caught the final minutes of the race before dashing off to the 2018 Navy-Air Force Half Marathon and it gave me chills.

“2019 Boston Marathon Qualifier Acceptances,” Boston Athletic Association.  For 2019, runners needed to qualify by more than 4:52 to gain admittance.  As a result, the BAA tightened the standard by 5 minutes across the board.  Hopefully, everyone who qualifies gets in next year but the current phased application process based on minutes under qualifying time remains in place.

Magazines. Runner’s World.  I received an email from Amazon, which is how I subscribe, that this flag-ship running magazine is going down to six issues a year.

Taking on a new job in the middle of a marathon training cycle might have been crazy. But, it’s also opened up so many possibilities and reinforced my already oversized sense of determination.