Chambersburg Half Marathon

The 32nd running of the Chambersburg Pa Half Marathon will be held on Saturday March 12th.  For those of you who are not familiar with running, a half marathon translates into 13.1 miles.  I registered for this race today.  I have decided to use this race as a training session, i.e., a comfortable, easy paced long distance run.  This race is very affordable at $40 per entrant and finisher's medals will be awarded.

I have every intention on going into this race as a personal fun run.  I am not going to push to hit any specific finishing time.  Instead I am going to run based on how well I feel as I progress through the race.  One concern I have is which pair of shoes to wear for this race.  I like to wear lighter shoes for races, but for a race of this distance I may need to don heavier and more supportive training shoes.  I will most likely be running for nearly two consecutive hours to finish this race.

The course contains some formidable hills which should serve to build leg strength.  I'll need to be cognizant of fluid replenishment throughout the run. Hydrating adequately prior to a run is an artful endeavor.  Hydrate too much and you'll need to make a port-a-potty stop during the race. For this race, a bathroom break would not be critical because I am not running for time.

Last year a business named US Candids took pictures at this race.  It appears last year's race was both cold and wet after viewing the pictures on their website. I believe the same business will  be on hand this year again.

I enjoy running within a large group.  There is some type of energy I feed off of during these runs.  It's been several months since I have run a race and I am looking forward to toeing up to the starting line soon in Chambersburg.

Taste of Spring

Last Thursday and Friday we experienced temperatures in the upper 60's. I had an all day training class at work on Friday. I decided to leave work early on Thursday and go for a run.

Since I had a window of several hours available for this run, I decided to do a long run.  My last effort at a long run the weekend prior failed miserably as I had to abort the run after about three miles due to inexplicably premature and excessive fatigue.

Running is not an easy endeavor, but when you are in decent shape and the weather is comfortable, a run can be exhilarating. My Thursday long run was an exhilarating run.   I completed ten miles and still had some energy left in the tank.  I even ran the ten miles at a decent clip.

I keep track of my run pace and distance using my Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch.  My winter runs are always much slower than my spring and fall runs.  I believe I have trained fairly hard this winter although you would be hard pressed to tell from the paces and times I have been logging.  My successful ten mile run suggests I am running longer more effectively.

I have intentions of running a marathon again but I feel I am still two years away from being able to run twenty six miles with any level of competitiveness.  Two years from now would place us in the year 2013, which coincidentally would mark my 50th year on God's green earth.

Use It OR Lose It versus Use It AND Lose It

During a family gathering this past holiday season I had someone comment about my fitness regimen.  In typical intra-family fashion (at least for myself) the comment was not an endearing one - it was of a foreboding nature. The gist of the comment was your body was only good for a certain amount of exertion - be it work or exercise.  Instead of climbing toward the mountain top of excellent health I was depleting my fixed supply tank of life.

I have always possessed a concern I do not exceed my fitness bounds to the extent where my transgression results in a hospital stay.  I ran a marathon in the fall of 2009 where I believe I suffered kidney damage due to dehydration and an extreme muscle protein breakdown.  (Rhabdomyolysis)

Last weekend I completed a 4.5 mile interval run on Saturday and then tried to do a long easy run (8 miles) on Sunday.  I had to prematurely end the Sunday run because I simply had no energy.  Nothing in the tank.  I could not attribute my poor performance to being sick..  I was going to attempt to mentally muscle through the eight mile run, but thought better to listen to what my body was telling me.

I believe if you are not careful, you can "Use it AND Lose it."  Like most things in life, moderation is the key. I also believe by the grace of God,  He has allowed me on a couple of occasions to temporarily exceed my limits. Case in point, during my first year of training I attempted a 13 mile run well before I was physically prepared for this level of effort.  Long story short, I nearly fainted along a road having succumbed to dehydration and most likely several more ailments.

Running Eyewear

I have worn eyeglasses for nearly forty years.  I am nearsighted, i.e. I can only see objects very close to me.  My eyesight is extremely poor without my glasses.  One of the items which was part of the convergence of several factors responsible for my recent discovery of running was improved contact lens technology. For years I had spurned wearing contact lenses because I suffered from my eyes incessantly drying out and consequently blinking profusely throughout the day in an effort to keep them moist.

Two years ago I began wearing contact lenses to facilitate running.  I have never attempted to run while wearing  eye glasses because of the jostling upon the bridge of my nose that I would need to endure. I recently had my eyes examined and was issued a new set of prescription contact lenses. They were the Acuvue OASYS brand of lenses.  They were slightly more expensive than my last prescription.  The additional cost was meritorious as  they are a very breathable and hence a more comfortable lens than my previous pair.  Once they are in I do not know I am wearing them.

In addition to new contact lenses, I purchased a new pair of sunglasses for running.  The gamut of sunglass types vary from the bargain store $9.95 variety to the likes of Rudy Project sunglasses for over $300.  I was able to find a nice value and performance blend with a brand named Tifosi.  One of the features of the Tifosi glasses are interchangeable lenses.  Another nice feature is the frames themselves are bendable.  They will not break or crack if you accidentally sit on them. Of course, these design considerations are immaterial if you lose your sunglasses.

Tifosi offered several different styles of sunglasses for a variety of purposes.  I ordered the Tyrant Carbon sunglasses (model T-VP420) which feature a small hole on the lens itself to facilitate airflow through the lens and reduce fogging during strenuous exercise.  The lenses are photo-chromatic, i.e. they lighten and darken according to the existing conditions.  The lenses are also polarized, which serves to significantly reduce the sun's glare at most all angles. I believe that lenses also protect against UVA and UVB rays.

I have completed a couple of runs with the new sunglasses and I am content with both the optics and fit.  On each of the days I ran with them, the sky was of the overcast and cloudy variety.  I may have a more glowing review after wearing them on a sunny day.  Note that these glasses are designed for persons with a narrow or small face.  They would  fit very tightly on a person with a larger face/head.

http://www.tifosioptics.com/

Fitness training incorporating elastic or stretch bands

 One piece of exercise equipment which has been a pleasant surprise within my EA Sports Active 2 virtual training program has been the stretch band.  I was somewhat incredulous when I first encountered this fitness accessory.  How much resistance could a glorified runner band provide ?

I love the stretch bands for several reasons.  First and foremost the bands are lightweight.  I don't need to lug heavy dumb bells throughout the house.  I also do not have to be concerned about tripping over a dumb bell.

Another elastic band benefit is you can not rock or contort your body to cheat with repetitions as is prevalent with weight training.  I used to train at a gym where it was not uncommon for guys curling eighty pound dumbbells while emphatically rocking their bodies in a pendulum motion.  In effect, they were swinging the weights back and forth instead of lifting them.

Another benefit is a more evenly distributed resistance curve.  When lifting a weight, the most exertion is at the onset of the repetition to set the weight in motion.  Once the weight is in motion, the effort is not as significant. Once you arrive at the apex of a repetition, you can 'park' the weights before you begin the negative or second part of the repetition.   You are exerting the most force at the apex of a repetition with an elastic band.

My only misgiving with the elastic bands is I have not seen a great diversity in the elasticities available for the bands.  I sometimes wish I had a band which was more difficult to stretch.  However, my intent is not to add muscle bulk, but to merely tone my muscles.

Aversion to Treadmill Running

This winter is proving to be one of the harsher winters in recent memory.  I believe we have had snow covering the ground for about a month.  Last night we received precipitation which resulted in a quarter inch sheet of ice which blanketed everything.  My car was completely enveloped in ice.

Ever increasingly I read about professional runners who incorporate treadmill running into their off-season or winter regimen.   I imagine if you are based in a state where the winter climate is too hazardous to venture outside for a run, then a treadmill would fall into the category of a necessity.

I am not sure of this origin of this sentiment, but I currently do not like to run on a treadmill.  Running on a treadmill feels very mechanical and is bereft of the sights and sounds of a run through real streets and neighborhoods.   I guess in a word I regard treadmill running as sterile.

When I began running in February of 2009, I initially opted to run on a treadmill because I did not want to be embarrassed in public due to my lack of confidence in my ability to complete a run without walking.

I may be guilty of a manifestation of excess testosterone with my treadmill running aversion.  I no longer have the fear of physically breaking down miles from my house.  In some regards, I feel like a modern day frontiersman navigating through God's wilderness when I run outdoors.  However, if this poor weather persists I may be forced to adjust my attitude regarding treadmill training.