FIRST Training Plan & Compression Tights: Yea or Nae?

Thank you everyone for all your great advice and recommendations about the marathon training plan. I've looked everything over and I've decided that I'm going to try out the FIRST (Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) Marathon Training plan. This plan includes three key runs per week: one speed, one tempo, and one long. While training for the marathon I will still be in full-swing of my triathlon training and at this point I don't want to sacrifice my bike/swim workouts for more running. I also want to be very careful not to injure myself and I think that if I increase my running from 3 days a week to 5-6 that I am more likely to get hurt and/or burn out.

Runner's World did a great feature article on the FIRST program and it was what really convinced me that this was the plan for me. This is the plan that I will be following starting next week:

As for the run/walk debate, I think that I am going to continue with mostly running but I will also force myself to walk when needed and not beat myself up about it. Also, as the long runs get longer I will probably start using the walking break. But, when I do walk I am going to try to start a walk/run ratio from the beginning of that run instead of having to just walk/run at the end. I'll certainly keep you posted on how this goes :)

On another note, I've decided I would like to reward myself for officially committing to a marathon with a pair of compression tights. Compression seems to be all the rage in the tri community. I've read a few articles about it and the science and personal opinons are mixed. The claim is that compression gear can be used to aid in recovery by reducing delayed onset muscle soreness, increasing blood flow, etc. It seems to be a personal preference as to whether or not they actually help each individual. Steve in a Speedo already wrote a great article for the Examiner about compression science if you are intersested in learning more.

So my question for all of you: Have you tried compression tights/sleeves/etc? Do you beleive there were benefits? Finally, can you recommend any good brands for compression tights?

Product Review: POM Wonderful 100% Pure Pomegranate Juice

Awhile back I was contacted by a representative from POM Wonderful to see if I would be interested in trying their juice, POM Wonderful 100% Pure Pomegranate Juice. I jumped at the offer to try something new and a few weeks later I had a box of POM Wonderful juice in my fridge.

I have heard about the great benefits of pomegranates but they are difficult to eat and I really never buy them. Have you ever tried to eat a fresh pomegranate? Your hands and clothes will turn purple, guaranteed.

According to the website, all POM juices:

• contain no added sugars, preservatives or colors
• are a good source of potassium
• are gluten-free
• are flash pasteurized to retain both flavor and nutrients
• are certified kosher

POM has also posted research on their website that POM Wonderful Juice has high levels of antioxidants and help fight free radicals (which cause cancer).

POM also has a recovery product, POMx Antioxidant Recovery. POM claims that the POMx Antioxidant Recovery:

• Speeds muscle recovery – POM reduced post-exercise strength loss by more than 30% compared to a placebo
• Reduces muscle soreness – POM reduced post-exercise soreness by 28% compared to a placebo.

Overall I really enjoyed the flavor of the 100% pomegranate juice. It reminded me of cranberry juice because it was more tart than sweet like apple or orange juice. I also found it very satisfying and was content with an 8 oz bottle. There are many recipes and recommendations for ways to use pomegranate juice, however I just drank mine. I think it would have been good in a smoothie too...

The only down side for me was the caloric content. A 8oz bottle of POM Wonderful 100% Pure Pomegranate Juice has 160 calories. It is common for fruit juice to be higher in calories which is why I usually stick with whole, fresh fruit instead of juices. They tend to be lower in calories and more filling. However, given that pomegranates are so difficult to eat (and therefor I never do) I think incorporating a little POM Wonderful into my life is worth it!

Marathon Training: A Run/Walk Strategy?

I've been researching training plans for my first marathon. It seems as though there are as many marathon training plans as there are people running marathons. Everyone does it differently. Some plans have a long run as much as 25 miles others peak on long runs at 18. Plans are available for running 3, 4, 5 or 6 days a week. Some include speed work and others include only short runs in the week.

I've read a lot about plans that include a run/walk strategy which includes a ratio of running to walking such as run 4 minutes, walk 30 seconds or run 9 minutes, walk 1 minute, etc. Many of the beginner marathon plans include this type of training.

Jeff Galloway may be the biggest proponent of the run/walk strategy. Jeff cites many reasons to employ a run/walk strategy and claims that long time marathoners have managed to set PR's once they incorporated run/walking.

I personally know that a run/walker can be faster then just a runner. At the MA State Triathlon there was a girl in front of me who would walk long intervals and then every time I would get close she would run for awhile and then walk again. Even though I was never more then 300 yards behind her I never managed to catch her and she beat me across the line.

I have considered this as a method for my training, however I feel like a failure when I walk. I think it would be okay if I had to walk a little in my first marathon, but I don't really want to train to walk. Does that make sense? On the other hand when I think about running 20 miles straight my legs start shake.

For my long run pace (about 10 min/miles) Jeff recommends a 3 minute run to 1 min walk ratio. In regards to the walking pace:

When you walk fast for a minute, most runners will lose about 15 seconds over running at their regular pace. But if you walk slowly, you'll have lost only about 20 seconds.

Once we find the ideal ratio for a given distance, walk breaks allow us to feel strong to the end and recover fast, while bestowing the same stamina and conditioning we would have received if we had run continuously.  

A 3:1 ratio seems very high to me and I don't think I would be comfortable walking that frequently. The Philadelphia Marathon has aid stations every 2-3 miles and I expect to take advantage of most of the aid stations, so perhaps I can use a strategy in my long runs to walk for 1-2 minutes every 3 miles or something like that? To stimulate walking through aid stations on race day.

How do you train for long distances? Have you tried a walk/run strategy?

Marathon Time! Philadelphia 2010

or... Oh Sh*t.

I just registered for my first marathon. Philadelphia Marathon, November 21, 2010.

Race Report: Massachusetts State Triathlon 2010

The Massachusetts State Triathlon can be summed up as an important learning experience. As I eluded to earlier in the week, it was not my best race. The week before the race had been filled with the drama from Sam's bike crash and the mood in our house was less than stellar.

We stayed the night before at the designated race hotel, Courtyard Marriott in Fitchburg, MA. I must say this may have been the most comfortable bed I've found in a long, long time. It was just so fluffy and comforting. When the alarm went off at 5:30 I did not want to get out of bed. But, the race was calling so we got up and quickly dressed and hit the road. 

I was surprised at how warm it was outside even at 6am. I probably should not have been considering the forecast was expected to be near 90 degrees. A lot different then the torrential down pour last year (2009 race report)!

When we arrived at the race site I realized the real reason people get to races early - parking! The main lot was full but we were able to park on a side road and it was just a 10 minute walk to the race site. I quickly checked in and set-up in transition. Since Sam was not racing he couldn't come into transition with me so he just wondered around for awhile while I got ready. 

I waited in line for the bathrooms (forever!) and lathered up with sunscreen. Then it was time to head down to the water for  quick warm up swim. The water temp was a balmy 80 degrees so no wetsuits were allowed. I have never done a swim in tri gear without a wetsuit so I wanted to make sure my top felt okay while swimming. I got in a quick warm up and was happy to report the top and shorts felt just fine without the wetsuit.

Dick and Rick Hoyt were participating in this race and it was really amazing to watch them get set up for the swim. Dick races with his son Rick who has cerebral palsy and cannot walk or speak. They have competed in countless endurance events including Ironman, the Boston Marathon and biking/running across the US in 1992. In a triathlon, Dick pulls Rick in a boat that is attached to his waist with a bungee cord, on the bike Rick sits in a chair attached to the front of the bike, and in the run he pushes Rick in a custom running chair. It is truly and inspirational story and I was honored to have the opportunity to watch them start their race that day. 

Rick & Dick Hoyt Starting the Swim

The sprint waves went off first and then the olympic groups started. I was in the second wave of the Olympic group. This is me heading down to the water.

Swim - 1500 Meters (no wetsuit)

27:03 (25:34 in 2009)

2 of 12 Age Group (F25-29) / 38 of 315 Overall

The swim was pretty uneventful. I seeded myself near the start of the pack and was able to get into a good rhythm quickly. After a few minutes I found myself swimming side by side with another girl in my wave. We stayed with each other for most of the swim but separated with about 300 meters to go. I think she came out of the water right before me. About half way through the swim I started thinking about the race last year and then I had a little panic that I had grabbed the wrong cycling shoes from the car and was going to have to wear Sam's. 

Even though my swim was slower than last year by about 1:30 I ranked higher in both the overall and the age group rankings. 

Transition 1

1:48 (2:56 in 2009)

7 of 12 Age Group

As I ran into transition their were volunteers handing out water. That was awesome and much appreciated with the heat of the day. I recognized the girl I had been swimming with across the rack from me and congratulated her on a great swim. I checked to make sure I had the right shoes and headed out on my bike. 

Bike  - 24 Miles

Garmin Data: 24.33 miles, 1:31:05, 16.0 mph average (16.0 mph average 2009)

Race Data: 24 miles, 1:32:28   

9 of 12 Age Group / 266 of 319 Overall

Starting the bike

I was happy with my swim time and headed out onto the bike. Within the first 3 miles I saw a few people from the sprint group walking their bikes up the first hill. I felt bad for them and was thankful that I was riding and not walking. There is one "big" hill in this race at mile 5. It is about a mile long gradual incline. Last year it was a big deal, this year it seemed like nothing compared to the North Country Triathlon hills in June. At the bottom of the hill I tried to shift into the small ring and I dropped my chain. F*ck. I got off my bike and fiddled with my bike to try to get the chain back on. I got it back on but then realized that I was not going to be able to get back on my bike at the steepest part of the hill. So, I had to walk my bike back a about 30 yards to a small side road so I could get on my bike there and then get back on the course. It felt like 50 people passed me during this time. It was really frustrating to watch everyone go by me. I estimated that it took me about 3 minutes, however I paused my Garmin for most of this and compared it to my official time and it was only about 2 minutes. It felt like forever. 

The rest of the bike went smoothly. I got passed by a lot of people (like usually) and I was feeling discouraged and my attitude was deteriorating. There is a portion of the road that is in really bad shape and it was making me angry too. I knew I was being irrational but I couldn't snap myself out of it. 

The course was about 4 miles longer than last year so I can't compare times but my average was exactly the same - 16.0 mph.

End of the Bike

Transition 2

1:21 (1:51 in 2009)

8 of 12 Age Group

Switched out my shoes, grabbed my hat, jelly beans and shot blocks. 

The Run - 6.2 miles

1:04:11, 10:10/mile average

11 of 12 Age Group / 251 of 314 Overall

Run Splits: 9:25 / 10:08 / 10:02 / 10:53 / 10:12 / 10:19 / 3:11 (last .35)

The run just plain sucked. It was hot, I was tired and I just wanted the race to be over with. I tried to focus on just one mile at a time and not think about the whole distance. Everything was making me angry: not enough aid stations, no porta-potties, mile markers were wrong.... Nothing could make me happy out there and I knew that I was being ridiculous but I just could not snap myself out of it. I finally hit the the turn around point and I was glad to know that I was on my way back to the finish. With the number of people passing me I was almost certain that I was in last place (in my deranged mind) so I was relieved to see that there were still people behind me... 

What was very interesting was that I finished the run in the exact same time (to the second) as last year: 1:04:11. My Garmin recorded the run course as 6.35 (instead of 6.2). I didn't have the Garmin last year so I don't know if the course was a bit long last year too.

Final

3:06:50

10 of 12 Age Group / 228 of 314 Overall 

When I crossed the line a volunteer greeted me with a reusable water bottle filled with cold water. It was GREAT. They also had fruit and snacks set up at the line. I ate a few slices of watermelon and then I went to find Sam. He had been sitting around for the last 4 hours so I quickly packed my things so we could hit the road.

As I said before, you win some and you lose some. This race showed me how important mental preparation is for a race. My mind and my heart were not there and it showed with my poor performance. Not every race is going to be your best and you can't PR every time. I would like to think that I still learned a lot during the race and I hope I can put it to good use in the future. 

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Sunday was the Massachusetts State Triathlon. Sam and I had both registered months ago for the Olympic distance, but because of Sam's crash he was unable to race. We decided to go anyways so that I could race, but my heart and body just wasn't in it. My times corresponded with my mood and it was a disappointing day overall.

I'll fill you in on all the details with an official report soon. It was one of those runs that makes you wonder why you pay good money to subject yourself to such punishment.

My training as of late has been less than stellar. My energy and time have been focused on other things. Things important for my 5-10-20 year plan, but not very rewarding in the short term. I hope know that it will all pay off in the future, but it's hard right now.

On Sunday I was left feeling depressed and discouraged but no sooner than my race numbers had washed off and I was starting to feel optimistic again. It will all work out. No rain, no rainbows.

{Photo Credit}

Race Report: Steelman 3 Mile Open Water Swim 2010

The Steelman Open Water Swim was my first swim-only event. Since swimming is my strong suit I was excited for this challenge. We drove down to the event on Saturday so we could meet fellow blogger, Leah (Because I Tri), for a long ride. You might recall we spent the afternoon in urgent care instead.

I checked out the water while we waited to meet Leah. It was very warm!

After Sam was cleared of any major injuries we found a hotel and then a place to eat. Based on the recommendation from the hotel staff we landed at the Braveheart Highland Pub. I had a Vegetarian Shepard's Pie and it was excellent! If you live in the area I highly recommend it.

The race start was not until 9am on Sunday morning so I set my alarm for 6:30. I woke up at 6:15 and sat straight up in bed. It was already light out and I thought I had overslept. This might be the only race that has started late enough that I was up after the sunrise. As you can imagine Sam was not feeling too good so we arranged a late check out and he went back to bed while I went to the race solo.

I arrived at about 7:30 and found that Leah was already there. A bunch of her teammates from Endurance Sports were racing too. They had an athletes tent set up and let me hang out with them all morning.

This weekend is the Massachusetts State Triathlon. Good luck to everyone else who is racing this weekend. I know a ton of people are doing the NYC Tri. It is going to be hot so stay hydrated and wear sunscreen!!

After I arrived they announced that the water temperature was 78.5 which meant that it was not legal for wetsuits. I was a bit worried about this since not only is this the longest open water swim I have done but now it was also going to be my first swim without a wetsuit (unless you count the disgusting trip down the Hudson River last year).

The course was a 3/4 mile triangle which you would need to complete 4 times for the 3 mile distance and twice for the 1.5 mile distance. The athlete packet and course description on the website were different (they showed an out and back course) so I was a bit perplexed about that.


The 3 mile race started first. There were about 100 people doing that distance and we all started at the same time. I positioned myself in the middle and that seemed to work well. In tri starts I have learned to be up in the front but since this race is swimmers only I knew there were going to be a lot of better swimmers than myself.  

My goal was to finish under 1:30 which would be 30 minute miles. I calculated my pace while swimming the first loop and determined that each triangle would need to be 22:30 or less to meet my goal.

Lap #1 - 22:30
There was some contact at the start but nothing serious. I settled into a rhythm and passed a few people so I felt good about that. The water felt very warm and I was glad I was not wearing a wetsuit. I had a bit of hard time sighting on the first loop since I didn't quite know what to expect and I didn't know how many buoys were in each leg of the triangle. I checked my watch at the start of lap 2 and saw 22:30 exactly.


Lap #2 - 23ish
I felt like I was swimming a bit wide around the buoys so I tried to tighten it up on the second loop. The sun had come out from behind the clouds and it made it difficult to sight on the 2nd leg of the triangle. I felt smooth and strong on this lap. I checked my time at the end of lap 2 and saw it was 45:XX. I was still pretty much on track for my goal and I remember being surprised that I had already been swimming for 45 minutes.

Lap #3 - 25ish

At this point things started to go down hill a bit. Physically I was not very tired, however I was starting to feel a bit queasy from all the non-stop swimming. Also, my neck was getting tired and sore from breathing and sighting so much. At this point I remember thinking that 3 miles is a very long way to swim... At the end of lap 3 my watch said 1:09:XX. After that lap I wasn't so much concerned with my goal time anymore.

Lap #4 - 25ish

One lap to go. I can do this. I was all over the place on this lap. I was feeling disoriented and a bit dizzy. The sun was out in full force and it was making it even more difficult for me to sight. The middle leg of the triangle was directly into the sun. At each buoy I need to breast stroke until I could see the next buoy, swim a little, breast stroke and sight again. I was also having trouble swimming in a straight line. On the last 1/4 mile leg there was another girl swimming along side me. I felt like she was probably in my age group and I really didn't want to let her get ahead of me. But, I felt like the harder I swam the more disoriented I was. It was the strangest feeling. I think I was swimming faster but she was swimming straighter...

Final Time (unofficial): 1:33:20

Average Pace: 1:55/100 meters

When I got out of the water I was feeling very queasy. I immediately went to the aid station for water and Gatorade. I also grabbed a granola bar from my bag and I was feeling much better. I chatted with Leah for a bit - she had been nervous before the race but she had a great a swim!

There was an array of post race food including pizza, fruit and cookies. The race organizers waited until the last swimmer was out of the water before they did the race results. They had a lot of great giveaways but you had to do some whacky stuff to win. There were hula hoop contests, YMCA dances and push up contests.

The contests were entertaining but it was HOT and there was very little shade. The race was not electronically chip timed so it took quite awhile before they were ready to do awards. I think they finally the awards around noon. There were six other people in my age group that were reregistered for the 3 mile swim. To be honest I was really hoping that I would place in my age group which is why I waited around for the awards. First they did the 1.5 mile awards and then the 3 mile awards but they started with the oldest and worked down the age groups. So, I was almost the last group to be called and I didn't place.



Too be honest I was a bit disappointed, but I got over it quickly. The 3 mile distance was much harder than I anticipated. My swim fitness was okay, I was not physically tired and hardly sore the next day, but my mental stamina for swimming that long in open water was not up to par. Which is to be expected since I had never done this before (duh!). The official results are not up yet so I'm not sure how I did in my group.


After the awards ceremony I gather my stuff and found Leah to say my goodbyes. I really hope we can get together for another less-eventful ride soon!

This weekend is the Massachusetts State Triathlon. Good luck to everyone else who is racing this weekend. I know a ton of people are doing the NYC Tri. It is going to be hot so stay hydrated and wear sunscreen!!

CA 2010: Impromptu 5K, a Long Run, Baseball

After a day in Napa and our visit to the Golden Gate Bridge, we decided to sign up for an impromptu 5K on Sunday, the 4th of July. After a bit of searching we found the Inaugural Stars & Stripes 5K Run/Walk, presented by the Concord Police Association, in Concord, CA.

Concord, CA for is on the other side of the SF bay hills which meant it was much hotter. There was a 20 degree difference from one side of the hills to the other (think 60 vs. 80 degrees).

The only other 5K race I have done was a fundraiser for Susan G. Komen in 2006 and was my first road race ever. I think I finished in about 34 minutes and I was so proud of myself for not walking. I remember feeling so accomplished!

When we were waiting for the race to start I noticed a young girl warming up with her dad and older brother. I guessed she was about 9 years old. You could tell she a natural athlete. To be honest, I was a little afraid she might beat me...

This is not an official race report, but I will give you the nitty gritty. The runners and walkers were mixed in at the start so I positioned myself pretty close to the line. I didn't want to have to deal with walkers and strollers.

Mile 1 - 8:03I took off strong and felt pretty good. I passed little-runner-girl at .3 miles. Phew. At one point I looked at my Garmin and my pace was around 7:55. Way too fast for me. I tried to slow it down a little but was having a hard time. My Garmin beeped for mile 1 at 8:03. That is most certainly the fastest mile I have ever run in my entire life.

Mile 2 - 8:48

After my record breaking first mile I tried to slow down my pace a bit. No way I could hold that for 2 more miles. There was an aid station at the 1.6 mile marker and I grabbed a sip of water there and splashed it on my face. It was getting hot and there was not a lot of shade on the course.

Mile 3 - 9:12

At the start of mile 3 my stomach was starting to hurt a bit. The apple I ate pre-race was not agreeing with me. Usually I don't have problems if I eat more than an hour before, however I usually don't run this fast either... I caught the smell of greasy food and almost lost it. After the turn around I saw the culprit - McDonald's. I passed it again tried not to breath through my nose.

Overall Time: 26:42
Avg. Pace: 8:37/mile
Age Group (F20-29): 9/33

After I finished I really thought I was going to vomit, however I managed to keep it all down. Clearly I went out too fast as my pace slowed down considerably, however I was still quite happy with my overall time.

By the way, little-runner-girl, it turns out she was 8 years old. And she finished in 32:09. Quite impressive indeed. I found a picture of her on the race website (#77). Isn't she adorable!?!

We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the pool with family. The most swimming of my trip involved a bikini and pool float. It was lovely.

Monday morning was a bit dreary but a perfect day for a long run. Usually we just run in my in-law's neighborhood but I wanted to mix it up a bit. A little research and I discovered that Tilden Regional Park was just a short drive away.

The Nimitz Way trail is a 4 mile paved trailed in the park.

When we arrived at the park we found that it was actually very foggy, windy and cold. I imagine the temps were in the low 50's. Brr! From the parking lot you saw lots of clouds and fog to the left and blue skies to the right.


Looking Left

Looking Right

The trail was to the (cold, windy, foggy) left. As expected I warmed up pretty quickly and the cold and wind did not bother me at all. It actually felt quite nice. There were some other people on the trial for the first 2 miles but the second 2 miles were pretty empty.

Most of the trail went through open fields, however there was a nice section that was protected through trees. It was really peaceful and quiet.

I finished the 8 miles in 1:23:28 with a 10:25/mile pace. This was one of the best runs in a long time. It was slow, steady and peaceful. The kind of run that is good for your soul. I think that if we lived in a better area that I would really enjoy trail running.

On Monday night we headed out to the Oakland Coliseum to watch the Yankees play the Oakland A's. It was a chilly but beautiful evening. We enjoyed the game in good seats with cheap beer (at least compared to Yankees Stadium!)

Before we knew it our trip was over and we were headed back East.

Good bye San Francisco. Until we meet again...

CA 2010: Biking in Napa and the Golden Gate Bridge

We had a wonderful trip to California. We crammed a lot into five days so I'm splitting it into 2 posts. Beware - this is a picture heavy :)

We arrived late on Thursday night (midnight West coast time) and we were easily talked into an upgrade by the rental car agent. On Friday morning we forced ourselves up at 7am and headed up to Napa for a day of biking in the sun.

We used Napa Valley Bike Tours again and had a wonderful experience. We rented road bikes (about $55 each for the day) and it was a wonderful way to see the valley.

We biked for about 20 miles and decided we were thirsty so we stopped for our first wine tasting. After all, it was already 11:30am. Our first stop was August Briggs in Calistoga. We lucked out because this happens to be one of the only places left in the valley that still does free tastings!

After our first round of tasting we were back on the road and headed South towards Rutherford. We stopped in at a local favorite, Rutherford Hills Winery, for another tasting before lunch. They had a Zinfandel Port which they paired with chocolate covered blueberries. It was excellent!

After Rutherford Hills we stopped in next door for our favorite place in Napa, Auberge du Soleil. We have been here every year since we first started visiting in 2006. It also happens to be where we got hitched in 2008.

Sam blends right in with his neon bike jersey... Right?

My favorite view.

The food is really spectacular here. I started with Poached Hopper Shrimp, Butter Lettuce, Avocado, Naval Orange"

Followed by the Potato Gnocchi, Wild Mushrooms, Pea Tendrils, Parmesan Nage.

Sam had the Lobster Salad, Artichokes, Hearts of Palm, Almonds, Avocado, Moroccan Vinaigrette.

Of course we couldn't pass up desert. Sam had the

Crisp Filo Wrapped Chocolate Dumplings, Tarragon Ice Cream, Arbequina Olive Oil.

And I had the Trio of Seasonal Fruit Sorbets.

After we stuffed ourselves silly at lunch we were back on the bikes. After riding for another 10 miles or so we decided to stop at just one more winery, Clos Du Val.

We had to have the bikes back by 5pm so we picked up the pace to make sure we made it in time. Our total distance for the day was just over 55 miles. This is the longest ride I've ever had :) I wish all my long rides could be include wine tastings and five star lunches.

Saturday was another beautiful day. Since we had been talked into the convertible we decided to just go for a drive. We drove around the bay area and ended up at the Golden Gate Bridge.

The next to pictures are a little "before and after" shoot. The first was taken the year and the second was taken 4 years ago at almost the exact same spot.

2010

2006

Can you believe the difference? Neither can I.

Up next, an impromptu 5K, a long run and baseball.