- I think that it is a law of running that as soon as one body part stops hurting, another one will start.
- On this past weekend's long run (15 miles, longest since the marathon, boo-yah), running buddy Will offered up a Salted Caramel Flavored Gu to try. As a rule, I do not like Gu, but if the words "salted caramel" are included in any description of a consumable item, I feel compelled to try it. The verdict? Salted Caramel Gu is freaking amazing and I want to just eat it while sitting at my desk or at my couch. Also, I guess it will be a good fuel option. /shrug
- Never thought I would say this, but I actually prefer sweating my butt off during the summer to freezing it off during the winter when it comes to long runs. This morning it was 23 degrees, felt like 15 with the breeze. Despite wearing so many layers of clothing that I felt like the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man, the fronts of my thighs were bright red for two hours post run, I couldn't feel my face, and my gloves are (once again) covered with snot. Awesome, right?
- When it comes to race courses, I've decided that not knowing what's coming is the better way to go. I decided that after I looked at the elevation chart for the Raleigh Rock 'n Roll Marathon and had a minor panic attack.
- To continue on the running in the cold topic, ladies, I highly recommend Athleta's Toasty Buns Short. I purchased a pair out of desperation (my butt goes completely numb during cold runs). Although they don't keep it as toasty as I'd like, they do cut down on the wind and are especially helpful in keeping my hips warm, which helps with the SI issues. The only downside is that you look kind of ridiculous and they remind me a little bit of a diaper. Ah well. Runners are ridiculous by default, so whatever.
- One of my favorite places to eavesdrop is the ladies' locker room. You never know what kind of crazy conversations you are going to overhear when you walk into that place.
- Unplugging from Facebook has been really good for me and helped drastically with my ADD. Also, not being in constant contact with all of my running buddies means that we more conversations topics to explore during long runs.
- Does anyone have experience with or thoughts on the Portland Rock 'n Roll Half? I have been procrastinating on my registration and would love feed back on the course if anyone has any. It would be about 1 month after my Raleigh marathon and I'm feeling reluctant about tackling a challenging half so soon after that.
- I find it quite amusing that last year, the big movement in running shoes was minimalism and now people are running around with what looks like giant pillows strapped to their feet (I'm looking at you, Hoka). Just sayin'.
- It's supposed to snow 8-10" overnight tomorrow (Wednesday) night. I need to run 12 miles on Saturday. Have I mentioned that I'm over winter now?
Showing posts with label gear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gear. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Random Discoveries & Observations
Friday, January 3, 2014
Winter Chill
As I sit down to write this entry, it is a whopping 22 degrees in RVA, feels like 7 with the insane wind chill, and the northeastern US is getting completely slammed by a blizzard.
Yay winter, right?
I am actually a big fan of winter weather - especially snow. Nothing better than a snow run, if you ask me. But this winter, I'm finding that my enthusiasm for the cold has been dampened somewhat. In the past, I always ran after work, during the "warmest" part of the day. Over the summer, I became a morning runner and while that works great during the other three seasons, it isn't so awesome come winter. Winter mornings can be brutal - dark, cold, and windy.
I pretty quickly realized that I didn't have the right gear for winter mornings. Generally, I run hot and don't need anything more than a long sleeved tech top and tights, sometimes throwing on a hat. That stuff wasn't going to cut it for the upcoming training cycle (yes, I still have delusions that I'll recover from my current infirmity and run a marathon in April), so I've been gearing up.
Here are few pieces that have helped cut the cold.*
Yay winter, right?
I am actually a big fan of winter weather - especially snow. Nothing better than a snow run, if you ask me. But this winter, I'm finding that my enthusiasm for the cold has been dampened somewhat. In the past, I always ran after work, during the "warmest" part of the day. Over the summer, I became a morning runner and while that works great during the other three seasons, it isn't so awesome come winter. Winter mornings can be brutal - dark, cold, and windy.
I pretty quickly realized that I didn't have the right gear for winter mornings. Generally, I run hot and don't need anything more than a long sleeved tech top and tights, sometimes throwing on a hat. That stuff wasn't going to cut it for the upcoming training cycle (yes, I still have delusions that I'll recover from my current infirmity and run a marathon in April), so I've been gearing up.
Here are few pieces that have helped cut the cold.*
I'm becoming a big fan of UA, especially their
cole weather gear. These have a thin layer of
brushed fleece inside and I also really like the
space dye pattern - not just boring black here.
This also has the brushed fleece interior. The thing I love
about it is the zip, so that if I get warm I can lower
the zipper and cool off a bit.
I have two of these from last year (purchased on clearance).
Also with brushed fleece interior, these are incredibly toasty thanks
to the mock neck. I only wear them on the coldest days.
This was a Christmas gift that I haven't used yet.
The funnel neck is what sold me on it - I'm reserving
it for cold cold runs.
I had a Lululemon winter beanie from last year, but I'm not
a big fan of how I look in it. Not having a visor is not a good look for me.
When I came across this I was overjoyed. It looks cute
and keeps my ears warm.
Road Runner Sports
This I'm still trying to figure out. So far the neck warmer
is smarter than me and I can't quite get it to sit the way that I want.
It's dark out there in the mornings, and when you are
running in the streets you need to be visible.
Reflective vests aren't my thing, so when I saw these
cool light spurs, I was all abotu it. It easy wraps around
the back of your shoe and off you go.
Even with this proper gear, I am still struggling with getting out of my warm bed in the morning to face the cold and dark. Hopefully I find my groove again soon... marathons don't run themselves.
*This is all gear that I have purchased on my own and I'm not getting any kind of kick back for mentioning it here.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Wish List
Recently I've been bitten by the shopping bug. For the most part I've been able to restrain myself to window shopping... which has resulted in quite a long list of gear that I am lusting after.
That's nearly $300 of stuff. $300 that I shouldn't spend because in addition to being a window shopper, I've also kind of been on a purchasing tear lately...
Add to this a surprise opportunity to spend a long weekend with BFF in Key West/Palm Beach Florida (and along with it, a $300 plane ticket among other things), and I really need to put the brakes on my shopping spree!
... but I am really going to need that hydration belt. And the shoes.
Oh my. It's a good thing Husband doesn't read this blog.
 |
| A white Lululemon Power Y to go underneath my new pale colored tops. |
 |
| iFitness belt for marathon training this summer... I'm going to need that hydration. |
 |
| Brooks PureCadence. I'm going to need another pair of shoes for training and I'm reading that these are great for people who are prone to foot pain but are more supportive than the PureFlow that I tried. |
 |
| Athleta Swagger Skort. I've been lusting after this for more than 2 months now. |
 |
| A place to hang my medals (especially my Shamrock Half Marathon medal!) |
That's nearly $300 of stuff. $300 that I shouldn't spend because in addition to being a window shopper, I've also kind of been on a purchasing tear lately...
 |
| A second Under Armour Fly By Mesh Tank |
 |
| Lululemon Run: Stay on Course tank from the Lulu Exchange. I have this tank in Glacier Lace and I love it - it's been sold out on the Lulu site for ages, so I jumped at the chance to buy this one on the exchange. |
 |
| Lululemon Deep Breath tank. I have this in black and love it... like the Stay on Course it has been sold out for a long time. When a pink one showed up on the Exchange for only $30 I was a goner. |
 |
| ...aaaaaaand I've been wanted a woven summer purse for a while. I found this Elliott Lucca yesterday and well... I got it. BUT in my defense I shopped around and managed to get 15% off AND free shipping. |
Add to this a surprise opportunity to spend a long weekend with BFF in Key West/Palm Beach Florida (and along with it, a $300 plane ticket among other things), and I really need to put the brakes on my shopping spree!
... but I am really going to need that hydration belt. And the shoes.
Oh my. It's a good thing Husband doesn't read this blog.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Gear Review: Brooks PureFlow Shoe
After the Virginia is for Lovers 14k, my intense case of arch pain had me convinced that I needed a new pair of running shoes. My beloved, trusty Brooks Ravennas have about 400 miles on them.
They are the "original" version - Brooks is now up to the Ravenna 3, but I love the original so much that I was afraid to try the new ones (you know, the whole "create of habit" problem that I have). When I went to replace my very first pair and found they had moved on to Ravenna 2 I freaked out and scoured the Internet until I found a pair of the originals at some random website and promptly purchased them. I toyed with the idea of buying 3 pairs and stocking up (they were on clearance), but my cheap side won out and I didn't.
I regre that decision, because this time it was downright impossible to find the original Ravenna in my size. When this tragedy struck, it just so happened that my issue of Runner's World included the Spring 2012 Shoe Guide. So I sat down and actually read that section for once. It was in that article that I came across the Brooks PureFlow:
The reviews for this shoe were positively glowing - in fact, Runner's World named it one of their Best Buys. When I used the "shoe finder" flow chart (which I'm sure is just oh-so-accurate...) that accompanied the article, it pointed right to the PureFlow. So, I decided to give the shoe a closer look on the Brooks website. The user reviews there were all pretty positive. However, I was still unsure, so I decided to chat with one of their representatives before buying to get their opinion on what was going on with my arch and whether or not the PureFlow might be a viable option for me.
After my chat with the Brooks fellow, I ordered up the shoes. They arrived on February 21, right around the time when my arches were really bothering me and just in time for a scheduled 9 mile run. I opted, however, to not try them out for the first time on a long run. Instead, I gave them their maiden run on the indoor track at the Y.
At first, they felt strange to me. They are pretty minimalist shoes, which Ravenna definitely are not. The material on the topside of the shoe is so thin and light that you can see your socks through them (I have an orange stripe on my socks and it was glaring at me!). The only support that I felt was the elastic band midfoot - you can see it underneath the Brooks logo in the photo above. At first it was a weird sensation, and I found that it made my foot feel constricted even when I left the laces as loose as possible.
An immediate plus was the cushioning. Wow! These things really felt like walking on air. When I was doing my 5 mile tempo run around the Y track, it went from feeling like I wasn't wearing any shoes at all to feeling like I had just the right amount of support when I needed it. The only problem I felt was that the 4th and 5th toes of my right foot were rubbing the inside of the shoe box. This often happens to me... I guess my feet are wide at the base of the toes or something. I also couldn't tell if that was happening only because of the grading on the corners of the indoor track. I was on the fence about whether they would work out or not.
A 6 mile outdoor tempo run went slightly better. I didn't get the rubbing on my toes, but I did have some arch pain. Still a toss up! What ended up eliminating these shoes was last week's 10 mile run. Miles 7 and 8 took place on uneven cobblestone sidewalks (probably not very smart but hey, it's Richmond) and as I ran I was noticing that my left ankle was just dropping all over the place - rolling inwards, outwards - everywhere but straight up and down This led to serious arch pain in my left foot. To make matters worse, the 4th and 5th toes of my right foot were beginning to be rubbed so raw that they were going numb. When I got home and got the shoes off, my poor toes looked as red as the Swedish Fish I'd been munching on during the run. I was shocked that I didn't have blisters.
Here is the run down (punny!) of my review in easier-to-digest format:
Pros:
Cons:
So they are going back. I bit the bullet and ordered a pair of Ravenna 2's - which luckily (?) are being replaced by the Ravenna 3 so they are on sale for $65. Initially I tried to get the neon yellow detailed ones, but they were out of my size (figures), so I ended up with these instead:
They haven't come in yet, so I'm back to my trusty Ravennas for now. I also ordered up some ankle length compression socks from Pro Compression thanks to Skinny Runner, who posted a coupon code for 20% off. I figure these might help support my arches and my calves too. I wanted to get some fun neon green ones, but restarined myself and got practical white ones. Y-a-w-n.
Tonight I'm headed out but don't really have anything particular in mind. This week is a little bit crazy so other than my scheduled 11 mile long run, I didn't really faithfully put Training Schedule into my calendar, figuring I'll just fit in miles whenever I can.
I regre that decision, because this time it was downright impossible to find the original Ravenna in my size. When this tragedy struck, it just so happened that my issue of Runner's World included the Spring 2012 Shoe Guide. So I sat down and actually read that section for once. It was in that article that I came across the Brooks PureFlow:
The reviews for this shoe were positively glowing - in fact, Runner's World named it one of their Best Buys. When I used the "shoe finder" flow chart (which I'm sure is just oh-so-accurate...) that accompanied the article, it pointed right to the PureFlow. So, I decided to give the shoe a closer look on the Brooks website. The user reviews there were all pretty positive. However, I was still unsure, so I decided to chat with one of their representatives before buying to get their opinion on what was going on with my arch and whether or not the PureFlow might be a viable option for me.
After my chat with the Brooks fellow, I ordered up the shoes. They arrived on February 21, right around the time when my arches were really bothering me and just in time for a scheduled 9 mile run. I opted, however, to not try them out for the first time on a long run. Instead, I gave them their maiden run on the indoor track at the Y.
At first, they felt strange to me. They are pretty minimalist shoes, which Ravenna definitely are not. The material on the topside of the shoe is so thin and light that you can see your socks through them (I have an orange stripe on my socks and it was glaring at me!). The only support that I felt was the elastic band midfoot - you can see it underneath the Brooks logo in the photo above. At first it was a weird sensation, and I found that it made my foot feel constricted even when I left the laces as loose as possible.
An immediate plus was the cushioning. Wow! These things really felt like walking on air. When I was doing my 5 mile tempo run around the Y track, it went from feeling like I wasn't wearing any shoes at all to feeling like I had just the right amount of support when I needed it. The only problem I felt was that the 4th and 5th toes of my right foot were rubbing the inside of the shoe box. This often happens to me... I guess my feet are wide at the base of the toes or something. I also couldn't tell if that was happening only because of the grading on the corners of the indoor track. I was on the fence about whether they would work out or not.
A 6 mile outdoor tempo run went slightly better. I didn't get the rubbing on my toes, but I did have some arch pain. Still a toss up! What ended up eliminating these shoes was last week's 10 mile run. Miles 7 and 8 took place on uneven cobblestone sidewalks (probably not very smart but hey, it's Richmond) and as I ran I was noticing that my left ankle was just dropping all over the place - rolling inwards, outwards - everywhere but straight up and down This led to serious arch pain in my left foot. To make matters worse, the 4th and 5th toes of my right foot were beginning to be rubbed so raw that they were going numb. When I got home and got the shoes off, my poor toes looked as red as the Swedish Fish I'd been munching on during the run. I was shocked that I didn't have blisters.
Here is the run down (punny!) of my review in easier-to-digest format:
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Price is Right - $70
- Lots of cushioning, especially in the heel
- A cool mid foot support that you don't even notice is there (in a good way)
- Very breathable
Cons:
- Not enough stability for high arches
- Toebox seemed a little more narrow than my Ravenna, resulting in rubbing
- Not wild about the color combo... the mainly white pair made my size 9 feet look like boats
- If you step in a puddle or it starts to rain, your feet are going to get SOAKED
So they are going back. I bit the bullet and ordered a pair of Ravenna 2's - which luckily (?) are being replaced by the Ravenna 3 so they are on sale for $65. Initially I tried to get the neon yellow detailed ones, but they were out of my size (figures), so I ended up with these instead:
They haven't come in yet, so I'm back to my trusty Ravennas for now. I also ordered up some ankle length compression socks from Pro Compression thanks to Skinny Runner, who posted a coupon code for 20% off. I figure these might help support my arches and my calves too. I wanted to get some fun neon green ones, but restarined myself and got practical white ones. Y-a-w-n.
Tonight I'm headed out but don't really have anything particular in mind. This week is a little bit crazy so other than my scheduled 11 mile long run, I didn't really faithfully put Training Schedule into my calendar, figuring I'll just fit in miles whenever I can.
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