Run DMZ

A few weeks ago I received a pair of OrthoLite inserts to test and was excited at possibly finding another shoe insole to help extend the life of my legs and running shoes. OrthoLite manufacturers say their insoles retain 95% of their cushioning after the first year, something they also claim no other open cell foam insole can do. I wasn’t about to wait a year, but if that’s indeed true, then it’s great news to those with a limited budget and shoe lifespan. The inserts also use an environmentally-friendly anti-microbial to fend off fungi and malodor and a structure for ventilation that helps keep the foot dry. This last part was what impressed me most since it was one of the few areas I could truly test. You see as soon as I trimmed my inserts to fit my Nikes and tried them on, I didn’t feel any difference. Then I looked at the original insert and saw they were indeed by OrthoLite. It made sense – more than 100 million OrthoLite inserts are used in many popular athletic shoes (Nike, As...

We have a typical weather pattern in San Diego that we call May Gray and June Gloom. This is because a thick marine layer settles in during the late spring and keeps everything cooler than other parts of the country, or even here. It's one reason we can schedule a major marathon in June. What isn't typical is what we call July Sigh, and this has been the coolest July on record in almost 100 years . Where I work, near the coast, it's barely been above the mid-60s; where I live, it's stayed a highly comfortable 70 with a light ocean breeze. July Sigh is not good for tourism, but it's excellent for long-distance running. This morning our group ran from Harbor Island deep into Point Loma by way of a big, big hill on Canon Road. I ran 9 of the 11 miles on the schedule and definitely could have done the entire circuit except I didn't want to fool with an 8-mile hard-as-heck race next weekend. So I climbed the big hill and then turned around at 4.5 miles and went back....

A BBC Health report today explains why people like to use music while exercising and how it can increase performance by as much as 15%. Among other things, it "masks" effort and helps you maintain a quicker pace. Of course, this is with training. Here in the USA, most major races still prohibit running to music for mostly safety and competitive reasons. But if you find you "can't run without my music," this may be why. [I couldn't embed the video, so here's the link .]

One great thing about doing your long run on a Saturday is having more options for your early Sunday mornings. I decided it was high time to get back on my bike, partly inspired by my friend Jeanette's first half Ironman celebration and partly instigated by an upcoming sip 'n' cycle tour in September. Before I even get to a very well traveled bikepath along the freeway, I have to motivate my muscles to get up a big hill just to get to the bikepath. (This photo is at the midpoint.) The reward once I reach the top is a nice downhill start on the 56 bikepath that always makes my eyes water and my windbreaker flap. I did not stop to take photos on the real decline, which you can't see from this angle; trust me, it's a decent drop. I originally intended to go 20 miles up and back, but I forgot to bring my water bottle and forgot to drink any water before leaving. I was already thirsty and decided to instead pull off the bikepath onto Rancho Santa Fe Farms Road and wei...

I pulled into Harbor Drive early this morning fully expecting to run 30 minutes max, and all alone, due to a volunteer shortage for our half marathon training program. Instead, I got to be a full part of the group, from the warm-up stretch through a post-run breakfast in Old Town . This is my kind of Saturday morning. I’ve been doing my weekend long runs at the butt-crack of dawn to avoid the worst of the heat inland, so it was a treat just to run along the brine-scented bay still covered in a thick marine layer. I've missed the hum of airport traffic and the urban trees and maritime museum and bold gulls along the embarcadero just slightly peppered with tourists and fellow runners and cyclists at that hour. On this morning, we turned up Ash Street just beyond the Star of India and headed up to Sixth Avenue. Due to traffic lights at every block, our group of three quickly grew to 8 and then 12 by the time we’d passed the hotels, city jail and skyscrapers and mentally prepared for...

This week our club began 10 weeks of hill training on Tuesday nights. I ate a lot of dust and humble pie on the first one, which included going up and down two particularly gruesome hills in Balboa Park a total of six times. I managed to stay with my group the entire time, but on the last two climbs, we all pretty much ran out of steam and walked a wee bit. Since I run hills routinely at home, I was surprised at how difficult the workout was for me. Hills are part of the training trilogy: long slow distance runs to build endurance; speedwork to improve pace; and hills to build strength. We got a mini-lesson on how to handle hills from our coach just prior to the workout. The most important thing, whether in training or racing, is to "never, ever sprint up a hill." If you do, you will implode at the top and suddenly be passed up with no chance to catch up. Form is key with hills. You need to keep your head up (to keep air flowing) and pump your arms to get those legs moving....