Skinny Jeans are Actually Functional!

I don't have classes on Thursdays or Fridays this quarter, so because of that, Friday no longer feels the same. But regardless, I'll keep this up (because "Thursday Five" just doesn't have a nice ring to it).

Things I Realized on My Runs This Week


1. Skinny jeans actually have a purpose!

When you bike, you risk getting your pant leg caught in the gears. To avoid this, you could roll up your pant leg, buy fancy and inexpensive reflective Velcro straps (which wrap around the bottom of your pant leg), or wear biking/running tights. Or option #4: wear skinny jeans. We all know that they cling to your legs (they, like tights, contain spandex), so there's little (if any) excess fabric to get caught. So why not use this to your advantage? (Though please don't use your mode of transportation as an excuse to wear these all of the time.)

2. Despite any flavor labeling, Honey Stinger Energy Gel tastes like honey.


I normally use the Clif Shot Gel on my long runs. I have no problem with the taste, they're easy to open (even in the cold -- just use your teeth), and can be consumed while running. Whole Foods seems to be the only store around here that stocks them, so you can imagine my disappointment when I went there and saw that they were out of stock. However, they happened to have Honey Stinger on sale, and after looking at the ingredient list, I decided to give it a try (they're all natural ingredients). I figured that since I like bananas, the banana flavor would be a good one to try. After trying it, I thought that there was too much honey flavor and not enough banana flavor. Don't get me wrong, I love honey. But that much honey is too sweet for my liking.

(Note: I recently found the Clif Gels at Fred Meyer. Back in business!)

3. The hardest step is the one out the front door.


Yesterday, I was lacking motivation to do my training run. I just wasn't feeling it. Not to mention that I just want this marathon to be a distant memory (between the IT Band, piriformis, and Achilles tendonitis). Once I got moving, it was better (well, after I warmed up), but getting myself outside was tough (even though the weather was fine).

4. Perhaps training in tights and extra layers helps one race faster.


Extra layers means extra weight. And extra weight has been shown to make runners slower. By my logic, extra layers would cause one to run slower. But correct me if I'm wrong.

5. If I run the first loop counterclockwise and run the second loop clockwise, it'll all balance out.


I finished a loop around the waterfront and thought to myself, "Why don't I switch it up and run the second loop in the opposite direction? That way, each leg will have some time being on the outside, and that'll prevent the muscles in one leg for being stretched/extended more than the other one." While I'm not sure if that actually helped (in terms of muscle extension), it helped to add some variety to the run.

Here's a bonus one (that didn't make the cut for the Friday Five because I didn't realize it while running). I think that because of the magnitude, Chicago is overshadowing Eugene, which is helping make me feel more blasé about Eugene. But it's only 16 days away! Gah! So close!

It's Baaaaack!

For the next couple of days, I'm playing host to Alanna (my friend from high school) and Josh (her boyfriend). We were in the car, and Josh asked me if I run with water on my long runs, and before I could answer, Alanna chimed in with, "He does now! He talked about it on the blog." (I'm so touched to have readers who remember these details.) And this reminded me that I've been slacking on this. With that being said, I'm bringing back the Friday Five. In honor of them, the week's topic...

Five Questions that Josh Had about Running (and the bibs)

As I may have mentioned before, I save the bibs from all of the races that I've run, and then hang them on my wall. (But in case I didn't, here's a picture of the wall.) It makes for a great conversation topic among visitors, and Alanna and Josh were no exception.

1. Why are some of those bibs missing tabs?

Some bibs have tabs printed on the bottom, which serve purposes like baggage identification (so that when you check a bag, you pin the tab to the bag, and they can match your bib number with the number that's printed on the tab) and t-shirt distribution (so that when you receive the free t-shirt that we all love getting, the officials have a way of recording that you already got one). For some races, I didn't use bag check, so I still have the baggage tab.

2. Which bib is your favorite?

If I had to choose, I'd say the NYC Marathon bib. I love orange, and the orange on white just looks great. Plus, I currently don't have any bibs with orange (though I do have quite a few with red).

3. What was your best race overall?

I needed clarification on this one, because you can't compare a 5K result to a marathon result. The pace is going to be different. But Josh wanted to know about best race in terms of place finished. (Though now that I think about it, this isn't a fair comparison either because some races are larger than others. I could look at them as proportions by dividing my place by the total number of finishers. But let's face it, that's too much quick math work.)

This one time, my cousin convinced me to run a 5K race in CT with her. It was small enough so that they didn't use chips. But anyway, I finished in the top 25, placed 3rd in my age group, and got a trophy for placing that well.

4. How do they assign the bib numbers?

This one depends on the race. Sometimes, it's as simple as when you signed up (i.e., the first person who registers gets 1, the second person gets 2, and so on). Other times, they'll group you by projected finish time before assigning numbers. NYRR asks for your fastest per-mile pace from any race that's a 5K or longer, and then uses that to group runners into corrals. I don't know anyone within NYRR who can verify this, but the legend is that once they group you, they assign numbers by alphabetical order.

5. How come the Portland Marathon bibs are the only ones with your name printed on them?

Some races give you the option to personalize your bib, so that spectators can call out your name as you run past them. The Portland Marathon is the only one I've run that offered that. Philadelphia has started allowing runners to personalize their marathon bibs, but this started after I ran that one.

Hope everyone has a fun weekend!

Impromptu Day Off

Oh, hey there! Yes, I've been AWOL for the last week. No, I didn't go on any exciting vacations. But I did come back for another edition of "Friday Five."

In honor of my absence, this week's theme is "Anecdotes from My Training."

1. It's warming up here! This was the forecast when I left for my long run on Saturday:

What'd this mean? I was able to leave the hat at home. I still needed the gloves. But it was much more pleasant than the run in the snow!

2. I ran into some friends along the way. On Saturday, I started my long run by myself, but between miles 6 and 7 (6.25 to be exact), I ran into my friends Jeff and Steve, who were in the midst of their long run. So I ran with them after that. It was a great balance between running by myself to recharge and get me time, and running with others to be social.

I also ran into another friend on Wednesday morning, but that wasn't as exciting because he wasn't running.

3. I explored some new routes. Or rather, I explored one new route (Tryon Creek State Park), and some variations of routes that I've previously run. It's always enjoyable to switch things up!

4. For the first time in about 6 or 7 years (I'm not sure of how long specifically, but it's been a while), I tried swimming laps. I did about 3 laps, but because of the smell of chlorine and the chlorinated water splashing into my ears, I was over it after that. Not to mention that I was already drained beforehand. But I'm still humored by the fact that I can survive running for 3+ hours on land, but can't seem to survive swimming 3+ laps in water. Goal for next time: 4 laps!

5. On Tuesday evening, I developed this craving for pancakes, and decided that they'd be a good breakfast for after my 9M run on Wednesday. Plus, it always helps to have delicious food to look forward to while running. To make my life easier on Wednesday, I made the batter Tuesday night and stuck it in the fridge. It seriously hit the spot! Plus, I had some batter leftover, so I was able to have pancakes again on Thursday!

Sweet and Savory
Left: Basic pancakes with a poached egg
Right: Chocolate chip pancakes with peanut butter

--

I ended up with a day off (kind of). My thesis meeting this week was switched from Friday to Thursday, and my other meeting I had scheduled got canceled. All I have scheduled is a 7M tempo run (which I should probably start on), and some homework. And the sun is shining!

Any big Friday/weekend plans?

March into Spring

It's Friday!

I'm switching up the list a bit. This week's theme: The First Five Races I Ran (and a brief story on each)

1. 2006 Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run (Now the Philadelphia Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon)

One of my friends had read about this race in "Runner's World," and decided to sign up for it. She also convinced her dad and a few mutual friends to sign up, and then said to me, "You'll be in Philly. You should run it." A half-marathon as my first road race? Clearly a great idea. It was a beautiful course, but running up West River Drive was so boring (nothing but trees, and not too much crowd support). But I finished in under 2 hours. And ended up running it again in 2007 (also before they sold out to ING and Competitor, Inc.).

*Note: I'm not counting that 2007 run as race #2 because it was the same race, just a different year.


2. 2007 Philadelphia Marathon

For whatever reason (I don't recall why), I was looking up fall marathons, and found the website for the Philadelphia Marathon. I noticed that the registration fee was scheduled to increase the next day, so I took that as a sign that I should sign up. What I remember from that race is a Gu pack exploding on my face because I opened it with my teeth (my fingers were frozen, so using my hands wasn't an option), being disappointed at mile 20 because I realized that I wasn't going to get any new/exciting scenery (the last half of the race is composed of a 12 mile out-and-back loop (6 miles out, 6 miles back), and the fine locals of Manayunk who were handing out beer at miles 18 and 22 (the benefits of an out-and-back: you can be at 2 different mile markers at the same time!).

Exhausted after having to wake up before the sun and run for over 3.5 hours

3. 2008 Grete's Great Gallop (half-marathon)

This was a last-minute registration, as well as my introduction to NYRR racing. This also marks the first time I ran in Central Park.

During the 2011 NYC Half Marathon

For those of you who don't know Central Park, one loop around the park is about 10K, so a half marathon is slightly more than two loops. This was great, because once I finished the first loop, I was able to tell myself that I was on the last loop. There were also bagels with lox and cream cheese at the end, which tasted delicious. I was disappointed that I missed my PR by less than a minute, but given that I hadn't intended on running a half, I wasn't fully prepared and should simply have been happy with finishing.

4. 2008 Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff (5M)

NYRR hosts this race the Sunday before the NYC Marathon to kick off Marathon Week. (Yes, NYC makes a whole week out of the Marathon.) Nothing else from this race really stands out, except that it was a sunny, October day.

5. 2008 Race to Deliver (4M)

This race benefits God's Love We Deliver, a NYC organization devoted to providing "nutritious, individually-tailored meals to people who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves" (as quoted from their website -- see hyperlink). At the time, Star Jones was one of their main spokespeople (she may still be), and she was present at the event. My per-mile split from this race was slower than my per-mile split from the Poland Spring run (by one second), which was annoying/disappointing.


About a month later, I was watching a special on running on the YES Network (to this date, I don't understand why a network devoted to Yankee baseball was airing something on running, aside from the fact that the show was focused on NY running, and the Yankees are in NY), and they showed footage from the Race to Deliver. I was thinking to myself, "Oh, that'd be really funny if I ended up on here!" Lo and behold, they showed my legs and part of the bright purple shirt I was wearing. 


Training
It's been a fairly bad week on the training front. I caught this head cold (sore throat, sinus issues), and so I ended up taking a few days off from training so I could rest up. But I had good runs on Wednesday and Thursday. I also realized that in February, I ran 112.92 miles. That's more than January, which as we're all aware, is a longer month! 


As much as I'd love to continue this post, I have to do my training run for today (4M). Have a great weekend, and happy running!

Friday Five, Part Deux!

This week has been so busy, I actually had no idea what day it was. I needed my computer calendar to confirm whether it was Monday or Tuesday. No joke. But now that Friday is here, I can give you another dose of Friday Five! This week's topic...

Favorite Things to Eat After a Run
(in no particular order)

1. Bananas!

Source

Who are we kidding? I love bananas at any time. During my sophomore year of college, my roommate equally loved bananas, and we became notorious for taking some from the dining hall after we finished eating. At one point, we had about 8 bananas sitting on our microwave (and a couple apples -- needed a colorful pile now!). But I digress.

Bananas are easy to open, easy to eat, and as long as they're not too ripe, you can throw them in your bag without worrying about them getting smashed. And as we know, they're full of potassium, which your muscles need after any workout.

2. Egg and cheese sandwich

Source

You have your protein and your carbohydrates in one sandwich. If you're like me, the last thing you want to do when you're starving after a run is complex cooking. But this is one of those things that will probably take you about 5 minutes to make. Or you can stop at your local bodega/corner store/whatever they call them in your neck of the woods and get one. But once you realize how easy it is to make, you may not want to ever buy the bodega version again.

3. Protein smoothie

(From my collection)

Essentially, you just throw fruit, liquid (and/or Greek yogurt), and protein powder into a blender and mix everything together. You can also add nuts or nut butter, spices, flaxseed, etc. They're so customizable that it's hard to get bored with them! You can prepare one ahead of time and leave it in the refrigerator until you're ready for it. Another great protein and carb (and healthy fats, if you choose to add nuts or flaxseed) combo.

4. Coffee

(From my collection)

This is on here for no other reason than that I love coffee (iced or hot; I don't discriminate). I will admit that this is probably one of the worst things to consume after a workout, because caffeine dehydrates you. So have some water/sports drink first. Now I need to concoct a good coffee protein smoothie.

5. Mimosas

Source

After a good run, reward yourself. Have a drink with your breakfast, brunch, or drunch (whatever you choose to call it). Yes, the orange juice has carbs, but I'm sure the benefits of those carbs are negated by the alcohol. Be careful -- one can easily lead to two, and before you know it, you've lost count of how many you've actually had. (Not that I speak from experience or anything. *coughbirthdaydrunchcough*) But consume in moderation, and you'll be fine. (Note: alcohol, like coffee, dehydrates, so make sure you have water/sports drink beforehand.)

The Training

It's been a good week for training. Ran Tues, Wed, and Thurs, and also did some core work yesterday. After hearing so much about the benefits of a dynamic warmup, I finally decided to put it to the test on Tuesday. And I felt so limber during my run! The best part is that I haven't had as much knee pain while running. 

Rest day today, followed by a long run tomorrow. Now off to enjoy my day of rest! (And by enjoy, I mean tackle my to-do list and gear up for tomorrow.)

Friday Five

Happy Friday, and welcome to the first ever Friday Five! The Friday Five is this: I take a topic (given the blog, the topic'll most likely be running-themed, though I welcome suggestions), and pick my five favorite things related to it. This week's topic is...

Running Routes!

5. The Riverwalk (San Antonio, TX)

From my collection

Yes, I know, it's one of the most touristy spots in San Antonio. But get out there before the shops and restaurants open, and you can easily get lost while checking out one of the city's most well-known spots. (Just ignore the green water. After all, you're going running, not swimming.) Plus, it'll spare you a ride on one of those tacky, guided boat tours.

4. Aliso Creek Trail (Orange County, CA)

Source

I'm sure when I mention Orange County, the first thought that pops into your head is either money, surfers, beaches, or if you're like me, mail-order county. (Let's face it, the entire county looks prepackaged.) Regardless, probably one of the last things that you think of is a trail along a creek that eventually leads to canyons. The trail itself extends from Laguna Niguel to Rancho Santa Margarita, and is over 12 miles long. I've only run about a quarter of it, but because I haven't run it much, it's still novel and exciting. But it reminds me of the Southwest -- short shrubbery, (fairly) dry creek beds, and (typically) warm. After all, it is Southern California. 

3. Hudson River Greenway (New York, NY)

Source

I bet you're wondering why I didn't choose Central Park, right? Don't get me wrong, Central Park is great, but I like running along the water. (After my tenure in NYC, I can probably come up with a separate Top 5 list of routes in NYC.) Running along the west side of Manhattan, the Greenway extends from Battery Park to Inwood (the northernmost neighborhood on the island). From end to end, this means over 10 miles of uninterrupted running! When I lived in NYC, I was fortunate enough to live close to the Greenway, so this was one of my go-to routes. Without the traffic and tourists, you can easily forget that you're in America's most populous city.

2. Wildwood Trail (Portland, OR)

Source

Even though it's one trail, I never seem to run the same route twice. Which is understandable, given that the trail is 30 miles from end to end. The portion that I flock to most is nestled in Washington Park (because this is the portion that's closest to my house), which is also home to the Rose Garden, the Japanese Gardens, and Hoyt Arboretum. Between the trees, creeks, and lack of traffic, this is the one spot I can truly lose myself while running. Of course, I still have to pay attention, because parts of the trail are very narrow, and if it rains, they can be muddy. Fantastic hills as well!

1. Kelly Drive (Philadelphia, PA)

Source

When I lived in Philly, this was my go-to route. As humored as I was by the locals yelling things like, "Don't stumble, 'cause it's a looooong way down!", I prefer to not be distracted. This 8.4 mile loop along the Schuylkill River takes you by such fine attractions as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boathouse Row, and the Canoe Club (which has seen better days, but I'm still partial to it because my college used it as its boathouse). Not to mention that the bridges spanning the river are incredible. You can also catch stunning glimpses of the Philadelphia skyline! A secluded, riverfront run with beautiful architecture and (possibly) seeing crew teams hard at work are my reasons for naming this my favorite running route.