Here's June 2010:
Swim: 1,640 yards
Cycling (outdoors): 0.0 miles
Cycling (indoors): 1:00 (hours)
Run: 308.7 miles
Strength Training/Yoga: 1 session
Approximate monthly total training/racing time: 45.5 hours
Another biggest running month ever. 308 miles in a 30 day month is averaging more than 10 miles per day. Wow. If you'd have asked me a few months ago whether I thought I could survive that volume of running, I would have thought "No way!" Now, I'm thinking that while that was a tough month, I didn't have to kill myself to do it. And I think I can do it again. Here comes July, so we'll soon find out!
Running that much didn't give me a whole lot of time to do anything else, as is evidenced by my low low low swimming and cycling numbers. The one strength training/yoga session is a little deceptive. I only took one yoga class (the trip to NY got in the way), but I have been keeping up with some basic strength and core training on a regular basis. Usually, it's just 10-15 minutes whenever I can fit it in, so I don't count it towards the log totals.
June was marked by the two week trip to New York, which was a nice mix of fun, family, running and work. I ran all over the lower half of the City and parts of Brooklyn (but never got up to Central Park). In addition to my runs in NYC and East Hampton, I ran all over LA, and did a good job mixing up routes and splitting time between trails and roads. I capped off the month with a fun run up misty Temescal this morning with Peter and Katie.
I'm looking forward to another big training month in July. And July also means Badwater. Very psyched to get back there in a couple weeks! As always, I'll keep you posted on everything!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
AC100 Update
The race directors have recently posted a couple encouraging updates on the AC100 site. The gist of is that even though it looks like the Angeles National Forest will officially be closed until December 2010, the Forest Service is currently processing a special permit that will allow the race to be held as planned! That would be great! I won't really celebrate until they announce that they actually have the permit in hand, but at this point, it's looking very very likely
Training continues to go well. After two big weeks in a row, this was something of a recovery week. I "only" ran about 60 miles. I took two days completely off from running, did a few miles less each weekday and didn't do a long run today. Saturday I met up with Sally for a run/adventure in Malibu Creek State Park. That was awesome. I'd run there all the time if it was more convenient.
If all goes as planned, this coming week is going to be another big one. And I'm headed towards yet another "biggest month ever" of running. More on that in my monthly summary in a few days.
Training continues to go well. After two big weeks in a row, this was something of a recovery week. I "only" ran about 60 miles. I took two days completely off from running, did a few miles less each weekday and didn't do a long run today. Saturday I met up with Sally for a run/adventure in Malibu Creek State Park. That was awesome. I'd run there all the time if it was more convenient.
If all goes as planned, this coming week is going to be another big one. And I'm headed towards yet another "biggest month ever" of running. More on that in my monthly summary in a few days.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
What I Want - Sports Watch UPDATE
In January, I wrote one of my "What I Want" posts describing my ideal GPS-enabled sports watch. In that post, I mentioned that Timex had announced a new watch - the Timex Ironman Global Trainer GPS Watch - that sounded like it could be the answer - or close enough for me to finally step up and get a GPS watch.
I've been keeping track of the release of the watch and reading some pre-release press. The watch isn't officially going to be released until this fall, but as of June 15, REI got an early exclusive on it. It looks cool and has got a lot of great features. It's also been getting relatively good reviews regarding performance (check out DC Rainmaker's review), but from the specs and pictures I'd seen, I was worried about the size (Tundra Transition Zone had exactly that problem and sent his back to REI!). I was really excited to see it for myself.
So, I went to REI the other day to see it in person. I walked in prepared to buy it if I liked it. But I walked away empty-handed. Unfortunately, it is way too big. Granted, I don't have huge wrists, but this watch is as big as a dive watch and probably a little heavier. Maybe people with big wrists or who are used to wearing heavy watches can wear it. It's a little bigger than the Garmin Forerunner 310xt, so if you're used to that, maybe this won't see big to you. I wish I'd taken a picture of it on my wrist. Instead, you'll just have to trust me. I thought that technology was making thing smaller and sleeker!
The salesperson at REI told me that while a number of people have come in to look at it, as of that day, no one had bought one from her. (Interestingly, though, I checked REI.com today and it's sold out - or otherwise not available - there.) My friend, Assaf (who I fault/credit for getting me into this endurance madness in the first place), pre-ordered one from REI and wrote me last night to say that he was returning his - saying that it was just too big. He was also having some technical problems with it getting a satellite signal and thought that some of the features are overkill for a runner.
Back to the drawing board for me on this one...
p.s. my heart is still racing from that goal this morning! wow!
So, I went to REI the other day to see it in person. I walked in prepared to buy it if I liked it. But I walked away empty-handed. Unfortunately, it is way too big. Granted, I don't have huge wrists, but this watch is as big as a dive watch and probably a little heavier. Maybe people with big wrists or who are used to wearing heavy watches can wear it. It's a little bigger than the Garmin Forerunner 310xt, so if you're used to that, maybe this won't see big to you. I wish I'd taken a picture of it on my wrist. Instead, you'll just have to trust me. I thought that technology was making thing smaller and sleeker!
The salesperson at REI told me that while a number of people have come in to look at it, as of that day, no one had bought one from her. (Interestingly, though, I checked REI.com today and it's sold out - or otherwise not available - there.) My friend, Assaf (who I fault/credit for getting me into this endurance madness in the first place), pre-ordered one from REI and wrote me last night to say that he was returning his - saying that it was just too big. He was also having some technical problems with it getting a satellite signal and thought that some of the features are overkill for a runner.
Back to the drawing board for me on this one...
p.s. my heart is still racing from that goal this morning! wow!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Kinesio Tape - Kinesio Gold vs. KT Tape
December 18, 2011 edit: KT Tape recently came out with a new product called "KT Tape Pro". Click here to check out my review and a discount code (good until January 31, 2012)!
May 9, 2011 edit: It's been nearly a year, but I just noticed that this post receives more traffic than any other post in the history of my blog. That's great, but I need to be fair about this review. About two weeks after this blog post, I posted an update with a revised conclusion. Please read this review but also read the update to get all the information.
Followers of my blog might remember the achilles tendinitis that hit me last fall. It happened right as I was peaking for some pretty exciting fall races and I tried everything I could think of to get over it. One thing that did seem to help was kinesio tape. I still don't understand how the stuff works, but running pain free coincided with applying the tape. For a while there, I was using the tape for every run. I applied it myself, following instructions for taping that I found online (I think this is the best video for achilles taping). Since getting over the achilles injury, I still sometimes use tape on my achilles and/or IT band, but only if I'm feeling a little twinge there. I've also put it on before most of my recent races, just as a precaution.
At first and for all the time until last month, I was using Kinsesio Tex Gold Tape, mostly because that was the first brand that was referred to me and I bought a couple rolls at this online store (I don't think it's available in local stores). It worked well enough - and by that I mean that I haven't had any major achilles or IT band issues and the tape stays on once I apply it.
During the spring, a different brand of tape, KT Tape, started a social media campaign on Twitter, promoting their tape. They also started selling it at local sporting goods stores like Sports Chalet and Big 5. One day I happened to be in a Big 5 and saw the display, so I bought a box of the tape. It's nice to be able to buy the tape at a store instead of having to order it online. One other difference between the KT Tape and Kinesio Gold is that the KT Tape comes pre-cut into 10" strips with rounded edges and a split down the middle for things like wrapping two smaller strips around the calf muscle (like in the photo above). You have to manually cut Kinesio Gold and manually round the edges; it's not a huge deal, but the way the KT Tape comes is a nice convenience - if the product otherwise serves its purpose.
But therein lies the rub. Convenience aside, I think KT Tape is a far inferior product and I cannot recommend it. The problem with it is that it just doesn't stay on my skin. And if the tape won't stick, then it's worthless. The technique in putting on the two different brands is the same and I've now given the KT Tape five different chances. Twice on my achilles and three times on my IT Band. I've cleaned the area first and even used rubbing alcohol to get any residual oil or lotion off my skin (something I've never actually done with Kinesio Gold). But each time I put on the KT Tape, it's falling off within a few miles. And that is unacceptable. At Bishop, I had the achilles tape flapping before the second aid station (5.75 miles) and had to stop to use scissors cut the dangling strips off. On yesterday morning's run, the tape on my IT band started falling off about two miles in and by mile three I'd pulled it off my leg and tossed it in the trash.
I haven't taken any courses in applying the tape, so there's a chance that it's human (my) error. But that doesn't explain why I've never had this issue with the Kinesio Gold. The Kinesio Gold isn't perfect and often I end up with a less-than-perfect strip, but it's never started falling off like the KT Tape does each time I've tried it. In fact, most of the time when I put Kinesio Gold on, it usually lasts a few days, including multiple workouts and showers. (Note that it always falls off right away in the pool.)
I'm going to continue using kinesio tape when I get twinges or want to be extra careful, and I'll recommend it to people with soft tissue injuries, but from now on, I'll stick with the Kinsesio Tex Gold Tape. This is all proof that marketing campaigns and social media presence can get you a one-time customer, but unless you make a good product, repeat business is out of the cards!
May 9, 2011 edit: It's been nearly a year, but I just noticed that this post receives more traffic than any other post in the history of my blog. That's great, but I need to be fair about this review. About two weeks after this blog post, I posted an update with a revised conclusion. Please read this review but also read the update to get all the information.
At first and for all the time until last month, I was using Kinsesio Tex Gold Tape, mostly because that was the first brand that was referred to me and I bought a couple rolls at this online store (I don't think it's available in local stores). It worked well enough - and by that I mean that I haven't had any major achilles or IT band issues and the tape stays on once I apply it.
During the spring, a different brand of tape, KT Tape, started a social media campaign on Twitter, promoting their tape. They also started selling it at local sporting goods stores like Sports Chalet and Big 5. One day I happened to be in a Big 5 and saw the display, so I bought a box of the tape. It's nice to be able to buy the tape at a store instead of having to order it online. One other difference between the KT Tape and Kinesio Gold is that the KT Tape comes pre-cut into 10" strips with rounded edges and a split down the middle for things like wrapping two smaller strips around the calf muscle (like in the photo above). You have to manually cut Kinesio Gold and manually round the edges; it's not a huge deal, but the way the KT Tape comes is a nice convenience - if the product otherwise serves its purpose.
But therein lies the rub. Convenience aside, I think KT Tape is a far inferior product and I cannot recommend it. The problem with it is that it just doesn't stay on my skin. And if the tape won't stick, then it's worthless. The technique in putting on the two different brands is the same and I've now given the KT Tape five different chances. Twice on my achilles and three times on my IT Band. I've cleaned the area first and even used rubbing alcohol to get any residual oil or lotion off my skin (something I've never actually done with Kinesio Gold). But each time I put on the KT Tape, it's falling off within a few miles. And that is unacceptable. At Bishop, I had the achilles tape flapping before the second aid station (5.75 miles) and had to stop to use scissors cut the dangling strips off. On yesterday morning's run, the tape on my IT band started falling off about two miles in and by mile three I'd pulled it off my leg and tossed it in the trash.
I haven't taken any courses in applying the tape, so there's a chance that it's human (my) error. But that doesn't explain why I've never had this issue with the Kinesio Gold. The Kinesio Gold isn't perfect and often I end up with a less-than-perfect strip, but it's never started falling off like the KT Tape does each time I've tried it. In fact, most of the time when I put Kinesio Gold on, it usually lasts a few days, including multiple workouts and showers. (Note that it always falls off right away in the pool.)
I'm going to continue using kinesio tape when I get twinges or want to be extra careful, and I'll recommend it to people with soft tissue injuries, but from now on, I'll stick with the Kinsesio Tex Gold Tape. This is all proof that marketing campaigns and social media presence can get you a one-time customer, but unless you make a good product, repeat business is out of the cards!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Home
After two fairly busy weeks in New York, it was really nice to finally get home late Thursday night. Away from the humidity and the craziness that is NYC and back to the craziness that is Los Angeles. I spent Saturday morning in the Santa Monicas for a nice mostly solo 25 mile run. And backed that up with about 23 miles on roads today.
No pictures or particularly good stories to tell, so that is all for today.
(Less than) Ten weeks until AC.
No pictures or particularly good stories to tell, so that is all for today.
(Less than) Ten weeks until AC.
Monday, June 14, 2010
88 miles
That's my total miles for last week (Monday - Sunday). 88 miles is the most I've ever run in a week, and is more than I used to run most months! I've been regularly hitting between 65-75 miles per week, but I really want to start pushing myself a little and increasing my weekly mileage.
With the travel we were doing between NYC and Long Island and between work, the dogs, family time, seeing old friends and the weddings we were attending, I knew last week was going to be a little hectic. I didn't have a set-in-stone plan and just figured I would run as much as I reasonably could.
I started the week with 19.5 miles in the Northwest Woods near East Hampton on Long Island. After getting 19.5 miles on a Monday, I decided that I would shoot for between 90-100 miles for the week. The Northwest Woods are a great place to run - there are a few well-marked, intersecting trails with a bunch of smaller off-shoots to check out. It's quiet and peaceful back there and I rarely ran into other people, but you're never that far from a house or road, so even if you get a little "lost", you can get out pretty easily. I saw tons of animals, including deer (if you look closely in the picture up at the top you can see one that I had a stare-off with), wild turkeys and rabbits. The only real "problems" with it are that it's pretty much flat as a board and there's no water available at all along the course.
Tuesday was 8 miles on the road; Wednesday was 6.25 morning miles on the road and 6 evening miles in the woods; Thursday I ran 8.8 miles on the roads (with a little on the beach).
Despite the fact that I was feeling pretty good, I took Friday off to give my legs a rest in preparation for a big weekend. Saturday I got up early and ran 22.5 in the Woods, exploring some sections that I'd never run through before. At that point I was at around 72 miles with Sunday still to go.
I was planning to hit around 20 road miles on Sunday, but after staying up late on Saturday night and having a busy day of family stuff planned, I ended up doing 7.4 in the morning and then another 9.5 in the evening, leaving me just a little short of 90 miles. If I'd had more time or planned it a little better, I definitely could have run more miles either in the morning or evening (or both!).
Even though I didn't get across the 90-mile-week threshold, I'm still very psyched with the week. I'm taking today off but will be right back at it tomorrow. I'm still travelling and this week could be a tougher one to get in the big miles, but I'll give it a good shot.
Congrats to everyone who raced yesterday, particularly at the San Diego 100 and Eagleman!
Monday, June 07, 2010
AC100 Update
It's now less than 12 weeks until Angeles Crest and we still don't have an answer on whether or not the race is actually going to happen. In a lot of ways, it doesn't really matter. I have a back-up plan or two, so one way or another I'm running 100 miles in late August or early September. But it would be really nice to know where I'm running those 100 miles!
We did get this optimistic email from Hal, the co-race director, this weekend:
And by the way, holy sh*t that it's less than 12 weeks away!
I am assured by our FS [Forest Service] officer that if we get the trails in shape we should be able to get our special use permit to run the race Aug 28th (in spite of the burn area closure to the public) unless another large fire closes the forest. For the AC100 runners/workers and directors hard work pays off and we should never give up! Cal Trans getting Hwy2 reopened above LaCanada (where the Station fire started)remains our biggest challenge at present. Long drive thru Sunland off the 210 Fwy to access Shortcut Saddle is the option at present.It's obvious that the race directors want to put on a race and the Forest Service is still willing to consider it, but there is work to be done and some fingers to be crossed.
And by the way, holy sh*t that it's less than 12 weeks away!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)