Hop to It! April 6 thru April 12

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Hoppy Easter week! How is everyone doing?

It's spring here again (we had it already for a couple if weeks in early March and then winter came back ) which means lots of mud but running in shorts and T shirts. I did an easy 4+ miler today. I'm pretty sore from skiing yesterday (winter was still here last Thurs-Sat, and, well, I couldn't pass up some spring pow skiing)! This is another big week for me and then next week is my easy week.

[Urlea]

Short "easy" run today of only 2mi. in 37 degree weather (woohoo, didn't have to wear gloves, neckwarmer or hat!)

There wasn't a simple way to route just 2mi in the neighborhood so I ended up with 2.5 and my body was feeling great/inspired so I hauled instead of taking it easy. Kept it under a 9min/mi even with two red stoplights!

I'm really loving how training for the triathlons this season is making me faster & stronger. It's a lot of work, but I'm enjoying it!

Hope you ladies are having a wonderful start to this week of training!

[Susan Otcenas]

I ran my longest run ever yesterday morning. 7.25 miles in 80 minutes. Nice even 11 minute miles. The half marathon program that Runner's World produced for me suggested an 11:58 pace, but I just ran what was easy and comfortable. No heart rate monitor. Just a pace that was sustainable. I was alone, but if someone was along, I could have carried on a conversation. It felt really good to be able to maintain that. Around mile 6, I started to fatigue, but not so much that I ever had any doubt that I could accomplish it.

The only troublesome bit is that post-run, and continuing today, I have some pain over the top of my left foot. Not alot, but I feel it if I'm walking, or if I curl my toes upward. A friend of mine, who was a run shoe rep for many years, suggested I try loosening my shoes a bit, or getting a women's wide (I have wide feet, but don't run in wide shoes.) I'll give that a whirl on tomorrow's 5 mile tempo run. Any other thoughts from you experienced runners?

Susan

[OakLeaf]

Way to go Susan!

I posted yesterday's run in last week's thread - forgot it was a new week. My longest run ever too (so far) - isn't building mileage fun! 13.5 miles at a 10:55 pace overall. So I've got my half-mary distance and I've got all summer to work on speed. And hills. And the bike.

I got another use out of my new hydration pack and I still love it. Although I should've filled it completely. I started with about 48 oz of water (double what my belt will carry) and ran dry with three miles to go. Like I said, I sweat.

Most of the return leg I did as a seven-chakra meditation - my eyes just about rolled up in my head, but it made the miles fly. Just lucky I didn't run over some kid on the beach or wind up knee deep in water.

[Susan Otcenas]

Congrats Oakleaf! How exciting! You just did what I hope to do - A half marathon at 11/min per mile or less (hoping to train myself to do 10min per mile at that distance).

Wow, 48 ounces in 10 miles. Did you feel "sloshy"? I'm also curious to know if you consumed any calories during the run? At 80 minutes, I was hungry. Not ready-to-bonk hungry, but ready-to-eat-breakfast hungry, for sure. I started at 5:45 a.m., on nothing but a Gu about 15 minutes pre-run. My bottle just had plain water, of which I probably only consumed 10 ounces about 45 minutes in.

I think I'll have to start experimenting with gels at about 45-60 minutes as my runs get longer. 90 minutes in probably my limit with no nutrition. I have a friend who runs 5 hour marathons on nothing but water, but there is no way I could ever do that!

Susan

[OakLeaf]

No, not sloshy at all. I just take a couple of long sips every mile or so. When I got back, I didn't have to pee, and I was thirsty. (And I could have wrung out my sports bra. ) I sweated all that out.

I'm still experimenting with fuel. I definitely need some when I'm going more than about 7 miles. I don't get hungry at all, I just get lots of muscle fatigue. I wouldn't even have known this was my body asking for fuel, if I hadn't already figured it out on the bike.

Yesterday I tried a packet of Clif Shot Blocks - three at 45 minutes out and the other three at 1:30. I don't really like having to chew while I'm running, but they went down pretty easily and did their job well. Tasted good too. They digested better than the Carb Boom I tried on my last long run (besides not being as sticky as squeezable gels - I hate sticky). I'm going to try Heed next time. Another thing I've done is to mix a packet of EmergenC and two teaspoons of sugar in 8 oz water. The marketers have kind of got me convinced that some maltodextrin is better than all simple sugars. Though I wonder if that's really an issue in less than a full marathon.

[Urlea]

Wow, awesome job Susan & Oak!!! Those are runs to celebrate!

Oak- Haven't heard a 1/2 referred to as a half-mary. I like that! As to the shot-bloks I don't like to chew on something when I run either. Shot-bloks are a bike fuel for me.

It's interesting to see who does well on the different types of gels.

I try to stay away from anything with High Fructose Cornsyrup or caffeine. Just ordered a box of Apple Pie & one box of Banana gels from Hammer Nutrition, those should be here in a few days.

When I ran the 1/2 last year I took a gel at miles 5,9 & 11. I know I can run 7miles without a gel, but to me it seemed better to maintain a level of fueled energy throughout rather then trying to recover what was depleted in one shot. What do the rest of you do?

[Crankin]

I ran a short 2.4 miles today, after not doing anything since my ride on Sunday. I feel better, but not totally right. I ditched the group ride today; it was 32 at the time I would have had to leave to meet them in Concord Center. Plus, I am swamped with work for my grad program. The next month is going to be Hell.
My run was fine; I just went up and down the loop of my street. I can now run up the 10% grade, though very slowly. The whole thing took me 25 minutes, including a .25 mile warm up. My Garmin is set on speed instead of pace and I can't figure out how to get it back! I didn't want to press too many buttons, so I will have to ask for help when my DH gets home. Yes, I am a helpless woman when it comes to this stuff.
I went out at lunch time and there were lots of runners, walkers, and a couple of riders on my street. I wonder where they came from? They are not neighbors. There is a private school at the bottom of the street, so I suspect some might be faculty.
Next run should be Friday, but it will be on the treadmill, since rain is predicted.

[OakLeaf]

My Garmin is set on speed instead of pace and I can't figure out how to get it back!

Settings: Running: Set Speed Units: Speed Units (select SPEED and toggle for PACE).

Glad you're feeling better - hope the next month turns out better than you're expecting and that you have nice weather for your run on Friday!

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When I ran the 1/2 last year I took a gel at miles 5,9 & 11. I know I can run 7miles without a gel, but to me it seemed better to maintain a level of fueled energy throughout rather then trying to recover what was depleted in one shot. What do the rest of you do?

For me, fueling is just as important for recovering from the activity as well as fueling during the activity. I rarely use plain water.

If I'm going longer than an hour, I fuel. 1 hour to 2-2.5 hours I usually use HEED. If it's hot I will also take one Endurolyte. If it's hot and I'm running less than an hour, I'll still take a bottle of HEED.

Longer than 2-2.5 hours I usually use Perpetuem paste and water, with one endurolyte an hour (one every half hour if hot. On really long runs (over about 4 hours) I might also bring a bar or something if I feel like I need it. But the Perpetuem paste is usually sufficient; I'm not hungry when I finish and I've never had any GI issues using it.

I typically bring my own food to organized events. I might grab a potato hunk or two after a couple of hours but generally avoid the food on the table.

And I always do a Recovery drink these days, mostly because I am also doing a lot of heavy lifting as well as running. Might be mental, but I think it really helps.

My biggest problem is getting enough sleep.

[Susan Otcenas]

When I ran the 1/2 last year I took a gel at miles 5,9 & 11. I know I can run 7miles without a gel, but to me it seemed better to maintain a level of fueled energy throughout rather then trying to recover what was depleted in one shot. What do the rest of you do?

My motto for long efforts is : "Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty." By the time your body TELLS you you're hungry or thirsty, it's almost too late.

If I'm doing a "short" effort, I can get away with no nutrition. But if I'm going to be out there for over an hour or so, I need to start fueling early and often!

On bike rides, I like Gu, bananas and if I'm going to be out a few hours, I pack a PBJ. I'm a fan of solid food on the bike. For running, I can't stomach much beyond gels.

Susan

[Aggie_Ama]

Went and got my first cardio since March 28! 2.4 miles, felt surprisingly strong but definitely dehydrated. It is hot now, 87 yesterday and I can't be slacking on water when my meds dry me out. Hello Ama, think about it!

[Urlea]

Joined my habitual Thursday morning group run for 7miles today. I was so tempted to hit snooze and stay in bed when the alarm went off at 4:45, but I kept telling myself I'd feel fine & have more energy once I got there. Which I did!

Leaving the apartment I noticed DH had left a post-it for me on the door. "Have a great run!" just the inspiration I needed.

It was a beautiful 7mi run. The full moon was out for most of it, the temps were well above zero & even the birds were chirping. Top that off with a personal best of 9:00min/mi for the entire run and it's been a great day so far!

Aggie Good job getting out there again! Glad you felt strong during your run. 87 is a difficult temp to stay active in, let alone hydrated. Might be a good idea to use a small hand-mounted water bottle in the future.

Thanks for the fueling input ladies! I appreciate it. Really excited to get my hammer order in. I will be trying out HEED & the new Perpetuem flavor. With my training rides for the HIM getting to be more than 35-40mi directly followed by a 1.2mi swim I need more fuel. Otherwise I leave the gym starving and lightheaded.

Yellow- How does one make Perpetuem paste?

[Jolt]

I went to the local conservation area and walked for about 45 minutes, then ran for a little less than 20 minutes before starting to have some mild IT band twinges and deciding I'd better just walk the rest of the way. It was an improvement from Saturday and I think I have pinned down exactly why it has started bugging me again: there's a trigger point in that TFL muscle that is really awkward to get at effectively with the rubber ball I have been using. That's causing everything to get tight, messing up my form and irritating the area. I've been working on it but it's hard to really dig into it sufficiently so it's a bit of a slow process. And of course, that knot makes stretching not work as well.

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Yellow- How does one make Perpetuem paste?

First, you need a refillable flask.

I put about 3 scoops of Perpetuem in a glass measuring cup with a pour spout. I then add water a little at a time until it's about the same consistency as Hammer gel (which is the gel that I use...Gu or whatever...), maybe just a wee tad thinner. I then pour it through a very small funnel into the flask. Before I discovered this method I would mix it up in a plastic bag and then clip of a corner and squirt it into the flask like a cake decoration funnel. You have to mix it pretty well; if it's too lumpy it'll really clog the funnel. You can help it through the funnel with a shish kebab skewer or some such thing.

Perpetuem works really well for me. You can do the same thing with the Hammer Sustained Energy, and probably with the Endurox and Clif going-a-long-time products (I don't know what they are called). They all have a little bit of protein. Whatever works best for you. Of the Hammer stuff, I think the Perpetuem has a little more protein than the Sustained. I really benefit from that li'l bit o' pro when I'm out for a really long time.

Edit: I made a flask this morning for my long run today and used 4 scoops to make a full flask, not 3 scoops.