Friday, November 27, 2015


All of my cheapo devices have been failing me this month. First my bluetooth Thumps and now my Mio Fuse. I'm not sure if it's the cold weather or just that time of year, but one of my thump headphones went spotty. The bluetooth part only works at random times, which ends up scaring the crap out of me on the trail.

I decided to buy a new pair, since technology in wireless headphones seems to have boomed. There's much more selection now than a couple of years ago.

After sifting through reviews on Amazon and weeding out the fake and paid reviews, I decided on getting the Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth Headphones. I purchased a pair of these for Jon for his birthday too, since I am a major convert to wireless running. THE FREEDOM!!! EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW HOW IT FEELS. I have the electric blue color, and he has the neon green. Both are pretty sleek looking in my opinion.

The blue is only $92 on Amazon, and the Green is $97. 

I got these because I wanted a lightweight and reliable pair that had a long battery life and was also waterproof/sweatproof. I don't really sweat much when I run, but I do like to get out in the rainy weather (if it ever rains in CA).

The headphones were shipped to me at lightning speed, thanks to my Prime account. They arrived nicely packaged, and included an armband pocket.


The first thing I noticed was that they were extremely flexible. The benefit of this is that you don't have a stiff piece behind your head, and if you were to go to the gym and lift weights or anything, you could lay down without feeling like they're going to snap.  It's a nice touch, and also allows you to stuff them into your pockets when you aren't using them.




When I put them on for the first time, it took a bit of adjusting. It's still kind of a challenge to put them on since they are so flexible. The earpieces are made to fit snugly into your ear, which for me and Jon they fit nicely. They started out a little uncomfortable for me, but after a short 4 mile run I realized that the minor discomfort dissipated. I should mention that if you tend to have smaller ears they MAY be uncomfortable over time. For me and Jon though, they are quite comfortable.

Supposedly the battery lasts 8 hours of listening time, but since I've been injured I haven't exactly been able to run any ultras recently. It is nice though because when you connect it to your phone you can see how much battery life is in them. It also has a mode where it hibernates when away from the phone to extend the battery life. To charge it you just open up a little port on the side of one of the ear pieces, and connect it with it's included micro USB charging cable.



Turning them on and off is a breeze and there is a notifying light that glows blue when on and red when off or charging.

 
I haven't used any of the button features really, but Jon said he took a phone call and was amazed with how well it performed. 

Reading the reviews, the biggest gripe I saw was that they weren't super loud. They are made so you don't completely block out all the outside noise since that isn't safe for runners. I personally don't listen to music very loud in the first place so it's not a problem for me. I have read that you can replace it with the yurbud ear buds to get a more closed off and enhanced sound.



One thing I liked is the audio announcements saying if the headphones are connected to your phone or not. There's no more guesswork like with the Thumps. 

Lastly, they include a free armband/storage case. The storage case turns inside out to reveal the armband. I probably won't ever utilize it since there is no clear screen to use the phone, but it is a nice addition. It also is reflective if you want some extra visibility at night.




All in all, I really like these headphones. I would be cautious to get them if you happen to have some trouble finding comfortable ear buds. These are super light weight, and don't fall out. They are coated with a protective nano-coating to repel liquids. So far...so good!

My knee is still in repair mode, but this week is definitely an "up" week for it. I ran the Gobble Wobble, a turkey trot ran by local running store, A Runner's Mind. It was a great deal, and only $25 with a groupon coupon. It helped that it was only a mile away from the house at Coyote Pointe, a place I run by on an almost daily basis.



One of the highlights for me were the saucony shirts! The colors were a bit blinding, but I really appreciate the nice quality of the fabric. They are super light weight, and I will definitely be wearing it on the chillier runs. The men got short sleeve neon orange shirts, and the women got nice electric yellow long sleeves.





I was happy to be running with a handful of friends. We all met up at the starting line. I was just taking it easy and trying to keep a moderately low heart rate. I wasn't sure how my knee would handle the 6 miles, but it seemed to do great! Feeling optimistic. 





The course followed the bay trail south around Hay Hill and then back up toward Coyote Point. It was a beautiful and cold day. There was even frost on the ground! 


It was a sold out race, and there were several hundred people toeing the starting line. The 10k started at 8am, and the 5k started at 8:30. There was a lot of variety from lightning fast high schoolers, to lots of parents with strollers. So many strollers. So many people with strollers faster than me.

The dangling carrot at the finish was a free included pancake breakfast. I didn't partake, but they looked fluffy and tasty! There were vendor booths, and they supplied fancy Hint waters as well. Pretty impressive for a little local fun run.

I know you're all dying to know...I didn't win. But, I'll definitely be back. I like the convenience of it being at Coyote Point, and it's a cheap race with a lot of perks. The vibe was friendly and overall it was very smoothly ran. I really appreciated the friendly volunteers that were standing in the freezing cold early on a holiday morning to help out.

Jon and I spent the rest of the day hanging with the dogs and chickens, eating...chicken..., and sitting by the fire playing video games and drinking wine. It was such an overwhelmingly awesome day, and was everything that I wanted. Feeling thankful for a lot of things, but extra thankful for having functional legs, and while my knee has given me some problems, I am lucky that they allow me to run at all. Happy Holidays, Folks! And keep an eye out for my next post. I MAY have bought the new Garmin 235 that will arrive on Monday. *squeeeeeeeeal!!!*  









Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth Headphones review, and the Gobble Wobble!

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Tuesday, November 17, 2015


Welp, it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. I didn't have much to report, but contrary to the popular saying, no news is not good news.

A little over a week ago, the ol' knee was making slow improvements, and right when I was sure things would heal up 100%, things took a downturn and now I feel almost like I am back to square one. I am trying to retrace my steps to figure out what exactly I did wrong. There were a few things that could have been the cause. I had done two 4-5 mile runs in a row, which was a bit more than I'm used to. Previously I was running every other day. I also slightly upped my mileage, but I don't see that being the major problem.

I also wore these stupid wedges that just taunt me on a daily basis (they are just so easy to put on!). I need to just throw them into traffic, because they have yet to do me any good. And by wedges, I mean 1" heels. They don't even really count.

The Devil shoes.

I'm just going to say it, I'm done with heels. DONE. Sure, they look great, and make your legs look super muscular and awesome, but it's NEVER WORTH IT. Every time I give it a shot, I spend the next day regretting it. Or the same day. I am not a person that can walk well in heels. I'm pretty sure most girls can't walk well in heels. We should all just collectively stop. Just stop.

But yeah, I really think wearing those for a day set me back.

Whatever it was, there's not much I can do now. I am continuing with the exercises and icing, but I'll be honest and say my enthusiasm is completely depleted. 

I guess the most exciting running news is that I finally volunteered at a race. I've always wanted to, but could never bear to stand on the sidelines instead of participating. The injury forced me to swallow my pride, so I emailed the race director at Inside Trails and decided to volunteer a couple hours with Rini for the Mt. Tam Trail Race. This was the race I had signed up for in preparation for the North Face 50 miler. :(

Rini and I got to the race a little after 8:30 to pick up our volunteer gear. The director gave us a pile of stuff, including two race official vests, two bright orange flags, and two signs to put on the road that runners were crossing.




We were stationed at Hwy 1 @ Muir Beach by a cute little farm with horses. A CHP officer was assisting us, since we are not allowed to direct traffic. I was really nervous to be a course monitor, because I don't like directing anyone anywhere. Just the thought of potentially misdirecting a runner or holding them back scared me! 

I managed to control my anxieties. It's hard to be anxious with Rini around. She has this calm assertive Cesar Milan thing going on. Just kidding (kind of), but seriously, I was so glad that we were together for this.


I think we must have had the most chaotic intersection of the whole race. Luckily we were only directing the 50k racers, but having it be at the Muir Beach road with crossings on both sides on the busy Highway 1 was stressful. It didn't help that there was also an accident between a cyclist and a Tesla so the CHP officer was trying to do double duty.

The crazy part is that the Tesla apparently INTENTIONALLY hit the cyclist out of road rage. I felt like there was a lot of aggression in Marin, I'm not sure if it was just that day or what. I constantly had to overhear conversations between cyclists as to how runner's were "infesting" the trails, and how much of an inconvenience it was for them. I understand their point, I really do, but I also know that there really weren't that many 50k runners at this part of the trail, and the ones that were there were few and far between. Can't we all just get along? We're all out there to have fun and be outside...

Most people were pretty nice, and almost all of the runners were kind and thanked me for being there. I got a bit bored at the end because there were so few runners going through, but I was constantly entertained by the wild animals roaming nearby. I saw four deer crossing the road at separate times, and this coyote was totally hanging out with me a stone's throw a way.

Jon is still training for the North Face 50k. He was running in the same area for his group run and ended up running through the road that I was on. I snapped some pictures of him. That day he finished his longest run ever with 27 miles and over 5000 feet of elevation. That boy sure has come a long way (literally and figuratively) since I met him. 


One mistake that I did was not bring any food or eat a large breakfast before volunteering. Rini and I didn't grab lunch until almost 2:30 and we were both famished at that point. The experience was great, but next time I volunteer I'd like to try out sweeping the course or working at the aid station. 

In other running news, I got a new rain jacket. The Ultimate Direction Women's Ultra Jacket. It's a million dollars, but totally worth it for the built in mittens and the ability to turn my head with the hood on. Well, okay it's not really a million dollars. It's $180, which I think is basically the same thing. I have yet to actually try it in the rain, because I live in California. And it has only rained twice. In 10 years.


I'll give you a more in depth review when that happens.

For now, I guess I should attempt my sad exercises and cry. Here's some chickens and my blind dog.





Volunteering, and coping...

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Monday, November 2, 2015



Some of my favorite people are people I've met through running. Whether it's me dragging people out, people dragging me out, meeting at races (ahem, RINI), through running groups, or the most unique so far...meeting through Strava's Flyby's.




Strava is a running/cycling app that I have been using for a couple of years now. They are always adding new things to it, and my favorite feature yet is the FlyBy. It's fun to watch, you appear as little bubble avatars and you can "play" the run and see it in action. If you're in a race you can see the point when other Strava runner's pass you, or when you pass them. You can check out my race flyby here. 

Since I'm always on the Bay Trail, I ended up running by this girl one morning. She looks fast. You can tell by her CEP compression wear, her long stride and effortless smile she always has on. I don't remember the nitty gritty, but one of us saw each other in the fly by's and we became pretty much instant friends.

I don't know about you, but for me, it's really easy to get along with other running geeks. It's like finding someone that speaks your language in a foreign distant land. We dork out about previous races, running times, gear, and well...just about everything. It was Audrey that recommended the kick-ass acupuncture place to me, and it was her that recommended my newfound coach (more about that later). 

Since we live in the same area, we've been trying to sync up our race schedules together too. Even though she's way faster, and actually wins races. Did I mention that she qualified for Boston at TWO races this year? AND she just casually ran a 50 miler with over 6k elevation like as if it was just a 10k? 

So when I mentioned the annual San Mateo Rotary 5k/10k just a half mile away from our houses (1 mile for her), I didn't have to twist her arm to get her to sign up. I also managed to get one of my super fast coworkers to join!

And yes, all of that blabbering lead to why I ended up doing the San Mateo Rotary 5k/10k.

I have done this race a couple of times prior. It is only $25 for either the 5k or 10k, and has nearly 250 participants total. This year there were 150 5k runners and 91 10k runners. The race directors are really friendly, and the amount of love put into this race is palpable.

It's held at the Seal Point Park right by "hay hill" (which I guess is just a giant pile of garbage. literally.). It started at 9am so I had plenty of time to catch some extra zz's, before walking over. The bib pickup was quick and easy, and while it would have been nice to have some extra restrooms there, the handful of toilets at the park sufficed.

Thanks to Audrey Kung for taking this photo!

The course wraps around hay hill, and then goes down a straight path toward coyote point, doing a u-turn and heading back towards seal point park. The 10k course is just the 5k course twice, which always is kind of a bummer. The great part about that though, is that any participants can get PLENTY of photos of the runners if they simply stand at Hay Hill.



Did I mention that Audrey and I were accidental twins?



Audrey was going for the 5k women's win, and I was just trying to survive. I stuck with my MAF zone (148 heart rate), which kept me at my usual ten minute mile. 

I finished, and snagged my runner's gift bag and cotton long sleeved shirt (I'd love to design something for next year's if they're reading this). Audrey stepped up to the podium to grab her hard earned $100 gift certificate to A Runner's Mind. The gift bag is always my favorite thing, since it's just a grab bag of random samples of things. And I mean RANDOM. Each bag has different things in it too, which I find hilarious.



They did their raffle which always lasts a bit long and sadly and unsurprisingly, I didn't win. The prizes are plentiful, and Audrey won another gift certificate to a local restaurant. Lucky girl...



A major component to the joy of this race were the subs at the finish line from Jersey Mike's. They were sooo good! They also had banana's, recovery drinks, and probably other things but I was too engrossed with the sandwiches.

Will I do the race again? Definitely! I love how convenient it is, and it's a really quaint and fun race to do.

I won't blab on for much longer, but I wanted to give a quick update on the knee. Things are progressing every day, and I am feeling quite positive. I have hired a new remote coach, Mathew Nark, and he sends me weekly running workouts. Right now it's pretty tame because we both know that I am in recovery mode, and he wants me to be absolutely pain free before giving me harder workouts.

Having a coach was something I always wanted to do simply because I need some structure. I was looking for someone to hold me back when I need, and let me go crazy when it was a good time. I set up some new goal races for next year, so despite having to bail on The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler, and the Mt. Tam Inside Trail 50k, I have something to look forward to.

The race list so far? The Gobble Wobble on Thanksgiving, The Kaiser Half Marathon on Valentine's day, and the Modesto Marathon March 20th. I'm steering myself away from trails as much as I love them, just because I think my knees need a break.

Oh, but back to the knee. It's getting better. It's lost it's floppy double chin look.


This morning I bounced out of bed, to run in the rain. We don't get much rain here, if you aren't aware. I can't even remember the last time I ran in the rain, it has been so long. It's safe to say I was a little excited. I even made up my own song/chant to drive Jon crazy with. "RUNNING IN THE RAIN....DUn..DUnn Dun.." It was a very deep song.



My run this morning felt amazing. I didn't have any knee pain at all! They were a bit achy afterward, but I definitely am seeing progress and hope that by the end of the week I will be pretty much back to normal. Rest, Ice, strength, repeat!

Anywho, that's about it for me. I didn't realize I had so much to say! I'll post more details about the coaching, and also the future races next time.




My knee healing progress and a quick race recap of the San Mateo Rotary Fun Run

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Saturday, October 24, 2015



I'm not out of the woods yet, but had some time to draw you guys a picture.


Nah, I'm just being dramatic. I wanted to draw illustrate how I've been felt these last couple of weeks. Being injured sucks, and though I am fortunate enough to still be able to run somewhat, I have that caged bird feeling and just want to get back on the trails. LET ME AT THEM!

I have certainly been getting PLENTY of rest. When I'm not sleeping 10 hours a day, I'm often spending my time rolling, doing strengthening, and icing. And eating ice cream. Or just staring at the chickens while eating ice cream. (oh and working) 

This week I've made a LOT of progress. I really believe that I need to credit most of it to the supplements I've been taking. 

I've loaded the cupboards with some collagen and Glucosamine & Chondroitin. The powdered form is only because I'm a pansy and can't choke down the typical form (horsepills). 



The Glucosamine that I bought, I take in the morning with my coffee. It doesn't have much of a flavor, but mentally it kind of grosses me out a bit. It also has some collagen in it, which always leaves me full in the morning. I take two tbsp which is 40 calories and contains 1500mg of Glucosamine Hydrochloride, 10g of Hydrolyzed Collagen, 500mg of Chondroitin sulfate, and 500 mg of Methylsulfonylmethane...AKA MSM.

The Collagen Hydrolysate that I take is from Great Lakes Gelatin. I KNOW IT'S OVERKILL AND I PROBABLY DON'T NEED TO TAKE BOTH. I take the green can because it's also cold water soluble. However, I take it mostly in my hot tea just because I have a feeling it dissolves faster in the hot liquids. Taking it at night is when I read most people take it, because it helps some people sleep. I am not sure if I've been sleeping like a rock because of this or what, but I definitely haven't had any sleep issues.

When I pour the powder in with the hot water, it is kind of milky white for a little bit and once dissolved (after about 30 seconds) it's crystal clear. It does make the tea a tiny bit thicker, but again, it does make me feel more full and contains 11g of protein and 43 calories (per 2 tbsp).

I would recommend starting a lower dose of the collagen and working your way up since it can be kind of upsetting to your stomach (bloat, fullness). 

One more thing that is back on the supplements list is the wallet draining Cod Liver Oil. I recommend the smaller bottles for freshness. I made the mistake of trying an old bottle that I had, but apparently you should use them within 90 days. The cod liver oil is supposed to help with joints and reduce inflammation. Oh and be SURE to get the lemon flavored one. I got the unflavored one once and it was really disgusting.

Since taking all of these, I have noticed dramatic results. Prior, it seemed like my progress was going nowhere. I was disappointed that all my time off running had not made much of a dent in making the pain go away. Once I started taking these, the next day I was walking better, and three days later I almost feel back to normal with no limp. 

I even had my very first PAIN FREE RUN. It was incredible! I was stupidly excited.


It helped that I actually peeled my butt out of bed in the morning to catch a sunrise. It was worth it, although since I'm not used to waking up early anymore I did have to crawl into my car for a 20 minute cat nap.


I've been fairly active this whole week. I managed to get out for 2 runs (my third is tomorrow), three hours of cycling on the trainer and catching up on tv shows and movies, and I even got a chance to go top rope climbing with Rini on Friday. It was so much funnnn! 

I'll end the post by saying that tomorrow morning I have a 10k race. And by "race" I mean, I signed up for an event in which I will slowly trot along and stick with a low heart rate. It is just a casual and unofficial fun run nearby. I'm looking forward to it! My goal is to finish a second run PAIN FREE. Wish me luck!!!





Supplementssss!

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Saturday, October 17, 2015




Here I am. Sitting at my desk, once again avoiding something that I probably should be doing but that I really, really, REALLY hate. But, my bike on the trainer will always be there...and you guys? My five readers (you real troopers)? I don't know how much longer you'll hang on for. ;)

The running news front isn't very exciting, but I figure I'd post about it since most of you know how it feels to be out for an injury. The majority of us on the sidelines are the obsessive type A people that thrive on a consistent schedule, and that regular flow of endorphins that running gives us. To me it's also my time that I have to myself, where I can just let my mind relax and I catch up on my podcasts.

Speaking of which, here are some of my current faves. If anyone has any recommendations, let me know because I'm always looking for new ones.

This American Life
Radiolab
The Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast (although I take his advice with a grain of salt, and I am EVER SO SAD that his Canadian sidekick Brock is no longer his sidekick.) Hnngh, seriously, I am so sad and contemplating giving up on the podcast.
Endurance Planet - my favorite episodes are "Ask The Coach" with Lucho and Tawnee
Planet Money
Freakonomics 
Marathon Training Acadamy - It's almost irritatingly PG, but I've gotten familiar with their personalities and they're kind of charming after a while.
Ultra Runner Podcast - although I have to admit I have been cutting back on this one recently, not sure why, but the host Eric is really great and a total running geek.

I battle constantly between being annoyingly optimistic about my knee, to being lazy and giving up. The laziness/giving up side has thrown a hell of an upper cut, but the optimistic side is bobbing and weaving for dear life. Part of me wants to just give up completely, enjoy doing nothing and let my muscles atrophy. The other part of me is trying to convince me to keep my muscles around. Oh, and I am not supposed to get fat until AFTER the wedding.

Did I mention my sarcasm level is rising? Almost as much as my dog's.



I have around seven weeks left until the 50 miler, and only a month until my scheduled 50k. I'm almost certain that I'll need to downgrade my 50k to a 10k or a half marathon (if I'm very lucky). My current status is that I can do 15 miles on flat ground with mild pain. Things aren't looking so great for me. I need to hope for a miracle, but I won't throw in the towel until I absolutely have to.

What is it? Patellofemoral pain Syndrome, says the doc. It is probably the most common knee injury, and is also known as the dreaded "Runner's Knee". My patella is off track, and the cartilage underneath is all worn and inflamed. The sharp pains I was experiencing were the bone on bone action, and that is no bueno.

Things are certainly improving. I no longer have those sharp pains. No more gasps when I step wrong or straighten my leg too fast. This is a major improvement. The last five mile run I did started out kind of painful but the last two miles were virtually pain free. I was completely ecstatic when I got home.



The knee is costing me a pretty penny. I am adhering to the "everything but the kitchen sink" method. Each week I have been going to the sports chiropractor where he grinds away at the scar tissue with the Active Release Technique. He also beats my IT band and quads into submission.

Weekly, I am also dropping by the local acupuncturist's office. I mentioned her before, but I actually snagged a photo for you guys. The second visit was much more relaxing for me. I had way less tension in my neck and shoulders so I was able to chill out this time instead of fidgeting and waiting for the time to be up. I was able to handle much more electricity to the ol' knee, so that is a positive sign. It means things are improving!

zappity zap zap! PAIN, BE GONE!

Additionally, I have been on a knee brace buying spree to find the right one. I returned some, but the ones I decided to keep are this knee sleeve that I bought of Amazon, and the classic runner's knee band that I see on practically every other runner outdoors.

The knee sleeve is my favorite because it provides just the right amount of compression and support. It feels great on, and I even ran with it with no chaffing or issues. It has one of those puffy donut gel pads to encircle your patella, as well as some thicker banding along the sides to provide more support to the sides of your knee. I can easily fit it over my pants for that classic but casual-cool "injured runner" look at work.

Hard to see, but there's a firm banding on the sides where my thumb is.

Ordered in a sleek black to show off all the dog hair

Flipped inside out

So cushy!

I've also splurged on some new supplements, which Jon would be excited to hear about. Our cupboards aren't overflowing with supplements at all. I don't go through weirdo health phases ever. There's that sarcasm again. But seriously, my doc recommended glucosamine and chondroitin and/or hydrolyzed collagen powder. Since I couldn't wait the five days for Amazon to ship me my order, I also went and bought some Move Free Ultra pills. I have a hard time taking large pills, so I asked for powder recommendations. These Move Free Ultra pills are great though because they are approximately the size of a Motrin, and I only need to take one a day.



Between my three recommended five mile runs a week, I am doing just about every stretching and strengthening exercise that is recommended. Leg lifts, wall squats, monster walks, crab walks, quad hamstring and calf stretches...you name it, I'm doing it. I even bought some cheesy little ankle weights from Marshalls for five dollars to do some knee strengthening work.

Look how tiny my quads have gotten. Wall squats 1 min 3x's a day.

I'm also still cycling. And my butt still hurts. REALLY BAD. It's not funny. Control your laughter. *waits it out* What am I doing wrong (other than riding for hours at a time non stop)!? It is almost intolerable. I bought a gel cover for my already gelled out seat, and some gel padded shorts.

Maybe not the most opportunistic time to take a photo

The positive part is that I am once again opening my arms up to pop culture. Game of Thrones? You know...that tv show that everyone had made several references to for MANY YEARS that I just have had to smile and nod to? Yeah, I finished season one and I'm on season two now! I'm patting myself on the back for that.


That's the latest and the greatest. I guess I should attempt to hop on the bike for a couple hours...or maybe I should start cleaning the house..........

Cute dog tax.



The road to recovery

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