Dear Garmin Forerunner 405: I love you, but I need some space

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I have a Garmin Forerunner 405, which is a GPS-enabled sports watch and heart rate monitor. As I run (or bike), it tells me: my heart rate at any given time my average and max heart rate for any given session my pace at any given time my average and max pace for any given session my time how far I’ve gone When I first purchased the Garmin, I was training for the Ocean Drive Marathon. At the time, I wanted a heart rate monitor and a watch that could calculate distance as I ran – rather than trying to …

Recovery Week

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I am nine weeks out from my next “A” priority race – the Bassman half ironman. I’ve completed 11 weeks of training that are specific to this race. This training has included 6 triathlon events that I’ve been using as part of my training regimen. Prior to beginning triathlon training, I spent my time training for an early spring marathon (Ocean Drive, March 30). Since the beginning of this year, I’ve biked about a 1,000 miles, run over 600 miles, and swum about 56 kilometers (almost 35 miles). The one thing I haven’t done enough of, however, is recovery. As I reviewed my training …

Learning to pick races carefully

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I grew up in Brigantine, NJ, which is a small island community right next to Atlantic City, NJ. Well, it was a small island community when I was growing up. But much has changed in Brigantine, and it bustles and hustles in the summer more now than ever. As a young teen, I would head to the city dock on 26th Street and watch the Brigantine Triathlon each August. I had always wanted to participate, as many of my friends did when we were younger. But, I didn’t swim then. With my recent foray into swimming and triathlon this season, I was …

I think compression socks are sexy

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Okay, maybe not sexy, but I do think they are effective. Even though the science on the use of compression socks leaves room for debate, my experience using them suggests that they are great tools for enhancing recovery – particularly from long distance running. When we were at the Lake Placid Ironman, we saw many of the athletes wearing compression socks – walking around in them the day before and after the race, as well as wearing the socks during the race. Oddly, I had forgotten about my socks, which I had purchased back in March. I hadn’t worn them in …

Marathons are a gateway drug

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This time last year, I was about one month into a marathon training plan. I was preparing for my first marathon, the Atlantic City Marathon. Prior to this experience, I had only raced in a 10 mile event and maybe one or two 5Ks for charities that I supported. But, for the most part, I just ran–and had been a runner since I was 13 years old. I didn’t compete. It was what I did to stay fit, and I really enjoyed the peace and fulfillment of a good run. As we grow older, we may begin to take the …

The Spirit of the Ironman-Lake Placid 2009

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The Lake Placid Ironman was held on Sunday, July 26, 2009, with 2051 athletes finishing the race, according to the official race results (2258 began the race, but 207 athletes did not finish). For those of you who may not know, the Lake Placid Ironman is a 140.6 mile race that must be completed within 17 hours. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike (over some seriously mountainous terrain), and finished with a marathon (26.2 miles). There is little dispute that this event is tough stuff. But, these numbers only tell a very small part of the …

Volunteering at the Lake Placid Ironman 2009

The Lake Placid Ironman was a fantastic and motivating experience. I was moved to tears at several points throughout the day as I witnessed the sheer strength and determination of the human spirit. Watching an Ironman is an experience that I would recommend to anyone. John and I signed up to serve as volunteers, and that was an excellent decision for so many reasons. First, volunteering gave us priority registration for the 2010 event, and I’m happy to report that we are registered. This consideration is not insignificant since Lake Placid has sold out onsite in previous years, and this year was …

Barefoot running

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After running my second marathon, the Ocean Drive Marathon, I had some persistant pain in the outside of my left hip. A few weeks after the marathon, when all of the other aches and pains had long subsided, the hip pain remained, and seemed to be getting worse. Hmmm. So, I did some research (google is always my first opinion) and went to the ortho doctor for a second opinion. Both opinions pointed to trochanteric bursitis. I was a textbook case–which made my at-home google diagnosis much easier. The simple definition of this condition: inflammation of a fluid-filled sac that normally …

“More” does not always equal “better”

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I usually start each Wednesday with an advanced yoga flow class at Yoga Nine. Today was no exception. However, what was different was a noticeable dip in my energy level. Every limb of my body felt heavy. Yoga can be an excellent way to energize the body. So, I went despite the heaviness. After 60 minutes, the heaviness remained, but I did feel looser. Laurie, my yoga instructor, led us through a variation on a Tripischore yoga series, which includes postures for lengthening and balance. This series is usually one of my favorites, but today triangle was torture. Warrier I and II …

I’m an “endurance monster”

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according to an article in the September 2009 edition of Running Times. Greg McMillan, author of the article, defines endurance monsters as any runners who enjoy “long runs, marathon training, tempo runs and any workout slower than 10K” (p. 18). Yup, so far I fit the profile. He goes on to say that a monster “finds it very difficult to get her legs to go fast. Short, fast training like 200m-400m track workouts and hard fartlek runs leave EM feeling deflated” (p. 18). Yup, got me again–and today’s speed workout really emphasized my speed weakness, and my preference for strength …