Last year around this time I was in the middle of Ironman Training and not really enjoying running all that much (all that much = not at all). With the increased training workload I was finding each run to be mentally and physically exhausting. I needed help.
Knowing I had four more months of Ironman training I started to look for answers as to why doing something I once loved had become such a chore? Was it just the accumulated volume that was weighing on me or was it something else?
So I hit the endurance message boards and over and over again people were recommending a book called, Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger. I downloaded it an begun to dig in!
The opening of the book tells you that you can basically skip over all written chapters and go right to the training plans in the second half of the book.
This is what I did.
The back section included three weekly volume training plans presented in the form of: 55miles per week, 70miles per week, and 70+ miles per week. You could choose a 12 or 18 week version of these three plans.
My first reaction was that the "easy" plan was 55mpw!!! People do that? I was in the middle of Ironman training and was usually around 30-35mpw and this felt like a lot. Triathlon had been my focus over the last few years and I never realized how much went into stand alone marathon training. Ignorance was bliss, I guess?
Instead of pushing the book aside I decided to do something drastic - read the first half!
I sat down and started in and the book basically explained what the training plans would accomplish. Chapters on nutrition, training, and recovery all presented in a clear and concise manor made me realize something - I knew very little about running, especially for the marathon distance!
It also answered the questions I was having about my lack of desire to strap on the sneakers: I really had no idea what the hell I was doing! This book changed the way I attacked each run and made me think in terms of "why" each run was being done and what it would accomplish. Pfitzinger also made it easier for me to understand what I needed to be eating before and after workouts and how glycogen levels were integral to performance. Even though this book is for marathoners the principles covered really applied to all forms of endurance sports so it got applied to my Ironman training.
After all this information was absorbed I decided that after Ironman was done a serious attempt at running a Boston Qualifying time was going to happen and one of Pfitzinger's plan was going to be my guide.
Fast-forward to today and I am over half-way through the 18wk/70mpw plan. Over the first 10 weeks of this plan my running performance has increased to levels once never thought possible. Now do not misunderstand, this plan is not easy and definitely not for everyone. I'd recommend you have a solid volume base in endurance sports over a couple of years. Just for a reference of the amount of work required, for the month of December I have ran 252 miles and over 650 miles the last three months.
But if you are serious about getting faster at the marathon distance and the training volume above seems realistic then you should probably check this book out.
Click Here to see my 18wk/70mpw plan on a Google Spreadsheet. I also included my recommended training paces.
Happy Running and Happy New Years!
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Looking Ahead ...
Over the last few weeks quite a few bloggers have already planned a lot of races for 2012. I had done this as well a couple of months ago but have since changed my mind!
I've decided to do a lot less racing this year and focus on only two "A" races. The main reason for this re-calibrated mindset is that I want to get faster. Over the years when significant speed increases have been realized one factor has always been the same: Consistent Training with Purpose.
That will be my goal for 2012: Consistent Training with Purpose!
2012 Race Schedule:
- Texas Half Marathon (Jan 1st): This race falls right in the middle of my 18-Wk Marathon Training plan and allows me to gauge fitness. The goal is to go as hard as humanly possible so I can use the results to set the training paces for the remainder of marathon training.
- The Woodlands Marathon, "A" Race #1(March 3rd): This will be my first stand-alone marathon and I amfoolishly attempting to Boston Qualify. I am 36 years old and with the new 2012 qualifying standards it means I need to run a sub-3:10. Based on current fitness, training, and my last few races all the pace calculators say I am very close to being able to hit the qualifying standard. BUT it is going to take eight more weeks of consistent, purposeful training to get below the 3:10 mark. AND if Kevin decides to come race we will be shooting for sub-3:05 since he is a youngster!
- Kemah Olympic Triathlon (April 29th): This race will occur 8-weeks into Ironman Training and be used to get back into racing Triathlon and, more importantly, assess swim and bike fitness. If my swim and bike are struggling then my plan can be adjusted to account for these deficiencies. I have also learned that Long Course training can really beat on you over time and sometimes it is just good for the soul to go out and race.
- Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon 70.3 (June 24th): This legendary race on the 70.3 circuit is one I have been wanting to do and it coincidentally falls 8-weeks out from Ironman. This is the perfect amount of time to assess fitness and dial in nutrition. The course is located among canyons and makes for some difficult climbs on the bike and run. This should get me in the right mindset for the mountains in Quebec.
- Ironman Mont-Tremblant, "A" Race #2 (August 19th): This is the big daddy of the season and I already cannot wait to get to it. The best part is that this race has been planned with blogger buddies Jon, Mandy, and Kevin. We are all going to have such a great time. Last year Ironman Texas training was with the mindset of just wanting to finish. It was a great day and the race went exactly as expected. After I finished it was apparent to me that a lot was left on the course and I have the ability to go faster. This year I am training to race and to see what level my body can be pushed. This course is going to be one heck of a challenge!
- Memphis Marathon (Dec 1st): Annie and our friends Jenn, Dave, and Deanna all want to run this race. If I was able to BQ at the Woodlands in March then I will be the super-sherpa for everyone. If I missed BQing, then I will try and parlay the Ironman fitness into another BQ attempt. Either way it appears we will be hitting up Beale Street to close out the year!
As of right now this is it! I could potentially add a few running races in during the fall and was also thinking about Rev3 Florida in October.
With the spacing of these races it will allow for focus on training and peaking for each race as opposed to tinkering with reduced training and half-assed tapering.
Has everyone else locked in 2012 races yet? Are you planning on any of the races above?
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
I've decided to do a lot less racing this year and focus on only two "A" races. The main reason for this re-calibrated mindset is that I want to get faster. Over the years when significant speed increases have been realized one factor has always been the same: Consistent Training with Purpose.
That will be my goal for 2012: Consistent Training with Purpose!
2012 Race Schedule:
- Texas Half Marathon (Jan 1st): This race falls right in the middle of my 18-Wk Marathon Training plan and allows me to gauge fitness. The goal is to go as hard as humanly possible so I can use the results to set the training paces for the remainder of marathon training.
- The Woodlands Marathon, "A" Race #1(March 3rd): This will be my first stand-alone marathon and I am
- Kemah Olympic Triathlon (April 29th): This race will occur 8-weeks into Ironman Training and be used to get back into racing Triathlon and, more importantly, assess swim and bike fitness. If my swim and bike are struggling then my plan can be adjusted to account for these deficiencies. I have also learned that Long Course training can really beat on you over time and sometimes it is just good for the soul to go out and race.
- Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon 70.3 (June 24th): This legendary race on the 70.3 circuit is one I have been wanting to do and it coincidentally falls 8-weeks out from Ironman. This is the perfect amount of time to assess fitness and dial in nutrition. The course is located among canyons and makes for some difficult climbs on the bike and run. This should get me in the right mindset for the mountains in Quebec.
- Ironman Mont-Tremblant, "A" Race #2 (August 19th): This is the big daddy of the season and I already cannot wait to get to it. The best part is that this race has been planned with blogger buddies Jon, Mandy, and Kevin. We are all going to have such a great time. Last year Ironman Texas training was with the mindset of just wanting to finish. It was a great day and the race went exactly as expected. After I finished it was apparent to me that a lot was left on the course and I have the ability to go faster. This year I am training to race and to see what level my body can be pushed. This course is going to be one heck of a challenge!
- Memphis Marathon (Dec 1st): Annie and our friends Jenn, Dave, and Deanna all want to run this race. If I was able to BQ at the Woodlands in March then I will be the super-sherpa for everyone. If I missed BQing, then I will try and parlay the Ironman fitness into another BQ attempt. Either way it appears we will be hitting up Beale Street to close out the year!
As of right now this is it! I could potentially add a few running races in during the fall and was also thinking about Rev3 Florida in October.
With the spacing of these races it will allow for focus on training and peaking for each race as opposed to tinkering with reduced training and half-assed tapering.
Has everyone else locked in 2012 races yet? Are you planning on any of the races above?
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Stuff ...
- It is very exciting to announce that I will be a member of the Brooks ID Team for 2012. I have been running in Brooks since 2008 and believe they are the best running shoes and best running company in the business. I currently rotate between the Launch and Pure Flows as my trainers and use the T7 Racer Flats for racing. I am very thankful and humbled to be part of the Brooks ID Team!
- Early last year I attempted to wear another running companies shoes and this poor decision resulted in achilles tendinitis that plagued me for much of 2011. I rarely mentioned it on the blog due to sponsorship obligations but these obligations are now over so I can write more about it. After the injury I went back to wearing Brooks for the rest of the year and I truly believed switching back to Brooks saved my season and potentially saved me from a serious injury. I will never make a rash decision like this again. I learned the hard way how important high quality running shoes with proven technology are to a high mileage endurance athlete.
- So lesson of the day: Run in Brooks!
- Marathon training is going well. I know a lot of you come here to see what kind of ridiculousness I put my body through so here are a couple training numbers:
- Miles Ran Last Week - 72mi.
- Miles Ran Last 28 Days - 249mi.
- These are both all-time highs for me (for now).
- Miles Ran so far in December - 189mi (with 10 days still to go).
- Here is the cool thing about all the running: I feel wonderful (knock on wood)! I have been taking extra care of my legs by foam rolling twice a day and icing the achilles after long runs but overall my legs still feel fresh. With less then 10 weeks to go until the Woodlands Marathon I am hopeful the fatigue monster can stay away until taper!
- I cannot wait to begin Ironman Mont-Tremblant training. Missing the bike and pool big-time but I committed to being strictly a runner and will follow through with that commitment.
- On Monday Kevin (Ironman by Thirty) and me decided to do P90X again. We have both been through the rigors of P90X in the past so we thought we knew what we were in for. Wrong. It hurt. Bad. Woke up on Tuesday morning and my upper body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Today the soreness was even worse but I was happy to see a text from Kevin that said, "...I think my arms/shoulders hurt more today then yesterday ...". Ditto buddy!
- On New Years Day Annie and I are running in the Texas Half Marathon. It is a small race (650ppl) on the Greenbelt trails about 4 miles from our house. I train on these trails all the time and am really looking forward to doing the race. Last year the finisher's medal was like 3.5lbs! If I do not drink too much on NYE then I am going to try and hammer as hard as possible. If I DO drink too much then I am still going to hammer but will probably ended up passed out in a bush along Lake Houston! Just hope it is cold enough to keep the gators away.
- Right now if all stays the same Pittsburgh will be playing at Denver for Wild Card weekend. This is the dilemma of all dilemmas for me. I love the Steelers. My house is decorated in Black and Gold. But they will be going against The Tebow! I am so conflicted.
- Joe Biden is the biggest idiot to ever hold the title of Vice President of the United States. He makes us all long for the days of Dan Quayle.
- Bye, Bye Kim Jong Il. Feel like we hardly knew you. You should have won Best Actor for this moving performance: (NSFW)
Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Week in Review - All Pictures
Lots of this was consumed. |
Ernie and me Tebowing in front of Tebow. |
Notice the winter hat and long sleeves - cold days running last week! |
Storage Room - Before. |
Storage Room - Before |
Storage Room - After (Yes, that is a 5.5ft Replica Braveheart Sword on the wall - it will be quite the surprise when Annie gets home tomorrow). |
Storage Room - After (Now the Bike Trainer Room). |
My left calf after getting attacked by a dog during a run - 3 puncture wounds from the bite - lovely, huh? |
Big Ernie being a lap dog! |
Little motivation for those "trying" to get off the couch! |
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Ramblings ...
December is always a crazy time of the year for me at work so the next couple of posts will more than likely be of the bullet point variety as my brain is sort of fried:
- My wife, Annie, is on her way to Hawaii for the Honolulu Marathon. She is staying with a good friend from college, Deanna, who lives in HI and they are both running the race. So this means I am a Bachelor for the next eight days! When I was in my twenties this would have been the opportunity for lots of beer, crappy food, and 72-hour video game marathons. Now being in my mid-thirties it is the opportunity for a couple of extra naps and being a total recluse. How times have changed!
**MINI RACE REPORT**
**MINI RACE REPORT**
- On Sunday my buddy Dave and I ran in the LaPorte by the Bay Half Marathon. I had my share of Sausage on a Stick (so good) and even got to meet the Maestro behind the BBQ'ing! I'll have a full race report up by the weekend. I ran the race with the goal of holding my Marathon Pace (per my training plan) and accomplished just that. I finished in 1:32:08 (7:02 pace) which was 19/890 overall and 2/47 in my age group. The AG award was a pint glass - best hardware ever!
- Next race is the Texas Half Marathon on New Year's Day. It is in my hometown on the greenbelt trails I run on all the time. My goal for this race is going to be around 1:28:00 - hopefully all the miles I am putting on this month will get me there. All finishers of this race receive a 3lb pound finishers medal and a small plastic pig with your finishing position painted on the side!
- If you liked/disliked my last post about Barefoot Running then you may enjoy some of the rebuttal posts:
- Over the last couple of years I haven't really talked all that much about my choice of running shoe. Probably because I have tried so many! But I have settled on a nice rotation and am working on a post about the shoes I am now using for training and racing and how each type is being used. Look for this in the next couple of days as the choices seem to go against conventional wisdom.
- Recently I have received quite a few emails about my current training plan. If you are interested it is linked in the top right hand corner of the blog. If you are interested in monotonous data my training logs are public so feel free to check them out.
- I have been carefully following all of the GOP candidates running for President. At this point I have not made up my mind as to who will get my vote but the field has narrowed and right now I am leaning towards Tim Tebow.
- One thing this "vetting" process has reconfirmed with me is that I cannot stand the media, especially cable news programs and left leaning newspapers. It is to the point that whatever they report (using this word loosely) my instincts tell me to believe the exact opposite.
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Barefoot Running, an essay ...
I came across this essay by Chas Gillespie on his feelings about Barefoot Running and it's proliferation through the running community and thought my readers would find it as interesting as I did.
Chas is a 1:04:xx Half Marathoner and has Qualified for the 2012 US Olympic Trials being held in Houston this coming January. He is also a Harvard grad. Gillespie is a talented runner, but, as you will see from this essay, he is also a student of his craft.
A fair warning, this essay is rather long but extremely well written and, IMO, well worth the read. The reason I posted it here is because my views on Barefoot Running mirror Gillespie's and he does such a good job at laying out a clear and concise argument that it would be fruitless to try and duplicate his fine effort.
Enjoy! CLICK HERE to read.
Come back and tell me if you agree or disagree with Chas. I have a few more thoughts on the subject but will wait to share them in the comments.
Jeff
Chas is a 1:04:xx Half Marathoner and has Qualified for the 2012 US Olympic Trials being held in Houston this coming January. He is also a Harvard grad. Gillespie is a talented runner, but, as you will see from this essay, he is also a student of his craft.
A fair warning, this essay is rather long but extremely well written and, IMO, well worth the read. The reason I posted it here is because my views on Barefoot Running mirror Gillespie's and he does such a good job at laying out a clear and concise argument that it would be fruitless to try and duplicate his fine effort.
Enjoy! CLICK HERE to read.
Come back and tell me if you agree or disagree with Chas. I have a few more thoughts on the subject but will wait to share them in the comments.
Jeff
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Welcome December
Can you guys believe we are already in the last month of 2011?
It seems like just the other day we were all planning our races for this year and now it is almost over!
Time flies when your having fun, right?
November was a solid month here at the Carrot headquarters.
Three running races were completed (click below for race reports):
Rocky Raccoon 50K
San Antonio RnR Half Marathon
The Woodlands 5mi Turkey Trot
Total run volume for November came in at 178mi. This was a little short of what I wanted but with taper and recovery it was necessary to take a few days off from running. Of the 30 days in November three were spent racing, 11 were taken as off days for recovery or taper, and the remaining 16 were for training.
When I did run the average distance was 9.36mi per run, so that was not too shabby!
After the 50k at the beginning of the month I only ran once in the six days following the race. I actually felt okay but decided the prudent thing to do was to get some solid rest and the San Anton HM was the next weekend so it was a mini-taper.
As for December, this Sunday is the LaPorte Half Marathon (Sausage on a Stick race) which I will be running at a slightly slower Marathon pace (7:14/mi) per my training plan. This is the only race scheduled for December so it will be a great opportunity to pile on the volume. According to my plan I should finish December around 270 total miles run - should be a fun month!
Good luck to all the blogger buddies racing Vegas this weekend! And especially to Jason who is attempting to BQ!
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
It seems like just the other day we were all planning our races for this year and now it is almost over!
Time flies when your having fun, right?
November was a solid month here at the Carrot headquarters.
Three running races were completed (click below for race reports):
Rocky Raccoon 50K
San Antonio RnR Half Marathon
The Woodlands 5mi Turkey Trot
Total run volume for November came in at 178mi. This was a little short of what I wanted but with taper and recovery it was necessary to take a few days off from running. Of the 30 days in November three were spent racing, 11 were taken as off days for recovery or taper, and the remaining 16 were for training.
When I did run the average distance was 9.36mi per run, so that was not too shabby!
After the 50k at the beginning of the month I only ran once in the six days following the race. I actually felt okay but decided the prudent thing to do was to get some solid rest and the San Anton HM was the next weekend so it was a mini-taper.
As for December, this Sunday is the LaPorte Half Marathon (Sausage on a Stick race) which I will be running at a slightly slower Marathon pace (7:14/mi) per my training plan. This is the only race scheduled for December so it will be a great opportunity to pile on the volume. According to my plan I should finish December around 270 total miles run - should be a fun month!
Good luck to all the blogger buddies racing Vegas this weekend! And especially to Jason who is attempting to BQ!
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Turkey Trot Race Report - 5mi
Love me some Turkey Trottin'
This is the third consecutive year Annie and I have made the 15-minute drive over to the Woodlands, TX on Thanksgiving morning. We both really enjoy this race. Usually it is a rather laid back event that has a 5mi run, 1mi kid's run, and a 5k walk/run.
This year was also the first time we had some decent running weather with the temperature around 45 degrees at the 8:15am start. Last year we suffered through unseasonable heat and humidity and the year before was bitter cold. This was the Goldilocks year.
We met up with our friends Bobby, Jen, and Dave and started to stroll over to the starting area. For some reason everyone but Bobby and me was walking like they were on a casual Sunday afternoon stroll through the mall! And with a few thousand people around we ended up getting separated.
Bobby and I decided to line up at the front of the pack as this race is notorious for having large groups of walkers near the front. We got to the front and I looked around and noticed that there were a lot of skinny, fast looking people today. All the local Colleges and High School teams were there and we even had a Kenyan in full Spiro gear at the very front! Going be a barn burner!
Okay, I had not really given this race much thought in terms of pacing. This was my third race in 19 days and the legs were a little flat feeling so I just decided to go out hard and back off if it started to hurt.
The gun went off and the opening pace was ridiculous!! About a quarter mile in I looked down at my Garmin and it had a 4:42 in the pace/mi box? Holy shit, this is not sustainable, was my first thought. I backed off and got passed by a couple groups. The legs were not responding very well so I told myself to find a pace that wasn't too painful and just cruise for the middle three miles and then hammer it for mile 5.
The middle three miles were pretty uneventful. I was holding around a 6:35-6:40 pace and was passing a lot of the people that barreled by in the opening mile. Quite a few of the HS kids were now walking at this point as they all learned a valuable lesson about going out to hard!
Mile 4 approached and I decided to step it up and really picked up the pace. I passed a TON of people in the last mile and finished feeling pretty good with a new PR for the 5mi distance. Probably could have went a little harder but that would have put me on the couch for the next couple of days and I had a big weekend of running planned.
Jeff Irvin
GE Run Thru the Woods
The Woodlands, TX - 11/24/2011
Finish Time - 32:20
Overall Rank - 94/2300
Age Group Rank - 10/155
Old PR - 35:45; New PR by 3m25s
Overall I was pleased with my time but sort of disappointed in my AG ranking. In every other AG my time would have been in the top 3. Last year I finished 8th in my AG but was over 3 minutes slower? This means next year the goal is going to have to be a sub-30! It is good to have goals, right?
Annie got herself a new PR as well and had her first race that she averaged under the 8min/mi pace! She is becoming quite speedy!
Mile Splits per Garmin 310xt:
#1 - 6:08
#2 - 6:34
#3 - 6:40
#4 - 6:31
#5 - 6:04
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Turkey Trot Time
Tomorrow at 8:15am Annie and I will be running in the GE Run Thru the Woods 5mi Turkey Trot!
This will be the third consecutive year we have done this race so I guess it has become kind of a tradition.
Here are my results from the last two years:
2009 - Total Time - 36:27
Average Pace - 7:16/Mi
Age Group Rank - 25/143
Overall Rank - 293/2300
2010 - Total Time - 35:45
Average Pace - 7:09/Mi
Age Group Rank - 8/140
Overall Rank - 128/2266
In 2009 the weather was a perfect 45* at the start but last year it was around 75* with 95% humidity, it was awful. This explains why my overall and age group rankings were considerably stronger in 2010 but I was only 42 seconds faster. Heat and Humidity kills!
The good news is that tomorrow we are expecting extremely pleasant temperatures!
According to Accuweather the temperature in the Woodlands at 8am is supposed to be 52* and sunny with humidity at an uncomfortable 86% BUT the Dew Point is at 48* so it should feel rather crisp.
Love this day and love this race!
Also, I am quite excited to watch the Packers vs the Lions tomorrow. It has been quite some time that meaningful football has been played during the early Turky Day game in Detroit and the much improved Lions are going against the undefeated Packers. I really do not care who wins but I have Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, and Jermichael Finley on my fantasy rosters so hoping for lots of points from the Pack!
Is anyone else doing a Turkey Trot tomorrow? Rooting for the Pack or the Lions?
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Friday, November 18, 2011
Random Shit ...
- Last year I was a member of Team Trakkers/Rev3 and really enjoyed my time being part of this wonderful group and great company. It is with regret that for 2012 I will no longer be a part of the team. My work schedule is such that I will be unable to attend any Rev3 races this coming season so I decided to step aside and allow my team slot to go to someone who can give Rev3 and the Team the type of support it deserves. If you have been considering doing a Rev3 Race stop everything and go sign-up right now. You will not e disappointed! I will always be a proud supporter of Rev3 and would like to thank them (especially Carole Sharpless) for letting me be a part of last year's team!
- Getting misty up in here ...
- Last night I chose to start Tim Tebow over Carson Palmer on my fantasy team. Palmer has a much better match-up but I really wanted a reason to watch last night's game AND I am a True Believer of the Tebow. If you saw the game you know that he disappointed for the first 59 minutes of the game but them pulled out a "W" for Denver with a 20-yrd TD run in the last minute. Also gave me 17-fantasy points! All Hail The Tebow!
- This has been a difficult week on the training front. After a 50K and a Half Marathon 6 days later at all-out paces my body has decided to revolt a little. On Tuesday I got in a slow 5mi run that helped to shake out some of the soreness in my quads. I wanted to run on Wednesday but woke up with some very unpleasant pain in the lower back so decided to take an extra rest day. Last night I got in 8.25mi at a slow 9:15/mi pace and by the end of it the legs felt good but the back started to get sore again. Going to try to go a little harder today(7mi) and tomorrow(5mi) and then am hopeful I will be back to myself for the scheduled 15 miler on Sunday.
- I am absolutely loving The Walking Dead on AMC. If you are not watching this show go set the DVR right now (Sunday's @ 9pm) as it is the best show on TV (I know that is not saying much)!
- In case you have concerns about the possibility of a Zombie Apocalypse fear no more! Fellow bloggers Kevin, Jon, and MattyO along with myself have a plan for when the Zombie Apocalypse occurs (and it will). Since we are all Triathletes with extremely high levels of cardio training we have stepped up and decided we would defend you all as the perfect Zombie Kill Squad! The perfect 4-man zombie wrecking crew. For more details on our plans you should really follow all of us on Twitter - it might just save your life!
- If you have been enjoying all of my recent race reports then you are in for a treat as I have quite the packed race schedule! On Thanksgiving we will be doing our normal 5mi Turkey Trot in the Woodlands. On December 4th I will be running in another Half Marathon over the Fred Hartman Bridge - this is the famous Sausage on a Stick race! I am considering running this race with a Flip Video Camera so you can see everyone suffering as they run over one of Houston's largest bridges and then back again! Then on New Years Day I will be doing another 1/2 marathon in my backyard at the Texas Marathon race in Kingwood!
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Monday, November 14, 2011
San Antonio RnR Half Marathon Race Report
Click image for larger view |
At one point the day before the race I considered not running as my legs were still not feeling good from last weeks 50K Trail Run. Based on the results this would have been a mistake as this was a big time PR and also accomplished a small goal I had set of running a sub-1:30 Half Marathon. This was by far the largest race (over 30k) I have ever ran.
Race Morning:
Annie and I were staying at the "Haunted" Menger Hotel which was two short blocks from the start line. The hotel was awesome and I will post some pics from it later. No ghost sightings ...sigh.
The race started at 7:30am as opposed to the normal 7am starts we have become accustomed. The reason for the later start was that the organizers had put together a charity ride on the marathon course. Makes sense since the roads are already shut down. I saw many a cyclist who was pumped about being able to ride through the city sans traffic.
There were over 30,000 people running the full and the half so toss in all the spectators and the Alamo Plaza/Convention Center area of San Antonio was packed jammed. We run with the LifeTime Fitness Run Club from the Lake Houston LTF and we had around 20 or so run club members doing the race so we spent the time before the race looking for everyone. Once everyone was located it was time to get ready.
Race:
The way these large Rock n' Roll series races work is that they have corrals based on your expected finish time. Annie had heard they had over 30 corrals this year and to look down the street this would have seemed right as runners were lined up as far as you could see.
My friend Bobby and I were in the first corral as we both put down an expected finish time of 1:30 for the half. Our corral had all the pros and a bunch of intimidating-looking (aka-skinny, not tough) elite runners. Bobby had run the 50k last weekend as well and we both decided to take it easy as our legs were still a little out of sorts. The plan was to just start off and stay with the heard and then back off a little when things spread out and we could find some real estate to claim as our own. This plan was a massive fail.
The gun went off and we starting moving at around 7min pace. Surprisingly, my legs had some spring in them and felt remarkably good. Bobby was with me for about the first mile and I looked back and told him I was going to see what I could do.
The first four miles felt pretty good, lots of turns on the course and a few hills made it difficult to find a real rhythm but it was so early in the race that it did not really bother you too much. At the mile 3 point there was a band and a bunch of people handing out drinks. One guys was yelling "Root Beer" and I grabbed it thinking a shot of soda would give me a boost. Well, it was Jager. Half of it went down the other half went out my nose. If it wasn't so damn funny I would have turned around and punched the guy in his head.
By mile 5 the lactic acid was starting to creep up in my quads and my new goal was to see if I could hold a 7min/mi pace. The lactic acid burn became manageable and for the next 4 miles and I was just cruising along enjoying the day. Somewhere around mile 9 the sun started to come out and you could really start to feel the humidity. I noticed my breathing was becoming labored and an uncomfortable lung burn was beginning to rear it's unsightly head! I told myself to hold the pace until mile 10 and then just back off and cruise on in over the final 5k. For the second time today a plan was a massive fail.
A few weeks back I had done a 10mi Race (10 for Texas) and despite some muscle issues I ended up with a strong finish time of 1:11:08. So when I passed a race clock at the 10mi point and saw the time of 1:08:45 blaring at me it was time to make a decision. I looked down at the Garmin and did some quick math and figured I needed a time of 20:30 over the final 5K to get in under 90 minutes.
Actually said to myself out loud, "This is gonna hurt!"
And the race was on.
I passed a ton of people in the final 5k and just kept tuning out the pain as the Alamodome kept getting closer and closer. The final 1/2 mile of the race is up a big hill. Last year I was a spectator standing on this hill and I was remembering all the people I saw walking into the finish. That would not be me this year as I hit the hill with authority and busted ass up that sucker.
I crossed the finish line with 28 seconds to spare - 89minutes, 32 seconds.
Jeff Irvin
11/13/11 - RnR Half Marathon
Time: 1:29:32
Overall Place: 149/19365
Gender Place: 125/7337
Age Group Place: 10/1192
Here are the Garmin Splits:
1 - 6:59
2 - 6:46
3 - 6:42
4 - 6:50
5 - 7:00
6 - 6:58
7 - 6:52
8 - 6:46
9 - 6:39
10 - 6:45
11 - 6:41
12 - 6:51
13 - 6:31
.1 - 5:50
Overall this was a fantastic race. Spectator support was amazing and running through San Antonio was pretty cool. The weather ended up being warm and humid but we all made the best of it as us Texans are used to the pea soup. We enjoy San Antonio and this race so much that we will be doing it again in 2012! Whose in?
A big congrats to my wife Annie who set a PR @ 1:53:01. Congrats to my friends Bobby and Beth who also set PR's of 1:42 and 1:47 and to all the other wonderful runners from the LTF Run Club!
And another huge shout out to my cousin Bonnie who did her first 26.2 yesterday! She is super competitive and did not let the mid-80 degree temps slow her down. Congrats Bon!
**** Edit **** I just re-read this race report and it was not very fun and much more serious than most of my Race Reports. I apologize for this and leave you with a picture of me kicking Predator ass:
"You Are One Ugly M*******" |
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Ghosts and a Half Marathon ...
Annie and I are getting ready to head out to San Antonio for the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon tomorrow. We will both be running the half distance this year.
Annie is going to try and run under a 1:55. This is the time that qualifies you for early entry into the Houston Marathon and if she misses this time then you must rely on the luck of the draw in the lotto. The weather is supposed to be a little on the mild to warm side, which sort of sucks!
I really have no time goals as my legs are only about 75% recovered from last weekend's 50K Trail Run. I've done a couple of short runs and feel okay but the "zip" is definitely missing from my step so I am just going to run and see how it turns out!
I am more excited about staying at the Historic Menger Hotel directly across the street from the Alamo. I dig old buildings and the history that surrounds them. The Menger's known to be one of the most Haunted Hotels in America! Booooooo....
This looks bogus to me but maybe I will be proven wrong tonight:
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Annie is going to try and run under a 1:55. This is the time that qualifies you for early entry into the Houston Marathon and if she misses this time then you must rely on the luck of the draw in the lotto. The weather is supposed to be a little on the mild to warm side, which sort of sucks!
I really have no time goals as my legs are only about 75% recovered from last weekend's 50K Trail Run. I've done a couple of short runs and feel okay but the "zip" is definitely missing from my step so I am just going to run and see how it turns out!
I am more excited about staying at the Historic Menger Hotel directly across the street from the Alamo. I dig old buildings and the history that surrounds them. The Menger's known to be one of the most Haunted Hotels in America! Booooooo....
This looks bogus to me but maybe I will be proven wrong tonight:
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Monday, November 7, 2011
Rocky Raccoon 50K Race Report
The Bling |
Rocky Raccoon 50K Trail Run
Huntsville, TX - 11/05/2011
Jeff Irvin
Overall Rank: 7th
Age Group Rank: 1st
Back in 2009 I did my first 50k trail run at Huntsville State Park. It took me 6h 19m to finish that race and about a month to get over the damage done to the legs and IT band. I was happy to finish that race but have always felt that I severely under-performed on that day and in the back of my mind I have been looking for Redemption.
PreRace:
The alarm went off at 2:45am and I promptly smacked the snooze button with ninja-like precision. Alarm goes off again at 2:54am and it is time to get the show on the road. Annie, being the world's best sherpa, snaps to it and we plow some breakfast and pile in the car for the hour and fifteen minutes drive north. My friend Bobby was running the race as well so he crashed in the guest room that night and around 3:30am we were on our way to Huntsville.
We got to the state park, picked up our packets, and went back to the car to warm-up. It was around 40 degrees, which is quite chilly for us Southerners. The race was scheduled to start promptly at 6am so this meant we would need headlamps for the first 90 minutes.
The PreRace Shiver |
One of the things I really enjoy about trail races are how laid back and friendly all the other racers are. We were all standing around 5 minutes before the race chatting and joking about what the upcoming 31 plus miles were going to be like. I meet Annie's friend Nicholas, who was running the race, and we both had the same goal of coming in under 5hrs. Just good, solid people up there in the Texas woods!
The Race:
The race is two 15.5mi loops over single paths and old jeep roads. After the RD is done with his announcements he tells us he is going to walk up to the trail head entrance and sound the starting gun from there. About a minute or two later we hear him yell the race will begin in 45 seconds. I turn to the guy next to me and say, "Where the heck is he, I cannot see a thing?" The guy next to me says, "I don't know? Guess my plan to follow you isn't going to work?"
Gun goes off and 100 people head out in a single file line and we somehow find the trail head and the race is on.
First Loop - Miles 1 - 15.5:
The beginning of the race is on a single path and is a slight uphill for about a mile. A group of about 8-10 guys form off the front and we are moving at a pretty conservative pace trying to navigate the terrain of roots, rocks, sand and stumps. At the one mile mark you hear a bunch of garmin's all simultaneously beep and/or vibrate and I promptly announce, "Only 30 miles to go guys!"
Everyone had a good laugh as we crossed over the main park road and into the heart of the trails. This section is technical and you had to be very careful not to catch a root and take a header. After we crossed the road a younger guy with his shirt off (it was sub-40 dgrees) took off and dropped us all with the freaking agility of a jungle cat. He was so light on his feet that it looked almost effortless as he ran through the single trail switch backs. He would end up being the overall winner.
At this point we had a solid group of about 8 guys and Nicholas took the lead pulling us successfully through the dark forest. We finally came out to the jeep trail around mile 4 and headed out on the first out and back section to the #1 aid station. The jeep trails are pretty worn but a lot safer to run on so it is a little bit of a mental break.
After the first aid station around mile 6 me and a couple other guys jumped out to the front and slightly picked up the pace. I really didn't want to go much faster but I sort of wanted to shake things out a little and see who the runner were. Since I had the strongest headlamp I took the lead and this was not fun. A couple of roots jumped up and hit me pretty good. I never went down but stumbled a few times and at one point twisted my left knee pretty good. It stung a little but I was able to quickly shake it off.
We headed back down the jeep trail and I started chatting with another guy. Very cool dude and extremely efficient runner. I am pretty light on my feet and have decent form, next to this guy I sounded like a two-ton bull stumbling down the cobblestone streets of Pamplona!
In our conversation he confirmed my observation about his running. He had been a 2:21 marathoner and an 8:47 Ironman! Extremely badass! I asked him to save me a few pieces of pizza at the finish line. He finished second overall.
At about 8mi we hear someone coming up behind us and turn around to see the jungle-cat guy who was in the lead? He has a big smile on his face and tells us he took a wrong turn and was lucky to see our lights. He promptly re-takes his position off the front but for some reason me and the two other guys decide to try and run with him. We cover the next two miles at a sub-7min pace as I was sensing he did not like us with him. Now I am still feeling comfortable but the voice of reason in my head that I usually ignore started to make some sense about my inability to hold a sub-7min pace on these trails. I slowed down and the other two guys (jungle cat and elite runner guy) pulled ahead and shortly after that one of the the other guys I had been running with decided to kick it up a notch and he passed me around mile 13.
At this time I coasted into the finish area in the 4th position and it was time to start lap number two!
So fast the camera could not keep up! |
Making the turn |
Second Loop - Miles 15.6 - 31.2ish:
I made the turn and Annie and my friend Beth were volunteering at the aid station. It lifted my spirits to see them and they quickly grabbed my water bottle and filled it up. We were able to leave a drop bag at the turn around point. In the picture about you will notice my hands are full. I was dropping of my head lamp and empty EFS Liquid Shots container. I tossed these into my bag and took off. The entire turn around, drop off, and refill probably took no more than 20 seconds.
I headed back out and saw Nicholas coming in and he was maybe 2 or 3 minutes behind me. The next 6 or 7 miles were pretty uneventful. Aside from the 50k, their was also a 25k and 10k taking place. The 25k started an hour after us and the 10k started 30 minutes after the 25k. This meant the trails were a little more crowded but it was also sort of nice to see other people.
About 20 miles in my left knee that had been twisted earlier started to give me some grief. It felt fine climbing and running the flatter areas but hurt like hell when I tried to run the downhills. It was more of a swollen/irritation type of pain as opposed to a sharp/stinging pain so I knew it wasn't serious and would just have to suck it up and nurse it later.
Around the 22nd mile I heard someone yelling behind me and it was Nicholas. By this time I had been running alone for a couple of hours so it was nice to see him. We ran together the next 4 or 5 miles. He was having some hip flexor pain and I was gimping along down every downhill. We chatted it up and it really helped pass the time. I was trying to stick to his shoulder for as long as I could but at one point looked up and he was gone! He had an awesome race and finished in 4th place.
Once again I was alone and just trying to focus on moving as fast as I could without falling. It was getting harder and harder to lift the feet up over the roots and my form had become much more of a shuffle than a run. At this point I was in need of some motivation and believe it or not that motivation was strapped on my left wrist in the form of my Garmin 310xt! Right at this point I looked down and simultaneously hit the 26.2mi mark and my split was 3hr 45m - not to shabby on the trails and this gave me the boost I needed.
The knee was sore and limiting me a little but at this point in an ultramarthon everyone has some sort of hurt going on - this is when you just have to dig down and focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Over the final four miles two more guys passed me and they passed with authority. It sucks to get passed but you got to respect the effort from these guys this late in the run.
The final few miles hurt and hitting the finish line was great because it meant I could stop.
Only a few more yards to go! |
My type of finish line! |
Post race activities included cookies, a bag of M&M's, ice on the knee, warm clothes, and cheering on the rest of the field:
Front Row Seat in the Sun! |
Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta. |
My Trakkers Teammate, Anne, was also running the race and this was her first 50k. She finished with a huge smile and told me she had a blast. And because she is crazy and 31.2 miles is not enough she went and ran an additional .8 miles to give her a round 32mi for the day. Go check out her blog to read about this lunacy!
Okay, I am not usually a flip flop with socks type of guy but my feet were too swollen for shoes and it was to cold to be with out socks - bring on the jokes (-:
Funny story. So I am sitting and waiting for Annie to come over so she can take a picture of me Tebowing in front of the lake. At this time a guy just finished the 50k and I overhear him telling his buddy he wants to get a pic Tebowing in front of the finishers chute! This led to a lot of laughs and then of course, group Tebowing:
Lake Tebowing:
Bobby Tebowing at the finish line:
Couple Tebowing or Couplebowing:
Summary:
What worked?
- EFS Liquid Shots: I carried one flask for each loop for a total of 800 calories.
- First Endurance PreRace Caps: Three caps 30mins before the race and three more at the turn around.
- EFS Drink: Started with a 20oz bottle with three scoops or 300 calories.
- Hoka One One Bondi B Shoes: Review to come later but these shoes are a little slice of heaven on the trails!
- Peeing myself while running: After stopping to pee three times on the first loop I decided enough was enough and in the words of Harry from Dumb and Dumber, "Just Go!"
What did not work?
- HEED: This was the sports drink at the aid stations and it tastes awful. It gave me some calories and some hydration but the taste is horrendous. I actually considered licking the dirt at one point to get ride of the aftertaste.
- Amphipod Full Tilt Hydration Pack: It was rubbing against my back. I left it hanging on a sign at mile 16 and picked it back up at mile 30. I would not have been upset if someone would have stole it.
- Tebowing.
- Tebowing.
I came into this race with the goal of finishing under 5hr 30m. My stretch goal was under 5hrs. My final time was 4hr 39m which is a PR of over 1hr 40m.
That my friends is what we call Redemption.
Thanks for reading,
Jeff
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Oh Marathoning ...
- Yesterday was the official start date of my 18-Week Training plan leading up to the Woodlands Marathon on March 3rd. I am using the Pete Pfitzinger Advanced Marathoning 18/70 Plan. Click here to view plan.
- This will be my first stand alone marathon and my goal is to go sub-3:10. If able to achieve this goal it would be enough to qualify me for the Boston Marathon.
- The pace for a sub-3:10 marathon is 7:15/mi - very attainable, I think, will let you know in 18-weeks.
- On Saturday I am racing in the Rocky Raccoon 50K Trail Run. This is by no means an "A" race but I will be going as hard as humanly possible. My PR for a 50k is 6h19m and I intend to smash this time to smithereens.
- The trail race is at the State Park in Huntsville, TX and a very cool area. The course is made up of a combination of single lane paths with switchbacks and roots galore and old, rundown jeep trails. My plan is to move slow and steady on the single paths as to not turn an ankle or take a header into a tree. Once I hit the jeep trails it is time to open it up and make up some time. The goal is to get in under 5h30m for the 31miles run.
- October was a solid month on the training front. I decided to only run this month to give myself some much needed R&R from swimming and biking. I ended up running for 31hrs and concluded the month with 209mi on my feet. This is the most miles I have ever run in a single month, but will end up being about average for the next 4 months.
- The new show Terra Nova is absolute ass. Had high hopes for this one but it seems after the show creators figured out the cast they realized they forgot to
higherhire (happy RA?) writers and were out of money. My theory is they are just making it up on the fly.
- However, the second season of The Walking Dead has been amazing and has given us all hope of the future of TV. At times the pacing of the show is a little slow but they are using this to effectively develop the characters. I find myself excited for Sunday nights because The Walking Dead will be on - if you haven't seen this show yet check it out on AMC.
- On Saturday I will be doing the 50k race wearing Hoka One One Bondi B shoes. If you are unfamiliar with these shoes, as most are, stay tuned as I will have a full review of them next week. They have changed the way I approach running ...
- To add some positive mojo to my life I am considering Tebowing at multiple locations throughout the race on Saturday.
Next post will be the 50k race report with hopefully tons of pictures!
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Sunday, October 23, 2011
10 For Texas Race Report
Jeff Irvin
10 for Texas - The Woodlands
October 8, 2011
Time: 1:11:08
Overall: 56/1909
Age Group: 9/144
Weather: 74 Degree/Butt Crack-like Warmth (90% Humidity)
This was the first time I have done this 10 mile race but am familiar with the area as it starts and finishes on Market Street which is the same finish as Ironman Texas.
PreRace:
My friend Bobby came to the house and we drove over to the race which is about about 20 minutes away. We found rock star parking and walked over to the race expo area to find our friends Dave, Jenn, and Ruth Ann. They were hanging out in front of the Starbucks so we decided to go utilize the facilities - good call as the outdoor crappers had some long lines! Dave, Bobby and me got in about a mile warm-up run and then it was time to line up.
The Race:
We started about 4 rows from the front as to not have to deal with zig-zagging around slower runners. This was also a good call because the gun went off and we made it out extremely clean. The plan was to not stop at any aid station so I carried a 20-oz bottle of EFS Drink in a handheld.
My goal was to hold back a little for the first two miles at around a 7:15 pace - big fail. Mile one a 6:33 split; mile two a 6:38 split. It was at about this point that the area just south of my calf and north of the achilles really tightened up on me - on both legs? And when I say "tighten up" I really mean hurt like hell.
At this point I decided to change my normal mid-foot strike stride to a more of a heal strike by elongating the stride a little and reducing the cadence. This helped alleviate the pain below my calf but required a little of a slow down. It was a little frustrating because my HR was way down and I still had a lot of matches to burn. From miles 3-7 I held a pace of around 7:15 and it was about this time when my arches began to tighten up - on both feet? And when I say "tighten up" I really mean hurt like hell.
With only about two miles to go at this point I just sucked it up and finished the race. My final time was about 3-4 minutes slower than I wanted with a pace of around 7:05/mi.
Why in the heck would I get this type of pain in my legs and arches?
Quite simple actually. New shoes. I made the mistake of racing in the new Brooks Pure Flow shoes with only about 25mi on them. Normally I do most of my training miles in Brooks Launch and they have a 9.5mm heal-to-toe drop. The new Brooks Pure shoes take a more minimalist approach by using a 4mm heal-to-toe drop. This is quite a contrast in drop and I knew better than to rush the transition so fast. Lesson painfully learned as it took me two days of no running for the tightness to subside.
Now this race was over two weeks ago and I have been running in the Pure Flow shoes ever since and absolutely love them. They are a great shoe that I am currently using for the majority of my training but they did take about 50-60 miles until my feet and legs felt completely comfortable.
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Friday, October 21, 2011
School Me, Runners ...
Howdy y'all!
The weather has been absolutely fabulous here in the Houston area. We have been experiencing morning lows in the upper 40's and afternoon highs on the lower 70's. No humidity. No clouds. Lots of running!
My next race, the Rocky Raccoon 50K Trail Run, is a mere two weeks away and I am excited to get it started. This will be my second foray into the Ultrarunners world and I ampraying expecting a much less painful experience this time around.
Last time was in December of '09 and I was a rather inexperienced runner. Around the 22mi mark my concentration waned and I slipped on a wet root and hurt my leg. The IT band got plucked and I was left hobbled. It sucked not only because of the pain but because I was at the front of the pack when it happened. I ended up shuffling the final 9 miles to the finish line and still, to this day, was the most pain I have ever experienced in endurance sports. Got some unfinished business with this course. Click Here and Here to read about my first Ultra experience.
Okay, I have a question for all of you badass runners: Are my Saturday long runs too long and am I peaking too early?
Before you answer lets provide some background. The last three Saturdays have been: 22mi, 12mi, 20mi, and another 20mi planned for tomorrow. I have been running everyday using active recovery runs after hard efforts and long runs over the last three months. Over these last three months I have totaled about 500mi by gradually increasing the volume each month and will be around 220mi for the month of October. My legs feel great and the increase in volume and run frequency has led to an increase in speed. As of today, I am experiencing zero aches and/or pains or any signs of a potential injury. *knocking on wood*
Now the reason I ask about my long runs is that an experienced runner friend of mine thinks I am emptying the tank early and am going to be flat on race day. Admittedly, this friend performs better on lower volume training and I seem to excel when racking up consistently high miles.
Do you agree with my friend, should I cut back tomorrow's 20mi trail run and start my taper or since I am feeling great should I continue along with my plan and mash out another 20miler?
Talk to me Goose ...
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
The weather has been absolutely fabulous here in the Houston area. We have been experiencing morning lows in the upper 40's and afternoon highs on the lower 70's. No humidity. No clouds. Lots of running!
My next race, the Rocky Raccoon 50K Trail Run, is a mere two weeks away and I am excited to get it started. This will be my second foray into the Ultrarunners world and I am
Last time was in December of '09 and I was a rather inexperienced runner. Around the 22mi mark my concentration waned and I slipped on a wet root and hurt my leg. The IT band got plucked and I was left hobbled. It sucked not only because of the pain but because I was at the front of the pack when it happened. I ended up shuffling the final 9 miles to the finish line and still, to this day, was the most pain I have ever experienced in endurance sports. Got some unfinished business with this course. Click Here and Here to read about my first Ultra experience.
Okay, I have a question for all of you badass runners: Are my Saturday long runs too long and am I peaking too early?
Before you answer lets provide some background. The last three Saturdays have been: 22mi, 12mi, 20mi, and another 20mi planned for tomorrow. I have been running everyday using active recovery runs after hard efforts and long runs over the last three months. Over these last three months I have totaled about 500mi by gradually increasing the volume each month and will be around 220mi for the month of October. My legs feel great and the increase in volume and run frequency has led to an increase in speed. As of today, I am experiencing zero aches and/or pains or any signs of a potential injury. *knocking on wood*
Now the reason I ask about my long runs is that an experienced runner friend of mine thinks I am emptying the tank early and am going to be flat on race day. Admittedly, this friend performs better on lower volume training and I seem to excel when racking up consistently high miles.
Do you agree with my friend, should I cut back tomorrow's 20mi trail run and start my taper or since I am feeling great should I continue along with my plan and mash out another 20miler?
Talk to me Goose ...
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Say Goodbye to Blisters ...
TRUSOX |
A few months back I was talking with my buddy Mike, who is an avid soccer player, and he was telling me about how he was wearing these socks that had completely stopped the blisters that have been plaguing his feet for quite some time. They were called TRUSOX and he swore up and down that the little rubber patches on the outside of the socks prevented his feet from sliding around inside his sweaty shoes and completely prevented blisters.
I pretty much forgot about the conversation until a pair of the TRUSOX arrived in the mail from Mike. And since he was nice enough to send them I figured I would try them out and report back my findings and see if they have crossover potential for Endurance Athletes.
Running:
I have never really had a problem with blisters while running on the streets until I get up into the 18+mile range. However, I have had a problem with blister while trail running.
Blister from 50k Trail Race |
With the trails I run on being quite technical this leads to a fair amount of lateral feet movement and in the past this movement has led to some rather uncomfortable blisters (above) and hotspots. My first attempt at using the TRUSOX was in a pair of trail shoes (Brooks Cascadia) at East End Park in Kingwood, TX.
This is a small park along Lake Houston that is packed dirt, sand and wooded bridges. I was able to rip out about six miles on a hot and humid evening and the TRUSOX performed brilliantly. They were extremely comfortable and I was impressed with the high quality of the socks. Amazingly I was able to tell a difference in my running performance. It felt like I was more confident on my feet when moving laterally over rocks and trail irregularities. This was an unexpected positive outcome of the TRUSOX.
During the run I could not even feel that anything different was even being worn in terms of comfort. After the run my feet looked fine and no hotspots were noticeable.
So far so good ...
Cycling:
Shortly after wearing the socks on a trail run I then tried them out for a long ride with a group of friends on a rainy and windy Sunday morning. As I mentioned above I rarely have problems with hotspots or blisters while running on roads. This is the complete opposite while cycling.
At Ironman Texas the bottom of my feet were on fire from mile 80 to the 112 mile bike finish. It seems anytime it is hot (which is often here in Texas) that after about 60mi on the bike I develop some hotspots. After the socks performance on the trails I was extremely optimistic about trying them for this ride.
That morning we did 80mi of cycling and my feet felt wonderful. Zero issues. Zero hotspots. And it was an extremely wet and humid morning, which is what has lead to my past issues with foot discomfort. I felt like the TRUSOX really shined for me on the bike.
* Since this initial run and ride I have worn the socks for a Half Ironman and many other road and trail runs and my opinion has not changed since the initial run.
Summary:
Pros:
- The TRUSOX do what they claim and absolutely prevent blisters.
- They are comfortable enough to be used for everyday training.
- They are as easy to put on as any other sock.
- I could tell a noticeable difference in performance while running on technical trails.
- They are the perfect cycling sock.
Cons:
- They are a little thicker sock then what I normally use but are still pretty breathable.
- Cost. They are $24 per pair.
Overall I can say that I am extremely impressed with the TRUSOX. According to Mike, these socks were designed by a soccer player for soccer players but the crossover to endurance sports makes complete sense. Runners and cyclists spend a lot of time on their feet and we need to keep them healthy - TRUSOX does that even if they were not initially made for us endurance folks.
For those of you who have blister problems I would highly recommend picking up a couple pair of TRUSOX. Currently I am using them for all of my trail runs and long Saturday morning runs and will use them in next months Rocky Raccoon 50k Trail Run. They are a bit on the pricey side but I'd much rather pay a little extra cash then be unable to run or ride because of a couple of puss filled blisters! Well worth the cost.
Click Here to purchase a pair of TRUSOX.
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff
**Disclaimer: The TRUSOX were given to me by a friend. I was not paid for this review and am not entitled to future compensation. The opinions are mine alone based on the trial of the product while training. If you have any questions about TRUSOX I suggest you visit the website.
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