Gear Review

I've had to take a break from running thanks to, of all stupid things, a muscle pulled doing Zumba.  Or a very localized shin splint far off from my shin.  Or a deep vein thrombosis.  Maybe polio.  Yeah, I don’t know what in heck it is, only that it requires a little time off and lots of ice, lol!  I’m too annoyed at this point to discuss it, but I found something else to talk about…

GEAR!  I’ve had time to try lots of new things over the past month or so and thought I’d offer some reviews.

Meet my new BFF’s, Lucy and Ethel:

Fuel Belt Sprint 10 ounce Palm Holder

Nathan Sprint 10 Ounce

Yes, they’re water bottles.  But these gals are closer to me than some friends.  Bizarre?  Maybe.  But I’m now running in near-90-degree temps in Florida and hydration is no laughing matter.

Okay, all joking aside, these bottles are fantastic!  I got one of each style because they were the same price and both got stellar reviews; I couldn’t decide.  And I need two, since Leo often runs with me and is terrifically bad about taking in adequate fluids.  Having tested them out, I can honestly say both are incredibly comfortable, easy to use and welcome additions to our gear stash.   Just don’t tell Leo the one he uses is named “Ethel,” okay?

Also tested over the past few weeks were the CLIF Shot Bloks and Honey Stingers.  Both get thumbs-up from me for taste, though Leo proclaimed the Shot Bloks “too sweet.”  He loooves him some Honey Stingers, though.  I may or may not use them as incentive (read: bribes) to go for training runs.  Both items definitely gave me some much-needed energy on longer runs, so I’m feeling good about them when the really long runs come along.

What else?  Oh yes, a couple of super lightweight tank tops from Asic.  My short-sleeve C9 tops from Target are not cutting it in this heat.  In fact, they've been leaving me feeling like I’m wrapped in Saran Wrap.  So I tried this:

Women's ASICS Core Singlet

Oh. My.  What a difference!  The open weave of the fabric let lots of air flow through as I move forward and the lack of sleeves is surprisingly helpful.  (Really, can the reduction of two sleeves’ worth of fabric make that much difference?  Yes, yes it can.) 

Rainy season’s starting up down here, too, and I’m worried about my brand new iPhone getting caught in a deluge one of these days.  Aside from wanting it with me for safety, my iPhone tracks my runs via Runkeeper and keeps me entertained with my Badass Mother Runner, Run, V, Run!, and Pissed-Off Princess playlists.  She needs better protection than the cheapo armband I’ve been using.  So I ordered one of these:

Amphibx Fit Waterproof and Sweatproof Armband

It’s awfully big… and my upper arm is not very long.  But it’s surprisingly not uncomfortable, despite taking up the entire length of my bicep, and keeps the phone safe.  I’d call that a winner!

Last, but far, far from least – I’ve joined the Bondi Band Wagon!  After hearing really good things about these wicking headbands, I decided to give them a try myself.  Have I mentioned that it’s HOT down here?!  Lo and behold, Bondi Bands really work!  I didn’t need help keeping my hair back, but they do that very well.  What they do exceedingly well is trap sweat before it runs into my eyes and down my face.  And then they dry.  Real fast.  Like Lamborghini-fast.  Two big thumbs up from V.

I think (I hope!) we’re fully stocked on gear for a good, long while now.  Which is good, since another runDisney event is almost upon us, and that Mouse has a knack for making me spend more than I intend. ;)

Race Recap: 2nd Annual Turtle Trot 5K

Well, Leo’s second race and my third is in the books and it was a fun one!

The Turtle Trot 5K began last year to benefit our local nature parks and their amazing programs.  The folks running these places don’t just keep the parks up beautifully, they also do a ton of work in schools and around the community to educate folks about environmental matters.  Both Leo and I are happy to be supporting their efforts.

The morning of April 14 was surprisingly gorgeous – a most-welcome cold front brought morning temps down to the high 60’s and humidity levels somewhat lower than “jungle.”  It was a welcome relief here in West-Central Florida, where it’s already starting to feel like summer.  For a small race, things were surprisingly well organized with lots and lots of volunteers getting runners checked in, running water tables and keeping folks informed about where to be and when.  Kudos to all involved!

The course first wound through McGough Nature Park on asphalt and gravel trails that would allow runners to go two abreast with room for a third to pass, then left the park for several blocks of closed residential streets, entered a Bonner Park and continued through its VERY narrow, very rough (as in dirt, rocks and big, gnarled roots) paths, exited back into the few blocks of streets, and finished with a short jaunt through McGough’s paths again to the finish line in the parking lot.  I heard that the number of participants had doubled since last year and there were a few spots where things got log-jammed.  Particularly problematic were the super narrow trails in Bonner Park, where it was impossible to pass due to the thick vegetation (that could very well have housed any number of poisonous fauna) on either side.  It was a short stretch, though, and it was supposed to be a fun race, so I didn’t see it as a major problem.  I do hope they cap it at this year’s total, though, and maybe consider starting in waves; I can’t imagine a bigger pool of racers working.

Leo and I finished with an official time of 43:59, blowing away Leo's previous 50:32 race time!  He walked an awful lot of it and complained often of being “too tired” to run.  I don’t get it; we train at a much better pace than that.  For whatever reason, he just wasn’t feeling it, I guess.  But he finished and had a good time doing it, and I’m very, very proud of him. 

No medals for this one, and we weren’t lucky enough to win one any of the many great raffle prizes (all of which came with a dozen or more fresh shrimp – gotta love FL!), but there were yummy muffins and fresh fruit after the race, as well as T-shirts and swag bags full of all sorts of coupons for local merchants.

All in all, it was a fun race and I sure hope we can do it again next year!  Now we turn to preparing for the next race: runDisney’s Expedition Everest Challenge – a 5K through Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park with obstacles AND clues to solve before crossing the finish line!  

Out of the Mouths of Running Babes

Looking back at my last few posts, I realize there’s an awful lot here about ME and not so much about my partner-in-running-crime, Leo.  And, frankly, that’s because this whole distance running enterprise hasn’t been all that problematic for him.  At almost ten years old, my son simply doesn’t face the same kinds of challenges my 41-year-old body does.  His knees haven’t known years of ballet and skiing abuse; he has no need to drop a few pounds (and, in fact, could afford to gain a few); and a slow run to him isn’t the end of the world.

I could stand to learn a thing or two from my boy. 

Last night, for instance, I had a terrible run.  First, it’s become HOT down here in West-Central Florida: close to 90 degrees and enough humidity to render unnecessary the use of Body Glide; there’s simply no chafing when every inch of you is sweating.  Also, I’ve been fighting shin splints all week and they made their presence known in no uncertain terms throughout our run.  Gawdforbidathousandtimes I should maybe just take the night off… oh no, my training plan said “30-40 minute run” and I wasn’t about to skip it.  That would feel like quitting and if there’s anything I’m not, it’s a quitter.  So I slathered on some Biofreeze under my compression sleeves and set out, intent on not only finishing my prescribed run, but doing so at a nice, speedy pace.

Leo wasn’t battling shin splints, but he was sick over the weekend and maybe wasn’t quite back to his usual self.  For 30 minutes, I became ever more frustrated with his slow pace, which, in turn, slowed down my own pace.  At the halfway point, he announced that he needed to stop at a water fountain and I anxiously paced back and forth while he took his good ol’ time lapping up some lukewarm water.  A few minutes later, he pointed out a batch of ducklings swimming around the golf course water hazard and commented on how much bigger they were than the last time we’d seen them.

“Uh-huh,” I replied, not bothering to look.  “C’mon, let’s pick up the pace.”

The path we were running winds around a lot and toward the end, Leo cut across the grass, skipping a long loop of path to meet me on the other side.  Inside, I heard my thoughts say, “What is he doing?!  He just cut his distance by 20+ feet!  Not fair.”  Apparently my inner self becomes a petulant 5-year-old when running in discomfort.

As we rounded the bend back into our neighborhood, Leo announced that his breathing wasn’t so great and his side was hurting; he was going to walk home from there.

“Fine,” said I, with an obvious edge to my voice,” you go ahead and walk.  I’m going to push my pace up for the last few minutes and try to get our average pace back up to where it should be!”

So I turned on the afterburners, putting as much effort as I could summon into each stride, trying desperately to ignore the singeing pain running up the inside of my left shin, and did, indeed, bring my average pace down a notch.  I arrived home utterly depleted in both mind and body.  My legs had to be dragged up the flight of stairs to my front door, my breathing was labored, and I felt completely defeated.  I met Leo at the door and we went in together, in silence.

My mother asked, as we took off our running shoes, “So, how was it?”

Before I could answer with tales of woe and a stream of negativity that would make the late Andy Rooney sound like Suzy Sunshine, Leo piped in, smile lighting his entire face, “It was great!  The ducklings are getting so big, and the Canadian geese are still here; they haven’t gone home yet.  And guess what?  There was a baby bunny near the bushes!  I saw the Red-Shouldered Hawk nearby, so I hope the bunny’s okay.  Also, there was a car from South Dakota in the golf course parking lot; that’s far away, isn’t it?  Oh, and Mommy finished the whole thing, even though her leg was hurting a lot.  Way to go Mom!”

I just stood there, stunned and humbled by my insightful, observant offspring, who clearly didn’t give a rat’s ass what our pace was.  And then, after a deep breath ending in a whoosh, “I needed that,” he said.  “I feel so much better after running.”

I had nothing to add.  I just pulled my boy close, gave him a big hug and, with two big bubbles of tears threatening to tumble from my eyes, said, “Thank you, son.”  And we headed off to our respective showers.

Yes, I could learn a thing or two from my young running partner.  We have a 5K next weekend to benefit our favorite nature park.  The race goes through that park, plus another nature park.  Think I’ll let Leo steer.

An Ode to Earbuds, Great and Small. But Mostly Small.

By request from my friend Nancy – who, by the way, is the one responsible for getting me into this Disney running thing in the first place – today’s post is all about earbuds.  Yes, those nifty (or not) little doo-dads we jam into our ears to let the tunes flow, to steady our pace, to lift our worn-out exercise spirits.  I don’t know about you all, but I NEED my music to run.  But keeping the beat going comfortably has turned out to be a lot harder than I’d ever expected.

Apparently, I have freakishly small ear canals.  Which has led to more ear infections than I care to recall, which, in turn, has led to a decent amount of hearing loss.  (Okay, spending much of my teens and 20’s planted in front of guitar amps may have been a contributing factor, too.  But that’s another story altogether…)  So, when it comes to earbuds, I’ve got two complications: not much space to hold the suckers, and a need for lots of volume.  Folks, I’ve tried a bunch.  Look for yourselves…

Earbud stew

Those that will mostly stay put in my ears are so tight, they hurt after 10 minutes.  The little ones are rubbery and seemed like the perfect match, but, though they’re small enough not to hurt, they constantly fall out in our humid Florida air.  Know which are the most comfy?  The 90s-era headphones.  No pain, the little foam covers soak up sweat – bonus! – and they wouldn’t budge if I managed a triple flip in the middle of a training run.  But they have lousy sound quality and, well… I feel pretty geeky wearing them in public.

Not long ago, my quest for the Perfect Earbuds led me to these:

They’re made by Sony and I found them at Target for less than $30, which is at least $20 more than I think earbuds ought to cost.  I’ve been using them for several months now, which is a decent endorsement, I suppose.  They don’t cause pain, though I sure wouldn’t describe them as “comfortable,” either.  The little speakers don’t really fit my ears, but the giant loop keeps them from falling to the ground and tripping me mid-stride.  And they can take the highest volume setting on my iPhone, so even though the buds aren’t planted where they should be, I can crank it up loud enough to hear  Christina Aguilera tell me “I am a fighter” and “I ain’t gonna stop” when I’d really like to round the corner for home and eat a cookie.  Or twelve.

As Nancy’s request attests, I know I’m not alone on this subject.   So tell me – what have you found in the earbud market that works and doesn’t work?

Slow Down to Speed Up – Fuzzy runDisney Math

Shout out to my dear friend Lauralee, who taught me the surprisingly accurate mantra,  “You’ve got to spend it to save it!” when it comes to vacationing at Disney.  Between the two of us and our fellow Disney travelers, we’ve made a fine art of budgeting our many Disney trips using Fuzzy Disney Math, or FDM.

FDM works like this, when applied to how long one has to wait for the next Disney vacation: current day, day of departure, weekends, national holidays, random days off from work and school, birthdays, anniversaries, dentist and doctor appointment days,  and pay days do not count.  Using this formula, our next runDisney event, the Expedition Everest Challenge on May 5, is only 24 days away… which is only 10 days more than 2 weeks, so it’s really like almost 2 weeks from now!

Applying FDM to our next Disney vacation budget: we’re staying on my Disney Vacation Club points, which are basically free because I’ve already paid for them and their annual dues and anything paid in the past is already gone and not part of the vacation budget.  Tickets are free, too, because we already have our Floridian annual passes.  Race registration’s been paid, so, again, free.  Food isn’t free… except that it is when I pay for it with my Disney Visa rewards!  The reward points won’t cover all of our food intake, but the rest will go on my Disney Visa, which I just converted to a Premiere card, which will earn 5% in new points with every dollar spent… which means free food on the next-next trip!  In conclusion, the total budget for our Everest Challenge weekend is $0 in FDM.

Okay, now that you’ve got a handle on how FDM works, let’s look at FrDM – Fuzzy runDisney Math.

Image: http://www.beautyinbalance.net/the-tortoise-and-the-hare/

I’ve been diligently trying to increase the amount of each run interval and reduce the amount of each walk interval in my training and the results have included injuries, low energy and diminished recovery. Not to mention an injured knee.  So this past week, I tried slowing down to go faster.  This isn’t my idea – I’m following Jeff Galloway’s training programs and his suggested bump-up from :30/:30 run/walk intervals is to 1:00/1:00, not the 1:00/:30 intervals I’d been pushing for.  With thoughts that a slower pace might be better for my knee, anyway, I gave it a try, doing 1:00/1:00 for my two mid-week training runs and my weekend long run…

WOWSA!  First, going “slower” really did make me “faster”: those longer walk breaks gave me better recovery, leading to much stronger – faster! – run intervals.  Second, because I was recovering better, I had a whole lot more to give in the last segment of each run; my pace there improved quite a bit.  Third, I finished strong and not feeling run-down.  Read: instead of an all-day nap, I followed my long run with lunch out with my boy, shopping and a little Frisbee in the backyard.

I’m sold.  I’ll stick with the 1:00/1:00 intervals for a while before bumping up to whatever Mr. Galloway suggests next.  For the record, I’m in no way being compensated to sing his praises… I’m just happy to have found a training method that keeps me pain-free!

Time for an Intervention?

Hi, I’m V.  And I’m addicted to compression sleeves.

Image courtesy of Road Runner Sports

I put on my orange bands of bliss after a training run two days ago… and have only taken them off to shower.  They just feel sooooo good!  Like a warm (but not too hot), squeezy (but not too hard), hug from a good friend (the kind who tells you things like, “Those jeans really make your thighs look skinny.”)

I’m seriously considering getting sleeves for my arms, too.  Just because.

If the compression is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.

Eagle Lake Classic - Race Recap

Woo-hoo, my first timed race is in the books and I didn’t throw up, pass out or come in last!  And, given my bum knee and major anxiety about running on my own, I thought the first and last of those were likely.

The race in question was the inaugural Eagle Lake Classic, a 5K run through a local nature park.  It happens to be one of my favorite places to run and is stunningly beautiful by Florida standards – meaning, if you like fields of palmettos, water birds, live oaks and the occasional alligator as sightseeing along your run, walk or bike ride.

The folks putting this together did a fantastic job!  The free pancake, egg and banana breakfast post-race was a welcome treat.  Everything was clearly marked and well-staffed.  The race packet swag was astounding – three $20 Aveda gift cards, race T-shirt, water bottle, sunscreen, hair ties, lip balm, Biofreeze… I felt like I hit the jackpot before I even started running!

As for me – I dosed myself with Advil, Biofreeze, and a new patella ligament band and my knee never hurt a bit.  I also did the unthinkable and - GASP! - wore my brand-spanking-new shoes, which proved themselves worthy of keeping.  The two weeks of low-impact cross training paid off in legs that felt sturdy and strong.  The pollen count down here is so high, it’s literally off the charts, making my breathing feel like that of a coal miner, but it didn’t slow me down much.  I came in with a chip time of 37:40, so a 12:09 mile average pace.  (Because I’m a little OCD, I also used my trusty Runkeeper app during the race, which logged a total distance of 3.2 miles in 37:47 for an average 11:49 mile pace.  I like that one better!)  Either way, not a bad place to start my timed racing career. :)

Best part of the race:  It’s a tie, really - Finally passing and remaining in front of Pink-Top-Blond-Ponytail, with whom I played the running equivalent of leap frog for the entire second mile.  And getting a big high-five/extra squeezy hug from Leo at the end as he said, “I’m so proud of you Mom – you DID IT!”

Worst part of the race: Having to choose between giving an all-out sprint to the finish line… and peeing my pants.  I realized about mile 2.6 that I should’ve laid off the pre-race water a half hour earlier than I did.  In the end I split the difference, running as fast as I could while clenching my innards like a vise.  Made for a loooovely finish-line photo.  Ugh.