New Balance HRM Review

"At this moment I wanted to do a Hulk-like shirt ripping and tearing the HRM chest strap off of my body, slamming it on the floor and destroying it Office Space-style."

(excerpt from my 05/11/10 Training Log)

My first HRM was a basic Polar. However, over time, I've abused it, the battery eventually died, and I was lured by the promises of a brand new shiny New Balance "N3 Mini Heart Rate Monitor" for a bargain clearance price of $40. It was basic but included HR-based calorie calculation, and that's all I needed.

First thing I did was lose the manual, which I realized as soon as I tried to use the watch. It is an non-intuitive as organic chemistry (actually... well.. but I am a nerd, and a chemical engineer). Not only could I not figure out how to input my data (weight, age, etc), but I couldn't even understand how to get the watch to show the amount of calories burned.

The second adventure was finding the manual online. N3 is only branded by New Balance, but is manufactured by someone else (at this point I forgot who). Therefore New Balance offers no support for this product whatsoever. Eventually I was able to discover this gem in the depth of the intranets (if you need it - let me know).

Inputting my data was a blast! <<sarcasm alert>> Weight starts at 160 lbs and ramps up to something like 850lbs, there is no "reverse" button of course. So I had to go alllllllllll the way through the cycle... and when you finger is numb from holding the button for the past 10 minutes... oops.. I accidentally passed my mark. Here we go again! YAY!

And then, it was finally ready for me and I was ready for it. 60-minutes of hardcore Kickbox-Jam cardio.. oh? I burned only 280 calories? are you serious?? The calorie calculation on the N3 is way off. At first I was skeptical - well, I am comparing to my old polar where I would burn at least 500 kcal during an hour-long cardio class. But checking with the simple calculators (weight x time x effort ..), or actually just with the prediction on the gym treadmill based on my weight - I new the New Balance was wrong.

The reason may have been the terrible chest strap quality. HRM straps slip and slide once in a while, but I rarely had problems with the Polar, as long as it as tucked under my sports bra it would detect an accurate reading about 95% of the time. New Balance was great at keeping my mind off of the strenuous exercises by focusing all of my attention on just trying to get a reading off of the damn thing. It doesn't detect HR until I work up a sweat (water doesn't work) and before I work up a lot of sweat.... so during about a 10-minute window after warm-up.

"Today I wanted to do a max-heart rate test. I got a lot of rest, I had my HRM, I had my mp3 player, and I was feeling great after the first warm-up mile..... and then I realized that my treadmill was reading my neighbor's heart rate, not mine. In fact, my HRM was flashing zero."

Hopefully I can revive my old Polar, but N3 is definitely going in the trash. 

RunningAHEAD Training Log Review

If you've just read Runner's World Training Log Review - no need to read the complete review below.

The following summary will do: RunningAHEAD has every feature that Runner's World Log lacks and is a complete easy-to-use package for logging your training. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see a quick summary comparison of the two.

RunningAHEAD is free online-based software and they would love your donation if you love them back. You can see my criteria for evaluation here.

Blogger Integration
"Tools" -> "Display Training Stats" provides options to integrate basic and concise data into another website by pasting the automatically generated scripts:



Customization is limited to selecting # of workouts to be displayed (optional parameter); and formatting of border, background color, and font. 
The workouts "Run: 9mi" are linked to RunningAHEAD log and open up the entry for the selected training session containing all workout details.

NOTE: In order to make your training log viewable for everyone go to "Settings" -> "My Log Preferences" and select "Allow everyone to see my running log". 

When in "Reports" you have the option of displaying a basic distance vs time graph or creating a completely custom one (see "Analytics" below). Every graph has a "Publish" button in the top right corner generating a script that allows to embed the graph into your website; Blogger manipulates it as an image (positioning and size options in editor); and the graph is updated as you add new workouts (!!!)
The  graph above has been embedded and initially had only two sample workouts.

Design Integrity

(click image to zoom)
Input allows a multitude of data including:

Distance - mi or km
Total time only - average pace is calculated for you, however detailed entry for pace-per-mile is not available
Type of run - easy, fartlek, hill, interval, long, race, tempo
Route - type in a new name, choose from used names, or from mapped routes
Weather - temperature as well as options for weather conditions
Exertion level - allows to separately rank work out quality and effort on a 1-10 scale
Workout-specific details - great entry options for intervals, including ability to save preset interval workouts; as well as placement details for a race
Heart rate data - resting, average, and max
Notes - field for notes and a separate space for a link
Other - weight input; equipment input (ie - type of shoe); a great bonus is ability to select from various workout types including biking, swimming, strength training, etc. 
Another huge bonus is ability to export ALL of the above stats in simple Excel-compatible format (as a tab delimited *.txt file) and what you do with that data is only limited by your imagination :) This is done via "Tools" -> "Download training data to your computer".

Usability
Very user-friendly and was very quick for me to figure out. The menu is concise and needed items are easy to find. The only negative for navigation is - clicking on "Messages" or "Settings" takes you outside of the "Training Log" zone and you lose the left-hand-side menu.

Analytics

The "Summary" displays mileage stats as well as a graph of distance categorized by run type on a time scale. The information on this page is fully customizable allowing you to add and delete a multitude of information including Activity Calendar, Activity Graph, Current Weather, and stats by timeframe.

The "Reports" menu provides an amazing opportunity to create a very customizable graphs of any and all data that you have recorded for your workouts! This feature is absolutely great, the graphs have a sleek look. Graphs can be saved so you can surround yourself with stats like a baseball star; and they are embeddable and updatable for your website!
The plot above shows my pace progression since I've started running. As you can see, I got hyper-excited about running faster right around April 21st, after which, if you look back at my notes, the runs started getting harder, then i really started to feel terrible during the runs and my pace deteriorated.

Route Mapping 

Accessible through the "Courses" menu.
Map types include street map, satellite, hybrid, terrain, MapMaker, topo, USGS sattelite, VirtualEarth; however topo, USGS, and MapMaker never loaded for me.
Adding points has no delay like in WalkJogRun or MapMyRun, and thankfully there is an option to NOT auto-center the map at every point, which can get a little annoying.
Editing points is very quick and easy - all points are displayed along route. What a relief from having to wait until the software recognizes the mouse-over and displays the route points. Inserting points is easy by clicking directly on the route with "Insert Point" checked. What a thoughtful feature! - if you are plotting along the same route twice you don't have to worry about "inserting" or adding a new point - just uncheck the box!
Elevation data can be loaded on request.
GPS data upload - via Garmin Communicator as well as from a plethora of file options, including GPX (any GPS device), TCX (Garmin Training Center), HRM (Polar), FITLOG (SportTracks), CSV (MapMyRun, custom), ZIP (Polar ProTrainer, Runner's World, etc).

Other options include addition of "water break", "medical", and "general note" points; Panoramio integration to view photos along route, quick zoom to view entire route, route reversal, and the standard out-and-back, and undo.
Other data entry fields include manual default distance, surface type, and notes. You can select to keep the route private or make it public in the browsable route community.

Overall, a GREAT tool. It is almost not glitchy (I only had trouble with deleting notes), and MUCH less glitchy that my experience so far. In fact, this is the best mapping tool I've used so far. (See all of my mapper reviews here).


Runner's World vs RunningAHEAD comparison

According to gossip Runner's World bought the rights for RunningAHEAD software, but never bothered to update it; while RunningAHEAD continuously makes improvements to it's software adding content and working out all those annoying deficiencies.

RunningAHEAD vs Runner's World DOES have the following features:

- Saving custom graphs

- Publishing graphs to your website via embedding the automatically generated script

- Uploading GPS data via Garmin Communicator as well as from a plethora of file options, including GPX (any GPS device), TCX (Garmin Training Center), HRM (Polar), FITLOG (SportTracks), CSV (MapMyRun, custom), ZIP (Polar ProTrainer, Runner's World, etc)

- Manual entry for route name without requirement to map it

- Mapper is fantastic - option to "follow roads", ability to insert points, less glitches (the only one I found is not being able to delete a note), and a huge map space while still keeping point plotting and map loading lightning fast.

Runner's World Training Log Review
Active Trainer Log Review

Runner's World Training Log Review

If you've just read RunningAHEAD Training Log Review - no need to read the complete review below.

The following summary will do: RunningAHEAD has every feature that Runner's World Log lacks and is a complete easy-to-use package for logging your training. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see a quick summary comparison of the two.

Runner's World Log is free online-based software and is easily accessible through the RW home page top menu. You can see my criteria for evaluation here.

Blogger Integration
"TOOLS" -> "Display Training Stats" provides options to integrate basic and concise data into another website by pasting the automatically generated scripts:



Customization is limited to selecting # of workouts to be displayed (optional parameter); and formatting of border, background color, and font. 
The workouts "Run: 9mi" are linked to RW log and open up the entry for the selected training session containing all workout details.

NOTE: In order to make your training log viewable for everyone go to "OPTIONS" in the top right corner of the log, click "Training Log Profile" and check the two privacy boxes.

This integration feels a little limited, but overall I am happy with the concise and to-the-point format that summarizes what you are up to and providing links to see all pertinent information.
A big minus is that the graphs are not embeddable (see "Analytics" below). At best, it may be possible to embed the summary time vs distance graph via iframe.

Design Integrity
(click image to zoom)
Input allows a multitude of data including:
Distance - mi or km
Total time only - average pace is calculated for you, however detailed entry for pace-per-mile is not available
Type of run - easy, fartlek, hill, interval, long, race, tempo
Route - requires to select from a list of maps forcing you to use the integrated mapping tool
Weather - temperature as well as options for weather conditions
Exertion level - allows to separately rank work out quality and effort on a 1-10 scale
Workout-specific details -  great entry options for intervals, including ability to save preset interval workouts; as well as placement details for a race
Heart rate data - resting, average, and max
Notes - field for notes and a separate space for a link
Other - weight input; shoe input; a great bonus is ability to select from various workout types including biking, swimming, strength training, etc. 
Another huge bonus is ability to export ALL of the above stats in simple Excel-compatible format (as a tab delimited *.txt file) and what you do with that data is only limited by your imagination :) This is done via "TOOLS" -> "Export".

Usability
Very user-friendly and was very quick for me to figure out. The menu is concise and needed items are easy to find. The log work area is segregated from the outside RW content, which does not get in the way.

Analytics

The "SUMMARY" displays mileage stats as well as a graph of distance categorized by run type on a time scale.

The "GRAPHS" provides an amazing opportunity to create a very customizable graphs of any and all data that you have recorded for your workouts! This feature is absolutely great, the graphs look good, HOWEVER they are not embeddable and not savable and therefore not auto-updatable. This is terrible and a real buzz-killer. The only savior is the ability to export all of this data and work with it outside of RW using Excel.

Route Mapping 

Accessible through the "ROUTES" menu.
Map types include street map, satellite, hybrid, topo, and USGS sattelite; however topo and USGS never loaded for me. There is no Terrain map.
Adding points has no delay like in WalkJogRun or MapMyRun, and thankfully there is an option to NOT auto-center the map at every point, which can get a little annoying.
Editing points is very quick and easy because there is a separate editing mode which displays all points! What a relief from having to wait until the software recognizes the mouse-over and displays the route points. The downside is that you can't add a point between two others.
Elevation data can be loaded on request. 
GPS data upload - no capability

Other options include addition of "water break", "medical", and "general note" points; the standard last-point-undo and out-and-back tools are available.
Other data entry fields include manual distance, surface type, and notes. You can select to keep the route private or make it public in the browsable route community.

Overall, a good tool. It is somewhat glitchy when loading maps and adding notes, however less glitchy that my experience so far. I wouldn't mind using this route mapping tool if I were to switch to the RW log. (See all of my mapper reviews here).


Runner's World vs RunningAHEAD comparison

According to gossip Runner's World bought the rights for RunningAHEAD software, but never bothered to update it; while RunningAHEAD continuously makes improvements to it's software adding content and working out all those annoying deficiencies.

Runner's World vs RunningAHEAD DOES NOT have the following features:

- Saving custom graphs

- Publishing graphs to your website via embedding the automatically generated script

- Uploading GPS data via Garmin Communicator as well as from a plethora of file options, including GPX (any GPS device), TCX (Garmin Training Center), HRM (Polar), FITLOG (SportTracks), CSV (MapMyRun, custom), ZIP (Polar ProTrainer, Runner's World, etc)

- Manual entry for route name without requirement to map it

- Mapper - option to "follow roads", ability to insert points, less glitches (the only one I found is not being able to delete a note), and a huge map space while still keeping point plotting and map loading lightning fast.

RunningAHEAD Training Log Review
Active Trainer Log Review

Training Logs

I took a step back and looked at my 1+ month of logging / blogging so far. What a mess! It was OK when every day I simply logged my run data and notes; and created pages to summarize all general research and thoughts. However, in just 1 month my research has overflown all reasonable limits of page formatting, it has expanded, bloated, and exploded, forcing me to create a real blog of real content.
However, now my log entries are mixed in with blog entries making a giant unreadable mess.

"What if" - I thought "there was a way to keep my log in a real logger format, and embed it into the blog??"

And now follows the detailed review of training-logging software out there.

Review and Evaluation Criteria

1)   Only online-based systems will be reviewed - I need ability to access and edit my log from work/home/etc. (If I had an iPhone or such, mobile usability would be hugely important, but I don't.)

2)   Free - most online systems are; and you can pay a fee for actual training plans, but I'd rather buy Pfitzinger for that purpose.

3)   Blogger integration - it is very important for me to be able to make my training records accessible and presentable through Blogger. Therefore, availability of widgets and scripts will be my top evaluation criteria.

4)   Design integrity - is the log designed to capture all of the following pertinent information: mileage, pace per mile, type of run, location, weather, exertion level, workout-specific details (ie intervals), heart rate data, notes. Also, I must be able to input my training plan into the log.

5)   Usability - Can I access all the data I need in a concise format? Is there a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles? Or are there ads in my way??

6)   Analytics - what graphing tools are available to allow me to see my progress clearly?

7)   Mapping - many online logs have integrated route mappers that I will review based on the following requirements: usability, speed, mileage markers, points management.

Runner's World Training Log Review
RunningAHEAD Training Log Review
Active Trainer Log Review

Food and Nutrient Proportions

Proportions
Before exercise: 16oz an hour prior to exercise 


During exercise: 200-400 kcal/hr @ 8-15% protein / 85% complex carbs; 10-27 oz fluid /hr (3-9oz every 15-20 mins) with sufficient electrolyte content (electrolyte amount is VERY individual - see below).


After exercise: 50-75 grams of carbohydrates and 15-20 grams of protein within 30-60 minutes

http://www.livestrong.com/article/73948-muscle-recovery-runners/

Running Doctor

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-301--13482-0,00.html?cm_mmc=nutrition-_-2010_05_06-_-nutrition-_-DIET%3a%20Digestive%20Issues

I will attempt to play "doctor" by collecting all of the factual (as factual as Google results are) data and opinions on problems during running such as "you need electrolytes to avoid cramping" and translate that into "cramping - possible electrolyte deficiency". Pretty easy, huh?
Muscle cramping, cessation of sweating, nausea - dehydration 

Muscle cramping and stomach discomfort - over-hydration and nutrient/electrolyte dilution in blood. The body can absorb 15-20 (27) oz of fluids per hour

Muscle cramping, weakness, nausea - especially in hot weather - lack of electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium (in the form of sodium chloride), and manganese).

Fatigue - too much protein, causing an overabundance of amino-acids in the blood, which are converted to dioxide, water, and ammonia; while excess ammonia is toxic to the body; not enough protein (for 90min+ exercises), causing the body to use muscle as a protein source and increasing ammonia production. During endurance workouts 8-15% of consumed calories should come from protein, the rest from complex carbohydrates.

Burst of energy followed by fatigue, mood swings - too much simple sugar in diet causing an insulin spike followed by a crash.

Bloating, nausea - too much solid food during exercise stresses the body requiring additional energy for digestion.

Slow muscle recovery, weak immune system - not enough calories consumed to make up for energy required for training. During an endurance race the body's requirement is ~200-400 kcal per hour.

Irritability, restless sleep, elevated resting heart rate, inability to reach peak heart rate during training, fatigue several days in a row - over-training.

Links  
http://www.time-to-run.com/training/articles/10mistakes.htm

Pace

Runners World has a great pace calculator that uses a simple formula:
http://runnersworld.com/cda/trainingcalculator
I was surprised to find out that with my current pace (05/01/10), which - if extrapolated 1:1 - should allow be a marathon time under 4 hours, is really not going to hold up all that well over 26.2 miles. It may be discouraging for some, but for me this this is a prevention tool for over-training. At this point, when I have suffered through a week of terrible runs, it's like a sign saying - don't worry about the time. Remember - just finishing will be HUGE.

Here's what I got. I haven't ran any races yet, however, for example sake, let's say that I can run 6 miles at 9m/mi (54 minutes):
     Marathon time = 4:17
     Long run = 10:54 - 12:15 m/mi - this is WAY slower than what I run now.
     Tempo run = 9:07 m/mi


Now when I input my target marathon time of 4 hours I get suggested training paces:
     Tempo run = 8:34
     Long run = 10:15 - 11:33

I am not completely comprehending the concept of a slow long run at this point. I understand that a shorter run can be faster than a long run. However, if I am training for a marathon, shouldn't I train to run the "long run" - ie - main prep for marathon - at my target marathon pace??

PS - how freaking cool is that PaceTat???
****************************************************

An AMAZING article by competitiverunner.com almost resolves my dilemma... almost. Well, at least it convinces me (and that's a feat!) that I should in fact be running my long runs slower "to avoid overtraining" while "still reaping all of the benefits of a long run"; the article makes sure to point out that "race pace runs are important". "The trick for any athlete is to find the balance between long easy runs and faster marathon paced runs."
And.. Pete Pfitzinger has the answer!

Long runs at marathon race pace prepare you most directly for the demands of the marathon. The principle of specificity of training states that the most effective way to prepare for an event is to simulate that event as closely as possible in training. The closest way to simulate a marathon, of course, is to run 26.2 miles at marathon pace. Unfortunately, long runs at marathon pace are very hard on the body. If you run too far at marathon pace, the required recovery time will negate the benefits of the effort. Similarly, if you do long runs at marathon pace too often, you will greatly increase your likelihood of self-destructing through injury or overtraining.

Links
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-520--13101-0,00.html# 
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-255-11932-0,00.html#
http://pfitzinger.com/labreport.shtml
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=4432&PageNum=5 
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--6946-3-3X5X7-4,00.html#
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/training2.htm 
http://www.runningmania.com/resources/programs/index.php
http://homepage.mac.com/psminkey/running/page6/page6.html

The Training Wall

Ever since the 9-miler in the rain on Sunday my 3 runs this week have been painful and dreadful, one after another. In fact, I didn't even make my full mileage on Wed and Thur, although I'm glad I even dragged myself outside.

...The 9-miler wasn't too intense, I don't think I pushed all that hard...
...I took care of myself after the rain so my immune system is all happy...
...I've been eating as I've been the week before, I've taken good care of hydrating myself for and after the runs, and gulping down the coconut water when I feel I may need it...
...My mileage didn't jump up drastically, in fact, I don't die at the end - I die at mile 2...

So what's the problem???

Ok, so excited to share this on the blog... but since we're on the topic.. it has been that wonderful time in a woman's life when she wants to rub her boyfriends face in his pee and eat a pickle. But that shouldn't have affected me on Thursday - I felt great in fact!
Maybe my body was weakened and too slow to recuperate from earlier runs this week.
Or maybe - the only other thing I can think of - I've been very sleep deprived. According to RunnersWorld this can have an enormous effect.

Running is as much physical as it is mental. Push yourself through too much pain - and you may kill the last bits of that excitement which got you into running to begin with. Rest too long - and you will lose the the training base that you've worked so hard to build up.

The key is knowing that you will be OK. Allow yourself to run slower, easier, shorter. Allow yourself to rest and taking care of your body rather than punishing it harder. And remember - what drives you is what will stop you. So allow yourself to enjoy running again, if you hit the training wall.

- Sleep more (!!!)
- Eat better
- Find a new route
- Bring a friend
- Do a race

04/28: 6mi - MB Wk14

PLAN: 6mi
RAN: 4mi-
LOC: LTF after work
EL: 6---

I was so bleeeeeeeh today that I was going to skip the run originally to save myself for tomorrow, but last minute I changed my mind and decided to do the best I can to get at least some miles in. And I feel I did pretty good, even though it completely sucked the whole way though. I alternated 9:30 and 9:00 pace for a mile each, but I also walked for a few minutes every 2 miles. My total distance was 4mi but my running distance was less.
I don't regret it though, I really felt like poop.

04/27: 5mi - MB Wk14

PLAN: 5mi
RAN: 5.6mi @ 8:23-9:22*-9:24-9:13-8:46-9:00=9:18m/mi
LOC: Greene Valley
EL: 7+

Brrrrr! The temperature plummeted in the evening and I was not ready... then I got lost, but then I decided to kick it's butt. Overall, looking at my pace, I am definitely running much faster than I perceive. Now a snail pace is 9:30, which is great. But the reason I die at the 2nd mile (for the 2nd or 3rd time in a row now) is possibly because of the 8:20 first mile, so I really should take it easier on the warm-ups.

Marathon Training Plan / Speed Work

(t-17- weeks)

I still have some time to think about this, but I am starting to research the training recommendations more in-depth because I feel that I should be adding some speed and weight training to my workouts if I really want to be serious about this.


Marathon Training Plan:

Beginner You've run 15 to 20 miles a week for at least six months, completed a 5-K or 10-K--perhaps even something longer. You can run five or six miles without collapsing afterward and want to gradually become a stronger runner able to finish your first marathon, in the words of Portland, Oregon, coach Bob Williams, "feeling good and excited to run another one in six months."

Your Plan Surprise, you're going to train just three to four days a week and gradually increase your weekly mileage from around 15 to 35-plus miles a week. The biggest key of all will be to gradually increase your mileage, especially that of your weekend long run. "The beginner needs to focus almost entirely on the long run," says Anaerobic Management coach Jon Sinclair (anaerobic.net), "but it's also good to throw in a little hillwork and some aerobic intervals on alternate weeks to bolster your stamina and to liven up your training." Lastly, we're going to have you running two low-key races to get the feel of competition before the big day.

Intermediate You regularly run 20 to 30 miles a week, and have done so for a year or more. You do a weekly long run of eight to 10 miles and have some experience with tempo runs or intervals. You've run 10-K races, probably finished a half-marathon, maybe even a full marathon. But now you have a specific marathon goal time in mind, and you want to do the training to make it a reality.

Your Plan "Long runs are the basis of marathon training, but at this level it's important to add some intensity to the program," says Sinclair. So, you'll gradually increase the length of the weekly long run to adapt your mind and body to the rigors of running nonstop for several hours. But running 18 to 20 miles at a time isn't all you need, so you'll supplement these runs with some higher-effort running twice weekly, including sustained tempo runs at your half-marathon race pace. These promote aerobic strength and efficiency and will help you find that groove you'd like to be in when you run a longer race, according to Sinclair. You'll also be doing a smattering of speedwork.

 I've shown in orange the criteria that I exceed and in green the ones I meet; based on these I definitely qualify as an Intermediate; however, the red shows that although my runs are long enough, I have not been doing them long enough, even for a beginner. Highlighted are the key points in training guidelines, and I will simply need to adjust the intensity of tempo runs and speedwork to my personal fitness level.

One of the key highlighted elements is:

Become Race Fit Short races (5- to 10-K) are terrific fitness boosters that let you run much faster than your marathon goal pace--an effort that you just cannot replicate in training, no matter how motivated you are. So all three schedules feature two races because, according to a recent study, race efforts can dramatically boost aerobic capacity and lactate threshold. This can only help your marathon performance.

04/25: 9mi - MB Wk13

PLAN: 9mi
RAN: 9mi @ 9:31-10:54*-9:26-9:42-9:50-9:50-9:35-9:30-9:30=9:40m/mi
LOC: Herrick Lake
EL: 6+

What a run! It drizzled the whole way back but I remembered that I actually really like running in the rain because I don't get overheated. But the occasional wind gusts made it slightly unpleasant. It was my first 9-mile, and I missed yesterday's run so I took it easy and didn't watch the pace at all during the run - worked out pretty good. I am glad that my body is getting used to the faster pace.
Warm-up was a little tough, I paused to stretch during the second mile, but compared to previous long runs - did not stop at all after that and was perfectly fine. No music today either - I'm learning to zone out my brain for longer durations of time.

I ran with CamelBak with diluted coconut juice - the taste really grew on me, and I feel like it really gives me those electrolytes I don't get with plain water.
Also, GPS in CamelBak seems to track *significantly* better than in the front waist pouch - it was pretty much right on course the whole time today, despite the thick clouds and rain.
I took the "long" routes on two out of three loops and had to run around the parking lot to get it up to 9mi. (I just didn't want to get stuck 3 miles out if it really started coming down!)

04/24: VACATION

PLAN: 4mi
RAN: 0mi

I made up my mind last minute to go camping on Friday. So instead of a 4-mile run I did some uphill hiking and climbing at Devil's Lake.

04/23: Rest - MB Wk13

PLAN: Rest

Rest is rest :) Driving to DL today.

04/22: 5mi - MB Wk13

PLAN: 5mi
RAN: 5mi @ 9.5-9-9-9-9.4
LOC: LTF after work
EL: 6+

This week has been tough mileage-wise, and I've been feeling sore and weak on the runs. So I decided to take it semi-easy - a constant but my ultimate target pace of 9m/mi to build up some muscle memory.
It got a little tough at the very end and I went down to 6.4 on the last mile, but overall felt really good.

Also I've found the ONE Coconut water at Jewel and decided to try it out today - the stuff tastes SO gross... I was afraid it was going to make me gag at the end of the run and stopped drinking it. But I think it kept me hydrated VERY well.

Finished up with some VE climbing - my legs didn't kill me nearly as much today as the last time I tried this combination!

04/21: 6mi - MB Wk13

PLAN: 6mi
RAN: 6mi @ 8:50-8:30-9:20-10:30-?-?=9:17m/mi
LOC: Herrick Lake
EL: 7-6-+

Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong on today's run. Firstly, it was freezing cold by the time I got out (mid-40s) with VERY strong wind gusts. My options were t-shirt or t-shirt and jacket. So 80% of the time I felt very overheated despite every zipper being open. With all that discomfort, and for whatever other reason - it just felt like the wind killed me - I was dying on the 3rd mile. At which point - conveniently - my headphones broke.
I finally struggled my way back to the lake only to find out that I ran 5-miles (yes, I accidentally mapped a 5-mile route and titled it as 6mi), so I had to run another circle around the lake. The wind wasn't bad so that last mile did not actually feel terrible.

What a nasty run. ehhh. I guess I was due to have a bad one eventually!!

04/20: 5mi - MB Wk13

PLAN: 5mi
RAN: 5mi @ 8:30-8:50-9:40-9:00-8:30=9m/mi
LOC: Greene Valley
EL: 6-7+

Did something new today - Greene Valley was great! I am kind of proud of my creativity in mapping this "Figure-Eight" course to make the most (5mi) out of the forest preserve loops. This trail is interesting as the sections are shorter, twistier, and much hillier than Herrick.

Seemed like there were lots of uphills in the beginning and either because of that, or just unprovoked muscle cramping, I took the third mile REALLY easy (9:40) - BUT - it's still 9:40! That's a damn good pace for an "easy" mile! The end seemed all downhill, or maybe it was unprovoked muscle de-cramping, but the running got really good - 8:30. I am so happy!

04/19: Rest - MB Wk13

PLAN: Rest

Dentist appt today ( yey!) and did a full 90 minutes of P90X yoga while my jaw was unfreezing. Kicked my butt as always!

04/18: 8mi - MB Wk12

PLAN: 8mi
RAN: 8mi @ 11-9:15-9:25-9:40-?-?-9:00-9:10
LOC: Herrick Lake
EL: 7+

Good run. EL is up and I am not tempted to call this run "fun" like before, but that just means I was working my ass off. As I thought what my "EL" values mean, I understood that it is not only how hard I work but how long I can *sustain* that level of exertion. Therefore, training will 1) allow me to run faster at a lower intensity level 2) allow me to sustain a higher intensity level for a longer duration of time.
On longer runs my EL will be lower, but that doesn't necessarily make the run easier, while pushing the pace on shorter runs will help me train anaerobically.

I tracked the run via GPS (in my nifty travel wallet) but it was really off on miles 5-6, where I also made a water stop, so I don't have times for those miles, but I am very happy with my pace.

04/17: 4mi - MB Wk12

PLAN: 4mi
RAN: 4mi @ 9:10-9:20-9:20-8:45m/mi
LOC: Blackwell Forest Preserve
EL: 7-

The run felt good in general (very surprisingly) even though I had enough troubles along the way to hate it.  It felt like I was running uphill into the wind the whole time, I started getting really fatigued after about 2 miles, and to top everything off I had 'other' issues for the last two miles making the experience thoroughly unpleasant.

(Note: I "reset trip" after the first mile, which is why it is not shown in screen shot)

I think what made the run "good" after all that is that - despite - all of it, I ran a  really good pace, although I did not feel like I pushed the pace all that much. My goal was to run between 9:00 and 9:30.

I tried something new today - those body wallets for traveling - it fit the GPS perfectly, and the rubber band prevented it from bouncing - WIN.

04/16: Rest - MB Wk12

PLAN: Rest

04/15: 4mi - MB Wk12

PLAN: 4mi
RAN: 4mi @ 9.5-8.75-9.0-8.75
LOC: Hidden Lake
EL: 8+

So I decided that I need to push the pace and I sure felt it. It was no longer the fun "I can do this forever" but back to the heavy breathing and making some serious effort.
I let myself warm up on the first mile - at ~9.5 (it's hard to time the back look b/c it's over a mile), pushed it on mile 2 at 8.75m/mi timed, slowed down just a little on mile 3 at ~9.0m/mi, and ran an exact 8.75 on the last mile again. I told myself to run a pace that I felt is a 9m/mi and not sprint at the end just to get the time, and I think I accomplished my goal. Feels good :)
But hurts a little. In a good way.

Electrolyte Replacement

Electrolyte Replacement

A great (but somewhat lengthy) article by Steve Born on this topic can be summarized as follows:

1. Electrolyte replacement during exercise is a necessary procedure that is also highly individual. We don't believe that adopting the "one size fits all" or "everything and the kitchen sink" approaches can adequately fulfill proper electrolyte replacement. Our philosophy is that because every person's electrolyte needs are different, it's important to provide a product that allows the athlete to tailor the dose according to their needs, needs that can only be found through experimentation in training.
2. The human body needs very minute amounts of sodium to function normally: 80-300mg, while the average athlete stores at least 8,000 mg of dietary sodium in tissues. Therefore, what is required is a low-sodium approach to electrolyte replacement that emphasizes a balance of essential minerals that cooperatively enhance the body's natural hormone and enzyme mechanics. In essence, we want to work with our body, not against it.
3. Steve promotes Endurolytes by Hammer Nutrition for their balance of: Calcium & Magnesium, Sodium & Potassium & Chloride; Manganese, B-6, and L-Tyrosine

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Scott Dunlap is a Blogger neighbor who has a great post about Coconut water, which naturally contains a ton of potassium, magnesium and a small dose of sodium; among having other great health benefits. He recommends brands ONE (sold at Jewel and Whole Foods) and Zico (at Fruitful Yield stores in the Chicagoland area).


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04/14: Rest - MB Wk12

PLAN: Rest

I got lucky being sick on the off week :) I felt much better today than yesterday, but an extra day of rest is good. Back in the game tomorrow!

04/13: SICK

PLAN: 3mi
RAN: 0

   ehhhhh I am sick :(

04/12: Rest - MB Wk12

PLAN: Rest


Yesterday was Roxy's birthday which we - as completely horrible parents - forgot about, even though we've been planning it for at least a month! So we celebrated today with a long walk and a rawhide :)

This is actually the first time I am mentioning Roxy in my blog. She is my baby, my love, my now-2-year-old beautiful Vizsla. She has been with me, patiently and obediently on every outdoor run, and has been the most amazing training partner I could wish for!

She has built up her mileage with me; although - being a sporting dog - her endurance is far beyond mine, she still works hard, especially on hot sunny days.

I fit in just a few minutes of P90X Yoga between the festivities :)

04/11: 8mi* - MB Wk11

PLAN: 8mi
RAN: 8mi @ 10m/mi
LOC: Herrick Lake
EL: 5+

What a run! I do have a cold, so I popped a Benadryl and an Advil just in case (I am totally against pills but I really needed to make these miles today).

I ran the course below backwards to make it more fun, starting at the DuPage FP Office building, and making a full circle around Herrick Lake; with one short water-stretch stop at 5mi:

It was cool for the run, windy at times but not bad. The run felt great! I was disappointed to find out my slow pace, and considering I would give the first 2/3rds of the course an EL of 4 I really need to start pushing the pace more on and stop saving myself for the last mile. Here is the detail as recorded via my ad-hoc GPS method and interpreted by TrailRunner:

Tracking my pace reveals the following:
10.0-10.5-10.5-11.0-10.0-break-10.5-9.5-9.5
I clearly remember what 9.5 pace felt like at the end of an 8-mile run and it did not feel like 9.5 :) But I have to remember to push myself - that's the only way to get faster. Eventually :)

********************************************
I tested out what it's like to run with a CamelBak today - something I'll definitely need for 8mi+ runs.
WIN. It worked really well! No chafing; the chest strap successfully prevented it from bouncing - (much better than a hip fanny pack!) I had it 1/2 full causing the water to slush but that did not cause any discomfort. In the future the only thing I would change is fill it up all the way; I used up all the water through my run while the extra weight will just be extra training. The little pocket is perfect for GPS storage, which means I will be tracking all my long runs!

04/10: 4mi - MB Wk11

PLAN: 4mi
RAN: 4mi @ 9.5m/mi (timed)
LOC: Blackwell Forest Preserve
EL: 4-5+

Stayed up late last night so my schedule is really messed up and I felt pretty crappy, in addition to the fact that I am getting sick, but the run was still very very great! I think this training thins is really working :)

The new Blackwell route was a *perfect* new 4-miler for me!

04/09: Rest - MB Wk11

PLAN: Rest

7.5 miles on rollerblades @ Busse Woods with Roxy & Vova. УРА!

PS - This would be a great 8-miler course

04/08: 4mi - MB Wk11

PLAN: 4mi
RAN: 4mi @ 9.5-9.4-9.2-9.1-10-9.2-9.1*-9.0-10-9.5-9.4-6.2m/mi*** :)
LOC: LTF @ night
EL: 4+

I contemplated but finally decided against running outside in 40F and 15mph winds. (My throat has been acting up.)
So I bummed around until last minute, and had dinner just before going to LTF (not smart).
The run was GREAT. Yet again I had that "I could do this *almost* all day" feeling even though I had to consciously  keep my dinner down on a couple of occasions. Therefore I decided to make it more fun and work a little on speed.
I believe I am recollecting my sequence correctly:
6.3-6.4-6.5-6.6-6.0-6.5-6.6*-6.7-6.0-6.3-6.4-6.5mph




I changed the speed after every song which is roughly every 1/4-1/2 mile, which worked out great. The * next to 6.6 is due to the fact that I felt like I was feeling my heart going in hyper mode (if only I knew what that was actually called?), so I walked for a few seconds to make sure I don't pass out. Because I had to smash the "stop" button it killed my workout mileage which I didn't look at for a while, so I am estimating that I ran 0.5-0.75mi more.

The greatest feeling was to drop to 10m/mi and feel completely relaxed at that pace to the point of being able to recover very quickly.
I think I'm getting better, slowly but surely  :)))


Climbing after the run was disastrous. I could barely do a 5.8.

04/07: 5mi - MB Wk11

PLAN: 6mi
RAN: 5mi @ 9.5-9.5-10-9.5 m/mi
LOC: LTF @ lunch
EL: 5+

Despite it being on a treadmill it was a GREAT run! I chose to do only 5 miles because...

1. Due to running 4 miles on Mon my week total would be 28mi which is a 12% increase from last week, which I didn't even complete. I simply did not want to overwork my body.
2. Yesterday's run was bad, I didn't want this week to get worse.
3. I took a 2-hour lunch as is..

Even at my 'faster' pace my breathing was amazing the whole way; no cramps and nothing hurt; but I really started pushing it the last mile - it's the whole body fatigue that gets me most of the time, and that's resolved only by mental and physical training.

Schedule Modification
Wk11 is supposed to be recovery week (4-6-4-4-4=22); Wk10 was (4-5-4-4-8=25) while I only ran 13. Following the guidelines the best way to resolve this is to flip: assume Wk10 as recovery week; do Wk10 mileage during Wk11; and continuing on to Wk12 as normal. Which is exactly what I've done so far: 4-5... the only difference is the 8-miler which I should be ready for by the end of this week. Wk12 will be great as another break week with another 8-miler. Will modify on my Google Schedule.

04/06: 4mi - MB Wk11

PLAN: 4mi
RAN: 4mi with a short walk
LOC: Hidden Lake
EL: (-)

Bleh. Today sucked. I felt weak, mentally drained; maybe the fact that I had a bug in my eye for half the run had something to do with it; maybe it's just the abundance of bugs in general - those little tiny white ones that will unavoidably enter once orifice or another; maybe the weather. Yuck. It was pre-rain, very warm, humid, with very little wind. I had to walk for ~2min at the start of mile 4 because I felt like I was getting extremely overheated.
Or maybe it is the pizza and other junk food I had for lunch. Time to start a Nutrition page.
I just hope this is not the result of Monday's extra credit and won't ruin the rest of my week.

Also, HL is getting to be a real drag. I need to find an alternative for my 4-5milers.

I've added "EL" = exertion level to my heading, theoretically a 0-10 scale with 10 being most difficult.
It's a very tough judgment call because it seems that most of the time it's the mental not the physical that gets me down; I think for now this will be more about how I feel about the run rather than how difficult it really was; or at least a (+) for "great" or (-) for "sucky".

04/05: 4mi* - MB Wk11

PLAN: Rest
RAN: 30min elliptical; 4mi @ 9.7m/mi - timed
LOC: LTF @ Lunch; Hidden Lake

I missed 3 days / 16 miles of training (due to long miles of hiking in southern IL - Shawnee National Forest) and after some research on the best way to make up missed runs I decided to warm up my legs and lungs at lunch; and then run an easy 4 miles after work.
I am glad I did 4mi only - no pain today and I feel that I will be OK for the rest of the week, but it was enough to get my body back into running.
I had some inner-ankle pain, not sure why, prob all the hiking.

Today I used my DIY GPS method to track my pace. More later.

Missed Training and Vacations

From runnersworld.com:

If you were to plot the mileage of most marathon-training schedules on a graph, it would show a straight, slowly rising line followed by a short, steep plunge during the taper. But reality is never that smooth. "Expect peaks and valleys - periods of improvement and stagnation," says Connelly. And if you miss a day or two of training, just go back to the schedule. "If you miss a whole week, backtrack the same amount of time that you skipped," say the Finkes. "If you miss more than two weeks, adjust your goals or switch to a later marathon."

From marathonrookie.com:

If you miss a week of runs during a training period, do not try to make up for lost time when you start back. Just move on as if you ran that week and pick up with the current schedule. However, start back at a slower pace to allow your body to adjust, especially if your time off was due to illness.

A nice set of guidelines from runningplanet.com (I pasted selectively what applies to me):

Injured 12 Weeks or More Before Marathon

Recovery Time	Adjustments
Up to 1 Week	Pick up with current training week @ 75% of recommended volume for one week. The resume normal training.
1 - 2 Weeks	Pick up with current training week @ 50% of recommended volume for one week and 75% of recommended volume for a second week. Then resume normal training.
2 - 3 Weeks	Pick up with current training week @ 50% of recommended volume for one week and 75% of recommended volume for a second week. Then resume normal training. Consider adjusting your finishing time goal to a slightly lower level.

Injured 5 to 8 Weeks Before Marathon

Recovery Time	Adjustments
Up to 1 Week	Pick up with current training week @75% of recommended volume for one week. Then resume normal training.
1 - 2 Weeks	Pick up with current training week @ 50% of recommended volume for one week and 75% of recommended volume for a second week. Then resume normal training.

What I take from all this is:

1. If you are able to run on vacation - run as closely to the plan as possible
2. If you know you won't be able to run - adjust the schedule as best as you can
3. If the missed training is unexpected - the guidelines above are great

Once I get into a routine and become slightly more intelligent about all this, I will certainly have to get back to this topic and manipulate my schedule.

Marathon Training Schedule

Here is my "official" schedule that I created at the inception of this idea. This is a slightly modified Excel copy of the marathontraining.com training plan. This is a great starting point until the magic 17-week marker when the 'real' training comes in.

03/29: Rest - MB Wk10

PLAN: Rest

I felt wonderful when I woke up. I was getting really sore last night, but this morning - nothing. Just a little calf pain (hip still bothering me).
If I wasn't before (and I was) I am now a true believer in stretching - a good 20 minutes after Sunday's run made this happen.
90 mins of P90X yoga today.

Training Wk1 Summary - 22mi

PLAN: 22mi
RAN: did it all "с грехом пополам"

I did expect the first week to be very difficult. I got all the miles in (22.. sounds like a whole lot!) whether it was screeching my teeth on the elliptical or pushing against the wind.
I was incredibly excited about the 7-miler - to feel *that* good after a non-existent mileage base was incredible and incredibly motivating for me to keep doing this!

03/28: 7mi - MB Wk9

PLAN: 7mi (dear god)
RAN: 4mi / 5min walk-str / 3mi @ 10m/mi
LOC: Herrick Lake 7mi

OMG! What an AMAZING run!!! Pomplamoose rocks! It was SO windy, I was afraid the run will suck ass, but it was amazing. There were only a couple of killer spots. I felt very weak on uphills. Legs started getting heavy last 1/2mi.
AMAZING. This was the feeling I've been waiting for this whole time - just close my eyes and run.