Harder/Better/Faster/Stronger

I pushed myself a little harder today and shaved 20 seconds from my last run. I started off at a faster pace (5′05″/km) than normal, feeling pretty strong but after my second lap around the park I knew I couldn’t sustain the pace so I slowed down to around (6′40″/km). The last .50km was pretty rough since I was starting to get a slight side stitch and I had to really push myself to finish. I still think my form is pretty bad. It’s worse when I start to get tired. I can feel my shoulders hunching forward and I have to force myself to keep my head up and back straight. I’m also running the first 2km entirely on my forefoot trying to adjust to the Pose-style of running but I’m not able to sustain the technique much more than that.

Start time: 12.33pm

Temp: 72°

Conditions: Sunny, light breeze

Gear used:

Heather and I walked from the park to the ocean and back. Even though we didn’t run it was a beautiful walk and change of pace. The hike was moderately challenging with many hills and walking through the sand at the beach - and of course we had to take a moment to just sit and admire the ocean.

Gear Used:

This is my fastest time yet. In the span of about a month, I’ve decreased my time from 33:36 to 31:47. At this pace it’s going to take me 5 months to hit my 20min 5k goal. That’s not acceptable to me. There has to be a way to accelerate my conditioning.

Start time: 5:44pm

Temp: 68

Conditions: Sunny, windy

Gear used:

The Camp Pendleton Mud Run happened to be mentioned on a show we were watching tonight so I went to the website to see when the next event would be. It turns out that there are 3 Mud Runs planned in July, but all 3 have been sold out since January. What I didn’t realize is that the Marines host a series of events including bike races, duathlons, 10k, half marathons, sprint triathlons and triathlons. There’s even a high-altitude 10k event held at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in the Toiyabe National Forest.

I’d love to compete in every event of the entire series but I’m not ready yet. But I will be.

My summary from “The Six Habits for a Six-Pack” in this month’s Men’s Health:

• Drink 16oz of water 1st thing in the morning. German scientists found that this boosts metabolism by 24% fr 90mins.
• Eat breakfast - at most 500 calories.
• Review goals
• 30mins of lifting weight burns as many calories as running at a fast pace.
• Don’t skimp on sleep

A study done by San Diego State scientists states that eating raisins before training enhanced cardio performance similarly to cardio gels plus provided antioxidants, fiber and vitamins. Time to stock up on raisins.

I also found this great article on nutrition for triathletes on race day.

According to this month’s Men’s Health, shirataki noodles are loaded with a highly soluble fiber called glucomannan. Researchers recently found that 1 gram of this fiber significantly slows the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream. A single serving of shirataki noodles contains up to 3 grams of glucomannan. You can get your fix of noodles at miraclenoodle.com

30 seconds slower than my last run, but it’s the second time I’ve completed the entire 5k without walking.

Gear Used:

According to iPodNN, a patent has been filed which expands Nike+ functionality to include monitors for many different factors, including EKG, heart rate, body temperature and even hydration. GPS data may also be present, enabling users to track exactly which routes they have taken.

I’m currently watching ABC Nightline which is running a story on the Marathon Des Sables - a 6 day/151 mile run through the Sahara desert. I’m very intrigued!!! Sounds insane and fun!