Jeff emailed me to tell me he couldn't comment on this blog. Yep, I messed up the comments feature last week when I was monkeying around with my template. I'll fix my links, etc. later but wanted to throw this default template up for now in case anyone else is reading and wanted to comment.
SD
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Breaking the Bank
In the continuing pursuit of spending all the family's money and ensuring that my son will have to sell plasma if he wants to attend an out of state college, I've decided to drive down to a running store this weekend and have myself fitted for a good pair of shoes and pick up a few other items. Before I go, I decided to do some online comparison shopping.
Basically one set of whicking or technical workout cloths from roadrunner.com (one set of shorts, one top, and some socks) would cost me about $130 plus shipping. Does that seem silly to anyone else? I think the socks are probably a must but the swanky swank cloths are probably a no go.
Shoes? I have no idea how much I should be prepared to pay for shoes. Usually I spend about $45 when I buy them off the rack at the clearance place here in town. My guess is double that??
I don't know if the gels and drinks are for me or not. I am sort of predisposed towards honey, peanut butter, etc. instead. At any rate, I think I should probaby get my hands on a few of the commercial products and then try them out on my practice long runs for comparison. What follows is a list of different products that have been reccomended to me along with the prices I have been able to find online.
Drinks:
Twin Lab Ultra Fuel - 3.3 pounds at $15
Hammer Nutrition -
Cytomax -
Champion Nutrition - $33+ $25+
Gu® GU2O - $19+ $17
Gels:
Hammer Gels -
CarbBoom -
Powergel -
GU -
I'd also like to get a visor or hat with a sweatband sew into it.
That and world peace and I'll be satisfied.
Basically one set of whicking or technical workout cloths from roadrunner.com (one set of shorts, one top, and some socks) would cost me about $130 plus shipping. Does that seem silly to anyone else? I think the socks are probably a must but the swanky swank cloths are probably a no go.
Shoes? I have no idea how much I should be prepared to pay for shoes. Usually I spend about $45 when I buy them off the rack at the clearance place here in town. My guess is double that??
I don't know if the gels and drinks are for me or not. I am sort of predisposed towards honey, peanut butter, etc. instead. At any rate, I think I should probaby get my hands on a few of the commercial products and then try them out on my practice long runs for comparison. What follows is a list of different products that have been reccomended to me along with the prices I have been able to find online.
Drinks:
Twin Lab Ultra Fuel - 3.3 pounds at $15
Hammer Nutrition -
Cytomax -
Champion Nutrition - $33+ $25+
Gu® GU2O - $19+ $17
Gels:
Hammer Gels -
CarbBoom -
Powergel -
GU -
I'd also like to get a visor or hat with a sweatband sew into it.
That and world peace and I'll be satisfied.
Running Meme
Long (for me anyway) run in the hot last night - 7.14 in 1:13, twice around the lake. I made it through three episodes of Science Friday and generally enjoyed myself.
I picked this up off Stephanie and Flatman's sites and thought I'd answer the questions myself.
Q: What are you training for now?
A: Las Vegas Marathon, Dec 4th
Q: If you are raising money for a cause, what is it and why is that cause important to you?
A: I am not fundraising presently and am generally not much of a fund raiser. I just really hate asking people for money. I do like volunteering though and do that semi-frequently. Previous causes I've supported include breast cancer, Amer. Lung Assoc. in ending polio. I give blood but can bring myself to ask people to pledge. Wierd, huh?
Q: What is the furthest distance you've run in your training and what is the furthest distance you will run before your event?
A: I ran 14.5 miles several times in a two month period in 1993. The longest I've run so far for my marathon training (starting officially 08/01/05) is seven miles. I'm only supposed to do 20 miles for my longest training run but I'll probably end up doing the full 26.2 before getting on that plane.
Q:What is your favorite flavor of gu? (or other sports gel)
A: I haven't actually tried any of the gels, caps, or drinks yet. This Sunday will be my first trip to a 'real' running store where I intend to purchase a range to experiment with.
Q: How many days a week do you run?
A: My Higdon Novice training plan calls for four days a week running and one day of cross training. So far my cross training has involved activities such as mowing the lawn, hauling wood, pounding nails, etc. around our 70 yr old house. Pretty lame.
Q: Are you injured in any way right now? If so,what are you doing about it?
A: Nope! I get my fair share of aches and pains but so far have been able to avoid anything resembling an injury.
Q:What is one item of running clothing/gear (shoes don't count) you can't run without?
A: Ipod Shuffle. I'm a news/talk show junkie who now has a 10 minute commute so I get my talk on while running. I'm curious about forerunners but can't say from experience whether one would become mandatory equipment for me. I have one friend who stopped wearing his after a while because he got sick of knowing and just wanted to runnnn.
Q: Do you have a talisman you are planning on taking to your event? If so, tell us!
A: Remember the Brady Bunch episode where they went to Hawaii and the kids got hold of that little tiki talisman that brought them all bad luck. At the surfing competition, Cindy was all like, Noooooo! That scared the crap out of me as a little kid. Google tells me that there were actually three hawaii episodes and that Don Ho had a cameo. Also, remember Tiger the dog? In real life, Tiger met an untimely end under the wheels of a florist's truck.
Q: Share one thing about yourself we don't know.
A: I love making things with my hands. I share studio space with another potter and have some of my work in a little local gallery.
I picked this up off Stephanie and Flatman's sites and thought I'd answer the questions myself.
Q: What are you training for now?
A: Las Vegas Marathon, Dec 4th
Q: If you are raising money for a cause, what is it and why is that cause important to you?
A: I am not fundraising presently and am generally not much of a fund raiser. I just really hate asking people for money. I do like volunteering though and do that semi-frequently. Previous causes I've supported include breast cancer, Amer. Lung Assoc. in ending polio. I give blood but can bring myself to ask people to pledge. Wierd, huh?
Q: What is the furthest distance you've run in your training and what is the furthest distance you will run before your event?
A: I ran 14.5 miles several times in a two month period in 1993. The longest I've run so far for my marathon training (starting officially 08/01/05) is seven miles. I'm only supposed to do 20 miles for my longest training run but I'll probably end up doing the full 26.2 before getting on that plane.
Q:What is your favorite flavor of gu? (or other sports gel)
A: I haven't actually tried any of the gels, caps, or drinks yet. This Sunday will be my first trip to a 'real' running store where I intend to purchase a range to experiment with.
Q: How many days a week do you run?
A: My Higdon Novice training plan calls for four days a week running and one day of cross training. So far my cross training has involved activities such as mowing the lawn, hauling wood, pounding nails, etc. around our 70 yr old house. Pretty lame.
Q: Are you injured in any way right now? If so,what are you doing about it?
A: Nope! I get my fair share of aches and pains but so far have been able to avoid anything resembling an injury.
Q:What is one item of running clothing/gear (shoes don't count) you can't run without?
A: Ipod Shuffle. I'm a news/talk show junkie who now has a 10 minute commute so I get my talk on while running. I'm curious about forerunners but can't say from experience whether one would become mandatory equipment for me. I have one friend who stopped wearing his after a while because he got sick of knowing and just wanted to runnnn.
Q: Do you have a talisman you are planning on taking to your event? If so, tell us!
A: Remember the Brady Bunch episode where they went to Hawaii and the kids got hold of that little tiki talisman that brought them all bad luck. At the surfing competition, Cindy was all like, Noooooo! That scared the crap out of me as a little kid. Google tells me that there were actually three hawaii episodes and that Don Ho had a cameo. Also, remember Tiger the dog? In real life, Tiger met an untimely end under the wheels of a florist's truck.
Q: Share one thing about yourself we don't know.
A: I love making things with my hands. I share studio space with another potter and have some of my work in a little local gallery.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
How not to get fleeced?
I just posted the following question in the basics forum on coolrunning.com. Anybody care to comment here?
I have run for exercise and relaxation for many years but have never put much thought into it. I buy shoes at the department store when my old ones start looking shabby and just go running without thinking much about it. Now I am beginning to train for my first marathon. I am finding that there is a highly developed world of training regimes, diet, and equipment that I've never paid any attention to.
This coming Sunday I will go to the regional running stuff store to have my stride analyzed and then buy my first pair of specialized shoes, technical socks, and hopefully a hat that will absorb sweat and keep rain out of my face, but not retain much heat. I'll also buy a range of gels and sport drinks to experiment with as my runs are now starting to go longer than an hour.
I'm looking for advice on pitfalls to avoid with the salespeople, products or brands to watch out for (negative or positive), and a headsup on whats important and whats a waste of money.
Thanks in advance,
SD
I have run for exercise and relaxation for many years but have never put much thought into it. I buy shoes at the department store when my old ones start looking shabby and just go running without thinking much about it. Now I am beginning to train for my first marathon. I am finding that there is a highly developed world of training regimes, diet, and equipment that I've never paid any attention to.
This coming Sunday I will go to the regional running stuff store to have my stride analyzed and then buy my first pair of specialized shoes, technical socks, and hopefully a hat that will absorb sweat and keep rain out of my face, but not retain much heat. I'll also buy a range of gels and sport drinks to experiment with as my runs are now starting to go longer than an hour.
I'm looking for advice on pitfalls to avoid with the salespeople, products or brands to watch out for (negative or positive), and a headsup on whats important and whats a waste of money.
Thanks in advance,
SD
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
What to goo, I mean do...
In training for my first marathon, I'm just started to pass the point where my long runs are exceeding an hour. The general consensus seems to be that this is about the time I should be considering the use of goo, energy replacing drinks, etc. The consensus also holds that the best way to determine what is best for you is to try different things on your long runs (not rocket science I guess).
I have read a few people's posts, making reference to adding sugar and salt to gatorade. That sounds reasonable to me, and besides, I'm cheap! Has anyone tried this? Do you have a recipe that works well for you?
Quick and Easy Day
Short run today. According to Hal Higdon I'm supposed to start my training schedule with 3 mile runs during the week and a longer one on the weekends. I've been doing 3.57 to 4.5 most days for the past couple of months and the 7 milers on the weeekends are getting pretty easy so I'm feeling pretty good going into the beginning of my training schedule for Vegas.
The one thing I'm not completely okay with is that after long runs I sometimes have some shin soreness. This doesn't really bother me except that I don't want it to get worse. Even though my shoes seem to still be in good shape, I should probably go get new ones and keep track of how many miles I put on them. I'm stretching before and after runs, trying to eat right and get enough sleep, and I try to do warmup exercises throughout the day before running - like getting up from my desk and walking across campus rather than calling someone. Are these ice baths I hear people talking about really effective?
The one thing I'm not completely okay with is that after long runs I sometimes have some shin soreness. This doesn't really bother me except that I don't want it to get worse. Even though my shoes seem to still be in good shape, I should probably go get new ones and keep track of how many miles I put on them. I'm stretching before and after runs, trying to eat right and get enough sleep, and I try to do warmup exercises throughout the day before running - like getting up from my desk and walking across campus rather than calling someone. Are these ice baths I hear people talking about really effective?
Monday, July 25, 2005
Still Alive
Training progresses, even if bloggin' don't.
What I've learned so far:
1. Good socks are important. Cheesy-ass socks give blisters and tired feet.
2. Three shorts during the week and a long run on the weekend is my limit. Twice now I've had a really good long weekend run and still feeling good the next day, tried to run again - bad idea jeans.
3. Sometimes running for time instead of distance is a nice change. Just setting the timer and running for an hour and not paying much attention to where or how far you run can help keep it fresh.
4. Six more days until I officially start the traing schedule for Vegas.
What I've learned so far:
1. Good socks are important. Cheesy-ass socks give blisters and tired feet.
2. Three shorts during the week and a long run on the weekend is my limit. Twice now I've had a really good long weekend run and still feeling good the next day, tried to run again - bad idea jeans.
3. Sometimes running for time instead of distance is a nice change. Just setting the timer and running for an hour and not paying much attention to where or how far you run can help keep it fresh.
4. Six more days until I officially start the traing schedule for Vegas.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Thursday's Good Run Built On Wedneday's
Once around the lake on Thursday. I cut about 45 seconds total off my time for the same 3.57 miles the day before. Yesterday I was up and down the stairs and repeatedly down on my knees in front of the chopsaw and then back up again. Does that count as crosstraining? My knees vote yes! Looking forward to a long one this afternoon after it cools down and Brit gets back from school.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
I was running....
Went around the lake once yesterday. By about mile two my muscles had relaxed into the repetitive moveement and my joints were OK. It felt good! Sometimes I'm unsure when to take my "vitamin I" and ignore the signals that are coming from my body and when to adjust what I'm doing based on those signals. I'm definitely going to stop wearing crummy shoes during my normal day. I should probably get more scientific about my running shoes too. Currently I just get a new pair when my old ones start to feel worn out. I'm thinking I should instead get a pair, run about 100 miles in them, get a second pair, start wearing them alternately and keep track of my mileage, never wearing a pair for more than about 400 miles.
What is cytomax?
What is cytomax?
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Watch It Scott!
I'm on the Higdon training schedule so I'm supposed to do three short runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and a long run on the weekend with some cross training. I'm in the stage right now where I'm moving from casual, random running for exercise to training for a marathon. It’s exciting and I've been increasing my distances more quickly than the recommended 10% or less per week. Up until now I have gotten away with it. I think I get away with a lot, relatively speaking because I have a fairly good build for running.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Long Run Saturday
Today turned out to be a good run. I did twice around the lake with is 7.14. If I don't run tomorrow, I'll have exceded my limitation of not increasing weekly mileage by more than 10% by a little over a month so its time to cool it for a day or two. Added bonus today, I ran into Andy and former coworker and running partner from a few years back. Turns out we are both running about the same distances at the same speeds right now. Woo hoo!
Post! Post! Post Number Uno
I've sort of been wanting to start a running blog for myself - not really a blog to share with other runners but more of a place to organize my thoughts. I'll probably link this with a few resources on my ISP hosting space too. Maybe I should just get off my rear and learn how to use wordpress or one of the other more robust blogging tools, hmm.
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