Mental.

I was talking with a colleague the other day at the water cooler, sorry, "water bubbler".  She asked me how my training was going.  I responded with "really good, cold, but really good".  I suggested, "hey, you should give it a try". She quickly replied "I couldn't do that".  I replied with "oh sure you could, come on".  It is what she said next that really made me stop and think. "It is all mental beyond the actual physical running.  I couldn't do the mental piece of it".  You know what?  She was absolutely right. It is very much mental. I never really stopped and thought about it like that until now. 

For me, running is an outlet that helps me clear my head and unwind from the pressure and stress in any given day.  Running is a solitude sport for me. My training, just me. Pushing myself to get going at 4:30 in the morning for runs, just me. Running races and continually striving for better, you guessed it.  Me, myself & I (love that song from De La Soul).

I have to push myself through all of the mental challenges that come with running. I learned that the hard way during my first marathon last fall.  I thought that I was ready for anything. That I could conquer this dastardly villain. Standing proud, arms crossed and chest held high. My Superman cape flapping in the breeze behind me (yes, there are tights involved too but of the running variety). I had physically trained as much as I could.  It was around mile 18 when the mental piece kicked in.  The dreaded wall. The part of training that I hadn't focused on.  The part that I had not fully experienced before and that I was absolutely not prepared for.  I focused too much on just getting the miles in and not enough on keeping my head in the game the entire time.  Hitting the wall that day was probably the best thing for me as I learned a lot of valuable lessons and have been able to become a much better runner from it.

"Proud, I'm proud of what I am.  That's me myself and I.  It's just me myself and I" (You've got to love those 80's songs).

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Refueling- 3rd Place.

3rd Place- Honey Stinger Organic Energy Gel

Honey Stinger Organic Energy Gel.

This stuff is "buzz" worthy.  It is "sweet"!  You will "bee" a "beeliever" once you try it!  Put your "honey" where your mouth is. 

Alright, enough of those bad puns.  This is a really great gel. Not too thick.  Not to thin. Goes down very easily while running even if you don't have a beverage to help it along. I found that it didn't get thicker due to the cold temperatures outdoors. 

A couple of drawbacks with this gel is the limited amount of flavors and the lack of availability locally (I could order them online but I don't need a box of them). I tried two out of the three flavors which are acai-pomegranate and fruit punch (the other one that is available is vanilla). Both had smooth, mild, natural tasting flavors with no nasty aftertaste. Even though they are limited, the ones I tried were well worth testing out. 

To "bee" or not to "bee" that is the question.  Catch the "buzz".  Sorry, got caught up again.  These gels are sweet as can "bee" (I had to put one more in). They really are sweet though. It was almost a bit too much at first. However, that thought quickly dissipated after downing about a third of the packet. 

Stinger gel delivers a nice even level of energy that lasts for a good amount of time.  This delivery of energy is supplied by organic ingredients which is something that I really like. Two stingers up!  

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

 

Race Season 2014- 2 Weeks Away.

My first race of the 2014 season is only two weeks from today.  Ocean's Run 1/2 marathon.  I ran this race last year and have found memories of it as it was my first 1/2 marathon that I had ever run.  I learned a lot about how to race and even more about myself that day.  It is such a great race that winds through the streets of South Kingstown, RI.  A beautiful course that hugs the coastline for part of the race.  There is nothing like running along the ocean.  Very motivating, even when the temps are in the upper 30's and the wind is blowing in off the ocean.  I knew when I finished the race last year that I wanted to come back and run it again in 2014.  That is exactly what I'm going to do.

This race will be a good gauge as to how I'm proceeding with my training for the Boston Marathon and will help me to dial into the areas that I need to improve on.  It will also give me the opportunity to try out a couple of different strategies that I've been working on during my training runs to see how well they actually play out during races.

I cannot wait to run this race again.  To return to wear the passion for running all started for me that cold March day last year.  It reminds me of Manfred Mann's "The Runner".  "See the mist as your breath hits the air".  It certainly does on a brisk morning in March.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Refueling- 4th Place



Hammer Gel- 4th Place Finisher

Hammer Time.  I mean Hammer Gel.  Just had an 80's flashback there for a second.

"You can't touch this".  Well you actually can if you want.  Hammer gel was my first try at a gel made with natural ingredients.

"Break it down. Stop, Hammer time."  Sorry, got caught up in the song again. Let's break it down though. This is another gel which is on the thicker side. Not as bad as Gu but still a little hard to get down. It does get a bit thicker when out in the cold.  You definitely want to wash it down with a drink (I like any flavor of Powerade Zero).

A drawback of Hammer gel is that there are very limited flavors available. I tried Vanilla and Raspberry. Both had an imitation taste to them that was mild but also had a bit of a medicinal aftertaste.

A positive is that they are made with natural ingredients which is something that I was looking for and the only type that I will buy going forward.  They provided a nice gradual level of energy which was sustained for a good amount of time.

This gel would have ranked higher if only it were thinner and had a better overall taste.

It's "Hammer, go Hammer, MC Hammer, yo, Hammer".  I have that darn song stuck in my head now along with visions of those pants that he used to wear. Stuck in your head now too?  You're welcome.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Wicked Pissah.

No, I wasn't pahking my cah in Hahvahd Yahd.  However, if I had, I certainly would have banged a uey at some point on the way there.  The streets can be a bit tricky in that area. I would have gone by at least 20 Dunkies in a half mile stretch getting there but I wouldn't have stopped at any of them.  Their food is not good for me during training. Maybe I could get a tonic though?  

Short Wearing Weather Tonight

Enough of the Bostonisms already. I know.  Tonight's run was wicked!  Fan-frickin-tastic!  Temp was in the low 40's and the real feel was in the mid-30's. Warm enough to pull the shorts out again (go ahead, insert Casper the friendly ghost jokes here).  It felt so good to cut down on the number of layers to wear.  It is going to be short lived though as I've heard rumblings of the "V" word (vortex) coming back next week.  Oh, well. 

I ended up getting 10.2 energizing miles in tonight. Very slushy paths full of mini- lakes on the Cambridge side of the Charles River (my feet were sopping wet), clear paths on the Boston side, well except for the huge nasty old dead rat on its back in the middle of the path along the Esplanade.  Nasty I tell you. I also got some good hill work in on Beacon Hill. 

Now where did I leave my cah keys?...  Here they are, in my pocket of course. I'm wicked smaht! 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Refueling.

Taken On One Of My Runs In Cambridge

I know, you're probably thinking that I'm referring to an automobile running on fumes pulling into a gas station to refuel with overpriced petrol (I used to live close to the Canadian border and loved how they called it petrol instead of gasoline. Sounds so much more chic and interesting). The need to move the needle from Empty to Full. You would be pretty close I guess.  It was the Shell sign that through you off wasn't it?  Instead of refueling my car with 87 octane Shell V-Power gasoline, sorry, petrol, I'm talking about refueling during training runs and races with energy gels. Same concept but with different fluids. You cannot run at peak performance if you running on empty and do not properly refuel during runs.

Whenever I think of refueling and the gels that I used to use last year during my training runs and races it literally makes me... (sorry it's starting, give me another second or two) gag and want to hurl. The problem is that I went with the old standby, the "tried and true", the go-to for any runner. GU Energy gels. It's the kind that is prominently displayed in every running store and is the de facto gel. I learned during my training for Boston that there are many other choices out there that taste better and that are better for you. I'll only buy gels that are designated as "All Natural" from now on. Gone are the days of GU for me. It was the end of the race season last year and I had found myself mid-way through my first marathon gagging trying to get the GU gels down at the allotted times (every 45 minutes). Dreading the next refueling was not one of the items on the top of my list of things to want to worry about while trying to stay focused.

I decided after that that I would need to find alternatives that I would look forward to consuming and, more importantly, better for me. I've tried five different options and will post my reviews here so that others can refuel smartly too while they clean their intake valves, sorry, while powering their high octane activities.

Let's start with 5th place:

Don't Let The Cool Flavors Fool You

GU Energy Gel.

The main issues that I have with GU are the thickness of the gel, the after taste and the fact that it is not all natural (ex. Sodium Benzoate). The viscosity of this stuff is what I would think it would be like drinking 10W40 motor oil.  This stuff is thick even when it is warm outside (of course this is on experience from last year when I used it throughout the summer and into the fall- it would probably be a block of goop if I tried to use it outside now with how cold it has been this winter).  It is very hard to try to get the thicker gel down when you are running and trying to keep your breathing in check.

GU definitely has a lot of great sounding flavors which makes you want to try them all.  Salted Caramel.  Who wouldn't want to try it?  I did and the initial taste wasn't bad.  The aftertaste however, left something to be desired.  It seems that all of the GU varieties have a strange medicinal taste that stays with you for a bit afterwards.

The final item for me is that GU gels are not all natural.  There are several other options out there that are, some are even organic, so why would I want to put something into my body that wasn't natural?

I have two packets of Tri-Berry GU from my late last year training for the first taker.  I understand if you're... sorry, gag reflex is kicking in again, not interested though.  I wouldn't be either.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Number 1. Number 2.

I know, you're saying to yourself doesn't he mean "camera 1, camera 2, camera 1, camera 2"?  All of this while you alternate squinting one eye and opening the other just like in Wayne's World. You know, the scene with Wayne and Cassandra.  Schwing!  We'll, I wasn't quite thinking of that number 1 and number 2 but kudos to you for thinking of that movie. It is a classic!  "No way!" "Way"!

The numbers I was referring to are what the pooches leave behind when out for walks with their owners. I can hear you now saying things like "Are you mental?".  Maybe something more like "a sphincter says what?" "What?"  "Exactly".  It's hopefully my absolute favorite from that movie though: "Ex-Squeeze me?  Baking powder?"  Yes, you can giggle like you're a little school kid again. I won't judge.

I came into the city this past Sunday for a long run. A crisp winter day with white glistening snow still on the ground. A good thing you would think. We'll, that white snow was pretty much dotted with yellow patches and Lincoln logs everywhere the eye could see and, in my case, everywhere I ran. It made for an impromptu obstacle course. My goodness. "Wow! What a totally amazing, excellent discovery!"  "Not"!  OK, enough with the quotes from the movie. It really does make you think about using a picnic blanket when contemplating sitting in a grassy area on a fine summer afternoon. 

I ended up running 20 envigorating miles that day while trying out some new wool socks and refueling gel (I'll post about them soon). It might sound pretty boring but it truly was a great training run. Even with the thoughts of (snicker) number 1 & number 2 (giggle) all around. 

"Party on Wayne". "Party on Garth". 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Still Of The Night.

In the Still of the Night
I feel my heart beating heavy
Telling me I gotta have more...

More running that is.  I love that song. Brings back memories of my first concert when I was a freshman in high school. Whitesnake playing at the old Aud in Buffalo, NY.  No comments on the selection of band from the peanut gallery please. I was young and hadn't opened my eyes (or ears in this case) to the vast untapped possibilities of music choices that were out there. Seems like it was just yesterday.  I stress "seems" because it sure as heck wasn't.

Sneaker Print In The Snow At Night

I've really become a fan of running at night.  There is just something about seeing the Boston skyline lit up in all its glory.  The way the lights reflect off the Charles.  In the shadow of night, I see the full moon rise (sorry, had to add more lyrics here and there).  Speaking of the moon, I have seen some magnificent variations of it while running at night.  Real purdy!  Stress relief for everything that has built up during the day.  You feel things building and you say to yourself "I can't take no more, no, no" (sorry had to do it again).  What better feeling then to know that you can let it all go in a few hours at the end of the day.  Cleanse your mind and recharge.  There's nothing like it. 

I ended up running 7 miles the other night in the city before the big snow storm swooped in.  Gorgeous weather and fantastic sites (yes, I had to stop for more pictures to fulfill my Instagram addiction).  I'm going to end up running in the city tomorrow morning due to scheduling conflicts.  I know, completely the opposite of the topic of this post.  Don't worry, I'll be singing "I'm waiting for the night to come, ooh, baby" as I make my way down the Esplanade at 7:00 in the morning. 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!
 

Oh, The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Griswold.



Mt. Vernon Street - Beacon Hill

No, I wasn't singing gleefully and dancing in circles with Ellen, Audrey and Rusty in the Swiss Alps yesterday morning.  I was instead running 16.2 miles in Boston with some hill work sprinkled in towards the end courtesy of Mt. Vernon Street on Beacon Hill.  I'm sure that I probably could have screeched out a few lines "Oh, the hills are are alive..."  Oh, forget it.  That would have been horrible.  I cannot hold a note for anything.  Don't even ask if I could have danced in circles.  I think that is a given.  Heck no!  I was always the one standing in one place during dances in junior high.  I am the poster child for no rhythm and wallflowers everywhere.  Oh well, I can run and I'll take that any day.

I'm starting to incorporate more intensive hill training into my runs so that I can better prepare myself for the marathon.  While I have always tried to regularly include some hill work, I know that I have to "ramp" it up.  No pun intended.  OK, you know me better.  That pun was absolutely positively intended.  What better place is there that is off the between trail (no, not that trail (Freedom Trail)) and convenient to where I always run?  Beacon Hill.  It has some great steep hills, doesn't have a lot of traffic and... has some great steep hills.  If you cannot tell, it has pretty good hills.  It is great for both ascending and descending which both require specific types of training.  My hope is that putting this work in now will help me when heart break hill comes front and center.  I'm going drive out to that hill soon to scope things out and see how much more work I need to be prepared for it.

"Hey look kids, there's Big Ben, and there's Parliament... again". (Sorry, had to throw one more quote in from National Lampoon's European Vacation).

Until next time, keep on runnin'!