Dopey Challenge

If it ain’t broke…

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As the saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

Back in 2011 as I was training for my first marathon I was having persistent knee issues and the end result was 6 weeks of visits to a physical therapist. At the suggestion of the therapist treating me I went to a running store (Roadrunner Sports in North Brunswick, NJ) and had myself properly fitted into a pair of shoes. Don’t get me wrong, I bought my first real pair of running shoes from a specialist store but this entailed the salesman asking just a few questions and having me run around the shoe department but at the time I was not exactly knowledgable on the subject and I didn’t ask the right questions. I was fitted for a stability shoe (which is correct) but it was not the right size (too small) and didn’t offer the level of control that I needed.

One of the consequences of the physical therapy was that it strengthened my knee and they worked on showing me how to change my gait appropriately to avoid the significant pronation I was running with. Essentially I rolled my right foot so far in that I was pushing off more on the ankle than the foot. Ouch.

So I was fitted with a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS shoes. This is actually Brooks’ best selling shoe. GTS is the acronym for ‘Go To Shoe’. I have been running in them ever since. I keep two pairs in rotation (I rotate every run) and probably get through about 5 pairs a year (350-450 miles per pair depending on the wear). Additionally I added a supportive guidance insole to the shoe which I subsequently have purchased a new set with every new pair of shoes.

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 - My current shoe

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 –
My current shoe

A couple of years ago Brooks brought out a new line of shoes which were more lightweight but not completely minimalist. These were part of the Pure Project. One of those shoes provided a level of stability. This shoe was the PureCadence. I was intrigued but a little weary of trying due to my comfort in the Adrenalines.

Now, I’m not exactly the fashionista but Brooks Adrenalines don’t exactly look flashy nor come in wild colors. Okay, so you are thinking that is not the most important thing. To be honest it isn’t but it didn’t stop me looking at other brands and shoe reviews from time to time.

After completing my second marathon in January 2012 I went back to Roadrunner and asked them to reanalyse my running gait. It had been six months since they fitted me and I had worked hard on maintaining the running gait I had adapted to during the physical therapy. I was pleased to see in the analysis that I had improved the gait and the pronation was less severe. They recommended at the time that I could move to a motion control shoe rather than stability shoe and so I purchased the Brooks Ravenna (it had the same fit as the Adrenalines). I took them home and did a 5 mile run the next day. Immediately could feel my knee hurting during the run. After the run I decided that I would take the shoes back and returned to my Adrenalines. You can tell quickly if a shoe is right or wrong for you.

After this year’s Goofy Challenge I was due to replace another pair of shoes and decided to have my running reanalysed to see if there was any progression in my running style and needs. I tried 5 different brands of stability shoes from all the major manufacturers, Nike, Mizuno, Asics and New Balance. They were all comparable to the Brooks Adrenalines but at the end of the day I went with a new pair of Adrenalines.

So, why am I writing this post? Well back last month at the Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon expo where Brooks is the major sponsor I decided to get them to analyse my running gait as they were offering this service to runners. I did my treadmill run which they recorded and advised them of my weekly distance and running preferences (road with a little trail) and they came up with a list of suggested shoes in the stability category. The Brooks Adrenaline, the Brooks Trance and the Brooks PureCadence.

Recommendations

Recommendations

They described the Adrenaline as a family sedan, the Trance as a luxury sedan and the PureCadence as a stripped down sports car. I’m such a sucker for sales speak. I knew I didn’t want more cushioning as I didn’t want any further bulk or weight on my feet but I was intrigued by the PureCadence as the fit expert said that they would offer the stability that I needed in a shoe. I didn’t rush out and buy them but Roadrunner Sports sent me a discount coupon a couple of weeks later which provided me 45% discount on this shoe so I decided to take the plunge and try a pair. I figured I would use the Adrenalines for my long runs but a lighter shoe may be good for short runs and speed work (like I really do that!)

The shoes arrived on Tuesday and I decided to wear them on my 5 miler on Wednesday morning. I was excited to give them a try as you can see from my Facebook post the night before.

'Ruby Slippers'

‘Ruby Slippers’

Well, it didn’t turn out as good as I had expected. Here is my Facebook post after the run.

Wednesday's run

Wednesday’s run

Although the left shoe felt great, the right shoe where I pronate more was causing me problems. I noticed the distinct lack of cushioning as I pummelled my foot during my run. After the run my right ankle and calf pretty much wanted to disown me. I wore a compression sleeve on my right leg all of Wednesday and it wasn’t until late afternoon that my foot began to feel normal again. I was off my feet at my desk most of the day. I was lucky after all the work training for the upcoming Philadephia Marathon that I hadn’t caused myself an injury. Another saying comes to mind. “Curiousity killed the cat”.

Today I woke up and put my Adrenalines on for an easy 5 mile run. I was concerned of any after affects from yesterday but I am pleased to say that all went well.

Lesson learned.

September 2013 – month in review

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September 2013 – Nike+ Summary

September 2013 –
Nike+ Summary

175 miles this month.

I’m getting into the peak of my training for the Philadelphia Marathon. I’m well over half way through the training plan and luckily feeling healthy and not too tired. The weather has been great and I’ve been able to take all my runs outside still although it is definitely feeling like fall. The long sleeve shirts and gloves are coming out and now I am finishing my morning runs BEFORE sunrise. We don’t turn the clocks back for another few weeks so I’ll have to accept that as the norm for a little while. The training runs are getting longer and I just knocked out a 20 mile run yesterday with another couple coming in October. All the training is worth it as I appreciate the journey as well as the race although I am looking forward to taper time which I can see coming shortly.

Fall race is season is now in full swing. My friends are all training for their respective marathons (Chicago, New York, Atlantic City, Marine Corps) and I have to wait another couple of weeks after these for Philadelphia. I’m looking forward again to this race as this year I will be running the full maratthon alongside my wife. We have a time goal which is essentially to beat our Walt Disney World Marathon time (which should not be too difficult). I was actually featured on the Philadelphia Marathon blog earlier in the month for their ‘Why I love the Philadelphia Marathon’ [2013 ENTRY #6] series. As you can see from the article, as it was my first marathon it will always be special. Last year I broke the 4 hour mark so that helps too. 🙂

My wife and I ran the Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon mid month. The weather was perfect and we beat our time together from last year. You can read the race recap here. Not sure we would rush to do this again as there are many other races to run and places to explore (Disneyland 2014/Coast to Coast perhaps?).

Speaking of runDisney (as I often do) they just released some official photographs of the all new medals for the upcoming races. It brings everything closer to reality and is generating a lot of buzz. There are less than 100 days to go now to Marathon Weeekend. I am looking forward to running in January in the first official Dopey Challenge. The good news is that I made my fund raising goal this month to be able to run the event with Team Up for Autism Speaks. If you are interested in learning more about Team Up and the events they have for 2013 and 2014, please head over to my page on their site and go from there.

Marathon Training – Week 11

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Week 11 Training

Week 11 Training

So week 11 is now in the books. This on paper was the longest week in terms of mileage. 5 runs of 5, 8, 5, 8 and 18 miles respectively. As it was, I felt good this morning during the long run and had a little extra time (I guess I got up too early!) and sneaked in a couple of additional miles to make the long run 20 miles. I guess three 3 training runs of 20 miles isn’t going to hurt me during my marathon training as long as it is not excessive and I do take the designated rest days.

I missed Monday’s cross training session as I still felt tired after last weeks long run. That being said I also had an impromptu rest day on Thursday as when I stepped out of bed my ankle felt a little funny. I strapped it up for the day in a support bandage and by Friday it felt okay and I tried to make up my Thursday mileage which I did with no issues. I ended up running Friday, Saturday and Sunday for mileage of 5, 8 and 20. It’s almost as if I was planning to run the Dopey Challenge or something….oh, wait!!!

Interestingly today I finished my 20 miler and I took a quick look at my compression sock on the right foot. It had started to fray a little at the heel along the seam. I took a quick picture and sent an email to ProCompression asking about the warranty as I had only worn this pair twice (for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon a couple of weeks ago and today). Within 5 minutes I got a response from customer service on the West Coast. They asked my order number which I gave them and within 10 minutes they had written back and said that a replacement pair was on the way. That is amazing customer service seeing as it was 9am here on a Sunday morning and 6am over on the West Coast. I was impressed.

I will need to skip cross training tomorrow as I plan on taking a rest day after today’s long run. My wife is heading to Long Island next week to run the Diva’s Half Marathon so I will be unable to use Sunday for my long run. I will therefore be running Tuesday through Saturday (5 days straight). Luckily it’s a step back week and my long run is only 13 miles.

Today officially marked 100 days until the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. Lots of exciting things to do between now and then.

Countdown to Marathon Weekend (runDisney)

Countdown to Marathon Weekend (runDisney)

5 weeks until the Benjamin Franklin Bridge 10K

6 weeks until the Trenton Half Marathon

7 weeks until the Philadelphia Marathon

100 days until the Dopey Challenge

Thanks for reading.

2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Medals

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Photo courtesy of runDisney

Photo courtesy of runDisney

So this is what I am working towards. Today runDisney shared this picture on Facebook. It shows all the medals that will be awarded for completing the ‘Dopey Challenge‘ in January.

The 5K run this year is a timed run. They actually did away with the stroller division this year which is a shame. Runners receive the Pluto medallion for completing this race.

Pluto 5K medalliion

Pluto 5K medalliion

The new inaugural 10K has a Minnie Mouse medal.

Minnie Mouse 10K medal

Minnie Mouse 10K medal

As in prior years a Donald Duck medal is awarded for the half marathon and a Mickey Mouse medal is reserved for the main event, the full marathon.

Donald Duck Half Marathon medal

Donald Duck Half Marathon medal

Mickey Mouse Full Marathon medal

Mickey Mouse Full Marathon medal

The Goofy medal is awarded to folks who run the half marathon and the full marathon on the Saturday and Sunday for a total of 39.3 miles (‘Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge’).  Goofy runners receive the Donald, the Mickey and the Goofy medals.

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge medal

Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge medal

This year the new event is the inaugural Dopey Challenge. In prior years people claimed an unofficial Dopey by running the 5K along with the Goofy Challenge. This years addition of the 10K marks the begining of the official Dopey. In order to receive this medal you run all 4 races on 4 consecutive days for a total of 48.6 miles. Dopey runners receive the Pluto medallion, the Minnie, Donald and Mickey medals plus the Goofy medal (they did run Goofy) and the Dopey medals for a total of 6 medals. Not to mention the official race shirts. I’m going to need a bigger suitcase for the journey home.

Dopey Challenge medal

Dopey Challenge medal

This week my wife and I (plus my 6 year old son) hung up our race medals received to date. Judging by this new collection I will hopefully earn we are going to need a bigger wall, another curtain rod or another house.

Our family medal collection 2011 to 2013

Our family medal collection 2011 to 2013

Marathon Training – Week 8

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Week 8 Training

Week 8 Training

Week 8 done. 12 weeks until the Philadelphia Marathon.

Again this week’s schedule didn’t allow for me to stick strictly to my training plan other than the mileage which I completed. I missed my Monday cross training (probably too tired from last week) and I missed my Friday rest day as I had a committment on Sunday morning so I ended up running 5 days in a row. Again, I can only say this is training for Dopey as my excuse.

The longest run of the training plan so far was the 15 miler on Saturday. I did my first run back in Tyler Park since the spring. It is pretty good training as there is a lot of hill work to be done. I did three loops of just over 5 miles each and felt good. The hills weren’t too tough although the first couple of miles (uphill) were probably my slowest of the run, but once I had warmed up I was a little faster and brought my average pace down so the long run ended up under 10 minutes per mile overall.

The seasons are definitely changing. I broke out the long sleeve shirt and thin gloves one on my runs this week. I wished I had brought my gloves along for my long run on Saturday but it did warm up eventually so all was good. I’ll need to start reassessing and resorting my running gear shortly. Maybe a shopping spree?!?

Again I ran in the Pro Compression Marathon sock and I’m feeling comfortable in them as I go longer and longer. I actually bought another pair for myself this week and a pair for my wife too for her to try. Next week we will be running together at the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia. Looking forward to that.

A highlight this week was that I was featured on the Philadelphia Marathon blog [2013 Entry #6]. It was a nice end to the week and I’m looking forward to the Marathon in just over 2 months (whoa…just over 2 months).

Next week is a step back week again and my long run will be the Philly Rock and Roll Half. The plan calls for an 11 mile run but I am not planning to race the half so I’ll run those extra 2.1 miles fairly easy (I hope).

Thanks for reading.

August 2013 – month in review

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August 2013 - Nike+ Summary

August 2013 – Nike+ Summary

129 miles this month.

I’m one third into the marathon training for this year’s Philadelphia Marathon and feeling good so far. The runs are begining to get a but longer and I’ve been lucky that it has been great running weather for August. There have been a couple of really warm days but more or less I’ve been able to run outside for most of the month.

I passed another milestone at the begining of the month when I celebrated my 3 year ‘runniversary’ and I still have plenty of goals to achieve and races to look forward to.

With my wife joining me in the Philadelphia Marathon this year we are both finding that we have to juggle things around to get those long runs in. We’ve got a couple of races together before then (Philadelphia Rock ‘n Roll Half and the Trenton Half Marathon) and judging by my wife’s recent runs she is probably going to leave me in her dust. She has promised to stay with me during the marathon though.

We took a couple of weekends away which meant I had to run 5 days in a row (including the long runs) for a couple of weeks. If anything this will be useful training for the Dopey Challenge (yeah…I keep telling myself that) but with school starting back up in September I don’t see too many of those cram weeks ahead and should be able to stay on schedule and enjoy the rest days. I dd miss a couple of cross training days this month but September should have me back on track.

With racing season now upon us I want to wish you well for any races you may be training for.

Marathon Training – Week 6

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Week 6 Training

Week 6 Training

Week 6 already? That means 12 weeks until the Philadelphia Marathon and 20 weeks until the Dopey Challenge. I’m already excited.

This was the second step back week in the program and the rest was a welcome break. The training this week wasn’t bad. The temperatures are definitely getting cooler and the sunrises are coming later. I can feel Fall just around the corner. I was able to get all the running done outside this week which was nice. I felt a little tired in my legs so I spent a couple of nights sleeping in my Zensah compression sleeves and that seemed to help out.

I had an enjoyable midweek run in the park next to where I live. It is full of deer and that day there just seemed to be dozens around. They are used to me running there I guess as they don’t seem to move when I run past them. I get pretty close to them to as they are always crossing to and fro in front of me while I run. I decided to get a couple of photos so you can see what I mean. Very calm and relaxing.

Scenes from my morning run

Scenes from my morning run

photo 2

Scenes from my morning run

photo

Scenes from my morning run

No major gear experiments this week. I did return to trying the Pro Compression Marathon Socks again this week and they felt fine. I did treat myself to a new shirt this week for my Dopey training and I look forward to wearing this on my runs. The shirt is made by ‘One More Mile’. I have reviewed this specific product before but like this new slogan. I think it sends the right message 🙂

My new shirt from 'One More Mile'

My new shirt from ‘One More Mile’

With the later sunrises approaching I’m starting to dig out my early morning running gear. I will be writing a post specifically about the type of gear I use but needless to say the headlamp is getting a good deal of use now.

Thank you for stopping by.

Dopey Challenge Training Schedule – Updated

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Dopey Challenge

Dopey Challenge

Since I set up my training schedule for the back to back training for the 8 weeks between this year’s Philadelphia Marathon (11/17/13) and the Walt Disney World ‘Dopey Challenge’ (1/9-1/12/14) there have been a number of coaches updating their training programs.

I have used Hal Higdon’s plans consistently for marathons 2-5 and the back to back periods between Philly and Disney in 2012 and 2013. Hal recently came out with an official ‘Dopey’ plan on his website and so I took some time to compare the two.

Hal designed his plan for just the 4 day event, it is not a back to back marathon training plan as it assumes you will be following the plan for the full 18 weeks. I only have 8 weeks between events and will be using his back to back multiple marathon plan. Last year for my first ‘Goofy Challenge’ I followed the plan and just made sure that my Saturday runs were at least half of the Sunday long runs.

My Dopey training is…well…Dopey. I need to somehow recover from a marathon, train up for another multi day event (including a marathon) and have time to taper. Sounds like fun. Originally I had taken what I had done with Hal’s plan for the Goofy last year and switch my runs up so each week would have 4 continuous days of running. In hindsight that may seem to be a recipe for distress.

I went back today and looked at what I really need to do vs what I planned to do. I saw a need to have some more rest days in there for sure. I took the plan and moved back the rest days back to where they had originally been in Hal’s weekly plan but with the exception of 2 of the weeks.

For the 20 mile long run week I made sure I had a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the event in that I now plan to have that week be a four consecutive run week. At the start of my taper (three weeks out from race week) I have a 16 miler and plan to do a four consecutive run week then too. For the week prior to the event I dropped a run entirely from the plan and added an additional mid week rest day so that I give myself one extra opportunity to rest/heal before I head down to Florida.

Here is the updated plan. Still alot of running but hopefully more manageable.

This is trial an error. I want to complete the challenge and not get injured in the process. I think being a little more conservative in the training between Philly and Dopey is not going to hurt. Missing a day of running is not going to lose me any level of fitness and believe me, I probably will be craving rest days by the time December rolls around. I want to make it to the start line in one piece as I know the whole event, although rewarding and exciting, will be physically hard on my body. I am so not looking forward to my flight home on the Sunday evening after the marathon but I’m sure I will probably be asleep before we take off 🙂

Thanks for reading.

Marathon Training – Week 5

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Week 5 Training

Week 5 Training

This weeks training went well. Again, I crossed trained for 30 minutes on the bike on Monday and ran my scheduled runs. The main highlight of this weeks training was my 12 mile long run today.

I woke up to the sound of rain. I’m usually the first person to head indoors to the treadmill when there is inclement weather. I quickly looked at the radar maps to see if there was a slight chance that I could get out but it showed rain for the next two hours. I packed up my gym gear and as I was headed out of the front door it didn’t look too bad. I reminded myself that marathons don’t have rain dates and that I should ‘man up’ about getting wet! I’m so glad I did. Today’s long run was awesome.

I decided to start off on a familiar route through Langhorne Borough and reached a point where I usually turn left and head back in a loop to where I started. Today I decided to turn right. Having only driven this route before I knew it was a little hilly but you don’t factor that in to your regular commute. Running hills is slightly different. I have driven this route probably close to 12 years now and today was the first time I had a chance to really slow down and take in my surroundings. Today’s run was by no means my fastest 12 mile run but it was really one of the most rewarding.

Here is my Garmin file from today’s run – http://connect.garmin.com/activity/360906889

One of my favorite pieces of running gear is my trusty Garmin Forerunner 305. I bought it for my Birthday the year I started running and have used it 4-5 times a week for over two and a half years and over 3,600 miles. It records all my run data accurately. Recently I have had some trouble getting the watch to lock on to the satellites and I’ve had to stand outside my house for longer than I would like with my wrist in the air looking like an idiot (although many runners can probably relate). I’ve been prompted by the watch at least twice if I was indoors or had moved more than 100 miles since my last run. Nope, my house is still in the same neighborhood I was the day before. Also, I’ve been experiencing difficulty uploading my runs recently and it has been taking 2-3 attempts everytime to upload the data. I finally bit the bullet and upgraded this week to the Garmin Forerunner 310XT.

Garmin Forerunner 310XT

Garmin Forerunner 310XT

I’ve had two runs with it so far and it picked up the satellite signals with no problems. I also got a new heart rate strap to accompany this. It is very similar to the 305 but obviously there are some nice upgrades. I’m still investigating the watch but a good source for a review would be the DC Rainmaker blog. If you are interested in this watch here is a link to Amazon.com (full disclosure – I have an affiliate account with them) and I would recommend reading the reviews there too.

One new thing with this watch is that I am now able to upload my runs to all the sites I use without needing to boot up my laptop. Again, I will turn to the DC Rainmaker blog if you want to know how. I used this method for the first time today after my 12 mile run and I was very happy with it. It will be a little more practical on a day to day basis.

One thing I did notice this week was the wear on my shoes. I have used Brooks Adrenaline’s since August of 2011 and have worn the models from 11 to the current 13’s. I track my shoes in my running log and seem to get around 400 miles from each pair. I rotate my shoes between two pairs every other run and usually keep a difference of around 150 miles between the oldest and the newest. I’m now wearing two pairs of 13’s, one has reached just over 300 miles of running and the other around 125 miles. The tread on the oldest pair is pretty close to the point I would normally swap out which is a suprise as I usually can get another 100 miles or so out of my shoes. I noticed similar wear on the newer pair. I’ll be keeping a close eye on these and may end up swapping to a newer shoe around 350 miles this time around. I’m not sure if they changed any of the materials making up the sole of the shoe from the 12’s to the 13 model but I don’t think my running style is that much different than it was last year. We shall see. At least the 14’s will be launching soon and I’ll be definitely thinking about those come January at the Dopey.

My wife is also training with me for the Philadelphia Marathon this year. This will be her second marathon after the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon. She had a 9 mile run planned for her long run this weekend and it just happened to coincide with the Washington Crossing 15K race along the Delaware Canal Towpath (a place where we frequently run with the boys).

Washington Crossing 15K (photo courtesy of RunBucks.com)

Washington Crossing 15K
(photo courtesy of RunBucks.com)

It was an evening race and the weather was still a little warm. This was going to be my first race as a spectator and also allowed us to bring the boys along to cheer their Mommy. As you will see below we all got into the spirit of cheerleading and made our own special signs (although I may have helped Asher a little). The boys were surprisingly patient as we waiting at the finish line (although my iPhone battery was put through its paces entertaining the boys). Shari ran a great time and she looked god doing it. Below are some of the highlights from the race.

Shari with the boys before the start of the race

Shari with the boys before the start

The boys waiting at the finish line

The boys waiting at the finish line

My first race as a spectator. Any encouragement is good right?

My first race as a spectator.
Any encouragement is good right?

Shari at the finish line showing off the bling

Shari at the finish line showing off the bling

It was a fun experience and the boys were very excited for the whole thing. We were all proud of her and cheered as loud as only we can 🙂

Next week is the second step back week so my long run is going to be 9 miles. I felt good this week having upped my mileage a little. I feel good and after today’s run refreshed and looking forward to the week ahead.

Thank you for reading and have a great week.

Marathon Training – Week 4

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Week 4 Training

Week 4 Training

After last weeks step back week I started to up the mileage again. The planned long run this week was 11 miles.

Because of a family trip to Lancaster County, PA this weekend I had to squeeze my runs into the work week so I missed out on cross training on Monday and missed my rest day on Friday. I rested over the weekend (if you can call a family vacation a rest).

The runs were pretty easy. I had a decent faster pace run early in the week on the 3 miler. The run/walk ratio of 4:00/0:40 (a 6:1 ratio) seems to be working well for me. The temperatures were pretty cool early in the week but it was getting progressively warmer as the week went on. Getting up a little earlier these days means that I have to get the headlamp out again. It was time to change the batteries as the lamp didn’t do much for me early in the week.

Friday was to be my long run but I had to get it in before I left for work. Three of the weather forecasts I checked called for lightning storms (or a 50/50 chance of them). I got up at 4am Friday and checked the weather radar maps and it looked like I could get my run in. With a fresh set of batteries in my headlamp and a new battery in the RoadID Firefly lamp I was out the door and seeing clearly. It was already 70+ degrees before 5am but the weather held steady. Apart from being very humid it was a nice easy long run.

I also use these early long training runs to experiment on some gear. This week I again tried the Pro Compression socks vs my usual Zensah sleeves for the long run. Although my legs felt fine with the compression, the sock itself is rather thin for me and about 9 miles in my toes were feeling the inside of my shoes more than I would like. I think I will stick with my medium thickness socks and the leg sleeves going forward. No damage done as I wasn’t going too far.

I also bought a sample pack of GU in a new flavor (Salted Caramel) to try. I’ve used GU in the past but find the consistency a little thick for my liking but like to try new flavors from time to time. I still have plenty of samples of other products but these will get into the rotation soon.

New flavor to try

New flavor to try

A nice highlight of our trip to Lancaster County was that we took the boys to Dutch Wonderland. I was very surprised to find a ‘Dole Whip‘ stand. For those of you who don’t know what this is (and I confess I didn’t) this was something I heard was something only served at Walt Disney World in the Magic Kingdom near the Magic Tiki Room in Adventureland. It was really refreshing on such a hot day. It was my first taste of this frozen treat and I had a second taste (!) before we left later in the day. Now I have another excuse to go to Disney to make sure it tasted exactly right 🙂

My first Dole Whip

My first Dole Whip

Have a great week.