Triplets

Well, this makes 2 posts in one day! Steph and I recently found out that we are having triplets. . . . . . . .yes 3 babies!!! We were really shocked at first, but now we are just as excited as can be. Steph and I had tried for quite a while to get pregnant, and we were starting to get frustrated thinking that maybe it wasn't going to happen. Well, it did . . . . in a big way!

Plantar Fasciitis

I am about 10 days away from The Spirit of Columbus Half Marathon, and my training has been going pretty well. I have reduced my volume by quite a bit (hovering in the 70's for weekly mileage), so my workouts have been fairly solid. My best was probably a 5x2K session I did last Tuesday where I came through the miles in 4:59, 4:53, 4:56, 4:49, 4:46. However, I have started to develop a little bit of plantar fasciitis. I had this once before, and I ended up developing a heel spur. So, I learned a lot of different things to do to help alleviate the pain.

Since I started working at The Texas Running Company, I would say that about 1 in 3 people who come in are suffering from this painful inflammation of the arch. Here is what I recommend:
1. Stretch--the inflammation of the arch is often times a result of tightness in the calf. Make sure you stretch your calf before and after working out. I simply use the curb in front of my house to get a good calf stretch, but if you want a good product that helps you get a deep calf stretch check out the Step Stretch.
2. Use a tennis ball or golf ball and roll it under your bare foot to massage the tendon. A frozen water bottle also works well. I like to keep a golf ball at my computer--this helps remind me to massage the arch throughout the day. If you want something that may give you a little bit deeper of a massage, try Trigger Point massage balls and rollers or Foot Rubz.
3. Before getting out of bed in the morning, use a towel to stretch your arch and calf. Place the middle portion of a rolled up towel on the ball of your foot and pull your foot back to you. Most people have the most arch/heel pain in the morning as they take their first few steps. There is a reason for that--At night your foot relaxes and so does the arch. Throughout the day your arch is usually flexed, because you are using the tendon for walking, standing, running, etc. Another option is The Strassburg Sock (this keeps your arch flexed/stretched throughout the night to help alleviate those painful morning steps).
4. A final option would be orthotics. Two good options for runners that provide great arch support are Superfeet and Powerstep. However, if you are like me, you don't like adding anything to your shoe--I prefer my shoes light and flexible.

Take care of your feet, because happy feet mean happy running!!

Compression Socks

Since I started working part time at the Texas Running Company, I have learned a lot about several running-related products that I would have never tried before. One such product is CEP compression socks. With some pretty bold claims (5% improvement in marathon performance), I decided to give the socks a try. I was able to use my employee discount, which was nice since the socks come with a pretty steep price tag ($60 per pair of socks). For the most part, I have only used the socks for recovery (wearing them for 2-3 hours post workout), but today I tried them during my workout. Other than the fact that my legs were super hot (it IS August in Austin), I will have to say that I am impressed. I'm not sure they will improve my times significantly, but they definitely make my legs feel better. It's almost as if I can feel the blood circulating through my legs. They have also helped alleviate a lot of calf soreness when I wear them post-run.

To try them out, click the CEP link above or come visit me at The Texas Running Company (Austin Gateway location).

World Record in the Gulf of Mexico

Steph and I left Galveston Thursday afternoon on a Carnival cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. While on board, I thought it would be fun to whip out the Garmin and see how it would measure my run. (The cruise ship had a track on the top deck that was probably about 1/8 mile around.) I posted the map and stats below. The funniest thing to me was that it recorded my mile pace to be about 2:45 per mile. That's a world record for the mile. When I finished the 45 minute run, the Garmin showed me to have run almost 17 miles. So, you might ask why it was off by so much? Well, from what I understand the Garmin does not constantly track you while running. Instead it does so intermittantly. So, each time it picked me back up, not only was I farther down the track but I was also farther along with the speed of the boat as well. See the map below (Zoom out to get a better picture of the Gulf!!

Heat

Well, I have decided that my radiator just doesn't work well in the hot summer temps. Althought summer 2010 has been relatively mild in Austin compared to last summer, I have really struggled in the heat these last few weeks. I think it can mostly be attributed to the fact that this is the first summer I have really put in some intensity training. Typically, I will just use the summer to build up some good volume; rarely have I ever done any major summer races or workouts. Yet, here I am sandwiched between my disappointing Grandma's Marathon in June and the Spirit of Columbus Half Marathon in August trying to pound out some steady state runs and hill sessions. It seems as though my legs really crash about 5 miles in to a steady state or tempo run and at about 15 miles in a long run. It's a weird feeling--my legs just get rubbery and I feel as though I don't have a lot of energy. I don't think I am overtrained, and I am definitely going easy enough on my recovery runs. I think it just has to have something to do with the heat. Some people just don't handle hot training conditions as well as others.

With all that said, I am trying some new things out in my running. 1.) I am going watchless for a few days. Even though my last post included a pretty detailed workout tracked by my FR Garmin 405 and I like having that feedback, I am going to the opposite end of the spectrum. It is kind of nice not knowing how far or fast I am running, and I think it helps me listen to my body. Instead of constantly looking at how far in to a run I am or how fast I am running, I have just been running until my legs are tired and then I stop. 2.) Electrolyte tablets. . . . I try to drink lots of water (especially in the summer), but with as much as I sweat in the summer time I think it helps to take in some additional electrolytes. I like this product to help me stay properly hydrated. 3.) Stretching and strength. . . . . since it is difficult to put in the big miles in the summer, I have been adding some light stretching and strength exercises to fill out my training regimen. I also like to use a foam roller to help keep my Hamstrings and IT bands loose.

Garmin

I am finally experimenting with my Garmin a little bit. I have had it for about 7-8 months now, but I have never actually played with it much. Through the Garmin Connect page, I can track all my workouts (maps, elevation, heart rate, pace, etc.) and post them on my blog. I think that is really cool. I did this route this afternoon--it is probably the most common route that I do in my neighborhood. It was pretty hot outside, and I started at 4:30 p.m but it was a really good run.

In my mind, I am a Kenyan

In college, I had a huge Nike poster of Kenyan runners. In the foreground of the poster was a quote that read, "In my mind, I am a Kenyan". The Kenyans are the standard in distance running--they have been for several years now. Recently I began reading a book about Kenyan distance running called "More Fire: How to Run the Kenyan Way" by Toby Tanser. The book is a really good read with lots of insight into how Kenyans train as well as a great history of the rise of Kenyan distance running. Tanser also comments on the debate as to why Kenyans are so much better, so much more dominant than any other nation in the world at this sport. I am about a quarter of the way through the book, but already I am curious to learn more about "the Kenyan Way".

I came across a video about a group of Kenyans that train in New Mexico called AmeriKenya. I have actually raced some of these guys, most recently at the 2009 White Rock Marathon in Dallas. The video is phenomenal. One of the things that impressed me most was how these Kenyans were so in tune with their bodies--they know how to listen to their bodies. When they are supposed to run easy, they run very easy. When it is time to go fast, they run very fast. If they are feeling beat up, they rest AND if they feel good they run fast. This is such a simple philosophy, and one that very few American distance runners adhere to. The other thing that really impressed me was the confidence and positive nature of these athletes. Each one of them really believes they can be the very best. They are not easily discouraged, and they are always optimistic about their abilities.

You can watch the video here.