Last weekend, while in Albuquerque for my sister’s wedding, I convinced my brother to run up the La Luz trail in the Sandia Mountains before we had to fly out. That quickly turned into a “guys trip” with our new brother-in-law agreeing to join the adventure. Once Michelle and Sarah got word of our idea, they were game too. So in the end, my idea of running up the mountain turned into a family mission to reach the top.

Because the idea was last minute and we were not prepared at all, our “supplies” probably looked funny to the regular hikers. Just to give you a little perspective, the sun was in full force and with Dale and I lacking a full head of hair to break the UV rays, we needed some kind of cover. We ended up stripping the covers off the hotel pillows and wrapping them around our heads like bandanas. It may have looked silly, but it sure beat a bad sun burn. For water and food, I emptied all the clothes out of my backpack and filled it with Walgreen’s bottled water and granola bars. From there we were ready to set out.

The trail is about 8 miles long, but gains a lot of elevation (around 3,500 ft). It ended up taking us 3 hours to reach the top. Well, most of us made it anyway. Tim and Dale decided switchbacks were boring and blazed their own way straight up. Little did they know the trail veered south and end up way off course only to return to the vehicle covered in catcus thorns, blood and dirt. Welcome to the family Dale!

Can’t wait to try to some more mountain fun the in future. Here’s are some images of our run/hike…

I never thought I’d be running in Albuquerque, but having an adventurous sister and cool new brother-in-law, it happened. After the hot air balloon ride this morning, followed by an authentic Mexican lunch, Michelle and I were itching to get outside and try the desert climate. Our hotel was relatively close to Arroyo Del Oso Park, so we decide to run around it…about 5.5 miles. The 95° weather nor the 5,300 ft elevation slowed us down much, only the multiple attempts at trying to capture the perfect “Rave Run” photo hindered our time. It’s amazing how dry my shorts were after the run compared to the humidity of Iowa. I could definitely get used to this climate. Maybe in 7 years when I retire, we’ll come back and hang out…

not a view from my run, but hot nevertheless

Most runners simply drink when they are thirsty. While this works for shorter workouts, not knowing some hydration basics will cause you to crash during longer training runs.

Last Sunday, I needed to a long run and didn’t roll out of bed in time to beat the heat. It was around 88 degrees when I started at 1:00pm and didn’t arrive back home until 4:00pm. Thinking about the time of day and length of run, this is probably the worst idea for a long run. I would not recommend this tactic but I was curious to see just how my body reacts to heat. Note: I was well hydrated and had periodic water stops on the trail.

First off, here are some hydration basics:

• Water needs vary from person to person. A smaller runner may sweat one pound per hour while a bigger runner can sweat four pounds. To put pounds of sweat into perspective; one pound equals 16oz. So the bigger runner is sweating a half gallon every hour!
• There are many ways to make sure you’re hydrated but the simplest is by the color of your urine. Clear is good, dark yellow is bad. The best way to hydrate is drink water well in advance of your workout. Start drinking about four hours before and stop with one hour to go. This will give the kidneys time to process and rid any excess.
• Super-hydrating right before a run will not work. The body can only process about 20oz of water per hour. So downing a big Gatorade right before a long run will only leave you bloated and dehydrated. Most likely you’ll have to make pit stops at mile 3 and 5.
• Most runners who lose more than 2% of their body weight due to sweating will have to slow down and most likely have to walk. For me, a 170 lb person, this is 3.4 pounds of sweat loss.
• Sweat is not just water. Sweat also contains electrolytes. Electrolytes are sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Drinking a sports drink with electrolytes is a good idea to replace those essentials particles. For my run, I just drank water. Ideally, drinking Gatorade or Powerade would be better as they contain electrolytes.

During my long run, I started off well hydrated. Although I have not measured my sweat rate, I would guess it’s around 2.5 pounds per hour or 40 ounces. My water stops were further apart than I would have like, about 40 minutes. Due to the large gaps in water intake, I drank as much as I could without bloating.

Two hours into the run, my sweat total was around 5 pounds/ 80oz and my water intake about 40 oz. The amounts are estimates since I didn’t weigh myself and was drinking out of water fountains. In total, my net sweat loss after two hours was 40oz or just under 2 pounds.

If you remember that 2% loss of body weight from sweating can cause you to significantly slow down, and I was close. My body weight is 170, so 2% would be 3.4 pounds or 54oz.

At the end of my run, my sweat total was around 7.5 pounds/ 120oz and my water intake about 55oz. My net sweat loss for the run was 65oz. Considering 54oz causes a significant slow down I should have been feeling pretty crappy…and I was. My attitude turned from positive to negative, I wasn’t smiling at other runners and cursing bikers under my breath for not getting over on the trail. The music turned from motivating to annoying. Thinking back on it now, the 2% loss of body weight really did indicate dehydration. This was approximately the moment I turned from finishing strong to crashing and just trying to finish.

Overall, it was good to find out how well I do in heat, but next time, I think rolling out of bed earlier would be wiser.

CamelBak - Octane

Last night, I headed to the trail for a “medium” long run, according to my marathon schedule. I would say 12 miles is considerably farther than medium, but I guess whatever gets my sub 3:10, will do. I love this stretch of trail because it’s away from traffic, the slope is flat (converted from rail track), and their are distance markers every mile.

Arriving straight from the office, I pulled a superman and changed in the park restroom. Shirt, shorts, socks, sunglasses and watch – all check. Then, I put on the iPod and hit play. Nothing. Well this sucks! I’m facing a 12 mile run, which is hard enough, but now have to go it alone without music. I tried to stay positive by telling myself it’s going to be good running without it, so the next time, the run will be so much better. Kinda like going without coffee in the morning for a week. Sure the week seems slow and irritable, but the fresh cup 7 days later always tastes so much better. So, sans music isn’t that big of a deal.

Then, I noticed I didn’t have my Camelbak. This wasn’t good because the trail does not have water and it’s going to be a little under 2 hours in the sun. Last year, Michelle and I tried this, which led me to the Camelbak in the first place.

Before starting out, I fill up with as much water as I could at the trail head. I knew I was going to stop along the way because of this, but starting out hydrated was more important. The first half of the run seemed to go fairly fast and I was feeling strong. At the turn around (10K out), I was feeling a little tired. My mouth was definitely dry and I was wishing for some water. A biker passed me on the left, which I thought about asking him for a sip. By the time I decided yes, he was gone. With about 20 minutes left, I knew I was going to make it and all in all with a decent time for the 20K (1:41). Overall, it was possible to run without water but I would much prefer to have my Camelbak. Not only does it keep me hydrated, but also keeps me running faster cool in the sun.

So next time, it’s going to be great music, Camelbak, and fresh legs at the end.

Metric - Fantasies

For the entire month of May I had been running sans iPod – not only enjoy the silence – but also to get that extra boost of energy when I did go back to the Nano…similar to quitting coffee for two weeks and then getting hopped up on goof balls with that first cup.

Well, today was that day and it was well needed. My route was an old NE side favorite with lots of up and down, only the 90 degree temp also posed a challenge. I do love running in hot weather, but I was glad Metric was there to help me finish the 7 miles.

Not many artists create albums that you can listen straight through for the duration of a workout, but I venture to say Metric – Fantasies is one of those. The other two that come to mind are The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing and The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers.

Listen here: Metric – Front Row

The past few weeks, I have been testing out some new products by CLIF (the makers of the popular CLIF Bar). I have been a big fan of CLIF bars for a long time and last year stuffed my bike bag with 8 of those tasty little bars for RAGBRAI. I first got hooked on CLIF and the bars when reading about the company and their focus on using whole, all-natural ingredients. In fact, 70% of them are organic and actually taste good. Another reason is they do not melt in 90 degree weather. I used to be a fan of Promax bars but ran into a chocolate, gooey mess if placed in the sun.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut CLIF Bar

My usually rotation of Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip bars is good but I wanted to change it up. After my 6 mile hill run over lunch, I tried a White Chocolate Macadamia Nut bar. I couldn’t believe how good it tasted, especially for packing 9g of Protein in 240 calories. The week before that, I headed out to do some mountain biking after my morning run. My energy was running low, so I decided to test the Cool Mint Chocolate flavor because of the added 50mg of caffeine. The amount caffeine is the same as a can of Mountain Dew but comes from green tea extract (all natural). I’m not a fan of mint, but did like the taste and definitely enjoyed the boost of energy for riding. For the PB lovers, try Peanut Toffee Buzz which also contains 50mg of caffeine.

CLIF Shot Bloks

So CLIF bars are great, but that’s not all they do. CLIF also offers other nutrition to keep you going, like SHOT Bloks. These little chewable cubes come in packages of six and contain about 200 calories per package. They are perfect for long runs and pre-workout nutrition. Not only do they taste better than a typical energy gel, they are easy on the stomach. If you can’t tell, I love SHOT Bloks and here’s why

• Taste amazing. Once ate 3 packages during the latter stages of a marathon and could have done four.
• Contains at least 140mg of Sodium and 40mg of Potassium per package
• The Fastpak™ packaging is easy to carrying on long runs (will fit in your pocket)
• Packages contain Six bloks making it easy to regulate calorie intake
• Some flavors contain caffeine and the Margarita flavor has over 400mg of sodium per package, perfect for hot, humid days

CLIF Shot Energy Gel

If you are partial to gels, then try the CLIF SHOT. It’s just like any other energy gel, with a cool “Litter Leash” feature. The Litter Leash is a patented design that allows the tear tab to stay attached to the bottom of the package after use. Keeping the tab with the package reduces the litter of tabs along trails and roads. If you have ever run a long distance race, you’ll know what I mean…sticky tabs everywhere!

My favorite flavors, not in any particular order…

• Razz™
• Vanilla
• Strawberry with 25mg of caffeine
• Double Expresso with 100mg of caffeine (perfect for mile 22 of a marathon)

After workouts, I like to take in some protein which not only helps speed the recovery process but also keeps me from downing an entire pizza four hours later. CLIF has two options for protein.

CLIF Shot Roks

CLIF SHOT ROKS™ are bite-size pieces enabling you to take in exactly the protein you need, when you need it. The ROKS are wrapped in a protective shell that won’t melt in the package or in your hands…I even tested them on a sunny, 85 degree day in the car. There are three tasty flavors to choose from: Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I prefer the latter and with one package – 10 SHOT ROKS – I can get 20g of high quality whey protein. With 2 grams of protein per bite, you also have the option of eating else.

CLIF Builders Bar

The other option is CLIF BUILDER’S bars. I tried the Vanilla Almond flavor and it gives candy bars a run for their money. The taste is unbelievably great! It was amazed it was an all-natural bar packed with 20g of protein. To be more specific, they are made up of 20g of soy and nut proteins, and unlike other protein bars, they contain no trans fats or hydrogenated oils.

CLIF Quench

Lastly, I tried out a hydration drink called CLIF Quench™ which is for athletes and active people needing to hydrate. Why I like CLIF over Gatorade and Powerade…

• All-natural & 88% organic sport drink
• NO high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors or preservatives
• 1st bottle of its kind made from 40% recycled PET
• Contains the optimal amount of electrolytes and low carbs
• And it just plain tastes good. I really liked Fruit Punch

Overall, I’m a huge fan of CLIF not only for their focus on environment, but most importantly, because the stuff tastes good!

The end of this month marks a special date, my one year anniversary with Dailymile. Over the past year, we have had many ups and downs, but the important thing is, we made it.

Dailymile One Year Anniversary

For the most part, I recorded all of my training runs and races. There might have been the occasional slip of the mind, but it’s close enough. The strongest month was November with 178 miles, mainly due to peaking for the Memphis marathon. The month with the least amount of running wasn’t necessary a “resting” period. I only ran 50 miles in July, but also biked across Iowa in RAGBRAI.

Some other notes:

• 1,282 Total Miles Ran
• Avg. of 100 miles/ month or 20 miles/ week or about a 5k a day
• About 176 hours
• Four pairs of shoes
• Tucker probably ran 20% of that…which explains excessive napping

After training and thinking about the Austin Marathon for the last couple months, it’s nice to just get out and run. This last week, my legs have been feeling the best since late 2009. Maybe it’s the warm weather or maybe it’s because I didn’t push it at the end of the marathon. Either way, it feels good to be healthy and energetic. Which, BTW, could not have come at a better time. These next couple months will be full of distance and increasing mileage.

First, in March, I’ll be testing out a new ultra marathon course by near Iowa City. The Hawkeye 50K (and 25K) will be held late this fall, check out the website for more details. I’m excited because I really want to do an ultra someday and this course looks very cool.

Second, in April, there is a fund raising event called Celebrate Life, which consists of a giant relay of runners across Iowa. I am only running 1 leg or about 3 miles. In total there will be 54 legs, with every runner raising money to promote Organ Donation. If you would like to help contribute to the great cause, click here to help sponsor my run.

Third, in May, Michelle and I are taking part in another relay across Iowa. This time, we will have a team of 6 who are going to run the entire width of the state in two days. How you ask? Well, we all pile in a large van and head to Sioux City on Friday to start. One member of our team must be running at all times, so we will rotate through the 6 runners and take turns running and repeat. In total, we will each have to run 56 miles over the course of two days and two nights (yes, we have to run over night!). Once we make it to Dubuque on Sunday, we will most likely all take long showers and sleep until Monday. Can’t wait, Relay Iowa!

I’m also looking for a summer marathon, but haven’t decided on one yet. Still have that whole BQ thing hanging over my head…maybe in October at the Twin Cities.

Hi.  I am a Medium Arch, Over-Pronator, Cushion + foot type.

Ah, what?  Ok, maybe, I should back up.  Let me break that down and you’ll be able to impress your non-running buddies with a very technical sounding line of running jargon.  Word of caution:  I wouldn’t try to impress the opposite sex with that line, especially if you are looking for a running partner.

First, determine your Arch Type.  The easiest way is the “wet foot test”.  After getting out of the shower make a foot print on the floor.  If your print is skinny, you have a high arch.  If the print is wide, then you have a low arch or flat foot.  If the print is in between, consider yourself a medium arch.

Next, look at the bottom of an old pair of running shoes.  The part that is most worn will indicate your Foot Pronation?  On my shoes, the outside heel and inside toe are definitely the most worn.  This would indicate that I Over-Pronate (roll from the outside heel to the inside toe).  If you are an Under-Pronator you would have almost no roll inside.  And if you have a Normal Pronation your foot rolls slightly in (about 15 degrees is normal).

Lastly, how much do you run in a week and what is your body frame like?  I’m roughly 170 lbs. and I try to get 30+ miles in a week (lately, not so much!).  Therefore, I need more Cushioning than someone who weighs 150 lb. and only runs 10 miles.

Add it all up and I’m a Medium Arch, Over-Pronator, and Cushion + foot type.  This means I should opt for the Stability + shoes.

Before you buy your next pair of shoes, check out what type you are.  Road Runner Sports is where I usually buy my shoes and they have a great tool to find your foot type.

note: I generally like to include images with my posts but considering the topic and the view when I remove my shoes, I’ll reserve that habit until next time.