I haven't been running yet today but it is absolutely wonderful out. Not too hot, not too cold -- well, maybe a little too hot, but it's 3PM right now. I plan to wait until around 7PM, then go. Actually, I really plan to wait until after the Yankees/Red Sox game, so knowing them, that might be closer to 8PM.
As I was going around Boston today, I got thinking about two common runner myths:
1) You get to eat whatever you want;
2) Running costs basically nothing!
#1: Ha! I wish. Of course you don't! Well, I guess you could eat whatever you wanted, but I mean you could do that whether you ran or not. The end result would be the same: you would get fat. Running does burn calories, but not enough for you to be able to eat whatever you feel like. For health reasons, I also try to stay away from foods that will spike my blood sugar levels, such as white flour, white sugar, and (tragedy) dried fruit.
It makes sense that when you run, you want to be as tiny as possible so as not to strain your joints and so that there is less weight to carry. As a result, it's better to watch what you eat. I find that I've been away from 'bad' food long enough that I don't usually crave it anymore. There are a few exceptions, like pizza, which is essentially my kryptonite. In general, though, it is better to watch what you eat regardless of how much physical activity you do.
Because I've been traveling a lot this summer, it has been a challenge to eat well. Sure, you could just eat salads all the time, but those aren't always healthy depending on the dressings. My ideal solution is to be in a place where I can easily buy food from a supermarket or something similar. For instance, I was in London (England...in case you are from Southern Ontario...) and was near to a Sainsbury's and a Marks and Spencer. Both had lots of good options for portable meals that were healthy. Right now, I'm very close to a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's. Sure, Whole Foods may be expensive, but it's still cheaper than dining out all of the time, plus you know what's in your food. I also brought with me a set of utensils (plastic) and a tacky, plastic plate that is very resilient; I purchased both of these when I was in England. Someday, I hope to craft some kind of container that is amenable to traveling for these items...but truth be told, I am not that crafty, and it's really not that hard to fit a set of plastic utensils and a plate in your suitcase.
#2: I mean, I guess running could cost almost nothing, apart from the fact that you pretty much need to buy shoes every 6 months or so (and you don't want to skimp too much because you can get injured). But I'm curious to know who can resist all of the running-related things out there. I put them into two categories: gear and toys. Gear is anything that you wear in the hopes of improving your running. Toys are anything gadget-like that you hope will improve your running. In general, I am quite good about staying away from both gear and toys; the only real toy I have is my phone and the holder that I use when I take it with me so that I can track mileage. Before I started doing that, I guess I had an Ironman watch that could, theoretically, qualify as a toy. That was it.
With gear, I am also pretty good, but it gets harder to resist. One item I definitely wanted while in Boston was a visor that wicks sweat (NB: almost anything associated with gear for runners involves wicking). Being a running town, Boston is also a running-stuff town, and there are several places where one can stock up easily. Today I went to City Sports. The nearest City Sports to me in Florida is a whole state away in Atlanta, GA and I think that this is a good thing. It's got so much gear that I think it would be hard not to indulge on a regular basis if there were one closer (there are running-specific stores in Tampa, just not ones that are all that convenient to me). Today I went to the one with the outlet as well, where I got two pairs of honest-to-goodness geary shorts that, naturally, wick sweat -- a big upgrade from my current shorts, which all came from Target. At one point, I was close to getting three other pairs, but none of them was very flattering so I changed my mind. Somehow, I stayed away from the gear Red Sox shorts. And I did wind up getting my visor too.
There are many, many more items of gear/toys that I want, but it is true that you don't need gear/toys to run, I suppose...
(Another toy I want is one of those foam roller things that you can use to help stretch. And some gear shirts. And more shorts. And new running shoes. I think that's all. Okay, maybe a pouch thing for carrying gels/water).
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wicked Scenic Boston Run with Killah Hill
I did it! All 5 miles! And I didn't overheat! What a surreal feeling that was.
So the route was: Charles River --> Esplanade --> Cambridge Street (*not* Beacon Street, as I said yesterday, but it was in Beacon Hill) --> Tremont Avenue --> Boston Common. Some of you have requested pictures, so here's one from around the Esplanade:
Not bad, scenery-wise. Boston Common was fun too. There were kids at a tennis camp and I even got to run around the Frog Pond. This picture shows just about where my run ended. However, the Frog Pond was closed, so it wasn't quite so active:
The Killah Hill was...well...not so fun. My run tracker is amusing since it tracks both your pace and your altitude. Funnily enough, my pace went down quite a bit when the altitude started to go up!
This run was fun for another reason (apart from not overheating and getting through the 5 miles). When I first started running, I lived in Somerville, MA. I started -- like most people -- with smaller distances and shorter runs. Then one day I decided that I was ready to tackle what I considered to be a 'real run': my first 6 miles. I don't know why I felt this distance made you officially a runner, but it was the marker that I chose and I set out. I went from Somerville to Cambridge (which might sound impressive but at the time was actually across the street), down to the river, ran for a while, then came up back to my house. This was also the run that I realized we lived up a steep yet gradual hill, one that I really hadn't noticed walking. But I did it. The last part of it was pretty brutal, but I made it and that's all that matters.
It was amazing to me when I considered the difference between suburban Florida and Boston in terms of space. From my hotel to the Esplanade was about 2.5 miles. In that time, I covered several neighborhoods, ran past the MIT and Boston University campuses, and went by three red line subway stations -- the red line stations are actual normal distances, unlike the green line, which is essentially a tram. In Florida, I could probably still be running around the same subdivision after 2.5 miles.
What I also realized as I was heading home was that unless I change my schedule, this was my last 5 mile run in Boston during this trip. Time certainly does fly...
So the route was: Charles River --> Esplanade --> Cambridge Street (*not* Beacon Street, as I said yesterday, but it was in Beacon Hill) --> Tremont Avenue --> Boston Common. Some of you have requested pictures, so here's one from around the Esplanade:
Not bad, scenery-wise. Boston Common was fun too. There were kids at a tennis camp and I even got to run around the Frog Pond. This picture shows just about where my run ended. However, the Frog Pond was closed, so it wasn't quite so active:
The Killah Hill was...well...not so fun. My run tracker is amusing since it tracks both your pace and your altitude. Funnily enough, my pace went down quite a bit when the altitude started to go up!
This run was fun for another reason (apart from not overheating and getting through the 5 miles). When I first started running, I lived in Somerville, MA. I started -- like most people -- with smaller distances and shorter runs. Then one day I decided that I was ready to tackle what I considered to be a 'real run': my first 6 miles. I don't know why I felt this distance made you officially a runner, but it was the marker that I chose and I set out. I went from Somerville to Cambridge (which might sound impressive but at the time was actually across the street), down to the river, ran for a while, then came up back to my house. This was also the run that I realized we lived up a steep yet gradual hill, one that I really hadn't noticed walking. But I did it. The last part of it was pretty brutal, but I made it and that's all that matters.
It was amazing to me when I considered the difference between suburban Florida and Boston in terms of space. From my hotel to the Esplanade was about 2.5 miles. In that time, I covered several neighborhoods, ran past the MIT and Boston University campuses, and went by three red line subway stations -- the red line stations are actual normal distances, unlike the green line, which is essentially a tram. In Florida, I could probably still be running around the same subdivision after 2.5 miles.
What I also realized as I was heading home was that unless I change my schedule, this was my last 5 mile run in Boston during this trip. Time certainly does fly...
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
In the unforgettable words of Han Solo....
Don't get cocky.
I'm in Boston and had my first run by the Charles today (yay!). Boston is a running kind of town. It is almost impossible to be somewhere and not see someone running, which is great. You see all kinds of runners: ridiculously fast ones, slow ones, beginners, old people, the works. Today I even saw a family of three. It is inspiring. Plus, the Charles is super nice because you can run right next to it. Mind you, in places it is not so great since it's also right next to two major arteries (Storrow Drive and Memorial Drive) -- plus the Mass Turnpike. But life could be worse than looking out over a river while you run, plus there are nice shady trees pretty often. Sometimes you even see rowers (disclaimer: I used to row. I loved it more than almost anything).
Today was four miles. Because it is not so killer hot/humid, I really let it rip on the first mile. This was a big mistake because while it was not *as* hot/humid, it still *was* hot/humid and I had to slow the pace down quite a bit for the remaining miles. But the important thing was that I ran a fast mile! Much faster than any pace I've been able to maintain for a while -- a full 2 minutes faster than those brutal runs last week. And the moral of this story is that heat makes you run slow.
I am staying right next to the Charles by the exit for the Turnpike. Today I made it to the MIT Bridge. The plan tomorrow is to pass that, get to the Esplanade (that part they show sometimes on Cheers with all of the sailboats), hit the killer hill (or 'killah hill' as the locals would call it) up Beacon Street, go through Boston Common, and finally go to Commonwealth Avenue. This is about as scenic a run as you could do in Boston, I think. Although considering that I am from Florida and I live in a region with zero hills, this run might do me in! Good thing that Friday is a rest day.
At the same time, I don't want to get cocky. It still can get hot here. So I need to pace myself better because the rest of the run was less fun than it could have been. Here's hoping that I can stay steady and not let the hill beat me.
I'm in Boston and had my first run by the Charles today (yay!). Boston is a running kind of town. It is almost impossible to be somewhere and not see someone running, which is great. You see all kinds of runners: ridiculously fast ones, slow ones, beginners, old people, the works. Today I even saw a family of three. It is inspiring. Plus, the Charles is super nice because you can run right next to it. Mind you, in places it is not so great since it's also right next to two major arteries (Storrow Drive and Memorial Drive) -- plus the Mass Turnpike. But life could be worse than looking out over a river while you run, plus there are nice shady trees pretty often. Sometimes you even see rowers (disclaimer: I used to row. I loved it more than almost anything).
Today was four miles. Because it is not so killer hot/humid, I really let it rip on the first mile. This was a big mistake because while it was not *as* hot/humid, it still *was* hot/humid and I had to slow the pace down quite a bit for the remaining miles. But the important thing was that I ran a fast mile! Much faster than any pace I've been able to maintain for a while -- a full 2 minutes faster than those brutal runs last week. And the moral of this story is that heat makes you run slow.
I am staying right next to the Charles by the exit for the Turnpike. Today I made it to the MIT Bridge. The plan tomorrow is to pass that, get to the Esplanade (that part they show sometimes on Cheers with all of the sailboats), hit the killer hill (or 'killah hill' as the locals would call it) up Beacon Street, go through Boston Common, and finally go to Commonwealth Avenue. This is about as scenic a run as you could do in Boston, I think. Although considering that I am from Florida and I live in a region with zero hills, this run might do me in! Good thing that Friday is a rest day.
At the same time, I don't want to get cocky. It still can get hot here. So I need to pace myself better because the rest of the run was less fun than it could have been. Here's hoping that I can stay steady and not let the hill beat me.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
I think I'm adapting
This morning's 3-mile run was also not so bad, although it was sufficiently humid that my glasses fogged up as I ran. The sun, however, was not terrible (this was around 8am) and with plenty of shade, I felt pretty good by the end. Sunny moments were actually kind of nice since they helped evaporate some of the moisture. Good enough to crank it up a bit for the last 0.1 mile. Then I walked it off and sweated a lot.
This is great timing for adapting to the hot/humid environment since I am sitting right now at the airport, getting ready to fly to Boston. Here is hoping that any warm-weather experience will stay with me for the next week and a half!
Slight change to this week's training plan: Tuesday 3; Wednesday 4; Thursday 5; Saturday 4; Sunday 3. Nice pyramid. I'm doing a 5k on Sunday, so it makes sense to switch things up a bit.
This is great timing for adapting to the hot/humid environment since I am sitting right now at the airport, getting ready to fly to Boston. Here is hoping that any warm-weather experience will stay with me for the next week and a half!
Slight change to this week's training plan: Tuesday 3; Wednesday 4; Thursday 5; Saturday 4; Sunday 3. Nice pyramid. I'm doing a 5k on Sunday, so it makes sense to switch things up a bit.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Interesting
I was reading the May 2010 issue of Runner's World this morning (I'm super behind with them) and ran across an interesting piece of information:
"If you're running at least every other day, your body will adapt to a more efficient running pattern, which eliminates extraneous motion and generates some small time improvement."
I find this interesting because I didn't really notice this from past long-distance training. I've run two half-marathons before, but maybe the circumstances weren't right to test this theory. After the first one, my next race was a 5k. I did it while I was training for a triathlon, and while my fitness level should have been overall better, I was tired from the training when I did it (also, it warmed up even though it was in the winter in Florida...never good for me). After the last half-marathon, I didn't really run anything. So maybe this time around, I will see a difference! I don't really expect to improve all that much, time-wise, since marathon training is more about endurance and distance, and that's fine too.
"If you're running at least every other day, your body will adapt to a more efficient running pattern, which eliminates extraneous motion and generates some small time improvement."
I find this interesting because I didn't really notice this from past long-distance training. I've run two half-marathons before, but maybe the circumstances weren't right to test this theory. After the first one, my next race was a 5k. I did it while I was training for a triathlon, and while my fitness level should have been overall better, I was tired from the training when I did it (also, it warmed up even though it was in the winter in Florida...never good for me). After the last half-marathon, I didn't really run anything. So maybe this time around, I will see a difference! I don't really expect to improve all that much, time-wise, since marathon training is more about endurance and distance, and that's fine too.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
No luck today
I should go check my horoscope for today. It probably said something like this:
"Your plans will not come to fruition, no matter how good your intentions. Also, avoid running in swamps."
After this morning's fiasco, I decided to go to my gym and finish up the last 4 miles of my 5 mile run. There is a 30 limit on the cardio equipment, but I decided to cheat by doing 30 minutes (at a 5 mph, or a 12-minute mile split), then finish the last 18 minutes after taking a brief walk around the facility, thus allowing anyone waiting for the treadmill to jump on it whilst I wasn't there. Since no one did, I claimed the treadmill and finished up my 18 minutes. But it did not feel good. Not one little bit. In fact, it's good that I stopped after the 30 because I'm pretty sure that I didn't have the power to get through another 18 without a break. I was on the verge of overheating. Inside.
I've run on the treadmill at my gym before and did not find it overwhelming. It's slightly hot, but not too bad, and they have a fan right next to the treadmills to help you recover. Today, though, was not especially fun. I was wondering if I really was just not in shape or what was happening, but before freaking out I decided to check with the gym employee to see how hot it was.
The temperature gauge is in a different room than the treadmill. According to the gauge, it was 75F. According to the employee, the treadmill room is generally a few degrees hotter than that room.
In other words, it was too freaking hot for running on a treadmill. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that a fitness center be between 68-71F -- I just found this doing a quick Google search and haven't been able to confirm it on the ACSM website, but that seems about right. However, this is not taking into account the humidity outside. If it is humid outside -- and dear Lord, was it ever this afternoon (in the 80% range) as a thunderstorm was forming -- then probably a few degrees lower is not amiss.
So maybe 75+ is a little warm?
Not my day for running! Tomorrow is stretching (yay), then only one more run in Florida. Wednesday's run, barring any unexpected events, will be four miles next to the beautiful Charles River. Here's hoping it isn't the beautiful yet smelly Charles River.
"Your plans will not come to fruition, no matter how good your intentions. Also, avoid running in swamps."
After this morning's fiasco, I decided to go to my gym and finish up the last 4 miles of my 5 mile run. There is a 30 limit on the cardio equipment, but I decided to cheat by doing 30 minutes (at a 5 mph, or a 12-minute mile split), then finish the last 18 minutes after taking a brief walk around the facility, thus allowing anyone waiting for the treadmill to jump on it whilst I wasn't there. Since no one did, I claimed the treadmill and finished up my 18 minutes. But it did not feel good. Not one little bit. In fact, it's good that I stopped after the 30 because I'm pretty sure that I didn't have the power to get through another 18 without a break. I was on the verge of overheating. Inside.
I've run on the treadmill at my gym before and did not find it overwhelming. It's slightly hot, but not too bad, and they have a fan right next to the treadmills to help you recover. Today, though, was not especially fun. I was wondering if I really was just not in shape or what was happening, but before freaking out I decided to check with the gym employee to see how hot it was.
The temperature gauge is in a different room than the treadmill. According to the gauge, it was 75F. According to the employee, the treadmill room is generally a few degrees hotter than that room.
In other words, it was too freaking hot for running on a treadmill. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that a fitness center be between 68-71F -- I just found this doing a quick Google search and haven't been able to confirm it on the ACSM website, but that seems about right. However, this is not taking into account the humidity outside. If it is humid outside -- and dear Lord, was it ever this afternoon (in the 80% range) as a thunderstorm was forming -- then probably a few degrees lower is not amiss.
So maybe 75+ is a little warm?
Not my day for running! Tomorrow is stretching (yay), then only one more run in Florida. Wednesday's run, barring any unexpected events, will be four miles next to the beautiful Charles River. Here's hoping it isn't the beautiful yet smelly Charles River.
Where not to run
Here's a tip: don't go for runs in a swamp. Particularly in Florida during the summer. And especially during a heat advisory.
How did this happen? After yesterday's not-so-terrible run, I was feeling pretty confident and was hoping that the worst was over. Today, for my 5 mile run, I decided to check out Lettuce Lake Park. I had been told that this was a good place to go running; in fact, the person who mentioned it was surprised to learn that I hadn't been yet (what can I say, I used to live in the other end of town and it wasn't exactly convenient). So I decided that it would be fun to check it out for this morning's run just to shake things up a bit.
Big. Mistake.
Lettuce Lake Park is essentially a swamp. Not like the bayou or anything, but if there were rain, it would get filled, and I think that it would be even more swamp-like. There are plants everywhere and it is exceedingly humid.
Note that the humidity is already on the high end here in Florida, not to mention that pesky heat advisory from yesterday, which is still in effect. And the dew point was 79F (!) this morning. That is one mere degree away from the danger zone. And I was in a swamp.
I don't quite know how to explain just how awful I felt. Let's just say that sweat was already amassing in my hair about 1/4 of a mile in. This is one of the grosser feelings that I know: sweat just accumulating with nowhere to go. As I went on, I was literally drenched. My time was unbelievably bad -- even worse than my earlier runs this week.
I'm going to finish up the run later this afternoon on the treadmill at the gym. Dividing runs is not the worst thing in the world, but I don't think that most running experts have in mind that you only got through one mile of your five mile run when they recommend it.
It just started raining. Had I continued my run, I would be out there right now. Rain here is not some kind of nice relief from the heat. The humidity and everything tends to continue. Plus you risk a thunderstorm, which can be very violent. So maybe things are best that I didn't finish...except that it is still bugging me!
How did this happen? After yesterday's not-so-terrible run, I was feeling pretty confident and was hoping that the worst was over. Today, for my 5 mile run, I decided to check out Lettuce Lake Park. I had been told that this was a good place to go running; in fact, the person who mentioned it was surprised to learn that I hadn't been yet (what can I say, I used to live in the other end of town and it wasn't exactly convenient). So I decided that it would be fun to check it out for this morning's run just to shake things up a bit.
Big. Mistake.
Lettuce Lake Park is essentially a swamp. Not like the bayou or anything, but if there were rain, it would get filled, and I think that it would be even more swamp-like. There are plants everywhere and it is exceedingly humid.
Note that the humidity is already on the high end here in Florida, not to mention that pesky heat advisory from yesterday, which is still in effect. And the dew point was 79F (!) this morning. That is one mere degree away from the danger zone. And I was in a swamp.
I don't quite know how to explain just how awful I felt. Let's just say that sweat was already amassing in my hair about 1/4 of a mile in. This is one of the grosser feelings that I know: sweat just accumulating with nowhere to go. As I went on, I was literally drenched. My time was unbelievably bad -- even worse than my earlier runs this week.
I'm going to finish up the run later this afternoon on the treadmill at the gym. Dividing runs is not the worst thing in the world, but I don't think that most running experts have in mind that you only got through one mile of your five mile run when they recommend it.
It just started raining. Had I continued my run, I would be out there right now. Rain here is not some kind of nice relief from the heat. The humidity and everything tends to continue. Plus you risk a thunderstorm, which can be very violent. So maybe things are best that I didn't finish...except that it is still bugging me!
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