Training Supplement – September 15, 2018
I purchased the newest Mizuno Wave Rider. Having tried several brands, I finally found a comfortable and reliable pair of wireless headphones! A flooded out trail interrupted my interval workout. And, I listened to a great podcast about the spiritual side of running.
Clothing & Gear
Shoes. Mizuno Wave Rider 22. Two weeks ago while visiting the local running store, I remembered I needed some new shoes. The store clerk brought out unfamiliar colors and I realized there was a new version of the Wave Rider. I’ve worn them a few times and they feel slightly lighter than the 21s but the ride is essentially the same.
Headphones. AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Wireless Headphones. These headphones use bone conduction to deliver sound through your cheekbones instead of ear buds. The idea is that you can hear more of your surroundings.
The sound quality isn’t as crisp as earbuds but it’s not bad. And, some sound is emitted from the speakers so it’s not silent to others nearby. There’s a standard size and a “mini” version for people with smaller heads.
BeatsX by Dre Wireless Headphones, In the end, I liked the sound from these headphones but thought they’d be too heavy for long-distance running.
RunnerBox. It had been so long since I’d received a box that I wondered whether I had selected a year-long subscription.
So far, other than the RunGum, the box hadn’t contained any popular brands. I’d prefer a mix of tried-and-true items for athletes with some brands trying to break into the market.
(My Complete Clothes & Gear Page.)
Nutrition & Hydration
Hydration. Nuun. Recently, in addition to my morning cup of coffee before long runs, I’ve been taking two Nuun tablets with about 10 ounces of water and ice before heading out the door. I think it’s helped me stave off dehydration.
Isocean. This product was in my first Runner Box. It’s purified seawater containing “17 essential trace minerals“.
I couldn’t find any articles indicating these minerals are helpful for runners. It’s meant to be added to another beverage but I found it hard to mask the saltiness.
Workout Nutrition. Generation UCAN Drink Mix. I tried their hydration product before and didn’t like it but this wasn’t bad at all! The powder mixed well with 12 ounces of water and was easy to digest on my medium-long run. The packet is 130 calories, 31g of carbohydrate and 1g of protein.
Routes
Hazards. Four Mile Run Trail. Due to recent rains, a section of this trail near Route 1 in Alexandria, Virginia flooded and spoiled my interval workout last Wednesday. But, it wasn’t the only area impacted by high water levels. Flooding in East Potomac Park (“Hains Point”) threatened the course for the 2018 Navy-Air Force Half Marathon.
Art. “Mysterious Artwork Blooms Between Pentagon City, Crystal City, ArlNow. During my run around Pentagon City on September 11th, I saw the artwork I had read about. While I enjoyed it, I thought it was a bit much if it truly is “guerilla art”.
Sights. Anacostia Waterfront. This summer, I’ve been running my Sunday easy runs from somewhere other than home. Two weeks ago, I ran around Anacostia and Nationals Park. Mostly, I knew this area as Mile 20 for the Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Marathon.
Media & Motivation
Music. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Queen. This song came on before the last repetition of my 6 x 1000m interval workout last week and I knew I was going to finish.
(My “Songs of the Week” playlist on Spotify.)
Podcasts. “Episode 389 – Sanjay Rawal,” Rich Roll. There was a lot to unpack in this episode! The Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race (39:45), running in indigenous cultures (48:05), the Tendai “Marathon” Monks of Mount Hiei (1:00:00). The overall messages were that human beings are runners at heart and the distance we run should be secondary to spiritual pursuits.
“Episode 452 – UTMB: Holly Rush, Sophie Grant & Tom Evans,” Marathon Talk. Great hearing how the host made it thought the Ultra Trail to Mont Blanc (UTMB). It was fascinating hearing her recount the race – the difficulty, the hallucinations, and running past your lodging when you’re exhausted!
“Episode 166 – F.U.T. (Mike Wardian),” Pace the Nation. Their break was quick! The episode focused on local runner Michael Wardian‘s fastest known time running the C&O Canal Towpath. The Washington City Paper’s Kelyn Soong wrote a piece on the run. too.
News. Army Ten-Miler Changes Course to Avoid Memorial Bridge for First Time Ever, ArlNow. As someone who ran the Army 11.2 Miler in 2005, I know this isn’t the first time the course has changed but at least this time, it’s before the start.
“When Metro Stopped Running Reliably, These People Started Running to Work,” Washington Post. I don’t run commute very often, but it was great seeing the practice hit main-stream media.
My body flushed out a lot of weakness over the past three months! Now that the worst of the summer heat and humidity is over, I’m ready to start pushing the pace during my runs.
