I say that with the Monty Python saying of "SPAM SPAM SPAM" running through my head.
I need new running socks for this ridiculously hot weather. I have all kinds of socks, none of which I really like. I have two pairs of the Sugoi R+R socks, but they give me blisters. I have some thicker Wigwams that are great in the winter, not so great in the summer. I have other pairs, too, but they aren't really worthy of a mention. My favourite pair so far has been a pair of yellow Thorlo Experias, but I'm always left wondering if there's a better pair out there...
Do you have a favourite brand of running socks? Tell me about them. My only criteria is that they have to be ankle socks. Fire away!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Race this weekend!
I'm so excited. It's Emilie's Run 5K this weekend! This is my favourite race of the year. It's a flat, out and back course, it has chip timing with per km splits, and a small, but very competitive, field. The atmosphere at this race is different.... maybe it's because it's women of all ages, maybe it's the inspiration of running alongside some of the region's top female runners. Either way, I highly recommend this race.
It looks like it's going to rain this year and I'm actually happy about it. We've had nice weather the last two years, so it'll be a good change. And recently my allergies have made breathing during hard workouts very difficult. I have an inhaler and I take OTC antihistamines, but this year's been particularly bad. I know that I'm not 100% when I feel like this. I've been doing some speed intervals, too, and it looks like it's helping... now if only my lungs will cooperate.
I've gotten clearance to run 3x a week, with no runs above 5K. I can add frequency, so that makes me happy, as I'd been planning to do that after the half anyway. So this week and next I'm at 3x a week, then I'm going to up it to 4x. Slow and steady!
It looks like it's going to rain this year and I'm actually happy about it. We've had nice weather the last two years, so it'll be a good change. And recently my allergies have made breathing during hard workouts very difficult. I have an inhaler and I take OTC antihistamines, but this year's been particularly bad. I know that I'm not 100% when I feel like this. I've been doing some speed intervals, too, and it looks like it's helping... now if only my lungs will cooperate.
I've gotten clearance to run 3x a week, with no runs above 5K. I can add frequency, so that makes me happy, as I'd been planning to do that after the half anyway. So this week and next I'm at 3x a week, then I'm going to up it to 4x. Slow and steady!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Running in the news
Interesting article today in the National Post about running the marathon.
The will to run: Going from the couch to a marathon in a year.
The story kind of rambles, but is the message of going from completely sedentary to the marathon really a good one? What do you think?
Heck, I've been running for 3 years (minus injury time, of course) and completing a marathon is still only a dream for me. The thought of going from couch potato all the way to 42.2K in 12 months is crazy to me. Just the half was a tough for me mentally. I remember being out on one of my 18K long runs in the rain and thinking to myself: If I were marathon training, I'd be running this twice. Yuck.
I drew some inspiration from the article by this tidbit of info from one of the competitive coaches:
Richard Lee is a distance coach in Vancouver who works with Dylan Wykes, a top athlete expected to give (Reid) Coolsaet a run for his money at October’s Scotiabank Marathon in Toronto. He thinks amateur runners don’t push themselves hard enough.
“People who don’t do anything can do a marathon; it just comes down to will power,” says Lee, who coached his first runner in 1984, training his wife all the way to the Olympic Games. “You’re not born with talent, it’s a learned process. You just need to be prepared, follow a plan and develop a steel-trapped mind for achieving your goals.”
This is certainly something I need to remember. I'm a Kenyan in my head, as most of us recreational runners are, but I know I am faster than my recent times have shown. I've got a decent PR in the 10K and 5K that I haven't improved on in over 18 months. While I've had setbacks, I know I can become even faster if I'm willing to put in the time and effort.
The will to run: Going from the couch to a marathon in a year.
The story kind of rambles, but is the message of going from completely sedentary to the marathon really a good one? What do you think?
Heck, I've been running for 3 years (minus injury time, of course) and completing a marathon is still only a dream for me. The thought of going from couch potato all the way to 42.2K in 12 months is crazy to me. Just the half was a tough for me mentally. I remember being out on one of my 18K long runs in the rain and thinking to myself: If I were marathon training, I'd be running this twice. Yuck.
I drew some inspiration from the article by this tidbit of info from one of the competitive coaches:
Richard Lee is a distance coach in Vancouver who works with Dylan Wykes, a top athlete expected to give (Reid) Coolsaet a run for his money at October’s Scotiabank Marathon in Toronto. He thinks amateur runners don’t push themselves hard enough.
“People who don’t do anything can do a marathon; it just comes down to will power,” says Lee, who coached his first runner in 1984, training his wife all the way to the Olympic Games. “You’re not born with talent, it’s a learned process. You just need to be prepared, follow a plan and develop a steel-trapped mind for achieving your goals.”
This is certainly something I need to remember. I'm a Kenyan in my head, as most of us recreational runners are, but I know I am faster than my recent times have shown. I've got a decent PR in the 10K and 5K that I haven't improved on in over 18 months. While I've had setbacks, I know I can become even faster if I'm willing to put in the time and effort.
Monday, June 13, 2011
ChiRunning Clinic
Yesterday I attended a 4-hour ChiRunning Clinic with a local instructor, Eric Collard.
I've been reading the ChiRunning book by Danny Dreyer, but I've had a tough time with the practical stuff in Chapter 4. I'm a visual learner, so the descriptions in the book really weren't doing it for me. Pelvic tilt whaaat? Maybe it didn't help that I was reading this before bed, but it was still tough to absorb. Then, during my assessment with my new physiotherapist, she said she really liked ChiRunning based on her own experience and qualifications in the field. So when I saw that Eric was holding a half-day clinic, I signed up.
We spent a lot of time working on posture, engaging the core muscles and running/walking back and forth. Lots of learning how to really work on your lean and not using your legs to power through a run. It was a lot to take in in only 4 hours, but it was worth it.
I realized that I'm fairly stiff through the hips and ankles. That probably explains why I always get holes in the vents of my shoes, right above the big toe!
After the clinic, I went for a run and tried to use what I'd learned earlier in the afternoon. That run was a lot more fun, that's for sure. There's a lot to think about, but overall, I think it will help me. The method encourages me to engage my core and to listen to my body, instead of trying to power through a distance. Because I think that's what I've been doing and my back suffers the consequences.
The clinic left me thinking about my goals for the rest of the year... but that's for another blog post.
I've been reading the ChiRunning book by Danny Dreyer, but I've had a tough time with the practical stuff in Chapter 4. I'm a visual learner, so the descriptions in the book really weren't doing it for me. Pelvic tilt whaaat? Maybe it didn't help that I was reading this before bed, but it was still tough to absorb. Then, during my assessment with my new physiotherapist, she said she really liked ChiRunning based on her own experience and qualifications in the field. So when I saw that Eric was holding a half-day clinic, I signed up.
We spent a lot of time working on posture, engaging the core muscles and running/walking back and forth. Lots of learning how to really work on your lean and not using your legs to power through a run. It was a lot to take in in only 4 hours, but it was worth it.
I realized that I'm fairly stiff through the hips and ankles. That probably explains why I always get holes in the vents of my shoes, right above the big toe!
After the clinic, I went for a run and tried to use what I'd learned earlier in the afternoon. That run was a lot more fun, that's for sure. There's a lot to think about, but overall, I think it will help me. The method encourages me to engage my core and to listen to my body, instead of trying to power through a distance. Because I think that's what I've been doing and my back suffers the consequences.
The clinic left me thinking about my goals for the rest of the year... but that's for another blog post.
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